The blonde looked off into the distance as one single tear slowly rolled down her cheek. Before Sam could answer, she caught the glimpse of a moving body as Brooke came running down the stairs. Faster than she could brace herself, James was roughly pulled off her and was being pushed to the floor.

“You get the hell away from her, you bastard.” Brooke turned her attention to Sam. “Are you okay, Baby? Did he hurt you?”

“Loran to the rescue as always, eh Brooke?” James stood up, making a show of brushing the imaginary dirt off of his pants.

Brooke let his remark slide by, choosing to ignore him and concentrate on Sam. She placed her hand against Sam’s cheek and wiped the tears away with her thumb. “Tell me, why are you crying?”

“You think you own that white charger you keep between your legs, don’t you?”

The dark-haired woman turned around and started toward him until she was stopped by the small hand that grabbed for her, holding on tight, not wanting to let her go. “What in the hell are you talking about, James? Get the fuck out of my house.”

“Yep… just like you to forget who put that charger there, Babe.” James winked and blew a kiss in Brooke’s direction. “I told her all about us. Everything, Brooke.”

“What us? There was never an us.” Brooke turned around to face Sam. “Baby, he’s lying. We were never together.”

“Sure, I’ll play along if that’s what you’re telling her. But do you think she’s that gullible?” James taunted with a smile.

“No, she’s not gullible. She also knows that I wouldn’t lie to her, unlike you.” Brooke’s disdain for her one-time friend was very evident. She looked away from James, only long enough to catch Sam sniffing back a tear.

“Me, lie?” James threw his arms up in disbelief. “Why, I’m the best lay you ever had and you know it.”

The ex-drummer whirled around, starting towards James until the tug of small hands brought her to her senses. “You lying bastard. I never slept with you… no matter how hard you tried.”

“Brooke, you’re so full of shit. Do I have to remind you how you were when you were drunk? You loved it. You loved me. Hell…you would have loved any one.”

Blue eyes turned to silver, glowing in their intensity with hatred for this man. “I might have been drunk, but I stopped you, you bastard. I didn’t love getting drunk that night. I sure didn’t love you dropping that shit in my drink. And I sure did not love waking up with you naked in my bunk on the bus, trying to get me out of my clothes.”

Sam’s eyes flashed from Brooke to James and back again, realizing that what they were saying could be considered the same as date rape.

“You were my best friend, you prick. I thought out of anyone, I could trust you. Boy, was I ever wrong.” Brooke turned around to look at Sam, hoping and praying that she wasn’t buying into any of James’ shit. “Sam…you know that you’re the only one I’ve ever been with. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved.”

Sam nodded, her eyes never leaving Brooke’s. “Yes, I…I know that.”

“Come off it, already, Brooke. You know I was your best lay. And you’re right about one thing. You were wrong…wrong in thinking that this little trollop could keep you satisfied.” He watched as Brooke slowly turned around to face him while he continued, “Yeah, you’re running your little brainwashing program, just like you did with Petey.”

“You listen to me, you sorry son-of-a-bitch…you say anything you want about me. But I will not have you talk about Sam like that. Peter is a grown man who can take care of himself. It was his decision to leave, not mine.” Brooke’s body began to tremble in anger and she prayed that she’d be able to curb her urge to rip his head right off, here and now.

“Whatever, Loran. You’ve got everyone wrapped around your little finger. But not me. No, Brooke, not me… I know the truth.”

“Oh yeah? And what is this so-called truth, you fucking drunk?” Brooke leveled her gaze directly at James.

“Yeah, right. And tell me, Brooke… was it your decision not to honor our agreement?”

“What are you talking about?” Brooke fumed in anger. “What agreement?”

“I’m talking about the FUCKING MASTERS,” James screamed out. “Where are they? You owe me, Brooke. You owe me big.”

“The masters were sent out this morning before nine.” Brooke shook her head. “Why am I even bothering to talk to you? Get out of my house and leave us alone, you damn drunk.”

“Drunk… you think this is drunk? This ain’t drunk, Brooke…this is shit assed angry.”

Brooke took in a deep breath and then let her voice grow in volume as she pronounced each word. “Get out of my house, NOW.”

James merely laughed at her as he began walking around the living room, picking up various items and examining them. “I aint’ no fucking employee of yours to order around. Go tell Peter to do your bidding.”

“You’re trespassing on private property. You are not welcome here.”

“That’s a shame. I remember a time when you begged me to let you play. I should have fucked you over then and got all that bullshit out of you…showed you what it was like to be a real woman. A woman who could beat out the rhythm on a set of drums and fuck all night long.”

Brooke shrugged her arm out of Sam’s grasp and walked over to James, deciding to try and beat him at his own game. “You? You’ve got to be kidding me, you needle dick, son of a bitch. I’m more man than you could ever be and more woman than you’ll ever get. Besides…” she leaned in closer to him and spoke in an almost whispered tone. “I can fuck all night long now, without your help.”

“You fucking, Dyke…”

Brooke laughed as she saw his temper flare. “And Hell…I don’t ever go limp.” The tall woman raised an eyebrow in challenge as she flexed her long, sinewy fingers in front of his face.

“I ought to…” James started, the anger now getting the best of him.

“Ought to what? Not my fault if I can fill a pair of Levi’s better than you.”

James turned, taking a step away before quickly reversing his direction, winding up to throw a punch at Brooke’s face. “Then you can take this like a man.” He let go with all his strength, throwing his weight behind the forward motion of his fist.

Brooke grabbed his fist in her hand before it ever made contact with its intended target and squeezed it with all her strength. “You first.” The coldness of the moment was reflected in her gaze as she squeezed harder, feeling slightly guilty that she was hoping to crush the bones beneath her hand.

“Brute strength, Brooke. That’s all you ever were.”

“What’s wrong? Jealous ’cause you have none?” Brooke gave the hand in hers one last crushing squeeze before flinging it away.

“Just like every drummer in the business. What I’ve got is what you’ve always wanted… and you know it.”

“Wrong… why should I waste my time on you when I’m better at it?”

“Oh, excuse me, the great Loran is never wrong. Well, except for when you decided not to fuck me.”

“James…you couldn’t handle it. Your dick would go limp before I could even blink. That is… if I could even find it.”

James grabbed his crotch, suggestively. “Care to give that a test?”

“No…it’ll never happen.”

Sam moved forward to Brooke’s side and wrapped her hands around Brooke’s upper arm. “Come on, Brooke. He’s drunk. Just let him leave.”

“Yeah, Needle dick… let go of your sock roll and get the hell out of my house.”

“Sock roll huh? Well if that cock ain’t good enough for you…then maybe this one will be.” Before Brooke could move out of the way, James sent a right upper cut in the direction of her chin. His blow landed and Brooke soon followed sharply with an elbow to his nose, merely as an impulsive instinct.

Seeing the beginnings of a fight, Sam thought it best to step in, intervening when James threw another punch in Brooke’s direction. Her actions weren’t anticipated and before she could see it coming, Sam caught the punch instead, lost her balance and hit her head against the decorative molding on the wall before she crumpled to the floor.

“Sam…” Brooke’s eyes widened in horror as she watched her lover slump to the floor in slow motion, knowing that she could not stop it. The woman spun around with such a force that one would think she was possessed by the devil. Her eyes so intense with hatred that they could have been mistaken for the fires of hell, she bared down on James.

“You FUCKING BASTARD.” Brooke let go with a yell as she grabbed his arm, wrenching it up behind his back, then rammed him across the room, slamming his face into the wall.

“What? What did I do? She stepped into it.” James tried to justify his actions.

The tall woman was having none of it. She dragged him to the entrance of the house and pushed him out, slamming the door, unintentionally catching his hand as he tried desperately to gain access to he house.

“Dammit, Brooke…that’s my fucking chord hand.” He let go with a strangled scream as she threw her weight into the door.

His plea fell on deaf ears as Brooke opened the door, then pushed him further out and into the rain. Once her mission was accomplished, she slammed the door, locked it, and then ran back over to where Sam laid sprawled out on the floor in the living room.

“Sam? Baby? Oh God…Sam?” Brooke gently pulled her up into her lap as she knelt on the floor next to her.

Dazed and confused, Sam opened her green eyes to look into concerned blue. “What…Brooke? Whoa! Who turned out the lights?”

“Oh God, Sam…I am so sorry, Baby.”

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” Sam asked, her speech slow and wispy.

“Sam? Come on stay with me, Sweetheart.” Brooke wrapped her arms around Sam and tried to keep her conscious.

Lackluster green eyes tried to focus on Brooke and her mind was trying to make sense out of what the woman was saying to her. “Staying? Where am I staying?”

“With me, Sam…stay with me.” Fearful blue eyes flicked over her lover’s delicate features, making out the angry red mark on her face that was quickly turning a very distinctive hue of blue. Oh God, why didn’t I just throw him out on his ear to begin with. This is all my fault.

Somewhere through the brain fog, Sam tried to regain a little of her senses. “Brooke, is that you?” She asked, unsuccessful in her attempt to focus her eyes.

“Oh shit… Mario!” Brooke yelled for her faithful companion. Not a moment later, she could hear the sound of eager paws as they clawed at the kitchen door. Within moments, the dog came running into the living room as the sound of loud banging came from the front door.

“Phone, Mario. Bring me the phone.” Brooke motioned to her cell phone laying on the coffee table, then refocused her attention back on the blonde in her arms. “Sam? Come on…talk to me, Sweetheart.”

Mario was torn between doing as he was commanded by his mistress or to protect her by standing guard at the door where James continued to bang and yell obscenities. The next second decided his fate as a rock came smashing through the side panel of the entryway. Mario took off with a vengeance, growling as his upper lip rolled back, exposing menacing white teeth.

“I’m not leaving without those masters.” James stuck his hand into the open window but hurriedly pulled it back out when the sound of a savagely barking animal made him shiver with fear.

“Brooke, why am I sleeping in the living room?” Sam’s dazed eyes rolled around, taking in the room.

“Honey, you’re not. I just need you to talk to me, Baby, keep talking to me.” Brooke stretched out her long arm for the phone, understanding her dog’s refusal to leave his post at the broken window. Grabbing the phone on her second attempt, she quickly punched in the numbers 9-1-1. She turned to look in at the window, when she heard more breaking of glass, to see James starting to come through it. She waited for the operator to come on the line and quickly gave her location and name before stating the reason for her distress. “I’ve got someone breaking into my house,” her words were brief but to the point.

“You better have them, Brooke. I’m coming for them.” James called out, putting his leg through the shattered window, but it didn’t get very far before Mario bit down on his calf. “Yeow! Goddamn dyke loving dog…”

Brooke pulled the phone from her ear and yelled out her warning. “James, I’ve called the cops and they’re on their way.” She paused for a second, then issued her command, “Mario, release.”

The dog did as he was instructed this time, allowing James to pull his leg out of the window. “Ah shit!” James cried out in rage when he tried to put his weight on the leg. He left the door, cursing with each step as he limped all the way to his car. Once there, he yelled out as loud as he could before getting in. “I’ll be back, Brooke. You can count on that.”