Meant To Be

Chapter 1: The Backstory

Sam (Manson) Aiden sat on the living room couch, looking at the photo albums from the happy times in her marriage to Ken Aiden. He was a very successful lawyer, who had fallen prey to a seductive female judge. His and Sam's marriage had been on the rocks almost a year. Sam didn't want her daughter, Shaylee to hear the fights that Sam knew were coming, so she sent Shaylee to her parents. And she wasn't very happy about it, but, she also didn't want her daughter to be traumatized over the marriage crumbling.

As she went through the stack of photo albums, she found one of her high school year books. It was from her senior year. She opened it, revealing the long letter from Danny on the inside of the front cover. She hadn't talked to him in a long time. At least twelve years. The last time she had seen him was the day he had left to go Florida to work for NASA. He was 19, she was 18. Sure, they had a fling in high school, but, that was mostly to get everyone to stop pressuring them to date... Wasn't it? That's what Sam believed. She sure did miss him for some strange reason. Had since the day he left. She wanted to know what he was doing now since NASA closed. Was he married? Did he have children, and how many? She wondered if Danny ever thought about her.

Danny had to focus. This wasn't NASA. You couldn't make a small mistake and still be able to go on with what you where doing. This was his residency. If he missed up it could mean someone's life.

Danny went to medical school after NASA closed his doors. He was married (at 22, to a wonderful woman named Andrea, 21) with two children, Alex and Eric plus one on the way. Alex was the oldest at 7 and Eric youngest at 4. Life had been good. Until Danny heard rumors.

Some of his friends told him they had been to a bar. And that they had over heard a young man saying he fathered a child to his lover and that her husband thought it was actually his.

They started asking the young man questions. They asked if they could know the woman's name. He told them her name is Andrea Fenton (now 30). Andrea was the 12th grade English Teacher to a Orsino high school. And this particular boy was 21, he had gotten held back three different times, he told the story of how his teacher had told him she would have to fail him. Unless he did some "extra credit" to get his grade bumped up.

And so after school, she took him to the janitor's closet.

"Why are we in here?" The football star asked, because, honestly, he was confused. The teacher looked at him and smiled, as she threw a condom his direction.

"Oh... What about my extra credit?" The teacher sighed as she heard this.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" She asked, hoping he wasn't as stupid as the question he had just asked.

And then they did "extra credit" in the janitor's closet.

Danny was so angry, his eyes glowed green as he threw Andrea out of the house. Luckily, he had never revealed his secret to her.

As Danny began packing his stuff that night, he also found his 12th grade yearbook. Danny read over the two page letter Sam had written him. He hadn't seen her since the day he left Amity Park. He missed her.

Why didn't I stay in Amity Park? Sam and I could've gotten married, instead of me coming here and getting married to the teacher who thinks extra credit is sex. Danny wished he would have thought like that 12 years ago. Had it been 12 years? Already?

That very night, Danny decided he was taking his boys and moving home to Amity Park as soon as his residency was over. He just hoped whoever Sam was with, she was happy. He didn't have to have her, just as long as she was happy.

"DANIEL!"

Danny snapped back to reality. He was standing in the OR.

"Scalpel!" Dr. Fritzberg yelled. Danny must have been flashbacking and daydreaming about Sam longer than he thought he was.

That night...

Danny parked the car in the driveway. And got out of the car. Danny was glad that was his last day of residency. If he got the papers from his attorney about the kids today, everything would be on schedule. And that would make tomorrow moving day. Danny checked the mailbox as he walked past. He found a very official looking envelope inside. It was from his lawyer. He would get to keep the kids.

Tomorrow IS moving day... Danny thought to himself as he walked into his home to be greeted by his boys.

"How where they, Greta?" Danny asked the babysitter.

"They where little angels they couldn't wait for you to get home." Replied the salt-and-peppered hair woman.

"So," She continued, "Is tomorrow moving day?"

"Yes, it is. The papers came today. They're all mine. Greta, if you need me to, before I go in the morning, I could pull some strings to get you another job." Danny felt bad that she lost her only way of income because of the move.

"No, Mr. Fenton, I think it's about time I retire."

"Are you sure? Because,  if I need to..."

"No, Daniel. I'll be fine." She cut him off.

"Well, here..." Danny reached into his back pocket, and fished out his wallet. "I'm sure you'll need this..." He handed her some folded up bills.

"You've helped me through the tough times. And I don't want to leave you high and dry." He smiled at her.

"Daniel, are you sure? I mean, this, it's..."

"Yes. Take it. It's the least I could do."

"Well, if you're sure... And Danny, if you ever come back this way, my door's always open." With that, Greta turned and walked out of the house.

As she shut the door, she eyed the bills again. She still couldn't believe his kindness. In her hands where ten folded up 100 dollar bills.

Inside the house, Danny was giving the boys the news they had been wanting to hear.

"Well, boys, I'm sure you know by now, tomorrow is moving day!"

"Dad, what's the place we're going?" Alex asked his Father.

"Amity Park. I'm sure you two will love it. Now, what do you want for supper?" Danny asked his children, even though he already knew the answer.

"Pizza!" The two little voices sang out.

"Pizza it is, then..."