1 Bad influence- Now, now Children.

** To be honest, I'm not really sure where the hell this is going now, I'm just writing for myself for than anyone else, so there might be a chance it will be a little. bad? You have been warned.***

Sam grinned when he saw them; he had been leaning against a wall and chewing a little cocktail stick. He had the stance of a 'troublesome youth'; a glint in his eye that suggested he was up to something and in the back pocket of his breeches was a slingshot.

He was older than Rex and Elsa, but Rex still towered over him, he had earned his nickname not for reasons of hygiene, but for many others.

Sam would fight everyone if he saw a reason to, he wasn't easily frightened to the climb trees on his family estate, shot the assassins that hid up there with his sling shot, he slid down the banisters of stairs and always had the smug grin of someone who knew how to get himself out of trouble quickly.

He was eight.

Only an hour ago Sam shot an assassin out of a tree, who had tried to get his father by trying to shot him as he went to the dragon pens.

"I got him right on the bum!" He was saying to Rex and Elsa as they walked back to the Watch house, "he screamed and fell out shouting that he was going to get me with the back of his hand!"

"Why the back?" Asked Rex.

Sam shrugged "Dunno, anyway, my dad said to him 'you try and I'll make you eat those words along with your crossbow!' He is so COOL my dad."

"I would have ripped that assassin up," said Elsa.

"You ain't me, I ain't a werewolf," said Sam dismissively.

"So? Still could have torn him to shreds," she retorted.

"That's not nice," said Rex, "assassins go after your dad a lot don't they Sam?"

Sam nodded proudly "It's cause my dad makes rich enemies."

"Ours doesn't."

"That's cause our dad couldn't make enemies if he tried," said Elsa, "that's what mother says."



"Hello you three," said Carrot brightly as they entered the Watch house, "you know the drill?"

"Stay here," said Elsa wearily.

"Good, I want you two in bed be the time I get back, understood?"

"Yes dad," said Rex and Elsa, Rex slightly more enthusiastic than Elsa.

"Good, Sam?"

"Yes Mr Carrot?" Sam said politely.

"Your father wants to see you, in his office," Carrot nodded at his children, "goodnight you two."

"'Night dad."

Carrot departed out of the main door.

Elsa pouted, "I hate going to bed early," she muttered.

"Do as your father says Elsa."

The voice came in a rather ominous fashion; it was the voice of her mother.

Sergeant Angua stood behind Elsa with her arms folded, she looked down on the little girl who looked back up at her.

"Hello mother," she said innocently, she could smell something wrong, "how are you?"

Angua raised an eyebrow "Young lady, I had a talk with your teacher today."

Elsa swallowed "Yes?"

"We had QUITE a discussion, I think you and I ought to have a talk as well."

Elsa couldn't disguise her fear.

"I have got plenty of time before I go on duty, would you like to step this way?" Angua led Elsa to the canteen for a TALK.



Angua dusted her chair carefully and sat down "Elsa, I need to talk to you."

"Uh-huh?"

Angua removed her helmet "This is really important Elsa, I want you to take this in for yours, mine, Rex's and your father's sakes."

Elsa looked down at her feet.

"You know what I'm talking about don't you Elsa?"

She didn't meet her mother's gaze, but Elsa knew VERY well what her mother was talking about.

"Yes," she muttered quietly.

Angua leaned forward "Elsa, listen to me; you cannot tell people about your. our. condition."

"Why?"

Angua stared directly at her "How do you think people would react if they found out you could rip out their throats and use them as a chew toy?"

Elsa thought about it "They'd be scared?"

"That's an understatement, they'd be PETRIFIED, they wouldn't want you ant where near them and they will want you gone."

Elsa nodded "Billy wets himself now any time he comes near me," she said with a grin.

"Elsa, does he know that you are a werewolf?"

"No, he's just scared of me."

Angua sighed with relief "Thank gods."

Elsa put her chin in her hands "But they won't kill us will they? I haven't actually killed anyone, I don't want to kill anyone so why will people be scared?"

Angua stared past her for a moment "I suppose. they don't like people having the ability to take a wolf form, or think like one."

"I don't think like a wolf," Elsa said.

"Well you ought to thank your human genes for that," Angua laughed a little, "I should think you have better control over your wolf side."

"What?" Elsa bunched up her face.

Angua shook her head "Never mind, I'll tell you later, right now it's time you went to bed."

Elsa groaned.

"Now, you're sleeping here tonight. Your basket tidy?"

"Yes," said Elsa unenthusiastically.

"I hope you've stopped chewing on your basket, it's not good for your teeth," Angua added.

Elsa grinned "Your basket's got teeth marks in it."

"I'm different, I've already got good teeth. Now, go! Go on!"

Elsa rolled her eyes "I'm five years old, I'm not a kid."

Elsa watched her retreating back as she walked up the stairs to Carrot's room.



They had a system, ever since the children were born, that they slept in alternate places each week. One week they slept at Angua's and the other at Carrot's. Angua had made sure that Elsa slept at her father's during full moon week, so that Elsa didn't get any ideas about following her mother out on "Moonlight Patrol".

She was far too young, Angua had said, to go out on her own yet. For one thing, Angua wasn't sure about how much Elsa's human blood would affect her strengths and weaknesses as a werewolf. Maybe it wasn't only silver that could kill her, maybe she was just as vulnerable as a human, but Angua didn't want to experiment and come out with a bad result.



Safe in the knowledge that Elsa was safe, Angua went to out on patrol.



Sam wasn't sure about his dad's office, and whenever he was called to see him there it always worried him.

Like Rex he looked up to his dad, but he was often a little apprehensive of him.

He had gained respect and dislike by having a Commander of Watch as his father, comments like "My dad was arrested by your dad so I'm going to teach you a lesson" were often common, but then again so were "my dad told me to tell you he's trying to pay off the thieves guild so can your dad leave him alone for a while please?"

Sam opened the door into his father's office.

Sam Vimes Senior sat at his desk reading a piece of paper; young Sam entered quietly and sat down on a chair in front of the desk.

After a while, Vimes screwed up the paper and threw into the office fireplace.

"Ah hello lad, I ought to talk to you."

"'S dad," Sam muttered.

"For a start, thanks for saving my arse today, I know I won't have to spend your mother's money on any more bear traps."

Sam beamed with pride.

"But, there is something else I'd like to talk to you about."

'Uh oh,' Sam thought, 'what have I done?'

"Your governess, lad, has decided that she wants to leave."

Sam looked up to meet his dad's gaze "Really?"

Vimes rolled his eyes "God's sake lad, wouldn't you want to leave if someone kept setting fire to your dress?"

Sam tried to hold back a snigger, without success.

"And pouring ink into her bag wasn't exactly a vote of confidence for her teaching skills."

"Sorry dad," muttered Sam, "I promise I won't do it again-"

"Oh I guarantee you won't! You're going to school my lad!"

Sam's eyes widened "What?!"

"It's where I went when I was your age, do you the world of good!"

"But DAD-"

"You're to start next week."

"But-"

"Yes?"

Sam's faced twisted into a grimace of disgust "I don't want to go to a posh boy's school! I'll have to act like a poncy arse head like Lord Selachii's son!"

Vimes sighed, "No you won't lad, for one thing you are going to Rex and Elsa's school."

Rex's eyes lit up "Really dad?"

"Yes, I believe there is a teacher there who is very good and you need a little more education."

"Okay," Sam pouted, "I'll go."

"Finally lad, don't use language like that," Vimes got out of his chair, "at least not in the presence of your mother. She thinks I'm teaching you bad habits."

"Fine," said Sam, "so Lord Selachii's son isn't a poncy arse head then?"

"Oh he is," Vimes conceded, "but in front of your mother you call him a "son of a stuck up streak of piss" understand?"

"Yes dad," Sam got out of his chair and followed his father to the door.

"I'll get Sergeant Detritus to escort you home," said Vimes.

"Okay, night dad."

"See you tomorrow."



Carrot smiled as he saw Angua approach, "Good evening," he said "they in bed?"

Angua nodded "Elsa was going up the last time I saw her."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yes," she rubbed her eyes, "I hope she took it in."

"I'm sure she did," Carrot patted Angua on the shoulder, "she's very intelligent for her age."

Angua took his hand "Just like her mother," she laughed.

Carrot laughed to "Yes," he leaned his forehead against hers "defiant and intelligent."

"Hopefully," Angua said quietly, "it will all be alright."

"It has been so far hasn't it? A long time."

"True, but I'm just. a little. worried about her that's all, and Rex. If anyone finds out."

"You'll be alright, maybe everybody will see sense, you have been living in the city for a long time now and you have been in the Watch just as long."

Angua looked up at him "Doesn't make any difference, Carrot, I'm so afraid that if people found out about me and then Elsa they'd-"

"I won't let them."

Angua sighed, she was Carrot's daughter and Carrot was the living embodiment of respect, but would that make a difference?

Carrot kissed her on the forehead "It'll be alright."

Angua smiled, it will be wouldn't it? She had lived here in the city for. gods. ten years now? She had a job, a home, friends, children and.

She looked up into Carrot's eyes.

.. A husband.

To be continued.

**Told you so! **