CONSEQUENCES & CONFLICTS

Disclaimer: None of the main characters belong to me.
Authors Note: I have to admit: when I first came up with the idea to write this story, I thought it was going to be short, and sweet. But after thinking about how all of ya'll have taken the time to read and review it, I figured I should make a plan for the story, and really put a lot of effort into it. And that's what I'm doing..so all credit to this story goes to ya'll.

As soon as Vince stepped into his office and closed the door behind him, I heard a deep sigh come from Mark's mouth.

"You okay?" I asked, hesitantly lifting a hand up to his shoulder; hoping to aid him in turning around to face me.

While slightly chuckling at the question, he turned around and gave me an amused grin; one that not surprisingly didn't meet his still cold green eyes. "Don't you think I should be asking you that question, Red?"

I shrugged my shoulders at the question before adverting my eyes from his; not wanting to see the fury that lied behind them anymore.

"I'm fine," I lied; wincing slightly as he moved his hand, up from his side, to my face; touching the skin that was just below my eye; the skin that had already started to swell up and was probably starting to turn an ugly shade of purple or green, by now.

"I swear I'll make him pay," Mark said, with more intensity laced in his voice than I had ever heard him use before, "for this and any other pain that he has ever caused you."

Even though I knew Mark was just trying to protect me, I still moved out of his slight caress and shook my head at his words. "Don't Mark, don't say that. Let's..let's just not make this any worse than it has to be, okay?"

If Mark had looked at me like I had suddenly grown two heads a month and a half ago when I took his words of going back to the real world a different way; than by the look on his face at the moment, it seemed as if I had grown three...or maybe even four heads.

"Any worse than it HAS to be? Amy, he HIT you for God sake."

Wincing at Mark's tone, a tone that I had never heard directed towards me from him, until now, I nodded; telling him that I knew exactly where he was coming from concerning the situation; but nevertheless did not agree with him on ways of handling it. "I know he hit me and I know that it wasn't right, but I also know that it is not going to solve anything for you to just go and start a fight whenever Matt and Jeff do or say something that hurts me; physically or emotionally. You and I both know that."

"So what am I supposed to do, Red, HUH? Do you want me to just stand back, and let them accidentally beat you senseless in the ring every night...or better yet, do you want me to go down there and get a couple licks in for myself." Mark said, not lowering his voice as he took a step closer to me; staring down at me with cold eyes, ones that looked to be the eyes of a killer. "I mean I knew you liked it rough, but I never knew you got your rocks off by abuse."

"Asshole."

Before Mark or even I saw it coming, my right hand rose up on its own accord and greeted him with a slap right across his face.

For the next few seconds, Mark and I silently stared at one another; neither one of us knowing what to say, and neither one of us thinking there WAS anything left to say.

But after a few minutes of being silent and watching Mark stroke the left side of his jaw, the guilt that had been in me ever since I had let my anger take a hold of me rose up; causing me to open my mouth in apology.

"Mark, I'm-"

Before I could get anything else out, Mark shook his head, silencing me, and then turned around on the balls of his feet; making his way down the hallway...and silently out of my life.

Not wanting to let the couple of tears, that threatened to fall down my face succeed as I watched Mark walk away from me, I turned around, just in time to wince as I heard the door to Mr. McMahon's office slam shut; confirming that Mark, was not only stunned by my actions, but completely livid by them as well.

Which I really couldn't blame him for being, could I?

After a few minutes of standing in the same spot, hoping that if I stood there long enough Mark would hurry up and come out to talk to me; I practically spun around eagerly as I heard a door behind me begin to open...just not the door I had hoped it would be.

"Ames..."

The expression of hope that had quickly taken over my face, in the span of three seconds, quickly diminished, leaving me with a neutral expression; one that grew dimmer as my eyes locked onto the familiar green hues of my once best friend. "Jeff."

"How are you?"

Furrowing my eyebrows at the question, I couldn't help but look at the younger man confused.

"I'm..." To say I was shocked that he, being the over dramatic one in our small circle of friends, was the first to push his pride aside and end the 'silent treatment'; well, that would've been an understatement for what I was feeling. So, I went for the next best thing. "I'm peachy...you?"

At my statement, a small grin that I had not seen come across Jeff's face in, what felt like, forever, appeared, showing me that maybe Jeff had recently had a change of heart and decided to take over Mark's position in trying to work things out between everyone involved in this little squabble of ours; or better yet, that Jeff was trying to work things out so I forgot the real reason why the silent treatment had begun in the first place. His anger being that reason.

"Just peachy keen, thank you very much."

Smiling slightly at Jeff's corny comeback, I tried to ignore my emotions as they again began pulling me into different directions; the stubborn part of me inwardly cringing; knowing that I should still be mad at Jeff for being a major part of the reason I had been so angry as of late.

While the realistic part of me began to quickly remind myself that I was only mad at Jeff for being honest; which just happened to be who him and I both were; TOO honest, for our own good, types of people.

That certain quality, unfortunately, almost all the time getting us caught up in these sort of situations.

"Well..um my match is up next."

Pausing the inner conflict that was going on in my head, at the moment, I adverted my eyes from his knowing gaze; finding comfort in my shoes as I realized that the reason he was looking at me funny was because I had gotten quiet on him, and stood staring at him as if he was the cause of my problems.

Which he mostly was..but then again mostly wasn't?

"Don't break a leg out there." I said, whispering my usual 'good look' chant to my younger friend, hopefully causing him to see that I was also willing to try and push my stubbornness and pride aside; in hopes of getting everything back to normal..or at least as normal as it could be with a person WITHIN our group threatening to break up our group.

"I'll try not to." Jeff retorted, in a voice where I didn't have to look up to know that he was smiling slightly, this time at seeing his non-spoken apology was hesitantly being accepted. "If you promise not to break a leg in here."

Preparing to give Jeff a questioning glare, I looked up, but quickly replaced the glare with a look of 'understanding'.

A look of understanding as I watched Jeff motion over his shoulder towards the direction of the room he had just stepped out of; the room which happened to be where his brother, Matt, was still cooped up in.