Hi again! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Apparently there was an error in this chapter when I posted it yesterday (thanks for telling me Paloma)
I hope it works this time! I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to include this episode in the story or not, but you know "what the heck?"
You can always tell if it's too sappy or something. Then I'll just jump to the next chapter.
But here you go!

He froze for a second and then got all excited. Nevertheless he kept his mouth shut at first.
But she kept repeating his name.

"Sam…Sam…Sam…where are you?"

"I'm right here, right here," he said, taking her hand. He couldn't help himself.

"Why didn't you come?" she whispered.

"I did."

"No, you didn't. You stayed in Boston."

"I came, but you weren't exactly where I thought you'd be."

"I changed location."

"You did? Why?"

"I called you at the…bar... hoping you wouldn't pick up…hoping you were on a plane."

"I was on a plane. I couldn't have answered your call, Diane. No matter how much I wanted to."

"I heard your voice."

"That's impossible. I left shortly after you called and told me about Frasier's proposal."

"But I called the morning after…you said…you said…Hi, this is Sam Malone and I…I hung up."

"No, you must've heard it wrong. I didn't pick it up, Diane. I was long gone by then. Probably already in Italy."

"But I heard you…I heard you."

He knew she wasn't fully awake and clearly still intoxicated, probably talking nonsense.
But then something hit him.

"Hi, this is Sam Malone."

It was his answering machine, wasn't it? It was his answering machine that had taken her call.

"Oh geez," he whispered and squeezed her hand.

"You didn't come," she repeatedly whispered.

"I did," he sighed "You just thought I didn't."

"I miss you, Sam…Come and get me. I wanna go home."

He let her fall into a deep sleep in his arms. He silently watched her while holding her hand.
The bitterness inside him wouldn't go away and he kept getting the feeling that destiny didn't see them together. The worst part about it was he usually didn't believe in such things as destiny. Perhaps it was God then. He didn't know, and he wouldn't go further into the matter. But the thought stayed in his mind. Something didn't want the two of them together.
But if that was true then why did he stumble upon her in a bar so far away from Florence? Was that just a coincidence? Or was faith playing games with them?

He didn't feel like sleeping. He wanted to watch over her, make sure no one would come and take her away from him again. He couldn't let that happen.
She was there now, beside him. That was where she belonged. He didn't know what the rest of their lives involved, but as long as she was by his side and vice versa, everything would be alright. He believed now. He was willing to fight for it.
He fell asleep with that thought on his mind.