Unbroken Season 1

Chapter 19 All I Need Is For You To Believe

“…Sometimes we raise our guns of pain but I’ll be your defender… So lay down your arms and Baby, let’s Surrender… “

The bustle of the collegiate bar wasn’t distracting to the woman as she sat in her small booth focusing on the box in front of her. She’d spent many a time in this bar during her college years, sipping a cold one and just thinking of how she wanted her life to be. It stood to reason that now she was doing the same thing.

Brooke reflexively took a long draw on her bottle of beer, letting her gaze fall upon the label as she brought it back down to the table. Molson, huh? I even knew back then. A smile lit up her face as she thought of her numerous toasts throughout, the years all ending in that same rambling phrase of hers. She found it coming off of her lips once again, then smiled, “Sam Addams forever, but Molson for life.”

She snapped open the box in front of her and looked at the ring inside, letting her eyes transfix on it as her mind conjured up the image of one, smiling blonde. Hesitantly, Brooke’s fingertip touched the stone, admiring the dazzle that came from it, even in the subdued lighting of the bar. It immediately brought the stored images of Sam’s twinkling eyes to the forefront of her mind and there, she held her breath, reveling in the love that they shared. Lost in her thoughts, Brooke never saw her sister enter the bar and wave in her direction.

“Will you look at that…” C.C. shook her head as she started over in Brooke’s direction, “…she’s probably thinking about tonight.” The young woman sauntered along the length of the bar, then turned to cut through the crowd. As she quickly stepped around a table or two, she dodged an ill begotten hand reaching out for her backside. C.C. turned to glare at the owner of the wayward extremity as she grabbed it and politely laid it back down on the table.

Looking directly into the young man’s eyes, C.C. smiled. “You know, you’re cute but that claw of yours leaves a lot to be desired. I’d think twice before you use it again or I’ll have to sic big sister on you.” The young woman stepped slightly to the side and glanced over at the booth where Brooke was seated. “I’d hate to have to interrupt her from her thoughts,” C.C. turned back to the pensive young man. “She gets a little upset when someone hits on her baby sister.”

She watched as the young man looked over to the booth and then slowly nodded. She could tell that his fancies were already changing to that of a slightly older woman. “I’d reconsider that thought if I were you.” C.C. tapped him on his forehead, “She’s already spoken for and trust me, you don’t want to meet up with the other half of that love connection.”

“Bigger, huh?” He looked up into C.C.’s face and waited for an answer.

A knowing smile came to the brunette’s face as she thought about her roommate. Deciding that no words could equivocate Sam’s small stature, she simply stated, “And very possessive.” Seeing the look of dismay on his face, C.C. patted his hand in a comforting fashion, then left, moving toward her sister’s booth.

Pausing for a moment before sliding into the booth, C.C. eyed the small box but couldn’t make out what was held inside it. “Well, you didn’t have to buy me a gift for letting you have the room tonight, but thanks,” the brunette slid into the seat as she reached for the box. “You know, gift wrapping and bows say so much more but this will be…”

Blue eyes stared at C.C., and a low growl started in Brooke’s throat as she quickly snapped the box lid shut, encasing it in her hand.

“Whoa! And I just told that jerk,” the young woman pointed her thumb over to the table with the now chastised man, “that Sam was the possessive one.” C.C. sat back in her seat with her hands in her lap. “Boy, was I wrong.”

Brooke took in a breath and shook her head. “Nope, you were right. Sam’s possessed me for longer than I’ve even known her.” The older woman looked back at the label on her beer bottle. “C.C. do you…I mean…would you…” she bit at her lip, “…if you were Sam…I mean.” The musician’s mouth became dry and she hurriedly reached for the bottle of Molson to help her out of her bind. Setting the bottle back down after taking a drink, Brooke half choked on her last swallow as she tried to speak. The words just weren’t coming, so she did the next best thing, she opened the box and sheepishly turned it so that her sister could see what it held.

Seeing the ring and how nervous her sister was acting, C.C. made light of the situation. “Damn, Brooke, how’d you know what I wanted for Christmas?”

“Not you, stupid.” Brooke glared at C.C. “It’s for Sam.” The woman’s eyes softened with the sound of the name. “I’m…I’m going to…”

Brown eyes lit up, “Propose?” C.C. looked at her sister, and shook her head. “Damn, what’s making you move so fast now, when it took you thirty years to meet her?”

“I…I don’t want to lose her, C.C. I can’t…I’d…” Brooke took in a deep breath and then let it out.

Seeing that her sister was on the near side of panic, C.C. snatched the ring right out of the box and tried to slide it onto her finger. “Damn, I thought all rings came in my size…a perfect seven.”

“They do, but I had this one sized down to Sam’s finger already.”

“She knows and she didn’t tell me?” C.C. put the ring back into the box and watched as Brooke closed the lid. “I’m going to have to call her up on the Roommate’s Rights Act. Holding out important information on me like that just ain’t fair.”

“She doesn’t know, C.C. I haven’t even asked her yet.”

“Then how would you know what size her finger is?”

Brooke smiled. “C.C. when you get to know someone intimately, you know everything about them.” The dark-haired woman winked as she teased her sister. “You ought to try it sometime, but that takes longer than a date or two.”

C.C. stuck out her tongue, aiming it directly at Brooke just as the waitress came around.

“Can I get you another beer?” The redhead directed her question to Brooke, as she carried a tray of empties in her hand.

“No thanks, but you could bring over a Shirley Temple for my baby sister here.” Brooke nodded toward the brunette who was now trying to hide her act of childishness by wetting her lips. “C.C., would you like a cherry with that?” Brooke could see the actions in her sister’s face building up to another tongue showing episode.

“Yes, thank you.” C.C. smiled at the waitress as she kicked Brooke’s boot under the table.

“Oww…” Brooke shot a glare at her sweetly smiling sister. “I’ll…I’ll be fine with this,” Brooke picked up her bottle and raised it up to the waitress before bringing it to her mouth, taking a sip from it.

“Okay, I’ll go get your drink.” The waitress moved away, casting a look or two over her shoulder to the booth she’d just left.

“Thanks, Sis. Now I’ll get carded every time I come in here.” C.C. flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re not helping my image any.”

The young woman braced for another quick comeback, but received none. Instead, Brooke toyed with the box in her hand.

There was a long pause before C.C.’s curiosity got the better of her. “So…if Sam doesn’t know yet, when are you planning on asking her?”

Brooke tapped on the box a time or two and shrugged. “Don’t know yet. But I do know that the time has to be right. I want everything about this to be perfect.”

The brunette watched her sister’s face as she concentrated on Sam. It was aglow with love for the young woman. “Well, whenever you do it…” C.C. thought of how her words sounded then corrected herself. “Whenever you propose, I mean, just do me one favor. Let me know so that I can be just as excited for you. You know, you owe me, Sis.”

Blue eyes looked up into a smiling face. “You’re right, I do.”

“Hmm…practicing already, huh?”

“What?”

“With the ‘I do’s,” C.C. smirked. “Hey, if there’s anything that I can help you with…”

“Yeah, C.C., I’ll keep that in mind.” Brooke caught the flash of blonde hair headed toward the table and quickly covered the box with her hand, sliding it into her jacket pocket. “Hey, look who’s here.”

C.C. turned her attention to the bar and saw Sam coming in their direction with her eyes locked on Brooke.

“Hey, I’m glad that we arranged to meet here over the phone.” Sam smiled lovingly at Brooke, then acknowledged her roommie, “Hi, C.C.” The blonde slid into the booth next to Brooke and giving her hand a squeeze, dropped a quick kiss on her lover’s lips. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

“One Shirley Temple,” the redheaded waitress came out of nowhere, setting the drink down in front of C.C. In effort to get Brooke’s attention, she cleared her throat as she slipped the stirrer into the drink, bobbing the cherry up and down. “I made sure that was an extra sweet one myself.” She looked over to Brooke and winked. “Do you need anything else? Anything that I could do for you?”

Brooke looked to the blonde sitting next to her. “Do you want something, Darlin’?”

“Ah…no, I don’t think so.” Sam said a little distracted. “I already got what I came here for.” The young woman leaned into Brooke’s shoulder.

“That will be all.” Brooke reached into her pocket and handed several bills to the waitress. “That should cover it, thanks.”

“Anytime,” the waitress took the money and sighed as she turned to deliver her next drink, giving Sam a passing glare.

Sam blinked a time or two, then looked first at the drink in front of C.C., then to her lover sitting next to her. “Brooke, I think she was flirting with you.”

“Yeah? I didn’t notice.” Brooke played with the box in her pocket, her mind obviously elsewhere than on the waitress.

Sam studied the older woman for a second, then looked over to her roommate. “What’s up?” She motioned toward Brooke with her head.

“I think she’s got something on her mind. You know…like what to get or do for people for Christmas. She likes to leave a lasting impression on everyone, but I told her that cold, hard cash was a favorite of mine.” C.C. grinned. “So what are you two up to tonight, as if I don’t already know.”

“I was…” Sam looked over to Brooke as she placed her hand on the woman’s knee. “I was hoping to get a chance to stop by the mall before we had dinner.”

“Well, Brooke will just love doing a little shopping…” C.C. leveled her gaze toward her sister’s questioning face. “…won’t you, Sis?” The brunette kicked her sister’s boot again, startling her from her thoughts.

“Sure, anything Sam wants to do…that’s fine by me.” Brooke watched as C.C. busted out laughing. “What?” The woman’s face shot an eyebrow high on to her forehead. “I promised her…ah…I promised…” Brooke realized that she had no idea of what the topic of conversation was.

The young blonde leaned in and gave Brooke a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Promised me what, Brooke?” Sam winked at her lover, “Only to let me go to one store or partake in a certain dessert?”

“Mmm…well, they both sound pretty good to me.” Brooke’s cheeks tinged slightly with blush as her interpretation of dessert came into her mind.

“Hmm…” Sam smiled as she gave her eyebrows a little wiggle, then leaned in and kissed her lover on the lips. “Let’s make that a quick dinner, too.”

The small, secluded booth at the restaurant offered them refuge from the shoppers that were scurrying up and down the crowded walkways of the mall. The merchants’ prime season of revenue was here, with the colors of red and green boldly announcing it.

Sam tapped the box of newly purchased Christmas cards and looked across the table to Brooke. “Thanks for letting me get those cards, Hon.” The blonde picked up her knife and started to cut another piece of meat on her plate.

“You’re welcome, Darlin’,” Brooke winked. “Anywhere else you need to go?”

The blonde knew that shopping in crowds was not a favorite pastime of her lover and started to apologize. “I’m sorry that we had to stand in line so long. Who would have thought that people would be shopping for gifts this early?” Sam played with the food on her plate, then reached out to touch Brooke’s hand. “Nope, mall wise, that’s it for me today. I figure that we could do our shopping for presents closer to Christmas. You know, get into the spirit and all, the week before.”

The older woman looked up from her plate, blue eyes flashing in disbelief of what she’d thought she’d heard. “You wanna go shopping for Christmas a week before?” Brooke’s mind raced with scenarios of huge crowds, full parking lots and fistfights over the last ‘favorite’ toy of the year. Suddenly, she knew why they used green and red to announce the season. Green’s definitely for the cash flow and red…well, that’s for all the blood-letting when it comes down to the mad dashes and sale-frenzied shoppers out for that last gift.

Seeing the trepidation in her lover’s face, Sam teased her gently, “Come on, Brooke…or should I say, Scrooge?” The blonde’s eyes twinkled amidst the low lighting of the restaurant in a most mischievous way. “You don’t look like the bah-humbug type, to me. I thought that we could go together and maybe get a little Christmas tree and even bake some cookies later that day.”

Brooke smiled weakly at the woman across from her. “Yes, Darlin’, we can go that week if you’d like.” She dug into her food, then paused, looking back up to Sam. “A tree for the house?”

“Well, yeah…where else would you put one?”

The dark-haired woman grinned. “Our first Christmas together.”

The tussle of blonde hair nodded as Sam shyly grinned back. “Yeah,” she spoke softly, “it will be.”

“And just think of how great next year will be, too.” Brooke reached out to hold Sam’s hand. “Our first Christmas in our house.”

“Well, that’s if I’m here.” Sam’s voice trailed off, as she thought about the uncertainty of her upcoming internship and the job potential after it. She tried to push that thought from her mind and concentrate on the words her lover spoke, letting them reverberate through her head. Soon a warm smiled graced her face.

“Baby…” Brooke watched Sam’s facial expressions as they changed, “I thought you told me that would only be for one semester. Why wouldn’t you be here?”

Green eyes looked away, then came to rest on Brooke’s face. “Ah…do I have to remind you that we can’t even wait for the weekends now, and you’re saying it’s only one semester?” Sam tilted her head to the side and gazed wide-eyed at her lover. “Remember where you’re sleeping tonight, Brooke, in a single bed, at a college dorm.” The blonde giggled knowing that it was her choice just as much as it was Brooke’s.

The dark-haired woman cleared her throat and gave a little chuckle at the same time. “What I meant was that you said the semester is over in May. Now, why wouldn’t you be here next year at Christmas?”

“Ah…oh…next Christmas…I guess…” Sam sighed, trying to put her world back into perspective. “I guess I’m kind of living from day to day with you right now.”

“Why?”

“I haven’t really thought that far ahead.” Sam looked sheepishly at her plate.

“You haven’t?”

“It’s all that I have to just get through to the next time I see you, hear your voice, or even to be with you. It’s killing me now.” The last sentence came out in a whisper as Sam finally admitted her feelings.

Sensing the need of her lover, Brooke laid her utensils down on the table, then got up and slid into the booth next to Sam. “Baby…” Brooke’s long arm encircled the young woman’s shoulders as she watched Sam look down at her hands in her lap. “I think about everything with you in mind. I can’t imagine you not being in my life.”

The blonde’s head rose, then turned to gaze into Brooke’s eyes.

“I don’t want you to live day to day with me. I want you to live every day with me.”

“I…” Sam slowly started her thought, “I can’t imagine being without you either, Brooke, any day.”

The older woman smiled at what she knew was deep in Sam’s heart. “Look at it this way, by next Christmas we’ll be living together in our house.” Sam opened her mouth to speak but Brooke’s quick reflexes stopped her with a single finger placed delicately on the blonde’s lips. “No matter where you are, I’ll follow you. If you get sent to Alaska, I’ll be there, right beside you.” Brooke’s eyes twinkled at the thought. “Me, you and Mario.”

Amazed at the love she could see pouring out of the woman that held her, Sam let the corners of her mouth turn upward. “You really do think of it like that, our house…our lives.”

Brooke let her hand slide down from the table and come to rest on Sam’s stomach, splaying out her fingers to encompass the area. “And Chastity Loran too, if Julie has her way.” Her eye contact did not waver, as each woman drank her fill of the other’s love. “Yes,” Brooke whispered, as she nodded slightly, “I have no choice but to think of ‘us’ in that term. There is no ‘me’ without you, Sam.”

The blonde’s face lit up the moment that Brooke had laid her hand on Sam’s stomach. The young woman drew a breath in, feeling her head spin at her lover’s touch. She gazed down at it, then let her own hand wrap around Brooke’s larger one, holding it in place. “Thanks, Brooke,” she whispered. “I…I feel the same way.” Sam raised her eyes slowly to look into Brooke’s face. “I guess this is real then, huh?”

The tall woman bit on her lip thinking that there could be no better time than the present. God, I’ve got the ring, I’ve got the girl. Brooke let her eyes dart around the dimly lit booth, falling to her leather jacket on the other side of the table. The moment is perfect. Now all I’ve got to do is get the ring to… Brooke’s thoughts suddenly dissipated with the gentle nudge to her shoulder. “What, Darlin’?”

She tried not to look startled.

Sam repeated herself. “I guess this is real then, huh?”

“Real?” Brooke tried to regain what the conversation was about, but it was gone. “Oh yeah, real.”

The blonde nodded, “The love that I feel, the ‘us’…the ‘our’…the way we look at the future.”

“Yes, ‘our’ love… ‘us’… ‘our’ future…” Brooke’s eyes glanced over to her jacket, then down to her hand still held against Sam’s stomach, “…and one day… ‘our’ family.”

Closing her eyes for a second, Sam smiled, then asked, “What did I ever do to deserve you, Brooke Gordon?”

“Well…” Brooke sighed, “…if you’re stuck with me, I dunno.” She shook her head ominously, “But I’m thinking it must’ve been pretty bad.” The dark-haired woman looked at the blonde and grinned.

“Huh?” Green eyes searched Brooke’s face for an answer. “What do you mean, bad?”

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. “All I know is that I must have done something right to be with you. You’re stuck with me now, and that means you have to put up with me.” Two dark eyebrows wiggled and a devilish grin surfaced on the older woman’s face.

“Hmm…put up with you, huh? What about your putting up with me? You know that’ll mean more shopping trips to the mall, don’t you?” Sam winked and let a rakish smile of her own come to her face.

“Nope.” Brooke shook her head. “I don’t ‘put up’ with you. It’s more like, I cherish every minute that I spend with you.”

“Brooke…” Sam paused for a moment as she looked deep into her lover’s blue eyes. “Nobody…nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before. Thank you.”

“Said what, Baby?” A puzzled look settled on Brooke’s face.

“That…that you cherish your time with me. I’m nobody, Brooke. I’m nobody special.”

The tall woman grabbed Sam’s hand as she pulled it away. Bringing it up to her mouth, Brooke maintained her eye contact with her lover, as she kissed the back of the small hand. “You’re wrong, Sam. You’re everything special. You’re my everything.”

There was an eerie silence as the two women looked deep into one another’s eyes. None of the background noises of the busy little restaurant seemed to break through to their place of being. Slowly coming down from the lofty high that Brooke had just sent her on, Sam softly asked, “So…what do you do with me?”

As if mesmerized, Brooke answered with a grin. “Anything you want me to, Darlin’.”

Knowing all too well where they were headed, Sam looked around the room. “Ah…Brooke…what do you say we continue this at home?”

“Home?” Blue eyes began to sparkle.

“Well…our dorm room home.” Sam wiggled her eyebrows and smiled, “At least for tonight.”

Brooke let go of Sam’s hand and fished into her jeans’ pocket for some bills. Reviewing the denominations on the money, she threw the cash down on the table and slid out of the booth, offering her hand to Sam.

“Thanks, for dinner, Brooke.” Sam slid over to the end of the booth’s seat and got up.

“Any time,” Brooke winked. “After you, Darlin’,” Brooke motioned with her hand.

“Hmm…now that will be my pleasure.” Sam gave her lover a rakish grin, then leaned into her, whispering, “Remember, you said that.” The blonde picked up her small package and started to walk toward the door, giving just a hint of sway to her derriere.

Brooke grabbed for her jacket, then turned to find the actions of her lover to be most pleasing to her eye. The tall woman sighed, then mumbled under her breath. “After you…” she nodded as she appreciated the view, her lone eyebrow raising in regard, “…always.”

Gingerly, Sam rolled over in the small bed, snuggled even closer than she was before into the long, warm body lying next to hers. The remnants of sleep were still tugging at her tired, but satiated body. Settling against her lover, the small blonde could feel the fervor of energy with which they had made love for over half the night, coiled and waiting to spring into action again.

Brooke let her lover rest a while longer as she clutched Sam’s hand to her bosom and absent-mindedly ran her fingers up and down the petite digits. Searching out the one digit that she hoped would soon hold her dreams and desires for a future, she concentrated her efforts of stroking on that left hand ring finger almost exclusively.

The husky, sleep-laden voice moaned deliciously, then mumbled out, “You still haven’t given up from last night, huh?” Sam felt the careful ministrations continue. “Hmm…I’m not ticklish there,” she turned her head and nuzzled into Brooke’s neck, “…try again.”

Brooke raised her head barely enough to kiss Sam’s forehead, just under the tussle of blonde, unruly hair. “What are you doing awake?”

“Just dreaming of you…me…” Sam let out an almost inaudible sigh that encompassed her next word, “…us.”

The dark-haired woman quirked a little smile at the sound of the last word and repeated it. “Us?” She felt the smaller woman’s shoulders move as if to shrug.

“I was just thinking of how I’d like my father to meet you.”

“Your father, hmm…why?” Brooke gave her young lover a gentle squeeze. “You don’t think he’d have a fit?”

“Him, have a fit?” Sam shook her head. “Actually, Daddy was the cool one out of my parents.” The blonde showed a little more life as she got up on one elbow and opened her eyes to look down at her lover. “Isn’t it every girl’s dream that their father will like the person that they have fallen in love with?” Sam studied the pensive look on Brooke’s face and waited for the reply that she knew was coming.

“I thought it was every girl’s dream that their father walk her down the aisle.” A rakish grin flashed across the woman’s face.

“Oh yeah, like my Mom would let that happen, right?” Sam sank back down onto Brooke’s broad shoulder. The vague look of hopes dashed took over her face and she felt the tears begin to well.

“What?” Brooke sensed the dejection in the limp body of her lover.

Sam stayed quiet for a moment, then slowly lifted her head to study Brooke’s face.

Seeing the questioning look in the young woman’s eyes, Brooke asked, “What is it, Baby?”

Green eyes stared most seriously at the well-chiseled features before her, then gazed intently on the intriguing blue orbs. “Is that your dream?” Sam noticed the dark, furrowed brows, and then clarified her question. “To have your father walk you down an aisle some day, is that your dream?”

“Hmm…” Brooke thought for a few seconds, then continued. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t really see my father giving me away when I can do that just fine all by myself.” The dark-haired woman grinned, then pulled Sam tighter to her. “I always thought I’d be more like the groom, than the one to be escorted by my father.”

“Whew…you had me scared for a minute there, Hon.” Sam turned her head to look at the clock on the bookshelf above her bed. “Hmm…I bet your father’s glad for that. You know, the third time is a charm,” she teased.

“Sam, what did you mean when you said I had you scared?”

“I…ah…I’m not sure myself.” Sam settled back into Brooke’s shoulder. “Maybe I just thought that you wanted something…different.”

Sensing a tinge of insecurity in Sam, Brooke kissed the woman’s forehead and reassured her. “Believe me, Darlin’, if I ever wait for anyone at an altar it’ll be you. I love you, Sam.”

Sam took in a deep breath. “Keep telling me that and eventually I’ll believe it.” Sam smiled, then kissed the shoulder beneath her.

“Oh, yeah?” Brooke’s eyes glowed with devilish delight as her strong body pulled the blonde over top of her as she rolled over, ending up with Sam lying underneath her. “Now tell me…what will it take for you to believe me?” Blue eyes searched the blonde’s face as an evil grin came to her face. “Not saying, eh? I’ll just have to torture you then.” Brooke immediately nuzzled into Sam’s neck, lavishing it with kisses.

“Hmm…now this is torture,” Sam giggled and waited to see the dark head of hair pull away from her, revealing Brooke’s face, complete with wiggling eyebrows.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you need to show me a little more…torture.” Sam’s eyes twinkled with mischief as the cute smile accentuated her face.

Long dark hair acted like a curtain, keeping the rest of the room at bay and Sam’s eyes focused on Brooke as an evil, little laugh erupted from her mouth. Slowly the sound diminished when the older woman began to lick her lips tentatively. “As I see it, there’s only one problem.”

Sam’s nose wrinkled as she questioned the figure towering above her. “And that is?”

Starving blue eyes looked seductively up and down the blonde’s body as Brooke let her tongue slowly wet her lips once more before speaking. “Hmm…where to start?”

Having lingered idly by while watching Sam get dressed for her first class, then dash out the door after a long, good-bye kiss, Brooke now sat on the dorm-sized bed and pulled on one of her boots. When the dark-haired woman heard the sound of the cardkey being slipped into the lock on the door, only one thing came to her mind. Okay, Sam, tell me you forgot something just so that I can kiss you once more. Hurriedly, Brooke shoved her foot down into her other boot, then took the two or three steps necessary to get behind the door, waiting to spring out in surprise.

Slowly the door opened and Brooke’s anticipation grew like a well-watered weed. With the urge to kiss her lover overpowering her senses until like some blur of action, she stepped around to the opening and grabbed the body on the other side, pulling it up into her anxiously, awaiting lips.

The kiss lasted only for a few seconds before Brooke’s sensitive tongue edged forward, trying to gain access to the familiar oral cavity. She felt it odd when access to it was denied. At the same time, two hands planted themselves on Brooke’s arms and pushed her away. Surprised by the action, Brooke’s eyes opened to see C.C.’s confused face only inches away from her own. Blue eyes bugged out as she unhanded her sister and stepped back, looking more confused then ever.

“I…I…” Brooke’s mouth was agape as she shook her head. “You…Sam…C.C.,” with each word the woman’s voice grew louder. Brooke slapped her hand over her mouth and rubbed it thoroughly, as she occasionally turned her head to the side and tried to spit the taste out. “What the hell are you doing, sneaking in on me. I thought you were Sam coming back for another kiss.” Brooke stuck out her tongue, wiping it up and down the sleeve of her shirt.

“Well Sis, you’re not my favorite taste in the morning either,” was the indignant reply. C.C. straightened up as she closed the door with her foot rather noisily, not wanting anyone to think that she was enjoying herself. “If I remember correctly, oh sister Dear…” the brunette drew out the last word. “I believe that I’m the rightful resident of this room, not you.” C.C. pushed past her sister and headed for the bathroom. “I was merely attempting to get a change of clothes for class without walking in on you two love birds making out like some rabid wildlife.”

Brooke wiped her mouth on her sleeve again as she heard the water running in the bathroom sink. “Yeah? Well for your information…”

“Oh, no you don’t. That’s T-M-I,” C.C. shouted out of the bathroom door. “That, I don’t need to know.”

Brooke stopped and thought for a moment realizing what she would have said and smirked. “Then, why didn’t you knock first like Mom and Dad taught us?” Brooke paused for a moment then added, “Oh yeah, that’s right. After you, they gave up having sex.” Brooke thought about what she’d said and gave her own little shudder at the thought of her parents actually doing it.

The brunette emerged from the bathroom, her mouth full of suds as the toothbrush vigorously created more. She tried to speak around it. “Mom and Dad don’t live here, Brooke. So…” C.C. took the brush out of her mouth and went back in. “So, don’t go trying to put the blame on me.” She rinsed her mouth out, making gargling noises, then spit before wiping her mouth and coming back into the same room with her sister. “You borrow the room, you take your chances.” Brown eyes leveled at blue and suddenly all C.C. could do was gag. “Ugh!” She stuck out her tongue and turned right back into the bathroom, brushing her teeth again.

Brooke made a face of her own and wiped her tongue on her sleeve until her sister reappeared in the room. “Hey, it’s not like I stay here every night.” Brooke’s eyes followed her sister as she crossed the room to her closet and started pulling an outfit from it. “Besides, C.C., you know that it won’t last forever…Sam sharing this room with you, I mean.”

“No, you’re right, it won’t.” The sibling turned, flashing a grin at her sister. “It’s just my only year in a dorm and it seems like all the action here is in Sam’s bed.”

The tall woman smiled, then offered. “Well, if that’s all that you’re concerned about, I’m sure we could use your bed every other night that I stay over.” Brooke ducked to her right as a tubular plastic hanger whipped past her head. “What did I say wrong?” Brooke smirked as she stood up straight with her arms open wide.

C.C. glared at her sister and took in a rather loud, deep breath. “It’s just that the only time that I can have use of my room if I’d like to…” the brunette coughed, “…entertain, is on the weekends.”

“And…three nights a week aren’t enough? Is that what you’re saying?” Brooke teased her younger sister. “Have you found someone that you’re seeing regularly without telling me, Sis?” She waited until her sister was about to answer, then hurriedly threw her hand up in a halting motion. “No, wait…T-M-I.”

“Touchy subject, Brooke.”

“Oh…I bet.” The woman couldn’t help but laugh as she reached for her leather jacket and pulled it on. “Truce?” Brooke offered with her hand on the doorknob as she turned to look at her sister.

“Hmm…I don’t know…” C.C. eyed the woman suspiciously for a moment, then winked. “Sure, why not? Truce,” she agreed as she resumed her dressing and changed the subject. “So, you’re off to a late start. What are you up to today?”

“I, ah…I have a little meeting to arrange part of Sam’s Christmas present. I thought I’d just drop by the office and take care of a few things before I have to get ready.”

C.C. looked up to see the pensive look on her sister’s face. “You’re not meeting with Janet again about that internship of Sam’s are you? Brooke, I don’t think…”

“No, I figured I botched that up enough already.” Brooke sighed. “I’m going to go talk to Sam’s parents.”

Brown eyes flashed to the bulge in Brooke’s coat pocket. “You…you’re not going there to ask for their permission, are you? Brooke, you’re crazy if you think that they’ll listen to you, once they know what you want.” C.C. turned back to her closet and pulled out a simple black dress. “I’d better drop this off at the cleaners on my way to class. Something tells me I might need it in a hurry.”

Looking into the rearview mirror, Brooke checked her appearance. God, this is worse then taking Sam home and telling Dad that we were dating one another. Blue eyes gazed over at the house, then back down to the paper with the address on it. Well, Aunt Sandy, you got me here, now let’s see if I can do the same for Sam.

Brooke checked in the mirror once more, then got out of the 300Z and made her way to the front door. Making some last minute adjustments to her clothing, the tall woman took in a deep breath and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Okay, Brooke, be diplomatic, be polite, and whatever you do…don’t come off being too butch. That’s the last thing you need right now, for them to know that you’re her lover. Do that, and you might as well have cemented this estrangement in an iceberg and set it adrift on the high seas. Brooke smirked at the thought. It won’t come home for years to…

The movement inside the house distracted the tall woman’s thoughts. She could see a man coming to the door then opening it. “Yes, can I help you?”

Brooke looked to the medium sized, short statured man in the doorway and asked, “Mr. Moleson?” Her eyes studied the man as he gave her tall figure a roving eye.

“Yes,” the man answered cautiously, his hand tightened on the doorknob, hesitant to ask the stranger in to his home.

Okay, Brooke, time to pour on that ol’ executive charm there. “Hi, Sir.” Brooke flashed a smile and nodded. “You don’t know me, but my sister is roommates with your daughter, Sam.” She gazed into his clear, green eyes and watched for a reaction. Seeing none, she continued. “I was wondering if I could speak with you briefly.”

“Is something wrong with her?” Concern crossed his face, “With Sam, I mean?”

“No Sir, she’s fine.” Brooke saw the relieved look come to the man’s face.

“Ah…okay,” he muttered. “Where are my manners? Come in, please. It’s too cold to be standing out there.” He opened the door wider, inviting the woman in.

The slightly upturned corners of Brooke’s mouth stayed in place as she accepted his offer and entered the house. “Thank you, Sir.” The tall woman nodded as she stepped inside.

“Samuel…” the feminine voice came calling out of the rear room of the house. “Who is it?”

“That’s my wife,” the man smiled politely at Brooke then turned his head, directing his voice to his wife’s location. “It’s ah…someone inquiring about our…ah…I mean…Sam.”

Remembering that she had not taken the time to introduce herself properly, Brooke offered her hand. “I’m sorry, my name is Brooke Gordon. My sister C.C. is your daughter’s roommate.” She felt his hand grasp hers and shake it a time or two.

“Samuel Moleson…” his eyes twinkled when he looked up at the woman before him. “But I guess you kind of figured that out already.”

“Samuel…”

The sound of the feminine voice was closer now and Brooke looked past the man holding her hand to see the short, spit-fire of a woman come into the opposite end of the narrow hallway next to the steps leading to the second floor.

The man followed Brooke’s gaze. Seeing his wife enter the hall, he started his introduction. “It’s a woman by the name of Brooke Gordon, Dear. She’s a family member of ah…Sam’s roommate.”

“Mrs. Moleson,” Brooke nodded, then felt the man’s hand slip out of hers. “I’m sorry to disturb you this evening. I…I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, you’re not interrupting…” Samuel started to speak, but was abruptly cut off.

“Has she done anything?” The woman’s brow wrinkled and her face took on a rather sour look. “I knew there would be trouble with her,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Sam?” Brooke questioned who was trouble. “No…no, nothing like that.”

The woman walked the length of the hall and planted herself next to her husband, with her arms folded tightly across her chest. “Then, what are you here for?”

God, I hope Sam takes after her father. Brooke calmed her pounding heart and took a deep breath before she started. “Actually, I just wanted the chance to speak with you. It’s about Christmas…”

“What about Christmas?” The woman tilted her head letting the light coming from the fixture above her, catch her reddish-blonde locks.

“Well, we were…” Brooke caught a glimpse of blonde hair in the far doorway and remembered Sam talking about her sister. A smile came to her face as she thought of the potential of seeing a younger version of her lover. “Ah…that is, my sister C.C. and I were discussing the upcoming holiday…”

“What’s the little hussy done now?” Mrs. Moleson watched Brooke’s blue eyes as they seemed to focus on something further down the hall, then turned to look in the same direction. The voice that came out of the woman was stern and unyielding. “Go to your room now, young lady.”

“Excuse me?” Brooke wasn’t sure if the question was directed to her or not and blinked several times, startled by the rough voice that had come out of the petite looking woman.

There wasn’t another word said as the adolescent crept out into the hallway, then seeing the look in her mother’s eyes, she hurried down the narrow hall toward the group.

Brooke watched curiously as the young girl made her way through the adults and headed up the stairs toward the second floor. The adolescent stopped just past the midway mark to turn slightly and look back at the tall stranger in an almost familiar way, then hurried off to her destination.

That has to be Sarah. The startled realization lingered in Brooke’s mind when the youth had turned back to look at her. She knows who I am. She knows that I’m Sam’s lover. The executive gazed over at Sam’s mother wondering if she also knew her role in her eldest daughter’s life. More determined than ever, Brooke pulled all of her calming resources to the surface and let her mind think of the upcoming conversation as a negotiation more than anything. Maybe if I can stay in that executive role she won’t see me as the lover.

The silence in the house was insurmountable until the sound of a door closing came floating down the stairs from the second floor. Only then did Mrs. Moleson turn back to the tall woman and speak her mind. “Well, obviously something is wrong if you’re here about Sam. She doesn’t live here. If you have an issue with Sam about your sister, I suggest that you talk directly to her. She’s her own person. She made that decision years ago and I’ll not have her and her lifestyle affect Sarah in any way.”

“Mrs. Moleson, Sam is fine. She hasn’t done anything except to befriend my sister and quite frankly, the rest of our family.” Brooke watched as the glare from the small woman never wavered. “I just wanted to discuss the upcoming holiday with you and your husband.”

“And I suppose Sam is the reason for that?”

“No, Ma’am. She has no idea that I’m here.”

“Now Dear,” Samuel tried to ease his wife’s harshness. “You can’t think she’s done…”

“Done what…?” The reddish blonde hair glistened under the light as she turned to face her husband. “I don’t care to know what she does with anyone and I’ve told her that myself.” Mrs. Moleson jerked her head, letting her glaring eyes try to penetrate the tall woman’s façade before her. “Get to the point.”

Keeping her voice as soft as she could, Brooke met the stare with grace and elegance in her reply. “Sam doesn’t know that I’m here. This was my choice to come.”

“And…” Samuel moved closer to his wife, letting his arm hesitantly move to her waist. “…exactly what is it that you want to speak to us about?”

“My sister C.C. and I were talking and she asked me for my help in arranging a Christmas present for Sam.” Brooke could see that her words were not affecting the woman the way she would have liked them to. “I’ll be frank with you. I know that there is some animosity between you and your daughter.”

“You’re damn right there is. Don’t even think that I’d know what she wants. I don’t know that child any more. Sometimes I think I never knew her at all.”

Brooke attempted to be diplomatic. “I don’t know the circumstances and it’s none of my business but…”

“You’re right, it’s not.” Mrs. Moleson moved away from her husband as the anger visually rose to her face.

“Ma’am…please…” worried eyes darted from one parent to the other. “Just let me explain and my visit will make much more sense.”

“Elaine,” Samuel edged closer to his wife, “Let’s hear her out. What harm could it do?” He looked at the stewing woman, then glanced over to Brooke and nodded for her to continue.

“Thank you, Sir.” Brooke kept her voice soft, hoping to get her full thought out before being interrupted. “Since the beginning of the new college year, Sam has spent a great deal of time with my family. What I do know is that it would mean the world to her if she were able to come home to her parents and sister to visit over Christmas. C.C. mentioned this to me the other day…” Brooke looked earnestly at the people before her and continued. “…And since she has classes making it impossible for her to get away, I offered to come speak to you, myself.”

“Did she actually say that?” Mr. Moleson looked eagerly to Brooke. “My daughter, I mean.”

“Yes Sir, she did.” Blue eyes gazed directly into his searching green. “I heard it myself.” Brooke watched as the man gazed over to his wife with sorrow-filled eyes. “As I said before…”

The harsh tone of the small woman’s voice cut through Brooke’s words like a knife. “If she thinks I’ll let her back in here, she’s crazy…” Elaine’s brow wrinkled up more as she tightened her arms to her own chest. “Humph…I know she’s crazy already.”

“Elaine…” Samuel cautioned his wife. “Let’s not go there.”

Brooke took a small step forward. “Look, I don’t know all the details of the rift between you and your daughter, but I know that she’s a good person who loves her family deeply.” The tall woman looked directly at the man slightly to her right, “A daughter who misses her father terribly. She’s my sister’s best friend, and above all, she’s still your own flesh and blood.”

Elaine had turned away when she saw the intentional plea to her husband. She waited for the words to stop before shaking her head and pivoting back to pin Brooke with her gaze. “And I take it you know about daughters?” She said it sarcastically.

“That depends, Ma’am,” Brooke didn’t back down. “I am one of four and being years older than C.C., I know how trying they can be.” She shifted her weight just slightly, as if taking a different approach to the subject. “Is there anything so terrible that you wouldn’t want to spend the holiday with your own daughter? After all, she loves you, Mrs. Moleson.”

The spitfire of a woman stood firm in her resolve as she questioned the woman. “And because of that I’m supposed to expose Sarah to Sam’s reasoning?”

“Sarah’s been exposed to Sam longer than just one day, Elaine. What would it hurt?” Samuel tried to reason with his wife, waiting to see if she would consider any type of communication with her daughter.

“May I ask what the problem is with Sam visiting her family?”

Pent up emotions started to bubble through to the surface as Elaine spoke her mind. “I lost control of one, I’m not about to lose it on the other one.” She turned her gaze to Brooke, asking her point blank. “Would you let your sisters around a lesbian, knowing that she’s trying to make them one too? Or didn’t she tell you that little tidbit about herself?”

Brooke never blinked. Instead she just stated the facts. “Actually, Ma’am, I am one of four sisters. One of which happens to be a lesbian.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re here…your sister is one also.” Elaine’s face became more angered looking. “I should have guessed as much.”

“No Ma’am. I can assure you that C.C. is as straight an arrow as they come.”

Elaine laughed out loud. “Straight arrow, huh? Not when Sam’s done with her.” The woman turned on a sickeningly sweet smile. “Or is there something that your sister hasn’t told you about?”

The executive fought to hold in her emotions. “I have nieces and nephews and there is a new baby on the way. Everyone is very open around each other in my family, but sexual preference is not made into an issue.”

“Don’t tell me that the…the…one is the one pregnant?” Elaine’s eyes opened wide with aghast.

“No, Ma’am, I can assure you she’s not.” Brooke sighed, noticing that Samuel seemed to be studying her figure rather intently. “Mrs. Moleson, Sarah won’t turn into a lesbian from being around her sister. But I can tell you that she will probably grow to resent you for keeping them away from each other.”

Fire began to flash in the small woman’s eyes and before she could say anything, Brooke kept up her barrage of reasoning.

“What I’m saying is that as large as the family is, there is one lesbian and many children around with one on the way. Sexual orientation is not an issue. It has nothing to do with who you are just because of who you love.”

“May I ask you one question?” Samuel’s hand nervously played with the change in his pocket.

The soft-spoken words gathered Brooke’s attention and she turned to look directly at Sam’s father. “Yes Sir, anything?”

“Are you and all your sisters close?”

“Very, we try to spend part of every weekend together. We talk to each other almost every day. Once a month, all of us girls get together with our parents for dinner. Just like when we were growing up.” Brooke chuckled softly, “No spouses or children allowed.”

“And their sexual orientation hasn’t bothered you…or influenced you in any way?” He looked hopefully into Brooke’s face, waiting for the answer.

“No, Sir. I can tell you with all honesty that any of their preferences hasn’t influenced me one bit.”

Samuel looked over to his wife. “They’re sisters, Elaine…we can’t keep them apart forever. What’s one day going to do?” His eyebrow twitched hopefully as he made his plea.

“Please Mrs. Moleson, you said that you’ve lost one daughter, don’t push away your other one by denying her a relationship with her sister.” Brooke paused, seeing the woman look away, muttering something inaudible under her breath. “Sam’s done nothing wrong. She deserves to know her family again.” She looked to Samuel, her eyes pleading for any help in ascertaining an affirmative answer. “She wants to know her family again.”

The sound of a foot tapping on the vinyl tiled floor rose out of the electrically charged silence. Elaine’s eyes darted back and forth from one adult to the other as she weighed the outcome of the debate in her head.

Seconds stretched into minutes and, in an attempt to tip the scales in her lover’s favor, Brooke threw out her ace in the hole. “Sam’s always welcome with my family, but we can’t replace her own.”

Elaine’s cold gray eyes threw a chill out in Brooke’s direction as they darted one final time to her face, then to her husband’s, before she spoke. “Alright,” she glowered, “but it’s on my turf and my conditions.”

“Conditions?” Brooke asked slightly puzzled. Damn, what happened to the unconditional love of a parent?

“Yes, conditions. You want this,” the small woman pinned Brooke with her stare, “then you drop her off here, Christmas at noon and pick her up by eight that evening. I’m going against every grain of my fiber and eight hours is all that you’ll get.”

Brooke tried to contain her thrill at hearing the first few words. “Of course, that will be no problem. I’ll see to that myself.” Relieved, she half-smiled at her accomplishment. “Is there anything else?”

“Don’t worry, her father and I will work out the rest.” Elaine looked smugly at her husband for a split second before settling her gaze on Brooke. “One of us will be with her at all times as long as Sarah is in her presence.” Elaine smiled curtly as she saw the anger come to Brooke’s face. “Take it or leave it. It’s all that you’re going to get.”

“Mrs. Moleson,” Brooke protested. “May I ask you a question please?” The woman hurriedly continued, “Just out of curiosity.”

“Alright, I’ll grant one question…make it good.”

“Will you answer it truthfully?” Brooke watched as the curt smile reappeared on the woman’s face. “Did you ever do anything that you felt so passionately about that your parents did not approve of?” Brooke challenged her, then pushed her even harder with the next question. “How would it make you feel to think that your own mother didn’t want you?”

“What does that have to do with her being perverted? Of course, I did.” She looked defiantly at Brooke for a moment, then turned toward her husband, giving him a sly smile. Seeing the knowing look in Samuel’s eye, Elaine bit down on her lip as her eyes darted away from his sight. “She almost didn’t. That’s why I…I mar…” her voice trailed off to a whisper.

“She married me.” Samuel said, completing his wife’s thought. He moved closer to the woman and touched her lovingly on the cheek.

Seeing an opening in the underbelly of her opponent, Brooke pursued her dream with everything that she had at her disposal. “Please…” blue eyes looked from one to the other of Sam’s parents, “…your daughter loves you so much. You gave birth to her and gave her love. Don’t take that away from her now. She misses you very much and right now, Sam honestly believes that you don’t love her.”

Ensconced with self-doubt, Elaine took in a deep breath and did the only thing that she could. She waved her hand, dismissing the tall woman.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you. I thank you for your time.” Closing her eyes in defeat, Brooke slowly turned to leave. As she took her first step toward the door, the almost out of character hushed voice caught her ear.

“I loved her enough to get married. We…ah…I was…” the woman turned to her husband and buried her head into his shoulder.

“Mrs. Moleson?” Brooke watched as Samuel comforted his wife with his arms wrapped around her.

“Yes…?” She sniffed.

Brooke noticed the still-darting eyes of the woman as she thought of what the next question might be. “Thank you for answering my question and truthfully, at that. But you should realize better than most that you can’t help or choose who you fall in love with.”

Elaine lifted her head and stared at Brooke.

“I think you did a wonderful job raising a daughter who can love so effortlessly and unconditionally.” Brooke took in a breath and forged on. “In a way, I can tell that she got that trait from you. And I mean that, as the highest compliment.”

Samuel studied the tall woman as she spoke about his eldest daughter and her mother’s influence on her. The passion with which the woman spoke showed her dedication to her beliefs. He took in a breath, then spoke softly to his wife. “Sam is a lot like you Elaine, you know that.”

“I hope you’ll think about what I’ve told you.” Brooke looked at the woman still in her husband’s embrace, then glanced at Samuel and nodded. “I hope you’ll have a pleasant evening.” Having stated her case, Brooke took her leave.

Pulling the door closed after her, the tall woman stood there on the stoop, letting the crisp air of the season penetrate and cool her anger before it got the better of her. How could anyone shut out his or her own daughter? Brooke hung her head at her seemingly failed attempt to make Sam happy. God, Sam…I could never do that to our children or to you.

Brooke looked up to the first star of the evening sky and made her wish on it. “If only I could have pulled this off for you,” she muttered under her breath as she tugged at her trench coat. “Some executive negotiating you did there.” She smirked, thinking of the comment she had said a few years ago when she’d first purchased that particular article of outerwear. I guess the power comes from the person and not the clothing.

Walking to the edge of the small driveway, Brooke opened the door to the 300 and got in. With a flick of her fingers, the key turned over the powerful performance engine, but she had no desire to leave. Casting her eyes to the right, she looked back to the house that she had just left. There, walking toward her, was Sam’s father, his hand waving to catch her attention. At the door, she could see the reddish blonde hair of Mrs. Moleson as she clung to the doorframe, calling out to him.

“Ms. Gordon.” Samuel came closer to the car, and knocked on the window, motioning for it to be opened.

Hearing the muffled sound of her name, Brooke lowered the window. “Please, Mr. Moleson, call me Brooke.”

“Ms. Gordon…ah…I mean, Brooke.” He smiled, letting his green eyes twinkle much like his daughters.

“Yes, Sir?”

“You can drop Sam off around noon on Christmas. I’m sure that she’ll be spending the morning with you…er your family, won’t she?”

Brooke smiled at the thought of being with Sam on Christmas morning. “If she’s not going to be here then, I’m sure she will.”

Samuel acknowledged the confident look on the woman’s face with nary a faint smile. “Either way, I’m sure she’ll have the love that’s due her for that day.”

“Excuse me?” Brooke wondered what, if anything, he had read into her words or look. “Mr. Moleson, I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds in there. We can’t possibly offer Sam the love she craves from her family.”

“Overstepped?” He looked at her with a shocked expression. “No, you didn’t overstep any bounds. You just showed us what love is all about. It’s caring, sharing and looking out for those that we love.”

“I…I showed you that?”

The man stood up and sneaked a peek up his walkway toward the house, then quickly ducked back down to the opened window and winked at Brooke. “Well, at least to me, you did.”

“I’m just trying to take care of a friend,” she assured Sam’s father. “Sam does miss you, Sir. She speaks very highly of you, as well as your sister, Sandy.” She watched the man’s lips turn up into a smile, then offered her hand to him. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“And I’m glad that you know that there’s one less Christmas gift to worry about, huh?” The man winked at her.

“Yes Sir. I guess that’s true.” Brooke felt the man’s hand in her own and returned his grasp as they shook on it.

“Nice strong grip there, Brooke. You must work out a lot.”

“Actually, I used to play drums. I work out every once in a while. Why do you ask?”

“A musician, eh? Sam was always into music,” he mumbled.

“So I’ve heard.” Brooke’s eyebrow edged upward.

Feeling as though he was being challenged, Samuel quickly dismissed the thought. “Oh, nothing, I’m just rambling.” He let go of Brooke’s hand and started to step away from the car. “You drive safely.”

The executive reached into her coat pocket and procured the card that she had prepared earlier. “This is any number that you would need to get in touch with me if anything changes.” She handed it to the man. “I’ve written Sam’s numbers on the back for you. I’m sure that she’d love to hear from you sometime.”

Samuel flipped the card over and looked at it, then smiled as he backed away from the vehicle. “Thanks, Brooke.” He gave her a little wave with the hand that held onto the card like it was a winning lottery ticket. “I’m sure that nothing will change here on my end.”

“You’re welcome.” The smiled tugged at Brooke’s lips as she called out her sincerest wishes. “I hope you have a nice evening, Mr. Moleson.”

“You, too,” was his immediate response, then, as an after thought of looking at the business card once more, he called out, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Moleson.” Brooke gave a little wave as she raised the window. Well, how about that? I survived the first meeting with my future in-laws. Happy with the out come, she put the car in gear and slowly pulled out of the parking space.

Halting only a few yards away at the stop signed intersection, Brooke looked into her rearview mirror. There, she could see Sam’s father still standing in the same spot, looking at the card. She watched as he looked up and stared in her direction. After a thoughtful moment, she could see the smile growing across his face and, if she didn’t know any better, she believed that she had seen the twinkle in his eyes as he slowly nodded his head.

Hmm…maybe I’ve taken care of two Christmas presents today. Brooke shifted her gaze to the cross street in front of her and drove off.

Taking the steps two at a time, Brooke needed to get her body moving to keep warm. The business-looking trench coat just wasn’t as warm as her leather jacket and she was regretting not having thrown it into the car before leaving earlier. Finally reaching the third floor of the dorm, Brooke moved without hesitation down the hall to where a blonde waited for her. Stopping at the door, the drummer beat out a one handed rhythm on the metal door, then stood back, and waited for it to open.

Within seconds, the door opened and the small figure of a woman took its place. Stepping out into the hall, Sam reached out, filling her hand with material as she grabbed the coat Brooke was wearing and pulled her into the room. In a rapid exchange, the door was quickly closed and Sam’s arms were filled with Brooke’s body.

“God, are you cold, Brooke. What were you doing…standing around outside?” Sam backed off slightly and rubbed her hands up and down the taller woman’s upper arms, trying to warm her.

Brooke brought her hands around from behind her back, revealing a delicate rose and held it up for Sam to take.

The young woman’s eyes sparkled and her smile grew wider. “For me?”

“Always for you.”

Sam took the flower in her hand and sniffed at its fragrant scent. The blonde glanced at her tall lover and suddenly felt very shy, giggling like a schoolgirl. “You say some of the nicest things, Brooke Gordon. Remind me to keep you around.” She smelled the rose again, then asked, “And what exactly is this for?”

It was Brooke’s turn for shyness as she shrugged her shoulders and offered her excuse. “Just because…I missed you.” The tall woman felt the warmth fill her soul when Sam’s smile beamed at her. “And I’d give anything in the world to put that smile on your face.”

“Hmm…” Sam sighed, “You keep this up, Brooke and there won’t be any roses left for any one else to give away.”

“Why is that?” Brooke wrapped her arms around her lover.

“You just seem to always be thinking about me.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m actually feeling romantic this evening.” Brooke smiled, “And you’re right…I am always thinking about you.”

Green eyes stared up into blue. “Romantic…huh?”

“Yeah, I guess romantic would be a good description of how I feel right now.”

Sam chuckled, “So what got you in this mood? Not that I’m complaining.”

“I was just thinking about how much I missed you today and how much I love you every day…” Brooke sighed.

“And?” Sam watched as Brooke brought the blonde’s small hand up to her chest, pressing it against her heart. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

The dark-haired woman smiled. “Can you feel that? Can you feel how fast my heart is beating?”

“Yes,” Sam nodded, then held her breath, waiting to see where Brooke was heading.

“That is how I feel every moment when I think about you, every moment of every day.”

“You say and do the nicest things. Where did I ever find you?” Sam asked with a coy smile on her face.

“At my Mom’s…” Brooke grinned at her rhetoric. “Unless you consider the movie, because I think I found you then.” Blue eyes gleamed with mirth.

Sam placed her finger on Brooke’s mouth as she tried to quiet her lover’s laughter. “Shhhhh! It doesn’t matter where. We’re here now and God knows that I need you for the rest of my life.”

The tall woman grew very serious as she looked into sparkling green eyes. “And you have me for that…and longer.” Brooke pulled Sam back into a hug then began to softly sing in her ear. “You’re all I need beside me, Girl. You’re all I need to turn my world.”

Sam closed her eyes and concentrated on the warming touch that both the words of the song and her lover had on her. The blonde recognized the song and waited for a pause before commenting. “I love when you do this.”

“You’re all I want inside my heart. You’re all I need when we’re apart. You’re all that I need.”

Pulling back to look up into beautiful blue eyes, Sam sighed. “I love you, Brooke.”

“I love you, Sam.” Brooke’s mouth turned up into a smile as she drew her lover closer to her, melting into a kiss.

When they finally could last not a second longer without air, they parted and looked dizzily into one another’s eyes.

“I know that look in your eye, Brooke Gordon, and I’m thinking that C.C. will not take to another night this week sleeping somewhere other than her own bed.”

“Hmm…I like that thought.” Brooke wiggled her eyebrows randily. “But nope, I was just thinking about something else.”

Feeling her own need for what she was hinting at, Sam slid out of her lover’s arms, catching her hand, then tugging her toward the door. “Well, come on. You can think about anything you want on the way home. I’ve got a weekend to spend with you.” Sam glanced back to see a smile broadly plastered on Brooke’s face as the softly sung words came filtering through the air.

“All that I need is for you to believe. All that I need is you.”