AN - Thanks to everyone who took a little time to read, review, fave, or follow. It really means a lot, and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter~ =3

Sam stood in the shower at Cat's Nona's home and let the cool water wash over her body, cleaning her with a few squirts of liquid bath soap, from top to bottom. Once she'd finished washing up she stepped out of the shower, and looked to the back of the bathroom door for a towel or robe to put on. The only one she could find was one that looked like a rainbow had thrown up on it, which is exactly what she told Cat when she left the bathroom, and found the redhead making lemonade.

Cat giggled softly at Sam's silly question, and continued making the fresh-squeezed drink for her herself and her new friend, while also telling Sam that her clothes would be ready to where as soon as her Nona showed her how to use the dryer.

Sam just kind of stared at Cat in mild disbelief that she didn't know how to operate a dryer, until a knock sounded at the front door and a kid with dark, curly hair swaggered his way in through the door. Cat introduced him as 'Dice' and as he proceeded to try to sell them hair of all things, Sam thought to herself in amusement that he sort of reminded her of herself. He had a funky yet cool name, and he was an obvious entrepreneur...always looking for his next big score or break. He seemed like he might be a bit of a wad at first, but Sam quickly decided that she kinda liked the kid's spunk. She let him know as much by offering him some of her hair...for a price of course. She was Sam Puckett after all...she always had to look out for herself, and turn a profit.

Now that she and Cat were alone once again, Sam had to comment about her sniffing away at Bieber's hair. She wasn't jealous about how much the redhead liked the silly Bieb's hair...after all her own hair smelled way better, and she bet that Cat would love the scent of her hair way more.

She wasn't jealous at all.

Things got crazy again though like most of her day had already been, when Cat's Nona came bursting in through the front door, being pushed by two giggling kids who immediately hightailed it outta there when they laid eyes on her and Cat. Sam was then introduced to Cat's grandma while helping the older woman step out of the sack, the two kids had somehow managed to get her into. Then when Cat began panicking about staying by herself, and her Nona asked who Sam was, the blond made sure to turn and leave after letting Cat's grandma believe she didn't have a prison record.

No need to give the old bag any reason to call the cops or something, in worry over having a 'criminal' in her home, Sam thought derisively to herself, as she made her way to the laundry room to see if she couldn't get her clothes washed and dried herself. She was already overstaying her welcome, and she needed to have her shit together so when it was time to scram, she could do it immediately. Though the thought of leaving Cat behind when she was just getting to know...and like her...caused a small twinge in Sam's chest. She quickly pushed the feeling away though, and went about getting her stuff cleaned and ready.

By tomorrow she'd be long gone from this place...and Cat Valentine.

~o~o~o~

Later that night as Sam was dreaming about delicious red-velvet cupcakes, the fold-out couch she was sleeping on jiggled suddenly. The movement woke Sam up instantly, just in time to see Cat's Nona grip the edge of the pull-out bed, and fold it with her on it back down into the couch.

Sam tried not to panic...she really and truly did. But she had just been folded down into a damn couch! Panic was happening, and it was happening now.

"Cat! Cat, help me! Your crazy grandma just shoved me down into the couch! HELP!" Sam cried out wildly, with her words being muffled by all the fabric and cushion above her.

Cat immediately came out of her room at all the commotion, and her eyes widened in shocked panic when she saw and heard the couch moving and talking all on its own.

"GHOST COUCH!" she cried out as she made a wild dash for one of her Nona's crutches, and came back to start whacking at the 'ghost couch'.

Soon enough though, the actual voice shouting at her from the couch registered in her brain, and Cat realized with a start that it was Sam's voice she was hearing. She quickly removed the large cushion from the couch and immediately pulled out the bed, freeing Sam and allowing the blond to properly breath again. A sudden jolt ran through Cat's chest when she caught sight of Sam with her blond hair all tousled, and blue-gray eyes blazing with indignant fury at being 'buried alive' by Cat's Nona. Cat quickly brushed the feeling away while trying desperately not to think about the last person she'd felt such a jolt, when seeing them with the same kind of tousled hair and pouting lips.

"Your crazy batshit grandma just tried to suffocate me in this damn thing! What the hell is up with her? Was she sleepwalking?" Sam demanded to know with a small huff, as she tried to rearrange her messed up bedding.

Cat nodded faintly with a soft bite of her lips, before she sat down on the bed and slipped under the covers with Sam.

"Whoa whoa, just what do you think you're doing?" Sam asked with a slight note of panic in her voice.

Cat giggled softly as she made herself comfortable on the pull-out bed, and turned to face Sam with her hands placed comfortably under her head.

"I'm going to keep you company while you sleep so you don't get scared, silly," Cat replied with those dimples showing in her cheeks, that Sam couldn't help admitting to herself that she found absolutely adorable.

"So, how long are you going to be here in L.A.?" Cat asked quietly, as she watched Sam settled down beside her on the bed. The blond turned to face Cat and bit her lip, as she contemplated her answer. She knew that she had leave soon...as soon as tomorrow in fact. But something about being near Cat like this...made Sam not want to leave in the worst way. She began telling Cat about the plans she'd made to just cruise around the country on her bike...and about her best friend Carly...who had just flown away...and left her behind.

Then to change the mood a bit, she cracked a joke about Cat sniffing too much of Bieber's hair, when Cat's grandma came back out and stuffed them both down into the couch. Luckily for them because Cat was also stuck down there with her, the redhead knew where to find the small built-in switch that caused the bed to pop back out on its own. The both of them lay breathing heavily from their near-brush with suffocation, before glancing at each other...and bursting into nervous-relieved giggles.

"Oh my god Cat, your grandma is psycho!" Sam exclaimed as she clutched her tummy, and tried to get her giggles under control.

"Yeah, yeah I know," Cat laughed lightly, as she brushed away the tears of mirth that had slipped down her face.

"Come on, let's try to get some sleep before your crazy grandma comes back out here, to try to suffocate us again," Sam said with a light grin at Cat, as she settled back under the sheets.

"Kay!" Cat chirped happily in agreement, and just managed to resist the urge to reach over and twine her fingers through Sam's, as they lay side-by-side.

She couldn't touch Sam...not like she used to touch...her.

It would simply break Cat to allow herself to fall for someone like Sam...someone who wasn't planning on sticking around...someone who could and would walk out of her life soon. She'd given her heart once already to someone whom she thought would treasure it...only to have that person turn their back on her...to go back to someone else.

Jade...the name whispered softly through Cat's mind, as she buried her face against her pillow, and tried to will her thoughts away from those particularly painful memories.

A gentle, light touch on her hand made her open her eyes to see Sam staring at her, with a softly-worried expression on her face. She then felt Sam's hand softly...and hesitantly...wrap gently around hers, and Cat had to fight back the tears that sprung to her eyes.

"Hey...you okay? You look like how I feel whenever I think of...Carly..." Sam trailed off, as she absentmindedly traced her thumb back-and-forth across the soft skin of Cat's hand.

Cat managed to swallow around the small lump that formed in her throat, before she gave Sam a small smile and a light squeeze of her hand.

"Yeah Sam...I'm alright," Cat answered softly as she closed her eyes and allowed a soft, contented sigh to slip passed her lips.

Sam let herself have a few, brief moments to gaze quietly at Cat's beautiful profile, before she scoffed lightly at herself for getting all mushy over this red-haired girl. But no matter how much she tried to fight these slowly-awakening feelings for Cat...they continued to steadily bubble up.

Sam let out a soft sigh before lightly squeezing Cat's hand back. She then settled herself back under the bed covers, and allowed her body to slowly drift off to sleep. She's deal with her slowly-burgeoning feelings in the morning...in the meantime, she'd go back to dreaming about a cute, sweet girl...with hair the colour of red-velvet cupcakes.

AN - Really hope you all enjoyed. Please review as your words help inspire and motivate me~ =3