SEASON EIGHT

EPISODE 4: DESTINY
CONCLUSION

By: X_C

 SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE WWF TITANPRIZE. IT'S MISSION: TO EXPLORE AND ENTERTAIN NEW SOCIETIES AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS.  TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO WRESTLER HAS GONE BEFORE!

TITANPRIZE CREW:

Captain Vince McMahon
First Officer, Commander Shane McMahon
Chief Engineer, Commander Stephanie McMahon
Chief of Chiefs, Commander Linda McMahon
Chief of Security, Commander Kane
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Taker
Diagnostics Officer, Lieutenant Commander Jericho
Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Commander Austin
Transporter Chief, Lieutenant Commander Debra McMichael
Communications Officer, Lieutenant Rock
Counselor Al Snow (assisted by H.E.A.D.)

... And many more!

WWF TITANPRIZE-ENGINEERING

    "It's too small!"

    "Hey Matt." Jeff was actually grinning as Commander McMahon fumbled around with a quantum explosive in the middle of Engineering. "I bet Shane hears that a lot."

    "Lita hasn't complained." That wiped the smile off Jeff's pretty little face. "Do you two really expect me to believe this is capable of opening a wormhole?" A translucent box that looked like it housed a radiant white firefly - it didn't exactly scream firepower.

    "You could believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for all we care." Jeff said impatiently. "Look, you've got your shiny new toy. I think you can stop pointing that space-age squirt gun at our heads now."

    "How does it blow stuff up?"

    Matt sighed. "Guess Steph got all the brains in the family huh? Quantum particles are light and fast but extremely powerful. You only need a few to disrupt space and open a very unstable wormhole. The thing is, genius, no one uses em' cause they're too volatile to measure and they behave erratically, often leaking dangerous radiation as they break down. We had to guess how many to use"

    "Better hope you guessed right." Shane muttered. "How's it triggered?"

    "It's timed." Jeff replied. "Just like you asked."

    "It's a crying shame that Bradshaw and Farooq had to go...er...talk to Steven Richards about a bad check." Shane said with a smirk.

    "I didn't know people used checks anymore." Good lord. Why didn't Jeff just discuss the weather with Shane too?

    Commander McMahon shrugged. "Something about EO Richards writing checks that his ass couldn't cash . Oh yeah, and Farooq's boot had to preach a sermon to the Goodfather's backside, whatever that means. Why the heck am I even explaining this to you?"

    "Deep down inside, you wanna be our friend?" Jeff asked innocently.

    "I would like to express my gratitude." Shane found the look of wide-eyed shock on the younger Hardy's face very entertaining, but not quite as much as fun as the sound his body made hitting the floor after absorbing a phaser blast. "Thanks Jeff." And a blue beam for big brother too. "Thanks Matty."

PLANET EARTH-NORTHWEST TERRITORY, CANADA

    "Guess who?"

    "Ummmm....Trishy?"

    "I loathe you." Stephanie's mittens were melting cold snow in his eyes. "Guess again."

    "Cheap perfume....PMS....a secret attraction to me...." Jericho grinned. "Princess?"

    "You're wrong about one thing." She gave him a hard shove. "This perfume wasn't cheap."

    "Watch it!" Chris didn't need to get pitched headfirst through six inches of solid ice today. "The dock's a little slippery and I bet you're not gonna dive into the lake and retrieve my frozen android body."

    "Hey - right again!" She smiled. "You're on a roll today. What are those guys doing? Playing hockey?"

    "You know what hockey is?" Jericho was mildly impressed. Maybe he'd live out here, make the best of being stuck in this wretchedly primitive time period. Wasn't a bad spot really, sort of reminded him of Kanata... the twilight moon reflecting silver-gray on the icy lake, log cabins with Christmas candles burning in their windows, the scent of snow and pine in the air, the intoxicated laughter of young men pushing a puck through a light dusting of sleet...well no pretty picture was perfect was it? "Besides the tonsil kind?"

    "Oh yeah." Stephanie nodded, cute little braids bobbing up and down. "A whole bunch of hockey jocks beat the living crap out of Kurt with their sticks a few hours ago. Broke his nose even." She snickered despite herself.  "He took me to this bar to show me what a bad boy he was and got going on these tough guys about their beer drinking and uncivilized language."

    "Angel in a sports bar?" Jericho laughed too. "That's cute."

    Stephanie shrugged. "Kind of lame actually."

    "How'd you find me?"

    "I'm an empath Chris." She rolled her eyes. "It got boring watching Kurt bleed and beg for mercy so I went back to our hotel, saw the note and map on my door."

    "You can read a map? Were you a girl scout once little Stephie?"

    "Hello?" Stephanie just shook her head. "I'm an Engineer. If I can plot points on a stellar map I can follow your cheesy scribbling."

    "Everything about me is gorgeous." Jericho said defensively. "Even my penmanship."

    "I don't understand these people." Stephanie sighed, watching a pack of giggling college age kids poke marshmellows into a bonfire, some drinking beer while others played kissing games with significant others. "How can they enjoy their lives when there's some madman running around plotting to blow up the future?"

    "Maybe they don't realize." Chris shrugged. He wished humans could let go of things, accept things like he did. "Maybe this has been with them their whole lives. Dr. Psycho is pretty powerful, maybe more than we know."

    "I wonder if we'll notice anything when it happens?" Stephanie was gazing up at the sky, as if she could see the end of the world through the streams of snow falling into her eyes.

    "We'll find out in forty-two minutes." Jericho consulted his internal chronometer. "Hey, aren't you freezing?"

    "Who cares?" Stephanie was deceptively sweet and angelic in her little schoolgirl skirt and sweater, black tights disappearing into high-heeled black boots, long red coat setting off the chestnut glow of her hair. "I look good."

    "Your high self-esteem is remarkable. Others might call it a break from reality."

    "You haven't even tried to make me get inside and bundle up." Stephanie pouted. "And here I am practically turning blue, Chris."

    He laughed. "Steph....I could stand here and try to cram that chivalry garbage down your throat all night long and you'd still be too much of a brat to listen. You don't want someone to coddle you like that."

    "I was so worried you wouldn't be here." Stephanie whispered, laying her head against the soft warm down of his ski jacket. "That maybe I'd spent too much time with Kurt and found your note when it was too late."

    "I knew you'd come." Chris said smugly. No matter how many times he wrapped his arms around her, it always amazed him that Stephanie could be so strong and feel so fragile. "And as you are well aware, I am never wrong."

    "Kurt would be trying to offer me his coat right now."

    "Hey, if a beautiful woman wants hypothermia, who am I to stand in the way of her happiness?"

    "That's what I like about you, Chris." She closed her eyes, almost lulled to sleep by the way his fingers brushed her hair. "If you thought letting me get frostbite was what made happy, you'd do it."

    "I would've waited all night Princess. If for no other reason than to prove I'm always right."

    "I am always right!" She smiled, keeping her eyes closed. What if she opened them and it all went away? "But don't worry. It takes time to adjust."

    "Your lips are turning blue."

    "Just kiss me, you idiot."

    "I think I'm going to hurl." Hunter shook his head disbelief. "You wanna move on, Steph? Fine. But you have got your lips on a freakin' machine! I mean, what are you doing? Teaching it how to kiss?"

    "No worries Trip." Jericho let his lips linger on Steph's for a few seconds longer. Oh the look on the Game's face was all too priceless. "I'm a fast learner."

    "We're going back."

    "Are you drunk, Hunter?" Stephanie demanded. "We can't go back."

    "I got news for you honey." Hunter smirked. "While you were....doing god knows what with your toy robot, Dr. Taker was busy finding out how Dr. Sarin was able to travel through time. He found a specially modified shuttle."

    "It's true, it's true." Angle had materialized behind the Game.

    "Oh." Stephanie felt time stand still.  She wanted to go home, to stop Daddy. She didn't want to live in fear  of her heart failing at any moment. "Okay. Just give me a minute here."

    "We don't have a minute." Hunter growled. "Now Steph!"

    "You have to forget what we did here Chris." She spoke in a hushed tone as they followed her husband and the American Zero through the woods. "It wasn't - I didn't mean - look just forget it alright?"

    "What the hell is wrong with you?" Jericho hissed. "Is this some sort of funny game for you? I thought we were done playing!"

    "I'm a big slut, Chrissie, okay?" Stephanie snapped. "I just wanted to see if I could get some action out of an android! Goodie for me - I did!"

    "You witch."

    She pretended to be deeply fascinated by the snowy footprints they left behind.

    Stephanie was keeping secrets again.

SICKBAY

    "Oh my god. I've died. I've died and gone to hell." Jeff tried to sit up. He was too woozy. Not to mention too paralyzed. "And Satan looks like a big weasel."

    "Laugh it up Hardly." Shane smiled. He seemed amused. "You're gonna need that twisted sense of humor."

    "Where's Matt?"

    "Brotherly love. I'm so touched."

    "You're jealous." Jeff fought the urge to panic. Where was his brother? "Cause Stephanie hates your guts. She wouldn't care if you dropped off the edge of the universe."

    Shane's face hardened. "You have a sibling. You didn't need to steal my sister from me."

    "I can't help it Shane. For some reason Mom refused to have any more kids after me."

    "Take the restraints off." Shane snapped. "I want all the meds out of his system now."

    "Aye sir." Jeff shuddered involuntarily as Dr. Piro pushed a hypospray into his throat. It didn't make the room stop spinning. "He'll have trouble with coordination and balance. You'll need to help him walk."

    "What's up Doc?" Jeff smiled drunkenly. "Interesting choice of friends Shane O'. You do know he used your sister as a guinea pig and Steph's only got about fifteen years to live, right?"

    "Stephanie is gone." Shane said flatly. He unholstered his phaser, although Ensign Hardy obviously wasn't up to any sudden moves. "I guess you could call this a deal with the devil."

    "Shouldn't you be off destroying all of space-time?" Whoa. The floor seemed to rush up to meet him as Jeff tumbled off the bio-bed. Trouble with balance? He couldn't even keep himself in a sitting position. "Matty and I built you that cool new toy."

    Shane was kind enough to nudge him upright with his boot. "About that. You know that thing you were talking about? The little gizmo wired to my baby sister's heart?"

    "It's a totally awesome weapon in theory." Jeff commented, blinking rapidly. His head was starting to throb like it'd been rung with a double-chair shot. "Too bad it hadn't been stitched inside your ribcage."

    "We're gonna play a guessing game Jeffrey." Shane told him. "This is perhaps the happiest day of my life. Dr. Piro is in control of Sickbay. I've given you two very valuable clues here."

    "Ummm....what's the riddle?"

    Shane smiled. "Guess where the bomb is?"

SHUTTLEBAY 6A

    "You like touching me don't you?"

    "Get away from me!" Shane threw Ensign Hardy against the Shuttlecraft Tombstone, frowned as the Aerialian slid to the floor. "Not the best bump I've ever seen you take Hardly."

    "Sorry sir. It's hard to sell with my hands tied."

    "Still determined to get the last laugh huh?" Shane took a handful of Jeff's hair and pulled him to his feet. "You're looking a little under the weather ensign."

    "I'm gonna toss my cookies again." His complexion was a waxy grey. "I think it's the whole bomb thing."

    "Sorry." Shane apologized sweetly. "Radiation poisoning. Unfortunately it won't kill you before the massive explosion occurs." He patted Jeff on the shoulder. "Cheer up Rainbow Bright. Maybe we'll name the wormhole after you."

    "The joke's on you then. There's not going to be a wormhole or anything else after the timer goes off."

    "Time to go bye-bye Jeffrey." Commander McMahon opened the shuttle hatch.

    "Stop!"

    "Stephanie?" Shane's phaser and Ensign Hardy clattered to the floor. "You're - you're.....alive!"

    "Move away from him!" Little sister had a confiscated Nytron disruptor pointed at his head. "I swear to god Shane, I will shoot you where you stand if you don't back off!"

    "I'm your brother!" She wouldn't. He was her flesh and blood.

    "I mean it Shane." She did mean it. He fell backwards in a shower of bright blue plasma sparks, nerves screaming in pain. Even on stun, Nytron disruptors could mess a man up. "What did he do to you?"

    "Good to see you again, Commander." Jeff smiled weakly. "Lt Commander Jericho."

    Chris kneeled beside the boy, tri-corder in hand. "I don't understand. You're in the early stages of fatal radiation poisoning."

    "Tell me about it." Jeff agreed. "This is worse than the time I ate my own cooking."

    "Dr. Taker is busy trying to get that quantum explosive away from Daddy." Stephanie sighed, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes. All the better to see how truly awful her Aerialian friend looked. "Jeff...do you really think this is a good time to be telling jokes?"

    "It's the best time as far as I'm concerned." Jeff replied. "I'm dying."

    "You are not dying!" Stephanie said angrily. "That's not even remotely funny!"

    "Here's the thing Commander Happy Pants." She was pushing a hypospray into his arm. Had she gotten it from the shuttlecraft? Everything was blurring....."You know that thing in your heart?"

    "What thing?" Jericho's eyes were burning into her. "What's in your heart, Stephanie?"

    She ignored him. "Yeah Jeff. What about it?" Stephanie was fumbling around in the medkit, but she wasn't finding anything that would halt the lethal poison spreading through his veins - dammit! She didn't know enough! She needed Dr. Taker! She didn't trust Dr. Piro....

    "I got one of my own." Jeff had to cough the words out. "'Cept I only have about fifteen minutes to live."

    "Oh my god." Jericho's worthless emotion chip was back inside him now, but the horror of what Shane must've done...he'd never felt anything this real.

    Well, not never.

    "How does it detonate?" Stephanie asked urgently. "We can get the trigger, disarm it, and remove the bomb. Jeff?"

    "Sorry." He tried to meet her eyes, but he couldn't see anymore. Everything had faded to black. "I hate to rain on your parade again Commander, but you know how your gizmo is sort of grafted onto your heart?"

    "Commander." Jericho took the medkit from her. "I think you should go find Commander Kane and have him take your brother into custody."

    "You go find Commander Kane." Stephanie was like ice.

    "Steph-"

    "I just gave you a direct order." There was something menacing beneath the calm. "Now, Jericho!"

    "Aye sir."

    "I'd do it myself." Jeff was apologizing to her. "But that...thing, it's messed up my balance and coordination. Also, there's that whole lack of eyesight issue."

    "Stop making stupid jokes." Her lower lip was trembling. She bit down til she tasted blood.

    "Geez Steph, don't cry." Jeff sighed. "You gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

    "I'm not crying." Tears were flowing freely as she reached for another hypospray. Her fingers were shaking so badly she couldn't hold on. "I love you Jeff. Like a brother."

    "Hey Steph?" He flinched as a microscopic needle pierced his skin "Was I really the worst kisser in the history of male-female relationships or were you just saying that to make me feel good?"

    She laughed. "Jeff?"

    "Yeah Steph?"

    "You're an idiot."

COMMANDER MCMAHON-HELMSLEY'S QUARTERS

    "Yeah right I'm better, Dr. Quack." Stephanie sprawled out on her bed, the dull ache in her chest finally winning the battle against her excess energy. At least it wasn't her heart this time.

    Three ribs had been split cleanly in half. One had pierced her lung, collapsing it and stealing her breath away.  She'd been so scared the device inside her would malfunction.....

    Steph buried her head in a pillow, asking the computer to soften the lighting through the silky fabric. She'd asked for it, telegraphed her next move to Matt in the holodeck...left herself open to attack.

    He had kicked her so hard....snapped her back with such force....

    In a bizarre way, she felt like she deserved it. She'd killed his brother. Okay, maybe not killed him. Steph had just finished what her own flesh and blood started.

    Shane was in the brig, probably for the rest of his life. She was all Matt had to focus his rage and grief on.

    "Oh god." Stephanie gasped. There was a hot dagger being driven into her chest, twisting until it tore her heart out. This is what Russo said death would feel like...."No...."

    She crawled across her bed, the agony blossoming in every nerve cell with each inch she managed to gain. There was not enough breath inside her to cry out, to access the computer with her voice. Her comm badge winked at her from the nightstand....

    You'll never make it, Stephie.

    "Please..."Her hand brushed the cool steel, felt air as she knocked it to the floor.

    Then she felt nothing.

SICKBAY

    A cold, dark place. Endless night. Behind one shadow was another and so on and so forth. Hiding places  for invisible monsters and demons and tortured souls, a million of their voices swirling together into one point of ominous black light and sound.

    No. It was different now. They were no longer afraid.

    But she was.

    "Where am I?"

    "Alive."

    Stephanie didn't feel alive. She felt cold and empty. She felt the void inside her.

    "I'm scared. I don't want to be here."

    "You were meant to be here. We exist because you exist."

    "Who are you?" They were inside her head, a million voices whispering a million things.

    "We are nobody. We are everybody. You will not remember us."

    "If I'm alive, why am I here?" Stephanie looked into the darkness, looked through all of space and time.

    "There is one timeline now. One past one present, one future. You will be home soon."

    "Home?" They promised not to harm her, a million voices inside her head. "My heart-"

    "Judgement has been passed. You have been given more time. Because you exist, what happened two hundred years ago has never happened. You will be given a second chance. There is nothing left to fear from your heart."

    "More time?" The cold was warmth. Darkness was light "Wait! I don't want to go back!"

    Silence. "You will not defy us."

    "I killed a man! I don't deserve this!"

    "The sacrifice was necessary. The boy was meant to die."

    "Please." She wondered if tears would move them. "Can't Jeff go back instead of me? I owe him everything!"

    "It violates the timeline.  Judgement has been passed. The boy was meant to die."

    "No!" Their rage terrified her. "If I was meant to live, then it was only because of him! He's protected me all this time! Damn you!" Her mind was on fire. They were so angry with her...so violently angry....."This is killing his brother-Matt's dying everyday that Jeff is gone..please..."

    "Your feelings are irrelevant. His feelings are irrelevant. You will not remember us."

    "This is wrong!" They were slipping away.......like ghosts....."You said I was the reason for your existence! You owe me!"

    Silence.

    "You would sacrifice yourself for the boy?"

    "I would."

    She felt their confusion, a million voices inside her heart. They fought among themselves, anger and surrender making shadows in the darkness.

    "Judgement has been passed. The boy was meant to live..."

DR. TAKER'S OFFICE

    Dr. Taker scrolled through newspaper clippings on his monitor, and came across a relatively old one. He smiled coldly as he read it:

    Nicholas Sarin, Wrestlefleet Acadamy, rank of Cadet. Born: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Stardate 01225.32. Died: Greenwich Connecticut, Stardate 00521.54. Cause of death: Homicide. Strangulation.

    Nicholas Sarin was the prime suspect in a tragic bombing that killed several students on the Greenwich Connecticut Wrestlefleet Academy campus.

    Several of his instructors have come forward to say that Sarin was obsessed with the idea of time travel to the point where it consumed him. In fact, he was possessed by the notion that a quantum explosive could be developed that would open wormholes into other dimensions. Yesterday's tragic events may have been his efforts to put that scientifically ludicrous theory into practice.

    His killer has not been found and clues are scarce. Wrestlefleet security does not appear confident that the mystery of who murdered Nicholas Sarin will ever be solved.

        The doctor had known Sarin at the time of the bombing, but hadn't known enough to recognize how dangerous, how truly mad Sarin was.

    Taker's 'gift' allowed him to erase mistakes... and he never made the same mistake twice.

    "Doctor?" Nurse Saturn loomed in the doorway. "Stephanie's awake."

COMMANDER MCMAHON-HELMSLEY'S QUARTERS

       "Come." Stephanie stretched her tired limbs, but that was all her battered body was getting out of her. The bed just felt so cool and inviting. ....

    "Sorry." A golden retriever puppy was now licking her face clean. "It seemed to know where I was going."

    "Ugh." Stephanie tried to push the dog away, but it kept lounging across her feet. "Slippers with a wet nose. Just what I needed."

    "Kinda reminds me of Kirk Angel. Except the puppy actually makes it to your bed"

    "Funny Jeffrey." She didn't get up. It was only Jeff.

    If it was only Jeff, why was she so overjoyed to see him? Had the failure of her marriage driven her to this level of desperation, where even Jeff Hardy seemed attractive? Had she gotten that lonely?

    "For you." He handed her sunflowers, the most beautiful flowers in the universe. She loved them more than roses..

    Stephanie sighed. "Oh lord, you're in love with me aren't you?"

    "Oh yah... Big time," He replied, then grinned and pulled a bouquet of red, white, and blue roses from their vase. Jeff made sure to step on them after they hit the carpet. "There we go. Actually, they're from Matt. He felt sort of bad about breaking your arm. Must be weird having one of those conscience thingies."

    "Kurt bought me those!" Stephanie protested as she looked at the crushed flowers on her floor. Jeff made himself cozy on the empty side of the bed. "Why didn't Matt just deliver them in person?"

    "Shane put him in the brig." Jeff explained. "Silk sheets. Nice. Let me sign your cast"

    "I will kill my brother! Matt would never hurt me on purpose!" Stephanie wrenched her arm away. "Steph Loves Jericho? God how I loathe you!"

    "Take it easy," Jeff stole a pillow from her. "Shane did it for Matt's protection. Your dad was about to murder him for teaching you Aerialian combat techniques. You know, your bro's not such a bad egg after all"

    "That tears it." Stephanie tried to yank the pillow out from underneath his red and purple hair. "I'm having you tested for drugs. "

    "I'm high on life, Commander." He swatted her hand away. "I could take over Matt's classes with you if you so desired. But be warned, I might get the urge to grope you or something."

    "I'll wait for Matt to get out, thanks." Stephanie scowled at him. "Don't you have a girlfriend you could be torturing? Or does she hate you as much as I do now?"

    "Lita?" Jeff shrugged. "I wouldn't call it hate. She's just not speaking to me."

    "Try again."

    "See..." Jeff gazed thoughtfully up at her ceiling. "It goes like this. It was open mic night at the Smackdown right? So Ensigns Sexay and 2 Hottie did their little dance routine and they were pretty good. Then that Sugar guy and his wussie pals got up and did some boy band crap, which was alright I guess."

    "Did you just call Sexay and 2 Hottie good dancers?"

    "Anyway...." Jeff went on. "I don't know what happened. I was all jacked on one of those high caffeine Vanilla Ices that Terri makes and something came over me. I danced."

    "MY GOD!" Chyna's puppy howled with indignation as the warm, comfy cushion of her foot disappeared. Too bad. She had the sudden urge to bury it in the back of Ensign Hardy's knee. "You idiot! I'll never get rid of you now."

    "The look on Lita's face..." Jeff sighed. Wow. His knee made a totally cool crunching sound as it folded up like an accordion. Matt was turning little Stephie Mac into quite the killer. "I think I've lost her for good this time."

    "I'll speak to her." Stephanie said smugly, savoring the pleasure of watching his eyes water.  "Lord knows I don't want you trying to kiss me again."

    "I cannot be the worst ever. You've kissed so many men!"

    "It was like putting my lips on a dead fish!"

    "Well!" Jeff pouted.

    "Come!" Stephanie ignored his sulking and answered the chirping door "Oh hey Kurt. What's up?"

    "Well....you're late for your physical therapy." Angle explained, eyeing the pair suspiciously. "So I thought I might bring the physical therapy to you! I have a strict exercise regimen planned and-"

    "This isn't what it looks like." Stephanie assured him, giving Jeff a dirty look. "He was just delivering a message from his brother."

    "I didn't doubt your integrity for a moment, Commander." Kurt said respectfully. "Of course you're not engaged in lewd acts that involve stripping young Jeffrey Hardy of his innocence"

    "You're about five minutes too late for that Kirk." Jeff winked. "I'll never forget my first time, love muffin."

    "You are beyond disgusting!" Stephanie pushed him off the bed. How could he...how could he just lay that big wet one on her like that? She would never eat again!

    "No way am I worse than him." Jeff nodded at the Olympic Zero as he limped out of the room.

    Stephanie laughed. "No Jeff, I can't say you were as bad as all that."

    "Yes!" He beamed. "Oh and by the way, pretty boy?" Ensign Hardy leaned in close to Kurt and lowered his voice. "If Stephie asks if you've been a bad boy - run! I don't kiss and tell, but I'm limping for a reason."

    Angle turned fire-engine red. "Why...I never-" he spluttered. "I-I take offense to your suggestive comments about this virtuous woman!"

    "Ohhh Stephie." Jeff poked his head back in the room. "I'll remember to tell Lt Commander Jericho you were asking about him."

    "I was not!" She launched a pillow across the room, but Aerialian velocity spared him the damage. Angle, though, took it square on the nose....

    Jericho. Just hearing the name sent a shiver of something up her spine, but she didn't know why or what. Happiness? Regret?

    Kurt was smiling his safe, sweet smile. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter now....