A/N: So, uh… hello, anyone and everyone who even still bothers to follow this story.

At this moment, my last update for this story was August 5th of 2013. I was just getting ready to start my freshmen year of high school then. I am now a sophomore, and it is over an entire year later.

Some of you may be mad; others were probably wondering if I died. I figured, however, that if I'm coming back to this story at all, I should hit the ground running and give you a valid reason for why I had gone off the radar for so long.

There are actually multiple reasons:

1.) I was working on another story.

"Behind the Looks" has grasped my full, undivided attention and I've been working with it ever since. I even abandoned my unfinished stories just to work on it. I realize now that that's not the way to go. If anything I shouldn't just focus on one story at a time-I should take turns with it and update one or two chapters a piece. Not everyone follows me; some people just follow one of my individual stories, and that's OK. It was wrong for me to leave loose ends.

2.) My YouTube channel.

This story (or any of my stories, for that matter) was not the only thing I've been slacking on. I have a Sims 2 project I'm working on titled "Annabell Lee", which if you've been with me for a long time you'd have heard plenty about, and I'm struggling with the editing process a bit. I've been working on that for over a year as well, and I'm not even half way into it. My cast members are depending on me, and I feel like I'm letting them down. The same way I've been letting all of you down.

3.) Summer tasks.

Over this summer, I've gone to my dad's, gone on vacation, had surgery (not really in the summer though-this was like February), moved to another residence, started and graduated from driver's ed, got my permit and much, much more. I've been very busy, but not busy enough as to where I could cut down on all of my work. I've set myself in a little pickle, because now I'm in the point of time where I'm gonna struggle the most: unlike during the summer, I'm going to have tons of homework and classwork to do, and that won't make anything any easier.

4.) I'm blocked.

There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of any of my stories and what to do next with them. For "Behind the Looks", I was thinking of just completing a couple more chapters and wrapping it up so that I can be done with it, and for "Fall for Me, I'll Fall for You" and this story… I'm brain dead. I have no idea what to do or where to go or how to even finish any of this off. I haven't a single clue, idea or piece of bread. I'm completely and utterly shut down.

The list could go on, but I'd prefer to save the excuses.

I'm still continuing my stories. Progress has just been… incredibly slow.

So for the few that have stuck around, I'm completely and sincerely sorry. I can't help but wonder if there was a better way for me to go about this and all of the work that I've done, most of the people that I've gotten to follow me in this long adventure of using my imagination and writing to my heart's content, has completely been flushed down the shoot, all because I can't stay committed to the projects that I start. I've missed writing with all of my heart and haven't done it in so long, but I feel like I'm slowly giving up. Most of my reviewers are gone and I know it's on my head. I've disappointed many people, all including myself. My reviewers, all of you guys, were the only reason I kept going. When there were times that I felt like giving up, I saw how many people loved my work, and I can't even tell you how grateful and proud that made me feel, but now things are different. I've gotten older, was given more responsibilities and now I just can't seem to balance everything out.

Hopefully I can keep these chapters going along, for all of my stories until they're finished. Or maybe I'll just be blocked for good. Regardless, I think that in the end, I should just leave FanFiction for as long as it takes to get my head straight, but this time I'll be leaving with a purpose and with no unfinished business. Maybe along the way, I'll find something to say or what to write about.

But no matter what happens from here on out,

I want each and every one of you to know that I love you with all of my heart.

My reviewers will be nothing less than family to me.

And all I am is one PM away from any advice, any questions or any consoling.

Enjoy your 11th chapter.

Chapter 11: Top of the Hill

~Sam~

"...and since you're having your child here, in Las Vegas, I've decided to go out and try to find one of the best hospitals that I could manage to spot. I think I have the perfect place."

Cecilia pulled out her cell phone, tapped the screen here and swiped the screen there. Sam is waiting patiently, one eyebrow raised in curiosity, and finally after seconds of finger gestures, Cecilia starts over and bends down to where her chest is facing the floor, holding the screen outward and aligning it with Sam's eyes. She watched the reflection of the screen's glow in the pregnant woman's dark pupils before her eyes widened. The hospital looked almost completely identical to a four-star resort. It had twelve floors, maple and honeysuckles trees surrounding the terrain on the exterior, and a fountain sitting just in front of the entrance door. Adjacent to it was the parking lot, and on the right hand side of that was a yard where they allowed patients in physical therapy to have personal time to themselves.

Sam's two hands instinctively lunge upwards to grab the mobile device and she allowed them to move the phone even closer to her face. The hospital was more than just beautiful-it was magnificent.

"Cecilia, you… I mean, you can't be serious!" By Sam's tone of voice, Cecilia suspected that she was more shocked than happy.

"I am serious. Isn't it beautiful? Imagine having your baby there!"

"There's no way we'll even afford enough money to get me administered there!"

"Don't even worry about that," the blonde plopped a squat on the chair behind her and crossed one leg over the other against the arm. "I talked to my brother, the one who owns the dealership here, and the board, and together we're all pitching in some money to pay for your bill. My brother was pretty chill with it after I talked some sense into him. As for the critics, well, they're the ones who dragged you over here after all, and you're their favorite artist probably ever, so they probably just figured "why not?". Besides, this is Las Vegas, the city of money and casinos and alcohol and prostitutes… if you're baby's going to be born in this trash of a town, he'll need the best, and this is the best."

Sam couldn't speak. She couldn't do anything but allow her amethyst eyes to look into Cecilia's.

"So what do you say? You up for it?"

It's been months since that conversation. Sam could recall it like it was yesterday, playing it over in her head as she was applying the finishing touches on her final draft for the critics. It was hard to believe that only four months prior, she was at the airport leaving for one of the most beautiful cities she had ever seen. Only four months prior, she was leaving everyone she had ever knew and loved behind. Only four months prior, she was twenty weeks along. It was even harder to believe that now, she's thirty-eight weeks. Her due time was approaching so rapidly, she wasn't quite sure if she could keep up. Cecilia had been nice enough to plan everything out for her and why? Did she really care, or was she just trying to be nice?

Sam's stomach produced a low, bubbly growl, and seconds later she felt two small kicks.

"Yes, I know you're hungry. Just… hold on for one more second."

Cecilia had also been nice enough to stop by a bookstore and purchase a couple of books for expecting mothers, and Sam had been reading them faithfully ever since. She had learned all kind of facts and tips and tricks on how to nurture an infant, how to discipline children in a reasonable manner, compromising and so on. She had even picked up a few facts here and there about mothers during their trimester and the orderly fashion that a fetus develops. She had treated it like its only job was to completely run her lifestyle. Not that she didn't mind; she loved the books. They were quite informative and helpful.

"...with Nasa!?"

"Yeah. To be rightfully honest, I didn't actually think I'd get it the second time through. Now all I have to do is a couple years worth of training and maybe later on down the road, I can finally accomplish my dream of becoming an astronaut!"

"But, your schooling-"

"Already got it taken care of, remember? I've done my time. I'm not, you know, a master in astronomy, but I get by."

"Danny, that's… that's amazing! That's so wonderful!"

"Yeah… yeah…"

Their voices dropped below the level of silence, both listening to nothing but the static on the line. Danny normally wasn't one to break silences (it was usually Sam's job), but he was appalled with what happens next:

"Is there something you aren't telling me, Danny?"

It nearly knocked him off his feet.

He knew it was only a matter of time before she would start catching on.

"Uh… I, uh…"

"Danny…" she asked again cautiously.

He fell so quiet, the dead could be heard speaking.

"No."

Sam smirked with a hint of sarcasm. "Are you sure?"

He tried not to sound guilty, but when he answered with "I'm sure", the tone was found in his voice either way.

She knew better; she wasn't stupid.

But she supposed that if Danny didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to talk about it.

Danny was hiding something really big, it was almost like Sam already knew what it was, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. He wasn't one to keep secrets at all, and neither was Sam nor Tucker. Ever since they all met each other in the second grade, they became so close that they stuck together like glue. They all shared one brain. They all knew everything that the other one did. They were nearly inseparable.

And they never withheld secrets-ever. That just wasn't like them.

But now all of a sudden it was an issue, and quite frankly Sam was getting fed up with it.

Besides, how bad could it be? It wasn't like Sam was going to leave him for good.

~Danny~

The glass made a sharp sound as the bottom of it came in contact with the oakwood. The music in the bar had been turned down to a minimum since closing time had been just around the corner and many members had long gone home. Among those that came, Danny and Tucker still remained there, but their drinking had been for the faint of heart. Danny used his index finger and thumb and them over his eyelids starting from the slits. Beside him was Tucker, and he was slowly working on his first glass of rum. Both men were too preoccupied with their thoughts to really even say anything, let alone make conversation. But when it came down to it, Tucker spokes up, since Danny wasn't the one to do so.

"Listen, man, I'm sorry about all of this… I really am."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked gruffly, lifting his glass into his line of vision and using his fingers to move the bottom of it into a clockwise circle.

"You know what I mean," he responded reprehensibly. "This whole situation. It's gotten incredibly out of hand."

Danny set the glass down and looked at his African American friend as he continued.

"I mean… I was the one responsible for watching you two that night, and driving you home safely and making sure you two didn't do anything stupid, but… I let you two do something stupid. And then I failed you again by letting Alyson worm her way onto you… like, okay, maybe not all of this can be blamed on me, but I had a large factor in it, and I'm sorry for all of it."

"Nah," Danny shook his head, his nose scrunching and his upper lip curving in the middle. "You aren't responsible for all of this or much of this, rather. I should've been the one responsible enough to set a limit on me and Sam. I deserve everything coming to me for punishment."

"Yeah, uh… speaking of Sam… I think it's about time you tell her."

"What? No, I… I can't-"

"Danny, come on! You've put this off long enough! Sam is thirty-eight weeks as of tonight, and pretty soon she'll be in that hospital room delivering a child she doesn't even know belongs to you… the right thing to do is to tell her now and save all of the trouble for later."

"I…" Danny then pauses to let out a sigh. "You're right."

"I… am?"

"Yes… I'll call her tonight and… and then I'll just tell her."

"Put her down real easy?"

"Yeah."

"The best way to do it, I suppose."

Danny slides his glass in the direction of the bartender. As the said man walks over to retrieve it, his eyes catch Danny's and he lets out a smirk.

"Another round?"

"Actually, no thanks, Al. I'll pass."

The bartender looks shocked for a mere second, but takes the glass in hand and uses his towel to clean the inside of it as he moves along. Danny stands to his feet and grabs his jacket, which he had been resting comfortably upon with it hanging limply from the stool, and soon Tucker followed suit.

"Oh, hey, before I forget to tell you," Tucker chimes while they open the door to the bar and exit along the sidewalk, "I can't go with you to pick Sam up at the airport. I've got an appeal to attend to the day she comes back."

"Wait, wait… an appeal? For what?"

"I'm taking Valerie back to court."

"You really want joint custody of those kids, don't you?" Danny smiles goofily. They start to walk to Danny's car and he pulls the keys out of his pocket.

"Hey, man, those kids are mine too, and I have just as much of a right to see them as she does."

"Why is the court date so far out there?"

"I still have to gather all of my paperwork and everything, plus I have to make my place look at least semi-presentable when the social worker comes to check it out."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Danny presses the 'unlock' button on the key fob and he gets in on the driver's side with Tucker in the passenger seat. As Danny turns the key in the ignition and starts the engine, he looks at Tucker.

Tucker has worrisome in face. "Are you gonna be alright? You know, with you telling Sam and all."

Danny shakes his head very subtly, pulling the gear down in reverse. "It's not me I'm worried about."

~Sam~

A knock on the door makes Sam look up from the her position in the kitchen. She yells "come in" as the door swings open slowly. Cecilia steps in and shuts the door behind her.

"Hello!" Cecilia sings happily.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Sam smiled.

"Oh, well, I just stopped in to check on you. I also wanted to give you a little something-a present."

"A present?" she gives a wide grin. "Or is it just some damn baby thing?"

"No, no, no, no… this is for you," Cecilia gives the raven-haired woman a giddy laugh and pulls out a small white box wrapped with a purple bow. She hands it to Sam, who cups it in her hand. "You've been more than just another coworker to me-you've been one of the greatest people I have ever met and ever cared to associate with. And you helped me get to where we are today. Even if I've said things that I have later regretted, you still stuck by me. And I can't thank you any more for any of this… so I was talking to my mother, I told her about your condition and whatnot, and she agreed that she, too, wanted you to have this."

Sam was speechless. All she could do was stare down at the white box, decorated with sparkles. She pulled one side of the bow, untying it completely before lifting the lid of the box. Once she saw what was inside, she nearly cried.

Her eyes followed the silver chain all the way down until they landed on a jewel-a large, heart-shaped velvet rhinestone with a sterling silver lining. She used her index finger and her thumb to gently pinch the chain, getting enough of a hold on it to remove it from the box. Upon seeing the necklace as a whole, Sam nearly fell backwards.

"Oh my God… Cecilia…"
"This was my mother's… and her mother's… and her mother's before her. It's a family heirloom that was passed down since 1920 to just the females in the family. It was supposed to be given to my daughter, whilst I ever bare children… but I want it to be yours instead."

"Cecilia…" Sam repeats with tears welling in her eyes, "I… I can't take this; it's in your bloodline. I can't sever those ties; it'd be completely uncouth!"

"You're not severing them-I'm severing them. Don't worry about it. I know I can trust you."

"But I'm not having a daughter…"

"Something tells me that you will one day. Just give it some time."

Sam stares at the necklace in complete awe before placing it carefully back into the box, covering it up with the velvet paper and putting the lid back on.

"Cecilia, I can't take this."

"Yes you can, and you will."

Cecilia closed her fingers over the little white box and gave Sam a small smile. Even though her eyes contained guilt, she did as Cecilia told her. Sam set the box aside and gave her boss a warm hug. She didn't know what else to say or what else to do. It was almost like even though she never wanted to have a baby, good things have been happening to her ever since.

"Hey… I want to show you something," Sam said.

"If it's the canvas you have set up right there, I can already see it, and it's beautiful. Maybe it will finally get us home!"

"Thank you for your kind compliment, but… it's not that."

Sam waddles off to her bedroom, opening the door and rounding the corner to the closet. She rummages through it for a second before picking up another canvas covered with a white blanket and carrying it out to the sitting room. She sets it on the couch and Cecilia rounds the piece of furniture. The back of the canvas is leaning against the arm, and the covered up masterpiece is facing her.

"I took some time on the side to paint it. I think it came out pretty good."

Sam removes the blanket and exposes the painting. Cecilia cocks her head as she looks closely at it. It was an incredibly blurry picture, but she could make out the figure of a man. Behind him in the background were fluorescent lights and what appeared to be a tan ceiling. He had broad shoulders, black hair, light skin, and appeared to have possibly been quite tall in height.

"Sam… what is this?"

"I've been having these dreams… every night, for the past couple of months… and it's the same thing, over and over. There's a man above me, hovering over me… and I can see him. I can see him, but… I can't make out his features. The lighting in the background… it's the same kind of lighting that I have in my bedroom. I think that maybe… this is the man that I slept with… this is the father of my child… but I don't know who he is, and I don't know what he looks like."

"Sam, have you talked to anyone about this?"

"I wish there was someone who could help me, but I don't think there's anything anyone can do."

"Sam… I'm sorry that this is happening to you," Cecilia takes a step towards her and holds her wrists gently, giving her a look of sympathy.

Sam gives the woman a small smile. "It doesn't matter. Maybe eventually, I'll remember what he looks like."

Cecilia gives a nod and taps her biceps a couple of times. Then she takes a step back and towards the door. "Well, it's beautiful Sam. I love it. I have to go thought. You need your rest and I wouldn't want to keep you up. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah. Hopefully this painting will be finished soon so that we can just go home already."

"Yeah." Cecilia opened the door and said a quick "goodnight Sam" before leaving.

Sam sighed and covered the canvas back up before putting the canvas back in the closet. While exiting the room, she realized that she no longer felt any kicks, but there was subtle movement.

He must be sleeping… good.

Sam returned to her primary painting and picked up her palette and paintbrush, dipping the bristles in a color before swiping it against the canvas, but it didn't take long for her to abruptly stop once she heard the sound of her phone ringing.

~Danny~

Sam had been gone for so long, Danny had become so immune to coming home to an empty house. He was now used to seeing all the lights turned off and everything more quiet than ever. Spade would always go crazy when someone came home, regardless of who it was. Danny tossed his keys into the bowl and started off to Spade's cage, letting him out to go outside. He had gotten to full size already, and now he was too big to treat like a baby even though he was a baby. But he knew that nothing ever stayed the same forever.

After letting Spade back in, he locked everything up downstairs before going upstairs, the German Shepherd tailing his heels. As he started down the hallway, he paused at the closed door next to him. Spade stopped and planted a seat on his butt. Almost on instinct, Danny opened the door slowly just to get another look at everything inside and flicked the light on.

The walls were painted blue with a paper design of a cloud, a sun, a flower, green grass, and a blue sky running along the top and the bottom. Every piece of furniture in the room was maple wood themed: the crib, the changing station, the rocking chair and more. A couple of stuffed animals were already propped upward in the cirb, waiting for the young infant's arrival. Not to mention the little dresser that they had next to the changing station already had folded up baby clothing inside, which was long given to Sam as a gift at her baby shower.

Danny smiled as he turned the light off and left the room, shutting the door behind him before going off to the bedroom and laying clothing, taking it to the bathroom to change into after his shower. Turning on the faucet and letting the water warm up, he stripped down and stepped in. Danny cleaned himself up for the first ten minutes, but then spent the rest of the time thinking.

He knew that he and Sam didn't intend for anything to get the way it was. He didn't know if Sam had grown attached to the situation, but Danny knew that he couldn't wait. He wasn't happy about keeping this a secret from Sam, but he was happy that he did know that he was going to be the father. He couldn't believe that he had helped create something so beautiful, and he was going to be there at any time. He was ecstatic; he just wished that the circumstances are different.

Danny turned the faucet off and stepped out, changing into his clean pyjamas and leaving the bathroom. As he sat on the bed, he grabbed his phone and pulled up Sam's number before stopping.

What if Sam never spoke to him ever again? What if he was never allowed to visit his son? These ideas were critical in Danny's mind, and it caused him to hesitate at his most courageous point. But he knew Sam, and he loved her with all of his heart. Even if she never had anything to do with him, she'd at least have known the truth. She was always deserving of that. He shook his head and pushed the call button, holding the speaker up to his ear.

~Sam~

Sam put her paintbrush down and dug into her back pocket, retrieving her cell phone and answering the call.

"Hello?" she greeted.

"Hey Sam… it's me," Danny's voice responded.

"Hey," she said happily. "I was waiting for a call from you. I thought I had to be the one to do everything."

"Listen Sam… I have to talk to you, and this time, no funny business."

"Oh… um…" her voice began to quiet down as she placed a seat on the couch, "alright."

"Sam… I know that I should've told you this to begin with and it was wrong for me to keep a secret this entire time. But I've been lying to you… I've been hiding things from you… but I just want you to know that no matter what I've done in the past, you have to know that I always have and always will love you, no matter what."

"Danny, just… what are you trying to tell me?" Sam tried to make her voice sound commanding, but to her resent it came out as a quiver. She was growing increasingly afraid. She cared for Danny so much, it hurt sometimes. What was so bad that could push her over the edge and cause her to never want anything to do with him ever again?

"Okay… Sam…" he started. "I'm the guy."

"You're… the guy?" she repeated confusingly, not catching on. She stood up abruptly. "What do you mean 'you're the guy'?"

"I'm mean that I'm the-"

Danny was going to finish off his sentence until he heard Sam gasp sharply. "Sam?"

"Um…" she mumbled awkwardly, looking down towards her feet.

"Um?" he mimicked with anticipation. "What happened?"

"Danny…" Sam started as she heard Danny fall worriedly silent, "my water just broke."

A/N: Sorry, but I'm stopping here because it seems like the perfect place to.

Right then, so as you all know, Ellen Page is my queen, and a couple months back she just came out with some big news. That's right-she plays for the other team. So for this Question of the Chapter:

"What do you think of Ellen Page's big reveal?"

AND

"What has to be your favorite project she's been in?"

Many of you may think you don't know who Ellen Page is, but nine times out of ten you do; you just don't know her name, but you've seen her before. She has worked in BEYOND: Two Souls, X-Men, Inception, Juno, Hard Candy, Touchy Feely, An American Crime, one episode of The Simpsons, and one episode of Family Guy. So you probably know who she is.

Personally, I couldn't be more happy for her even if I tried to be. And my favorite project she's been in has to be when she played Sylvia Likens in "An American Crime", because I actually live in Northern Indiana and I have family that resides in Indianapolis, which is where that crime was committed, and it's truly a horrible crime. If you don't know who Sylvia Likens is, look her up. Her case was the worst crime ever committed in the state of Indiana.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

PleaseR&R,

Vivalandra