Disclaimer: I don't own Rock or Paul Heyman.
At the next taping, Roxy was finally able to show the entire world how hard she'd trained. She wrestled Ivory in a match and landed victorious. When the ref raised her hand in victory, she smiled and felt pride rush through her veins. She knew she'd love the feeling again and again, as she gained more oppertunities.
As she headed toward her and Rock's locker room, she crossed paths with Paul Heyman. She may have been new to the business but she knew he was a dirty old man. He made her skin crawl with disgust and fear. He smiled, maliciously, at her, "Hellllllo, Roxy!" He growled as he circled her.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "What do you want?" she snarled. Heyman looked up and down at her figure, liking what he saw, "It's not a matter of what I want…" He ran his finger down her arm. She pulled away quickly. "It's who I want." He said. Roxy backed away from him, "Stay away from me!" As she walked away, she heard his dirty laugh, as if he was threatening her…
**
When Roxy got to the locker room, she slammed the door and leaned against it, near tears. Rock stepped out of the bathroom and spotted her in this stage of discomposure. He hated to see her like that and he helped her to the couch. He sat close to her, "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked.
Roxy choked at her words and uttered, "Paul Heyman." Rock took her hand and asked, "Did he hurt you?" Roxy shook her head, the tears building in her eyes and begging to escape, "But he said he…he wanted me." Remembering that made her skin crawl again, fearing the worst from Heyman.
Rock placed a hand on her back, "I'll go talk to him. Stay here." Roxy buried her face in her hands as Rock went to deal with Paul.
**
Rock stormed through the hallways, determined to find that sick mind named Paul Heyman. When he finally spotted him, he spun the former ECW owner around, held him by his jacket and pulled back to punch him. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Rock! Rock, think about this!" Heyman shouted. "Believe me, I have. If you ever touch Roxy, EVER, I swear I'll kill you." Rock threatened, his fist still readied.
Heyman's eyes widened, "What?! Rock, Rock, I can understand you being so protective! She is your ticket around, I realize that!" Rock loosened his grip on Paul and made a confused look, "My ticket around…? What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Heyman nodded, "You didn't know? Everyone talks about it! Hasn't it struck you as odd that she showed up and suddenly, you get a title shot and win! Triple H didn't even approve of the match. He always approves, unless someone forces him into it." Rock shook his head, "What are you getting at?"
"Roxy showed up that day she was to meet you. She came before you did and talked to Vince. She told him to give you a title shot! Don't you think it's a bit peculiar that she showed up right when you became a big success? 36.5 million in the box office? WrestleMania?" said Heyman.
Rock let go of him and thought about that…
**
Roxy had already calmed down when Rock got back. She noticed he seemed uneasy and a bit dazed. "Rox, I talked to Heyman," said The Great One. Roxy let out a sigh of relief, "Thank God! What did you tell him?" Rock sighed, "Actually, it's not about what I told him. It's…it's what he told me."
Roxy was taken aback and began to fear Heyman again, "What'd he tell you?" Rock bit his lip, still unsure if he should say. But he wanted to know the truth, "He said you told Vince to give me a title shot. He told me it was because I was doing so well." "What?! Rock, you don't believe him, do you?" Roxy shouted.
Rock's eyes dropped, "Rox, it seems awkward that right when I was doing great, you showed up and things became…better." Roxy shook her head, "That's because I didn't want you to enjoy the time alone!"
Rock paced, as if blowing off some steam and then stopped, "Look, Rox, I appreciate what you did, but I can and could win the title on my own. You talked about how you didn't know me. You obviously don't, because I don't need help. The Rock doesn't want or need your help!"
Roxy couldn't believe it… How could Rock say that? "Okay. Obviously you're upset, and I can't help, so I'll just go." She grabbed her things and headed towards the door. She stopped and glanced at Rock, for perhaps the last time. After she left, Rock picked up his Undisputed Championship and shook his head. He knew he shouldn't be the holder because he never earned the shot. He slapped it over his right shoulder and headed to McMahon.
**
When Rock stepped inside Vince's office, the co-owner was on his cell. He spotted Rock and hung up. "Rock, can I help you?" He asked. Rock removed the title, soon-to-be no longer his title, from his shoulder and handed it to Vince. Vince stared at it in confusion. "What?"
"I don't deserve it. I want to forfeit the title. Have a battle royal for it or something, but it doesn't belong with me…along with other things…" Rock said. Vince sensed the seriousness in Rock's tone and shook his head, "Rock, you DID earn the title shot AND the title."
"No, Paul Heyman told me everything. He told me how Roxy got you to give me a title shot. I know all about it, Vince. It's okay," Said Rock.
Vince was taken aback, "Roxy? Rock, you don't understand. Roxy had nothing to do with it. I'd already planned to give you a title shot. The writers thought it'd be good for you. Roxy showed up way after the decision was finalized." Said McMahon.
Rock's eyes narrowed, "You mean…Roxy didn't tell you to do anything in my favor?" Vince shook his head, "I met her the day she met up with you. By then, I knew you'd get your shot."
Vince's cell phone rang and he excused himself and asked Rock to leave. Rock walked out and shut the door. He leaned against the outside wall, thinking about what Vince just told him.
"What have I done?"
At the next taping, Roxy was finally able to show the entire world how hard she'd trained. She wrestled Ivory in a match and landed victorious. When the ref raised her hand in victory, she smiled and felt pride rush through her veins. She knew she'd love the feeling again and again, as she gained more oppertunities.
As she headed toward her and Rock's locker room, she crossed paths with Paul Heyman. She may have been new to the business but she knew he was a dirty old man. He made her skin crawl with disgust and fear. He smiled, maliciously, at her, "Hellllllo, Roxy!" He growled as he circled her.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "What do you want?" she snarled. Heyman looked up and down at her figure, liking what he saw, "It's not a matter of what I want…" He ran his finger down her arm. She pulled away quickly. "It's who I want." He said. Roxy backed away from him, "Stay away from me!" As she walked away, she heard his dirty laugh, as if he was threatening her…
**
When Roxy got to the locker room, she slammed the door and leaned against it, near tears. Rock stepped out of the bathroom and spotted her in this stage of discomposure. He hated to see her like that and he helped her to the couch. He sat close to her, "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked.
Roxy choked at her words and uttered, "Paul Heyman." Rock took her hand and asked, "Did he hurt you?" Roxy shook her head, the tears building in her eyes and begging to escape, "But he said he…he wanted me." Remembering that made her skin crawl again, fearing the worst from Heyman.
Rock placed a hand on her back, "I'll go talk to him. Stay here." Roxy buried her face in her hands as Rock went to deal with Paul.
**
Rock stormed through the hallways, determined to find that sick mind named Paul Heyman. When he finally spotted him, he spun the former ECW owner around, held him by his jacket and pulled back to punch him. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Rock! Rock, think about this!" Heyman shouted. "Believe me, I have. If you ever touch Roxy, EVER, I swear I'll kill you." Rock threatened, his fist still readied.
Heyman's eyes widened, "What?! Rock, Rock, I can understand you being so protective! She is your ticket around, I realize that!" Rock loosened his grip on Paul and made a confused look, "My ticket around…? What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Heyman nodded, "You didn't know? Everyone talks about it! Hasn't it struck you as odd that she showed up and suddenly, you get a title shot and win! Triple H didn't even approve of the match. He always approves, unless someone forces him into it." Rock shook his head, "What are you getting at?"
"Roxy showed up that day she was to meet you. She came before you did and talked to Vince. She told him to give you a title shot! Don't you think it's a bit peculiar that she showed up right when you became a big success? 36.5 million in the box office? WrestleMania?" said Heyman.
Rock let go of him and thought about that…
**
Roxy had already calmed down when Rock got back. She noticed he seemed uneasy and a bit dazed. "Rox, I talked to Heyman," said The Great One. Roxy let out a sigh of relief, "Thank God! What did you tell him?" Rock sighed, "Actually, it's not about what I told him. It's…it's what he told me."
Roxy was taken aback and began to fear Heyman again, "What'd he tell you?" Rock bit his lip, still unsure if he should say. But he wanted to know the truth, "He said you told Vince to give me a title shot. He told me it was because I was doing so well." "What?! Rock, you don't believe him, do you?" Roxy shouted.
Rock's eyes dropped, "Rox, it seems awkward that right when I was doing great, you showed up and things became…better." Roxy shook her head, "That's because I didn't want you to enjoy the time alone!"
Rock paced, as if blowing off some steam and then stopped, "Look, Rox, I appreciate what you did, but I can and could win the title on my own. You talked about how you didn't know me. You obviously don't, because I don't need help. The Rock doesn't want or need your help!"
Roxy couldn't believe it… How could Rock say that? "Okay. Obviously you're upset, and I can't help, so I'll just go." She grabbed her things and headed towards the door. She stopped and glanced at Rock, for perhaps the last time. After she left, Rock picked up his Undisputed Championship and shook his head. He knew he shouldn't be the holder because he never earned the shot. He slapped it over his right shoulder and headed to McMahon.
**
When Rock stepped inside Vince's office, the co-owner was on his cell. He spotted Rock and hung up. "Rock, can I help you?" He asked. Rock removed the title, soon-to-be no longer his title, from his shoulder and handed it to Vince. Vince stared at it in confusion. "What?"
"I don't deserve it. I want to forfeit the title. Have a battle royal for it or something, but it doesn't belong with me…along with other things…" Rock said. Vince sensed the seriousness in Rock's tone and shook his head, "Rock, you DID earn the title shot AND the title."
"No, Paul Heyman told me everything. He told me how Roxy got you to give me a title shot. I know all about it, Vince. It's okay," Said Rock.
Vince was taken aback, "Roxy? Rock, you don't understand. Roxy had nothing to do with it. I'd already planned to give you a title shot. The writers thought it'd be good for you. Roxy showed up way after the decision was finalized." Said McMahon.
Rock's eyes narrowed, "You mean…Roxy didn't tell you to do anything in my favor?" Vince shook his head, "I met her the day she met up with you. By then, I knew you'd get your shot."
Vince's cell phone rang and he excused himself and asked Rock to leave. Rock walked out and shut the door. He leaned against the outside wall, thinking about what Vince just told him.
"What have I done?"