10: Gem
08/21/97

'Taker looked at Fallon like she was slightly out of her mind for even suggesting that. "My feelings do not get hurt." He informed her assertively, making his opinion in her ability to damage anything of his quite clear. "Back to your sarcasm. I believe it's a front."

She shrugged, allowing him his assertion though inwardly she was calling bullshit. She was also of the opinion that his 'I'm the Undertaker, nothing affects me' thing was a front as well.

"How did you meet Hunter?" That was a question he had wanted to ask for a few nights now. He was also mulling over the idea of joining her in the bed, not that the frontal view she was inadvertently presenting wasn't pleasing, because it was. He was just getting tired of pretending not to notice. That all went back to his original question of her being a witch. He was not about to be bewitched. Not by her.

"I met him at an autograph signing actually." She scowled at the memory. "My friend dragged me along and he seen me, we started talking and ta-da, here I am." Twenty questions with the Undertaker, she could just imagine if this were a game show, she'd be on a winning streak. "And just what do you mean by you don't let your feelings get hurt? You have to be more specific. In relation to work, in life, anything?"

"As in you hurting my feelings, it will never happen, no matter what you do to me in or out of the ring." He clarified, already dismissing the topic. "You weren't a wrestling fan." It wasn't a question, she had sounded rather disgusted about being dragged to an autograph signing.

What a typical way to meet, especially in this business, it was so cliché. The part that wasn't a cliché was her not being a wrestling fan or a slut out to get herself a piece of someone relatively famous. Emphasis on the relatively where it concerned Hunter.

"Very rare to find a gem at such a meeting, he must really treasure you." He said slowly, thoughtfully. "Perhaps his newfound desire in pursuing you is due to his realization of the error of his ways in not pursuing you. Such a shame… I would not be so ignorant to take such a rare gem for granted."

She was finding this entire exchange just as amusing as he was. Not only were his answers insightful, but so were his questions. Though they were also jumbled in that they didn't follow a cohesive order but seemed to jump from topic to topic as it pleased him. Still, she had learned more than she knew only an hour ago.

However, that last comment was a bit of an unnerving swerve and Fallon really hoped he was just making a statement of fact or else she would be finding some sort of 'witch' doctor just to see if her juju was out of order or something.

"Something tells me you don't take much for granted." She said finally, testing the waters and folded her arms on the mattress to rest her head on them. Blocking his view of down her top in the process.

"No, I do not." He had learned the hard way on taking things for granted. "Anyone who does is a complete fool. I appreciate what I have and take what I desire. I do not just look towards the future but also live in the present. How about you?" 'Taker bent down, laying his hands out towards her, palms up, his chin resting on the edge of the bed. "Do you take anything for granted? Say your job, for example. Do you walk out there and perform as if it's your last day every time you step into the ring? Or do you simply treat it as if it were any other thing, easily replaced and forgotten?"

"It is not just any other job." Fallon informed him, sounding almost indignant that he would suggest such a thing. "The only days I walk out and perform without giving my best is on the first three days of my period. Then the entire world can go to hell and rot."

He recoiled slightly at that. No man, no matter who he was, wanted to hear about a woman's monthly. 'Taker wasn't the exception.

"I love what I do and I give it everything I got." Which sometimes wound up badly, like tonight for example, she had done her 'vicious bitch' routine so well that it had gotten her a sprained knee. Rocky was going to find himself on the receiving end of a baseball. "It is not three A.M.!" She groaned when she made the mistake of looking at the alarm clock.

'Taker watched as she rolled out of bed and stumbled, leaning forward to catch herself on the wall.

"Damn, shit, hell…" She cursed. "My flight leaves in two hours and I have been up all night!" First with Shawn, now with 'Taker… she wasn't getting any sleep and really hoped Hunter remembered she was going home for her routine Thursday and Friday nights off. Then again… considering what Hunter had walked in on earlier… he had probably already thought about her being gone and was glad to see her go.

Pushing himself off the floor, 'Taker reached out to catch her when she stumbled again, wondering how long it had been since she last took something for the pain. Then he wondered just how long he had actually been here. It couldn't have been that long… "Do you need help?"

All she had to do was take another piss and brush her teeth before getting around to leave, things she could handle. "I'm fine, no thank you." She said, staring up at him and frowned when he kneeled down to examine her knee. "I have to go home, today is Thursday. Thursdays is when I play chess with my grandmother."

Her grandmother was also blind, and a mean old bat, but Fallon loved the old bitch that had raised her. She was probably the only one who did, which was why she was the only one of Viola's remaining family to be named in the will, Vi was loaded. But, she didn't give a damn about the money, never had. She just knew that underneath the crusty, somewhat vicious exterior, her grandma loved her, which was what counted.

Nodding, he let her go, allowing her to steady herself. "I'll leave you to it then."

She nodded as well.

"Also, you need to work on your rope work and your falls." He added as he got back up.

Of all the things he could have said, that was definitely not in Fallon's top ten of guesses and she began giggling at it, grabbing hold of him to keep her balance. "I will work on the rope thing… and my falls." She promised, stopping the giggles when he just gave her a cold, not amused look. Her green eyes narrowed slightly, wondering if she could get her hands on a videotape of last night's match so she could study herself and see what else needed improvement. "And could you hand me that chair?"

He turned to look at the wooden chair she was pointing at. "What for?"

"I'm going to use it as a walker." There was an implied 'duh'.

"Why don't you accept the offered help?"

"Because I can get myself to the bathroom, 'Taker." Fallon sighed, knowing she would crawl if she had too, on one leg, with her gimpy knee extended behind her like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant. This was humiliating and she would kill for a brace right about now. Just to hobble around in. "I also have to change into clothes I can travel in, walk down to the lobby to get a cab, navigate the airport and then do it all over again when I get home." Which was kind of the point she was trying to make about nobody really needing to help her. She appreciated it, but she was going to have to do all this stuff anyway, on her own.

"If you're sure." His tone made his doubts about her capabilities to fend for herself clear. "Enjoy your time off, gem."

Fallon watched him with an open mouth as he walked out of the room. "Gem?" What was it with men and giving her nicknames? Then the realization of 'gem' hit her and she groaned, hoping 'Taker wasn't about to be added to her list of admirers.

"What did you do to your leg?" Viola demanded the moment Fallon stepped into her parlor. As was her custom on Thursdays, she sat in her favorite, high backed leather chair before a chess board. Her personal nurse had whispered upon seeing Fallon entering the main hall that she wore a knee brace.

"I was kicked in the back of the knee, and it's sprained." She announced cheerfully, glancing to her side when the limo driver –Earl- appeared to take her bag, letting him have it. "Uh, you might want to let Grace know that there was a baby powder spillage issue."

Earl nodded, hiding a smile. Grace would simply love hearing that.

"Did you deserve being kicked?"

"Maybe a little bit…" Fallon would have to consider that one. It was Rocky after all… he usually deserved whatever she had done to him.

Viola shook her head. "Then it serves you right."

"Yes ma'am, it does. Shall we play?" Fallon grinned as she sat opposite her grandmother, studying the board and knew Viola couldn't see the grin. She was not surprised in the least when she got told off for smirking nevertheless.

"Cheeky, spoiled brat." Viola said, reaching out for the pieces with a confidence that never failed to impress her granddaughter. "I suppose you'll be leaving Saturday, as you generally do?"

"No ma'am, I'm off until Monday." Fallon was rather pleased by that, having received the call from Alex that he had handled everything for her, wanting to ensure her knee was only a minor sprain and nothing major. She had wondered if 'Taker had anything to do with that since his opinion of Alex and Alex's ligament opinions was rather low.

"Well aren't I the lucky one? Graced with my famous granddaughter's appearance for more than a mere two days! Why, I must alert my circle…"

"Oh no, Grandmother, it's me whose lucky," Fallon countered, preparing to duck when she seen Vi reaching for her cane at the right side of her chair. "I get to spend an entire weekend listening to your pearls of wisdom."

Viola flashed a rare, affectionate smile. "I missed you too, dear."

"I missed you too, Grandmother."

"Now quit being a brat and play."

"Yes, ma'am."

Shawn was not pleased when a shadow blocked out the rays he was soaking up through the open gym roof sun panels. Working out and working on his tan, he couldn't ask for much more. Except for this idiot to go loom somewhere else. "What do you want, Huntie boy?"

"First of all, stop calling me that." Hunter said flatly, not amused by the nickname Shawn had given him. He watched as Shawn continued to pump iron as if he weren't there. "I want to talk to you about Fallon."

"What about her?"

"Stay away from her."

Shawn began laughing, placing the barbell on the rack before he dropped it on himself. "And what happens if I don't?" He chuckled, scooting himself until he could sit upright, smirking up at Hunter. "Or do you plan on tryin' to make me?"

"If I have too." Hunter flexed his own, more pronounced muscles, threateningly.

"Take your shot then." Shawn was on his feet, getting up into the other man's face. "But don't be surprised when she hates you for it."

Hunter had to stop and consider that one, finally walking away.