TRIANGLE EXPLAINED

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just pretend that I
do. I liked writing this story a lot. I am tired of writing
long-winded disclaimers so I'll just get on with the story.
Thank you Robert for your help. Have a nice day.


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"So Snake Eyes has finally decided to take me to that cabin in
Vermont he always talks about." Scarlett told Duke as they ate
lunch in the joe cafeteria.

"Sounds romantic. When are you going?" Duke smiled at his
friend.

"We're leaving tomorrow. I know it's a spur of the moment
thing, but Hawk said it was alright for us to go as long as we
kept our transmitters on in case of an emergency." Scarlett
smiled. She was so excited about her plans to go away with Snake
Eyes, whom she had been seriously dating for two years.

"Tomorrow?" Duke asked surprised.

"Yeah, and we'll be back in a few days. This is just what
we need." Scarlett sighed.

"I hope you have a wonderful time." Duke forcefully smiled.
He wondered if Scarlett had truly forgotten about his birthday,
which was two days away.

"Thanks, I hope so too. So, you and Cover Girl are dating
I hear." Scarlett changed the subject. She picked up her cup of
coffee and slowly took a sip as she waited for Duke to respond.

"Well she asked me out and I accepted, if that's what you
call dating. We had a good time." Duke smiled.

"So, are you thinking about asking her out again?" Scarlett
pried. She and Cover Girl were close friends and she knew that
Cover Girl was just heads over heals in love with Duke. Finally,
Cover Girl had found the courage to ask him out. Now, Scarlett
was trying to feel out Duke to see how he was feeling about her
friend.

"Yeah, sure." Duke replied with a smile.

"Good, good. Well, I need to get going. I'll catch you
again before Snake and I leave." Scarlett smiled and left the
cafeteria. Once she was out of the room, Duke erased the smile
from his face. He couldn't believe Scarlett hadn't mentioned his
birthday. The two of them were as close as Scarlett was with
Cover Girl, if not closer. It was hard to believe that she would
just forget his birthday.

"She's just excited about going away with Snake Eyes. She
probably isn't thinking about anything or anyone else." Duke
thought to himself. He broke from his thoughts when he realized
a meeting he was required to be at would be starting in a few
minutes. He finished his sandwich quickly and left for the
meeting.

TWO DAYS LATER

Duke had been pleasantly surprised that the joes had
planned a party for his birthday. It was a grand party and
everyone was having a great time. The only thing missing was his
good friends Snake Eyes and Scarlett, especially Scarlett. She
had not called or anything. Still he was in a good mood with
Cover Girl on his arm all night. He got to talk to many soldiers
that he hadn't seen in awhile. It seemed like the party ended a
minute after it had begun. The cake was gone and the presents
were all unwrapped. Only Cover Girl remained.

"Well, I said it once and I'll say it again: We joes
certainly know how to party." Duke laughed.

"Yeah, I'll say." Cover Girl smiled.

"Would you mind helping me take my gifts back to my
apartment?" Duke asked.

"Not at all. Besides I still have to give you my gift."
Cover Girl winked at him. Duke smiled and the two made their way
to his apartment, both of them with their arms full of presents.

They got to his apartment and he slid the pass card in the
lock and He turned the handle.

"Sorry it's a mess. I haven't had the time to do a proper
cleaning in awhile." Duke apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Cover Girl dismissed his apology.
She put the gifts she was carrying on the table.

"So, you have a gift for me?" Duke asked with a raised
eyebrow.

"Yup. I hope you don't mind but I had Stalker sneak in
here while we were at the party." Cover Girl smiled. She went to
his refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine and she picked
up two wineglasses.

"I know you love red wine." Cover Girl smiled and popped
the cork.

"That I do." Duke grinned. After Cover Girl popped the
cork and poured the two glasses, they toasted each other.

"Happy Birthday, Duke." Cover Girl smiled.

"Thanks, Cover Girl. This has been a great day." Duke
smiled. He kissed her tenderly on the lips. The two sipped on
their wine and were soon ready for a second glass.

An hour later the bottle was put away, plus half of another
bottle that Duke had. Both Duke and Cover Girl were feeling no
pain.

"I should go." Cover Girl sighed and clumsily stood up.

"No, Scarlett, don't go." Duke pleaded and stumbled towards
Cover Girl. He grabbed her by her waist.

"Name's Cover Girl, soldier." Cover Girl smiled at his
blunder. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

"Mmm, Cover Girl." Duke sighed and kissed Cover Girl
deeply. The two kissed continuously even while Duke lead Cover
Girl back into his bedroom.

The two shed their clothing quickly. Duke ran his hands
through her long locks of blond hair.

"I love long hair." Duke moaned in between kisses. Cover
Girl pushed him down on the bed and fell with him. She felt
something poking at her hip.

"I'm glad I have your attention." Cover Girl giggled. Duke
wrapped her in his arms and the two proceeded to share an erotic
night together.



THE NEXT MORNING

Scarlett and Snake Eyes were cuddled on the couch in the
log cabin watching the fire flicker in the fireplace. Scarlett
was dressed in a dark velvet green robe with her long red hair
cascading over her shoulders and down her back.

"This was a great idea. I love being here with you."
Scarlett sighed contently. She kissed him on his masked cheek.
Using sign language, Snake told her that he had wanted to take
her to this cabin for awhile and this last week in September was
the only thing available. "It's incredible." Scarlett smiled.

"Very romantic" Snake signed.

"Very" Scarlett cooed and kissed his cheek again. She went
to take off his mask. She loved staring into his eyes, though
the rest of his face was disfigured. He had only let her unmask
him several times in the daylight. He always took it off when
the two were ready to make love in the dark. Snake was very
self-conscious about his face. So when Scarlett went to take off
his mask, she was not surprised when he pulled away.

"Please, Snake, let me look in your eyes." Scarlett begged.
Snake Eyes shook his head. Scarlett turned her head away from
him and frowned.

"I can't believe next week will be the beginning of
October." Snake signed changing the subject.

"It can't be October. Next week is." Scarlett trailed off
and then her eyes widened. "What's today's date?" she asked
frantically. Snake signed the date and Scarlett leapt out of his
lap.

"Yesterday was Duke's birthday.and his party! How could I
have forgotten?" Scarlett cried. Snake Eyes shrugged. "I am so
scatter brained! I swore I had it written on my calendar."
Scarlett cried.

"You were just wrapped up with our trip. Duke won't be
upset." Snake signed.

"Let me go call base. I just can't believe I did that."
Scarlett chided herself. She went into the other room to use the
phone. She dialed the number and waited for either Duke's
answering machine or Duke himself. It was still early in the
morning so it was a good chance that she would catch Duke.

"Hello?" a female's voice answered.

"Oh hey, Cover Girl. I must have dialed the wrong
extension. I meant to call Duke." Scarlett apologized.

"No, you dialed right. He's not here right now though."
Cover Girl answered.

"Oh," Scarlett said realizing what was going on. "Well,
uh, could you give him a message for me?"

"Sure, doll. What's your message?" Cover Girl asked.

"Tell him I'm sorry for not being there for his birthday
and that I will be back tonight and I'll come see him first
thing." Scarlett replied.

"Yeah, he was a little bummed you weren't there, but I
helped him take his mind off that, if you know what I mean."
Cover Girl laughed.

"Yeah, I am sure you did." Scarlett laughed uncomfortably
back.

"I'll make sure he gets the message. Talk to you soon."
Cover Girl replied and hung up the phone. Scarlett hung up and
walked back to the other room in a fog.

"What's wrong?" Snake signed.

"Oh nothing. I am just still upset for missing Duke's
birthday." Scarlett frowned.

"I'm sure he's ok about it. Besides it's more important
that you're here with me." Snake signed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Scarlett sighed and snuggled
once again with her lover. Truthfully, she couldn't wait to get
back to base.



THAT NIGHT

As promised, Scarlett went to visit Duke as soon as she got
back on base. She had gotten his present weeks before, but as
usual had procrastinated about wrapping it. She had covered the
gift in shiny tin foil and made a bow using a shoelace. She
knocked softly on Duke's door.

"Hey! Just as promised!" Duke grinned excitedly when he
opened the door and saw Scarlett standing there.

"In the flesh." Scarlett smiled back.

"Well, come on in." Duke invited and ushered her in.

"Thanks. This is for you." Scarlett smiled meekly handing
over the gift.

"Oh, um, thank you. I need a shoelace." Duke commented.
Scarlett playful slapped him on the arm.

"Martha Stewart I am not. In fact, you're lucky I wrapped
it at all." Scarlett laughed. Duke peeled of the tin foil and
opened the lid to the box. Inside laid a gold pocket watch.

"Oh, Scarlett, I can't accept this. It is much too nice."
Duke shook his head as he was entranced by the gift.

"No, it's for you." Scarlett replied.

"I've always wanted a pocket watch. My grandfather had one
and he promised me one day that he would give it to me. Well, my
father intercepted it and sold it for some money to gamble with.
That watch looked just like this." Duke breathed still taking in
every detail of the gift.

"That's because it's the same watch." Scarlett replied.
Duke turned his gaze on Scarlett and she nodded.

"But how." Duke began but was at a loss for words.

"They don't call me the best counter intelligence officer
for nothing. I was staking out this watch for months. I asked
around. I followed the trail and voila. I found it." Scarlett
exclaimed.

"It must have cost..." Duke trailed off.

"The money is not important. I'm glad you like it. I
remember you telling me about it and how much you wished you had
it since it reminded you of your grandfather. I just knew I had
to find it." Scarlett smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Shana." Duke spoke softly. At first Scarlett
flinched when Duke used her real name, but then she relaxed.
Duke pulled her into a hug.

"Happy Birthday, Conrad." Scarlett softly spoke and kissed
Duke on the cheek. She drew away from his cheek, but Duke still
had his hands on her waist. She locked eyes with Duke for a few
moments and leaned in and kissed him fully on the lips. Her mind
went blank and all she could feel was the electricity that ran
between her body and Duke's. She pulled Duke closer towards her,
intensifying the kiss. Her mind was whirling in a million
different directions and it seemed as if she and Duke were the
only two people in the universe at that exact moment. She pulled
back from him and his eyes were still closed. She felt his heart
racing and then realized hers was also. Duke opened his eyes and
smiled.

"I guess that was the second part of my present, and that
was nicer than the first part." Duke spoke first. Scarlett
blushed.

"I thought it was nice too." Scarlett admitted. Duke
leaned in to kiss her again, when a nauseating feeling rose from
her stomach.

"Snake Eyes!" she cried and pushed herself away from Duke.
She backed away getting closer to the front door. "I'm so sorry
Conrad! I'm sorry!" Scarlett rushed out the door, leaving Duke
completely uncertain of what just happened.

Scarlett stood frozen on the outside of Duke's door.

"What the hell just happened?" Scarlett thought to herself.
Scarlett was out of breath, narrowly escaping a panic attack.

"Why would I do something like that?" Scarlett tried to think of
what to do next, but her mind came up blank. She began to
casually walk back to her own quarters. "I need to talk to
someone, but I can't talk to Snake Eyes and I can't talk to
Duke." Scarlett cursed herself for what had happened. She is so
lost in her thoughts that when she bumped into Cover Girl it
totally surprised her.

"Oh, Cover Girl." Scarlett trailed off.

"Hey there, Scarlett!" the other female greeted cheerfully
and then frowned when she realized Scarlett was upset. "Hon,
what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"Oh, Cover Girl, things are not ok. I think I just."
Scarlett trailed off as she looked at Cover Girl, who had concern
written all over her face. She remembered how she called Duke
and Cover Girl had answered the phone. Scarlett had just kissed
the man her good friend had been trying to land for months. She
knew that Cover Girl wouldn't be too happy about hearing her
problems.

"It's nothing. I just... just..." Scarlett trailed off not
knowing what to say about the whole mess.

"Hey, girl, I know something's up. What's going on?" Cover
Girl prodded.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just overloaded right now."
Scarlett sighed frustrated.

"Well if you need to talk, I'm happy to listen like always.
Call if you need me, ok?" Cover Girl reassured her friend.
Scarlett nodded and Cover Girl continued to walk in the direction
Scarlett had come from. Scarlett neared her quarters, but she
didn't quite feel like going inside. She still needed to tell
someone what happened. It was killing her to keep it inside. So
many emotions were running through her at once. She kept walking
aimlessly around base in a fog. People passed her and politely
nodded to her acknowledging her presence, but they could see that
something big was going on inside her head and they gave her
breathing room. She came to the infirmary doors and stumbled
inside to find Doc at his desk.

"Hey there, Scarlett." Doc called, pleasantly surprised for
her visit. She turned and looked at him and then dropped her
gaze to the floor.

"Hey, Red, are you sick?" Doc asked suddenly concerned.

"No, I'm just off in my own little world." Scarlett sighed.

"Yeah it shows. Why don't you sit down and let me in that
world with you." Doc coaxed the red head.

"I wish I could, but every time I involve someone it gets
worse." Scarlett sighed.

"Scarlett, what's wrong? It has to be something pretty big
for you to be acting like this." Doc spoke extremely concerned.

"Why do you say that?" Scarlett asked.

"You've faced Cobra for years now, and nothing has gotten
you down like this. What's going on?" Doc asked again.

"In one action I managed to screw up the lives of three
people, maybe more." Scarlett began. She put her head in her
hands.

"What happened?" Doc asked for a third time, now really
wanting the story.

"I don't know if I can even tell you. I am so ashamed."
Scarlett whispered dropping her hands into her lap, but keeping
her head down. Doc reached over and took her hands in his own.

"You're Catholic, I'm a chaplain. You're supposed to have
this confession thing down by now." Doc chuckled.

"I was never very good at confession." Scarlett blushed.

"You probably didn't need to. You were too good of a girl."
Doc smiled thinking about what Scarlett was like as a teenager.

"You obviously have never read my personal record."
Scarlett quipped with a smile. Doc squeezed her hands.

"Now tell me. What happened?" Doc asked seriously.

"Ok, I went to go give Duke his birthday gift." Scarlett
began.

"Yeah, the birthday boy was a little sad you weren't at the
party last night. I guess you and Snake were having a great time
in Vermont.

"It was nice, but I wanted to get back once I realized that
we had missed his birthday and the party." Scarlett sighed.

"So you went over to see Duke and you gave him his birthday
gift." Doc egged Scarlett on to finish the story.

"I kissed him." Scarlett whispered and blushed profusely.

"That was nice of you. It's nice you two can be such good
friends and show affection openly like that." Doc smiled.

"It wasn't a `just-friends' kiss, Doc." Scarlett shook her
head slowly. Doc slowly understood what Scarlett was so upset
about. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Just what kind of kiss was it?" Doc asked not sure if he
wanted the answer.

"It was an incredible kiss." Scarlett answered.

"So you're having some mixed feelings?" Doc asked.

"I'm not so sure if it's mixed feelings or self hatred. I
was the one who initiated that kiss. Why would I do something
like that?" Scarlett asked so upset with herself.

"Instead of asking me, you need to ask yourself. Why do
you think you did it?" Doc responded.

"I don't need Psych 101 right now, Doc." Scarlett sighed
and drew her hands up to her face before running them through her
hair.

"Well, at least tell me what's going through your head
right now." Doc replied.

"What's running through my mind is how could I do this to
Duke. I mean he's my friend and then I go kiss him like that. He
must be totally confused now! Then there's Snake Eyes. How am I
ever going to explain this to him? He and Duke are good friends!"
Scarlett sighed visibly starting to shake.

"This is true." Doc nodded.

"Then there's Cover Girl. She's such a sweet girl. She's
had her eye on Duke forever and I know Duke took her to the party
and he genuinely likes her. So with one kiss I screw up three
people's lives! Now, do you expect that from a `good girl'?"
Scarlett asked sarcastically.

"I heard you mention everyone else there except you." Doc
replied.

"So?" Scarlett retorted.

"So, you're the one this affects the most. It's your
emotions. You kissed Duke for a reason." Doc decided.

"I'm not sure I want to know the reason." Scarlett sighed.

"Why not?" Doc asked.

"Doc! I'm supposed to be in love with Snake Eyes!" Scarlett
cried.

"Supposed to be in love? Scarlett, if you have conflicting
feelings, is it fair to anyone for you to bury those feelings and
not inspect them?" Doc wisely asked.

"Sometimes it's best to just keep things under cover."
Scarlett sighed.

"You better than anyone else should know all secrets come
to the surface sooner or later." Doc replied.

"I know." Scarlett sighed.

"The most honest thing to do, not to mention most fair is
to tell Snake Eyes what happened and go from there." Doc decided.

"I see your point. The longer I hold it in, the more
damage it could cause.and I've cause enough damage already."
Scarlett nodded.

"I'll be here if you need anything. Good luck." Doc told
her. Scarlett nodded and left for Snake's quarters.
Scarlett had battled Cobra many times before and the
anxiety she felt now, standing before Snake's quarters was at
least triple the amount she ever felt when dealing with the
enemy. She finally mustered up courage to knock on the door.
Snake Eyes answered it moments later and ushered her inside.

"Hi, Snake, I um, have to talk with you." Scarlett started
nervously. He led her to the couch where they both sat down.

"What's wrong?" Snake Eyes signed.

"I don't know where to begin." Scarlett sighed. Tears were
already collecting in her eyes. At any moment they would charge
forward down her cheeks. "Snake, please take off your mask. I
need to see your eyes." Snake Eyes shook his head.

"Please it's important." Scarlett begged starting to get
impatient.

"Whatever you have to say is important. Taking off my mask
is not." Snake Eyes signed. Scarlett knew better than to press
on. Once Snake Eyes made a decision he would never relent upon
it.

"You know how I went over to see Duke and give him his
birthday present." Scarlett began. Snake Eyes sat up straight at
the mention of Duke. He knew that Scarlett and Duke were very
close and although he didn't say anything to either of them, it
bothered him.

"God, ok." Scarlett began collecting her thoughts, " now
what I am going to say next is going to hurt. And, god, I don't
know why I did it, but I did and I'm sorry." she stood up as
braced Snake for her next words. Snake Eyes very alarmed stood
up as well. He came closer towards her and she began to back
away, feeling a little afraid.

"I kissed him." Scarlett blurted out and waited for the
reaction. Snake Eyes tilted his head as if to mean he didn't
understand.

"I kissed Duke." Scarlett repeated softly. Snake Eyes
nodded slowly still advancing towards her until she was pinned
against the wall. He pulled back his arm and made a fist and
punched right through the wall next to where Scarlett was
standing.

"I'm sorry, Snake. It just happened. I don't even know
what came over me. I'm so sorry." Scarlett repeated. Tears
started to make a trail down her cheeks. Snake Eyes turned away
from her. "Snake." Scarlett trailed off and went to touch his
shoulder. Snake flinched at her touch and smacked her hand away.

"Please." Snake Eyes turned around when he reached his
nightstand. Without warning he knocked everything off of it.
Scarlett gave out a small cry of surprise.

"How could you do this?" Snake signed furiously.

"I told you that it just happened. I guess I got lost in
the moment." Scarlett explained.

"I'm not surprised. I never liked how close the two of you
were. I'm also not surprised that you didn't make an empty
promise about it never happening again. I'm sure you wouldn't be
too upset if it happened again." Snake signed quickly.

"I just." Scarlett trailed off dizzy with confusion. Snake
Eyes crossed the room quickly and took a sword from the wall and
faced Scarlett. She closed her eyes, afraid of what he might do.
She opened her eyes to watch him raise the Katana and slice it
down through a picture frame of the two of them together that he
had nailed up on the wall. The picture got sliced in two parts
and fell to the ground. Snake eyes laid his sword down and
scooped up the half of the picture with Scarlett in it. He took
a long look at it before thrusting it at her and pointing to the
door. Scarlett realized what he meant and the few tears that had
fallen had given way to a river of tears that streaked down her
face.

"Snake, I do care about you. Don't don't do this."
Scarlett stuttered through her tears. Snake stormed over to his
door and opened it extending his arm out into the hallway.
Scarlett slowly began to inch towards the door.

"Oh, Snake." she whispered through her tears. She used the
side of her hand to dry some of them. He held out his hand and
pointed to the slot where the pass cards go to unlock the door.

"If you only knew how sorry I am." Scarlett trailed off and
gave Snake Eyes back the pass card he had given her for his
quarters. She quietly walked towards the door, hesitating right
outside his doorway. She turned to face him.

"Snake, I do love you." Scarlett spoke. She could see
Snake stiffen at the words and she thought he was about to sign
something, but instead he slammed the door. Her tears increased
until they fell so fast it looked like a waterfall. She slid to
the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. She wasn't there
for long before she felt a tap on her shoulder. Scarlett looked
up to see Cover Girl looking at her very worried.

"Now I know something is wrong. What has got you this
upset?" Cover Girl asked seriously. Scarlett couldn't find her
voice to talk. She handed Cover Girl the picture that Snake Eyes
had severed in half.

"Wasn't this picture from last New Year's Eve with you and
Snake Eyes?" Cover Girl asked trying to piece the story together.
Scarlett nodded. "What did he do, Hon?"

"He... he... sword.... and cut..." Scarlett pieced together trying to
stop the tears. Cover Girl helped her stand up and she put her
arm around Scarlett.

"You're not the first one to fall for a guy with an
attitude problem. Trust me there. Snake Eyes can get a Katana
up his butt sometimes." Cover Girl laughed trying to make
Scarlett feel better.

"It's all my fault." Scarlett softly replied.

"Mind telling me what happened? Maybe I can help." Cover
Girl offered.

"No one can help. The only thing I can do is hurt more
people by talking." Scarlett sighed. She began to hiccup from
her sobbing.

"This must be serious. Let's go to my quarters. We can
talk privately there. You can tell me whatever it is." Cover
Girl offered. She led Scarlett a bit further down the hall to
her quarters. Soon they were inside and Cover Girl had sat
Scarlett on the couch and passed her a glass of water.

"Now, what is going on? You sound as if you gave a list of
names to Cobra or something." Cover Girl asked concerned. She had
never seen Scarlett so shaken up.

"No, but I did betray people I think a lot of." Scarlett
trailed off after sipping some water.

"Who? Who did you betray?" Cover Girl asked happy to have
made a breakthrough with Scarlett.

"Snake Eyes. Duke. you." Scarlett rattled off the names
pausing for a moment in between.

"How did you betray me?" Cover Girl asked curiously. Her
eyes stayed on Scarlett.

"I... oh I can't tell you!" Scarlett cried.

"Scarlett, whatever it is, we'll get through it like
always." Cover Girl assured her friend.

"I wish." Scarlett trailed off, "I wish"

"Come on, just level with me. What happened that you think
is so horrible?" Cover Girl prodded.

"I... I kissed Duke tonight." Scarlett let out.

"Is that all? Come on, he may be my man, but I don't mind
if he gets a birthday kiss. I'm not as jealous as Snake Eyes."
Cover Girl laughed.

"No, you don't understand. I kissed Duke." Scarlett
repeated again emphasizing the word `kissed'. Cover Girl's mouth
fell open.

"What? How? I mean, you two are good friends I know,
but. Why?" Cover Girl spoke with shock.

"I don't know. I wish I did, but I just don't know. It
seemed like the right thing to do." Scarlett moaned putting her
head in her hands again. Cover Girl sucked in her breath and sat
quietly. "Talk to me. Please?" Scarlett begged.

"I'm not sure what to say." Cover Girl shrugged.

"Are you mad?" Scarlett asked biting her lip.

"I... I don't know how I feel. I never thought you would do
something like this! You know I'm interested in Duke! You know
that we were going to start dating.and last night we finally go
to bed together.and now you just go up and lip lock him?" Cover
Girl cried both frustrated and upset.

"So Duke and you, um." Scarlett blushed.

"Well, when you called this morning I was at Duke's. That
should have been your first hint." Cover Girl sighed putting her
hands on her hips.

"I know. I was surprised, but um." Scarlett trailed off
not knowing what to say. It had crossed her mind that maybe the
two had spent the night together, but Scarlett knew that Duke was
not the type to jump into bed. This made her feel more horrible.
Duke must have really liked Cover Girl and she had interfered.

"Is it that hard to believe? I may drive a tank, but I
still have the right parts of a woman. Duke didn't mind
inspecting them either!" Cover Girl cried angrily.

"I didn't.I mean.I'm just so sorry!" Scarlett apologized.
Cover Girl softened a bit and looked at Scarlett like she had
just gotten a dismal epiphany.

"You've been against me from the beginning." Cover Girl
blurted.

"What?" Scarlett asked wondering what Cover Girl was
talking about.

"Come off it, Scarlett. I'm on to you now. You've been
trying to get Duke since he transferred here." Cover Girl
announced.

"No, really." Scarlett trailed off. She couldn't believe
Cover Girl's words.

"It makes sense. That's why he called me by your name last
night. You've probably been making moves on him all this time."
Cover Girl spoke. Tears welded in her eyes. Cover Girl thought
she had left the days of friends betraying her when she left the
world of modeling.

"Courtney, it's not like that." Scarlett shook her head.

"I thought you were my friend. All you wanted was to get
Duke. I'm sorry I ever considered you a friend. And don't you
think for one minute I am just going to give up on Duke easily.
You can't just get whatever you want just because now you've
decided what, or should I say who you wanted." Cover Girl angrily
spoke. Her venomous words penetrated Scarlett right to her
heart.

"Cover Girl.I'm sorry, but it." Scarlett trailed off.

"Get out." Cover Girl demanded and opened her door in much
of the same fashion that Snake Eyes did earlier.

"Courtney, I'm so sorry. I don't even know how Duke feels
about all this." Scarlett apologized again.

"I'm sure he's not too upset. I mean he gets in the pants
of two different girls in two days. I'm sure he's pretty happy
about that." Cover Girl sighed.

"I'm not going to sleep with Duke. I'm not like that."
Scarlett shook her head.

"Then what are you like? Are you the `let's stab my friend
in the back to get her boyfriend' type?" Cover Girl asked coldly.

"Or maybe I'm wrong about you. Maybe you're not out to seduce
Duke. I seriously doubt you have any idea what to do with a man
once you have him. Its not like Snake Eyes would tell you about
your bad performance in bed."

"Please, Courtney." Scarlett begged for the other female to
take back her harsh words.

"You know, I actually feel sorry for Duke. Someday someone
better will come around and you'll do the same thing to him as
you did to Snake Eyes. He's just too blind to see it. Now, I
want you to get out." Cover Girl demanded again.

"I'm sorry about all this. It was never my intention to
hurt anyone." Scarlett apologized.

"Just remember what goes around comes around and it might
not be my intention to hurt you someday." Cover Girl spat. With
those words, Scarlett knew that her friendship with Cover Girl
was permanently severed, just like the picture of her and Snake
Eyes. Cover Girl slammed the door leaving Scarlett once again
out in the corridor. She wandered aimlessly down the hallways
until she approached Duke's apartment.

"Just like a criminal to return to the scene of the crime."
Scarlett thought to herself. She cautiously knocked on his door.

"Just a minute. Who's there?" Duke called from inside.
Scarlett opened her mouth to announce herself, but no sound came
out.

"Hello? Someone better be out there. I am not in the mood
for phantom visitors." Duke called again. Scarlett heard him
turn the lock and seconds later the door was opened.

"Oh, hey, Scarlett." Duke trailed off. She looked up at
him with pleading eyes.

"Can I come in, please? I need to talk to you." Scarlett asked.
Duke could see the pain and hurt that covered her eyes. Her
cheeks were red and puffy. Duke knew Scarlett had been crying.

"Sure, come on in." Duke invited. He stepped aside so she could
enter. She calmly took a seat on his couch. She bunched her
hair in her hands to make a ponytail and tossed it off of her
shoulders. She then dropped her hands in her lap.

"Shana, what's wrong?" Duke asked concerned.

"I'm sorry." Scarlett apologized. Her tears began to flow
again.

"Sorry for what?" Duke asked wanting to help his friend.

"I'm sorry for the kiss. I ruined everything." Scarlett
clarified.

"It was a nice surprise. I don't see how it ruined
anything." Duke smiled trying to get her to feel better.

"I feel so bad. I betrayed Snake Eyes. I told him what I
did and he broke up with me." Scarlett informed Duke.

"For one kiss? The guy has always had a problem with his
temper." Duke frowned. He wished he could help take away the
pain that was in her eyes. He reached over and took her hands in
his, but she pulled them away.

"Then I ruined things for you." Scarlett moaned sadly.

"How?" Duke wanted to know.

"I ended up telling Cover Girl what happened. She got so
angry. Our friendship has permanently been severed. She hates
me." Scarlett went on.

"Oh." Duke trailed off.

"She told me what happened between you two." Scarlett
informed Duke. She looked up to see his blushing face. "I don't
know what I was thinking by kissing you like that. I don't know
what got into me."

"Scarlett, Snake's reaction to all this is way out of line.
If he really loves you, he wouldn't throw what he has with you
away so easily." Duke replied. Scarlett shook her head in
disbelief. "You're a good friend, Scarlett, and a very special
person. If Snake Eyes can't see that, he's the one with the
problem." Duke assured his friend.

"You're not mad at me too?" Scarlett asked in disbelief
that Duke hadn't thrown her out yet.

"Why should I be mad?" Duke asked.

"For ruining things with Cover Girl. I mean she has had
her eye on you forever and now finally you guys went out.and"
Scarlett got cut off.

"First off, there is nothing between Cover Girl and I to be
ruined." Duke corrected her.

"But you slept with her." Scarlett spoke softly.

"Yeah, we did, but it was under unusual circumstances. We
were both intoxicated.not that I am making an excuse for what
happened.it's just I don't think I would have.well if I wasn't,
um." Duke had trouble finishing sentences. "All I'm saying is
that you kissing me didn't ruin anything."

"So you're not mad or upset that I kissed you?" Scarlett
asked hopefully. It would be nice if one person would be on her
side.

"No, I'm not mad or upset." Duke replied. He started to
blush and dropped his gaze to his hands which were in his lap,
"In fact, I enjoyed it."

"Huh?" Scarlett was thrown off guard by what Duke had said.
Duke turned to face her and linked his eyes with hers.

"Scarlett, you're a very attractive woman and a wonderful
friend. When you kissed me. Wow. It left me in a daze." Duke
truthfully told her.

"Really?" Scarlett asked in shock. Usually Duke was calm
and collected, but talking about the kiss really had him
flustered.

"Really." Duke smiled still gazing intently into her
crystal blue eyes. Heat swept across Scarlett's cheeks as Duke's
eyes continued to gaze into her own. "Heck, I would have
probably tried to get you to go out with me if I wasn't afraid
that Snake would take that Katana of his and chop me to bits."

"He just may. He took that sword and cut a picture of him
and me in half." Scarlett sighed sadly. She pulled the ripped
picture from her pocket to show Duke the evidence. Duke took it
from her and ran his finger over the serrated edge and then
handed it back. Scarlett's tears came over her once more. Duke
put his arm around her to try and comfort her.

"Listen, it's ok with me. I'm sorry you're taking the
brunt of this, but you shouldn't knock yourself out over it. This
is life. This is your life and you need to live it as you want
to live it." Duke wisely counseled.

"But I don't know if I wanted that. I'm still trying to
figure out why I kissed you." Scarlett sobbed.

"Maybe you just wanted to?" Duke suggested.

"I don't know." Scarlett continued sobbing. Duke tilted
Scarlett's face so he could see into her eyes. Her tears
subsided, but she was still shaking.

"Well I know that I want to kiss you right now." Duke
trailed off leaning towards her. He softly touched her lips with
his own. He opened his mouth and she responded by opening hers
as well. A few tears ran down Scarlett's face and trickled over
onto Duke's cheek. He put his hands on waist and pulled her
closer. Scarlett drew back from him in total shock.

"Wow." Scarlett breathed.

"This feels amazing. Much better than the first kiss."
Duke smiled.

"But it's wrong. There are other people to think
about.like Cover Girl." Scarlett frowned. Duke sighed loudly.

"I like her, but I want you." Duke explained.

"You want me?" Scarlett squeaked.

"Not just that way." Duke chuckled at Scarlett's wide-eyed
expression, "I want you: to know what you're thinking, to know
your dreams, your fears. I know it sounds weird, but I want to
know all about you. I have for so very long." Duke revealed.

"Duke.I don't know what to say." Scarlett breathed. Duke
kissed her again.

"Maybe I did want to kiss you." Scarlett smiled her first
true smile since the initial kiss.

"Maybe, but I'm not going to press you or force you. You
need some time to think. It wouldn't be right for me to just do
what I want to right here and now." Duke softly whispered.

"And exactly what is it that you want to do?" Scarlett
asked seductively. She leaned forward provocatively.

"Maybe we'll find out one day." Duke smiled back.
Scarlett's smile turned to a frown and she gave a wounded look.

"So you're pushing me away too?" Scarlett cried.

"No! Never! I just thought you need some room to work
things out for yourself." Duke corrected himself as he stroked
her cheek.

"I do need to work things out, but I need someone I trust
to help me." Scarlett spoke and gave a hopeful look to Duke.

"Well, you know I consider you a great friend." Duke
smiled.

"Thanks. I was hoping you'd volunteer." Scarlett smiled
back.

"That's what I like to see." Duke smiled glad to have
Scarlett smiling again. He pulled her close to him and hugged
her tightly. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"I better go get that." Duke sighed and went to answer the
door. He opened up to see Snake Eyes standing at the door with
his hands behind his back.

"Uh, Snake Eyes, what a surprise." Duke greeted. Snake
Eyes came into the apartment. Duke watched as Snake Eyes
stiffened when he saw Scarlett sitting on the couch. Scarlett
turned away.

"Wow, um, boy... this..." Duke trailed off. Snake Eyes took
what looked like a pass card out of his pocket and put it in
Duke's pocket and patted it firmly, but hit Duke hard. Duke
stumbled back a few steps. Snake Eyes turned to look at
Scarlett. Scarlett felt him staring and she turned to look at
him.

"I take it all back. You are NOTHING like my sister."
Snake Eyes signed furiously. The words penetrated Scarlett as
much as bullets would. For she knew the reason Snake had fallen
in love with her was because she possessed qualities that he had
seen in his sister before she died with his parents in a tragic
car accident. Scarlett began to sob and Duke began to get angry.

"Look, you have upset Scarlett quite enough for one night.
I know this must be hard for you, but it's hard on Scarlett too."
Duke spoke up.

"She must be having a really hard time with it if she came
back for more of what started all this." Snake signed. Duke's
instinct told him to punch the guy, but his head told him to stay
calm.

"I think you need to cool off, Snake. I am sure you don't
mean what you are saying." Duke offered and went to open the
door. Snake Eyes said nothing and stormed out. At that moment
Cover Girl showed up at Duke's door.

"Well, didn't take you long, Duke, to lure another girl
into your apartment." Cover Girl laughed. Scarlett got up from
the couch.

"Duke, I'm going back to my quarters. I don't think I can
take another round of this." Scarlett spoke and she pushed past
Cover Girl who smirked.

"Hey, Cover Girl, so lovely to see you." Duke sighed
sarcastically.

"Well, I already had a little talk with Scarlett so I
figured it's your turn." Cover Girl smiled.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you." Duke began.

"I don't want to fight with you either. It's not your
fault that Scarlett is a back stabbing friend." Cover Girl
replied.

"Courtney." Duke trailed off.

"Ok, I won't say anything more against your precious little
red head." Cover Girl promised while rolling her eyes.

"Would you like something to drink?" Duke offered.

"I would love something nice and hard, but I think I better
stay sober for this talk." Cover Girl sighed.

"Yeah, a little too much bottle is what helped last night
happen." Duke sighed.

"It did more than help. That's the only reason last night
happened." Cover Girl sadly sighed. Duke motioned for her to
take a seat next to him on the couch.

"Now you're being too hard there, don't you think?" Duke
asked softening. He had no idea that deep down Cover Girl was
really hurting.

"Too hard? How about truthful? You wouldn't have slept
with me if you hadn't been slammed, would you?" Cover Girl asked
wounded.

"Honestly, no, I don't think so." Duke said thoughtfully.

"See?" Cover Girl retorted.

"I wouldn't have slept with anyone else either." Duke
replied softly. Cover Girl lowered her head.

"Do you have any idea how long I've tried to get you to
notice me? How long I've just wanted to jump you coming out of
the briefing room and demand you take me on a date?" Cover Girl
blurted out.

"Um, I guess I had a vague idea." Duke honestly replied.

"Yeah. Vague." Cover Girl replied hurt.

"I'm sorry, Courtney. I really am." Duke apologized and
put his hand on top of hers.

"I should have known you weren't seeing me when we were
making love last night. Especially after you called me
Scarlett." Cover Girl chided herself. Duke saw a tear run down
her cheek.

"I called you Scarlett?" Duke asked wide-eyed with shock.

"Yeah, like I said, you were pretty out of it." Cover Girl

"I'm sorry Courtney. I wish I could remember more about
what happened. It meant so much to you. I feel awful." Duke
spoke from his heart.

"It's not just the sex I wanted, though. It's you. You
have to be the kindest, most compassionate guy on this base.
From the beginning, I really wanted you to notice me." Cover Girl
bared her soul.

"I did notice you. You're a great friend and you're pretty
and funny." Duke got caught off by Cover Girl.

"But I'm not Scarlett." Cover Girl interrupted.

"No, you're not Scarlett." Duke quietly replied. The two
sat in silence for a bit and Cover Girl wiped away the few
solitary tears that had fallen.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry." Cover Girl laughed.

"I think I would be worried if you didn't. I just wish I
knew how I could help you. I am so flattered that you feel so
strongly about me. I wish I could return the feelings, but they
just aren't there." Duke replied.

"I know. And I want you to know that I don't hold any of
this against you. I know that right now she has you captivated,
but maybe someday things will change. I am not going to give up
easily. I hope you understand that." Cover Girl spoke seriously
after composing herself.

"Courtney, I know you're hurting, but do you really think
holding a grudge is the best thing? I just don't think my
feelings for Scarlett will change.at least not in the near
future." Duke sighed.

"Well, we'll see about that." Cover Girl smiled and stood
up with a bounce. Duke stood up to show Cover Girl out. He felt
something poking him in his shirt pocket and he fished out
whatever it was. It was the pass card that Snake Eyes had given
him. Cover Girl looked over to see Scarlett's name on the pass
card.

"A pass card to Scarlett's room already? My she's quicker
than I thought." Cover Girl laughed.

"She didn't give this to me. It's a long story that I'm
sure you could care less about. Good night, Cover Girl." Duke
sighed now irritated. He showed her to the door.

"So what now? Are you going to put that pass card to
work?" Cover Girl asked.

"I don't think so. Scarlett has had a tough night. She's
probably already sleeping." Duke told Cover Girl. Cover Girl
seemed satisfied at the answer and left for her own quarters.
Duke suddenly changed his mind and headed towards Scarlett's
quarters. When he arrived at her door, he knocked softly hoping
that if she was awake she would hear him and if she was asleep
she wouldn't. He heard the lock turn and the door opened.
Scarlett stood before him in a tight fitting white tank top and
loose blue boxers. Her hair was loose her cheeks were red and
streaked from crying.

"Hi, Duke." Scarlett softly spoke.

"Hi, I came to drop off the pass card that Snake Eyes left
with me earlier. With all the commotion I forgot to give it to
you when you left." Duke announced the reason for his visit.

"Oh, well, um, thank you." Scarlett took the pass card from
his hand.

"Well, good night." Duke trailed off and turned.

"Um, wait. Would you like to come in?" Scarlett offered.

"Sure." Duke nodded and entered her quarters. "You know I
thought you'd be asleep by now."

"No, I don't think I'll sleep for a very long time."
Scarlett frowned.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Duke asked
feeling very sad for Scarlett. He took another look at the
sleepwear Scarlett had chosen for the night and found it hard to
break away from the curves of her body. "Well, it looks like you
tried to sleep." Duke spoke indicating her sheets, which had been
pulled down and were crumpled.

"Yeah, I tried, but I just couldn't. I started looking
around, and well I thought I'd do some cleaning." Scarlett
sighed. Duke turned to see a bunch of pictures on Scarlett's
table. All of them were of her and Snake Eyes.

"Yeah... I just wish there was more I could do to help
you. I feel responsible for this too." Duke sighed looking more
closely at the pictures.

"Don't. It's all my fault. I am the one who initiated the
kiss." Scarlett spoke sharply.

"But I still do. I can't help it." Duke sighed. Scarlett
picked up one of the pictures and studied it.

"You know, things aren't so good when you go back and look
over them." Scarlett sighed still studying the picture.

"How so?" Duke asked.

"If my relationship with Snake would have been as good as I
thought, would he have really flipped out over a kiss?" Scarlett
asked turning towards Duke.

"I see your point. I'm just sorry." Duke nodded.

"I was too, but I'm starting not to be." Scarlett quipped.
Duke looked at her puzzled. "Do you know how hard it was to have
a conversation with Snake Eyes? Do you know how much of that
barrier he put up with me that he puts up with everyone else?
God, Duke, in two years he's only let me see his face 3 times."
Scarlett revealed.

"Doesn't sound ideal. I guess he just has a lot of baggage
to deal with." Duke shrugged.

"Yeah, I just wish he would have let me help him." Scarlett
sighed.

"Come here." Duke commanded and drew Scarlett into a hug.
He held her tightly and gave her a squeeze.

"Thanks, I needed that." Scarlett smiled and kissed him on
the cheek. "You're a pretty special guy, Conrad Hauser."

"And you, Shana O'Hara, are a very incredible woman." Duke
smiled and kissed her forehead. Scarlett rested her head on his
shoulder.

"It feels good to be held." Scarlett told Duke. He gave
her another squeeze and smiled down at her.

"It's hard to watch two years of your life slip away."
Scarlett sighed content in Duke's arms.

"Well, I am going to try and make it as easy for you as
possible." Duke promised. Scarlett smiled brightly at that
thought. Just then there was a knock on her door.

"I hope it's someone nice." Scarlett sighed and went to
answer it. Cover Girl stood before her.

"Courtney." Scarlett greeted the woman in shock.

"Hi, there. I've, uh, had a chance to calm down. I'd like
to talk this out like two rational adults, that is if you want
to." Cover Girl softly spoke.

"Um, sure. I'd love to. I really didn't like how things
were going." Scarlett replied startled at Cover Girl's change of
heart.

"Mind if I come in? I don't really like hanging out in the
halls after hours, especially when the conversation is kind of
private." Cover Girl asked as she passed Scarlett and entered the
room. "Got any coffee that we can talk over?" Cover Girl turned
her head and saw Duke standing next to Scarlett's bed. Scarlett
could see a cloud of hurt and jealousy fill Cover Girl's eyes.

"It's not what you think, please." Scarlett immediately
blurted realizing how bad the situation looked.

"I just came by to give her the pass card." Duke replied
truthfully. Cover Girl turned to look at the bed and noticed the
crumpled sheets.

"Sure!" Cover Girl snapped. "First thing tomorrow I'm
dying my hair because I'm sick and tired of everything treating
me like a blonde idiot!"

"Cover Girl, please." Scarlett begged.

"Don't `Cover Girl' me. Don't `Courtney' me. I'm tired of
it and I don't want to hear anything!" Cover Girl screamed.

"Nothing's going on here." Duke stated again.

"Oh you just shut up! You lied to me. As soon as I was
gone you ran down here to jump the redhead!" Cover Girl turned to
Duke.

"What?" Scarlett asked confused.

"I don't know who to be more angry and hurt at, Scarlett
here or you. Maybe you're the one who's been encouraging her all
the time, Duke?" Cover Girl continued to yell at him.

"You're talking crazy." Duke told her.

"Maybe. Maybe I am crazy for thinking you gave a damn
about my feelings." Cover Girl spat.

"Now, Courtney, you know that's not true." Duke fumed.
Cover Girl mocked his statement.

"Listen to yourself sometime. You need acting lessons,
Conrad." Cover Girl sighed.

"Maybe everyone better go and get some sleep and we can
talk about this tomorrow." Scarlett interjected.

"There won't be any more talking about it, at least not
from me." Cover Girl whipped her head around to face Scarlett.
She then turned back to Duke. "You know as well as I do that
this isn't over between us. I know eventually you'll come around,
and I'll be waiting."

"Um, I don't know about that, Cover Girl." Duke spoke
flustered. Cover Girl crossed over to him and slid her hands up
Duke's chest.

"If you want a redhead, I can be that for you too. I'm
sure I can be a better red than Scarlett here anytime." Cover
Girl purred.

"Okay, I've had my fill. Would you please leave, Cover
Girl?" Scarlett announced annoyed.

"I'll go just as soon as I let Duke know that I left him a
reminder of our night together in his room." Cover Girl smiled.

"What?" Duke gulped. Cover Girl turned to Scarlett with a
sly grin on her face.

"Well, Duke liked the bra I had on so much that I figured
he should keep it." Cover Girl laughed stepping away from Duke.
His color had completely drained from his face.

"I'm sure Duke won't be looking for it any time soon."
Scarlett fumed and stormed up to Duke and kissed him fiercely on
the lips, which infuriated Cover Girl.

"And I'm sure Duke will return it if he does find it. In
the meantime, consider this first sergeant reserved and off
limits." Scarlett announced to Cover Girl. Scarlett grinned and
turned to Duke, " Besides, if Duke likes bras he can have some of
mine. I'm sure he'll like them and what's in them a lot better
than yours." Scarlett smiled and kissed Duke again. This was
enough to send Cover Girl packing. She stormed out and slammed
the door behind her.

"Wow." Duke muttered just regaining his senses.

"To which part?" Scarlett grinned.

"Well, all of it I guess. Remind me to stay on your good
side." Duke smiled.

"I guess I just claimed you." Scarlett giggled.

"I guess you did. It's nice to feel like a piece of
luggage at La Guardia." Duke chuckled.

"Well, I'll make it up to you." Scarlett purred taking his
hands in her own.

"How?" Duke asked with a smile.

"Want to see my bras?" Scarlett asked. Duke laughed also
and kissed her again.

"I'd like that, but maybe another time. I think I'll tuck
you into bed and get back to my own quarters." Duke winked.

"Ok," Scarlett yawned. She climbed in to bed and Duke
pulled up a chair beside her. He pulled up her sheets and her
blanket and tucked her in gently.

"Mmm... nice and warm." Scarlett smiled. Duke stroked her
hair and soon enough Scarlett was asleep. Duke quietly stood up
and he left to go back to his place to get some shuteye himself.



THE NEXT MORNING

Scarlett walked through the halls as if her mind was on a
carousel. Many thoughts were spinning around and around in her
head. She pushed on the cafeteria doors. They seemed heavier
than usual, but that was no surprise to her. Being emotionally
drained sometimes left her a little weaker than normal. She
entered the cafeteria and gave a wave to Roadblock who was in the
kitchen. She looked around for a seat. She found a crowded
table of her good friends and went over to say hello. As she
walked over, a few of the joes snickered.

"Morning, everyone." Scarlett smiled. Something was
definitely up, Scarlett could tell. Some of her closest friends,
Gung Ho, Stalker, and Rock and Roll couldn't even look at her.
The rest of the joes were looking at her strangely.

"Hey, morning there, Red. I see you could pull yourself
away to join us." Zap chuckled and nudged Rock and Roll.

"Pull myself away from what?" Scarlett asked confused as a
sinking feeling invaded her stomach. Gung Ho looked sharply at
Zap.

"It's not like it's a secret." Flash trailed off. Stalker
looked directly at Flash and cut off whatever Flash was about to
say.

"What's going on here? What's not a secret?" Scarlett
asked uneasy.

"Well you know. you, our first sergeant, disco lights and a
music with a heavy beat, if you get my meaning!" Zap laughed and
slapped Flash five. Scarlett felt heat crawling into her cheeks.

"Where did you hear this information?" Scarlett demanded.
She couldn't believe how strong her voice sounded when inside she
was shaking. No one answers, but someone tapped on her shoulder.
She turned around to see Cover Girl sporting a new hairdo. She
had traded her long golden locks for short red hair, much like
Scarlett's color.

"I see you and Conrad pulled yourselves apart long enough
to get dressed. After all, there can't be room enough for two of
you in that skintight suit now, can there?" Cover Girl smirked.

"Nice hair color. What are you trying to do? Add points
to your IQ by switching away from blonde?" Scarlett asked
furiously. She couldn't believe the whole base new about the
situation with Duke.

"I figured if Duke could go for one red head, I'd give him
another to chose from." Cover Girl stared Scarlett down.

"The moment you got those hot pants of yours off, he'd find
out that the blonde still goes to the roots, sister!" Scarlett
spat back with her hands on her hips.

"Trust me. He didn't mind those roots when I had him."
Cover Girl smugly replied.

"That does it!" Scarlett cried and lunged for Cover Girl.
Gung Ho sprang from his seat and grabbed hold of Scarlett.

"I think you two may want to discuss things after you've
cooled down, and been retired for 20 years." Gung Ho suggested.

"Flash, why don't you and Cover Girl go do a systems check
on the Wolverine." Stalker suggested.

"I did that last week." Cover Girl shrugged off the advice.

"Then do it again." Stalker made a stern face. Flash and
Cover Girl exited quickly, but not before Cover Girl could wink
at Scarlett on the way out.

"If I let you go, you've got to promise to not get angry or
hostile." Gung Ho spoke.

"How about if I agree to be both, and I serve her head up
on a stick." Scarlett grumbled. Gung Ho let go and Scarlett
shrugged away from him. Roadblock made his way over to the
table.

"How about some fine breakfast food? That will get you in
a good mood." Roadblock suggested. Scarlett shook her head.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Scarlett. Cover Girl just
blurted it out and." Gung Ho tried to apologize.

"Please, I don't want details. I, um, I'm going to go."
Scarlett sighed hurt at how some of the people she thought were
her friends had treated her. She turned towards the door and as
soon as she went to open the door, it swung open in front of her
and Snake Eyes entered the cafeteria.

"Snake." Scarlett gave a little smile as she stood before
him. Snake Eyes pushed her out of the way with one hand and
proceeded forward.

"I'm sorry!" Scarlett cried. She stomped out the door and
leaned against the wall right outside. She brought her head up
into her hands. She couldn't believe all that was happening. It
was too much. She turned to see Gung Ho pushing Snake Eyes back
out into the hall. She quickly jogged out of the corridor. She
was not up to facing Snake Eyes again.

"I don't care how big and mean you are. You don't treat a
lady like that." Gung Ho warned the ninja.

"She's no lady." Snake Eyes signed.

"Hey, I don't know what happened between you two. Frankly
I don't give a damn... but you don't treat Scarlett like that.
Snake Eyes tried to push past the huge marine. "No one walks
away from me when I'm talking to them." Gung Ho replied blocking
his way. Snake pushed Gung Ho with all his might, which sent him
into the door. Roadblock came out into the hallway from the
kitchen entrance since, the main entrance was blocked by Snake
and Gung Ho.

"You both need to cool down. This roughness is making me
frown." Roadblock almost scolded. Gung Ho got out of Snake's way
as he entered the cafeteria with much hostility. Stalker came
out of the cafeteria at that moment.

"Is it just me, or does that guy creep you out sometimes?"
Stalker asked nodding in Snake Eye's direction.

"How about just `is that guy a creep'?" Gung Ho grumbled.

"May I suggest, we hold off the blame? No one here knows
what happened in this game." Roadblock suggested.

"Roadblock's right. No blame. Sometimes these things just
happen." Stalker nodded.

"Well, I'll try to hold back. But I think Duke and
Scarlett are a better match than `Mr. Angst' and Scarlett." Gung
Ho decided.

"Speaking of Scarlett, why don't we go find her? We have
some apologizing to do for the rest of our table crowd." Stalker
replied.

"Yeah, and I think she just needs someone to talk to right
now. Even if not to talk, to keep her and Cover Girl away from a
cat fight." Gung Ho agreed. They follow the hallway until they
take the first turn and see Scarlett sitting against the wall
with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head is bent down.
They could hear a soft sniffling sound emit from her small form.
Scarlett heard them approach, but she said nothing. Stalker sat
down next to her.

"Hey, kid. You doing ok?" Stalker asked softly. Scarlett
lifted her head and Stalker saw the tears sliding down her
cheeks.

"Sure, what makes you think I'm not ok?" Scarlett asked
sarcastically with a laugh.

"Now don't go trying to snow ball us." Gung Ho replied
taking a seat on the other side of her.

"How am I supposed to be? Snake Eyes hates me. Cover Girl
despises me. And now the entire base thinks I'm in Duke's
pants." Scarlett summed up.

"Not the entire base." Stalker offered.

"Come on. We're talking about Cover Girl here. I'm lucky
she hasn't announced over the PA that Duke and I are doing it."
Scarlett sighed wiping tears away. Gung Ho and Stalker looked at
each other uneasily.

"It was a shock to me." Gung Ho spoke.

"Duke and I aren't sleeping together. Cover Girl is
exaggerating." Scarlett set the record straight.

"Then what's all this about? What happened with Snake?"
Stalker asked. Scarlett bent her head down again.

"You don't have to tell us anything. We actually came here
to apologize." Gung Ho sighed a little embarrassed.

"The guys were way out of line." Stalker added. Scarlett
sighed not wanting to relive the scene in the cafeteria.

"Listen, Red, we don't care of you and Duke are together or
if you're not. You're our friend and we don't let friends get
hurt like that." Gung Ho continued.

"Yeah, give it time to settle. No one will care what you
and Duke are doing, if you're doing anything. I mean." Stalker
trailed off getting caught up in what he was saying. The three
heard another pair of shoes clicking down the hallway and they
watched as Duke approached them.

"Nice to know my personal life makes tabloid fodder." Duke
sighed.

"Duke, they were just trying to cheer me up. I had another
run in with Courtney." Scarlett exclaimed.

"I figured as much. I saw her new hairdo and I got some
interesting looks from some people on my way down here." Duke
nodded. He then directed his attention to Gung Ho and Stalker.

"Hey, guys. I appreciate the help, but could I have a moment or
two alone with Scarlett?"

"Sure, man. Catch you later, ok?" Stalker nodded.

"Yeah, then you can grill me." Duke smiled back. Gung Ho
and Stalker rose to their feet and left down the hallway. Duke
took a seat next to Scarlett and put his arm around her.
"You ok?" Duke asked softly.

"I guess." Scarlett sighed sadly.

"I know this is about a million times more rough on you
then me." Duke sighed.

"I just wish." Scarlett trailed off.

"Yeah?" Duke asked curiously.

"I don't know. I guess I wish I knew why Courtney and I
have to be enemies now and why Snake Eyes has to hate me and."
Scarlett trailed off getting herself upset.

"And?"

"Why do I have to be so afraid of being with you." Scarlett
let out.

"I didn't think you were scared." Duke replied surprised at
Scarlett's words.

"I'm not really scared. I'm just afraid I'll cause you
problems too. I mean Snake Eyes doesn't even act civil to either
of us, and you're his CO." Scarlett sighed and hung her head.
"I'm just afraid that I'll cost you this command."

"Hey, Clayton and I go way back. Hawk wouldn't pull me out
of here just because of one guy with a grudge. Besides above
all, Snake Eyes is a soldier. When the time comes, he'll follow
orders like everyone else." Duke counseled.

"Then there's Cover Girl's new dye job. She's convinced
you'll fall for her if she's a redhead." Scarlett sighed
wondering if the new dye job would really change Duke's mind.

"Well, I do have a thing for red heads, but I like them
natural." Duke smiled playing with a lock of her hair. She felt
comforted by his statement. Scarlett let out a giggle as Duke
smelled her hair.

"Maybe one day I'll prove I'm naturally red." Scarlett
whispered feeling brave. Duke blushed.

"Um, one day. I don't want us to move too fast." Duke
replied. Scarlett nodded and rested he head on her knees.

"How'd you like to have dinner with me tonight? I know
this little place down the coast. I think I can talk Clutch into
letting me borrow a Vamp." Duke asked.

"So, you're asking me out?" Scarlett asked.

"Only if you're accepting." Duke replied.

"I'm accepting." Scarlett smiled.

"Then I'm asking." Duke whispered as reached over and
kissed her tenderly but briefly. Duke got up and helped Scarlett
to her feet.

"Now that we have that out of the way, let's go see what
Cobra's been up to. That's why we're here after all, isn't it?"
Duke smiled. Duke nodded and smiled back.

"Okay, you lead the way." Scarlett offered her hand. Duke
took it in his own, kissed it and the two walked off towards the
control room with all thoughts of Cover Girl and Snake Eyes far
behind them.