Disclaimer: I don't own the TBs or the Tracy family with the exception of Sam.

Chapter 20

Jeff decided to fly his children back to their school on the Friday before classes were to resume due to meetings that he had in Europe and Asia. Before he left he gave them the usual list of expectations. No fighting was at the top of the list closely followed be staying on top of their studies.

"Samantha!"

Looking around the small park, Sam saw her best friend Catie running to her. She continued to swing despite the cold temperatures. She just didn't feel like being shut up in her room. Catie sat down on the swing next to her.

"Sam, guess who was asking about you during the holidays?" she asked excitedly. Sam looked at her and waited for the latest bit of gossip.

"Alex. He asked me if you were interested in anyone here at school or from wherever you live," she said. Sam's eyes widened in shock as the information sunk into her head.

"Seriously, he really asked and what did you tell him?" she demanded. Alex was one boy that Sam had a crush on since the last year of school. Catie giggled at her friend's response.

"I told him that you weren't interested in anyone that I knew of because you'd been busy with track and your studies," she replied. "I did tell him that if he was interested then he should definitely talk to you cus I didn't know if things would change when you got back from break."

"So do you think he plans on asking me out or something?" Sam asked nervously. She was already thinking of her brothers' warning of a rigorous interview process for any possible boys that she may date.

"I can positively say that he will be asking you out," Catie offered as she looked at her friend's blushing expression. "In fact, isn't that him now?" Sam's head snapped up and looked in the direction of the park entrance.

"What do I say, Catie? The only boys I've ever really talked to have been my brothers and I certainly don't want to date them." She was beginning to panic and Catie reached over and held her hand.

"Calm down, Samantha Tracy, and talk to him just like you would anyone," she advised. Sam took a deep breath and slowly calmed herself down. By the time Alex reached the swings she had calmed down even though she was still nervous.

"Hi, Samantha," he said hesitantly. He stood off to the side of the swings and nervously kicked at the mulch.

"Hello, Alex. Did you have a good holiday?" Sam asked in what she hoped was a normal voice. She could see Catie grinning out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, how about you?" he replied.

"Fine thanks." She looked down at the ground and thought to herself how weird this was. She had talked to Alex in class but now it felt so awkward.

"Um, Sam, I was wondering what you were doing this afternoon?" he asked in a rush. His cheeks got bright red and he was looking everywhere but at Sam.

"I hadn't planned on anything," she said.

"Would you like to go see a movie with me in town?" he asked as he still looked everywhere but at Sam.

"Sure, I think that I'd enjoy that," she replied. She couldn't help but notice how his grin broadened as she gave a positive answer.

"I'll come by your room about 3:00P.M. If that's alright," he stated. Sam nodded her head in agreement. As soon as he saw her nod, he mumbled a quick goodbye and ran off to the dorm.

Catie busted out laughing at her best friend and the first boy that she had a date with.

"Oh my gawd, Catie, what do I wear?" she asked in a rush as she looked at her friend laughing at her. "What's so funny?"

"Calm down and let's go to your room and pick out your outfit," she giggled. She and Sam got up and went into the dorm. Catie had to sign in since she was in a boy's dorm even though she was visiting Sam. Once they had gotten into Sam's room, they began to go through her dressers and wardrobe.

"I think that you should wear this blue sweater with the green trim to bring out the blue in your eyes along with a pair of jeans," suggested Catie. "You can also wear those black boots to complete the outfit. Curl your hair and clip it back so it's not in your face. Light makeup and your diamond stud earrings and you're good for your first date."

"Catie, I am so nervous what if I say the wrong thing? What if I can't talk at all?" Sam was working herself into an anxiety attack. Catie grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her frightened eyes.

"Samantha, calm down. He is just a boy that is taking you to the movies and maybe dinner. I've never seen you this worked up," she stated. "You've never backed down from any challenge so think of this date as a challenge and you'll do fine." A sudden bump on Sam's closed door caught her attention and she paused to see if someone had knocked on the door. Not seeing anyone in the hallway she dismissed the noise.

She waited while Sam got dressed and did her makeup. Promptly at three there was a quiet knock on her door. Sam wiped her hands on her jeans and looked over at Catie and gave her a shaky smile.

"Hi, Samantha, are you ready?" asked Alex as she opened the door. She nodded at him and walked out of her room with Catie right behind her. Together they took the elevator to the main floor and signed out. Alex and Sam were signed out to go to town while Catie signed out and went back to her own dorm. None of them saw the two boys following at a discreet distance.

Alex and Sam got into the van that took the high school kids with consents to town. They were told that the last shuttle would be at 8:00P.M. Twenty minutes later and they were dropped off in front of the movie theater. They agreed on a comedy and Alex went to the ticket window and paid for their tickets. Sam waited by his side and together they walked into the theater. Neither of them noticed the two teenagers that were watching their every move. One of the teens walked up to the window and asked which movie the couple in front of them went to and bought two tickets to the same show. They waited until five minutes before the movie started to go find a seat. They found a few empty seats just two rows behind the couple they were following. Their eyes narrowed as they watched and waited. Soon the movie started and about thirty minutes into the movie the boy that they had followed made his first move. He stretched his arm out behind his dates head and slowly lowered his arm so that it was casually draped over her shoulders. The two teenagers moved up one row so that they were now directly behind the young couple.

"Alex, what are you doing?" whispered Sam as his arm draped around her.

"Just trying to keep you warm," he whispered back. "Is it bothering you?" Sam shook her head no and snuggled back into his arm. Not sensing the evil glares he was receiving from two sets of eyes right behind him he got a bit braver and gently kissed Sam on her cheek. Sam looked over at him with a surprised expression. This was her first date and already he was trying to claim her as his own. When she didn't turn her head away, he leaned forward and kissed her on her lips. Sam leaned back and stared back at him not sure of what she was feeling. She decided to just relax and watch the movie so she sat back and turned her attention to the screen once again.

A little bit further into the movie she rested her head on his shoulder without thinking. He gently took her face into his hands and turned her so that he could kiss her again. This time she didn't back away and began to respond to his kiss. It was at this time that the two teens behind them had reached their limit. The younger of the two reached over the seats and pulled the kissing couple apart while the oldest got up and went to sit next to the stunned boy. Sam looked back at the person who'd pulled her away from her date. Her eyes grew big and soon her anger was bubbling near the surface. She heard her date start to stutter an apology to someone sitting on the other side of him. She leaned over and saw who it was. She grabbed her dates hand and quickly led him out of the theater.

"I'm so sorry, Alex. I didn't know that they were here," she apologized as they walked out to the sidewalk in front of the theater. "Catie and I didn't tell them that I was going out with you today."

"It's alright Sam. They're just being protective of you," he offered even though he was kind of nervous about her two older brothers especially her twin. Everyone knew that they were protective of each other but her fight with a bully when she'd first arrived was still talked about. Samantha Tracy had a fiery and protective spirit when it came to her brothers. She always spoke up for the underdog and helped them whenever she could. That was what attracted Alex to her. She was beautiful, smart, and caring. She was rich yet she never flaunted it. She came from a famous family because of her father yet never mentioned it.

"Do you still want to go out for dinner?" he asked. He didn't want the date to end like this. He truly wanted to have Sam as his girlfriend but he knew that her brothers would watch him like a hawk and no funny business would be tolerated so he'd have to mind himself. He'd been in heaven when she began to kiss him back before her brothers interrupted them.

"Yes, I would like that," she said as she smiled softly at him. She knew that he was nervous and she couldn't blame him after what Scott and John had just pulled on him. She would put them in their place when she got back to the dorm.

Alex and Sam walked to the same restaurant that Scott had celebrated his sixteenth birthday. Once inside they asked for a private booth and were quickly seated. It seemed that everyone in the small town knew that Jeff Tracy's children were enrolled at the boarding school and treated them as if they were Jeff Tracy himself.

The booth they were given allowed them a bit of privacy to which her brothers were most irritated with when they came in and asked for a booth near their sister's. Alex ordered dinner for the both of them and they began to talk about the coming semester and their home life.

By the time they were done with dessert, Alex had decided he really liked Sam and wanted to continue to date her.

"Samantha, I have had a great time with you this afternoon and would like to see you again," he said as he took her hands into his. "Would you like to go out again next weekend?"

"I think that I would like to go out with you again, too," she said shyly. "Next weekend would be great but how about if I treat you?"

"Not to be chauvinistic but any young lady that I date doesn't pay when I ask her out," he stated with a quiet determination.

"Sorry I didn't mean to offend you," she said diplomatically. "Yes, Alex, I would like to go out with you next weekend." She corrected herself and giggled at his expression. He definitely knew that Samantha Tracy was one special young lady and he wasn't going to mess this up. He paid the dinner check and stood up and held his hand out to her to help her up.

He held her hand as they went back to where the van from school would pick them up. They had just sat down on the bench seat when they were joined by her two brothers. She looked over at them and gave them a look that let them know that they were in some serious trouble. She turned her attention back to Alex and asked him how long they had before the van would pick them up. He told her about thirty minutes. She grabbed his hand and they started walking to a little park about a half block from the stop. They sat down on one of the benches and held hands and talked to each other. Feeling irritated with her brothers that she knew were still watching her she looked Alex in his eyes and slowly leaned towards him. He responded in kind and they gently kissed each other. They broke apart and looked at each other in wonder. Without a word, Alex kissed Sam again a bit deeper. A few minutes later they were both feeling something that neither had experienced in their young lives. Sam took it as a warning and backed off even though she didn't want to.

"We better get back to the stop," she said quietly as she stared into his dark brown eyes. They stood up and he held out his hand to hold hers. John and Scott were looking positively angry at the situation of their sister dating. The van pulled up and they all climbed into the warm van. When they got back to their dorm they all signed in and Alex walked Sam back to her room despite the looks he was receiving from her brothers. Scott and John went into John's room and closed the door. Alex looked around them and back at Sam.

"May I give you a kiss goodnight?" he asked. Sam nodded her head in agreement. Alex leaned towards her and kissed her on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug after he broke the kiss off.

"Goodnight, Samantha." He turned and walked down the hall to the elevator and took it down to his floor. As soon as he was gone, Scott and John came out into the hall to talk to Sam. She was quicker than they were and had already closed her door and locked it. She went to her bathroom and started her bath water just as her cell phone rang. She groaned and walked back into her room to answer it.

"Hello." John was on the other end of the line demanding to talk to her.

"I'm getting ready to take a bath, John. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Sighing she gave up and went to shut the water off in her bathroom. She opened her bedroom door and allowed Scott and John into her room. Moments later the other three joined them.

Scott and John glared at Sam as Virgil looked at her with a bit of sensitivity. He was sure that she felt she was being bullied. Gordon and Alan were curious as to what was going to happen next considering the temperaments of their three oldest siblings.

"Just what exactly do you think you were doing in that theater with that boy?" demanded Scott. He was giving Sam the look he gave his younger brothers and sister when he was trying to keep them in line. Sam stared back at him without the slightest trepidation.

"Let's see Scott and maybe I can explain it to you," she began. "Alex asked me out for dinner and a movie and I accepted. Nope that wasn't hard to understand."

"YOU WERE LETTING HIM KISS YOU!" he exclaimed. Virgil, Gordon, and Alan all jerked their heads back to look at Sam. Sam looked at him and tried to calm her temper.

"So, he kissed me. Haven't you kissed a girl?" she asked quietly. "Don't tell me that you didn't kiss Kelli. Who I kiss is none of your business, Scott." She turned to John who hadn't said anything up until this time.

"How could you follow me like that John? You, of all my brothers, I can't believe would do this to me," she said in a soft voice.

"Sam, why did you sneak out?" he asked. He was afraid that his sister would forget their promise to never leave the other behind.

"I didn't sneak out. I walked through the main entrance and signed out. I was in plain view the whole time," she replied icily. She felt as if she were being put through the third degree.

"I want all of you out of my room right now," she said as she felt the tears burning behind her eyelids. "Gordon and Alan, I'll tuck you in after I take my bath."

"I will not cry in front of them," she thought to herself as she stared impassively at them.

"This conversation is not over Samantha," snapped Scott as he tried to stare her down again. She walked over to where he was standing and looked up into his eyes.

"Scott Carpenter Tracy, I am warning you right now that you are pushing my buttons and seriously making me mad. Do you not remember what Dad told us after the last fight we had?" she asked as she jammed her finger into his chest. He stumbled backwards as she made contact.

"Dad said and I quote, "Sam, you cannot decide who Scott will or won't date and he won't decide that for you when the time comes. All of you will have to respect the other's decision and choice in dates."

"What part of that did you not understand when he said it?" she demanded. Scott swallowed hard and looked around at his other brothers nervously. He had forgotten the dating part of the conversation that he and Sam had in their dad's office.

"Sam, we're just looking out for you," he stammered weakly. He knew that she had every right to be angry and to be honest with himself he would have been also. She softened just a bit as she looked at her brothers. She knew that they meant well and were just trying to show that they cared for and loved her.

"Scott, I know that you are just being protective of me and I understand that all of you will do this because I am the only girl in the family," she said. She looked at each of her brothers and allowed the love she had for each of them to shine through her eyes. She reached out and hugged Scott and was comforted to feel his arms go around her and to hear him whisper so that no one else would hear.

"I'll back off but if he so much as makes the wrong move with my baby sister, I will have to hurt him," he whispered. She giggled at his remark.

"Scotty, trust me, okay?" she whispered back. He nodded and kissed her on the top of her head.

Virgil, Gordon, and Alan left her room so that they could all go take their showers before bed. Virgil would talk to Sam after she tucked their baby brothers in for the night. Scott gave her another squeeze and followed the other three. He knew that the twins were in need of talking in private.

"Take it easy on John. He's scared you know." Scott whispered as he released his hold on Sam. She nodded in understanding as she stared at her twin brother. He was standing by her window looking up at the stars. Her other brothers closed the door as they left. John heard the soft click of the latch and turned to face his sister.

"You're leaving me aren't you Sam?" he said quietly. "You're going to leave me like Mom did. I'm going to be all alone."

There were no accusations just a simple statement that tore her heart. She walked over to him and reached out to hold him. He flinched back away from her touch and totally devastated her. Never before had he backed away from her and it cut her deeply.

"Johnny, don't say that. I'm not leaving you because I had a date," she begged him to understand. "I won't see him again if it hurts you that bad." She tried to make eye contact with him but he continued to stare at the floor. He walked to the door and opened it slowly and then went to his own room and shut the door. Sam followed him and knocked on his door. He refused to answer her. She could hear his quiet crying through the door and it was tearing her up to know that she had hurt him so badly.

"Sis, come on. He'll talk to you later just give him a chance to calm down and think things through," said Virgil. Sam looked at him blankly and allowed him to guide her back to her room. Once she was in her room, she looked around and walked to the window. Locating her mom's star, she let her emotions go unchecked. What started as a small whimper quickly grew into a quiet sobbing that brought her to her knees. Virgil ran to where she rocked back and forth on her knees as she cried. He tried to calm her down as she buried her face into his chest.

"He won't talk or look at me, Virg," she cried as she clung to him. "He said that I was leaving him like Mom did and that he would be all alone. He can't think that I'm leaving him, can he?"

"John knows that you're not leaving him," he said in a tone that clearly said that he wasn't sure. Sam pushed away from Virgil and stood up. She ran to her door and back to John's door. She banged on his door as hard as she could.

"JOHN GLENN TRACY! YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" She yelled as she continued to bang on the door. Scott and Virgil had walked out to the hallway and tried to get her to go back to her room.

"I am not going anywhere until my stubborn twin brother talks to me and so help me and him if I have to break down the damn door to do it," she said through clenched teeth. There was still no answer from John. Gordon and Alan were looking out of their rooms trying to figure out what was going on. Sam saw them and remembered her promise to tuck them in.

"Are you ready for bed?" she asked. Both boys nodded hesitantly and watched as she walked towards Alan's room. "I'll be over in a minute to tuck you in Gordon."

She waited for Alan to climb into bed and she covered him up and leaned over to kiss him goodnight.

"Love you, Ally," she said.

"Love you, too, Sammie," he replied. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sweetie," she answered even though her heart felt as if it were shattering into pieces. "Now go to sleep and I'll see you before breakfast." She walked to his door and shut the light off and closed the door behind her.

She tucked Gordon in and made sure that he was covered up with his warm blankets.

"Love you, Gordy," she said as she gave him a kiss.

"Love you, too, Sammie," he said. He stared up at her and knew that she was hurting and wished he knew what he could do to make her feel better. She shut his light off and closed the door behind her as she left his room. The hallway was empty when she went back out. She walked over to John's door and was just about to knock when she heard Scott and Virgil's voices. She could still hear John crying and wished for nothing more than to be in his room comforting him. She knocked lightly on his door and waited patiently for someone to answer the door. It finally opened and she was surprised to see Scott blocking the doorway.

"Sam, go to your room, alright?" he asked. She looked up at him with her tear-streaked face and stood her ground.

"I have to talk to him, Scotty," she said softly. "He needs me and I need him." Scott knew how much this was hurting both of them but John was steadfast refusing to speak with Sam.

"He doesn't want to talk to you Sam," he said as gently as he could. Sam stumbled back as if he had slapped her. Shaking her head in denial, she walked back to her room dejectedly. Not even bothering to turn on her bedroom light, she walked to her bed and lay down on her bed. She looked up at the painting Virgil had done for her. Tears streamed down her face and soaked her pillow. Feeling emotionally worn out she began to drift off to sleep. Her sleep was plagued by dreams that caused her to toss and turn in her sleep.

"Mom, what did I do?" she asked the figure in white next to her. Her mother looked at her sadly.

"Oh, Honey, you didn't do anything," she said in a soft voice that made Sam feel loved. "John is just afraid. It's always been the two of you and now despite your promises to each other, he feels that you're leaving him."

"I won't leave him ever, doesn't he know that?" she asked. She wanted to do whatever she could to get her favorite brother back.

"You are both growing up and you will find a life partner when you are older. John is all too aware of it now because he saw you with that boy. He knows that your time together is fading," her mother said. "Do not fear the future, Sam. Nothing is set in stone. You will have choices to make and different opportunities will make themselves known to you when the time is right."

"Mom, I can't live without John. This hurts so badly. I feel like I did when you left us," Sam cried. Her mother began to fade from her dream.

"DON'T LEAVE ME MOMMY! DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!" she screamed in her sleep. "Johnny promised me that he would always be here and now he has left me, too." She cried in her sleep for John to come back to her.

"Samantha, wake up. You're having a nightmare," said a voice next to her. She opened her eyes and blinked hard as she struggled to focus on the faces next to her. Slowly Scott and Virgil's faces came into focus. She sat up quickly and wiped her cheeks with her hands.

"Sorry, I was dreaming," she whispered. She looked at their concerned faces and tried to smile. She lay back down and pulled her blankets up to her chin and closed her eyes. She felt her brothers get up and walk to her door.

"Leave it open, please," she said as she heard the door begin to close. Once she knew that they were in their rooms, she got up and went to her window and opened the curtains. She sat down in a chair and looked out at the starry night. She felt him come into her room before she saw him. She continued to stare out of the window. She shivered slightly and was surprised to feel a blanket being wrapped around her. He stood behind her and looked out at their mom's star. He had a dream about his mom and knew that she was telling them that they were growing up but they could stay together or drift apart the choice was theirs to make. He wanted to be with his sister and this evening had been one of the worst in his life. It seemed so unreal to not have his sister by his side. He never wanted to feel like that again. She leaned back against him and sighed.

"Don't do that to me again, John," she whispered. "I can't deal with it ever again. I'd rather die than to think that you don't love me or want me around." She couldn't stop the tears that began to fall. Instantly, she felt his arms go around her.

"I won't Sammie. I think it hurt me as much as it hurt you," he whispered back to her as a few stray tears streaked down his face. She stood up and faced her brother. Without a word they wrapped their arms around each other and held onto each other as if they were the only ones around. Sam let go first and went to her bedroom door and closed and locked it. She went back to her brother and took his hand and pulled him to her bed. She made him lie down and covered him up with the bedclothes that her bed was made up with. She went to a cabinet that held her extra bedclothes and grabbed a couple of more blankets and walked back to her bed and lay down on top of the bedclothes that John was under. She then covered herself with her blankets. She felt John's arm go around her waist. She snuggled back against him and within a matter of minutes both of them were sound asleep.

The next morning, Sam awoke to find herself still wrapped in her brother's arm. She carefully lifted his arm and slid off of the bed. She quietly grabbed her jeans and a sweatshirt and underclothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Thirty minutes later she was out and dressed with her hair up in a ponytail. John was sitting up on her bed.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she teased. He grinned up at her as he stood and walked to the door.

"See you in a bit. I'm going to take a shower and change," he said as he left her room. An hour later all six of the Tracy kids were in the cafeteria enjoying breakfast. They were just finishing up when Alex approached the table. All five of Sam's brothers looked up at him. Alex swallowed nervously but looked determinedly at each of them.

"Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon, and Alan, I would like to ask permission to date Samantha," he began. "I know that all of you have a strong bond and are protective of one another and I don't want to cause any problems but I really like her and would like to get to know her better if you'll allow me."

The brothers looked at each other and glanced at Sam.

"Alex, we have no problem with you dating our sister but if you do anything to hurt her you'll have to answer to all of us," said Scott. "By the way don't try any funny stuff with her because if she ends up with any problems, you'll have six major ones because I can say without a doubt our father will make your life miserable as well as the five of us." Feeling that he had made his point, Scott stood up and headed for the window to get rid of his tray. His brothers were right behind him. Sam lingered at the table to speak with Alex.

"I like you Alex and I want to date you but if it becomes too much and I feel as if I'm neglecting my brothers I will end our relationship," she warned. He smiled at her as she said what she felt.

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you Samantha," he replied. He leaned towards her and kissed her softly on her lips. Together they stood up and took their trays to the window and passed them into the dishwashers. They joined her brothers outside as they went back to the dorm. Sam and Alex sat in the common room of the dorm and watched TV and talked. Gordon and Alan were trying to spy on them so that they could report back to Scott. After one hour of watching them do nothing they gave up and went upstairs. Alex took the opportunity to lean over and kiss Sam.

"Alex, I think I'm going to go back to my room. I have a bit of reading that I need to do before we start class again tomorrow."

Alex stood up and offered her his hand. He escorted her to her room and with a chaste kiss on her cheek told her goodbye. He was aware that her brothers were looking out of Alan's room. He walked to the stairwell and went back to his own floor.

"Alright, my nosy brothers, you can come out of hiding now," she giggled. All five of her brothers came out of Alan's room and followed her into hers. They all had the same innocent expressions on their face.

"You guys are not innocent and I still love each of you," she admonished. She drew them into a hug and thanked her parents for giving her five protective and loving brothers. They hugged her back as they began to laugh at her comments. A sudden knock on her door got their attention.

"COME IN," Sam shouted. Catie walked in and shook her head at her friend and her friend's brothers.

"You are all seriously crazy," she said.

"Yet you love us all," replied Gordon as he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the Tracy hug. Catie began to giggle at his antics. Truth be told she really envied Sam and her brothers. She was an only child and her parents were always busy. Jeff made time for his children and none of the six ever felt left out. They always had someone to talk to about anything. She was surprised that Sam needed her as a friend when she had five close ones with her all the time.

Sam caught her eye and winked. Catie knew that her date had gone well and she'd soon hear about it. One by one Sam's brothers left her room to either study or in the case of Alan and Gordon plan some more mischief.

"So how did it go?" Catie asked as soon the boys left.

"John and Scott interrupted Alex and I just when he kissed me," she said. "Then Scott sat next to Alex in the theater and John leaned over our seats to keep us separated. After that they followed us to the restaurant and tried to sit next to our booth."

"You're joking right? They didn't do that," Catie said.

"Yeah, they did and then Scott, John and I got into a bit of an argument after Alex left me outside my door," she confided. "We reached an understanding and then this morning at breakfast, Alex asked permission from my brothers to date me. They gave their approval with just one threat."

Catie laughed at her friend. She wasn't envious of this aspect of her life. Sam looked at her and laughed with her. The two of them started talking about the new semester that was just a continuation of the classes they took last semester.

The next weekend when Alex and Sam went out on their date, Sam got a bit of a surprise in the form of her oldest brother walking down the street holding hands with another junior in his class. Sam thought that her name was Brook. She pulled Alex into a store and watched Scott walk by with his girlfriend. Once they were past the store, Sam pulled Alex and they followed Scott and Brook at a discreet distance. Soon they were at the same park that Alex and Sam had been to the previous weekend. Sam stood at the corner of the park and watched as Brook sat down on Scott's lap and they began to kiss. It wasn't long before Scott's hands were roaming beneath Brook's coat. They were totally oblivious of Sam and Alex.

Sam looked at Alex with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Somehow Alex knew that it wouldn't bode well for Scott.

"Payback for last weekend," she whispered. She crept around the back of the park. Her gaze never left her brother or his girlfriend. When she was standing behind them, she reached out and pulled them apart.

"Scott, what are you doing?" she demanded. "I thought that you loved me and here I find you making out with another girl. What am I going to tell our baby?" Scott looked at her with huge eyes and looked back at Brook.

Brook had stood up and was staring daggers at both Scott and Sam.

"What does she mean baby, Scott?" Brook demanded. Scott held up his hands and tried to speak.

"I don't have a baby. I swear it, Brook," he stammered.

"I can't believe that you'd deny your own flesh and blood," cried Sam as fake tears streamed down her cheeks. Alex was watching from the store front. He was shaking with laughter at his girlfriend's act. He wasn't aware that John had walked up behind him.

"What's going on Alex?" he asked. Alex jumped a bit and pointed out the scene in the park. John's eyes widened when he realized what Sam was doing. He joined in laughing with Alex.

"He doesn't stand a chance once she gets going," John mused.

"You do so have a baby, Scott," Sam yelled out loud. "You have a four baby brothers and one baby sister." Unable to hold back her laughter anymore, she doubled over and busted out laughing. Brook stared at Sam and back again at Scott as her words sank in. Scott jumped up and grabbed Sam by her shoulders.

"That wasn't funny Sam," he seethed. "Apologize to Brook for giving her false information about me. Remember you have to accept who I choose to date."

"I accept that you're dating her but this was payback for what you did to Alex and I last weekend," she retorted. "Brook, my name is Samantha Tracy. I'm Scott's only sister not his girlfriend and he does have four BABY brothers and a Baby sister. We're better known as John, Sam, Virgil, Gordon, and Alan. I was just getting back at him for a stunt he pulled on me and my boyfriend last weekend."

Looking back towards the storefront, she waved Alex over to her. John followed behind him.

"Brook, this is my boyfriend, Alex, and my twin brother, John," she said as she pointed them out. Scott looked at Brook begging her not to be mad.

"I guess I should watch myself around this family," she laughed. "Scott you warned me about Gordon and Alan but you failed to mention Sam."

Sam looked at Scott and gave him an evil grin. He groaned and shook his head. He knew that he was in for a bit of a lecture. Sam always gave as good as she got and she had certainly nailed him this time. She turned her attention back to Alex.

"Alex, I need to go to the craft store and pick some art stuff up for Virgil. Would you care to join me?" she asked. He grabbed her hand in his and together they headed out of the park. She stopped and looked back at John.

"Want to go with us, John?" she asked. "We're going out for an appetizer after we're done. Brook, you and Scott are welcome to join us."

"Sure, that sounds okay," said Brook and John at the same time. Sam held her free hand out to John. He took it and walked next to his sister and her boyfriend. He had something on his mind and decided to ask her.

"Sam, would you have any objection to me asking Catie out on a date?" he asked quietly. Sam looked over at him and smiled her biggest smile.

"John, if that would make you happy then I have no objections," she replied. He smiled back at her. She felt a tug on her other hand.

"Don't forget me," Alex playfully whined. Sam kissed him on his cheek.

"I won't forget you, Alex," she said truthfully.

That afternoon when they got back to the dorm they dropped off their packages and joined Virgil, Gordon, Alan, and Catie for dinner. John sat in between Catie and Sam.

"Catie, would you like to go out tomorrow for a movie and lunch?" he asked shyly. Catie looked up at him and over at Sam. Sam nodded at her.

"I would love to John," she answered. Virgil, Gordon, and Alan all began to whistle at John and Catie until Scott told them to knock it off.

The semester drew to a close with Gordon, Alan, and Scott all one year older. Brook and Scott dated the rest of their high school days. Alex and Sam remained a couple until they graduated college. Catie and John dated until they graduated high school. Then they went their separate ways.

The last week of school was a flurry of activities. Free time was spent packing and getting ready to fly home. Finally the day came when Jeff picked his children up at school and took them home.