Daughter of the Deadman
Chapter 3: A Hectic Night
Angel was right. It had been one hectic day. She had been busy since she first got there that morning. She had learned that she was going to be teaming up with Kristy for the first time in a long time, but that wasn't what was bothering her as she walked back to the locker room. What bothered her was the way that Hunter had put the idea to her. As a result, she was headed back to the locker room with her eyes rolled completely back and a trail of broken glass showing the route she had taken. It must have scared everyone because they all steered clear of her. When she got back to the locker room, she walked in and slammed the door behind her. At that exact moment, the lights above them shattered.
"Angel, calm down. What happened?" David asked.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Angel snapped at him.
"Ang, what happened?" Kristy asked.
"Owen, you had better kick that big nosed freak from here to hell and back again!" Angel snapped.
"I intend to...but what did he say this time?" Owen asked.
"He said that I had to carry Kristy tonight in a tag match!" Angel snapped.
"Oh, boy." Bret said.
"Wait...what the hell?" Kristy asked.
"He essentially said that Angel is better than you and Angel's going to have to do the bulk of the work in the match tonight." Davey said.
"Oh, I should have seen this coming!" Kristy snapped.
"Girls, don't let it get to you. Just go out there and prove him wrong. Lord knows you're both experts at that." Bret said.
"I honestly thought for a minute that Angel ran into her Uncle..." Owen said.
"Don't...call him that. That man is not my Uncle!" Angel snapped.
"He's too normal to be Kane." Kristy said.
Before anyone could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Everyone looked at each other. They weren't expecting anyone to be there. Angel told Kristy to answer the door. Kristy just stared at Angel for a second, sure that her friend knew exactly what was going on. Kristy sighed and opened the door. She slapped her forehead, but she was beaming from ear to ear.
Everyone else seemed shocked. Standing there in his trench coat and his hat with his ring gear on, looking ready for a fight, was Taker himself. Peeking out from behind him was Lea and she wasn't there by herself. There was another little girl there too.
Taker lead the girls into the locker room. Lea had a huge smile on her face. However, the other little girl looked a little bit afraid. Taker walked over and took hold of Angel's hands. He closed his eyes and a second later, Angel relaxed. She beamed and threw her arms around her Dad in a hug. Then she turned and looked at Kristy.
"Surprise." she said.
"You knew he was coming?" Kristy asked.
"Oh, come on. In the back of your mind, you knew he'd find out what was going on and show up." Angel said.
"True." Kristy said.
"Besides, I had to have a talk with the old man." Taker said.
"Why does Vince want you back sooner than usual, Daddy?" Angel asked.
"He wants me to bring my brother to his senses." Taker said.
"Fine. Just don't stick Lea and I in the middle of it!" Angel snapped.
"Angel...don't snap at me like that, young lady." Taker said.
"Taker, get used to it. She always snaps like that when we mention him." Bret said.
"That's because she thought Kane cared about her and he goes and turns on her like that." Kristy said.
"Stop talking about him!" Angel snapped.
Kristy sighed. It had been just a little over five years since Kane had gone corporate on them and turned his back on his niece and Angel still hadn't come close to getting over it yet. The mere mention of him caused her to get angry. Lea didn't know what to do so she did what she always did. She gave Angel a big hug and told her that it would be alright and they'd get Kane back to the way he was supposed to be. Angel smiled. Then she noticed the brown haired blue eyed little girl that was standing beside Taker looking very worried.
"Oh, Lea. Is this your friend Sienna?" Angel asked.
"Yep! She asked to come over because she wanted to meet you, but you left, so Daddy asked her Mom if she could come with us so she could meet all of you." Lea said.
"Oh." Angel said, walking over and kneeling down in front of her, "Hi, Sienna. I'm Angel. I'm Lea's big sister. You don't have to worry. Everyone in this room is very nice."
"You're the Dead Girl right?" Sienna asked.
"That's my character, yes." Angel said.
"I've seen you kick major butt. And...oh, wow. You're the Hart Princess! You're dating Edge right?" Sienna asked.
"That's right, but my real name is Kristy. It's nice to meet you, Sienna." Kristy said, kneeling down in front of the little girl.
"Is it true that you're like me?" Sienna asked.
"What do you mean?" Kristy asked.
By way of answer, Sienna reached up and popped out her hearing aids. Then she held them out for everyone to see. They were all even more surprised now. Sienna quickly put them back in, looking worried. Everyone knew why she looked so worried about having told them. She was scared that they were going to treat her differently, or worse.
"I'm like you, Sienna. See?" Kristy said as she popped her hearing aids out and put them back in again.
"Can you sign too?" Sienna asked.
"Yeah, I can." Kristy said.
"How do you wrestle if you don't wear your hearing aids in the ring?" Sienna asked.
"Well, I use my eyes and when I'm pinning someone or being pinned, I feel the referee's count by the vibration in the mat, so I know when to kick out or when I've won." Kristy said.
"Oh, I've seen Dead Girl come out after your matches sometimes..." Sienna said.
"I just come out to let Kristy know that the crowd is cheering for her. It makes her feel happy." Angel said.
"Oh...I wish I could wrestle so that people would cheer for me like they do for you guys. Everyone makes fun of me at school." Sienna said.
"It's really bad." Lea said.
"Want to know a secret, Sienna?" Kristy asked.
"What is it?" Sienna asked eagerly.
"People like us are special. We can have conversations with people that no one can understand. It's like we have our own secret code." Kristy said with a smile.
"That's neat. I never thought about it that way before. But...I don't even like going to school anymore." Sienna said, looking upset.
"It started last year after a girl at school tripped her and she fell and one of her hearing aids fell out. Now everyone knows and they tease her and bully her. Finally, I got mad and stuck up for her." Lea explained.
"Well, that's familiar." Bret said.
"It happened to me too, Sienna. I just told them to bug off and that just because I was deaf didn't mean I was different from them." Kristy said.
"But...I can't..." Sienna said.
"Sienna, want to know something? When I was in school, people picked on me." Angel said.
"No way! No one could bully you!" Sienna said.
"It's true, Sienna. Kristy and I met the same way you and Lea did. Jennifer Hickenbottom was bullying me and Kristy had seen enough." Angel said.
"Wow. But...what should I do...?" Sienna asked.
"Just keep doing what you're doing. Keep going to school. I know it's not easy. Believe me, I know." Angel said.
"I'll always have your back Sienna!" Lea said.
"And so will we. If you need our help, we'll be here for you." Kristy said.
"Of course." Angel said.
"If you need us, we're here, Sienna." Taker said.
"Lea, you let us know if you think Sienna needs our help, alright?" Angel asked.
"You would help me?" Sienna asked.
"Of course they would. Kristy and Angel are good at knowing when people need help." Lea said with a smile.
Sienna beamed and gave Lea a hug. After that, she relaxed somewhat. She even started talking to Bret and the others too and took a picture with all of them so she could show her Mom and Dad when she went home.
"I think she's a great friend for Lea." Kristy said.
"Yeah, but what about Wyatt? Isn't he going to be jealous that Lea has a new friend?" Angel asked.
"Ang, don't you see it?" Kristy asked.
"No way...you mean..." Angel said.
"Gotta be." Kristy said.
"You think she could be?" Angel asked.
"She could be, but I don't know for sure. I'd have to spend more time with her." Kristy said.
"OK. What did you two figure out that we're completely missing?" Bret asked.
"We think Sienna could be a Guardian for Lea." Angel said.
"What's a guardian?" Sienna asked, curiously.
"Well, Sisi, it's like a best friend for people like Angel, Lea and Uncle Taker. You help them when they need it and you can heal them. My son Wyatt is Lea's guardian and I think you could be too." Kristy said.
"Hang on, we need to back up and explain everything to Sienna. She looks confused." Taker said.
"I'm just wondering...what do you mean by...well, people like Lea and Angel...and Mr. Undertaker?" Sienna asked.
"Hm. Well, Sienna, have you seen the things that Daddy and I do on TV that seem...well, not like something normal people can do?" Angel said.
"Yeah. But...I thought that was all fireworks and stuff." Sienna said.
"Nope! It's real. Show her, Angel, but don't scare her too much." Lea said.
Angel looked at Taker. He nodded. Angel rolled her eyes back into her head and lifted Sienna off the floor but made sure her toes were still touching it. After a minute, she set Sienna down and relaxed. She blinked and her eyes went back to normal. Sienna didn't say anything. She just stared at Angel. She looked amazed, fascinated and scared all at once.
"Do you understand now, Sisi?" Kristy asked.
"I...don't think...I'm not Lea's guardian." Sienna said.
"Sienna, if you're scared, it's alright..." Lea said.
"Kristy was scared when she first found out too. I think she was more scared then you are, Little Sienna." Taker said.
"I don't want to be someone's guardian! I won't do it!." Sienna said.
"Sisi...I know it's hard to understand and it's scary...but unfortunately this isn't something you can make a choice about." Kristy said.
"Kristy! Don't be like that. The poor girl is terrified. Sienna, how come you don't want to be Lea's guardian? What is it about that idea that makes you worried and scared?" Angel asked gently.
"I don't know anything about being a guardian to someone! And I'm not brave like Kristy is!" Sienna said.
"Hey, it's alright. We'll help you." Angel said.
"I can't do it! I'm just Lea's friend! I'm not her guardian." Sienna said, breaking down into tears.
Angel, Taker and Lea all reacted at once, hugging Sienna. Lea lead her over to the couch and she climbed up and sat down, looking upset. It wasn't that she didn't want to be Lea's guardian, it was just the idea of it that scared her. Kristy sighed and sat down and quickly signed something to her.
You don't have to be Lea's Guardian, Sisi. You can be her friend. No one is going to force you to be Lea's Guardian. The only reason I became Angel's guardian was because she didn't have Uncle Taker to look after her. Kristy signed.
What would I have to do...if I were to be Lea's Guardian I mean? It's not that...I don't want to, but it's scary. Sienna signed back.
"Did you all catch that?" Kristy asked everyone in the room.
"Yeah. We caught that." Taker said.
"How did you know?" Bret asked.
"It was something that Uncle Owen used to do with me when I was younger. I didn't like to talk about what was bothering me, so signing made it easier." Kristy said.
"OK. Well, we need to explain this to her somehow." Taker said.
"Sisi, you wouldn't really have to do much. It's just...you would know if Lea was in danger. And...you have powers of your own, and if Lea's in trouble, you can use them to help her." Angel explained.
"That's basically it." Kristy said.
"So I don't have to use my powers unless I need to?" Sienna asked.
"Exactly." Kristy and Angel said in stereo.
"And if you're with Lea when she's using her powers, then Lea will be stronger." Angel said.
"I don't even want to think about how strong Lea will be if you and my son are in the same room with her. If Angel is any indication..." Kristy said.
"OK. I understand now. But Kristy can you show me what Guardian powers are like?" Sienna said.
"It's not that easy, Little Sienna. Angel would have to be in trouble for Kristy's powers to work, so unless something happens in the next little while, you're not going to get to see it." Taker said.
"He's right, Sisi. Guardian powers come and go. They only come when needed." Kristy said.
"OK. So, if Lea has two Guardians, does that mean everyone with powers does?" Sienna asked.
"No, Sienna. Lea and Angel are the only ones who have two Guardians. Kristy and David are Angel's and Wyatt and you are Lea's. At least it looks that way." Taker said.
"Right. Do you want to see Wyatt?" Kristy said.
Sienna nodded. Kristy took out her Cell Phone and showed the little girl the picture of Wyatt that his father had sent her that morning of Wyatt in his Hart Foundation clothes. Sienna beamed and asked when she could meet him in person. She was thinking that she might get another friend out of all this.
"You'll meet him soon. He'll be coming to Houston with his Dad as soon as I can get some time away from this...place." Kristy said catching herself.
"OK." Sienna said.
"Speaking of that, other then what is going on with Hunter and Owen, what else is going on tonight?" Taker asked.
"I'm supposed to "carry Kristy in a Tag Team match" tonight. Hunter's words. Not mine." Angel said.
"Yeah, well, big nose has had it out for me ever since I popped Jen a good one a few years back." Kristy said.
"Other than that...not much. Ty and Nattie have a mixed tag match against Fandango and Summer Rae." Bret said.
"How is that dancing weirdo still in WWE?" Sienna asked, making everyone laugh.
"We don't know, Sisi, but he's a weirdo isn't he?" Kristy said with a giggle.
"Someone needs to tell him that when you're in the WWE you're supposed to wrestle, not dance." Lea said, making everyone laugh again.
"Uncle Taker, do you have an idea when exactly you're supposed to come back full time? We need to get...him back on our side again." Kristy said, ignoring Angel's glare.
"I don't know, Krissy. That depends on the old man, but I'm going to have a talk with him tonight. Angel Marie Calaway, don't give me that look, young lady." Taker said with a chuckle.
"Krissy and Angel have this sort of twin look when they get angry. Angel starts it and Kristy finishes it. I get confused sometimes." Lea explained to Sienna.
"Why is Angel angry?" Sienna asked, looking worried.
"Because of the way Kane has been acting. And the way he turned on her." Kristy said.
"Do you have to tell her the story?" Angel growled.
"No. I saw it on TV. You almost had the Women's Title won when he came out and attacked you. I remember that. I screamed insults at him." Sienna said with a giggle.
"It's not so much that I'm mad at him. I'm...just hurt by it. And every time I think about the fact that he's working under that big nosed arse hole, I get mad." Angel said.
"We all get mad thinking about the fact that he works for that big nosed, egotistical, big headed baboon." Kristy said.
"Big headed baboon? Owen..." Bret said.
"What? Is it my fault she picked up on my words as a kid?" Owen asked.
"You were always teaching her to do things. Dad always says that she's your child and not Davey's." Bret said.
"Hey! I resent that! Daddy was always the one who was stealing everyone's towels!" Kristy said.
"I knew it! Damn it, Davey! That explains why every time I needed a towel it would disappear." Taker said.
"OK, I admit it. It was me." Davey said.
"I figured." Taker said with a laugh.
Everyone was laughing by now. Soon it was time for the show to start. Taker decided that he was going to stick around. No one asked questions about it, but they were sure that it had something to do with Kane. They wondered if he didn't trust his brother. Thankfully, everyone was spared asking by Angel.
"Are you sure you want to stay here, Daddy?" Angel asked.
"Yes, baby girl. I'm sure. I have a feeling. Something is going to happen to you tonight." Taker said.
"Oh, Daddy. You worry too much." Angel said with a laugh.
"He's not wrong. I've had a bad feeling all day that there's a reason Hunter wants to face Uncle Owen tonight. I don't know what it is, but it's got something to do with the past." Kristy said.
"OK. Daddy, why do you have a bad feeling about me? I'm gonna be fine." Angel said.
"I just...my brother isn't finished with you yet, baby girl. I get the feeling he's going to be sticking you in the middle of this weather you want to be or not." Taker said.
"Great..." Angel said.
"Why is it every time he goes human on us it's bad?" Kristy said.
"Hey. It wasn't always bad. He was human before to a certain extent. Remember?" Bret said.
"Yeah, but this is different!" Kristy said.
"OK. I'm just going to say this. If he wants to pull me into this, he can, by all means. But if he thinks I'm going to side with him against Daddy, he's wrong and if he touches Lea in any way I'm going to kill him...if I get there before Daddy does." Angel said.
"No offence, Ang, but you won't." Kristy said.
"I won't what?" Angel asked.
"You won't get there before Uncle Taker." Kristy said.
"And even if you did, I don't think you could bring yourself to do anything to him, no matter how mad and hurt by him you are." David said.
"That's true, Little Angel. Your Dad is different." Bret said.
Angel turned around and looked at Bret. Her expression had changed from a little bit angry to completely livid. Bret didn't understand why at first, but then he thought about what he had just said. He had just called her Little Angel and as far as she was concerned, even if she was mad at him, only her Uncle was allowed to call her that. Taker sighed.
"It slipped out, Angel! I'm sorry." Bret said.
"Nice going, Uncle Bret. Good job." Kristy said, patting him on the shoulder.
"I may be angry at him and he may have hurt me, but he's the only one that's allowed to call me Little Angel!" Angel snapped.
"Sweetheart, it was an accident. Bret didn't mean it." David said.
"Yeah, Ang. You know how Uncle Bret is. He speaks before his brain thinks." Kristy said.
Angel nodded, but even so, she turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Taker looked worried now. He hated it when she took off when she was at the arenas. It wasn't that she went looking for trouble. It was that trouble always seemed to find her. Sienna opened her mouth to ask if Angel was alright, but Taker spoke first.
"There's a big part of her that is angry with Kane and hurt by Kane, but there's a part of her that won't let her forget that he's family." he explained.
"So...she's angry and hurt...but she sorta misses him too because he's her Uncle..right?" Sienna asked.
"You've got it, Little Sienna." Taker said.
"I'm going to find her. It's not safe with baboon butt running around." Kristy said.
"Check the stairwells, Little Krissy." Taker said.
"Why?" Bret asked.
"Old habits die hard, my friend." was all Taker said.
Kristy nodded. She knew what he meant. She walked out of the locker room and walked around the arena. Every time she came to a door that lead to a stairwell, she would check to see if Angel was there. When she hit the last one, she didn't even need to open the door to know that Angel was there. She could hear her best friend yelling at someone. Kristy threw the door open and ran up the stairs.
She saw Angel face to face with Kane and Triple H. Hunter was saying something about how Angel wound up in a bad way the last time the two had met in a stairwell and that she maybe should have learned that they aren't the safest places to be.
"I don't care what you think. But I notice you aren't alone. What are you going to do? Sick him on me?" Angel asked, nodding at Kane.
"YOU BASTARDS! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" Kristy yelled, walking closer.
"Kristy...go back to the locker room and bring...your surprise back here. I know how this is going to end and it's not going to be good for me. He might be able to help." Angel said, sounding surprisingly calm.
"My surprise? Ang, what are you-? Oh! Are you sure?" Kristy asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now go! This might not end well for me, but I'm going to go down fighting. And I would prefer if you didn't see it happen." Angel said.
"You think you can take on both of us at once? You have more guts then brains, Angel." Hunter said.
"If I'm going down, I'm not going to make it easy on you!" Angel said.
"He's on his way, Ang. Apparently, I learned a trick or two while I was dealing with this bastard." Kristy said in a low voice.
"Power spike?" Angel mouthed back.
"Signal lights. It'll be here." Kristy said.
"I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came, Kristy." Kane told her.
"Don't you even so much as start with me, Kane." Kristy snapped.
It was at that moment that Hunter threw the first punch. Before Kristy knew what happened, all hell had broken loose. Angel hadn't seen it coming and she had no time to brace herself for it. It was only a matter of time before Kane joined in. All Kristy could do was watch what was happening and scream at them to stop. Then suddenly, she heard footsteps running on the stairs. The next instant, Kane and Hunter were thrown away from Angel. Kristy looked behind there and saw Taker standing there, looking livid. He walked over to Kane and picked him up by the throat and held him against the wall.
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Kane. And you're going to pay for it even if it takes everything I have in me!" Taker growled.
He dropped his brother to the floor. Hunter was staring at him in horror, thinking he was next, but Taker turned his attention to Angel. Luckily she had managed to curl up into a ball on the floor and put her hands up over her face to stop some of the assault. Taker picked her up and Angel buried her face in his shoulder and cried. Then he left the stairwell. Kristy followed behind him.
"Uncle Taker...I'm sorry. I froze. All I could do was stand there like an idiot and yell at them to stop." Kristy said.
"It's not your fault, Krissy. You didn't know that Kane was going to do this and neither did I. You were right to follow Angel and I was right to come here tonight. I knew that something was going on and with my brother involved. It's not good." Taker said.
"Is she OK?" Kristy asked.
"She's scared. I think she may or may not be having a flashback at the moment. That still happens sometimes." Taker said.
"Yeah, I know. So help me god Hunter and that sick dumb bell are going to pay for this! Even if it means me having to...OK, I'll hush." Kristy said.
"Krissy?" Taker asked.
"Nothing. Ang just gave me a look that told me to shut up." Kristy said.
"D-Daddy?" Angel asked.
"What is it, baby girl? Are you alright?" Taker asked.
"Flashback..." Angel whispered.
"I thought so. Are you sure you're alright?" Taker asked.
"I...don't know..." Angel whispered.
"Ang, hey. I'm so sorry. I just froze. If I'd seen it coming, I'd have stopped it." Kristy said.
"Don't worry about it..." Angel whispered.
"Baby girl, I have to get Sienna back home and figure out what to do about Lea, but I'm going to come back, OK? I promise." Taker said.
"N-no. Daddy...you're supposed to be home..." Angel said.
"Ang, normally I'd agree with you on this, but he's right. As long as that big nosed baboon's ass is running around here with a completely twisted and not to mention moronic monster at his side, we aren't safe." Kristy said.
"You really are related to your Uncle Owen, aren't you?" Taker asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah, well, I'm related to you, too Uncle Taker. Don't forget that." Kristy said.
"I'm not likely to, Kristy. I'm not likely to." Taker said.
"But...Daddy..." Angel said.
"I know that I'm supposed to be home and you want Lea to go to school and everything, but you need me too. You may be twenty-two years old now, baby girl, but that doesn't mean you don't need me around." Taker said.
Angel nodded. That was true. She still needed him around even though she was in her twenties. Taker stopped outside the locker room, deciding to brace himself for what he knew was coming. He opened the door and stepped in. Sure enough, as soon as the door closed, multiple voices asked him what had happened.
"That bastard and my brother attacked her!" Taker growled.
"WHAT?!" Owen yelled.
"Yeah. So I'm going to take Sienna back home and then come back. I've got to be here to protect Angel." Taker said.
"But what about Lea?" Bret asked.
"Sienna, do you think your Mom and Dad would let Lea stay with you for a bit?" Taker asked.
"But I want to be here!" Lea said.
"L-Lea...please...listen to Daddy...it's not safe..." Angel said.
"But I wanna be here with you guys!" Lea said, bursting into tears.
"Lea...it's not safe for you, sweetheart. It's not that we don't want you to be here." Owen said.
"But...Angel needs me here!" Lea said.
"Lea, we want you here, Little One, we really do, but it's not safe with Hunter running around with your Uncle attacking people. I want you to go home so that I know you're safe." Taker said.
"I...guess I can. Just don't forget about me..." Lea said.
"Is that what you're scared of? That we're going to forget about you?" Taker said.
"Yes." Lea said.
"Hey, hold on. Before we go any farther with this...someone's missing. Where's Kristy?" Bret said.
"I could have sworn she was...oh, no." Taker said.
"What? What happened?" Owen said.
"It was when my brother and Hunter were attacking Angel. Kristy froze. All she could do was stand there and yell at them to stop..." Taker explained.
"Well, that's not like her. What the hell happened?" Bret asked.
"I don't know. She didn't tell me. I just know she was right behind us and she must have taken off." Taker said.
"Oh, no. I know what's happening. She and Angel were supposed to have a tag match tonight. She's going to go to that ring and let herself get slaughtered by whoever they were supposed to face." Davey said.
"Oh no! That's awful." Sienna said.
"Of course...she thinks she screwed up..." Taker said.
"I wish she would listen to us..." Owen said.
"Blame Davey." Bret said.
"Hey! Don't blame me! It's Diana that physically punished her when she supposedly made a mistake." Davey said.
"Guys! Enough! What are we going to do?!" Nattie said.
"We can't just let her get beaten up." Tyson said.
"It's too late..." Lea said.
Everyone noticed that she was staring at the monitor. They saw Kristy in the ring with the Bella Twins and she wasn't even trying to fight back against them. She was just letting them beat her down. Angel tried to squirm her way from Taker's arms, but he just held on tighter, telling her she was not getting near that ring after what had happened to her.
"I can't just stay here! She's getting hurt! I was supposed to be her partner tonight! Daddy, let go!" Angel snapped at him.
"No. You're in no condition to be even going near the ring let alone getting in it." Taker said.
"Well, someone has to help her!" Angel said.
"I'll go." David said.
"What?!" Owen asked surprised.
"Um, don't take this the wrong way, David, but are you feeling OK?" Bret said.
"I feel fine, but my sister is in trouble!" David said.
He left the room and ran full speed toward the ring. The fans screamed when they saw him and he started yelling at the Bellas to get the hell off of his sister. They backed off quickly. David pulled Kristy from the ring and carried her back to the locker room.
When he got back there, he found that Angel was standing up now, but still clinging to her father, obviously scared. David tried to set Kristy down, but she wouldn't let go of him. Instead, she whispered something into his ear. David nodded.
"She says she's sorry that she screwed up." David said
Angel sighed. She walked over and tapped Kristy on the shoulder. Kristy looked at her best friend and saw that tears were running down Angel's face and she was making no effort to wipe them away either.
You may have frozen, but you didn't screw up, Kristy. If you hadn't been there, Daddy never would have known I was in trouble. It's OK. Angel signed.
No it's not. Kristy signed back.
Yeah it is. It's OK because you were able to get Daddy to come and help me and all the pieces are in the right places. Granted, I'm scared at the moment, but I'll be calm soon. Angel signed.
Kristy nodded. Sienna was watching the whole scene, feeling stunned. It was surprising to see Angel, who always seemed so strong to her, crying like that and being scared. She wondered if all that stuff that she had said to AJ five years ago when she had exploded on TV was true after all.
Kristy, why don't you go with my Daddy when he takes Sienna and Lea back home? Angel signed.
But...Uncle Owen's match. Kristy signed.
"Tell her that I'll be fine. She needs Taker right now." Owen said with a smile.
Owen says he'll be just fine and that it's my Daddy you need right now. Angel signed.
But-. Kristy signed.
Look, don't question him alright? Your connection with him is just as strong as the one you've got with my Daddy. Owen just...knows. You need my Daddy more then you need him right now. So just go with it. Angel signed.
OK. I'll go with Uncle Taker. Kristy signed.
"I'll be fine, Kristy. Don't you worry. I'll handle that big nosed moronic brute. But you need to be with Taker right now. You can come back when Taker drops off the girls OK?" Owen said as Angel signed.
"And as for you, Little One. We're not going to forget about you or Sienna." Taker said.
"Do you promise, Daddy?" Lea asked.
"Why would you think that we'd forget about you?" Angel asked as she continued translating for Kristy.
"Because you'll all be busy fighting." Lea said.
"Hey, don't you worry. We won't forget about the two of you. You're too important." Taker said.
"Of course we won't forget you." Angel said.
"OK. Can you come on the car ride with us, Angel?" Lea asked.
"Daddy, do you mind?" Angel asked.
"No. I don't mind." Taker said.
Lea beamed from ear to ear. She gave her Dad a hug. Sienna smiled too. She was glad that Lea seemed happy. Even more so then usual. Taker turned to Owen.
"I know that look. I'll be careful. Don't worry." Owen said to him before he could speak.
"Just make sure you are, alright? I don't want to have to bring Kristy back only to find out you were in the trainer's room and had to be sent to the hospital. At that rate, she'll never speak again. If she loses you, it will kill her. Not to mention what it will do to Angel and Lea." Taker said.
Owen nodded. David set Kristy down and she left with Taker, Lea, Sienna and Angel. Before they even went to the parking lot, they tracked down the referee that had been in the ring for Kristy's match and got her hearing aids back. However, rather than putting them back in, she shook her head and pocketed them.
"Mr. Undertaker, is Kristy going to be alright?" Sienna asked, looking worried.
"Sienna, you can just call me Taker or Mark if you want." Taker said.
"No, I can't. Mom and Dad always tell me that I have to be very polite and respectful." Sienna said.
"Oh. Well, Kristy is going to be alright soon. She's just very upset and when she gets upset, she pulls her hearing aids out and won't talk. Don't worry. It's not anything you did." Taker said.
"It's because those mean twins beat her up, Mr. Taker?" Sienna asked.
"Not exactly, Sisi." Taker said.
Kristy, can I tell her what's wrong? Angel signed.
Sure. Kristy signed back.
"Well, Sienna when I left earlier I went to a stairwell. I was there for a few minutes when Kane and Triple H came in and found me there. We were in the middle of a screaming match when Kristy came in. I got her to signal to my Daddy that something was wrong. Then the two of them attacked me. The reason why Kristy is so upset because she froze and couldn't use her guardian powers to help me. She thinks she made a mistake, so she went to the ring and let herself get beat up." Angel said.
"But it wasn't Kristy's fault! She got scared!" Sienna said.
"I know, but when Kristy was growing up...every time she supposedly made a mistake, her Mom, Diana, would use physical punishment to try and "fix her". So now if something happens and Kristy thinks she's made a mistake, she expects to get hit or punched or something." Angel told her as calmly as she could.
"That isn't good. Kristy is so sweet and nice. I would think that no one would want to hurt her or you Angel." Sienna said.
"I know, but it happened." Angel said.
"So...five years ago...when you blew up in the ring while you were talking to AJ Lee...was all that stuff true about the abuse and everything?" Sienna asked hesitating.
"Unfortunately, it's all true, Sisi." Angel said.
"Wow. So...now I get what Kristy told me about all that Guardian stuff. But...I don't understand how I became Lea's guardian. Was I chosen?" Sienna asked.
Before anyone could answer, they arrived at the parking lot. They got into the car and pulled out and drove away. Angel sat in the front seat passenger seat next to her Dad, trying not to show that she was hurting from the earlier attack. Kristy sat in the back with the two girls, not saying a word. Once they were on the road for a bit, Taker tried to answer Sienna's earlier question.
"Well, Sienna, you were born with your Guardian Powers there. It means that someone in your family somewhere was a Guardian and it was passed on to you, just like someone in Kristy's family was a Guardian at some point and it got passed on to her and David somehow. But everyone who has powers has a Guardian or in Angel and Lea's case, two of them." Taker said.
"I think Kristy's and David's both came from Davey's side. I love Bret and Owen a lot, but with the Hart Family history, I doubt Guardian Powers could have come from that side." Angel said.
"You're probably right." Taker said.
"So...that means either my Mom's family or my Dad's family had Guardians somewhere?" Sienna asked.
"That's right." Lea said.
"But what about you...I mean, how did you all get your powers?" Sienna asked.
"Well, I was born with mine. Daddy gave Lea hers. And as for Daddy himself...well, all I'm going to say about that is that his were given to him when he was a child." Angel said.
"You mean he used to be a child too?" Sienna asked.
"Sure he was. Where else would he come from? He didn't just pop up out of thin air, silly." Lea said, giggling.
"But...that means he was little like Lea and I. There's no way!" Sienna said.
"I know that it's hard to imagine, Sisi, but at one time, even the Undertaker was a child." Angel said with a laugh.
"Yep. Daddy has a Mom too. She's Grandma Leanna, but she died way before Angel and I were born." Lea said.
"Oh. So you two never met her then..." Sienna said.
"Well...that's not entirely true, Sienna." Taker said quietly.
"What does that mean?" Sienna asked.
"Well, see...um...OK, Daddy help me out. I don't want to scare the poor girl half to death with this piece of information." Angel said.
"Grandma Leanna and my Mom still visit us. When people like Daddy, Angel and I or our Guardians pass away, we can still come and visit. Mommy stayed with Angel most of the time when she was little. So, we still see them, just like in ghost form." Lea said.
"My Dad can do that! He can talk to the dead! It's a little creepy sometimes, but he talked to my Uncle and my Grandpa before. Daddy says I have that power too, but I'm too young to realize it." Sienna said.
"Well, we know where the Guardian thing comes from then." Taker said.
Sienna beamed. She didn't feel scared now. She was sort of hoping her powers would come in handy at some point. They drove the rest of the way to Houston, talking about everything they could think of. When they got into Houston, Sienna told Taker how to get to her house. When they pulled into the driveway, Taker told the girls he would be back soon and to wait here. Angel nodded and so did Lea. Kristy didn't say anything.
Taker got out of the car with Sienna and went up to the house. He knocked on the door and when it opened, Taker went in. He seemed to be in there for a long time and when he came out, he was smiling. He got back in the car and told them that Lea would spend the night at home and go to school the next morning. After that, she was going to stay with Sienna and her family while Taker was gone. Lea beamed. She waved goodbye to Sienna, who was now staring at them through the window.
They drove to the house and when Taker pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, he unlocked the door. Kristy went into the house and went all the way up to the attic where she had set up a shrine to Angel's mother Beth so long ago. All three of the girls tended to go up there if they were upset, saying they felt closer to Beth up there.
Angel decided to leave Kristy to Taker since she would talk to him when she would talk to no one else. She took Lea upstairs and ran her a bath. She didn't need to sit there with Lea anymore so she went and got her some clean clothes and packed her a suitcase for her stay with Sienna. She wondered if Kristy was doing alright.
Up in the attic, Kristy was sitting there crying her eyes out. Taker just sat there, hugging her. Kristy knew that it was no good telling him that she wanted to be left alone. He didn't like leaving her when she was an emotional wreck like this. He just let her cry, knowing full well that when she was ready to talk, she'd say something.
"Uncle Taker...I don't know what happened...I just froze. I couldn't help..." Kristy said.
"Kristy, it's alright. It's not your fault. I told you before, you didn't see it coming." Taker said.
"But...that's never happened to me before. I've never frozen like that. Every time Angel's been in trouble before now I've always been able to help..." Kristy sobbed.
"I know, Little Krissy, but this was different. Kane was involved. Your Guardian powers didn't think he was a threat. They didn't sense the threat coming from him, so they didn't kick in. If it had just been Hunter by himself it would have been different, but since my brother was there too, your powers didn't pick up on it. It would have been different if he had been under someone's control, but he knew exactly what he was doing at the time." Taker said.
"Oh...I think I understand...but it doesn't make me feel any better." Kristy said, still sobbing.
"I know." Taker said.
"It's just...I don't know what to make of it happening." Kristy said.
"I know, Kristy. But please, believe me when I say this: you didn't screw up anything. If you hadn't signalled me to get to that stairwell...well..." Taker said.
"I don't even want to think about it. I've never understood why, but for some reason if anything ever happened to Angel...and for some reason she disappeared...it'd kill me." Kristy said.
"I know, Little Krissy. I'd feel the same way." Taker said.
"But it's because you're her father. Of course you'd feel that way, but why me?" Kristy asked.
"Well, I'm going to take a guess and say it was because Angel was one of the few people outside of the family who didn't care that you're deaf. She didn't care that you're a Hart either." Taker said.
"And she's like your sister." Beth's voice said.
"Hi, Aunt Beth. What are you doing here?" Kristy said.
"I'm needed." was Beth's answer.
"Oh..." Kristy said.
"Kristy, you didn't screw up, sweetheart. Guardian Powers are different. They come out as needed. You know that. And your powers haven't adapted to the fact that Kane is in fact a threat to Angel. That's why they didn't work." Beth said.
"But...Hunter was a threat! How come I couldn't at least get him away from her?!" Kristy asked.
"Because...well...Kane was there with you guys, so your powers didn't pick up on Hunter being a threat." Beth said.
"So...my powers can change and adapt?" Kristy said.
"Yeah, they can. And apparently they haven't picked up on the fact that Kane is a threat to her yet." Beth said.
"It's because he's not under anyone's influence. He knows full well what he's doing." Taker said, a slight growl coming into his voice as he spoke.
"Does...this mean that if Kane does anything else to her, I'm not going to be able to help?" Kristy asked, tears forming in her eyes again.
"I'm afraid not Kristy. Until your powers pick up on the fact that Kane is indeed a threat, there isn't anything you can do." Beth said.
Kristy started to cry even more at that. Taker just hugged her. Bethany sighed. She almost wished she hadn't said anything. She felt bad for Kristy. Just then, Lea came running up the stairs with Angel following behind. Beth looked worried as she stared at her oldest daughter.
"I'm fine, Mom." Angel said.
"As long as you're not hurt too badly..." Beth said.
"Mommy, what's wrong with Kristy?" Lea asked.
"Well, earlier when Kane and Triple H attacked your sister, Kristy couldn't help and now she's very upset and thinks she made a mistake." Beth said.
"But Kristy didn't mess up." Lea said.
"Hell no. She saved my butt...yet again." Angel said.
"But she doesn't see it like that." Beth said.
"I know. But if she hadn't been there, Daddy wouldn't have been able to come and help, so even though she couldn't use her powers to help me directly, I'm glad she had the insight to come after me." Angel said.
"That's true, baby girl." Taker said.
"You're not mad, Ang?" Kristy asked her quietly.
"Of course not! My thought was that you were going through what I was and you were thinking back to when I was younger is all. I'm not mad." Angel said.
"OK." Kristy said.
"Angel Baby, are you sure you're alright?" Beth said.
"Mom, I'm fine. Don't worry." Angel said.
"I see bruises forming, so don't give me the "I'm fine" thing, young lady." Beth said.
"Alright, fine. I'm a little sore and a bit jumpy, but I'm fine I promise." Angel said.
"Well, as long as nothing is broken." Beth said.
"Don't worry Mommy. Angel is OK." Lea said.
"Alright, Lea. It's way past your bedtime, sweetheart. So say goodnight to Kristy, Daddy and Mommy." Angel said.
Lea nodded. She said goodnight to everyone and gave them all a hug and a kiss. Then she asked if she could call down to Tampa and talk to Wyatt, but Kristy shook her head, saying that Wyatt was probably asleep by now. Lea nodded. Then Taker took her downstairs and put her in bed. Kristy and Angel left the attic after saying goodbye to Beth. As they got downstairs, they heard the phone ringing. Angel put it on speaker before she answered.
"Hi?" she asked.
"I'm a bit dinged up, but otherwise fine. Hunter on the other hand..." Owen's voice said.
"How dinged up is dinged up, Uncle Owen?" Kristy asked.
"And what exactly did you do to Hunter?" Angel asked.
"I've got a few bumps and bruises and I'm sore, but I'm fine otherwise before you panic, Kristy." Owen said.
"OK. So what did you do to Hunter?" Kristy asked.
"He's in for a bit of a hospital stay." Owen answered.
"Kristy did he just laugh?" Angel asked.
"He laughed. So Uncle Owen what exactly did you do to make Hunter have to have a hospital stay?" Kristy said.
"Let's just say that Hunter should choose his weapons more carefully when trying to use them on me." Owen said, laughing.
"Did you put oil on the sledgehammer handle again?" Angel and Kristy asked with a laugh.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But I will say that I did use it on him...to great effectiveness too. He wasn't liking it. I probably would have done a lot more, but someone came out and interfered." Owen said.
"Is Kane at it again?" Kristy asked, ignoring the growl that came from Angel.
"I heard that, Angel. And yes he is, which is why I'm dinged up." Owen said.
"Uncle Taker! He hurt Uncle Owen!" Kristy called up the stairs.
Just as she said it, Taker came down the stairs. He didn't look happy at all now. It wasn't surprising. Angel was sure the thing that was making him so angry wasn't so much that his brother was going around attacking people, it was that he knew perfectly well what he was doing.
"Damn him." Taker said.
"I'm fine, really. Dinged up a bit, but otherwise alright." Owen said.
"Are you sure you're alright, Owen? Kristy looks like she's ready to have a panic attack over here and is obviously scared something is wrong." Taker said.
"I'm fine other than being dinged up. Hunter's the one in the hospital, not me. And Kristy, you calm down over there. You've had enough problems tonight, sweetheart." Owen said.
"OK." Kristy said.
"Alright. I'll see you all tomorrow. Angel, you try and get some sleep." Owen said.
"Why wouldn't I be able to sleep?" Angel asked.
"After what happened tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if you have a nightmare or two in store." Owen said.
Angel didn't answer. He was right of course. Even though she had dealt with her past pretty well over the last five years, what happened tonight was probably going to trigger something other than just the flashback. Taker laughed.
"She's giving me this look that clearly says "I hate it when he's right" at the moment." Taker told Owen.
"And Kristy, if you have a panic attack tonight just remember what I told you, alright?" Owen said.
"OK, Uncle Owen. I love you." Kristy said.
"I love you too, kiddo. Taker, you look after those two or you're going to get a butt kicking tomorrow." Owen said.
"I know." Taker said with a laugh.
They hung up after that and everyone headed off to bed. It had been a really busy day and an even more hectic night and everyone had felt as though they had run a marathon race. However, they all knew that it was probably going to get even more hectic and crazy from here on out.