All is Well *Winter family & significant others*

Willow took a deep breath as she set the last napkin on the table. Everything seemed to be nice and normal in the Winter home currently, but she had a feeling it wouldn't stay that way. Pretty soon, their house would be full of people. And half of them weren't even members of the family. Gareth had invited Samara, Evan had invited Jocelyn, Cambria had invited Saber, and even Willow herself had invited Matthew. The evening promised to be anything but boring. Willow was definitely excited, but her stomach was flipping in butterflies. She had never introduced a boyfriend to her family before...this was, in fact, her first boyfriend ever. And if they didn't like him, they were strong enough to kill him. She shuddered and collected the glasses to set out by the plates.

"Hey Mum, which side does the glass go on?"

It took her a few minutes to realize her mother was not going to answer. She was sick in bed and wasn't even well enough to help them set up. They had offered to cancel everything for when she was better, but she wouldn't have it. She didn't want to stop their fun. So Willow just sighed and put it to the left. If someone older and wiser wanted to fix it, they could be her guest. She smiled as she finished, then she went to her bedroom to make sure it was clean. Just in case they were allowed to take their guests on a tour. Knowing her father, it would have to be chaperoned if it were to happen at all.

She walked into the kitchen where she could smell dinner cooking, though she would be surprised if it was her daddy making it. He wasn't exactly known for his cooking ability. She cringed a bit at the thought of Matthew's first dinner here being Chef Boyardee. But when she came around the corner, she had to laugh. Apparently, he had other plans.

(OOC: Gar, Evan or Jeff...have at it.)

Jeff had chosen to be a gracious husband and decided to make supper for his wife. He knew that she was sick, so it was also on the lines of him not having a choice. After the last time he refused to let any of his daughters near the stove, and Evan and Gareth would just be a bigger nuisance. Gar wasn't even home yet, as it happens he was at his own place probably getting ready with Samara. He had heard that she had been sick over the weekend, but he hoped she was all well and rested again so that it didn't hinder with the time planned to be spent as a family.

Stirring the gravy in a saucepan he looked to see that Willow had happened upon them. All of his family members thought he was God awful in the kitchen...and in some cases he was. But typically Jeffrey found himself being a pretty decent cook. He could never hold a candle to his beautiful wife, but he could make something that was edible and tasted pretty damn good as well.

"Hey Lo-Lo," he smiled. "Can you do me a favor and watch this? I need to go and find your sister and brother...they seem to be slacking."

Winking at her just a bit he moved her in front of the stove and gave her bottom a gentle swat before heading off. He knew that his daughter was probably moping around her room, and Evan was so bent out of shape with his NEWT exams that his nose hadn't left his books for a minute. However he thought it would be easier to start with his oldest daughter; praying that today of all days she would not throw a tantrum. Today was not the day.

Cambria was close to tears. Why wasn't he answering his phone?! She had been trying to call Saber for two days now, and she still hadn't gotten a response! She wondered if he was just so busy studying for his OWLs that he had forgotten about this dinner. Or maybe he had done something to get himself grounded. She actually prayed it was that, because if he was simply avoiding her, she couldn't handle that. And now it looked like she would be the only one of the Winter children (besides Max) that didn't have her boyfriend here. She would have to sit and watch her brothers snuggle their girlfriends, and even Willow would be making goo-goo eyes at Matthew. It was bad enough not being with Saber right now, but to have to see everyone else happy while she was lonely, that she would not be able to take. She would just say she was sick with what her mum had.

She pulled out her cell phone one more time and tried calling him, but once again, she only got his voicemail. So she sighed sadly and sent him a text message. 'The dinner is tonight at my house. Come if you can. Love you.'

She stared at the phone for a full ten minutes, unwilling to move just in case he called or texted back. But there was nothing. She sniffled and stood, then went to her dresser and pulled out her jammies. Hopefully her daddy wouldn't push this dinner, because she would definitely have to throw some sort of bitch fit if he tried to make her go. Unless by some miracle, Saber really was able to come. Then she would be down there in a flash. But she didn't have much hope of that. So she curled up in bed and turned out the light, sniffling and crying into her pillow. It wasn't fair! She had been with Saber longer than any of her siblings had been with their significant others! But they didn't respect that fact in the least. They all thought she was too young to really know what love really was. Except for Willow. At least she was giving them something else to worry about besides Cambria's love life.

She heard footsteps, so she quickly threw her blanket over her head and quieted her sobs enough to make it seem like she was sleeping. And then she just prayed that he would leave her be.

Cambria

Jeffrey leaned on the door to his daughter's room and waited. He knew that she was probably having some sort of fit. Being a teenager it seemed those were daily and he was down to the point that unless she was bleeding, puking, passing out, or trying to throw herself in front of a car...he didn't pay it much mind. Cambria was definitely his more dramatic child...although Evan was a roaring close second and his wife a daring third.

"Cambria, I don't care the excuse, get up and help your sister." his tone was firm and stern.

He knew that she was still seeing that farm boy behind his back, Jeff may be a lot of things but stupid wasn't one of them. Glancing down at her he waited. If she wanted to fight then he would fight, but Jeffrey had a habit of winning...and if she dared to cross him too much he would just go get his wife. His love was scary healthy...sick...now that was something to behold.

"You have ten minutes to be up and dressed," he continued. "If you aren't then I'll just have a few words with your mother and we'll see what she says about you leaving your brother and sister to do all the work...and Gareth and Sam should be coming any minute...so hustle."

Sensing that his words had no present effect he walked over to were she lay and grasped her sheets and comforter. Pulling the blankets from her bed he ripped her from her bed, got the clothes she had taken off, and forced her out into the hall shoving the garments into her arms.

"You go and get dressed in my room...that way you can explain to your mother your complaints should I hear a tantrum..." he took her cell phone. "And no more of that...this is a family dinner...go on, move."

Cambria's lower lip trembled and she immediately felt tears burning her eyes. All they ever thought of her was how much of a brat she was, and how she thought that everything revolved around her. But wasn't she allowed to be upset? She didn't know why Saber wasn't calling, and she was afraid he had just fallen out of love with her. But had they even tried asking what the problem was? Did they wonder how much it would hurt her to have to see everyone else in her family in love, when she wasn't even sure if she had a love anymore. All she had really wanted from her daddy was someone to talk to, and he had assumed she would just yell at him. Okay, well maybe she had done that a little too often to inspire trust from him. But now, she really just wanted a shoulder to cry on. So right there in the hallway in front of him, she stripped down to her bra and knickers, then began putting her clothes on. She had never really been shy about things like that, especially when she had a schedule to keep. And she was scared he would leave and she would have to go begging for his forgiveness, rather than talking to him right here.

"Daddy?" She asked softly. "Can we just talk? I'll go downstairs, I will...but I...I..."

She covered her face in her hands and began sobbing, not even realizing that she had only gotten halfway dressed. She stood there crying in her pants and a bra, then walked forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. He was so big and strong, and she liked it better when he was using that strength to hold her, rather than discipline her. She sniffled and wiped her tears away, but it was already too late. She had soaked his shirt pretty badly with her tears.

"Daddy, he's not coming! He doesn't love me anymore!" She wailed. "Tell me what to do, please! I...I'm so...I'm so lost without him!"

Jeffrey staggered back a bit in shock at his daughter and quickly moved them so that they were inside. He knew that she was home, but he was sure his other children would not appreciate seeing their sister half naked in the hallway. Gently he stroked her hair down her back, but not before pulling a blanket from her bed around her shoulders. Stroking her cheek lightly he moved her to the bed.

"Okay," he sighed. "I know that what I am going to tell you isn't going to make a difference, but I am going to tell you anyway. Cambria...you are a beautiful girl with a beautiful heart and personality. You do not NEED him for anything!"

Nothing infuriated Jeffrey more than a teenage girl that thought they needed a boy to survive. And teaching high school students he met a lot of them. Girls that just thought they needed someone to love them. It was such bloody bullocks! If anything a guy needed a woman to survive! Merlin knew he would be lost without his wife.

"Now," he continued. "Are you going to let him have this hold over you? You are independent Cambria Winter, you do not need that boy for anything. If anything he needs you...but I digress. You know that you don't need him to survive, you just think you do."

He kissed her forehead and gently held her in his arms.

"Besides...maybe I'm done sharing you with that punk...you were my girl first."

Cambria looked up at her father, now smiling through her tears. He always knew the right things to say. Well, mostly always. As of right now, she knew that she didn't really want anyone else besides her daddy. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, then grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing the blanket aside. Then she ran her fingers through her hair and stood, making sure her make-up wasn't running down her face. She took her father's hand in her own and started pulling him downstairs with her.

"Come on, we have dinner to make."

She happily walked out of her bedroom, now not even thinking too much about Saber (even though she still missed him terribly), but she stopped when she got to Evan's room. She could hear him in there and she wondered what was keeping him from the family dinner. Maybe Jocelyn wasn't planning on coming either. That would be a nice little added bonus. But Cami couldn't say that out loud. She pushed open the door and walked in, pulling her father along with her. Then she flopped on the bed next to her brother.

"Whatcha doing, Ev? Can I help?"

Evan had been wrapping Jocie's present. It wasn't for anything special, just a little something something he thought looked adorable and he wanted his beloved to have it. Evan often did that to make up for being a dick towards her. It was no secret that Evan wasn't the most tender boyfriend. He was often very blunt with his girl, as well as distant...but that did not mean he loved her any less. Evan just had some serious boundary issues. His older brother said that he was so awkward when it came to being around girls, and for once he had to agree with Gareth Winter on something.

"No," he continued. "You can't help....and fix my bed, please."

Evan didn't like people on his bed (besides Jocie) and Cambria had a habit of messing up his bed and not bother to fix it. Evan was a clean freak, it was just something that his mother had passed down to her. Everyone said that he was the most like Mrs. Winter, and Evan often agreed with them. But it was his motto that he would rather be a clean nerd, than a filthy bum.

Taking the roll of blue ribbon he finished tying the present and sighed. Setting it on his desk he smiled. He had spent so much on this present, and he was pretty sure that if any family member did anything to it (accidental or deliberate) he would never EVER forgive them.

Present

Evan

Cambria's face fell when her brother just dismissed her the way he had. Why did he always have to be suck a freaking ass? They used to be best friends, and now they barely said two kind words to each other in a week. She missed the old Evan, she missed sharing everything with him and him confiding in her. Now he just seemed so cold, it almost made her wonder if he had some kind of secret life or something. Or maybe he was just growing into a jerk. She didn't want to let it spoil her mood, but she commonly had trouble separating logic from emotion.

She sat up, somewhat haughtily, and started fixing his covers. But she didn't say a word. She was hoping he would understand that he had hurt her feelings just by non-verbal communication. At some point she was just going to have to give up on ever having a good relationship with Evan again. Gareth and Willow liked her, and that was enough for now. As soon as his bed was all made up, she turned back to him. God, he was such a git. She was torn between wanting to run crying from the room and wanting to punch him. So she chose a compromise. She picked up his pillow and chucked it at him, but it hit the desk instead and was dangerously close to the little gift box her brother had just preciously wrapped minutes before. Her eyes widened and she waited to see if it would fall or not.

"I fixed your bed," she said softly. But then she was too scared of what would happen if the box did topple, she ran from the room and down to the kitchen where no one could reach her if the mystery present broke.

Evan had caught the present before all of his money could have been wasted and sighed. Gently he placed it in his desk, knowing that it would be safest there. Cambria thought that he didn't like her, and sometimes he didn't...but the truth was Evan just didn't like to be fun anymore. Well he did...but when he tried to be fun with his sister she just took it way too far and it got them both into trouble. Evan had always been the more sensible sibling; even more so than Gar. His father said that it was the combined emotions he got from both his mother and father. Gar, Cambria, and Willow were the sensitive ones...Evan was the one that tried to show very little to no emotion if he could help it. He didn't know why he turned out this way....well maybe he did a little. Gareth leaving had been the final straw, along with Cambria acting like a little pill for the past couple of months.

Taking out his cellphone he texted Jocie, telling her that he would pick her up soon if she wanted...or that she could just come over. He really wanted her there, mostly because she was one of the few people in the world that she could be real with. He cried in front of her, only on occasion, and knew that she was the one person that would just hold him and not say a word. He loved that about Jocie, she didn't have to speak to be there....she just had to be there. And Evan had always found more comfort in silence than pointless words that were laden with sugar and honey.

Fixing his shirt he sighed and looked around. He wondered if Gar and Sam would come soon, he knew that Sam was sick...at least that was what Gar had told him via text...but he was sure his brother and her would make some kind of show. It wasn't like his brother NOT to. He turned to his dad briefly and sighed. They had a little bit of ongoing tension between them, nothing too big...nothing they couldn't handle...but it was there. He of course tried to ignore it, whereas his father wanted to solve it. Everyone in his family liked fixing things that were broken whereas he just liked to let sleeping dogs lie.

"I have to go and pick up Jocelyn," he said gently. "I won't be gone long...and Gar said they might not be coming...Sam's really sick apparently."

He looked away from his father, hoping that he would not be reprimanded for how he spoke to Cambria. In all reality he had not done anything wrong, he politely asked her to remove herself from his bed...she did so, despite the pillow she had flung at him. His sister always had the habit of going way to far.

"I'll be back in a bit dad."

Hugging him briefly, something he did rarely now...he grabbed the car keys and went downstairs to pick up his girlfriend.

Jeffrey sighed and watched his son go. He had changed so much in a year. It was rather heartbreaking. There was nothing, totally, wrong with how Evan was. He was far more goal oriented now, and rarely did he ever misbehave. But it wasn't his son and he couldn't help but blame himself for how he was acting. He let Cambria get away with far too much and didn't see that Evan had been the one disciplining her. He had let his son fade away into the shadows and hadn't even noticed in time to pull him back. Jeffrey felt like he was one of the worlds worst fathers and there was nothing that could ever be done to change that. The only two children he had that still looked at him with some worth were Lo-Lo and Gareth. His other two children pretty much resented him, but now was not the time to think of that. This dinner was meant to fix some of the things that had been broken. This supper would hopefully mend the broken hearts that had occurred over the past couple of months.

Gently putting the pillow back that Cambria had chucked. He went downstairs and began helping Lo-Lo in the kitchen. He wasn't shy to cooking, but he knew that he could never hold a candle to his wife. Hopefully when Samara came she could help a bit. That girl could cook very well, and he could tell...Gareth always came over looking well fed and happy. He hated seeing his boy go, but the girl he had gone too seemed to be everything his lad had wanted and deserved. He just wished that Samara didn't get so sick, so often. It was a toll on his son, he often missed family dinners and events because Sammy was ill. Of course Jeffrey never blamed her for it; he just wished it would occur less.

"Cambria, Lo-Lo," he said gently. "Did you make that chef salad I asked you? Samara can only eat healthy food...and I believe Gar said she was pretty sick and if she does come I want her to be able to eat something."

Jeffrey had a list that Gar had mailed him of things Samara had to be mindful of when eating. And the list had been so long it nearly broke his heart. He could not imagine Cambria or Lo-Lo having this illness. How did Alexander Bailey take care of and feed his daughter all those years? Everything any normal teenager loved to eat was on that list...pizza, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, nacho's, and other various foods and meals. Thankfully Jeff had done his best to drain as much grease from the food as he could. So hopefully Sammy would eat and be comfortable afterwards.

"Come on girlies," he smiled gently. "We only have a couple more minutes."

Meanwhile at the Loft

Samara sighed from the bathroom as she put on a thin layer of makeup. She knew that Gar was against them going to this dinner. Not because he didn't want to see his family, but because she just wasn't feeling very well. She knew that Gar would lasso the moon for her, but tonight he needed to be there for his family. She knew that Cambria and Willow probably did not like her...she had stolen their brother away and to makes matters worse she actually took up A LOT of Gareth's time. She had been so sick this past month that Gar had rarely left the house, unless it was to go to work. And even then he usually came home early because Sam had to call him to carry her from one room to the next.

It was so much work, and Samara hated that her beloved would come home from a long day and then want to take care of her. Samara didn't want Gareth to have to do this for the rest of her life. She didn't know why this month had been so hard on her with her CVS, but she hoped that it would soon stop. She was so sick of being sick. Putting the last touch of her cover up on, she didn't want them to see how pale she was, she sighed.

She looked like Hell warmed over and because of her throwing up so much she had lost a lot of weight...and most people who knew her knew she was pretty skinny before. Tonight would be good for them...she needed to eat something substantial..something that would stick to her bones.

"Baby?" she called weakly. "Are you ready? We need to go soon."

Samara

Gareth looked at his reflection in the bedroom mirror. Well, he was as ready as he was going to get. He ran his hands through his hair one last time and grimaced. He looked like @#!*% ! His family was going to think that Sam didn't feed him, when nothing could be further from the truth. He had been working insane hours at the Ministry, he was worried about Sam's health, he wanted to talk to her about planning their wedding and they hadn't even told anyone that they were engaged, and had been for a while now. Well, that wasn't quite true. It was more that they hadn't told their parents about the engagement. Cambria and Willow knew, but he wasn't sure about Evan. Willow was supposed to have gone to tell him, but he'd not heard a word about it from his brother.

He gave up on making himself look any better. It was hopeless. He turned from the mirror and went to the bed to put on his shoes. He hoped that this evening would go well. He'd not really brought Sam to his parents for anything official. She'd been having such a hard time with being sick so often. He thought it was due to stress, but didn't know how to bring that level down. Well.... again, not quite true, but he didn't want to bring that up again. It would happen, he just had to be patient. And since he usually was, it wasn't a problem for him. There was just too much going on right now for them to be thinking of much more than work, school, their NEWT's and just trying to stay awake at the end of each day to eat and reconnect with each other.

He heard Sam call for him from the bathroom and went to the doorway, leaning against it. To others, it would look like Sam didn't eat, either. To those who didn't know about CVS, they would think she was doing this to herself deliberately. Gareth knew better. Sam had been spending a lot of time being sick lately, and he hoped that she was getting better now, since she was up and around and getting ready for the family dinner they were about to go to.

"I'm ready when you are, love," he said to her with a smile

Samara smiled back weakly and gently hugged him. She didn't want to leave home, not with how she was feeling...but she wasn't going to be selfish and keep Gar from seeing his family. He never had any qualms when she asked him if her father could come over; or if they could go and have supper with them. Gently pulling back she kissed him softly and rested her head against his shoulder. She just didn't feel very good, that was all. She was sure that they wouldn't be there long. Maybe until after Gar had a chance to eat, they would leave...or maybe she could just sneak off and lie down on Gar's old bed? Yes, that was what she would do. If she felt sick she would migrate up to Gar's room and lay there until he was ready to leave. That way she did't take from his evening, and she could lay down in return.

"I'm ready baby," she sighed. "Would you mind if we drove though? My stomach isn't behaving so much today."

Or yesterday, or the day before that, Samara knew that this month was going to be the worse for her CVS. She had episodes, but never ones that were so on top of the other. It was a lot of stress to put on ones body. But she knew she could handle it, she just had to keep taking her medicine and hope that one day it would stay down.

She tried her best to hide it from Gareth, but he always knew. Her beloved always knew when she was sick or lying to him. It was something she just never had the heart to do in his case. And boy did Gareth know it. Sometimes it annoyed her though. He wouldn't sleep if he knew she was ill. And it just infuriated her that he would spend nights watching her rest or throw up. She liked having him there with her, but when it came to morning he was so tired and exhausted that he was probably shite in the workplace. Samara knew she would be...but explaining that to Gar was rather pointless...he was VERY stubborn when it came to her wellbeing.

"I hope your dad will be okay that I made the desert," she said gently, gesturing to a homemade strawberry shortcake. "I didn't want him to have to do all the work."

That...and the strawberries were fresh picked yesterday, and the cream was her own concoction...something that she could eat and not get sick over...but her father always loved her shortcake, so she assumed that Gar's parents would too.

Gareth nodded and put his arm around his fiancée. She seemed so fragile, but he knew that she had the spirit of a Gryffindor, in a Slytherin's shell. Sometimes it was hard to believe that she put up with him, especially when he worried nonstop over her, but she did, and he would love her for it until his last breath. He was sure that his family would have some reservations about what they were going to be eating that night, but he'd had to text his brother to let them know that Sam wasn't feeling well. He didn't know if they would understand that this wasn't just some little stomach bug, that this was a lifelong condition, and that it would forever strike her at random moments, especially when she was least expecting it.

He knew that she thought he was a worrywart, that he needed to stop hovering over her and get some sleep at night so that he could work, but it was part of him. He couldn't control his heart's caring for Sam, and knew that he would continue to fret over whether she was healthy, sick, happy, sad. He stroked her cheek and whispered for her to go to the car, and he would get the strawberry shortcake she'd gone to the trouble to make for this dinner.

He picked up the dish and headed out to his car, setting it carefully on the back seat before getting in and buckling his seat belt. With a glance at Sam next to him, he started the car and pulled from its space, heading toward his childhood home. He remained silent all the way to the house, but had to say something as soon as they had parked in front of the building.

"Sam, I know that they will love the dessert, I always do, and even though I don't always have the same taste as Evan, Cam, Willow and Max, I have a pretty good idea that they'll like it. And I'm wondering what you thought about us telling them all about your CVS and letting my parents know about our engagement? If you're not ready, I'll understand, since this is a family dinner, and it's to meet all of the significant others... Boyfriends and girlfriends," he took her hand and kissed it, reminding her that he didn't simply believe she was his girlfriend, but his soul mate. "I kind of want you to get to know Jocie, Saber and Matthew."

Sam froze up a bit at the thought of having to speak with Gar's family about their engagement. She supposed they had been waiting for a family dinner to come up so that they could, but it didn't mean she was anymore eager. What if they rejected her? What if Gareth had to choose, she could not live without him if he left her, and she didn't want to make him choose between her and his family. Samara wouldn't know what to do if she had to make that choice. Taking his hand she let out a shuddering breath. Her stomach was already churning within her, and she knew that if she did not get the answer she desired from his family she would throw up and be forced to spend another week in bed. What if they all hated her for this? Tears filled her eyes at the thought but she quickly blinked them away, she was NOT going to cry and freak Gareth out about this.

"We can..." she whispered. "I just....I don't want them rejecting the idea. Gar, I love you so much....I just couldn't stand to think that your parents would make you choose between me and them....if they do...I want you to choose your family."

She looked up at him, her tears slowly sliding down her face and her stomach in many tight knots. She just wanted him to know that she loved him so much, and that he didn't have to fear making the wrong decision. She would love him no matter what he chose, even if she desperately wanted him to choose her.

"I...I'm just scared Gar," she whimpered. "I don't want them to hate me."

Gareth took Sam's hand and kissed it. He knew that she was scared, but he was only afraid of his mother being difficult on Sam. He hoped that the others would soften her mood enough to be accepting of the choice he'd made, and know that even though he was young, having just turned eighteen, he knew what he wanted. He knew that he needed to be happy, and that was to be with Sam. He wouldn't be forced to choose sides, or between his famly and the love of his life. He leaned over and kissed her softly.

"I am not going to be chosing anything but to be happy. I am Switerland. If anyone has a problem with us being engaged, then they will just have to deal with it. I've told you that Cam and Willow know, they're fine. I'm sure that my parents will be the same. You're going to be fine, love. Please, don't worry. We're here to have all the family get together with their boy or girlfriends. But you are beyond a girlfriend, my love. You are the one that I intend to spend the rest of my life with."

He kissed her again and got out of the car, getting the shortcake out and going around to her side to open her doot for her. Walking up to the house, he wondered what his family was going to think of Matthew, since he was the boyfriend of their younger daughter, who was only a first year.

"We're here!" he called as he entered the house, turning to take Sam's jacket from her.

"Don't be nervous, Sam. They are going to love you." He turned around again. "Where is everyone?" he called.

Willow was doing as her father had asked her to, and stood preparing a healthy looking salad for Samara. Willow didn't know her brother's girlfriend..er..fiance, very well, but she didn't want her to feel sick or unwelcome. So she happily fixed up the food, ignoring any dirty looks her sister might have had. Willow felt a little bad for Cambria, mainly because she had heard that Saber probably wouldn't show. But couldn't Cam just try to bottle up some of her anger for one night? Willow prayed that things would not come to a head at this dinner. She had a feeling her daddy couldn't take much more misbehavior from anyone, least of all Cami.

She was just about to put the salad out on the table, when she heard Gareth's voice calling. She smiled widely and placed the dish back on the counter. Then she ran out to her brother and jumped on him, most likely nearly knocking him over. But she didn't care, her Gar was here! She had missed him so much ever since he had moved in with Sam, and though she was happy for them, she still missed her big brother.

"Gareth, I'm so happy you're here! Mum's sick, so she won't be joining us. And Saber probably isn't coming," she said in a hushed tone. She didn't need Cambria getting mad at her again. They had already been in a pretty nasty fight a few days before, and Willow wasn't interested in another one.

"What else...Cam nearly got killed by Evan, but I guess he dropped it and went to go get Jocie. He's still gone, by the way. Oh, and Matthew is coming! He should be here any minute! I'm so nervous, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

She was speaking so fast, and trying to remember all of the family gossip, that she had almost forgotten that Gareth wasn't alone. She blushed as she turned to Samara and she giggled lightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to treat you like you were invisible! It's good to see you again, Samara."

She wrapped her arms around the older girl and smiled. Although she was sad that Gareth had moved out, she could never hold that against Sam, someone that made her brother so happy. Willow also thought she was really pretty and really nice, but she cared more that Gareth was in love.

"You can sit anywhere you like, I'm the one who set the table. Aren't you proud of me, Gar?" She beamed.

(OOC: Gareth next, then either Sam or we move on to Matthew or Evan and Jocie.)

Gareth chuckled at his sister's exuberance. She sounded like the squirrel in Hoodwinked, and it amused him to no end.

"Lo-Lo, calm down, we just walked in the door." He was thrilled that Willow was so affectionate with Sam, it gave him even more hope that the rest of the family would be so warm toward her. He took his fiancée's hand and led her to the dining room, looking at the table that Willow had set. It was beautiful and he told her so. It was a bit more formal than the family had usually seen, but this was a special occasion. It was more than a family dinner if they'd all been asked to invite their girlfriend or boyfriend.

Gareth pulled out a chair for Sam next to the seat where he'd usually sat when he was growing up. He thought that it might just be a reflex, but it didn't really matter. He had been told that they could sit wherever they wanted, and this was where he chose to sit.

"What do you mean Saber might not be coming, and what's wrong with Mum?" He pretty much blew off the idea of a fight bewteen his siblings, it was old hat to him. They'd grown up nearly beating each other senselss, the same as other brothers and sisters did. He took the chair next to Sam, taking her hand and kissing it at the same time. He didn't like the idea of Cam possibly not having her boyfriend at the dinner, or that their mother wouldn't be attending, either. It was sad. but before he could comment on it, his attention was caught when he knocked over the glass at his elbow.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Willow! I didn't mean to be such a klutz." He tugged his sister to him and whispered in her ear, "If Saber and Mum aren't going to be here, we're not going to be making a big production of it, all right?"

He leaned back in his chair and smiled at his little sister.

"So, when is Matthew supposed to get here? And where is Dad?" He turned to kiss Sam. "I don't know if you've met Matthew, Love?"

Sam kissed him back and gently taking out her wand flicked it and watched as the water cleared. She felt so lethargic, but she kept that to herself and simply held Gareth's hand. She let him do most of the talking, seeing as she was in no shape to hold up a conversation at the present moment. But she was of course going to contribute when it was appropriate. She enjoyed hugging Lo-Lo, even though it hurt a bit to be hugged that tight. She just wished that everyone else in the Winter family was as bubbly and cute.

"No, I haven't," she said softly. "I suppose tonight I will...he needs my stamp of approval, Lo..."

Winking gently she smiled and with a shaky hand she took a glass of water and sipped from it. The cool crispness felt wonderful on her throat and Samara almost sighed with pleasure. It had been a couple of hours since she had been able to drink something and keep it down. It had gotten to the point where Sam and Gar had set up beds in the bathroom so she could aim in the toilet, rather than on the floor.

Looking back and forth she glanced around the room to see if Mr. Winter or Cambria were around. She was a bit worried about Cambria not having her boyfriend there...especially with how that girls attitude played out... but Samara wasn't too worried. If it got too out of hand she knew that her and Gar could just go home. Still holding Gar's hand her thumb gently stroked its top. She loved his hands...there was just something always so comforting about them...Samara never could pinpoint it; but she knew her beloved understood what she meant by it.

"Where is Cambria?" she asked softly, turning slightly to Willow.

Willow looked around and didn't see her sister, but that didn't mean that Cambria wasn't watching. And Gareth was right, making a big deal out of Saber not coming would be bad for everyone. So she turned back to Sam and shrugged.

"Cami? I'm not sure, I know she's around her somewhere. Probably trying to apparate to the Shields farm," she giggled. But then she remembered again that she probably wasn't even supposed to mention it and she playfully pushed Gareth in the ribs.

"Shush, you don't have to tell me, I already know. Don't talk about it!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and then smiled widely. Merlin, she missed being able to see Gareth every day. Maybe she should ask if she could stay with them for a week over the summer! She wasn't sure how her mum would feel about it, but she thought it was a great idea! Especially if Gareth didn't mind Matthew occasionally coming to visit.

Ah, Matthew...now that was who she really wanted to see. That, and she wanted everyone else to see him too. She had fallen for her housemate and the more she saw of Gareth and Sam, the more she wanted the same thing a few years down the road. Of course, she couldn't really tell anyone besides her sister. Willow knew her family loved her, but technically, she felt Cambria was the only one who really knew what she was going through since she had found love so early. Plus, Cam was her only sister. And even though they fought, and everyone thought Cam had an attitude, Willow knew that she really had a big heart. And right now it was probably breaking. Everyone was writing it off like nothing...everyone, including Willow. And the guilt was setting in deeply already. She sighed and squeezed her brother's shoulder.

"I better go find her, make sure she's okay. Come get me if Matthew comes, okay?"

And then she went back to the kitchen to see if Cam needed someone to talk to.


(OOC: Matthew or Jeff...Evan, Jocie...up to you two. Or I can post as Cam to Gareth and Sam. Votes? haha)

Cambria had stayed in the kitchen to finish the salad and to pour a few pitchers of drinks. She had rolled her eyes when Gareth and Samara had arrived. She didn't actually know Sam very well, but she was kindof annoyed that everything was now focused on her. Just because she was sick, did that mean they all had to drop everything and take care of her? And looking out at them and seeing how pale and sick she looked just made Cambria even more annoyed. She wasn't trying to think these selfish thoughts, but it was hard not to when she was already jealous of the girl that got to spend all her time with Gareth. And she wasn't even going to try thinking about how much she disliked Jocelyn.

The more she stayed in the kitchen, waiting for everyone else to get here, the more depressed she became. This dinner was supposed to be very important for all of them, and she would be alone. She knew her father had tried to make her feel better about it, but he couldn't be there for her the whole night. Besides, Saber not being here was not the only reason she was upset. She no longer had a relationship with Evan, and Gareth was going to be busy with Sam like he always was. Willow was around, but Cam had enough girl talk...it was just pushing her further into her depression. She couldn't really explain why, but talking to Willow just wasn't helping. What Cambria wanted more than anything was just to breakdown, but everyone would think she was just being overdramatic. Yeah...they would think that until she actually got desperate and did something to end the pain. Her eyes filled with tears and she shook it off, taking the pitchers into the dining room and walking right past her sister.

"Hi Gar, Samara," she said softly. Then she went back and brought the salad out, placing it directly in front of Gareth's fiance.

Without another word, she took the empty seat beside her brother, pushed her plate out of the way, and rested her head on the table. A tear fell down her cheek and landed on the tablecloth. She reached over and silently took her brother's hand, wanting to tell him everything she was feeling right now, excluding her irrational annoyance about Sam. But she knew she couldn't utter a word without losing all emotional control. So she just sat holding his hand, waiting for the night to be over.

Samara caught a glimpse of Cambria and sighed. She was the only one in the Winter house that called her Samara and it just made her feel strange. Gar called her Sammy, Mr. Winter, Willow, Evan, and even Mrs. Winter called her Sam. Cambria seemed to be the only one that called her Samara. Her father said that he loved her name, that it was so beautiful and had a lovely ring to it. But whenever Sam thought of her name, she thought of that creepy ghost child that was thrown into a well in that movie the Ring. The girl even HAD black hair! When Samara confronted her father about it he said, "Hmm...what a wonderful coincidence!" and went on writing the next chapter of her novel. Glancing over at Cambria she gently picked at her salad. She did not want this night ruined...not that she thought Cambria would ruin it...just that she thought the girl was being a bit dramatic. But Samara wasn't one to talk...when it came to Gar, she was known to do some pretty dramatic things as well...still...she tried to refrain from doing them in public.

Taking a bite from her dry salad she held Gareth's other hand on the table. His palms were always so warm, whereas hers held this icy chill because of her illness. God, sometimes she just wished Gareth would dump her and be done with it. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with her bullshit. She knew that Cambria was probably annoyed with her, could practically see it on her face when she put her salad in front of her. And as she watched the rest of the family eating a warm cooked meal...she almost felt envious. She wanted to eat what they were eating...she wanted to be able to enjoy Mr. Winter's home cooking. And the thought of not being able to...it just saddened. However she knew that it could always be worse. Her father was dying...or at least he was until he had his surgery...and he never complained about anything. He looked at the world with this beautiful light in his eyes that only dimmed when he remembered that there were times when he had been too sick to care for her. It made Sammy so proud. To think that his life could be so dark...a tunnel that never ended...and he would always find light and joy. He said that it was in her....but to Samara it was because her father's faith was stronger than anyone she had ever met.

Gently taking another bite of the salad she looked up at the people around her and froze.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." she said gently. "We haven't prayed yet...umm...I forgot myself...actually...I don't know if you even pray before meals...oh, and Evan's not here yet..ugh...I'm sorry...my mind was elsewhere."

She blushed, squeezing Gar's hand a bit more and trying to smile a bit. She would make this night work for Gareth. Even if that meant fighting her CVS all night long. They would not leave until it was at least ten o-clock and Gar would have ONE weekend spent where he did not have to take care of her. Samara was determined to make this so, and she just hoped that Cambria would come around and do the same.

"So," she said gently. "When Evan does come...would you mind if I said grace?"

Samara wanted to thank God for the things and people that were around her...but mostly Gareth and her father. It had been a while since she had prayed for her father, and she felt that it was far overdue. She worried about her dad constantly...and Gar thought that, along with work, was the reason she was so sick all the time. CVS was often trigged by stress, and Samara had enough of it to go around.

"Oh," she said softly turning to Gar. "My father called this morning...his surgery is next weekend. I was wondering if you would mind spending that weekend in St. Mungo's with Miranda and I? You don't have to of course...I would just like you to be there with me."

Gareth was slightly shocked. He'd never been all that religious. He thought Sam had known that. But if she wanted to say Grace, he wasn't going to tell her no. It would be up to his father, not him. He'd not known that she would want to do this; maybe it was due to the fact that it would be the first time that she would be eating with his family. He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"I don't have a problem with it, if it's what you want to do, Sam. And don't worry about eating already, I know that you haven't done it all day, and am more than happy to see that you have at least some kind of appetite. And you know that I'm going to be with you at the hospital. It's a given." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, then turned to his other hand and squeezed Cami's fingers the same way.

"What's up with you, Cam? Are you upset about something? People at school giving you a hard time, or is it something worse?" He worried about his sister. She had so much trouble with her temper, he'd been the same way at her age. He hoped that wasn't what was going to keep Saber from coming to the family dinner. He didn't want anyone to be unhappy tonight. It was a family gathering, and he wanted everyone to be happy. At least to the best of their ability. He hoped that Saber would be able to come, and that Sam would be feeling well enough to have the dinner that she wanted, and spend some time getting to know her soon to be in-laws.

He leaned over to Sam and whispered in her ear what it was that was upsetting Cam, adding that he didn't want to make a big deal of it so as to not make his sister feel any worse.

"It's not you, Love, I promise," he whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek. He heard a knock at the front door and looked around for Willow.

"Hey, Lo-Lo? I think the door's for you."

Willow had been tracing patterns in the table cloth while Cambria, Gareth and Samara were talking. She was very hungry and definitely ready to eat, but she also didn't really like whining for dinner. So she was just trying to forget about her half boredom/ half nervousness. And then when Gareth had spoken and had shaken her out of her reverie, she smiled widely and squealed in excitement. She got out of her seat and jumped up and down.

"He's here! HE'S HERE!"

She went to the mirror that hung behind the front door, and checked her hair, teeth, make-up...and whatever else about herself that she wanted perfect, although she knew she never would be. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi," she said softly, beaming at Matthew. Willow tried to act as if she hadn't just been screaming in excitement for his arrival, but she knew he would know differently. Especially because the walls of their house were not too thick in the first place.

"I'm really happy you're here," she said sincerely, the butterflies beating madly within her abdomen. But her nerves would quickly relax now that he was here. She took his hand and pulled him inside and to the table.

"Matthew, you've met Cam and Gar. This beautiful girl is Sam, Gar's girlfriend," she smiled. "My dad is probably off finishing dinner, my mum is sick in her room, so she won't be coming...and Evan and Jocie are hopefully somewhere on the way. Other than that, we just have to wait for the food!"