"Girl, you have got to snap out of this! It's been nearly two months now, and I don't think I've seen you smile once." Dr. Heather King snapped one day in February.
"Oh god, Heather, you don't know what it's like. All I can think about is him…" Tabitha wept, putting her head down on her folded arms.
"I know EXACTLY what it's like, thank you very much. I was away from Brandon for FOUR YEARS when I went to medical school. Do you think I liked it? No! But I got through it, and you will to." Heather told her, patting Tabitha on the back.
"I know, but at least you had the option of seeing him again. Sam, his line of work's so dangerous and unpredictable, he might only be able see us a few times a year. Sure he calls and writes, but…" Tabitha trailed off.
"It's not the same is it? Look, you look like you could use a break. Why don't you take a long lunch? Maybe spend some time with Sami?" Heather offered her.
"Thanks Heather." Tabitha said, wiping her hands across her face. "You want me to get you something?"
"Nah, I'm good to go. Brandon's bringing me something so I don't have to leave the clinic." Heather replied.
"Okay, then I'll see you in about an hour." Tabitha promised, heading for the door.
****
About ten minutes later, Heather was in the back, cleaning some equipment. She heard the door open and shut, and just assumed it was Brandon. She didn't have any patients lined up, and emergencies were rare in this place.
"Coming!" She called, finishing up the last instrument. "So what did you…" Heather stopped in mid sentence as she walked through the door.
A tall, good-looking, blond man dressed in jeans and tee shirt stood before her. He seemed a little nervous about something.
"May I help you?" Heather asked, looking the stranger up and down. It was no one she had seen before.
"Ah hope so." The stranger had a decidedly pronounced southern accent, something Heather hadn't heard here since…well, she moved here. "Ah'm lookin' for a…friend of mine, and Ah think she might work here."
"What's her name?" Heather asked, looking at him closer. There was something about his eyes that looked very familiar.
"Tabitha Smith." He answered, biting his lip.
Heather jumped in shock. "Omigod! You're Sami's father aren't you?!"
"Uh, yes ma'am, Ah am. Is…is Tabitha here?" He asked his voice hopeful.
"No, I'm sorry. She went out for lunch. Would you like to wait until she gets back?" Heather asked, smiling brightly at him.
"If you don't mind. Oh, Ah'm Sam Guthrie by the way." Sam introduced himself.
"Dr. Heather King." Heather shook his hand firmly. "Come on, I've got a little bit more cleaning to do, and I could use the company."
Sam smiled at the short woman and followed her back into the supply room.
*****
Not five minutes after that, then the door opened and closed again.
"Heather! I'm back! I forgot my purse!" Tabitha called to her friend.
"Hi, Dr. Heather!" Sami's little voice called after her mothers.
Sam brightened and moved toward the door. Heather waved him back and whispered something in his ear. He grinned and nodded. Heather walked out of the supply room, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"What?" Tabitha asked her, looking at her suspiciously.
"Nothing. I just discovered something you might like, is all." Heather grinned.
"And what's that? The miracle cure for a broken heart?" Tabitha asked, reaching for her purse.
"As a matter of fact." Heather answered.
Tabitha looked up at her to tell her she was crazy. Her back was to the door of the supply room, so she didn't notice when Sam stepped out of the supply room. Sami, however, did notice him.
"DADDY!" The little girl screamed and raced toward him. He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her as tightly as he possible could and kissed her head soundly.
"Sam?" Tabitha whispered, her eyes round. Heather grinned and nodded. Slowly, Tabitha turned around, her eyes already filling with tears. "Sam?"
"Hey, beautiful." He said, taking a step toward her. Tabitha let out a cry of amazement, and flew across the room to him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Sam!"
They kissed for a long second, Sami watching them and giggling. Heather grinned and discreetly left the room, giving them time to reunite.
"Oh, Tabitha, you don't know how much Ah missed you." Sam told her, after they broke. "And you!" He kissed his daughter again.
"I've missed you SO much." Tabitha told him, stroking the side of his face.
"I missed you too daddy!" Sami cried, hugging him tightly.
For a few more minutes, the family stood together, silently rejoicing being brought back together. Sam put his hand in his pocket after a minute and felt the small velvet case there.
"Tabitha…" He started, putting Sami on her feet.
"Hmm?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Uh, you remember how today's your twenty-first birthday?" Sam asked.
"Oh my god, I almost forgot!" Tabitha laughed, reaching out to kiss him again. He kissed her back for a long second, then pulled away.
"Do you remember our deal?" Sam asked shyly.
"Deal?" Tabitha crinkled her eyebrows for a moment, before it came rushing back to her. She stood there for a minute, her mouth hanging open.
Sam went down on one knee and looked up into her clear blue eyes. "Tabitha Smith, Ah love you more than any other woman on this planet. Ah want to be with for the rest our mah life. Will you marry me?"
With that, he pulled out the small velvet box and opened it, reveling the ring he had bough for her, nearly five years ago.
"Sam…" Tabitha started, her eyes wide.
"Tabitha, these last two months without you and Sami have been hell. Ah need you. Ah need her. If Ah have to quite the X-Men, so be it. Ah just wanna be with you." Sam jumped in before Tabitha could finish.
"Oh, Sam, I've been so miserable without you." Tabitha wept, kissing him again. "You would really leave the X-Men for us?"
"In a heartbeat." Sam whispered, pulling Tabitha down on his knee.
"I love you so much Sam…but being an X-Man is who you are." Tabitha cried.
"No, it's what Ah do. Ah could change, and do somethin' different." Sam corrected, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Mommy, Daddy." Sami suddenly said.
"What sweetie?" Sam asked, looking at his daughter.
"Why don't we live in the place…Westchester? And then Daddy can live with us, but we wouldn't live at the mansion." Sami suggested.
Sam and Tabitha looked at each other in shock for a moment. Then they both began to smile.
"It's a good idea actually." Tabitha said slowly.
"Ah bet Forge could make a security system as good as the one at the mansion if we asked him too." Sam suggested, still holding Tabitha on his knee.
"It would cut down on some of the risks. Like the mansion being blown up." Tabitha pointed out.
"And how many people could find out that we were living there anyway?" Sami asked.
Sam and Tabitha exchanged a look. "How did we ever get such a smart daughter?" Tabitha whispered to Sam.
"She gets it from her Momma." Sam whispered back.
Sami brightened up. "So does this mean that daddy is going to live with us?"
"Well…?" Sam asked.
Tabitha didn't even think about it as she threw her arms around Sam's neck. "Of course I'll marry you!"