Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Chapter 2

The rest of the summer was pretty uneventful. Ryan and Seth had been dragged into participating at Cotillion; an event at which Rhiannon was grateful to have been able to only sit back and observe. Ryan had punched Holly's dad and Marissa's dad was a thief and Rhiannon met Taylor Townsend, a bright and bubbly girl who was the first person in Newport to make Rhiannon smile besides Seth. The two girls, though vastly different, had become instant friends. Taylor was already planning her coming out ball, for when Rhiannon felt stable enough to have a guy to touch her without major panicking into era.

Though she still had panic attacks when crowded or left alone in the company of a man she didn't know, she was able to pull herself out of them on her own. The therapy seemed to be helping, as did the warm support from Taylor, and the easy affection Kirsten doled out to her foster daughter. Kirsten had been heard to tell her husband more than once that she'd always wanted a daughter.

A couple weeks before school started, Ryan and Seth had disappeared to Comic-Con with Marissa Cooper and Summer Roberts, leaving a much more stable Rhiannon in the care of her adored and adoring foster parents. While they were gone, Taylor and Rhiannon went out with Kirsten, shopping for their upcoming term at Harbor High, the private school the two Atwood children would be attending with Seth. It surprised Kirsten sometimes how easily Rhiannon could keep up with Taylor's incessant chattering, but the two were definitely two peas in a pod. In a lot of ways, their relationship reminded her of the relationship Ryan and Seth had. They were almost ready to call it a night when the girl called Stardust tripped into a boy.

Tall with dark hair and a leanly muscled physique, the teen was at least 16 and possessed of compassionate green-hazel eyes that sparkled as he reached out to steady her. His hands were large and warm but firm on her waist, the calluses across the heels sending a delicious frisson through her body. "Easy there," he soothed, his voice smooth and calming like smoke and honey. "You all right?"

Kirsten, poised to jump in if Rhiannon panicked, watched as her foster daughter beamed brightly at the boy. "I'm fine. Thank you for your help. I apologize for tripping over you."

"By all means, trip over me any time you like," the boy chuckled, his cheeks going rosy along with hers. Using one hand to adjust his backpack on his shoulder, he held out the other in an awkward offer to shake hands. "I'm Sam . . . Sam Winchester."

"Hi, Sam. I'm Rhiannon, but most people call me Stardust. This is my mom, Kirsten Cohen and my best friend in the whole world, Taylor Townsend."

Sam and Taylor smiled at each other in acknowledgement before Sam turned to Kirsten. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am," he greeted, a charming smile curving his generous mouth.

Kirsten smiled at him reassured by the strong, firm grip and the sure, confident way he met her eyes. "You too. Are you here alone?"

"For the moment. I'm hiding from my older brother Dean."

"At a mall?" Taylor asked incredulously, causing Rhiannon to giggle lightly.

"Trust me this will actually be the last place he thinks to look. He'll check out all the libraries first; it's my usual hiding place. I have another 10 minutes at least, maybe twenty if I can manage to evade him once he gets here."

Rhiannon nodded, smiling as though she understood the need to get away from older brothers every once in awhile. "My twin brother always checks the library too. It's my favorite place to go, when I just want to get away. I've never thought about hiding from him at the mall, though."

Sam grinned in total understanding, eyes laughing as he nodded. "The mall is annoyingly loud and disruptive. I prefer the library. It's just so peaceful there . . . quiet and isolated."

"I completely agree."

"My brother thinks I'm a total geek," Sam muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Mine too! I have three brothers, all older."

Sam grimaced in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I can barely put up with my one . . . I can't imagine having three. Dean's overprotective enough as it is."

"Ryan's not usually so bad; he's my twin. Seth's a self-absorbed comic nerd who talks at about a mile a minute, but most of the time he's pretty cool. As for Trey, he's a jerk but he means well."

"Sounds like Dean."

Kirsten smiled as she watched Rhiannon come out of her shell for the third time since Sandy had brought her and Ryan home with her. "What are you doing tomorrow night, Sam?" Kirsten inquired of the teenager.

Sam shrugged, "Nothing I can't weasel my way out of. Why?"

"How would you like to come over and have dinner with us tomorrow?"

"Really? I'd love to."

"All right then. Ryan and Seth are in San Diego for some comic convention, so it'll just be you, me, Stardust and my husband Sandy."

"Sounds good." His eyes darted up then, tracking someone's movements through the crowd reluctantly. "Speaking of brothers, there's mine. I gotta go, but I'll see you all tomorrow?"

Rhiannon blushed, pulling a pen from her hair and sending her hair down her back to her waist. Sam's fingers flinched forward, smoothing a strand from her eyes gently as her blush deepened. Taking his hand in hers, she turned it palm up and scribbled furiously over his pulse-point. "That's the house number. Call me and I'll give you directions, okay?"

"Okay. Have a good day, Mrs. Cohen . . . Taylor. See ya tomorrow, Sadira."

Rhiannon ducked her head shyly as she replied, "See ya."

The three women watched him slip through the crowd, trying to evade his brother, before Kirsten tossed out idly, "Sadira?"

Taylor spoke up first, "It's Latin."

Rhiannon's voice was quieter but filled with simple pleasure as she clarified, "It means 'girl-child made of stars.'"

Kirsten smiled to see Rhiannon so blissfully happy about a boy, teasing, "I see."

The next morning, Kirsten and Sandy discovered that Ryan and Seth had not gone to Comic-Con and had actually gone to Tijuana, and that Marissa Cooper had purposely overdosed on a handful of illegal pain pills. Rhiannon begged and pleaded to be left behind, causing Kirsten to smile and Sandy to frown furiously. He argued vehemently against leaving Rhiannon behind, but ultimately did not stand a chance against his two favorite women. Taylor promised to stay over with her and ultimately the Cohens were on their way south without her.

So it was that Rhiannon was not trailing behind the Cohens as they rushed into the emergency room of the hospital just north of the border where Marissa had been admitted. Ryan, despite knowing that he was in deep trouble, demanded, "Where's Stardust?"

"At home. She has a date tonight," Sandy grunted, filling the role of overprotective father to a 15 year old girl with practiced ease.

"It's not a date," Kirsten scolded her husband, as she watched her foster son go pale at Sandy's remark. It was a little white lie, but telling the truth would probably cause Ryan premature heart failure. "Your sister made a new friend yesterday at the mall and they're having dinner together tonight."

"Sounds like a date to me," Seth remarked unhelpfully, getting a stony glare from Ryan. "Right; I'll be shutting up now."

Ryan grunted and rounded back to his foster parents, demanding, "Who is it? Can we trust him with her?"

"Sam is a steady-headed young man. Your sister didn't panic for even a second; Taylor and I were standing right there. They bonded over libraries and overprotective older brothers. He called her 'Sadira' and she lit up like a tree at Christmas time."

"Sadira?"

"Apparently it's Latin and it means 'child made of stars.' Really, Ryan, Rhiannon is fine. She has her cell and she knows to call us if she's in trouble." Frowning fiercely, Kirsten plunged forward, railroading the conversation of Rhiannon's "date" underfoot. "Speaking of trouble, you two are up to your necks in it."

Ryan ducked his head, shamefaced, though Seth started off on a rant about Summer and TJ and how they were not to be held responsible for the stupidity that comes from being a teenage boy around girls, especially The Summer. Sandy finally interrupted Seth's monologue after a long moment, remarking, "How about you chew on this for awhile, Sethula? You're both grounded, at least until school starts."

Both teens groaned, but neither protested. Kirsten spoke up next, "How's Marissa?"

"She's good . . . better. They pumped her stomach and she should be fine," Ryan recited in a dead, detached tone.

"At least she's okay," Sandy insisted, catching sight of Jimmy and Julie Cooper, Marissa's parents as they arrived. "Come on, boys. Let's go home."

At the news that her brother would be back that night, Rhiannon arranged to have Sam pick her up before he got home, which Sam was happy to do, seeing as he was just as reluctant to meet her older, overprotective, slightly smothering twin brother. A pair of green-hazel puppy eyes and a long-practiced pout had convinced Dean to let the 16 year old borrow the car. The 1967 Chevy Impala was kept in lovingly tiptop condition, as well as being the proclaimed Lady in Dean's life; it had nearly cost Sam an arm and a kidney just to be able to take her out. Smoothing his sweaty palms down the front of the ratty jeans he wore – the nicest and least holey of the two pairs he owned – he ran a nervous hand back through his shaggy and completely untamable brown locks as he approached the colossal front door.

Rhiannon opened the door at his knock, wearing a teal and black dress of silk and gauze that hugged her torso and fluttered whimsically at her knees. Her naturally platinum hair fell in spiral curls down to her waist, tied back from her face with a wide black ribbon. Black ballet flats with a pair of dainty teal bows at the toes adorned her tiny feet and Sam couldn't NOT stare. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and she practically glowed before him. She really was made of stardust. "Hi Sam," she whispered.

"Hi Sadira. You look amazing!"

"Thanks. Tay helped me pick it out," she said, doing a little twirl on her toes, before she looked him over. "You look really nice too."

Sam blushed self-consciously; even more ashamed of his secondhand, Salvation Army bought button-down and the ratty jeans now than he had been only seconds before. Sensing his discomfort, Rhiannon only called back inside to Taylor, "We'll be back at ten, Tay!"

"Okay!" the bubbly brunette called back, her voice coming from the heart of the house. "I want to hear about everything!"

"You will! Love you!"

"Love you too, Star! Don't worry about the door . . . I'll get it in a minute."

"Thank you!" Turning back to Sam, she noticed his discomfort and accurately attributed it to his slightly ragged clothing. "Did you know . . . this is the first time I can actually remember wearing something that someone else hasn't worn first? It's kinda cool."

"Sadira, your parents are loaded!"

"Kirsten and Sandy are mine and Ryan's foster parents. Ryan and I are from Chino; this whole 'having money' situation is new to us. Ryan feels guilty about it, but I love it. I feel pretty for once."

"You could be wearing a burlap sack and still be pretty," Sam blurted, causing both to flame bright red. Trying to recover, he teased, "You're so short, Pipsqueak."

The five foot nothing girl laughed, her nose crinkling charmingly as her head dropped back to look up the distance between their heights. "That's just cause you're so tall, Gigantor," she fired back, with a blatant roll of her pretty Prussian eyes.

The five foot ten inch teen shrugged nonchalantly, used to being tall, and opened her door for her, handing her gallantly into the front seat. After he was in the driver's seat and they were pulling down the drive, she remarked, "This is a nice car."

"Thanks. It's Dean's. He let me borrow it, though it was almost a near thing. As it is, there are at least a hundred thousand rules that he's insisting on. I mean, we almost had 'no sitting,' 'no breathing' and 'no driving.'"

"That bad, huh?" she giggled.

"Worse. He loves this car more than anything, even me . . . honest."

"So where are you going to be attending school? I'm assuming you don't live around here."

"I got a scholarship to Harbor High my freshmen year. Because it's such a good school, my dad promised that we'd try to stay in town at least until the scholarship runs out."

"You guys move a lot?"

"All the time. I think this is the most time I've spent in one place my whole life, and we've only been here for about nine months total. We left after school let out for the summer and got back a week ago. Dad doesn't do so well with staying put in one place."

"Wow? Really?"

"Yeah. It's weird."

"What is? The staying put? Or your dad?"

"Both? I don't know . . . the only thing I do know for sure, is that I don't fit in with all these rich kids in their designer duds and their fancy houses."

Rhiannon nodded, twisting in her seat in order to face him completely. "You want to know something . . . I don't either. But hey, at least we're in this together. Taylor and I are attending Harbor in the fall, so you'll know people this year."

"What about your brothers?"

"Seth is nothing to fear . . . it'll be Ryan you'll have to impress. Don't worry though; I got ya covered," she laughed, giving him a sly wink as he smiled down at her.

"So, where are we going for dinner?"

"I really hadn't thought far ahead. I knew that if my brother got home before you took me out, I'd end up spending the time we would have used for dinner fighting with my brother so that I could go out with you. I'm pretty cool with anywhere."

"I think I saw this pretty cool Thai place near my house. That sound good to you?"

"I love Thai!" she giggled, her eyes wide with pure happiness as she nodded.

"All right then, let's go," he laughed, turning onto the freeway and heading towards his part of town.

Rhiannon hardly noticed the rundown and shabby-looking area, surprising Sam with the fact that she didn't seem to care that he lived in the neighborhood. Then he remembered what he knew of Chino and figured that maybe his neighborhood was nicer than her old one. They pulled into the restaurant parking lot and Sam jogged around the hood to assist her from the car. "Thank you, kind sir," she teased, accepting his hand and slipping effortlessly from the car.

Looking around at her crowded surroundings, she suddenly felt terribly uncomfortable and dreaded another relapse; she'd been doing so well. The look of wanting that darkened Sam's green-hazel eyes made her feel special, though, and she decided to take the bad with the good and focus on the two of them and not everyone else. Linking her arm in the crook of his elbow, Rhiannon forced away her unease and smiled up at him brightly as Sam led the way inside.

When the Cohens arrived home, it was half-past nine and Ryan was half-past frantic. Rhiannon wasn't answering her cell and Ryan could feel his blood pressure flying through the roof. He crashed through the front door, shouting her name. The only reply he got was Taylor's giggle. The brunette was sitting on the couch, watching a cheesy chick flick and munching on a huge bowl of microwave popcorn. "She's not here," was all she said, tilting her head back to look at the older twin.

"It's 9:30!" Ryan exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"And Mrs. Cohen told her she could stay out until ten. She'll be back . . . just calm down. Besides Sam's really nice . . . he'll take good care of your sister."

"That's what they all say, and then they do something to bring about a relapse," Ryan snapped viciously, taking in an unaffected Taylor's silky robe and the silken pajama pants that peeked from the bottom. "Are you spending the night?"

Taylor just gave him a look that, though polite and quaint, clearly indicated that she thought he was suffering from some form of massive cerebral malfunction. "My mom's at some meeting with a client out of state and my best girlfriend in the whole world – really my only girlfriend in the whole world – is on her first date with a guy that she actually likes. And, as if that isn't cool enough, he likes her too! Of course I'm staying the night! We girls have to gossip, you know. Mrs. Cohen said I could," she insisted, defending her reasoning petulantly as Ryan rolled his eyes at her girlish gushing.

Kirsten came into the room, smiling at the girl. "Rhiannon still out?"

"Sam just called to say that they were on their way home now," Taylor informed the woman. "How's Marissa?"

"She's going to be okay, thank goodness. Excited?"

"I've never had a gal pal before . . . I'll confess to being a little nervous about how to approach the gossipy part of the evening," Taylor admitted sheepishly.

Ryan glanced at her sharply, before seeing her sincerity. "Don't worry about it. Stardust hasn't ever had a female friend before you. She'll be just as nervous . . . until she can't stand to keep it in anymore and she just blurts everything."

Taylor beamed up at the older boy. "Thank you, Ryan; that eases my nerves immensely."

Ryan just shrugged haphazardly, muttering, "Don't mention it."

Just then, there was a roar from the driveway as the returning couple pulled into the drive. "That'd be Sam's Impala," Taylor began, trailing off at the sight of Ryan already halfway to the door.

Kirsten glided flawlessly between him and the door. "No, Ryan, you're going to leave them be."

"I've been worried sick about her!" he whined, not sounding at all like the stoic and reserved kid Kirsten was used to.

"Let them say their goodbyes and Rhiannon'll be inside before you even know it. Just be patient," Kirsten soothed, wrapping one hand around her son's upper arm and steering him gently back into the den.

Sam assisted Rhiannon from the car again, before they walked casually to the front door. Rhiannon was shivering to death under Sam's heavy jacket and Sam was walking alongside with one hand on the small of her back and the other in his pocket. They stopped at the door and Rhiannon smiled up at the other teenager. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Sam."

Sam grinned at her, reaching to brush back a strand of hair that had escaped the ribbon and lay caught and curling in her eyelashes. "Me too. I hope we can do it again sometime."

"Definitely," Rhiannon giggled her smile as bright as her nameless namesakes. Through the glass, she could Ryan's panicked voice as he ranted about what could possibly taking so long for her to come inside and she blushed self-consciously. "Now it would appear my brother is interrupting us."

"Something we'll have to get used to, I'm sure."

"Probably," she agreed, before she reached to pull his jacket from her shoulders. Sam shook his head, stilling her hand. "Keep it. I'll get it back from you when school starts."

"Are you sure?" she asked dubiously.

"Absolutely. I will see you when school starts?"

Rhiannon giggled as she nodded, "Taylor and I'll be waiting for you out front, the very first day. Deal?" she teased, holding out her hand to shake.

Clasping hers warmly, he chuckled, "Deal." The two stood there for a long moment, linked by their hands, before Sam used her hand to pull her closer. "I might kiss you."

Those Prussian eyes were wide as they looked up into his, replying in a whisper, "I might be bad at it."

"That's not possible," he promised, lifting one huge hand to cup her cheek. They stood toe-to-toe for a long moment, before Sam hunched over to press a perfect kiss to her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed and she returned it as well as she could, before they stepped apart again. "You should get inside before you're late for curfew," he whispered, his fingers tracing nonsensical designs over the flawless skin of her cheek.

"Yeah, I should. Thank you, Sam; for everything."

Sam grinned, kissing her quickly once more before he replied, "My pleasure, Sadira. I'll call you."

"I'll hold you to that," she laughed, before he stepped back toward his car.

She stood on the stoop, watching him start up the car again and roll back down the driveway. She waved at him once more before he disappeared from view and she turned back to the door. She was starry-eyed as she practically floated into the foyer, shutting the door and falling back against it dreamily. "Where have you been!?" Ryan demanded, rounding on his sister before she'd even managed to bring herself back to reality.

Instead of replying, Rhiannon smiled at her brother and remained silent. She shucked Sam's jacket from her shoulders and hung it up carefully, her fingers toying idly with the sleeve for a beat, before moving deeper into the foyer. Coming up to her brother, she reached out to hug him tightly and press an adoring kiss to his cheek, before she danced again out of reach, waltzing across the hardwood floors. "I love you, Ryan," was her only reply as she waltzed and twirled to the den where she knew Taylor sat waiting for her to give up the details. "Hey Tay," she breathed happily, plopping down onto the couch next to her and dropping her temple onto her shoulder.

Taylor's smile was wide as she teased, "That good, huh?"

"He kissed me," she confessed in a disbelieving whisper. "Me!"

Reaching for the remote, Taylor turned off her movie and pulled her best friend to her feet with her. "Okay, this calls for that tub of ice cream and a pajama party. Move it Star. I told you that I wanted to hear everything!"

Taking up waltz position again, Rhiannon danced into the kitchen, humming a song she remembered from the radio as she glided effortlessly around the room with her eyes closed. Taylor grinned at her best friend's blatant happiness, grabbing the ice cream they had previously procured just for this reason before taking Rhiannon's hand and pulling her along to the blissful girl's bedroom.

Kirsten stood out of sight, watching the two friends giggle as they moved down the hallway, obviously already sharing a secret about Rhiannon's "non-date." Sandy came up behind her, kissing her cheek. "I'm assuming it went well then."

Kirsten turned to face her husband, sliding her arms around his neck with a smile. "I think it went more than well. I think it went fantastic. Our little girl is happy and I refuse to let anything bring an end to it. Even Ryan . . . actually, most especially Ryan."