Slightly Singed. (Aimee and Sam)

Sam shook his head. "Tut tut, you shouldnt deprive yourself of food, tis not healthy."
The only reaosn Sam didnt eat was to weaken himself to he wasnt as dangerous. He was worried about Aimee. Why wouldnt she eat unless she had to? Was something wrong?

He smiled as she tucked into the pie. "Im glad you like it. And you bet im enjoyin' this sandwich, its the most decent thing ive had to eat in ages."

She looked sad.
"Hey, are you sure you're ok...? There's nothing worrying you...or anything on your mind...?"
He reached his hand across the table and stroked the back of hers.

Aimee looked up from her pie and stared straight into Sam's eyes, she didn't know if she should tell him or not, even talking about her K got her upset, even thinking about her...taking a deep breath Aimee took a sip of her drink and set it back down with a shaking hand.

"You want to know why I'm not eating?"

Sighing a little Aimee set down her fork and leant back in her chair looking Sam directly in the eyes as she spoke:

"I lost my twin a few weeks ago, she died, pnunomia (sp?) and I wasn't there to save her, I wasn't there to help her and because she's an idiot she wouldn't go to hospital I'm the only person who could treat her and I wasn't there."

Frowning at the table Aimee took another deep breath:

"So I eat as little as possible, to remind myself what she went through, when I should have been there."

Sam's heart froze as she looked up at him. He really hoped he hadnt upset her becuase that was never his intention. He bowed his head in shame after she'd told him.

"I really am so sorry for your loss. I couldnt imagine what that must have been like for you. I wish i could have met you sooner to have been there. But you really shouldnt be beating yourself up and blaming yourself like this. Do you think she'd want you going through life forever punishing yourself like this? You cant change whats happened, as much as you want to. If you let the past haunt you like this, it blocks the path into the future."

So she was a twin. He guessed that explained why he felt the half a cookie represented her. But what about him?

Although these questions were usually annoying, he didnt know what else to say in that kind of situation.
"How've you been coping...?"

Aimee snorted a little bit at Sam's attempt to make her feel better, he couldn't, Kendra was a part of her, the biggest part she had and she had been lost because of her stupid stupid obession for dancing in the rain and taking cold baths afterwards. Placing her head in her hands Aimee sighed and pushed away the remainder of the fish pie.

"I'm not hungry any more..."

Looking up into Sam's eyes once more her own full of self loathing and hatred for herself that they almost burned with the ferocity of it.

"Tell me Sam...have you ever had someone so close to you, someone that practically WAS you and then to have them die...because of you? Because of your own selfish stupid needs? Because if you haven't you can't imagine the pain I'm going through."

Sam bowed his head again in shame and sighed as she rejected her food. It was his fault for being an idiot and probing.
"Im sorry.... But please.... you shouldnt hate yourself so much... its not like you were the one who got her sick in the first place..."

"Erm...." He said sadly." No... not in the same way...."

He thought he'd lost Crystella once and it practically killed him. He went out of his mind over it. He was struggling to find meaning to life. The difference between he and Aimee though; the person he'd lost had come back; there wasnt much chance of that happening for Aimee.

"....you shouldnt keep blaming yourself.... you shouldnt keep thinking it's your fault.... you werent the perosn who killed her.... it was her illness... with something like pneumonia, theres not much anyone can do about it anyway... 2 of my uncles died of pneumonia.... my aunties were constantly trying every healing technique in their arsenal and nothing worked... there are some things..." He sighed, "that not even magic can change..."

Aimee sniffled and looked up at Sam she didn't want to talk about this anymore but she wasn't sure that he was getting the message that she wanted him to stop talking about it and rambling on.

"Well then you cannot pretend to know how I feel so you cannot begin to make judgements about me."

Almost growling out the words Aimee had to calm herself down a little bit and she gazed sadly at Sam almost ashamed of herself for acting so protectively over her sisters memory.

"I'm sorry Sam. That was a little harsh of me, you're only trying to help me as you've been through some losses yourself but...what you don't seem to understand is that I could have saved her!"

Shaking her head Aimee smiled sadly at Sam.

"As a twin, and as a healer, it is virtually impossible for me not to be able to heal her."

Sam never meant to make her so upset... Why did the gods decree it was so wrong for him to make a good first impression just once...?!

"I-I'm not making judgements about you...not on purpose..." Sam bowed his head in shame again and nervously rang his hands.

Sam didn't mean to sound so harsh with his next statement,
"Well sadly, no matter how much you want to, you can't change what happens to you in this life. Just beating yourself up over it isn't going to bring her back. Rather than concentrating on how she died, you should concentrate on how she lived and appreciate that time you had together. At least you two were close and actually cared for eachother. Stop thinking death is the end and just enjoy the life you'be been permitted to have."

Sam finally realised it was time for him to just shut his mouth for once. He slowly rose from the table.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you...perhaps its best I go and leave you alone now..."

Aimee gasped when Sam said his next statement, frowning at him as he continued to talk Aimee growled stood up from the table and slapped him full force across the face.

"How DARE you?"

She muttered in a low voice before gathering her things, throwing the charm and the bracelet back down to him and giving him one final hurt glance before turning on her heel and walking slowly out of the pub tears beginning to stain her cheeks.

She has never felt so insulted.

Sam was starting to get used to getting slapped across the face now; it was making his decision whether to stay or not so much easier.

It was never his intention to upset someone in this way; he wasnt like that and he never meant to come across as such a jerky douche.

He sighed and picked up the charm and bracelet from the floor as she walked past him. He felt so awful when he saw her cry; he'd never made a woman cry before.

"Aimee wait," Sam turned to look at her. "Im sorry, i never meant to upset you like that, i dont mean to be such an ass... i just... dont know how to react when... when people are so harsh on themselves..."

Aimee stopped as she reached the back of the pub, she opened the door to the entrance to Diagon Alley and waited for Sam to catch up with her, it was none of her business if he chose to grovel on the floor to her, she was pissed, and it was going to be darn hard to make her not so.

"What do you want Samuel?"

She asked cooly, folding her arms across her chest and watching him through narrowed eyes, Aimee only then realised she'd slapped an injured guy, oh well, he shouldn't have been such a jerk off.

"Apology not accepted. Isn't it quite obvious when someone is feeling low about something you do not continue to talk to them about said subject and insult their own veiws upon it, you change the subject and try and make them happy again. Idiot."

Aimee growled.

It was hard to tell what hurt more; her angry words or the cracked and bleeding burnt flesh on his face that stung beneath the bandages.

He hung his head in shame and sighed sadly, his mindset differing again.
"I give you my humblest a sincerest apologies," he got to his knees and looked up attoningly at her.

"I honestly never meant to approach you with such insensitivity towards a delicate subject. You're right, I don't understand and cannot ever wish to comprehend how you must feel. I've been alone for so long that I have almost forgotten how to treat and react to other human beings."
He reached up and softly took hold of her hands while still gazing into her beautiful blue eyes.

"I'll do whatever I must to make it up to you for my inconsiderate pigheaded behaviour; please find it in your heart to give me another chance at being your humble and appreciative acquaintence. I promise to talk of something else, or not at all if you would prefer. I'll wire my jaw shut to spare you ever having to listen to my drivvle again. Instead, let my hears be joyous recipients of your melodious voice..."

Aimee smiled a little at Sam's apology, she didn't know why he felt the need to redeem himself in her eyes after all they had only just met and despite his kind words she doubted if they would ever cross paths again.

"Uh! Sam...get up please, there's no need to kneel I'm fine."

She smiled wider showing that she was alright, Aimee felt really bad for snapping at Sam about this, he was such a sweet guy and she really didnt mean to hurt him like this.

"No Sam I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have been so harsh on you, you were only trying to help me but I didn't want to listen to you, of course you're right and I should move on, but it just takes time."

Aimee too knelt down on the floor and cupped Sam's face in her hands leaning her head against his forehead and kissing it softly.

"You're so sweet Sam. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Sam smiled warmly at her and kissed her hands tenderly.
"There's no need for you to apologise, you have done nothing to wrong me. It can be hard to listen to someone else when they're as clueless as i am. Neither one of us is entirely right nor wrong, just two people who have come together; one faultless in every way, the other i.e. me a big stupid dope."

He smiled peacefully as she kissed his forehead.
"Don't worry about it...it doesnt even hurt any more."

He stroked his thumb down her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Sam snapped back into his usual mindset. His eyes widened like a dear in headlights and he blushed bright crimson as he pulled away. What the flunk man?!

"Er! I-I-err i..!" He stammered nervously. "Im s-so sorry! I-I-I- Oh god what must you think of me! I d-didnt mean-! Ah!"

He was practically having a heart attack. You cant just know someone for 5 minutes then kiss them?! What was he doing? He already had someone! Aimee was going to think he was a total player or ""charmer"".

He whacked himself in the head with his fist. "Sam you idiot! You idiot! You great big stupid idiot!" He scolded himself. He braced himself and flinched away with his eyes closed expecting another slap.

Aimee blushed as she felt Sam kiss her hands tenderly, she looked into his eyes with her own large and confused, she wanted to kiss him but then again she had only just met him? Was it right? No...probably not. Did Aimee care? No.

"Sam, if you keep bad talking yourself I'm going to have to take drastic action."

Teasing him lightly Aimee stroked a finger down the side of his face that wasn't burnt and as he leant forward to kiss her she felt her heart skip a beat and she too leant forward capturing his lips in a soft kiss and holding them there.

"Oh...I'm sorry Sam...did you not want to kiss me?"

Aimee asked a little hurt that he would do something like that and then leave her hanging.

"NO SAM!"

Gasping Aimee took hold of his hand to stop him punching himself.

"Dont hurt yourself. Please. I'll go if you want me to."

Why did she have to kiss him back? Oh god, what was happening? Why was he letting it? Why didnt he feel guilty about it? She was going to think he was leading her on; that was never his intention; he never used women like that.

"Argh! Im such a douchebag! Aimee im so sorry" Sam roared angrily to himself. "Yes! No! Er-I-I never meant to... its not that i didnt want- i mean part of me really- but i-i-i cant, im sorry." He felt awful. "Oh god... hell knows what you must think of me now...." He sighed and whacked his head into the alley wall. "Ow..."

"And no... i dont want you to go..." He took hold of both her hands in his and once again his mindset shifted. His hands slip up up arms and down her shoulders, pulling her into him closely were he embraced her, his head on hers, his fingers stroking through her hair. He secretly put the bracelet back on her wrist, so gently that she'd barely notice it was there. He closed his eyes contently for a minute before snapping out of it and blushing awkwardly again. He slowly let go and back away.

"Im sorry... i must be giving you mixed messages here... i dont mean to... its just... i think my heads a little unstable and im being unfair to you... i... she's going to hate me... im sorry... i'll... i think its best i go... im sorry... my head is just... no no! im not saying i want to be friends with you on a crazy whim! Its just im not being fair to you being eratic like this... you'll probably never want to speak to me again..."

He whacked his head into the wall continuoulsy as he walked down the alley.
"Stupid...stupid...stupid moron... what the f**k is wrong with you...." He scolded at himself. "What the f**king hell are you doing? Arrgh!"