Lucas ran to catch up to Sam, "Samantha!" He yelled. Five minutes later he came back with Sam. She looked furious, "I already told you both! I'm going back, I'm going back!"
Brooke tried to calm her down, "Sam, please calm down."
"Brooke no. You know what how about you just let me know now, did you ever even think about keeping me?!"
Lucas looked to Brooke awaiting her answer. She swallowed hard, knowing that she couldn't lie. Brooke shook her head, her eyes turning red, "I didn't Sam. I'm sorry."
That was all Sam needed to hear, "Perfect. You're screwed up Brooke." She then turned to Lucas, "And you're not any better." She once again walked away, but this time Lucas let her.
Brooke walked quickly towards her car.
"Brooke Brooke wait."
"There's nothing to wait on Luke! I'm not gonna stand here and let you yell at me, okay? It's my fault, I know!"
He tried to stop her, feeling guilty, "Brooke, it's my fault too. I'm sorry." She didn't bother to respond.
Lucas brushed his hair back, "What about Sam?" He said desperate to keep Brooke from driving away.
"I already said I'm cancelling my flight. I'm staying until I know that Sam is in a safe home."
He took a step closer, "Fine. Fine. Did you get her social worker's number?"
"Yes, I did." They both were finally calming down, and were beginning to see things more clearly, "I'll text it to you."
He put his hands in his pockets, "It's cold out." He said softly, thinking of Sam out in the weather.
"Are you still planning on meeting up with everyone?" He asked her.
Brooke frowned, "I have to go back to the store later on tonight to talk things over with Millie...call Victoria. But I'll go after"
"Sounds harsh." He said.
She chuckled, "Basically."
He looked down at the floor, then back up, "Can I...be there tonight? Or you rather me not?"
Brooke unfolded her arms, "Well we're gonna have to break the news to everyone, in case you know, Sam actually ends up with us….How are you going to tell Peyton?"
He looked concerned, "I'm just going to tell her what happened fourteen years ago. She'll be okay…I hope."
Brooke thought of her long time best friend, "I hope so too. Look, I gotta go. Hopefully we hear from Sam's social worker soon to see if she stays with her current parents or moves in elsewhere."
He nodded, but said nothing else.
… ….. ….
Brooke woke up early the next day. Last night had been a rough one. Their friends were all stunned, but understanding, but her mother was not so empathetic, urging her to assure that Sam be placed in a home sooner rather than later, so that she could once again wash herself of the child. Brooke shuddered at her mother's words.
She woke up and saw that it was five in the morning. Unable to go back to sleep, she decided to go into the store and work. As she walked she saw someone in front of her store, "What the hell?" She said as she strained to see who it was.
A bundled up and half asleep Sam looked up, "Brooke?" She asked also confused.
Brooke looked half relieved and half surprised, "Oh my God, you're here." She noticed that Sam had a suitcase with her.
Sam chuckled, "In the flesh." Brooke watched as Sam buttoned up her coat. It looked like she had an epiphany, "Have you been out here all night?"
Sam looked up from her sitting position on the sidewalk, "Not all night. Maybe since like 3 am.
Brooke was in awe of how easily she said that.
"I was waiting for you. I didn't know where else to go and I figured you'd come or your spazzy assistant would come. Sorry for calling you screwed up by the way."
Brooke was trying hard to follow, and not shake the girl and tell her how dangerous it was to stay out like that all night.
But Sam's face turned more serious as she looked back out to the street, "Guess I should've waited until after the judge's decision to tell my foster mom to go to hell."
"Is it really that bad?" Brooke asked feeling sorry for Sam.
Sam looked back up at her, discreetly nodding her head, "Worse." She said softly. Brooke looked away, feeling horrible. Sam gave her a small smile, "But, uh, hey, you know, thanks for coming to my meeting with the judge. That was nice, well 'til it all went horrifically wrong."
Brooke took a seat on the floor next to Sam, "I am so sorry that you've had to go through any of this."
Sam put away her sarcasm, "It's not your fault."
"Yes, yes it is." She got closer, "Look, I know that I should've been there for you. I mean, now that I know that nobody else was-"
Sam interrupted, "No, Brooke-"
Brooke stopped.
"You couldn't have known that the family didn't keep me." Sam said forlornly, "Wanna know something Brooke?"
"Sure." She said ready to listen.
"I'm gonna be honest with you. My whole life people have told me 'Don't Worry, things will be okay.' And I'd just roll my eyes. I believed it when I was five, but not anymore. Or they'll say 'You'll have a family someday.'" She looked to Brooke, "That's the worse one, because you start to think about the family that you'll never have." She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them, "But you're different. You're surprisingly honest. Kinda paranoid, but honest. You haven't said any of that lame stuff, so thanks."
"Can I do that then, be honest with you?" Brooke said after a moment's pause, "Can I tell you the truth, without you getting mad? Or doing that snarky, sarcastic thing that runs in our family?"
Sam smiled at the word "family." It made her feel good inside, "Okay."
Brooke nodded and spoke slowly, "Don't worry. It'll be okay." She said, "You'll have a family someday."
Sam furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head in disgust, "You don't know that."
Brooke couldn't help but smile as she looked into her daughter's eyes. She had made her decision, "Yeah, I do."
Sam stared into her eyes, realizing what that meant. Brooke wanted her! Her eyes began to glisten with tears. Brooke put an arm around her and held her close.
…. ….. ….
Brooke, Sam, and Lucas were all sitting together at an ice cream shop. Sam had ordered chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles.
Lucas laughed, "You love chocolate don't you?"
Sam shrugged, "Pretty much." She then looked to Brooke, "Are you enjoying that plate of air?" Brooke smirked at her, "I can't eat ice cream right now. There's a fashion show soon, I can't take any chances."
Sam licked her spoon, "Your loss."
Lucas cleared his throat, "So we need to figure everything out."
"I'm gonna be moving here. I can operate an empire from anywhere. I'll just fly out when I have to."
Lucas looked at her nervously, "But, Brooke how are you going to explain this to Victoria, and the sudden move will raise eyebrows."
She put her hand up, "Don't worry about how I will do it. Just know that I'll do it."
Sam looked at them both, looking up from her ice cream, "So am I gonna stay with both of you guys? Like divorced parents?"
Both of them blushed. Lucas spoke up, "Brooke I think she should stay with you for now since you have a guest room ready. I'll go with Peyton tomorrow to get a bed room ready for you."
Sam looked surprised, "Peyton? You have a wife?"
He chuckled nervously, "More like a fiance."
"Oh...okay. Well cool."
"Alright Sam. You'll stay with me for now, but afterwards I assume you'll have two homes, and we can alternate weeks? We don't live that far from one another, so it won't be a huge difference."
Sam nodded, "Okay."
Brooke felt her phone vibrate, it was Victoria. Sam noticed, as Brooke quickly tried to put it away, "Who's Bitchtoria?"
"No one."
Sam scoffed, "I'm 14, not 4. Who is she?"
Brooke rolled her eyes, "My mother. We don't have a very good relationship. Can we move on, now?"
Sam smiled, "Wow, can I call you Bitchy Brooke?"
"NO!" Brooke and Lucas said simultaneously, not letting her continue. She laughed, "It was a joke, chill."
Her phone started to ring again, "Damn it!" Brooke said annoyed. "I'll be back."
Lucas took a scoop of his ice cream, "So Sam tell me a little bit more about yourself. What do you like to do?"
She put her spoon down, "I don't know I gueess..hang out with friends. I like to draw...and write."
Lucas took another bite. This was definitely their daughter, "I love to write! I actually wrote two novels."
"I know."
"You know?" He asked.
"Mhm." She said matter of factly, "I googled you when I found out you were my dad."
"Ahh, I see." Lucas was running out of things to say, meanwhile Brooke was battling it out with Victoria.
"Victoria this is my child! I'm not letting you try and snake me out of this. It's not just a court order, she's my blood!" Brooke exclaimed.
"Brooke Davis, do you realize what this could do to our line? You're known to be beautiful and care free. Not held down by anything...LIKE A CHILD!"
Brooke rolled her eyes, "I'm very aware of my position. But I'm not letting her out in the streets again Victoria."
"You cannot run a line and a teenager simultaneously." Victoria said gravely.
Brooke felt herself being pulled two ways, the love of her line, and now, her daughter. "Victoria, we'll talk about this tomorrow. BYE."
She walked back out putting a smile on her face, despite the turmoil she was feeling, "Ready to go?" She asked then both.
Lucas looked to Sam, "Yup, guess so."
"You're gonna meet everyone."
Sam looked nervous, "What do you mean everyone?"
"Our friends." Brooke added.
Once in the car, Sam looked out the window, "You guys do know we're meeting with the social worker on Tuesday, right?"
"We'll be fine. How many incompetent people have gone through." Lucas said.
Sam knew they were in for a surprise, "Do either of you even know how to take care of things outside yourselves?" She said leaning in to the front. Brooke pushed her back, "Sit back Sam, are you trying to get me a ticket?"
Sam sat back, knowing she got them thinking. Lucas spoke up, "We are not selfish people Sam."
"Brooke you're line is named after you, and you wrote two novels completely about your life. Like, seriously? Plus, you're relationship with Peyton seems to be on the rocks-"
"Excuse me?!" Lucas said turning to look at Sam. She put her arms up in feigned surrender ,"I'm just saying. Every time she texted, you sighed and mumbled when you answered back, and you looked uncomfortable when I asked about her."
Brooke couldn't help but crack a smile at Sam's keen awareness, "And Brooke you call your mom Bitchtoria. You obviously have deep mommy issues."
Lucas laughed, "HAH, You got that right."
Brooke punched him in the arm, "Cut it out."
Sam spoke up again, "All I'm saying is, I think we need to get it together because they'll ask about everything."
Once they parked, Brooke turned and looked softly at Sam, "Sam, you don't worry about that. We'll be fine. We won't take no for an answer."
Her sarcastic wall came down for a moment as she looked to Brooke for comfort, "Promise?"
Lucas saw her big blue eyes, that she got from him. He put an arm around Brooke, something he hadn't done in ages. "We promise kid." He said. "Come on. Let's go meet everyone!"
…. … …..
Brooke and Lucas walked in with Sam behind, "So this, this is it Sam."
Sam looked around, "Whoah."
"This is home." Brooke said kindly. Sam put her suitcase down, and followed them into the dining room.
"Everyone, this is Sam." Lucas said.
"Sam that's Nathan and Haley." Haley took a moment, "Wow, you look just like them."
"She got my eyes!" Lucas claimed. "Yeah, well she got my looks." Brooke said jokingly back at him.
Sam chuckled uncomfortably, she'd never been around so many well to do people. She'd never been in such a nice home.
"Sam, this is Peyton." Lucas said. Sam nodded, "Hi." Peyton gave her a wide smile, "Hi Sam, it's so nice meeting you!" She brought her into a huge hug.
After she was introduced to everyone she turned to Brooke, "Brooke?" She said timidly.
"Yeah?"
"Can I put my stuff somewhere?"
"Let me show you, your room." Brooke walked upstairs with Sam, "Lucas'll bring your suitcase up."
"So this'll be your room." Brooke said openeing the door, "My room's right across from here, so I won't be far if you need something."
Sam looked around, "It's really nice Brooke. Thanks."
Brooke gave her a wink, "No problem."
Lucas then came up with her suitcase, "Dang kid, you travel pretty light." He said as he easily put the suitcase down.
"You learn to be a light packer, when you can be moved from one day to the next."
Lucas looked down embarrassed by what he said, "Sam, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I didn't meant it for you to feel sorry for me."
Brooke tried to lighten the mood again, "Well we have a surprise for you downstairs, so come on!"
"A surprise?" She asked.
"Happy belated birthday!" They all screamed as Sam came into view again. Sam took a step back frightened, but then grinned widely, "Oh Wow."
Broke rubbed her shoulder, "There was no way we were gonna miss your birthday."
"Come blow out the candles, Sam!" Nate said happily. Sam walked over, "No one's really done this for me."
Lucas put a birthday hat on her, "Happy birthday Sam." Brooke fixed some of Sam's hair as she stood next to her, "We know we can't make up for thirteen years, but we figured we'd start with your fourteenth. " Brooke said.
"It's amazing. Thank you." She said. Just then a man came in with a present in his hands. Brooke saw him and look elated, "You made it!" She went over and he brought her into a hug, "Everyone this is my fiance, Julian." Lucas frowned, but did his best to hide his discontent with Julian's presence.
"Congratulations." Sam added, "That's so cool you guys are getting married."
Peyton walked over, "J-julian?"
"You know each other?" Brooke asked surprised. Julian bit his lip, "Uhh, yeah, I worked some with her boss in Los Angeles. But uuhh, Sam, Happy Birthday!" He handed her a present. Sam smiled, "Thanks Julian." Peyton looked disturbed and went back with Lucas.
"Come on Sam! Blow these suckers out!" Haley sad. Sam made her way over and bent down towards the cake.
"You gotta get'em all." Peyton added.
Brooke held Sam's hair back as she started to blow them all out.
Haley pointed out the last one, "Get that last one, if you want your wish to come true."
Sam stopped and looked back up to Brooke, then to Lucas, "I think it already did." She thought to herself before blowing out the last candle.
….. ….. ….
It was very early Monday morning when Brooke was about to head out. "Julian gimme a sec, let me say bye to Sam." She gently closed the door again, and went back up the stairs. Sam was perfectly asleep. She bent her knees so she was at eye level with her, Unsure of how to wake her up, she poked her. Sam moaned and moved a bit, "Hey there." Brooke whispered in a maternal tone that surprised her, "Morning." She said once more.
"What time is it?" San said in a yawn.
"It's like 4:30 in the morning." Brooke whispered, "I'm headed out to New York."
Sam suddenly became more alert and sat up, "What? You're, you're leaving?!"
Brooke noticed the worry in her eyes, "No, no Sam. I'll be back by 7pm. It's just for the day." She assured her.
"You're sure?" Sam said with her eyes wide.
Brooke saw the inkling of Sam's innocence, and the lack of trust from 13 years of foster care in her worry, "Positive, Sam."
Sam looked more relaxed.
"I put some cereal out, and there's money on the counter for lunch." Sam nodded as she listened, "Oh and there's a note with my number at work and my cell. So if you need anything you just, just call me." Brooke gave her a smile, "Okay?"
Sam smiled back, "Okay."
Brooke felt relieved, "Perfect. Lucas is picking you up for school, alright?"
"Got it." Sam said laying back down.
"Have a nice day Sam." Sam just shook her head, but she was already halfway back in her dreams.
Lucas honked his horn and Sam came out, "Wow, that was quick."
Sam jumped in, "I wasn't sure what kinda person you were."
Lucas laughed, "What does that mean?"
She put her bag down, "You know, some people just don't like to wait, and I don't wanna see a crazy Luke." He wasn't sure how to take that, but assured her, he had all the patience in the world.
"So, where to?" He asked.
"I go to Southside High."
As they drove in he looked a little apprehensive, "This is your school?" She unbuckled her seatbelt, "Well it's not Tree Hill High, I know, but yeah, it's not as bad as it looks."
Lucas looked as two guys fought, meanwhile a guard ran to break them up. Sam was getting off, but he stopped her, "Wait, hold on. Why don't we wait for that to end." He said pointing to the fight. She groaned, "You really don't travel around these parts do you Luke."
He looked back to her, "Humor me, alright?"
She sunk back into the seat, "Fine."
When he finally saw them walk away, he let her go, "So when should I pick you up?"
"I'll find a ride." She answered.
He couldn't help but look nervous, "Sam, you're sure?"
She grabbed her bag, "Yup. See you later. Thanks!"
Lucas quickly got out, "Hold on, Sam!" He said loudly. He saw people turn and stare. Sam walked back quickly, "What?" She said embarrassed.
"I feel like I need to tell you some fatherly advice or something."
Sam sighed, "Can you be quick? I need to go in."
He put his hands on her shoulders, "Umm, be good, and you know, make good choices. I'm just a phone call away if you're in trouble."
She rose her eyebrow, "Be good and make good choices, really? Great advice, you should write a book. Oh wait… you already did that. Can I go now?"
He took his hands off, "Get your snarky self into school, alright?" He said with a small smile.
He watched her go in and then got into his car. He drove away, but as he was out of sight Sam ran out of school and headed towards the metro bus stop. She made her way into a dingy apartment. One that would make Brooke and Lucas's skin crawl. She knocked on the door hesitantly. The boy who opened the door had floppy hair, and tattered shoes on, "Sam! Guys, Sam's back!"
He let her in and out came a young girl, around Sam's age and another boy who was older than the rest. "Hey Sam." The older boy said. "Hey Marcus." She said much more timidly. The girl pulled her into a hug, "Where have you been? Did they let you go to California?"
Sam frowned, "No they didn't." When she explained the situation to her friends, they all just sat there in awe.
"Tamara, are you just gonna stare at me?" Sam asked.
Tamara shook her head, "Sam, these are the SAME people that gave you up, why would the judge just put you in their custody again?"
Sam rolled her eyes, "I don't know T! I don't know why."
Tamara walked the room, "We were all supposed to move to California Sam!"
Sam sat down, "T, if they didn't let me, they won't let you." She said sadly.
"God, just shut up!" She said desperate to get away from their crumbling plan. Marcus spoke up, "Look, Tamara you can't just stay here, you're foster parents are probably looking for you too babe."
Tamara looked at Sam, "So what're you gonna do?" She asked Sam.
Sam looked at her confused, "About what?"
"Well we can't just be separated like this. You know they're gonna try to keep you. We can figure out a way to move somehow."
"T-" Sam said trying to stop her, but she kept going, "Just, just tell the judge that they're unfit parents. Or mess up the social worker interview, tell her you don't want to be with them, and cry a little. It'll work!"
Jack could see the uncertainty in Sam's eyes, but he stayed quiet.
"Tamara, I don't know."
She grabbed both of Sam's arms, "Look, it's supposed to be you and me. They're ruining it for us. This wasn't the plan, you don't want to be with them! Come on, let's just get your stuff."
Sam shook her head, "My stuff's all the way across town at Brooke's."
"Well then let's go to Brooke's."
Once they got to Brooke's house they all stared, "Whoah." The neighborhood was serene and their backyard was the harbor.
Jack pushed his hair back, "Damn Sam, this is awesome. Why would you want to leave this?"
Marcus, who was driving, unlocked the doors, "Look are we going in or not." Sam swallowed her nerves, "I, um, I forgot, I don't have a key." She lied.
Tamara looked at her surprised, "Come on Sam, she really hasn't given you a key yet?"
"Not yet."
Marcus looked at Sam, "You better not be lying to us." He warned, "I didn't drive to freakin' Beaver Cleaver's neighborhood for this."
"Marcus I'm sorry, alright?" Sam said. Tamaara undid her seatbelt, "Well if we trash it then the faster she'll kick you out."
Sam grabbed her arm, "Tamara stop." Tamara looked surprised at Sam's sudden change in attitude. "We're taking a walk." She said grabbing Sam's arm.
"She hasn't given you a key yet, Sam? Doesn't that sound like she's only planning on keeping you temporarily?"
"You're reading into it, way too much." Sam said.
Tamaara sighed heavily, "Come on Sam, you've been in enough homes to know how these people are. One mistake, and you're gone."
Sam suddenly felt offended by her words, "Maybe Brooke and Lucas aren't those types of people, T."
"Really? Then what are they Sam?" She asked taking a step towards her.
Sam looked at her feet, then back up, "They're my family."
"I thought I was your family, Sam. I thought Jack, the kid who took BEATINGS for you, Marcus, the one that took you in after Joann kicked you out, was your family."
Sam folded her arms, "Come on, Tamara."
"No, let me finish." She said putting a finger on Sam, "Suddenly some guy who doesn't even have a room for you, and some woman that's in New York too busy with her fashion line is more important than us. You've only been with them three days Sam!"
Sam felt like she needed to defend her new guardians, "Tamara, I don't just want to pack up and leave! Okay? So they're still figuring it out. Big deal. At least I'm not having to deal with the fear of whether or not my drunk foster dad is gonna lock me into the basement...again."
Tamara looked at her more subdued.
"So Brooke flies to New York? At least I know she'll be back, and I won't be waiting for days for the woman who's supposed to be taking care of me to walk through that door."
Tamara looked at Sam, "I get it, alright."
They started walking back to the truck, "For the first time in my life, I feel like somebody wants me. I want to stay."
"Fuck you, Sam." She said angrily.
Once back in Marcus turned up the volume, "Hey listen your mom's on the Ryan Seacrest show."
"Just drive me back to school, alright?" Sam said. He grunted, "Damn, fine."
They all listened as Marcus drove.
"So Brooke that question about adoption in the Tree Hill radio spot you had, crazy weird, right?"
Sam's ears perked up, "Yeah it threw me for a loop."
"Why'd it throw you for a loop?"
Brooke panicked slightly, but she knew she couldn't tell the whole world, at least not now, about Sam. The whole board had threatened her. She could not say anything yet. "I don't know, it was just out of left field."
"For a second we thought you had adopted a baby, or gave one up." He said jokingly.
Brooke chuckled, "I can assure you that is NOT the case."
The truck became quiet. Tamara turned to her, "Guess she doesn't want you as much as you thought."
Jack turned off the radio, "Shut up Tamara." He said.
Sam put her legs up on the seat and stared into the window saying nothing. She wanted to disappear forever.
Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming, please! Five good ones, and I'll write the next chapter :D