Author's Note: I'm noticing there's not too much interest in these chapters so far, is there anything you guys would like me to change? Any requests? Please let me know, I'm always happy to get feedback! PS sorry for the lateness in updates, I've been away on vacation on and off for the past couple of weeks so it's been tricky to get writing time in.

Sammy's lying in bed thumbing through a few half translated pages of lore we discovered earlier. It's almost 11:30 and I'm stretched out on the couch. I'm not much help with things that are still partly in Latin anyhow, so I'll wait until morning for Sam to fill me in.

In the meantime I'm daydreaming. I'm trying not to make myself teary eyed over the image in my head of Sam and Jesse together.

They're holding hands and I'm waving to them as they walk to the car with "just married" in white on the back window. Sammy looks so pretty in her dress. Her hair is done up in these pretty curls. She's holding a bunch of tiger lilies or something. Jesse is all well groomed and fine in his tux, holding Sam's arm and helping her down the steps...

I push the thought out of my head and roll over onto my stomach, glancing at the TV and back at Sam whose eyes are beginning to get heavy with sleep. She's been like this forever. Not willing to sleep until she's done with whatever task's at hand.

I only have one more page left. Sam's whining at me but I pick up her book and carefully tuck an old receipt in to hold her place. "Tomorrow Sammy, you can finish it during breakfast. Her little face pinches up and she crosses her arms. "It's not fair! Dee!" I lean over and kiss her on the nose, "Goodnight grumpy pants, sleep tight." Before I can even turn off the light her little eyes have fluttered closed...

I glance at the clock; it's only 11:35. Sam swipes at her eyes and flips another page over. "Almost done?" I ask sympathetically.

"Eh," she shrugs, "I'm getting there, still a few things I can't quite translate."

"You could..."

"Do it tomorrow," she finishes, but she's shaking her head no. "You can put the lights off; I'll go finish in the lobby and come back..."

I cut her off, "No, Sam. You just finish up here, that's okay."

She gives me a sleepy smile and goes back to reading.

"Dee, I can sit in the car by myself!" Sam's got her hands on her hips and one foot up on the floor of the car, prepared to climb back in. I've got my hand on her arm, pulling her with me into the store. "No Sammy, come on. You can't be out here by yourself and I've got to take a leak."

She's almost going to cry so I let her arm go and start digging around in my backpack for a lollypop. "Dee, I can do it, I'm a big girl..." Her eyes are starting to get puffy, we've had this fight before and she's getting more upset each time. But she's only eight and there's not a chance in Hell I'm letting her sit out here alone, even for a few seconds. It's my job: watch Sammy. I hand her the lollypop and offer her a hand. She takes the bribe, unwrapping the pop and taking my hand. After shoving the candy into her mouth she drags a sticky hand across her face, wiping her tears. She glances up at me; her bangs are stuck to her forehead and dangling into her gaze. "Next time can I stay?" she shoves at her hair with a sticky hand. It will be years before I can convince her to pin the stupid things back with a clip. "Maybe Sammy, maybe next time..."

"You want the lights off?" Sam's staring at me, the papers rested neatly on her knees. She's done reading. One hand is hovering on the light switch and her free hand is twirling her hair around her finger. Her bangs flopping lazily over one eye. Something just never change...

"Yeah, thanks," I reply.

She turns the lights off and I roll over and try to fall asleep. "Goodnight Sammy."

"Night, Dee."