SAM'S ESCAPE

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

SETTING: Quinn's house, hotel

WHO: Sam Evans and Quinn Fabray, others

WHEN: December 23-25, 2011

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to Glee or any other song/product mentioned below.

The next day, Bill and Judy's wedding day, Sam and Quinn slept in a bit since they had no school and Bill and Judy wouldn't be there until around 2 p.m. for their small ceremony at 4 p.m. Sara and Quinn made cookies and hot chocolate for the guests who would be there, which really only included the JP, Judy's parents, Bill's mother, Quinn, and the Evans'. Quinn was actually gaining stepsiblings in this union, but they lived out of state and couldn't get to Ohio for the wedding.

Quinn went upstairs to change around 3. She loved the bright red satin dress her mother had chosen for her. The skirt was full and tea-length, there were rhinestones all around the bodice, and only one strap over her right shoulder. It was festive and bright and shiny, probably why Quinn liked it. She pulled her hair back in a low ponytail and added some rhinestone hair clips here and there and even wore red lipstick instead of her usual lip gloss.

She was sitting on her bed, slipping on her red satin pumps, when she heard a quiet knocking. She looked up and quickly looked back down to her feet. He is almost too handsome to look at she thought, seeing Sam standing there in his back suit and red tie.

"Hey pretty lady..." he said quietly. "I just came to see if you were ready. People are starting to get here and by people I mean your grandparents..." He kind of rolled his eyes. Judy had told them that she had already told her parents about the Evans' renting her house and their son marrying Quinn. They seemed okay with it but Sam really couldn't tell because he was sure her grampa had given him the evil eye after finding out he was Sam, the one marrying Quinn.

She stood up then and started straightening his tie. "So you've met Grammy and Gramps, I take it..." She smiled. They were conservative and had been somewhat disappointed in her last year when she was pregnant but had told her she was welcome to stay with them until she had the baby. She just couldn't picture being pregnant and living with her grandparents for an extended period of time. They had already RSVP'd for her wedding, so she didn't think they'd have an issue with Sam, especially when they saw she wasn't knocked up.

"I'm ready Samuel..." she said, taking his hand and heading out the door.

"Hang on..." He pulled her back and kissed her on the mouth. "I had to get in on some of that red lipstick..." He had it smeared all on his mouth now.

"That you did," she said smiling. "C'mon..." She led him into the bathroom to clean up both of their faces and reapply the red lipstick.

Downstairs, Quinn's grandparents hugged her, and she planted a red kiss on her grampa's cheek, earning a smile from him.

"You've met Samuel..." she said, holding his hand so he wouldn't run away.

"We've heard only wonderful things about your Sam. We were a little shocked to hear you two were getting married just to be getting married, but kids these days...it's all so different yet a lot hasn't changed. I was 16 when I married Gramps," her grandmother told them. Quinn had assumed that was why they didn't take her and Sam's impending marriage so badly.

"Sam and I are very excited! We're going to college next year here in Lima so we can still work. Oh! Sam, you should ask Gramps about his comic book collection!" She knew that'd break the ice for sure. Her grandfather collected comic books from when they were first published and still did even.

"You like comic books, son?" Gramps asked him. Sam was floored.

"Do I ever..." he responded, dreamily.

Quinn left them to go over the finer details of comic book collecting while she and her Grammy went to the kitchen to check the cookies and hot cocoa.

Finally, it was time to begin the ceremony, which was low-key and to the point. Quinn stood up for her mother and Seth for Bill. Sam had a hard time keeping his eyes off Quinn, though, with the late afternoon winter sunlight coming through the big windows in the family room, illuminating her. She looked over at him a couple times, then would smile shyly and look down at her bouquet of flowers.

The ceremony ended quickly with their vows, exchanging of the rings, pronouncement of Bill and Judy as husband and wife, and a kiss, and then everyone was talking and congratulating them. Sam quietly made his way over to Quinn in the gaggle of people and snuck an arm around her waist, whispering you are so beautiful to her, then kissed her gently high on her cheek, almost to her ear. I'm breaking tonight, that's all there is to it she thought.

There wasn't a lot of time for chit-chat at the house as guests were expected to begin arriving at the Radisson for the reception at 6 p.m. So, everyone loaded up in their cars and headed that way. At the reception, Sam made sure he and Quinn sat with Gramps because he wasn't done talking to him about the comic books. Maybe I should've just kept that a secret Quinn thought, seeing them deep in discussion.

There was a huge buffet of food and Quinn was starving, so she told Gramps she was stealing Sam away to go get some food but he'd be back. She pulled him up to the buffet and started loading up on salad and shrimp cocktail.

"I was starving Sam..." she said out of earshot from Gramps.

"Guess what your grampa has, Q? Guess!" he said, ignoring her starvation remark.

She shrugged. "I don't know exactly which ones...I've seen them..."

He cut her off. "Comic books from the 1940s Quinn! Like Marvel Comics and Batman and oh my god. I've only seen them online, never everin person, not even at comic book shops!"

"And...?"

"And he told me to come over and check them out! Oh my god, I am freaking out right now!" he said. She had actually never seen him that excited. "I can't believe you never told me about this..."

"I actually forgot until today...sorry..." she said and meant it. She really had forgotten. She was happy, though, that Sam and Gramps had hit it off. She hoped she had the same luck with his grandparents.

They sat back down with her grandparents to eat their supper. "So Grammy, why'd you marry Gramps at such a young age?"

"He had been drafted," she answered simply.

"What does that mean?" Quinn asked. She really didn't pay much attention in government or history classes.

"To serve in the military for World War II, sweetie," Grammy said.

"Oh..." Quinn knew he had fought in WWII but wasn't aware he had been drafted into the military; she thought he just joined on his own. She found it sad that her grampa, once a nerdy boy like Sam, had been made to join the military at such a young age just because he was healthy and a boy. He probably just wanted to hang out with his friends and geek out over comic books back then.

"So, if you got called up to the army you married your girl," Gramps chimed in. Then, to Sam, "Are you joining the army, son?"

"No sir...not anytime soon anyway," Sam answered.

A short time later, the DJ made an announcement, introducing Mr. and Mrs. William and Julia Roberts, and then they danced their first song, Chances Are. Slowly, other couples made their way out to the dance floor. Quinn looked at Sam, then lowered her eyes. How am I supposed to resist that? he thought.

Sam stood up and went to Quinn's side, asking if he may have that dance. He saw her grandparents making googly eyes at one another, which made him nearly laugh out loud. Quinn took his hand, and they walked to the dance floor.

They began dancing the waltz like they usually did, easy and comfortable with one another.

"I forgot there'd be dancing tonight, Q…" he said quietly. "We're so close together…" He swallowed hard. I'm caving tonight, ain't no doubt about it he thought, his dick twitching in his pants.

Another slow song started. I can't be this close to him she thought. "Let's go finish supper, Sam…"

Then, some fun stuff happened where they didn't have to be dancing. Judy tossed her bouquet to all the single ladies and then somewhat awkwardly Bill found a garter underneath Judy's skirt and tossed it to the single men. Then, for whatever reason, they did the Hokey Pokey and the YMCA dances. Since most people were ready for dessert at that point, Bill and Judy cut their cake and fed each other a bite. Waiters came around with champagne flutes for the adult guests and some toasts were made. Somehow, Sam and Quinn wound up getting their hands on two glasses apiece. The music started again, so Sam and Quinn wandered back onto the floor dancing lazily together.

"So, do we do that stuff at our wedding?" he asked her.

"Like tossing the bouquet and the garter belt thing?" she asked, running a hand behind his neck, playing with his hair.

"Yeah…" And then she felt his lips on her cheek, moving to her earlobe, nipping her there.

"Oh Sam…." was all she could utter. All I could hear in her voice was how much she wants me he thought.

"I'm sorry…I'll stop…" he whispered, pulling back a little.

She caught his eye and shook her head. "Don't…"

"I have to, Q…it's doing things to me…" he said.

"Okay…" she whispered, disappointed.

Some oldies tune came on and the older guests dancing immediately formed two lines to do the stroll.

"Hey…we know this one…" Sam said, grabbing her hand so they could line up and be partners. Anything to tear myself away from her.

They had fun doing the stroll. The older guests enjoyed having the youngsters dance with them, especially since they knew the dance.

After the dance, Sam took Quinn's hand to go sit down for a couple dances-and maybe talk to Gramps some more about comics-when Judy rushed up to Quinn, asking her to do her a favor and slipping her the room key to her and Bill's room.

"Sure, mom, we'll be right back…" Quinn said, pulling Sam toward the elevators.

"Where we going Q?" he asked her.

"Mom needs her migraine pills from their room. They're in her bag up there so she asked if we could go up there and get them," Quinn told him, stepping onto the elevator.

He followed her on. "It takes both of us, Q?"

"I guess. She asked if we could go get them…" she said, shrugging.

He shrugged too. "Okay…"

They found the room, which was labeled as the Honeymoon Suite.

"Ooo…la…la…" Quinn said, pointing at the sign and giggling.

She unlocked the door, and they stepped into the quiet room.

"Hmmm…where would her bag be?" Quinn said, wandering off. Sam stayed by the door, not really comfortable sneaking around his future mother-in-law's honeymoon suite.

"Holy cow Sam! Get in here!" she hollered from another room. He threw the dead lock and did the chain lock on the door, just in case.

"What's u—holy frack…" he said, stepping around the corner of the room she yelled from, finding her sitting on a large heart-shaped bed. He had just stopped where he was.

Then, as she sat there, she slowly spread her legs apart and whispered c'mere.

"Oh god no Q…" His hand automatically began rubbing himself over his pants.

"C'mere…" she whispered again, watching him slowly approach her, undoing his belt, the button on his pants, unzipping them.

"No Quinn…" he said quietly, working his dick over his boxers.

"Yes Sam…I cave now…I need you now…" She stood up quickly and pushed her thong down until it fell around her ankles and she stepped out of it, lifting her dress up behind her as she sat back down on the bed, scooting back a little, bringing her knees up slowly.

He put his left knee up on the bed between her legs, scooting his boxers down, leaning over her, pushing her back gently. She waited for the familiar penetration, aching for it, lifting her hips to him for it.

Something was wrong. He wasn't even kissing her; his forehead instead buried on the bed next to her cheek. She could hear his breathing. All of his weight was balanced on his left knee on the bed and his left arm next to her. And then she felt it.

"Sam…no….I cave!"

"I don't…I'm not breaking…" he huffed near her ear.

She felt his hand working his cock near her ass, off to the side, nowhere near where she needed him to be that instant.

"No Sam…" she whimpered.

He balanced himself on his knee above her, took her right hand in his left hand, and moved her hand down to her pussy.

"You do the same thing as me…" he mumbled. "Will this help?" He moved two fingers inside her, feeling her moving her fingers over her clit.

My god I've never felt her so wet…my fingers will just be my cock tonight…he thought feverishly. He started stroking himself again, closing his eyes. This is not caving, not caving, not caving.

"God yes, your fingers Sam…" she mumbled, not really sure what she meant. I caved! I caved! I caved! Why are we not doing it right now? She started getting close to her orgasm and all thoughts were gone from her head.

"Awww Quinn…just one more week baby…we can do it…" he whispered, his hand moving faster on his cock. The pre-come had slicked him up pretty good; now his hips were rocking into his hand at the same pace as his fingers into Quinn.

I could just slip in her so easily, just move over and let my cock take over my fingers, so close, just slip in her, slip in, slip in, no, no, no, shit I'm gonna come, oh god just slip in her, push in, push in, fuck fuck fuck…He came hard against her ass, pushing his dick through his jizz, then through his hand, over and over again until nothing was squirting out.

She felt the first two or three squirts of his hot come hit her ass, then felt him pushing himself against her, moaning and cussing.

"Kiss me Sam…please…" she mumbled, pulling his face to hers, smashing their mouths together. It didn't take much more time and she was bucking against his fingers and her fingers, seeing stars. He moved his hand away from her and fell on his back next to her, still massaging his dick as his hard-on faded.

"It was so close Quinn…" he gasped. "You didn't really want to cave; I almost did though…"

She laughed. "Sam…I was dying to cave! Why didn't you just let me? I begged you…"

It was his turn to laugh. "'Cause I really didn't want to cave, Quinn! This sure as hell helped though…damn it felt so good to be next to you…"

"Okay, yeah, it definitely helped…I wanted you so, so bad Sam…" she whispered, sitting up to pull her thong on. She stood up.

"I need to find that medicine; my mom is probably about to flip her lid," Quinn said. Sam had literally forgotten why they were even there.

He could hear the disappointment in her voice and sat up on the edge of the bed, pulling his boxers up.

"C'mere Q…" he said quietly.

She went to him and stood between his legs, draping her arms over his shoulders, kissing the top of his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

He looked up at her. "I'm sorry Q…I didn't want to break our vow…I wanted you just as badly…"

"I'm sorry I pushed the issue so hard…" she said. "Just 8 more days…you're right, this will help get through those days…"

She stepped away from him to find the medicine, and he stood up to fix his pants and smooth out the comforter on the bed.

"Do you think they'll know, Q? There's kind of a wet spot here…" he said.

She stepped in the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth. She went back to the bed and asked him where the wet spot was. She scrubbed the bed a little.

"It shouldn't be noticeable…" she said and threw the washcloth in a hamper in the bathroom.

She went back to a medicine bag in her mom's suitcase and found the migraine medicine. She found Sam sitting on a loveseat in the front room of the suite.

"You ready Sammy?" she asked him.

"Yeah…hey Q?" he asked her, standing up and walking over to her.

"Mmhmm?"

"I did a good thing, right, by not breaking in there? Why do I feel so bad?" he said sadly.

"You did the right thing, Sam…I was being weak…you didn't let me break down and that might happen many times over the course of our marriage. I might not like it at the time, but I understand your reasoning…if that makes any sense…" she said, hugging him.

"Are you sure? I feel like I let you down so bad…" he said quietly.

"In 8 days, please do not let me down, okay?" she said smiling at him.

"I love you Q…I'm marrying you in 8 days…" he said, finally smiling.

"I love you too Samuel…and I'm marrying you in 8 days…" she said, taking his hand to lead him out of the room.

Back in the banquet room, Quinn took the medicine and room key to her mom, getting a decidedly angry look from her.

"Sorry…it took me forever to find it…" Quinn mumbled to her.

The music was still playing, the reception was winding down. Sam and Quinn managed to get a couple more slow dances in.

"I love this most of all…" he whispered to her, holding her tight.

"Just think how much we'll get to dance at our wedding…and then together for the rest of our lives…" she answered.

"We need to practice our songs to one another…" he mumbled. "I wonder if I could request them from the DJ?"

They walked over to the DJ and asked about the songs. The DJ searched his computer for them and found them.

"Do you want the radio version or the karaoke version?" he asked Sam.

"Do you have the lyrics I could follow?"

"Yeah, on the screen here…" the DJ told Sam.

"Okay…gimme the mic…" Sam said.

Sam sang To Make You Feel My Love and Quinn sang You Light Up My Life and the remaining guests seemed to like their versions of the songs.

"Whew…that wasn't too bad," Quinn said to Sam.

"You sounded awesome…I hope I sounded okay…" he said.

"Yeah, wonderful Sam…" She kissed him.

They ended their time at the reception sitting with Quinn's grandparents, talking about Bill and Judy and about Sam and Quinn's upcoming wedding. The DJ announced the last song of the evening, and Gramps asked Grammy to dance.

"Quinn, may I have the last dance?" Sam asked her. She took his hand and followed him to the dance floor, taking a spot next to her grandparents.

"What's this song, Sam?" she asked him, recognizing it as an oldie.

"Goodnight Sweetheart," he mumbled into her hair.

"I like it…"

"Can we be like your Grammy and Gramps?" he asked quietly. Quinn turned her head to look at her grandparents dancing slowly together, like two puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. She saw Gramps gently kiss Grammy on the cheek and then Grammy smile at him.

"I'd like that, Sam…" she replied.

On Christmas Eve, both Sam and Quinn had to work but got paid double so they thought that was cool. At home, they were having Christmas with Bill and Judy and Quinn's grandparents.

Bill and Judy just passed out gift certificates for Breadstix to Sam's parents, Sam and Quinn, and Judy's parents as they had not had time to shop. Stevie and Stacey received some new toys and the requisite pajamas. Quinn received a pair of blue diamond earrings from her grandparents and she immediately planned on wearing them on her wedding day. Sam was at a loss for words once again when he opened his gift of three comic books from Gramps who said he had doubles of those particular comics. They were a Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern from the 1970s. He actually hugged Gramps. Quinn was pretty sure he teared up also.

After everyone left for the evening, Quinn and Sam helped Stevie and Stacey with their letters to Santa and cookies and milk. Their excitement was palpable. Quinn was happy to see that a couple things on their lists were items Sam and she had picked up for them. They finally got them tucked in and waited a half-hour and then helped Sam's parents fill stockings and set out gifts from Santa. Sam helped his dad set up a couple bikes for Stevie and Stacey and rolled them next to the Christmas tree. He asked his dad if he could sleep in Stevie's bedroom with Stevie on the queen-sized bed so he wouldn't be separated from the family on Christmas morning. His dad okayed it but told him he had better stay in Stevie's room and that had better be the bedroom he emerged from Christmas morning. They finished up downstairs and headed upstairs. Quinn had slipped Sam's gift under the tree while he had been at work earlier, but she didn't see her gift from him yet.

He kissed her at her bedroom door, whispering he had been granted access to sleep in Stevie's room since it was Christmas and kind of shrugged.

"So…Merry Christmas Q…" He smooched her again. "I loves ya…" He went down the hall and disappeared into Stevie's room and she went to her room. He gave it a couple minutes and looked back in the hallway and saw her light was out. He snuck back downstairs to hang her gift on the tree and returned back to her room, shutting and locking her door.

"Ho…ho…ho…" he whispered to her, knelt at her bedside.

"Eeeek!" she kind of whisper-yelled, truly not expecting him to be in her room.

"Let's set the alarm for like 5…I'll be gone by then…" he whispered, climbing in behind her. "Just to sleep, I promise…I just have missed you Q…" She reached over and set her alarm for 5 and flipped over to face him.

"I need a kiss goodnight…" she whispered.

"I already gave you a couple…" he said, smiling.

"In my bed, Sam…" she said, moving toward him, sneaking him a little tongue.

"Naughty Quinn…g'night…"

He slept close to her, his arm wrapped around her until 5 a.m. when he quietly slipped into bed with his little brother.

An hour later, Stacey ran into her brother's room yelling Santa had been there. Then, she was off to Quinn's room to yell the same thing. Then, down the hall to her parents' room, waking them up.

"C'mon Sammy! Santa has been here…let's go!" Stevie yelled in his face.

"I'll be awake in a couple minutes, dude," Sam said, sleepily.

About 10 minutes later, Sam's dad poked his head in Stevie's room. "Let's go Sam…we're all waiting on you…" Good thing I found him asleep in this bed and not someone else'she thought.

Sam sat up, running a hand through his messy hair, then stood up adjusting his junk. Thankfully, that wasn't an issue on Christmas morning. He peeked in Quinn's room but she was already gone.

He found her in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on some cinnamon rolls.

"What time did you get up Q?" he asked her incredulously.

She laughed. "When Stacey woke me up…"

"Those smell freakin' delicious…" he said, sniffing the pan closely.

"Thanks…" she put them in the oven and set the timer. "Okay…show time…"

Sam's parents were keeping Stevie and Stacey occupied in the front living room as Quinn finished the cinnamon rolls.

"Cool guys! Santa was here! Surprising since you both were on his naughty list!" Sam yelled from the family room where the cookies and milk had been left and subsequently consumed. He had the camera ready for when Stevie and Stacey ran in.

They squealed when they saw their bicycles (earlier in the year, Sam's parents had had to sell all their bikes). They then wanted to open other gifts from Santa. Sara made them start with stockings. Surprisingly, Sam and Quinn even had stockings hung by the fireplace that had not been there the night before, finding stuff like lottery tickets, candy, and gift certificates to Applebee's. Quinn had a memory card, with which she wasn't quite sure she would use, and Sam had a SIM card ("Wow, I wonder what Santa brought me," he said smiling).

Sam passed out the gifts for each person, and they let the kids tear into their presents. They opened some new clothes, DVDs, and each had a new handheld electronic game with a couple games apiece.

The oven timer went off, and Quinn jumped up to pull her cinnamon buns out. She drizzled the icing over them while they were still hot. The scent of those rolls brought the parents and Sam to the kitchen.

"We can open gifts after these little pieces of heaven," Sam mumbled, stuffing one in his mouth.

Later, Quinn opened a new digital camera to use her memory card with; she loved it, not having a camera except on her cell phone, which sucked. She also received The Joy of Cooking from Sara.

"Mrs. Simmons in home ec said every housewife should have this at their disposal!" Quinn laughed, flipping through the pages.

Sam had some new clothes and a new cell phone to use that SIM card with.

"Sweet! I totally needed a new phone!" he said, checking it out, popping the SIM card in.

"We were finally able to add you to our plan, Samuel," his mom said.

Quinn scooted closer to him. "That is a nice phone, Sam, like a smart phone…cool!"

"Hey, we have a gift for both of us…you wanna open it?" he asked her, passing her a heavy box.

"Let's open it together…this one is from Bill, my mom, and my grandparents…how'd we miss this last night?" Quinn asked. He shrugged.

"Oh!" Sam's dad said. "These go with that…" He handed them three similarly shaped thin boxes. Sam knew then since he was a dude.

"I'm opening that big one Q!" he kind of yelled, ripping into it. PlayStation 3.

"Damn!" he said, getting all the paper off it.

"Language Samuel," his mother admonished.

"I'm sorry…I forgot to use discretion," he chuckled under his breath. "You open these, Q!" He gave her the three boxes, guessing they were games.

The first one she opened was Sonic 2. "Oh, that is freakin' awesome," Sam said.

The next one was DC Universe Online and when Quinn looked at Sam she could've sworn he might have orgasmed next to her. "Unbelievable…" he said quietly.

The third game wound up being Dance Dance Revolution, more geared toward Quinn. "This will be a great workout!" The dance pad was shoved way under the tree.

"Thanks so much, mom and dad!" Quinn said, Sam looking at her funny. She hopped up to go to the kitchen; Sam followed her.

"You called them 'mom and dad'," he said to her, scooting up behind her as she poured them some hot chocolate.

"I did? I didn't even realize…" she said.

"I mean, that's cool and stuff…hey, can we do our gifts later on tonight? I haven't had a chance to wrap yours," he said.

"Oh…yeah, sure Sam…"

They spent the day setting up his phone, setting up her camera, and setting up their PlayStation 3. She programmed all the numbers in her phone into his. Then, she started reading The Joy of Cooking while he played video games.

As Christmas evening drew darker, they made their way up to the family room to watch something Christmasy and enjoy the Christmas tree. He put on Christmas music while she whipped up some hot chocolate.

From the kitchen, she heard him start belting out:

Bells will be ringing,
The glad, glad news,
Oh, what a Christmas,
To have the blues…

My baby's gone,
I have no friends,
To wish me greetings,
Uhhh, once again…

Choirs will be singing,
Silent night,
Those Christmas carols,
By candlelight…

I'm getting in on this action, Quinn thought, joining him in the family room where he was playing air guitar.

Please come home for Christmas,
Please come home for Christmas,
If not for Christmas, then by New Year's night…

Friends and relations,
Send salutations,
Just as sure as the stars shine above…

But this is Christmas,
Christmas, my dear,
The time of year,
To be with the one that you love…

Then won't you tell me,
You'll never more roam,
Christmas and New Year's,
Will find you at home…

There'll be no more sadness,
No grief or pain,
'Cause I'll be happy,
That it's Christmas once again…

At the end of the song, they were dancing next to the Christmas tree.

"Nothing like some Bon Jovi to spice up Christmas, right?" he said, laughing.

"Right! I've always kinda liked that song," she said. "Okay, you ready for your gift? The hot cocoa is ready and The Christmas Carol starts soon…"

"Yep…I'm ready…" He had kind of been hoping it would be a Grinch kind of Christmas night but the old movie would be okay too. They sat down next to the tree.

"Okay…you first!" She reached under the tree and pulled out her small gift to him. "I hope you like it…it really isn't that much…"

"I'd love anything you gave me, Q…" he said, slowly opening the gift.

It was a Superman ornament for the tree. "It's not really an ornament that's ours but I thought you'd like that one, so you'd have one on the tree all your own. And, because you're like my Superman…"

"You are the coolest, Quinn! It's awesome!" He stood up and found a spot high on the tree to hang it. Then, he sat down and kissed her. "Your turn…"

He just sat there, looking at her, a goofy grin on his face. "You gotta look for it…it's around the tree."

She looked at him, wondering what he was up to. She looked under the tree but the gifts had all been opened. Around the tree she thought. She looked up. Maybe he got her an ornament too and it's hanging on the tree.

"Warmer…" he said when she looked up at the tree. She looked at him again, smiling slightly. She stood up.

"Oooo…warmer…"

She moved to her right a bit.

"Colder Q…"

She moved some to her left.

"Warmer now…"

She moved to basically the other side of the tree, close to the windows.

"Hotter!" I love it when he's being a kid she thought.

A gleam caught her eye toward the top of the near, very close to where he hung his ornament. She reached up and plucked it off the tree.

"This, Sam?" she asked him, ready to cry.

"Merry Christmas, Quinn…" he stood up next to her. "I hope you like it…"

"It's perfect, just like the ring, Sam…" she mumbled, letting a tear slide down her cheek. He brushed it away.

"I went in to pay on the rings one day and the lady there said they had a matching necklace…I saw it and knew you had to have it…maybe you could wear it when we get married?" he told her.

She smiled at him. "I love it…" It was a small blue diamond solitaire necklace, the round stone cut like her engagement ring, with a ring of tiny diamonds around it. As soon as she saw it hanging on the tree, she knew she'd wear it on their wedding day.

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, then kissed him. "I love you, Samuel…"

"God, I love you too Q…" he said, kissing her back. "Ready for your movie and hot chocolate?" She nodded, still looking at the dainty necklace. He grabbed something off the mantel and handed it to her, the jewelry box.

"I'm going to run this upstairs and I'll meet ya for some Christmas Carol…I'm ready to get my Christmas ghosts on…" she laughed.

She returned to the family room where the movie had began and Sam was sitting on the couch with their hot chocolates. She curled up next to him under an afghan.

"One week Mr. Evans…" she whispered, sipping her chocolaty drink, getting whipped cream on her upper lip.

He glanced over at her and giggled, then kissed the whipped cream off.

"One week Mrs. E2B…"

By the time the movie ended, she was too scared to sleep upstairs ("Really Q? This movie is like 100 years old…" he said), so they each took a couch in the family room and slept there.