I forgot all about the sign as the bell rang and the match started. Mark was wrestling Christian, which was weird to me. Christian wasn't one of his usual opponents and I didn't see where this was leading. But I hadn't asked him any details about the match. Before we arrived I hadn't wanted to put him in the awkward position of telling secrets or refusing to answer me. I hadn't even asked who his match was against. He'd simply reassured me that this match was going to be an easy one, a simple set up for Wrestle Mania.

The momentum of the match was with Mark until Christian landed a low blow. I winced and looked at Tony who was sitting beside me now. Automatically he'd crossed his legs and even now had a pained expression on his face. When he noticed I was staring at him he gave me a wry smile but didn't uncross his legs. Despite all of his reassurances about this match it still hurt for one guy to watch another get hit in that spot.

Mark lay groaning on the mat while Christian stood above him gloating. Christian quickly went on the offensive before Mark could get to his feet. Quick kicks to the ribs and a boot to the head kept Mark on the mat. I kept repeating to myself that it was fake, that these guys knew what they were doing. They weren't really hurting each other. Mark was fine, he was just a really good actor. I kept repeating this to myself but I wasn't convinced. I couldn't help but wince with every blow and when Christian dropped a particularly vicious looking knee to Mark's ribs I was preparing to go over the barricade when I felt Tony's hands on my arms pulling me back into my seat.

I smiled at him sheepishly before turning my attention back to the match. I know Mark was ok, it was just tough watching. It looked so real and it was always in the back of my mind that something could go wrong.

"He's fine Dory. Trust me."

I looked over at Tony, consciously relaxing my tense muscles under his reassuring gaze. I nodded and tried to smile.

"Dory, if he looks over here and sees how upset you're getting it's going to mess him up. He's got to keep his mind in the match, not out here. That's what I'm here for. Ok?"

I nodded again and kept repeating that it was just a match, just a match. But this was the first time I'd watched Mark wrestle after I'd gotten to know him and it made a difference. The moves weren't cool, they were dangerous. The risks weren't entertaining, they were dangerous. But I knew Tony was right. I pasted a smile on my face and turned back to cheer for the Undertaker. Maybe it would help if I thought of him like that when he wrestled. Maybe.

Taker was still getting the bad end of this match. It seemed awfully one sided to me. He'd been able to land a few solid punches that had put Christian down on the mat but his advantage hadn't lasted long. Christian drop kicked him in the knee and once again he was groaning on the mat.

I quickly looked at Tony and he gave me a reassuring smile. "You're sure?"

"He's fine, Dory." Leaning a little closer he whispered in my ear, "See, this is just the set up for Wrestle Mania. We're setting it up for Taker to be missing some time on TV. We want to play up some injuries, like he's weak. That's why Christian has the upper hand for this match. Mark will do anything to get some time off." He looked at me with a grin. "Seems something has come up and he wants to spend some time away from the ring." He wiggled his eyebrows outrageously and I had to laugh. Reaching over he gave me a one armed hug. "It says a lot that you care that much and are getting upset about the match. But he's fine. Trust me."

I nodded and turned back just in time to see Taker come to his feet, a vicious look on his face. He slapped a huge right hand around Christian's neck and I was on my feet cheering. I ignored the look of fear on Christian's face, I was just cheering for my man.

I never saw what happened. Even on the replays we watched afterward it's hard to tell in a crowd that size where he came from. Seems even Big Show can be invisible when he wants to be.

Big Show entered the ring and came up behind Taker. There was confusion on Christian's face and I felt Tony tense beside me. Seeing something in Christian's face to warn him, Mark turned around and Big Show slammed him in the head with a steel chair.

"What the hell?"

I didn't even hear Tony's mutter beside me. I was caught up in the action in the ring. I saw Mark's eyes widen from the impact of the chair. This wasn't fake, this wasn't acting. He'd already let Christian go but I saw Christian reaching for him now. Christian had both hands out, trying to get in a position to steady Mark and figure out what was going on. There was still confusion on his face and it was beginning to dawn on me that this wasn't really part of the show. Before Christian could reach Mark and steady him, Big Show shoved Christian down, toppling him through the ropes and out of the ring.

I was on my feet straining against the barricade, Tony standing stiffly beside me as the scene unfolded. Big Show wrapped one beefy hand around Mark's throat and lifted him for just minutes before slamming him down on the mat.

Tony was standing close enough that I felt his whole body tense and when he looked at me there was no reassuring smile, no comforting words of how this was all just a set up. I quickly looked back over at Mark. He was lying deathly still in the middle of the ring. He hadn't moved since being slammed to the mat.

Big Show walked into my sight, blocking my view of Mark stretched out on the blue canvas. My eyes lifted to meet his and he grinned, giving me a mocking bow. Without even thinking about it I flipped him off. His eyes narrowed and his grin faded completely. He lumbered from the ring and grabbed another chair before clambering back into the ring. The referee had taken the first one away from him. Show had a vicious look on his face.

"Tony . . ."

Tony never even looked at me. His eyes, as well as mine, were locked on the action in the ring. Big Show was about to hit Mark again.

Out of nowhere a streak of red hit the ring. I could see that Kane was still pulling his mask down even as he slid into the ring. Instead of any wrestling move, Kane cocked his arm back and hit Big Show in the mouth with his leather-clad fist. The arena went nuts thinking it was part of the show. I wonder if I was the only one that saw the furious, surprised look on Big Show's face and the trickle of blood that dripped from his mouth.

Big Show stumbled back into the corner but before he could confront Kane, referees hit the ring. There seemed to be hundreds of them.

I felt Tony slowly relax beside me. The referees surrounded Big Show and finally forced him from the ring. I think it had more to do with the fact that Kane was standing there, just daring him to come a little closer than anything the referees said. It was easy to sneak up behind someone, but not so easy to deal with them face to face.

I'm sure the show had long since went to commercial but the live audience was still getting a show. The original referee for the match, Mark, Christian, and Kane were still in the ring. Mark was sitting up but he hadn't regained his feet yet. Kane was sitting on one knee in front of him and I kept wishing he'd move so I could see Mark's face, so I could see for myself that those green eyes were open and he was ok. I saw Kane bend his head and listen to Mark. He nodded a couple of times and Christian seemed to be listening as well. Christian started to grin and the referee stood up and motioned the paramedics back to the back before sliding from the ring.

Kane was finally moving. Slowly, he moved to the side and I could see Mark's face. My breath hitched in my throat when I saw the blood matted in his hair and still trickling into his goatee. His eyes looked glazed but they were focused directly on me. His hand was a little unsteady when he reached up to his head. What was he doing? Slowly, so slowly, he reached behind him for his braid and undid the rubber band. The braid slowly unraveled as his eyes held mine. I could feel the tears start to slide down my face. After what had just happened he still remembered I was there and that I'd be worried. He was letting me know he was ok. He was ok and he remembered that I didn't like his hair that way. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The silly man probably had a concussion and had blood dripping from him and he's worried about his hair. I tried to remember Tony's words. Mark needed to keep his mind on business right now. I tried to smile. I felt my lips stretch up at the corners and I quickly brushed my tears away. I nodded to him and gave him a quick thumbs up.

His head dipped once before he set his attention once more on Kane. Reaching around him, Kane wrapped an arm across his shoulders, helping him gain his feet. Tony and I watched the slow process. I winced each time Mark did, knowing he had to be in pain. Finally they were standing side by side. Kane reached out a hand and lifted Mark's wrist in triumph. They may have lost the battle, but they'd won the war. The crowd was going nuts. Everyone was cheering, chanting Mark's name. It never occurred to anyone that none of this had been scripted, that it had not been part of the show. They were just excited to see the brothers reunited.

"Let's go."

Tony grabbed my arm and began to hustle me through the crowd.

"Wait a minute. Tony, stop. He's still in the ring. I want to watch." Digging in my heels, I tugged my arm loose. "I want to make sure nothing else happens. I have to."

Grabbing my arm again Tony leaned down and started whispering in my ear as he tugged me towards the exit. "By the time we get through this crowd and make it backstage then that's where Mark will be. I know you want to be with him. Nothing else is going to happen. Glenn is out there with him and Big Show got what he wanted." Tony sidestepped a large man carrying two beers and a bag of popcorn before muttering, "I just wonder if he knows how much it's going to hurt when it's delivered."