Chapter 29
"Lita said something to me at the gym before the whole abduction happened. She asked me if I could train on my days off, so the Alliance wouldn't find out about it. I told her I would, so I'm not sure where she wants me to go on my days off to do the training. I'm going through with it, no matter what. I'm tired of being a victim and I need to learn to defend myself if I'm going to stay in this business."
Mark felt like he needed to have a chat with Lita and tell her to slow her damn roll until everything regarding the Alliance blew over. However, Mark also knew that that was his protectiveness coming out and who could honestly blame him after everything that had happened to her? He bit his tongue, figuring nothing was going to be set in stone or decided upon for certain until after she had healed up and he was keeping her pert ass here for the rest of the week. This business had done nothing but kick her down, constantly. He genuinely wanted to know why she would want to remain.
"Why would you want to stay?" He couldn't stop himself from asking, sitting opposite of her with a beer.
Letting out a shaky breath, Alice continued looking out the window and then down at her tea, hoping what she was about to say didn't sound pathetic. "Because it's all I have in my life worth fighting for." It was the complete, honest truth. "I know it's crazy, but in WCW, it was great. I wasn't assaulted, and I was with men I thought I could trust." She let out a bitter laugh at the memory of Chuck and Sean, wiping a stray tear away from her eye. "When I'm out there in front of all those people, I can't describe it, but I love feeling the energy from the fans. I love feeling that adrenaline rush, that high, while out there. Even if I'm just walking someone to the ring, it's still a rush I get, and I've always wanted to try my hand in actual wrestling. Eric thought with my background and how…flexible I am, I'd be good at it. I just haven't gotten that opportunity yet and…like I said, I have nothing else to really live for except wrestling. It's been my life for the past 2 years and…although it's been rough this past month, I won't be chased away from it." Alice had fallen in love with the sport the moment she stepped through the curtain in WCW and had her debut as a valet. "It's stupid, I know…"
"Darlin', you're not suicidal, are you?" Mark asked slowly, knowing that was probably not the best way of wording it, but she had kept repeating how it was the only thing she had worth fighting for and he was pretty certain that wasn't true. The woman was gorgeous, and no high school diploma or not, she was intelligent, most of the time. When she shook her head, he exhaled and nodded, feeling dumb for even asking it. "You got plenty to fight for, Red, I'm just… a bit concerned with everythin' going on right now."
Such as Alice getting her ass beaten on a weekly basis. It was only escalating. Hopefully, he and Glenn had made a point with their attack and, if Teresa got on board and whatever else Glenn had been up to, would make things calm the hell down.
"So, what am I supposed to do? Look, if you don't want to watch over me anymore and protect me, I get it. All you have to do is come out and say it. I'm not a china doll, I'm not made of glass and I've been rejected so many times, I've lost count. I know it's not fair to you that I've put this…burden on you to protect me, you and Glenn. You have your own lives and careers to think about. So, don't worry about me, I can find my own way. I've done it before and I'll do it again."
Alice didn't mean to fly off the handle the way she had, but at the same time, he sounded annoyed with her when she was just telling him the truth. This was wearing on him too, he looked fed up with everything going on in the company, not that she blamed him. She was a huge portion of the stress because of Diamond Dallas Page and her association to the Alliance.
"I'll just go back to my home for the next few days and try to figure everything out. I'm sorry, Mark. I really am."
She had been doing so well too, not pulling that crap on him and she was totally reading him wrong. Mark was retracting his opinion about her intelligence. Alice had just gotten her ass handed to her, viciously, and was mistaking his concern for something else. Jesus, this woman was messed up.
"Be my guest." He said, taking a sip of his beer, green eyes flat. "And you can shove your apology up your ass." There we go, some fire as well as shock and disbelief in those beautiful eyes of hers. "I already told you once, stop with that shit. It's one thing to be dependent on people when you really need the help, it's another to be some self-righteous sucker for pain. When I don't want to help you out, or be around, or have you around, you'll know because I don't sugarcoat." Obviously. And… he had made her soup. "Eat."
"I finished it already. Get your eyes checked." Alice remarked coolly, standing from the table and decided it was time to vacate to go back up to the room she'd woken up in.
It wasn't his room, she didn't think anyway. They had never fought before, so it felt both weird and horrible at the same time. Alice didn't know what else to say to him, so she walked out of the kitchen and back upstairs to the room to start packing her things, keeping her tears at bay. All she did was tell him the truth! He wanted to know why she hadn't walked away from the wrestling business, she told him, and he'd been a dick about it in return! Asking her if she was suicidal, which she was not! Alice slammed the door shut, shaking with barely contained anger and grabbed her bag, pulling out a pair of black cotton shorts. She scowled at the t-shirt and tore it off over her head, tossing it in her bag before replacing it with a dark blue tank top. Socks and shoes on, Alice found her phone in one of the front pockets and turned it on, googling the nearest cab company to come to pick her up. Then, she booked a flight to Miami, Florida, trying to stop the tears from falling, but it was no use. She was hurt, confused, scared and angry all wrapped in one despairing package.
When Mark finally decided to go see if she had calmed down because he had seen that storm in her eyes, he was a bit surprised to find her belongings packed and she was obviously ready to leave. "What the hell are you doin', Red?" He asked, his tone going from curious to demanding in that one sentence. She was leaving? Mark racked his head, frowning. Yeah, he could've worded that suicide question a bit more… well, politer, nicer, more… gentle, but… he had seen way too many people walk that depression/suicide line and he had panicked a bit. "Are you really runnin' off because of one slight fight?" If that's what it could have been called since he hadn't yelled.
"I told you the truth. I answered your question and your response was asking me if I'm suicidal. It was rude, but whatever, it is what it is. I also told you I should go home for a few days and you said, 'be my guest'. So, that's what I'm doing." Alice didn't look at him, her back facing him and zipped her bag up, only for him to snatch it away from her. "I don't need a ride either. I called a cab and it's on its way to take me to the airport."
This man was unbelievable! He'd told her to basically get out and to shove her apologies up her backside! Now he was asking her why she was leaving?
"And I'm not running off, I'm simply going home, so you don't have to deal with me anymore." Trying to snatch her bag away from him, Alice scowled when he merely pulled it away again out of her reach. "Damn it, Mark, give me my bag!"
When she tried reaching for her bag again, winced and stopped, he snorted and dropped the bag on the end of the bed. "You're not going anywhere, Red, not like that."
Mark was guessing she had never been in a relationship before, or at least not one with a man like him. Most men made mouth mistakes, he was one of them, but as a rule… most grown ass women took a bit to cool down. Grown ass men did the same and then they sorted stuff out face to face. They didn't book a damn flight elsewhere and run away.
"I'm sorry."
This wasn't a relationship though, at least that's what Alice assumed. She didn't know what they were and hadn't labeled them because of all the crap going on in their lives. Alice didn't realize how sore she was until she tried jumping for her bag and had to sit down, pulling her tank top up to see a huge bruise marring her side. It was just a bruise, no cracked ribs or anything.
"You were just being honest." She muttered quietly, sinking down on the bed and clasped her hands tightly in front of her. This wasn't easy for her; she wasn't used to relying on people and having help from others. "I just don't want to burden you anymore…and I know you hate it when I say that, but that's what I feel like. I feel like a burden, I feel worthless because I can't even defend myself against the likes of Diamond Dallas Page. I just don't know…what to do anymore. I've really fucked your life up in more ways than one, Mark. I don't want to cause you anymore trouble or pain." Look at how many times he'd gotten jumped and beaten down since they met.
"Shut up, just shut up." Mark scowled, dropping down to kneel before her, placing his hands on her knees and sighed, his face softening as he stared up at her. Gently, he reached up to separate her hands, holding them in his. "Alice, you didn't ask for any of this and you shouldn't feel… whatever it is you're feeling about Page, about not being able to defend yourself against him. You aren't the first woman he's done this to, and they weren't any more capable than you are." However, she would be the LAST one Page abused because Mark was going to kill him. "And if I didn't want to help you, or take care of you, I wouldn't have brought you to my house and put you up in my bed."
"Mark…"
Why couldn't he have said all this earlier instead of asking her if she was suicidal and being a dick? He did warn her before how…volatile he could be, and she accepted him fully for who he was. Mark even apologized to her and something told Alice he didn't do that often, if ever.
"You didn't ask to be involved in this situation either…" His finger pressed against her mouth gently, as to not hurt her, silencing her from repeating the same thing again. Instead, she drew his finger in her mouth and softly sucked before releasing it, pressing a kiss to the tip. "Thank you." Her voice came out a soft whisper.
Not saying a word, he gestured for her to scoot back, climbing up into the bed with her and gently pulled Alice back with him. Mark had to inwardly cringe at the similarity to the time they had spent out at Glenn's place in Tennessee, especially when he leaned back against the headboard. They were starting to spend more time in bed healing and recovering than anything else; that couldn't be a good start to their relationship, or whatever this was.
"I really like you, Mark." Alice confessed, snuggling against him and rested her hand over his heart, closing her eyes.
Maybe this wasn't the way a regular relationship was supposed to start out as, but then again, they weren't regular or normal. What they did for a living wasn't normal and regular either. Not everyone could be a WWF Superstar or in the wrestling industry, period. His body heat combined with exhaustion from healing and the small fight they'd had forced Alice to fall back asleep. She didn't feel Mark extract himself from her in order to grab his special salve he used for bruises. He spread it all over her face and neck, being gentle and Alice merely smiled in her sleep, immediately snuggling against his side as soon as he returned to the bed.
"You can't ask people that."
"Yeah, I know, I didn't mean it the way it came out though."
"No. Listen to me, I don't care how you word it or what tone you use, you don't ask people that."
"Yeah, I know."
"She asleep?"
"Yes."
"You going to bed, it's a bit late, isn't it?"
"You called me."
"Well yeah, but I'm awake and I figured you were awake, and I needed to talk to you anyway. Teresa said she's pretty sure there's a solid case if Alice wants to take it to court, which I doubt Alice will."
"Yeah, probably not."
"Is Alice above using it to get herself a proper WWF contract and some side benefits?"
"Highly doubtful. She wants to be a superstar."
"Good."
"Yeah."
"You really got it bad, you know that."
Click.
Teresa had made several phone calls that day while her husband busied himself out in the yard with their gardens and whatnot. She was determined to get Alice out of her WCW contract and Linda McMahon was onboard to help. It was all up to Linda at this point, however. She had no other pull besides the older woman, so Teresa hoped Linda pulled through. Sure enough, Saturday afternoon rolled around when she received the call.
"As of Monday night, as soon as Alice walks into the building, she will be offered a 4-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation. Shane has allowed me to buy out her contract and, in turn, she will be an investment to us." That meant, Alice would start training immediately to become a WWF Diva and could still do her valeting while becoming a women wrestler. "I trust these stipulations are satisfactory, Mrs. Jacobs?"
Teresa was ecstatic, not believing Linda had actually pulled this off and couldn't wait to break the news to Alice and Mark. "Yes. Thank you, Mrs. McMahon. You've been a great and vital help to my client. I will allow her to finalize everything from here."
"Good. And by the way, Teresa…" Linda smiled, blue eyes flashing. "Well played." Then she hung up the phone, ending the call between them.
"GLENN!"
Now normally, it was pretty quiet at home. Glenn and Teresa knew each other well enough that there wasn't much need for being verbal, unless they were in the bedroom. So, considering all that, to suddenly hear his wife screaming his name… startled the hell out of him. He dropped the book he had been trying to finish and jumped up from his oversized recliner, tripping on the foot hem of his sweat pants and hitched them back up in his haste to get to the tiny office Teresa kept usually as a storeroom for 'everything' she meant to get too.
"WHAT?!"
"Call Mark, and Alice, they're gonna want to hear this too."
