Disclaimer: Not mine, Marvel's. Mine is mine though, so no takie with out my permission. Sorry for the long delay between parts...with any luck, part 13 will be out soon!

"So did you have fun today?" Tabitha asked Sami as she got her ready for bed.

"Yes! Sam is lot's of fun!" Sami bounced a little on the bed.

"You think so?" Tabitha asked, smiling softly.

"Uh-huh! He plays good games." Sami chirped, sitting still so her mother could brush her hair.

"Well, that's because he has eight little brothers and sisters." Tabitha told her daughter.

"Really? Have you meet them?" Sami asked, turning to face her mother.

"Um-hmm. I've met all of Sam's family." Tabitha explained.

"Are they nice?" Sami asked curiously.

"They are very nice. They would just love you, I'm sure." Tabitha said.

"I wanna met them." Sami said softly, her eyes beginning to droop closed.

"Maybe one day you will." Tabitha whispered against her daughter's hair. Sami was already asleep, though. Tabitha smiled and kissed her on the forehead, and then quietly got up to leave the room.

Tabitha walked directly into Sam as she was leaving the room. She jumped in surprise, and blushed slightly.

"Sam what are you doin' here?" Tabitha asked after she had regained her poise.

"Ah was....that is Ah was..." Sam stuttered, his face glowing bright red. Tabitha let a slow smile play across her face. (Guess something's never change.)

"Sam, I think we need to have a talk." Tabitha said, touching his shoulder softly.

"Ah think so too." Sam nodded in agreement.

Slowly, the two made their way toward the small den they had had their pervious conversation in. Sitting down in the same two chairs they had occupied this morning, they sat in silence for a few minutes. Tabitha was obviously waiting for Sam to go first.

"She's beautiful." Were the first words out of Sam's mouth. "And intelligent, and friendly, and just generally a wonderful little girl." He stopped there, tears filling his eyes.

Tabitha's lips trembled into a smile. "Thank you. She's...she's a lot like you are."

Sam put his hand up to his face, covering his eyes. "She looks some much like you. And she's almost as hyperactive as you, too." Tabitha could hear him grinning when he said that last part, but then the depressed tone came back. "Why did you bring her here?"

"I-I wanted her to have a chance to know her father." Tabitha whispered, tears filling her own eyes.

"I wish you hadn't." Sam whispered back, his voice full of raw emotion.

"Why?" Tabitha barely breathed the question, but Sam heard it anyway.

"Because...it just made it harder!" He exploded suddenly.

"Made what harder?" Tabitha couldn't stop the tears from slipping down her face anymore. (Oh God. He doesn't want anything to do with her...us. Oh god.)

"Made it harder to shut you out of my life." Sam whispered, tears splashing down his own cheeks.

Tabitha took a deep breath and asked, "Why do you need to shut me out of your life?"

"Because if I don't...I'll probably wind up killing myself." Sam wept, raising to his feet.

"Why?" Tabitha asked, her voice raw.

But Sam wouldn't answer her. Instead he began to pace, up and down the room. For several long minutes neither of them spoke. Finally though, Sam asked, "Does she know?"

"Does she know what?" Tabitha asked, wiping tears away with her hand.

"About me. Does she know Ah'm her father?" Sam asked, finally stopping in front of her.

Tabitha shook her head, the tears spilling down her cheeks again. Sam nodded in reply, dropping slowly to his knees.


"Don't...don't tell her." Sam whispered, forcing every word out like he had just condemned himself to death.

"Why not?" Tabitha asked, even though she already knew the answer. (I knew he wouldn't want anything to do with her!)

Or at least, she thought she knew that answer. "Because, if she doesn't know, maybe she'll have a better chance of avoiding the wakco's that come with mah line of work."

"What? I don't understand." Tabitha asked, her eyes widening.

"Think Tabitha! You've done this before. You know that their ain't one of mah enemies that wouldn't hesitate to use her or you against me." Sam told the distraught woman, reaching out to touch her hand.

"Oh. That hadn't even occurred to me." Tabitha whispered, her eyes growing huge at the thought of the danger her daughter was in, simply because she was their daughter.

Sam nodded. "She's in danger all the time, even though she doesn't even know that she is my daughter."

Tabitha began to shake as though she was cold. Wrapping her arms around herself tightly, Tabitha looked up into Sam's deep blue eyes. "She could be hurt, or kidnapped or even..." She couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Reaching out, Sam enveloped her in his arms, gently rubbing her back. They stayed like that for several minutes, before Sam pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Tabitha..." He whispered huskily, bending forward. His lips slowly, softly touched hers, sending thrills through her body. It was like the first time they had ever kissed, soft and sweet...and over far too soon.

A sudden scream cut through the air like a knife. A split second after, Tabitha knew who it was.

"SAMI!"

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