Yea, I know12 years is a long time passing, but trust me, it'll work out and I have a reason for it in the long run. This is just to prove that if love is strong enough, no matter where you are or what you do, it'll never leave you.

I don't own SoN. Flashbacks are always in italics.

Enjoy!!

1 - Golden Treasures

Spencer's PoV

The crowd was going crazy and my heart was beating wildly in my chest.

This was it.

This was the exact moment I lived for.

Face off during the gold medal game in the 2010 Olympics.

"Carlin, you better still be my friend once I finish wiping the ice with your face." Mandez peeked through her mask with a grin. She was drafted onto Team USA and we were at face off with five minutes left. The score was tight.

16 – 15.

"Dream on Bitch," I smirked, "the title is ours."

The referee blew his whistle and I shoulder checked Carmen, watching as she fell to the ice, swooping the puck that passed her head and took off down the ice.

The crowd was cheering and it always gave me a huge adrenaline rush. I body checked a few other players before I was tackled myself.

Fuck.

I got up and shoved the girl back, noticing it was Mandez. I shook my head and shoved her again, skating passed her.

"Carlin!" Coach Howard pulled me in and gave me some words of encouragement. "Just rip them to shreds."

I nodded and went back out on the ice.

Two minutes were left.

They had scored on us again, leaving it 16 – 16.

"Come on," I looked over at Kendra, my favourite team-mate who I messed around with from time to time, "just show them that Carlin tough side." She threw me a wink and I nodded, knocking knuckles with her as we skated like hell out on the ice.

The crowd was getting louder and I glanced up at the clock. Less than a minute left. I skated fast down the other side of rink and stole the puck, passing it to Kendra. We did the move before, passing it back and forth until we reached the goalie.

I made a sharp stop in front of Team USA's goalie and raised an eyebrow at her smug smirk. "Enjoy your silver medal." I grinned and as soon as the puck hit my stick, I shot it right between her legs.

"SCORE!" Kendra screamed and hugged me as everyone roared with excitement, music going off in the background as cheers became louder.

I had just lived my dream.

I had just made my whole dream come true.

I was going to sport an Olympic gold medal and I couldn't have been happier.

//

I rubbed my temples and leaned back in my chair, waiting for the pounding headache to disappear after having a meeting with two parents who wanted their son back. I didn't see them fit as parents but I was required to at least listen to their argument before getting a lawyer to present it in court.

"Spence, line one." Ryn's voice sounded through the intercom. "It's your father."

I smiled and thanked her before picking up my ear piece. "Hey dad."

"Spencer, how's my favourite oldest daughter?" His laughter was always comforting.

"Perfect as always." I smiled and looked down at the picture on my desk. It was a picture of Alex and Lucas, the last time they saw each other, which was over a year ago. "How is my favourite father?"

"Peachy." I could hear his smile through the phone and then I heard a rustling sound. "This is actually a business call. Did you get a file today marked 'urgent'?"

I looked at the beige folder on my desk, noticing the red 'urgent' stamp. "It's right in front of me. I had a meeting this morning but I was about to take a look at it. What is it?"

"A new transfer."

I opened the folder and noticed a black and white picture of a small brunette girl smiling. "Dylan Avery?"

"She's the one," I heard him sigh and I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose, "She's had a hard life Spence and I don't think she can take another bad household. I recommended your Centre because I know with you being in such a small community, you screen your families much closer then most city Centres do."

"Of course," I cleared my throat and skimmed through the report. "What's the background?"

"In and out of homes since she was seven years old. Her mother had been drinking and driving when she crashed her vehicle into a tree, with her daughter inside the car."

I immediately rolled my eyes.

Some people just didn't deserve to have children.

"Dylan Avery was taken away instantly, thrown into a group home where she was bounced around from family to family. She's been through a lot for a nine year old. Abused, abandoned and neglected. She just needs to find a stable place for once so she can finally be a kid."

"I'm sure I can find her a really great home." I promised and skimmed through more of her file. "I have a lot of families that are interested and have children of their own about her age."

"Like you." My dad offered quietly.

"Me? Uh no, dad. I'm not interested." I said and found the headache was coming back.

"Spencer, just think about it. You're the strongest person I know with the biggest heart that is made to give out love and help."

"You know what Luc and I went through with the last boy I fostered. I can't have Lucas grow attached to someone and then have them ripped away from us just like that. We may have a smoother system going Dad, but it all boils down to being the same. Foster children come and go…" I sat up in my desk and closed the file but kept the picture out, staring at it.

"Meet her, Spencer. Just meet her and then see, okay?"

I sighed but agreed. It wasn't like I didn't want to take in another child, it was just that Lucas couldn't stand another heartache. She loved having friends and when they left, she felt like a part of her was leaving as well.

I knew that feeling all too well.

After getting off the phone, I called Ryn in. "Are you aware of the Avery case?"

"Yea, she actually just arrived." Ryn smiled softly and pointed out towards the hallway. "Did you want me to send her in?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yea, send her in."

"Kay." Ryn quickly got to work and I looked back at the picture on my desk. I couldn't help but see someone in her smile. I couldn't help but feel a slight pull towards the small girl.

A small noise pulled me out of my thoughts and I found the small brunette standing shyly in the doorway. Her brown eyes were full of life but her body language was anything but. Her hair was dirty and clothes were ripped.

Where did she just come from? What kind of foster parent or group home would allow a child to look like that?

"Dylan?" I smiled and she nodded, her eyes casting downwards. "Don't be shy," I got up and patted the chair in front of my desk, "you can sit here."

Dylan shuffled her feet slowly and crawled into the chair, her eyes looking straight ahead out the window. "How are you, Miss Carlin?" She finally spoke and I glanced up at her with awe.

She had manners.

"I'm very well, thank you." I sat on top of my desk and leaned forward. "How are you?"

"I smell." She scrunched up her nose in the cutest nose crinkle, causing my heart to immediately swell.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"To be put into another home." She whispered sadly.

"Right." I whispered back and jumped off my desk, causing her to jump as well. I frowned slightly and kneeled in front of her. "You haven't had many people be nice to you lately, have you?" I brushed a small curl away from her eyes.

"No." She shook her head. "My mommy was always good to me. She let me go to school and she read to me every night. Then my gramma and grandpa died and I ended up in a new home." Dylan sniffled. "I don't understand why I'm here. Why can't I be with my mommy?" Her brown eyes looked at me and I shook my head, pulling her into a hug. She was skin and bones, no meat on the girl whatsoever.

"Listen," I pulled back and wiped tears away from her eyes, "I have a daughter about your age," I whispered and grabbed a tissue from my desk as she blew her nose, "I think she will love you."

"Is that her?" She pointed to another picture on my bookshelf of Lucas' latest school picture. "What's her name?"

"Lucas." I smiled and she giggled.

"She gots a boy name just like me." Brown curls bounced as she giggled.

"Hmm," I grinned, "seems like the three of us have something in common."

"Spencer?" Dylan ducked her head. "I mean, Miss Carlin."

I shook my head and grabbed her tiny hand, pulling her lightly to her feet. "I think you need to call me Spencer. Miss Carlin makes me sound so old."

"Oh." Dylan chuckled again and sighed. "I don't want to live with another bad family."

"You won't." I promised her and opened my office door. "Do you like ice cream?"

She nodded. "I haven't had it in a long time!"

I smiled and ruffled her hair. "Why don't you go across the hall and play for a bit. I have to finish some paper work and then I'll take you out for some ice cream."

Dylan's eyes widened in surprise with the cutest grin. "Really?"

I nodded and she squealed as if she hadn't been able to laugh in a long time.

"I'm taking her home with me." I whispered to Ryn, who smiled at me and patted my shoulder. "Help me draw up the papers so we can get this done faster."

"Well since you've fostered three children in the past, it's going to be easy and quick." Ryn winked and made her way to the front desk.

I glanced back over at the young girl, sitting in the corner while reading to herself. She seemed to possess a lot of knowledge yet was so lost at the same time.

I opened the file again and finished reading it. Leigh Avery was her mother, she was charged after breaking parole with possession of drugs therefore prolonging her hearing on getting Dylan back. She went through a few rehab programs and was currently housing in one in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

I spent the next hour filling out papers and then called my father back, letting him know that I was taking Dylan home with me.

I was risking it, I knew that. But something about Dylan made me want to there for her.

"Ready Dylan?" I peeked around the corner and held her only ripped raincoat in my hand.

"Ice cream?" She looked up with a smile.

"Ice cream." I nodded. "But first, let's get you cleaned up and then we can pick up Lucas. I'll take you both out for ice cream then."

"Are you," Dylan licked her lips and sighed heavily, "are you going to take me home, Miss Carlin?"

I couldn't help but smile and nodded. I was shocked when I found her arms wrapped around my waist, her small body crying. "Hey babygirl," I knelt down and wiped more tears out of her eyes. "What's with the croc tears?"

"Please don't send me back, please?" She sobbed.

"No," I cooed and pressed my nose into her hair, "you'll be living with me, it's okay."

Dylan wiped her face and grabbed my hand, squeezing it in her tiny one. "Thank you."

Two words and I knew that this Dylan Avery wasn't just another child going through another home. She was special.

I could feel it.

I just hoped I made the right decision in taking her in.

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