Sorry it's been ages since I've updated, I've had a very busy couple of weeks at uni. 10 hour days and all that sort of thing. But here's the next chapter, I hope you're still enjoying it and reviews are love.

The time between Helen's death and Sam's arrival was filled with Lenny hurriedly trying to get everything ready. He converted Kieron's room, because it was the smallest, into a storage area and made sure anything he didn't want Sam touching was locked inside it. Then he decorated May's room, as the biggest, for his nephew to live in. Not knowing much about him, he chose to paint the walls white and put up pictures or wallpaper when Sam arrived.

He woke early on the day of Sam's arrival. It was his day off work anyway, which he would usually use to catch up on sleep, but that wasn't going to happen. He tidied away his clothes from the previous night before making himself breakfast.

He was watching television when the doorbell rang. He got up and turned off the telly before answering it.

"Lenny Lyons?" A woman was standing on the doorstep, a small boy by her side.

Lenny nodded.

"I'm Mary Baker, Dungeaston Social Services. We've spoken on the phone. This is Sam."

Lenny smiled down at the boy. His nephew, he had to remind himself. "How're you doing, little man?"

"Are you my uncle?"

"Yeah, that's me. Come on in, mate."

Sam nervously followed Lenny into the living room. He looked similar to how Lenny did at his age; a mop of blond hair and big blue eyes. However, where Lenny had a cheeky grin permanently slapped across his face, Sam's was one of innocence.

"I don't know what sort of stuff you like, but when you've put all your clothes and toys in your room, we can go shopping and get a few bits. How about that?"

Sam nodded. "Thank you for letting me live with you."

Lenny smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "It's no problem, mate. It's been getting a bit lonely here on my own."

"Mr Lyons, I'll need you to sign some forms."

Lenny nodded. "Come on through, then. I've got a pen in the hallway. Sammy boy, do you want to go through and put the telly on? CBBC's channel 33."

Sam nodded and went into the living room. Lenny let Mary in then shut the front door.

"He's a sweet kid," he remarked. "What am I signing?"

"Just that you're going to be Sam's legal carer and that you agree to regular social services visits, at least for the first year, if not longer."

"What's that for?"

"Oh, just protocol. It's to make sure he's settling in properly. It's a big change, moving to a new town especially after losing both his parents."

"I grew up in care," Lenny told Mary as he scrawled his name on the bottom of a few sheets of paper. "I'm not letting the same thing happen to him."

Lenny went through to the living room when Mary had gone. "Right then, Champ, what're we going to do today?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't mind, it's your house."

"That's where you're wrong, Sammy boy." Lenny sat down on the sofa next to him. "This is our house. It's yours as much as it is mine, so you can do what you like, alright? Only rules are you're in bed by nine, you do your homework and you don't touch the cooker."

"Anything?" Sam repeated, wide-eyed.

"Well, within reason. No wild parties when I'm not here." Lenny chuckled, giving the youngster a friendly nudge to show he was joking.

"When won't you be here?" Sam asked, his face going pale.

Lenny put an arm round him. "Sammy, I'll always be here for you. When you're at school, I'm going to be at work. But in the evenings, we'll be together. I promise I won't abandon you."

Sam nodded, and cuddled up to Lenny. "What would have happened if you hadn't been here to look after me?"

"You'd have stayed with someone else." Lenny didn't want to go into details. Memories of his own childhood were already coming back, and he didn't like it. "Anyway, what do you want for lunch?"

Once Lenny had made ham sandwiches for both him and Sam, the two tucked in. Looking after the little boy wasn't all that bad; he was polite and well-behaved, something Lenny was thankful for. He had been a bratty child himself, but it seemed Helen had taught her son manners.

After Lenny loaded up the dishwasher, he found his car keys. "Come on, let's go shopping and get you a few bits."

"In the car?"

"Yeah, it'll be easier than walking."

Sam's face paled. "I don't want to."

"Sam?"

"I don't like cars."

"Alright, then we can walk. It's up to you."

A small smile crept onto the little boy's face. "Really?"

"Really," Lenny affirmed, taking him by the hand. "Come on, before the shops shut."

He had a feeling things were going to be a bit more difficult than he had realised. Sam's dislike of cars obviously came from the fact his parents were killed in one. What other issues did he have? Lenny knew it wasn't going to be an easy ride, but he was determined to make this work.