Chapter 10

Samantha stared in shock as Scipio looked at her with pleading eyes. Is this how it was for Hornet? Or did she make a move on Prosper? She had to talk some girl to girl stuff with Hornet later on.

"Scipio…." Gasped Samantha. Scipio looked scared of her response. "I really….but…can't… no!" Samantha looked at Scipio, hard. "NO!" She ran out the door, passing everyone. They looked confused, even Hornet who had been sitting on Prosper's lap.

She stumbled out of the hospital, and ran in the opposite direction of her house. She had to leave! Scipio…he was so amazing. But last time she cared about someone, she lost them. No. She couldn't. NO!

She ran on, finally stopping at a water logged ally. Puddles splashed as Samantha stopped, pressing her cheek against the wall. Little did she know this was the same place Scipio had gone to when he ran from a fat shop owner.

Taking slow steady breaths, Samantha sat on the ground and hugged her knees. Should she run away? If so, where to? An orphanage? Scipio would surely persuade Ida to go searching for her. How he had looked at her! How much she wanted to wrap her arms around him, kiss him, hell, she would settle as long as he was near her! No…never again. She was afraid to love, for the sake of her dead family. Her brother, sister, parents…dog! All gone! Samantha sighed.

A heavy rainfall came down on Samantha, startling her. She sat up, and looked at the sky.

"Why can't you let me love, lord? Why?!" she cried, throwing her arms in the air.

"You don't need to love me back," said a voice. Samantha turned and saw him, dressed in black, with the bird like mask. Samantha gasped. The mask from her dreams! Oh, dear lord…

"Scipio, is that you?" whispered Samantha, clutching her chest. She backed away.

"Sam, please don't run! You don't have to love me back, I've told you…" Scipio sighed, and pulled off his mask. "You don't have to be afraid!" His voice! So mysterious.

"My….family…" croaked Samantha. She looked at Scipio's bandaged head. "Look what happened! You almost died; you were almost beaten to death! Every time I love, they die, or something horrible happens to them, and I can't do anything…" Samantha began crying. Scipio raised his head, wanting to comfort her, but someone was emerging from the shadows…

"Oh, how very touching…" said a voice Scipio hated with much of his soul. "Yes, your mother often cried over useless things too. And look at her now! Moved to a different country, only to leave you behind!" Dottore Massimo emerged from the shadows, with a long leather belt, and a knife. Scipio stepped protectively in front of Samantha.

"Get away from here, father. The cops will be here soon! I don't need you here, ruining my life…" Scipio spat.

"Oh, only when you wouldn't have existed if it weren't for me?" the cruel man smirked. "Oh, and your cute little girlfriend! Don't tell me she ran away? What'd you do? Beat her the way I did you? Like father, like son-!" Scipio lunged himself at his father, punching and kicking.

"I-AM-NOTHING-LIKE-YOU!" Scipio screamed. His father drew the knife, and pointed it at Samantha's heart. Scipio yelped like a wounded puppy, standing in front of his friend.

"Leave her alone." An icy voice, so frigid and angry came out of Scipio's mouth. His father, however, smiled.

"Stand aside, Scipio, I'll kill you anyway. I just want the satisfaction of your pained face when this girl dies before she hits the ground!" a common criminal, Scipio thought.

Then he threw the knife.

And Scipio caught it. Good reflexes.

Samantha smiled. She walked passed Scipio, and pointed at his father's face. "You heartless old bastard!" she spat. Then she kicked him right where it hurt the most, causing Scipio's father to cry out in pain, falling over. Scipio laughed at his father's cries of pain, but his dad took a deep breath and stood up, eyes almost watering in pain.

"So, my stupid son had a girlfriend, now?" he assumed viciously. Scipio stood in front of Samantha once more, breathing in deeply. He drew the knife high into to the air, then dropped it.

"Sam, run!" Scipio grabbed Samantha's hand, feeling her quick pulse.

They both ran.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

They took a deep breath, stopping at the Grande Canal. Samantha looked fearful, terrified. Scipio knew he looked much worse, so he decided not to say anything about the matter.

"Scipio…that monster, wanted to kill you…" gasped Samantha. Scipio nodded.

"He'd kill you too," Scipio whispered. He looked at her sadly.

"Scipio, why don't you get it? I can't hang out with you, I can't! Every time I love…" Samantha stopped. Scipio frowned.

"People die, Sam. That's part of life. I know it hurts, but I can almost guarantee it's not your fault they died. It's nobody's fault. You have to love, if not, life is just pointless! Please, at least be my friend. I won't force you to like me, but I can't promise you that I'll stop loving you," Scipio took a deep breath.

"Scipio…you're right," Samantha murmured. She buried her face in her hands, "but, I love you too…. I don't know what I'd do if you died!" Now Scipio did comfort her. He embraced her in a hug, and felt her tears on his shoulder. Cops passed them, probably after his dad.

Then, Scipio removed Samantha's hands from her face. Her face was red, and covered in tears. He wiped them away with his sleeve.

"Sam, do you trust me?" He whispered. He pleaded with her, begged. His eyes searched her eyes, looking for hope to cling to.

"I do trust you, Scipio. It's me I don't trust…It's the fact that I love you, and that part of me I don't trust," her fearful eyes filled with more tears. Scipio smiled.

"I trust you," he lifted her chin. She didn't pull away. She brushed her tears away.

Then he kissed her.

Sunday church bells went off in Samantha's head. Heaven's clouds fogged the rest of her head up. The kiss ended all too soon.

"Scipio, why me?" She whispered.

"Because you're the most beautiful girl I know, and I love you," Scipio said. Samantha's hazel eyes sparkled, but stopped when they heard voices.

"HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Shouted a cop. Oh no.

Scipio's evil father was running on the other side of the street. Cops ran after him, and hopped into their boats. Sirens filled Samantha and Scipio's ears.

"Run, Sam!" Scipio whispered. Samantha shook her head.

"No way!" She said. They turned and watched as the evil man was cornered. Samantha looked fearfully from Scipio to his father.

"Let's go," Scipio said. He took her hand, and ran towards the hospital to see the gang.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

They were all sitting with the doctors, explaining how Scipio had run after Samantha. Hornet, Prosper, Bo, Riccio, and Mosca all tried talking to them at once.

"What happened?" Riccio asked.

"Are you crazy, Scip?" Mosca asked.

"Are you guys in love?" Bo asked.

"Bo!" Hornet and Prosper said in unison. Samantha and Scipio tried explaining everything that happened to them, conveniently leaving out their kiss.

"My God, that man is going to h-!" Ida started to say, but Victor shot her a look, and nodded his head toward Bo. Ida blushed. No talking like that around Bo.

"I agree, Ida. The cops are after him. I just want to forget about him. Oh yeah, can I bury my cat out back? He… my dad killed him, and I just want to make sure he has a burial," Scipio murmured. Everyone but Samantha knew he had a thing for cats.

"Sure, Scipio. As long as it is not too close to my plants," Ida said. Scipio nodded gravely. Samantha glanced up at Ida.

"I'm going to find an orphanage, Ida. My….dad is not very keen on raising me. In fact, he's mostly drunk all the time. He's a bartender, that's how much he drinks," Samantha whispered. Scipio looked at her in horror.

"No way! You can live here, right Ida?" Scipio asked, but Samantha shook her head.

"Bo, Hornet, Prosper, Riccio, Mosca, and you already live here. I'd be intruding! I can't stay here, no matter how much I'd like too. I'm sorry, I've got to go. Maybe the Merciful Sisters will let me go to my school…I hope. Bye guys," Samantha walked to the door. Scipio ran over to her.

"NO! You aren't going to the Merciful Sisters! There is no way I'd even see you again, Sam. Please, if you care about me at all you'll stay here…" tears ran down Scipio's cheeks. He never cried. Mosca gaped at him. Riccio gasped. Bo started to wail. Hornet, however, walked up to Samantha and led her upstairs.

"You can sleep in my room. We have a few air mattresses left, that is, if Ida's OK with it?" Hornet asked Ida.

"Of course! I never turn down children. However, I think we'll have to stick with seven. I'd go broke with more than seven children!" Ida said. She laughed, along with Victor.

"Ida, you are too kind for your own good. You kids go show Samantha around, now!" everyone filed out, not knowing that Victor was about to propose to Ida.

"Samantha, I'm glad you're staying with us," Scipio whispered to her.

"Yeah, me too, but this means that we'll being seeing a lot of each other," Samantha said.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" Scipio whispered.

"Yeah, I do." Samantha kissed Scipio's cheek. Everyone giggled, and Scipio blushed. Prosper put his arm around Hornet.

"How is it that Riccio and Mosca don't have girlfriends, but we do Scip?" Prosper teased.

"I don't know, but I hope they are straight, Prop," Scipio said. Everyone laughed at this. Bo kept giggling; but on the other hand, he had no idea what everyone was talking about.

"Samantha, you have got to see my fan collection!" Bo said. "And Hornet's books, Mosca's fishing stuff, Riccio stuffed animals, and Ida's cameras. This house is so cool!"

"I think I'm going to like it here," Samantha said to Scipio. They both smiled.

(a/n the end! It makes me sad! But, finally! Thanks for the reviews, this is the end, even though I wish it wasn't. I'm going to start working more on other stories!) :)