Downtime Mysteries

Bump in the Night


"Sam."

/ No answer, the silent treatment. /

"Sam!"

She was around ten feet in front of Jack storming along trying put even more distance between them.

"Sam do you know where you're going?"

At this she slowed, looked around and eventually stopped to wait on him.

God I hate it when the person you need is the exact same person your mad at! thought Sam.

"I can't believe your mad at me for not letting you take my share of that stuff." He said as he came up towards her.

Though her eyes softened at this the scowl was still present.

/ She's cute when she's angry with me. Hmm, but she's still in a mood, and that won't do. /

"You still angry with me?"

No response.

/ I'll take that as a yes. /

"Could you forgive me?"

A turn of the head.

/ Maybe, Maybe. /

"Can I make it up to you?"

Her eyes locked with his, filled with a mild curiosity.

Jack stood squarely in front of her, "Do you trust me?"

She appeared to think about it at this he wasn't surprised would you trust anyone that you were currently mad with, but she gave the smallest of nods which allowed him to put his plan into action.

"Close your eyes." He commanded, her eyes questioned his for a moment before she did so.

Sam was surprised as she felt a soft material cover her eyes, she could feel heat radiating from the arms that reached round to secure it.

They walked for what seemed only a few minutes, Jack guided Sam with little difficulty, during that time her senses tingled. Her ears heard the busy sounds of people change to the humming of engines trundling along beside her and the rush below, she smelt their fumes from the gas that powered them, smelt the fresh water of the Nile that raged beneath the bridge, smelt her guide who's hand on the small of her back was all that she could feel.

Soon all was quiet; her skin grew cold within the shade of a building, their steps where echoing off hard walls and floors as they stopped for a moment.

"Can I look?" she asked tentatively, all memory of being mad at him gone.

"Not yet." He whispered near her ear, causing her sense to tingle and her skin to run hot and cold.

She heard the movement of sliding doors, before the familiar jolt of an elevator going upwards. Stepping out, Sam heard the buzz of chatter and the smell of food but Jack steered them away from the noise, into the heat of the evening once more.

"Now?"

"You're so impatient." He admonished turning her so he could undo the blindfold. "Wait a minute." He said as he sensed her eagerness.

"What is it now?" she asked her eyes closed even though they where uncovered.

"Just wait."

"Now?"

"No."

"When?"

Silence.

"Jack!"

"Now."

Sam opened her eyes to see that she was high above the bustling streets, below her was a great sea of buildings, roads and people, beyond which the great pyramids shot up from the ground, towering even from their distant position, behind them the sun half settled for the night was falling rapidly changing the days blue skies to an array of colours worthy of a artists palate.

Sam was speechless as she watched the natural light show that played across the sky, pinks and oranges settled to a deep purple as the brightest stars shimmered through the stray light of the sun.

"Worth the wait?" Asked Jack, more interested in observing her reaction than the colours of the sky.

"Yeah." she muttered breathlessly, turning to see that he didn't seem interested in the sight before them, his eyes focused on her. If it were possible she seemed even more beautiful just because the soft sunset of Cairo graced her features.

"Dinner?" he asked.

She nodded smiling, typical Jack anything awkward, get some food.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack and Sam walked to back to the hotel for 21.00hrs, hoping to get an early night for the busy week ahead of them.

Walking past the reception they received a conservative nod from the concierge. They soon found their rooms on the second floor, Sam's closest Jack's further along the corridor.

Silence descended between them. An awkward one.

"Hey." came a stray voice from the stairwell.

The young pilot stumbled upon the awkward scene but was completely unaware; as it was evident from his manor he had had a few.

"What you been doing with yourself?" he asked Jack as he fumbled with his key for his room, across the hall from Jack's.

"You know, just catching up."

"You were at the pub I take it?"

"Yeah."

Jack took his key from him and opened his door.

"Right well we've got to get up early in the morning." Said Jack ushering him in. Once safe inside he came back out to Sam. "I'll see you in the morning."

He wanted more than anything to finish off what had been the perfect night as it should but he just couldn't do it, the feeling of their other life still hanging over them, despite living what could be for the day.

"Night." He finished awkwardly as he watched her walk through the doorway.

"Night Jack." She answered quietly.

When settled into his own room an hour later, he began to think of the wisdom of bringing Sam with him, but however awkward the moment it couldn't detract from the fantastic day they had. With this comforting thought he strived for sleep though a question burned in his mind.

Did Sam feel the same?

Halfway between asleep and awake a noise from the hall disturbed his attempts at slumber, he was at the door in a flash, opening it stealthily and peering down the hall, there was no one to be seen. Glancing at Marcus' door he stepped forward and tapped lightly, there was no answer, not that he expected one if Marcus had been drunk as he was he was no doubt sound asleep unable to answer the door. Glancing down the hall he looked at Sam's door, soon he was tapping gently as he had done previously.

"Jack?" she said groggily coming to the door in her pajama trousers and vest top.

His eyes flitted down and back up before answering her.

"Hey...um did you hear anything?"

"Uh ...no...Jack are you ok?" she answered a little more awake and now worried for him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Night." He said turning back to his room.

"Wait."

His eyes looked curiously into hers.

"Do you trust me?"

He nodded.

"Close your eyes."

Standing in the desolate hallway he shut his eyes and waited. He could hear her calculated foot steps towards him, smell of her shampoo, feel the heat from her body as she stood inches from him, feel her lips as they brushed with his. Shocked at first he did nothing but commit the last few seconds to memory before encircling his arms around her and responding to he touch.

With a clatter at the end of the hall they sprang apart to watch the young man who awaited their luggage earlier crash a trolley unceremoniously into the wall, muttering curses.

Soon he was gone from sight, and they turned to face one another once more. They looked the same and yet something was different, things had changed and both where sure for the best. As they looked deeply into one another's eyes they recognised that they now shared a secret.

Jack smiled and turned back to his room knowing nothing needed to be said.

Sliding between the sheets he remembered what it was that had unexpectedly caused the chance occurrence in the hallway.

/ Must have been the bell boy / he thought before drifting into sweet dreams.