Chapter Text
It was the 25th of December. Sam was playing with Mary. Or, more accurately, she was playing with her stacking ring and he just looked at her with so much love and admiration. She was getting big, she would be 1 next month. Time really flied.
He heard Jess vomit upstairs. He should probably check up on her. He put Mary in her cot and went upstairs with some ginger ale.
Jessica laid in their bed. Absolutely exhausted.
“Hey honey, how are you doing?”
“How do you think?” Jess responded.
“Okay, that might have been a stupid question. But I brought you ginger ale! It’s supposed to help settle your stomach.”
He helped her drink about half of the glass and then he laid her down again. He pressed a cool rag against her forehead.
“I’m going to die.” Jess exclaimed dramatically.
“Come on, it can’t be that bad. I’ve had it too and look, I’m still alive.”
“You can’t say anything about that! It is not comparable at all. How come that when you have a stomach flu you puke for one day, feel kind of queasy the next day and then it’s just over? I have been feeling miserable for the last four days! Because of something I caught from you! You can’t say anything.”
“You’re right… Just try to get some rest.”
He sat by her side until she slept. He stroked her hair out of her face and kissed her sweaty forehead. Then he went downstairs to free Mary from her cot.
That is how the day progressed. It was 4 pm. They would have been at Jess’s family by now to celebrate Christmas with them. But unfortunately they had to cancel because of Jess’s sickness. Sam thought it was a shame that he could not see his in-laws but secretly he was kind of relieved. They were lovely, the best in-laws you could imagine but around the holidays they always asked him if he was going to see his ‘real’ family this year. And if he was, could they come along to meet them?
Sam’s relationship with his family was not great. Not great as in it didn’t exist. The last time he spoke someone he was connected to with blood was 11 years ago. That was the night he ran away from home. Dean had begged him to stay but his father had screamed at him to go and to stay gone. So that’s what Sam did. He went to Stanford and built a new life. He got a great job, he got new friends and with Jess he got a new family.
Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up to see it was Jerry. That was weird, he hadn’t spoken to Jerry since the end of college.
“Sam Moore”
“Hi Sam, this is Jerry. From college.”
“Yes, Jerry, Hi! How are you?”
“I’m good! I became a police officer. How about you? Still dating Jess?”
Sam smiled at that last question. He and Jess had started dating at the beginning of their first year. When they were still going strong in their third year people had started joking around, saying that they would still be together in their eighties.
“You’re not going to believe it but we actually got married and we have a kid.”
“Nooo… really?” Jerry said. Sam could hear him smiling through the phone.
“Yeah, her name is Mary.”
“Wow, that’s really awesome! But there is a reason I called. I’m going to sound as such a dick, contacting you after all these years only to ask you a favour but this is my last resort.”
“Okay…” Sam said, not sure what to expect.
“So, as I told you I’m a police officer and I arrested this guy last night. He is a suspect in a murder case but I only have circumstantial evidence. If there is no new evidence or if he doesn’t talk I have to let him go. He is not cooperating at all, giving only snarky remarks. I thought maybe, if I could get him a DA, he would be easier to talk to. But, no one is available because everyone is celebrating Christmas. You’re the only lawyer I know and you would really help me out here if you would be able to swing by, even if it is for 30 minutes. I know you’re not a DA but you do know the law and the system. I am really sorry to ask you, it’s just my last chance at getting this guy someone who he would be able to confide in who is not a police officer.”
Jerry was clearly desperate. Sam felt for him. Jerry was one of his best friends in college, next to Brady of course, and he had helped him out on more than one occasion. There were only a few things.
“What police station are you at?”
“Colony, Kansas. Does this mean you’re going to help?”
Sam lived nearby Colony. It would take him what, an hour to get there?
“I don’t know yet. I would be glad to help you out and Colony is about an hour away but Jess is sick and I’m not sure if I want to leave her. I can certainly not leave her here with the baby, she is in no state to take care of anyone right now.”
“Mary –it was Mary right?- can come with you. It is Christmas day. The precinct is really silent, I’m one out of two guys working. I can watch her while you speak with the suspect.”
Sam was still hesitant. “Is it alright if I discuss this with Jess and call you back in a minute?”
“Yes, of course! No problem. I’ll hang up then.”
And as promised, Jerry hung up.
Sam walked upstairs and was glad to see Jess was awake.
“Hey” he said, sitting next to her. “Jerry, from college, just called. He asked me a favour.”
Jess looked up at him. “Okay… What does he want?”
“He needs a lawyer for a person of interest he has in holding right now.” Upon seeing Jess’s confused face he explained: “Oh yeah, forgot to tell you. He became a police officer. Anyways, he is desperate and I’m his last chance. It’s in Colony and I can take Mary with me, he can watch her. It’ll give you some peace and quiet but I wanted to make sure you’re okay with it.”
Jess waited a moment, considering her answer. Finally, she said: “if I’m not puking, I’m either sleeping or coughing up my lungs. You won’t miss much. I’m okay with it as long as you come back at a reasonable bed time for Mary. We don’t want her all cranky tomorrow.”
“Of course. It’s 4:15 pm. We’ll be back well before her bedtime.” He said, giving her a kiss. “Love you.”
She was already half asleep but she still mumbled “love you too.”
Sam smiled and called Jerry back. He got voicemail so he left a message saying that he would be there in about an hour. He changed in a suit and armed with his briefcase and baby stuff for Mary he got in his car.