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During the day Wednesday Elrod drops by Sammy's house.  "I was thinking we could take a drive.  If you're not tired of me being around yet?"

Sammy makes a face at him and says "Goofball.  Gimme a minute."  She gets her things and goes with him.

Elrod heads south out of the city, finding a chunk of highway and just driving.  He doesn't talk much, just drives and drapes an arm around Sammy.  It's a while before he does talk.  "How's your sister taking the news anyway?  She seemed okay last night.  But in the light of a new day things might look different."

"I think she's mostly ok.  A little jealous, maybe, and a tad miffed that she hadn't been told the truth earlier.  She figured out a long time ago that something was up; she just wasn't sure exactly what it was.  Finding out cleared up a bunch of questions she had.  She made me take her flying, but she got dizzy and sick so we had to come back quick.  It happens to her on roller coaster rides too."  She sips some hot chocolate through a straw.  "How are you doing?  This scared you, I can tell."

"Scared?  No.  SATs scared me.  My drivers test scared me.  My first time on stage scared me.  This ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped up and down on it.  I was going to just crawl into your bedroom last night and under the covers and never leave, but I figured your folks might have an issue with that."  he gives her a squeeze and sips some of her hot chocolate.  "What about you?  This shook you up too.  I'm not sure if I'm the person you want to unload about it to, but I'll always listen.  Even if I can't really know what it feels like.  You know?"

"Its good you didn't try.  You would have had to move my mom over to make room for all three of us.  She slept next to me in my bed last night; she hasn't done that since I was 6 and had some really bad nightmares."  Sammy rests her head on his shoulder.  "I'm okay though.  I didn't hurt anybody; I kept a lot of people from being hurt.  The only thing I regret is leaving to go to his house to keep him from getting his backup files.  I was going to keep him from going in until the cops had a chance to get there.  Then Sylvia let out an alarm... I almost didn't get back in time.  I was sure I wouldn't.  I almost did though -- I had enough time to protect the bus kids.  I just couldn't get there in time to keep Hamilton from lighting the gas.  Maybe I could've sucked all the air away to keep it from igniting, or maybe I could have contained it better, or shaped the explosion to reduce the risk to everybody else.  I dunno.  I did the best I could, so that'll have to be good enough.  Nobody died but him, and buildings can be fixed.  It could've been a whole lot worse."

"Four hundred kids showered in glass and shrapnel.  Yeah, it could have been a lot worse."  He drives until he has to turn around to get her back in time for dinner.  The conversation wanders to the tour this summer, if she will be okay with Rhys along.  Then college, and how things will change.  They talk about a lot of things, and nothing.  "You know, if you were old enough I wouldn't have stopped driving south, don't you?"

[conversation snippets] It'll be okay having Rhys... Jack will have to chaperone him and Alicia too though, because if they can get away with anything they want to do, that will feel totally unfair... [end snippets]

(re: driving south)
Sammy nods.

"I know.  I'm sorry," she whispers.  "I'll try to make it all up to you someday.  I promise."  She stares out the window at the passing countryside.  "If you want to have dinner with us again tonight, I'd like that.  Then maybe we could cuddle up and watch movies or listen to music and fall asleep on the couch together.  Its not perfect, but its something I think I can safely offer."

"It's not something you have to be sorry about.  And I'd like that too.  Of course, I'll have to go home eventually."  he smiles and they make the rest of the drive.

"Will you be able to go with me to visit Colin tomorrow?" Sammy asks.

Elrod nods.  "Sure.  We can go over there, I never know what the deal is with him.  Is he gonna be okay?"

"I hope so.  For all I know, he might just be waiting for the right person to tell him its time to wake up now."

They drive on quietly for a while, then Sammy asks "Does it bother you that I'm not ripping myself up over this?  I mean, I get freaked out over stupid shit all the time, you'd think this would have been more like putting a flame to gas--"  She flinches at her choice of words, but continues.  "I'm okay.  Once I knew everybody was safe, all I felt -- all I feel -- is relief.  Its done, and the guy who was going to hurt a bunch of people is really the only one who got hurt, and that was by his actions.  I'm really okay.  You've been around so much too; I always feel safe when I'm around you.  You're like my refuge from the world."

"I don't know the whole story.  All that I cared about was that you were okay.  I know I would have felt bad if any of the others had been hurt, but I only know them a little.  You, you're the one I was worried about.  After that, I just wanted to glue myself to you for a while.  I know we don't spend as much time together as other couples, which is partly my fault.  I have so many things going on, and I hate to think I'm crowding you.  Don't get me wrong, I'd take all the time I can get."

"If you want time, all you have to do is ask for it.  I'll let you know if I feel crowded."  She rubs his cheek with the back of her hand.  "I care that you're okay too.  Gluing yourself to me was a good remedy for both of us, so don't worry about it."

[OOC:  unless you have something to add, I'm done here.  The only additional thing would be visiting Colin, maybe.  Sammy is glad he has woken up, but isn't going to have too much that is interesting to say.]