Godfather Duties *complete*

[rrsherlock]

Godfather Duties

Danny, Martin or Jack. Who will win the title?

Spoilers: None. Set just before the season 6 finale.

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing but the plot—and I guess, Evan. Does “Baby Boy Spade” actually have a name yet on the show?

Warning: Character death

A/N: Thanks to Jennifoofighter for her advise and support!! And just so you all know, I wrote this as a way for me to deal with the writers' HORRID plot line of "it's nobody you know" for the father of Sam's baby. So, without further adieu...


Chapter 1

Samantha sat between Danny and Martin on a bench in the Federal Quad enjoying a bit of lunch and quiet before returning to the bustle that was their department lately. It wouldn’t be too much longer before she gave birth and these quiet moments would become things of the past. And with the question of Godfather still hanging out there, bribery was a wonderful way not to pay for her own lunch.

“Come on, Sam! You’ve got to pick one of us!” Danny cajoled.

“Why?” Sam rubbed a hand over her belly and winked at Martin. “Why could you possibly want to know who I want to be my son’s godfather?”

Danny rolled his eyes, “Well, I doubt you’ll pick Jack. I mean, the whole office heard you shouting at him yesterday!”

“So, that just leaves Danny and me,” Martin interjected, “So, Sam, inquiring minds want to know! Who are you going to ask to help keep the little squirt in line?”

“’Little squirt?’ You’re calling my child ‘squirt’ and expect me to name one of you his godfather?” Sam teased. She had already made up her mind ages ago—well, really about two and a half seconds after she found out she was having a boy. She sighed heartily, “Alright, here’s the deal. My ‘little squirt’ here, as you so put it,” she nodded to Martin, “is going to need all the help he can get. I mean, what do I know about standing up to pee and all?”

“So?” Danny just wanted her to get to the part where he could start gloating over Martin.

“So, I’ve decided why pick just one, when I—well, he—could have two?” Sam looked at her two best friends and smiled, “I want you both to be his godfather. I really mean it when I said he’s going to need some help.”

“Aw, Sam! Really? I have to share?” Danny whined and kicked at a napkin blowing in the light breeze.

Sam laid a hand on his arm, “Yes, Daniel, you have to share. I know that it’s tough for you, being the youngest and all. But it’s time to act like a grown-up and share your toys!”

“Wow! The kid’s not even here and all ready you sound like a mom!” Martin grinned at her.

“You think?” Sam blushed.

Danny nodded, “Sounded pretty convincing to me! Ok, I’ll share god-duties with Fitzy if I have to!”

“That’s great that you want to share, but what if I don’t?” Martin asked, timing his wink so that only Sam could see.

Danny rubbed his chin, “Well, doesn’t look like we’ve got much choice in the matter. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Martin asked warily.

Grinning widely, Danny offered a solution, “Unless you want to decline the offer and let me have all the glory.”

Samantha just listened to the banter between them knowing that neither would relinquish the title and her small son would have the best of all possible worlds—Danny would teach him all about fun and enjoying life to its fullest, while Martin would show him how to be responsible and treat women with respect. Sometimes, in the darkest hours of the night, she wondered where she and Martin would be if she hadn’t gotten pregnant by someone else. She sighed quietly and smiled, listening to Martin’s answer.

“Absolutely not! Samantha chose us both for a reason and I will not shirk my duties,” Martin jutted his chin, “Besides, with only you for a godfather, the kid’s doomed!”

Sam put her hand on Danny’s arm, “Just agree to share. Lunch time’s over and this is a silly argument.”

“OK, Sam. You win,” Danny gathered up their trash and tossed it.

Martin helped Sam up off the bench and they all headed back to work.

[carol38]

I read this on FFNET so glad you posted it, look forward in reading more soon.

[PlainJaneIAm]

This looks like a really great work in the making! I'm glad she picked them both to be Godfather so neither one would feel left out, and it's a great idea since they kind of balance on another out. ;D I'm a little worried about the 'character-death' though.... Update soon! This looks really great!

[Bright Eyes]

I'm delighted to see you're posting this here. Like Carol, I spotted this on ff.net.

I'm a few chapters ahead, so I'll stop reading on ff.net and wait for everyone to catch up.
And, I'll keep quiet - no way anyone gets information out of me!!!!

[rrsherlock]

Thanks for the reviews! And for those of you who have read on ff.net I appreciate your silence on the twists and angst to come. Here's the second chapter...Happy reading.


Chapter 2

Three days later found the three of them back in the Quad enjoying lunch again. Danny had brought a second bag with them and refused to give into Sam’s curiosity until they finished lunch. Samantha had never eaten a fruit salad and sandwich faster. She really wanted to know what was in the bag.

“I’m done! Can I have the other bag now?” Sam begged shamelessly.

Martin shook his head, “You’re done, but we’re not! Have patience, Spade!”

“I can’t believe I ate faster than you, Martin!” Sam sighed, “You’re just going slow to torture me!”

Around the large last bite of his sandwich, Martin shook his head. It took him a moment to chew the mouthful and swallow, but once he did he defended himself, “I was not eating slow on purpose, Sam, I just wasn’t as invested as you in figuring out what’s in the bag.”

Danny hadn’t said a word. He knew if he even opened his mouth, Sam would yell at him for eating so slow. He wasn’t too far behind Martin, so he just concentrated on finishing his lunch. A few moments later, he finished and pulled the bag up, “OK, Sam. Thanks for your patience,” he joked. “This is Martin’s and my first Godfather gift to the little squirt,” he explained, putting the bag into her hands.

Sam smiled and tore into the tissue. With a gasp she pulled out a beautiful carousel music box. “This is beautiful!” She wiped a tear from her face and leaned into Martin’s hug. “Thank you both!”

“Turn it over, Sam,” Martin said quietly.

Complying, Samantha noticed the inscription and read it aloud, “To our favorite godson. With much love from your Uncle Danny and Uncle Martin.” She shook her head, “I—I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, Sam. We were giving you a bad time the other day, but we talked after work and decided we needed to make it up to you,” Danny smiled, “We already love you, loving your little squirt isn’t a stretch and truthfully, we’re both honored to be his godfather.”

As Samantha leaned over to kiss Danny’s cheek, something caught Martin’s eye, “Hang tight here—I want to check something out.” He sprinted towards the far corner of the quad and found himself automatically reaching for his weapon, “Stop! FBI!” He aimed at a lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic weapon.

Martin wasn’t the only one to see something out of the ordinary. Almost simultaneously he heard shouts of “NYPD!” and “Freeze, CIA!” The only problem now, was that this lunatic didn’t seem to care that he had three government agencies working against him. Without warning, the lone gunman opened fire into the quad. He only managed to fire for about five seconds before Martin and the others returned fire, killing him before he hit the ground.

With his gun still drawn, Martin made his way closer to the gunman and he exchanged grim looks between the other officers who had fired. The NYPD officer kicked the gun away from the shooter while one of the CIA officers checked his pulse. He looked up at Martin and shook his head. With a sigh of relief, Martin holstered his gun and was about to introduce himself to the other men who helped bring down the man now lying dead in a pool of his own blood.

[PlainJaneIAm]

OH NO!! This crazy guy just killed Sam or Danny, didn't he?! It has to be Danny... I mean they wouldn't be Godfathers if Sam and the baby died. Ah rrsherlock... you better update soon so I don't go crazy with the possibilities! Update soon... ;D

[Rat]

you had better not have let him kill sam. i will be really mad and sad.
great 2 chapter

[rrsherlock]

Thanks for reading and reviewing! And, um, Rat--sorry (posts next chapter & runs!).

Chapter 3

Martin holstered his gun and was about to introduce himself to the other men who helped bring down the man now lying dead in a pool of his own blood. Instead of introducing himself, Martin whirled and began sprinting back toward where he had left Samantha and Danny. Only registering halfway there that Danny had screamed his name.

Danny knelt helplessly next to Samantha. He held her hand in his and tried to keep her calm, “You’re going to be fine, Sam. Hang on, ok?”

She shook her head slightly, “Love you, big brother,” she whispered. She was dying and she knew it. The gunman hadn’t fired for long, but she was right in his sights when he began spraying bullets into the quad. The first bullet had only grazed her arm, but the next three she felt go right into her chest, knocking her backwards off the bench. She probably looked silly, she mused with a detached corner of her mind, with her legs still on the bench they had been sitting on. It was getting harder to breathe and she needed Martin to do something for her. One last request as it were.

“I love you too, Sam,” Danny said though his tears, “But you’ve got to…”

“Danny?” Martin vaulted over the bench and gasped, “Sam, no!” He knelt on her other side, taking her free hand into his own, “Sam?”

Tearing her eyes from Danny, Samantha managed to swing her head towards Martin, “Marty!” she whispered, “C—c—call.”

“Who, Sam? Who do you need me to call?” Martin spoke softly, running his free hand in her hair in a vain attempt to calm her.

“Em—call Emily,” she managed to get her entire thought out. Freeing her hand from Danny’s, she laid it on her stomach, “Give Em th’baby. Her ‘n’ Andrew. Promise!” Sam let her eyes close, focusing on the small movements she could still feel and grateful that she could.

“You’re sure, Sam? Not the father?” Martin continued to stroke her hair and hold her hand tight.

Sam shook her head and with great effort managed to open her eyes, “No, doesn’t want him. Em will. Please.”

Martin nodded, “Ok, Sam. I promise. I’ll call. And Danny and I will make sure nothing happens to him until then.” Unabashedly, Martin let the tears roll down his cheeks. He had looked up briefly at Danny and knew he was crying too.

“But,” Sam had one more request.

“What, Sammy?” Danny asked. “What else can we do?”

Samantha’s hand moved to where her son was kicking, “Not Sam.”

Martin gave Danny a puzzled look, but Danny understood her, “I’ll tell Emily for you, Sam. Don’t worry, I won’t let her name him Sam.”

She sighed contentedly. Her son would be safe now. He’d have loving parents and two godfathers who would spoil him rotten. Sam didn’t want to leave him, but that wasn’t an option any more. She looked from Danny to Martin and without realizing it, spoke from her heart, “Did…do.”

Sam had whispered so softly Martin had to bend to hear her. “You do what, Sam?” he was puzzled by her statement.

Looking into his eyes, Sam whispered, “Love you.”

“I know, Sam. I’ve always known. I love you too,” Martin kissed her lips softly. As he pulled back, he noticed her eyes had closed and on further inspection saw she wasn’t breathing, “Sam? Shit!” He quickly gave her two breaths and checked her vital signs.

“What are you doing?” Danny looked dazed and he was swaying slightly were he sat.

Martin looked up at him, his fingers on Sam’s throat, “We have to keep her alive, Danny. Without her, he’ll die too,” he nodded towards her pregnant belly. Martin saw Danny grow pale, “Danny? Are you hit?” Martin feared the worst.

“Hit?” Danny asked, looking down at his own body, “I don’t…”

He had turned slightly and Martin could see the blood flowing from a wound in his partner’s shoulder. “Hey, Danny. Partner?” Martin tried to gain his attention.

“What?”

“Can you keep Sam’s heart going? I’ve got to breathe for her,” Martin spoke with far more calm than he felt. His partner was going into shock and his ex-girlfriend was dying at his knees. “Danny? Can you do that?”

Without saying a word, Danny found the correct spot and using his uninjured arm, began rhythmically pumping on his best friend’s chest. “For my godson,” he whispered.

Martin nodded, but didn’t respond. After several long minutes, he vaguely realized Vivian had taken Danny’s place and that Jack tried to take his. Martin kept him off Sam with a jerk of his shoulder and kept breathing for the sake of her unborn child. Martin could hear Elena talking quietly to Danny and he spared a few seconds to look up at Vivian. Her face matched his—wet with tears. Martin had no idea how long he had been breathing for Samantha when a young paramedic took over for him. He moved out of their way and sat heavily on the ground near enough to watch the paramedics load Danny, with Elena in tow, and Samantha into waiting ambulances. With a trembling hand, he pulled Sam’s phone from her purse and scrolled though her directory.

Vivian had moved next to Martin and laid an arm around his shoulders. Jack was nearby talking to other agents, both CIA and FBI, as well as a lieutenant from the NYPD. He was near enough to hear Martin’s end of the conversation.

“Mrs. Reynolds? Emily? It’s Martin Fitzgerald. I work with your sister,” Martin had only observed others telling someone their loved ones were fatally wounded, this was the first time he was going to have to say the words himself, and in his nervousness, he was forgetting the fact that he and Emily had met on several occasions—the most recent being a baby shower Elena and Vivian had organized for Sam. “I—I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news?” The whir of the helicopter blades had been unmistakable and omnipresent since the idiot had pulled the trigger. “You have. Um, the agent that was shot, um,” he stopped, unsure what to say.

“Tell her to come here with her husband,” Vivian whispered to him. “Tell her about their nephew.”

Martin nodded, “You and your husband need to come to New York,” he stated quietly, “Come to St. Vincent’s Hospital to meet your nephew.”

Vivian could hear Emily’s voice on the other end, “Is my sister dead?”

“Not yet,” Martin whispered before he could stop himself, “I mean, it doesn’t look good, Em,” he had slipped into Samantha’s nickname for her without thinking, “I think you and your husband should get here as quickly as possible if you want to say good-bye.” Martin listened for a few seconds longer before agreeing to meet them at the hospital and closing the phone. Having done the duty he promised Samantha, Martin let himself lean into Vivian’s strong embrace and cried.

[PlainJaneIAm]

DUDE!!! NO!! OMG! rrsherlock--- I felt like maybe you'd give me some hope that Sam wouldn't die, but it's not looking so good right now. I can't believe it!! Goodness gracious! I can't wait for the next part!!

[Rat]

you better run. how could you. but at least sam told martin she loves him
great update. please update again soon. im going nuts

[rrsherlock]

A/N: Thanks for reading!!!


Chapter 4

It had taken Andrew and Emily almost two hours to reach the southern end of the island and when they finally walked through the doors of the main lobby of St. Vincent’s, Martin was again taken back how much Samantha and Emily resembled each other, yet at the same time, had their own unique qualities.

“Your nephew’s fine. He was born about ninety minutes ago, healthy as a horse,” Martin told them as they made their way to the bank of elevators.

“And Sam?” Emily’s voice was a mere whisper, her hand tight in Andrew’s.

He swallowed hard, “She’s…um…she’s in the ICU. We told her doctors you were on your way,” Martin pushed the button for the Intensive Care floor.

Andrew was a smart man and understood the subtext, “She’s not going to make it, is she?”

Martin could only shake his head around the lump in his throat.

---//---

In the waiting room, Jack stood, staring out the window, but not really seeing what was outside. His thoughts were turned inward, contemplating the cruel hand of fate that had been dealt to a newborn child. He heard the door open and turned, “Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds, I’d like to say it’s nice to see you again,” he let the statement hang.

“Please, Mr.?” Andrew remembered Samantha’s boss, but not his name. “Malone, yes, now I remember, um, please, I’m Andrew and this is Emily.”

Jack nodded, “Of course, Andrew. The doctor’s been waiting for you and Emily to arrive.”

“So it’s not too late?” Emily needed to know she could see her sister one last time.

He shook his head, “No, not yet. Danny should be out of surgery soon. The bullet that hit him was lodged in his shoulder. Elena’s down in the surgical waiting room,” Jack answered Martin’s look.

“And Viv?” Martin asked.

“With Sam,” Jack answered softly.

Emily kept one hand tightly in Andrew’s, but reached her other to Martin. She and Samantha had done much to repair their relationship once the truth about their youth came to light and she knew that Samantha still loved this man. From what she had seen and could still see, he still loved her too, and losing her was killing him. “Can we see her?”

Jack nodded and led them all down the hall. He caught the eye of the on-duty nurse and gave her a purposeful nod, and watched as she went to find the doctor in charge of Samantha.

As she waited for the Reynolds to arrive, Vivian kept one eye on the hallway and one on Samantha; she couldn’t stop the tears running down her cheeks. Knowing Samantha was already dead, only ‘alive’ by virtue of the machines really hurt. She had been looking forward to trading stories with Sam as her son grew. She had hoped Sam would come to her for advice about raising a boy in these crazy times. She imagined Samantha becoming the kind of mother every boy wanted—especially since she knew how to take down someone twice her size and carried a gun for a living. Vivian felt for the little boy asleep upstairs in the nursery who would never meet his mother. How would he ever know what a wonderful person she was and how much she loved him? Vivian moved into the hallway and without preamble, pulled Emily into a hug, “I’m so sorry, Emily.”

Emily held on to the older woman, “Thank you for staying with her, Vivian.” Never more grateful to her sister for introducing her to her colleague, Emily remembered the last time she was in the city and had met Sam and Vivian for lunch. They had talked about nothing and everything all at once. Their main topic of conversation was what Samantha was going to call her son. They had laughed until they cried over some of their crazy ideas. Emily’s personal favorite was Doug. She pulled back, “I’m going to go in now.”

Vivian nodded and squeezed her hand once more, “I’ve already said my good-byes. I’ll head up to the nursery and keep an eye on the little one?”

“Sure,” Emily answered absently, moving towards the small room where her sister lay. She felt Andrew’s hands on her shoulder and waist as they made their way. “Sam never slept on her back,” Emily said quietly, “She always was curled into a little ball. And she would wake up at the littlest noise.” A small sob escaped her throat as she approached the bed, “Oh, Sammy! I don’t want to say good-bye!” She reached out and held Sam’s hand tight. It was already cool to the touch. Emily carefully brushed Sam’s hair back and kissed her forehead, “I love you, Sam. We’ll take good care of him for you and he’ll always know you loved him too. You’ll watch out for him, right?”

Andrew held Emily close and reached a hand to his sister-in-law’s shoulder, “Samantha, thank you for allowing us to raise your son. We’ll miss you,” he kissed his wife’s head and they just stood there, listening to the machine breathe for her and taking in their last few moments.

[Bright Eyes]

Told you I wouldn't reveal any secrets!!

As promised, I haven't read any further on ff.net, so when you've caught up, I'll be reviewing with a vengance!!!!

[PlainJaneIAm]

That is so sad!! Martin must be dying inside. I can't imagine having to sit by and watch as the person you love dies. I hope something positive comes out of all of this, because to be quite honest, it's very depressing. Update soon!! ;D

[rrsherlock]

I'm thankful for all the readers! Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone! I would also like to remind everyone that I do not have a medical degree. Any errors are completely mine.

Chapter 5


“Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds?” an older doctor tapped on the doorframe, “I’m Dr. Neil Couch. I’ve been in charge of Samantha since she was brought in.”

Andrew took in the man’s rumpled white coat and calm demeanor. He reached out a hand, “We appreciate that.”

Emily turned, but kept her hand on Samantha’s, “There’s really nothing that can be done?” She understood that Sam had taken three bullets to the chest, but part of her still held out hope.

Dr. Couch shook his head, “I’m sorry. With the lack of higher brain functions, there really wasn’t much we could do for her except stabilize her enough for the C-section and for you to arrive.”

“So we’re just going to turn off the machines?” Emily whispered.

“Actually, I was wondering if Samantha ever mentioned organ donation.”

Emily bit her lower lip and nodded slowly, “Yeah, she did. We met for lunch several months ago.”

“You got shot!” Emily was glad she hadn’t taken a drink. “When?”

“Um, several years ago now. Martin’s first year on our team, actually,” Samantha blushed and rubbed her barely showing belly. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

“So what happened?” Emily let her curiosity show, waving off Sam’s apology.

Sam shook her head ruefully, “It was a kidnapping ransom drop gone bad. I went into the bookstore before the money and…”

“Bookstore?” Emily knit her brow, “That hostage standoff in the Table of Contents bookstore?”

Sam just nodded.

Emily leaned forward, “I was glued to the TV that night. The anchor said that the agent was shot on accident and that he—you!—almost died!”

“It was an accident, Em,” Sam tried to calm her sister. “Libby was just supposed to go in, ask for the travel section, drop the bag and walk out. But the city’s been a bit crazy since 9-11 and one of the other patrons told Barry—the gunman—that wasn’t his bag and tried to stop him. After that, it was a waiting game.”

“A waiting game?”

“Yeah, could the FBI out-wait the guy who was off his rocker enough to kidnap his wife’s former boss and hold her for ransom,” Sam sighed and stretched a little.

“So what went wrong?” Emily pushed the basket of rolls closer to Sam and smiled when she took the only plain one left.

Sam broke the roll in half and buttered it while trying to put the events in their proper order, “Like I said, it was a waiting game and one of the other hostages got tired of waiting. I was trying to keep him calm—him and Barry—and managed to gain Barry’s trust enough so that he had me take the next phone call from Jack. While I was on the phone, Richard, this other hostage, went for my gun. I had hidden it when Barry first took control of the bookstore. Barry saw what Richard was doing and went after him. They were struggling for my gun and I had to intervene. I couldn’t let one of the other hostages get hurt—that’s why I was there.”

“And the gun went off,” Emily guessed.

“Yeah,” Sam rubbed her thigh remembering the hot pain that went though her that day. “Yeah, and I got the bullet. At first, all I could think about was how much it hurt, but then, after things settled down, I was really glad it was me and not one of the other hostages.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s my job, Emily. It’s my job to protect people and not let them get hurt. If I can do something to help someone before they get hurt or into trouble, I’ll do it. And, …” Sam wondered if Emily would agree with her line of thinking.

Emily saw something cross her sister’s face, “’And’ what, Sam? What else would you do?”

Sighing deeply, Sam finished her thought, “And if I can help someone after I’m gone, I’d do that too.”

“Like donating your organs?” Emily’s face softened. “Oh, Sam, I think that’s the most selfless thing anyone can do!”

“Really?” Sam smiled, “I had no idea you thought like that. I mean, donating bone marrow is one thing, a body can always make more.”

“Like Mom did for Randy? Yeah, that was kind of selfless too. But giving someone you don’t know the gift to live life to its fullest…I don’t know, Sam, it just feels like the right thing to do.”

Samantha laid a hand on her small bump and wondered what the future would bring. She kept her eyes on her hand, “My job’s dangerous, Emily.” She looked up at her big sister, “Oh, not right now. I think I’m chained to the desk for the duration. But after, when I can go back to running down suspects and chasing leads…” she sighed again, “You’re at the top of my emergency contact list, Emily.”

“Don’t worry, Sam. If something ever happened to you, I’ll let the doctors know your wishes.” Emily knocked the table for luck, “May that not happen for a very long time!”

Sam knocked the table and then her own head, “Knock on wood.”

“So organ donation is something Samantha wanted to do?” Dr. Couch asked.

Emily nodded, “She was pretty insistent that if something ever happened,” she paused and gulped hard. This was real. Samantha was going to donate her organs; she wasn’t going to recover. Emily felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks and she leaned into Andrew for support.

“Which…I mean, what…what happens now?” Andrew asked for them both.

Dr. Couch opened Samantha’s file and pulled out a form, “I’ll need you, Mrs. Reynolds, to sign this release form. Then we’ll take her back to surgery and let Samantha help make lives better. I know this is difficult, but we’d really like to have her corneas, kidneys and liver mainly. If there are some tendons, bones and blood vessels that are still viable, we’d like those too. Unfortunately, her heart and lungs are too damaged.”

“And then?” Emily whispered.

“And then we’ll let her go,” he answered softly. Dr. Couch laid a hand on her arm, “She won’t feel a thing, I promise.”

Emily nodded and reached for the form, “This is what Sam wanted. I—I won’t go against her wishes.” She signed the form and then turned into Andrew.

Andrew, for his part, was once again amazed by the strength of character of his wife. He didn’t know if he could sign the paper for one of his siblings or not. He certainly wasn’t sure he could sign the form if it were Emily lying on that bed and not Samantha. When she turned into him, he could only hold her tight, silently giving his support.

Neil Couch had asked families many times to sign the organ donation form and was often taken aback by the selfishness of some families. He was pleased that Emily Reynolds could do the right thing—that she could follow her sister’s wishes and sign the form. “Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds, thank you very much for doing this. Samantha will help many people live better lives because of your act today. I have to go notify the transplant teams. I’ll give you and her colleagues a few more minutes to say good-bye.”

Martin had been standing in the hallway outside Samantha’s room the entire time. He was glad Emily knew Sam’s wishes about organ donation. He knew too, but didn’t want to have to break that news to her after telling her Sam was dying. He watched Emily sign the form with a shaking hand and was forcefully reminded of Samantha’s own iron will. How was he supposed to come to work every day without her there? How were they going to manage without her spunk and drive?

Lost in his own thoughts, Martin didn’t hear Emily approach and only noticed her presence when she reached up to hug him.

“Sam loved you, Martin,” she said quietly. “I know you love her. Why don’t you take a few minutes alone? We’re going to the nursery.”

He nodded and started to move to the door, “Emily? Samantha had one other request.”

Emily didn’t need to ask when Samantha had made the request, so she just tipped her head and waited for him to tell her.

“She, uh, she doesn’t want you to name him Sam,” Martin said, a lone tear running down his cheek. “That you and Andrew raise him, but not call him Sam.”

Jack watched Emily sign the paper with a sinking heart; it was really happening, Samantha Spade would never grace their lives again. He gripped the bag he picked up from under the bench harder. And after Martin made Samantha’s last request, he silently put the bag into Martin’s hand and nodded towards Emily.

Martin exchanged a look with his boss and nodded, “Um, Sam asked Danny and me to be his godfathers. If it’s all right with you and Andrew, we’d still like to be his godfathers.” He handed her the bag, “This is our first gift.”

Emily opened the bag and smiled, “This is beautiful, Martin.” She looked to her husband, silently asking his approval.

“Of course you and Danny can still be his godfathers,” Andrew answered. “We’d be honored.”

[PlainJaneIAm]

That is so sad! I don't know if I'd be able to sign those papers as easily as Emily. It'd be hard for me to let someone I loved go like that, but I guess it's what Sam wanted. Great update. More soon ;D