Halcyon Halls

When: Early evening
Where: Boston
Who: Sam, Kiernan and Alana with mentions of Jax

Her issues about being forced into the photo shoot aside, Sam had been looking forward to this weekend for weeks now. Everything had fallen into place so perfectly and she couldn't wait to see the look on Kiernan's grumpy face when she gave him his final present. Throw Jax going on top of everything and it was amazingly awesome. Yeah her sister would be ditching them the first chance she got, but there was still the flight over and that meant something to Sam. She didn't feel like she was being used for a free plane ticket but was going to look at it as Jax reaching out a bit and putting some faith in Sam. Hey, she could be delusional all she wanted thanks.

The flight to Boston had been a long one but they arrived just after sunset like Sam had planned. Traveling with a vampire had made booking their flights somewhat of a pain but she was just that good and managed to pull it off rather nicely. She had even been able to convince Jax to grab some dinner before running off to Salem so as far as Sam was concerned, she was on fire! After they had seen Jax off in a cab with a pocket full of cash, they had headed off to the hotel where Sam had booked the three of them a nice two bedroom suite with all the amenities.

Friday morning and afternoon had been filled with running Alana all over the city for sightseeing while the evening had consisted of running around BU and attending whatever events were going on in the area. The entire time that they were there, Sam never hinted of anything more than it just being a trip to the city but when Saturday rolled around, that all changed. It was hard to keep the giddiness under the surface but she was so excited that it almost couldn't be helped. She found herself staring at the clock or watch on her wrist on more than one occasion and she had to take Alana shopping just so that she wouldn't end up spilling the beans before it was time.

When the sun finally set, she and Alana got dressed (whatever outfits they were wearing hidden under their coats) and escorted Kiernan down to an awaiting cab. "Sorry, but you have to be blindfolded for this one," she explained as she tied a silk scarf around his head. An address was handed to the driver and they were off without another word. "And stop grumping," she smirked, knowing that he was silently taking her name in vain. It was all totally going to be worth it though.

When they were only about five minutes away, Sam reached into the bag she had brought along and pulled out a cap that was quickly slipped onto Kiernan's head. "No peaking and no complaining." A second and third hat were also brought out for she and Alana respectively. Once they arrived, she helped the grumpy one out of the cab and removed the blindfold to reveal...Fenway Park! And of course, she and Alana were rocking some awesome Red Sox jerseys. "I thought you might like seeing a game," she grinned. Taking Alana's hand, she motioned for Kiernan to follow as they made their way with the crowd inside the stadium. From there, their tickets granted them access to a trio of prime seats five rows back and slightly to the right of home plate. "So what do you think?!"

Who: Kiernan, Alana and Sam
When: Wednesday Evening
Where: Town - Mini-golf



"Daddddy daddydaddydaddydaddy!" Alana bounced with eager anticipation next to her father. The braids that her hair was pulled back into, continued to bob even after her body finally reached the floor again. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was excited. About ready to explode with it to be exact. Kiernan was really regretting the fact that he'd given in and let her have cookies for her snack instead of the stupid ants on a log or whatever that celery thing was called. Alana was clearly still reveling in the power of chocolate chip.

"And how do I play mini-golf again? If there's a purple club thingie I want it and when are we meeting Sam again?" She shot off in rapid fire succession, tugging at Kiernan's hand as he finished securing his watch around his wrist. Head angled down Kiernan gave Alana the patented father look that he might be one of the few things about parenting that he did in fact have down. "One question at a time and am I never going to be able to let you have cookies again?" He asked her as he crouched down, hitching up the sleeves on the tan zip up he was wearing.

"ONLY ONE! and no, I'm just fine with cookies!" Alana protested as she gave him the equally patented daughter look, the one that had just a little bit of a pout but finished off with the I'm to cute to argue you with smile. She did have him wrapped around her little finger. It was a painful admission for Kiernan to make but true just the same.

"I'll show you when we get there, yes you can and we're going now if you have your sweatshirt. I don't want you getting cold." Kiernan finally relented and answered all the questions that had been posed by his daughter. She smiled brightly in return and ran off to collect the sweatshirt that her dad insisted she wear. Even if he never had to be told to bring things to keep him warm. So wasn't fair. "KAY! Ready!" Alana grabbed for her dad's hand and practically dragged him from their room. Somehow she managed to keep the patience to let him lock up before he was being pulled down the hallway and down the path that led to Sam's house. She knew it well now.

Alana was a smart kid, maybe more than her father gave her credit for but that had more to do with the fact that he was still working the fatherhood kinks out and that included really knowing how much his daughter was capable of. It tended to bite him in the ass. And on that note, Alana knew that her daddy was smiling a whole lot more then he used to and that he was always smiling when he writing emails and stuff on the computer and she was pretty sure that he was talking to Sam. Now what that meant in particular... Alana didn't in fact know but she was glad for it just the same.

The pair managed to make their way into the house of fire, Kiernan gave Alana permission to run off to Sam's room and perform whatever secret knock she'd been talking about and get the woman that apparently made him smile. He just idly looked at his watch and wondered if he shouldn't have them walk down to the mini-golf just to get some of Alana's energy out... idea had merit. In the distance some sequence of knocks could be heard as Alana bounced on her toes and waited for Sam's door to open.

When: 7PM
Where: French restaurant in the city
Who: Sam, Easton, Kate and Rufus

Sam had spent the past few days being a wreck. What had happened with Kiernan had been completely out of character for her and the guilt was almost unbearable. How could she have done that to Easton? He had been nothing but fabulous to her and she had to take it and just throw it out the window. And right before his birthday too! Karma was no doubt going to push her down a flight of stairs later, she could just feel it.

But even with a confusing mixture of emotions swirling about her mind, she had one hell of a birthday to plan. She owed Easton at least that much. So she had worked her ass off on the gift she had been making for the past few weeks and made an extra effort to look presentable for the evening. Black dress, black shoes and a red handbag, couldn’t really go wrong there! Or so she hoped anyway. She really should have checked with Kate to figure out how dressy she was going to be. Oh well.

As soon as she was ready and it was time to go, she hurried down to the designated meeting place and couldn’t help but smile. Her heart even gave a familiar flutter and she felt warm. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” It wasn’t an easy feat in heels, but somehow she managed to run and essentially launch herself into his arms. “How’s it feel to be old?” she laughed as she kissed his cheek. “Is that gray I see?” Her eyes twinkled as she teased him but there wasn’t much time so she grabbed his hand and started to pull him along. “Come on, I don’t want us to be late!”

A black town car was waiting for them at the entrance and once they were inside, she popped open a bottle of champagne and handed him a glass flute for a toast. “Happy Birthday, Easty.” The bubbly was sipped but sadly there was only enough time for one glass. “Okay close your eyes, we’re almost here.” Sam made him keep those eyes closed as she helped him out of the car and into the restaurant. Inside awaited their other guests in a sectioned off back area that was littered with balloons and flowers. So maybe she went a little overboard. Oops. “Surprise!”

When: Late
Where: Outside in the garden
Who: Emo!Sam and Open

Something had been bothering Sam and while she knew what it was, she didn’t want to admit it. An attempt to focus on anything but her own person problems was made but it all seemed to be in vain. Try as she might, that little voice in the back of her head kept whispering to her whenever things got too quiet. That voice belonged to her mother. If only she could try a little harder, stand up a little straighter or swim a little faster, then she would be good enough. Except of course that she never had succeeded.

Sam had tried to tell herself that she was getting all worked up over nothing but she couldn’t help it. Yes she understood that it would take time and that she really didn’t even deserve what time she was being allowed but…it was hard not to think of it as one-sided. Small fingers toyed with the bracelet on her wrist as she wandered around the grounds. The small token meant the world to her but it still felt as if Easton was slipping away. It was ridiculous really, because he had responded to her notes but at the same time, he didn’t seem to really initiate much contact between the two of them.

The moisture in the air clung to her exposed skin and a nice mental pat on the back was given for having decided to go with a pair of shorts and a light top. The last thing her hair needed was to be out in the humidity but she could tame the giant ball of poof that would inevitably follow after she had her fill of some fresh and slightly heavy air. Clearly she was losing her mind if she was questioning the status of the relationship she didn’t even deserve to have in the first place.

After an hour or so of wandering around, she finally found herself in the middle of the school’s elaborate garden. Slumping down in defeat, she took a seat on one of the stone benches and just stared off at nothing. Everything was going to be fine, or that was what she was going to keep telling herself anyway. Come hell or high water she was going to prove herself to him. An audible sigh parted her lips as she toed the ground with the tip of her sandal and if she didn’t have her supernatural hearing, she would have never picked up on the footsteps headed her way.

Where: NYC
When: Night
Who: Sam, Alana and possibly Kiernan. Who knows.

This past week had been…interesting. Actually, it really hadn’t been all that bad. Jax seemed to be in a far better mood than Sam could have ever hoped for and Manny…was well Manny so there really weren’t any surprises there. Truth be told the trio didn’t spend much time together and that was fine with Sam. As long as Jax was happy running around with her boyfriend (oooo) then that was all that mattered. It actually gave Sam plenty of time to meet up with some old friends and catch up on her HBO shows. Oh yeah, she was definitely a wild one.

It took a lot of willpower on her part not to pick up her cell and call Easton every five seconds. She missed him something fierce but the last thing she wanted to do was smother him when they had just decided to try again. And thank goodness for that or else Sam would have been drowning her sorrows in the mini bar and whatever ice cream she could get her hands on. Her ass and thighs were definitely thankful. But enough about that.

This week was definitely set up to be better than the previous. Sunday had brought the arrival of Alana and Kiernan for the two or so hours that he had between flights. Sam really tried not to let things be too awkward between them and focused more on Alana’s questions than anything else. And boy was she full of them! Nonstop chatter bug that was for sure.

The first two days they had spent together had consisted of a lot of sightseeing and shopping. Alana was growing out of her clothes again and what better place than NYC to replenish her wardrobe? It didn’t hurt that a couple of Sam’s friends were managers and even owners of clothing stores. Hello, discounts! But of course no amount of shopping could hold a candle to where they were headed for tonight.

Alana had been practically bouncing off of the walls all day and Sam was afraid that she might burst if time didn’t pass quickly enough. Fortunately she managed to keep Alana from completely losing and before she knew it, they were exiting the theater. “So, what did you think of Dora?”

Who: Sam and Easton
Where: A little Italian place in town
When: Dinnertime
What: Discussing things

For the first time in a long time he was dreading dinner with Sam for a number of reasons, though the chief among them was rather easy to pin down. He'd felt a bit on edge all day, the anticipation of that evening's activities hovering over head all morning. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from their meeting, what either would really get out of it. It was still such a bloody mind fuck just trying to figure out how he felt about the whole mess. Alcohol seemed to be quite helpful in that department lately, though East was aware that he was starting to verge on pathetic drunken loser and drift farther and farther from that handsome broody guy at the bar. He hadn't had anything today, he wanted to have all his wits about him when it came to meeting Sam.

He hadn't shaved in a few days, not that the dark stubble lining his chin bothered him in the slightest, and his hair was growing out to an unruly point - again, not something he was overly concerned with. In fact, he didn't bother to try and fix either before he moved to get dressed in time to meet Sam in town. He pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a plain white button down, sliding on a tan blazer before he moved to grab a pair of shoes. Before long it was time to take a deep breath and set out for the night.

Thankfully it was easy to catch a cab, they were hovering rather close to the school now given that students would start leaving soon for break. It made the trip into town seem to go by that much quicker. East directed the cabbie where to drop him off, leaning forward to pay the fare as the cab rolled to a stop just outside the restaurant he'd agreed to meet Sam at. Climbing out, he took a quick glance around before heading inside. He hadn't spotted her yet and so he went ahead and got a table for them, one out of the way so they could talk, and ordered a drink while he waited.

When: After classes
Where: Common room on the south side
Who: Sam and Easton
What: =(

Sam had felt physically ill the day after the... encounter with Kiernan. Guilt had started trying to eat its way through her from the inside out and it had taken what little energy she had left to drag herself outside for the shift. Even with the moon pulling her forward, she had lacked her usual intensity. The beast had struggled to engage her, get her to let go and enjoy the night but she ended up just going along for the ride and not caring about what the outcome would be. Part of her wished for oblivion, for something to happen so that she wouldn't have to face Easton and confess what she had done. She could already see the disappointment in his eyes, it haunted her.

Like a coward she had hid out in her room under the guise of being too exhausted to function. God she hated herself. Monday morning had found her far paler than she should of been and her stomach churned from the lack of food over the weekend and the self loathing. Sleep had also been nonexistent because every time she closed her eyes she relived that night. "Dirty" didn't even begin to describe how she felt and she just couldn't get the water hot enough to wash away her sins.

As she made her way from one class to the next, she couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with anyone and when she saw Kiernan at the end of the hall, she turned and practically ran the other way. Hiding out in the bathroom wasn't exactly her style but there was a first time for everything. What could she possibly even say to him? What she had done had been so out of character and wrong and...Hiding was good.

When the time to meet up with Easton had finally come, she half considered hopping on a plane and flying to the ends of the earth. But he deserved better than that. He deserved better than her and deserved to know just how far she had fallen from the person he thought her to be. Her heart ached as she took a seat on one of the couches in the common area and she knew that this was going to be the end of them. There was no way he would ever forgive her and she didn't have any right to ask.

Who: Jax and Sam
Where: Outside school and the city
When: Monday @ 6
What: Birthday drinks with the sibling


Whoopdee fucking do. It was her birthday. Blah blah blah. Jax had never been one for celebrating birthdays. Well she did like the fact that when she went back home it would be a hell of a lot easier to buy cigs. Not that she'd had much of a problem procuring those carcinogens before hand. But hey, legal was legal. That and she needed some serious scratch lottery ticktes. But past that. It was just another year, another day. She hadn't ever really done the whole big ass Chucky Cheese apeshit birthday party scene.

Not about to start now.

But drinks she had agreed to. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she had. Jax... didn't have a fucking clue how she felt about her sister. Too many damn confusing signals that part of her just didn't want to deal with. There had been comfort in having a nice set opinion of her that had been backed by years of evidence as far as she was concerned. But nooooo... Sam had to go and confuse shit. Didn't make Jax happy. She didn't particularly want to engage in any self analysis that seemed to the case when it came to her sister. She had been happy to leave that life behind now she kept wondering about it.

What. the. fuck.

And speaking of what the fuck... why in the hell had Sam got her so much shit for her birthday?! Holy fuck. Jax was pretty fucking certain that it was more than she'd ever gotten cumulative. Where in the hell was she supposed to put it all and more importantly what in the fuck was she supposed to say about it. Thanks weren't all that easy for Jax. But she probably owed her that at the very least.

Next to that was the fact that she was going out for drinks with Sam. And not any fucking cosmopolitans or sex on the beaches. They were doing shots. No if's and's or but's about it. At the very least she wanted to get her sister good and toasted. That seemed the best possible thanks that Jax could come up with. Girl probably needed it.

So at just around six, cigarette tucked behind her ear, Jax made her way outside the school. Fuck yeah they were taking a cab down there. Screw walking. Chucks, jeans and hoodie... what a fucking surprise. But she was wearing the Dropkick Murphy's belt buckle.

Who: Sam and Easton
Where: Meeting in the common area, then out for the evening
What: Off to celebrate her birthday!
When: Early evening

** Warning: It's Gettin Hot in Hurrrrr **

Easton had arrived about ten minutes early to the meeting place that he and Sam had agreed upon. Tonight was the big night - her first birthday that they would spend together as an official couple. These nights had always been special, East was one of those people who saw the importance in celebrating a birthday and so he tended to go all out for such occasions...especially for Sam. She had been his very best friend before his girlfriend, after all - if anyone knew of all the things he was capable of pulling out of his sleeve, it was her. Tonight he intended for things to be made a bit more special than year's past. He'd sent a gift for many of the days leading up to the actual date of her birth, little token of affection that ranged in both size and cost. It wasn't about how much someone spent on a loved one, of course, it was about the thought that went in to things. If there was one thing Easton could give himself credit at, it was most definitely too much of a thinker for his own good.

He wore a simple black suit, short hair styled into some sort of order for the night. Her final present hung in a small gold gift bag in his hand, awaiting until they reached their secret location for the evening before she could have this last one. He was understandably a bit nervous as well - concerned that this evening he had tried so hard to put together into some flawless celebration would blow up in his face. His initial confession of his feelings had gone so well, after all. It definitely hadn't boded well for tonight, but he'd double checked all his plans earlier that day to make sure things were set. Their private car was due to arrive in ten minutes, to whisk them away to the island's plush hotel where said confession had taken place. In a private suite near the top of the high-rise, a candlelit dinner sat waiting. The menu consisted of Sam's favorites, along with a bottle of the French champagne she had seemed to enjoy so much nights before.

Gentleman that he was, East expected nothing more out of the night than dinner and a bit of romance. At first he had worried that renting out the room would send a message he didn't truly want to be so blunt in putting forth, but Sam knew him better than that. Of course he was interested, but the man had much more finesse, more tact than that. It was the sharp click of heels against the hardwood floor of the hall that drew his attention, assuming that it would be Sam arriving for their evening out. He turned to greet her, a warm smile already in place...

Here went nothing.

Who: Jax and Sam
Where: City, some burger joint
When: Sunday, dinner time

Blah blah blah it was her sister's birthday. Yeah, she was supposed to care and maybe somewhere deep inside of her she gave half a shit that it was her sisters special day. But wait... this was Jax we were talking about and she was queen of not giving a shit. It was a well practiced skill of hers, had taken a lot of years to get to the point she was currently at. That point which seemed so very good at pissing her sister off and yes, that would probably even happen on Sam's birthday.

And in Jax's warped little brain it was somehow fitting that she finally had the ability to make her sister upset, make her feel frustrated by her inability to get the response from Jax that she wanted and somehow vindicated by all of it. After all that was exactly how Sam had made her feel for so many years of her life. Even if Jax wanted to forget it she could still remember trying to make both of them notice her, but it had never seemed to work. Maybe it hadn't been Sam's fault, more their mother's but when you were a kid and all you knew was that you were never going to be as good as your sister and that's what it took to get the affection you wanted... you didn't always develop the most rational view on it all. But in all reality, Jax knew she was being a little shit and sometimes it bothered her. But so much of the time she just couldn't understand why Sam expected things to just be up and different now. What the fuck had changed between them? Nothing. Nor not enough to make Jax just forget all those years.

Or maybe she was just a bitch. It was kind of a toss-up. Probably a little of column A and a little of column B.

Whatever the case, Jax had shown up for Sam's birthday dinner or whatever because she... didn't want to be that much of a bitch but past that she couldn't quite guarantee anything. She was already annoyed seeing all the stupid shit that had been left for her for her birthday. Blah blah blah she was great, shower her with gifts. Was she bitter? Maybe. Was it an ugly thing? Probably. Sue her. Or blow her. Whatever.

In deference to the whole situation, Jax wasn't showing up hella late, but she wasn't meeting her sister at the school, and she was wearing the boots that Sam had given her. Seemed good enough. She gave some thought to the whole thing. And she'd managed to find a cheap ass card at the place she'd picked up some more cigs, which she was currently chain smoking outside of the restaurant. One booted foot, pressed against the building like her shoulders were. She thought she was doing damn good considering half of her really didn't even want to be here. But there was always that tiny little part of her that didn't want to be as bitchy as she was. It never seemed to win out though. That wasn't likely to change now.

Time to get this shit over with.

Where: The dance room
When: After dance
Who: Sam and Ari

Sam’s head had been in the clouds ever since her encounter with Easton on Monday. Life was good no, life was excellent at the moment and it definitely showed in her eyes. She found herself daydreaming a little more and smiling a little brighter. It didn’t hurt that her birthday was right around the corner and she was looking forward to that as well. Happy didn’t seem a descriptive enough word for how she felt, but it definitely came close.

The meeting with the dance club had been enjoyed and since she didn’t have any plans following it, she decided to stick around and work a bit more. It had been years since she had taken any ballet classes but she did remember all of the barre work she had learned in her teens. Even after she had stopped attending classes, she kept up with the strength training to aid her in her swimming and it helped keep her body and mind disciplined. Granted over the past few years she had just stuck with running for her workouts but maybe it was time to bring it back into her life.

She stood alone at the barre after everyone had taken their leave, her left arm resting on the barre and her right en bas. Her feet were in the first position and after a few calming breaths, her legs bent to take her down into a series of slow pliés. The muscles in her legs burned as she focused on her balance and posture, but the pain felt good as she worked through it. Memories of her mother watching through the glass window washed over her and a bittersweet smile tugged at her lips. Jeanette Collins might not have been the best mother, and she might have wronged Jax in more ways than one, but that didn’t mean that Sam didn’t miss her or loved her any less.

A soft sigh parted her lips as she turned to face the other way and work the other side and her chocolate eyes discovered that she hadn’t been alone. “Oh hey, I didn’t know you were still here. I guess I was just in my own little world.”

When: Evening
Where: A Gazebo
Who: Sam and Easton

Sam had taken her time and listed out the pros and cons leading up to the biggest decision of probably her life. Countless pieces of paper had been tossed into the wastebasket and redone because that’s just how she was and scribbles and scratch marks all over were unacceptable. A list of such importance needed to be pristine and accurate. Hell, she probably would have had it laminated or something so that she could use a dry erase pen for any notes. Fortunately she was somehow able to make it through it and a decision had been made. Now came the hard part.

A time had been arranged with Easton the night before and Sam picked probably the coldest place ever to have the little chat. She could have chosen some place warmer and inside, but she wanted complete privacy and everyone knows that the walls in the school have ears. What was a little frostbite in that case right? Exactly.

Her heavy pea coat was pulled on over a sweater and a pair of jeans and a beanie was pulled over her dark hair. Luckily she had a slightly higher tolerance to the cold so it wasn’t like she would freeze to death while she was out there pacing…right? And that’s exactly what she was doing five minutes before they were set to meet. The list was clenched between her small fist and she was trying to get her nerves in check. What if she was making a mistake? Had she thought everything through?

The time for second-guessing and additional questions was over when her nose picked up his scent and her ears caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Just remember to breathe. “Hey you,” she said with a smile as she turned to greet him.