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From the first hello you gave to me
I've done nothing else but smile
And I know you're in a hurry
Ah but it's gonna take a while
So forgive me if we go slow
But there's something I think you should know


I'm goin' fast as I can, please don't make me rush
This feelin's comin' on way too fast
I'll tell you all of the things that you'll never forget
But I'm not ready to say I love you yet

- Great Big Sea, 'Fast As I Can'

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Chapter 35

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Martin stretched out like a cat and opened his eyes. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was and more importantly, who he was supposed to be with. He sat up on the sofa and scanned the darkened room wondering where Sam had wandered off to. He heard noises coming from the kitchen so he slowly shuffled his way in search of Sam. As he neared he could hear that it wasn't noise but music playing. He opened the door and of all things he could have imagined, seeing Sam Spade cooking was definitely not one of them.

He wiped the sleep from his eyes to make sure he wasn't still dreaming.

She had her hair pulled up into a loose ponytail and she was singing along with the music. She moved around the kitchen like she'd been living there for years and not just staying with him for less than twenty-four hours. She looked so comfortably domestic that it almost felt like he slipped into an alternate universe.

In the corner, Milo was eagerly devouring his own dinner and Martin was touched that she thought to feed his dog while he slept. And by the looks of how quickly Milo was swallowing his food, so was he. Since she didn't seem to notice him standing there he leaned against the doorjamb and just watched her for a little while as the music continued playing.

When you're in love, there's no time and no space
There's a permanent smile on your face
Your friends all complain that you're going insane
But the truth is they're just afraid

Hey somewhere,
you threw your fear in the Sea of No Cares
Hey somewhere,
you threw your fear in the Sea of No Cares

Sam opened the oven door and pulled out a covered casserole dish. She put it on the stove, peeled back the aluminum foil, and a puff of steam was released. From where he stood he could see that the dish was a light shade of orange and it smelled like cheese. His mouth watered and he realized how hungry he was.

Deciding to announce himself he cleared his throat and said, "Hey."

She turned around and smiled. "Hey yourself, I was beginning to get worried that you were never going to wake up."

"Sorry but to be fair, it's not my fault; someone kept me up all night." He smirked and she gave him a shy grin. He waved his hand around the kitchen and asked, "What's all this?"

A self-satisfied look appeared on her face as she replied, "I'm making dinner: grilled chicken, steamed veggies and macaroni n' cheese."

"Sounds delicious," He replied slightly taken aback by her cheeriness. He wandered to the counter and stole a peek at the dishes. They looked really good.

When you decide that what counts is inside
Your friends all say it's a lie
But there's no brighter light than the look in her eyes
When you're walking her home through the night

Hey somewhere,
you threw your fear in the Sea of No Cares
Hey somewhere,
you threw your fear in the Sea of No Cares

"I hope you don't mind but I raided your CD collection." She commented, returning her focus to the chicken in the broiler. "I have to admit that I was pretty excited that you have several CDs by Great Big Sea. They aren't that commonly known."

"Yeah, well, they are kind of a big deal back in Seattle." He smiled feeling secretly pleased that he scored a few bonus points while he was asleep. "I actually saw them in concert once."

She looked over at him and smiled.

"Can I help?" He asked, feeling like he needed something to do.

"I got it covered but you can set the table." As she sprinkled seasoning on the veggies she added, "We are going to eat at the dining room table like civilized adults."

"Sounds kinky but okay," Martin replied. He wandered over to the cabinets and started gathering plates and utensils. He looked over at her and said, "You're in a good mood."

She tilted her head before removing the chicken from the broiler and setting them on a platter, "I talked to my mom."

He stopped what he was doing and looked over at her. "Really? How….what made you decide to call her?"

She looked at the dish thoughtfully and said, "I was looking through your photo album and saw a picture of your sister and Ava. It conjured up a memory from my childhood – a really good one. It just….just gave me this incredible urge to talk to her so I picked up the phone and called."

"That's good." He said with a smile. Judging by her disposition he didn't even have to ask if it went well. "Can I ask what it is that you remembered?"

Sam smiled and told him about her trip to the beach when she was a little girl. It warmed his heart to hear her taking about herself as a child without it being tinged by sadness. While she hadn't said much when they talked at Ann Sather's that night what little she did share almost seemed to make her sadder. But now, hearing her talk it was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

When she finished he smiled and said, "That is a good memory." She nodded her head and went back to preparing dinner. He watched her and said, "I'm glad you called."

She met his eyes and said, "Me too."

"What did you talk about?" He asked as he pulled out some cloth napkins from the drawer. If they were going to have dinner in the dining room then paper towels would not do.

"Nothing and everything," She replied softly, tilting her head as she recollected the conversation. "She was so excited when I told her I was in Chicago. She wants me to go visit her in Kenosha when the storm is over."

He tried to contain his excitement that she might be extending her stay. "So what did you tell her?"

"That I really want to but I had to talk to Jack first. There's the situation back in NY and with me and Danny here, he and Viv have been handling everything. I don't think it should be too big a problem to take a few extra days though, I have a lot of vacation time built up." She smiled and walked up to him, planting a soft kiss on his lips before saying, "You better go set that table because dinner is ready."

He picked up the plates and said, "I'm on it."

An hour later, after dinner was eaten, Sam asked him to light another fire while she straightened up the kitchen. Once the fire was lit he sat on the sofa, propped his feet on the coffee table and took a drink of his wine. He had his doubts about Sam's ability to cook but her dinner was really good. And the conversation was even better. She told him some other recollections from her childhood; gathering fireflies, playing with her sister, and other things little girls loved to do.

He was staring into the fire lost in his thoughts when Sam finally padded into the room. She took a drink of her wine before setting the glass down on the table and sliding next to him. He laid his arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. "Did I remember to tell you that dinner was delicious?"

"You did but I still like hearing it." She smiled and kissed him. After a few soft kisses she turned her focus to the fire and leaned in to him, resting her head on his chest.

He gently ran his hand along her arm as they sat there quietly watching the flames. Then he softly asked, "So……what do you want to do?"

She tapped her index finger on her chin as if she was thinking hard. "Hmm….do you feel like playing a board game?"

"No, not really," He shrugged and counter offered, "We could read a book."

"Yeah, that's an idea." She replied before a smiled crossed her face and she put her hand on his thigh. She starting placing feathery kisses along his neck. "Or we could do something else…."

He smiled, loving the feeling of her lips on his skin. "What did you have in mind?"

She moved out of his embrace and climbed onto his lap. She wrapped both her arms around his neck and said, "I think it's time to enter the living room into the 'Which is Martin's Favorite Room?' contest."

Martin smiled, ran his hands down her sides and replied, "Game on."

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A/N: You're just going to have to use your imagination on this one buddies.