Meaning to wake the two gently, Mary entered the room quietly only to discover Bella was already awake, her blue eyes wide and clear for the first time since they'd found her. She was looking back and forth from her to her sleeping husband, confusion evident on her face, mixed with fear.

Chapter 42

Sam's sleep had been disturbed frequently as images haunted her. Snarling dogs, gunshots, and an evil smile superimposed over all had chased her, but she found she could not run, could not scream, and could not fight. At first, it was dark, she was freezing cold, and it was hard to breathe. There had been no escape from her dreams. But slowly, Sam had become aware of warmth, and a soft light. When the images from her dreams tried to find her, a gentle presence surrounded her, and chased them away, and it made Sam feel like she was wrapped in a warm blanket. She had felt safe for the first time in days, and the dreams stayed away. After some time, it had started to get a little too warm, and Sam felt like she was suffocating. Pain had made itself known, and her personal demons had tried to claim her again. Once more, the gentle presence surrounded her. She had felt cool things trickling down her parched throat, and a gentle touch soothed the pain and demons away. Sam slept.

Gradually, Sam became aware of being warm and comfortable. There was some pain, well, not so much pain as aches and soreness. Especially when she tried to take a deep breath. But mostly, she felt the warmth and comfort. Food smells tickled her nose and Sam was reminded of the warm apple bakes her mother used to make when she had been small and her mother still alive. Sam knew she should open up her eyes, but she was just too comfortable. She didn't want to lose the feeling of safety and warmth that had surrounded her in her sleep. She didn't want to discover that her reality was the coldness of a metal cage. Sam tried to burrow back down to the place of security she'd been in, but grew frustrated when she couldn't find it again.

A rhythmic noise interrupted her. It sounded like... snoring? Sam's eyes flew open, and she found she couldn't get up. Panic gripped her as she felt a weight settled across her ribs, a sudden sharp ache deep in her chest as her breathing hastened with her growing sense of urgency. Images swam into focus as Sam blinked her eyes. She could make out things now like firelight, a lamp, curtains, a rag rug and a hardwood floor. She realized at the same time that she was in someone's lap and that the owner of the lap was the one that was snoring; the person's hand was what prevented her from rising. She also realized that an older woman was standing in the doorway to the room, a look of surprise etched on her face. She must not have been expecting Sam to be awake.

Sam tried to figure out the situation. She had no idea who these people were, or where she was, but somehow she doubted that Jason Arden had anything to do with them. Besides the fact that she wasn't in a cage, she highly doubted that Arden had any homemade lace doilies in his mansion. What Arden's place had lacked, with all its extravagance and size, this place positively made up for in warmth and hominess. Still, Sam was wary. After all she'd been through, and all the times she'd woken up in a bad or worse situation the past few days (had it only been a few days?) Sam was reluctant to trust anything that seemed so... hospitable and protected.

"Bella." The woman was speaking, although Sam was confused as to why she was speaking the French word for 'beautiful'. Suddenly, the man holding her on her lap shifted, and his snoring cut off with a snort.

"Charles! She's awake!" The woman spoke frantically to the man, who was sitting up and blinking, his hand reflexively moving to stroke the cat on his lap, but he caught the movement at his wife's warning tone, and looked down into wide blue terrified eyes.

"Hmm? What? Oh, oh my, that she is Mary. That she is." The man looked shortsightedly at the little cat, who looked like she wanted to bolt, but couldn't make up her mind. He decided to help, trying to soothe her. "Hey there little one. Mary's been awful worried about you, you've been asleep for a long time." The cat seemed to be watching him with interest. She was still afraid though, he could tell.

"Perhaps she'll feel better with something warm in here tummy. I made up some formula and was just going to wake you both. Here, let me get some and I'll take her, then you can go get your dinner." Charles nodded absently, still watching the little cat watching him, bur Mary had already turned back into the kitchen.

He could hear her bustling around and soon she returned with a towel tossed over her shoulder, and a bowl of formula floating in a dish of warm water to keep it from getting cold. Before the cat had time to consider what was happening, Mary had picked her up and settled her in her lap, wrapping the towel about her. The cat looked startled, but seemed amenable.

Actually, Sam wasn't sure what to think when she found herself transferred into the woman's lap, and placed in a very familiar position, the woman holding up a syringe filled with some kind of liquid. Sam was still evaluating the sudden change when the syringe was popped into the side of her mouth. Sam reflexively swallowed as she felt her mouth fill with the warm mixture and blinked, startled. The woman was speaking softly to her in between offering mouthfuls of food, and stroking her, the rhythmic movements somehow soothing. Gradually, Sam relaxed and started to feel sleepy again. She still couldn't fully relax, almost half expecting Arden or one of his henchmen to jump out from behind the checkered curtains and grab her. It didn't take much for her to start feeling comfortably full, and Sam pulled away from the syringe when she could take no more. The woman seemed to understand and helped her settle in a more comfortable position, never stopping her stroking or soft words.

Sam glanced up sleepily as the man settled in front of her, holding a plate of something. "Charles!" Sam heard the woman say. "You'll spoil your dinner having dessert first!" Sam could smell the tempting aroma of the apples; she'd thought she'd been dreaming them. Her nose worked inquisitively.

"Nonsense Mary, my appetite is never spoiled for your cooking, and you know how I love my apple dumplings warm!" The man noticed the cat watching him, or was that his dish, with open curiosity. Without hesitation, he swiped two fingers into his bowl of warm apple dumpling and ice cream and scooped up some of the gooey sauce. Moving slowly so as not to spook her he held his fingers out to the little cat, smiling as she hesitantly sniffed at them.

Sam blinked at the offering. The only person to give her their fingers to lick had been the Colonel after swiping a bit of icing off his cake once. She looked up at the man but could see only warmth. Somehow, and Sam wasn't sure how, she felt that she was safe here. Tentatively at first, and then with growing sureness, Sam licked up the sweet concoction from the man's fingers, unaware of the smiles exchanged over her head. Before long, Sam could barely keep her eyes open. The lingering taste of apples and the wonderful smells and feelings surrounded her as she drifted off, barely conscious of the deep vibration that had started somewhere deep in her chest.

Charles and Mary watched the cat as she drifted off again, tummy full of warm food. The purr coming from her was soft, but unmistakable. Mary continued to stroke the cat as she started to sing softly again, Charles joining in with a rusty but deep baritone.

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

A/N: What do you think? I thought Sam deserved this after her ordeal with Arden. I couldn't resist adding the lullabies in, not sure what possessed me to add them, but they just seemed to fit. I've run out of lullabies though. At least ones that seemed to fit (The first two were provided by my friend Wendy, and the way they mentioned hurt and safety was just so perfect for the story, I couldn't leave them out. The last I found with some google searching, and its called 'Day is done'.) We won't be spending too much more time with the Robertses, just another chapter or so. As much as I'd love for Sam to stay forever with them, safe and warm, its not home, even if it's a nice substitute for a little while. Hope you have enjoyed these last few chapters, I know I've enjoyed writing them!