A sudden clap of thunder rang in Tabitha's ears. She shuddered, and pulled the blanket up tighter to her chin. Lighting arced outside her window, illuminating her room for just a fraction of an instant. She shivered, and tried to force herself to calm down.
Her calm lasted until the thunder clapped right over head, and the power went out.
The red lights of her clock died, leaving the small blonde in the all-consuming darkness, with the thunderstorm raging outside.
"I hate thunderstorms." Tabitha muttered under her breath, huddling down deeper into her blankets.
The door suddenly creaked open, and Tabitha nearly jumped out of her skin. Peeking over the edge of the blanket, she looked around with terrified blue eyes.
"Who's there?" Tabitha whispered, her voice shaking so badly her teeth were nearly rattling. Then a flash of lightening arced through the sky, revealing her visitor. His blonde hair showed up nearly white in the harsh light, and his eyes appeared to be a deep blue-purple. Tabitha nearly sighed with relief.
"Sam, you scared me." Tabitha sighed, looking up as he walked closer to the bed.
"Ah'm sorry." He whispered. Tabitha dropped the blankets and squinted, trying to see him. There was something wrong with his voice; it sounded far to scratchy and weepy.
"Sam…Sam, what's wrong?" Tabitha asked, sitting up on her knees on her bed.
"Nothin'…Ah shouldn't have…Ah'm sorry." Sam apologized, his voice shaking, like he was…crying?
"Sam, what is it?" Tabitha demanded, getting out of her bed. She shuddered when another loud clap of thunder sounded, but she forced her hand out to her boyfriend, and touched his shoulder.
His skin was hot, and slick with sweat. Tabitha slid her hand up his arm, surprised to find that he had no shirt on. She moved closer, her other arm moving around his neck as she hugged his body to hers.
Sam hesitated for just an instant, then wrapped his own arms around her body, crushing her to his body. Tabitha felt him shaking, and hung tighter to him, silently willing him to tell her his trouble, to let her share it with him.
She could feel his muscles spasm, and sat down, bringing him with her. He pressed his face into her shoulder, as though trying to block out some horror.
"Sam?" He voice sounded very small in the dark bedroom. "Sam what is it?"
She felt him shake his head, and press still tighter against her body. "Please…please, just hold me." She heard him whisper, all traces of the strong, independent man she loved gone. In his place was a terrified little boy, in desperate need of her.
She rather liked the feeling. She had always been the one to need Sam; she had always been the one to go to him. He had always been the one to offer comfort; to offer him self.
"Shh…" Tabitha whispered into his hair, still holding him as though her life depended on it. "Shhhh, everything's going to be all right."
"No…no, it won't." Sam answered her finally, his voice breaking. "I-it will n-never be all right again. God, all those people…"
Tabitha shook her head in the dark, and lay down, pulling him with her. His head rested on her breasts; he lay on his stomach with his face pressed against them. One of his arms was draped across her stomach, while the other one held her arm gently.
"All those people…"He murmured again.
"What people?" Tabitha breathed, trying not to place what he was talking about.
"All those people that DIED because of Gene Nation. We should have done something…"Sam whispered his voice thick.
"Sam, we can't be everywhere at once." Tabitha reminded him, surprised by her own words. Sam sat up, and scrubbed a hand across his face. She sat up as well, leaning back on her hands. The room was suddenly lit up with lightening.
"Ah know that. Up here." He tapped his forehead. "But here," He tapped his chest, " Ah can't believe that we could let that many people die."
Tabitha nodded her head in understanding. She understood that as well as he did. "It hurts, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." Sam agreed, reaching to cup her face with his hands. She smiled at him, leaning forward to kiss his lips gently. When they broke, he looked down at the comforter. "Ah still feel like Ah should have done something."
Tabitha pushed her blonde hair back, and nodded before she remembered that he probably couldn't see her. "I know."
"Do you?" Sam asked, looking up at her.
"Yeah, Sam, I do." Tabitha tried to keep her voice from sounding huffy. He was hurt, that was the only reason he said that, she reminded herself. "I might come off acting like a no brain bleach blonde, but I DO care about people. Why else would I do this?"
Sam opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again. He sat and stared at her for a long moment, long enough for Tabitha to began to feel uncomfortable.
"What?" She asked, shifting around on the bed.
Sam's brilliant smile lit up the room. "Nothin', girl."
"Yeah, I bet. What, did you really think that all I thought about was clothes and shopping?" She demanded, crossing her arms. The thunder rolled out outside, the sky lighting up with a flash of lightening.
Sam blushed, looking down at the bedspread again. "Sometimes Ah do think that. And then you'll hit me other the head with something like that, and Ah'll remember that there's a completely different side of you, one Ah feel privileged to see."
Tabitha reached out her hand, and squeezed his knee. He laid his hand on her hand, and rubbed his fingers across her knuckles.
"Thanks." Tabitha whispered, grinning.
"Thank YOU." Sam whispered back, lifting her hand to his mouth and kissing it.
Tabitha giggled softly, her eyes shining. Sam squeezed her hand, his eyes no longer the same dark blue they had been when he had first come in. They were back to his normal baby blue.
"Come, on, let's go find a flashlight or something." Tabitha said, jumping off the bed, and bouncing toward the door. Sam chuckled softly, and followed her.
He couldn't help but notice that the storm was over.