"Shane, what was that all about?" Andrew asked as he walked into Shane's hotel room. Shane looked up with a tear stained face. His normally neat and clean face and hair was disheveled and worn looking. "Oh man, come on." Andrew sat next to him and put his arm on his back. "You'll be fine; all you have to do is go and talk to her."
"I can't," he said. "Can't you see? I can't do it. There is no way that I can do that."
"Why not?" Andrew asked.
"Andrew, if Paul finds out what happened, do you know what can happen?"
"I know Paul, he may be protective, but he's not unreasonable."
"He is when it comes to Mercedes. If I go back there and fix things and act like I am happy and that everything is going to be fine, I am messing things up for her and me. I'm not doing it."
"Why and how?"
"Paul would never let her stay." Shane said. "My dad would exploit the entire situation and things would get screwed up, royally."
"That's not true." Andrew said. "At least talk to her."
"I'm not apologizing, she still lied to me. She got what she deserved and she knows it."
"One simple little lie, to keep you from not running away from her like you are now deserves her having the man that she feels for deeply right now scream at her and storm away?" He stood up and walked over to the other side of the room staring at Shane hunched over still shaking from crying. "Oh right I forget Shane, you're the big boss man and you need to have control over everything. She definitely deserves to have her heart broken, be totally humiliated and know that from now on she needs to stay away from you. Good going, I'm sure you made the right choice."
"I didn't say that, but she lied." Shane said managing to spit out a few words in between sobs.
"As do you and every one else on this earth every once and a while. So you can go and walk around like you are big and bad while really all you are is that little word that rhymes with wussy." Andrew said. Shane looked at him shocked. "Go ahead; fire me for what I am saying. I doubt you will because you know I'm right. There was no reason to do that to her. She didn't tell you because she knew that this is what you would do. She knows you better then you think she does. But you know best. So let her feel like she is the scum of the earth, let her feel like she isn't good enough for big bad you, but please keep it away from me. You really are a good actor, for a moment there you had me thinking that you actually cared for her." Andrew said and then left.
"I do." Shane said as soon as the door closed. He did care for her; the problems was, was he really brave enough, bold enough, and stupid enough to tell her and try to have a little relationship behind the scenes without anyone knowing?
Mercedes had kept herself from crying, she knew that Paul could come along at any time. If he saw her crying she would have to tell him everything and then all hell would really break loose. Her mind was a tornado of thoughts and ideas. She was left for the rest of the night with thoughts barreling through her mind at an unbearable speed. She was left with thoughts that were destroying her brain, her heart, the better part of her.
"If that's what he wants to do to me then fine," she told herself. "I won't let him get the best of me. I can get so many other jobs, men; I have a great future ahead of me. I don't need to stay with him." she said. That was the truth, but it was the truth that she didn't want to bow down to. She knew that, for her, there wasn't a better man. She didn't want to go out this way and she was determined not to. If she had to swallow all pride in her then she would, she would give up everything just to have two minutes to fix things with Shane. There was a very large part of her that needed him in her life in one sort of form or another.
"Cedes," Paul said knocking on the door in the morning. "Cedes let me in."
He knocked on the door a little bit harder.
"Coming." she said not wanting to get up yet. She didn't have much sleep and she wanted to stay in. But with Paul banging on the door she knew that he would think that something was wrong if she didn't answer.
"Mercedes, open up." he said getting louder.
"Calm down, I just got up." she said opening the door. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Why did you sleep so late? You scared me; did you forget that we were supposed to have breakfast together with Stephanie?"
Mercedes gave a little grunt. "I'm so sorry." she said after she finished brushing. "I totally forgot. I got to bed late and I guess I slept through the alarm."
"It's not a problem, but you better get ready we have to get out of here."
"What time is it?"
"Near twelve." he said.
"I don't have to get out of here until two. I have a little promo to shoot before the show and that's all." she said. "You go on ahead. I'll see you there tonight."
"You sure? I don't want you to get caught up in anything else and miss it." he said.
"Paul, would you stop treating me like a baby? I can handle my own business affairs."
"I'm sorry, I just don't want anyone taking advantage of you."
"Well what if I want them to? What if I want to get into trouble for no reason? Let me do what I have to do. Leave me alone."
"Mercedes what's up with you today?"
"Get out." she said coldly. "I don't feel like being babied." she looked at Paul's shocked face. "I mean it Paul, go. I am not a baby, I can do what I want and date who I want. There isn't a damn thing that you can do about it." she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Paul stood there shocked for a moment and then walked away. When he told Stephanie what had happened all she said was that she told him not to be so over protective.
Mercedes didn't talk to her brother until later on that night.
"Listen Paul I want to apologize for going off on you like that."
"It's fine. I know that I have been a little hard on you and I'm sorry. I don't want to see you hurt and I am still getting use to you being independent."
"Well get use to it." she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I love you for al that you have done for me, but you've done enough, so please stop."
"I'll try." he smiled. "Go get ready you have a match tonight,"
Mercedes walked off to go to her dressing room, on her way she walked into Shane.
"Oh I'm sorry," she said looking up at him. "Good luck tonight," she said and walked off.
"Mercedes," Shane called after her. She turned around, about ready to cry at her misfortune with Shane. "I'm sorry, but-" he managed to say.
"So am I." she said. Not allowing him to say another word she walked to her dressing room.
There was a knock on her door.
"Come on in." she said. Andrew walked in.
"How you feeling today?" he asked her.
"Not much better, but I'm trying." she said.
"That's good to hear. Have you talked to Shane?" he asked.
"I just saw him. Didn't say much, just good luck and walked away."
"Oh," he said softly.
"Yes, now I have to go out there and pretend that I am sparking something up with Jeff, I don't get how they can do this. I mean how can they not let their personal lives bother them? How do you do it?"
"I don't think about it. When you come into the arena, and step into that ring, you leave your life behind you. You become that alter ego; you are that character and nothing else."
Mercedes nodded. "Good advice, I'll try it."
"Listen, with all that's going on, I want you to know that I am still trying to work on Shane and get him to see that he should take the chance of being with you."
"You don't have to do that, he made his decision and that's the bottom line. Let him alone, if he wants to change his mind then he can."
"Are you sure that you want it that way?" Andrew asked her.
"I'm positive. I don't need someone talking him into having some sort of sympathy or pity for me. I want him to think for himself and look back and see what he's lost."
"You seem o.k. with this all."
"I'm trying to be, but it's really not working very well. I snapped at Paul, and I can't seem to manage a smile for anything in the world. It really does feel like I lost another piece of me."
"Don't worry, things will work out. I guess I should go get changed, I have things to do." he looked at me and shook his head. "You're strong you can get through this o.k.?"
"You know it." Mercedes tried to put on a fake little smile, but it didn't' work very well.
Andrew gave a half grin and walked out as Jeff walked in.
"Hey Mercedes, is everything o.k. with you?" he asked me.
"Not really, but does it matter right now?"
"O.k., if you want to talk about it you know where I am." he said. Jeff, as well as the other members of Team Xtreme was some of her closest friends. "And if not me then I am sure that Amy will be of some help."
"I'm afraid that she won't. Not on this one. Anyway, what's going on."
"Well, we're going on pretty soon, I mean we have the backstage stuff then we have the ring action, so I was just coming to make sure that you are totally cool with doing this,"
"It's my job, and I have no reason not to want to do this. We're adults and know that none of this is going to carry on outside the ring. I mean, you have a girlfriend, and I'm well, I'm single and have no one to worry about, so I should be asking you if this is cool with you."
"You know that it is." he sat down. "Are you sure that you are fine? Is there something that's going on that you don't want to tell me or just are trying to hide from everyone?"
"I'm trying to hide it from everyone and I don't want to talk about it. So basically we have a combination of both."
"O.k. well, show started," Jeff said looking at the clock on the wall.
"I know," I put my head down. "It still seems weird that I am in a way finally associated with Team Xtreme. I'm not being put in it, but how did they think of putting us together?" I asked.
"I don't know, I guess they thought that it would be cute." Jeff brushed away of Mercedes auburn hair and saw a little tear on her face. "Tell me what's wrong."
"I can't. I can't start to cry, I can not and will not go on camera looking like a mess."
"If you want it that way," Jeff stood up. "I have to get suited up and get ready. I'll see you in a few."
Mercedes nodded her head. "I'll be there."
When Jeff walked out all the anger inside of Mercedes emerged as she threw a tray of vegetables across the room. Shane always made sure that she had a little tray in her room.
"I hate you Shane for doing this to me," she yelled. After a few minutes of crying she got herself together and bounced around her room trying to keep her mind busy. She thought about having to go out there and kissing Jeff like it was all real and that she sincerely meant it. There was one thing, she had no love to share, right now her body was filled with anger, but she would take Andrew's advice as she was told to make her way to Jeff's locker room.
"Jeff, I've been looking for you," she said in a cheerful manner when she walked in the dressing room.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well, I wanted to tell you that I really appreciate you getting me away from that monster Albert. He use to be nice, but now he's really flipped."
"I didn't really do anything though."
"Don't be so modest, I just wanted to say thank you for that missile drop kick and letting me get out of there."
"But I-I- didn't-"
"It doesn't matter, I just wanted to thank you and tell you that..." I leaned in and whispered in his ear.
A huge smile crossed Jeff's face as he leaned against the wall.
"Good luck tonight. I'll see you later," I said running my nail down his shirt.
I walked past Matt and Lita and said hi.
"Jeff, Jeff." Matt said waving his hand in front of Jeff's face. "What's going on with him?" Matt asked Lita.
"I don't know. Jeff?" Lita studied his face and shrugged.
As the show went to commercial Jeff still stood there shocked at what I said to him.
"Jeff, you can unfreeze now." Matt said.
"What?" Jeff said snapping out of his daze.
"That's what we should be asking you, what did Mercedes say that did that to you?"
"Something that is very interesting, and that I am definitely going to enjoy later on." Jeff smiled again and didn't say another word.
Mercedes had whispered to him that when she went out to kiss him she was going to go full force so he better be prepared. It was immature, but she knew that it would make Shane jealous and she wanted to upset him. It was a small measure of revenge for the things that Shane had said to her.
Jeff had a match against X-Pac for the light heavy weight belt that night. Since Albert did not show up ringside Mercedes walked out during the middle of the match and "distracted" X-Pac. Allowing Jeff to get the three count and be crowned the new light heavy weight champion. This was how Mercedes was going to be the newest ally to the members of "Team Xtreme".
She jumped in the ring and gave Jeff a hug and held his hand up high. Unexpected to Jeff, she grabbed him and kissed. Mercedes had told him that she wasn't hold anything back, but he had surprised her. After she pulled away from the kiss she smiled and left the ring. Mercedes looked back and mouthed sorry to Jeff. He ran up after her, something that she didn't plan on him doing and grabbed her arm. He lifted his eyebrows and grabbed her for another kiss. If Mercedes thought that he and she had let everything go last time, she was wrong.
She stood there and let Jeff do his thing, and then she walked up the platform hand in hand.
She slapped him as we got backstage. "What was that about?"
"What?" he asked. "I am just doing my job."
"That seemed like you took a little bit past your job and went a little into your own pleasure."
"So what if I did? You didn't seem to fight it to much," he said with a smile.
"Whatever," Mercedes said with a laugh.
"You were just too good the first time to let you go without a second kiss."
"Right," She said. "I am sure that it was. Just please, if you plan on doing something like that then would you please tell me?"
"I will. Welcome to our relationship," Jeff said jokingly.
"Oh yeah I can tell right now that I am going to like this so much."
"Consider yourself lucky. I'll catch you back at the hotel."
"Bye." Mercedes headed to her dressing room. She saw Shane standing there and almost turned around. "This is ridiculous," she thought to herself. "He isn't going to mess up my life like this."
She walked by him without a word.
"What no hi anymore?" he said.
"You want to hear hi? Get a life." she said coldly. She was trying to play it hard and upset but every bit of her wanted to fall in his arms and beg him to give the two of a chance.
"Why are you being so mean?"
"There's a simple answer to that, it's what you deserve. Excuse me I have to get changed so I can leave."
"Can you at least talk to me?"
"When you learn how to talk then I'll think about it."
"You can't even say that you are mad at me, that makes no sense. You just went out there, made out with Jeff and you are mad at me? Shouldn't this be the other way around?"
"No, two reasons. One, it's all a storyline and two I am not in any type of relationship with anyone so yes I have ever right to be mad at you."
"That's not fair."
"Neither are you and neither is life." She shut the door in his face and threw her bag against the wall. She cared for him so much, but she couldn't just give in to him and fall into his arms. She needed to make her point and show that she could live without him. She wanted him, but she didn't need him. And she needed to make that clear to him.
There was a soft knock on the door as Mercedes was getting her things together.
"Mercedes can I come in?"
"Yeah," she said. Stephanie walked in and sat down next to her.
"You know, Paul was a little shocked at the way that you acted."
"I know, and I have to talk to him about that a little more, I was just under a little to much stress."
"Is there anything that you want to talk to me about?"
Mercedes stayed quiet and thought about telling her. If there was a way that she could tell her without it getting back to Paul then she would have.
"No," she said finally. "I'm o.k. I just need a little time to cool off and calm down, I'm still all pumped up from that match."
"That was quite a kiss with Jeff."
"It was all his idea, but he's not half bad." They laughed and talked for a few more minutes.
"Cedes," Paul yelled as she was walking to her car.
"Yeah," she yelled back turning around.
"Come by my room later if you can. I want to talk."
"I will if I can. If I can't, I'll catch up with you at tomorrow's show."
"O.k. then I'll see you a bit later."
It was one of the times that Paul and Mercedes didn't travel together. She had decided to travel with Matt, Jeff and Amy.
She walked into the hotel to get her things together for the early trip the next day.
As she walked into her room she saw a few bunches of yellow and pink roses. She found a card in one of the bouquets.
She recognized the writing as Shane's.
"If you can't forgive me to be a couple, then please at least except this apology so that we can get back to being friends. I need you."
She smiled and laughed at the same time that she wanted to through the flowers out the window or over Shane's head.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. And as sure as she was there was Shane standing at the door.
"Listen, I know that card doesn't say it all, but I'm sorry." he said.
"I didn't want to lie, but I knew that you would get all nervous and everything if I told you that I was Paul's sister."
"I know I overreacted and I am so sorry about that. When I saw you kiss Jeff I just felt like I was missing out on all of these great things that he was getting. I tried to tell you that I was sorry, but I couldn't and I didn't know how. I was to proud. You didn't deserve any of what I said to you at all."
"I did deserve some of it. Come in, I want to talk to you."
So the talking with Paul left Mercedes mind and she sat and talked with Shane for hours. They weren't talking about even starting a relationship, but it was as if they were finding out about each other for the first time. They talked about everything and each apologized hundreds of times. Shane knew that he had more to be sorry for, but he liked the fact that Mercedes was even take any of the credit for that fight and they way that each of them had acted that day.