1 Bad influence- Part 4- Kids will be kids.

***As usual: all credit to the great TP and his wonderful creation. I've noticed the story is veering towards To Kill A Mockingbird, so I'm sticking with it. You don't have to have read the book (although I highly recommend it!) but it might help. Anyways, ENJOY! ***

Rex and Elsa slept one at each end of a small bed set up in their father's room, except Elsa had to sleep in a small basket every so often, and Elsa was having trouble sleeping. Rex had got used to Elsa kicking and snorting in her sleep and he usually just dozed off, but now he looked up and saw Elsa was perfectly still. He wasn't used to this, it meant Elsa had something on her mind.

"Elsa?" He whispered.

"Hmm?" She shifted and tried to face away from her brother's gaze.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?"

Rex leaned over to glimpse at his sister's face; she had her face buried into her pillow.

"Elsa?" He asked.

"What?"

"Are you sure-"

"YES!" She shot up and faced her brother.

He looked shocked, then she realised why, she had red streaks down her face and there were tearstains on her pillow.

"Elsa." said Rex leaning over, "you've been-"

"I know! I don't need the boy wonder to tell me!" She snapped.

Rex looked taken aback for a moment and then he said, "What's the matter?"

Elsa cuddled her knees and sniffed deeply "None of your business."

She buried her face in her knees for a long time, not meeting her brother's earnest, but nonetheless drilling, gaze for what seemed like a long time.

She looked up to see he was still looking at her.

"Alright," she sniffed knowing she had lost the waiting game, "I'm. scared."

Rex put his hand on hers "What of?"

Fresh tears were in Elsa's eyes now "I. mother, she said. that I scare people, that we both scare people, that we might get pushed out of the city!"

Rex looked shocked "What? That's not right is it?"

Elsa nodded "She said I had to control my wolf side, I don't know what she means. I'm so scared I'll hurt- no kill someone! Then me and mother will have to leave Ankh Morpork!"

Rex shook his head "Not you won't!" He said, "You're not going to kill someone! I promise, besides, if you leave Ankh Morpork then we'll all have to leave!"

"Huh?"

"Dad and me, it won't just be you and mother."

Elsa shook her head "No, you and Dad are human, you don't turn into a wolf and kill people!"

She turned away and slid into the covers "We'll have to split up."

"No!" Rex said firmly "You don't kill people, none of us do! We won't have to split up!"

Elsa felt better at her brother's words, but she still felt scared. Right at her core, she felt utterly terrified and alone. She liked life in the city; she wanted to grow up to be a Watchwoman like her mother and live here! She had never gone out of the city before, not in all of her short life.

But she would soon get used to it.

Her temper was fragile; everyone knew that, maybe that was what her mother was talking about. What if she got really angry? Maybe-

She shut out the thought, or at least tried to.

Her mother was always good at this, 'keeping a cool head' and she never had trouble with her wolf.

But. a wolf wasn't always vicious was it? Well, not all the time at least. It had to be sometimes.

"Rex?" She said quietly.

"Yes?" Her brother replied.

"Are wolves. killers?"

Rex gave it some thought "They have to be sometimes," he said, "to kill their food or an enemy."

"I only get angry when I need to be don't I?"

Rex was quiet for a while "I. don't know, when Darren called you 'little prissy' you really got angry."

Elsa was silent.

"But you weren't going to kill him, you just hit him," Rex said reassuringly, "He got over it I'm sure!"

Elsa sniffed; she had only broke his nose and got into trouble, but what if.

"I. do have a temper don't I?" She sniffed and smiled, "Mother's always said."

Rex smiled and said "Dad said it takes a stronger man to walk away than to pick up a weapon and fight."

Elsa gave that thought and said icily "It's okay for him! He's tall and muscly! He can walk away and still not look like a complete wimp!"

Rex conceded this to be fairly true.

"But. it's still true, even if they make fun of you, you are still the stronger person for walking away without fighting or causing an argument."

Elsa rolled her eyes, but then she thought 'He's right, as much as I hate to say it, I have to control my temper. otherwise.'

She sighed, "Alright, I'll try to keep my temper," She said in defeat, "but if they are really REALLY asking for it I'll beat 'em-"

"Only if it's really bad?" Rex asked.

"Yes, okay," Elsa said reluctantly, "unless it's REALLY bad I'll try to walk away."

Rex nodded "I'll help if I can."

Elsa snuggled into her blankets "Thank you Rex."

"You're welcome!"



Morning broke.

Watchmen staggered in after a hard night to hang up their uniform and go home. Rex and Elsa woke up to go to school.

As usual, Carrot was fast asleep in bed when they woke up, so they quietly got dressed and washed ready for school.

They came down to the main office to get breakfast at the canteen and met Sam there. He sat in a rather grumpy way, eyes narrowed, hair smoothed down and he wore a neat shirt with a tie, breeches and new boots.

"Hey Sam," said Elsa, "what're you doing here? I thought you had a governess?"

Sam sighed, "I do, well I used to. She left, so now I'm going to school with you."

Rex smiled "That's great! You can sit with us in class!"

Sam shook his head "I can't go to school looking like this! I'll be beaten up before I set foot in the gates! I look stupid!"

Rex and Elsa knew how much Sam hated wearing neat clothes, he was a dirt magnet and that's how he liked to stay.

"You look fine," said Elsa, "stop being pathetic."

Sam glowered "I'm NOT! I hate looking all rich and posh and stuff!"

A shadow briefly eclipsed the doorway and revealed the sleepy form of Captain Carrot "Good morning kids," he said with a yawn, "ready for school?"

"Yes dad!" They replied.

Carrot saw Sam "Good luck on your first day Sam, you're looking very smart I must say!"

Sam looked at the floor "Thank you," he muttered coldly.

As Carrot walked over to get some coffee Vimes walked in and saw his son.

"Good morning lad!" He cried cheerfully "I see your mum made sure that you looked smart on your first day at school, you are looking smart-"

"Dad, I look like a fool and you know it!" Sam snapped.

Vimes smiled "Least you don't have to wear tights lad," he muttered. He picked up his usual cup of coffee from the canteen and nodded to Carrot.

"Anything to report from last night?" Vimes asked.

"No, it's been pretty quiet recently sir," Carrot reported cheerfully.

"Good good," Vimes yawned, "you kids better get to school, don't want to be late eh Sam?"

"No," muttered Sam.

"We're off on duty," Carrot drained his coffee and patted his two children on the head "I hope you two have packed, it's move time tonight."

They nodded; they did not have to take much back and forth, they had changes of clothes at both places and they only had a few toys. Elsa had a small rag doll that she would NEVER admit to owning, but used it as a chew toy most of the time in any case. Rex had his sword of course, which he hardly ever put down.



Carrot waved them off on their way to school and turned to his commander "Sir, have you seen Angua?"

Vimes raised an eyebrow "No, didn't she report in last night?"

Carrot shook his head "Yes, but she hasn't come in this morning just yet. She walked home after duty last night. so..."

Vimes shrugged "She's probably just late, I wouldn't worry about it just yet Carrot."

"Yes sir. you're probably right," Carrot said brightly, "I just get a little more worried these days. what with the children."

"Captain, I know the feeling, I'm sure she's alright."



Sam, Rex and Elsa played "Coppers and Unlicensed Thieves" on the way to school. Or at least tried to.

"Why do I ALWAYS have to play the unlicensed thief?" Complained Elsa, "Why can't you play the thief for once Sam?"

"'Cause I'm the son of the Commander of the Watch," said Sam indignantly, "Rex can't play a thief cause. cause. he can't!"

"Why me? I'm the daughter of the Captain and the Sergeant! Any way, why do our parents make any difference?"

Sam was silent for a moment whilst he struggled with an answer.

"Cause it does!" He said.

"You two, it doesn't matter now does it?" Rex interjected, "We're nearly there now anyway."

Sam and Elsa glared at each other and let the argue go. For the moment anyway.



It wasn't in Sam Vimes' junior nature to be nervous, but now as he walked into the school playground, he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. He wasn't used to being taught with other children his age, but it seemed he would have to get used to it.

"Sam?"

He turned to Rex "Yes?"

"Don't worry, it's not that bad once you get used to it."

"I'm not worrying!" Sam protested.

"Yes you are," said Elsa, "I can smell it!"

"I'm NOT WORRYING!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TO!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TO!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TO!"

"Elsa! Sam!"

They stopped under Rex's gaze; Rex, like his father, had that TALENT to stop an argument by just being there.

"Come on, that isn't the spirit for the first day of school is it? It's okay to be nervous Sam, I was, and Elsa don't be nasty to him."

They muttered something along the lines of "'orry, won't happen again."

"Good, now friends?"

"'S."

"Very good! Shake on it?"

They held out their hands as if they had to touch something that passed through someone's digestive system.

Rex could see he was going to have to help, he took Elsa's and Sam's hands in each of his and connected them.

"Shake on it?"

They shook hands reluctantly.

"Good! Right-"

The bell sounded loudly, to the dread of the staff.

"We ought to get to class, don't want to be late now!" Rex said with a smile and strode to the doors, head and shoulders above the crowd of children around him.

Sam and Elsa trudged behind him, humiliated.

"How the hells does he do that?" Sam asked Elsa.

Elsa shrugged "Mother says he gets it from dad," she said dismissively.

"Where does your dad get it from?"

Elsa seemed to give it some thought "She said she has asked herself that for the past ten or so years and she still doesn't know."

"Oh."



*** Author's note: Sorry for the interruption here folks, but I have to explain something. Elsa, Rex and Sam all are in the same class despite the fact that Sam is older than the twins, why, do you ask? The schools in Ankh Morpork, and quite probably most of the Disc, are run in a similar way to the Victorian English schools. All the pupils of varying ages were shoved together because it saved money for the school. So that's what's happening here. Hope this is okay, if it isn't. not much you can do about it. ***



Miss Susan watched her pupils file into the classroom; she had had a notice in her pigeonhole that a new student was coming in. She had been told to keep an eye on him.

Susan always kept an eye on her students.

As they sat down quietly she began the register:

"Darren?"

"Yerf mith."

"Still got that broken nose Darren?"

"Yerf mith."

There was a repressed snort of laughter.

"Elsa, I think we can do without that thank you."

"Sorry miss."

Susan continued, "Rex?"

"Here miss!" Came the cheerful reply.

"Billy?"

"'Ere."

The list ran down until it got to the Vs.

"Elsa?"

"Here."

"And.is there a new student today?"

"Yes?"

Susan looked toward the boy connected to the voice.

"Ah, you must be Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes-Ramkin?"

There was a series of giggles from around the classroom, much to the utter embarrassment of Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes- Ramkin. It subsided quickly under Susan's heavy gaze.

"Welcome to the class Samuel, I see you already know a few of the students here."

Sam winced; a few of the tougher looking children had fathers who wanted words with his father. Yeah they knew him all right.

"Er. Miss? Is it okay is you call me Sam?"

"Why?"

There was a silence, as Sam appeared to be considering this.

"Because. it's my name."

"Samuel, your name is Samuel so that is what I shall call you. Blame your mother for giving you your name."

He slunk into his seat; he often did.

"Right, I think it was time we begun the class don't you?" Susan turned to pick up a chalk.



Sam paid attention as best he could, but something was nagging him; the teacher. There was something horribly odd about her, by now he would have put Errol the Second (his pet dragon, a birthday present from his mother) in her bag for a joke. However, he felt utterly powerless in the presence of Miss Sto Helit.

Sam was not one to give in to a presence of power easily; he learnt that trait from his father.

He opened his bag carefully under the table and pulled out his catapult. He made sure Miss couldn't see him, placed an ink pellet into the string, pulled back and..

Fired.

Susan moved so quickly it was as if she had not moved at all.

She held the pellet in her hand above her head where Sam had fired it.

She opened her hand; the pellet had not even opened to spill ink down her hand!

Sam looked instantly guilty, the whole class turned to look at him and he wanted to melt into his seat.

"Samuel? Try to work on you aim when you are OUTSIDE," the voice. it shook Sam right into his bones "the class room. Is that quite clear?"

He swallowed "Yes miss, sorry miss."

She tossed the ink pellet onto her desk "Good, you can stay here after class finishes and help me clear the books away, I must say, not a good start to the first day is it?"

Sam looked at the floor.

"Yes miss."

"Miss Sto Helit?"

Susan turned to see Rex holding his hand up.

"Yes Rex?"

"Is it alright if me and Elsa stayed to help him?"

"What?!" Hissed Elsa.

"Certainly, very kind of you and Elsa to offer," Susan nodded.

"Thank you miss," said Rex.

Elsa glared at her brother "I didn't want to help-"

"Now, if that's all over I'd like to get back to the lesson please?"



Break time sounded.

The hordes of children rushed out into the playground, the teachers retreated to the staff room (all except for Mr Stanton, who had been pinned to his chair) and Rex, Sam and Elsa went into the playground.

"I hate her," Sam spat.

"Who?" Asked Rex.

"Miss Sto Helit, she's really strange!"

Elsa shrugged "She's always been like that."

Sam shuddered "Did you hear that voice?"

"That really deep one?" Elsa asked.

Sam nodded with a wince "Dad says he's heard those kind of voices when he's dangling from a rooftop for dear life."

"I'm not surprised," Elsa kicked a stone thoughtfully.

Rex sighed, "You two are being a bit nasty aren't you?"

They looked at him "No," said Elsa calmly, "we're just being true, she IS scary."

"She's nice really," said Rex, "she's nice to me."

"Everyone's nice to you!" Sam pointed out.

"Are they?" Rex blushed, "I hadn't noticed."

Of course he said that with total and complete honesty.

"Of course," muttered Elsa.

Rex shrugged and looked up at the school clock. It sat on a small tower where the bell sat.

"I have to go," he said, "Mr Fulham asked me to referee the school football match."

He strode off to the PE room leaving Sam and Elsa alone.

"Want to do something?" Asked Sam.

"Dunno, what d'you wanna do?" Replied Elsa.

"Coppers and Unlicensed thieves?"

"We always play that!"

"What else do you want to play then?"

There was a long pause.

"I don't know. fetch?" Elsa rocked on her heels.

Sam dug in his pocket and found a rubber ball. "Are you allowed to change at school?"

"As long as no one sees me."

Elsa walked away to change when she walked into a wall.

She stepped back to see it wasn't a wall, but in fact a boy. Almost as tall as Rex, he had hard features and scruffy black hair; the general look of school bully.

"What do you want Dan?" Elsa asked wearily.

"Little Mike wants a word with you," the boy said gruffly, wishing more people would call him Big Dan.

"Tell him to get stuffed."

"He don't getting girls bossin' 'im around."

"Tough," Elsa glared at him, "I don't like getting bossed around by boys. If this Little Mike is so upset about it all then he should come out here and face me himself!"

Sam tapped her on the shoulder "Rex said I should stop you from fighting- "

"I'm not going to fight anyone, I can handle this. Mother just smiles at them and they walk away, I know what I'm doing."

"Little Mike does want to face you himself, he's here."

Big Dan stepped aside to reveal a small boy.

He was weasely and skinny, it had to be said, but he had that stony glare that demanded reverence from muscle headed idiots like Big Dan.

"Hello Elsa, I hear you've been causing trouble and I don't like it- HEY! What's so funny?"

Elsa was clutching her stomach and laughing fit to burst, tears were rolling down her face and she was falling to her knees.

"Good. Gods. I'm SSSOOOO scared!" Elsa laughed, "You're. you're. so. TINY!"

Little Mike glowered "Shut up!"

Sam was rolling in fits of laughter too "Hey Little Mike. what're you gonna do? Kick me in the shins?!"

Little Mike glared at Sam "Who are you Rich Kid? Haven't seen you around!"

Sam stopped laughing abruptly.

"Hey! Don't call me rich kid! The name's Vimes," he drew himself up "Sam Vimes, Junior."

Little Mike raised an eyebrow "Am I supposed to be scared?"

"He could beat you up in a second!" Elsa laughed.

"Getting him to fight for you are you Elsa? To scared to fight me?"

Elsa stared angrily at Little Mike, but she couldn't fight. She bit her lip and stepped back "No, I'm not afraid of you."

"Then go on!"

Elsa's fists shook, a small part of her, deep inside that small primal part of brain wanted so desperately to hit him hard, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want to leave. didn't want everyone to know about her. or her mother. didn't want to kill someone.

"Elsa, you don't have to prove yourself to them," whispered Sam.

She took a deep breath.

Turned away.

And walked.

Little Mike and Big Dan began to laugh.

"Little girl! What are you going to do when you're in the Watch? Throw dolls at thieves and cry?"

Elsa grit her teeth, which were, to her utter horror, beginning to lengthen.

Walk away. walk away.

"Prissy little girl!"

She heard Sam run after her.

"Elsa! Wait for me!"

She shut her ears to the names, but Gods how she wanted to just.

Tear their throats out.

NO!

She shut her eyes, tears were springing up in them and rolling down her face.

"Bet you're mum's just as sissy as you are!"

That made Elsa stop.

"What?" Her voice dripped with primal anger.

"You're mum's not so tough! She's just a little cry baby like you!"

Elsa growled under her breath "Shut up or I'll make you regret that!"

Little Mike smirked "Yeah? How?"

"Elsa." Sam hissed.

"I'll tear out your heart!" She screamed, "I'll stamp on it!"

Little Mike's smirk remained "Oh really? I'd like to see you TRY! Sissy!"

Elsa turned, her face full of anger. Little Mike and Big Dan stepped back in horror, her teeth looked slightly longer than normal, her eyes were a strange colour and she was growling. She ran towards them.

"Call mother a sissy one more time and I'll-"

"Elsa! That's enough!" Sam cried and grabbed her arms behind her back.

"Let go of me!" She screamed struggling against his grasp, "LET GO!"

"What's going on?!"

The Head teacher came steaming out of her office, she saw Elsa's wild expression, Sam holding her back from fighting Big Dave and Little Sam and quickly ran to fetch Miss Sto Helit.



Ten minutes later Elsa was sobbing in the waiting room of the Head office.

Rex put his arm around his sister's shoulder and whispered "It's alright, it's okay."

"I nearly killed him Rex!" She sobbed, "I nearly changed in front of everyone!"

"No one saw you, you're okay."

Sam sat beside her and said "You didn't hurt anyone, Little Mike was just trying to get you mad."

"It nearly worked! I nearly." The rest was lost in a torrent of sobs.

Miss Sto Helit entered and saw the three of them.

She looked at Elsa's face and then at her brother and friend's.

"Rex, Sam? Please will you step outside for a moment?" She said calmly.

They did so, Rex giving his sister a departing hug and Sam patting her on the shoulder.

When they were gone, Miss Sto Helit showed Elsa a chair and gave her a tissue. She kept a small supply in her pocket at all times.

"Elsa, are you alright now?"

"Yes," she sniffed, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Susan said, "Michael and Daniel are being talked to right now, they both said they saw 'your face go funny'."

Elsa's eyes widened in horror.

"But no one believes them, I made sure of that."

Elsa sniffed again, "I. get a little. angry sometimes."

"I can see, what were they saying?"

"Stuff." Elsa shifted uncomfortably.

"Like?"

"Saying. my mother's a sissy."

"Oh," Susan sat down beside her.

"I get really angry when people say stuff about mother," Elsa snivelled, "'cause she's really brave an' kind an' she does her job really well."

Susan nodded "I know she does, she's an excellent Watchwoman and I know that for a fact."

"Hmmm?" Elsa looked up at Susan.

"I know about you two, I meet your mother in a place called Biers and we talked a little while ago about that temper of yours-"

"I tried not to fight him Miss! I tried! But he got me so angry." Elsa started to cry again.

"There there," Susan said, "I know."

"Mother's so good at not being angry! She can be so calm and stuff, she's never lost her temper like that!"

Susan remembered several incidences in Biers, Angua once had to deal with a fellow werewolf when he'd found out about her children. Gods Susan had never seen so much pent up rage! She looked as if she would explode. but Angua had simply grabbed the werewolf by the neck and said "I'm not a monster, I'll be calm about this, but do you know what happened to my brother when he tried to hurt me? I'm sure you do, so leave my children and me alone. Otherwise, I'll reconsider where to place that firework."

Susan had spoken to her grandfather, she had heard about what happened with Wolfgang. Before Vimes got to him he had been pretty messed up.

Angua knew when to lose her temper alright.



"Elsa," Susan said, "I'll let you go home early, your father's on his way round-"

Elsa gasped in terror, of all the people- She hated it when her father heard about these things. He did not get angry, he was always so. disappointed.

"What about mother?"

"She's not available, your father was. I'm sorry Elsa, but-"

"No. I don't mind.I just want to go home."

"Not a problem," Susan fished into her pocket and pulled out a chocolate, "hope you like nougat."

Elsa smiled weakly and took the chocolate "Thank you Miss."





Carrot eclipsed the door way and Elsa looked up at him.

"Hello dad," she said quietly.

He sighed and gave her the most disappointed look she had ever seen. It made her want to cry again, when Carrot was disappointed it made it seem so much worse. "Thank you Miss Sto Helit, I'll take her home. Any work she misses-" Carrot began.

"I'll make sure she catches up tomorrow," Susan nodded at Elsa, "See you tomorrow then Elsa?"

"Thank you miss."



Elsa and Carrot walked back to the Watch house for a talk.

She wished more than anything at the moment that she was.

Human.



To be continued..

***Sorry it was a bit long, I got WWWAAAYYY carried away!***