MOONRISE

Sam gritted her teeth as she clutched her stomach and dropped to her knees. "It hurts so bad."

Stroking her back, like a mother comforting a hurting child, the werewolf spoke. "Don't fight it, Sam. You can't win; the werewolf will come out." Miranda looked at Alex, "How long do we have?"

He looked out the window and then at the clock, "Twenty minutes, half an hour, maybe. The moon is already starting to rise."

"Sam, we have very little time to teach you everything you need to know to survive tonight." She continued, "The most important thing: The beast will get out, no human, not even you, can stop it."

"I can hear it in my head! GET IT OUT!" Sam was on the edge of hysterics. "She wants to kill and feed." Sam groaned and grabbed her head. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Get away from me!"

"I'm not leaving you Sam." Carly wrapped her arms around the scare woman. "I love you."

"I wanna fuck your beautiful, dead body." Sam kissed her savagely, "I'm gonna make you scream for mercy."

"SAM," Miranda interrupted her, "I need you to focus. We don't have much time. I know that you wanna protect the humans that work here, but they're safe. Their doors have silver barbs on them. The barbs won't kill a werewolf, but they will stop one. You're also the only one who's going through their first full moon, so everyone is focused on helping you."

"What do I do?" They could see that Sam fighting the effects of the wolf blood and the rising full moon. "I feel like I wanna fight someone, and then fuck 'em. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?"

Carly stroked her blonde hair, "I'm sorry you have to suffer like this; if I could, I would take the pain for you. I'm sorry Samantha."

Another wave of pain racked her small body, "This is your fault! You selfish bitch!" Sam let out a cry of pain mixed with the howl of a wolf. "NO, I'm stronger than that!"

"Sam, stop fighting the call, it will just drive you insane." Miranda almost whispered. "Let the beast out."

"I can't risk hurting….urgh…ohhh…"

"Samantha, we have a pack of werewolves and a cadre of vampires her to keep you and the humans safe." Carly didn't know what else to say. She noticed Alex motion towards the door, "I'll be right back."

"Go ahead and leave me you bitch!" Those words cut deeper than any weapon ever had.

"As you can see, she possesses great inner strength; I see only two ways to help her; you have to seduce her or I need to fight her."

"Why you?"

"You feel the energy coming from her?" They both could feel the power emanating from Sam. "Can you think of anyone else who could fight that?"

"You're right; I'll try, but be ready." As Carly returned to Sam, Alex herded the others out. "Samantha, my dear Samantha." Carly said in a sultry voice, planting a string of kisses up her neck. "I'm here to help; let me make you feel better." She kissed Sam in the hollow under her jaw, just below her ear. Remembering how Sam reacted to foreign languages in their past, Carly switched to her native Latin. "Volo facio diligo vobis." (I want to make love to you.), then kissed her on the lips. Sam reacted like a spooked animal; she backhanded Carly.

Alex let out a growl, (NO! You do not strike our leader. Now you deal with me.) He swung at Sam, knocking her across the room.

Sam answered with a howl of pain and rage, (Let's do this, winner gets the bitch!) She grinned at the thought of a fight.

Alex watched as Sam circled him; most of the new werewolves did this. He intentionally left her an opening to attack. Sam lunged at the alpha male; he easily deflected her attack. Sam struck again; and while she managed to catch Alex in the ribs, he landed a right cross to her jaw followed by an uppercut. The force of his blow knocked her to the floor. Carly winced at the sight of Sam being struck like that, but she knew it needed to be done.

Sam jumped back to her feet, and assumed a boxing posture. As she approached, Sam drew back her right fist, as if to strike. BAM – her left shot out and caught Alex in the nose. Using the momentary distraction, she landed some body shots. Alex seemed to absorb these blows; Sam struck him in the jaw, snapping his head back. She let out a snicker. (Caught you sleeping old man.)

Carly moved to the one corner, she had witnessed werewolf fights in the past and knew they could get brutal. She watched as Sam continued to go to Alex's ribs; while he would, almost playfully, slap her face and head. Carly recognized his tactic; he was tiring her out. As the fight wore on, Carly watched as Sam struggled to throw punches, as Alex seemed to dance around her. Sam swung one final time, missing Alex completely. He caught her with an upper cut to the solar plexus. She folded around his fist like a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Laying her down gently, he let out a victory howl that shook the room. Miranda cautiously entered and headed towards Sam, Dr. Giland was right behind her.

"I'll tend to Sam, you check on Alex." He instructed, as he took Sam's wrist. Her pulse was strong and steady; he nodded to Carly. They heard Alex let out another howl, this one more primal. He grabbed Miranda's arm and dashed out of the room.

"Don't ask." Was all Carly said. They heard grunting and howling noises from down the hall. The doctor thought that someone was being killed.

"Will Miranda be alright?"

"Alex is still a little hyped up; she's gonna help him 'relax'."

Sam opened one eye slightly, "I'm sorry." She groaned before passing out.

"Carly, Miranda asked that I speak with you after the fight." Jack spoke up. "When Sam wakes up, she'll be apologizing for everything she did here. Don't try to argue or reason with her, she has to work through this. The morning after their first full moon is almost as rough."

"Thank you."


The forest passed by in a blur; she was running towards something, something that smelled wonderful. The smells filled her nose and the sounds of the forest echoed in her ears. Sam barely heard the noise as her paws carried her towards her intended targets.

Since when do I have paws? She pushed the question out of her mind as fast as it came in. As she rounded the bend in the trail, she spotted a group huddled around a small campfire. Sam never slowed as she rocketed towards the three people. Howling with delight, she tore Freddie's arm off. Next, she turned on Melanie, ripping her throat out. Slowly, she circled Carly, who looked completely human here.

"Fight it Sam." Carly pleaded.

"Why?" Sam laughed, while lunging for her lover. Carly managed to turn and take one step before Sam fall upon her. With one bite of her powerful jaws, Carly's neck was broken. Sam piled the three bodies up and sat down for her meal.

"Feels good to let me out, huh?" Her head wiped around towards the new voice. Sam saw another version of herself; this one darker. "I'll be coming out more and more, now that you've acquired the taste." Sam looked at the three corpses, suddenly feeling very ill. She could feel their blood dripping off her lips; she turned her head and was sick.

"No, I'll stop you." She managed to say. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"How, you can barely stand up." Dark Sam laughed, "I'm gonna be a naughty little werewolf." She stroked Carly's severed head, "First, I'm gonna have my way with Little Red Riding Hood here."

"Like Hell you are!" Sam punched the double in the face. Dark Sam returned the favor; drawing first blood. Back and forth they traded blows, neither gaining the advantage. Sam swung at the doppelganger, missing her, but striking the tree behind her. Pausing, Sam looked at her fist. A blow like that should have broken every bone in my hand. "We're in my head, which means you're not really here. Which means, I'm still in charge, bitch?" She snatched the head up and put it back on Carly's body. "I'm in control here, NOT YOU."

"You're right, you are in control; but don't ever forget, 'I'm still here and I want out.'"

Sam watched as the other Sam disappeared, then looked over the carnage she had caused. "I'm so sorry Carly. I never meant to hurt you." She wiped the tear from her eye.

"It's okay Samantha, you didn't hurt anyone." Carly replied, as Freddie and Melanie stood beside her. "We're just glad you're okay now."

Freddie took Melanie's hand, "We have to go now Sam. We'll be watching over you."

"I love you sis."

"I love you too." Sam watched them vanish. "Are you really Carly?"

"Sort of. I'm a fragment of her that she doesn't know is here, but she knows you're all right." Carly stroked Sam's cheek, "You did good; now rest, I'll be waiting when you get up." The scene had changed into the bedroom at the castle.

"I'm sorry for ripping you head off." Sam wiped the tear from her eye.

"It's okay, we'll talk when you wake up later."

"Good night Carly." Sam lied down on the huge bed. Carly pulled the soft blankets up.

Kissing her forehead, "Goodnight my blonde headed demon." She stayed with Sam until she was asleep, then dissolved back to Carly.

The real Carly sat on the bed where she had laid Sam. She was looking at the sleeping girl, no, when they had met Sam was a girl. After ten years of raising the dead and fighting vampires and were-beast Sam was a woman. Carly wished she could take Sam's pain and just throw it out; she wished a lot of things were different.

"Carly?" A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"WHAT!" She snapped. "I'm sorry, it's been a rough night."

"You need to see this." He handed her a copy of the local paper; an advertisement had been circled.

- Julia, missed you at the bar. Hope we can still get together and settle old business. Shawn -

"He's persistent. You have to give him that." Carly smiled, a small voice startled her.

"You look like an angel when you smile."

"Sam, you should be resting." Carly leaned down and softly kissed her. "But I'll forgive you."

Sam mistook Carly's words, "Oh thank you. I'm so sorry I ripped you head off and Freddie's arm." Sam started rambling.

"Shhh. It's alright. That was only a dream; you never ripped my head off and Freddie is still resting in Seattle." Carly brushed a stray lock of hair out of Sam's face. "Rest now, in the morning we'll talk." Carly used her mental powers and "pushed" Sam into sleep.

As they left Sam to sleep, the underling continued, "What about the Day-walker?"

"Call the paper, put an ad in saying 'Shawn, let's meet where we did last time.'"

"Where is that?"

"The Council chambers. He spared my life there and now I'll end his there."