CHAPTER TWO
Mark was waiting patiently when Paul, Shawn and Raine came backstage, the two men supporting her. "I really didn't wanna do that."
"She's sore but she'll live." Paul said, glancing down at Raine. "Right?"
"Yep."
"Darlin', I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Raine smiled up at him, gently nudging the men off of her. "I'm fine, just hurt my butt." She rubbed her backside jokingly. "Don't sweat it, Mark."
"You sure?" Shawn asked, a firm believer in letting her rough it out but also over protective at the same time. "When you get back to your room tonight, soak in the tub and then tomorrow we can work on your falls, okay?"
"You'd better listen to him, the swellin' and pain is gonna kick in soon after your adrenaline wears off." Mark cautioned, patting her shoulder gently. "You did perfect out there, darlin'."
"You might want to ice your back after that bath too." Paul added as an afterthought. He reached out to ruffle her hair again only to frown. "Your hair is black."
"I know."
"Yesterday it was brown."
Raine rolled her eyes. "Paul, considerin' you've already messed with my hair once tonight, you're slow. I dyed it."
"Go ice your back, wench."
Shawn watched Raine walk away seeing her shaking her head and snorted. "You really think she did okay out there?" He asked quietly.
Paul fell into step beside his friend. "I couldn't really tell, I was stuck between Glenn's legs at the time…" He made a face, groaning. "Did I really just say that?"
"Actually honey, yes you did." Stephanie chortled from her office doorway, looking amused. "I never knew…"
Paul groaned again, slapping his face.
Shawn cleared his throat, trying not to laugh.
"Shawn, she did fine, even Mark said so." Paul said, trying to forget he'd even mentioned his head and Glenn's legs in the same sentence.
Stephanie and Shawn both just nodded, smirks on their faces.
***
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." Raine muttered, climbing out of the tub. They hadn't been kidding, her back was killing her. Wrapping a towel around herself, Raine groaned, she was becoming stiff really, really quick. Well, now she knew she definitely needed to get used to taking nightly bumps and beatings as opposed to weekly.
"Okay, ice, I need ice."
***
Mark was already at the ice machine, his knee killing him. He spotted Raine coming from the corner of his eye, unable to stop himself from half grinning when he seen her stiff walk. "You okay?"
"Uh huh."
While she retrieved her own ice, he slipped back into his room. When he came out, he pressed a small tub into her hand. "Here, this will help a bit with the aches."
Raine stared at it for a moment before looking up at him. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, darlin'."
She blinked away her surprise when he kissed her forehead.
***
The next morning was hectic. Raine almost got lost at the airport, then almost missed her plane. She got lost twice however in the city they would be performing in. Finally, she made it to the arena by mid-afternoon, knowing she got the pleasure of being tossed around before the show and then tossed around during. Though whatever that salve Mark had given her had worked wonders, she felt pretty chipper today.
"Hey Paul, hey pops."
"How're you feeling?"
"Do you need anythin'?"
"How's your back?"
"I don't need to whip Mark's ass do I, honey?"
"Lord, will you two leave her alone? Jeez." Stephanie shook her head, guiding a bewildered Raine away, chuckling softly. "Typical father figures."
"Yeah, but…"
"Hey darlin', how're you-"
"ENOUGH! Go away, Mark, she's FINE!"
"Holy shit, they always like that?" Raine asked, raking a hand through her loose hair, exhaling when Stephanie just nodded. "Uh, where we goin' Steph? I was under the impression I was going to practice my falls."
"I could help you with that."
"Cold day in Hell, Bautista." She smiled sweetly, her tone venom.
"She has two trainers already, I doubt a third is needed." Stephanie stated, shaking her head. "Girl, what is with you and him?" She asked as they walked away, trying not to laugh. Ever since Raine had been taken under contract with the WWE, Dave Bautista had somehow managed to get deep under her skin.
"He's annoying." Raine said promptly. "From day one all he's done is go out of his way to get on my nerves and it's workin'." She cracked her knuckles, green eyes brooding for a moment before shrugging. "Hey… is uh, Mark usually a forehead kissin' kinda guy?" She asked suddenly, wondering what the hell that had been about. "Or just when he puts girls through the mat?"
Stephanie blinked, that question coming from way out of left field. "Uhh… I think that's his way of telling someone he cares and wants them to feel safe." She remembered Mark doing that to during the Ministry angle when he had played evil in the flesh. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, why?"
Raine didn't have time to answer because her 'father figures' were rapidly approaching. She could only wave back to Stephanie as she was whisked off.
***
"C'mon gal, get that bubble butt of yours up already!" Shawn urged, watching as Raine did a pop-up. He had figured that would be a good thing for her to incorporate into her training, the idea having come from Dwayne Johnson himself. It might hurt but if she wanted to condition her body to handle the ring, she was going to learn how to take the falls and get right back up. "And again."
Raine launched herself at Paul, promptly getting scoop slammed and landed flat on her back. "You're enjoyin' this too much, Paul."
"Does it show that much?" He smirked down at her, growling when she kicked his legs out from underneath him. "Hell, Rai!" He muttered when she put him in an ankle lock.
"Damn Game, looks like you got yerself in a bind." Mark drawled, appearing at the side of the ring with an amused grin on his face. "Let go Raine, before you snap it."
She did, winking when Paul groaned.
"Hit the showers, Raine." Shawn ordered, watching her vacate the ring and jog up the ramp. "She's been at it for two hours, Paul, and I think she's showin' a lot of improvement, not that she needed much to begin with."
"You're biased, Hickenbottom."
"Call me that again son, and I'm gonna show you how biased I can be."
"The more experience she has, the better off she'll be." Mark stated, watching as Shawn rolled his eyes while Paul grinned. "Simple fact of life, Shawn."
"See, he agrees with me." Paul taunted, rubbing his ankle before gingerly getting up, wincing. "That little brat."
"I can see how she needs the experience." Shawn said dryly.
Paul flipped him off. He leaned against the ropes, studying Mark thoughtfully. "You like her."
"What?"
"What?" Shawn echoed, looking at Paul like he had done lost his mind. "You're full of shit, man! He's old enough to be her daddy!" He slapped his knee, hooting loudly before looking at Mark, frowning. "Stay the fuck away from her, Mark." He ordered when he seen the expression on the big man's face. "She's not one of your twenty-somethin', part-time girlfriends."
Mark raised a slow eyebrow at Shawn. Purposely, he stepped up to the smaller man so he towered over him. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want, Michaels. Who're you, her daddy?"
"Technically." Paul muttered, moving to separate them. "Shawn, just leave the Dead Man alone." He cautioned, knowing how Mark's temper could be.
"Fuck the Dead Man." Shawn snapped, shoving Paul away in order to get right back in Mark's face, though it wasn't all that intimidating since he was a bit shorter. "She's not like the damn divas you date, you ain't gonna fuck her till you're satisfied and leave her heart broken."
Paul groaned, shaking his head.
Mark's temper had just officially boiled over. He reached out to grab Shawn by the throat.
"Uh, forgot my bag." Came Raine's voice, all of them looking at her, her green eyes wide.
"You're lucky she's here." Mark whispered angrily to Shawn before pushing him back.
Paul walked over to help his friend up from the floor. "You stuck your foot in your mouth again." He commented, shaking his head. "Raine, showers, now."
Shawn watched her go, leaning back against the guardrail. "She's my little girl, Paul." He murmured tiredly. "Not one of Mark's cheap floozies."
"What makes you think Mark is going to have a go at her?"
"Let's see, how many divas do you see him helpin' that he ain't gone after?" Shawn began counting them on his fingers, shooting off names, stopping when Paul just groaned. "Catchin' my drift here?"
"Shawn, just shut up!" Paul snapped. "Number one, Raine is not a Diva. She's a wrestler, not a damn piece of eye candy. Second, she is also a grown woman capable of making her own damn decisions. You need to find the line between being a dad and being an over-protective prick!"
***
Raine cursed under her breath in the shower, irritated beyond belief. First Shawn, now Paul, how many dads need one gal need? Not to mention them even assuming she would LET herself become whatever it was they thought she would to Mark. Like she didn't even have a damn choice. "Jackasses." She snorted, rinsing her hair.
***
Mark was livid, taking his anger out on a bag in the workout room. He growled under his breath. Who the hell did Michaels think he was? Ordering him around, telling him to stay away from Raine? He could screw any woman he wanted and if Raine wanted him then it was none of Shawn's fucking business. Snarling, Mark let loose with a string of punches and curses that made some of the younger wrestlers disappear.
After losing some of his steam, he headed for the showers, his mind still on Shawn and his idiotic words. Age didn't mean a thing in Mark's book. It never had and so what if he liked younger women anyway? It wasn't like they hadn't wanted him as much as he wanted them, he hadn't heard any complaints yet.
***
"Look, Shawn," Raine began after being filled in on what had gone down in the ring, pulling her wet hair back into a pony tail as they walked down the hallway. "Paul's right, ya need to fine the line. You've taken care of me ever since my folks died, you're my dad, have been for years. Just… chill out, okay? I'm not ten anymore." She patted his arm then disappeared into the cafeteria.
She joined Michelle at a table when invited, laughing as she was filled in on what was what, shaking her head at some of the more interesting stories she was told. Finally, Raine buried her face in her hands to keep from crying she was laughing so hard.
"You know something, you should hit the clubs with us girls sometimes." Michelle said after Raine had stopped laughing, trying not to laugh herself. "It's a lot of fun and a good way to relax."
"Sounds like fun." Raine agreed, sipping her tea.
"Oh God…" Michelle watched as Mark stormed into the room, arching an eyebrow as he poured his usual cup of coffee then attacked an apple like it had personally done him wrong. "I wonder who pissed him off now. That-" She pointed her fork at him. "is Mark. We used to date. He's got a bit of a temper but not too bad in bed." She grinned.
Raine choked on her tea.
***
"Shawn is pissed." Paul greeted when Mark dropped down beside him at a table. "Very pissed."
"Good, next time I just might snap his neck and put him out of everyone's damn misery." He growled, spearing his food viciously, not even sure what he had gotten himself he was so steamed. "He had no business sayin' that shit to me."
"I told him to chill out and I'm sure Raine did too."
"Like he's gonna listen to her?"
Paul made a face.