Although Sam had calmed down, all she could do was breathe. She truly was enjoying being in Austin's arms. She feared when she left them, she wouldn't feel complete.

Sam was brought back to the situation when Austin, who was getting beside himself with worry, asked her what was wrong for the third time.

"My step mother. I got home and she said some really hurtful and inconsiderate things." Sam finally answered.

"Sam, look at me." Austin demanded gently.

Sam looked at him. The amount of concern and care she saw lying in his eyes, touched her right to her very soul.

What could he possibly see in her? She was the diner girl, he was head of the football captain. This, whatever they were doing, wasn't going to turn out pretty. One of them would end up hurt and she had a feeling it was going to be her.

"Do you want to talk about what she said?" Austin asked.

Sam didn't know why, if anyone else had asked she would have said no, but she found herself launching into the details of her stepmother's hurtful words. And she did so without even thinking about it. And when she had finished, she didn't regret opening up to Austin.

Austin had a horrified look on his face. How could someone be so cruel to his beautiful Sam? What her stepmother said about her, sounded nothing like her. Austin had half the mind to go over to her house and give her stepmother a piece of his, and tell her what he thought about her. But he couldn't, his mom and dad had taught him better.

"Samarie, you do know that everything that was said isn't true at all right?" Austin asked, almost pleading for Sam not to buy into her stepmother's words. She had to see that her stepmother was the classic case of "misery loves company."

"I know the stuff she said about me never giving her a try, and comparing her to my mother was complete rubbish. But everything else seemed to hit right home." Sam answered getting quieter with every 8 words, so much that her last word was less than a whisper.

"You know that none of it is true." Austin began saying, but Sam looked away, sending Austin a clear message that she didn't want to hear it. But Austin wasn't having that. He gently turned her face and looked her straight in her eyes and told her "None of it is true. Don't let her succeed in tearing you down. Okay?"

Sam nodded her head. And just stared into those beautiful eyes that she could get lost in, and still feel safe. Sam noticed an emotion in Austin's eyes that she wasn't familiar with. But whatever it was, she knew it was just for her. And it made her feel warm on the inside. This confused Sam. She needed to get to the bottom of what she was feeling, so she could figure out what the heck was going on between the two of them.

"Austin," Sam started but decided that they had enough emotional talks for one day. "I think Fiona's car should be done by now. I should probably get back."

For a second Austin looked confused. Then he realized where they were, and the reason Sam had come to him, well the car wash. He nodded his head, coming back to reality. After all he was holding the girl he was in love with. He had to mentally prepare himself for the loss of contact.

"You're probably right." He said.

Then Austin opened the door and let Sam out, then let himself out.

They were walking back to the front of the building, each lost in their own thoughts, when Sam suddenly stopped and grabbed Austin's hand.

"Thank you Austin, for everything you've done for me today. You're a real sweetheart." Sam said then leaned in and gave Austin a kiss on his cheek.

Sam then turned and continued back to the front, but consciously did not let go of his hand. Truth be told she was dreading being out of his presence. He was like the calm and peace she needed. And she knew as soon as she drove off, the tears no doubt would return.

As if sensing her dread, Austin said, "Would you like to talk on your way home?"

Sam mentally thanked her lucky stars.

"I would actually love that." She smiled up at him. And Austin's day got that much better.

REALIZING REALITY

"It was so hilarious. I couldn't help but giggle at her and the twin's faces." Sam sleepily said to Austin over the phone, early that next morning.

Sam was explaining how Fiona's, who was sobering up, and the twins were having dinner when she got back from the car wash. They obviously had expected her to come back devastated, hurt, and in tears. Instead in walked Sam giggling on the phone going through the, "You hang up first, No you hang up first.", back and forth on the phone. Finally, when Sam and Austin hung up she went and put the salmon in the fridge and the dry-cleaning in Fiona's room with a huge grin. Then Sam went and handed a flabbergasted Fiona her Mercedes key. Needless to say her face was priceless and nothing short of "a Kodak moment" material. Sam couldn't resist the small giggle that slipped out as she walked towards the kitchen.

"I am pretty sure it was sweetheart. Way to keep you're foes in check. Throw them off guard." Austin said. "Baby, as much as I love talking to you and listening to you, its 5:30. And we both have to be at school tomorrow so I think we should go to sleep. Don't you?"

Austin's response was a light tiny snore. Austin chuckled thinking Sam was still up. Truth was Sam had started falling asleep at the end of her telling her story.

"Baby, are you really sleep?" Austin asked, his voice filled with amusement and bewilderment. How did she fall asleep so fast. Well that explained the many nights, or mornings rather, that he sat at his computer and waited for a response, that never came. "Goodnight my heart." Austin said and clicked off.

Sam was at her locker the next day, kind of in a grouchy mood after all she barely got an hour of sleep. Fiona woke Sam up at 6:45 demanding that she make her and the twin's breakfast. So Sam, the ever obedient, got up and did what she had to do. Then she quickly got ready for school and left.

Ok so she wasn't exactly standing at her locker, more like her head was down in her locker and she was slowly dozing off.

"Hey, there sleepyhead." A deep, masculine, sexy voice said in Sam's ear. "You fell asleep on me."

Sam turned around and leaned into Austin deciding he was a more comfortably pillow.

"Hey, you fell asleep on me I think this should be going the other way around." Austin said and then made a move to lean on her.

"No baby, you're so comfortable. Need sleep." was all the Sam said.

Austin had this stupid grin on his face. She had called him baby. This was going to be a good day. The warning bell rang and students started hustling and bustling to their first class. Sam, however didn't move.

"Babe, can you hit the snooze button on the alarm." She asked Austin, obviously mistaking the warning bell for her, or better yet their alarm clock.

Austin chuckled. His girl was something else.

"Sure baby. Where's your first class?"

Sam of course mumbled out where her class was. And Austin headed off that direction with her.

The duo were not aware of all the stares they were receiving. North Valley High had begun to put the puzzle pieces together. The diner girl was Austin's Cinderella? Some reacted to it with joy; they figured Sam deserved some happiness. Others couldn't really care less. Then there were those who didn't like it at all, and felt threatened. And when you feel threatened you strike.

Hey guys, could maybe review. It lets me know that someone's reading. And to those that have… Thank you it really means a lot