I am really pleased with how this chapter turned out. It's got exactly what I wanted to have in it. I hope you guys enjoy it. =)
The next day, Matt, Jeff, AJ, and Kaitlyn packed their duffel bags and boarded a plane that was leaving from North Carolina and was heading to Connecticut. Matt had called Vince earlier in the day about meeting so that he and the others could talk over the terms for their new contracts. The flight to Connecticut lasted five hours and as soon as the four got off the plane and got their luggage from the baggage claim, they rented a car and headed to WWE Corporate Headquarters. Upon arrival, they went in and told the receptionist about their appointment with Mr. McMahon. The receptionist checked them in and told them which room to head to.
Making their way to Vince's office, the group of four were surprised by Alex appearing hanging upside down and yelling "BOO!", causing the four to scream.
"Damn it Alex! You trying to kill us?" Matt said, grabbing his chest.
"Not at all Matty. I just decided to give you guys a good surprise this lovely Tuesday morning. So you guys are really gonna go through with this? You guys are really willing to get your jobs back for me?" Alex asked.
"Of course we are Lexi. Most people may not be able to understand why, but we want to do this for you. If wrestling again means that we can get you back, then we're all for it. I just hope that we can win the championships so that you can get your second chance," Jeff said.
"Thanks you guys. I just wonder what Vince will have you guys do once you all re-sign. There's a SmackDown taping tonight and I just wonder what he has planned for the returning Matt and Jeff Hardy, AJ Lee, and Kaitlyn," Alex said, in thought.
"Knowing Vince, he might actually try to have us give some big emotional speech about having lost you and how your last wish was for us to fight on in your name," Matt said.
"Could be. I'm just wondering if anyone will be able to see me. Usually the only way stuff like this works is if the spirit has some kind of deep, positive emotional connection with the person they go to. Maybe no one will notice I'm walking among the living," Alex said.
"Why wouldn't you want other people to see you? Do you not have any idea how happy everyone would be?" AJ asked.
"AJ, I think the reason why Alex is wondering about this is so that if other people besides us can see her, then they won't start freaking out or anything major like that. The last thing we need is for people to think that the dead are walking among the living," Kaitlyn said.
"Huh. I guess you're right about that Kait," AJ said.
After walking on and talking for a few more minutes, the four and Alex made it to Vince's office.
"Well you guys, this is it," Matt said. "On the other side of these doors is the one man who has the power to let us work to bring our sister back. You guys ready?"
"I'm ready," Jeff said.
"Ready," Kaitlyn said.
"Shreddy," AJ said, which earned laughs from the group.
"Good luck you guys. I'll be waiting right here for you guys to come out with the news," Alex said.
Nodding, Matt opened the door to Vince's office and, stepping in with his brother and their newest friends, they made their way up to Vince's desk.
"Cody, are you feeling OK?" Ted asked.
"Of course I am, Teddy. Why wouldn't I be?" Cody asked, smiling.
"Well, you've had that big ass smile on your face ever since you've been with me today and you seem to be thinking about something," Ted said.
"Oh really? I hadn't really noticed. I guess I just had a really peaceful night's sleep last night," Cody said, remembering everything from the previous night when he was in bed.
"Well, I'm glad that you were able to get some peaceful sleep. Did you have a dream about you and Alex together?" Ted asked.
"You could say that," Cody said, which only seemed to make him smile wider.
"OK, is it just me or does it seem like Cody's way too happy for a Tuesday morning? Last time I saw him this happy was when he got that Zelda game he wanted for his Wii," Amy said, walking over to where Ted and Cody had been sitting in the hotel lobby with Trish and Maria.
"You're not imagining things, Amy. I'm actually getting kind of worried," Ted said.
"You mind telling us about what's got you in all smiles today?" Maria asked.
"It's nothing all that major guys. I just slept really peacefully and well last night. That's all it is," Cody said.
"If you say so. You guys ready to go train before the tapings tonight?" Trish asked.
"Sure. Let's go," Cody said, heading for the door and leaving his friends behind.
"OK. That was a bit awkward and weird," Maria said.
"That's putting it lightly. Ted, what's up with Cody? With the way he was smiling, you'd think he just saw Alex again," Amy said.
"Any guess you three have is as good as any guess I have," Ted said. "This is the happiest I've seen him in a while and I find it weird that he does a 180 from being upset yesterday to being the picture of happiness."
"I don't know what it could be, but whatever it is, I hope it can help Cody stay happy. Next to Matt, Jeff, AJ, and Kaitlyn, he was one of the main people that took Alex's death the hardest," Amy said, smiling in Cody's direction.
Cody was standing outside the hotel doors waiting for Ted and the others to come so they could all head to the gym together, so while he waited, he reached in one of the side pockets of his duffel bag and pulled out a feather that was purple, pink, and white. 'Alex, last night, you gave me a gift that assures me that part of you is still here with us. I just wish there was a way we could bring you back to life,' Cody thought. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed that Candice, Melina, and John Morrison had came up beside him.
"Hey Cody. What're you holding?" Candice asked.
Jumping, Cody turned around to see that it was just his friends there with him. "Oh hey you three. It's nothing much. Just a feather that I, uh, found last night," he said.
"Can I see it? I've always liked the feel of feathers," Candice said.
"Sure, just be careful with it. It's pretty special to me," Cody said, smiling and blushing.
"OK," Candice said, taking the feather as Cody handed it to her. "Wow, it's so pretty. It's bigger than anything I've seen on any bird before, the coloring is really pretty, and it smells-Wait," she said as she took another sniff at the feather. "Sweet pea and paint. Only Alex ever had a smell like this. Cody, when did you get this?" Candice asked.
"Um, I got, uh, last night. Why do you ask?" Cody asked nervously.
"Where'd you get it from?" Candice asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"I actually woke up this morning and it was on my pillow," Cody said, hesitantly.
"That's kinda strange," Candice said.
"Why do you say that Candice? It's just a feather after all. Cody probably just found it yesterday, put it on his pillow when he went to sleep, and woke up this morning thinking he found it there," Melina said.
"I'm saying it because this feather has the same exact scent Alex always had. Here, take a sniff if you don't believe me," Candice said, sticking the feather under Melina's nose first and then John's.
"Sweet pea and paint? That's crazy. Alex is the only person I've ever known that could get those two smells to work together. Cody, is there something you aren't telling us?" John asked.
Cody looked around at the three of his friends and immediately started to feel panicked. 'Oh god. What should I do? Should I tell them about Alex? Maybe if I just slowly walk forward, I can take the feather and run away as fast as I can,' Cody thought. As he tried to put his plan in motion, Candice saw what he had in mind and walked over to a nearby storm drain.
"Cody, I'm giving you one chance. Either you tell us where this came from, or you'll never see it again," Candice said, holding the feather over the storm drain.
As Cody tried to step forward again, everyone heard a voice yell "Stop it!". Looking around, they didn't know what to think. They all could've sworn that they heard Alex yelling, so when they saw that it was nobody, Candice went back to her previous position. Again, they all heard the same voice yell "Stop it!", so looking around, they again saw nothing until Melina and Candice had started to scream while John seemed frozen in shock. Cody felt confused, so he looked around and was surprised to see Alex standing less than five feet behind him. He had to fight everything in him that wanted to run towards Alex and scoop her up into a hug.
Once the girls had stopped screaming, they walked forward cautiously to stand in front of Alex with John and Cody coming up close behind them.
"Lexi-cat? Is that you?" Candice asked.
"Of course it's me Candi. Who else would I be? Edward Scissorhands?" Alex said smiling at her friends.
"But this can't be happening. We were at the hospital when you had died. We were at your funeral and we saw your casket get buried. How can this be happening?" John asked.
"I can't explain that right now, but I can say that you guys will be able to get an explanation of all this from my brothers, AJ, and Kaitlyn. They're the only ones that can work at fixing this," Alex said.
"What are you saying? Are you saying that Matt, Jeff, AJ, and Kaitlyn are coming back?" Melina asked, hope in her voice.
"I hope so Mel," Alex said.
Blinking, Cody noticed that Alex appeared to be fading. "Alex, what's wrong with you? You look like you're disappearing," Cody said worriedly.
Looking down at her hands, Alex saw what Cody had meant. "Don't worry, it's no big deal. It just means that Matt and the others are calling me back to them," Alex said, reassuringly.
"Alex wait! You can't leave just yet! We just got to see you again!" Candice said, rushing to Alex.
"It'll be fine Candi. Really guys, I'll be OK. I'm just going back to Matt and Jeff now. That's all,' Alex said smiling.
"But why do you have to go back to them? Can't you stay a little longer?" Candice asked.
"Things'll be fine Candi. If my guess is right as to why I'm being called back, then you guys'll be able to see me again. Just be patient with things," Alex said, almost completely gone.
"Alex," Melina said, before she, Candice, John, and Cody ran forwards and hugged what was left of Alex before she had completely disappeared. The four looked in the center of their group to see that Alex was gone, but in the spot where she was were three more feathers like the one Cody was holding. Bending over, Candice, John, and Melina each took a feather while Candice gave Cody back his.
"Wow. I can't believe what I just saw," John said, still in shock.
"I can't either babe. But it happened. Alex was standing right here less than five feet from us all and we were able to wrap our arms around her," Melina said.
"I just wonder what she was talking about when she said we'll be able to see her again," John said.
"I don't know what it means either, but one thing's for sure: She's back here with us and that's all that matters. We have one of the most important people in our lives back here with us and she's an angel on top of that. I just wonder if anyone else knows," Candice said, clutching her feather to her chest. Little did the four outside know was that someone in the hotel lobby saw everything that happened outside.
"Where is she? She said she'd be out here waiting for us," Matt said, pacing around in circles.
"Matt, I really don't think all of this pacing will get her to come back to us any quicker. Why don't you just have a seat and wait for her with us?" AJ said.
"I can't, AJ. I'm just so excited to tell Lexi the good news," Matt said.
"We all are, but if you don't stop your pacing, then you're gonna end up going through the floor," Jeff said.
"There's no way that could happen, Jeff. This floor is too strong. Plus, aren't you ready to tell Lexi the good news?" Matt said.
"What good news would that be, Matty?" Alex asked, appearing in the seat next to Jeff, startling everyone.
"Sis, could you please stop doing that? I don't usually get scared easily, but you just popping up out of nowhere all the time is starting to frighten me," Jeff said.
"Sorry Jeffro. It's just how things are with angels and ghosts. We just randomly appear out of thin air when we're called somewhere," Alex said.
"You can explain that later. Right now, we've got good news for you," Matt said.
"What's the news?" Alex said, looking at her brothers and her friends, who had all started smiling.
"We got our jobs back. We start back tonight on the SmackDown taping," Matt said, excitedly.
"Really? That's great! Now all you guys have to do is be patient and wait for your title shots," Alex said happily.
"I know. That's probably gonna be the most time-consuming thing to do, but we're willing to do it for you," Kaitlyn said, smiling at Alex.
"Thanks you guys. You four are truly two of the best brothers and two of the best friends a person, or angel in my case, could wish for," Alex said, smiling. Then doing something none of them saw coming, she hugged the four of them, only this time, they didn't pass through her, which had shocked the group of four.
"Alex, you're not passing through us like the night we first saw you," AJ said, smiling.
"That's because I'm focusing. I found that when I focus, I can touch living people and objects," Alex said smiling.
"That's so awesome. You have no idea how happy this makes us to know that we can hug our angel sister," Matt said, smiling through tears.
As the four were still hugging Alex, Alex let a few tears slip herself. 'Tonight's the night that's a step in the direction that will hopefully get me my second chance. I just hope these four can succeed," Alex thought.
As you guys can see, more people are starting to find out that Alex's angel is walking among them. I've got a really good idea in mind for one of my later chapters that involves Alex's friends, Matt, and Jeff, so I'm hoping that I can set the story up so that the idea I have in mind flows along with it. Read and review please. =)