A/N: I don’t know how the internet works on planes but for this universe, it works just fine ‘kay? *wink*

Chapter 410: Modo XVII—A Little Sympathy

“Eh I’m out,” Modano said and he dropped his dead hand of cards. Poker had never been one of his strong suits, still wasn’t, card games on the whole just couldn’t hold his attention or interest for very long.

“Good game,” Coach Hartley said without looking at him, and he peered at his hand of cards while chuckling to himself. One thing Modano had noticed about Hartley was how well he bluffed at poker, he could very well be sitting there with a flat hand and he still looked like he held onto a goldmine. He had never seen Sakic join in any of the card games, no matter who asked him, but he bet that Joe would be an excellent bluffer, just one more talent to add to his attributes.

“Raise ya twenty, Coach,” Adam Foote said tossing in a couple meager chips.

“Yeah I’m out,” Rob Blake barked, “And I’m done.” He tossed down his cards and he stood up hefting his Brandi ball with him. “Come on Brandi let’s go take a nap!”

“Jesus you’re still carrying that thing?” Adam Foote leered. “What’s up Robbie?”

“Hey it’s a gift from my wife! Her pure, delicate, fragile little soul is trapped in here and I have to take of it,” Blake said, grinning like a dumb lumberjack and petting the glossy ball. “I only appreciate the things she gives me.”

“Yeah and that’s not creepy,” Mike said raising his eyebrows, again trying to figure out why he was compelled to hide his sexuality in the locker room when his teammates fondled bowling balls and Smittens with full abandon. “You feeling okay there, Robbie?”

“Heh, sure,” Blake replied grinning and he wandered away.

“Hey, Mikey Mo,” Joe said not looking up from his seat near the card game but still Modano got that same thrill in his body when addressed by the captain. “Since you’re done with cards can you check on the kids, Tiger and Noter see if they’re getting along any better?” Joe tilted his head back as if preparing for a nap, displaying his graceful throat and the lump of his Adam’s apple.

“Sure,” Modano said as calmly as he could and he peered around the plane, he saw Alex Tanguay reading a novel of some sort at one end, and Dan Hinote reclining with comic book at the other. “Sitting on opposite ends of the plane, Captain, want me to tell them to sit with each other?” Standard pretty much on any team when two players were forced to get along to make them sit together, room together, eat together, and breathe together. All in all a pretty decent way to force quick ends to potentially locker room destroying feuds.

Joe looked at him, serious, placid, perfect, “I guess as long as it’s peaceful, we’ll let them stay as they are for now. They’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other when we’re in the hotel. Thanks for checking though.”

“No problem,” Modano said and he kind of choked on those words. He felt uncomfortable as well; he suddenly wanted to do something else for Joe, something more meaningful. “Need anything else, Joey?”

“Nah,” Joe replied a little curtly.

“Ah I see you just want to nap some right?”

Joe frowned. “Sure?”

Mike blushed and he felt his palms dampened. “Right,” he said softly and he turned away and left the area quickly. He couldn’t be sure but he felt as if he’d acted like an obvious groupie at that moment, right, dangerous. He made sure not to glance back over his shoulder, just to show everyone his lack of interest in the Captain.

“Hey Modo, you bored?”

Modano looked at Blake who leaned against the wall holding the bowling ball in one hand. “Yeah kinda?” And please don’t let that be an, I’ll regret that answer he thought looking at Blake’s dorky grin.

“Heh, let’s see what Drury’s doing, he’s being nerdy, we gotta stop that right?”

“Stop what?”

“Him being nerdy.”

Modano scowled and looked at Chris Drury who was hunched over a laptop computer, lips pursed in concentration, fingers flying over the keys. “I don’t get it, Robbie.” For one thing, the only thing he could see was Drury just minding his own business. Of course, as Modano well knew, for a lot of guys, seeing someone minding their own business hurt their brains and drove them to distraction. If Blake wasn’t suggesting it, he knew Keaner would be in a few minutes.

“You don’t get it?” Rob exclaimed. “Well, hell, look at him, he’s all absorbed in his computer, not even looking at porn or anything, he’s being nerdy. He’s being computer-nerdy.”

“And that’s worse than being porn-nerdy?” Modano said slowly, really, really, just really feeling like a superior human being right now and he wondered if Joe ever felt that way as well, sometimes. No Joe would never feel that way, Modano concluded because after all, Joe was a superior human being and superior human beings never realized their own superiority, in fact they were modest and serene.

“No not porn-nerdy,” Blake nodded, “Porntastic.”

“Oh Robbie I didn’t just hear that cause that hurt, it really did,” Modano said, cringing and pinching the bridge of his nose. “In fact, yeah, my brain hurts.” Okay, anyone had to feel superior next to this dope!

“Thinking’ll do that to ya buddy,” Rob nodded. Cradling the bowling ball he pushed past him, “Come on Mikey, or you’ll be a nerd too.”

“I’m only following you because I’m curious and bored!” Modano said holding up a finger as he followed Rob who led the way to the otherwise mild mannered, minding his own business, Chris Drury.

Whether he noticed them or not, Chris didn’t even look up at them as they went to his side. Modano peeked at the computer screen and saw that Chris wasn’t even typing a document or email. In fact, he couldn’t figure exactly what was on the screen; it looked like strings of codes and numbers.

“Hey, Buddy,” Blake grinned. “Roomie old boy.”

Chris didn’t say anything; his fingers only flew faster over the keys. Modano grinned, how fast could those chubby little sausages of his go? He didn’t particularly find Chris all that attractive, too hairy, to round and plump everywhere, but that chubbiness did lend cuteness to the guy, very pinchable all over, Modano was sure.

“Aw come on!” Rob said, not a particularly intelligent thought showing through on his comical features. “Why are you ignoring me Chris, what are you doing?”

“Can’t talk now,” Chris said briskly, “Sending a virus.”

“What?” Modano said at roughly the same time as Robbie.

Chris stopped clicking the keys and pointed across the plane. Seated with a laptop open on the table, was Peter Forsberg, who seemed engrossed in whatever he was doing with the computer, as far as Modano could see, another guy minding his own business. “I’m sending Peter a virus, he’s online right now.”

“A virus? Like a computer virus?” Modano said.

“Yup.” Drury said tonelessly. His fingers clicked over the keys again, and the computer screen flashed with codes.

“Aw a virus!” Blake said brightly, but in a low voice. “Hey no shit you can do that? You are a nerd aren’t you? Only nerds make computer viruses you know.” He patted his Brandi ball for emphasis.

“Maybe,” Drury replied. “But it’s fun. Okay, there.” He clicked a button and the screen closed. He then set up an email hooking on an attachment which Modano had to assume was the virus. “Alright guys, I need a good title for the email, something that’ll make Peter wanna open it up real fast.”

“Lookie me perky pink nipples, heh.”

Modano scowled. He could list that as yet another phrase he didn’t want to hear Robbie use ever again.

“Hey think okay,” Drury snapped. “Don’t start with the nipple thing again Robbie it’s annoying and it’s not funny, frankly it fucking creeps me out.”

Modano raised his eyebrows and half grinned.

“Oh no I meant use that as the email header,” Blake grinned and his cheeks turned a little pink. “I wasn’t thinking of that, but I guess you were, heh heh. Something you’re not telling me Chris, are there things you think about me in the deep dark night when you’re honey is sleeping?”

Chris rolled his eyes and looked straight at Blake, even though Modano knew Drury had blue eyes, they always came across to him as somewhat dark or black. “Um, Robbie, ew, okay? But great idea.” He turned back to the computer and typed in the offending phrase into the header of the email. With a flourish he lifted one hairy, chubby hand in the air, “And then, send!” He clicked off the email and crossed his arms. “Alright boys let’s watch the magic.”

Okay, as wrong as Modano knew this was, his sense of fun wasn’t dead. He peered across the plane at Forsberg who had his chin on his palm, and with the other hand he was controlling the computer. A slight smile suddenly appeared on Peter’s face, he grimaced in that way that said, “okay let’s do it”, he glanced around him, checking no doubt to make sure no one was around him and then he clicked on something.

“Oh he’s got it!” Chris said.

Peter’s face went from sly to irritated, his eyebrows lifting and the smile leaving. A frown dipped the corners of his mouth and he began to rapidly hit keys on the computer. Now he looked genuinely pissed.

“What’s it doing?” Rob asked.

Modano grimaced and he made a mental note to change his email address and never let Chris Drury know what it was, at any rate, he had to be sure never to piss off Chris Drury.

“It’s slowing down his internet,” Chris said, “Eventually it will freeze his screen, all the while covering the fact that my computer is receiving a download of all his “my pictures” files. It’s something new, I’m just testing it out, if it works I can tell it to hunt for any type of file I want on someone else’s hard drive and then bring a copy of it onto my system…” As Chris spoke, Modano felt his lip curling a little, and he could swear the lighting in the plane had suddenly gone dark and ominous, Chris’s voice even lowering, slowing, emitting pure evil.

“Damn, Chris,” Mike said and he smiled. “You are a nerd.”

Chris laughed.

“Aw dammit!” Forsberg snapped.

“When he hits control alt delete,” Chris said, “It will erase the email and self destruct, disappearing off his system and leaving no trace of evidence. The computer will be unharmed, the user merely annoyed, and possibly even unaware that there was even a real virus there. Perfect for hacking in and out of systems and not annoying someone enough to come looking for you.”

“So he’ll never know it was you?” Blake asked, “That’s no fun.”

Chris grinned. “Oh he’ll know it’s me, I slipped a code into just this one, when his computer screen comes back on it’ll tell him what I just did, a little fuck you for fun Peter Forsberg.”

“Aw and what did Peter ever do to you?” Modano asked.

Chris shrugged. “It’s just fun.” He rubbed his hands together, “Ah download complete, let’s see what he has here, boys. Nice!” Blake grinned and Chris leaned closer to the screen and Modano rolled his eyes at the expected amount of nude women in the collection of pictures. All of them were vaguely alike, over tanned, over blown breasts, blond bleached hair, dark eyebrows, pouting lips legs in various positions of splay…

“Hey Chris can you send me some copies of those?” Blake grinned.

“WOAH!” Chris gasped and Blake squeaked at the same time too.

The next group of pictures was of Peter’s girlfriend, Josefina, no she wasn’t naked but she was semi clothed, scantily clothed, draped in a bed sheet, making eyes at the camera. Modano could tell they were not professional pictures, Peter probably had taken them himself, but even so, they were stunning. Josefina’s eyes smoldered with true passion and her lips smiled with affection, and Mike was suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer intimacy of the pictures and he felt like a dirty intrusive dog. “You guys, come on, this isn’t funny anymore, those are personal,” Modano said.

Chris coughed and Rob didn’t say anything.

“You guys,” Modano prodded again.

“Right,” Chris said quickly, “Right I’ll get rid of these, right.”

“She’s really in love with him isn’t she?” Blake said quietly, seriously with no hint of goofiness. “I mean, you don’t see a look like that in a woman’s eyes, not unless she really wants to show you something.”

“Wow,” Drury said and he closed the file.

“CHRIS!” Forsberg yelled. “You asswipe what did you just do?”

Chris paled and looked up and Modano took a step back as Forsberg stormed over to them, his face red with anger, his eyes pale. “I was just funning with you Peter, I didn’t do anything real serious!” Chris said rapidly.

“What?” Peter exclaimed and Blake jumped out of the way allowing Peter in. The Swede leaned over Drury who gulped. “Your message said ‘I just screwed you over big time’, and I’m supposed to believe you when you say it’s okay? What did you do you geek?”

Drury gulped. “Well… I may have… downloaded a few files off your system but I didn’t do… eeep!”

Forsberg grabbed Drury’s ear in his hand and twisted. “Come on tell me!”

“Heh he just wanted to know if you liked perky pink nipples,” Blake said, maybe trying to be helpful.

“You’re in on it too Rob?” Forsberg snapped.

“Nah I just came up with the header.” Rob said shamelessly.

“Just picture files, pictures!” Drury moaned. “Nothing else. Your computer’s fine!”

“Hey what’s going on over there?” Coach Hartley barked.

“Oh Chris just sent Peter a computer virus, we’re sorting it out,” Rob Blake said smoothly. “We promise we won’t injure him Coach.”

“Ok,” Hartley replied.

“You’re not lying? You just took some files? That’s all?” Peter asked.

“Yeah,” Chris said and Peter let go of him. “Look I’ll get rid of the personal ones okay, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that man, sorry.”

Peter frowned. “Personal ones?”

Modano looked at Peter. How could he not be aware of those pictures?

“Yeah,” Drury said and he opened up the Josefina picture folder.

Modano saw Peter’s face crumple, as if he’d been stabbed, as if in great pain. “Oh keep em,” he said in a husky voice.

“Keep them?” Drury gasped.

“Christ Pete that’s your girlfriend!” Rob said and Modano gave Blake points for sounding morally offended. “I mean, I’m sure she wouldn’t want anyone else but you seeing them.”

“I don’t know what the hell she wants,” Peter grumbled, and Modano saw his eyes moisten briefly. “She’s gone okay; she doesn’t give a shit what I do with her stuff.”

“No shit!” Blake gasped. “She left you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Peter said and he turned and stormed away.

“I can’t believe…” Blake said and Modano shuffled on his feet. They both looked at the computer screen and the pictures, Josefina’s eyes, sparkling, inviting. Rob was right, that sort of look just did not appear easily on a woman, and she was baring her soul to the camera, her happiness.

“What are you going to do with those?” Modano asked.

“Christ if I keep them,” Drury said as he deleted the pictures. “I can feel the bad mojo starting already; she’s got witch’s eyes.”

“Damn shame,” Rob muttered, “A real damn shame, Brandi really liked her.” He patted his ball and slowly walked away.

Modano looked at Forsberg who had closed up his computer and had it balanced on his lap, his mouth turned down, pale, his eyes festering and glittering. And Mike felt it in his heart and in his gut. He could see clearly, he knew exactly what Peter felt right now. That look in Jo’s eyes had to be embedded in his heart, and he hadn’t denied that she’d left him.

Mike knew Peter felt burned and scraped and raw inside. He knew that he felt a pain in his chest as if he were suffocating and a worry and confusion in his brain. He didn’t know what to do or how to feel, he didn’t know how to smile. He probably wanted to claw at the walls and turn in circles, he wanted to find her and make things better, find out what he’d done wrong and pay penance to her for it. He’d do anything as long as it would make things right.

Mike knew all of this because that’s how he felt the day Brett left him, and it burned him over and over again, day after day until the moment he saw Joe. Now Peter was abandoned, alone and thinking that he could never be happy again. It hurt Modano so much to think about someone else having to feel that pain.

He’s my roommate, my teammate, Modano thought. He felt so much sympathy for Peter, in fact he wanted to go to him right now and talk, and let him know that he wasn’t alone. But he assumed that Peter would probably not want to talk to anyone right now. Modano looked at that sad man, and nodded, he would talk to him later, maybe tonight or tomorrow night, after all, what were roommates for?