Jinx: readalot99- Thanks, I'm really proud of that joke. And Derek would be a stern father, right? Loving but scary:) Thanks for the support!

Jayfire- YOU ARE THE BEST! Thanks for always laughing at the right parts, there's a cyber hug from me and Thorn![hugs]

Sammy/ Samantha

"Sammy!"

I jumped from my spot on the huge beanbag, my heart leapt into my throat when I heard my brother screaming my name. Throwing the book I'd been reading down, I charged out of the foyer, and into the front yard. What I saw next, I almost couldn't believe.

Sam crouched over what seemed to be a large bloody heap in the grass and was waving me over frantically. His eyes were panic-stricken and his front doused with blood. I was frozen for an instant, wondering what on Earth had happened before instincts kicked in. I launched myself in his direction and crouched beside him, wondering what to do.

Before I could even voice my questions, he said in a horrified whisper, "Hurry! Help me turn him over."

I did so; grimacing at the warm, syrupy liquid that now coated my hands. The overwhelming stench of infection burned my nose and stung my eyes. The lump of torn flesh gave a groan, but it was hard to see his face in the receding sunlight.

His eyes peeled open, settling a golden gaze on me, I was struck by the way his eyes matched the color of the setting sun. Just as slowly as they opened, they slid shut, and I could hear his breath rattling in his chest.

"Dunkin, go get the Shaman!" Sam shouted.

Looking over, I could see the shivering frame of our young brother taking refuge beneath the fountain. No doubt the site before him was bringing back horrid memories. After a moment or two of hesitation, he ran into the house.

"Sammy, take his feet." Sam ordered.

I turned back to the bloody heap, grabbing the two long appendages that I hoped were his feet. Sam took hold of his shoulders and we lifted him together. After a few minutes of struggling on my part, we managed to place him in the foyer. I heard a few kids yelp, some of them ran, and a couple of adults rushed forward to help.

A large, burly man -Buckley- took over from there, carrying the boy the remainder of the way to the Healing Room. I attempted to follow, but my mother soon blocked my path.

"Let's give them room to work, sweetie." she said solemnly.

"Does Daddy know yet?" I asked.

"No, Derek just left. I'll call him when I can." With that, she pulled me into a tight hug, leading me away to the Library instead of my preferred destination. Once there, she sat me down at a round table, and said, "Now, tell me everything."

"Mom, I really don't know." I replied brokenly.

"Are you sure you didn't see anything? Anything at all?" Mom persisted kindly.

"No, Mom, Sam was the one who found him." I explained.

She nodded, "Okay, sweetie, I'll be right back. Stay here."

With that, she turned on her heels, exiting as quickly as she'd entered.

I reached out to play with the handle of one of the antique teacups that always rested on the table, only to notice it quivering in its saucer. Curiously, I looked under the table, already assuming I knew what was doing it. Sure enough, Dunkin peeked back up at me with those big eyes of his.

"Hey, Doughnut, Watcha doing under there?" I asked softly.

He slowly crept out before hugging himself to my knees. I scooped him up in my arms, holding his curled form against me. Running my fingers through his hair, I recalled the memory of how it became so white.

It was only a few months after we'd adopted him, so we were all sitting down to dinner, waiting for him to finish with his shower. There was the quiet chatter of conversation, but when he walked in, everyone fell silent, all eyes locking on him. His eyes were watery as he looked up at Mom, a shy expression on his face.

Mom's hand covered her mouth and her blue eyes grew wide. "Oh, good God."

Dad smiled, snorting quietly as he tried to hold in his laughter.

Sam and I, on the other hand, were not as discreet. As soon as we saw the snowy tint of his hair, we howled with laughter. We tipped back in our chairs in unison, hitting the floor with a great thump. It was worth the pain.

That was the first time we'd ever seen Dunkin smile. Admittedly, it was small, but it was there nonetheless.

Mom came back in with Sam trailing behind her. Dunkin flew out of my arms, ran across the table, and jumped into hers. She caught him with the ease of a woman who had been a mother for many years. With the jerk of his movement, however, a teacup tipped off the side, heading for the floor. Mom's hand shot out, catching it, and placing it back on the table gracefully.

She sat down, smiled, and patted his head, "Alright, now you can tell me what happened."

Sam remained standing by the door, eyes on the ground. "We were playing outside when I caught a smell in the breeze. I didn't recognize it, so I went to see what it was. That's when I saw him stumbling through the trees. I saw him collapse and that's when Doughnut ran off. I could tell he was bleeding though, so I called for Sammy. You know the rest." he said with a shrug.

Readalot99: Thank you so much for being the first reviewer! I'm glad you liked it, be sure to check back!

Jayfire: One day, I'm going to publish a story, and there will be a dedication to you. You may not remember our fanfics, but you will know.

Zombiethorn: I bet I banged it hard. I'm insane :)

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