Monday morning rolled around again and for the occupants if the Missing Persons Department of the FBI in New York it was destined not to be a happy Monday. They had been granted a free weekend due to their attendance of their former colleague Martin Fitzgerald on Friday. Paula Van Doren had attended and had seen for herself the sadness it had caused her team. She had also noted the absentee-ism of one of the colleagues. Samantha Spade has chosen not to attend or so she thought. The young agent had called her yesterday asking for a meeting this morning. Hopefully some things could be worked out.
The atmosphere in the bullpen was one of deep sadness and a little hostility. Jack walked out of the elevator to see Danny and Viv already at their desks. No Samantha. He was beginning to worry a little about the young agent. Then again she was never one he had to worry about before. Samantha was headstrong and knew how to take care of herself. She could take care of herself.
He watched as she walked in, late. "Samantha, you're late." His harsh voice made Samantha spin round to face him.
"I've been in since eight Jack. I was in a meeting with Van Doren." She replied before walking across to her desk. Jack watched as she turned her computer on and got straight to work. No one spoke to her. Danny was still so angry with her. Jack didn't think he would ever forgive Samantha for the way she had been behaving.
A few hours later the door to Jack's office opened. "Jack." Samantha's voice pulled Jack from the daydream he was having. He turned to see her standing at his office door.
"Yes Samantha, what can I do for you?" He asked expectantly.
"I need to tell you something and then I want to take a few weeks personal leave if that's all right with you." She told him as she sat in the chair opposite his own. "I've already spoken to Van Doren and she agrees if you say it's all right."
"Samantha tell me what's wrong. You know you can tell me anything." Jack placed the pen he was holding back down on the table and clasped his hands in front of him.
"I'm pregnant, so I know that it means desk duty from now on. That I can deal with but I just need time to sort some things out. That's why I need the time off." She finished her speech before looking up to her boss. The look on his face was one of shock. "I know this comes at a tough time Jack, but I just have a few things."
"I suppose congratulations are in order. It's wonderful news Samantha. As for time off, sure. You have two weeks vacation time to take anyway. Can I ask you one question?" Samantha nodded. "I was just wondering who the father is? You haven't mentioned a boyfriend in the last while, so I'm curious."
'And a bit nosey.' She thought to herself. "I don't mind you asking Jack, but the father isn't in the picture anymore. So can we just leave it at that?" Samantha asked before standing. Jack noticed a difference in her already. The paleness in her face seemed to be gone. She had what his father called the pregnancy glow, even if she didn't look happy.
"Sure, but you know where I am if you need anything."
"Thanks Jack. I'll see you in two weeks." She said quickly before leaving his office and heading for the elevators.
"Where'd Samantha go?" Vivian asked as he joined her and Danny at the conference table.
"Home."
"Slacking off as usual." Danny retorted.
"No Danny she's not. She had a meeting with Van Doren this morning and has arranged two weeks off. She needs some time to get her head around her new situation. I might as well tell you. Samantha's pregnant." Danny and Viv both looked stunned. "I know I looked just as surprised as you do."
"Did she tell you who the father was?" Viv asked.
Jack shook his head. "Just said he wasn't in the picture any more. Lets just leave it at that just now. She'll tell us in her own time."
A few days after Samantha had gone on leave, Jack had a strange feeling something was wrong. "Vivian can you come in here a second?" He asked as she passed by his office.
"What's up?" She asked watching as jack ran his hand over his face, in tiredness and in frustration. Nothing seemed to be going right for him at the moment.
"I was wondering if you could do me a favour." Vivian nodded for him to continue. "Would it be all right if I asked you to go to Samantha's to check up on her? I have this strong feeling that she isn't telling us everything." He looked up into his colleague's eyes. "There was something about how she has been acting since the shooting that isn't adding up."
"Not a problem Jack. I'll head over there after shift. Maybe she'll talk to me. Tell me who the father of the baby is?" Vivian eyes jack. "You know that is what you really want to know."
"You got me. Just try not to make it so obvious. This is exactly why I am not going. I'd probably come straight out and ask, making her more upset than she already is."
Around four thirty that same afternoon Samantha lay on her sofa glancing at three photographs' that lay on her coffee table. It had taken all her strength that morning to get out of bed. She felt the same every morning since the shooting. But it was necessary to get up. She had to eat, drink, live. It was hard and even more so now.
The knock on her apartment door jarred Samantha from the daydream she was in. She was reluctant to answer it but the knocking wouldn't stop. She quickly pushed the photos inside the book that lay on the coffee table and trudged to the door. Swinging the door open she was surprised to find her work colleague in front of her. "Vivian, this is a surprise. Come in." As far as she knew they all still hated her but she wasn't let it bother her.
"Jack told us your good news. I just wanted to come over and make sure you were okay." Vivian told the young agent standing in front of her. Vivian was a little shocked by Samantha's appearance. Never before had she seen a woman look as lost as she found Samantha.
"I'm fine." Samantha told her. Vivian didn't believe a word of it. By looking at Samantha she could tell there was something wrong. "Honest Viv I'm doing okay. I'll be back at work next week."
"We're just worried about you Samantha. Jack said that you're going to do this alone. Are you sure you want to do it? Shouldn't you inform the father? Let him be part of it. You're going to need a lot of help." As Vivian spoke she watched the colour drain from Samantha's face.
"I'm going to be all right Vivian, thank you for your concern but really I'll be fine. Some how I will work it all out and bring my baby up on my own. The father is no longer in the picture so he doesn't need to know." Samantha was beginning to feel nauseous. "Vivian can you excuse me just a second. Please make yourself comfortable."
Vivian recognised the need to vomit from her pregnancy with Reggie. Samantha retreated through a door Vivian presumed to be the bathroom. She sat down on the sofa reaching for the book that lay on the coffee table. As she lifted it photograph's slid from the front cover. Vivian lifted them and gasped as she saw what was on them. She quickly put them back inside the book, laying the book back on the table and standing again. She heard the bathroom door open and Samantha came out, paler than she had gone in. "You okay?"
"Not really. Vivian, I need to lie down. DO you mind?"
"Of course not. Just call if you need anything. I mean it Samantha. Anything." Vivian placed her hand on Samantha's arm.
"Actually can I ask you a favour?" Vivian nodded. "Could you take the spare key for my apartment? Martin used to have it and I am forever forgetting my key in the morning. It's nice to know someone at work has one for me, just in case."
"Of course. If you're sure." Samantha nodded, not willing herself to speak again. She handed Vivian the key before showing her to the door. "Take care of yourself Samantha."
"I will, see you next week." Samantha told her before closing the door and heading for her bed.
Vivian walked back into the office, knowing Jack would still be there. "Vivian, I didn't expect to see you back here."
"Thought you might want to know what I found out."
"Of course. How is she?"
"A mess. She's really ill with the pregnancy but she is suffering Jack. I happened to find a few photograph's and I now know why she's such a mess."
"Why?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Martin's the father of Samantha's baby."
"What?"
"Jack I saw pictures. They had been dating a while by the looks of things. One picture from Christmas, one from Fourth of July and another from Thanksgiving just the other week. So it looks like she has had a lot on her plate. We should have given her more credit."
"I suppose but why didn't' she just tell us?"
"Maybe she couldn't."