LAGUNA NIGHTS EPILOGUE
It wasn't going to be easy piecing together all that had tumbled down upon their heads. Their lives had changed drastically in the span of a few short hours.
Samantha explained to Alex the situation between Cassandra and Nikki and why the tall blonde considered Alex her enemy and was so set on ruining her and all that she cared for. The fair-haired romantic was even able to tell the story in such a way as to not make Cassie out to be a total villainess. Alex, on the other hand, had a difficult time agreeing with her lover and still felt that she should have beat her senseless before setting her loose. She argued that at least she should have given her up to the police, reminding Samantha of all the mental and physical damage she caused, as well as the vandalism the woman had been guilty of. Alex vowed that the elevator would be stripped first thing in the morning of the invasive piece of equipment that had been haunting them unknowingly since the open house.
From her fiery exit they knew they had not seen the last of the angry woman. Alex told Samantha that she intended to have a long discussion with Nikki about the entire situation. Sam started to object but thought better of it and merely shook her head. She figured Alex was probably right and at least they might get a better idea of what to expect next from the blonde psychotic by questioning Nikki.
More than once through the conversations Sam's green eyes swelled with tears that could not help but overflow; her consolation was that "her hero" was there this time to wipe the tears away and comfort her.
To bring a spark of sunshine back into the conversation Alex told Samantha that Sally had left her a note and the small blonde decided that she wanted to share the letter with Alex right from the beginning, so Alex fished it out of her pocket and hoped that her heart was right in thinking that the letter would be a positive one. Samantha slowly read the note out loud:
Dear Sammie:
I only have a few minutes to write because mom is almost done packing and daddy would explode if he knew I was writing this. I just want you to know that I think Alex is perfect for you. She will be your protector as well as the love of your life, and with her to help you through this mess that tore our family apart today, I just know everything will at least be happy in Laguna.
I'm sorry daddy had to find out the way he did, but you know as well as I do that no matter how or when he found out, the reaction would have been the same. To think it would have ended any differently, we would have only been fooling ourselves. Finding out that it was Alexis Dorian who stole your heart made it even more difficult for him to accept.
I can guarantee that mom does not hold daddy's views, but you know as well as I do that she is too weak to go against him. We will keep in touch, mom and I -- I promise, Sammie. I'll give you a call from work sometime next week and we can talk.
Things will eventually work out -- they have to. I love you, Sally.
The smile on Samantha's lips at the end of the letter made Alex glad she had told her about the message. Sally was a pretty special young woman and Alex was glad she would continue to be a part of Samantha's life.
About halfway through the bread, cheese, and wine the discussion led to Don Riley. Samantha's hand went up to her cheek which still bore the mark of her last encounter with her father. The movement was not lost on the watchful eyes of her lover and Alex gently removed the small hand from the offending bruise and pulled Samantha closer.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop him from doing that, Samantha," she confessed, her own eyes tearing up at the thought of the pain he had inflicted.
"It happened so quickly, there would have been nothing you could have done anyway, Alex," Samantha assured her.
"But he would have been sorry for doing it," came the rebuttal.
"No, Alex -- that would have just made things worse. I would not have been able to stand by and watch you destroy him in front of all those people." She looked up into Alex's face and they shared the wiping away of tears. "I love you, Alex, and I know you love me. This family situation will clear itself up eventually one way or the other and I will learn to live with it. At least we have your parents, and like you mentioned earlier, even though I might have lost part of one family, I still have another to support and love me."
Alex was sure the small blonde was putting up a front, not wanting to let on just how much she hurt inside. The dark-haired protector felt a shiver go through the body she was holding so closely it seemed like an extension of her own. She kissed the top of her lover's head and whispered comforting words in her ear. Samantha let out a long sigh and looked out toward the ocean, her head leaning back on Alex's chest. They remained silent for a while, taking in the beauty of the landscape before them, each lost in her own thoughts.
By the time they finished off the food, the day had turned to dusk, and by the time the wineskin was fully drained, the sun was well on its way to being extinguished from the summer sky. The two lover's found themselves observing what had come to be a tradition for them a Laguna sunset.
Alex sat with her back against the dune, Samantha cuddled up close, snuggled in between long, strong legs, her head against Alex's chest. Rainbow was curled up in a ball in Samantha's lap and had been sleeping through most of the afternoon.
"As beautiful as the day started out and as horrible as it was in the middle. Sitting here with you and this little bundle, with the gorgeous hues of orange, pink, purple, and blue in the sky and the soft roar of the ocean, I just know someone or something is watching out for us and that everything will fall into place the way it is meant to be." Samantha put the kitten down on the sand and turned to face her lover, kneeling on the dune, her arms around Alex's neck; she kissed her passionately. "You really are all I need to be happy," she whispered, putting her lips close to the perfectly formed ear she loved to nibble on.
"I love you, too, Samantha," Alex began, but it's getting cool out here and we had better be heading inside. She returned Samantha's kiss then stood, pulling her lover up with her. "Come on, get the little fur-child and let's go home."
They turned away from the ocean after viewing the last glimpse of the sun as it touched the horizon, but not before they both caught sight of the first star of the evening. Each of the lover's made a silent wish, and unbeknownst to them, the wishes were identical. If they were, indeed, being protected and watched over by an omnipresent entity then their wishes would surely be granted, and they would spend the rest of their lives loving each other and sharing Laguna Nights.