Mourning After: Part 2
by Red Monster
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel Comics. Not profiting from this use of them, so keep your lawyers to yourself. Sequel to Who's the Boss?, by Samy Merchi. No explicit sex in this story, though there is a bit of intra-team violence, but of course tearing off someone's body parts won't get you tarred and feathered, you have to show people kissing and fondling each other before that'll happen.
thoughts emphasisDedicated to everyone who's ever lived to regret living in the moment.
"Theresa, a word," said Roberto when he ran into Theresa the next day. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a storage closet.
"Bobby, what's the matter?"
"I hear you've been dating Jimmy."
"Who told you this?"
"Danielle found some pills in your pants while she was doing the laundry and you told her you'd slept with James. Would you like to explain this?" Roberto hissed.
"Well, what else would you have had in mind? Would you rather I tell her we got drunk and fucked each other's brains out and I needed those pills because you didn't always have a condom on?!"
"I'd rather you not leave a bottle of morning-after pills where someone could find them. How conspicuous do you want to be?!"
"I'm sorry, but I just forgot to take the bloody bottle out of my pocket before I tossed my pants in the laundry basket! You wanna stand there and tell me I left it in there deliberately?!" Theresa whispered angrily.
"Did you really have to get those pills at all, Theresa? *oof*!" Roberto was cut short when Theresa grabbed his collar and slammed him into the wall of the closet.
"Would you prefer that I pop out your baby nine months from now, you stupid prick?!" she snarled.
"I suppose that's a fair point," Roberto croaked as he regained his breath.
"Was there supposed to be a point to this little meeting, or did you just want to berate me for using birth control?"
"Yes, there is a point. Dani isn't going to challenge your story, because she believes I'm telling the truth. But play your cards carefully, because this ruse isn't going to stand on its own," warned Roberto.
"Sure, Roberto, I'll be on my best behavior. You know something? You're telling one lie, I'm telling two lies, and I'm having Jimmy back up my second lie, all to protect you. We're keeping secrets and telling lies all so that Dani won't find out that you've cheated on her a second time. Give me one good reason why I should go to so much trouble for you, huh?" Theresa challenged him.
"Your credibility is also at stake here."
"Bobby, don't give me that. You all don't respect me as it is. What have I got to lose?" she said bitterly, and left the closet.
Roberto felt a nagging itch tugging at his stomach. He was scared to death that Dani would stop believing his story, or that Theresa would tell someone the truth. He was also scared that someone might have heard them talking in the storage closet together. He'd be going through Hell for who knows how long if any of that happened.
"Dom, have you heard the news about Terry and Jimmy yet?" Dani asked Domino while the two sat down to lunch together in the kitchen.
"What news? That they're always trying to avoid eye contact?" Domino asked.
"No, they're going out. I can hardly believe it myself. They've even slept together already, they say."
"Danielle, that's not possible. Those two aren't acting like they're romantically involved, they're acting like they want to stay away from each other."
Dani hesitated a moment, caught between what sounded believable and what she wanted to believe. Still, she wasn't ready to give up quite that easily. "Sure, they want to stay away from each other. They can keep a secret better that way."
"No," decided the older woman after a moment of hesitation of her own. "I'm not Nate, I can't read minds per se, but there's no way those two are keeping a secret that good. Looks more like they're covering up something ugly."
"Like what?" Dani said. Theresa, you brazen little whore.
"That, I honestly can't tell you. We'll need to have a talk with at least one of them. Do you know where they are?"
"Theresa went out to lunch with Sam and Jesse." Smart move, that one. It means I can't kill her for at least another hour. "James is around here somewhere. I think I saw him duck into his room to read a book before I came down here."
"Okay. Let's eat, and then we'll go talk to him," Domino suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea." I hope we don't run into Roberto. Who knows what I'll do with him.
"Hi, James," came a strident voice from the other side of the door as it unexpectedly opened.
"Hi, Dani. Domino," James said nervously. "What can I do for you?" They know. Someone shoot me now.
"James, we'd like to know," Domino began, "How long have you and Theresa been together?"
"About a month," he squirmed. Theresa, this is the last time I do a favor for you.
"A month," nodded Domino. "So why didn't you tell us?"
"Well, we weren't really sure how you all would react. I mean, we did go through a long period of ups and downs, and after getting through all that, we were sort of afraid you guys might discourage us, and say it would never work, and all that." Absolutely the last time.
"But of course you didn't let passion hold you back, did you?" Dani asked. "I mean, there was that time a few days ago when Theresa came home with Roberto and you two ran off and had unprotected sex, right? So, I guess you really do have something good going on, if you're so enthusiastic together."
Okay, this is where I draw the line. "Actually, Dani, Terry must have misremembered that afternoon. I did put on a condom, but when I pulled out, it had torn, so I took Terry over to Planned Parenthood and she got some morning-after pills. So, no worries on that front."
"You know, James, you're very creative," said Domino. "And a good liar. Unfortunately, your story is just so preposterous that we can't believe it, no matter how well you tell it. What's really going on?"
James put his book aside and groaned. Busted. No, wait, Terry's busted, I didn't do anything. "I honestly don't know what's going on. Terry came in and asked me to tell this lie for her, but she wouldn't tell me the real story. But, she wouldn't let it go until I agreed, so I told her I'd cover for her."
"I can't believe this," Dani said, turning around to face the wall. "How could they do this?"
"Dani, what are you talking about? Who's 'they'?" asked James.
"Theresa and Roberto! They weren't attacked by the FOH, they went out and did it!" Dani spat.
"Hold on, now, Dani. That sounds likely enough, but you don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. They could be using this as a cover for any number of things," Domino said.
"I think Dani's right," James began. "When they first came home, I caught a sniff of them both. Theresa smelled like she'd just taken a shower, but Roberto didn't. He smelled like he'd been up close to Theresa for several hours. Without clothes."
Dani turned around and punched a hole in the drywall. She then issued forth a volley of curses and epithets triggered by the pain in her fist, which she eventually pulled out of the wall. "I don't know which one of them to kill first!"
"Instead of killing them, why don't you hear them out first?" said Domino.
"Do you really think so, Dom?" Dani asked with narrowed eyes.
"No," Dom admitted. "If Roberto were my boyfriend, he'd be vapor by now. Theresa wouldn't be much better off."
"Okay, listen," said James. "Dani, you're pissed off at Bobby for cheating on you, and Theresa for messing around with your man, correct? I'm pretty unhappy at being dragged into this. Bobby's around here somewhere, and Theresa's out at lunch. When she gets home, we'll confront them both about this. Sound good?"
Dani was about to interject, but Domino cut her off. "Yes, James, that's a good idea. Dani, you stay out of the room unless I bring you in. I understand your anger, but we can't afford to have this degenerate into a violent shouting match. You can stay close enough that you can hear what's being said."
"Fine," Dani muttered through clenched teeth.
"Good. I'm not going to let this matter tear the team apart. As insane as you kids are, you do good things as a team, and you shouldn't throw that away." Dom, this is what you get when you let yourself get attached to a bunch of maladjusted kids.