Title: A Part of Me

Author: Major_Sam

EMAIL: funky_chicken88@hotmail.com

Rating: PG13

Pairings: Sam/Shelley Established Relationship.

Date: 11/12/04

Summary: Sam waited for her... but she never showed up.

She'd waited for 2 hours for her. She'd called several times, both to their home and to her cell phone, but nothing. Finally, Sam gave up and came home.

Sam looked up as she heard the front door open....

'Sam, are you home? Can you give me a hand. Shelley shouted.

But Sam didn't move.

Shelley struggled with the buggy and a crying toddler, plus several full bags as she entered the house. The redhead was covered in snowflakes. It had been snowing in Colorado for the last few days and although she didn't like taking Mia out in it, she decided that she'd do some Christmas shopping. She dropped the bags in the doorway and slammed the door shut behind her, shutting out the wind and the snow. The house was in near darkness, apart from the lights on the Christmas tree.  She saw Sam sitting on the couch, looking at her, a glass of whiskey in her hand.

'Sam, did you hear me?' the redhead asked, turning on the lights.

Sam glared at her, taking another sip.

'I heard you.'

'Then why didn't you....help.'

The Lt. colonel stood from her chair, placing the glass on the table in front of her.

'You mean, if I did something for you.. Tell me, when was the last time you did something for me?' Sam snapped back at her.

Shelley unstrapped Mia from the buggy and lifted her out of it, letting her walk off for a moment, whilst her mom folded it up. She placed it in a small cupboard by the door, watching as Mia mad her way towards Sam, with one of the bags in her little hand.

'Look...' Mia said, raising the bag to Sam.

Sam knelt down, opening the bag.

Shelley watched and smiled as Mia showed Sam what they had brought when they'd been out shopping. One bag had the inevitable cuddle toy, that Shelley could never resist buying her daughter. Always with the cute and cuddly. The other bag had a little dress, black with a pink band around the hem with a little pink bow around the waist.

'That's so pretty. You're gonna be the prettiest at the Christmas party, Mia.'

Mia began to run off in the direction, but was stopped in time for Shelley to take off her coat.

'Don't get anything on that dress.' Shelley called out after her.

Shelley laughed and picked up the rest of her bags, clutching one to her chest.

'Don't peek. It'll spoil the surprise and believe me, it's gonna be worth the wait.' Shelley said.

She moved into their bedroom, putting away some extra presents she'd brought.

'So you've been shoppin?' Sam asked.

'Yeah, didn't you get my message. I left a note on the fridge.' Then I met an old friend in town and we got talking. Guess I lost track of time.'

'You don't remember, do you?' the blonde asked.

Sam stood in front of Shelley, staring at her. A cold shiver ran down Shelley's spine.

'Noo, was I supposed to?'

'Lunch, with my dad and Mark. You know how much I wanted us all to be together. Now dad's gone back off world and Mark leaves tomorrow.'

'I'm so sorry, baby.'

Shelley reached out her hand, trying to apologise with a  touch. But Sam pulled away.

'Don't. You knew how important this was to me, Shelley and you couldn't even be bothered to call and say you weren't coming.' Sam shouted.

'Hey. Don't shout at me and don't shout with Mia in the house. I don't want her to see us fighting, if we're going to fight about this.'

Shelley disappeared into Mia's room, trying to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

Sam paced the living room. She'd never been so angry with Shelley. This hadn't been the first time that she'd forgotten an important date. Deep down she knew that it wasn't on purpose. But part of her couldn't help but wonder that if she was with someone else, another man, that she wouldn't forget the important stuff.

An hour passed and Shelley got Mia ready for her party. Shelley was so proud of her little girl that she took a picture of her and placed it on the table before her lift arrived.

'I'll pick you up and 7, angel, okay.'

'Okay, mommy.'

Mia looked around the house, in search of Sam, but couldn't find her. Shelley didn't need to be told what she was doing and saw the disappointment on her face.

'She's had a long day, I think she's tired. You go and have fun, angel.'

Mia gave her mom a big hug. She kissed her on the cheek and walked down the path towards where Shelley's friend was waiting.

'Why did you lie to her?' A voice asked from behind her.

Shelley turned around, wiping a small tear from her cheek.

'Cause she's 3 years old Sam, that's why. What did you want me to tell her, that your acting younger than she is.'

'At least you manage to remember sarcasm, must be a family trait.'

'Don't start.' Shelley said.

'What.. you said you didn't want to argue with Mia in the house, now she's gone.'

'I don't even know why we're arguing.'

Sam shook her head, refusing to believe how innocent she was pretending to be.

'I can't believe you. You went shopping, Shelley. Shopping, instead of spending time with me and my family.'

'I told you, I forgot. It's not like I did it on purpose.' Shelley said.

'How could you forget something like that?' Sam asked.

Shelley paced up and down the living room.

'How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?'

'Maybe that's just not good enough, Shelley.'

'All of this, because I missed lunch.'

Sam turned quickly, facing Shelley. The redhead could see how angry she was and didn't know what to say to change it all.

'No, not just lunch. It's everything. And this isn't the first time you've missed an important date. You keep forgetting Shelley. It's like...'

'What. I don't understand Sam.'

'That's just it, you don't understand! You remember what's important to you, but forget what's important to us. You don't think about me, you don't care about our relationship.'

'How can you say that?'

Her tear from earlier made a re-appearance and she didn't even wipe it away.

'Cause that's what it feels like. You knew that Mark wanted to see you again, after the last time, how uncomfortable he felt.'

'I know. But how could you say that I don't think about you?'

'Because that's how it feels.'

'You're so wrong. You couldn't be more wrong.'

Shelley ran the back of her hand against Sam's cheek and still pulled away. She moved towards the front door, taking her coat off the hook near the door.

'Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk.'

'I need to.. I need too.'

'Don't you walk away from me! You promised me that you'd never walk away from me.' Shelley shouted at her.

Sam's head looked back, slowly, seeing the tears rolling down Shelley's face.

'You have no idea how much I always think about you. You're there, in my head all the time. Maybe I forget sometimes, forget some things. But I know what's important to me. I do care about our relationship. But its more than that. You're more to me that just simply the woman I live with, my girlfriend. You're my life. Apart of me.' Shelley said.

The Lt. colonel turned away, the tears beginning to swell in her eyes. Her hurt and anger made way for regret, for making Shelley feel so bad inside.

'I love you,' Shelley whispered. 'I've never felt this way before. I've never been in love like this before, and that scares me. That I could love someone so much, that it feels like we're the same person, sometimes. And that's why I forget, because I know that a part of me will always remember. You're that part of me!'

Without a second thought, Sam moved towards her, wrapping her up in her arms. Their lips melted together as they stood in the middle of the hallway, kissing. Sam ran her hand across Shelley's face, as she pulled away slowly.

'If I knew how important this lunch was, I would have...'

Sam raised her finger to the redhead's lips, silencing her for a moment.

'Sshh. It's okay. I'm sorry for acting like a brat.' Sam said.

'You had a right to be annoyed. Maybe we could catch your dad at the base, it's only 4. And pick up Mia and Mark on the way.'

'What about the party?'

'You saw her face, Sam. She wanted to see you. I think she should get to know her family better.' Shelley said.

Sam kissed her again, smiling.

'I'll phone the base, see if dad's gone yet and then I'll call Mark.'

The blonde hugged her tightly, then parted slowly.

On the way to the base, they picked up Mia from her party and Mark from his hotel. They spent an hour in the commissary, talking, laughing. Sam held Shelley's hand underneath the table and from time to time, felt the redhead's grip grow tighter. This is what she had wanted this afternoon. For those she loved to spend time together. Despite the way she went about it, making Shelley pour her heart out like she did, those she loved were together.