Song That Saved My Life - Unfinished (Read 2,109 times)

[feelinway2damngood]

Chances are when said and done
Who'll be the lucky ones
Who make it all the way?
Though you say I could be your answer
Nothing lasts forever
No matter how it feels today

Chances are we'll find a new equation
Chances roll away from me
Chances are all they hope to be

Don't get me wrong I'd never say never
Cause though love can change the weather
No act of God can pull me away from you

I'm just a realistic man
A bottle filled with shells and sand
Afraid to love beyond what I can lose when it comes to you
And though I see us through yeah

Chances are we´ll find two destinations
Chances roll away from me
Still chances are more than expectations
The possibilities
Over me
Eight to five, two to one
Lay your money on the sun
until you crash what have you done?
Is there a better bet than love?
What you are is what you breathe
You gotta cry before you sing

Chances chances

Chances lost are hopes torn up pages
Maybe this time
Chances are we´ll be the combination
Chances come and carry me
Chances are waiting to be taken
And I can see
Chances are the fascination
Chances won't escape from me
Chances are only what we make them
And all I need

"And I told him, 'It's two days 'til the Halloween dance. You didn't really expect me to still be waiting for you, did you?' You should have seen his face, Sami." Nicole Walker prattled on, suddenly aware that she was being ignored. Her blond hair was the perfect shade of fresh honey and her eyes were cucumber-green. In comparison to her, Sami always felt second. "Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry." Sami shoved her science book into her bag and glanced up at her friend. "What were you saying?" Despite her apology, she soon found herself blocking out Nicole's words anyway. It wasn't that she didn't care: she simply had too much on her mind to concentrate on even one more thing.

"I told my mother she better take me tonight to get my dress or I would…" Nicole's words drifted away as Sami thought back to what Belle had told her on the way to school. Brady had been otherwise distracted by Nicole, so they hadn't worried about him overhearing the confession. "Have you picked out your dress yet?"

"My dress? No I-I'm not going." The final bell released them for the day and Sami made a mad dash for the door, dragging her bag behind her in her haste. She could hear Nicole's voice behind her, but forced herself to move faster. Out the door of her classroom. Down the hall. Through the main doors. Down the steps. Past the jogging trail. Away from the school. Toward the playground. Across the parking lot. Through the main doors. Down the hallway. Finally, Sami stopped to catch her breath.

She noticed Tami Feldman immediately because she was harassing a girl half her size. Just from where she stood, Sami figured out they were talking about unfinished homework assignments the smaller girl was supposed to have completed. At twelve years old, Tami was someone to reckoned with…that is, if you were smaller than she was. The girl skidded away, almost running into Sami in her haste to get away.

Reaching out, Sami lightly tapped Tami on the right shoulder, watching with narrowed eyes as her unsuspecting opponent spun around. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk." Sami told the girl, nodding her head toward the girl at Tami's right, her accomplice for certain. "In private. Send your dog to play." Oh, if Marlena Evan-Black ever heard her talk like this, Sami mused. It had been three years since her death and Sami still had moments when she worried her mother might be ashamed of her.

"'Dog?'" The accomplice gasped, her brown eyes as wide as marbles. Unlike Tami's thick red curls, this girl was shorter, skinnier, and had chocolate-brown hair. She looked over at Tami, whose upper lip was curled.

Tami waved her hand at the girl. "Go. We need to talk." She waited until they were alone before snarling, "What do you want?"

"You and I have unfinished business." Sami felt her fingers curl into fists and forced them to relax at her sides.

"Do we?" Tami inquired, unperturbed.

"I have to say," Sami continued, her lips forming an arrogant smile, "You're much uglier than I expected."

"Ugly? Who are you? You don't go here." Tami scoffed, stating the obvious.

"No, but my sister, Belle does. You remember her, don't you?" Sami's smile started to fade. Tami looked downright smug.

"The name doesn't ring a bell." Tami pushed the strap of her backpack higher onto her left shoulder. "So quit bugging me." She gave Sami a dismissive wave and stepped past her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Sami warned her in a dangerous whisper. The words were barely audible past her clenched teeth.

"Oh yeah?" Tami turned her head toward Sami. "What are you going to do?"

"This." Sami tugged Tami backwards and slammed her into a nearby wall.

"I'm going to get you for that." Tami promised, lunging out with a pair of frenzied fists. Sami threw up her arms to protect her face and kicked out her leg to knock Tami off-balance. Once she was down, Sami swooped down and slammed her fist into Tami's right side. Tami howled in pain, trying to scramble away, but Sami trapped her between her legs.

"You aren't getting near my sister again." Sami vowed, slapping Tami hard across the face.

"That hurt!" Tami touched her fingers gingerly to her face.

"Good!" Sami retorted triumphantly. "You're in for a lot more if you don't leave Belle alone."

"I should have expected that little brat to go running to you. She sure as hell can't defend herself."

Sami's entire body shook with anger. She was worried, if she hit Tami now, she wouldn't be able to stop. "She shouldn't have to defend herself! She's just a little kid!"

Tami delivered an unexpected blow to Sami's nose, causing her eyes to tear. "That's for slapping me, you asshole!"

Sami grabbed Tami's collared shirt and dragged her to her feet, slamming her into a pair of lockers. She lifted her off her feet and watched as the girl's eyes brown eyes grew wider and wider. "If you ever so much as make eye contact with my little sister, I'll come back and finish what I started. Understood?" In spite of herself, Tami gave her an affirmative nod. Sami was about to smile in victory until she felt a hand on her right shoulder. Tilting her head back, she saw who it was. "Hi Mr. Devereaux."

"Sami." His tone didn't sound encouraging.

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The ride home from the school was a quiet one. Too quiet, Sami thought to herself. Mr. Devereaux had suggested she and Tami visit the nurse's office before he handed down their punishments. Sami's principal was contacted, along with Bo who hadn't said a word to her, and between the two of them they worked out what they considered a suitable punishment. The principal threatened to suspend Sami, but Bo was able to smooth it over by making a lot of promises. Her life outside of school and home was over until further notice. She wouldn't be attending the Halloween dance or any others for the next eight weeks and TV was a thing of the past. Her friends were forbidden to contact her at home and, if they did, he would make sure she never knew about it.

Belle sat quietly in the back with her hands in her lap. She hadn't asked any questions when Bo picked her and her brothers up, though she must have at least a few, especially in regards to Sami's busted nose. It wasn't broken, the nurse had promised, but it still hut like hell. Damn that Tami hadn't even gotten reprimanded. The charges Belle had made were dropped due to lack of witnesses or evidence. Mr. Devereaux had stressed the importance of treating fellow students with respect and some other nonsense. Sami just hoped she had gotten her point across because she would hate to have to visit that little cretin a second time.

Eric wore a pair of headphones, successfully drowning out what their uncle considered "music." He had made only one comment about the fight and Sami would prefer not to remember it. At least he hadn't berated her like Brady. It was because of him that they had been forced to wait forty-five extra minutes for football practice to end. Ever since he made the freshman football team, he seemed to always be at practice. Was it Bo's preference toward football that convinced Brady to try out for the team or had he done so because he had grown up listening to John and Abe talk about it? Sami, for one, found the sport to be somewhat lacking. From play to play, the rules seemed to change. She couldn't understand why he hadn't chosen baseball-now there was a sport she could get behind. Philip Kiriakis looked especially yummy in his baseball uniform.

Bo shoved the car into park and climbed out, not giving any of them his full attention. He didn't wait for them to follow, just headed into the kitchen to start dinner. Sami prayed it turned out edible because she had an enormous appetite. The adrenaline was just now starting to ebb. Unfortunately, with the loss of adrenaline, she was able to feel the bumps and bruises she had collected from the fight. Every bone from the top of her head to the soles of her feet ached and she absently wondered if she might skip dinner in favor of an early bedtime.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Sami went into the kitchen. She found her uncle with a knife in his hand and gulped. He used it to slice open the plastic covering the frozen lasagna. She handed him a deep pan and he snatched it away ungratefully. Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best time to approach him. He set the dial and shoved the frozen dinner into the oven, slamming the door shut with his boot.

"If you'll just listen…" Sami said without preamble. He wasn't even looking at her and that hurt. In that moment, his actions hurt more than her injuries.

"I don't want to hear it Sami." His quiet words echoed through the tiny kitchen and Sami winced.

"I had to do it. That girl was picking on Belle-"

Bo's hand slashed through the air. "You should have told an adult."

"They wouldn't have done anything." Sami argued defensively.

"How do you know, if you never tried?" Bo's challenge caught Sami off-guard. "Sami, you could have really hurt that girl."

"That's what you're worried about?" Sami couldn't help but shriek. "Look at me, Uncle Bo. I'm hurt. Doesn't that matter to you at all?"

"You started that fight. You earned those cuts and scrapes." Bo countered sharply.

Sami had to fight back the urge to cry because it would hurt her swollen face. "And what about Belle? Did she deserve to be picked on by that…that…"

"It's not your place to fight your sister's battles for her."

"The hell it's not!" Sami shot back. "I am all she has."

"That's not true. She has me."

"Does she?" Sami wondered. "Because having you hasn't stopped Tami from shoving her down or destroying her homework. In fact, having you hasn't done any of us any good." The parting shot delivered, Sami ran for the stairs, passing Eric who could have sworn he saw his twin crying.

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Alexandra Carter stepped over the threshold and into the house without having to be asked. Raven hair, cocoa-brown eyes, and nutmeg skin made her quite pretty to look at, but Bo knew the person beneath the exterior was even more exquisite. He found a smile for her, but she must have known it was forced because her lips pressed into a tight line. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs." Bo answered dejectedly. After his fight with Sami, he called Lexi in hopes that she might be able to coax the teenager out of her room. "She locked herself in her room and refuses to let me in."

"Imagine that." Lexi teased sarcastically, but now at least she was smiling. "What were you thinking putting locks on their doors?"

"I didn't. The previous owners did." Bo assured her quickly.

"Well you're going to have to uninstall them." Lexi added helpfully. "Unless you want unwanted teenagers sneaking in their bedroom windows."

Bo's eyes shut slowly, as if the movement caused him actual pain, and he let out a long sigh before opening them again. "Thank you for that."

"What are friends for? Now, let's see if I can help." Lexi climbed the stairs two at a time and walked to the room at the end of the hall, the one she recognized as Sami's. Bo had gotten lucky with this house because it had five bedrooms, just enough. She hated to think how much worse it might have been if he had asked any of them to share. Vaguely remembering what it was like to be a teenager herself, she took the time to tap lightly on Sami's door instead of simply barging in.

"Go away!" Sami's voice easily passed through the thick cedar door.

"It's Lexi. Can I come in?" A moment passed before Lexi heard any movement beyond the door. Sami let a few more pass before she turned the lock and cracked the door an inch.

"What do you want?" It was clear from the croak of her voice that she had been crying. Bo was right: her nose was turning a nasty shade of violet and her eyes looked so solemn, Lexi wanted to cry herself.

"To talk. I heard about the fight." Lexi divulged easily.

"Are you going to yell at me too?" Sami wanted to know.

"No. I just want to hear your side." Lexi's trademark smile sealed the deal.

"My side?" Sami said through trembling lips. "You actually want to hear my side?"

An hour passed before Lexi returned to the living room where she found an anxious Bo waiting. He had obviously dragged his fingers through his hair every minute since she had disappeared upstairs because strands of it were sticking out in all directions.

"I talked to her." She told him without hesitation.

"What did she say?" Bo wondered.

"That she only went to tell that girl to leave Belle alone and that she knows she shouldn't have hit her." Lexi clarified patiently. "And then we talked about her parents. She was hesitant at first, but then I brought up Eddie. Of course," Lexi added bitterly. "I didn't tell her that the DiMeras had him killed. No reason to give her nightmares."

Lexi remembered the last conversation she had had with Eddie all too well. He had accused her of having a blind spot when it came to the DiMeras and she had defended them. When he walked out, she ran to her brother, Andre, and he offered her a shoulder to cry on. When she returned home several hours later, she found Eddie in their bedroom hanging from a rope by his neck. The police labeled it a suicide, but Lexi knew better. She knew what her family was capable of.

She had to smile when she thought about how lucky she was to have gotten a second chance. Abe Carver had set his sights on her and pursued her relentlessly without a bit of encouragement. A year after they started dating, he proposed and she turned him down. He spent the next six months proposing, never taking her refusal as anything but a reaction to fear. At last, she explained why getting married would be the worst possible idea. He wouldn't be thwarted though and eventually he was able to wear Lexi down. They had been married for almost six years now. There were times when she would be overtaken by panic attacks when she couldn't get a hold of Abe but he always ended up coming home to her.

"She already has nightmares." Bo reminded her sadly.

"Isn't the therapy helping any?" Lexi had taken him under her wing and provided him with a list of skillful therapists in the Salem area. As far as she knew, he had been taking Sami every week for almost the entire time she had lived with him.

"A little. She doesn't wake up screaming anymore, but she says the nightmares are still with her every night."

"Has the therapist given you any indication as to what's causing them?"

"She says they're making progress but their sessions are private and I should just accept that."

Lexi scoffed. "Have you thought about changing doctors?"

Bo smiled wanly but it quickly faded. "I think I'm in trouble here, Lexi."

"You just have to give her time." Lexi promised him.

"Things aren't getting any better."

"They lost their parents, Bo. No amount of time is ever going to change that."

"I know." Bo admitted. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

"You don't know if you can take care of a bunch of kids you love to pieces?"

"I'm not doing them any favors. It's been three years and they're still having trouble adjusting."

"Not just them it seems." Lexi stated truthfully. "So what are you saying, Bo? You want to return them like defective toasters?"

"Of course not!" Bo cautiously lifted his eyes. "I'm sorry Lexi. I don't mean to take this out on you."

"You didn't take it out on me; you took it out on Sami."

"What was I supposed to do, give her a pat on the back for starting a fist fight?"

"No." Lexi murmured. "You're just supposed to care enough to ask for her side of the story."

"I do care. I just don't want to condone fighting." Bo explained.

"I know." Lexi whispered, reaching out to stroke the side of his face. "But you don't need to shut her out either."

"Like I could. She's so much like her mother." Bo said with feeling.

"I don't know." Lexi's eyes softened. "I think she's more like her father."

Song credit goes to Five For Fighting's "Chances Are."

[fluffysmom]

Great chapter. I really like your story and am eager to read more. I like the line about Philip looking yummy in his baseball uniform! Yummy indeed!

[ghoulgirl]

Great installment. Loving the story. Looking forward to more

[Kpatch]

Yay, a new chapter. You are making me feel sorry for Sami and I don't like Sami on the actual show. Great story FW2DG. So emotional and so vivid. Love the way you weave in the song lyrics to set the tone!

[sportsgirl]

Well done! I feel the hurt Sami is going through and I feel the frustration for Bo...Funny seeing Nicole friends with Sami in school. I always thought they could be good friends and even back then Brady liked her.

Bravo on another great chapter!!

[fluffysmom]

I enjoyed seeing that Nicole and Sami are friends. They could have pulled off some great schemes together!

[feelinway2damngood]

Well I know one day, I'll give you away
But I'm gonna stand there and smile
But when I get home, and I'm all alone
Well, I'll sit in your room for a while

“Bo, thank you so much for letting us borrow your house!” Jennifer Devereaux said before ushering the half-dozen Girl Scouts across the threshold and into the large living room. Her waist-length straw-blond hair was fashioned in a braid and tied off with a frilly white bow. She, like the children, wore a brown hat on her head and a matching sash over her left shoulder, but her white shirt was ruffled at the collar and her jeans were worn and faded.

“Anything for you Jen.” Bo teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her in mock suggestion. “Maybe I just hope you’ll be so awed by my house that you’ll leave Jack and marry me.” He and Jennifer Horton-Devereaux had been friends since high school but, despite their family’s hopes, the love they had for each other was strictly platonic. Jennifer further proved it after she made it her mission to tame the class clown, Jack Devereaux. Considering their two children, Abby and J.J., Bo had to admit the woman got what she wanted.

“Not a chance.” Jennifer answered with a warm smile. She turned her attention to the anxious group of girls. “One, two, three, four, five, six--where’s Belle?” Though she hadn’t arrived with the tiny blond, she must have expected them to grace her with her presence by now.

“She’s upstairs. I swear she’s changed outfits ten times.” Bo explained regretfully and in total awe. Though he had Eric and Brady, he often felt that the girls were well within their means to take over the household.

“Do you have any snacks around?” Jennifer wanted to know, an idea already forming.

“Yeah, store-bought, pre-made snacks.” Bo stressed each word carefully, half-terrified she might suggest he cook something.

“Perfect. Get the girls to help you set the table and I’ll go see if I can separate Belle from her mirror.”

“You’ve got a deal. Come on girls.” Bo led the anxious group into the unfamiliar kitchen while Jennifer hurried up the stairs to complete her mission. She almost tripped over a misplaced Matchbox car, but was able to sort of dance into a more secured step. The toy reminded her of Jack and the way he had acted when she told him she was pregnant with Jack Jr. He went out and bought ever Matchbox car he could find, insisting without proof that their son had to have them. He had been just as insane when she told him about Abby, buying every stuffed panda in a hundred-mile radius so that now, at nine, she was obsessed with them.

“Jennifer!” Eric said without preamble, running toward her and launching his arms around her waist. Of the four children, Eric had taken a liking to her immediately. She sometimes wished he and Jack were in the same age group so Eric would have someone to play with, but there were six years between them and that was a lot when you were a kid.

“Hey kiddo. What are we going to do tonight, Brain?” It was something she asked every time she saw him.

Eric rolled his eyes in mock-irritation. “The same thing we do every night Pinky: take over the world!” He giggled when Jennifer reached out and tickled him.

“Are we still on for our date?” she wondered.

“Wednesday at four.” Eric answered automatically. Their “date” consisted of cartoons like Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs. They had kept their Wednesday date for over a year now and Jennifer felt a tinge of sadness when she thought about him outgrowing it soon. He was in his last year of junior high and would soon be moving on to high school. She doubted he would want to continue their tradition once he made real friends.

“Wednesday at four.” Jennifer repeated.

“Are you looking for Belle?” Eric guessed.

“Yeah, how did you know? Were you listening to our conversation?” There was no hint of condescension in her voice and Eric looked relieved.

“Nah, but who else? I’m too tall to be a Girl Scout.” His sense of humor was something he normally kept to himself, but he held nothing back when it came to Jennifer.

“You could be a Boy Scout.” Jennifer pointed out.

“Too many rules.” Eric shook his head, his smile still just as radiant as it had been when he saw her on the stairs. “The princess is in front of her mirror. I don’t know what she’s hoping to accomplish though. She can stare at herself all night and she’ll still just be Belle.”

“What’s wrong with being Belle?” Jennifer challenged.

“Nothing, but that’s all she’ll ever be, just like Sami will always be Sami and I’ll always be Eric.”

“And Brady?” Jennifer prompted.

“Brady’ll be whatever Victor wants him to be.” Eric replied confidently.

“And what’s that?” Jennifer wanted to know.

“Philip.” Eric must have grown bored of the conversation, or simply decided he didn’t want to continue it, because he left Jennifer and disappeared into his room.

“Have you ever shot anybody?” The question directed at Bo came from none other than Abby Devereaux. Her liquid brown eyes were sharp and focused on his startled face.

“Of course not.” Bo was quick to respond, despite the screaming voice in the back of his mind that said this could not be a smart conversation to be having with a nine-year-old. “Do you want one with sprinkles?”

Abby would not be bought off with the sugary treat. “Cops shoot people.” She said it like it was written in stone and Bo purposely kept his back to her until he could smooth out his features.

“Only bad guys and, like I said, I never have.” Bo repeated patiently.

“My dad said cops usually shoot people who can tell on the bad cops.” She was like a dog with a bone and Bo worried he might not be able to steer her away from this conversation, no matter how uncomfortable it seemed to make him and the rest of the group.

“Well we don’t have any bad cops in Salem.” Bo assured her. “Now, let’s talk about bad guys.”

“Abigail Devereaux, what do you think you’re doing!” Jennifer shouted from the bottom step of the stairs. Belle, who had decided to wear the first outfit she had pulled from her dresser, noticed the pained look on Bo’s face and assumed the worst. It was clear in Jennifer’s shocked expression and horrified tone that she felt the same way.

“It’s okay, Jen.” Bo promised with a wave of his hand. “I told her to kick me.”

“You what? Bo, why would you…?” Unable to finish her thought, Jennifer just stood there in stupefied awe.

It was Mimi Lockhart who ended up clarifying the situation for them. “He pretended to be a bad guy and we took turns fighting back.” She looked down at her multicolored bead bracelet, suddenly shy, and her strawberry-blond hair fell in front of her face like a sheet.

A smile quickly lit Jennifer‘s face. “I knew you’d come in handy, Bo Brady.”

Author’s Notes: The credit for the song lyrics goes to Gary Allan’s “Tough Little Boys.” I’m so sorry it’s taken this long to update. The Muse is fickle that way.

[fluffysmom]

I enjoyed the chapter. Glad to see that Eric has a friend in Jennifer. Bo doesn't seem to know what to do with the girls!

[Kpatch]

Another great chapter. So happy to see Jennifer and Abby and Mimi. I love how you are bringing such great characters together at the same point in time!

Jun 13, 2011 22:47:16 GMT -5 feelinway2damngood said:

[ I’m so sorry it’s taken this long to update. The Muse is fickle that way.

You need to make a standing appointment with your muse, like every Wednesday at 4:00.

[ghoulgirl]

Another great chapter. Thanks. Looking forward to more! Loved that we got an appearance from Mimi. I liked her for the most part.

[sportsgirl]

It's just so cute to me seeing these characters interact with each other this way. It was a wait but worth it!

[feelinway2damngood]

I'm moving out of state tomorrow, so it's taking a little longer than usual to update. I promise you'll like what I'm doing, but it may be another week or so before I have one ready for you. I'm sorry.

[ghoulgirl]

NO worries, This great story is worth the wait. Good luck with your move.

[fluffysmom]

Good luck with the move. We will be here to read when you get settled and can update the story.

[feelinway2damngood]

Author's Notes: I'm sure you all thought I was dead but, alas, my Internet is FINALLY working! I have a new chapter below and I'm currently working on two more. I'll have at least the next one up before this time next week. Oh, it's so good to be back! Enjoy and thanks for your patience.

When I counted up my demons
Saw there was one for every day
Put the good ones on my shoulder
I drove the other ones away

So if you ever feel neglected
If you think that all is lost
I’ll be counting up my demons, yeah
Hoping everything’s not lost

Belle shifted uneasily from one foot to the other as she tried to figure out just how to go about asking Bo the question that had been pressing on her mind lately. She didn’t want him to think her stupid for asking or that he had to say yes because he thought it was what she wanted. If he didn’t want to go, she wouldn’t hold it against him. She wouldn’t throw a temper tantrum or cry like Sami. The thought surprised her and she inwardly admonished herself for begrudging her sister. It wasn’t Sami’s fault she had a lot in common with Bo; she just did. Like him, she loved working on cars and liked to help him out of the garage when he was met with a staggering problem. If she weren’t in charge of the homecoming dance, Belle had no doubt Sami would have been standing right beside Bo as he bent over Lexi’s canary-yellow Camero, trying to figure out why the car was malfunctioning.

Lexi, Abe, Theo, Jennifer, and J.J. were all inside the Carver house, enjoying a little small-talk over iced tea and chocolate milk. Belle had hung out with them for a little while, but soon grown bored of the way the conversations always seemed to go back to “what might have been.” She didn’t understand grown-ups’ obsession with the past. To her, they seemed to have perfectly nice lives. If nothing else, at least their children weren’t orphans. Again, Belle couldn’t believe the angry thought she had just had about the Carvers and Devereauxs. She should be happy that not every child had to go through what her and her siblings had been forced to go through, but she wasn’t. She was jealous, she was angry, and there were very few nights since moving in with Bo that she hadn’t cried herself to sleep.

Bo considered her distant because of her parents’ simultaneous death and he was right. She didn’t want to let herself care about him if the next time she said goodbye was the last time she saw him alive. Thanks to Abby, Belle already knew too much about what cops had to do everyday, charging after bad guys and dodging bullets. Not that she believed only bad things happened to cops; her parents hadn’t been entangled in crime and they had still been killed by a reckless driver. She used to let herself consider “what if.” What if the other driver hadn‘t been on the road? What if it hadn’t been snowing? What if the road hadn’t been dark? What if her parents had been home where they were supposed to be?

Then she never would have had to mourn them, she thought dejectedly. They never would have had to move into this crowded house that would never feel like a real home. The fridge would be filled with pages of exemplary schoolwork and the walls would be covered in pictures of them. As it was, only one picture of them even existed in the house. It was of Bo and the four of them. Brady had told her it was taken at Sami and Eric’s fourth birthday party when Belle was still just a baby. Pictures were meant to remind you of happier times, simpler times. How could she hold onto that happy-looking day when she had been too young at the time to even remember it?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Bo call out her name. Glancing up from her knotted hands, she noticed him staring back at her. “Hi.” Her voice sounded so strained, so incredibly quiet, she wondered if he had even heard the squeak she had made.

He gave her a slow smile. “Hi. Looks like you were off on another planet there.”

Belle felt her cheeks flame. “Yeah, I guess I was.” She admitted hesitantly. “What are you doing?”

Bo sighed. “Lexi said this car’s been making a lot of racket when she drives it and I’m trying to figure out why.” His answer was both patient and simple, both of which Belle was appreciative. “But that’s not why you’re really out here, is it?” For a moment, Belle worried he might have the ability to read her thoughts, but then disregarded such a notion as foolhardy. He was a cop, not a psychic.

“No.” Her eyes returned to her hands and she heard him take a few steps toward her.

“Is something the matter?” Bo would automatically assume the worst, Belle mused. “That’s better.” He went on, referring to the rare smile she wore.

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Belle promised though she still refused to meet his eyes. “I have something I need to ask you and I need you to tell me the truth, okay?”

Bo ran his hand over the back of his neck, thinking, “Please don’t ask me where babies come from.” She was a little young to wonder about sex, but that knowledge didn’t soothe him. What was he supposed to do? Hand her a book and have her ask questions about anything she didn’t understand? That’s not what a father would have done. Of course, he argued, it was usually the school’s decision to educate the children about sex that sparked their interest. As far as he knew, none of the third-grade teachers were teaching their students about sex. “Okay.” He consented after a long pause. With effort, Belle’s head lifted and her eyes settled on his. His knees felt shaky, so much so that he worried he might just collapse at her feet.

“So the school is having a dance, a father-daughter dance, and since I don’t…since my dad is dead, I thought you might take me. If you want. If you don’t, it’s okay. It’s just a silly dance. I shouldn’t have even said anything. It doesn’t matter--”

“Belle.” Bo cut her off. “First, I need you to breathe.” He watched her take his advice and then said, “Okay, now you want me to take you to--”

This time, it was Belle who interrupted him. “It’s stupid. I know it is.”

“It’s not stupid.” Bo argued, half-thankful her question hadn’t involved sex and half-terrified at what she was asking him. Sweet, shy little Belle wanted him to take her to a dance--a dance where other girls would be going with their fathers. He was shocked she had considered him at all, but then he guess he shouldn’t have been. What alternative did she have? He had promised to be here for these kids and that included attending school functions. Besides, her question endured her to him a little more. “And I would be honored.”

“Really?” Those gray-blue eyes were wet when she spoke again. “You’re not just saying that?”

“I’ve never been to a father-daughter dance.” Bo admitted, his unsure expression causing her smile to return. “But it sounds like a lot of fun.”

*****

As it happened, Belle wasn’t the only one to surprise Bo that day. Later that afternoon, Sami joined him at the racetrack as she had a hundred times before. She had been mesmerized by cars since she learned how to talk and Bo figured being around them reminded her of John. She hadn’t mentioned him once since the funeral and, with startling clarity, he realized that he hadn’t either. Maybe visiting the track was his way of dealing with his best friend’s death. John used to joke about loving the smell of car fumes produced, how it blended so nicely with cheese and jalapeño nachos. He and Bo had raced until John’s first wife, Isabella’s, death and then Bo had gone solo. It was only after John’s death that he was able to hang up his helmet and retire.

Their time at the track was one of the few occasions when Sami would allow herself to abandon her extracurricular activities. She, like John, loved standing at the railing because it was as close as you could get to the track without being a driver or part of the pit crew. Bo would find himself staring at her as the wind and smoke blew her hair in all directions. In those brief moments, he would feel as if he were transported back in time. She looked so much like her mother, he would think, and then his heart would start to ache a little bit more.

Today was no exception. The only difference about today was that, when the race was over and they were heading for the exit, Sami said, “I could do that.”

Bo stopped walking and stared down at her. “Do what?”

“Drive. They try to make it out like it’s so hard, but it’s not.” Sami replied with a frustrated huff.

“And you would know this because of all the years you’ve spent driving, right?” Bo teased lightly.

“Well I could drive, Uncle Bo.” Sami insisted.

“You can drive…when you’re sixteen.” Bo smiled at the impatient glare she sent him. “Besides, this isn’t normal, everyday driving. This is drag racing and it’s a little harder.”

“I bet I could do it.” Sami said again. “They aren’t much older than me and I’m a lot smarter. I bet none of them could organize a decoration committee like I can.”

Bo laughed out loud. “No doubt, but that doesn’t change anything.”

“It’s not like I’m asking to drive your car.” Sami pointed out. “I just want you to show me how.”

“So you can sneak off in it the next time you don’t get your way? I don’t think so.” Bo countered, folding his arms across his chest.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Sami assured him with an innocent smile. “Please? Daddy always said he’d show me, but now he can’t.”

Bo blinked at her logic. He had never heard her use her parents’ death as an excuse for anything, so she must really want this. “And you think that you can guilt me into showing you how?”

“I just know he’d be teaching me right now if he were still alive.” Sami clarified confidently.

“Not if your mother had anything to do with it.” Bo grappled for logic, knowing he was probably fighting a losing game. Sami was as stubborn as he was, if not more so, and she would get what she wanted one way or the other. “The other” might just include taking his car out after he’d gone to bed and teaching herself how to drive it. At least if he showed her, he would be able to control the situation.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” Sami promised, her smile infectious.

Author’s Notes: Song credit goes to Coldplay for “Everything’s Not Lost.”