A Rose in Shadow

Two Weeks Later

TWO WEEKS LATER

Adam had spent the morning dealing with doctors and lawyers.

Nathan Moore had pleaded guilty to the charges against him for harassment, assault but the kidnapping charges were dropped when he was found unfit.  He received mandated counseling and treatment in addition to a light sentence. Samantha would be pleased. Adam on the other hand still wasn't sure how he felt about it.

As he entered the precinct he headed over to Sergeant Lyle's desk to check in and had to wait while the Sarge finished chewing before he could talk. In front of him sat a suspiciously familiar lidded tin and Adam raised an eyebrow at the older man.

"What?" the Sarge asked in answer to Adam's unspoken question. He looked around guiltily.

"Samantha's been here" a statement as Adam nodded to the tin.

She had dragged him along to an estate sale the past weekend, so excited that they finally had a whole day off together. He had wanted to spend it in bed, losing himself in her. She indulged him, twice, before making him get up and dressed to go with her. He had to admit that he enjoyed himself. Holding her hand and wandering aimlessly. It was probably one of his favourite days in recent memory. It didn't hurt that in exchange for him giving up his plans to stay in bed for the day she agreed that they could "turn in early" that night after dinner. Funny how after more than a month of living together he still couldn't get enough of her.

The sale was held at an old turn of the century estate and the items being sold were spread out over the grounds, in the outbuildings and in the home itself. Adam and Samantha spent over two hours there and still didn't see everything.

While at the estate sale Samantha had happened upon a number of antique cookie tins of all colours, shapes and sizes that she immediately scooped up. He knew that they would soon be filled and given away.

Another look at the one in front of his Sergeant, confirmed that it was definitely a gift from his Samantha.

"Before you get your knickers in a twist, Samantha asked me to give you this note".

Smiling at the familiar writing on the outside of the envelope he opened it up to see a quick note – "Hey babe! Leave the Sarge alone with his treats. Yours are on your desk. Love Sam xx".

She knew him too well. Tucking the note into his pocket, where it would find its way to his night-table drawer with his other notes from her, he sighed and leaned over the desk to investigate. "What did you get?"

A huge grin covered his Sergeant's face "She knows my weaknesses. She made me date squares and I've got to tell you, Adam, our Samantha can cook!" Adam's heart filled at the Sarge's reference to Samantha as "ours". She so easily fit into his life, not just with his family, who loved her like crazy, but his coworkers and friends too. "Date squares, huh?" Adam wasn't sure that he liked date squares but he smiled at the Sarge and wandered to his own desk.

He found his treat tucked off to one side of his desk, probably so no one would take it on him. He'd complained, half-heartedly, to Samantha about Roland trying to steal his lunch every day since she had started making it for him. Thinking of this, he glanced over to Roland's desk, relieved to see that the man wasn't there to come begging, but laughing when he noticed a small cookie tin on his desk too. And because he also knew Samantha well, he stood up to look over the half-wall that divided his desk area from Jamie's and found a package wrapped in crisp white paper and topped with a smiley face sticker.

On Adam's desk was a short, wide glass jar, Samantha would want him to bring this back home to be re-used, filled with double chocolate chunk cookies about the size of his palm. Under the jar though was another note and a photo envelope, the kind that you got from the drugstore when you printed pictures. Curious, he opened the note first. "I wasn't sure if you would want one of these for your desk? I can get you a frame if you do. The other ones I would like to frame for home. Let me know what you think. Love you xx".