It was really amazing how busy things got around the Christmas season. It left Samantha so busy between all of the snowy weddings and all of the parents and kids coming to the old Garretson Toy Shop to buy presents and such that she found herself not really having any spare time for herself until she closed the toy store at seven. But, she didn't mind. It kept her busy and it kept her from thinking about things she didn't like to think about, especially during this time of year when those memories were more prominent. Smiling and humming to herself, she walked into the other of her father's shops she had direct contact with, Dillion's Wedding Boutique, and went around the back, picking up her camera when the manager, a young man named James, spoke to her, a grin on his face, "Out to take more wedding photos Sammy?"

Sam smiled and laughed, putting the strap around her neck and grabbing a couple of other things that went with the camera, pulling them into the camera bag she had, "Yeah. You know how people always wait until this time of year to get married. People just love snowy weddings." Putting the camera bag on, the one strap going across her shoulder like a messenger bag would, she shrugged, "I have to go get ready. Hopefully this won't last long so I can relieve Tony at the toy store."

"Don't you think your staying a little too busy? I mean I never see you just take a breather. You're always going, going, gone." The man, looked a her, raising an eyebrow, "Why don't you go out. Have some fun. Meet a guy--"

Sam crossed her arms and smirked at him, cutting him off, "Just because I don't have a boyfriend like you do doesn't mean I'm not having fun."

"Hey, hey, now. Don't hate. A boyfriend is a great thing. In fact, my Henry knows this guy who--"

"James." Samantha groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes, "You and your boyfriend stay out of my personal life. I am perfectly fine without you two trying to set me up with someone, okay?"

Raising his hands in surrender, he chuckled, "Okay, okay. Go run off and shoot your photos. Who knows, maybe being around all those weddings might change your mind."

"I'll see you later James." Was her answer to his comment as she walked out of the store with her camera, before heading back to her car. She took a quick side trip to her home to get dressed into a more profesional outfit as well as put her hair up into an up-do before heading back into her car and to a rather old church that was decorated for the main wedding. It was really beautiful and she enjoyed being there, snapping pictures. But...at the same time, being there, watching how happy the couple looked as they said their vows, and how when they went reception the two laughed with joy as they danced their first dance, she felt like maybe something James had said about finding someone was true.

Slowly lowering her camera after taking a few pictures, she watched the dance with a soft gaze that had a little bit of longing to it, but the look lasted just a few seconds before she shook her head, going back to snapping pictures. Now was not the time to be day dreaming abut something that probably never happen. She sighed and took a few more pictures of the smiling people as the hours went on and at around three in the after noon the wedding ended and she was allowed to go, rushing off because she around a half hour late to relieve the man working at the toy shop. She came rushing into the shop, setting her camera bag behind the counter, "Hey Tony. Sorry I'm late. The wedding went over the time it was supposed to end."

"Its no problem. We weren't really that busy anyway." The man who was probably in his mid thirties grabbed his keys from under the counter, looking back at her, "Where's your work shirt?"

"My--" She looked down to realize she was still in the clothes she had worn to the wedding and sighed heavily, "I didn't have time to change. Its okay. I'll just deal with it until closing. You can go now. I'm sure you have places you have to be."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll see you tomorrow Samantha."

She watched as her worker let and shook her head, walking over to put a few dolls on the shelves, smiling slightly to herself to find she could actually reach the shelves with her heels on. At least that was one good thing about forgetting to change. She continued to put things on the shelves and such, a small smile on her face as she tried to wait out until closing time.

...

"I don't see why have be here when Reinier gets home. It's not like he'd even care if I was here or not anyway." Derek complained as he stood in the kitchen with his mother, helping to fix dinner for that night. Derek had to admit, there weren't many grown men who would help their mothers with the cooking and it might have seemed a little weird, but he had always helped her out. After all, working in a hospital, his mother and his father never really got much time off and growing up with a brother who didn't help out a lot and was constantly running off to parties, cooking and cleaning was just something he had always done to help the family out.

"Derek, this is the first time your brother is bringing home his girlfriend. The least you can do is stay to meet her." His mother spoke, putting the chicken casserole into the oven and going to wash her hands.

Heaving a sigh he sat on the counter, "This is like the fifth girl he's bringing home this year. I'm pretty sure its not that big of a deal. Plus the two of them are staying until Christmas is over so there will be plenty of time to meet her later or whatever." He stated with a shrug of his shoulders. He really didn't see it as a big deal. He'd seen his brother with many girls, the good girls and the tramps, so to him, this was probably just another on his brother's list and surely wouldn't be the last if this relationship was like any of the others his brother had been in.

"You are staying young man and that is final. Now get off my counter, I just cleaned it." She said, smacking him in the leg with the newspaper, causing him to laugh and hop off of it. It didn't seem to matter how old he got, his mother still ordered him around like he was a kid.

"Fine, fine. But if this dinner lasts any longer than five I'm outta here." He made his way into the living room, laughing as the family's black lab ran over, attempting to jump up and lick his face, "Whatcha doin' Midnight? You need to go out?" He asked, walking with the excited dog to the back door and opened it up to let him out into the fenced yard. After he had done his business, Derek took to throwing a Frisbee out to the dog, grinning and laughing every time it caught it and brought it back, "You know, the older you get the better you seem to be at paying this game. You could probably out catch any of those show dogs they show on TV, huh boy?"

He rubbed the dog behind the ears, and after a few more throws, the sound of a car door opening and closing could be heard from the front yard, making the dog perk up and get excited, "Well....there they are." Looking down at the hyper dog, waiting impatiently at the door he chuckled, "At least one of us is happy about this little meeting." He smiled and opened the back door to walk inside again just as the front door opened up and the young couple walked in. The dog happily went to run at them, ready to give the two licks, but Derek caught him before he could give his love attack, assuming the two didn't want to be jumped on and slobbered on when they walked into the door, picking the sixty pound dog with ease, though, struggled only because the dog was wiggling around in his grasp, "Whoa! Chill out!" He laughed and waited a few moments for the dog to calm down to the point of when he set him down he padded over to the two in a still excited way, but didn't jump on them.

Walking over to this brother with a grin he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, "You know if you visited more he wouldn't be so likely to jump on you."

Shrugging Daniel put his arm around his girlfriend, "Been busy bro. You know how it is." Looking to his girl friend he gave her a kiss, "Babe, this is my little brother Derek."

Derek chuckled, "Always have to put the 'little' in there don't you. Never mind that I'm taller than you." He joked before looking to the girl, putting out his hand for her to shake, "As he said, I'm Derek. And I'm sure your name isn't 'babe' so what is it my parents and I can call you?"

"Finny! Ada!"

The five and six year olds bounced into the room with large smiles. They had known for a week that their aunt was coming back to town so they had decided to draw her a picture. The problem was they didn't know where their dad kept the paper and they didn't want to use their coloring books so the wall was the next best place for them to draw a picture for their aunt. The two young children clasped their hands behind their backs and looked down at their bare feet. Their father stood before them, pointing at the wall with creased brows.

"What were you two doing?" He asked as he crossed his tattooed arms across his chest.

The little boy spoke first. "We wanted to draw auntie a picture...like those morals she talks 'bout." Finnegan meant the murals that his aunt had been working on for a few months at the museum. "And we couldn't find the paper..."

How could he be upset at them for long when they gave him a pout and such a sweet story? He might have looked like a tough guy but he was a big softie. He guessed it was because he was still young and had two very young children who liked to use his heart against him. They were definitely master manipulators already. "Come here," He bent down and opened his arms wide for his two kids. They ran into his waiting arms, scared that they were going to be in lots of trouble. "I can get the marker and crayon off the wall but you guys could have asked me for paper you know." Their dad chuckled before picking them both up.

"Aunt Care-Bear is with her boyfriend right now but here in a little while we'll meet her at his house since you guys haven't met him yet, then we'll go to the toy store."

The children cheered with joy; he didn't know if they were more excited to get a new toy or to see their aunt. Either way it was cute as fuck. Setting them down, he watched them scurry off to their room.

~*~

It had been a year since she had last visited her hometown. It had been almost six months since the last time she seen her niece and nephew in person. They would talk on the phone and use the webcam to talk from time to time so it wasn't like they were strangers. She pointed out various places to her boyfriend and gave a bit of history, personal or otherwise, to go along with the building. He wasn't paying attention as she drove and talked to him. He was too busy texting and when she would ask who it was he would either snap at her or he would say it was his mom. Boy he did sure text his mom a lot, huh?

This was the first time that she would be meeting his parents and brother. She was excited to meet them; he didn't talk much about his family or at least not like she talked about hers.

He gave her a few more directions before they pulled up to a quaint little home that reminded her of the home she grew up in. Parking the car out front, the red haired woman couldn't contain her nerves, it wasn't every day that she got to meet the people closest to her boyfriend. Reinier was the first to reach the house and he was the one to knock on the door. They were let in and almost immediately a black lab welcomed them. She bent slightly and allowed the dog to sniff and lick her hand. The woman had a weak spot for animals so most of her time would likely be occupied by trying to befriend the lab. She didn't catch onto the words of her boyfriend until she was pulled into a kiss.

"Ah, hello!" She shook the man's hand, "Carrington Carter, but you can call me Carrington or Cari."

Carrington looked around the home while beside her, Reinier tried to shoo the lab away. They didn't have any animals because they lived in such a small apartment. They used to have a few goldfish until Reinier killed them by forgetting to feed them while she was off at work. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you dear." A woman called from the kitchen entrance. She bore a resemblance to her oldest son; both shared the same color of eyes and it looked like they once shared the same color of hair too, but time caught up to her. She wiped her hands on a small holiday themed dishtowel before slinging it over her shoulder and extending her arms out to Carrington. The red head was enveloped into a warm hug; it was a little embarrassing considering she didn't even know the woman's name. Reinier stood in the background with his brother. He watched his girlfriend with mild interest before turning his full attention to Derek.

"Have a girl yet?" He asked.

"My name is Marie, I sent my husband out to get a few things but he'll be back in a little while. Why don't I give you a tour?" Marie said as she took Carrington by the hand to lead her through the house. Once they were separated from the men and most of the tour was complete, Marie decided it was time to get to know the red head.

"So how long have you been seeing my son?" Marie asked as she dusted off one of the old family photos in the upstairs hallway.

"A year ma'am. Oh I like this color of paint..." Carrington trailed off as she gestured to the olive colored wall. "We can't change the color of the walls back at our apartment -"

Marie cut the red head off, "You're living together?" There was a hint of doubt in her voice. Reinier had brought home so many girlfriends this year alone. If this woman and her son were truly together for that long then that meant Reinier was cheating. Marie had raised her sons to treat their women well, did she fail as a mother if Reinier was cheating? Marie clenched her hands at her sides.

"Ma'am...are you alright?" Carrington asked as she looked at the older woman with worry. Did she say something wrong; would his family even like her after tonight?

"It's fine dear; I just wasn't expecting that." Marie said with a nervous chuckle.

Carrington gave her a small smile but remained quiet. She was too worried that she had messed everything up.

~*~

Two hours later around five, Marie and Reinier were washing the dishes from dinner. They had eaten early because her husband had an upcoming shift and he wanted to eat with his family. The kitchen was quiet save for the small T.V on the counter that was playing a Christmas special. "She seems like a nice girl, where'd you meet her?" Marie asked her oldest son as she handed him one of the plates to rinse and dry.

He shrugged and flicked his long bangs out of his eyes. "A party I think."

She watched her son carefully, while she loved him greatly she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would cheat. She knew that he usually moved on pretty fast after a break up and part of her desperately wished that Carrington was lying about her and Reinier being together for a year. "Why didn't you tell us that you were living with her?"

Again he shrugged. "It slipped my mind. It's natural after you've been with someone for so long." A year wasn't a long time by any means, but he was trying to play it off. "Oh...her brother is coming by with his kids to pick us up."

Marie grinned; she didn't have any grandchildren and she had been missing the pitter patter of tiny bare feet on the floor. "Wonderful! It's been a while since we've had kids in the house."

In the living room, Reinier and Derek's dad, Robert, was sitting in his large dark colored recliner. He was discussing a few of the old techniques used in the medical field while the woman listened intently.

"We've got a few artifacts at the museum that you'd love then." She smiled. The black lab, Midnight, made a home on Carrington's feet. She was more than okay with the dog begging for attention.

"Oh? I didn't know you worked in a museum."

"Yeah - I create the displays and I do replicas of artifacts that can't go on display for the public. We've got a few skulls that show they were trepanned and some other things." She really enjoyed talking to Reinier's step-father. He was nice and always seemed interested in what she had to say. Carrington, in turn, was also interested about what Robert had to say and it was safe to claim that they were getting along swimmingly.

~*~

A half hour later her brother pulled up to the house; He had talked to Reinier (since Carrington had been talking to Robert) and was given directions. Finny and Ada were standing slightly behind him with their hands clasped together as their dad knocked on the door. Marie opened it and welcomed them inside. "I have some cookies that I made earlier if you and your kids want some." The kids were thrilled with the prospect of having cookies and they almost forgot about their aunt until she called out their names. Finny was the first to launch himself at his aunt, he was giggling as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Reinier watched the little boy and then the little girl before turning his attention to their dad.

He really didn't like Jamie but he tolerated him for the sake of Carrington. She adored her younger brother and his children.

Jamie grinned. "Hey Derek." He said as he caught sight of the male. From time to time Jamie would help at the cafe where he worked and performed. They had met through a mutual friend some years back. "I didn't know you were related to Reinier."

Robert announced that he had to go to work and he kissed his wife goodbye before leaving. Ada and Finny made gagging noises. "Ew. They kissed." Their dad was looking a little pink in the face and he quickly apologized to Marie. She laughed and brushed it off before bringing out a tray of cookies and hot cocoa for everyone. Marie really did miss when her boys were young; they had grown up so fast. She enjoyed the time she spent with children; Marie worked with sick kids all of the time and she tried to make their days brighter. After a few cookies and cocoa the group of five had left to the toy store.

"Man I remember this place when we were kids." Jamie said as he opened the door for everyone.

"Yeah, it hasn't changed much over the years, huh?"

"Finnegan! Adalira!" Jamie followed his kids into the store as they tore off to go hunt for toys. Reinier looped his arm around Carrington's waist as they walked through the store. Every year Jamie and Carrington would participate in various charities, one was to get Christmas gifts for kids whose families couldn't afford them. Both Jamie and Carrington had been in the same situation growing up. Their family had bounced from place to place and dealt with financial hardships for most of their lives. It was when their father was able to get hired on at a local factory that they were able to live comfortably.

The two children escaped their father and quickly made a bee line for a different isle.

Of course his brother would ask him if he 'had a girl yet'. That was so much like him. He sighed, running a hand through his short hair, shrugging, "Nope. Went on a couple of dates, but just haven't seemed to find a girl I actually want to stay with." Those couple of dates he had went on were girls he actually saw every day. Co-workers or regular customers at the cafe. They weren't bad people, it was just that he and none of those girls had really clicked. They still talked though. Sometimes they would even hang out when he was on lunch or such at the cafe. He considered them friends, but he just didn't feel for them in the romantic sense.

He watched as his mother led Cari off and chuckled slightly, shaking his head, "She just can't wait to show off the house." He had to admit, his brother had gotten with a very beautiful girl. And she even seemed really nice too. He just hoped that, despite his brothers bad past with girls, that he was treating her right. But than again, who was he kidding? If he could make a guess he would say his brother probably had two or three girls on the side. This was Reinier and he never changed. No matter how pretty or nice the girl he was with seemed to be, he would always find a reason to go chasing after some blonde bimbo.

There really wasn't much to do during their little visit. Their mom showed Cari around and pretty soon after they ate his mother's chicken casserole she had made for dinner. It was one of his favorite meals and it was really nice to have everyone together again for another meal. Sure, he managed between his work schedule to have at least a few times a week have dinner with his parents and keep them company, but he also knew they missed Reinier and they had to be overjoyed to have him back here for the holidays at least. The smile on his mother's face and the way his father chatted with everyone said it all. This brought a smile to his face and when he was done eating, made sure to feed Midnight before heading into the living room with his father and Cari. He himself sat on the couch , playing with his phone a little bit. He had heard many a tale about his father's work and all of the stories he was telling to the girl was ones he had heard at least ten times already through out the years.

Though, when he heard Cari state she worked at a museum, he glanced up, slightly interested in what she had to say. Putting his phone way, he listened to her talk about some of the thing they had a the museum and couldn't help but notice the passion she seemed to have in her work. And she was obviously a had working girl if sh had managed to snatch up a job at such a place. He stayed there listening to she and his father talk back and forth and when he checked the time an found it was around five thirty, a half hour before he was supposed to be at work to perform. And so, standing up he sighed, stretching, before he made his way upstairs to his own room. Coming back down the stairs, his guitar case strapped on his back, he said a brief goodbye to his father as the older man left for work and spoke himself, "Yeah, I have to head out too. I'm working at the cafe until around ten." He said this information, mainly so his mother would know what time he would be home.

Yet, he didn't even make it to the front hall when there was a knock on the door. When his mother let the man in, he let out a laugh, "Well, if it isn't Jamie. What's up man?" Shaking his hand in greeting, he grinned a well, "In this small town, I'm pretty sure everyone is related to somebody." He joked, fixing the trap of his guitar, "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, the boss man said I need to be there at six, so I gotta head out. I'll see you later man." He patted Jamie on the back as he walked out the door, "Oh, and nice meeting you Cari. See you around." And with that, he left out the door, heading for work.

~*~

"Just another hour." Samantha stated, sighing to herself a she sifted from one leg to another. She was starving, having not eaten since that morning. That and her heels were killing her by now. She just couldn't wait to get out of them. Walking over to one of the displays sitting in the middle of one of the aisles, she began to stack up some of the teddy bears and a moment later heard the door to the small shop open, "Hi, welcome to Garretson's. Feel free to look around." She stated as she continued to stack the bears. That was the way she always said hello to the costumers and it was the same way her father had when he was alive.

Thinking about her father made her smile slightly. This toy store held so many memories of sh and her father and it was why she had chosen to run the store herself. The toy store was the very first store her father had ever bought and he himself had run it all by himself as well, where as his other stores he had other people run. After school he would bring her to the store and let her help set thing up, play with toys, and sell to the costumers. It was a really great childhood and it meant she always had great toys, new and old. Most importantly though, it had been a great way for her to bond with her father and spend time with him. It was memories she would always cherish.

Sam moved away from the display for a moment to grab the other box of bears when she heard giggling coming from around the corner, two little children darting into the aisle she as on and not looking knocked right into the cardboard display stand, knocking it over and the children to stumble. Gasping she quickly set down the box and went to the little boy and girl, checking them over, "Are you two okay?" She helped the two stand up and neither seemed to be crying or hurt, but more worried about the mess they had made. At her question, both looked regretfully at the teddy bears spilled out to the floor, nodding to say they were fine but the little girl spoke, her voice having a nervous tone, "We're sorry 'bout the teddys."

"The teddys?" Sam asked, giving her a smile, glancing at all the bears on the floor before looking back at her, "The teddys can be fixed. I'm just glad you two aren't hurt. Make sure you're careful, okay?"

"Yes 'mam." Both children said in unison making Sam smile more and laugh lightly at the fact she was being called 'mam even though she was still fairly young herself. Or maybe it was the fact these kids seemed much more polite than most kids she ran across. But either way it wasn't something she saw often and it made her day, "You can call me Samantha."

This made both beam for some reason and the little boy spoke, "Okay Saman....Sami..."

When she noticed him having trouble say it, she grinned, "If you want you can just call me Sam."

He smiled more, "Okay Sammy!"

These kids were the most adorable kids she had ever seen. She wished she just just hug them kiss their cute little faces, but she knew with these not being her kids and she not knowing who their parents were she knew that would look weird. So, she just simply smiled again, ruffling their blonde hair before standing up, "Good. You two can go back to playing if you want." With that she watched the two children hurry off once more, a soft smile on her face before she went to pick up the display and the teddy bears from the floor, kicking off her heels for now while she did.

He had wondered where his children could have gone off to and judging by the knocked over tower of stuffed bears, they had been there recently. "I'm sorry about them..." Jamie said as he approached the blonde and helped her pick up the bears. "They just get really excited and like to play hide and seek...I'm sorry." He handed her the last bear before looking at the display. Jamie was embarrassed, so many people had told him that he needed to control his children better and to show them some discipline. He wondered if the woman would be the same way too.

As he looked at the display he decided to grab two of the stuffed bear. One was white with little black eyes and a pink little nose and the second was black and white like a panda. He tucked the bears safely under his arm before extending his hand towards the girl. "The name's Jamison Carter, those little monsters that ran by are Finnegan and Adalira - my kids."

Jamie nearly knocked over the display they had finished picking up when his children screamed. Their screams slowly melted into wild laughter as his sister, older sister mind you, came running with them on her back, down the aisle singing "Let it Go."

"Let it go, Let it gooo~"

Jamie winced as his sister made a quick stop in front of him. Ada and Finny hung off her shoulders with wide smiles on their face. "This is Sammy!" Finny said as he tugged gently on his aunt's hair. "She's really nice....we knocked over the teddies and she didn't even get mad!"

"Uh-huh, she's nice. Daddy can she come play with us?" Ada said as she looked at her dad with a pout. At the end of the isle Reinier was waiting with his arms full of toys that they needed to ring up. He didn't look happy with the situation at hand. Jamie sighed and he shook his head.

"I don't think she can. She's working." Jamie said as he grabbed Ada from his sister. Finny refused to let go of his aunt and Carrington didn't seem to mind the little boy on her back.

"Aww but daaaddddyyyy!" Both children said with matching pouts and wide, watery eyes.

Carrington laughed, "Come on you little munchkins. Give your dad a break; maybe we can come back tomorrow and -"

"Don't encourage them Carrington!" Jamie said, he was losing an uphill battle. He looked back at the blonde with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about my sister as well. She was dropped on her head as a baby."

"I'm older than you. Now we’ve got to get a few more things so if you will excuse us, Finny and I will be shopping some more." Carrington and her nephew, who was still secured on her back, went skipping down the aisle to find a few more toys. Jamie could hear them both resume singing Let it Go when they disappeared down another isle.

Reinier sighed heavily and deposited the toys in front of Jamie. "I'm going to the car." He really, really did not like being in a toy store...or the fact that his girlfriend was actually showing something other than restrained nervousness.

Adalira looked up at her father before looking at Samantha again. "Can I help her daddy?"

Jamie nodded and let his daughter down so he could pick up the toys that Reinier had left. "You don't get into any trouble, Ada."

The little girl nodded before lightly tugging on Samantha's shirt and asking if she could help.

Sam was about half way through picking up the teddy bears and placing them back on the display that was in the middle of the aisle when she was approached by a young man who she supposed was around her age and she could only assume that this was the two children's father. She smiled at him and continued to pick up the bears as she spoke, "They were fine. Kids will be kids. After all, you can't expect kids to stand still in a toy store." She knelt down to pick up a few more teddy bears and place them on the display and as she did she looked back to the man, she smiled, "They are such cute kids. And you are definitely doing a good job at raising them. Not many kids that come in here are as sweet and polite as they are." She stuck another bear on the display and turned to him, shaking his hand, "I'm Samantha Garretson. It's nice to meet you." As she went to put the last bear on the display, she jumped as well at the delighted shrieks of the children, having to catch the display when it seemed both she and the man almost knocked it over. She gave a slight laugh, "Seems they are really excited about something."

And turned out she was right. Or, should she have said they were excited about someone because down the aisles came a young woman, who at first Sam would have thought to have been the children's mother, singing 'Let it Go' as she ran up the aisle to them. She held in her laugh at the exchange, her cheeks a little pink from the blush on them as the children talked about how nice she was and even asked if she play with them. Their father said no though and the children pouted and it was a few seconds after that she found that the woman was actually their aunt, which she supposed made sense with how playful the woman was with them. She must have been visiting or something of the sort if the children were so excited about her being there.

Watching the woman run off again this time with only the little boy on her back, she smiled, "They really love her." Only the mood shifted slightly as the young man who had been carrying the toys put them all down and left in a sour mood. Still, Sam kept a small smile on her face, looking down as the girl asked if she could help, tugging on the hem of her dress. Smiling brightly now, she nodded, "Sure." With that, she helped to pick up the toys and bring them over to the counter and in putting them onto the counter one of the toys, a small boat, got caught in the little girl's hair, making her whine as she tugged on it, unable to get it out by herself.

Sam quickly moved to her and knelt down, "Hold on, hold on. Don't tug, that will only make it worse." Working carefully and gently, Sam finally managed to untangle the hair, though now it was a little bit of a mess. Smiling softly she looked to the girl, "How about I do your hair up that way it doesn't get caught again?" And so it wasn't stickin gup all over the place.

The little girl turned to her, eyes bright, "Really? Can you do an Elsa braid? I asked Daddy but he said he didn't know how to braid."

Giggling slightly, Sam nodded, "Sure. Here turn around." Her hair was somewhat short, but Samantha worked carefully and as gently as she could, biting down on her bottom lip in concentration, tucking hair and moving it until she had it just right and put a hair bow into it. Smiling more she pulled back and laughed, "There we go, Your Majesty. You look like a true queen now."

The little girl laughed in delight and the two went back to taking care of the toys, Ada being sat on the counter and handing her toys to ring up and place into bags.

"Sammy, can you sing like Elsa?"

Blinking in surprise at that question, she looked to the girl and laughed slightly, "No, I can't sing nearly as good as her. Her voice is very rich. Mines more...light?"

Ada thought for a moment before speaking again, "Can you sing like any princess?"

"I don't know..." She looked to the little girl and seeing the disappointment on her face, "But, I suppose I can try?" She thought for a moment, before she looked to the girl, "How about I try Belle?" Whent he little girl nodded enthusticly, Sam smiled slightly, continuing to place toys in the bags, "Madame Gaston! Can't you just see it?! Madame Gaston! His 'little wife'! No sir! Not me! I guarantee it! I want much more than this provincial life." Finally kicking off her shoes since they continued to hurt her feet, she walked over to place the bags on the other side of the counter, "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell." She paused a moment before she sung the next line, "And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand. I want so much more than they've got planned."

Smiling, she walked back other to little girl once all the toys were in bags and Ada was clapping happily, "You sound just like her!"

"Hehe, well, I don't know about 'exactly' but I do have my fair share of watching Disney movies, so I guess my singing along with that helped to attribute to that?" Sitting the girl back on the floor from the counter, she smiled, "Here, follow me." She walked, still barefoot, over to a play area she had set up for kids to play out while parents shopped, and there she dug through the toybox there, pulling out quite a few stuffed animals that were Disney, "These are some of the stuffed animals I got from the Disney Store at the mall."

"Oo! Oo! Can we play with them?" Ada asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Sure!" Sam said with a nod and laugh, kneeling down where Ada sat and the two grabbed whatever stuffed animals they wanted to play with and by the time the others had come back, the two were in the middle of a scene from Frozen, Ada holding an Anna and Kristoff doll and Sam holding a 'Marshmellow(the giant snow man) stuffed animal, the two pretending Marshmellow was chasing them out of the castle and such, being rather loud while doing this and when Sam looked up to see them standing there, her face turned red from embarrassment, "Oh. Um..." Standing up, she brushed a strand of blonde hair from her face, "You guys must be ready to go. Here, I'll ring the rest of the things up for you."

The scene before him was something he didn't expect to see but he guessed that it made sense that the owner of a toy shop was playing dolls with his daughter. "To work with children you must first have the heart of a child." Carrington commented before setting her nephew down so he could scurry over to his sister. "You don't need to get so embarrassed, Miss. Jamie and I played with toys until we were what...ten and fourteen? Yeah and the kids that come here probably love you because of it." Carrington smiled before she grabbed a few of the toys from her brother.

Jamie's cheeks and ears were red. Did his sister have to constantly poke fun at him in public every chance she got? He bent down to rest on his heels so Ada could excitedly tell him about the game she had been playing with Sam. '"You've got your hair braided?" Ada was a tomboy and anything remotely resembling anything girlie was her arch enemy. He knew there had been a few times that she asked him to braid her hair but he thought it was because she wanted the soft blonde locks out of the way.

"Yeah! You don't know how...so I asked her." Ada pointed to Sam with pink cheeks.

Jamie smiled and held his hands out to his daughter and son. "We better go get to the register before something happens." He sighed. The children latched onto his hands and giggled. Their aunt wasn't exactly the most coordinated of people.

Carrington spotted what looked like an old mural of sorts on the wall behind the register. It was faded and she couldn't make out what it used to say. "Is that a mural?" She gestured to the wall before placing the toys on the counter. "If you want I can re-paint it. I've got pretty much all month off and I do murals and displays as an occupation." Carrington would be bored to death if she couldn't do anything work related over her vacation. She was bit of a workaholic but she never had a bad day at work.

"In the waiting area you can paint the walls with chalkboard paint and let the kids draw on it when they wait for their parents." She suggested. Carrington, like Jamie, was a creative person and she couldn't help the ideas that sprang to mind.

Jamie and his kids approached the counter. Finny had a toy tucked in his arms and Ada was holding the toy she chose at her side. They would pay for their things separately since the toys already on the counter were going to charity. Finny and Ada listened to their aunt talk to Sam. "Do you think auntie would like the moral?" Finny asked, using the incorrect word once again.

"Yeah. Auntie loves morals." Ada said to her brother. "She works on them for the musem[1]."

"We should draw Sam - "

"You kids can't do that here." Jamie said as he looked at his kids. He already knew what they were thinking. They wanted to draw Sam a picture on the walls just like they did for Carrington.

NOTE:
1. This is how I picture Finny and Ada saying Museum. They are five and six so I don't think they'd have a super perfect vocabulary yet - like how Finny says morals instead of murals.~

The scene before him was something he didn't expect to see but he guessed that it made sense that the owner of a toy shop was playing dolls with his daughter. "To work with children you must first have the heart of a child." Carrington commented before setting her nephew down so he could scurry over to his sister. "You don't need to get so embarrassed, Miss. Jamie and I played with toys until we were what...ten and fourteen? Yeah and the kids that come here probably love you because of it." Carrington smiled before she grabbed a few of the toys from her brother.

Jamie's cheeks and ears were red. Did his sister have to constantly poke fun at him in public every chance she got? He bent down to rest on his heels so Ada could excitedly tell him about the game she had been playing with Sam. '"You've got your hair braided?" Ada was a tomboy and anything remotely resembling anything girlie was her arch enemy. He knew there had been a few times that she asked him to braid her hair but he thought it was because she wanted the soft blonde locks out of the way.

"Yeah! You don't know how...so I asked her." Ada pointed to Sam with pink cheeks.

Jamie smiled and held his hands out to his daughter and son. "We better go get to the register before something happens." He sighed. The children latched onto his hands and giggled. Their aunt wasn't exactly the most coordinated of people.

Carrington spotted what looked like an old mural of sorts on the wall behind the register. It was faded and she couldn't make out what it used to say. "Is that a mural?" She gestured to the wall before placing the toys on the counter. "If you want I can re-paint it. I've got pretty much all month off and I do murals and displays as an occupation." Carrington would be bored to death if she couldn't do anything work related over her vacation. She was bit of a workaholic but she never had a bad day at work.

"In the waiting area you can paint the walls with chalkboard paint and let the kids draw on it when they wait for their parents." She suggested. Carrington, like Jamie, was a creative person and she couldn't help the ideas that sprang to mind.

Jamie and his kids approached the counter. Finny had a toy tucked in his arms and Ada was holding the toy she chose at her side. They would pay for their things separately since the toys already on the counter were going to charity. Finny and Ada listened to their aunt talk to Sam. "Do you think auntie would like the moral?" Finny asked, using the incorrect word once again.

"Yeah. Auntie loves morals." Ada said to her brother. "She works on them for the musem[1]."

"We should draw Sam - "

"You kids can't do that here." Jamie said as he looked at his kids. He already knew what they were thinking. They wanted to draw Sam a picture on the walls just like they did for Carrington.

NOTE:
1. This is how I picture Finny and Ada saying Museum. They are five and six so I don't think they'd have a super perfect vocabulary yet - like how Finny says morals instead of murals.~

Samantha smiled when the two children went over to their father and their aunt poked a little fun at him. They really were a nice a little family and it was good to see how happy they were together. Walking back over to the register, she spoke, "Oh yeah, the kids do love it, if they stay long enough for me to play with them. But, most of the time their parents are in a rush so I don't get much interaction time with kids, you know?" She smiled slightly at the two children before she went to scanning the rest of the items and putting the in bags, and as she did, she looked up to Carrington when she mentioned the mural and how she could repaint it if Sam wanted. She looked over her shoulder at the mural, saying the words to herself that while had faded from the wall, was still imprinted into her mind as if they were still painted boldly over the once vibrant colors, "You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be." She said this out loud, still staring at it, "That's what it said."

That mural was very special to her. It was years old, from when she herself was a little girl. When her father had first opened up this shop it had been a lot of trial and error. It was his first business and her parents had to spend a lot of time and effort into making it something worth while. Her mother would work her own job during the day as a store clerk and her father would work on the shop. The first year or two there weren't many costumers and they had barely been able to keep it open, but the time that had been spent there was some of the best times in her life. She had been very close to her father and he had always done everything he could to make her feel happy and loved. And one of those things was painting that mural. Looking away from the mural now, it took her a moment to bring her normal smile back to her face, looking at the two, "N-no. I'd prefer to leave it like it is."

Handing them the bags, she continued, "But the blackboard wall idea sounds pretty cool. The kids would really love that." She looked to the kids and laughed slightly when she heard the children speaking and walking around the counter she knelt down, "Then you guys could draw me lots of pretty pictures." Standing up straight she walked back behind the counter and then once the other toys they had were out of the way, took to scanning the two toys the children had picked out for themselves, before she handed them back to them, as well as handing them a couple of the very colorful lollipops from the counter, before looking back at the two adults, standing up straight, "So, those toys." She said, nodding to the lots of toys the two had, "What are they for? Surely they aren't presents for these two with them standing right here?"

"Oh! Daddy and Auntie get them for kids!" Finny said happily.

"Yeah, the ones who don't get toys for Christmas."

Sam blinked in surprise before smiling brightly, "Really? That's really great. I always donate toys to Toys for Tots myself. Its really great your teaching your kids to give like that as well." If more parents brought their kids to a toy store to get toys for kids in need during the Christmas Season, there would be a lot more good people in the world.

Checking her watch, she saw it was very close to closing time and went to slip on her heels again, moving to the door with them, as she slipped her coat and scarf on. Opening the door she shivered as the cold air blew in, snow flakes mixed in, "Whoa, chilly." Stepping out into the snow, she waited until they were out of the shop before closing the door and locking it. Pausing, she looked over at them, "Hey, I was about to head down to the cafe for some hot chocolate. Do you guys want to come along? My treat." She heard the horn of their car, a very annoyed looking Reiner in the vehicle, "Um....if you want to that is. f not we can always go another time?"

"The sour puss can wait." Carrington said with a dismissed wave at the car. "I don't get to see you guys all the time so it's a special event." Carrington had brought her car too, so they could pile the toys up in her trunk and her brother would be spared the hassle of two young children plus a trunk full of toys. She quickly went over to the car and explained the situation to Reinier.

"Babe...really?" He asked, "I thought you and me were going to go back to the hotel - "

"Your mom wants us to stay with them."

Reinier rolled his eyes. "I thought I was going to get to spend some time with my girl. You've been working so much..."

She gave Reinier a kiss, "I'll make it up to you later." She said, "Pinky promise."

Soon Reinier sped off in her car and the toys were put into the trunk of Jamie's car for the time being. Ada and Finny demanded that their father carry them to the cafe. "Aren't you worried about your car?" Jamie asked his sister as they walked.

"Nope, as long as no one gets hurt I don't care."

It was a short walk to the cafe but it was cold enough to turn the kid's cheeks, noses and ears red. The heat of the cafe was welcomed and the two kids practically jumped from their father's arms in order to get inside quicker. The kids chose a large booth to sit in, their aunt following them closely as their father left to use the bathroom...or whatever he said he needed to do, Carrington hadn't been paying attention. The kids talked a mile a minute about everything, well mainly Disney stuff since Sam had a knowledge (she told everyone about Samantha singing to her) and their aunt was the one that got them hooked on Disney movies. She was partially responsible for the kids' rooms back at Jamie's place. Without her helping her brother he wouldn't have finished the murals in time. Finny's room was themed around The Croods; it was his favorite and if asked he why he liked The Croods his answer was simple: it had Belt in it...and Chunky the death cat.

By contrast Ada's room was painted with the characters from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. "Auntie...can you paint my room? I want Elsa's castle." She grinned before looking at Samantha. "Um..." Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she gestured for Samantha to get closer. "I wanna play Frozen again."

Finny was happily playing with his toy; his back was pressed against his Aunt's side with his legs and feet taking up some of the space on the seat.

Jamie came back and sat next to Samantha in the available spot. "Ah...thanks for inviting us." He smiled, “It’s nice that there are still some good people in the world.”

Samantha walked with the four of them to the cafe and once there, she let everyone order and pay before they all went to sit down and wait for the waitress to bring them the order. It was when she sat down that little Ada leaned over to her in a dramatic sort of whispering, saying she wanted to play Frozen again. Sam laughed softly and leaned forward as well to mock whisper back in the same way, "Next time you guys come to the Toy Store we can play Frozen as much as you want." She sat up straight after that and smiled as she watched little Finny playing with is toy while the two children seemed to go on and on about Disney. It seemed after finding out she liked Disney as well it left the children a gap for them to talk her ears off about it. But she didn't mind. She in fact quite enjoyed the change of pace and would listen very carefully to each excited thing that came from the two, nodding and commenting on what they had to say sometimes. It was really enjoyable.

When she looked over to see Jamie sit down beside her and then thanking her for inviting them all, she smiled brightly and nodded, "It's no problem." When she said that, the drinks came, as well as some cookies for the kids to snack on as well, "There are plenty of good people left in this world. You just have to search for them sometimes. And sometimes you just run into them. That's life for you. Unexpected and unpredictable." Taking a sip of her hot coco she smiled and looked to the two children before looking back at him, "And I have to say, you and your sister are pretty good people as well. Not many people nowadays take the time to spend with kids like you two do. It's really good to see that." She paused to take another sip of her drink when a young man about their age approached, a grin on his face.

"Well, looks like I'm just going to see you guys everywhere, huh?" Derek joked as he leaned over to look at the two kids, who recognized their father's friend and hopped up, throwing their arms around his neck, "Whoa there. Hey kiddos. Good to see you two too." The two giggled and sat back own in the booth as Derek looked to Chris and Carrington, "Good to see you two are enjoying yourselves. Maybe I can join you guys until--"

"Yo! Simons! We're about to go on!"

Derek sighed at the impatient call of the tech that ran the mics and such before he grinned at them, "Well, scratch that. Seems work calls. I'll catch up with you guys later." With that he was off, moving to the stage and setting up, adjusting the mic to his height and setting up his stool. Once he was all ready though, he began playing and singing, a smile on his face. The cafe was one mainly couples went to, so it made sense he woudl play one of the more romantic songs.

"Forever can never be long enough for me
To feel like I've had long enough with you
Forget the world now, we won't let them see
But there's one thing left to do

Now that the weight has lifted
Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me
Today and every day
Marry me
If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe
Say you will
Mm-hmm
Say you will
Mm-hmm

Together can never be close enough for me
To feel like I am close enough to you
You wear white and I'll wear out the words "I love you"
And you're beautiful

Now that the wait is over
And love has finally shown her my way

Marry me
Today and every day
Marry me
If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe
Say you will
Mm-hmm
Say you will
Mm-hmm

Promise me
You'll always be
Happy by my side
I promise to
Sing to you
When all the music dies

And marry me
Today and everyday
Marry me
If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe
Say you will
Mm-hmm
Say you will

Marry me."

A lot of people clapped when it was done and it left him grinning as he took a sip of water to continue playing on his guitar and singing different songs in the background, enjoying the job he had as always.

Samantha smiled and clapped when the song was done, speaking to really no one in articular, "Wow, that was a really great song. And sweet too. I'm surprised he's still playing here in the cafe and not on the big stage. I bet if a producer or someone like that heard him he'd be snatched up pretty quick." She took another sip of her drink and smiled at the two, "So, what do you two normally do besides buying out all the toy stores in town?" Which was half joking half serious as she really did want to know more about them and what they did on normal days.

"Daddy draws on people." Finny said, "And Auntie works on morals." Ada finished. Both beamed with happiness; they loved to talk about what their dad and aunt did for a living since both things were pretty cool to them.

Jamie hadn't taken his coat or scarf off since leaving his house, so none of his tattoos were visible. "They mean to say that I'm a tattoo artist." Jamie worked at a local shop called 'Ink or Die’; it was run by a very unassuming, petite woman with a big personality. The kids called her Aunt Candy and she usually helped Jamie babysit his kids from time to time. He'd known Candy (it was a nickname) since he was a junior in high school. She had been one of his few friends while in school and they both shared the same passion for art. It was actually Candy who introduced him to Gloria, his ex and the mother of his children. There were days that he helped Derek and the guys, since he had tattooed a few of them and got to know them.

"My sister works in a museum." Jamie said as Carrington swiped a cookie off of the plate and turned her attention to the band that was playing so the kids wouldn't see her eat the cookie. They had divided up the cookies evenly and their aunt stealing one would throw a wrench into their plans. "Don't you Cari?" Jamie lightly kicked his sister's shin under the table.

"Hm? Oh yeah - I work in a museum...well a few actually from time to time. I do murals for them and stuff like that." She explained as she took a sip of her still hot cocoa. "If they need a mural or just something painted to make an exhibit a hit, I do it for them." Her eyes never strayed far from the band. It was a wonder to her that Reinier never really talked about his brother or family much. He had wonderful parents and his brother was talented. She often talked of her family and their accomplishments so why didn't he talk about his? In the background she could hear the kids talking loudly about the stuff their dad did, who their Aunt Candy was and the times that they got to visit Carrington's work.

Jamie smiled and listened to his kids talk. They reminded him a lot of himself when he was a little kid.

"So are you the only worker at the toy store?" Jamie asked as he set his mug down on the table.

The kids had drifted to figuring out who ate the last cookie and his sister was smiling slyly behind her hand as she listened to the two children.

Samantha was a little confused when the children spoke, saying that their father drew on people and their aunt made 'morals'. But Jamie cleared that up, saying he was a tattoo artist and that their aunt worked on murals for a few museums. She smiled at that, "Wow, you two are really artistic then. That's really cool to have talents like that." She smiled at the two children brightly, "And I suppose you two take after your father and auntie?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. This made the children giggle more and share a glance with each other before Finny spoke.

"We make morals at home."

"Uh-huh." Ada confirmed with a happy nod of her head, "We put them on the walls just like Auntie does at the musem."

"Oh do you?" She said with a small laugh, glancing over at their father before looking back at them, "And, is that on a chalk wall? Or did you do them with something else?"

The two shared another glance execpt this one was a more sheepish look as the two looked to their father as well before they looked back to Samantha, Ada speaking quietly, "Well.......we drew in marker. And crayon. But Daddy says it will wash off and we should ask for paper next time."

Samantha smiled again, "Well, thats good. Paper is a lot better to draw on. You can draw them and then tape or pin them to the walls. That way when you get tired of one picture, you can take it down and put another one up." She thought for a moment and then grinned, "Hey, that's an idea. Why don't you two make me some pretty pictures on paper and I'll hang them up in the shop. It'll be nice to have such pretty art hanging on the wall." She said and took a few more sips of her drink, "Maybe next time you all com to the shop I can have some coloring pages for you as well." They seemed really excited about this, clapping their hands and nodding, making her giggle, "I'll take that as you guys like that idea. Okay, I'll print some out when I get home tonight and keep them at the store just for you two."

When asked about the toy store, she smiled and watched the two children discuss the heated topic of who stole the cookie from the plate before she looked back to him and shrugged, "Mostly. But I do pictures for weddings and stuff too, so when I'm doing that a friend of my father's come in and work during those times, but that's pretty rare." She rubbed the back of her neck, giving a sheepish smile, "I kind of own the toy store actually. So I have to be there a lot." She was surprised he hadn't figured out she owned it yet, considering the toy store was called Garretson's Toy Store and she had introduced herself as Samantha Garretson. But then again, the toy store had been there since she was a little girl so she guessed it would be a little difficult to piece that together.

"It keeps me really busy, but its fun too. I enjoy it." Between those two things she did, she barely had any time to herself, but that was okay. It kept her from thinking about things like her parents, or her years in the foster system, or about how....well....lonely things were when she did have time on her hands. Brushing a strand of blonde hair from her face she continued to smile at him, "You meet a lot of interesting people."

Looking down to check her watch, she frowned. It was getting late and she had to be up early the next day to do a wedding photo shoot, "Oh." She sighed and went to stand, "I have to get home. If it wasn't for that photo shoot I have scheduled for tomorrow morning I would be able to stay longer, but this couple wants pictures right as the sun is coming up." She smiled slightly and shrugged, "What can you do?" Picking up her drink, she smiled at the kids, ruffling their hair and kissing their cheeks, "It was so much fun hanging out with you guys." Then she looked to Cari and Jamie, her smile wide and her blue eyes bright, "Soooo, I'll see you later?"

The two adults seemed to be a little surprised that she owned she shop; they had assumed she was a niece of the late owners or something. The kids seemed disappointed that Samantha had to leave already but the kept quiet and didn't make a fuss like some kids would have. They were quiet kids until it came to singing, or trying to make music, then they became little sound monsters. They waved to Samantha and went back to drinking their cocoa and whispering to each other.

"It was nice meeting you, Sam." Cari said before taking another drink of her own cocoa. She watched her niece and nephew for a few minutes before checking her phone to see if Reinier had called. She had a bad habit of turning the ringer off and would miss calls like mad. He hadn't called her or sent her a text so she assumed he was busy with something.

Jamie smiled, "Yeah..See you later." He was always a little bit awkward around females in general. He sighed and turned back to his sister and kids before smiling slightly. "Did you two have fun?"

"Yeah!" Both of the kids said; each had a little hot cocoa moustache and Jamie couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright you three, I want a picture." Cari said as she pulled out her phone again. "Come on Jamie, smile this time!" The kids had climbed over to their dad and were sitting in his lap with large smiles on their faces. Jamie gave the camera a smile and soon Cari had enough photos. Maybe she could ask Samantha to do some family portraits. It had been years since their last one. Jamie had work tomorrow so Cari and Reinier were going to watch the kids before going over to Cari's parents' house for lunch. They hadn't met Reinier yet so tomorrow was going to be a big day for them.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Jamie asked as he helped Finny tie his shoes.

"Just thinking about stuff I need to get done for tomorrow." Cari smiled.

Jamie nodded and soon they decided it was time to leave when the kids were beginning to get sleepy.

Sam smiled when he said he would see her later and nodded, looking to Cari, "Nice meeting you as well. I'll see you both later. Come by the shop anytime. You'll most likely find me there." With that, she walked out of the cafe and down the road, to her house that was just a couple streets up from the toy store. It wasn't a huge house, but it had enough room for she and a few more people if she would like. In fact, it was the house she lived in as a child before her parents had died. After their death it had pretty much remained untouched considering in her parents will it stated everything they owned belonged to her, yet legally she couldn't have any of it until she was eighteen and out of foster care.

Once she had turned eighteen, she had a lot of work to o as the house had been very dusty and run down in those years it had been just sitting there. But, in six monthes, she had it good as new, and though it held so many memories that were both joyful and painful to remember, she couldn't bare to leave the house, clinging to the last bit of her parents she had.

Once she was inside, she was quick to get ready for bed, getting a shower, brushing her teeth and hair, getting in her pajamas, and finally laying down in her bed. Though, she didn't fall asleep right away. She layed there for a long while, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about all that had happened that day, mainly about Jamie and his kids though. Finally, after a while of laying there, she managed to lose her eyes and fall asleep.

...

Sam groaned when the wail of her alarm clock rang through her bedroom. Turning over she pressed the button on it before she got up and with a yawn went to get ready for the rest of the day. She fixed her hair, got dressed, put on her shoes, and all the other daily morning routines. Once she was ready, she took her car to the bridal store to pick up some things for another photo shoot, only to find the shoot had been canceled due to the bride to be getting sick, leaving her morning wide open.

So, with nothing to do, she decided she would go to the toy shop and take stock and such a little more. So, she went to the store and walking in, began shelving things and humming to herself, taking care of a few costumers who would come in an out. But even that didn't take very long to do and by noon she was done with that, giving a sigh and leaning against the counter, thinking back to yesterday. It all had come to her mind quite a lot since she left and she couldn't help but smile, "Well, maybe today will be just as good as yesterday." She said to herself. Giving a soft laugh, she stood up straight and popped a piece of candy from the county into her mouth, going about her business, trying to keep herself busy.

The next morning Cari had left her boyfriend in the hotel room they were sharing while she went to pick up her niece and nephew for the day. They were excited to see their aunt and they both briefly remembered the old times when their aunt lived with them and helped raise them. She was such a large part of her life that it hurt them terribly when she was gone. Last night she had talked Jamie into keeping their marker and crayon scribbles on the wall. It was a nice gesture and she had an idea that would turn those scribbles immortal.

"Mornin' Auntie!" They chimed as they grabbed their coats and put on their winter boots.

Jamie poured himself a cup of coffee, he offered some to his sister but she declined. "I forgot you don't like coffee." he said with a light chuckle. There were a lot of things that Jamie seemed to forget about her. He wanted to voice his opinions on her boyfriend and a few other issues but she seemed too happy and it had been a long time since he had seen her like that.

"It's fine." Cari said with a dismissive wave. "We're going to spend the morning with Reinier's mom until she has to go to work and then we're going to run some errands. Was there anything that you needed to have done by the time you get home from work?"

Jamie sighed and set his cup down on the counter before writing a simple list of things he needed to do for the day. His handwriting was little more than chicken scratch, but to his sister it was perfectly legible. When they were younger she often helped her brother with his homework. Looking at him, it was hard to believe that the tall man of an even six feet and well over two hundred pounds was ever so tiny. He had been a beanpole for most of his life, until puberty kicked in and he gained inches and pounds like a madman. Cari leaned against the counter as she studied her brother. He still had that same old t-shirt that their dad gave him? It was an old worn out band shirt, the band logo wasn't even visible anymore but she knew what shirt that was by heart. It was the Grateful Dead t-shirt that their dad got way back in the day. Jamie crossed his inked arms across his chest before leaning against the opposite counter.

"You know, the kids would love it if you moved back." he said finally. "They miss you Care Bear."

"I know, I miss them too but the museum is up there and I don't think I can transfer." She said with a loud sigh; the kids had been told to go get some clothes ready since they'd be staying the night with their aunt. Cari ran a hand through her red locks before looking at her brother again.

They fell into silence until Jamie looked at the clock on the wall and decided it was time for him to go to work. He hugged his sister before hunting his kids down and giving them hugs and goodbye kisses. "I'll see you guys later." He said before grabbing his coat and keys.

A little while later the kids were packed up and ready to go. Cari locked the door before taking the bags from the kids and putting them in her trunk. Finny and Ada quickly buckled themselves in before Cari checked to see if they were secure and when she was satisfied she drove back to the hotel to get Reinier.

~*~

"Hey Jamie."

Candy, the owner of the shop said as he passed through the doors. "Where's the kiddos?"

"Cari's watching them while I’m here." He said as he wriggled out of his coat. He put it in the small coat area before heading to his station to get everything ready for the day. "She's back in town for the month and the kids wanted to stay with her since she doesn't get to visit much." Jamie said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"She can always get a job down here, I'll hire her." Candy said as she swept a little. She knew the situation with his sister and Candy was more than accepting of Cari.

"I doubt she'll leave the museum....Or her boyfriend."[1]

~*~

Reinier's mom was more than thrilled to see the kids and she asked if they wanted to help her make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Cari offered to help but she declined the offer so Cari was sitting in the kitchen while Reinier was in the living room on his phone.

"Your son is an amazing singer." Cari said to Marie as she handed Finny and Ada the chocolate chips. "Derek was his name, right?"

Marie nodded with a large smile on her face. "He takes after his father. Richard loved music but he likes his job as a doctor more."

"You married a doctor?" Finny asked.

"Yes." Marie smiled warmly.

"Then why are there apples in the counter?" Ada pointed to the bowl of ripe red apples on the counter in a decorative bowl. Cari and Marie couldn't help but to laugh a little.

She excused herself so she could make a quick phone call. "Excuse me, is this the Garretson Toy Store?" Cari hoped that she had the right phone number.

--

1. So Jamie doesn't like Reinier in anyways really. I'll explain this later~

Things were going really slow today at the toy store, something that was surprising considering how close it was to Christmas and how parents would normally be flocking tot he store to get their children gifts by now. But then again, the day was early and most adults were at work while their kid was with a babysitter or at daycare. Still, it left Samantha bored out of her mind and wishing she had something, anything, to do during these not so busy hours of the day. Maybe she could blow up some balloons? Or maybe put on display(or in other words; test out) one of those really cool looking gaming systems she had in the back. That actually sounded really fun now that she thought about it. And so, with a grin on her face, she moved to the back of the store, going through the systems.

She went through a few of them whens he finally decided on the 3DS, bringing it up front and trying to figure out how to build the display stand the company had given her to keep people from stealing the sample product. She had sat down and worked on it for at least two hours before she finally had it up and ready to go, nodding to herself with a smile, "Okay, let's see how this thing works." She turned the thing on and saw that on the game was already a preloaded version of the Super Smash Bros for the system and smiled brightly now. he picked that game and began playing, getting really into all the fighting and such when her cell-phone in her pocket rang.

She cursed silently because that momentary distraction got her killed on the game and she sighed heavily, pausing it and looking at her cellphone. She had two cellphones(one was her personal hone and the other was the 'store phone' that she used for business matters. This time it was the store phone ringing and she answered it, hearing a voice on the other line ask if this was the toy store. She nodded and answered back to the woman on the other line, "Yes it is. We're open from eight in the morning until seven in the evening. What can I do for you?"

With a small sigh of relief, "Ah, I wanted to see if the store was open..."Cari laughed nervously to herself.” I didn't know the hours..." She rubbed the back of her head although the voice on the other end of the phone wouldn't see the action. "Anyways, thanks for letting me know the hours you guys are open. I'll stop by later today."

So...she was a bit awkward at talking on the phone. Soon she hung up with a simple goodbye and pocketed her phone before turning around and finding Reinier waiting for her. He smirked lightly and brought her into a hug.

"You know...I think we should leave the kids here for a little while and go somewhere." He suggested with a widening smirk. "What do you say?"

Cari sighed and pulled away from him. "Your mom might have work and I don't get to spend time with them."

Reinier's brows knit together and his jaw stiffened. "Aw but babe, come on...we haven't spent much time together since arriving here or even before that. You were always busy with work and now you're too busy with the kids." He pouted. Reinier might have been able to drag Cari into a different town, and he might have had a greater sway over her than she realized but she drew the line at her niece and nephew being turned into the bad guys.

"You know how I feel about not being able to spend time with you..."

"I'm not in the mood right now Reinier. I don't get to see Finny and Ada everyday like I get to see you. I helped raise them and this is the longest I've been away from them..." Cari said as she made a move to get back into the house.

Reinier growled and stomped his foot like a kid throwing a tantrum. "But Care...you talk to them all the time on the phone and you send them letters and drawings every other week. You even talk to them over-"

Cari usually had a crock pot type of anger - it took a long time for her to get pissed off but Reinier was really speeding the process along quite quickly. "I don't give a shit. I miss them and they miss me. I've told you countless times that they are both important to me."

"Even more important than your boyfriend?" He spat as he turned to face her.

"Yes."

Reinier was getting pissed off that those little brats were taking the attention away from him. He hated children and had suggested to Cari that she go on the pill or opt for a permanent form of birth control so they wouldn't end up having children. He sure in the hell wasn't going to wear protection; he didn't see why he had to. He wasn’t the one going to carry a child for nine months. Reinier knew how baby-making worked but he would always pin the blame on Cari if she were to get pregnant. "What did you say?!"

By that point the whole neighborhood could hear the screaming match, well it was a little more one-sided than anything else. Cari kept her voice low, at her normal speaking volume but her boyfriend was raising his volume at an alarming rate.

Inside Marie had ushered the kids upstairs to wash their hands for breakfast. They didn't need to be hearing the yelling going on, and as soon as Marie could, she would go and try to break up the two arguing outside.

This wasn't how the Christmas season was supposed to start.

Derek wasn't paying too much attention to his brother, Cari, or the kids at first. He was up in his room, half the time they were there sleeping, but the other half he had gotten up and went straight to work writing some more music for what he hoped would be a new song if it worked out well for him. He hummed slightly as he strummed his guitar and was writing down a few notes when he head the kids voices, as well as his mothers, coming up the stairs. Curious as to why that was, he set his guitar down and walked out into the hallway, and when he was out there he could hear why his mother was leading them up there. He could hear his brother's voice outside, yelling at the top of his lungs, and from the sound of it, it was him yelling at his girlfriend.

An annoyed and slightly angry look came to his face a he started down the stairs, calling up to his mom, "Keep the kids inside mom. I'm going to go remind my older brother how to act around here." With that, he was hurrying down the stairs, hearing Reiner yell at her some more.

"You WILL NOT say those kind of things to me! You're going to--"

Reiner didn't get to finish what he was saying because at that point, Derek had made it outside and was walking past Cari, keeping himself positioned in front of her as he spoke to hi brother, "Reiner, you need to chill out .Right now."

It was no surprise that when Derek stepped out to defend Cari that he got angry and stepped forward, "Mind your own business and go back inside! This is between me and my girlfriend, so get lost!"

"Between you and your girlfriend?" Derek questioned, "Really? Because it seems like its you again the whole town with the way you are yelling. Besides, that is no way you talk to your girlfriend. If dad was here and not still at work he would have whopped your ass for acting like that."

"Shut up!"

Reiner finally was getting tired of hearing Derek speak to him like that, went to shove him, which he tried to do, but Derek kept his balance and didn't stumble. Instead he stood up straight again after the shove, sizing up his brother, which was easily done considering he was an inch or two taller than Reiner. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt he turned him and soon had him in a headlock, keeping him there, "I said that's enough! You're going to go for a walk and chill out!" With that, he shoved hi brother forward, not hard enough to knock him down but enough to make him stumble, "And don't come back until that head of yours is cooled off!"

His brother seemed to have known he had lost this one and stalked off, walking own the street, mumbling to himself. Sighing Derek shook his head and turned to Cari, giving a sheepish grin, "Sorry about that. He was taught form the tie he was little how to treat women and that definitely was not it. Hopefully that will be a reminder for him."