| Matt returned to his quarters and stood in the center of his living room for a few seconds before releasing a huge scream. He then sat down, put his head in his hands once more, and fought the urge to cry. How could she? How in the HELL could she? There were footsteps outside Matt�s door. He heard the owner of them try to open the door and the reply came �Door is locked and privacy is requ�� A male voice cut the computer off. �Command override, Captain Christopher Jericho.� �Voice match,� the computer acknowledged as the doors slid open. �EARN IT?� Jericho asked Matt as he watched the boy sit and fume. �EARN IT? Matt, the girl earned a fucking level 19! You know how many women have earned a level 19? Two, she�s only the second. Only five percent of guys even make a level 19. And that hasn�t earned your respect than your standards are too high.� �I�m supposed to take this shit from the woman who supposedly loves me?� Matt spat out. �Yes, because the woman who loves you happens to be your commanding officer now. And you have to learn how to deal with it.� �She�s been sleeping with you, hasn�t she?� Matt asked. �She�s been fucking you for months, right? That�s why she got this job.� �Could you be anymore of a bratty ass-clown?� Jericho asked. �I AM THE BRATTY ONE ON THIS SHIP, AND I HAVE NOT FUCKED YOUR GIRLFRIEND. Though at this point, she seems more like your ex. She�s out there, trying not to cry and trying to look strong through the whole thing. If you don�t respect her, there�s the problem of the rest of the crew not respecting her. We can�t risk that with an inspection in three days. The point of this rant is, junior, get the fuck over it.� Jericho turned and left. As he was leaving, Jeff walked in. �What do you want?� Matt asked his brother. �I can�t side with you on this one, bro,� Jeff replied. �She�s good, she�s damn good. Given the opportunity she could have earned a dead eye already. And I�m not letting you treating her like this affect the way I, or anyone else on this ship, thinks of her. So get over it. And after this, never call me immature again.� Matt put his head back in his hands and only heard his brother leave the room. �Door is locked and privacy is requ�� �Command override, Captain Christopher Jericho.� �Voice match,� Jericho heard as he entered Lita�s quarters. �You okay, Red?� �How can he hate me?� she sobbed. �I told him I didn�t want to, but dammit Chris, he nearly got Edge killed.� �I know Red. He�s just being an asshole, that�s all,� Jericho sat down beside her on the couch. �And you�ve handled assholes before.� �But I�ve hated those assholes before. I don�t hate Matt.� Chris could see that she had a photo frame in her hands, containing a picture of her, Jeff, and Matt on the day they found out they were being stationed together. Chris remember the fit Lita�s then boyfriend Essa Rios had thrown. And then when he�d beaten her, Chris had been tempted to go after the ass-clown himself. Truth be told, Lita was like his kid sister, and Matt�s accusing him of fucking her was like being accused of incest. His heart lay elsewhere, and everyone on the ship knew that. Whether HE�D admit it to them or not, he was in love with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. Plus, she loved him back. And if the crew ever found out, he�d have to kill them all. But this wasn�t about him and Steph right now, it was about Lita and Matt and their problems. �Chris, I don�t know if I can do this. Is anyone going to take me seriously and not just look at me as Matt�s girlfriend?� �I don�t know Red. It�s a choice you�ve got to make.� His com started going off. �Ah, what the hell?� He opened his com. �What is it?� �Um, captain,� Shane�s voice was shaky on the other end of the com. �We have a slight problem with the inspectors. They�re here. Now.� �Fucking hell?� Chris asked. �What are they doing here so soon?� �Stephanie said something about wanting to get to this one fast. I think we�re in trouble.� �Are they starting the inspection NOW?� �No, they�re waiting for tomorrow. But they want to spend the night on the ship.� �I�ll be right there,� Chris closed the com and put it back on his belt. �Sorry kid, we�ll continue this later. But right now we have to greet our unwelcome guests.� �Well, well, well,� Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley smirked as she entered the ship. �Captain Christopher Jericho, what an honor. I intend to have a lot of fun with this one.� �If your idea of fun is putting up with my brand of humor for the next few days, then we�re going to have a grand old time.� �Well, I can see with the way this is going, we may have a few problems, Captain Jericho.� �The only problem we�ll have Mrs. McMahon-Helmsley, is if your little friends burst and drown out all the equipment.� �Captain Jericho, I do not believe that you should take such liberties when speaking with me, seeing as how your job will be dependent on the next few days.� �Honey, my job may depend on you, but my gag reflex is reacting to you.� �Jericho!� She looked at him wide eyed as her husband and her brother entered the room. �Are you starting already?� Steph�s brother Shane asked. �Can�t you wait until we�re at least settled to begin insulting my sister.� �No,� Jericho said matter-of-factly to Shane. Lita stood behind Jericho, stifling a giggle. Shane shot her a look, as did the newly arrived Commissioner William Regal. He stared at her with his better-than-thou art scowl. �Young lady, is it really appropriate for you to be laughing at a superior officer?� �Lita,� Jericho turned to the girl. �You have my full permission to laugh at Commissioner Ass-Clown.� �Duly noted, sir,� Lita nodded, hands behind her back. Hunter dropped the bags on the floor. �Can I get some help here?� �Hurricane? Jeff? You guys wanna help Hunter with his bags?� The two boys picked up the bags. Shane looked up at Stephanie in amazement. �You�re Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley?� She nodded. �And you are?� �Shane Helms. But everyone out here calls me Hurricane.� �Hurricane?� Regal asked. �I don�t think that�s the appropriate way to address a crew member, Captain Jericho.� �Maybe not, Commissioner, but it�s how we address each other out here. And I don�t think the way I address my crew is any business of yours.� �It will be my business tomorrow, Captain.� �As I understand, Commissioner. Now if you�ll excuse me, I need to make sure your bags get to your rooms. Lita, show Hunter and Stephanie to their room. I�ll take care of Shane, Regal, and�who else is back there?� A bald headed man entered the room. �Austin�good to see you.� �Shut up, Jericho. Do you know who I am? I am Stone Cold Steve Austin.� �Of course. Right this was Stone Cold Steve Ass-Clown.� �What?� �Stone Cold Steve Austin.� Lita led Hunter and Stephanie to the quarters they�d set aside for them. �Here�s where you�ll be staying.� Stephanie looked around the suite. �This isn�t exactly what I had expected.� �We had to make due with what we had. I�m sorry.� �You know, I believe I�m going to have a word with the Captain.� Stephanie turned and walked out the door. When she was gone, Hunter turned to Lita. �Why do I have a feeling that word is �orgasm�?� Lita laughed, softly in spite of herself. �You think she�s cheating on you?� �I KNOW she�s cheating on me. I have known it for years.� �Why do you put up with it? And more over, why are you being nice to me?� �What?� �Well, last time we met, you and Austin kicked my ass for defending Matt.� �Yeah, you survived. You survived and then you came out here and proved you�re tougher than most of the females I�ve ever met.� �And that matters because?� Hunter shrugged. �I LIKE tough girls.� �Yet you married Steph?� �She�s tough, in her own way. Not like you, Jackie, and�Chy�� Lita was quiet for a second. �You took losing her hard, didn�t you?� �I was in love with her, completely and utterly. I left her for Stephanie because I wanted more power. More money, more EVERYTHING. I lost her.� Hunter sat down on the couch. �And of all the people in the world, I open up to you.� �After you nearly killed me, might I add.� Lita sat down beside him. �Yeah. I did. And then I ended up getting hurt and leaving for a long time. I came back and Austin�s a pussy, my wife�s deep in her affair, Regal�s an ass. I�m sick of it.� �I can understand. I�m having problems of my own.� Hunter stood up and mixed himself a drink. He motioned to Lita who shook her head. �I�m on duty.� Hunter nodded in understanding and sat back down beside her. �What kind of problems?� �Matt. I had to ground him after he did something stupid, and now he�s pissed off at me.� �You decided to lay down the law and he got angry, right?� �Exactly.� �Look, let me try and explain. We guys�we all still have caveman instincts. Some have evolved out of many of them, but they still retain others. Like jealousy anytime any touches their wife.� �So, you�re saying Matt�s upset because a woman told him what to do?� �No, Matt�s upset because HIS woman told him what to do.� �You really think that�s his problem?� �Yeah, sounds like it.� �How do you know these things?� �Takes an asshole to know an asshole.� �Captain Jericho, I have some things to say to you.� Jericho spun around to face Stephanie. She stood in his doorway, smirking at him and holding a bottle of champagne. �You want something to drink, Captain?� �Well, Mrs. McMahon-Helmsley, I�m on duty, and I have an inspection coming up tomorrow.� She slipped into the room. �Oh, I think you�re gonna pass with flying colors.� Jericho stood still as she approached him. �Hmmm�how am I gonna do that?� �Well, it might be because you have a very special relationship with someone who owns Regal�s ass.� She teased as she set down the champagne bottle. �Don�t bring his ass into this,� Chris muttered as she slipped her arms around his neck. �You have the only ass I�m interested in.� He kissed her deeply, nudging his tongue into her mouth. She returned the kiss just as passionately as they moved towards his bedroom. Jericho broke the embrace for a split second to dim the lights, and then moved towards the love of his life. �She�s hot!� Hurricane exclaimed Rob and Edge as he crashed in the common room. �She�s fricking hot!� �She�s a bitch,� Edge warned him. �She�s a selfish, spoilt little brat. There�s nothing hot about her.� �Except her body!� Shane exclaimed. �And her voice�and she�s so smart.� Rob smiled at the kid. �Except she plays favorites. I remember�� �Uh, oh. Flashback time��Edge rolled his eyes. �Right before I was assigned out here, There was a lotto to see who�d end up here and who�d end up at base. I should have been put on the base, but Austin cheated and set it up so another friend of his got the base, and I ended up out here.� �And Stephanie just went with it?� Shane asked, amazed. �Yes, she did. She didn�t do anything to piss off Austin. He was her and her brother�s golden boy. I think it�s sickening.� �But�she�s changed, right? She�s not the same woman she was then?� �I don�t know,� Rob exclaimed. �I don�t think she can change.� �She�s gorgeous.� �She�s dangerous.� �She�s�� �Fucking Jericho,� Tori announced as she joined the boys. �She�s fucking him in his quarters right now, if I know her.� �Of course, she�s fucking him,� another female voice joined. Everyone cringed as the medical officer, Trish Stratus, entered the room. �I wouldn�t doubt it.� �Yeah, well you fucked her daddy to get a job, so you�re worse in my book,� Tori smiled at Trish as she said this. �Um�and who was body guarding her for cash?� �I did what I had to do.� �So did I,� Trish smirked at her. �And I did it well.� �Obviously not well enough if you�re stuck out here,� Jackie filled in. �If you were any good at all you�d have your cushy job at base and only the real tough bitches would be out here.� She accentuated this by slapping Tori five. �What�s up, Space Cowgirl?� Tori asked. �They wanna give us a Trainee, some kid named Nidia. Sounds like she�s tough enough to handle it.� �You really think she�s gonna cut it?� Tori lounged in one of the chairs. �She went through basics with flying colors,� Jackie sat backwards on one of the chairs at the card table and lit a cigar. �I�d say she sounds like she could handle it.� There was a collective groan as Commissioner Regal entered the room. �Hello everyone, how are we this�Dear god, are you smoking a cigar in here?� Jackie shrugged. �Yeah, what about it?� �Do you realize that smoking is bad for you health? And more over, do you realize how un-ladylike that is?� �Un-ladylike?� Jackie stood up and got in the Commissioner�s face. �You wanna see un-ladylike? Then try this!� She pushed the lit end of the cigar into his forehead, then kneed him in the groin. �Now, that�s un-ladylike.� There was a roaring round of applause for Jackie as she sat back down. �Oh, and that stays off the record �cause your damned inspection don�t start until tomorrow. Now get the hell out of here.� Regal retreated as quickly as he�d arrived. Lita was still talking to Hunter when she sensed something was wrong. �Hold on for a second�� she instructed as she headed for the windows. She paused for a second, then her eyes widened. �Hunter, I have to go.� She ran for the door, while pulling her com off of her belt. �Everyone to battle stations, red alert! We�re under attack, repeat, under attack!� |