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Sammy got up and smiled as Joey ran around the kitchen with his toy airplane making plane noises, over the last couple of weeks, he had become right at home, and acted like this is where he had always been.

Sammy was glad to see Toby and Mark getting closer, Mark seemed to realize his importance to the girl, and had started setting aside a hour a day just for him and her, they would walk on the beach and talk, she would smiled when she seen the way Toby looked at Mark, he was a easy man to love, she realized that herself.

Joey adored him, they had somehow become a family.

The only dark part of her world was her father, he worsened everyday, Mark had taken on the task of going to visit the man, only because he knew if he didn't Sammy would, and he didn't think she was able to deal with her father.

Mark would stop by and check on him and report back to Mia and Sammy on his condition.

'Well who would have thought the only visitor I would get would be you." Tyson said from his bed, he was worsening quickly and had been bedridden for the last week, he was on oxygen and painkillers all the time now.

Mark just shrugged and sat back in the chair. "Sammy and Mia want to know how you are, thats why I'm here."

Tyson smirked. "Touching, so how is my son?"

"Happy." Mark said.

Tyson took a deep breath, he was in a lot of pain. "I hear that my daughter has taken some orphan in."

Mark just nodded. "Yeah."

Tyson rolled his eyes. "Why don't you get busy and give Samantha some children of her own."

Mark looked out the window. "Because I haven't asked her to marry me yet?"

"Why?" The old man asked curious.

Mark shrugged. "I'm not good enough for her, for one thing, I'm not sure I'm meant to be a father, kids bug me."

Tyson sat up coughing a bit and Mark handed him some water. "Yet you take my son out of here, why?"

"Because I knew Sammy would want him, as long as she's happy thats all that counts." He said.

Tyson set the water down and looked at Mark. "Ask her, to marry you, you're just wasting time."

Mark snorted. "Like you want me to marry Sammy, yeah right."

"I admit, you wouldn't be my first choice, but she wants you, why waste time." Tyson said.

Mark just glared at the man. "What the hell do you know about love old man, you're in this bed dying alone."

"Maybe more than you think, I'm tired, leave." Tyson said laying back and closing his eyes.

Mark got up and left, he hated seeing the old bastard, but he knew the girls wanted to know how he was doing, he did it for them.

Sammy went and picked up Toby from school, she had become more confident in her driving skills, Joey chattered from his car seat and she smiled back at him. "Sissy." He squealed when he seen Toby running toward the car.

Toby jumped in the front and turned around. "Hey Joey."

"Sissy miss you." He said kicking his chubby legs.

"I missed you too." She said putting her seatbelt on.

"How was your day?" Sammy asked.

"Good, I'm reading really good now, I can read all by myself."

Sammy leaned over to hug Sammy. "I'm really proud of you, you're doing so good honey."

The little girl beamed, she couldn't wait to tell Mark.

Sammy frowned when she pulled in the driveway, there was strange car there and a man standing on the porch.

The man walked down to her car. "Ms. Black? I'm Walter Jones, from social services, I have to talk to you."

Sammy nodded. "Let me get the kids settled so we can talk."

Sammy had a bad feeling and she got the kids out, she just hoped they weren't going to take Toby, she had come to love the girl so much, she didn't think she could let her go.

The kids had a snack and sat in front of the TV and Sammy made some coffee and her and Mr. Jones at at the table.

"I'll get right to the point, Toby's mother is in rehab, she gets out in a week and she wants Toby back." He said.

Sammy jumped up. "You're joking, she dumped her on a public beach."

"I know how you feel, but my hands are tied, its the law and long as her mother gets off the drugs and can take care of her the court will order you to turn her over." Mr. Jones said.

Sammy wanted to scream. "So no matter what I do, its hopeless, she'll get her back?"

"Yes Ma'am, you can get a lawyer if you want, but he'll tell you the same, I don't like this either, but its the law."

Sammy showed the man out and walked back to the kitchen in a daze, she called Scott and told him what was going on, he told her he would see what he could find out and get back to her.

Sammy put on a act in front of the kids, she didn't want to upset Toby till she found out if there was anything she could do to stop this.

Mark came in and the kids jumped up hugging him, he bent down to talk to them a minute and then went to find Sammy, she was in the kitchen and as soon as she seen Mark she fell in his arms, he knew there was something wrong. "Shorty whats wrong?"

Sammy felt the words spill out of mouth is a rush telling Mark what the social worker had said, Mark felt like someone had punched him in the gut, he hadn't realized how attached to Toby he was until he heard they might lose her. "Did you call Scott?"

"Yes, he's going to look into it, we can get a lawyer, but the social worker said they always rule in favor of the parents,'

Mark hugged Sammy, he knew she must be devastated , "Well get a lawyer and at least try, okay?"

Sammy nodded but she had a feeling this was one thing Mark couldn't fix.

Mark had spent the afternoon on the phone with his lawyer and was beginning to realize it was about hopeless, Sammy was a foster parent she didn't stand a chance in court. He didn't want to tell her that, but he wasn't going to stat being dishonest at this point in their relationship.

They tried to put on a happy front in front of the kids, Sammy bathed them and put them in bed and Mark came in behind her, he tucked Joey in and hugged the boy. "Night little man."

"Nite nite Mark."

Mark got up and walked down the hall to Toby's room. Toby grinned when he came in and sat down on the side of the bed. "Tomorrow is Saturday, do you have to go to the gym?"

Mark smiled, he finally had the gym open and up and running. "I guess I could take the day off."

Toby smiled and looked up at Mark. "Can we go to the boardwalk, you and Sammy and Me and Joey, Please?"

Mark smiled and tucked the covers around her. "Well seeing how you've been extra good all week, I think we might do that."

The little girl sat up and threw her arms around Mark hugging him tight. "I love you."

Mark closed his eyes hugging her close for a second. He realized he loved this little girl too. "I love you too pup."

Mark tucked her in and walked down the hall to the living room, for once Sammy wasn't working, she was sitting on the couch just staring out the window. Mark sat down beside her. "Shorty, I'm sorry, it looks hopeless."

Sammy nodded. "Scott called and said the same thing, they have a court hearing for the mother next week, we can go and say our piece, but it wont change things."

Mark pulled her in his arms, he hated not being able to save her this pain, he felt useless, there was nothing he could do. "Shorty, I wish I could do something."

Sammy hugged him., "I know Mark, theres nothing either one of us can do, we'll tell her after the hearing, just to make sure thats going to happen."

Mark nodded in agreement, he hated to think how Toby was going to react.

Mark and Sammy both spent the next week, trying to put on a good front so Toby wouldn't know what was going on, but they were upset, Kevin, Mia , Scott and Bailey, were all upset about the turn of events, they talked to various lawyers, but found they all said the same thing. They all knew that Emma and Seth were going to be upset also. But at this point it was hopeless.

The day for the hearing came and they sent Toby to school and Bailey kept Joey for them. Sammy was all nerves, but Mark held her hand as they walked into the courtroom. They had a seat, Sammy looked at Toby's mother, she was surprised she looked so normal, in fact Toby looked a lot like her, but she reminded herself, this was the woman that dumped Toby on the beach, and forced her to live out of garbage cans so she wouldn't starve.

Mark kept his big hand over hers, as the judge began the hearing, the case worker for Dawn Johnson, got up and started on her case, as to why Dawn deserved Toby back, she went on about how she had got help for her drug problem, and that she would be supervised with the child for six months.

Then Toby's social worker took the stand and told how well Toby was doing in her new home, and that she was happy and well adjusted and had extended family, she made a good case but to no avail, the judge ordered Toby be turned over at social services the same next in one week.

Sammy jumped up and ran from the courtroom crying, Mark followed and found her outside at his truck, crying her eyes out. Mark pulled her in his arms. "Get it out of your system Shorty, we cant do this in front of Toby, you know that."

Sammy nodded. "I know, we're going to have to hope and pray her mother has changed, that this is good for her, but Mark, I just know its not so, I'm scared for her."

Mark held her tight, he wanted to cry himself, but he had to be strong for Sammy and Toby. "Social services is going to keep a eye on her for six months, if her mother starts acting stupid, they'll get her out of there." he said hoping he sounded convincing.

She nodded. "I hope you're right."

Mark and Sammy decided to tell Toby that night, they wanted her to have the whole week to prepare, so they put Joey to bed and called Toby over to sit between them. Sammy just looked at Mark pleading with her eyes for him to tell her. "Pup, you know how when you came here, the police wanted to see if you had any family looking for you?"

Toby nodded. "Yes Sir."

Mark put his arm around her. "Toby your Mama has been in rehab, you know what that is?"

Toby looked down at her hands. "Yes, it means she is getting off the drugs."

Mark nodded. "Well the judge thinks she is a lot better and they want you to go live with her."

Tears welled in the girls eyes. "No Mark, I wanna stay with you and Sammy and Joey."

Mark felt his heart breaking, at first he hadn't even liked Toby, now he didn't know what life around here would be like without her. "C'mere Pup." He pulled the little girl in his lap and wrapped his big arms around her. "Sammy and me, we love you , like our own kid, we don't want you to go, but the court says you have to."

Toby buried her face against his chest and cried, she felt like dying, she loved it here, Mark and Sammy were like her daddy and mommy.

Sammy rubbed her back and looked at Mark, she had tears in her eyes but she knew she couldn't fall apart that would just make Toby more upset. Toby looked up at Sammy. "Why would they send me back there, she just dumped me on the beach, its not fair, she wont take care of me."

Mark wanted to agree with her, but he couldn't voice his doubts in front of the girl. "Pup, the social services are going to keep a eye on you, if anything goes wrong, they'll get you out of there."

Toby climbed over in Sammy's lap hugging her. "Please don't make me go Sammy, I'll be good."

Sammy had to do her best not to burst into tears. "Honey you are good, I want to to memorize my and Mark's cell number, baby if you ever need us, we'll come get you."

Toby cried and wrapped herself around Sammy holding her tight. "I love you Sammy, do you promise if anything bad happens, you and Mark will come get me."

Mark bent and kissed the girl on the forehead. "We promise baby."

Mark wrapped his arms around both of them, for once in his life, he couldn't make things right, he had no clue what to do.