Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ All Star Dreams (Ver. 3) ❯ Chapter Forty One ( Chapter 41 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: bekka_mouri_hibiki 
Branslav worries about Betty after the game. Robert gets home. Betty can't sleep after finding out about Robert's past.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sports / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.02.2009 | Pages: 6 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 154 | Status: Completed
Branslav worries about Betty after the game. Robert gets home. Betty can't sleep after finding out about Robert's past.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sports / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.02.2009 | Pages: 6 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 154 | Status: Completed
All-Star Dreams: Chapter Forty Two
By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
© 2009 Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
Branslav stared at the seat in front of him, worrying about Betty. He had tried to call her a few times after the game but she hadn't answered. He was afraid something had happened to her after Robert left but he had no way of knowing until the team got back to Reno. The minutes seemed like hours as the bus rolled down the highway, Branslav wishing for the trip to be over quickly.
Daniel glanced over, “ That was terrible. What happened? “
The Supernovas had been ahead for the entire game, leading the Civet Cats by twenty points at halftime and staying as far ahead as ten in the third quarter. When the fourth quarter came, it all changed. It was like the Cats were reading the Supernovas like a book and ended up winning the game by eight points.
“ I don't know, “ Branslav still looked at the seat in front of him. “ That's not what I'm thinking about. “
Daniel glanced around then leaned in, “ Maybe there's some other reason we lost. You know who was calling the game tonight and there were a ton of bad calls. “
Branslav nodded slowly, “ Yeah there were but we couldn't do anything about it. “
“ Do you think? “ Daniel left the question incomplete, knowing Branslav could finish it.
Branslav cut his eyes towards him, knowing he thought that Martin had cut Rich off. “ I told you not to worry about that any more. We know nothing. “
Daniel frowned, “ We can act like we don't but I still wonder. “
“ Stop wondering about it, “ Branslav whispered sharply. “ What if they hear you? “
Daniel looked puzzled, “ Who? “
“ You know, “ Branslav looked towards the front of the bus but didn't see Lotte, Martin or Coach Sweet in their usual seats. “ Where are they? “
“ They took off as soon as the game was over, “ Daniel said. “ Your sister's driving them back. I saw them getting into her car as we loaded the bus. Where were you? “
Branslav looked at the floor, “ I was somewhere... busy. “
“ You were hiding out somewhere using your phone weren't you? “ Daniel asked. He was pretty certain he was right.
“ I wanted to call her, “ Branslav said. “ I needed to find out if she watched. “
“ And did she? “ Daniel arched an eyebrow. He could already tell the answer by the look on Branslav's face that it wasn't 'yes'.
“ She didn't answer, “ Branslav got his phone out. “ I'm going to call her again. She hasn't answered any of the times I've called and now I'm worried. I was thinking about her when you asked me about the game. “
Daniel shook his head and sighed, “ She's probably resting. I'm sure she's fine. “
“ How can you be sure? “ Branslav glared at him. “ Did you talk to her? “
“ No. Of course not, “ Daniel moved away from Branslav and his glare. He looked down right scary when he glared at people and Daniel felt frightened by the intensity of the look. “ But don't you think she would have told you if she wasn't ready to be left alone? “
Branslav thought about it continuing to glare. Daniel's questions were frustrating him since he felt the answers were so obvious, “ I don't know. I can't get a hold of her to find that out. “
“ Just give her some space, “ Daniel started.
“ The last thing she needs is that, “ Branslav cut Daniel off as he dialed Betty's number again. “ She's hurt and no one's watching her. “
“ Fine. Be that way. There no getting through that thick skull of yours so I might as well stop, “ Daniel decided to give it up for he was only making Branslav angrier. He watched as Branslav put the phone to his ear then snapped it shut, “ No answer? “
“ No, “ Branslav said. His expression became tainted with worry as he glanced at Daniel, “ This could be just like last time. “
Daniel looked at his watch then showed it to Branslav, “ Don't think that. She could be sleeping. Just calm down and go check on her in the morning. “
Branslav sank back against the seat as he stared at his phone, deciding he couldn't get through to Daniel. He sighed in feigned resignation, “ Fine. I'll go first thing in the morning to check on her. “
“ Thank you, “ Daniel said. “ Look. Like I said, I'm sure she's okay or she would have made arrangements not to be alone. Didn't you say her manager wanted to get a nurse when you told him you were going to care for her? “
Branslav thought back to the conversation he had had with Betty's manager. He had reservations against the idea of him caring for her completely but he had managed to convince him otherwise. He nodded, “ Yes. He didn't want me to care for her but I told him everything would be fine. “
“ Then you had to bring Robert in, “ Daniel pointed out. “ Man, you should have just let him get the nurse. “
“ Well it's too late for that now, “ Branslav said.
“ No it's not. Maybe he got her a nurse for when Robert left, “ Daniel offered. “ You really don't know that if he did or he didn't but he probably did. You said he seemed very overprotective of her. “
Branslav thought it over and shut his eyes, “ Yeah. He did. I was surprised when I finally talked him into letting me watch her. “
“ So just go see her in the morning like you said, “ Daniel reached over and patted Branslav's left shoulder. “ I'm sure her manager took care of everything. “
Branslav sighed, “ Perhaps. “
Daniel looked at his watch again, “ We'll be back in Reno in fifteen minutes. Try to settle down so you can rest up for practice tomorrow. “
Branslav frowned deeply, knowing Daniel's advice wasn't out of line. Coach Sweet was particularly rough on the team after a loss. “ I'll try. “
**
Robert shut the door of his apartment and made it as far as his couch before collapsing onto it, exhausted from everything he had been through. He had been at Mr. Reiss' office for what seemed like an eternity, going over the plans for the next day. They poured over Pauline's amended divorce petition, coming up with counter tactics and weeding out the bullshit she had added. He felt mentally and emotionally spent, feeling like he could sleep until the coming Monday.
He lay there for a few minutes, teetering between consciousness and oblivion when someone feathered across his mind. He reached into his back pocket and got out his cell phone. He flipped it open, cracking his eyes just enough to dial Betty's number. The phone rang several times before her machine picked up.
He sighed as he listened to her voice on the greeting message. When it started recording, he started talking. “ Hey baby. Just thought I'd call you and let you know I got home okay. I hope you're resting up so I can see you Saturday. Take it easy and I'll see you then. “
He shut his phone and held it to his chest. He was almost asleep again when someone knocked on his door. He furrowed his brow, wondering who would come over at such a late hour. He sat up then got to his feet, heading to the door as the person knocked again.
“ I'm coming! “ Robert shouted. He got to the door and looked through the peephole to find it was Jakob. He opened the door a crack and looked at him, “ Hey buddy. What's up? “
“ I saw you pull in. I just wanted to find out how the trip went and how Mel... I mean, Betty is. “
“ She's recovering and the trip was... eventful, “ Robert said. He didn't want to mention any of the events though. His fight with Branslav and activities with Betty really weren't any of Jakob's business. He furrowed his brow, “ Shouldn't you be resting for the trip tomorrow? “
“ I can sleep on the bus, “ Jakob waved his hand. “ We're going to be on it for a while anyway. “
“ True, “ Robert shrugged. They would be on the bus for a little over seventeen hours, the length of the trip making it perfect for sleeping.
“ Can I come in? “ Jakob asked. “ I need to tell you something. “
“ What about? “ Robert didn't move. He wanted to see if it was worth wasting time he could be sleeping.
“ Pauline's been over here every single day wanting to know where you were, “ Jakob said. “ I told her to just call you but she said you changed your number. “
“ I did, “ Robert said. “ I thought I called you with the new one. “
“ You did but still, “ Jakob said. “ She wanted to know where your apartment was and I told her I didn't know. “
Robert growled, “ Fuck. I'm going to have put a restraining order on her if she keeps that up. “
“ Yeah. She's totally bent over the house getting burned down, “ Jakob said. “ Have you heard anything about that? “
“ My lawyer told me that it was ruled arson but I already knew that. Pauline called before I changed my number and told me that. Otherwise, that's all I know. I'm going to have to file the insurance claim at some point so I can get my money, “ Robert said. “ What have you heard? “
“ Cowboy said that a strange woman was creeping around your place a few days before it happened, like while you were gone. Maybe Pauline heard that and thought it was one of your imaginary girlfriends she made up, “ Jakob said. He kind of smirked, “ Cowboy even went up to her and asked if she needed any help. “
“ Always the gentleman, “ Robert said sarcastically. “ Did he get a good look at her? “
“ Nah, “ Jakob said. “ He said she had a headscarf on and huge sunglasses. She was going through the mailbox when he did it and she took off like her ass was on fire. “
“ Lovely, “ Robert said. “ Did she have a car? “
Jakob shrugged, “ I don't know if Cowboy saw it. He said she ran to the end of the street and around the corner. I guess she parked it away from the house so no one would see it. “
“ And has Cowboy said anything to the police about any of this? “ Robert arched an eyebrow.
“ Yeah. He went to the police station, “ Jakob said. “ He gave them the best description of the woman he could. “
“ Great, “ Robert said. “ I owe him for that. Maybe they can find the woman. “
Jakob nodded then looked puzzled, “ I'm still trying to figure out why a woman would burn your house down. You never looked at anyone except Pauline for as long as I've known you. “
“ She's probably someone Pauline's pissed off, “ Robert sighed. “ I honestly don't know any other women except for Betty. “
Jakob nodded then looked at Robert with a slight smirk, “ So how are things going there? “
“ How do you mean? I told you she's getting better, “ Robert said.
“ She looked damn hot on TV, “ Jakob said. “ We all watched it before we headed off for practice. “
" Coach Hooker told me. Robert replied. He smiled, “ And yes, she looked pretty good. “
Jakob smirked, “ So... “
“ So what? “ Robert arched an eyebrow.
“ Don't be stupid man, “ Jakob got a mischievous look on his face. “ She said she had someone special. “
Robert glared at him, “ She said 'perhaps'. “
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ So? Is it you? “
“ You're one nosy bastard you know that? “ Robert said sharply.
Jakob put his hands up, “ I was just wondering. So? “
“ Go back to your place, Jakob. I want to get some sleep, “ Robert started shutting the door.
Jakob put his hand on the door and stopped Robert from shutting it, “ Seriously man. The guys and I got to talking after the interview. “
“ And? “ Robert asked.
“ We think you should go for it, “ Jakob smiled. “ She's hot and a nice person... “
“ Jakob, “ Robert gave Jakob a stern look.
“ Yes? “ Jakob replied. He looked a little put off by the fact Robert stopped him from going through his list of reasons why he should be with Betty.
“ Get your ass to bed. I'll see you on the bus, “ Robert said and finished shutting the door. He watched through the peephole to make sure Jakob walked away then sighed, heading back to the couch.
**
Betty stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Her mind was racing with a million questions she wanted ask Robert when he called in the morning. The papers Mr. Hollister faxed over left her feeling bewildered and lost. Robert had told her he was a bit of a wild child in college but the proof left her feeling shaken.
He had hinted that things had been rough between Pauline and him but she had never imagined it had gotten to the point the police had to get involved. She wondered how Mr. Hollister had gotten a hold of such sensitive information but didn't dwell on it long. She just wanted to know Robert's side of the story, not the ambiguous account that the police had taken. She shut her eyes to try to put it out of her mind but she couldn't keep her mind from going over it all.
She let out a frustrated growl and sat up, knowing she wasn't going to get any sleep. She grabbed her crutch from beside the bed before getting to her feet. She took a long moment to get her balance, deciding to busy herself with house chores until she either got sleepy or the sun came up, whichever came first...
By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
© 2009 Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
Branslav stared at the seat in front of him, worrying about Betty. He had tried to call her a few times after the game but she hadn't answered. He was afraid something had happened to her after Robert left but he had no way of knowing until the team got back to Reno. The minutes seemed like hours as the bus rolled down the highway, Branslav wishing for the trip to be over quickly.
Daniel glanced over, “ That was terrible. What happened? “
The Supernovas had been ahead for the entire game, leading the Civet Cats by twenty points at halftime and staying as far ahead as ten in the third quarter. When the fourth quarter came, it all changed. It was like the Cats were reading the Supernovas like a book and ended up winning the game by eight points.
“ I don't know, “ Branslav still looked at the seat in front of him. “ That's not what I'm thinking about. “
Daniel glanced around then leaned in, “ Maybe there's some other reason we lost. You know who was calling the game tonight and there were a ton of bad calls. “
Branslav nodded slowly, “ Yeah there were but we couldn't do anything about it. “
“ Do you think? “ Daniel left the question incomplete, knowing Branslav could finish it.
Branslav cut his eyes towards him, knowing he thought that Martin had cut Rich off. “ I told you not to worry about that any more. We know nothing. “
Daniel frowned, “ We can act like we don't but I still wonder. “
“ Stop wondering about it, “ Branslav whispered sharply. “ What if they hear you? “
Daniel looked puzzled, “ Who? “
“ You know, “ Branslav looked towards the front of the bus but didn't see Lotte, Martin or Coach Sweet in their usual seats. “ Where are they? “
“ They took off as soon as the game was over, “ Daniel said. “ Your sister's driving them back. I saw them getting into her car as we loaded the bus. Where were you? “
Branslav looked at the floor, “ I was somewhere... busy. “
“ You were hiding out somewhere using your phone weren't you? “ Daniel asked. He was pretty certain he was right.
“ I wanted to call her, “ Branslav said. “ I needed to find out if she watched. “
“ And did she? “ Daniel arched an eyebrow. He could already tell the answer by the look on Branslav's face that it wasn't 'yes'.
“ She didn't answer, “ Branslav got his phone out. “ I'm going to call her again. She hasn't answered any of the times I've called and now I'm worried. I was thinking about her when you asked me about the game. “
Daniel shook his head and sighed, “ She's probably resting. I'm sure she's fine. “
“ How can you be sure? “ Branslav glared at him. “ Did you talk to her? “
“ No. Of course not, “ Daniel moved away from Branslav and his glare. He looked down right scary when he glared at people and Daniel felt frightened by the intensity of the look. “ But don't you think she would have told you if she wasn't ready to be left alone? “
Branslav thought about it continuing to glare. Daniel's questions were frustrating him since he felt the answers were so obvious, “ I don't know. I can't get a hold of her to find that out. “
“ Just give her some space, “ Daniel started.
“ The last thing she needs is that, “ Branslav cut Daniel off as he dialed Betty's number again. “ She's hurt and no one's watching her. “
“ Fine. Be that way. There no getting through that thick skull of yours so I might as well stop, “ Daniel decided to give it up for he was only making Branslav angrier. He watched as Branslav put the phone to his ear then snapped it shut, “ No answer? “
“ No, “ Branslav said. His expression became tainted with worry as he glanced at Daniel, “ This could be just like last time. “
Daniel looked at his watch then showed it to Branslav, “ Don't think that. She could be sleeping. Just calm down and go check on her in the morning. “
Branslav sank back against the seat as he stared at his phone, deciding he couldn't get through to Daniel. He sighed in feigned resignation, “ Fine. I'll go first thing in the morning to check on her. “
“ Thank you, “ Daniel said. “ Look. Like I said, I'm sure she's okay or she would have made arrangements not to be alone. Didn't you say her manager wanted to get a nurse when you told him you were going to care for her? “
Branslav thought back to the conversation he had had with Betty's manager. He had reservations against the idea of him caring for her completely but he had managed to convince him otherwise. He nodded, “ Yes. He didn't want me to care for her but I told him everything would be fine. “
“ Then you had to bring Robert in, “ Daniel pointed out. “ Man, you should have just let him get the nurse. “
“ Well it's too late for that now, “ Branslav said.
“ No it's not. Maybe he got her a nurse for when Robert left, “ Daniel offered. “ You really don't know that if he did or he didn't but he probably did. You said he seemed very overprotective of her. “
Branslav thought it over and shut his eyes, “ Yeah. He did. I was surprised when I finally talked him into letting me watch her. “
“ So just go see her in the morning like you said, “ Daniel reached over and patted Branslav's left shoulder. “ I'm sure her manager took care of everything. “
Branslav sighed, “ Perhaps. “
Daniel looked at his watch again, “ We'll be back in Reno in fifteen minutes. Try to settle down so you can rest up for practice tomorrow. “
Branslav frowned deeply, knowing Daniel's advice wasn't out of line. Coach Sweet was particularly rough on the team after a loss. “ I'll try. “
**
Robert shut the door of his apartment and made it as far as his couch before collapsing onto it, exhausted from everything he had been through. He had been at Mr. Reiss' office for what seemed like an eternity, going over the plans for the next day. They poured over Pauline's amended divorce petition, coming up with counter tactics and weeding out the bullshit she had added. He felt mentally and emotionally spent, feeling like he could sleep until the coming Monday.
He lay there for a few minutes, teetering between consciousness and oblivion when someone feathered across his mind. He reached into his back pocket and got out his cell phone. He flipped it open, cracking his eyes just enough to dial Betty's number. The phone rang several times before her machine picked up.
He sighed as he listened to her voice on the greeting message. When it started recording, he started talking. “ Hey baby. Just thought I'd call you and let you know I got home okay. I hope you're resting up so I can see you Saturday. Take it easy and I'll see you then. “
He shut his phone and held it to his chest. He was almost asleep again when someone knocked on his door. He furrowed his brow, wondering who would come over at such a late hour. He sat up then got to his feet, heading to the door as the person knocked again.
“ I'm coming! “ Robert shouted. He got to the door and looked through the peephole to find it was Jakob. He opened the door a crack and looked at him, “ Hey buddy. What's up? “
“ I saw you pull in. I just wanted to find out how the trip went and how Mel... I mean, Betty is. “
“ She's recovering and the trip was... eventful, “ Robert said. He didn't want to mention any of the events though. His fight with Branslav and activities with Betty really weren't any of Jakob's business. He furrowed his brow, “ Shouldn't you be resting for the trip tomorrow? “
“ I can sleep on the bus, “ Jakob waved his hand. “ We're going to be on it for a while anyway. “
“ True, “ Robert shrugged. They would be on the bus for a little over seventeen hours, the length of the trip making it perfect for sleeping.
“ Can I come in? “ Jakob asked. “ I need to tell you something. “
“ What about? “ Robert didn't move. He wanted to see if it was worth wasting time he could be sleeping.
“ Pauline's been over here every single day wanting to know where you were, “ Jakob said. “ I told her to just call you but she said you changed your number. “
“ I did, “ Robert said. “ I thought I called you with the new one. “
“ You did but still, “ Jakob said. “ She wanted to know where your apartment was and I told her I didn't know. “
Robert growled, “ Fuck. I'm going to have put a restraining order on her if she keeps that up. “
“ Yeah. She's totally bent over the house getting burned down, “ Jakob said. “ Have you heard anything about that? “
“ My lawyer told me that it was ruled arson but I already knew that. Pauline called before I changed my number and told me that. Otherwise, that's all I know. I'm going to have to file the insurance claim at some point so I can get my money, “ Robert said. “ What have you heard? “
“ Cowboy said that a strange woman was creeping around your place a few days before it happened, like while you were gone. Maybe Pauline heard that and thought it was one of your imaginary girlfriends she made up, “ Jakob said. He kind of smirked, “ Cowboy even went up to her and asked if she needed any help. “
“ Always the gentleman, “ Robert said sarcastically. “ Did he get a good look at her? “
“ Nah, “ Jakob said. “ He said she had a headscarf on and huge sunglasses. She was going through the mailbox when he did it and she took off like her ass was on fire. “
“ Lovely, “ Robert said. “ Did she have a car? “
Jakob shrugged, “ I don't know if Cowboy saw it. He said she ran to the end of the street and around the corner. I guess she parked it away from the house so no one would see it. “
“ And has Cowboy said anything to the police about any of this? “ Robert arched an eyebrow.
“ Yeah. He went to the police station, “ Jakob said. “ He gave them the best description of the woman he could. “
“ Great, “ Robert said. “ I owe him for that. Maybe they can find the woman. “
Jakob nodded then looked puzzled, “ I'm still trying to figure out why a woman would burn your house down. You never looked at anyone except Pauline for as long as I've known you. “
“ She's probably someone Pauline's pissed off, “ Robert sighed. “ I honestly don't know any other women except for Betty. “
Jakob nodded then looked at Robert with a slight smirk, “ So how are things going there? “
“ How do you mean? I told you she's getting better, “ Robert said.
“ She looked damn hot on TV, “ Jakob said. “ We all watched it before we headed off for practice. “
" Coach Hooker told me. Robert replied. He smiled, “ And yes, she looked pretty good. “
Jakob smirked, “ So... “
“ So what? “ Robert arched an eyebrow.
“ Don't be stupid man, “ Jakob got a mischievous look on his face. “ She said she had someone special. “
Robert glared at him, “ She said 'perhaps'. “
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ So? Is it you? “
“ You're one nosy bastard you know that? “ Robert said sharply.
Jakob put his hands up, “ I was just wondering. So? “
“ Go back to your place, Jakob. I want to get some sleep, “ Robert started shutting the door.
Jakob put his hand on the door and stopped Robert from shutting it, “ Seriously man. The guys and I got to talking after the interview. “
“ And? “ Robert asked.
“ We think you should go for it, “ Jakob smiled. “ She's hot and a nice person... “
“ Jakob, “ Robert gave Jakob a stern look.
“ Yes? “ Jakob replied. He looked a little put off by the fact Robert stopped him from going through his list of reasons why he should be with Betty.
“ Get your ass to bed. I'll see you on the bus, “ Robert said and finished shutting the door. He watched through the peephole to make sure Jakob walked away then sighed, heading back to the couch.
**
Betty stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Her mind was racing with a million questions she wanted ask Robert when he called in the morning. The papers Mr. Hollister faxed over left her feeling bewildered and lost. Robert had told her he was a bit of a wild child in college but the proof left her feeling shaken.
He had hinted that things had been rough between Pauline and him but she had never imagined it had gotten to the point the police had to get involved. She wondered how Mr. Hollister had gotten a hold of such sensitive information but didn't dwell on it long. She just wanted to know Robert's side of the story, not the ambiguous account that the police had taken. She shut her eyes to try to put it out of her mind but she couldn't keep her mind from going over it all.
She let out a frustrated growl and sat up, knowing she wasn't going to get any sleep. She grabbed her crutch from beside the bed before getting to her feet. She took a long moment to get her balance, deciding to busy herself with house chores until she either got sleepy or the sun came up, whichever came first...