For Matthew
11/19/89 - 7/17/10
DESCLIAMER: I do not own ANY of the characters, except Sam. The others belong to Fox, and Raising Hope.
There was something refreshing about traveling to a new place. Like beginning again, on a new planet. At least that's what 22 year old Samantha
thought as she watched the vibrant green trees roll past the window of the Greyhound. An occasional house would fly by, making her smile. A new
start. That's what she needed, and what this was. Nothing scary, although her nerves were telling her different. She needed to keep reassuring
herself that this was good. That it was time to let go, and to move on. It had been six years, and she still found herself waking up in tears at night.
She glanced down at her now bare left hand. She'd finally built up the courage to sell the ring, after finally realizing that she wouldn't need it.
Instead, on her wrist, was a small tattoo. The word BELIEVE was blurred, with the words I ALWAYS WILL splashed across the center. It was a
reminder for her that she needed to live today, because tomorrow would always be better. Her resume had gotten her far, until her last job was lost
due to being laid off. Instead of joining her fellow employees and signing up for unemployment, she took this as a sign that her ''wings'' had grown
too big for this place. So she decided that Natesville was the best place to start over. She'd needed a little encouragement from her Aunt Virginia
Chance, who had offered her a room with her, her husband Burt, and grandmother.
Samantha stretched her legs slightly, as best she could in the cramped space of the bus. She wasn't tall, but she did have long legs. The sun was
setting behind the trees as the bus moved further along, creating a beautiful amber glow. It was just after Halloween. Leaves covered the ground in
piles, creating another canvas for the sun. Samantha wasn't nervous, not really. She'd visited Natesville as a child, and always felt safe in the small
town.
Finally, an hour later, the bus pulled into a lot, where a small group of people waited. Sam tucked her long blond hair behind her ear as she
prepared to stand. Her stop, Natesville. She spotted the familiar faces of her Aunt Virginia and Uncle Burt in the crowd. They were eagerly waiting
for her as the bus slowly came to a halt.
She smiled and took a deep breath before she stepped down onto the pavement. Or attempted to. The second she lifted her foot, gravity decided
not to be her friend. She took a tumble, rolling her ankle in the process and landing right on her butt on the ground. Virginia and Burt both ran
toward her, Burt reaching down and offering his arm.
"I'm okay, just a tiny bump." She straightened her dress and took Burt's hand. When she stood up, she tested her ankle. "You're gonna need to ice
that. I'll get some ice at the grocery store for ya." her uncle told her kindly. She glanced down at her ankle, rolling her eyes.
"You're still as clumsy as Jimmy!" Virginia teased as she held Samantha's arm. Burt grabbed her suitcases and tossed them into the trunk, then
they all piled into the car and headed to the grocery store. It wasn't far from the bus depot, but Sam still had time to admire the scenery of the
small town. As they pulled into the parking lot, a young girl, about Sam's age, waved them down. She has a pretty smile, calm brown eyes, and dark
brown hair.
"That's Sabrina, Jimmy's wife. She's been dying to meet you." Virginia said to Sam. They got out of the car and headed to the front doors. The
grocery store didn't look big from the outside, but inside, it was pretty massive. Sam blinked as the harsh lights caught her sensitive eyes. As they
adjusted, they fell on the familiar face of her cousin, Jimmy. He looked the same, except now he was quite tall. He was wearing a sky blue button
down shirt, with short sleeves, and a bolo tie half undone. His nametag shone in the light. Beside him, a shorter, older looking man was counting
oranges. He was wearing the same blue shirt, except his was tucked in, and appeared much neater.
"Hey! There you are, I've been looking for you." Virginia called. Jimmy looked around and spotted them.
"Oh, sorry. My phone died a little while ago, and Sabrina left hers at home." Jimmy replied as his mother caught up with him. He glanced at Sam.
"Well, I picked your cousin up from the bus station, and I thought you'd want to meet her again, since you haven't seen each other in years."
"Oh, ha. Hi, Sam," Jimmy said. She smiled shyly, leaning against the counter.
"You look exhausted, no offense." he added quickly. She sighed. "I have been traveling for over 24 hours, so I am." She smiled, shrugging. As
Jimmy and Virginia talked, Sam's eyes wandered to the man standing behind Jimmy. He was a bit taller than her, with neatly-combed dark hair,
peppered with grey. She thought he was quite handsome, especially the way his bottom lip stuck out slightly as he concentrated on the oranges,
pointing at one in turn with his pen. She mentally kicked herself. Breathe, kid. he's gotta be at least twenty years older than you!
Virginia noticed Sam's stare. "This is Jimmy's boss, Barney. He's the manager here, and a good family friend. Barney, this is Samantha. She's a
distant relative, and she's staying with us. "
Barney looked at her, smiling slightly. "Hi, Samantha, nice to meet you." Barney beamed at her, friendly as always.
Sam said, hi, shifting her weight off her now slightly swollen ankle.
"Well, we gotta get going," Virginia said. "We'll pick Hope up from Shelley's. Come on, let's get that food and get outta here. See you later tonight,
Jimmy. Oh, and Barney, you're welcome to come, too. Burt's got the ice already, good."
It was quiet for a while, as Burt drove them through town. Sam rested her head against the seat, her eyes on the window. They picked up Jimmy's
daughter, Hope, from the daycare she was staying at, and then headed on to the Chance's house. Sam bonded instantly with Hope, as did the little
girl with Sam. Burt and Virginia knew she would; she always had a soft spot for children.
Later in the evening at the Chance house, everyone pitched in and brought something outside to the picnic table. Sam made herself comfortable in
a lawn chair, her hair pulled back into a bun on top of her head. She held her tablet on her lap, Netflix open and displaying one of her favorite
shows, The Andy Griffith Show.
She'd tried offering to help, but Burt pulled the bowl of potato chips out of her hands, handing it to Jimmy. "Just set that right next to the table,
Jimmy. Sam, you sit, and rest that ankle."
"What happened?" Barney asked Sam as he sat next to her. He was wearing a yellow button down this time, and tan khakis.
She glanced down at her ankle and sighed. "I fell down the steps as I was getting off the bus. I'm clumsy."
Jimmy handed her a cold ginger ale before sitting down next to Sabrina. "Yeah, we have that in common. Right, Barney?" he joked.
His boss nodded, wagging a finger at him. "You just need to start paying more attention, James."
Sam giggled, snorting into her drink. Barney smiled at her.
"Okay, Sam, I got your turkey burger all set. You sure this is all you want to eat?" Jimmy's dad asked as he handed her a plate.
"It's perfect, Burt. I'm not really hungry for much else. Thank you, though." Sam politely took the plate.
"Okay, but there's plenty of food if you get hungry," Burt replied.
After Burt cooked the burgers and handed them out, they all ate and hung out and talked, while watching Hope play with her new play kitchen set.
"Man, I wish I had this stuff when I was a kid. Not that we could have afforded it, but still woulda been nice," Jimmy said. Sam and Sabrina nodded
in agreement.
"But It's just as fun watching Hope play with it though, she looks like she's having the time of her life," Sam chimed in.
"True dat." Sabrina nodded.
Hope sauntered up to Sam, and handed her a small plastic blue cup. "Tea," she said.
Sam's face softened and she smiled sweetly. "Why, I'd love some, darling, thank you. Mmm, that sure is yummy." They all smiled as Hope
pretended to pour herself a cup of tea as well, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, so, I've been dying to ask, what's the plan? I mean, your career?" Sabrina asked as Mamaw joined them, sitting at the picnic table.
"Keep that ankle on ice." the elder woman said to Sam. Sam nodded to her, pointing to her foot. She looked back at her cousin's wife.
"I'm in the process of going back to school," Samantha replied. They all reacted positively. Virginia smiled knowingly, and Sabrina gave an, "Aw,
that's awesome."
"Thanks. I'm getting my schedule sometime next week. I have to take a test first, to see where I'm at academically. Although I haven't decided on
what major I want to go into."
"She's always been very ambitious, You'll find the right one. Just try to avoid anything that involves any vigorous activity. Your mom said you're still
clumsy. " Virginia said.
"I think his clumsiness must have rubbed off on me," Sam joked, making a face at her cousin.
Jimmy laughed. "Nah, you were just as clumsy back then; remember when you fell outta the tree?"
"Hey, I only fell out of the tree because you screamed in my ear, trying to scare me. Admit it, that was your intention the whole time," Sam shot
back lightly. Rolling up her cardigan sleeve, she showed the scar that ran along the back of her arm. Barney and Sabrina both winced.
"Ouch!"
"Yeah, it hurt a lot."
"And there was a lot of blood..." Virginia shuddered.
After a while, Sam started getting goose bumps on her bare legs. She shivered, before remembering that she had a blanket that she'd left out of
her suitcase on purpose. "I'm getting cold, Jimmy, where'd you put my purple blanket?" She made to get up, but Jimmy held up his hand. "I'll get it-"
"Uh, no, please, let me. I need to use the little boy's room anyway. Where is it?" Barney offered, standing up.
"It's the dark purple fleece blanket on the couch, in the living room." Jimmy answered. Barney left. Sam sat back down, and Jimmy looked at his
daughter before saying, "I'm gonna go put Hope down, it's past her bedtime. We'll get her before we leave. Come on, Hope."
Virginia smiled as she spotted Barney with the blanket. He smiled down at Samantha and unfolded the blanket before spreading it out on her lap.
"Here ya go, oops!" He exclaimed as Sam accidently knocked her tablet onto the ground. He bent and picked it up, handing it to her. Sam smiled up
at him, thanking him. He handed her an ice pack before sitting back down. She took it with another thank you, smiling at his thoughtfulness.
"The Andy Griffith Show, huh?" Barney noticed her tablet's screen. Sam blushed instantly, and Jimmy snorted with laughter. Burt smacked him as
his mother said, "Hey, knock it off!"
"What?" Barney asked everyone. Sam sighed and said,
"This is my favorite show; Don Knotts was my childhood hero. He got me through a lot of stuff."
"Well, that's sweet." Barney said. He wanted to show off his impression of Barney Fife, but the look on Sam's face told him she wanted to change
the subject.
The evening ended on a good note, as Hope, Jimmy, Sabrina, and Barney got their coats an headed to their cars. "It was nice meeting you,
Barney," Sam called to the grocery store manager as they all parted ways. He smiled back at her, nodding in agreement.
Sam turned in early that night, feeling the exhaustion from her long trip. Her new room, Jimmy's old one, was bare except his twin bed, and
dresser. Sam settled into the bed with her blanket. After about a half an hour, an unpleasant feeling started sinking into her gut. She looked up at
the window, at the blackness of the night. A knock on the door made her look up from her book. Virginia came in, holding two coffee cups.
"Want some hot chocolate?" She offered. Sam smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Thank you." She sat up and accepted the warm mug as her aunt sat next to her. She sighed and looked around the room.
"Sorry it's a small bed, but you can paint the walls if you want." Virginia said. Sam shrugged.
"It's ok. I don't really need anything fancy." Sam sipped the hot chocolate, leaning her head against her aunt's shoulder. The older woman smiled. It
was nice to finally have someone to look after again. She'd gotten used to having an empty nest after Jimmy and Hope moved out. She smiled
slightly at the little knickknacks Sam had already placed all around the small room. She even recognized the beautiful carasol figurine on her dresser
that her and Burt had given her when she was a little girl.
"How are you?" She asked meaningfully after a few moments. Sam was quiet for a moment before she answered.
"I still dream about it. About him." She turned her wrist over and showed her aunt the tattoo.
"I got this as a graduation gift. From physical therapy. My mom told me I needed something to remind myself why I lived through that." Virginia
held her hand, giving it a tender squeeze.
"You gave all of us one hell of a scare." the older woman said softly. Sam felt a knot form in her chest. She wiped her eyes, and sighed heavily. She
didn't know what to say. She hugged her aunt's arm and closed her eyes. Virginia smiled.
"Everything's gonna be okay. We're glad you're here."
Sam fell into a restless sleep that night, which was nothing new; She almost never slept more than a few hours. Visions of blood, car wreckage,
needles, tubes, and bloodcurdling screams always filled her dreams.
She kept them to herself when they happened. They were a normal part of her PTSD, and nothing could really be done or said to help.
Sam settled in with Burt, Virginia, and Mawmaw, helping out with the housework and looking after Hope when Jimmy's parents were both working.
Mawmaw remembered Sam from just after her accident; Sam didn't talk about it, but the whole family remembered that horrible night. In fact, Sam
was supposed to leave to visit them the week after it happened. Instead, they visited her in the ICU, two weeks later, after several surgeries. To say
goodbye.
Meanwhile, at the present time, Sam took her entrance exams for college. She passed all but the math. So, much to her displeasure, she had to
take a two week refresher course. She almost gave up when she found out that she'd failed that as well.
Virginia was greeted by loud swearing the morning Sam's results came in an email. It had been about a month since she'd moved there. She hurried
out to the kitchen and saw Sam, red faced, glaring daggers at her computer screen.
"Whoa, whoa whoa, baby ears in the house!" She scolded her niece, pointing to the small blond haired baby in the high chair across from Sam.
Hope had spent the night the night before so Jimmy and Sabrina could have a night to themselves. Since Sam had to get up early, she got Hope up
and fed her breakfast before checking her email and making herself a cup of coffee. Sam blinked and looked up.
"Sorry..."
Just then, Jimmy and his boss came in.
"What's goin' on? We could hear you yelling outside." Jimmy asked. Sam bristled and explained,
"I failed the refresher course. Now I have to take an actual math class, which will take a whole year."
Jimmy tilted his head, "I thought that was only a semester-"
"Not for me. I have a learning disability in math, so I'd need more time. Tsk, I knew this was all a bad idea!" She groaned and slammed the
computer closed. Virginia winced and held out her hands to calm her.
"Wait a minute, wait. Barney can help you with that, right Barney? You helped Burt with his taxes, you're good with numbers." she said
Barney glanced at her and nodded.
"W-well, I could, if you'd like me to..." He offered. Sam hesitated for a moment. She was normally very shy around men, but this one seemed to be
a family friend; she supposed as long as he came here she was safe. Sam sighed.
"Thanks, Barney. I appreciate it. You're a real sweetheart."
So the next day, after Sam had gotten her confirmation email and had set up her new class schedule (she discovered that she needed to take a few
others as well, including biology and chemistry) and had given Barney a copy of it, he made a habit of stopping by for an hour every night, to help
her. She offered to pay him, but Barney refused. He told her that he liked numbers, and it gave him an excuse to close the store early.
Two weeks went by, and not only was Sam passing thanks to Barney, but they were getting to know each other more. More than a few times, Sam
reached her limit and came close to giving up. Remembering her love of The Andy Griffith Show, Barney used his Barney Fife voice and said,
"Come on, now. Nip that word in the bud! You can do this, and you will!"
Sam's expression went from one of disdain and frustration, to shock and amusement. From then on, it was easier to get her to focus.
When the first semester came and went, she passed the classes with flying colors. Math was a close one, but she passed it nonetheless. She felt a
bit sad knowing she wouldn't be spending any time with Barney.