A/N: Well, this is pretty much the end of this story, folks. I´m grateful to all of you who followed the story and the amazing feedback I´ve received along the way. Special thanks go out to Diane – who´s still the best beta ever!
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Continued from chapter 15
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A light drizzle began to fall as Vivian spent little time bringing Jack and Martin up to speed. There wasn´t much to tell; neither Erick White nor Leo Altman had been discovered. They had covered about a third of the warehouse district, two different groups working from each end. Satisfied with what he had heard, Jack arranged for an ambulance to be called just in case. Then he delegated his agents, taking Vivian with him to join Danny and leaving Martin and Samantha with the backup to work their way toward them.
Changing into his jacket with the bright yellow FBI letters on his back - which tended to make him feel like a walking target – Martin followed Samantha and two other agents to a large wooden building, used in the past to store textiles, but which was now mainly empty except for some overturned crates and old newspapers and trash. Splitting up, Martin and Sam unholstered their guns and entered from the south while their colleagues moved onto the next building. They made a speedy, but thorough search of the premises, but the only sign of human presence was a couple of cardboard boxes in the corner and an empty beer bottle.
"Vagrant," Martin guessed and Sam nodded. "Looks like it. Okay, let´s move on."
They exited, continuing to the next warehouse, which smelled strongly of rot. The walls were practically green at some places and they could both hear the faint sound of water dripping somewhere, but they failed to find the source. The air was cool and clammy and Martin shivered involuntarily, noticing Samantha doing the same.
"I don´t think Erick would bring Leo Altman here," she spoke thoughtfully, looking around at the metallic pieces lying on the ground, nearly unidentifiable from rust and the rotting crates covered with mildew. "It feels too unhealthy. He´s planned this out; he wants to take his time. He would want to feel more comfortable."
"Right," Martin replied, looking around himself, "because we all know how important it is for people to be in a sound and healthy environment while committing crime. Otherwise it´s just not as enjoyable."
Sam gave him an irritated look. "No need to be sarcastic, Martin. What I meant was that Erick White most likely didn´t take Altman or meet up with him here on a whim. He´s been here before, perhaps hanging out with some other kids. They would choose a nicer place for that."
Martin acknowledged her words with a shrug, but didn´t speak. Silently they moved on and entered the next warehouse. It was the smallest one so far, the windows boarded up to allow practically no light coming from outside. Pulling out flashlights, they looked around, but were unable to see much. The inside of the warehouse was completely cluttered with crates and pallets stored almost up to the ceiling, turning the room in to a virtual maze. Martin looked to Sam and she nodded imperceptibly and they slowly moved forward. The maze wasn´t a haphazard byproduct of over-storage; it had clearly been created for the very purpose. Letting the beam of his flashlight sweep over the floor as they penetrated further into the growing darkness, Martin noticed several cigarette butts, candy wrappers, beer cans and even the occasional used condom. Apparently, the abandoned warehouse wasn´t as abandoned as its outside appearance claimed.
"Sam?" he whispered.
"I know," she whispered back. "I think we´re at the right place."
"Should we call Jack?"
She shook her head. "No. I checked the blueprints of most of the buildings before you arrived. This one doesn´t have another exit. If they´re here, we´ll find them."
They continued onward, trying not to step on the broken glass and twisted steel that was everywhere on the floor. Checking his watch, Martin calculated mentally. Even though the obstacles in their way had forced them to move in circles, they had to be close to the center of the building by now. And then just as he had finished the thought, they stepped around a corner and the room opened up before them, the beams of their flashlights revealing a small space barely bigger than his bedroom. Overturned beer crates served as makeshift chairs, a larger one as a table, and there was even a solitary unlit candle on it. In the far right corner there was what appeared to be a mattress or a large cushion and in the very center was an old oil barrel, its rim covered with soot.
"Martin?" He felt Sam´s hand on his arm and he turned his head to her, but she was looking at something else. "Over there."
He followed her line of sight, seeing what looked like a bundle of blankets or clothes, but then he noticed the hand sticking out from underneath it all. "Shit!" he exclaimed and started to move, but Sam had already beaten him to it, kneeling down and carefully pulling away a denim jacket to reveal the pale face of Leo Altman.
"Is he dead?"
Samantha didn´t answer at first, her fingers probing; then she shook her head. "No, I feel his pulse. It´s weak, but it´s there." She leaned down closer while Martin found his cell phone. "He´s been hit on the head as far as I can tell; his hair is coated in blood and it has started to dry. I don´t know…" she trailed off, letting her flashlight run over Altman´s immobile form. "I don´t see any other injuries."
Martin punched the digits, calling for help and informing them of where they could find them. In the meantime, Sam made a quick sweep of the area, but there was no trace of Erick White. She returned to kneel at Altman´s side just as Martin called Jack to inform him of their find. To his surprise, there was no answer. Frowning, he dialed Danny´s number, but his phone didn´t even ring and went straight to voicemail.
"That´s funny."
"What?" Sam glanced up at him, distracted by Altman´s shallow breathing and his clammy skin. He didn´t look good at all.
"I can´t seem to reach Jack or Danny." This time he tried Vivian´s number and as it rang, he felt Samantha´s intense gaze on him. It rang once, then twice, then a distracted Vivian answered, "Yes?"
"Viv? It´s Martin. Sam and I just found Leo Altman. He´s alive but in a bad condition. Help´s on its way."
"Good, good," Vivian spoke hurriedly, sounding more than a little absentminded. "Look, I´ll have to go. We have a bit of a situation here."
"Situation? What kind of situation?"
"We found Erick White. I think he´s threatening to kill himself. Jack and Danny are with him."
"We´ll be right there," Martin spoke, but the line had already gone dead. He met Sam´s questioning eyes. "They found Erick White."
"Is he all right?"
"Well," Martin began, turning slightly toward the sudden sound of approaching footsteps. "Over here!" he called out. "Just turn right every other time and you´ll get here." He turned back to Sam. "Viv said that he´s threatening to kill himself, but Jack and Danny are with him."
Samantha slowly rose just as the first paramedic burst around the corner. "Is he armed?"
"I don´t know; Vivian didn´t say. She sounded a little stressed."
She walked over to him and they both moved out of the way for the next paramedic, carrying an enormous bag of medical supplies. "But Jack and Danny are okay, right?"
"I don´t know," Martin repeated a little testily, he wasn´t psychic. But then he noticed the concern in her eyes and his voice softened, "I´m sure they´re both fine."
He saw her nod, but it was obvious she wasn´t reassured. It wasn´t like her to naturally assume the worst, or at least it hadn´t been in the past. Despite everything, it still threw him a little. He was no fool. Even before he knew the whole truth, he noticed that Samantha was always especially on edge whenever Jack was involved in a potentially dangerous situation. She had always been good at keeping it from everybody who wasn´t paying extra attention, though. He suddenly wondered why she had stopped bothering to hide it, and then he wondered if she was even aware that she had. He bit the inside of his cheek, then spoke with a nonchalance that almost came over as real, "Why don´t you go find out what´s going on? I´ll stay here with Altman."
Sam, who had been shooting not so furtive glances between Leo Altman and the direction of the exit, quickly looked back at him. She didn´t speak, but just searched his face for a moment before giving him a brief nod and an even briefer smile. Then she briskly walked away and Martin saw her pull out her cell phone before she disappeared out of sight.
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"Just leave!"
"Erick," Jack spoke calmly. "You know we can´t do that." He took a step forward, but stopped when Erick immediately took several steps backward, bringing him precariously close to the end of the pier. "Erick, it´s okay. We´re not gonna push you. Just put down the gun and we´ll talk about it."
"It´s not okay!" Tears began to fall, making small lines on Erick´s grimy face while his gaze darted constantly between Jack and Danny. "It´s not okay…" He glanced down for a split second, but instantly looked back up when he sensed movement. "Don´t come any closer!" He waved the gun haphazardly, not really aiming at them, but more trying to wave them away.
They had been searching the warehouses all the way down to the water´s edge without result, but just as they were about call it off, Danny had spotted a lone figure out on the furthermost pier. A look through a pair of binoculars had confirmed that it was Erick White, standing at the edge and staring down at the water. Danny and Jack approached as carefully as possible, not wanting to spook the boy. It was only when they were about 30 feet away and he spun around that they saw the gun stuck down into the front of his jeans. Jack had immediately ordered a stop to all movement and Vivian and the other agents remained back at the beginning of the pier, watching the scene unfold through binoculars.
"Put--put your guns down!"
"Erick," Jack said in the same calm voice he used earlier, "you know we can´t do that either." He and Danny were both pointing their weapons directly at him and Erick White took another step back, nearly losing his balance as his sneakers touched the very edge of the pier. Jack made a quick decision and slowly lowered his gun. "Danny."
Danny glanced at him, but then lowered his gun as well.
"See, Erick, we´re willing to show a bit of faith in you. Why don´t you return the favour?"
Erick White hesitated, staring nervously at Jack, the gun in his hands shaking ever so slightly. Then he lowered it just a little, but enough to be aiming at the ground somewhere between him and the agents.
Jack gave him an encouraging smile. "That´s good, Erick, that´s real good. Why don´t you just put it down completely just in case. I know you don´t want to shoot anyone."
However, Erick White didn´t appear to have heard him. He was looking at something behind them and Jack fought the impulse to turn around. "I only wanted him to admit it," Erick spoke in a strange tone, his eyes finding their way back to Jack´s. "I wanted him to admit what he did. I didn´t mean to kill him."
"Leo Altman?" Jack asked, trying to keep the urgency out of his question. "Where is he, Erick? Did you hurt him?"
"I hit him over the head with his own gun," Erick replied listlessly, glancing at the gun in his hand and Jack watched as what little colour there was left drained from the teenager´s face. "He wouldn´t admit it, you know; he wouldn´t admit what he did to my grandmother. So I pushed him into the wall, he dropped the gun and I hit him."
"Where is he, Erick?" Danny used Erick´s momentary distraction to inch a little closer, ignoring Jack´s cautionary look. "He is here, isn´t he? Tell us where to find him and we´ll get him to a hospital."
The tears had gradually stopped coming and Erick White just looked at them, the hand with the gun coming to rest against his side. "It´s too late," he stated dully, almost matter-of-factly. "I killed him and it´s all my fault."
"What´s your fault, Erick?"
"Everything." Erick White´s pale eyes moved between them once more before settling solely on Jack. "I told Leo my grandmother was rich; I even bragged about it. I told him how easy it was to get money from her. I brought him to her apartment once when I needed money and she was there. I introduced him to her. If I´d never done that, if I´d kept my mouth shut then none of this would ever have happened." His face contorted and it looked like he was about to begin crying again, but he kept it under control. "I knew Leo was always broke. I knew he was owing a lot of people a lot of money. I knew all that and I still…"
"Where is he, Erick?" Jack asked again. He was worried about pushing the kid too hard, but it was crucial that they find Altman.
Erick stared at him for a moment, then said, "He´s in the old Friedman & Sons building. A bunch of us often hangs out there. But as I said, it´s too late. I killed him."
"Let´s just find out about that," Jack spoke. "I´m going to reach for my phone now, okay? I´ll just make a call to tell them where to look, that´s all." Erick White looked uncertain, but then nodded his consent. He watched closely as Jack slowly reached into his pocket with his free hand, drawing out his cell phone. With a little difficulty, he managed to flick it open with one hand and made the call. He began to speak, but was quickly silenced by whoever was on the other end.
Danny kept a watchful eye on Erick White, who was still loosely holding the gun. He wanted to try to move closer. He was sure he could come close enough to tackle Erick before he could react, but he knew Jack probably wouldn´t approve.
Listening for a couple of more seconds, Jack hung up. His voice was still calm, almost friendly, but there was noticeable touch of no nonsense to it now as he said, "You´re in luck, Erick. They already found him and he´s alive. They´re taking him to the hospital as we speak. I know everything looks very bad right now, but nothing´s happened that can´t be fixed. Why don´t you just put the gun down and we´ll figure out a way to work this out together."
"He´s not dead?" Doubt showed clearly in Erick´s eyes. "But he wasn´t breathing."
"You were wrong, Erick. Leo Altman´s still very much alive. Now, your gun. I want you to--"
"Give us your gun and we´ll make sure you get home, Erick," Danny interrupted, feeling confident the kid was about to give up. "Agent Malone´s right; we can fix this and we´ll take you home to your mother. She´s very worried about you."
It was the wrong thing to say.
The slightly resigned, cautious expression on Erick´s face instantly turned to one of anguish. "My mom…" He shook his head quickly, speaking as if to himself. "No, no, I can´t… I can´t face her, not now when she knows what I did. I just can´t." He faltered, his gaze falling on the gun in his hand.
"Danny!"
It was all the incentive Danny needed and he rushed forward, reaching Erick and grabbing his arm just as the teenager looked up startled. "I´ll take that, thank you."
He didn´t put up a fight, but just handed the weapon to Danny. Looking scared for the first time during the encounter, he asked quietly, "Are you gonna put me in handcuffs?"
Danny glanced back at Jack, but he was on the phone again while waving at the other agents, signaling for them to join them. Turning back to Erick, he spoke kindly, "I´m afraid so, but I´ll make sure they´re not too tight, okay?"
Erick White nodded mutely, his head lowering as he stared down at the ground. Jack finished his conversation and came over to stand at Danny´s side. Together they watched as two police officers took Erick White away.
"What do you think is going to happen to him?" Danny asked, shooting Jack a sideways look. "I mean, I know what he did was wrong, but I don´t think he ever seriously intended to hurt Altman."
Jack sighed. "Maybe not. One thing is sure, he won´t be going home right away."
"Yeah, about that…" Danny began, looking a little sheepish. "I probably shouldn´t have mentioned his mother, but just let you do your thing. Sorry about that."
"You probably just should have," Jack acknowledged, watching the approach of his remaining agents. But then he smiled, turning to look at Danny. "No harm done. That was a nice sprint by the way. Did you do tracks in high school?"
"Tracks in high school?" Danny grinned. "No, Jack; the streets taught me to run fast."
Jack shook his head, smiling faintly, but decided not to comment.
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"It´s a nice feeling, isn´t it?" Martin spoke as he walked up to stand next to Samantha, who was removing the portraits of Erick White and Leo Altman. "Finding them both alive and well. Well, relatively well," he amended with a small smile. "Altman´s going to have helluva headache for a long time."
"So he´ll be all right?" Sam asked, carefully wiping the board clean.
"Yes. It´s a severe concussion and he lost some blood, but he´ll recover fully. It was lucky we found him when we did, though."
"Did he say anything about Deborah Harrison?"
"They haven´t been able to get much out of him yet. He´s still rather groggy."
"Well, maybe getting a brush with death will make him reevaluate his life," Sam commented dryly, walking to her desk and sitting down. She swirled her chair around to face him. "I´m sure he´ll decide to change his ways and become an upstanding citizen."
Martin crossed his arms, regarding her with an amused smile. "Don´t tell me you have turned all cynical on me, Sam. Who´s going to be our ray of light in the office from now on?"
She gave him a look, then smiled. "So, what´s this new case about?"
"A missing college student. Danny and Viv are one the scene getting the details. But you don´t have to worry about that now. Didn´t Jack tell you to go home to get some sleep?"
"Yes, he did, but I don´t think there´s much point. I think I´m actually too tired to sleep. And there´s paperwork to do."
"There´s always paperwork to do, Sam, and it´s not going anywhere. I know Jack doesn´t expect a full report tonight," Martin gently admonished as he walked over to her to sit down on the edge of her desk. "You really should go home to rest. You look terrible."
Sam raised an eyebrow, speaking wryly, "Oh, that´s nice, Martin."
"You know what I mean."
She sighed tiredly, running a hand through her hair. "Yes, I do." She found his gaze, and held it for a couple of seconds before saying quietly, "Thank you."
"For what?" Martin inquired mildly.
"For still caring," Sam hesitated, then added, "despite everything."
"Well, what can I say, I´m just such a damn nice guy," Martin replied. His answer came out more resentful than he intended and he saw the guilt instantly appear in her eyes. She was about to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her. "It´s okay, Sam; I didn´t mean it like that." He rose from her desk, but didn´t move away. Instead he just looked at her for a moment, then spoke with a tired, plaintive smile, "You don´t ever have to worry about my not caring."
He started to walk away before she could speak, but then his steps faltered and he stopped.
"Martin?"
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before finally turning around to face her. "You know, Sam. Why don´t you just go ahead and be with him? You know that´s what you really want."
"Martin, I--" she began, but he didn´t let her continue.
"He´s wrong for you for so many reasons and you know that, but he loves you and no matter how much I hate it, it´s clear you love him too."
This time he waited for her response, but nothing came. The expression in her eyes, though, spoke volumes. Martin swallowed, wondering how he ever could have missed it. He looked down briefly to get his emotions under control. Taking another deep breath, he met her eyes again and stated sadly, "You still love him, Sam. You never really stopped. If I can admit it, why can´t you?"
He watched her mouth move soundless a few times searching for something to say, then he abruptly turned around and walked away. She had already seen his heart break once. There was no reason for her to see it twice.
Sam remained frozen in her seat for several minutes, looking completely stunned, but gradually she recovered from her shock and slowly rose. Taking her coat, she headed to the elevators, but slowed down when she approached Jack´s office. Without making a conscious decision, she stopped completely. He wasn´t alone - Van Doren was in there with him and judging from their gestures, they were having a rather heated debate about one thing or another. Sam took in the scene for a moment, her face showing no real emotion, then her eyes moved and came to rest on the picture of Jack´s two young daughters, both with beaming smiles on their faces. She had seen that photo a thousand times, but she wondered if she had ever truly looked at it. She knew for certain that she had never picked it up. Suddenly she sensed something and looked up to find Jack looking past Van Doren to her, obviously distracted by her presence outside his office. Van Doren noticed and started to turn, but Jack broke eye contact and turned his attention back to her, saying something Sam couldn´t hear. She observed the scene for just one more moment, then walked away without a second look back.
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The doorbell rang a little after midnight. Jack, who had been half asleep on the couch in front of the TV, took a few moments to get his bearings before wearily getting to his feet and padding out into the hall. Reaching the front door, he opened it halfway and looked out, then he pulled it fully open. "Sam? What are you doing here?" He noticed the serious expression on her face and instantly grew concerned. "Is everything okay?"
She didn´t answer, but just asked quietly, "May I come in?"
"Yes, of course." Jack was so surprised by the turn of events that he didn´t realize he still hadn´t moved to let her in until her eyebrow rose and she smiled slightly amused. "Oh, sorry." He stepped back. "Come in."
He closed the door behind her and turned to face her, repeating his earlier question, "Is everything okay?"
"Are you alone?"
"Well, yes," Jack replied, feeling more and more puzzled, unable to read the intense look in Sam´s eyes. "Who would be--"
However, he never got to finish the sentence, as Samantha closed the distance between them and pulled him down into a kiss. Shocked, it didn´t register right away in Jack´s brain what was happening, but when he felt her tongue against his lips, he caught up and eagerly opened his mouth to allow her access. Sam never missed a beat, kissing him ferociously, her tongue roaming his mouth while her hands were clutching at his chest, trying to unbutton his shirt. Jack felt himself being pushed back towards the wall and he grabbed her waist for support, pulling her with him.
His back hit the wall with some force, but Jack didn´t care, his hands slipping up under Sam´s blouse, up her back, meshing their bodies together. "Off," Sam mumbled frustrated into his mouth, her trapped hands still working on his shirt buttons. "I want this off."
Jack was having similar difficulties with the clasp of her bra and smiled involuntarily, finally breaking the kiss. Looking down at her flushed face, he spoke tenderly, "Maybe we should slow down."
Sam looked at him, then simply shook her head. "No." She glanced sideways. "Where´s the bedroom?"
Jack didn´t know why, but it took him several seconds to respond. "That way," he said hoarsely, "through the living room."
She started to move away, but when she noticed he wasn´t following, she reached down to take one of his suddenly limp hands into hers, tugging gently but insistently. Without a word, he let her lead him through his own house and into his bedroom and into the bed that up until now he had never shared with anyone but his wife. Sam pushed him down and climbed on top of him, resuming kissing him with a savageness that left him breathless. Jack felt several conflicting emotions, something inside him rebelling against what was happening and where it was happening, but gradually his growing desire pushed those doubts away.
Finally fed up, Sam simply ripped his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere and Jack would have laughed if it wasn´t such a turn on. Locking eyes, Sam straightened up to straddle his hips, allowing him a full view as she slipped her blouse over her head and quickly and efficiently unclasped her bra. For a moment a teasing smile showed on her face as she took in his reaction, but it disappeared as he grabbed her hips and ground her against him, causing both of them to gasp. Their eyes met and despite their arousal and the position of their bodies, they managed a soft, intimate smile.
Sam placed her hands on his shoulders, slowly running them down his chest and coming to rest just a few inches above his waistline. This time, her smile was purely for her own benefit as she felt his stomach muscles quiver beneath her touch in response.
Jack swallowed. "You´re so beautiful."
Sam leaned down to gently capture his lips. Kissing him briefly, she pulled back to whisper, "As are you."
Jack couldn´t help but smile, but the smile was quickly replaced by something else when he felt Sam reach down between them, her hand slowly beginning to work his belt buckle. His gaze traveled from her face to her breasts, lingering before moving back, their eyes meeting as she carefully unbuckled his belt, now all of a sudden taking her own sweet time doing it.
His hands were still on her hips, holding her firmly in place and Sam shifted for no other reason than to feel him instinctively jerk against her. She had always liked to feel in control in bed, even with Jack. She had allowed herself to be more vulnerable with him than anybody else, but at times, she needed to feel in control and this was one of them.
She was only too aware that this was Jack´s bedroom, Jack´s bed. He and Maria had slept in it, made love in it. She wanted to somehow undo that, or at least erase it from not only her memory, but his as well. If only temporarily. His belt gave way and she pulled down his fly, easing her hand inside his pants, the thin material of his boxers the only remaining barrier. Jack´s eyes fluttered and closed and he arched toward her.
She began to stroke him lightly, smiling inwardly when she saw his jaw clench. Changing her position, she moved to lie beside him, languidly kissing his face, then his chest as she continued to move her hand, but now with greater purpose.
"Sam…" Jack´s eyes opened to meet hers briefly, his right hand finding its way into her hair.
She silenced him with a deep kiss. She knew what he wanted, but as much as she was desperate for his hands on her, she wasn´t ready to relinquish her power over him yet. She knew she couldn´t keep it going for too long or Jack would either take control or climax, but for now she was enjoying herself too much to stop. Her tongue probed deeper into his mouth, drinking in his groan as her hand increased its rhythm.
Just as she was about to slip her hand into his boxers, she suddenly found herself on her back, Jack´s face hovering inches above hers. "My turn," he husked, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before moving his attention to her breasts. Flicking his tongue around one nipple, then the other, it was now his turn to run his hand down her torso. He was less patient, though, not so gently unhooking her pants and immediately pushing his hand beneath the material of her panties. He was pleased to discover that she was more than ready for his touch, and he watched in awe as her head fell back and her mouth opened soundlessly as he started to caress her.
At first she just grabbed the sheets, clutching them in her fists as she allowed herself to let go and just move in sync with Jack´s knowing ministrations. But as she felt herself move closer, she wanted to regain some initiative. Placing both her hands on each side of his face, she made him lift his head from her chest and brought their lips together in a hungry kiss.
"Jack, please…" she whispered as they separated. She hadn´t come for hours of endless lovemaking - not tonight. She had come to reconnect before she lost her nerve.
He didn´t need to be told twice. Deftly, he pulled off her pants and underwear, hoisting himself up to discard his own remaining clothes. Like earlier, their gazes locked, then he was inside her and Sam´s eyes closed, feeling Jack´s hot cheek against her own as they began to move together.
He was already close and wanted to hold back, but she wouldn´t let him, her touches and soft gasps urging him on. Smiling inwardly, she soon felt him tense and he raised his head to meet her eyes. She kissed him quickly, then lightly raked her nails down his back. His head dipped and he came with a low groan, his body becoming completely still for a moment before collapsing on top of her. Hearing his ragged breath in her ear, Sam stroked his back tenderly, now smiling openly. She waited till his breathing slowed down, then gently made him lift his face to hers. Looking into eyes even darker than normal, her smile faded and was replaced with quiet sincerity.
"Jack?"
He managed to get out a, "Yes?"
"I love you."
The words had barely left her mouth before she started to look almost scared, but she didn´t break eye contact, allowing Jack to see in her eyes everything she was still unable to say.
It took his breath away for the second time in mere minutes.
/-
It was still very early and even before the alarm clock went off when Jack awoke. Lying on his back for a moment, he gazed up at the ceiling as the memories of last night washed over him. A smile spontaneously crept onto his face and he rolled onto his side and then the smile slowly vanished. He was alone.
"Sam?" There was no reply.
Jack remained motionless for a couple of seconds, all sorts of upsetting scenarios flickering through his mind. Then he sprang into action. He got out of bed and pulled on his pants and ruined shirt, then he walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Samantha?"
Again there was no reply and although Jack knew she would have answered if she were in there, he still took a quick look inside just to make sure. Feeling an unpleasant, but nonetheless familiar sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he entered the kitchen – only to find it just as empty. There was no note, no nothing.
He was at a complete loss. It made no sense after last night. Starting to feel a little angry to disguise his hurt and frustration, he was just about to leave the kitchen when he noticed the coffeepot was half full. For a moment he just stared at it; then a sudden impulse hit him and he quickly walked to the front door, pulling it open.
Sam was sitting on the top stair to his house, nursing a mug of coffee between her hands. Hearing the door open, she turned around and when she saw him, gave him a soft smile.
"Hey."
Relief flooded through Jack and he gave her a brilliant smile in return.
"Hey yourself."
He sat down beside her, unable to stop himself from smiling again when she immediately scooted closer to him.
"How long have you been out here?" he asked, accepting the mug she offered him and taking a few sips.
"Not that long. I woke up a little while ago and couldn´t go back to sleep."
"Lots on your mind?" Jack asked, attempting to sound casual.
"You could say that." A smile showed briefly on her face.
They sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes, passing the mug between them while the grey morning light slowly grew stronger and the mist lifted.
"You had me worried there for a second," Jack admitted eventually, not looking at her, his gaze following a passing car.
She turned to him. "What do you mean?"
"Well..." He met her eyes, speaking quietly, "When I woke up and you were nowhere to be found, I thought that maybe--"
"I´d left?"
"Yes."
Sam didn´t respond right away, but just held his gaze. Then she asked in the same quiet tone, "How did that make you feel?"
"Terrible." His answer came prompt and from the heart. "I was terrified that perhaps it meant that you didn´t want this after all. That perhaps…" he hesitated, smiling a little self-consciously. "Perhaps you didn´t want me..?"
Sam put the mug down and reached out to take his hand into hers. However, she didn´t speak and her gaze dropped to the ground. Jack felt an all too-known dread rise within him.
"Sam?" he asked uncertainly.
Her answer came so softly, he nearly missed it. "I do want you, Jack." But when she looked up, he saw a hint of tears in her eyes. "It´s all just--"
"So complicated?"
She smiled faintly. "I was going to say a mess, but complicated works, too."
Jack shifted slightly to better see her face. "It´s nothing we can´t work out, Sam." He said with a touch of urgency in his voice. "We´ll be discreet; it´s nothing we haven´t done before. I know it´s not ideal, but Sam…" He could tell she was listening intently to his every word and the urgency he felt grew stronger as he searched for just the right thing to say. However, he came up empty, so instead he just spoke the plain, simple truth, "I need you, Samantha. I need you in my life. I don´t know what else I can say."
It felt like forever before she answered and Jack felt a lump form in his throat, but then a tender smile appeared on her face and she squeezed his hand tightly. "It´s okay, Jack. You don´t have to say anything. I´ve already made up my mind that I want to do this. I decided that last night. If I hadn´t, I wouldn´t have come to you." She sighed softly, squeezing his hand again. "Everything´s okay. I´m just feeling a little overwhelmed."
"Want to do this?" Jack repeated earnestly as he searched her face, wanting to make absolutely sure that he understood her right.
She nodded, looking at him almost shyly. "I need you in my life, too. Just having you as my boss and friend isn´t enough any more." Her smile grew a little stronger. "It never really was."
Jack couldn´t resist. He leaned forward and kissed her. She hesitated for just a beat, then kissed him back.
It was their first public kiss in a place where either might be recognized.
Neither gave a damn.
It was also the first kiss they ever shared with people around to notice.
It wouldn´t be the last.
The End