Sam checked her reflection one last time in the mirror. Pulling her dark hair off her neck, she couldn't believe that she was actually nervous to just hang out with Lucky and a three-year-old. They had a big day ahead of them, an afternoon at the park and dinner at Kelly's. It amazed her how excited she was to do such simple things. In some ways, it was like she was getting a second chance at a normal childhood, doing things that most kids do when they are young but she missed out on.

The night before had been perfect, even if the food wasn't. Dessert was the only dish that ended up being edible, despite the delicious aromas that had filled the quaint café. As it turned out, spinach was one of the few foods Sam didn't like, so that had killed his salad. Then, Sam and Lucky had started talking and lost track of time, burning the quiche and the bruschetta both. She had laughed as he scraped the burnt crust from the pan, smoke pouring from the commercial stove.

"It's not funny," he insisted through her giggles, holding up the blackened dish for her to see. Tapping a fork against the crispy surface, he soon found the humor in the situation. "I can't believe it is possible to ruin something this badly."

"Well, I'm not much for this fancy stuff anyhow," she insisted, pulling a loaf of bread from a basket on the counter. Grabbing a jar of peanut butter and a knife, she efficiently made them a platter of sandwiches.

He smiled as she stacked them on a paper plate. "This is more my speed," he commented, following her back to the dining room with two bottles of beer. "Forget the wine and gourmet cuisine, I'd rather have a PBJ and brew any day."

"My kind of man," she laughed, toasting him with her bottle. "But tell me one thing, is dessert salvageable? You see, I have this thing for vanilla."

"Ah, I didn't make dessert, so you're safe on that one."

They'd spend the rest of the night just enjoying each other's company. It had been simple and easy, as if they had known each other their entire lives. She had told him stories about her salvage work, people she had met and places she had seen. He talked about being on the run with his family, the things they had done and scams they'd ran. Until that night, she had no clue just how much they had in common.

And now, as she prepared to spend the day with father and son, she couldn't but help be nervous. She knew what it meant to spend the day with Cameron and Lucky, even if it was just as friends. It signaled that he wanted her to be in his life permanently, and that was a big deal to her. Their friendship wasn't fleeting but one capable of going the distance.

"Ready, McCall?" Lucky called out from the hallway, pounding on her door impatiently. Smiling at herself one last time, she turned off the lights and joined her impatient comrade outside.

"Wow, he looks good," she thought to herself, admiring the muscular physique apparent through his charcoal v-neck sweater and faded jeans. Shaking her head as if to empty it of such thoughts, she smiled wryly at Lucky. "Let's go, Spencer," she declared, grabbing his wrist and pulling him down the stairs behind her.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be late," he explained. "I don't want to give Liz any reasons to keep from seeing my son, you know? Since I don't technically have any rights, I kinda have to take what I can get."

Pausing at the door, Lucky pulled on his black leather coat over the sweater. Reaching up, he retrieved Sam's camel mohair jacket and held it out for her to put on. "Thanks," she said as he pushed it up over her shoulders. "And I understand, Lucky. I don't know why you feel like you always have to explain or apologize for everything. You haven't ever done anything wrong to me. In fact, you've been more than kind."

"I guess I'm just used to making amends. With Elizabeth, I was always doing something wrong. She was always disappointed in me, even before I was on drugs. Either I was too proud to accept money from my brother or pushing my sister too hard or working too much…"

She had always thought they had the perfect marriage before Lucky had started doing drugs and sleeping with Maxie Jones. They had been high school sweethearts, two people who found each other despite insurmountable odds. Emily had once told her how he'd even helped her after Liz had been raped in the park. If they couldn't make it work, she wondered what hope there was for the rest of the mortals.

"Jase, thanks so much for letting us stay here last night," Elizabeth smiled gratefully as she watched Jason put Cameron's coat on. She had been so tired and worn out when she left General Hospital that she didn't want to go back to the apartment alone. Grams was out of town visiting Sarah, so there hadn't been anyone to help her. Jason had insisted that she and Cam come stay with him until she was stronger.

"It's no problem. It's nice to have someone here when I come home," he told her. Cameron looked up at Jason and grinned mischievously before taking off toward the stairs. "Besides, I could probably use the practice."

"You're going to be a great father," she reassured him. "I've seen you with Michael and Morgan, they adore you. And you're good with Cam, too."

"I'm glad that you are going to let me be a part of our child's life," he replied. "I would have respected your wishes if you didn't want me to be, but I just want you to know that I really want this. And that I appreciate it."

Elizabeth didn't say anything, she simply nodded and patted his hand affectionately. "Cam!" she called. "It's time to go."

"Where is she at?" Lucky mumbled, glancing down at his diver's watch. They were seated on a park bench underneath the elm trees, the public place he and Liz had mutually agreed upon that morning.

"She's only a few minutes late, Lucky," Sam reminded him. "Try to calm down. You don't want Cam to sense anything is wrong."

"He's already been through so much. The last thing he needs is Elizabeth and I getting into an argument in front of him. We've managed to keep most of that away from him, amazingly enough. That's the one thing I am really proud about."

"You should be proud of a lot of things. Look at how far you've come," she encouraged. "You are sober, and you're rebuilding your life. You just took two really hard hits, and you haven't gone back to drugs. You're working hard and saving money. You're focusing on being a father to Cameron. That is a lot more than most people in your situation have done."

"If it wasn't for Cam, I think I would have lost it by now," he admitted. "Just one look at that little guy, and I remember what it's all for. He may be the only thing I ever do right in my life, but if so, I'll still be the proudest man in the world."

"That's why I want to be a mother," she confessed. "I want to have that powerful of an effect on someone. I want to create this life and help it become someone amazing, maybe even someone who could change the world."

"You don't need to have a baby to have an effect on someone, Sam, you've already changed my life."

"Daddy!" a screaming Cameron screeched as he came running over toward the bench. Lucky jumped up and swept the toddler in his arms, burying his face in his son's dark tresses. "I missed you, Daddy."

"Cameron, you shouldn't run off like that," Elizabeth reprimanded her son lightly as she came up to join the reunion. Jason walked just behind her, his steady gaze fixed on Sam.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just got excited because I saw Daddy and his friend."

"This, Cam, is my friend, Sam," Lucky introduced. "She's going to hang out with us today, if that's okay."

"Um, Lucky, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" Elizabeth asked, shooting a dark look toward Sam.

"Sure. Buddy, you go hang out with Sam over there and tell her how cool the swings are. Maybe we can convince her to push us later," Lucky told his son softly, setting him to the ground gently. He watched as the little boy toddled happily toward Sam, babbling about the playground excitedly.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to spend the first day in forever with your son with her around?" Elizabeth hissed privately.

"Well, since Sam is my friend, I don't really think it's that big of a deal," Lucky returned. "I didn't question the fact that you brought Jason along. I didn't ask if you were staying at his house. I trusted that you are doing the best thing for our son. Can't you do that for me?"

"He's not your son."

"Elizabeth!" he shouted, louder than he had intended. The comment had cut him deeply, hurting him more than any physical pain ever could.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her head dropped in shame. "I shouldn't have said that. Of course, you're right. I know that you put Cameron first. It's not my business what you do with your personal life."

"Of course it is. We have a son together. I know that I'm not his biological father, but I still consider him my son. As long as you are going to let me stay in his life, you have a right to know what is going on. But, as long as I'm not putting him in a situation that is going to hurt him, you don't have the right to hold it against me."

"You are his father. In every way that counts, Lucky. I should have done this a long time ago, but maybe it's time you adopted him legally. It may not be the most conventional method or timing, but it's the right thing to do."

A wide smile spread across his face as he looked past her at where Sam and Cameron were playing. "There is nothing in the world that would mean more to me," he declared, hugging her excitedly. As he embraced her, he realized that the old familiar flicker wasn't there.

"You looked pretty happy there for a minute," Jason whispered as he joined Sam on the bench. Cameron dug in the sand in front of them, filling his bright blue pail with a red shovel.

"What do you mean?" she asked coyly.

"With Lucky, on the bench, you looked genuinely content."

"I was, I am."

"Hey, Cam and Sam, are you about ready to get out of here? I hear the swings calling our name," Lucky announced as he came bounding over.

Cameron jumped up, emptying his bucket. Handing it back dutifully to his mother, he grabbed Lucky's hand. "Aren't you coming, Sam?"

Lucky smiled at his son and then at Sam. "Yeah, I'm coming," she said, grasping the little boy's outstretched hand.

"So, we'll see you at Kelly's at six, right?" he asked Elizabeth over his shoulder.

She nodded before kneeling down in front of her son. Kissing him quickly on the cheek, she whispered, "I love you, buddy. I'll see you soon."

"Love you too, Mommy!" he chirped as the happy trio trekked toward the playground.

Standing back up, Liz rested her hands on her stomach. Jason put his arm across her shoulders and kissed her head absently. "That was harder than you thought it would be, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was," she sighed. "I guess we're finally over."

"Daddy, can I go play with Ethan?" Cameron asked, pointing to where a towheaded boy from his preschool class was playing. "He's building a sand castle."

"What about the swings?"

"You go swing with your friend, and I'll play with my friend. I'll come over and swing when I get done," Cameron explained matter-of-factly.

"He's smart," Sam commented as they headed toward the swings.

"He's brilliant," Lucky agreed, smiling brightly.

"What's up with you? You're grinning like a hyena," she teased.

"Well, since you asked," he beamed. "Elizabeth just asked me to adopt Cameron. I'm going to be his father, legally and everything."

"Oh, Lucky!" she cried, throwing her arms around him excitedly. "That's great! You must be psyched. I am so ecstatic for you."

"Thanks, it was definitely one of the best moments of my life," he affirmed, looking across the playground at his son.

"Daddy, Daddy! Come look!" Cameron yelled.

"I'll be right back," Lucky excused himself.

Sam watched as Lucky joined his son, helping him to build a moat around the makeshift castle. He was good with Cameron, caring and gentle. It was clear that they adored each other. As Lucky hugged an excited Cam, Sam felt a pang of something familiar in her heart. "No, you can't do this," she chastised herself silently.

Lucky came jogging back toward her. "Can you go over and play with Cameron for a minute? I just got a page from the station that I need to return. I don't want him to hear me on the phone. I'll just be a minute."

"Sure," she consented, leaving Lucky to occupy the swing while she headed for Cameron. "What are you building?"

"A castle," Cam answered. "This is the moat. Daddy helped me build it."

"Well, what can I do?"

"You can help me build another castle."

"Why do you need two castles?"

"Because I am going to have two homes," he replied, his voice indicating that it should be obvious. "This one," he told her, pointing to the one that was already built, "is where I am going to live with Mommy and the new baby. Jason might live there too someday, but I don't know."

"And then the other castle is Daddy's castle," he continued. "I'm going to live there too sometimes. Mommy told me that I'm lucky because I get to have two houses and two bedrooms and two sets of toys. And I'm lucky because I have so many people that love me."

"Well, that sounds about right," she stated. "You are lucky. You have so many people that love you."

"Are you going to live in this castle with Daddy?" Cameron asked innocently as he packed the sand into a mound.

Sam smiled down at him and shook her head. "I'm just your daddy's friend. I live down the hall from him at Kelly's."

"But Daddy smiles at you like he smiles at me," the boy said in confusion. "And Daddy loves me. That must mean he loves you, too."

Lucky collapsed next to them. "Sorry about that, buddy. What are you two talking about?"

"Your new castle," Cameron answered. "The one that you are going to live in with Sam and me. She said that you were just friends, but I told her that you smiled at her like you loved her. You love her, don't you, Daddy?"

Sam glanced at Lucky awkwardly over his son's head. She shrugged, indicating that she didn't know what to say either. "Sure, Cam, I love Sam. She's my friend. There are lots of different kinds of ways to love people."

"Do you love Sam like Mommy loves Jason?"

"Your daddy and I are like you and Ethan, Cam," Sam said. "We like to talk and do the same things."

"Oh," the boy smiled. It was almost as if he actually understood, which amazed Lucky. He wasn't sure what was going on, but a toddler comprehended it so easily. He watched on as Cam showed Sam how to mold the grainy pebbles into torrent. Giggling, Sam poured liquid from her water bottle into the moat. She was a natural.

"Hey, Spencer, where's your head at?" she asked softly, leaning back on her heels to look at him.

He shook his head. "Just thinking about that call earlier," he lied. "I'm here, you have me now."

Looking him in the eye, she thought, "I wish I did." Blushing, she pushed the thought out of her mind, unsure of where it had come from. "Get over here, we need your expert opinion. Cameron wants to build a drawbridge between his two houses."

"So I can come see you whenever I want, Daddy."

The sentiment pierced Lucky's heart. Dropping a kiss on his forehead, he laid two sticks across the tower to satisfy his son's request. Cameron picked up rocks and sat some on each side. "This big one is you, Daddy," he explained, placing it in the castle on the right. "This one is Mommy. It looks like it's going to have a baby too." He then appointed a rock to be Jason and the baby, placing them near Elizabeth's stone in the left castle. "This one is Sam," he declared, placing it snugly next to Lucky.

Lucky smiled at Sam. "Where are you, buddy?"

"This one," he announced, dropping a black rock in between the two houses on the bridge. "In the middle, surrounded by everyone that loves me, just like Sam told me."

"You're lucky, buddy."

"No, Daddy," he laughed. "You're Lucky."

"He's got you there," Sam pointed out.

"I'm going to go get a drink at the water fountain," Cameron decided, skipping off toward the brick wall.

"He loves you," Lucky commented.

"He's hard not to love back. Kind of like his daddy that way."

"Look, Sam, about us being friends. Maybe…"

Sam nodded. "I know what you're going to say. We need to keep it strictly friends; I hear you loud and clear. I'm just glad you're in my life."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Oh, well, what were you going to say?"

"I don't think it's going to work."