"Charlie, can I ask you a favour?"

"You can try, Sam. - What is it?"

"Are you and Duffy busy tonight?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Well, you know how much Connie's struggling at the moment?" He paused. She's overwhelmed by everything – I know because I've been there. Part of it's anger – anger at the whole situation and she needs to get that out."

"Yes,I would be inclined to agree, Sam." Charlie nodded. "But what can we do to help? - You're not planning to take her out for dinner or something, are you?" He added. "- because I hate to say it, Sam but I don't think Connie would agree to go on a date with you!"

Sam faked a pained expression. "Oh, come on, Charlie me and Connie are doing better!" He exclaimed. "But no – that wasn't what I was intending. What she needs right now is to be able to yell – I mean really yell!" He explained. "She needs to get it all out and I can help her with that...I know exactly what buttons to press..."

"I've noticed!" Charlie sighed. "You want Duffy and I to have Grace overnight?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Sam responded. "It would destroy Connie if Grace got upset by her yelling.!"

"Ok, Sam – I'll speak to Duffy." Charlie agreed.

"Thank you – I appreciate it."...

"But why Daddy? - Why can't I stay with you and Mummy?" Grace protested later, when Sam put forward his suggestion .

"Listen, sweetie." He explained. "Cancer is very difficult on many levels – not just the physical effects, but it also brings with it different stages of emotions. Sometimes, it can be very overwhelming when you have all those emotions. Your brain doesn't know what to do with them and you just want to yell."

Grace was listening intently. "Is that what Mummy feels like? - She wants to yell?"

He nodded. "Yes. I think so – and I can help her with it, but it won't be very nice for you to hear and your Mum would be devastated if she frightened you."

"It won't frighten me, Daddy." Grace exclaimed confidently.

"It might, darling." Sam told her gently. "And that's the last thing your Mum wants, so whether you are or not – she will still be afraid that it might..."

"...so she might not yell as much as she needs to." Grace finished for him. "Ok, Daddy. I'll stay with Charlie and Duffy tonight if you think it will help Mummy."

Now all Sam had to do was persuade Connie...

"We need to talk." Sam called through the closed door that evening, when she asked who was knocking.

"Is...Grace with you?"

"No."

"Then go away, Sam. I don't want to talk to you." she responded stubbornly.

He sighed. "Connie, you may as well open the door because I've got Gracie's keys, so I'll just open it anyway."

There was a strangled noise that sounded halfway between a growl and a swearword, but the door opened. "If you want something to drink, do it yourself!" Connie announced rudely. "I'm in no mood to wait on arrogant gits."

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, ignoring her insult.

"No!" She spat at him, not bothering to thank him for the offer. She stormed off into the living room. Sam sighed again. She was angry alright.

Connie looked a bit surprised when he walked into the room a few minutes later and pushed a steaming cup of tea into her hands. "I said I didn't want anything."

"I know you did – but I made you one anyway." He replied warmly, sipping his coffee.

"Why?"

"You don't normally turn down a cup of tea, no matter who's made it." Sam commented.

Connie looked away and her tone suddenly became quieter. "No. Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I am nice." He remarked lightly. She remained facing away from him – seemingly staring at a blank wall, so he he sat down on the sofa next to her.

Sam had considered charging in like a bull in a china shop, yelling insults at her, but ultimately, this was how he had decided to play it. Softly-softly to start with. He would tell her that he was there for her to yell at. She needed a scapegoat for the Cancer – for the whole situation and he was a willing volunteer. If it didn't work – which he suspected it wouldn't, then he knew which buttons to press.

"Why are you really here, Sam?" She muttered without looking at him.

"I know what you're going through, Con." He said quietly. "I've been there, remember. I know all the different emotions that go your head and I know how overwhelming they can be. I also know that one of the strongest feelings is anger. Anger at anything and everything you can be angry at. You need to yell and as I said – that's why I'm here." He told her. "I'm here so you can yell at me."

She turned to look at him and shook her head. "Why would I yell at you, Sam?"

"You don't usually have trouble finding a reason." He remarked.

She drained her cup of tea and stood up. "I'm going to bed. You can let yourself out, can't you."

Sam sighed. He would have to push her buttons. "You can't run away from everything, Connie."

"Does it look like I'm running, Sam?" She retorted. "Because this isn't running – this is walking."

"I know you need to talk." Sam insisted, trying to work out which button was the best one to start with. "And deep down you want to talk to me."

"No. I don't." She answered.

"You let me in."

"You didn't give me much choice!" Connie snorted, moving closer to the exit of the room. "You were going to let yourself in anyway."

Sam took a deep breath. Here it goes, he thought – time to light the fireworks. "I meant to ask Grace for her keys – but I forgot." He explained, moving in front of her so that there was barely any space between them.

She jabbed her finger at his chest accusingly. "You lied! - to me!"

He could feel the heat of her growing rage and sharpness of her fingernail through his shirt. She needed to cut her nails – he would almost certainly have marks there later. "You didn't have to let me in." He reminded her quietly.

He knew he was definitely pushing her buttons now and because he was remaining calm as her rage boiled, it only served to make her more angry - and she was getting angry by the minute. Sam wasn't finished though – she hadn't yelled yet and he had a suspicion that that he was going to end up with at least one slap in the face before she was finished, but that was the point. He was ready for it.

"That's beside the point." She hissed. "Anyway – it's cold and pouring with rain."

"Oh?" He commented. "Anyone would think you cared about me."

"No." She glared at him. "You can catch hypothermia for all I care, Sam. You're so bloody arrogant and the most irritating man I ever laid eyes on!"

"Ouch!" He chuckled – aware that his laughter would more than likely further enrage her. "It didn't stop you jumping on me in the store room – did it?"

"I didn't – you picked me up!" She retorted.

He moved closer to her flirtatiously. "Mm-mm, I can pick you up again right now if you want!" He remarked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Argh." He gasped as she gave him a sharp slap across the face and roughly pushed him away. "Wow – ok!"

"Arrogant git!" She growled.

"Hm-mm, not very original, Con!" Sam chuckled again.

"Shut up!"

"Why? - because you know best?" He retorted in amusement. "Maybe you don't know best this time."

"I always know best." She hissed through gritted teeth.

He sniggered. "Your ego's bigger than mine!"

"No one's ego is bigger than yours!" She responded abruptly. "I think you should go."

"Some things are more important than what you think." He remarked.

"Nothing is more important than what I think!" Connie snapped her anger getting the better of her.

Sam snorted. "Right – you actually said that!"

"Don't you dare mention that ever again!" She shot back. "Not to anyone."

Connie made to leave, but Sam wedged himself in the doorway, blocking her.

"Get out of my way."

"Nope." He replied stubbornly.

She tried to push him out the way, but he was too strong and remaining obstructing her path. More than that though – his arms encircled her waist, pulling her against him.

"Get out!" She yelled, slapping him sharply across the face for the second time that evening.

Sam had been expecting it – in fact, he had more or less asked for it, but it still took him by surprise. He gasped at the sudden harsh contact between her hand and his face and staggered back through the doorway, overbalancing.

Connie instinctively reached for him as he fell, her hands going to the back of his head to prevent him banging it. She collapsed on top of him as they landed on the floor – knocking the wind out of him.

"Sorry." She whispered as he tried to recover from his loss of air.

"It's ok." Sam answered, replacing his arms around her middle as her hands moved down to his neck affectionately. "Feel better now?"

Connie sighed. He had got his way - as usual. She had yelled at him. "Mm-hm." She agreed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He answered. "Now, where's my kiss?"

"Your kiss?" She remarked, eyeing him warily.

"mm-hm, that's how we roll, isn't it Mrs Beauchamp? You slap me and then we kiss."

"Hm-mm, I'm not sure I want to kiss you, Mr Strachan." She replied seductively massaging his neck with her hands.

"You do though – don't you!" Sam grinned – his tone now matching Connie's. "In fact, you slapped me twice." He commented. "So I reckon you owe me two kisses!"