Chapter 2 Transformations

In Chicago Mark was working out on the punching bag in a gym connected to the hotel they were staying at. Matt &Jeff Hardy enter Matt goes to jump rope for his cardiovascular exercises. Jeff walks over to Mark offering to hold the bag Mark nods his silent assent. Though Mark is hitting the bag each punch gets harder and the last one almost knocks Jeff off balance. "Ok Taker, what's wrong usually you have more control." Jeff says as he leans into the bag stopping it from swinging wildly. Jeff could tell something was bothering his friend.

Now partly out of breath Mark answers. "The trial's today. If he wiggles out of this one I'll make him pay. Hudson won't call me back I wanted him to at least be at the trial." Mark strikes the bag once more. "You wanna spot me I got a match tonight I think that's McMahan's way of trying to keep me from going to that trial. I got more script readings and practices then I have had since I started. How many times do you have to practice saying four lines raising your fucking arms and then leaving the ring? I mean my Match is against some newbie tonight and I'll try to take it easy on him but these kids gonna respect me. No matter what it says in the damn script." Mark lifts more than Jeff weights and Jeff stands at the top of the bench watching Mark's face as he with no problem lifts the cast-iron weights above his chest. Just as Mark puts the iron back on the rack a young white man wearing green shorts comes in and starts cracking sexual jokes about Jeff 's proximity to Mark who is just rising off the bench.

Mark gets up and into the young man's face "You got a problem boy?"

"Nope I wasn't talking to you" the young man says not backing away. His blue eyes had a fire of their own a sheer determination. That Mark could respect. The boy was hungry this must be the newbie. WWE employees had this room from nine am until 12 Noon, and from one until five pm. "I was talking to your boyfriend." Mark fought the erg to grab the little snot and throw him a beating he wouldn't forget soon. Mark looked around the room and the rest of the room had divided some stood behind him and some stood around looking.

Jeff was mad and ready to go extreme all over the kid. "Mark you got a match tonight" Jeff said moving closer to the kid. A look of pure menace plastered on his face. Jeff Advanced before Mark could grab him and slugged the young man. The young man hit the floor then tried to jump to his feet. But Jeff knocked him back down pinning him screaming in his face. The young man tried but failed kicking Jeff in the back of his head but Jeff ducked the kick and swung on the young man again. Mark and Matt grabbed Jeff pulling him off the young man.

Just then Shane McMahan comes in the room. "Guys, guys, what's the problem I can hear you down the hall the people in the crappy rooms on this floor are complaining." Seeing that his joke didn't work he moves to his father's new talent that is lying on the floor. "Cena what did you get your self into now?" Shane helps Cena up and brushes him off. As they both leave the room Shane glares back at Jeff and Taker. "Taker meet your opponent for tonight. You got a practice with him in the ring in two hours."

The young man showed nervousness in his face as he looked back at Taker. "He's not in my weight class, how about his friend?" Shane just shook his head as they continued down the hall.

Inside the limo Strut made up his mind Cynthia did not need to be in the court room if one of those dopes from the state or the hospital that he could not pay off or kill got on that stand he did not need Cynthia hearing what he did. He rubs his hand across his face in a motion of tiredness it was hard to keep a lid on the truth. "Cindy I want you to go to my parents house you have already had one of your headaches and I just want what is best for you?"

"No I'll come with you and help this bogus case alone so they can leave us alone. Without me you have not a leg to stand on.?"

Josh was scared to ask but he had to know. "Have you remembered something about that night that makes you think that lawyer is not going to try his best to mix up fact and suspicion? Will you be able to decipher the difference? If not you could hurt my case. I know I have not been the best of husbands but I did not shoot you. You just have to believe me"

"Josh I'm not sure what I believe anymore. I mean you said you had an idea who would do it but you never said who you thought it was. You said it might upset me . Well if you want me to not go into that court room you had better start talking." Cynthia saw the surprise on his face and knew she had hit a nerve. She didn't care he thought he knew who shot her then he should at least tell her.

"You're going to get angry but hear me out. You were the first one hit but they also shot me. Cindy I think it was Mark. Why do you think this is his first time being back in this area for a time now? His company came up here last week and he did not. He's waiting for me to take the fall for him trying to kill us all. He has motive him and me don't see eye to eye and he's not that great of a shot thank god." As far as the kids he took them thinking you and I were done for.

Cynthia sat ridged in her seat. She hated that she could not remember who did it but Josh had proof and her girls was now with the person that tried to kill her family and Hudson Mark's father had just taken the kids to Chicago to see Mark. She had to get her girls back. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Cynthia cried Strut hugged her but at his touch her head started hurting. She withdrew from him and grabbed her head in her hands. "I just want to go home." She'd be able to think at home. "I need time to myself" she whispered staring off into space.

"I'll make sure the driver takes you home dear then when all this is settled we'll go get the girls. Josh knew she'd remember one day but if he could put Mark behind bars away from his wife Josh would happily go to jail. Well he knew that was a lie but Mark still deserved his just desserts for trying to take his family.

Josh got out at the courthouse he kissed his babe good-bye and walked into the courthouse. His lawyer joined him in what could be the performance of his very life or at least one of them. With the way Cynthia thought it only took one ounce of doubt about her hero Mark. He told her he had an idea of who would have motive. When she woke up. Her girls were staying quiet because they did not want her to hurt. The doctor knew exactly what to say to Mark and the girls telling them that if they told her it would cause her to have problems with her memory and possibly land her back in the hospital.

As the driver let down the divider window he asked Mrs Strut were to. Cynthia couldn't believe that Mark had it in him to shoot her but who else would and shoot Josh too. Her mind was reeling her headache was ten times worst. With her last bit of conscious thought telling the man to go to the All-State Arena. Cynthia then fell over in the back of the limo crying her heart was breaking she knew that Mark and Josh did not like each other but Mark had gone off the deep end he'd shot her and whether it was him trying to shoot Josh or her. The latter thought made her cry harder. Mark had no business shooting in the house he could have killed her girls and now she had to get them back. As she slipped into unconsciousness she spoke "Why you Mark Why?"

The driver being used to such behavior powered the divider up and drove her to her location. He had never seen Mrs. Strut. This was his first time taking anyone but Strut around. He called Josh and let him know what was up. Josh snapped off on him and hung up the phone. "Well you can't say I didn't tell your crazy ass."

Hudson took the girls to Water Tower and they shopped and that was the most enjoyable experiences he had, had in a long while. Both girls had been ultra quiet when they first got in. Then of course Angel let open a conversation about her new friends. Hudson was proud that she was for lack of a better way of saying it. He was proud she was acting a little more her age. Angel had told him a secret when Mark left to go back to wrestling. She said even though she knew Mark was her daddy she still had bad dreams. Angelique was a classic case she was angry and says less and less. Around him she was sweet and kind. But he'd noticed her new wardrobe her sister was worried about her. Where Angel wore bright colors and hair ties slightly childish for her age she was improving but Angelique was going through a dark time in her life, her wrist bans and dark make-up and clothing gave that away. She was not a fan of much but she put on a good front for him.

Angelique stared out the window with her new CD player plugged tight into her ears. They were finally heading to the Hotel Hudson had called ahead to warn Mark they were coming. Shopping was cool they mostly bought things for Angel. That was nice of Hudson. She missed Jeff maybe he'd be there. There was so much that had went on. Sometimes when no one was around she'd scream into her pillow. Because she knew what was to come. Josh would get home he seemed almost not to leave and he'd tell her to go get the paper and send her on errands. That was ok her freedom besides going to school. She didn't dare make friends how could she trust them. No one had messed with her since her mother was shot and Josh sent those guys to collect her she still bared some of the scares from the beating they gave her. Everyone stopped besides Josh that thought made her ache.

She was glad she was not gonna be home tonight. She changed CDs and chomped down on her fist under the certain of her raven hair. Yeah she'd gone and dyed her hair black. What difference did it make? She stopped biting herself when she tasted blood. Hudson was asking her a question. Angel had taken her headphones out of one ear "Hmm"

"What are you listening too?"

"Oh umm nothing special just a CD I made."

"Duh leak which one is it. Hey, Hudson can we put it in so we all can hear."

"I don't think Hudson would like it." Angelique did not feel like sharing her music. It kind of felt weird knowing they would look at her like she was crazy. Jack off Jill or My Dying Bride or The Cranberries was not for the causal rock listener. Angel snatches her My Dying Bride CD out of her case and quickly puts it in the truck's CD player. "Damn Angel leave my crap alone" Angelique tried to stop the CD but Black God had begun to play and Angel was grabbing her wrist letting Hudson hear it. This just made Angelique madder she slaps Angel up side the head and presses stop snatches her CD back out and put it back in its sleeve.

Angel set back in her seat, puts her hands to her face and silently cries. Angelique knew she should have not hit her sister. She had been angry and now she'd made Angel cry. She didn't think she hit her that hard but she should have kept her hands to her self. "I'm sorry Angel get your lick back Angelique stuck her hand in front of Angel's face. Angel just shook her head no, her hands never leaving her face.

When Angel did mover her hands at Hudson's request Angelique saw how Angel's pure skin was now streaked with tear lines. It was her fault and she wished Angel would just hit her back. God knew it would be more deserved than if Strut would … She tried to forget Strut when she was not around him.

Hudson just drove Strut must have been hitting Angelique for small things she'd just gave that fact away. Hudson had thought that maybe Strut had stopped since their last encounter. But he hadn't and it was coming out in Angelique's behavior.

The wrestlers were staying at the Best Western. Mark had started toward his room for a bit of alone time. As Hudson and the girls were coming up in the elevator so was Mark. Hudson got to the room minutes before Mark he'd told the girls that Mark may already be gone but that after his match he'd call and see if Mark was coming straight back to the room. Angel pouted "I thought we were going to the arena." She whined

"I thought I'd catch him first and get you in his dressing room or back stage some place. But it looks like we missed him. Sorry sqirt"

As Hudson let them in to the room Angelique grumbled, "Yeah whatever real great plan dude, how do you even know he wants to be bothered with us. He is working." She said as she flopped down on sofa near the door.

Mark stood at his door and heard voices coming from his room. Pressing his ear to the door he heard what Angelique had said and it kinda stung but he couldn't blame her. That is just how she thought. He'd dropped them off at the hospital said his goodbyes and left. They were here that thought sent mixed emotions through him. He was happy that they didn't go to court and Hudson took them away from that. He felt sorry for Cindy she had it in her head that he didn't care or something to that affect and him leaving must have showed her just that. But he could not risk her hating him thinking that he'd shot her or kidnapped their kids.

Mark walked into his room after taking a deep breath. "Hi guys I'll be ready in a few" Angel plunged into his arms and squeezed like she would never let go. Angelique stood and nodded her head a small smile lit her face. Mark smiled back at her As Mark moved through the room toward his bedroom he shook Hudson's hand with his free hand that was not full of Angel. Angelique walks over and whispers in Angel's ear she shakes her head no. Mark could sense that Angelique was mentally blocking him again.

The phone rang and Mark walked over and picked it up Angel slid down and went over to where her sister was. "Asking are you happy now?" Angelique just nodded her approval.

Vince was calling to warn that a fan had been reported asking Arena staff where Mark's room was. They put her out and Jeff let her back in and told her. He said she was calm and he said he knew her. I believe this is the same person do you want to trade rooms.

"Hold on if it is the same person and Jeff knows I'll ask him myself that way if we need a description he already has one. I'll call ya back in a jiffy" Since everyone knew what Sara looked like with blonde or brown hair Mark knew it could not be his now ex-wife of 5 weeks.

Angelique asks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing I don't think." Mark replies.

Angelique mumbles "Liar"

Angel covered her mouth and shook her finger at her potty mouth sister. "You were not supposed to call grown people liars." Angel had had enough of her sister's new personality it sucked big time. "You had better stop disrespecting my dad or I'll clobber you all over this room" Angel screamed at Angelique, her fist clenched her face red and her stance ready for a fight.

Angelique was not fazed by this performance. "Just remember your little rant here when we get to Strut and Cindy's house."

"Her name is Mom you dick wod" Angel screamed this had been the most noise that these two had made all day except the music tantrum Angelique had through earlier... For a budding adult Hudson was worried about the young lady.

Mark was surprised as well Angelique and Angel usually did not verbally attack each other. There was a knock at the door Mark waved Hudson into the den that set off to the right so they would not be in direct eye sight of who ever was at the door giving it hell.