Author's note: This story takes place about 2 years after the end of the film. Sam and Josie had moved in together, but then Lara comes back into the picture and was successful in seducing Sam. By getting drunk that night and sleeping with Lara, Sam feels he has made the biggest mistake of his life. Despite her protests, Sam doesn't believe Josie can ever forgive him for what he has done, so he leaves her and his heart behind. But what he doesn't know is that a little over 7 months later, Josie gives birth to a baby girl she names Samantha (Sammy).
* * *
Josie Geller walked into her Chicago Sun-times office exhausted, as usual. Her little girl Samantha had kept her up all night screaming blue murder from teething. Walking into her office, she collapsed onto the small blue sofa for two and relaxed.
"Josie!! You're alive!" Anita called out as she entered the office. "Survive the night, did we?"
Josie tried to smile. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to be a single mother?" Josie sighed.
Anita shook her head sympathetically. She knew her friend was still heartbroken by Sam's desertion of her. Josie had never truly recovered from it. But she also knew that Josie still loved him and Anita longed for them to be reunited. Personally, she had thought the whole reason for their breakup was ludicrous, and had repeatedly suggested to Josie that she should tell Sam about the pregnancy...but Josie wouldn't do that. Deep down, Anita knew, Josie was afraid that was the only reason he'd come back.
"Heard from Sam?" Anita asked casually.
Josie shook her head. "Last time I heard, he was spending time with Lara in New York." She sighed heavily. "So much for apologies..."
"Josie, I really think you should talk to him. The whole thing was probably a misunderstanding. I mean, Sam loved you so much. Maybe he went back to Lara to torture himself. He probably thought you would never forgive him for what he did." Anita spoke calmly, trying to make Josie see reason.
Josie shook her head in denial. "Anita, he doesn't even know I was pregnant. He doesn't know about Sammy. And I...I don't even know how to find him to tell him." Josie sighed mournfully.
"Josie, Sammy deserves to know her father...and you deserve better, too. Why not call him at Lara's? You have her number, use it!" Anita advised her as she left the room.
Josie stared at the empty doorway for a few moments and then to the black phone sitting on her office desk. One little phone call couldn't hurt, could it? The worst that would happen is Lara would answer, and truthfully, Josie didn't give a damn what that bitch thought of her. Her heart raised a little. Maybe he really wasn't there, wasn't staying with her. She had to find out. A moment later she was dialing New York.
* * *
Sam Coulson sat in Lara's kitchen reading the New York Times. Although he loved to read, and the Times was notoriously "intellectual", in the past few months, nothing had held his attention. He longed for a story of interest that would keep him amused for at least 10 minutes.
Suddenly the telephone started to ring. Sam looked up from his paper toward the piercing noise coming Lara's study.
"Damn! Ruin the peace why don't you?" The machine's only response was more ringing. "All right, all right, I'm coming," Sam shouted at the menacing high tech phone as if it could hear him.
"Hello? Lara Patton's residence." He spoke professionally for Lara's sake, as she'd instructed he do.
Silence echoed on the other side of the phone. Breathing only and no words.
"Hello?" Sam spoke again into the phone.
He wondered whom on Earth it could be. Suddenly a thought clicked into his head that it would be someone from his past, someone he cared a lot about and someone he was dying to hear from.
"J...Josie?" he whispered into the phone like a prayer, afraid to hope it could be true.
But whoever was on the other end of the phone hung up. Sam heard nothing but the dial tone.
* * *
Josie placed the phone back in its cradle, her hand shaking like jelly. Sam had just been on the other end of the phone - she heard his voice - soft but sure. What was worse for Josie was that he was at Lara's house. The very person that ruined their happiness in the first place. Why in God's name would he be there unless he preferred Lara over her? Josie put her head in her hands and let the tears flow when the phone rang beneath her. Wiping her eyes she picked up the phone.
"Hello? Chicago-Sun Times. Josie Geller speaking," she spoke into the piece of metal that dictated her world.
"Why would you go through all that trouble to call and then not talk, Josie?" Sam whispered softly into the phone.
Astounded, Josie stammered, "How...? How did you...?"
"Caller ID, Jos," Sam replied.
"Oh. Well, I...I don't know, Sam. It's been so long, and I...just didn't know what to say."
Sam listened with emotion to the voice of his beloved. How he hoped one day the Gods would push them back together with some miracle! Maybe this was his chance!
"So then why did you call? Why did you call Lara?" Sam asked casually.
"I...I was looking for you...but, really, it's nothing..." Josie trailed off, hoping that Sam would just take her at her word.
She should have known better. "Josie, you did not brave calling Lara's apartment for just nothing."
"Um...Okay, well, it's...something...Listen, can we just forget it?" Josie pleaded into the phone.
"Is it serious? Are you in trouble?" Sam demanded to know, suddenly feeling very concerned.
Sam's conciliatory tone angered Josie after the months of fear and loneliness. "Sam, you are the one that walked out of my life. I can't tell you right now. You really don't deserve to know!" Josie yelled.
"Jos, it's not like I pushed myself into this, here... You called me, remember? There must have been a reason. Can't you tell me what the problem is?" Sam pleaded.
"Sam, please don't make me tell you over the phone. I can't do it this way," Josie said slowly.
Sam knew what she wanted and he was going to comply.
"Josie, if that's what it takes, then I am coming home to find out what's up! Wait for me." He hung up the phone, scribbled a note to Lara and ran out to his car.
It was going to be a long drive, but he wasn't going to let her go this time. If she needed him for whatever reason, he was going to be there. Maybe then the Gods could do their job to reunite them and that's all that mattered to Sam. He knew that running from the fear of hurting Josie was something he'd have to work hard to get past, but he would be there for her forever, if she would have him back. And if it meant years of apologies and broken hearts -namely his-- then that's what Sam would to go through to make Josie that same person she was a year ago: his!
* * *