GAHERIS BY night It had been a long month for Stephanie McMahon, first she had been set in a match against a giant male, with only a one legged boy to aide her, then she had been blindsided by her own assistant before being set against the same assistant in a match at the up coming smackdown pp 'Vengeance', but that was business, she had agreed with her date that she would leave her troubles at the office when he had asked her out the past Friday, and so, there she was laughing and joking with her newest smackdown signing, an Croatian boy named Rhade gaheris, sat in the centre of the most expensive Italian restaurant in Hollywood, California. Rhade was a sweet young boy, and he was a quite good looking young man as well, 6ft tall with long black hair, a well toned body and the face of an Adonis to boot, Stephanie liked him very much, and She knew, he wouldn't try to influence her decisions as his boss, but never the less, there was a nagging feeling in her bones that, after their date, Rhade may expect something more, she had, had bad experiences dating men from her families business in the past "I warn you Rhade, this could be seen as bribery." She said as their beautiful young waitress finally arrived with their meals, "Two cannelloni's" the waitress said, waiting a few seconds before leaving, seeing that she wouldn't get tipped "Are all restaurants here in America this cheesy?" Rhade asked in halted English, Stephanie smiled "Most of them." She replied taking small bites of her meal, Rhade shrugged "I guess we're lucky der are no Croatian restaurants then," he laughed, Stephanie giggled.

"So, Rhade, why did you choose smackdown?" she asked finally, Rhade smiled "I thought we promised to leave the wwe at the door tonight Stephanie?" He asked, Stephanie nodded "But I was just wondering, I mean, I know I'm the general manager of smackdown and all, but I am curious, why didn't you sign to raw, Eric and Steve have your fellow Europeans la resistance," she explained, Rhade shrugged, sylvan grenier from la resistance was his friend but he couldn't see them staying friends if Rhade had signed to raw, turning to Stephanie he smiled "If you must know, Stephanie, I always knew I was going to sign to smackdown, from the first call I got from you, I mean, I'm not a success story or anything, but I think smackdown has the best things to offer for a guy like me, good friends, worthy challenges, a safer working environment, unlike raw at the moment, and a McMahon at its head." Stephanie blushed "Rhade." She laughed, Rhade nodded, he was serious, and Stephanie knew it "Now, what say we leave the wwe at the door, and try enjoy a sable free night?" she asked, Rhade nodded "Sounds good to me." He said.

Stephanie and Rhade spent most of the night at the restaurant, after their meal, to which Rhade picked up the tab, following the restaurant Stephanie lead her date to one of the hottest nightclubs in Hollywood, owned by Heather, a famous writer and philanthropist, as they danced and spun neither one thought of their formal connection, apart from the odd mention of rhade's homeland, it was as if Rhade gaheris and Stephanie McMahon were well into their relationship and not on only their first date. As they danced Rhade began to wonder about his upcoming debut against spanky, spanky had been on a roll as late and with the threat of a f.b.i retribution looming over his head would be in a hurry to finish the match fast. but he was ready for anything, as long as that anything didn't include Stephanie's father Vincent or her ex husband hunter.

Rhade and Stephanie partied into the early hours of the morning, when the club finally closed Stephanie lead Rhade through the streets of Hollywood towards the hotel "You still think you're up to facing spanky?" she asked, a little groggy from the excess of drink she had, had that night, Rhade nodded "I'm just not sure if I can handle his fan club." He replied, jovially mentioning the f.b.i, made them seem less dangerous than he knew they were, Rhade escorted the drunken general manger of smackdown through the hotel, upon reaching Stephanie's hotel room Rhade turned to leave "Rhade?" Stephanie called, Rhade turned, straight into a full on kiss from his boss, a little taken aback by her effrontery Stephanie pulled away embarrassed, and closed the door in rhade's amazed face, turning back towards his own room he saw Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas peeking from round their own hotel room door, smiling cockily at them he headed into his own room and locked the door.

Rhade wasn't seem by 'the greatest tag team' again until the following evening at the arena, as they were swaggering around the arena they caught sight of the young Croatian/Italian talking with the recent tough enough winners "No guys, I'm serious," he was saying, "Not one to kiss and tell are you?" matt asked with a laugh "Hey, if I didn't tell you those two would have." Rhade replied pointing over at Shelton and Charlie, matt looked at the champions who had been listening in "They don't like new talent, they think they are the best of the best." He explained to Rhade "And with three singles wrestlers joining smackdown in one week kind of damages their egos" josh, matts fellow tough enough champion added, Rhade nodded, he knew all too well how cocky the tag champions were, but he had hoped to come in on their good side, he admired their matt skills, but they didn't seem to be in a friendly mood that night, shaking Rhade from his thoughts, Matt pointed down towards the g.m's office "The f.b.i are out in force." He pointed out, Rhade shielded his eyes against the glare of the lights, and sure enough, huddled in a corner of the corridor obviously plotting something dastardly, were the three f.b.i members, Johnny 'the bull' stamboli, chuck palumbo and their leader Nunzio,

Rhade decided it would be best to head down to the ring, bidding his new friends 'later' in his halted accent he headed down ringside, From her office Stephanie watched as matt hardy pulled his MF'er Shannon Moore out of the ring and raised his arm in victory, the young cruiserweight had just defeated john Cena, without the undertaker interfering, as the clip for vengeance played, she glanced at the roster, Rhade was up next, she knew he was a good rope and matt wrestler, but she also knew his opponent was one to.

Ringside Tony was announcing the next match "The next match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, weighing in at 181 pounds, from Olympia Washington... spanky, and in the ring from Zagreb, Croatia, weighing in at 218 pounds, Rhade Gaheris!" Spanky burst from under the titron like a bullet from a gun, but his haste was mid way down the ramp by a flying mic from gaheris, it was a low move for Rhade but he knew if he didn't move fast he'd have the f.b.i on his case, after spanky and himself if he interfered, it bought him enough time to throw off his baby blue jacket and crouch ready to wrestle the young fire cracker, Leaping into the ring after being momentarily stunned spanky went straight for gaheris's throat with a clothesline, but Rhade leapt over spankys arm with easy, whipping off the ropes gaheris reversed spankys own attempt back on him, just as the young star was about to super kick him in the back,

with spanky on his back Rhade heaved the cruiserweight onto his shoulders for the FU, everyone in the crowd couldn't believe Rhade was attempting someone else's finisher "This kid is amazing tazz, what an upset it would be if he can beat spanky tonight, on his first night in the wwe." cole commented, but Rhade surprised the arena by back body dropping spanky over the ropes and onto the wires on the floor below, climbing onto the apron Rhade elbow dropped spanky dead in the centre of his spine causing the young man to convulse under the pressure, heaving spanky up, gaheris tossed him with strange ease back into the ring just as the ref was counting them out Groggy from the quickly executed moves spanky barley made it to his feet, Rhade stood before the young man egging him to get up in Croatian , spanky managed to merely right chop rhade's chest before being swept back into the air, this was it, the closing moments, high from his own confidence Rhade raised spanky a little higher than john Cena did most he set up for the FU, before dropping and covering the lime green shorted kid for the 1 2 3.

"Here is your winner.... Rhade Gaheris!" Tony cried, Rhade leapt about the canvas cheering himself along with the crowd, who were pleased to have another energetic young star on the smackdown roster, But suddenly, without warning, the f.b.i came racing down to the ring, being followed by a tall, full looking blonde, blowing bubbles out of flavourless gum, twirling a lock of her hair round her index finger, carrying Johnny's shades and hat in her free hand. Pushing Rhade out of the way chuck and Johnny set on Brian Kendrick's with amazing speed "Ilex!" Rhade exclaimed in latin as he fell into the nearby turnbuckle, stepping forwards to try and break up the fight that had inevitably been coming all night, Rhade's way was blocked by Nunzio, not knowing how to put his frustrations in English he began to complain in his native croatian. Hearing the twists and turns of rhade's voice Nunzio, being the brains of the f.b.i concluded that he was Latin or of Latin decent as the f.b.i themselves prided themselves on being

"Ey kid, fughetaboutit, chuck and Johnny over der are settling some business we ave wid spanky." He said backing Rhade back into the corner, once he had Rhade where he wanted him, Nunzio cut to the chase "You pulling my pasta or you some sorta I-talian?" he asked, but Rhade didn't get chance to answer, he was thrown into the centre of the ring as Nunzio scrabbled under the ropes as the a.p.a appeared at the top of the ramp

"Catch you later bambino." He called as he chuck, Johnny and Johnny's tail rushed off into the crowd. As he followed the a.p.a and spanky back towards the locker room, rhade's head was spinning, why had Nunzio been so quick to leave the ring, why, like the Latino mob bosses he seemed to base himself on, hadn't he and his 'boys' stayed to fight. "Kid, kid, radey!" Bradshaw demanded clicking his fingers in front of rhade's face, seeing he wouldn't get a reply he turned to his friend Ron Simmons

"Forget it kid, you side with them, you're a dead man, the f.b.i are cowards kid" Ron explained "No doh!" Brian added groggily, breaking from the a.p.a Rhade wandered the halls of the Hollywood arena; finally he was found and stopped by josh Mathews, who, as always, asked the question that was on the fans lips "Why didn't Nunzio take you out like chuck and Johnny did spanky?" all Rhade could do was shrug "Its how you say josh, a mystery to me." He replied, his accent shining through "Could it be, that you're descend from, where they claim to originate?" Charlie Haas asked stepping into the cameras shot, Rhade was confused more, but Charlie smiled, pointing around rhade's neck to his Italian flag chocker he wore "Go up to Nunzio, ask him yourself, if you get past the a.p.a maybe he'll let you join their little Italian circus hommes." Rhade nodded, Charlie had the right idea, and so, that was precisely what he was going to do, "Excusay!" he said excusing himself from the interview before turning from josh,

after deciding where would be the best place for the f.b.i to base themselves, Rhade headed back towards the dressing rooms But the further he walked from the tag champion Charlie Haas the more his suggestion seemed like suicide, but he didn't have a chance to reconsider, as he turned to the dressing room door he felt a strange draft on his back,

"A word wrong and your strained pasta." Chuck said opening a nearby store room door and heaving Rhade into the darkness, rhade's first reaction was to try and get out of their, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw that the store room had been cleared out and made to look like the hq of a mob boss, in the centre of the room, stood a table, and sat behind the table resting his elbows on it, inter-twining his fingers and staring blankly at Rhade, was Nunzio

"Welcome to our little base of operations kid." Nunzio greeted as Johnny's tail moved away so Rhade could sit down, Rhade hesitated, and was consequently pushed down into the vacant chair by chuck "What do you guys want with me, I heard you were after Kendrick, not any guy who beat him!" he demanded in a futile to sound un-daunted by the two big wrestlers at his back "We don't wanna hurt you kid, fact is, and we think we can do business with each other, you being a fellow I-talian and all" "Technically Nunzio, the kids not one of us, not properly, he did try and stick up for green pants out their." Johnny's moll pointed out. Nunzio glared at her, Rhade nodded, he knew he'd thrown himself in at the deep end too soon "And besides. I'm not one hundred percent Italian." He added, Nunzio turned in his chair "And we are?" he asked with a laugh, Rhade shrugged, he saw nunzios point

"I'm Croatian." He continued, Johnny smiled "That's why Nunzio din't know what you were saying out there, right boss?" he asked, Nunzio smiled sarcastically, after pointing chuck over to Johnny, Nunzio and Rhade watched as chuck pulled Johnny's hat down over his eyes "I'm Latin Croatian, that you have right Nunzio." Rhade said suddenly gaining a burst of confidence from Johnny's stupidity, Nunzio nodded "We figured dat," Chuck added, "what do you think we are, stupid? We know where Zagreb is." Rhade shrugged "If the shoe fits." He said with confidence, chuck moved forwards to punch rhade's lights out.

But Nunzio stopped him "You've got spunk kid, but what I wanna know, is, if you were expecting up out there, like any smart guy would, why'd you try and elp spanky?" he asked, Rhade turned to Nunzio "Earth to Nunzio, boss, the kids a suck up, he'll say anything to get a smile from the crowd!" the moll said from the corner, Nunzio turned to Rhade, who simply nodded "I don't like spanky or anything Nunzio, its just I thought I better be seen to try and help a fan favourite, at least, on my first night."

Nunzio got to his feet, moving over to Rhade he pulled the boy to his feet, he looked up at the 6ft young man towering over him, as most smackdown stars did, even his own henchmen were taller than him, but it didn't bother him, he may not have the height but it was obvious to all who had the brains in the f.b.i "Let me put our little proposition in to terms even a Croatian can understand, okay kid?" he asked, Rhade shrugged, he knew partly what all Nunzio wanted was, more people on the f.b.i's 'whacked' list, Nunzio himself, didn't like the undertaker, but at present he was pre-occupied with Cena.

"We are, infact, thinking of putting out, a sort of scholarship if you will, certain young smackdown stars, to prove themselves, and if they do so, they will be asked into our little family kapeish?" Nunzio asked, Rhade was stunned "Your telling me, on my first night, you want me to join you guys?" he asked, chuck laughed "Not so fast kid, you only defeated spanky, and that was using someone else's move," he said, Nunzio nodded "We are offering this chance to you kid, to become a member of the full blooded I-talians, on the grounds of not only your spunk and your strength, but also on the grounds of." "Where your from." Johnny's muted mumble said from under his hat, which he was still trying to prize from over his nose "And why should I want to join you guys?" Rhade asked once again putting his head in the lions mouth "for the past three weeks or so you've been getting your asses handed to you on a plate, all except Nunzio who seems to be the only one here to have won a match so far?" Nunzio smiled proudly "The kid knows greatness, ay boss?" chuck asked, Nunzio turned back to Rhade, taking the young man by the collar he pulled rhade's eyes down to his level "Why... why not." He laughed pushing him back into the chair; chuck fell into his own chair laughing just as Johnny was getting to his feet

"Johnny, give him the folder." Nunzio ordered turning his giant backed chair around so Rhade couldn't see the smirk on his face as the young man opened the green red and white folder, Rhade had to admit, the f.b.i's whacked list was pretty high up on the credential scale, the under taker and his protégé Nathan Jones, Chris benoir, spanky, Brock lesner, the a.p.a, putting the folder down onto the table, Rhade waited till nunzio had turned his chair back,

He didn't really know why, but working alongside three guys who prided themselves on having European blood sounded more and more promising, especially if their to whack list may one day include a-train; the man who had cost Stephanie her match against sable that last Sunday at vengeance.

Nunzio, chuck and even Johnny could see young Rhade was warming towards their 'proposition' "Think about it kid, as well as our out of ring work, we have the combined experience of tag champions, heavyweight contenders and cruiserweight challengers," the moll piped up once again from the corner, Rhade turned to her, leaning on the back of his chair, with an evil smirk on his face "And what does that make you? The freak-show distraction?" he asked, all three f.b.i fell about laughing at this causing the moll to leap to her feet "I don't have to stay here and listen to this, I'm sure there are other wrestlers who'd love a girl like me!" she exclaimed, Rhade was on a roll, looking up he said "Yeah, love to have you arrested by the fashion police." again the f.b.i found this hilarious.

As the moll stormed from the room Rhade turned to the f.b.i "What do I have to do?" was all he said, it was all he needed to say, Nunzio had already had the kids challenge planned from the minuet their paths had crossed, "You ever heard of a wrestler called, kanyon?" he asked, Rhade nodded broadly, he had heard of kanyon alright, the bag of hot air who called himself the best wrestler on velocity "Well, I don't care how you do it kid, in ring or out, I want you to take him out, add him to the list." Nunzio explained, Rhade was amazed, he was going from projectile microphones to 'whacking' velocity's number one windbag "Does it have to be today thought I hear you ask," Nunzio said, although Rhade hadn't opened his mouth "well, no it doesn't, but it does have to be by the end of the month." He explained,

Rhade's eyes widened "Hold it." He demanded, Nunzio turned to him, a little shocked, it raced through the leader of the f.b.i's mind that Rhade may have changed his mind already "Not that I'm not grateful for the challenge and all," Rhade explained "but You tell me, that because of my spunk, skill, and where 50% of my dna comes from your offering me a place in your little group, and now your telling me to take my time, not much of a challenge is it Nunzio? For all you know I could do what spanky did to your goons behind me and give him laxatives, before even coming to work, and you'd never see how I faired" he demanded, Nunzio could see the kid had a point

"Okay kid, pick your own time limit, and let's see how you fair." Chuck volunteered, this appealed to Rhade, who worked better under his own deadlines "Well, hmm, I did hear that I was up against kanyon this week of velocity, how about then boy's you'll be there yourselves, unless your letting your humiliating defeat and spanky and funaki's hands blow over" Rhade suggested with a cocky smile.

Turning to Nunzio, Rhade got to his feet "In my homeland the mafia and of sorts have died out, so It will be an honour to show the American public what I can do Nunzio." he said, Nunzio smiled, getting to his own feet he lead the way to the door, followed by Johnny and chuck, once outside "And just so you don't think this is a one chance offer, you can come ringside with us if you want, we need someone to watch out for the a.p.a, they've been nothing but trouble since they returned." Nunzio suggested, Rhade thought for a moment, Bradshaw had warned him off the f.b.i only an hour earlier, saying they were cowards "Let us see who the real cowards are." He thought to himself, turning to Nunzio he nodded, "I'll be there, I just need to do something first, when are you guys up?" he asked, Nunzio smiled "Last match before the wwe title shot." That gave Rhade the time he needed, nodding at Nunzio he said "See you down their.boss." And took off towards Stephanie's office, Nunzio liked hearing people call him boss, specially people with accents like rhade's.

Upon reaching Stephanie's office he was met at the door by josh Mathews, who had been interviewing Stephanie, as he stopped at the door, Stephanie was answering josh's last question "What Rhade does, and who he works with is his business, Nunzio and his boys have a lot of experience in the wwe put together, and for a rookie like Rhade it would be a great opportunity." Rhade smiled, but his smiled faded as josh turned to him, he didn't want to mix personal and professional, especially with the loud mouth tough enough loser in front of him, he knew, if you so much as told josh your full name in confidence, if you didn't like your middle name or something, it would be all over velocity the following Saturday.

As josh left Stephanie grabbed Rhade by his ear and dragged him into the room, before pulling him into a full on kiss, breaking away Rhade gasped for breath "I've been wanting to do that all day." Stephanie confessed as she sat back at her desk, Rhade nodded "Been thinking about last night myself, that's why I'm here." He admitted, Stephanie didn't like the sounds of what Rhade was leading to, getting to her feet she readied to accuse him of playing with her emotions, of being no different than hunter. but as she did Rhade spoke again "I was gonna ask you if you had a problem with your boyfriend being a member of the full blooded I-talians, but I think josh answered my question for me." Stephanie relaxed, but then she realised what Rhade had said "So you want to be my boyfriend, even with my track record with men, Even if I am about 4 years older than you?" she asked, Rhade took his chance to joke "Let me think about this.errrr. hell yeah!" he exclaimed, Stephanie laughed, she liked rhades sparatic sense of humour, it was one of the things that had attracted her to ask him to sign to smackdown last month, on her visit to his home country.

Rhade smirked "not to get too professional in such a amazing moment, but could you tell me if what I've been hearings true." He asked, Stephanie opened her mouth to ask what "I'm supposed to be facing kanyon this week on velocity right?" rhade continued, Stephanie nodded "after spanky he's a sinch, I figured, give you an easy entrance." She replied, rhade was struck by her fiddling with his entrance matches "what happened with not mixing personal and proffesional?" he asked, Stephanie smiled "I'm not, I did the same with everyone, even spanky, he faced Shannon moore, when Shannon was preoccupied with matts title defence"