Chapter 1
I only own my O/C's. The story is set back towards the middle of 2005 onwards. A/U, so not everything will fit within the WWE timeline.
Waco Texas:
The day is a typical day in the lone star state; hot as hell with no relief in sight. The crew on WWE's newest film production are running around trying to make sure the cast stays cool in-between takes whilst keeping to the tight schedule the Director set for the day. It's towards the end of the first week of filming for "Shadows" which main stars are HHH and Hollywood sweetheart; Italian beauty Elizabeth Mancuso.
Elizabeth plays a young reporter Sara Nichols who's trying to find the truth behind the recent deaths in a small fictional Texan town. It's been over a year since the last murder and the trail's almost cold. Unable to drop the story even when the top execs of her Newspaper pressure her to leave it alone, Sara asks for some personal time off and forges her own investigation. She soon discovers that the evidence leads her back to Dallas and right to the doorstep of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the State; "Michael Larkin" (HHH.) Sara needs to navigate the murky waters of wealth, politics and power if she's to discover the truth before she becomes the next victim.
"Okay, it's a wrap everyone!" Calls out one of the production assistants.
Elizabeth sighs in relief and begins to ease herself out of her chair as her assistant Mark approaches.
"Great work Ellie, Emily says due to some location difficulties there might be some small delays tomorrow, but nothing too major. A few scenes will be shot out of sequence a little but Emily says she'll contact us later about it."
Mark's been with Elizabeth for over ten years and is the head of her personal staff.
"Okay, thanks, Mark. Let's go back to the trailer I need to shower and get out of these clothes." Elizabeth smiles.
Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth walks out of the bathroom tying her dark hair back into a loose bun and sits down on the couch. "Is everything okay? Can we leave now?"
"Yes, all clear. Oh, and J. Cee's landing early and will meet us at the Hotel."
J. Cee, Elizabeth's Agent is somewhat of a legend in the game. The leader of the pack when it comes to being one of the first females to rise to the top of the male-dominated field in Hollywood, and doesn't suffer fools lightly. She fights for her clients like stray dogs over a chicken bone and is relentless and more than willing to go the extra mile to keep her clients happy.
"Oh okay, did she say why she's coming down in the first place?"
Mark shrugs and shakes his head. "No idea. That's all her message said."
"Alright well then let's get moving." Elizabeth smiles and follows Mark outside. He loads the car up as she says her goodbyes and reassures Paul that he's amazing and that it's been a great first week. She makes her way back to the SUV and jumps in the passenger seat. "Okay let's go home!"
They drive slowly out of the film set and head down the highway. The air con is on full and the radio station is playing a decent mixture of new and old tunes. To pass the time Elizabeth checks her phone, marking the messages she needs to return and the ones that could wait until later. She smiles when a new one appears from her best friend the one and only Y2J Chris Jericho.
"ELLAHHHH! How's my fav Cowgirl goin ?"
"Hey Rockstar, I'm melting . Why did I take this role again?! How are you?"
"lol. Eh gotta love TEXAS BABY! You love working with Joe and the nose is really excited about meeting you and blah blah...
Elizabeth smirks there isn't really a great deal of love between her bestie and the cerebral assassin. "Be nice. He's good . And I do love working with Jo Jo ."
Joe's the movie's director and one of the few that Eliza trusts implicitly with her Career. They have a strong working relationship and a beautiful friendship. 'Shadows' is their third movie together.
"You need to get out of the heat! Gotta get ready for my match call you later. Love you."
"Be safe out there, love you more. E -Xo"
Elizabeth smiles and puts her phone away. She and Chris have been friends since she and her family first moved from Italy to his hometown in Canada. He and her older brother Anton quickly became friends due to their mutual love of Pro Wrestling. It's due to their connection that Chris and Elizabeth met and even though there's a five year age difference, they still till this day enjoy a great friendship. They know each other better than most and are fiercely protective of one another. Years later, also through Anton, they would meet the third member of their little family the lovely Trish Stratus.
It's crazy how you can randomly meet people in life you come to love and consider your family. Anton and Trish's relationship may not have last but the friendship between the two women did.
Elizabeth couldn't imagine her life without them.
The drive back ends up taking a little longer due to traffic, but they're both glad to be back home and more than happy to be able to have a glass of wine before J. Cee arrives.
WWE Corporate Plane:
"Sir, would you like another drink?" Asks Sally the flight attendant, bending down next to Shane's seat.
He smiles and gathers some last-minute paperwork. "Yes please Sally, just a water thanks."
Shane's on his way down to Waco to see how the first week's going and to make sure his new leading lady's happy and has everything she needs. It's going to be the first face to face meeting and he wants it to go well. Like with most projects, Shane only deals with Managers and Agents and is usually fine with the arrangement, but this project's different...she's different.
The memory of his Dad running through his initial idea of venturing in the Filmmaking business pops into his head as he reclines back in his plush seat. At first, his reaction wasn't what his Father was expecting. Vince was taken aback by his son's lukewarm attitude, he at least thought Shane would have been the happiest as he was always looking for ways to expand the brand. Though all Shane could think about was how much of an undertaking it was going to be. The amount of initial capital they would need to get started was going to be huge and they were still trying to recover from the disastrous XFL experiment. There was no guarantee that WWE Studios wouldn't face the same fiery end and he wasn't sure that the Company could weather another failure. His Father's a dreamer not that he doesn't know how to bring dreams to fruition but sometimes it was all too much. Not to mention the amount of time he would need to dedicate towards it. He was already stretched thin being both an executive and an on-air talent. Things at home had been rather rocky and this was likely to tip it over the edge.
"Sir, here's your water. We will be landing in Waco in less than an hour." Sally says, breaking Shane out of his thoughts. She places his water and a crystal glass down and returns to the back.
Shane smiles and starts to pour himself a glass. He goes over the paperwork again and secures them away. It would be a lie if he didn't admit that he has been looking forward to this trip and spending a few days away.
The Studio has been holding it's own but if they want to be successful they need to attract high caliber names alongside their bigger talent on the roster. So now that they're working with Hollywood's Sweetheart herself, he's well on his way to achieving his ultimate goal. Elizabeth's not only incredibly talented with a stellar reputation for her hard work and friendly demeanor, but she's also stunningly beautiful.
After getting her to agree to the role which is an achievement in and of itself, but not one that Shane can take full credit for. It takes a lot of pieces to move around to get such a name, but the final thanks have to go to none other than Y2J. And to be honest Shane's been thanking his sister's boyfriend ever since.
Yes, his little sister the billion dollar princess is dating the talent, though he did have to admit, if the decision of yes or no rests solely on his shoulders, then Chris wins every day of the week. His sister's happy and at the end of the day, it is all he can ask for as her older brother.
Before touching down, he confirms his plans to meet up with Paul and then with Jo for his visit in the morning. He wants to make the right sort of impression and figures it's more professional to meet on set. Or at least that's what the little voice in his head is telling him. Truth is, Shane has a little crush on the Italian beauty and the last thing he wants is to look like some sort of star-crazed fan banging on her door at night.
No, a nice meal with a friend and a decent night's rest is exactly what he needs and if Paul happens to mention his co-star then who is he to tell him not to talk business after hours...
Meanwhile:
"So Darlin' how's everything? They treat'n you well?" J. Cee asks, her southern accent appearing out of nowhere.
Elizabeth stifles a giggle and nods her head at her Agent. "J, there's nothing to worry about."
"Well, you just call me if anything changes and I'll raise some hell." J. Cee replies and finishes her water.
After a few more minutes of conversation, and with all the paperwork and necessary signatures in place, announces that she needs to leave as the drive to her brother's is long and she wants to get a head start.
Elizabeth smiles as they hug. "Say hi to the family and kiss the kids for me."
"I will Darlin' take care talk to you soon."
She stays in the doorway until J. Cee's car turns out of the parking lot and out onto the road before closing the door. She picks up the new revisions and schedule for the next day and walks into the bedroom and settles onto the bed. A few hours of reading and then some rest, after all, tomorrow's shaping up to be a big day in more ways than one and Elizabeth will need all the rest she can get.