Chapter Two: Secrets, Truths And Lies

A/N: Hello again everyone! Hope you like this chapter. Please leave a review below if you're not too busy, as I love to hear feedback :)

Ginger xx

Grudgingly, Sammy listened to the entire story, and without interrupting. He had about a billion questions, but he decided to wait until the end.

"... And that's how we got Andy back," Felix finished, giving a small shrug.

Sammy took a deep breath... and said, "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me," said Felix, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"But this really is a parallel universe," said Sam.

"So you're saying that somehow, I've travelled between universes?" Sammy scoffed.

Sam and Felix exchanged a look. They knew the perfect way, and also the best way, to show Sammy the truth.

"You know Ellen, right?" said Felix.

"Yeah, she's on the cheer squad," Sammy replied.

"Well she's not the same in this universe," said Sam with a slow grin.

"You said she helped you get Andy back?" Sammy frowned.

"She did," said Felix. "I think you ought to meet her. Uh, re-meet her."

"It's nearly six guys," said Sam.

"Aw," said Felix mockingly, "Mummy cut your curfew?"

"No." Sam scowled. "We're having a family dinner tonight, the first time since all of the magic stuff happened."

Felix made a sharp cut-throat action with his hand and Sam put his hand over his mouth. There was one little detail that Felix had left out.

"Magic stuff?" Cass repeated. "What are you on about?"

Felix sighed. "It's all been about magic," he confessed. "Andy disappeared to another universe because of magic, and we used magic to help get him back. It's not some sciencey thing at all."

"It's... magic," said Sammy flatly. He shook his head. "I still don't believe you, about the magic thing, or the parallel universes."

"I guess I'll have to show you," said Felix, giving Sam a meaningful look.

Sam sighed. "I'm really sorry, Felix, but this is important."

"This is important too, Sam!" Felix exclaimed.

"I can't miss this dinner," said Sam. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Felix sighed. "I guess I would've done the same."

"Great, so house-stealer-kid is off for tea with his ickle-wickle family, and Goth-slash-Emo-kid is taking us to meet someone you apparently already know." Cass looked at Sammy. "None of this makes any sense if you ask me."

"Nobody asked you though, did they?" said Felix. "Can we go and get this over with?"

"Wait," said Cass, "Are we going to this Ellen-girl's house?"

"Yeah," said Felix. "Why?"

"How far is it?" Cass demanded, still letting Sammy rest his arm on her shoulders.

"Oh," said Sam, drawing out the word, smirking slightly.

"I thought you were going home," Cass snapped at him.

"Sorry," said Sam, still grinning. "I'm off, Felix, but you have got to let me know what happens."

"Will do," Felix replied absently. Sam jogged back indoors, and Felix looked from Sammy to Cass, and then to Sammy again. "So when did you guys meet?"

"We are not discussing this," said Cass firmly. "How far is the house?"

"A couple of blocks," Felix shrugged.

Sammy gave a long sigh. "You do realise I feel off a cliff today, right?"

"Wow, magic really doesn't like you, the way it got you here," said Felix. "Wait a minute, I'll call her and see if she can come to us." He listened to the dial tone and waited for Ellen to pick up.

"What do you want, Felix?"

"A little... surprise has turned up in Bremin," said Felix.

"A surprise?" Ellen asked. "Is it for me?"

"It's not that kind of surprise, Ellen," said Felix wryly. "And no, I haven't got you anything. Um... anything yet!"

"Oh," said Ellen. "What is this surprise?" she asked suspiciously.

"You'll want to see it," said Felix. "Actually, no, you probably won't since you don't know who he is."

"He?" Ellen asked. "What's going on, Felix?"

Felix sighed. "You know when I told you about the other Sam?"

"The one in the other universe?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah, the one that would've been born if Sam didn't exist," Felix clarified. "Well, he's here."

There was a long pause. "How is that possible?" Ellen finally asked.

"I don't know," said Felix. "Can you come meet him? He needs something to show him he's really in a different universe."

"And I'm 'something'?" said Ellen.

"I meant someone," Felix amended. "You're pretty different in the other universe."

"I guess," said Ellen. "Sorry, Felix, but I can't. My parents are really feeling the 'family dinner'. I can't leave."

"Funny, that was Sam's excuse too," said Felix.

"Excuse?!"

"I mean, reason for not coming," said Felix. "Can you meet me tomorrow then? It's really important."

"Sure," said Ellen. "I'll come round yours. Ugh, my parents are calling me. Gotta go, Felix, bye."

"Bye," said Felix, "Love y- um, lovely evening it is. Bye."

"Right," said Sammy, "I'm going home, whether that Sam guy says he lives there or not."

"You can't," said Felix. "Look, you have to trust me. If both of you stay at my place tonight, I know everything will be clearer in the morning."

"I don't trust you, Goth-boy," said Cass, "But I don't think there's another option. Coming, Sammy?"

"Fine," Sammy agreed eventually. "I'll come, but only because I've gone insane from hitting my head."

Felix let them in to his room, which luckily was separate from the rest of the house. "Stay in here whilst I get some dinner," he said. "I've also got to get my brother." He left the room, loping towards the main body of the house.

Sammy sunk down into the couch, rubbing his head. He watched Cass pace the length of the room, both of them still in the dark. A few minutes later, Felix came back with a takeaway and his brother. He flicked the light switch and the room was instantly flooded with yellow light.

"Here," said Felix, dumping two Chinese takeaways on the coffee table, "I guess you guys are hungry."

"Starving," said Cass, seizing a takeaway and starting to eat.

"Thanks," said Sammy warily, "This your brother?"

The younger boy in the wheelchair turned to look at him and his eyes widened. "I've... seen you," he said.

"What?" said Felix, "What did you just say, Oskie?"

Oscar looked at Sammy and his gaze became distant.

A small baby with dark hair was cradled in a woman's arms, the woman's face not visible. The baby opened a pair of big blue eyes. The baby's mouth curled into a smile.

Then the scene cut to the baby in a woven box being placed on a snowy doorstep, the snowflakes falling heavily everywhere. The pair of gentle arms left the baby and the baby boy's mouth opened into a silent cry of anguish.

"Oscar, are you okay?" Felix asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," said Oscar. He looked down at his sketch pad and quickly flipped the page. "You said this was the guy from the other universe?"

"Yeah, he's the other Sam," Felix replied.

"I'm not just another Sam," said Sammy, opening up his takeaway. "What just happened then?"

"Oh, well, Oscar has the spirit element," Felix explained, "And sometimes he sees things and draws them down. What was it, Oskie?"

"Nothing important," said Oscar quickly, not quite sure why he had decided not to share this with Felix, "Just a cat up a tree."

"Look," said Felix, "You guys can stay in here tonight and I'll try to explain the magic stuff in the morning. Believe me – here's much better than a shack."

"Alright," Sammy agreed, "But after this, I'm going home, whether I'm in another universe or not."

"Another cat?" Felix laughed, closing the door behind him.

Oscar chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah," he said, giving a strained smile.

"Well," said Felix, "If there ever is something important, you'll tell me, right?"

Oscar hesitated for a split second. "Of course," he said.

Felix gave a brief smile too. "Mind if I bunk in with you tonight? The aliens have got my room."

"Sure," said Oscar.

As Felix walked off towards the house, Oscar flipped back to that page of his sketch pad, staring at the drawing of the baby left in the snow. Oscar wasn't sure who that baby was, but he was certain that the vision wasn't a mistake.