I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't move. So many thoughts were running through my head, but for some reason I couldn't focus on any of them. So many emotions, depressed, sad, angry, and even…relieved?

"I'm sorry for your loss," Detective Green said after a moment of silence, "will you be able to make to the station?" he asked.

I felt a jolt of electricity at his words. Like I was in a dream state, and he shook me back to reality.

"Yes, I'm on my way," I whispered and then hung up the phone.

I stared at the phone for the longest time. Wondering what to do, what I should do, what I should think, how I should feel.

All coherent thoughts escaped me.

My legs gave out and I crashed to the ground, catching myself on my knees and hands before I crashed face down on the floor.

Tears threatened to spill, trickling in my eyes, but this time no unusual hormones were to blame. I couldn't cry though. If I started to now, I don't know if I could stop. I had to get to the police station.

I breathed in deeply, put a hand on the kitchen counter and heaved myself up into a standing position. In a dream-like state I walked like an emotionless zombie toward my purse on the couch and then out of the door, out of the apartment complex, and into my car.

The next time I actually had any brain activity is when I stood outside the police station door. I stared at it for a good five minutes and then pushed it open, and walked inside.

I saw some people sitting on chairs in the lobby, they all looked like thugs, hobos, or prostitutes. I walked straight to the front desk. A pretty woman with bright red hair looked up to me.

"May I help you?" she smiled.

I suddenly wanted to rip her red hair out, one strand at a time. I bet she has a good life, a great husband, perfect family, and a loving mother who is still alive.

"My name is Samantha Puckett," I hoarsely told her.

I was surprised at how different my voice sounded, like it didn't even belong to me, and how I called myself Samantha, instead of Sam.

She nodded and typed something into her computer. She read it, and nodded again, and touched the ear piece she was wearing.

"Detective Green? Ms. Puckett is here."

She nodded again.

"All right, I'll send her right in."

She looked at me, smiled, and brightly said, "Go through that door right there behind me. His office is the first on the left. I hope you have a wonderful day," she beamed her smile at me again.

I stared at her for a moment, blinked, and said, "Go to hell."

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and I turned and walked toward the door she pointed me to. Usually I would smile at the thought of knocking her smile off of her face, but I don't even think I could muster a smirk right now.

I turned to the door on my left and saw "Detective Green" in large black letters on it. I sighed and turned the knob.

I saw a large, muscular looking man with dark brown skin and a frown on his face. He was doing something on his computer when I walked in. He stopped when he saw me.

"Hello, Ms. Puckett, will you please sit down," he gestured to two chairs in front of his desk and I slowly sat down in one of them.

We both stared at each other for a couple of minutes.

"Ms. Puckett-do you mind if I call you Samantha?" he asked.

"Sam," I whispered.

"Alright, Sam, we believe that your mother committed suicide. She left this note for you," he pulled something out of a folder, a white piece of paper, and handed it to me.

Dear Samantha,

My life sucked, so it should come to no surprise to you that I did what I did. I know you hate me, and I know you probably think I deserve to die, and I do. I'm not going to pretend I haven't been a horrible mother, and I'm not going to pretend that I haven't made some terrible mistakes.

I've only lied to you once, though.

And I guess it's time I told you the truth.

Your father didn't leave us because he had some other wife and family in Texas, like I had told you. No, he left because of me. I cheated, I had done drugs, I lied to him multiple times.

He didn't want to leave you, either, he wanted to leave me. He wanted to take you with him, and I wouldn't let him, just because I didn't want him to have anything of mine, and you…you were mine.

I made this bogus story up to the court about how he abused us both, and spent every last cent of my money getting the best lawyer. I won the custody case, and your father was forced to stay 1,000 feet away from us at all times.

He was furious, but he was bound by the law.

He did the one thing he could do for you, he gave you half of his fortune.

When I first met your father, I was just like any other girl, I was clean, I was beautiful, and respectable. Your father's father owned three chains of banks all over the country, and was filthy rich. When he died, all of the family fortune went to your father and then when he left he gave half of it to you.

He also made it to where there was no possible way I could touch it.

I resented you for it, and I never told you so there would be no way for you to take the money.

Well, now that I am going to die, you'll find out about it anyway, might as well be from me.

I hope you don't fuck up your life as bad as I did.

See you in hell,

Your Loving Mother

I read the letter once, then twice, and then once again.

My heart pounded furiously in my chest, blood was pulsing in my head, my adrenaline level shot up, and every semi-fond memory I had of my mother went up in flames. All I could think about was how lucky she was to be dead, because I was feeling murderous right now.

I then realized I haven't hated someone so much before in my whole entire life. Not Nevel, not Valerie, not Mrs. Briggs. They didn't even come close to the complete loathing I felt for her.

She had to have been one of the most evil people I've ever came in contact with.

Then another horrible thought hit me: I'm glad she's dead.

Then the tears came. They poured silently from my eyes and down my cheeks. I couldn't keep the sob that erupted from my mouth in. I doubled over, my arms wrapped tightly around my slightly swollen stomach to try and keep myself from coming apart from the seams.

Detective Green said nothing. He waited for me to calm myself down.

Suddenly, in between sobs, I felt a hard nudge under my arm. I gasped and the tears seemed to stop. My baby knew I was sad. She was comforting me.

Then another thought came: I'm not going let this horrid woman get to me. I'm going to live my life, love my child in a way she never did, and I'm going to work through with the wonderful friends that I have.

I breathed in shakily, and with weak hands, wiped the tears from my face and eyes.

After a moment of deep breathing I looked up at Detective Green. He was studying me, but he didn't look pitying. He looked like he understood. And that's why he didn't ask me if I was okay, because of course I'm not okay, and he understood that.

"Now, usually when the last remaining guardian dies of someone underage, we have to put them into foster care-," he started.

I bit my lip. Oh, no.

"-but, seeing as you will be turning eighteen in a month and you have a place to stay, and since you have come into quite a bit of money, I'm sure we can over look it."

He didn't smile. The time wasn't appropriate for a smile, but I saw a flash of something in his eyes. I didn't smile, either, but I nodded in appreciation.

"Um," I wasn't sure how to ask this next question, "when you say 'quite a bit of money', how much is quite a bit?"

He shuffled threw some folders on his desk, picked up one, and opened it. His eyes moved up and down, looking at a piece of paper in the folder.

"It says, 10.5 million dollars," he said.

My heart stopped beating, my bodily functions stopped, and I completely froze. I forgot to swallow, and choked on my own spit. I started coughing and heaving, my eyes bulged out, and I couldn't breathe. I put my hand on his desk for support. He didn't do anything at first, but I think when my face started turning blue is when he realized something was wrong. He jumped up, pulled a water bottle out from under his desk, walked over to me, and gave me a good, hard, thump on my back.

I stopped coughing, gave a strangled cry, and sucked as much air in as I could.

I heard him trying to muffle his laughter with coughs. So much for keeping a straight face, like police officers are supposed to do.

"Here, take deep breaths, then drink this," he chuckled handing me the water bottle.

I did what I was told and took a couple of swigs.

"Thanks," came my hoarse reply when I was able to talk again.

"Now, all of your money is in an account at the Seattle City Bank, and as soon as we get all this legal stuff straightened out, you should be able to collect there, if you wish."

I nodded.

"Well, that's pretty much it here, the city will hold a funeral for your mother, since she has no remaining relatives and you are underage. It's planned to be on July 18, two weeks from now, if you are-,"

"I don't care," I interrupted bitterly.

She was never there for me, and I had no need to be there for her.

He nodded in understanding.

"Well, then, I guess that's it, you're free to leave, you can expect a call soon about your money."

I nodded and stood up. I turned to leave, but he stopped me.

"Oh, and Sam," he started.

He didn't say, it will be okay, he didn't say, I'm sorry, he didn't say, I hope you feel better soon.

He said, "Good luck, kid."

I turned around, and smiled at him, despite this being one of the most tragic moments in my life. He smiled back, and I turned to leave.

For some reason I felt closer to Detective Green than any other adult I've ever known.

As I exited the office the full realization of being a millionaire hit me full force. I actually had to pause on the sidewalk on the way to my parked car. I could buy anything, I could have anything. After living life on the scrap of money mom would get me every month, having to rely on Carly for food and clothes, and sometimes feeling so ashamed about it, stealing some for my own, I became probably wealthier than the Shays and the Bensons put together.

Damn.

Then I realized I needed to tell someone now. I couldn't keep these things to myself. I hurried to my car and sped to the apartment complex.

I ran into the building waking up and pissing off Lewbert, and didn't slow down until I stepped out of the elevator onto the eighth floor. When I turned the corner to Carly's and Freddie's hall I decided that I needed some time to think. I don't even know how to feel, overjoyed, depressed, or angry.

I looked at my cell phone. It's now 3:45 in the morning, and I'm sure no one would be up now, anyway. I didn't feel like going back into the Shay's apartment, so I found myself walking past all of the doors in the hallway and out of the large fire escape window.

I sat down on the steps and breathed in the warm Seattle air. A breeze blew my hair back and felt refreshing on my face. I gazed off into the night sky, and looked at the stars. I leaned back on the stairs and laid my head down on my arm as I looked straight up.

I tried to collect my thoughts. It's amazing how much can change in an hour. Really, it is. It only took an hour for my dad to decide it was time to leave us. It only took an hour for my mom to come up with the lie that changed my entire life. It only took in hour for me to finally figure out that if I don't shape up in school, I'll end up exactly like my mom. It only took an hour for Freddie and I to conceive this child, and it only took an hour to find out my mom had kill myself, my whole life was practically a lie, and that I was rich.

A tear rolled out from the corner of my eye and down my cheek. It fell off of my cheek and hit the metal staircase.

"Sam?" a surprised voice came.

I sat up quickly to see Freddie staring at me with a confused expression on his face.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. He took in my appearance. "Sam, why are your eyes all red? Have you been crying?"

A stronger Sam, the normal Sam, would have denied it, making up some excuse about having allergies or something. That strong Sam was gone right now. All of my walls are down.

"My mom died, Freddie," I said.

I was surprised at how vulnerable and childlike I sounded. Then I realized something. Sure, my mom is a horrible person, and I hate her, but…she's still my mother. She's the woman I lived with for seventeen years. Even though she wasn't always there for me, she did have some good moments, and I've known her longer than I have known anyone. She's gone. And she's not coming back.

Ever.

I put my head in my hands and started crying. I could feel my whole body shake. Freddie practically jumped towards me. I was in his arms in a millisecond, he wrapped them tightly around my body, and I moved my body so that I could wrap my arms around him, too.

I buried my head into his neck and cried. He put his face in my hair, and rubbed my back.

He kept whispering, "Ssh, it's alright. It's okay, Sam."

He practically rocked me back and forth like a child. This is the closest I had ever been to him. I'd usually think this would be weird, and I would shudder at the thought of this close contact.

But it wasn't. It felt good. Really good.

It wasn't romantic or anything, it was just him caring for me.

By tomorrow I might forget this feeling, I might deny it ever happened, and it may never happen again. But for right now…it was nice, it was good.

After what seemed like forever I stopped crying, and I turned my head so it was just resting on his shoulder. His head was resting on top of mine, and we both still had our arms around each other…and then, that's when it changed.

I was suddenly hit with a memory that I had tried to bury within myself for years. It showed up in my mind with a vengeance, and suddenly I remembered that night like it was yesterday…

The night we both had our first kisses. With each other. In this same spot, only three short years ago. I couldn't stop myself, and even if I wasn't vulnerable Sam, even if it was the normal, strong Sam, I don't even think she could have stopped herself, either.

I lifted my head up, and Freddie did the same. We both backed up a little, but we were still wrapped in each other's arms.

I found myself looking into his eyes, and he was staring right back, with a look…with a look I've never seen him wear before. Especially not directed towards me. I then realized he was hit with the same thought I was.

"Freddie," I whispered.

"Ssh," he whispered back, still wearing that same look, "it will be alright."

I found myself slowly being pulled toward him, and saw that he was coming towards me, too. It happened in slow motion, it seemed. Something was forcing us together, some force that was so much bigger than us. I couldn't stop it if I wanted to, and…well, I didn't want to.

We were inching closer and closer, our eyes never straying from each other's, until I felt his warm breath on my face. His lips not even a centimeter away from mine. They tingled with anticipation. My eyes fluttered shut, and I waited for him to close the miniscule distance between us.

"Sam!!" came a worried yell.

My eyes popped back open, Freddie's did, too.

"Sam!" Carly's yell came again.

I then was sent back into reality like a crashing plane. Freddie and I were so close together, I could barely see anything but his face. I lurched myself away from him so hard that my body crashed into the metal railing of the staircase. Freddie's face looked too shocked to speak, and I was too shocked to move.

I finally made myself jump up and practically flew into the window, down the hall and to Carly who looked surprised when I ran up to her.

"Sam! Thank God! You had me worried to-whoa!" she cried as I put a hand around her stomach and flung her and myself back into her apartment.

I slammed the door shut and locked it behind me.

"Sam? Would you like to tell me what the hell is going on?" Carly asked putting her hands on her hips. "I don't think I've ever seen a pregnant woman move so fast," she mumbled to herself.

"Nothing," I said quickly, "getting some fresh air outside, saw a bug, got scared, ran here," I said in one breath.

I was panting heavily. She gave me a look that told me she didn't believe me. Of course she didn't, I'm Sam, it takes more than a bug to scare me.

Well, I guess a brown headed boy named Freddie who all of a sudden wants to kiss me will scare the hell out of me, though.

"You know, what? It's too early to care. I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning," she rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs.

I let out a huge breath of air that I had seemed to be holding for a long time and sunk to the ground. I tried to think, but the only word that came to my mind was: wow.

Then I thought of something before I had time to stop myself.

So many things can happen in an hour. I could have possibly just fallen in love with my best friend, and all it took was one hour.

Whoaaaa, this chapter was SUPER long and filled with some SUPER crazy stuff!

I hoped you all enjoyed the Seddie moment, ;)

Now it's time for some major mental breakdown on Sam's part, and 10 million dollars from her dad who really didn't abandon her?!

WOW.

Some interesting things have been happening to Ms. Puckett, lately, eh?

I actually didn't get as many reviews last chapter as I usually do :(, so hopefully there will be more feedback on this chapter!!!

Yay!! So puh-lease review! And thank you to all of my lovely reviewers who reviewed in the past.

Some interesting things will be happening in the next chapter, also…hmm…

Love,

Lucy :)