I'll keep this short since I know you're all anxious for the new chapter since it's been a week since the last update so thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one!

What do you say we hit 120 reviews on this chapter?

Mikaela had never been so happy for Christmas Eve before. She had been shopping like a maniac for the past week trying to find something for Sam and between the frustration of not being able to find anything and his pouting that she was always gone, she was just about ready to give up and skip the holiday. At the last minute she had finally found something, and now was anxious for that night to give it to him. Sam was going to love it, of that she was certain. Usually it was really easy to shop for him, but for some reason this time it was a draining experience. The sad part was that this was the first time she had ever had so much money available to shop with because of her job back in Philadelphia and the weekly allowances Keller had set up for them. Ron and Judy's presents had been easy to buy, so at least that part had made the whole shopping experience less stressful.

The hardest part now was going to be laying around waiting for the rest of the afternoon to pass by. Judy was very strict about presents not even being touched until after the sun went down. That was her one rule for opening presents on Christmas Eve. If they got too impatient, she would make them wait until Christmas morning. Sam and Mikaela had holed themselves up in his bedroom to hide their impatience. He had fallen asleep a little while ago, but she was too hyped up with excitement to drift off. Absentmindedly she ran her fingers through his hair and let her mind wander. The movie on the television was just background noise; truthfully, she didn't even know for sure what was playing.

Mikaela didn't often let herself think about her life before Sam. He was such an integral part of it now that sometimes she had trouble remembering how she lived before him. It was almost as if her life had truly started the day he offered her a ride home and every day before that she had merely existed. Before Sam, there had been no love in her life. Her dad had been in prison from the time she was eight until just after her 17th birthday, but before that she had pretty much been on her own anyway. Random babysitters had spent more time with her than her own dad had. It was a wonder she had never ended up strung out on drugs or pregnant at 16, but following in her parents' footsteps never appealed to her and she thanked God every day for that.

Sam had been her saving grace in all sense of the word. Her life had been spinning out of control when he came around. Knowing she was nothing more than a conquest to the guys in her clique at school had become too much to handle. Trent would have been the one to take her virginity, if only because she was tired of fighting against what seemed to be her fate. Even after she and Sam started dating, it had still been a struggle for her to realize she was worth more than her life before had shown. It was ironic that he always talked about how she was this amazing woman he didn't deserve, but really it was the complete opposite. Mikaela wasn't good enough for a man like Sam. That fact became more obvious when he found out she had cheated on him only months into their relationship but hadn't admitted it for over a year and a half. No other man would have forgiven that, but he had. Not only that, but he completely pushed their problems away along with the fact that they were broken up when Justin tried to rape her at the party.

The four and a half months they had been off at college in Philadelphia had been an eye opener in terms of their relationship. Everything had been great up until Thanksgiving, but then all the drama had started: first her dad, and then the cheating on Sam secret being revealed, and then the incident with Justin. Their relationship had strengthened, then been tested almost to the breaking point, and then strengthened more than she ever thought possible. Through it all, Sam had been her rock even when Mikaela had hurt him in the worst way.

"What're you thinking about?" Sam asked sleepily causing her to jump because she hadn't realized he was awake.

"How my life has changed since we got together," She replied.

"For the better I hope?"

"No, Sam, my life sucks now," Mikaela rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Fully awake now, the mischievous glint in Sam's eye told her she was in trouble.

"Yep. Absolutely horrible," She figured she might as well play along.

"I'm gonna show you horrible," Sam teased and before she knew it he was straddling her waist with her arms pinned beneath his knees and tickling her sides.

"Okay, okay! I'm kidding!" Mikaela said between laughs and her eyes fell closed as she tried to catch her breath. "It doesn't suck!"

"It's too late sunshine. I'm gonna make you pay for that!" He was so busy focusing on tickling her that she seized the opportunity and rolled her hips into his.

"Then by all means, punish me," Mikaela said seductively and was rewarded with a growl. Sam's hands dropped from her sides so he could place them on the bed on both sides of her body for support as he grabbed her bottom lip with his teeth. The kiss slowly intensified as she began to respond. A sigh was heard, but it was unclear which one it came from. With everything that had happened over the last month, it had been a while since they had been intimate like this and it was as if the sound had come from both of them at the same time.

Her arms curled around his neck as she pushed her tongue against his closed lips. Sam was fighting against the desire to let his arms buckle and lay down on top of her, but in the back of his mind he recognized the need to do this slowly, cautiously. Any sudden move he made could take her back to that horrific night.

"'Kaela, are you okay with this? Is it too much too soon?" No way in hell did he want to stop, but he would for her.

"It's you, Sam. I'm not scared when I'm with you," Her eyes shone with the honesty of her words and he kept his eyes on hers as he gently lowered himself until there was no space left between their bodies.

"Just tell me if we need to stop. I don't wanna hurt you," Fingers massaged his skull once he captured her lips with his again. This time it was his tongue that slithered between her parted lips. Mikaela sucked on his tongue and every one of Sam's nerves exploded into a raging fire.

Sam wasted little time in letting one of his hands trail down her body to touch the bare skin underneath the skimpy tank top she wore. The warmth and familiarity of her smooth skin gave him a feeling of home. That they were able to do this meant all of the issues of the past month were just that: the past. This was the absolute proof that through everything they were still thriving.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me when you wear that?" Sam groaned referring to the tank top and short cotton shorts she wore.

"What are you talking about? I look like crap," Mikaela laughed.

"Baby, you're beautiful," To prove his point, he sat back on his knees and rubbed his palms up and down both of her legs. "You have got the sexiest legs I've ever seen."

"My legs huh?" He pushed her shirt up just enough to show her flat stomach and laid a kiss right above her belly button.

"And your stomach...every time I see it, it's an instant turn on."

"You're such a guy," She quieted when his gaze returned to her face.

"That smile...it takes a man's breath away," His thumb traced her lips.

"Oh yeah?"

"Those eyes...I get lost in them every time," Mikaela's eyes fell closed as Sam leaned in to gently kiss each eyelid.

When her eyes reopened, she was taken aback by the heated desire in the eyes staring back at her. A hand grasped the back of his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The dueling of their tongues caused Mikaela's hips to subconsciously roll into his and Sam groaned from the contact. He resituated himself so that his left forearm was on the mattress supporting his weight and his right hand was free to tickle the skin exposed from his pushing her top up. The teasing had her giggling until his fingers reached her breasts and she broke the kiss to let out a soft moan. A smug grin lit up his face and normally she would have somehow wiped it off but at this point she didn't care. Mikaela wanted this just as much, if not more, than Sam did. Instead she let her eyes follow the movements of his fingers as they began to teasingly dip below her bra. Too impatient to wait for him, she reached a hand beneath her back and unsnapped her bra.

Sam gave her a slightly shocked look at her taking the initiative, but quickly recovered and shoved the offending material out of the way. A short kiss touched her lips before he lowered his head to her chest. His fingers teased her nipple until it was hard before his lips took over. The nipple rolled between his lips while his teeth occasionally changed pressures. Sometimes he would gently graze his teeth against it and other times he would bite down a little harder and tug at it.

Mikaela's back arched against the pleasure. He may have been a virgin less than two years ago, but he knew exactly what to do now. Sam's knuckles trailed across her other breast; the touch so feather light she almost couldn't feel it. She gasped as the air touched her nipple when he let it fall from his mouth and fisted the sheets when his mouth slowly moved through the valley of her breasts to the other one. Her concentration was so focused on the pleasure from his mouth that she didn't realize his hand had moved until it was pressed between her legs. A shuddered breath escaped her from the touch; it felt like it had been years since the last time they had been together. Sam seemed content to let his hand lie where it was, only occasionally moving it to rub his palm against her shorts, so Mikaela placed one of her hands on top of his to guide it and force him to move. All the while his lips never moved from her chest. With his hand still between her legs, she lifted her hips and pushed the shorts down far enough that he got the hint and moved to pull them all the way off.

Sam felt his dick get even harder when he saw her even skimpier thong. His girlfriend was undeniably the sexiest thing he'd ever seen lying there in a thong and her tank top pushed up to her neck and her cheeks flushed as hell from what he'd done to her. She growled at his pause and forcefully attacked his lips in an attempt to get him to move again. Her teeth roughly yanked at his bottom lip and his fist had a tight hold on her hip to try to rein in his self control. He was already teetering on the edge of letting go and just taking her right then and there, but he really wanted to take it slow and make sure she was satisfied before he thought about his own needs. Mikaela, however, had other ideas because every time he tried to break the kiss it was only a matter of seconds before her lips were on his again.

When she realized he wasn't going to cooperate with her pace, she took his hand and placed it back where it had been. Her fingers tightened over his as she forced him to touch her. He was finally able to break his lips away and quickly moved to nip at her neck. Her hand moved from on top of his when he started to touch her himself to tangle in his hair. When his finger flicked her clit she yanked a fistful of his hair and he hissed at the roughness. One finger, then two, slid inside of her and Mikaela bucked her hips in time with the rhythm of his fingers. Mikaela couldn't remember the last time she had been this insanely turned on just from his fingers inside her, but she absolutely loved the sensations. Whether it was how focused he was on her pleasure or that it'd been so long since the last time they had been together like this, or even a combination of the two, she didn't care. All she knew was that the sex itself was going to be completely, amazingly mind blowing.

Sam's lips found the sensitive spot on her neck and had her panting within seconds of turning his attention to that spot. One of her hands still held a fistful of the sheets in her palm and the other had a death grip on the arm he was using to tease her clit. At the rate she was going, her nails would break the skin on his arm but it wouldn't be the first time her nails had left their marks on him. He extended the arm he was using to support himself so he could watch her. Watching her arch her back and bite her bottom lip was an extremely hot sight to behold.

"Sam, honey, are you guys hun--oh crap!" Judy had forgotten to knock and waltzed right into her son's bedroom to find him on top of his girlfriend with his hand buried between her legs.

"Mom! What the hell?!" Sam immediately rolled off Mikaela, enabling her to scoot behind him so she could pull her shirt down and find her shorts that he'd thrown at the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry! I thought you would be sleeping or watching TV!" His mom wagged her finger at him. "You were the one who told me to come get you when dinner was ready."

"Sam, I fucking hate you right now!" Mikaela hissed embarrassedly at his back.

"Mom, thank you for letting us know it's time to eat," He ground out between his teeth. "We'll be down in a second."

Judy wasted no time in high tailing it out of his bedroom and shutting the door with more force than necessary. Sam fell on his back and tried to slow his racing heart. Mikaela jumped out of the bed and found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into. No way was she going downstairs in what she had been wearing. Like she really wanted to have to look at his mother wearing the tank top Judy had seen shoved up to Mikaela's neck baring her naked chest and the shorts that were at their feet.

"Next time lock your fucking door asshole!" She angrily threw her clothes at his face. "Especially when you tell your mom to come get us!"

"It was an accident, I'm sorry! It's not like they don't already know, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal? Your mom just walked in on me basically naked with you fingering me! If she'd walked in two seconds later I would have been screaming your name!"

"Are you mad because she walked in on us or because you didn't get off?" Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because a shoe came flying at him.

"I'm mad because you knew she'd be coming up here and you didn't fucking warn me! All you had to do was lock the door or here's a thought: we could've waited until tonight just like we always do!"

"This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you being all 'punish me then'," Sam mocked the seductive tone she'd had.

"Uh uh, no, this wouldn't have happened if you'd mentioned you told your mom to come get us!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" He didn't know why it was such a big deal his mom walked in on them when she knew good and well they had a fairly active sex life but Mikaela's reaction was starting to piss him off.

"Well, it damn sure isn't mine!"

"That's right, you're perfect little Mikaela who does no wrong," Sam rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Fuck you, Sam," Mikaela shoved his chest and stalked past him.

"What, are you going to go call Trent now?" Her hand froze over the doorknob and she spun around to give him a half-scathing, half-hurt look.

"Fuck you," She repeated and chunked her phone at his head. "You sure trust me, huh? That must be a lie because you obviously don't."

Sam stood there in shock after Mikaela had left his room. He wasn't completely sure how or why everything had blown up the way it did. She was embarrassed about his mom walking in on them and he felt like a jerk for not preventing that situation when he could've, but that was no reason for her to get as pissed off as she did. Clutching her phone in his hand, he remembered that Bee had recently gone to see Ratchet to get a speakerphone type thing installed in the Camaro.

Hello Sam, Bee's mechanical voice sounded when he called.

"Mikaela."

What do you want Sam? Why did it sound like she was crying?

"Honey, where are you?"

Right, because you care and all? She was crying.

"You know I care. I'm sorry, okay? I was a complete dick. Please come back?"

I can't come back right now.

"Why not?"

How am I supposed to face your mother? Especially since I'm sure the whole damn neighborhood could hear us fighting.

"Well then where are you? I'll come to you."

To prove to yourself that I'm not running to Trent?

"I shouldn't have said that. You know I don't mean it," Sam ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Tell me where you're at, please?"

Remember the park where you took me on our six month anniversary? We had a picnic and you sang to me and we fell asleep watching the stars on Bee's hood.

"Of course I do baby," He couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Sam hung up the phone and took off down the stairs to the main floor. He managed an apologetic grin at his parents before promising they would be home soon. The park wasn't far from his house and he sprinted the whole way there. Mikaela was sitting in the same spot they had sat the day of their anniversary. He didn't stop running until he was standing in front of her and the tears on her face made him feel more like an ass. One look at him and she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"Forgive me for this, but what the hell?" Sam cradled his arms around his girlfriend's backside.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I wasn't really mad at you, more at myself than anything and I just took it out on you."

"Why were you mad at yourself?"

"Your mom is like the only mom I've got, and her walking in on us...I felt like I let her down. I know it's stupid and crazy because it's not like we've ever hidden our sex life. It's just always been more abstract to talk about it than for her to actually see it, and I just felt like a disappointment."

"Baby, you know that's not true. Mom thinks you walk on water," He said softly.

"I know, but you're her baby. Actually seeing us together like that...it was like I was a common whore."

"Don't you ever say that about yourself again," Sam said sternly. "Everybody knows you're so much more than that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's my fault. I should've warned you or locked the door or something," He pushed a strand of her out of her face. "And I damn sure never should have said anything about Trent."

"I don't blame you for not trusting me, Sam. I never have. I deserved that."

"No, baby, you didn't. Not at all. I trust you with my life," He kissed her forehead and leaned back to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for coming after me," Mikaela said sheepishly.

"I'll come after you every single time. I'm not letting you go. You're going to marry me someday."

"Oh, you think so?" She teased.

"Well aren't you?"

"Of course I'm going to marry you, dummy. There's nothing in this world I want more."

"That's my girl," His lips met hers in a short kiss. "What do you say we go back and eat dinner? It's almost time for presents!"

"Dork," She intertwined her fingers in his.

"Aw, that kinda hurts my feelers baby," He said and looked over at her with his bottom lip jutted out.

"Oh, hush," Mikaela nudged his shoulder with her own as they walked back to the car.