Title: Breakout 9
Author: Cinnamon Scully
Category: SRH DSR Angst, Humor
Rating: NC-17 for language and adult situations
Summary: Sequel to Endings and Beginnings. Takes place ten years
later.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-files characters, nor do I own anything
that has anything to do with Richard Patrick or Filter, All
information found on Richard Patrick has been documented and is
disclaimed to be the possession of such sites. I also do not own any
rights to Nine Inch Nails or Trent Reznor. All lyrics have been
documented to the album they come from and are as such. All situations
therin are fictional unless documented. Fiction and Reality is
interweaved throughout the story, but the situations therin are
created by the author for entertainment purposes only. Refer to the
website that corrolates with this story to find out the truths and
discern from the fiction. No money has been made off of this story.
Email: richfactwebmistress@yahoo.com
Website:http://muldersprettyladynin.tripod.com/
richfactsafiltersite/


     Jo Jo sat on the bed, bored. She looked over at Brian. He was
working on something, caught up in what ever it was. She sighed. Jo Jo
was getting hungry and now she wanted to do something. She looked back
at the television, then back to Brian. "Brian, I'm hungry."

     Brian tossed his pen down onto the table. He looked over at Jo
Jo, sighing. "Well, what do you want me to do about it? You can order
up some room service by yourself."

     Jo Jo crossed her arms, her face turning into a pout. "But I'm
bored! I'm sick of sitting here with nothing to do.  Let's go to the
hotel restaurant and get something to eat. There is nothing on TV."

     Brian rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up into the air.
"Alright, but I tell you, we can't go staying long. I've got to write
this report and then I've got to call the closest field office."

     Jo Jo smiled then, "Okay!"

     Brian shook his head. Only Sam knew how to deal with her mood
swings without getting frustrated. He got up from his chair, grabbing
his suit jacket. "Let's get going then. Sooner we eat, sooner we can
get back."

     Jo Jo bounded off the bed, making her way to the door. She
miscalculated how close she was to the wall, grazing her shoulder on
the wall. She said, "Ow!" Jo Jo giggled then, realizing how stupid it
was for her to have even touch the wall.

     Brian shook his head again, sighing.  He followed her out the
door, realizing she was full of pent up energy and with nothing to do.
How would he survive sharing a room with her?

     Jo Jo walked quickly ahead of him, her small steps making her
look comical.  Brian quickly caught up, his own stride making up for
the difference. He sighed.  Hopefully this dinner would be uneventful
and he could get back to work.

     Jo Jo startled him by grabbing his hand. She said, "Come on! I'm
the slow one here!"

     Brian felt her drag him down the hall way to the dining area.
Somehow he would find a way to survive a hyper active Jo Jo.
Hopefully.



     Sam sat at a table by himself, thinking about how bored he was.
If Jo Jo were with him, he'd be making her laugh. He figured that was
part of the point to why he was alone at the moment. He was supposed
to think about all of the things that he loved about Jo Jo. Making her
laugh was just one of those things. He sighed, picking up his menu to
decide what he would have.

     Sam heard a loud giggle and Jo Jo's voice say, "Come on! I'm
hungry!" He looked over, noticing Jo Jo literally drag Brian into the
dining area. Sam shrunk down, not wanting her to see him and get
upset. Hearing her laugh was something he wouldn't interrupt. He
sighed, wishing he was the one getting dragged.

     Jo Jo didn't even seem to notice him, due to the separation wall
blocking her view of him, but not his view of her.  He watched her
quietly, feeling saddened that they were separated at all. He looked
through his menu, trying to distract himself from Jo Jo being near.

     Sam was feeling tempted to get up and go talk to her, but knew
that a public scene would only make things worse than they already
were. He scrunched down further, feeling a need to disappear. He
suddenly felt his appetite desert him.

     Sam heard Jo Jo giggle loudly from her table with Brian. She
remarked to him, "Oh don't be such a sour puss. Try to have a bit of
fun."

     Sam wondered why she was acting so cheerful. Perhaps she was over
him already. Perhaps she never really had loved him. He shook his
head, feeling silly for even thinking such thoughts about Jo Jo. He
figured she was still hiding her feelings and was trying to keep her
demeanor of normalcy in public.

     Sam glanced over to the table, noticing that Jo Jo had her back
to him. He sighed, getting up so he could sneak past her and not cause
a scene. Obviously what ever food he was going to eat was no longer
appetitizing. He sighed, making his way quickly past the table.

     Jo Jo giggled as he passed. And then he stopped. She was talking
about him! She was telling a story about how they had attempted
camping a while back and how it was a disaster. Sam smiled wide as she
continued her story. Apparently she wasn't trying to hide her
feelings. She was merely working through things by talking about them.
He figured that included funny stories just as much.

     Sam quickly made his way up to his hotel room, not wanting to
interrupt Jo Jo and destroy her good mood. Maybe Kathy was right,
things would work out alright in the end. It didn't seem nearly as
hopeless as it did this morning.



     Mike sat down on the bed, next to Kathy. He sighed. "Well, it's
been one helluva day. How are you feeling?" He lay back, one knee in
the air, hands resting on his belly.

     Kathy looked down at him. "I'm good.  I'm a little tired and
hungry, but other than that, I'm doing alright." She yawned.  
"Michael, we must think of names for the baby and soon."

     Mike sat up, rolling on to his right side. He propped himself up
by his elbow. "Well, what names have you thought of?"

     "If we have a son, I was thinking of naming him Joseph Michael.
If it is a girl, I'm thinking of Renee Anne. What do you think?" Kathy
said, lying down next to him onto the bed.

     Mike nodded. "They are very pretty names. I noticed you snuck my
name into the boy's. Why didn't you sneak yours into the girls?"

     Kathy sighed. "Mike, simple. Renee and Kathleen don't go well
together. It's just too long and I don't want a Kathy running around
with me. So, I decided I'd go with Anne."

     Mike nodded. "I like Joseph. It's a good name. How about
something like Moon Unit though?" He ducked as Kathy's small fist hit
his bowed head. "Okay!  Okay! I didn't mean it!"

     Kathy giggled. "You're so mean sometimes." She kissed him when he
looked up, startling him. She cuddled up, as best as her pregnant body
would allow her.

     Mike relaxed slowly, allowing her to kiss him deeply. He ran his
hands through her long hair. When they broke for air, Mike rested his
forehead upon hers. "Now, Kat, what was that for?"

     Kathy giggled. "I dunno. Just because.  I like kissing you, you
know. Anything wrong with that?" She kissed his nose.

     Mike laughed softly, kissing her.  "No, not at all. I like to
kiss you, too." He kissed her, pushing his tongue gently into her
mouth, teasingly pulling on hers with his. When he stopped, he asked,
"Kat, what do you want for supper?"

     Kathy gasped for breath. "I don't know. What do you want? I'm
hungry for anything." She kissed him again, this time taking the upper
hand by dueling with his tongue.

     Mike pulled back, lying down onto his back. He sighed. "Well,
hmm, how about something a bit spicy. I miss New Orleans."

     Kathy giggled. "How about you get what you want, and I'll get
what I want.  I don't want spicy stuff right now."

     Mike groaned. "That's right! Let's get a steak, rib eye, baked
potatoes, peas and some pie for dessert. That sounds good to me."

     Kathy nodded. "I like that. Why don't you order it up for us?"

     Mike sat up, kissing Kathy again.  He whispered in her ear, "In a
minute.  I'm busy at the moment." He ran his tongue down from her ear
to her neck, making his way back to kissing her.

     Kathy giggled softly, "Michael, that doesn't get our food up here
any faster."

     "I know. Can't I have fun?" Mike said, smiling shyly and slyly
all at once.

     Mike looked up at Kathy after he ordered the food. "Hmm, here's
the names I've picked. How about Thomas James for a boy and Anna
Kathleen?" He waited to hear her response to the names he had chosen.

     "I noticed you did the reverse. Picked a name with mine in it
instead of a name with yours in it. How about Daniel? I've always
liked your middle name." Kathy said, running circles on his chest with
her finger.

     "Dan? Hmm. I suppose we could think about it. What would we use
for a middle name? I'm not having my name reversed for my son." Mike
said, grabbing her hand to suck on her finger quietly.

     Kathy watched him. She shook her head, then took her hand away,
running it through his hair. "What has gotten into you, Michael?
You're acting a bit goofy." She arched an eyebrow towards him.

     Mike gasped in mock surprise.  "What? I can't be romantic with my
wife sometimes? Is it a crime now?"  He laughed when she glared at
him.  "Well?"

     Kathy sighed. "You are just terrible.  How do I ever put up with
you? You either ignore me, smother me or you try to annoy me." She
giggled, ruffling his hair. "You are so demanding sometimes, but I
still love you."

     Mike pouted, sticking his lip out.  "Thank you. I'm glad even
though I'm so terrible you can still love me."  He smiled wide at her,
his dimples appearing.

     Kathy kissed him, unable to resist his smile. She pulled back,
smiling down at him. "Michael, you really ought to smile a lot more
often than you do now.  It makes you sexy and cute. Really." She
blushed then.

     Mike laughed. "Why are you blushing now? We're married. We love
each other.  So what? We're allowed to sound mushy sometimes. Just not
all the time. Besides, I know you're making up to me for yelling about
the fucking laundry bag this morning."

     Kathy stuck her tongue out, crossing her arms. "You know I'm
right.  You should use the laundry bag and you know it! It makes
things and life easier on the road and you like to be so difficult by
not using it."

     Mike groaned. "Why did I say anything?"  He sighed.

     Kathy giggled. "I don't know.  You're the one who brought up the
laundry bag, not me."

     Mike rolled his eyes. "Kat! You're killing the mood!" He lay
back, his hands over his face. "We were just getting going!"

     Kathy pried his hands off of his face. "Oh, and you thought you
were going to get some tonight, eh? What made you think that, mister?"

     Mike opened his eyes, looking up at her. "Gee, let's think. We
were kissing and it can lead to other stuff.  Besides, you're in one
of those moods that you get when pregnant. I didn't mind your idea for
tonight's entertainment.  It sure kicks the shit outta television."

     Kathy put his hands back on her face. "Michael! You are a naughty
man.  Besides, we should check and see what Trent is doing since Sam
and Jo Jo are busy. We can't be going and doing what ever we want just
yet, you big goof."

     Mike sighed. "Why not? I'm sure it won't take that much time to
check on the boy. Listen, I'll go and check on him and we'll eat
supper, then can we do something fun?" His eyebrows raised
suggestively.

     "Do I have a choice?" Kathy sighed, then giggled. "Alright,
alright. I'm sorry. Don't pout. By the way, you'll be unpacking this
time. I'm too tired to unpack."

     Mike groaned. "Damn it! There goes our fun!"



     Sam opened his hotel room door, sitting down onto the bed. He lay
back, his hands over his eyes. Seeing Jo Jo was rough on him, but he
knew that if he had said anything to her in the restaurant it could
have led to some ugliness. He rolled on to his side, facing the
window. He thought about what Jo Jo had said in her letter about how
she would rather be cozy with him, and it caused him to smile.

     Sam sat up, dialing room service.  He was still hungry and now he
could eat in peace. Perhaps he'd work on a song while he was here. He
felt like he should keep himself occupied. The less he thought of what
was happening at the moment, the better. He'd think some later. Right
now, he had to eat and get some song writing done. Maybe Trent would
like to share a meal with him. He hung up on room service and punched
in Trent's hotel phone number, waiting for his son to answer.

     Trent's little boy voice came through the phone. "Hello?"

     Sam said, "Trent, don't worry, it's me. I was just curious if you
wanted to share dinner with me. I'm in my room and I'm ordering some
room service up. Thought perhaps you'd like some with me. Might be
good for us to talk, too."

     Trent's voice sounded more relaxed now that he knew it was only
his father.  "Yeah. I'd like that. I'll be over in a bit, okay? Umm,
Dad, mind if I stay the night with you? I'm sorta lonely."

     "Sure, sure you can. I might get some song writing done while
you're here, but other than that I don't see any problems."  Sam said,
scratching his head. "Bring your guitar with, Trent. Who knows, we
might have a blast."

     Trent's voice gave away his smile on the other end. "Okay, Dad!
I'll see you in just a little bit."

     Sam heard the phone hang up and dialed for room service right
afterwards.  He ordered up some food, some dessert and some movies
just incase Trent was interested in watching any. He then lay back,
waiting for his son to knock on the door.

     He wondered what would happen next with him and his son. Would
Trent be angry with him and blame him for what was happening between
his mother and father? Sam knew there was no simple answer to what was
happening and was not going to attempt at making one that would fit.
He knew Trent was afraid his mother and father would not get back
together and so was Sam. He sighed, knowing he had to make things
work, some how, some way.

     A soft knock came to the door and Sam got up, opening it. Trent
stood on the other side, guitar case at his feet. "I'm here." Trent
walked in past his father, setting his guitar case down onto the
floor. Then he hugged his father, startling Sam.

     Sam grunted as he felt his son's arms go around him and his head
rest on his belly. He hugged Trent back, squeezing gently. "Now, what
was that for?"

     Trent looked up at his father after letting go. "Because I know
you're hurting." The young boy said it with such simplicity and
innocence that awed Sam. He hugged his father again.  "Because I love
you, too."

     Sam felt his eyes well up with tears. His son was more observant
than he gave him credit for. The young man knew how his father felt
and knew what to say. All doubts that his son felt that he was at
fault fled him in that instant. He said, "Thanks. I love you, too."



     Jo Jo looked at the clock on the wall. She sighed. "Well, Brian,
we ought to head back. I should check on Richie and Trent and see how
they are.  I know poor John and Dana have had to put up with them all
day."

     Brian nodded. "I'll get to work on some phone calls while you do
that."  He got up, tossing his napkin down onto the table. "And Jo Jo,
it was a wonderful evening. I'm glad you could share such stories with
me. I hope it helped you out some."

     Jo Jo smiled. "Yes, yes it did. I guess thinking about those
happy times makes me remember why I do love him so much. I'm going to
go see what the boys are up to and I'll meet you in our room in
awhile. I think I'll write awhile before bed."

     Brian smiled. "Alright. See you in awhile then."

     Jo Jo made her way back up to the rooms, finding Doggett's door.  
She knocked softly, waiting for it to be opened. Doggett opened the
door for her, asking, "How ya feelin', Jo Jo?"

     "I came to see Trent and Richie, actually." She looked in to the
room, making her way after Doggett stepped aside. "Where is Trent?"

     Doggett said, "He went to see Sam, last I heard. Richie is in the
play pen here. He's been sorta active today.  Likes to crawl and still
screams like Sam used to when I pick him up. Why did he have to get
his father's lungs?"

     Jo Jo laughed. She went over to the play pen, bending down to
pick up Richie. He cooed and gurgled at her.  Jo Jo smiled. "Oo,
you're getting heavy, Richie. Getting to be a big boy. I don't know
how much more Mommy can pick you up." She sat down onto the bed,
bouncing the young toddler in her lap.

     Doggett laughed. "He is gettin' to be a bit heavy. How was your
dinner?"

     Jo Jo looked up from the young boy in her lap. "It was fun. I
know it's odd for me to be having fun at a time like this, but I was
just getting some feelings worked through by telling some stories
about Sam and me. He gets me to do the dumbest things sometimes."

     Doggett laughed. "Sometimes thinkin' of those good times help."

     Jo Jo dodged Richie's arm as he tried to grab her hair to yank
on. He whined when his mother wouldn't allow him to pull. Jo Jo chided
Richie softly, "Now, now. Don't pull Mommy's hair. It hurts."

     Richie opened his mouth, wailing.  He started to squirm, his arms
and legs moving about. He started to make his hands into fists and hit
his mother in the shoulder. Jo Jo stood up. "My, my.  Someone has a
temper. Listen, little guy.  It's time for the play pen again. If
you're going to get mad about not being allowed to pull Mommy's hair,
it's time for mister play pen."

     Richie stood up on wobbly legs.  He pointed at his mother, making
noises of protest. Apparently he didn't like being placed back into
the play pen, unable to touch his mother. He waved his arms around and
fell down onto his bottom as he lost his balance. Then he let a scream
out as the surprise of falling startled him.

     Jo Jo shook her head. "Now, now.  Richie, honey, Uncle John
doesn't like it when you do that. You just sit and play nice. Mommy is
right here."

     Richie stopped, looking wide eyed at his mother. His hands tried
to clap in glee, not succeeding very well. He giggled then, looking up
at his mother.

     Jo Jo sighed. "I don't get you, silly man. You and your father
have so many mood swings. Of course, he'd say he got that trait from
me and not him. I tell you what, if you be a good boy, I'll get you a
treat."

     Scully stood by Doggett. She said, "Jo Jo, he sure needs a nap is
what I think. He's been cranky then happy then cranky all day."

     "Yeah, I know. He doesn't travel very well. I'll see if I can
coerce Brian into taking Richie in for the night. Sam can keep an eye
on Trent and I'll keep an eye on Richie." Jo Jo crossed her arms,
bending down. She took one hand, patting Richie on the head.  "Mommy
will be right back. I'm going to see if you can stay with Mommy
tonight."



     Sam and Trent were laughing over dinner. Sam said, "I remember
that.  You were supposed to be some lion in that stupid play and
someone took your line, so you shouted about it. I laughed so hard
when that happened that your mother elbowed me in the ribs, telling me
to shut up. Then the other parents got mad at me."

     Trent giggled. "Yeah. I remember.  They didn't like you very
much, did they?"

     Sam shook his head. "Especially when I told them to chill out and
that it was for kids to have fun and not get all shook up over. I told
them that they needed to take them serious blinders off and they just
told me to leave. I'm so glad you haven't been in anything since."

     Trent chewed his food, smiling at his father. "I know. Me too.
Last time I do a play, I'm telling ya that."

     A knock came to the door, Mike's urgent voice coming through.
"Sam, open up. It's important."

     Sam put his plate down, climbing up from his comfortable spot on
the floor. He opened the door. "What the fuck is it, Mike?"

     "Trent's not in his room. We don't know where he is." Mike said,
his pale face slightly flushed. "Kat is asking Jo Jo and your
brother."

     "Well, that's fucking ridiculous.  Trent's here with me. We were
just having some dinner and having some fun.  That was excitement over
nothing." Sam said, crossing his arms.

     Mike said, "He is? He's been here all this time? Damn it, Sam. I
was sure he had gone missing too."

     "Well he didn't. Why don't you and Kathy go back to your room and
spend time alone. Don't worry about Trent. He's staying with me
tonight."  Sam said, leaning onto the door jam.  "I'm glad you came to
tell me though if something had happened. Lord knows one abduction is
bad enough."

     Mike looked slightly embarrassed then. He said, "Look, I'm sorry
I bothered you two then. I didn't mean to create a ruckus."

     "No, no. I'm glad you came to tell me since you believed he had
gone missing.  If he really had gone missing, I'd like to know.
Especially with our situation, it's better to over react than not
react at all." Sam said, taking a cigarette out of his pocket.

     Mike nodded. "Well, I'm going to call off Kathy before she gets a
search team going for the boy. She was quite frantic awhile ago."

     "I bet. Thanks, man. I hope you have a nice evening." Sam said,
taking a drag on his cigarette. He shut the door after Mike made his
way down the hall.  Sam sat back down next to his son.  "Well, that
was exciting, wasn't it?"

     Trent giggled. "A little." He finished his food, lying on to his
back on the floor. "I'm so stuffed."

     Sam laughed. "I think I am, too."


     Mike found Kathy back in the room, lying down. She smiled wide
when he entered the room, patting the space next to her. "Well, now
that the crisis is over, come sit by me."

     Mike sat down, cuddling up to her.  "Are you sure we must unpack
tonight?  I'm feeling lazy and I don't feel like dealing with it.
Besides, I think you deserve some attention."

     "Oh, really now. Actually I think I deserve a long soak in the
tub and a good foot massage. You up to that? You can unpack while I
soak." Kathy said, batting her eyelashes at Mike to make him laugh.

     Mike laughed, giving into his wife's wishes. "Alright. You go
soak in the tub and I'll unpack the room and when you come out, I'll
massage your feet and anything else you want me to massage." He leaned
up on his hands, kissing her. "Oh, and Kat, wear the robe I got for
you for your birthday last year."

     Kathy smiled wide. "Ah, you're getting naughty, Michael." She
kissed him back, sliding off the bed onto the floor. "Why don't you
unpack it and put it in the bathroom for me. That way I don't have to
spend my whole soak time searching for it."

     Mike groaned mockingly. He got up, waiting for her to pass. Just
as she went by him, he smacked her ass smartly, causing her to jump
and exclaim, "Michael!" He laughed at her, watching as she continued
on.

     Mike shook his head when the door on the bathroom closed. He
unzipped suitcases and went through them gathering the clothes and
putting them in the drawers. He found the robe he wanted Kathy to
wear, opening the bathroom door and putting it on the door peg.  He
said, "I couldn't resist smacking that sexy ass of yours. I'm sorry."

     Kathy flicked water at him from her bath. "Michael, you're not
sorry.  You're just sorry you're not getting any tonight. I know what
you're up to."  She smiled wide. "I'd have you join me, but I'm too
big for the tub."

     Mike laughed, bending down to kiss her. "Well, I'm sorry the
silly hotel makes such small tubs that the both of us can't share. And
really, I'm not going to get any? Damn it. How did you know that was
what I was after? You just know everything, Kathleen Flood."

     Kathy laughed. "And you're getting to be a bit goofy. Don't sound
so cheesy, Mike. Please. It's awful when you try to sound like you
come from a movie." She giggled at his pouting face.

     Mike said, "Fine, next time I'll just ask more politely if we can
fuck.  Sheesh. And here I thought I was being nice treating you like a
high class lady.  I'll just go unpack stuff since I'm disturbing your
nice bath."

     Kathy laughed louder. "Michael!  See! I knew what you were after.
And you were so polite about it, too."

     Mike smiled, dimples appearing.  He then frowned, making his
expression crabby. "Well, I better go pout and unpack. I hope you feel
good that I'm so sad now." He ducked as Kathy splashed more water.
Mike laughed, exiting the bathroom. He felt comfortable with Kathy.
More than he ever had.

     Mike stepped away from the bathroom, then put his ear to the
door. Kathy said loudly, "I know you're listening at the door,
Michael. Go unpack."

     Mike laughed again, making his way across the room to unpack the
equipment. He then hooked his Mac up, checking his e-mail messages.
None of them were important so he shut his system down, waiting for
Kathy to emerge from the bathroom.

     The door opened, Kathy stepping out in the dark, emerald green
robe that Mike loved on her. Her waist long, wet hair hung down her
back, her grey eyes shinning and her belly was round with her
condition. She said, "Well, Michael, want to comb my hair for me?"

     Mike could only stare at her.



     Sam watched as his son fell asleep.  He tucked him in, kissing
his son's forehead. It was eleven and Sam was left alone to think. Now
that he wasn't talking to his son, he was left to think about what was
happening between him and Jo Jo again. He sighed, sitting down in a
chair to watch his son.

     Sam watched as his son slept peacefully. He shook off his
thoughts of watching his son and took out a pad of paper. He'd write
to Jo Jo, a fresh letter. He wasn't sure if he'd share it with her
either.

Dear Jo Jo,

     I'm sorry that all of these things have come between us. I'm
sorry that I forgot why I fell in love with you in the first place. I
guess that's because I've been such a shit head since we lost Beth and
I haven't even paid any attention to you more than if you were holding
together for the moment. Jo Jo, I'm an asshole. I'm not going to lie
to you. But I am going to tell you, as I discover them, why I still
love you. Sure, it'll get a bit mushy, but if I can't say these things
to you, who can I say them to?

     Jo Jo, for the past ten years I've had the time of my life. I've
never felt the way I do about anyone but you before this. You're one
of a kind. You're not like other girls I've met. I'll never forget
seeing you stand there all shy and quiet after that concert. You
looked so young and innocent. And then I got to know you and you took
my heart. I just can't help but wonder if you still want it. I can't
give it to anyone else anymore.  It belongs to you now.

     I guess I love you because you're honest and kind and loving, yet
you don't take shit and bear it. I love you because you're beautiful
and sexy, but not in that over showy fakey way. You have guts. You
have way more than I think I have, though you'll argue with me on
that. I love you, Jo Jo, because no matter what, you don't quit. You
don't let them win. All the times I thought of quitting just to have
you kick me in the ass has helped me more than you can know.

     As I sit away from you instead of cuddling with you like I'd
like. . . I'm here writing to you about why I feel the way I do. I
know a lot of people will say, "How come you miss her so much already?
It's not even been a day!" but Jo Jo, it has been more than a day.
It's been months. I've spent months away from you, even when we made
love. It's true.  I have never felt so disconnected to you.  I want to
fix that so bad because I know if I don't there may not be anything
else for me to do.

     Mike told me to write about what I would say to you if I was
talking to you. I guess I'll tell you what I want to tell you in
person right now. I'm scared. I'm scared shitless. My baby, OUR baby
is missing. I've been selfish saying MY all the time, Jo Jo. I'm sorry
about that. You're her mother. You miss her just as much as me, if not
more. You love her just as much as me, if not more.  I'm sorry I
haven't asked you how you've been. I'm sorry I haven't asked you if
you're okay. I'm sorry I haven't said I love you, Jo Jo, and meant it
in a long time. I guess I'm just fucking sorry for a lot of things.
One of them is for not loving you the way you should be.

     If that wasn't mushy for you, here's some more. I'm feeling like
my sensitive self tonight, so put up with it. Jo Jo, you should be. .
.no you deserve to be loved by someone who can give you everything
your heart desires.  Really. Jo Jo, I want to do that for you again. I
want to be able to give you anything you ask for because you put up
with so much from me.

     I guess before you think I'm some gay guy writing to you, I'll
just end it here. Oh and Jo Jo, I meant every word I said. I love you.
And this time I mean it. Every word of it.

Love, Sam

     Sam folded the letter up, placing it on top of the table. He
closed his eyes, sighing. Hopefully he would have the guts to let her
read it. He took his shirt off, tossing it to the laundry bag. He
climbed into bed, pulling the covers back and got comfortable next to
his son. He wasn't going to bother with a cot. He kissed his son's
temple, whispering, "Good night, Trent."



     Kathy laughed softly at his expression. "Michael, shut your
mouth.  You look as if you've seen a ghost."

     Mike stood up, taking her hands into his own. He helped her to
the bed, sitting down with her. He smiled at her, then took the comb
from her hand. Mike said softly, "Turn around so I can comb your
hair." Once Kathy had turned around, he slid the comb through her
hair. He whispered in her ear, "I forgot what that robe looked like on
you."

     Kathy snorted. "I'm as big as a house, Mike. It can't be that
sexy seeing bloated me in this robe." She titled her head back so he
could comb from the top of her head. She sighed softly.

     Mike lifted all of her hair up into his left hand and ran the
comb through the ends of her hair. He was gentle with her hair. Mike
looked at Kathy.  He leaned in, whispering into her ear softly, "I
think you're very sexy this way. I love this color on you."

     Kathy turned her head to look at him. "Michael, you like me in
just about anything. Or nothing in some cases.  I'm not stupid." She
smiled wide at him.  "It's not a big deal. I like you in tons of
things, too. Nothing is nice sometimes, I must admit."

     Mike shook his head. "You've always seen right through me. How
did you know I was trying to seduce you?" He kissed her neck, laughing
low in his throat. "Am I that obvious?"

     "What do you think, goofy. You don't even try to hide your
intentions. You haven't all evening. I'm tempted to give you what you
want, you know. I'm just too tired and with the baby I just don't
think we should. I'm sorry. I promise to make it up to you some how."  
She looked over her shoulder at him.

     Mike leaned in, kissing her. "I know. I'm sorry. I won't pressure
you any more. How about instead I spoil you? I'll order up anything
you want from room service. Pies, cakes, you name it. I'll get it or
I'll make some one run to the store and get it."

     Kathy sighed. "Michael. It's not even Christmas yet. Besides, I
thought you'd give my tired feet a massage."  She got up, sitting back
down at the head of the bed, her legs stretching out.

     Mike laughed. "Of course I will.  I said I would, didn't I?" He
tossed the comb down onto the table, lying down onto his stomach. He
started rubbing one foot, then had an evil thought enter his mind. He
started tickling the bottom of her foot, causing her to squirm. He
laughed, watching her giggle.

     "MICHAEL!" Kathy squealed, trying to kick at him so he'd stop. "I
said massage, not tickle! You big meanie!  Sure, talk sweet and
everything, but you're just going to tickle me. You are just awful!"

     Mike let go of her foot, sitting up before she could kick him. He
laughed, "That was fun. It's not every day I get to tickle your feet.
I forgot how ticklish they were!" He backed up from the bed as Kathy
came towards him.

     Kathy made an advance towards him.  "I'm going to get you. You'll
be sorry for tickling me, mister!" She had him cornered by the chair
next to the window.  She watched him cover his face with his arms and
scrunch up into the corner, back towards her. She said, "That won't
save you!" She took her hand, squeezing his ass, causing him to jump.

     Mike yelped, turning around quickly. "KAT! That was mean!"

     "Oh and tickling me wasn't! You're just so mean sometimes." She
kissed him while she still had him cornered. "There.  That's all
you're getting out of me. Now I'm hungry. Let's get something yummy to
eat and some movies to watch before we decide to go to bed."

     Mike sighed, looking dejected.  "And yet I still can't get any."
He deflected her small fists with his arms. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry. I
know we can't. I'll watch a movie with you.  I promise to keep my
hands to myself."

     "Uh-huh. Let's sit down and relax.  I'm still tired, you big
meanie." Kathy kissed his cheek, making her way to the bed. She sat
down on her side, looking over him as he climbed in. "And remember, no
funny business."

     Mike grumbled under his breath, "I know, I know."



     Jo Jo sat with Richie in her bed, bouncing him on her knee as he
giggled.  She sung softly to him, enjoying this time with her youngest
son. She couldn't help but notice how much he was starting to look
like his father, especially in his eyes. His dark brown eyes with
green and gold specs always captivated her attention.

     Brian shook his head from his seat at the desk table. He said,
"Jo Jo, that little boy has got you wrapped around his finger."

     Jo Jo looked up from her son.  "So? He's my baby boy. I may never
get to hold another baby. I don't see Sam and I having any more
children, especially with the way the three we have take so much
effort."

     Brian sighed. "I wouldn't say that, Jo Jo. You never know. He may
want another baby. Of course he might want one after you get Beth
back. Do you want one?"

     Jo Jo sighed. "I don't know. I really don't. Especially with Sam
and I separated at the moment, I can't tell you what I want.  I guess
right now all I want is to be back with Sam and be a family with all
five of us." She held Richie up, allowing him to dance on her lap. She
giggled at how silly he was being.

     Brian said, "True. Listen, I know I'm usually busy and don't take
the time to reassure you two, but I think we can find her alive and
soon. We've got some leads and I think Beth is very smart.  She'll try
to find a way to contact us in the near future and let us know where
she is. I think she really will."

     Jo Jo let Richie go so he could crawl on the floor. "You think
so?  You really think so? I don't know what to think anymore. I keep
hoping that I can wake up one day and find that it was nothing but a
nightmare and none of this was real. I keep waiting to hear her voice
ask me what is wrong.  And it never happens." She looked out the
window.

     Brian gently guided Richie away from the heater and towards the
middle of the room before he answered. "Jo Jo, I know you want to hear
your baby girl's voice. I do, too. I want your little girl to come
back safe and sound here. I wish we were on an average tour with small
disturbances and minor concerns just as much as the rest of you."

     Jo Jo looked back towards Brian.  "I don't know. I just don't
know anything any more. Last December Sam and I were preparing his new
album, strong in our love for one another and had all of our children
with us. Now that's all changed. We don't even know if being in love
with one another is enough. I want my life back. I want to have our
life back, Sam and mine." She looked down, tears flowing gently down
her face.

     Brian put his pen down, joining Jo Jo on the bed. He took the
emotionally distressed woman into his arms, holding her. "Jo Jo, it's
very difficult, but everything will work out just fine. I know that no
matter what happens to Beth, you and Sam will find your way back to
one another and be stronger than ever.  I know you two. Neither of you
can give up what you have."

     Jo Jo sighed. She pulled away, standing up to redirect Richie
from using the heater to pull himself up.  She turned, looking at
Brian. "I certainly hope you're right. I don't think I can give up
what I have with him. I'm going to go take a bath, do some reading and
go to bed. Will you make sure Richie doesn't be a goof and burn his
hand on this heater? He seems to think it should help him stand up."

     Brian smiled, shaking his head.  "Sure thing, Jo Jo. Don't you
worry about him. He's safe with me. Just take your bath and enjoy
yourself.  It'll do you some good. I'll let you know if I hear
anything."

     Jo Jo smiled from her suitcase.  She took out her nightshirt, one
of Sam's old shirts, and padded off into the bathroom. She closed the
door, clasping the shirt to her face, smelling a mixture of him and
her on it. Then she sobbed into it.  Missing her husband and her child
was almost too much.

     She squared her shoulders, put the shirt onto the counter folded
up neatly and prepared her bath. There she would think and allow
herself to unwind. She felt she needed this time to herself and Jo Jo
was determined to have that.

     Jo Jo soaked quietly in her bath water, sinking below the bubbles
for a few moments. She thought about how lucky she was to have a man
like Sam in her life at all, and questioned herself on how she would
get him back. She blew some bubbles away from herself, then sat up to
rinse her hair before washing it.

     Her thoughts turned towards the past few months and how she had
been treating her husband. Had she been just as selfish?  A wave of
remorse and guilt washed over her as she realized that the answer was
yes. All this time she had been doing several of the same things Sam
had been doing. She also had said "my" in reference to their child.
She also had not listened to him when he needed her most.

     Jo Jo rinsed the shampoo from her hair, thinking about a way she
could change what had happened. Next time she talked to Sam, she would
take the time to listen and seek understanding of what he was going
through. She'd be open and let things be smoother between them, not
expecting him to do things that would satisfy her needs and leave his
unsatisfied. She now understood why things had fallen apart. This lack
of understanding and openness had destroyed what they had before these
months of nightmarish agony.

     She lowered herself back into the water to allow her thoughts to
continue.  All that mattered to her was fixing this rift and getting
her family back. She started to believe that if she opened her heart
and self up to Sam that this could be accomplished. If she had only
opened her heart to him long before a blow out, and only if he had
opened his, would they still be where they are now? She wondered these
things, then shook the thoughts away knowing they were not important
in the long run.  Woulda, shoulda, couldas never equaled to what was,
is and could be.

     Jo Jo stepped out of the tub, drying herself off. She jumped when
she heard a thud outside the door, jolting her out of her reviver.
Then she heard Richie's wail. She muttered to herself, "Richie musta
crawled into the wall again. That silly boy." Jo Jo put Sam's shirt
on, wrapping a towel around her hair. Then she stepped out of the
bathroom, placing her clothing into the laundry bag. She asked, "What
did the little guy do now?"

     Brian had a hold of the squirming Richie, his wails now out of
frustration than pain. "Uh, he was crawling and ran into the corner.
He was trying to crawl towards me and well, you know, bonk."

     Jo Jo giggled. "Give that baby to me." She took Richie in her
arms, cooing at him. "Now Richie, you shouldn't have your mother's
clumsiness. It's not very becoming. It's almost your bed time
anyways."

     Richie stopped crying, fascinated by what his mother's hair had
become. His hands reached out, attempting to pull on the towel. Jo Jo
dodged his small hand, walking over to the crib that had been set up.
"Listen little guy, it's time for bed. Sleepy time." She kissed his
forehead, tucking the small boy in.  "Night, night."

     Brian laughed from where he stood by his bed. "You sure have a
handle on him."

     "You should see me some days. Some times he just makes me want to
pull my hair out. Especially when I've spent all day making sure he
doesn't shove things into his mouth, chew on Sam's cords for his
equipment, or when he's trying to touch things he shouldn't. He's most
certainly hit the oral stage."

     "I can see that. What are you going to do now?"

     "I'm going to comb my hair, read for awhile and go to bed."


     Mike woke to feel someone poke him in the shoulder. He opened his
eyes, noticing it was still dark. He groaned, moving onto his side,
facing out. He felt another jab in the middle of his back this time,
sitting up.  "What the fuck is going on here!  I'm trying to sleep!"

     Kathy said, "Michael, it's important."

     "What is?" Mike said, toning down his irritation at the sound of
her voice. "Is everything alright?"

     Kathy gasped. "Michael, I don't feel very good." She lay back.

     Mike put a hand onto her forehead, feeling. "You got a fever. Did
you feel bad earlier?"

     "No. No. I felt fine. I just feel sick all of the sudden." She
sat up, heaving. "I think I may have gotten Trent's flu bug some how.
Either that or something is wrong."

     Mike said, "Stay right here. I'm going to go and get Dana. She
needs to make sure the baby is just fine." He looked over at the
clock, noticing it was three in the morning.

     Kathy nodded, gripping her hands into the blankets. "Hurry."

     Mike ran down the hall. He knocked on Doggett and Scully's door,
waiting for an answer. Doggett opened the door, rubbing an eye. "What
is it, Mike? It's three in the morning."

     "I need Dana to come with me.  Kat's sick. I don't know how bad,
but I need her to come take a look."  Mike said, growing frantic. He
noticed Scully in the background, pulling a robe on.

     Scully asked, "How does she feel?"

     "Flu is what she thought it could be. You'll have to check her
over. She just woke up feeling sick." Mike said, pulling his arms
around himself as he felt the cold draft blow on him.

     Scully sighed. "Let me see her then." She followed Mike, finding
Kathy lying on the bed, looking pale after the lights were turned on.
She said, "Kathy, do you feel sick to the stomach?"

     Kathy nodded on the bed. She said, "I don't know. All of the
sudden I woke feeling sick. Is the baby going to be alright?" She
closed her eyes.

     Scully said, "Well, let me get your fever down. Do you feel sick
in any other way?" She felt Kathy's forehead, finding the fever that
Mike had found.

     Kathy groaned. "I only feel sick to my stomach. I don't know if
I'm doing anything else. What if I'm spotting again? Could I lose the
baby?"

     Scully said, "Calm down, first, Kathy. If you get too upset, you
could cause some problem. You could also get sick. Why don't you and I
go into the bathroom and we'll look to see if you are spotting. Maybe
you only have the flu. Trent was still infected a few days ago and you
did see him. You probably caught it from him."

     Kathy nodded. She stood up on shaky legs, making her way into the
bathroom.  She allowed Scully to check her over, Mike standing in the
door way, his expression dark and nervous. She said, her voice shaky,
"Well? Am I okay?"

     Scully sighed audibly. "You're just fine. You just have the flu.  
You'll be okay. Probably explains why you were so tired the past
couple of days as well. I suggest you take it easy."

     Kathy sighed in relief. "Thank God."  She looked over at Mike,
then made her way over to hug him. She put her head onto his chest.
"I'm so glad it's just the flu. I still don't feel good though."

     Scully laughed. "Well, the flu isn't good for you either, but I
don't think you'll have any long term problems with the baby if you
take care of yourself while you have the flu. Get some rest and make
your over attentive husband keep an eye on you. I'll check on you in
the morning."

     Kathy smiled from Mike's chest.  "Thanks. I'm sorry I woke you
for this silly flu."

     Scully shook her head. "It's okay.  It happens. Just take it easy
and get some sleep."

     Mike sighed. "I'm glad that wasn't anything more than the flu.
That was quite the scare. Come on, let's go to bed or do you feel like
you need to stay here for a while?"

     Kathy shook her head. "I'm fine.  I'm just a little nauseous."

     "Alright." Mike held her hand as he walked back to the bed. They
climbed back in, Mike hoping that everything would work out. He kissed
her good night and lay back down onto the bed.



     Jo Jo woke the next morning, feeling a cold draft flow over the
top of her. She looked down, pulling the blankets around herself to
deflect the cold. She looked over to where Sam should be and felt a
pang of sadness wash over her. It was lonely being in bed without him.
She looked over at the crib, noticing Richie was still asleep.

     Brian noticed that Jo Jo was awake. "Did you sleep well, Jo Jo?"

     Jo Jo yawned, stretching. "Yes, sorta. It was sorta lonely but I
managed.  Any news?"

     "I'm afraid nothing to report at the moment. I'm sorry. I know
you want some news. Good news especially. I called the Field Office
and there was nothing from them but they'll be getting back to me.
Just sit tight." Brian said, ruffling his hair.

     Jo Jo sighed. "I'm going to get dressed and take Richie for a
walk.  He'll get restless just crawling around in here if I don't. He
gets so restless sometimes. I'll pick up some breakfast for him while
I do that."

     "Alright. I'm sure Richie will enjoy that. He seemed to run out
of energy last night." Brian said.

     "Yeah. He tends to know when it's time to sleep now. He may have
lots of energy but he understands when it's sleepy time. He's old
enough to sleep through the night now." She got up, making her way to
the suitcase to take out some clothes for the day.

     Richie stirred in the crib, cooing out for his mother. Jo Jo said
from where she was at the suitcase, "Just wait a moment, Mommy has to
get dressed and get you dressed and then we'll go to get something to
eat, how does that sound?"

     Richie could be heard clapping his hands at his mother's voice.
He fussed a moment later, starting to cry. Brian said, "I'll help him
get dressed while you do. That way you can be on your way sooner."

     Jo Jo said, "Thanks. That helps.  He's sorta impatient. I think
he got that from his father." She took her clothes heading into the
bathroom. "I might stop by Mike and Kathy's for a few moments."

     "Okay. I'm sure they'll be glad to see you." Brian said, lifting
Richie out of his crib. He deflected Richie's fist from hitting him
square in the nose.  "Now, now, don't go hitting me."

     Jo Jo laughed as she disappeared into the bathroom. She wondered
what Sam was doing and if Trent had stayed the night. She hoped that
they would run into one another in the breakfast area, even though she
knew she wasn't quite ready to see him. She sighed, slipping into her
purple shirt and blue jeans. She put some socks on, foregoing shoes
since she was only going down to the breakfast area.

     When she reentered the hotel room, she found Richie dressed and
crawling.  She picked him up, placing him into a stroller, though he
objected to the idea with some cries. "Richie, please.  Make this easy
on your mother. Don't fuss so much." Jo Jo got him strapped in.  
"There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

     Richie looked up at his mother, his arms reaching out towards
her, a pout on his face. He looked displeased that she wasn't going to
just carry him to where ever they were going. He didn't like the
confinement of the stroller.

     Jo Jo sighed. "I see you're going to make getting breakfast tons
of fun.  You're always so temperamental."

     Brian laughed. "You tell Sam that all the time. I guess he does
have his father's temperament."

     "I know. That's the problem with having the both of them around.
I suppose we should get down to the breakfast area and get something
to eat. It's going to be a long day. I can already sense that."

     Brian smiled. "I hope he doesn't give you that much trouble. And
you never know, Jo Jo. Things could fix themselves by the end of the
day. One never knows what can happen."

     Jo Jo smiled. "I know. Well, I'm off to get food." She slung
Richie's baby bag over her arm, pushing him out the door. When the
door closed she looked down at Richie. "Well, sweetie, shall we get
some breakfast?" Richie clapped his hands, cooing softly. "I take that
as a yes."

     Jo Jo was standing at the counter, getting some cereal from the
containers when she saw a hand go over her own. She looked up, seeing
Sam's dark eyes plead with her to come talk with him. She whispered,
"Sam, we're supposed to be having our time alone."

     Sam pulled his hand back, shyly replying, "I know. I, uh, I just
had to talk to you. Jo Jo, mind if we at least share breakfast
together? I want to give you something." He was feeling awkward
talking to his own wife in this manner. It felt odd that he even had
to ask her to allow him to sit with her.

     Jo Jo looked down, bit her lip and sighed. "Alright, Sam. It
might do us some good." She took her bowl of cereal and pushed Richie
towards the table.  "Did you sleep well?"

     Sam smiled slightly, taking a seat across from her. "Not really.
I sorta was restless all night. Trent slept like a rock though. You
know how he is. How did you sleep?"

     "I was restless, too. I must admit it was odd not having you next
to me, or as you are sometimes, on top of me.  Richie slept peacefully
through out the night. Not a word outta the boy." Jo Jo said, smiling.
For the first time since Beth's disappearance, she felt that she was
connecting with Sam. She put her hand over his. "I think I realized
last night how selfish I've been. I haven't asked you in ages how you
are feeling."

     Sam looked down at their hands, then back up. "No, I've been
selfish."  He took his hand back, crossing his arms. "I have been such
an ass."

     Jo Jo sighed. "Sam, we both have.  We've both been pretty
selfish." She looked down at Richie, finding him waving his arms and
looking around the room they were in. She smiled at him, looking back
at Sam. "Look, we can both point fingers at ourselves and feel guilty
over who did what or didn't do what or we can sit and actually talk
about how we feel.  No expectations, no drama, just sharing."

     Sam looked over at her. "Here, I wrote this last night. I don't
know how much of it's legible, but here." He handed the letter to her,
allowing her to read.  He hoped it would at least break some of this
awkwardness.

     Jo Jo's eyes teared up as she read it. Once she finished it, she
said, "Sam, you're not an asshole. You shouldn't think you are. If you
were, you wouldn't write what you did to me.  And I feel just as
disconnected."

     Sam looked up from where he had been staring off into space. "I
just wrote what I felt. I haven't told you how I really feel in ages.
I'm still scared. I'm scared that I'll lose you or Beth or the both of
you. I can't do that."

     Jo Jo set the letter down gently.  "You won't lose me. Sam, I'm
going to ask if we can talk in private and settle this. It may not fix
entirely today, in fact I know it won't, but I want to be with you in
the same room and not feel so empty." She looked into his troubled
dark eyes. "And Sam, I love you, too. I mean it."

     Sam uncrossed his arms, taking her hand into his. "I know. I
guess we forgot we did for awhile, didn't we?  Listen, I'll get
breakfast and take it up to Trent and you and Richie eat here.  I'll
ask Bri if we can have someone keep an eye on the boys while we talk.
Okay?  I don't want to leave it like this. I feel we finally made a
breakthrough."

     Jo Jo nodded. She smiled weakly, "I do, too. I do, too. I'll see
you in a little bit. And Sam, I'm glad you stopped me this morning."

     Sam smiled, a little more confidently.  "Yeah. Me too. See you in
a little bit, then?"

     Jo Jo nodded. "Yes. See you in a little bit." She gave his hand a
squeeze.

     Sam squeezed back before letting go.  He smiled, backing up for a
few moments, then gathered breakfast for himself and Trent,
disappearing out of the breakfast area. Jo Jo watched as he left,
sighing.  Perhaps they could fix things enough to take away the
tension between one another.



     Sam opened the hotel room door, finding Trent watching
television. He set the breakfast bag down onto the table. "Trent, I
got breakfast."

     Trent looked up from the television.  He opened the breakfast
bag, grabbing what he wanted. "You saw Mom, didn't you." He didn't
ask, instead he simply stated, and that took Sam by surprise.

     "Yes. I did. Uh, I have to ask Brian to keep an eye on you and
Richie while your mother and I talk. She's with Richie in the
breakfast area. We're going to try and fix our problem." Sam said,
feeling mildly uncomfortable.

     Trent nodded, eating his muffin.  "I think I might go visit Uncle
Mike, if you don't mind."

     "No, no, I don't mind. Just gotta have someone know where you
are." He looked down at the floor. "I'm glad you understand that your
mother and I have to fix this.  You didn't do anything wrong, I hope
you know that." Sam said, sitting down next to his son.

     Trent replied, "I know I didn't do anything wrong. No one did
anything wrong besides that bad man who took Beth away. If he hadn't
done what he had, you and Mom wouldn't be having these problems right
now. I know you and Mom blame yourselves, but I just think it's all
that bad man's fault."

     Sam sighed. "It has a lot to do with it, yes. What that bad man
did is an awful thing and your mother and I were having hard times
coping with one another's problems. We still are having a hard time
coping with it. I guess what I'm trying to say is we drifted apart
because we weren't sure how to talk to one another about this issue.
Both of us have had times where we have both believed Beth to be dead
and thinking about one of our children no longer being with us scares
us. It scares us so much that talking about it makes us uneasy with
one another.  Only problem, it makes us uneasy not to."

     Trent hugged his father. "But Dad, don't you know you could talk
to someone?  So you weren't so scared and so you didn't fight all the
time?"

     Sam sighed. "I don't really know.  I guess I just was so lost in
how I felt that I didn't think of talking with anyone else. I guess I
was isolated from everyone." He hugged Trent back.

     Trent smiled. "Well, maybe you'll talk to Mom and you'll fix
things and it'll be okay between the two of you again. I hope so. I
don't like it when you and Mom are mad at one another."

     Sam sighed. "Well, today is just to clear some air between your
mother and I. I don't know if we'll move back into the same room or
not, but we're trying to fix this rift. I know you want us to be back
together and so do I."

     Trent nodded. "I understand. I know! Why don't you show Mom the
song you wrote last night. I know she'd like it if she heard it." He
was trying his best to find ways to make everything alright. While he
seemed more mature for his age sometimes, especially after Beth had
disappeared, Trent's childlike-innocence was still a major influence
over how he thought.  "It might help make things alright."

     Sam smiled, realizing what his son was trying to do. "I might
just do that. But Trent, it isn't going to fix the problem your mother
and I have. We can only do that by communicating and listening. I know
you want us back together so badly, but we can't rush that. I thought
about it a lot last night. Your mother made the right decision in
going separate for the day and night."

     "But you and Mom can get back together today, right?" Trent was
feeling nervous about what his father was telling him.

     "It'll take time, Trent. We're just taking the first step. No, I
don't think we'll be together sharing the same room by the end of
today. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it's not very likely. I
know it's hard, but we're doing the right thing. Trust us on this,
Trent." Sam said, firmly.

     Trent felt hot, salty tears come to his eyes, "But, but what
about Richie and me?"

     "Well, I guess until your mother and I can get back together,
you'll be staying with me and Richie will be staying with your mother,
unless we're talking like we will in a bit here.  That's if you want
to stay with me."

     Trent bit his lip trying not to cry. He hugged his father, hiding
the sobs he couldn't hold back. He choked out, "I want to stay with
you. But I want to stay with you AND Mom. It's not fair!"

     "I know. I know it's not fair.  But Trent, I promise that no
matter what happens between your mother and I, we'll always love you
and Richie and Beth. That'll never change." Sam said, hugging his son
tight.

     "But you and Mom love each other and that changed. What if it
changes between you and me?" Trent was feeling scared.

     "It's different when it's a boy and a girl who love each other
and are married. It's not like a child and parent or a sibling. You
always love one another because you're family. And Trent, I never
stopped loving your mother. I still do love her. We're just having a
hard time right now.  We just need some time to be alone and away from
one another." He rubbed Trent's back. "I know it's hard to understand,
but it's something we have to do."

     Trent sniffled, then lifted his head up. "Okay, Dad. I'll try to
understand. I still think you should show that song to her."

     "I will. I love you, Trent. Why don't you go harass Mike for
awhile.  I'm going to wait for your mother to show up and I should at
least make the bed." Sam smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "You know
how your mother gets when it's not very neat."

     Trent laughed quietly. "Yeah, I do."

     Sam heard a soft knock on the door as he finished making the bed.
He brushed himself off, almost feeling like he was just starting to
date Jo Jo. He smoothed his hair, then opened the door. He smiled
shyly when he saw Jo Jo on the other side.  Sam said, "Hi, come on
in."

     Jo Jo walked in, appearing just as shy. She smiled wanly at Sam,
then sat down onto the bed. She looked out the window, then down at
the floor.  "I'm glad we could get this time to talk, Sam."

     Sam remained standing, his hands shoved into his pockets. "I am,
too.  Listen. . ." He laughed nervously when Jo Jo interrupted him.

     "Look Sam. . ." She stopped when he started laughing. She sighed,
looking over at him. "Sam, you go first."

     Sam nodded, rather than argue with her on the issue. "I, well, I
just want to say that I love you, I guess. I feel like a dumb ass. I
had all these things I wanted to say and none of them are coming out."
He ran a hand on the back of his neck, looking down at the floor at an
undetermined point.

     Jo Jo stood up, taking his free hand into her own. She squeezed
it gently. "Don't plan out what you want to tell me. Just tell me what
you need to tell me. Not what I want to hear.  Not what will sound
right. What you need to tell me. What needs to be said."  She gave his
hand another squeeze before letting it go.

     Sam turned around, feeling that if he didn't look at it her it
might be easier to say what he must. "Jo Jo, I love you. Even though I
love you, I am scared. I'm scared so much that lately I've felt so
alone. I didn't want to tell you I was scared about Beth because I
thought if you knew, you'd feel like giving up and I couldn't do that
to you." He gulped in air, fighting the urge to cry. "I thought if I
let you know how much I was afraid that you'd want to call the search
off for Beth. I can't give up. I won't give up."

     Jo Jo got up from her seat on the bed, taking his hand into her
own again. She squeezed it, gently asking, "Turn around, Sam." He did
as told, and Jo Jo hugged him to herself. "I know it's hard. Listen,
you shouldn't have hidden this from me, but now that I know, I can
understand more of why we've had such fighting. I, too, am very afraid
that we already lost Beth and are in a hopeless cause to get her home
alive, but I'm not giving up hope just yet."  She put her head onto
his shoulder. "I love you, too, Sam. More than you could ever know."

     Sam broke down, finally letting his inner turmoil rush over. He
put one hand on the back of Jo Jo's head, the other around her waist.
He choked out, "Jo Jo, when you left me yesterday, that was the last
thing I could take. I can't take anymore. I can't." He buried his face
into her hair, crying in frustration and emotional exhaustion.

     Jo Jo felt tears come to her own eyes. She said, "Sam, I know it
hurt when I walked out. I hope you understand why I did it. I did it
because I love you.  I couldn't stay and say something awful to you.
So I left." She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "It'll be
alright. I promise. I'm not going to leave you permanently. I can't."

     Sam lifted his head up, sniffling.  "You know, I was explaining
to Trent what was happening before you showed up. And right now, I
don't even understand it." He took his hands, lifting her face up to
look into his.  "Jo Jo, what the fuck are we doing?  Why do we have to
be so far away from each other. I love you, you love me and nothing
can change that. Not even a crazy fuck head who takes little girls for
spite." He kissed her before she could respond, his tongue pushing
into her mouth, his arms going around her waist and back. He held her,
kissing her deeply, deciding if words couldn't help, maybe showing
would.

     Once the kiss broke off, Jo Jo's eyes were brimming over with
hot, salty tears. "I don't know. I don't know why it changed our love.
I don't know why we let it. Sam, last night was one of the loneliest
nights of my life."

     Sam hugged her to himself, rocking them both. He quietly hummed,
unsure of what else to do. He whispered, "Jo Jo, no matter what, I
promise that you will never feel that way ever again. I mean that."

     Jo Jo sobbed quietly into his chest. "I know you do." She lifted
her face up, her eyes sad. "Listen, I'll spend today apart from you
and tonight I'll come back. I don't want to be away from you again
tonight. I just need someone I can talk to that understands what I'm
going through tonight. That's you."

     Sam nodded, wiping his nose. "I agree. Spend the day apart and we
can talk tonight, all night if need be.  Where will you be so I can
reach you if I need to?"

     "I'm going to visit your brother for awhile. I might visit Mike
and Kathy but we'll see." She kissed his cheek, lingering.  "I love
you. See you tonight? Say nine tonight? A late dinner perhaps?"

     "Sure. That sounds good. I'll be here if you need me. I think
I'll work on some songs and just zonk out for awhile." Sam said,
smiling, a boyish look coming to his face. "See you at nine tonight."
He squeezed her hand, giving her cheek a kiss. "I love you."

     "I know. I love you, too. See you later and keep Trent out of
trouble."  Jo Jo made it to the door, opening it slowly, she looked at
him, smiling once more before closing the door.

     Once Jo Jo was gone, Sam heavily sighed.  He felt like things
were starting to be on the mend. Hopefully he wouldn't mess things up
tonight. He sat down onto the bed, picking the remote up to channel
surf. After the drain on his emotions he just needed time to space off
in front of the television.


     Trent knocked softly on Mike and Kathy's door, waiting for an
answer.  Mike opened the door, asking, "Well, what's up, Trent? I
don't know if I should let ya in since Kat's sick, but I'm going to
anyways."

     Trent asked, "Aunt Kathy is sick?  What happened?"

     "She got your flu, Trent. She's absolutely miserable. Can't take
anything like you did." He smiled. "It's not your fault."

     Trent sighed. "Oh. I'm sorry she got sick."

     Kathy's voice could be heard from the bed, almost sounding like a
croak, "Mike! Who is at the door?"

     "Trent is, Kat. He wants to visit.  I told him I might not let
him since you're so sick." Mike replied back."

     Trent said, "Poor Aunt Kathy. She sounds awful. I'm sorry."

     Mike sighed. "Come on in. Just be sure to wash your hands when
you leave.  I'm going to have to get the maids in here big time." He
shut the door after Trent entered.

     Trent walked into the room, noticing Kathy lying on the bed. She
was propped up on pillows, blankets pulled up to her chest. She smiled
at Trent, croaking out, "Hi, Trent. I know I look awful."

     Mike sighed. "Kat, want me to get some more tea for you? Can you
hold that down?"

     "Yeah. It might make this awful stuffed up nose of mine un clog.
It's awful!" She sniffled, then blew her nose. "Michael, get me a new
Kleenex please."

     Mike shook his head, handing her the box. "There. A whole box to
yourself. I'm going to order up that tea."

     Trent said, "I'm sorry you got sick, Aunt Kathy." He sat down
into a chair, looking guilty for his aunt's sickness. "I didn't mean
to pass the flu on to anyone."

     Kathy laughed, sputtering into a cough. "I'm sorry. It's okay,
Trent.  You can't help that the flu just happens to go from one person
to another. I'll be fine. Dr. Michael will make sure of it. He won't
let me die of the flu, he'll kill me with kindness!"

     Mike made a pouty look, snorting.  "See if I order any tea up for
you again." He crossed his arms, looking at the floor, his hair
falling past his face. "I guess being nice just isn't any good."

     Trent laughed. "Uncle Mike, you look silly when you do that."

     Kathy laughed, coughing afterwards again. "The boy is right.
Don't look so silly. And Mike, you're cute when you're Dr. Michael.
Now order that tea up for me or or or I'll throw up on you."

     Mike scrunched up his face. "Kat, that was disgusting. But I
deserved it."  He picked up the phone, calling up some tea for Kathy.
He sighed. He started laughing then. "That was quite the threat, Kat."

     Kathy puffed up. "I thought so if I say so myself. Oh dear, Trent
must think we're insane."

     Trent shook his head. "No. No.  Mom and Dad do weird things like
that all the time. Uncle Mike, I'm thirsty."

     Mike groaned. "Now you tell me after I made the phone call.
They're going to get ticked off at me if I keep calling them." He
picked up the phone. "What do you want?"

     Trent said, "Coke. Please."

     Mike sighed, ordering it up. "There, anyone else want anything
else? You know, before I hang up on the guy?"

     Kathy giggled. "No."

     "Good."



     Jo Jo leaned up against the door after she closed it. She sighed,
a few tears sliding down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away. She
bit her lip, whispering to herself, "I love you, Sam." She pushed off
from the door, walking back down to Brian's room. She knocked softly,
having forgot her key card.

     Brian opened the door, noticing how Jo Jo looked. He said, "Well,
how did it go?"

     Jo Jo said, "Better than I thought it would. It went well. I'm
going to stay the night with him and we're going to talk then. About
everything. Nothing held back.  I guess we're just very shy with each
other at the moment. I'm staying in here for the day and tonight I'm
going to go join him for supper at around nine. It's late, I know, but
it gives us time to gather our emotions in." She wiped a stray tear
from her eye.

     Brian crossed his arms. "That's good.  I'm glad you and him are
fixing this. I know it's been very hard for you lately.  What do you
plan on doing for the rest of the day?"

     "I thought I would work on some book writing, watch some TV, play
with Richie, nap perhaps. I've got all day to do all sorts of things.
I'm glad we got my lap top along or I'd never be able to decipher what
I wrote on the road." She cracked a smile. "I guess that's another
thing that's been causing this boil over inside me. I haven't been
writing enough lately."  She sighed.

     Brian shook his head. "Well, you can do anything you want today.
I'll let you do what you feel like doing.  I'll be doing phone calls
and talking to Doggett and Scully later."

     Jo Jo nodded. "Alright. Sounds fine to me. Will you keep an eye
on Richie tonight or will you be giving him to John and Dana?"

     "I'll probably drop him off so I can do some late night working
tonight.  I'm sure he won't mind. He'll just wonder where his mom is."
Brian said, smiling.

     "I'm sure he will." Jo Jo sat down onto the bed, picking the
remote up. She flipped through a few channels, finding a soap opera
on. She sat back, preparing to watch it. "I think I'll just relax for
awhile. It'll be good to relax after that emotional scene."

     Brian nodded. "Alright. Just let me know if I need anything."

     Jo Jo nodded. "I will." She got comfortable on the bed, moving
around and situating herself the way she wanted to watch without
getting a sore back. She watched the soap opera with some blankness in
her eyes as if she wasn't even paying any attention to the story on
the screen.

     Brian shook his head, knowing that things were very difficult for
Jo Jo at the moment, especially with the amount of things she had to
think about lately. He quietly gathered some work papers and files,
making his way out of the room to talk to Doggett and Scully.

     Jo Jo noticed that he had left.  She looked over at Richie in his
crib, sleeping again. At least for now she'd have some peace and
quiet. She closed her eyes, thinking Richie might have the right idea
on sleeping at the moment. She grew comfortable, allowing herself to
settle back. There, she quietly dozed off.



     Sam got up later on, deciding he would work on some songs. He
took his guitar out, setting it down onto the bed, then set a tape
recorder down next to it, preparing to dictate lyrics or sing them
into the player.  He sat down on to the bed, thinking.

     He closed his eyes, thinking back to that morning. He saw Jo Jo
in his mind's eye, her eyes full of love and pain. He shook his head.
"Well, I certainly kept my promise to you, Jo Jo. I said we'd never
fight like that again." He lay back, thinking of what he would do
tonight.

     He stood up, deciding to work on songs later. He had a "date" to
prepare for. That made him smile, thinking how odd it was to be dating
Jo Jo. He hadn't really taken her out on a date in so long. His smile
faded. Maybe that was another problem. They didn't have very much time
for one another. He was working on albums, she was writing and they
both had the kids to look out for. He shook his head. As soon as this
whole crisis was behind them, he'd take her out on dates, especially
dress up dates.

     Sam took out of his suitcase, taking a nice shirt out. Not a
dress shirt, just a nicer t-shirt of his.  He took out his best pair
of pants, the one with the lace up fly and decided he'd wear his
combat boots with that. He set what he would wear in the corner of the
room.

     Sam was mildly bored. He said, "Jo Jo, what do you want. . ." He
stopped, unable to finish the sentence, knowing Jo Jo wasn't there to
ask. He sat back down, leaning forward, his head in his hands. This
was going to be a very long day with nothing to do but think.

     He got up again, grabbing a can of pop from the cooler. He opened
it, drinking his Coke down. He burped, laughing at how Jo Jo would
chide him if she heard him do something like that. That was something
he missed in the silence of the room. Jo Jo's voice telling him he
shouldn't do something. He almost heard her voice chide, "Sam! Gross!"

     Sam shook his head, dispelling any thoughts he was having. It was
too hard to deal with without her in the room with him. He sat down
onto the bed, looking out the window as he sipped his pop. Perhaps
tonight things would finally get better, for real. This time they
would actually start to mend things, he was going to make sure of it
this time. He just hoped things could stay fixed.

     He walked around the room, pacing.  He wasn't sure what he would
do with all the time on his hands, since everything he did reminded
him of her. Then it dawned on him. This was why they were apart. So he
could think about what it was like to have her out of his life. Then
he could understand why he loved her so much. Nothing he did now was
without her. Everything he did these days included her somehow, some
way. He shook his head, finishing his pop.

     Sam crushed his can in his hand, tossing it into the garbage can.
He was even more bored, and now that he had caffeine in him, he was
starting to feel antsy. He wished there was something to do besides
sit in a hotel room all day and think. He turned the television on,
deciding that would be his best option for now.



     Jo Jo sat a table, ten minutes before nine. She was nervous and
unsure about tonight's activities, but she knew in her heart that if
she didn't come down early she might not have come down at all. She
looked down at her dark purple dress shirt, hoping it was nice enough
for Sam. Then she looked at the menu again for about the tenth time
since she had arrived.  Hopefully the evening would run smoothly.

     She heard someone slide into the seat in front of her, Sam's soft
voice greeting her, "Hi, Jo Jo. I see we're both early." She looked
up, seeing the same insecurity in his dark eyes that had to be in
hers.  She smiled slightly at him, noticing that he smiled at her,
too.

     "Hello, Sam. Yeah, I came early.  You know me, always have to be
early so I don't miss anything." She looked at him, feeling herself
begin to check him out almost. He was wearing a dark, black t-shirt
and his lace up leather pants. She had always enjoyed that particular
outfit. Then she looked back into his face, noticing him watching her,
doing the same thing she was. It was like they were courting one
another again.

     Sam picked up the menu sitting in front of him when he realized
he had been caught. "So. . .what are you thinking of having?"

     Jo Jo looked into her own menu, feeling silly for even having to
hide from her own husband this way. Especially since tonight was going
to be about not hiding, things were not getting off on the right foot.
She set her menu down, sighing. "Sam, we're doing it again."

     Sam looked up, putting his own menu down as well. "I know. Look,
we both know we were checking each other out. It was pretty obvious."
He cracked a smile. "And I must say I like you in tight jeans and a
nice frilly, girly, purple shirt."

     Jo Jo blushed. "Sam!" She laughed then, feeling the awkwardness
of a few moments melt away and a feeling of how things used to be flow
over her. She said, "I noticed you picked my favorite outfit. How did
you know I'd like to see you in those lace ups?"

     Sam smiled slyly. "I just know you. So, how was your day today?"
He hoped that by asking this question it would somehow break the ice
and keep the comfortable feeling they were both feeling going.

     "My day was okay. Richie and I played for awhile, then we napped.  
Real exciting stuff like that. How about your day?" Jo Jo said,
watching him over the candle light.

     Sam laughed. "I napped some, wrote some more on some songs,
watched television, played some solitaire when I got really bored and
hung out with Trent just before coming here. He told me that Kathy has
his flu."

     "Oh, that's awful. Poor Kathy must feel awful. And not to mention
how Mike is going to coddle the poor girl." She began to feel more and
more at ease, though she still knew they had lots of things to
discuss.

     Sam laughed. "Yep. Mike is going to kill her with kindness before
that flu does." He sipped some water, watching Jo Jo. She was looking
away from him. He watched as the dim light caught her hair, and how
her face glowed almost.

     Jo Jo looked over, catching Sam's intense, dark eyes watch her.
She quietly asked, "Sam, is there something you want to tell me?"

     Sam jumped, having been entranced by his thoughts. He had
travelled back in time in his mind, seeing a much younger Jo Jo across
from him. He stuttered, before replying. "I, I just want to say I love
you, I guess."

     "You guess?" She laughed quietly.  "You're very cute when shy. I
love you, too." She looked down, her smile disappearing. "I guess we
don't say it enough. Lately we've only said it to one another when we
hurt or when there is a crisis." She looked back up at him. "I love
you, Sam. There, I said it again."

     Sam took her hand into his, squeezing it over the table. "Tonight
is all about that, isn't it?"

     Jo Jo nodded. "That's exactly what it is all about."

     After they had their dinner salads, Sam caught a song being
played. He stood up, offering his hand shyly to Jo Jo.  "Would you
like to dance? I promise not to step on your toes." He smiled a
little, moving his head in the direction of the dance floor.

     Jo Jo threw her napkin down onto the table, taking his hand. "I'd
love to dance, and need I remind you I'm the clumsy one." She followed
him out to the dance floor, feeling his arms around her as she snaked
hers around his neck.

     Sam looked down at Jo Jo, her eyes catching his. He noticed that
for the first time since their fight she wasn't awkward or nervous
around him; instead, she was happy with him. He whispered, "Jo Jo, are
you having a nice time?"

     Jo Jo nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am.  I must say it feels nice to dance
with you, and not just in our hotel room to some rock album. We should
slow dance more often. It's rather pleasant."

     Sam laughed softly, allowing the music to lead them. "I know. I
was thinking about that earlier today. We don't date nearly as much as
we used to. Why is that? And I'm not talking since Beth disappeared.
I'm talking about way before that.

     Jo Jo sighed. "I don't know. I guess we just got too domesticated
and felt we didn't have to date anymore. I missed being with just you
out for dinner and perhaps dancing or a movie, actually. I don't think
our problems lie with Beth being gone, that just made them more
acute."

     Sam nodded. "Me too. I was thinking about when all of this mess
is over how we could perhaps date more and take more time for each
other. I mean, I'm busy working on music and you're busy writing and
where does that leave us when you think we got the kids after we're
done working. I think we should try to make an effort to date more
when things settle back down."

     Jo Jo smiled slightly, her fingers interlocking on the back of
his neck.  "Well, I'd love to go out with you more often. I missed
going out with you.  You're always so much fun when we go out."

     Sam smiled back, still feeling mildly shy. "I wouldn't mind
dating you all over again. Besides, if I mess up I can't forget to
call you. Not unless I want to call my own phone.  That's just plain
silly."

     Jo Jo laughed. "Yes, yes it is.  You are silly, but then so am I.
I guess that's why we work so well together. Now if we could only get
back to feeling that comfortable again."

     Sam leaned in, kissing her lightly.  "Well, I think that's sort
of a start.  Don't you?"

     Jo Jo leaned up, kissing him back.  "Yes. That doesn't mean we
don't talk though. You can't worm yourself out of talking this time,
mister." She smiled, feeling the past few months of doubt melt away.
"Why don't we sit down and eat our meal now. We can always dance some
more after wards. What do you say?"

     Sam nodded, kissing her cheek.  "I like that. Let's go eat and
maybe we'll have one more dance before we head up to the room." His
hand slid into hers as he led her to the table.  He didn't feel like
he was in his forties any more, but rather felt as if he were in his
teens. It felt new and exciting to be out on a date with Jo Jo, even
though they had been married for ten years.

     Jo Jo smiled shyly at him as he sat down. She, too, felt a lot
younger as they sat together, feeling the awkwardness and excitement
wash over her. She giggled slightly at him as he made a face at her.
"Sam, don't.  People might be watching."

     He laughed. "So? Let them. I could care less if they think I'm a
geek. I only care what you think of me." Sam looked down at the table.
"That's all that matters to me tonight, if not every night."

     Jo Jo smiled slightly. "You're the sexiest geek I know. Really.
Not many geeks can be as sexy or as cool as you. And the scary thing
is, you know it!"

     Sam's jaw dropped in mock surprise.  "You cut me to the core,
girl. Don't be so mean to me. My lead singer ego will be crushed!" He
laughed softly at her scowling face.

     Jo Jo said in a chiding tone, "You're walking on thin ice, Mr.
Lead Singer." She laughed then, feeling much more comfortable. The
dinner portion of their evening was about being comfortable.  The
serious talk would come later when they were alone in the hotel room.
She slid her hand into his. "I mean it, don't push it, mister."

     Sam squeezed her hand. "I'll make sure that I do."



     Mike looked over at Kathy as she lay sleeping on the bed, mouth
hanging open, arms hanging down onto the bed.  Her breathing was even,
though she rasped from time to time. He shook his head, turning the
heat down a little bit.
 
     He sat down onto the bed, moving Kathy's arms slowly so he didn't
wake her, then slowly pulled her down into a lying down position so
her back would not be so stiff. Mike smoothed some hair from her
forehead, feeling for a fever. It was hard for him not to just give
her something to bring it down. He'd wake her in a bit if it did not
subside to get her into a bath.

     He tucked some blankets around her tired form, wishing she wasn't
so sick. Her hands felt clammy in his. He always hated it when Kathy
got sick. It made him feel lost sometimes since she was the one he
turned to for most things now. Mike slowly put her hand back down,
getting some water. It'd be best to wake her now and give her some
water then to wait.

     Mike set the glass of water down, tapping gently on Kathy's
shoulder. "Kat, wake up. Drink this."  He offered the glass to her
when he noticed she was waking.

     Kathy looked at him, her grey eyes foggy. She sputtered, her lips
dry and her voice raspy from breathing through her mouth, "Thank you."
She gulped some water down, handing the empty glass back, groaning. "I
feel so awful."

     Mike sighed. "Let me help you get into the bathroom and let you
take a bath. We need to take your fever down and it's the only way we
can. I'll help you get out of your clothes and draw you a warm bath.
Be back in a moment."

     Kathy nodded, swallowing as her throat went dry again. She closed
her eyes feeling sweat break out on her forehead. She croaked,
"Michael, what about a maid? This room has to be a disaster!

     "Don't worry, Kat. I'll have them come in and clean the room
while you bathe, then clean the bathroom after you're dressed.
Hopefully it'll keep you from reinfecting yourself." He said, his head
poking out from the bathroom doorway.

     She sneezed loudly, groaning.  "I'm sorry I got sick, Mike. I
know you were hoping we'd have some time to relax. I have such
wonderful timing, don't I?" Kathy coughed, feeling her throat dry up.

     Mike shook his head from the doorway. "Kat, it's not your fault.  
We all get sick. Remember last spring when my allergies caught me off
guard and you had to help me get my rash to go away? I hate when I get
head to toe rashes but you didn't seem to mind helping me. Now it's
your turn to get helped." He came back out of the bathroom. "Now, I'm
going to help you get into the tub and then I'll call up a maid."

     Kathy nodded, sitting up. She moaned softly, feeling nauseous.
"Oh, that was close." She leaned forward, feeling Mike take her shirt
off over her head slowly. Then he unclasped her bra, throwing it
towards the laundry bag.

     Mike said, "Here comes the tricky part." He helped her stand up
slowly, supporting her on his shoulder. "Now, let me get you out of
those jeans and we'll get you into the tub to soak this fever away. I
suppose I should do laundry, too."

     Kathy's head hung low. "Okay."

     Mike held onto her with one hand as he unbuttoned her pants,
slowly sliding them off of her hips. "Step out of one leg at a time.
There you go. Good thing I was smart to take both your underwear and
jeans off together. Now, lean on me and I'll get you to the tub."

     Kathy nodded, licking her lips.  She felt her mind grow fuzzy,
causing her body to tingle. She shivered, feeling a cold breeze hit
her. Mike slowly eased her into the warm water.  Once she was in the
tub, he said, "Be right back. I'm going to call the maid. Will you be
okay?"

     Kathy nodded. "Go, go call the maid.  I'll be fine for a few
moments."

     Mike nodded. "Alright."


     Sam held Jo Jo's chair out for her, feeling a little ridiculous
for doing so. Yet, Sam felt she deserved this type of attention. He
smiled, taking his seat across from her.

     Jo Jo raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. "Now why did you do
that, Sam? You've never really done that before." She had a puzzled
expression on her face. "Not that I'm complaining."

     Sam laughed. "Yeah. It just came to me. Seemed like the right
thing to do, I guess." He looked down, feeling a mild blush rise on
his cheeks. While Sam was often boisterous, at times he found himself
caught off guard by his emotions.

     Jo Jo laughed. "Are you blushing?  Seriously?" She reached over,
playfully slapping his hand on the table. "You're being silly. There's
no need to blush."  She looked down at the table after she had put her
hand down into her lap.

     Sam smiled shyly. "I dunno. I just sorta got shy." He sipped on
his water, pushing some food around on his plate.  He wasn't so hungry
anymore. His nerves were starting to get the best of him again, though
up until that moment things weren't all that awkward except for the
beginning of the date.

     Jo Jo pushed some food around on her own plate. She watched him
quietly.  "Sam, this dinner bit isn't working, is it?" She set her
fork down, looking at him in the eye.

     Sam shook his head. "No. I'm afraid it's not." He put his own
fork down, taking her hand over the table.  "So, what do we do about
that. We have to eat." He took a bite of his steak, chewing for a few
moments.

     Jo Jo sighed. She said, "Well, why did we get so awkward a moment
ago? Is there a reason for that? Just because you did something nice
for me doesn't mean it should cause a disturbance." She took a bite of
her pasta dish, hoping that if she kept a cool head he would do the
same.

     Sam nodded. "Well, I think it simply caught us both off guard.  
Let's not let it spoil the rest of the evening." He sipped more water.  
"Besides, who knows what we could do when we get up to the room." He
playfully lifted his eyebrows. "I'm kidding, Jo Jo.  Don't give me the
evil eye."

     Jo Jo laughed, feeling more relaxed. She said, "Well, I think
part of the awkwardness came from the fact that pulling my chair out
is not something you do. Hmm, how about this, you do nice things and
I'll try not to act shocked at them.  How about that?"

     "Oh sure. I have to do all the work." Sam snorted. He flinched
when Jo Jo's napkin hit him. "Hey! No throwing things!" He tossed it
back at her. "That's not very nice."

     Jo Jo giggled. "Sam, I'll throw it at you if I want to. You can't
stop me."

     "Oh really. Now who is walking on thin ice?" Sam said, slyly
smiling at her. "Well?"



     Mike looked in on Kathy, watching her as she clumsily washed
herself.  She rasped when she breathed, due to the fact her nose was
plugged. Mike shook his head. "Let me help you that way I can keep the
maid out of the bathroom until you are done." He kneeled onto the
floor next to the tub, taking the sponge from Kathy's hand.

     Kathy lay back, eyes closing as she felt Mike gently wash her
sick, tired form. She asked, "Is the maid here already?"

     "Yes. She's changing the bedding, vacuuming and pretty much doing
the standard tear down and what have you with a bit more disinfectant
than usual. I told her you were sick so she was kind enough to make
the room as comfortable as possible." He washed her belly gently. "Oh,
and she's giving us extra pillows to boot."

     Kathy smiled wanly. "That's nice, Michael." She lay her head
back, feeling the warm water flow over her.  She still felt fuzzy and
drowsy, but the water was beginning to make her nose unclog a little.

     Mike shook his head, looking at her relax. He continued to wash
her gently, wanting to get her out of the tub as soon as possible and
back into a clean bed where she could rest. He sighed. "Well, Kat, let
me help you up and I'll dry you off."

     Kathy sighed, opening a foggy, grey eye. "Aww, but I just got
comfortable." She coughed. "Alright, alright. I'll get out so you can
towel me dry. I'll probably only get sicker if I soak much longer in
this now luke warm water."

     Mike laughed softly. "Let me help you up." He took her hand, his
other hand on her back, steadying her.  He took one of the bath
towels, wrapping it around her. "There. Hopefully you at least feel a
bit better."

     Kathy nodded, then wavered a little as a dizzy spell caught her
off guard. "Ooo." She leaned forward, falling into Mike's shoulder.
"Well I'm still dizzy and foggy. And my body tingles all over. I'm so
sleepy."

     Mike laughed softly, supporting her. "Well, let me get you into
your robe and I'll comb your hair, dry it and tuck you in until I
think you should eat something like crackers and 7 UP. Okay?"

     Kathy nodded, burying her head into his shoulder. "Ugh. I feel so
bad."  She lifted her head, her face puffy and pale. "And I must look
more awful than I feel. I'm sorry, Mike. It can't be any fun with a
sickie."

     Mike sighed. "It's okay." He took the towel off, guiding her arms
into the robe before wrapping it around her and tying it shut. "Now,
I'm going to lead you out to the chair in the room and sit you there
just incase the maid isn't done."

     Mike lead Kathy out slowly, noticing the bed was ready. He lead
her to the bed, sitting her down slowly. "There. Now, let me comb your
hair out. Lean on me any time you feel woozy." He sat back behind her,
getting ready to comb her hair.

     The maid asked, "Sir, is the bathroom ready?"

     "Yes. Yes. Clean that for us.  Thank you so much for taking the
time. I know it's not the usual cleaning time." Mike said, not looking
up from Kathy in case she fell forward instead of backwards.

     "It is not a problem. I'll clean the bathroom and leave you two
be."  The maid disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Mike and Kathy
in some sense of privacy.

     Mike shook his head. "Well, I think as soon as you're all tucked
in nice and warm things will get to be more normal.  Here, let me get
the hair dryer and I'll dry that hair. No need for you to get even
sicker."



     Sam heard a song begin playing that caught his attention. He
stood up, smiling shyly at Jo Jo, who was looking up, puzzled
expression on her face. "What is it, Sam?"

     Sam simply put his hand out, palm upwards. He silently moved his
arm, asking her to dance. His eyes pleaded quietly, as he watched her
stand up slowly, placing her fork down onto the table. She placed her
hand into his, waiting for him to lead her onto the dance floor.

     Sam smiled, whispering, "I'd hope you would get it." He put an
arm around her waist, leading her gently to the floor. Once there, he
slid his other hand onto her hip, feeling her arms gently lock around
the back of his neck. He smiled again, shyly. "I missed dancing with
you like this, you know?"

     Jo Jo laughed softly. "We just did that about a half an hour ago,
you big goof." She looked down. "But I did, too."

     Sam quietly let the music lead them, deciding not to spoil the
magic of the moment by talking. They'd talk once they went upstairs
and Sam wanted to put it off as long as possible, though he knew they
needed to talk.  He rubbed his hands on her round hips, swaying
slightly with her.

     Jo Jo watched him, noticing how his eyes were content and his
expression relaxed. She ran a finger on the back of his neck slowly,
before reinterlocking her fingers.  She swayed with him, enjoying the
closeness they were feeling as they danced.

     The dance earlier that night had been different. They were trying
to feel comfortable at all with one another. This dance they weren't
trying; instead, they just were.  Neither one of them worried what the
other one was thinking or feeling;  they both knew by intuition.

     As the song came to a close, Sam lifted a hand, smoothing Jo Jo's
loose hair from her face. He kissed her, deeper than last time before
taking her hand and leading her back to the table. Once they were
seated, Sam whispered, "So, do you want dessert here or in the room?"

     Jo Jo waited for her breath to catch. "I'd love to go up to the
room, now."

     Sam nodded. "Stay right here.  I'm going to pay the bill and
we'll head back up to the room." He smiled at her, giving her hand a
squeeze before he left. Jo Jo watched him go, before sipping quietly
on her wine glass.

     Jo Jo thought about the evening so far, realizing that while they
still had many issues to work with, they finally were not hiding from
one another any longer and though they had danced just a few moments
ago, it made her realize how much their love was still there. With
those two things, she began to feel more confident that they could
work this out.

     Sam came back, nodding to her.  "Jo Jo, you ready? Let's go." He
offered his arm to her, feeling her take it, then quickly slide her
hand into his.

     "Yes. I'm ready if you are.  Let's go up to our room." Jo Jo
smiled quietly. "And please, who ever abducted my husband, please give
him back. You pod person."

     Sam laughed. "Okay, okay." He swung their arms playfully. "I have
a funny feeling we're not sleeping much tonight."

     "Oh? What ever gave you that idea, Sam."

     "I dunno. Something."

     When they arrived in the room, Sam shut the door quietly. He
jokingly said, "Welcome to my bachelor's room.  I know, I know, it's
not much." He smiled at her, watching her laugh.  Her nose scrunched
up the way he liked it, her eyes squinting as her mirth took her over.
This was something he missed. Seeing her laugh.

     Jo Jo stopped, "Sam, that was an awful trick of yours." She
walked over to him, putting her arms around his neck. She hugged him,
putting her head over his heart. "This is nice.  Better than you
picking on me."

     Sam wrapped his arms around her.  He held her close, feeling her
arms slide around his back. He looked over the top of her head, out
the window.  He said, "It's snowing."

     Jo Jo snuggled up to him more, as if the word snowing had caused
her to grow cold. She smiled into his chest, feeling relaxed with him.  
"Sam, I think we ought to sit down and talk."

     Sam sighed, letting her go, yet still holding onto her hand. "Jo
Jo, where do we start?"

     "How about with this? How do you feel about Beth being gone right
now?  No holds barred. I want to know exactly how you feel. I'll do
the same." Jo Jo said.

     Sam looked down, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "To
be honest, Jo Jo, I feel like the world went from beautiful to like
living in hell. Our little girl is very special to me and I guess I
didn't realize how special until she wasn't with us anymore. I love
Beth with all of my heart and soul and it feels like someone has
ripped my heart out to feed to the fucking wolves. What else I'm
feeling about this whole situation is, though I can't see how Beth is
doing, I can see you and I hate when I look into your eyes and see
pain."

     He sighed, a hitch in his breath.  "What upsets me the most is
you don't share your pain with me. I want to have your pain. I want to
help you through your pain. But you won't let me. That's the worst
fucking thing in the world for me."

     Jo Jo remained calm, trying to keep him from losing his temper.
She nodded. "I know. Is there anything else you're feeling that you
would like to share with me?"

     Sam turned, facing her on the bed. "Yes. I love you with
everything I have, but damn it, don't play hide and go seek with me
anymore. I'm tired of it. I can't share with you if you don't share
with me, okay?" He kissed her cheek. "Your turn. How are you feeling
about Beth's disappearance?"

     Jo Jo looked down, taking Sam's hand into hers. This time,
touching him as she talked helped her. "I, well, I don't know. I feel
so angry one moment and then I'm frightened of what could be happening
to our little girl. Then the next moment I'm full of rage again. Sam,
I just don't know what to feel anymore.  Should I be angry, sad,
frustrated?  All of those things? I guess that's another part of why
it is so hard to share these things with you. I don't even know where
to begin sharing." She squeezed his hand.

     Sam smiled into her face.  "I understand, Jo Jo. It's very hard."
His smile was one of patience and love. He leaned in, kissing her, his
tongue playfully pushing into her mouth. He pulled back. "Now, the
next question. What do you feel about me? Not what you've felt in the
past. What do you feel about me right now?"

     Jo Jo looked down, then back up, her eyes connecting with his.
"Very many things. Very many things."

     Sam smiled, confusion in his eyes. "Well. . .what do you feel?"  
He looked insecure. His hand squeezed hers.

     Jo Jo looked into his eyes, finding the insecurity in them.  
"Sam, I love you very much. That was one problem with Beth
disappearing.  Seeing you hurt the way you were. My heart aches for
you when you hurt."  She paused. "But, lying the pain of the past few
months aside for a moment, I am still in love with you as much as the
day that you took me out for coffee after that concert. That was
something I could have only dreamed of before then. And it's still
with me, seeing your insecurity as you were then. . . as you are now.
It's like we're starting over. Back at square one."

     Sam looked down at their hands.  He looked back up into her blue
eyes, noticing excitement and nervousness.  "Well. . .here's how I
feel, lying Beth's disappearance aside as well, hmm, I feel like I've
lost my best friend in the world to gain her back again, really. I,
too, can see you in your concert shirt and jeans, your hair pulled
back in that funny bun flip you do. I remember that day well. You
struck me odd, made me want to get to know you beyond the simple small
talk I do with fans. And, much like you, I fell in love. Maybe not in
that instant, maybe not as we drank coffee and chit chatted about the
show and where you were from, but as I grew to know you." He kissed
her hand, looking into her eyes. "I still feel the same way I did when
I realized I was in love with you. That hasn't changed, nor will it.
I'm going to make pretty damn sure of it."

     Jo Jo's eyes misted up, listening to Sam tell her these things.
She said, "Then why did we let it change? Why did we have to fight and
get mad and let what we have almost slip away? I hated not sharing how
I feel with you." She hugged him, burying her face into his chest,
sobbing softly. "I love you and I don't want to let you go. I can't."

     Sam rubbed her back, his chin resting on the top of her head.  
"Then don't. Don't let me go. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving
you. Not unless you tell me to." He rocked her for a few moments,
allowing her to let her emotions show.

     Jo Jo felt secure and loved in his arms truly for the first time
in months. Before that, it had felt mildly detached. She lifted her
head up, kissing him softly. "Sam, I don't want you to leave. Who
would I torment?"

     Sam laughed softly, glad to see her feeling better with him. He
smiled. "Next question. What do you want to do for the rest of the
evening?  No, really. I'd like to know. It's all up to you." He looked
into her eyes, finding solace.

     Jo Jo cocked her head to one side.  "Well, I'd like to start off
with kissing you." She laughed. "God that sounded corny. Hmm, no,
while I'd like to play kissy face, how about this. . .  we cuddle and
listen to some music?  Just talk about what ever our heart desires.
Our hopes, our fears, everything? I mean it. Anything you want to
share with me, share with me.  I'll do the same."

     Sam moved his hands to her elbows.  "You mean that? Hmm, now what
type of music should I pick? I know you, you'll say Mike's piano
album. You just won't put it down." He smiled at her blushing face.

     "Yeah. I do love that album very much. If you don't mind
listening to it. . ." Jo Jo said, pretending to bat her eyelashes at
him.

     Sam laughed, kissing her playfully.  "Well, sure. We can listen
to it, just as long as you agree to letting me pick the second album
for the night." He got up, taking the CD case out of the suitcase.

     Jo Jo snorted. "I know you, you'll pick something hard."

     "No, no. Nothing too hard.  Just Led Zeppelin II. How does that
sound?" Sam said, smirking at her.

     "Zed II is good. Very good choice.  First, piano pieces." She was
standing with her hands on her hips.

     Sam laughed at her, put the CD in the tray and pushed play. He
sauntered over to her, before he pounced, kissing her. His hands
roamed over her back, cupping her ass. "Now, let's cuddle."

     Jo Jo giggled. "There's my real husband. Mister Savvy."

     Sam laughed softly, nuzzling her ear. He leaned in, whispering,
"I missed this. I really did." He let her go, sitting down onto the
bed, spreading his legs. He patted the spot in between them, smirking
impishly at her. "Come on, I promise not to bite."

     Jo Jo smiled, climbing in between his legs to cuddle up to his
chest.  She lay her head back, staring at the ceiling before closing
her eyes.  "Sam, be honest with me, do you think Beth is really gone
already?" She had his arms snaked around her middle, hers cupping up
to hold them to herself.

     Sam closed his eyes, moving his head back to think before
responding.  "You know what? I really don't know what to think. I
mean, she could be gone and she could be still with us, out there
somewhere. I know I should say one way or the other, but if I'm being
honest, I just don't know. Do you think she's dead?"

     Jo Jo quietly bit her lip, shaking her head yes in response.  
"Yes. I've thought she's been dead for a long time now. Little girls
don't get to live through these types of cases for more than a day or
so, generally. I, well, I dunno.  I want to have hope. I want to think
otherwise, but if I'm being realistic, I realize that Beth has been
gone probably for a long time now. The part that scares me, Sam, is I
think it would be more humane at this point.  Do you hate me for
saying that?"

     Sam wrapped his arms tighter, letting himself gather his thoughts
to the soft piano music. "No. I don't hate you. I see why you would
say that.  Mulder's a messed up mother fucker who can really screw up
a child the way he is. Hell, he could screw up an adult.  I understand
why you think it'd be almost better off to have her gone than to have
to watch her when she comes back to us." He pulled his legs up,
tangling his with hers.

     Jo Jo felt a tear roll down her cheek, into her hair. "I don't
know.  I just feel like I'm an awful person for even thinking she
shouldn't be alive in the end. It makes me wonder what kind of mother
I really am, you know? If I can think it is better for my own child to
be dead. . ."

     "Sh. Don't you talk like that.  You're an excellent mother. Don't
you forget it. If Beth is alive now, it's because of the wonderful
mother she has. I'm the one who won't grow up, after all. Hell, you
still tell me to quit teaching Trent bad habits."  Sam said, running a
hand through her hair.

     Jo Jo sighed. "I don't know. It just feels wrong to think such
things."  She closed her eyes, letting the quiet piano and strings
calm her nerves. "I mean, doesn't it make me some kind of weird person
for feeling the way I do?"

     Sam kissed the top of her head.  "No. No it doesn't. You're just
trying to think of what might be best for Beth. If you weren't, you'd
be blindly thinking she's still alive, even if she isn't. That, Jo Jo,
is like signing your own death warrant.  I may have hope that we'll
find her alive and relatively unharmed, but I also realize the chances
of that by now are pretty slim. Like you said, most children abducted
don't make it even a few hours, let alone months."

     Jo Jo sighed. "I'm sorry. We were having such a good time and
here I've brought the mood down.  I'm just no fun to be around." She
sighed audibly, staring off into the distance.

     Sam wrapped his arms tighter and tangled his legs more in an
attempt to keep her there and talking. He sighed. "Jo Jo, I'm glad you
shared that with me.  Tonight's not all about roses.  It's about what
we're feeling.  That's just something you're feeling."  He gently
swayed with her on the bed, allowing Mike's soft, regretful voice to
soothe nerves over the piano and strings in the background. He heard
soft sobs come from Jo Jo, as she finally let go what he knew she had
been holding in.

     Jo Jo felt herself let go from keeping the inner pain inside. She
tightened her grip on Sam's arms, snuggling further into his back.  
Jo Jo felt hot tears flow down over her cheeks into her hair,
dampening it. She felt her lip tremble and bit it in an instinct. It
felt comforting to finally be able to gently weep in front of Sam as
he held her again.  She didn't feel the need to hide, nor did she try.

     Sam stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head gently. He
whispered, "It's alright. It's alright. Don't hold anything back."  
He held her to himself, almost afraid to let her go.

     Jo Jo shook gently in his arms, her pain flowing out of her
slowly instead of exploding as it had in the past two days with him.  
This release was soothing and exactly what she had been searching for
all along, only to realize he was with her all along. She sputtered
out, "I'm sorry, Sam."

     Sam asked, "Why are you sorry?  Don't be sorry for feeling the
way you do. You're human. You are allowed to feel the way you do. It's
Mulder that's the fucking animal. He's the one who isn't being human
the way he's acting. Humans who have a fucking notion of how to treat
other human beings don't do the shitty things he's doing. Don't
apologize to me for being scared and sad. Just let me know that's how
you feel."

     Sam quietly held Jo Jo as she continued to sob softly, rocking
her.  "Jo Jo, it's okay." He felt a twinge at his own heart knowing
that she was in so much pain, yet this time he was grateful that he
knew. He stroked her hair, softly humming into her ear to calm her
down.

     Jo Jo struggled against his arms, turning over to face him. She
wrapped her arms tightly around his solid form, shaking against him as
she let all of her pain flow out. She whispered, "I wish it was okay.
Why is it okay to feel the way I do about what happened to Beth?"

     Sam put a hand on the back of her head, cradling it, his other
arm wrapped around her back. He had his legs in a V-shape allowing her
room to shift. "It's okay, Jo Jo, because you can't help it. What are
you gonna do? Turn it off? No. We wouldn't be here right now if we
both hadn't tried to turn our feelings off." He nuzzled her forehead,
as she looked up, her blue eyes dark with sorrow.

     Jo Jo looked deeply into his sympathetic brown. "I love you, Sam.  
Really. I do." She lay her head down onto his chest, listening for his
heartbeat, its regular rhythm assuring.

     "I love you, too, Jo Jo. I really do." Sam sat up, pulling her
into his arms. He put his head onto her shoulder, his arms wrapped
tightly around her back. "I hope you feel better. I really do. It's
not easy dealing with what we are and we just have to remember that
it's gonna be what we have that can either make us or break us. I
don't think you or I want the latter." He lifted up, looking into her
eyes.

     Jo Jo nodded. "No. I don't. I want to be here with you and I want
to be happy." She leaned in gently, kissing him softly. She put her
hand on the back of his neck, kissing him firmly.

     Sam felt his fingers tangle in her hair, then slipped them around
her. He slowly moved till their heads were at the bottom of the bed,
him resting gently on top of her as he kissed her. He let up for air,
asking, "Jo Jo, are you comfortable? I don't want to do anything you
don't want to do, cause then I'd just be a dick.  Really, what we do
next is up to you."

     Jo Jo smiled slightly up at him, her eyes growing darker still,
not from sadness or grief, but from happiness. "Sam, I want just about
anything you want, and if we should happen to do you know what, so be
it."  She ran her hands down his back, eventually cupping his ass.
"But, I think if we're really ready and not making love to hide from
talking, why not?"

     Sam smiled shyly. "I don't know.  Do you feel ready? Is it
something you want to do? I don't want to do this and mess up things
more because we decided to make love and not talk or something. It's
all up to you."

     "No, Sam. It's not up to me. It's not up to you. It's up to us.
Let me up." She sat up once he had climbed off of her. "I think we
should, maybe not right now, but I feel ready."

     Sam looked down at her, from where he know stood. "So do I. Well,
what are we waiting for? Did we have to go through all of that to
decide that?" Sam shook his head.

     Jo Jo laughed low in her throat.  "No, but it was fun to watch
you get irritated none the less." She stood up, her hands running on
his shoulders, down his arms until she interlocked her hands into his.
"Besides, it might be fun to irritate you further and say I have to
take a shower right now. How about that?"

     Sam let go of her hands, firmly grabbing on to her hips. "I don't
think so, missy. Unless you take me into that shower with you. . ." He
blushed when he heard her laugh at him.

     "Silly, you thought I'd actually go take a shower when I got you
right here, pleading with me?" She moved her hand to his laces on his
pants. "Besides, if I did go into the shower, it'd be more lively with
you in there, but have you looked at the size of the shower we have
this time? You and I would come out walking like cow boys that rode
their horses too much."

     Sam laughed, watching her as she undid his pants for him. He
shook his head. "Yeah. It is quite small." He let go of her hips,
helping her hands.  "Hmm, I should probably change the music now,
shouldn't I? The CD ended."

     Jo Jo laughed, watching him as he walked away to the stereo. He
glanced at her over his shoulder, shaking his ass at her playfully.  
Jo Jo shook her head, watching him.  "You, Sam, are just awful."

     Sam said, "Be careful, I'll moon you if you're not nice. Just ask
my producer."

     "I know. Why on earth he puts up with you is what gets me. I'd
kick you in the ass if you mooned me like that." Jo Jo said, laughing
at him.

     "I know. I think you have." Sam said, smiling impishly at her.
"It hurt but it was worth the make up session afterwards, don't you
think?"  He smirked at her, unbuttoning her pants. "You got yourself
into this one. . .now get yourself out."


     Mike sat, headphones on as he quietly listened to music. He was
reading a book, glancing over at Kathy from time to time. Mike looked
over at her, watching her from the chair he had moved next to the bed.
She looked relaxed, though pale. He shook his head, hoping she was
sleeping well enough.

     Mike turned back to his book, listening to the music softly play
in the background. He had chosen something softer, just incase Kathy
were to wake up and need him.

     While he was looking down, Kathy opened her eyes, yawning. She
smiled when she saw that he was reading, his arms extending a little
far. She coughed quietly, "Reading without your reading glasses
again?"

     Mike jumped, tossing the book into the air. The music volume was
so low he heard Kathy loud and clear.  "Jesus! What are you trying to
do to me?" He bent down, picking the book up. "Are you feeling any
better?"

     Kathy giggled before sputtering off into a cough. "Yeah. I feel
much better. Not as achy or chilled as before. Though, I'm still
feeling mildly nauseous. How about you, Mr. Skittery."

     Mike sternly glared at her. "I'm doing fine." He put his
headphones around his neck. "I was just reading this book to pass the
time quietly.  Found it in the luggage after I finished unpacking." He
handed it to her.
 
     "The Scarlett Letter? Oh, I must have packed it a long time ago.
I can't believe you actually sat down to read it. It's not your type
of book." Kathy said, smiling at him.

     "No, not really. I didn't have anything else to do, and I knew if
I turned the TV on I'd wake you. So, I said fuck it and started to
read. It's sorta dull at first, but didn't put me to sleep. What else
did you pack?"  Mike said, setting it down onto the table.

     "Hmm, not many of the other ones are classics. I packed a baking
book so I could keep up with recipes, a romance novel or two, and some
fantasy book Jo Jo suggested to me. I don't remember the rest because
I haven't looked in ages." She smiled at him.

     Mike laughed. "Ah. Makes sense then." He stood up, stretching.
"Boy, it's been a long day." He yawned, walking stiffly to the
bathroom. "I'm going to take a quick shower and get ready for bed.
Just holler if you need anything."

     Kathy nodded. "I will. I think I'll go back to sleep." She yawned
again.  "What time is it?"

     "It's 10:30. I know, I know. I'm getting old. But I figure I've
been taking care of a sicky all day so I'm going to get some sleep.
Let's only hope that Sam and Jo Jo's evening is going smoothly. They
deserve it."

     "Oh? Are they doing something tonight?" Kathy asked, fluffing a
pillow.

     "Yeah. They went out on a date tonight. I just hope they have
kept their tempers in check long enough to work through what is going
on between them. I don't like watching Sam so angry and upset. It
tends to spread." Mike said, taking his shirt off in the door way.

     "I hope they are too, then. They do deserve to fix things. It's
been hard watching them in so much pain."  Kathy sighed. "Well, go
take your shower and be quiet when you come back out. I'll hopefully
be asleep by then."

     Mike nodded. "Will do."



     Jo Jo watched Sam run his hands into her pants first, slipping
her jeans down slowly. He had his eyes fixed on hers, then she watched
as he moved them down slowly over her body. She felt his hands through
the thin layer of cotton rub on her bottom playfully. She moaned
softly, feeling him slide her panties down next.

     Sam stood up then, placing his hands on her hips, working his way
up now. He slid her shirt up over her head, running his hands softly
over her skin. He slyly smiled as she moaned in response. He gently
cupped one breast through her bra, rubbing his thumb on it.

     Jo Jo panted, her hands moving on his pants to finish unlacing
them.  She ran a hand inside his pants, until she heard him moan in
response. "Two can play that game, Mister."

     Sam groaned, reaching around her back to unclasp her bra. He
panted out, "Well, two can play this game, but I'm warning you. . ."

     Jo Jo felt his hands on her chest, rubbing gently. She groaned,
arching towards him. Her hands roamed under his shirt, rubbing his
chest.  "Oh? Warning?" She leaned up, kissing him softly.

     Sam moved his hands to around her back, kissing her deeply. Then
he quickly undid the rest of his pants, pulled off his shirt and
underwear before continuing to kiss her. He slowly lowered them down
back onto the bed, feeling her welcome him.

     Jo Jo ran a hand through his short hair, kissing him back as
hungrily as he was kissing her. She panted into his ear, "Does this
feel right to you?"

     Sam lifted his head. "If this doesn't feel right to me, I don't
know what does." He nibbled on her left ear, his hand tangled in her
hair. He ran his other hand over her belly, playfully teasing her.
"Why?  Does it feel wrong to you?"

     "No, no." She shifted under him to allow him to settle softly
between her legs. "If it didn't feel right, I'd tell you so." She ran
a leg on the back of one of his.

     Sam growled low in his throat, "Good. Cause I don't know if I can
just stop." His mouth devoured hers before she could answer, his
tongue roughly playing with hers. He adjusted his hips, preparing to
enter her.

     Jo Jo felt him move and adjusted accordingly. She held his head
down to hers, kissing him back with as much passion. She broke away to
gasp as she felt him move inside slowly, before returning to kiss him.

     Sam stopped moving, getting used to how she felt around him
again. He grunted into her mouth, feeling her adjust to him. Then he
felt her hips lightly jerk towards him, encouraging him to do more. He
took her invitation.

     Jo Jo felt Sam start to move as she felt herself stretch. She
twisted her hips to allow him more access, groaning softly into his
ear. She ran a hand down to his ass, rubbing softly.  She heard Sam
grunt softly and begin to move faster in response to her touches.

     Sam breathed rapidly into her ear, grinding his hips into hers
roughly. He murmured her name softly, running a hand through her hair.
Sam kissed her then, deeply and gently.  This wasn't like the past few
months of empty sex. This time he felt himself giving and receiving
and it felt right.  He felt her begin to tighten slowly and groaned
into her ear as he ground more into her.

     Jo Jo moved her hips to greet his, panting softly. She moaned,
"Sam. . ." unable to finish her thought as she felt a wave roll over
her. She stopped moving, feeling him grind into her as she found
release.  Jo Jo cupped his ass as she rode the wave of her first
orgasm.

     Sam grunted with his efforts, moving faster. He wanted her to
have another climax before reaching his own if he could help it.
Though they were both giving, he wanted to give a bit more. Sam kissed
her again, running a hand over one breast softly.  He began to grind
harder into her, feeling her body stretch to accommodate him. He
barely felt the finger nails digging in.

     Jo Jo panted, grinding back at him, still reeling from her first
climax she felt another begin to build.  She felt him move a bit
faster, his hand moving down to rub her. Jo Jo felt the second wave
hit her, and she groaned a bit louder, her hands running up his back.

     Sam felt her tighten and this time couldn't hold it back. He felt
his own release hit, causing him to groan her name softly into her
ear.  He kissed her softly then, riding out the waves of both
climaxes. When he felt he could speak again, he said, "Damn, I missed
this. I love you, you know."

     Jo Jo panted, "I know. I did too. I love you, too. Oh, and it
sure makes up for all of the times we couldn't, I'll tell you that."
She smiled up at him, cupping his face.  "Thank you for tonight. I
know we were married ten years ago on Saturday, but this night makes
up for the one we missed."

     Sam nodded. "Damn straight it does. What do you want to do now?"

     "I think I'll take a shower if you don't mind. I'm feeling a wee
bit sticky. By the time I come back out?  You'll be snoring."

     "I will not." He yawned. "If I am, wake me, okay? I still want to
talk some more."

     "I will." Jo Jo kissed him once he let her up. "And Sam, it was
one of our better make ups.

     Sam smiled sheepishly. "I tried."


     Mike felt the hot water flow over his tired, aching body. He
hoped that he was not catching Kathy's flu, as he felt the aches and
pains begin to develop. It'd be very difficult to take care of her if
he was sick himself. He washed his hair quickly, not wanting to leave
her out in the room alone for long.

     He washed his body just as quickly, pulling on some sweat pants
and a sweatshirt to block out any drafts he might encounter.  It
wasn't his usual attire, but he felt that if they had to be in this
winter wonder land much more, he'd better be prepared. Especially now
that the flu bug was running through the ranks.

     He stepped out quietly, combing his hair slowly. Kathy lay in the
bed, back to him, her braid flowing out behind her. He shook his head,
smiling as he heard a soft snore come from her.  Mike quietly grabbed
the hair dryer from the bedside table and headed into the bathroom to
blow his hair dry.  He didn't want to wake her by making too much
noise.

     Once he had the bathroom door closed again, he plugged in the
hair dryer, turned on the bathroom fan to block out the hair dryer's
noise, proceeding to dry his hair. He fluffed his hair as he blow
dried, trying to not miss any wet spots.  It would not be smart for
him to ask for the flu.

     Mike looked in the mirror at the grey sweats he had chosen,
shaking his head. Totally unattractive and he noticed it made him look
stockier than usual. He figured Kathy wouldn't mind, since she was
asleep at the moment. He quickly shut the hair dryer off, brushed his
teeth and rejoined Kathy in the main room to get some sleep himself.

     Before he could climb into bed, he checked to make sure the bed
pan he asked for earlier was still there just in case Kathy needed it,
then he tucked Kathy in, climbing into the other side. It'd be a
difficult night not being able to cuddle up to her, especially since
he already felt the draft he had been avoiding all night long. He
grumbled softly, lying onto his back, hands crossed over his chest
after he pulled the blankets up around himself. He reached one hand
over, smoothing her hair on the pillow. He whispered, "Good night,
Kat. Sleep well and get better."

     Mike yawned, feeling himself begin to drift off, when Kathy
rolled over, tossing her arm around his torso, her head onto his
chest. He sputtered softly, trying to decide if he should move her
back or not bother fighting her in fear that he might wake her.  He
whispered to himself, "Silly Kat.  And here I wasn't going to cuddle."

     Kathy opened a tired, foggy grey eye, whispering, "Shut up, Mike.
I'm tired." She lay her head back down, falling back, fast asleep.

     Mike rolled his eyes in protest, closing them to go to sleep
himself.  Kathy sometimes could get crankier when sick and he knew
that coupling it with pregnancy did not help. He rubbed her hair,
quietly drifting off to sleep. Hopefully Sam and Jo Jo were having a
much nicer evening than he and Kathy were. One could hope, he
supposed.



     Sam lay back down onto the bed, his chest still heaving from the
exertions. He closed his eyes, hearing Jo Jo gather up what she would
put on after her shower, then exit into the bathroom. He smiled,
feeling better about tonight and how things stood with him and her.  
He threw one arm over his eyes, blocking out the dim lighting of the
hotel. Then he felt himself being to grow drowsy.

     Sam felt his heart rate and his breathing even out, as the
exhaustion rushed over him. It had been awhile since they had made
love and he had grown a bit less active otherwise, so it took a lot
out of him. Now he simply wanted to sleep and rest peacefully. He
yawned, rolling over onto his side, resting on the pillows.

     Sam had fleeting thoughts about what had just happened, and
smiled sweetly thinking about how satisfied he was now. Sam hoped that
Jo Jo felt the same way and that this was another part of patching up
the rift between themselves. He hadn't intended on using sex to avoid
the situation, so he didn't term it as so. It wasn't about physical
enjoyment, at least not tonight and rarely ever at all. Tonight,
amongst the sharing and talking, was also about love and how they
expressed that for one another. Sam simply took that making love as
another way to express that.

     He burrowed deeper into the bed sheets, feeling his body tingle
and his mind slowly shut down. Sam was growing awfully drowsy although
he was fighting the urge to simply fall asleep and not wake until the
next morning. Even in his sated, relaxed and sleepy state, Sam knew
that they were far from fixing the problem and still had many issues
to work through.  Only if his body wasn't so tired or if his mind
wasn't so fuzzy could he function enough to handle it.

     Just as Sam was about to drift off, he felt a pair of hands snake
around his chest and some kisses on his neck. He moaned softly in
protest, giving more into his body's need for sleep. "Go away. . ."

     Jo Jo could be heard giggling.  She let him go, setting up a pot
of coffee. "Sam, you told me to wake you if you should fall asleep.
That's just what I did. And, so you and I can still carry an
intelligent conversation again, you will drink this coffee to wake
up."

     Sam sat up slowly, rubbing an eye. He still had not dressed and
shivered now that there was a draft.  He pulled a blanket over
himself, settling against the head board.  "Uh huh." Sam yawned,
scratching his head as he tried to wake up. He smiled at Jo Jo,
patting the open spot in the bed.

     Jo Jo joined him, kissing him sloppily. "You, my silly husband,
do deserve to sleep, but you know we are supposed to talk tonight. So
we got a little side tracked. I enjoyed it.  I know YOU enjoyed it.
Now wake up."  She made her way back to the coffee machine, poured him
a cup and mixed it the way he liked it, placing it in front of him.
"Drink, or we'll get no where from here on out."

     Sam took the cup, sipping some of the coffee in. He sputtered
after he swallowed, "This coffee tastes like shit. Where on earth did
they get this?" He drank more after he saw her stern look. Although
they had some problems recently, Jo Jo still had the power to stare
him down. He finished his first cup, blinking wide.

     Jo Jo rubbed a hand on his thigh, underneath the blankets. She
smiled at him. "Well, I hope that coffee at least woke you up some."
She kissed his cheek. "You're still as cute as ever after we make
love. You just look like the cat that caught the canary, yet you look
so tired."

     Sam looked over at her, his eye lids drooping a little. "Yeah,
you're pretty damn fine yourself." He set his empty cup of coffee
down, kissing her.  "Get me some more of that horrid shit so I can
wake up."

     Jo Jo got up, refilling his cup.  "There. It may be awful, but
hey, I wouldn't want to be bored with a snoring Sam."



     Sam looked down an hour later, finding that he was talking to
himself.  He said, "You know, I think we're actually connecting. . .
.Jo Jo?"  She was fast asleep, head on his chest, arms around his
middle. He laughed softly, rubbing some hair from her face. "Well, I
guess that settles it. She's asleep."

     He kissed the top of her head, gently laid her down onto her side
of the bed and crept into the bathroom to put on something warmer.
Apparently, at 2 in the morning, Jo Jo had decided it was now bed
time. He shook his head, thinking about all of the things they had
talked about. They had laughed;  they had cried, and then there were
the times when they had done both together.

     He shut the head lamp above the bed off, pulled the blankets on
his side back and crawled in, spooning up to Jo Jo quietly. He
whispered, "Well, I think we have a good starting point. Sleep well,
silly girl."

     Jo Jo rolled over, opening a tired eye. "One more word, buddy,
and you're going to be sorry. Go to sleep."

     Sam laughed. "Sorry. I forgot how tempermental you are about
sleeping time."

     Jo Jo glared at him. "Shut it."  She rolled back over, firmly
placing her head back onto the pillow.

     Sam shook his head, cuddling up to her none the less. He wrapped
an arm around her middle, nuzzling her neck. This was another thing he
had missed for months. Cuddling. Sure, they had cuddled in the past
few months, but it was detached like everything else, as they lay
thinking their own thoughts. This time, he felt connected to her.

     He closed his eyes, hoping that this time this closeness would
last and that they wouldn't have to suffer through another night away
from one another because of a rift. Sam hated the thought of that
happening any time soon again. It had been awful the first time
around.

     Jo Jo rolled over to face him in her sleep, murmuring something
as she buried her head into his chest.  He smiled, settling in to
sleep. This felt right. Things were finally getting on the right track
between the two of them. They weren't trying to hold together for the
children anymore.  It was for themselves now. That was what counted.

     Sam drifted off softly, listening to Jo Jo sleep evenly. She
burrowed deeper, wrapping her arms around his back. Sam simply held
her close as he fell fast asleep, glad that things were alright for
once. It had been far too long.


     Mike woke up, feeling foggy and tired. He looked over at Kathy,
already awake and moving around the room, straightening things. He
asked, "What are you doing, Kat? You should be in bed sleeping and
resting. You're sick." He coughed, lying his head back down. "Uh, on
second thought, I think I'm sick."

     Kathy looked over at him from where she was rolling socks from
that morning's laundry. She said, "I'm sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to
give you the flu. Let me warm up some hot tea for you and you should
feel a little bit better. I, on the other hand, woke feeling a lot
better.  I thought I'd get some laundry out of the way."

     Mike groaned. "Great. Just great.  I did everything I could last
night to avoid getting sick so you wouldn't have to worry. Now I'm
sick."

     Kathy laughed softly. "Well, Michael, that's what happens when
you try to take care of a sickie all by yourself. You wore yourself
down too much worrying about me.  Don't worry, with your tea I'll give
you something to bring your fever down and put a stop to those aches
and pains. I know I wish I could have."

     Mike lifted his head up, eyes squinted. "That's not fair to you.  
You suffered through your flu with nothing to help you. I can't go
taking things that you couldn't take."

     "Michael, don't be a hero. Take the Tylenol for Christ's sake.
It'd be better to get you over the flu now by using things to help you
than for me to just get reinfected by it all over again." She sternly
glared at him as she finished rolling the last sock. "Besides, if you
don't take it, you'll be cranky and grumpy and I'll be the one who has
to put up with it. No."

     Mike smiled ruefully at her.  "You're so kind, Kat. Letting me
take those drugs." He leaned back.  "I think I'll try one of your
strange baths today. I'm feeling a rash come on with this. This sucks
ass." He sat up, throwing his feet over the side.

     Kathy smiled as she shook her head. "Oh, and Michael, those grey
sweats are just perfect for you.  Toss them into the room when you get
into the bathroom and I'll wash 'em for you so you can have nice,
clean, fluffy sweats for when you get out.  Or, would you like to wear
something else?"

     Mike waved a hand at her. "I don't care as long as it's warm.
Could you please dig out my slippers? My feet will be cold otherwise."

     "Sure. Just as long as you promise to take all the time you need
in the bathroom. I'll have to call Dr. Scully."  She giggled. "I'm
sure Dana will be thrilled that so many of us have had the flu lately.
Oh, and while I wait for your sweats to wash and dry I'll have to ask
her if she's heard anything about how Sam and Jo Jo are doing. I'd
call them myself, but I'd rather not interrupt." Kathy said as she put
all of the socks away into a drawer.

     Mike shook his head, as he scratched himself while he walked to
the bathroom. "What ever, Kat.  Do what you want. I'm going to dig out
some shit I can soak in. I don't need to have the flu and a rash to go
with it."

     Kathy snorted. "You'll probably harass Sam and Jo Jo later, won't
you?"

     Mike looked over at her, eyes blood shot. "It's 7:30 in the
morning.  I already feel like hell. Do you think I want to go bugging
Sam if he's either A) sleeping or B) busy doing something with Jo Jo
that can be anything you can think of? He'd kill me. In this state, I
might welcome it."

     Kathy shook her head. "Silly men. You just can't handle that
stuff very well, can you? Go, go soak. I need those sweats."

     Mike stripped, tossing his shirt onto the floor, followed by his
pants.  "There, and Kat, turn the heat up for me when you come back
from laundry."

     Kathy smiled. "I will. It is a bit chilly in here."


     Sam woke up, feeling someone poke him repeatedly in the side.  
He groaned. "Stop that shit. Don't."

     Jo Jo poked him harder. "Wake up, lazy. It's ten for Christ's
sake.  Now get up. I'll make you drink more awful coffee if you aren't
careful."

     Sam sat up, glaring at her.  "Gee, how romantic of a wake up.  
Not even one kiss or nuzzle or nothin'." He crossed his arms. "I don't
know, I might have to punish you for that. It's just not fair poking
me like that and then threatening more lousy, shitty coffee on me."

     Jo Jo gave him a kiss on the cheek. "No. No kisses until you
brush them teeth." She smiled wide at his grumpy expression.

     He mocked her, "No kisses until you brush your teeth. Well, that
goes for you too, then, missy."

     Jo Jo giggled. "Sam, we're being silly."

     "I'm not, you are. You woke me up by poking me rudely in the
side.  Next time I see you sleeping I'll do that to you and see how
you like it."

     "Oh grow up. It wasn't that bad.  You're just grumpy. Besides, we
have to talk about what we do next." Jo Jo crossed her arms. "You and
I have to figure out if I stay here with you or if I go back to
sharing a room with Brian while we work this out."

     Sam sighed. "Already with the questions, woman? I barely open my
eyes and you're asking me questions.  Sheesh. You know I hate that."
He put his hands up in surrender as she glared at him. "Okay, okay! I
take it back! Don't give me the evil eye!"

     Jo Jo sighed. "Anyways, last night we covered an awful lot of
ground and then some. . .anyways I think that I'd like to continue.
How about you?  Besides, it's awfully lonely in that big bed all by
myself that's in Brian's room. It's too much bed for one person."  
She scooted closer to him, kissing him gently. When she pulled back,
she made a face. "Oo, you do have awful morning breath. Mint and that
coffee together.  Yuck."

     Sam laughed. "You are silly.  Really. No, I agree with you. We
should give it a go. I do feel we're getting some place and it isn't
for the kids, now is it?"

     "No. No. It's not at all. It's just that I don't want to
jeopardize what we have done since last night.  Hmm, maybe I'll go
talk to Kathy and Mike for awhile today, so we get a breather, you
know? I should see how Kathy is doing none the less."

     Sam nodded. "Yeah, a breather is good. Just not too long of one,
you know?" He kissed her neck. "There, I spared you of tasting that
awful taste again." He smiled at her mischievously. "You know, I'm
going to get you one of these days."

     "Don't be silly, Sam. You got me last night, remember?" She
winked at him as she got up off of the bed.  "I'm going to take a
shower. Do you think you can handle getting us breakfast?"

     Sam rolled his eyes. "Uh huh."  He threw the blankets back,
gasping.  "Damn it's cold out!"

     "Yep. Welcome to the Great Plains. Always just a bit more chilly
than you'd expect, eh?"  Jo Jo said, grabbing a T-shirt from the bag.
She said, "You know what I want. Jelly Doughnut."

     Sam nodded. "Let me find the damn room key first and get some
pants on. I don't want to scare the lobby just yet."

     "Right. You're not afraid to bare that ass. I know all about
you."  Jo Jo said. "I'll see you in a bit then?" She leaned over to
kiss him again. "Oh, and please do brush your teeth soon."

     Sam nodded, pulling up pants.  "I will if you will."


     Mike stepped out of the tub, feeling mildly better. He toweled
himself dry, taking the dryer warm sweats from the counter. He slipped
them on, sighing in contentment at the warmth they provided. Mike then
wrapped his hair in the towel, stepping into his slippers before he
walked out into the room.

     Kathy looked up from her book, reading glasses perched on her
nose.  "I see you feel a little better now.  How was the bath."

     "Nice. I don't feel my rash so much any more. And, thanks for
washing and drying these sweats. They feel nice and warm. Now, the
task of combing my hair." He toweled his hair, trying to keep any of
it from dripping onto his dry sweatshirt.

     Kathy smiled. She took her glasses off, setting them down onto
the bedside table. "I'm glad you had a good time relaxing in the tub.
It seems it did you some good."

     Mike sighed. "Kat, you were looking all sexy with those glasses
and so smart.  Why did you take 'em off?"

     "I have to get up and comb your hair otherwise it'll never get
done.  The longer you have wet hair the worse your flu will be. Now,
let me comb your hair." She chided him. "Besides, I think you look
sexy in your reading glasses, yet you seem to be against using them on
road trips for some odd reason."

     "That's only because I know what will happen. I'll either break
them, lose them, or forget them some place.  At home it doesn't
matter." Mike said, justifying his reasons for not wearing reading
glasses. "Besides, can you just imagine people if they saw me with
glasses on? They'd really think I'm a geek."

     Kathy giggled. "Don't be silly.  And, Michael, since when do you
worry so much about what people think? Do what you want, be who you
are. If they don't like that, too bad. That's their problem." She
toweled his hair, rubbing as much water out of his hair as possible.
"Oh, Michael, your roots are showing again. You're going to go salt
and pepper soon if you don't dye it."

     Mike groaned. "Joy. Just another thing I need. Grey hair. You're
not telling Sam a word of it. He'll never stop tormenting me for
having a few grey hairs."

     "A few? Michael, you have a head full of grey hair. I think you
have had that for years. Although, your beard did grow in brown. It's
the dying thing that gave you grey hairs, not to mention some of the
antics you take on stage. Trust me, silly man, you're as grey as grey
comes."  She combed his hair out, shaking the comb from time to time
to get rid of water.  "I think it's sorta sexy, especially the way you
hide it all the time."

     Mike groaned. "Kat! Grey hair is never sexy. It's the hair of the
old."

     "Face it, Michael, you're getting old. I am too. I've had a skunk
streak for years. I just prefer to dye it for now. You know that. You
made fun of me for it when I first got it, remember?  Thought it was
the most amusing thing ever." She looked into his eyes. "Now, I'm
going to get the hair dryer and blow dry your hair." She waddled over
to the bathroom, brought it out into the main area and pointed to the
chair by the outlet.

     Mike did as told. "Alright, alright. I guess it's not a big deal.  
Just, please, don't tell Sam. I'll never hear the end of it."

     "Well, I think Sam has enough things on his plate right now. I
wouldn't worry.  Now, let's get this hair dry before you catch cold
and get even sicker and crabbier."


     Sam trudged down the stairs down to the main lobby, attempting to
wake up. He saw that breakfast was still set up. Sam ambled on over to
the counter, picking out the things that he'd like to eat. Once he had
picked out enough food, he put it into a bag, heading back towards the
room.

     Sam heard Jo Jo's voice singing from the shower, causing him to
smile.  He shook his head. It had been a very long time since he had
heard something like that come from her. He set the breakfast bag down
onto the night stand, going into the bathroom to brush his teeth as
she had asked him to do so.  He shook his head at her as she continued
without noticing.

     Sam started to sing with her, causing her to scream. He laughed
then, saying "Gotcha. Didn't know I had come in here, huh?"

     Jo Jo peeked her head around the corner of the shower door. "You
will be sorry about that, Sam. I will get you. You scared the crap
outta me for no reason."

     Sam laughed. "Because I could?  I'm brushing my teeth like you
said to. Is there something wrong with that?" He smiled at her, paste
still on his teeth.

     "Sam, finish brushing. Don't show me stuff like that. Try growing
up for a change." She poked her head back into the shower, continuing
in silence.

     Sam shook his head. He went into the main room, taking out what
he wanted for breakfast. He sat down, cross legged onto the bed,
turning the television on. Sam snacked on his apple quietly as he
turned channels, attempting to find something worth watching.

     While he wasn't looking, Jo Jo snuck out of the bathroom, slowly
creeping up on him. She put her hands over his eyes, saying, "Pay back
is a bitch, isn't it?"

     "Hey! Knock that shit off! I can't see through your hands!" He
glared at her when she lifted her hands.

     Jo Jo giggled. "Well, it wasn't very nice to scare me in the
shower like that." She sat down, grabbing his unfinished apple, taking
a large bite out of it. "There, we're even."

     "Hey! I got you your own food to eat! Why did you have to go
eating mine!"

     Jo Jo leaned over, kissing him, pushing some of the apple bite
into Sam's mouth. "Oh quit your whining."  She picked up the breakfast
bag, lifting out a muffin. "You got your apple bite back, didn't you?"

     Sam shook his head, chewing it up before he spoke. "I must say it
was in a very strange way, too."

     Jo Jo said, "Well, I think after breakfast I'll pay a visit to
Mike and Kathy and then I'll stop by your brother's for a bit. What
will you be doing?"

     "I think I'll do the reverse of yours. I want to see how Kathy is
just as much as you do." He smiled. "And, I want to harass my brother
besides."

     "You're so mean to him, you know."  She smiled, combing her hair.
"Really, you are. But he's just as mean back."  She nuzzled his neck.
"I guess that's the fun of brothers, huh?"

     Sam nodded. "You bet. So, you're sure you want to stay here again
tonight?"

     "Yes. Very much so. But, things can change. Hopefully nothing bad
will happen today." Jo Jo took Sam's hand into hers.  "Besides, it
isn't the same without you snoring or murmuring strange things in your
sleep."

     Sam rolled his eyes. "Gee, I didn't know hearing me make noises
in my sleep was so comforting."

     "Well they are, so there." Jo Jo finished her muffing after she
set the comb down. "I'll go see how Mike and Kathy are doing while you
see your brother. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Sure."