Hey everyone! How awesome is the Pirates Of The Caribbean dvd?! Did everyone catch the spiffy Benny and Joon reference on the deleted scenes? "pity about the French, totally obsessed with raisins - humiliated grapes really . . . " - how damn cute is that?! *sorry, that was probably HIGHLY misquoted, but hey - you all know what I mean . . .right? . . . *sigh* Less than ONE week till Secret Window - I'm sooo excited!!! All the exams are over for now - and I can FINALLY do some (dodgy) writing. Massive thanks to the kind people who bother to read AND REVIEW (wink-wink-knudge-knudge) my story!! Jack cookies to all of you! Sorry for yammering on for so long, on with the story.

Disclaimer: You all know, that NO ONE in all of fanfictionland ACTUALLY owns ANY of the cool characters . . . or anything mentioned. Because if we did- why would we hang out here? When you could hang out with Sam, Captain Jack, or Agent Sands *me-ow!) (

The plan was simple.

"Are you sure you want to stay there, I mean, wouldn't it be easier to just. . . I don't know, go near midnight or something?" Ruthy inquired skeptically. "No" Sam shook his head, glancing up from his macaroni cheese "I want to be with Joon, to stay by her side - even if she doesn't know I'm there." Ruthy understood completely, and was overwhelmed by Sam's loyalty and devotion to Joon. "OK then. Well, we better get things organised". Sam gulped down the rest of the macaroni and helped Ruthy clear up.

A few hours later, armed with a backpack and some cookies for good measure, Sam quietly got out of Ruthy's car, bid her farewell, and crept softly towards some bushes outside the hospital where his beloved Joon was. Hearing a noise, Sam leapt behind a bush. A few seconds later, he peeked over the top. Left, right . . . left again. OK, the coast was clear.

Rising cautiously, Sam snuck over to the large oak tree. Sam glanced up. Whew, that's what I call a tree! Hope no-one minds if I borrow it for a while . . . Sam smiled suddenly, remembering one of the very first things Joon had said to him when they first met - "your out of your tree" she had stated. Sam had simply shrugged, replying "It's not my tree". Ah, my sweet Joon . . . whoa! Snap out of it! You've got things to do! Sam silently told himself. Now, the tree . . .

Sam rolled up his sleeves dramatically, and spat into his hands, and rubbed them together. About a minute later, Sam was near the top of the tree, comfortably perched on a branch which was right outside Joon's window. Of course, he wouldn't cross the branch which connected to her window until she was asleep. After all, she was pretty mad at him . . . but he couldn't actually remember why. Oh yes, the sight of him without trousers . . . in Ruthy's cupboard may have possibly given Joon the wrong idea . . . Did it really look THAT bad? Hmmm, actually, it probably did.
What was that thing she had said right before . . . tears started to well in his eyes again . . . she collapsed? Sam scraped his brain . . . now he remembered - "I've seen you, all week trying to see Ruthy! You lied about - " Sam felt overwrought with guilt. The sheer weight of it would have been enough to drag any man down. But not Sam. Not today. Because, well . . . he was going to make things better - the way they had been before any of this mess began. Sam gave a small nod - for personal assurance.

Sam dutifully sat in the tree, waiting for the light to turn off in Joon's room. It was about 9:00pm. Sam was blanketed by the pitch blackness of night. The night air was laced with a slight chill, and was completely silent except for the barely audible chorus of crickets chirping away below him. Sam stifled a yawn, just as the soft light in the room went out - oh, here we go. She usually took only half an hour before she would fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

Joon couldn't help but think of Sam. Her sweet, charming little Sam - THE BASTARD!!!

No, even though she had caught him with Ruthy - with NO PANTS on . . . she just couldn't bring herself to hate him. Well, not yet anyway. But oh - she could. All in due time. She knew she wasn't being paranoid this time. She had seen him, with her own two eyes - numerous times when he was supposed to be "at work". 'Yeah, likely' Joon thought bitterly. She wondered what he was doing now. Probably with his DARLING Ruthy, sipping martinis and watching "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", well this fiesty feline would like to scratch Ruthy's eyes out - when I get my hands on her...

How could Sam do this? I mean REALLY? He has never seemed attracted to Ruthy, or anyone else for that matter before. . . But Joon knew, you bet she did, it was because she was crazy. ISN'T IT! Poor crazy Joon, the loony-tune! 'Well, I can't blame him, Ruthy is very pretty - especially when she's not working' Joon considered resentfully. Joon attempted to shove these thoughts from her mind as she gradually drifted off . . .

* * *

Sam pulled out a flash light from his backpack, shining it on his pocket watch. It's probably been long enough. Sam tossed the light back in his bag, and pulled out his present. Deciding it would be easier to leave the bag, he started to inch towards the connecting branch to Joon's window. But wait. How was he supposed to climb across a branch AND carry his present instantaneously? Sam pulled back from the edge and pondered. Scratching his head . . . HEAD - that's it!!

Slowly he began to move across the branch again, but with a SLIGHT modification. The present now sat on top of his head - with is hat propped on top of the present! Sam couldn't even conceive what a funny site he must have looked, he was too busy concentrating NOT falling from a tree branch several metres from the ground. 'Oh boy' Sam thought silently, 'what have I got myself into?' Tiny beads of perspiration began to form on his brow.

Finally, after 5 agonizing minutes - it was over. There was a slight gap between the two curtains in front of Joon's window, which allowed Sam to peek through. Sam's heart warmed as he gazed at her, sleeping so peacefully. He stole but only an moment, before laying down his gift, and climbing back across the branch. The plan was simply to leave the gift and hope Joon responds. But Sam decided to deviate slightly from the original plan.
He really did want to stay be her side, but realised he had better leave before morning came - as he was fairly certain, the hospital wouldn't approve of strange people hanging outside patients rooms. Plus, the nurse who would open the window might get a bit of a fright if she found him there. Anyway, he couldn't face Joon, not yet . . .

Hi fellow fanfictioners - thanks for reading, and don't hesitate in clicking that little purple button - you know you want to . . .

Thanks again everyone! OUATIM kicks ass! - I finally saw El Mariachi too, that and Desperado were awesome!!! You should really check them out if you haven't already!