Disclaimer: American Dreams rocks, but that doesn't mean I own it.

A/N: Sorry for taking awhile to get this chapter out. The story has turned extremely Meg/Sam,and will stay so in the future,so if you don't like that pairing, then, well, you've been warned.

Sigh. I can't believe we have to wait, like, a month for a new AD. I'm prepared, though. I've got my season one DVDs, the episodes from this season that I TiVo'd, and this fic.

AD dudes: keep watching the show! And thanks for the reviews!

XXX

He had held her hand the rest of the time they watched the fireworks.

That was the only thing Meg could think of during the ten minutes the sky was lit by colors only seen in crayon boxes. When they were over, she and Sam kept standing there, except now they were watching the people in the park below.

Meg kept snatching at anything she could think of to talk about; that was how much she didn't want him to let go of her hand. Sam seemed to understand and felt the same way, for he engaged in her meaningless thoughts.

"…So I don't know, that's why I can't call him Trip," Meg said, finishing her long explanation of why she didn't call her nephew 'Trip' like her uncle and two brothers.

Sam was smiling at her. Meg let her blue eyes wander and rest on his dark brown ones. She became suddenly shy.

"What?" she asked, moving her gaze to the horizon behind him.

He shrugged. "I don't know." He was still smiling.

Meg checked her watch; something she hadn't even thought to do once the fireworks had ended. It was nearly ten-thirty.

"We should probably start walking back," she said, the voice of reason.

Sam let out a small sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Meg. "Alright."

Their hands untwined unwillingly, and Meg went first down the fire escape, Sam following right behind her. Once firmly on the ground, they began walking again. Meg rubbed her arms with her hands and shivered a bit. She wished she had thought to bring a coat.

Sam noticed her shiver and stopped her on a street corner. He shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing and extended it towards her.

Meg shook her head. "No, I couldn't, you'll be cold-"

"Meg," Sam said with a smile, "just take the coat."

Becoming shy again, Meg accepted the brown jacket and slipped her arms into the sleeves. It was big on her, but she didn't mind. It smelled like Sam.

Their walk continued in silence, though every so often one of them would say something, and the other would give their opinion. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; it was a calm one that could only rest between two people who knew each other.

"I can get the rest of the way by myself," Meg said with a smile as they stood on the sidewalk outside of her house, a streetlight beaming down on them.

"If you're sure," Sam joked. He kept smiling at her.

Meg knew this was it. It was a do or die type moment, and she wanted to do it. She could see Sam was having similar thoughts, because his smile got wider and he ever-so-slowly began leaning down.

She was closing her eyes, but before their lips made contact, a siren wailed loudly from the corner of the street. Shaken, both jumped back at the same time. Meg knew the moment was gone.

"Well, uh, thanks for letting me wear your jacket," Meg said, starting to take it off.

Sam held his hands up. "Keep it," he said. "You might get cold on your way to the door."

Meg grinned broadly and decided not to fight him on it. She clutched the coat close. "This was… really good."

"Yeah."

She thought maybe the moment was returning, though this time they were both much more self-conscious. She reached for his hand anyways, and held it in hers.

"Happy fourth of July," Sam finally said.

"You too," Meg nodded.

She swung their joined hands a few times, then glanced back up at him, letting go. "I'll see you tomorrow at the opening."

"Definitely," Sam agreed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He finally turned and the darkness of the late night swallowed him suddenly. Meg kept standing on the sidewalk, under the streetlight, thinking that that was the most prolonged goodnight she'd ever been through. It'd been worth it, though. As she turned and headed up the driveway and into the side door, she realized something.

She and Sam had almost kissed.

This thought sent Meg bounding into the house, past her mother, who was drinking tea, past Patty, who was coming out of the bathroom, and past Will, who was standing in his bedroom doorway.

She collapsed on her bed with a big, content sigh.

XXX

Today was the day. Her father's new store was opening.

Meg stood on the sidewalk outside the building in the early July heat, along with the rest of her family, plus the Walkers, plus a few other people who had come to see the great unveiling of the newest Pryor's TV and Radio, including Kyle, much to her chagrin. Roxanne had told her she was going to be showing up later in the afternoon.

She snatched a quick glance of Sam. Meg knew she was going to get caught sooner or later, for she had been doing it for the past twenty minutes since they had arrived. Neither had gotten a chance to talk to the other yet.

Jack finished his little speech he had been giving in front of the door, then handed a pair of scissors to Henry. Henry nodded to Jack, grinned at the crowd, and then cut the piece of ribbon that had been across the door with a snip. Everyone cheered, then entered the store.

Cool wind blew across them as Meg waited for others to go in before her, her blue sundress following the direction the wind was going. Sam stood on the other side of the line of people waiting to enter the store. Meg noted with a hidden smile that he was trying to subtly watch her, too.

Finally, the others had gone inside, and Meg knew it was no coincidence that she and Sam were the last two. Before either could enter, she started speaking, letting go of the door she had previously been holding open so it closed.

"So, uh, hi," she began stupidly, wanting to kick herself.

Sam took it well, and smiled. "Hey." They both paused. "How, uh, are you?"

"I'm good," Meg replied, tucking some hair behind her ear. The only thing she'd been able to think about all the night before and that morning was how Sam's hand had felt on hers; how they had almost kissed. "You?"

"Good."

The awkward tension was beginning to be too much for Meg, so she finally just came out with it, "I had an amazing time last night."

Sam seemed to have known this was coming. "Me too. The fireworks were great."

"No," Meg said, glancing at the ground, then back up at him. "I mean…besides the fireworks."

He got what she meant. "Oh," he smiled, "that was great too." Sam looked into the picture window beside them for a moment, then back at her.

"I…really like you, Sam," Meg said honestly, feeling brave and scared at the same time.

Sam nodded. "I like you too."

She could've floated off the ground. "Really?" Meg knew she didn't actually have to ask, she just wanted to hear him say it again.

"Yeah. You're a really nice girl, Meg. And…you've been great to me for a long time," Sam replied.

Meg smiled shyly, something she had suddenly started doing more often than ever before, and grabbed him by the arm, leading him away from the windows so they were just inside the alley beside the store.

"Maybe we could…go out again sometime," she said.

Sam looked torn. He was quiet for a minute. "Meg," he started in a way she didn't like, "I really like you, but…"

"But what?" She didn't understand how he could've just told her he liked her, and then gave her a 'but'.

"It's too hard," he finally said, hands in his pant pockets. "We're… different."

Meg crossed her arms over her chest. "So what?"

"Meg, no one will understand. It won't work out, and then we won't even be friends anymore."

"What makes you think we wouldn't work?"

"People. People make me think that, because-"

"It's none of their business anyways!" Meg burst out, throwing her hands up, tired of having the same argument everywhere she went. "It's between you and me, not the rest of the world! We shouldn't care what people think!"

"We have no choice!" Sam fought back. "It'd be too hard for us!"

Meg shook her head. "We haven't even started and you already want to quit?"

"It's not like we have a choice."

"We've been friends for a long time, Sam. We know each other. I've been there for you, you've been there for me, and we've always worked out fine!"

"That's when we were friends, Meg. I want to be with you, and I have for a long time, but we're…different!"

"Stop saying that!" Meg nearly shouted. She lowered her voice so passerby's on the sidewalk couldn't overhear. "I don't care what other people think. I thought you didn't either."

This made Sam stop. He didn't even reply; he just stood there, towering over her, watching her. He watched her for so long that Meg finally had to turn away, blushing.

Sam took a step towards her so they were inches apart. Meg looked back up into his face. "I know this is all happening fast, but I also know that you like me, and I like you, and even though I haven't been home that long, I've cherished the time we've spent together." She didn't know where these words were coming from; they didn't feel like things she'd ever say.

"So do you or don't you care what people think?" Meg finally asked, taking a small breath.

Instead of answering, Sam took another tiny step, tilted his head down, and let his lips make contact with hers; something that had been waiting to happen for over three years. He tasted sweet, which fit his personality perfectly.

Meg forgot what they had just been arguing about.

XXX