Posting everything I've put up on AO3 from this fic.

Told mostly from Lucas's POV. Very much Lucas and Sam centered. Also, if you're curious/care it is right in between chapters 21-22 of OSI.

"Honey?" Luke called from his seat in the living room. Sniffles and intermittent muffled sobbing was never a good sign.

He had sensed when Sam came into the car afterschool that something was off. She'd come in silent and moments later her backpack was hugged to her chest and her knees were pulled up with arms around them. Sam's lips jutted out in a small pout and there was a noticeable wrinkle in her eyebrows, as if in deep thought.

Lucas was sure that if her blanket or her beloved stuffed bear were near she'd be clinging to them instead.

"Champ, you alright?"

And Sam responded from the backseat with a simple nod, burying her head deeper into the nest of backpack and knobby knees.

Lucas only tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he pulled out of the school parking lot, keeping a close eye on her on their way home. Damn he wished that Brooke was with him, but her company had an event that evening in the city so she'd be home closer to midnight. He hated riding solo when it came to this. And it made him just a bit nervous. Parenting always felt easier with his other half around.

When they got home Sam didn't wait very long for the ignition to turn off before she exited, more like escaped, out of the car and into her room.

She needs space. Luke thought.

Although that was an hour ago and Sam was yet to leave her room, and if his suspicions were correct Sam was not doing well. So maybe she didn't need space.

"Samantha?" He spoke up so he was sure that Sam would hear him that time.

"I-Im fine!"

Her croaked out response was not persuasive at all to the father. He got up with a small sigh, wondering what could've gotten his child this upset. Although the answer to that could be many things Lucas thought with a small headshake. Although Sam was 14 her lack of a proper childhood often led to meltdowns over big and small things.

It could be that the recurring, sometimes visceral pain that Sam carried reared its head. After all, she'd only been living with him and Brooke for five months. It was true that her trauma at times could feel even non-existent, but in a moment it could unravel itself like a fresh wound.

It could be that his daughter was 14 and being a teenager was hard. Honestly, he preferred for it to be the latter. When he got to Sam's door he did a soft knock with his knuckle.

"Champ, can I come in?"

"Go away."

"Peanut I don't want you to be upset all by yourself."

"I've been upset by myself for most of my life…please, just…just go away dad."

Luke was not a fan of that last quip or her dejected attitude. Both hit the father a little too close to the heart. He grabbed onto the door knob. It was unlocked. At least he knew that he had open access to Sam and did not have to scold her for locking him out. He wanted to just stride in, but boundaries mattered, and Brooke and he were working on demonstrating to Sam that her boundaries were important. Her voice mattered in their household.

"Sammy, first, I appreciate you keeping the door unlocked. Second, you don't have to deal with things alone anymore. I want to be here for you now…but I'm going to give you some time, okay? I'll come to check on you in 15 minutes."

He rubbed his neck with a sigh when Sam didn't respond and took his phone out to check the time. The next 15 minutes needed to speed through because Lucas was anxious to comfort his baby.

It was just after 5pm so he went into the kitchen to start on dinner for the two and hopefully distract himself. He opened their fridge and took stock of what they had. He figured some fried rice with the leftover white rice would be an easy and tasty enough dinner. He took out all the ingredients and was going to start chopping some green onions when his phone rang. It hadn't even been ten minutes so it couldn't have been the timer he set to check on Sam.

It was Brooke. Oh thank God. The father thought.

"Hey Babe. We miss you over here."

"Hey Luke. I was checking in. Sam didn't pick up the phone and I called her twice. Is she taking a nap?"

Lucas put the knife down and decided that prepping dinner would wait. He sat at the round table in the kitchen, "She's having a rough time today Brooke."

"Oh no. Where is she? Is it rough time like she's been crying and sad? Or rough time like she's been a naughty little girl throwing tantrums?...I mean, what the fuck happened now? Something has to be bothering her."

"That was a lot of questions at once."

"Luke!"

"Sorry. She's in her room. Rough time like she's been down and crying intermittently. I think something happened at school because she's been upset ever since coming into the car. And I've tried checking on her but she wants her space, so I told her that I would give her 15 minutes and then I would go in." He checked the time, "I have about 9 more minutes and then I'm going up."

Brooke blew out a worried sigh and Luke imagined her rubbing her forehead all at once. "It could be related to her and Liz. I know they're not talking yet, but maybe something happened?"

Luke could see that being a possibility. Brooke and Lucas were so upset that Liz, although unintentionally, helped contribute to their daughter being bullied at school. But hoped that it had been put to an end.

"Let me know what's going on with her." Brooke spoke up again, "My poor baby. I should be there and not here right now."

"Awww Brooke don't do that to yourself. I have it handled."

"I know you do. I just-I want to be there for our little girl. I wanna be there with you."

Luke thought about what Sam had said about being used to being by herself and upset, but he decided to keep that to himself. He didn't need a guilt ridden Brooke to feel even worse.

"You're a great mom with a busy, busy job. Don't feel bad about it."

"I texted her this already, but I'll be free to pick up the phone until 8pm. After that I'll hand my phone over to Millie during the event.

"And I'll let you know what's bothering our peanut soon as I figure it out myself."

"Be gentle with her, Lucas."

"I'm always gentle!" He argued back.

"Yes, but sometimes you get frustrated when she doesn't want to share what's going on with her. If she doesn't want to talk-"

"-Then just hold her." Luke finished her sentence. "Babe, come on now. I'm not new to this here. Well, I'm not newer than you are I guess. I've been in the middle of most of our Sam meltdowns. I'm going to love on her for the both of us don't worry."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just need to feel like I'm helping in some way."
"Just getting to talk to you about it is helping." Lucas assured her, "I was actually wishing you were with me when I was driving home with her so you calling is exactly what I needed to make sure I'm there for our girl now."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

"Really, really babe." Lucas smiled lightly as he spoke. She loved this woman to death.

…. ….. ….

"Sammy?" Luke called softly, "It's been 15 minutes. I'm coming in." He pressed his ear against the door trying to hear any noise. Maybe she'd fallen asleep. But the image of an upset Sam all by herself tugged at his heart strings. His instinct to make sure that she is okay won over, and Lucas opened the door.

Despite it still being light outside the room was dark. All the lights in the room were off, and blinds shut. The bed was empty, but Luke's eyes locked onto the pile of blankets in the corner dimly illuminated by the desk lamp. There Sam laid curled tightly into herself. It unnerved Lucas to see Sam look so…small. Every time these moments occurred, he was reminded that his child was still so, so young. A tender paternal feeling settled into him as he drew closer.

Despite the dim light Luke could see his daughter clearly. She held Barry tightly to her chest as her worn yellow blanket covered her. Her thumb was securely in her mouth as Sam suckled it for comfort. It surprised him when the girl did not immediately take her thumb out as she tended to do when a door opened. It was clear to the parents that Sam had been taunted for her habit in other homes by kids and parents alike.

"Sammy," Luke said. He kneeled down and puts his hand on Sam's back, "Sam, baby…"

Sammy blinked and looked up at her dad, her thumb finally slipping from her mouth. Luke realized then that she'd been quietly crying all along. Her eyes were red rimmed and wet, and her lip still wobbly when they made eye contact.

Oh God. His baby looked so vulnerable, so much younger than her 14 years.

He brushed the strands of loose hair behind her ears, "Baby girl, what's been going on?"

Sam went to curl herself and hide again, her thumb finding its place back in her mouth, but Luke placed a gentle hand atop her own, stopping her actions, "Sammy, talk to me. You were fine before 6th period, when I saw you. What happened after that?"

Sam shook her head in frustration, trying to stop herself from breaking into sobs again "I told you and mom that I never wanted to go to Tree Hill. I-I sh-should've stayed at Southside!"

"Okay. I hear you. I know that moving to Tree Hill has been really rough for you. Especially lately." Before she decided to try and disappear back into her cocoon, Luke moved to sit right next to her on the floor and opened his arms. "Could you come and sit with me sweetheart?" Sam was a sucker for her parents' cuddles and he knew this. Just hold her. He patted his outstretched legs.

Sam nodded shyly, still holding onto Barry, knowing just how unteenage like she was acting, but this was Lucas. He wasn't just a guardian. She didn't have those anymore. She had a mom and dad. And when her guard wasn't up they were her mama and daddy.

These past five months Brooke and Lucas had proved themselves to be her safe haven. They were yet to laugh or scoff at her more childish proclivities. In fact they always nurtured her in the ways that she preferred. With that in mind she climbed into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. Luke wrapped his arms around her and cooed in his child's ear. "I'm sorry you've been having a rough time at school baby. You deserve to be treated with love and respect."

Sam sniffled once again, Lucas responding with some soothing and rhythmic pats alternating between her back and her bottom. "You're such a good and beautiful person Sam. I want you to know that."

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Lucas rocking and cooing at Sam before the girl garnered the strength to speak once more.

"I-I was walking to the car and some dumbass kid called me foster care again and southside trash."

Lucas tightened his hold on his child, "Motherfuckers." He couldn't help but curse. "Do you know who it was?"

Sam shook her head and nuzzled into his chest again, "I was about ready to kick his ass, but Liz was around somewhere I guess, and heard it. She ran over and screamed at him then she pushed him so hard he fell and then I saw a teacher grab Liz and take her to her classroom. Manny just put his arm around me and told me to ignore him and walked me straight to the car."

Ahhh, so Liz was trying to do some penance….and his poor baby girl. He wished he would've been around to see who that student was. He would love to have a private conversation with the little asshole.

"I just wanna feel like I belong." Sam confessed.

"You do belong, Sammy."

"No I don't!"

"Hey," Lucas' voice suddenly stern, "Look at me Samantha." He waited until their eyes met, "You belong here. You belong here with your mom and dad. You belong in Tree Hill because it is your home. And those rich kids better get it through their skull. All that was Sammy, is a classist jerk boy with a low self esteem who probably is compensating for his insecurities by being mean to people who he is jealous of. You, my strong darling girl, are one of those people."

"Why me?"

"Because you are quietly confident in who you are, and you don't shy away from where you come from. It's one of my favorite things about you."

"That I come from Southside?" Her eyes glinted at him and he smiled with a small boop to her nose, "No baby, that you are never willing to forget or compromise the experiences and people who made you the wonderful Sammy you are today."

Sam looked unconvinced of this assessment but didn't say anything, choosing to just lay back onto her dad's chest, "I want to feel like I belong here daddy." She choked up once more, "I really do. And it just felt like too much today. Just sometimes my emotions feel so much bigger than me."

Tears immediately welled into Luke's eyes. He hugged her tight once more "Oh baby..shhhh. I'm sorry you've been feeling like this…I'm here little one. Daddy's here."

Lucas noticed that Sam went right back to sucking her thumb. He did not stop her, knowing that it was what his girl needed to self soothe. And if there were any place Lucas wanted her to feel safe and comfortable in, it was his arms.

... ... ...

The father wasn't sure when he and Sam fallen asleep, but the rumbling of his vibrating phone woke him up. It was now 6:15 and Brooke was calling for what he assumed was an update. He looked down and his child was still soundly napping with Barry in her arms. He also noticed the new ache in his back. Damn, he was getting old.

"Hey Brooke. She's sleeping right here which is why I'm whispering."

"Is she okay?"

Lucas rubbed a thumb over their daughter's cheek, before maneuvering himself up and out the room quietly, "You were sorta right. They called her southside trash and foster care again at school. But this time Liz was there and pushed the kid that said that to her. I think it sort of sent her into a bit of a spiral. She said she wants to feel like she belongs here but she just doesn't."

"What the fuck is wrong with these kids. Why do they think they can just say shit like that? Our poor baby…"

Lucas swallowed the lump in his throat, "Babe, you should've seen how...small she looked today. I just, I want her to be happy and feel loved and accepted, and this shit world and those shit kids!"

"I'm asking Rebecca to get the name of the kid from Liz." Brooke murmured already scheming,

"Oh, please do. I would love to talk to that little motherfucker...without letting Sam find out. I don't think she'd be too happy knowing we're trying to fight her battles."

"She already has enough battles she's fighting. If we can help ease one then why the hell not...was she doing any better after you talked with her?"

"She was calmer, but I just held her until we both eventually fell asleep."

"Don't let her sleep too long Luke. She won't want to go down at bedtime."

"You know Sam would've hated to hear you phrase it like that." Luke lightly chuckled.

"Well it's her bedtime!" Brooke scoffed with a laugh, "I don't know what she wants me to call it. It's the time of night that she has to be in bed by on the weekdays. And anyway I'm not the one that enforces it as stringently. You're the bedtime police. Her words not mine."

"Awww, really?! That is such an awful name. Bedtime police? She calls me that? Oh god."

"Yeah." Brooke laughed, "She does. But don't tell her I said that."

"Pfffft." Lucas rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Well she needs a good night's sleep. I've seen far too many sleep deprived children walk the halls at work, so I guess I'll accept the title begrudgingly. Oh, and don't worry I'm waking her up to eat once we get off the phone."

"Give her a kiss from me when she wakes up and tell her I'm calling her after you two finish dinner."

"You got it baby."

... ... ...

"Champ." Luke gently shook her, leading to a groan from the child on the floor, "Noooo."

"Yesssss." Luke shook her and pulled down her blanket he'd covered her with, "If I let you sleep any longer you wouldn't be tired by bedtime."

Sam gave out a much longer groan as she sat up from the floor, "Please don't call it that." She griped, "Just say by 10 pm or something."

Lucas laughed. He'd been right about the fact that their daughter would hate that. "Are you feeling any better?"

He got a non-committal shrug from the girl, sensing the slight embarrassment she was feeling, "Well I don't feel like the world is falling apart anymore so I'd say somewhat."

The man supposed that that was as good as it was going to get. He gave her one fond look as the girl rubbed the nap from her eyes and leaned onto his shoulder. He dropped two kisses to her forehead. "One from me and one from mom."

"Mama called?"

The father withheld his smile at the title that Sam gave Brooke. She was calling her 'mama' more and more often. "Yes. She even called you twice."

Sam bit her lip. Brooke always called her on long work days to check in on Sam and let the girl talk about her day if she needed to. Sam never openly admitted it, but she loved her phone conversations with Brooke. They eased the bit of separation anxiety that she had. "I haven't even looked at my phone. I'm sorry I-"

"No peanut. You're not in any trouble. She thought you'd taken a nap and so she called me just to check in on you. She said she'd call you after we eat."

"Does she know?" Sam asked fiddling with her hands.

"Yes, I told her about today."

"Figured."

His large, rougher hands met hers, "Sammy, it's mama. Of course I told her."

"Yeah, I know. I just...you know, I don't even know what the hell I'm trying to say. I just want today to be over."

"Okay, well lets make dinner and get your mind off everything."

Sam gave her dad her first real smile of the day and that was all the man needed to feel on top of the world.

And he was on top of the universe when just before they left the room the words, "Daddy thank you for checking on me." Came out of his little girl's mouth.