Authors Note: DianeM is a fantastic beta. I couldn't have done this without her help and support. Merry Christmas everybody. I feel a little like Santa posting this chapter on christmas day. It is the chapter. I hope you all enjoy and have a great christmas. The concluding epilogue will be up Monday.

FBI Headquarters

That night

"Sam, can I have a word?" Jack called after her. Sam turned, she'd been on her way home, the whole team was leaving. The day had been nothing but paperwork, so nothing to stay and do overtime on. Danny looked at her curiously. Had he been himself, he might have made a crack about this, but he wasn't himself, not quite.

"What can I do for you, Jack?" Samantha asked. Jack hesitated and sat on the edge of his desk because being behind it was so impersonal for what he wanted to say.

"Two years ago we had a conversation on a bench outside the courthouse," Jack began, keeping his eyes firmly averted on the floor. He'd never imagined even back then that things between them could ever be so awkward.

"I remember," Sam said neutrally.

"I . . . Sam, I said it last time and now I need to hear you say it," Jack stumbled over his words. In between paperwork he'd been rehearsing this all day, but he hadn't stuck to his prepared script at all.

"Why, Jack? You're with Alex . . ."

"No, I'm not," Jack interrupted as he tiredly ran a hand through his hair, "You're with Martin, I know."

"Jack," Sam paused, she had no idea he'd believed that. She had no idea that he'd known that they'd even spent the night together; she didn't think anyone knew that. What on earth had given him the impression that she and Martin were a couple? "Martin and I aren't together, we were never together. Well apart from one night, the night you were supposed to move."

Jack stopped for a moment, stopped everything, even breathing it seemed, because suddenly his chest felt very tight. He couldn't have heard her say what she'd just said. He couldn't have been that wrong, could he? Everything that had happened had been based on his assumption that she was with Martin. If that had been wrong, then Viv was right. He had to listen to her more often -- when she was right, she was right.

"I didn't know, I thought, it doesn't matter what I thought. Hell there always seems to be something. Maybe, maybe we're just not meant to be."

"Or maybe you just need to try harder," Sam countered. Jack's head snapped up so fast he probably got whiplash. Did that mean? Was she trying to say? "But, Jack, I won't be the other woman again, I . . ."

"I broke up with Alex last night," Jack interrupted. "I realized that it wasn't her that was making me happy." Jack looked up into Sam's eyes; he could drown in those eyes and not care. They could communicate so much, they didn't need to talk, their eyes talked for them.

"You want to get a coffee?" Jack offered, a slight smile gracing his lips. Sam smirked in response.

"Why, Agent Malone, I do believe you're propositioning me,"