"So she isn't brain dead? Well that's news to me, I was starting to worry there for the last few years." Emillia says letting out a laugh.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Emi."

"Thank you, I thought it would tickle your sides." She says wiggling her fingers at me.

"If you don't stop I'm cutting your hands off. You know I can, you also know how." I tell her.

"Zip ties and a wire from under your car seat?" She asks.

"Yup."

"Brutal." She says before letting go and just standing there while everybody just looks at us.

"New book." I tell them.

"Ohhh..." they all sound off in unison.

"You my darling are twisted." Sam says kissing my hand. "Well to be a writer of thrillers and Mysteries I have to be. But I'm a total kitten anywhere else in my life." I tell him.

"I thought you were a unicorn and I was a cow." Emi says smartly.

"I like unicorns." Sam says. "All those rainbows and sparkles just suit you so well." He says chuckling but trying to keep it in.

"Awww!" I turn to find Jack with his hands over his mouth still making the aww sound.

"Don't mind me, keep going." He says wiping at his eyes.

"I don't know about you but I, do not, plan on being their novela." I tell Sam.

"Would you guys give us a minute?" Sam asks.

"A literal minute or like a bunch of minutes?" Emi asks.

"Emillia..."

"Right, okay, a don't come back kind of minute." She says giving me a thimbs up and smiling before leaving with Jack on her heels. Mom and Dad kiss my forehead then head out with my siblings, so now we are all alone.

"So, that was awkward." Sam says chuckling.

"Horrifyingly so." I laugh.

Sam smiles some more and I take this moment to admire it. His smile could slay a million dragons and one guarded unicorn.

"What?" He asks after a while of just letting me stare.

"Your rather handsome." I tell him rubbing my hands on the blankets trying to get rid of the whole sweaty palms thing. It kills the mood when you feel like your touching a slimy slug rather than someone's hand.

"Well your..." he pauses....

PAUSES!!

"I can't find a word to describe your beauty..." he says smoothly.

OH COME ON!

You stupidly perfect man! How could I be mad at you in a million years?

Not that I am, I'm just saying that it's impossible!

"I don't know who you are or honestly care because right now you are somewhere between Captain Picard, and a man of even more myth such as Porthos, you make me want to hug you." I tell him exasperated. 

Did I say that out loud?

"In a good way I hope?" He asks.

"Very good." I tell him covering my face embarrassed by my own words wishing I could just take them back.

"You are so shy." He says caressing my cheek trying to calm me down and move my hands all at once. He places his hands over mine and pulls my hands from my face and kisses them both before taking my face in his hands.

He leans in slowly pulling me gently into his inviting lips. I push myself further into his and wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closely gasping as he lands on my wounds but not letting him go as I relish in our first kiss. He smiles into it as she slowly pulls away making me whine a bit at his absence. "I'm not sure what I might do if we don't stop." He tells me smiling.

Where is my rational? my cynicism? my walls?  

"What if-" he smiles and stops me from speaking with a soft finger placed on my lips. "Another time." He says kissing me again lightly and irritatingly chased...

"Fine." I say pouting slightly.

He simply chuckles sliding smoothly back into a short conversation.

When I finally get released from the hospital a few weeks later Sam, Jack and Emillia all take me to Jack's apartment. Jack parks in the underground garage and Sam walks me slowly to the elevators as Jack helps Emillia with my bags. I lean into Sam as the elevator takes off and he smiles kissing my forehead.

"So how long do you plan on staying?" Emillia asks looking over her shoulder at me. I snuggle just a little closer to Sam. "Who knows." I say sighing.

"Have you heard anything from your police friend, Jack?" Sam asks an arm snaking around my waist holding me close. "They found nothing, no trace of the guy even being there, I mean besides August." He says nodding towards me.

"They need to find him..." I tell them shaking slightly but Sam just pulls me closer his arms wrapping around me his hand soothingly in my hair just messaging in a way that makes me sleepy rather than scared.

what has happened to my old self who was terrified? Who couldn't bare the thought of being touched.

Sam leads me into the apartment after Jack used his thumb print to get into the apartment. Jack then entered Sam, Emi and I into the system so we can come and go as we please. Sam and I are sitting on the couch with Sam not leaving my side and me honestly not minding.

Emi watches us closely as Jack starts cooking something that smells amazing!

"May I help you miss stares-a-lot?" I ask Emi.

"Yes, yes you may," she says leaning forward. "What happened? You are all cuddly and goody, goody, what happened to the guarded little trekie I once knew? Did you guys do something in that hospital?" She asks point blank.

"I kissed her." Sam says smiling proudly. "Oh you did, did you?" She asks like she's talking to a puppy. "Well I'm curious to find out what August' s dad will think of this whole...cuddle time." She says smirking as she waves her hand at us.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh I would sweet little unicorn, I would." She tells me her evil side coming forth.

"You cow!" I tell her.

"I've been called worse by my grandma!" She laughs throwing a pillow at me.

"Your grandma's mean though." I say shuttering as I remember the first and last time I met her. She accused me of being a hussy and a gold digging Kiki which apparently meant she thought I was in a relationship with Emillia...

Yeah I like guys more.

"She really is, remember the time she called you a lesbian who wanted me for my money?" She laughed holding her chest as though she couldn't breathe.

"Yeah, she isn't." Sam says kissing my cheek almost low enough to be considered my neck. I feel a jolt of excitement rush through me like a lightning bolt and I want more but Sam simply pulls away and rests back into the couch.

"Jerk." I mumble starting to pout.

"I think she wanted more." Jack says coming into the room and up behind Emi. He leans down kissing her cheek. Emi squeals and jumps up before Jack holds his hand out and leads her to the kitchen and finally out of our way.

I turn fully to Sam and he looks up at me as I lean down capturing his lips.

"August..." He tries through the kiss.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Not too fast. I'm not sure what I might do." He says his hands grabbing my waist. "I don't want you to get hurt." He tells me causing me to stop my assault on his neck to look into his eyes.

"Ok." I lean my head against his and he sighs.

"Lets wait, please." Sam says his hand running up and down my back and waist so easily as he kisses me slowly trying to get what he wants and not excite me or himself as he does.

I feel like a whole new person...the old me wouldn't have even contemplated being with a man... 

"Dinners ready!" Emi yells making me pull away but not fully from Sam. "I'm starving." I tell him shifting off him and standing taking his hand and leading him to the large dining room just off the kitchen. I survey the food as Sam sits next to me taking my hand under the table.

"So what do you want now that your blackmailing me?" I ask Emillia as she cuddles into Jack's side as though it wasn't the same thing I was doing with Sam.

"Well I mean that's a good question, maybe something like I won't tell your parents if you don't tell mine." She says looking slightly afraid of them knowing. "And food, for..." she contemplates. "A week." She says smiling.

"Really? A week? That's the best you've got?" I sigh. "Fine deal." I tell her.

Emillia's parents would probably be cool with Jack, and mine were with Sam but probably not the whole his lap was my moble chair thing, they've never done anything that would ever hurt Emi or I our families have always been amazing. We were adopted from the same orphanage and our new families were friends, so we got to see a lot of each other. She changed her last name and I changed my full.

I start eating Sam joining in while I watch Jack holding Emi in his lap rubbing soothing circles in her back and looking up into her eyes like he never wanted anything but this moment right here.

I turned to Sam and when I saw that same look in his eyes I took a deep breath and held it for a moment. "What's wrong?" Sam asks leaning closer his hand on mine. "Nothing at all." I tell him smiling.

After dinner Sam, Jack and Emi decided to stay the night. Sam in a guest room and Emi slipping through Jack's door wasn't suspicious at all!

I laid in bed and close my eyes trying to sleep but I can't...I'm remembering and I don't want to...

I lie in the bed for what seems like hours as I listen to the clock on the wall tick tock.

I start to drift slowly.

"Auggie, we're going to be late for our reservations." Rex calls.

"I'll be right there Rexxie!" I yell snickering at how much he hates being called that.

I rush down the stairs smiling widely. I still haven't told him who I was but now I am! I trust him! I reach the front door and he smiles. "You look beautiful." He tells me kissing my lips. "We need to go now." He says taking my hand. We get in the car and he takes off.

"Happy 1 year anniversary!" We say to one another as he raises his champagne and I raise my sprite. I don't drink and he knows it.

"So what was so important it had to wait?" He asks taking my hands. "I'm a writer you know that..." "Yeah and?" "I write under the pin name of Erin Sannes." I tell him. His eyes bug out. "Seriously? She's my favorite writer!" He says starting to make a scene. He asks me all through out dinner about my books and I become tired of it.

On our way back home Rex doesn't take me home. He takes me to his house. I question but he doesn't answer. "Rex your scaring me..." I say as he walks around with a scary smile the rain starting to pour down on us.

"Come on in." He says opening the door. It looks more inviting than the rain.

I walk through the door and look around the house I've been in so many times and relax a little. "Why didn't you take me home?" I ask turning towards him but getting no response. He just stands there. I'm confused but I brush it off heading for the kitchen.

An arm wraps around me and I squeek but when a rag that smells sweet is placed over my mouth and nose and I realise what's happening I've gone limp...

I wake up in darkness my hands and feet tied to a bed. I try to scream but there's a gag in my mouth. My navy blue sparkly dress has been ripped but not removed I'm a little more comfortable knowing that.

"Hello my beautiful." He says crawling onto the bed next to me from the shadows. He caresses my cheek and then I feel it...the sting of his slap. I gasp. Rex has never hit me!

"What a beautiful red." He says smiling wickedly.

I watch as he slowly pulls out his knife making me flinch as he runs it slowly across my cheek not drawing blood.

"You are going to love this." He tells me smiling.

His knife starts cutting and at the moment I can't feel it but soon the pain is excruciating.

I let out a scream trying to get away, his hands working, making drawings all over my stomach as though I were just a canvas.

I let out another scream sitting straight up in bed the pain in my stomach so real so...new...

I lift my shirt and see the scars are just that and I'm okay. I'm in Jack's apartment I'm okay. The door bursts open and my three friends are all there Sam rushing to my side looking me up and down his hands running over my cheeks and running down my arms his eyes filled with worry and fear.

"I'm okay." I tell him not wanting anyone near me but when he lays his head on my chest his arms going around me and I stiffen as I try to pull away. "I'm okay Sam."