CHAPTER 10

Jack had convinced Samantha to go home that night by insisting that he would be fine on his own. It took some encouragement but finally she relented and left. Jack was given strong painkillers and something to help him sleep, so he hardly knew she was gone. He slept soundly the whole night.

The next day Jack was moved out of the ICU. He was settled into a nice private room with his own TV. The doctors were happy with his progress. Although he was still very weak and sore, he was pleased to be unhooked from the monitors and IVs. Maria brought the girls to see him that same day. They were much happier to see him in a proper room, as Kate had described it. He was sitting up watching TV when they called by.

"I much prefer this room, Daddy," Kate said, as she inspected the private bathroom. "It's like our hotel room, sort of."

Jack and Maria smiled in adoration of their daughter. One thing was for sure, even if they failed as a couple, they certainly managed to make two beautiful, smart and well-adjusted girls.

"Have you thought about what I said yesterday?" Maria asked, referring to her offer to look after Jack when he was convalescing.

"A bit. I think I'll see what happens here," Jack replied ambiguously. Maria wasn't sure what he meant by his answer, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with Agent Spade.

"Well, if you change your mind, we're only a phone call away," Maria reminded him.

"Thanks, Maria," Jack said sincerely. "For this too," he continued, referring to the fact that she had gone out of her way to bring his daughters to visit him. Maria nodded and gave Jack a warm smile. They watched as their girls sat up on his bed and took charge of the TV's remote control. They flicked from channel to channel and anytime they came to a channel that they knew Jack would like, they quickly changed it to Nickelodeon. They joked, shared tales of school and dance class and planned their next visit to New York. All too soon, Maria announced that it was time to go. Their flight was in a couple of hours. Kate cried as she said goodbye to her father. Hanna tried not to, but it was obvious to everyone that she too was upset at leaving him. Maria gave Jack a peck on the cheek and warned him to listen to the doctors and to give himself time to recover. She promised that the girls would call every evening after school.

Jack held it together until his family had left the room. Then the loneliness hit him and large tears traced their way down his cheeks. He stared at the TV screen, yet didn't see what was on. He didn't care. His heart ached knowing it would be months before he laid eyes on his precious girls again.

Samantha called in later that day, and the next and the one after that. In fact, she visited him every day for the next ten days. Gradually he grew stronger, his discomfort lessened and he began to feel like his old self again. Finally the day arrived that he was to be released from hospital. He was at the stage where he couldn't bear to be in the hospital for another hour. When Samantha came to pick him up, he was dressed and ready to go. It was difficult for Jack to manage a regular crutch because of the cast on his left forearm. He was given a tall crutch that would go under his shoulder and lend support. The doctors advised Samantha that he should preferably stay off his leg for a couple more weeks to allow the bone to knit, but that if he had to move he should always be accompanied by someone.

Pretty soon they were pulling up outside Jack's building. Samantha had Jack's keys, so she opened the door. She helped Jack into the elevator and they rode to the third floor. When she opened the door to his apartment, he entered and looked around.

"Well, you've been busy," he commented, noticing how neat everything was.

"I couldn't have you coming home to …. well, the way you left it," Sam replied, as she dropped his bag on the floor and shut the door. "Come on, sit down!"

Jack did as he was told and made his way over to the sofa. He smiled when he noticed a footstool that he knew was never in the apartment before. As he sat, Samantha grabbed the stool and placed it under his plastered leg.

"New?" he asked.

"Nope, I had it at my place," she replied. "So, how does it feel to be home?"

"Great," Jack replied, reaching for her hand. She placed her hand in his and sat beside him. He put his right arm around her. "Now, it's perfect."

Sam curled her legs up under her and cuddled into him. For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to relax. He was home. They could look forward to the future.

For the next week, Samantha was a constant in Jack's life. She had taken vacation time from work and had stayed with him morning and night, only leaving for short periods of time to get groceries or newspapers. Each day she could see slight improvements in Jack's health. He was getting used to the crutch and managing to get around, albeit slowly and awkwardly. His humour was good and he was positive about his recovery. He was still taking painkillers regularly to help him deal with the ongoing discomfort from his injuries, but was still tiring easily.

The rest of his team visited on various occasions throughout the week. Jack was anxious to hear about cases they were dealing with. Vivienne was acting Supervisory Special Agent in his absence and everything seemed to be going well. Sam cooked and cleaned the apartment and was every bit the little housewife, as Jack often joked. Although she feigned insult, she actually liked the idea of being the housewife, or at least the wife in Jack's life.

Soon, it was time for Samantha to return to work. Arrangements had been made for a nurse to call by during the day and check on Jack, even though Jack insisted that he would be fine and that he could manage without one. Samantha was having none of it and laid down the law. Jack knew better than to argue, so he bit his tongue and said nothing.

Naturally Samantha was like a new mother on her first day back at work, calling him almost every hour, until Jack eventually had to tell her to stop calling. She couldn't wait for the day to be over. On the way home she called to the local Italian restaurant for take-out before she finally reached Jack's apartment. Jack was resting comfortably on the sofa with his leg elevated when she returned.

"So, how was your first day back?" he asked, as she leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Good, are you hungry?" Samantha asked, placing the bag of food on the kitchen table.

"Starving," Jack replied, as he struggled to reach his crutch and then to stand up. Sam noticed his struggle and rushed to help him. "I can manage," he informed her in no uncertain terms. His tone was civil but she got the message. He was a very independent man who hated people seeing him at his most vulnerable. She returned to the kitchen to get plates from the cupboard and let Jack make his own way to the table.

"I have something for you," Sam said, placing the plates on the table. She reached into her handbag and produced a folded letter and placed it in front of him.

"What is it?" Jack asked, as he opened it. Sam paused and let him read it. "A transfer request? But you love the squad," Jack said, sounding astonished.

"I know, but I love you more," she replied with a wide smile. "If I'm not your subordinate, we can be together." Jack looked at her, trying to gauge whether this was really what she wanted. To his surprise her enthusiasm never wavered. "I spoke to Van Doren. She said there are openings in White Collar and Organized Crime, so I've applied for both and hopefully I'll get one of them. I will be expecting a recommendation from you to put with my applications," she said, as she served Spaghetti Carabonara to Jack. He didn't reply, which prompted her to stop dishing up the food and look at him. Jack reached out and touched her hand.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Jack asked seriously.

"You know, now that I've made the decision, I can honestly say I've no regrets. It's time to move on, Jack. The last few weeks have made me realise that life's too short to put things off," she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"The team won't be the same without you. Have you mentioned it to them?" Jack wondered.

"Elena knew I was considering this for a few weeks, ever since we sorted things out. I needed to talk to someone. I haven't said anything to the others yet. I wanted to see what you thought first," Sam admitted, as she sat down to her own meal.

"It would solve the work issue, but I want you to be sure," Jack repeated.

"I am sure," she insisted. "There are a lot more opportunities of transfer for a Special Agent than there are for Supervisory Special Agents. It makes sense. We can have a relationship then, Jack. It is what you want, isn't it?" Samantha asked, needing to hear the words.

"What I want? It's what I've wanted for so long but never dared dream I could have," he said sincerely.

"It's settled then," Sam replied, delighted with his response. "Hopefully by the time you're back at work, I'll be settling in with a new team."

"It won't be the same without you," Jack said mournfully.

"No it won't. It'll be better," Sam replied, as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"You're right. It will," Jack agreed. He looked around the apartment. "Maybe we should start looking for our own place. A new start should be exactly that!"

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Definitely," Jack replied. "I can search websites while I'm laid up and we can view a few on weekends. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea," Samantha replied, trying not to get emotional. It was all working out. Things didn't usually work out for her, but this time it felt different. It felt right. Their future was stretching out in front of her and she liked what she saw.

There would be many more intimate meals between them, many more intimate times between them. She wanted him so badly, but she knew he was in no shape for any bedroom antics….yet. They would have plenty of time for that, she thought wryly.

They both sat at the kitchen table with wide smiles on their faces and enjoyed their meal. Jack watched as Sam licked pasta sauce from the edge of her lips. God, she's beautiful, he thought. He relished the thought that they were moving forward at last. It had taken long enough and been costly in an emotional and personal sense, but finally fate was taking over. There was no need to fight it any longer, no impediments in their way. One step at a time was all they needed to take and fate would guide them.

They would make the journey together, the way it was meant to be.

THE END

A/N - Thanks to all you guys for reading and keeping me going. Hope you enjoyed it. Big shout out to Diane, my Beta!