Brooke walked quickly to her car. As she was fumbling for her keys she stumbled on the picture that she always pulls out when she needs to find her center. To any other onlooker it would appear like an unassuming collage from the fair. It was of Julian, Brooke, and Sam. They had took her in as a foster child only a month when the picture was taken. She stared at it and smiled, and let her mind wander.

FLASHBACK

"Hey Sam! Come on let's go in there!" Brooke said enthusiastically trying to coax an uninterested Sam.

Sam shrugged, "Looks stupid. You guys go I'll wait outside."
Julian smiled, "Well how can we take a family fair picture without you?"

Sam rose her eyebrow at them. Julian laughed, "You're essential Samson!" He messed up her hair and she moved a step backwards.

"Whoah there buddy. Look I get that you guys wanna be nice and all, but I'm just some kid from the street. I'll probably be gone in a month or so anyways."

Brooke walked up to her and looked directly into her eyes, "Sammy." She whispered.

Sam looked down at the dirt, but Brooke kept going "Our home is your home for as long as you want it to be. Okay? And as long as you're in my home I consider you family."

Sam looked up, "Like, like a…daughter?" She mumbled before looking back down quickly, trying to act nonchalant.

"Like a daughter." Brooke responded reassuringly. There was silence and Brooke wrapped her in a hug, "Let's take the picture?" Brooke whispered.

Sam smiled, "Alright, if it'll get you to shut up with all your mushy crap."

Julian laughed, "YES! Let's do this."

All three of them squished in.

"Oh no my shoes are gonna get scuffed up." Brooke chimed in.

"You're such a weenie." Sam said right before the first picture snapped.

END OF FLASHBACK

Brooke looked at the pictures. With each picture Sam grew increasingly comfortable, and in the last one they finally got her to smile straight at the camera. 'I miss that smile.' Brooke thought. She took a deep breath gently put the picture back in her purse and instead of going into the car, headed back into the house feeling like a horrible parent. She gently closed the door behind her as she entered. Julian was sitting on the couch when he saw her. He waited for her to come sit down, "it hasn't even been five minutes." He whispered to her, "And you're already back?"

Brooke sighed, "I want to do this right. We can't just yell at her. Look where that's gotten us." She pointed to the half closed door to Sam's room.

He rubbed his neck, "I know. You're right, but she's pretty mad."

"I can wait." Brooke said looking at the half closed door.

Sam laid on her bed. She had the energy to do absolutely nothing. She was determined to get her point across. She was fine where she was at Nicholai's house. She would've come back at her own time…when she was ready.

She stared at her ceiling listening to her iPod, wishing for the day to just end. She then looked down at her arms, they were so bare, and so perfect. She imagined cutting herself. The rush she used to get when the blood flowed. Quickly, she turned the other way and closed her eyes, hoping the temptation to hurt herself went away. She sat up and turned her TV on trying to distract herself.

'I wish Jack was here.' She thought.

….A few minutes later….

Brooke took a deep breath and looked at Julian, "Don't yell Julian. I'll kill you if you do." She pinched him, "Ooow!" He whispered. "I won't geez! You better not yell either."

She chuckled, "I won't. Unless you yell, then I'll have to kill you."

He rolled his eyes, "Great." He said sarcastically.

Sam heard a knock at her door, and the door open some more, "Sam?"

Sam didn't turn to see them. "Brooke. Julian." She responded.

Brooke watched her daughter. She was sitting up with her legs crossed.

"Can you turn the TV off. We want to talk to you." Julian added when he saw Brooke looking at her.

Sam kept looking at the screen, "You mean you want to yell at me."

Brooke went over and sat on the bed

"NO, we want to talk to you." She said.

"Are you sure you don't just want to spank me?"…"Oh wait. You need an audience for that, right?"

Brooke felt Sam's anger radiate.

Julian turned off the TV "HEY!" Sam replied annoyed, "I was watching that!"

Brooke turned Sam's chin back to her, "Sam." She started calmly, "I'm sorry that I had to spank you. I know it was embarrassing, and I probably should've waited until we got home. I regret the way I did it. But you were being outright disrespectful and you know the rules."

Sam pushed up her legs closer to her in a defensive yet childish pose, but she stayed quiet. She didn't want to talk to either of them.

Brooke touched her knee, "We don't want to yell at you, or judge you, or belittle you. I'm sorry if that's how it's felt lately."

Julian grabbed her office chair and got close, "We're sorry Sam. I'm sorry for having been so quick to jump to conclusions. I love you, and you're one of the smartest kids I know. You didn't deserve me thinking you were pregnant."

Sam looked at him and then back at Brooke, who kept her eyes fixated on her. She knew they were being sincere, but she didn't want to talk to them. She didn't want to think about it.

"I already said everything I wanted to say."

Brooke sighed and held onto her hand, "Then can you let dad and me talk? And will you promise to listen?"

Sam shrugged, "Yeah." She said meekly.

Brooke started, "I just want to know why you ran away. Was it what dad said? Was it because you found out I was pregnant?"

Silence, but Sam's uneasiness was clear when Brooke mentioned her pregnancy.

Brooke took note of it and continued, "Either way, I'm sorry. It's our job to make you feel safe and comfortable and it looks like we didn't do that. You know I love you with all my heart, and NOTHING will change that. You're my little knucklehead, and you always will be"

"Both of us Samson. Both of us would do anything to keep you safe and happy. And you know that where you were wasn't the right place for that. You told us you were at a friend's and we believed you."
Sam pulled away from them, "Well that's where I lived before here. So I consider them friends. And I left because I was mad okay? And I don't, I don't…"

"Don't what Sammy?" Brooke asked.

"I don't feel like talking about it right now, okay?! Can you just punish me and get it over with?" Her voice was becoming more desperate.

Brooke nodded, "Sam please-"
Sam cut her off, "NO! Stop! Not now!"
"Okay. Okay! Sam just calm down." Brooke said backing off disappointed. "But we will talk about this. You're not getting away from it. So when you're ready we're here."

"Fine. Can you just tell me my punishment? I'm tired. "

"You're gonna spend after school tutoring kids from Aunt Haley's class." Julian said.

"It's school, tutoring, work with mom, and home until we say otherwise." He said.

"Jack's coming back next week." Brooke added. Sam fidgeted at his name, inside she felt like jumping for joy, "We know how much you miss him, so you'll be able to hang out with him at school, and on the weekends only under some sort of supervision."

Sam clenched her fists, but still said nothing.

Brooke picked Sam's head up with her hand, "Understand Sam that this is for lying to us, smoking, and drinking. What you did was EXTREMELY dangerous, and could've gotten you into serious trouble. THAT'S why we were disappointed That you could've put yourself in so much danger, and not care at all. I get that you needed time, but not in that way."

She lifted her head and looked in Brooke's eyes, "I could just leave now if I wanted to and do all that shit and more, you know that?" Sam's voice was poignant.

Julian swallowed the lump in his throat. His voice was soft as if he was scared for the answer, "Samson is it that bad here? Do you really want to leave?"

Brooke let her hand fall off Sam's face. Sam looked at her bedding feeling bad for being so harsh, "No. It's not bad. Sorry." She mumbled.

She laid down and turned the other way, "I'm tired. I'm gonna take a nap now. You guys can go to work. I'm not gonna leave."

Brooke mentally composed herself, she wanted so bad for Sam just to open up. She kept calm, and touched Julian's arm and whispered, "let's go."

Sam refused to turn to them. They stood up.

"Sammy." Brooke said.

"What?" She said in a muffled voice.

Brooke had the strange feeling that Sam was in a self-destructive mood,

"I know you feel angry and upset right now. But please don't do anything you're going to regret later. We love you more than anything else, and if I could hold you forever then I would. Dad and me are right here for you, and we're with you along every step. We only want what's best for you sweetie."

Sam felt her eyes water at her mother's words but all that came out was "Fine. Bye." Her words sounded cold next to Brooke's heartfelt message.

She waited for the door to close before she closed her eyes.

Brooke and Julian waited for Sam to come out of her room, but she never did. They heard her music, the TV, her voice on the phone presumably with Jack. She only stepped out to use the restroom and to get something to eat. It was as if she was maneuvering a chess game. They went to bed emotionally frustrated. Brooke went into her room one last time, "Hey Sammy."

Sam turned to look at her, "What now Brooke?"

"You're going to school tomorrow, okay? I already talked to your principal, you just have to go see him and he'll explain what he set up for all the missing work."

"Okay that's fine." Sam said simply.

Brooke watched as she got into bed and laid down, "Goodnight Sammy."

"See ya." Sam replied.

Brooke and Julian had hit a wall. Brooke was exhausted. She laid down and Julian held her. It was almost 4 am when they were awoken by Sam's voice.

"Stop. Stop! DAD! Mom!" She said frantic.

Both Brooke and Julian got up in a start. "She's having a nightmare." Brooke said quickly as she made her way out of bed.

"Do think she regressed?" Julian asked. Brooke pushed him towards the door, "It doesn't matter, let's go." She said rushed.

They made their way in; Julian went in first with Brooke behind him.

"Daddy!" Sam said relieved to see him. He sat down and Brooke sat on the other side of the bed, "I'm right here Sammy. What's going on buddy?" He said soothingly.

She was in tears, "I, I had a dream, that, that you guys left!" She said looking at him and then at Brooke, "Mom, you, you said I was a bad girl and that you were going to look for another baby." She was beside herself, any teenage notions of pride were no longer there, "I'll be good, I promise! Don't leave! Don't!"

Brooke got closer, "We're not leaving you Sammy, it was just a dream. You're not a bad girl, you're amazing. And just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean that I'm going to love you any less. I promise."

They realized that the dream had released her bottled up emotions. By then they both knew that it had regressed her, and she was airing her vulnerabilities.

Sam just shook her head, "But you're mad at me! And I, I was mean to you guys!"

Julian pulled her into his lap. He realized how small she was by how easily she could fit into his lap, "We were mad because you put yourself in danger. We love you, and it doesn't matter what hell you put us through, we won't leave." He told her gently.

Sam nodded and then jumped into Brooke's arms, "Mommy, I'm sorry! I'll be good! I won't runaway again!"

Brooke just ran her hand over her back again and again, "I know Sammy. Everyone makes mistakes. You'll be okay baby."

"I'll be a good girl." Sam kept saying, "Mommy I will, I will."

Brooke rocked her back and forth, " . Sweetheart stop." She said in her gruff, but soothing voice, "I believe you. Mommy believes you." Her voice was almost a whisper.

After a moment Brooke pulled Sam back and stared into her, "Sammy. Remember that day at the fair?"p

Sam rubbed the falling tears with the back of her hand. She shook her head in affirmation.

"I told you that you'd always be a part of this family. That hasn't changed."

"You're still our little girl." Julian added.

Sam sniffled, "Stay here with me please?" She asked them.

They laid down with her. Brooke started humming as she brushed through Sam's hair slowly lulling her to sleep.

When she was asleep Julian whispered to Brooke, So what do we make of this?"

Brooke continued coddling Sam, "She regressed. She's going to be embarrassed about it."

"At least now we know what she's feeling. " Julian said.

Brooke sighed, "Yeah, I just hope she can tell us this when she's not so scared and vulnerable."

Julian kissed Sam on the forehead.

"You're a great mom." He whispered to Brooke.

She smiled, "You're not too bad of a dad yourself."

Things will finally be back to normal in Tree Hill Soon. Tell me what you think!