Stand Strong
By: Kryptonite
A/N: Okay, sorry for the long wait, I went on vacation and didn't have my files with me. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as I did writing it. You get to meet Sam's family in this section (her mom and sister are stuck up snobs). Just one scene with Sam and Fred.
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New York City-7:00 PM
" Fred!" Sam called, kicking at the door with her boot. " Let me in!"
" Why should I?"
" If you ever want to eat again you'll open the damn door!" Sam called, kicking it a few more times.
" Okay, okay. Jeez, I was only joking." The half-shopping cart she was dragging behind her was over loaded with groceries and other items.
" Don't joke about the door again." Sam's hands also carried bags from a few other stores she had been forced to stop at. " Here are the clothes you wanted." She said; handing him a bag after making sure the door was locked.
" Thanks hon. When are your parents getting here?" A knock on the door sounded as soon as he finished speaking.
" Apparently now. Just a minute!" She yelled towards the door.
" Sarai." Fred said, catching the panicked woman's arms. " Take a deep breath. It's just your parents."
" You're right." She took a deep breath and visibly tried to calm down. Straightening her shirt she went to open the door.
" Hi mom." She said to the older woman standing there. The lady breezed and looked up, down, and around the apartment.
" You live here?" Were the first words from her mouth.
" I'm fine, how are you?" Sam tried to say pleasantly.
" Hi honey." Fred and Sam turned their attention back to the door.
" Let me get those." Fred darted forward and grabbed the two bags at Sam's father's feet.
" Thanks son. Sam."
" Hi daddy." She said, embracing the man and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. He walked into the room and approached his wife.
" We aren't staying long." Sam tried to control her face from breaking into a gleeful grin.
" Why not? I thought you were spending the night." Her mother's incredulous look clearly said, 'In this dump?'
" That's why I'm here." Sam stiffened at the voice of another woman, only a few years older than her.
" Hello Julie." Sam spoke softly, trying to control her temper.
" Well it's not much but what can you say. Some of us can just afford more than others." Mother and daughter shared a look of superiority.
" I like my apartment." Sam muttered. Her father tried to fix the situation but only made it worse.
" Of course you do sweet heart."
" Of course you like this place, you haven't lived any where better since you moved out of mom and dad's house." Julie scoffed, eyes still criticizing every inch of the apartment. Fred could feel his hackles go up but immediately calmed and walked over to his girlfriends' side.
" It could be much worse than it is."
" How?" Julie sounded hard put to imagine anything worse.
" There could be cock roaches." Fred said, a little icier than he had meant. Julie shuddered in disgust and looked down her nose at the apartment.
" We should be going. Don't want to get home too late."
" No, don't want that." Sam muttered.
" Sarai." Fred said warningly. Julie overheard and laughed.
" Is this your infamous boyfriend mom's been forced to hear so much about? Well turn around, I want a good look at the man my sister's committing a sin with." Fred turned pink and Sam put a hand on his arm, silently shaking her head no.
" What does Sarai mean? A stupid little pet name I bet. This one can't be much smarter than the others." Julie did a tiny little laugh, which her mother joined her in.
" Its Hebrew for my princess." A look of mirth passed between mother and eldest daughter. Her father simply stood around more than a little uncomfortable.
" Lei e sua madre sono due scuse patetiche di esseri umani e non ha la destra per essere vivo o infastidisce una ragazza meravigliosa come Sam. Adesso uscire dalla mia casa."
Julie looked confused. " What did he say?" She asked, looking to her sister for help.
" He's not as stupid as you might think. Not translating the first three-quarters of what he said in Italian, basically, 'Get out.' So there's the door." She held the door open and tilted her head at her sister. " It was nice seeing you again daddy." Sam's eyes never left her sisters.
" It was nice meeting you Mr. Owens." Fred shook her dad's hand as he moved to leave the apartment.
" Nice meeting you too son. Hope to see you again. Sono d'accordo con ciò che ha detto di mia moglie e la figlia più vecchia. Non meritano per avere un raggio di felicità in loro vive ma ahimè, fanno. È un bambino buono." He said the last statement under his breath before turning to his daughter.
" Bye daddy." She hugged him tightly and he whispered into her ear.
" I'll see you again. Look in the bags, I was able to smuggle some of your more 'priceless' items from the house. Feel free to do what you want." He winked at her and walked out the door.
Sam's mother followed with her nose in the air.
" Well Sam, I can't say it was a pleasure-" Sam cut her sister off.
" Oh stuff it Jules. Just get out." Sam had the pleasure of seeing her sister get flustered and angry and then slam the door on her heels.
" Good show mate." Every now and then Fred slipped into his old accent.
" What did my father say?"
" You heard that?" Fred winced.
" Only enough to know he was speaking."
" He said, 'I totally agree with what you said about my wife and oldest daughter. They do not deserve to have a ray of happiness in their lives but alas, they do. You are a good kid.'"
" Just like my father to agree with someone saying mom and Jules are pathetic excuses for human beings." Sam smiled and wrapped her arms around Fred's neck.
" Now that we have the house unexpectedly to ourselves, what do you want to do?"
" I'm sure we'll think of something." Sam grinned wickedly at Fred as he leaned down for a kiss.