Hey guys! Well…this was supposed to be posted Saturday, but thanks to that lovely technical glitch, it had to be today. So an extra apology goes out to the people I promised that there would be an update on Saturday. :( Here's the next installment. I think you'll like this one. Some light moments and plenty of Sammy angst!

Two and a half weeks later: Ireton Children's Hospital

"And of course with my luck as always, the bus didn't come," Hannah said monotonously, waving her hands around. "You'd think I'd have friends in high places to get me out of this mess, but no!"

Both Jared and Sam sniggered as they listened watching while the young woman stood by the bed commentating as if she were in a stand-up comedic act.

"So what am I going to do? I had a test the next day, there was no way I was going to wait three more hours. So we decided to walk back. It was only two miles, right?" She bowed her head, giving them a 'yeah, right' look. "Again, I reiterate just my luck!"

Sam sat curled, cuddled against Jared's side sucking on the band-aids on his fingers, eager and excited, and waiting for the next part. Jared had his eyes on the ceiling, already ready to mouth her next words.

"I was so going to kill Bethany for buying that big tin of popcorn. Not only was it twenty degrees outside, but we were wearing thin pants and just a sweatshirt. We had to pass off that thing back and forth, because our fingers would freeze onto it. And you know it's bad when you have to use your own breath in order to pry em' off!"

Sam giggled some more at some of the facial expressions she would make. Hannah was in the midst of narrating…and dramatically acting out yet another one of her ill-acquainted college adventures. There were plenty of games and activities in the hospital, but after playing Bingo non-stop for six hours; it was time for some story time. Hannah figured it wouldn't be such a bad idea in illuminating some of her past experiences.

This time was about the night of her undergrad university's Christmas parade in her freshmen year. She and a friend had gone to the store for some last minute groceries when the school's bus they rode had gotten stuck in traffic on the way back to pick them up. Not having the need or patience at remaining at the mart, they, in their infinite wisdom, decided to walk back. Of course, with the many bags full of produce and her friend's large tin can filled with three flavors of popcorn, it became an adventure all on its own. With the frigid climate as it was, the girls ended up tying the bags to their clothes, and sweatshirt head-strings, just to tuck their hands into their pockets. People begun to wave to them, believing they were a segment in the parade. If they weren't so frozen, they probably would have waved back!

"Oh my God, I can't tell ya how glad I was when I saw my dorm building," Hannah went on. "Until we hit the stairs. Three steps! Just three and we couldn't get up them. We were so frozen; we had to take the handicap ramp just to get inside. God, that hurt," she grimaced.

Jared gave a fake smile, nodding at the ending of it. He had probably heard the story at least six or seven times. Sometimes he swore his wife had short-term memory loss, because she had the odd tendency of forgetting she told him the story and would relay it all over again…but at least it didn't come without amusement.

The theatrical tale soon came to an end when Chris entered the room once again with his head down and reading his folder. Without waiting for the couple to respond, he asked,

"What story is it this time?"

"The FAU Bag Ladies," Jared enlightened.

"Ah. Again?" He raised an eyebrow, and then turned to leave.

"It's still good and you know it," Hannah yelled childishly after him.

Sam squirmed next to Jared, wanting to sit up, since his legs had lost feeling maybe halfway through Hannah's narrative. He was still incredibly weak from his ordeal, especially with the heavy sedative he was administered since his surgery.

Sensing the signs of distress, Jared sat up a little straighter on the bed and pulled Sam up with him. "Here ya go little man," he said, receiving a short nod of appreciation.

For the past two weeks, the couple had not left the little boy's side. Other than when Hannah had to go back to work, Jared stayed, keeping him company until she returned at the end of the day. The couple oversaw the recent surgery on his left arm, once the hospital cleared him for it. Due to the parents or guardians not present, the hospital ultimately had to override the policy, because it was necessary for the child's benefit.

All turned out well with the two bones re-fixed, held together by several screws, plus he was acquainted with a new cast which the entire hallway staff managed to sign and doodle. Dr. Chris's signature was the largest, totally noticeable by a sloppy smiley face and a drawing of a bug-eyed fish.

Often Hannah and Jared would read to him, play with him, and help him cope with the aspect of his memory loss and convalescence. Sam had strained himself in trying to recover his lost memory, almost to the point of constant anxiety attacks. Obviously since there consisted a persistent blank, he couldn't answer the demands of knowing what happened to him. It all remained a mystery. But he was glad that the couple was there for moral support when the hired child psychologist tried to unlock his mental workings and failed.

Naturally it was Hannah and Dr. Chris who kept him entertained throughout his recovery. Jared typically held him cuddled to his chest as Hannah read and sometimes reenacted a few works like Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. Only Sam wasn't so keen on the latter.

The happenstance of the boy's current state certainly had Jared wondering. The night when he returned to Route Fourteen had been interesting. Setting out with his 'annoying as Hell' cousin, he searched high and low for hours after his wife expressed her concern that there might have been another child. The two men traveled along the road, mostly exploring the area where they first encountered Sam. About a mile from that spot, they noticed a patch of the guard rail along a sharp curve was missing.

Interested, they decided to check it out. Upon peering down the side, they saw large ruts made by something large and heavy sliding down the small mountainside. Alarmed, both men ventured down the slippery slope as fast as they could and to their surprise found a black van upside down. Believing this was a big clue, they searched all around and inside. Thankful they found no bodies or anything; they were actually quite surprised to see nothing inside the van. No permits, licenses, no materials in the back, other than remnants of rope; nothing remotely useful as to establishing the van's or owner's identity.

Using his flashlight, Jared, due to his military training, found several footprints imprinted in the mud leading away from the wreckage. He followed the tracks on up the slope, but lost the trail as the tracks ended at the roadside. Figuring that whoever it was could possibly be injured, Jared put in a request to surrounding hospitals if there had been any emergencies over the past two nights, but to his dismay there had been none.

He ordered his cousin to go back to Aunt Millie's house, while he went back to his wife with the news. Since then he remained at the hospital comforting the little boy, getting a real feel as to what it would be like to being a real parent. And as shocking as it was to him, he hadn't minded it at all—in fact, he mostly enjoyed it. And seeing the zany exuberance his wife constantly was in a state in, he could tell she enjoyed it too.

At that moment, Jared didn't have a single clue of what to do if the real family was ever found. He wouldn't know how to react. Secretly, he wished that it wouldn't come to that. He wasn't selfish, but he couldn't describe the feeling he had towards the child. Like an overwhelming sense of protection, he…and only he felt obligated to.

But the child deserved to have his family back. And as a good person—with a conscience that never stopped to pull a guilt-trip on him—he would protect the child until he was reunited with the long lost kin. So until then they would just have to buckle down and take on whatever challenge presented itself.

It wasn't long when the door opened again and Chris came in with a grave expression. Hannah noticed it and instantly became concerned. "Oh crap, I know that look. That's not a good look."

Chris scratched his smooth chin, evidently nervous beyond Hell. "Jared? Hannah? Have you found anything else on Sam? Like his parents? Anything?"

"No, we haven't. We just found him in the middle of the road and we then scooty-wootied on over here, remember?"

The doctor scrunched his eyes shut, and huffed out, "Oh crap."

At seeing the forlorn look, both Hannah and Jared became worried. "Chris, what is it?"

"Guess who's here."

Understanding exactly what her friend was implying, Hannah sighed, "Oh no."

As if on cue, a woman just a tad shorter than Hannah's 5'7 stature entered. Dressed in a navy body-suit with blonde hair pulled so tightly back in a bun, it appeared as though she had a mini face-lift. It was obvious by the stingy posture and arrogant facial pattern that this was a representative from the CPS.

Holding out a hand, revealing jungle-red nail polish, the woman spoke in a brusque tone. "Mr. and Mrs. Winslow I presume. My name is Tanya Coldbrook and I'm here on representation of Child Protective Services."

Hannah shook the woman's hand briefly, eying her with dislike. Jared reached over Sam and mimicked the brief hand-shake.

"And this must the Sam I've heard so much about," She bent down giving a big fake smile showing not one, but three gold teeth on her bottom row and several others stained and cracked. Jeez lady, get a toothbrush!

Sam didn't respond to her. Instead he cuddled closer to Jared, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Shhh," Jared soothed, running his hand through Sam's hair.

But the lady didn't stop there, "There's no need to be scared. We have a nice facility with plenty of kids your age. And soon with time, you'll be with a nice family who will love you and care for you. So cheer up."

Hannah sent a look of betrayal Chris's way. Picking up on the pursed lips and dangerous eyes, Chris replied quietly, "I didn't make the call. The administration did."

"As it is procedure when an abandoned child is found," the CPS agent said boldly. "Shall we discuss this manner outside?"

Agreeing, Hannah and Chris followed the woman out. Jared gently picked Sam off him and left, closing the door. But not before he looked back in and imitated a funny face, causing Sam to smile. "Hang tight. We'll be back in a moment."

He wasn't quite sure what he had missed, but as he closed the door he heard the woman say, "Well thank you for your time, but you may go now. We'll take it from here."

Hannah's eyebrows shot up so quickly, they were like mini-rockets. "Uh excuse me?"

"Oh boy here we go," Jared mumbled.

"Yes. You are no longer needed."

Hannah bopped her head up and down, chewing her tongue. It was pretty clear she was getting upset. "Hymph. Tunia is it?"

"It's Tanya—"

"Whatever," Hannah interrupted, "Listen up, we're not just UPS people dropping off a mail-ordered package. We brought this child in and so far have overseen all his medical procedures and expenses. We have stayed with him, cared for him and 'as they say' he is a part of us now. So no, we are not just going to give him over to you guys just for you to cart him around."

Despite Hannah's powering tone, the woman appeared unfazed. She took a step forward. "I see your point and the state appreciates your time and sacrifice. But before you go any further, I oughta let you know we deal with people like you everyday. And we've seen every intimidation tactic in the book."

"Well that's nice to hear Gladys—"

"Tanya." The agent corrected in annoyance.

"But then I oughta let you know," Hannah took a step closer, "I'm not those people and I'll fight you every which way I can on this."

"Mrs. Winslow, I see your concern. But he is not legally your child, and since the boy's parents or legal guardians are not present, therefore he belongs to the government. Now either you drop this and go home or I will have to file a restraining order."

A dangerous flash crossed Hannah's face and she stepped forward threateningly, "Oh I would like to see you try!"

Jared quickly rushed forward and pulled his wife away before the CPS woman was horribly maimed.

"What the hell are you doing Jared?" Hannah exclaimed angrily, attempting to wiggle out of her husband's arms.

Jared ignored her, keeping her arms pinned to her side. "First of all, calm down! You beating the shit out of someone is not going to help in this predicament at all," he enforced. After a long second, he gave her a soft look, "You calm?"

"If you don't get your hands off me in the next two seconds, I won't be," she spat through clenched teeth.

Compliant, Jared released her allowing a few seconds for her to calm down. "Now I don't want to hear it anymore than you do, but Mrs. Coldbrook is right. We have no choice," he said.

His wife suddenly developed a look of shock. "What! You're siding with…I don't believe I'm hearing this!"

"Hannah, listen to me for a sec—"

"No!" She screeched, "I'm not just gonna sit here and let this poor little boy go through the same hell I went through. Going to several foster homes, never staying put, always praying the next set of parents will love you but instead you end up sorely disappointed with them hating you. He's already traumatized enough as it is. I won't do it Jared, I won't!"

"He won't be—" Tanya butted in.

"Shut up!" both Hannah and Jared half-shouted in unison.

"That's not what I'm saying," Jared reasoned, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder, "And maybe if you just chill a second, you can understand what I'm trying to say."

Hannah eyed him impatiently, like 'come on. Wha' cha' waiting for?'

"There's no way we can stop him from going into the system, you heard what she said... But maybe if we get into the system, then we can become his foster parents. That way we know he won't get lost and he'll be with familiar faces."

He took a moment's pause to let his wife consider this. Already she seemed to be calming a great deal. He turned to the social worker. "I mean it would be just temporary until we can find his real family or find out what happened to him. Because I'm sure with both our incomes combined, we're more than eligible."

Chris beamed at that, still keeping his stance in front of the woman…in case Hannah did decide to attack unexpectantly.

Jared turned his gaze back to his wife, who eyed him mirthfully. "I knew I married you for a reason." She turned back to Joan Rivers. "What d'ya say?" she asked giving her the death stare, daring her to argue.

The CPS agent gulped. Reluctantly she answered, "That'll work."

-

Several days later, the hospital gave the 'two thumbs' up for Sam to go home. Of course, with his newly acquired foster parents, home was an all new matter. Surprisingly the deliberations and eligibility procedures were expedited and within days after the argument, Hannah and Jared were appointed with a new addition to the family. Chris oversaw the final examinations on the youngster and declared he was fit to leave. Although he was given explicit instructions for plenty of rest, lots of playtime, and a scheduled date to remove the cast…which was way down the road.

Sam was roused from his daily nap when Jared dressed him in a new outfit Hannah had picked out at a nearby shop. Picking the boy up, he placed him in a wheelchair and playfully rolled him out; pretending the chair was a mini-race car and aiming to crash into hallway carts and walls, but skidding out of the line of fire at the last minute. It was hard on his leg, but the enjoyment and fun that were rolling off in waves from the kid; it was worth biting through the edges of pain.

Once settled in the backseat of the four-door pick-up, with a blanket and pillow, Sam immediately drifted off into a peaceful drug-induced sleep. Jared waited in the driver's seat as Hannah was giving her longtime friend another air-squandering hug. Chris backed away from the woman breathless—and as usual, with Hannah laughing.

"Take care ol' buddy ol' pal! Now go swim along and attend to all your other little fishies," she teased.

Chris glared. "I would so give you a lovely gesture right now, but we are in a children's hospital."

"So I'll see ya at the bar, then?" she smirked.

The glare seemed to be permanently plastered over the doctor's face. "Go home hamster. Go run on your wheel."

"I'll do that. In the mean time, make sure you don't get hooked," she said glibly, hopping up in the truck in time before the doc ran after her. "See ya Chris."

"Ciao, m'darling. Give my best to Sam…and to you too, Jared," he grinned devilishly.

Jared hailed him a short salute before turning the vehicle out of the main lot and onto the road.

-

Two hours later, Jared pulled the truck up into the driveway of their classic suburban home. Ladened in white vinyl paneling, the two-story stood out from all the rest of the neighboring houses, with its neatly kept lawn (though it was long overdue for a good mow), growing hydrangea bushes, and a refurbished front porch. It was a very quiet neighborhood, mostly run by retiree's intent on minding their own business, and barely any 'desperate housewives'. It was just the way the Winslow's liked it.

Jared's head fell back against the headstand. He let out a long relieved breath, thankful that he was finally home. It had been such a long while since he had been home; it almost felt foreign. He turned to his wife next to him, whose eyes shone with vigor, with that twinkle he loved so much. And it was clear she was also happy to be home.

"You got him?" she asked softly.

He nodded unbuckling his seat-belt. "Yeah."

Steadily stepping from the truck, he opened the backdoor and carefully pulled out the snoozing child and lifted him into his arms. The seven-year-old didn't stir, but wrapped his arms around his neck. Hannah reached in on the other side and pulled out the blanket and pillow. Upon entering the cold house, they immediately took Sam up to one of the guest bedrooms, unfurled the blankets and gently lowered him into the bed. After making sure Sam was comfortable, the couple quietly strode out of the room.

Sam had awoken sometime later when dinner was ready. Hannah had cooked up her infamous pasta salad with mash potatoes…a lot of starch, but the boys were complaining. The couple was weary about how Sam would react, especially since he survived on nothing but a liquid diet and mushy hospital food for a good three weeks. But to their surprise, Sam guzzled it down with gusto; probably as a testament to how much he missed real food. Hannah didn't mind at all when he nervously asked for more. After his bath, the triad had turned in for the night…and Jared was at last reunited with his large king-sized mattress.

The couple's blissful dreams and longing thoughts for a good night sleep crashed when they were woken up in the middle of the night by screaming. Sluggishly turning to one another with bewildered expressions, they soon realized the screams were coming from Sam's room. Instantly, they rushed out into hallway and sprinted down to the room at the far end of the short corridor to find Sam squirming under his blankets, still asleep.

His eyes were scrunched tight and globs of sweat adorned the child's face as it kept twisting from side to side. Among his loud cries, he kept muttering "No! No! Stop! Don't hurt him!"

Quickly Jared went to turn on the lamp-light while Hannah raced to the bed and immediately started prodding. Sam awoke with a yelp at the touch. Becoming aware of who was at his side, he clutched onto Hannah's silky nightshirt, beginning to shake from the woes of the nightmare. Jared came around on the other side of the bed and both attempted to comfort.

"Shhh, it's okay sweetie," Hannah cooed, stroking his back, "It was just a nightmare. You're okay."

But Sam wasn't responding to her coddling. He continued to shed tears, unable to stop quivering. Hannah looked up. "Jared, can you go make some warm milk?"

"Yeah," he agreed, immediately getting up and hobbling out of the doorway.

Hannah continued to hold onto the boy, hum to him, sing a few lullabies, much like she would usually do back in the hospital. It was the only way she knew to calm the little boy.

After a few minutes with Sam rocking in her grip, he told her timidly, "I'm scared."

Hannah gripped him harder. "Don't worry. You've got nothing to be scared about," she said using the comforter set to wipe some of the perspiration off his face. "You wanna tell me what you dreamed about?"

Sam shook head. "Please no."

"Sure. Sure. You don't have to tell me now. You don't have to tell me now," she whispered, "But you know, I always found that if I talked about my dreams; not only did they make me feel better, but I never had them again."

Sam stopped sniffling at that. He clung onto her side and pondered about what she told him. The dream was becoming nearly constant every night it seemed. The same dream. All he could see were images of a boy in a bathroom, lying on the floor in a bloody pool. There were several shouts and then echoing screams, and then more blood. He couldn't see the boy's face. But boy, did he so want to! And yet, it terrified him at the same time. He wanted the fragmented images to stop. He peered up into Hannah's soft eyes, becoming drawn into them and feeling much at ease.

Jared came hustling back in a few minutes later with a mug of warm milk. "Here drink this and you'll feel much better."

Sam immediately slurped the whole mug down. Finished with it, he handed the cup back to Jared, who set it back on the lamp table, whilst Hannah wiped off Sam's newly acquired milk moustache. Afterwards, all three stayed cuddled with one another until Sam fell back into oblivion. Once they realized a bomb wouldn't stir the youngin', Hannah and Jared quietly made their way downstairs into the kitchen.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Jared put on a pot of tea. Hannah sat at their bar table staring absent-mindedly into the oak tabletop. Jared turned and caught her worried expression. "You okay?"

Hannah swallowed convulsively. It took her several tries before she finally managed to spit out, "I just want to know what happened to him. I don't want this to be a mystery anymore."

"Me too," Jared sighed taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

Hannah suddenly clenched her fists and grounded her teeth. "God, this is all so frustrating. I wanna help him, but I just don't know how!"

"I know."

"Especially now," she gave him a sad look, "Because I can tell you right now, this is just the beginning of the nightmares."

Aww, poor Sammy. Told ya there would be some Sammy angst. And kudos to Cuddygirl18 for figuring it out. You go girl! Hope it didn't seem too long. The story picks up in the next one where you have John on the rampage and a new lead is found.