Hello, my dear readers.

I have decided to write a sequel to my first story, A Different Kind of Game.
For anyone interested, you can find it on my page.

Getting Ready for a Car Crash is the title I chose. This is the title of an interview Triple H gave before the WM match against Brock Lesnar.

However, while the first story was told from Joe's POV, this one is told from Paul's.
It set after the ending of the first story.

I hope you enjoy reading. Please feel free to review and tell me what you think, good or bad. It's the only way for me to get better :)

Special thank you to: krebsbach, Farinax8, KatieMarie101, chaka1967, and every person that ever read my stories.

Also a big, massive thank you (with a hug) to my dear friend, Corey's Kitten. You have taught me so much and a thank you isn't enough. THANK YOU!

Getting Ready for a Car Crash

Chapter 1

The 12 calls I received that morning, indicated the stress Vince was in. I swear that man is a perfectionist and everyone around him walks on eggshells when he's losing it like that. 12 calls and it's not even noon. Steph smiles, knowing this did not get to me. The little kiss planted on my cheek made me smile as I squeezed on her hand lightly. "He's so lucky that you don't get your feathers raffled easily."

The car stops. I looked around at the empty parking lot before kissing my wife's blushed cheek. "Well, someone has to be able to calm him down."

As we get out of the car, a weird feeling takes over me and a heavy sigh escapes me. The beautiful woman holding my hand stops on her track and locks eyes with me. "Are you okay, honey?"

She's concerned. I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. Ever since what happened 3 months ago, she's been like that. I know it's my fault. I know I made her doubt me and my love, but I've been trying so hard to earn back that trust every single day.

"I'm okay, baby." I answer as I try to sell a fake smile. "Just getting ready for a car crash."

Her soft hand finds its way to my cheek and I close my eyes to the feel of her tender touch. She loves me. I know she loves me more than life itself and I can never understand how and why she's still with me.

"Are you talking about Vince or Brock?" She asks.

I feel my head spinning. The thoughts are clouding my other senses as I try to block that weird feeling from my mind and focus on her question. "It's Brock." I whisper. "It's going to be a touch match."

"I know, honey." She whispers back. "But you are tough and we have the best doctors here, if anything happens, you'll get checked out as soon as you walk back."

I force a smile and start walking towards the stadium. Steph follows me and I can tell she is looking at me. We walk inside to find Vince waking around bursting out at people for no actual reason and I take him away. It was always like that with me and him. I could always make him laugh when everyone else were too afraid to even look at him.

After putting out a few fires around the production crew and making sure everyone is in tune with the schedule, I go into the locker room to find Shawn talking to Mark. Those two became so close in the past few years and after last year, all 3 of us became like brothers. I hug with them, but just for a second before I pull back and take a sit. I'm relieved that they think I'm focused on the match, but in my mind, only I know the truth.

Career ending matches were always a big thing around here. Shawn and Ric wanted it this way and I understood it. I didn't want to go down like that and I certainly wasn't planning on losing to the same guy twice and on the grandest stage of them all. I was going to win tonight. Brock was going to kick my ass and drag my body all over the ring, but the plan was a pedigree for the win.

All I could think of was him. Ever since I left his hotel room, I felt like this crazy need for air. I felt like I was suffocating and there was not enough air to pull me through. A part of me died when I read his last words. It broke my heart to know that I was never going to see him again and I found myself worrying about him and fearing he might build his wall again and fade away.

I don't know if Steph knows how much I miss him. She forgave me, but I can feel her fear of losing me. She will never forget what I've done, it's there all the time, hovering over everything I do. Every time I take a shower, I leave my phone on the night stand and when I come out I can tell it's not exactly where I left it. She still checks it, still scared for her family. My efforts to show her and make her feel how much I love her and how much our family means to me, have doubled since this whole thing was revealed. I did it wholeheartedly without conviction. I slipped and I thanked god each day my family was whole.

But he never left my mind. I try not to say his name, try as hard as I can not to imagine his sad eyes, his arrogant smile, but it's just too hard. My fear of slipping again was unbearable. He was my past and I had to accept it. He needed to stay just a memory. A distant memory of someone who made me feel like the strongest man in the world. In his eyes I was a generous giant who could defeat everything and everyone.

As I try again to block him from my thoughts, I go tape my hands and get ready for the match. Brock comes in and tries to have a few laughs, but I still can't shake that weird feeling I have inside. I stretch as I hear Taker's music playing in the background and I realize it's time to go out there.

Shawn's music hits and I look up at the screen. His entrance was always great to watch and I smile as I hear the crowd greeting him with the pop he deserves. I'm glad he's there with me tonight. If anything goes wrong, he could always take the spotlight and give me a few minutes to collect myself. He knew me better than anyone and I trusted him with my life.

My special entrance is ready and right before I go out, Steph grabs my hand and wishes me luck. I kiss her lightly on the cheek and take my place inside that crazy structure praying things go right this time. They tried this set before and something always went wrong. As the green light shows up I step inside and feel as the machine shoots out something on my body. I can feel it starting to burn as I rush out of that thing and make my way to the ring.

I try to wash what seems to be ice off of my burning body with some water and it helps a little, but it still burns on my skin. What the hell was that? I ask myself as I lock eyes with Brock who's inside the ring. I try to shake it off, because I know what needs to come next.

This was always my favorite part of a wrestling match. Kowalski used to say, take a minute and look around, capture that moment and the atmosphere before you go and get the job done. It became my moment, my thing. The little boy in me, who used to watch wrestling with his dad, every Saturday morning, would come out every time I stepped out gorilla.

The water spits come next and I do it perfectly, for the fans, just like always. I can hear his voice in my head, the water spits are your thing, just like Austin drinks beer and Shawn dances, you spit water. I remember every word he ever said to me and it's weird because I'm almost comfortable with the pain that comes with the memories.

As I stand in the middle of the ring facing Brock, I wonder if he is watching me now from his squeaky couch. The bell rings and Brock comes charging in. My body is still burning from that ice and Brock's knee-kicks to my stomach and ribs are just making it worse. He was never the smooth wrestler. He was always stiff and such a hard hitter in the ring and I can feel the effects of it on my body.

It doesn't take long for us to drag this war outside of the ring. Worse than a car crash, I think to myself as he throws me on the Spanish announce table for the first time. As I hear him scream, I try to block that weird feeling that's still inside me, but with no luck. What the hell is wrong with me? The German Suflex on the already broken announce table that came next brings a sharp pain to my left wrist. Damn it! The pain in the first few seconds suggests that my wrist could be broken. I try to move it, but the pain is too much. As I lay on the broken table, I can feel Brock standing over me and hear Armstrong asking me if I'm okay. Clearly, I'm not.

And then it happened. As Brock pulls me by the hand and drags me on the floor towards the ring, I look up and I see it. I blink a few times and I try to focus, but Armstrong blocks my view and helps me climb to the ring. As I roll in to the ring, I try to clear my head, but I can't. Was it him? Was it him in the first raw behind the announce table? I'm not sure and I walk to the ropes and look again, but this time it's clear. He's not there.

The match continues and I give it my best, even with him on my mind, even with the burns and the pain of my wrist. Sledgehammer shot to the head, pedigree on the steal steps and 1, 2, 3, it's over. The bell rings, I vividly hear my name and the great noise from the crowd, but I look for him again. Shawn comes in and hugs me. It brings me back down to earth and suddenly the crowd seems louder.

He asks me if I'm alright and reminds me that I have to make the last pose for the crowd. Shawn notices everything and I was a little out of it at the end. I thank him and pose for the crowd with my sledgehammer over brock's body. It's a feeling I can never get enough of, but I still can't shake that image of his eyes looking into mine. I couldn't have imagined him, I feel it in my veins, he was there.

As I walk to the back, Steph and Vince are waiting for me and I tell them that I might've sprained my wrist. The doctor shows up as Steph gives me a hoodie and helps me put it on.

"So what happened to you out there? You seemed out of focus." She asks as she takes a sit next to me.

I ask the doctor to leave the room for a few minutes and I walk up to the other side of the room.

"Honey?" She asks. "Are you okay?"

The concern in her voice breaks my heart. When we came back from the hotel that day, after the tears and the arguing and me trying to explain my actions, I promised to never keep anything from her ever again.

"Honey, please tell me what's up with you?"

I turn around and look into her eyes. She was, still and always will be the love of my life and I could never hurt her again. "I think I saw him in the crowd." I finally say.

"Who?" She asks and approaches me.

"Joe." I nearly whisper as his name escapes my mouth for the first time in 3 months.

She stops when she hears his name. She looks down and takes a deep breath. "Did you talk to him?"

Shocked by her question, anger washes over me. "Did you see me talking to him? You were watching the monitors. Do you think I had time to talk to him in the middle of a match?" I attack her.

"I meant…" She stops and sighs. "I mean, since that day."

"No I didn't. You know I didn't. Steph, I promised you I wasn't going to contact him."

"I know you did, honey." She takes my hand in hers. "I believe you."

As she rests her head on my bear chest, I kiss the top of her head and wrap my arms around her. "I don't even know if it was him."

She pulls away and takes a step back. "I miss him too, you know." She whispers.

Surprised by her confession, I swallow hard and shift my gaze to the floor. I can't even look at her. She cared for him too and that day when she cried, she said it hurt more because it was him. The guy that came into our lives and made us all fall in love with his tragic and unique personality.

"And the girls…" She sniffles. "They ask about him and I just don't know what to tell them."

I look up to find tears in her eyes and I gather her to me. "I'm so sorry, baby. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I didn't want to tell you this because I felt bad." She starts and sniffles again. "I read the Email. It was wrong of me, but I was so afraid of losing you."

"I'm sorry for everything, baby, please don't cry."

"Tell me that you love me." She begs.

I pull away to look into her teary eyes and tell her that she is the love of my life and I never stopped loving her even for a second since we've met. She smiles. That woman gets more beautiful with age and I can't help but kiss her the way only I know how. I feel her love as she surrenders herself to me and wraps her arms around my waist.

At this point, I don't care about my burning skin. I don't care about my wrist. All I care about is making her understand that she is the most important thing in the world to me. When she pulls away, she takes my phone out of her jacket and hands it to me. "I know you have wanted to do this for a long time."

"I don't want to do this, Steph. I'm done hurting you."

"I know you are worried about him, I'm worried about him. After reading that Email, I realized what you meant to him. I thought about the first time I met him and how he changed in that time. Like he said, honey, you destroyed his walls like only you could. I understand now, that it wasn't just a physical thing."

"You're right, it wasn't just physical, but it doesn't mean that it's a good idea to call him."

"Paul, I trust you. You promised not to hurt me again and I trust you. I know you love me, but I also know that you are worried about him. I can see it in your eyes."

"So what happens if he is really here?"

"I know you want to see him and make sure he's okay. I mean, you're not going to spend the night at his place ever again, but you can talk from time to time. You think you can handle it?"

"Baby, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with this. I already accepted the fact that he's out of my life and that I made a huge mistake. I thank God every day that you stayed with me."

"Honey, I stayed with you because I love you and I know you love me. If I had felt you drifting away from me during that time, I wouldn't have stayed. I know you love me, I know you made a mistake and I forgave you."

"I love you, Steph." I brush my thumb along her cheek. "I always have and always will."

"I'll be outside." She smiles as she press her lips on mine and then leaves the room.

I take a sit on the treatment table and look at the phone. I can't believe she did this. The amazing woman I married never ceases to surprise me.

My heart starts racing as I try to remember the number. As I listen to the line, I clear my throat and wait for him to answer, but nothing happens. I take a deep breath and I try again, but again there's no answer. I almost punch the wall with my sprained hand, but I stop myself in the last second.

How stupid and out of touch can you be? I smile cynically. Why did I even think he would answer me? Is it too much to ask? I just want to hear his voice, make sure he's okay. Hell I'm not okay, but I have my wife and my girls. He's all alone in his solitary fort that he built for himself.

In one last attempt to reach him, I write a text message. I know you're in New Jersey, I saw you in the crowd. Please answer me.

As I put the phone down next to me, I bury my face in my hands and groan in frustration. My wrist is killing me, my body is covered with burns from that stupid ice and all I can think of, is the guy in the hood in the front row behind Cole and Lawler. I'd recognize those eyes even 20 years from now. I know it was him.

A few minutes later, I realize he's not going to answer and I start making my way to the door. Suddenly I hear the phone vibrate on the table and my heart stops. The numbers on the screen brings tears to my eyes as I swipe it to read the message.

Congrats on the win. Good match.

I read the text and for some reason I feel my blood start to boil. Seriously… Good match? Is that all he has to say?

I try to call, but he's still not answering. Why is he so damn stubborn? I text him again, but this time I'm really pissed. Why are you not answering me? Can I see you tonight?

It's not a good idea. It's best if you leave things the way they are now. He writes back.

Don't tell me what is or isn't a good idea. I want 5 minutes. Can't you give me 5 minutes? I try not to sound desperate for his presence, but I think I fail miserably.

I bet your wife will tell you it's not a good idea. The smart ass writes back.

I'm done lying to her. She knows I'm talking to you now. As I watch the text being sent I wait for a clever comeback, but he's not replying. After a minute that felt like forever, I try my luck again and I call him.

This time, he answers but I hear nothing but silence on the other side.

"Hello? Joe?" I swallow hard and wait for him to answer, but he says nothing. "Talk to me, kid, please."

"Hi." He finally says.

God I missed him. "Hi. It was you out there, right?"

He clears his throat and confirms.

"Where are you now? I can't hear anything."

"I'm outside, walking."

"You didn't stay for the main event?"

"Please…" I can hear the mockery in his voice. "Tell Vince I rather fall asleep in my bed instead of at the arena watching those two wrestle, if you can even call that wrestling."

A chuckle escapes me as I listen to his opinion on Cena and Rock. "You will never change." I smiled for the first time since we started talking. "Can I see you later?"

After a long silence, he cleared his throat and said. "I don't think it's a good idea, really."

"Come on, kid. I just want 5 minutes."

"Why?" He asks and I can hear him starting to breathe heavily.

"I just need to see you."

"I can't." He nearly whispers.

"Just 5 minutes, Joe. I'll come to your hotel if you want." I almost beg. "We can talk in the lobby or something."

"Please, Paul." He tries to speak, but starts coughing. "Just leave it like it is."

"I can't just leave it. I just need to see you for 5 minutes."

The long silence was unbearable and the tears were just fighting to come out. He was rejecting me. Why was he rejecting me? And what the hell was that nasty cough?

"Are you staying at the Sheraton?" He finally says.

How the hell does he know where I'm staying? "Yeah, just outside the stadium." I answer.

"I'll just wait for you at the bar. Are you going to get an MRI?"

What the hell? "How did you…" I ask in surprise.

"I saw the bad landing." He says. "Your left wrist, right?"

He was right. He did see more than I ever thought he did. "I'm impressed."

"What time you think you will get back to the hotel?"

"2 hours, I think."

"Okay." He says, but the painful silence spreads again and it stabs like a dagger in my heart. "I'll be there." He continues after taking a deep breath. "But I can't stay for long."

"5 minutes is all I ask."

As I hang up the phone and look at the screen, a smile appears on my lips. I don't know if it's possible to love two people at the same time, but I know that even now, I still can't explain what he means to me.

I just need to make sure he is okay. I try to convince myself as I open the door and look for Steph.

Thank you for reading :)
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