Sam and Derrick (Part 3)

The Drive to the lake was rather content between Sam and Derrick. Both were enjoying each others company, though neither one would have admited it.

"Ahh, it's a beautiful day today", Sam said as Derrick parked the jeep.

"Yeah it is. You ready?"

"After you!"

Derrick lead Sam down the dock and stop in front of a royal blue racing boat with yellow racing stripes on each side of the boat. "Well here it is." Derrick said as he raised his hands to the side and brought them back down.

"Wow, your dad really knows how to pick em."

"Don't I know it", Derrick said grinning.

"Damn you can see that thing for miles!"

Derrick's only answer was a giant grin.

Sam turned to a grinning from ear to ear Derrick, "Oh wipe that smile off your face, i'm done feeding your ego Parker."

Still grinning Derrick stepped down in to his boat and held is hand out to Sam, "My Lady."

"Oh give me a break." Sam rolled her eyes and took Derrick's hand. She relaxed on the seat on the back of the boat as the boat took off with Derrick at the wheel. Sam closed her eyes and focused on the wind blowing though her hair as Derrick sped the boat up. Sam opened her eyes and studied the scenery around her.It was easy, she supposed, to feel totaly and utterly relaxed as if nothing else matter at that moment in time.

"You wanna Drive?"

Sam snapped out of her trance and looked at Derrick. "Huh?"

Derrick Chuckled and slowed the boat down to about 5mph, "Do you wanna drive?"

"Me?"

"No the girl behind you. Yeah You."

" I don't know to drive."

"It's easy, come on i'll teach you."

She gave him a weary look.

"Oh come one Jackson, don't get your pannies in a bunch", he nealy laughed.

Sam just wrinkled her nose, "Ok, but when you end up diving over board head first, don't come complaining to me." Sam rose and walked to stand beside Derrick.

"Ok you wanna, hold the steering wheel with your left hand here, and put your right hand on the throttle here." Derrick said moving Sam's hands and placing his over hers so that he stood behind her.

"You wont let go will you?"

"I wont let go." Sam glanced at him from over her shoulder and looked at him. "I promise, I wont let go, Scout's Honor." He said raising his fingers and Grinning. Derrick replaced his hands over hers, "Ok now just hold the wheel steady and slowly push the throttle foward," the boat slowly started moving, "and now we're off!"

Sam felt her heart jump as the boat thrusted forward, 'I'm doing it, I'm actually driving!"

"I told you it was easy, " Derrick said grinning. Sam glanced over her shoulder and returned the grin.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon taking turns driving , although Derrick really did most of the driving as Sam insisted that he not let go of her whenever it was her turn to drive, although he really doubted that she needed him. But the more he thought about it, even though he wasn't about to admit it, he enjoyed the body contact with her.

It was weird, Derrick thought as he and Sam munched on the lunch that she had packed, he couldn't remember the last time that he had spent the whole day grinning and really enjoying his time with someone else and with SAM of all people. But as weird as it felt, it came almost natural, and that was kinda scary. Derrick pushed his thoughts away and looked at Sam. "You enjoying yourself?"

Sam smiled and swallowed the bite she had just taken, "Yeah, I'm having a blast. I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun. Thanks for inviting me." Weird, sam thought and smiled at Derrick.

"You about ready to go?, looks like a storms comming in." Derrick shoved the remainder of his sandwhich in his mouth.

"Yeah", Sam said and looked at the sky, I guess we should get going." They packed up what was left of the lunch and Derrick started the boat.

"You wanna take us on home?"

"Your just trying to get us killed aren't you?"

"Oh come on your doing great!"

Sam just rolled her eyes and stood in from of Derrick. "Don't let go."

"Don't worry, I wont." With that Sam put the boat it to gear an sent the boat running across the lake. Sam was so wrapped up into driving that she didn't notice the way Derrick slowly lifted his hands off hers, and placed them on her hips. It was only when Sam had turned the boat off after following Derrick's Directions to dock it that she noticed he had let go.

"Hey you let go!" Sam turned around to face Derrick and put her hands Directly above Derrick's

"Yeah, I did and you did perfectly fine without me."

Sam's eyes went wide, "Hey I did didn't I. " . She unconscienously placed her hands on derrick's chest and grinned. Sam looked at her hands and looked down and finally saw Derrick's hands on her hips. Derrick did the same and when it registered that they were embraced, they qucikly dropped there hands.

"Well, um I guess we should get going, wouldn't want to get rainned on," Sam said, not quite knowing what to do with her hands.

Derrick rubbed his neck, "Yeah I guess we should, " he looked up at the sky, to keep from looking weird, looks like the sky might open on us any second." With that they set out picking all the stuff up they had brought, tied the boat up, and walked to the Jeep.

The ride home started out somewhat ackwardbut buy the time Derrick pulled into his driveway, they were both laughing and singing to the radio. They quickly jump out and put the cover on his Jeep.

"There we saved it from the rain!" Sam smiled.

"Yeah we did, the last time it rained, I forgot to put the cover on and I was vacuming water out this damn thing for weeks!" Derrick put his hand on the door and looked at sam.

They suddenly grew quiet as they realized they were standing really close together. "I um had a great time today, " Sam said and intertwind her hands together.

"Yeah uh I had a great time too, maybe uh..," just then he felt rain drops on his skin.

"Well I had better get going, before we both get rain on."

"Yeah, I guess you better." Derrick gave her a small smile and looked back at his jeep. "Oh here you forgot this", he said and reached into the back seat and pulled out her bag.

"Thanks" Sam said as she took it and put it on her shoulder. "I guess i'll see ya later?"

"Yeah, uh, see ya." Derrick gave her a small smile before she back up and turned around.

He sighed as he watched her walk to her front porch and returned a wave when she turned and waved to him before disapearing into her house. "Man, what a day, what a day" Derrick said and ran his hands over his face. He looked at Sam's front door a second more before grabing his own bag and trucked inside.


Sam shot up in her bed when a loud boom of thunder clashed in the night's sky. She shuddered as lighting lit up her room. Sam could here the raining punding down on her house and swallowed. She looked at her table clock,it read 9:00pm, and slowly made her way out of her bed and down the hall to her bathroom. She went to the bathroom and then washed her hands and face. As Sam shut of the light and walked into the hallway she nearly screamed, "Holy Shit Derrick, You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry I didn't mean to."

"What the hell are you doing here!?"

"I wanted to see if you we alright. I mean I know how you are with storms so I just want to make sure you were ok."

"Well you came over here for nothing cause I'm perfectly fine, now go away and scare someone else!" Sam said as she turned to stomp away.

"Sam wait, I said I was sor.. Damn it Sam fucking your shaking, you're far from being fine" Derrick said when he grabbed her arm.

Sam wrenched her arm out of his grasp, "I'm fine, now just go away, I don't need a fucking hero!"

"Sam", he said as he took her arms in his hand, "I'm not trying to be, I just wanted to see if you were alright, and from the looks of it" he ran his thumb over her trembling bottom lip," your not."

Sam looked into his eyes,"Derrick" she sighed as she place her arm on his chest and felt wet material, "Derrick, your soaked!" Realization dawned on her as she finally noticed his drooping hair. "Your gonna catch a freaking cold, come on lets get you out of these wet clothes."

Derrick opened his mouth to say something but she was dragging him down the hallway before he could get a word out.

Ten minutes later Derrick walked into Sam's room dressed in a pair of her dad's shorts and a t-shirt. "I left my wet clothes hanging up on the shower rod, hope that's ok?"

"Huh?" Sam turned away from the window, "Oh yeah, yeah that's fine." She gave him a small smile. "Well at least you wont freeze to death" She said as she rubbed her own arms.

"No, but you look like you might." Derrick said as he stepped toward her.

Sam turned back towards the window, "I'm fine." she said, not sure who she was trying to convince.

"Sam."

"I told you I'm fine!" Sam said but her words seemed stuck in her throat and came out in a bear whisper; her body seemed to shake even more when she felt Derrick place his hands on her shoulders.

She squeezed eyes shut and flinched as a boom of thunder and lightining lit up the sky and rocked her room. Sam opened here mouth to say something but all that came out was a small gasp as she was turned and enveloped in Derricks arms.

"Please Derrick make it go away, please make it go away."

"I'll try baby, i'll try. Just listen to me, just put all your focus on me, it's all me Sam, i'm here, it's all me" Derrick said into her hair. He bent down and picked her up under her knees and carried her shaking body to her bed. He sat down with his back against the head board and held her on his lap close to him.

"It's gonna be alright, i'm here now, it's gonna be alright." Derrick held her close alternating from rubbing her back to softly stroking her hair. He whispered soft little nothings into her hair trying to get her trembling body to still. It seemed like forever but he sighed when he finally felt her little body stop shaking. He could her her soft breathing and new that she was asleep. Derrick kissed her hair and looked towards the window. The storm had calmed to a soft rain. Watching the rain his eyes grew heavy and he feel asleep.

Derrick stirred in his sleep and opened eyes to see the table clock read 12:00 am. He suddenly felt a void and turned his head to see Sam not on his lap but on the edge of the bed looking out the window. "Hey."

Sam turned her head and gave him a small smile, "Hey".

Derrick moved down the bed to sit beside her, "You been up long?"

Sam shook her head, "No, half hour maybe. I tired not to wake you. I'm sorry if I did." She turned her head back to the window.

"No, your fine. I'm a light sleeper anyway." He looked at Sam. He felt the urge to say something but no words came to mind so he turned and starred out the window and a moment of silence passed between them.

"You know" Derrick turned his head when her heard her speak, "I remember that night just as clearly as if it happened yesterday, I mean I knowI was only four, but it still stands so vividy in my mind. I had my hopes on getting a great big bowl of ice cream after dinner. My dad had promised me earlier that day that I could have some since I had been such a good girl getting my shots at the doctor. I remember the weather. It was nice and warm with a hint of spring wind, however there were some big ugly black storm clouds in the distance. Mom said that maybe Dad should't go out becuase it looked like it was going to storm and that we could get ice cream tomorrow, but I was so persistent that daddy had promised me I could have ice cream tonight. I remember dad saying, that he would be alright and he would bring his "pumpkin" her ice cream; he gave mom and I a kiss and said he'd be back in 30 minutes, 15 to, and 15 back. I know I was only four but when it comes to ice cream I knew exactly how long that was. I remember sitting and waiting by the front window on the couch alternating from looking at the driveway and the clock and watching as each minute ticked by. It couldn't have been more the 10 or 15 minutes after he had left that the sky just seem to open up and pour buckets and bucket of rain. The sky had turned black and there were loud sounds making our house shake and big bright lights that lit up the sky. Mom told me to move away from the window said that it wasn't safe eing so close to a window durring a storm. I remember saying that "Daddy has windows in his car will he be ok." She said that he would be fine and that a car was probably the safest place to be durring a lightning storm. "Sigh." After 30 minutes I went up to my mom, who was in the kitchen and told her that the big hand was on the 6 and Daddy wasn't how yet. She told me not to worry that he probably got stuck in a little traffic and that he would be home soon. I remember the look of worry pass on her face even as she smiled at me. I remember the clock reading 15 minutes till, when the power went out. I remember screaming when a giant burst of thunder shook our house, I remember yelling I want Daddy, where's Daddy . Mom held me and told me that everything was going to be ok and that daddy was going to be home soon, he probably just had to pull off of the road because it was storming so bad. I remember holding onto a bear that my Dad gave me while my mom held me. I remeber shaking and squeezing my eyes tight telling my mom "I don't like the dark, I don't like the loud noises please mommy make them go away, i'm scared, I want Daddy. She just kept trying to consol me telling me that it would go away and that Daddy would be home soon, he will be home soon." A tear rolled down her cheek and she opened her eyes, not realizing she and been holding them shut, when she felt a hand come over hers. She looked down and saw Derrick's hand over her clenched ones. Sam swallowed. "I don't know how long mom sat there and held, could've been hours. I remember being held and then seeing lights come in through the window. I remember jumping up, saying "Daddy's home" and running to the door. Mom told me to wait but I threw open the door. But my Dad wasn't there. Instead stood two men in blue uniforms. I remember asking them where's my Dad but mom dragged me away from the door before they could answer. She told me to wait in the kitchen. When she closed the door and came into the kitchen she was crying. I remembe saying "Mommy what's wrong, where's Daddy, when is he comming home?" She got down on her knees in front of me and told me, "Pumkin, Daddy wont be comming home." I asked her what she meant and she told me that he was going to heaven. I asked "But why" and shook my head, "He's suppose to be here with me. I don't want him to go away, Heaven means he wont come back. I don't want him to go away. I don't want him to go away. It's my fault Daddy wont come home. I sent him out there, It's all my fault, all my fault. " Sam choked her last words and closed her eyes trying to remember and wish away the memories all at one time, tears feely falling from her face. She felt Derrick pull her into his lap and cried silently into his chest.

Derrick didn't say anything, he just held her and stroked her back and her hair.

After awhile when the tears had slowed and she found her voice again she spoke, "I found out later that Dad had made it to the ice cream store and was on his way home when he hydroplaned on a puddle and over steared into on comming traffic. Him and a SUV had a head on collision and he died on impact." Sam took a deep breath. "I blamed myself for a long time after that. Mom was always telling me that it wasn't my fault and that things happen even when we don't want them to. Sometimes I still blame myself even though I try not to and I think mom blames me even if it's only a little bit." She paused and staring at the wall. "I've never told anyone that before," she sat up, placing on hand on Derrick's chest and looked in his eyes as if searching for something," So, why'd I tell you?"

No words formed in Derrick's mind he just looked at her tear stained face and felt his heart wrench. He reached up and wiped at the tear falling down her cheek,"I don't know" he whispered.

Sam said nothing and laid her head back on his chest. Silence passed between them as the rain softly drizzled and the wind whispered outside.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Please."

Derrick picked her up and moved to the top of the bed. He laid Sam down and then laid down beside her, pulled the covers over them and pulled her in his arms. No other words were passed between them as the laid there. Derrick stared at the wall over she shoulder, allowing her words to trouble him; trying to make a small since of anything that had happened with in the past couple of hours, within the past couple of days, but nothing came to him, nothing seemed to make since. All he knew was that holding her like this, on this night, in this moment, felt right. With this in mind, he joined Sam and slowly drifted off to sl