"When is Quinn gonna be here, Sammy?" Bright eyed Stacey Evans asked with a bounce as her older brother tried to comb her wet hair.

"Any minute now." Sam said, as the comb got stuck in a in a matted tangled in his sister's fine blonde hair.

"Ouch!" Stacey exclaimed, kicking her legs back and forth from her position on the end of the bed, making it harder for Sam, who was sitting cross-legged behind her, to get the knot out.

"Try to stay still for two more minutes, please." Sam asked slightly annoyed, but as gently as he could, as he heard two soft knocks on the door.

"Quinn!" Stacey leapt off the bed and ran to the door.

"Don't open it." Sam instructed.

"But—"

"Remember what Mommy and Daddy told us about this not being as safe of a place as the house was."

Stacey looked up, as if she was trying to remember. "Yes."

"Good. I don't want you little rascals to get hurt," Sam stood jumped off the bed and followed his sister to open the door.

Sam looked out the peephole and then with a small sigh of relief, opened the door.

"Hi," Sam opened the door to a cheerleader holding what looked like gray tool kits with handles in each hand.

"Quinn!" Stacey tackled the older blonde with a hug.

"Hey, sweetie," Quinn smiled. "How're you?"

"Good! Do you like my pajamas?" she held her arms out so Quinn could get a good look at the bright pink High School Musical pajamas.

"They're cute! I like the pink."

Stacey grinned.

"What's in the boxes?" A blonde boy in blue Mario pajamas asked, appearing behind his sister and brother.

"Maybe if you both brush your teeth, I'll show you." Quinn challenged.

"Promise?" Stevie asked, wide eyes looking like Sam's when he got excited about something especially geeky.

"Promise." Quinn said with a straight and serious, yet playful face.

The siblings dashed to the bathroom in what could have been considered a race.

Sam couldn't help but smile- he liked that despite all of the recent changes in his and his family's' lives, at least one thing remained the exact same.

"What's in the boxes?" Sam asked.

"When I was little, one of my friends gave me a box with my name written on it special paint markers inside to decorate the box any way that I wanted. Also in the box, were things such as small games, beads, string, and candy- I thought that they might appreciate something like that."

"You didn't have to do that on top of everything else-" Sam tried to protest.

"Most of the stuff I had around the house anyway, I swear."

Stacey and Stevie ran out of the bathroom.

"All brushed up?" Sam asked.

"Uh-huh." Stevie nodded.

"Breathe." Sam demanded, as Stevie then Stacey huffed on his face.

"All clean." Sam announced to Quinn with a all-knowing adults expression in his eyes, which the cheerleader caught.

Quinn walked over to the bed and set down the two gray boxes.

"Okay," Quinn announced as Stacey and Stevie jumped up on the bed and clung to her sides, "This box is Stacey's," she handed a box with 'Stacey' written in hot pink, "and this one is Stevie's'," Quinn handed a box to the young boy with his name written on it in lime green.

Stevie rushed to open his.

"Not so quickly, bud," Sam set his hand down on the top of Stevie's box. "Not until Quinn says that you can."

"But-" Sam glared and the younger box huffed with a shake of his head.

Quinn pulled her canvas bag off of her shoulder and opened it. She brought out a Zip Lock bag.

"Are those markers?" Stacey asked, eying the bag.

"They're special markers," Quinn explained. "They're called paint markers and you can decorate your boxes with them any way you want."

Stacey jumped, as Quinn opened the bag.

"Be careful with the markers." Quinn warned.

"Mommy and Daddy will get mad if they get all over the blankets." Sam added, using the 'higher authority' card.

The kids nodded vigorously.

"Quinn, will you help me draw a heart, please?" Stacey thrust a pink marker into Quinn's hand.

"Sam, how do you spell Mario?"

"M- A- R-"

"Slow down!"

"Sorry, bud. M-A-R"

"Uh huh." The boy nodded.

"I-O."

"Thanks." The boy capped the marker and went searching for a red one.

The younger kids continued to color their boxes. After twenty minutes or so, Stacey nuzzled Quinn's side, losing interest in painting the box. "Can we open them now?" Stacey asked.

"What's the magic word, Stac?" Sam asked.

Stacey looked down. "Please?

Quinn looked over at the younger boy. "All done, Stevie?"

Stevie looked up. "Uh huh."

"Okay, good." Quinn smiled at the two kids. "See the clear lids on hinges on the top? You guys can open them."

Stacey opened her lids and found various different types of ponytails and an array of colored berets.

Stevie opened his and found various green army men.

Sam raised an eyebrow at Quinn.

"They're from a model project that I did in like the fourth grade." Quinn explained.

Sam nodded.

"Look!" Stevie held up a green army man. "This one has a parachute! Can I take him outside?"

"How about tomorrow after school," Sam suggested, though it was more of a statement.

"O-kay," Stevie sighed dramatically with a huff.

Quinn and Sam chuckled.

"Always remember to close the top lids before opening the big lid on hinges, because otherwise everything falls out." Quinn instructed as the kids followed her directions.

Stacey opened the buckle lock on her box to see a tray with a hairbrush, a bottle of detangler, and a pack of watercolor paints. The little girl nuzzled her face into Quinn's arm. Quinn put her opposite hand on the girl's head.

"Speaking of which-" Quinn stroked the matted tangles, "I think that we should brush your hair."

"But it hurts." Stacey protested.

"That's why I brought a bottle of hair detangler." Quinn told the girl as she picked up the bottle. "Turn around." She instructed, as the girl did what she was told. Quinn picked up the hairbrush and squirted the girl's hair several times. "The trick-" Quinn began stroking the ends gently, "Is to start at the ends and work your way up." The cheerleader glanced at Sam, who glared back.

To Quinn's side, Sam and Stevie opened up Stevie's box to see a tray with a pack of 68 colored crayons, a pack of already-opened Pok�mon cards, and a faded neon yellow softball.

Stevie didn't notice that the pack of cards were already opened and pulled them out immediately. "Charizar!" he exclaimed and looked at Sam, "He's my favorite!" the boy turned towards Quinn. "He breathes fire."

"Cool." Quinn smiled, not really sure what to say in response to Pok�mon cards, but Sam seemed to, because he was in a debate with Sam over which Pok�mon was better.

Quinn continued to brush Stacey's hair and then patted her head. "All done!" Quinn announced and handed the brush to Stacey who set it on the bed.

"Put it back in the tray so you don't lose it," Sam instructed and Stacey obliged.

"Do you see the handle in the middle?" Quinn asked. "I want you to pull it up."

The kids pulled up on the handles and the trays came out.

Stacey found a Barbie coloring book, an two Amelia Bedilia books, a Meet Molly American Girl Doll book, and Zip Lock bag filled with various cartridges.

"Meet Molly was my favorite book when I was your age," Quinn told Stacey. "I think that you'll like it too."

"What're the cartridges for?" the little girl asked, puzzled.

Sam shot Quinn a confused look.

"I think that Stevie has to look at his for it to make sense."

Stevie looked inside his box. He found a small, black baseball mitt about his size, a Henry and Mudge book, and a Chronicles of Narnia book, and an old, purple, Gameboy SP.

Sam looked up at Quinn who shrugged and mouthed later, as the twins investigated the electronic gadget.

"It's a Gameboy!" Stevie exclaimed. "It's an older kind of my old one… Mommy had to sell it, though." He frowned.

"Me too." Stacey frowned, then looked down at the plastic bag.

"They're games!" Stevie shouted and grabbed the bag from his sister.

"Hey! Those were mine!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Hey!" Sam called over his younger siblings. "This is how it's gonna go- whoever has the Gameboy doesn't get the games unless they're playing the game. Old rules apply- you each are allowed to play the Gameboy for 20 minutes a day after homework is done. Okay?"

"Capiche!" Stacey and Stevie exclaimed.

"Where did you guys learn that word?" Quinn asked curiously.

"In school." Stacey replied.

"There's a Barbie game!" Stacey held up a hot pink game.

"And a Nemo one!"

"I played that one before!" Stevie exclaimed.

"I did, too!"

"It was easy!"

"It was easy!" Stacey echoed her brother.

"Indoor voices, guys," Sam reminded the younger blondes.

"Sorry, Sammy!" Two voices exclaimed, nearly in sync.

"Can we play it now?" Stacey asked, looking up at Sam and Quinn with puppy eyes.

Quinn might have agreed, but Sam seemed to look past the bug eyes. "It's 9PM, which means that it's bedtime."

"But-" Stevie tried to protest.

"No buts- when Mommy and Daddy get home, you want me to tell them that you've listened to me, right."

"Right." Stacey sighed.

Quinn put the trays back in the boxes and them closed and locked them, before taking them over to the table and setting them down there.

"Now off the bed so I can pull down the covers." Sam tugged down on the blankets as his brother and sister scurried off the bed.

Sam pulled down the covers.

"Hop in, guys." Sam called as he chased after them. He snatched up Stevie and playfully tossed him onto the bed. Then, in another swift motion he snatched up Stacey and tossed her next to their brother.

Stacey went under the covers first and then Stevie followed soon after. They left enough space for Sam to join them on one side later.

Quinn reached over and pulled the blankets up to their chins.

"Not too high!" Stacey squeaked.

"Okay, okay."

"Is the nightlight on?" Stacey asked, asking for her and her brother, who thought that he was too old for a nightlight- but Stacey knew better.

Quinn crouched down and flicked the switch on the shell nightlight.

"You're going to sing us a song, right Sammy?" Stevie asked, looking over at his brother.

"Of course."

"Swing Low?" Stacey asked and paused for a moment. "You forgot hugs 'n kisses!" The little girl jumped out of the covers and attacked Sam with a massive hug. Then, she reached over and kissed Sam sloppily on the cheek. He kissed her gently back.

Stevie followed his sister and jumped into his brother's arms from the bed. Sam spun his brother around in a bear hug, then set him down. Sam ruffled Stevie's hair.

"Night bud."

Stacey then turned to Quinn.

On top of the bed, Stacey stood a few inches shorter than Quinn. Stacey went over to Quinn and hugged her tightly. Quinn was surprised by the little girl's strength. The little girl then kissed Quinn sloppily on the cheek. Quinn kissed the girl on the cheek in response.

Stevie followed his sister over to Quinn and did the same.

"Can you guys tell Quinn thank you for the boxes?" Sam asked.

"Thank you!" Stacey called as Stevie called, "Thank you, Quinn!"

Quinn chuckled awkwardly. "Your welcome."

"Okay, now it's time to get back in bed," Sam instructed as the kids groaned. "Sam picked up Stacey and Quinn followed and picked up Stevie. Sam set Stacey down on the bed and Quinn followed with Stevie. Sam pulled up the covers and reached over and tugged on bedside table lamp cord and the light went off.

"Want help singing?" Quinn asked softly.

Even in the dark, Quinn could see Sam's tentative nod 'yes'.

"Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home." Sam began.

"Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home." Quinn joined in.

"I looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home.

Sometimes I'm up, and sometimes I'm down,
(Coming for to carry me home)
But still my soul feels heavenly bound.
(Coming for to carry me home)

The brightest day that I can say,
(Coming for to carry me home)
When Jesus washed my sins away.
(Coming for to carry me home)

If I get there before you do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
I'll cut a hole and pull you through.
(Coming for to carry me home)

If you get there before I do,
(Coming for to carry me home)
Tell all my friends I'm coming too.
(Coming for to carry me home)"

"Night rascals," Sam said softly into the darkness as he made his way over to the door, careful not to trip on shoes, clothes, or food cans. Slowly, Sam opened the door and a dim light from outside flooded in. Quinn followed the light and Sam out to the front. Slowly, Sam closed the door, wincing when it squeaked, hoping that it wouldn't wake his brother and sister.

"Where did the Gameboy come from?" He whispered loudly, testing his voice now that he was outside.

"Mrs. McDonald at church gave it to me to give to Stacey and Stevie. She said that Jamie hadn't touched it since he got a new one for his birthday and said that the rascals might appreciate it more."

"I'll thank her on Sunday.

Quinn nodded.

"How are you holding up, Sam?" Quinn asked softly.

Sam shrugged. "I'm fine." The teenager paused. "They're too young to understand fully, but they know that our house got taken away, you know?" he paused. "Kids over hear things and they know more than we think that they do."

"They do." Quinn bit her lip and agreed.

Slowly, she reached her arms around the boy's shoulders and rested her head on his shoulders.

"Thanks." Sam bit away his emotions, too drained to say much else, "For putting the boxes together." The boy took in Quinn's body warmth and felt a comfort like a class of warm milk when he couldn't sleep.

"It's the least that I could do." Quinn said and left her words at that.

"Thank you, Quinn… Drive safe." Sam said softly, as the cheerleader smiled gently and walked towards her car.

Sam watched Quinn walk to her car, making sure that she didn't get interrupted by any of the sometimes-shady people who hung around the motel, especially at night.

A minute or two later, Quinn drove out of the gravel parking lot and Sam made his way back inside. He closed the door, locked it and then chained it.

Sighing, he sat down on his parent's bed and turned on their bedside table light. He picked up his English reading and began to read slowly.

The past few months had been bitterly painful. The past few weeks hadn't been much better. This day had been bad, but it could have been worse. Maybe, tomorrow would be ever so slightly better. He wanted to see if it would be.

Fin.