In advance, I apologize if it seems like a lot is going on in this chapter. I've had the ideas in place for this chapter in my mind for days, trying to sort out how I was going to type this up. So I hope you guys like this. =)
"Alex? My god, is that really you?" Matt asked after a period of confusion and shock.
"Of course it's me Matty. Who else would I be, the Grinch in disguise here to steal away you guys' Christmas?" Alex said, smiling and leaping down from on top of the entertainment system.
"But this is impossible. Me, Jeff, and a lot of the others were in the hospital when you died. We saw when that announcer's table broke wrong and you were impaled by that huge piece of table," Matt said, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening right now.
He had actually been holding his sister in his arms when she died, so how the hell could she be walking and talking right in front of him and his family? And where did she get the wings from? While Matt was still processing everything that was happening, AJ, Kaitlyn, Skylar, Alyssia, Ryuken, Jiang-Tsai, Mokuba, Aelita, and Alistair all leapt and ran up to Alex, giving her a huge group hug. But they were shocked to see that they had passed through her body. Stepping back, they all had similar looks of confusion on their faces. They were expecting to be able to just hug Alex like they always did, so they were trying to piece things together as to how it seemed as though they couldn't even touch her.
Looking around at her friends and siblings' faces had Alex laughing. When she was finally able to stop, she took a breath and said, "I'll bet you guys are wondering why it seemed like you guys couldn't touch me just now right?"
"That's a bit of an understatement. I'm beyond confused, even more than when I watched 'Inception' through for the first time. Would you care to explain things to us?" AJ said, taking her seat back on the floor with Kaitlyn and the others.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story, so I just hope you guys are up for it all. So, the whole time I was slowly dying, I was wishing I could turn back time just so that I wouldn't have to be lying on a hospital gurney or hear you guys cry and scream over me dying. Weird thing is that it felt like a while before I passed on, so when I finally did, I was sent up to Heaven. I know that Heaven's supposed to be a peaceful place, but all I could do was focus on you guys down here grieving over me being dead. And you would not believe how much it was breaking my heart to actually have to sit through a 10-bell salute and a funeral for me. I cried so much and the concern from some of the other angels around me was so strong, that it had actually brought Jesus down to where I was. He saw me crying and then when he spoke to me, needless to say I was shocked. And what he told me next had me excited and overflowing with joy," Alex said, eyes glistening.
"What did he say, Alex?" Gilbert asked, holding Alyssia and Alistair in his lap.
"He asked me if I had missed being on Earth even after being dead for two weeks. And I pretty much just broke and told that I missed everyone and that I had wanted a second chance. So after hearing my pleas, he agreed, but under one condition," Alex said.
"What was the condition, Lexi-cat?" Jeff asked.
"He told me that in order to get my second chance, I have to help you four. It would appear that while I was dead, you guys quit the WWE. Why the hell would you guys do something so fucking stupid?" Alex asked, hands on her hips.
"Alex, I'm sure you'd quit too if you were in our shoes. I mean, we didn't exactly feel comfortable working anymore, knowing you wouldn't be with us," Kaitlyn said.
"That's still not a damn good reason to quit. You guys didn't heed my dying wish. When I died, I wasn't bullshitting with you guys when I said I wanted you guys to live on for me."
"But Alex-" "But Alex, nothing!" Alex said, cutting off AJ. Before AJ could say anything else, Alex said, "You guys may not like this, but you guys have to get your jobs back. It's part of the stipulations on how I can get my second chance."
"How exactly do us four getting our jobs back relate to you being able to brought back to life?" AJ asked, confusion evident on her face.
"OK, you guys may find this hard to believe, but it's what Jesus told me that will get me my second chance."
"Which is?"
"In order for me to get my second chance at life, two of the four of you guys have to win a championship belt of some sort. Only then will I be able to come back and be with you guys again."
"OK, call me confused, but what if you do get your second chance? Everyone knows you're dead. Hell, the whole damn world has seen the video footage of the wrestling spot that took your life. What exactly do you think people are gonna think when they see the recently deceased Alex Hardy walking among them?" Matt asked.
"I asked him that same question and what he told me was that he would actually turn back time to the day I died minutes before I did the moonsault that'll cause me to die. He said that he'd influence Mikey to get off the table when he feels it starting to wobble and push me into the ring to avert what happens next."
"That's the most confusing yet brilliant thing I've ever heard in my life. But quite frankly, my confusion can just take a backseat. We have you back now and that's all that matters," Reby said.
"I agree. Was Jesus specific when he said which four of us had to win a championship?" Matt asked.
"No. All he said was that as long as two of you guys can win a championship belt, that would be enough for him to show that I should get my second chance because you guys will be doing what I asked you guys to do as I died."
After a few minutes of letting all of what Alex just told them sink in, neither Matt, Jeff, AJ, nor Kaitlyn knew what to say until AJ stood up and said, "OK Alex. If it'll get you a second chance to be here, then I'll go back to the WWE. And I will do everything in my power to win either the Divas championship or the Women's championship."
"I'm right with you AJ. You can count me in too Alex," Kaitlyn said, standing beside AJ.
"Thanks you two. Matty, Jeffro, what about you two?"
"Alex, what you've been telling us is definitely a lot to take in. What with you right here in front of us and telling us that you could come back and be alive again. But you don't even need to ask. I'll go back and I'll win a championship for you sis," Matt said.
"Me too Alex. I'm sure Vince will take us back if we ask. Then all we'd have to do is bide our time and wait for chances at the championships of our choosing," Jeff said.
"Thanks you guys. Now if you guys will excuse me, I want to go somewhere else. But don't worry, I'll be back. If I'm not here when you guys all wake up tomorrow morning, just call my name and I'll be here," Alex said, preparing to leave.
"Alex wait! Before you go, I just want you to answer one question for us," Jeff said.
"Sure Jeffro, what is it?"
"Are you a ghost now?"
Laughing, Alex shook her head and said, "No big bro. In case you didn't notice, I've got a pair of wings, meaning that I'm an angel. A guardian angel for my friends and family," before she vanished, leaving behind a house of amazed and happy Hardys, AJ, and Kaitlyn.
The night his girlfriend died had to be one of the worst nights of Cody Rhodes's life. He had felt like he was actually going to be able to get over her being gone, but the fact that he might never meet another girl like Alex had Cody feeling depressed with every day that passed. Cody still wrestled and he did what Alex wanted him to, but he still had a gaping hole in his heart where Alex used to be. He was lying in his bed in his home in Georgia, trying to sleep. It seemed to be a routine he had fallen into as far as going to sleep: he'd look at pictures of him and Alex together, watch videos of some of what he felt were her best matches, and then he'd lay down in the hopes that he'd at least have a peaceful dream of he and Alex together.
As Cody laid in bed, he rolled over on his side and took a look at his phone background, which was a picture of he and Alex together at San Diego Comic-Con. He smiled at the memories he had of that day and, fighting back tears, put his phone on his bedside table and rolled over on his side to try falling asleep.
"Oh Alex. Life is so cruel. Why did you have to die while doing what you love? I'd give anything to see you again, to hold you in my arms again, to kiss you again, to tell you that I love you again," Cody said, halfway asleep.
Cody was nearly asleep when he had felt two hands, one resting on his forehead and the other on his shoulder. Feeling this contact, he sprung up in bed, looking all around his room. Deciding that he was just imagining things, he laid back down and tried going back to sleep again, when he felt the same hand rub his head just like Alex had a habit of doing sometimes. Instead of opening his eyes in fear of losing this sensation, he kept his eyes closed and sleepily said, "Alex, I know you're up in Heaven watching me right now and I know this sounds crazy of me to say, but it feels like you're right here beside me. If this really is you, at least wrap an arm around me. It'll help ease my sorrows." As soon as the words left Cody's mouth, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and pull him closer into another body that was in bed with him. Inhaling, he noticed that whoever was in bed with him had the same scent of sweet pea body spray and a faint scent of paint. Automatically, it registered in his mind that this had to be Alex in bed beside him, so, smiling, he moved closer to the other body and was gently kissed on his forehead as he fell asleep being comforted by this guardian angel.
Alex had decided to pay Cody a visit to see how her boyfriend was faring. He still seemed very depressed and sad that she was dead, and those thoughts were confirmed she heard Cody talking about how unfair it was that she had died during a match. It hurt her very deeply to see Cody like this, so she decided to go towards him and, focusing intently, she rubbed his head and shoulder the way he loved for her to. As soon as he jerked up in bed, she lost focus and turned into her ethereal form again. It hurt Alex to no end that Cody seemed lonely without her, so she decided to visit Cody to reassure him that she was still there with him spiritually. Hearing Cody's pleas, Alex climbed onto his bed beside him and wrapped an arm around him, just the way she would usually do so whenever they decided to sleep together. She focused again and pulled him closer to her and kissed Cody very gently on his forehead. As she watched Cody smile, she was filled with an incredible warmth and sweetly said, "Good night my dearest Link. May luck be on our side so that you can get your Princess Zelda back soon."
I was actually planning to end this chapter after Alex left from her family. But, I kept getting this feeling (glares at Alex) that I should include a bit of how Cody was dealing with Alex being dead. I'm pleased that I decided to add the last four paragraphs because I feel it'll help with the story in later chapters. As always, read and review please. =)