"Learn to Fly"
A CM Punk/Ashley/Jeff Hardy fic
Thanks to xAttitudex, Edward's Josie Black, Writinglove101, XoJLRoX, Christal-R, .CMPunkluver., TheRealRenee, csimiamigirl73, jojocheer28, Londrick-Forever and Ashleymassarophan1 for reviewing last chapter. YOU SO RULE!
Hope you're going to like the new one as well :)
R&R and enjoy it!
Chapter 10
"Lucky Night"
Much to Ashley's relief and Punk's disappointment, the latter had indeed won his match but it was Matt Hardy the one who got moved from Smackdown! to the extreme roster.
And even thought, wrestling wise, the choice wasn't bad after all, it surely wasn't the same as a certain punk princess.
So after bumping knuckles with his brand new fellow on the roster, a slightly morose Punk made his way in the men's locker room to take a much deserved refreshing shower.
But something wasn't right and everybody could tell it as the straight edge superstar silently acknowledged their compliments on the match by just nodding.
Only the others had no idea of what was the matter.
He had just won his match and earned so a pick for his roster, current Mr. Money in the Bank after a victory at Wrestlemania, bright future ahead… you could also add young and good looking at his resume… so what else could he be wishing for?!
Yeah, maybe in his colleagues' eyes it was so, but they didn't know his main concern at the moment.
He was well aware he was quickly falling for her with every minute they got to spend together. But he also knew that after the immediate post-Wrestlemania period they would come back to their different schedules, on different paths.
And how on earth could he hope to charm a girl he was going to meet only once per month? If he was lucky and they were both actually scheduled for the inter-brand ppv, of course.
His only hope was that current night, and he knew it. There was no other solution.
If he didn't believe in luck he could always call it destiny.
Only destiny should hurry up cause there weren't many matches left.
x—x—x—x—x
Other feelings where shared on the other hand in the women's locker room.
"Okay, one more match to go and then this cruel night will be over." Mickie announced with a sigh, clutching the Buddha statue closer to her chest while she solemnly focused on the TV monitor.
Ashley and Maria took a moment to high five each other as Triple H got drafted to the blue roster –not that they had something against the Game but better him than any of them, right?- before turning to look at their friend with identical teasing expressions on their faces.
"What?" The brunette asked in confusion.
"Wasn't she the one who laughed at us for praying just an hour ago?" Maria pretended to ask Ashley.
"I think so." The punk echoed with a knowing look "And I dare say she looked at us as we were insane."
"Yeah, I totally agree."
"And look at how she's holding the same statue she laughed at before."
"Shocking indeed."
"Okay, okay, I got it." Mickie interrupted the not-so-subtle conversation with a roll of her eyes "I changed my mind, alright?"
"Hmm," Ashley went on pretending to be deeply in thought "I wonder what caused the sudden change though."
"Could that be a… I don't know, blonde haired,"
"…blue eyed,"
"…incredibly good looking,"
"…sparkly clothed,"
"…superstar?" Maria completed with a smirk, prompting the brunette to roll her eyes again.
"Very very funny… now if you would stop being two smartasses maybe I'll just tell you what happened."
"…Wait, did something happen then?" Ashley hopefully asked while Maria stared at the former champion with her mouth wide open in surprise.
Mickie would have gladly kept the two curious divas in suspense as a little revenge for their teasing remarks, but after all we're speaking of Mickie James, and so she miserably failed as a smirk curved her lips.
"I don't know, if you call a kiss something then yes, I think something definitely happened."
Loud shrieks, immediately followed by giggles, were soon echoed –as predictable- in the room, much to the surprise and confusion of the SD and ECW's divas, surely not used at the trio's usual behavior.
"I can't believe he kissed you!" Maria exclaimed in excitement.
"In fact he didn't, at first. I kissed him." She revealed with a satisfied smile.
"Oh Micks!" The punk heartily laughed, as she and Maria sandwiched the brunette on the bench, ready to hear all the details.
x—x—x—x—x
Jeff, in meanwhile, had managed –only God knows how- to keep himself hidden in the office where Vince had left him… using all his willpower to refrain from going around and searching for Ashley.
He had patiently waited during the whole show, feeling his heart literally jump every time someone from SD or ECW won, for fear that his unexpected return would be all in vain since he or the dirty diva got transferred in meanwhile.
Eventually only one last match remained… the battle royal where he had to surprise everyone and, changed in his usual black ring attire, he was actually grateful he didn't have to wait anymore cause he was starting to feel more and more like a caged animal by the minute.
He watched on the monitor as his brother answered to the questions of SD's resident interviewer Eve about his change of roster, and trying to ease that feeling of nervous anticipation, picked up his cell phone from the duffel bag and switched it on.
By the time Matt left the screen with one last smile at the brunette, he had already typed and sent a quick: "Enjoying the show so far, punkie?"
To whom there should be no need to specify, right?
And as the Papa Roach music marked the return from the commercial break, his text alert promptly went off causing him to smile at Ashley's reply.
"Yeah, wish you were here though."
Lightly chuckling at the thought that her wish was actually going to be granted soon, he quickly took on the red Raw t-shirt and prepared for his moment while the ECW members made their appearance on the ramp.
Here we go.
x—x—x—x—x
"C'mon man, the match is about to start. Are you ready?" Kofi called out in the now almost empty locker room.
"Yup, I'm here." Punk zipped up his duffel bag and joined his friend –and former roster colleague- on the bench, with his hair wet.
"I guess we're rooting for different teams tonight, huh?" The brand new Raw superstar chuckled.
"Don't brag too much Mr. Monday Night" he playfully rolled his eyes "we can always take you back to the land of extreme with this last win."
"Do you wanna bet?" Kofi grinned.
"Alright." The straight edge chuckled "You're on."
After all the final match's winner earned 2 picks so, if someone up there loved him and if his colleagues did well their job, Kofi could always follow Ashley… right?
And with a bump of their knuckles the matter was settled as they focused on the monitor where the Raw superstars had just followed the members of the blue roster.
x—x—x—x—x
"Here comes the groom…" Maria teased in a sing-song voice as none other than Y2J stepped outside.
"Red suits him, don't you think?" The dirty diva added in the same teasing tone.
"Oh shut up you two!" Mickie rolled her eyes and playfully smacked their arms.
"Well in him we trust to secure our places on Raw." The redhead shrugged.
"And I dare say he's going to do his best… he has a good reason for that." The blonde flashed a smile at Mickie… who after a few seconds dropped any pretence of annoyance to make room for a playful smirk.
"I'll make sure to reward him on your behalf too, girls, don't worry."
And with that the trio erupted in laughter.
A laugh that didn't last long though, since Maria abruptly stopped.
"But our team is one member shorter!" She pointed out as the ref was indeed counting to make sure of that.
"Ria, are you sure? Do you remember how to count 'till 6, right?" Mickie joked but there was no time for the bubbly diva to reply –besides sticking her tongue out at her friend- cause the arena's lights suddenly changed into an electric blue and another music blasted through the speakers.
A music that Ashley knew definitely too well.
And the fans too since a loud outburst of cheers was soon heard.
Ashley's jaw dropped and she instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth, glancing back and forth from the TV to her friends in shock.
"Oh my…" Mickie trailed off.
"…But… it's Jeff!" Maria exclaimed in surprise.
And indeed it was, as the rainbow haired warrior did his complete entrance and jumped on the turnbuckle, rocking his head as he showed his trademark 'Hardy Gunz'.
"…Tell me I'm not dreaming." The punk princess almost whispered, soon adding a loud "Ouch!"
"You're not." Mickie innocently smiled, after having pinched her on the arm to prove so.
"He's back… he's back!!!" The blonde finally exclaimed, a wide smile accompanying her still surprised expression.
"Yes he is, honey." Mickie confirmed, both she and Maria brightly smiling at her.
And she could just smile back, unable to utter another single word, leaning forward to the monitor to hide a tear of joy falling on her cheek.
x—x—x—x—x
Jeff's unexpected presence had indeed balanced the odds in favor of the red roster as after 20 minutes of frenetic battling the charismatic enigma himself and Y2J remained against now ECW's own Matt Hardy and SD's Edge.
As predictable the two Hardys and the self proclaimed sexy beast immediately teamed up against the Rated R superstar who, as talented as he was, couldn't obviously overcome the odds and got immediately eliminated.
"And there goes Edge, JR! Now it's down to Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho to hold up Raw's honor!" Jerry 'The King' Lawler pointed out.
"Indeed it is, King. Though I would not underestimate Matt Hardy. This young man surely can fight, even against his brother!"
"Well said JR, bring it Matt!" Tazz cheered for his superstar who had just taken Y2J down with a clothesline from the top rope.
A disappointed chorus of "Nooo" erupted in the women's locker room when 5 minutes later Chris got eliminated by the older Hardy brother.
And now all their hopes were placed in Jeff. Not that they complained, only 2 was obviously better than one.
"C'mon Jeff!" Ashley loudly cheered while next to her Maria nervously bit her fingernails and Mickie still desperately held the statue closely.
The two brothers in the ring smirked at each other, always amused by the situation when they found themselves as opponents, before continuing the fight.
Almost 10 minutes –and many exchanges of any sort of blows- later, and Jeff was climbing the turnbuckle, ready to execute his Swanton Bomb.
…Until Matt unexpectedly jumped up and, reaching the ropes, caused him to fall.
"This could be the end of the match!"JR exclaimed as Jeff, hanging on the outside, held on the bottom rope for dear life, his feet a few inches from the concrete.
"C'mon Matt!" Tazz exclaimed as the older brother tried to make Jeff release his grip on the rope.
The trio of divas literally held their breaths as, in the blink of an eye, the rainbow haired superstar with an amazing effort lifted his lower body up in a quick spring, securing his feet around Matt's head and sending him on the floor with a hurricanrana.
"YES, YES, YES!!!" Ashley was the first to jump up, her arms raised high in victory.
"We're safe, we're safe!" Mickie promptly joined her, bouncing up and down on the bench in her typical way, almost knocking Maria out with the statue in the process.
"Yayyy!" Maria exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her friends as they started to jump together, giggles and shrieks accompanying the celebration.
"We're all safe! ALL of us!" The interviewer repeated in pure happiness.
"Hell yeah!" The blonde agreed with her signature rock sign before high-fivin' both the hyper divas.
"Let's see who gets drafted here then." Mickie proposed, still standing on the bench.
"I hope not a bitch." Maria rolled her eyes.
As inviting as the plan sounded, Ashley just couldn't wait anymore as she watched her best friend innocently shrugging his shoulders at his brother and then hugging him.
She needed to see him right now.
"I think I'm going to welcome Jeff back actually," she announced with a wide smile, receiving nods of approval from her friends "I'll see you later!"
And as she rushed outside, she turned one last time to catch glimpse of Mickie kissing the Buddha statue to thank it for its 'special help' while Maria started to bounce with her all over again.
At such sight, she couldn't help but laugh, before closing the door and rushing to the gorilla position.
It seemed that she was going to find there who the new addictions of the Raw roster were.
x—x—x—x—x
"Told you so, man!" Kofi grinned, before eventually laughing at his friend.
"Alright, alright, I got it." Punk rolled his eyes, obviously not thinking of the lost bet in that very moment but rather at the lost occasion for him.
And it was to him once again perfectly clear why he didn't believe in luck.
Mentally tired and disappointed by the unfortunate night he had placed all his hopes in, he stood up eager to leave the arena and crush in his hotel room.
"Wait, where are you going?" Kofi questioned while Jamie Noble was announced as the first pick "Don't you wanna see who the final one drafted is?"
"You'll tell me tomorrow man, I don't really care." He shrugged, patting his friend's shoulder while he passed him by on the way to the door.
"…Actually I think you really should."
The strange tone in Kofi's voice prompted him to turn back to the monitor once again… only to find his own picture on the screen.
He looked at his friend in utter disbelief… the same surprise mirrored on the Jamaican's face.
"You're on Raw too!" He exclaimed with a laugh, offering him his fist.
Punk, still in shock, automatically bumped his knuckles against his before eventually grinning back.
Then he realized something.
"Shit, I need to go!"
And so he quickly dropped his duffel bag for the Money in the Bank briefcase, leaving a very amused Kofi behind as he ran away at full speed.
He couldn't help but laugh at himself as he sped off in the corridor, shaking his head in pleasant disbelief.
And for once, he wouldn't have protested if someone had called him lucky in that very moment.
Next chapter: How will Ashley react to Punk being drafted on the red roster? ...And what about Jeff? Stay tuned! :D