Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update, but things have been really hectic at work and at homelately and have barely had enough time to eat and sleep let alone write. This chapter's pretty short, but I'm working on a longer one right now.
Also, I had a comment that I was biased towards Martin which is completely untrue. I think he's a great character and treats Samantha well, but if you wanted completely unbiased material, I wouldn't think you'd check out a Jack/Sam story. Nevertheless, the criticism was well noted and I'm trying to involve him more in the upcoming chapters. Thanks!
Samantha took the key to her room from Jack as soon as he'd registered, and, with the defense that she was really tired, hurried into the sanctuary and locked the door. She had hoped that the alone time with Jack this weekend would give her time to talk about…things, but all the trip had done in the last ten hours was give her a neck-full of tension and a throbbing headache.
She unpacked some of her clothes into the complimentary dresser and sat down on the queen-sized bed, lying back on the soft mattress. A lamp by her bedside table cast a warm glow on the walls and provided a welcoming atmosphere. Samantha's eyes stared at the in-room telephone and she turned over on her stomach to check the time. 11:23. Digging deep in her coat pockets for her cell phone, she dialed a ten-digit number and waited.
A groggy voice crackled on the other end of the line.
"Hello?" Sam smiled at Martin's sleep-laden voice and tucked a pillow under her chin. "Sam, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me. I just got into the hotel a few minutes ago." She heard Martin clear his throat and cough loudly. "I didn't mean to wake you up…I wanted to let you know."
"No, no, I'm glad you called," he said, more awake now. "Miss you."
Sam felt an unexpected pang of guilt mixed with something she couldn't identify and swallowed. "I miss you too, babe." She listened to the rain starting to fall outside and grew very serious. "Martin, I need to talk to you about something."
"Is something wrong?" The concern in his voice was clear and she closed her eyes. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she sighed, turning over on her back. She wondered how much harder this would be if she was talking to him face to face. "I know we decided not to talk about this kind of thing, but…"
"What's going on, Sam?" Martin asked gently. She rubbed her forehead and scrunched her features together.
"Do you want marriage, Martin?" The line went quiet on both ends, and she wasn't sure whether she actually wanted that silence to break. Sam prayed he wouldn't take the passive stand and give her the expected I-want-whatever-you-want reply. She heard Martin's steady, collected breathing on the other end, which calmed her.
"Yes, Sam. I do," he answered after a while. She felt her stomach churning inside of her and placed a nervous hand on her abdomen. "But the last thing I want is to pressure you into something you're not ready for or something…something you don't want."
"Okay," she whispered softly. "Okay…" They said nothing for a while as the rain spattered against the glass windowpanes and slid down in serpentine patterns.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, it's all right. I should get some sleep tonight," Sam murmured, keeping her voice strong. She turned the phone over in her hands to turn it off, but hesitated and raised it back up to her ear. "Martin?"
"Yeah, Sam?"
"I'm pregnant."
She nailed her thumb against the power button and held the phone tightly against her chest. Her eyes were wide and she tucked her legs close to her chest in a fetal position. She couldn't remember when her consciousness ebbed and sleep took over.