A/N: Lighting the fire to my own personal fireworks a day early for the Fourth! Bonus Post! Consider this a Trademark Thursday as you declare your own Independence, enjoy :-D ...

~ Resolving Unofficial Business? ~

pt.2

"What, you mean last summer? I know that Deena."

Deena wipes tears and shakes her head, "No…this summer."

Sammi looks confused and then in thought but then she just looks at Deena. Deena gasps out a cry and then she shakes her head yes to confirm what Sammi is thinking.

Sammi places a hand over her forehead and responds.

"When?"

Deena, "The night before Nicole's baby shower…after we came back from Merge."

Sammi just looks at her and Deena continues.

"I don't know where it came from but I just walked up to him and told him to come with me. I don't remember much between then, all I know is we hooked up kind of in the bathroom…then, we were back at the Shore House…"

Sammi still looks at her and Deena pours everything out.

"…He looked so good that night and-and…the connection we had…"

Sam finally speaks, "I don't care how it happened, all I care about is why it happened."

Deena responds exacerbated, "We were hammered out of our minds."

Sam, "Okay but you love Chris Deena, why did you do this?"

Deena cuts her off before she can continue, "…because I love Pauly too! (Thinking of his words to her) I never stopped…"

Sammi tries to think of how to make this better but nothing is coming to her.

Sam, "I get that there is a connection because of 'Leena but…how are you going to explain this to Chris?"

Deena, "It's not like I wanna be with Pauly now."

Sam, "Well you can't continue a relationship with Chris without making sure of that."

Deena, "What do you want me to do?"

Sam, "It's not what I want you to do, it's what you should do that should be in question…but not even that, you have to tell Chris no questions asked."

Deena, "No."

Sam, "No?"

Deena crying more, "No."

Sam gives her a look, "So you wouldn't want to know if Chris cheated on you or not?"

Deena, "No, I wouldn't."

Sam, "That's a lie and you know it."

Deena, "Well you spent your whole time in Miami in denial, so how can you talk?"

Sam is good with Miami now that she and Ron have worked through the worst of their relationship but if this were then, she would probably go to blows with Deena like she did Jenni.

Instead, she overlooks it because Deena is outside her head right now.

Sam, "Listen, I know you're scared you're gonna lose Chris over this but it's better to address it while the relationship is still new. Right now, you aren't as involved as you think you are and it will hurt less if the worst happens."

Sam continues.

"If I could take anything back from Ron and I's relationship it would be Miami. I would have listened to everyone around me and faced my fears. I didn't want to lose Ron so I decided to ignore the fact that he was dogging me out."

Sam steps closer to Deena.

"I made myself look like a fool. He was chasing after other girls and then coming home to me…"

Sammi still cannot forget that line and it took her a while to even watch the Miami episodes but now that she and Ron are good, she takes them as reminders of what she doesn't want to go back to.

Sam, "Right now you're Ron in a sense. Don't make a fool out of Chris. He's a good guy and he deserves the truth."

Deena, "Yeah…and I'm such a bad person…"

Sam, "Dee' I don't know what is or was going through your head but it's not to say that you are…you're not. You just need to deal with your emotions right now. I was going to talk to you about it anyway."

Deena nods her head and wipes more tears.

Deena sniffles and responds, "Will you be there with me when I tell him?"

Sam, "I can't be there with you. That would humiliate him. This is personal and I know you know that."

Deena pauses and nods, "…Yeah…I just (shaking her head)…I don't want to lose him Sam. He's the best thing that has happened to me."

Sam, "I know, everyone else knows it but you need to believe it not just say it or go by what everyone else is saying."

Deena stands there and thinks and then she finally agrees.

"Okay…I'll tell him."

Sam, "When? You need to set a day to do it and it should be done before we leave this house."

Deena, "I can't do that right now. I need to do it when it's the right time. Tonight would not be good with Pauly here too."

Sam, "I'll give you that but you'd better do it soon Dee' you know how things turn out in the House, I'm just sayin."

Deena, "Yeah, I'll decide tonight when I can get a moment to be by myself."

Sam, "Alright."

Deena continues to sniffle and Sammi goes in for a hug.

Sam, "I still stand by my word. I'm here for you through whatever."

Deena, "…and I am still forever grateful for that."

Sammi nods and then hugs Deena. Deena breaks down in more tears and the girls use this time to let Deena get herself together before they make themselves present back outside in the lounge area.

On the way out neither one is aware of the people around them but when the two return, Deena sits next to Chris and avoids all eye contact. Chris looks at Deena and says to her.

"You okay Babe?"

Deena smiles halfway, "I'm fine. I just needed to get myself together."

Ron, "You sure you don't want a drink?"

Deena, "I am positive."

Everyone goes back to conversation but Chris knows better. The first sign was when Deena was not jumping him the minute he arrived. He thought she would be thrilled that he showed up tonight.

He won't push the issue but decides to let her come to him if there is a real problem.