Cody: I got a black cocker spaniel puppy. His name is Anubis. He is seriously the cutest thing in the world.
XXX
Conner smiled at her computer screen. Madeline and Abigail were sitting in the roller chair while Tess sat off to the side.
"How was school?" Conner asked.
"Fine." The girls chorused together.
"Meet any new friends?" Conner asked smiling.
"Maddy got a new boy in her class." Tess said slyly. "I think they dig each other."
Conner raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"
Maddy blushed and glared at her Aunt Tess who stuck her tongue out at the seven year old. Being seven Maddy was the elder of the daughters. Abigail being only three.
"Auntie Tress ish getting phat." Abby said sweetly.
Tess glared at the three year old, but her expression softened and she hugged the girl.
"When are you coming home mommy?" Maddy asked. She missed her mother terribly. "We miss you."
Conner felt tears prick her eyes and lump form in her throat. "I'll be back the 21st." she said tightly. "Just in time for Christmas."
"Yay!" the little girls cheered ecstatic.
Sensing Conner was about to cry Tess told the girls that it was time for homework.
"Listen to Auntie Tess." Conner instructed. "She's in charge of you while I'm gone. Understand?"
"Yeeeeeesssss mommy." Maddy said sullenly.
Conner smiled and turned to Abby. "And you. Who do you listen while mommy is gone?"
"Auntie Tress!" Abby said happily.
Conner nodded her approval. "I love you more than anything in the world girls."
"We know mommy." Maddy giggled. "Abby and I love you too!"
She hugged her sister who just said, "I love yew mummy!"
Conner beamed at her girls while they scampered off to watch Barney instead of homework. Tess came back and looked at her friend closely. She had lines and seemed to always be tired. Tess couldn't be sure, but she was certain Conner had lost a lot of weight.
"You look like shit." She said bluntly.
Conner chuckled without humor. "I've seen better days."
"Come on Con tell me what's wrong and I'll kick their asses." Tess said fiercely.
Conner rolled her eyes. "I've just been trying to work on my wrestling a lot and fitting in. Word got out that I'm Paul and Steph's daughter and now people either suck up to me or hate me with a passion." She confessed.
Tess's eyes narrowed. "That's not all. Something else is bothering you. Fess us."
Conner avoided the other woman's intense gaze.
"It's nothing I'm fine." She said meekly.
"Conner Madeline Jones." Tess said threatenly.
Conner sighed and ran a hand through her curly hair. "It's nothing I swear. Just trying to cope with a hostile work environment."
"Well then tell Steph or Paul if you're having trouble." Tess frowned.
Conner snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah call in the 'rents that'll win me some friends." She said sarcastically. "Besides I want to prove that I can do this on my own."
"What like how you wanted to prove it on your own when you were seventeen?" Tess said much sharper than she meant.
As soon as the words left her mouth and she saw her friend's face of pain Tess clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Conner I'm so sorry. You know I didn't mean that." Tess said quietly.
"Yes. You did mean it and we are not having this discussion." Conner said coldly. "Look I have some stuff to do. Tell the girls I love them."
She hung up the Skype call. Conner gently put her computer lid down when she really just wanted to break something into a million pieces. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes forcing herself to not go back to when she was seventeen. She was twenty-four for fucks sake now. She was going to beat her demons and put her past behind her.
Conner hadn't been lying when she said she worked in a hostile environment. It was now December 16th and in those few short weeks she had become the most hated person in the WWE. Nattie had refused her apology, Heath barely looked at her, and even Chris was more distant with her since she aligned herself with Kane.
Kane.
Glen.
Either word sent shivers of anger and fear down her spine. She hated the man for everything he's done to her. In the following weeks she'd drifted from her blossoming friendships and instead hung around Glen constantly.
Conner snorted. She had no choice. She was forced to be with Glen nearly 24/7.
Creative had noticed and they threw Cupcake and Kane into a Master/Captive story line. Conner actually missed working with Chris. He was a pain in her ass and if Conner was being truthful she was a pain in his ass, but they brought out the best in each other.
Brock Lesner and John Cena were having a hell of a time beating the shit out of each other. Soon John L would be fired. Or so Conner hoped. That man had it out for her. She swore it.
She opened her eyes when her phone buzzed. Looking at the text her heart fell. The bastard needed her.
Again.
This was the third time this week she had visited him. Conner whimpered slightly, but got up anyway. She grabbed her key and stuck it in her back pocket of her short shorts. She only wore a cami and short shorts. No underwear and a non-padded bra. Conner learned weeks ago that the less material she wore to these "meetings" the happier Glen was.
Taking a deep breath outside His door Conner let it out and knocked. Five seconds later the door opened and Conner stepped inside clothes already flying to high Heaven.
XXX
Heath's POV
I was about to leave my room when Conner came down the hall looking sad. The paused before Glen's door and knocked. Within seconds the door opened and she was pulled inside. Before the door closed I could have sworn I saw her shirt go flying.
I shook my head and sighed trying to clear my thoughts of Conner. I don't even know why I still care for her. I think I really started caring for her when she had that first near rape. Before I had picked her up she looked like a broken doll and when I picked her up she smiled in her sleep and snuggled into me.
Silly I know, but when she told Chis and I who her parents were and then we had hugged her it just felt…right. To have her in my arms and never let go. And maybe I shouldn't have let her go. Maybe if Chris and I had forced her to go out that night or maybe if I had gone with her she wouldn't have met up with Glen and switched her loyalties to him. And become an emotionless bitch.
Shaking my head I breathed in deep and let it out slowly. She made her choices. Why I didn't have any friggin idea, but she did.
I left my room and headed down to the gym. Entering I saw some others were here. I waved halfheartedly to Kofi and Punk. Why Punk likes people calling him Punk rather than Phillip or just Phil I have no idea. Like a robot I got the ten pound weights and started my reps of ten, but my head and heart wasn't in it.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Natalya watching me. I just ignored her. Since Conner was gone we never talked anymore. She didn't really look at me anymore. Same with Chris. Conner had been the thing to bring us together and since she wasn't there anymore we went back to our separate lives without each other. Natalya was back with Beth Phoenix, Chris was feuding with someone I didn't really care about him, and I'm back to being beaten by guy after guy.
Fine so I might be a little bitter after losing all the fucking time. But hey who wouldn't?
I put the weights back glaring at them.
"Glaring at them won't bring her back." A soft voice said to my left.
Glancing over I was greeted by the sight of Natalya. I glanced around looking for who she was talking to, but it was just me.
"What do you want Natalya?" I asked tiredly.
She sat down across from me on a workout bench and fidgeted.
"I want to talk about Conner." She said finally.
I groaned and got up to leave, but she placed a hand on my arm and nearly forced me to sit and listen.
"She's been hanging around Glen so much and I fear for her. You know how violent he can get and I'm just so worried about her. When you found her and me and Chris came she looked so fragile and broken I cried for her."
She took a deep breath.
"Conner snapped at me and she tried to apologize, but I refused and ganged up on her with the rest of the Divas."
Natalya hung her head and awkwardly I patted her back.
"I just can't help, but think that if I had accepted her apology she'd still be my friend and no with that monster." She spat the last word like a curse.
I nodded and looked at my hands. "I feel the same." I said quietly.
The blonde woman looked at me in amazement and I smiled wearily at her.
"Conner was ours first. Glen doesn't deserve her."
Natalya smiled at me and much to my surprise she hugged me.
"You're the only one who understands." She confessed releasing me. "Everyone Diva thinks she's a terrible person, but they haven't seen what we saw in Conner."
Nodding I smiled at her. "They judged her without getting to know her."
She nodded and smiled happily. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Beth glaring at us.
"I don't think Beth likes you talking to me." I stated quietly.
Natalya rolled her eyes. I'm a grown woman. I can talk to whomever I damn well please." She huffed.
Shaking my head I chuckled. "Still she's rather possessive of you." I pointed out.
She shrugged. "We're the Divas of Doom and each other's best friend. It's natural I suppose."
There was nothing "natural" about Beth's fixation with Natalya, but I didn't say anything.
"Hey you wanna grab lunch and we can discuss how to help Conner?" Natalya asked me standing up.
I shrugged. "Sure."
She grinned and for a second I was slightly blinded by her white teeth.
"Meet me in the lobby in thirty minutes. I know a place." She informed me.
I gave her a weird look.
"What?" she questioned.
"You just don't seem like the type of person to take so long." I said rubbing the back of my head feeling myself flush.
She gave me a look then burst out laughing. We got into the elevator together.
"Just because I'm tough doesn't mean I don't have a girly side." She said sill shaking her head.
"Oh." Was all I could say.
She laughed and left of floor three. The door opened and I took a step onto floor four just in time to see Conner leave Glen's room. Her makeup was smeared, her top was on backwards, she had her bra in hand, and her shorts were unbuttoned. And her hair was a mess. I noticed her wrists were red and raw looking. She hurried away from the room without a backward glance and hurried into her room.
I stood there then slowly entered my room and took a quick shower before hurrying down to the lobby in record time. I was five minutes early and sat on a sofa distractedly reading the Chicago times. I admit I loved being in Chicago. Such a beautiful city.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and Natalya was three minutes late. She came out of the elevator two seconds later and hurried over to me. She hugged me when I stood and we left into the cold December air. As we left I accidently bumped into a very pregnant woman. She gave me a nasty glare as did her daughters. I apologized then hurried to catch up to Natalya who had left me behind.
XXX
Isn't Natalya sweet? Shit is getting serious now, but have no fear it'll lighten up soon enough. Reviews give me extra motivation to finish. ;D