Once Upon A Time

Chapter 2

"McMahon?" Jesse asked again, nearly bursting into laughter. One look from his father silenced him. "Sorry," he said, smiling and choking back a laugh. Sean sighed and went on.

Meanwhile, miles and miles away...

"Uh....sir?" King McMahon looked up from his desk in his study, looking at the pudgy servant in the doorway.

"Yes, cook?"

"Um...dinner...dinner is done," he replied quickly, turning and wobbling back down the hallway. McMahon watched him curiously; what, had the meat been poisoned? He sighed. An attempt on his life was nothing new and it wouldn't even surprise him if it had been one of Bischoff's cronies, either. He despised that king. There had been a long, heated rivalry between the two of them, what with Bischoff ruling over Turnerville while Vince ruled in the small but thriving Port Titan. It was growing...slowly but surely, it was growing. He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, then turned and walked to the balcony, looking down over the fields where the knights were practicing. They went on horseback, on foot...on metal helmets....Vince shook his head slowly. He really did need to have a talk with Knight Snow and that stupid helmet he was constantly carrying around. Looking to his right, he smiled as he saw his crowning achievement, in more ways than one- Knight Michaels. He was, along with Knight Helmsley, the commander of the troops, and as such, got to reap the benefits...as Vince realized were plenty, judging by how he came out from behind the haystack, hay still stuck in his hair, grin still stuck on his face, and a pretty girl still stuck on his arm. Vince smiled to himself as he watched Helmsley shake his head slowly, then finally break out in laughter when Michaels, blushing, started picking the straw from his hair.

"Michaels...Uncle Shawn?" Kaitlin asked thoughtfully, looking up with bright eyes at her dad. He sighed.

"Would you guys let me tell the story?" Kaitlin grinned and nodded, clutching the teddy bear closer.

"Okay, then. Now-"

"Hey, Dad?" Jesse started. Sean, knowing he was never going to get this over with, looked over at him.

"Yeah?" Jesse's face was puzzled, as if he were confused.

"Why was uncle Shawn picking straw out of his hair?" Sean gulped; he really did need to be more careful about what he said.

"First, it's not 'uncle Shawn', it's Knight Michaels." Jesse rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever, dad." Sean let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, anyway, King Vince-"

"Dad!" Jesse exclaimed, eyes wide. "You never did tell me!" Sean groaned; couldn't Jesse pick up on how he was trying to change the subject? Or maybe he did...

"It um....he was....asleep!" He rushed out, not realizing his cheeks were flushing red. Jesse obviously wasn't convinced.

"Why, or how could he be asleep when so much noise is going on around him?" Sean put his head in his hands.

"Don't worry about it, Jess, just sit back and enjoy the story, okay?" Jesse heaved a heavy sigh and then finally leaned back against the wall and waited for his dad to continue. Sean sighed and started again.

"NOW, before I was so rudely interrupted...."

Michaels's brow creased.
"What's so funny?" He asked as he picked the last twig out. Helmsley simply shook his head, smiling softly to himself.

"Nothin'," he answered evasively. Shawn shrugged.

"Seen Vinnie around anywhere?" Hunter glared at his friend.

"One day, I'm going to laugh when he rips your throat out after you call him that." Shawn grinned sheepishly.

"As one day shortly after that, I'm gonna laugh when I do something that gets us in trouble. See, that way, Vince can't demote ME...I'm the special one of the group. You, however, are replaceable." Hunter gave him a not-so-friendly gesture, and then looked out amongst his troops. They looked in rather good shape...well, as soon as he got Knight Dust to stop flirting with the other troops, anyhow.

"There was a girl in the army?" Jesse asked, face puzzled again. Sean caught what he had just said and kicked himself mentally.

"Uh...yeah. It was a girl." Jesse nodded, smiled, then told Sean to go on.