Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY or any of its characters. Or The Hilton New York. I do own Sam and Kieran and Slippers the cat. Carmen belongs to Aphina and Gus belongs to Madison Bellows.

A/N: Please check out A Tale of Two Girls by Aphina featuring both Sam and Carmen. It's a great read! And leave a review! Thanks!

Girls will be girls

"She can handle any champagne brunch
A bridal shower with Bacardi punch
Jello shooters full of Smirnoff
But Tequila makes her clothes fall off

She don't mean nothing - she's just havin' fun
Tomorrow she'll say oh what have I done
Her friends will joke about the stuff she lost
ya tequila makes her clothes fall off."

-Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, Joe Nichols

The Hilton New York was a looming glass and metal structure located at West 53rd street and the Avenue of Americas or Sixth Avenue as the locals knew it as. Neighbouring both Rockefeller Centre and Radio City Music Hall and a mere block from the luxurious, upscale shopping on Fifth Avenue. As he hung a left onto Sixth Avenue, Flack worried that before the big event in the afternoon, his wife just may find her way to Fifth Avenue and max out every credit card she owned and drain the bank account on clothes she didn't need and would probably never wear and would sit in the closet collecting dust. She was a shop-aholic. No. Scratch that. She was a spend-aholic. And the worst area of New York for someone with her addiction was right under her fingertips. Damn dangerous.

At the moment however, her eyes were fixated on Rockefeller Centre. Sam found herself going back to that Christmas Eve one year ago when as a newlywed, she'd stood in the gently falling snow, wrapped in the warm, loving arms of the man she'd just taken as her husband, and stared at the thousands of glittering Christmas lights and the magnificent tree erected in the middle of famed area. There had never been a more perfect night. It had seemed so magical. The lights and the trickle of snowflakes and her new husband beside her and their unborn child making his presence know by sharp kicks to her insides. And that magic had yet to pass. Every time she looked at him, she loved her husband just as much as she had that night. If not more. He'd come into her life at a time when she'd all but given up on love and happiness. And had shown her what it really felt like to have someone cherish and adore you.

"We should take Kieran this year." Flack said, his own eyes drifting over to Rockefeller as they stopped at a red light.

He'd been there numerous times growing up. Mostly for ice skating in the winter and on a couple of dates where the girl wanted to look at the Christmas lights. Because it was romantic, they said. He'd never found anything romantic about Christmas in general. Until he married Sam and it became so much more. And with Kieran's first Christmas approaching, Flack found himself excited beyond belief about the holidays. He couldn't wait to see Kieran's little face light up at the sight of their tree and the presents piled underneath.

"We should." Sam agreed and smiled at her husband and moved across the seat to kiss his cheek.

"What's that for?" he asked, grinning.

"I just felt like it. I'm not allowed to kiss your cheek?"

"Anytime you want." he said. "I bet you he'd like all the lights. You see how his eyes light up when we take him through Central Park during those early evening walks and he sees all the trees lit up. I bet he'd go crazy with Christmas lights. Maybe I can find him skates to fit his feet. If I can't get normal ones, maybe my mom has the bob skates me or Chris learned on. She keeps everything. I'll ask her when I get home."

"You are determined he's going to be your little NHL star." Sam commented.

"That and so much more." Flack mused.

Don Flack Jr was a proud father. There was no denying that. He kept pictures of his son on his desk and in his wallet. From birth to now. And he showed those pictures to everyone. He had clipped a lock of Kieran's hair shortly after birth and put it away in a small sealed envelope that he tucked away in a memory box that also included the birth certificate, birth announcement and the set off footprints and handprints he'd insisted they get done for both safety and posterity sake. He also kept a journal he'd started in the last month of Sam's pregnancy and planned to continue on with until Kieran's first birthday. And Flack had never been one for journals. But as far as his son was concerned, there was nothing too big or too small he could do to show his love and pride. Not just for Kieran, but for the woman who'd suffered nine months to bring him into the world.

"Did you have fun?" Sam asked, as the light turned green and they continued on their way.

"I had a great time. A little bit not my thing. You know, fancy restaurant, all these different forks and spoons you don't what to do with. I mean, how many damn pieces of cutlery do you need? How come you just can't use the same fork for the whole meal and the same spoon for everything. Lick it clean before you use it for something else. You don't need a soup spoon and a tea spoon and a sugar spoon and all that other crap. You just don't."

"You're just saying that because you live in a house where half the time we use plastic cutlery that gets tossed in the takeout bag." Sam laughed. "And we don't usually have three different entrees and appetizers. Unless you count chicken wings and jalapeno poppers and Kieran's discarded finger foods as starters."

"We really need to eat less frozen food and take out." Flack commented, considering her words. "I think Kieran eats better than we do. Quality wise. He gets all the homemade pasta and chopped chicken and fish. We get KFC and Chinese. Something is not right there."

"He's a growing boy. He needs all his nutrients. Us? We're halfway through our lives. Middle age."

Flack frowned. "Middle age? I plan on living past sixty. Middle age is like fifty, sixty, sixty five."

"What!" she laughed. "No one lives to be a hundred and thirty, Donnie."

"Just you watch."

"You won't live that long smoking like you do." she pointed out.

A slow grin spread across his face. "Man, I left myself wide open for that. I should have seen that coming. You are way too sharp for me. Even when you are drunk."

"I am the master." she declared. "Or is it mistress?"

"Baby, you can be my mistress any day. Little role playing. You can wear that little dress there and we can pretend I'm picking you up in a bar or something and….."

"You and your dirty little fantasies." Sam sighed.

"Spontaneity and creativity are the spices of life." Flack reasoned.

"I didn't realize we need help with our sex life. I mean, other than we have to pencil in time for it in our schedules."

"You know, I was thinking about something earlier."

"Uh-oh. So that was the burning smell. You using your brain."

He chuckled. "You so need a slap on the ass." he said.

"Don't get me all worked up and not follow through. So you were thinking earlier….."

"My mom is staying overnight tomorrow so it's not like we have to rush home or anything. So I was thinking that maybe we can spare some of that cash you're tossing around and get a hotel room. Somewhere nice. Classy. Five star. Maybe even at the Hilton. Doesn't matter where it is as long as it's nice and has room service so we don't have to step out the door for anything."

She smiled. "I am rather fond of the idea of lounging around in nothing but a bathrobe."

"A bathrobe? No, my dear. You're going to be lounging around in nothing at all. In fact, you won't be lounging period. You're going to be working hard for your room service and your champagne and chocolate covered strawberries."

"Those too?" she asked excitedly.

Flack nodded.

"Where can I sign up!? Count me in. Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and naked in a hotel room with you? No cell phones and no kid ruining the mood. Sounds like heaven to me. Best idea you've ever had. What made you decide we needed all this?"

"That little incident earlier in the elevator. I just want to be alone with you. Really alone. No interruptions or anything. Just me and you."

She kissed his cheek once more and leaned her head on his arm. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" she asked.

"Yeah." he replied. "But I love hearing it. And tonight? I just want you to know that you did a great job planning everything. It went over big with everyone. You did great with the whole thing and I'm proud of you. Doing all that for Carmen and still finding time for work and Kieran and occasionally me."

"Occasionally?" she giggled. "What's that mean occasionally?

"You've just been really busy helping Carmen with all the wedding stuff, especially the last month and a bit. I know that's what matrons of honor do and all that and I'm not exactly complaining."

Sam arched an eyebrow.

"Okay. I am complaining." Flack admitted, as he pulled into the short stay lot across from the front entrance of the massive hotel and killed the engine. "I just….I know weddings are important. Especially your best friend's wedding. But I really miss my wife. And I know how selfish that must sound."

"It's not selfish." Sam assured him. "It's honest. And you could have told me all of this some time in the past couple of months. I would have slowed down and spent more time with you."

"I haven't exactly been the poster boy for spousal quality time myself." he said with a sigh.

"You work hard. Your job is important to you and you have a lot of responsibilities dumped on you in the last nine months alone. Not just with work. At home, too. You try hard, Donnie. To balance everything. And I admire you and appreciate you. No matter how much I bitch at you."

"You don't bitch that much." he said, then grinned. "Okay, maybe you do."

She laughed and slugged his arm.

He grabbed her and pulled her across the seat and into him and kissed her. Long and deep and intense. He'd been dying to do it all night and didn't care about the people walking by the car who could clearly see what was going on inside and the fact that Sam was practically in his lap. He couldn't get enough of the woman. In fact, he prayed he never got enough of her and always wanted her as desperately and powerfully as he did now.

"Mmmm….." Sam smiled dreamily when the kiss ended and she found herself staring into those blue eyes and wanting more. "You need to be a good boy." she said, using her thumb to wipe lipstick off his mouth.

"I don't think I can." he told her.

"You don't have much of a choice." Sam informed him, kissed him one last time and then scooting back over to her side of the car. She pulled down the visor above her head and tidied her hair and makeup in the mirror mounted there.

"I am never going to survive this night." Flack declared with a heavy sigh.

"You will." she assured him. "Just think about how when you actually do get it tomorrow night, how intense and powerful it's going to be. All that frustration you've got in that body of yours. It will all come pouring out."

"Man, you might not be able to walk for a couple of days afterwards." he said with a laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself." she teased and climbed out of the car.

They found Speed and Carmen in the massive marble foyer. Speed was dealing with the check-in at the front desk, while Carmen lounged in one of the plush, wing backed chairs by the fountain, a gentle smile on her lips and her emerald eyes fixated on Addison, who was sprawled comfortably along her mother's arm as she sucked busily from a bottle.

"Is that all that kid does?" Flack asked, dropping Sam's numerous bags on the ground. "Every time I turn around she has a bottle shoved in her mouth. You tryin' to fatten her up or what?"

"She's taking after her Uncle Donnie." Carmen replied. "She's got your appetite. She doesn't want to, or know when to stop."

"Sounds familiar." Sam said, dropping onto a nearby couch. "I have two at home just like that. Kieran's starting to eat us out of house and home. Don needs to get a second job just to feed the kid. I mean, he was damn near three feet tall at his last check up. And you've seen the size of his feet."

"What do you expect when dad's six foot two and has size thirteen feet?" Carmen asked, running her fingertips through Addie's fine hair and over her smooth forehead and cheek bones.

"He's gonna be six foot six and three hundred pounds when he's eighteen." Flack declared. "Gonna be crushing people with the Rangers."

"Here we go." Sam said. "We're back at the NHL star fantasy."

"Or he'll be a defensive end with the Giants." Flack said, sitting down beside his wife. "Either or. Doesn't bother me. As long as he's raking in the millions and taking care of his old man so I can retire at an early age."

"Please." Sam slipped out of her shoes. "Let him learn to walk first."

"And you can keep working so you have all your spending money for shoes and purses and whatever else crap that catches your eye. He's only going to look after me. Not you. I'll be his manager."

"Give us a break, Flack." Carmen laughed. "You'll be a cop forever. Until the day you die. And let's hope that's a long, long way away."

"Or at least until his pension is larger." Sam joked, reaching out to fun her fingers through the short hair at that back of her husband's head. "Because right now, Kieran and I would be living in a shelter if anything happened to you."

"Or with my parents." Flack said.

"Bite your tongue. I love your mother, but living with your father would drive me insane. It's like living with another you. And if I just got rid of you, why the hell would I want another one of you?"

He turned his head sideways to look at her, a frown on his face. "You're not funny." he informed her.

"You know I love you." she said and leaned in to kiss him. "Most days, anyway."

Carmen smiled as she watched her friends and listened with amusement, to their good natured teasing and the off handed comments they often volleyed back and forth. Sam could hold her own with the best of them, and to an outsider happening upon one of their exchanges, it could appear that the young husband and wife simply could not stand each other. In fact, it was the complete opposite. The deep, unwavering feelings they shared for each other was evident in their eyes every time they looked at one another. No other man and no other woman existed to them. Their worlds revolved around them and their son. And Carmen hoped they'd always feel that way.

She had found that with Tim. The kind of love that was overwhelming and frightening. The one person you couldn't survive without and didn't even want to attempt to try. Who made you feel like you were the most precious, important thing in the world. And who supported you and loved you regardless if you were right or wrong.

"Look at you, Devine." Flack said, nodding in her direction. "Going all mommy on us. Must have been something in the water or in the air at the lab. First Sam, then you. Now Stella. Whose next you think? Angell or Gus?"

"God." Sam groaned. "The thought of my brother having kids scares the hell out of me. I see the way he gets Kieran all hyped up, sneaking him chocolate and Kool-Aid and God knows what other crap. Adam watches him and Kieran doesn't want to go to sleep he's so wound up. Imagine what Adam would be like with his own kid."

"He'd probably be great at it." Carmen said. "I mean, look at Flack."

The detective frowned. "What's that suppose to mean?" he asked.

"You are the last person anyone ever expected to get married let alone have kids. Kieran comes along and you just become a big old softie."

Flack gave that bashful, little boy smile and shrugged his broad shoulders. "He's my boy. My first born. Had me wrapped around his finger from that first ultrasound when I saw his heartbeat."

"I thought Sam had you wrapped around her little finger?" Carmen said with a grin, propping Addie against her, the baby's tummy to her chest as she patted and rubbed Addie's back in hopes of eliciting a burp.

"I'm a big guy." Flack reasoned. "There's enough of me to share."

"As long as you save the best parts for me." Sam said and yawned noisily. "I'm tired." she announced, tucking her legs up underneath her and laying her head on Flack's shoulder. "Really, really tired."

"Don't even think you're going to sleep when we get upstairs." Carmen warned her.

"I've had the two days from hell with a teething nine month old. He's not sleeping properly at night, he's biting everything and everybody, he's whining all the time….."

"Gets it from his mother." Flack said wryly, wrapping his arm around her, his hand softly stroking her shoulder.

"And Don's been out of the house more than he's been in it." Sam finished. "I'm just exhausted."

"Sure." Flack said with a slow nod. "And the way you're feeling has nothing to do with the half dozen lemon martinis you had tonight……right."

"You can sleep when you're dead." Carmen informed her. "It's my last night of freedom and you are going to help me celebrate it."

"At least let me have a nap." Sam said around another yawn and she snuggled into Flack's side and closed her eyes.

"Don't do it." Carmen warned her.

"I can't help it." she murmured. "Must get sleep."

Flack and Carmen grinned at each other. Within a minute, Sam was nearly passed out against him.

"She's been running the house and pretty much been taking care of Kieran on her own for the past week. I've been working all kinds of crazy shifts and she's been holding everything together." Flack said. "I think she's worn herself out."

"Don't worry, Flack. After tomorrow, you can have her back all to yourself. I hope it didn't cause too much problems with you guys. She really put a lot into helping me plan and I know I was pretty demanding the last couple of months."

He grinned and held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "Just a little." he teased. "But you didn't cause any problems. I was just a little pissed she didn't seem to be interested in anything else. All her spare time was spent on your wedding even when we had shared days off. I just wanted some family time with her and Kieran. She's always going on about it with me when I take extra shifts. Especially on weekends."

"Flack, if I'd known it was causing you guys issues…."

"It was no big deal, Carmen. Sam and I have dealt with worse and made it in one piece. I guess I was just jealous. I was used to having her all to myself. Than Kieran came along and understandably, I was put on the back burner and he became her first priority. That's pathetic, huh? Being jealous of my own son?"

"It's a big change when a baby comes along. All of a sudden you're not first and foremost in her life. Ask Tim. Poor guy hasn't had proper attention since Addie was born. He's starting to feel like he doesn't exist most days. It takes a big man to admit what you just did, Don. She's lucky to have you."

"Yes." Sam said, snuggling her head into his chest. "I am."

Flack ran a hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head. "She's my everything." he said to Carmen as she stroked his wife's hair. "She knows that."

Sam lifted her head and smiled at him.

He kissed her softly.

Carmen smiled. "I can just see you two when you're ninety. Still holding hands and kissing. And still fighting like hell."

"God willing, we'll make it that far." Flack said with a hopeful sigh.

"If not, when I get to eighty, I'll trade you in for four twenty year olds." Sam told him.

"I meant living that long, smart ass." Flack said with a frown. "What's taking Speedle so long?"

Carmen shrugged. She successfully burped Addie and then cradled her in one arm once again and used her thumb to gently wipe spit up from her daughter's chin.

"And did we lose Stella and Gus somewhere?" he asked.

"Mac was driving them over." Carmen replied. "Apparently Stella made a pit stop at the liquor store because she was afraid the wet bar in the room wouldn't have tequila."

"Tequila?" Sam chirped and sat up. "Did someone say tequila? That's the perfect wake me up right there."

"Christ." Flack muttered. "Please God, no tequila."

"We were planning on taking part in some drinking games." Carmen informed him.

"Drinking games?" Sam asked brightly. "I like drinking games. What kind of drinking games?"

"So who pukes and passes out first?" Flack said dryly.

He wasn't pissed about the idea of his wife out having a good time in a safe place like a hotel room with her three closes friends. In fact, when Gus had suggested the whole idea a month ago, it had been Flack that encouraged his wife to go and have a great time. She'd been reluctant about leaving him with Kieran over night. Unfounded fears, because he was more than capable of being alone with his son and taking damn good care of him. But he had never been alone over night with him. Mac had been pretty good at keeping Sam off the graveyard shift since she returned to work three months ago. Flack had convinced her to go. She deserved some time for herself. But he also knew that when she started drinking, especially the heavy stuff, she didn't know when to stop. And that she was wild and crazy and erratic and couldn't be trusted to not do something incredibly stupid.

"I would so win that game." Sam giggled and received a foul look from her husband.

"Keep an eye on her, Devine." Flack said.

"I don't need a damn babysitter." Sam informed him.

Flack held his hands up in self defense. "You get that bad off, don't expect me to come here in the middle of the night and hold your hair back while you puke. And you end up in the ER with alcohol poisoning, you are on your own."

"I'm not that stupid." Sam said. "And I can handle my booze thank you very much."

"Children." Speed spoke in a scolding tone as he joined the small group. "Enough. Take your little lover's spat outside if you're so hell bent on having one."

"What took you so long?" Flack asked, grateful to get off the present topic of conversation.

"Had some business to take care of. Here. This is for you and Sam." Speed held out a piece of paper folded in half.

"More presents!?" Sam exclaimed. "It's Christmas in November!"

"What's this?" Flack asked, taking the paper. "Divorce papers?"

"You wish." Sam snorted. "You're better off staying with me because it would cost you a hell of a lot for alimony and child support."

"You two done?" Speed asked. "It's a little present from Carmen and I. To show how much we appreciate everything you guys have done for us. And I mean everything. Right from the beginning. From the time Flack made that dumb ass phone call to Carmen and singlehandedly set us up to all the crazy shit with Matthew. And for being Addison's godparents and taking care of her as often as you guys do."

"And all this help with the wedding and paying for the dinner and all that tonight and taking Addie while we get somewhat of a honeymoon when you guys didn't even get one of your own." Carmen added. "Tim and I just wanted to do something nice for you guys."

Flack opened the paper and scanned the typing inside. "Okay…so what exactly is this?"

"That's confirmation of a reservation for tomorrow night, at this hotel." Speed explained. "I already called your mom and she said it's no problem taking care of both Kieran and Addie until some time Sunday. So there's no excuse why you guys can't take us up on this. Think about it. No kid around. No cell phones. Sam can make all those porn star noises she's famous for and not worry about waking anyone up."

"I love you, Tim Speedle." Sam declared, already on her feet and tossing her arms around his neck.

"Shhh….Sam….you weren't suppose to let Flack and Carmen know about us."

"Ooops." she giggled. "Sorry. My bad."

Speed laughed and kissed her cheek. "You're welcome." he said.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't need to Mouse. It's all over your face."

She smiled and pecked his cheek. Then turned and leaned over Carmen and hugged her around the neck and kissed her cheek. "Thanks." she said simply.

"You and Don deserve some sense of normalcy." Carmen told her. "Even if it is for just one night."

"Thanks." Flack said to Speed, as the two of them shook hands. "It'll be nice to get my wife back."

"You know, Flack, every time you say my wife, it gives me the damn shivers."

The detective arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

Speed shrugged. "I guess I always saw myself the same way you saw yourself. Destined to be alone for ever. Incapable of finding that one person. Of finding forever. And I know if you can find it and hold onto it and make it work, so can I. So thanks for that too, I guess. For giving all of us self-proclaimed loners and bachelors some hope."

Flack's eyes narrowed. "You had me until the last part. You really did. Than it just went right over my head."

"All you need to know is that I hope Carmen and I will be as happy as you and Sam are. I know you guys have to really fight to hold on sometimes, but you two are forever. You love each other no matter what. And I really hope you two hold on to that."

Flack smiled and looked over at his wife. Noticing the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. The way her nose crinkled when she smiled. The way she pushed her hair behind her ear and twirled some of the dark tresses around her finger. All the simple things that made Sam who she was. And he thought of how he'd miss all those things and so much more -even the things that she did that drove him nuts- if she wasn't in his life anymore.

"Don't ever let that go, Flack." Speed said. "What you're feeling at this exact moment. Don't let that go."

"Don't plan too." Flack assured him.

"You boys done with your male bonding?" Carmen asked, as she and Sam began heading, Addie in her mother's protective arms, towards the elevators.

"Get the bags would you?" Sam inquired over her shoulder and winked at her husband. "Thank you. I love you."

Flack smirked and began picking up all of her things. "I may love her," he said to Speed, as the CSI gathered up Carmen's bags. "But that doesn't mean I couldn't strangle her sometimes."

"Join the club." Speed said. "Think it would be justifiable homicide? All the emotional pain and suffering they put us through?"

"I was thinking more of the temporary insanity defense." Flack laughed.

"Gentlemen!" Carmen bellowed from the end of the lobby.

"Temporary insanity all the way." Speed sighed.

The room was on the seventeenth floor. A king deluxe suite that had a full size living room complete with plasma tv and an elaborate stereo system and free high speed internet connections. Along with a sparkling glass fully stocked bar that stretched the entire length of the smaller wall near the picture window and black leather furniture that still smelled new and looked barely used. Plush wall to wall grey carpeting throughout and cove ceilings. The bedroom had two king sized beds and an ensuite bath that boasted a Jacuzzi tub big enough for six and a separate, massive glass enclosed shower stall that was almost the size of a standard bathroom.

"Can I live here?" Sam asked as she took a grand tour of the suite. "Seriously. All this and someone to come in every morning and clean it? My place hasn't been this clean since…..well, never."

"Because you live with two men." Carmen said, already at the bar, investigating the different bottles so neatly arranged. Addison fast asleep in her carry car seat nearby. "Who's the messy one? Kieran or Flack?"

"I haven't quite figured that out. Don was always a neat freak before we got married. Then all of a sudden he started leaving stuff lying around all over the place and forgetting to put the cap back on the toothpaste and not remembering to change the toilet paper roll when it's empty. It's like he lost all his brain cells when that ring went on his finger."

"It's because you're my wife and that's what wives do." Flack said, catching her comment as he and Speed came down the hall from the bedroom. "Clean up after their husbands."

"I am not the maid." Sam informed him, accepting a glass tumbler full of ice, vodka and orange juice from Carmen. "I do the laundry, clean the house, get the groceries, take care of the kid, and work. You want a maid, pay me maid wages."

"Okay. I'll pay you and get you one of those little maid outfits to wear while you clean the house."

"You are one dirty man." Sam told him, but winked at him over the rim of her glass.

"There's four of you but only two beds." Speed commented, jerking a finger over his shoulder in the direction of the bedroom.

"Gus and Stella in one, Sam and I in the other." Carmen told him.

"You and Sam are going to sleep together?" Speed asked.

"We've slept in the same bed before."

Flack raised both eyebrows. "You have? When?"

"One night when you were on graveyard we were watching movies in the bedroom and we both fell asleep." Sam told him. "It's no big deal."

"You slept with Devine? In our bed?"

"Don't turn everything into something perverted." Sam said. "We fell asleep."

"Fully clothed?" Flack asked.

"No. We were naked. Give me a break. We had pyjamas on."

"I liked the butt naked image a lot better." Speed said.

"That's because you're sexually deprived." Carmen told him, and reached out to comb her fingers through Sam's hair. "Don't worry, Flack. I'll be gentle with her. I'll even teach her some new tricks she can bring home and use on you."

Speed and Flack looked at each other. Both completely turned on at the mere thought of their wives ever engaging in anything intimate. It was every guys fantasy. And those who said it wasn't were lying. There'd been times when the teasing between the two women led both men to wonder if anything more had ever happened between them. Or if there was mutual desire and curiosity to give it a try.

"Or maybe…." Carmen said and pressed a kiss to Sam's cheek. "I'll rock her world and she'll never want to go straight again."

"I am going to need way more alcohol." Sam declared and downed half her glass.

"You two are so damn gullible." Carmen laughed at the two men. "How many times do we have to tell you guys that we love men. Specifically you two. Although sometimes I have to seriously question why."

A loud knock came to the propped open front door of the room and Gus pushed it open for herself and Stella.

"Honies!" she exclaimed. "We're home! Stel's got the hard stuff! Hey!" she frowned at the sight of Flack and Speed. "There's men in here! Get out! Both of you! No men allowed. Ladies only!"

"Easy, Broussard." Flack said. "We were just getting these two settled. God forbid they break a nail carrying their own bags."

"You are such a gentleman, Flack." Gus drawled. "Now get out! No sex for either of you two guys tonight! Consider it fasting."

"You're an evil witch, you know that?" Speed teased her and kissed Carmen goodbye and picked up a sleeping Addie in her car seat.

"I know. I keep all y'all horny men in line. Go join Adam and Mac in the line for the cold showers."

"Your son better be in bed when I get home." Flack said to Sam as she walked him to the door. "He's not and I swear I am bringing him here so you can deal with it."

"So he's my son when he's bad" she asked.

"Exactly." Flack replied and kissed her. Long and soft. "Have fun. No wild and crazy stunts. No running down the halls naked pounding on peoples doors or anything. No skinny dipping. Just be a good girl. I don't want a call from Central Booking telling me to come bail you out."

"Hey, I seem to recall the night before our wedding when the shoe was on the other foot and you got arrested for…what was it? Public intoxication and drunk and disorderly."

"At least I wasn't the one that took a leak on the side of a squad car that still had the unis in it."

"One of Adam's finer moments." Gus snorted. "We shall not speak of that again."

"Flack was the one that kept feeding Adam the alcohol." Speed said.

"Not my fault he couldn't handle it. I thought maybe he could handle booze like his sister can. I didn't realize he was such a virgin."

"That's the only thing he is virgin at." Gus snickered.

"Way too much information!" Sam cried.

"Here…." Stella handed Sam another drink. "This will make everything sit a whole lot better."

"Please be good." Flack nearly begged his wife.

"I will. I promise. Now kiss me goodbye again."

He did as he was told. "You get really drunk and really horny, call me. I'll come over for a booty call." he said as he left the room. "We'll lock the door to the bathroom while everyone is sleeping."

"Is it still considered a booty call when you're married?" Sam asked, stepping out into the hall and leaning her head against the door, watching him head down to the elevators.

"Why can't it be?" he asked in response. "We can call it whatever we want."

"Just think." she said. "No one to hog all the blankets or toss and turn. You can have the whole bed to yourself tonight."

"I'd trade the empty bed in an instant, you know." he told her, pressing the button for the elevator and grinning down the hall at her. "No matter how much you steal the covers and talk in your sleep all night."

She smiled. "You are so goddamn cheesy." she informed him. "Be safe driving home. Give Kieran a hug and a kiss from me."

"I will. Call if you need anything."

She nodded. "You're going to miss me, aren't you."

He just smiled. "I love you." he said, stepping onto the elevator as the doors opened.

"I love you, too." she called. Then waited until she heard the elevator doors close before taking a sip of her drink and heading inside.

Surprised at how much she missed him and her son already.

"Let's play a game." Stella said, sitting cross legged in the middle of the rumpled bed she was to share with Gus in a pair of soft pink silk and velour pyjamas.

Bags of potato chips and cheezies surrounding her along with plastic bags of Halloween candy and bite size chocolate bars. Ever since she'd found out two months before she was expecting a baby, she'd been craving chocolate in the worst way. So while the others enjoyed alcoholic beverages, she guzzled chocolate milk and bottled water. She'd picked up the chocolate milk love from Sam, who seemed to down it by the gallons when she was pregnant.

"No truth or dare." Sam pleaded, pulling the tops off of Oreo cookies and licking the white filling. "Don and I played that last week and….never mind. All I can say is that my ass is still sore."

"You are so disturbed." Carmen informed her, fixing the straps on her black camisole before plopping down beside Sam in the middle of their bed. "You and Flack are just so dirty."

"Yes." Sam laughed and reached for her drink on bedside table. "We are."

"So what's this game?" Gus asked, tying up the sash on her terry cloth bathrobe before joining Stella.

"It's called What If…." Stella reached into her overnight bag sitting alongside of her and pulling out a small hardcover book. "Just a whole bunch of questions with very interesting answers. You guys up for it?"

They all nodded.

Stella flipped the book open. "Okay….we'll start with something tame. What if you didn't have the profession you do now. What would you be? That's easy for me. A prima ballerina or some kind of professional dancer. Gus?"

"Hmmm…..I'd say either a lawyer or a doctor."

"Carmen?"

"I don't know. I like smacking around the perps. Maybe I could be a professional female boxer like Laila Ali. If not that, then maybe a lecturer or a museum curator."

"Sam?"

"A teacher." she answered quickly. "Or a nun."

No one said a word. The three women stared long and hard at the tiny brunette eating Oreos like it was a lewd act in between downing a triple vodka and OJ. With her tongue piercing and navel ring and the tattoos on the small of her back and the top of her foot and the newly acquired ring of tiny flowers surrounding the navel piercing. Neither of them could imagine Sam Flack as a nun.

Suddenly all three burst into hysterical laughter at the mere thought. Gus nearly fell off the bed laughing so hard and had to be reigned back by Stella, who made a snorting noise that embarrassed her and made everyone laugh even more.

"You drunk fool!" Gus howled. "A nun?!"

"You can't be fucking serious." Carmen had to wipe away tears. "You? A nun?"

"Sorry, Sam, you are so not nun material." Stella told her.

"When I was young, long before I was corrupted by boys, I wanted to be a nun." the brunette told them in all seriousness. "Live a simple life. One of peace and charity….."

"And celibacy." Gus added. "You celibate?" she burst into a fit of laughter once again.

"That is not possible for you." Stella giggled. "For anyone in this room for that matter."

Sam frowned. "I'd be a damn good nun."

"Prove it." Carmen said. "Six weeks. No sex with Flack."

"That's easy. We went nearly sixteen between my last two months being pregnant and recuperating from the birth."

"No sex at all. You guys did other things besides intercourse. I mean nothing. No mutual masturbation, and no oral. Especially the last one."

"I don't need sex." Sam declared. "Of any kind."

Gus could barely breathe. Her lungs burned from laughing so hard. Tears streamed down her face. "You lie. You get more sex than the three of us put together. Well maybe not Stella. Mac's a Marine after all and we all know how disciplined they are. All that stamina."

"Ahhh!" Sam cried and picked up a pillow and held it over her head. "Way too much info! That's my boss!"

"So you going to do it?" Carmen asked her best friend. "No sex for six weeks?"

Sam shrugged. "We'll see."

"Flack will never go for that." Gus said, wiping her tears on the arm of her robe. "Not in a million years."

"He doesn't have a choice." Sam declared and finished off her drink. "He loves me. Plus, he's whipped. But let's just keep that last part between the four of us." She suddenly frowned. Using her index finger, she counted the heads in the room, including her own. "Yeah…..I was right the first time. Four."

"You are so wasted." Carmen laughed.

Sam let out a huge belch. "Yes, I am." she said and dissolved into giggles.

"You are so fucking lady like." Stella laughed and tossed a pillow at the CSI.

Sam just nodded and continued to giggle. Her face turned red and then the hiccups started.

"Here…." Gus leaned over the bed and grabbed a Mike's Hard Lemonade from a case on the floor. "Have another drink." she said and tossed the bottle to Sam.

"Merci buckets." Sam said and twisted off the top and took a huge swig.

"Where the hell do you put it?" Carmen asked.

Sam shrugged. "Next question. Whats the next question, Stel?"

"Something scandalous." Gus pleaded.

"Okay……if you could sleep with the partner of someone you knew and not get caught, who would you choose? No matter what is said here, we all have to promise not to be offended. No one is out to hurt anyone's feelings. All right?"

"Anyone says my husband, I am tossing your ass off the balcony." Sam warned.

"At the risk of dying an early death, I'll admit to Flack." Gus said. "Not that I would Sam. You know I wouldn't, right?"

"I trust you, Gussie. Me, I'd sleep with Danny in a heartbeat. Or Hawkes. I have had a crush on that man since I came here."

"I'd have to go with Adam." Stella said.

Sam nearly spit her drink all over herself and Carmen.

Gus laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I am so flattered, Stel. The young ones are the best. You can teach them everything they need to know. It's what I did."

"Carmen?" Stella asked.

"I would fuck Sam behind Flack's back. For sure."

"Now there's an interesting twist." Stella said.

Sam took a long pull from the bottle of booze. "Is it wrong that that so turned me on hearing that?"

"I've always had a girl crush on Sam." Carmen readily admitted, and laying her hand on the back of Sam's head, turned her friend's face towards her and kissed her hard on the mouth.

Stella and Gus' eyes widened at the sight. Especially when Sam didn't recoil or protest and seemed to have no qualms kissing Carmen back.

"Oh my fucking God!" Gus shrieked.

"How was it?" Stella asked Sam when the kiss ended.

"She has very soft lips." Sam replied. "But my husband kisses better. Sorry, Carmen. He's just got that tongue magic going on."

"All I can say, is kissing like that, Flack is a very lucky man." Carmen said with a content sigh and finished off her drink.

Sam's cell phone, resting on the dresser across the room, rang noisily, and she jumped off the bed, fixing the drawstring on the long pants of her bubblegum pink Hello Kitty pyjamas as she went. She picked up the phone and checked the call display before flipping it open to answer.

"Hey…." she said, in a soft tone the others knew was only reserved for Flack. "Everything okay?" she asked, heading for the door and stepping out into the hallway. "Kieran didn't burn the house down or blow anything up did he? The cat still alive?"

"Unfortunately." Flack replied. "She's sleeping on my pillow again."

"Well then take her litter box and her food and water bowls into the small bathroom and lock her in there for the night. Or go into the storage closet in the hall and grab the carry container we take her to the vet in and lock her in there until the morning."

"I can't do that. Any of that." Flack protested.

"Why?" Sam asked, making her way into the living room area. Swaying and stumbling a little as she went. Her head swam, her vision was blurry. But she felt damn good.

"I don't know. It just…..seems really, really mean."

Sam grinned as she popped open the fridge below the bar and grabbed a bottle of water. Uncapping it, she took a huge sip. "See," she said. "You do love Slippers."

"Whatever." he snorted. "You're slurring your words." he said. "How drunk are you?"

"Just a little." Sam said.

"Mm-hm."

"Okay. A lot." she admitted, nearly losing her balance as she sat on the couch.

He sighed.

"I love you, Donnie." she said.

"I love you too."

"No. I mean I really, really, really love you. You're so good to me. You treat me so well. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"What have you done?" he asked.

"I have a slight confession to make."

"Christ….."

"Tell me you love me again."

"Samantha….."

"Tell me." she demanded.

"I love you. So what….."

"I kissed Carmen." she blurted out.

Silence on the other end.

"Hello?" Sam asked, afraid he'd hung up.

"I'm here." Flack replied, chuckling. "I must be hearing things. For a second there, I would have sworn you said you kissed Carmen."

"She kissed me actually."

"Are you serious? How…..?"

"We were all playing this game that Stella brought along." Sam explained. "And Stella asked who we'd have an affair with if we knew we wouldn't get caught and…."

"Who'd you say?" Flack asked.

"That's not what this story is about. Carmen said me and then she kissed me."

"Did you enjoy it?" he curiously inquired.

"Don't turn this into phone sex, Don. I know you're little fetish involving me and another woman and I am not indulging you."

"Give me a little something here. I'm horny as hell and so are you and we're half an hour away from each other. So just get me some slack and tell me if you liked it."

Sam sighed. "I liked it. Okay? She had really soft lips. But she is in no way the great kisser that you are. You're an amazing kisser and you do incredible things with your tongue. And I don't want to have sex with her or anything. I only want to have sex with you. And…"

"Samantha…" he attempted to interject.

"I mean, I have no desire to go lesbian or bi or…."

"Samantha!"

"What?"

"Why did you feel the need to tell me all this?"

"I feel so guilty." she practically sobbed. "For doing it. Like I cheated on you or something."

"Baby, your best friend kissed you because she's probably nearly as drunk as you are." Flack reasoned, trying his best to contain his laughter. "It's no biggie Well, it is because hearing you admit it drove me nuts and I am going to have some seriously happy dreams tonight."

"You are so dirty." she said with a giggle and then became serious. "I miss you." she said. "Do you miss me?"

"A little." he admitted. "Hate sleeping in an empty bed, you know that. Why don't you come home for a couple of hours? Call a cab and I'll drive you back first thing in the morning after breakfast."

"You're going to make me breakfast?" she asked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Banana pancakes." Flack told her.

"Mmmm…..my favorite."

"Just come home for a little while." he said. "You can even show me how Carmen kissed you."

Sam grinned. "You know, I should really hold onto the girls night only vow I made with the others."

"I will have you back before anyone even wakes up. Just come home for a bit. Everyone's asleep here. Nice and quiet. And even if Kieran does wake up, my mom crashed on the couch and she'll look after him."

Sam considered it. "And you'll make sure you have me back in time for everything? Because I have a spa and hair appointment at ten and I have to make sure the hall is being set up properly and what not."

"I promise you I will have you there bright and early. Just come home, baby."

She checked the time on the grandfather clock across the room. Quarter after twelve.

"I'll be home in half an hour." she said.

"Call me when you're five minutes away and I'll meet you downstairs to pay for the cab."

"Okay…..I'm on my way." she said. "I'm in my pyjamas."

"So? Get your ass in a cab and I'll have those pyjamas off of you as soon as we're inside."

"You so turn me on when you talk like that." Sam giggled.

"Then hurry up and get here and I'll do something about it." he told her.

She didn't need to be told twice. She hung up and jumped up from the couch and scribbled a hasty note on a pad of paper on the roll top desk by the window. Leaving it on the bar where everyone could see it, she plucked her purse from the coffee table and stuffed her phone inside. Thankful for the flip flops she'd left by the door when she'd ran down the hall for ice earlier. She wouldn't have to go in the next room, where the others were laughing and gossiping and grab shoes and explain her rapid exit.

Sorry girls, she thought as she slipped from the room. But sometimes a woman has to do what a woman has to do.

The yellow cab pulled up to a stop in front of the twenty storey building in lower Manhattan at twenty minutes to one in the morning. Flack was waiting outside, in a pair of frayed and holey baggy blue jeans, an old t-shirt and the Adidas sandals Sam had attempted to toss in the trash many a time and he always managed to rescue.

"He's paying." Sam said to the cabbie as she climbed out and Flack stepped up to the taxi.

"Twenty bucks, flat." the driver told him in a thick Indian accent. "She was very, very nice girl."

Flack gave him twenty-five. "Thanks for getting a drunk woman in Hello Kitty pyjamas home in one piece." he said.

"My pleasure. You have a good night."

"We will." Sam assured the driver before he pulled away. She turned and smiled at Flack. "Hi!" she chirped.

"I can not believe you came home in Hello Kitty pyjamas." Flack said with a chuckle. "And neon green flip flops."

"I told you I was ready for bed." she said and turned her face up for a long, intense kiss.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked.

She grinned and grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the entrance of their building.

"I'll show you and give you detailed instructions." she promised.

A great BIG THANK YOU to all of you reading and reviewing. I appreciate the support. And I know there's a lot who are reading and I hope you guys are enjoying this!! I am having a lot of fun writing it and would love to hear from you guys!!

Thanks to the following readers: (in no particular order)

Hope4sall

Brttmclv

Laurzz

Soccer

26hannah26

Bluehaven4220

Forest Angel