Chapter 9 – Sam

'Okay, Nic, you ready?' I called into the studio flat where we both lived. The flat was more than enough space for the two of us at the same time as being too small. It had two separate bedrooms, one with a small double bed and the other with a small bed for a toddler. Of course, Nic would stay in the smaller, second bedroom which we both spent weeks decorating together but recently she had been having bad dreams and therefore sleeping in my bed. She kept telling me that a storm was coming, or a hurricane was coming. It was extremely confusing considering this is a girl who can make a storm or a hurricane just by being a bit sad. This is also the girl who went missing in the middle of a thunderstorm which settled over Blakeley, and whilst we were searching the ground for her, I found her in the middle of the woods controlling the storm and making it more aggressive just to pass time. I knew, whoever her parents were, they must have been extremely strong Savant's because her gifts were on a whole new level of which I'm not entirely sure I can control. That was when I seriously considered trying to find her father, or my Soulfinder if the letter was correct, in a benign hope it will calm Nic down and stop her doing stupid things to the weather like that. All I could say was thank God we lived in Britain. Whenever it rains one moment but is sunny the next – there's an 80% chance that my Nic was the one doing that. We both apologise profusely for any inconvenience it had on your day or clothes you had wore.

Nic came running out of her room in a summer dress – navy with a tan belt across the waist – and her favourite black boots and hugged my legs happily.

'What's got into you, pumpkin?' I asked her, grabbing the keys from the sideboard next to the door.

'Nothing,' She grinned and I shrugged, walking out the room with her following me.

'My favourite Nic!' I heard someone say down the hallway and the girl was off. Tobias was another teacher at Blakeley, four years older than myself and works within the Maths department. He was somewhat of a looker and I knew students talked about him a lot and speculated a lot of stuff between both of us, but it would never happen. Tobias was like my older brother. He too had grown up at Blakeley as a half-boarder, returning home only during summer and staying on with me at summer camps. He left when he was eighteen to go to university in Scotland where he got a scholarship, getting a first degree with honours in mathematics, before coming back to Blakeley. Tobias had been incredibly good to me, and has been good towards Nic too. So many people were cautious about her, but not Tobias. He took her in his stride.

'Tobias!' Nic said, running up to him to hug him. Tobias laughed, picking her up.

'Woah, you're hyper today aren't you?' Tobias asked her, poking her nose.

'I have no idea what's up with her, she hasn't stopped all day,' I mumbled as he spun her around the corridor before sitting her on his shoulders. He came up to me and put his arm around my shoulders, and Nic lifted up a strand of my hair I had left down for the special occasion and played with it.

'That'll be why you look tired then,' Tobias said, rubbing my arm. He was scared being a parent would tire me around and he was correct, it did in so many ways, but I wouldn't change it. I wouldn't have it any other way – apart from maybe having her Dad in my life too. For her sake, as well as my own selfish needs.

'You doing okay?' He asked me.

'Yeah,' I whispered back and he frowned at me and I shrugged. He tightened his grip around my shoulders in a "speak to me later," way and I nodded. The thing is, I didn't know why I felt so panicky and down all of a sudden. I was used to erratic changed in my mood; my gift worked like a catalytic converter. All the bad emotions go in to me, and I produce lovely clean emotions which makes the recipient all happy and bubbly whilst leaving me with all their emotions. So it was clear someone at Blakeley today had felt panicky about something, and I couldn't work out why or even who.

'I heard about your stunt earlier, Nic,' Tobias changed the subject thankfully. 'What have we both told you about running off like that,'

'Sorry, Uncle Tobias,' Nic whispered.

'You don't know who they are, or why they are here. We know they're safe, but you didn't.'

'I knew he was my Daddy,' Nic whispered, almost sulking at both of us, and both myself and Tobias stopped dead, Nic then frowned at us as to why we weren't moving anymore. Tobias had read the letter I had received when Nic was dropped off. He knew Sam's Dad was my Soulfinder. He knew how much this development was. He also knew that Michael, the person in question, was so out of my league it was incredible.

'What did you say?' I asked her.

'He's my Daddy, but he told me not to tell you.' Nic said before gasping. 'Will he hate me now?'

What does she mean, Sam? Tobias switched how he was talking to me into telepathy, and I shrugged. I had no idea. I was still reeling in shock from the announcement.

I have no idea. I repeated.

There is no way in Hell that he can be your Soulfinder, right?

No, he's... it can't be possible, I said and he frowned at me. He realised I had done the maths quickly and I realised he was the same age as me. I remembered reading the papers when he, his sister and another bloke were all promoted to assistant manager and I could remember seeing he was my age back then. However, I didn't know my birth date and they made it up to be in April, which I knew would make the whole Soulfinder thing incredibly tricky. Also, the mistake I made was trusting someone who gave up their child to me, and trusting her letter. Of all the people to trust your daughter with, I wouldn't be high on the list. In fact, I wouldn't be on the list. I'm so far off the list it's stupid. Also – how would she even know? I think I trusted this person, Nic's mother, a bit too much.

Are you sure?

Yes, of course I'm sure, Tobias. You've seen the bloke, haven't you? It would never work. I told him, walking off. He jogged to catch up with me.

'Nic, I don't think he is,' Tobias told her.

'No, he told me!' Nic protested. 'He told me, Tobias,' Nic whispered.

'When did he tell you?'

'When I gave him his phone, he – I asked him and he told me but told me to keep it a secret be – because he wanted to speak to you,' Nic protested.

'We believe you, Nic, don't worry,' Tobias said softly, putting her back down on the floor as she ran off in front of us. 'We don't believe her, do we?'

'I don't quite know what to believe anymore, Tobias,' I whispered. 'She's only four, she couldn't work that out herself and you can't say it's her gift because all she does is play with clouds, and there's no way he can be my Soulfinder either. But, in a way I wish he was because Nic seems so much happier and she hasn't had any behaviour issues either,'

'You wouldn't be able to give her up, Sam,' He whispered to me.

'I know, which is why I kind of hoped for the Soulfinder opportunity,' I mumbled and Tobias frowned at me. 'I hoped I wouldn't have to give up Nic and we could just live together happily ever after, I know it's stupid,' I whispered.

'A bit, Sam,' Tobias replied to me and we walked the rest of the stairs together in silence, Nic happily running ahead. Outside our flats on the Eastern side of Campus, we met a group of six or seven other teachers, all of which were in their twenties and had gifts that I could see would help them with the disappearance of the children so far. My gift wasn't even useful to this case.

'Stay by my side tonight, Nic,' I whispered to her as we stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the private beach that was for staff use only. It had picnic benches across the small stretch of sand, some BBQ buckets and all the equipment in three sheds next to the car park which never had any cars in. There were about twenty people milling around on the beach, all Maui officials, and how nervous I was hit me suddenly. What am I doing here? As I scanned the beach, I noticed several other children and it shocked me. Why would they bring their children here? From where I stood, I could see a tall but lean bloke holding a baby in his arms next to another tall but muscular guy, who too was holding a slightly older baby on his lap. Five or so other kids were all running together on the ocean edge – the oldest looked around six and the youngest was only a two year old.

'But there are other children,' Nic whispered. Nic hated playing with other children but she seemed so excited. I was torn as to what to do.

'Stay with me for a while, okay?' I told her and she physically sulked as I crouched down. 'Let's say half an hour, then you can play with the other children,'

'Okay,' She said and I stood up, looking immediately up and seeing Michael staring at me from across the beach, starting to edge towards me as Nic ran down the stairs.

'Nic!' I called as she ran straight down the stairs, heading towards Michael. What did I just say to her? Her Dad. My gut dropped – could he be my Soulfinder? I doubt it – he would be matched to a super model and they would have super model children. I ran after her, but saw my Nic run straight to Michael, who picked her up and spun her around before heading straight over to me, my Nic sitting on his hip. Angrily, I walked down the stairs so ready to shout at him.

What I didn't expect was my small kitten heels, only a mere half inch heel too, to get caught in one of the wooden grooves in the stairs, and for me to stack it arse over tit down the stairs, hitting my head on the concrete landing, causing me to black out.

I don't know where I was when I had started to wake up but the only thing that I could think was how cold I was. It was freezing. Without opening my eyes, I tuned into the conversation overhead.

'She'll be okay now?' Michael asked beside me, very close, and I felt a hand on my right arm.

'She may be slightly concussed, she hit her head with an incredible force, but we done what we can for her,' Someone said over my head.

'Between us, we fixed the fracture in her arm she landed on, the muscles she pulled, the grazes from the concrete and what we could of the bruises, and reduce the brain swelling from the concussion, and we are debating about binning those shoes. Clearly, the health and safety here isn't too good, or logic. Heels on a beach is a bad idea to start with,' Another man said with an American accent. What do they mean they fixed me? What happened? One second I was with Nic and Tobias and now... who knows where I am?

'Well, I did the more important parts,' The British man said.

'Er, no you didn't, you still have no idea what you are doing Jason,'

'I know exactly what I'm doing, I'm better than you,' The Jason joked around with the American man.

'And that's how you know he's related to us,' Michael joked around. 'Thanks, though,'

'I'm leaving after the meeting tomorrow, but I don't think she should be left alone or with Nic either. If her brain continues to swell she'll keep blacking out and you need to take her to hospital,' The American man said and I frowned. They're going to take Nic away from me now!

'I can't just make her stay with me, Xav, that's creepy on so many levels,' Michael said.

'Then you might have to stay with her, she's been unconscious for an hour already, if she's unconscious still in half an hour's time, you're gunna have to take her to the emergency room,' The American man said overhead – I think his name was Xav or something? – 'anyway, I'm going to find Crystal,'

'Thank, mate,'

'Anytime bro,' The American man said and I could hear the tranquil sound of sand sinking into itself as he walked away.

'I'll leave you too it, too. I don't want to be here for your execution when she's up, but if you need me and any point for her, call me,' Jason said.

'Thanks Jason,'

'You better love me now,' Jason retorted as he got up and walked away too. I still have no idea where I was but I knew Michael was still with me, his hand on my arm. I was also on the beach, I could tell from the stickiness of my skin from the slight sweat and the awkward feel of sand on damp skin – that and the beautiful sound of the waves crashing. As Marc was the grounds keeper for Blakeley, I was allowed down the beach when I was a teenager and I loved it completely. I used to sit down here with my reading book, reading until it was dark and the solar lights he installed on the each for me or anyone else who wanted to come down here at twilight came on. That was the sign telling me to head back home. When I was a bit older, I came down here by myself in my free periods to study, the sound of the waves calming my agitated brain. And when Nic was just over a year old, and able to crawl and stand, but not quite taking her first steps, I used to take her down here where she would sit in the shallows in between my legs for hours, never sleeping or making a fuss, just... watching the waves. When her gift started to develop, she would make the waves bigger when the surf was dead, or smaller when there was a storm. She was only two and a half when I first took her out to teach her to swim. She picked it up like a natural. And if she ever got in trouble, the waves would help her out like loyal servants to their master.

'Daddy,' I heard Nic whisper and Michael sigh.

'I don't think Sam would like you calling me that, pumpkin,' Michael said back. Too right. But my heart faltered at the casual usage of "pumpkin", what I always called Nic from when she was little.

'Oh,' Nic whispered and she sounded heartbroken. She wanted to find her Dad much more than I did, and now she had potentially found him I was holding her back. Was I doing the right thing holding her back?

'What's wrong?' Michael asked her softly.

'Why is Sam asleep?'

'Er, she's not too well Nic, hun,' Michael lied to her but I knew it was in his best interests to keep her safe. She wouldn't be okay if she knew I was lying here listening, but unable to interact or open my eyes. I feel like such an idiot.

'Will she live?' Nic gasped.

'Of course she will,' Michael laughed softly and it melted my heart. This was 100% a side of him I had never seen or even imagined him to have. He would be such a good parent, he had that perfect paternal instinct in him. Not good enough for my Nic, though.

'Sam is never ill,' Nic whispered. 'I'm scared, Mikey,'

'Hey, Nic, please don't cry,' Michael whispered, 'She'll be fine, love, she'll be fine,'

I opened my eyes quickly, my head killing me but the desire to know what was going on and needing to comfort my Nic overwhelming any pain I had ever had. I was in a cliff overhang, one I used to read in, and it was cast over with shadows which were probably why I was here. To my left, the rest of the beach seemed content like nothing abnormal was happening – Tobias was on the barbeques cooking meat when one of the Maui lot was talking to him, cutting the salad as the sausages and burgers cooked. Someone had brought down some finger food for the young children – chicken nuggets, cocktail sausages and so on – and they had all sat on a blanket on the floor eating with each other. To my right, Michael was topless and it literally took my breath away. He was sat on the floor, in just a pair of shorts, leaving his entire chest on show and believe me, it was a show. He was buff beyond compare with a tanned abdomen rippling with muscles. He even had V-lines. But the more important thing was Nic was sitting on his lap and he hugged her as she cried. Michael mumbled over and over again that I will be fine.

'Nic,' I croaked, and immediately coughed but caught the attention of the pair.

'Sammy!' Nic shouted, running towards me as Michael let go of her. She launched herself at me and I held her close to my chest.

'What are you doing here?' I hissed at Michael and he raised an eyebrow at me, gently brushing my hair out of my face.

'Don't you remember?' He said softly.

'Remember what?'

'You stacked it down the stairs; hit your head on the concrete. My cousins healed you up but you still have a nasty concussion and a black eye too.' Michael said softly, running his finger over my right eye and I flinched. 'They told me to stay with you, make sure you're okay,'

'I'll ...all good, you can leave now,' I told him, sitting up as the world went dark. I squeezed my eyes closed and put my head on my knees trying hard to keep down my dinner. The smell of burgers nearly set of my stomach, too.

'Sammy?' I heard Nic say but I didn't even trust myself to open my mouth.

'Sam, sweetheart, are you okay?' Michael said softly and I nodded. I just wanted him to bugger off. 'Nic, can you get a glass of water?' Michel asked her and she ran off quickly. 'Just breathe it through, love,'

Stop calling me nicknames or I will kill you, I snapped at him before I immediately did a double take, unable to look at him as it felt like my world collapsed and rebuilt itself at the same second. Michael was indeed my Soulfinder. He was meant to be my everything but I couldn't help but feel heartbroken. There was no way this would work – he was too perfect in every aspect for me.

Sorry, Michael whispered.

'Stop speaking telepathically,' I strained through my teeth, biting back bile that rose in my throat.

'Sam, you're my Soulfinder,' Michael said so lowly and I glared at him from the corner of my eye. God, he was too beautiful and topless.

'Put your shirt on,' I hissed back.

'You have it on,' Michael told me frowning.

'Haha,' I said, frowning at him as he raised his eyebrows at me but I looked down. My shirt I had on now was replaced with a large grey top and I immediately checked down Michael's shirt and – phew – I still had my shirt on. That could have been embarrassing if he took my shirt off.

'I think we should probably get you back home,'

'I have water!' Nic said, running up to me with a plastic tumbler with water sloshing down the side where she had run back up here. She handed me the cup as she looked at me with concern before walking over to Michael. I downed the water.

'You're not coming with me,'

'You wouldn't make it back alone, Sam, you barely sat up,' Michael argued.

'I don't care, you're not coming back to my flat,' I argued, getting up. I stumbled over my own feet, before tripping into the cave wall and cutting my hand. I heard Michael get up behind me, and I puked on the floor. My own vomit congealed with the sand, drying it up as I felt a hand on my back.

'Okay, you believing me yet?'

'I'm fine,' I said, before blacking out again, but before I could hit the sand, I felt Michael catch me and pick me up.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\

Hello! Me again! How are we all liking this book so far? Also, thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed and so on. Apoloise if I haven't be able to reply but it really does mean a lot. However, I need some help.

Basically I need some new characters for this book or another one potentially after; so it includes names, ages, look and their gift. I would be so grateful for every suggestion and when I find one that's suitable i'll contact the person and then upload the next chapter there and then compared to next Monday when it's due to go up :)