Chapter 5

I bolted out of my bed as a thud woke me up, "Steve," I exclaimed looking around the unfamiliar room as the memories from last night returned. "Steve," I repeated before I jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room looking for either my husband or any way to contact him and tell him not to go home yet. Soon enough I found myself standing by a pond looking for the nearest building or person that I could ask for direction. "Excuse me, ma'am," I began to a woman who was limping around with a cane, "is there a way that you could take me to a phone so I could check on my husband as well as some friends of mine."

When the woman looked up at me I almost instantly thought that it was Rose but I brushed it away until she spoke. "I can most certainly help you out, Pippa," she said with a smile, "I'm looking for Sammy right now, I think the memories came from last night and she started running after pushing herself off the bed with me."

"Rose," I exclaimed with my eyes wide, "how, when, what?"

Rose chuckled before nodding her head to a building that was near the one I ran from. "Come with me," she began, "I'll explain everything to you as well as the people that are here from last night. I think you need some coffee before you hear about how I'm alive," she added as I blinked in surprise

"You're alive," I finally said as she started walking to the building, "Sammy's here too?"

Rose nodded as she swiped a card in front of a scanner by the door, "Yeah," she began as she looked around. "She came with Renée last night because of all that happened. The people invading your house invaded Renée's, Lin's, and the theater looking for her. I'm thinking those memories came back before the memories of me surprising her, Renée and Rachel did."

"So, the gang was looking for her," I asked as Rose nodded while holding the door open with her can, "why are you walking with a cane?��

"Some of my bones are still broken and healing but the doctors here said that I could walk around as long as I had at least a cane," she replied as I walked in behind her

"Did they pull the old switcheroo with your body or something," I asked as Rose chuckled, "I have to ask to understand everything."

Rose nodded, "Yes," she began as we walked into a meeting room and the sweet smell of coffee came to my nose. "Get some coffee and take a seat anywhere you please, I'm going to look for Sammy. Good morning Renée," she said as I saw the mother of the undead adopted daughter sitting with her back to the door

"It is still hard to believe that you're alive," Renée muttered as she put a doughnut in her mouth, "who are you talking to?"

"Renée," I cheered, happy to see a familiar face that I knew was alive before all of this. "Thank the gods you're okay," I said as I wrapped my arms around my fellow actress, "go look for your girlfriend, I promise I'll be awake enough to listen to your explanation by the time you return."

Rose smiled as I stepped away from Renée who then cheered and returned the hug once she realized who attacked her with a hug. "Thanks, Pippa," Rose began, "on the table over there are your phones, you can text Steven about what happened once you digest it all; Cass and Maria will be here sometime soon," she said as I looked at the table that was full of laptops, phones, and suitcases.

"Thanks, Rose," I said as she left the room and Renée pushed herself off of me so I could get a cup of coffee. "Tell me what happened to you and I'll tell you what happened once I finished this cup."

Renée smiled as I took a sip of the caffeinated goodness, "Well let me begin with how brave Sammy is," she then told me of Sammy using a baseball bat to knock out two out of the three intruders in her home. She then explained how Sammy had the idea of going to the theater to make sure no one broke into the building and ruined everything

"Sammy killed someone with that officer's gun," I asked, stunned as I stood up to get another cup of coffee. This once I nursed it compared to the first one

"Yeah," Renée began, "when I heard the gunshot I immediately assumed the worst but when she knocked on my window in the car saying that there's someone in the building that'd give me quite the surprise I was shocked."

I sipped the coffee, "I had to do a double-take when she spoke," I began and Renée arched an eyebrow. "I remembered the intruders before I remembered coming here, the intruders almost beat me if it wasn't for one of the police officers here. Once I woke up my first thought went to Steven so I ran out of the room I was put in and stopped by the pond which is where I saw her."

"It must've been quite the shock," Renée said as I got up and walked over to the table full of devices soon finding my phone, laptop, and suitcase. "I stood in the dressing room doorway gaping like a fish before I finally hugged her. Sammy took it quicker than I did when I saw it," she continued as I sat back down while turning on my phone

"I'm pretty sure her anger took over before her happiness and realization did," I began as I saw that Renée had put a doughnut in front of my seat. "You didn't need to do this," I said with a smile before biting into it. "I'm pretty sure Sammy covered up most of her anger and surprise by planning, you were in the car for how long?"

"About fifteen to twenty minutes, maybe more I think I fell asleep at one point but when I heard the gunshot I was wide awake even when she knocked on my window," she explained before taking another sip of her coffee

"What did Sammy do after she led you to the dressing room," I asked with my mouth full of the doughnut. "Hey Maria, hey Cass," I said as I saw the couple sit down at the table without even looking at us

"You're here," Maria exclaimed, hugging me while Cass gave the same hug to Renée.

"Yes, we're here," Renée said with a chuckle as I returned the hug, "Sammy climbed onto the couch where she was on and started cuddling her. She gave me enough time for me to attack her with a hug."

"Attack who with a hug," Lin's voice said as he nodded to someone behind him in thanks

"You'll find out," I said glancing at him but then really looked at him, "they got you good didn't they?"

Lin nodded as he sat on the opposite side of Maria, "Yeah," he began, "they knocked at my door while I was working on something to show to Sammy today. Once I opened the door they knocked me to the ground before beating me until I was unconscious, what about you two? Have you guys heard anything about how Seb, Rachel, and V are doing I heard you were talking about Sammy so I'm guessing she's all right."

Renée nodded as I could see smiles forming on Cass and Maria's faces, "She's more than okay," Renée began. "She saved everyone in our house from the intruders knocking out two in the kitchen with that metal baseball bat the Rose kept in her room then stalled long enough for the police to come and kill the third guy who knew her and had a second gun drawn on her."

"We may not be able to do any shows soon though," I said as Lin raised an eyebrow, "from what Renée is telling me, your adopted daughter suggested that she and Renée go check out the theater. They went there with one of the officers from here and she ended up having to shoot one of the gang members there killing him while the other one stays here."

As I finished explaining the rest of the story the events that were to happen today came to mind. "As far as I know, Rachel is fine. She's in a room with Amy right now. The officer that helped out Sammy asked Pippa for permission to take the kid here."

"Nothing on Seb and V," Lin asked as we shook our heads, "I wonder how Sammy's going to work on telling Rose's story now that we're in hiding."

"Who's telling whose story now," Rose's voice asked, making me jump, "Sorry to scare you, Pippa."

Lin wasn't as lucky as I was as he spat out coffee and it landed in Cass's face, "Sorry," he said as he looked up at the woman that Lin has a memorial for in his house. "How the hell are you alive," he asked

"That'll be a story for when everyone else comes," Rose answered then looked at me. "Your husband and his daughter will be here shortly; they're getting a run through so they understand what's happening."

I smiled, "Thank you, Rose," I said as I stood up to hug her, "it's still hard to believe that you're alive."

"I wouldn't blame you, Pippa," Sammy's voice said and I opened my eyes to see her standing at the doorway with the happiness in her eyes that I haven't seen in a while. "I suppose you want to see your daughter," she said as I parted myself from Rose just for Lin to attack her with a hug

I nodded, "Yes I would," I said with a smile, "I hope she wasn't hurt."

"She's just tired," Sammy said before looking down at the figure clinging to her leg. "You want up," she said with a smile before bending to pick up the little mini-me that I couldn't stop thinking about until the intruders came into my house. "I hope you remember Phillipa Soo," Sammy said as Rose moved out of the way so the now happy girlfriend could deliver my daughter

"You kept your promise," Amy said as she lifted her head to look at me and I smiled

"When I want to help people," I began as I took the child into my arms, "I always keep my promises."

"Hold up a minute," Lin began as he looked at Rose then at Sammy and finally at Rose's two best friends. "How come you two aren't as surprised as we are?"

Cass chuckled, "Maybe because we have been living here with her for the same amount of time," she began. "They invited us here in case we were another target for the gang," she paused, "that's how Maria and I got closer."

"So was I right about how happy Rose is for you two," Sammy asked with a grin as she walked up to her girlfriend to hold her hand

"Very much so," Cass began, "it was hard not to tell you that she was because we had to keep her a secret from everyone."

"How many times did you have to keep from talking about her in my house," I asked her. "Is this count going to be combined between you two or separate?"

"To be honest," Maria began as a smile appeared on her face, "we lost count there was one point where we had to disappear to remind each other that we had to act like we were still in mourning for our best friend."

I smiled as Rose and Sammy chuckled, "Mommy," a young voice cheered before running into the room. "I just found more friends and led them here as you asked me," Rachel's voice said before she hugged Rose's prosthetic leg

"Thank you little one," she said before handing her cane to Sammy and picking up her daughter

"Isn't that cane needed for something," I reminded her remembering what she told me about needing it

"If I have someone or something to support myself on I'm just as good as I am with the cane," she began. "Sammy had already approved it when I found her," she paused turning her head to her girlfriend. "You had me worried for a minute," she said as she arched an eyebrow, "I thought it was a dream."

"You thought it was a dream," Sammy began, "the first part of that night had me thinking that it was a nightmare then I saw you and almost instantly concluded I was dreaming," Sammy snorted. "When I went to sleep I said 'see you in my dreams Rosy' that was after I had cried because of the letter."

"You were pretty brave all throughout the day and the night from what I hear," I said, "you didn't have to come over to help me set up the room but you did anyway. You didn't have to make sure Renée and her family were safe as well as the theater but you did anyway. You are an amazing person and no one here is going to bring you down for crying over a letter."

Sammy blushed as I finished, "I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me," she began then looked at Lin. "It seems like I wasn't successful, I'm sorry Lin, are Vanessa and Seb okay?"

Lin shook his head, "There's no need for you to apologize for this young one," he began with a smile. "It's not like you could expect anything like this to happen to everyone here. As for your mother and Seb, I have not heard anything about them or seen them but Rose says that they're all right and I trust that."

Rose nodded, "Before I started looking for you someone told me that those two were in the care of one of your father's coworkers," she began. "So, they are in good hands," she finished as Lin and I looked at each other

"They were injured worse than he was,�� I asked as she nodded, "how?"

Rose sighed, "Both Sebastian and Vanessa tried to fight back," she began, "Sebastian was kicked to the wall while Vanessa was shot but they are said to make a speedy recovery if they don't show up here."

"Rose Abigail Stevens-Goldsberry," Alexis' voice boomed at the doorway, "you've been alive this long and you never came home?"

"I kind of couldn't," she answered after a chuckle and both of Renée's kids attacked her legs. "Careful you two, Sammy is helping me stand right now," she said and they stepped away from her. "Is that all of them coming or should I wait for the whole cast," she asked as I crossed my arms

"Mrs. Miranda is still sleeping as well as her son," the doctor began as he walked into the room. "This is the most activity you've had, sit down," he ordered nodding his head to a seat that I stood by that was at the head of the table and Renée was on the left while I had originally sat was on the right

"I can move while you sit with your girlfriend and your daughter," I began, "I believe some rearranging is in order considering some families are back together."

As I was saying this I turned the chair toward her while having Amy sit on my hip, "What's so important about her," Amy muttered as she looked around the room. "And who are these people?"

I chuckled, "Amy," I began, "This is Samantha Miranda, the adopted daughter of Lin-Manuel Miranda who is over there and Vanessa Miranda who is currently healing. Next to her is Rose Stevens-Goldsberry, she is standing with Ben and Bri who are Renée's kids, you remember Renée right," I asked and she nodded. "The person in Rose's arms is her daughter Rachel Stevens-Miranda, the reason she shares the last name as Sammy and Lin is that Lin found her when Rose had to abandon her."

"I met her, she and I shared a room," Amy paused, "you were abandoned too?"

Rachel nodded, "Yes but she didn't want to abandon me," the girl said in her mother's arms. "She was a foster kid like you are beside the fact that her parents died when she was young. The house she was in only caused her pain so she ran with me, set me in an alley where Lin found me."

"If I was able to keep her I would've done so but I wasn't in a place to do so," Rose began, "it is a pleasure to meet you, Amy, I hope you got enough sleep last night."

"You two were the people that came into the room last night and sang to us," Amy said, suddenly brightening up. "I didn't expect to be visited by real caring people," she added as I chuckled

"I told you that I wasn't there for just publicity," I began, "Renée can vouch for me when I say that she and Jasmine were there to see if I could adopt a kid."

Amy's eyes widened, "Really," she asked as I smiled and nodded, "but don't you have one?"

"I'm a stepmother to one but not a mother to one," I answered as she smiled, "now to answer your question about why she's so important," I began nodding to Rose who was sitting in the seat in front of me. "For a full month everyone in this room aside from those two, Cassidy and Maria, Rose's best friends, thought that she was dead from an attack by her former foster parents."

Right then Amy's eyes lit up once more in realization, "You're the girl who kept coming back to Graham Windham," she began. "I always looked up to you and wanted to get to know you."

"Why did you look up to me," Rose asked her as we sat next to Cass, "my life wasn't all that easy."

"To a girl who was dropped off at the doorstep of an orphanage I looked up to everyone who left the orphanage by either adoption or to move on in their life," she answered. "I wanted to know your story and how you got the bruises you had every time you came back to the home."

"I'll tell you that story later on little one," she said with a smile just as the door closed with the doctor leaving and Sammy sat on her left. "I think some people here would like some answers before we go on with my life story."

"You think," Lin started from across the table, "I want to know what happened last night and what the hell happened to you."

Sammy and Rose looked at each other as if they were having a mental conversation, "Sammy will explain what happened last night while I'll explain what's happened to me in the past month."

"That's a good compromise," I said as Lin and Renée nodded, "go ahead, Rose."

Rose sighed as she stole a glance at Sammy, "The day that I fell asleep," she began using air quotes because to us she didn't just fall asleep that day. "They switched me with someone else while Cass was sleeping, the only reason she knew was that she could tell that whoever they switched me with wasn't me. She also insisted that Maria should be involved but this is still all while I was asleep. If I was awake for this conversation I would've requested Sammy to be a part of this as well as some of the leads from the cast. The day that I woke up here I started freaking out and almost leaped out of the bed trying to look for everyone. The doctor who was just in here was the one that kept me in the bed and brought in someone to explain everything to me," Rose paused. "The person that came to explain what was going on was a woman named Stacy who is, well now was considering what happened last night, part of the same gang that Sammy was. Some of you will need an explanation for this but that is not my story to tell. Stacy told me that I was a target to get to Sammy so she could get back. Stacy explained how she was watching us whenever we were at school or out in public. When she wasn't watching us, she was getting intel from the gang to see who they were targeting and who these people could save. She told me how this place is pretty much a safe haven for people who were either fostered or forced into gangs just like she and Sammy have."

"Did she tell you why you couldn't leave," Renée asked as Rose paused for a minute thinking

"Yes," she answered while snapping her fingers as if she remembered something. "Once I was healed enough to start walking around I wanted to see you guys so bad that I was almost tased by one of the peacekeepers here. I was told that I couldn't leave because I was still a target for the gang. Even if these people thought I was dead they didn't want me to take any chances of going outside and risking the surprise of me being alive. Stacy was our spy inside the gang while Beth is our inside officer to report everything to the NYPD from us and vice versa."

"Why haven't I heard of this," Sammy asked as I looked gasping a little to see how she was looking at Rose. It was as if she was glaring daggers at her girlfriend but yet it was affectionate, it sent the message 'you better tell me everything or I'm gonna end you.'

Rose paled as she looked at Sammy, "Because this place is more secretive than the E-Team," she answered. "I know that's hard to believe but the passes to get into many of these buildings are pretty much invisible until we need to use it. They look like a normal college student ID when they're given to us but once the owner is given the card it turns invisible until you need it to get into any of these buildings. I was just as hesitant about being here as all of you were but if it weren't for this place I don't know what would've happened to me."

The whole room nodded in agreement before turning their gaze at Sammy who had relaxed her glare. "Your turn Samantha," Lin said to his adopted daughter and I chuckled while stealing a glance at Amy who was sitting in the chair next to me looking intently at everything that was taking place. Almost as if I was looking at a mirror that showed me how I would look at her age just with blue eyes

Sammy sighed as Rose took her hand, "Yes," she began, "I suppose it is," she sighed once more as she leaped into the story about how she was dragged into this gang called the E-Team. If it wasn't for the man that she loved before Rose this woman would've had a somewhat normal life and still had her family. "These people were looking for me to become their new boss."

"When did you find this out," I asked as Lin stiffened once Sammy finished

"I found this out last night when I was in the basement with the third intruder at the Goldsberry house," she answered. "I had used the bat in Rose's room to knock out the first two, by the time the second one was knocked out Renée and Alex had come down with the kids. I was about to explain when we heard a noise downstairs and I was asked to check it out which I had already offered. I knocked a person down the staircase before I went down to see who it was and where they were. By the time I made it down the staircase and turned on the lights their playroom wouldn't light up and there was a pool of jam at the bottom of the staircase. The man left one of his guns at the bottom of the staircase so I had originally thought that he was a new gang member until he had reminded me the rule," she paused to catch her breath

"What was the rule," I heard Amy ask instead of Lin, Renée or me

"The way this gang works is sort of like England royalty with the boss being the King or the Queen depending on their gender. Whether or not the boss has a significant other doesn't matter, to everyone else the boss's significant other is just another gang member to rough up. The boss has two right-hand men or women, those three are the only people in the gang who would have two guns. If there were a shortage of guns then only the boss would have two guns while everyone else had one. I barely used mine when I was with them, I killed two people because of their loyalty check from the boss who was my boyfriend. My boyfriend died because he failed his loyalty check," she sighed, "I was his target but he didn't kill me for some reason. I didn't have any status in there aside from being their head scribe so I didn't exactly have any reason to stay. I ran but now I realized that they wanted me to lead even though I wasn't the kind of person to kill anyone. The person who was in the basement with me was their boss as he told me this he had stepped into the light to show himself. He said that everything they did was to get my attention because they thought I was playing hard to get. I put all of you in danger because of that and I'm sorry."

At this point, Sammy had begun to break down, putting her head on the table to start crying as Rose put a comforting hand on her girlfriend's shoulders. "There's nothing to apologize for," Rose began as Lin stood up and approached his daughter. "You couldn't have known any of this was coming even when those letters came. You, yourself thought that they were out to kill you instead of becoming a gang boss. You didn't see their intentions so you didn't know what was going to happen if you ran from them. What you did last night was right," Rose finished as she tried to move her chair to better comfort her girlfriend

"Rose," Sammy began, "I killed a total of three people in my life and you still trust after seeing me kill that third person?"

Rose nodded as Lin spoke, "You killed that person to save not only yourself but the rest of the Hamilton cast as well as Beth. You could've killed that officer instead of shooting that kid but you didn't. Yes, they hurt me, your mother, and your brother as well as Rachel but that's the price that we all will have to pay so you can have a normal life. You're attempting to cut ties with a thing that ruined your life, it's going to get harder before it gets better."

"He's right," a new voice said from the doorway, "all of you are going to need to stay here even after your homes and the theater are cleaned. This new boss is coming after the whole cast who should be here shortly, Rose you're going to have quite the time in telling people how the hell you're alive and I apologize for that."

"We'll help her out," Cass said as Maria nodded, "it's what we usually do."

At that moment Rachel tugged on her mother's sleeve, "Can I take Amy to visit Sebby and Vanessa?"

"That's if she wants to and her mother allows it," Rose said as I nodded then looked at my daughter

"What do you think," I said, "would you like to visit someone who's the same age as you or do you want to listen to the same thing over and over again?"

"I'd like to meet this Sebby," Amy said with a smile as she jumped off her seat, "and get to know Rachel a little better because it seems my assumptions were wrong about you last night."

I chuckled, "Go ahead little one, make sure you have a card," I said as she smiled

"All of you are in luck," the girl who I assumed was Stacy, said still at the doorway. "I have cards for all of you as well as the cast members who will be coming. There are maps all over the place here just place your card on a pole and say where you want to go and they will light up a path for you."

Amy's P.O.V

I took a card from the woman just as Rachel did and they both turned invisible, "Woah," I said almost instinctively. I was already liking this family as Sammy had called it but I was still a little skeptical because of everything that's happened. "So were you adopted," I asked Rachel as we left the building and went to the nearest poll

"Yes and no," Rachel began as she placed the card on it, "hospital," she said and a row of polls lit up across a bond. "Rose, my mother, was raped in her third foster home, she doesn't like to talk about it much because the last time she did she punched Sammy and hurt her in a PTSD attack. Lin had watched me up until Rose remembered everything around February where she and Sammy got together. I met both of them around that time and learned what happened. She was crying so much that I thought she was going to pass out before the show."

"Before the show," I asked as we walked across the pond

"Mommy was an understudy for you mom, Phillipa," Rachel began, "before the attack at her school mommy was able to perform as Eliza in your mother's place when she didn't feel good."

"Was it often," I asked as Rachel shook her head, "what did she do when she wasn't performing for Eliza?"

"She was an ensemble member whenever the time permitted it, usually school or accidents came up that required her attention," Rachel answered as she let her hand drag behind her on the railing of the bridge

"What kind of things," I asked as she looked at me and sighed, "are there any that you know of?"

"Some of them were to make sure Sammy was okay after mommy's PTSD attack," Rachel began. "There was another one where mommy had to stay out of the ensemble for a while to make sure Sammy was okay after she had lost her family."

"What's a PTSD attack," I asked as we neared a towering building

Rachel sighed, "Have you been through anything traumatic," she asked and I shook my head. "How did Lin explain this," she said then gasped, "okay so remember all of what mommy and Sammy were saying about shootings and beatings?"

"Yes," I responded

"Well, some people endure that almost constantly and when it suddenly stops their body can have a reaction to it where some of the most basic things could trigger fight or flight responses," she began. "In mommy's case some of the foster homes she was in before grandma adopted her were very mean and hurt her to where Sammy was going to brush a strand of hair out of her face and mommy punched her by accident thinking Sammy was going to hit her."

"Do you know anyone else that has this sort of," I paused, "thing?"

"It's a disability," Rachel began as we got closer to the building, "and yes, Sammy has it even if it isn't shown in either of them. Sammy was hurt in the gang too, that's why she left."

"I heard that Rose was looking for her," I began as I stared at the building, "do you know why?"

Rachel shrugged as we entered the building, "Sammy probably remembered the bad events of last night before she remembered the good events. From what I remember mommy telling me when you remember the bad memories of the day before and don't know where you are the first instinct is usually to run."

Something flashed in my head that I noticed on Rose's body right under her sleeve, "Is there a possibility that Sammy could've had one of those PTSD attacks once she saw Rose coming after that?"

Rachel shrugged again, "It is possible, why?"

"I saw a red spot on your mother's arm underneath her sleeve," I began as we passed rooms. "Sammy might've hit Rose in self-defense before remembering the rest of the events of last night."

"That could explain another reason why Sammy wasn't so clingy to mommy earlier," Rose muttered

"Does she have guilt when she hurts people," I said vaguely remembering the discussion on how she killed someone last night

Rachel nodded, "They both do," she began then looked at me, "you're really smart. I'm sorry I was such a pain last night everything was so scary, those mean men kept poking at me trying to make me do things that I didn't want to. One of them even undressed me and started poking me all over the body. I wanted the comfort of mom but she was at grandma's."

"Do you call Sammy mom," I asked as she shrugged

"Every so often," Rachel began, "when mommy died she ended up becoming a motherly figure with Vanessa, do you want to visit my grandmother too?"

I smiled, "Yeah, she sounds like a nice person," I said as Rachel grinned while we walked into a kid's room. "Is this Sebby?"

Rachel nodded as we neared the bed that held a bruised boy who looked scared and ready to run. "Hey Sebby," Rachel said and his eyes darted to Rachel and me

"Rachy," he cheered, "where's mommy, Sammy, and daddy? Are they okay?"

Rachel nodded, "They're fine, your mother is here with you while your father is with mom."

"Who's that," he asked pointing a finger in my direction as I smiled nearing his bed

"Sebby," Rachel began, "this is Amy, Pippa's daughter that Lin and Renée were telling us about yesterday."

"Hi Amy," Sebby said cheerfully as I chuckled

"Hi Sebby," I began, "how are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts," he said with a pout, "I want mommy and daddy."

"I'm pretty sure your father will be here shortly, there are some things he needs to take care of, Rachel and I will be sure to tell your mother that you said hi," I said as a doctor approached his bed

"Thank you, Amy," he said before the doctor started shooing us out of the room

"So Rachy?"

Rachel chuckled, "He likes to add y's to the end of every nickname that he makes if the name is too much for him to remember."

"Is Sammy's nickname normal or was is coined by him," I asked as she smiled

"It's normal," Rachel began, "she had it when mommy met her, something about her username being Sammy Ed."

I chuckled, "If you don't mind me asking how are you so understanding of the world?"

"I was going to ask you that," she said with a grin, "I'll explain my side before you explain yours," she began and I nodded. "Lin explained to me that I wasn't his kid when I first remembered, he told me how the world was cruel and that there may be a chance to be reunited with my mother. He told me to be understanding and welcoming if that moment ever comes that's why I'm so knowledgeable in what happens with mom and mommy. Granted I haven't called Sammy mom to her or mommy's face yet I do understand everything that's going on."

"Why haven't you called Sammy mom," I asked as we made our way to the elevator with adults making room for us

"It's because she was still getting over mommy's death at the time I didn't want to throw it on her," Rachel said as I sighed

"I think she would've appreciated it," I said then she looked at me, "I guess it's my turn; my reasoning is pretty similar to yours. The director at the group home that I was at also said that and that I should be more open to when people could adopt me. I saw through everyone's empty promises when they came to surprise the other kids there so that's why Pippa found me underneath the staircase there."

Soon we had to ask doctors where Vanessa was and they instructed us to go to the ICU. "I'm scared," Rachel said as we made our way there, "that was where mommy was when we thought she died."

"She's not going to die," I said, "remember what that doctor said when Lin asked about them."

"That they're expected to make a full recovery," she said and I nodded, "that's right, mommy got shot five times and she survived but lost two of her limbs."

"What?"

"Both mom and mommy were in a school shooting that mommy's former foster brothers caused," Rachel began as we neared the ICU. "Mommy was shot five times once in each limb before she was shot in the stomach while mom was just shot in the stomach."

"Dang," I said, "both of your mothers are strong," I blurted out then shut my mouth, "sorry."

"What are you apologizing for," Rachel asked as we looked into each room to find her grandmother. "I did say that Sammy was like my mom and you're right I don't think she'd mind but I don't know how or when to say it."

"From what I hear," I began, "when a child calls the biological parents partner either mom or dad respectively that makes the parent happy. Go with what your gut says is the best time and do it, I'm happy that you have two mothers and you're supportive of both of them."

"She was taught that way by Lin and I," a voice said as we were about to pass a room, "you must be Amy, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You must be Vanessa," I said as I looked at the kind face of the mother whose waist was bandaged up. "Your son says hi and it is a pleasure to meet you. Both of your children are okay as well as Lin."

Vanessa's body seemed to have relaxed after I said, "Oh thank god," she said as her granddaughter came running up to the bed and hugging. "I'm glad you're okay too little one," she said with a chuckle as Rachel climbed onto the bed, "where's your mother and Sammy?"

"Sammy and Pippa are with Lin waiting for the rest of the cast to come," I replied with a smile as the realization came over me. I am with a great family who does nothing but care for each other and I'm going to have to get used to it.

Sammy's P.O.V

"Sammy you don't have to hide in the bathroom," Rose's voice said as I cried the guilt taking over me as the bruises on Lin's face flashed in my eyes and the words that Seb and Vanessa were in the hospital here

"But my own family was hurt because of me," I began, "I even hurt you and I don't want to do that to you."

"Sammy," Rose's voice said almost saddened, "you had no control over both situations, you fought off everyone and there's no way that you would've fought off the people that attacked your home without getting shot," she paused. "Please come out of the bathroom, I don't want your guilt to take over you for the full day when I haven't seen you in a month."

"What if I hurt you again," I asked as I looked in the mirror to see myself crying the tears rolling off my chin and into the sink. "You're lucky that it was a punch to the arm before I pushed you away, what if it was something else?"

"I'll take it," she said, "just as how you took my hits when I hurt you during my first PTSD attack. If you're thinking that Renée and the rest of the cast are going to hate you when the bruises start to show they won't. They didn't hate me when I hurt you and I believe they fully expected you to have a PTSD attack after last night."

I sighed as I turned the lock on the bathroom before turning on the sink to splash some water in my face. "You can come in," I said as I watched the water pool in my hands

"That's not what you need dear," Rose said as she turned off the faucet and turned me to the shower. "You need a cold shower with some company," she finished as I felt the lack of weight on my shoulders

"But your support," I began as I turned around to see her without the cane, "are you allowed to do this?"

Rose nodded with a grin, "Doc allowed it when you left to go here," she answered. "Now shower and stop feeling guilty about all of this," she ordered as I sighed, taking off her shirt. "You got hit too," she asked as I tossed the shirt out of the bathroom and onto the bed

"Yeah," I began, "I was wearing one of your shirts to bed last night at Renée's and one of the intruders punched me in the gut with a hand full of jelly. I honestly forgot about it," I explained as I slid off her sweatpants

"You're still hot," Rose said which made me smile and blush, "there's the smile I was looking for," she said with a chuckle as I stepped into the shower

"How do you turn this thing on," I said as I looked at the panel across from me that looked like it was a tablet built into the wall of the shower

"That's part of the reason why I included the word company for your shower," Rose said as I heard the door close behind me. "What, were you expecting someone else with a stunning personality and not so stunning body?"

I laughed as she smiled walking over to the screen tapping it awake, there were scars all over her body including her back. A jagged scar went down her back as it looked like another one went across from it. Her left arm had a scar that went from her shoulder to her elbow and one around her wrist while her leg had a multitude of scars along with her butt. I squeaked as I felt water splash onto me, "Rose," I said as she turned around to face me making me notice the scars over the front of her body but she still looked so beautiful.

"What, I was checking to see if you were still alive since you hadn't answered any of my questions," she said as she pointed to the screen. "The choice is yours," she said with a grin

"I didn't know there were so many settings for a shower," I said pushing my now wet hair out of my face so I could look at the screen. Eventually, I found a setting that said it would spray hot water from the jets on the flat walls as well as the one above us while having the lights change color.

"Nice choice," Rose said with a small chuckle and a grin once the water splashed her. "Now come here my Brave Embers," she said pulling my arm to her making me fall on top of her while giggling

"Brave Embers," I asked with an arched eyebrow, "where did that come from?"

"Well last night you were brave enough to fight off everyone and the ember part is because you had a lot of anger but it died down like a fire. Also, because you're a little shorter than me," she explained as I smiled

"Well then," I began as I sat on her lap on one of the ledges, my legs stretching past her hips. "I guess I'll have to think of one for you."

After I finished that she grinned, "That you do," she said before kissing me

To my surprise that kiss turned out to be more than a kiss after the shower, I guess she missed me as much as I missed her.