Disclaimer: I do not own Flashpoint or the characters even though I totally and completely wish that I did. I'll just borrow them for a while and put them back when I am finished.

A/N: My mojo left me for a while, but luckily I recovered from some serious blockage to bring you this chapter. I am not completely satisfied with the outcome, but there are parts I truly love. I will try to post the next part soon; I am hoping to bring this story through all of 'Personal Effects' (and maybe even further, but we'll see). This chapter has definite spoilers for Season 4, so be aware! Please review if you can, and thanks for reading.

Oh, and the paragraphs breaks somewhat show a change in point of view (really only somewhat, though).

Chapter Three: The Apartment

She couldn't have imagined ending that day anywhere else. Jules seemed to know exactly why she was standing outside Sam's apartment at that very moment, hesitating slightly before she sounded four raps against the door of apartment 1008. Jules knew why she wanted to talk to him, to Sam. She needed him. She wanted him. With ever fiber of her being did she desire to be with him right now. Only he could put her racing mind at ease. They had basically just experienced the worst psych evals in the history of all psych evals, and right now she needed him.

Jules knew that she shouldn't cross this line again, she wanted to be here with all of her heart; but her mind was screaming at her that it was still wrong. She knew it was still against the rules, and now that the ropes were tightening around them, ranks closing, it was an even worse transgression than it had been the first time around. But, however much she tried to tell herself she should not want this, her heart knew she did. After the conversation the two had shared back at the barn, she knew this wasn't over. They both needed this today.

She waited anxiously after knocking, almost instantly hearing Sam murmur from inside, "Coming."

Sam was trying to forget that day had ever happened. He wanted to erase every uncomfortable moment, the awkward silences and the unnecessary questions. He was ready to just forget everything, start over, blank slate.

He had retreated home after Holleran had released them. Entering his apartment, all he wanted was to relax, just take his mind off of all the events from that day. He threw his bag next to the door and plopped down in his favorite chair, picking up the closest magazine that was just lying around. As he relaxed further and further into the chair, he began to feel the pressure melting away. All those thoughts of what was and what could have been were slowly evaporating, releasing Sam from this stronghold.

Just as he was getting into an article about hockey, he heard someone knock on the door. After a pensive moment, Sam hollered, "Coming." Standing and plodding slowly towards the door, wondering all the while who it could be.

As Jules stood there, the door opened in front of her. There he was. Sam.

He looked surprised to see her and the look that passed between the two of them said nothing and yet so many things. He just looked at her, and that was all it took. Jules was speechless. She had thought of what she wanted to say, all the feelings she had kept pent up, but one look into those dreamy baby blues and she was a goner.

Sam didn't utter a sound, he just looked at her, surprise written over his features, but he settled into knowing he should have expected her to come all along. He knew it would never be completely over between them. If these last 24 hours had taught him anything, it was that nothing was ever truly over, never complete.

These feelings passed between the two of them, as they stood for a moment, Jules looking up expectedly at Sam, almost willing him to refuse her entrance; but instead, Sam took a slight step back, letting her pass.

Jules never broke their gaze and she took two slow, deliberate steps into Sam's apartment. She finally looked away, stepping further past Sam.

Sam still stood rooted at the door, mindful of what was happening. Jules had come, for what true reason, he still didn't understand. Sam knew, however that something needed to be cleared up between them. Something had to be done before they spiraled out of control yet again. These pent up emotions, these feelings would never go away and if he had anything to say about it, he did not ever want them to.

He finally moved to shut the door softly in front of him, shifting his eyes back into his home, watching Jules turn and face him.

Blue eyes met brown and Sam took a deep sigh, moving slowly and deliberately closer to Jules as he began softly, "You were right."

Jules glanced down quickly as she noted Sam moving closer even still. "About what?" Her gaze traveled back to Sam's and she could just feel the energy pulsing between the two of them. This was the kind of energy, the kind of feeling she remembered having with Sam. She wanted all of him and yet more than she probably could handle. Emotions were running through her as fast as lightning and it was all she could do to not jump into his arms, so she stood steadily staring into his pools of blue.

Sam continued to move forward, further closing the gap between their two bodies. He could see a slight apprehension in her features, but he knew she wouldn't be here if she didn't agree. "It's not gonna go away," Sam replied. He moved closer still.

Sam could see Jules fighting her instincts, he knew this was still against the rules, but he just couldn't help but be a little reckless. These conversations he had shared with Jules in the last day had shaken him. And he knew for a fact she had been shaken by them too. They had both come to the realization that nothing had changed. Even though what they had previously shared had been so long ago, neither of them had rid themselves of their feelings. They had always existed there, each day getting pushed further and further away from the surface. Each of them had their own ways of dealing with the heartbreak: Jules had her snarky comments and Sam had his puppy dog stares.

Sam paused for a moment, remembering everything they had shared together, taking in everything about her standing in front of him at this very moment.

Jules did not respond, she waited patiently. Jules knew what was going to come of this if she didn't speak up right now, but she had absolutely no desire to halt anything coming her way. She was just as much a part of this as Sam and she definitely wasn't saying no.

"So," Sam breathed, taking another step forward.

Jules smiled slightly, also closing the gap, "So."

That simple word carried so much meaning, and with another forward movement by the pair, Sam captured Jules' lips with his.

The two kissed delicately at first as all their emotions from times past came rushing back to each of them in turn. Sam pressed on further deepening the kiss and the connection between himself and Jules; taking them into full on passion Sam turned Jules around as her hands went up to caress the back of Sam's neck. Sam took matters into his own hands then and lifted Jules' petite form, setting her down with a slight thump on the countertop. The two never ceased in their moment of passion, completely intertwined in one another. Their hands explored each other bodies as old memories returned. Sam moved his hands along Jules' thighs with a mastery of someone who knew her body, her features, every last one of them.

As their breathing became heavier, the two only pressed on, not caring that by now they were completely lost in one another, their past and present had collided with such force that they couldn't stop now. There was no turning back from this moment. They both knew that.

They were so lost in the feel of the other that they barely registered the click of Sam's apartment door opening.

Jules heard someone gasp. Whipping around, Jules gasped herself. Her hand fell to Sam's chest as he brought his hands to rest softly on her thighs. Sam stepped back quickly though, as a look of shock covered his features. Jules gently ran her hand down Sam's chest as he stepped away, almost not willing to let him go just yet.

"Oh, wow, um…" This blond, leggy stranger let out; surprise spread out over her delicate features.

Jules hurriedly pulled her cardigan back onto her shoulder, looking from the blonde back to Sam, who seemed to be lost for words. Jules almost glared at him, willing him to explain but he didn't. She realized she was in the wrong and began to jump down off the countertop, headed for the door, "Okay, sorry. I'm gonna go."

Jules dashed quickly past the intruding stranger as she heard Sam start, "Hey, no, Jules." But she couldn't look back. She didn't want to look back. It took all her will power to simply dash out the door and down the hall, leaving a still shocked Sam in her wake.

Sam desperately wanted Jules to stay and was just about to follow her when his phone interrupted. He paused for only a second looking at the counter and back at the door before he grabbed the phone and gazed haphazardly down at the small screen. What he saw was not a welcoming sight.

He looked directly at his sister and said with a determined look, "I gotta go." He rushed quickly past Natalie and down the hall calling after Jules.

Sam barely heard Natalie calling his name.