Chapter 13

Sam spent an hour walking around before heading home after seeing Martin. She came in the door, placing her keys in the basket that was sat on the bookcase near the door. Danny and Em were curled up on the couch together but one look at Sam's face, with her eyes puffy and red from crying and tear stains still apparent on her cheeks, Danny was on his feet and pulling Sam to him in a tight embrace.

"What happened Sammie?" Danny asked gently, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"He told me everything or as far as I know he told me everything." Sam muttered in to Danny's chest.

Danny pulled back from Sam enough to slide her coat off and then hung it up. Placing a hand on her back he guided her to the couch, reclining at an angle so Sam could lie with her head on his chest and be comfortable.

Em had moved to allow them to sit down "I'm gonna leave you two to talk. Goodnight Baby, night Sam" She gave Danny a quick kiss on his forehead before heading in to the bedroom.

Sam barely acknowledged her leaving and a frown appeared on Danny's features. It wasn't like Sam to treat Em that way even if she was upset. "What did Martin tell you we said in the elevator?" he asked, he had one hand on her upper arm and the other on top of her hand, which was curled in to a fist in his sweater. He was rubbing both in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

"He told me why he left, about meeting Anna, getting her pregnant, about losing the baby and he explained why he over reacted so badly when I told him about the baby." She told him sounding exhausted and void of emotion.

It hurt Danny to hear her sounding like she no longer cared. He may have cleared the air with Martin this afternoon but was beginning to think that he may have reason to be pissed at him again. "That's it? He didn't tell you anything else?"

"Like what?" She asked with a sigh.

Danny frowned again, it sounded to him like Martin hadn't revealed any of his feelings about leaving Anna and loving Sam to her. Danny sighed softly. He knew that something else must have happened for Sam to be this down. He also knew it was up to Martin to let Sam know his feelings but he had to be sure he hadn't said anything so as not to but his foot in it again.

"Did he talk about his feelings for you or Anna?" He asked gently.

Sam looked at him a slight frown on her face. "No. Why did he tell you?" She asked.

"He mentioned them. But you need to ask him Sam. I'm sorry I hate keeping things from you, but it has to be him that tells you." He said giving Sam a gentle squeeze.

"I think he's already made his feelings perfectly clear." She said bitterly.

"Why? What else happened?" Danny asked with a frown.

Again Sam sighed deeply before replying. "We were both in tears when he finished telling me about the baby he and Anna lost. We kissed, it got heated, he pushed me off him walked to the bathroom door and told me to get out before locking the door behind him."

Sam sounded like she was trying not to start crying again and Danny was finding himself getting angry with Martin again. He hated to see one of the two most important people in his life hurting because of someone else. He got that far why the hell didn't he just tell her he loves her? Danny wondered.

"It was stupid of me to think he was in anyway interested in me. It was just because he was upset. He doesn't want more than friendship, if that. I was so stupid" Sam said bitterly, voice full of self contempt.

"Tell me what happened. I mean everything he said and did from when he opened the door." Danny softly demanded.

Sam looked at him for a few moments before turning her face away from his again and told him everything.

By the time she was done she was in tears again. Danny held her as she cried trying to calm her until Sam's sob's eventually quietened and she fell asleep. Once Danny was sure she was out, he got up, moving slowly so as not to wake her, and carried her in to her room placing her gently on the bed, pulling the covers over her.

He watched her for a minuet to make sure she was still sleeping deeply before heading to his own room.

Em was still awake, sat in bed reading. "How is she?" She asked as soon an Danny opened the door.

"Not good. I'll tell you what happened in the morning, if that's okay?" He asked, grabbing some sweats and an old t-shirt to sleep in.

"No problem. You gonna stay with her tonight?" She asked

"Yeah. I wanna be there in case she wakes up or has a nightmare or anything." He replied as he changed.

"Sounds like a good idea" Em smiled at him. It wasn't the first time Danny had spent the night with Sam in her bed while she slept and it probably wouldn't be the last. But Em trusted him and knew there never was and never will be anything sexual between them. Honestly Em was glad Danny cared as much for Sam as he did and was willing to hold her while she slept even if there little chance of her waking or needing him. Especially when he could be in bed with his girlfriend instead. It was a good thing in Em's book that he was willing to do that for someone who wasn't even blood family.

Danny kissed her briefly and said goodnight again before returning to Sam. She hadn't stirred while he'd been gone. He quietly slid under the covers and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her close so her head as once again on his chest and he held her tight as she slept.

Martin you are a stupid bastard sometimes! Danny thought as he watched Sam sleep. He breaks her heart again, rejects her and gives no explanation why. And what he did say to her made her think he loves Anna. Great! It breaks my heart to see her in so much pain again. She doesn't deserve this. She deserves to be happy and with Martin. I just hope she finds the strength she needs to tell him how she really feels. Maybe if she tells him then he'll get off his ass and do something about it!

She looks so vulnerable right now. Puffy eyes from crying, the tear stains, her hands in tight fists holding my t-shirt. She's like a child clinging to a parent for support, like as long as she does everything will be okay. I just hope I can help her make it okay. I love her so much; she's the baby sister I never had. And her upbringing wasn't so different to mine really. I think that's part of the reason we're so much closer now. I'd do anything for her, I want to protect her from everything that could hurt her. But this time I think the only thing I can do is to promise to be here for her and hold her when she needs me to. It's up to her to tell Martin how she feels. She needs to find that strength herself. I just hope she can.