The Way to Eden

Matt breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Jeff's voice on the other end of the line. He'd been driving Shannon and Jolene crazy pacing the room like a caged tiger.

"Where th' hell 'ave YOU been, Jeff?" he exploded into the phone.

"Uh, I been busy."

"Busy!" Matt suddenly saw stars and it had nothing to do with the 619 Rey planted on him the previous night. "Too busy ta ansa TEN messages?!?"

"Ten?" Ya musta lef' a couple since I las' checked 'em."

Unbelievable, Matt thought. He could literally hear the smile in his brother's voice. Here he was going out of his mind because he knew someone was about to try and kill Jeff, and the multi-colored fool was LAUGHING at him.

"I swear ta God, Jeff Imma kill ya myself one o' these days."

"Ya would done it already, bro," Jeff chuckled. "'Sides, Ri was there th' whole time. No' that I knew it."

"Who th' hell can tell ya anythin'?" Matt barked. "Yaw always tryin' ta git away wit' stuff. We knew ya wouldn' believe us so we did what we hadda."

"I kno'."

"An don' git yawself outta joint . . ."

"I kno'."

"She was goin' as crazy as me . . ." Matt cut his tirade short. "Whaddaya mean ya kno'?"

"I kno' she was worried 'bout me," Jeff sighed guiltily. "I kno' ya'll were an I'm sorry. But tha' don' change 'ow I feel 'bout Sin."

"Yaw STILL on 'bout tha' psycho?"

"She ain' no psycho, Matt" Jeff bristled.

"She's dangerous!"

"May I remin' ya tha' ya said th' same thin' 'bout Ri when ya firs' met 'er?"

A cold shock went down Matt's back. "Tha' was differen'!"

"'Ow?"

"She neva actually tried ta kill ya!"

"Yeah, butchoo thought she was gonna."

"Tha' don' change th' fact that THIS one had a knife an' attacked ya."

"'Ow'd ya kno' 'bout th' knife?"

"Justin called me afta he an' Sven left ya," Matt admitted. "'E says Sven has 'er safely tucked away."

"Is she hurt?"

"Are you outta yo' mind?" Matt shrieked into the phone. Shannon peered in from the adjoining room. He was currently on the phone with his wife and was giving Matt some privacy to talk to his errant brother. Evidently, privacy was becoming less of an issue.

"I jus' wanna kno'."

"She tried to KILL you, Jeff," Matt replied. "I don' 'specially care if she eva breathes again."

"Ya don' mean that, Matty."

"I think I do." He answered angrily. "Ya jus' cain' keep away from trouble, can ya?"

"This ain' about that," Jeff argued. "She didn' wanna do it."

"Yet there ya lay unconscious fo' 'alf th' night."

"I kno' she wouldna been able ta do it."

"Why? 'Cause ya made 'er love ya?" That came out a little harsher than Matt intended, but he couldn't help it. Damn it, Jeff was so determined to self- destruct he didn't care who he hurt in the process.

"Man, I kno' ya ain' THAT cold," Jeff said softly. "Ya accepted Ri, Matt. Caincha at leas' TRY ta unnerstand?"

"Tara was different."

"Why?" Jeff countered. "'Cause she neva tried ta hurt me? Even she wouldn' agree. Ya kno' she knowingly hurt me mo' than any otha woman when she chose Shan."

"Is that was this is about?" Matt couldn't believe his ears. "Ya tryin' ta git back at 'er fo' marryin anotha man? I thought ya were ova that."

"I am," Jeff said. "But she would tell ya that she's not that differen' in the hurt department."

"She would neva kill anyone."

"Ya didn' see 'er las' night man," his brother sighed again. "When I woke up an' she tol' me what happen'd I seen it. She woulda killed. I seen it inner eyes."

"If you'da kep' away from tha' woman, she wouldna hafta feel tha' way."

"I kno' she an' I were neva meant ta be t'getha, Matt," Jeff confessed. "I knew it even then. But I neva knew 'ow close we are in otha ways. She'da killed fo' me. It scar'd me a little."

"It should."

"Bu' like I tol' 'er, Sin ain' no differen' from Rio Angele."

"Light years o' diffr'ence."

"Jus' let Sven see what 'e can do, an' reserve final judgment. Tha's all I ask."

Matt silently contemplated the bedspread as he pondered Jeff's request. His first instinct was to flat out refuse, as usual. But the last time he did that, Jeff shut him out and let a psycho in his house. He couldn't afford to go through that again, his nerves were too weak.

"Fo' now," he finally muttered.

"Thanks, bro."

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Shannon went back to his phone conversation after Matt quieted down a little. Jolene was in the shower in Matt's room and he knew he didn't have much time to talk to his wife. He'd just said hello when Matt's yelling grabbed his attention.

"I'm back, baby."

"What was that all about?" Tara asked curiously.

"Oh, Matt's rippin' Jeff a new one."

"Typical."

"I gatha th' fight went well?" he asked.

"Well for me, badly for Sin," she confirmed. "I may have fractured her nose and definitely broke her arm in two places."

Shannon drew in a sharp breath.

"Hey, better her than Jeff."

"Maybe ya oughta break one o' 'is arms," Shannon said thoughtfully. "A' leas' Matt'll git a few peaceful weeks outta it."

"Funny."

"'E was really knock'd out?"

"Justin called, huh?"

"Uh huh," he said.

"Yes, he was really out cold . . . for most of the night," she grumbled. "When he came to, he was pissed and demanding explanations."

"Ya shoulda popped 'im again fo good measure."

"Shannon," she laughed. "Only you would be annoyed with him in that moment."

"Me an' Matt both," he insisted. "So, ya nurs'd 'im back ta health then?"

"Yeah," she said evasively.

"Ya slep' wit' 'im, dincha?" Shannon said, trying to keep his rage under control.

"WHAT!?"

"Ya 'eard me," he said darkly. "I don' mean sex, butcha slep, wit' 'im."

"How . . . ?"

"I kno' ya, baby," he said quietly. "I kno' ya betta than ya kno' yo'self."

"I just," she began. "I was so close to losing him. He's like my big brother."

"I kno'."

"I didn't want anything from him but to feel his heart beat," she went on. "I wasn't going to stay there all night, but I fell asleep."

"I kno'."

"I would NEVER be unfaithful to you."

"Calm down, baby," he said soothingly. "I kno'."

"You do?"

"Yeah," he smiled suddenly. "I's like I tol' tha' daredevil when 'e was still chasin' ya. When my baby mates, i's permament. I still don't like ya sleepin' wit' 'im, though, so don' make a 'abit o' it."

"I love you, Shannon."

"I kno'," he chuckled. "I love ya, too, Tara."

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Eden sat on the bed in the basement room and stared at the wall. By her estimation, it must be the next morning, though she hadn't slept. She was anticipating an attack from Rio or one of her 'fathers'. Sven had been cordial enough when he set her arm, but they both had carefully skirted the issue of the cause of her injuries. Most would argue that the fact that he'd set her arm meant she was safe from him, but Eden knew better. Samuel had often treated injuries she'd incurred from their training sessions, only to attack her again when she least expected it. He explained that he was merely trying to impress upon her the need to always be on guard, but she'd seen the glint of enjoyment in his eyes when he struck her. She'd learned that lesson well, she admitted to herself.

The door creaked open slowly and Sven poked his head inside and regarded her coolly.

"You have not slept," he observed astutely.

"You are a clever one," she returned icily.

"You need rest," he insisted.

"So you can finish me off?" she scoffed. "I think I'll pass."

"How long do you think you will be able to stay awake?" he countered.

"As long as I can."

"And then?"

"I guess then you can finish what your daughter started," she sneered.

"Why do you dislike Rio?"

"I never said I did."

"You do not have to."

Eden just stared back at him in irritation.

"I will not harm you, Sin," he said quietly. "Just as I did not harm Rio, or Fury."

"Fury?"

"My son," he explained.

"Fury's YOUR son?"

"Just like Rio is my daughter."

"Well, that's just perfect," Eden grumbled.

"We will discuss family ties when you are feeling better," he said pulling a tray from behind him and leaving it on a small table in the corner. "For now, here is some sustenance. Then you should rest."

"What are you, a doctor?"

"Yes."

"Weird."

"Not really," he tossed back as he retreated and relocked the door.

This was not going well at all.