A/N: Inspired by Episode 3 – 'Light Years' – Martin has left the office for the night, but Samantha and Jack remain. (M/S)

Late Nights

Samantha looked around her desk, Vivian and Danny were gone, Martin had just left and she really did have at least 30 more minutes of work to complete before she'd feel finished enough to head out. She didn't figure that she did more work than the others, but she always seemed to be the last one around at the end of the day. Well, the last one if you didn't count Jack. Jack was always the last person to leave the office, and usually the first one there in the morning. After a brief analysis she concluded that she works more slowly than the others, but as this thought came to her mind she realized that working slowly was a habit she had fostered over the few years she had worked in this room.

She thought back to a night not unlike this one. She had struggled over a sentence within her report, not really needing to change it, but proclaiming to those still remaining around her that she wouldn't be able to sleep unless the sentence was perfect. Slowly, the others filed out having completed their assignments. She glanced around the office and smiled because she had done it, she had mulled over her report so long that it was only she and Jack left at the office.

For months she worked hard at making their late nights together seem unplanned and coincidental, but she knew that she had purposefully found ways to drag out her tasks so that her co-workers thought that she was legitimately busy. Although, she was pretty sure that Vivian had caught on. Vivian had relied on her during Samantha's first few months with the unit because Samantha worked quickly and efficiently to get jobs done. So Vivian had probably noticed that Samantha's work habits had changed, but she'd kept it to herself, much to Samantha's relief.

On that night long ago she had crossed the empty room toward Jack's office and she did so now, after all, old habits die hard. She knocked softly on his open door and he looked up. She could see that he was staring at a document, the glazed look in his eyes told her that he hadn't been reading it, but probably thinking, about what she wasn't sure anymore.

"You okay Jack?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, Sam, I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed." With his right hand Jack massaged his wearly forehead.

For him to allow her to see that he wasn't bulletproof proved to Samantha that Jack still cared about her a lot. He walked around like a stoic most of the time and it was rare for him to drop that façade, even in the presence of Samantha. "If you need to talk... I don't know if I can help, but I can listen." As she spoke, she glanced at the clock behind him, wondering how long Martin would wait for her, then smiling because she knew that he would wait all night.

Jack noticed her wayward glance and sighed inwardly. He was a trained investigator, he put it together that Samantha had someplace to be, but was glad that she had offered to talk anyway. "No, I don't think that I'm ready to talk, yet, but thanks for the offer, I may still take you up on it. ... You go now, it's late, I'm sure that you have somewhere better to be." He tried to release her, tried to offer his blessing for her to let go of her pity for him and enjoy her evening.

Samantha accepted, not knowing how else to offer her friendship and rather than face an awkward moment she turned around and walked out of the office.

He continued to stare at the office door, where Samantha had been standing. Vivian's words echoed in his head, "You screwed Samantha and then dumped her like garbage." Had he really? Had he been as callous toward Samantha as Vivian depicted? He rationalized that Samantha wouldn't have been so nice to him tonight if she felt the way Vivian described. Then his thoughts drifted to where Samantha was headed, obviously out and most likely not alone.

In the stillness of the room, Jack stared at the papers before him—some document his lawyer wanted him to sign to fight against his wife. He couldn't believe how his life had spiraled out of control in such a short period of time. Again he heard Vivian's words telling him to "take responsibility for the things you do and grow up." With a defeated sigh he picked up his pen and signed his name.

Martin heard a slight knock on his door, although he had been expecting Samantha he had given up on her two hours ago. When he opened the door he was shocked to see Samantha dripping wet. He ushered her into the room and quickly removed her soaking jacket. "What happened? You must be freezing."

"Nothing happened, I walked," Samantha explained as if it were a very common occurrence.

"You walked? Did you forget where I live, it's miles away ... in the rain!" As he marveled at Samantha's behavior he disappeared into his bedroom and come back with warm sweatpants and a dry shirt for her.

She accepted the items and after putting on the dry clothing she remained silent.

Martin stared at her, waiting for some explanation of her behavior, but she gave none and only returned his look. Finally, he accepted her silence and offered her some dinner, which she readily accepted.

Finally, after dinner, Samantha spoke about the night. "You should have seen Jack at the office. He looked so small, so defeated and I can't help but blame myself for a portion of what he's going through." Samantha admitted while her head rested on Martin's chest, his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Now explain to me how you are taking responsibility for Jack's unhappiness."

Samantha paused for a moment trying to determine how to put her thoughts into words, "It's just that, well, maybe, ... maybe if I hadn't been in the picture his marriage would have worked. It was wrong what we did, I knew that he was married, yet, I ... I'd make all of these opportunities for us to be alone at the office or in the field. I guess that I kind of enticed him."

Martin unwrapped his arms from around her and made her face him, "You did not make him have an affair, Samantha. He is a grown man and can make decisions for himself. He knew he was married and he knew the vows that he took."

Samantha interrupted him, "But Martin, I purposefully worked late, I invented reasons so that we would have to work together, I ..."

"No," Martin was appalled that Samantha was putting this much blame on herself, "No, Samantha, that doesn't excuse what he did, what Jack did. He made the decision to cheat on his wife, he was not an innocent victim in the destruction of his marriage. Their marriage had problems before your affair with him. Why was he always the last person in the office at night so that you could 'make up excuses' to be alone with him, why was he so willing to indulge your 'reasons for working together'? Samantha, I didn't know him at the time, but I can bet that he wasn't the picture perfect husband and father even before you came along."

Samantha was quiet, but she held eye contact with Martin. He could tell that she was processing his words and hoped that she was thinking rationally. Finally, she nodded. "I get what you're saying Martin, I really do, but ... I think that it's just going to take time."

"Time I've got," he answered leaning into her and kissing her tenderly.

Samantha responded and when he pulled away she smiled at him. "Now, where's the library full of alien abduction books and the collection of inter-neural transmitters tracking our every move?" Samantha was moving her head all around as if trying to spot the items.

Playfully, Martin shoved her away from him as if upset, then decided to play along. "I keep it all in there," he said pointing and walking toward the bedroom. At the door he turned and eyed Samantha, "Care to join me ... Scully?"

Rolling her eyes, Samantha approached Martin, forgetting all about Jack and his problems.