Wow, guys…This is a long one. This fiction has turned into minor fictions mixed with some unknown facts. Well…Hope it's okay!
I'm also aware that it has turned into unknown facts that always involve the Sam & Diane relationship. I can't help it I guess. I'm such a huge fan of them!
But still…Next time (next chapter) I'll try to include facts about some of the other Cheers characters, without it necessarily has something to do with either Sam or Diane.
I'm always open for suggestions! So if you have anything to say about it, please do.
Anyways…I hope these "little" facts are worth reading!

*Chosen to delete fact #41 because of similarities between it and another fic in here. Note: No intention to imitate or copy someone else's work in any way.*

#42- The treasures within thrift shopping

She wasn't too crazy about these thrift shops. They seemed kind of strange. The only kind of people she could imagine that would walk in there would be collectors or badly paid single moms. She certainly didn't belong in places like these. But she was only there for a brief moment and for a cause. She was a woman on a mission. She was in search for some reasonably priced clothes for one of her smaller plays. She could go on a sale? No that was too pretentious. The clothes were only going to be used one time and then it'd be thrown in the trash anyway. Besides, this was actually one of the nicer thrift shops she had gone into that day, finding place in the back of a house in the northern Los Angeles.
As she was taking a look around, she spotted an elder collection of baseball stuff. There among cards. A smile crossed her face. She forgot all about the search for cheap clothes and started looking through the old baseball stuff. Especially the cards caught her attention. There were some back from the 50's, 60's and 70's. And there, among all those interesting cards, she spotted him, caught in the middle of a pitch. There was no doubt it was him. Those shinny blue eyes under the baseball cap, focusing on his target… With his right arm stretched out and leg back, it looked like the perfect pitch.
Totally preoccupied with studying the card, she didn't notice the elder man coming out from behind.

"That's a nice card, you're holding there," the elder man said, leading Diane to turn.

"Sam Malone: a memorable relief pitcher for sure."

She swallowed, smiled and looked down on the card again.

"It does look like he was in a good period at the time this photo was taken," she said, hoping the elder man would get what she was referring to.

"As I recall, that was a few weeks before his boozing began. But don't pin it up on me. My memory isn't as good as it used to be."

"You're fan of him, it seems."

"My brother was. It kinda rubbed off on me."

"Oh."

"Yeah, all this is my brother's. Or was."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. He lived longer than what could've been expected for a man of his type."

Diane nodded, not sure what to respond.

"Actually, Sam there was one of his biggest inspirations. If not the biggest."

"He was?" she asked with a tremble in her voice.

"Oh yes! Sam was the reason he stopped his boozing."

Stunned, Diane couldn't get a word out of her mouth.

"Sam was his idol during his playing days. You see, we originally came from Boston and moved to LA about 15 years ago."

All she could manage at that moment was to listen and nod.

"My brother did everything he could to be like him. Already to begin with they were very much alike. Sharing a drinking problem and all that."

"But some time after Sam had retired from baseball, it was told that he also had stopped his drinking, and that got my brother all confused. At first, he accused the guy for being a sissy, weakening and aging. But then he did what he had to do. He followed. If it hadn't been for Sam, I don't think Earl would ever have stopped his boozing. Sam was indeed his savior and the reason why he got so many more years to live."

Still speechless, the only sign she could give was the tear running down her cheek. She hurried to turn, thinking she had been in time to cover it.

"If I'm not completely wrong, you seem to be quite fond of him too, Miss," the elder man added with a careful smile.

She turned again and nodded, letting out a quiet "yes."

"Take it," he said calmly.

"No, sir, I can't. It's your-"

"Hey! If I didn't want it gone, do you think I would have put it out here?"

"I suppose not," Diane muttered "how much?"

"What?"

"How much money does it-"

"Nothing."

"No, I can't take it for free," she protested.

"I insist. I'm sure my brother wanted it that way. As I'm sure it'll be in good care with you."

"It will," she swallowed "I promise."

Ever since then, Diane Chambers truly understood and appreciated the treasures within thrift shops.

#43- Honeymoon plans

She did it every time he mentioned it. That little bitter smirk. She tried to stay positive and open about it…but it was a difficult task and to him it was obvious that maybe he should have something in back up.
Disney World wasn't her cup of tea. Not without childrenanyway.
Children. Why was it that that word gave him the shivers? Maybe it was the imagination of him being a father of a kid (something he had never imagined before her)…or maybe- He didn't know. Maybe it was too far ahead of him. Of course kids were in her future plans. He had known that all along. But they had never been in his. That was until recently. He had been giving it a lot of thought. The whole 'settling down' scenario. It did involve kids. Their kids.
And there was nothing wrong with that. He wanted that. He looked forward to it.
But was he ready for it 'yet? He wasn't quite certain he was. It sure sounded like she was ready already. Discussing baby names and all that. He couldn't deal with that 'yet. He wanted to take things one at a time. First they had to get married and settle down before taking that next step.
He wanted things to calm down and most of all…He wanted to spend time with her on his own. Have her for himself. It sounded ridiculous, especially when it came from him. But it was true. Kids change everything. Not that there's anything wrong with that. He just wanted to be ready. Prepared.

Suddenly Disney Word creeped him out a bit, and he found himself searching for another place to go on their honeymoon. It didn't take him long to find the perfect place. And this time, he really meant it. She would like it to, he was sure. Maybe even love it. He knew, he did.
Ireland.

Sadly, it turned out to be a surprise she never got to know about.

#44- Pouring salt in an open wound

She stood and cleaned glasses for the first time in months back at cheers.
Frasier sat and watched moody from a distance. She felt his stare upon her but ignored it and stayed focused on the cleaning.

Sam came out of his office and went behind the bar to help Diane out. She gave him a glance and a slight smile.

There they stood, cleaning, side by side, behaving as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them the last couple of months. Frankly, Frasier was pissed. She was there. That meant Sam had gone after her even though he had specifically told Frasier, he wouldn't.
Earlier that day, he had walked in, thinking he could sit down and relax, enjoying a beer or two.
But he was terribly mistaken. He caught her with his eyes the second, he walked in. She was about to put on her apron while Sam gave her instructions. When he was done instructing her, she nodded, ready for the task, but then she noticed him, standing in the doorway, staring at her.
The surprise on her face was not to be mistaken. She had not expected him. Just like he hadn't expected her. Sam didn't look comfortable, and for some reason Frasier decided to go easy on him. Frasier gave him a nod and said a quick "hello" to Diane followed by a "Welcome back". She could hardly swallow, but managed to let out a "thank you".

He hadn't talked to any of them the past 4 hours he had spent there. Neither had he went up to greet his fellows, Norm and Cliff.

Looking at them small talking their way through the evening, while taking orders, made something stir inside him. He couldn't take any more and decided to do something about it for a change.

"Sam? May I speak with you in your office?"

"Uh- Sure," Sam answered, with the look of fear of what was coming up in his eyes.

Diane sent Sam a despairing glare just before they went into the office. Sam was prepared to be confronted.

"Speaking from the heart, Sam, I feel a bit offended. I thought, we agreed you wouldn't go see her.
You obviously broke that agreement since she's here, waitressing."

"How can you be so sure I was the one who looked her up-"

"Oh, don't try to fool me, Malone! Of course it was you!"

"Alright, fine! And what if it was, huh? I couldn't stand by, knowing that she was just outside Boston, locked up in a convent."

"She was nowhere near being locked up! She came there of her own free will and as you can see she was able to leave again."

"Sounds a bit like Goldenbrook, doesn't it?"

Frasier stiffened.

"How dare you compare a convent to a mental institution?"

"All I'm saying, Fraise, is that, she didn't belong there."

"You're foolish enough to believe a bar and the job as a waitress suits a woman like Diane better?"

"I never said that-"

"It sure sounds like it."

"She's here now, surrounded by friends, can't you just accept that?" Sam asked angrily.

"Of course. Make me the bad guy!"

"I'm not- I mean- Frasier! You need to put your hate towards her behind you. The fact that she is here, means that you have a change to do just that. Make peace with her. It'll do you a lot of good."

"You make it sound so easy. How did you do it?"

"Well I…I just stopped living in the past all the time. The best way to deal with her when she's not around is to put her behind, not forget about her, but just move on. And the best way to deal with her when she is around is not to mess around in the past, but just make the best out of the present."

"I think, I get what you're saying, Sam. I'm sorry I-"

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I should have cleared it with you first before I took off."

"Buddies?"

"Sure."

Looking back, Frasier was glad that he had had that talk with Sam. The only thing he regretted about it was that he never really absorbed Sam's words of experience and used it for self-healing. Diane Chambers always remained in his mind as a bitter love-tragedy in his life.
Only sometimes, he could look past it, and see her as a dear friend. And all of those times, he was in her company, being reminded of, what a remarkable woman, she was.

#45- Behind the "wow" he found the beast, but no beauty

He didn't need to look at the painting for long before he had an opinion about it.

"Wow."

Simply, nothing but "wow".

But there was so much behind that word. So many thoughts, emotions…
First of all, he had to admit, it was probably the best painting, he had ever seen. Probably also the first one he ever truly understood.
It was so incredibly revealing. For the first time he saw clearer than ever, how she felt.
What he had done. How terrible he had treated her and which affect that had had on her.

The unhappiness sprang to his eyes….
The despair…
The bitterness…
The dark sky over her head…
The devastation of one who was meant for better things…
And at last, but not least, he saw the oppression caused by a beast. Him. And only him.

His mother came to his mind and suddenly he came to see all the similarities between the two women.
Both bright, caring, supporting and blonde for that matter of sake. And both oppressed by the men in their lives. His mother. A woman who had so much to offer the world and still, she was being manipulated by a man.
That moment, Sam realized who he had become.
His father.
A beast he had sworn he would never be alike.
And there he was, slapping the woman he cared about. The woman he loved.
He was even worse than his father, wasn't he?
His heart felt like bursting by the whole realization…And there was only one thing he could think of that would be able to ease his sorrows.

Alcohol.