Author's note: I have to give the amazing Suz Mc mucho thanks and hugs for her kick ass beta work on this fic. I honestly don't think I could do it without her, and I know the story wouldn't have been nearly as good without her insightful comments and critiques. Suz, you rock! I also want to thank my other friends who have been reading this and giving me wonderful reviews and support, especially Chelle, Christi, Rena and Rae. You girls are the BEST!

Special thanks to Jared and Jensen for making Sam and Dean the characters we've come to love, and to "the Krip" for creating them. *big hugs*

*Chapter Three*

Sam strode through the automated glass doors of the hospital, and when he noticed the small gift shop just beyond the foyer on the right, he decided to check it out. Before he reached the open door, he stopped and looked through the large window that showcased a menagerie of stuffed animals and other miscellanea. One small item caught his eye, and grinning, he stepped through the door and went right to the plush animals.

Whimsical and adorable, the little stuffed fluorescent green frog grinned up at Sam with a facial expression that drew a chuckle out of him. A little stitched-on button over the frog's belly said "press me" so Sam did, and the low-pitched 'ribbit-ribbet' brought an enchanted smile to Sam's face. He pressed the button once more, and chuckled in delight over the sound.

His large hand craddling the frog, Sam carried it to the counter where a saleswoman waited. When she commented, "Cute, huh?" Sam grinned and admitted, "I couldn't resist." After a momentary pause, he added softly, "It's for my daughter."

The sale complete and the frog bagged, Sam exited the shop and found the elevators. Pushing the 'up' button, he waited for the first door to open, then once inside, selected the fifth floor. With him in the lift was an elderly woman in a wheelchair, accompanied by another, younger woman, obviously mother and daughter, Sam considered. He smiled and said 'hello,' and when the elevator dinged and stopped and the door opened, he held it to allow the women to exit freely. He nodded at their thanks, then followed after them.

Just down the hallway to the right of the elevators, Sam found the nurse's desk. Behind the counter sat a blonde-haired woman who appeared to be around Sam's age or a little older, wearing bright scrubs with a bold pattern of butterflies and ladybugs. When she looked up at him, Sam grinned at her, and noted the name on her badge. "Hi, Megan. I'm Sam Winchester. I'm here to see Lana Monroe and her daughter, Lili. Can I go on in?"

"If you'll wait here just a minute, I'll check." She rose from her chair, and when she stood, she leaned toward him slightly, and said softly, "Lili hasn't had a very good day, bless her heart." Once Megan rounded the desk, she paused beside Sam and added, "I'll be right back."

Sam nodded and said, his voice low and husky, "Thanks."

Within a few minutes, Megan returned, followed by another woman. Tall, slender, with long strawberry blond hair, she wearily pushed hair away from her face with a hand that, to Sam's observant gaze, trembled slightly in exhaustion.

This, he surmised, was Lana. As she walked toward him, he saw her sizing him up, just as he was doing her. Her eyes widened imperceptibly and Sam wondered if, just as he'd seen other people do when first meeting him, she was a little intimidated by his size.

When she came to a stop just a few feet from him, Sam reached out to take one of her hands in his. "Lana..."

Lana allowed him to hold her hands only a moment before she pulled them from his only to wrap her arms around his waist and give him a hug. Her face was buried against his chest causing her voice to be muffled. "Thank you, Sam. I know all this must have come as a surprise to you, but I didn't know where else to turn. You're our last hope." Lana sighed deeply, her voice low and shaky. She pulled back, and gazing up into the smoky blue depths of his eyes, added, "Lili's sleeping right now, but please, come in. I want you to see her—to see why we need you so much."

When she turned and walked toward an open doorway not far from where they stood, Sam followed, his steps a little hesitant. Nervous, he braced himself for what he would see.

When he stepped through the doorway, his gaze immediately fell on the small figure lying quietly on the bed. His heart quivered within his chest, and he gasped. There she lay, hooked up to IV tubes and monitors. His little girl, and Sam instantly fell in love.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Lana asked softly, her voice full of motherly love. "Even as ill as she is, my baby is..." She began to cry, her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close, wanting to comfort her but not really knowing how to do it, all things considered. He crooned to her, his voice low and soothing, and held her until her weeping slowed to a trickle.

"I'm sorry," Lana said, wiping her eyes. "It just hits me sometimes, you know?"

Sam turned her to face him, and keeping his voice low and comforting, he said, "That's completely understandable, Lana. This is a lot to deal with, but—forgive me for asking—have you not had anyone to lean on, to help you in all that's going on? A husband, maybe?"

Lana shook her head, then gesturing at a couple chairs across the room that lined the windowed wall next to the bed, allowed Sam to escort her to one of them, his hand at her elbow. Once they were sitting, she spoke softly. "Patrick and I were married for a few years, and we wanted babies. God, we wanted them so much, but after a lot of testing, the doctors told us Patrick couldn't father children. We were devastated, of course, but bless his heart, Patrick said we could try other methods. I knew how much he wanted children of his own, but there was just no way any child of mine would be his, by blood, at least. He was the one who suggested the route we ended up taking...and that's where you came in."

Sam nodded, remembering how he'd become involved, albeit in a distant way. He'd made a decision back then, wanting to help people, and being a college student at the time with financial expenses not covered by the full tuition he'd been given at Stanford, he'd made his decision and, surprisingly, not even thought about it in the intervening years until he'd gotten the call from Rebecca only, what, three days ago?

Lana looked over at him, and after only a moment, looked away, embarrassment making her cheeks pinken with a rosy glow. "Can I ask why you did what you did, Sam? Why did you choose to donate your...sperm?"

Sam noticed her hesitation in saying the word. "I was a college student, Lana. I needed money. It wasn't a spur of the moment thought or a decision made lightly, though. I wanted to help others. It's kind of something my family does, you see...helping people...but I agree that this was a rather different way of going about it."

Lana nodded her head in agreement. "Well, anyway, because of your...help...Patrick and I were able to conceive. We didn't know who had contributed, but we were so grateful. This man, whoever he was, had given us the greatest joy we had ever received. When we learned I was pregnant, we were over the moon. Patrick always had this huge grin on his face, and I...well...I was beside myself. Then when we learned I was carrying twins—"

"Twins?" Sam looked at Lana, flabbergasted. "I...twins? But, what happened? Lili—"

"I'm sorry, Sam. It's hard to talk about, but Matthew, Lili's brother, died before birth. He—" Lana hung her head, the honeyed locks of her hair hiding her face from Sam's view until she raised her head once more and, lifting a hand to sweep the hair away from her face, looked at him once more. "He was so tiny, Sam. When Patrick was allowed to hold him, he could fit Matt into the palm of his hand. Other than being so small, he was perfect, Sam...my baby boy." Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

His own emotions overwhelming him, Sam allowed tears to stream down his cheeks. A large teardrop plopped on his hand where it lay resting on his denim-covered thigh. He gave Lana some time to recover, needing the time himself. After a few minutes, he lifted the hand from his leg and thumbed his tears away, then reached out and covered Lana's clasped hands with his.

He had to know. "I'm sorry, but where's Patrick, Lana? Why isn't he here with you?"

Lana sighed deeply, raggedly, before she replied, "When I was seven months pregnant, and we hadn't yet learned of Matt's death, we learned that Patrick was ill. At first we thought it was just the flu or something, but it lingered, and he...he died suddenly one day. It was so unexpected. By that time, I had also learned about Matthew, and...God, Sam, I was devastated. First Patrick, then Matthew, and then when Lili was born and the doctors told me how frail and ill she was—"

Sam was sickened. His heart ached for her, and there was nothing he could do but pull her close and hold her while she wept fresh tears. She'd been alone, forced to deal with everything without any help or comfort. Had he only known...but he hadn't. He'd had no clue. But now I do, he thought to himself. I'm here now, and I'll be damned if she has to deal with things alone anymore.

14