Shane and Mercedes spent the night talking to each other trying to move past what had happened that day. The conversation was light and happy. Being drained of most emotions they both avoided what they knew would cause them to relive what they simply wanted to avoid.
Late that night Mercedes got a knock on her hotel room door. She was very confused seeing as how she didn't tell anyone besides Vince where she was staying. "Hey Shane there's a knock at my door it might be your father. I'll call you tomorrow ok?"
"Sounds good I'll be waiting all day to hear that sweet voice."
"Hope that all your meetings and whatever else go smoothly."
"Have a good night and a good day. I'll talk to you tomorrow night."
"I will and you too." Mercedes said hanging up the phone as she moved towards the door.
She opened the door to find Jeff standing there. "I know that you called in tonight which probably means that you want to be alone and depressed but I figured that you could use the company no matter how happy and normal you tried to sound on the phone," Jeff winked and smiled at her.
"Jeff Hardy two things; one how did you find out where I was staying and two I hate that you know me so well."
"I asked Vince where you were. I know I know terrible breach of trust and privacy but even he thought you needed a shoulder to lean on. And thank you very much I'd hate me too if I were that perceptive about me."
"Right whatever you say. Come on in." Mercedes stepped aside to let Jeff in. "What's in your hand?"
"A bag," Jeff said stating the blatantly obvious.
"You are a very funny man Jeff, what's inside the bag?"
"Oh, nothing other than your very favorite form of comfort food; any and every type of chocolate that is out on the market."
"You are a god send," Mercedes said taking the bag from his hands.
"That bad of a day huh?" Jeff said sitting down on the bed next to her.
"Jeff, would I honestly call in if it weren't that bad of a day?" Mercedes asked him rifling through the chocolate trying to decide what to eat first.
"Look we can sit here all night long and joke and just as I'm ready to fall asleep you can tell me what happened or we can just talk now and sort through all of this."
"You were always a man to get straight to the point Mr. Hardy."
"Yes I am now what's it going to be?"
"O.k. I'll tell you but what I tell you goes no further than us. If what I tell you gets around I'm telling you the fallout could be disastrous."
"Cedes what happened today?" Jeff asked even more concerned.
"Well for the past week or so Shane and I have started up a relationship- "
"It's about time the two of you have been dancing around your feelings for each other for a long time. I'm happy for you."
"Not so fast Jeff. There's a reason why Shane and I have danced around the issue."
"Why is that?"
"Because I made a promise to my brother that when I came here I wouldn't date any wrestlers."
"Why would you make that promise to him?"
"Because he's overprotective and irrational and bad tempered," Mercedes said.
"But what does your brother have to do with this? I mean it isn't like he is traveling around with you or anything." Jeff said still clueless to the fact that Paul was her brother.
"He has everything to do with it because he is traveling with us."
"What? Who in the world is your brother?"
"Paul," she said quietly.
"Paul? Levesque? As in Hunter Hurst Helmsley? As in Triple H?"
"All three of those would be correct. I'm his little sister."
"And you kept it quiet all this time?"
"I took on my mother's maiden name when I signed on. I didn't want people to know that we were related."
"O.k. so now I'm beginning to see the complication. What happened today though?"
"I've been having doubts about Shane and I. I wasn't sure if he thought we were even a couple. I got pretty insecure about the whole thing. I mean I'm giving up a lot to be with him and I wasn't sure that he really felt the same way about me. We went back to my hotel room and spent the night talking about everything and when he went to leave I asked him to stay. I wasn't trying to make anything happen. It's just that his company is so relaxing to me."
"Cedes we can talk about how great you think he is after you tell me what went wrong."
"Right of course. Well Paul came over this morning and saw Shane asleep in the bed. I tried to tell him that nothing happened what-so-ever but he didn't take it all that well."
"What did he do? He was in a pretty foul mood tonight."
"He attacked Shane. He threw him against the wall. Shane is pretty bad off with bruises and swelling and everything."
"He could lose his job for that."
"I know but Shane said that he would leave it alone for now. The worst part is I told Paul that I never wanted to see him again. And Shane is gone on business for a few days." Mercedes started to feel the stress of it all. "I talked to Shane and he said that what happened this morning wouldn't drive him away but how do I know that? It is one thing to say it when you're on the phone with someone; but to actually live it out? Stand there with that one person no matter what happens to you, your body, your spirit; I just don't know what's going to happen."
"No wonder you took the day of honey." Jeff pulled her into a hug. "How come you didn't tell me all of this was weighing on you until now?"
"I didn't want to burden you Jeff. Besides I know that the fewer people I tell the better off we all are."
"How long do you think it's going to be before Vince finds out what Paul did to Shane?"
"I honestly hope never or at least not until Paul has decided to retire and Shane and I are either split up or long since married."
"That's a lot to hope for. When Shane gets back people are going to notice that something happened to him."
"Jeff you won't say anything to anyone will you? I am so angry at Paul I actually punched him. But I know how much he loves his career and I don't want that to get screwed up."
"I promise that I won't say anything Cedes. Do you really think that Shane is going to come back and stay by you?"
"Oh Jeff I don't know," she ran her hands through her long curly hair. "I hope so I really hope so. We've been talking all night and he told me that he wouldn't give me up that easily. But the man has to be indestructible if he's going to be with me. How can I ask him to put himself through all of this? He was right this morning, he walked out and said that I needed to fix things with Paul and when I did he'd be there waiting. He was right for leaving then; maybe he should just stay away." Mercedes wiped her hand across her eyes to brush away the tears that were threatening to fall on her face.
"Do you want him to stay away?" Jeff asked her trying to make her realize that driving Shane away would not make things better for anyone besides Paul.
"No I don't; I want him to be here right next to me."
"And would it really fix anything?"
"No but it would keep him safe."
"Did he ask you to do that for him?"
"Of course not; He said that he would stand right by no matter what came our way."
"Then he's a very smart man. A girl like you doesn't show up very often and he'd be a fool to give you up."
"Why Jeff Hardy I do believe that you are falling for me," Mercedes said jokingly.
"Darling I could fall for you in a heart beat if I let myself. Maybe in another lifetime we'll be the greatest lovers the world has ever known," Jeff said smiling. "Cedes if Shane says that he wants to stay with you let him love. There is no one I know who deserves true happiness more than you do."
"That is why I love you so much Jeff. We are both so comfortable with each other that we can joke and talk about anything."
Mercedes reached across the bed pulling Jeff into a hug. "Thank you for coming tonight Jeff it means a lot to me. I wanted to be alone but this is much better."
"You are welcome."
The next few days passed by slowly for Shane and Mercedes. Shane spent the better part of his days in boardroom meetings and with press doing interviews and budgets and payrolls. He found himself thinking of Mercedes constantly wishing that he were able to see her smile or hear that musical laugh. There was nothing more that he wanted than to show her what he said was the truth. He only hoped that when he got back that she was still there. He didn't know exactly how things with Paul went and he didn't want to know. All he wanted to know was that Mercedes wasn't forced to leave because of something that her brother did.
"I'm flying into Texas tonight to meet up with everyone tonight, call me and maybe we can meet for dinner. My plane will be landing at about five thirty so any time after then would be great if you don't have work tonight. Call me back and let me know I miss you and I'm so excited to see you." Shane said leaving a voicemail on her phone. He wondered what she was doing that would cause her to miss his phone call.
Mercedes felt her phone ring in her pocket but picking up during a meeting with the writers and promoters was not a good move. As soon as she got out of the meeting she checked her phone upset that she missed his call.
"Hey Shane I know that you aren't going to get this until you land. I took off work the other day otherwise I would be out there meeting you right now but I have to make up an appearance and tonight is that night. Meet me at the arena and we'll get some food afterwards. I can't wait to see you either." She hung up the phone and went to get ready for the show.
"He's coming back today he's coming back!" Mercedes said happily jumping around the dressing room.
"Who is coming back?" Amy asked her.
"Shane he's coming back today."
"I didn't know that that would be such exciting news," Matt said a bit confused. "Jeff this is your supposed girlfriend do you know what's up with her?"
"Don't worry about it Matt it's nothing they are just close is all," Jeff said winking at Mercedes.
Her happiness at having Shane back brought Mercedes to a whole other level with her wrestling. She had never moved as fast or as limber as she did that night. There was no getting her out of the ring or the arena faster to meet up with Shane.
"I can't believe your back," she said jumping into his arms once she saw him standing by her dressing room.
"I know the days just dragged on." He kissed her hard and long to make up for all the times that he wanted to kiss her while they were apart. "I have something for you."
"Here?"
"No in my car, let's get out of here."
The two of them began to walk out of the arena after Mercedes had gotten her things together. They were hoping that they would be able to leave without any problems and all seemed to go well until they heard a familiar voice calling for Mercedes.
"I told you that I did not want you with him," Paul said charging them like a crazed bull.
Mercedes stepped between Shane and Paul. "You want to lose your job Paul? Touch him again and I guarantee that you will."
"Cedes- "
"This is not your life and not your choice, now turn around and leave." She whispered to him angrily.
"I'm telling you Cedes- "
"No I'm telling you Paul I am not yours to look after anymore." Mercedes didn't wait for Paul to leave this time she took Shane and walked away from him before anything else could happen. "Let's go Shane none of this is worth it."
As Mercedes turned her back Paul reached out to grab her arm instead grabbed part of Shane's shirt. And before anyone knew what was happening Shane had spun around and hit Paul straight in the jaw knocking him to the ground.