"You can't just ignore everyone you deem too young to treat you." Kate's tone was gentle, almost joking but it still carried her point. The Colonel had run out just about every cardiac specialist the hospital had to offer and a few from some other hospitals for one increasingly irrational reason after another. She continued to speak as if the situation amused her, when it did everything but that. "After all, don't you always say they force old farts like you to retire so the young'ens don't feel so intimidated?"

"Is that what they say?" The Colonel smirked. He knew there was a reason he loved Kate; she always made him laugh. And she didn't walk on egg shells around him.

"They also say you should listen to the experts. Like it or not, the doctors are the experts here."

"They're young enough to be in high school." The Colonel protested.

"I do believe at some point the same was said about you on the base there Colonel."

"Who said that?" His eyes shot to hers inquisitively. "Oh well," he sighed before she could answer him. "I'm the only one left alive in my unit."

"All the more reason you need to follow the doctor's advice. Someone needs to keep everyone in line."

"How's Charlotte?"

"She's a strong girl. She'd be doing better if she didn't have to worry about you getting kicked out."

"Oh." The Colonel worried constantly about his baby daughter. She wanted everyone to think she was so tough, his personality instilled in her, but he knew one of these days she would crumble. Her husband was lucky to have her, much more blessed than he could ever realize. It was Charlotte who kept everything together. How else could she have gotten Richard to...? Instantly, his smirk turned to a frown.

"What's that look about?" She had caught the quick frown immediately and knew he would try to hide it. He should know her better than that. She wouldn't have risen so high in her profession so fast if she ignored obvious looks like that.

"Just thinking about my good-for-nothing son." The Colonel admitted.

She resisted the urge to reach out and smack at his hand. If he wasn't currently in that hospital bed, his hand would surely be stinging right now. "Ric's put all of his patients on hold just to come and see you."

"He came for Charlotte, and for you. His visit has nothing to do with me."

"Only because you chase him out of here when he even attempts to talk to you."

"He should be tough enough to handle a little criticism. He's got too much of his mother in him."

"With all due respect Colonel, I think it's because he's got too much of you in him." Kate retorted bluntly.

"Don't you know when you're on the losing team, you're supposed to cut and run?" The Colonel teased her gently.

"I told you before, I see right through you. I'm not afraid of you and I'm not running away."

"My sweet little Katherine." The Colonel sighed.

"Get some rest you big teddy bear." Kate smiled as she leaned over to kiss his forehead. "Kate's orders."

"Rest is for the weak. Send in a doctor who didn't just cut his teeth, will you?"

"Whatever you say McGruff. I'll see you in a bit." Kate moved towards the door, waving and winking at him as she moved herself out into the hallway. It might take her entire stay in Tucson to make him listen, but she was willing to try it.

An arm shot out and caught her, pulling her away from the door. His hand over her mouth muffled her shriek of surprise. "You didn't have to say all of that." Ric told her, though he didn't sound displeased.

"Ric!" Kate swatted his hand away as soon as she recognized his face. "You scared me to death."

"You know I like to make an entrance." Ric teased her quoting Kate's favorite line from a movie she would never admit to anyone she loved, Independence Day.

"How long have you been lurking like a low rent mobster?"

"You're just jealous 'cause you got so far behind in The Sopranos." Ric taunted, pressing his hand to the wall and leaning against it.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Speaking of sleep, shouldn't you be getting some? It's late Katie." Ric admonished.

"This is nothing." Kate dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "I go without sleep for days when I'm chasing a good story."

"I remember."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Worry about your stubborn father."

"I haven't stopped. Visiting him only seems to stress him out more."

Kate smiled softly. "And not visiting only stresses him out more. Whether or not he'll ever admit to that."

"Why does it bother you so much? I'll see him out of the hospital and then I'm back to a life where I'm not constantly berated because of my career choice." Ric grumbled. "Sorry."

"It bothers me because I know how much you love your father. And I know it bothers you."

Ric waved off her comment. Maybe he did care more than he wanted to, but so far this trip had been hell on his self-esteem. He didn't want to admit to Kate how right she was. "Have you eaten?"

She could lie and press Ric to go in and visit his father right now, but her stomach decided to make its presence known. Laughing in defeat, Kate shook her head. "No. What about you?"

"Not yet. What do you say we get out of here and have a real meal?" Ric felt the tension in his shoulders lift away. The topic was forgotten, for now, and he was willing to revel in his good luck.

"Lead on."

Ric smiled and touched his hand to the small of her back. The movement was so familiar, he didn't recognize it at first. "If we can pass you off as twelve, you'll eat free." He joked as he escorted her through the double doors. The wind had definitely picked up in the short hour he had moseyed around the hospital.

"I think we'd have better luck passing you off as twelve." Kate teased right back, "At least emotionally."

*****

Sam could feel Harper's breath on her neck; she pulled the blankets closer. Since the moment they separated, the awkwardness had set in. It could have been the foreign presence of a man next to her, but something told her it was more. She had given into desire, a feeling that doubled as a friend and an enemy so that she never knew when she should trust it. True to his word, he had been so gentle with her and she appreciated it. That wasn't to say she wasn't a little sore, but she had enjoyed the time she had him in her arms.

To say something or to stay silent? The battle raged inside of Harper as he shifted his arms tighter around her waist. Samantha had let some of her walls down, but he was well aware she still had her doubts about him. It was only natural, he supposed, considering her last lover had been a heartless, soulless, killing machine.

She didn't know what to say, what to do. Her next move should have been clear. One slip up didn't change anything. His arms were securely locked around her, but she knew he would let go if she told him to. If he did let go, would the ghosts return? Just what I needed, she thought to herself. More doubts. More uncertainty.

Words were never their strong point. He and Samantha were creatures of action. Promises and mere words had played them both for fools in the past. For now he was content to just lay here next to her, learning all the ways their bodies seemed to meld together. If she wanted pretty words, she would have to let him know. He dropped a kiss to her shoulder blade and let his fingers trace the curve of her hip.

Sam pulled away. "Please...please don't." She choked out.

"Don't what?"

Sitting up, she pulled the sheet around her and slowly met his gaze. "Just don't." Dropping the fabric, she crossed the room to where her robe was and hurriedly put it on.

Watching her movements, he sat up himself, letting the sheet pool around his waist. Running his fingers through the same hair she had tangled her fingers in not that long ago, Harper nodded sadly. "So that's how you want to play it. I was wondering."

His words hit her like shards of glass, but she said nothing. If she picked a fight, he would ultimately win. Keeping her back to him, she stopped just before reaching the bed and hesitantly met his eyes.

"Do us both a favor here Gorgeous. Just be honest. Give me the same respect you keep yelling at me to give you."

"What did you want this to be?" She asked, instantly regretting it. The last thing either of them needed was to put a label on what had happened.

"Something we both wanted."

"I did want it." Sam assured him. "And it was..."

Harper reached out and grabbed her hand, catching her unaware. "Then why the disappearing act Samantha? If you wanted it, why not just let it be?"

"I did. I let it happen. I made it happen. And now I just want to put it behind us." Her eyes burned as she continued to force back the threatening tears.

"Behind us?" Harper tried to keep the bitterness out of his laugh. "You sure know how to build up a guy's ego."

"I didn't say I regretted it." Sam pointed out.

"Then why put it behind us?"

"Because we still have to work together." Sam explained watching him fall backwards with a huff. "What?"

Harper raised his eyebrow at her. "So working together and sleeping together are impossible to do? Is that what you are saying?"

"If you're going to freak out every time something doesn't go your way, then yes."

"I am not freaking out. You pulled away and are talking in circles. I'm looking for answers that make sense here."

"I don't mean tonight. I mean the last two times we worked together."

Harper nodded in understanding. "Oh it's the man-woman crap, as you so elegantly put it, again."

"No. It's about you making decisions that could cost us both our lives. That's what it's about." Sam clarified, holding his face between her hands.

He snaked his hands up to cover hers. "So this is your crazy way of saying you actually care if I live or die?"

"Of course I care if you live or die. How can you ask me something like that?" Sam asked in a small voice.

"Forgive me Gorgeous. However I am not yet fluent in mind reading." He tucked a piece of chocolate colored hair behind her ear. "You run hot and cold so it can be hard to tell."

She rested her forehead against his. "I don't like being out of control."

Running his hands down her sides, he only stopped when they rested at her waist. "You could have fooled me Wild Card."

"I didn't say I minded when things were out of your control." She whispered kissing the tip of his nose.

"I thought you wanted equality."

"I want that too. It's complicated."

"Explain it to me?"

"I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

There was distance in her eyes; the slight touch of sadness that usually stayed at the edges was front and center. The reason for it hit him like a ton of bricks. This had so very little to do with him; it had everything to do with the demons Harper knew still haunted her every single night. "Tell me about Vincent." He coaxed her, hoping his directness would surprise her into opening up at least that much to him.

Sam jumped back as if his skin was acidic and shoved her hands into the pockets of her robe. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she knew of no way to stop them. "Vincent?" She repeated, her heart constricting.

"Yes." Harper nodded, reaching out to grab her hand. "Tell me about him."

"He died."

He had gathered that much from her comments. Keeping his voice calm, he used his fingers to rub what he hoped was a soothing pattern over her knuckles. "What did he like to do? Favorite food?"

"He played soccer." Sam recalled quietly. "He told me once it was because he could get away with kicking his own teammates if they got on his nerves." She let him drag her to the mattress and sat down, her breath whooshing out quickly. "He would always ask me to use the cookie cutters to cut out his tuna fish sandwiches. Sometimes stars. Other times, circles."

"Sounds like a fun kid."

"He was in all honors classes. So smart." Her voice broke and she cupped her mouth to gain some sort of composure.

"Just like his mother."

"It's been so long. I don't want to talk about him." Sam countered.

He could push her to talk to him. He could prod, pry, and set out to argue that she clearly needed to talk to someone about her loss. It was as clear as the beauty of her face. But Harper also realized that if he pushed right now, he ran the risk of running her right out of this apartment and headfirst into some other crazy plan. A plan very similar to the one he caught her in when they first met. He pulled her close to him, nestling her against his chest. "Alright." He whispered against her hair. "We'll talk about something else."

Sam forced a smile. He wouldn't be so easily dissuaded later, but at least there would be some peace for her tonight. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now if we aren't going to be talking, we should probably figure out something else to do tonight."