A/N: So I'm continuing this story, and it will be finished. I had to move several events around and change my original plan for this chapter slightly but, I'm continuing it after a long time so I'm happy about that. I hope you guys like it. As usual I own nothing except my OCs and my plot.

Chapter Twelve:Present Planning and Scheming

Sam's POV

Monty comes in when we're in the midst of a really productive brainstorming session.

"What if you went higher on this part like this?" Aaron hits a key on the keyboard.

"Oh yeah, that's good." I nod but then look up.

I'm the first one to notice him. I can't quite read his expression. "Hey Monty," I give a slight smile, but it falls as I notice he seems troubled by...something, I don't know what, but he can't quite keep eye contact with me. It's weird.

"Uncle Monty, you've got to keep this a secret, but we're helping Sam with a song for Ryan and the Cohens." Aaron says.

"Christmas gift?" Monty says. His voice has that false note to it like he's trying to keep something under wraps.

"Yeah, Michael thought it'd be better than a toy truck." I shrug. "I didn't think so at first, but it might actually be good."

Monty grins slightly in amusement, but then it disappears again.

"Is something wrong Uncle Monty?" Michael looks between me and his uncle.

He shakes his head, smiling. It's bright and sudden like Christmas lights, but it feels more like something out of Nightmare Before Christmas. Something is off, I just know it. "No, there's some extra food in the kitchen, do you guys want to come take a break?"

Monty's lying, but Michael and Aaron seem eager to take up their uncle's offer. I'm a guest here so I have to as well.

"Yeah, I'm starved. You coming guys?" Aaron stands.

"Sounds good to me." Michael says. He looks over to me, and as if he can tell, he takes my hand. It stops my shaking slightly. "Sam, you okay?"

I nod. "Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

As Aaron follows Monty out the door, Michael looks at me. "Dude, what's going on?"

"I've just got...I feel like something's wrong." I pride myself on being observant, and it feels off. Something is going to blow up.

"Alright man, normally I'd say listen to it, but things are going okay. You said so yourself. Are you sure you're not being paranoid?"

"I…" I shake my head. "I don't…"

"Sam, you know my folks. They're gonna look you up and down, Mom would bubble wrap you if it was possible. You've been gone for...a while...so that's gonna be turned up to eleven." He claps me on the shoulder. "Even Uncle Monty's going to be weird. Don't let it scare you." Michael's gaze is serious. "Just go with it. It's gonna be fine. I promise."

I nod. "Okay." I exhale and smile. "Let's go go with it." I follow Michael downstairs to the kitchen where a ton of food is spread, most of them sweets. Clara's been busy. I hear voices around the corner, but I can't make out what they're saying. It gets me a bit nervous, but I turn my attention to a decorated sugar cookie and try to ignore the gnawing in my gut. Like Michael said, I just had to go with it.

"So I've got to come up with something to make it up to Sophie. I don't think a song's going to do it."

"What, does the kid not like music?" Michael says. He grabs a brownie.

"Well, I don't know exactly, I'm sure but I feel like I've got to do something else, just for her. I did screw up badly."

"Well short of bringing Santa to the hospital to see her and the new little one, what exactly are you going to do?"

"I...don't...know yet, I don't know yet, but I'll figure out something."

"I think I've got an idea." Michael smiles as he leaves. "I'll be right back."

As Michael leaves, I sit at the island and then notice a cell phone, a familiar cell phone. Ryan's cell phone. What would make Ryan forget his phone? I pick it up, intending to go find him to return it only for it to ring.

This was a dilemma. I exhale, and then answer. I could always take a message. It could be something about the baby or Summer. I was doing him a favor.

"Hello."

"You're not Ryan." I'm taken aback as a boy's voice enters my ear.

"No, afraid not. Um...Ryan's not here right now. Can I pass something along?"

"Can you just tell Ryan to come here now? It's important."

"Cooper, come on Give it-thank you." I hear a struggle and another voice enters the fray. "Hi, sorry about my bratty little brother. So where exactly is Ryan? If he hired a secretary?"

"I'm not a secretary." I sigh. " I'm Sam. He just left his phone here. He should be around somewhere. So who should I tell him called?"

"Huh, well not a secretary Sam, name's Kaitlin, Kaitlin Cooper."

"And I'm Cooper Atwood!" The boy shouts.

I laugh. These two are crazy. "Okay, should I tell him anything else."

"How much time do you have?"

"Um…" I frown. "Should I be nervous?"

I then get stuck listening to an extremely bizarre story about how Ryan and Cooper's Dad, not Kaitlin's, Cooper was her half brother, had volunteered himself to be a shopping mall Santa but had forgotten to pick up his Santa suit from the cleaners and had to be ready for their Christmas party and the vow renewal of Kirsten and Sandy, but still refused to pick up the suit himself and wanted to see his other son before Christmas because Cooper had a present to give him that just couldn't wait. And I thought the Cohens were a weird part of Ryan's family tree.

"So, what exactly are you asking?" My brain is working a plan.

"Ryan to drop off the suit duh!" Cooper says.

"If it's not too much trouble." Kaitlin adds. "We're in Newport. I'm texting the address of the cleaner's to Ryan's phone."

"You...do know...that's like four hours away, and Ryan's not even here to say yes?"

"How persuasive are you?"

Damn it. Ryan wouldn't like this. Then I realize something, maybe I could get help with part of the Cohens' present from these two. They seemed pretty sneaky. "Fine I'll see what I can do, but I need your help with something to consider it even." I explain my idea.

"Sure kid, I like your style. Just get Ryan here."

"Thanks Kaitlin, I'll see." I hang up and turn around quickly placing the phone back in its position just as Michael came back into the room with a pad of Christmas paper and a pen.

"Why do you look like you just pulled off something?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "You just pulled something didn't you?" Michael sighs. "Come on man, don't just keep me in the dark, what'd you do?"

I explain the situation to Michael. He looks at me like I grew a second head. "So, let me get this straight, you're afraid something's gonna go boom, and you're pretty much guaranteeing it now with this whack idea? You're nuts."

"I know."

"At least you're aware of it." Michael laughs. "This is insane, how are you going to pull that off?"

"I'll think of something." I then look at the paper and pen. "What's this for?"

"You're writing that letter. And you're not leaving this spot until it's done."

A/N: So Sam answered the call from Kaitlin Cooper and roped himself and Ryan into a trip to Newport which Ryan has no idea about, because Sam needs some extra help with his present for the Cohens that he believes Kaitlin Cooper and Ryan's half brother Cooper Atwood can provide. In this story, Cooper Atwood is portrayed by Jacob Tremblay. And Sam still doesn't know his mom is around. And Michael is forcing Sam to write his Santa letter. What do you think will come of all of this?

Next chapter: Stuff hits the fan.

A behind the scenes tidbit: This chapter was extremely difficult to write, which led to the decision to split events after a lot of thought as I finally decided the stuff with Sam and his mom and Ryan deserved its own chapter, and Sam deserved a bit of levity and troublemaking in good spirit before all that happened to break the pleasantness. So those moments will get their due I promise.