Jeff shifted impatiently in his seat as the plane landed in Las Vegas and shot up as soon as he was allowed to. Matt snorted with laughter at his brother's excitement and stood up in a deliberately slow movement, causing Jeff to bounce up and down on the spot. "Come on, Matt! I wanna go see the arena!" Matt was betting that wasn't the only thing he wanted to see. He grabbed his bag and followed Jeff as he all but sprinted through the airport to the baggage collection. Jeff was shouting at the carousel. "Come on, mother fucker! I got places to be y'hear me, boy!" Matt smirked and slapped him. "Can you not channel Itchweeed in a public place, please?" Jeff looked at him and the shrugged before settling down slightly.
Once they had collected their baggage they went to the arrivals gate. Sevina was there, but she wasn't alone. She was stood with none other than Jim Ross and they were talking animatedly. Matt lifted his eyebrows in surprise. Was there anyone she didn't make friends with these days? When she looked up and spotted them, her face split into an almost breathtaking grin and she waved. She jumped on Matt, hugging him tightly as Jeff shook his hands with JR. "Good to see you again, Jeff. Excited for Sunday?"
"More than I can describe." Jeff grinned, accepted the rather smaller hug from Sevina before they all traipsed out. Jeff let out a low whistle when they got outside. "It's hot here." Sevina nodded, unlocking the car. "We are in the desert, Jeffrey." She shrugged and then they all piled in.
When they arrived at the hotel, Matt started laughing and poking fun at the faux marble pillars, which earned him a slap across the back of the head from Sevina. He pouted at her, but her expression was threatening. JR laughed and then excused himself. Once he was gone, Matt nudged Sevina. "So, you met JR, huh?" Jeff also looked at her, curious as to how that friendship had come about. Sevina smiled, nodding. "Yeah, he fed me."
"Ah! That explains it!" Matt laughed and ducked as Sevina swung for him. Sevina was very much someone who appreciated food, she didn't shy away from it like a lot of the divas. They teased her for it sometimes, but only ever in fun. They were quietly glad that she had never given in to the 'size zero' craze. She was real and that was made her appealing to the fans and to the people in her life. Sevina wasn't skinny, nor was she fat. She was toned and well taken care of. She didn't always eat healthily, but she fought to keep her weight up and within the healthy levels. Currently she was at the thinnest she had ever been, but that was fading as she got back into her normal routines. Her job was no longer in jeopardy.
The eye candy divas, who never wrestled were encouraged to be as thin and perfect as possible, as with any major corporation, but the ones who worked hard for their keep were kept under strictly governed rules. They were not allowed to fall under the required weight or they would be put into rehabilitation or released. It was a harsh world that they lived in, where image was important, too important sometimes. The women in the WWE were often objectified and made to seem weak and unintelligent. Sevina hated that. She hated that so much talent went to waste and was grateful that she had been given the opportunity to prove to herself and to the fans, that she was more than just a pretty face.
Once Matt and Jeff had dropped their bags off, they all headed to the arena. It was almost completely set up now. Jeff wandered of to the gorilla position and Matt and Sevina stood in the ring. Sevina leaned over the ropes to talk to Drew who had wandered over. Matt stood in the centre of the ring and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and soaking in the feel of the arena. This wasn't his first WrestleMania, but the feeling never faded. The excitement and the pure anticipation never ceased to overwhelm him. No matter what city they were in, it didn't matter, all that mattered was the feeling, the knowledge that they were going to create something spectacular, something that would be remembered and talked about for years to come.
Sevina checked the time and squeaked a little. They needed to move if they wanted to get to the press conference in time. She collected Matt and Jeff and they headed off. She waved to them both and she went to take her seat on the panel with Glen and Mark. Jeff and Matt were at the opposite end of the long desk that had been set up. Vince McMahon took centre stage as the various reporters and fans took their seats. "Ladies and Gentlemen, our superstars will now answer your questions about WrestleMania this Sunday."
He carefully picked out the reporters and Sevina was utterly absorbed in what was going on, listening to the questions and answers, so it caught her a little by surprise when one was addressed at her. "Sevina, how do you feel about your brothers going into a match against your former best friends , one of whom was your boyfriend?" Sevina looked at the man who had spoken and frowned a little, quickly regaining her sense of character. "Well, it's a difficult situation, of course, but would you expect anything less from WrestleMania? This is the grandest stage of them all and the stakes are at their highest. My brothers and I are very confident about the outcome of the match." She looked at Kane a.k.a Glen as if asking for approval. He gave the smallest nod. The reporter then spoke to Matt and Jeff. "How does it feel to be going into a match as personal as this one?"
Matt shifted a little in his seat before speaking. "Being here at WrestleMania, fighting for something this important, it's what we live for. We will not give up and we will not fall. This Sunday, you're going to see the Hardy Boyz better than ever, taking more risks and pushing harder than ever because this is our time to shine, to show the world that we will not be intimidated."
There was a cheer from the fans that were assembled in the back. The next question was aimed at Jeff. "What will you do if you lose, Jeff? What happens if the woman you love is taken away from you forever and not only that, you have to give up your job at SmackDown?" Jeff took a deep breath, his eyes travelling down to find Sevina. She didn't look at him, so didn't see the very obvious sincerity in his face. "I wont give up. I wont walk away. Facing the prospect of losing is not something I am going to do. We're going to win and we're going to make things right."
Sevina's eyes flicked to him and she frowned slightly, ignoring the flashbulbs going off and capturing the moment. They just looked at one another, both trying to silently communicate their feelings, whilst being certain the other did not feel the same way.
The press conference finished up and they had to go straight into the meet and greet. Sevina was quietly grateful. The busier they were, the less she could get nervous about what was going to happen in two days. It made the time go so much quicker. They sat down at the table and then the fans were let in. At first it was like being swamped, but slowly order started to resume. Sevina saw some of the people from the previous day again and gently explained that there were so many people to talk to that she couldn't sign more autographs for them.
She saw Lisa again, not lining up for an autograph, just standing and watching. She flashed her a smile and beckoned her over. "Hey, Lisa. How are you?" Lisa seemed a little short of breath and very nervous as she stood looking at Sevina. "I-I'm okay. Thank you." Sevina smiled at her and patted the empty seat next to her. "Why don't you sit with me for a while and see how this all works?" Lisa's eyes grew wide, but she sat down immediately. The longer she sat there, the more comfortable she became and the more she opened up and talked to Sevina. She waited patiently as Sevina talked to the other fans, seeming grateful just to be there.
When the signing session was over, Sevina looked at Lisa, then sighed her shirt and couple of other things for her. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I got in the way at all." Sevina shook her head, hugging her. "You didn't. Thank you for keeping me company. Here, I have one last thing for you." She had been hoping to see Lisa again today. She reached into her bag and pulled out a thin, white, rectangular envelope. She handed it to her. "I know you said you couldn't come on Sunday…" Lisa frowned a little and then opened the envelope with shaking fingers. She let out a high pitched scream and threw her arms around Sevina, her hand keeping a very tight hold on the tickets she had just received. Sevina laughed and returned the embrace, then wiped some of the tears from Lisa's face. "I was never good at sports as a kid either, Lisa. I just started with a dream and I followed it." She hugged her again and then watch her run off to tell her mom about the ringside tickets she'd just been given. Sevina smiled to herself and then looked at Matt who had appeared at her side. He was looking at Lisa's retreating back and grinning slightly. Sevina tilted her head at him. "What?" He looked at her and shrugged. "She reminds me of you."
"Yeah…me too." Sevina smiled and then grabbed her bag. "Come on. Let's get back to the hotel. I'm starving." Matt nodded in agreement and once they'd grabbed Jeff they headed out. Maria met them at the hotel and threw herself at Sevina, sending both women tumbling to the ground amidst laughter and tangle limbs. "Boop!"
"Vina!" They both got to their feet and hugged a little less violently. They all headed to the hotel restaurant to get something to eat, Maria and Sevina led the conversation, talking almost constantly, only letting Matt and Jeff interrupt every few minutes. Sevina had never been the kind of person who indulged in gossip or squealed as a new piece of juicy information, but Maria seemed to bring it out in her. Maria's personality, coupled with the excitement for Sunday made for an extremely hyperactive Sevina and since Jeff was off limits, she had no mischievous outlet for it, which resulted in her and Maria getting louder and more high pitched with every passing minute.
Matt leaned towards Jeff, muttering quietly; "I think they've actually reached a frequency that only dogs can hear." Jeff laughed, choking on his drink slightly. Matt thumped him helpfully on the back and then looked at him innocently as he apologise to Sevina and Maria for interrupting their conversation. He watched Sevina's face as she went back to talking, she was so obviously genuinely excited about being here and Jeff wished he could have a proper part in sharing that with her. He wished he could talk to her about it, ask her how she was feeling and her be unable to express the words through sheer over-excitement. That was how this was supposed to be, but it was turning out how none of them had ever planned it. Matt was as involved as he had ever been, but Jeff had to take a back seat. He had to stay in the background and be quietly proud of her as she embraced the success that was coming her way. This Sunday would ensure her place in the WWE for a very long time.
She had worked so hard to get here, fought every day for the dream that her father had tried to suppress and now that she had it, it was as if all the criticism, all the doubt that had plagued her steps through childhood were falling away and she was free to be the person that she wanted to be. No-one was going to mock her now, no-one was going to try and belittle her hopes, or make her feel stupid for daring to have them. The anger and resentment, the rebellion that had first fuelled her had given way to a true passion for what she did and it was wonderful to watch. Jeff was only sad that he couldn't have the role in it that he had always thought he would.