Chapter 8 - Karma

Chapter Eight: Karma

Sam, was sitting in her mother''s home, rolling her eyes as she sat across from the red headed woman and wedding planner as they discussed plans for Sam''s big day. She gave a tired little sigh as she wished she had listen to Tucker and ran away to Las Vegas to get hitched without telling their folks. “What do you think of this, Samantha?” Sam''s mother turned a book full of bridesmaids to her. She then pointed out a set of sleek lavender colored gowns.

“Oh,” Sam was actually surprised at her mother''s choice. “It''s beautiful.” Her mother smiled brightly, it wasn''t often that the two of them agreed on something fashion wise. “But you know what would make it gorgeous?” she asked.

“What dear?” her mother inquired.

“If it was a different color,” Sam stated as she pulled out a black marker and ran it across one of the dresses. “There we go. Perfect.”

Her mother''s smiled quickly faded as she snatched back the book. “Honestly, Samantha, it''s a wedding, not a funeral.” Sam groaned at the statement, as her mother turned back to the wedding planner, once again going back to ignoring Sam.

After about half an hour, Sam was at the point where she just wanted to bang her head against the table and make the torture stop, just then a little knock was heard at the back door, located in the kitchen where the three women were sitting, Tucker then came through and took a seat next to Sam. “Sorry, I''m late,” he told them before he smiled at her sweetly and rested his hand on her thigh before giving it a squeeze as Sam''s mother asked what day they wanted set for the day.

“Well,” Tucker began, giving it some thought, “we were thinking about a late June wedding for this year, but considering the current circumstances, I think we should push everything back a year.” He then turned to Sam, making sure she still agreed with what they had talked about earlier.

“See mother, you''ll have a whole year to make my wedding, you I don''t want,” Sam put on a fake smile.

“Oh, goodie,” she lightly clapped excitedly.

Tucker cover his hand over his mouth as he said under his breath for only his fiancée to hear. “Should have gone to Vegas when we had the chance.”

“Quit it,” Sam told him as she lowered his hand.

“Now, about this guest list,” Sam''s mother brought out a tablet, it had over three hundreds names on it. “I''m sure you''ll both agree that few people must be taken off of it.” She scanned the paper before saying, “Well, at least one. The Fenton boy.”

“No-”

“Fine-”

Sam''s head snapped towards Tucker at his reply. “What? What do you mean ''fine''?”

Tucker folded his hands in front of him as he looked down at them and told her seriously, “I won''t have him at our wedding.”

“Tucker, you can''t be serious,” Sam began softly. “He''s our best friend.”

“Who is under investigation for attempted murder.” He turned to her. “Your attempted murder,” he stressed. “In case you didn''t remember.”

Sam had been out grocery shopping, not less than a month ago. It had started out as a normal trip until she had ran into Valerie and her new friend. They had a few words before she saw Valerie and her friend leave. Sam had made a strange face as she could have sworn that the man with Valerie had smiled at her, but only shrugged the matter off. Leaving the store about two hours later, Sam had packed her things into her car before getting in and driving off.

The brakes on her car had been making a funny sound when she pressed down on it and so a few days prior she had taken it to the auto shop where Danny was employed. As he worked on it she spoke to him about her engagement to Tucker how excited they were. Danny seemed happy for them. Sam was actually there when he was served with the restraining order from Valerie. Danny''s boss, seeing how distraught he seemed had offered him a few days off, but Danny told him he was fine as he went back to work on Sam''s car.

The brakes after that had seemed just fine. Danny had even checked a few extra things for her for free. The drive to the grocery store had gone smoothly, but as she was on the freeway home and coming to her exit, she had gone to press on the brakes only to find she wasn''t slowing. She had ended up slamming into another car, the impact was so hard that it totaled her vehicle and Sam ended up breaking the lower part of her right leg.

At the hospital, the police came to question her for their report; at the mention of Danny''s restraining order involving his ex-fiancée, they wanted more information on him, so with Tucker by herself, Sam gave in to their request. “So let me get this straight,” one of the officers had began. “You, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Fenton, are all still friends. You dated Mr. Fenton, but things ended on a sour note, and you''re now engaged to Mr.Foley. Mr. Fenton dated a Ms. Gray, who now wants nothing to with him, for reasons you don''t know.” Sam nodded her head. “Okay,” the officer drawled slowly as he turned to his partner.

“I''ll have a unit pick up Mr. Fenton,” he told him.

“Wait. For what?” Tucker demanded, but already knew how things looked like to the officers, that Danny was jealous of the two of them and that he harbor ill feelings towards them because of everything that gone down between them. It also didn''t help anything with him having a restraining order. They must think we''re the plot line to a bad soap opera, Tucker had thought.

“It wasn''t like that,” Sam said back to Tucker as they sat in the kitchen. Sam''s mother and the wedding planner feeling an argument rise between the two discreetly got up and left the general area. “It was an accident.”

“The brake line had been cut on purpose, Sam,” he tried to tell her. Sure, Tucker didn''t want to think that Danny was capable of something so cruel, but as the days had gone on, Tucker realized he could have lost her in that crash. And they had both known Danny for a long time and knew the vengeful mentality he had when he felt he was done wrong, maybe now it was just finally coming to the surface when it came to him and Sam. Tucker didn''t know, but he would rather be safe than sorry. “And who''s know, maybe by this time next year, we will know the truth, and if it was truly an accident, we can apologize to Danny and re-invite him,” he suggested.

“No,” she made clear. “I''m not apologize for anything because we are not uninviting him.”

Tucker looked back at his hands. “Must you always defend him, even when all signs point towards him?” he asked bitterly.

“Tucker, that''s not what I''m doing.” Sam reached out and placed her hand on top of his. “He is our best friend, he deserves our benefit of the doubt,” she explained.

There was a moment of silence as Tucker took in the situation. He then shook his head. “I''m sorry,” he turned back to her, “but I can''t. I don''t want him there.”

“Tucker, you''re being ridiculous.” Sam reached for her crutches and got up from the table. “Danny will be at our wedding,” she put her foot down, figuratively speaking.

“Fine,” Tucker spoke softly as Sam headed towards the kitchen door leading to the family room. “But if he''s there. . . I won''t be.”

Sam stop in her tracks and turned her torso so she could look at Tucker. “What?”

Tucker stood up and pushed in their chairs, he then headed towards the back door before opening it. “Just once,” he began with his back to her. “I wish you could just pretend to put my needs above your precious Danny.” And than he was gone, leaving Sam to stare at the kitchen door in his wake.
OoOoO

Nathan frowned as he looked to the sky on the bright spring afternoon. The Country Fair was in town, an event he knew Valerie looked forward to every year. It was almost like having their own amusement park right on the outskirts of Amity Park. There were games upon games and rides from death defying roller coasters to little kiddie rides all around them.

Nathan held Valerie''s hand as they walked around the park. They had been there about an hour and Valerie declined every attempt he made at them riding any of the rides. Instead they stuck to playing the many games the park had to offer. In fact, in Nathan''s other arm he carried a large stuff animal, a panda bear to be exact. After trying many times to win Valerie a prize, she laughed at him and called him an amateur as she took the remaining rings in his hands and proceeded to toss them at the empty coke bottles in front of them. Needless to say, Valerie ended up winning him a prize. Damn her aim, Nathan had thought as she pointed out what she wanted for him.

“Val?” Nathan called gently.

“Yeah?” Valerie looked up from the ground and placed a smile on her face. Nathan slowly took in her appearance. They had been dating for almost a month and Nathan was happy with were their relationship was going, but the last two weeks had been strange in his opinion. Valerie had grown mellow and was less talkative than she used to be. Then when they were alone together, she would keep a certain distance between them as if she didn''t like him touching her. At first this frustrated him, but as he looked at her now he realized that maybe something else was going on.

“Do you not want to be here?” he asked her. “Are you not having fun?” He had brought her here as a surprise, the first reason being to celebrate the first day they had met back in the eighth grade and the second was hoping to cheer her up.

“It''s not that,” she reassured him before sighing. “I guess I''m just distracted,” she told him, letting go of his hand and sticking her hands into the light jacket she was wearing. Nathan wondered why she had been wearing it so often lately. Spring was in full bloom and though there was a small breeze most days it wasn''t anywhere near cool enough for her to be wearing it all the time.

“Distracted about what?” he asked, thankful he was actually getting somewhere.

Valerie shrugged. “School, I guess,” was her response as she turned her head away from him and started watching the people who walked by them. “Um I''m just a little worried about finals and graduation and all.”

Nathan smiled. “Oh yeah, I forgot that you graduate this year. With my transfer and the internship I still need to do at the hospital, I won''t walk till next year," he told her. He then put his arm around her her shoulders. "But you shouldn''t worry, Valerie. I know you''ll do great,” he encouraged her. “You''re smart and there''s nothing you can''t do.” Nathan then kissed the top of her head.

Valerie looked back up at him and smiled at him in a way that made Nathan think she was more radiate than the sun itself. “Thank you.” She stopped walking along enough to stand on the tip of the toes and place a light kiss on his lips.

“So do you want stay or blow this popsicle joint?” Nathan asked of her as he pulled away and retook her hand.

“Yeah, let''s take Ms. Panda back to your place.”

“I could have won it myself you know,” he felt like saying.

“Sure you could have,” she began, reaching for the toy under his arm and taking it into her own. “If you were shooting for the moon,” she teased.

“How did you get so good at something like that anyway,” he asked her.

Valerie slightly frowned at the question before correcting her expression. “Let''s just say, I''ve had a lot of practice at it, but it''s something I don''t do anymore. Well, not recently anyway,” she explained as they left the park. The statement didn''t really answer Nathan''s question, but he decided to let it go as they continued towards his truck. Before long they were on the freeway, heading home, and listening to music to pass the time. “Nate?” Valerie addressed him.

Nathan turned his head slightly to look at her. She was taking long deep breaths. “Yeah?” he replied curiously.

“I think,” she took another breath, “I think I need you to pull over,” she told him holding on to the car door handle.

“For what?”

“Nathan, now!” she said loudly. Nathan than turned on his signal light as he tried to get to the right shoulder of the freeway. As he put the car in park, Valerie opened up the door and hopped, leaving it opened as she only traveled a few steps before tossing her cookies.

“I told you not to eat all that food on the fair grounds,” he called worriedly after her.

“Don''t you ever shut up?” Valerie asked Nathan angrily. “God, can I please have a minute without hearing your lip?” she wondered before she went back to what she was doing.

Nathan said nothing more as he patiently waited for her to return. He didn''t like being yelled at, especially when there was no valid reason for it. A few minutes later, Valerie climbed back into the truck and fastened her seatbelt. “I''m sorry,” she said shyly as Nathan started the engine. “I shouldn''t have yelled at you,” she apologized picking up the stuff panda that laid near her feet onto her lap as she wrapped her arms around it and rested her head on top of it.

Nathan keep his eyes on the road, shrugging off the matter. “No problem,” he replied stiffly. A moment later, he sighed as he dreaded what he was about to say. “Do you not like being with me?” he asked her. “Because lately you''ve been treating me like shoot,” he told her.

Valerie guiltily looked at him. “I don''t mean too,” she told him, knowing she had a difficult personalty and for some reason thought of Danny as she wondered how he had put up with her so long. “I like being with you, Nathan, it''s just. . .” she trailed off as she sat up in her seat and looked down at herself.

“Just what?” Nathan turned his head for a moment as she had cut herself off.

Valerie took a deep breath and she closed her eyes. “I''ve been keeping something from you. Something I should have let you in on way before now,” she began.

“Alright, what is it?”

“Well I- I''m pregnant,” she finally confessed to him. She opened her eyes to see his eyes upon her.

“Really?” Nathan couldn''t help the smile that came across his face as he remembered that first night they had been together. It was the only time they hadn''t used protection. With a baby, she''s tied to me for life, Nathan thought. I''ll never let them go.

Seeing his smile, Valerie realized what he may have thought and opened her mouth to tell him that she had been pregnant before they had met that day in the libraray, but as she went to say this she couldn''t help but stare at him for a moment longer. He just looked so happy. . . like Danny had the moment he had came out of his shock. But allowing Nathan to think that she was pregnant with his child, any longer than she already had, would have been cruel. “Nathan,” she began slowly, turning her head away, not wanting to see his face as she broke the news to him. Her melancholy tone, caused Nathan to once again look at her. He then watched as she took a sharp intake of air before yelling, “Look out!”

Nathan''s head quickly turned back to the road, his eyes growing wide and his heart jumping into his chest as the vehicle in front of him dangerously cut him off. It caused Nathan to turn the wheel to a hard right to avoid a collision. He lost control of his truck as he slammed on the brakes, but it went sliding across the asphalt. He heard Valerie scream as they veered off the road, at top speed, pass the shoulder before they entered in to an area full of trees. The force of a thick branch hitting the windshield caused it to shatter before the truck went off a small cliff and landed hard, head first, before slightly tilting to the left side.

Nathan groaned softly, as he lifted his head from his airbag. “Valerie, are you alright?” he asked with his eyes closed as his hand with to the back his neck. He made a face of pain as he tried to move it. “Val,” he called again when he got no response. He opened his eyes as he turned to look at her. His expression grew to one of shock as he took in the sight of her unconscious and slumped over in her seat. “Valerie!” he cried loudly as his hands went to unfasten his seatbelt, but he was so anxious to get out of it that he was having difficulties. He screamed at it in irritation before it finally came loose.

He slid a little as the truck was titled in her direction. As he reached her he lightly brushed the broken pieces of glasses off of her. “Valerie, can you hear me?” he asked her knowing she couldn''t. He touched the top of her head gently, his features growing curious as it felt wet. He drew back his hand only to find the evidence of a bright red liquid. “shoot,” he whispered to himself as he started to frantically search for his cell phone, wiping his hand on his shirt as he found it on the floor near the accelerator. “frack!” he yelled as he dialed in 911 only to discover that he no service.

Panic slowly started to set in as he threw the useless object back to floor and raked his fingers through his hair. He then went back to Valerie, his hand finding her wrist as he searched for a pulse. He smiled in relief as he found it beating steadily. “Come on, baby, you got to-” he cut himself off as he remembered the baby. Nathan then reached out and lowered his hand to her stomach, there was a firm roundness to it. I can''t lose them, was all his mind would allow him to think.

“Hey!” Nathan heard someone yell out. “Is anyone down there! Are you alright!”

The voice was coming from the other side of the cliff, was all Nathan could guess as he couldn''t see anyone. He straightened up as he yelled back. “We need help!” he yelled, not able to keep the sound of fear from his words. “Call 911, my girlfriend''s hurt!” he told him. “Tell them she''s pregnant!” Nathan''s attention went back to Valerie, he then gently touched her cheek. “It''s going to be alright now,” he reassured her calmly. “Help is on the way.”

To Be Continued. . .

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