Sunday surprises
THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT VOTED FOR ME IN THE FAN FICTION AWARDS. YOU'RE SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
A/N: Keep looking out for a new fic. I am working on that involves Sam Ross and our favourite ME turned CSI, Hawkes. A great pairing now being introduced over in Aphina's Devine Intervention. My fic will be a spin off from her genius.
"Never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me."
-Thank You for Loving Me, Bon Jovi
Flack nearly had a panic attack the minute he walked in the front door of that massive, excessively bright and noisy Toys R Us store located in Times Square. He'd walked by it many a time in all the years that he, and it had taken up residence in the city, yet he'd never put even one toe through that door. Even when his niece and nephew came along, he'd simply just thrown money in their birthday or Christmas cards and that was that. It's not that he didn't like kids. Hell, he loved kids. He just disliked the mess and disorder and all the damn havoc they brought with them. So the minute he'd pushed open that door and was greeted by the ear splitting squeals and shrieks of excited children and the odd couple of kids throwing Exorcist inspired temper tantrums over not getting something they wanted, his chest immediately began to tighten and sweat beaded on his forehead. His first initial thought was 'goddamn fucking brats' followed by 'what the hell am I doing here?' Only to be snapped back to reality by his future wife all but dragging him by the hand to the back of the crowded, mad house of a store to a section that was clearly and brightly labeled BABIES R US.
Then it hit him like a kick in the stomach. He was having a kid. All the books he'd been reading and ultrasound pictures he coveted and passed around like they were more precious than the shroud of Turin had not yet totally made the realization sink in that this was actually happening. He was going to be a father. To a child that would one day be bringing their own ball of mass confusion and hysteria into the world. He would one day be that father in aisle ten red face and humiliated and mortified by the fact he couldn't control a wailing three year old or the one that just couldn't say no despite the fact that so many toys are being added to the shopping cart that he'd have to work three jobs just to cover the cost. And just as he was beginning to ask himself how the hell he'd ever gone from hanging out with the boys with some beers and a game on Saturday night to worrying about college tuition and driver's licenses, he was standing amidst a sea of cribs and strollers and clothes that didn't look like they'd fit on a teddy bear let alone a human being.
How in the hell did I get here? he thought, feeling as if he was in a complete daze, as if things were being pointed out to him in a language he didn't quite understand. Was that English? Because if it was, something was either wrong with his brain or his ears, because it sounded like a whole lot of nothing. Like trying to hear underwater or being in that half asleep state where noises just seemed so far away. The only thing he was aware of was that his chest was aching and the back of his neck and forehead were covered in sweat and was literally terrified of the next eighteen years that lay ahead of him. He was thankful for that tiny, soft hand clasped tightly in his, because it was the only thing keeping him anchored on the ground. And then he remembered that the reason he was here was because of whom that tiny hand belonged to. The most amazing, loving, incredible woman he'd ever met. Who come into his life was suddenly and unexpectedly and transformed it, and him, into something surreal.
Someone he just couldn't say no to. That's why we're here. Because I didn't say no. But then again, neither did she. And it was a hell of a lot of fun at the time.
He felt immensely guilty that he wished at that moment to be anywhere but there. Home in bed, doing laundry, hell, cleaning the toilet even. All the talking he had done about wanting to prepare things and get things ready had come back to bite him in the ass. Because the initial planning stage had begun and he was scared to death. Just what in the hell was a diaper genie? And an exersaucer? Or a snugly? What kind of foreign language were these people speaking?
And now, as he stood in the middle of that baby section, plotting how he was going to escape, said girl who just couldn't say no was standing at the side of a cherry oak crib with white eyelet bedding, a pen and notebook in hand and a bright smile on her face that said she was both pleased and that he better get out his MasterCard.
"Do you like this?" Sam asked, running a hand over the glossy, smooth wood.
"Do you?" he asked in return, stepping alongside of her.
"That's not what I asked. I asked if you liked it."
God, why did women have to make things so difficult? He could tell by the smile on her face and that twinkle in her eye that she liked it. A lot. And that really, she was most likely just asking his opinion so he'd feel like he actually had a say in the whole thing.
"Not really." he admitted, then watched her face and waited for a look of disappointment to cross it, to which he'd say that it really didn't matter to him and whatever she wanted was fine with him. But no look came. Instead she just simply began browsing once more.
"Well what do you like?" Sam asked.
Flack shrugged.
"Well you must like something."
"It's a crib. Somewhere for the baby to sleep. What's there to like?"
She frowned. "There's like twenty different types. You must like at least one."
He sighed and looked around and did indeed, to even his own amazement, find something that caught his eye. He wasn't sure if it was the crib itself or the fact that it was decked out in sports theme bedding, but he was immediately drawn to it.
"I like this." he said.
Sam had to admit that she did too. A natural wood finish with spindle style slats. And a navy blue patchwork style comforter that had patterns in different sports shapes on it. Footballs and soccer balls and baseballs and even a hockey stick and a puck. The mobile that accompanied the crib for display purposes had teddy bears in sports jerseys dangling from it. Now if they only knew for sure that it was a boy, they'd be all set.
"How much is it?" she asked, joining him at the side of the crib.
Flack lifted a large, clear covered plastic price tag attached to the head board. "You really want to know?" he asked, one look telling him that this baby thing was way more expensive than he ever anticipated.
"We're here to get prices." Sam reminded him. "Not actually buy anything."
Yeah, right, Flack thought. This coming from the woman who couldn't stop buying things. "Fifteen hundred." he told her.
Her eyes widened as she jotted down the price and make of the crib.
"We all ready said anything below two grand was all good." he pointed out.
"We should still look at a couple more." she suggested.
"Why? If this is the one we both like then why do we have to look at anything else?" Flack asked. "Let's just get what we want and that's that."
"We're just browsing remember." she said.
"Whatever. You like it, I like it. Let's just get it."
She put a huge check mark by the word crib written in her note book while he took out a slip of paper at the back of the price tag that you were suppose to give to the cashier so she could get a stock boy to bring the thing to your car for you.
"Now can we go?" Flack asked hopefully.
"We still have to look at bedding and mobiles and a travel system." she replied.
"A who and a what?" he asked. "What the hell is a travel system?"
"It's a car seat stroller combination." she explained, leading the way to the bedding section.
"We need one of those?" he asked, following.
"If we plan on taking the baby for walks and in the car." she replied. "What kind of bedding do you like?"
"I don't know. Whatever was on the crib we just bought."
"We need something that can be for a boy or a girl." Sam told him.
"That can be for a boy or a girl." he said.
Sam arched an eyebrow.
"Could be a girl that really likes sports." Flack reasoned.
"Let's leave the bedding until the next ultrasound." Sam suggested. "They might be able to tell us what we're having for sure."
"Still think it can be for a boy or a girl." Flack said and followed behind her. Only to get side tracked by a small table set up with catalogues spread across it and a small sign that read: SIGN UP FOR OUR REGISTRY. "Why don't we sign up for this." he said to him, as she stepped up beside him. "Fill all this stuff out, it gets e-mailed and what not to all our friends and they buy the baby stuff from the store. What more could you ask for?"
"Who says our friends are going to be buying the baby stuff?"
"Please. You've never heard of a baby shower?" he grabbed a pamphlet with all then information they'd need and headed for the stroller section. "Jesus Christ." he said, shaking his head at the enormous display of strollers. "Is it really necessary to have that many?"
"Big selection." Sam agreed. "Now I heard Evenflo is like the best."
"Whatever. Whatever you want, sweetie. You like it, get it. Within reason."
"You just had to throw that in." she said with a sigh. "That's the one I like…" she pointed to a Burberry stroller/cat seat combo. "But it's way too expensive."
"You can't know that just looking at it."
"Trust me. It's at least a grand."
"Get outta here. A grand? For a stroller?"
Sam nodded. "It's a Bugaboo."
"A what?"
"A Bugaboo." she repeated. "Stroller of choice among celebrities."
"If it's the one you like then…" Flack checked the price tag. And nearly fainted. "Nine hundred dollars? Nine hundred dollars for a stroller or a travel system or whatever the hell you want to call it? Why?"
"It's apparently the best one out there." Sam said.
"Nine hundred dollars. For a stroller and a car seat. People are crazy. Does the baby know it cost nine hundred? No. Just something for 'em to lounge in while someone else pushes 'em around. The kid isn't going to care if we spent nine hundred or three hundred. Only people that would even know how much this costs by looking at it, are the celebrities or the upper class that don't even associate with city workers like us. And we sure as hell can't afford a nine hundred dollar stroller even if both of us were paying for it."
"I didn't say I wanted it." Sam told him. "I said that I liked it. It would be my dream purchase."
"Well keep dreaming sweetie 'cause the only way you're getting that is if you marry the Donald."
She smiled and rubbed his back. "Your name is Donald." she teased him.
"I meant as in Donald Trump."
"Ewww." she said with a grimace. "No thanks. I'll just keep you. Even if you do have more grey hair than he does."
He grinned and laid his hand on the small of her back and kissed the side of her head. "Remind me to kick your ass later. Do we really need to be looking at all of this stuff so soon? Can't we just buy the crib and call it a day here? It's not like we have a place to put tons of baby stuff right now and the kid won't be using any of it for another five months."
"Why don't you just admit you're uncomfortable?" Sam asked, jotting the down of three strollers that were more in their price range.
"It's not that I'm uncomfortable." he told her. "It's just a little…. I don't know…..freaky. Looking at ultrasound pictures and reading books is one thing. Actually doing stuff like this? That's another thing. This is just so…"
"Permanent?" she asked, flipping her note book closed and dropping it and the pen into her purse.
"Exactly. What? We're done?"
"These are the big purchases we need to decide on. Everything else is easier and can be done closer to the time. And like you said, people will probably buy the smaller stuff. If not, we can come back when we're closer and you get a better grip on yourself. Last thing I want is to push you into this and have you have an anxiety attack in the middle of Toys R Us."
Was she mad? Disappointed? Flack couldn't quite tell. In a way, he felt like he'd let her down. Because he'd been on her ass to get more into things and start making preparations, and when she did and the time game, he completely bailed on her. He felt like an insensitive, selfish ass.
"We could look at some more things." he suggested, feeling the urge to make it up to her. "I mean, the kid needs a mattress, right? Or does it come with the crib?
"That one comes with it." she said, and started out of the baby section.
"Well what about clothes and stuff. Doesn't hurt to buy some clothes, right? Or some toys? What about one of those swings and those vibrating chairs you showed me in that catalogue? Wanna look at those? We can look at those."
"Don, come on. Let's go. Like you said, we have no room for anything. And we won't have much room until we get that spare room for the baby."
"Clothes don't take up much room. Let's look at clothes. Humor me here. I'm trying to make it up to you."
She laughed. "Is there something you need to make up for?"
"I said we'd come and look around and stuff and now we're all ready leaving 'cause I'm a moron."
"No. You're human. This is massive life style change for both of us. Guys have a harder time with it. You've been single for a long time. Well, unless you count Devon as a serious relationship."
He snorted. "Let's pretend she never existed. And you're right. I have been single a long time. Too long. And even then, I was never with anyone I'd considered marrying or having kids. And then both those things happen as quickly as they did? I have to admit, I'm going a bit mental with all of this."
She smiled. That beautiful smile that crinkled her nose and made those golden eyes sparkle. "It's okay." she assured her, snaking her arm around his waist and leaning into him. "So am I. Before I walked in, I guess it didn't seem like it was real. And now, reality is biting us both in the ass."
"I wouldn't change it. I don't regret anything. Do you?"
"No. Well, maybe one thing….."
"Uh-oh. I don't like the sound of that."
She giggled. "Nothing like that. I just regret not asking you to drive me home that day instead of Danny."
"Why's that?"
"Would have given me the chance to get some info on your credit information."
"And then what? Find some upper west side sugar daddy to father your kids?"
"No. I'd get you to father them for the dark hair and blue eyes and my sugar daddy to keep me and foot all the bills."
He smirked. "Very goddamn funny."
They stopped in the excessively long line and she stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a gentle smile on her face.
"You're better than any sugar daddy in the world." she declared.
"Yeah. Can no other guy in the free world would put up with your crap." Flack said.
"Well something keeps you around."
He arched an eyebrow.
She grinned. "And you wonder how I ended up pregnant. It's the only damn thing on your mind."
"Not the only thing." he corrected her. "Lots on my mind all the time."
"Like?"
"How this may freak me out but I wouldn't trade it, or you, for anything in the world."
She beamed. "You always pick the perfect things to say. You're catching on to this marriage thing."
"I'm learning as I go along." he declared and kissed her.
"That makes two of us." she said.
Adam Ross woke up with an aching back and stiff neck. And bright sunlight streaming in his face, forcing him awake. He groaned loudly and propped himself up onto his elbows and glanced sleepily around the room. He was in the middle of his living room floor, the coffee table shoved brutally aside, contents spilled all over the hard wood floor and clothes and shoes tossed blindly and clumsily over the couch and in the front hallway and living room itself. The wool blanket kept over the back of the sofa draped loosely over his naked midsection. And up to the chin of a sleeping Gus Broussard. On her side facing him, her blond hair loose and messy and oh so sexy. Eyelashes falling on her soft cheeks and her delicate pink lips curved in a smile.
The memory of the night before was fresh in his mind. The passionate, almost messy and clumsy kisses they shared from the moment they set foot in his apartment door, their hands greedy and forceful, yanking and pulling at clothes as they stumbled into the living room, mouths devouring each other, bodies pressed tight together and their hands exploring and searching. The way she smelled and the way she felt underneath his mouth and his fingertips, the soft murmurs she made and the louder, more insistent almost pleading noises that escaped that beautiful mouth. The feel of her hands in his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist and the overwhelming, incredible sensation of being inside such an amazing, insanely gorgeous and responsive woman.
It had been the most incredible night of Adam Ross' young life.
Gus murmured in her sleep and reached out for him, her hand falling on his stomach and Adam settled himself down beside her, wrapping an arm around her willowy body and pulling her close so that her head was tucked under his chin.
What did I ever do in my life that I deserved this? Or someone like her? Adam thought, breathing in her soft scent, stroking her silky hair and her smooth back. Women like Gus didn't bother with guys like him. Lowly criminalists. Science geeks. Computer nerds. Women that stunning and intelligent and classy went out with guys with PhD's. Fellow doctors and lawyers and the like. Guys that looked like they stepped off the cover of GQ, not that looked like they frequented frat parties and keggers. But here she was, warm and secure in his arms.
And as naked as the day she was born.
"A penny for your thoughts." Gus said suddenly, studying his serious face through half open eyes.
"They're worth way more than that." Adam told her and kissed her tenderly.
She smiled sleepily and settled her head back in the crook of his neck. Her fingertips drawing lazy patterns on his stomach as she listened to his heart beat and marveled at how perfect it felt to be there with him.
"You were incredible." he told her, softly stroking her hair.
She lifted her head to look at him. "Likewise."
"No one's ever told me that before." he reluctantly admitted.
"Then apparently they were morons who didn't know incredible sex from a hole in a ground." Gus declared. "'Cause sugar, you did things for me that I've never had done before."
Adam blushed. "Yeah?"
Gus nodded. "Know what else?"
He shook his head.
"I'd give anything to have you do them again."
He grinned broadly. "Is that an invitation?" he asked.
She smiled wickedly, pushed him flat onto his back and straddled him. "You bet your sweet little ass it is." she said and kissed him senseless.
"Remember what I said about liking women who take charge?" Adam was panting as she lifted herself off him and yanked the sheet off of him.
"Mm-hm." she said, pressing a trail of blazing kisses from the hallow of his throat, all the way down to his navel.
"I meant every word."
She grinned. "Then you just lay back and let me do all the work." she said, kissing her way back to his lips.
"You have no idea what you do to me." he breathed, then groaned as she slid herself down onto him.
"I think I have some sort of idea." she said. "And if it is anything like you do to me, we'll be lucky if we're conscious at the end of this day. And you'll be wondering how in the hell you ever survived."
"Dying never scared me." he said. "And at least I'd go happy. Damn, insanely happy." he thrust his hips up at her, forcing her to take him deeper.
She closed her eyes; let her head fall back as she breathed his name.
To Adam, his name never sounded so good.
Carmen woke to an empty bed. Something that she hadn't done in the past three months. She could always count on that warm, strong, inviting and welcoming body to be there next to her. But that morning, when she rolled over onto her stomach and then blindly reached out for him, her hand fell on cool, wrinkled sheets.
Her eyes snapped open and she propped herself on her elbows and pushed hair out of her face. Saddened and disappointed to find herself completely alone and the apartment in complete silence. Not even a hint of noise drifted down the hall towards the bedroom. He wasn't the type to take just take off and not even wake her up and tell her where he was going. Or at least leave a note explaining his absence. She yawned noisily and glanced over at his pillow.
There was no note. But what she saw sitting there was startling and better than any letter.
A single red rose with a white ribbon tied around it. Upon the ribbon, secured tightly, was a diamond ring that sparkled in the late morning sunlight that streamed through the window. A simple, decent size round diamond flanked on either side by a smaller round diamond and set in a thick yellow gold band. Tears sparkled in her eyes, a lump caught in her throat; her hands trembled as she reached out to pick up the rose.
"Surprised?" Speed asked from the doorway behind her. He'd come in quietly, so he could watch her reaction. After a week and a half of debating ways to ask the most important question of his life, he had decided to go with a simple approach.
She rolled over onto her back and then sat up in bed, holding the rose delicately in her hands. She couldn't answer. Couldn't form words let alone get them past that lump in her throat. All she could do was nod.
He came to the side of the bed and took the rose from her hands, untying the ribbon and dropping the ring into the palm of his hand.
He climbed onto the rumpled bed, kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"I'm not very good at stuff like this." Speed said with a sigh.
"It's okay." she managed. "Neither am I."
"A very wise man told me to just speak from the heart. Just like he did. So here it goes…." he took a deep breath and composed himself, and his thoughts. "I never thought I'd ever meet someone that I'd be willing to open up to and give myself to completely. Never thought I'd trust anyone or love them unselfishly or unconditionally. And then I met you and I was never the same."
She smiled through her tears, giving him a chance to gather himself.
"I love you, Carmen. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And you make me feel whole and the thought of not having you in my life scares me to death. I want to experience life with you. I want us to laugh and love and live. I'm not the richest man or the smartest man on earth. I can't give you everything that you deserve. But I can give you me."
"That's all I want." she said. "You."
"Spend forever with me, Carmen. However long that is. Will you marry me?"
"Of course I will." she said and leaned forward to kiss him.
"Whew…" Speed said. "And I thought giving a presentation in front of three hundred at a conference was tough. Never been so scared in my life."
"You did wonderful." Carmen assured him, as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Then gently kissed the top of her hand.
"I love you, Carmen." he said.
"I love you, too, Tim. You have no idea how happy you've made me."
"If it's near half what you've made me, I do."
They kissed long and soft for a long time. When they broke apart, he smoothed her hair away from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Just one thing." Carmen said.
"What's that?"
"You really don't expect me to change my name do you? Two Speedles at work?"
"What's wrong with that? Gonna be two Flacks. Sam's changing her name."
"Yeah…..but it sounds right. Samantha Flack. Sam Flack. Either way sounds good. But Carmen Speedle?"
He ran the name through his mind. Then frowned. "You're right, sounds damn awful. So what you're saying is you want to stay Devine."
"For business purposes." she said.
"I get to call you Mrs. Speedle in private?" he teased.
"You get to call me whatever you want."
"Really? Well in that case….." he began undoing the buttons on the dress shirt of his she'd worn to bed the night before. "How about I call you my naked fiancée?"
"Sounds good to me." she said with a giggle, then kissed him and fell back onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her.
He kissed her, and then looked deep into her eyes.
"Thank you for loving me." he said.
Samantha had been so exhausted when they'd gotten home that she stretched out on the couch and promptly fell asleep. Flack left her there, grabbing her pillow from the bedroom and placing it gently under her head, then grabbing the throw off the back of the couch and tucking it securely around her. She needed sleep. He knew she wasn't getting enough. Hell, everyone knew it, even the doctor who bitched endlessly about it and had suggested, more than once in fact, that maybe it was a good idea for her to cut back to part time hours in order to get proper rest. Samantha had looked at her as if she was completely insane and adamantly refused to even consider it. Bad enough being stuck in the lab, she said. But taking me out of it nearly completely so early would damn near kill me.
The two hour nap she had taken had given him enough time to do the six loads of laundry exploding all over the bedroom and then fold it and put it away. Bags upon bags of maternity clothes sat on the bed. She'd gone crazy, spending over two hours trying things on and making him sit there and ask his opinion. And then he gladly fitted the bill in the end. Whatever she needed he was more than happy to get for her.
If only someone had told him just how damn expensive having a baby was. Not that that would have changed his mind to have one with her, but it would have been nice to be prepared. And put some money away.
Thank God they'd decided to go with a small wedding or they'd be in massive debt before the marriage even started.
Now, an hour after she woke up feeling refreshed and re-energized, they debated what to have for dinner –order in was more like it. With all the baby stuff, they'd forgotten to get groceries and neither one felt like getting off the couch and going to the store- while lounging on the sofa. While waiting for the Chinese food he'd ordered, he flipped the channels on the TV and she looked through an Irish names baby book she'd picked up at Barnes and Noble. They'd decided on an Irish name or a variant of in honor of their backgrounds. But the choices were harder than either of them had imagined. Right now they were working on boy names.
"What about Jonathan?" Sam asked.
"Too normal. Thought you wanted something different."
"Rylan?" she asked.
"Too different." he replied. "Don't make life terrible on the kid."
"I think it's nice. Patrick?"
"Patrick Flack? Pat Flack? Are you nuts?"
She sighed. "Caelen?"
He shook his head.
"Declan? I like Declan."
"Reminds me of an IRA terrorist. Wasn't that Brad Pitt's name in that movie with Harrison Ford? He was in the IRA in that. That move we watched the other night. Made like ten years ago or something like that. I swear his name was Declan."
"It was also Richard Gere's name in The Jackal." Sam added.
"We watch way too much TV." Flack declared. "I thought we all ready agreed on Shaun Donald?"
"Middle and third name. We need a first name. Here's a nice one. I like this one. Kieran. You like that?"
"Kieran Flack." he said, trying it out. "Kieran Shaun Donald Flack."
"I think it sounds great." Sam said.
"So do I." he agreed. "What's the meaning?"
"Black or dark." she read from the book. "Perfect for our kid. Unless by some weird chance it comes out with blond hair."
"I will so kick your ass if that happens." he declared.
"Don't worry. That will never happen. Besides, my secret boyfriend is dark too."
He smirked.
"So we have a boy's name. What about a girl?"
"Well, we got Patricia and Lynne as the middle and third names. And honestly, there's a name I heard the other day and I really like it."
She arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's that?"
"Mikayla. Mikalya Flack. Mikayla Patricia Lynne Flack. I like the sound of that."
She smiled and leaned across the couch and kissed his cheek. "So do I." she said. "So we actually have names. Too bad everything else couldn't be this easy."
"No kidding. At least the store is delivering the crib to the new apartment next week. No place to put it here."
"Us women come with a lot of stuff." Sam declared. She rubbed her stomach. "I'm starving."
"What else is new?" Flack asked. "All you do is eat. You're getting almost as bad as me."
"Please. Like that is possible. I hope the food gets here soon. Your child is dying of starvation."
"Yeah…..right."
A loud knock came to the door of the apartment. Both knew it couldn't be the food. It had only been twenty minutes since he'd ordered and it took nearly forty for an order to be ready. Flack got up to answer it and was greeted by a smiling delivery boy with a massive bouquet of mixed flowers in his hands.
"Delivery for a Samantha Ross." he announced.
Flack took the flowers and gave the kid a five from his pocket as a tip.
"I gotta bone to pick with you woman." he said as he carried the flowers into the living room.
"Who was that?" she asked, her eyes widening at the sight of the elaborate flowers. "Baby that is so sweet. What a nice surprise." She gushed.
"As easy as it would be for me to lie and say they're from me, they're not. So who's the other guy sending you flowers?" he sat them on the coffee table and plucked the card from the arrangement.
"Please." she said. "There's only you and you know it."
"Then you have some explaining to do." Flack said and handed her the card.
Sam ripped the envelope open and pulled the card out. Tears filled her eyes.
"So? Whose ass do I get to kick?" he asked. "Who are they from?"
"My father." she replied.
"That I didn't see coming." he said. "What's the card say?"
"It's says I'm sorry. Please call me."
Flack grabbed the cordless phone off the coffee table and helped it out to her. "I think that's a good idea." he said.
"I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry for the way I acted." Sarge said, sounding genuinely apologetic.
Sam sat on the couch, cordless phone pressed to her ear, trying to stem the flow of tears that slipped down her face. Flack picked up the box of Kleenexes left behind on the coffee table from her cold and dropped them in her lap, then stood and kissed the top of her head before disappearing from the room.
"It hurt dad. All the things you said. About me and Don and the baby. Most of all the things you said about Don. You don't even know him and you won't even give him a chance. All I want is for you to give him a chance, See that he's not out to hurt me. That he loves me and takes good care of me."
"That's hard for me, ladybug. The last guy that I trusted with you…..well looks what happened there."
"He's not Zack, dad. He's far from being anything like Zack. And that's the past. Zack's gone now and the world is a better place, trust me. He can't hurt anyone else like he hurt me. That's the only good thing about what he did to me. Because he got caught and this is the end result."
"You're my baby girl, Samantha. I love you like you're my own. And I can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you."
"Don's not like that, dad. No one gives him credit. People see the initial way he has about him and judge him before they get a chance to know him. He's not perfect, believe me. But he's perfect for me. And I love him and he loves me and we'll love this baby and be good parents."
"I know. I just want what's best for you."
"This is what's best for me. I wouldn't be in it if it wasn't. And I'm sorry too, for going off like I have a tendency to do. And we should have told you and mommy about the baby sooner. But we really did think we were doing the right thing."
"I have a hard time remembering that you're an adult and can make your own decisions. I should try letting you do just that. Just we're all so far apart."
Sam wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I know it's hard for both you and mommy that I'm so far away in New York. But this is my home now. Don's here and Carmen and all of my friends who I love so much. And Adam. He keeps an eye on me, daddy. And he'd let you know if you were needed."
Sarge sighed heavily. "I know. I just want you to be happy, lady bug."
"I am happy." she insisted. "Everything I ever wanted is finally coming true. It's not a dream life, but it's the life I want with the man I want. He's different, daddy. And I really wish you could see that."
"I'm trying, sweetie. I am."
Flack came back into the living room and sat back down beside her. A bottle of beer in one hand, a glass of milk in the other. He held the milk out to her.
She smiled her thanks and took it from him.
He winked at her and went back to watching ESPN.
"You'd really like him, daddy." She said, taking a sip of the water. "If you just talked to him and got to know him, you'd really like him."
"I know that he's crazy about you, lady bug. That young man is head over heels in love with you. When he called me yesterday morning…."
Sam nearly choked on her water and looked at Flack. "He called you?" she asked into the phone.
Flack just sipped his beer and said nothing.
"I wasn't going to listen at first." Sarge said. "I was all ready to hang up when I realized who it was calling me. Sneaky bastard using an unknown name, unknown number."
"He's a detective, dad. He knows all the sneaky stuff from people trying to use it on him all the time at work."
"Not to mention he's damn assertive and aggressive when push comes to shove. Had me shut up and take notice right away."
Sam grinned. "Yeah….he can be a damn bully when he wants to be with the people he thinks deserve it."
"He told me how he felt about you. How you felt about each other and this baby. Laid it all out on the table. And told me how you've been feeling lately about the way things went down between us. His main concern is you and that baby. You got a damn good man there."
She smiled. "Yeah. I do. He's something else."
"I just want you to know that I'm giving this young man a chance. But if he does anything…"
"He won't." Sam assured her father.
"I want to be a grandfather. A damn good one at that. And I'm proud of how far you've come and I know you'll make a great mother. And he'll make a good father. And a good husband."
"Yeah." Sam agreed and leaned across the couch to press a kiss to Flack's cheek. "He will. He's off to a good start."
"Figure I may as well give my son in law at least a small chance. Promise you won't hurt him too much."
She laughed. "I promise."
"Thanks for calling me. I'm glad we talked."
"So am I."
"If you need anything, and I mean anything, you just give your mother and I a call. Okay?"
"Okay." she agreed.
"I love you, Samantha. We'll talk soon."
"I love you, too, daddy." she said and hung up.
"Am I in trouble?" Flack asked.
"Why would you be in trouble?"
He shrugged. "Calling your dad behind your back like that."
"Honestly, I think it was a damn brave thing for you to do. And I appreciate it. You knew how bad it was bothering me."
"I just want you to be happy, Samantha. Anything to make you happy."
She rested her head against his shoulder and rubbed his back. "You make me happy." she told him. "Do I make you happy?"
"Only on days that end in Y." he teased.
She smiled and he turned his face into hers and kissed her softly. "You know what would make me really happy?" she asked.
He grinned and kissed his way from her lips to the side of her neck.
"Other than some of your infamous oral skills." She laughed. "Food. I'm hungry."
"Give me ten minutes and you'll be dying of starving from all the energy you used." he said and reached for the buttons on her shirt.
"There's no time for that right now." she argued and tried to wriggle away.
"There is always time for that." Flack told her, pushing her gently onto her back and kissing her passionately, carefully not to put too much weight on her.
"You are such a man." she declared and sighed at the feel of his lips on her tender skin.
"Maybe. But I'm your man." he told her.
She smiled and closed her eyes and relaxed under his touch. "Always?" she asked.
"Always." he vowed., lifting his head to look at her. "'Til the day I die."
She raised her head to kiss him and clung to him with everything in her body.
She prayed to God that that day was a long, long way away.
Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. And to all you lurkers, thanks for reading, but please review. It would mean a lot to me.
Today's plugs:
Aphina: Devine Intervention and Finding Kate (over in Miami land)
Hope4sall: Behind the Scenes
Evaflack001: For Kate's Sake
Madison Bellows: Positive, What it Means, The Saints Aren't Coming