"The winner and new regionals champion from Takada Kai Dojo; Dade Marcus!"

Months had passed since that day, yet for Dade it was a lifetime. He had not seen his brother since that life changing day. No one had seen him. As far as anyone knew, Daniel 'Storm' Marcus had dropped off the face of the planet.

In another time, Dade would have torn himself up over the way things had ended with his brother. Yet Dade had resigned himself to the fact he'd lost his brother. That final match between them now seemed like an inevitable culmination of the long building tension between them.

In some strange way that day was a rites of passage for Dade. He felt like a man now. Like he had no choice except to be a man. He'd finally beaten his brother and in doing so he'd also lost him. Now he no longer had the little brother card to play. He had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't see his brother for a long time, if ever. And if he did, things wouldn't be the same between them.

There was also one other major reason Dade found himself having to be a man. One reason he couldn't let himself dwell on the lost relationship with his older brother. One reason why he'd have to take responsibility for his own life.

Fatherhood.

Claire was now well into her pregnancy with their child. The initial shock of learning he would be a father had passed, yet he still found the prospect daunting, if not terrifying. However, he'd also found the idea of being a father strangely focusing. He felt a sense of responsibility that made once important issues now seem trivial. His priority now was to Claire and their baby. That responsibility now led him here to Claire's bedroom door. Her bedroom was in actual fact, his bedroom. His old bedroom. He still hadn't brought himself to empty his mother's room, but he would do so soon because by the time the baby arrived, he hoped it would be his and Claire's room together. For now he slept in Mike's old room, save for the occasional nights when Claire would let him hold her or their relationship would take a brief increase in intimacy.

Their relationship had changed significantly in the last few months. Dade had always loved Claire as a friend. Perhaps even a little more than that. Yet the fact she was now carrying his baby seemed to increase whatever feelings he had by ten fold. The fact that she'd also been living with him the last few months meant they spent almost every day together. That fact coupled with the fact they already had a great deal of genuine affection and chemistry, meant their relationship walked a line between close friends and sometimes a little more. They hadn't given it a name, but Dade knew the moment she moved in after leaving Carl, that he would pursue her. In his own mind, he wanted his child to have a family. And though he felt bad for Carl, just as Claire did, he believed it was in Carl's best interests to be free of Claire now, rather than down the track when a child was involved.

Dade had simply given Claire time to get used to being around him again. He didn't want to push her, but he did get the sense that she was open to something happening between them. He felt she also believed in giving their child the shot at having a family. To some it might have seemed as though they had no choice, and that they were stuck with one another. But Dade didn't care. He wanted Claire. Marcel was his past. Claire was his future. They were tied to one another for the rest of their lives now.

He stood for a while watching Claire sleep. The moment she told him she was pregnant, he wanted to protect her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted them to be a family. But he knew it wasn't just about what he wanted. It was about what Claire wanted. And there was also Carl to consider at the time.

Carl had been a bigger sport than Dade could have expected. And Dade's respect for Carl had only increased in the last few months. If anyone knew grace or dignity, it was Carl. Whenever their paths would cross, Carl would smile and be polite, and show no hint of anger or malice. He was even courteous to Dade.

Now both Claire and Dade could concentrate on their baby and hopefully wouldn't have to ruin anyone else's lives in the process. They had each other and for the last few months, that was what got them through.

"Are you going to stand there all day staring at that bump you made?" Claire asked as she opened one eye.

"Actually, I was looking at you." Dade said as he lay down beside Claire, gently rubbing her stomach.

"That's what got us into this mess."

"Hello to you too, Beautiful." Dade said giving Claire a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Whether by habit, instinct, or accident, Dade's right hand snaked up the inside of Claire's thigh. He kissed the side of her neck as he nuzzled closer to her.

"You can't be serious." Claire moaned in a deadpan voice, "We are so not going there. Does that thing ever stop?"

"Come on." Dade grinned with his dimpled smile, "It's not like I can knock you up again. We're in free ride time here."

"So I'm a ride?" Claire laughed.

"Yes?" Dade laughed, shaking his head, "But a great one."

"Well that's alright then." Claire said, rolling her eyes, "I'm tired, Dade."

"I'm just playing." Dade said covering Claire's hand with his own, "You know what I'm like."

"How can you be interested? Don't you think I'm ..."

"Beautiful?" Dade said sincerely, "Yes, I do."

Claire blushed and let out a content sigh. She smiled at Dade as she shifted so her head lay on his chest, "Thank you."

"Does this mean I'm getting lucky?" Dade smirked mischievously.

"Aren't you already?"

Dade sighed and nodded, smiling contently as he kissed the top of her head, "Yes. Yes, I am."

* * * * * * *

"Storm. Please don't leave me. I love you. Please don't go" Lucas pleaded, noting the look of distention on Storm's face.

"I know, as a friend. I can't live like that." Storm replied.

"No it's more than that. I love you! Don't you get it? I meant what I said last night. You're more than my friend, you're my soul mate. Storm, I need you. You're a part of me. Please don't go." Lucas pleaded again.

"You're just saying that to get me to stay, you don't know what you're saying."

Lucas's eyes fell in frustration, his hands clutching Storm's shirt tighter. What more could he do? What more did he have to do to make Storm believe him?

"Why won't you believe me?" Lucas pleaded desperately, his eyes filled with failure and despair, "What do I have to do? Haven't I shown that I love you by the way I treat you. The only reason I didn't tell you is because I was afraid I'd lose you. But now I know you love me too, nothing can stop us." He said.

"You, you love me? You're not just saying that?" Storm asked.

Lucas nervously took Storm's hand in his own. Lucas felt as nervous as Storm seemed to be. He gently guided Storm's hand up under his shirt. The touch of Storm's fingers on his skin made him shiver with anxiety. Lucas slowly guided Storm's hand further and further up, until it was over Lucas's heart. Then he held it there, their fingers interlaced as a nervous smile passed over Lucas's face. Lucas could hear his own heart beat in this moment.

"Can you feel my heart beating?" Lucas asked.

Storm merely nodded in reply, unable to answer with words. Lucas let out a sigh of contentment as though there was an unspoken purity in this moment.

"Then I love you ..."

Lucas opened his eyes and stared up at the starlit sky above. He took a deep breath and sighed somberly to himself.

"My heart's still beating." He said, before he raised his beer bottle to his lips and chugged down a half bottle.

He let out a growl of anger and frustration before he threw the bottle at the wall. He barely made it two more steps before he collapsed to the floor and passed out.

* * * * * * *

"How you feeling, Sis?" Jacob asked Claire as the pair sat eating lunch outside Café Orry.

Claire responded with a half hearted smile. She knew better than to try and fool Jacob. He was her twin after all, and they'd always been able to read each other's thoughts.

Jacob had been making his presence felt more often since he learned of Claire's pregnancy. Making the trip to Merlow from White Swan almost every second evening after school and every weekend without fail. Claire appreciated his attention, but found the growing tension between Jacob and Dade as draining as her pregnancy.

Now in her final trimester, Claire was showing quite obviously. This made her self conscious of her appearance. Particularly in school and out in public. She could feel the stares from her classmates. Hear the veiled whispers as she walked past. Just sitting here with Jacob was awkward enough for Claire.

"Nobody's staring at you, Angel." Jacob said as he brushed Claire's cheek with his hand.

"I'm not an angel."

"Yes, you are. Don't worry, everything will be fine. It'll all work out."

"I know." Claire said with a faint smile as she rubbed her stomach, "But it won't be easy. Dad still won't look at me. I don't know how I'm going to finish school after the baby's born. People at school think I'm a freak. One night. One night. That's all it took. I always thought I'd be the last person to be in this situation."

"And where's that stupid dick who did this to you? I don't see him here looking after you."

"Jacob, you have to stop being so angry at him. It takes two, you know?" Claire sighed, "None of us meant for this to happen. But it happened. We just have to deal with it."

"He's the man. He should've taken responsibility. I mean, how hard is it to put a condom on?"

"Jacob, we did. I don't want to get into it with you. My sex life is not a topic of discussion with you."

"I know, I know. You had a rubber romp the first time. And you were both so drunk and horny, that you didn't bother the second time. I don't know, I still think he should've been more careful. I mean, it was your first time. And it's his dick. It just makes me so mad." Jacob fumed, "Just because he's the hottest thing on two legs, doesn't mean he can do what he likes. Why couldn't it be Carl? He was so good to you."

"I don't wanna talk about him either. I still feel bad. He was so ..." Claire began saying when she was cut off by the subject of her sentence, "Carl ..."

"Hey." Carl said with his typically cheery smile, "I just saw you two sitting down here and I thought I'd say hello. I'm just grabbing some lunch."

"Why don't you sit down?" Jacob urged as he pulled a chair out for Carl, "You don't have to eat alone."

"Actually, I ordered to go. But thanks anyway. I just wanted to say hi and see how you were, Princess." Carl said warmly.

Claire bit her lip and feigned a smile to Carl, "Thank you."

"Anytime." Carl said sincerely, sharing a glance with Claire that seemed to linger.

He left without another word, but left a warm smile in his wake. Claire frowned while Jacob let out a sigh and then scowled at Claire.

"And you chose the monkey." Jacob said dryly.

"Jacob ..."

"But Carl is so nice. Does he have another girlfriend yet?"

"No."

"Well?"

"Jacob. Don't." Claire said bluntly.

"But he's so good to you. He was so good for you. I mean, even now, he's still so nice."

"So is Dade." Claire retorted, "And I'm not dragging Carl into something like this. You know what I mean."

"I guess. But he doesn't seem to care. I can tell he still cares about you."

"Jacob, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want you to drop it. You're going to have to get used to the idea that Dade and I are together now."

"But you're not happy."

"Well that's my problem." Claire said in frustration, becoming rather irate, "Right now all Dade and I are focused on is getting through this together and making sure our baby is taken care of."

"Does that mean you have to play happy couples together?"

"It's what we both want. We love each other."

"Yes, but do you love him or are you in love with him? There is a difference."

"Jacob." Claire snapped with watery eyes, "Leave it."

"I'm sorry. You know I just worry about you."

"Just accept that Dade's part of the picture. We've been together for the last three months. And we're going to be together for a lot longer. I'm just so glad you're gay. Because there's no chance you'll get any girls pregnant."

Claire's train of thought was interrupted by a pair of warm lips meeting hers. She took a few moments to realize it was Dade kissing her hello. He broke the kiss and sat down beside her, smiling warmly as he stroked her cheek.

"Sorry. I got a little held up." Dade said apologetically.

Jacob rolled his eyes and stood up, "That's my cue."

"Come on, Jacob." Dade said, throwing his hands up in annoyance.

"Relax, sperm donor. I have other reasons to leave besides just wanting to get away from you. Bye, Sis."

Claire sighed in both tiredness and resignation, making a small gesture of a wave. Jacob gave Dade a silent snarl to which Dade merely smirked and winked mischievously.

"Bye, Jacob." Dade taunted.

"Oh eat me."

"Sorry, I'm taken." Dade smirked as Jacob left.

He turned back to Claire and shrugged, "You'd think he would've started easing up on me by now. He seems to hate me more by the week."

"He's just trying to watch out for me. Carl was just here getting him some lunch. He stopped to say hi. Jacob started at me about how nice he is."

"He is. But we talked about this." Dade said softly, squeezing Claire's hand.

"I don't just want an arrangement. A business deal. I know why we're doing this, but it just ... feels so arranged. I know we're doing this for the baby. But what about us?"

"Claire. How many times do I have to tell you? I love you. There's only you. There's no other girls, there's no Marcel, there's no anyone. There's just you. Ok? Do you get it? I'm committed to you. I'm committed to us. And most importantly, I'm committed to that wee thing in your tummy. I know this didn't happen the way you wanted, but I love you. You should know that by now." Dade said, kissing her hand, "This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I was out of control. Now I'm focused. I'm good. I'm with you. I love you, Claire."

Claire smiled softly, though she still sighed a little before she finally nodded and smiled a little more sincerely, "I love you too."

* * * * * * *

"Pick it up!" Lucas yelled.

The Merlow High Senior Football Team sprinted in a line between two sets of cones. At an ever increasing rate, a loud beep sounded. Any player who hadn't made a cone by the time the beep sounded, was promptly dismissed from the field.

Lucas set the pace for the grueling test with Dade and Marty Lee in a close second and third. So far only three players had been dismissed. Naturally, the bulkier players were the first to start slowing down. It wasn't long before the higher stamina, fitter players were breaking away from the rest. The eliminated would saunter off the field and head straight for the water cups, before recording their results.

Beeps increased in frequency. Faces became strained with the intense agony of exhaustion. Heaving breaths and gasps spewed forth as players made themselves sick from persevering. Now only five were left with one dropping out at number six. Lucas had the lead, which seemed to surprise many of the eliminated players. He'd always been around the top five in a beep test, but rarely led, and never from start to finish. There seemed to be a strange anger in his intention today. In fact, ever since his relationship with Storm had fallen apart, Lucas had a constant cloud of anger following him. It seemed to be his fire now. His fuel. His passion.

Dade on the other hand seemed to have lost some of his drive. Previously a frontrunner of this particular beep test, he was now the last of the final five. Outside influences had obviously begun playing a part on two of the team's star players.

Lucas continued to lead with Marty Lee, Carl, Josh, and Dade still hanging in. Dade managed to gain ground on Josh, while Carl overtook Marty Lee. Josh was the first of the five to miss a beep and be eliminated. Dade gained ground on Marty Lee and began running neck and neck with Carl. There was a quiet competitive air between the two. Each wanting to outdo the other for reasons many would speculate had to do with a certain female. In the end, Dade, Carl, and Marty Lee were all eliminated at the same beep, leaving Lucas to run on his own.

Though he was the sole player left on the field, Lucas ran on with a fiery intensity. He seemed to be trying to prove a point. If not to the rest of the team, than to himself. After beating his own best and the previous best set by Dade, Lucas finally missed a beep. He kicked a cone over angrily and began pacing back and forth. He seethed with an anger rarely seen.

"Get in!" Lucas yelled with a wave of his hand.

The team gathered around Lucas with Coach Anderson watching curiously from the stands. This year the captaincy was meant to be a shared task between Josh and Lucas. However, Lucas had stepped right into Mike's shoes with sheer dominance and unintentionally put Josh into more of a vice captain position. He'd taken the team to task week after week, and today was no exception.

"That was pathetic!" Lucas screamed, "Half of you don't deserve to be in this team! Do you expect us to defend our championship with this kind of form? Josh, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What?" Josh said in surprise.

"Aren't you supposed to be co-captain? Leading by example? You ran shit out there."

Josh narrowed his eyes on Lucas. Since training had started in the preseason, a growing chord of disharmony seemed to be growing between Lucas and Josh. With much of the team dividing themselves between the two co-captains. Yet for the sake of unity, Josh tried to keep the peace. And now he bit his tongue, when in reality he wanted to tear Lucas up. Lucas had grown a mean streak that nobody believed he even had. It was as if he didn't care whether people liked him anymore. And that was something Lucas once strived for.

"Everyone who did worse than their last test, move to the front." Lucas said as he drank some water and tossed the cup aside.

Seven players raised their hands. Dade was a surprising inclusion. The seven moved toward the front, all with their heads down in anticipation of Lucas's next move.

"Dade, what's the matter? Lost your focus? Too much on your mind?" Lucas said with a surprising amount of bravado, "You're doing too much?"

"And yet I still rock." Dade quipped.

"We'll see. Next week you seven are all doing the beep test again."

There was a groan of disgust from the seven. Dade scowled and shook his head before he took his shirt off and used it to wipe the sweat from his body. Lucas continued to pace back and forth before the team, still angry and unsatisfied.

"And if you don't improve on your best times, you're benched. There are plenty more second string guys out there ready to step it up and take your place."

This reaction prompted an audible groan of dissent amongst the seven. Dade in particular seemed disgusted with the notion that the seven could be benched for something as trying as the beep test.

"Do you agree, Josh?" Dade asked as he turned his attention to Josh, "You are co-captain."

Lucas immediately turned his intent gaze to Josh, as though daring him to challenge. Josh seemed impassive and emotionless, as if merely regarding Dade's statement. He turned his gaze to the seven before he nodded his head and snapped his gaze back to Lucas.

"Training's over." Josh said abruptly, "Carl, lead the warm down. Then hit the showers."

The team ran off the field quickly before Lucas could stop them. Lucas glared at Josh, but it was Josh who seemed to be the most angered of the two. He stepped up to Lucas, sharing a hard gaze with his co-captain.

"Don't ever do that to me again." Josh demanded.

"Do what?"

"Berate me in front of the team. I'm co-captain. How would you like it if I undermined you in front of everyone?"

"You can't stand the heat, fuck off." Lucas snapped.

"I know you're having a hard time adjusting to life without Storm, but this has gone on long enough. You're beating the players down every week. You're destroying everything Mike built."

"I helped him build it." Lucas growled, "When you were dreaming about being VC, I was VC. I know what I'm doing."

"You and I have had our differences, Lucas, but this isn't you. This isn't the Lucas that everyone respected."

"Respected?"

"You heard me. They don't respect you now, they fear you. There's a difference."

"Whatever gets the win." Lucas said nonchalantly.

"If you don't change your attitude, I'm going to move that the team votes for a single captain. And if that happens, I'll win."

"Showing a bit of spine, are we?"

"Is that what this is? You're showing some discipline now. But you're overcompensating. I understand why though." Josh said, sneering just slightly.

"What?"

"You're overcompensating for your lack of discipline when you cheated on Storm. Is that it?"

For the first time in this conversation, Lucas seemed genuinely impacted by Josh's words. His face fell with the look of a wounded puppy, something far more Lucas like. Where Josh would have showed concern before, he only scowled in contempt now.

"Don't give shit, if you can't take it, Lucas. You forced this."

Lucas stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the ground as Josh walked away. He cursed himself in frustration as his eyes began to water. Months had passed, but still Storm's exit from his life was as fresh as the air he inhaled at this very moment.

* * * * * * *

Dade stood in front of the Dojo students, eyes glancing out over his 'flock'. He was number one now. He was the new 'Storm'. Strangely enough, just like winning his brother's title, leading the dojo proved to be wholly unsatisfying. Even more strangely was the unspoken belief from many of the students that Marty Lee take first post. Dade himself couldn't even quite believe that, but he could understand his own popularity, or lack thereof.

For so long he wanted to be just like his brother. Then he wanted to be his brother. Finally he wanted to take everything his brother had. And he did.

No longer was he in anyone's shadow. No longer was he 'Storm's little brother'. No. Far from it. Now he was Dade Marcus, champion, leader.

"I miss being a little brother." Dade whispered absently to himself, before he sighed and nodded to his class.

Dade the champion, the number one, had his own role to play now. His own destiny. It was all too late that he realized he didn't have to crush his brother to fulfill that.

* * * * * * *

Saturday night meant party night. For Marty Lee it meant a night of making sure Lucas didn't get himself into any more trouble than he could handle. And these days, Lucas seemed to handle a lot more trouble than he used to.

Lucas was 'the life of the party'. He was in the middle of someone's living room, standing on a table, getting cheered on by a bunch of people Marty Lee found to be particularly moronic, and drinking down a bottle filled with an assortment of ales and liquors. The latest 'loser' in the ships game meant Lucas had to skull down the bottle.

"Isn't he just the coolest?" Laughed another partygoer, a junior trying to impress himself upon the older 'cooler' Lucas.

Marty Lee raised his eyebrow at the younger male and promptly tipped his beer on his head. "No." He said with a small smile, "He isn't."

Marty Lee tossed aside the empty cup and walked with a deadpan face to Lucas. He stepped up onto the table and dragged Lucas off to a chorus of boos. Lucas pulled away, slurring as he spoke.

"Dude ... what you wanna kill my buzz for?"

Marty Lee stood stoically, staring straight at Lucas, "You're being an ass. We're going home."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm the boss." Lucas said, pulling away just as some random girl came and grabbed him.

Lucas grinned at Marty Lee before he began making out with the girl. Marty Lee turned his nose up in disgust as Lucas was led upstairs by the girl.

"Idiot." Marty Lee said bluntly, turning around to a crowd of drunken partygoers jeering at him.

He stared blankly at them as they hollered and laughed at him. He raised his eyebrow and grunted slightly, "Correction ... idiots."


On to Chapter 5.02
"Ain't No Sunshine"

Back to Season 4 Chapter 4.21b
"... For Glory"

Chapter Index

Storm Front is © 1998-2011 by SF Writer (Tyrel "Rock" Wolf)
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