iHide In Plain Sight

Saturday morning. It was a blessing – especially after the events of the past week. This morning was different than most. This morning was bright and sunny – a very welcome change to most Seattle mornings.

Carly Shay woke up slowly, sunlight cutting a swath across her face. She tried to sit up in bed, but couldn't. Her knees hit something hard. Her eyes finally adjusting to the light, she realized that Her knees had hit the large wooden tray resting across her lap.

Carly couldn't believe her eyes. Eggs, toast, fruit, and juice – Breakfast in bed for two.

"Oh my God… Sam, you didn't have to do this! I love you so much, Baby…"

Sam Puckett was jabbering incoherently, not yet fully awake. She had clearly done nothing.

"I uh ooo hoo, uh'ake…"

It took a moment for all the blonde's faculties to return to her.

"Wait…what? What are you yammering on about now?"

Carly giggled.

"Come on, Sam… I know you did this… and it's so sweet… I love you."

It was just then that Carly noticed something. Carly noticed a small piece of note paper tucked next to her orange juice.

Breakfast in bed for both of my beautiful sisters.

~ Mel

Carly studied the note again to be absolutely sure she had read it correctly. She had. Feeling tears beginning to well up, she did her best to shift her weight, allowing her to wiggle her way out of bed long enough to stand up, pick up the tray, and walk it to the foot of the bed, far enough out of the way. She returned to bed and slid under the covers, snuggling herself in next to Sam.

Sam was dozing, snoring lightly.

"My little lumberjack…" Carly thought to herself. She kissed her neck hungrily, yet softly enough as not to wake her. That would all come later. For now, she simply wanted to hold Sam close, savor her warmth and drift back off to sleep. She had no idea where Melanie was disappearing to so often, but she knew that, in all likelihood, she and Sam would have the run of the house for the better part of the day and on into the evening. She had no idea where Mel was wandering off to, but made a mental note to thank her all the same. It was nice to have the house to themselves, even nicer to know that Mel already considered Carly her sister. That meant more than she could ever say. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, compounded by the fact that she was thoughtful enough to serve them breakfast in bed prior to her little excursion. Carly knew not to expect too much from her soul sister, but she could certainly get used to this kind of treatment. If only she could get the Bacon Butch into the kitchen once in a while, that would be a minor miracle. Overcome by contentment and the scent of Sam Puckett filling her lungs, Carly Shay again drifted off to the world in-between her ears.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN…

Melanie Puckett, dressed 'down' by her standards in a tight pair of black jeans, a size-too-small-t-shirt, and Sam's least favorite boots, her eyes hidden behind an oversized pair of sunglasses, sauntered into an office building on Fifth Avenue. She could smell the salty breeze wafting in from nearby Puget Sound as she passed and she loved it. She had been coming here for weeks now, slipping away for as long as she could afford. She repeatedly told Carly and Sam one lie or the other, knowing neither would ever think of calling the word of perfect, straight-laced Melanie into question. This is exactly what she wanted.

She walked through the lobby, her boots click-clacking on the marble floor. She kept her head down, ignoring the doorman. She counted off paces from the entryway to the elevator in her head. She'd been here enough times before that she could navigate with her eyes closed. She pressed the 'UP' call button and waited for the doors to open.

"…tick, tick, tick…" she thought. "…time is money…"

Entering the car, she pressed the button beside the number 22 and waited. The doors whooshed and Melanie found herself in the lobby of a lushly appointed office, spanning the entire twenty-second floor. She walked to the reception desk without so much as a word. She picked up a pen from the glass countertop, found the corresponding entry on that day's calendar, and signed in, scribbling down 'M. Puckett'.

She would be here for four solid hours. She knew she'd better get herself under control if she was going to do what had to be done.

BACK ACROSS TOWN…

Carly's phone had been going off non-stop for the past five minutes. Calls and text messages. She wished she had turned the damn thing off. She was… more than a little pre-occupied at the moment. Once her world had stopped spinning, she looked to Sam.

"I…I…love you…Sam."

The blonde smiled her usual stupid, toothy grin.

"Back at ya, Cupcake…"

Carly flushed.

"Hey Cupcake? Next time, turn the phone off, will ya? That damn buzzing every thirty seconds… a tad bit distracting. Mama doesn't do distraction well."

Carly giggled. This was true. She loved Sam more than anything, but Sam was one shiny object away from playing in traffic. She really couldn't focus worth a damn – unless the object of her focus was Carly Shay. In that case, Sam could be content for hours.

"Cupcake, any idea where the Barbie doll wandered off to this morning?"

Carly laughed at her again, looking to get a rise out of her.

"Aww… Sammie's worried about her big sister… how sweet!"

Sam would never admit it, but she didn't particularly care for her sister's newfound habit of leaving the house before she and Carly were out of bed and disappearing into downtown Seattle for hours on end. For all Sam knew, she could have been kidnapped by a band of renegade Mounties and held for ransom in Vancouver. She doubted it, but she wasn't entirely sure. Melanie wasn't like her. She could have gotten herself mixed up into anything and Sam would never know, and if Sam didn't know, she couldn't protect her from it.

"Not funny, Carls…"

Sam knew Carly was only teasing, but she still couldn't help but worry.

"Sam, Mel's fine. She disappears for hours on end just about every weekend. She'll be back before you know it. She probably just went across town to be with Freddie. Relax, Sweety, and come here."

Only Melanie wasn't with Freddie. Freddie's calls and texts to Carly had gone unanswered.