Thanks to Diane, who, as I've said before, can spot a typo from forty paces and who patiently corrects the way I want to spell murmur, and to Justine, who has the best story sense around. Trish, you're totally marvelous, and anmodo...I can't thank you enough for letting me borrow Katie and Danny. Your trust meant a lot. (Sarataja: great plan. I'll bring the map, you bring the ammunition.)

I also need to say how much I've appreciated the comments and crits on this story. To be honest, I'm kinda of blown away that so many people were thoughtful enough to drop a note about it. Fifteen on the last chapter! I've never had that many reviews on a chapter before. It really is appreciated..Kelly, you're right: reviews are to a fan fiction writer what royalties are to a professional! To everyone who's reading now: thanks for hanging in and finishing this with me.

Oh - and Sarah - thanks for the reminders about it being Monday, and Flips: I love the mental picture of someone reading this on a train on their way to work. It makes me smile...thanks for letting me know!

It feels so strange to be finished. This chapter is rather anti-climatic, but here it is...an ending that's really just another beginning...

Good To Be True
By: Mariel

Chapter 30

Janice looked up when Jack approached the table. Her violet eyes glanced behind him for a brief second, then quickly moved to meet his.

There was no mistaking the question in them.

Fully intending to ignore that question for a while, Jack smiled and said, "I was wondering if we'd see you before the end of the night." Before she could open her mouth to ask about his own whereabouts, he looked over at the other two people seated at the table. "Everyone else up dancing?" he asked Vivian and Marcus.

Vivian nodded. "Katie and Danny have way too much energy," she chuckled, "and Martin is totally wrapped up in his new find. I don't know where-" She stopped as she caught sight of Samantha weaving her way amongst the tables towards them, and waited until she arrived before continuing. "Welcome back," she said. Her dark eyes observing the younger woman carefully, she added, "I was just about to say I had no idea where you had disappeared to."

Samantha smiled. "This place is huge. I was exploring." To avoid having to say more, she slid into her seat and quickly took a sip of her now tepid drink. Swallowing, she then made a comment aimed to divert attention away from herself. "I'm surprised you and Marcus aren't up dancing," she teased. "Didn't I hear you say you were going to make up for lost time, or something?"

While Samantha and Vivian chatted, Janice glanced between Jack and Samantha and then said, "Jack, I think it's time we danced again."

Her tone told him it would be better not to argue. With a wave of his hand, he indicated the busy dance floor. "I'm at your service," he said, throwing an apologetic glance at the others for leaving again so soon.

Smiling, Janice led him away from the table.

As soon as he took her hand and they began to move around the floor, Janice started: "Where have you been?" she asked in an undertone. "I don't know if you know it, but I'm sure Samantha and Martin aren't seeing one another. He's done nothing but dance with that brunette all night. I really think you need to talk to her, Jack. I saw you dancing with her earlier. When you disappeared and I couldn't see her, either, I hoped you'd gone off somewhere together. Did you? You've got to say something to her. You-" She stopped abruptly and stared at him a moment, then said suspiciously, "You're not saying anything."

Jack shrugged, and in a nonchalant tone said, "I'm just waiting for you to stop talking long enough to ask if you'd mind finding your own way home."

She huffed, then said, "I'm only talking because-" She froze as the meaning of his words dawned on her. Looking up at him, her face brightened joyfully. "Find my own way home? Bloody hell! Really!" Oblivious to the other dancers surrounding them, she extricated her hand from his and threw her arms around his neck, exclaiming, "Thank God! It's about time! I knew this would work!"

Jack hugged her, then gently released himself from her hold. Taking her hand back, he resumed their dance.

"Calm down. I'm only asking if you can find your own way home. You knew what would work?" he asked, though he expected he knew the answer.

"You and Samantha. Being here. Together. I'm so relieved. I knew you just needed a bit of time together. This dance was all I could come up with. Terry-"

"Terry?" Jack interjected, "You talked to Terry about Samantha and me? I thought I'd made it clear Samantha and I are not topics for discussion."

She gave him an unrepentant smile. "I must have forgotten. Or perhaps you only mentioned that to Terry." Shrugging prettily, she said, "He probably forgot, too. You know how busy his mind is. Anyway, we've both been worried about you. You've been totally miserable, and if he thinks you and Samantha are right for each other, who am I not to do my best to help you out?"

Jack grunted. Keeping in perfect step with the music, he said, "Who, indeed. And far be it from either of you to mind your own business and leave things alone. God. You and Terry are perfect for one another."

The barb flew past her unobserved Grinning knowingly, she said, "It's amazing what holding a woman in your arms can do, isn't it?"

In spite of his best efforts, Jack's lips quirked upwards. "Absolutely," he agreed amicably.

"So you can't possibly be angry, can you?"

He turned them around in an effortless set of intricate steps. "No," he admitted, "I don't suppose I could be."

Janice chuckled as she easily followed his lead. "Good! In that case, you won't be upset when I tell you I'm leaving shortly. Terry phoned and said he managed to get a seat on the last plane into LaGuardia tonight. He finished his speech - he says it was brilliant - and decided to finish the weekend here, instead of staying and listening to other people talk about things he already knows." She paused for breath, then continued, "I told him I'd borrow your car and pick him up, if that's all right." She looked at him, her eyes smiling. "And you can go with Samantha and do what needs to get done," she said, her prim tone belying the suggestive twinkle in her eye.

Jack took a millisecond to wonder if his car and the city could survive her bouts of indecision about which side of the road to drive on, then nodded his consent. He took exception, however, to her easy asssumption that he and Samantha would be hopping immediately into bed like two sex-starved weasels. "You can borrow the car, but get your mind out of the gutter, Janice. We've danced and talked. That doesn't mean everything's settled between us. You act as though we're about to hop into bed at any moment.You're taking an awful lot for granted, aren't you?" he asked.

Tilting her head to one side, she looked up and regarded him with solemn eyes. After a careful examination of him, her eyes crinkled at the corners and she laughed. "I don't think so. I know you, remember? You're as happy as a bloody clam; that can mean only one thing."

She was right. Damn her. "You take all the fun out of things, you know that?"

She grinned. "Somehow I don't think I've put even a dent in the fun you're going to have."

He looked at her and tried to pretend shock. "You're embarrassing me."

Laughing, she tapped him on the shoulder. "You are so American! Now dance me off this floor, and let's get our evenings started. I don't want to be late for Terry's plane, and I definitely have to change out of this outfit before I go. And," she said, "the sooner we leave, the more time you'll have to do with Samantha whatever it is that you won't admit to planning to do!"

Biting back a retort he knew would only encourage her more, he expertly guided her to the edge of the floor just as the song came to a close.

"Thank you for the dance, my love," she said. "Those lessons really paid off, don't you think?"

Smiling at the anticipation he could tell was running through her veins, he said, "Stop gloating about the dance lessons. I admitted they were a good thing a long time ago; they were just hell at the time." He took her arm and they made their way towards their table. Before they reached it, however, he stopped and said, "Let's just say we're leaving early because you need an early start tomorrow morning. Samantha, I believe, is about to plead a headache."

Janice shook her head and grinned. "This is worse than high school. Don't you feel silly?" she asked.

"We do what we have to do," he shrugged. "It's better that the others don't know, Janice. Not yet, anyways. There are things Samantha and I have to work out. We have to know for sure that this is what we want."

Janice frowned slightly. "You won't have to worry about my giving your secret away, but you've got to stop with the doubt," she said, her voice holding a tinge of impatience. "You've done enough of that. This is what you want, and you'd be crazy not to go for it. Everything will fall into place; you just have to want it to. It's time you realised that not every good thing in your life is too good to be true."

He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her briefly. Janice might not be the best person around to take romantic advice from, but there was no doubt but what it was heartfelt and well-intended. "I hope you're right," he said.

"I am. Now let's get moving. Terry will have your head if you make me late."

-XXX-

Farewells were quick and to the point. Danny and Katie had returned to the table while Jack and Janice had been up dancing, so everyone but Martin was present to hear that Jack and Janice were leaving.

"Samantha just called a taxi," Danny told them. "She's not feeling well."

Janice made an exclamation of dismay. Turning to Samantha, she said, "We could have dropped you off, if we'd known. Why don't you let us take you?"

Samantha made the expected noises about it being out of their way and the taxi had already been called, and thank you anyways.

Danny looked between Jack and Samantha and felt nothing but confusion. If he hadn't seen what he'd seen, he'd have thought Samantha was leaving because of Martin's behaviour. At least, he thought, knowing that Samantha had had other diversions meant he hadn't embarrassed himself by taking Martin aside and giving him a lecture in good manners. He eyed Jack and Janice carefully. Both appeared incredibly pleased with themselves and stood together in an apparently united front. He looked at Samantha. She just looked tense. Perhaps she did have a headache, but where did that leave what he'd seen on the roof and the fact that Jack and Janice were leaving together? He sighed. Nothing was adding up.

He glanced at Katie who was eyeing the trio carefully. He had no idea what she was thinking, either. Perhaps she could explain things later.

-XXX-

After a taxi ride that felt like it had lasted for forever, Samantha's door closed softly behind them. Turning to face Jack in the warm familiarity of her front hallway, she felt suddenly at a loss.

Wordlessly, Jack helped her off with her wrap. Opening the hall closet door, he hung it on a hanger for her. When he turned, she lifted a hand and took his tuxedo jacket when he shrugged out of it. Carefully hanging the expensively tailored garment beside her wrap, she slipped off her shoes and then closed the door.

And felt his fingertips run feather-light across her bare shoulder.

She circled around and was immediately engulfed in his embrace.

It was warm and wonderful and she felt weak with happiness.

She inhaled deeply, loving the scent of him. "God, Jack," she said, her words muffled by his shoulder.

He clung to her wordlessly for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Is this happening too fast? I don't feel as though my brain has had time to catch up with our actions. This isn't how I expected the evening to end."

"End? It's just beginning," she smiled, moving her body against his.

Resisting the urge to begin undressing her right there, he said, "You know what I mean. I haven't had time to catch my breath since the first dance we shared."

"Neither have I. It feels good."

He tightened his grip on her briefly, then moved to place his hands on her bare arms. Sliding his palms up and down them, he looked at her and agreed, "Very good. And I'm almost convinced that this is really happening...But maybe we should talk about what we're getting ourselves into."

Her hands clutching his shirt at his waist, she looked up into his eyes. "I think we already know," she said softly.

Jack shook his head. "I'm worried that we don't. Last time-"

Samantha made a quick movement with her hand and gently pressed a slender forefinger to his lips. "Shhh," she cautioned. Drawing away from him, she took his hand and led him into the living room. When she reached the sofa, she turned and sat down. Still holding his hand, she drew him down beside her and twisted to face him.

"Jack, I don't want to talk about what happened between us before, or about why we've spent the last few years the way we have. I will talk about what's happening now, and why it's happening, though." She looked down at their joined hands and paused to gather her thoughts. Tightening her grip on his fingers, she finally continued, "For me, it's happening because I never stopped feeling the way I felt about you. It didn't matter who I was with or what I was doing, you were always in the back of my mind; you were the constant that I couldn't rid myself of." Raising her eyes to meet his, she said, "The fact of the matter is, I didn't want anyone else." She shrugged. "Maybe in time, I could get over you, but the past few years haven't taken me very far in that direction, and to be honest, I don't think I really wanted them to. I love you. And I love loving you. And now you're here, and that tells me something about what you're feeling, so to hell with everything else. We can work it out."

Jack raised a hand to touch her cheek softly. "So I've been miserable all this time for nothing. You hadn't moved on with Martin."

"No. But when Janice arrived on the scene, I was quite sure you had moved on with her. I tried to be happy with Martin, and I tried to be happy for you, but it hurt. A lot. To find out that you-" she stopped as the remembered pain of his being happy with someone else made tears fill her eyes.

"Stop," he said, drawing her to him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, glad beyond reason that Martin had been just a momentary aberration. "God, I love you" he murmured. "I don't think I'm going to be able to ever let you go, now."

She drew back enough to smile and then kissed him softly. Against the warmth of his lips, she whispered, "That's exactly the way it should be."

-XXX-

Samantha's beaded dress lay carefully placed across the seat of her bedroom chair, ready to be properly hung in the morning. Jack's shirt and pants were neatly folded and hung on the back of the same chair.

Underclothes were strewn randomly on the floor, wherever each piece had fallen.

Sated and deeply content, Jack and Samantha lay together on her bed, wrapped loosely in sheets, her duvet, and each other.

"You're awake?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Mmmhmmm," he rumbled, too content to reply with words. He'd been awake for several minutes, savouring the moment and the pleasure of having Samantha lying next to him.

She moved her head against his shoulder, loving the feel of his skin against her cheek. When his arm came up around her and his hand cupped her shoulder, she smiled.

He felt the movement of her cheek. "You're smiling," he said, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah. I'm happy."

"Good. Me, too."

She rose up on an elbow. Tracing the outline of his face with gentle fingers, she looked down at him with wonder. "I don't know where we went wrong last time, but this time we're going to get it right. I'm not letting you go ever again."

He smiled. Looking at her through half-opened lids, he said, "I thought you didn't want to talk about last time."

"I don't. Not exactly, anyways. Maybe the timing was just wrong. It certainly didn't help that you were married. That was dishonest of both of us. But what we felt wasn't, and now we're both free. I want you, Jack Malone. With all my heart and soul, I want you."

Love filling his chest so full he found it hard to breathe. Reaching up, he pulled her to him. "You are the wisest, most foolish woman I have ever met, and I love you."

She smiled into his neck. "Really."

"Really, absolutely, and without a doubt."

He rolled the two of them over so that she lay on her back looking up at him, her soft hair strewn across the pillows. Rising up on one elbow, he said gently, "I spent every moment since our breakup regretting everything except the fact that our affair happened. No matter how hellish my life got when I was trying to reconcile with Maria, what we had together stood out as something so special I just couldn't say it had been a bad thing. I knew thinking that way was wrong, and that it wasn't helping anything, but it was just the way it was. I couldn't get over you; didn't want to get over you. Being with you had been too good to just toss aside and pretend to forget." He paused, and cupped her face with his hand. "And now, Samantha Spade, I want you to know that I love you. I have for a long, long time," he said solemnly. "You are right; we'll make this work, come hell or high water. I don't want to have to live life without you."

She lifted slender arms and wrapped them around his neck, drawing him down so that their lips could meet again. She moaned as they shifted slightly and his hand began to caress her.

"This is so good," she murmured, her breath warm against his skin.

"And nothing is going to stop it from staying that way," he said. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "We'll make this work," he promised.

It was all the reassurance she needed. "I believe you," she whispered, pulling him down to her again.

Slowly, his kisses playing musical notes across her skin, they began to dance once again...

End Chapter 30
Too Good To Be True