A Snake with a Temper (G.I. Joe Fanfiction)

Chapter 17: The Queen's Gambit

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my BETA reader, QueensGambit (on FF.net), who has stuck with me the entire time; through my nagging, chapters sent at 12-3 in the morning, interrogations, and 3 chapters sent in one day.

ATTENTION: there is a part two to this that takes place directly after the last chapter. If you wish to end the reading experience, then the epilogue is below. The epilogue does spoil a few major life events for Temper and Snake Eyes but it will most likely differ from the sequel in order to not spoil all of the fun. It's up to you.
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Another four years of being a Joe had passed by so quick Temper was caught of guard when she realized that she and Snake Eyes had known each other for at least six years. They had been 'together' for four years and still going strong. No one had been surprised when they found out that the two shared a room and Hawk did not comment on it. Temper and Snake Eyes had their fights, let's face it, this is Temper, but it was not anything they could not handle.

Temper laid there in the bed, April 23rd had come and passed, her birthday. She was now 27 and absolutely terrified. Snake Eyes was sleeping beside her. She looked at him lovingly. There was nothing she would change about the past, everything she had done then had lead her to him. After all this time had passed she fell in love with him, the first man she had loved for this long. Sure there was Tommy, and for a short time they had mistaken their love for each other as something other than a sibling bond, but it was short lived.

Speaking of Tommy, he came and went frequently, often just visiting Temper, sometimes coming to help the Joes with missions. Snake Eyes, needless to say, became a bit frustrated and a little jealous when Tommy had stayed longer than usual and occupied much of Temper's time. She was at least 25 and the entire month the two stuck together like a couple. Snake Eyes was worried when she did not come to the room for a week straight. Scarlett assured him she was alright, but after the sixth day of being fed up with everybody seeing Temper but him, he went to Hawk. Snake Eyes was informed that almost every day Temper and Tommy have been off on one to two hour missions, as the Hit and Run team. The team that he had been apart of for almost three years, the team with just him and Temper. Not Tommy. He found out that she slept in his room the entire week. That was not okay with him. The fight did not last long and everybody knew not to keep Temper away from him for too long after that whole ordeal.

The warmth of Snake Eyes' body pressing against her's brought her out of her reverie.

Why are you still up? he asked.

"Just thinking," she stated, looking into his tired eyes that had suddenly lit up. He quickly crawled over her and got two bags.

I almost forgot, Hawk approved of our leave time.

"I didn't request leave time," she said confused.

I did.

"Snake Eyes! You can't just do that and not tell me."

But I already did. Now get ready, we're going to the cabin.

"This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Tommy arrived unannounced yesterday does it?"

On the contrary, he didn't arrive unannounced, I asked him to come.

"You asked him?" she questioned. This was too confusing, first the sudden leave then Snake Eyes actually asked Tommy to come to the Pit. She pushed away the million dollar questions and got packed and dressed.

It was not long before the two were getting on the plane. They had run into Tommy who had nodded to Snake Eyes and smiled at Temper. She knew the smile well, and she knew what it meant. It was either Tommy's sadistic smile when he knew he was going to enjoy watching someone suffer, or it is his 'you have no idea what you are in for' smile and most of the time it was for both. She did not have time to question it as she was dragged along by Snake Eyes.