Pairing: Samoa Joe X Female OC

Summary:

Ella Roberts has had a traumatic life.

She witnessed her parents' murders at the age of eighteen, and narrowly escaped death herself, due to the intervention of Joe Seanoa, a close family friend. After she discovers she was the true target the night her parents were killed, she assumes a new identity and runs away with intentions of protecting her family and loved ones. Years later, she is pursued by a mysterious Ukrainian, and soon finds herself right back in the biggest nightmare of her life. Fate brings her back to Joe, and knowing Ella's still in danger, Joe vows to keep her safe. But can he succeed? Or will the danger that still threatens her freeze any second chance they have at a happily-ever-after?

Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with TNA. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination. This story contains various scenes that are for people 18 years of age and older ONLY.
Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings: Some blood in a flash back sequence

Note: Ages will be messed with a tad to make the story work. So hopefully that won't confuse anyone.

Chapter 1

John Wayne Airport
Santa Ana, California

March 17, 1994

Fifteen-year-old Ella Roberts hurried out of the airport's terminal and then giggled when she spotted her best friend, Joe Seanoa. She ran to him and squealed in delight as he lifted her up, swinging her around in his arms.

"Happy birthday," she said, hugging him close. "I've missed you!"

Joe chuckled, and hugged the bouncy teenager tighter. "I've missed you too, baby girl." He put her down then, looking her over. She was still as scrawny as ever. Her dark, shoulder-length hair was pulled back into its usual ponytail. But her glasses were missing. "Whoa—what happened to your glasses? Please tell me you didn't leave them at home," he said, tilting her chin back to inspect her eyes more closely. She did not appear to be experiencing any problems in seeing her surroundings.

Ella laughed. "I had a surgery a few months ago to correct my astigmatism."

"Awesome," Joe grinned, and after a moment, pulled away. "How do ya like it?"

"Well, the surgery wasn't fun, that's for sure. But I do love being able to see with no glasses or contacts."

"I bet you do. And now the world can see those pretty blue eyes better," he teased, as he led her over to the baggage claim carousel. He noticed the flush that crept up her face when he reached for the bag she pointed at. Minutes later, they headed out of the airport in search of his car.

Everyone knew about Ella's strong attachment to Joe, just as they knew he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Whle she was only a couple years younger than he—fifteen, to his seventeen years—she still looked like a kid. Joe felt certain she would blossom as she grew older, however this had no effect on him. He had Christy, the girl of his dreams. And she was the remaining reason why he did not, and would not have feelings for Ella.

He realized, as he placed her bag in the backseat of his Nissan Pathfinder and opened the passenger door for his young friend, the news of his girlfriend was something he needed to break to the girl—along with the fact that he had joined the United Independent Wrestling Alliance.

Jeff Jarrett, Ella's uncle, had helped him get into the prestigious wrestling school, and Joe couldn't have felt more ready to begin training. He knew leaving meant he would not get to visit Ella or the majority of their friends, but it was a sacrifice he would be willing to make. Staying busy, and most likely exhausted in the beginning, he wasn't sure he'd mind the solitude too much. Besides, he wouldn't be completely alone. Christy would be training there, as well as a few of his friends.

He glanced over at Ella as he pulled onto the freeway. How he would tell her about the news, he did not know. What he did know, as he signaled and switched lanes, was that he would have to tell her very soon. "So, did you enjoy your flight," he asked, trying not to dwell on the inevitable.

"It was scary," Ella laughed. "I've never flown anywhere before, and then to do it by myself…" She shuddered. "But it was worth it," she added in a hurry, worried she would offend him. "To be here for your birthday party, I would've flown twice the distance."

Joe smiled, and started to wink at her, but stopped himself. He did not want to encourage her romantic feelings for him. Instead, he cleared his throat and began to ramble. "Well, it isn't really what I'd call a 'birthday party'. It's more like a get-together or just 'party'. 'Birthday party' just sounds too…"

"Girlie?"

"Well, the word, childish, came to mind. But yeah, 'girlie' works too," he chuckled. "Oh, and I'd better warn you—pass this on to the other girls your age if I don't get the chance to—do not drink the punch. I know for a fact it'll be spiked since my parents are out of town. The last thing I want is a bunch of young teenage girls running around, drunk."

"Courtesy of James and Robert," Ella asked, laughing.

"You know them all too well," Joe shook his head, only half teasing. "Remind me to keep them away from you. You don't need to be subjected to their brand of corruption. Your parents would never let you come here again."

He knew in truth however, even if the young girls got plastered, none of his friends, even on their drunkest day, would do any harm to them. They were a big family of friends, and because of this, the guys happened to be very protective of the girls.

Ella blushed, knowing full well what Joe meant by the remarks on James and Robert. She had long ago learned about the birds and the bees thanks to the two rednecks' various comments about sex. If they hadn't been underage, she knew for a fact her uncle would have beaten the devil out of them for that particular stunt. Ella tried to explain to Jeff that they didn't realize she was within earshot, but he would not listen. The two boys got a tongue-lashing they would not soon forget.

Shooting his gaze in her direction, Joe caught the flush creeping up her neck and face before she could collect herself. "What did they do," he demanded, wondering if he had misjudged the two ruffians after all. What if they've mistreated Ella in some way, he wondered, growing angry from just the thought.

"Oh, Joe… They didn't do anything, really. Uncle Jeff handled the problem immediately. They just made some—very adult remarks. But they didn't know I could hear them, so don't go on a rampage," she joked. "They apologized to both Uncle Jeff and I—and they were very sincere about it. I think they really did feel terrible about the whole thing."

"They better be glad Jeff's the one who caught them, and not me."

"Oh, don't worry. I know you would've gotten the job done very well, but Uncle Jeff didn't do too shabby either," she said, chuckling at the memory.

"Well, you have to at least let me have some fun with them when they come over," Joe joked, as he reached for the knob on the radio and turned it to his favorite station. In the next instant, Melissa Etheridge's "Come To My Window" blasted through the speakers. "I love this song," Ella squealed, and proceeded to belt out her best to the song's chorus.

"Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon"

Joe was astounded. "Whoa, girl… You've got some serious pipes," he exclaimed, glancing over at her. He could not believe such a big voice could come out of such a petite girl.

"Thanks," she replied, looking down at her lap. "I love to sing. I've been in choir since middle school."

"And you should stick with it," Joe encouraged, as he veered to the right so he could get on his exit. "You're so tiny and you can sing like that? I guess dynamite really does come in small packages."

Ella giggled, and smacked Joe's shoulder. "I'm not that little."

Remembering how she felt insecure about her scrawny figure, Joe averted her attention back to the topic at hand. "Ya gotta promise me you'll keep singing. Take voice lessons, choir, whatever you can to keep your voice and develop it even more."

She beamed, truly touched by his words of encouragement. "Okay, I will. I promise." She took a moment to look over at him and study his gorgeous features while he drove. She realized nothing romantic would ever happen between them, but she could always hope.

Joe was on the rotund side, however his size never hurt his looks in the least. His thick hair, black as pitch, he always wore cropped short. His dark, olive-toned skin contrasted deeply with the ivory shade of Ella's complexion. His nose, strong and broad, tapered downward, like that of a Samoan warrior. His eyes were the same shade of black as his hair, the color of night. Having never seen anyone with eyes the shade of his, they actually were the first feature she noticed when she met him.

In the beginning, Joe wanted nothing to do with Ella, which wasn't surprising. Looking back, she realized no ten-year-old boy wanted to befriend a runt of a girl of eight years, but the rejection stung, nonetheless. She'd been infatuated with Joe from the first moment she laid eyes on him.

Ella and her parents had gone for a visit to her Uncle Jeff's and Aunt Nina's country home. The Jarretts loved having big get-togethers with their close friends and family. When the Robertses entered the house, Ella's curious blue eyes swept over her aunt and uncle, then shifted past them to the three older boys who were sitting in the floor playing with G.I. Joes. Two of them, Robbie Roode and Jimmy Storm, children of some of the Jarrett's family friends, had medium to dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. She already met them about a year prior however, so her probing gaze immediately moved over to the boy whom she never saw before. The adults watched as she made her way over to him.

The little boy, who held her undivided attention, had jet-black hair, dark skin, and onyx-colored eyes. Little Ella was awe-struck. With a small child's typical curiosity, she did not hesitate in sitting down right beside him in the floor.

"I'm Ella," she smiled. "What's your name?"

"Joe," the boy said without giving her a moment's consideration. He continued playing with his G.I. Joes, trying in vain to ignore her.

But she would not have that. She reached over and turned his face to hers, seeking a better look at his fascinating features.

Then Ella's Aunt Nina, with her photographer's eye urging her to snap a picture of the two, lifted her camera and captured a still of the two. She could just imagine the beauty and innocence of the children coming to life through the forthcoming photo.

"What are ya doing," Joe demanded, uncomfortable by the little girl's deep inspection.

"Your eyes…" Ella stared into his face, obviously enamored of the boy.

"What about 'em," he asked, removing her hand from his face.

"So pretty…" a flash of a dimple appeared in each cheek as she grinned at him.

"They are not," the Samoan boy shot back in a defensive tone, and jumped to his feet. "Boys are not pretty. Come on, guys," he said to Jimmy and Robbie. "Let's go outside and play."

"Joel Seanoa, you apologize to her this second," Jeff cut in. "Your parents let you stay here for the week, but you will behave yourself or you'll not come here by yourself again."

Joe looked down at Ella, a look of resentment on his face. "I'm sorry," he said none too convincing. Then he began grabbing up the G.I. Joes and their vehicles. Within seconds, the three young boys had run outside, with Ella following close behind, intent on keeping Joe in her sites.

When Ella grew older, Andrea Roberts bestowed her daughter with the photograph of she and Joe during their first encounter. "I love it," Ella exclaimed. "Where did it come from?"

"Your aunt took it the day you two met, right when you turned Joe's face to yours," Andrea replied, hugging her daughter. "I thought you'd like to have a copy. It's an adorable photo."

In all honesty, Ella was ecstatic to receive it since she and Joe had, at last, become friends. Oh, how I thought the day would never come, she thought now, gazing out the passenger window as Joe shifted gears on his Pathfinder. She also remembered the day when any hope she held for them becoming friends dissipated. It was my own fault, she thought, thinking back on the occasion when Joe verbally wounded her pride. She had been following him, along with a group of his friends, all over the Jarrett property. Everywhere they went, she was right behind them. She kept thinking if she clung to Joe enough, he would sooner or later accept her into his group of buddies. She'd never met someone who did not want to be her friend.

Ella then realized how spoiled she once was; a sweet, loving child, but spoiled nonetheless. Accustomed to everyone doting on her, she could not fathom Joe disliking her.

However, on the day she painfully recalled, Joe had ripped into her with a vengeance after she followed him and his friends out onto a field. She watched them split into two teams for a game of tag football and then approached them, asking to play also.

Reaching his breaking point, Joe counted to ten in his head. "This is a boys' sport," he answered finally.

"So what," the little girl persisted with her usual exuberance, thrilled that Joe spoke to her. Any attention from him was good attention in her young mind. Her dark curls bobbed as she tapped her little foot in waiting for his response.

"I don't like you," Joe burst out, his teeth clenching in frustration. "Why do you follow me all the time? You're a girl! I don't play with little girls! Just leave me alone!" His fascinating black eyes glittered with fury as he lashed out at her.

Ella stepped back, stung by his cruel dismissal. It finally did get through to her that Joe would never play with her and he would never be her friend. He hated her. Tears stung her sapphire eyes as she cried out, "I just wanted to play!" She turned and ran for the house, mortified beyond words.

She never figured out why, but just a few moments later, Joe approached her and apologized. He still made it clear he did not wish to be friends, nor did he wish to play with her, but he seemed genuinely sorry for his actions, just the same.

Ella's reverie from the past faded, and she slowly returned to the present moment in time. Looking at Joe, she found his curious gaze on her face. He averted his eyes so he could turn onto a street, and then glanced at her again. "We'll be home in a couple minutes, so we can actually sit and talk. I'm not really driving very safely when I keep looking over at you."

She nodded and smiled, reminiscence abundant in her eyes. "I was just remembering how rocky our friendship started out."

Joe knew how he'd hurt the girl over the years, and felt terrible all over again. "I'm really sorry. I know I was just a kid too, but I shouldn't have treated you so badly."

"Oh, Joe… You didn't treat me any different to what any other young boy would have. I didn't bring it up to make you feel guilty. I actually look back on it with fondness now. The one thing I'm curious about now is…why did you come back and apologize to me that day?"

Joe drove up into his driveway then, and killed the engine. "Do you want to go inside and talk, or hang out in the back yard?"

"The back yard sounds great," Ella replied, reaching for her bag.

"Eh, just leave it for now," he said, opening his door. "I'll come get it after a little while."

Heeding his instructions, she got out of the car, following him around the house to the back yard. Right away, she spotted a huge swimming pool that was shielded from view by a tall, white privacy fence. Taking a seat by the pool's edge and tugging their shoes off, neither spoke for what seemed a long time. Ella could see the distance in Joe's eyes, and felt horrible about putting him on the spot.

"I'm sorry," she finally broke the silence. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable with my question. I was just curious, that's all."

"Elles…You didn't make me 'uncomfortable' exactly," Joe replied as they let their bare feet dangle into the pool's cool water. "I was—I am—going to answer your question. But I wanted to find the right words first, because I don't want you to get the wrong idea. Believe me, my apology was genuine."

"Okay, fair enough," Ella said with a nod, awaiting what he had to say.

"I apologized to you that day because I knew it was the right thing to do. However, I had some help in realizing the fact." He ran his hand through his thick, black hair, and continued. "Matt Hardy heard everything I said to you. He came up to me, and the guys, and let me know he would tell Jeff and my parents what I said to you, if I didn't apologize."

"Oh," Ella said, looking down at the pool. "Well, I know now—I embarrassed you. I just didn't realize-"

"No, Ella…The blame is mine. All of it. I know what you're thinking," he said, tilting her chin upward, so her eyes met his. "And you're wrong. Just because Matt gave me an ultimatum doesn't mean the apology wasn't real. I meant every word—I already felt terrible about the whole situation before Matt even talked to me. So don't you dare think I did it just to get out of a punishment."

"Joe, it's okay, really—it's in the past. It doesn't even matter anyway."

"Yes, it does " Joe said, patting her leg. "I want you to know right now—I've always regretted how I treated you. And I've always been thankful and glad I apologized to you that day. Because not only did you save my life later on, you've become one of my best friends as a result."

"What else would I have done? I only did what anyone else would have."

"Don't let me hear you downplay what you did for me ever again," he added. "You supported most of my weight, and I was over twice your size."

Ella looked away, her face flushing at the memory of the day Joe's life was in endangered.

Time seemed to fly by since the day Joe blew up at Ella. Disappointed to learn he did not want her friendship, she, in time, came to accept that he would merely be polite to her. And that's the way their relationship went for the next few years.

But then the day came when their truce took a drastic turn.

Joe had just turned fifteen, and he was thinking a lot on his future. He had been training in Judo for a long while, but it wasn't anything he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he knew. Not exclusively anyway. He wanted Jeff's kind of life. He wanted the excitement and adrenaline rush wrestling gave. He loved the maneuvers and mat skills which many of his favorite wrestlers possessed. Hoping Jeff would help him, he discussed his dilemma with the veteran. After taking in the young man's request for help, and noting the passion with which he spoke, Jeff made a deal with him.

"I tell ya what kid," Jeff had said. "I'll train you a little. I want you to work hard, and prove to me how badly you want it. If you do prove yourself, and show potential, I'll help you get into a wrestling school to train you more fully."

Joe of course jumped on the deal and showed his desire to work hard for what he wanted. He began working out every day, lifting weights and jogging long distances. Even when he was visiting the Jarrett family, he could often be found jogging through their woods. He soon knew the land like the back of his hand. Which, unfortunately, was not enough to save him from his fate.

Jeff warned Joe about the poachers whom were caught hunting on the family's land on more than one occasion. He also let him know of the precautions he was taking to keep the illegal hunters away from the Jarrett's home. Nonetheless, he made Joe promise to be careful and return to the house if he saw anything suspicious. Joe did promise, but being a typical teenage boy, he felt he could handle any situation he might come across.

He realized, however, as his ankle and shin exploded in a blast of fiery torture, he had been over-confident in his abilities. He crashed to the ground screaming and grabbed his leg, feeling an iron-like metal beneath his fingertips. He growled through the pain, as he positioned himself to see what had crushed his leg. He rose up a little more and immediately spotted the bear trap, and the rather large amount of blood pooling beneath it.

"Oh, God," Joe cried, grasping both sides of the trap. He pulled as hard as he could and got the trap to open a few inches. Shifting his leg, he edged it closer to the opening bit by bit. Pain shot up his shin and seared his whole leg. Flinching, he lost his grip on the trap's mouth and the device slammed shut over his ankle again. A loud curse flew from his lips. He collapsed back across the grass, panting against the pain which pulsed around his injured leg. He needed someone to hold the trap while he pulled his leg free.

Joe knew he was losing too much blood when he felt a thick mental fog settle into his senses and his thoughts no longer made any sense. His vision was blurring, and his skin was growing moist. He uttered another curse and rested his head against the ground as he fought to stay conscious. Little did he know, a few hundred yards away, his rescue would come in the form of a thirteen year old girl.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

Ella sat on the plush St. Augustine grass, keeping her eyes hidden under the flattened palms of her hands as she counted to thirty. "Twenty-eight…twenty-nine…thirty! READY OR NOT…HERE I COME," she bellowed, feeling quite silly. She and her friends were thirteen years old, and still playing Hide-and-Go-Seek. It was more a tradition than anything else, but she still felt ridiculous that they still played the childish game.

She stood to her feet, and set off to find her friends, Talia Madison, and Angel Williams. Right away, she headed for the large storage unit behind the Jarrett's home. She smiled, knowing that Angel and Talia never learned. They always hid in the storage unit, without fail. Whether it was under a tarp, in the tool closet, or behind the riding lawn mower, she always knew where to find her best friends. She quickly began lifting drop cloths and opening closets and cabinets. She looked around every piece of large equipment, and over every inch of the storage room.

"Shoot…they actually tried hiding somewhere else for a change," she said in astonishment. "Now where do I look?"

There were many hiding places on the large acreage of land, but she decided to search the woods first. She remembered tons of trees, shrubs, and logs with which to hide, so it was the more obvious choice of where to take her quest. With dusk falling, she took a flashlight out of the tool closet, and hurried back outside. She took off at a run, eager to finish the game. Soon it would be dark as pitch. The dark didn't scare her, but she knew her parents would become worried. And then she would be in trouble.

Within minutes, she reached the forest and turned on her flashlight. Circling trees in a hurry, she was certain she would find her friends at any moment. However, many trees later, she grew frustrated. She groaned as she began running further into the woods, sweeping the light from side to side in front of her, trying to see through the thick, black darkness. The dense shelter of trees made the evening appear even darker, and if not for the flashlight, Ella would've been unable to see where she was going. "Okay, guys," she shouted, stopping in her tracks to listen for footsteps. She flashed the light around her, trying to catch her friends' movement. "It's too dark to play now! We need to go back to the house!" She gasped when she heard leaves crackling and a soft, pained groan. "Wh-who's there" she asked, spinning around to get a look at the sound's source. She finally settled the light on a large heap on the ground, and realized in horror that it was a person!

"Help…" came another wounded grunt.

Ella froze. She would know that voice anywhere. "Joe," she cried, hurrying toward him. She could see his large frame lying on the ground, his face a mask of pain.

"Wait! Ella—stop!"

She halted and stared at him, fear evident in her eyes, "What is it? Joe, what's wrong?"

"I was jogging, and hit a bear trap. The poachers…" he trailed off, trying to gain the strength to speak again. "Go get help. It's not safe for you here. There could be more traps. Or even hunters."

Ella ignored his words of caution as she rushed over to him, "There is no way I'm leaving you here like this," she said as she crouched down beside him. "I don't know if I could find you again in the dark, and—Oh, my God! Joe, you've lost a lot of blood." She took in the sight of the trap digging ferociously into his ankle and shin. It looked as though it had snapped his bone.

"You have to go get help, Ella," he insisted. "There's no way I can make it back to the house without help."

"You're going to have help," she said, the famous 'Jarrett Family Stubbornness' giving her the strength and courage to take charge. "Hold this," she ordered, handing the flashlight to him. "Shine the light on your leg so I can see what I'm doing."

"Ella—"

"Just do it, Joe! We don't have time to argue!"

He groaned in frustration, as well as pain, when he shifted his weight to accept the flashlight.

"Keep the light on the trap, and when I get it open, be ready to pull your leg free."

"You'll never be able to get this thing open," he said through clenched teeth.

"Don't underestimate me," were the last words Joe heard her say right before she gripped the sides of the trap and pulled with all her might. He screamed in pain, but Ella was forced to ignore it. She knew she had to get the trap off of him. She shrieked, straining with everything she had in order to pull the contraption's jaws apart. Her biceps burned like fire, but she would not give up. Seconds later, she felt the device opening and found one last ounce of strength. With a scream of determination, she wrenched the jaws apart and grasped them in her trembling hands. "Now, Joe," she cried, her voice shaking, "Get out, now!"

For a moment, he was frozen in amazement at the strength the young girl had. He knew he would never misjudge her abilities again. He came to his senses when he heard her let out a weakening groan. He ignored the fear of pain, gritted his teeth and yanked his leg free of the trap.

When he had his leg out of harm's way, Ella let the trap slam shut again, and fell back onto the grass, panting from her exertion. She looked over at Joe then, and saw that he was holding onto his leg for dear life and groaning in pain. "How are you doing," she asked, crawling over to him and grabbing up the flashlight. She aimed the light down at his ankle and gasped.

There was an excessive amount of blood flowing free from the jagged wounds. Thankful she had picked up a little bit of medical knowledge from her father, she immediately began yanking her belt free of her jeans. Then she wrapped the leather strap above the wounds on Joe's leg. "I'm so sorry, Joe. This will hurt," she whispered as she began cinching the belt up, and then secured it as tight as she could.

Joe yelled and latched onto his knee, afraid to touch the area Ella was treating.

Tears welled up and burned her eyes as she squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry," she repeated. "I didn't want it to hurt you, but I needed to try and stop the bleeding."

"It—It's okay," he said. "N-not so bad."

"Liar," Ella said. She began helping him to his feet.

"We'll never make it back to the house," he told her, trying to stand without putting his weight on her.

She tried to smirk at him and keep his mind off the injury. "And you want to be a wrestler?" She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "You're going to need more determination than that." With a little more fussing and assistance from Ella, Joe managed to stand, keeping his injured leg bent so he was putting no weight on it. She got on his injured side, so as to support the lamed side when he was stepping with his good leg, and then draped one of his arms over her shoulders. Wrapping one of hers around his waist, she spoke with authority. "We'll take it slow."

"Very slow," Joe groaned through clenched teeth. "I'm going to apologize in advance for any curse words that will probably come out of my mouth."

"No big deal," the young girl replied, keeping her hold on him. "Come on, try to keep moving."

The two were moving at a snail's pace, heading back to the Jarrett's home. Joe had to pause a few times to catch his breath, and to fight the dizziness that was claiming him. The last thing he wanted was to pass out and fall on top of Ella.

"You're doing great," she encouraged, gripping the hand hanging over her shoulder. "Not too much farther now," she fibbed, eyeing the long distance to the house.

"Now, you're the liar," Joe muttered.

"Oh, yeah? On what count," Ella asked, trying to distract him from the long trek.

"On two counts," he shot back. "I'm not doing great. And it is much farther." A much more colorful curse flew from his lips then, and he slumped a little. Ella pulled him closer against her.

"Come on—we have to keep moving. You can do this."

He groaned softly. "Ella—You're gonna get hurt…"

"I'm fine, Joe. You're the one that's hurt."

Though it was too late, she figured out what he actually meant, when his tall frame toppled and took her down to the ground. She grunted under his weight, and nudged his shoulder. "Joe?" He was out cold, and lay limp against her. Reaching up to his face and placing her hand to his forehead, she discovered his skin to be freezing and clammy. It's summertime and he's sweaty. He shouldn't be cold, she thought, her heart pounding. "Joe! Joe, wake up!" Ella pushed at his large frame a few times in the hopes of rolling him over to the side so she could get free and go for help. To her dismay, she discovered he could not be budged. Oh, God, I need Daddy! She wrapped her arms around Joe's shoulders and held him close, trying to warm him with her body heat. "HELP! SOMEBODY, HELP US," she screamed, unsure of what else to do.

"Ella!"

"Joe!"

"Giselle Symone Roberts! Where are you?!"

"Yell back to us!"

Ella heard several voices, her parents and Uncle Jeff, Aunt Nina, Talia, Angel, among others. "DADDY," she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Daddy! Help!"

"Where are you, baby," came the doctor's shouted reply.

Ella had no idea of how to describe where she was. She looked around her and saw the flashlight lying on the ground, just out of her reach. She stretched and strained and pushed at Joe in order to reach the large light. Her fingertips brushed over it and she clawed at it then, desperate to attain it.

"ELLA!"

Finally her hand closed over the handle of the large flashlight, and she began waving it above her and Joe. "I have a flashlight," she yelled back in answer. "Look for the light!"

She kept waving it and waving it, hoping her family and friends would spot them soon.

"I see it, honey! We're coming," she heard her uncle shout.

Within minutes, a group of her friends and relatives were surrounding her and Joe.

"Daddy, you have to help Joe," the young girl cried, trying to nudge the boy off her again, so she could stand and explain. "He hit a bear trap deep in the woods. I was trying to help him back—but he's passed out."

James Storm and Robert Roode began pulling Joe off of Ella. Jeff, instructed them to roll him over so Nathan Roberts could inspect the boy's wounded leg. Then Andrea tugged her daughter to her feet and hugged her close.

"Did you get hurt, baby?"'

"No." Ella shook her head and held on to her mother as her legs threatened to buckle. "But Joe's hurt badly." The shock of the past hour caught up with her, and a sob tore from her lips. "His leg—what if the damage is permanent?" She knew how hard Joe had trained in Judo, and she also knew how badly he wanted to become a wrestler.

"Shh, baby—wait and see. I'm sure he'll be just fine," Andrea comforted.

"We're going to have to call an ambulance," Nathan said, "He's lost a lot of blood and we don't have any way of getting him to one of the cars without risking more damage."

"I'll go call for one," AJ Styles said. He was a couple years older than Joe, but was also training to wrestle, and had become one of the Samoan's closer friends.

"Could you take Ella back with you," Nathan asked, looking at his shaken daughter. "She needs to rest, I'm sure." It had just occurred to him that his little girl had saved Joe's life, and marveled at her strength in helping the large boy as far along as she did. He was beyond proud of her when he saw her belt secured around Joe's leg.

"Sure thing," AJ answered, turning to Ella. "Come on, little darlin'. Let's get you back to the house," he drawled, lifting her up into his arms as he hurried toward the house.

Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and burrowed her face against his chest, grateful for not having to walk the long distance.

"You did an amazing job, little girl," AJ praised as he jogged for the house. "Did you learn some stuff from your daddy," he asked, trying to keep her mind off Joe. He felt her nod her head, and tightened his arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't worry, honey. Joe'll be all right," AJ said, soothing away her fears. "You did everything right."

He felt her little body shaking and heard small sobs ripping from her throat. "Then why does it feel like it wasn't enough? What if Joe doesn't heal correctly and he can't wrestle?"

"Shh, none of us could have done anything more than what you did," he told her. "And I'm sure Joe will heal just fine," he lied. In all honesty, he did not know the extent of the damage to Joe's leg, but he had to keep Ella from worrying.

They reached the house then, and AJ ran inside, gently depositing Ella onto the large sofa once he reached the den. He grabbed the cordless phone off of an end table and just seconds later, he was speaking with a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

"Seems like longer than two years ago, doesn't it?"

Ella came out of her daydream, and discovered Joe's dark eyes fixed on her face. She smiled, but with a slight sorrow written across her face. "How did you know what I was thinking about?"

"Because I could see it on your face."

"It was a scary night to remember," she replied with a sigh, looking down at the swimming pool.

"But I wouldn't change it for the world," Joe told her. "You more than proved your friendship to me. Even though I didn't deserve it. Even though you didn't have mine." He avoided her eyes, obviously ashamed of himself. "Someday, I hope I have the opportunity to prove my friendship to you. I just hope not due to something so dangerous."

"You don't need to," Ella smiled again, all traces of sadness gone. "I know you. And I know you are my best friend."

"I'm glad. But I still wish I could find a way to prove myself. I feel like I owe you that much, at the very least." He glanced down at his watch then, needing to hide his emotions. His mind drifted back to the day after his accident, and remembered how scared Ella looked, entering his hospital room.

She had ridden in a tense silence all the way to the hospital with her parents. Joe's parents had arrived to Nashville during the middle of the night, and had informed Jeff and the family of the surgery Joe had on his ankle and calf. They were relieved to find out his leg was expected to heal with no problems. They also learned Joe, as long as his leg healed as expected, could return to his training and exercise, after completing physical therapy and rehab.

The Robertses soon were entering the hospital and getting on the elevator, bound for the fifth floor where Joe was staying. Ella wrinkled her nose at the harsh, invasive smell of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners which seemed to linger in every corner of the hospital. She gripped her father's hand as they neared Joe's private room. Nathan squeezed hers in return and gave her an encouraging smile. All the consoling in the world had not made her feel better. She was worried sick about Joe, and her parents knew that nothing would comfort her except to see him with her own eyes.

Once they reached the room, they had to wait for a few moments because his doctor was examining him. Ella fidgeted with some annoyance, till the door opened, and the doctor emerged with a nurse. He smiled warmly at them. "Family?"

Jeff nodded. "You could say that. We're all family, or family friends."

"Is he okay," Ella cut in.

The doctor gave her a compassionate smile. "You must be Ella. Yes, he's doing fine. And he's been asking to see you for the past hour."

"Really," Ella asked in amazement.

"He sure has," the doctor winked at her, and opened the room's door. "Go on in and see him for a little while. I'll talk to your family."

Ella did not hesitate in the least, as she pushed through the door and hurried into the room. Joe lay in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm. He was a little pale, and looked as though, despite the pain medicine he had just received, he was in a lot of pain.

"Oh, Joe…" she whispered. "Are you okay?" She moved to side of the bed and reached out to touch his forehead, testing for fever.

He nodded and whispered. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'd be a lot worse off if not for you. Are you okay? I heard I did just what I was afraid I would do—I passed out on top of you," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," Ella said. "You didn't hurt me at all, so don't worry about it."

"Come here," Joe said softly, opening his arms to her.

Ella's heart leaped. It was as if she felt she had finally won his approval. She climbed onto the bed beside him and entered his embrace with caution so as not to hurt him further. She felt him wrap his arms around her and hold her close as she snuggled against his chest.

"I'm a selfish jerk, aren't I," he whispered into her hair. "You only wanted my friendship and I wouldn't give it to you. I'm sorry. I deserve whatever would've happened if you hadn't come along and found me."

"No you don't," she said. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Joe smiled, and stroked the young girl's ponytail. "Why are you so nice to me, Ella? I never gave you any reason to be."

She shook her head, "What kind of world would we live in, if everyone was only nice to everyone else because they wanted something in return? Besides, I was nice to you because I wanted to be your friend. Just because you didn't want my friendship didn't mean you didn't have it, anyway."

"Well, I'd love to be your friend now, if you don't hate me."

Ella rose up and smiled at him. "I don't hate you."

Now, as Joe fiddled with a button on his shirt, he smiled, knowing he would never forget the day Ella had won him over.

"What are you grinning about," she asked, beaming as a result of his contagious dimpled smile.

"Just remembering the day after my accident," he answered. "Makes me kind of thankful for the accident itself. It helped me realize something about myself."

"Oh, yeah? What was that?"

"I was an asshole."

Ella burst out laughing. "Oh, no you weren't."

He looked over at her then, laughing also, and saw the adoration on her young face. His laughing ceased slowly, and his facial expression lost its humor. This is it, he thought in dread, I have to tell her about Christy. And about UIWA. He opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately delayed by the commotion known as Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley.

"Giselle's here," they yelled running up to her and lifting her up into a sandwiched hug.

She hugged them back, and replied laughing. "Call me Giselle again and I'll shove you into the pool."

"And we'll take you with us, pipsqueak," Alex teased, tugging on her ponytail.

"Fat chance," Ella shot back. "I'm too quick for you old timers."

Joe watched in amazement as Ella held her own with his two friends. He could not fathom how she had, at only fifteen years of age, won over such a rough group of guys. Whether they were discussing when their next drinking party would occur or bragging about their sex lives, if they saw Ella approaching they turned into a bunch of teddy bears. Surprised to find most of the girls' parents gave them permission to attend a party where so many older teenagers would be—without a chaperone no less—Joe supposed it was because they were family and they all trusted one another.

"Ella," came a high-pitched shriek from the side of the house. The small group of friends turned just in time to see Talia Madison, and Angel Williams buzzing past the patio furniture and heading toward them.

"Oh, my God! Talia! Angel," Ella squealed in return and ran the rest of the way to her friends.

Joe smiled as he watched the three girls embrace, but still dreaded the news he knew he had to give Ella later on. It was going to be the most difficult thing he'd ever done.

Needing to vent his frustration, he grabbed Sabin without warning, and threw him into the pool. A second later, Chris emerged through the surface coughing, and spluttered. "No fair, Joe! I didn't have my flippers on yet!" This earned a hearty round of laughter from the teenagers. Not even Joe could stifle his amusement. A huge war ensued thereafter, with each of the youths throwing one another into the large swimming pool.

For the time being, Joe's nerves were relieved.