Disclaimer: Beware of Spoilers for Season 4. In addition, these characters do not belong to me, nor does the whole Sam/Jim storyline as it stands now. All that belongs to me is the dialogue of what I think —might— happen. Also, some plot points in this story belong to me seeing how this was started on Friday after 'Pieces of You' and I have no idea how the whole Jim/Sam plot is going to work out. This is just my idea. Plus, this is my first piece of Ghost Whisperer Fan Fiction so please be kind.

COMMITMENT OF THE HEART

Chapter One: Cold Blue

"A ring?" asked Delia completely in shock. It was the following morning after Sam dropped the bombshell about having an engagement ring, or a promise ring to give to some unknown girl. "He actually has a ring, as to give another girl?"

"Yeah," Melinda said with a nod as she cleaned up some stock in the front of the store. "I couldn't believe it either, but it's true."

"Oh Melinda," Delia sighed as she came over to her friend. "What are you going to do?"

"Well I don't know if there's anything that I can do," Melinda answered honestly as she walked back to the cash desk. "I mean if Sam wants to pursue this…this other woman whoever she is, who am I to…stand in his way?"

"But Melinda," Delia stated with a sigh. "It's Jim."

Melinda shook her head. "I'm not sure about that."

"Melinda he made you your favourite breakfast."

"I know," Melinda answered her voice cracking with emotion.

"He looks at you the same way Jim looked at you."

Melinda nodded, the tears brimming in her eyes. "I know."

"So what are you going to do?"

"What's who going to do?" asked the familiar voice of Sam.

"Oh hey—Sam," Delia stated turning around to face the topic of conversation. "How are you?"

"Fine," Sam answered with a half smile. "Mel, are you okay?"

"What did you call me?" Melinda asked turning around not even bothering to wipe her tears away.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked in concern.

"It's one of those mornings," Delia explained with a semi-shrug of her shoulders to indicate that Melinda was just having a hard day die to the loss of her husband. "You know,"

"Yeah," Sam agreed only half listening to Delia; he was too focused on Melinda and the look of absolute surprise that she was giving him. "Are you okay Mel?" he asked again as he took a halting step towards her.

"You did it again," Melinda stated. "You called me Mel."

"Yeah?" Sam asked as he put his hands in his pockets. "So?"

"Jim—that's what he called me," Melinda answered. "He called me Mel."

"All the time?" Sam asked looking kind of guilty.

"Yeah," Melinda stated as she wiped away her tears. "He did."

"Sorry, I—"

"No," she interrupted as she shook her head. "Don't be sorry."

"Why?" Sam asked. "Clearly it's upset you."

Melinda bit her lip. How could she explain to the man standing before her that he was really her husband— or rather the soul that was inhabiting his body was the soul of her husband— and that the reason he couldn't remember anything was because that soul had gone through a sort of 'reincarnation' memory wipe. It sounded crazy, even to Melinda but it was the little things like making her breakfast and looking at her a certain way and calling her 'Mel' instead of 'Melinda' that made her realize that he really was her Jim.

"You know what, never mind…" Melinda stated shaking her head and changing the subject completely. "…have you found out who you're supposed to give that ring too?"

Sam shook his head. "No actually. I called the people who were listed on my phone…most of them sounded completely crazy and none of them knew whether or not I was in a relationship with someone."

"Well have you talked to your parents yet? Or your sister?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah but they don't know anything either. And it's weird isn't it; you would have thought that if I had a girlfriend or whatever that she would have called me by now…but she hasn't. I mean it's been a couple weeks and nothing. "

Sam paused and looked at Melinda who suddenly went white. "Melinda?" he asked. "You okay?"

"Melinda?" Delia asked. "Are you alright?"

Melinda shook her head as something suddenly dawned on her. "No. No I'm not alright…if you both will excuse me for a moment I have to go do something."

And with that Melinda grabbed her purse and exited her store quicker than Delia had ever seen. Sam on the other hand felt that something was up with Melinda. She seemed really upset to him and he didn't like that. But he shrugged it off because he knew that he had only known the woman for a couple of months. For all he knew that was her normal behaviour.

"She's an odd one," he stated finally as he turned back to Delia.

"Yeah she is," Delia agreed. "But it's all a part of her charm."

"Yeah," Sam echoed. "Listen Delia, I have to get going, I have to get back to the house that we're gutting and well…. make sure that Melinda's okay, okay?"

Delia nodded. "Okay."