Adventures on the Broken Shellelagh Chapter 3: Surprises

As the boss left Matt's room, she could feel her heart pounding.  She felt as if her heart would eventually beat out of her chest.  Right then, Johnny Gat walked by and caught her as she was about to collapse.
"Boss!" he yelled as his arms caressed her back and neck.
She let out a faint whimper as her mascara ran down her cheeks and she stared into his eyes.  He immediately knew what had happened.
"Let me go and beat the-" he was cut off by the Boss.  She had grabbed his arm and said, "No.  As much as it hurts, it's something I need to get through without violence.  We're puckish rogues anyways, right Gat?"
He let out a smile.  "You've got it Boss."
As he helped her up, she gave him a firm hug. 
"Thanks Johnny." the Boss said.  He replied to her with a nod and a knowing smile.
Gat had always been her friend, her closest family, and someone she could really trust.  But lately, Gat had wished that they could be more than just family.  And it hurt him to see the Boss in pain over someone who could never receive a love like his from that punk kid.  Now, Johnny had nothing against Matt, except that he was too young and foolish to take the Boss's love seriously.

Johnny had never really had many friends.  Though he was very close to many of the Saints like Shaundi, he never trusted anyone.  That was until Aisha.  Aisha was the love of his life.  And when she died, he thought that his heart would stay broken.  A piece of him was ripped from the earth.
After that, Johnny thought he would never love again. 

But, he met the Boss.  She was spunky, energetic, a little lost, and full of love.  He couldn't resist her.  And he loved the fact that the Boss had told him so many things.  He knew all about the problems that she suffered through in her past.  He appreciated her trust.  But he always felt contradictory.  On one hand, their friendship was so strong that they could have something magical if they romanticized their relationship.  They could grow much closer and complete each other.  But on the other hand, if something went wrong, it would damage the love and trust they had built with each other all those years.  Johnny was always very nervous around her and aired on the side that it would ruin their friendship.  But what he didn't realize was that life is full of opportunities, and that if he didn't make a decision soon, he might lose the chance to have any say as to what happens with their relationship.

As Johnny rested on his bed, he rumbled over these thoughts.  Suddenly, the Boss came in. 
"Are you busy Johnny?" she asked.  He could feel her reading him.  She was always a people person, and those crystal blue eyes could always see the discomfort in others.
"...No.  I'm just thinking."
"Well I wanted to talk to you about everything.  I just really don't know what to do."
"Boss, sometimes you don't need to do anything."
"Yes but how?  How do I sit here and do nothing?  How do I sit here and let every chance at love that I have go to waste?"
"How do you know that every chance at love is with Miller?"
Her eyes widened, then rested upon him.  "Johnny, what do you mean?"
"I'm saying that you don't need Miller.  You think that he's the only one who can make you happy.  Have you ever once stopped to see that we love you too?" he responded.
"I-" she started.  She was cut off.  Johnny had leaned in to kiss her.  As their arms interlocked, she could feel the warmth of his body and the beat of his heart.  It was fast, but at the same time it was calm.  She moved her hand behind his neck and then stroked his face.  It was wet, and she realized he was crying.  At this, she ceased the moment and gradually moved into a loving hug.
As soon as they released each other, Johnny exited the room, leaving the Boss alone with her thoughts.

Adventures on the Broken Shillelagh Chapter 2: Secrets

Matt still couldn't believe that he had promised to share one of his biggest secrets with the leader of the Saints.  His brain was scattered.  He had only ever told Asha about it.  And the only other he had ever considered telling was Kinzie.  He decided to sleep off his own confusion. 

When he woke up, Kinzie was shaking him. 
"Wake up Miller!  We have a problem!"  she shouted.
Ears still ringing, he replied "What are you doing in my inner sanctum, Kensington?!?"
For a second, he thought she was going to run out as fast as she could.  But she said one last thing to him before she left.  "Race you to the computers Miller."

As he slowly got ready, he couldn't tell if she was taunting him, flirting with him, or both.  At the moment, he was too busy getting ready for the day to ponder it too deeply. 
When he met Kinzie at the computers, she explained what was going on.  Kinzie and the Boss had discovered that Johnny Gat was still alive, and the Boss desperately wanted to bring him back.  But the problem was that in order to tap into Gat's conscious, they'd have to give up their location to Zinyak, putting the rest of them in danger. 

Later that day, the crew was gathered as the Boss was preparing for the rescue mission.  Asha, Pierce, Shaundi, and Ben were playing cards.  Matt was typing away vigorously.  Kinzie was tense and the Boss could tell. 
"Kinzie..lighten up."  she said playfully. 
"I'm doing my best."  she replied.
Under his breath, Matt muttered "You've got to tell them.  They should know."
Irritated by her lack of knowledge, the Boss' temper began to rise.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Kinzie quickly answered "It's not important."
Breaking from their poker game, Pierce chimed in.  "I have a feeling we're about to disagree."
"Saving Johnny Gat is a terrible idea."
In a moment, Matt hit the ground.  He didn't know what was going on, except that he was in pain.  With each blow to the face loosening his jaw, he realized that he had pushed his luck and unleashed the beast within the Boss.  Finally, the punching stopped.  He couldn't really hear what was going on afterwards, only that Kinzie was cussing and yelling at the Boss. 
He was shocked when she reached out her hand to help him up.  He was even more shocked that she apologized. 

For the remainder of that day, the Boss was off saving her friend and Matt was in his room playing with some Zin technology.  When the Boss came back, everyone was excited to have a beloved member back home.  While the majority of the crew excitedly asked Johnny questions and listened to his recent adventures, Matt stood in the hallway, not knowing how to greet Johnny in a non-awkward fashion.  Before he mustered up the courage to leave, the Boss came by and stopped him.

"Miller, I'm sorry about earlier.  It's just...Johnny is one of my best friends.  I lose my temper sometimes and I-"
Matt cuts her off by saying "It's alright."
Unsatisfied with him trying to end the conversation, she continues.  She hesitates for a moment, then finally says, "Matthew, I believe you owe me an explanation with regards to the other day."
"Oh..um...er...right.  But can we talk some where more private?"
The two of them walk to the storage area.  They sit down behind some boxes and Matt continues.
"When I was young, my father used to beat me.  I knew he didn't approve of my love for computers but I couldn't help it.  I still bear the scars of his abuse, mentally and physically.  As a result, I have hypertension.  Sometimes my blood pressure gets too high and I pass out.  These episodes are triggered by memories or similar occurrences to those of the past.  That's what happened the other day.  I don't know what triggered it but when I passed out it was painful."

There was a silence.  The Boss was obviously in shock as she just stared at him with her big blue eyes.  She could feel his pain.  She could feel his hurt. 
For a moment, he thought she would leave without saying anything, saving him from having to break the silence, but she didn't.
Thankfully, she was the one to break the silence.
"Miller.  I understand."
For the rest of the time they spent in that spot they just shared their deepest problems with each other.  Eventually, the topic of love came up.

Blushing, Matt confesses, "For the longest time now I've had this huge crush on Agent Kensington.  Her brain fascinates me and I just love that I'm not the only one who understands me."
The Boss looks at him.  He can sense she feels defeated, but he doesn't know why. 
"Miller, that is amazing.  I'm happy that you have someone like that in your life."
There is a sense of sincerity in her voice.  Suddenly, she stands up.
"I have to go.  Johnny's probably wondering where I have been.  I should give him a proper welcome.  See you later, Miller."
They both give each other friendly waves.  As the Boss turns, tears roll down her cheeks.  It seemed she was destined to be an independent individual.  She could feel her heart tearing a little.  She knew that the feelings she had held for Matthew since she had let him go back in Steelport would end up being a waste of her time, but at the same time, that didn't stop her from letting them grow.  Now, like after climbing a steep mountain, she would have to tread carefully as she made her way down.

Adventures on the Broken Shillelagh Chapter 1: Beginnings

He stood there, standing in the mirror.  His face looked naked without his usual dark lipstick and gothic eyeshadow.  His hair, jet black with a hint of blue, was all messy.  Well, the beds on this space craft aren't exactly luxurious.  Bed head is a common side effect of this problem.  He chuckles to himself.  His laughter stops when he realizes that it is pitiful to do so.  He feels really lonely on the ship.  Asha, his partner and mentor, tries to include him and bring him into conversations, but he feels it's just too hard for him.  And too weird.  He would prefer to be behind a computer screen than have to deal with social interaction.  A guy like him, geeky, nerdy, socially awkward at times, and not completely trusted by most of the Saints; someone like that isn't really going to have many friends here, especially when the last time he had seen them, before they rescued him, they had left on bad terms.  To this day, he still doesn't know why he is alive.  When he harassed the Saints back in Steelport a few years back, the Boss could've killed him.  And that puzzled him.  He was a punk kid who proved to be a nuisance to them.  But, they allowed him to start a new life as long as he left them alone.  He sighed, as these thoughts were not going to help him stop the Zin.

Suddenly, he hears a knock on the door.
"MATT!  MATT MILLER!  BREAKFAST TIME!"  Kinzie shouts.
"Okay okay!"  he replied.  "Kinzie had always fascinated me." he thought.  "Before I met Kinzie, I had never considered any other human being to be at the same level of intelligence as I am.  Her luscious red hair and sassy comments about how she "hates" me always made me just want to tell her that I've been madly in love with her brain since I met her." 
His thoughts are interrupted when the Boss comes by.  She can tell that he is deep in thought.
"Something troubling you, Matthew?"  she said. 
"Er..uh..no just....er nothing I was just on my way up.."  he stuttered.  He could tell that she was concerned about my reply. 
"As you say Miller." 

As he closed the door to his room, she waited and they both walked down to the kitchen together.  "I never quite understood her."  his thoughts overwhelmed him.  "Her rage would surface now and then, but I had found recently that her attitude changed.  I couldn't tell whether it was because of the weight that pulled on her shoulders, or whether she was just in a good mood.  Her deep personality always intrigued me."  He was, once again, lost in deep thought as they walked down the stairs.  As they neared the bottom of the long staircase, everything started to go blurry.  His head was pounding with incredible force as he felt his heart racing at an unbelievable pace.  "What is this?" he thought.  "Why is my body acting this way?"  Before the light started to turn darker and darker, he could see the vague image of the Boss.  She was yelling.  The next thing he knew, it went black. 

As the light faded in, it was hard to have a good idea where he was.  To his right and left, there were large circular corridors.  All of the sources of light cast a red flare.  Small capsules were attached to the walls.  Eventually, he realized he was back in the Zin ship.  He was covered in pink goo and had fallen to the floor.  And he was naked.  Again.  "I had already had to live this once before, and now I have to again?  Really?  Must I get abducted again?" he thought. 

In a moment, Kinzie flashed before his eyes.  She was laughing and pointing at him.  Pierce and Shaundi were behind her, doing the same thing.  "Oh why must it be them?" he cried.  Though he knew none of this was real, he could feel the blood swelling up in his face.  Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. 
"Matthew....Matthew....I can protect you.  Just reach out your hand.  Trust me."

The voice sounded just like-
A sudden pain interrupted his thoughts.  This pain was worse than anything he had experienced in his life, yet it seemed familiar somehow.  He screamed out in agony as the crew huddled around him.  He realized he was back in reality and that everyone had, apparently, been called to make sure he was okay.  It was then that he realized what happened.  As soon as he gained his full consciousness, he jolted from the ground and hurried back to his room.  He could hear everyone calling out for him to wait but he couldn't do that.  What had happened was his personal business, and he knew that as soon as he gave them so much as acknowledgement, they would ask what was going on. 

He could hear footsteps behind him.  As he walked to the door, he turned to slam the door, but when he saw who had followed him, he stopped.

"Matthew, I know this is a dumb question to ask, but are you alright?  Can you please tell me what that was all about?"

It was her.  The French brunette who had spared him so long ago.

"No I'm not alright.  And no, I can't tell you.  There is no one I can trust on this ship.  Besides Asha."

"That is because you won't give us a chance Miller!  We want to know you.  There simply aren't that many people left.  And we need to stick together."

He took a long pause staring into her eyes.  They were crystal blue with hints of brown near her pupil.  Her long brown hair flowed down from the roots and caressed her beautiful features.  He couldn't deny she was attractive, but in his mind, it's brains over body.

"Can...can I take some time...before..I tell you anything?  It's a lot to take in..and I need to know that I can really trust you."

"Of course Miller.  And thank you for listening to what I said."