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As previously stated, lest you should think I am one of the o-so-brilliant scribes at GH, let me make it perfectly clear… I am not now nor have I ever been a writer on GH; I don't own any of the characters (but I do have fun playing the fanfic puppet master of their lives) except my OC's (to come); I only hope to entertain and flex my writing skills.

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Story opens with Sam en route to school thinking about events that led up to her 1st kiss with Lucky.

(Flashback-winter)

Sam didn't want a fancy Sweet-16 like so many of the girls in her class had or planned to have. She wasn't friendless by any stretch of the imagination, but she also didn't think she could fill a party room with admirers or people wishing her well. Her mother on the other hand wanted to give her an out of this world celebration. Alexis had spent the greater part of Christmas vacation probing Sam for ideas about what she wanted and never heard that what she truly wanted was a quiet family dinner and this Tiffany's tennis bracelet she and Emily coveted in the magazines. They had gone around and around for a week before things blew up at dinner one night.

Sonny had made his pasta primavera and things were quiet during the meal (not the good quiet, but the deafening one) except for Krissy and Morgan slurping their noodles which was irritating everyone.

Michael was the first to lose it with the twins. "You two are making us all sick. Quit it already you little piggy."

They responded by oinking and snorting very loudly causing Michael to throw his napkin at them. Morgan picked up a handful of pasta and before he could position himself to aim Sonny clanked his fork on the side of his dish and said, "Don't even think about it."

Alexis stood behind Morgan and shook the pasta free from his chubby little fingers. "I'd say you two have had enough. Michael you know better than to throw things at the table."

Staring without remorse Michael didn't say a word. He just mumbled under his breath which his dad hated.

"What was that?" Sonny asked.

"Nothing, I just don't understand why they can't eat alone with Leticia until they can have a meal like human beings."

Sam was in no mood and since she couldn't take it out on her mom she let fly all over her brother. "Oh, please you were no joy at a dinner table at five either, believe me I remember listening to your disgusting sounds through many meals. Just stop picking on them you little punk."

"Shut up Sam!"

"That's enough! Take a corner you two and cool off. Leticia," Sonny hollered upstairs and the nanny came running. "Get them cleaned up for bed and no video tonight."

Sam was clearing the table and Michael was stewing just watching her and itching to say more. Alexis was stunned and not sure how things had taken such a quick turn. Her guess was they had spent one day to many together in close quarters and it was time for everyone to go back to work and school full-time. Sonny was way less understanding.

"What the hell has gotten into the both of you? Michael don't you ever throw anything at your brother or sisters and if I ever hear you yell at her to shut up again you're gonna have a major problem. You owe your sister an apology then get upstairs." Michael stared with no intent on apologizing. "If you want to go ice-skating with Peter tomorrow you better apologize right now."

Reluctantly he said, "Sorry for yelling at you Samantha." Then he took off upstairs.

Now that the dinner antics had been put to rest Sonny decided it was time to get to the root of what was really going on there tonight. "Alright, someone want to clue me in to what the real problem is here? You too have been painfully silent all night and even though he had it coming you were way over the top with your brother Sam. I mean, 'little punk', what television show did you get that from?"

Sam smiled a little at that, but then set her face right back to neutral. If Alexis wasn't going to saying anything about their fight then neither was she. Sonny eyed them both and decided if they didn't want to deal with it then he was staying out of it altogether. Getting up to exit the kitchen his wife's voice planted him at the threshold.

"Your daughter wants a hillbilly hoedown for her sweet-16. She's stubborn and uncooperative and is going to end up hating whatever I plan because she refuses to help." Alexis crossed her arms and stood behind the chairs to the right of her husband across from her daughter.

Wasting no time in lashing back Sam responded with just as much verve. "Your wife doesn't listen! I don't have any ideas because I don't want some stupid, fancy, phony party that's all about her fulfilling her fantasies and not mine." With that Sam dropped the plate she was holding in the sink and heard it shatter into a bunch of floral pieces drowning under a torrent of hot water. Sam hadn't had a meltdown like that in a long time and wasn't prepared to deal with the flood-gate of tears that followed. Leaving everything and everyone as they were she took off for her room and never looked back even with her father's voice bellowing up to her.

She had paced, she had cried, she had panicked, she had even called Emily to vent and after being holed up in her room for over an hour started to wonder what heinous punishment her parents were planning. Maybe if she just stayed in this room they'd forget all about her and her tiny outburst. Finally she changed into pajamas and was sitting on the floor going through an assortment of CDs when she answered the knock on the door. "Come in."

It was Sonny, alone, dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants his hair still wet from his shower. Sam wanted to ask where Alexis was but opted to let him steer the conversation. She just crossed her legs and looked up as he closed the door behind him and sat in the chair at her desk.

"So, I thought you hated the idea of boarding school." This wasn't the opening she was expecting, so she didn't respond and he continued. "My guess is you've changed your mind because if you speak to my wife like that again you'll be on a flight to Switzerland faster than you can say snow. We clear?"

He was loud and clear. Sam had messed up her first quarter at PCHS and the idea of boarding school was seriously talked about if she didn't shape up. She looked up with her warm chocolate puppy eyes and nodded her head.

"Not good enough young lady," his voice left no mystery about his feelings on the subject.

"Yes, we're clear." Abandoning her music she climbed on her bed and lay facing her dad.

"You want to tell me your side, minus the dramatics."

"Mom doesn't get me. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings and I know how much she missed out on living with crazy Helena, but she can't make me live out her wishes. I don't want a big fancy ball. I don't need one. Emily and I were thinking about a dinner party at the top of the Port Charles Hotel with a few friends and family since our birthdays are only a few days apart. I keep mentioning it to mom and she acts like she doesn't even hear me. I guess I just lost it with her. I feel bad, but it's just not what I want."

Pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his temples Sonny silently gave thanks that he wouldn't have to go through this with Kristina for at least ten years. "You have to talk to her. Explain it just the way you told me. The most important thing to Alexis is your happiness. That's what this is all really about. Now, you just have to come up with a way that your happiness doesn't equal her misery or vice versa."

"I guess I owe her an apology too, huh?"

"Sounds like a good idea."

"And if she still won't listen and I end up doing a Waltz in a big puffy dress?"

"I'll take over before it comes to that." He walked over and knelt before his not so little girl. "I can't believe you're going to be sixteen. Just don't go too fast for your old man." With that he kissed her forehead and exited the room.

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Sam and Alexis made up; she and Emily had their party and on February 15th she turned sweet-16. The dinner at the hotel had hit a few snags because she had to convince her parents that Lucky was only being invited because of Nikolas and the family connection plus Edward Quartermaine was less than thrilled about the shared festivities. But the girls got their matching bracelets shared a dance with their fathers and the guy of their choice. Alexis pretty much had to sit on Sonny during that part, but he behaved for the three and half minutes the song played. Samantha also had to endure Elizabeth Webber for the evening. She was in Lucky's year at school and a friend of Emily's because her grams and the Drs. Q worked together. For some reason she never liked Sam and treated her with cool indifference majority of the time. It didn't matter though because for three and half minutes she was spinning around in Lucky's arms and feeling like anything but the whiz kid tutor he saw her as ninety percent of the time. At the end of the evening as folks were leaving they ended up being one of the last groups down to the lobby. With the elevator packed they opted to wait for the next one. She knew her dad would be in flip out mode, but these few minutes alone with Lucky was all she could focus on. They climbed in the elevator and he held onto the last two shopping bags of presents while she buttoned her coat.

Looking up at the lit floors she knew she had to do or say something. "So, now that I'm officially sixteen do I get a birthday kiss?"

Caught completely off guard Lucky turned slightly to make sure she was talking to him. But they were alone so of course she was and he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the corner of her mouth getting mostly cheek in the process.

"I'm sixteen not six the only guy kissing me that way is my father. I meant a real kiss." Sam's internal dialogue was not this sure of itself at all. She and Emily always talked about making the first move, but before this moment it was all hypothetical.

Lucky glanced at the numbers again and then put the bags down and leaned in for a "real" kiss. He didn't know what to think about this, but she looked hot and she wanted it, so he thought what the heck and tried to give her a birthday kiss she'd never forget.

As far as first go, thought Sam, this wasn't bad at all. She was tense at first, but then relaxed a bit and figured out how to breathe with someone else's tongue in her mouth. The bell dinged and she pulled from him like his lips were suddenly made of fire. Lucky quickly picked up the bags and when the doors opened Sam practically floated from the elevator with Lucky on her heels. She felt flushed like she did when she had the flu and thought everyone in the lobby knew what she'd done, but in actuality no one noticed them at all… no one that is except Elizabeth.

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The car lurched to a stop behind the early bus. Sam was still caught up in her memories from a few months ago. She had tutored Lucky three days a week since then, but they never talked about that kiss in the elevator and he never made a move for another one. In Sam's mind though she had built it up to something magnificent and every gesture he made or attention he gave she saw as an invitation.

Cold air whipped past her and nearly froze her legs in place. Milo had the door open and was waiting for her to exit the vehicle. "Miss Samantha, I don't think they'll come out here to teach you."

"Sorry Milo, I guess I'm a little unfocused." Sam took off for the building and headed straight for Mrs. Danzinger's class. She was the faculty advisor for the dance committee and the one Sam had to convince to let her and Emily join in the eleventh hour.

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Emily was standing by her locker when Sam rushed up to her out of breath and spewing information.

"Hey, we need to go to Kelly's after-school today to meet with the dance committee about the Spring Fling. Have some ideas on where to put the DJ booth and tables because I had to convince Mrs. Danzinger that we were experts at this whole party planning thing. Plus we're on clean up crew too. It was the only part of the team really lacking and she wouldn't take us both if I didn't agree to it."

"Huh, what?" Confused didn't begin to cover Emily's feelings. "Why are we on the dance the committee? How did we get on the dance committee? I have to do my volunteer hours at the hospital today."

"Call in, you have to call in. I already told my dad we were doing this together. It's the only way he'll let me go to this dance and stay late. And I am going to this dance with Lucky Spencer. There's this great dress I already have picked out."

"You can't go with Lucky. You dad won't let you go on a date. Unless… did he change his mind?" Emily slammed her locker shut and they made there way down the hall to Sam's locker. They only had a few more minutes then they wouldn't see each other again until lunch. They had completely different schedules.

"Of course he hasn't changed his mind that's why we had to be on the committee. We'll get dropped off and meet the guys here. I just have to get Lucky to ask me."

"And who am I supposed to ask?" Emily crossed her arms and asked incredulously.

"Nikolas of course and stop worrying all of the details will work themselves out."

"Details for what?" Lucky wanted to know as he came up behind the girls. His hair was still wet from the pool, which he swam in every morning before first period.

Emily didn't think any of what was said warranted secrecy so she said, "we joined the dance committee for the Spring Fling and have to work out all sorts of details."

Sam closed her locker and spun around before her best-friend blabbed any more. This wasn't the time or place she had planned for getting Lucky to ask her to the dance.

His hands were full and the towel draped over his shoulder made him look studious and busy. "So, um Sam is it alright if you come to my house tonight for tutoring. I have some errands to run for my dad and since you have dance committee now I figured it would be easier."

"I was hoping you'd give me a lift to Kelly's after our study session. I thought we were meeting during your last free period. I hope that still works for you because I kinda said I'd be home by six."

"Oh, yeah sure, look I'll meet you in Room 208. We'll there's my bell I gotta fly." With that he took off down the hall and left the girls scrambling to get to their own classes.

"I can't believe I said that I had to be home for dinner by six. One ticket to Loserville… express please."

Emily hugged her friend quickly and took off down the opposite end of the hallway. She yelled back, "It'll all work out. It's just details remember."

As Sam took the steps two at a time she hoped Emily was right and a smidge of her confidence was restored. Then she looked over the railing and saw Lucky and Elizabeth outside of the art room having way too much fun for her liking.