So as you can tell by the title, this is a sequel to Fears and Doubts.
I disclaim. All characters and actual people belong to WWE and their respective counterparts. The only thing I claim is that Lilian needs to get better ASAP or Grisham and Roberts are gonna have an 8 billion dollar can of whoop ass opened on them…
Thanks to Katy for convincing me to post this. And thanks to Hanna for all the words of wisdom!!
Bobby Lashely moved slowly, subtly keeping a pace with Lilian Garcia as they walked through the parking garage to the arena. Bobby could see the pain etched in Lilian's face, but knew better than to ask her if she was okay. Lilian was stubborn, and hated to be coddled or fussed over.
Still, he wordlessly wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she limped slightly, the little blonde leaning against him gratefully relieving some of the pressure on the knee that had suffered a torn ACL. Lilian glanced up at him, smiling through her pain.
"You know what sucks about this?"
"The fact that it never fails that when one's leg is hurt, you can never find a close parking spot?" Bobby asked. "And the one with said hurt leg refuses to use the temporary handicapped tag her doctor gave her?"
"Oh, stop that lecture before you even start," Lilian warned. "There are people who need it more than me."
Bobby shrugged, shifting their bags a little more. "What sucks then?"
"The fact that tennis shoes eliminate my height even more," Lilian pointed out. "I feel like a shrimp next to you as it is, but at least the heels add something."
"Well, the best thing right now is to eliminate the heels," Bobby reminded her. "It's probably not even good for you to wear those boots for three hours on Raw."
"Come on, Bobby. They're my trademark!"
"Trademark or not, the most important thing right now is for you to make sure your knee is 100 percent again," Bobby argued. "And that includes wearing a brace and using crutches."
"I am wearing the brace, and I already told you I don't want sympathy from anyone backstage," Lilian shot back. "So quit nagging me."
"I'm not nagging you, Lilian. I just worry about you," Bobby said softly, stopping their progress and placing his hands on her shoulders. "To watch you hit the ground after your knee buckled, to see you not moving, it scared the shit out of me, Lilian."
"How do you think I felt, Bobby?" she asked, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "I'm the one who couldn't move. I mean, I thought I was…"
"I know," Bobby replied, pulling her to him before she could complete the thought. "It was horrible, and I hope that it's not something we have to experience again."
"If you're asking me to give up skiing, forget it," Lilian answered with a small smile. "Cause I still plan on hitting the slopes again once I'm fully rehabilitated."
"Great," Bobby said with a playful groan, knowing it was useless to argue with her, kissing her forehead before slowly moving forward again.
"Hey, don't you groan," Lilian answered. "I'm a very careful skier!"
"Oh, and what was it you said as we were waiting for the stretcher? 'God damn it, I knew I should have waited for them to groom the fuckin' trails!'" he said in a high falsetto, playfully squeezing Lilian's shoulders as she smacked his broad chest.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly," Lilian shot back. "I was too busy laughing my ass off at you constantly falling as we were trying to go down the bunny trails!"
"Hey, hey, not everyone here is a champion skier!" Bobby answered. "By the way, you did destroy that tape, right?"
"No," Lilian scoffed. "In fact, I'm thinking of lending it to Vince so he can show the whole world tonight on Raw."
"You wouldn't dare," Bobby gasped.
"Nah," Lilian replied with a giggle, walking through the door as Bobby held it open. "Even though you're so mean to me, I couldn't do that to you!"
"Geez, woman, you're lucky I love you," Bobby muttered, just as Vince rounded the corner.
"Bobby, Lilian," he greeted them, smiling at the pair. While the pair didn't hide their relationship, they were still very professional. Bobby let his arm drop from Lilian's shoulders, but his hand still lingered along her back, allowing his girlfriend of a little over four months to keep her balance. "How's the knee?" Vince asked Lilian, his newly shaved head shining in the light.
"It's good," Lilian replied. "A little sore if I move too fast or bend it the wrong way, but it's better every day. In fact, I was thinking of putting off the surgery."
"No, you're not!"
"Like hell you are!"
Vince and Bobby's voices mixed as they both replied vehemently, causing the little blonde to jump slightly.
"Lilian, your ACL is torn," Vince added, much more gently. "You don't want to wait and cause even more damage than is already there."
"I know, but… I feel like a sissy," Lilian admitted. "Like I should be able to tough this out… Lisa Marie has worked with a knee injury for years. Mark wrestled with a broken rib…"
"You didn't listen to that JBL interview, did you?" Vince asked, knowing the answer right away when Lilian averted his gaze. "Lilian… believe me when I say this. No one listens to John, and no one feels that way about you."
"Okay," Lilian said in a small voice, managing a slight smile for Vince. While JBL's comments on the web show did hurt her feelings, she did take some solace in the fact that Vince himself didn't take any notice in it. "Are there any plans or angles for me tonight?" she asked Vince.
Vince smiled sheepishly, wiping his brow. "Well, the writers did come up with a little segment with you, me, and Bobby, but… you aren't obligated to do it, of course, if you are uncomfortable with it," Vince said in a rush.
Lilian glanced at Bobby, mystified, her boyfriend looking back at her with the same confused look.
"Okay, uh… what is it?" she finally asked.
Lilian covered her mouth as Bobby tore Vince's hat off, the Chairman's bald head shining. She laughed, resting her hand on her cheek as Vince ran out of the ring. She watched as Vince tried to find objects to hide his head from the crowd, his actions thwarted by Bobby every time.
Her stomach fluttered as Vince scampered into the ring, the little blonde knowing what was coming next. It actually wasn't the segment that she was worried about, it was the fact that Vince's forehead was going to be headed right toward her injured knee…
Lilian fought back a sigh of relief as Vince planted his head between her knees, using his hands to steady her ankles so she wouldn't fall. She looked at the crowd, acting shocked at her predicament as they roared in laughter, as she noticed Bobby reentering the ring, a slight smirk on his face.
She met Bobby's eyes, seeing the laughter in his gaze as he circled the pair. Lilian tossed her microphone to the side, shrugging her shoulders at Bobby as she used her skirt to cover Vince's bald head even more.
Lilian watched Bobby as he moved closer, beginning to ask the ECW World Champion what he was doing, when he grasped the long skirt she was wearing and tore it off it one swift movement.
Lilian screeched, but she couldn't help but notice the roar of the crowd at this action. She waited a few seconds before shoving Vince away, yelling "BOBBY!" in the process. She stepped back, giving her boyfriend a look as he stood up. "What are you-" she cut herself off, snatching up her microphone and skirt as she exited the ring, wrapping her skirt haphazardly around her waist.
"Shut up, Marc!" she yelled at the timekeeper, who was shaking in laughter along with the other production assistants. With a roll of her eyes, she stalked off to the back to fix her skirt.
Lilian ducked through the curtain, blushing slightly at the whistles she was getting from the fans. "Oh, my God, Lilian, that was awesome!" Torrie Wilson gushed, giving her friend a hug. "Did you hear that pop you got?"
"Yeah!" Lilian said with a grin, holding her skirt around her waist and blushing slightly. "That was… that was probably the most embarrassing, yet coolest thing, I have EVER been a part of!"
"Lilian," Vince said, rounding the corner worriedly, his face slightly flushed from all the action. "Are you okay? Is your knee okay?"
"I'm fine, sir. My knee is okay," Lilian answered with a blush. "I feel a little closer to my boss than I should, but it's okay. That was quite the reaction we got!"
"Absolutely," Vince replied with a smile. "You still want to go back out there?"
"Oh, without a doubt. I'm not gonna miss out on my last night here for awhile with the fans."
"Okay, great," Vince replied. "I think the fans will riot if Grisham stays out there."
"Just let me change my skirt and I'll get out there."
"Okay… we have the next match, and then the Hall of Fame recap, then the Melina and Timberlands segment so don't worry about rushing out there."
"I think you mean Timbaland, sir," Lilian said with a small laugh.
"Right, Timbaland… Timberland is the shoe, right?"
"Correct," Lilian replied. "Thank you, sir."
With that, she left the gorilla, making her way to the diva's locker room. She ignored the smirks of some of the nastier guys, relieved to see Bobby standing outside the door of the locker room. Pushing past Trevor Murdoch, she rushed to her boyfriend's open arms.
"Baby, you were amazing," Bobby said softly, wrapping his arms around the little blonde and hugging her, lifting her slightly.
"Thanks! You did perfectly as well!" Lilian squealed, allowing Bobby to set her down gently, the ECW World Champion mindful of her knee. She opened her mouth to add something, only to have Bobby's lips cut off her words.
"Bobby," she moaned against his lips, her hand finding the door behind them. "Wait."
She pulled away from him, glancing in the locker room and smirking when she saw it was empty. Backing up, she beckoned him with one finger to follow her.
"Lilian… are you sure?" Bobby asked nervously, shutting the door behind him. "I don't want one of the divas to-"
Bobby's question was cut off when Lilian wrapped an arm around his neck, pressing her lips to his fiercely. "Whoa," Bobby murmured, wrapping his arms around Lilian's waist, his hands finding the skirt that she was still holding around her body.
His fingers covered hers as he tugged the skirt away, letting the skirt fall to the ground. Lilian wrapped her other arm around his neck, letting out a surprised gasp as Bobby lifted her up, his hands moving to the back of her bare thighs as he carefully held her.
"Lilian… your knee," he murmured against her lips.
"Is fine," Lilian replied softly between kisses. "I'm not worried about my knee right now."
Bobby backed up, the back of his knees finding the bench as he carefully lowered himself down, not breaking their heated kiss. Lilian settled in his lap, wiggling closer to her boyfriend as she hooked her ankles behind his back.
His hands moved to her back, encouraging the little blonde to move closer. His hands settled against her back, fingers finding their way underneath her shirt. "Bobby," she moaned, her hands reaching back to cover his. "Don't do that."
"What?" he asked mischievously.
"You know what touching my lower back does," she warned. "And I don't want to be the one explaining to Vince why I was late going back out there."
Bobby chuckled, nuzzling her throat with his forehead. "But we have plenty of time."
"Unless you're calling yourself a minute man, then we don't have enough time," Lilian answered throatily, bringing her lips to his again before he could reply.
Bobby groaned softly against her lips, placing one hand at the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him as his other hand rested against her backside.
They were so involved in their kiss that neither heard the locker room door open.
"Oh, would you two get a room?" Lisa Marie asked loudly, causing the pair to break apart hastily. It was only Bobby's quick reflexes that kept the little blonde from falling off his lap, and he helped her to shift off his lap.
"Jesus Christ, Lisa, you can really scare the shit out of someone, you know that?" Lilian asked, a blush creeping up to her cheeks.
Lisa grinned, knowing that she was going to be able to tease her friend for a long time about this. Reaching down, she picked up Lilian's skirt, tossing it to the blonde. "Here, put this back on. We don't want to ruin your angelic status around here!"
Bobby laughed slightly, winking when Lilian glared at him. "Angelic, eh?"
"I hate you both," Lilian grumbled, knowing their teasing was good natured. "Oh give me a break," she said. "It's not every week I am back here during Raw, so I should get to have some fun too!"
Lisa Marie smirked, shaking her head as she walked to her bag. "I know, I know, you were doing a little extra rehab for your knee, right?"
"Lisa!" Lilian exclaimed, blushing even more.
The raven haired diva grinned, winking at Bobby. "Keep an eye on her, would ya? She can be a handful," she told the ECW World Champion.
Bobby nodded seriously. "I will."
Lilian shook her head, grabbing her skirt from the bench. She walked over to her bag, pulling out a black skirt and tugging it on before adjusting her silver belt to dangle over the sides. "You two are so mean to me," she grumbled.
"Why are you changing your skirt, Lil?" Lisa asked.
"Are you kidding me? That thing is hideous!" Lilian exclaimed. "I hope I never have to wear a skirt like that again."
Lisa Marie shook her head, noticing the slight grimace of pain that came over Lilian's face as she walked back to the bench. The trio could hear Melina proclaiming that she was the dominant female and that no one could stop her. "You gonna make it, Lil?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, I'll live. Four inch heeled boots weren't really designed for someone who has a torn ACL. But I'm sure you know that," Lilian replied, glancing down at Lisa's knee.
"Yeah, unfortunately. I guess I'll see what you go through and maybe get mine fixed," Lisa said.
"Oh, so let me be the guinea pig?" Lilian teased.
"Of course!" With that, Mickie's music hit, and Lilian nodded to the pair, bending down to kiss Bobby's cheek. "I'll see you guys in a few."
"You still up to going out after the show with the girls?" Lisa asked.
Lilian hesitated, glancing at Bobby. "I might… my knee is kind of hurting and I'll probably take a pain pill as soon as I get back," Lilian told Lisa. "I'm not really in a partying mood tonight."
"Okay," Lisa agreed, knowing there was more but not pushing her friend. "I'll see you after the show then."
Lilian flashed a smile to both, then left the room, leaving Lisa and Bobby to exchange a worried glance.
Bobby held open the hotel door for Lilian, unable to keep his gaze from dropping down to his girlfriend's right knee yet again as she limped into the room. She was still in the black skirt and top from Raw, albeit they were nearly covered up by a black Wrestlemania 23 hoodie that Bobby had lent her when she claimed she was freezing. In addition, she had ditched her boots for a pair of sneakers, her knee brace back on.
"You okay?" he couldn't help but ask, shutting the door and locking it as Lilian flopped down on the bed, a wince marring her features.
"I'll live," Lilian replied softly, closing her eyes and covering her face with one arm.
Bobby shook his head, wanting to do nothing more than lay down next to Lilian and pull her into his arms, to protect her from everything in the world. He admired her so much. Bobby knew that she didn't want any sympathy, that she didn't expect any special treatment; however, he also knew that she was hurting.
The slight flash of pain that crossed her face with every step was enough to nearly break Bobby's heart. Still… she never once complained. In fact, if anything, she felt like she was being more of a nuisance than anything else.
Bobby set their bags down, knowing that it was useless to unpack anything. Lilian had an early flight back to New York tomorrow, and he was off to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Smackdown/ECW taping before heading to New York City to be with Lilian as she prepared for her surgery.
"I'm gonna grab a shower real quick and then I'll be back. You want to order something in so you can take a pain pill?"
"Yeah," Lilian replied, but she didn't make a move to grab the phone. Bobby smiled to himself, realizing that Lilian was on a fast path to Dreamland.
He dialed room service, ordering a pizza and some mozzarella sticks, then hopped in the shower. Bobby took a lightning fast shower and changed, and was out just in time to greet the hotel staff member holding their food at the door.
"Lil, wake up," Bobby said softly after he set their food down and grabbed drinks and ice. "You need to eat something."
"No, I don't wanna," Lilian whined softly, rolling over in an attempt to cover her face. She cringed slightly as her knee bent, tears springing to her eyes.
"Come here," Bobby said softly, reaching down and easily lifting her in his arms.
"Bobby, you don't have to carry me," Lilian protested as he carried her the short distance to the table.
"You should stay off your knee as much as possible," Bobby pointed out, setting her down carefully in a chair, helping her to prop her knee on a chair. He gently placed a towel wrapped in ice on her knee, then served her some pizza. He went to her bag and grabbed the pain pills she had been prescribed, shaking one out and placing it on her plate before settling down across from her.
Lilian forced some pizza down even though she wasn't hungry, knowing that it was important to eat something with her pills so she didn't get sick. After she swallowed the pill, she shoved away her plate, indicating that she was done.
"I'm going to bed," she proclaimed softly, standing up before Bobby could move to help her. "I'll shower in the morning."
She limped to the bed, not bothering to pull her clothes off. She did at least kick her sneakers off, her Nikes laying haphazardly in the middle of the floor. She paused to tug the protective brace off as well, letting it fall to the floor next to her shoes. Bobby watched as Lilian slid under the covers.
With a sigh, he closed the pizza box, stripping off his t-shirt and shutting off the lights, setting the alarm for early the next morning so Lilian could wake up to catch her flight. He slid under the covers as well, surprised when Lilian immediately moved closer to him, snuggling against his bare chest, her arms encircling his waist, her fingers locking behind his back so that he couldn't move out of her grasp. Not that he was going to, but still… Lilian was going to make sure that he couldn't.
Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, freezing when her left leg came over his legs, pulling him even closer to her.
"Lilian… I don't want to hurt your knee," he said softly, somewhat thrown off by how needy she suddenly seemed. Granted, he loved cuddling with her, but this was different… the way she had thrown herself at him the second he laid down, the way she was pinning him to her body… it was almost as if she was scared that he was going to leave her.
"You're not gonna hurt me," Lilian whispered brokenly, burying her head into his chest. "I just… I need you to hold me."
"Okay," Bobby whispered, hugging the little blonde to his chest, alarmed when he suddenly felt a trail of wetness on his chest. Oh, no, she's crying, he realized. "Lilian… Lily, what's wrong?"
"I… I'm scared," Lilian said softly. "I don't want to have this surgery."
"You'll be fine, Lily," he soothed, running a hand over her silky blonde hair.
"How do you know that, Bobby?" she asked, refusing to meet his eyes. "I just… this scares me. More than anything. Even when the accident happened, I just thought I pulled something. But a torn ACL is just… it scares me."
"You had surgery before, on your throat," Bobby pointed out.
"I know, but this… I feel like I'm not in control. I don't know how long I'll be out, how long it'll be until I can return to normal activities, or even if it will delay my album even more. I don't like not having control of my own life," Lilian whispered, her tears flowing faster, her breath becoming hitched as she spilled her fears to Bobby. "I just… the idea of major knee surgery scares me, Bobby. It scares me more than I want to admit."
He stayed silent, allowing her to continue. "Why didn't I just wait until they were done grooming the trails? Why did I insist on going out there, trying to be a champion skier?"
"It's too late to wonder why, Lilian," Bobby answered. "But I do know one thing."
"What?" Lilian sniffled, refusing to meet his eyes; that is, until Bobby reached back, his hand tilting her chin up so their eyes met in the darkness.
"I love you, Lilian. And I'll be with you through this entire thing. You're not fighting it alone, and I'll be there for you."
With that, he pressed his lips to the top of her head, allowing the shaking blonde to find that solace she so desperately seeked as she sobbed in his arms.
End 1/1