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Sammy made her way into the auditorium.  The dancers were in their costumes and doing some warm ups.  One of the music teachers was trying to fill in for Torrance.  She was getting less evil glares from the girls.

Nick was backstage, practicing a stand up routine in the mirror near the changing rooms.  It was centered around being a teen aged boy in America and trying to explain it to your parents.  It needed work, but Sammy could feel that the right audience might be rolling in the isles from it.

Lurking in the shadows, Sammy leans against a stack of boxes and listens quietly to his routine.  Then he says something that makes her laugh out loud, loud enough to get his attention. With a guilty yes-you-caught-me-watching-you smile, she steps forward and says "Its good to know you had a backup routine ready in case I couldn't perform.  Maybe I ought to just sit this one out and give you the whole stage."

Nick smiles, "After all the work and heart ache we put into this show?  Not a chance lady.  You ready?  The costume ladies are all in a buzz about your outfit, so we should get dressed and on stage."  Nick steps a little closer and lowers his voice.  "I heard El was better, I'm glad to hear that.  Rumor at school is that Torrance was some kind of psychic chick that was screwing with people's heads.  She told all kinds of people that she wanted Elrod, so people are starting to think this whole sordid mess was some kind of really overly high-school complicated scheme of hers to get him."

Sammy looks quickly around then takes a step even closer.  She nods to confirm the rumor that Nick has heard.  "Yeah," she whispers.  "I'm pretty sure she was behind the car accidents this morning too.  She's been behind a lot of things.  The police are involved now, so maybe it'll all get figured out."

She takes his hand, gives it a squeeze, then lets it go again.  "We should go get into costume."

The pair go back to the dressing rooms and get into makeup and costume.  It's a labor of love for the drama folks, with cursing and last minute pinning and quick stitching by hand to make sure it fits just right.

Nick yells over the partial walls separating them, "Hey the AV gang wants to record the show and some of the science kids want to rig up a web cast so Elrod can see it live.  You mind?"  There are murmurs about how that's a good idea all over the back stage area.  "The AV guys feel really bad about what happened, so maybe this would be a nice way of making them feel they don't have to spend the rest of the year looking over their shoulders."

Sammy calls back over the wall "Do you mean the rehearsal?  Or tomorrow's show?  Or both?"  For some reason this doesn't sit as easily with her as it should.  Am I afraid of another slap from Torrance?  Or is it something else?  Like kissing Nick when I know Elrod is watching and wondering?  I do mind.  But acting like there's something to hide would be worse.   So she says, "Doesn't matter.  I don't mind," and tries to make herself believe it.

"They were talking just the performance."

It's a few more minutes before they're ready, and as Sammy is getting pinned into her dress she sees John on the far side of the auditorium, through the open curtain.  He's mostly in shadow, but the light is falling on him in a way that almost makes him look like he's wearing a cape.  He's standing with his arms across his chest, the look on his face is so serious as he scans the room.  It's hard to imagine him ever really relaxing.  He stops when he sees her and smiles.  It's a reassuring smile, maybe not happy, but content.  He's useful maybe, doing the thing he feels he's good at.

Sammy beams a broad smile back at John, and remembers the trick her mom pulled at the police station.  She imagines a long, long horn shaping the space and the sounds between her lips and John's ear, then faintly whispers "My hero.  Thank you John." into her end of it.

Then she's forced to spin around like a windup ballerina on the top of a jewelry box so that the costumers can admire their work.  The swirl of her dress makes her laugh in delight.

Rehearsal goes well.  Nick and Sammy perform their number with all the steps and music.  Even the dancers managed to do their routine without any problems.  Near the end when everyone is back into regular cloths the principal comes in and has everyone gather around.

"You guys have worked hard for this, and it's going to be great.  Ticket sales were phenomenal this year and we wont have any empty seats if everyone that bought a ticket shows up.  So, get some rest and be back here tomorrow to knock'em dead."

As everyone is heading home John comes to walk with Sammy once Nick and the others have all said goodnight and gone on there way.  "Rehearsal looked good."

Sammy is still a bit revved up from the performance, and this energy leaks out in the form of the bounce in her step as she walks along side of John.  "Thanks!" she says cheerily, "And thanks for showing up tonight.  It made me feel a whole lot safer up there."  She gives him a sisterly one armed squeeze around his waist and lets go.  "Want to go to Tasty Dog and help me get some food for Elrod?  I said I'd try to smuggle something in to him this evening if I could."

John returns her hug with an arm across her shoulders.  "Sure, even though I know in my mind that hospital food is good for you, I'm also told it makes up for health benefits with it's lack of taste."

"OK, Doc, you can help me figure out something good that'll be good for him.  If his folks are there in his room, you can make the delivery too since I'm still likely to be shot on sight.  You on the other hand have that whole clean-cut scholar-athlete thing going for you." She shoots him a sidelong look, and a smile plays around her lips.  "If you're ready for that flying lesson, we can do surveillance through his window.  Only three stories up, and already at a hospital if you decide that falling is easier than flying -- not that I'd let you fall.  Not on purpose anyhow.  I don't need to be blamed for another boy being admitted to the hospital."

I'd like that.  I want to get over my whole fear of heights thing."

That stops Sammy dead in her tracks.  She spins to look at him and with a smile as big as Texas she says "Really?!  You mean it?  You're willing to try?  Ohmigod John, you're going to love it, its sooooooooo much fun!"  The happy little camper leads him into Tasty Dog and places a big carry-out order to share between herself, John, and Elrod.

Food in hand the pair leave and head to the hospital.  "I know the fall wont kill me, it's just the whole heights thing goes way back and I've never had a chance to get over it."

"Huh.  OK.  We can work with that.  We can prove you can fly first, without you being too high off the ground.  Or I can prove I can hold you up first, so that you don't have to think about anything except flying and getting past the fear.  Or, I could just let you hold on to me as tight as you need to, then take you up  a little bit at a time and let you look until we get too high and you need to stop.  I know you're strong," she says to forestall any protest, "but I think I might be able to put up an air wall around myself to keep you from hurting me if you panic.  On the other hand, if you're worried enough about hurting me, you might quit worrying so much about how high up you are.  Its all up to you.  I won't make you do anything you don't want to do.  I'm just the safety net who would really like to have a flight buddy without any squicky motives.  Donnie's dragons are all in love with Sylvia when they aren't planning for uber-magical offspring between me and him.  Makes me feel like a prize mare."

"Prize mare."  John says softly, "I don't want any additional details on that subject, thanks."  After a few moments.  "If you can just take me along, that might help a lot.  Maybe the fun and excitement of it will help me overcome the sense of dread."

"OK," she says.  She walks along quietly beside him for a few minutes.  "Heard anything from Megan?  I asked somebody to do some digging, but with all this Torrance stuff, it wasn't my first priority and I haven't had a chance to check back."

"I got an email the other day.  She said she misses us but it's great over there and she's already met some people that she'll be at school with.  She was going to ask her mom about the sudden move, she wasn't sure her father would be willing to talk about it, and her mom I guess is a little more in the know about what we were doing here and stuff.  I'm waiting to hear back on that.  She also mentioned that there was a get together with all the cheer squad the first Saturday after Torrance took over.  They all went to Torrance's place and had some Margaritas.  Now Megan is worried that maybe Torrance did something to her and the other girls while they were there."

"We can check.  If something was done, we can tell her so she can get it fixed.  I'm glad you heard from her though; it had to have helped some.  At least you don't have to worry as much for a while, now that you know she's okay."  She puts her free arm around John's waist again.  "I bet this food is starting to get cold.  Want to fly the rest of the way?"

"Faster if I run."  He takes a deep breath.  "But now is as good a time as any to fly."

"You can run if you want to," Sammy says, turning so that her body completely faces his, "or you can trust me."  Her hands are positioned to either side of his waist.  "Rest your hands on my shoulders," she says, "and look in my eyes."  She hears Nick's voice in her head from the first time they rehearsed on stage in front of a group of people.    Don't look down at the stage, don't look at them out there, just look at me.  "Don't look down at the ground, don't look at the trees, just look at me, my face, and my eyes.  OK?  Here we go."

She weaves a cushion of air around him and slowly lifts the pair a short distance off the ground.  She flashes a smile at him.  "OK?"

John doesn't speak, he just nods slowly.  Sammy can feel the tension in his muscles, like he's poised for action.  His breathing is steady, and at this proximity Sammy can't help but feel how warm he is.

Sammy laughs again.  She moves closer to hold him a little tighter to try to offset his tension and to make sure she has a grip on him if he panics.  "Nice! I forgot how warm you are!  I should have just handed the food to you and let you put itside your jacket!  Remind me you're the one I want to get snowed in with if the power goes out... did Megan ever try toasting marshmallows over you?" While she's talking she's taking them higher and moving at a respectable pace in the direction of the hospital.  She keeps her eyes locked onto his face, and can't help but smile because she really does enjoy flying and she hopes he'll like it too.

John chuckles.  "No, not marshmallows, or hot dogs for that matter."  It's obvious he's still nervous about being up here, but he's focusing on something.  His hands on her shoulders, posture upright, he's taller than her, and the wind is moving his hair about.  "I really appreciate this.  After everything that's been happening, I sort of felt like I might end up drifting away from the group.  I guess your message today helped to remind me that I've got people here who can understand what it's like to have powers and all the other teenage troubles."

Sammy slowly introduces spins and slow turns into the flight while she is talking.

"Like just being a teenager wouldn't be tough enough by itself," she replies.  "I'd miss you if you went away, maybe enough to hunt you down and drag you back.  How many times have you saved my skin now?  And how many times have you listened to me vent?  Please.  I'd have to drag you back if only because I owe you so much and you being out of reach would make it so much harder to pay you back.  But not if you were kicking and screaming.  That wouldn't be dignified.  I'd be forced to sneak up behind you and knock you out first, then drag you back."  She laughs, then sobers.  "Besides... for me anyhow, its easier hanging out with people like me.  I don't have to hide my powers, and the normal people around me... the ones that mean something anyhow... they're getting hurt too much because they're close to me.  First Heather, then Nick, and Elrod, and it ripples out from them.  I get knots in my stomach sometimes worrying about my sister and my father, wondering if they're next.  At least they have Mom on watch.  Its nice to have friends who, well, have a chance to fight back and who I know can back me up if I get in too deep.  The normals will try, but that makes it so much harder sometimes because I don't want them to.  I want them to run away as fast and as far as they can go, you know, because I could accidentally hurt them or let them get hurt because I'm not good enough or fast enough or in control enough.  At the same time, I don't want to shut them out or push them away, because that hurts too.  It has to be sort of the same for you."

"Trust me.  No amount of hiding from people will work.  There are some who just get under your skin and inside your armor.  I spent a long time thinking if my friends didn't know my secret, they'd somehow be safer.  It never really worked out right.  They'd end up hurt anyway, and often it was by me.  They'd think my silence was anger at them, feelings would get hurt.  It became a pretty bad cycle of ups and downs, but it boiled down to the handful of people that wouldn't give up on me.  That's one of the reasons I wanted things here to be different.  And having friends I can be me with, that's the best part."

"Well, I'm glad we all found each other," she says.  "And I'm glad things are mostly good here for you.  And I'm really glad you trust me enough to fly with me.  You're really brave, you know that?  Now, what I need you to do..." Sammy slides her hands up and takes his hands off her shoulders.  Still holding them so she doesn't break contact, she slides them down to her waist, then fluidly turns around so her back is pressed against his chest.  She holds both hands at her beltbuckle with one hand, and points with her free one as she lines them up with the hospital.  "That's the hospital.  Elrod's room is on this side, third floor, seven over from the left end.  I can't see in from here.  I'll take us closer.  Let me know when you can tell me who is in the room."

With this much of his body up against her the heat John gives off is even more noticeable.  They only go a few more yards before he says, "This is good."  John squints slightly.  "Nurse is in.  Cop in the hall."  He turns his head slightly and listens.  "Nurse is talking about how she loves Pat Sajak and Wheel of Fortune."  John grins, "Elrod is asking if the TV gets porn.  She says only if Desperate Housewives counts."

"Cop in the hall?  Bummer.  This might have to be a hit and run then.  Somebody will hear us talking for sure.  I hope he has his stealth phone on vibrate..."  She sends him a message. 

sorry d00d no porn. dinner ok instead?

It's only a minute before a return message arrives.

Let me send dudley doright down stairs 2 buy us some time.  Give me 2 min, then meet me on roof.

Sammy laughs.  "He wants to meet me on the roof.  Come on -- you want to try to take us up, or should I?"

"Maybe I haven't made this as clear as I should."  John says, "I don't actually fly.  I might be able to, but I really don't fly yet."

Sammy says patiently, "I know.  I said try.  Think of me as your training wheels, or floatie arms or whatever works for flying."  She laughs.  "Never mind.  You've already done a lot tonight.  Hold on tight, Johnnie-boy!  The express elevator is going up!"  She moves pretty quickly up to the roof of the building.

As Sammy settles onto the roof Elrod is coming through the door.  Over his robe he's wearing a winter coat.  "Hey guys, welcome to the penthouse."  he says.

"Nice view.  Must have cost you a fortune."  Sammy bounds over to Elrod and gives him an affectionate hug.  "Hey, you" she says.  "Me and my bodyguard brought dinner.  I'm glad you found a coat; I don't want you to freeze out here."  Irritated with the cold air that will only cause Elrod to have to go back in sooner than later, Sammy tries to form a protective air bubble around the three of them so that John's body heat might warm up the space.

Sammy manipulates the air and it has an almost immediate effect.  The winds are blocked out and the air in the space she's formed quickly becomes warmer.  Elrod smiles, tracing his finger along the edge of the bubble.  "You can do the coolest things."  he says, coming over to give her a hug.  John sits dinner out on the top of an air handler and Elrod digs in.  Chili dogs and fries are probably not on the approved diet for the hospital, but what they don't know about doesn't seem to slow down Elrod.  "I'm not getting out of here until Sunday afternoon, and that's if my doctor can be pulled away from his weekly gold game to assure my parents that the attending here isn't a total idiot."  He chews a bit and takes a drink of soda.  "I talked to the cops today, so I'm not sure what will come of that.  They seemed like they really wanted me to say that you and I were having problems.  I'm guessing they talked to someone that gave them a really good story."

"Wishful thinking and spite," she says.  "They probably talked with Torrance.  Hey, if someone else says this, maybe they'll listen... John, you know that guy who tried to run me down with the car this morning?  One of the three drivers? Colin said that Torrance put the idea to kill me in his head.  Is there any way anybody could pull that out and use it as proof that she's out to hurt a bunch of people, and can do it with powers?"   She suddenly remembers that Elrod hasn't heard about any of this, at least not from her.  "That's why I have a bodyguard now," she explains.    "Torrance is doing her best to hurt all of us, you included.  Mom wants me to have backup when I go anywhere, at least until all this is straightened out.  Backup or a witness."

Elrod's expression changes when Sammy mentions the incident with the car.  "I appreciate you not telling me because you didn't want me to worry."  He comes over to give her a hug.  "But I'm also a little bent that you didn't tell me.  So, maybe just a note or text message in the future when someone tries to kill you.  Please?"

"There are psychics that specialize in that sort of thing."  John begins, "And UC Berkley has done some work on memory pattern analysis that's been used in court to validate claims of defendants that they were mind controlled.  So, there are ways."

"I was kind of busy this morning, getting checked over by doctors in the ER, and nobody at the hospital was gonna take a message from me to you while I was here."  She pokes him gently with her finger.  "You're off limits, remember?  Then when you called me, I was so happy you were okay that I kind of forgot about what happened to me.  So I'm not making any promises, because there might be times when I have a darned good reason for not sharing right then and there."

She turns back to John.  "Do you know how to find any of those people?  I know she tried to dance around in my head, and I'll bet she did in El's head too.  I'd bet money she either made Jeff and Andy think El talked to them about Nick, or messed with Elrod to make him talk to them himself."  She turns back to Elrod.  "There you go.  If she made you... what did the police call it... conspire to assault Nick with Jeff and Andy, then you have to prove it, if only to protect yourself.  Your folks can't argue with that."

Elrod looks over at John for a second, then back at Sammy.  "We'll get this sorted out, I have some really good lawyers, and my folks are gonna be reasonable about this or I'll threaten to leave home and join the circus."

"I can ask my dad for some names.  Several of them do consulting work, but that kind of thing isn't cheap."

"Did I not mention I have some of that?  We're gonna be fine."  A cell phone rings and El takes it from the coat pocket.  Glancing at the number he nods, "That's my janitor friend, they're looking for me."  He slips the phone into his pocket and gives Sammy a kiss, "I'll see you later, okay.  Have a good time at the show tomorrow."

"Good night..." she says, and watches him as he re-enters the building.  She looks a little bummed out.  "Well, that's the end of my to-do list for tonight.  Got anything you want to do?  We could fly around some more.  Or you could just get me home to my mother's protective arms and call it a night."

"Let's get you home.  I need to chat with dad and see if he can give me the names of some of those consultants.  We can fly, or go my way, since you were kind enough to give me a ride here.  I could show you what it's like to move at super speed."

"Yeah, sure, take me home your way.  It'll be nice to see what it's like when I'm not out of it.  I don't think you've ever run with me when I wasn't messed up somehow."  She steps closer to John, unsure how he's going to do this.  "Do I need to close my eyes, or do you want me to make you more aerodynamic with a bubble to protect me -- who knows how fast you'd go then!"

"Well, "John says lifting her into his arms like a groom about to carry his bride across the threshold, "If you can make a bubble around you, then you can actually see where we're going.  I usually tell people to close there eyes otherwise they dry out."

Sammy wraps her arms around his neck and shoulders  so she can hold on more tightly.  "A bubble it is.  If I wrap it around you too, we might even be able to talk without the wind ripping the sounds out of our mouths.  Take the long way home," she adds, "so I can have a chance to practice shaping it."

"Ok.  The long way it is."  With a blur they're at the door and through it.  John is easily able to hold Sammy with one hand and open doors with the other.  The feeling is like flying, except when there are other objects in motion.  As they move through the halls and down the stairs it's like walking through a room full of store mannequins, posed in place, dressed.  Some are frozen in pleasant poses, others are stunned as hot coffee spills from a cup and hovers in the air above their shirts.  Outside the scene is even more startling, cars in the street, and John weaves in and out of them.  Occasionally he stops to let the world return to normal, which makes the scenes even more stark.  It's only a minute before they're in downtown, among the throngs of people.  The world moving in snapshots as John stops and starts.  "Anywhere in particular you'd like to see?"

Sammy's eyes are big with wonder.  "The Christmas lights on the houses -- they're all streaky!  More lights.  I want to check out the big Christmas tree downtown.  After that... wow.  I can think of too many places that would be fun to see this way.  Surprise me!  Taking me home doesn't count as a surprise either."  She smiles at John, and it looks like a lot of the stress from the past week or so has just drained away with the excitement of doing something new and fun.  "This is so cool.  Thank you!"

"What are friends for.  Surprise you huh?  I can do that."  Sammy sees him take a deep breath, and then she feels a wave of heat rise off of him.  They streak off, the world is a complete blur with the lights coming and going like raindrops falling sideways.  It seems like they're moving for several minutes, then they stop.  Sammy is standing in site of an enormous Christmas tree, and there are people all around.  It only takes her a minute to realize they're in New York City, and this is the Rockefeller Center tree.  "Surprise."  Sammy can see steam rising from John's back, and he looks like he's broken a bit of a sweat.

"Oh my god!"  Sammy hugs him excitedly, then scrambles to stand on her own so she can look around.  She clutches tightly to his hand as she bounces up and down with glee and exclaims in delight.  "This is Rockefeller Center!  Look at that tree, and the skaters!  Look!  Its so pretty!"  If they can hear her, the people around her probably think she's a little bit slow judging from her exclamations over the obvious.  Finally the sweat and the steam register in her mind, and she leans around to check out his back and pats it lightly.  "OK.  Just steam.  I was afraid maybe you might have set yourself on fire."  She looks out at the holiday tableau surrounding her and says much more quietly.  "Thank you sooo much for bringing me here.  This is awesome.  I have the best friends."

John is smiling the whole time Sammy is bouncing and exclaiming.


"We all do I think.  And anytime.  We can go see the one in DC too, if you like, then we'll have to get home."

This is too much for Sammy to take without exploding in a bliss cloud.  "Really?!"  She hurls herself at John, wrapping her arms around him and planting a huge noisy kiss on his cheek.  "MMMM-maa! You are so cool!" she exclaims.

He lifts her into his arms.  "Hang on."  With another surge they're on the road and it's only a few minutes later they stop in a sea of streaking lights to stand in front of the National Christmas Tree.  "We used to come here every year.  I was thinking I'd try and bring my mom so she could see it."

"You should.  It would be a really nice thing to do.  At least I'm really glad you brought me here."  She sighs and admires the tree. 

"I need to eat before we go back."  John gets his phone and calls his folks to tell them he's in DC and that he's going to get some dinner with a friend.  "So, is an all you can eat buffet okay for dinner?  My treat."

"Yeah, that'll be great.  One second though; I forgot to do this in New York."  She takes his picture with her phone, and hands the phone to him.  "Take my picture in front of the Christmas tree."

She positions herself then grins like a maniac at the camera.

John smiles and snaps the picture.  "We'll get one in New York on the way back.  We have to go that way anyhow."

"Things just keep getting better," Sammy replies. "How about we get you refueled now?"

The two stop at an Old Country Buffet.  John makes sure none of his plates looks too full, but he concentrates on the high calorie items.  In all he makes eleven trips to the food, and three for dessert.  He's careful of who might be watching when he does go up, and the only person that seems to notice the amount of food is the lady who takes away the empty plates, and John made sure to tip her at the beginning of the meal so she's all smiles the whole time the two are there.  John seems less self conscious with Sammy there, but she gets the impression if she wasn't in the know about his powers he'd never eat like this in front of her.  The only think he consumes more of than food during the meal is water.

"When I push myself I can really burn up the reserves.  My mom used to bring me here after a really rough time.  Food makes me feel better."

When Sammy catches on to what he's doing, she says "I think I need another plate."  She loads it up with meat and  potatoes.  She takes one bite of the meat and says "Too rare.  But you like it this way right?  You eat it.  I'll get something else."  She loads another plate with spaghetti and meatballs and a couple slices of bread, takes a bite and declares it "Too tomatoe-y." and shoves it across at him, eyes laughing but the rest of her face perfectly sober.  Then she loads up a plate with desserts.  "I couldn't decide which one looked best, so I took one of each."  Most of those wind up on his plate too.



"Ha.  Any time you feel bad, come on over to my house.  My mom has a freezer full of stuff ready to go at any given time.  She loves to cook, and loves a willing victim even more.  In fact... you're taking us back through New York again, right?  So you're going to need to load up again by the time we get hom?  If I call her now and give her a Hungry Man alert, she could have it all laid out on the table.  All you'd have to do is sit down and eat up."

"That would be cool.  Thanks."  They head out and John takes a deep breath, lifting Sammy into his arms.  "Ready?"  When she is he's off, and a few minutes later they're in Rockefeller Center, and John is taking Sammy's picture and smiling.  "Thanks for suggesting this.  I needed to get out and clear my head some."

"Hey, it was you who thought of it.  You surprised me, remember?"  She steps over and takes back her phone, and grabs another picture of him before he stops smiling.  "But I'm glad it helped.  Makes us more even.  You helped me a lot tonight too, in some ways you don't even know about.  And you gave me the biggest Christmas trees I've ever seen!"  She calls her mom and lets her know that she'll be bringing John home, and he's a big eater.

"The trip from New York to Chicago is almost thirty minutes, and when they stop at the Jameson house John looks like a man that's run a marathon.  "Whew.  Normally don't do that very often.  Feels good to push myself some."

"You do look exhausted in a happy, good kind of way.  C'mon in.  If you want to go upstairs and get cleaned up before you eat, my dad probably has some sweats that'll fit you ok.  That way too, you can stick your head under the faucet and drink as much as you need to without anybody noticing.  It'll just be bathwater running.  Don't worry about it too much.  Steph's the only one who doesn't know about me, at least not that I know, so you shouldn't be too big a surprise.  If she says anything, I'll distract her."

"I'll go wash up."  John heads to the bathroom.

Mom comes in and gives Sammy a hug.  "Your sister is out with friends, dad is working late, so it's just us." She looks up towards the bathroom.  "Big eater?  I made three dishes of lasagne, that going to be enough?"

"Huge eater, and he has to refuel.  He asked what I wanted to do after rehearsal, so I flew him around a little bit.  Then I said I'd like to see Christmas lights.  Next thing I know... well here, look!"  Sammy shows her mom the photos of her and of John in New York and in DC.  "He carried me and ran the whole way there and back again!  It was a lot of fun.  I figured the least I could do was feed him."

Looking at the pictures mom's eyes get wide, "Holy cow.  I'm so jealous."  She gives Sammy a hug, "You have very nice friends."

A minute later the water in the bathroom stops running and John comes down.  Mom ushers the two of you into the dining room and begins to feed John.  "Maybe I'll make some cookies.  The first dozen should be ready before you're done, you could even take them with you if you want."

John seems a little embarrassed by all the attention Sam's mom piles on him, but he smiles and tries to eat at a human pace.  When her back is turned to get something or adjust the oven he zips through food at fast forward.

Sammy grins at his discomfort.  "Re-laaaax.  This is a safe place.  She's just being extra nice to you because you were extra nice to me.  I showed her the pictures."  She eats some of her own lasagna.  "You're coming to the show tomorrow night, right, to watch me try to win back my good reputation?"

"You haven't lost it with anyone that has more than two brain cells working, and yes I plan to be there."



Mom makes sure John has some cookies to take with him when he leaves.  She also surprises him with a hug at the door, "Thanks for looking after Sammy for me, I appreciate it."

"No trouble at all, really."

Sammy is a little surprised by her mom's show of affection, but considering everything that has happened in the past week or so, its not all that out of the ordinary.  She leans against the door frame and watches the scene with a bemused little smile on her face.  When they're done, she says.  "Thanks for hanging out with me today, John.  The lights were awesome."

John smiles, "Anytime.  I had fun.  Get some rest, you have a show tomorrow."  With a blur and a little shift in the air he's gone.

Sammy clicks the door shut and goes to help her mom clean up, thinking that was a nice ending to what started out as a pretty crappy day.