Chapter 6: A Night Off
AN: Hey everyone. Next chapter is up and ready to go. I had a few delays, but I wanted to make sure I got one more chapter up before
the year ended. I also wanted to make this one a bit longer because of how long it's been since the last one. I hope you enjoy the chapter
and I'll continue working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Samantha had yet another dream of her past. She and her sister were playing hopscotch and her sister threw a small rock. It landed in one of the squares and she began hopping. Before Virginia reached her small rock, she fell down and started to cry.
"Ginny! Don't cry." The young Samantha said as she helped up her sister. "You just gotta try harder. You can do it. I know you can!" Virginia sniffled and nodded. She tried again, but went a little slower so she could focus. She reached her rock, picked it up, and hopped back. When she made it to the end, Samantha cheered and clapped her hands. Virginia rubbed her eyes again and giggled with a big smile on her face.
"I'm disappointed that your mother couldn't finish the simplest of jobs." A deep voice spoke out. Samantha looked up and saw Gannondorf sitting nearby. Instead of charging him like she did last time, she sat down and watched her younger self laughing and giggling with her best friend and younger sister.
"You did it, didn't you? You corrupted my mother and forced her to attack me. Why?" Samantha asked. "Why couldn't you face me yourself?"
"As I told you before, I could not harm you as long as you remained in Ylisstol…but your mother…" He chuckled. "No one would dare stop the great Queen Zelda."
"What are you planning?" Samantha asked.
"I have a question for you." He asked.
"Answer mine first!" She demanded.
"Why didn't you protect yourself?" He asked.
"I did my best." Samantha said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"No, I meant…" His voice trailed off as something else had occurred to him. "Oh…" He smiled. "I see…"
"What?" She asked as he started laughing.
"I see now…well played." He laughed as he started fading away.
"Who are you talking to? Wait, hold on!" Samantha called out, but Gannondorf was gone. She opened her eyes and looked around for a moment. She was inside a wooden house that looked pretty nice. The front door opened and a man stepped in.
"Ah! You're awake! I'm glad." The man turned around and all Samantha saw was some kind of contraption in place of his left eye.
"Allow me to…" his voice trailed off as he noticed the expression on her face. "You're staring at it, aren't you?"
"No!" Samantha blurted, but the man folded his arms and looked at her with doubt. "…maybe…yes…" She quietly admitted.
"I lost it while saving a young girl's life." He said as he walked towards Samantha. "A small price to pay to ensure the young girl could live a longer life." He put on his stethoscope. "Take a deep breath." Samantha did as she was told and he moved it to another spot on her chest. "And again." She did so again before he moved it to another part of her chest. "Once more." She took another breath and exhaled before he took off the stethoscope.
"I have a few questions." Samantha said quietly.
"I'm sure you do. But I have some good news and some bad news." Samantha was concerned, but as she looked around, she realized Genny wasn't here.
"Genny…Genny! Where's Genny?" Samantha panicked.
"Your daughter is fine. I believe I saw her flying around town. By the way, I have more questions about her, but I can ask them later." Samantha got up and tried to run out the door, but her legs gave out from under her. "Easy now." The doctor said as he helped her up and sat her back down on the bed.
"I need to see her." Samantha explained.
"In a minute. Now as I was saying, the good news is that her body temperature has risen, and her fever broke. She made a quick recovery and she's been happy for the past few days."
"Past few days?" Samantha asked. "How long was I out?"
"About three days." The doctor said.
"Three days?!" Samantha asked in shock and disbelief.
"Yes, three days. Your body was completely dehydrated, not to mention the nasty beating you took. You should be fine in perhaps two more days as long as you do not exert yourself."
"Ok, ok. Don't exert myself and I'll be fine. Thanks but I really need to-" Samantha started getting up, but the doctor put a hand on her shoulder; preventing her from standing up and she looked at him with concern.
"The bad news is, I feel that it is in your best interest to stay here for a few more days. At least today and tomorrow. I understand you're looking for a…ah…Ginny? Was it?"
"My sister, yeah. But how did you know?"
"You have been muttering to yourself in your sleep." Samantha's face turned light red. "Anyway, I cannot, in good conscience, let you leave yet. Your body has not fully recovered from…whatever it was that you were doing before. It is my recommendation that you stay for at least two more days." Samantha sat there and considered her options.
"Well, I won't decide until I have a few answers." Samantha said. "First off, who are you? And second, where am I?"
"How rude of me. I apologize." The man bowed his head for a second. "My name is Doctor Hardy. And you are in Forget-Me-Not Valley."
"Forget-me…huh?" Samantha's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She had never even heard of such a place.
"It's a quaint little village. We may not have the lights and the glamour of the city, but we have more heart." He smiled. "In any case, I have given you my professional opinion as a doctor. You can choose to heed my advice or ignore it. But I have done all I can for now." He held out his hand to help her to her feet. Samantha carefully stood on her feet and though her legs wobbled, she maintained her balance.
"Thank you. I…I think I may spend some time here and consider my options." She slowly exited the house and once she had left, the door closed behind her. She looked around at her surroundings and tried to make sense at what she saw. Down the way to the left was a two story structure that Samantha could only assume was a hotel of some kind. Almost directly across from her was a bar that had a sign above it.
"Blue Bar…" Samantha read. 'I suppose every town needs a place to relax and unwind.' She thought to herself. To her immediate right were a few more houses and a wide empty field between the bar and the hotel looking place.
'Better find Genny.' She thought as she looked up. Sure enough, Genny was flying with ease across the sky. Flying from one tree to another and Samantha started walking towards her.
"Genny!" She called out and Genny looked down and started flying straight at the princess.
"Genny, slow down, honey don't-" Samantha couldn't stop the child who flew right into her arms and she hugged her caretaker tightly.
"Sam!" She called out cheerfully.
"Did you miss me?" Samantha asked with a smile. Genny nodded and then she laid her head on Samantha's shoulder.
"Don't do that…" Genny said with a sniffle. "I was a big girl. I didn't cry."
"You didn't?"
"No." She rubbed one eye with her hand. "The lady is nice to me." She pointed and immediately changed her mood. Samantha walked over to the woman who bowed her head as she approached.
"Are you her mother? My name is Ruby. I run the Inner Inn." She gestured to the two story building she saw earlier.
"Ruby, thank you for watching over Genny. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your kindness. If…If I may, I'd like to request a room, if possible." Samantha set Genny down and realized she must have forgotten her wallet back in Ylisstol.
'Shit! Shit! Where is it? Where-' Her hand touched the back right pocket and, to her surprise, she found her wallet. 'Was my wallet in my back pocket this entire time?' She asked herself.
"How long will you be staying?" Ruby asked as Samantha's attention turned back to the woman.
"Oh. Um…let's say…two days?" She said although it sounded more like a question.
"Wonderful! The room upstairs will be ready for you. That will be twenty eight dollars." Samantha dug through her wallet. Her money was wrinkled, and crummy-looking, but it was still intact.
"How much is food? Like, three meals a day?"
"Well, that would be sixteen dollars a meal, so… one hundred twenty four dollars altogether."
"So it's like, one fifty…" Samantha did the math in her head quickly. "…two. Here's two hundred. Keep the change. Consider it my thanks for watching over her."
"You are too kind." Ruby said with a smile.
"Can we see the chickens?" Genny asked. "Please? Please? Please? Please? Pleeeeeeeeease?" She squirmed in her arms while she asked.
"Are there any chickens around here?" Samantha asked.
"Not in the open. Jack's farm should have a bunch of farm animals for her to see."
"Jack?" Samantha asked while Ruby nodded.
"He lives on the other side of that hill. It's the first left. You can't miss it." She said. "It's a wonderful little farm. She'll love it."
"We'll check it out. Thanks." Genny started flapping her wings and clapped.
"Yay! We get to see the chickens!" She exclaimed with joy. Samantha took the key to her room and the two started walking towards the farm. Once they reached it, it was pretty simple for a farm. A man was cutting the grass in the back while a dog was sleeping in the doghouse next to the home. A woman with brown hair and looked close to her age walked out of a building on the left and exhaled. She was wearing a green dress with an orange handkerchief around her head. The dog suddenly woke up and ran towards Genny and Samantha and started barking wildly. Genny tightly hugged Samantha and hid her face from the dog.
"Genny, it's ok." Samantha reassured the little girl.
"Rocky!" The woman called out. "You stop that." The woman slapped her thighs and the dog quickly ran back to his owner. "Go lay down, you silly dog." She pointed to the doghouse and the dog quickly ran back to his doghouse. "I'm really sorry about that. Rocky loves meeting new people." She said cheerfully. "I'm afraid to inform you that we've run out of milk. You should be able to purchase more tomorrow if you-"
"No, no. We're just visiting." Samantha said as she set Genny down on the ground. "We were told that we could come by this farm and see some animals."
"Chickens!" Genny exclaimed with excitement. The woman put her hands on her knees and gave the girl a big smile.
"Oh. My. Gosh. Aren't you just the cutest little girl?" She said as Genny giggled. We'll let the chickens out soon, but do you want to see the cows first?"
"Cows? Yes!" Genny clapped her hands.
"Manners, young lady." Samantha said quietly.
"…please?" She asked timidly.
"Of course." She looked up at Samantha. "You have raised your daughter well."
"Ah…she…she's not my daughter. I'm just her caretaker."
"I see." She said. "Well, in any case, my name is Celia. You've already met Rocky. My husband, Jack, is working hard in the fields."
"What were you doing? Are we keeping you from-"
"I was putting the milk in the cooler. I needed a break anyway." She laughed and put on a cheerful smile.
'Her positivity is infectious.' Samantha thought as she felt herself feel genuinely happier just talking to her. The three of them began walking towards the fence and before they reached it, Genny's wings started flapping quickly.
"PONY!" She with pep and joy. Samantha, trying to play it cool and not show her own excitement, slowly looked over and she saw the most beautiful horse she had ever laid eyes on.
"Woah…Who is that?" Samantha said in awe.
"The man or the horse?" Samantha snapped back and looked at Celia, but for some reason, she felt embarrassed. "Kidding." Celia giggled. "That's Jack's horse, Ace."
"Can I ride the pony?" Genny asked. Celia whistled once and Ace gently trotted towards the fence area where Celia was. Jack looked over and walked over to her.
"Hey Celia." He kissed the woman. "What's up?"
"This is Samantha and Genny." She looked at Samantha and Genny. "And little Genny wants to know if she could have a pony ride." Celia asked sweetly. Jack laughed heartily and smiled.
"Sure. I'm sure Ace wouldn't mind, what do you say?" The horse neighed with happiness as Jack picked Genny up and carefully placed her on the horse. "Alright now…hold on tight, and we're off." Ace turned around and slowly started walking.
"Sam! Watch me!" Genny called out and sat on the horse as Ace carefully walked around and ate grass. Jack was walking next to the horse for Genny's safety.
"You know, it's funny…" Samantha said as she leaned against the fence. "When I was little, my mother took me to a ranch near home. The first time I ever rode a horse…I'll never forget it."
"It's quite an exhilarating experience, isn't it?" Celia asked. Samantha nodded.
"I have always dreamed of owning horses. Mom said we couldn't keep them, but I went and visited the ranch almost every day. Just to see them. They're so beautiful."
"You really love animals, don't you?" Celia asked.
"Yeah…but my sister…" Samantha chuckled. "I swear…taking care of our pets was an obsession of hers." Samantha continued watching as Genny waved to Samantha with one hand as Samantha waved her fingers back at Genny.
"Is she a doctor?"
"I think she's like an assistant researcher or something. I don't know…we…kind of stopped having meaningful conversations a while ago." Samantha looked down like she had hit a nerve.
"So!" Celia said trying to change the subject to something lighter. "If you'd like, once a month, I meet up with some of my girls and we let our hair down and just talk. You're more than welcome to join us, if you want. Oh…dear." Samantha looked at Celia, who had a worried look on her face. Samantha turned around to see a woman with red hair walking up to Celia.
"Celia? What the hell? I finished the job, but come on you can't-" She saw Samantha leaning on the post and she cleared her throat. "Um…hey." She tried to play it cool.
"What's up?" Samantha tilted her head up to acknowledge the red haired woman.
"This is Nami." Celia said. "She's a dear friend of ours and helps us run the farm. Hey name, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Samantha to join us tonight."
"Seriously?" Nami asked.
"I'm not sure yet. I…don't really like leaving Genny out of my sights." Samantha said quietly.
"When's the last time you had a night to yourself?" Nami asked.
'It has been awhile since you had a night alone.' Samantha thought.
"Well…I don't know…"
"We can find a sitter. Lucina is great with kids." Another reminder that Samantha messed up a few days ago.
"Isn't she watching over her grandmother tonight?" Celia asked.
"Yeah. Thomas and Nathan are with her. I don't think she'll mind watching over another kid." Nami turned to Samantha. "She'll love it. Lucina lives in the biggest home in the valley. She'll love it there." Samantha hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she nodded.
"Excellent! It'll be so much fun." Celia clapped her hands together with excitement.
'I hope I don't regret this.' Samantha thought.
"Why not take it easy for the day? Stay here and just relax for now." Nami hopped over the fence and walked over to Genny and Jack. She placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek.
"I thought he was your husband." Samantha asked.
"Ah…it's…complicated." Celia slowly exhaled as Samantha watched Genny holding on to the horse as Nami now walked by the horse as Jack walked back to the house.
"Sam! Are you watching?" Genny called out.
"I see you, Genny." Samantha said as the horse stopped once again.
"I think that's enough for now." Nami helped the child off the horse.
"Aww…" Genny pouted while Nami held her.
"Hey…you wanna see the chickens?" She asked. Genny's expression quickly changed to a big smile.
Yeah!" The child cheered. Nami carried the girl over to the chicken coop and set her down.
"Close your eyes." Nami instructed. Genny did as she was told, but moved her fingers so she could peak through them.
"No peeking, silly." Nami tickled the girl and she giggled and laughed. Nami walked back towards the coop.
"Ok, ready?" She asked again.
"Yes." Genny nodded as Nami carefully opened the coop and let the chickens out. They started walking around and Genny was so happy, she could barely contain her excitement. Seeing Genny's excitement caused Samantha to smile as well.
"She really loves it here." Celia said.
"I guess we'll just stay forever." Samantha told her. Celia's smile faded and her cheeks turned light pink.
"I…f-forever? You…but…" She stammered.
"Relax. I'm just kidding." Samantha smiled and lightly tapped her shoulder. Celia's pink cheeks went back to normal as she began laughing.
"You're a jokester. You think you're so funny." Celia said as the two watched Genny gently brushing the chicken's feathers.
"I'm hilarious." Samantha said as she started chuckling. Genny started running back towards Samantha and started flapping her wings as before she approached her.
"Sam!" Genny exclaimed. "There were horsies, and chickens, and cows, and-"
"Hold on, Genny. Slow down." Samantha reached out and held the young girl. "Can we see more? Can we? Can we? Please?" Genny asked as her eyes lit up.
"Is there anything else to see here?" Samantha asked. "I mean we'll probably visit the rest of the town tomorrow." Samantha continued as Jack held two bottles of milk in his arms.
"Darling…" Jack set the bottles down and kissed Celia's cheek. Her cheeks turned light pink and a big smile appeared on her face. "Everything's done for today. I'm thinking of catching some fish." His attention turned to Samantha and Genny. "Did you two want to come?" He asked.
"Fishing?" Genny asked. "We get to see fishies?" Genny's eyes lit up.
"I think that'd be great, but I think we'll get lunch first."
"But Sam-" Genny protested.
"Genny, aren't you a little hungry?" Samantha asked. Genny looked down and then back at Samantha.
"…yes." She quietly said as she nodded her head.
"Let's get something to eat and then we'll go see the fishies." Samantha said cheerfully.
"Alright then." Jack said with a satisfactory tone. "I'll finish putting these away and I'll wait for you here."
"We'll grab something to eat and we'll come back. Come on, Genny." Genny flapped her wings and stayed close to Samantha as she walked back to the inn. When they arrived, Rose stepped out of the kitchen.
"You're just in time!" She said as she turned around and brought out a tray of two chicken pot pies.
"Oh man, they look delicious." Samantha said almost salivating by how good they smelled and how crispy it looked. Rose handed the tray to Samantha and went back to grab utensils and napkins for the two of them.
"Thank you." Genny said with a smile.
"You're very welcome, young lady." Rose smiled cheerfully as her husband stood behind the counter.
"How are you two settling in?" He asked.
"We're doing just fine…um…I-I don't think I got your name." Samantha admitted.
"My name is Tim." He said with a big smile. "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask any one of us for anything."
"Thank you, Tim and Rose. You have been so kind to us since we've arrived. I wish there was some way I could repay you for your kindness."
"Oh don't worry about it. Now eat. Your lunch is getting cold." Rose insisted. Samantha took the tray upstairs and set the tray on the ground before opening the door and entering their room. Genny flew in and softly crash landed on the bed before laughing.
"You goof." Samantha said as she set the tray on the desk nearby. "Genny, come here." She asked. Genny did as she was told and sat down while Samantha carefully cut open her pot pie. Upon cutting the crust, steam flowed upwards and the smell was incredible.
'How does it…wow…' Samantha was in awe at how incredibly good this looked. This was like a work of art; inside and out. She took some of the contents with the fork and blew on it to cool it down. She held the fork out and Genny opened her mouth. She fed the child and even Genny knew it was good.
"Mmmmmmmm!" Genny smiled and placed her hands on her stomach.
"It's good, right?"
"Yeah! Can I have more?" She asked.
"Sure. This whole pot pie is yours, but be careful. You don't want to burn yourself." She handed the fork to the girl and decided to try her own pot pie. She cut hers and, like Genny's, it was like the pot pie exhaled upon cutting the crust. She took a bite of her own pot pie and her taste buds were rocked. It was a simple dish, and yet, it was like nothing she had ever eaten before.
'How does she do it? It's so fresh and…oh my god…' She looked over at Genny who was also enjoying her food. The two finished eating and sat back and relaxed.
"I like that." Genny said as she leaned back in her chair.
"Let me bring these down and then we'll go fishing, ok?"
"Ok." Genny rubbed her eyes and Samantha decided that maybe she just wanted a little nap. She carried the child to the bed and tucked her in. Genny looked so peaceful in the bed and Samantha smiled.
'A little nap won't hurt anyone.' Samantha thought as she carefully opened the door before grabbing the tray and before she left, she flipped the lights off and quietly shut the door and walked down the stairs. As she reached the base, Tim came from around the counter.
"Samantha! Are you finished?" He asked.
"We are. I can wash the dishes if you-"
"Nonsense!" He took the tray from her and walked into the kitchen; Samantha quietly followed and watched as Tim washed the dishes. "How do you like Forget-Me-Not Valley?"
"So far, I love it. I think we'll explore more of the town tomorrow, but I love what I've seen so far." Samantha said as Tim smiled. "I'm going to walk to the bar. Maybe get me a drink or something." Samantha said to Tim.
"Alright. You know where I'll be." Tim said with a smile as he continued to clean the dishes. Samantha walked outside and made her way to the bar. She walked in and an older man stood behind the bar.
"Hey." The man said in a smooth voice while cleaning a glass. "What can I get you?"
"Um…j-just water, please." She said nervously. He grabbed a clean cup and filled it up with water.
"How…How much do I owe you?"
"For water? Don't worry about it." The man said. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Is it that obvious?" Samantha asked.
"It's all good." The man shrugged. "My name's Griffin. I make the drinks for Forget-Me-Not Valley." A girl opened the door next to the bar. She was tall and a bit older than Samantha. She wore a red dress, a blue jacket, a black band and matching black heels. "And that's Muffy. Muffy! Say hello to…" Griffin paused. "I don't think I got your name."
"Samantha." She said before she continued drinking her water.
"Hi!" Muffy said with a ton of excitement. "You're pretty cute." Samantha's face turned a light pink.
"Uh…I…th-thank…thank you?" Samantha asked; unsure how to take her compliment.
"Do you want to meet my friends later tonight? We can have so much fun!" She exclaimed with glee.
"I..um…I actually have plans with Celia and Nami." Samantha told her new friend.
"Oh! So you are going to hang with us." Muffy clapped her hands together.
"Us?" She asked.
"Celia, Nami, and I. We try to catch up every month or so blah, blah, blah. But it'll be nice to have someone else to talk with. It'll be so much fun!"
"Right…sounds great." Samantha said half-heartedly. "I…I should go. I'm meeting with Jack to go fishing." Samantha finished her drink and handed the cup to Griffin. "Thank you for the water."
"Sure." Griffin said with a smile as he started washing the glass.
"It's nice to meet you, Samantha. I can't wait for tonight." Muffy said with a big grin on her face. Samantha waved goodbye before heading back to the inn. She went upstairs to see if Genny was feeling more active. She carefully opened the door and peaked in at Genny.
"Genny?" Samantha whispered and didn't receive an answer. She quietly made her way to the bed where Genny was still sleeping. She gently placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her. "Genny?" She asked again. Genny yawned and stretched her arms and legs before stretching her wings.
"Are we gonna see the fishies?" Genny rubbed her eyes and asked.
"Yeah. We're going to see the fishies." Samantha smiled. "Let's get going, honey." Samantha picked Genny up and the two began walking towards Jack's farm. When they arrived, Jack was still working with Celia and Nami. Jack held a green tackle box and two poles in hand. Celia kissed one cheek and Nami kissed the other before he turned to leave.
"Hey!" Jack called out with a huge smile on his face.
"We're going to catch the fishies!" Genny declared followed by a giggle.
"That's right. As long as we have the greatest fish catcher." Jack said with a big smile as Genny cheered. "The best place to go fishing is up by the waterfall. You want to head up there?"
"Sure. It sounds like you know what's best." Samantha smiled at the man.
"Let's go!" She started tugging at Samantha's sleeve. Jack and Samantha said their goodbyes and began walking towards the woods. Jack led them to an opening and the three were now almost next to the waterfall itself.
"Alright, let me set up and then I'll have it ready in a minute." Jack said as he set the tackle box down and started setting up. He looked up for a second and Samantha looked at the ground and kicked the dirt. "Something on your mind?" Jack asked.
"I…" Samantha began, but her voice quickly faded as Jack continued working on the fishing pole.
"You want to know about the relationship I have with Celia and Nami, right?" He asked. There was a long pause between the two.
"I…I didn't want to be rude…" Samantha said.
"It's fine." Jack said as he stood up and cast the line out into the water. "Here, Genny." He gave her the pole. "If you feel a bite, let one of us know."
"Ok!" Genny said as she sat down and held the pole.
"Anyway…" Jack cleared his throat and walked towards Samantha. "A few weeks before I chose to marry Celia, I…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "…had a one night stand with Nami. I'm not saying that I meant for it to happen, but we were drunk, and things happened…"
"What happened?" Samantha asked. Jack just looked at her and without saying anything, she knew. "Oh…"
"After I proposed, Nami came back to talk to me in private about…our situation. I couldn't abandon her. So I explained the situation to Celia and I asked if she wanted to stay." Jack explained. "If you want to criticize me, go ahead. But I'm not going to regret keeping both Celia and Nami in my life."
"I'm not judging. I think it's speaks volumes about your character." Samantha smiled. "You're a good man, Jack. You sound like Marcus."
"Marcus…he's the…the blue fox guy, right?" To Samantha's surprise, she couldn't believe that with all he does, he actually knew a little something about her life.
"You…You know the tournament?" She asked.
"Not me. I don't get it. Fighting over some metal cup…it seems silly to me." Jack laughed. "No offence."
"None taken." She replied.
"But Nami…man, she's such a fan. I think her favorite fighter…let's see…" Jack was in deep thought. "She's tall…blonde…Stanmus? No, it's…"
"Samus?" Samantha asked.
"Yeah!" Jack pointed to her. "That's the one! She is her biggest fan. Or at least the biggest fan I know."
"She might have some competition now." Samantha smirked.
"You're a fan of hers too?" He asked. "Nami's going to flip."
"Well, yes. But I'm also her daughter."
"Wait…" Jack started before a huge grin spread across his face and he started laughing. "You're just saying that." Before Samantha could respond, Genny started yelling with excitement.
"Sam! I caught a fish!" She called out as the two of them noticed Genny's pole lightly bobbing. Jack walked over and helped Genny reel in the fish. She indeed caught a fish; however, her fish was a very small minnow.
"It's a great fish, but it's too small. We should let this little one go." He took the fish off the hook and threw it back into the river. He recast the line back in and walked back to Samantha.
"I'm really not." Samantha said. "When we're done here, come by the inn. I've got a few photos of mom and I when I was younger. I bet Nami would love it."
"Are you serious?" Jack started laughing again. "You should be ready for her. Nami is going to freak out when she finds out you're Samus's kid."
"Doesn't she know? I mean if she knows Samus-"
"She hasn't paid attention in the last couple of years. You know, with being a mother and working on the farm. But still, she's going to be excited." He smiled as Genny called out for Samantha again.
"Sam! I caught another fi-WAAAHHH!" Genny screamed as she struggled to hold the pole.
"Woah! Genny! Looks like you've got a big one." Jack said as he tried to grab the pole. Genny stood up and started flapping her wings in an attempt to gain more strength. Unfortunately, Genny was pulled into the river.
"Genny!" Samantha called out and immediately dove in after her. Genny was struggling to keep her head above the water. Jack was still trying to reel the fish in, and Samantha quickly swam after Genny. Before her head completely submerged, Samantha managed to grab the laguz child and held her up above water.
"You ok?" Samantha asked. Genny coughed and took deep breaths.
"Uh huh…" Genny nodded. "I don't wanna fish anymore."
"I think we're done fishing today. Let's look for a way out of here." Samantha looked around. It was a slow moving river, but it was quite deep. Samantha kept Genny's head above water and despite looking; she couldn't see a decent place to climb out.
"Sam!" Jack called out. She looked ahead and saw Jack on a wooden bridge. He was lying on his stomach and he reached out for her.
"Grab Genny! Then help me!" Samantha ordered as she swam towards him. As she got closer to the bridge, she was having trouble keeping Genny's head above water.
"S-Sa…Sa-m…mm…" Genny was falling under the water as Samantha struggled to keep her up.
'Just a bit more…come on…come on…' Samantha thought as she tried her best to keep her head above water. Finally, Samantha grabbed the bridge with one arm and pulled Genny up.
"I got ya." Jack said as he quickly grabbed the child and gently patted her back. Again, Genny was coughing and sputtering water. She shook her head and looked for Sam.
"Sam!" She cried out as Jack set her down nearby and then helped Samantha out of the river.
"You alright?" He asked as she nodded and quickly hugged Genny.
"Genny, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" She asked with worry.
"Uh huh." The child smiled as she hugged her caretaker. "Can I go see the cows again?"
"Sure." Samantha said. "We'll go back to the farm after this." Samantha said with a smile.
"Can I show you something before we go back?" Jack asked. "We need to go back up there."
"No! No more!" Genny almost yelled.
"I just want to show you something." Jack insisted.
"We'll go with Jack and then we'll go see the animals again." Samantha explained. Genny nodded as the three walked back to their fishing spot. As they approached and got closer to the river, Genny's grip on Samantha's shirt got a little tighter. Samantha immediately stopped.
"Don't worry Genny. We won't get any closer." Samantha said to the young girl. Jack came back holding a giant fish.
"This is what you caught, Genny." He smiled.
"I caught that?" She asked in amazement.
"Are you serious?" Samantha asked in a lower tone.
"Yeah. It's incredible. Let's bring it back and show Nami and Celia." Jack said as he put the fish away and grabbed the equipment as they began walking back to the farm. Nami and Celia were leaning against the fence watching the animals graze outside. Two young boys were walking around with a young teenage girl playing with them nearby.
"We're back." Jack called out.
"Already?" Celia asked. "Yoyu just le-" Her smile faded when she saw a drenched Genny and Samantha. "Oh my!" She covered her mouth in surprise. "What happened?"
"Genny caught this huge fish and got pulled in. Sam went in after her." Jack explained.
"Are they alright?" Celia asked with worry and concern.
"If…if it's alright with you, I…I'm wondering if Genny could stay here for awhile. I'm…" She laughed nervously. "I think I need to do some laundry and-"
"Hang on. I assume you'll want to wash Genny's clothes. Don't worry. I'll get her cleaned up and I'm sure we have some extra clothes for her."
"Celia…you're so nice to us…and you barely know who we are." Celia just smiled and deep down, it warmed Samantha's heart.
"I just like being nice." Celia giggled as she left. Nami walked over to Samantha and Genny.
"Hey Genny. You're all wet." Nami said. "How about we get nice and clean?"
"Yeah!" Genny said as she reached out for Nami.
"Hey Nami." Jack called out. "You're not going to believe what Sam told me while we were fishing."
"Jack, come on…" Samantha said while her cheeks turned rosy red.
"What's that?" She asked.
"You know that fighter person you used to be crazy about?"
"Yeah." Nami said as she tickled Genny.
"Sam is her daughter." Nami snapped her head around and her eyes grew big.
"You mean to tell me…you…you're…Samus is your mom?!" Nami asked.
"Yeah…" Samantha rubbed the back of her head.
"I have so many questions for you." Nami said in awe. But before she could ask any questions, Celia returned with a few clothes.
"They're not fashionable, but they're dry." Celia said cheerfully.
"I don't care about fashion, thank you so much, Celia!" She said with a big smile.
"Go back to the inn, take a nice long bath and we'll make sure that Genny is nice and clean when you're done." Samantha started walking away when Genny started calling out for her.
"Honey…" Samantha began as she gently patted her head. "I'm going to get all cleaned up and I'll come back. I promise." Genny's eyes started watering, but Samantha wiped away her tears. "Don't cry sweetie. I'll come back. I pinky promise." Samantha grabbed the child's pinky with her own. Genny smiled and waved at the princess. Samantha waved back looked at Celia.
"I…um…I'll need her clothes too."
"Oh! Right. Sorry." Celia apologized and quickly went inside with Genny. A few minutes later, she came back out with Genny's soaking wet clothes. "Sorry."
"It's alright." Samantha said sweetly as she walked back to the inn. Once she arrived, she began looking around for a bucket to use.
"Did you lose something?" Tim asked as he walked behind the counter.
"I'm just looking for a bucket or something to wash these clothes with. My mom taught me how to dry clothes outside. I just need a bucket and some soap.
"Give me a second." Tim said as he walked into the kitchen. He came back carrying a dry bucket and some soap.
"If you need a line, we have one behind the inn. As far as water, we have a well next to the Blue Bar. You'll need to get your own water. Sorry 'bout that."
"No, that's perfect. Thanks Tim." Samantha said as she went upstairs to take a nice relaxing shower. She entered her room and removed her clothes before stepping into the water. She let out a comforting, relaxed sigh. Samantha started washing her hair and her body. Eventually, the water hit Samantha back and she remembered what Doctor Hardy told her.
"You should be fine in perhaps two more days as long as you do not exert yourself."
"God damn it." Samantha muttered as she tipped her head back and let the water run over her head. She sighed with frustration as she continued cleaning herself. Once she finished showering, she dried herself off and put on the new set of clothes. She was now donning a white shirt with blue overalls.
"Not stylish, but it'll do." Samantha said as she grabbed the wet clothes and went outside. She began washing the clothes in the bucket and then hanging them on the line to dry. While she was washing clothes, she began humming a lullaby her mother sang to herself. Before she knew it, all the clothes were now hanging on the line.
"What song is that?" A man asked behind her. Samantha turned around to see a man with a giant green hat, purple glasses, and a long beard.
"It's…just a silly lullaby my mother sang to me when I was young." Samantha sheepishly said.
"It's beautiful." He said with a genuine smile.
"You are too kind. What's your name?"
"Gustafa." The man said.
"I'm Samantha."
"What brings you to Forget-Me-Not Valley?" He asked.
"I'm just passing by." Samantha said casually. Gustafa looked around and adjusted his glasses.
"Where's your daughter?" He asked.
"She's not my daughter. I'm just watching over her for now."
"Oh. How thoughtful." He said with a smile. "Well, if you're interested, tomorrow is the summer festival. You're more than welcome to attend with that little girl."
"That sounds awesome!" Samantha said with excitement.
"The whole town will be there…we'll play music, sing, it's really great." He explained. "Hope to see you there."
"I'm looking forward to it." Samantha said as Gustafa walked back to his hut. Samantha finished hanging up her clothes and with a little bit of time to herself, she decided to check in with Doctor Hardy. She walked back to the doctor's house and knocked on the door. The door opened and the doctor smiled.
"Ah! Samantha! I'm glad you stopped by." The doctor gestured for her to enter. "Let me run a small check-up." Samantha sat back down on the bed as the doctor began the check-up.
"Doctor, I…I think I might've ignored you about not exerting myself."
"What happened?" He asked as he moved his stethoscope to a different position on her back.
"Genny fell into the river and I went in after her. I…I struggled to keep her head above water…" The doctor looked at Samantha with surprise.
"Is she alright?" He asked with concern.
"Yeah, but…" Samantha's eyes started watering.
"Samantha, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself." The doctor finished checking her breathing and held her wrist to check her pulse.
"But she-" Samantha began to protest, but Doctor Hardy held up a finger while he was counting her pulse rate. After a couple of seconds, he put the stethoscope around his neck.
"Samantha, I can tell you deeply care about that child. You'd do anything to ensure her safety. It's wonderful to see how much you care and she trusts you. And since we're speaking about Genny…" He folded his arms and sat down in a nearby chair. "What…is she …ah…" He sighed. He wasn't quite sure how to word his question. "Where is Genny from? In all my life, I've never seen a human being with wings."
"She's a laguz from Kilvas…I think. In the Tellius region. My goal is to unite her with her mom and dad…but I need to make it to Tellius." Samantha explained. Doctor Hardy nodded.
"I wish you well in your journey." He smiled. "But I still believe it is in your best interests to stay here tonight and tomorrow."
"We're not going anywhere yet. We're staying tonight, probably staying tomorrow, and then…I don't know. I guess we'll see." Samantha smiled. "I should really go check on Genny." Samantha added.
"Of course." Doctor Hardy opened the door for the princess. "Feel free to come by anytime if either of you aren't feeling well."
"Thank you." Samantha cheerfully said as she left his home. She looked out at the sun which was now starting to set.
'I should really go see Genny.' Samantha thought to herself before walking towards Jack's farm. When she arrived, she saw that Genny was flying around the farm. She saw Samantha and sat on a part of the fence and faced her friend. She was wearing patched overalls and a pink shirt with rolled up sleeves. Her hairstyle was now sporting two low pigtails with two small black bows tying them off.
"Hey there." Samantha said with a smile. "Look at you! Wearing the cool outfit."
"You have them too!" Genny tugged at the overalls she had on.
"Yeah! We're both pretty cool." Samantha smiled while Celia and Nami walked towards her.
"See? I told you I knew her size." Celia nudged Nami's arm.
"Whatever." Nami rolled her eyes. "We're almost ready to go. You still interested?" Nami asked. Before Samantha could answer, a young boy tugged on her pant leg and Nami picked up the child and kissed his cheek.
"Who's that adorable little guy?" Samantha asked while another young boy walked up to Celia and held out his arms. Celia smiled and picked him up.
"This handsome fellow is Thomas." Celia informed the princess.
"And this is Nathan." Nami said.
"They look like little adventures." Samantha gushed.
"Every day is an adventure with these two. That's for sure." Nami said with a smile. A young teenage girl ran up to the group.
"Nami! Celia! I'm sorry to have bothered you! The boys have been playing all day and-" The girl noticed that both boys were calm and quiet. "I guess they just want to be their mothers." Her attention turned to Samantha. "Oops! Sorry. My name is Lucina."
"Sam." Samantha responded. "Listen, I…I don't suppose I can convince you to watch Genny for the night? I can pay you or-"
"It's no problem! I'd be happy to!" Lucina exclaimed while she looked at the child. "Hey, Genny! Want to have a sleepover?"
"What?" Genny asked.
"You can stay the night at my house and tomorrow, I'll bring you back to Sam." Genny's eyes lit up and she smiled at the idea of a sleepover, but she looked at Sam without smiling.
"Sam, can I? Please?" Genny asked.
"Sure." Sam smiled as Genny cheered. "But don't stay up too late, ok?"
"K!" Genny replied without really listening to her. Samantha looked at Lucina; who nodded in understanding. Genny flapped her wings and hugged Samantha again.
"Genny, I won't leave without you." Samantha reassured the girl. "Go have fun tonight. I'll make my own fun."
"Ok." Genny smiled and flapped her wings as the two left the farm.
"Mama!" Thomas called out as she reached for Samantha.
"I think Thomas wants to make a new friend." Celia said as she handed Samantha her son. He looked up at her with his beautiful brown eyes.
"What a cutie." Samantha said with a smile. Thomas snuggled against Samantha and rested his head on her shoulder before falling asleep.
"Aw…" Celia cooed. "You know, we have a little time. We could go take a walk through the forest if you'd like."
"Sure." Samantha smiled. "I've got all night." She quietly laughed and watched Nami playing with her son.
"Nathan's still up?" Celia asked.
"Yeah, I guess a little walk would be good for both." Nami said as she started walking with the other two girls. "Hey Jack, we'll be right back."
"Take your time." Jack said as he approached the women. "I'm just going to finish up here and head to bed early." The three women started walking towards the forest.
"Thomas really likes you." Celia admired.
"He such a handsome young man." Samantha gushed.
"He's my special little guy." Celia carefully managed to take Thomas back. The young boy yawned and rubbed his eyes gently.
"Are you sleepy, Thomas?" Celia asked as he rested his head against his mother's chest. The trio made their way towards the forest which was well lit and quiet calm. The only noise that could be heard was the wind passing through the trees and the chirping crickets.
"It's beautiful." Samantha said with awe.
"This is my quiet place." Celia said. "Whenever I feel stressed, I come out here and watch the fish in the pond, or listen to the crickets chirp, it's quite peaceful." Celia looked around and took a deep breath.
"It's really pretty in the winter with all the snow on the trees…you should really see it sometime." Nami added.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Samantha smiled as the three enjoyed the peace and quiet for a little while.
"My mother…" Samantha began as she gazed at the stars above. "She told me when I was younger that the stars above…they were the previous kings, queens, princes, and princesses of Hyrule. If you should ever get lost, the stars will guide you." Samantha noticed a shooting star dash across the sky.
"Hey! A shooting star." Samantha said while pointing at the sky.
"How fun!" Celia said. "Now you get to make a wish."
"I haven't done that in…ah…what the hell." She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes.
'I wish I could see mom again. Not as a purple monster thing, but alive and well.' Samantha thought to herself.
"What did you wish for?" Nami asked.
"No! She can't say! It won't come true if she tells anyone." Celia protested.
"She's right, you know." Samantha teased. Nami rolled her eyes as she looked up at the moon and sighed.
"We should get going. You know how Muffy likes us to be timely." Nami said. The three women walked back to the farm where Celia and Nami tucked their boys in and went to the Blue Bar with Samantha.
"You're late." Muffy said with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Calm down, we took a little walk through the forest." Nami explained. "And besides, we still showed up." Nami took a seat and Celia took a seat next to her. On the table were four separate decks, a bowl full of limes, four shot glasses, and a bottle of something.
"Fifty two T and D." Nami said with a smile as she turned to Samantha. "You know how to play?"
"No." Samantha quickly replied.
"Pull up a chair. I'll explain and you'll catch on quick." Nami said. Samantha took the chair across from Nami. Celia was to Samantha's left and Muffy sat on the right. "Have you played war before?"
"I…um…n-no." Samantha said as her cheeks turned a light pink.
"That's fine. Since you're the guest, pick a deck." Nami gestured to the four decks on the table. All four had the same design, but each had a different color.
"Come on, I wanted-" Muffy complained, but Celia held up her pointer finger.
"She is our guest. It's only fair." Muffy huffed, and folded her arms. "Don't let her mood get you down. Please, go ahead and choose a deck." Samantha looked at each deck before turning back to Muffy.
"What color do you usually pick?"
"Red." Muffy replied.
"Then I'll choose yellow." Samantha grabbed the yellow deck."
"Celia?" Nami asked.
"Green." Celia smiled and grabbed her deck.
"I get blue." Nami grabbed her deck and Muffy happily grabbed the red deck. "So now we shuffle." Nami explained while she shuffled her deck without watching her hands. "Or mix 'em up if you can't shuffle." Samantha tried shuffling, but her cards spilt on the ground. She picked them up and decided to just mix them up.
"Now hand them clockwise and do it again." Celia said as she handed her deck to Nami while her other hand was held out waiting for Samantha's deck. Samantha handed her deck to Celia and glanced at Muffy's deck. She mixed up Muffy's deck and the four mixed and shuffled all four decks before they ended up with their original deck.
"Ok, so now…flip the top card over." Nami instructed. Samantha flipped over an eight of clubs.
"Not bad." Nami said as Celia flipped over a three of diamonds. Nami flipped over a king of spades and smiled.
"Guess it's all on me." Muffy said as she flipped over a queen of spades and then groaned.
"Heh." Nami smiled. "Since Celia has the lowest card, she gets to choose truth or dare."
"Truth." Celia replied.
"She only says that, cause she's a prude." Nami joked and she felt Celia hit her arm before laughing. "And since I drew the highest card, I get to ask her whatever I want." She thought for a moment. "Favorite place to visit outside of the valley?"
"Hm…" Celia thought. "There was that hot spring place I went to last year. Where was it? There was that nice fellow…the one you called handsome?"
"Zelos, I think." Nami said.
"Right. Zelos. He allowed us to use that hot spring. It was…" Celia sighed dreamily. "It was so relaxing."
"You know…" Samantha began. "I've heard that Zelos is a complete perv-"
"Moving on!" Muffy declared and discarded all the cards in the center. Celia flipped her card and it showed a seven of hearts. Nami flipped over a six of diamonds. Muffy flipped over an ace of hearts.
"Aces are high." Nami pointed out. "If you get an ace, you almost always win." Nami explained while Muffy's attention turned to Samantha.
"Get a six or higher…oooh…." Muffy laughed while Samantha smiled. She paused for dramatic effect before flipped a ten of spades.
"Fuck!" Nami threw her hands up and shook her head. "Alright, dare."
"Hm…" Muffy thought. "I dare you to kiss the next person to walk through that door." She pointed at the entrance.
"Alright…" Nami rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm feeling lucky. Gustafa's not that bad looking and Cody's…well…" Nami cleared her throat.
"What if Van walks in?" Muffy asked while Celia quietly giggled.
"No. Not in a million years." Nami said with a smile. The four women looked forward and the next person to walk in was an older man hunched over with a cane.
"Galen…" Nami shook her head as she grabbed the bottle from the table. "That's not happening." She poured herself a drink and grabbed a slice of lime.
"If you don't want to answer a truth or perform a dare, you can always back out…" Muffy explained. "…but you need to take a shot."
"A shot of what?" Samantha asked while Nami set the bottle back on the table and slightly raised her glass.
"Bottoms up." She threw back the shot and immediately after setting her glass down, she sucked on slice of lime until all the juice had drained from it. She shook her head and quietly groaned. "Fuck, man…" She quietly said before exhaling.
"What is that?" Samantha asked while pointing to the large bottle.
"You've never drank tequila?" Nami asked.
"I…I don't usually drink." Samantha admitted.
"Oh, this'll be fun." Nami smirked and flipped over her next card. She flipped a three of hearts. Muffy started laughing and Nami was having too much fun to be mad. Muffy flipped a jack of clubs.
"Yes!" She cheered. Samantha flipped her card over to reveal a two of hearts. Celia, Nami, and Muffy began laughing.
"What are the odds?" Nami smiled and even though she drew the smallest card, Samantha smiled and joined in on the fun. "You gotta hope Celia draws a two." Celia flipped her card and it revealed a four of spades.
"Ha!" Muffy clapped her hands with excitement as now, Samantha got a turn to decide.
"Truth." Samantha said timidly.
"The three of us. Fuck, marry, kill."
"Are you serious?" Nami asked with surprise.
"Muffy, she's new to all this. You can't throw her in the deep end like that." Celia said with concern.
"What? It's not a bad question." Muffy tried to reason with the others. "Besides, she can always take a shot if she doesn't want to answer." Samantha could easily tell Muffy was trying to bait her into drinking, but she decided to go for it.
"Well, based on what I know about all of you. Don't get upset by my answers though." Samantha began. "I'd fuck Nami. Because she seems so cool and relaxed with everything and she's pretty laid back." Nami nodded her head and smiled. "I'd marry Celia because her smile is contagious and she…" Samantha's face started turning red. "You just…you make me happy and it's like I don't ever want that feeling to go away."
"Aww." Celia placed a hand over her heart and smiled.
"Which means, Muffy…
"I see. Kill the pretty one." Muffy scoffed before laughing.
"Sorry…" Samantha apologized.
"It's alright. We're just having fun." Muffy replied before she flipped her card over and revealed an eight of clubs. Samantha flipped her card over and showed a four of diamonds. Celia flipped her card over and showed a five of diamonds and Nami flipped her card over to show a seven of spades.
"Oh come on…" Samantha shook her head and sighed. "Alright…dare." She decided to do the opposite of what she said before.
"You should never let Muffy have a dare. She likes to push the limits." Nami advised the Hylian princess.
"She already said dare." Muffy said with a big smile. "I got it! I dare you to kiss Nami." Samantha froze in shock.
"Muffy, come on." Nami said with concern. "Are you seriously going to keep putting Sam on the spot?"
"It's just for fun." Muffy shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah but-"
"She can always take a shot if she doesn't want to do it." She winked at Samantha.
"I…um…" Samantha's eyes looked away from Nami as she felt for the bottle to pour.
"Aww…" Muffy jokingly teased. She threw back the shot and grabbed a lime to suck the juice. Once it was drained, she set it down and exhaled sharply.
"S-Sorry." Samantha said in an apologetic tone. "I've…I've only been with Marcus my entire life."
"He sounds like a wonderful man." Celia said with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah, but…" Samantha sighed and frowned. "I think he's…" Samantha started tearing up. "I-I'm having trouble moving on."
"I'm sorry." Celia said softly.
"No it's…" She sniffled. "It's been a hard couple of days. I don't mean to be a downer." Samantha took another shot and another lime.
"You don't need to keep playing if you don't want to." Nami suggested as Samantha exhaled sharply.
"It's fine…I…I'm actually having fun." Samantha said with a more positive beat. "I think." She added. Muffy flipped a two of diamonds. Samantha flipped a jack of spades. She smiled while Celia flipped over a jack of clubs. Finally Nami flipped over a nine of hearts.
"So…what do we do now?" Samantha asked. Nami got up and walked over to the bar while Samantha was looking for an answer. Nami returned with two full glasses of beer and before she sat down she brought over a pitcher of beer.
"You and Celia need to finish these. Whoever finishes the drink first, wins." Nami explained.
"O…Ok." Samantha said uneasy.
"Should I give her a head start?" Celia joked.
"It'd probably be fair if she drank half before you started." Muffy replied and the three women laughed as Celia held her glass out.
"Cheers." Celia said as Samantha clinked glasses with her and the two began to drink. Samantha tried drinking as fast as she could, but since she wasn't much of an alcoholic drinker, she wasn't drinking very quickly. Not even a third of the way through her drink, she heard a drink set down on the table. She looked to see Celia had finished her drink in a matter of seconds.
"Wha…How…" Samantha asked in shock and awe.
"I guess I win." Celia laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. Samantha shook her head and smiled as she tried to finish her drink quickly.
"You might as well enjoy it, now." Muffy said. Samantha slowed down and actually tried to enjoy her drink; but she still wasn't too fond of the flavor. So she quickly downed the rest of it and set the glass down.
"Wow." Nami said quietly.
"I…ugh…" Samantha's expression showed disapproval of the bitter taste. Muffy poured herself a shot and downed it quickly.
"Dare." Muffy said as she brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"I dare you…" Celia pondered. "Hm…I don't know." Celia laughed.
"This is why we don't let Celia come up with dares." Nami said while shaking her head. "How about performing a body shot off of each of us?"
"Ooh! Yes please!" Muffy gleefully clapped her hands.
"Nami, come on. We can't put Sam through this." Celia sternly said. Maybe it was the buzz that Samantha had going, or maybe she felt like mixing it up, but Samantha decided to go for it.
"I…this sounds crazy, but-"
"She's ok with it!" Muffy gleefully cheered.
"No!" Celia protested.
"Well…if…I mean, I'll try it…you know, once." Samantha quietly admitted.
"Are you sure? We won't think any less of you if-"
"No…I…" Samantha threw back another shot and groaned. "I'm ok."
"We should go in the back…I've got an idea." Nami said as she grabbed the bottle of tequila and the three shot glasses. Muffy grabbed a few limes before going behind the bar and grabbing the salt shaker.
"Muffy, what're you doing?" Griffin asked as he poured another drink for another patron.
"We're going to do body shots in the back!" She announced. Instead of acting surprised the bartender just nodded his head.
"Just be careful." He said and Muffy nodded to her friends before they went into the back. Once all four girls were in the back, she locked the door and turned around.
"So…how do we…do…do the thing?" Samantha's words were lightly slurred.
"I don't know if it's the official way to do it, but here's how we do it. First, you choose a place for the salt. Then, you put the lime in your mouth. I'll lick the salt, take the shot and I'll take the lime." Muffy said as she licked her lips. "Now then, where do we want it?"
"Oh my hand." Celia held out her right hand.
"I'm thinking…here." Nami pointed to her cleavage and smirked.
"Ooh Nami…you're so naughty." Muffy joked before turning to Samantha. "What do you think?"
"Uh…" Samantha began to think. "Suh…" She stopped mid-sentence and closed her eyes.
"Sam?" Celia asked and she immediately woke up and looked at her friends.
"Huh?"
"You feeling alright?" Nami asked.
"Yeah…um…" She turned back to Muffy. "Surprise me." Muffy's eyes lit up and a great big smile spread across her face.
"I. Love. Her." Muffy gushed. "I know exactly what I want to do." Celia pulled up a chair while Nami started to lie down. Samantha just stood by the door. Muffy took her by the hand and helped her lay down. She undid her overalls and gently lifted her shirt to expose her stomach. She poured a bit of salt and placed a lime on her lips.
"Breathe through your nose." Nami instructed and Samantha complied. Muffy then poured three shots and quickly got started. She licked Celia's hand, took the first shot, and then pressed her lips against Celia's to remove the lime and kiss her dear friend. Then she got on her hands and knees and crawled on top of Nami. She licked the salt off her cleavage and a low sultry moan came from the redhead. She took another shot and removed the lime from her mouth and provided her with a little something extra. Finally, she walked over to Samantha. She licked the salt, and her tongue kept traveling up from her stomach for a few more seconds, took the final shot, and removed the lime from her mouth. Her lips pressed against Samantha's and she felt her tongue explore the insides of her mouth. Samantha didn't want the moment to ever go away. It was an experience and she was actually having fun.
"Alright. How was that?" She asked. Samantha's face blushed red and she nodded.
"I…you were my first." She said.
"Your first? Your first kiss?" She asked. "But aren't you married?"
"No. I mean…with a girl. You were my first. I've never kissed anyone else except Marcus and…" Once again she trailed off as Muffy helped her to her feet.
"If you want, we could always go further." Muffy suggested with a seductive tone.
"Muffy!" Celia said with anger and the older blonde woman immediately dropped her suggestion. The three got dressed and continued playing games through the night.
"Last call! Last chance to get your drinks." Griffin called out and the four girls were in very different stages by this point. Celia, the most sober one of the four, stood up and cleaned the table before paying the tab.
"I hope we didn't cause too much trouble." Celia laughed nervously.
"You're fine. It's nothing I can't handle." He smiled and took the money. "Let me grab your change."
"Keep it. And thank you for allowing us our fun tonight. I'm afraid we got a little carried away." Celia looked back at the other three. Nami, who was just a bit buzzed, packed away the decks while the other two sat there. Muffy was a bit tipsy; her head moving side to side as she had trouble sitting still. And finally, there was Samantha; who was completely smashed. Thankfully she was sound asleep with her head resting in her arms.
"Is she going to be alright?" Griffin asked.
"She'll be fine…probably." Celia said.
"Have her swing by tomorrow. I'll make her something."
"Griffin, I don't think more alcohol is going to help her."
"No, but she's going to have one hell of a hangover. I'll fix her a little something to help her get over it. Just make sure she gets home safely."
"That's awfully kind of you. Of course we'll make sure she gets home safely." She smiled. Celia returned to the table and tapped Nami's shoulder so that she could help Samantha get up.
"Y'know what'd be fun?" Muffy asked.
"Shut up and go to bed, you drunk." Nami said as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. Muffy giggled before getting up and walking towards the back room they went in before and waved goodbye to her friends before entering the door and presumably, heading to bed.
"Hey Sam…wake up." Nami gently tapped Samantha's sheek to get the princess to wake up.
"I'm up." Samantha slurred before laughing. "What're we…*hic* What're we doing? Is it hot in here? I'm *hic* I'm really hot." Samantha started tugging at her clothes and tried to remove them.
"Oh no you don't." Celia said as the three began walking out the door. "You're going to bed."
"But I-*hic* I'm not sleepy…" She gave a quiet belch and a light groan. "I don't feel *hic* so good."
"Yeah, you drank, like, fourteen shots of tequila and drank…what? Nine? Ten beers? I'm pretty sure I'd be hammered too." Nami said as they walked back to the inn.
"Nami, can you make sure Samantha's ok tonight?" Celia asked.
"But we've got that big shipment in town tomorrow and-"
"I'll let Jack know what's going on. You know him. He'll understand. I just…" Celia began before growing concerned. "I'm just worried about her. I'll bring Genny with me so she can get some proper rest. Just please, make sure she's safe tonight."
"Ok." Nami said with a nod. "You're right. You're always right." Nami smiled as Samantha looked over at Nami.
"Hey…" Samantha slurred again. "Don't *hic* Don't tell uh…um…don't tell *hic* don't tell Ce…Cel…lery…or *hic* or Muh…Muff…*hic* muffin, but I'd totally fu-*hic* fuck, kill, and marry you."
"Did she call me Celery?" Celia asked before snickering.
"She is completely shit faced." Nami quietly laughed. "She's going to have no idea what happened tonight." The eventually made it to the inn and Nami fished in Samantha's pocket for her key to her room. The two got her inside and out of her clothes.
"I'm…gonna be *hic* I don't feel good." She placed a hand over her mouth as she let out another belch.
"She's going to throw up." Celia stated. "Nami-"
"On it." Nami quickly moved Samantha to the bathroom where she helped her kneel down and pulled back all her hair just before Samantha emptied the contents of her stomach in the toilet.
"You know, you can go if you want. I can handle it from here."
"No, it's fine. I'll get some water." Celia walked downstairs and left the two upstairs alone.
"Mom's gonna kill…*hic*…kill me." Samantha said as Nami flushed the toilet. "I'm a fucking joke…"
"Sam, you're drunk. Just relax and-"
"Virginia left me…Marcus…*hic* I wanna fuck the…the one girl…she's so *hic* so nice." Samantha looked like she was talking to the toilet or perhaps her reflection.
"Which girl are you talking about?" Nami asked with curiousity.
"The one girl, Yami." Samantha said before her head drooped down for a moment. "I wanna *hic* I wanna tell her that I love her and *hic* make her happy." Nami smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder before Celia returned with a large glass of water.
"How's she doing?" She asked.
"She's fine. Sam, drink this."
"What is it?" She asked.
"It's water." Samantha took a big gulp and swirled it around her mouth before letting it dribble out and spitting most of it in the toilet.
"Oops." She said while Nami cleaned her up.
"Let's get her to bed." Nami said as the two of them moved a drunken Samantha to the bed. She crawled into bed and fell asleep on her back.
"No." Nami said as she rolled the princess over to her stomach. Samantha was completely out of it as Celia tucked her in. Nami removed the other two pillows Samantha managed not to drool on and went to the storage room to grab a blanket.
"Go home, Celia. I'll make sure Sam's ok for the night." Nami smiled. Celia kissed her best friend and squeezed her hand before leaving the two alone. Nami made a small bed on the ground. Before she went to bed, she remembered that Jack told her that this was her hero's daughter. Nami walked over to Samantha's wallet and noticed a few photos she had. The first photo was one Nami recognized Samus and a young blonde haired girl in her arms.
'This must be Sam.' Nami thought as she flipped to the next photo. It was the same young girl and another girl with brown hair with their arms around each other like they were best friends.
'Virginia…maybe?' She flipped to the next photo and it was of Samantha in a gorgeous white dress and a blue fox man in a classic tuxedo.
'This must be Marcus.' Nami thought as she flipped to the next photo. The photo was two older women; one was Samus and the other…Nami wasn't exactly sure who it was. Samantha was sitting in front of Samus and the other girl was sitting in front of the other woman. Four pets sat in the very front with two boys sitting in the very front.
'A family photo. How nice.' Nami smiled and she was about to close the wallet, but she instead slipped a few bills into Samantha's wallet before closing it. Nami then walked to her self-made bed and closed her eyes before drifting off to sleep.