A/N: Hey! Thanks for the reviews, you are all awesome. Story is almost finished, a few chapters left but I haven't decided how many yet lol. Depending on how this one goes, maybe only one or two left :) Enjoy XxX
Disclaimer: I own Preston. I don't own anything affiliated with the WWE nor do I maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is a for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
I sat with my hands palm down on the desk as I calmly stared at Vince standing in the doorway. His hand was still on the doorhandle, squeezing it tightly, his lips almost pursed tersely at me. His dark beady eyes were searching mine as if trying to find an answer in them.
My thick black rimmed glasses were perched on the bridge of my nose and I glanced at him over the top of the lenses.
"I see things have been falling apart without me" I gave a sigh, pushing my glasses up my nose as I rocked back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other, framing my face with my hand, my forefinger straightened out against my cheek.
"I...I'm not entirely sure what to say to you Preston" his expression was impassive and never gave anything away to me.
"How about shutting the door and then telling me how you managed to sensationally fuck up my storylines?" I pronounced every single word perfectly, making sure he knew I was pissed off. I felt boisterous and confidence flooded my veins. Never in my life had I spoke to anybody like this let alone to Vince, whom I had been afraid of for the best part of my life.
He closed the door as he pushed his tongue into his cheek and then he turned back around to face me. His face was like thunder but I wasn't going to let him frighten me, let him push me down.
"How dare you!" he roared "Walk in here after two months AWOL and tell me I fucked up your storylines! Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I am Preston Carmichael" I stood from the seat, my hands pressing into the desk with the force of my anger "I am your niece and I will be heard. And the last time I checked I was Vice President of Creative" I glared at him "Until I resigned that is. But that changes nothing. I left my storylines in place, they were supposed to go to the live shows and yet, I watch Monday Night RAW and I find that everything has changed. So I'll ask again, how did you manage you fuck up my storylines? I was breathing harshly through my gritted teeth by the end of my explanation.
He smiled at me. He actually smiled at me.
"Well, well, well. It seems you've certainly inherited the McMahon temper" he rubbed his hand over his face "When did you get back? Or better yet, where have you been?" he changed the subject drastically.
"I went to stay with Matt and Jeff".
"The Hardy's?" he clarified and I nodded.
"Yes, I needed some time away. Some things happened which I am not proud of and through my own stupidity, I almost wrecked everything. But Mike and I are working things out now and well" I smiled "A little birdy called John Cena told me you were worried about me and I felt I just had to see this for myself".
He seemed to blush if that was possible, all the way from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. I grinned inside as I waited on him answering me.
"Well...of course. It is only natural that I worry about my employees, it would have been the same if it were anyone else" he tried to fob me off as he approached the table, throwing his papers down on the desk. I glanced at them, noting that they were NXT contracts.
"Really? Am I just an employee?" my voice became quiet and subdued.
He was silent and I didn't know how to take it. Should I just walk out the room? Was the silence answer enough and I should leave or should I stay and find out?
The air was knocked out of my lungs when I was suddenly pulled into his arms. He held me tightly and I felt the shock wear off of my body as I patted his back gently. When he pulled back he stared down at me, his face serious.
"Don't you ever disappear like that again!" he warned me "I was scared out of my mind. I don't think I've ever been that worried in my life Preston" he growled at me "Not even with Stephanie and Shane because I knew they would be okay, they're my children. But you" he pointed at me "You gave me the fright of my life, young lady!".
"I...I...I really don't know what to say" I swallowed thickly "We've never seen eye-to-eye, that much we both know but I didn't expect you to react like this. Why would you be worried about me?"
"Because as much as I try to tell myself that I hate my brother Preston, he gave us you. It's the best thing he's ever done and I...I'm sorry" he squeezed out "For the way that I've treated you. I should have seen past my pride and understood that you were more like your mother than like Robert. You look like your mother and you act like her but you've clearly got the McMahon temper" he grinned "There's hardly anything of Robert in you and yet I made myself see him whenever I looked at you. I've made you believe I hated you for years and yet I only ever hated him. What I've done is unforgivable but I..."
"It's okay" I touched his arm gently "I guess I understand, you know, deep down inside. I can see why you hate him because I do too. I want nothing to do with him, he's the one who's wrecked my life" I scratched the side of my head gently "He's been nothing but a thorn in my side and when you brought him here, god I thought I was going to die. I had thought I was rid of him and then he showed up".
"I apologise for that. I did have my reasons which you now know of course" he shrugged "He was meant to be gone within a matter of days rather than weeks".
"Yeah, he does have a tendency to try and stick around. I just have to ask, what did you say to him to make him agree to never show his face again?"
"I'm a businessman, Preston. We never give up our secrets" he smirked ruthlessly and I felt a cold shiver roll over me. What the hell did he do?
"Okay" I spoke shakily to him "Would you like to tell me what happened to my storylines now?"
"Ummmm...well...we couldn't find your paperwork for them and we had to come up with some new things pretty quickly" he rolled his neck.
"And that was the best you could do? You need to get new script writers. I know one who's out of work at the moment if you ask really nicely" I chuckled.
"Well...I am not a man of many chances. If you come back, this is your last chance. It doesn't matter that you're family, you screw this up and that's it. Will you come back to work?"
"Yes" I nodded "And I won't screw it up, this is me you're talking too. I'll have this show ship-shape in a matter of weeks. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I've got to see my boss about some scripts" I walked around the desk and headed for the door "Oh and about the name. Thank you for the offer, it's all I've ever wanted. But somehow, I finally found myself and I'm happy just as I am".
"I think I can appreciate that. Now get out of my office!" he shouted with a smile.
As I walked down the corridor, I had a huge grin on my face. I took a deep breath in through my nose, smelling the air of the corridor and I felt like I was home.
There were backstage hands running all over the place, getting ready for the show. I smiled at them in a friendly way but the majority must have recognised me and scurried off thinking I was checking up on them.
I approached the gorilla, knowing the show was about to start and I grinned when I saw Mike talking with Stu Bennett, John Hennigan and Stephen Farrelly. I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, sliding my palms up the front of his chest. He jumped and then put his hands on mine and I pressed my face against his back with a grin.
"Hey" he rubbed my hands, dragging the word out "Did you get everything sorted?"
"Of course" I looked at the other three guys "Sorry to interupt, I'll be gone in a minute, I need to go and check in with Steph" I winked at Stephen and he grinned back "I just thought I'd let you all know that I'll be here to save your asses from bullshit storylines" I laughed "The genius is back to work her magic".
"Cocky much?" Stu drawled as he chuckled, his English accent muffling his words a little.
"Cocky? No, not really. More convinced of my talent. You can't tell me that you are actually enjoying the scripts just now Stu?"
"I can't really complain, I've not been here that long" he shrugged. I felt Mike's hands tense around mine and I moved to stand next to him, glowing inside as he threw his arm around me and pulled me into his side
"And what about you? I saw that feud with Anthony. He might be a good wrestler when he's given the chance but that's a waste of your good talent Ste" he nodded a little with a small grin across his lips.
"Thanks for the compliment sweetheart. I just do what I'm scripted to. I'm sure yeh've got a lot to catch up on with Stephanie. I gotta run and get ready for me match" I nodded and Mike and I bid the three of them goodbye as they all wanted to get ready for their matches.
Mike took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine gently and we started to walk down the corridor.
"What did Vince say to you? Was he angry?" Mike enquired softly, his fingers squeezing my own for comfort. I nodded, pinching the bridge of my nose; having already removed my glasses, with my free hand.
"Yeah, but I stood up to him. He said he admired me for inheriting the McMahon temper. And that he was sorry for not having seen passed his pride and realised that I was more like my mother than my father and that I deserved to be part of the family. And I told him I was happy just as myself" I turned to Mike and pulled him to a stop "I guess I have you to thank for that. Maybe I finally realised that I'm fine just the way I am".
"I love you just the way you are Preston. I wouldn't want you any other way" he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me, holding me tightly against his body "You should go and see Steph. I'll see you after the show" he pressed a kiss to my forehead, curling his hands around my neck.
"Okay. Good luck" I nodded and then watched him walk away down the corridor.
Knocking on the door, I heard furious typing from the other side of the door. I stood for a few seconds before knocking again.
"I said I didn't want to be disturbed!" came a yell from the other side of the door.
"Well, excuse me but I didn't get the memo" I shouted back through the mahogany wood, grinning when the typing stopped and I heard the patter of feet coming towards the door. It swung open and I was faced with Stephanie, a furious look on her face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in a no nonsense tone.
"I work here" I cringed, replying meekly.
"Not the last time I checked" she was clearly very angry with me.
"Vince re-hired me" I stated, placing a small hand on my hip "Can I come in and talk to you" I pleaded with her "Please Steph. I think you might be interested in what I have to say".
She stepped aside and motioned for me to come inside before shutting the door behind her.
"You stupid, stupid girl Preston! How could you do something so monumentally...insane" she stammered for lack of a better word.
"I know" I hung my head in shame "I'm quite aware of what I've done Stephanie and I'm paying for it every single day. But you've been in my position, you've been in love with someone. Wasn't Paul with someone else when you met him?"
"It's not the same" she fobbed me off, pacing across the floor of her office, her Lanvin cut-out black leather 5 inch heels almost wearing a hole in the floor.
"I know it isn't the same" I snapped unintentionally, standing up as she turned to face me "You might not have taken the route that I did but I was a lot younger when I met Randy, than you were when you met Paul. It didn't stop you from dreaming, fantasizing about being with him. And being with Randy is all that I ever wanted. And yes, I made ridiculously stupid decisions but I wouldn't change anything because what I have done has brought me to where I am. It brought me Mike. I love him more than anything in this world and nothing will change that. And you might be angry with me, you might not like what I have done, hell you might even hate me Stephanie. But like it or hate it, I'm not going anywhere" she was staring intently at me as I finished my speech.
"You're right, I don't like your decisions" she shook her head at me "But you are my cousin. You're my sister and I love you Preston. You've been through so much and you're still standing tall. I think I can find it in myself to forgive you for ditching me. I can see that everything you've done is just a part of growing up. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"
"No, there isn't anything else" I told her straight out. There would be no point in making things worse by telling her that I had slept with Randy before I left Greenwich. Only Paul knew about that and there would be no point in telling anyone else. Randy is with Sam and I am with Mike and there is nothing else that needs to be told. Telling Stephanie or Mike would only serve to mess things up once again and I really didn't want that.
"Are you sure?" she eyed me, her eyebrows raising up to her hairline as she stood with her hands on her hips "You can tell me anything Preston".
"I've told you everything Stephanie" I confirmed and she nodded silently
"Okay, so what do we do now?" I asked.
"We get your kick-ass storylines back on to TV" she grinned and brought herself to her full height, looking every bit like her father in that moment.
END OF CHAPTER
A/N2: Preston and Mike reunion coming up next. Not far from the end of this story. Thanks for reading XxX