A/N: You guys love my story for some reason that I do not know. So many reviews for one chapter and I'm so happy to see that most of you came back! I missed you and guess what? Today's my birthday! So here's a very special update…
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Thea stepped away from the mirror to look at herself. She pulled a face at what she saw and stifled a giggle. She couldn't believe that she had made it to today after all of the bad things that happened to her. Inside she felt like she was much older than what the calendar said she was.
She wore a red mini dress and black five inch stilettos. It was something that Layla had given her as an early present and as a peace offering. (It turns out being part of Lay-Cool means nothing more than being saddled up to Michelle McCool's drama.) Thea decided to wear it and invited Layla to her little birthday party as her way of showing that there was no hard feelings for the woman.
"No boys," Layla's voice came as the doorknob to the bathroom turned. "No, you can't see her until she's ready." She slipped into the bathroom and smiled at Thea. "Oh! I told you that you would look beautiful in that and here you are! You look stunning!"
"Thanks Layla," Thea said, taking a brush through her hair. "Is this what it feels like once you've stepped farther away from being a child?"
"Yes," Layla said, reaching for some make up. "Now, let me give you some smoky eyes and –" She handed Thea a thing of lip gloss. "- you put this on. Trust me; no one is going to be able to resist you tonight."
"Oh." Thea uncapped the lip gloss and ran the brush over her lips, giving them a light, glossy shine. "Is that what's supposed to happen tonight?"
Layla made Thea close her eyes while she applied eye shadow to her lids. "Well, partially. Mostly, it's just a time for you to celebrate the night of your birthday in the company of your friends and coworkers. And we all chipped in to have the hotel let us have the party in the ballroom." She smiled a small smile. "Maybe we'll get a song out of you?"
"Maybe," Thea agreed, opening her eyes when Layla was done with her eyes. "I haven't sung since the music video for the movie…"
"Well, this will be a good time for you to break out and sing again," Layla said, pulling a thing of eyeliner from Thea's makeup bag. "Everyone will love to hear you. Especially Glenn."
Thea winced. "Glenn…"
Layla frowned. "Thea, I'm sorry that I dated him for a couple of weeks after you left. I honestly thought that I…well, I don't know what I was thinking when I dated him. Maybe all I wanted was to get back at you and take away something that you wanted. I don't honestly know anymore...I didn't do anything with him – he never got that close to me…I'm sorry…"
Thea reached out and put a hand on Layla's shoulder. "I forgive you."
Layla finished putting the finishing touches on Thea's eyes and smiled. Thea looked at the mirror once more, seeing a smoky eyed bombshell where a child once stood. Thea pulled at the low neck of her mini dress and smiled. She liked what she saw.
"Thanks Layla," she said.
"Like I said, you look stunning," Layla commented, opening the door to the bathroom. "Now you can gawk at her boys."
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Glenn didn't know why he'd been invited to the party. He hadn't been to a party in over six months and everyone seemed to be all right with that. He hadn't bothered anyone – off the show – and with the exception of Kari, they hadn't bothered him. Everything had been fine, but now they were inviting him to a party for the sole reason why he had reverted into his loner self.
So, that's how he ended up standing off to one side of the ballroom, holding a glass of pop since alcohol had been named off limits due to the age of Thea and Kari. He watched people walk past, Ron start break dancing on the dance floor, and heard people wonder aloud where the party girl was. Somehow, Ron and John found a microphone and killed the music for a minute.
"Ladies, gentleman, and whoever else ventured into this little event, we have an announcement to make," John began with a smile.
"Our lucky lady Thea Lei Andrews has turned the big one nine," Ron said. "And no, we're not talking about the six-one-nine, Oscar." Some people laughed and Oscar shook his head with a big smile on his face. Ron smiled and held the microphone up to his lips. "And I think it's time for our beautiful friend to make her appearance. Don't you?"
Some people let out a cheer which made John and Ron's heads swell up a little more. Glenn shook his head and took a sip of his pop.
"Now, we'd like to introduce her in WWE style," John said with a smile. "So, ladies and gentlemen, making her way to this swinging party is a Diva of epic proportions. Not only can she wrestle, but she'll sing and dance with the best of them…"
"And cook, oh boy can that girl cook the tastiest bits of food out there," Ron said, rubbing his stomach. "And there isn't one as smoking as her, so ladies hold on your boys because here she is…"
The boys looked at each other before sweeping their arms to the entrance. "Thea Lei Andrews!"
Glenn did a double take as he watched a goddess walk into the room. He couldn't believe that it was his former rookie and love strutting in on the arms of Drew and Stephen. She looked – as Ron so easily put it – smoking. She made Layla and half the girls in the room pale by comparison in the red mini dress she wore. And her legs seemed to go on for miles as she came to a stop in between John and Ron. Glenn saw that she was blushing as she received hugs from Ron and John. It only added to her beauty in Glenn's opinion.
Ron took up the microphone once more and wrapped an arm around Thea's bare shoulders. "Now Thea darling, I believe your friends have something they want to say to you," he said, beaming.
All around him, Glenn could hear people singing 'Happy Birthday' on varying keys. The color in Thea's face deepened, but a smile remained on her face as she casually brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.
"Thanks guys," she said before John Cena wheeled over a cake.
"You know what to do," John Hennigan commented, gesturing at the cake. "Take a deep breath and blow out the candles and make a wish."
Thea's eyes roamed over the people attending the party and landed on him. Glenn lowered his gaze, unable to look at her for more than a few heartbeats at a time. She blew out the candles and the room clapped and cheered.
"Let's get this party started!" John called out and the music started playing again.
Glenn craned to see over the heads of his coworkers as they surrounded Thea. He thought it was funny that a man of his height had to crane to see over so many heads just to get a glimpse of his former love. His still love…
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Thea stretched out her legs as she sat down at a table laden with already opened presents. "This…has been exhausting," she breathed, looking across the table at Drew and Taryn. "How much longer do we have to stay here before it's acceptable to leave?"
"Wait until two and then you can leave," Taryn advised with a small smile. "That will be a couple of hours after they break out the beer…which you aren't allowed to drink."
"And I don't want to drink it," Thea said, playing with bag containing the things that John and Ron had bought her – two hand-painted shirts and a pair of jeans with her name painted and bedazzled on the right leg. "I'm not going to have another drink of alcohol, not after what happened last time."
"Not even at your wedding?"
"Okay. One drink, but that's it."
Taryn shrugged. "If you say so." Her eyes lit up as a new song played. "Oh Drew, I love this song. Let's go dance!"
Drew got to his feet and looked down at Thea. "Are you coming?" he asked, offering her a hand up.
Thea shook her head. "I think I'm going to sit this one out. I've got to get these presents sorted and put away before I can even think about dancing."
Drew nodded and walked away with his wife. Thea watched them go, wishing that she could have been in their place. That she and Glenn could have been just like the new, happy Galloway couple, dancing on the dance floor like they were in their own little world. She sighed and sent a thank you up to God for helping bring Drew some happiness.
She stood up and started sorting through her presents, putting the big things back in their bags and sticking multiple things in what bags survived Ron's 'assisted opening'. Underneath all of the wrapping paper, she found a jewelry box and a card that she hadn't noticed before.
"How could I miss this?" she asked herself out loud, running her fingers over the velvet box.
She set the box down and opened the card.
Thea, you are the sole reason I get up in the morning and the only reason I have to live anymore. You are my only salvation on this earth and I ruined you months ago. I tainted something so special and now how can I take away the poison? How can I make things better for the two of us? How can I regain my salvation? Please, help me. Help me find the light again… ~Glenn
Thea lifted the box once more and gasped as she opened it. In the box was a beautiful ruby ring with the ruby sparkling in the shape of a heart. A little note was attached to the top of the box: This is a sign of my promise to make things right. ~Glenn.
Thea pulled the ring out and slid it on her finger with a smile on her lips. She felt so happy that she could feel tears stinging her eyes. Quickly, she closed her eyes against them and hugged her hand to her chest, silently telling herself not to cry. She couldn't let anyone see her tears; it wasn't like they'd understand.
Find him…
The thought crossed her mind and Thea opened her eyes, setting the box and card into another bag. Thea looked around the room and saw him sitting by himself in a corner, scowling at a drink. She felt her heart start racing as she approached him, taking long strides to get to him faster. His eyes lifted from the drink when she came to a stop next to him and locked on hers.
"Do you want to dance?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. "Or have you forgotten how to?"
Glenn stared at her hand when she extended it out to him and frowned. Thea smiled at him encouragingly. With only a moment's hesitation, he reached out and took her hand in his. Thea had forgotten how small her hand was compared to his and how it felt right to have her hand in his. Glenn shuffled awkwardly to his feet and Thea could barely stifle her giggle at his sudden awkwardness.
"I didn't think you'd want to dance with me," Glenn muttered, his eyes searching hers. "Not ever again. Not since you have Randy."
"Glenn, this is not about Randy," Thea said calmly. "This is about you giving me something that will make tonight perfect. All I'm asking for is one dance. One dance just like old times. After tonight, we'll work on everything, but for tonight, let's just settle with a dance."
Glenn nodded and escorted her onto the dance floor. Thea could only remember one time where he had danced with her in public and that was at Maria and Matt's engagement party. She didn't know if he would be comfortable doing it again, but before she knew it, they were dancing among their fellow wrestlers.
She felt perfectly safe in his arms and felt like she had found the other half of her again. Her heart ached, demanding that she accept him back into her life completely right then and there. Her arms had missed being around him and she was proud of the fact that he didn't tower over her by much anymore. In fact, in the heels that she wore right now, she was practically eyelevel with him. And she missed looking into those eyes, letting them drag her in so she could feel a connection to him unlike any she ever known.
Thea smiled at him and laid her cheek against his shoulder. "I miss this…"
Glenn nodded in agreement, but said nothing like he was afraid of ruining the moment.
Does he think this is all just a dream? Thea thought, running her fingers down his shoulders and down his arms, tracing his muscles through his shirt. That's what it feels like to me…could this all be a dream…if it is, I don't want to wake up. Being here with Glenn…
"…it's like our magic all over again," Thea whispered, looking at him. "Glenn…I miss our magic…being together like this within a world of our own, it's our magic all over again. Our own fairytale…"
"Fairytales lie about the happily ever after," Glenn said, looking away from her. "No one gets a happily ever after…look at us."
"We could fix that," Thea shot back. "If you would just talk to me…I can help us get back to where we were before…the incident…Glenn, I'm ready to forgive and forget."
"I'm not. I won't forget what I did to you. I can't forget that pain, that fear in your eyes when I threw you. I threw you, Thea," Glenn hissed, his eyes narrowed with the memory of his anguish. "I put fear in you and I can never forget that. I can never forgive myself and I can never move on knowing that the memory remains."
Glenn stepped back away from her as Randy approached. "Do you mind if I cut in?" Randy asked with a challenging smirk.
Thea looked at Glenn, wishing that he would just tell Randy no and take her away from there. But she knew it would be expecting a little too much from Glenn right now.
"No…" Glenn turned his back on Thea. "Happy birthday Thea. Goodnight."
Thea watched Glenn walk back over to his corner of the ballroom and sit back down at his seat, his back to her. Oh Glenn…
A/N: Oh darn, they didn't get back together, but they danced and Glenn actually talked to Thea. It may not have been a long conversation and Thea may have done most of the talking, but it was a start right? And he did give her that promise ring, so that should count for something.
I plan to update again when I get the chance, but I'm busy celebrating my birthday for two weekends and getting my schedule changed at school, because I'm insane. Seriously.
So please review! And I'll get to updating and get you closer to the chapter where Thea and Glenn get back together. ~ Scarlet