Upside Down

XXXXXX

"That woman in the paper, from 14 years ago, I …. I think she is my mom. The missing woman from Seattle, Samantha Puckett… she is definitely my mom. I think… my dad was the one that took her and she is not doing anything about it to protect me and my sister. Please you have to help, my mom needs to get out of here; we have to get out of here. Please." The thirteen year old boy quickly hung up the phone. He feels shaky, what did I just do? He thinks. He runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair and lets out a sigh. You did the right thing, that woman is mom, I know it. But mom's name is Amber, not Sam, that's what dad calls her. Did she change her name? Or did he change it for her? So many confusing questions race through his mind. He pulls a black hoodie over his tee and starts putting his supplies back in his backpack. But what will dad do if he knows that I called? He never acted like a violent person before….. but if he kidnapped someone… maybe I don't really know him at all, mayb-

"Matthew!" He hears his mother shout up the stairs, "Breakfast, you better hurry or you will miss the bus!"

"Coming, mom!" Matthew replies. He grabs his History Book and walks down stairs.

"Good morning, pancakes are right there" His mom says. She points over to the island counter where a plate of chocolate chip pancakes waits for him. Matthew lost all his appetite over that phone call, his stomach is twisting. But if I don't eat something mom will ask questions and I can't have that. So Matthew walks to the counter and takes a sit next to his little sister, Anna.

"Hi!" Anna chirps, stuffing her face with pancakes. She never stops eating. Matthew thinks, watching her. Anna has always been a morning person and the most like their mom. Her hair is a little darker than both Matthew and their mom, a more dirty blonde color, but Anna's hair curls exactly like their mom's. Anna's hair is wild, like her personality with light blue eyes that contrast Matthew's hazel mocha colored eyes and his slightly shaggy straight hair. Matthew may resemble his father just a little bit more, but he has always been closer to his mom. He never really felt anything more for his dad than just a normal father-son connection, but his mom is his best friend and their relationship is the deepest mother-son relationship there is. Matthew takes a few bites of his pancake and just moves food around his plate.

"Morning" Matthew's father, Chris, walks into the kitchen and pours a cup of coffee, "You kids ready for school?" He asks.

"Yep!" Anna replies. Matthew simply nods, he looks at his father with his dark brown hair and plain brown eyes; he is built, not completely jacked like body builders, but he is in shape with broad shoulders. Could he really have kidnapped someone? Matthew wonders.

"Morning honey" Chris says and gives Sam a kiss.

"Come on Sam! Give it back!" Freddie says.

"Come get it!" Sam replies, holding his pearphone out to him. Freddie cautiously walks over to her and goes to grab the phone when Sam brings her arm back and runs to the other side of the room, laughing.

"Got ya!" She jokes.

"Are you really going to make me chase you?" He asks. She just gives him a playful smile, "Really? 18 years old and I'm playing tag?"

"Don't hate Benson" She says. Freddie just smiles and runs towards her. Sam runs away and around the room. Freddie grabs her arm to stop her, but they end up tripping and falling onto a beanbag, laughing hysterically.

"Get off me!" Sam says through laughter.

"I'm trying!" He says. She looks up at him.

"It's weird to think high school is over" Sam says.

"Yeah, weird that we will never use this studio again" Freddie says. They just had their last web show a few days ago.

"Ready for college?" He asks her, both still together on the beanbag.

"I don't know… kind of nervous actually" She admits.

"It will be fine Sam, I promise." He says looking into her eyes, "I won't let anything happen to you" He places a soft kiss on her lips.

Sam snaps out of it and mumbles a reply to Chris about whatever he is talking about. It's been fourteen years and still every time he kisses her, Sam gets flashbacks. The flashbacks are always different, most with her and Freddie, some with Carly and no matter how much she tries to forget, she can't.

"Long day today?" Sam asks Chris and he starts talking about his plans. Sam isn't really interested, she never is, but asking questions and acting like you care is what good wives do. It's how she has to act, to protect her family. Sam looks at Matthew and Anna, she loves them more than anything in the world and that's why she can't try to leave because she wouldn't be the one to get punished, they would. She knew that the moment she held Matthew in her arms thirteen years ago.

Sam slowly opens her eyes and yawns as she looks around the hospital room.

"Ah, you're awake. Morning, how are you feeling?" Chris asks getting up from his chair. Sam glares at him.

"Don't come near me" Sam threatens. He ignores her and runs a hand down her cheek.

"I'll let the doctors know you are up and then you can meet our son" He says. Sam's heart stops upon hearing those words. Our son, she thought.

"I don't want him" She says. This baby is his and she doesn't want anything to do with it, she hates Chris, this is his fault. The baby needs to go to another family, not with her.

"You don't mean that." Chris says and walks out the door. The doctor walks in soon after.

"Mrs. Amber Grayson, I'm Dr. Keller. How are you feeling?" He asks Sam. She wants to puke at that name, that's not my name Sam wants to say, but instead she just answers the question with a "fine". "Well your baby is very healthy and your delivery went smoothly so we should have you out of here by tonight if you feel up to it. Your husband went bring your baby from the nursery; do you have a name picked out? Chris said that it was your decision and you two never really settled on one yet?" He asks. Sam is getting dizzy from all of his talking.

"I don't know" Sam says. She just wants hime to leave her alone.

"That's fine; you two can talk it over and let your nurse know so she can get a birth certificate for your baby."

"Alright" Sam says. The doctor closes her file.

"And congratulations, I wish you and your husband every joy and such young love at 22, makes me feel old" He jokes and walks out. Sam runs her hands through her hair, she feels like crying but she can't, Chris would only enjoy that.

"Here he is" Chris says smiling, holding a little bundle in his arms. Sam looks away.

"I don't want him" Sam says. She can't get attached.

"Sam, just hold him please." Chris says walking to her bed.

"No" Sam says, not looking at him, but feels a tear run down her cheek. This is her baby too, but she can't. She just can't.

"Come on" He says and moves the baby closer to Sam. She turns and sees her baby; her heart loses it when she looks at her beautiful, innocent baby. She opens her arms and Chris places the baby in her arms as she cradles him. Sam feels warmth go through out her body. She loves this baby, her baby. Chris notices this and whispers in her ear, "We are a family now. You can't leave because now it's not just you who will get punished. Forget them; you will never see them, never see him, ever again." Sam wants to snap a snide comment at him for threatening her baby, but she knows he is right. Chris mumbles something and walks out the door, Sam doesn't pay attention to him, she is completely lost in the small delicate baby in her hands. He is perfect, she thinks. Sam won't risk her baby by trying to go against Chris anymore. It's been ten months and no one has found her, she needs to protect her baby now.

"Matthew" Sam says, "Matthew Christopher. That's your name" She tells the baby. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you" She whispers, choking up a bit on Freddie's words from four years ago. Sam can't think about him, it's too hard.

Sam goes to the sink and starts washing the pan, watching Matthew and Anna talking with their dad. Sam wouldn't trade her children for anything, not even her escape.

"Okay, you two have to catch the bus" Sam says to her kids. Both Matthew and Anna grab their backpacks and say goodbye to Chris and then kiss Sam goodbye and walk out the front door.

I never noticed how mom reacts to dad sometimes. It's like she goes somewhere else. She doesn't show it, but whenever he comes near her, you can see it in her eyes. Fear? Worry? I don't know…

"Hello? Earth to Matthew!" Anna says, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asks.

"What's wrong with you?" She asks.

"What are you talking about?" Matthew responds.

"For these past few days you have been so out of it" Anna says.

"Whatever Anna, you don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine" He says.

"No, you can't do that… you're avoiding what I'm talking about. I'm not stupid. I'm ten now, so I'm old enough to know whatever is bugging you" She says.

"Anna just drop it" He says. Matthew hasn't told anyone about finding that information on Sam Puckett, which he found by mistake online. He can't tell anyone. He can only wait for the people to call him back. He won't let his mom suffer anymore, she needs to get out of that house, he can tell. I can't believe I never noticed before, how she acts. Matthew thinks, mentally kicking himself, but I mean he is only thirteen and his mom does a good job acting like this is her life, how was he supposed to know? Sometimes he wishes he never found that website, it is turning his whole life upside down, but then if he didn't, his mom could be living this lie forever.

"It has something to do with mom doesn't it?" Anna asks standing at the corner waiting for the bus.

"What? No… Why would you even think that? Ridiculous" Matthew says defensively.

"Fine. Whatever" Anna says. I see the way you have been looking at her lately, like you watch all her reactions. I'm not stupid. Something is going on I know it. Anna thinks to herself. The bus pulls up and she follows Matthew on. I'll find out what it is. She takes a seat and they go off to school.

XXXXXX

So this is my new story. R&R, let me know what you think.

You learn all the background information on this story through flashbacks and dreams, so don't worry that you really don't know how this all happened; you will find out through the story.

But what you should get from this chapter is:

Sam was kidnapped at 22 by Chris (You will learn more about him later)

Matthew is 13

Anna is 10

All Characters (Sam, Freddie, Carly, Chris, etc. are now 36)

Confused?… ask questions.

Or just give thoughts.

The chapters from this one on should be longer.