Chapter Four
A few days after Slammiversary I sat down with Dixie. With only two weeks to make a decision about what to do about the storyline I needed to know my options. She met me and James, who had made a point to spend any free time he had with me after Slammiversary, at a restaurant in Nashville for lunch.
"So, Darlin', what did you want to meet me about?" Dixie asked.
"I was wondering, not that I've decided anything yet, but if I choose to decline this storyline, what do you think can be done with my character?"
"Well, the obvious would be that after the two weeks either your family or another wrestler or group of wrestlers could 'rescue you' from the Revolution. Once you've been saved, whoever does that can work on making sure you think for yourself, not James' thoughts. If it's your family, there would be a reconciliation storyline."
"What do you mean 'reconciliation' storyline?"
"Have your character blame your family for your injury and the Revolution targeting you when you came back, so your family needs to find a way to make it up to you and fix their relationship with you."
"Any other thoughts on what creative could do?"
"Well, if it's not your family that saves you from the Revolution, we could put you in an on-screen relationship while you feud with Taryn. Don't get me wrong, no matter what you do, you're gonna be feuding with Taryn, Darlin', but this would leave it so it's not centered around your dad and uncle."
"So, essentially the only way to deal with creative did at Slammiversary is to either go with it or be rescued by my family or someone else?"
"Those would be the best options, Darlin'. What do you think?"
"You said the Revolution hold all of the titles right now?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Is anyone scheduled to gain one of the titles in the coming months?"
"What are you thinking, Darlin'?" Dixie asked with a smile on her face.
Jeff's POV
"It's been a week, Amy and she won't answer her phone to me."
"Jeff, she's been really stressed out and pushing isn't going to help."
"Did you see the promo they shot of her and the Revolution that aired this week? She's already not talking to me outside of work. Now they're going to take away the one place she can't run from me?"
"Jeff, you need to calm down. Taylor is strong-willed and you tried to push her around. After all the time you took teaching her to stand up and be herself, no matter what anyone else thought, how can you react like this?"
"Amy, I'm worried about her. She hasn't been the same since her time in California. She's not talking. She's losing weight. She's evasive about everything and she jumps at the chance to get away from us."
"Maybe you should talk to Matt and Nick. They spent a lot of time with her out there."
Taylor's POV
One month later
I've been off-screen since Slammiversary. They've been airing promos of me being tortured by James Storm and his Revolution. In the promos, the only one who isn't as harsh is Manik, everyone else is no-nonsense by the rules. I still hold the Knockouts title, and I'm debuting with the Revoultion. James and Abyss have a mixed tag match against Dad and Uncle Matt with Mickey James as their partner. I'm partnering with Abyss and Storm.
When I agreed to take the storyline, I did so with stipulations, one of which be they continue to keep my ring gear ready for when I want out. The other was my way out, which would take a while. The most important of all my stipulations was there were to be no more of these surprises like this heel turn.
Dad, Uncle Matt, and Mickey entered the ring first. They were bouncing around the ring when James' music started. My stomach started to clench like I was gonna puke. Waiting a second, since I was going to be the last one out, I took a few deep breaths. Then I went out, fully covered so nobody saw my face at first.
James, Abyss, and I made our way into the ring with nobody seeing who I was. When we got to the center of the ring, I took of my hooded jacket, showing who I was and glaring at Dad and Uncle Matt. They didn't know I was part of their match. Dad and Uncle Matt tried to get to me, but James and Abyss knocked them down and out of the ring, leaving me and Mickey in the ring.
"Taylor, Honey, what are you doin'?" Mickey asked me after the bell ring, inching towards me, trying to make me see sense. "Do you see he's trying to make you fight your family?"
"Stay out of this, Mickey. You're either with the Revolution or you're against it."
"Taylor, that's your daddy and your uncle out there that they're beating on. The ones who love you and take care of you…"
"Take care of me? They try to control me! They only want me to do what they want when they want. I gave my father what he wanted and went to school. When I finished and wanted to come back he tried to tell me no!"
"Because he was scared for you! Think about how badly you got hurt!"
"Because they were stupid! They weren't watching what they were doing and I paid the price! I was nearly paralyzed!"
"The Revolution nearly paralyzed you, Taylor," Mickey tried to say.
"Stop talkin' to her! Finish her!" James shouted to me.
I superkicked Mickey James. She didn't see it coming. In her shock, I pinned her. Magnus came running down the ramp to his wife. He looked at me in shock, as if seeing me for the first time.
"How could you, Taylor?!"
I superkicked him too, then left with Manik and Sanada as James and Abyss finished off Dad and Matt.
When I got backstage, Manik and Sanada escorted me to my dressing room, where James was. I ran right into his arms. I was shaking.
"Are you alright, Taylor?"
"I want to leave, James."
"Then get changed and we'll go. My spot is over for the night."
When we were both changed, we were heading out of the arena. Mom saw us. I hadn't talked to her or Dad since Slammiversary.
"Taylor, can we talk?" Mom called out to me.
"I'm sorry, Mom," I said as I walked away.
James and I met up with Michael, not my ex, but Ethan Carter III. James was carrying my bag so when Michael saw me he picked me up. I fought shaking but it didn't matter.
"How much did you eat today, Taylor?" Michael asked me.
"I'm not sure," I said avoiding the question.
"You've lost weight since Slammiversary. Are you slipping into your old bad habits?"
"Taylor! Have you eaten today?" James asked me, suddenly very concerned.
I looked at my feet.
"Let's go, we're going to dinner," Michael said.
"I'm fine," I protested.
"We're not doing this again, Taylor. You're actively working and now you're working with one of the most active and brutal factions in the company. You have to eat. If you don't I need to tell someone and they will suspend you."
"You would do that to me?"
"You know I've always looked out for your health, Taylor. If that is the only way to get you to eat, then yes, I will."
"Taylor, Darling, please, don't do this. You are such a beautiful woman. Don't starve yourself," James said to me.
"Fine. I'll eat something. But no nagging if I don't eat a lot. I've barely eaten since before I came home from California," I let slip in my aggravation.
"Taylor, Sweetheart, did something happen to you at school?" James asked me gently.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, lying.
Michael and James looked at each other and let it go. We left for the restaurant.
Jeff's POV
"What do you mean she walked out on you?"
"I tried to grab her so I could talk to her before she left with James earlier…"
"She left with Storm?!"
"No, Jeff, she left with Spud-James."
I calmed down a little bit.
"But I tried to get her to talk to me before she left and she just looked at me and said 'I'm sorry, Mom,' and left. Something else is going on. It's not just the storyline."
I grabbed my things and left. I heard Amy calling behind me, but I couldn't stop. I needed answers. My daughter was hurting somehow and she wouldn't talk to anyone, not even Amy, and she only refused to talk to Amy when she was refusing to eat.
I got into my rental car and drove to Baltimore, which was only an hour away from where we were filming. Ring of Honor had a show there that night and the best I could tell, it was still going on. When I got to the arena they were at, I waited at the back door for them.
"Jeff, what are you doing here?" Nick asked me nervously.
"I'm here because my daughter has barely spoken to me or Amy since she left California. She hasn't even been back to the Hardy Compound since the day after we left California. Now, I don't know what happened out there, but what I do know is that all three of you admitted she was training with the two of you without telling me while she was there. When we went for her graduation the two of you were sticking to her like glue.
"Now, me and Taylor get into our issues. I know that. But there is only one thing that has ever made Taylor stop talking to Amy and that is when she stops eating. What happened out there? What changed my daughter?" I asked them.
"Jeff, you need to talk to Taylor," Matt said.
"You're not listening to me! My daughter, who is obviously not eating again, is back at work for TNA, and as of tonight, has officially joined the Revolution. It won't be long before the anorexia leaves her too weak to wrestle and if she's in the ring, it can kill her. I know that you think you're being there for her by protecting whatever secret the three of you have, but this can cost Taylor her life. If it was one of your daughters on the line, would you want me keepin' my mouth shut? I don't even know where she is anymore! She won't answer her phone to me or Amy!"
"She's with Spud and ECIII at some restaurant right now, Jeff," Nick said, holding up his phone. "I just texted her. She said she left right after her match and Michael said she had to eat or he was gonna get her suspended."
A slight weight lifted off of my shoulders. Michael had insisted Taylor gain weight before people train her. If he said he'd report her anorexia, he was serious. He'd make her eat. James and Michael were always good with Taylor.
"Jeff," Matt started, "maybe you should let Amy know to stay with Matt at the hotel and come with us back to our hotel. This isn't a conversation to have in the middle of a parking lot."
I nodded and followed them back to their hotel.
Taylor's POV
My phone started vibrating in my pocket.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Michael teased.
"I'm not dating," I snapped. "It's Nick from the Young Bucks. He wants to know where I am."
I texted Nick back, letting him know where I was and why. When Michael and James brought me back to my hotel room Nick texted me back to let me know that Dad was with them, demanding information about me. He said Matt was going to tell him the truth. I texted him, begging him not to. I received a four word reply: Sorry. We're fathers, too.
Michael had fallen asleep on the couch in the room. I got up from the chair I was in and tried to run into the room. James was faster than I thought. He caught me and grabbed me as I was hyperventilating and trying to get away.
"Taylor, Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"I thought I could trust them! They said they'd protect my secret, protect me! They lied!"
"Who lied, Sweetheart?"
"Matt and Nick Massey!"
"What did they lie about?"
"They swore they wouldn't tell anyone what happened that night," I said, starting to cry and giving into the comfort of James' arms. "But Dad found them tonight and he's getting them to tell him, playing on their paternal emotions to get what he wants."
"What happened what night?" Michael said, walking into the hallway, rubbing his eyes.
"The night of the party at my sorority house," I said quietly.
"Wait, you were in a sorority while you were gone?" Michael teased.
I nodded, having trouble focusing.
"What happened, Sweetheart?" James asked, glaring at Michael.
"I swore I locked the bathroom before I got in the shower, but he was in there. I tried to tell him no, but my head was spinning and he wouldn't stop, I couldn't stop him," my voice going far away.
"Taylor?" James tried to call me back to him. "Sweetheart, did someone rape you while you were in school?"
I curled deeper into James arms and started crying more. He picked me up and carried me into the room.
"Oh, fuck," was Michael's reaction. "Taylor, did you report it?"
I nodded as James put me down on the bed, suddenly feeling exposed.
"Wait! Both of you, stay with me? I'm scared," I said.
"We'll protect you, Sweetheart," James said, curling into me on one side of me, holding me. "We're not going anywhere. Are we, Michael?"
"No, Taylor, we're not leaving you," Michael said as he slid into the bed on the other side of me.
I felt safer there, not so exposed. For the first time in months, I slept without nightmares.