DISCLAIMER: The setting and characters belong to CBS, a production company or two, and pretty much anyone who isn't me; I do this for fun and not profit and I only really own Sam and Ellie. Well, that and a new addiction to 'Moonlight'. ;O)
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
Summary: Just when she thought her life couldn't get any more complicated Sam's parents arrive, as does Fred – with Mick and Josef there, plus her best friend and niece, Sam's not sure that even a crate full of prozac will get her through this afternoon from hell!
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COMPLICATIONS
Chapter Seven – Kill me Now
"Kill me now, oh please Lord just kill me now!" Sam muttered under her breath, Fred patter her arm consolingly; Josef scowled.
"Don't look too pleased to see us darling" her mother's voice held a tinge of reproach and, judging by the long suffering look that Sam adopted, Mick felt it was something she'd had to put up with before.
"Of course it's nice to see you mum; but Ellie's not well and….." Sam had plastered a smile onto her face, but didn't get any further with her explanation.
"What do you mean 'Ellie's not well'? Have you taken her to the hospital, at least called a doctor?" her mother demanded imperiously "I really don't think I'd survive if something happened to her; after losing…Jamie….I..." Her voice hitched twice for a moment and then trailed off, but Mick could help thinking it was mostly for effect.
A snort of derision from Josef showed he wasn't the only one; Sam shot the other vampire a glare that had him holding up his hands to show innocence.
She took a deep breath "It's a winter cold mum, that's all. She's fine, she……."
"Hasasthma!" her mother snapped "look, I really think that it would be best for Ellie to return to the UK with us……"
Everyone else hovered open mouthed as they all saw Sam's hackles rise; her blue eyes darkening and narrowing with anger "she is my responsibility mum; Jamie left her in my care and, what's more, Ilove her as if she were my daughter!"
To everyone else in the room it appeared that this was a conversation that had been had before, many times. It seemed Sam's parents wanted custody of Ellie, and Sam was not accommodating them.
"I just" her mother shot a look at Sam's father who averted his gaze with a sigh "we just think little Ellie would be better off in England with us; I've already promised you faithfully we wouldn't send her away to boarding school like we did you and your brother."
"No, I think you had it right the first time; youjust think it would be better" Sam glared "dad at least is willing to abide by his deceased son's wishes!"
"I am thinking of Ellie….." Sam's mum was beginning to sound like she might cry.
"One – do not start the waterworks, you know they haven't worked on me since I was fifteen. Two – you are thinking of you, notEllie." She held up a hand to still her mother's protest "I have looked after Ellie pretty much constantly since she was three and had her full time for the last two years.
In that time her parents have died and I've become her immediate family; however she attends the same school she always has, has the same friends and lives pretty much the same life she had before….." she faltered for a moment, but then plunged on "before Jamie and Manda died."
She shot her mother a hurt look "I can't believe you'd want to dismiss Jamie's wishes like this; you know how he wanted me to raise her if anything happened to him and Manda, and that's what I'm doing. But you can't accept that" she stared hard at her mother, her voice sad but accusing "the dead come back mum, believe me, they really do; one day you might have to face your favourite child and tell him why you continue to bully me like this."
Her mother's outraged gasp fell on deaf ears as her husband, trying to break the tension that thrummed in the room, turned to his daughter "are you not going to introduce me to all these fine people?"
"Sure dad" Sam's smile was a little tremulous "this is Frederick Apsey; you've met him before, at the……funeral" Fred shook her father's hand in greeting.
"This is my best friend, Dana." Again her father shook hands.
"This is Mick St. John, he's also a best friend and one of my bosses."
Her father bestowed Mick a big grin "Irish?"
"Of Irish descent." Mick smiled.
Sam's dad nodded "same difference lad, trust me" he turned his gaze to Josef "and this is?"
Sam gave another warm smile to Josef, just as she had with Mick "this is my other boss and best friend, Josef Konstantin…."
Josef nodded at her father and shook his hand, but gave a surprised look to Sam at being included under the 'best friends' banner "heard of your company" her father looked the man before him up and down "bit young to be heading a corporation that large, aren't you?"
Sam closed her eyes; it was clear to Josef that she adored her father and even, long sufferingly, loved her mother – but it was also clear where she got her bluntness from.
"Dad, Mr Konstantin is a very good businessman – I don't think age has anything to do with running a successful business." Her tone brooked no argument; her father gave her a look and turned his attention back to Mick.
"What do you do?"
"I'm a PI" Mick smiled "and Sam is my faithful assistant; as well Josef's long suffering PA." he nodded at her father "she has a lot to put up with."
"Ack, she's a tough cookie – she can deal with anything. One thing I can say about my daughter is that she can adapt to any situation."
The vampires in the room, including Frederick, had to agree with that statement.
"You could come back to England with us dear." Sam's mother batted her eyelashes at her daughter; it was clear she wasn't about to admit defeat n Ellie going to Britain.
Sam sighed but before she could reply, Josef spoke "oh I couldn't allow that Mrs Lewis; Sam is utterly indispensable to me and to Mick. I don't know where either of us would without her; she's certainly made life..challenging."
"Indispensable or not Mr Konstantin, my daughter has the right to work and live where she chooses." Mrs Lewis replied shortly "as far as I know slavery has been abolished."
"MUM!"Sam was horrified "you cannot speak to Josef like that; as I said he's not only my boss but also my friend. How would you like it if I spoke to yourfriends like that?"
Her mother merely sniffed her disapproval. "Coffee anyone?" Dana offered with a weak smile; she was an old hand at watching Sam deal with her parents, having been her friend for about five years – but it still made for an uncomfortable atmosphere. She was only glad she hadn't had to suffer the funeral.
"No thank you dear" Sam's mother smiled thinly "I think perhaps it's time we saw Ellie and then went back to our hotel. I can see when our daughter doesn't want our company; unlike her darling brother."
Sam closed her eyes and Josef and Mick could hear her counting quietly to ten. Mick hoped she'd make it; otherwise he could see things turning ugly.
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Eventually after checking that Ellie was not about to die from some insidious disease that Sam was neglecting, and having heard it from the child herself that she did notwant to live in the UK, Sam's parents did finally leave; promising to come back before they returned home in two days time.
After they'd gone and Dana went to see if Ellie needed anything; Sam sagged against the dining table and smiled at the vampires "thank you so much for behaving; I genuinely appreciate it."
"It was no trouble my dear" Frederick came over and hugged her tightly; seeing the strain on her face "I assume you weren't expecting them?"
Sam hugged him back; he was warm and solid and somehow more comforting than her own parents. She adored Fred; he was kind and looked out for her. At the table Josef growled, his eyes glowing with displeasure……
Breaking the embrace Sam looked around - she knew it wasn't the dog, he was with Ellie. Anyway, it was different to an animal sound; more a rumble of distant thunder, of impending disaster.
She saw Mick staring in disbelief at Josef; the other vampire not bothering to hide his dislike of the situation. Shaking her head at him she stepped back from Frederick, who chose to ignore the other man.
"No Fred, I wasn't; but they have a knack of always catching me on the back foot. Mum is so keen for Ellie to live in the UK with them; but I can't allow it.
Aside from everything else, she'd never cope; she didn't with me and Jamie – we were packed off to boarding school by the time we were Ellie's age. I only thank God it was mixed, and I could still look out for him; even so Jamie hated it more than I did."
"Why does she want her then?" Josef's gaze rested on her briefly before flicking back to Fred.
"I think it's because Jamie was her favourite, and Ellie's all she's got left of him." She waved a hand at them "oh it doesn't bother me, I adored him too – but I won't go back on my word to him to make her happy. Plus they think I'm a total nut and therefore somewhat unfit to care for her; which is irritating to say the least."
"Why would they think that?" Mick asked " I mean it's not like you've tried to kill anyone" then he thought about her temper "have you?"
She smiled at him and touched his arm "No, I haven't – well not in anything other than thought. But it's not important."
"It is" Fred broke in "they should know how you consider other people, before yourself and no matter what trouble it causes you; but we'll wait for your friend to leave."
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Ten minutes later, after a cup of coffee and a brief chat, Dana had also said goodbye and left; Ellie was asleep and so the three vampires and Sam settled down in the sitting room area.
Sam sat on the sofa; Josef moved with the apparent speed of light and sat next to her, glaring defiantly at the older vampire to say anything. However, Mick and Fred ignored the look and sat in the two armchairs.
"So what did you do to make your parents think you're a nut?" Mick asked.
"She had the funerals of her brother and sister-in-law in the early evening so all their friends could attend" Fred answered for her; ignoring the scowl he got from Josef "she knew there was no way the vampires could be out in sunlight, so she organised it so they could attend in the evening."
Sam shrugged as Mick and Josef looked at her with mixed emotions "it was no biggie; I'm sure there are plenty of people who have to have funerals at different times of the day, it's just my reason was a little more...unusual – anyway, it was winter so I only had to wait until four o'clock.
I told the vicar that I had a lot of people flying in and I had to make allowances for delays; he was very nice about it." She smiled at the three vampires.
Fred smiled "everyone appreciated it Sam, there were quite a few who thought they wouldn't be able to say goodbye. Your brother was very popular."
Sam nodded and smiled sadly "my parents didn't though, they were horrified; and I notice you don't mention Manda."
Fred sighed "she was one of my biggest regrets; but once done, I couldn't take it back."
Josef growled again. "Is that you?" Sam asked in a surprised whisper; he just frowned at her. She looked at Mick who shrugged.
Fred stood "I think I'm a little in the way Sam, I'll get off now – I have some errands to run. How about I call round tomorrow" he gave a small frown to Josef "perhaps you'll be on your own then?"
Sam got to her feet "sure Fred, but don't let this grouch make you leave." she nodded at Josef "after all I pay the rent, not him."
"Its fine my dear; I'll see you tomorrow." They hugged, earning another glower from Josef, and Fred left.
After he'd gone, she stalked back into the room "you growledat him? I mean, you really growled at him!"
Josef glared "I don't like him; let's not forget he screwed up your life. Your brother would probably still be alive if it wasn't for him" he waved a hand at the door "yet you treat him like a favourite uncle!"
"He'ssaid he was sorry, he tried his best to sort it – why do you even care anyway?!" Sam frowned.
Josef's eyebrows lifted "who says I do; I just think you should be a little more selective about who you have as friends!" He realized as son as he'd spoke that he knew how she could twist his words. She didn't disappoint.
"Like you, you mean? I am sosorry I called you my best friend like I did Mick. But I do think of you like that Josef, the same as I do Mick" She smiled at the other vampire, who nodded and smiled back "and the same as I do Fred. I do not hold what you are against you – why should I? You've all been brilliant to me, well apart from you trying to work me to death, and I don't see why you being a vampire should make me scared of you!"
Before Mick could stop him, Josef was up and out of the room; Sam sighed and glared at the way he'd gone "I used to think that he was a colossal pain in the neck. Now I have a much lower opinion of him."
Mick chuckled "he means well; he worries about you, thinks you're too innocent."
Sam gave a derisive snort "what did he say about what the road to hell was paved with? As for me being innocent, has he learned nothing in the past months I've worked for him?"
Mick nodded and made his way to the door "I think he's learnt too much."
"What?"
"I said I better make sure he's okay." The vampire smiled.
Sam went over and hugged him "if all men were like you Mick, the world would be full of happy women."
Mick laughed as he left, but Sam saw the sad look in his eye. 'Okay' she thought 'all women except a stupid one called Beth Turner.'