Thank you for the great reviews, last chapter, hope you guys enjoyed the story. Thanks again.

"Joey get your little butt down here right now." Mark said frowning at the boy.

Joey had decided to climb on top of the fridge, Mark looked at the chair pushed to the counter and from the counter he had stacked two coffee cans to boost himself. Joey was a climber, and he was dangerous with it, Mark sighed as the boy shook his head. "No , I stay."

Mark sighed, as Joey had got more comfortable with him and Sammy, he was letting his terrible twos side show more and more, but Mark didn't let him get away with too much, the boy now had a timeout chair permanently seated in the living room.

"Joey, you don't tell me no, you'll be setting in the corner for ten minutes." Mark said firmly.

Joey stuck his lip and and tossed a box of cereal at Mark. "NO!"

Mark ducked and looked at the boy. "Now you just earned yourself a spanking, come here now."

Joey thought about it and suddenly realized he should have come down the first time, he went into Mark's big hands as Mark reached up to get him, he looked up at Mark. "I sowwry, no pank daddy."

Mark sighed, he had picked up the daddy thing from Emma and Seth, it made Mark happy when he called him daddy, but he had a feeling the boy was playing him, he realized the boy didn't look the least bit sorry.

"Sorry Joey, you know the rules, you didn't listen to me and then you threw something at me." Mark sat down and tucked the boy over his knee giving him four swats and set him back up on his lap. Big tears rolled down his cheeks, Joey overreacted to swats, corner time and anything else that didn't go his way. He buried his teary face in Mark's chest. "Sowwry Daddy."

Mark hugged the boy and rubbed his curly hair fondly. "Okay son, its all over okay, just listen to daddy ."

The little boy nodded and hugged Mark tight. "I sweeepy."

Mark picked him up and carried him down to his bedroom to put him down for a short nap. The boy closed his eyes and was asleep in a few minutes, Mark bent and brushed a kiss on the boys head.

His cell rang and Mark picked up the phone. "Hello."

"Hello son in law."

Mark rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"I don't think I'll make it through the night, I would like to see you and Samantha."

Mark sighed. Tyson didn't sound all that great, his voice was weak. "I'll ask her if she'll come, if she will, we'll be there after while, what about Mia?"

Tyson made a choking sound which Mark figured out was a laugh. "No point, she wont come, shes too much like me, she holds a grudge forever, Samantha will come, I know she will."

Mark hung up, Tyson was right, Sammy would go, that was just her way.

When Sammy came back from the grocery store, Mark sat her down and explained about her dad.

Sammy sighed and got up. "We'll leave Joey with Mia and Kevin, let's go."

Mark knew not to push her about her feelings, Sammy always came to him when she was ready to talk.

Sammy got Joey up from his nap and gave him some juice and crackers for snack. Mark watched Sammy with him and smiled, she loved the boy so much, they were in the process of adopting him, and they had discussed children, Sammy had stopped taking birth control, they had decided to have a baby.

Mark wasn't big on kids or so he kept telling himself, but he didn't examine to closely that the thought of a baby with Sammy excited him, and he adored Joey, he knew he was getting past the whole kid thing and even though he may be was a little tougher on the kids than Scott or Kevin would be, the kids accepted that Mark was just different with them, they seen past his gruff exterior and knew that Mark loved them.

Sammy had been upset all the last few days, Mark looked over at her from the driver's side of his truck. Toby's social worker had called and told them, that Toby and her mother had just disappeared, when they went for a home visit, the house was empty and both no where to be found, they said they were looking into it, but Mark didn't put much faith in the people that had let Toby fall through the cracks.

He had hired his own investigators to find Toby and her mother, but so far nothing. "Shorty, you okay?"

Sammy looked over at him and gave him a tremulous smile. "I don't know, everything is just so mixed up right now, I'm worried about Toby and I don't know how to feel about my dad."

Mark reached out and squeezed her hand. "I know Shorty. I'm here for you."

"I know you are." She said and turned to look out the window.

Mark sighed, he just hoped visiting her dad wasn't a big mistake.

Sammy and Mark were shown to Tyson's room by the maid. Sammy was shocked at how bad he looked, he had on oxygen and a steady drip of morphine. He looked up in obvious pain. "Samantha sit down."

She took a seat in the chair beside the bed. "I want to speak to her alone." Tyson rasped out.

"No way." Mark said standing there glaring at the dying man.

"Mark its okay, I'll be fine." Sammy said looking up at her husband.

Mark bent and kissed her cheek. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

Mark left and Sammy turned back to her father. "He loves you."

Sammy nodded. "He does and I love him."

Tyson coughed and closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them again he looked at Sammy. "I'm a bastard Samantha, my dying doesn't change that, but I have to ask, what would it take for you to forgive me?"

Sammy just shook her head. "I don't know."

Tyson sighed. "I don't deserve it anyway, Mia has the right idea, she's like me you know, stubborn and she never forgives a wrong."

Sammy sighed and just stared at her father, she used to be so scared of this man now she just felt sorry for him.

Tyson saw the pity on her face, Samantha was too kindhearted for her own good. "Do you think one kind selfish act would keep me out of hell?" He asked weakly coughing again.

Sammy smiled. "Do you really believe in hell?"

Tyson looked up at her. "I don't know, one cant be to careful, when one is dying."

Sammy stopped smiling. "Dad, why did you treat me and Mia the way you did?"

Tyson sighed. "You want a reason, maybe I'm just a bastard Samantha."

Sammy sighed and looked down at her hands, she used to dream about having a normal family a mother and father that loved her.

Tyson coughed again and Sammy looked up startled, he didn't look good at all. Finally he stopped and looked once again at Sammy. "I resented you two, because I hate your mother, I was forced into a marriage with her by my father, the woman I loved wasn't good enough according to my father, I am a bastard Sammy, but it wasn't your and Mia's fault, I took my misery out on you."

Sammy just shook her head, her father had caused them so much pain.

Tyson gasped and grabbed his chest. "So cold in here." He murmured

Sammy knew he was going, his skin took on a blueish hue. "Samantha turn the lights back on..."

Sammy watched as his breaths became slower, she couldn't let him die like this. "Dad, its okay..." She took his hand and he grasped it tight.

"Samantha why is it dark in here." He asked his voice fading to nothing.

Sammy just held his hand and leaned close so he could hear. "I forgive you dad."

Sammy watched the old man relax and his eyes closed, he took more more breath and the his chest rose no more.

Tears ran down her cheeks, for the father she never had, for his wasted life and she let go of his hand and tucked it on his chest. "Bye dad." She said and got up and left the room.

Mark knew as soon as he saw her face and he pulled her in his arms rocking her slight body with his, trying to comfort her, after a minute she looked up and smiled. "I'm okay."

Mark nodded and kissed her, Sammy was the strongest woman he had ever met, she had been through hell and back, but she was still standing.

The nurse came out of her father's room. "Mr. Caspian would like to see you in the den downstairs."

They nodded and headed down to the den, her dads lawyer was waiting for them. "My condolences Samantha."

Sammy sat down. "Is this to do with the will?"

"No, that will be read in two weeks time, there will be no funeral at your father's request, He will be cremated and I will scatter his ashes in the place he requested. However there is one item that he wanted you to have today, so if you will follow me." Samuel said standing up.

Sammy shook her head. "I don't want anything..."

Samuel smiled. "Well I think you might want to look before you turn it down."

Sammy shrugged and the followed the man down the hallway and out to the back patio door. Samuel opened the door and held it for them. "Go ahead."

"Sammy , Mark!"

Both stopped full of shock, when Toby ran at them, they both bent and enveloped the girl in their arms.

Sammy cried with relief. "Oh Toby, I been so worried about you."

Mark kissed the little girl and hugged her tight. "Pup are you okay?"

Toby grinned. "I'm fine. Mr. Samuel come to my ma's house and got me, he said you two would come get me soon, I been staying with him." She said pointing at the lawyer.

Mark hugged the girl and stood up. "We need to talk." He said to Samuel."

The man nodded and left Sammy and Toby talking and laughing.

"What gives?" Mark asked.

"Tyson had me pay the girls mother off, a hefty sum too." He handed Mark papers. "She has sighed over custody to the two of you, permanent custody and she took off."

Mark looked at the papers. "Adoption?"

"Yes, show up at this judges chambers in two weeks, to sign these papers, she'll be your daughter legally, its a done deal." Samuel said.

"How..."

Samuel just grinned. "Tyson has lots of money and lots of connections, don't worry about the how, its legal."

Mark was shocked. "Why would he do this?"

Samuel shrugged. "I just did what he said, I never did try to figure the man out, but if you're asking my opinion, maybe he was looking for some kind of forgiveness, he talked about the girls often, while he was sick, who knows though?"

Mark just nodded, he didn't really care, all he cared about was they had Toby back, and he smiled at the look of happiness on Sammy's face, that was worth everything.

When the Mark and Sammy walked in Mia's and Kevin's with Toby, Seth and Joey both about jumped all over her.

Mia walked over. "What happened?"

Sammy hugged her sister and took her hand . "Let's go talk."

Toby ran over hugging Kevin. "I missed you."

Kevin lifted the girl in his arms. "I missed you too sweetheart."

Mark smiled, everything seemed perfect now that they had Toby home. Kevin watched as Seth and Toby ran off to play, with Joey following them.

"Okay bro, what the hell happened?"

The two men sat down on the couch. "Their father died, and well his lawyer told us there was something the old man wanted us to have today, and he opened the door and there Toby was waiting for us, he paid her mother to sign over custody to me and Toby." Mark said still shocked by the turn of events.

Kevin smiled. "Well at least the old bastard did one thing right in his life."

Mark nodded, he didn't care why Tyson did it, he was just happy to have his girl back.

Mia sat in shock after what her sister had told her. "You okay Sis?"

Mia looked at her sister. "I don't know, I mean I hated the man, but he's dead, I don't know how I feel."

Sammy hugged Mia. "It's okay, I know its a lot to take in, if you need to talk, I'm here."

Mai hugged her sister tight. "Thanks, I'm just glad you got Toby back, so you really get to adopt her?"

"Yeah its set up for two weeks, Joey's adoption is going through soon, life is perfect sis." Sammy said smiling.

Mia smiled, out of his death, her father had given Sammy happiness, and for that Mia was grateful to the man.

When the two sisters went back in the living room Scott and Bailey were there, Scott hugging Toby and Emma was jumping up and down in excitement because her friend was back. Bailey came over hugging Sammy. "I know you must be so happy."

Sammy couldn't contain the grin that spread over her face. "Bailey, I'm so grateful to get Toby back."

Bailey nodded, things seemed to be working out great for Mark and Sammy. "I know, things have a way of working out, I guess you could say all three of us has been lucky finding the man of our dreams." She said gazing at Scott. Mia and Sammy silently agreed and they each gazed at their husbands.

Mark walked over and wrapped his arms around Sammy. "You okay?" he asked bending down to kiss her.

Sammy smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband, she thought about how far she had come since she met him, and the huge family she had, not just Mark and the kids, but Kevin, Mia and Seth and Scott, Bailey and Emma. Sammy was in love, a mother and never happier in her life. "Okay, does not began to describe how I am, I love you Mark."

Mark smiled. "I love you too Shorty, I never really lived till I met ya girl."

The others watched the two with a smile on their face, seeing how in love their friends were.

Emma grinned and looked at Seth and Toby. "See I told ya, Uncle Mark just needed to be kissing her a lot, now their married, I bet they'll have a baby soon, just like Mama."

Seth grinned and looked at Toby. "She's always right about love stuff."

Toby just grinned at her new parents. "I think a baby sister would be cool."

Mark just looked up at Toby and winked. "Don't worry Pup, we're working on it.

Epilogue

Three years later...

Mark came in from the gym and kicked his boots off. He stretched and stopped, it was way too quite, with three kids in the house, he knew the house was wide open when he came home.

He walked back through the house to the kitchen . He heard laughing on the deck and walked out, and stopped again.

"Mommy I want a tattoo right here on my arm." Five year old Joey said point to the spot on his arm, the only spot free of paint, He looked over at Toby, his beautiful girl, who was growing up so fast, she too was covered in designs her mother had panted on her.

He smiled as his watched his two year old daughter Rebbecca smile at the designs her mother had painted on her. She was a doll with her mothers brown curly hair and his green eyes.

Then he looked at his beautiful wife, she was covered too, it was obvious she had let the kids paint hers, she was a mess, he couldn't control the chuckle that had escaped his mouth.

Four pair of eyes turned to him. "Daddyyyyyy." Rebbecca said running on her short little legs, hurling herself at him. "Hey baby girl."

She giggled and kissed his rough cheek. "Mommy painting you?"

"No daddy, tattoos."

He smiled. "Oh I see."

Toby ran over hugging her dad. "Hey daddy."

Mark bent down to kiss her cheek. "Hey pup, you guys are a mess huh?"

"Daddy its not a mess, we look cool."

Mark just grinned and sat his smallest daughter down, giving Toby another kiss on her cheek, he walked over to bend down in front of Joey and Sammy. "Look daddy, I look just like you, just not as big." he said grinning.

Mark drew his son in for a hug ruffling his curly hair. "yeah ya do."

Mark looked down and realized he had paint all over him from the kids, he just shrugged and pulled his wife in his arms kissing her. Sammy leaned against him returning the kiss. He pulled back, "It is washable paint ,Shorty?"

Sammy frowned. "Umm well, I didn't really think to check..."

Mark burst out laughing and lifted her chin. "It'll wear off eventually..." He looked at her and realized he had a special album of her in his mind, all the times, she touched his heart made him laugh, little moments that made up their life together, he pulled her back in his arms and smiled as all three of the kids piled on them laughing.