Riley was on a flight from North Carolina to Minnesota to see her best friend Jeff Hardy. Jeff and Riley had been best friends since she had moved to North Carolina from Georgia when she was eight years old. They had grown up together and were inseparable from that point on. That was until a few years ago until Matt and Jeff signed
a contract with the WWE. Riley had been thrilled for Jeff when she heard because she had always encouraged him to go for whatever made him happy. But, she didn't think that it would take him away from her.
Riley drove up to the arena that afternoon filled with excitement of seeing Jeff again. She hadn't seen him since the last show in Charlotte in July. Now it was early December and she was freezing. Her thoughts seemed to warm her more than the heater that took away the bitter cold of winter.
Riley wandered through the halls of the arena looking for Matt and Jeff's locker room in vain. The halls were basically deserted except for the occasional tech and the guy who just stood eating a doughnut by the refreshment table. Riley was pretty close to giving up and leaned against the wall.
"Jeffrey Nero Hardy, where are you?" she whispered pinning a bit of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear.
A door opened and out stepped a brunette in a black business suit. She spotted Riley almost immediately.
"May I help you?" she asked walking closer.
"I'm looking for Jeff Hardy," Riley responded turning toward the brunette.
"Oh, aren't you his friend Riley? He's been talking about you. I'm Stephanie McMahon by the way. He talks a lot about you," Stephanie said extending her hand to the young woman.
Riley shook her hand and smiled, "That sounds like Jeff. I'm always all over the place" she said a bit shyly.
"You're in pretty good shape, how do you do it?"
Riley shrugs, "no more and no less than anyone else I guess."
Stephanie laughed silently to herself, "This girl is too cute and modest. She's a little shy though."
"So, have you ever tried wrestling? I mean hanging out with the Hardy Boys there's no doubt that the thought had ever crossed your mind. Or perhaps it had the reverse effect?"
"That's out of the blue," Riley thought.
"Um, not really, I did help Matt train but Jeff thought that I'd get hurt. Overall I think they've got a better grasp of it than I have, not that I'm afraid of getting hurt. I've gotten hurt plenty of times on the motocross track; broken leg, dislocated shoulder, and a bruised back from slamming into the guard rail."
"I guess you're a risk taker like the Hardy's then?"
Riley shrugged, "the risks are necessary to do what you love. Even if it means you might get hurt in the process."
They reached the Hardy's locker room before they realized it and decided to cut their conversation short.
"Well, this is your stop. Nice to meet you Riley."
"Nice to meet you to..."
"You can call me Stephanie," she interrupted.
"Okay Stephanie. Later, and thanks again."
Riley knocked at the door impatiently wondering why no one was answering the door.
"Great, he knew I was coming and he didn't even bother to wait for me."
She continued to knock on the door until a petite red head answered the door.
"Riley, is that you?"
"In the flesh," she said leaning over to hug the red head.
"Hey Amy long time no see! You haven't seen Jeff or Matt have you?" she asked as she walked over to the couch and put down her gym bag.
"Um, they went to practice in the ring for tonight. It's a surprise to see you. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Jeff but it seems I have to make it a mission to beat the hell out of Matt. I told him I was coming and he was supposed to show me around."
"Well he didn't mention it to me or Jeff. Jeff would be here pacing a hole in the floor wondering where you were."
"I was lost wandering around the arena until Stephanie found me and brought me here."
"Stephanie McMahon?" Amy asked looking confused.
"Yeah. She was pretty nice. We just talked a little. Let me change and I can walk with you to the ring."
Riley came out wearing black sweat pants and a team extreme T-shirt.
"Forget beating the crap out of Matt. I'm going to kill him."
Riley and Amy walked down the corridor catching up on what had been going on the past few months.
"So," Amy began, "does Chris know you're here?"
The one person Riley was trying to forget. Chris was her boyfriend in North Carolina who really didn't like Jeff. His theory was that Jeff was wasting his life on wrestling. He was even against Riley's motocross career. Why stay with him? Well, he reminded her much of her father who had died the year before. Structured, somewhat stodgy, but hadn't always been that way. He gave her a sense of security but she missed Jeff so much because he gave her a sense of fun, danger and at the same time she felt safe and loved.
Riley emerged from her pool of thoughts as they walked closer to the entrance ramp. As they approached she saw Matt and another guy in the ring but no Jeff in sight. There was a tech guy off the side of the ramp fixing the sound system. She saw the perfect opportunity to get PARTIAL revenge. She approached the tech guy and put on her Southern Georgia accent, "excuse me, but do you mind if I help test the sound", she asked batting her eyelashes for effect.
"Uh, sure thing." The tech guy, Bill as she saw on his nametag, gave her a microphone.
She flashed him a smile and looked down the ramp toward the ring. Matt was running against the ropes. She waited until he was about to reach the other side of the ring and brought the microphone to her lips, "MATTHEW HARDY!" This caused Matt to trip and fall flat onto the canvas. Amy gave her thumbs up to say 'nice touch' and the other guy in the ring erupted into laughter as well as several of the other techs.
Matt looked up toward the top of the ramp. He saw Amy but he didn't quite recognize the girl standing next to her laughing. Then he thought of the voice. Slowly it was registering in his head. Brown hair, slender build, brown eyes, and that southern accent... it was RILEY! "She's going to kill me isn't she?" he thought to himself as he buried his head in the canvas hoping that he was dreaming. He felt Cena German Supplex him. No, he wasn't dreaming. Boy, was he in for it.
Matt lay on the canvas looking at the bright lights above him. Maybe she had already unleashed her fury and he was staring up at the lights of heaven. John Cena's face blocked out the light above him.
"Matt, are you still alive down there?" Matt pinched tried to raise his head off of the matt and winced.
"Unfortunately," was his reply as he reached his arm into the air asking for assistance in trying to get up.
John reached his hand out and helped Matt to his feet. Matt looked toward the ramp to see Amy and Riley slowly making their way toward the ring. But their pace was not slowly enough.
"Who's the chick next to Amy?" Cena asked wondering why Matt was nervous all of the sudden.
"Jeff's best friend and currently my worse nightmare," Matt said beginning to climb out the opposite end of the ring.
He was so close to getting out of the ring until a familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Matt, nice to see you." He froze and turned around and saw Riley standing across from him a kind expression on her face.
"Riley," he chocked out.
"Um, I didn't recognize you. Did you do anything with your hair?" Weak cover and he knew it but it never hurts to try right?
"Surprising you noticed."
"You cut it. It used to be longer and you usually wear it in a ponytail."
Riley looked surprised and then a smirk crept onto her lips. "Well, Mr. Hardy. It's amazing you can remember what I looked like 5 months ago and you can't remember what I told you 5 days ago."
"Oh no. I forgot that she was coming," Matt thought to himself as he cringed.
"Don't hurt me," Matt whispered. Everyone was surprised he didn't lunge into a corner and curl up into the fetal position.
Riley rolled her eyes. "Gee Matt. I'm not THAT intimidating and why would I hurt you? You just helped by reminding me if I need to relay information, not to relay it through you."
At this Amy and John laughed.
"I thought Mr. Extreme Mattitude wasn't afraid of anything. Especially a 16 year old girl," Cena said still laughing.
Matt stared wide-eyed at his friend.
'Man that was a fatal mistake; if she gets mad, you're going to find out why I'm afraid of the girl.' Matt thought to himself as Riley turned to Cena glaring. She was about to open her mouth when a voice caught her ear.
"Riley!" Riley knew the voice all too well. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the ramp and saw the one and only, Jeff Hardy.
"Jeff!" she yelled back. She began making her way out of the ring and turned to Cena. "FY.I. I'm 19." She then turned to Matt, "remember, flattery will get you no where."
With that she left the ring.
Riley ran into Jeff's awaiting arms and they embraced in a hug.
"Hey Ry. I'm so happy to see you. To what do I owe this visit?" he asked letting go of Riley.
"I told Matt to tell you I'd be coming to watch your show but I guess he forgot to tell you."
Jeff laughed, "Well that makes it a surprise. You know how much I like surprises especially when you're the surprise."
"Are you sure you and Matt aren't twins because I haven't been in the state 10 minutes and you're both complementing me."
"I noticed your hair too. Hair cut?"
"Matt already covered it. I've noticed your hair too. Did someone streak your hair with rainbow highlighters?"
Jeff laughed at his friends joke. "Hey, I thought we were going for complements, not insults."
"Hey, I couldn't resist. Are you training?"
"No, but I am going to show you off to some of the guys in the back though."
"I've already met Stephanie."
"And I also assume you've met John Cena," he said motioning to the guy in the ring with Matt.
"Yeah," Riley said with a hint of annoyance in her voice
"Well let's go, I've got to get ready for the show in a bit."
Jeff yelled to his brother in the ring, "Matt, you coming?"
Matt had just executed a perfect Twist of Fate on John Cena. "Sure."
Matt, Amy, and John grabbed their bags and joined Riley and Jeff backstage.
The group had reached the corridor going toward the locker room. One of the gofers was running toward them.
"Jeff, Matt! Mr. Bischoff wants to talk to you about your match tonight against the Dudleys"
"Tell him we'll be right there Mike!"
Jeff turned to Amy, "Amy, would you mind showing Riley to our locker room and keep her busy till show time?"
Amy nodded, "sure thing."
Matt and Jeff ran off in the direction that the gofer Mike had gone toward Bischoff's office and Amy and Riley went down the opposite end of the corridor toward the locker rooms.
Amy turned to her friend, "so, you never answered my question."Riley stared at Amy confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I asked if Chris knew you were here and you just zoned out."
'I've been here not even an hour and I'm reminded'
"No Ames, if you must know he doesn't know I'm here. You know what; I'm entitled to a little mini-vacation without him checking up on me every five seconds. I mean, if I'm gone an hour he's jumping the gun and calling missing persons."
Amy could see the resentment and fire in her eyes, and then it faded. "I sense a little hostility Ry?"
"No, just a little frustration and stress. That's it."
"Okay, well I have to put my bag down for a sec. Will you be okay out here?" Riley nodded, "yeah." Amy went inside the Hardy locker room.
Riley stood against the wall alone with herself and her thoughts.
'Frustration and stress,' She laughed to herself. 'That was funny Riley, just hilarious. Frustration and Stress are the LEAST of your major malfunctions.'
She was interrupted by footsteps coming down the hall toward her. Riley snapped out of her trance and looked to see Chris Jericho coming down the hall. It had been 5 months since she had seen Matt, Amy or Jeff but a year since she had seen Jericho. He came to one of the expedition shows in Canada as a VIP that she rode in and that same night her friend Anna who's from Montreal had tickets and backstage passes to a Fozzy show. That experience was interesting and entertaining to say the least. She wondered if he remembered her. This could be fun. A little mischief is just what she needed to forget everything.
Chris noticed the brunette leaning against the wall with a far away expression on her face, her short brown hair falling limply on her shoulders. Somehow there was an aura of familiarity around her. She was wearing sweatpants and a Team Extreme T-Shirt.
'Must be a cousin, fan, or groupie,' he thought. 'But I can't help but know her.'
He decided to talk to her He had an hour to kill before he had to get ready for his match anyway.
He approached her slowly and as he did she looked at him with her piercing brown eyes that shown no expression but had a certain glint to them.
"Excuse me, are you lost?" he asked finally coming upon his quarry.
Riley smiled to herself and thought, 'he really doesn't recognize me. Let the fun begin.'
"Well, where were you an hour ago when that question would have been of use to me?" she thought giving him a look of recognition.
"I would hope it didn't look that way. You wouldn't happen to have a map would you?"
'This girl has quite a lot of spunk, I like it.'"Are you related to Hardy?" he asked leaning against the wall.
Riley smiled, "you could say that. Otherwise Blondie, that's for me to know and you not to."
Chris laughed, "do I know you from somewhere?"
"I don't think so."
Something went off in his head. "Yes I do, I really feel like I know you from somewhere."
"I can assure you don't. I guess I have one of those faces," she responded calmly
A voice interrupted their conversation of identity. "RyLynn Carter, I thought I lost you. Jeff wants to give you your backstage pass." The voice belonged to Amy.
Jericho smirked, "RyLynn? Nice name. I noticed the accent, where are you from?"
Riley cringed at the use of her full name. She hated it.
"Originally Georgia and then North Carolina. And the name is Riley. Five time women's motocross champions."
"Ha! I knew I knew you from somewhere! Your accent is a thicker when you're up to no good."
Riley groaned, "Ames, you've ruined my fun! I enjoy screwing with his head."
"Don't we all? Say good-bye Jeff's looking for you." Amy dragged Riley down the hall and Jericho went the opposite way laughing at his younger friend's antics.
9:32 Monday Night RAW
Matt and Jeff were getting ready for their match against the Dudley Boys.
"Good luck you guys!" Riley called from the doorway of their locker room. Riley was going to watch the match from the crowd. They figured it would be better than being alone in the locker room.
"Thanks Ry, I'll be looking for you kiddo." Jeff yelled back as he heard the door slam.
The Hardy's theme song played and the sounds of the crowd were electric. Riley was amazed at how well the crowd responded to them, nothing like when she competed. As they went to the top rope to do the poses Riley saw the look Jeff had in his eyes; one of pure excitement, adrenaline, determination and love; a fire in his eyes. The same fire he had years earlier when he wanted to become a wrestler, the one passion in life that was to be his destiny. Unlike her, no one could seem to extinguish that fire in his eye. Unlike her, he didn't let anything hold him back, and unlike her, he wasn't afraid to go after what he wanted and take risks. There was a reason why he was 1/3 of Team Extreme.
AN:/ That was the first chapter of Risks are Necessary. If you didn't know it's a repost due to it getting pulled off of the site after my writing it for a year. I did do corrections and additions and this chapter is a merging of chapters 1-5. Many of the chapters were merged making the story a little shorter and a lot better. I shall be updating once every week unless I can't help it. Please review
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