Authors Note: None of the characters you recognize belong to me. Pairing
not revealed until later on.
Dawn Marie sat down on a small crate in a deserted hallway of the arena. Most of the other wrestlers had left already, but she just wanted to sit down for a while and think about things. Dawn had requested more TV time on numerous occasions, but her efforts failed. Being a female in the WWE wasn't easy. Most of the females were put into sick, perverted, degrading storylines, including Dawn. Dawn cringed inwardly as she thought about the storyline she had to do with Al Wilson. Nobody would ever get to see her full potential as long as she was in a storyline like that. Realizing that she would probably never get a big push, Dawn started crying. She was usually an emotionally strong woman, but the events of the past few months finally got the best of her.
Hearing footsteps coming down the hallway, Dawn curled up into a ball on the crate, hanging her head and letting her hair cover her face, hoping the person wouldn't notice her.
"Dawn, are you ok?" a male voice asked.
Dawn froze when she heard the voice. It couldn't be. That man hadn't spoken more than a few words to her since she had arrived in the WWE. Slowly lifting her head, Dawn looked into the eyes of the man speaking to her.
"Yeah", she said quietly, suddenly feeling very childish, "I'm ok."
"You don't look ok. I'm not stupid Dawn, I can tell you've been crying." Sitting down beside her, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk."
Dawn sighed quietly and realized that she wasn't going to be able to get him to leave her alone until she told him what was wrong. "It's just.. everything, you know? I signed a contract to be a wrestler! But what do I get? I get put into stupid bikini contests for guys to drool over and then I get put into storylines like the one with Al. It's not worth it, it really isn't. I've actually been thinking of quitting and - "
"No!" he interrupted. "I'm not going to let you do that. You can't just give up, Dawn. You have a lot of talent. You can't just give up." After a long moment of silence, he said, "I'll tell you what. Since Vince refuses to listen to you, I'll talk to him. Believe me, when I'm finished with him, he'll wish he had never even thought of putting you into storylines and matches like that."
"Y-you don't need to do that. I'll be fine, I promise," Dawn replied, looking down.
Feeling his heart breaking at Dawn's sad expression, he tilted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to look at him. God, she's beautiful, he thought to himself. But in all honesty, it hurt him to see her like this. When she was put into that awful storyline with Al Wilson, he was enraged that the writing team would even come up with something so degrading. He truly felt sorry for her. He had wanted to go up to her and comfort her on several occasions, but he never got the guts to do it. He knew he'd probably never be able to have a relationship with the beautiful brunette, so he wanted to do as much as he can to at least make sure she was happy. Gently stroking her cheek, he said quietly, "Dawn, please let me help you. You're a very talented young woman and you deserve a chance to shine. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I want you to know that you can always come to me. I'll be there for you."
"Thanks. It really means a lot to me", Dawn said, smiling slightly. "As for your offer.. I'd appreciate your help."
Smiling, he stood up and took her hand, helping her off of the crate. "I'll walk you to your car."
Dawn took his hand gratefully, smiling up at her new friend. "So, you really plan on going off on Vince?"
"Oh, it's true.. it's damn true."
Dawn giggled, shoving him playfully. "Maybe he'll put you in a match. Hmm, Vince McMahon vs. Kurt Angle. Now there's a match I'd like to see."
As Dawn looked up into the big blue eyes of the Olympic Gold Medalist, she realized that things might not be so bad after all.
Dawn Marie sat down on a small crate in a deserted hallway of the arena. Most of the other wrestlers had left already, but she just wanted to sit down for a while and think about things. Dawn had requested more TV time on numerous occasions, but her efforts failed. Being a female in the WWE wasn't easy. Most of the females were put into sick, perverted, degrading storylines, including Dawn. Dawn cringed inwardly as she thought about the storyline she had to do with Al Wilson. Nobody would ever get to see her full potential as long as she was in a storyline like that. Realizing that she would probably never get a big push, Dawn started crying. She was usually an emotionally strong woman, but the events of the past few months finally got the best of her.
Hearing footsteps coming down the hallway, Dawn curled up into a ball on the crate, hanging her head and letting her hair cover her face, hoping the person wouldn't notice her.
"Dawn, are you ok?" a male voice asked.
Dawn froze when she heard the voice. It couldn't be. That man hadn't spoken more than a few words to her since she had arrived in the WWE. Slowly lifting her head, Dawn looked into the eyes of the man speaking to her.
"Yeah", she said quietly, suddenly feeling very childish, "I'm ok."
"You don't look ok. I'm not stupid Dawn, I can tell you've been crying." Sitting down beside her, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk."
Dawn sighed quietly and realized that she wasn't going to be able to get him to leave her alone until she told him what was wrong. "It's just.. everything, you know? I signed a contract to be a wrestler! But what do I get? I get put into stupid bikini contests for guys to drool over and then I get put into storylines like the one with Al. It's not worth it, it really isn't. I've actually been thinking of quitting and - "
"No!" he interrupted. "I'm not going to let you do that. You can't just give up, Dawn. You have a lot of talent. You can't just give up." After a long moment of silence, he said, "I'll tell you what. Since Vince refuses to listen to you, I'll talk to him. Believe me, when I'm finished with him, he'll wish he had never even thought of putting you into storylines and matches like that."
"Y-you don't need to do that. I'll be fine, I promise," Dawn replied, looking down.
Feeling his heart breaking at Dawn's sad expression, he tilted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to look at him. God, she's beautiful, he thought to himself. But in all honesty, it hurt him to see her like this. When she was put into that awful storyline with Al Wilson, he was enraged that the writing team would even come up with something so degrading. He truly felt sorry for her. He had wanted to go up to her and comfort her on several occasions, but he never got the guts to do it. He knew he'd probably never be able to have a relationship with the beautiful brunette, so he wanted to do as much as he can to at least make sure she was happy. Gently stroking her cheek, he said quietly, "Dawn, please let me help you. You're a very talented young woman and you deserve a chance to shine. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I want you to know that you can always come to me. I'll be there for you."
"Thanks. It really means a lot to me", Dawn said, smiling slightly. "As for your offer.. I'd appreciate your help."
Smiling, he stood up and took her hand, helping her off of the crate. "I'll walk you to your car."
Dawn took his hand gratefully, smiling up at her new friend. "So, you really plan on going off on Vince?"
"Oh, it's true.. it's damn true."
Dawn giggled, shoving him playfully. "Maybe he'll put you in a match. Hmm, Vince McMahon vs. Kurt Angle. Now there's a match I'd like to see."
As Dawn looked up into the big blue eyes of the Olympic Gold Medalist, she realized that things might not be so bad after all.