Rating: I'll go with R, could probably get away with PG-13.
Original Date of Completion: August 2002
Disclaimer: I own them all, and you can't have them. This is fiction from my demented little mind, so don't sue me.
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Darren's POV
I punched at the bag furiously. I landed shot after shot, the bag absorbing all of my frustration and anger. I never wished I could be out on the ice more in my life. Because the ice could always calm me down. Be it just skating around, firing a puck at the net, or pounding some guy's face in, I always felt soothed when I stepped off. Since Julie had told me about Sergei, my blood had been boiling. The second I got home, I came down here and started pounding at the bag. That had to have been hours ago. My hands had gone numb long ago, but I couldn't stop. There was too much anger in me to be released with a simple deep breath and calming thoughts. Pounding the bag was the only way to get rid of it that kept me out of jail.
I kept thinking about everything we'd been through together the past six years. It seemed like every recent memory I had, they were involved. I'd gone to bat for them so many times. They'd both been there at the times when I wanted to give up because things just weren't going the way I'd hoped. I'm not so sure I'd be where I am right now without the two of them. They were closer than friends. They were my family, my blood. And now someone wanted to take them away from me, for a completely asinine reason. I'd really snap Sergei in half right now if I had the chance. But that would create more problems than it would solve. Like Steve said, he won't get the satisfaction of fucking up the team. At least not from me breaking his neck. The other way in his plan, I'm not so sure about.
Not many people on that team had the power that he did. Let's face it, not many people on that team are as good as him. It's the guy's attitude that sucks; you can't fault his playing ability. He could easily get rid of one of them, or both, with just a snap of his fingers. Anything to make Sergei happy. There are only three or so players whose happiness means more to the organization. But thankfully, they were probably on our side. At least two of them had to be. I just don't see Steve and Brendan, Hockeytown's happiest couple, siding with a homophobe. As for Nick, there's no way of really telling without outing Kirk and Kris, and that could just create more problems. If Kenny found out what Sergei had done to Stevie earlier, he'd be on him so fast his head would spin. But Steve had sworn us to secrecy. And in reality, it's not his crime against Stevie that's the problem, that was over and done with. It's his crime against two innocent and helpless people that needed to be stopped. And somehow or another, I will do that. I made a promise to them that I'd handle him, and I'm not the type to let family down.
I gave one last shot to the bag, then decided to call it quits. I started to pull the tape from my hands as I walked upstairs. Cheryl sat at the kitchen table with the phone to her ear and smiled at me as I walked in. I tossed the balled up tape into the garbage then walked behind her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She kissed back lightly, then quickly resumed her conversation. I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator then walked into the living room and plopped down onto the couch.
I cracked open the beer then laid back against the arm rest. Everything was becoming a jumbled mess inside my head. Just glancing around the room increased my anger. There were so many pictures of us together scattered around the room, from various big moments. All of the Cups, Kris' wedding, my girls being born, we were together through all of it. I didn't want to believe the possibility of losing them was real. I just always assumed they'd always be around. Of course, I never expected them to fall in love, and to have to deal with the problems that brought. But I loved the both of them, and I would fight beside them until the very end. I'd do anything in my power to keep them safe and happy. And that meant putting myself on the line and doing something I'm not used to doing. Asking someone else for help.
I sat my beer on the coffee table then ran a hand through my hair. I knew what I had to do, but I didn’t want to do it. I don't know what it is that made me so leery of asking for help. It's not that I didn't trust Steve, that's for sure. There are few people in this world I'd entrust my life too, but he's one of them. It's just not my style to do it. I liked to handle things myself, in my own way. But that wouldn't do a whole lot of good here. Even if I had the power to stop Sergei, it'd be out of commission right now until I signed a contract. Stevie was my one hope to get this solved before Sergei had a real chance to do anything. I sighed and dug into my pocket for my cell phone. I flipped it open and started dialing the number when Cheryl walked into the room. Relived, I closed the phone and sat it on the coffee table.
"Did I interrupt?" She asked, sitting next to me with a bowl of popcorn.
"No," I lied, leaning back against the couch. I snatched a handful of popcorn and popped it into my mouth. "I was just going to call Kirk,"
"That was him on the phone," She said plainly, locking her eyes on mine.
"Oh," I said quietly, averting my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair again. "There was no easy way to tell you, Cheryl,"
"That's bull Darren. You could've told me nice and simple like, 'Hey, Kris and Kirk are together now'." She stated, sounding slightly annoyed.
"It's not that simple, Cheryl,"
"Yes it is. What would you've told me if Kris were traded? Nothing? Just let me think Kenny didn't want him anymore, so he got rid of him?"
I sighed and stared over at her. She looked genuinely upset, which was something I hated seeing. She's right, I could've nice and simply told her they were an item. We were completely honest with each other. When something needed to be said, it was said straight up, no punches pulled. But this time, something needed to be said, and I didn't say it. She had a right to know, not just as my wife, but as their friend. But at the same time, I didn't want her to know to keep her from worrying. I know how she gets. One mention of the first conversation with Sergei, and she'd have worried herself sick. That's why I hadn't told her. She had enough to deal with without having to add that to her plate. I smiled at her and kissed her hand.
"I'm sorry, Cheryl, but I didn't want you to worry. I wasn't going to tell you about Kris, because I'm going to stop it before it happens,"
"I don't think you'll have the chance to,"
"Why not?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Kirk is going to talk to Kenny tomorrow and ask to be traded. He figures if he asks for it, he won't trade Kris, and he can stay here with Julie and the kids,"
I bit my lip and stared down at the floor. I couldn't believe he would do that. I thought I had an inkling of how much Kirk loved him, but this made it apparent I had no idea. His bravery astounded me, but at the same time it pissed me off. I told him not to worry, to let me handle everything when the day finally came. But surprise surprise, he didn't plan on listening. He never listened to me, the bastard. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. Cheryl smiled at me and rubbed her hand on my back. I kissed her, then got up from the couch. I walked across the room and stopped at the bookshelves. I picked up a picture of the three of us from one of the Cup celebrations in '98. We were huddled together in front of the Cup, all three of us more than a little drunk, with a different bottle in each of our hands. I don't know why, but Cheryl always insisted that was one of her favorite pictures of us, and would try to kill me anytime I'd put it away. I sighed and pressed my fist against the wall.
"Dammit," I muttered, sitting the picture back down. "Why couldn't he listen to me just this once,"
"Like you listen to him every time he says something?" Cheryl asked, placing her hand on my back. She was right there. "Kirk is stubborn, hon. Kinda like someone I know," She grinned and rubbed her hand up my back. "Maybe you should call and talk to him, he sounds like he could use you right now,"
I nodded and she leaned up and kissed me. She announced her departure for bed then walked off toward our bedroom. I stood by the bookshelf and kept staring at the pictures. I couldn't let him do it. If he asked for a trade, they'd give it to him. And he knew that. I can understand him trying to protect Kris. But doing it this way just let Sergei win. And I'll damned if I let that happen. I might lose one of them in the end. But if that was going to happen, I was going down swinging. I'm not the type to roll over and die. And I know deep down that neither is Kirk.
I walked out of the living room and into the office, away from those that were sleeping. I picked up the cordless from my desk and dialed Kirk's number. Before I even had the chance to get it to my ear, I heard his voicemail pick up. I switched the phone off and sat it down on the desk. It didn't even ring, so it was obvious he didn't plan on talking. I had to talk to him. I couldn't let him talk to Kenny without trying to talk some sense into him. I guess that only left me with one option. I'd have to go there. I sat the phone back onto it's base then walked into the living room. I grabbed my cell phone from the table and walked out the front door.
I dialed Steve's number as I walked to my car. I still had to talk to him, but I could do it on the way to my more pressing conversation. I stepped into my car and slipped the key in the ignition just as someone answered.
"Hello?" A sleepy voice answered. I suddenly felt bad for calling, as I identified the voice as Lisa's.
"Aw, I'm sorry for calling so late Lisa. Is Steve still awake by any chance?" I asked, firing up the engine.
"Of course, you know he doesn't sleep. I'll get him,"
She placed the phone on hold as I pulled out of my driveway. I drove for a minute or so before I heard the phone pick up and Steve clear his voice.
"Hello?"
"Hey Steve, it's Darren,"
"I'm fine Mac, really," He said annoyed.
"No," I chuckled, making a turn. "It's not about that. Well, it is and it isn't,"
"What are you talking about," I heard sheets ruffle and a distinct murmur on the other end of the phone.
"Am I keeping you from something?" I asked.
"No, that's just Bren, no big deal. So what's going on?"
"All right. When Sergei was there earlier, he made some threats as he was leaving. Julie overheard him,"
"What kind of threats? To who?"
"He told Dom that he'd better enjoy the happy couple while he could, because Kris would be in Atlanta by October,"
Steve stopped talking to me, but I heard him relaying everything to Brendan. They had a conversation amongst themselves as I continued the drive to Kirk's house. Traffic was practically non-existent, making the drive take a lot less time than expected. As I stopped at a red light, the conversation suddenly re-included me.
"I don't think Kenny will go for it," Steve said simply.
"You don't?"
"No, I don't. Kris has been a part of this team for almost ten years, Kenny is loyal,"
"I understand that, but that isn't calming my fears," I said as I pulled into the parking lot of Kirk's apartment building.
Steve sighed and there were more sheets ruffling on the other end. "Look, Mac. There isn't a whole lot anyone can do here. If Sergei can convince Kenny to do it, anything anyone could say isn't going to do much good."
I sighed and opened my car door. I swung my feet out and stared at the ground. "I guess you're right," I said quietly.
"Don't stress about it. Teammates have been traded before, it's no different this time. I'll talk to you later,"
"Yeah, later,"
I switched the phone off and tossed it onto the passenger seat. 'Thanks for absolutely nothing, Steve.' I thought to myself as I stepped from the car. '"Teammates have been traded before, it's no different this time." You are so wrong.' It is different this time. It's not just any teammate, it's Kris. And it's all happening for a completely bigoted reason. I thought for sure Steve, of all people would understand that, but he'd offered no help. That was why I hated asking for help. Because when it didn't come, there was always disappointment. I sighed and slammed my door shut. Sullenly, I walked from my car and made my way up to Kirk's door.
When I got to his door, I noticed the keys were still in the lock. Frowning, I pulled them out and slowly opened the door. When I stepped inside, I was surprised to see the entire house was dark. I glanced down at my watch, which read-only 10:29. 'There's no way he's asleep already.' I said to myself. I shut the door behind me and tiptoed quietly across the living room. I clung to the walls for direction in the darkness. Kirk had to have the darkest house in Detroit, and I couldn't see good in the dark as it was. When I reached his bedroom, I heard what sounded like faint whimpers behind the door. My brow furrowed, and I pushed the door open slowly. My eyes scanned the room, and that's when I saw him. He was sitting on the floor in front of the window, his knees curled up against his chest. The whimpers were audible now, and every couple of seconds I could hear him sniffle. I stepped into the room, and his eyes darted to me.
"Go away, Darren," He said, his voice quiet and hoarse. "Please,"
"That's not likely to happen," I said, stepping closer to him.
He looked up at me and my heart sunk in my chest. I sat down beside him, and he looked away.
"Mac..." He started, choking on his tears. "Please just leave me alone,"
I shook my head then wrapped my arms around him. He melted against me, and the whimpers became sobs. This was a new day for our friendship. I'd never seen him in such a broken state before. Hell, I'd never seen him cry. Any anger I had against him for what he was planning completely drained away. I kept my arms wrapped around him and rocked him gently. He gasped for breath and clutched onto my shirt. I felt like I could be doing so much more to comfort him, but I couldn't think of a thing to do. I don't know if I've ever been in as much pain as he seemed to be going through right now. His tears started to slow, but he made no moves to pull away from me. I rubbed my hand down his back and kissed him on the top of the head. He laughed quietly, and pushed himself meekly away.
"I draw the line at letting you kiss my head," He spoke softly, sniffling.
I smiled and ruffled his hair. He sniffled and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. I titled my head and looked at him concernedly. "You okay?"
He sniffled then lay back against the wall. "I will be,"
I frowned at him and rubbed my forehead. Before I even had the chance to speak, Kirk was shaking his head. "I'm going to talk to Kenny, Mac. It's the only way,"
I scowled at him and feverishly shook my head. "That is NOT the only way. That's the easy way, Kirk,"
"Believe me, there is nothing about this that's easy," He whispered, tears slipping down his face again. I moved in front of him and rested my hands on his shoulders. He turned his head away from me and closed his eyes.
"Look at me," I said firmly. Reluctantly, his eyes met mine. "If you ask for a trade, they'll give it to you. You'll be letting Sergei win, free and clear. I know that's not what you want,"
He didn't say anything in return, but the look in his eyes let me know that he agreed with me. I sat back on my haunches and ran a hand through my hair. Kirk sniffled, and wiped his eyes on his shirt. He sighed raggedly and looked away from me again. I sighed and placed my hand back on his shoulder. Slowly he turned back to me.
"I have to, Darren. I can't let him be traded away from Julie and the kids because of me. I've caused them enough damage,"
His voice was so quiet by the finish of his statement, it was barely audible over the wind blowing outside. I looked at him sadly and squeezed his shoulder. His tears were quiet, but I could still see them glinting in the moonlight as they slipped down his cheeks. I understood now why he was going to do it. He harbored a guilt about being with Kris, even as much as Julie told him it was okay. As for Kennedy, she adored Kirk more than anyone in the world. She'd probably be ecstatic when she could finally understand everything. I understood where he was coming from, but I didn't agree with it. Especially because I knew if Kris actually knew what he was planning on doing, there'd be no way he'd let him do it. Kris knew very well what he was getting into with Kirk, and he was willing to deal with the consequences. He would never let Kirk take the fall for it. But as it stood right now, I knew Kris didn't know. One look in Kirk's eyes, and I could tell. I sighed, and brought Kirk's eyes back to mine by the chin.
"Kirk. If you go tomorrow and talk to Kenny, you'll be causing Kris damage. You know as well as I do he'd never want you to do what you're planning on doing,"
"I have to," He whispered, tears still streaming down his face.
"No, you don't," I told him, shaking my head. "Just give me a day Kirk. Give me one day to talk to Kenny and straighten this out,"
He sniffled and stared deep into my eyes. We had a way of reading each other without words, and I knew my eyes were speaking the truth. He sighed and slowly nodded his head.
"Just a day. I'll get this all worked out, I swear," I vowed excitedly, standing up.
Kirk nodded sadly and waved good bye. I hated leaving him like this, but the wave was pretty indicative that he wanted me to leave. I smiled sadly at him, then extended my hand to pull him up. He smiled weakly, followed by a sniffle, then took my hand. I pulled back the covers and he sat down in bed. I shot a quick glare at him, and he crawled beneath them. He pulled them over himself and smiled weakly again. I leaned down and ruffled his hair, then walked from his bedroom. I let myself out, and slowly descended the stairs. When I reached my car, I sighed and shook my head.
"He's going to do it anyway," I sighed and climbed into my car.
He's a stubborn bastard, but that didn't change my plans. All that meant was I'd have to beat him to it....
TBC
© 2002 Triple X
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