About eight years after 'Always'
Madeline, Herman, Sam, Hallie are 23
Dawn, Kristy and Mary Anne are 21
Madeline Spier walked out of the airport to see Hallie Thomas and Herman Schlafer, her best friend and her step-brother, waiting for her outside. "Get in loser, we're going shopping," Hallie yelled to her while getting in her Jeep, Herman, the one with manners helped Madeline with her bags and then got in the car after Maddie. "How does it feel to still be in college?" Hallie asked her.
"Horrid, I decided to take extra credits, so I'm graduating this spring instead of the following one,"
"What are you doing again?"
"Not working for my step-father,"
"Touche,"
"Maddie, Sam sure has missed you," Herman smirked.
"You don't know what your talking about," Madeline responded
"You guys have been broken up since the summer, but your still totally in love, why can't you two get back together?"
"It's more complicated than that," Madeline responded.
"Well, come over soon, but here you are, Maddie, tell Richard I'm going to drop Hallie off at Watson's," Herman told her. Maddie nodded and got out of the car.
-----
"Merry Christmas!" Madeline exclaimed as she threw open the doors to the house.
"Madeline! How was your trip?" Sharon asked her adoptive step-daughter, "have you finally gone on a rebound date yet?"
"She doesn't need to be dating anyone," Richard Spier said as he walked over to Maddie, "welcome home,"
"Hello guys, and no I have not gone on a rebound date yet, I'm just focusing on school,"
"Good girl, where is Herman?"
"He's going to drop Hallie off, then come back,"
"But weren't you guys driving Hallie's car?" Sharon asked, Madeline shrugged.
"Where are the girls?"
"Dawn is upstairs, Mary Anne is with Logan, which your father is thrilled about,"
"Why would she wear shorts in winter?"
"Where exactly did they go?" Madeline asked
"To this park, I don't remember what it's called,"
"It's snowing,"
Richard shrugged, he had no idea what was going on with the world, his daughter's completely switched, he remembered when Madeline was dating the Thomas boy, but they were a lot worse than Logan and Mary Anne, Richard feared they would end up getting married. "I'm going to go upstairs," Madeline announced as she rushed up the staircase. Herman walked in, not even two seconds later with Sam. "Wait Madeline isn't home?" Sam asked Herman.
"What did you tell him Herman? You just dropped Madeline off here,"
"Fine, it was Hallie's idea,"
"Did Hallie tell you why I need to come over here?" Sam asked Herman
"No," Sam whispered something to Herman, "here I'll distract Maddie, you do you,"
"Gee thanks. Mr. Spier can I talk to you, regarding Madeline?"
-----
"I need your help, Madeline!" Herman exclaimed running into her room.
"Don't you know how to knock?"
"Nope, anyways, does Hallie like jewelry?"
"Depends, haven't you been dating her for like six years now?"
"Seven. But would she like a ring?"
"You're going to propose?"
"No, no, no, not happening,"
"Then what?"
Herman took the next hour talking about pretty much anything and everything he could think of, "and that's why I think Dora the explorer is in a cult with Bob the builder, Caillou and Barney are all in a cult with each other,"
"Madeline! Dawn! Herman! Dinner," Sharon yelled.
"Thank god," Herman mubled along with Madeline.
------
"What did, you-know-who, have to say?" Herman asked his mom.
"Nothing I can say down here,"
"Madeline, can I ask you a question? And can you answer it as honestly as possible?" Richard questioned his adoptive daughter. "Yes?"
"Do you still love Sam?"
Madeline didn't know how to respond, all she could do was slowly nod, "I think so, I can't stop thinking about him, I miss him so much, and our relationship-"
"Sam dropped this by for you, I think you so read it," Richard told her, handing her an evaloupe. "Hey y'all!" Mary Anne exclaimed coming in the house.
"Not right now, we have some Sameline tea," Dawn told her, "can you please read it out loud?"
Madeline rolled her eyes and nodded, "Madeline, I miss you greatly and the reason we broke up was idiotic. Just because you had a year left of college didn't mean we couldn't still figure it out. I'm going to go straight to the point, Madeline Spier, I love you, with all of my heart and soul. You've probably moved on, you probably have left me in the past, as your first boyfriend, the unheard of one. But if you have not, meet me tonight at the pond we went to on our first date at seven-thirty. With love, Sam," Maddie read.
"Are you going to go?" Mary Anne asked.
"Dad, I don't think I have time to eat dinner, Sam's doing some big romantic gesture and I look like I just escaped the zombie apocalypse," Maddie rambled as she rushed up the stairs, "Mary Anne, Dawn, I need your assistance,"
-----
After and hour of Madeline freaking out, she left the house to meet up with Sam. "Madeline, you came!" Sam exclaimed once he could see her shadow.
"Did you have doubt?"
"Not going to lie, a little. Now I have to ask you a very important question,"
"Go on,"
Sam got down on one knee and pulled a small black box out, "Madeline Spier, will you ma-"
"YES!!!" Madeline exclaimed, Sam got up, overjoyed.
"Wait I didn't even finish,"
"Yes I will marry you," the two shared a passionate kiss as snow began to fall circling them, "Shall we go tell the others you said yes?"
"We shall," Madeline gigled.
----
"Madeline your back early, oh, with Sam," Sharon smirked at the last bit.
"We have an announcement," Sam told them.
"Sam asked me to marry him,"
"And she rejected me,"
"Yes I re- wait, no I accepted him, maybe I should be having second th-"
"No, darling that's not necessary,"
"What did I tell you about calling me 'darling',"
"My love?"
"Still tacky but better, now we should probably go over to Watson's,"
"Nonsense, that storm is getting worse and worse, Sam will have to spend the night," Sharon told them,"seeing as you and Maddie are engaged, you can stay with her,"
"You two better behave," Richard said sternly.
"Does he honestly think this is the first time we've shared a bed?" Sam whispered to Maddie, loud enough for everyone to hear. "He thinks we've only kissed twice,"
"How did you get away with that?" Herman asked.
"Wait, back up, just how far have you and Sam gone exactly?"
"What happens in college, stays in college," Maddie answered, "come on, Sam,"
"It's only eight,"
"I'm on east coast time,"
"We are on the east coast right now,"
"Uhh, fine, I want some alone time with my fiancé, is that too much to ask?" Maddie admitted, "Well that depends on what your doing in that 'alone time'," Richard responded.
"Nothing new,"
-------
At midnight, everyone was asleep, for tomorrow was the chaos of Christmas Eve. Madeline and Sam were together, after a six-month break up, lying side by side. Richard paid Mary Anne and Dawn twenty dollars each to spy on them, but they were sleeping on the job. Sharon and Richard passed out. And Herman had snuck out hours ago.
THE END