NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This story's gonna veer off into MAJOR alternate universe territory now.
Chapter Ten
Anaheim, CA
8/24/2004
"I think I should pounce on Jericho during the Highlight Reel next week," Christian explained over breakfast to Tyson and Trish the next morning at the local Denny's. Tyson and Christian were monopolizing the conversation, leaving Trish to sit quietly and eat her poached egg and toast breakfast (which was fine by her—she was still reeling over the events from last night, and she didn't feel much like talking). "Just to let everyone know I'm back."
"Are you sure you're at 100 percent?" Tyson asked before spearing a sausage link with his fork.
Christian flashed his Problem Solver a reassuring smile. "Tyson, I feel better now than I have in years. I can't wait to get back in in the ring." He paused, and then picked up a slice of toast. "Now if Bischoff would give me something productive to do instead of spending all his time with Evolution and that ridiculous Diva Search, I'd be a happy camper. Those Evolution guys hate not being in the spotlight, don't they?"
"Well, it's because Bischoff doesn't really do anything to stop them," Tyson answered back. "It bugs the hell out of me."
"Well, in case you're interested, he might not have a GM job when it's all said and done."
"What are you talking about, Christian? I know the hotel was kinda buzzing last night and this morning with Kane going postal at his wedding and putting Lita in the hospital. What would that have to do with Bischoff's job?"
"Rumor has it that upper management's furious with Bischoff because of the way he handled Kane stalking Lita," said Christian before taking a bite out of his toast slice. After finishing the bite, he continued. "Something about personal safety of the talent, something like that. The Wedding From Hell was the last straw, I guess. Bischoff may be hitting the pavement when the dust settles."
Tyson reached for the pot of coffee in the middle of the table and refreshed his cup. "Then who's gonna be RAW GM if he's fired?"
"She hasn't been on TV for almost a year, but Calaway's wife is on the top of the list."
Tyson's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the coffee pot. "Stephanie? She's Vince McMahon's daughter! She's a bitch on heels!"
Christian smirked. "Only if you disrespect her. Otherwise, she's a good boss. She's honest, and she's fair."
Tyson tilted his head and looked across the table at his companion. "I thought she was married to Hunter."
"That was all storyline. She married Mark five years ago. Took over her dad's company at the tender age of twenty-two. Vince is just the figurehead. If you go to Vince to discuss a problem, you're actually talking to Stephanie and Calaway by proxy. He and her mom keep her in the know. I should know all about this, because I was just starting out in the WWE when it all went down."
"What can Stephanie possibly do?" snorted Tyson.
"She can make sure Evolution doesn't hog all the air time for one. She'll make sure the worthwhile opponents get title shots. She'll wrap up that ridiculous Diva Search crap. And she'll make sure Kane gets punished for harming the talent. Lita in particular." Christian paused. He was no longer friends with Lita (the ill-fated bet with Chris Jericho had killed that friendship), but something about what she had been going through the past several months made his blood boil. "All Bischoff had to do was trade Kane to Smackdown, or at least help Lita get a restraining order. And after Kane hurt Shawn Michaels, he should have suspended the guy!
"Michaels is a cash cow for this company, Kane takes him out, and Bischoff doesn't do a damn thing! And what the hell was the point of Bischoff allowing that big red freak to harass his most popular diva? I mean, Hardy was doing his best, but he could only do so much." Christian slammed his fist on the table. "Bischoff is so hung up on his precious controversy-creates-cash nonsense, that he doesn't see what's going on with his roster outside of Evolution. It pisses me off!"
Trish pushed her now-empty plate aside and rose from the table. Her face was pale. "Excuse me, please."
Christian lay his hand gently on his girlfriend's shoulder, his face a picture of concern. "Trish, are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, Guys. I have to step out for a minute."
"Trish?" Christian watched his girlfriend head outside and got up himself. "Sorry, Tyson. I'll be right back. Don't drink all the coffee, okay?"
~~~LITA~~~
When Christian caught up to Trish, she was sitting on a bench outside the restaurant. "Trish," he ventured carefully, sitting down beside her. "Talk to me, Trish. What's wrong?"
Trish shook her head, not looking at her boyfriend. "I still can't believe she lost her baby last week."
Christian snorted. "I'm surprised you're not doing cartwheels right now," he said, without thinking.
Trish cocked an eyebrow and stared quizzically at her boyfriend. "Cartwheels? I don't understand."
Christian folded his arms across his chest. He wanted to wait to bring this up, but something told him that he couldn't wait any longer. "That Wedding From Hell made the papers this morning. Sports section. Lita's in Intensive Care right now. She's got cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and a separated shoulder."
"Oh, my god!" Trish gasped. She knew that Lita had been injured, but she didn't realize how seriously.
"She's gonna be out of commission for a while. She'll probably take some time off to get her head straight and to get over everything that's happened to her. Losing her baby, the kidnapping, the stalking. All of it." Christian narrowed his eyes. "Are you happy, Trish?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I think you know," Christian answered, getting up off the bench. "You've almost made it your life's work to make Lita's life dejectedle. Well now, she lost her baby, Kane nearly killed her last night and put her in the hospital, and she won't be able to compete for as long as it's gonna take her to heal up." A pause, as Christian began to pace back and forth. "Y'know, with the way you've been acting recently, I'm actually shocked that you aren't laughing and celebrating."
Trish gasped and climbed off the bench. "Why the hell would you imply that I'd celebrate something like that?" she exclaimed.
"I don't know," spat Christian. "Maybe it was that 'Bridal Shower' you held just to imply that Lita's a slut. Or maybe it was you strutting down the aisle last night wearing that 'maid of honor' outfit to upstage her. I don't know what the hell your problem is, but all you've been doing since I came back here is revel in Lita's misery at the expense of our relationship! You've turned your back on me because you're too busy tormenting your rival!"
Trish glared hotly at her boyfriend. "You're taking up for her again, aren't you?"
"I am NOT taking up for her!" Christian fired back, surprised at how loud and how sharp his voice sounded. "I'm just telling you what I'm seeing here, and frankly Trish, it's pissing me off! I'm looking at a self-absorbed, selfish, preoccupied woman who's treating the guy who loves her like dirt! I don't know if you remember this Trish, but I gave up everything that meant something to me for you! That's how much you meant to me, and still do!"
Trish looked vastly uncomfortable as Christian continued his tirade. "When everyone else was calling you a slut, I was the only one who defended you. The only one!Hell, the reason why I got hurt and had to go to rehab was because I was defending your honor! And after I got hurt, I brought Tyson in to watch your back so you wouldn't get hurt. I could have left you to the wolves, but I didn't because I cared that much about you."
"And I appreciate that, Christian! Really, I do!"
"I trashed my reputation, threw away my morals, and made a complete ass of myself because you were that important to me. Well, I guess I was wrong, Trish!" Christian shook his head in disgust. "Maybe you're really not that important anymore. After all, if you care more about someone else's misery than our relationship, then I probably don't matter that much to you." With that, he began to walk back to the restaurant. "Because right now, you sure as hell don't matter that much to me."
Trish chased after her boyfriend, panicked. "Christian, stop! No! Wait! I'm—I'm sorry!"
Christian turned and looked at Trish coolly.
"Christian, Lita is my rival, " Trish admitted, her voice breaking. "I don't like her, and that much is true. But I would never wish for her to lose her baby! I was just as shocked and surprised as everyone else last night! If I'd have known about that, I never would have gone out there!"
"Well, nobody knew about it until last night, and you went out there anyway," Christian fired back.
"Dammit, Christian! If I knew how it would all end, I wouldn't have gone out there in the first place. Of course I'm gonna antagonize Lita. She's my competition, for God's sake! But for you to imply that I'd be happy that Lita's hurt and in the hospital? That's horrible!"
Christian sighed and carefully approached his girlfriend. "Trish, with the way that you've been behaving as of late," he said softly, "It wouldn't have surprised me."
"I wouldn't wish what happened to Lita on my worst enemy, Christian!" Trish felt a lump come to her throat. "Oh, God! This is such a trainwreck," she gasped, feeling hot tears begin to prickle her eyes. "I just wanted to get under Lita's skin, and I've let this get out of control," she began to sob. "You probably hate me right now."
With that, Trish wrapped her arms around herself and hung her head, crying softly. She wasn't aware that Christian was holding her until he pulled her close and gently kissed the top of her head.
"Trish, I don't hate you. I just hate what you've turned into."
Trish nodded. "Baby, I'm sorry. I've been tormenting Lita so much now, it's become a habit."
"Well, it's a habit you really need to break." Christian ran his thumb gently along Trish's jaw. "I just want you back, Trish. Not the selfish, self-centered bully Trish." Christian lifted his girlfriend's face up to his. A sad smile was on his face. "I want the Trish I fell in love with and made a fool of myself for. I'm scared to death that she's not there anymore. I just wanna know if she's still there. Is she?"
Trish sighed. "She is. It's just gonna take me some time to find her is all," she whispered as she snuggled into her boyfriend's embrace.
~~~LITA~~~
Cameron, NC
8/30/2004
"I know, Jeff. We saw the news on the website," said Anna on the cordless phone to Matt's baby brother as she dropped a Lemon Zinger tea bag into a mug of water and put the mug into the microwave. She was in the kitchen at Matt's house (she'd moved in temporarily to take care of a recuperating Lita). "Yeah, Bitchoff's gone. Well, he's not necessarily fired, but he's been suspended indefinitely. I think it has everything to do with what happened last week. If it isn't, it's probably on the short list of reasons."
Anna plunked down into a kitchen chair and gave Matt's little dog Lucas a scratch behind the ears when he came up to say hello. "I don't know who they're gonna announce as his replacement. Yeah, I think Stephanie would be a great choice," she continued. Although she didn't know Taker's wife personally, she thought the former Women's Champion was a hard-working, honest, standup type. "She kicked some butt on Smackdown last year. We'll just have to wait and see, though. They have to make a decision sooner than later. Oh, yeah, Lita's watching TV right now. You wanna talk to her? Sure. Hold on."
Anna headed into the living room, cordless phone in hand, and Lucas trotting along at her heels. "Hey, Lita. You up to talking on the phone?"
Lita, who was stretched out on the couch channel surfing, set the remote down on the coffee table with her left hand (her right arm was in a sling). "Who is it?"
"Jeff."
"Yes! I haven't really talked to him, he must be worried sick! Thanks!" Lita took the cordless from Anna. "Hi, Jeff. How's TNA treating you..." she said, her voice tired but happy.
Anna scooped Lucas up and carried him back into the kitchen, leaving her friend to talk to Matt's little brother. "I'm not a dog person," she told Lucas as she ruffled his soft white fur, "But you're definitely on my short list of favorite dogs."
A little smile perked up her lips as she set Lucas down and took the mug out of the microwave. "Watch out, Buddy," she warned the little dog gently as she carried the hot mug of tea into the living room. She respectfully waited until Lita finished the phone call before handing her the tea.
"Here you go. Hope this isn't too hot," Anna said, before she plunked down on the loveseat adjacent to the couch her friend was resting on. Lita had been released from the hospital two days earlier, after Dr. Lofglun gave her permission to travel. Matt had made sure Lita was settled in his house before heading out to San Francisco for the RAW taping, leaving Anna (and Jeff and Shannon, when their busy schedules would allow) to hold down the fort.
"It's perfect, thanks." sighed Lita, taking the cup of Lemon Zinger from her friend and taking a sip. She took another and used it to wash down a prescription Motrin pill.
"You still hurting?" Anna ventured, picking up a chew toy and giving it to Lucas, who'd followed her into the living room.
"Not as much," Lita answered. The Motrin that Dr. Lofglun had prescribed her was doing its job keeping the pain in her shoulder and her healing ribs at bay. The breathing exercises she was instructed to do each day kept her lungs properly inflated, and a regimen of simple range of motion exercises kept her joints from becoming stiff. They were a far cry from the strenuous workouts she normally put herself through, but they did their job in helping Lita recover more quickly.
Anna picked up the TV remote and switched the channel to Spike TV. "Who do you think's gonna be the new GM tonight?"
"I don't know, anybody but Bitchoff!" Lita answered, emphatically. She and Anna were overjoyed after reading of Bischoff's indefinite suspension (without pay) on the WWE website. The article had listed several reasons for Bischoff's suspension, with the main one being his mishandling of Kane's harassment of Lita. So much for controversy creating cash. In this instance, controversy had created unemployment.
"Well, you won't have to worry about seeing his smug face for a while. Let's see how this all plays out..."
They would have to wait until the second half of the broadcast. Anna and Lita watched a segment with Evolution, a handicap tag match, and a God-awful "Dis the Diva" segment (which led into a discussion between Lita and Anna about why Carmella wasn't just eliminated instead of embarrassed on TV) before they were about to give up and check the website for the announcement. But then, JR made the announcement, and they both turned back to the TV and waited with bated breath.
~~~LITA~~~
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2004
"...I really appreciate you giving me the chance to talk to the fans," Matt said to the interim GM in their temporary office backstage. "They've been worried sick about Lita. I'll try not to take up too much time out there." He paused, and then added, cautiously, "Can you find some way to break that contract? I'll try to understand if you can't..."
Once the conversation concluded, Matt stepped out of the office and walked down the hall to the locker room. A weary sigh escaped his lips. The past week had been stressful, and he appreciated the interim General Manager giving him the night off.
~~~LITA~~~
At ringside, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler provided commentary.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, the news broke just a few hours ago on the WWE website. Eric Bischoff, the General Manager of RAW, has been suspended indefinitely. It was an executive level decision, and he was suspended for several reasons. The main reason cited was endangerment of active talent. This stemmed from the way Bischoff handled, or more appropriately, mishandled, the situation between Kane, Lita, and Matt Hardy.
"Last week, if you recall, the Wedding From Hell took place. Kane, was supposed to marry Lita, according to the stipulation of the 'Death Do Us Part' match at Summerslam, in which Lita would marry the winner of said match. During the ceremony, Lita refused to marry Kane, and proceeded to reveal that she had suffered a miscarriage the week before. Lita then publically humiliated her would-be husband, resulting in Kane going ballistic and attacking her, leaving her seriously injured.
"That wedding ended in disaster, JR! I think we can all agree with that." Lawler remarked.
"Absolutely, King," nodded JR. "The last few images of last week's broadcast, with Matt carrying a semi-conscious Lita backstage to the EMT's is still in my mind like it happened yesterday. Hopefully though, Lita will make a full recovery and be back in action soon. And I also hope that the interim GM, whoever he or she is, will address this situation and make sure that nothing like that happens in the future..."
Lillian Garcia stepped into the ring and picked up a microphone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," she announced, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you all, the interim General Manager of Monday Night RAW. Coming down the aisle is the the co-owner of the WWE..." At that moment, the arena lights turned low, and "Superstar" by Saliva started playing.
Upon hearing the music, the crowd erupted, and Lillian announced, "...Stephanie McMahon!"
"She's back! After a year-long absence! And this capacity crowd is on its feet!" JR shouted, as Stephanie appeared on the entrance ramp towards the ring in a black leather motorcycle jacket over a pink Harley Davidson tank top. She wore ripped, faded jeans and black biker boots with chunky heels. The crowd was on their feet as they greeted their new General Manager.
"Listen to this ovation, JR!"
"She and her husband became the principal owners of this company five and a half years ago," JR explained to the viewing audience as Stephanie climbed into the ring and acknowledged the live crowd.
"JR, we watched her grow up on TV, and she's turned out to be a helluva businesswoman!"
"Not only is she a great businesswoman, but she is also a great ambassador for this sport. Former Women's Champion, former GM of Smackdown. She has a reputation for being a hard nose. And if anyone can right the ship on RAW, it's that woman right there!"
Stephanie smiled as she graciously took the microphone from Lillian .
"I take a year off," she exclaimed. "And I come back to this?" The crowd roared, and Stephanie shook her head in mock dismay. "Y'know, I can't even begin to describe the current situation around here without using the word cluster somewhere!"
The audience roared again, and JR and King laughed.
"Ain't that the truth!" JR chuckled.
"I really, really have my work cut out for me, and I'm gonna kick this off by addressing what I think is the most important issue . I come back to find out that the top diva on RAW landed in the hospital because the guy she was forced to marry had a conniption fit just because she said no."
"I think 'conniption fit' is an understatement," Lawler remarked.
"And if that wasn't bad enough," continued Stephanie, "The guy she thought had her best interests at heart chose to look the other way. And if he had been doing his job like he was supposed to, instead of kissing up to Evolution or ogling the Diva Search girls, well...let's just say we wouldn't be having this conversation, and I'd still be lying on a beach in a bikini somewhere, sipping an umbrella drink."
"I think I know where this is going, JR."
"I think I know too, and I don't blame her."
"And yes, I'm talking about Eric Bischoff. In case you haven't visited the WWE website, Mr. Bischoff, as of this afternoon, was placed on indefinite suspension due to misconduct and failure to protect his talent. Just because Lita wouldn't pose for Playboy or give Mr. Bischoff sexual favors doesn't give him permission to give Kane a free pass to run roughshod all over Lita and her boyfriend!"
The crowd shouted in appreciation as Stephanie continued. "And speaking of Lita, I think we've all been worried about her for the past week. In fact, so many members of the WWE Universe visited the website the other day to wish Lita a speedy recovery, they crashed the server. Which tells me how much this audience cares about her. So, without further adieu, I'd like to ask Lita's significant other to come out here and fill us all in with what's going on with her, and what's going on with him."
"It's been a tough week for Matt and Lita," said JR as Matt Hardy walked towards the ring to his entrance music and the roar of the audience. "And there's a Matt Fact on the screen that says, 'Matt and Lita appreciate your love and support this week.'"
"Wow, watching that vicious attack on Lita last week was difficult enough," added Lawler. "But to be Matt, and have to watch that up close and in person, and then carry the woman you love backstage so she can be treated by a bunch of EMT's? I don't know how he's keeping it together. JR, I really can't get my head around all of it."
Stephanie handed the microphone off to Matt and stepped back a respectful distance.
"Thank you," Matt started off, with a weary smile. "First off, I just wanted to thank all the fans for their love and support these past few days. It's been a really difficult time for Lita, for me, and our respective families and friends. " He paused. "As you all know, Lita was rushed to the hospital after the wedding last week," he continued, putting wedding into air quotes. "She was hurt pretty bad, and it was a little touchy for a while, but I'm happy to say that Lita is now out of the hospital. She's resting at home, and she's gonna make a full recovery."
"That is great news." The relief was clear in JR's voice.
Lawler nodded and said, "We were all pretty worried about her, JR. I'm glad to hear she's gonna be okay."
The audience applauded and shouted. Several voices shouted out, "Matt, we love you and Lita!"
"Stay sane, 'Bro!" said another.
Matt nodded. "Martin Luther King Jr. once said that the ultimate measure of a man isn't where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Well, it's been a very challenging and a very controversial few months for Lita and me, and I want to thank you all for having our backs." He paused, and his voice cracked slightly with emotion as the audience cheered. "You guys in the WWE Universe mean the world to the both of us!"
Matt glanced over to Stephanie, who nodded and gave him a warm smile. Taking a deep breath, he waited until the audience quieted down slightly, and then continued. "Ummm, I wanna say this to the man responsible for hurting the woman that I love not just last week, but all the weeks before that. Kane, I'd like to do nothing more than take you apart piece by piece for what you did to both of us! You knew that Lita and I were trying to get back together. But that didn't matter! All you cared about was bringing your offspring into the world and making Lita your property!"
Matt paused. "I guess last week showed everyone in the WWE Universe just how you treat your property. Because you had the nerve...the unmitigated gall...to pick up your property like a rag doll and slam her to the ground, and then try to choke the life out of her!
"Y'know, when the three of us signed the contract for Summerslam, you said that everyone now knew the truth, and that you were more of a man than I'd ever be. Last week, Kane, the WWE Universe saw you for what you really are. A no good lying hypocrite! Because you showed everyone around the world just how little a man you really are! Because a real man doesn't treat his woman like property, and he sure as hell doesn't try to kill her!"
The audience reaction would have blown the roof off the arena if it were any louder.
"I think this audience is in total agreement!" Lawler exclaimed.
"And as far as I'm concerned, the Big Red Machine deserves Hardy's wrath!" JR said emphatically.
Suddenly, before Matt could say anything else, the lights dimmed slightly and the crowd gasped as they saw who appeared on the Titantron.
"Hardy! You say some awfully big words. And if you thought you and Lita suffered before...just wait until you both come back. Because when I finish with you both, your suffering will be legendary!"
Matt glared over his shoulder at the image of his nemesis. Shadows played across Kane's face, making him look like he came straight out of a nightmare. For a single, crackling moment, Matt and Kane stared at each other, each daring the other to speak.
Stephanie stood back, a calculating expression on her face. This situation could become very ugly, very quickly.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: SURPRISE! You didn't expect Stephanie McMahon to come back, did you? Okay, I know it's NOT canon, but it's Alternate Universe. I shamelessly ship Taker (Mark) and Stephanie. I picture Stephanie being into biker chic, kinda edgy and emo-looking in this AU. Hope you don't mind!
BTW, If you're interested in reading Taker/Steph, check out Into The Dark, my retelling of the Ministry of Darkness story (also AU).
REVIEWS = LOVE