Lyrics from Sarah MacLaughlin's 'Good Enough'.

"How do you know where she lives?" Sam asked as they drove through the streets of Southeast DC.

"She's a friend. She was afraid to tell you where she lived because of where it is."

"I know that she lives near Charlie, but that's about it," he said quietly.

"Well, you're about to find out," she said as she slowed to a stop in front of a house.

"This is it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, this is it. She lives in the basement apartment. You have to go around the back to get to her front door. I'll wait while you get back there, and then I'll leave."

He didn't know what to think. They'd passed vagrants, a few drunks and quite a few people that looked like dealers and hookers. He couldn't believe that his sweet, innocent Kate lived in a neighborhood like this. He shook his head quickly to get rid of the thought. Right now, he needed tomake surethat she was OK. He undid his seatbelt and rested his hand on the door handle.

"Thanks for everything, Bonnie. I really appreciate it. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't told me what happened," he said gratefully.

She reached over and patted his hand. "Just take care of her, Sam. That's all I ask."

He smiled at her. "I will."

He got out of the car and opened the gate to the back of the house, latching it behind him once he was on the other side. He heard Bonnie pull away as he went down the stairs that led to her front door. He could see a faint light through the window on the door and knew that she was home. He slipped the key in the lock and began to open the door.

Kate let the tears flow freely as she cleaned the cut on her face. She felt awful just running out on Sam like that, but she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't believe that Mallory had threatened her like that in public, but it'd had the desired effect. She was now entirely scared, more of telling Sam about it than anything else. He wouldn't want her now, once he knew how weak she was. She listened to the song that she'd put on when she got home and remembered her childhood…

"...Who's there that makes you so afraid? You're shaken to the bone. You know I don't understand, you deserve so much more than this..."

By some fluke, he was able to get the door open without a problem. Shutting and locking it as quietly as he could, he looked around Kate's apartment and wondered how she was able to live there.

It was small; no larger than his bedroom and the guest room put together. The main room was split in two; half served as a living/dining room and the other half as her bedroom. There was a part of the floor that was tiled and he noticed a small stove and sink there, so he assumed that area served as the kitchen. Her bedroom wasn't much. A set of mattresses up on cinder blocks, a small closet and 2 dressers. He moved to get a closer look inside her bedroom, but he suddenly heard Kate crying from behind the only other door in the apartment, which, he assumed, led to the bathroom. The door was partially open, so he gently eased it open the rest of the way.

She had her hands on the edge of the sink and her head bent as she cried. Her tears stung the cut, but she didn't care. She was so thankful that Sam couldn't see her right now. She knew he'd be angry, but she had to leave when she did. She'd call him in the morning and…

"My Katie."

So soft, and yet it made her jump. Turning, she nearly fell over when she saw Sam in her doorway. Her hand flew to her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. Through the haze of her tears, she could see the worry and concern on his face as he crossed the room to her. He delicately touched the cheekbone above the cut and whispered, "You're hurt, baby girl. Let me take care of you."

Something inside her broke in that moment, and the tears came fast as he guided her to sit down. He spoke to her in soothing tones as he cleaned and bandaged the cut, but the only thing that she knew for sure was that something deep inside her ached with a pain that she'd never felt before.

Guiding her into the bedroom, he picked her up and settled her in his lap. He rocked her gently as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm while he whispered to her.

"Who hurt my angel? Who hurt my baby girl? I'm here now, little one. No one's going to hurt my Katie, never, ever. Shhhh. I'm here, sweetie. Sam's here and he loves you so very, very much. No one's going to hurt you ever again, baby doll, never again. Shhhh. Shhhh. I'm here, I'm here. You're safe now. I'll protect you, my sweet, precious Katie. I'll protect you."

It hurt him deeply to see her like this again. He could remember the last time she was like this, and remembered wondering if he'd ever see her smile again. He knew now that she would, but it would take time and a lot of special care on his part to show her that it was safe for her to be happy; that it wouldn't all be pulled away from her at the drop of a hat. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and was startled when she straightened up and looked in his eyes once he'd pulled away.

He could see that she was hurting, but he also saw desire like he'd never seen before. He knew he felt the same, but was hesitant. He didn't want to take advantage of her current state, but he wanted her so much, more than he ever had in his life. The air between them felt so thick to the point where it held them where they were.

He reached up and gently pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. He brushed away the tears that were still on her cheeks as he looked into her darkening eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes. I love how expressive they are," he said in a soft voice heavy with emotion.

"Sam," she whispered thickly, holding his gaze. She brought her hand up to his face and lightly grazed his cheekbone with her fingertips. He could feel the emotion in her touch.

He slowly lowered his head to hers. "My sweet, darling Beth," he whispered against her lips before he captured them in a gentle, searing kiss.