Disclaimers: The prerequisite disclaimers.

Intellectual Property: The characters are wholly my own. Any similarities drawn between them and any persons, plants, or animals, living and dead, are figments of your imagination. However, some places and products mentioned in the story do exist. No infringement is intended. (Hey, look on the bright side! Free publicity! Yeah!)

Ratings/Language/Violence: R-rated. Generally, the language and violence is mild, as is the sex. However, at risk of spoiling some surprises, the story deals with sensitive issues like overbearing parents, youth violence, rape, and murder.

Sex: Love is expressed between two consenting ladies. If that bothers you, then for the love of God (or a higher being or beings, if any), get help.

Age: If this material is illegal where you live and/or if you are underage then find something else to do.

NOTES: Mickey is NOT the main character. Be patient and you'll meet the two leading heroines in no time at all. Also, this story takes place over about the span of a decade. If you want to see sign language, go to this web site. http://www.bconnex.net/~randys/

If you have any feedback, suggestions, or comments, please let the bard know at sarkel_bard@yahoo.com You are guaranteed a reply if you so wish. Constructive criticism is accepted J

I'd also like to thank everyone who helped. Thanks to Steph, Critic, Ink, and everyone else who has contributed.

Many people have asked me about my posting policy, so here's a rundown. I have a personal policy to post at least once a week, but if I am ahead of schedule or have extra time, I'll post more than once.

A Note: In the story, when Sam (or someone who is signing) murmurs, mumbles or whatever, they are not speaking. The 'screams' 'whispers' and so forth are merely the sign language equivalent.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank the wonderful people at Xenaverso for honoring AITF with the Olé award. Check the Xenaverso out at http://www.atenea.easynet.co.uk/xenaverso/fanfic/fanfic_ole.htm

Part 10

Allison coaxed the ailing Pinto into the driveway. It wouldn't last much longer. Of course, any vehicle she drove had a short life expectancy. Her heart fell as she realized the Pinto was the driveway's sole occupant; Sam wasn't home yet. At least she was home in time to warn her stepsister and let her know that not everything was gone.

She hopped out of the Pinto, reaching to pet the enthusiastic canine, as had become her habit. Corny must be out back with the others, she reckoned; today was prime pool weather. Suddenly, she jumped as she heard a thud from the basement. Agonized bellowing followed immediately.

"Al!" The front door opened and Allen ran frantically to his sister. "I'm scared! Daddy's gonna hurt momma because of the pictures and letters she threw out. Sammy left too. She was upset."

Allison took the quivering boy in her arms. His hair and swimsuit were wet. "Sam was here?" Unconsciously, she clasped the towhead closer to her.

"That hurt!" he squealed.

"Sorry," Allison breathed, forcing her feet to step into the garage. "Where did Sammy go?" With trembling hands, she lifted the lid to her stepfather's toolbox and extracted the plastic bag.

The towhead shook his head as a string of angry words shot from the basement. "My daughter has cried once in her life! Once! Until today, because of YOU! Now she has nothing tangible to remember her mother by!"

Allen nodded in silent confirmation and whispered into Al's ear. "Sammy was cryin' real hard. "I dunno where she went."

"I'm sure Julia has some things!" Susan shrilled.

"No!" Barry spat back. "She gave just about everything to me and Sam after the funeral!"

Allison swallowed, unsure of what she should do. Should she find Sam? Cheer her up by showing the contents of the bag? But I'm probably the last person she wants to see. That damn wallet thing again. She studied her brother; her stepsister wouldn't reject the boy. She needed to get him out of here anyway since he shouldn't witness such ugliness. "Let's uhh… let's look for Sam, ok?" Can't believe Barry didn't go after her, his own daughter.

An hour later, Allison was still trying to find her stepsister. She'd driven to Paul's house, but he couldn't help. He had promised to look for the dark-haired young woman and to call a few pals. He'd let her know if Sam turned up. Then she had thought of Julia Julian's house. Duh. She zeroed in to the closest phone booth and ruffled through the phone book, quickly locating the number and address. She let the phone ring 50 times, but no one picked up.

"Great!" Allison mumbled under her breath. The Julians lived on the other side of town. Although that part of town was unfamiliar to her, Allison drove there as quickly as she could. No one was home except the dog.

Meanwhile at the Cannizarro house, Barry and Susan were still arguing and shouting.

The big man stared down the redhead, his eyes demanding an explanation.

"Oh, Beauregard. All is not lost! They're just in storage. I didn't want them in the house because I felt like we couldn't be a complete couple with reminders of Norene in the house! I'm sorry! We can get them out of storage and back in the basement if you want." The redhead sniffled and coughed mucus in her handkerchief. She hoped that Beauregard wouldn't completely lose his temper and mind. She had made a mistake in packing everything into storage but perhaps she could make her Beauie understand. He had to understand!

The angry man blew out a harsh breath. "They're in storage? You didn't throw them out? Why the hell didn't you say so!" He thrust a finger in her face, a nasty scowl on his face as his eyes bulged out. His breathing slowed as he realized that the mementos weren't completely lost forever. His heart returned to a more normal pace as his wife tried to placate him.

Susan smiled weakly; her mate was calming down. "Beauregard. You do understand do you? I just thought that you couldn't love me while Norene was still around. I wanted to make you happy, to make you forget about them, that we were a family. You and me, Allen, Allison, darling Samantha." She sighed and turned away, tears forming in her eyes.

All she wanted to be was loved. Just loved and wanted. Was that too much to ask? She wasn't like Allison who opened her legs to any man, including the love of her mother's life. That brazen hussy had seduced him right under her nose; she and Bob had been so happy and the whore had to go and seduce him with her feminine wiles. Even he who proclaimed her to be the one love of his life still thought that another woman was prettier, more attractive, more desirable than she. Her own daughter! And now she was on the verge of losing Beauregard. Was it ever possible for her to find a man that wouldn't allow another woman to ursurp her affections? Even a dead woman like Norene had beaten her out!

Barry stepped up and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Oh Susan. What made you think I wouldn't or couldn't love you completely? That a few pictures and letters would make me love you any less? I'll always love Norene, but my heart's big enough to love you as well, and you're never a second wheel. Not to anybody. Not ever."

He was confused and trying to understand the motives behind the redhead's actions. He knew she had led a troubled life, always being second to somebody; he wanted her to understand that she wasn't inferior to anybody.

A new torrent of tears burst forth as the redhead wailed. She turned and burrowed in the husky man's chest as she poured out pain that had been bottled up for years and years. "Philip married me because he thought he could have my parents' money, my inheritance! He rejected me after my parents refused to give me my inheritance. He didn't love me! My daddy and mamma didn't love me either! My dad…oh! I can't even say it!" She rubbed her nose and clasped her hands around Barry's torso. The memories were painful. She wasn't sure if she should share them with Beauregard, because she was afraid that they would drive him away, make him disgusted with her. But they might make him grasp her true motivations.

The tall man squeezed his missus and wiped away a few tears. "Susie, I'm not Phillip or your father. I do love you for who you are. I don't care about anything else. What happened with your parents? I know they rejected you but I always felt there was more to the story." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his brow furrowed as his wife's crying increased in pitch.

"Oh Beauregard! You know what happened with Phillip. Mamma and Daddy just rejected me and never spoke to me again. But you know what happened before that? I was daddy's girl, the apple of their eyes until Jacqueline was born! When she was born, she was perfect, blonde, thin, tall, graceful, beautiful, and talented. She was everything I wasn't. She was the flawless daughter, the talk of the town. They just ignored me, acted as if I didn't exist. They loved her more than they loved me. Jacqueline got all she wanted while I only got what I needed or begged for."

Susan began another tirade as she recalled the charming blond jock that had whisked her away from her hateful parents. "When I met Phillip, I thought he indeed loved me and I was so hungry, so starved, so desperate for love I mistook his affections for true love. I didn't care if he was poor. My parents' approval was the last thing on my mind."

Barry nodded for her to continue; he already knew this information but was content to allow Susan to proceed at her own pace. She gulped as she recalled her living nightmares.

"My daddy would just use me for one thing! He always left Jacqueline alone, and came after me. He said I was so ugly nobody would believe me if I ever came out and accused him. He was a wealthy doctor and a well-respected member of the community. Mamma knew but she turned the other cheek. When I ran off with Phillip they were glad. Mamma always blamed me for seducing daddy but I didn't! I didn't! It stopped when I ran off with Phillip. Oh, Beauregard. Now you must hate me; you're so ashamed of me aren't you? I don't understand why you love me!"

She moaned as she gasped for air and sniffled firmly. Even to this day she could still feel her father's hot and erect gaze upon her youthful body. He had never touched her; he had just watched and watched her for hours and hours in all kinds of positions.

Barry's heart went out to the redhead. The poor woman hadn't been loved for most of her life. Not even by the man who had given her two beautiful children. Not even by her father, who should have loved her unconditionally. He had just used her. Her past was no excuse for her reprehensible behavior, but she hadn't actually thrown the boxes out, just moved them into storage. Susan's story certainly explained a lot, why she was so clingy and insisted that he declare his undying love every five minutes, all of those silly pet names, why she had tried to remove all remnants of Norene and Lucas from the house, and why she had a hard time whenever they were out in public and he appreciated a woman other than her. He reached around her and brought her in for a bear hug. After a few minutes of squeezing the air out of his beloved, he tilted her head up to meet his eyes.

"Sweetheart. I love you; don't you doubt that. I'm not ashamed of you either. Your father is a son-of-a-bitch and it wasn't your fault. He was a grown man and knew better. I won't let anybody hurt you again, ever. I promise that as long as I live, no harm will come to you. I'm glad that you didn't throw all of the boxes away. I'll keep them in storage. I want you to be happy, Susan. I meant what I said on our wedding day. 'Til death do us part. "

Susan looked into his commanding blue eyes, relieved that she'd finally shared her horrible secrets with somebody. And he hadn't pushed her away; he still loved her! She'd been afraid to tell him at first but after years of this pain, she just had to share it with somebody. She'd known Beauregard loved her but this, this proved it. In retrospect she was truly sorry for throwing away Samantha's memoirs of her mother. Those were the only things not in storage. She'd just been driven by a jealous fit that day and of course Beauregard would never find out about the trees and the mongrel. She renewed her vow to make him forget all about Norene. One day, he would wake up in her arms and say "Norene who?" Now, how about some make-up sex to work towards that aim?

The redhead trailed her fingers down the barrel-chested man's arm and made her way to his swimming trunks. "Beauregard. Is everything all right? I'm truly sorry."

The blue-eyed man smiled at his little woman. "Yes. Now that everything's cleared up." He stroked her back and before he knew it, Susie-poo had ripped off his shorts and started to lick his wiry, dark haired chest.

"Beauregard. No talking." The horny woman attacked her beau and they thumped to the floor and rolled towards the shag carpet, devouring each other.

Allison buried her head with her hands. Her frustration rose as the minutes ticked by. "Where could Sam be, Allen?" Maybe she's back by now. Allison drove by the Cannizarro house, but Dino was noticeably absent. She thought about the last time Sam had run away upset, other than the wallet incident, the day Allen fell from the shelves. Where had Sam gone then?

"Sammy misses her momma," the boy said seriously. "Maybe she went to visit her momma and brother."

Allison chuckled. "They're dead, silly. She can't visit them." Well… actually, that's not true. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Maybe you're right. I wonder where they're buried."

She drove to the few cemeteries that she knew, but there was no sign of Sam nor of a Cosentino/Cannizarro family plot. One more try and that's it. She located another phone booth and flipped through the pages of the phone book, looking for a cemetery with a Catholic name, since both families came from Catholic stock. She found a couple of graveyards that fit her parameters, and chose the closest one, a ten-minute drive from the booth.

Jackpot.

Dino sat in the parking lot with a few other vehicles. This particular burial ground covered over a hundred acres and was by far the most ornate Allison had seen. Huge markers, made out of granite, concrete, stone, marble, you name it, dominated the grassy ground, marking the final resting ground of the dead in the form of angels, statues, tombstones, the Virgin Mary, crosses, and various saints.

Allison cringed. Where to start looking? She spotted the caretaker's office about a half mile away and guided her brother through the cemetery, holding his hand and carrying the relatively light plastic bag in her other hand.

The boy became fascinated with one statue in particular, one of an obelisk. "That's a cool pencil!" he said in awe. "Big!"

"Can I help you?" a stooped elderly man called from behind a concrete mausoleum. He rested a rusty rake against the walls and wiped his dirty hands on his pants. "What's a pretty thing like you doing here? Your family here?"

Allison nodded. "I'm looking for the Cannizarros. Or the Cosentino family."

The caretaker chuckled. "They're everywhere. Old man Cosentino donated this land to the archdiocese a while back. Can you give me a few more details to work with?"

"Norene and Lucas? Norene's parents?" she asked timidly. What were the grandparents' names?

The old man bowed his head in respect. "Terrible, terrible. It was so sad when they died. All four of them together." He patted his chest.

"What happened?" the blonde inquired, curious. Now that she thought about it, she had no idea how the four people had died.

The caretaker shook his head. "Best not to talk about it. They're over yonder. So sad." He wiped his brow and pointed vaguely in the distance. "The father never came back after the first year. The sister-Julia-what a looker… ouch! She comes every week to check on the upkeep and to bring flowers."

Allison nodded, wishing the guy would tell her where to go. "Where exactly is it?"

He continued as if he hadn't heard her. "The daughter comes sometimes. She'll stay for hours and hours. Haven't seen her in a while though. She's quiet. Very furtive." His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he veered off memory lane. "Who are you people?"

"We're Beauregard Cannizarro's step kids. We're here to pay our respects," Allison explained earnestly.

The hunched man frowned as he formulated the easiest path. "I see. Well, ok." He squinted, studying the horizon. "See that angel over there? Next to the cross? Right beside the pine trees?"

Allison followed the line of sight. "Yes."

"That's where you go. The plots are surrounded by weeping willows," he explained. "Only two buried there now but plenty of space for… well. Take about five minutes to walk over there."

"Thank you, sir." The blonde smiled. "Have a good day."

"Likewise," the man answered, tipping his cap solemnly.

"Go!" Allison prodded her brother. They'd reached the grove of weeping willows and the green-eyed girl's plan was to send the towhead in with the parcel. She knew that if Sam saw the traitor, she'd become furious and there was no telling what she could do. On the other hand, her stepsister had a soft spot for the towhead, providing her with a window of opportunity to realize that a few things had been salvaged.

Sam was sitting next to the double marker that bore the Cannizarro name, her back hunched, using her arms to hug herself. Drawn-up legs and knees covered her face. The weeping willows obstructed the view well, and a casual passerby wouldn't have been able to spot her.

He smiled resolutely and repeated the instructions. "Hand the bag to her and be quiet. Let her deal with it. Okay. I like Sammy."

Allison patted the youth's head. "Go." Please let this help Sam.

As Allen tiptoed the few yards to his stepsister, Allison squatted behind a colossal bush, out of sight, and anxiously monitored her brother's progress.

The boy tugged Sam's shirt and thrust the package in her face when she jerked up, startled. The towhead yanked his head back, disturbed by the sight of Sammy's bloodshot eyes.

She took a brief moment to decipher her stepbrother's presence. How could he be here? She blinked-Allen still stood in front of her, holding out a plastic bag. "Your mother in here," he signed, indicating the bag. "Letters and pictures."

Sam accepted the bundle fuzzily. What did he mean? She opened the bag and peered at the contents. Everything that had been in her room was in the sack: her mother's letters to both her and Lucas, written while she was pregnant with each, her mother's journals, love letters her parents had written to each other, a few pictures, and some other odds and ends. Confused but somewhat relieved, the dark-haired young woman took a picture out of the bag and studied it.

"How'd you get this? How'd you get here?" she surveyed the boy curiously, no longer caring if he saw her upset. She couldn't be perfect all the time.

His chin trembled. "I saw momma throw them out so I told Allison. She saved them for you. I'm sorry, Sammy. I didn't stop momma. We didn't know until it was too late."

Sam inclined her head slightly, looking at the boy. "Okay. It's fine. Thank you." She gently laid the bag on the ground next to her and rested her head on her knees, her view still on her stepbrother's cherubic figure.

He stared at her. "Feel better now, Sammy?"

Sam shook her head in the negative, the tears falling again.

"I know what'll help," said Allen confidently. He covered Sammy's neck in a hug for a moment until she sat up, wiping her tears away. "Did that help?"

She smiled. "Yes."

Allison watched the scene as her heart pulled in a thousand directions. She couldn't see the sign language conversation, but her stepsister obviously was very upset. However, her brother's appearance and gesture had helped a little bit. If only I could help too. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. They needed to go; the towhead was wearing out his welcome.

"So, how did you get here?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer.

"Al and I looked all over for you. But now we found you," the towhead explained.

"Mmm. Where is she?" Sam whispered.

Allen surveyed his surroundings. "She's hiding somewhere over there." He pointed to the area behind the blue-eyed girl's back.

Sam didn't move her head. "Get her, please."

The boy's eyes widened at the stern command. "Okay." He jogged off to find his sister. "Al! Sammy wanna see you!"

The taller girl dried her eyes using the backs of her hands as she waited for her stepsister to appear and shine some light upon Susan's crime. Had Allison known about the older woman's actions but chosen to ignore them?

Allison gulped as her brother ran up to her. "Is she mad at me?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. She just wanna see you. She looks bad, Al. Her eyes are real red."

The blonde sighed and rummaged around in her purse. Allen loved her key chain which held cool gizmos like an etch-a-sketch and a stress ball. Locating the mini-toys, she handed the key chain to her brother. "Stay here," she whispered. "Play with this. Please don't move. Okay?"

"I stay." He nodded earnestly.

"Good." She pecked him lightly on the forehead, drew in a deep breath, and went to face her distraught stepsister. Her stomach churned as she approached Sam; she had heard absolutely nothing from the dark-haired young woman since the night they'd kissed and had that fight. Her heart beat rapidly as she flexed her sweaty palms.

She paused a few inches from the grieving girl, standing at her side, allowing her protracted shadow to inform Sam of her presence. Her stepsister's head rested atop her knees, facing the direction opposite Allison.

Sam blinked, realizing the green-eyed young woman had joined her. Fleetingly, she recalled the electrifying feel of Allison's lips on her own and their tongues dancing furiously. Where would we be today if not for the wallet? What if I had read and answered the letter?

The deaf girl sighed and shifted position, acknowledging Allison.

The blonde got her first good look at Sam's face. The boy hadn't been kidding; she looked horrible. All Allison wanted to do was to hold her stepsister in her arms and rock the pain away. But she didn't live in a dream world.

Sam exhaled softly, not meeting Allison's eyes. "What happened?"

The hearing girl tucked a strand of strawberry hair behind her ear. So far, so good. She sat down a few feet away, knowing Sam needed her space, and commented slowly, also unable to meet the dark-haired girl's gaze. "I didn't know what she had done until one morning when Allen heard her in your room. He told me and the next day, I went in the basement but everything was long gone. None of us, me, Allen, your father, had any idea. As for the room and stuff, she wouldn't listen to me. Your father told her it was ok… I wrote to you, e-mail, to alert you but…" She plucked a daffodil and tossed it away carelessly. "I saved what I could. It's not much, I know."

Sam tilted her head to avoid the sun's brilliance. Allison's signing had improved tremendously and she was more beautiful than ever. The deaf girl knew right away that her stepsister was telling the truth. Allison had done what she could.

"You're signing wonderfully," remarked the blue-eyed girl. "Well, this means a lot to me. Thanks."

Allison squinted, the comment taking her by surprise. "Huh?"

Sam chuckled. "Mmm." They sat in uncomfortable silence for the next few moments.

"I'm sorry." Allison stood up, brushing small specks of dirt from her slacks. "I guess I'll see you at the house. Don't… don't stay out here too long."

"I don't remember her. Or him," said the dark-haired girl seemingly out of nowhere, her eyes focused on an object somewhere on the horizon.

"Pardon?" The shorter girl halted in her tracks.

Sam glanced at her stepsister then looked away. "I don't really remember my mother. I can't visualize her in my mind anymore. I don't remember what her touch was like, or her smell. Nothing. I do remember her reading to me, playing with me. But it's all so vague." She sighed. "I wish I could recall more."

Allison kneeled, a couple inches from the despondent young woman, and tentatively placed her arm around Sam's shoulders. What to say?

Allison took a small fragment of solace in the fact that Sam didn't rebuff the touch of her arm gradually making its way around the dark-haired girl's shoulders. She shifted so that she was sitting Indian style, her arm still around Sam.

Sam picked up the bag. "Did you read those?"

The blonde nodded her head tentatively, hoping the intrusion of privacy wouldn't upset her stepsister. "Just a little bit. Your mother loved you very much."

Sam smiled painfully at the mention of her mother. "Do you miss your father?" she asked, immediately sensing Allison's surprise, the sudden shift in conversation taking her unawares.

"I'm sorry. If you don't want to answer-"

The blonde withdrew her touch so she could sign better. "No, it's fine. Question just startled me."

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Well?"

Allison didn't answer, couldn't answer, for a few moments, afraid to admit the horrible truth. "I don't miss him one bit."

Sam cast a look of disbelief in her stepsister's direction. "You don't?"

Allison confirmed with a brisk drop of her face, her eyes cloudy with guilt. "I can't miss someone I never had. He wasn't a father; he was a sperm donor. A piece of garbage. My fondest memory of him is the day when he died."

Sam recoiled at the bitter response, so unlike the cheerful, hyperactive chatterbox she knew. The first day they had met, she'd eagerly showed Sam pictures of her father, proudly pointing out his dimples. "What did he do?" she whispered.

"Nothing," the blonde replied briefly.

"He must have done something," Sam persisted.

"He did nothing. He just loafed around all day, his beer gut growing, while momma worked three jobs to support his alcoholism. By the time he died, he was sleeping on the couch and never got up. Sometimes not even to use the bathroom." She paused. "I remember one time when I was five years old. I spent hours in school one day drawing a picture for him. At that time, he was still my hero, even though he wasn't like other kids' daddies. I got home all excited. I thought the picture would make him love me. Guess what he did."

Sam shook her head, entranced.

"I sat on his lap and showed him my drawing. He just crumpled it up, shot it in the wastebasket, and ordered me to get him another 12-pack. He said that the picture sucked and that I couldn't possibly be his kid." Tears streamed down Allison's cheeks as she recalled the most heartbreaking day of her life. "After that, I wished for him to die."

The dark-haired girl watched as sobs convulsed her stepsister's slight body, noting the perpetual self-comforting gesture of hugging herself. What a bastard. Sam took Allison in her arms and held her until the weeping ceased a few minutes later.

"Why did your mother stay with him so long? Have another child with him?" she asked in amazement, cradling her younger companion against her chest.

Allison didn't answer; she knew she wouldn't be able to lie this time.

"How did you turn out so wonderfully with parents like that?" the brunette asked, the question provoking another round of tears.

"I didn't," Allison croaked out, feverently hoping that Sam wouldn't let go of her. "Look what I did to you."

Allison wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm just like everyone else. I shouldn't have doubted you about the wallet. I know you didn't do it but I was overwhelmed and caught up with everything. I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know if you read my letter or e-mails but I never told your father you stole it." She braced herself for the inevitable hostility.

The blue-eyed girl sighed, the anger and hurt of the previous weeks suddenly gone. "Forget it." She knew that her stepsister genuinely regretted the slip-up. Besides, like Allison herself said, everyone made mistakes.

The blonde flinched, expecting a harsh repartee. "What?"

Sam fingered a stray strand of Allison's silky hair, eventually returning the plaything behind her ear. "Ahh… everyone's entitled to a screw-up now and then. Don't worry about it. I can be a little hot-tempered myself."

Allison half-smiled, still in shock by the sudden amends as an unexplainable rush of euphoria shot through her veins. She lay her head on her friend's lap, gazing into the sky, enjoying the brief moment of peace, knowing it wouldn't last.

"Like my present?" Sam inquired, clasping her hand over the blonde's.

She shook her head ruefully. "I haven't opened it."

The blue-eyed girl raised a dark eyebrow. "What willpower you have." She chuckled. "Remind me to give you your birthday spanking. I'm too tired to do it now."

Allison grinned. "You're joking. Why would I encourage you to do that?"

Sam ground her lips together wryly as she leaned against a tree trunk. Her gaze inadvertently fell upon her brother's grave, next to her mother's. "Daddy was supposed to be buried there," she commented. "Together with my mother. But of course, things didn't turn out as expected. So Lucas is buried with her."

Allison studied the spot. "This is a really beautiful place."

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Yes. I want to be cremated, though."

"I do too." The blonde smiled in agreement. "Don't know why. Just want to be. What were your grandparents like? Your brother?"

Sam sighed. "I don't quite remember. Lucas was younger than I was, but we got along well. Always playing this trick or that. We loved to hide from mom and dad while they searched all over for us. They'd always get worried. Even called the police once." The brunette chuckled ruefully at the memory. "He was a great kid. My grandparents were cool, better than the Cannizarros. They learned sign pretty well, especially grandma. My granddad was always sneaking me candy or money." A tear slowly trickled from her cheek.

Allison extended her arm and wiped the tear away. "Can I ask… how did they die?"

"Al?" the towhead appeared timidly, stepping out in front of Sam. "You forgot about me."

"Hi." The green-eyed girl remained on her stepsister's lap, but turned her head to get a better view of her brother. Wild horses couldn't drag her from her this slice of heaven. "Who are you again?"

Allen pouted. "You know who I am, silly! I'm bored. Can we go?"

"All right. Nice to meet you, Bored." Allison sighed, breaking the contact with Sam. She stood up, exhausted. She addressed her stepsister. "I'll see you at the house. You're going back, aren't you?"

The dark-haired girl rose as well. "I don't know how you can stand to go back there. I don't think I could… my room is so… It's not even dark yet. I'll take you two out for dinner."

"Is daddy gonna leave momma?" the tot asked.

"Daddy?" Sam repeated the word. "Is that what you call him now?"

Allison gulped, hoping her friend wasn't possessive. The towhead nodded slowly. "He said it was ok, that I was his little boy."

Sam smiled somberly. "You'll take good care of him." She sighed and turned to her stepsister. "They still at the house?"

The younger girl shrugged. "They were really decking it out when Allen and I left. I can't believe he didn't come after you right away. Selfish of him."

Her taller companion stretched her legs and bent down to pick up the bag. Her eyes and tone remained detached as she straightened up. "He's a man. After mom died, it was like he didn't know how to… or didn't want to deal with me. I was a good kid before they died. After, wham." She grinned. "Of course, I have no one to blame but myself. I'm not excusing anything."

"Al!" The boy wailed from a distance. "I'm bored!"

Allison grimaced, wanting to continue the peaceful conversation with Sam. "Allen's calling. I'd better go but you can stay here."

Sam shook her head. "No, we'll go to dinner. McDonald's, your favorite." She winked. "Was Corny home when you left?"

The blonde scrunched her face in thought. "Actually, as a matter of fact, he wasn't. Why?" She wrung her hands as she pondered the dozen things her mother could have done to the sweetheart.

The brunette shook her head. "I hope he's okay. He might just be visiting a dog somewhere. If he's not back by tomorrow, I'll start worrying. He's never run off. By the way, what happened to the oak trees?" She raised dark eyebrows in question and walked up to Allison, carrying the bag.

"They were infested with maggots," she explained. "The gardener came about a couple weeks ago and said they had to go."

Sam sighed. "Great. Another piece of wonderful news," she said sarcastically. "Well, make up your mind where you want to eat before we leave. Want to meet me there or ride with me?"

Allison grinned. "McDonald's is great. There's one down the road. Allen!" she called for her brother.

"Hi!" He stepped from behind a tombstone, holding a caterpillar. "Look what I found. I named him Keith." The trio walked down the pathway to the parking lot.

"Sam, can I ask you something?" Allison broached nervously.

Sam smiled. "You just did."

"If anything happens with Barry and my mother, can we still be friends?" she asked tentatively as her stepsister rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course!" she scoffed.

They arrived home soon after eating dinner. Dusk was settling and Corny was still gone. Allison was truly afraid; her mother's marriage was doomed. Barry would probably be calling for divorce papers right about now, or getting them from his desk drawer. The blonde grinned, the irony not escaping her.

"Hey!" Barry boomed as the trio entered the house. "Where the hell were you?" He leaped from the couch, fire flaming from his eyes.

Sam clamped her jaws together, determined not to lose her temper. However, her father was mad with her and not with Susan.

"Samantha Alice Cannizarro, next time you stay and listen to Susan's side!" he bellowed. "She just put the things in storage. And she's more than happy to let you redecorate your room."

Allison stared at her mother and stepfather in astonishment. She'd found the mementos in the freaking trashcan! In her book, a garbage bucket did not equal storage. The bastard and the bitch. And he was mad at Sam!

"You really upset your stepmother," Barry continued knowingly. "Allison, Allen, were you with Sam?"

Both blondes nodded mutely as Barry sighed. "Let's just put today behind us and move on. Susan, Sam, you two apologize to each other."

Susan nodded eagerly and threw herself around her stepdaughter. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't clear about where the items were! I would never, ever throw out your mother's things."

The dark-haired young woman's gaze could bend steel. She just smiled grimly. This would be the best way to deal with her new family situation, for now.

Sam hadn't been able to sleep at all last night, considering the nightmarish pink glare from her walls and her stiff new bed. Thank the Gods I can redecorate. She wasn't going to let Susan get away with anything further. She glanced at the clock-only seven in the morning. Probably a new record for her.

She padded around her room, taking care of normal morning business and wondering when Allison would be up. No matter how hard she tried to put the image or gentle touch of her beautiful green-eyed stepsister out of her mind, the vivid sensations stayed with her. Seeing Allison yesterday had rekindled feelings she'd ignored for the last few weeks.

Sam showered, dressed, then headed outside to fetch the newspaper. At home, she always ate breakfast and read the paper at the same time. "Corny!" she cried, dread entering her when the dog did not appear. He was still missing.

She sighed; Corny was her best friend. Throughout the years, the heartache, loss, and pain, his faithful and trusting brown eyes had been there to comfort her. His eager gait, whipping tail, and funky dog breath tirelessly greeted and encouraged her. She would have to face facts soon. Even if Corny returned safe and sound, he was old.

The dark-haired girl walked back in the house. Her plans for the day so far were to eat breakfast, search for the canine, and start the redecoration of her room. "Sammy!" Allen ran up to her impishly. "Cookies for breakfast?"

Sam laughed. "Maybe later." Since she was the only adult awake, she poured milk and cereal for her stepbrother.

"Can Jaykupozon come to my birthday party next week?" he asked anxiously. "He's shy but I think I can get him to come."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Who's that?"

The towhead's face lit up. "He's my new pal. He's an alien just like you. He wants to learn more about humans."

"Ah." Sam nodded knowingly. "Sure he can come. How did you meet him?" She reached into the cabinets for her usual pop tarts and came across emptiness. Her blue eyes peered into the cupboard but there was no trace of the pop tarts. She prowled into the pantry and found the same story. She growled and returned to the freezer to look for a suitable breakfast. Her dad used to keep cinnamon rolls and pastries in there but not anymore, it seemed. She turned to Allen.

"Where's the junk?"

The towhead shrugged. "Momma said no junk food in here. Al has to lose weight. I think she's pretty but that's what momma wants."

The brunette nodded incredulously. Her stepsister wasn't one bit overweight; besides just because one person was dieting didn't mean everybody else had to suffer. She nodded at Allen's comment. "Yeah. Al's pretty. I guess I'll have to eat…shredded wheat for breakfast. Yuck." She added to the grocery list on the refrigerator: Pop Tarts, soda, pizza, real food.

Allen watched his new sister write on the paper and tugged her shorts. "Don't forget cookies." Sam chuckled and added his suggestion.

She guided the towhead to the dining room and sat down. "When your sister wakes up, if she ever does, we can go look for Corny together and get some ice cream or something. No kid should live like this." She took a bite of the cereal and grimaced. Not her ideal breakfast.

A look of consternation crossed the boy's face. "You don't like it?"

Sam choked on her cereal. "You like this? No way! Wait until you taste chocoholic balls. Now that's a cereal."

Allen munched quietly. "Corny's still lost? I like Corny. Momma said his name was Cornelius but I told her it was Cornbread. Momma can be dumb sometimes." He nodded seriously and slurped the milk from his bowl.

Sam laughed out loud. "Yeah, your mom is dumb. Corny's not here but we can find him." She studied the remnants in her bowl pensively. Cornelius. How Susan. She took both of their bowls into the kitchen and started to wash dishes as she caught sight of shapely legs disappearing into a pair of shorts. She looked up, hiding a smile. "Good morning. Are you busy today?"

Allison yawned widely and groped for the coffee pot. She was immaculately dressed and groomed, ready to tackle her mother's daily inspection. The blonde caught a mug and carefully poured hot liquid into it and gulped a mouthful of caffeine-filled coffee. After a few minutes, she cleared her mind and nodded at her stepsister. "You were saying?" The green-eyed girl stilled her rapid heartbeat as she gave Sam a discreet once-over, stopping at her soft breasts. She'd hoped to be able to curb her desires for the deaf girl but so far, no go. Sam was wearing a pair of shorts that accentuated her long, muscular, tan legs and shirt that showed more than hid.

The dark-haired girl smiled slightly at the "cautious" once-over and returned the favor but not quite as discreetly. Allison's sleeveless shirt gave her a nice view all around. "Not quite awake? Are you busy? I'm going to look for Corny today. He never stays away this long." She sighed and got herself a cup of coffee.

The blonde nodded, blushing at her stepsister's blatant study. "I'll go with you." Turning to her brother, she asked him, "Have you eaten yet?"

Allen nodded enthusiastically. "Sammy doesn't like the cereal. She said you were pretty. See, I said you couldn't be an alien."

Sam rolled her eyes at the towhead's slip, reminding herself not to entrust any important secrets to him. She was rather enjoying yet another blush that graced the strawberry blonde's features.

His sister nodded and avoided eye contact with the dark-haired girl, her body betraying her. So Sam still thinks I'm pretty. "Sam, uhh… mind explaining to him that I am an alien?"

The brunette looked into her stepbrother's eyes. "Yeah. Allison's a special kind of alien. Aliens can be pretty." She squeezed his shoulder and gently held up the blonde's hand for a thorough examination. "Where's the ring? You have to wear it or nobody knows you're an alien. No wonder Allen was confused." She winked at her once-again blushing stepsister, enjoying the feel of soft fingers.

Allison left her hand where it was and cocked her head. "It's upstairs. You're right. I should wear it so people won't be confused." She reluctantly removed her hand and picked her brother up, resting him on her hip. "Let me eat the rest of that."

She reached for Sam's uneaten bowl of cereal and finished it off. "Thanks. We'll go brush our teeth then be on our way." She took her brother upstairs and Sam nodded ruefully at the demolished meal and recent transpirings as an unconscious grin spread across her face. She'd sworn to remain mad at Allison forever when the wallet incident occurred but in less than 24 hours the girl had already wormed her way into Sam's good graces and more.

A few minutes later, all three appeared in the kitchen, ready to go as Allison jotted down a quick note for Susan so she wouldn't get worried. Sam looked at her stepsister's hand, and nodded in approval at the purple ring. They climbed into Dino and sped out.

"Sammy said Jaykupozon could come to my birthday party. That is gonna be so cool! I can't wait." The towhead bounced in his seat as the brunette directed a raised eyebrow at Allison.

"Allen was just telling me you gave permission for him to invite Jaykupozon to the party."

Sam nodded as she made a turn. "When is it anyway?"

"Next weekend. Momma is making a big deal out of it, inviting all the "right people's" kids to the party. I'm excited though. This is Allen's first real birthday party with friends and games and cake. I remember his first birthday. It was just so amazing how much he had grown in only one year." Allison's voice and face took on a wistful tone as she reminisced.

Allen noticed the change in his sister's demeanor. "Are you sad, Al?" He squeezed her arm in a hug and kissed her.

The blonde shook her head. "No. You're just growing so fast, Allen. You're not a baby anymore." But you'll always be my baby. "Are you excited about the party?"

Allen stared out of the window, his arms crossed. "No. Momma had to invite girls. They're so yucky. That's why I especially wanna Jaykupozon to come. Anita is coming and she's mean! Kelly has cooties, lots of cooties, and she smells. I'm gonna be covered in cooties!"

His sister chuckled and put her arm around Allen in an embrace. "Oh, honey. Girls aren't so bad, believe me. Let's help Sammy look for Corny, ok? Look out of the window." They were riding around in the Cannizarro neighborhood slowly, looking at Corny's friends' residences for any sign of the elderly pup.

"There's Buck, Corny's best friend." Sam pointed to a huge St. Bernard lounging under a mulberry tree.

Allen's eyes widened. "Can we take Buck home with us?" Both of his companions smiled as Allison explained that Buck belonged to another family and was very happy with them. Sam pointed to another house with a little poodle in front.

"That's Fifi, Corny's…mistress. The cocker spaniel is his girlfriend. I forgot her name. It's…" she paused. "Oh, yeah. It's D'lish. Corny has girls lined up all over the place. He never lacks for any companionship but they always come to our house. He's never gone over there before. Luckily, he's sterile or we've puppies coming out of our noses."

Allison smiled as her brother perked up. "Puppies! We can get puppies. Why don't we look at the animal shelter?"

His stepsister tousled his head. "Good idea. We'll go to the shelters and see if Corny's there. But he has a tag. They would've called already. Were there any messages on the machine this morning?" She directed the question at her stepsister.

The blonde shrugged. "No messages." They went to a few animal shelters but Corny was nowhere to be seen. By midday, Sam was dejected. They'd checked out shelters, vet offices, hospitals, friends, the neighborhood, parks, and various other places. Corny had been missing for over 48 hours.

Susan stretched leisurely and lazily drew circles on her Beauregard's chest with her finger, weaving and waving around his beautiful dark hair. He was such a man, proving it over and over again the prior night. She was flooded with warmth and happiness as she remembered the passion filled activities. She traced a light path down his torso and carefully pulled away the covers. Beauregard was going to make her a mother again; she could feel the love they shared and couldn't wait to have a bun in the oven. Once she bore her Beauie's child, he could never possibly leave her for someone else and he would love her more. She'd also receive more respect in society as the mother of Beauregard Bartholomew Cannizarro, Junior, the grandson of a distinguished senator and the son of a respected, wealthy lawyer. Ah, indeed. Life was good. She'd better get to work on getting pregnant.

She licked his ear and slipped her hand on his codpiece, signaling her interest. "Beauie…" she purred in a sexy tone as her man responded to her touch. "Honey-dewie…I'm ready for another round." She winked and tugged at him.

Barry smiled and reached for her hand. "Stop that, Susie. I'm not in the mood. I just went five rounds with you and the kids must be up by now. Maybe later." Susan pouted and kept her hand where it was. No matter, I am not going to worry. If last night was any indication, I'll be baking soon enough with our love child.

As always, e-mails are welcome at sarkel_bard@yahoo.com