Chapter One
"Oh my God! How far up your own ass are you?"
Pixie looked up in surprise. She looked across the small diner and saw where the yelling had come from. A tall brunette woman had just leapt up from her seat and dumped what looked like a chocolate milkshake over the head of the same guy who had tried it on with her only five minutes previously. She stifled a giggle as the guy looked around embarrassed.
'I can think of someone else who is up their own ass,' Pixie thought to herself.
A certain Mr. Jeffery Nero Hardy.
God that guy drove her nuts and not in a good way. He was annoying, arrogant, cocky, and ignorant and only loved one person - himself. To put it simply, he was an asshole. From the moment she had met him Pixie had hated him. Mainly because he had thought that he was better than her and it had really annoyed her that he was so sexist towards her. He was constantly going out of his way to make her feel stupid and tonight had been one of the times that he had succeeded. Everyone had been in the catering area backstage waiting for the show to start. She had walked in with her four year old daughter, Paige, and was tripped by him. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered but he had been winding her up all day and it had been the last straw. So she went out, fought her match and left. Now here she was sitting in a diner down the road from the arena with Paige sleeping next to her. She looked down into her coffee cup and sighed. She wished she were at home with her older brothers and little sister. She missed her Dad like crazy but she knew she couldn't just up and leave. She had made too many great friends to just walk away. Paige stirred in her sleep and Pixie looked down to see her daughter open her big blue eyes. She smiled sleepily.
"Hi Mommy," she said quietly.
"Hey sweetie."
Paige sat up and took in the scene around her. She rubbed at her eyes and climbed onto Pixie's knee.
"Hey there Pixie sticks!" called a cheery voice.
Pixie looked up and smiled at the owner of the voice.
"Bubba!" Paige yelled and jumped down and ran to him.
Bubba Ray Dudley caught Paige up in his arms and took her to sit opposite Pixie.
"Hey Paige, I hope you've been good for your Mom tonight," he said.
Paige nodded. "Good as silver," she announced proudly.
Pixie smiled and finished her coffee.
"I'm not coming back to the arena if that's what you're here for," she said.
"Bischoff's pretty pissed with you for leaving," he said.
"When is Bischoff not pissed with me?"
"Just come back with me. Don't let Jeff Hardy drive you away."
"I didn't, I just didn't want to stay, that's all," she lied.
"Come on Pix, come back. I bet Paige wants to, don't you sweetie?"
Paige nodded and they both put on their best puppy dog eyes. Pixie sighed and stood up.
"Fine, I'm gonna have to face Bischoff anyway."
Bubba grinned, "That's my girl."
She left a fistful of change on the table to pay for her coffee and a tip and they left the diner. Bubba carried Paige up the road and she fell asleep on his shoulder. They walked into the arena and were met by Bischoff and his sidekick Morely. Pixie sighed and prepared herself for whatever he had to say.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing just leaving like that?" he yelled at her as they walked towards each other. "You can't just go whenever you feel like it!"
"My daughter is asleep," she told him, "Now if you don't mind, lower your damn voice."
Bischoff looked over to Paige, sleeping in Bubba's arms. He smirked a little.
"You think that I give a shit whether or not your precious little girl is sleeping?" he asked.
"You think that I give a shit whether or not I can leave whenever I feel like it?" Pixie retorted.
"Watch your mouth," Morely interjected.
"Shut your mouth Venis, nobody asked you," she snapped.
Sean retreated behind Bischoff quietly.
"You think about disappearing like that again and I-"
"You'll what?" Pixie interrupted. "What'll you do to me Eric?"
Bubba cleared his throat. "I'm gonna take Paige back to your locker room, ok?"
Pixie nodded. "Thanks Bubba, I'll be there in a few."
Bubba walked away carrying Paige.
Pixie turned her attention back to Bischoff.
"I swear to God Bischoff, if you even contemplate thinking about pulling any shit with me I'll leave this show so fast that your ass won't know what's happening and I'll be sure to take my Women's title with me. You got that?"
"Look here girlie, I'm the boss around here - " Eric started.
"I couldn't give a flying fuck about that," Pixie growled. "You could be the President for all I care. Any crap and I'm jumping to SmackDown, kapiche?"
Bischoff and Morely simply stared at her as she walked off in the direction of her locker room.
As she approached the door, she heard a guitar being played. It was coming from inside her locker room so she went in. The guitar playing stopped and Pixie came face to face with Jeff Hardy.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Where's Bubba?"
"His match was called early and he asked me to sit with Paige until you got back."
"Well I'm back so you can go now," she told him.
"Don't worry, I'm going," he said. "Jeez, the thanks you get for doing someone a favour." He shook his head and left the room.
A few seconds later he came back in and took a piece of paper from the table. "Forgot my song," he explained.
"Like I care," Pixie muttered.
He left again, muttering something under his breath.
She sat down next to where Paige was sleeping on the sofa. The door opened again and Pixie was ready to yell her ass off at Jeff when Stacy walked in.
"Hey Pix, what's up?"
Pixie shrugged. "Not a lot. Bischoff's still being an jackass, as is Jeff 'if-I-was-candy-I'd-eat-myself' Hardy."
Stacy sighed and sat down. "When are you two just gonna get it on?"
Pixie stared at her, totally grossed out. "Me and Bischoff?" she cried. "God eww!! I know I've gone for some rough ones but God Stacy, I do have standards."
"Eww! Not Bischoff! You and Jeff!"
Pixie shook her head. "Uh-uh, no way. I hate the guy, he's a-"
"Totally great guy with the cutest smile and the most amazing eyes ever?" Stacy interrupted.
"No, he's a-"
"Gorgeous guy with a great sense of humour and an even better ass?" she interrupted again.
"No, he's a self-centered asshole who only cares about himself," Pixie finally got out.
"Oh come on, he is not!" Stacy cried. "He's so into you! How can you not see that? Wasn't he just in here looking after Paige? If he was only thinking of himself, he would've left her in here on her own."
"He was only sitting with her 'cause Bubba asked him to when his match was called early," Pixie explained, trying to prove Stacy wrong.
Stacy shook her head. "Then how come I saw Jeff offering to do it?"
Pixie looked at her. "He told me that Bubba asked him to do it."
"I heard him Pix, he offered. How self-centered is that?"
The show had finished and Pixie and Paige were getting ready to leave. Pixie made sure that she had everything and picked up her gym bag. She opened the door and Paige went out in front of her. Pixie walked out and right into someone. She fell to the floor, the other person falling with her. They landed with a thud and heard Paige giggling next to them. Pixie blew a piece of her brown hair out of her face and opened her eyes. She saw a pair of undeniably amazing green eyes looking back at her. She smiled a little, but then realized who it was.
"Get off me Hardy boy," she snapped.
The green eyes stopped twinkling and turned a shade duller. He got up and let Pixie get off the ground. When she looked at him he had a smile on his face. She had to admit, Stacy was right - he did have a cute smile. Pixie shook her to clear it, she wasn't supposed think of him like that, she hated the dude.
"Sorry about that," he said.
"Yeah well, watch where you're going the next time," she replied irritably.
She picked up her bag and took Paige's hand and walked off. Jeff chuckled as he heard Paige telling Pixie what had happened.
"Mommy, you falled!"
Pixie sat up in her bed. Some asshole was playing music loudly at.she checked her watch.2am. She had only just gotten Paige to sleep an hour earlier and was in no mood for this.
"I AM KID ROCK!"
Pixie sat for a few moments, hoping that the music would be turned off. Unfortunately, it only got louder. She jumped out of her bed and opened the door to her hotel room. She looked down the corridor and saw Bubba standing at his door.
"Who the fuck is playing that?" she asked.
He pointed down the hall. "Stevie Richards."
"Watch Paige for a moment?"
"No problem Pix."
Pixie walked down the hall to Stevie's door. She was in her pyjamas, and old wife-beater and a pair of shorts, but she didn't care. She banged on the door and waited. No one came. She pounded on it again and still got no answer. She waited until the break between the songs and knocked again. This time Stevie came to the door.
"What?" he asked.
"I have only just managed to get my daughter to sleep and I certainly don't need you and your music waking her up again, d'you mind turning it down so that half the state can't hear it?"
"Why should I?" he asked, beginning to get a crazed look in his eyes.
"Because if you don't, I'll get you kicked out of this hotel so fast that you won't have time to yell that you're Kid Rock," she told him.
"Am I supposed to be threatened by you little girl?" he asked mockingly.
"Richards, twenty bucks says that you are scared of me." She took a menacing step forwards and he quickly moved backwards quickly. "Keep the music down."
She faked a lunge at him and he dived onto his bed out of her reach. She smirked and walked back along to her room. Bubba was sitting at the bottom of her bed and looked up when she walked in.
"Everything ok?" he asked.
Pixie nodded. "Yep, it's all sorted."
"Good. Well, goodnight Pix."
"'Night Bubba."
He kissed her cheek and went back to his room.
Pixie settled back into her bed and was just about to fall asleep when.the fire alarm went off.
"An emergency has arisen within the building, please evacuate your rooms and assemble in the foyer. Thank you."
"Just great," Pixie grumbled.
She woke Paige and they quickly pulled on their sneakers and went down to the foyer where almost everyone was. There were only a few holidaymakers there with the hotel being taken up by the group of wrestlers.
"What's happening Mommy?" Paige asked, rubbing her tired eyes.
Pixie lifted her up into her arms. "It's just a fire drill sweetie, it's ok," she reassured her.
She looked around and saw Chris Jericho standing with Test and Stacy. She made her way over to them.
"Hey guys."
"Hey Pixie," they said.
"Hey there cutie," Stacy said to Paige.
"Hi 'tacy," she replied through a yawn.
"She is so adorable Pix," Stacy said. She turned to Test and Chris. "Isn't she gorgeous?"
They nodded. "She is," Chris said. He tickled her and she shied away giggling. He stuck his tongue out at her and she blew a raspberry at him.
"So where's the fire?" came a tired voice.
Pixie looked round and saw Christian and Jeff walking towards them. She rolled her eyes.
"In the kitchen we think," Test replied.
"What? So all the food's gonna be burned?" Christian exclaimed.
Pixie laughed. "Leave it to you to be worried about the food," she teased.
"Hey, a dude's gotta eat," he defended. "Especially a nine time tag team champion like me, ain't that right Paige?"
Paige giggled and nodded. "Has to eat all of his ventrables," she announced. "Eat them all up."
"Ventrables?" Chris asked, confused.
Paige nodded again. "Ventrables," she repeated.
"Vegetables," Pixie said.
A knowing look flashed across everyone's faces.
Paige shivered and cuddled closer to Pixie.
"Mommy it's cold," she complained.
"I know it is sweetie, it won't be long until we're back upstairs."
"Here, take this."
Jeff took his jacket off and held it out to her. Before Pixie had the chance to decline his offer, Paige had grabbed the jacket and wrapped it around herself.
Pixie gave a half smile. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"Told you he was into you," Stacy whispered.
"He is not," Pixie replied.
Stacy just smiled and shook her head. "Keep saying that, maybe one day you'll believe it."
"Believe what?" Test asked, only picking up that part of the conversation.
"What? Oh it's nothing, just Pixie being Pixie," Stacy replied.
The intercom crackled and a voice came through. "Due to the extent of the fire, we are unable to allow you to return to your rooms at the moment. We are sorry for any inconvenience that has been caused."
"For goodness sake, how am I supposed to get her to sleep now?"
Pixie sat down against the wall and pulled Paige onto her lap. She rested her head against her shoulder and yawned sleepily.
"I'm tired Mommy," she whispered.
Pixie sighed. "I know you are sweetie. Try and get to sleep here, ok?"
Paige nodded a little and closed her eyes.
An hour later.
"Pixie, they're letting us back to our rooms to get clothes," Bubba said. "We gotta come back down though. You want me to get ya anything?"
Pixie nodded. "Can ya get me a pair of pants and my purse and cell phone?" I asked, handing him my room key.
"No problem, what about Paige?"
"Um.pants and a t-shirt," I replied,
Bubba nodded. "Won't be long."
Him and everyone else disappeared up to their rooms leaving Pixie and Paige alone in the foyer. Alone, all except Eric Bischoff and Jeff. God she needed to pee badly. She looked down at Paige. She was awake.
"Sweetie, I have to go to the toilet," she said quietly.
"I don't wanna go."
"Paige, honey, you aren't staying here on your own."
"I'll watch her."
Both Pixie and Paige looked up. Jeff Hardy was offering his services as babysitter again. Pixie wasn't too sure. She hated the guy after all. Then again, she was ready to burst if she didn't get to the bathroom. Her other option was leaving her with Bischoff and she's rather chew her own arm off than do that.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Jeff nodded. "It's no trouble," he said.
"Well ok, thanks."
She stood up and Paige moved to Jeff's side, still wearing his jacket.
"I won't be long."
She went to the bathroom and did her business. She washed her hands and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her shoulder length curly brown hair was a total mess and her dark brown eyes were looking a little bloodshot. She splashed some water on her face, but that only added to making her look sleep deprived. She couldn't help but wonder why Jeff had done a sudden about turn and started being helpful to her.
'Maybe Stacy's right,' she thought.
She laughed out loud at the thought. It was ridiculous that he would think of her like that.wasn't it?
Pixie went back to the foyer and found Jeff getting Paige dressed. She had to admit, he was great with her and Paige seemed to like him, which was always good. Bubba was sat next to them talking to D'Von and Spike about baseball.
"Pixie, here's your stuff," he said, handing her, her things.
"Thanks Bubba, you're a star," she said gratefully.
He smiled. "No problem honey." He turned back to Spike and D'Von and continued their conversation.
Pixie went over and sat on the other side of Jeff.
"Mommy, aren't you going to get dressed?" Paige asked as Jeff pulled her t- shirt over her head.
Pixie nodded. "In a little minute," she replied.
"You can go now if you want," Jeff said. "I don't mind sitting with Paige a while longer."
Pixie looked at him. "Are you sure? I mean, don't you wanna go to your room for your stuff?"
Jeff shook his head. "Nah, I got changed before I came down."
"Well, if you're sure."
"I am," he said. "Go ahead."
She got up and ruffled Paige's blonde hair. "Won't be long sweetie."
"'K Mommy."
"So do you believe me now?"
Pixie whirled around.
Stacy smiled at her. She was standing beside on of the cubicle doors in the bathroom.
"Believe you about what?" she asked. Like she didn't know what she was talking about.
"You know fine well. About Jeff."
Pixie sighed. "Look Stace, all he's doing is sitting with Paige, nothing major."
"It is for him. I mean, look at all he's done to you since you came here. The hair dye in your shampoo, locking you out of your hotel room, the comments and remarks and now he wants to help you out?"
"It doesn't mean anything," Pixie said.
"So why do you seem so unsure?" Stacy asked.
Pixie paused. Why was she unsure? It made no sense; she had gone from hating him to being grateful to him to questioning if she liked him in the space of, what, seven hours?
"I think I like him Stace," she whispered.
Stacy's mouth dropped open. Had she heard her right?
"You like him?"
Pixie shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, God, I've hated him for so long but tonight I've seen a totally different side to him."
She took her shorts off and pulled on the sweatpants Bubba had brought her. She fixed the waistband and looked up at Stacy.
"Come and look," she said.
She went to the door and opened it just wide enough for her and Stacy to see out. Pixie pointed over to where Jeff and Paige were sitting.
"Look at them," she said. "He's great with her.
Stacy had to admit he was great with Paige. They were playing some sort of game and it looked like Jeff was letting Paige win. They were having a great time.
"He's been so nice since we came back from the arena but I'm a little.well, suspicious, I guess."
"Suspicious?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Why is he being so nice? There must be a reason, I just don't know what it is."
"Maybe he likes you," Stacy said.
"Stace, don't start with that."
"I'm just saying." She opened the door and walked out. She looked back at Pixie. "Maybe he does."
Pixie held the door open and leaned against it.
'God,' she thought. 'This is going way too fast. Just because he's being nice and helping me out by sitting with Paige for a while doesn't mean to say that he likes me. He might just be feeling bad about being an asshole towards me for the past eighteen months.'
She looked out at him and Paige, he saw her and smiled over at her.
'Then again, maybe he does.'