Hey! It's almost over. I can't believe it. Thanks to everyone who's read this and been kind enough to let me know your thoughts about it. Today, especially, I'd like to say hello and thanks to reviewers who've never said anything before but who have been moved - for one reason or another - to say something now. I'm glad you're out there reading, and glad you're enjoying my efforts! Dropping in to say hi or to give pointers, lessons, or comments is the nicest gift you could give me!

As always, I thank Diane for her eagle eye and Justine for her good sense.

Once again, it will likely be a couple of weeks before the final chapter is up. I've yet to start it, though thoughts are running through my head. Cross your fingers. Wish me luck.

And thanks to everyone for your patience...and please...have a happy Monday...

Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel

Chapter 29

When Jack and Samantha returned to their table, Vivian, Marcus, Danny, and his date, Katie, were already there. Martin, Vivian told them, was still missing in action. "I think he's up to something," she grinned. "Brunette, mid-twenties, and dressed in black. He waved at us, but didn't stop on his way by!" Looking directly at Jack, she added, "Janice was here for a few minutes, but someone came over to speak with her and she left with them. She said she'd be back in a bit." She looked at him carefully to gauge his reaction, then observed carefully: "She's a busy lady this evening. We're not getting to see much of her."

Totally oblivious of the focus of her concern, Jack's lips curved upwards. "And if I know her, the evening will continue that way! She's right in her element tonight. I wouldn't worry about her; she's having a great time," he assured her.

It hadn't been Janice she'd been worrying about, but Vivian nodded and exchanged a glance with Danny. It didn't look as though the expected announcement was going to happen; in fact, she was beginning to think that all the speculation had been totally wrong. Wondering what had happened, she gestured towards the table. Drinks sat in front of both Samantha's and Jack's empty chairs.

"Sit," she ordered. "Drink up before the ice melts."

"You two are pretty predictable when it comes to what you drink, so I thought I'd get you something while I was at the bar," Danny explained. Though he was smiling, his dark eyes studied Jack carefully. His boss was not looking like a jilted lover. Still, he and Janice were definitely not behaving the way he had expected them to.

Feeling scrutinized, but not understanding why, Jack nodded his thanks as he pulled out Samantha's chair for her. Once she was seated, he opted not to return to his original place, which would have been two empty seats away from her. Instead, he sat down so that only one chair separated them. Reaching over, he slid his drink across the table towards himself, then raised it. "To a perfect evening," he said, saluting each person there.

The others followed suit and toasted the evening. Conversation resumed, and laughter soon flowed around the table.

When the band resumed their position on the stage, everyone remained seated for the first song, but the music soon lured them, couple by couple, onto the dance floor. Left alone with her once again, Jack looked at Samantha. Remembering Martin's smiling remark about 'friends of the family', he felt confused by Vivian's comment about Martin and the brunette. Wasn't she aware that Martin and Samantha were seeing each other? He also wondered what Martin thought he was doing, leaving Samantha on her own the way he had. He looked at the people milling about on the dance floor, then back at Samantha, and made a decision. No point in not stealing a moment with her while he could. With a wave of his hand, he indicated the dance floor.

"I guess it's just you and me left. Shall we?" he asked.

Samantha nodded, and rose. This time, as he guided her out to the crowded dance floor, the warmth of his hand pressed against the small of her back. This time, when they faced one another and began to dance, he slid his arm further around her waist and brought her closer to him. And this time, Samantha curved her arm around his shoulder and allowed her body to relax, ever-so-slightly, against his.

They made small talk at first, commenting on how nice it was to meet Vivian's husband again, and then moving comfortably to speculating about Danny and his date. Jack was certain Danny had found someone special. They both agreed it was wonderful, and Jack elicited a promise from Samantha not to tease Danny unmercifully on Monday.

Then they lapsed into silence, every nerve of their bodies taut with awareness.

Finally, part way through a second song, Samantha gathered her courage and commented softly, "It nice to see you and Janice so happy."

Jack looked down at her, a slight frown on his face. "Happy? I guess so. It's been good having her here."

She nodded, and quickly said, "And she seems perfect for you. It's good you have what you've found with her." She paused, struggling to find the words to tell him what she had seen.

Jack slowed his feet and looked at her in confusion. "Found with her?" he repeated. Realisation dawned on him. "Samantha, Janice and I-" he hesitated, trying to wrap his thoughts around what she seemed to think about his relationship with Janice. "Samantha, Janice and I- we're not- " He paused, then tried again. "We're not in that sort of relationship. She's my friend. Her marriage was a mess, and now it's over, but she and I - it's not like that." His lips curved slightly. "She's sleeping in the girls' room. I'm hoping she and Terry will make a go of it."

He resumed their former momentum and attempted a smile. "But if we're talking about happy, I guess I should say I'm happy for you and Martin. It's taking me a while to adjust to the idea," he said dryly, "but I'm getting there." Proud he'd been able to spit out the sentiment, he quickly moved away from the painful topic and said, "Janice and Terry have been getting closer for a while, now. They're-" he paused, not knowing what the middle-aged term for such an arrangement was. "They're an item,' he finished lamely.

Samantha's heart had stilled when she'd begun to understand what he was telling her. Her steps faltered slightly. "An item?" she echoed.

"Yeah. I think they've always had an attraction for one another, it just took them until now to realise it." He looked down at her and felt concern when he saw her expression. "Are you all right?"

Samantha nodded as all her suppositions crashed to the ground around her. Hope surged for a heartbeat, then she glanced away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realise." She felt foolish. "I thought when you said that Janice had moved in with you that-" She stopped abruptly, then said, "Well, we all did, actually. And you've seemed happier lately, and she's always dropping by.. We just figured that..." Her voice drifted off.

"God. Why didn't anyone ask?" he questioned. Skillfully stepping to the right to avoid collision with another couple, he stopped talking and let his mind review all they had just said. Forcing a smile, he commented, "Janice will certainly get a kick out of this."

Quickly taking his lead, she smiled back. "I'm sure she will. You do realise that the others-"

"Have me making an announcement and walking down the aisle sometime soon," he finished for her.

She nodded.

"It'd be interesting to hear how they reached that conclusion," he said. He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "Life isn't that easy. At least not mine. My timing has never been very good." In a voice laced with sadness, he added softly, "I never seem to realise what I should do until after I've gone ahead and done the wrong thing."

The look in his eyes as he spoke was so intense Samantha had to look away. Hoping against hope that what he had said meant what she thought it did, she decided to take a chance. After taking a deep breath, she said, "One thing you can stop doing is trying to adjust to the thought of Martin and me. We called it off a while ago."

This time it was Jack who stumbled. Recovering quickly, he spluttered, "What?"

Samantha smiled and finally looked at him. "I guess that comes as a surprise?" she asked with a slight smile. She could feel her confidence return as hope began to build within her. Having everything in the open, she thought, might turn out to be a very good thing.

Jack stared at her. Vivian's comment and Martin's absenteeism were suddenly thrown into context. "When did it happen?" he asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "We tried, but it just didn't work. It never would have, I don't think."

"He's a good man," Jack said.

"Yeah, he is," she agreed.

Jack looked at her. He felt hope, strong and demanding, rise in his chest. After a moment's silence, he asked gruffly, "But not the right one?"

Holding his gaze, she shook her head very slowly. "No," she said softly. "Not the right one."

The music altered, faltering to a slower, more intimate tune they were both familiar with. As the lights lowered, he tore his eyes away from hers and drew her closer to him, almost sighing as he felt her body relax and welcome the contact.

Tentatively, she rested her head on his shoulder, savouring the closeness, and loving the way her body responded to the feel of him against her.

His right arm slowly tightened its hold on her as he brought her right hand to rest on his chest.

She closed her eyes.

While they danced, silence and the movement of their bodies said everything that needed to be said. This was it. This was the moment in which everything they thought they'd known got turned upsidedown and the universe finally righted itself and changed life into what it should be.

The waiting and pretense were over.

Her mind spinning a mantra of ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod, she held on to him, inhaling his scent and savouring the feel of his arms wrapped around her. He wasn't Janice's; she wasn't Martin's. And now there was no doubt as to where she belonged. Hope swelled in her breast, making her breathless as a physical longing for him began to build.

When the music again picked up its tempo, Jack looked around. Disguising his disappointment in having to release her even a little, he suggested, "Perhaps we should take a look at that garden Janice mentioned. It'll be easier to talk there." He almost winced at how obvious he sounded. Talking wasn't what he wanted to do, but short of having a hotel room magically appear, it was the best he could do. He needed to be alone with her, needed to kiss her, and hold her close - and confirm that what he was sure had just happened really had just happened.

She smiled and nodded, not minding at all. Instead, she took his fingers lightly in hers and led him off the floor towards the large double doors that opened on to the hotel's main foyer and a bank of elevators that would take them to the roof.

Not far away, Katie Mason inclined her head towards the departing couple. "Danny? I think Jack and Samantha are leaving. I wonder if everything's all right." She'd seen Jack and Samantha only moments ago and had almost remarked to Danny about how closely they danced. She knew the floor had been crowded, but still...there had been something very intimate in the way they had moved; something strong enough to have made her pause and look twice. She'd re-thought her impulse to comment, though, deciding it might not be her place to say something. Now, however, they appeared to be going with no goodbye. That, she thought, merited her saying something.

Danny turned, just in time to see Jack and Samantha round the corner and disappear. He frowned. Things hadn't quite gone the way he'd expected them to in regards to the announcement from Jack and Janice, and Martin disappearing so shortly after their meal had been a surprise, as well. With both Martin and Janice missing in action, it was a lucky thing that Samantha and Jack were so content with each other's company...

He paused as an improbable thought crossed his mind. He turned the idea around, mentally prodding it for signs of life, then pushed it aside. Life, he knew, was strange, but probably not that strange. Bringing Katie closer against him, he said, "Jack's on call. Perhaps something's happened and he has to go answer a page. We should probably go looking for them in a minute, just to make sure everything's okay."

-XXX-

Jack opened the door and ushered Samantha out onto the rooftop garden Janice had so enjoyed. He'd been here before, on a case. It had been summer then, and the flowers and trees had been alive and thriving, in striking contrast to the missing woman's body discovered on one of the flagstone paths. Now, with autumn's arrival, there were not so many blooms, and the bare branches of small trees reached skyward with brittle, crooked fingers. Still, in the pale illumination from the path lights, he could see that there were roses and late asters growing here and there.

Samantha walked out and looked around with pleasure. She lifted her arms and swung around to face him. "I can't believe this place isn't crowded with people. It's lovely up here." She inhaled deeply, surprised at how fresh the air smelled. The night air was cool as it brushed against her bare shoulders, but for now, it did not bother her.

Jack had eyes only for her. "Not many people know it's here, unless they're a guest and have read the brochure in their room. It's not the time of year people think of rooftop gardens, either," he said in a practical tone.

She looked up, wishing she could see stars, but gladdened by the sight of a large, harvest moon rising above the buildings to the east. Large, wispy clouds drifted across its face, but did little to hide its light.

"It's wonderful."

Still watching her, Jack nodded.

Smiling at his sudden quiet, Samantha reached out and took his hand, drawing him away from the roof entrance and along a path she expected led to the edge of the rooftop. She stopped when she reached her destination and turned towards him, expectation and moonlight glittering in her eyes. Placing a hand on his chest, she smiled up at him. A breeze lifted an errant lock of her hair and she caught it in her hand and put it back in place. She shivered slightly.

"It's cool up here," Jack commented. Not wanting their departure hastened because she was cold, he quickly shrugged his tuxedo jacket off and placed it around her shoulders.

She smiled her thanks and hugged his warmth to her. Stepping closer, she again looked up at him, her lips parted.

It was all the invitation Jack required. "Samantha," he said. Drawing her to him, he bent his head and gently touched his lips to hers, savouring her mouth as he teased her lips and carefully reacquainted himself with their warmth and softness.

Samantha leaned into him, her hands grasping his shirt as though afraid they might be separated. Parting her lips, she hungrily invited him to deepen their kiss.

Jack needed no more encouragement. With a soft groan, he slid his tongue against hers, revelling at his body's response to her. Feeling her arms slide around his neck and her body press itself against his, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand tangling its fingers in her hair, the other clutching her body close against his...

It was a few moments later that Katie and Danny turned the corner and saw them. Katie stopped and quickly stepped backwards. Raising a hand to her lips, she cautioned Danny to remain quiet. There was a moment of silent debate, then, as quietly as they had arrived, they turned and left.

Unknowing, Samantha and Jack clung together for a long time, heedless of anything but their recaptured passion. Finally, breathing heavily, they rested their foreheads together.

"Wow..." Samantha murmured breathlessly, her body in shock at the surge of sexual need their kisses had elicted..

"Yeah," Jack said gruffly, the smile in his voice making Samantha's lips curve in response.

She inhaled deeply and pressed her forehead against his neck.

They stood together, rocking gently. Feeling as though she could never have enough of this, Samantha lifted her face towards his. Smiling, she touched her kiss-bruised lips softly against his. "One more time..." she murmured.

Jack's mouth captured hers.

-XXX-

"Well, the guy at the desk was right. They definitely went to look at the rooftop garden," Katie said, a touch of humour warming her voice.

Danny and Katie stood in the elevator, facing the doors. Danny, in shock at what they had seen, cleared his throat and leaned forward to punch the mezzanine button. "I can't believe it. What are they thinking?" he asked.

Not catching the tone of Danny's voice, Katie looked at him and smiled. "I don't believe 'thinking' was on the top of their list. They were certainly in agreement of what was, though," she said. Her smile turned to a grin. "You FBI types are pretty passionate people!"

Danny moved uncomfortably. "This is no joking matter, Katie. Jack could lose his job over this, and Samantha..." He shook his head. This wasn't a good thing. He paused, reviewing the scene in his mind. What he'd seen had been... well...Katie was right. It had been damned passionate. He'd only seen them a moment, but Samantha's slender arms had been wound tightly around their boss's neck, and Jack's arms had clutched her tightly to him...He had seen Samantha turn her face heavenward as Jack trailed kisses from her mouth to her shoulder...He'd heard her soft murmur of pleasure-

He stopped his thoughts. He didn't want to go there.

Katie looked at him thoughtfully, her smile gone. "I don't understand. I know there are rules about fraternization, but what harm is there, if no one knows?"

"Lots," Danny replied curtly. "We work in a dangerous field, Katie. I mean, we're not always standing behind a gun, but we've all been shot or shot at. What if something happened and a judgment call had to be made? Jack's involvement with Samantha could totally change his perspective of a situation."

She nodded, understanding his point. "I see what you mean." She paused a moment to think, then commented, "But to some extent, you could say that of any of his decisions about any of you, don't you think? You say he's known Vivian for ages. Are they friends? Would that friendship affect the decisions he makes in a crisis? I mean, I know what you're saying, but would you trust him less?" She paused, then asked, "How long have they been involved?"

Danny looked at her in surprise, then realised that she wouldn't have known that this had to be something new. "I dunno. Not long. They didn't say much, but Samantha and Martin had something going for a while. I didn't clue in until tonight that it was over."

She looked at him in surprise. "Samantha and Martin?" She couldn't believe that Danny hadn't commented on that before.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. It made sense, in a way. He's liked her since the day he started. She never noticed him much, at least not until-"

He stopped as a chill of realisation hit him. He wondered how he could have been so blind.

"I don't know if I want to talk about this right now, Katie," he said. His mind swirled with memories...of the number of cases Jack and Samantha had always worked on together, of the number of times he'd found them already at work when he arrived in the morning, or had left them, still at their desks, at night...and then of Jack's unscripted rescue of her from the bookshop...and he remembered Samantha's look, when Jack had announced his departure to Chicago...and her sudden response to Martin's advances...

"So what are you going to do?" Katie asked.

Disturbed from his thoughts, Danny shrugged, unsure. "Wait and see what happens, I guess."

"Don't say anything," Katie urged. "Let things go. It's their business, and their mistake to make - if it is one."

"You think it's maybe not a mistake?"

This time it was she who shrugged. "There's obviously a connection between them of some sort. I saw that at dinner. And God knows they were connecting pretty well when we saw them a few minutes ago! We all find love in unexpected places, right?" she said in a practical tone. "I don't know either of them very well, but neither of them strikes me as the sort to go looking for a one night stand - so this must be something that's been building for a while, right? And if there's all the stuff at stake you say there is, I figure there's a good chance that this is serious. If it is, then there's every chance they'll figure out a way to make it work. I think that would be kind of nice."

Danny looked at Katie and felt a tide of warmth for her rise in his chest. She made it sound so simple.

And maybe it was.

"I love you," he said, his voice holding a warmth reserved only for her.

Katie smiled. "And so you should. We're living examples of finding love where it shouldn't have been, don't you think? Perhaps letting them do what they need to do is the best thing youcan do for either of them."

He nodded, glad for her insight. Life, he was learning, was more than the job. He wrapped his arm around her and said a small prayer of thanks. Jack and Samantha were both good people. They'd always had a special rapport; why shouldn't it turn into something more? If they could find the kind of happiness with one another that he had found with Katie...how could he wish them anything but all the best?

He sighed, wondering how difficult a secret it would be for any of them to keep.

-XXX-

"We should be getting back," Jack said softly. "People will be wondering where we are."

Samantha nodded, but kept her head firmly pressed against his neck. "Yeah."

Inhaling deeply, Jack moved. Smiling, he said, "No, really.We've got to go back to the others."

She looked up at him, her eyes glowing. "I know. But God, Jack..."

"We'll work something out."

"Good. Because there's no way I'm leaving your side tonight. We're going to finish this."

He smiled. "Damned right." He kissed her lightly. "But I don't think I'm ready to announce anything just yet."

Returning his smile, she nodded. "Good to see we're in agreement, there." She paused, then asked, "Any ideas?"

"It'll have to be your place."

"Sounds good to me. But how will Janice get home?"

"I'll talk to her and she'll take care of that. How did you get here?" he asked, drawing her close to him again.

She frowned. "With Martin. I'll have to come up with something to tell him..."

"Just say you're tired and want to go home. You can call a cab," he murmured against her neck.

She sighed with pleasure as his lips trailed warm kisses across her skin. "Who'll leave first, you or me?" she asked.

He smiled and lifted his head to look at her. "This conversation is bringing back old memories."

She softly kissed him on the side of his mouth. "Yeah, but we're making new memories now."

He looked at her, love welling up within him and sweeping away any chance of articulateness.

"Yeah," he sighed.

She drew away from him and immediately missed his warmth. On knees she was surprised held her, she stepped backwards. "Time to go, eh?"

He nodded. "Time to go."

End
Chapter 29