Title: Powerful Friends
Author: mardel



Powerful Friends 
by Lynne
rated G SBR almost

Disclaimer: I just borrowed them for the story, these characters are owned by 
Kronish Productions.

Sam had been working with Bailey for nearly two years before she saw him wearing 
anything but a suit. It was a shock to her when he arrived at the gym. She had 
never speculated about his build, he was her friend, he was Bailey. She dearly 
loved his infrequent hugs, he was a  good listener and a strong shoulder to 
lean on. 

The sight of all that muscle kind of threw her, he was wearing a sleeveless shirt 
and his arms were huge. It put her in mind of that pro wrestler all the kids 
thought was great. 
He was carrying his ready kit with him, a black nylon bag all the team had that 
held everything they could need for two days if they were called out suddenly. 
She had lifted his off a chair a few times and the thing was not lite. But the 
thing that really got her attention was the ripple that 
went through his arm as he swung first the bag and then himself up to the 
platform she was waiting for him on. 

"Hi, Sam you haven't been waiting long I hope?" he smiled at her. 
"No, I just sat down a minute ago, you look different in your civies. For a 
second there I was thinking about running for it." Sam teased him. 
" Scary huh?" he asked laughing. 
" No, it just seems like there is more of you all of the sudden." she confessed.
Bailey sat down only a few inches from her on the platform. His left side 
closest
to her. He wasn't sure what to say to her statement. He knew a very long time
in her past she had escaped a rapist, he hoped he wasn't making her 
uncomfortable. 

" You want to skip this training? If your feeling uncomfortable I can have you 
assigned to the next self defense class." he offered. 
" I'm feeling a little something but I'm don't think it would be better in a 
class setting. I trust you boss, " she told him.
" Your sure Sam, I don't want to bring back anything." he looked closely at her 
when she answered. 
"No, really lets get to work, I'm fine." she patted his arm like she often did 
to her co-worker but then realized in mid touch how firm his bicep was. 
Bailey showed her several moves, he gently threw her once so she would 
understand that leverage worked, then had her throw him a few times. 
"Good, good now you've got the hang of it, after a few more practice sessions, 
you'll be an old hand at this stuff." Bailey got up smiling. 
"Yeah, if the bad guy holds still long enough for me to get into position first" 
Sam remarked.
" Your catching on fast, you just wait until John hears how well your doing, he 
won't believe me and you can throw him in the conference room to prove it to 
him." Bailey joked. 
"One more and then we will call it a night." he came at her again and Sam 
managed to get her shoulder up under him and throw him to the mat, only then she 
lost her balance and fell on top of him. 
"Easy there Sam." Bailey reached to help her, she had landed so hard on him it 
had pushed all the air out of her lungs. He hated that feeling himself. 
"Lay flat for a second, you just had the wind knocked out of you." he kept a 
hand on her shoulder to make her lay still. 
Sam was gasping for air and looking up a Bailey, his shirt was gapping open, his 
chest was amazing. She had to close her eyes to keep from staring at him. 
She didn't like thinking about Bailey that way, it made her nervous. 
"Feeling better?" he asked as she began to breath normally. 
Bailey stood up and offered her a hand, Sam couldn't help herself and watched 
the muscles in his arm flex and bulge as he pulled her up. 

Sam wouldn't look him in the eye, and he knew something had taken place a second 
ago, but he wasn't sure what. She moved towards her bag and got out a bottle of 
water.
After taking a big sip, she offered the bottle to Bailey, with out looking 
directly at him.
"Thank you," he took the bottle from her and took a big drink his head held 
back, 
and as Sam watched transfixed, the muscles of his throat rippled. 

Bailey had no idea the effect he was having on her. He had taught both of his 
daughters the same moves when they were in jr high. He handed Sam the bottle 
back, his hand covering most of the container. She had to grab it by the neck. 
That was when he released she had been staring. 
With any other woman he would have asked her if she saw anything she liked. But 
with Sam he wasn't going to flirt. He wanted to make her feel at ease not worse. 

" Your learning this stuff pretty quickly, you should have it down in no time." 
" I'm not sure if I'll do this again, boss." she told him turning away. 

" What's wrong Samantha?" he was almost afraid to ask. 
" I don't like what's happening here, I've suddenly become aware of you." 
" I'm making you uncomfortable?"
" That's one way of putting it" she took a few steps to but some space between 
them. 
"My emotions are so out of line these days, we have been friends for ever it 
seems like and in all that time I have never been aware of you sexually. That 
was never part of our relationship, you and I were both happy in our marriages. 
I've only seen you flirt with anyone when you were trying to get them to do you 
a favor."
" Sam, that isn't what our relationship is about, your right, lets call it a 
night, you'll
be back to berating me for smoking and eating junk again tomorrow." he tried to 
joke his way out of the situation. 
She nodded, and he gathered up his stuff, he walked with her to her car, to make 
sure she got there safely.
"Good night Sam." 
" See you tomorrow, " 

She tried to think about other things on the way home and almost had her self 
convinced that is was just her hormones making her nuts. Sight was supposed to 
be the male primary sexual attractor, women were supposed to use touch and 
feelings more to chose whom they were attracted to. She had spent hours in his 
arms and not one twinge of awareness.
One glance at his build and she was a goner. And the thing was she had never 
been all that found of muscles, until now apparently.

Bailey was only slightly worried about Sam still being attracted to him the 
following morning. 
John had been pestering her to join the touch football game coming up that 
weekend, he told her to come to practice on Thursday so she could get the idea 
of the game plan. 
Sam was worried, Bailey would be there, but when she arrived he was not. John 
was wearing a sweatshirt that revealed his arms, they were nearly was huge as 
Bailey's. But there was no sudden jolt of attraction, there maybe it had just 
been a strange day before. She caught a few passes and then took a break while 
John showed Nathan and
George an new play he had picked. Nathan's friend Kerri was there and she was 
talking with her on the sidelines when Bailey arrived. He was wearing a sweat 
shirt and jeans. 
Sam closed her eyes said a prayer and waited and watched. But it seemed it had 
been a one time scare. John called her back into the line up for a few more 
practice catches. She was doing good she had only dropped one ball, then she 
noticed Bailey was standing beside her, and he was saying something about 
passing the ball. 
Sam turned to face him so she could focus on what he was saying and noticed he 
was now only wearing a tight, black T-shirt, that showed off his arms, the hard 
rise of his chest and his power. 
" I need to take a break," she handed him the ball and walked towards the bench. 


Bailey followed her,
" Hang on a second John. Sam, what's the matter?" 

" He stands there wearing that and asking me, knowing full well what the problem 
is, Bailey I'm not going to be able to play in the game. " she was packing up 
her junk. 
" Sam maybe if we talk about this it will resolve."
" Not with you, Bailey I really don't want to feel like this every time your near 
me, I wouldn't be able to work. There can't be anything more between us, and I 
don't want to lose the friendship we already have. I'm going home." she picked 
up her bag and headed for the parking lot. Now since they were in large public 
park, Bailey's first instinct was to walk with her to her car. 
"George, would you please go with Sam to her car?"
" Sure, no problem." he ran to catch up with her. 
" Sam what's the matter?". he asked while walking with her. 
" You probably don't want to hear this George,"
" Unless you tell me you just quit, I think I can handle it." he stopped her. 
They were near a picnic table so he guided her towards the table. 

"I'm feeling things for Bailey that scare me, all these years I have known him 
and
now pow, It started a few days ago, it scared me then."
" Bailey scared you?' he couldn't believe that.
" No my sudden awareness of him scared me."
"OH, all of the sudden you noticed he's a hunk and a half and it changed things.
Then he made it worse by wearing a shirt that shows off his build and that 
scared
you even more?" 
" You've got it."
" Why is that a problem Sam, he's single now, your single now, he's a great
guy and you already admire him.?" 
" I don't want to wreck our friendship, and it would because it's to soon for me 
to
become evolved with anyone, let alone him." 

" Is it all the time or just when he's not wearing the suit?" George asked.
"I'm afraid to be alone with him to find out, and besides he doesn't think
of me in that way." she stated.
George thought about that for a minute, knowing he had seen Bailey watching
Sam way to closely for that statement to be true. There was more than admiration
in Bailey's eyes. 

"OK, your right go home and forget this ever happened, and from now on avoid 
Bailey other than at work. I think this will pass in a few days." 
"I hope your right." she walked with him to the car
" Thanks George your a good friend," she leaned towards him for a quick hug. 
" That's what I'm here for," he hugged her hard. 
Sam stayed in his embrace for several seconds and then it felt so nice she
stayed a little longer. George felt her settle against him, and loosen his 
embrace. 
" You know what I think it is, Sam." he spoke softly.
She sighed and eased away from him, " Sorry." 
"No, see you need contact you've had to deal with way to much pain this past 
year, 
look at least with me it's none treating." he smiled. 
" I don't know that was a really good hug." she told him. 
" Yeah, but it's just George so there's no attraction to worry about."
" There was never any with Bailey's hugs either, it's just the
seeing him out of uniform that spooks me." she shook her head. 
"There is no, just George about it, stop saying things like that,
or I'm going to be bothering you about your self esteem." 
" Good night Sam" he nodded.
" See you tomorrow. Thanks" 

They had a big investigation the next few days and there wasn't time for any 
chit chat. Spending time alone with Bailey wasn't a problem for Sam. He was 
doing
his best to keep things between them as impersonal as possible. 

They were back at the center, and it had been touch and go there for a few 
minutes when John had cornered the arson suspect. George waited until every one 
was settled in their offices. He knocked on Sam's door. 
" You OK?" he asked stepping just into her office. 
" I'm fine, Oh you mean, yeah nothing the past few days and we have been in 
close quarters together a lot ."
" Good," he nodded and started to leave. 
" George, wait a second," Sam came around her desk and waved him back. 
" I want to thank you for helping, it might not have seemed like much at the 
time
but I think it did the trick."
"I'm glad, you need a hug just let me know." he joked, then noticed her reaction 
to
that comment.
" Come here." he opened his arms for her. 
Sam felt so dependent but she needed a hug from someone badly. 
A hug from him was different than Bailey, but it was just as nice in it's own 
way. 
George was attentive to her need for comfort and held her until she pushed 
against him. 
" You sure your done?" he teased her. 
" No, but if we stay locked together much longer someone will notice." 
"Oh, like that would cause a stir," he reminded her, "It's not like they are 
going to pair
us off with one another." 
" I guess not but you'll be bothered by me again, just wait you'll get tired of 
listening
to all my troubles." 
" I won't and hugs are mutually beneficial you know, it's not only good for you." 
he smiled.
" Then I won't feel bad leaning on you." Sam told him. 

Bailey noticed Sam relax around him again after a week had passed. He called 
George into his office one morning to ask him about it. 
" George, thanks for stopping by, how are you doing?" Bailey cared about all of 
his team and he check in with all of them regularly. 
" OK, work helps me keep busy." 
" Do you think Sam is back to normal?" he asked.
" I think she is still recovering from Tom's death, but she hasn't reported any 
further attacks of uneasiness when she is around you."
" Good," 
" You know Bailey, it's probably going to be a long time before she is ready for 
a 
relationship with another man. And who ever the first one is, he won't be the 
one that lasts. She will need a rebound type of thing. And after all she had 
been through she may not want to open herself up to caring deeply for anyone 
again."
" I know. Thanks George " Bailey nodded. 
" I told Sam, I was available for her to talk with." 
" She can use all the friends she can get." Bailey replied. He wished he could 
be the person she turned to with things, but not if he was making her nervous. 

Work was intense for the next few months, Jack was killing more often than he 
had been, and it appeared he was training an assistant. Sam was on her way home 
one night when she stopped in to tell Bailey goodnight. 
He was reading and had just rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relieve some 
stress building up there, when Sam entered his office. She noticed his 
discomfort
and moved to stand behind him. 
" You need to take a break Bailey," she told him. Placing one hand on either 
shoulder she pressed deep with each thumb into the mass of muscle at the base of 
his neck. 
Bailey made a deep sound of relief as she massaged his neck. 
" Aren't you on the way home" he asked, setting the report down and leaning 
forward slightly.
" Yeah, your nothing but knots Malone have you been skipping your workout 
again?"
" No, I just didn't spend as much time in the ring this week, since John is 
still in Tenn."
" Won't anyone else take you on?" she asked. 
Bailey answered her by shaking his head no. Her hands where releasing a lot of 
his pent up stress. He though he should tell her stop, it might cause problems. 
But it felt to good.


She was noticing how well muscled his shoulders and back was. But this time
she wasn't panicked by the knowledge having intimate contact with him this way 
was not threating. She liked helping him for a change, even if it was just in 
the form of some stress relief. To be honest with herself she liked the feeling 
of him under her hands too. She spent about three minutes massaging him. 
" You go home and get some sleep Bail. I'll see you tomorrow." she stopped 
rubbing and patted his shoulder. 
"Thanks Sam, Goodnight." he smiled at her as she left. 

It wasn't often that Sam and Bailey were not on the same case at the same time 
but the following week two possible serial killings happened in different 
states. John and Sam covered one and Bailey and Lucas took the other one. 
George was the first person Sam saw after returning to the task force HQ. It had 
been a real long day, and she just wanted to dump her stuff and head home. She 
checked for new messages and was reading them when George came into her office. 
" Hi, I just found something you need to look at." he told her. 
" George you been holding down the fort?" 
" It can wait if you want to tackle it later." he looked at her carefully.
" No, I'll come now," she strode up, Sam was thinking how to ask for a little 
reassuring hug.
George already had figured out she needed one but he didn't want to offer until
he was sure she wanted it. 
" George could you, " she started to ask then stopped. 
He lifted an eye brow in question.
Sam placed her hand on his arm " I could use a hug, if you don't mind"
" Why would I mind." He stepped closer and Sam wrapped her arms around his
body and curved her chin over his shoulder. 
George squeezed her thigh at first then eased off a little. 
"Thank you," Sam eased away after half a minute. 

George was showing her the latest development in one of the cases. Sam was 
leaning over him looking at his computer screen. 
" I can put it on the big screen if you want." he offered.
" No I can read it from here." she placed a hand on his shoulder to steady 
herself,
and somewhere in her mind it registered that his shoulder felt very similar to 
the
way Bailey's did, only with out the tension. 
Well that would go right along with her never having noticed Bailey's build 
before
it was impossible to ignore. She had never noticed George's build before either.
She tried to remember details from that day at the park. He had been wearing
a football jersey. But that was all she could come up with. 
At the moment he was wearing a navy T-shirt and open blue shirt over it, the
T-shirt revealed his build rather well, he was well built if the rise of his 
chest
was anything to go by, his rolled up sleeves showed his forearms were well
muscled also. 
" This is good work, I don't know what we would do with out you." she told him. 
"Thanks. It's nice to hear." he nodded. "Now what's going on?" 
" Well after Grace finishes her autopsy I think I'll have something to go on for
John." 
" No, Sam I mean with you, you can tell me, remember?' 
" I'm ashamed to admit this to you because it's terrible that I never noticed 
before."
"Noticed what Sam?"
" That day at the park, you must have thought me a complete idiot, here I am 
going on about Bailey's build bothering me, and I didn't even notice that your 
very similar. I'm sorry George." 
" Don't worry about it, as long as I don't start to make you feel scared." he 
told her.
" I think I'm over that, with him too. But I feel so silly now, no matter what 
my past has been like I know Bailey would never pursue me that way." she said. 
George wanted to speak up and tell her that yes, Bailey was interested in her as 

a woman. But he knew it was not the time for her to learn that piece of 
information.
" He would never push a lady for her attentions, like some guys would." 
" George have you always been put together like this?" she asked changing the 
subject. 
" Well sort of, after puberty hit but I do visit the gym regular just like John 
and Bailey do. I swim laps as one of my regular stress relievers. You should try 
it, I know you don't much like the whole gym thing, but the pool is not very 
busy most mornings." 
"You know I think I'll just take you up on that idea." she smiled. 

Sam had left the house early the next morning to see if she couldn't get in a 
little swimming
before she reported to work. She had enjoyed swimming as a teen and had been a 
jr life
guard at one time. George had been right about the pool being empty this early.
She was alone, and dove in, she took it easy and swam at a steady pace for six 
laps, then stopped to rest. She decided twenty would be good for a start and did 
six more laps before resting. She was half way through her final set when she 
noticed she had company. She couldn't tell at first if she knew who it was, then 
when she was done and stopped to catch her breath she saw when he turned it was 
George. She watched as he finished his current lap and touched bottom. 
" Hey, you did take my advice." he smiled at her, while hanging on to the side 
of the pool.
" Hi, yeah your right it does help. But I'm done for now I'll see you up 
stairs." Sam told him and climbed out. She had noticed George's build up close 
and uncovered while talking to him, and he was built real nice. But it hadn't 
sent any warning bells off inside.

Sam was leaving the locker room fifteen minutes later, and dropped her keys. 
Just as she leaned to pick them up she was bumped into by a large, hard male 
body. 
" Excuse me Miss, " she heard a deep male voice say. It sounded almost like 
Bailey.
He had grabbed her around the waist to keep from knocking her over when he had 
collided with her. 
"My fault I shouldn't block the other side of a door like that, I dropped my 
keys." 
Sam flipped her slightly damp hair back out of her eyes and stood up.
"Sam? What are you doing down here, you hate the gym." Bailey asked. 
He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and he was sweating after his twenty 
laps around the basket ball court. 
"Swimming." was her answer, as she took in his appearance. He was magnificent
even if he was her boss and good friend. He was breathing slightly faster than
normal but he wasn't really winded. 
"I didn't hurt you did I?" Bailey asked. 
" No, of course not. You go on and I'll see you up stairs." she told him. Her 
hand had come to rest on his arm as she regained her balance in the collision, 
her eyes flew to where they were touching. But there was only a pleasant rush of 
warmth, no sudden attraction this time. 
"OK, if your sure." Bailey told her and continued on his way. 

Sam waited until after she had seen him headed for his office, she had been 
avoiding asking him for a hug since all this had started. She had been talking 
with him in more populated areas just until she was sure she was back to normal. 
Now she was sure. 
"Bail, can I talk to you a second." 
" Sure come in Sam, want can I do for you?" he offered. 
"Look about my awareness thing I think it's over. But even if it's not I can deal 
with it. I want us to keep being each others sounding board like we always 
have."
" Good, I've kind of missed you the past few months." he smiled. 

They discussed the details of the cases that they had been on separately and then 
before she went out she asked.
" There is one more thing."
" Did I miss something about the new case?" Bailey looked up from his desk.
Sam was coming around to his side and stood right next to him.
" I expect to hear you and John are back into your routine, and I could use a 
hug this morning." 

Bailey was about to report that he and John spared that very morning, when he 
realized what else she had just said. He stood up and swallowed her in a welcome 
back hug. 
Sam closed her eyes and sighed, her hands spread wide over his back. 
What ever it had been before, it was gone. But she now knew why a hug from 
Bailey was like a hug from no one else. 

end