Title: An Interesting Conversation

Author: StarWars-Freak

Summary: Stanton, damn him! Michael really hated that guy. But... no matter how much he hated to admit it... that guy may have a point...

Rating: T/PG-13 for language and adult themes

Genre: General/Humor/Romance/Manly-Bonding

Centric Characters: Michael Saratoga, Stanton aka The Protective Would-Be-Older-Brother That Gives You a Creepy Feeling

Notes/Warning: Spoilers for The Final Eclipse, if you haven't read it yet and continue reading this, then don't blame me for your idiocy once your spoiled.

Dedication: To Elireen, even though I told her this wasn't going to happen when she begged after reading "Of Goddesses and Men." And to Joe, even though he'll never read this, for helping me with Michael's thoughts.

An Interesting Conversation

I smile. Finally. Finally, I'll have my Vanessa, completely. I slide my hand slowly up her dress, loving the feeling of her muscles tense as I pass, before finally resting my hand on her stomach.

The grating sound of the back door of my van opening stops any further movement.

Stanton.

No fucking way. That's it, he's dead this time. "Stanton," I spit the name out with as much vehemence as possible.

"Hey, Michael, did I catch you at a bad time?" his malicious grin is all I need to know that he had been watching us.

"What is it with you? Are you some kind of pervert?" I jump out of the van. "You stalked us on our first date and ruined that evening. Have you been following us ever since so you could ruin this moment, too?" I lift his head and thrust out my jaw, daring him to continue messing with us.

Staton just turns to Vanessa – My Vanessa - "Come on, we have to leave now."

Oh hell no.

"Stay there, Vanessa. I'll take care of this chump."

"Chump? Did you call me a chump" I would have used much stronger vocabulary had Vanessa not been right there.

"I have to go with him," Vanessa's soft, pretty voice says from behind me.

Is she joking?

"Is this the magician you ran off with? I didn't see him hanging around with all his badass friends the entire time you were gone. Was he with you?" What could I have possibly done to make her go to him.

"You shouldn't be so jealous of me, Michael." Stanon is obvious enjoying this. "I thought you'd gotten over that a long time ago."

"Calm down, Michael." Calm down? Calm down?! "You don't want to fight him. Remember what you told me? You said he always tries to goad you to fight. Don't give him what he wants." She has to be kidding me – she didn't even deny being with him!

That's it. I lung at that mother fucker, but he steps aside, and I go flying past. I whirl around. He will not beat me.

"Please don't hurt him," Vanessa's holding Stanton's arm. No way. Stanton's not gonna hurt me at all. He'll be the one in serious pain.

"I can beat this punk." I scowl and charge again. Somehow he manages to move faster than light. "What the –?" What the fuck?

"Please don't hurt him, Stanton! Please!" Vanessa cries.

"Too late." I double over in pain and can hear Stanton sending Vanessa away. "You're an asshole, you know that?" Stanton says harshly, as I push myself back up.

"I'm the asshole?!"

"Yeah, you are. What were you thinking, trying to have sex with a girl like Vanessa in the back of your van?"

"You're lecturing me?"

"Obviously."

"How 'bout you stay outta my business and the heel away from my girlfriend."

"Stop being such an idiot, Michael. If I wanted Vanessa, I'd have her by now. I'm dating Serena." What? Serena? "Vanessa's a friend. Kind of... like a sister."

I sit on the edge of my van. "Seriously?" I look at him incredulously. Why hadn't Vanessa ever mentioned this before?

"Would I have said something like that if I wasn't being serious? You should respect her, cherish her. And sleeping with her in the back of a van that smells and has rust spots is not doing either.

Damn him! I really hate that fucking asshole. But... no matter how much I hate to admit it... that fucking asshole may have a point...

"She's the type of girl who deserves to make love with rose petals scattered around a bed, candles, and soft music in the background. Not," Stanton sneers, "Fucking in a hippy's hand-me-downs."

"You're right," I finally consent because he is – that's exactly what Vanessa deserves.

"Of course I am. Now, why don't you let Vanessa cool down. Her birthday's in a couple of days. Have flowers for her, attempt to make this awful excuse for an attempt to woo her up to her."

Yeah, that's exactly what I'll do.