Ready to meet Sam's daughter?

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Chapter Two: The Littlest Braddock

As Sam left the locker room and made his way out to his car, he waved goodbye to Winnie and the members of Team Four, who had just started their pre-shift workout.

In the time he'd been with the SRU, Sam had gotten close to Team Four; they were usually coming on shift when Team One was finishing theirs and they often ran into each other in the locker room. In fact, Sam had gotten close with all of the teams, except for Team One. His own team hated him.

I must be cursed, Sam thought to himself as he exited the Barn and arrived at his car. It seemed, to him, that every team he had ever been placed on hated his guts. Sure, his JTF2 team only hated him for a few days, but they could always put their feeling aside and focus on the task at hand, something his teammates on Team One have yet to do.

As Sam reached his car and climbed inside, he caught a glimpse of the small picture sticking out from underneath his visor and suddenly, all of his problems seemed to disappear.

Smiling, Sam reached up and pulled the picture down. Bright blue eyes (an exact copy of his) stared back at him, along with the big, toothy smile he loved so much and with one look at that adorable little face Sam knew that he had made the right decision. Leaving the military, something he's known since birth, and his family behind and moving to Toronto proved difficult at times but it was the new beginning he definitely needed.

Putting the picture back where he always kept it, Sam started the car and drove off-leaving his bad day behind him. He had more important, happier and definitely cuter things to focus on and think about.

...

Pulling into the parking lot of Anytime Kids Care, Sam got out of his car and, like a soldier, checked his surroundings making sure everything was safe. Satisfied with his search, Sam put the pass code in on the keypad on the door and headed inside.

Showing his ID to the woman behind the counter and throwing her a smile, Sam entered through another secured door and headed down the colorful hallway to the room on the end.

One step inside the room, Sam's ears were assaulted by a high-pitched squeal of "DADDY!" and a tiny, blonde whirlwind ran full-speed towards him and crashed into his legs, wrapping her little arms around them.

Smiling a face-splitting smile, Sam bent down and picked the little girl up. He gave her a big hug before repositioning her in his arms so he could look at her. "Hey munchkin! Did you have fun today?"

Her excited nod made her curly blonde pigtails bounce up and down.

Sam smiled. "Are you ready to go home?"

Again, she nodded, even more excited this time.

"Alright," Sam said, putting her back down on the ground. "Go grab your backpack and say goodbye to your teacher."

"Otay daddy!" The little girl shouted as her little legs took her over to the cubbies where her backpack was. Putting it on as best she could, she ran over to her teacher who was still with the other kids. "Bye Ms. Jenna! See you 'morrow!"

Jenna smiled and looked down at one of her favorite kids. "Bye Maddie! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Maddie smiled and rushed back to her dad's side. Sam took her hand and led her out of the daycare.

Little Madelyn Claire Braddock, or Maddie as she was affectionately called, was every bit her father's daughter. In looks alone, there was no denying her Braddock parentage, and personality wise, she was just as headstrong, stubborn and compassionate as Sam was.

She was confident, incredibly smart and, unfortunately, she had seen and been through more in her two short years of life than other people have in their entire life. She was born during one of the rare times Sam was on leave during his second tour, but for the majority of her first year of life, any contact she had with her father and her namesake "Uncle Matt" was through Skype since Sam and Matt were both deployed. Then Uncle Matt died and daddy came home and as much as he tried to be a loving and involved father, Sam struggled with overwhelming guilt and Maddie picked up on it. Then Audrey, Sam's ex and Maddie's mother, found a "new calling" in life—one that did not involve being a mother—and left Toronto, her family, friends and her eighteen-month old daughter behind. Sam got full, undisputed custody of Maddie. He packed their lives up and made the move to Toronto, taking Maddie away from everything she'd ever known, but giving them both the fresh start that they both needed.

Arriving at the car, Sam opened the door to the back seat and got Maddie loaded in her car seat. After making sure she was buckled in safety, Sam shut the door, walked around the car to his side, got in and drove off—starting the long trek home.

Maddie's daycare was a bit of a drive out of the way, but it was open 24/7 and primarily geared towards the children of doctors, nurses, fire fighters, police officers and others who have weird hours and overnight shifts. The security was great, the staff was well-trained and most importantly, Maddie loved it so the extra drive was well worth it in Sam's opinion.

...

About thirty minutes after leaving Anytime Kids Care, Sam and a very sleepy Maddie arrived back at the apartment. Sam lifted a sleeping Maddie out of her car seat and into his arms. Throwing both his and her bags over his shoulder, Sam locked the car and carried Maddie inside.

Entering the apartment, Sam flipped the lights on and Maddie stirred in his arms. Looking down, Sam saw a pastor of tired blue eyes staring back at him. Smiling at her, Sam dropped their bags by the front door and moved his free hand to Maddie's back. "Hey munchkin; you ready to eat and get ready for bed?"

Maddie nodded into his shoulder, not ready to get out of her daddy's arms yet. Sam rubbed her back and moved into the kitchen, Maddie still being held in his arms. He filled a pot with water and put it on the stove to boil. Macaroni and cheese, a meal Sam had mastered in his last few months of single parenting, was on the menu for tonight since he and Maddie were both too tired for anything more extravagant.

While the water was boiling, Sam sat Maddie down on the couch and put on a movie to keep her distracted.

Sam finished the macaroni and cheese and moved Maddie into the dining room for dinner.

After dinner was finished, Sam carried the cheese-covered toddler into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes of splishing, splashing and bubble-filled fun, Sam was drenched and Maddie was cleaned, dressed in her favorite pair of princess pajamas and ready for bed.

Sam carried Maddie into her bedroom and laid her down in her bed. After completing their normal nighttime routine (which consists of reading several books and sometimes singing a few songs) Sam tucked Maddie snuggly into her bed. Bending down, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you Madelyn," Sam whispered to her.

"I wove you too daddy," Maddie responded as she drifted off to sleep.

Sam stood up and quietly left Maddie's room, turning on her night light as he left.

...

As Sam readied himself for bed a little while later, he thought back on the past few months. Sam's life post-military life with the SRU wasn't nearly what he thought it's be, and there were still days where he found himself wondering if he had made the right decision, but one look at Maddie and how happy she was here made him realize that he HAD made the right choice.

He would tough it out at the SRU and he would make the best out of their new home in Toronto because there wasn't ANYTHING Sam wouldn't do for his little girl.

Not a lot of "action", but I really wanted to introduce Maddie to you guys and give y'all a feel of Sam and Maddie's relationship PLUS a little bit of backstory.

I hope you enjoyed!

Stay tuned for this next update and the next SAMTASTIC update!