A/N: By my numbers and recent trends, I'm like almost a year ahead of schedule.

Wow.

Please enjoy.

—/—/—:—\—\—

"Bloody hell."

She ignored the comment as she continued on her way, beating her way down the pathway alongside others in her class. Breathing even and strain non-existent, she pressed on, passing the next group to her right as she bounded down the track.

"Where's the fire, Yaxley!?" One of them called good-naturedly from behind her. But still she ignored as she looked for her target, blood pounding in her ears as she all but ran them down. Another group passed on her left, she paid them not a single breath either as she outpaced her slower classmates all too easily, their fate to be left the dust as she continued on, driven to beat those that deserved it more than anything. Pressing herself further into the ground, she picked her brisk pace up as she watched for any sign of her target.

And as she came around the very next bend, she spied him, her eyes locking onto him like a predator who had finally caught wind of her prey. Steeling herself a moment, she let out a single breath before putting her all into it and starting her final move.

She'd been tailing them this entire time, throughout the entire test phase. She'd even offered them a 30 second head start just so that they could ensured their dominance. But as she began to close the distance between she and them, classmates of theirs who already knew how it was began to laugh and cheer her on as she rapidly closed in on her prey.

The back of their group turned his head just as her first stride began to take her past them.

By the time the message had made it to their so called leader, they were a few strides behind her.

Just the way she wanted it.

Their shouting and hollering and increased paces slowly lost their sound as she droned them out, her new goal as it had always been dead ahead.

And another ten seconds later, she finalized her place yet again.

"Must you always do that?" Came the question. Samantha looked to her left to find Coach Hanges there, watching with arms crossed. Samantha somewhat shrugged in response to the question as their footsteps rapidly approached from behind.

"I did give them a thirty second head-start." Samantha offered as footsteps rapidly approached her in particular.

"That was shite and you know it!" The boy called.

"Language, Mr. Tipton." The coach warned. "I watched her from start to finish. She out paced you, nothing more to it than that." She told him. "And I will not have you calling her out because you happen to feel slighted about it." Coach Hanges told him.

"That was shite and you know it! She has to be on something!" He demanded. Coach Hanges sighed a moment before looking to the boy.

"Given that I am in a position to correct that, I will. You know just as well as she does that being at practice means that you've submitted a clean drug test. Just the same as you. Accusing her otherwise will do nothing more than show what a poor sport you are." She told him, more than willing to stand in defense of Sam in this instance. "She's done nothing wrong and I will not have you accuse her of such. If you've nothing productive to add, go for another lap. Perhaps some more practice will bring you some peace of mind." She offered before gesturing to the track before them. Shaun refused to meet the Coach's gaze before shooting Sam a dirty look before passing the both of them without incident as he went to do just that. His group of friends only chuckled somewhat as they turned away, intending a small break. Sam in turn looked back to Coach Hanges.

"To be fair." Samantha started. "He's the one who started it on the first day."

"And you played his game right back." Coach Hanges sighed. "Do not think I don't know a two way street when I see it. As much as rivalry can do good for the spirit, it can also quite easily do harm as well. Keep that in mind the next time you decide he's gotten too big for his ego. Which, in your defense, happens quite often." She told her.

Sam grinned. "Justified."

"Not at all." Coach Hanges remarked. "If you applied this much thought and purpose to sports as you do to tormenting that boy, you'd have a place on every team this school has to offer, let alone the role of Captain for half of those. Never have I met someone so adamant to be allowed to practice with the teams, but refuse to actually take a spot on said teams."

Samantha shrugged her shoulders, running a hand through her currently ponytailed dark hair. "Sports just are not my thing."

"Let's agree to disagree there." The coach dryly replied, eying the girl a moment before looking back out to the track. "You're the definition of academic excellence. Academically speaking, there's not a single student in front of you at your class. But when it comes to sports, it just shuts off for whatever reason. I've seen you play six different sports for fun at various times, Ms. Yaxley. Is there a reason you won't put yourself out there? We're getting to the point where I have other student's parents asking why you're not listed on any teams. Their confusion when I tell them that you are simply not interested is... befuddling to say the least."

"I simply do not want to." Samantha replied. Coach Hanges sighed.

"And I understand that. But I would not be doing my job if I did not try to push you father. To make you strive for greater heights. Academically, you're gifted. But Athletically, you fall short where I know you could achieve new heights."

"Is that not why I practice with the teams?" Samantha asked as she stood next to the Coach.

"And yet you don't join one." The Coach commented.

Samantha simply nodded her agreement.

"Ms. Yaxley."

"Yes?" Samantha asked.

"You're a right pain in my arse."

Samantha grinned.

Coach Hanges shook her head as she readjusted her ponytail a moment before looking to Samantha. "Your lack of proper motivation aside, Coach Bartle  wanted me to let you know that the weight room is open use today. Please, don't ruin it. Again." She warned. "I really don't want-"

"Oh?" A new voice piped up from behind the two. Both women turned to get a look at the new visitor.

Samantha grinned further.

Coach Hanges internally scowled.

"Jace!" Samantha greeted the boy as he approached. Boy in question grinned back as he made way for Samantha, who turned to greet him fully. And made no attempt to halt him as he placed a hand at the girl's waist.

"Ms. Yaxley. Mr. Calloway. There is a No PDA rule on school grounds for a reason." She stressed. "I do not want to be the first one to have to write the two of you up for it."

Though how she'd be the first was something that never really made sense to the woman, considering just how physical the two could be together. While they'd never even made a show of even suggesting anything explicit in any way, and both of them were considered to be among the best and brightest of their class, their excitable ways and antics always seemed to worsen when the two were within close proximity with one another.

Jace's hand came down from Samantha's waist as he looked up to the woman with that award winning smile. "Sorry, Coach Hanges."

"I'm sure." She muttered.

Jace then turned his attention onto that of Samatha, who he found watching him with a smile. "So what exactly have you been getting up to?" He asked.

"Annoying Shaun."

"Oh I see, a well mannered pastime." He agreed.

The two of them went silent for a moment.

"Want to lap him?" Jace suggested.

"NO!" Coach Hanges interceded. Both Sam and Jace nodded their agreement as they continued to stand there a moment, even while the Coach's eyes were on them, ready for anything. And then Samantha leaned over to Jace.

"We both know she can't catch us." She whispered. But more than loud enough for the woman to hear her, and a move that had Jace laughing.

"I want the two of you to step away from the track right now." Coach Hanges told them as she pointed in the opposite direction. "No more." She told them. Samantha and Jace laughed as they did as she had asked and moved away from the track a moment later, putting a fair amount of distance between them and it as Sam's hand slipped into Jace's. When they were well and out of sight of the woman, Samantha immediately leaned up for a kiss, of which Jace easily returned it with a peck on the lips. He returned the gestured as he pulled her close a moment, and the kiss slowly turned into a hug.

"What'd you get me?" She asked, even while part of her face was tucked into his shoulder. Jace laughed somewhat at the question.

"You think I got you something?" He asked.

"Either give it up or I'll sock you in the mouth." Samantha muttered even as she refused to pull away from the boy. Jace laughed even as he reached for his pocket, pulling the prize that she knew he had on him.

"Some Hobnobs." He answered. Immediately, she pulled away from him in a seemingly blur of speed as she snatched them from him before he could say anything further. He simply laughed as he watched her maul the package open in one fell move before coming away with three between her fingers. Immediately, she scarfed them down without a care in the world. "All my mates have been jealous of me because you. Clearly, they've never watched you interact with sweets."

Her first and only choice in that moment was to flip him the bird.

"Consider me wounded." Jace commented with a dramatic flair, a hand going to his chest. Samantha rolled her eyes at that as she finished the container in record time before crumpling it up between her hands as she swallowed her last few bites. Taking a breath, she glanced over to him.

"That hit the spot." She sighed in relief before pausing. "Do.."

"No." Jace deadpanned. "And no, I can not base my entire financial situation towards feeding my girlfriend sweets unfortunately. You do have your own job, you know?" He asked.

"And I told you I'm saving. Brooke and Missy are bent on going to London and I'm going to need all the money i can get." She told him. Jace nodded at that.

"For more sweets." He deadpanned.

"No!" She countered him, crossing her arms. "Only a few sweets. Maybe a few more. Like 10 max." She paused. "Maybe just a few more."

"Uh-huh." Jace offered in a non-believing fashion.

"Are you calling me fat?" She demanded, crossing her arms as she turned away from him. Jace laughed at that comment.

"I would never."

"Sounds to me like you're calling me fat." She continued.

"Nope."

"It sure sounds like it."

"Not a chance." He replied as he stepped up to her, looking to say something. She turned to look at him, going to say something before he could.

Only to blink just as he pinched her at the side.

Any and all willingness to cooperate evaporated as her eyes narrowed dangerously just as he began to back away, that damn smile returning to his features. She took a step towards him. He took a step back. She took another step and he returned the gestured in the other direction. Soon enough they were in sync as they continued, their pace gradually building until the point where she reached one of the trash cans on the school grounds. Taking a moment to toss the garbage away, she gave him another look just as he turned.

And bolted.

She gave chase.

With the Athletics building being his main goal, Jace ducked and dived around and over just about anything he could reach. But with Samantha hot on his tail and gaining all too easily, he knew it wasn't going to be if, but when she caught him. But as he reached the front door to the building in question, he ducked inside all too rapidly.

Students within the halls already present simply looked over.

And then immediately condensed themselves with one another as to get out of the way of what was now tearing through the halls. Typically when one thought of the proverbial King and Queen of the school, one tended to think of a pair of bratty, self-centered jerks that would do anything they could to stay on top.

But as they watched Jace sprint for the next corner, taking him a moment to gain traction, they turned to the door that hadn't quite closed.

And watched as Samantha all but slammed herself through that diminishing gap as she ever so briefly body checked the wall before pushing off of it and continuing her tirade, following the path that she knew that Jace had taken. Rounding on the same corner past cheering students and briefly surprised faculty alike, she made to turn the corner in full.

And came to a scrambling stop as she immediately found the scene of Jace standing before the broad shouldered Coach Bartle standing there with arms crossed. As if sensing her approach, Bartle's gaze snapped off of Jace and clamped onto that of Samantha almost instantly, prompting the girl to attempt to skid to a stop.

Using Jace as a stopgap, she did just that.

It took Jace a moment to stop completely before as one, they looked up to meet the visage of that the man standing before them. And in turn, he stared right down at them with an expression that wanted answers.

"Mr. Calloway. Ms. Yaxley. I believe I've been over the rules about running indoors more than a few times with the two of you. What, might I ask, would be the reason for this infraction?" He questioned.

"Going for a run." Jace answered.

"An enthusiastic run." Samantha followed.

"A run to where, exactly?" He inquired.

"To weights." Samatha answered, Jace nodding his agreement. "While our current period remains before we are to return to class." She explained. The Coach only arched a brow at that for a moment before shaking his head and turning, gesturing for them to follow.

"We'll cut it short today instead of the full hour. Nurse Jane wants to see you later today, so make sure the two of you leave time for it." He told her. Samantha made a face at the idea but didn't voice her displeasure or other ideals with it. Jace only offered a squeeze of the hand as his sought hers out momentarily. "And if I find the two of you running through the halls like that again, we will have an issue. I have the write ups ready on my desk." He told them before making way down the hall. But the conversation left a sour taste in Samantha's mouth.

Another visit to the Nurse meant another round of meds.

A hand to the back by Jace jarred her back into the present, the boy looking to her with a careful expression. "You know it'll be okay, yeah?" He asked. Personally, she held doubts about it and he knew that. But she nodded anyways, if only for his sake at the end of the day.

"You're more sure of that than I am." She told him.

"One of us has to be the optimist." He told her, his smile this time a gentle one.

Her smile didn't quite carry to her eyes, and it hurt him.

"Come on. There's time for crying later." Jace told her, nudging her along. "We've got weights, and there's more records of Shaun's to be broken. From what I hear, he hit a new personal best recently. It'd be a right shame if that wasn't able to stick." He commented, his grin now a wild one.

That time, her smile was brilliant as they ran off amidst laughter renewed.

—/—\—/—\—

She steeled herself as she held her hair tie in her mouth as she went about remaking her ponytail. Freshly showered after weights (Where they did indeed crush Shaun's new record), she was once again ready for class. But instead of class, she found herself presented with the insurmountable odd that was the Nurse's office. Shaking her head, she held her hair with one hand as she pulled her tie from her mouth and went about finalizing the deal. Giving it a solid tug, she let it drop as she made her way through the school.

Until she came within eyeshot of the door in question.

She hesitated.

Did she really need the meds that badly? Right that moment?

She reached for her phone, checking the screen. A few texts, one from her mum, reminding her about the meds. Another from Jace, wishing her the best of luck. One from her dad, asking if she had any idea of what she wanted for dinner. At the thought of food, her stomach made itself known, grumbling somewhat. A motion that made her smile somewhat as she placed her other hand there, as if a quiet way of supporting herself.

She turned around somewhat as she made to respond to the man before she very nearly bumped into the person now standing there. Doing her best not to stumble, the other person caught her for support, and Sam looked up.

And there she found the gaze of her best friend, Brooke, staring down at her.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her tone demanding. But Sam had known her for nine years, she knew how to listen for the tones under her words, what exactly she was listening for. She looked up to her and shrugged.

"Telling dad what we should have for dinner." She said as she held up her phone. The brunette standing across from her didn't look amused or very pleased by that comment, her shoulder length hair fluttering ever so slightly as Brooke gave her a single shake of the head.

"I mean here."

"I was standing here telling my dad what we should have for dinner." She tried.

"Do I look daft to you?" Brooke asked, crossing her arms.

"If I answer that, you'll punch me." Sam told her.

"And if you weren't so prepared for that fact, I'd be worried I might actually hurt you. Otherwise, again, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I just-"

"Sam." Brooke said, interrupting the girl. "It was rhetorical." The girl stood over Sam, her own frame more fit to be that of a fighter or something similar compared to that of Sam's runner build.

"I know." She said.

"Come on. I'll even come in with you."

"But you won't watch." Sam deadpanned.

"I am good friend. I am not good with needles. I would ask you to respect the difference."

Sam sighed. "Fine." She said, pocketing her phone as she turned and made her way down the hall to the end, Brooke following after her. The taller girl eventually ended up passing her as her stride naturally overtook her. Sam didn't falter, but allowing the girl in front of her did apply her some semblance of peace. Even if only momentarily.

"And you know how this goes. There's no danger here." Brooke added as she reached for the door. Samantha only nodded as she let the girl push the door open for the two of them and then make her way inside, Sam following after.

Immediately, the two were set upon by the owner of the office space, Jane glancing up at the two from her computer screen. And then once she realized just who they were, she nodded as she pushed away from her computer and desk alike as she stood. "Ah good. I wasn't sure you were going to get my message." She told her as she looked to Samantha. Sam nodded at that somewhat as she made way for the spot she knew she'd be directed in the end anyways, a single seat with a table connected to it on the right side. She settled in as she went about unbuttoning her blazer and pulling her right arm out of it before setting it on the table, exposing her arm to the open air as she rolled the sleeve up of her shirt.

Brooke pulled up a chair next to her on her other side as Jane re-entered the room from another door, closing it behind her with one hand as she grasped a plastic case in the other. Approaching the two, she set the case down on the table before turning back to grab herself a pair of disposable gloves. Taking no time in putting those on, Jane took her seat on Sam's other side as she finished putting on the gloves before popping open the case.

Already, Sam was fidgeting somewhat, and the simple act of Brooke slipping her hand towards Sam's was one that served to calm her a fair bit as Jane began to get to work.

"It's been two weeks by my count since I last asked. How's the pain? Any new areas? Any lessening?" Jane asked as she began to work at Sam's arm, preparing her. Sam paused before she nodded.

"It's spread past my elbows into my arms. It also feels like it's becoming worse around the mid-back area." She explained.

"Which is where it started originally, yes?" Jane asked. Samantha nodded at the question, and Jane took the answer for what it was.

The truth of the matter was simple. Samantha was in near constant pain, one similar to that if someone were to sit at a wrong angle for too long or too compacted in one area. Except the only issue was that it simply didn't go away under the same circumstance. In such a case, stretching or standing for a moment or two would be enough to get rid of the problem. But hers only doubled down  and had been doing so for the last 10 or 11 years.

"Then we'll do this last treatment and reevaluate our options." Jane offered as she finished preparing the girl's arm. Holding her steady, she reached over with the other hand and flipped up one side of the case to the other section.

Where a set of five syringes laid in wait.

Sam's eyes clamped shut as her hand tightened its grasp on Brooke's. Jane picked the first of the five syringes and uncapped it, putting the cap down as she held Sam's arm steady. "Alright. Deep breath."

Sam made her very best attempt at relaxing.

"Three."

Sam took a deep breath.

"Two."

She held it.

"One."

She exhaled just as the needle punctured her skin, the girl battling it out with the awkwardness and the pain of the needle being where it shouldn't. Sam knew what pain was, knew what suffering was, but this was a different kind of hell altogether.

But just as soon as it had gone in, it was pulled out, Jane tossing the spent needle away within the proper container as she soon went for the second.

Normally, a condition like the one she suffered from would disbar one from any sort of strenuous physical activity. Especially in any form of official or school mediated events. Or at the very least, heavily encourage them not to pursue. But with that being said, every test, every X-ray, every exam always resulted in the same result.

Inconclusive.

The fact that Sam moved as well as she did with such a condition astounded those that knew of her or of her. And the fact that she was such an astounding athlete at all levels further compounded the confusion from those around her. As such, there was a list at least a hundred entries long of ailments and conditions that she possibly had or some off-shoot that no one had found yet.

And a list at least half that of names of what to call her condition if it ever proved to be new and unheard of.

Sam just wanted it stop.

She let the breath she'd been holding release as the second needle pierced her skin, her own hand squeezing down on Brooke's hard.

When the needle was pulled from her arm as she was allowed a small level of respite even though she knew it wouldn't last, Brooke took her chance to look to Sam. "Are you going to invite Jace on our trip?" She asked.

"I had assumed it was to be a girl's only." Samantha replied as she watched Jane prepare the third syringe. When it was clear that she was to do with it, Sam focused fully in on Brooke.

"Well I only ask because Missy asked if she needed to book rooms for three or four people. And I suppose the daft imbecile might be a welcome addition to our trip." She asked. Sam arched a brow before exhaling again as the third needle struck home.

"You know you can ask him too, right?" Sam asked. "We've all been best friends for years, you know?"

"If I ask him, the shithead will play coy." Brooke remarked, Jane glancing up momentarily before looking back down to her work. Samantha looked back to Brooke at that, arching a brow.

"So why me then?" She asked.

"Because you're the bloke's girlfriend."

"So what? You think he'll agree because the girl of his dreams is asking him to come?" She asked. But Jane's sudden laughter, as quick as it was to come, caught their attention.

"That poor boy has it rough." She commented.

Sam only smiled somewhat at that before looking back to Brooke. "I'll consider it. I was going to tell you, I asked Missy for a few extra shifts to help get ready for that. So I'm working tonight after school." She told her. Brooke seemed to give a sigh of relief at that.

"Thank you. Dane's been too unreliable recently and Tiana hasn't shown up to her last three shifts, going on about something about fleeing the country. Apparently what happened to the Maldives isn't sitting well with her." She told her, shaking her head. Samantha shrugged before exhaling as the fourth needle came and went. Closing in on to the end was a small relief to the girl as she looked to Brooke once again.

"To each their own." She told her. "Does she have any idea where she's gonna go?"

"Somewhere far inland." Brooke told her. "I think her family wants to go further into Europe, but she also has friends that live in the US pretty far inland." She explained. "That's what I'd pick if I were her."

"Yeah, but that involves living with yanks." Sam offered as her brows rose. "At least in Europe, you're still amongst right proper civilization."

"True." Brooke agreed.

Jane snorted. "Girls, maybe don't try to make the woman holding the syringe laugh until after she's put down the needle, yeah?" She asked as she held the last item well and away from Sam in that moment.

Sam offered a small nod. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright." Jane offered as she readied the last syringe. When Samantha had done the same as she had been doing thus far, Jane made her move and pricked her with the last one. Watching as the contents of the syringe were injected ever so quickly, soon enough it was over. Disposing of it like the other four had been, she then turned to tending to the five pin-pricks that decorated the girl's arm in a near perfect straight line going down her arm.

Breathing a sigh of relief that that was over, Samantha turned her full attention onto that of Brooke.

"I don't know. It's a hard argument to make." Brooke offered. "But then again, with what happened, is anywhere really safe?" She asked.

Samantha shrugged. "As far as we know, no. But to be fair, the Maldives was a chain of islands. It's not like that they struck at somewhere way inland." She told her.

"But it's also scary." Brooke told her.

Sam couldn't disagree with that.

"Alright." Jane offered as she began to dispose of the rest of the stuff that could be before removing her gloves as she tossed them away too. Approaching her computer, she took a seat there as she moved a stool next to that of her seat. "If you would Ms. Yaxley, please take a seat here with your back to me. And do remove your blazer. I want to see exactly where the pain resides most commonly." She asked as she pulled up a new screen on her computer as Sam did as she asked, removing the blazer after she rolled down her sleeve. Handing it to Brooke for the moment, she made way for the stool placed just before Jane, facing away from the woman. "So we'll start just before the base of your spine and work our way up." She explained as she took both hands and spread them out, notably putting pressure with her thumbs just at her spine. Not enough to harm under normal circumstances, but Sam's condition was anything but normal.

Doing as she said she'd would, she started slow, putting just enough pressure to get a rise out of the girl. "Let me know when it gets worse or if I need to stop completely." She told her. Sam nodded as she focused on the touch at her back, waiting.

It wasn't even an inch or two later did Sam exhale as a pain lit her nerves on fire. "There." She told her. Jane nodded at that as she took a moment to make a note of it before returning to the same spot she'd just been at. Not putting the same pressure this time, she moved on, starting the pressure just half an inch after the spot.

Only to get another inch and a half up before Sam called out another spot.

It was five minutes in all that it took Jane to fine nine individual spots of increased sensitivity and acclimation to pain.

Certainly not the best sign if there ever was one.

After 14 minutes, Jane had checked spine and both arms.

She'd identified a total of 19 spots of increased irritation.

She recorded what she'd found before signaling that Sam could once again put her blazer back on. As Samantha did so, Jane reached into her desk and retrieved a bag of what turned out to be gummy bears. Making to hand them to the girl, Samantha simply grinned as she all too easily accepted the snack, tearing the bag open in one fell swoop. Shooting the woman a peace sign, she left the office with Brooke in tow, the taller girl shaking her head as she closed the door behind them.

Jane only sighed as she went about compiling her findings for review later on.

—/—\—/—\—/—\—

"What'd you end up getting on that history report?" Brooke asked as she scrolled through her phone.

"Full marks." Samantha answered as she scrolled through her own phone, lost in the endless sea of Social Media in that very moment. Brooke blinked before looking up.

"Full marks?" She asked. Sam nodded her confirmation, looking over to the girl to confirm. "Bull-shite! There's no fucking way you got full marks, not with Mrs. Highland being the way she has been. The broad's been twelve different kinds of mopey and she's taking it all out on us!"

"I know. But I still got full marks." Sam answered her, her self satisfied grin tugging at her lips.

"What'd you pick for your subject?" She asked.

"The occupation of Warsaw by Nazi forces during the Second World War." Samantha answered her as she looked back down to her phone. Brooke rolled her eyes dramatically.

"That's practically sucking up to her! We all know she's part polish." She told her. Sam shrugged as she continued to scroll through her feed, post after post coming and going as she looked for anything somewhat interesting as they made way towards their destination.

"I just... I think it's an interesting topic." She told her. Brooke watched her a moment before sighing somewhat.

"You aren't wrong there." She admitted as she looked back to her phone a moment before putting it away. "Sam." She asked.

"Yeah?" The other girl asked.

"Look at me." She told her. Sam blinked before putting her phone down again, in turn glancing over to Brooke. Slipping her phone away, she looked to her friend.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to die?" She asked.

There was a pause.

And then Sam laughed.

And Brooke immediately gaped at her.

"It's not a joke, you cunt!"

Sam only laughed harder, this time doubling over somewhat. At this point, they'd attracted a few gazes from passerby's and Brooke only glanced around at them a moment before looking back to her friend, who in turn took a few further moments to calm herself down to a somewhat acceptable level. After she had done so, she looked to Brooke, even as the laughter remained on her tongue somewhat.

"Am I going to die?" She asked again, just to make sure even though she had very much heard the question. Brooke nodded in answer and Sam simply shrugged. "I dunno." She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe. I've never really thought about it before, but I guess we'll all die at some point."

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Brooke told her. Sam shrugged her shoulders.

"And like I said, death is a natural part of life. Some of us just face that door more often than others." She told her. Brooke arched a brow at that somewhat even as Samantha continued. "If I get to die at old age somewhere off in the far future, great. If I die because this war comes to our doorstep, fine. If I keel over next week because my body gives out on me due to this condition, it is what it is. It all comes for us at some point, so why worry about the when? Just because it's not of our own choosing?" She asked. Brooke huffed.

"Leave it to you to turn my concern into a piece of old world wisdom." Brooke told her. "You know, it's really freaky when you go all old sage on me. Not appreciated." She told her, even though she had her own smile creeping at her features.

Sam only laughed.

Even as the long distant memory of gunfire and smoke fluttered through her mind.

"I think you might be overreacting somewhat." Samantha told her a moment later. Brooke shook her head.

"That is the one thing I'm sure of that I'm not doing." She told her.

At that point however, it wasn't even another minute or two until they reached their destination, a small corner market under the name of Eilton's. Making way for the back of the store, keeping way for anyone else, they approached the back door located next to one of the delivery doors. Punching in the door code, Brooke opened it before holding it for Samantha so that she could grab at it. Making sure it closed as they walked in, Samantha made sure it latched before the two made their way through the small corridor until they reached that of the employee lockers. Going to their own lockers, they opened and quickly stashed their bags and blazers, leaving them in the rest of their school uniform. Turning for the door, they both grabbed one of the black aprons hanging at the door.

"You think it'll be too bad today?" Sam asked as she fit her head through the top before tying it behind her. Brooke shrugged at that.

"Shouldn't be." She said. "We're getting some deliveries later, but we shouldn't be packed. Maybe a surge here and there." She told her as she did the same. Approaching the console, the two just as easily clocked in just as Missy came around the corner.

Brooke's older sister by four years, the woman hadn't that much more experience in the 'real world' than either of the two. But enough for her to land a manger's position in the store at only 21 even with older co-workers still in tow.

"Ah good, you're here. Sam, I need you handling stocking. One of our deliveries got here sooner than I was ready for and I haven't been able to get to it. Brooke, I need you keeping an eye on the front. Turns out Dick, Turner, and Rachel decided they were no shows today just for fun. I have to try and see if anyone else will come in early or at all." She told them before she moved past them towards the manger's office. Sam and Brooke traded a glance before getting to work, Samantha already reaching for her AirPods located in her pocket. Slipping them into her ears and pulling up one of her playlists on her phone, she slipped it back into her pocket as she set about and got to work.

It was a total of 40 or so minutes before she was disturbed, allowing her to get a majority of the stuff put away properly. The disturbance came in the form of someone tapping her on the shoulder just as she'd picked up another box. She blinked before she reached up and tapped her AirPod, pausing her playlist. Turning, box still in hand, she found a man standing there.

"Yes sir?" She asked, holding the box with one hand, nestling it between her arm and body.

"I'm looking for this item." He told her as he presented the phone in his hand to her to where she could see it. She looked at it a moment before pointing in the other direction.

"A few isles over, right side, top shelf." She told the man. He thanked her and made his way over in that direction leaving her to once again focus on her work. Just as she was about to tap at her AirPod once again, another person approached from behind. Turning, she found a mother leading her son by the hand as the two approached her. Once again, she presented her phone for Sam to inspect. This one took the girl a second before she once again pointed to the other side of the store.

"Far wall, mid way down, third shelf." She told her. The woman nodded her thanks as she made way for the item she needed, once again leaving Sam to continue her work. She reached up once more to tap away at her ear before she heard footsteps sound off behind her. Turning, she once again offered whoever it was a simple smile and willingness to help.

What had meant to be a simple one and done them ended up turning into a multitude of people needing help, so much so that Sam had to switch back and forth of answering questions, the entire time holding her box where she had it nestled under her arm. One of them men standing there seemed to take note of this and gestured to take it to ease her burden. She shook her head as she instead elected to put it down on the ground out of the way as she went to lead him to what he needed.

It would take him another few hours to recognize that the box in easily readable and bold letters had one simple piece of information printed on the side.

45 kg.

What had meant and started out to be a somewhat slow day rapidly became anything but as she was sent running back and forth, here and there and all over, both for the sake of the visitors and any small odds and ends that Missy needed handled in that moment while she tended to no short order of messes of her own that needed to be handled. Brooke herself seemed to be perfectly content up at the front, running everything there like a well oiled machine.

Samantha didn't tend to get tired all that much, but the day was staring to wear down on her.

It was another hour and a half before she was able to get back to her own original duties. But when she got there, she found that of Missy finishing up what little had been left there to begin with.

"Sorry. I was-"

"Being pulled all over in no short order by just about everyone, myself included."
Missy answered for her as she broke down the final empty box. "I understand." She told her. "How's school going?" She asked.

"Well enough. Brooke doesn't talk about school with you?" She asked.

"She does. And with a free complaint nailed onto every word that leaves her mouth." Missy sighed as she tucked the box out of the way for the moment, to be collected later during closing. "But I asked you how your schooling is going. I know what she's up to, but you're her best friend and I don't get the chance to talk to you all that much. You excited for London?" She asked as she put a hand on her hip.

"As much as I can be." She told her.

"Doesn't sound like there's a whole lot of excitement there then." Missy commented as she briefly poked her head around the end of the isle to check for anything out of place before revisiting in on Sam.

"I mean there is." Samantha corrected. "It's just that there's so much going on right now. Whether that be my own life or on a global stage, it just gets to be a little much. You been following the Maldives situation?" She asked. Missy shook her head at that.

"I've learned that for my own personal state of well being, global events has no place in that." She told her. "I don't know if Brooke ever told you this, but I was stressed over Y2K for a week straight when I was six." She told her. Sam did the math for a second before blinking.

"That would've been what? 2007?" She asked. "That was seven years after the fact." She told her. Missy nodded her agreement.

"It would've been and it was. And yet I still panicked over it. And those dumb predictions in 2012, yeah those were no better. Had my head under my pillow for hours waiting for the end." She told her.

"I do in fact remember that." Sam offered. Missy rolled her eyes.

"Not my best moment."

"I meeeaaan-"

"Please don't break my already very fragile ego." Missy monotoned. Sam chuckled as they walked along the back of the store for a moment, keeping an eye on things. "Brooke told me you had a check up at school today. Good news?" She asked.

Sam shook her head.

"Well, I suppose we can't all be winners." She answered. "Bad news aside, do you feel any worse? Any new symptoms or something of similar nature?" She asked.

"Not for the most part, no." She told her. "Other than new pockets of focused pain and the odd joint acting up here and there, nothing a whole lot out of the mix." She told her. Missy nodded quietly at that as she kept eyes out for any glaring or serious issue before them.

"It could be worse." She told her.

"And it could not be happening at all." Sam countered. "But I lost the draw on that one I suppose." She said. Missy simply shrugged the answer off as they now began to head towards the front of the store.

"Not everyone can be a winner." She told her. Sam offered a half hearted laugh somewhat at the response. As morbid as it could be taken and was in it's fact, Missy did have a point. Perhaps this wasn't her race to win in the end, and that was a fact that as the years had gone on and her condition spread, she had to accept more and more. "But with that being said, if there's anything that I can do, even if it's just to talk or get something off your shoulders, I'm here. And I consider myself a better listener than Brooke by a far margin." She told her, even as the smile crept along her features. Sam returned the smile somewhat, nodding her agreement with the idea as the two of them turned into eyesight of the front of the store directly.

And then Missy's smile dropped.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times. Buy something or get out." She ordered. Sam glanced up to follow her line of sight and found herself once again smiling wide, this time even a little like an idiot.

Jace put his hands up as he turned to address Missy. "Alright. You got me, you got me. I'm making my purchase." He explained, even as Brooke watched him with an unimpressed gaze.

All the while the amused smirk played on her lips.

"And what might that be, hm?" Missy asked as she crossed her arms as she stood before him. Jace smiled as he presented a pack of gum for inspection, as if he had been given all the answers in the world that he could ever need. Missy took it from his hand as if weighing it in her own, looking for all the world like she was deciding his very fate. Jace's gaze glanced over to Samantha past the woman, who in turn stifled a quick giggle with a hand before he looked back to Missy who was standing just before him.

"See. I'm buying something." Jace explained. "I'm doing my part." He told her as he looked to Missy.

"Taking the cheap way out, aren't we?" Missy asked as she turned the object over in her hands.

"The same could be said for you. Making me waste my hard, earned money when all I'm trying to do is visit some friends? For shame I say!" Jace exclaimed. Missy's brow rose a moment before it furrowed.

"You know, you could save your money, and even make more than that if you would just accept my offer of a job. Then you don't have to buy anything to see and work with your girlfriend. I know you're making half of what you should at that scam you call work." Missy tried. But Jace offered a sigh with a dramatic sigh, a motion that had both Brooke rolling her eyes at and Sam giggling girlishly in the back.

"Oh I would. But I simply can't. Never could I convince myself to take such an underhanded and simple road through life. Progress is nothing without adversity, and I simply laugh in the face of adversity!" He offered. "Haha!"

Sam was turning red in the face from laughing so hard.

Missy nodded her head ever so slowly at that, arms still crossed as she watched the boy. "Alright Mr. Adversity." She began before reaching over to the same rack of packs of gum that he'd pulled the first one from and immediately grabbed a handful, placing them on the counter. Jace balked for a moment before looking to Missy in shock. "You want to spend time with your girlfriend while she's working, it's gonna be ten minutes a pack." She told him.

"Oh." Jace said as he looked down at the pile of packs of gum, only about six or seven at that point.

"So if you-"

"If that's all it is." Jace interrupted Missy, looking her in the eyes as he at the same time grabbed another handful of packs of gum, a little more than doubling what was now on the counter.  "Then that's all too easy a price if you could believe it." He answered.

Missy scowled.

He simply offered his most charming smile as Brooke in no short order rang up his items and presented him with a total to be paid. And in turn, he did exactly that. Bagged up quickly enough, he took a long glance into the bag for a moment before he looked up to Missy. "By my count, I have 15 packs within my possession. Per your own rules, that would be roughly... 2 hours and a half hours. Truly good on you for allowing me this abundance of time."

Missy narrowed her eyes. She then turned to Sam.

"He's like a walking Monty Python sketch. What the hell do you see in him?" She asked, even as Jace moved past Missy in turn for Samantha, standing just before her with the same smile on his lips. She did her best to stifle her laughter as she gave it her best shot to pay attention to him and what he may say. He glanced back at Missy for a moment before looking back to Sam, his smile broadening.

"I got you a little something." He told her as he held the bag out. And in turn, Sam's laughing renewed itself in full. Brooke only shook her head as Missy offered up a noise of disgust.

"I fuckin hate the two of you." She declared. "Being all happy and shite. It's rubbish. Utter rubbish." She said.

Jace ended up staying there until they closed for the night a few more hours later, helping where Missy would allow him to.

The sisters waved their goodbyes as they went their own way, leaving Samantha and Jace walking along the street in the general direction of the five minute walk to their homes. A moment later, Samantha stopped as she turned to Jace fully, looking up at him. She leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck as he placed his hands at her waist as the two met in a prolonged kiss.

When they separated a few moments later, Jace's gaze met that of Sam's. Brown eyes met crystal blue and the hold on Samantha that he had tightened. "You feel better?" He asked.

Sam nodded at that. He nodded as he leaned down and placed a kiss at her forehead. "It'll be alright in the end, you'll see." He told her before they parted, going the last ways to the each of their homes.

Sam couldn't help but smile the entire way home.

—/—\—/—\—

Which in all actuality wasn't all that long with it being a four minute walk at most. But that was a side note to the girl as she walked up the two front steps and opened the door. Immediately upon its opening, the warmth from within reached out and wrapped around her as she stepped inside, bag and all.

"Dear, is that you?" Called her mother.

"Yes mum." She called back. It wasn't more than twenty or so steps to the kitchen where she found her mother standing there, a mug of tea in hand as she read something on her phone. Sam made her way over to her and leaned up and peck the woman on the cheek with a kiss. To which her mother turned on her immediately.

"Ah-ah! You know my rule. You go upstairs-" She began as she gestured largely to Sam's face and head. "You take all that off and then come see me." She told her. Sam only smiled as she nodded as she retreated from the woman and made her way for the stairs. "And maybe a shower." She called after her as Sam began to ascend the steps. "I can still smell you from here!"

Sam only chuckled as she made her way up to the second story before turning right around and going for the third story staircase. Making her way up ever so slowly, she came the third floor of their home, where her room was the only one on the floor. Taking a step towards her door, she opened it without a second thought as she immediately made to toss her bag onto her bed. Shedding the blazer as well and depositing it in the same way, she made way for the vanity that sat across from her bed. Sitting before it, she watched herself in the mirror for a moment, giving herself a chance to relax.

And then she got to work, her hands going for her head first. While ambiguous at first, the purpose was soon realized as she pulled at the skin ever so slightly until she got a grip on what she needed. Ever so slowly, she carefully pulled the black haired wig off of her head, leaving her like she looked to be bald. Taking a moment, she made the short trip to put the wig on the proper holder in the corner of her room, alongside the others. Returning to the vanity a moment later, she once again moved her hands in the same way, going for the cap that she wore under the wig to keep her actual hair contained.

Strands of white and gray peeked through as they fell about her face as the cap was taken off. A moment later, she took it down out of the bun she'd had it in, long locks of dulled whites and bright grays falling around her shoulders. Taking a moment to put it in a pony tail, one where its end sat in front of her right shoulder, she turned to her next task. Using one hand, she spread one of her eyes wide as she ever so carefully brought her other hand up to gently dab at the surface of her eye.

Until the contact came away with her fingers, the faux crystal blue giving way to a crimson red. Ever so carefully, she put it in its case to be treated before she went to bed. Reaching for the other eye, she paused as she glanced at one of the pictures on her vanity. One of she and Jace.

The picture was of she and him at a sporting event where he'd just taken first place. He had the medal and she was wrapped around his neck from behind, prompting him to lean forwards somewhat. They were both smiling at the camera even as he attempted to shake her loose. She remembered it all too well.

And then she glanced up at herself in the mirror.

One eye real, one eye fake. A head of hair that he'd never seen. That no one aside from her own family had ever seen.

It wasn't the first time she'd asked herself if he cared for her as who she was. Or the one that he thought he knew.

Putting the picture down a moment, she returned to her previous task of focusing on her other eye. Repeating the same motions, she soon enough pulled that contact out as well. The crystal blue came away reveal a intricately spun eye of silver, Sam blinking a moment as she adjusted to not having the contacts in, she then went about shedding the rest of her school uniform in turn for something far more comfortable.

A few minutes later found her coming downstairs dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a simple T-shirt as she entered the kitchen once again. Her mother turned and offered her a smile as Sam made way for her, her mother opening her arms as Sam all too easily drifted into them.

"There's my girl." She said as she placed a kiss at the crown of her head before taking a moment to relax into the hug they shared. "How was school?" She asked as they pulled away a moment later, her mother offering her a fresh mug of tea. Sam took it as the two moved to sit at the table.

"It went well enough." Sam answered her.

"And the Meds?" She asked as she sipped at her tea.

Sam huffed as she sipped at her own. "I hate needles."

"I know." She told her as she set the mug on the table. "How's Jace doing?" She asked.

The smile that ever so naturally bloomed over Sam's face at the thought of the boy, even as she tried to hide it behind her mug, prompted her mother to smile as well. "That well, huh?" She asked. "Sounds like he's doing fine."

"I should hope he's doing fine." A new voice answered from behind them, the two turning to find Sam's father entering the kitchen. He leaned down to press a kiss on the top of Sam's head before making way around the table to take a seat next to his wife, who took no time in leaning into the man somewhat as he put a hand around her. "He is dating my little girl. Doing fine is the base requirement." He paused. "How are my favorite ladies doing today?" He asked.

"Hey!" A voice echoed in from upstairs. The three laughed as her father glanced up at the ceiling.

"I know what I said! You have to be at the table to qualify!" He called. When no response was heard right then and there, they traded a glance. Sam's mother, Erika, simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe she doesn't want to qualify." She reasoned. Sam snorted as she sipped at her tea as she glanced at the ceiling herself.

"She's probably up there talking to boys." She offered. That got a response in the form of a rather loud and very audible 'SHUT YOUR MOUTH'. To which Sam and her parents laughed somewhat.

The three of them talked well into the night as the city of Cowes on the Isle of Wight continued to settle as the day waned.