What Should Have Been

Part 28

After a few more weeks of becoming used to the routine they were picking up, Sam began to deal with it better. Of course he would never be over everything that he was going through, but he was learning to live with it, accepting it for what it was.

He was rolling over in bed before catching sight of Connie standing in the en-suite bathroom. "Morning-" "Hey, how you feeling today?" He nodded sitting up, moving from the bed heading straight for Connie. His arms weaved around her waist bringing a smile to her face as she looked into the mirror at him.

"I feel better than I have in weeks..." His eyes dropped down to her attire before he gleamed a bright smile to her. "Running are we?" "I figured I could use it, it's been a while-" "Need a partner?" She arched a brow turning to him as she shook her head. "No, I'm not letting you do anything like that yet."

Sam frowned as she moved from his grasp. "Why I said I feel fine-" "And what if you were to have a turn while we were out, hmm? What I'm supposed to just watch you drop in front of me and fear for your life am I? I won't do that Sam, so just accept it." He continued to watch her walk across the room wishing she'd just let him have some normality.

After a few minutes he sighed understanding why she'd got so annoyed over it. "Connie... Oi Con don't ignore me-" "Oi Sam, don't talk to me." She continued with what she was doing before he stepped up behind her, his hands scooping her up from the floor. "Sam!" "Well I need some kind of physical activity, I've been told it could help you know... And well, if I can't run I'll have to find something else to do."

He placed her down on the bed before her eyes met his. His words only just then registering with him, seeing the conclusion Connie had come to. It had been on his mind, of course it had. Sleeping next to a beautiful woman doesn't come without those sort of thoughts. If the situation was any different he wouldn't have hesitated, but now he wasn't so sure.

Connie looked away from him briefly before he pulled her into a standing position. "Go for your run... As long as you promise me that in a few months you'll let me run with you?" Connie found a smile coming to her lips as she met his gaze. "Deal?" "Deal..." Sam smiled pressing a kiss to her forehead, the brief warmth from his hands lingering on her arms.

She turned to walk away, pausing by the bedroom door as Sam climbed back into bed. For some reason she couldn't pull her eyes away from him, he wasn't doing anything but something enticed her to him. Before she couldn't stop herself, she left the room heading downstairs and out of the door without a second glance.

Sam lay down but after half an hour became bored. Grace was staying with Elliot for the weekend in order to give the pair some peace and quiet but in all honesty, he didn't like the peace and quiet. He needed people around him, he didn't need time to think over everything in his life. He picked up his phone making a call as he rest back against the headboard.

Connie sprinted through the woods, not once stopping. It had been so long since she was able to just clear her mind entirely like this. She continued running ignoring everything that was happening in her life. Somehow this gave her the release that she'd felt herself needing. As she made her way around the lake she slowed feeling her phone buzz from where it was strapped to her arm.

Seeing as she already had her head phones in, she stopped where she was to answer it. Bending down, she stretched her arms out talking. "Hello?" "Connnnn?" She stood up pushing her tongue into her cheek. "You gotta be kidding me?" She heard him laugh as she began jogging again, not bothered at how she sounded knowing who it was. "Sam... What do you want?"

He lay comfortably in bed listening to her heavy breathing as she clearly continued to run. "I was bored... And seeing as you wouldn't let me physically join you, I figured I could still wind you up." She laughed, speeding up a little more until she was sprinting once again. "Sounds like you're doing some speed... Maybe you'd even be able to keep up with me Beauchamp-" "Shut it Strachan or I'll beat you when I get home."

Connie cut the call off leaving Sam smiling like an idiot to the empty room. He wasn't left alone for long though as he called her once again. This time, she expected it to be him. "Sam, if I told you to fuck off would you?" "Depends if you could be polite about it." Connie shook her head ending the call once more.

Sam gave it a few minutes before calling her yet again. "Connieeeeeee-" "SAM!" He burst out laughing thinking of the look she would have on her face as she was running. "I swear to god I'm going to kill you-" "At least fulfil my dreams before you do it-" "Don't count on it!" When she cut him off this time, he gave up dropping his phone to the side.

Rather than lay about in bed he got himself up and showered before Connie got home. Wandering downstairs he began making them both some lunch knowing Connie would be hungry when she got back. Twenty minutes later and he heard the front door closing. "He-" "Remember you said you needed some kind of physical activity?"

Sam spun on his heel to look at her taken aback. "Yeah?" He asked hastily before watching the playful look in her eye. "Well I wasn't joking when I said you'd be dead when I got home." He quickly dodged out of her way, running around the island in the kitchen. "Sam Strachan you get back here right now-" "I know better than that Mrs Beauchamp, thanks!"

He continued running out of the kitchen and into the dining room, standing on the opposite side of the table. Sam could only stay there for a second as she climbed over it making him run out of the room, around the sofa. "Sam!" He laughed running away from her as she almost caught up to him.

He darted for the stairs as she rushed after him, getting closer with each stair. Sam got into the bedroom before Connie caught hold of him, turning him to face her. He was breathless but let her lips catch his, kissing him deeply. His hand worked its way up into the back of her hair, grasping onto her. Connie's hands went around his neck pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss.

Sam pulled back dropping down to the bed causing Connie to worry. "Sam? Are you okay-" "Calm down... I'm just out of breath." She didn't remove the worried look from her lips before he sat up, his hands holding onto her hips as he lifted her up onto the bed. She fell down beside him, one arm leaning on his chest as she studied his face. "Can you promise me something?"

He watched her serious expression before brushing a hand across her cheek. "Anything-" "Promise me, that no matter what we're doing or how we are... You'll tell me if you're really not alright, because nothing scares me more than not knowing. I can handle people lying, but not you, not about this." He cupped her cheek properly, caressing her cheek bone. "I promise you, that if I'm scared myself, you'll know. No secrets."

Connie nodded guiltily at his choice of words knowing that in fact there was one major secret between them. "Thank you." He smiled kissing her lips gently before she sat up. "I need a shower, and then I want that lunch you were making." He smirked with a nod before moving downstairs, returning to what he had been doing before she arrived home.