A/N: Hello again! I hope everyone had a very nice and safe Fourth of July holiday. I'd like to thank everyone for all favorites/follows, as well as for taking time out of your day to read this story. A special thanks to my reviewers, chaka1967 and justkimmy, as well. It was really nice getting your feedback, and I'm so glad you both enjoyed the first chapter. Here's the next installment. Enjoy, everyone!
A frantic wave caught the corner of her left eye, and Renesa snapped her head in that direction, thinking her overzealous mother would be waiting to pick her up. Instead, the woman behind her — rolling a large pair of suitcases out of the automatic doors — squealed and left her belongings where they were, sprinting to the vehicle. A young man, likely no more than five or six years older than Renesa, stepped out of the driver's side and left his door ajar, meeting his presumable girlfriend at the front of the car, where they decided to engage in a passionate, and very public, make-out session. Renesa averted her eyes and moved farther down the walking path.
Stranded in front of T.F Green Airport on a busy Saturday morning certainly wasn't the preferred way to spend her weekend, so she lugged her suitcase to an unoccupied corner at the building's side and fished her cell phone from her coat pocket. Her grip was a little off since her winter gloves made everything extra slippery, so the phone evaded her the first few times she tried to capture it. She sighed, her breath appearing as a puffy cloud in front of her face while she used her free hand to pat her knit winter cap down on her head. As she scrolled through her contacts to the one marked 'Mommy', she internally berated herself for not bringing a scarf along; her neck really could have used the added warmth.
While the line rang back in her ear and she awaited an answer, Renesa glanced to the left again, spying on the kissing couple. The woman had at least made it inside the vehicle by then, making goo-goo eyes at her boyfriend as he rolled her suitcases from where she had left them, thrusting them into the backseat. Renesa sighed again, lowly this time. Everywhere she turned, there were couples in love, including the happy marriages of both her older siblings, and for once, she wanted to be the one fiercely attached to a man who made her feel like a million bucks. She wondered if she'd ever find true love, as there was no guarantee she would get the marriage and children she'd always dreamed of.
"You have reached the voice mailbox of..." the phone recording droned, just before she hung up, effectively cutting it off at the pass. Renesa growled under her breath, ready to stamp her foot and throw a fit over her ride's tardiness, but the sudden blare of a car horn sent her eyes upward. There was her mother, Annette, smiling and waving through the windshield of her maroon Toyota 4Runner, but when clusters of people turned to see what the commotion was, Renesa withered. Her cheeks instantly went up in flames, and she wanted to seep into the ground to avoid the unwanted attention, but if the make-out couple had no shame and could slobber all over each other in front of a crowd, she could deal with her mother being a little overzealous about her return.
Low-maintenance girl that she was, Renesa rolled a single, lightweight bag to her mother's car, opening the back door and sliding it right inside. Too eager to wait for her to climb into the front passenger seat, her mom reached back and ruffled her hair right then. "Hi, sweetie."
"Hey, Mom. I missed you," Renesa said, clasping her mother's hand in her own and giving a firm squeeze. They let go long enough for Renesa to climb in front, and the second she had her seat belt on, her mother recaptured her nearest hand before checking her mirrors and easing into traffic.
"I'm so happy to have you home. Felix, Moe, and Sylvester missed you like crazy," she said, referring to only three of her cats.
"What about Trixie?" Renesa quizzed. "I guess she doesn't know me as well as the other little guys, so she probably didn't even realize I was gone."
"Yeah, she's a little too new to the game," Annette replied. She swished her thumb over Renesa's hand, the heater contributing to the nice warmth settling in through the vehicle. Renesa relaxed in her seat, taking full advantage of the headrest and closing her eyes. She felt her mother watching her as they sat at a red light. "You falling asleep on me?"
"No, just resting my eyes."
"Okay," Annette laughed. "So, how did things go with your father? What did he want to talk about so badly?"
"Oh, it's nothing. He just wants..." Renesa coughed through the rest of her sentence, trying to disguise her words. She doubted going on the road to work for Vince would make her mom too terribly happy, and she didn't want to cause a rift on her first day back home.
"He wants what?" This time, Renesa pretended to fall into a full-blown coughing fit, but Annette wasn't having it. Not at all. "Knock it off with that obnoxious coughing act that you do. It didn't work when you were a little girl, and it won't work now. If you don't want to talk about it, I can't make you, but it would be nice if you could share things with me, the way you used to."
"I've never shared with you about Dad. It's too awkward."
"But you told me on the phone that you talk to him about me. He asks how I'm doing, and you're able to give him that information with no problem, so why can't you tell me anything about him?" Annette asked. A double coat of pale pink gloss covered her lips, and her wispy blond bangs hung in her face, golden hair cut to her shoulders, not unlike Renesa's shorter length. Her cerulean eyes were a river of uncertainty, and Renesa wanted to be the calm in her storm, but she didn't know how anymore. Her mother always made things more difficult than her father.
"If you really want to know, I'll tell you, but I don't want to hear anything else afterward."
"Anything else like what?"
"Like a lecture about how stupid I am for making this decision."
"I have never called you stupid, Renesa. Not ever."
"No, but sometimes you make me feel that way when I tell you something I've done and you go off on me about how it's not the right choice. I'm fine with telling you what happened this past week while I was gone, and we can discuss it in detail, but then I want us to leave it alone," she explained. "I don't want to hear about it every two seconds, because I already promised Dad I would try it, and I don't break promises."
"Well, I don't know where this is coming from, because I never do anything except demand the best for you. I haven't ever called you stupid or lectured you, but it's up to you if you want to tell me."
"Dad wants me to write for him for one week," Renesa blurted. It would be easier to get it out into the open air, so she wouldn't have to feel like a weight was sitting on her chest, stunting her breathing. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, but cringed, knowing she was setting herself up to be preached to. Perhaps she should have parked her own car at the airport so she could have driven herself home and skipped the unnecessary dose of drama. "He wants me to join him on the road, come up with ideas for the shows, and share those ideas at the weekly meetings. It's only for next week as, like, a trial period thing. He says if I don't like it, I can come back home and do what I was already doing, no questions asked, but he seems to be under the impression that I'm going to love it and not want to leave."
"Oh."
"Yeah," Renesa nodded, glancing over. "So, what do you think?"
"It sounds fine."
"Mom," she grumbled, drumming her fingernails against the armrest. "This is even worse than what you normally do. I'd almost rather have you pointing out all the things that could go wrong, rather than sitting there all quietly. You must have something to say about it."
"There's nothing else to say," Annette shrugged. "Your mind's already made up and you're going to do whatever you want. It can't be all bad, if it gets you spending time with your father, so I wish you lots of luck and success."
"Thanks. I really appreciate that," Renesa beamed, sliding her other hand over the top of her mother's. "I'll call you every single day that I'm gone and give you little updates, because I'd never want to make you feel left out of what I'm doing. We'll always be close."
"I know that. I'd never let anything come between us."
"Want to go out to breakfast?" she offered. "My treat."
"I'd love to, sweetheart."
Rhode Island was home, and as a Brown University alum, Renesa was proud to reside in The Ocean State. Leaving was always difficult, but when she knew she wouldn't be back for another seven days, the process became even less ideal. Not to mention, she would only be able to speak to her mother over the phone, and homesickness was sure to set in. That may have been partially Renesa's own fault, since she was too reserved to venture beyond the tranquil life she'd lived on the east coast. The way she saw it, there was no reason to leave near perfection.
But she packed up her bags and left even so, because it felt right. She and Vince had a pact, and she wasn't planning on breaking their agreement for any reason. The worst that could happen was for the week to turn out a disaster, but even so, it was seven measly days out of her life, and she could go right back home to what she had been doing before, if it came to that. A part of her, though, the needy little girl still boxed inside, wanted to like the position. She craved that approval from Vince, to see the pride on his face that she noticed whenever he looked at Stephanie.
She wanted that very same recognition for being special, and growing up McMahon, the only way to prove worth to Vince was to work within the family business. If she couldn't hang, it would be more of a personal failure than a professional one, and maybe that was why she had always turned Vince down in the past when he had offered an open position. Renesa knew, deep within her, that she had way more to lose than the average person who was trying out a new career for the sake of it. The WWE wasn't just work; it was their family's livelihood, and if she screwed up her only opportunity, she would never hear the end of it.
After a brief weekend home, most of which had been spent with her mother instead of retreating to her quiet apartment, Renesa ventured back out to the airport, this time taking the WWE corporate jet to Denver, Colorado. The Pepsi Center was the venue of choice hosting that evening's Raw, and all she knew was that she had to report to the arena by noon to attend her first meeting ever. She wasn't quite sure how she would actually get to the building once she stepped off the jet, but Vince seemed to think it was all easy enough, simply sending her a text message that she imagined was composed by one of his many assistants, realistically. He expected her on the jet no later than 8:30 AM, so she tossed on some sweats and a cozy jacket, bringing her earbuds along so she could immerse herself in calming music along the way.
Plenty of thoughts went through her mind when she located the jet with the WWE logo on the side and proceeded to board it. Behind her, assistants lugged her suitcase up the glossy stairs, and she imagined the setup waiting inside, wondering if there would be snacks prepared along the way, or if she'd be expected to scrounge up the odd crumb or two that had found a home at the bottom of her purse. The travel situation was ideal mostly because, as an introvert, she could be left to her own devices, enjoying the flight and the quiet it had to offer. It wasn't until she touched down in Denver that her nerves would swell back up like a river overrun with rainwater.
Her lips stretched into a smile as she tugged off her sunglasses and stepped her first foot inside, then the next. She was traveling in style, the jet already warm and chipping away at the icicle she had morphed into from being outside for those few trying minutes. The aroma of a breakfast fit for a queen was first to welcome her, and she took in her surroundings, a set of beige reclining seats practically urging her to sit and stretch out. The first six seats were evenly spaced, then there was a slight break, where a multipurpose, polished wooden table sat, which she imagined was mostly used for eating in-flight meals.
A couple more chairs rounded off the remainder of the jet, and she was just taking a seat when a noise near the back startled her. On high alert, she gripped the nearest armrest, dropping her purse into the next seat over and gazing fearfully toward the commotion. As far as she knew, she should have been alone, minus the people hired to carry her bags on board, but before she could request some sort of security back-up to rescue her from the unknown, a lock clicked, and the bathroom door swung open. Shrinking down a little more, Renesa watched on in wide-eyed horror, thinking some madman were about to jump out and rush her.
Her mind filled with a litter of potential scenarios, and none of them ended well. Just when she relocated her voice box and prepared to make a scream for it, Stephanie was first to stumble out of the confined space, tugging at her royal blue sweater and pulling it back over the hem of her jeans. Paul crept out behind her, in the process of buttoning his shirt back up to the collar. Renesa said nothing, but they spotted her unmoving form within seconds and froze like statues. Paul smirked, tipping his head downward to hide said smirk, while Stephanie's cheeks flushed several shades, ending at a deepened scarlet hue.
Stephanie stepped forward and cleared her throat. "I, uh, we were just — "
"Save it," Renesa interrupted, raising her right hand. "I think I can use my imagination and figure it out for myself. You should have waited 'til we got in the air, though. That way you could have joined the Mile High Club."
"What makes you think we haven't already?" Stephanie asked coyly, batting her eyelashes.
"Wow," Renesa replied, "look who's suddenly not so bashful anymore."
"I just thought we had extra time before you'd be here," Stephanie rambled, another burst of pinkish red coursing through her cheeks. She smoothed her sweater down a final time and grabbed Paul's free hand, guiding him up toward the front of the jet. "I'm sorry nobody filled you in, but Dad wanted us to keep an eye on you and basically show you the ropes for your first day, so that's why we're here. We'll get to the arena together, and I'll bring you to the meeting with me."
"I like the sounds of this," she said. Rounding the curve of her seat, Renesa held her arms out and Stephanie embraced her. They hugged for a long moment, pausing to sway a little on their feet like family or friends sometimes did while in the middle of a lengthy hug. When they pulled away, Stephanie snuck in a kiss on the cheek, which Renesa matched with one of her own. When Stephanie stepped aside so Renesa could say hello to Paul, he gripped her tightly, patting her back and thanking her when she kissed his cheek, just as she had her sister's. "I'm really glad to see you guys. I didn't know how I was getting to the arena or anything, so this is a relief."
"You would have managed," Paul said.
"Yeah, I could have, but I preferred not to be searching around like a clueless little girl. You guys forget, I don't travel the way you do. I rarely leave Providence, and when I do, I'm usually with my mom."
"Yeah, I'll bet. How is she, by the way?" Stephanie asked, sucking in a little at her top row of teeth, barely able to stave off a pucker, similar to what one developed when tasting something sour.
It made sense, since Annette was a sour subject, where it concerned the McMahon side of her family. Renesa's mom was a subject left almost entirely untouched, except for when Vince asked about her. Stephanie occasionally worked up the nerve to mention her, but Shane hadn't brought her up even once. Renesa's conception had been an act marred by infidelity, heartache, and lies, and even though she was accepted as family by the McMahons, her mother was a different story entirely.
"She's doing very well," Renesa said. Stephanie forced a smile and nodded, starting to pivot and head back the way she had just come, but Renesa grabbed onto her arm, halting her momentum. "Thanks for asking about her, Stephanie. I know that's not easy for you."
"It was nothing," she lied, patting Renesa's shoulder.
As they took their seats, Renesa lowered into the one she was closest to and buckled her seat belt, preparing for takeoff. With her phone set in airplane mode, she stuck her earbuds in, as planned, and cranked up the volume to some relaxing tunes, closing her eyes and shutting everything else out around her. If she could fall asleep, the trip would be quicker, and the sooner she arrived at work, the sooner she could do the job expected of her and get a good night's sleep at the hotel, before she would wake up the next morning and do it all over again for Smackdown. After what felt like only a couple of minutes, the abruptness of her right earpiece flying out caused Renesa to gasp, eyes popping open.
They weren't allowed out of their seats during takeoff, but she must have lost track of time. Checking behind her, Renesa noticed Paul eating grapes from a fruit platter, and he was standing, so they must have been well up in the air. After an obscenely long pause, Renesa realized all she had to do was look out the window, and she gaped when she saw the clouds hovering beneath them. Turning back to Stephanie, she asked, "How long have we been up here?"
Tilting her head and squinting, Stephanie brought her right hand down on Renesa's forehead. "Whoa, sweetie, you're a little out of it, aren't you? I'm guessing you dozed off without realizing it. We're almost all the way to Denver."
"I must have conked out completely," Renesa noted. She stretched her arms above her head and let out a yawn, resting her right temple on Stephanie's left shoulder. Stephanie brushed her hair down with her hand.
"I've missed you a lot."
"I've missed you, too."
"I always think about you, Ren," Stephanie admitted. "I'm sure you know that, but I worry sometimes that you'll feel left out, like me and Shane are a team and you're on the outside of all that, but you're not. We're here for you and, you know something, this is why I'm so happy you're coming to work with us. We'll have so much more time together than we did before. I can feel that this is going to work out. I know it will."
Renesa lifted her head. "It's hard to be away from you guys, because I know you and Shane meet up a lot for gatherings with your kids, and I can't be there, but I understand why this is how it has to be. I appreciate that Linda has started to invite me to family stuff every once in a while, but I know it bothers her to have to even look at me, so I never really want to encroach on her territory. I'm trying to be respectful all the way around."
"But you know that everything that went on started well before you were born. It has nothing to do with you, and it's not your fault. I think you get caught up in the mess by association, but that's not fair to you, and I'm going to work harder to smooth things over and bring us all together," she promised, "because you're an important part of this family, and we need you."
"Thanks. I need you guys, too," Renesa smiled. With a random song still blaring in her other ear, Renesa pulled the other bud out of her ear and turned the music off. She could do without the added noise for a while. Stephanie was still watching, her eyes shooting laser beams through Renesa, so she spoke up, because she felt pressured to. "I won't lie and tell you that I'll stick around and do this job forever, but Dad asked me to give it a try, so I will. I like to think that everything will go perfectly and I'll work here forever, but, realistically, I don't know if that's going to happen."
"That's okay. You don't need to do this long-term, and especially not if it doesn't make you happy. I think what Dad's wanting, and all of us, really, is for you to give this a fair shot, because there's a good chance you're going to excel at it. Even with me, Dad thought I might struggle at first, and look at me now. I'm one of the hardest working, most dedicated executives he's ever had in the office. This could be you," Stephanie mused, quickly tacking on, "if you wanted it to be, I mean."
"I won't lie, it's nice to consider," she responded. "I feel like I'll get judged by some of the wrestlers, though."
"About what?"
"Because they'll probably assume Dad is taking it easy on me since I'm his daughter. They won't respect me."
"Oh, yes, they will," Stephanie rebutted. When she leaned in a little closer, a piece of her hair fell into her face, and she paused to tuck it back behind her ear. "They respect me because I demand it. First of all, anyone who knows anything about Dad knows that he doesn't take it easy on his kids. If anything, he's harder on us, because he expects more from his own children. You just have to do your job to the best of your abilities, and everything else will follow. They will respect you, but you have to respect yourself first. You can't go in there all reserved and insecure, or they'll detect it and eat you up for breakfast like a bowl of Wheaties."
"Sheesh," Renesa groaned. Stephanie laughed at her expression as she slipped a hand over her face and sighed. "So, they're a tough crowd, huh?"
"They can be, but you're in control of your own destiny. If you want their attention and you want them to take you seriously, you have to make them do that."
"And how exactly do I make them?" Renesa wondered.
Stephanie backed away, rising from her seat and winking. "You'll figure it out. Get ready to put your seatbelt back on. We're landing in a few minutes."
Renesa thought to ask how she could possibly have known they were almost there, but then Stephanie pointed her index finger toward a clock near the front of the jet, a timer displaying red, flashing numbers that indicated the amount of time left on the flight. It was only a rough estimate, but, apparently, Stephanie found the clock to be at least fairly accurate. Nodding, Renesa reached into her purse and pulled out a hairbrush and a small, compact mirror, fixing her hair and smoothing a couple dots of concealer under her eyes to brighten her face. She was exhausted, but strangers shouldn't have been able to tell that simply by looking, so she wanted to clean up.
The second they landed, the jitters reappeared in her stomach, doing a jig and taunting her from the inside. Renesa shouldered her bag when they were given the okay to step off the jet, pausing in the aisle as she waited for Paul and Stephanie to catch up. He lagged behind with the bags, but Stephanie came forward and snaked an arm around Renesa's back. "Ready for the most exciting, and stressful, day of your life?"
"Well, when you put it like that...no," Renesa stated. They both shared a laugh, and just before Renesa took the first step leading to their awaiting Lincoln Navigator, Stephanie tugged her backward and thrust out her pinky finger. Already knowing the drill, Renesa linked her own pinky with Stephanie's.
"Sister powers unite?"
Nodding assuredly, Renesa repeated the phrase before stepping off the jet. "Sister powers unite."