Sitting at the bar he tilted the bottle back and let the golden nectar slid down his throat as he tried not to notice everyone else filtering out, acting sly. They thought that if they didn't leave together nobody would figure it out, but he knew every couple in the room and knew every one night stand. He knew who was getting lucky and knew who wasn't… the latter population consisting of one… HIM! Oh when anyone wanted to kick one back and shoot the shit he was the first one they sought out, but for a romance of the heart… please.

People were forever telling him what to do. Don't drink, don't cuss so much, be more respectful to others, don't live your character, but yet the thing that killed him was that there didn't seem to be anyone jumping up and saying HEY I'd like to get to know Steve and to hell with Stone Cold. God knows Debra hadn't. The blonde headed bimbo cried wolf and made him into the necessary pariah. The company may need him, but fuck knows no one had to like it… or him.

Steve chuckled and lifted his empty bottle signaling the bartender for another. Not that they were banging down his door before, no everyone was always hot for the pretty boys like Christian and Shannon Moore, or the monsters like Kevin Nash and Batista, or the outright superstar the Rock, but one man everyone seemed to be able to agree was THE man to have and be had by had been Jeff Hardy, who was the ultimate combination of pretty boy twink and unsuspecting dom. He was also someone who hadn't looked twice at the old bald redneck. Advice needed?? Ol' Steve was always one of the first he ran to, but looking for a nightly distraction?? He wasn't even on the list.

Not that Jeff was his… ideal mate. Fuck him maybe, but Jeff Hardy certainly wasn't the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The redneck in him told him - made him look twice at that gorgeous psychopath Victoria. What she was doing boinking a fuck head like Steven Richards he didn't know. In real life she was not only beautiful but smart and funny and in real life Steven was, well as Raven called him, Psycho Stevie.

Of course the man in him that LOVED other men could care less about Victoria, HE longed for something a little more peaceful, a little calmer, and a little more… limber. He might not look like a believer in Zen, but if Zen came in a six foot two hundred and twenty pound package… sign him up baby! But then to be truthful longing for Rob wasn't a recent thing. He almost never left ECW.

Just as he was realizing it was time to move on and up to greener pastures Paul E signed someone that Steve knew immediately would be someday the biggest thing ever… and then there was his potential as a wrestler. This young man was quiet, shy, limber, down to earth… leave it to Paul E to turn him into an egomaniac. While RVD may still be soft spoken and limber, down to earth was debatable and shy was a laugh. RVD definitely knew that he was all that and a bag of chips. But in the back of Steve's head was the memory of that young man he'd seen way back when.

Unfortunately with the departure of everyone's favorite fuck toy Jeff Hardy the top spot had been taken by Jeff's biggest competition and these days everyone was chanting R V D… except Steve. Like the Jeff experience, Rob had little need for Steve in places where you would put beds or lube.

Steve longed for someone young, someone calm and reserved, someone that could compliment his redneck ways and love them while at the same time bring something new into his life. Steve wanted someone he didn't have to fight for the spotlight with or even, heaven forbid, be happy to step aside for. Unfortunately it didn't appear that someone like that ever existed. Staring down at his nearly empty bottle of beer, Steve didn't notice the younger man sit down next to him until he heard the sweet Carolina accent ordering a pop.

Turning his head sharply he was surprised to see young Shane Helms sitting next to him. "What're ya doing down here? I thought you and Matty went back upstairs?" Shane shrugged looking down at the bar top. "Matt's cell phone rang as soon as we got up there. I guess it musta been important cause he asked me to give him a second. I think he was talking to Jeff."

Steve suddenly understood, but didn't comment immediately as he would think Shane of all people would understand the Hardy Boys dynamic. While he was trying to decide what to say he signaled the bartender for another beer and by the time he had it Shane spoke again. "I don't know why I am surprised or upset for that matter. I mean just cause they are talkin' don't mean they are getting back together right?" Steve nodded, but doubted that Shane even looked at him as he kept right on talking. "I mean Matt loves ME and I love him and…" Steve couldn't help it. His natural impatience forced him to interrupt. "If you love him so much and he loves you so much what the fuck are you doing down here talking to me? And why the hell did he ask you to leave the room just to talk to his little brother if there was nothing more to it than… brotherly worry?"

"We got into a fight," Shane admitted reluctantly. Steve would have rolled his eyes if he thought he could get away with it, but at that moment Shane was looking right at him and he decided it wasn't safe. "He ummm he's mad cause I let Raven spend the week at my place while I was gone." Now THIS was an element he hadn't expected. He knew that the little Carolina Boy was friends with Raven as they shared a passion for comics, but being close enough for Shane to let him sleep in his home when he wasn't there was news to the bionic redneck. "He thinks that jus 'cause I let Raven stay with me that I'm gonna leave him and go back to Raven." Right at that second you could have knocked Steve over with a feather.

"You and Raven have a history?" Shane nodded now looking down at the table top. "We umm we were together all the time he was in WCW and then when he left and went back to ECW too. We broke up when he came here cause of Stevie, but then when I got here they broke it off for good. Scotty says that he was a fool an Stevie was never the one for him an that he loves me an misses me an…" Steve snorted and shook his head. The more things changed the more they stayed the same.

"So you are looking for me to give you permission to dump Matt and run back to bird brain? IS that it?" Steve set his beer bottle on the bar and got up. "You know kid ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If you REALLY love that fucking mind controlling, possessive, psychopath Raven then go for it. If you can sleep at night knowing you used and abused one of your best friends, if it don't bother you that you had a chance at something REAL, something that could last forever then you go right ahead. 'Cause I for one am fucking sick and goddamn tired of watching you fool bitch twinks fall all over yourselves for that abusive fuck Raven. He ruined Stevie Richards, he ruined your buddy Tommy, he ruined Justin, and it looks like he's ruined you too. So go for it bitch, but don't look at me for approval 'cause you ain't gonna get it." Without a second look Steve turned and left the bar.

Several minutes later he called himself fool and asked himself what the hell he was doing as he stood in front of Matt Hardy's door. Raising his hand he was about to knock when he heard crash from down the hall. Turning his head he saw little Brian Kendrick being tossed out of one of the rooms butt naked and bawling into the hall. Charlie Haas looked down the hall at Steve then turned back to Brian and spat on him. "Worthless fucking bitch. Maybe in the morning you can have your shit… that is if you know how to make it up to me!"

Lowering his hand Steve turned and headed towards Brian who was banging on the closed door as he sobbed. Gently he wrapped his arms around the hysterical young man and picking him up like a babe carrying him to his room, where he awkwardly made his way inside. Sitting in a big chair he rocked back and forth as he would with one of his kids when they woke from a nightmare until the young man stopped crying. Then as Brian sat sniffling in his lap Steve sighed. "Kiddo, I don't know what happened, or who was to blame, but trust me on this… even though it may not seem like it now your world is not over. There will be more guys come along and soon Charlie Haas will be nothing more than a mistake you'll laugh about some day when you're old and gray. He ain't a tomorrow kind of guy, just a here and now fuck. So close your eyes and get some sleep and Uncle Steve will make sure he returns your things and don't fuck with you no more."

"Tanks Mister Williams," Brian said sniffling as he fell asleep in between hiccups. Smiling slightly Steve shook his head looking down at the pretty young twink. "I gotta remember to get a match with that Hass fuck so I can beat him into the middle of next week… Mister Williams indeed." Once again Steve had rescued a young twink in distress and once again he wondered when his lonely night would end not even noticing that suddenly he didn't feel so lonely.

The End… Oh come on you know better than THAT!

Read story #5 Looking into the Mind of Darkness