Title: Daddy Dearest 20/?
Catelyn was lying in bed later that night, mindlessly staring at the TV. It was on, but she had no idea what was playing. She hurt everywhere but her mind wouldn't shut off so she could get some sleep. Hunter and her dad were sharing the adjoining room. Shawn wanted her to room with them but she refused saying she would be okay. They had compromised and got 2 rooms with an adjoining door in case she needed anything.
After she had been taken backstage, she refused to go see the trainer. Matt had taken her back to the DX locker room and knowing he would more than likely expect her to talk, she had feigned falling asleep on his shoulder. So he had laid her down on the couch and after Shawn had thanked both him and Maria and seen them out, he had turned back saying he knew she was faking. She opened her eyes then but he didn't push on why she had done that. She wasn't quite ready to deal with Matt yet; he got that and decided to give her a bit more time.
After looking her over himself and satisfied that she was okay, they waited for Hunter to return, which he did with stitches and a bandage on his forehead and a promise to kill that punk Randy Orton as soon as he got a chance. The three then went back to the hotel and Catelyn quickly disappeared into her room, telling them she was just going to sleep but hours later she was still awake.
A knock sounded at her outer door and she was content to ignore it but it sounded again and she finally rolled out of the bed with a loud groan, wanting nothing more than to lie back down and never move again but instead she stumbled her way over to the door and opened it, freezing in place at seeing who was there. They both stood frozen, staring at each other until he finally opened his mouth to speak and when he did, she snapped out of it and quickly went to close the door. She was too slow and his foot shot out, blocking her from closing it completely.
"My door's connected to my Dad's room, one scream and he'll be over here." She warned him.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Catelyn."
She frowned at his use of her actual name before turning it into a sneer "No? bring some friends along to do that?"
He sighed, sticking his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie as he stared down at the floor.
"can I come in?" He asked.
"Do I really look that stupid?" She asked. "How do I know you're not here to finish off the job Randy started?"
"Because that wasn't supposed to happen." He muttered. "Please Little One, Catelyn, please let me explain."
He looked up into her eyes and Catelyn couldn't help but feel her heart go out to him at the pain and remorse in his eyes. Against her better judgment, she took a step back, letting him in.
"5 minutes." She told him. "One false move and I'm screaming for my father."
"I'm not going to hurt you." He muttered.
She went back into the room and stood on the other side of the bed, her arms crossed. "So go."
"Did you not hear me when he had you?" Edge asked, peering closely at her. "I said, and I quote. 'You said you wouldn't do anything to her.'"
Catelyn didn't say anything as she stared at him.
"He promised me you wouldn't get hurt. He told me to just take Shawn out and if I did that he wouldn't do anything to you."
"Yes, 'cause you kicking my father's ass makes everything so much better."
"It was either you or him." A frustrated Edge replied "And I know your dad can take it."
"What are you talking about?" She asked with a frown.
"The match was set up for tonight but Randy was told he had to find a partner. Ashley overheard that you were returning tonight and went to him so then he told me that he couldn't find anyone to partner with him but if I go out there and take care of Shawn, he wouldn't hurt you. But if I didn't go out there with him, he'd make sure you wouldn't be able to walk out of the arena. I had to do it."
"Why?" She asked with a frown, "Why wouldn't you say anything to me when I saw you earlier."
"Because he said if I told you ahead of time, he'd make it worse, he'd make sure you'd never walk at all. Period. It seemed easier to go out there and beat up Shawn then to have you get hurt. A part of me hoped you wouldn't go out there."
"He still RKO'd me." She reminded him, tears filling her eyes.
"I know, and I'm sorry, if I had any idea I would've stopped all this, please Catelyn, you have to believe me."
She frowned harder. "I do, I really do, I just don't understand why this matters to you so much. You ignored me the whole time I was gone, I thought you reverted to your asshole ways so why would I matter?"
He moved closer to her, sighing in relief at seeing she didn't flinch away from him. "No, look, you're the only one who doesn't hate me on sight, you're the only person who sees me as a real person, as a friend. Honestly it doesn't bug me that no one else does but I couldn't stand it if you started treating me like everyone else did."
She tilted her head to the side, confused. "I don't understand. Adam, you ignored me when I was gone. You told me not to be a stranger but you didn't return my calls."
He flinched at her using his real name. No one ever bothered anymore. "I thought it would be easier."
"easier then what?" She cried. "Easier to leave me alone and let me suffer by myself, thinking the first person who gave a damn about me had disappeared? You think me doing what I did was easy? You think I wanted to do that? I didn't and I've hated myself every day since then and I've hated myself alone because you weren't there. You said you would be there but you weren't. so tell me did it make it easier for you?"
"No." He muttered.
She sighed, wiping a hand across her eyes to rid herself of the few stray tears that had managed to escape. "Then why do it?" She whispered.
"Because I hoped it would be. But then I heard you were coming back today and I couldn't not go see you even though I knew I could make it worse and I was right. It did. It made everything worse."
"Made what worse?" She cried. "I don't even know what you're talking about."
He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a big sigh. "look, I've wanted to hate you since the moment I saw you, I was ready to. I tried to. But then that one day when you got upset from the flashback you were having, something changed. I couldn't hate you, no matter how hard I tried. That's why I began seeking you out more. I had no problem hating everyone back there, in fact I enjoyed it but you were different and I had to figure out why. You started confiding in me, you started relying on me and it was too late for me to do anything to change how I felt and I tried, I really did because as much as I hate Matt, it wasn't always that way. What happened between Lita and I was a one off mistake. But Matt found out and was convinced we were still together so that's why Lita and I banded together and became a couple on TV. Off screen though, we were just friends. That's all. But then you appeared and you started going out with him and then we started talking and I couldn't do it again."
"Do what?" she whispered, staring at him in shock.
"Go after my ex best friends girl again."
It didn't clue in right away what he said. "You guys were best friends?"
He nodded, staring hopefully at her until her eyes widened in surprise. "Go after his…me?"
Another nod before he continued. "I didn't realize what exactly it was I was feeling until you were in the hospital. I was scared Catelyn, more scared then I'd ever been in my life and when everything had calmed down and I had time to think about it, I freaked. I was falling for you and it scared me and I know you were with Matt, even though you hated him at the moment and your dad would never approve of me so I thought I would just make it easier and ignore you. You were so sure you weren't coming back I thought it would be a long time until our paths crossed again."
He let out a sigh of relief, glad he was finally able to let it out. Catelyn was still staring at him in wide eyed shock at his confession.
"I'm sorry." He muttered as the silence continued on. "I'll just leave, I won't bug you anymore."
He turned away and Catelyn grabbed his arm, turning him back to look at her. She stared into his eyes, making sure he was telling her the truth.
"This isn't some kind of trick? Rated RKO isn't up to something?" She asked him.
Edge rolled his eyes. "You didn't see it but before Matt hit me over the head with a chair, I was kind of the one kicking Orton's ass."
"Why tell me now?"
He shrugged. "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't handle you hating me."
"You can't beat up my dad anymore."
He sighed. "If it comes down to you or him again-"
"Then you'll tell me." She interrupted him. "Just tell me and we'll deal. Okay?"
"Are you ignoring what else I said?" He wondered.
Catelyn shrugged. "What do you want me to say, Edge? Cause I have no idea. Up until I ended up here I didn't really have friends, until Matt I've never had a boyfriend and look what happened with that. I don't even know what's going on with us to be honest. And I mean you were there, you were my friend, you stuck by me through everything do I want to lose all that?"
"You wouldn't. Catelyn, I'd still be here for you."
"Until one of us fucks something up then I lose the only real friend I really had. And what about Matt?"
"I can't tell you what to do." He replied with a shrug. "I can only tell you how I feel, the rest is up to you but before I go…"
He pulled her to him, lifting her chin as he brought his lips down to cover hers. She gasped, giving him a chance to deepen the kiss and before she realized what was going on, her arms were wrapping around his neck, fisting themselves in his hair and his arms were wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer. Only when air became an issue did the two break apart, him leaning down to rest his forehead against hers.
"Catelyn?" He asked, unsure of how she'd react.
"Did that really just happen?" she asked, still breathless.
He nodded against her and she opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock on the adjoining door.
"Catelyn, are you still awake?"
Her and Edge broke apart.
"You need to go." She whispered.
He nodded, leaning down to kiss her once more before moving towards the door. "Come find me later." He said before leaving.
She waited until he was gone before opening up the door.
"What's up?" she asked her dad, trying her best not to look guilty.
"Wondering if you were still up, we're ordering room service."
She shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."
"How are you feeling?"
"better, I'm just tired now."
He nodded and leaned forward placing a kiss on her forehead. "you let me know if you need anything, okay?"
She smiled before saying good bye and closing the door, leaning against it to reflect on what had just happened. Edge had kissed her. The very thing Matt had been afraid of had actually happened and even though her and Matt were pretty much done, she couldn't help but feel horribly guilty. And even though Edge had told her to come find him, and she was originally planning to, if only to figure out what was going on, her exhausted limbs wouldn't let her. Finally the day was catching up to her and it took all her willpower to just make it to her bed before she collapsed onto it, falling into a deep sleep.
… … …
"You're booked into a match tonight."
"Fuck you I am."
"Language."
Catelyn frowned at her father the next night as she sat in his locker room. "You just told me I'm in a match and you expect me not to react like that?"
Shawn shrugged. "I did what I could to get you out of it. The good thing is you get to choose your partner but the bad thing is, it's either Edge or Matt."
Her frown grew. Well then, if this wasn't turning into her everyday life, Edge or Matt, which one to choose? She had countless messages on her phone from both of them. Edge wondering why she didn't get in touch with him after the kiss last night and Matt asking if they could talk.
So she ignored them.
And now this. First of all a friggin match, secondly it was a mixed tag match, and thirdly it was up to her whether she chose Matt or Edge. Seriously. Seriously? Was someone out to get her? Was she getting a big royal fuck you from the Powers that Be? Cause it sure seemed like it.
"You choose." She told her father.
He shook his head. "I know you explained why Edge did what he did but you know why I'd choose Matt but it's not up to me to decide, it's up to who you're more comfortable with out there."
Catelyn sighed. She had told Shawn that Edge had called her and explained what happened. But she also knew there was a lot of bad blood between them.
"Wouldn't Edge know his own partner though? Wouldn't that be an advantage."
Shawn contemplated this. "Orton would also know him though."
"So is it better to go in there with someone who knows what will happen or someone who doesn't but could also take him by surprise?"
Shawn's frown now mirrored her own as he thought about it. When did Catelyn get so good at thinking all this through and what would be better for her?
"Who would you feel more comfortable with?" he asked.
"Edge." She replied in a small whisper. She knew how Edge felt about her, knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She didn't think Matt would either, he did save her yesterday but her trust in him was still shattered from before and she didn't know how easily she could push that all aside for one match.
Shawn sighed. "You have your answer then."
"Do they know?"
He nodded and she closed her eyes. "So either way I'm going to piss off one of them."
"Will Edge really care?" Shawn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"More then you know." She muttered.
"What was that?"
She shook her head. "I have to go tell him. If I'm not back in 10 minutes, it means Matt found out and killed me."
"It'll be fine, I'm sure he'll understand."
"heard that before." She muttered as she left the room in search of Edge's. It didn't take her long to find and she stood outside contemplating knocking when the door opened and she came face to face with him.
"I was just coming to look for you." He said, surprised to see her there
"yeah well I just found out about my match." She replied with a scowl. "look about tonight…" She trailed off with a sigh, unsure of how to ask him, especially since she had been ignoring him since last night.
His shoulders slumped and his face became guarded. "yeah, I get it, you chose Matt."
"What?" She asked in surprise. "I did?"
"Isn't that what you came here to tell me?" he asked, with a sneer. "You got your kiss, it didn't work out and you've been ignoring me because you ran back to Matt."
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously don't pull that bullshit on me right now Adam, I'm not in the mood. Are you going to help me out tonight or do I have to go ask Matt?"
Edge's sneer dropped. "wait, you're asking me first?"
She nodded.
"You haven't talked to Matt yet?"
She shook her head.
He picked her up, pulling her into a big hug. "Then yes, yes I will."
"I asked you to be my partner and you're this excited?" She asked in disbelief.
"It's because you didn't ask Hardy first."
She shook her head as he put her down. "look I need to go change, I'll be back in a bit okay?"
He nodded with a big grin as he went back into his room and Catelyn let out a small chuckle as she headed back to her dad's room. Before she could make it back, she was stopped by Matt, ready in his ring gear.
"Catelyn?"
She turned to him. "Match tonight?"
"Yes, with you."
She rubbed her forehead. "no Matt, not with me."
Anger flashed across his face. "You actually chose that douche bag? After what he did to you?"
She could feel heat rise up in her cheeks. "He didn't do anything to me. What about what you did Matt? Huh? Am I supposed to just forget that?"
"I've apologized countless times for assuming the worse. I'm sorry Catelyn I really am."
"I have to go." She muttered, turning around.
He grabbed her arm pulling her back.
"Don't touch me." She screamed, her arms flailing as she turned back around.
He took a step back and she stared at him in wide eyed shock. "Oh my god." She whispered. "Matt, I'm so sorry, I don't know where that came from."
"Whatever." He muttered and turned around walking away.
Behind her, a door opened up and her dad stepped out. "Catelyn are you okay? What's going on?"
She looked at him, completely confused by what had just happened. "I was walking away and Matt grabbed me and I freaked out at him, I don't know why."
He nodded his head in understanding as she entered the room. "people catching you off guard is going to make you jumpy for a little while. The Doctor explained that to me."
"I just scared the hell out of Matt and if he didn't before I'm sure he hates me now."
"I'll explain everything to him."
"No it's fine." She said with a sigh, "Him and I need to talk anyways. Right now I have to go get ready to make a complete idiot of myself." She grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom already dreading what was to come.
… … …