Saturday night arrived all too quickly for all parties involved. Samantha was really apprehensive about seeing everyone after such a long time. She had spent most of her day preparing a meal that she hoped would be edible. It had been a while since she had lat cooked for more than just her.
Meanwhile across town Danny was a little apprehensive too. He had every right to be. He hadn't exactly treated her right since Martin had died but hopefully they could work things out tonight. He glanced at the address again. He couldn't believe that she had moved, and into a not so very nice neighbourhood. He walked down the stairs of his building and climbed in his car, heading to pick Jack and Viv up.
Arriving in Samantha's new neighbourhood her friends just looked around and cringed. How could she live like this? But the more Jack thought about it, she had given up her job and probably hadn't had much income over then. Why couldn't she ask for help? Hopefully she would tonight.
They slowly climbed the stairs to the second floor apartment and knocked cautiously on the door. It seemed to take a few minutes before they heard shuffling feet on the other side on the door and the locks being pulled.
The door opened to reveal Samantha standing on the other side, looking just as beautiful as always. Motherhood was certainly agreeing with her, Viv thought. "Come in." Samantha stood back allowing her friends to enter her small apartment. "Glad you could make it."
"Wouldn't have missed it for the world." Jack told her. "Congratulations." He said handing over a small gift.
"Thank you Jack." Samantha shyly answered. "I have a lot of explaining to do tonight but first off I want to apologise for disappearing on everyone like I did but after I tell you some things tonight, hopefully you'll understand." Samantha finished her little speech by looking at Danny. Danny turned his head away not wanting to look his best friend in the eye.
"So where is the little bundle of joy?" Viv asked as she gave Samantha a hug.
"He should just be getting up, give me a second." Samantha excused herself from the small living room heading into one of the doors that lead off the living room. It gave the others a chance to see exactly where she had been living. "Here he is." Samantha announced as she appeared back in the room with a small bundle of blue blanket in her arms. "I'd like to introduce you to Ben." Everyone peered into the bundle to have a look at the little one who seemed to have stolen Samantha's heart. "Danny do you want to hold him?" Samantha asked, hoping to break the ice with him.
"Eh, sure." Danny said accepting the baby into his arms. Samantha could only smile as she watched her best friend hold her son. "So Ben Spade, I like it." He smiled at the baby before smiling at Samantha.
"He isn't Ben Spade." Samantha stated as everyone took a seat.
"But I thought you said." Danny started.
"Yeah his father isn't in the picture and never will be but I wanted to honour him so Ben has his fathers surname. I'd like to introduce Benjamin Martin Fitzgerald." Samantha took a minute to register everyone's response. Viv and Jack didn't look too surprised but Danny looked shell shocked. "Martin was, is, his father."
"So you and Martin were dating?" Jack asked, finally getting to know exactly what had been going on for the last while.
"We had been dating for about eighteen months when he was killed. In fact three days before he died, he proposed and I said yes. So right now we should be a family, but I am here being a single mother." Viv couldn't help but notice the sadness in Samantha's voice. "Jack you and Viv didn't seem to shocked when I told you?"
"That's because we knew. The day that I came to visit, I came across photo's of you both." Viv told her.
Samantha nodded her head and walked to the fireplace. "These ones." She said as she stood the three photo frames on the fireplace back up. Viv nodded as she recognised the photos from that day.
"He really does look like Martin doesn't he?" Danny commented.
"Yeah, it's the eyes. I know that they could change and be brown like mine but I hope they stay blue, like his daddies. "
"So what about Victor and Catherine? What do they think of their grandson?" Jack asked. He watched as Samantha tensed up.
"They don't know about him. I am planning a trip down to DC on Monday. Hope they take it all right."
"So why did you just tell us back then, when Martin died?" Danny finally asked.
"I couldn't. Danny you may never understand what I was going through back then. I don't expect any one to but I was dying inside and I felt I had no one. So the best thing to do was to hide."
"But here, you could have lived somewhere nicer than here?" Jack asked.
"It was all I could afford at the time." Samantha told him. "But when Ben is old enough and I can come back to work, I'll move again, to somewhere nicer." Samantha said in a dreamy voice. Already dreaming of days with her son in a nicer apartment. "Now who's ready to eat?"