First off, a huuuuuuge thanks to 'Donna Sheridan' for helping me out with this story. This may or may not be a 'The Carmichael Family' series – for now, it'll just be one story.

Chapter One – The Leavers Dance

To say that the past three years have been difficult was an understatement.

Sam had been engaged to Lorraine at the insistence of both families. Their fathers ran an oil and gas company, and their mothers had been best friends during their college years. Sam's family was rich, and so was Lorraine's. It was a marriage that would not only look good on paper but would also boost the high-class reputations of each family. Because of that, it didn't matter if they loved each other or not.

After a few months of being engaged and feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by the tedious pressures of the wedding, Sam took off for Greece. He told everyone he needed to breathe and clear his mind before the big day that neither he or Lorraine wanted to be a part of.

After a twelve-hour flight to Greece, Sam landed in Athens. He planned on taking a train to the coast, and once he arrived at the coast, he would board the ferry to the little island of Kalokairi. During all that, he thought of everything. Sam's parents had high expectations. They have already discussed grandchildren, and Lorraine's parents already discussed them running the business when they had grown too old to run it themselves. It was too much for Sam and Lorraine right now. Anytime they tried to back out, they were threatened to be abandoned by their parents and all their money taken away from them.

When he'd gotten off the ferry, Sam met Donna. A girl with golden hair, fair skin, and deep-sea green eyes. She was the definition of gorgeous. She along with Sam had both booked rooms at a quaint little hotel near the beach. Later, Sam asked her if she wanted to go to the mainland with him for dinner and Donna agreed without any hesitation.

Over dinner, they'd talked about what they were doing on Kalokairi. Donna was there to escape from her overbearing mother and she was waiting for her friends, Tanya and Rosie, who were arriving the next weekend. Sam told her that he wanted to get out of busy New York and came to clear his mind. They hit it off instantly. The rest of the week went by quickly, and they spent every day together.

It was the night before he had to leave to go back to New York. They walked on the beach, talking, and then one thing led to another and dot, dot, dot. That's when everything came crashing down. After he told her he was engaged and had to go back to New York, Donna went on a tirade. She was angry and she had every right to be.

He left the next morning, and twelve hours later, he was back in the states. Lorraine had been waiting for him at their apartment. He walked in and told her he wanted to break things off and go back to Greece. Back to Greece to find Donna. Lorraine was the least of his worries. When both sets of parents found out, they were heated, and they threatened to disown Sam right then and there. At least until he came to his senses and realized that what his parents wanted was more important – which was his mother's exact words.

Sam used the famous saying you can't help who you love, but his parents never believed in that nonsense. He left for Greece a few days later and searched for Donna all over Kalokairi only to be told she was off with some other guy. He felt hurt and wondered if this was the exact same way Donna felt when she learned about Lorraine.

After arriving back in New York and not finding Donna, Sam had to face Lorraine. She had called him an idiot and married him to prove it. His parents took him back and told him congratulations for coming to his senses while Lorraine's parents each gave him shit for following his heart – or at least trying to.

Sam and Lorraine were married for three years when they had healthy twin boys named Bentley Jordan and Macklin Everett. As new parents, they struggled with everything – especially when they learned they were having twin boys. Lorraine became more exhausted then ever, and had noticeably been keeping Sam in charge in the middle of the night because she wasn't home for some reason.

That's what led to this moment right now. Lorraine stood in their bedroom, holding Bentley as she rocked him to sleep in the recline. He just wouldn't go to, staring up at her as she sang little lullabies off-key and in a loud voice, not really caring to whisper. Sam undid his suit and tie as he walked out of the master bathroom. "If you do it in a softer voice, maybe he'll go to sleep."

"Maybe he needs a diaper change?" Lorraine suggested.

"I already changed it five minutes ago. You're barely home anymore – someone has to do it." Especially the father of the boys. Sam hopped into some pajama pants and slipped on a white wifebeater before taking Bentley, so Lorraine could get dressed for bed. Bentley fell asleep within a few minutes while Lorraine and Sam held a conversation.

She walked back into the room. "I was thinking that we should take a trip to Greece. Maybe visit Kalokairi? Bentley and Macklin turn three months old soon, and we could really use the vacation. What do you say?"

He simply reminded her about Donna, stating that she never planned on returning home and there's a slim chance she might still be there. The chance was slim, but you never know. Lorraine decided to go anyway, and if Donna was there, then she was there. It didn't matter to her anymore. She had some news that she wanted to tell Sam, and maybe being on vacation would stop him from getting angry about it.

That's why Sam found himself on the island trying to calm down his sons while Lorraine brought the luggage in. They found a hotel named Hotel Sophia, and checked in. Sam couldn't help but noticed a 3-year-old girl roaming the halls, greeting guests every which way. The kid looked somewhat familiar, as though he's seen her in someone else before. The mother looked so much more familiar as she tried to catch up.

"Sophie Olivia Sheridan, what have I said about talking to strangers?" The woman scolded, picking her daughter up and disappearing into a room that looked to be a kitchen. Sam recognized her as Donna as soon as he heard the last name and saw the familiar blonde hair, the familiar green eyes. She later came back to the front desk after helping the little girl get settled at a table with a coloring book and markers. Lorraine approached her while Sam hung back to rest with the boys. "Can I help you?"

Donna didn't seem to notice Lorraine, but she did recognize Sam and put two and two together. It called for an awkward moment as the woman told Donna they were away on vacation with their twin boys. Donna checked them in, gave Lorraine the room key, and went to go check on Sophie. Donna never liked leaving her daughter by herself for too long. Sophie loved to get herself in lots of trouble.

Lorraine walked over, taking her phone out just as it started to ring. She excused herself and Sam was doing fine with the boys until Bentley started to get fussy. Macklin was doing fine for now, staring up at the ceiling as he was confined to his car seat. They had just been fed, so they must just be getting tired. Sam took Bentley out of the car seat, cradling him, and walked the length of the chairs, keeping an eye on Macklin.

He watched as Lorraine stood at the entrance, her back turned to him. Just by her body language, she looked like she was arguing a little with whoever was on the other line. It could be anyone, really. A big wail came from the other car seat and Macklin was starting to get fussy. Oh, Lord, help us all. He couldn't pick Macklin up without dropping Bentley. He needed Lorraine's help now.

Sam started to make his way over, but the topic of the conversation made him stop in his tracks and completely forget about his other fussy son disturbing everyone in the lobby. Lorraine put her hands on her hips and plugged her other ear, trying to block out the crying. "Royce, I told you I would tell him tonight. Give me some time."

"…how long…you…again? We've…this…months."

"And for the last two weeks, I've been telling you that I arranged this trip, so I can tell him. I doubt he'd get angry if we're in public. You know how he is."

"Lorraine…you."

"Royce, please. I will tell him later when I find the right time. In the lobby of the hotel isn't exactly the right place, either."

A tap on his shoulder interrupted him and he turned around to see Donna behind him, a small reluctant smile on her face that told him she was starting to regret approaching him. It all came back to him – the baby in his arms who was starting to doze off, the screaming child in the car seat. Donna felt bad for him. She knew how much trouble she had with just one kid, especially as an inexperienced mother, and she could imagine how it was with twins. He seemed alone, seemed to be the only one who cared.

Donna hated him for what he did to her, but that didn't mean she wanted him to suffer. "Do you need some help? I can get your other son if you need me, too."

"Yes, please. That'd be great." Sam walked her to Macklin's car seat and watched as she took him out, cradling him. Donna got flashbacks from when Sophie was a baby, remembering the restless nights and how much hair she nearly pulled out because she was so frustrated with herself for not knowing what to do. She learned along the way and became an expert. Sam will too.

Donna sung under her breath to calm Macklin down. "Come, good sleep, take him and make off with him to St. Sophia in Constantinople to the garden of Chios, and fill his lap with roses and more roses."

She repeated the Greek lullaby until Macklin's wails started to quiet down and the 2-month-old wasn't being fussy anymore. Sam stared in admiration as he watched Donna smile a little bit. She sang that lullaby to Sophie so many times that there wasn't even a specific number. Sam found himself grateful for it. "Donna, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it. What's done is done." Donna looked at him and the back down at Macklin. "What's his name?"

"This is Bentley," He gestured to the baby in his own arms. "And that one is Macklin."

"Hmm." She nodded. "They're handsome. They take after you."

Lorraine walked back over and noticed how calm the babies were, and she remembered how the boys would never calm down for her. What was it about her? She was their mother, and they would always continue to cry unless Sam took them, or a family member, or anyone else but her. Now even a stranger could calm them down and they'd go right to sleep. Lorraine took Macklin from Donna's arms, and as soon as that happened, Macklin started to cry a little bit.

It continued all the way to the hotel room and that's when Lorraine lost it. The hotel supplied roll-away cribs and as soon as Sam put Bentley in the crib and started to calm Macklin down, which didn't take long, Lorraine sat there at the foot end of the bed. "Why don't my sons love me? They'll calm down for that woman, but they won't calm down for me."

"Maybe if you acted like you cared, they would calm down for you."

"I do act like I care."

"Bullshit, Lorraine." Sam scoffed, putting Macklin down in the crib for a nap and turning back to Lorraine. "You act like you care? You heard Macklin crying and plugged your damn ears, so you could continue your little conversation that could've waited! Do you call that caring?"

"That was one time, Sam. It was important."

"Everything is important to you. Everything but the boys." It was true. Sam recounted all the times he's woken up in the middle of the night due to the babies crying their eyes out, and Lorraine wasn't even home. All the late nights working, all the sneaking around behind his back. He put his hands on his hips. "Even your affair is more important."

Lorraine nearly choked on herself. "A-affair? You're accusing me of having an affair?"

"Yeah, I am. Because there is no other explanation for all the stuff happening in Lorraine world lately. Who the hell is Royce, Lorraine?"

"He's no one. He's someone I work with."

Sam didn't believe her. "Yeah, and what exactly did you need to tell me, huh? That he's giving you a raise or giving you something else?"

"I can't be having this conversation right now."

"Then don't." Sam walked past her, storming out of the room and letting her know he'll be back in a little while. He needed to go for a walk to think about things and clear his head.

Donna needed to come to terms about Sam's return. Part of her wanted to talk to him, and another part of her wanted to shut him out and act like he never came back. She roamed the halls of the hotel, thoughts occupied until she reached Sam's room. A wail was coming from inside and the door was cracked open. It was open wide enough for Donna to see that no one was there.

Comfort was her first instinct when she heard a baby crying. It has been ever since Sophie was born. Donna knocked on the door and carefully walked in. Maybe Lorraine or Sam were just out of eye-sight and they were in there. The further she stepped in, it became more clear that the parents weren't there.

Donna walked over. She didn't know the babies well enough to tell which one was Bentley and which one was Macklin. All she knew was that one of them was crying. Donna picked up the baby in the blue striped onesie and started to comfort him. She started to hum the same lullaby she sung several minutes ago in the lobby.

The baby started to calm down and rested his head on her shoulder, the loud cries becoming short hiccups until he went back to sleep. Before Donna try and figure out exactly why the baby was crying, she noticed a white piece of paper taped to the crib.

Sam,

By the time you find this note, I will be gone.

You were right; I've been seeing someone else, and I brought you here to give you the news that I am leaving you and the boys. This has been planned for a while. I'm signing divorce papers and signing my parental rights over. They'll be sent to the hotel.

Lorraine

Review please :) Let me know what you think. Does anyone know a beta reader that may want to beta-read for this story (and possibly Never Stopped Loving You)?