Chapter 1: Chapter 1
"Khouri stop staring at your stomach like that its not going to make you any less pregnant my love." Mara said as her friend twisted and turned in front of a full length mirror.
"Gee your helpful Mars."
"I try…" The green eyed brunette rolled her shoulders forward in a half shrug. She scooped up another bite of chocolate pudding.
"Sides you'll have to take that thing out if unless you want a hole big enough to fit a midget through in your belly by the time this is over."
"And just what do you suggest we tell our kids about our pasts?" Khouri asked.
Mara rolled her eyes tucking a one of the purple streaks in her dark brown hair behind her ear.
"That we were young wild little rebels without a clue who thought they were bullet proof. We were nineteen and crazy."
"And now?"
"Now, we're thirty and married with babies…"
-/-/-/-/-
The girls got out of their rental and peered up at the hotel they'd be staying in while summer slam was here in L.A. the girls ran a small boutique in Laguna beach.
"We're here…" Mara did a little happy jig making Khouri join in. The bellhop eyed them warily.
After a quick nap and getting baked by the sun at axxes they attended the pay per view. Then got dressed to the nines to hang at bar where the superstars were hanging out. Khouri's blonde hair like a curled and tousled halo around her shoulders. Earthy tones highlighting her green eyes and candy apple red glossed lips to match her bright red halter top with silver circles attaching the front to the shoulder straps and dark tight jeans. Black stilettos finished off the look.
Mara's eyes were done up smoky with rose petal pink lip gloss. Her hair was stick straight her blue streaks mixed in nicely. She wore a tight racer backed top low slung in the front in a rich brown with leather decorative straps. Dark tight cowboy cut jeans and red high heeled cowboy boots polished her look.
"I can't believe you wear animals…" Khouri said.
"Oh bite me little miss I eat twice my body weight in t-bones."
-/-/-/-/-
There lives changed that night when they were approached by John Cena and the then unmarried Randy Orton. The girls looked at each other and then each took off with a guy…
"We were whores Mara!"
"Uh speak for yourself Missy I was young and finding myself so I got some action big fucking deal…."
The girls hadn't really set out to be "Professional Ring Rats" as the jealous wives called them. That's just the way it happened. After their perspective hookups that first night they we're told they could stick around if they wanted and so they did. They did more than sleep with guys they were like little den mothers who made sure they stayed healthy they got where they needed to be and got their sorry drunk as hell asses home safely. They fed them and did their laundry. Even falling for one or two of them. Though that broke their rules. Yes, the girls had rules.
One: Always use protection
Two: Never sleep with the others hook up without verbal permission.
Three: Married men were out unless it was a known fact that their relationship was on the rocks.
Four: Never love or get to attached.
Five: and most importantly "No Regrets!"
Around a year later…
The girls sat in the hotel restaurant where they had their breakfasts most mornings where they played their usual game of would I ?or wouldn't I? Using male passerbys as their guinea pigs.
"Oh I so would…" Khouri gestured to a surfer type.
"They always have little penises." Mara taking a sip of hot cocoa.
"Who have little penises?" Matt Hardy asked. He pulled Mara out of her seat and sat down pulling her into his lap. She kissed him companionably "Hi Matty. Surfers have little packages…"
"You know there was another chair to set in Matt." Khouriv smiled
"I like using my lady friend here as lap decoration." he replied.
"That one Mars?" Khouri pointed too a scruffy blonde wearing a leather vest and a blue plaid shirt.
"Uh…I'll be right back." She got up and went to introduce herself to blondie.
Matt groaned. "You have to tell her in order for her to know. Mara's smart but she ain't a mind reader Matty."
"Yeah dude you're pitiful just say something." Julie Moore plopped down in the free chair.
"Like what?"
"Like, Hey I think your beautiful and I'm crazy in love with you please have my children that might work." Khouri teased.
"Shhh, here she comes." she came back shortly returning to Matt's lap.
"He's an actor thought he was an actual biker talk about a let down… got a cute british accent though, so I let him have my number…"
"But you don't date or even sleep with actors Khouri pointed out.
"What's wrong with actors?" Julie asked.
"Nothing really except she slept with one who liked to stay in character while screwing so she's scarred." Khouri answered and Matt laughed.
"It was not funny." Mara said giving him a stern look. He promptly shut up. "Ridin' with me today?" Matt asked.
"Depends on who Kay Kay is riding with you gonna give Cena a break yet?"
"Oh shut up…" John had hurt Khouri by hooking up with her then marrying someone else. That was over now and he was trying very hard but was unsuccessful in getting her back.
Mara liked her boys bad it was a fault she had. At one point Randy Orton had fit the bill perfectly but now he was happily married which she didn't begrudge him at all she actually liked Sam. She never was quiet the same after there final parting. A lot like Khouri just a lot less angry about it.
Now the only time either girl hooked up it was just to get their rocks off. It had stopped being fun.
Mara had rode with Matt to the next Pay Per View. Khouri rode with Randy and Sam for a sly chance to be near John. It was just to awkward for Mara to ride with them so she and Khouri would catch up later.
The girls finally caught up with each other in the elevator.
"I saw Cena earlier you managed not to kill him I'm proud…" Then Mara got a good look at Khouri who was flushed a rosy pink. Mara reached out slapping her upside the back of the head.
"When and where you whore?"
"OW! You fucked up my hair bitch!"
"Tell me now Khouri Grace!"
"Fine that truck stop outside Baltimore…in the bathroom."
"Oh god Kay that bathroom was dirty…"
"How would you know finally put poor Matty out of his misery…"
"What the hell are you talking about…no I had too pee but decided to make Matt take me too the Wendy's at the next exit."
"So, you're still acting oblivious about the Matt thing I see…"
"It's not an act what Matt thing?"
"Mara…"
"Khouri…"
"It's really totally obvious…he loves you…in like big block letters loves you!"
Um, its Matt…"
"I know its Matt…" Khouri smirked.
"Stop smirking at me like doctor evil and its Matt and he's never said anything and ewww…its Matt…my friend Matt… Really I'm trying not to ewww… but ewww…"
"Ok, so we've established its Matt and Ew…but it might not be so bad…" The elevator dinged on to their floor and there was John Cena standing in front of them blocking the elevator door.
"Well it's my lucky day…hello ladies." he shot them a crooked grin designed to make women weak.
"John…" Mara found her voice first. His eyes swept over her quickly. They'd had a short fling when Khouri was in her "Morrison Phase" as Mara called it but the spark had died fast they decided they made better friends. His eyes landed on Khouri.
"Kay…" Mara ducked under John's arm to escape the intensely awkward sexual silence. Khouri shot her a look that said traitor. John stepped on to the elevator.
The doors hissed closed neatly. And his lips were on hers in a hot kiss, it plundered in a possessive needy way he pressed her into the wall the railing along the wall biting into the small of her back. Her heart raced the doors opened. They sprung apart like opposing magnets and there stood Julie Moore smirking. "Should of taken that bet…" Khouri ducked out of the elevator and down the hall to her room.
The door slammed "Mara you Bitch! I cannot believe you just deserted me with him!"
"No, I didn't desert you I left you to face your current reality."
"Reality my ass."
"You love him Kay and that's a good thing if you'd just let yourself."
"I don't want to." She whined.
"You'd rather die an old lonely used up ring rat…thin mint?"
" Low blow. Where'd you get those please tell me not out of the bottom your gym bag."
"Girl scout was selling them outside of the Wal-Mart I went too. Sit I'm watching old Buffy reruns."
Someone knocked on the door. "Whoever is interrupting my Spike time better be worth it"
"It is a brave man who disrupts your tv time girl…" Khouri teased. Mara opened the door. There was Matt seriousness painting his features. "Hey Ma-" and he was kissing her deeply. When he released her she held her eyes tightly closed trying to process everything. "Whoa…" Mara said.
"Just a day for random acts of kissing I see…" Khouri teased biting into a cookie. Mara's eyes eased open. It was a nice kiss it wasn't horrible. It just wasn't right either.
"We need to talk Matt." she said. Khouri took the opportunity to leave. "Used up Ring rat…" Khouri called out a reminder as she walked down the hall.
"Bitch…" Mara murmured under her breath.
"So I just…I …Did you like that guy from earlier because …"
"Who the actor ?he was cute but-" confusion colored Mara's
"Everyone says I need to just take the plunge bite the bullet whatever I so that's what I'm doing…I love you I'm in love with you."
Mara sighed scrubbing a hand down her face. she had no easy way out here.
"Matt you are one of the best friends I've ever had…and I love you but I'm not in love with you…you're my friend and I don't want this to change things between us. If it does I understand though…it took guts to tell me I know that but I just don't feel the same way I'm sorry Matt…"
-/-
Both girls felt the ring rat thing was coming to its end. Mara was over the game of musical beds and Khouri was only keeping it up to piss off John.
The biker guy who'd Mara had given her number too Khouri thought his name was Charlie. Anyway, Mara and Charlie had started talking and Mara seemed really enamored with the guy. Khouri was still shocked to see Mara packing her bags when she came in from lunch with Beth Phoenix
"Ummm, Mars…"
"Uh huh?"
"Where you going? switching rooms or something?"
"Nope going home."
"Why? You get into a fight with someone? That guy?"
"His name's Charlie and no things are great with him…I'm just over this its not fun anymore and if you were honest with yourself …you'd admit it too."
"Are you mad at me?"
"No not at all… I'm just tired Khouri…I'm going to go home go back to the boutique… With Ali and Jenn…Whenever you're done fighting or chasing John or whatever it is your doing you can too." She hugged Khouri "I'll call you when I land love you bye."
"Love you too bye…" Khouri said shell shocked
-/-
Khouri lasted all of a month before she came home to Laguna. She and Mara lived in one side of a duplex with her other best friend Ali and her son Cameron living on the other side. Mara's cousin Jenn lived down the street with her husband Bryon. Khouri got out of the cab stepping out in to an unusually rainy California day. She walked up the stone walkway and knocked her front door.
"I just knocked on my own door I really am losing it." the door swung open and there stood a blonde guy who looked kind of familiar but she couldn't place him.
"Hello." he said a gentle British lilt to his voice.
"Mara and I do still live here don't we?"
"Oh Yes, she's my girlfriend you must be Khouri I've heard a lot about you I'm Charlie by the way…please come in out of the rain its bad out there I'm beginning think we all magically jumped the pond." he let her in.
"You talk a lot… to be one of Mara's boyfriend's strong silent broody it's like a commandment or something."
"Well she gets that occasionally I tend to get a little character actory at times… she's in the kitchen its Mexican night."
"Oh wait you are the biker actor dude…duh!" Khouri left her luggage by the door. walking Into the kitchen she saw her best friend sitting in Jenn's lap on a barstool.
"Bry I can mush avocados as good as you. You control freak." Khouri saw a new tattoo that wasn't there a month ago stating "I am my own." embedded into the back of her neck. Khouri reached out running her thumb across it. "That's new it hurt a lot?" Khouri said and Mara nearly jumped out of her skin. She hopped of the barstool hugging her friend. "Khouri! You're home is everything ok? What's wrong?"
"I'm fine everything's fine it just got old finally that's all."
"Which means you'll tell me later?"
"Uh huh… Where are Ali and Cameron?"
"A movie you just missed them…Cam was so cute this morning Met me outside my bathroom and said "Mara there's a boy with big tattoo in your bed how'd he get there?"
"What'd you say?" Khouri laughed. "The Boy Fairy brought him."
Khouri got back into the regular rhythm of her old life quiet easily hanging out with the girls working in the shop. Raw no longer aired her in their home it was just to much of awkward reminder for both girls. She hurried to close up the shop today. Charlie had some holly-woody premiere he was dragging Mara too so Khouri was being drug along by default in friendly solidarity.
Khouri walked in to her home recognizing the tell-tell sound of one of Mara's favorite bands Explosions in the sky pouring out of the speakers that went through out the apartment.
"Hey Woman, where are you?" she called out. "Your Bathroom…Hunnam's showering in mine…came in here to escape his clutches…How do I look?" Mara wore a red belted bustier with a black lace top she'd designed herself for the boutique…it matched the now red streaks in her hair a pair of tight black jeans and a pair of sexy biker boots Charlie had made her buy to ride his new Dyna. Her hair was down and messy in the on purpose kind of way smoky eyes and barely noticeable lip gloss.
"This Liv Tyler rumor is really getting to you isn't it? You know first hand they are just doing a movie together and the only reason he went out to that movie without you is because you were sick."
"Still not easy she's Liv fucking Tyler…Now I know how the wives felt and it doesn't make me feel good. You need to hurry and get ready Charlie's worse than a virgin on prom night…"
"Well just remember the guys were big boys who made their own decisions and that you're Mara fucking Wells Liv Tyler aint got nothing on you…What should I wear to this thing?"
"I finished your dress its on the mannequin in your room."
The dress was a little black number strapless with lots of corseted boning to make her waist appear long but still small. It was short skirted with a flirty cut just above the knee. It had pockets lined with red lace as a girlish touch. It was simple sexy and elegant.
"Mara!"
"What See a mouse or something?"
"No, No, the dress its perfect…how'd you?-"
"Well when I started designing it I figured you'd of given into John by now and it could be a date night dress bu-"
"Don't wanna talk about him!"
"Fine anyway as I was saying its perfect for the premiere…and thank you for going with me…I hate this shit but I love Charlie."
Khouri walked back to the bathroom to look her friend in the eye. "You love him? You love Charlie like white picket fences and babies and buying his favorite kind of cereal love?"
"Ugh…I hate raisin bran but yep 'fraid so."
-/-
Charlie was yelling at the girls to hurry up…
"HUNNAM! If you do not shut up I'll go put my pj's on and you can go alone…Ugh! We're coming… you me owe a foot rub for walking in these boots…" Mara and Khouri headed for the door with Charlie bringing up the rear. Mara swung the door open and there stood John lilies in hand preparing to knock.
"Hey bud… come in…" She said as though his presence was no surprize.
Khouri stood there dumbstruck. "That's our cue to leave baby…" Mara took Charlie's hand leading him away.
"No that's not your cue to leave! You stay!" Khouri hollered at her retreating back.
"I'm confused." Charlie murmured.
"I'll explain later." Mara replied.
-/-
Khouri stood hip jutted out in her full on pissed of woman stance.
"What are you even doing here?" anger tiredness and desperation evident in her voice.
He made a face as if to say "Ok so this is how this is going down." he sat the flowers down on the chair by the door the girls used to take off their shoes everyday.
" I came to ask you a question then I'll leave. Do you love me?"
Khouri smiled sardonically. "That has no easy answer…"
"Yes or no?" he pushed.
"It doesn't matter does it? I mean not really… you used me and married someone else I'm done ring ratting it up I'm done with our games its all over I'm done…
"Answer me damn it!"
"No you answer me! Why her? Why not me? Why now?"
"I married her because I was bored and lonely I got tired of the endless disconnect it was easy she was easy… but don't think that I didn't think of you…I barely saw her face every single time I was in side of her I was thinking of you …and you can't even answer me when I ask if you love me know this know I love you! Know that before you start running again…" and he kissed her hard. She thought about slapping him but just kissed him back instead…
-/-
"You guys made it through all that telling him your Prego will be cake…look he using Rhiannon for practice…" Mara said.
"Shh, here they come…" Khouri said as John and Charlie walked . John holding Mara and Charlie's eighteen month old daughter. "Fork over my baby Cena…" Mara stood taking her daughter, "Remember Kay nineteen and crazy is not the same as thirty and normal…Tell him…"
"Tell me What?" John asked.
"Come on Charlie lets go for a walk.."
"But I just got here you crazy woman…"
"Move that British ass…"
"Pushy bitch…" Khouri swore. "I love you too Khouri…" Mara left and Khouri took a deep breath "I'm pregnant…" a smile lit his face and their happy laughter could be heard outside.
AN: I only own my characters. This was Loosely based on nineteen and crazy by bombshel