DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN CSI:NY OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I ALSO DO NOT OWN TAVERN ON THE GREEN, ITS EXECUTIVE CHEF BRIAN YOUNG OR NEW YORK PLAZA FLORIST. SO PLEASE, NO ONE SUE ME.
Expectations and Preparations
"To the teller down at the bank
You're just another checking account
To the plumber that came today
You're just another house
At the airport ticket counter
You're just another fare
At the beauty shop at the mall
Well you're just another head of hair
Well that's alright, that's ok
If you don't feel important, honey
All I've got to say is
To the world
You may be just another girl
But to me
Baby, you are the world
You think you're one of millions
but you're one in a million to me
When you wonder if you matter,
baby look into my eyes
And tell me,
can't you see you're everything to me."
-The World, Brad Paisley
Three hours later, following lunch and an exhausting afternoon of visiting every baby boutique and department store on Sam's must see list and coming away with a staggering amount of shopping bags and lists of items they still needed, and wanted, they found themselves pulling into the NYPD parking lot adjacent to the lab. Gerrard had called Flack's cell phone twenty minutes before, while they were on their way home and Sam was drifting off to sleep in the passenger's seat, demanding paper work he wanted on his desk ASAP when yesterday he'd said there was no rush for it.
"What happened to our no cell phone policy?" Sam said with a teasing grin as she unclasped her seat belt.
"After this, that's it." he promised. "No cell phone for the next ten hours at least. I'm on call as of midnight, remember?"
"So what's the chances of no one being murdered at any time after midnight?" Sam wondered, grabbing her purse from the back seat.
"I'd say slim to fucking none." Flack said and got out of the SUV. He pocketed his keys and went around to the passenger's side and opened her door and offered his hand in order to help her out.
"You're on your best behaviour this afternoon." Sam said with a smile and took his hand and jumped down. "Lookin' to get lucky or something tonight, Detective Flack?"
"I'm optimistic." he said and kissed her gently.
Hand in hand they headed from the parking lot and down the short expanse of sidewalk to the front entrance of the lab. Despite the hectic business of spending money they didn't really have (at least until that money from Zack came in) and looking through store after store and making detailed list after detailed list, they found themselves a hell of a lot happier and relaxed than they had been walking into that therapist's office that morning. The appointment had opened their eyes to reasons behind why they were the way they were, and coming clean about everything had cemented the belief that honesty was indeed the best policy in their life together. In anyone's life for that matter.
Flack realized that he had been taking her for granted. That he'd just assumed no matter what shit he dumped onto her, she'd still be there. Her walking out and her confessions regarding Speed and her ex had made him realize that she was more than capable of leaving and finding someone to take his place. She just chose not to go that route. And he was in fact damn lucky to have her.
Sam realized that she hadn't fought fair at all. She said mean things without thinking of the consequences. Or about who she hurt. She'd been so busy letting Zack haunt her that she hadn't been able, or willing, to see what kind of man she had in front of her. She hadn't let herself just enjoy being with him and or let herself feel the things she'd been so desperate to feel for so long. She'd been so intent on finding his faults instead of focusing on all the wonderful traits he had. Worst of all, she'd compared him to Zack. And that wasn't fair. In fact, it was plain mean and she felt like shit because of it.
She was also emotionally drained and wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in bed for a couple of hours before their big date. It had been a long time since they'd gotten through an actual night out without being interrupted. And an even longer time since she'd been wined and dined. The last time that had happened was the very first date she'd had with Zack. When all that mattered to him was making a great first impression and then sucking her into his drama.
She scolded herself for thinking about Zack. And made a pact with herself to force every thought of that man out of her mind. For good.
"Sam!" a tiny voice shrieked from down the sidewalk. "Sam! SAM!!"
"Daria Maxwell!" Max's voice boomed over the other noises on the busy street.
Sam inwardly cringed at the sound of that voice. She had promised Flack in a conversation over lunch that she'd give Max a chance. That she'd play nice with the other woman for the sake of a positive work environment. But she couldn't hide the fact that she still wasn't a hundred percent comfortable with the idea of Max working with Flack and that she was completely accepting of their former 'relationship'. But she was going to try the friends route. For him. And he accepted that maybe, just maybe, Sam Ross and Emma Maxwell were just not meant to be friends. You couldn't be friends with everyone. But co-existing peacefully was a happy alternative.
But the sight of that little blond haired angel tearing down the sidewalk with an ecstatic smile on her face and her little arms outstretched was enough to cause Sam to break into a broad grin. Daria was absolutely adorable and Sam had heard from Flack that the little girl talked about her and their McDonalds 'lunch date' constantly to her mother.
And Sam got a little enjoyment over the idea that that probably pissed Max right off.
"Sam!" Daria squealed and attempted to vault herself up into Sam's arms, only to be intercepted by Flack who scooped her up into his strong arms. "Hi, Uncle Blue." she greeted. "Don't want you to hold me. I want Sam to hold me."
Daria had been calling him Uncle Blue from the day she was old enough to properly pronounce the words. And he'd spent time at Max's place and taking Daria places to make up for the lack of a father figure in the little girl's life. But those days had passed and he had no intention going back to them now that he had his own child on the way.
"I can't hold you Daria." Sam said. "I'm sorry."
The little girl pouted.
"Not that I don't want to." Sam quickly added. "It's just I'm having a baby and it might hurt the baby if I pick you up and that wouldn't be a good thing. I'd be sad."
"So would I." Daria agreed. "You be sad too, Uncle Blue?"
"Very sad." Flack said.
"Where's the baby? Can I see it?" Daria asked excitedly.
"The baby's in my tummy so you can't see it right now. But I promise when he's born, you'll be one of the first to see him. And after he's born, I'll be able to pick you up. Okay?"
"Okay." Daria agreed cheerfully. "But not now. Can't see the baby now."
Sam shook her head. "Not for a while. Five months."
"That's a long time." the little girl said with a frown. "Can I touch your tummy?"
"Sure." Sam said, and gave Max a small smile as the other woman joined them in the middle of the sidewalk.
Max offered a smile of her own. Feeling a slight thaw in the ice that usually hung in the air when the two of them were so much as in the same room.
Flack put Daria on the ground, who then wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and rested an ear on Sam's stomach.
"Can't hear anything." Daria declared. "Can the baby hear me, Sam?"
"I don't know. Probably."
Daria pressed her face into Sam's stomach. "Hello in there, baby!" she called. "Hello! Can you hear me? I think he's sleeping, Sam. Baby's tired."
"I think so. He's quiet right now. When he's a bit bigger you'll be able to hear more and feel him kick. He's just tiny right now. He sleeps a lot."
"Can I kiss the baby?" Daria asked. "Good night, kiss?"
"Sure." Sam replied. "He likes that."
The little girl pressed a noisy kiss to Sam's stomach. "Nite nite, baby." she said. "Sleep tight. You know that Sam has a baby in her tummy Uncle Blue?"
Flack nodded.
"How'd the baby get in there?" Daria asked.
"When you're older, I will explain that to you." Max responded.
Daria tilted her head sideways and looked up at Flack. "Is Sam you're girlfriend, Uncle Blue? Is that why you were holding hands?"
"Sam and I are getting married soon." Flack explained.
"But Uncle Blue, you said I could be your girlfriend and marry you when I was bigger." Daria reminded him.
Flack looked at Sam for some sort of explanation.
"Don't look at me." Sam laughed. "You got yourself into this, get yourself out."
"Maybe when you're much older and much bigger." Flack told Daria.
"How much bigger?" she asked. "As big as Sam?"
"Maybe a little bigger." he replied. "Tell you what, when I get tired of Sam, I'll let you know."
"Thanks." Sam laughed. "I'll remember that ten years from now and I'm tired of you and find myself someone new."
Flack just smiled and kissed the side of her head.
Daria was watching them very closely. Her four year old brain working on over drive and putting everything she was seeing, and hearing, together. "Are you the baby's daddy, Uncle Blue?" she asked curiously.
He nodded.
"Are you excited?"
"Very excited."
"I want a baby brother or a sister but mommy says no. Maybe when your baby comes I can come over and play with it. Sam, can you take me to McDonalds for some ice cream?"
"Sam doesn't want to take you to McDonalds, Daria." Max said. "You just come inside with me and I'll do the work I need to do and then I'll take you to McDonald's."
"I want Sam to take me to McDonalds." Daria argued, tightening her grip around Sam's waist.
"Daria….." Max said in exasperation.
"I don't mind." Sam told her, running her hand over Daria's silky golden hair, noticing the surprised reaction that passed over Max's face. She wanted to tell the woman she wasn't an evil, cold hearted bitch. At least not to little kids. Just to the people that she felt warranted her being that way.
Flack wasn't surprised in the least. Sam had a way with kids that he'd noticed that day at the zoo with his group from the Y. Kids of all ages seemed to be drawn to her and she to them. They couldn't walk down the street or through a store without her stopping someone pushing a stroller to admire their baby or toddler and chat with them. And toddlers seemed to have an uncanny ability of seeking Sam out when they wandered off from their parents. Just yesterday evening at the grocery store, Sam had been minding her own business in the produce department and a little boy was suddenly beside her tugging on her pant leg and asking for his mother.
"You don't have to…" Max began.
"Really, I don't mind." Sam cut her off. "In fact, I'd like to take her. Don needs to go in and do some paperwork and honestly, the thought of hanging out in there on my day off does nothing for me. I'd much rather spend the next hour or so having ice cream."
"You'll take me?" Daria shrieked and jumped up and down. "Can I mommy?" she turned her pleading eyes to her mother. "Can I go with Sam?"
The two women looked at each other. Sam gave another smile. A friendly, peace offering type that managed to put a small crack in Max's icy interior.
"She's in good hands, Max." Flack said. "Trust me, nothing's going to happen to her."
"Please, mommy?" Daria begged.
Max hated to disappoint her daughter for the sake of being spiteful. "Make sure you behave yourself and when Sam says something to you, you listen to her." she pulled some money from the pocket of her jeans and held it out to the other woman.
Sam waved it off. "My treat. Ice cream is my weakness. I can never say no to anything that involves ice cream."
Flack smirked at the shared secret behind that comment. "Max and I will meet you guys there when we're done?" he suggested.
"Sure. That's fine. Daria and I will keep each other company."
He kissed Sam softly. "I shouldn't be too long. I just need to go and hunt down Stella when I'm done. Talk to her about something."
"You and your surprises." Sam grinned. "Maybe Daria and I will go to that little book and toy store that's around the corner. Sometimes they have puppet shows or craft time in the afternoon."
Daria's eyes widened and her face lit up. "Can we?" she asked excitedly.
"Sure. If your mom says its okay."
"Just be a good girl, Daria." Max said. "Don't give Sam a hard time."
"I won't." the four year old promised and grabbed Sam's hand and the two of them headed off down the busy sidewalk, Daria skipping along as they went and chatting animatedly.
Flack watched them until they disappeared into the thick crowd of people that were waiting to cross Broadway.
"She's going to make a good mom." Max commented. "She seems like a natural."
Flack nodded and turned to look at his partner. "What are you doin' here?" he asked. "Gerrard call you too?"
She nodded. "Something about paper work he wanted us to finish up on the surveillance we've been working on. They catch that guy yet or what? I haven't heard?"
"Last thing I heard was that security tapes at JFK caught him getting on a plane to the Midwest. No one has seen or heard from him since. It's out of our hands. For now at least."
They walked to the front door of the precinct. Flack pulled open the door and motioned for her to go ahead.
"Look, Don," Max said, as she fell in step alongside of him as they headed through the front lobby and through the doors that led into the hectic, raucous, bull pen. "I just wanted to thank you for not making a huge deal out of the other night. Thanks for just telling Gerrard and the duty captain that you had me removed because I wasn't feeling well. You could have told them what I did and made a thing out of it and you didn't."
"No one needed to know what really went on." he reasoned.
"I should have thanked you before now. It's been a week and I just…."
"It's okay. I know how hard it is for you to swallow your pride sometimes, Max. It's no big deal, okay? I just didn't want to tell Gerrard or the duty captain and risk someone else hearing and then the whole mess getting back to Sam. I don't need any more problems in my relationship. We're working through things and I don't need to be adding anything else to the pile of shit we're dealing with."
"So you did it more to protect your own ass and to avoid pissing off your girlfriend."
"Don't turn things ugly, Max. I did it to protect everyone involved. Unless you want a story like that getting back to Gerrard. He loves shit like that on his desk. Big fat sexual harassment complaints just make his day."
"That's not what happened and you know it, Flack."
"Let it go, okay?" Flack pulled out the chair in front of his desk and sat down. He yanked open the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a file folder and dropped it in front of him. "This is the last place I want to be on my day off and the last thing I want to be discussing is the little incident you brought on. So let's just pretend it never happened and leave it at that."
"So you never told Sam?" Max asked, taking a seat at her desk.
"Are you crazy? She'd go ballistic and kick your ass. And I don't feel like playing referee. And she's not havin' the best pregnancy and I don't want anything putting her or the baby's health at risk. Look, it happened, you're sorry and that's that. I don't hold grudges and as long as you promise me you won't do anything like that ever again, it's all good."
"It will never happen again." she vowed.
"Than there's nothing more to talk about then, is there." Flack said and reached for a pen in the holder on his desk. "So can we drop this and do what we gotta do and just get the hell out of here? I need to catch up to Stella before I leave."
"What for?"
"I want to take Sam out somewhere nice tonight and Stella knows the executive chef at Tavern on the Green. I was hoping she could pull some strings and get us a table."
"I've only heard about the place and how fancy and elaborate it is." Max commented. "Not to mention how expensive it is. How do you afford stuff like that?"
"I have my means."
"I never knew you were even into places like that. You were always the beer and pizza and wings kind of guy."
"Lots you don't know about me, Max." Flack said and picked up his phone and started dialling Stella's cell phone. "I'm a study in contradiction. It's the side of me I only show very select people. And Sam's about the first person in about a decade that has seen it."
"Maybe you should try showing more people." Max suggested after he chatted briefly with Stella, making plans to meet her upstairs as soon as he was finished.
"Maybe." Flack said. "But there's no one else that's ever going to have first hand experience with it, so what does it matter?"
"You never know. Things may not work out with you and Sam and you could meet someone else you want to show that other side to."
He smirked and shook his head as he concentrated on his work. "You always know how to say the right things, don't you? You can't just keep your mouth shut and be happy for me. Just 'cause you're not happy with your life, Max, don't try and make mine miserable. Friends don't do that to each other."
"Is that what we are, Flack? Friends?"
"It's all we're ever gonna be." he said.
"You know, you could have come around a little more in the past year to see Daria. You know how much she loves you and how much she likes you spending time with her. And now that you've got a girlfriend you act like you can barely stand to be around the kid. It would be nice if you worked a little time into your schedule for Daria."
"Max, Daria is not my daughter. And I don't mind being an uncle to her and I care about her, but I'm not gonna play daddy to her. I have my own kid on the way. And my own child is more of a priority. You want a daddy for her, track down her real one and get him to man up and take some responsibility for her."
"Trust me, he's the last person I want in her life." Max snorted.
"Then find a nice guy who will love both of you and take care of you guys. I don't mind taking her places once in awhile, but it's not going to be like when you and I were messing around. It can't be that way, Max. I'm sorry. But I've started my own family and that's who I have to be concerned about."
"And you don 't want to piss Sam off."
"This has nothing to do with Sam. Sam doesn't even know I spent time with Daria. This has to do with me and getting all of my priorities in order. I'm going to have a wife and a kid soon. My own family. And they have to be the number one things in my life. And I shouldn't have to be explaining this to you or defending it to you, Max."
"I understand, Don. And you don't have to defend anything. You're growing up. And honestly, I'm glad to see it. I was starting to think maybe there was no woman in the world who could tame you."
"That's funny." Flack said. "I was starting to think the same thing."
"She's really done a number on you, huh?"
"You make it would like a bad thing."
Max watched him as he worked. Struck by how much he'd changed. He had matured and smartened up. The old Flack was all about how much hours he could put in at work and going out and having a good time with the boys afterwards. Now he had bigger things on his plate. A soon to be wife and a baby on the way and a mountain of responsibilities. Physically, aside from the grey hair and the impressive weight gain, his eyes seemed softer. They weren't as cold all the time. Just when the job called for them to be. His face seemed to glow. And he smiled and laughed more.
Donald Flack Jr was a different man. A better one.
"You're really crazy about her, aren't you." Max stated.
He grinned but didn't look up from his paper work. "That ring on her finger and that baby in her stomach aren't evidence enough?"
"I'm serious." Max said.
"There's no words to describe how I feel about her, Max. About my life and my future with her. All I know is that before her…..before her I never had a life or a future. And now…" he sighed. "There are no words, Max."
"Well if you're happy, then I'm happy for you. I jus hope you feel this way twenty, thirty years from now. Think you will?"
"I know I will." he answered confidently.
Stella was behind her desk, returning a stack of messages that had accumulated over lunch hour alone, when Flack knocked on her open door and then waited patiently in the doorway for her to finish up with her present phone call. She watched him as he stood there, his cornflower blue eyes fixated on something at the end of the hall, and she thought about how if she'd been a few years younger, she would have definitely made a play for Flack a long time ago.
Those eyes and that dimply grin alone were enough to make you weak in your knees. And there was something so appealing about that hard ass, rough and aggressive demeanour that made Flack who he was. Because you knew, once you got past that sarcastic, cutting mouth, there was a guy with a big heart. He'd shown how loyal and compassionate he was many a time with her. That day he'd spent with her after the ordeal with Frankie especially. The way he spoken to her with a gentle, understanding tone she'd never heard before and never knew he even possessed. She'd carried a little crush on Flack for the longest time after that. And never acted on it. She was too worried about the age difference. And too much in love with Mac and hopeful he'd one day feel the same to risk not being ready and available.
But you'd have to be blind to not find Flack attractive. And she was thinking just how attractive he was as he stood there in his well fitting khaki pants and his long sleeve, black button down shirt. And how happy and at peace with himself Flack looked in the past few months. Like his life was finally coming together. And if anyone deserved that, it was him.
"You almost missed me Flack." Stella said, hanging up the phone and waving him into her office. "I was heading out early today. How'd it go with the therapist?"
Flack shrugged. "It was different. I cried, Sam cried. Isn't that all part of it? Spilling your guts out and getting emotional? Hating each other one second and loving each other the next? I tell ya, Stell, want to be put through the emotional wringer and find out how Mac really feels, I'll give you the guy's number."
"I think I'll pass. So? What's up? Where's Sam?"
Flack took a seat in front of Stella's desk. "Somewhere spending some girl time with Max's daughter."
Stella arched an eyebrow.
"It's a long story. I had to come in 'cause Gerrard called and wanted some paperwork down ASAP that he told me yesterday he didn't need until next week. So here I am. How's things going?"
"They're going. Slowly but surely. So? You here just to socialize or…."
"I need a favor. A big favor, actually."
"Okay….."
"You still friends with the chef at Tavern on the Green?"
"Brian Young. I am. Why?"
Flack smiled.
"Do you realize how hard it is to get a table there a week in advance never mind the same day?"
"Could you try? It would mean a lot, Stell. I want to do something really, really special for Sam. She deserves it. I've got some plans for tonight and this would just be the perfect addition to everything."
"I am sucker for a romantic man." Stella said with a grin.
"Shhh, Bonasera. Keep it down. I have a reputation to uphold around here. So you think you can give him a call? See what you can do?"
"You're hard man to say no to, Flack." she said with a sigh and reached for her phone. "So what are these plans?" she asked curiously, punching in the familiar numbers.
"Can't give away all my secrets, Stell. Let's just say it involves something from Tiffany's."
"If I didn't love Sam as much as I did, I'd kill her." Stella deadpanned.
"I can bring Mac along." Flack suggested. "Maybe something will catch his eye."
"Something big and sparkly would be nice." Stella said, then held up her hand for Flack to be quiet while she talked to someone on the other end of the phone.
He waited quietly and patiently, listening to Stella talk quickly and animatedly in Greek, occasionally smiling and offering up that laugh that could melt the coldest heart. He'd always found Stella attractive with her wild mane of curls and her tall, slender figure. The confident way in which she handled herself and the loyalty and trust she extended to her friends. There'd been a few times he considered asking her out but never got up the gut to do it. He didn't think someone like her would want to be with someone like him. Especially with their age difference.
"Seven thirty." she said and looked to Flack to see if that was okay.
He gave a thumbs up.
"Sounds fantastic, Brian." Stella spoke into the phone. English this time. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate this. Like I was saying, they're very good friends of mine and they're celebrating two major events in their life. We'll talk soon. Okay. Bye."
"You're awesome, Stell." Flack declared.
"Seven thirty, Crystal Room." she told him. "You owe me."
"I do." he agreed and stood up. "I appreciate this."
"I know. And you're really turning over a new leaf, Flack."
"Trying to." he said.
"You're doing a hell of a job." she told him. "And whatever it is you're getting at Tiffany's, if she doesn't want it, you know where to find me."
He laughed. "You'll be first on my list." he said and headed for the door.
Stella grinned. And considered sending Mac along for the trip. A little inspiration and being surrounded by thousands of sparkling things could do Mac some good. Or at the very least, put some idea in that head of his. She loved the man, but the waiting and the not knowing what the future held in store was killing her.
"Hey, Flack!" she called to the young detective as he passed through the door of her office.
He stopped and turned to face her.
"Tell Sam I'm going to talk to him tonight."
"Whose him?" Flack asked.
"She'll know. And tell her if it goes south, she better be expecting a visit from me and have some ice cream in the freezer. And some alcohol. I'll need all the comforts I can get."
"Do I really want to know what this is about?" Flack asked.
"Probably best leaving you out of the loop." she replied. "Just tell her."
"I will." he assured her and disappeared out of the doorway and down the hall.
Stella sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
God give me strength, she thought.
And please tell me I'm doing the right thing.
Flack found the second person on his must see list in the Crime Lab bull pen, glasses perched on the top of his head and a steaming travel mug of coffee alongside the computer he was typing busily at.
"You're gonna go blind with your nose pressed to the screen like that, Messer." he commented. "Aren't these the times you wear glasses for?"
"Usually. But I've got this bitch of a migraine and the glasses are making it worse. What are you doing here? Thought this was your day off?"
"It is." Flack said and pulled a chair up beside his best friend and sat down. "But I need your help."
Danny slipped his glasses down onto his face and looked at his friend. "Everything okay?" he asked with concern. "How'd it go at the shrink? You and Sam alright?"
"We're good. And he's not a shrink. He's a therapist."
"Whatever. Where's Sam?"
"Occupied for a while. Which is why I'm here."
"What'cha need?"
"I need you to get me that number for the florist you always get Erica stuff at."
Danny eyed his best friend suspiciously. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing. Give me some credit. Can't I buy her flowers just because?"
"You're not a just because guy, Flack. You're a 'I fucked up huge, please forgive me and take me back kind of guy.' "
"Cut me some slack here. I just want to buy her flowers. You're always getting Erica really nice stuff. You got the number or what?"
"I'll do you one better." Danny said and turned back to the computer. "The place is called New York Plaza Florist. Its on Avenue of Americas and has a great on line store. I usually order on line and have it delivered. Just give me a second and…" he typed in the name of the florist. "Sure you didn't do anything wrong?" he asked.
"I've been a very good boy." Flack replied.
"What are you looking for? Love and Romance? Just Because? Roses? What?"
"I don't know. Little bit of all three."
"Pick one, Flack. This isn't rocket science."
"Love and Romance, I guess."
"You need to start being a little more romantic." Danny complained, clicking on the appropriate headline.
"Four pages? Of flowers? What the hell?"
"What does Sam like? What kind of flowers? Mix of stuff? What colours does she like?"
"She likes all different things. She's moved on from the orange and yellow and all that. Her thing lately is pink and purple."
"Maybe that's a sign you guys are havin' a girl." Danny commented.
"Shut your fucking gate, Messer. It's a boy."
"You don't know that. And what you got against baby girls? Come out looking like her mother. A daddy's girl. What's so wrong about having a girl?"
"Guys like you is what's wrong with me having a girl." Flack said, eyes scanning the computer screen for something that caught his attention. " I'll be waiting up 'til all hours with a shot gun in my lap waiting for her to get home from dates. Not a good idea me having a daughter. A boy I can at least relate to. A girl I gotta worry about running off and getting knocked up."
"True. But a boy you have to worry about knocking all kinds of girls up." Danny said. "Are you with me, Flack? Is there anything you see on this page you like?"
"This shouldn't be this hard." the detective said with a sigh. "That one…." he pointed to the second last item on the screen. "What's that one say?"
Danny clicked on it. "Pink Elegance." he read. "Asters , roses , ruscus and eucalyptus in a lead crystal vase."
"What about that one?" Flack pointed at another arrangement.
Danny clicked the mouse. "Celebration arrangement. Stargazer lillies, long stemmed roses and eucalyptus in a clear glass vase."
"Go with the first one." Flack decided. "Order me that one." he stood up, took out his wallet and opened it. He dropped his MasterCard on top of the desk. "And make it quick before she comes here looking for me. Or her and Max kill each other. Sam's been babysitting and Max is on her way down to get her kid and the way things are between those two, someone is liable to snap and you'll have a hell of a crime scene to process."
"Face it, Flack. That's a no win situation. You can try all you want to make Sam and Max friends, but it just isn't gonna work."
"All I want is for them to be civil. So I don't have to hear about it when I get home at night and then hear about what a bitch Sam is when I get to work."
"Isn't this exactly why you had your 'never dip your pen in the company ink' policy?" Danny asked. "To avoid drama like this?"
"That all went to shit when Sam started working here. If she hadn't, I'd probably still be miserable and alone and you'd still be with Monroe and you'd be just as miserable as I am. So this is a small price to pay for some happiness, don't you think?"
"Very good point." Danny said and typed in the information needed for delivery purposes and then Flack's credit card number. He hit enter and handed the plastic card back. "Should be at your place by five o'clock."
"Thanks, Messer. I appreciate it. You know if Carmen is still around?"
"Last I saw of her, she was just getting ready to head out for a break. You might be able to track her down. You talk to Sam about Erica?"
"I calmly and politely suggested she start returning Erica's calls. I'm not promising anything. You can't tell Sam what to do unless you want a whole, I'm not a little kid argument ensuing. And she didn't tell me what they fought about either."
"All I know is that they got into it over that ex of Sam's I asked her about. All she told me was that she'd fooled around with this guy years ago. Can't see why that would cause a big old thing."
"They're women, Messer. They turn anything that involves a guy into a big old thing. I gotta go. See ya tomorrow…." Flack headed for the door.
"Some guy stopped by here today looking for Sam." Danny said. "Forgot to mention it."
"Who was he?" Flack asked. "Get a name?"
"I didn't see him. Speed ran into this guy in the hall looking for Sam and told him she was off today. That's all I know. Maybe it was someone from an old case."
"Maybe." Flack said.
Although something told him there was more to it than that. That was just too simple. And nothing was simple when it came to anything Sam was involved in.
Daria had suckered Sam into a hot fudge sundae as opposed to just a plain vanilla cone. It didn't take much influence. A saucy little pout and a flick of those long eyelashes and a twinkle of those blue eyes and Sam was putty in the little girl's hands. It was alarming how easily she gave in to a four year old and she wondered if she'd be such a push over with her own kids when she'd always said she'd be the tough, strict type. She hated the thought of being the jelly fish parent that let her kids get away with everything under the sun and catered to their every whim. She was just glad that if things got really bad, if she let the kids run wild too much, Flack was the bound to be the iron fisted, disciplinarian. It was just his nature to take complete control and keep things in order. And she was thankful for that. Because if she bowed to their kids like she did Daria, they were in big trouble.
They sat on a bench outside of the McDonalds and had their sundaes and some drinks. It was a bright, sunny late September day and was surprisingly warm considering the cooler weather they'd had recently.
"I think it's cool that Uncle Blue is gonna be a daddy." Daria announced around a mouthful of sundae.
"Think so?" Sam asked, sipping a cup of ice tea. "Think he'll be a good daddy?"
Daria nodded. "He'll be the best daddy ever." she declared.
Sam smiled. "I think he'll be the best daddy ever, too."
"He's lots of fun. He use to take me to the park and swimming and to the mall and all sorts of places. And to McDonalds. McDonalds is my favorite."
"So you and your Uncle Blue used to spend a lot of time together?" Sam asked curiously, fishing for information.
"Yep. Lots. But then he got hurt and was in the hospital for a long time and he couldn't take me anywhere because he was sick. "
"Did you and your mom visit him in the hospital?" Sam asked, reaching out to wipe chocolate from the child's chin with a napkin.
"Sometimes. Not a lot though. He was sleeping for a long time. He was really, really sick. He nearly died you know."
"I know." Sam said with a sigh. "When was the last time he took you somewhere?"
"Long, long, long time ago. Before my birthday last year. I miss him. Maybe when you and Uncle Blue have the baby he can bring the baby to visit or I can come to your house to visit and play."
"I don't see why not." Sam said.
Daria sat quietly eating her sundae, swinging her legs back and forth. "I don't have a daddy." she announced suddenly.
Sam nearly choked on her drink at the honest, blunt statement.
"That makes me sad." Daria said. "I wish I had a daddy to do things with."
"I'm sure you and your mom have lots of fun." Sam commented. "I bet she takes good care of you."
"Yeah…she does. But I still would like to have a daddy. A daddy like Uncle Blue. Maybe he can be my daddy and the baby's daddy."
"You'd have to ask him something like that." Sam said, thinking that will happen over my dead body. There was no way her child was sharing their father with a child that wasn't even his. And Sam didn't care how callous and cold that made her sound. "He's going to be pretty busy with his own baby." she said gently. "Babies are a lot of work. He'll want to spend lots of time with the baby."
"He can still spend time with me, too." Daria said hopefully.
Sam did little more than smile and stood up to throw her trash in the nearby bin. She waited until Daria finished her own sundae and drink before cleaning the little girl's face and hands with some wet wipes she kept in her purse. She wasn't going to discuss why Flack couldn't be the child's stand in father. At least not with a four year old.
"Let's go to the toy store." Sam suggested, anxious to get off the subject.
"Okay." Daria chirped and jumped off the bench and reached for Sam's hand. "You know," she said, looking up at Sam as they headed down the sidewalk. "Your baby is really lucky. Uncle Blue is the daddy and you're the mommy. You'll be a really great mommy."
Samantha couldn't help but smile. Amazing what the words from a four year old could do for your confidence.
Carmen needed caffeine. She'd gotten an early morning call in and had found herself sifting through a dumpster full of rotten garbage and maggots before the crack of dawn and before she could get her morning coffee into her system. Now she felt as if she needed to just lie down somewhere and get her fix intravenously.
She yawned noisily and rubbed her weary eyes with one hand and reached for the down button for the elevators with the other. Clutched in that hand was a twelve inch, stuffed Baby Cookie Monster. She'd seen it during a quick lunch run at a small boutique nearby and couldn't resist picking it up. She'd heard that Flack was downstairs filing out some paper work and wanted to take it down to him.
She jumped when someone suddenly gently wrapped their forearm around her neck from behind and pulled her back against them. She assumed it was Speed and she smiled and leaned her head back against his chest, a smile on her lips.
"Looking to find a janitor's closet somewhere, baby?" she asked.
"I'm flattered Carmen, but that is not what I had in mind." Flack replied with a chuckle.
She felt herself flush from head to toe and tried to turn around and give him shit, but he tightened his grip on her neck.
"Don't move or the bear gets it." he said playfully.
"It's not a bear, Flack." She laughed and elbowed him gently and wriggled away from him. "It's Baby Cookie Monster. Like it?" she asked, holding the toy up.
"Cute. Didn't realize you were into stuffed animals."
"It's not for me." she said. "I couldn't resist when I saw it."
"Please tell me that's not for my kid." Flack said with a frown.
"It is, actually. Isn't it adorable? What? You got something against Sesame Street?"
"Everyone keeps giving us stuffed animals. We won't have anywhere to put them all."
"Well now the baby has one from Auntie Carmen and this is the most important one. You can let him sleep with it. Come on, Flack. How can you resist Baby Cookie Monster?" she waved the toy in his face and pressed it against his face, pretending as if the toy was giving him a huge kiss. "See, he likes you."
"You're messed up in the head, Devine. You really are. You on a break?"
She nodded. The elevator arrived and they stepped inside.
"I need a favor." Flack said, pressing the button for the lobby.
"I charge by the hour." she joked.
"You and your dirty talk today. Seriously though. I need a favor."
"Okay."
"I need you to go to Gibson's toy and book store around the corner and keep Sam distracted."
"All right. First off, what for?"
"I need to run a really important errand she can't know anything about."
"Hmmm….does it involve another woman?"
"What? No. It involves jewellery though."
Carmen grinned. "You're a man after my own heart, Flack. Second, what is Sam doing at a toy store?"
"Playing nanny to Max's kid."
Carmen frowned. "Why?"
"Max had to come and and do some paper work and Sam offered to take Daria to McDonald's and the toy store. Offered on her own free will, I swear."
"Are you pressuring her into the whole friends with Max thing?" Carmen asked, unimpressed with the idea.
"I wouldn't say pressuring her. I asked her to try and be friendly."
"Why beat a dead horse, Flack? Sam hates the thought of you and Max working so closely considering your history, and while she tends to go a little bit overboard sometimes, what with her out of control hormones, I have to say I don't really blame her for being pissed off with the idea."
"Max is ancient history." Flack vowed. "Sam knows that. I wouldn't do anything to fuck up the life I have with her. Loose her and my kid? For Max? For anyone for that matter? Never gonna happen."
"I'm telling you right now, Flack, and I love you like a brother, you fuck Sam over and I will hurt you. I will bury you in fact."
Flack blinked, surprised at the vehemence in Carmen's voice.
"I'm being dead serious, Don. You do anything to hurt her or screw her and that baby over, it will be the last thing you do. Am I making myself clear?"
He nodded. "Crystal." he said.
"Good." Carmen said with a smile. "Do I have to play nice with Max, too?" she asked, as the elevator reached the lobby.
"No blood shed, Devine. Please."
She frowned as they stepped off the elevator. "There goes all my fun." she said.
They'd watched a puppet show and listened to Mother Goose story time while sitting on cushions on the floor of the quaint, family owned bookshop/toy store that had been a staple in New York City for over five decades. Sam had warm memories of going there with her grandmother and Adam at Christmas time. Of sipping hot chocolate with marsh mellows while listening to Gladys Howard, the owner's wife, read classic Christmas stories while dressed as Mrs Claus. Gladys and her husband, Fred were long gone now and the place was being run by their daughter, Mary and her oldest son, Brent. The shop reminded Sam of the one in the Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks movie, You've Got Mail. And she was happy to see, by the turn out of kids and mothers (and some nannies, she was sure) that the place was still thriving.
She bought Daria a set of Beatrix Potter books and a some new colouring books and crayons. She just couldn't help herself. She saw the way Daria's eyes lit up at the books when Brent showed them to her and caught the comments about all her colouring books being nearly full and hadn't thought twice about charging everything on her Visa.
They had just stepped out of the store, parcels in tow, when Max came down the sidewalk towards them.
"Mommy!" Daria exclaimed, rushing off in Max's direction, pulling Sam by the hand.
"How was she?" Max asked, after showering kisses on her daughter.
"She was an angel." Sam replied. "We had a great time."
"We had sundaes and iced tea and we listened to Mother Goose stories and watched a puppet show and then Sam bought me this!" Daria held the bag up for her mother to see. "All kinds of stuff mommy! Crayons and colouring books and…and…what kind of books are they again, Sam?"
"Beatrix Potter." Sam replied.
Max took the bag and opened it and peered inside. "You didn't have to." she told Sam.
"I know. But I wanted too. I love buying people things and I've come into some money and I just couldn't resist."
"It was really nice of you." Max said.
Sam shrugged. "I do have my nice moments. I'm not always a witch. Just the majority of the time."
Max smiled. "Good to know." she said. "Don wanted me to tell you he's running a bit behind. Said he'd meet you here."
"No rest for the weary." Sam said. "I'm used to it. His job's important to him. He's trying to work towards a promotion so hopefully all the crazy, long hours will pay off for him. I hope it does. He deserves it. He works hard."
Max nodded. The pride and love was evident in Sam Ross' eyes. And in that bright smile that crossed her face when she spoke of Flack.
"Daria," she said. "Why don't you go and sit on that bench over there? Read one of your books. I just want to talk to Sam for a minute. Okay?"
Daria cocked her head to the side and looked between her mother and her self proclaimed best friend. She nodded and skipped off.
"Look, Sam," Max began. "I know you and I don't exactly get along. And I'm sorry if you don't like me…."
"It's not that I don't like you." Sam cut her off. "I mean, I could like you Max. It's the fact that I don't trust you."
"Why?" Max asked.
"Come on, do you really think I'm that stupid? I see the way you look at Don and the way you seem so hell bent on making him part of your life and Daria's life. Don't stand there and tell me you don't have some feelings for him. Give me, as his soon to be wife and the mother of his unborn child, some sort of respect and not bullshit me. I don't expect you to admit it. Just don't lie about it."
"Okay…." Max said with a nod. "Fair enough."
"I have nothing against you as a person, Max. This isn't a personal thing. I have a problem with you working so closely with Don considering your past and the way you still feel about him. And I promised him that I'd be pleasant and try the friendship route with you, so here I am, extending the proverbial olive branch. I don't want work being uncomfortable for him. And if you and I can be friends or at the least, keep civil, than that's fine. But it's for Don."
"You're nothing if not honest." Max told her. "And I agree. Work doesn't need to be unpleasant. For anyone."
"At least we agree on something. Maybe we can meet for lunch or something. Start things off on the right foot."
"I'd like that." Max agreed.
"Just there's one thing I need to say. And I'm not trying to be a huge bitch about it. But I need to get it off my chest or it'll drive me nuts."
"Okay. What?"
"Don't even think about turning my husband into a stand in father for your daughter." Sam warned.
Max stared at her.
"I know in the past Don spent time with Daria taking her places and doing things with her, but those days are long past. So don't try getting him into that again."
"Isn't that up to him?" Max asked defensively. "I mean, he loves Daria like his own."
"No. He doesn't." Sam corrected her gently. "Don't glamorize what he's done for her. He loves her maybe the way an uncle loves his niece, but not the way a father loves his own children. And he's having his own child. I know that thought probably burns your ass, but he's going to be my husband and we're having a baby together. He did things for Daria because he's a good person and knows the child needs some kind of father figure. But please, if you care about him in any way, shape or form, don't expect him to play daddy when he has a baby that will need it's daddy. Please, Max. Can you do that for me?"
"How do you know that he doesn't want to be part of her life in that way?" Max responded.
"I guess I'll just have to ask him myself." Sam said, relegating herself to the fact that there was just no reasoning with the other woman.
"You do that." Max told her and went to collect her daughter. "Next Monday? Around eleven thirty for lunch?"
"You know where to find me." Sam said. "Bye, Daria. Hope you had fun."
"It was awesome!" Daria gushed, as her mother scooped her up. "Thanks, Sam!" she blew her a kiss as she was carted off.
Sam waved goodbye and turned to leave herself. Only to come face to face with a frowning Carmen Devine.
"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.
"Flack sent me. He had to go into a meeting with Gerrard and wanted me to come and keep you company until he was done." Carmen replied. "You okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Sam asked with a laugh. "Max is harmless."
For some reason, Carmen Devine didn't quite believe that.
Thanks to all who are reading and reviewing! And to all of you who added my to your alerts. I appreciate each and every one of you! And to the lurkers, please, if you like this, just drop me a line and let me know!