Warning: Contains some racist slurs which readers may find offensive.

Also Credit to Meian16 for his help in putting this chapter together.

Chapter Four

Meanwhile back in Chicago, Samuel and Alexandra made their way to the restaurant they had decided on. It was a steak house just a stone's throw away from the hotel.

Alexandra was wearing her blue cocktail dress and a purple shawl with matching pumps and Samuel was wearing smart jeans and a white shirt and white sneakers and his long hair was in a thick braid that Alexandra had done earlier.

"You look really handsome tonight." Alexandra said as she looked her boyfriend up and down as they left the hotel.

"And you look gorgeous sweetheart!" Samuel said looking at Alexandra "Still can't get over how someone like me could land a pretty thing like you!"

Alexandra chuckled.

"You put yourself down too much!" she said giving him a playful nudge, but Samuel just laughed.

"I still remember our very first date." Samuel said, "Although it was more of a favour really."

"How could I forget?" asked Alexandra "I was more surprised that you were still able to act normally after the injuries you sustained."

"Well, I don't feel pain so badly, well, being a Fighter you get used to it."

Flashback

Samuel walked out of the hospital with his arm in a sling along with some band-aids on his forehead where he had been given stitches, he was glad to finally be discharged after spending two nights in the hospital.

He had had a dislocated shoulder which they had popped back in, and he had heavy bruising on his chest and one fractured rib and a few deep cuts.

As he exited, he looked up at the night sky, yet he couldn't see any stars given the light pollution in the city, but he could make out the tops of the snowy mountains in the distance.


"Sam?"

A voice brought him back to earth and the young man looked to the left to see Alexandra leaving the Emergency Room.

She was wrapped in a grey fur coat which a matching hat and was wearing dark blue jeans and white shoes; he almost didn't recognise her at first when he saw her as she wasn't in her scrubs.

"Hey Nurse Brown!" he grinned.

Alexandra laughed pleasantly.

"Please, call me Alex." She said, "Everyone does."

"Will do!" Samuel said "Sorry, just being polite."

Alexandra nodded at him gratefully then wrapped her coat tighter around herself.

"Brrr!" she said "So cold! Well, this is Alaska!" she chuckled.

"You got far to go?" Samuel asked.

"No luckily!" Alexandra replied, "Home's about a half an hour walk from here." She turned to Sam "I see they discharged you?"

"Yep!" Sam grinned "Had no reason to keep me in, but they said I needed to rest my arm for a bit before doing anything strenuous and given I got one fractured limb, it's an order."

"You should listen to them!" Alexandra said.

"Oh, I will!" Samuel assured her even though he rolled his eyes, then he cleared his throat.

"Um, you doing anything else now you've clocked off?" he asked a light blush coming to his cheeks.

Alexandra blinked.

"No, not at all." She replied, "I'm not needed at work until the day after tomorrow, why?" she asked cocking her head on one side.

"Well, um." Samuel said bashfully as he scratched the back of his neck "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out, you know? Get to know each other better?"

Alexandra stared at Samuel in wonderment feeling rather floored that a man she had only met two days ago and helped tend to during his stay was asking her out.

"You want to hang out with me?" she asked.

Samuel nodded.

"Yeah!" he said "If that's okay? I mean." He coughed "I saw you on a daily basis while I was here, but that was you know, you working, I thought it would be nice to see each other outside the hospital?"

Alexandra smiled.

"Of course!" she said brightly "Yes, I'd love to hang!"

"Really?" Samuel replied surprised that this young nurse who he had saved from a mugger then was treated by in the Emergency Room was quick to say yes to him.

"Cool!" he added.

"In fact." Alexandra said as she looked up thinking "I owe you one for saving me from being mugged the other night, so this is the perfect chance!"

She looked towards the road away from the hospital.

"There's a pub not far from my home that I go to with my mum and stepfather, we could go there now, if you're free?"

"Sure!" Samuel said "Thanks!"

Alexandra smiled "Follow me!" she said.


Samuel nodded and held out his arm for Alexandra and she took it, then they walked away from the hospital and towards the Pub Alexandra had mentioned.

"So, you live in Anchorage?" Samuel asked as they walked.

Alexandra nodded.

"I do yes, since I was six."

"I see." Samuel said, "It's just, I couldn't help but notice you have a British accent."

Alexandra chuckled.

"Oh yes," she said, "I was born in England, but my mum and I moved here when I was six, mum got a job as a counsellor at the University here."

"Ah now I get it!" Samuel said, "Didn't let go of your accent though."

"Nope!" Alexandra laughed.

"You can take a girl out of England, but you can't take England out of the girl!"

Samuel chuckled.

"Same for me being from Texas!" he said, "I live in Corsicana."

Alexandra thought for a moment.

"Can't say I've heard of it." She spoke.

"it's about an hour and a half away from Dallas." Samuel explained "A small town that's pretty chilled and quiet for the most part."

"Sounds lovely!" Alexandra said, then she looked up "Ah there it is!"

"What?" Samuel asked then saw Alexandra looking ahead and he saw a hanging sign with a rearing brown horse on it.

"The Rearing Horse Pub!" Alexandra said, "Mine and my folks' favourite pub to go to!"


She led Samuel inside and they were greeted by the sound of music from a Jukebox in the corner and people were sitting at tables or on some sofas having drinks or snacks and chatting, and a group of four men were gathered around a pool table.

Samuel looked around.

"Now this looks nice and relaxed!" he said, "Compared to other bars I've been to, how have I not been here?" he asked.

"Just not looked hard enough I guess!" Alexandra chuckled "How long have you been in the city?"

"About a week and a half." Samuel replied.

"Well, with time you have left." Alexandra said, "I hope you enjoy your time here!" she then saw a free sofa which was a brown worn one with some red cushions and an orange cotton throw.

"Go and grab that seat! I'll get us some drinks!"

"Okay!" Samuel agreed "I'll have whatever you're having!"

"Alright." Alexandra said as she walked to the bar and Samuel went over to the sofa and sat down.


After a couple of minutes, Alexandra returned with a tray with two glasses of white wine and two pints of ale along with some peanuts.

Samuel's eyes widened.

'Two different drinks for us both?" he asked.

Alexandra nodded.

"Chardonnay wine and Hobgoblin Ale." She explained "Two personal favourites." She said, "Hope you're okay with that?"

"For sure!" Samuel smiled and Alexandra sat next to him.

"I owe you this." She said, "I never properly thanked you for your assistance that night."

Samuel chuckled as he picked up the glass of ale.

"You don't have to thank me, Alex." He said, "It was the right thing to do!"

"I'm still so grateful!" Alexandra replied and picked up her own glass of ale before clinking it against Samuel's.

"To us." She spoke.

"To us." Samuel said clinking his glass against Alexandra's "To making new friends."


Alexandra took a sip of her drink then looked at Samuel.

'So tell me more about yourself." She spoke.

"What would you like to know?" Samuel asked.

"Well, everything." Alexandra chuckled "Like your life back in Texas till you saved me that night."

"Well Okay," Samuel said then took a breath."

"As you know I'm from Corsicana, Texas, pretty much grew up there for the majority of my life, that is after my father retired from the army, before that we lived in quite a few places, thing is, I was just a baby at the time and can't remember all of the places we lived."

"Your dad was in the army?" Alexandra asked.

"Yeah." Samuel replied, "He was First Sergeant, pretty high up in the rankings, after he retired, and my older brother graduated high school where we were stationed at the time, he and mum decided to move back home to Texas where they were originally from."

'And what does your dad do now?" Alexandra enquired.

"He got a job as a corrections officer where we live." Samuel answered then chuckled "His experience from his days in the army come in handy at times there."

Alexandra laughed.

"And what does your mum and brother do?" she asked.

"My mum's a Home Healthcare agent, and my brother Bobby works in a fast-food place, he's eleven years older than me, he's thirty-two and I'm twenty-one, and can be a bit of a troublemaker, but he means well." Samuel added.

Alexandra frowned.

"How is he a troublemaker?" she asked.


Samuel darted his eyes about then leaned closer to Alexandra.

"Between you and me." He said in a low voice "He's been a part of a gang since his junior year of High school."

Alexandra blinked in surprise, and she thought about some of her patients at the hospital and how after seeing their wounds and learning where they sustained them, they were part of gangs, and a lot of them had been arrested or were facing court when they were discharged.

"Just something about the life that drew him in," Samuel continued "I don't have any room to judge, especially since what I do isn't the safest thing in the world either."

Alexandra didn't say anything, but she nodded.

"But he really is a good guy!" Samuel added quickly "Perhaps one day he'll leave the gang life behind, I hope he does."

"Me too." Alexandra said, "For his sake, I can't see anything good about being in a gang, I've treated patients who were gang members." She then sighed "I was even on shift when one died from a stabbing, and the doctor had to inform his family."

Samuel bit his lip.

"Sorry about that." He said then he decided to move onto another subject.

"I got a little sister too, Christine," he said "But I call her Crissy for short, she's eleven and in High School."

"Sweet!" Alexandra smiled.


"What about you? Your family?" Samuel asked.

Alexandra looked up and sipped her drink as well as ate a couple of peanuts.

"Well, my mum was a counsellor at a High School in London, England but then she got a job transfer here in Alaska and she took it, thus why we moved her when I was six."

"I remember you mentioning that." Samuel said, "And your dad?"

"Well, my real dad, I never knew him." Alexandra sighed "Mum said he left before I was born, I have a stepdad though, he's a police officer, works mostly in Child Protection."

"I see." Samuel mused "Sorry about your real dad, but at least you got a good stepdad."

"He's a good man." Alexandra said, "Even if he can be a bit overprotective."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Samuel asked.

"Nah, I'm an only child." Alexandra said, "I got my mum's full attention and my stepdad's when he married my mum, but it could be lonely sometimes."

"I bet." Samuel quipped.


"So where are you staying whilst in Anchorage?" Alexandra questioned.

"The Driftwood Lodge." Samuel said gesturing with his thumb to the door "And where do you live?"

"About half a mile from here, I'm with my mum and stepdad for a while."

"Are you?" Samuel asked raising an eyebrow "May I ask why?"

Alexandra nodded.

"I think I can trust you enough." She said, "I split from my boyfriend, and I moved back to my parents' house after leaving our apartment."

Samuel frowned.

"Sorry about that." He spoke.

"It's alright." Alexandra shrugged "I'm glad I left though, he was an emotionally abusive jerk, and I just couldn't take any more, so I packed a bag and left for my parents' house, been there for three weeks now, I cancelled the lease on the apartment, and he's got to be out by the end of next week."

"Let's hope that goes well." Samuel said, "Again I'm sorry,"

"It's alright." Alexandra replied "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Samuel shook his head.

"No." he said, "Never been lucky in that department."


Alexandra was confused as she looked at Samuel's appearance.

Despite the band-aids on his forehead and his black eye, she thought he was a rather handsome man and she had been impressed by his muscles.

"I'm surprised." She spoke.

Samuel blinked.

"Really?" he said, "How so?"

Alexandra felt her cheeks get hot.

"Well, I can see a few things!" she explained "You're pretty strong, physically and you are brave, like when you saved me from that mugger. Any girl would be happy!"

"Again, just glad you're okay and I happened to be in the right place at the right time." Samuel shrugged.


Alexandra smiled and had another sip of her drink.

"So how long are you staying here?" she asked.

"Another week." Samuel reported.

"I see." Alexandra mused "Well, I got another three days shift at the hospital then I'm free for two days, if you'd like to meet again?

Samuel grinned.

"I'd love that!" he said, "Where would you like to go?"

"There's a lovely park I like to go to on my days off and I used to go there a lot as a child, Westchester Lagoon, I'm free tomorrow, you busy tomorrow?"

"Nope!" Samuel smiled "Free as a bird!"

"Great!" Alexandra said, "Say we meet there at one o clock tomorrow?"

"It's a date!" Samuel winked "Well…" he chuckled scratching the back of his neck "A meeting planned, you know what I mean!"

Alexandra smiled and blushed before taking a sip of her drink.

End Flashback


"I'd call it more a friendly drink at the start really." Alexandra said as they walked down the street "I wanted to thank you at the time."

"And what more perfect way to do it?" Samuel asked, "I did enjoy that ale!"

Alexandra smiled.

"I think it was our trip to the Westchester Lagoon where I would call it a proper date." She spoke.

"Agreed!" Samuel laughed "Got fond memories of that second date!" he added with a smirk.


Flashback

Alexandra stood by the entrance of Westchester Lagoon waiting for Samuel, she looked at her phone then up again as she saw some families walking in as well as individuals with their dogs.

After their drink at the pub three nights ago they arranged to meet again for a walk and lunch and Alexandra suggested Westchester Lagoon as it was one of the places she enjoyed going to from when she was a child.

Despite the sun shining, it was a cold day and there was some dusting of snow and frost, and she wrapped her coat tighter around herself and adjusted her scarf.


"Alex!"

Alexandra smiled and she soon saw Samuel walking towards her, dressed in a black coat and wearing red trousers and brown combat boots.

"Ah Sam!" she said, "You came!"

"Of course, I did!" Samuel chuckled "We made plans, didn't we?"

Alexandra nodded and laughed.

Samuel looked at the park and at the two lagoons where a slight mist was hovering over the water and many ducks were swimming on it.

"Wow! This is lovely!" he said as he and Alexandra walked in and they walked up to one of a lagoons.

"It's a little way out of the city, but that's why I love it." Alexandra said, "And there's more wildlife here too."

"I can see!" Samuel said as he walked over to the lake and Alexandra opened a handbag she had on her shoulder and pulled out two bags of birdseed and gave one to Samuel.

"I do love to feed the ducks." She said as she opened her bag and started throwing some seeds to which many of the ducks came over quacking happily.

Samuel knelt as some jumped on the bank and Alexandra did the same holding out her hand filled with seed and a couple of mallards started to peek from her hand.

Samuel smiled and held out his own hand to do the same, but then one male mallard jumped on his head!

Samuel was surprised but he kept still.

Alexandra turned and looked, and she started to laugh at how funny Samuel looked with a duck on his head!

"That's so cute!" she giggled as Sam turned his eyes up and the duck settled on his head.

Alexandra quickly took out her phone and took a picture as the duck nestled more on Samuel's head.

"You plan on staying up there buddy?" he asked to which the duck quacked in response.

"I guess so." He muttered and Alexandra laughed again.


Before long some laughs were heard behind them, and Alexandra saw a young boy no older than six laughing and pointing at Samuel and tugging on his mother's hand.

"Mummy! Mummy look! That man has a duck on his head!"

The mother laughed.

"Indeed he does!" she said.

"So cool!" the boy said.

"I take it this doesn't happen often?" Samuel asked as some people got closer to look.

Alexandra shook her head laughing.

Samuel then felt his knees going numb from kneeling, so he reluctantly stood up and the duck hopped off his head as he moved much to the disappointment of the small crowd.

"Awww! It flew away!" the young boy from earlier groaned.

"Oh well." The mother said, "That was a cute sight."

"I agree!" Alexandra said smiling at Samuel.


After a minute, the couple decided to walk a little further around the lagoons.

"A lot of people ice skate on the lagoons when it's really cold and snowy!" Alexandra explained.

"Nice!" Samuel said, "Wish I could be around to see that at some point."

"It's such fun." Alexandra smiled then as she looked ahead, her smiled faded and she stopped.

Samuel frowned as he noticed his companions change in demeanour.

"What's wrong?" he asked then followed Alexandra's gaze look in front of her.


It was then he saw a tall and slightly overweight man with long messy brown hair and five o clock shadow wearing loose blue tracksuit bottoms, a black coat that was open at the front with a tee-shirt with a Dr Who logo on it.

As he approached then he looked at Alexandra and glared.

"Alex?" he asked.

"Ricky!" Alexandra gasped.

Samuel frowned as he looked at them both.

"Whose he?" he asked looking at the man before them.

"I could ask you the same question!" Ricky growled at Samuel "You moved on quite quickly, didn't you?" he snapped at Alexandra.

"What's it to you?" Alexandra snapped back.


It was then made clear to Samuel that this man before him with Alexandra's ex-boyfriend she had spoken about last night.

"Who is that?" Ricky asked again pointing at Samuel.

"Hey! It's not polite to point you know!" Samuel growled.

"None of your business Ricky!" Alexandra snarled "You lost every right to know after I left."

"Why did you just throw in the towel Alex?" Ricky demanded "It didn't have to end that way!"

"I had my reasons, Ricky!" Alexandra said "I left because I deserved better, you were so lazy! You never did anything to help me around the apartment, you just expected me to do everything despite all the hours I worked! You blamed me for everything that went wrong, you yelled at me over the littlest things! I was treading on eggshells around you! I couldn't take it anymore!"

Ricky looked appalled and Samuel smirked.

"You're one of them huh?" he asked.

Ricky looked at Samuel, the glare not leaving his face.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Mhm, ignorant and acting like you don't know." Samuel chuckled "You're hitting all the marks. I've seen so many guys like you, at this point it's becoming laughable. Simple and plain, you're in the category of people that have been dumped and can't get over it."

Alexandra nodded.

"He's right!" she said "I just wish I'd seen it before, now leave us alone!"

"What!?" Ricky roared.

"You heard me!" Alexandra spat "Now please just go!"

"You heard her." Samuel chimed in "So what's it gonna be? You gonna leave or not?"

"You stay out of this nigger!" Ricky raged and Alexandra gasped in horror.


In fact some other people nearby gasped as they heard the racist slur but to their and Alexandra's surprise, Samuel snickered.

Ricky was also surprised but he continued to scowl.

"Why you laughing Chocolate?" he asked.

"Sorry," Samuel stopped laughing and smirked "I couldn't help but laugh at just how ignorant you are. Seriously, is that all you got?" he looked Ricky up and down "Because real talk, I've been called a lot worse by a lot tougher. Unlike the waste of space standing in front of me. You're making it all the easier for me to see why she left you!"

That statement made the other people in the park laugh and snicker and even Alexandra gave a small smile.

But Ricky went red in the face both in anger and embarrassment and before Alexandra could move, he strode up to Samuel, grabbing him by the collar and pushing Alexandra out of the way causing her to trip!

"Alright you Blackie!" he yelled "Let's have it!"

Everyone gasped as that happened and the young boy from earlier gasped.

"Mummy! That bad man pushed that lady!"

The mother said nothing but stared in shock and a man standing nearby took out his phone wondering whether to call the cops.


At the same time, seeing Alexandra get pushed, Samuel saw red and, in an instant, he grabbed one of Ricky's arms and kicked the back of his legs making him fall on his knees and tightened the hold on Ricky's arm behind his back at an odd angle!

Ricky shouted in pain and Alexandra and the nearby public stared in amazement.

"Ahh! Let go!" Ricky yelled.

Samuel tightened his grip and growled.

"I could care less what a piece of trash like you says about me, but you messed up the moment you decided to disrespect a woman and put your hands on her." He gestured to Alexandra.

"I'd love nothing more than to snap your arm off and take it home as a souvenir."

He then grabbed Ricky's hair with his free hand and forced him to look at Alexandra.

"But I'll settle for you giving her the apology she deserves. And I suggest you think hard about what you say because believe me when I tell you, I got no problem carrying out my threat."


Ricky struggled and Alexandra, as she recovered from her shock wondered whether to stop Samuel or not, given that Ricky was getting the treatment he deserved.

Yet as Ricky refused to apologise to her, she saw Samuel gripping him tighter and she was worried that the public would start calling the police, so she decided to stop him.

"Sam, he's not worth it, let him go."

Samuel glowered and hesitated slightly, yet as he looked at Alexandra, he could see how worried she looked, if not for Ricky's welfare but him getting into trouble he started to loosen his grip on Ricky.

"Just let him go Sam." Alexandra begged "He's really not worth it."

Samuel sighed and he let go of Ricky who grabbed his sore arm, but Samuel pushed him over with his boot and he fell face first into a muddy puddle making everyone laugh and cheer.

"Get out of here!" Samuel barked as Ricky picked himself up from the muddy puddle and turned to him.

Alexandra frowned.

"I'd take his advice!" she said "Run!"

Ricky glared then quickly got to his feet and ran off down the path with everyone cheering and laughing.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted.


Samuel took a step forward to chase him, but Alexandra grabbed his hand.

"Don't Sam." She said "please! He's not worth it."

"Piece of Trash!" Samuel growled then turned to Alexandra.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine really." Alexandra assured him "Just a bit shocked and my trousers are dirty, but other than that, I'm fine."

She looked to where Ricky had run off.

"I don't know why he was here!"

Samuel sighed.

"It's not your job to keep tabs on him, this wasn't your fault."


"Nice work there kid!" a voice said from the side and the couple looked over to the small crowd that had gathered.

"You showed that jerk who was boss!" a man cheered.

"Totally! You the man!" his friend agreed.

"Well done son!" the mother of the young boy smiled then looked at Alexandra "You're a lucky girl, that boy's a catch!"

Alexandra smiled and was about to say he wasn't her boyfriend, but another woman agreed.

"Knight in Shining armour he is! You are lucky!"

Alexandra looked at Samuel who was blushing and being modest about what he had done.

"It was nothing guys, I just hate it when men push women around, and I wanted to give him what for!"

"We could all take a leaf out of your book kiddo!" the first man said "You're a real man!"

Samuel blushed harder.

"Thanks guys!" he said, "Just looking out for the lady!" he then wrapped an arm around Alexandra, and she blushed as well and leaned into him.

End Flashback


"From what I remember, it was after our second date I decided I didn't want to leave Anchorage and I decided to rent out an apartment." Samuel said, "I just didn't want to leave you."

Alexandra blushed.

"I'm glad you stayed Sam." She said, "It was the second time you helped me out, and I just felt the connection with you!"

"Likewise sweetheart!" Samuel said then he saw the doors of the steakhouse ahead.

"Here we are!" he said then opened the door for Alexandra.

"After you!" he said graciously, and Alexandra walked in.

"How kind of you!" she said "Thanks!"

Samuel nodded.

"Anything for you dearest!" he said as he followed her in "Hmm, I wonder what the cheeseburgers are like in here?" he thought to himself.

So we've learnt a little more about Sam and Alex, and also how Sam has helped Alex on two occassions!

Also a side note to add, Racism is wrong, as is violence against women! Or violence against anyone for that matter! If you or someone you know is experiencing this, please reach out to someone you can trust and involve the police to stop the perpertrators in their tracks.