"So you guys got the honey back only to find out that Wade and Star had staged the whole thing for a profit?" Beth Phoenix shook her head as Justin Gabriel recounted the whole sordid tale to her. "He is such a bad influence on her, we really should get her away from him."
"I know, right? The only problem is they love each other to death and back." Justin sighed. "He'd do anything for her, even if it's not entirely legal."
They walked together down the halls of Smackdown, unaware that they were being watched.
"No." Wade Barrett put a firm hand on Stars shoulder.
"But-," Star started, before succumbing to a glare from her beloved. "If he'd just SAY something to her...!"
"It's not our place to say or do anything." Wade warned her.
"But think of all the trouble we went through because we just didn't tell each other how we felt! I could have DIED!" Star pointed out.
Wade stopped himself from pointing out that as long as he was alive, she was immortal, remembering that he hadn't told her about the Imprint. "Otunga wouldn't have killed you. He couldn't have. You would have destroyed him."
"I guess so." Star kicked at the ground. "I really wish we'd talked to each other sooner though."
"Don't worry about it. We together now aren't we?" Wade lifted her up onto his hip, holding her tightly.
Star cuddled up to him, remembering all the times he'd held her like this when she was younger and smaller. "Yeah." She smiled.
"Beth and Justin will figure it out, just like we did. Just give it time. They'll be better off for it." Wade told her as he carried her off to their locker room. "You don't want to rush things and potentially screw them up do you?"
"No..." Star sighed.
"Right then." Wade set her down on one of the benches. "So smarten up. You and I have a match tonight against the Big Show and Kane."
"Leech." Star spat.
"The Phenoms don't think so. They consider Big Show to be a friend of the Clan." Wade pulled off his clothes and got into his wrestling gear. "To be fair, they say the same thing about the Unholy Trio, so I guess it all equals out in the end."
"Heath and Justin would never take advantage of my powers!" Star looked horrified.
"They wouldn't, but their children might. Or their childrens children." Wade warned. "It doesn't take much for a friend of the Clan to become a leech. Remember that."
"Yes Wade." Star got her own wrestling gear on.
"Besides, at the end of the day, Big Show is nothing compared to us." Wade grinned. "He doesn't have any Clan abilities, plus Kane will be weak to your Eye Powers."
"Yeah!" Star cheered.
Just then, there was a knock on their locker room door. Wade answered it.
"What?!" He asked impatiently.
"I've been asked to tell you that your match has been changed. AJ Lee has decided that Kane and Daniel Bryan need anger management therapy, and part of that therapy is that they tag together. You're now facing Kane and Daniel." The scared little assistant squeaked.
Wade snorted. Star grinned.
"Clans verses clans!" She said. "This will be fun!"
–
Wade Barrett stood impatiently in the ring while Star waved to the fans. Kane and Daniel Bryan STILL hadn't decided who was going to go first in their tag match, and it'd been five minutes already.
"I will be taking on Barrett!" Kane roared.
"I will be taking on Barrett!" Daniel roared back.
"I WILL!"
"NO, I WILL!"
"I WILL!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"Maybe!" Star yelled. Wade started laughing. Team Hell No glared at them.
"This is a PRIVATE conversation. It does not concern YOU." Daniel calmly explained to Team WadeStar.
"You sure? We could probably hear it from England." Wade grinned.
"Mind your own business Wade!" Kane snapped angrily. "I will be facing Barrett!"
"No, I will be facing Barrett!"
Star tapped Wade on the shoulder as Team Hell No got into another argument. He smirked.
"RAT! TIGER! MONKEY! SNAKE!" The crowd cheered.
"Huh?" Kane and Daniel looked at each other in confusion.
CRACK! Double Paralysis Slaps from both Wade and Star! Star took down Kane while Wade worked on Daniel. While Star used taijutsu on Kane, repeatedly sending him down to the mat in a flurry of strikes, Wade had Daniel in the corner, slamming him with his powerful fists.
"I'm not officiating this." The referee threw up his hands and left the ring. Meanwhile, Wade and Star whipped Kane and Daniel into each other. The pair stopped, before realizing to their horror that they'd landed in each others arms. Wade and Star howled with laughter, while Kane and Daniel got into yet another argument.
"Well, it wasn't a match but this HAS been entertaining!" Star sat on a turnbuckle and watched the argument while Wade leaned on the ropes next to her.
"Clan Phenom and Clan Grey Goat will NEVER see eye-to-eye. Fact of life." Wade grinned.
Just then, Teddy Long made his entrance.
"Now playas," He started, making Team WadeStar roll their eyes. "I scheduled a match for this evening, but thanks to that little minx AJ Lee, that hasn't happened. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to get the rest of the Unholy Trio out here, and it will be AJ Lee and Team Hell No verses the Unholy Trio with the rest of the Corre at ringside!"
"Yes!" Star cheered. "Now we'll REALLY have some fun!"
"And just for a bit of spice, this is now a Championship match! Both the Tag Team Titles AND the Divas Championship are on the line!" Teddy announced, to loud cheers from the crowd.
"You were saying?" Wade snickered as Star pouted.
–
The Corre celebrated onstage after the match. They WOULD have occupied the ring, but it was currently host to another fight between the three members of Team Hell No.
"Ten quid on Kane." Wade Barrett muttered to Star.
"You're on." Star replied as Kane and Daniel Bryan started shoving each other. It ended with AJ Lee decking the pair of them.
"Cough up." Star nudged Wade, who snarled and handed over the money.
"No wonder you won, these lot are worse than you three!" Ezekiel Jackson teased Justin Gabriel.
"You wish." Justin nudged him back.
"We're leaving." AJ snarled. "C'mon, before this lot start laughing at us again."
"We never stopped!" Heath Slater pointed out as Team Hell No stormed out of the arena.
"How DARE they. Don't they know who I am?!" Kane fumed as they trudged back to their locker room.
"Only because you're the second son of the Phenom Clan." Daniel smirked. "I however, am currently the Head of the Grey Goat Clan."
"Who'd you back stab for that?" Kane muttered.
"I was VOTED in thank you very much!" Daniel bit. "We've seen a revolution in our Clan!"
"Not that it counts for much." Kane snorted.
"Oh like YOU did anything out there!"
"I had Slater on the ropes until you stuck your nose in where it wasn't wanted!"
"Oh please, one shot from the Misneach girls eyes and you were toast!"
"Wanna say that again?!"
"ENOUGH!" AJ roared, making the other two jump. "I was brought in by my Clan to try and garner PEACE between the two of you! Do NOT make my job harder than it needs to be!"
"Viper's getting all snooty." Daniel chuckled.
"Gonna get your demon out on us?" Kane taunted.
AJ's eyes flashed dangerously. "I could. Then you'd be in really deep trouble." She hissed.
"AJ!" She heard someone call. Kane and Daniel snickered as her face turned to an expression of horror.
"Randy." AJ tried to compose herself. Randy Orton stalked over.
"I am warning you AJ, the Clan will not tolerate another failure from you. One more and you'll lose your standing in the Council." Randy glowered at her. "You were against two mortals and a Misneach, you should NOT have lost."
"It wasn't my fault, if these two would just get along-," AJ tried.
"You are supposed to be overseeing peace between the Phenoms and the Grey Goats. If they're still fighting, then it IS your fault." Randy warned her. "Get your act together, or suffer the consequences."
"Swell." AJ muttered as Randy stalked off. "Last thing I want is Alicia Fox taking my place."
"Looks like you need us." Daniel smirked.
"Yes, I need you. I need you to wise up and starting acting like adults!" AJ yelled. "If I lose my seat on the Viper Council then I will personally destroy the both of you."
"Like you could." Kane scoffed.
"Try me." AJ glared at them with ice in her eyes, before storming off.
–
Wade Barrett yawned loudly and joined Star on the sofa. "Move." He said, nudging Stars legs.
"Shan't." Star replied, glazed eyes barely focused on the television in front of her.
"If you're that tired, then get to bed." Wade snapped, lifting up her legs and sitting down.
"Not tired. Just..." A huge yawn interrupted Stars sentence. "Happy."
"Glad to hear it." Wade groused as she replaced her legs on his lap. "Did you hear about AJ Lee?"
"She's in charge of the Phenom/Grey Goat peace mediation. Poor bitch." Star replied. Wade snorted.
"Understatement. Apparently losing to the Unholy Trio put a huge target on her back. She's in danger of being kicked off the Vipers Council, which means being excommunicated from the Clan." Wade told Star, who decided to crawl over to his lap and snooze there instead.
"Why do you call us the Unholy Trio for?" Star pouted.
"How long do you have?" Wade chuckled, running his fingers through her hair. "I wonder if the Barrett Clan should throw our hats into that particular ring..."
"If it ends badly, it could mean war." Star pointed out. "And war means paperwork."
"Never mind." Wade turned his attention to the television. Paperwork was the LAST thing he wanted to be doing. "Maybe you should post-pone your fight with Alicia Fox for the Divas Championship."
"Why?" Star yawned.
"Because Alicia is earmarked to take AJ's place if she fails." Wade pointed out. "And when you beat Alicia, that could cause a huge power vacuum in the Viper Clan."
"Not my responsibility." Star snuggled into his lap.
"Oh contraire." Wade smirked. "If Treelo is earmarked to be the next Head of the Misneach Clan, then that makes YOU the second daughter of the Clan. Given your Clans standing, that means that YOU have to be very, VERY careful."
"You're not, and you're the Barrett Clan second son." Star rolled her eyes.
"Lucky, our political and financial power is unlimited." Wade explained. "I can get away with a lot because we have the right people under our thumbs or the money to buy them. Plus I've always held a legitimate job as a front. YOU on the other hand were sold as a baby from a Clan that's falling apart at the seams."
"Yeah, but I have Puppet Eyes, and the ability to use one eye at a time to activate my power." Star told him. "Plus I'm screwing the second son of the Barrett Clan."
Wade went bright red. The little minx was right, she was in almost a better position than he was, and she didn't even know about the true power she wielded over him!
–
"I don't get Clan politics." Heath Slater said, grabbing a sandwich.
"It's all about balance of power. All the Clans are pretty much equal in magical and physical power (with the exception of Clan Barrett to a point), so it's all about clout and standing." Justin Gabriel tried to explain, helping himself to catering as well.
"Clan Barrett have a bit more magical power than I think even they realize." Ezekiel Jackson grinned. He quickly told them about Wade Barrett and how he accidentally Imprinted on Star.
"Wow." Heath looked impressed. "Explains a lot."
"Yeah." Justin grinned. "Imagine if they learned how to untap THAT power."
"It's their biggest strength and greatest weakness. Especially if they Imprint on people from other Clans like Wade has." Zeke continued. "It's okay at the moment, because the Misneach Clan is so messed up, but had he Imprinted on a Viper or a Grey Goat, it could cause huge problems."
"Glad I'm not in a Clan." Justin said as they sat down.
"You still have to be careful. Did you know you two are registered as friends of the Misneach Clan?" Zeke told them.
Heath spat out his lunch, and Justin looked worried.
"It's nothing too serious, it just means you're now a target if the Misneaches ever go to war again. Which won't be any time in your lifetimes." Zeke chuckled.
"How do you know so much about the Clans?" Heath asked.
"I don't know much honestly." Zeke shrugged. "My family has been friends with the Barretts for a few generations now. It has its perks, but I'm glad we're not leeches."
Heath and Justin shuddered. They knew all about leeches. Leeches had to be killed.
"What are you guys talking about?" Wade Barrett and Star walked over. Star had a large container of honey, and Wade had a steak sandwich.
"Explaining Clan politics." Zeke chuckled. "Especially as we're on the brink of another Clan War."
"It won't happen." Wade shrugged. "The Clans are a bit preoccupied with what's going on in the Misneach Clan for a war to start."
"So Team Hell No?" Heath ventured.
"Shits and giggles." Star replied, getting honey everywhere as she is prone to do.
"Lucky!" Wade groaned, trying to clean her up.
"Oh look at the Misneach, too drunk to even feed herself properly." A voice said.
"Bug off AJ, we're busy." Wade snarled as AJ Lee approached with the rest of Team Hell No.
"Aww, did we hit a nerve?" AJ laughed.
"I think she's too preoccupied." Heath pointed out as Star ignored AJ in favour of her honey.
"OI! MISNEACH!" Kane tried to shove Star, but Wade got in the way. "Make her pay attention to us." He demanded.
"Couldn't even if I wanted to." Wade snapped.
"What's the matter? Can't control your little Misneach?" Daniel Bryan piped up.
"You would think he would have learned from being kicked out of the Nexus." Justin scratched his head as Team Hell No finally got Stars attention – the hard way.
"SHE'S RIPPING OUT MY BEARD! HELP ME!" Daniel cried as Star attacked.
"It'd be an improvement." Kane quipped.
"Help me get her off him!" AJ cried, trying to separate Star from Daniels throat.
"I. AM. NOT. LITTLE!" Star roared in fury, one hand yanking on Daniels beard, the other smashing his face with punches.
"Um." Wade assessed the situation. He really didn't want to have to do the paperwork that came with Star losing her temper, but it WAS fun watching her beat the snot out of a Grey Goat.
It's hard being Wade Barrett sometimes.
Ooooh, Clan Politics! Let's hope there isn't a war!
As always, much love for my readers and reviewers (You're a legend shiki94). Let's just hope my friends feel as generous and turn up for my birthday midnight walk along the river (I doubt it. Sigh). 29 on Tuesday, I'm seriously too old to be writing fanfic...
