A/N: This is something experimental, so feel free to tell me if it needs improvement, or if this style isn't for me. I won't mind (if you do it tactfully).

"f i r e in the c.i.t.y, f i r e in your h.e.a.r.t."

FanFic by: KeyLimePie14

I.

she sits silently, w.a.t.c.h.i.n.g as her father (the b e a s t that he is) throws her mother

into the wall, bringing the picture of their p.r.e.t.t.y and idealically posed family

s.h.a.t.t.e.r.i.n.g to the ground.

she doesn't cry, (she doesn't f.e.e.l) anything as her mother crumples into a

crying, t o r t u r e d heap on the floor.

[even at the small age of f.o.u.r samantha never understood why her mother let him control her.]

II.

by ten years, samantha had been molded, formed into

w.h.a.t h.e.r m.o.t.h.e.r.s m.i.s.t.a.k.e.s destined h.e.r t.o b.e.

she was, sam and nothing else.

she was, a b u l l y.

she was, trapped.

she was, a victim.

she was, f r i g h t e n e d.

she s.t.r.u.g.g.l.e.d to remain innocent in a world that never was.

[she was, not yet b r o k e n but not quite w h o l e.]

III.

the day finally came that her mother h.i.t back.

it was a w i l d, flailing of fists,

s.c.r.e.a.m.i.n.g, sharp-sounding curses grating on her ears.

she watched her father throw a punch,

but her mother was finally u.n.f.a.z.e.d.

[he was gone by morning.]

IV.

her sister, the one who had once known how to calm her down in the most tense of situations,

was now the e.n.e.m.y.

it was her mother's fault, really.

she made her hate melanie.

she coddled melanie. not her.

she encouraged melanie. not her.

she saw something in melanie. not her.

she had given up on sam.

and bit by bit it broke her beyond repair.

[that was the year she commited her f i r s t crime against society.]

V.

by next year melanie left to boarding school in c a l i.

sam was left behind to remain in the life that had never noticed her.

of course, she t o l e r a t e d it by now,

but it didn't stop her from dreaming of something better.

"dreaming n.e.v.e.r helped nobody," her mother would tell her.

sam didn't dream after that. she had no reason not to believe her mother.

[the last dream she dreamt was of a beautiful wonderland, the one that only e.x.i.s.t.e.d in her mind.]

VI.

her sixth grade year she spent nearly every moment with carly (and freddie too).

carly was;

p e r f e c t.

gorgeous.

kind hearted.

generous.

f o r g i v i n g.

she was everything sam wasn't and never would be.

but she was still her best friend, her rock.

f r e d d i e was her h u m a n p u n c h i n g b a g.

but he also knew her better than she k.n.e.w herself.

[sixth grade was m u c h too young to r.e.a.l.i.z.e how important this would become, however.]

VII.

eleventh grade passed in a s w i r l of

heartache

first times

and l.o.v.e.l.o.s.t.

sam had matured much too much.

she lost herself to a boy.

a boy who was o.n.l.y temporary.

but he left her something much more p e r m a n e n t.

[he g a v e her a child.]

VIII.

carly became her crying shoulder.

freddie, her s t r e n g t h e n e r.

he helped her be strong even when she didn't think she c.o.u.l.d.

with his help, she told her mother.

in a s h a k y voice she spoke the truth, the words u g l y to her ears,

"mom, im pregnant," and she b.r.a.c.e.d herself for the explosion.

but... it n e v e r came.

[her mother just left her like e v e r y o n e else had in the past.]

IX.

nine months came and went.

a baby was born.

7 pounds, 13 ounces.

a b l u e e y e d , b l o n d e b e a u t y.

she didn't know what name to bestow onto her,

so she called her grace.

g r a c e was her l.i.f.e.

g r a c e was her l o v e.

g r a c e was hers. all hers.

g r a c e would never s e e h a r m.

g r a c e would be loved.

[but sam was s.c.a.r.e.d. out of her mind.]

X.

carly was as much help as she could be.

she gave sam a roof over their heads.

sam was d e t e r m i n e d to give grace a better life than h.e.r.s.

"finish school," is what they a l l s a i d.

so thats what she did.

[she got her h i g h s c h o o l d i p l o m a next spring.]

XI.

as grace grew, so did sam,

s h e g r e w i n t o a m a t u r e , y o u n g , c a p a b l e m o t h e r.

(something her own mother never mastered.)

as the months passed, sam n.o.t.i.c.e.d a few things,

she noticed how beautiful grace really was and it s h o c k e d her that something t h a t l o v e l y could be hers.

she noticed how freddie treated grace like his own.

she noticed that she l o v e d how freddie treated her daughter.

she noticed that freddie had really grown.

now he was t.a.l.l

c h i s e l e d,

charming

but most of all,

he had sam falling for him.

[but she f o u g h t i t t h e e n t i r e w a y.]

XII.

she'd never forget the night she l.e.t.h.e.r.s.e.l.f.f.a.l.l.

it was a c.o.l.d.w.i.n.t.e.r.s.n.i.g.h.t

she remembered how the stars shone brightly as she and freddie walked the streets of seattle .hand . in . hand.

blockaftercityblock they walked alongside each other, their breath misting,

swirling together.

she fought her feelings hard, but it was no use.

she was falling for him and she vowed that if he made a move,

s h e w o u l d l e t h i m.

so when he leaned in,

she did too.

theirlipsmetinaburstofflames.

but for the first time, sam felt safe.

she found that she'd a.l.w.a.y.s felt safe in freddie's arms,

it just took some time to realize it.

[in the fall, they moved in t o g e t h e r, ready for w h a t e v e r life was to throwatthem. (that was also the day grace spoke her first word, "dada.")]