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Obsessive though it may sound, Samantha just couldn't get Liam off her mind. She was lying in bed and staring at the ceiling; wide awake at one o' clock in the morning. She kept thinking back to how he had encouraged her to go off the high-dive at the pool, and how he had comforted her when they had found out that peeping toms had been spying on the changing rooms. Apart from that... he was pretty good looking. Samantha tried her best to nod off, but she just didn't feel tired enough. Realizing her efforts were futile, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed out to the balcony. Outside, Nashville was all aglow with the lights of the city that also reflected off of the Mississippi; a pity they didn't do anything to help her feel drowsy.

"What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?" Samantha asked herself, "It's not like I can just fall asleep whenever I feel like it. I wish there was some way to just relax." After ten minutes on the balcony, Samantha finally felt her eyelids becoming heavier, and decided to just go in and lie down on the sofa rather than trudge all the way back to bed. As she lay down and finally drifted into slumber, she did her best to keep a certain name starting with L out of her mind.

*****

"Samantha..." said a voice, "Samantha..." The young skunk girl finally registered a voice speaking to her and slowly came awake.

"Jasper...?" she asked, sounding as though she had a massive hangover, "What time is it?"

"It's five hundred hours, twenty-six minutes;" said her older brother, "Have you been out here all night?"

"I must have been;" said Samantha as she sat up, "I just couldn't sleep last night."

"Cindy's cousin?" asked Jasper.

"You know it;" said Samantha, "I think I may be falling in love with him. What do you think?"

"I have no business in telling you that;" said Jasper, "If you think you are in love, that is entirely for you to decide."

"In that case," said Samantha, "I would say that yes, I am in love with him."

"Then what are you waiting for?" asked Jasper, "Go make a move; invite him to a movie or lunch or something."

"That sounds like a good idea;" said Samantha, "The only thing that worries me is what Cindy will think of the idea. Do you think she will find if weird that one of her best friends is dating her cousin?"

"She might at first;" said Jasper, "But once she sees how well you take care of him and how much you love him, I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Now if you will excuse me, I mustn't be late for training."

"Have a good day, Jasper!" said Samantha as her brother exited the apartment. Realizing she had to hide the fact that she was up all night from her parents, Samantha headed for the bathroom and started the shower. After getting herself all cleaned up, she dried herself off and went back into her room. After getting dressed, she started thinking about ways she could talk to Liam and Cindy about the idea of her taking Liam on a date. After thinking about it for twenty minutes, she heard the sounds of her parents up and about, so she went into the kitchen to greet them. "Good morning, Daddy;" she said as she entered the kitchen, "Good morning, Mom."

"Up already, Samantha?" asked Kathrine, still in her bathrobe and sipping her coffee, "You're not usually up this early."

"I had a strange dream;" Samantha fibbed, "It just woke me up a little earlier, that's all. Something to do with a waffle playing a guitar."

"Sounds interesting;" said Daniel, "Oh, by the way, we seem to be out of apple juice."

"If you want;" said Samantha, "I could go to the store and buy some."

"That's very nice of you, Sweetie;" said Kathrine, "But you don't have to; I can pick it up when I go shopping later."

"Okay." said Samantha, "By the way, I need to call Cindy later today, I need to ask her something important."

"Did you leave something at her place the last time you went there?" asked Daniel.

"Nothing like that, Daddy;" said Samantha, "This is something... something... different."

"Oh...?" asked Kathrine, "Samantha; have you been feeling anything unfamiliar lately?"

"Actually, I have;" said Samantha, "And I want to try to do something about it." Kathrine seemed to read her daughter's mind.

"Daniel;" she said, "Call the school; tell them I may be a few minutes late. I have some important business to attend to."

"Right away." said Daniel. Kathrine took Samantha by her hand and gently led her into her bedroom.

"Sammy..." she said, "Is there something you would like to talk to me about?"

"Well... Yes..." Samantha said, sheepishly, "I really like Cindy's cousin, Liam, and I think I might be in love with him. Is that okay?"

"Well it's natural;" said Kathrine, "Boys and girls can start having crushes at any time; particularly when they find a combination of good looks and good personality."

"It's not Liam's body that has me interested;" said Samantha, "It's who he is. He's brave, compassionate, and smart too."

"That's good to hear;" said Kathrine, "From what I'm hearing, you've probably been thinking about him a lot; am I right?"

"I couldn't sleep last night;" said Samantha, "My mind just kept drifting back to him."

"Let me give you some advice;" said Kathrine as she sat down on the bed, "When I was your age, there was a boy I liked in school. I approached him and told him that I was in love with him. Well... needless to say, he found that a bit strange and avoided me from that point on. So it's definitely not a good idea to go that far at such a young age, but there are more subtle ways you can show your affection."

"Such as?" asked Samantha.

"You could offer to do his favorite activity with him;" said Kathrine, "Or perhaps buy him his favorite ice cream; that's a surefire way to give a good hint."

"I was thinking maybe I could take him to the pool and a movie." said Samantha.

"Sure;" said Kathrine, "That's a good place to start. Why don't you call him and make the offer?"

"I was a thinking of doing just that;" said Samantha, smiling, "Thanks for the advice, Mom. There's just one other thing I'm curious about... how and where did you end up meeting Daddy?" Kathrine blushed before saying,

"I first met him at college; He was a business major, and I was a dance major. We started off as really good friends, and after we went on spring break to Atlantic City together... let's just say we knew we loved each other and wanted to get married."

"Sounds great;" said Samantha, "If you'll excuse me, "I'm going to call Cindy."

"Best of luck, Sweetie;" said Kathrine. Once her daughter was out of the room, she blushed and said, "I'm glad she didn't ask how we knew."

*****

Cindy was just drying herself off after her shower when she heard the phone ring. Quickly drying her hand, she answered with a,

"Hello?"

"Hi, Cindy!" the voice on the other end said, "It's Samantha."

"Hi there, Sammy!" said Cindy, "You wanna do something today?

"Well, yes..." said Samantha, "But there's something I'd like to ask you first."

"Go ahead then;" said Cindy as she finished drying and started to put her panties on.

"Well..." said Samantha, "How would you feel about me asking Liam if he'd like to spend a day with me?" Cindy paused a moment. At first, she didn't know what to say, but when she thought back to how Samantha had been acting around her cousin a few days prior, she got a feeling in her gut that her best friend could be in love with him. Taking a second to compose herself, she said,

"Well... I guess its okay with me; as long as it's okay with Liam."

"Thanks, Cindy!" said Samantha, "Is he available?"

"He will be in a minute;" said Cindy as she finished getting dressed. She shook her hair and then walked down the hall to the guest room. "Liam..." she called through the door, "Samantha's on the phone; she wants to talk to you."

"Okay then;" said Liam as he opened the door. He took the phone from Cindy, closed the door, and said, "Hello; Liam speaking."

"Hi there, Liam;" said Samantha, "I was wondering if you were busy today."

"Well Mike's off to do some sightseeing today;" said Liam, "So I was planning on hanging out at Cindy's place; but you have me intrigued; what's on your mind?"

"Well, I was wondering if you might wanna hang out with me today?" said Samantha, "We could go to the community pool, and even a movie if you want."

"That actually sounds like a great idea!" said Liam, "When do you want me to pick you up?"

"Maybe sometime around eleven-thirty;" said Samantha, "If you can get Mike to drop you off."

"Eleven-thirty sounds good to me;" said Liam, "And I'll do you one better... I'll drive."

"No way!" said Samantha, "You can drive?"

"Yes I can!" said Liam, "I'll pick you up at your place at eleven thirty on the dot."

"Okay!" said Samantha, "I'll be waiting for you! See you soon! Bye!"

"Bye then;" said Liam as he hung up the phone. "Wow!" he said, "She actually wants to hang out with me? This is awesome!" He opened the door, and ran right into Cindy. "Cindy!" he cried, "Were you eavesdropping on me?"

"Uh... kinda..." Cindy admitted, "Samantha told me that she wanted to ask you out today."

"So am I not allowed to go out with her?" asked Liam, indignantly. Cindy faltered, not quite sure what to say. "Well I'll tell you what;" said Liam, in a much calmer tone, "I'll go out with her today, and I guarantee I'll give her the most wonderful time she could ask for."

"Okay..." said Cindy, "That's nice."

"Now let me see..." said Liam, "You said she lives in the city, right? That gives me four hours before I have to be there. I better get started." He walked past Cindy and into the bathroom so he could shower. Cindy quietly walked to her room, closed the door, and sat down on the bed. She looked at a picture of herself and her friends, Tammy, Sherry, and Samantha, that had been taken of them in their swim team bathing suits. She gently touched the picture, focusing mainly on Samantha. Then she turned back to the door and said,

"Please be good to her, Liam..."

*****

The next few hours seemed to fly by for Samantha, who was doing her best to get herself ready for her outing with Liam. Once the clock hit eleven-twenty, she grabbed her backpack and went to tell her parents that she was off.

"Well, Mom and Dad;" she said, "I'll be going now. I have to meet Liam downstairs in ten minutes."

"Have a wonderful time, Pumpkin;" said Daniel, "And remember, if you need help or anything else, just call me."

"I will, Daddy!" Samantha promised as she exited the apartment.

"Our little girl is growing up." Kathrine said with a sigh.

"Indeed she is;" said Daniel as he gave his wife a knowing look, "Come to think of it, I think there's a good way to let her know how proud we are of her." Kathrine looked shocked.

"But..." she said, "Sammy... I... I just don't know..."

"Samantha is a very mature and responsible young lady;" said Daniel, "There can be no denying that."

"I know..." said Kathrine, "But... do you really think that she's ready...?"

"Yes;" said Daniel, "I do." Kathrine thought for a moment, then said,

"Well... could I think about it for a day or two?"

"Of course;" said Daniel, "But remember, she's not going to be our little girl forever; they all have to grow up sometime." In the meantime, Samantha waited nervously just outside her building; this was her chance to tell Liam how she felt about him, and she wanted it to be perfect. In her backpack were her bathing suit, and two towels; just in case. It was still summer warm outside, but even so, there was a curious chill in the air; Samantha didn't know if it was really there or if it was just her. It didn't take too long before she saw the Impact Weapon coming down the street. When the car pulled up to the curb, Liam looked out from the driver's seat and said,

"Hi, Samantha! Are you ready to go?"

"I sure am!" said Samantha. She threw her backpack in the Impact Weapon's backseat, and climbed into the shotgun seat. "Wow..." she said, "I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about this, Liam."

"That's understandable;" said Liam, "It's not every day you get driven around by an eleven-year-old."

"Yeah..." said Samantha, though that wasn't the only thing she was nervous about. Liam pulled away from the curb and smoothly entered the flow of traffic. Samantha was frankly astounded by his driving skills; he may have been only eleven years old, but he certainly drove better than a lot of grown-ups she knew. In no time at all, they were at the community pool and had parked. "Okay then;" said Samantha, "All I need to do now is get us admitted." She and Liam grabbed their backpacks and locked the Impact Weapon before heading to the office.

"Welcome back, Samantha;" said the gecko at the desk, "Back without your usual crew, I see."

"Yep;" said Samantha, "For today it's just me and my guest, Liam."

"Everything going okay between you and the others?" asked the gecko.

"Of course;" said Samantha, "It's just one of... those things."

"Of course it is;" said the gecko, "Right, that will be ten dollars for Mr. Liam's entrance. Just remember, Samantha, your membership expires next month."

"Thanks for the reminder." said Samantha as she paid Liam's entrance fee.

"Thanks for paying my admission fee, Samantha;" said Liam, "That's really generous of you."

"Think nothing of it;" said Samantha, "I'd do it for any of my friends."

"Well thanks anyway;" said Liam as he headed for the entrance to the boys' side of the bathhouse, "I'll see you on the other side!"

"I'll see you too!" Samantha retorted as she entered the girls' side. Once she had found a booth, she stripped her clothes off and stashed them in her backpack. Just for fun, she admired her naked self in the mirror for a minute; her body was fit and well taken care of. Samantha blushed and started to put on her swimsuit; sliding it up on herself and adjusting it so it wouldn't be uncomfortable. She then looked in the mirror once more. Her pink one-piece fit her perfectly; it hugged her body well, but not so much that it showed off her goods. She just wished her parents would let her get a bikini so she could on even par with her friends. "Gosh..." she thought as she giggled to herself, "I wonder what Liam would think of me in a bikini..." Samantha went to the locker to stow her backpack, then stepped outside the bathhouse to wait for Liam.

In the boys' side of the bathhouse, Liam took off his shirt and sandals before placing them in his bag for safekeeping. Even though he tried not to show it, he was a bundle of nerves. Sure he had seen Samantha in her swimsuit before, but this time, it would only be the two of them; no one to save him if things got awkward. He thought that she was an amazing person, but wasn't sure just how to tell her exactly how he felt without sounding stupid. He also couldn't help but wonder how Samantha would feel once he told her how he really felt about her. To make matters worse... would the others approve? Trying to put it out of his head, Liam admired how he looked in his 'police issue' swim trunks. Just for fun, he did a few muscle poses. After stowing his stuff in a locker, he went outside and found Samantha waiting for him.

"Hi, Sammy;" he said, "Wow... you're just as beautiful as I remember."

"Thanks..." said Samantha. Seeing him in just his swim trunks and also seeing his very toned and fit body made her blush and her knees tremble; then hearing his comment, made her blush harder. "You're very sweet, Liam;" she added, "And you're looking very good, I-I MEAN handsome!" she tried to correct herself from her blunder. Then she looked around; by here count, there were only eight or nine other people in the pool. She looked back at Liam and said, "You know... there's not a lot of people here."

"That's probably because of... what happened;" said Liam, choosing his words carefully, "We should probably ask the lifeguard if it's okay to be here."

"If you say so." said Samantha. The two walked over to the lifeguard chair, where a beautiful and busty shark was scanning the water. "Excuse me, Miss..." said Samantha, "Is it okay if my friend and I go swimming?"

"Go ahead;" said the lifeguard, "Might as well take advantage of the lack of other swimmers here. Just remember that rules are still rules, okay."

"Yes, Ma'am." said Liam, "C'mon, Sam, we should probably start from the shallow end and work our way deeper from there."

"Okay, Mr. Safe!" Samantha teased. The two walked to the shallow end of the pool where Liam gave the 'ladies first' gesture for Samantha. Samantha playfully curtsied and stepped into the pool. "OH!" she exclaimed, "Wow, its... freezing!" she groans and stepped in all the way.

"Wow... you're right...!" said Liam as he stepped in after her, continuing in until he was right next to Samantha at waist deep, "Water isn't usually this cold in California, but... I could... keep you warm... if that's okay with you that is..."

"How would you do that?" asked Samantha, "I'd love to get warm."

"Well..." said Liam. "If we stuck close to each other... less area of our bodies would be exposed to the cold water." He nervously shuffled before saying, "Maybe... maybe if I... held you...?" Samantha's heart began to beat faster; this could be her chance!

"Ok, Liam" she said. She scooted closer to him, and closer and closer until they were practically hugging each other. "This is... nice..." She smiled, feeling his body against hers. Then she took a chance; she lifted her face, and gently nuzzled Liam's face.

"Oh... Okay." said Liam. He gently started spinning in the water as though slow dancing; gradually taking Samantha and himself deeper into the pool. Samantha started to dance with him, letting the motion of the water take them in a gentle whirlpool. "You know, Sammy..." said Liam, "There's something I've wanted to tell you..."

"Yes, Liam?" Samantha asked. Liam breathed deep as he desperately tried to find the right words.

"I... think you and your friends are all amazing." he said, "A lot of boys my age think of girls as frilly and silly. But in all earnestly, I don't think either of those things. You and all your friends are strong, capable, and wonderful people. Samantha... I think you are the kindest, most beautiful girl I have ever met, and I am so glad that I got to meet you." He braced himself, waiting for the response. But Liam needn't have worried, hearing his words made Samantha's heart skip. She was so happy to hear them she almost jumped for joy.

"That's very sweet of you, Liam;" she said, "It's nice to hear such nice things about my friends." She thought for a moment and took a deep breath and took her turn to build up her nerve. "Actually... There's something I need to tell you too." She gave a nervous laugh before she continued, "T-the moment I met you," she said, "I knew you had something special about you. You're strong, caring, honest, not to mention... good looking. I guess you can say I've been smitten with you at first glance; and when you and Mike helped us when we found out about those bad people..." she was running out of things to say, so she decided to just come out and say it, "W-what I'm trying to say, Liam, is that I... I love you!" Liam's eyes lit up and a smile broke out across his muzzle.

"Wow..." he said, "I... I guess that works out, because I love you too!" He placed his hands on her shoulder and brought her close before whispering in her ear, "I'll always be there for you, Samantha 'The Gentle' Johnston." Hearing those words made Samantha jelly in his arms.

"Ohh Liam...." she sighed as she put her arms around him in return, "I'll always be with you too. In your mind and in your heart."

"Thanks, Sammy;" said Liam. Then he said, "Well... I'm pretty well adjusted to the temperature at this point; we better back off before we get accused of PDA."

"What's PDA?" asked Samantha as she let herself drift our of Liam's arms.

"Public display of affection;" said Liam, "And it's our good luck no one said anything about what we were doing."

"You're right;" said Samantha, "I guess I was just enjoying myself too much to say anything."

"Its okay;" said Liam as he started off in a few gentle strokes. Samantha fell in line with him, and the skunk and Dalmatian swam side by side.

"I'm just sorry you haven't had a chance to meet my family;" said Samantha, "My dad's a steel baron, and Mom's a dance teacher. Plus, my big brother, Jasper, is training to join the Green Berets of the U.S. Army. I think you'd get along really well with him."

"I'd sure like to think so." said Liam, "So... what are your favorite things to do in your spare time?"

"Swimming comes first and foremost;" said Samantha, "But I'm not really sure where that's going to take me in life. I also collect MLP figurines..." She stopped herself too late; she had revealed one of her secrets.

"You're a pegasister?" asked Liam, "No way! Mike and I are bronies!"

"Really?" asked Samantha, "That's awesome! I mainly like the show for the interesting stories; and the fun musical numbers."

"I know!" said Liam, "I love My Little Pony! It's such a great show and to find out that you're a fan too makes you twenty percent cooler!" Both of them laughed at the joke. "My favorite of the mane six is Rainbow Dash;" said Liam, "Who's your favorite?"

"Rainbow Dash is my favorite too!" said Samantha, "She is so awesome and daring! I love how adventurous she is too; she gives me inspiration to go out and be adventurous like her." She shrugged and said, "Im really shy at times and I'm trying to work past that."

"Well I'll always be happy to help you out with that." said Liam. The two of them splashed and played for an hour and a half until the lifeguards sounded an hour break.

"So what do we do now?" asked Liam as he helped Samantha out of the pool.

"It's pretty close to lunchtime;" said Samantha, "I think it would be a good idea to go get something to eat; then we can go to a movie."

"Sounds like a plan to me;" said Liam, "I'll see you in the parking lot." Samantha gave a small salute and headed into the girls' side of the bathhouse. She began by heading into the shower to rinse the chlorine out of her fur. As the water cascaded over her body, she couldn't help thinking,

"I must be the luckiest girl in the world right now. I'll have to thank Cindy for letting me hang out with Liam by myself. I hope she doesn't mind." Feeling clean, Samantha shut off the shower and stepped out, her soaking fur glimmering, and water droplets lingering on her bathing suit. She stepped back into a changing stall and peeled her swimsuit off her body before shaking it out and folding it up to stow in her backpack. Then she dried herself off with her towel and put her clothes back on. Sure enough, she ran into Liam right outside the bathhouse.

"Having fun so far, Liam?" she asked.

"Quite a lot;" said Liam, "And the day is still young. Let's see where it takes us next."

*****

Liam treated Samantha at the local pizza parlor, and then they went to a movie. The movie they chose was Lilly Pad Lake; said to be one of the most emotional films of the year. Samantha asked Liam if he would comfort her if she cried during the movie, but she needn't have worried; by the time the credits were rolling, Liam was the one in tears.

"Wow..." said Samantha as they exited the theater, "That... that was some movie, huh?"

"Yeah..." Liam sniffed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "I totally lost it when... Oh I just can't say it; I might start crying again."

"I cried at that part too;" said Samantha, "Maybe next time we should pick a comedy or something."

"I concur;" said Liam, "So... what do you want to do now?"

"Well," said Samantha, "Swimming at the pool was fun, but the movie actually gave me an idea. I was wondering if you'd like to go swimming at this secret place I know."

"It's been over an hour since we've eaten;" said Liam, "I think it's a great idea!" So Liam and Samantha went back to the Impact Weapon and drove close to where Tammy's neighborhood was. When they arrived, Samantha said,

"There's a path that leads to the river near the end of the cul-de-sac on Egan Street. It's basically the beginning of a hiking trail, and the river's a little off the trail, so you'd have to be willing to explore a bit to find it."

"I'm always up for some exploring;" said Liam, "Just gotta find a parking space."

"Give me a moment..." said Samantha. She pulled out her cell phone and shot Tammy a quick text. In a moment, she got a reply and said, "We can park in front if Tammy's house. She and her mom are cool with it."

"That's really generous of them." said Liam. In just a minute, the Impact Weapon was parked and locked. Liam and Samantha grabbed their backpacks and headed for the trail at the end of Egan Street. As they walked the trail, Samantha noticed a small urge in her bladder; she had drunk more than a bit of soda during the movie. However, the urge wasn't that serious, so she decided to ignore it for the time being; perhaps she could go somewhere in the woods while Liam was busy. After walking the trail for ten minutes, Samantha said,

"Here's the tree. We turn right here and head north by northwest."

"If you say so;" said Liam, "You know more about this place than I do." Samantha gleefully led the way through the brush; being sure to clear the way for Liam. In another five minutes, she stopped.

"Here we are!" she declared. They were standing by a sturdy old bridge carrying a single track standard gauge railroad over a wide and deep river. There was also a tree that hung over the bridge and the river, providing some shade to the area.

"This is perfect!" said Liam, "I've always wanted to come to a place like this."

"Then you've come to the right place!" said Samantha, "My friends and I discovered it just last summer while exploring. This is great! We've got the river all to ourselves!"

"It sure is;" said Liam, "Now if we can only find a place to change, we'll be in business." Samantha blushed; she hadn't counted on that. When she had come here with Tammy, Cindy, and Sherry, there had been no persons of the opposite sex there with them, so they had all felt relatively comfortable changing into their swimwear in a secluded spot. This time however, there was a male present, and Samantha wasn't sure how she was going to cope with that.

"Well..." she said, "One of us could change behind those bushes while the other stands guard."

"That sounds like an idea;" said Liam, "I'll go first, then you can go after me."

"Okay!" said Samantha, relaxing a bit. She allowed Liam to go past her into the bushes, then turned around to face the direction they had come from. Even though she was still a little nervous, for some reason, she had the strangest desire to just sneak a small peek at Liam changing. But she suppressed that desire and kept her eyes facing forward as though standing at attention. It didn't take long for Liam to change, and he came out wearing his swim trunks.

"All finished, Sam;" he said, "It's your turn now." Samantha thanked Liam and took her backpack behind the bushes. She wasn't sure how to begin the process even though she had done it a thousand times. After thinking about it, she took out her swimsuit, which was still damp from being in the pool, and hung it over her pack. Then she took off her sandals and pulled her shorts and panties down; once they were off, she stepped into her swimsuit and pulled it up to waist level. Then she took her shirt off and quickly pulled her swimsuit up the rest of the way.

"Piece of cake!" she declared as she stuffed her clothes in her backpack and zipped it up. Her changing complete, Samantha stepped out and said, "Okay, Liam! I'm ready!"

"Sounds great!" said Liam. He gestured over to the small ledge that overlooked the water and said, "This looks sufficiently deep. Do you wanna jump with me?"

"I'd love to!" said Samantha. She took his hand at the ledge and said, "Ready...?"

"I'm ready..." said Liam, "One..."

"Two..."

"THREE!" They both jumped off the ledge and landed with a huge splash in the river. The water was much colder than the pool had been, and made Samantha's bladder twinge with the sudden impact of cold.

"Wow!" cried Liam, "That was cold!"

"Yeah..." Samantha shivered as she treaded water. She noticed the sudden urge in her bladder, but tried her best not to mention it, for fear of weirding out Liam. Liam floated on his back; his black spots shimmering in the sunlight.

"You know..." he said, "Mike once told me that being in cold water gradually increases the body's resistance to it. Of course it's not a good idea to stay in it for too long because it can rob body heat thirty times faster than standing around in the cold air does. But we shouldn't have to worry about it; this being summer and all."

"That's interesting, Liam" Samantha giggled while trying to hide the fact that she needed to pee. "Speaking of cold..." she blushed and giggled even more, "You must really be cold because your nipples are pointy!" *she pointed to his nipples; and indeed, they were sticking out a bit more. Of course, Samantha knew that her nipples were hard as well; and were making visible indents in her swimsuit.

"Oh yeah..." said Liam, "You know... I have no idea what makes them do that." Samantha smiled, but couldn't help fidgeting, due to her bladder feeling full. At one point, she shook a bit more than before, and that got Liam's attention. "Oh... here," he said, "I can help you with that." He gently took her into his arms and held her close again.

"Oh no!" Samantha thought to herself, "Please, Liam, not now!" Her plan had been to swim further away from Liam and pee when she was a good distance from him. She had only peed in the water once before; and that had been with her friends, who were all girls. Never had she done it in front of a boy; let alone one she really liked. But she was too nervous to just break away because she worried that would upset him; and she certainly wasn't going to tell him she needed to pee because she was afraid that it would gross him out.

"Gosh, this river is a lot colder than the pool;" Liam said to Samantha, "You're shivering." Indeed she was. Samantha was fidgeting and shaking; unable to just tell Liam the truth. Trying to turn her situation around, she said,

"So, Liam... Uh... what do... you like to do?"

"Well there's police work for a start." said Liam, "When I'm off the job or not going to school, I enjoy video games, dirt biking, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm also a pretty good marksman. I've even fired a minigun!" Samantha maintained her poker face, but couldn't keep herself from reaching down and grabbing her crotch in a desperate attempt to keep herself from just going with Liam right next to her. Then, out of nowhere, Liam looked at Samantha with a more serious expression and said, "You know, Samantha, I think I can help you take care of that." Samantha was too scared to speak; she just kept holding it out of sheer desperation. But without thinking, she opened her mouth and said,

"How?"

"Like this..." said Liam and he planted his lips to hers and gave her a kiss. Well, that did it; taken completely by surprise, Samantha knew she couldn't fight it; she just kissed Liam back and peed; her warm urine seeping through her pink one piece and into the river which created a big yellow cloud and a warm pocket around their bodies. The combination of emptying her bladder and the building warmth felt so good to Samantha that she thought,

"Well... In for a penny, in for a pound." With a daring move, she wrapped her legs around Liam's waist and her arms around his torso. Her body against his, and she felt as though their hearts were beating as one. When Liam released the kiss, he asked, "You okay, Sammy?"

"Umm... Yeah..." Samantha stammered as she finished peeing; her face beet-red with embarrassment. The cloud faded into the water, but the warmth remained; reaching both of their bodies. She was so embarrassed and in bliss at the same time that she couldn't talk at the moment. Finally, she managed to say, "So... you're not mad or...disgusted?"

"Not at all;" said Liam, "Are you... mad at me?"

"No..." said Samantha, "Not if you aren't mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?" asked Liam, "I started it, didn't I?"

"Yeah..." said Samantha, "You did..." Not knowing what else to do, she and Liam just relaxed their bodies and allowed themselves to slip below the surface. After nuzzling each other passionately for a few seconds, they broke the embrace and swam back to the surface.

"You know, Sammy..." said Liam, "Did I ever tell you that I think you're very brave?"

"Y-you think im brave?" Samantha asked, "Maybe it's because I'm with you; A strong and brave boy."

"Well..." said Liam, "I am an officer of the law; and that's not a job for the fainthearted." Both of them giggled and dove beneath the surface of the river again.

*****

Samantha and Liam spent the rest of the afternoon just playing in the river. They dove to the bottom, pretended they were jungle castaways, and talked about their personal lives, like school and work. Around five o clock, Liam said that they needed to head back to the Impact Weapon if they were going to make it back before sundown. Once they had changed back into their street clothes, they left the river behind and headed back down the trail to the neighborhood; giggling and talking about their adventure. They were... maybe fifteen paces from the Impact Weapon when Samantha stopped dead in her tracks, with a look of fear on her face.

"What is it...?" Liam asked, his voice full of concern, "What's the matter?"

"I just remembered..." said Samantha, "You have to... go home in a few days, don't you?"

"Yeah;" said Liam, "But you know what, Sammy, there's something that I would like to give you." He opened the Impact Weapon's passenger door and pulled something out of the glovebox. When Samantha looked closer, she saw that he was holding a bullet. "This is the same kind of bullet that I use in my revolver back in Firewall;" said Liam, "I brought it for good fortune, but since I met you... I don't need it anymore." He gently opened Samantha's palm and placed the bullet in it. "That's why I want you to have it;" he continued, "It'll bring you good luck; and at the very least... It might help you remember me..." Samantha held the bullet to her heart. She was now unable to stop herself from tearing up.

"L-Liam..." she started, "Please.... please tell me you'll come back..." She threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. "Please...! I can't be without you!" Liam gently put his arms around Samantha to comfort her.

"Shh... It's okay, Sammy..." he whispered to her and gently licked her cheek, "I'll come back again... I promise..." He held Samantha there until her crying subsided. "C'mon... we've gotta get back before sundown."

"Thank you, Liam." said Samantha through her watery eyes, "So when do you go back? I want to spend every moment I can with you before you go."

"Well, I don't have to leave for another two days;" said Liam as he got behind the wheel, "What would you like to do tomorrow?"

"Well... anything with you would be wonderful." said Samantha as she got in. Liam started the engine and drove the Impact Weapon back to the main road. Once on the road, it was a short drive back to Nashville and Samantha's condo building. "Bye, Liam!" said Samantha as she grabbed her things and headed inside, "It was a great day!" She took the elevator back up to her floor and let herself into her apartment. Not knowing what else to do, she flopped onto her bed and took a moment to reflect on her day. She then reached into her pocket and took out the bullet that Liam had given her. Samantha looked it over; before today, she had never considered a bullet to be anything more than a tool of destruction. Now, she saw it as something more; and she had a good idea of what to do with it.

*****

Liam had plenty of time to go when he parked the Impact Weapon in Cindy's driveway. He grabbed his bag out of the backseat and headed inside. Cindy was waiting for him, with an expression that was impossible to place.

"So..." asked Cindy. "How did it go?"

"Swimmingly;" declared Liam, "Samantha and I had a fantastic time together." He walked past Cindy to get to his room, when she asked,

"Liam... what do you really think of Samantha?"

"Is that a trick question?" asked Liam, "Are you just asking to see if you approve of my feelings for her or not?"

"No..." said Cindy, "I really want to know." Liam shrugged and said,

"I love her, Cindy; I really love her. Her courage is supreme, and her compassion is heart-warming. You're very lucky to have her as one of your best friends." For a moment, Cindy didn't know what to say. Liam walked up the stairs to his room, leaving Cindy standing at the foot of the stairs. It took her two minutes before she walked up the stairs and knocked on the door of the guest room.

"Liam..." she said, "Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure!" said Liam. Cindy entered the room and addressed her cousin.

"I want you to know that I don't think that it's weird that you like one of my friends. After all, it's not like it would hurt either of us, or her."

"Of course not, Cindy;" said Liam, "You are the last person I would try to hurt, and I couldn't bring myself to hurt any of your friends if I tried."

"I guess I just... wasn't expecting it;" Cindy admitted, "That's why it caught me a little off guard. I was also concerned that you might not... treat her right; but after today, I'm ashamed that I even considered that possibility."

"I think that it's a good thing you did;" said Liam, "It shows that you really care for her as a friend, and that's something to really be proud of."

"Thanks, Liam;" said Cindy, "And I think that if you really do love her, you should follow through with that."

"That's what I plan to do;" said Liam, with a smile, "And I'm guessing this means that I have your permission to do so...?" Cindy was about to say yes, but then thought about the implications of that statement. She smiled back at her cousin and said,

"You don't need my permission, Liam. If you make Samantha happy, and she makes you happy, I've got no beef with that."

"Thanks, Cindy;" said Liam as he got up and hugged her, "You really are the best cousin a guy could have." Cindy hugged Liam in return; glad to be back on good terms with her cousin after all the drama that had gone on during the last few days.

"Well," said Cindy, "I guess we better go and see what Dad plans to do about dinner."

"Dinner sounds good." said Liam; and the two Dalmatians headed back downstairs.

*****

The day of Mike and Liam's departure arrived all too soon. Samantha couldn't help but accompany Cindy, Liam, and Mike to the train station. When they were there, Mike went to supervise the Impact Weapon as she was loaded on to the flatbed car. Samantha knew this was her last chance to speak to Liam alone before he left her.

"Hey, Cindy..." she said, "Could I please have some alone time with Liam?"

"Sure thing, Sammy;" said Cindy, with a smile, "Take as much time as you need."

"Thanks." said Samantha. She pulled Liam aside by the side of one of the buildings.

"Sammy..." said Liam, "I just want you to know that the past few days have been some of the best days of my life." Samantha just smiled in return.

"Thanks, Liam..." she said, "Before you go, please take this as something to remember me by." She pulled a handmade stone necklace out of her pocket.

"Wow..." said Liam, "It's beautiful."

"I asked Tammy to make this specially for you;" said Samantha, "My friends and I all wear them, and they represent our love and friendship with each other." She put the necklace around Liam's neck.

"I guess this makes me an honorary Pool Pal, right?" asked Liam.

"No, Liam;" said Samantha, "It makes you an official Pool Pal." She smiled and pulled something else out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"What's this?" asked Liam.

"Oh just something for you to look at whenever you feel lonely." Samantha said with a wink. Liam looked at what she had handed him. It was picture of Samantha in her swimsuit. On the picture, were the words, 'I Love You.' It also had a lipstick kissy mark from her lips.

"Oh," said Liam, "That's really nice of you." He shrugged a moment before saying, "You know, Sammy... I think you look more beautiful in a one-piece than a bikini. You don't have to change for me."

"Oh... You really think so?" Samantha asked. She thought about it for a moment, then said, "You know what... I guess you're right."

"By the way;" said Liam, "I have something for you as well." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Rainbow Dash toy with 'L&S' painted on the underside. "I picked it up at the toy store and painted the inscription myself;" he said, blushing slightly, "I hope you like it..."

"Awww..." Samantha gushed, "It's so beautiful!" She took the toy and slipped it into her own pocket. "You are such a gentleman, Liam;" she said, before handing him a slip of paper with her phone number and email address on it. "Please keep in touch..." she said.

"I promise I will, Sammy..." said Liam, "You can count on that." Samantha wrapped her arms around the Dalmatian boy and gave him a passionate kiss. Liam did the same, and only then noticed that Samantha was wearing the bullet he gave her on another necklace next her Pool Pal one.

"Liam!" they heard Mike call, "C'mon, Partner! It's time to go!" Liam looked back at Samantha with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sammy;" he said, "But I need to go." Both of them walked hand in hand to the platform, reluctant to ever let go. Finally Liam released Samantha's hand and jumped aboard the train just as it started to roll. Samantha couldn't help herself; she ran after the train, trying to keep Liam in her sights as long as possible. Her tears were flowing down her face like little streams. Just before the train cleared the platform, Liam called, "Don't forget! I'll always be in your heart and soul...!"

"You'll be in my heart too!" Samantha cried as she stopped at the end of the platform. Liam gave a somber,

"Awoooooooo..." as the train roared off down the line. Samantha could almost feel her heart cracking; she could certainly feel the river of tears on her face. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but it was only Cindy.

"Wow, Sammy..." said Cindy, "I knew you liked him; I didn't know it was that deep."

"It is..." said Samantha, "I miss him already."

"So do I;" said Cindy, "But at least you can still keep in touch with him. Heck, I think I can get his address if you'd like to send him a letter."

"Thanks, Cindy;" said Samantha, "I'd really appreciate that. But there's one thing I don't understand. I thought you would be weirded out by the thought of me being in love with your cousin."

"I was at first;" Cindy admitted, "But when I saw how happy he made you, I knew that it wouldn't be right of me to try to come between the two of you. I would never forgive myself if I tried to keep you from being happy."

"Thanks, Cindy;" said Samantha as she gave her best friend a hug, "You really are one in a million."

*****

Samantha and Cindy stopped at the soda shoppe before heading home. Cindy got herself a lemon shockwave, and Samantha got a lime delight; but she didn't have much of an appetite for it. Once their drinks were finished, Cindy caught the bus back to her neighborhood, and Samantha walked home. It wasn't until she was in the elevator heading up to her floor that she felt a little better. When she reached her apartment, she was greeted by her mother and father.

"Hi, Sammy;" said Kathrine, "How did it go?"

"Okay, I guess..." said Samantha, "I'm really going to miss him."

"And I'm sure he'll miss you too, Pumpkin." said Daniel as he knelt down and gave her a hug.

"Thanks, Daddy." said Samantha. She started to go to her bedroom, but was interrupted by a sharp,

"Ahem!" from her father. Samantha spun around, only to discover that he wasn't directing it at her.

"Oh right...!" said Kathrine. She walked up to Samantha and said, "Sammy, your father and I have had a serious chat, and... we have come to the agreement that you are ready for a bikini swimsuit."

"Really?" asked Samantha.

"Really." confirmed Kathrine.

"ALRIGHT!" Samantha said. For a second, she felt like jumping for joy, but then she remembered what Liam had said. She composed herself and said, "Well... Can I still keep my one-piece too?"

"Of course;" said Kathrine, "There's no reason at all why you can't."

"Thanks, Mom;" said Samantha, "I can't believe I didn't realize it before, but my pink one-piece really means a lot to me."

"Why is that?" asked Daniel.

"Well..." said Samantha, "It helped me realize that I don't need to show off my stomach to get boys to like me. Liam loves me not for my body, but for who I am."

"That's wonderful, Sammy;" said Daniel, "Because there's nothing more important than true love when it comes to romance."

"Nothing's truer than that." Kathrine agreed.

"Thanks, Mom and Dad;" said Samantha, "So, what are we having for dinner?"

"I'll be making a ham pie for dinner tonight;" said Kathrine, "I just hope your brother doesn't stay at the gym too long."

"Me too." said Samantha as she headed down the hall to her room. Once in her room, she fished the Rainbow Dash toy out of her pocket, took a moment to look at the 'L&S', then put it on her shelf with her other MLP toys. Samantha went over to her dresser and pulled out her pink one-piece bathing suit. For a moment, she just held it in front of her; staring at it. "I owe you an apology..." she finally said, "All this time I've cursed you because I thought you were holding me back; but you weren't. It doesn't matter what I wear when I go swimming. The only thing that should matter is that I'm me. So I want to thank you for being with me for the best week of my life." She then folded her one-piece up and placed it back in the dresser. Just then there was a bell. Samantha pulled out her cellphone and saw that she had received a text from Liam.

"Mike and I are well on our way now..." the text read, "I miss you already. Love Liam. XOXOXO" Samantha just smiled.

"Miss you already too..." she texted, "Love Samantha. XOXOXO" Feeling better, Samantha decided to go and sit on the balcony. When she got there and sat down on the wicker chair, everything outside looked absolutely beautiful. The sun was setting in the western skies, turning the whole city a beautiful shade. Samantha just relaxed, watching the boats motoring up and down the Mississippi. With everything she had been through in the past few days, she knew for sure that Liam loved her, and she couldn't wait until she could get the chance to see him again. Heh... she had no idea just how soon that was to be.

The End...?