Harper stirred and groaned out loud as the low ring from her cell phone woke her from her sleep. It was a Saturday morning, a day when Matt had neither physical therapy with Dr. Johnson or couseling sessions with Jack Edwards. It was a day to relax where they could sleep in and breakfast usually turned into an early lunch. Wrapped snugly in her blankets, the dark haired beauty fumbled onto the nightstand for her phone.

"Hello?" she sleepily mumbled, forgoing a glance at the Caller ID.

"Rise and grind, Sleeping Beauty."

She smiled as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Long time no talk, stranger. How goes it?"

"Well, I am in a hotel in Detroit. Just woke up after a long flight and a ride to the hotel from the cab driver from hell but I am refreshed and relaxed after a good night's sleep."

He sounded good and she could almost see the beaming toothy grin of her good friend, Cody Runnels.

"Mmmm, sometimes I really miss that life and sometimes I don't."

"Well, I really miss you, Harper. I'm sorry we haven't spoken in a couple of weeks. I've been really busy."

"I know. It's okay."

"How are you?"

"Good," she anwered honestly. "Last time we talked things had just started to turn around with Matt."

"How is it going?"

"Great," she smiled. "He is a different person now, a better person. It's like we got the old Matt back. His attitude is so much better and he is kicking ass in rehab, you should see him. I am so proud of him."

"That's good. That's great to hear. I know you had a lot on you so I'm definetly glad to hear that things have gotten better."

"They have," Harper rolled over.

"What are you up to this weekend?"

"Nothing. Taking it easy. It's been pretty busy around here with Matt's new schedule. Also his parents came up last Friday and stayed for the long weekend, then Mike and Bryn ended up visiting Sunday and Monday. The house was full but it was nice. Matt was certainly happy to see everyone and they were thrilled that he is doing so much better."

"Sounds nice. Look, I was wondering…I'm gonna be on a Smackdown in two weeks when it is in Washington D.C. What, is that about two or three hours away from where you guys are?"

"Just a couple."

"Cool. Anyway, I was wondering if you and Matt would like to come. I know everybody would love to see him and it might be good for him to see his old friends."

"I don't know, Cody," Harper sighed into the phone. "It seems like a nice idea but the whole wrestling thing is a touchy subject still. Sometimes Matt watches the WWE on TV but I look in his eyes and he gets so sad about it. I think he really misses it. And we've been trying to go forever to one of Mike's Ring Of Honor shows but something always seems to come up. Honestly, I think it's just too hard for him right now. I don't think he could handle it. He has come so far in his therapy and counseling, I'm afraid something like that could trigger regression and just fuel his old frustrations."

"You're probably right," Cody conceded. "Man, I didn't even think about that."

"It's okay. Your intentions were good. Your heart is in the right place and who knows, maybe the next time you guys come around, he'll be ready."

"I hope so. Matt is a good guy. He has always been well liked and respected in the locker room and backstage. We miss him but uh…I miss you, too."

Harper felt herself blushing.

"Really? That's sweet."

"I mean it. You've been through a lot and I can't help but worry about you. I know things didn't work out with us quite like I wanted them to but you're a great girl and an awesome friend. I care about you, Harper."

"Thanks. I care about you, too, Cody."

She heard rustling around in the other room.

"Hey Harp, you awake?" Matt called out from his room down the hall.

"Hold on, Codes," she said into the phone before yelling through her closed bedroom door. "Yeah! Just woke up! On the phone with Cody! I'll be off in a bit, then I'll make us something to eat!"

"No rush," Matt hollered back. "I'm still being lazy! Tell Cody I said hi!"

Harper turned her attention back to her phone conversation.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Anyway, Matt says hi."

"Tell him I said hi too."

"Okay. Back to what we were saying…"

"Yeah," Cody cleared his throat. "I was just telling you that I miss hanging out with you. We are friends so let's be friends, right? When all this is over, I just want the chance for us to hang out again like old times, do something fun. What do you say?"

She smiled.

"That sounds cool. I'm gonna have to take you up on that one."

"I'll hold you to it."

"So how is life treating you? How is wrestling, the traveling? How are your dad and brother?"

"Everything is great. The push is still going. You had a chance to watch me on television lately?"

"Every chance I get. The whole dashing gimmick totally cracks me up by the way and you are working the hell out of it," she laughed. "Seriously. That cheesy over the top grin you do when you first walk out and of course checking your reflection in the mirror…classic! Plus, you quite possibly have the coolest entrance music ever."

Cody chuckled.

"Thanks. I'm just taking it in stride, working hard. My brother is good, still doing the whole Goldust thing and Dad is great. I just talked to him the night before last. He's working down at FCW training the new guys for the next two weeks."

"That's good," Harper said, frowning as a beep interrupted their conversation, signaling that she had another call coming in. "Hold on a sec, Cody…hello?"

"Harper, it's Mom."

Harper took a deep breath.

"Hey Mom. Can you hold on? Let me get off the other line…hey, Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"That's my Mom…"

"Say no more. I've got to hop in the shower and get my day started anyway."

"Alright. It was really good to talk to you. Good luck with the show tonight and I promise I'll call you soon."

"You better. I'll talk to you later, Harper," Cody ended the call.

Harper resumed the conversation with her mother.

"Okay, Mom. I'm back."

"How are you?"

"Fine."

Harper was hoping to make the conversation as short as possible. In addition to therir normal differences, mother and daughter had been at odds over Harper's decision to temporarily put her life on hold and move to Charlottesville. The situation was further heated when Harper had renigged on her choice to let Mike take his brother back to Tampa. Of course the turning point had been Matt's change of heart but her explanations to her mother had fallen on deaf ears.

"And Matt?"

The tone of her mother's voice sounded more forced than sincere but Harper took what she could get. At least she was asking.

"He's good. Matt is much better now. His PT is going really great and we got some positive news from the last MRI so that was a relief."

"I see. So with all this improvement, he should be able to come home soon?" the older woman inquired.

"I don't know, I guess. It's recovery. It's a day by day process. You can't really put a time stamp on it, Mom. He is improving and we hope that he continues to improve and we just take it from there."

"That's all very well but what happens if this recovery process ends up taking six more months or God forbid, a year?"

Harper shrugged, feeling herself getting annoyed. This was so not how she wanted to start off her weekend.

"Then it will take six months or a year."

"And what about you? Would you plan on staying?"

"That's the agreement. I said I'd be here for the duration and that's what I meant."

"But what about your life? What about St. Louis? What about finding a job, starting your new career?"

"Those are all things that are very important to me but so is this. I know all that…my apartment, my chance to look for a new job will still be waiting for me when all this is over whether that is next week, next month, or next year."

"Harper, your kindness sometimes borders on foolishness."

"Why don't you get it? Why can't you understand? Matt is like a brother to me. He is my best friend. We have been an important part of each other's life since we were six years old. He needs me right now and I want to be there for him. It is my life and my choice and I just don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal is you're wasting your time and your life."

"How? By helping someone I care about?"

"By hoping that playing the role of mom, housewife, and nurse will finally get him to open up his eyes and make him feel about you the way you feel about him."

"Mom…"

"You can't make someone love you, Harper. Now I have nothing against Matt Korklan. He's a nice boy but you are my daughter. You are pretty and smart and talented…you have so much going for you, far too much to just sit around and wait for this guy. There are so many men out there who would love to date you."

Harper rolled her eyes.

"Okay. I am so not going to talk about this with you right now…"

"I just don't get it. I don't understand the relationship you two have. I mean, what are you getting out of it? What on earth is going on up there?"

"Nothing is going on. Look, Matt is my friend, nothing more, nothing less and we're both fine with that. It may seem weird to you or whatever but it is totally normal for us and that's all that matters. I help him out with the cooking and the cleaning and getting him around and errands and laundry and stuff like that, things he still can't do completely on his own. And I provide companionship for him. We enjoy each other's company. I don't know what else you expect me to say but it is what it is"

Harper's mother breathed into the phone.

"You are so stubborn and I don't know what else to say. I suppose there is nothing else to say. It is your life even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. That whole dyamic is just weird."

"How is it weird, Mom?"

Before she could answer, Harper heard abrupt noise and movement coming from the other room. She sat up as she heard what sounded like footsteps bounding towards her room. It made her heart poound.

"I…"

"Hold on, Mom," Harper cut her off.

Just then the door flung open and there was Matt in just his boxers. His face was red, eyes wide and his breath ragged.

"Harp!"

"Matt, are you okay?" she asked with worry. "Oh my God, what happened? What is going on?"

"Look!" he pointed to himself.

She did but frowned.

"Look at what?"

"Harp, it's back! It all came back! Look!"

He lifted his left arm and slowly began to rotate it in various positions. The arm had been left severely damaged by the fall and had been all but useless at times. Now he was moving it as ease and like normal.

"Oh Matt…"

"And guess what? I bumped my right leg and I actually felt it! Can you believe it, Harp? I felt it! I have never been so glad to feel pain before in all my life! I haven't had sensation in that leg since the accident!"

He was estatic and she shared in his joy. It was good news, truly a miracle.

"Matt, that is great! Oh sweetie, that is so great! I am so happy for you! See? I told you! I knew it, I just knew you were going to get better!"

"And that's not the best part," he beamed. "Look!"

"What?"

"I've got a hard on!" he proudly pressed his boxers to his lower form indeed revealng the obvious presence of an erection. "Harp, I've got morning wood! I'm a man again!"

"Oh my…"

Before she could react, he grabbed the phone.

" You hear that, Cody? I just got my first boner in months! Woo hoo! Hold breakfast, Harp, I'm gonna go see if I can whack off!"

"Yeah," she cringed. "Um excellent news but uh…that's not Cody anymore. It…it's my mom."

Matt winced but nothing could put a damper on his parade.

"Sorry, Mrs. Reynolds," he yelled from the background.

And with that he practically skipped back to his bedroom leaving his best friend happy, excited, surprised and embarrassed all at the same time. She dreaded getting back on the line. Why the hell couldn't Verizon drop a call when you needed them to?

"Mom…"

"I…I, I…ugh, I am not even going to ask. I won't go there, Harper," she said with disgust as Harper supressed a giggle.

"What can I say? It's his first erection in like two months. He's a little excited…no pun intended."

"Harper…"

"Mom, I think I've got a bad connection. Um, you're starting to break up really bad so I'll call you later when I get better service. Love you. Bye."

She clicked to end the phone call before there was a reply or protest. Tossing the phone somewhere in the covers, Harper buried her face in her pillow laughing. She was elated about Matt's latest progression although some breaking news bordered on TMI and could have been better off kept to himself. But it was a drastic improvement and moments like that, seeing him get better, made all the hard work and sacrifice really worth it. Some would say she was crazy to give up her life to help Matt and on most days they would be right. But crazy or not, she was happy and wouldn't have it any other way.