"Are you angry?" Sam whispered sleepily as Connie climbed in next to him.

Bless him. Sam Strachan was just too cute when he was half asleep and no matter how much Connie wanted to be angry with him, it was just too much like hard work at the moment. "I haven't decided yet." She answered quietly, lying down.

"I didn't think you'd want to share with me, after..." He trailed off.

"I don't have a lot of choice in the matter, Sam. This is my bed and there is no way I'm sleeping on the sofa!" Came her abrupt reply. "Your mum has temporarily taken up residence in the guest room, Grace is in her room and your not well enough to sleep on the sofa – besides, someone has to keep an eye on you tonight, because you're too stubborn to go to hospital and whether you like it or not, I'm your doctor tonight!"

"Ok." He murmured, unusually conforming to being a good patient for her. Maybe he was just tired after his beating and, he had been sleeping before she'd joined him, so he was probably still half asleep. Of course that didn't stop him from trying to push his luck – he wouldn't be Sam Strachan otherwise! "Suppose it's too much to ask for a kiss goodnight...?" The arrogance of the man!

Connie knew he was expecting her to shun his request with a sharp response and decided to do the opposite – just to annoy him. She leaned over and gave him a harsh kiss on his lips. He grunted slightly as her ribcage made sudden contact with his bruised ribs. She remained leaning over him, smirking."Oh, did that hurt, darling? Good!" she lay back down next to him.

Better start grovelling, Sam thought, that wasn't really the kiss he'd been aiming for. On the other hand, he would have been shocked if he had got the 'loving' kiss he knew from experience she was capable of giving him – when she wasn't 'pretending' she didn't care. He knew he didn't deserve it right now, no matter how much he longed for it. "I'm sorry I upset you, Connie – I was being an idiot, but I didn't do it to hurt you." He started.

She sighed. "I know, Sam you were just playing games and let's face it – I'm just as bad as you sometimes!"

"So...you're not going to yell?" He pressed her and Connie wasn't sure but she thought she detected a hint of disappointment in his voice.

She sighed again. "Sam, it's very tiresome yelling at you when you can't yell back. Besides, I'd rather not do that when our daughter is asleep in the next room." She turned over away from him. "Or your mother for that matter!" Audrey Strachan was seemingly accepting that her son loved Connie Beauchamp and at the moment, she seemed to be on Connie's side over Sam's latest 'Game tactics', but she certainly didn't need another reason to 'swap sides' again. "I'll shout at you when we're alone and you can shout back, ok? Now go to sleep!"

"Ok." He muttered, but a few minutes later, he was unable to stop himself from speaking again. "Con?"

"Shuush."

"I can't...I can't...do this." He stammered.

"You can't do what?" Connie retorted.

"I can't share a bed with you when there's...a wall between us..." he muttered.

She looked back at him – slightly amused by his sudden need for affection from her. "I don't see any wall, Sam – do you?"

"But you won't talk to me." He whispered, nervously.

"Sam – it's the middle of the night!" She retorted lightly. " - and I didn't turn away to snub you. I'm just more comfortable lying on this side at the minute!"

In the darkness, Sam could just make out the small smile she gave him before turning her head away again. He exhaled. She didn't hate him then and was clearly quite happy to lie next to him. Sam shuffled towards her, gingerly due to his bruised ribs.

"Easy, sweetie" She whispered softly when he grunted slightly from discomfort. Reaching her back, he draped one arm over her and she leaned up slightly so he could wrap his other arm around her. Sam relished in her proximity.

Connie sighed again. "Seeing as you obviously don't want to sleep at the moment..." She remarked. "If there's anything you wish to explain before we have our shouting match – perhaps now would be a good time, darling?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah...urm...I wanted to...make you angry." He mumbled.

"Oh – why?"

"I know it's childish but, I just find you even more attractive when you're angry with me, Con."

"So...you...quit your job...and...sold your flat...just to make me angry?" She said slowly. "You're right. That is childish!" She looked back at him again. "So...what were you planning to do after?"

"Huh? After?" Sam looked a bit confused.

"Mm-hm. After you'd made me angry, darling...were you and Grace just going to stay in the hotel for the rest of your lives? I mean you've got no job and no flat..." She pointed out helpfully.

He screwed his face up. "Well...urm...I didn't...really consider...that..."

Connie giggled. "No you didn't, did you!...well, I guess it's a good job you've got me then!" She patted his arm. "You'll both have to stay with me – at least for the time being!"

"I love you, Con." He whispered.

"mmm...I love you too, Sam – despite the games we both play!"

He hugged her tightly. He hadn't been expecting her to say it back. Connie Beauchamp rarely admitted her feelings to anyone – particularly where Sam Strachan was concerned.

"So...are you going to tell me who you pissed off then?" She remarked lightly.

"W...what?...I didn't..." He stammered.

"Bloodied nose, split lip, bruised ribs...you pissed someone off, Sam!"

"Grace went to a youth group in the hotel, so I went for a walk – I felt awful about the phone call – I still do. Stupidly, it never occurred to me that you'd be upset, but..."

"Shush...go on." Connie patted his arm, to distract him from the uncomfortable tandem he gone off on.

"Well, I went for a walk and on the way back I saw these two teenagers hassling a young woman – I don't know exactly what they wanted, but I tried to intervene."

"So...you pissed them off because you tried to help the woman?" She asked, sympathetically.

"Basically." He agreed. "But it kind of worked – I mean she got away."

"But she came back to help you though? - right?"

"No, but..." he began, but Connie cut him off.

"No?! What – she just left you there, bleeding on the ground?! How dare she! After you tried to help her!"

"Shhush, it''s ok, Con – I'm ok." Sam soothed her. In her indignation, her voice was getting louder and louder - and they were in danger of waking Grace and his mother. "Shuush," He whispered. "Let's go to sleep."

"Mmm." Connie agreed, calming down as he nuzzled into her neck. This felt nice, although part of her couldn't believe she was actually letting him into her heart again – allowing him to be her other half so easily, after what he'd just done, but Connie was tired. Tired of arguing with Sam. Tired of pushing him away. Tired of being on her own.

Connie Beauchamp was tired of playing games.