Hi guys! Thanks for being so patient with every chapter that I release! I appreciate all of the support! Here's another chapter for you!
"Nothing...nothing, and even more of nothing." Sam grumbled.
I walked past Sam, trying to search for any clues that could give us any sort of lead on the treasure. So far, it was a dead end, but I actually felt fairly confident that Nathan would no doubt find something that would lead us to Libertalia. I knew the trail to Libertalia was becoming more defined with every clue we would scrounge up together. Part of me forgot that we were doing this to save Sam, as I kept being reminded of my past and my parent's research. Based off of how things were on our end, I knew that Nathan had to have been on the verge of something.
Especially since he kept texting Sam pictures. That had to be a good sign.
"Hey, keep your chin up. Maybe Nathan and Sully will find something. Knowing Nathan's luck, he'll break a lot of shit along the way too." I chuckled softly.
For some reason, this doesn't seem to sway Sam with hope, and I feel bad instantly knowing that this is his life on the line. Before I can apologize though, Sam senses my guilt and changes the subject. I find myself surprised at Sam, but I don't dare question it and play along.
"So what was with the story of you two hanging off of a derailed train in the Himalayas? I mean, I thought Nathan exaggerated a lot of stuff, but...I dunno." Sam trailed off.
"Well, we were up against that war criminal Zaren Lazarevic...or was it Zoran?...anyway, we were up against him and we were trying to save our friend Chloe Frazer, you might know of her, and we just...shit literally spiraled out of control. We were outgunned and outnumbered. There was also Harry fucking Flynn. Never trust a man with an English accent." I explained poorly.
I can't believe I ever slept with that asshole...not that I'm going to bring it up in front of Sam. Fuck that.
"Okay so..." Sam looked a little confused.
"If we had more time, I'd go into more detail starting from the beginning of that adventure because I'm not sure what Nathan told you. But story short, we were just up against too many people and we stumbled upon something big without realizing it. Plus, Chloe didn't want to be rescued for some reason, and she refused to come with us. Add a conniving Brit and a psychopathic Russian war criminal into the mix and it all goes to hell. When things went bad, I was so afraid that I lost Nathan, and he kept worrying over me when we were rescued and brought into that village. It was both an exciting and terrifying experience." I clarified. "We both nearly died, but...just finding Shambala later in the end almost made it worth it. Marco Polo was a brilliant man. But we had to destroy it all in order to save the world." I smiled faintly.
"Sounds like you two have been through a lot together." Sam said.
Hearing Sam's tone, I could tell it was a mixture of sadness, anger, and jealousy. It wasn't quite directed towards Nathan, I could sense that he envied the things Nathan and I had discovered together, or was sad that he missed out on so much of our lives. Either way, it was heartbreaking to see Sam so...distressed. There was also something in Sam's voice that had irked me slightly.
Is he...implying that I was...together with Nathan at one point?
"Y'know...it always stung a little when everyone assumed that Nathan and I were together, or had been together- -whatever it was...it was just...it was such bullshit." I muttered softly. "I always had to reassure everyone that Nathan was just family, that he was like my younger brother and...I felt like I was always trying to prove something to everyone. I- -I hated it. I always felt like I was questioning myself sometimes." I frowned.
Or that Nathan wasn't Anne's father. That one was fun explaining to some people.
Sam nodded, looking somewhat relieved and also saddened that I'm admitting this to him.
"Every other relationship I had didn't last very long. Plus, Nathan was extremely protective of Anne and I. No guy wants to be with a woman that has a kid." I mumbled. "Nate would just snuff out the bad ones."
"Um...well...I mean- -" Sam began to stammer.
At Sam's almost timid behavior, I felt like this talk needed to be said now rather than later. Like ripping off the band-aid and just getting it over with. The subject of where Sam and I would be at after we'd found Avery's treasure. Of where we would stand together in regards to our child. Now that Sam was alive and in the picture, things would surely be different. Whether Sam wanted be apart of Anne's life, or if he'd rather remain anonymous as Anne's father, it didn't matter which.
"Alright, listen...I'd rather just...get this outta the way. I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. You were stuck in prison for fifteen years, and we had no way of contacting each other. I've been doing fairly decent as a single mother, so I'm just gonna propose this: If you don't want Anne to know that you're her father yet, then we'll keep it to ourselves. And..." I hesitate. "And if you don't wanna stick around, I won't force you to."
"Hey, hold on just a second."
Sam cut me off, grabbing my hand to prevent me from moving away as he stares at me with such intensity. I feel myself rooted to the spot as Sam confronts me, and it almost makes me regret saying anything at all. However, I knew this conversation was necessary.
"Of course I wanna meet her. Don't just assume that I'm some asshole that doesn't wanna know his own kid. I won't be like my old man and ditch, and you can count on that." He lowers his voice.
"Alright." I nodded.
I give his hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze before I let go.
"I wasn't trying to imply anything or word it like that, but...you're not ready to settle down." I told him. "That whole, picket-fence-family-man-life isn't for you and you've made that clear since we were teenagers, Sam."
The thought of gathering around a table at Thanksgiving or Christmas for dinner, exchanging baby photos...Sam was always repulsed by the idea of it.
Sam looks conflicted as I say this, but deep down, he knows that it's true.
"As much as I care about you, as much as I missed you, I won't hold you back." I rambled nervously. "You've...you've been in a prison f- -for fifteen years, and the last thing I want is to tie you down or make you feel obligated to stay with me just because of our daughter."
I knew that Sam could see the pained expression on my face as I told him this, but it was far too late to take anything back now.
This had to be said and done...before this was all over...
"Sam, of course you have every right to get to know Anne, but I won't tie you down to me. I refuse to..." I blink away tears.
I feel Sam peppering kisses all over my face as my eyes fall shut.
"Hey hey...it's gonna be alright. We don't have to figure out everything right now. Let's just...enjoy the moment. I know you've missed this. Look, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, baby." Sam assured me.
"No...I needed to get this out while I had the courage. As much as I missed you, I know I have to...to let you go when the time comes. I'm just trying to make this easier on the both of us when all of this is said and done with Avery's treasure."
"Let me go?" Sam echoes numbly. "What are you sayin', sweetheart?"
"I think you already know what I'm trying to tell you. But you're right, there'll be time for it later. Just...just give it some thought, yeah? About what you want when we pay off your debt to Alcazar." I said. "You don't have to say anything right now."
"I..." Sam paused. "I know we didn't always see eye-to-eye on everything when we were younger, but thank you, Theresa..."
I merely nod and move away to find more clues. I find myself surprised when Sam is literally inches behind me not even ten minutes later. I can practically feel him breathing down my neck, and turn to see him looking down at me with tearful eyes.
"Hey, there's no need for that." I tried smiling.
"Can't help it. You just...you know me too well. Even after being apart for fifteen years. You just...you can read me like an open book and I always used to be afraid about that fact."
Sam leans in, placing a delicate kiss to my forehead before pulling me in for an embrace. It feels warm and comforting, and I can't help but smile.
"I've pushed you to the limit when we were younger, tested your faithfulness so many times, and I know that I could be such an asshole to you. And I apologize for that. Just...be patient with me...please. No matter what happens, I'll always find my way back to you and Anne." Sam confessed.
I can't help but nod against Sam, and return his embrace wholeheartedly.
"I don't say it enough, but...I love you and you're too good to me." Sam mumbled softly.
"I- -I love you too. Always." I blushed.
After another minute or so, Sam finally pulls back, quickly wiping at his eyes before he turns away. For what appears to be the longest time, between the phone calls and texts to Nathan, there's an unbearable silence. I feel a dread inside of me, silently wishing that this adventure wouldn't end too soon, but also wanting to be back with Anne as soon as possible. With her birthday getting closer, I knew the time to tell her everything was just barely out of reach.
"So just out of curiosity, what's Anne like? What's she into?" Sam asked. "I'd rather not walk in blind and make it more awkward than it has to be."
Once again, I find myself surprised when I finally realized that the question was directed at me. I cheer up at Sam's curiosity of his daughter, and don't hesitate in responding.
"Well she's a lot like you actually. Really damn mischievous, always has a knack for getting into trouble when it comes to people bad mouthing her or her family. She's loyal to a fault, she's too damn clever for her own good...and she loves history like we do. She's not doing so hot in geometry, but that's because there's this boy in her class that I can tell she's crushing on and she can't focus. She's a total flirt when it comes to guys, but I've made sure that she's not completely stupid and careless when it comes to that department. She's a smart kid and...I feel like Elena and I taught her well. I can tell she's going places, just from how smart she is. Part of me hopes that she'll go to a nice college and not follow in our footsteps, but I also know that whatever she chooses to do...I'll be proud of her regardless."
Sam gave me a fond smile from my description as he pulled out another cigarette and lit it. It wasn't until after we explored the entire tower that Nathan was calling Sam from Sullivan's cellphone yet again. Sam's face lit up as he talked with Nathan on the phone, pacing around the area before he finally finished his cigarette and put it out. Finally, Sam put his new cellphone away, tucking it back into his pocket.
"You were right! Nathan found something! Which means we can meet up with them and get the hell outta here!" Sam grinned.
"What did I tell yah?" I let out a laugh.
Sam and I high-fived each other excitedly, picking up our pace as we made our way towards the entrance to the tower. Sam grew confused as he pulled out his phone and conversed with Nathan once again as we walk towards the entrance again.
It hasn't even been five minutes. What the hell?
Over the phone, I could hear Nathan's anxious and frantic tone as he shouted at Sam worriedly. It wasn't long before our smiles both vanished as soon as we opened the doors, seeing tons of Shoreline soldiers running towards us with their guns raised and aimed at us.
"SHIT!" Sam yelled.
We both scattered as we hurried to shut the front door, using something to keep it closed off and barricaded to buy us some time before we ran to find another exit. Sam threw his cellphone to the ground and began stomping on it until it was broken into pieces.
"Nathan says Rafe's been tracking us and monitoring everythin' that we do on our phones. We've gotta get out of here!" Sam panted heavily.
Well I guess it's a good thing that my phone is dead.
"There was a window over there! Let's go! The door will buy us some time!" I nodded frantically.
Sam and I made our way across the spacious area in the tower and found an old broken window, making it very convenient for us to climb through and attempt to escape as Shoreline was in the middle of breaking the front door down. The both of us landed in the grass, making a dash for it before more soldiers spotted us and started to shoot. Sam and I were forced to scramble away from each other, and went to find cover mere feet from each other.
"GO! I'll find you later!" I shouted over the gunfire.
Sam gave me a panicked look, about to object before he noticed more Shoreline heading towards us.
"NO! We have to stick together!" He finally argued.
"I'll be right behind you! Now fucking go before we're both caught!"
Sam cursed to himself before he finally nodded at me, a serious and grim look on his face.
"If it comes down to it, you know where to meet up! I'll see you there after we lose 'em!" Sam said confidently.
I nodded as I reloaded my pistol before firing back at them. I turned to look over, sighing in relief when I saw that Sam had made it out on a motorcycle he'd stolen from Shoreline, speeding away with more soldiers chasing after him in their cars. It took me a bit of time, picking off Shoreline soldiers one by one before I managed to inch my way over to one of their vehicles. I turned the car on, and without hesitation, I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal as I put the gear into drive.
"I'll return this to you guys later!" I yelled over my shoulder sarcastically.
I drove towards the direction Sam had escaped on the motorcycle, while following the sound of gunfire. It hadn't taken long before I could see Nathan hanging off the back of the truck, struggling to make it onto the back of the vehicle while avoid being shot at. I smirked as I turned on the radio, turning the volume all the way up and laughing once I could hear Guns' and Roses Welcome to the Jungle come on. I sped up the car, driving towards Nathan and ramming into the car to create a distraction and help Nathan out. Nathan quickly got onto the truck and beat up the mercenaries as their attention was on me. I bobbed my head to the beat of one of my favorite rock songs, singing along to it terribly I might add. Nathan looked over at me in disbelief before he let out a laugh, looking incredibly relieved to see me.
"Tara?! How the hell did you catch up so fast?!" Nathan yelled over the music.
I turned the volume down, before gesturing Nathan to get into the car which he gladly did.
"I have my ways, Nathan!" I winked at him. "Now get your ass in here and let's go get Sam!"
I grabbed my pistol, shooting at more mercenaries along the way after turning off the safety.
"Step on it! They're gaining on him!" Nathan shouted worriedly.
"Yeah, yeah! I got it!" I replied gruffly.
I pressed my foot on the gas pedal as I focused on my current objective to get to Sam as quickly as possible, making the car speed up to over eighty mph as Nathan fired his weapon. It felt like hours before the two of us had finally managed to catch up to Sam, the both of us extremely relieved to see him alive and well. Sam's hair blew wildly against the wind, and in a way it made him look almost majestic and more ruggishly handsome. I shook the thoughts from my head as I continued to drive, and watched Nathan stand up in his seat to cover Sam and get the soldiers away from him. Sam turned his head slightly, a huge grin on his face as he spotted us. I pulled up next to Sam, the both of us going full speed on our vehicles as more Shoreline soldiers were in the distance behind us.
"How's it going, Sammy?" I yelled over the loudness of the wind. "You havin' fun over there?"
Sam let out a laugh of what seemed to be relief as well as amusement, before he replied with a charming grin.
"Oh don't you worry, baby! The fun ain't over yet!" Sam smirked.
"I love you guys, but seriously Sam! Get in the damn car!" Nathan told him.
"I'm faster, stop arguing!" Sam rolled his eyes. "Tara's small enough to fit between the two of us!"
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment." I mumbled to myself.
Nathan and Sam continued their brotherly bickering, trying to make convincing arguments while we were going over 85 miles per hour. Finally, after several minutes, I began to grow anxious. When I got anxious, I was very easily irritated.
"ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" I snapped.
Sam and Nathan stopped in the middle of their sentences, looking at me in bewilderment as they saw the angry expression that was very evident on my face.
"I don't give a shit whether you go with Sam, Nate, but we've gotta do something, otherwise, we'll be fucking screwed as soon as Shoreline catches up to us! So make a damn decision why don't yah?!" I yelled impatiently.
"She's right Nathan! Just get over here! Both of you can fit! We'll be okay if we stick together!" Sam argued.
"God damn it, Sam- -" Nathan started. "LOOK OUT!"
My eyes widened as Sam was nearly hit by a huge bulking car, but he managed to pull back in the knick of time. I, however, didn't react fast enough and without hesitation, I held my arm in front of Nathan protectively as I attempted to use my arm as a seatbelt before it was too late.
"Jesus Christ!" Nathan breathed out.
My eyes blinked open slowly, seeing Nathan above me, dragging me across the dirt and mud away from the stolen vehicle that was now on fire.
"Tara! Wake up!" Nathan yelled worriedly.
My vision blurred as I moaned softly from the pain that spread across my body. I glanced over, seeing another huge Shoreline vehicle driving towards us, but before I was able to say anything, Sam came speeding over to us on the motorcycle.
"Get on!" Sam snapped.
Fucking hell...how am I not dead? Or at the very least, how do I not have a broken arm or even a concussion? What the fuck is even happening honestly?
Quickly, Nathan hauled my body to sit me on the motorcycle and got behind me until I was being sandwiched between the two brothers. I grew more aware that we were being chased down by that huge fucking truck and finally, I reached down the back of Sam's jeans, pulling out one of his extra guns before shooting behind me at Shoreline. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as Nathan and I kept firing our weapons, and as Sam maneuvered the motorcycle expertly.
"DUCK!"
I laid my head down on Sam's back quickly, as we nearly slid off of the motorcycle, drifting underneath some obstacle in our path before we skidded to a stop. We glanced over at the Shoreline truck that was in flames at the construction site we were currently at. Nathan, Sam, and I breathed heavily, small smiles outstretching on our faces from our victory.
Go fuck yourself Rafe Adler, you and Shoreline can go suck a bag of dicks.
"Holy fuck." I let out a laugh. "I can't believe we just survived that."
"I'm still trying to process that you're somehow sandwiched between us on this motorcycle." Nathan joked.
"Hey, I know I've been a little bit on the petite side, but you don't gotta tease me about it." I rolled my eyes playfully.
Sam shook his head as he chuckled, but didn't comment. Finally, we headed back for the motel we were staying at.
By the time we reached the motel, the sun was setting, and the moon was starting to peek out from behind the clouds. The air was cool in King's Bay and as I still felt the adrenaline coursing through me, I barely noticed the breeze picking up. After meeting up with Sully again, I stole one of his cigars from his pockets and lit it up despite his objections.
"You know, it's very rude to take someone's belongings." Sully joked.
"So I'll buy you a whole case of Cuban cigars. I need this, so sssshhhh."
I inhale the smoke eagerly, and relish at the slight burning sensation in the back of my throat.
I've missed smoking cigars...
"Damn, babe. You're shaking. Was that too much excitement for you?" Sam teased.
Sam wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer towards him as he planted his chin on my shoulder. I melted into him as he presses his lips to my ear.
"Mind if I have a whiff of that cigar?" Sam purred in my ear.
"You've got your cigarettes, you leech." I teased.
"That's a bad habit you know." Nathan shook his head.
"Yeah, well I haven't been in a car chase like that since we were at the Alps." I smirked.
"Don't remind me..." Nathan sighed.
Plus I started again since we got to Italy.
Nathan pulled out his notebook, along with several pieces of paper he had tucked away inside.
"Pro Deus Quod Licentia." Nathan recited. "This looks like a simple cipher." He chuckled.
"For God and Liberty. It's that damn motto, all those paradise references. I can't believe we missed it." Sam grinned.
"Well." Sully clapped his hands together. "I see you three made it out okay."
"Way better than okay." Sam smiled brightly. "We found Libertalia. Tara was right. This whole fucking time." He laughed.
"Liber-what-ia?" Sully raised an eyebrow.
"Libertalia. It seems Avery founded the legendary pirate colony." Nate responded.
"It was more of a pirate utopia really. Or as my parents liked to tell me." I let out another puff of smoke.
"Okay, but what about the treasure?" Sully asked.
I went over to Sully, throwing an arm around his shoulder as we walked together and conversed. Nathan stayed behind as he continued to sift through his notes and write down additional items.
"See, as the story goes, this place provided a safe haven for hundreds- -maybe even thousands of pirates. And they shared everything. Property, resources..." I explained excitedly.
"And money?"
"And they kept it all in one common treasury building." Sam finished with a smirk.
At this, Sully looked relieved and happy to hear the news.
"Okay, so..." Sully grinned. "Where is this...Commie pirate sanctuary?"
"Right here." Nate finally spoke up.
He handed his notebook over to us, allowing us to look at the map, along with his notes.
"Right on that island. Just northeast of King's Bay." Nate smirked.
"Nice work." I smiled smugly.
"And Rafe has a copy of this." Sully pointed out.
We followed Nathan as we conversed together, going to the room which held all of our supplies and belongings.
"Well by the time Rafe figures it out, we'll be well on our way to Libertalia." Nathan unlocked the door. "I'm tellin' yah. That treasure, is as good as ourss- -ssshit."
As we stepped inside the room, we were faced with two familiar faces we didn't expect to find here: Elena and Anne.
Fucking damn it.
"How's the Malaysia job going, Nate? Seems like you're a hair off course." Elena mumbled softly.
"Elena it's...it's not what it looks like." Nathan muttered weakly.
"Really...because what it looks like, is that you're searching for Henry Avery's buried treasure. And given the Shoreline soldiers that are all over town...I'd bet you're not the only ones looking for it."
"All right, well I...I guess it's kinda what it looks like." Nate smiled weakly, hoping to diffuse the tension.
Elena tossed the gun she held back onto the bed, as Anne sat quietly on top of the dresser nearby, just staring at all of us with an unreadable expression. Sam tensed up as he recognized Anne, probably from the small features that made her resemble him, and he tried to hold back that small gasp before it escaped his lips. I found myself being frozen on the spot as Anne finally got up from her spot and hopped down to the floor.
"But, but I can explain." Nate said. "Look, it's gonna sound crazy."
"Try us." Anne interjected.
"Well, for starters, um...This is Sam." Nate explained. "Sam Drake. My brother."
Sam waved his hand weakly, as he uttered out a small greeting. Elena glanced over at Sully, who pretty much verifies the story with just one look on his face.
"I'm sorry." Sully sighed guiltily.
"I, I thought he had died in a Panamanian jail." Nate continued.
"I- -I need to..." Elena stumbled back.
"But I was obviously very wrong. He's been stuck in there for fifteen years and it's because of me." Nathan told her. "And the guy that broke him out wants a lot of money, and the only way we can pay off the debt is Avery's treasure."
Elena closed her eyes, trying take deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, but I could tell she was ready to explode.
"But that's the good news, we found it! It's on an island just off the coast- -"
"Okay, just stop." Elena cut him off. "Was there...ever a Malaysia job?"
When Nathan found himself at a loss for words, Elena began to storm over to the front door at his lack of response. She'd heard all she needed to know.
"Elena wait!"
Elena whirled around as soon as she made it to the door, glaring at Nathan with such intensity that I'd never seen before.
"I don't get you." Elena muttered angrily.
"Look, I wanted to tell you- -"
"You know what? Enough!" Elena shouted.
"I wanted to tell you but how could I?!"
"I don't know just say it?!" Anne stared at Nathan in disbelief.
"I had to protect you!" Nate argued.
"That is bullshit, Nate! You just didn't have the nerve to face me. Again." Elena cut in.
"I knew you would react like this!" He objected.
"How would you react?! You lied to me...for weeks. If you or Tara were killed, I wouldn't have even known about it. Anne would be a fucking orphan! And now you have a brother? Who are you?" Elena glared at her husband.
"Come on, I'm me. C'mon it's me." Nate sighed. "It's different this time." He tried to assure her.
"Oh my god." Elena shook her head in disbelief.
"I have to save him! I don't even care about the treasure!" Nathan shouted.
"The look on your face when you walked into this room...if you're done lying to me, then you should stop lying to yourself. And I can't believe you'd bring Tara into this." Elena wiped away tears. "We've got a plane to catch. Come on Anne. Let's go."
Before Anne could object, Elena slammed the door behind her. Anne moved forward, glancing at me with the most pained expression on her face.
"So this is what you did when you were gone all these years? You...you lied..." Anne mumbled softly.
I stepped forward, feeling hurt when Anne took a step back from me.
"Baby, I can explain. I came because your uncle needed my help." I told her.
Anne then turned to glare at Nathan, something that surprised the four of us because she basically looked up to him, even idolized him, since she was a child.
"So you've been dragging my mother into your shit? For all these years?" She snapped. "So, it wasn't enough to grow up without a dad, but I could have lost my mother too? What the...what in the actual fuck is wrong with you?"
I could hear her Boston accent growing stronger the angrier she became. I got in front of Nathan, noticing how hurt he looked from his niece snapping at him like this. I hated how Elena and Anne were putting all of the blame on Nathan. Sure he asked for my help, but I could have said no, and yet I didn't.
Deep down, I loved this life. I was just too scared to admit it for all of these years.
"Anne, I was always going to tell you about all of this. I just wanted to wait until you were older and...and you can't shift all of the blame on your uncle when I came along willingly." I interjected again.
"Why? Why would you risk your life over some fucking treasure?!" She yelled angrily.
"Because I need to save someone I care about, and it isn't your uncle this time." I muttered softly.
I could feel myself shaking as I nearly let the truth slip out, knowing this would be the absolute worse time to tell Anne that her father was alive and standing right near her. It wasn't something that could be said so lightly, I had planned to sit her down and introduce her to Sam, but not like this.
"That's it?! That's all I get?!" Anne cried. "What? You need to save Sullivan?! Or this guy slinking back creepily?! WHAT?!"
I blinked away tears and finally stood tall as I gave my daughter a warning glance.
"Anne Bonnie Drake, you will not take that tone with me. I'm sorry about this, more than you'll ever know. But this isn't some...some fucking vacation for me! I didn't want to leave you like that! But then I knew what was at stake and I had to be here with your uncles. This is actually important because I have to save- -I just have to...I can't- -I can't lose him- -"
I could feel my breathing falter, and suddenly it felt like the world was caving in on me as my vision tunneled. I whimpered as I fell to my knees holding my hands over my head protectively as I tried calming myself down, though I knew it was too late. I was having another panic attack before I even realized it.
"MOM!" Anne shouted.
Anne looked scared as she got down on her knees with me and slowly reached out to touch me, but I flinched away. Quickly, Sam got down to his knees as well, quickly embracing me and began to rub soothing circles on my back. It was something that managed to calm me down when I was younger, though it had been years since Sam had to hold me like this.
I feel like I'm about to die...no...I can't...
"Sssh. It's okay. Yer fine, baby. It'll be okay." Sam murmured in my ear.
"Get away from her!" Anne glared at Sam. "I don't know you, and I certainly don't- -"
"Come on, kid. It's okay." Sully looked down at his niece.
"What the hell do you mean it's okay?! No! I'm not leaving her! She needs me- -"
"Anne. Come. We need to talk." Sully gave her a serious look.
Anne wiped away tears from her eyes before she reluctantly stood up and followed Sullivan out of the room.
"Come on back to me, Tara. It's okay." Sam mumbled.
Sam placed his forehead against mine before placing a small kiss on my lips.
"Sam...Sam don't leave me." I choked back a sob.
Sam seemed almost shell-shocked at this plea, but he nodded his head quickly.
"I'll never leave you again, baby. I promise." Sam told me.
"...I'm sorry." I barely whispered.
"Hey...you've got nothing to be sorry for. It happens." Sam assured me. "Nathan told me your anxiety went through the roof since I've been away, and...I get it. I really do."
"Where's Anne?" I asked.
"Sully took her out to have a word with her. She's okay." Sam answered.
I nearly sighed in relief and shakily moved to stand up, before nearly collapsing again. Sam caught me and moved to pick me up bridal style.
"Are you always this weak in the knees for me, baby-doll?" Sam lightly joked.
I could feel myself smile at Sam's words and laid my head on his chest as I felt exhaustion take over me. Sam turned back and gave Nathan a pained look as he moved towards the door.
"You need any help, Nathan?" Sam asked.
"No. I'm fine. Just...go take care of her." Nathan grumbled.
Nathan stood by the desk and kept looking down at every clue we had on Avery's treasure before getting to work again. Sam nodded and finally left with me in his arms.
FLASH!
"I just don't understand girls sometimes! They're so fucking- -"
I glared at Sam as I put out my cigarette and folded my arms as Sam gave me a sheepish smile. Even at 16, I could still see through Sam's bullshit.
"Go ahead and finish your sentence, I dare you." I told him.
Sam let out a dejected sigh before sitting down beside me on the roof top of St. Francis's orphanage.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You're one of the good girls." Sam let out a small chuckle.
I shook my head as I leaned back to stare up at the sky, amazed at how many stars were out tonight.
"I'm sorry about Crystal. I know you liked her a lot." I mumbled.
"Yeah, well...what's done is done. There are other fish in the sea." Sam replied.
"Ha. Never thought I'd hear you say some cheesy shit like that." I snorted.
Sam then gave me a playful glare, the look that caused the butterflies in my stomach to go in a frenzy and make my lower half heat up like a forest fire. When you're a teenager, your hormones go fucking crazy over small things like that here and there, and it pissed me off a lot. It didn't take much to realize how handsome and cute Sam had become over the years.
"Sorry, princess. What was that?" Sam lowered his voice.
I gasped as I realized how close our faces were now, and shivered from his warm breath fanning my face gently.
"I- -I said..."
I quickly put my hands on Sam's chest to push him away from me, but once his hands had enclosed around my wrists, I knew I was done for. If Sam was going to make a move, I wouldn't hold back either. I'll be selfish this one time.
"Sam..." I whimpered.
"I know you didn't like Crystal, but not for the reasons I once thought. You like me, don't you Tara?" Sam cut to the chase.
Why the hell does he have to say my name like that?
"I do. But Sam..." I paused. "You just broke up with a girl you liked a lot. We shouldn't be doing this..."
"You're right just...I need to take my mind off of her. Do you mind if I just...kiss you once?" Sam muttered softly.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Sammy." I sighed.
"Come on...just one kiss." Sam pouted.
"Sam- -"
"Please, doll-face?"
I shivered at the nickname and grew nervous as Sam quickly caught on to my reaction.
"Shit, you like little pet names huh?" Sam smirked.
"God you're such a horn-dog!" I blurted out.
Sam laughed at my comment and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. We sat in silence for several minutes again, just staring up at the stars once more.
"Just one kiss?"
"Sam!" I groaned in frustration.
"I'm not hearing a no..." Sam joked lightly.
I broke my gaze up at the sky and looked at Sam before biting my bottom lip.
"Just...don't make fun of me. I've never..."
"Never what?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Kissed anyone?"
I shyly nodded and could feel my face heat up in embarrassment.
"I can teach ya if y' want." Sam offered. "I was bad at it at first. But...I got better. Just follow my lead okay? We won't do anything else." He smiled warmly.
"Really?" I muttered.
"Tara, I would never do anything you didn't want." Sam grew serious.
"Okay." I nodded.
With that said, our faces moved closer inch by inch. I could feel Sam's breath fan my face lightly as he reached to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. Finally, I could feel his lips graze mine and I waited in anticipation.
"Relax, baby-doll. I'll take care of ya." Sam mumbled huskily.
I shuddered before I realized it and felt my eyes slide close as our lips finally connected. It wasn't like the romantic movies had made kissing seem like at all, for some reason it felt even better. The both of us laid against the roughness of the rooftop as our kissing began to grow more heated. I could feel Sam's hand move along my hip until it reached down to my ass and squeezed. I gasped against Sam's lips and could feel him smirking as his tongue slipped into my mouth. I pulled back slightly from the foreign sensation and stared at Sam in awe as well as lust.
"It's just French-kissing. Don't worry." Sam told me. "Just relax and enjoy the ride."
I felt my eyes flutter shut again before Sam slipped his tongue back into my mouth. I moaned softly as Sam gently bit my tongue and could feel that warm sensation in my lower belly begin to manifest. I instinctively maneuvered my legs over his waist and moved our hips together. The sensation was unlike anything I'd experienced before aside from a failed attempt at exploring my body once. Either way, I wanted to feel more, and experience more with Sam. Sam moaned against my lips as I slowly experimented and grinded my hips against his. Over the course of five minutes, he broke the kiss and looked at me through half-lidded eyes.
"Jesus. You sure you haven't done this before?" Sam joked. "You're awfully good at it."
"I'm sorry. I can't...I can't help it." I stammered.
"Damn...if I'd known that it would take kissin' to make your brain short circuit like this, I woulda' done it months ago." Sam smirked.
I bit my bottom lip again to prevent any noises from escaping, unsure at what Sam was implying. I could see the lust and adoration in Sam's expression as he moved his hand down to the zipper of my jeans and unbuttoned them.
"Is it okay if I get you off? I'm not gonna lie, yer really doin' things to me." Sam lowered his voice.
Hearing those words from Sam's lips made me whimper as I could feel myself getting wetter by the second. I could tell that Sam knew what he was doing and reluctantly spread my legs for him as a sign of approval. Sam nodded before moving to unzip and unbutton my pants. Once Sam could see my underwear he leaned down to give me another kiss. Sam kept eyecontact with me as he moved his hand underneath my underwear and finally touched my lower lips. I gasped loudly against Sam's mouth as I felt him rub his fingers teasingly against me.
"S- -Sam." I whimpered.
"I haven't even started yet, babe." Sam breathlessly spoke.
My eyes widened as I felt pleasure spark down in my very core and felt my hips twitch against Sam's hand as his fingers expertly moved against the small bundle of nerves down below. My mouth widened as I threw my head back, letting a small breathless moan escape my lips as Sam continued to massage my clit.
"Oh...oh God- -Sam- -" I muttered.
"It's ironic that we're at a Catholic orphanage." Sam chuckled.
I couldn't even bring myself to hit Sam from his lame joke, and continued to move my hips against his hand. I began to grow desperate for friction and could feel my breathing pick up.
"That's it, baby. Let go for me." Sam murmured into my ear.
It only took three more minutes before I moaned loudly into Sam's mouth, biting his bottom lip as I finally climaxed for the first time with another boy. White splashed against my vision as I rode out the waves of my orgasm, and eagerly I flicked my tongue against Sam's. After things settled down, Sam removed his hand from my pants and licked his fingers clean. I blinked tiredly up at Sam and caught him smiling at me warmly before claiming my lips once more.
"Well...that was fun." I finally spoke.
Sam laughed at my response and kissed me again.
"Just fun?" Sam raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"It was orgasmtastic." I joked.
"Oh my god." Sam snickered.
"Hey...uh, joking aside...thank you for that." I grew serious.
"No problem, sweetness." Sam replied. "Anytime. I'll be your first for everything."
"Oh really?" My lips quirked up.
"Fuck yeah." Sam smirked.
FLASH!
Hey guys! I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I updated. I've been incredibly busy with my job and my semester starting up again. Anyway, on another note, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I've never written any sort of smut, so I hope you enjoyed that. If it wasn't good, I'll get better at it, I promise. A lot of these flashbacks just kind of vary widely from their teenage years and early adulthood. So, if anyone's confused about that, there you go. ANYWAY, let me know you think! I love you guys!