Chapter 7:

Spinelli was startled by the sound of the door opening. Turning he saw Jason striding purposefully towards him. Jason was on the phone, and he didn't seem that happy. However, Spinelli knew better than to interrupt. Instead he waited patiently.

Jason flipped the phone shut. Grabbing Sam's chair as he passed her desk, he slid it toward Spinelli's. Folding his long frame into it, he sat next to him. Jason turned and looked blankly at Spinelli.

"Stone Cold? I..I..I didn't call you."

Jason sighed and rubbed his temples. Today seemed to be one thing after another. It was the life of a mobster or as the DA would put it, Organized Crime. Thinking of the DA, Alexis Davis, brought to mind one of the problems he had to face today. He had caught Kristina and Dominic, the new Zacarra soldier that was trying to worm his way into the organization, having lunch. He knew Dom would just be using Kristina, and he didn't her getting hurt or seeing a guy so much older. He sighed again. It was something he would ask Sam to handle. That is if she was found.

"I know. It's been over an hour though."

"Well, I am a law abiding citizen now. The quicker albeit more nefarious way has been prohibited by both Stone Cold and the Fair Samantha."

A ding sound from the computer had Spinelli spinning back around to his computer. Jason sat up straighter and took a peek at the screen. Spin's fingers flew over the keys with a speed reserved only for those computer people.

"Looks like the lawful have provided us with much needed info."

"What did you find?"

"An address for where our dear Fair Samantha's car is…but wait."

"Wait, what?"

"The address…It's this very building."

Before either could react, Sam walked through the door. She smiled at the two of them. She walked to her desk and slid open the bottom drawer. After depositing her gun inside, she turned back to the boys and walked slowly over to them.

"What's up guys?"

Spinelli started to tell her but Jason's stare stopped him. He wasn't sure why Stone Cold didn't want Sam to know they were looking for her, but he sure knew he didn't. Opening his mouth a few times with nothing coming out, Spinelli was at a loss for words.

Jason shook his head and stood. He was in her chair so he pushed it back to her desk. Standing near the door, he put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head slightly to the side. His phone rang saving both him and Spinelli from answering.

"Thanks for the info Spinelli. I've got to go and take this. Bye. Bye Sam."

Jason spun on his heels and opened the door to leave. His footsteps along with this voice could be heard as he walked down the hall. Both occupants were silent until neither could be heard. Both sighed and looked at each other.

Sam sat in her chair and brought up the computer screen. She began typing away, glad to be busy. Spinelli spun around back to his own computer. He wanted to ask where she was, but wasn't sure how. So they worked in silence for a few minutes before Sam herself broke it.

"So did you get your case started?"

Spin smiled and nodded. He liked the way she had said it was his case. He had gotten to prove himself beyond just computer searches. It felt nice. He turned and stood up walking over to her.

"It went swimmingly."

Sam laughed softly. Spinelli was always using funny words to describe the mundane. Smiling at him, she continued to work. It seemed he was working his way to telling her something, but hadn't quite figured out how. Sam had no clue what he was going to say, so his question shocked her.

"Speaking of cases, are you sure you should be taking a case like that one?"

Sam turned to look up at him. Shock was written all over her face. She wasn't even sure what to say in response. The same thoughts had run through her very head when she had first talked to Mrs. Walters. However when they were voiced by someone else, Sam was immediately defensive. She was a private investigator, and a damn good one at that. She resented anyone questioning her.

"Spinelli…"

Spinelli back pedaled a little. He saw that she was upset at his questioning her, but he was only concerned. It just was so close to her own past, and one of the darkest times in her life. While she had made serious in roads to getting to a much better place in life, this case was bound to drag her down.

"Sam, it's just…it's just so close to…Well you know what it's close to. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Sam softened a little at the obvious concern in Spinelli's voice. He was just concerned for her. She pushed her chair back from the desk and sat forward with her elbows on her knees. Bringing her hands to her face, she blew out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding into her hands. She turned softer eyes to him and smiled a little.

"Spinelli, I appreciate your concern, but really it's fine."

"But…But…Fair Samantha has to see the similarities between the Walters' situation and the one that happened between herself, the Maternal one, and Stone Cold."

Sam laughed softly and hung her head into her hands. She took a deep breath and sat up. She thought she made up for some of the stuff she had done, but obviously everyone still thought she might snap or worse. Closing her eyes she leaned all the way back, letting her head rest against the back of the chair.

"Look, I know that it's close to my past with Jason. That being said, I thought we were all past that."

"Well, yes…but it still has to hurt."

Sam opened her eyes and looked at him. With a sad smile, she nodded. It did hurt to think about it, but life had a way of hurting so you never forgot about what you had worked so hard to achieve. Those days were her lowest, but she wouldn't realize how great her life was today without those days.

"Don't you worry about me, Spinelli. I will be just fine. I am over all that."

"Are you? Really? I mean are you over Jason?"

Sam just stared at him like he was crazy. Her and Jason had been over for a long time now. Both of them had had other relationships. While she cared for him as a friend and someone who had deeply been involved in her life, that was a far as it went or so she thought.

"What?"

Sam started laughing as the thought of her and Jason as a couple circled through her mind. The idea was crazy, but Spinelli often did see things in a different way than others. It was one of the good things about him though. She loved him for it, in the way that she had loved her brother Danny. Often he reminded him of Danny so much.

"Well, one can only observe the amount of time you and Jason have spent together as of late. He is always coming to you with his problems. I mean it wouldn't be a far stretch."

"Don't worry about me and Jason. We are just friends. As far as his problems, well, I have been convenient and I am not involved like Carly."

"I suppose."

Sam smiled and slid her chair back to her desk. She again began working on the research she needed for the case. Spinelli went back to his desk. However, now that the seed was planted, the thought of her and Jason getting back together wouldn't go away. It was ludicrous, but when thinking about her and Jason spending time together, she did get that butterfly feeling again.

She stopped typing and just thought about it for a moment. They had come so far from that day in her loft, but was it far enough? Sam shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She had other stuff to think about. Like how to get Bridget the money, her mind shouted.

The most logical answer she could come up with was just to ask Jason, but he would ask questions. She didn't really want to get Jason involved in this. Besides bringing in Jason wouldn't be a good idea considering her current indecision on her feelings for him. She pondered asking her mother. That idea was vetoed when she remembered the current mess Alexis found herself in.

Sam sighed and wished she came from a rich family. The thought popped into her head, and Sam realized her solution. She burst out laughing causing Spin to turn and stare. Getting her gun out of her bottom drawer she stood.

"I have to run some errands and probably won't be back tonight. So just lock up when you are done."

She walked to the door, but spun on her heel at the last moment. Slowly, she walked over to him and kissed his cheek. She smiled at him.

"Thanks for being concerned about me. You're a good friend."

Spinelli blushed and nodded his head.

"You are too."

Sam smiled again and shrugged her shoulders. She was feeling better by the minute. She knew how she was going to help Bridget. She had a successful business and great friends. Mostly though she was excited about getting home to see that little angel, Hope, again. Life was going pretty good if you asked her.

She waved as she left the office. Exiting the building she looked up at the sunset and smiled. She would pick up dinner for herself and the girls after she ran her errand. Once in the car, Sam pulled her phone out and dialed a number. It was answered almost immediately.

"Hey. Can I stop by? I need a favor, and it's a big one."