Chapter Nineteen: Everything's Changing
Derek Brown's offices were located in East Boston towards Revere. Thanks to several referrals, Haley approached the brick building that he rented, with Dwayne by his side. The iconic superstar and popular actor had been quiet on their journey into the city, but now as he held the front door open for her, he seemed eager to reassure her on the decision.
"His record is very good, Haley Baby. He has a lot of experience in criminal defense, so he knows the ropes better than Randy's lawyers do. Everyone I talked to says he'd be a good guy to have on your side, especially if you do decide to press charges against Orton after all." Dwayne glanced down at her searchingly. "Have you decided?"
Haley offered Dwayne what she thought was a convincing smile. "I told you. I will press charges if he presses charges against Hunter. I'm using it as leverage right now."
"Well, still, we should talk to him at length about this whole thing." Dwayne led her towards a set of elevators. "I'm trying to protect you, Haley Baby and if that means we have to sue his ass, we sue his ass."
"Why don't you just lay the smack down on his candyass instead?" Haley asked, stepping inside the steel contraption. "That's more your style."
"True." He agreed, hitting the button that would take them to the third floor. "But I think playing along the same lines as Randy, but doing it better will have a harder impact." He reasoned. "Besides, the look on his face when you threatened to counter sue him was classic."
"Let's just get this over with." Haley sighed as the doors pinged open and they stepped off the elevator. "I've never really been a big fan of lawyers."
"Well," A new voice chimed in. "I hope I can change that outlook after today." The voice belonged to a tall man, dressed smart in a charcoal gray suit. His chestnut colored hair was carefully combed off his pleasantly handsome face and his dark eyes seemed warm, yet shrewd at the same time. "You must be Haley Mariano and Dwayne Johnson, big fan of your movies Mr. Johnson."
"Call me Dwayne." The half-Samoan shook his hand heartedly. "You're Derek Brown then."
"Yes." Derek nodded, offering a hand to Haley. "I wanted to greet you personally when you arrived, I haven't had famous clientele yet."
"Guess I make your first then." Haley shook his hand hesitantly. "Sorry for my earlier comment. It's not personal, I just used to date an aspiring lawyer and well, it soured my outlook on them."
"In my line of work," Derek flashed an appealing grin. "You learn not to take things so personal. Can I interest either of you in a coffee or soda perhaps, before we get started?"
"I'm fine, thanks." Haley replied, glancing at Dwayne for his response.
"All good here." Dwayne assured him. "So I guess we'll just get started."
"Of course." Derek gestured to the mahogany door behind him, moving forward to open it. "Step right into my office then. I hope you don't mind, but I invited one of my soon to be partners here to sit in on this meeting. That way if I'm tied up in court when you need my services, you can call him instead and he'll be able to handle anything in my absence."
"That's fine." Haley replied quietly, stepping inside the roomy office space.
Like the door, the walls were done in a deep mahogany, with a navy blue carpet beneath their feet. A large bay window sat behind the desk and awards, accomplishments and credentials hung in frames on the wall. Standing just behind the desk was another man, a little thinner than Derek, were dark blonde hair that just brushed over the collar of his shirt, like he was a week overdue for a haircut. Blue eyes watched them carefully as they entered, matching the slate color of his suit.
Haley froze upon recognizing him and even Dwayne sucked in a sharp breath.
"Allow me to introduce my colleague," Derek said brightly, unaware of their reaction. "Dwayne Johnson, Ms. Mariano, this is Ethan Rayne. Ethan, our new clients."
"Ethan?" Haley shook her head in disbelief. "Is it really you?"
"You've met?" Derek looked between them in surprise.
Ethan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We dated in college, Derek."
He had aged well, Haley noted. She hadn't seen Ethan in nearly six years, but he still had that same boyishly handsome face. He had been unerringly charming when she met him her first year of college. He was well read, had similar taste in music and he had come from a long line of lawyers. He had caught her attention by quoting the book she had been reading one sunny after noon in the courtyard. Once they began dating, it hadn't taken long before she fell in love with him. Her first real boyfriend. They had lasted all through college, and even a little after, before he could no longer support her dream to become a wrestler and left her. Now here they stood, face to face for the first time since their break up.
"You look wonderful." Ethan broke the tense silence by addressing Haley first. "Dwayne, good to see you."
"Wish I could say the same." The Rock replied tightly. "I never did get to kick your ass for how you treated my girl here."
"Dwayne!" Haley eyed him sharply. "Behave."
"If this is too awkward, I can make rearrangements?" Derek offered, looking intrigued by the entire situation.
"It's fine." Haley shot Dwayne one last warning glance, before turning back to Ethan. "It's good to see you, Ethan. I'm glad things seem to be working out for you. A lawyer after all."
"Passed the Bar three years ago." Ethan nodded. "So you're a Diva now, I guess you got what you wanted too."
"I did." She took a seat in one of the chair facing the desk, motioning for Dwayne to sit down beside her. "Congratulations are in order for passing the Bar. How else are things?"
"Good. I got married last year," He admitted. "To a woman from England actually. We're expecting our first child in June."
"Double congratulations then." Haley scratched absently at her knee. "That's great news."
"Haley's engaged." Dwayne announced with a smirk. "Getting married in December. Guy's a class act and supports her in every way. You should see the rock he put on her finger. Show him, Haley Baby."
"Dwayne, don't be an ass." Haley hissed at him. "God!"
"That's good to hear. Congratulations to you as well, Haley." Ethan told her sincerely. "I'm happy for you."
"Well, now that you two have caught up a little bit, perhaps we can get down to business." Derek cut them off before it could any more awkward. "Haley, you're here because of some legal trouble regarding criminal acts."
Ethan took to leaning on the corner of the desk while Derek lowered himself into his own chair. "Criminal? What did you do?"
"She did nothing." Dwayne glared at him. "She was brutally beaten two weeks ago by a psychopath! He kicked her in the head and put her in the hospital!"
Ethan's blinked, looking stupefied. "What?!"
"He has lawyers." Haley looked directly at Derek, opting to tune out the other two. "They claim he's seen Doctors, who diagnosed him with a disease called IED, Intermittent Explosive Disorder and he's not in control of his actions."
"Which is bullshit." Dwayne muttered.
"I've heard of it." Derek nodded in understanding, ignoring the other two men as well. "Several defense attorneys I know have tried to use it as a defense but it's never turned cleared a defendant. It's too hazy a disease and unproven. I've talked to several psychiatrists about it."
"I've never even heard of it." Ethan admitted.
"It's a fairly new form of defense and like I said, no case has been made enough to clear a defendant. Your attacker's lawyers are grasping at straws." Derek explained. "I don't see it holding up in court if you do decide to press charges."
"Haley's using the threat as leverage right now." Dwayne informed him. "Randy threatened to arrest Haley's friend for assault with a deadly weapon when he went after him for attacking Haley. She threatened to counter sue if he did."
"Your threat is more harmful to your attacker as I don't see IED holding up in court." Derek shook his head. "Ms. Mariano I advise you to press charges here. Everything is in your advantage. Your attacker can be locked up and pay for what he has done to you."
"Haley?" Dwayne glanced over at her questioningly. Ultimately the choice was hers to make, he tried not to influence her too much about it when they had discussed the possibility earlier.
"No." She shook her head after a moment of consideration. "I'm a WWE Diva, and in the WWE we handle things a certain way. Randy will pay for what he's done to me in five weeks time. He has to step into the ring with Triple H, who will punish him for me. Locking Randy up only protects him from the punishment he so rightly deserves."
"Are you sure?" Ethan looked hesitant. "I can call the police and…"
"I'm sure." Haley shook her head, cutting him off. "This is what I want. Randy will pay at Wrestlemania. That will be enough."
"How was your meeting with the lawyer?" Hunter asked gruffly, using his fork to stab a tomato from his salad and pop it into his mouth.
Haley swallowed a mouthful of BLT and set her sandwich down on her plate. "It was all right, a little weird on a personal level, but otherwise pretty informative."
"Weird on a personal level?" Hunter set down his fork and eyed her curiously. "Why is that?"
"His partner, the other lawyer on my case turned out to be my college boyfriend." Haley explained. "I haven't seen or spoken to him in five years. Now he's married with a child on the way. It was just kind of surreal, you know?"
"Bet you he was kicking himself after you left. No matter how wonderful his wife might be, you're the one who got away." He chuckled, picking up his fork again and aiming for his rosemary chicken. "And since you happen to be my second favorite girl on the planet, I think he's a real idiot. This is the one who couldn't support your choice of career, right?"
"Right." She chuckled at his statement. "He never understood my desire to be a Diva. And once I began traveling to Miami and LA to train with Dwayne, he started being an ass. I don't know if he was jealous thinking my relationship with Dwayne was romantic or something, but either way he gave me a lot of crap about being away and we broke it off."
"Did he at least get fat and start loosing his hair?" Hunter smirked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully at her.
"No!" She giggled, reaching for her glass of mineral water. "He looked great actually. And I didn't mind. I have Dave now and I love him, plus he's totally sexier."
He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Well, you're gorgeous so I bet that hit like a good punch in the gut. Which sounds like he might deserve it considering your story."
"What's with you and Dwayne wanting to beat up all my boyfriends past!" Haley took a sip of her water and set the glass back down. "It was five years ago, I'm so over it."
"If you say so." He chuckled. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"Laundry and other chores." Haley sighed. "It's a day of tedium. Besides this lunch with you."
"I'm never boring." Hunter joked.
"No, that you are not." She agreed. "By the way, you better call Dave. You guys have tux fittings coming up."
Hunter groaned. "Punkin, don't you start haranguing me with wedding details!"
"Hunter you're best man!" She laughed again. "You're an essential part of the Wedding. You have to write a toast and everything."
"Friggen Dave," He sighed. "The things I do for him."
"And for me!" Haley playfully swatted him from across the table. "It's my wedding too you know. And you couldn't be Maid of Honor because you wouldn't suit the dress, hence why you are best man instead."
"Did you just threaten to put me in a dress?" He asked incredulously.
"I threatened to make you Maid of Honor, so yes." Haley smirked at him.
"I'm going to give you back to Dwayne."
"Liar." She smiled at him fondly. "You love me."
"Fortunately for you." He grunted. "I do."
Haley turned the steering wheel of her BMW to the left, driving the car onto her street. She was singing lightly along with Jason Wade of Lifehouse, her mind only half on her driving. The other half was still thinking back to her weird encounter with her college boyfriend. It had been surreal, to have that part of her past come into her life when everything was in a clusterfuck.
In spite of herself, the former Women's Champion felt a slow smile slip across her face. As tedious as today's outing had been, it had also been a reminder that she had a life outside of the WWE. When the cameras were off, the spotlights dimmed and the ring was dismantled, she was still Haley. A girl who loved to read, spend time with her friends, dance, snuggle up with her fiance and wanted to plan her wedding more than anything in the world. Ethan had reminded her of that. This woman; was still human, she still had wants and needs and dreams - it was something that none of her enemies could touch. Not Ted Dibiase, not Cody Rhodes...not even Randy Orton.
But she shouldn't be thinking about her old boyfriend. There were chores she needed to do while she was home. Laundry being the most pressing of them.
Then her thoughts completely disapated as she pulled into her driveway and saw the figure sitting on her front steps, bundled in a thick winter parka.
For a long moment, the two of them sat there, staring at each other through the windshield. Then Haley turned off the ignition, and opened the door.
Slowly, she bobbed her head in a greeting nod. "Hello Rey."
Rey Mysterio returned the gesture, rising to his feet and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Hello, Querida."
"You must be freezing. Dave didn't let you inside?" She asked curiously.
"He's not home, nor answering his cell." Rey shrugged uncomfortably. "But actually, I'm here to see you."
"Me?" Haley's mouth popped open in surprise. "Why?"
Rey shuffled his feet. "Mind if we talk about it inside?"
"Oh!" She laughed. "Of course, come on in." She jingled her keys as she unlocked the front door.
Haley led the SmackDown Superstar into the kitchen, shrugging off her coat and tossing it onto one of the stools. "Can I get you something to drink? Some water, or..."
"No thank you." Rey replied quietly, choosing to seat himself on one of the stools. "You and Dave, this place is nice!"
"We like it." Haley set down her purse and leaned down on the counter opposite the masked phenomenon. "So what brings you by to see me, Rey?"
"I wanted to check on you, Querida." Rey admitted with a sheepish smile. "I should have done it sooner. How are you...after Randy..."
"I'm doing okay." Haley assured him. "It hasn't been easy, but I'm getting through it."
"You are strong Querida, probably one of the strongest women I've ever known." Rey reached across the counter top and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I not only let you down. I let Dave down, one of my best friends. And I let myself down. I should have tried to stop it. I should have saved you. I'm sorry Querida."
"Rey," Haley shook her head. "I don't blame anyone for what happened but Randy and a little bit is on me."
"Wha..." Rey stared at her stupefied. "What happened to you shouldn't have happened...and the last thing you need to do is blame yourself."
"I knew it was coming Rey, I never said anything." She pointed out. "That's on me. But I'm working on fixing it. Right now, I just want to focus on my wedding."
His face softened with affection. "You two are going to be so happy. You both deserve it, more than anyone I know."
"Thanks Rey. I expect you to be there too, you know." She teased. "Mask, suit and all. You're in the wedding party."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Querida."
A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but it has some necessary parts to it. I decided to include a meeting with the aforementioned lawyer, which would help bring in Dwayne, plus add a part of Haley's past we haven't touched on yet. Just to remind her of the person she's become.
Hunter was in there for humor today, next chapter he's back to business.
And Rey. As one of Dave's very best friends, and a groomsman for the wedding, I felt he should have a scene to apologize for not protecting his friend's fiance from her assault.
Coming up…Triple H w/Haley vs. Cody Rhodes w/Legacy.