DISCLAIMER: As chapter one; I'm not writing it all out again! ;O)

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Summary: Ellie catches Josef almost kissing Sam, the words 'oh bloody hell' seem appropriate. But what will Josef say, not only to the little girl, but also her stunned aunt?

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COMPLICATIONS

Chapter Eleven – Revelations

Josef let Sam go, but had to hold her up as she looked like she might fall.

"Well; I'm waiting?" Ellie stood, hands on hips and a look on her face that would curdle milk; her whole stance was accusatory. It wasn't helped by the fact that both Dopey and Mischief was growling and hissing respectively at the vampire.

Sam turned to him and said the first thing that entered her befuddled brain……… "See? I told you it wasn't the dog that growled."

Of all the things that Josef had been expecting – being slapped, punched, possibly even staked – that had not even made the list. He looked at her like she was mad "what?"

"I said I told you it wasn't….." Sam rubbed a hand over her face "oh forget it." She turned to Ellie "it's fine; I'm fine, everything's fine."

"He was going to kiss you!" The tone was clearly scandalized; Ellie was not amused.

"So?!" It was Josef's turn to sound huffy "we're consenting adults, we're allowed. It's even legal."

"Why don't you want Josef to……" Sam flushed bright red "kiss me?"

"Because he's bossy, shouty, bossy, whiney, bossy, sulky; oh and did I say he was bossy?" Ellie's eyes spat daggers at her aunt's boss.

"Well, that's all true – but…….." Sam conceded; wondering when she would wake up from this particular nightmare.

"WHAT?!" Josef sounded horrified "I am not!"

"You are!" both aunt and niece spoke together.

"Whatever!" Josef muttered. He noticed Sam wouldn't look him in the eye.

"So….are we going to New York or what?" Ellie asked. Josef couldn't believe how quickly the kid's moods switched; typical human female, just in miniature.

"I thought you didn't like me?"

"Not sure yet – you're certainly bossy though; that I don't like. But I've never been to New York so I can suffer you for a while to see the Big Apple." Ellie grinned.

Josef shook his head "don't do me any favours."

"Don't worry, I won't." She eyed him suspiciously again "you're not going to try and kiss her again are you?"

"Not with you standing there watching me, no."

"What about when I go back to my room?"

"Probably not."

"That's alright then; I don't want her getting hurt, that's all." The child snagged the two animals and dragged them along with her as she called over her shoulder "you better be getting someone to look after these two while we're gone."

"I have."

"Good; maybe you're not so bad after all." Ellie admitted; somewhat reluctantly Josef thought.

As soon as she'd disappeared a hand connected with his face "you utter git!"

"I take it that name is not an English word of love?" Josef rubbed his cheek and welcomed the fact they were at least returning to familiar ground.

"You were going to bloody kiss me! You were kissing my neck!"

He snagged her wrist as she went to slap him again "ah, ah, aah – enough violence; it was just a kiss, I didn't ravage you."

"Ravage me?! What bloody century are you in! Ravage me!" she scoffed "but you did grab me against my will." Josef chuckled "what, you think this is funny?!"

"Actually, yes – I don't recall you pushing me away; in fact you were doing just the opposite."

"I was not!" But Sam's voice didn't sound as convincing as it had.

"Of course you weren't – and I bet that if I had kissed you, you would have immediately run away." His whole stance spoke of someone who knew different.

"Oh shut up!" Sam stomped into her bedroom.

"Women hate it when I'm right." He smirked following her.

"No, we're merely astounded as it's such a rare occurrence." She refused to look at him as she began to pack.

"You've decided to go then?" He feigned surprise.

Her look was murderous "I haven't much choice now Ellie's made up her mind; thanks for that by the way."

"You could've said no; oh and I wasn't the one yelling at me." He smiled; he did so like getting his own way. That's what all the hugging and kissing was about, getting her to go to New York – nothing else, he was sure of it.

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It was two hours later as they were on their way to New York that Ellie sighed and glared at Josef "now what monster?"

"This isn't very eco-friendly you know; using a private jet for four people." She frowned; she didn't even know why Mick had elected to tag along. No one seemed to mind, but she had a feeling…….not bad exactly, just……wary.

"No, but then I don't suppose you'd be happy being squished into the miniscule package class seat on a standard flight; package not necessarily being the right word – I'm told the freight actually has more room on those flights than the people." Josef smirked at the child as her guilty look confirmed his suspicions.

"Have you ever been on a standard flight?" her curiosity was piqued now and he knew it.

"No; I have…..health problems that means I can't tolerate a lot of sunlight, so I prefer my own jet that runs to my more nocturnal schedule." He picked his words carefully.

"Like Mick and Aunt Sam." Josef raised a brow, Mick turned interested eyes from the book he was reading, and Ellie sighed as she realized they weren't going to leave her be until she told them "she hates the sunlight; it gives her terrible headaches. She has really dark glasses, but it still filters through."

Mick glanced across at the sleeping woman next to Josef "I see; do they know why?"

Ellie shrugged "Fred said it was something to do with the….." she thought for a moment "pupils in her eyes. You know, the little black dotty things in the middle." Both men nodded "apparently they don't get little enough to filter sunlight. She sees in the dark real good, Fred says a bit like a cat, so she loves the night time; but the day time is a pain – literally."

It was Josef's turn to frown "Fred, eh? You like him, don't you kid?"

Ellie nodded "I do, but you don't do you? Why? He's really nice and he loves Sam so much, I think he's sorry for something he did a long time ago – he doesn't say, but sometimes he looks at me and he seems real sad."

"You're right, I don't like him. He's like me you see; he's sort of from my…….people, like Mick there" Josef wondered why he felt the need to explain to a mini mortal about his dislike of Frederick; Mick said nothing only smiled at Ellie.

"Like Sam is English like my dad was, and so I'm from her people?" He gave the kid credit; she was genuinely trying to understand.

"Yeah, very much like that" Mick nodded "only we have a very strict code about…….well, a lot of things actually."

Ellie rolled her eyes "rules, blech! Sam says rules are made to be bent, if they can't actually be broken."

"Some rules are necessary though Ellie" Mick looked serious "they stop people being killed, they…."

"They didn't stop my mummy and daddy being killed. I miss him; my daddy." Suddenly big fat tears welled in her eyes.

"But not your mum?" Josef didn't mean to ask such a crass question, but the words were out before he could stop them.

Ellie shook her head guiltily "she…scared me…..I remember; Sam thinks I forgot, but I haven't. She made a weird face, it was horrible" the little girl shuddered and closed her eyes tight as if willing away a bad memory; Mick stood and went and sat beside her, dropping his arm casually round her shoulders and kissing her hair as she snuggled against him.

"You sure it wasn't your imagination Ell?" He asked "Sam said you were only three when your parents……" he hesitated over the right words "went to Heaven."

Ellie shook her head emphatically "I remember that Mick; you couldn't forget it. Her eyes….." she took a deep breath and then stared into the middle distance as if calling forth a terrible memory "they went white and her skin went even paler, sort of white too– but it was just the way she looked at me………."

Ellie had the look of someone who felt they'd seen a monster – up close and personal "then she'd say "one day I'll eat you all up!" The way she said it I totally believed her. I remember I'd cry and then Sam would rush over; eventually Sam wouldn't leave me alone with mummy and I felt safer then……a bit."

Josef glowered at Ellie and Mick "that is why I don't like Fred!"

"Why, he wasn't my mummy?" Ellie looked bemused.

"No but Fred was….."

"Josef…" Mick's voice held warning; shame Josef wasn't listening. He just wanted someone to see the old man for the bastard he was.

"He was someone who....gave her an illness that left her unable to cope with you. Your dad caught the same illness and it made everything change." He caught the censorious look from Mick, but ignored it; after all he hadn't told the kid the actual truth had he?

Ellie sat quietly for a few moments; both vampires could see she was processing this information. Finally she spoke, albeit very quietly "well, if he did do anything wrong I bet he's tried to make up for it. We all make mistakes Mr Konstantin, I bet even you have."

Mick gave her hand a squeeze "you forgive him then?"

Ellie shrugged "I don't know what Josef's done; so I couldn't, could I?"

Mick grinned "I meant Fred."

Ellie nodded and then sighed "nothing to forgive him for is there? I'm sure Fred didn't mean to hurt my mummy and daddy; he's our friend and Sam adores him, so do I."

Josef made a snorting noise, glowering at the two before him. Ellie looked up at Mick "do you believe in vampires?"

Both men froze "why?" Mick asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"Coz I seen one…….." blue eyes just like her father's and aunt's stared at them.

Josef swallowed "oh this just gets better and better……"