Chapter 7
David caught Randy when he was literally thrown from the Undertaker's dressing room, recoiling when he seen the blood seeping from Randy's forehead. "What the hell happened?" He demanded, helping his friend up, just being careful to not get blood all over him. Randy tried talking, but instead gushed blood, groaning and ran his tongue over his teeth. "Okay, to the medic then."
"Do I even wanna know what that was about?" Steve Austin demanded, having watched Bautista cart off Randy, who was supposed to be Mark's opponent. When Mark relayed what had happened, Steve's eyes instantly turned to ice as he cracked his knuckles and stormed after the two. They didn't get far because Steve was cracking both Randy and David with a steel chair, causing them to go down like a sack of potatoes. He placed it to where the bar was pressing against Randy's throat, choking him a little, and sat down on the chair to apply more pressure. David was out for the moment. "This is yer only warnin', boy, stay away from my niece or I'll give ya a REAL sexual assault. My foot in yer ass! We clear?"
Randy still couldn't talk.
"I think he mighta bit his tongue." Mark said casually, leaning against the hallway wall to watch. His acid green eyes glittered with amusement, the dangerous kind. "Seems to me, son, you need to either figure out a way to talk or just nod if you understand."
Randy nodded frantically.
"Good." Steve practically snarled out before reluctantly getting off, knowing the boy had a match against Mark...or what was left of him. He looked down at David, who was slowly getting up and kicked him in the gut, delivering a Stone Cold Stunner, knocking him out again. "You ever come near my niece again, Bitchtista and I'll make ya MY bitch!" He growled, hitting the man upside the head with the chair for good measure before tossing it on Randy, who groaned out in pain.
"You know Steve..." Mark drawled as they walked away, slapping his old friend on the back. "I noticed something about ya tonight. You have gay tendencies. First a sexual encounter with Orton, then threatening to make Bautista yer bitch. Why are you just now stepping out of the closet?"
Steve snorted and slapped Mark on the back, shaking his head. "No, no you don't understand, Rigamortis. I don't intend on sexually assaultin'em, but they'll be my bitches. My dogs in other words." He chuckled, not stunning Mark due to the fact that the man had been keeping an eye on his niece for him. "Thanks for lookin' out for her and callin' me when things looked a little hairy. Do me a favor, tonight, make sure that cocksucker doesn't walk outta the ring. I'm goin' to find my niece and make sure she's alright."
"Steve." Mark caught Steve by the arm, letting go when Steve turned back to him. "Make her go file a report." He instructed softly. "This needs to be on record in case that moron is stupid enough to try it again. Oh...and he'll be leaving on a gurney that much is a promise." He flashed a feral grin, baring his teeth. Oh yes, if Randy somehow was lucky enough to walk out on his own two feet and hadn't gotten the message, then Mark would skip the beat down and move straight onto murder.
Steve nodded once, knowing Mark was right. "Consider it done, see ya in a few." He walked away, hoping his niece was alright. Knowing her, Jerica was probably barricaded in her office with the door locked. He wasn't disappointed when he arrived only for his suspicions to be confirmed, sighing heavily. "Jeri, honey, it's Steve." He blinked when the door was thrown open a second later and she nearly clobbered him with a hug, his blood boiling at her trembling body and the tears that were soaking his neck.
Jerica was so happy her uncle was finally back on the road and scared at the same time as she clung to him like he was a lifeline, scared out of her mind.
Steve held her tightly, mildly shocked to feel tears hitting his neck. He could not for the life of him remember the last time Jerica had cried in front of him. Oh wait, yes he could. When she was sixteen.
"Honey, I'm here." He soothed, stroking her back gently, knowing Randy was in for a world of hurt, if not from Mark then from him. He picked her up and moved to sit down in her vacated chair, cradling her against him.
"Sorry." She mumbled and sat up a little, wiping her tears away, not even caring about her makeup at the moment. "I'm an Austin, I should be stronger than this." She stated, causing Steve to rub her back, and knew he wasn't angry at her. "Randy-" Steve pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her from telling him because he'd already heard from Mark, which was the reason why Randy and David had gotten their asses handed to them.
"I already know and they've been dealt with."
"He scared the shit out of me, Uncle. I really thought he was going to..." She couldn't finish and buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. "He thinks I'm fucking 'Taker and I'm not. I didn't break up with him because of another man, I broke up with him because of his childish ways and always needing to be number one in my life. My job comes first, he couldn't understand that, and then he got into an accident all to keep me from talking to 'Taker. I just couldn't handle it anymore."
"He got into an accident to keep you from Mark?" Steve echoed, arching a pale eyebrow. "What kind of accident?" When she told him, his blue eyes flashed with deadly fire. "He fucking rear ended a SEMI on purpose just to stop you from talking to Mark?" Orton was now officially nothing more then a walking corpse.
"I couldn't believe it either. This was the same night he surprised me with a white rose and a promise ring." Jerica shook her head, sighing heavily, and knew she really didn't have much work to get done. She'd been busting her ass lately so she could actually ENJOY this night with her uncle, but Randy and David had completely ruined that. "I'm not dating another co-worker." She stated defiantly, sliding from his lap and smoothed her dress down. "Mixing business with pleasure is a horrible idea and I need a man who will support me in the decisions I make. I don't need a child, hell I don't need a fucking man, period."
Actually, Steve thought if she wanted a man, Mark might actually be the perfect one for her. He was business oriented too so he would understand Jerica's professionalism and drive to succeed. But when she said she didn't need a man at all, that was good too.
"How bout we go get something to drink, honey?" He suggested, standing up, and wrapped an arm around her bracingly. "Those two fools are in the infirmary at the moment."
Jerica nodded, wanting to spend time with her uncle, having not seen him in months. She leaned against his side; her arm wrapped around his waist, and sighed in contentment. He was here, in the flesh, and he would protect her. Jerica hated admitting it, but she couldn't take on both Randy and David. Look what happened to her. Randy easily overpowered her and David could snap her in half. Though Jerica had to wonder what planet Randy was from when he decided to yank her into 'Taker's locker room of all places to sexually assault her. The thought amused her actually and she was smiling, her eyes shining again.
"I don't want to know why the hell you're grinning, you look too much like me when you got that evil gleam in your eye." Steve drawled, shaking his head and guided her into the cafeteria, waving a lazy hand when he got hollered at. The boys could wait, it wasn't often he got to see his niece.
"I was just thinking about Randy pulling me into 'Taker's dressing room of all places. You would think the boy would have more common sense than that, but apparently not." She actually chuckled when Steve did and it was genuine, her smile lighting up a room. It always did as they grabbed waters with some food. A salad for her while Steve stuck with a pork rib sandwich. This was WrestleMania after all and Vince usually pulled out all the stops. "So how've you been, Uncle?"
"Good, good." Steve nodded, idly chattering about things at home, new projects he was getting involved in, mundane bullshit. "Enough about me honey, I want to hear about you. Besides work and the moron, what else is new in your life?" He asked softly, knowing very likely nothing.
"That's pretty much it actually." She giggled when he rolled his eyes, smacking him lightly on the arm, shaking her head. "You know me, Steve. My job comes first and you're going to be really impressed with this month's magazine I think." Jerica had a proud aura about her as she took a bite of her salad and smiled when he kissed her forehead, telling her it would be great no matter what. "That's why I missed you so much. You boost my ego." She laughed when he pinched her in the side, reciprocating it. "So what's your segment tonight?"
"Eh...just going to do a Piper's Pit segment. Stun that apple muncher Carlito, the Piper, you know the drill." Steve grinned, blue eyes shining with amusement. He always did enjoy going out in that ring and doing what he did best, raising hell and drowning himself in beer. "Same old, same old." He yawned, smirking when she just shook her head.
"That sounds just like you." Jerica chuckled as she took another bite of her salad.
She smiled when his arm wrapped around her shoulders, seeing everyone was leaving them alone, which she enjoyed. It wasn't often Jerica got to spend some quality time with her uncle. Even when they worked together, Jerica was always in her office and he was purely business as soon as they stepped inside the arena. So this was a nice change of pace.
"After the show, what're you doing, honey?" Steve asked. He knew automatically there would be one hell of a WrestleMania party, but he wasn't sure he was keen on going. He wouldn't actually get to party, he'd have to mingle with other people. Not his idea of a good time. "Maybe we could go out and knock back a few together."
"You don't want to go to the after party?" She asked and laughed softly, seeing the pained expression on her uncle's face, nodding. "Sure, I don't feel much like going either, especially when I know Randy and David will be there." Jerica hated that she was running from this, but she just wanted it to go away. She felt Steve squeeze her hand and smiled at him reassuringly before hugging him tightly around the neck. "I'm so glad you're here, Uncle Stevie." She only called him that when she was emotional or needed him, like now.
"I am too baby girl." It was a childhood nickname for her, even though he wasn't that damn old. He wrapped his arms around her, not caring what anyone thought right now. It was about the precious woman he was holding, knowing she needed him. "We'll go out, have a good time." He gently held her away from him, staring down at her intently. "Alright?"
Jerica smiled at him and nodded, kissing his cheek and blinked her tears away. "I haven't been out in a long time." She rolled her eyes and stopped him from opening his mouth, already knowing what he was going to say. "You know my job comes first and you've always respected me for that. I'd much rather work than go out anyway, but this is a special occasion since you're here." Grinning when Steve just shook his head, Jerica finished her salad while hearing about Steve's upcoming movie roll and everything. He was in the movie business and she was very proud of him.
Steve wasn't so sure about this movie role, it sounded like mostly just running and shooting, not a lot of depth. Then again...He wasn't exactly that kind of guy either. "How much work do you have tonight?" He asked finally, knowing she usually was busy as hell at late hours. Though she had said this was a special occasion, he had a feeling if she put it off, she'd be a bear for a few days after.
"Actually, nothing needs to be done tonight. I knew you were gonna be here so I worked extra hard the last few weeks to ensure I'd be able to spend more time with you this time around." Not only that, but Jerica wanted to stay close to Steve incase Randy and David decided to mess with her, which had already happened. She still couldn't believe what Randy did and immediately pushed that thought in the back recesses of her mind, wanting to just enjoy this time with her uncle. "What time is your segment with Piper?"
"Hmmm good question." Steve drawled, stroking his goatee, eyes straying to a clock on the cafeteria wall. "I should probably go find out, want to escort me?"
He held out his arm teasingly, getting to his feet. His sandwich was gone, devoured almost instantly. He was a big boy and could eat quickly.
"Of course." Jerica grinned and linked her arm through his as they walked out of the cafeteria and toward Vince McMahon's office.
With Steve around, David and Randy wouldn't be pulling anything more with her until he was gone, which made her nervous. She didn't want to think about that though, not right now anyway. They walked inside Vince's office, finding out when Steve's segment was, which was somewhere in the middle before heading down the hallway, just walking and talking. Jerica was tired of walking in heels though and slid them off, putting them in her office before heading outside with her uncle for a smoke.
Randy immediately put out his cigarette when he seen Jerica and Steve, not needing either one of them to know he was there. Of course, he was sitting in a corner, hidden completely by shadows. He was feeling pretty good at the moment; the trainer gave him Vicodin so he could make it through the show. His blue eyes narrowed as he watched them, more to the point, her.