finally poured out.

She woke to a darkened room. She sat up rubbing her eyes and decided to skip

dinner and just go to bed. She grabbed a quick shower pulling on a comfortable

tee shirt and boxers before climbing into bed. She tried to fall back to sleep

without success. Her thoughts drifted and a pair of silvery blue eyes appeared in

her mind's eye. She groaned rolling over onto her side. I'm not going to think of

Sam, she told herself , but her mind had other ideas. She was held captive as the images played out reliving the events of that morning. She felt again her tongue

in Sam's mouth their breaths mingling, the feel of Sam's breasts in her hands.

Then the scene changed. She watched as in her mind Sam approached

reaching out to gently pull her nude body into her arms. She felt the gentle touch

of Sam's lips on hers and the feeling of her arms surrounding her. Riley rolled

onto her back completely lost in the fantasy. Sam slowly lowered her to the bed

and began to caress her breasts. She kissed and lightly kneaded both breasts

rolling the nipples gently between her fingers. Sam leaned down tasting an erect

bud with her tongue before sucking it into her mouth. Riley moaned, her arousal

soaring. Sam continued to caress her sliding her hand down between Riley's

legs, stroking her before finally slipping inside. When Sam began to thrust hard

and fast Riley cried out Sam's name as the orgasm roared through her body.

She slumped back to the mattress the aftershocks still racing through her body.

She came back to her senses with one hand firmly cupping her breast and the

other buried deep between her legs. She still felt shaky from the powerful

orgasm. She'd never climaxed like that by touching herself before. It had been

amazing. "Oh Sam... what have you done to me?" She murmured to herself. In a

post orgasmic languor, she rolled onto her side and immediately fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frank and Cheryl sat in the living room waiting for Kim and Jess to arrive. Frank

had called his sister yesterday after they'd brought Sam home from the hospital.

He'd filled her in on everything that'd happened and the strange tension between

Sam and Riley. He was worried. Sam appeared to be healing physically but

she'd barely spoken a dozen words since they'd picked her up yesterday. She'd

spent most of her time since arriving home in bed insisting that she was tired.

That just wasn't like Sam. Frank knew she had been through a lot with the

shooting but he couldn't help feeling this had more to do with Riley than any

lingering effects of the shooting. She refused to discuss what had happen in her

hospital room with the doctor.

Frank sighed in relief when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find his

sister and her wife along with Thor.

"Hey I see you brought the moose." He told them laughingly.

"Now is that any way to refer to your sister." Kim teased.

Frank laughed reaching out to pull his sister-in-law into his arms. He loved the

beautiful blond. She'd been wonderful for his sister. He couldn't remember Jess

being happier and now with their upcoming plans he could only foresee a great

future ahead for them. He was glad Cheryl had been so understanding when

Kim and Jess had approached them. Time enough to think about that later,

Sam's our focus now. He reminded himself.

He hugged his sister tightly. "It's good to see you Sis. Wish it was under better

circumstances."

"How's she doing?" Jess asked quietly looking around for Sam.

"We're worried about her she hasn't spoken a dozen words since we brought her

home and barely stepped foot outside her room. Both Cheryl and I have tried to

get her to tell us what happened with Riley but she says it's nothing. She's just

tired."

"I convinced her to let me look at her incisions. They look fine and are healing

wonderfully." Cheryl added.

Kim knew Sam would never open up to her with everyone around.

She glanced over and met Jess's eyes. "Why don't you guys make a grocery

run? I'll stay here with Sam."

Jess started to put Thor's leash back on. "No leave him here with me." Kim

instructed. Jess looked puzzled but put the leash back on the table. Kim leaned

over and gently kissed Jess. "Give me as much time with her as you can." She

whispered to Jess as she pulled way. Jess nodded in understanding before

heading out with Frank and Cheryl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim slowly eased open the bedroom door. Sam was lying on the bed staring up

at the ceiling. Kim motioned to Thor to precede her. He immediately ran up to

the bed laying his big head on Sam's chest. Sam turned onto her side and

wrapped her arms around the big dog. She buried her face in his neck and

started to cry. Thor stood perfectly still offering his own brand of comfort. When

Kim thought most of the storm had passed she moved from the foot of the bed

where she'd been standing and sat down on the other side of the bed opposite

Sam.

"Hey Sam." She said softly reaching out to touch her shoulder urging her to roll

onto her back.

Sam refused to move or meet Kim's eyes. She continued to gently stroke Thor's

coat.

"Hi." She finally responded.

Kim kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable. She propped up a pillow

against the headboard and sat back stretching out her legs. Kim waited for Sam

to make the next move. Sam continued to pet Thor her back to Kim. She and

Kim had gotten close in the last year. She was one of the few people besides

Jess she could open up to and be herself. Knowing she couldn't put off the

inevitable forever, she rolled onto her back and placed her arm over her eyes.

"Ready to tell me about it?" Kim asked.

"NO."

Kim waited. She had been this route with Sam before and knew if she pushed,

she'd retreat. It was just a matter of waiting her out. Eventually she would tell her

what happened.

Sam sighed deeply. She knew Kim would just sit there as long as necessary.

She couldn't help smiling to herself when she thought of her sister being married

to the stubborn psychiatrist. Poor Jess, she never stood a chance.

"It's nothing," Sam tried.

"Don't even start that with me Sam McKenna, you and your sister should know

by now I don't want to hear that crap!"

Sam couldn't help it she smiled despite herself. She moved her arm and met

Kim's eyes for the first time. She read the frustration in them but also the love

she knew her sister-in-law had for her.

"All right, you win." Sam groused. Sam shifted position moving to lay her head in Kim's lap. Kim gently stroked her hair.

Sam related the events of her last encounter with Riley. Kim fought to keep her

expression neutral when Sam reached the part about them making out on her

hospital bed.

"Then when we were interrupted she just freaked out and gave me the same

song and dance, 'I can't be involved with a patient'. Didn't seem to bother her a

few minutes before when she had her tongue down my throat and her hands on

my breasts." Sam said angrily.

Kim was at a loss. She had understood Riley's insistence about not being

involved with a patient but once Sam was discharged, she wasn't her patient

anymore. She knew some doctors felt strongly once a patient always a patient

but she personally didn't agree with that. In her specialty of psychiatry sure there

was no way you could be involved with an ex-patient but Riley was a surgeon

the same rules just didn't apply. She began to wonder if there wasn't more to this

than a doctor-patient relationship problem. Sam had told her about Riley

confiding that she was gay but that she'd been dating men and had only recently

started dating women. She couldn't help wondering if this had more to do with

coming out than not being involved with a patient. Kim sighed; it was all just

guesswork on her part. Sam was her chief concern.

"I'm so sorry Sam. I know you'd hoped things would turn out differently. It's

obvious she has feelings for you but is unwilling to act on them. I don't know if

you can change that. She has to do what she thinks is right. I know that's not

what you want to hear."

"But she did act on them. I wasn't making out on the bed by myself. How can

she kiss me like that one minute then say we can't be involved the next?" Sam

cried in frustration.

"I understand what you're saying but sometimes our emotions get away from us

and we respond even when we know we shouldn't. You seem to stir something

strong in her but you can't force her into giving a relationship with you a chance

regardless of what's happened between you. Maybe you just need to give her

some time before attempting to approach her again."

"I know you're right. I just..." Sam's voice trailed off as tears again began to flow.

Kim stroked her hair and back. She had never seen Sam affected so strongly by

a woman before. She'd watched her date a string of women. They all loved her

and any one of them would've been happy to make a life with her. However,

none of them had ever been able to touch Sam's heart. She wished she could

give Sam the answers she wanted. Sam eventually drifted off to sleep her arms

wrapped around Kim's thighs. Kim slipped out from under her and gently

covered her up. She heard the others come back in and left the room, leaving

Thor to watch over Sam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim walked straight into Jess's arms. Jess wrapped her arms around her wife

hugging her tight.

"How's Sam?"

"Physically she seems fine, emotionally that's another story."

"Is it post traumatic stress from the shooting?" Jess asked in concern.

"I'm not sure she's even dealt with the repercussions of the shooting yet. Her

main problem right now is she has deep feelings for Riley and Riley doesn't want

to have anything to do with her."

"What? Why the hell not?" Jess asked in outrage. "It was obvious when we were here before that the woman had feelings for Sam."

Kim explained what Sam had told her. She left out the part about them making

out on Sam's hospital bed. She was worried Jess would rush over to the hospital

to confront Riley. She cautioned Jess as well as Frank and Cheryl to not push

Sam on the subject and let her come to her own acceptance of the situation.

They reluctantly agreed. They all cared for Sam and only wanted what was best

for her. Jess and Frank both wanted to march over to the hospital and give Dr.

Riley Connolly a piece of their mind but Kim's cool-headed advice prevailed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jess and Kim were cuddled together on the sofa and Frank and Cheryl sat

curled together on the loveseat. They were just about to start discussing the

timing of their upcoming plans. Before their discussion could get started, they

were interrupted by the sound of Sam coming down the hall.

"Don't everyone stop talking on my account." Sam said as she reached the

room. "Unless of course it's because you were talking about me." She said in an

accusing tone.

Kim patted the sofa next to her. "No, actually we weren't. Come have a seat."

Sam looked at Jess then Frank. They both had bland expressions on their

faces."

"Sorry." Sam muttered before sitting down.

"We were just discussing the sleeping arrangements for tonight." Jess told Sam.

"Kim and I need to find a hotel I guess." She continued looking over Kim.

"I think tonight would be a good TIME for all of us to be together." Kim

interrupted. She made eye contact with Frank and Cheryl then turned to smirk at