Has to be a Dream

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"Goodnight, you guys" Sam says, shutting Matthew's then Anna's door for the night. Sam walks into her room and shuts the door. She pulls her hair into a ponytail and gets ready for bed.

"How did the game go?" Chris asks from the bathroom.

"She won" Sam says and climbs into bed. Chris joins her and kisses her goodnight.

"I love you" He says to Sam, like he does every night.

"I love you too" Sam lies to him, like she does every night. He turns out the lights and they close their eyes for the night.

"Freddie? Freddie, where is your wallet?" Sam shouts through the house. "Freddie?" Sam opens the drawers, searching for his wallet. "Come on" She mumbles to herself. She scans around their bedroom. "Freddie?" She calls again. She grabs his jeans off the floor, she reaches into the one pocket for the wallet, nothing. Sam reaches into the other one and feels something, but that's not a wallet. She pulls it out and freezes. It's a box…. A ring box. Sam opens it with a shaky hand. Inside is a simple, but beautiful ring, an engagement ring. Sam gasps at the sight. Her hands are shaking, that she feels she might drop the box. "Oh my god" Sam whispers to herself, "Oh my god"

"Sam? You need me?" Freddie calls from downstairs.

"No, it's fine!" She shouts and quickly closes the box and shoves it back into the jeans. Sam's heart is pounding. "Oh my god" She whispers with a smile.

Sam's eyes flutter open; she gazes around the dark room. God, not again. She thought that memory was gone, but every time she thinks that it is, it comes back…. that one stupid memory.

"You ready? The plane is about to board" The woman asks. The man takes a deep breath. He hasn't said anything since they got to the airport.

"She will never forgive me" He whispers.

"Yes, she will."

"Fourteen years…. God… it's been fourteen years. I don't even know what to say to her. We are going to see her again in just a few hours…. I can't… I" He says choking on his words.

"It will be okay. We can do this." She says. She hugs him.

"It's time to go you guys" Allison tells them. They break apart and board the plane.

Sam wraps herself in a towel and steps out of the shower.

"Morning beautiful" Chris says, standing at the sink.

"Morning" Sam says, walking over to brush her teeth.

"I'll be home a little late tonight" He tells her.

"Okay, I'll just plan dinner for later" Sam says, trying to act like she cares, even though she is happy anytime he stays at work late.

"Perfect" He says and kisses Sam before walking out of the bathroom. Sam wipes the steam that fogged up the mirror off and stares at herself. Her gaze falls to the scar from her collarbone across to her arm. That's the worst one, She thinks.

"You look beautiful" Freddie says, wrapping on arm around Sam, who is dressed in a slim off the shoulder black dress.

"Why thank you. You look rather dashing yourself" Sam says.

"Let's go. I can't leave my date all dressed up with nowhere to go" Freddie says. Sam smiles and kisses him. They walk out to the car and head for their dinner date.

"You drive so slow" Sam whines after ten minutes of driving.

"You are impatient" Freddie says.

"Why do you always drive on the back roads? The speed limit is so slow." Sam says, looking at him from the passenger seat.

"The speed limit is only five less than the main streets and the back roads are less crowded, I like to drive without some road rage maniac behind me"

"We are the only people on this road right now" Sam comments.

"Just the way I like it" Freddie jokes. Sam laughs at him. "Why are you fidgeting?" He asks her, noticing her inability to keep still.

"No reason" Sam says, but in her mind all she is thinking about is that ring….. her ring, which she found earlier this week. Maybe he will ask tonight, Sam thinks, I mean he already bought the ring, so he must be planning on asking soon. Please be tonight! I don't know how much more waiting I can take, now that I know.

"So I was thinkin_" Freddie starts and Sam turns to look at him.

"FREDDIE, WATCH OUT!" Sam screams and her whole face goes pale. Headlights are coming straight for their car. It's too late for Freddie to react, the other car slams into them and sends their car spinning out of control. Screams fill their car as it hits the curb and the car flips over because of the force of their speed and then the impact. The roof of the car slides across the pavement for a few seconds, before the car comes to a stop, upside down.

"Sam?" Freddie groans in pain, looking over at Sam. "Sam?" He calls he again, no answer. "It's going to be okay. Sam can you hear me?" He turns and tries to focus his blurred vision. He sees Sam, there is blood dripping from her forehead, she must have hit the dashboard. "Sam, wake up! Sam?" He tries to unlock his seatbelt, but it's stuck. He pushes all his pain aside and tries to wake Sam. "Sam? Come on baby, say something" Freddie says, he tries to reach for her but his arm is pinned down. Freddie starts to panic a little, they are on a back road that not many people take and they are sitting in flipped car, injured; how long could they be here if they have to wait for someone? Freddie hears Sam groan. "Sam?" He says. Freddie starts to hear footsteps coming towards the car. "Hello?" He asks. Freddie sees a man standing outside the car. "Please, help. Get her out, call 911" Freddie requests. The man opens the passenger door; it scrapes against the pavement as it opens. The man reaches in and unbuckles Sam, holding her carefully so she doesn't fall out of the seat. "Call 911" Freddie says again. The man doesn't answer. He just starts taking Sam out of the car. Freddie officially panics, that guy isn't going to help them. "Sam! What are you doing? SAM!" He shouts as the man gets Sam out of the car and holds her in his arms. Freddie has never seen this man before.

"Freddie?" Sam quietly groans, trying to stay conscious. She can barely open her eyes, all she hears is Freddie shouting for her.

"SAM!" Freddie frantically tries to get unbuckled; the man walks away and out of Freddie's sight. He continues shouting for her. Freddie has no idea what just happened, did someone really just take Sam? Who? Why? "SAM!" He shouts again, pounding his fists on the car.

"Freddie?" Sam whispers, she could faintly hear him call her. She is being carried, by who? She knows it's not Freddie. Sam is fighting not to pass out. She hears car doors open and she feels herself being laid down across a seat. She feels the car start and two people talking. She can't make out who they are, one sounds familiar, but her head is pounding, she can hardly focus.

"Thanks Max" One male voice says.

"I want my pay" He says.

"Of course"

"Where are you going anyway?" Sam thinks its Max who asks this.

"Far enough" The other man says, that voice sounds so familiar.

"You better keep her drugged, if you don't want her to wake before you get there."

"Yeah" Sam hears car doors shut and footsteps. Her head hurts so bad, What's going on? Sam wonders. She hears someone open the door and come next to her. A hand pushes her hair behind her ear and she feels a thumb tracing her jawbone.

"Freddie?" She groans. She tries to open her eyes, but can't. She is exhausted, Don't pass out Sam tells herself.

"I'm sorry about the car, I had to. It's all okay now." She hears the voice say. Wait, I know that voice, Sam thinks. She feels a sharp prick on the side of her neck, like a needle, and then it all goes black.

Sam opens her eyes and blinks at her reflection. She still has a little faded scar above her left eyebrow. She sighs and leaves the bathroom, not wanting to see her scars anymore. Not wanting to remember.

"Guys, breakfast!" Sam shouts from the kitchen.

"Morning" Matthew grumbles, walking tiredly to the fridge and grabbing the orange juice.

"Whoa, what's going on here sleepyhead?" Sam questions.

"Couldn't get to sleep" He says and starts munching on his toast. I didn't get called at all last night. Stupid phone, I couldn't sleep because I kept checking it every five minutes. Does anyone even listen to those messages? Does anyone even care?

"Where's Anna?" Sam asks him, realizing Anna still isn't down here and she is usually racing to the food each day. "Anna?" She calls up the stairs.

"Be down in a minute" Anna yells back. Sam walks back in the kitchen and continues chatting with Matthew.

"Come on" Anna says to herself after shouting to her mom. There has to be something, Anna thinks as she looks around Matthew's room. Something has been bugging Matt, there should be some kind of clue in here. Anna rummages through the piles of clothes and looks in the drawer of his nightstand and dresser. Nothing. She looks through his closet and finds nothing helpful. Anna goes over to the little desk in the corner of his room. She looks through the first drawer and sighs as she finds nothing interesting. She reaches to the other side and opens the last drawer. She rustles through a bunch of old papers and comic books. How can there not be anything? Anna huffs in frustration. She starts to close the drawer when something catches her eye. She sees a shadow hanging on the back of the desk. She pulls the drawer all the way out and reaches behind the drawer pulling out a small orange post-it with the name Sam Puckett and a phone number written on it. Sam Puckett? Who is that? Anna shuts the drawer, putting the post-it in her pocket and quietly exits Matthew's room, going to the kitchen before anyone starts to wonder what's taking her so long.

"Why are you walking so slow? We are going to miss the bus if you don't hurry up." Matthew says to Anna, who is practically dragging her feet along the sidewalk. Anna stops walking and looks at him. "What?" He asks.

"Who is Sam Puckett?" Anna asks him. Matthew doesn't answer, just stares at his sister. "Who is Sa_" Anna starts to ask again, but Matthew clamps a hand over her mouth.

"How do you know that name?" Matthew quietly asks. He knows no one is around, but he speaks quietly anyway. Anna pushes his hand off her mouth.

"Why does it matter? Who is she?" Anna asks.

"You were in my room" Matthew says. Anna doesn't deny it. "You have to be kidding me, Anna!" Matthew says, irritated.

"Well something was bugging you and making you upset. I just wanted to help" Anna says, "Why is this Sam person such a big deal?"

"Anna, please do not get into this. I can't tell you, but I will soon. Now you have to promise me you won't say anything about this to mom or dad. Don't even say the name Sam Puckett again" Matthew tells her.

"But_" Anna starts. Why is he freaking out so much?

"No buts, Anna. I'm serious. Please, you don't understand. Just promise me" He says. Anna nods in agreement. She knows when her brother means something and he honestly meant everything he said. Anna and Matthew have a close relationship, she knows when she can be the noisy little sister to find things out, but she also knows when to believe and trust her brother.

"I promise" She says and reaches into her pocket, handing him the post-it.

"Thank you" He says and tears up the post-it, "Come on, let's get to school"

"We land in forty minutes" The woman says, sitting back in her seat.

"What do I say?" He asks.

"Start with hello, that seems to work" She says, trying to lighten his mood, even though her heart has been pounding nonstop.

"I have spent so many nights thinking about what I would say, what I would do when I saw her again. Now, I just have no idea. A lot changes in fourteen years, what if… what if she isn't how we remember. I mean… what if_"

"Stop, just stop. You can't beat yourself up, we found her. We can't say what will happen because we don't know, but we do know she is alive and we will all go home, we can worry about everything else later." She says.

"Yeah" He whispers and looks back out the plane window. Less than an hour, his heart flutters at the thought.

"Man, school felt like forever today" Matthew says, walking into their house.

"I know" Anna says, "I like coming home when no one is here"

"Ha-ha, yeah well mom should be back any minute." Matthew says. Sam texted both of them saying that she is at the grocery store and should be home in about a half hour, so their freedom won't last that long. Anna and Matthew go raid the kitchen for a snack. They talk and snack for ten minutes when there is a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Anna asks. They both look at each other; neither of them was expecting anyone. Matthew walks over to the window and pulls back the curtain. Anna comes up beside him.

"Who are they?" Anna asks.

"I have no idea" He says, looking at the three adults at their door.

Allison knocks on the door again.

"Do you think they aren't home?" The woman asks. Allison looks to the left and spots Matt and Anna in the window, Matthew shuts the curtain right when he sees Allison. Allison walks over to window and softly knocks on it.

"Matthew?" She asks, "Matthew Grayson?" Anna and Matthew exchange looks.

"How does she know your name?" Anna whispers to him. Matthew shrugs his shoulders, he has no idea.

"My name is Allison Kole, I'm a police officer. You called me about Sam Puckett" Allison says to the window. Matthew opens the curtain a little to see Allison holding up her badge. "These are my friends" She says, gesturing to the man and woman, "We are here to help. Would you mind opening the door? It's okay." Matthew closes the curtain and starts to walk towards the front door.

"What are you doing?" Anna asks him.

"Letting them in" He says.

"Matt, no one is home and they are strangers" She says.

"That one lady is a cop and its okay, I called them" He says and walks out of the kitchen.

"What do you mean you called them?" Anna asks, but Matthew already left the kitchen.

Matthew unlocks the door and slowly opens it.

"Hi, Matthew" Allison says.

"Hi" He says back.

"May we come in?" Allison asks. Matthew nods and they step inside. "Thank you" She says.

"No one is home" Matthew tells them, "You are here about Sam right? She is my mom isn't she?" He asks. They all look at each other before Allison speaks.

"Yes, she is" Allison says.

"She is out grocery shopping, but should be back any minute" Matt says.

"Okay, we will wait" The woman says.

"Matthew you shouldn't be talking to them" Anna says slowly walking to him. Both the man and woman gasp at seeing Anna.

"What?" She says, suddenly getting afraid of these strangers in her house.

"Nothing. You just…. You look so much like your mom" the woman says, "You both do" She says. Matthew sees tears form in her eyes.

"We can sit in the kitchen" Matthew suggests. They agree and go into the kitchen.

"Anna! Matthew! Groceries!" Sam shouts coming through the front door. She has a brown bag in one arm and holding a gallon of milk in the other. "Guys?" She says. Sam throws her keys on the table by the door. "Matthew? Anna?" Sam calls and walks into the kitchen. "Guy_" She was going to call them again when she looks up and sees them sitting in the kitchen, but not alone. Sam stops dead in her tracks. The gallon of milk falls from her grasp and pours out on the floor. "Crap!" She yells and quickly picks up the milk and steps over the mess, staring at the people in front of her.

"Sam" The woman whispers, tears streaming down her face. Sam thinks she lost voice and realizes she should say something, anything.

"Carly" She whispers, "Freddie" This has to be a dream.

XXXXXX

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