Previously, on "Something's Wrong With Sam"…

Trinity took Jazz's hand and led her downstairs, the two of them giggling once more.

"That didn't go how I thought it would." Danny remarked, referring to his secret plan to unnerve Sam's cousin.

"Me neither," Sam added. "Trinity doesn't usually sleep with girls when she's on holiday."

The Truth

Danny and Sam made their way down the stairs, where Tucker was looking thoroughly confused.

"I don't think it worked." He said, fiddling with the games controller.

"It didn't," Danny agreed.

"What didn't work?" Sam asked, equally as confused as Tucker.

"We, uh, were trying to play a prank on Trinity," Danny sheepishly admitted, rubbing his arm. "She seemed nervous around my sister, so we thought it would be funny to see her squirm for a bit."

"Oh Danny," Sam sighed, shaking her head and grinning. "If you knew her the way I do, you'd know that wouldn't work."

"Well, I don't know her like you," Danny frowned, remembering why he wanted to make Trinity so uncomfortable. "Stay here, okay?"

As Danny walked away toward the kitchen, Sam felt even more confused. She looked at Tucker, who seemed unable to look her in the eye.

"Listen, Tuck," She began. "I'm really sorry about what I said, the way it came out was not how I meant it."

"I know," He half-smiled. "We figured as much that you were stressed about being back with your annoying parents."

"That's for sure," She leaned over and gave him a hug.

Danny approached the back door, where Trinity was once again smoking – in between giggling and chatting quietly with Jazz.

"Hey Jazz," He said. "Mind if I have a private word with Trinity?"

"No problem," Jazz smiled at the dark haired girl. "I'll wait for you upstairs."

"Sure thing, dahlin', this won't take long." She smiled back. Taking a drag of her cigarette and blowing the smoke out the door. "So, Danny boy, what's on your noggin'?"

"We need to talk about what you've been doing to Sam." He spoke seriously.

She ushered him out the back door and closed it behind her.

"I've no clue what you're on about," She remarked.

"Why did you shut the door then?"

"Tryin' to keep the smoke out yer kitchen," Trinity innocently answered.

"Don't play games," He warned. "I know about the stuff you've been giving her, the, uh, ghost boy told me."

"Listen kid," She snapped, stubbing out her ciggy on the wall. "I'd take what that lad says with a pinch of salt – I told you before that he fancies Sammy, he's messin' with your head."

"Tell me the truth." He insisted, glaring at her.

"Fine, you wanna know what I've been doin' to Sam?" She growled. "Trying to give her a fightin' chance of surviving this buggered up family!"

Danny's stern face weakened a little.

"You ain't got a bloody clue, have you?" Trinity grimaced. "Do you have any idea what a pain in the arse it is, to be born into a family that hides you away if you don't match up to their prissy bloody expectations?"

He remained silent as she ranted on.

"Mum and dad always told me that the Yanks in our family tree were like a pair of vipers, but I never knew what gits they were until my parents died." She paced in a small circle like a caged animal. "My brother was snatched away and taught the ways of the business, but when I got to his age, they said I weren't needed and they left me in England; alone."

"Sam told me that." Danny mentioned.

"Did she tell you what devil's breath is?"

"No…" He responded, unsure of what it was himself.

"Of course she didn't, because she doesn't know what it is," She crossed her arms and sneered. "It's an odourless, tasteless drug that causes suggestibility and amnesia – I have a mate who majored in Chemistry, and got her to make an altered version; more focus on easy persuasion and minimal memory loss, which would become permanent after a certain number of doses."

"So you've been drugging her," He frowned again, disappointment marring his voice.

"I was trying to make her a Manson, but I've been going about it the wrong way," She sighed. "Bloody right wing Yanks and their stupid flippin' mind games – all I wanted was for Sam not be outcast and abandoned like I was."

Danny crossed his arms too and leant to one side.

"Yer sister got me thinkin' about it; me and Sam ain't the only 'weird' Manson's in the family," Trinity flicked her hair over her shoulder. "It's about time we all stood up for ourselves…"

Trinity took the lighter from her bra, and fumbled around in her other pocket for a moment. She took out a single foil packet, just like the one he had seen her with at the lockers, and showed it to him.

"This is the last one."

She noticed the garbage can by the back door, took the lid off and put it gently on the ground. She held up the foil with one hand and used her lighter to set fire to it. It was dropped into the can and the two of them watched it burn wildly. Trinity sighed.

"Can you believe that my Auntie said she'd only accept me into the family if I did this? Swore blind that it was a mistake leaving me behind, that I could prove myself this way; I know she's lyin' through her teeth, but I'd believe anything she said if it meant acceptance." She looked away as a steady stream of tears rolled down her cheek. "She's traitorous snake, and I let her use me to manipulate her only daughter into being something she wasn't – stupid me fell for it an' all."

"Look, Trinity," He started, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends."

"I feel like such a traitor right now," She frowned, before giving a half-smile. "Guess I'm more Manson than I thought."

"Just an idea, but maybe you should stop defining yourself by your name."

They stood in silence as the flames slowly got lower and lower and eventually it burnt out. It was then that the back door opened and Sam appeared.

"You guys coming back in or what?" She wondered.

"Be there in a sec, hun." Trinity assured her, quickly wiping her tears away.

She left the door open but walked away to the living room. As they turned to go inside, Trinity grabbed Danny's arm. He looked at her quizzically.

"Do us a favour, lad," She said. "Please don't tell Sam what I was doing to her."

"When I first met you Trinity, I wasn't sure of you and to be honest I really hated you for what you've done to Sam," He sighed. "But I'm no stranger to Sam's parents and I don't doubt for a second that they'd pull something like this."

Trinity looked at her feet guiltily, knowing that she was party to her aunt and uncles farce.

"I'm still angry at you, but I understand why you did it; for that reason and that reason only, I'll keep it to myself."

"Cheers mate," She responded, giving him a quick but sincere hug. "And don't worry, she'll be back to her normal self in a few weeks."

"So it's not permanent?"

"Not without that last dose it isn't…"

The next day, everyone was chilling out in the lounge. All except for Trinity, who was pacing the floor and occasionally dashing over to the window.

Nothing.

Her brother was coming to see her today, and as she hadn't seen him in about 7 months, she was very excited.

"Calm down Trinity," Danny laughed. "You're gonna wear a hole in the rug."

"Sounds familiar," Tucker joked, eyeing up Danny from the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry," She mewed. "I'm just so happy to be seeing Ryan again!"

Just then, the sound of a car pulling up could be heard from outside. Trinity leapt over to the window and she gave a huge gasp at what she saw. She whirled round, her eyes lit up like the fourth of July and she squealed as she danced around the room.

"HE'S HERE!"

Danny smiled and got up to open the front door. He observed a silver Mercedes parked outside, and from the driver's side, emerged a tall man in a long leather coat and dark sunglasses. The man noticed Danny at the door and waved as he approached. His head was shaved clean and he had an eyebrow piercing that matched Trinity's. Truth be told, he didn't seem like the businessman type – expect for the Merc he drove up in.

"Hey," He said to Danny in a deep British accent. "You're Daniel right?"

"Yeah," Danny replied. "Come in."

"Thanks," He smiled.

He had barely stepped into the living room when Trinity ran over and threw her arms around him.

"Oh Ryan!" She breathed. "I missed you so much!"

"Thanks sis, I missed you too," He ruffled her hair and she pulled away, grinning like a mad woman.

"Everyone, this is my older brother Ryan," She beamed. "Ryan, these are Sam's friends, you've met Danny of course, but this is Tucker and this is Jazz, Danny's older sister."

"Nice to meet yer kid," Ryan said to Tucker as they shook hands.

"Ditto," Tucker answered with a grin.

"Hi Jazz," He took off his sunglasses and winked at her.

"Hi Ryan," She waved at him.

"This the girl you got all hot and bothered over?" Ryan asked Trinity, gesturing to Jazz.

"Um, yeah," Trinity blushed red.

"Don't blame yer, she's cute." He turned to Jazz and smiled. "Hope my sister weren't a nuisance."

"Not at all…" She replied, mirroring Trinity's blood red blush.

"Uh, can I get you a drink?" Danny offered.

"No thanks kid," Ryan said. "We got a flight to catch."

"We?" Trinity wondered.

"Took the liberty of booking a flight home, in case you weren't up to staying here," He put his hand on her shoulder. "We got a lot of catchin' up to do, sis, and since I've got a month off..."

"You… you have a whole month?" She squeaked in disbelief.

"Well with the huge contract I just landed they could hardly say no." He smirked. "And once my time off is up, you're gonna be my apprentice."

"I'd love to!" She clapped her hands together enthusiastically, when her face sunk with sudden realisation. "But they'd never allow it…"

"Oh they'll allow it alright," He said with an evil grin. "I've got 'em by the short an' curlies."

"Ooooh, you sneaky sod!" Trinity put her hands on her hips. "What kinda game are you playin'?"

"Never you mind," He chuckled, ruffling her hair again. "So, what do you say? We'll go somewhere fun, have a few laughs, and then it's goodbye boredom, hello career."

Trinity could hardly believe her ears. Quality time with her brother AND a chance to learn the family business? It was like a dream come true. She looked at the four people who had put up with her for the past few days and smiled, a single tear rolling down her face.

"I don't know how to thank yer all for puttin' up with me," She whimpered.

She decided to say goodbye to best way she knew how – with affection. She looked at Jazz with great appreciation, wrapping her arms around the redhead and giving a little squeeze.

"Promise you'll keep in touch?" Jazz asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Trinity replied, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Turning towards Tucker, she pulled him into a big hug; as she let go he gave one of his best flirty smiles and she patted him on the head. When it came to Danny, Trinity chose to offer him a handshake instead, only for him to reach over for a gentle hug. She was shocked at first, but hugged back after a few moments.

"You're a good lad, take care of Sammy for me, okay?"

"Of course," He mimicked.

She then found herself in front of Sam. The yank cousin who came into her life and gave her purpose, gave her friendship and gave her a reason to keep going, not just for herself but for every Manson that had suffered the cold shoulder for being different.

"Sam." Trinity spoke.

"Trinity." Sam replied.

"I want yer to promise me one thing," She began, putting her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "Promise me, that you will never let your parents change who you are, and if they get too much for you contact me asap – we're here for you; me, Ryan, Danny, Tucker, Jazz – if you need us, always call and we'll help you."

Sam found herself welling up with tears. She had become very close to Trinity in the 6 months they'd spent time together, and as Trinity also starting getting teary eyes, it was clear that the feeling was mutual. With one last hug, the two girls said goodbye.

"Come on, you sappy mare," Ryan joked. "Let's roll."

"See ya later guys!" Trinity grinned as she followed her brother out to his car.

He opened the passenger side door for her and closed it once she was comfortably inside.

"Thanks again!" He yelled to them, putting his shades back on and climbing into the driver's side of the car.

With that, they drove away, Trinity waving like a mad woman as they vanished into the distance. They all stood at the door for a couple minutes, reflecting on the utter madness that had entered their lives and disappeared almost as quickly.

"Back to normal I guess," Danny commented, glancing at Sam.

"Whatever that is," Sam laughed.

Another chapter down! The next one will be the last, a brief epilogue to really tie things up.

FYI, even though I took creative license with it, devil's breath is a real drug – it's dangerous, deadly and can mess you up – DON'T DO IT!

Hope you liked this chapter! x