* * *

"Josie�" Sam said ever so sweetly with his hand tipping her chin up, trying to get her to make eye contact with him. "Josie, look at me."

Josie however, could not bring herself to look up at Sam.

"Come on, Josie�please look at me." He said while gently rubbing her left shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Josie still continued to look away, shaking her head and silently sobbing. Sam pulled back slightly, realizing that this wasn't working. Hmmm, he thought, how could he reach her? 'Perhaps if I lighten the mood a little�' he decided.

"You know, Josie," Sam began, sounding philosophical, "I didn't realize that I was that hideous to look at� Do you think maybe I should invest in one of those masks like the Phantom of the Opera? Or maybe�" Sam hunched his back over for emphasis, "I should take up bell ringing, eh?" He nudged her as he spoke, trying to get her to crack a smile. "What do you think? Should I give up teaching forever and hide in old French churches crying," Sam did his best impression of Dr. Frankenstein's assistant Igor, 'Yes, master. Yes, master�'?"

Josie's active imagination began to picture Sam as Quasimodo, the famous bell ringer from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and started to giggle through her sobs. She slowly turned and peeked at him through her lowered eyelashes. He had hunched himself over to more effectively project the part of the hideous outcast. Josie began to laugh in earnest at the sight. The idea of handsome, sweet, wonderful Sam hiding in the attic of the famous Paris cathedral with only the stone gargoyles for company was completely absurd.

Sam watched as Josie began to giggle and then laugh at his ridiculous impression. He smiled in response to the sound. Finally, she raised her eyes to look at him. Her face was wet and blotchy and her eyes were puffy from her crying, but Sam thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Sam flashed his adorable crooked smile at Josie, and Josie, seeing this along with his beautiful green eyes gazing at her, couldn't help but succumb to his charm. Her face lit up as she smiled at him.

"There it is!" Sam exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. Then he said softly, "I've missed that sweet smile."

Josie looked down to her hands in her lap and blushed at Sam's compliment.

"So�where's it been hiding?" Sam said in a more concerned tone.

Josie shrugged her shoulders without lifting her head or gaze.

They both sat quietly for a moment. This was not the first time Sam had tried to comfort one of his students. But this situation was different, because Josie was so different from any other student he'd known. Sam found that he was a little lost for words. After a moment, he clasped his hands together and began to speak gently. "So�do you want to tell me what happened back there in class? Is it anything I can help you with?"

Josie rested her elbows on her knees and placed her face in her hands, shaking her head forlornly. "No�it's okay."

Sam was saddened. He desperately wanted to help Josie, so he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Come on, Josie� Please let me help you. I know those tears were there for a reason and I don't like seeing one of my brightest students looking so sad."

Josie sighed heavily and then mumbled, "It's just so hard sometimes�that's all."

Sam instantly understood. "Oh� It's not easy being the new student in school�is it?"

Josie shook her head again. "Uh-uh." She wished that being new was her only problem, but she knew she couldn't tell him the rest.

Sam sighed and searched his thoughts for an idea on how he might be able to help bring Josie out of her sadness. He turned to her and asked, "Hey�you want to hear a story?"

Josie looked up to Sam to indicate that she did. She was intrigued by what he might want to share with her.

"Now remember, this is just between you and me�okay?"

Josie nodded. "Okay," she agreed.

Sam relaxed a little, hoping that sharing one of his life anecdotes would help her. "Okay. Even though I grew up living in the same house, I was once a new student, too."

Josie watched Sam's face as he began to relive his memory as he told it. She was amazed at how animated he became when he told his stories.

"When I was in the third grade, I had to change schools because of new zoning laws in my town. Well! Let me tell you that my first couple of months at that new school were a complete and total hell for me!"

Josie's eyes connected with Sam's. "Really!?" she said, surprised that Sam could ever have had a rough time at school.

"Oh, yeah. Now, you have to imagine that I was this really skinny, short, sort of goofy looking kid who also happened to be smart. That's a lethal combination when you're new. It's exactly what a bully looks for."

Josie nodded. She knew that scenario well.

"There was this one kid whose main existence in life was to torture me. This kid picked on me about anything and everything on a daily basis. But his favorite thing to tease me about was the cleft in my chin." Sam shook his head as the memories came flooding back to him.

"He was so mean and vicious, too. I mean�how fair is it to pick on something that you have no control over, you know?" Sam looked at Josie to see if she could relate to his sentiments.

Compassion lit Josie's eyes, and she even patted his knee in sympathy for a moment before he continued his story.

"He used to call me things like 'Dent Head' and 'Crater Face'. It was terrible. I remember becoming so distraught that one day I went home� now, remember I was only eight�and I asked my mom if there was anything we could get to fill up the hole. Sort of like pothole filler, but for faces�" Sam said tapping a finger to the cleft in his chin with a smile.

Josie started to giggle and, feeling guilty, she placed her hand over her mouth to smother it. She couldn't help but think how adorable Sam must have been as a child. Luckily, Josie could see that Sam was not hurt or insulted by her laughter; in fact, he started to laugh, too. "Yeah sure, we can laugh about it now, but back then I was one hurting little boy," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm sorry." Josie bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing, although it wasn't working too well. "Sorry�go on."

"So here I was, this goofy kid with the hole in his chin and I was getting picked on day in, day out and�" Sam hesitated, "I even went home crying a few times."

Josie sighed. Her heart went out to Sam� or at least to the lost, sad child that he once was. "So what did you do about it?" Josie asked.

"Well, it got to the point where I was terrified to go to school for fear of running into that kid. Nothing my parents could say got through to me. So my older sister sat down one day and explained to me that kids that pick on other kids do it because deep down, they don't feel very good about themselves. They have to make other people feel bad so they can feel good."

Josie nodded her agreement.

"She told me that I had to believe in myself and stand up to this kid, that if I showed him that I would refuse to let his words bother me, he would stop. So one day, after a particularly vicious attack, I worked up enough courage to tell him how sorry I felt for him that he needed to pick on a little kid like me just to make himself feel better�or at least I said something along those lines."

"You really said that?" Josie asked, surprised.

"I sure did. He was so shocked he was speechless. The other kids were suddenly laughing at him instead of me." Sam paused, collecting his thoughts.

"And that worked?" Josie questioned, studying Sam's face intently.

He grinned sheepishly and admitted, "Well, that�and the first few body checks I gave him playing floor hockey in gym class�" He quickly added, "But I'm not suggesting that as a solution for you, though."

Josie joked, grinning, "What? That I should body check everyone into submission?" Josie was stunned and delighted when she noticed Sam blush a little at that remark.

"Right�that wasn't the point I was trying to make. The point here is that it didn't really matter what he or anyone else thought of me; it only mattered what I thought of myself. I realized that I had to believe in myself and just be the best person I could be and stop worrying so much about other people's opinions. That's when things started to work out for me." Sam said, smiling down at Josie.

"Well� You're a lot tougher than I am." Josie said, shaking her head sadly.

Sam laid his right hand on her left shoulder again to comfort her. "No, I wouldn't say that. Like I said, Josie�you just have to believe in yourself."

Josie nodded and looked down again, suddenly shy. After a moment, a thought occurred to her. She looked up at Sam curiously and asked, "So�what ever happened to that boy who used to pick on you?"

Sam rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you that six months ago I was the best man at his wedding?"

Josie was stunned. "Really!?"

"Yep. He's name is Matt and he became one of my best friends. Although I do like to remind him every now and then of how much he used to torture me, especially about my chin. I was paranoid about it for years after that."

"Well�I really like the cleft in your chin. I think it makes you look more handsome," Josie said shyly and then turned away blushing, embarrassed by her forwardness.

Sam couldn't help but grin, because she was so endearing and sweet. "Thanks, Josie." He paused and then turned to Josie again to ask, "Umm�if you don't mind me asking� What's going on between you and Aldys? She said you guys weren't talking and it kind of threw me for a loop. I thought you two were friends?"

Josie sighed again. "We are friends, or at least I hope we still are�" She looked up at Sam, her eyes begging him to understand. "I hurt her. I didn't mean to, but I did and now she's upset with me. I tried to apologize, but she's still angry."

"Hmmm� Well, one thing I know about Aldys is that she's a pretty headstrong girl. She's actually been through quite a lot here and I think that she would rather push people away rather than show them that they've really hurt her." Sam lingered for a moment and then, looking deeply into Josie's eyes, said, "Although�I can't imagine you ever hurting anyone."

Josie blushed and she didn't quite know how to respond to that. Thoughts then came rushing back to Josie about who she was and why she was at South Glen South. She couldn't help but feel awfully guilty about lying to Sam and letting him think that she was his 17-year-old student, when in fact she was one of his peers. Josie sighed heavily, wishing that she had met Sam in some other circumstance at some other time. Perhaps they could even have been good friends, she thought.

Sam noticed that Josie looked distant again and wanted to bring her back to the present. "Josie, are�."

Just then a voice came booming out over the loud speaker, interrupting Sam. Both Sam and Josie looked up in the direction where the voice came from. "Hey, kids! Sydney Anakowski here! Just wanted to remind everyone about Senior Nite tomorrow night down at the Navy Pier. Don't forget to tell all your family and friends. We need to as much help as we can get in raising money for the Prom. Also, we're still looking for volunteers to join us on the Prom Committee. Our next meeting is Monday at four in the student lounge. Hope to see you there!"

'Prom committee?' Josie thought. 'Now that would be a good opportunity to go hunt around for a story.' Josie mentally noted the time.

Sam cleared his throat and looked across to Josie. "So�are you going?"

"Huh?" Josie was still thinking about the prom committee and didn't hear Sam's question to her.

"Are you going?" he repeated. "To Senior Nite?"

"Umm� I don't know. I guess I should�" she said, realizing that Gus would have her head on a platter if she missed a golden opportunity like that.

"You�you should go�you should definitely go!" Sam was suddenly rather nervous, and he didn't know why. He tried to keep his easy smile from showing it. "You know, we're going to have a pie throwing booth there. It'll be a good opportunity for you to release some of that pent up frustration."

Josie laughed. "Oh! Well, how could I miss that!?" Sam looked pleased. "Good!" Then he looked down at his watch. "Oh my goodness. We've been gone for more than 15 minutes. I don't even want to think about what they're all getting up to in there!"

Josie felt guilty about her outburst in class, and the time Sam took out of his duties to make her feel better. She wanted to take this opportunity to thank him. "I'm so sorry I took you away from class, but I really do appreciate you coming to talk to me, Mr. Coulson. It means a lot."

Sam smiled and leaned in a little closer to Josie. "You're welcome, Josie. I just hope that I helped you a little."

Josie nodded. "More than you know."

Sam slowly stood up and then looked down at Josie. "Are you ready to go back now?"

Josie suddenly felt nauseous. She didn't think she could face Tommy and the rest of them, especially since she had heard them laughing as she ran out of the room. She looked up to Sam. "Is�is it okay if I just miss the rest of your class? I don't think I can face going back in there yet."

Sam looked down into her eyes for a long moment, almost as if he were trying to see right inside of her. Finally, he replied, "It's okay, Josie. If you really don't want to go back, then that's up to you."

Josie let a small, relieved smile escape at his words.

But Sam wasn't finished with her yet. He walked down two steps and then turned to crouch in front of her so that they were at eye level. "But� If you don't face your fears now, Josie, you'll always be running away from them. Besides�" Sam leaned in closer to Josie, looked deeply into her alluring eyes, and said ever so softly, "I'll be there with you."

Josie didn't need much more convincing than that. She felt that amazing connection with Sam again and she knew she could face her fears with him standing alongside her. She always felt so safe and protected in Sam's presence. It was a feeling she wished she could bottle up and keep close to her heart forever. Josie smiled through the tears pricking her eyes and whispered back, "Okay."

Sam smiled. He stood back up and held his left hand out to her. "Come on, let's go."

Josie looked up to Sam and reached her right hand out and Sam clasped onto her fingers and helped Josie to her feet. When their hands touched it was like magic, like the energy flowed from one body to the other and they both felt safe and warm, like they had finally come home. They both swallowed hard and looked up at each other, surprised. Their gazes caught and held.

Their lingering touch had, in reality, only lasted a few seconds, but Sam subconsciously realized its significance and quickly but gently pulled away. Maybe it was the fact that he was her teacher and she was his student, or maybe it was simply the unexpectedness of the sensations and emotions that had ignited inside of him from Josie's hand resting trustingly in his that had him scared him to death. Sam tugged a little at his shirt collar, as if the temperature around him had suddenly and dramatically risen.

Sam and Josie both took a deep, steadying breath, and then Sam ushered Josie before him up the stairs, heading back toward class.

* * *

"Oh my God! You're right, he's so sweet�and so cute, too." Cynthia said looking at the TV screen, munching on a pretzel stick.

"Cute!? Are you kidding me? He's drop dead gorgeous!" Anita declared, waving her hand in front of her face, trying to cool herself down as the Josie- Cam close up views of Sam had obviously caused Anita's own body temperature to rise.

"Well, he's no Denzel Washington, but he is one fine specimen of a man."

"Oh yeah�he sure is!" Anita paused thoughtfully and then added, "Actually� you know, now that I think about it� It looks like he may even have a little thing for our Josie."

"No. He's just being really sweet to her, that's all." Cynthia said shaking her head.

"Are you blind!? Did you see the way he looked at Josie just now!? He definitely has a thing for her!" Anita insisted, as she and Cynthia's eyes remained glued to the TV screen. Neither of them wanted to miss one second of Josie's time with Sam Coulson.

"Uh-uh. He's her teacher!" Cynthia insisted.

Just then Gus came barging back into his office. He stopped in his tracks and stood looking at them, huffing, "I should start charging a fee!"

"Well, hello to you, too, Gus," Anita returned sarcastically, while her eyes busily checked him out. "New shirt?"

Gus shrugged off the question and went over to sit back at his desk. "Come on, ladies. Break time is over, get back to work."

Anita and Cynthia sighed loudly, but they got up and walked over to the door. Cynthia nudged Anita with her elbow, whispering, "Ask him�"

Anita turned to Gus as he looked up expectantly. "Hey Gus�would it be okay if Cynthia and I stayed after work tomorrow night?"

Gus looked at Anita curiously. "Well, I can't imagine it's because you want to work� So, what for?"

"Well� Josie's going to some Senior Nite thing tomorrow night and we just want to have a look. And you know what Gus? We'll even report back to you if we see any newsworthy story�okay?"

Gus just smiled. "What? A Friday night and no date, Anita?"

Anita raised her eyebrow, but ignored his question. "So, it is okay or not?"

"Look what you do after five is none of my business and if you want to stay, then that's fine. Just so long as you don't mind me being here, too. I have work to do."

"We don't mind Gus," Anita said smiling. They both turned and walked out the door, but then Anita popped her head back in. "Oh and Gus�I meant it as a compliment. I like your shirt."

Gus rolled his eyes to Anita and waved both hands, motioning her to get out of the office. "Go on, back to work."

Anita closed the door behind her and once she did, Gus let out a smile.

* * *

"It'll be all right Rob�you'll see." Josie said, giving Rob a reassuring rub on his arm.

"I don't know, Jos�" Rob got up off Josie's loveseat and began to pace her living room. "I mean God, Josie! Who do these people think they are? It's just not right to put this kind of pressure on us!"

Josie rolled her eyes at his histrionics. "Rob, it's just homework. It'll be fine. Now come and sit down."

Rob went over and plopped back onto the couch next to Josie. He turned to Josie, and he couldn't help but notice that she had a huge smile on her face.

"So, what are you smiling about?"

Pulled out of her reverie about Sam rubbing her shoulder and holding her hand on the hallway stairs earlier that day, she stammered, "Me?� Nothing� Why do you ask?"

"Because yesterday you were miserable and today you're grinning from ear to ear!" 'Women,' Rob thought. 'Did they ever make sense?'

"Oh�well, I had a good day today!" She said smiling brightly. Josie's mind suddenly filled with thoughts of Sam Coulson again�and how he had come to her rescue today. He was so incredibly sweet and caring and Josie instinctively felt that she had found a friend in him.

Josie continued, "You know my English teacher Mr. Coulson?"

Rob shrugged noncommittally.

Josie bubbled, "He's so nice. He talked to me today and made me feel so much better."

"Oh yeah. I've heard of him, now." Rob rolled his eyes. "The girls call him 'Mr Coolson' because they think he's so cool."

Josie was curious. "Which girls?"

"You know, Gibby and the rest of them. They keep going on and on about how cool is and how 'hot' he is."

"Oh! They think he's hot?" she said, almost blushing.

"I guess." Rob said.

"What else did they say?" Josie was suddenly very curious.

"I don't know, Jos�lots of stuff. Hey, come on Josie�can we do this, please?" indicating the book and paper on the coffee table. "I have a game to get to later."

Josie turned to Rob. "Okay�Okay." Josie looked down to Rob's assignment. "So you have to do an essay on the French Revolution, right?"

"Right!" he said while chewing on the end of his ballpoint pen.

"So what do you know about it?"

Rob paused searching his mind. "Ummm� I know that a bunch of sissy French dudes wearing wigs got their head chopped off!"

Josie laughed. "Well�that's a start, I guess."

* * *

As Sam pushed the key into the front door of his apartment, he could hear his phone ringing inside. He quickly pushed the door open, leaving his key hanging from the lock, and rushed over to the phone, dropping his bag on the coffee table on the way. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?" he said breathlessly.

"Well�" said a teasing voice on the other end of the line, "You sound pretty happy for a guy who just had a major fight with his girlfriend!"

"Abby!" Sam was thrilled to hear from her, but then he was confused. "How did you know I had a fight with Lara?" He asked, as he sat down in his armchair.

"You mean, other than the fact that I could guess that every other day and probably be right?" When Sam made no reply to her jesting statement, Abby explained, "Can you believe she actually called me this morning?"

"What!?" Sam knew Lara only ever called Abby when she wanted something. It would be too implausible that Lara would ring Abby just to say a friendly hello. Sam was annoyed that Lara had the gall to try and round up his family against him, especially his favorite (and only) sister. "So, what did she say?"

"Oh, something along the lines of 'You should really talk to your brother and tell him to grow up and start acting like an adult.' And also, that I should convince you to move to New York as soon as possible. Oh, and she wasn't too impressed with your little 'witch' comment, either, although I thought that was a really nice touch, Sam. You know, if the broomstick fits, ride it�"

Sam was fuming. "Great�now she's going behind my back." He got up from the chair and started to pace the small area. "I can't believe her! Did she even bother to tell you why I was so upset?"

"Sort of. She mentioned Dad's desk and I figured out the rest. I tried to explain to her how important that desk is to you and actually, how important it is to all of us, but sorry, Sam, she's as thick as a brick at times and she refused to understand."

Sam sighed and then sat back down. "I'm so confused, Abby. I just don't know what to do."

"About what? About Lara? About moving to New York?" Abby questioned.

"Yeah," Sam replied, and then sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"That's easy, Sam. You just have to listen to your heart. Your heart knows the answer."

Sam sighed again. Abby always made it sound so easy� He shook his head sadly. "My heart? I don't think so, Abby; not this time. My heart's kind of confused at the moment," he admitted, his mind on the incredible reaction he'd had to Josie Geller earlier in the day.

"What do you mean, Sam?" Abby smelled more to this story and was dying for details.

"Nothing�nothing. Never mind." He sighed, using his free hand to rub his temples.

Sam could almost see Abby shaking her head as she said, "I really regret the day I ever got you introduced to Lara. I know you don't want to hear this Sam, but I'm going to say it anyway� For your own sake, I wish you would just realize how wrong she is for you before it's too late."

Sam sighed. He and Abby had had this discussion before. "I wish it were that simple Ab, but it's not. We've been together for five years and�"

But Abby cut him off sharply. "That right, Sam, five very long years. And honestly, I think you've only spent about six months of that entire five years actually happy. I'm tired of Lara trying to control and manipulate you, Sam. You're a sweet and wonderful guy�if I do say so myself�and you deserve so much more."

Sam sighed again, knowing full well that she was right, but not wanting to admit it to himself, let alone to her.

Abby continued, "I'm sorry if I sound a little harsh, Sam. Its' just that I love you so much and I want to see you happy and in love� real love."

"Love?� What does that really mean anyway?"

"It means a lot, Sam�and if you had it in your life, you'd know it. You wouldn't want to ever let it go. Look Sam, I just know that out there, there's a sweet, wonderful girl who is going to love and adore you just the way you are. You just have to open your heart to that possibility."

Thoughts of Josie came flooding back to Sam and he couldn't help but smile. She had been so brave today, especially when she held her head high and they walked back into the classroom together. And Sam couldn't forget the warm smiles she sent to him as he continued with the rest of his class. 'If only Lara could be as sweet and wonderful as Josie?' he thought.

Sam replied, "How about if I promise you that I'll seriously think about it. Okay, Abby?"

Abby was momentarily stunned. This was more of an admission then she'd ever heard him make before. Usually he was just pigheaded and stubborn when it came to his relationship with Lara. "Okay Sam. Hey listen�enough about Lara� When are you going to come out and visit? We all miss you so much and Emma misses her 'Uncle Sam.' She asks about you all the time."

"Oh!" Sam exclaimed. "How did she like the doll I sent for her?" Sam loved his only niece dearly.

Abby's smile was evident in her voice. "She absolutely adores it. Carries it with her all the time."

Sam smiled softly, picturing the little girl. She looked like a doll herself with her long blond hair, porcelain skin, and the 'Coulson' green eyes. Unbidden, a picture of Josie resurfaced in his mind, and he shook his head to dismiss it. "I miss you all, too. You know, I was actually thinking of coming out in a few weeks if I can swing it. I could stay for the weekend. Would that be okay?"

Abby was ecstatic. "Okay!? Are you serious, Sam? That would be fantastic!" There was a pause on her end of the line, and then she said hurriedly. "Oh, shoot � Sam I have to go� there's someone at the door. But listen, call me later and we'll talk some more, okay?

"Yeah, okay," he agreed.

"Bye, Sam. I love you."

"I love you too, Ab. Oh, and give Emma a big hug and kiss for me and tell her I hope to see her soon. And tell Bill I said hello, too. Bye."

As soon as Sam put the receiver down, the phone started ringing again. He picked it up and said smiling, "What did you forget this time, Abby?"

"It's not Abby." The voice on the line said. There was a long pause, and then Sam heard, "Hello, Sam."

Sam suddenly felt ill. "Lara."

* * *

Next installment coming soon

* * *