The Best Year

I wrote this early in the wee hours of this morning on a whim to celebrate Sam and Patrick's first kiss which happened on this very day last year. I truly love this couple and want them to go the distance... Anyway, read on.

September 30, 2015

It had been one hell of a month from start to finish. All Patrick wanted to do was hug Emma and Danny, kiss his woman good night and drop into bed to sleep for the next fifteen years. He was dog tired from all the drama, the emotions, the… everything.

But when he walked in the door at just past eight o'clock, he could see that Sam had plans of her own.

"What's all this?" He asked as he saw Sam sitting on the sofa, bare-footed, sticking Chopsticks in cartons of food.

Sam looked up at him with a bright smile. "I am sorry. I know you've got to be super exhausted…I just wanted you to eat something."

"Did you cook it?" Patrick asked, lips twitching in a smile.

Sam smirked. "No, I did not. It's from the Noodle Buddha. I got the same things I remembered you enjoyed that night."

"What night?" Patrick asked, his lips twitching again.

"Patrick!" Sam huffed. "Do you not remember the first time we ate Chinese food together?"

Patrick laughed and moved over to her, pulling her against his chest, running his fingers through her curled hair. "I remember we did a lot more than eat Chinese food. It was –"

"The first time we kissed," Sam said.

Patrick nodded. "That was the start of a really good year."

"A great year," Sam amended. She stepped back after giving him a tight squeeze. "So look, just eat something and then you can get some much needed and deserved sleep."

"I don't feel quite so tired anymore," Patrick said. "Now that we're apparently reenacting our first…It wasn't exactly a date…"

"No," Sam agreed. "It wasn't."

"Yes, because if were a real date I would have closed the deal," Patrick said as he sunk down onto the sofa.

Sam was clearly trying not to laugh. "You cocky bastard."

"You love me," Patrick shot back with a smile. He noticed Sam's emotional expression. "What's up?"

"You're right. I do love you, Patrick, so much, and I just want you to know that I'm so happy here with you and Emma and Danny. I love this little family we have. It's everything. And I'm sorry I've been so flippant about your feelings lately and –"

"Sam, it's okay. I haven't exactly been the nicest guy lately."

"You've been stressed trying to do everything at once. I mean, you saved Sonny's life. Carly and his kids can rest easy tonight because of the way you stepped up."

"It's my job."

"Partly, yes, but you're also a good, kind, caring man … A man who makes this woman feel proud."

Patrick leaned down and kissed Sam gently on the lips, resting his forehead against hers. "For the record, I'm just as proud of you."

"Oh yeah? What did I do that's so special?"

"You're you. You have courage in your convictions, even when it's tough for me to accept. You stand up for what you believe in and I do respect that. I respect you."

"Patrick…" Sam murmured. Her eyes glistened. "Thank you. It means so much to me to hear you say those things but that's not what tonight is about."

"What is it about then?"

"You. And how much you mean to me. I know it's just a few cartons of Chinese food but I guess I wanted to recreate our beginning so we can hopefully move on into our bright future. Together."

"Mmmm, I like the sound of that," Patrick said. He watched Sam uncap two beers. "You remembered everything. This is even the same brand we drank that night."

"Yep," Sam said. "That night was the start of something wonderful and I just can't forget it. I think about it a lot." She handed him the beer. "Have a drink and eat. Then we can open our fortune cookies."

"Wonder if they will say the same thing this time … What was it before – 'Now is the time –?'"

"'To try something new'," Sam continued. "You got another fortune first though remember? You never did tell me your real secret by the way."

"I did. I told you that I am shitty at golf and that I asked Candy to junior prom and she turned me down flat."

Sam smiled. "Right … Candy…"

"The other secret … We worked through that one right?" Patrick said cautiously.

Sam nodded. "Yes."

"I knew that Jason was alive when he was pulled from the water… And you forgave me for that lie of omission and that's one of the best things anyone ever did for me."

"Well you helped heal my heart, Patrick, and that is absolutely the best thing anyone's ever done for me."

"Sammy…"

A tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm being so freaking emotional tonight and I don't know why."

Patrick reached out and caught the next of her tears with his thumb. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight yet?"

Sam smiled. "That's not helping me not to cry."

"Why do women cry when they receive compliments anyway?"

Sam shook her head and smiled. "Just eat your mooshu okay?"

"Okay," Patrick said and using his chopsticks, he began to eat. He noticed Sam was barely touching her food, mostly just poking at it. "Not hungry?"

"Not really," Sam said. "My stomach's kind of upset."

"Then why order Chinese tonight?"

"Because you needed to eat. And I wanted to celebrate the night of our first kiss before the month was completely over. Life has been so chaotic and crazy lately but I couldn't forget it. That night my life changed in a really awesome way."

"For me too," Patrick said. He patted her knee as they sat together on the sofa. "Where are the kids?"

"In bed."

"Wow, you're a miracle worker. How did you get them down this early?"

"They wanted to stay up and enjoy the fun but I insisted. And I admit it - I shamelessly bribed them. I told them if they were good, they'd get chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, which I hope you will make because I'd just ruin them."

Patrick laughed. "Okay."

"But first, you need a goodnight's sleep so finish your meal okay? Then you can open your fortune cookie and head to bed."

"I think I can live with that," Patrick said. "Sure you don't want some of this?" He titled his carton towards her.

"I'm sure," Sam said, waving it away. "The smell is kind of making me nauseous actually."

"You sure you're okay, Sam?"

"Totally." Sam watched Patrick eat and then as soon as he set down his empty container, she was shoving a fortune cookie in his hand.

"You need one too."

Sam pulled one from a bag. "Got it. I'll open mine first."

"Go for it," Patrick said.

Sam's shredded the plastic wrapper and broke the cookie in half as Patrick watched. She unfurled the paper and read it aloud. "It says 'When you find something truly amazing, don't let it go'."

Patrick reached out to stroke her soft curls. "They meant me."

Patrick had expected her to call him a cocky bastard again but she just smiled a watery smile. "They're right. And I'm not letting you go."

"Good," Patrick said.

"Now open yours," Sam said hoarsely. She sounded near tears again.

Patrick nodded and opened the wrapper, breaking the cookie in two. He read the slip of paper. "It says 'Say yes.' That's so vague. What does it even mean? Say yes to what exactly?"

He turned to look at Sam. Fresh tears were on her cheeks as she grabbed for his hand. "They mean… Say yes to me."

"Sam, what-?"

Sam threaded their fingers. "You probably won't believe this but I put that fortune in there."

"Wait, you did?"

"Yes, and it only took about fifty tries. I broke so many cookies into crumbs before I figured out that if I heated the cookie in the microwave for a bit, that the cookie would soften enough that I could pull out the old fortune and put in the new one and –"

"Sam, you're rambling."

"Sorry. I'm just nervous. I mean I've been proposed to more times than I can count but I have actually never proposed to someone myself."

"Proposed… Sam, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

Sam nodded. "Yes. I know deep down you're an old-fashioned guy and would want to ask me – not that I'm assuming you would ask me – but I just felt the strongest desire today to ask you to share your life with me."

"Sammy…"

"You don't have to answer now. I know this is the last thing you expected but –"

"Sammy…"

"I understand if –"

"Yes."

Sam's face flushed red. "Did you just say yes?"

He nodded, smiling.

"Okay but are you saying yes because the cookie told you to or-"

"I am saying yes because I can't imagine not spending the next fifty years with you. Because you're in my heart, Sam. In my blood. So this may be the untraditional way of doing things, but it feels damned nice to know you feel the same way about me... Even guys like me can get insecure from time to time and I've felt for awhile now that I was battling Jason's memory and that I'd never be who you really wanted or needed."

"Oh, Patrick, no. You're wrong. You're exactly what I need. You're the person I want. I will always, always love Jason. He gave me Danny, he was my first great love, how could I not? But in the past year I've learned you can love more than one person. And I've learned that I am madly, deeply, incredibly in love with you, Patrick Drake. If you'll have me, I want to be yours always."

"I will definitely have you. Every night and twice on the weekends," Patrick teased. "But in all seriousness, I feel the same way about you." To his embarrassment, his own eyes teared up. "I never thought after Robin that I could love someone so intensely again but I do and sometimes it scares the hell out of me…"

"I know what you mean."

"But it's worth the chance. You are worth everything to me. So yes, I will marry you."

Sam sniffled, lifting his hands and kissing the insides of both of his wrists. "I don't have a ring. I didn't know what kind of ring to get a guy so I didn't buy one but –"

"It's fine," Patrick said. "Actually, I think we're past that part now anyway."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. We're at the point where you and I kiss passionately and then fall into bed."

"You're not too tired?" Sam laughed.

"Never for that, never for you." Patrick reached for her, tugging her against him. He knotted his fingers in her hair and pressed his lips to hers, sweeping his tongue inside her waiting mouth. She clung to him and they fell back on the sofa, her on top of him.

"Sam," Patrick said huskily, "before we do this, I should tell you I have one more secret."

Sam's eyes darkened. "Oh?"

"Yes. My secret is that the night we first kissed… I came there knowing I was going to kiss you no matter what."

Sam smiled, relieved. She traced the curve of his chiseled cheek. "Well, I have a secret too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I knew when you walked in the door that you were going to kiss me and I knew that I wanted you to. So, so much. I never expected the kiss to lead to this though. It's been an incredible year."

"Sam…"

"It's true, Patrick. You healed my heart, you gave it a new home and I thank whoever is in charge of these things everyday for you and Emma coming into my life. Even though the first time we met I thought you were a pretty boy jerk."

"Really? And now?"

"Oh you're still as pretty as ever," Sam chuckled and then sobered. "But I've seen your heart and it's the most beautiful part of you."

Patrick grinned. "The first time we met, I remember I hit on you."

"Yes, yes, you did."

"But I never imagined you would end up being my world – you, Emma and Danny; you make me happy like I thought I couldn't be again."

"Sounds like we came full circle," Sam said.

"I think we did."

"It's been one hell of a year."

"A good year, I'd say."

Sam kissed him, straddling him. She rested her hands on his chest. "Not a good year, Patrick – the best year."

The End… Hope you enjoyed it. I am considering doing a sequel because Sam had me, the writer, thinking maybe there was a reason she wasn't feeling so good … She could be preggers… maybe? Hehe You never know!