A/N: This one feels different, but I'm not too sure why. I always quite liked Sam and felt she didn't get the character development she deserved.
Ruth had looked lovely, so lovely that Sam felt a lump in her throat - she was so pleased for her friend who was finally stepping out of her shell and going for it with someone that she really liked. Silk scarf in place, she trotted off with Malcolm ('Giles') to meet the man of her dreams.
This simple delight turned to something more envious, however, as Sam collected her coat and keys from Ruth's table in the hall, ready to lock up. She had spent little over an hour here helping Ruth decide on jewellery and shoes and every other detail for her date but the place felt so oddly familiar and comforting that Sam was tempted to spend the night on the sofa, but thankfully she took a second to contemplate Ruth's horror at an unexpected snoozer whenever she arrived back, particularly if she had a certain guest in tow.
So Sam drove home, and the drive was short and something she was thankful for. She never really took to driving at night – maybe it was because it was more difficult to see and the jewels of headlights dotted the darkness distractingly, or because it was usually cold and rainy and Sam was always appreciative of the warmth of her flat to be enveloped in as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten to leave the heat on today and so she kept her coat wrapped around her shoulders as she pottered around the flat, flicking on the kettle for a warming brew before bed. Her flat was always a welcome piece of normality but tonight it felt nothing but lonely and the bite behind the cold winter night had been particularly prominent despite the coat still draped around her.
She was nearly twenty five years old, sitting alone in a flat in London having spent a day being a spy.
When would it be her turn to get a shot at a real relationship?
Did it seem futile to be pondering such a thing? Probably to Harry who was professional and of course to Adam who was married. But Zoe had Will, and Danny... something in the way his eyes lingered a little too long on Zoe made Sam realise that he was harbouring feelings for her that perhaps she hadn't taken the time to comprehend.
Zoe was taken. Sam was free.
Would Danny realise?
She liked him. Obviously not at the marriage stage, definitely not, but liking him was enough for now and she longed for that feeling to be reciprocated, despite the work complications and the colleague dramas and personal troubles. She wanted to be wanted.
Was that something too difficult for someone like Sam?