Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the disappearance guys. I finally finished the Alabama Renaissance Festival so I'm back to writing. I've been considering a slash fic starring Cowboy James Storm and Wildcat Chris Harris a.k.a. America's Most Wanted. Let me know what you think.

The show: The past weeks involved Raven kicking ass in singles competition and telling Julio and CM Punk he didn't need their help. Which he does, the silly boy. Punk and Julio ignore that of course and later get yelled at for saving Raven from massive attacks. So I am addressing that issue now. And having fun.

"Would you two just listen for a change?" Raven yelled, walking out of the trainer's office where the cut on his head had been tended. "If I say stay away, I mean it!"

Punk hung his head. "I said I was sorry Raven. What more do you want?"

"Listening to me would be good." Raven didn't look at him, knowing his resolve would break if he saw the face that went with that plea.

"But he was going to throw a fireball at you." Punk defended himself.

Raven growled, "Then if I couldn't get out of his way on my own, I deserved it."

Julio paled and shot a look at Raven, who guiltily looked in his direction. Both his lovers were quite aware of Julio's fire phobia. After Father Mitchell tried to set him on fire with a torch once, well, things just weren't the same. Julio feared those fireballs Father Mitchell used like nothing else. He could hold up just fine under the reminder of being hung with the dog chains, but a mention of fire and the memory came back full force.

"Sorry. Julio." Raven muttered.

"I just didn't want you to get hurt Raven. There's like four of them. Five including Douglass." Punk pleaded.

Raven shook his head. "Shane Douglass is no longer a threat. Mitchell isn't using him anymore."

"Fine." Punk said, frustrated. "If I can't get forgiveness, maybe I can get respect. If you don't believe I can help you, I'll prove it. Where is Erik Watts? I'm going to go get me a match next week against Sinn." Punk started to walk off.

"No!" Raven bounded over and grabbed Punk's arm. "You will not ask for a singles match with them. Or any match with them."

"Then just what the hell am I supposed to do?" Punk cried out. "I can't help you in your matches, even when it is only to save you from sneak attacks, I can't take them out on my own, and I don't even think you want me and Julio to tag against them. I am not here to sit in the damn truck while you go fight!"*

Julio's lip twitched. "Ok, that is enough." He grabbed Raven and Punk and pulled them both into a nearby empty storage room. It was one they frequented at the building as their room. "Both of you have to stop airing the shit in the damn hallway. Anyone could hear you two." Julio looked at the both of them. In an effort to not meet each other's eyes, Punk stared at the ceiling and Raven at the ground. "I'm tried of this fight. You two have been on this kick for some time now. It kills me to think that the only time you work together is when I am having a nightmare. All this is doing is making us all miserable." He stopped and waited till they both looked at him. "This is going to stop. Now Raven, why do you not want our help?"

Raven grunted. " I told you. This is my fight. These things are in my past and I have to deal with them."

"Bullshit." Julio said. "Tell me again. And don't lie."

Raven froze for a moment, and then sighed in defeat. "Look, it is my fight and the fact that the two people I love are getting hurt for it, only adds to the pain. I don't want you to fight them and I don't want you to help me because I want them to forget you. I don't want them to remember you. Cause if they remember you, they will only hurt you. I'd rather the two of you be pissed at me than injured because of me." He shrugged. "Besides, I've worked by myself for a long time. I'm afraid I don't know how to handle having back up. And if I get used to it, what happens if I'm fighting alone again."

"You won't be." Julio said rather nonchalantly. "Now, Punk. Why is helping Raven this important?"

"Simple," Punk snorted, "I love the fool."

Raven grinned and met Punk's eyes for the first time since he started yelling. "Is that so?"

"Very so." Punk smiled. "And I just want to keep him from being hurt. You know, kind of like he wants to keep us from getting hurt." Punk turned to look at Julio and his smile wavered. "I don't know about you, Julio, but I'm tired of being treated like my love isn't equal to his."

Julio grabbed the blonde and gave him a small hug, as Raven looked on with shock. "I do agree Punk. Sometimes the protector needs to be the protected."

"I never meant for you to feel that way," Raven said in a whisper.

"I know. And that is why we keep helping you." Julio grabbed his hand and pulled the older man into a tight, three-way hug. "You don't want us to get hurt as much as we don't want you to get hurt. So I have a plan." Julio took a step back and looked at them with a smirk.

"Whatcha thinking, Brain?" Punk grinned.

Julio rolled his eyes. "Thanks ever so much for identifying yourself, Pinky.**" He waited as Punk looked affronted and Raven started laughing. "The plan is this. Punk and myself keep running out to help you, and you keep yelling at us." He held up his hand as both men looked to argue his idea. "Listen, this way Raven won't get hurt and The New Church will think Raven's already pissed at us and won't bother. Why take away the people he is trying to get rid of?"

"And if it doesn't work?" Raven questioned. "If they still go after you two?"

"Then we will face them together." Punk smiled, lacing his fingers through Raven's.

The older man sighed. "I'm not going to win this argument am I?"

"Nope."

"Never."

***~~~***

"Take that you stupid ninja!" Punk screamed.

Julio sighed and moved to the other side of the couch. Reading while sitting next to a video game playing CM Punk wasn't the best idea he ever had. He started to read his book on child psychology again.

"Damnit!" Raven yelled from the kitchen.

Julio closed the book preparing for the rant.

"Stupid fucking computers!" Raven walked into the room. "How is it that I can save all the music and games I want, but I try to save one damned document and the whole thing crashes? I hate technology." He huffed and sat down between Punk and Julio.

Punk paused his game. "Hey Raven?"

"Yeah." Raven glared into the distance.

The younger man handed the game controller to him. "Do you want to take it out on the stupid ninja?"

Raven paused for a minute, then grabbed the controller. "Yeah I think I do." He started playing the game as Punk twisted in the seat, maneuvering so his head was in Raven's lap and his feet thrown over the side of the couch. Raven was yelling at the game soon and Punk was adding his encouragement.

Julio picked up his book again. Yeah, child psychology. His first book in and it was already working.

A/N: * is reference to The Sentinel. Jim always told Blair to sit in the truck when there was trouble. Not that Blair ever listened…

** who doesn't love Pinky and the Brain?