Chapter 43:
"That's it, Haley Baby, eyes up. Use your shoulders to break your fall. Good." Dwayne called out in encouragement from where he leaned against one of the corner turnbuckles of the practice ring. "Feet shoulder width apart, Kelly, chin up, eyes up, stay balanced."
Kelly huffed out a deep breath in order to blow her sweaty bangs out of her forehead, before moving into lock up with Haley again. "No wonder you were so good when you first got here, he doesn't let up."
Haley grunted through her smile, backing Kelly against the ropes. "You think he's tough? Try training with Triple H."
"Irish whip her into the opposite ropes, Haley Baby," Dwayne instructed. "Kelly I want you to come back at her off the ropes with a strong clothesline, elbow straight, use your forearm to take her out."
"Got it." Kelly exhaled heavily as Haley whipped her into the ropes across the ring. She turned in her final step, twisting so that she hit the ropes back first in order to propel her into a run back at Haley.
"Shoulders first, Haley. Shoulders!" The People's Champion reminded her as Haley braced herself for Kelly's hit.
Haley let her shoulder blades take the brunt of her fall, using the momentum from Kelly's hit to flip back up to her feet Shawn Michael's style.
"Nice." Dwayne called approvingly at Haley's quick maneuvering when she caught Kelly's next clothesline and twisted her into arm wringer. She applied more leverage by twisting Kelly's arm behind her back.
Kelly squirmed and writhed against Haley's hold, trying to get loose and struggling with it. "Damn it." She jerked almost helplessly against her.
"Use your free arm," Haley instructed. "Get it up around my neck, flip me in a one arm snapmare takeover."
Kelly stopped struggling and took Haley's advice to heart, reaching up and performing the exact move as Haley had advised.
"Good Kelly!" The Rock grinned in approval as Haley bounced across the canvas.
"Haley's idea." Kelly admitted with a breathless smile. "I'm going to have to remember that one."
Haley rubbed her lower back gingerly for a moment before getting back to her feet. "Mind if we take a water break? We've been at this for about forty-five minutes now."
"Sure." Dwayne nodded. "Well Kelly, regardless of who's idea it was, that was a pretty flawless execution. And Haley, you're a good sparring partner, helping as more than just a practice dummy."
"She wants to learn." Haley told him with a smile, rolling out of the ring to retrieve her water bottle out of her gym bag. "I think you should give her some one on one time, like you used to give me. I'm still learning myself."
"I would love that." Kelly gasped in delight. "I mean, I've been working with Evan and Rey on all these high flying moves because I really like that sort of thing, but my ground work is sloppy still. And you're one of the best so-"
"Easy babble girl." Haley chuckled, taking a swig of water. "I'm sure he'd have no problem helping you."
"I can do some work with you." Dwayne agreed. "Unfortunately, I can't help you as much as I did Haley back in the day as my free time is a little more limited. But I can give what I can when we're on the road."
"I will take what I can get!" Kelly said eagerly.
"Good." The Movie star and professional wrestler hopped out of the ring to join Haley by her gym bag. "I'm going to talk to Haley for a minute, Kelly, make sure you rehydrate."
Haley frowned at him curiously when he approached. "You okay? You're not nervous about being a dad again, are you? Because you're fantastic with Simone and-"
"That's the one thing in life I am very happy with, Haley Baby." Dwayne held his hand up to halt her questioning. "Well that, and my eventual proposal to Candice."
"Which she will definitely say yes to." She assured him with a bright smile. "When are you planning on doing that, by the way?"
"Soon. I'm trying to plan out something romantic. Like Dave did for you. I want it to be just as special for her." He reached out to squeeze her shoulder affectionately. "I want the same happiness on your face that night, to be on hers."
"She loves you Dwayne. She doesn't need all the trappings, she just wants you." Haley stepped closer and hugged him. "Let me know if you need help though. I want the best for both of you, well soon to be all three of you."
"I want the same for you." He rubbed her back soothingly. "Always have, ever since that first day I tossed a football to your skinny little nine year old self."
She laughed against his chest before pulling back to look at him. "Who knew something as simple as tossing a football to a lonely kid would result in this kind of friendship."
"I didn't. But I sure as hell am grateful that it did. As far as I'm concerned, you're my baby sister, Haley. No blood ties could change that." He smiled down at her. "And since I want the best for you. I want you to tell me what I can do remove that last bit of fear from your eyes."
"I don't think that's going to go away until after Extreme Rules." She admitted with a reluctant sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I believe in Dave. He's one of the best in this business. But so is Randy. And Randy has no ethics, no morals. That's not incentive for a fair fight. I feel like despite the fact that they will be locked in a steel age, Legacy will get involved, Randy will punt him in the head again and this brittle strength that I have won't be able to take it. Not with Hunter out too."
"First of all, I'm going to lay the smackdown on those Legacy candyasses to they won't be able to interfere. And secondly, I think after getting punted once before, Dave is smart enough to be better prepared for Orton this time around." Dwayne sounded confident. "And yeah, Hunter getting taken out put a wrench in our plans to take down Legacy. But that was one battle lost, Haley Baby. Not the war. Don't stop believing in us now, okay?"
"I'm trying not to."
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"No." Dave Batista grunted in frustration. "Tell whoever it to go away. We're not here."
The high pitched amused giggle that came from the small body trapped beneath his where he lay horizontally on the bed in his hotel room assured him that wasn't likely to happen. "Now Dave, that would just be rude."
Haley gently shoved his hand down from where it had been caressing it's way upward beneath her camisole and rolled out from beneath her fiance. She adjusted the spaghetti thin straps of her top back into place and grabbed her flannel button up shirt from the floor before heading to answer the door.
She shrugged the garment back on, ignoring Dave's moan of protest when he flopped onto his back behind her and opened the door.
"We have got a major problem." Melina Perez strode into their hotel room without wait for an invitation. "I am so mad I could spit acid!"
"Come on in, Mel." Haley swallowed back a laugh at the look of disbelief on Dave's face as she closed the door behind the A-list Diva. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Oh how about the simple matter that you and I are pretty much the first Divas guaranteed to be eliminated this coming Monday." Melina scowled in fury. "Beth and Mickie have formed an alliance, which puts Rosa Mendes, Layla, Katie Lea Burchill and Jillian Hall with them. I'm good Haley, but I can't take on six Divas by myself when they're trying to throw me over the top rope."
"Do you really think Kelly and I are going to let all six of them beat up on you?" Haley shook her head in response.
"And if Beth and Mickie double team me together while you and Kelly deal with the others? That still leaves me up shit creek without a paddle!" Melina was clearly at her wit's end.
"I'm sorry," Dave spoke up for the first time since Melina entered the room. "Why should Haley prevent you from being eliminated? I mean, you are her main competition, barring Beth Phoenix of course."
"Because!" Melina rolled her eyes at Dave. "I thought Haley was the Diva who was full of integrity. I thought she would want to win the Championship in a fair Battle Royale."
"Letting Beth and Mickie take you out seems fair to me." Dave shrugged, looking at Haley. "You can probably ambush them from behind when they're done with her."
"Can it, Dave!" Melina glared furiously at him.
"No fighting you two." Haley folded her arms in front of your chest. "You have nothing to worry about Melina. I won't let Mickie and Beth double team you."
"You won't?" Dave and Melina said in incredulous unison.
"No. I already have my opening strategy." Haley admitted. "And letting Beth and Mickie team up is not part of it."
"Oh really?" The Paparazzi Princess raised her brows. "And how to do you expect to prevent that from happening."
"Because," Haley smirked. "Beth Phoenix is my first target and if I have my way, she'll be the first eliminated. And let's face it, if anyone's going to be able to take Beth out first, it's me. I've got her number."
"So do I!" Melina protested.
"You came here all bent out of shape because Beth was coming after you." Dave pointed out. "Haley hasn't said a word about the Battle Royale since the announcement. That usually means she's pretty confident in her strategy."
"I also won the Women's title from Beth cleanly a year ago, and she hasn't been able to beat me since then." Haley added. "I take her out in the very beginning and the rest of the match is free game."
"Not if I beat you to it!" Melina narrowed her eyes, before storming out the same door she came in.
Haley's eyes followed her departure before she turned back to her fiance. "And the backstabbing and personal agendas begin."
"As far as I'm concerned, that belt is as good as yours." Dave chuckled. "Melina will come around. You were there for her when her old friends first abandoned her."
"I know. But we were rivals once, so it's not hard to fall back into the old rhythm. Especially when titles are involved. I mean, look at you and John. And even you and Hunter on who gets to beat on Randy. Personal agendas cloud everything." Haley rubbed a hand over her face. "At least Kelly is loyal."
"She worships you, and Candice. And with Candice leaving, she's really going to look up to you now more than ever." Dave reminded her.
"I know. And I'm going to do what I can to live up to the pedestal she's put me on." Haley chuckled. "In fact, I-" She was prevented from continuing when the door that hadn't latched closed behind Melina swung open again.
"Play time's over, Kiddies." The newcomer smirked arrogantly. "Cause guess who just got cleared to compete again!"
Dave let out a sound associated with pain. "Just kill me now."
Haley, however, squealed in excitement. "Are you serious?"
"Shit yeah." Ken Kennedy nodded. "Also Big Dave, totally going to horn in on whatever segments you got with Orton on Monday. We've got to let it be known that I'm coming for the WWE Championship. So don't Batista Bomb me, okay? I'd hate to have to Mike Check You and embarrass you in front of your fiance here."
"Haley, why are we friends with him again?" Dave asked.
"Because I'm not lame like the rest of the idiots you surround yourself with." Ken snorted, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders in a friendly manner. "And your fiance is the only one on the roster with at least half a brain."
"Half?" Haley lifted one brow up at him.
"Well, you did agree to marry the big ape over there." Kennedy reminded her. "So, I'm starving. Where are we going to eat?"
"Is it too much to ask for just a little alone time with my girl?" Dave muttered to himself.
"Yes." Ken answered him before turning back to Haley. "I'm in the mood for sushi. You want sushi?"
"Not really." Haley laughed. "How about pizza? I could totally go for a good pizza right now."
"I'm trying to get back in shape here, Hales." Ken rolled his eyes. "Compromise."
"Thai food?" Haley suggested.
"Definitely." Ken nodded in agreement. "Let's go Big Dave, Thai food it is. Oh, and bring your wallet, you're buying."
"Asshole." Dave sighed, but got off the bed.
"And don't you forget it." Ken smirked at him. "Come on, chop chop."
"Haley, I might hurt your friend here." Dave warned her.
"No you won't." Haley laughed. "Now come on, I'm thinking about food and if you both don't get moving I'm going without you."
"Haley!"
"Don't speak lies, Woman!" Ken marched out into the hall. "Hanging out with me is the only cool factor about your life so you wouldn't ditch me!"
"Why do you like this guy?" Dave asked Haley as they followed him out.
"Because," Haley chuckled. "None of us are perfect. And he has his good moments, more often than not."
