Carrying a small bag containing simple tools an Air Force pilot might have on his person in the event of a bail-out, Sam met Tim and Steve promptly at 10:30 at the Jeep, climbing into the back. Once settled, Tim steered the vehicle down the side of the mountain. About a two miles into the trip, he pulled over to the side of the road and pointed due East.

"That's the area where the test will be conducted," he said. "Steve and I will be further down from you, watching."

Sam hopped out of the vehicle without a word and trotted toward the area Tim referenced. Tim pulled back onto the road, proceeding south.

A little further down the road, Tim pulled into a clearing. "We'll observe from here," he said, climbing out of the Jeep. Steve followed Tim to a huge, flat boulder, upon which Tim took a seat.

"We scoped out the area last week, finding this to be the best possible viewing area," Tim said, pulling two sets of binoculars, walkie-talkie and a clipboard out of his backpack.

Steve took a seat on the rock, accepting the binoculars. "When does the test start?" he said, focusing the binoculars on Sam.

"As soon as I call in," Tim replied. A moment later Rudy acknowledged their signal, "We'll transmit in three minutes."

"Now we wait," Tim said, thumbing through some documents on the clipboard.

"Is that a checklist of what to expect?" Steve said, looking over Tim's shoulder.

"Yes. I'll use this list to determine if Sam followed the orders," Tim said.

The men sat quietly, waiting.

Sam dropped the bag on a nearby tree stump, the wandered around the area, looking at the available resources. Three beeps caught her attention, signaling the start of the data transmission. 45 seconds later, the final beeps told her all the data had been received. Within a minute the data had been assimilated, becoming available to Sam for review.

After prioritizing the information, Sam gathered materials for a shelter. Within a half hour, a sturdy lean-to, slightly modified for the environment, stood under a shelter of trees.

Sam proceeded to carry out the rest of the instructions, and within the hour she seated herself in front of a would-be campfire, if the weather was a bit cooler. She reviewed her instructions, eyeing the camp to make sure she had everything; food, a means to collect water from the dew or rain, a shelter and a variety of hand made weapons with which to hunt small animals for food. Hearing a nearby stream, she threw in a fishing rod for good measure. A makeshift storage device hung from a nearby tree to keep important items and food off the ground, away from critters.

Satisfied with the results, she pulled out a walkie-talkie and notified Tim that she'd completed the assignment.

Tim radioed Rudy upon receiving Sam's signal. He and Steve retreated to the Jeep, heading back up the mountainside. Minutes later, they arrived at the camp. While Tim ran through the checklist, Steve poked around, looking at her creation.

Tim questioned her about the lean-to, since it wasn't exactly what he expected.

"I simply modified the design for the terrain and expected weather patterns for the area. The transmitted instructions would be fine for a flatter, drier climate, but up in the mountains, you need something a little sturdier," she said.

Tim continued with the checklist, while Sam wandered over to Steve, who was inspecting the lean-to.

"You did a great job, Sam," Steve said as he stepped around to the back. "This would stand up quite well in a storm, and the makeshift floor which raised it a couple of inches is ingenious." Steve returned to Sam's side, truly impressed. "You really didn't know how to do this before this morning?"

Sam shook her head. "Camping wasn't something I did back at the orphanage, and Rudy has kept an eye on the kind of material I've read since I've been here."

Tim joined them, checklist complete. "Perfect, as usual. I noted the design of the lean-to so Rudy can get an idea of how you improvised on the transmitted design. Let's head on back, it's lunchtime."

Back at the lab, Sam headed down to the cafeteria, soon to be joined by Rudy, Tim and Steve. Rudy questioned her about each task, interested in hearing her take on the instructions, having all the answers he needed by the end of lunch.

"Is there anything else on today's agenda?" Sam asked while finishing her drink. She hoped to have some spare time to finish up a model or two.

Rudy shook his head, "All clear until tomorrow. You can have the rest of the day off."

Sam smiled, picking up her tray and heading out of the cafeteria as fast as she could, without running.

"Where's she going?" Steve asked, watching her leave.

"Probably back to her room. She spends most of her free time with her models," Rudy explained.

"Can Sam leave the lab if she wants?" Steve asked, hoping she wasn't a prisoner like he was so many years ago.

"She can leave, yes, but she hasn't asked to," Rudy replied.

"Would you mind if I took her out this evening? I know what it's like to be cooped up for extended periods of time," Steve said.

Rudy chuckled, "If she wants to go, that's fine by me."

"Thanks," Steve said, grabbing his tray and heading out of the cafeteria.

Sam had just settled at the table when Steve appeared at the open door. Sam looked up and smiled, "Come on in."

Steve wandered in, dragging a chair over to the table. "Which one are you working on now?"

"It's a McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle," Sam replied, knowing that adding details would be pointless since Steve is Air Force.

Steve looked over the detailing of the cockpit. "Looking good. How long does it normally take you to put one together?" He remembered slaving over his models for hours on end, sometimes days, wanting to get each one perfect.

Picking up a paintbrush, she started putting the final touches on the fuselage. "I normally take an average of 75 to 100 hours with each one, depending on the difficulty level."

Steve let out a low whistle. "I never spent that much time on a model. Why so long?"

"I spend a lot of time sanding and painting each piece before it's put together. Sometimes I'll spend hours or days on one area. The cockpit takes the most time since it contains a lot of detail in such a small space. And of course once the whole plane's together, there's the detailing to make it look realistic," Sam explained, never looking up from her painting.

Several minutes passed while Steve watched Sam put the finishing touches, so he believed, on the fuselage. She set it aside to dry, then sat up and stretched.

Steve felt it was a good time to ask about an outing. "I happen to know of a hobby store about a half hour from here. Would you be interested in going there this afternoon, then maybe to dinner?" Steve asked.

Sam smiled, "I'd love to!" The smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "Do you think I can? I mean will Rudy let me?"

Steve nodded. "I already asked," he said. "Sam, you aren't a prisoner here. If you want to go out somewhere, all you have to do is ask."

Sam's smile returned, her eyes brightened, "In that case, yes, I'd love to go. I don't suppose you know where a bookstore is located?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

After making their plans to leave shortly before 5, Sam set aside her models, accepting the invitation to go out for a walk.

In his office, Rudy just happened to glance up in time to see Steve and Sam pass by the window, heading for a hiking trail. He smiled, knowing that Sam had accepted Steve as a friend and equal. He returned his attention to the paperwork, anxious to hear about the upcoming evening out.

Shortly before 5, Steve and Sam returned from their hike. After cleaning up and changing clothes, they said good-bye to Rudy and headed for town.

A half hour later, Steve pulled into a small shopping center, dominated by a large hobby shop.

Sam was impressed as she closed the car door. “What do they carry?”

“R/C cars, planes, boats, plastic models of all sorts and all the supplies that go with the hobby,” Steve replied, holding the door open for Sam to enter.

Sam was beside herself, not knowing where to go first. Spotting the modeling section, she made a beeline for the planes, finding the ‘new release’ section. Steve tagged along, looking at the models himself.

“It’s been years since I built one of these,” Steve said, picking up a model of a Corsair.

“You ought to try it again,” Sam said while studying the side of a box. “I find it quite relaxing, just me and the model.”

“Why don’t you find one we can work on together,” Steve suggested. “I could use a hobby to help me relax.”

“Really?” Sam said, looking up from the box at Steve.

“Sure, why not. If you’re willing to put up with an amateur,” Steve said, giving her a wink.

“Okay then, any preference?” Sam said, putting down the box of a WWII bomber.

“How about a modern day jet?”

They found their way down the isle to the jet fighters. After looking over several different packages, they settled on an F-4C Phantom II.

“What else do we need for it?” Steve asked, looking over the paint guide on the side of the box.

“Let’s see,” Sam said, taking the box from him. They wandered over to the paint aisle where Sam proceeded to pick out the few paints she didn’t already have, along with another tube of glue.

“Let me put this up on the counter while you continue looking. Go ahead and pick out a model you want for yourself,” Steve said, taking the box and paints in hand. Sam smiled broadly at his suggestion and returned to the model aisle.

Steve took the stuff to the front desk where the clerk gladly set it aside. He returned to Sam’s side, finding her looking over the newest version of a Space Shuttle.

“Is this one okay?” Sam asked, showing it to Steve.

“Whatever you want,” Steve replied. “And while you’re at it, go ahead and stock up on any supplies you need.”

Sam frowned, “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

Steve shook his head. “If I didn’t want to get the stuff for you, I wouldn’t have offered. Go on and get what you need, I’ll hang onto the Shuttle.”

An hour later Steve paid for their purchase while Sam took one last look at the magazine rack. Steve had already picked up a couple of modeling magazines, but Sam still enjoyed looking anyway.

Once the bags were stowed in the trunk of the car, they leaned against it, deciding where they wanted to eat.

“Do you have anything in particular you want?” Steve asked. He had previously scouted the town, finding a wide variety of food.

Sam shrugged. “Not really. Why don’t you surprise me?”

“Alright, I will,” Steve said as they got into the car.

A short ride down the road brought them to a small restaurant with an outside deck. The night was warm with a slight breeze, so they chose to be seated on the deck.

Scanning over the menu, Sam had trouble deciding what to eat. “Help!” she said quietly.

Steve laughed. “Well, this is a chain, one that I frequent in Washington. I can tell you the burgers are wonderful and the fries are very tasty. That’s what I’m having,” Steve said, putting down the menu.

The waiter arrived a short time later with their drinks, Pepsi for Steve, tea for Sam, then took their order. Sam opted to have the same thing as Steve, a bacon cheeseburger, well done, with fries.

“Sam, can I ask you something? If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine,” Steve said.

“Sure,” she replied.

“I’ve heard that you and Oscar don’t get along. Can you tell me why?” Although he knew Oscar could be difficult to work with on occasion, Steve felt it was a nice enough guy and was surprised to find out that Sam didn’t tolerate him.

Sam shrugged her shoulders, opting not to answer.

“Okay, that’s fine. Maybe you’ll tell me sometime,” Steve said, wanting her to realize he wouldn’t push the issue.

They spent the next hour eating and talking, the conversation spanning a wide range of interest. Steve got her to tell about her years at the orphanage in Massachusetts.

“It’s not as bad as you’d think,” Sam said. “It’s nothing like the movie Annie.”

Steve laughed, “Well I knew that, silly. I meant did you get out often? Things like that.”

“Not really,” Sam admitted. “There were the occasional outings to the zoo or amusement park, stuff like that. At Christmas all the kids were gathered and taken to a local community center where the ‘good hearted’ citizens of the city would make sure the poor orphans had some Christmas cheer. I never attended,” she said, ending on a sour note.

“Why not?”

“The hosts made it abundantly clear that if it weren't for the kindness of strangers, the kids knew have a chance to receive gifts,” Sam said. “I’m not a charity. I don’t need donations.”

Steve nodded, understanding what she said. He’d seen the same thing while on a mission years back. Changing the subject, “Once we’re done here, I know of a book store that stays open till midnight. You interested?”

Sam responded with a smile.

By 11, they decided it was time to head back to the lab. Steve bought two copies of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Takes.” They had decided to read the book together and discuss the various tales.

Sam also had a copy of the “Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” and a couple of Mensa puzzle books. Steve had picked up a few mystery books for himself, also convincing Sam to give Sherlock Holmes a chance. “You’ll love the logic used in the stories,” he assured her.

Sam was quiet on the drive back. Steve tried to get her to talk a couple of times, and then gave up. At the lab they divided their bags then headed inside. Sam surprised Steve by giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, then she quickly retreated to her room and closed the door.

Rudy, who had heard the duo coming down the hall, had peeked into the hall from his office. Seeing the exchange brought a broad smile to his face; he retreated to his desk unseen.

As Steve headed for his room, he replayed the evening's events in his mind, concluding that Sam had managed to find an empty spot in his heart.

Rudy stopped to check in on Sam, and found her peacefully sitting on the bed, looking at a scale-modeling magazine; he then found Steve in the lounge, staring out the window.

"How did it go?" Rudy said.

"Great," Steve said, taking a seat on the nearest couch. "We had a good time. I got her a new model and some supplies, we grabbed something to eat, then hit the book store."

Rudy smile "You have managed to do what took both Tim and I about three months to accomplish. Sam has accepted and allowed you to be part of her life." Rudy knew this would happen since Steve is good with kids, but he didn't think Sam would open up this quickly.

Steve stood, turning toward the window again. "It's hard to believe she's never been adopted..." Steve's voice trailed off as he lapsed into deep thought.

Rudy left his friend alone, retreating to his office for another hour of paperwork.

First thing the following morning, Rudy put a call through to Oscar, questioning whether he'd had any luck finding a home for Sam.

"Not yet," Oscar replied. "I've received a list of Government personnel that might fit our requirements."

Rudy seated himself at the desk, "Hold off on the search for a few days," Rudy said.

"Why?"

Rudy smiled. "Just hold off. I'll get back to you soon."

Due to inclement weather at Andrews Air Force Base, the final test had to be put on hold. Rudy kept up appearances by having a test or two scheduled each day, but made sure Sam had plenty of free time.

As he suspected, Steve and Sam spent a lot of time together, playing chess, discussing literature, history, building models and doing just about anything else they had in common. Sam managed to get Steve to recount his trip to the moon, detailing information that never made it into the newspaper.

Before they had a chance to carry out the final test, Steve was called away on a mission. During the time he was away, Sam stayed to herself, concentrating on her models and books. Rudy tried to coax her out every now and then but to no avail. He and Tim put together a series of tests that they thought would interest Sam, but they only kept her mildly distracted.

At the end of the week, Tim followed Rudy into the office, closing the door for privacy.

"What's wrong with Sam?" Tim said, plopping himself on the couch.

"I thought that was obvious," Rudy said. "She misses Steve."

"What?"

"Tim, you may be brilliant in your field, but your power of observation is seriously lacking. Hadn't you noticed how well they get along?" Rudy said, amazed at Tim's inability to notice the obvious.

"Not really, I guess I wasn't paying attention," he admitted.

"Let's put it this way, I've asked Oscar to stop searching for a family," Rudy said, knowing that time would draw 'father and daughter' together.

"You think..."

Rudy nodded. "Definitely. They've become very close over the past few weeks, and her mood didn't start until Steve departed. It'll be interesting to see what happens when he returns."

In the meantime, the men did their best to keep Sam busy, if not happy, trying to keep her mind off of Steve's absence. Washington

Another week had passed when Steve walked into Oscar's office, dropping his report on the desk. He took a seat in a nearby leather chair. "I want to adopt Sam."

"What?" Oscar said, over the top of his glasses at Steve.

"You heard me. She needs a home. I've discovered that I need a family. We get along fine, and if she'll have me, I want to adopt her," Steve said.

Oscar sat up in his chair, removed his glasses and set them on the desk. "Well, this explains Rudy's phone call from a few weeks ago."

"What call?" Steve said, puzzled.

"Rudy called some time back and told me to stop looking for a family for Sam. He didn't give me an explanation; he just asked me to stop and trust him," Oscar said, smiling.

Steve was somewhat surprised, but understood that his doctor had a habit of seeing the outcome of a situation long before the game played out. He started laughing, shaking his head. "I should have known Rudy would notice."

Oscar arranged for a trip to the lab, the two men arriving there by early evening.

Somewhere in Virginia

The two men checked in with Rudy first before heading for Sam's room. Rudy tagged along, wanting to see Sam's response when Steve enters the room. As they stood at the door, Rudy held Oscar back, letting Steve enter first.

Steve knocked, waited for a reply, and then slowly opened the door. Sam sat on the bed, reading a Human Anatomy book.

"Anybody home?" Steve asked, propping the door open.

"Steve!" Sam said, dropping the book and scrambling off the bed.

"Hey kid, how ya doing?" Steve said, giving Sam a hug.

"Fine now that you're back," Sam said, smiling from ear to ear.

Rudy and Oscar entered a moment later, the expression instantly falling away from Sam's face.

"Mr. Goldman," she said, acknowledging his presence. Sam took a seat at the table, her back to Oscar, picking up a paintbrush and a nose cone to her most recent model.

"I've got good news, Sam. I've found a home for you," Oscar said, casting a sly glance at Steve.

Sam didn't respond, concentrating on her task.

"I had wanted to find a two parent home for you, but didn't have any luck. Seeing that you don't have the usual hobbies of a girl, I felt it might be best to find you a father figure," Oscar said.

Sam shrugged.

"He's in his early 40's, single, works for the government, and loves outdoor activities, especially camping, fishing, and hiking. His interests include astronomy, history, literature and planes," Oscar continued. "He has a house just outside of Washington, and a ranch in California near his parents."

Sam didn't respond.

"How does that sound?" Rudy questioned, grinning.

Sam shrugged again.

"Ya know Sam, I get the impression you don't want to live with this guy. I mean, he sounds nice enough," Steve said, moving closer to the table.

"I guess," she said, still paying attention to her model.

"You guess? And here I thought you'd like living at my house," Steve said, deciding to put Sam out of her misery.

Sam stopped in mid brushstroke, looking up at Steve with a quizzical expression. "Really?" she asked hesitantly.

"If you think you can put up with me, yes," Steve replied, smiling.

Sam dropped the brush and nose cone on the table, bolted from her seat and threw herself at Steve, giving him a big hug, which Steve willingly returned.

"I guess that's a 'yes'," Rudy commented, pleased to see they made the right choice. He grabbed Oscar by the arm, dragging him from the room. Rudy figured they should allow the two some privacy.

Andrews Air Force Base

By the next day the weather had cleared, giving Steve and Sam an one-hour window in which to conduct the next test.

While Steve finished his pre-flight walk around, Sam received help with her flight suit from a female pilot.

“Ever been up in one of the jets?” she asked, trying to make small talk.

“No,” Sam replied, not offering any further conversation.

Once finished, the woman led the way out to the airstrip. Sam thanked her and finished the trek to the plane by herself. She was in awe of the F-4C Phantom II that stood before her; the same plane she and Steve planned to build together. Approaching the plane, she slowly circled it, taking in all the details.

Steve stood aside, grinning. He remembered the pleasure of seeing his first plane up close, and was pleased to see Sam having the same reaction.

She slowly approached Steve, oblivious of his presence.

“Sam,” Steve said, dragging her back to reality. “It’s time to get strapped into the jet.”

Sam nodded, climbing the ladder to the second seat. An airman helped her strap in while another airman helped Steve as well.

As soon as the canopy closed, Steve heard “Cool!” coming over the mike.

“What?” he asked.

“I just got my first set of instructions. Not only can I identify all the instruments on the panel, but I can also tell you the purpose of each,” Sam said while checking out the panel.

“And that is exactly what you are supposed to do now, according to the schedule,” Steve said.

He spent the next few minutes quizzing her. Steve wasn’t surprised when she answered all the questions quickly and efficiently. He radioed the tower, where Rudy and Oscar both waited, with the results. Rudy gave him the go ahead for the next step.

Steve received clearance from the tower, taxiing out to the designated runway. After his final check, he was cleared for take-off at his discretion. He eased the plane forward, and within seconds they were skyward. Steve knew they’d be in the air for about 8 minutes prior to Sam receiving her instructions. He performed a series of maneuvers that thrilled Sam. They were discussing the next stunt when Sam stopped in mid-sentence.

“Receiving your instructions?” Steve asked.

“Got them,” Sam replied. A moment later she laughed, “I know how to fly this plane!”

“And there again, that’s part of the test,” Steve said. Once again he went through the Q&A, confirming her knowledge was intact. He radioed the tower with the results, receiving permission to continue.

“Sam? It’s your turn to fly. I’ll stay with you on the stick and pedals for the first couple of minutes so you can get the feel for the plane, then you’ll be on your own.”

“On my own?” Sam said, a slight quiver in her voice.

Steve had never heard uncertainty in her voice. “You’ll be in control, but I’ll quickly pick it up if you need help.”

“Okay,” she said, professional once again.

They went through a series of simple maneuvers, Sam performing them with ease.

“Your turn,” Steve said.

Sam took control of the plane. “I’ve got it.”

Steve let go of the controls, keeping a close eye on the instruments. According to his checklist, Sam was to perform some simple maneuvers, banking, fly-by, setting up for a specific run to which Steve had all of the specifics. Once finished, she was to perform a barrel roll, then set up for landing.

Steve itched to take control of the stick, but knew he had to wait. He was unaccustomed to being a passenger in his own jet.

Sam silently performed her tasks, enjoying the sensations. As she finished banking toward the base, Sam set up for the roll, performing it perfectly. She let out a hoot as she leveled out, coming back around to prepare for landing.

She heard the radio come to life up front, but was unable to make out the conversation. A minute later, she heard the familiar beeps.

“Alright!” she said. “I get to land!”

“Yes you do,” Steve said. “We’re to do one more fly-by while I quiz you on the information, then you’ll make the approach and set her down smoothly.”

Sam was glad to continue the flight, even if it was only for a few minutes. Steve then gave her the go-ahead to land.

Sam banked toward the runway, setting up for final approach. She radioed the tower, part of her instructions, for final clearance. Once received, Sam took them in for a smooth landing. She followed the tower’s instructions to taxi to the hanger. Minutes later she brought the plane to a halt and began the shutdown procedures.

Flight crew appeared to help them out of the plane. As Steve climbed down, he glanced toward the back, seeing Sam grinning broadly. He was pleased the test went well; knowing Sam would have been disappointed otherwise.

Rudy strode toward the plane, leaving Oscar behind in the tower. As Sam jumped off the final ladder rung, Rudy gave her a big hug.

“That was great!” he said. “You surpassed all expectations.”

Wanting to get out of the flight suits, Rudy followed them inside, tagging along behind Steve.

“Well?”

“Rudy, I swear that was the smoothest landing ever. Even I haven’t done one that smooth. It was incredible,” Steve said while changing back to civilian clothing. “She had the touch of an experienced pilot, not once showing any hesitation.”

Rudy grinned broadly, “This was the test Oscar had been waiting for; it proves the signal can be transmitted from a great distance and be received without the signal degrading,” Rudy said.

Steve looked at him, slightly puzzled. “You didn’t transmit from here?”

Rudy shook his head. "Tim transmitted from Virginia, via satellite to Sam. Oscar wanted to determine the signal's limit, and figured this would be a good test."

"Amazing," Steve said. "Absolutely amazing."

Somewhere in Virginia

By the following morning, Sam had started carefully packing her completed models. Steve had been called away, much to her dismay, but Rudy had explained to her this would be a fact of life.

Shortly before Noon, Rudy stopped by, asking her to join him for lunch. Sam glanced around the room and decided she was as a good stopping point, so she took the Doctor up on his invitation.

Much to her surprise, they headed out for lunch. "I thought we'd eat in the cafeteria," she said.

Rudy shook his head. "I figured a change of scenery would be good for both of us."

They drove in silence as Sam thought about what was to come. The idea of having a real home never entered her mind until the day Rudy walked into her life. Even then, it was still just an idea, not a reality. Now she not only had a home, but with a person who understood her and shared many common interests. She smiled to herself, thinking about having her own bedroom in which she could display her models without busybodies coming in and breaking them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Rudy said, hoping to get Sam talking.

She told the story of how her favorite model, her first model, was destroyed by a young clumsy boy. "I know he didn't mean to break it, but I was so mad that I scared him. It was months before he would even be in the same room with me. The idea of having my own space is wonderful..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her attention to the outside again, lost in thought.

They were seated in a quiet section of the restaurant, per Rudy's request. He wanted a chance to talk with Sam and felt doing it over lunch would be less formal for Sam.

After they placed the order, Sam said, "This isn't just a lunch out, is it?"

Rudy chuckled. "I never could put anything past you."

Sam shrugged.

"You're right. We haven't had much of a chance to talk of late. I want to know how you're doing. Big changes are ahead for you. How are you holding up?" Rudy said.

Sam sat quietly, formulating an answer. "I could just say I'm doing okay, but I know that's not what you want to hear."

"You're right about that," Rudy said. He was used to Sam taking her time when answering a question.

"My life has changed so much over the past year that I haven't really stopped and thought about it. I figured it was best to take it a day at a time," Sam said.

"But now?"

"But now it's all catching up with me. I'm part of a fantastic project, I've found people who actually care about me and not just the project; I thank you and Tim for that. Now I'm going to have a place to call home with a man who cares for me and shares my interests," Sam said. "It's just a little overwhelming."

Rudy nodded, "I've noticed. You've stayed to yourself just a little more than normal these days. I know you've been busy packing, but you generally socialize some. Is there anything I can do to help you?" Rudy paused, allowing the waitress to deliver the pizza. "I know this isn't easy, and because of Steve's situation, it'll be a little difficult on you."

Sam picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite; Rudy did the same, knowing that she was thinking of an answer.

"I honestly don't know. I think the first thing you can do for me is to be there if I need to talk. I know Steve and I will grow close, but you and I have been together for some time, and you seem to have understood me from the beginning," Sam said. This was on of the reasons she agreed to the project. Rudy treated her as an equal from the day they met and seemed to understand the way she thought; a refreshing change from her normal social interactions at the orphanage.

"You needn't worry, I'll be around, either here or in Washington," Rudy said. "So what are your plans when you move in with Steve?"

"Don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and see," Sam replied.

Rudy munched on his pizza, wondering if he should broach the subject of Oscar. For a reason he can't understand, Sam hadn't like Oscar from day one. The two hadn't even had a discussion. The first time Sam saw Oscar; she turned his back to him and never said a word. "Sam, I need to ask you something. It's been puzzling me for some time now and I know you don't like talking about it."

Sam stopped in mid-bite, knowing what was coming. "No," she said, before taking a swig of soda.

"Yes, as your friend and doctor, I need to know why you don't like Oscar? You haven't said ten words to him since you met," Rudy said, pushing the subject.

Sam sat shaking her head. "No," she said again, a little more forceful.

"Sam."

"Rudy, that's the one topic I won't discuss. That's it, subject closed." Sam turned her attention out the window, watching the traffic go by.

Rudy sighed. He needed an answer and didn't know how to get it. He changed the subject to something more pleasant, models, knowing that Sam would be willing to talk about her favorite subject.

They spent the rest of the lunch on safe topics of discussion, returning to the lab two hours after their departure. Sam returned to her room to continue packing while Rudy went to his office, putting a call in to Oscar.

By the weekend Sam had finished packing, leaving only a couple of books out to read while waiting for Steve's return. Early Sunday morning Sam rose, showered, dressed and made her way to the cafeteria. After retrieving her usual breakfast, she headed for her table in the corner of the room.

Steve and Rudy entered a few minutes later for breakfast and coffee. Rudy nudged Steve in the arm, motioning toward the corner of the room. Steve smiled, heading for the table. Rudy wandered over to Tim's table, opting to give Steve and Sam some time alone.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Steve said.

Sam looked up, "Steve! When did you get back?"

"Late last night," Steve said, seating himself across from Sam. "I hear you're all packed and ready to go."

Sam nodded, finishing off her banana. "Sure am. Rudy said I could leave anytime."

"How about after breakfast?"

Sam's eyes lit up, "Really? Today? This morning?"

"We'll take what we can today. Rudy said he'd have the rest of your stuff shipped tomorrow morning," Steve said. They had already made arrangements for getting Sam's belongings to Washington.

Steve and Sam quickly finished their breakfast, and then headed for Sam's room. After choosing which boxes to take, the duo took them out to the waiting helicopter.

"It looks like we can fit another box or two into the back," Steve said, checking out the space. "Let's go see what we can take."

They returned to her room, Sam quickly selecting a couple of small boxes. Steve took them out to the helicopter while Sam said her good-byes to the staff. Rudy then walked her out to the helipad.

Sam gave him a big hug before boarding the craft. Steve finished his checklist, started the engines, and then lifted off, heading for Washington.

"Let's go home," Steve said to Sam.

"Home. I have a home," Sam said, smiling broadly. "Yes, Dad, let's go home."