Umm...hi guys! Miss me? Hate me? Does it help that this chapter is like double the length as the other one? Yes, I know, it's been like two months since an update and I pretty much wrote the entire chapter over the last week (thank you Brittany for that recurring electronic kick in the pants!) I gotta say I'm actually really happy with the way this one turned out. I had an idea for it and I was finally able to get it to come out the way I wanted it to.

I'm thinking we'll probably be wrapping this up in the next few chapters, maybe four or five. I've already got the epilogue mapped out and I really, really need to get it typed before I forget. I never, ever expected what I thought was a little idea to become what it's turned into and I'm so unbelievably grateful for all the readers who have stuck around. Can you believe it's almost been two years? That's sad, considering 2/3 of it came out in like the first six months...oops ;) This story has carried me through some tough times, and I'll be sad to see it end but I assure you it WILL be finished. I hate finding a story I fall in love with just to realize it stops somewhere in the middle (or in this case close to the end). I hope there are people out there who are as in love with my writing as I've been with others. You guys have no idea how much it means that there are people out there who appreciate (or at the very least, acknowledge) my writing. I love you guys!

Before I let you get on with it, I'd like to point out that this chapter cause me to realize one HUGE mistake I've made with this story. So far, nobody has called me on it (not even you Brittany!) and I've gotta say I'm surprised. I felt like an idiot when I figured it out. Let's see if anyone else can pick up on it, and in the next update (which will NOT be in two months!) I'll tell y'all what it is. There's also a note at the bottom clearing up a plot discrepancy that I know I've made, but it had to be done to make this chapter work.

Don't own Transformers, Venice Beach (I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from any other beach if you showed me a picture. I've never been there or any other beach for that matter), or anything else recognizable. I think that covers all of it, but it's 1 in the morning and my brain's too tired to remember what I just finished writing.

Sam Witwicky was, for all intents and purposes, a genius.

Well—for today, anyway.

His unexpected, overly generous birthday shopping spree?

Mikaela turned it into a wedding spree. That way, she could spend Sam's money without feeling bad and he wouldn't get upset that she didn't spend any money at all. It was a win-win situation. He had unwittingly handed her the perfect opportunity to do quite a bit of wedding shopping before the semester started, giving them less to worry about while they were also trying to stay on top of school work. They had spent many a night laying in bed talking about the wedding so she already knew what things he was leaving up to her and what they wanted to do together.

The girls were more than happy to be her so-called wedding consultants, but Mikaela saw the truth for what it was: they just wanted to try on pretty dresses.

There was no hiding their excitement when Mikaela mentioned looking for bridesmaid and maid of honor dresses.

Except now, four hours and 30-something dresses later, most of that excitement was replaced with frustration and exhaustion.

"Seriously, Mik, we've been to a hundred stores and tried on a million dresses," Christian plopped down on the seat next to her. "You didn't like not even one of them? C'mon, dude, don't be a wedding Nazi."

"I am not being a wedding Nazi!" She shot her maid of honor a dirty look. "I just want everything to be absolutely perfect."

"Babe, it's you and Sam. It already is perfect," Christian laid her head on Mikaela's shoulder tiredly. Who knew trying on dresses could wear a girl out so completely? "Besides, it doesn't matter if you get us one-of-a-kind custom-made dresses by the best designer in the world, we're still gonna look like crap standing next to you."

Moments later, Balie and Rachel walked out in the most gorgeous midnight blue dresses Christian or Mikaela had ever seen. There was a slight metallic tint in the shade that only served to enhance the other two girls' radiance.

"You're an idiot if you say no to this one," Christian muttered. "That dress is perfect."

Mikaela was momentarily speechless. After all the dresses her three best friends had tried on, she too had grown frustrated at not being able to find the perfect dress. It'd been a long afternoon and she was just about to give up for the day, but this last dress...it was way more than she'd ever imagined. Starting out, she'd had a mental picture of what she wanted the girls to wear but this was the only one that had even come close, much less completely surpassed it.

"Mikaela I love you, but so help me God if I have to try on one more dress," Rachel threatened as her silence continued. "You won't be making it home to your fiancée tonight."

"It's perfect," She finally breathed and all the girls smiled in relief. "I want both of those."

"Thank God," Christian grumbled and received an elbow to her side for the remark.

The girls disappeared to change back into their clothes while Mikaela went to pay for the two dresses before asking if she could come back and pick them up since there wasn't room in the Camaro. They would have to borrow Judy's Expedition and she and Sam could do that sometime in the next couple of days.

They stopped to grab a bite to eat since the other three were starving. She'd been texting Sam off and on all afternoon. They were all cheesy messages along the lines of 'I love you' or how she couldn't wait to see what he had planned for her birthday, nothing all too important, but she knew he would go nuts with worrying if she didn't say anything to him while they were out considering what had happened the last time she'd been shopping with her three best friends.

Mikaela also didn't want to upset the girls by texting her fiancée all afternoon when they'd flown into the city just to celebrate her birthday with her so she kept it short and sweet and luckily he seemed to understand that.

This was definitely turning out to be the best birthday ever. There was still a bittersweet feeling since it was the first without her dad, but Sam had managed to make it not so hard. She was completely thrilled Christian, Balie, and Rachel were here but she wished he wouldn't throw money around when it came to buying her things even if they did have plenty of money. It was amazingly sweet, but she didn't want him thinking she expected him to go all out for her every single holiday.

Breakfast in bed would've been enough for her. Hell, she would've been thrilled to spend the whole day in bed with him, but she wasn't ungrateful because his heart was always in the right place and that was all that mattered.

Sam was playing video games in the living room when they got back from the mall and it was impossible to miss the way his eyes lit up when he spotted his fiancée enter the living room.

"Hey baby," He got up to meet her halfway and wrapped his arms around her. "Did you have fun?"

"She made us try on a gazillion dresses," Rachel cut in grumpily and fell down into the chair.

"I did not! It was only like 40," Mikaela argued and turned to Sam. "Yes, we had fun but we're all worn out now."

"You didn't buy anything?" He tried not to sound upset.

"We bought Rachel and Balie's bridesmaids' dresses," She smiled sheepishly. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity."

"Well, I told you to get whatever you wanted," Sam chuckled. "Should've known if you were gonna blow my money, it would be for the wedding."

"Just be glad you didn't have to suffer through it," Mikaela shot Christian a dirty look at her words.

"I told you, I just want it—" Christian cut her off, having already heard the same speech earlier that day.

"I know, I know. You want everything to be perfect. Freaking wedding Nazi," She muttered the last part under her breath but they all heard her anyway.

"Bitch," Mikaela threw a pillow at her best friend.

Sam watched the girls bicker back and forth until Balie shot him a pleading look he knew only too well. The girls argued like sisters and they could go at it all night if someone didn't stop them. They rarely ever actually got mad at each other; if they did it never lasted longer than an hour at most.

"Ladies, it's been awful nice," Sam stepped forward and picked Mikaela up bridal style. "But you three have been hoggin' my woman and I think it's my turn."

Mikaela's laughter and cries of "Sam put me down!" were heard as he carried her down the hallways to their bedroom.

He tossed her down on the bed and, before she had a chance to protest at the not-so-graceful landing, his body was covering her own. A knowing smirk was on her face. Sam didn't get jealous; it wasn't in his nature. In times like this, thought, he would get jealous in a childish, teasing sort of way—hence him stealing her way from the three best friends she'd spent the afternoon with.

"I missed you," He muttered with his lips so close to hers she could feel them forming the words.

"Missed you too baby," Mikaela couldn't find it in her to tease him, not when she felt the same way.

"I gotta leave pretty soon."

"Why?" She gave him a funny look.

"I'm taking you out tonight. We both gotta get ready," He kissed the side of her mouth. "And I wanna do the whole date thing. Y'know...show up at 8, knock on your door, let you blow me away with how amazing you look."

"Sam," Mikaela grabbed his jaw so he was forced to look her in the eye. "I told you you didn't have to go all out. It's just my birthday. We can stay in and just hang out."

"I don't have some fancy, expensive dinner planned. I promise," He smiled softly. "Trust me?"

"You know I do," Laughter from the living room reminded her of their guests. "What about them?"

"Already got it covered. I've been planning this since before I decided to bring them all here. They've all got tickets for that Usher concert tonight," He knew what she was thinking by the look on her face. "No I didn't buy the tickets for them. I offered, but they wouldn't let me. I just called in a favor and got them good seats, but they paid for them."

"You've gotta stop taking advantage of this whole saving-the-world thing," Mikaela rolled her eyes. Called in a favor? More like he called Keller and of course nobody's gonna tell the Secretary of Defense no.

"They owe us. May as well take the perks than let them go to waste."

"When do you have to leave?" Rather than look at the clock on her bedside table, Sam slid his hand into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

"How long's it gonna take you to get ready?" The display on her phone showed it was a few minutes after 5.

"What am I supposed to wear since you're being all secretive?" Suddenly the pillow seemed to catch all his interest by the way he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Just pick something out of the closet," He answered vaguely.

"Well that helps," She said sarcastically. "Considering I have everything from pajamas to dresses all hanging together in the closet."

"I know you'll pick the right thing."

"You're so frustrating sometimes," Mikaela grumbled and it was all he could do to keep the smile off his face. "You'd better hope I can get ready in less than three hours since you won't tell me what to wear."

"In that case, I think I'll be leaving now," Sam rolled off her but she turned her body back into his and pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss.

"Whatever you've got planned...I know I'm gonna love it," She whispered against his lips.

He was defenseless against those eyes and what was meant to be a goodbye kiss soon turned heated. Next thing he knew, her legs were straddling his waist and his hands were slowly sliding up her sides underneath her shirt. When they rose high enough his fingertips were almost grazing the underwire of her bra, she giggled and pushed them back down. Her sexy little wink was almost missed by him when she dove to his neck and nipped at the skin just below his ear where his jawbone ended. He tried to slip his hands back underneath her shirt, desperate to feel her warm skin, but she refused his attempts and, this time, grabbed his wrists and held them over his head against the pillow. They both knew he could easily overpower her, but he loved it when she took control from him.

All Mikaela cared about was driving him crazy. Technically that wouldn't be too hard since she still, three years later, had the ability to turn him back into that virginal 16-year-old boy who was wound tight with hormones and couldn't get enough of her. Just because they waited so long to have sex didn't mean they never fooled around or had intense make-out sessions; on the contrary, they spent quite a bit of their second year in the backseat of his infamous Camaro or in her bed, never going too far but always just far enough that Sam was left quivering with a need he couldn't express in words but the depth of which was always plainly visible in those chocolate brown eyes.

That's what she wanted now: to take him to the brink and leave him begging for more. It was in no way malicious but they'd spent the last nine months or so with drama after drama after drama and she wanted to take them back to where they came from, to what made them them.

Of course, it didn't help matters any that he looked oh-so-sexy in that skin tight, V-neck undershirt and basketball shorts he always wore around the house. Sam knew it too—she'd made the mistake of admitting it to him once and ever since those were his pajamas of choice. The only thing that looked better on him were a pair of sweats hanging off his hips with his boxers teasingly peaking out underneath when he wasn't wearing a shirt, but it was the middle of summer in California so she was forced to deal without that look. Really, though, who could blame them? Maybe they were engaged, maybe they'd been through hell and back a time or two (or three or four—it had been a rough year), but she was still a teenage girl and he a teenage boy and physical attraction still ran rampant through their blood.

"I gotta get in the shower," Mikaela hopped off the bed after releasing his lips from a particularly sensual kiss that had his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath.

"What?" She giggled at the bewildered look on his face.

"I have a date with my fiancée tonight which means you gotta go."

"That guy's a lucky bastard," Sam said playfully.

"He definitely is," She played along. "And he won't be very happy with you if you keep me from getting ready. He's been so amazing to me lately, and I wanna blow him away tonight."

"Somethin' tells me you do that every time you smile at him 'cause it makes my heart stop when you smile at me," Sam's words melted her heart and he stood up from the bed to kiss her one last time. "Absolutely breathtaking..."

"Get out of here Casanova," Mikaela laughed and kissed his cheek. If she let herself kiss him again, she didn't think she'd ever make it to the shower—alone at least. "I'll see you soon. Love you."

The house was unusually quiet as Mikaela finished getting ready. The girls had left an hour before to make it to the Staples Center on time and Sam had obediently gone home to his parents' house when she'd kicked him out earlier that evening.

It hadn't been until she went to choose her outfit (that he'd been of no help whatsoever with steering her in any kind of direction) that she realized the meaning behind his words. When she'd slid the doors open, hanging in the center of the closet was a dress she knew hadn't been there that morning when she'd gotten dressed to go out with the girls.

Her initial reaction was to get angry with him for spending even more money on her (just by looking at it she knew it was pricey) but she forced herself to let it go. The night was obviously important to him, he'd put a lot of work into planning it, and she wasn't going to let the money thing get in the way.

The dress was gorgeous, there was no denying that. Pride swelled within her that her boy had picked out something so amazing and she'd definitely be thanking him for it later. It was a baby blue color with thin straps that was just tight enough around the top and flowed out at the bottom. The neckline was a little deeper than she normally wore, but was still tasteful. Her favorite part about it was the bow in the front with a starburst type design on it with tails that hung down to her waist. It would draw attention, she knew, but not so much that she would be uncomfortable. Of course, she had no idea where they were going, so that may or may not even be an issue.

Sam hadn't gotten any shoes to go with it (he was a boy after all—he didn't think about these things!) but that was okay because she already had the perfect heels to wear with it so she was glad he hadn't.

Her hair she'd given a slight wave to it so that it wasn't quite curly but not quite straight at the same time. She pulled it up so that only her bangs framed her face, but casual enough to keep her from being over or underdressed.

The doorbell rang at precisely 8 o'clock and Mikaela couldn't help the excited grin that appeared on her face as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. Satisfied with her appearance, she all but raced to the front door and tried not to throw it open in her excitement.

He wasn't there.

Instead, a single red rose and a card with her name on it lay on the porch where he should have stood.

She knelt to pick them up and slowly opened the card, almost nervous to see what it would say.

Mikaela,

One night while you were...gone, I promised myself when we got you back I was gonna show you how much I love you. The past year has been so hectic, I feel like we've started to lose ourselves. It took me a while to figure out how to show you, but I figured on your birthday I wanted to take you back to the nights that mean so much to me. You're a part of every one of them, but I want you to see it through my eyes. Then, of course, it took forever to choose which moments—every day we've spent together could apply but I finally got it narrowed down.

You look amazing, by the way, and I can say that before I see you because you always take my breath away.

There's a car in the driveway with a driver. His name's Ed. Get that look off your face honey, he's an old family friend and yes I know it's a magnificent old car but he was all too happy to help me when I explained it to him and all he's letting me pay for is gas. I promised you I wouldn't spend an ungodly amount on you tonight, and I meant it.

I can't wait to see you so please go get your butt in that car so you can hurry up and get to me.

I love you.

Mikaela shook her head in amusement when she finished reading. The words were so him it was crazy—serious, but just a touch of silliness.

Ed was waiting at the door for her when she approached the car and he tipped her hat as she slid in the backseat.

"Good evening Ms. Mikaela," The elderly man had a grandpa feel to him. Even before he spoke to her, she knew he was a sweet old man and instantly she knew why Sam had asked for his help.

"Hi Ed," She smiled widely. "Where are we going?"

He slipped her another card to her and gave her a knowing grin.

"You tell me."

Hello again.

There's one night I still think about and get embarrassed. Luckily you never laughed at me, but I tried so hard to impress you and all I did was make a fool of myself. Whatever I did must have worked because you're still here.

PS—when you get there, ask for Valerie.

She knew immediately the night he was talking about and gave Ed the name of the restaurant. It was their first date. He had managed to make a fool of himself that night, but she remembered thinking it was cute how much effort he put into making the night perfect to impress her and it made her like him that much more.

Ed found the location with ease and gave her an encouraging smile as she stepped out of the car. They'd made small talk on the way to the restaurant and she'd mentioned her fiancée's instructions to ask for a girl named Valerie. It wasn't every day she had to approach a complete stranger .

"Hi, I'm looking for Valerie," She said to the hostess at the door.

"I'm Valerie," The girl looked at her curiously.

"Sam sent me," Mikaela supplied and recognition dawned on her face.

"He told me you'd be here tonight," She reached under the counter and produced yet another card. "Asked me to give you this."

"Thank you," Mikaela turned to walk back through the door when Valerie spoke up again.

"If he proposes to you, just say yes," The hostess continued when Mikaela gave her a blank look. "I talked to him for five minutes and even I could tell you were his whole world."

"I already have," She held up her hand to show off her engagement ring before thanking her again.

Ed didn't say anything to her when she got back in the car, he simply turned the interior lights back on so she could see. Sam must've told him about all the cards.

Ahh, the infamous first date.

I'm still not sure how I got you to agree to go on a second date, but apparently this Witwicky had charm before he knew it! Or maybe you just felt sorry for me, but either way it worked because I asked you to marry me three years later and you said yes.

Did I ever tell you it took me three hours to get ready that night? Three. I'm not kidding. I'd had a crush on you for years; I wanted that night to be perfect.

…And then I picked you up.

You were stunning. I still remember exactly what you wore, how you smelled, the way your hair looked. That was the moment I realized your beauty came from inside.

You looked like a supermodel; I was a complete dork, and yet you were on a date with me because for some reason you liked me. At least I did something right!

It started off the way I'd imagined—I showed up on time, brought you flowers, you looked excited to see me.

I never prepared for that stupid crack in the sidewalk, and I know I looked like the biggest loser ever when I tripped and landed flat on my face. I wanted to die I was so embarrassed, but you just gave me that smile that still makes me weak in the knees after all this time and asked if I was okay.

Dinner was…well, the food was good, but I was a wreck. I couldn't even play it cool. I spilled the water, dropped my fork in my plate and splashed sauce all over myself, and then to top it off I dropped dessert in my lap.

I don't know that I've ever turned that red in my life. My ears still burn when I think about it.

You know my favorite part of that night?

Miniature golf.

Here we were, all dressed up for a fancy dinner…and you wanted to go play mini golf after we got done. Of course, there was no way I could tell you no.

I even tripped a couple of times there, but at least I didn't face plant. I think I made some corny joke about getting tripped up by your beauty and you laughed and pushed me.

You thought I wouldn't notice, but I saw your hands shaking—you were nervous too. And that's all I needed to know. Even after getting dirt, water, and food all over my clothes, you were still nervous. Maybe if we'd admitted that in the first place, I could've given you the perfect first date I imagined us having.

At the end of the night, I took you home, walked you to your door (without tripping this time!), and you kissed me on the cheek.

From that moment, I was hooked.

Mikaela was laughing as she read the parts about all his bad luck. It was true, he'd been a major wreck that night. She had too, but somehow she'd managed to keep from doing anything stupid.

There was a note at the bottom to look inside the envelope for a clue where to go next. It was a small card with a single sentence.

We played HORSE for hours and you beat me every time, but I came out the winner that night.

What the hell did that mean? She racked her brain trying to figure out which night he was referring to.

There was the night they—no, that wasn't it.

Or that one time she'd taken him to a party and they all played strip HORSE…except, wait, neither of them participated. He was still too shy around her friends and she was too shy to take her clothes off around him—that had been a new one for her, she remembered with a smile.

What about the night at the beach? No, that was the senior bonfire and they were all playing football.

She reread the clue and when she got to the last part, she remembered him singing the song by Jamie Foxx and it all clicked into place. He'd only ever sung it once—she told him to never do it again—and that was in his car.

It was about three weeks after their first date, and they'd been on eight or nine more by that point. Luckily, Sam didn't trip or spill anything on himself after the first one and they weren't always so extravagant, sometimes just watching a movie at one of their houses or going to the park, but they were always perfect in their own way.

"Ed, will you go to the playground at the elementary school by his house?" The smile on the old man's face gave her reassurance her guess was correct. So not only did Sam tell Ed about the cards, but also each specific location.

At least he was picking places that were relatively close to each other. Granted, in high school they hadn't wandered too far out of the area they'd grown up in despite the size of LA but there were a few times they had. She didn't want to spend her night driving all over the city or it'd take hours to get to him at the end of the night.

Although the night had just barely begun, she knew she was right in telling him earlier she would love whatever he had planned for her. This was so different than everything he'd done for her before. Before Egypt, he'd cooked dinner for her a couple of times to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary but he'd never gone to this much effort.

In a way, it was so cliché and so overused—a scavenger hunt for a date? Really?—but he'd put an original spin on it. Sam wasn't forcing her to look for material things, he wasn't creating a puzzle that revealed his location. She already knew all these places. He just wanted to show her how much he loved her in his own sweet, totally unexpected way. He wanted her to experience these nights all over again, but through his memories instead of hers.

There was a card taped to the pole supporting the basketball goal where they'd been that night and she snatched it immediately as soon as she could reach it.

You remembered the song, didn't you?

Mikaela laughed at his words. Of course he would know she'd figure it out that way.

We spent that whole evening here. I'm pretty sure I got yelled at when I got home, but I didn't care. My ego was bruised 'cause I lost to a girl, but that girl was you and I'd take that any day.

Do you realize how hard it was to keep my hands off you when you were wearing that skimpy little t-shirt and my shorts? Why were you even wearing my shorts anyway? I don't know why you wouldn't let us run by your house so you could get some, but you were adamant about wearing mine.

You were teasing me and you knew it. Every time you caught me staring, you had that same look in your eye. If I'd been weaker, we probably would've ended up making out on the merry-go-round. I say weaker (you'd probably say I was too chicken but who kissed who first after Mission City?) because I wanted to treat you right. I'd spent years watching you date guys who used you or treated you like some kind of property, and I didn't wanna do that.

Oh yeah, I was dying to kiss you again, darlin', you have no idea.

There's little else that feels more right than your lips against mine, and to say I was craving that sweet taste was an understatement.

We played one-on-one too. Remember that? Except the game never actually started, 'cause just as I was about to shoot you grabbed me and the ball went rolling to the other side of the blacktop.

I could've stood there all night holding you.

Something changed in that moment, and I know you felt it too. You're arms were just as tight around me as mine were around you.

I finally got up the courage to officially ask you out—and you kissed me.

On a kiddie playground in my shorts that were way too big for you, you whispered yes and you kissed me.

From that moment, you were mine.

Mikaela had been dying to kiss him that night too. Up until then, it had only ever been on the cheek or the forehead save for that one time on the hood of his beloved Camaro when he—yes he, shy little Sam Witwicky—attacked her with his lips. When he finally asked her to be his girlfriend, she couldn't take it anymore. It was the perfect moment, and the thought of not kissing him had been more than she could handle. The kiss had been magical, their surroundings only enhancing the moment because it was so completely them, and only one moment had ever been able to top it—his proposal.

There wasn't a note at the bottom, but she already to look for the slip of paper in the envelope. His next clue held none of the mystery the first two had, but she knew immediately the night he was talking about.

Stay out of my treasure chest.

Although he'd said similar words the night they were searching for his grandpa's glasses, there was another night he'd muttered those exact words. It had been an extremely emotional night, somewhere between a year and a year and a half after they started dating, but one of the most poignant.

That night he'd opened his soul to her in a way she knew he'd never even done with his own parents.

Ed obediently drove her to his parents' house, but she was too lost in her own thoughts to keep up a conversation with him.

"Hi Mikaela," She'd walked into the house without knocking and found his parents watching TV like so many nights before. "Don't worry, Sam told me. Go on up."

The black chest was in the same place it always was and even though she knew it was okay, she still felt weird about opening it. Her eyes had only seen the contents inside one time.

I won't go as into detail about this one, but I know you'll understand.

Can I just say that you're amazing? We've been through a lot, but I can look back at this night and it tells me everything I need to know. You're perfect, baby, no matter what you think.

I never planned to let anyone see inside this chest. My parents knew it existed, but they didn't look in it either. I think they knew how personal it was to me.

I was beyond furious when I caught you looking in it. It didn't matter how crazy I was about you, but in that first moment I never wanted to see you again. I'm sorry, I know that's hard to hear, but that's how I felt. If I could put my heart, my deepest thoughts and fears, in a box…it would've been this chest.

You gave me this look, and I knew you figured out what it all meant. You looked guilty too because you knew how private I was about it, but there was this look in your eye and I crumbled.

I'm not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby that night or even that I clung to you like you were my last breath. You are the first, and only, person I've ever talked to about that dark time my mom was sick. People knew, but I wouldn't talk about my feelings. I couldn't. It was too hard.

I mean, I was in middle school. My mom wasn't supposed to be dying. There weren't supposed to be close calls where we thought for sure she wouldn't wake up the next morning.

We went through that box that night. Every picture, every piece of paper, every object in there. I explained to you what everything meant and when it got so hard I couldn't talk, you sat there and cried with me. You refused to leave my side, even when I'd been so pissed off in the beginning.

I'll never be able to put into words what that night means to me. I'll never be able to make you understand how we have so many incredible memories but that night, depressing as it is, will always be one of the things I remember most. You say I've helped you or I've saved you, but honey…you gave me life.

From that moment, I knew I'd love you forever.

Mikaela bit her lip to keep from crying. She never grasped how much that night meant to him. It hadn't been a conscious choice for her to stay with him; there was no other place she would have rather been that night.

His emotion poured through in his words and she was overcome with a burning need to see him, to touch him. This whole experience had touched her deeply, but she just wanted him.

In his connecting bathroom, she checked her appearance to make sure her latest stop hadn't messed it up.

The next clue was just as simple as the first. LA held a lot of memories for them, but there was only one remaining that was up to par with the first three.

Are you gonna kiss me or not?

This one was the farthest away—Venice Beach.

Mikaela made sure to talk to Ed this time. The car ride would take half an hour at the least, and he'd been so wonderful to drive her around all night even though they were strangers in the beginning. He told her all about his family (14 grandkids!), where the gorgeous car came from, how long it took him to restore it to its original beauty. She learned he and his wife had been married more than 40 years and it was refreshing to see the way his face still lit up when he talked about her and she knew he was still as in love with her as he was the day he married her.

As they got closer to the beach, anxiety grew within her but it wasn't in a bad way. The clock now read 10:24 and all she knew was five and a half hours was entirely too long to go without talking to her fiancée. After the kidnapping, the two of them had become more attached at the hip than they already were.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ed stopped the car in the parking lot where Sam's car also was. He made a comment about not seeing Sam, but she knew exactly where he was. They'd stumbled upon a hidden, secluded area one time and it'd become their thing. Every time they came to this particular beach, they always disappeared into it. Their friends would question them, but they never revealed the location. It was too private for them.

It was a long walk in heels—she'd have to hit him for not at least warning her to wear flats—but completely worth it when she arrived to her destination. They were surrounded by trees and it was still farther in than just the tree line. That's why nobody ever found them. There was no trail to guide them; it had merely been an accident they even found this place.

One question still remained: where was Sam? She was so certain he'd be here, but all she saw was yet another white envelope. There was a frown on her face as she slid the card out and once again began to read.

What can I say about this night? Well, actually, there's a lot but it's highly inappropriate for what's supposed to be a romantic evening.

Tell me something, did you feel my heart pounding that night? Could you feel it?

I've been nervous and scared millions of times throughout my life, but that was nervousness in its most raw form.

I still can't believe you laughed at me when I told you to be gentle. Talk about a mood killer. Kidding baby. I laugh too when I think about it now, but in that moment I was completely serious.

You already had my heart, even if you didn't know it, but I gave you everything I had that night. There's no piece of me left I haven't already given to you.

You always hear people talking about a girl's first time, and how her first love takes it slow and makes sure it's okay…blah blah blah, you know where I'm going with that, but you never hear about the guy's first time. Before you, I always felt like a loser—hell, even Miles had lost his virginity!—but when you came around, it wasn't such a big deal. You didn't want to push it because you understood I just wasn't ready even if I wanted to be.

I'm still not sure how I managed to get you undressed without throwing my guts up, but I did. Of course, once you were naked, I totally froze up and that was embarrassing but I knew you didn't mind. To be honest, it was a while that night before I finally took in the sight of all of you. At the risk of sounding totally cheesy (but after tonight, could I possibly get any cheesier? You're lucky I love you so much), I was lost in your eyes.

It wasn't your first time, and I knew that. Maybe that made me more nervous, in fact I'm sure it did, but you were great about it. We both knew it was going to suck, but I was determined to make it as good for you as I could.

Easier said than done though because, like I said, I couldn't move. Completely naked on top of you, and I swear statues had a better chance of moving than I did.

Then you looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes of yours and all you said was "are you gonna kiss me or not?"

It didn't matter that it was my first time but it wasn't yours. It didn't matter that I was scared as hell and I felt like I was going to be sick. It didn't matter that we could be caught at any moment if somebody wandered far enough in.

What mattered was that it wasn't your first time but you waited a year and a half until I was ready to give you mine. What mattered was that it was you and me and maybe we hadn't said it and we still didn't that night, but we made love until the sun came up the next morning.

From that moment, I knew there was no chance in hell I was ever going to let you go.

The sound of a twig breaking cause Mikaela's head to shoot up and she saw the man whose memories she'd been revisiting all night long. He didn't even have a chance to take another step before she was jumping into his arms—dressed up or not.

"First, I love you," She said kissing him. "Second, that was officially the best birthday present ever."

"So you liked it?" Sam asked hopefully.

"I loved it."

"Good. I was nervous you'd think it was too much, or too cheesy, or whatever."

"Cheesy, yes, but it was still amazing."

"It's not over," She looked at him in disbelief. "Well, we have to eat something."

He retreated in the direction he'd come from and produced a picnic blanket and a basket. She was expecting sandwiches and a bag of chips, but to her surprise he withdrew a takeout bag from the same restaurant they'd gone to on their first date.

"You look amazing," He complimented and kissed her cheek. "Just like I knew you would."

"My incredible fiancée picked out this stunning dress," Mikaela said playfully. "Do you like it?"

"Your fiancée has great taste."

"He's got me, doesn't he?" Sam rolled his eyes and pulled her to him so he could tickle her. She giggled and tried to get away from his fingers, but he refused to let her go no matter how hard she struggled against his body.

They sat down side by side on the blanket and he served them both plates of the still-warm dinner. Ed had called as instructed when he took Mikaela to the basketball court so he had a timeframe of Mikaela's impending arrival at the beach. It also left him with enough time to go pick up the food and make it back before she did.

She teased him about not spilling any food on himself this time, but he quickly retorted that he was no longer the same shy dork that couldn't keep his composure around her. Before long they were bickering back and forth about their embarrassing moments in front of each other.

There was something peaceful about this little space despite it being almost completely enclosed. Moonlight peaked through the branches over head to give a sense of natural ambience. There was enough that she was able to read his card with no problem and they could see each other and the food, but it wasn't bright by any means. The sound of the waves crashing was still audible through the trees, and the sound could put Mikaela to sleep if she laid still long enough.

That's precisely what they did once all the food was gone: lay back on the blanket with her head on his stomach. After so long, there wasn't a need to fill every moment together with conversation. Mikaela spoke up every once in a while to give him her thoughts on the night, but not in one long drawn out monologue. She was reflecting on it while he played with her hair and spoke aloud only when she wanted to elaborate on the memories he'd shared with her.

Sam laughed when she told him about Valerie's wise advice even though it was several months too late.

The night was completely out of place in comparison with his recent pattern of big, extravagant gifts for important dates, but Mikaela knew she'd give her car back in a heartbeat for another night like this.

It was perfect and straight from the heart and his written words alone spoke of the thought and effort he put into it. The car had been an easy gift, he knew how much she'd wanted it, but this…this was borne from his mind. She'd never spoken of wanting a night like this, with his memories recorded on plain white cards; it was simply something he wanted her to have because she meant that much to him.

"For the record, our first date was perfect," Sam had almost drifted off when she spoke up softly after a long period of silence. "Even if you were covered in dirt and a little bit of food, you still tried to impress me and you were so real, so completely you. You were the boy I was crazy about and that's all I could've asked for."

It wasn't until after I wrote it that I remembered the scene in Revenge of The Fallen where Sam's mom was going on about Mikaela popping his cherry while she was all jacked up on the weed brownies. Obviously I couldn't have them meeting up at his house when his parents were obviously home, so I kept it the way it was. Hopefully nobody has an issue with it, but it's not a big enough discrepancy to really matter in the grand scheme of things.

And as always...don't forget to review :)