A/N: *Le Gasp* This fic is back from the dead and the next one on my list to be finished. So look for updates to this, Frozen World, Burning Desires and Dark Secret. (which is a collab between the talented WrestleFan4 and I and found on her page) Took me alittle while to get back into the swing of het but I think I have it nailed down now so it shouldn't be too long between updates for this. Thank you to all my readers and I hope y'all ENJOY!!!
The next morning Fiona walked into the kitchen to find Bryant asleep curled up on top of her island. Axel was lying on the floor and lifted his head when he heard her foot falls. He let out a lazy woof and trotted over, butting his head against her knees.
"Good boy Axel." She said with a grin as she bent down and scratched behind his ears.
He whimpered and she headed over to the back door to let him out. The other dogs stirred from their slumber and were soon trotting behind him before they rushed out into the cold morning air. The breeze that the door let in drifted across the kitchen and she heard her brother stirring behind her. The smirk that had been there moments before slid off her face as she schooled it into a frown.
"You are a smudge on the family name." She heard him say, and the frown went from forced to genuine.
"And you are a pompous, closed minded, egotistical, stick up the ass, asshole." She shot back as she moved over to the coffee pot and started it.
"I take my coffee black."
"I'm sure that the diner in town can accommodate you."
"You always were a cold hearted bitch."
"And you were always a stuffed shirt that didn't have the brains that God gave a goose." She said, her voice laced with false sweetness. "Now don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out."
"I'm not leaving Fiona." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yes you are. If not willingly, then I'll force you out."
"And if she can't. I will."
Both Fiona and Bryant jumped at hearing Marks' voice. He was standing in the door way of the sliding doors, the dogs lined up behind him. He was wearing jeans, a hooded sweatshirt and his leather trench coat with his hair pulled back into a braid and a bandanna wrapped around his head. He stepped in and waited for the dogs to enter, patting Slash on the head as the dog took a seat at his feet. He shut the door and draped his leather coat over one of the bar stools.
"You're here early Mark." Fiona said with a grin.
"Well, I only have a couple more days before I'm outta here. Figured we get as much done as we can." He moved over to stand besides her, frowning when Bryant cleared his throat in Mark's direction. "Can I help you?"
Bryant colored but didn't say anything as he stalked from the room. Mark turned and looked down at Fiona, smirking when he seen her glaring after her brother. He nudged her shoulder and rolled his eyes, making her crack a small smile.
"So, got any coffee?" He asked hopefully.
"Of course. Just put a pot on a couple minutes ago."
"You'll serve your fuck buddy a cup of coffee, but you'll make me go into town? Shows how much family means to you."
Fiona sucked in a breath, ready to lay into her brother. But Mark beat her to it. He walked over and picked the shorter male up by the back of his pants and shirt so that he was held horizontally off the ground. Bryant squawked indignantly as Mark carried him through the living room to the front door. There he put him down momentarily until he could get the door open, then he stepped out onto the porch and with all the might he could muster, flung Bryant off the porch into the snow. Before Bryant could get to his feet, Mark had returned to the porch and threw his suitcases at him.
Bryant ducked, covering his head as the heavy luggage rained down around him. With a loud guffaw, Mark turned and walked back into the house; locking the door behind him. When he returned to the kitchen Fiona was just staring at him as if she had never seen him before in her life. Then she finally broke down in a fit of giggles, curling up on the floor from the force of her laughter. The noise brought the pups running, and they covered her face in sloppy dog kisses. Axel wandered in and sniffed at her face, sending her into another peal of laughter. Mark felt Slash lean against his leg and looked down to see the dog twitching it's eyebrows at him as if to say "She's lost her mind.' He reached down and scratched the dogs head as Fiona pushed herself into a sitting position and fought to catch her breath.
"Feel better?" He asked as she wiped her eyes.
"Much."
Mark nodded and watched from his seat at the island as she got two cups down and poured the coffee. She sat his down in front of him and blew on hers before taking a sip.
"I thought that Glen was coming too?"
"He'll be along later." Mark said, hiding his frown behind his cup. "He was still sleeping when I left."
"His loss." She said with a shoulder shrug before leaving the room to get her laptop. She breezed back in a couple of minutes later, her hair put back up and looking like the secretary again. She set the laptop at Mark's elbow and slid onto the stool next to him. Mark shifted slightly so that his arm was brushing hers and waited to see what she was doing. She looked up and grinned at him as she opened the file to the book.
"So we're going to pick up where we left off yesterday. We had just gotten to the fire that claimed your family. Where are we going to go with it?"
Mark furrowed his brow and tapped into Taker, letting him take over his mind for a little bit. Even in his altered state of mind he kept replaying their parting kiss from the night before. After a few minutes he started to throw out ideas and they started an easy rhythm. It was strange at first, Mark wouldn't answer the questions until she asked them to 'Taker', but soon it seemed liked second nature and they had gotten through maybe two chapters when there was a knock on the sliding glass door. Without looking up she waved Glen in, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she typed down an answer that Mark had given her. Cold air rushed into the room and Mark shivered, turning round and rolling his eyes at his bald friend.
"I see that you finally moved outta bed ya big lump."
Glen laughed and helped himself to some coffee, leaning against the counter and watching as Mark and Fiona interacted, a frown starting as Mark reached over and patted her hand. He walked over and plopped down on a chair next to Mark and cleared his throat, breaking up whatever little moment they had going on.
"So where did we leave off?" He prompted when Fiona looked up at him.
"Taker was setting up for the big fire scene." She murmured as she looked down at the laptop, her fingers starting to fly over the keys again.
"Yea Sparky. You almost missed it." Mark grinned wolfishly. "Although it wouldn't have been that big of a loss if you had."
"For the last time, don't call me Sparky." Glen mock growled, narrowing his eyes as he took a sip of his coffee.
Fiona rolled her eyes and looked up, flicking her gaze between Mark and Glen, noting the similarities between them as well as the differences—for writing purposes only. Atleast that was what she told herself when her eyes stayed too long on Glen's face and too long on Mark's broad chest. She averted her eyes and cleared her throat, picking up a pencil that lay on the table and tapping the eraser rapidly against the marble table top.
"Alright, we haven't started the fire scene yet, so why don't you catch up on what we've done so far Glen and then we'll go from there."
She pushed the laptop over to him and sat back in her chair, twirling the pencil between her fingers and trying to keep her attention anywhere but on the two men sitting across from her. It was hard to do seeing as how Axel had come up and sat near Mark, laying his head in Mark's lap and nudging his hand with his nose to be petted and Asher coming up and sniffing at Glen before climbing up and wrapping himself around the large man's neck. The peace and tranquility wasn't to last; before Glen could even push the computer across the table top a loud pounding sounded at the doors, stirring the dogs into a barking frenzy as they tore through the house and congregating in front of the front door. Fiona waded through the growling and barking sea of fur and peeked out of the window, sighing in annoyance when she seen her brother standing on her front porch, scowling as he raised his hand to knock again.
"Mark, Glen can you come put the dogs in the mud room?" She called out as she picked up one of the pups and cradled it as it licked her face.
"What's wrong?" Mark asked as he poked his head into the living room and whistling for the dogs.
"Bryant."
The name rolled off her tongue like a nasty curse; her face a mask of complete disgust that made both Glen and Mark laugh at her. Once the dogs were put away she opened the door, growling in her throat as Bryant tried to step inside.
"Can I help you Bryant?"
"Fiona this is childish." He sneered, his eyes widening as Mark and Glen moved so that they were behind her with their arms folded over their chests. "Why can't you just lay aside your whorish ways and follow in Mom and Dad's footsteps? They've given you everything and you threw it away for—for these two muscle heads that have probably taken so many steroids that their penis' more than likely can't even get hard without the aid of drugs."
"Ok, I've had enough of this." Glen said quietly as he stepped around Fiona and yanked Bryant of his feet by the collar of his shirt. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen and listen good. What your sister decides to do with her life is her own business and it would be in your best interests if you butted the fuck out and let her be." Glen shook him, narrowing his eyes in a Kane like manner. "Do I make myself clear?"
"T-this is assault. I'll have you thrown in jail for t-this." Bryant stuttered as he fought to keep his tough façade up.
"You think this is assault? You ain't seen assault yet boy." Glen threatened, cocking his free fist back and acting as if he was about to let it fly.
"You'll both rot in jail if you do it."
"Really? 'Cause as far as I can tell, you busted in here and started to get rowdy, threathin' the little lady here and all we did was protect her from some potentially drugged up home invader." Mark drawled as he boredly studied his nails.
Bryant went stark white in Glen's hand, his eyes flying over to Fiona's face and finding her smirking at him, her eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.
"You wouldn't let them do anything to me…..would you Fi?" He asked, his voice bordering on pleading and down right scared.
"You're damned right I would Bryant. No once Glen here lets you down I want you to get back in your car, drive the fuck away and forget where the fuck I live."
"Did you catch all that?" Glen asked, shaking him again so that his head snapped from front to back.
Bryant nodded and when Glen let him go he scrambled down the front steps; tripping over his feet and landing face first in the snow. From their vantage point in the front door Mark, Glen and Fiona laughed as he fumbled with his keys and fought to get the door open. He peeled out of the driveway, snow flying as he fishtailed down the road; a plume of snow and exhaust smoke the only markings of his presence. With one last chuckle Fiona turned and faced Mark and Glen; pointing towards the kitchen and commanding as though she were an army general.
"Alright you two slackers, get moving and lets get this done, I have things I want to do today that doesn't involve being cooped up in the house."
She headed into the kitchen while Mark and Glen shook their heads and followed shoving each other childishly and bickering as they sat back down at the table.