XXXXXXX

Two weeks away it feels like the world should've changed
But I'm home now
And things still look the same
I think I'll leave it to tomorrow to unpack

I've still got sand in my shoes
And I can't shake the thought of you

- Dido, 'Sand in my Shoes'

XXXXXXX

Chapter 52

XXXXXXX

Sam opened the door, put down her suitcase and stepped further into her apartment. She was greeted by stale, cold air so she quickly made her way to the thermostat and turned on the heat. There was a big whooshing sound as the old gas heater kicked on. She stepped over to the window and pulled open the curtains to let the some sunlight into her apartment.

She looked around and couldn't shake off the strange feeling that overcame her. This was her apartment, her sanctuary, her 'Bat Cave', and yet, it didn't feel like her home. Not anymore. She hunched her shoulders and rubbed her arms trying to warm up. She moved to sit on her sofa and took off her boots. She grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and wrapped herself up.

She used to love having this time to herself. Just being alone in her apartment, curled up in a blanket and maybe reading a good book; but now, the only thing she could focus on was the being alone part. She sunk deeper into her sofa and tilted her head back. She was taken off guard by her sudden dependency on Martin. She was Samantha Spade, strong and independent. When did she become someone who yearned to have another person around just to feel content? It was obviously entirely his fault.

She could feel goose bumps rise on her skin as she recalled Martin's kiss when he dropped her off at the airport. She closed her eyes as the memory washed over her. She could almost feel Martin's lips on hers, his voice in her ear. She still didn't know how she was able to walk away after it. She was certain that it was going to be the longest fight of her life but as it turns out, Danny helped the time fly by. A small smile crept onto her face as she recalled the flight back from Chicago.

"Ouch!" Danny yelped as his elbow was hit by the beverage cart – for the third time.

Sam put her hand to her mouth to try and stifle her laughter. It seemed that Danny and Courtney's end was the direct opposite of hers and Martin's. While she was sad that she wouldn't be able to see Martin for another three weeks it seemed Danny couldn't get away fast enough from his "fling".

Courtney smiled evilly and in a sugary voice said, "I'm so sorry, sir. I am just being so clumsy today."

Danny just nodded his head as she passed. Rubbing his elbow he looked at Sam and growled, "It's not funny, Sam."

"Yeah, actually it is." Sam replied laughing softly. Unfortunate 'accidents' had been occurring to Danny courtesy of flight attendants, baggage handlers and even a clerk at the gift shop. Once she was sure Courtney was out of ear shot she leaned into Danny and asked, "What happened between you guys?"

"Let me just say that you should never spend a solid week with a fling. For some reason it gives girls foolish ideas about a future." He replied casually. Sam cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "She started talking about seeing each other more, changing her schedule so she could spend more time in New York, etc. I had to tell her that I didn't see a future with her and for some reason she got upset."

Sam narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "Danny, when did she start talking about a relationship and when did you tell her you didn't want one?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably and said, "Um, well, I might have led her to believe otherwise while I was staying with her." Sam huffed out loud to show her irritation at his typical maleness. "What was I supposed to do? There was a blizzard going on and I was staying at her apartment. If I told her I didn't want to see her anymore it would have made the entire visit really awkward. Besides, I came clean this morning!"

"So you led her on so you could stay in her home, eat her food, and share her bed but waited until the very last moment, when you had one foot out the door, to tell her you were basically lying to her face the entire time?"

"You know when you say it that way I sound like an asshole."

"If the shoe fits…" Sam began when she noticed a different flight attendant approach.

The brunette woman smiled and in a helpful voice said, "Can I take your trash?"

"Yes, thanks." Sam handed her half-empty cup of apple juice to the flight attendants outstretched hand but when she let go so did the other woman causing the cold liquid to land squarely on Danny's lap.

"Augh!" Danny cried out in surprise.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sir." The woman apologized smilingly but made no move to help him clean up.

Danny glared at her as he brushed the ice cubes off his lap and onto the carpet. He stood up and shoved the cup into the trash bag, muttering, "Excuse me." And then he headed down the aisle to the lavatory.

Sam smiled at the flight attendant who winked at her before getting back to collecting the trash from the other passengers. Danny was her friend but she was a woman first and she knew that what he did to Courtney was horrible.

She shook her head and turned to look out the window; the white fluffy clouds filling the atmosphere around the plane so she couldn't see any land below. It was official: she was out of Chicago and headed home to New York.

"You know, I could sue this airline." Danny grumbled as he sat back down. "This is harassment."

Sam turned her focus from the window and replied, "Or you could just suck it up and accept the fact that this is your fault; that there is no such thing as 'just a fling'."

Danny frowned and looked at her. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Sam tilted her head and replied, "Yeah, maybe."

This piqued Danny's interest so he leaned towards her and asked, "Does this mean you are going to keep seeing Marty?"

Sam smiled and nodded her head.

Danny shook his head and said, "One snowstorm and then suddenly everyone wants relationship." Sam punched Danny in the arm at his unsentimental attitude. "Ouch!" He leaned away from her and said, "So, what, are you and Fitzgerald going to just have a long distance relationship?"

"Yeah, doesn't seem we have much choice." Sam replied softly.

"Too bad Jack already found someone to take Kyle's spot. Marty could've transferred."

"How do you know that Kyle is leaving?" Sam asked; trying to conceal her hurt and her little fantasy of Martin joining their team had already been destroyed.

"I talked to Jack while I was trying to avoid Courtney. He told me that tomorrow's meeting is to announce Kyle moving to JTTF and that he will be replaced by Dustin Burnell."

"Dustin?" Sam repeated. Dustin Burnell worked in another missing person unit but had just been passed over for promotion. He now worked under his former teammate, Dan Krasinski.

"Yeah," Danny replied as he scooted closer to her as the sounds of the beverage cart neared. "I'm not sorry to see Kyle go considering all the grief he caused us. And Dustin is a good guy so I think it should work out."

"Yeah, I like Dustin too." Sam commented as her mind began to spin a new fantasy. Trying to sound as casual as possible she asked, "So that means that there will be an opening in Krasinski's unit?"

"Yeah, I guess." Danny replied noncommittally before looking at her and asking, "Wait a minute: are you telling me you would actually want Marty to move to New York?"

Sam shook her head and said, "I didn't say that. I was just making conversation."

Danny got a wide grin on his face and said, "Oh man! I don't believe it, Samantha Spade is in love."

Sam froze in her seat. She wanted to tell him to shut up, that she wasn't in love with Martin. She'd only known him for less than two weeks. No one falls in love that fast. It's insane, crazy, ridiculous, that sort of stuff only happens in harlequin romance novels or on Lifetime Television for Women. No, she wasn't in love with him. She just liked him; a lot. She just wanted to be able to see him whenever she wanted; to wake up with him next to her in bed. That's all. That's not love – it's just a lot of like. That's it.

At least that's what she wanted to tell him but all that came out of her mouth was, "Nuh-huh."

Danny opened his mouth to continue his teasing when he was hit in the back of the head with a tray. He uttered a groan when Courtney came around and said, "Sorry Sir."

"That's it." Danny stood up and started arguing with Courtney in low hushed tones.

Sam watched Danny and Courtney arguing for a beat before she looked back out the window. She ran her fingers over her lips, still swollen from Martin's kiss and wondered if maybe Danny was actually on to something.

Sam opened her eyes, reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Each ring felt like an eternity until he finally answered.

"Hi." Martin greeted, she could practically hear him smiling over the phone.

"Hi." Sam replied suddenly feeling much warmer. She heard a door slam shut and asked, "What are you up to?"

"I just got home." He voice got muffled for a beat and then she heard Milo yipping in the background. "I decided to stop and check up on Charlie."

Her chest tightened as she suddenly wished she could climb through the phone line and be in the kitchen with Martin and Milo. "How is he?"

"He's good. He said to tell you hello." Martin replied and she pictured him moving around the kitchen getting ready to feed Milo. His voice got soft as he asked, "So, how was your flight?"

Sam smiled into the receiver and started telling him about Danny and the disastrous ending to his fling. He was laughing hard when she finally finished, "They still don't know where his luggage might be. Personally I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up in unclaimed baggage at an airport in Guam."

He was still chuckling as he said, "I'm guessing Danny won't be visiting Chicago again anytime soon."

"I think you're right." Sam replied.

They stayed talking on the phone for almost two hours and Sam really didn't want to hang up and it seemed neither did Martin because just when one subject ended they would bring up any other random topic just to keep from having to say goodbye again.

"So, any idea what tomorrow's big meeting with Jack is all about?" Martin asked.

Sam's heart raced as she said, "Yeah, it seems that a member of our team has been replaced while we were away."

"Really? That's pretty big news."

"Yeah it is." That's when she decided that maybe some risks are worth taking for someone you just liked a lot. So taking what could very well be the biggest chance of her life she said, "In fact, the new person is moving from another unit which means that a position will be opening up in another unit here in New York….."

End Inevitable

Epilogue to follow