Chapter 1
"Aunt Sam?" It was Sam's nephew, Mason, calling from his elementary school. "Will you come pick Piper and me up?"
Sam frowned and looked down at her watch. "Wasn't Carly supposed to pick you up half an hour ago?"
Mason nodded even though Sam couldn't see him. "She called the school and told the principal that she and daddy were in prison."
Sam's eyes widened and her breathing hitched. "Shay, what has James done to you…" Sam muttered to herself.
Ever since Carly married James, her health has been fading and she didn't act responsible. And now, she and James were in prison.
Just great, she thought.
"So will you come pick us up?"
"Yeah, Mason, I'll be there as soon as I can. See ya, sweetie."
She hung up the phone and ran a hand through her blonde curls. She grabbed her purse and went into her boss' office. "Mr. Dunlap, I have to go pick up my niece and nephew from their school…it's an emergency…"
Sam was one of Mr. Dunlap's favorite employees. She worked hard and did everything she needed to as a journalist. "Sure thing, Samantha, go ahead."
She thanked him and walked out of his office and into her car. Before driving off, she sighed and leaned back into her seat. If six years ago she had to pick between herself and her best friend of who would be in prison, she'd had picked herself but now look at it.
She pressed her foot down on the gas pedal and drove all the way to Ridgeway Elementary School.
X
"I'm here to pick up Mason and Piper Green." She said to the lady in the front office.
"First door on the left," The lady told her. "And I'm sorry about your friend."
Sam nodded and went where the lady instructed her to go. She saw her niece and nephew sitting together, crunched up together and hugging each other tightly.
Her heart broke at the sight. She knelt down, making sure her skirt didn't rise, and hugged the two.
"C'mon, kiddos, let's get you home."
"But Aunt Sam," Mason said, tears in his eyes. "We don't have a home anymore."
She knew what she had to do. She had to take these kids in, provide for them, and basically, treat them like her own. She owned a house with four rooms, she earned a lot of money, and she could manage.
"Of course you do," She told them both. "You're staying with me."
She led them both out of the door and into the parking lot. She noticed a man walking in front of them and couldn't help but stare. He stared at her two.
They found each other…familiar.
She didn't say anything though. She just kept walking. She loaded the car and drove off.
She stopped by Taco Bell and bought each of the kids their own meal. She sat in opposite of them in the booths and watched them eat.
Not after long, she realized the man she had saw coming out of the school was entering Taco Bell now.
She smiled. Stalking me much? She thought.
He returned the smile and decided to know why she looked so familiar.
"Have we met before?"
She shook his hand while shaking her head. "Erm, I don't think so."
"I'm Freddie Benson…" The man said and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"Freddie!?" She stood and jumped in his arms. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and noticed he still didn't quite remember her. "It's Sam. Remember, Freddork, Fredweird, Nub."
"Sam?" Now he knew where he recognized her blazing blue eyes from. "Wow, it's so good to see you."
He examined her. Her hair was still blonde and curly, she wore a little more make-up, and she obviously had more figure to her body. He rarely saw her in dress-type clothes so it was definitely a surprise. A pleasant one, to say the least.
"You too!" She exclaimed. "Sit down, let's catch up."
He obeyed. "They yours?" He motioned to the kids sitting in front of them. He noticed how little they resembled Sam and thought maybe they got their looks from their dad.
Sam opened her mouth to speak and then closed it, looking down at her fingers. "Um, actually, they're Carly's." She looked back up to him.
"Oh, it's nice of you to babysit—"
She shook her head and took his hand, leading him by the drink fountains. They both couldn't help but notice the jolt of energy to spurt through them, but quickly pushed it off. It had been six years since they had broken up. "No, I'm not babysitting…today; Carly and her husband got themselves in prison…"
Freddie frowned. "O-oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know…wow, I'm sorry." After a moment of silence she spoke.
"Now I have to take care of their kids…which is a kind of a problem. I work every single day except for Tuesday's and don't get off until seven and I have no one to watch after them."
Freddie suddenly had an idea. "Look, I completely understand if you don't want me to, but I just lost my job and I could watch the kids for you."
Sam shook her head. "I couldn't ask you to do that for me."
"You're not asking." Freddie told her. "I'm offering."
She thought about it for a while. Nubs will be nubs. "Fine,"
He grinned. "Thanks."
She looked over to the kids and saw that they were just finishing up. "C'mon," She said to Freddie. "Follow me to my house."
X
"Wow, you live here," Freddie asked as they both exited their cars.
Sam smirked at them while watching the kids walk in front of them. "Yep, and now you do too."
Freddie grinned at her. "Thanks, Sam,"
She shrugged. "No problem."
Sam unlocked the front door and the kids ran in, throwing their backpacks across the carpet floor in the living room.
"Aunt Sam," Piper called. "May I watch Bubbly Gupplies?"
"Yeah," She turned on the television and went to channel 406. Soon, both Piper and Mason were happily watching TV.
Meanwhile, Sam led Freddie up to his new room. He sat his bags down. "Thanks…this means a lot."
Sam shook her head. "No worries. It gets lonely here by myself anyways."
Freddie frowned. "You're not married or dating?"
Sam shook her head. "My work doesn't really allow time for that."
He nodded, understandingly. "I must say I'm surprised. A beautiful woman like you not dating or married."
She beamed. "How about you? Are you married or dating?"
Freddie shrugged. "I'm divorced but happily available."
She chuckled. "I'm sure you'll find the right one…someday."
"Yeah…someday."
She stood from her spot on the bed. "Make yourself at home. What's mine is yours."
He grinned at her. "Thanks again."
She walked out of the room and downstairs where the kids were laughing.
She made lunch for herself and Freddie and went to sit next to him and the kids. "Mason?"
"Yes?"
"You guys don't happen to have clothes with you, do you?"
They shook their heads. "Well then, I think it's time we go do a little bit of shopping."
X
A/N: Okay, guys, I think I'm gonna end iCome Back for Valentines Day. I kept getting constant discouraging reviews that I deleted from a random guest. I'm sorry if anyone wanted to keep reading that…I just…I had to take a break. So here I am with a new story. I hope everyone likes it. If you don't, please just keep it to yourself. Thanks.
I can't stress this enough but review. I think I'll update every two days or so because now I am on summer.
Review guys. Thanks :)