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: Josef stormed out, Sam hasn't a clue what his problem with Frederick is; all she does know is that if he keeps pushing her buttons she's going to stake him!

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COMPLICATIONS

Chapter Eight – What Now?

It was later that evening; much later in fact, when things got more complicated. Ellie was fast asleep; Sam was in her pyjamas and thinking about bed as she dug into a jar of crunchy peanut butter (her favourite comfort food) lying sprawled on the sofa, when there was a pounding on her door.

Rolling her eyes heavenward, she went to answer it; knowing exactly who it was. Josef and Mick were the only ones who never used the damn bell; she really couldn't understand why they were incapable of using it just once? Josef pushed past her and into the apartment, before she even had time to say hi. Sam followed him "what? Haven't you got blood banks to rob, the secretary zoo to visit?"

Josef raked his hand through his hair "you drive me crazy, you know that right?"

Sam's eyebrows went up as she deposited her late night snack on the counter "no, but thanks for sharing; can I go to bed now, I'm tired? I'll tell you what – Ellie's still not well, so I won't be in tomorrow; but hey why not come round in the morning and you can yell at me some more then?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders "why are you always such a smart ass?"

Sam merely arched an eyebrow at him "a gift?"

"I'm not immortal Sam, I'm inhuman! You know what that means right? I've done things that would give you nightmares – I'm four hundred and twenty eight years old. I was born in 1580, 1580!! I bet your history studies didn't even go back that far!" He let go of her as if she burnt him and stalked away to the other side of the room.

Sam had no idea why he was so…..something; but she was not going to get as annoyed as him, if she did……well, it could get ugly. "Actually they did; I went as far back as the Viking invasions of the British Isles. It was very interesting." She shrugged "Even you're not that old."

"No, but some of us are. There are a few that even go back to the time Christ lived; and he did Sam, he really did. Makes you wonder why God hates my kind so much."

The last was spoken as a whisper "He doesn't hate you Josef; why would He, you're just you?"

"That's enough right there."

"Wow you're on a real pity party, aren't you?"

Her mild chatty voice seemed to be driving him even further to distraction. "Shut.Up!"

She frowned; her previous vow already forgotten "I will not! Listen,you were the one who barged in here and attacked me – not the other way around!"

He spun round, an unfathomable look on his face "you have no idea how I could attack you."

Sam was not going to let him see he'd rattled her; this was a side to Josef she'd never seen before "are you trying to scare me? Because, seriously, don't bother – it ain't working bub."

She started to back up to Ellie's room; but in a flash he had her by the shoulders once more and shook her "you drive me crazy – all the time!"

"What is your damn problem Josef?!" She scowled at him; her temper overcoming any fear "get out; get out, right now!"

"You – you're the damn problem!" he yelled as he stormed out; Sam sank onto a dining chair 'what the hell was that all about?'

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An hour later, there was another knock on the door; it was a light tap, but she still opened it with some trepidation. It was Mick "are you okay?"

"Come in and tell me what drugs your friend is on, or what weird blood he's been swigging, coz seriously there is something very wrong with him." She let Mick in and scanned the corridor before closing the door – she had a feeling the vampire wasn't alone.

"I'm sorry; he's sorry – I….." Mick didn't really know what to say; an angry and surprisingly upset Josef had arrived at his apartment and told him he should get together with Sam "she's more your sort Mick, you'd make her happy – protect her" he'd scrubbed a hand through his hair "you'd just get it; her, Ellie - you know….stuff."

Mick had stared at him as if he was insane, which had just wound his friend up even more "don't look at me like that! I just want her….you, I mean you, to be happy."

Mick had the feeling there was something going on here that he and Sam had somehow missed; but he'd agreed to go see Sam, especially when Josef point blank refused to go back himself.

However as he'd waited for Sam to open the door he knew he wasn't alone, and as he inhaled he knew it was Josef.

"I don't get you two at all, Mick. You're sane, he's nuts; you're nice, he's…..well, actually he's nice too. But only when he thinks you're not paying attention." She suddenly chuckled "I'm sorry it's not funny, but he seemed almost possessed tonight.

At the time I was a bit scared but then I thought 'this is Josef for heaven's sake; you're as safe with him as you are with Mick." She stopped for a moment "okay, maybe not assafe, but almost."

Mick smiled "most people wouldn't think even as safe."

She shrugged "I'm not most people."

"That's the problem" the vampire muttered.

"What?" dark blue eyes regarded him.

"I said that's his problem." Mick was a lousy liar; it was something Beth had laughed at a lot. But Sam seemed happy enough to pretend to believe him.

"Sure, whatever" she sighed and rubbed a hand over her face "Mick I really need some sleep; can we go over this tangle tomorrow?"

He patted her arm and, impulsively, she hugged him tight and whispered "you're a good friend, you know that? And Beth Turner was a coward."

Mick stiffened "who told you?"

Sam stepped back "easier to say who didn't. A lot of the girls at Konstantin's think she was mad."

He sank into a chair "do you?"

"I do" Sam shrugged and waved away his protest "I get that something spooked her; but hey life is full of surprises, you learn to deal with them or you flounder."

"Or you run."

He sounded so lonely; she went over to him and rest her hand on his shoulder "only cowards run Mick; Josef told me that she made this big deal out of being your 'friend', despite everything and then, the first sign of major trouble, she does a flit." She shook her head "not cool."

"You think she led me on?" sad eyes rose to meet hers.

"I do, yes. She could've walked away when you wanted her to. Personally, and you won't like me for saying this, her reporter's side got the better of her. It was exciting, daring – a real rush; it was only when she realized how real it all was that she decided she couldn't cope. You're feelings never came into the equation."

"You don't sound like you like her very much."

"I don't know her; so reserve judgement."

"Coraline scared her away." Mick sounded belligerent; like it was an excuse he'd made over and over……mostly to himself.

"Nu-uh" Sam shook her head emphatically "sorry; doesn't wash with me. If Beth had loved you, reallyloved you; there was no way anyone could have chased her off. I know if I loved someone I would tell all the Coralines of this world to take a long walk off a short pier."

Mick smiled "I really think you would."

"Damn straight!" They both chuckled.

"Sam, what's Fred's back story? Josef doesn't trust him." He sat back as she plopped down on the sofa in front of him.

"Well Josef should; Fred's not a bad guy, you know." She sighed "his story's pretty sad actually."

"I got the time."

"Well, it was 1957; Fred had been to his grand-daughter's christening. The family had gone back to his daughter's house to celebrate; they'd run out of ice." She shook her head "he said it was such a simple thing; no ice, so you go and buy some. When they came out of the grocery store this….thing, had grabbed his daughter, Clara. She was twenty-two; he couldn't believe what was happening.

I can't remember all he'd said about the vampire that had attacked them beyond the basics. Apparently it had been hunted, but they'd not finished it off; it'd escaped, but was losing a lot of blood due to a wound in it's chest.

It attacked because it wanted to live; Fred could understand that, but also didn't want his daughter to die. He told the vampire that he would take her place, that she had a baby at home; the vampire let him. At the last moment it said it couldn't kill him for being so selfless……"

"So it turned him." Mick finished for her.

"Yeah; then it took him away for a few days to teach him how to live. Fred returned to his family; Clara had been thralled by the vampire into believing her father had been kidnapped – so when he returned home a few days later the family believed his story that he had escaped the man and was okay. It was a little later that Fred realized that everything had changed in a way he couldn't explain to the people he loved; six months after he was turned he left his family and never went back." Tears welled in her eyes and voice caught "I think it still haunts him every day."

"Did they look for him?"

"He said they did; so he found a vagrant that looked a bit like him. Gave the man a lovely few weeks; fed him good food, clothed him in nice suits…………and then killed him and left him to be found in a park. By the time the body was discovered it had decomposed quite well, but Fred had ensured it had his id and wallet on it. He said he loathed himself for a killing that man, but at least the poor sod had had a comfortable few weeks before he died and it had given his family closure."

"So he took you lot on as a replacement family for the one he'd lost."

"I suppose so; he felt bad about what had happened to Manda – but he seemed happy I wasn't scared of him." Her eyes warmed as she remembered the happiness in Fred's gaze when he realized she didn't shrink from him.

"Did he ever want to turn you?"

"No; I mean he never asked or anything, but I remember how mad he'd been at Jamie. He'd said that his life sucked; that the story books didn't tell you how a real vampire lived – the mundane every day repetition; how the thought of your life stretching into infinity could wake you in a cold sweat." She shook her head "no, I don't think it even entered his mind. He's my friend Mick; just like you, just like Josef and I trust him as much as I trust you two."

Mick nodded and rose "I'll let you get to bed and I will go find my errant friend and see if he's calmed down."

"Tell him he's still welcome here; when he's come down from whatever bummed out blood he's been swigging."

They shared a smile and a hug and Mick left. Outside on the street Josef sat on the wet ground and wept.

Up on Sam's fire escape a black haired woman smiled enigmatically "you'd be good for both of them Samantha Lewis – tough call."