Series: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

Title: Realigning the Space Time Continuum

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimers: I do not own any of the original characters from the show Popular. Some suits at the WB and a guy named Ryan Murphy do. I do however own the original characters of Marcy and Tory Langdon as well as Leonora Brahn.

Archiving: All my stuff is saved from the depths of oblivion by the lovely Shadow at http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/carla.htm

Feedback: Is a lovely thing is it not. I know that I personally respond well to it. Onlist or direct to me at cmfloresfd@yahoo.com Either one works for me.

A/N: (1) This takes place after Regrets for Futures Past and Blue Kiss and while it's not necessary I would recommend that you read those just to refresh your memory.

(2)This hasn't been beta-ed so any and all mistakes are mine. Mucho thanks to Hope Libby and Aeryn for encouragement and guidance.

Enjoy.

Realigning the Space Time Continuum

"Sam if you're coming with me to the hospital we have to leave soon. My shift starts in an hour and it takes almost thirty minutes to drive there at this time of day." Not hearing any noise on the other side of the bedroom door to indicate that Sam heard her Brooke knocked before poking her head inside. "Sam?"

"I'm in here Brooke" Sam came out of the bathroom dressed in nothing but toothpaste and a thong.

"Sam"

"I know I know but I'm nervous and I'm not sure what to wear I need some help. Please?"

"Oh honestly you couldn't do this last night? Why do you always do this wait till the last minute?" Brooke couldn't help the exasperated tone in her voice. It wasn't like Sam hadn't had time to plan an outfit or ask her for a fashion consult, she'd known that she was meeting Marcy today for over a week now.

"I did but then I changed my mind. C'mon Brooke I've got to look perfect today you know how much this means to me."

"I know I know. Now let's see what did you have picked out?" Sam pointed at a pair of slacks and a blouse that were hanging from the doorknob of her closet.

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's not too…I don't know…to blah."

"No. Sam you're going to an early casual dinner not the prom okay. Jeans and a nice shirt are just fine. Though I'm not sure about that blouse…the color…" Brooke opened Sam's closet and began rooting about for a different shirt finally emerging holding a rust-colored silk blouse. "Here this one and the leather jacket I got you for Christmas should be perfect. You know give you that slightly butch look she always liked. You're wearing those old motorcycle boots right?" Sam nodded. "Yeah the jacket and that shirt then, now hurry up and get changed I can't be late."

"Thanks Brooke I'll be out in a few."

/ / / / / / / / / / /

Traffic had been light and so they'd gotten to the hospital with enough time to grab a coffee together in the cafeteria.

"Nervous?"

"Very. I don't know Brooke it's been a year more actually since…"

"Relax. Remember she asked Cary about you first; asked to have you call her. She wants to see you okay." Sam nodded and sipped her coffee.

"You know this is even worse than our first date. God I was a wreck then but…"

"You know what I remember about that day? I remember thinking that Mom and Dad were going to be really pissed off when they found out you were riding a motorcycle. That and how happy you were when she pulled up in front of the school. The look on your face Sam…you lit up. You'd been so…angry and unhappy for such a long time, it was good to see you happy really happy."

"I was."

"And you will be again you'll see."

"What if she doesn't want me back doesn't want to try again?"

"Well then you move on. Sam this last year…look it's been nice having you with us but…"

"I know I need to get my own place."

"Not right away but yeah you need to start looking soon. Cary and I have been talking about starting a family and before we do that we'd like to have some time just the two of us in the house you know."

"I understand." She took another sip of coffee grimacing slightly at how bitter it was, "It's a good thing I got that advance huh? I can put down a deposit on a place no problem now."

"Joining the ranks of the home owner eh?" Sam blanched.

"That sounds so adult."

"No more adult than having a commitment ceremony and you did that, years before any of us, even."

"And look how I fucked that up."

"You made a mistake and now you have a chance to correct that mistake. Stop thinking negatively remember `Accentuate the positive throw away the negative'. Now…" Her pager going off interrupted Brooke. She looked at the pager display before standing up. "That's the ER they need an OB consult. Gotta go." She leaned over and gave her sister a peck on the cheek. "Go get her tiger."

"Thanks Brooke. I'll see you tomorrow right?"

"Yeah I'm on all night," she sighed deeply. "I'll be glad when this rotation is over next month and I can go to the relative quiet of geriatrics." Brooke's beeper sounded again. "I'd better get down there."

Sam waved her off and sat back to watch the crowds milling about the hospital cafeteria, she had almost an hour to kill before she was to meet Marcy in front of the fountain at the main entrance to the hospital.

"Sam?" Sam whirled around at the sound of her name, "Samantha McPherson?"

"Yes?"

"I thought it might be you," a young woman Sam's age stood next to her table holding a cafeteria tray.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" the young woman smiled and put her tray down opposite Sam.

"You don't recognize me do you?"

"No I'm afraid not. Should I?"

"Leonora Brahn," she held out her hand. "We went to Columbia together, Richardson's journalism class amongst others."

"Oh My God Lenny Brahn. Wow, I didn't recognize you."

"Yeah well losing a whole person can do that. Mind if I sit?"

"Please do. Wow Lenny Brahn. How are you?"

"Good and yourself?"

"Doing okay. What are you doing here?"

"My mother's a patient."

"Nothing serious I hope."

"She's in the hospice ward."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I met her once didn't I in New York?"

"Yes at my house warming junior year."

"Right I remember now. So what have you been up to?"

"I live in DC now, working as an assistant producer at NBC Nightly News."

"Cool."

"And you? I read in the alumni magazine that your column was picked up nationally. I'm impressed."

"Thanks," Sam blushed.

"Are you still with, what was your girlfriend's name…Marcy?"

"No, we um…we broke up about a year and a half ago."

"That's too bad you two seemed really together you know."

"We were…and now we aren't."

"What happened?"

"I was stupid." At Leonora's raised eyebrow Sam further elucidated. "It was my fault really. Wanderlust I guess you could call it. I thought I needed space but it turns out it wasn't what I needed after all."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too but hopefully that will change soon. I'm meeting her here in," Sam looked at her watch, "forty minutes."

"Plan on pleading your case eh?"

"Yep."

"Good for you. Want some," she pushed a plate of fries in Sam's direction. "I can't finish these by myself."

"No thanks we're going for dinner. Don't want to ruin my appetite. So how'd you do it, lose all that weight if you don't mind my asking?"

"I was in Israel a few years ago and had a car accident. My jaw was shattered and I ended up having it wired shut for almost a year. A year's worth of liquid nutrition pretty much did the trick." Sam winced.

"Yikes."

"Yeah. On the plus side though, I met my fiancé while I was in the hospital."

"You're engaged. Does your mom like him?"

"Her. Yeah she does."

"She here with you? What's her name?"

"Kerr Roget and no she's back East. Someone had to stay with the dogs plus she's studying for the bar. Listen I have to get upstairs wanna come? My mom loves having company; that is she loves having company when she's lucid. And she always asks about you apparently she reads your column out here."

"Sure."

"Great."

"How long has she been in the hospital?"

"A week the doctors say she's got another week, maybe two, tops."

"What's…"

"Pancreatic cancer. Listen she looks like hell and she's not always with it so if you need to or you want to bail just let me know." Sam nodded. They rode the elevator to the hospice floor in silence.

Mrs. Brahn remembered her and they chatted about some of Sam's columns while Leonora talked with one of the ward nurses about her mother. The sick woman tired easily though and so Sam's visit was a short one, which was fine with her since she was getting anxious about meeting Marcy and was eager to go wait for her in front of the hospital fountain.

"Lenny I'm going to head out. Here's my card my home number is on the back call me if there's anything you need or whatever. If you want to talk or just go for a bite. I told your mom I would be by to see her day after tomorrow, if that's okay with you."

"Of course; she could use the company." She held up Sam's card and put it in her planner. "How about dinner after your visit?"

"Sounds like a plan. Listen I've gotta go but I'll see you Saturday. I figured I would come by around four."

"Okay see you then." Sam turned to leave, "Good luck Sam. Say hi to Marcy for me."

Sam pressed the button for the elevator and waited. She could feel herself getting more and more nervous her palms were slightly damp and she wiped them on her jeans. ^^ Okay Sam you can do this. What do I say? I was wrong very wrong. Groveling was never really one of my strong suits. Christ. I want to try again it was good once with us it could be good again. I know that I made a mistake. A big mistake and I suppose I have no right to ask but all I'm asking is for you to think about it. ^^ The elevator doors opened and Sam got on without even noticing the other passengers. She continued ruminating on what she was going to say how she was going to plead her case to Marcy.

They'd been a couple for eight years surely that would count heavily in her favor. The elevator doors opened on the main floor and Sam stepped out into the lobby. Taking a deep fortifying breath she walked across the lobby and stepped outside into the waning sunlight. She spotted Marcy at the fountain talking to a young man in a lab coat and her heart began racing.

"Marcy!" she called out waving as she did so. Sam trotted up to where Marcy stood with a huge smile on her face. ^^ She looks happy to see me that's a good thing. ^^ "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"You're not late. You're right on time. Brian I'll talk to you tomorrow okay. Give me a call around ten I should be in the office."

"Sure thing Ms. Langdon; ten o'clock it is." Brian walked off leaving Marcy and Sam to their awkward silence. Both women simply looked at each other.

"Client?"

"No we're on the hospital's pride committee. We're doing some outreach programs this year during pride."

"Cool."

"You look good dyed your hair I see." Marcy reached out and fingered a lock of Sam's hair. "The shirt really brings out the color."

"You like…Brooke did it for me last week. I was feeling adventurous."

"I like."

"So?"

"So…you hungry? I was thinking maybe we could go to the diner down the road. It's close enough we could walk," Marcy suggested.

"Great it's a nice night for a walk." In the short time they had been standing by the fountain the sky had darkened perceptibly. They started towards the diner.

"You look great Marcy. You're letting your hair grow again?"

"I am. It's at that really crappy length right now though you know not long enough to do up in a braid or pony tail but not short enough to just get up and go without it just lying there like a dead animal. You know the only thing I miss about living in New York is how the humidity gave my hair some body."

"I miss Riverside Park and our Sunday afternoon runs."

"And DelMonico's for dinner."

"And DelMonico's for dinner." Out of the corner of her eye Sam caught Marcy's smile.

Suddenly Marcy stopped walking and snagging Sam's hand pulled the brunette into a bear hug. Sam's arms slid around Marcy returning the hug just as tightly. Marcy turned her face into Sam's neck inhaling deeply she reacquainted herself with Sam's scent. Sam did the same sliding her hand into the blonde's hair she savored the heavy silken curtain she'd missed so much.

"God I've missed you. I'm so sorry so sorry Marcelene…I was such an ass…I never stopped loving you. Never I ah I made a mistake a big one. I should never have…"

"Shhh don't it's done. It's the past. We both made mistakes."

They moved out of each other's arms and stood shyly in front of each other. By some unspoken agreement they resumed walking towards the diner Marcy slipping her arm through Sam's.

"Do you remember when we moved to Albuquerque?"

"My first job out of Columbia how could I forget."

"Remember how it was a new beginning for us." Sam nodded. "That's what I want this to be, a new beginning. For us."

"I want that too." Sam squeezed Marcy's arm. "I've grown…changed a lot…I…"

"I've had time too Sam. It wasn't all your fault Sam and if I gave the impression that it was then I apologize for that."

They finally reached the diner and Sam opened the door standing aside to let Marcy pass. The diner was crowded and so after giving their names to the hostess they went to stand by the pastry case.

"You know this used to be the old Bus Stop Diner, Carmen worked here when we were kids. She used to live upstairs."

"Your senior year right?"

"Yep. I wonder what happened to Frank and Lucille, the old owners."

"I don't know. I suppose you could ask Carmen she probably knows. She stayed in touch with them they were at the wedding remember."

"Actually," Sam hung her head in shame. "We've sort of drifted apart. Actually I drifted…the only people I've kept in touch with have been Brooke and Cary and…" Marcy snorted.

"That doesn't count she's your sister and you live with them."

"As I was saying, I just needed some space. I don't know I needed alone time."

Marcy nodded, "How was it your `alone time'?"

"Lonely. Good for me but lonely. I learned a lot about myself. I've been in therapy. You were right of course I should have done it much earlier. I'm medicated now…puts me on a more even keel you know. I think maybe it even improved my writing. I got picked up by some papers back East so now I'm nationally syndicated and I just turned in a piece to the New York Times Magazine."

"That's great. National syndication huh…you're ahead of schedule that wasn't supposed to happen until you hit… thirty was it?" Sam laughed, giddy almost simply because Marcy had remembered her carefully plotted timeline of professional achievement.

"Thirty was the NY Times Magazine. Thirty-five for the syndication thing, I got lucky really you know the right place the right time. That whole fiasco in St. Louis really put me on the map."

"Don't sell yourself short. You've worked really hard to get where you are. You still work hard, I know."

"That's one of the things I've learned I think. How to separate work time and me time. You know the first thing I did with all my alone time. I learned to play bridge. That, Scrabble and going to the movies with Brooke is pretty much all I've done socially for the last year and a half. I joined a bridge club and I play Scrabble twice a month at the Community Center can you believe it?"

"Are you still running?"

"Five miles every other day and I go swimming the other days if I can."

"Where?"

"There's a city recreation center near the house. What about you what have you been up to?"

"Work mostly I opened my own private practice so I cut back my hours at the agency."

"Good for you I remember you talking about maybe doing that. How's it working out?"

"It's been an adjustment financially that's for sure but it's starting to look up. I'm taking on more full pay clients so that's a big help."

"Where's…" Sam was interrupted by the hostess signaling for them to follow her.

The hostess, a young woman whose name tag read Sara, led them to a corner table slightly removed from the main dining area. Sam held Marcy's chair out for her taking the seat opposite for herself. She was rewarded with a smile and once again she felt hopeful about the outcome of their reunion.

"I always liked that about you Sam. You always were a gentleman."

"The ladies seem to like it."

"I see…and have there been many…ladies liking it that is?"

"Three or four, their collective age is somewhere near 300 but they do keep me on my toes."

"Huh?"

"The ladies I play bridge with down at the club. I usually play Monday and Wednesday afternoon, Inga my regular partner is 89 and sharp as a tack. Her sister, Mildred, is 92 and can remember damn near every hand of bridge she's played since the dawn of time. Helen is 78 a retired therapist actually you would like her. And then there's Epson, he's this old queen I met doing volunteer work at SAGE, he doesn't play but he likes to get out of the house and kibitz the games. He always refers to himself as `One of the girls', he's 80 and a hoot."

"So no girlfriend eh?"

"No I meant it when I told you I needed to see what it felt like to be alone. To be single you know?"

"Ladies what can I get you?"

"Er…could you give us a few minutes or do you know what you want?"

"I'm ready. I'll have the cream of potato and onion soup in a sourdough bread bowl, a small Caesar salad dressing on the side and a diet coke please."

"I don't know I guess a burger sounds good."

"Try the chicken pot pie you'll love it, the flakiest puff pastry topping it's to die for."

"Okay I'll have that," Sam handed the waitress her menu. "If it's so good why aren't you having it?"

"I was here yesterday for lunch."

"Ah"

"I had a supervised visit to do at the medical center so afterwards I took the kid to lunch."

"So part time job full time practice what else have you been up to?"

"Mostly spending time with Tory and Lily and the kids of course. Every now and then Victor asks about you, so does Chloe. Sydney's talking, you haven't seen her since she was three or four months old have you?"

No I haven't. Victor's what nine, ten"

"Ten"

"So Chloe's six now, they must be big. And Lily Tory how are they doing?"

"Well you know three kids" Marcy shrugged, "things are stressful but they're okay. Family life suits them. Funny isn't it how we used to tease Tor about holding out for Lily but in the end they're the ones that are still together."

"It took awhile but at least they got there." Sam felt tears begin to well in her eyes and she blinked hard.

"Hey what's wrong what's going on?"

"Nothing it's just…I don't know for some reason whenever I think about them lately I get like this sort of melancholic. I don't know... we're still working on the whole meds thing. It's nothing really… I just wonder when did it `change' for us?"

"The night you told me that you loved me like a sister more than a lover. And considering I look a hell of a lot like you're sister…"

"I didn't mean it like that just that our passion was gone." Sam stopped speaking as the waitress placed their food on the table. They ate in silence for several minutes before the older woman spoke.

"Maybe your passion was gone but mine wasn't. Yeah sure maybe it waned every now and then, that's human nature and to be expected. But that doesn't mean that it's completely gone. It comes back…mine always came back. Stronger even. And maybe it's true that sometimes we both waned at the same time but we always came back. Eight years almost…that's what you gave up on. Eight years."

"And when I came back less than three months later you had moved on."

"No I `told' you I had moved on but that doesn't mean it was the truth. The truth is that I was so, so angry with you that I wanted to hurt you. And so I made more of what I knew to be a casual interlude, an affair that made me feel better about myself, to hurt you. Chris was never even in the same league as you but at a time when I felt really down on myself and very rejected she made me feel special and valued. I'll always love her for that," Marcy took a sip of water. "She's a good friend. In fact I was her Best Woman at her Blessed Union two weeks ago."

"So after Chris…"

"After Chris there was Ben and Jerry and Tory and Lily." Marcy said sarcastically. "There was no one else. I needed time too. And I learned things about myself…I don't NEED to have a girlfriend being one of them. I learned to say "No" when I need to and "Yes" when I want to. I learned that I really did love you and that I loved you well."

"Did?"

"Did."

"I see" Sam stood up and dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the table "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I thought…I uh I guess I was wrong. I must of misunderstood…yeah I'll um I'll call you Monday…I'm sorry." Sam shrugged into her jacket. "I'm sorry."

"Sam sit down. You weren't wrong. I still love you. I am willing to try again but you can't just expect to pick up where we left off." Sam pulled her chair out and sat down.

"I don't expect to. I just want a chance to get to know you again, to show you how I've changed. Like I said before take it slow and all."

"I can do that. I want to do that."

"Let's get out of here…go somewhere else for dessert."

"No can do the specials menu has crème Brule. I love that stuff."

"Remember our third anniversary in New York?"

"I'm not dead yet of course I remember."

For their third anniversary Nicole and Carmen gave them an all expenses paid weekend at the Plaza Hotel including a candlelit dinner served in their suite. Desert had been crème Brule and a miniature chocolate soufflé served with strawberry syrup and French vanilla ice cream.

"Was that not THE single best dining experience of your life?"

"Without a doubt…the crème Brule here comes close. More importantly though the chocolate soufflé comes even closer."

"I didn't see it on the menu."

"It's not; sometimes it's on the board as a special."

Sam looked around the diner noting the changes that had been made to it since she'd last been there more than a decade ago. The seventies diner furniture had been replaced with a more upscale look that leaned heavily towards dark woods and leather. The tables were covered not in placemats but fine linen and on each table there was a bud vase with a single rose in it. The glasses weren't plastic but actual crystal a fact amply illustrated by the sounds of one shattering somewhere behind her.

"Once again Marcy you've so captured my attention that I failed to notice my surroundings. This place really has changed."

"It's just for the dinner service during the daytime it's more like a regular diner...you know paper placemats, screaming children people eating in a hurry that kid of thing."

"So crème Brule then," Sam shrugged out of her jacket again and signaled for the waitress.

"Yes Ma'am?"

"The lady will have a crème Brule. What type of cheesecake do you have tonight?"

"We have a double espresso chocolate cheesecake. An Italian…"

"Say no more I'll have the espresso cheesecake and a cappuccino with extra foam."

"I'll have a low-fat mocha latte."

"I'll be right back."

"Thank you Mindy."

"You're welcome Ms. Langdon."

"How are things working out for you here?"

"Great I can't thank you enough."

"Good I'm glad to hear it. Is she here tonight?"

"No but I'll leave her a note saying you asked."

"Thanks." Marcy watched the young woman's retreating figure.

"Friend of yours I take it?"

"Actually she's Lily and Tory's babysitter, she was looking for something more regular and I told her about this place."

"Ah."

"You know Carmen owns it now right? Or rather she's part owner."

"No. That's great when did this happen?"

"Last year for their anniversary you missed the celebration. Nic threw this huge bash up at the lake house. Cary and Brooke were on call so they weren't expected but everyone was pretty surprised that you didn't show."

"I had some business to attend to in Atlanta I couldn't get out of it."

"That all?"

"No truthfully I didn't want to take the chance that I would run into you. You and Chris, that and I couldn't hack all the happy couples."

"You missed a good party."

"I sent a card and a gift." Sam said sheepishly. "And then I dropped off the face of the earth."

"You should get in touch."

"They could get in touch."

"They tried. Lily says the same thing they called left messages sent invitations… nothing. Not even a peep after a while people just stop trying. So if you want to reconnect it's going to have to be up to you."

"I guess so."

Desert arrived and conversation fell by the wayside in favor sugar and caffeine.

"Try this smooth creamy…oh God I think I'm wet. Marcy you okay there." Sam licked her fork clean a feeling of satisfaction running through her as Marcy blushed a deep red. She held a forkful of cheesecake out to Marcy and felt a jolt of desire as she watched full lips gently close around the fork tines.

"Oh that's good that's very good. That's better than sex almost. Course it's been almost a year since so I might not be remembering all that well."

"A year and a half and I remember very well." Sam shifted in her seat blushing at the memory of the last time she and Marcy had been intimate.

"That never really was a problem for us was it?"

"No that passion certainly never waned for long."

"Want to go have sex?"

"I thought you wanted to take things slowly?" ^^ God Yes I could fuck you on this table right now ^^

"We could do both don't you think?"

"No I couldn't I don't think." ^^ What am I saying of course I could ^^ "You think you could?"

"Probably not, it was the desert talking. Mostly."

"Shall we get out of here?"

"Sure. I'm parked in the hospital lot over on Charles."

"I'll walk you."

"And you where are you parked?"

"I caught a ride in with Brooke. Cary gets off at midnight I figured I'd catch a ride back with him."

"I'll take you home."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Two Weeks Later

The phone ringing woke Marcy and she snatched the receiver off the cradle just before her machine picked up.

"Speak"

** Marcy wake up Marcy **

"What do you want Tor?"

** Its eleven o'clock sweetheart you were supposed to be here an hour ago. **

"Shit. I'm sorry Tor I had a late night. Gimme an hour okay?"

** See Sam again last night? **

"Yeah"

** How's that coming along? **

"I'll talk to you about it later."

** Okay. Oh and bring a sweater its kind of chilly out you know how you always get cold. **

"Will do. Is it okay if I ask Sam to join us?"

** Sure another adult is always helpful at these things. **

"See you then."

Marcy dialed Sam's cell phone number and started to undress.

** Hello **

"What are you wearing?"

** A sweat drenched Columbia T-shirt, shorts and running shoe's. I just got back from a run. Why? **

"That accounts for the panting. I'll pick you up in twenty minutes."

** What's going on? **

"I volunteered us to help out with Chloe's Brownie Troop party. Lily went with her mom to some cousin's wedding in Dallas and she's all alone with ten little girls age six to eight and Sydney."

** Okay not what I was hoping to hear but alright. **

"I had a good time last night."

** Me too **

They'd gone to the movies and afterwards they'd walked from the theater to Marcy's apartment, holding hands the entire time, stopping frequently to kiss and just hold onto each other.

"I was thinking maybe you might want to spend the night."

** I'd like that. **

"I'd like to wake up next to you. Fall asleep next to you with my arms around you."

Sam sighed longingly ** I'd like that. I've missed that. **

"Me too," Marcy could here Sam turning on her shower and moved into her own bathroom to do the same. "So I'll see you in a bit."

** Thirty minutes **

"Twenty"

** Uh-huh **

"I'm serious"

** Whatever. I'll see you when you get here. **

"Sam!"

** I'm right here no need to yell **

"Sorry I thought maybe you were hanging up the phone. Anyway I just wanted to tell you something."

** And that is? **

"I'll be thinking of you while I take shower." Sam groaned momentarily loosing track of the conversation while images of Marcy naked in the shower danced through her head. The dial tone in her ear snapped her out of her reverie.

She was toweling lacing her sneakers when she heard the doorbell ring and Brooke answer it.

"Marcy hi"

"Hi Brooke"

"Come in come in. Sam Marcy's here," Brooke called out "How have you been long time no see and all that."

"Good I'm doing really well thanks. And you?"

"Tired, I'm doing my OB rotation right now and it feels like I never get a break. But two more weeks and I'm free."

"For forty-eight hours at least right?" Brooke chuckled.

"To true to true but my next rotation is geriatrics," the blonde med student shrugged. "I figure it's got to be a little less hectic."

"She keeps saying that like some sort of mantra." Sam teased her sister good-naturedly as she slipped her arms around her visitor from behind and rested her head on Marcy's shoulder. "Hey you."

"Ready?"

"Almost let me just get my jacket."

"You packed for tonight?"

"My bag's in my room."

"I'll wait for you in the car."

Marcy went outside while Sam went to her room to get her bag and her jacket. Brooke followed her into her bedroom.

"Go Sammy Go Sammy" Brooke danced around Sam.

"Can it Princess."

"Sam and Marcy sitting in a tree…" Brooke sing-songed.

"Brooooooke" Sam growled.

"Jeesh lighten up will ya. I was just playing with you Sam."

"Sorry"

"So the first sleepover `Date' nervous?"

"Very."

"Relax you said you guys were going to take it slow right?" Sam nodded and Brooke continued, "So don't stress it if something happens it happens. If it doesn't it doesn't."

The conversation was cut short by Marcy insistently honking the car horn.

"I'd better go."

"Have a nice time. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

With a laugh and a wave Sam headed out the door. She slid into the passenger side seat and buckled herself in.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Brooke." Sam snorted, "She had the nerve to tell me not to do anything she wouldn't do. I know that girl's history. About the only thing she hasn't done is prostitute herself."

"Beg pardon."

"Never mind."

Marcy gave Sam's hand a quick squeeze then started the car. Once they were on the highway she reached over and laced her fingers with Sam's.

"Thanks for coming with me. I know you're not too fond of kids…"

"I like kids it's just I never know how to act with them."

"Well I promise we'll do more adult things later okay."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Sam locked the door behind her, slipped out of her shoes and tried to walk past Brooke and Cary's bedroom without making too much noise. She'd just passed their door when it opened and a sleepy faced Brooke stepped into the hall.

"What you couldn't call for two days? I was worried you could have been laying dead in a ditch somewhere and I wouldn't have known. What do you have to say for yourself young lady?"

"Sorry Mom. It won't happen again I promise." Sam tried valiantly to look chagrinned but failed miserably.

"It better not. Now what was going on that you couldn't even take the time to pick up the phone?"

"Hot monkey sex why else wouldn't I have called."

"Ooooh HMS details details my child." Over Sam's protests Brooke hustled the brunette down the hallway and into her bedroom closing the door behind them. "Shhhh you'll wake Cary and he only just got home after pulling a double in the ER."

"No Brooke I am not giving you the sordid details."

"`Sordid Details' now I'm really curious."

"You're such a perv Brooke."

"Am not," the blonde said indignantly and Sam rolled her eyes.

"This coming from the woman who got drunk one night and suggested we sleep together because obviously I was hung up on her given my girlfriend."

"Oh God not that again you said so yourself `I was drunk'."

"Still," Sam flopped down on her bed and patted the space next to her. Brooke sat with her back against the headboard.

"Okay so no `Sordid Details', it was good?"

"It was incredible."

"Now I really want details."

"Brooke!" Sam elbowed her.

"Ow! I was just saying." She rubbed the spot where Sam jabbed her, "I'm happy for you Sam. See I told you things would work out."

"Yeah"

"Oh by the way Rita called."

"Did she leave a message?"

"Yeah I saved it for you.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

Three Weeks Later

"Where is this place again?"

"It should be right down this block. Right there," Sam pointed to a building across the street, "See where that woman is standing next to the white Mercedes."

"That's your realtor?"

"Her name's Rita. She's really good."

"She looks like she's fifteen sixteen tops."

"She's thirty-six and married with two kids in High School."

"God I hope I look that good when I'm thirty-six."

"You and me both. Wait that didn't come out right…I mean I hope I look that good when I'm thirty-six. I know you'll look that good."

"Smooth Sam real smooth."

"I try"

They parked the car and got out.

"Sam Hi."

"Hi Rita. Rita this is Marcy my…" Sam's voice trailed off she wasn't quite sure what their relationship was.

"Girlfriend," Marcy supplied as she held out her hand. "Nice to meet you Rita."

"A pleasure to meet you. So let me tell you a little about this place…"

Hand in hand they followed Rita into the building as she described the condo Sam would be looking at.

Carla