Series: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

Title: Regrets for Futures Past

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Rating: R for language I guess

Pairing: none really

Disclaimers: The original male and female charachters in this story are mine. All others belong to Ryan Murphy and Touchstone Television the lawful owners of Popular. Also the usual stuff about the series title.

Feedback: Like that plant from Little Shop of Horrors says "FEED ME". Feedback in all its various forms may be sent to me at cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

A/N: No sooner had I finished posting The First of Many when this popped into my head. Hope you like it. Takes place approximately four years after Blue Kiss.

"Hey look what I found when I was cleaning out the storage unit."

Sam looked up from the paper she was reading. "Why are you cleaning the storage unit?"

"It's a mess."

"It's a storage unit what do you expect?"

"Actually I was going through some of our old stuff to see what we could donate to the collection drive that the church is having for the new shelter downtown. Pick up is next Tuesday if you have anything you want to get rid of."

"I'll look through my closet I guess."

"Great. Anyway look at what I found."

Sam looked at the photo album being held out to her then turned her attention back to the newspaper. "No thanks."

"It's the album with all our pictures from that first trip we took cross country…c'mon look through it with me. It'll be a hoot."

"No thanks I'll pass."

"Sammy…"

"Leave it be Brooke."

"Is it because…"

"I just don't want to be reminded okay? Not today."

"It's your own damn fault anyway. You left her remember?"

"I remember."

"Furthermore it's been a year already and if I have to nurse you through another year of what ifs I'm going to strangle you. Either that or beat you to death with this album." Sam smiled wanly at Brooke's threat. " I never did understand why you left her anyway."

"I told you before; I just wanted a break, a short term separation was all. But Marcy saw everything in black and white and there was no room for gray. You and Cary, Nick and Carmen I don't know how you guys do it, don't get me wrong I'm happy for you but think about it Brooke. You met Cary when you were what sixteen?"

"Seventeen."

"I was sixteen when I met Marcy. I'd hardly dated much less dated anyone seriously when we got together. I wanted to know what it would be like to be single and dating. I'd already cheated once, with Scott, remember back in NY and I didn't want to do that again. I just wanted to casually meet people, go and hang out when I wanted to with whomever I wanted to no questions asked no strings attached. I wanted to know what it felt like to be on my own you know…I moved out of the Palace and in with Marcy till she was done with school. Until I moved out I'd never lived alone, never really been single white and free in America?"

"Bullshit Sam. One: You don't live alone you live with Cary and I. Two: Marcy never prevented you from doing anything you wanted. She encouraged your friendships outside of your relationship; she supported you in your school efforts and in your career choices. She moved how many times for your work and your schooling?"

"Four"

"And you were together how long?"

"Seven almost eight years."

"You fucked up. Admit it."

"I know I did. I knew it three months after I moved out. But then it was too late; she'd met Chris already and had started to move on."

"And so should you."

"I can't. I just can't I was such an idiot you know?"

"Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. Look through the photos with me Sam. That was a great trip and not just because Marcy was with us but because you and I got closer too. You know when we finally got to NY and got you two settled into the apartment a part of me felt like "I can't believe my sister is abandoning me."

" "Abandoning" you lets not forget who abandoned who to the tender mercies of the parental units when she left for college first. Do you have any idea how many dinners I had to sit through where Mike worked his way up to his latest ulcer over you that first semester. Why do you think I moved out and in with Marcy and Tory."

"Because you wanted to have sex whenever you wanted of course."

"Well yeah but more importantly I could not handle them alone I needed my sister and she wasn't there."

"You ever worry about Mac?"

"Everyday."

Just then the door opened. "Anybody home?"

"In here."

"Hi sweetie. Hi Sam." Cary bent over to give Brooke a quick hug and a peck on the lips. "Hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

"Nah not at all big guy, how's the doctor thing going for you?"

Sam left the sofa to sit in the over stuffed chair that was off to the side under a reading lamp. Cary took her place next to Brooke and the blonde rested her head on his shoulder.

"Okay I guess. I saw Marcy today she said to say hello."

"She alright?"

"Fine. She was there with a client who twisted his ankle during a supervised visit with his mother up on the jail ward."

"Lovely."

"She also said you should give her a call sometime."

"Was she asking a lot of questions about Sam?"

"Not to many really. How you were doing, were you `seeing' anyone that sort of thing."

"Really" Sam's voice was hopeful "You're not just pulling my leg right?"

"Would I joke about something like that?" Cary attempted to pull off a look of wounded innocence but succeeded only in making Sam worry even more and earning an elbow jab to the side from Brooke.

"Seriously C?"

"Seriously S."

The cordless phone flew across the small space to land in Sam's lap. "Call her already."

"I am not going to call her right now. How pathetic would that look?"

"How `pathetic' would it look if you fucked up again because you were to chicken shit to make the first move."

"For all we know she's still with Chris or someone else for that matter."

"Bwwaaccckkk Bwwaacckkk"

"Cut it out."

"Here chickie chickie. Chicken…" Brooke continued to make clucking sounds.

"She happened to mention that she wasn't."

"Bwwaacckkk"

"SHUT UP! God be thankful you don't have siblings Cary."

"I've got sisters-in-law it's almost the same thing."

"I'm going to my room, I don't have to take this kind of abuse."

"Call her. Sam I'm serious it's like fate or something you know. I found the album today and then this…it's a sign. I have a good feeling about this."

"I will just not right now."

Sam scooped the photo album up as she walked past the coffee table and out the living room to her bedroom.

~~~~~~

Sitting on her bed later that night Sam flipped through the album. The first few pages were pictures of that first trip to Europe after Marcy had graduated UCLA and before Sam had started Columbia.

There were pictures of them in front of the Eiffel Tower and various other Parisian attractions on the first page. Followed by a picture of Marcy trying to kiss the Blarney Stone. Sam laughed tracing the image with her finger, her fear of heights having made her too afraid to try the traditional method of kissing the famous stone Marcy had done it for both of them. Pictures of the tulip fields in the Netherlands and the outside of the coffee houses in Amsterdam where they had sampled some of the more exotic sounding recreational herbal essences, made Sam smile as well.

The rest of the photos were of the cross country trip when they moved their stuff to NY in a U-haul with Marcy's car attached to a hitch on the back of the truck. Brooke made the trip with them. It had been out of the way but they'd gone to Yosemite National Park and spent the night and the next day walking around taking pictures and having a good time. There had been other stops along the way, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a Six Flags amusement park and because, for some reason, Brooke had insisted on going to Niagara Falls they had gone there as well. Carmen and Nicole were in some of those photos too. They had left the U-haul and Marcy's car under the watchful eyes of Donna and Javier while the five of them took a three-day trip to the falls.

Closing the album Sam looked at the phone on her nightstand then at the clock, which read 10:15. If she was going to call today it was now or never, provided that she was still following the same sleep schedule she had had when Sam lived with her Marcy would be in bed by 10:30 and not answering the phone.

** Hello **

"Marcy, Marcelene?"

** Yes **

"It's Sam."

** Hi **

"Samantha McPhearson"

** I know who you are **

"I'm sorry. I can call…"

** No it's okay really. I've just had a stressful day, stressful week in fact and to top it all off I make a fool of myself with Cary and I was worried you wouldn't call andIamsogladyoudid ** the last few words came out in a rush one on top of the other.

"I've missed you"

** Me too…I mean I've missed you too. God I'm nervous. **

"Me too. I had to dial the number twice. I accidentally woke up some old man the first time." Marcy laughed and Sam continued "I was glad to…you didn't make a fool of yourself with Cary. I'm glad you ran into him."

** Good. I'm glad. **

"So do you think maybe we could get together for dinner…o-o-or coffee if you'd rather that."

** Dinner sounds lovely. **

"How about Wednesday night?"

** No Thursday's my early day. I have to be in by 8:00 for a staff meeting. How about Thursday night? **

"Sounds good. Shall I pick you up or…"

** Why don't we meet somewhere instead **

"Okay. Where?"

** How about the fountain in front of the Medical Arts Building on Memorial say around 6:00 I have a meeting there that should run until about 5:00-5:30. **

"Sounds good see you then."

** Okay **

"Marcy!"

** Yeah **

"I'm looking forward to it."

** Me too Sam, I'm looking forward to it too. **