Daughter of the Deadman III
Hey, all. This chapter too FOREVER! I am so sorry. Life is a thing. I have to send a HUGE thank you to my friend Dean's Country Angel for giving me the idea for this chapter. Believe it or not, I like the idea. Just because it's different and plot twisty. I have to send a huge thanks to Dean's Country Angel for her help with it since it was her idea in the first place.
Thanks to: Wolfgirl2013, tomwilliams1990, and Dean's Country Angel for the reviews. You guys are awesome. See ya at the bottom.
Chapter 42: Hunter's Secret
It was six days before Night of Champions and Angel and Kristy were both nervous. They had been doing their best to keep the fans interested in their match that was coming up, but it was difficult. Angel was sure that even though the whole "friendly competition" idea had gotten them this far, it wasn't going to work anymore. Therefore, she had given Kristy express permission to make her mad if she had to, although Kristy was hoping it wouldn't come to that since she knew how Angel was in the ring—and outside of it for that matter-when she was mad and she didn't want to go there. She watched as Angel stood in the ring with a microphone in hand.
"I never thought in a million years when I walked into a WWE ring five years ago that this is where I'd be. The Women's Champion, with a custom-made belt, the word Diva out the window, all the hard work the women have been doing for years starting to finally pay off, and me facing my best friend at a pay-per-view. I have to say two things: one, these five years have gone crazily fast for me and two: during the course of this…well, strange event of having to face my best friend, I've felt like I've lost a bit of myself.
"I haven't come out here and spoken as the Dead Girl or even Angel the character because I knew how hard it was going to be. Consequently, I feel like I've lost part of myself and I feel like I'm giving Kristy special treatment because she's my best friend. That's not the way I want it and I'm pretty sure that it's not the way she wants it either. She wants me at my best and hasn't been getting it so I—"
Just then, Kristy's music hit. She walked out to the ring, holding a microphone. Angel was sure that she was either confused or angry by what Angel had said. Angel couldn't quite tell.
"Hold up a second, Ang. Just hang on. You and I have been friends way longer than we have been in this business. We've been through thick and thin together. We've stood together always. It's always been you and me. Now, I'll admit that you have made more history in this company than I have. You've had matches that are worthy of the Hall of Fame while I haven't. You've had to fight for your right to stand in this ring just like I have. Neither of us have used our family name to get anywhere in this business, but that is…hang on…I'm wrong. We're different.
"Ang, this is hard for me to say and I'm not going to bring family into this because I have never crossed that line and neither have you. That being said, I want my time. I want to have matches worthy of the Hall of Fame I want to stand toe to toe with a steroid monster in this ring. I want to beat Triple H up badly for what he did to Uncle Bret to the point where it makes my blood boil. So, come Night of Champions, Ang, know that nothing will ever change between the two of us. You're still going to be my sister and my best friend. But I want my chance to prove that I've earned that title. I want to prove that I can stand in this ring and face anyone. I also want to prove that I can avenge my Uncle Bret honor against Triple H. So, Ang. I just came out here to say that when I beat you at Night of Champions, I will prove that I have earned the right to stand in this ring" Kristy said.
"You're crazy. Triple H, I get. But going toe-to-toe with Lesnar? The hell would you want to risk your health for? Because I did it? If that's the case, then facing me in a title match has caused you to lose your damn mind" Angel snapped.
"I'm not talking about Lesnar, Ang. That was your fight" Kristy said.
"That was a forced fight in case you forgot. Also, you facing a steroid induced monster is what I did. Regardless of reasons. If you do that then it will just add to the comparisons between the two of us. If that's what you want, then whatever. As for earning your right to be in this ring, you've done that already. You come here night in and night out and work your ass off. Isn't that enough? Or is this because you've got some crazy idea in your head that you're stuck in my shadow and this is the way out of it?" Angel asked.
"I'm not stuck in your shadow and I wasn't talking about facing Lesnar. You know that there is a shadow hanging over my family. It's been there for years. You know the story. This match at Night of Champions is about proving that I am not one to be messed with. I want to prove it to the old man and his so-called son-in-law" Kristy replied.
"So that's what this is about? You want to face me for this title because of something that happened when we were three years old? Bret's already made his peace with the old man and HBK. And he's gone on record multiple times stating that he does not and will never like or be friends with the nose. Everyone knows this. No offence, Kristy, but you need to let this go" Angel said.
Kristy glared at Angel for a second before doing something that surprised everyone. She actually reached up and slapped Angel across the face. To everyone's surprise, Angel didn't even react. She just smiled. Kristy had proved Angel's point in a way.
"Look, Kristy. None of what you just said is making sense at the moment. And the fact that you actually had the guts to reach up and slap me just now tells me that there is something that you want to say to me, but either a) you're worried about upsetting me or b) you can't find the words. So…if you're worried about upsetting me, don't be. This is not personal. We've made that clear. Just do me a say what you need to say. Spit it out. I'm a big girl with thicker skin than I had when we met" Angel said.
"Meaning?" Kristy said.
"Meaning you can be brutally honest with me like you've always been and I can handle it. Trust me. Just…say what you need to say. It's not like we have all night here" Angel said.
"Fine. We've always been honest with each other. Well, here goes. I'm sick of all this! I'm sick of this company! I'm sick of the people who we work for! Hell, Ang, I'm even sick of standing in the ring in front of all these people! So you want me to be honest? Then here is the truth. I'm sick of always being the goody goody! I'm sick of having to stand in the back and back up people that I can't stand! I'm sick of not getting the respect that I earned from my own name! I'm sick of the whispers I hear whenever I pass someone in the locker room! I'm sick of being reminded of who I've been with or what happened to me! I'm sick of being the joke around the Women's Locker room! I'm sick of people thinking that I've been standing here for five years is because I'm a Hart! And do you know what else I'm sick of? Not having that title around my waist and having to watch every other eye candy, air headed bimbo have it handed to them on a silver platter! As Uncle Owen once said Enough is Enough and it's time for a change. So come this Sunday, I'm changing it for the better. Or for the worst. I'm not sure yet. But all I know is after that match is through and we leave everything in the ring, that title will be around my waist and my hand will be raised" Kristy snapped.
"Finally. I got the truth out of you. It's about time. You want to know what I pulled out of all that, besides the fact that you're tired of the way the company is treating you? It's the fact that you indirectly called me a—what was it—"air headed bimbo" who had the title handed to her "on a silver plate". One, you know better than anyone that I am no airheaded bimbo. Two, I did not get this belt handed to me on any "silver plate". I earned it. I fought for it. I worked my ass off and so did every other woman who has ever laced up a pair of boots and stepped in this ring.
"As for you being sick of the way you're being treated around here, I'm glad you're doing something about it, but if you think for one second I am going to let you do it at my expense, then you really have lost your mind, my friend" Angel snapped.
"Then bring it, my friend. And by the way, I wasn't calling you an air headed bimbo. And it was eye candy air headed bimbo" Kristy said.
"Same difference. And I will bring it. And when I do, I will be the one with my hand raised and you—as much as this is painful for me to say—will Rest. In. Peace" Angel snapped.
With that, Angel left the ring. She headed back to the back and walked right past Dean and Roman without saying a single word. Both of them looked at each other. They waited for Kristy to come back. When she did, she looked relieved and upset all at the same time.
"Well, if you wanted to piss her off. I say you did it" Roman told her.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't easy. And most of it was true. Just not all of it" Kristy said.
"Oh?" Dean said.
"I'm sick of a lot of things around here. And when I was talking about air headed eye candy bimbos, I meant the girls like Eva Marie and Summer Rae" Kristy said.
"I'm pretty sure she knows that in the back of her mind" Roman said.
"Yeah, well, I made her mad and now I'm screwed. She's going to beat me and nothing will change" Kristy said.
"Hey. How do you think Angel has done all the stuff she's pulled off in the last few years?" Dean asked.
"Because she's Uncle Taker's daughter and the higher ups in the company are scared he'll kill them if she doesn't get all the chances she's been given?" Kristy asked.
"No, Kristine. And I don't ever want to hear you say that about your best friend again" Taker's voice snapped.
They all jumped and turned around. Sure enough, Taker had made his way to Gorilla Position. He's probably making sure Ang and I are alright. As usual. Kristy thought, a smile creeping across her face.
"Geez, Deadman, you made my heart stop" Dean said.
"Uncle Taker, you know what I mean. Ang worked her butt off to get here, yes. But Vince is so scared of you that he wouldn't cross you. Me, I'm a Hart. And yeah, he made up with Uncle Bret and all is forgiven, but he still thinks I'm a joke" Kristy said.
"Kristine Lesley Hart-Smith, while it's true that Vince is scared of me, that's not why Angel is where she is right at this moment. Angel is here because she worked her butt off to get here and took chances. I did one thing for her. Legally, you're not supposed to be allowed to wrestle until you're eighteen. Don't ask me why. That's just how it works. That is, unless a parent or guardian gives permission. Which I did. The rest was Angel. Do you know why Angel takes all the chances she's given?" Taker asked.
"No" Kristy whispered.
"Because she loves the business. And she's like me. If she thinks it'll help the business, she'll do it no questions asked. After the life she's had—being abused and all that—she came in here and was able to wrestle. It's the one thing she feels she's been able to do right. Not to mention, it's helped her confidence. Even you have to realize that" Taker said.
"Yeah, but…" Kristy said.
"I think what he's getting at is that you need to believe in yourself, Kristy. Take the chances and run with them. That's all she's been doing for the last five years. So she gets more than most people. It doesn't matter. The bottom line is she believes in herself and takes the ball and runs with it, so to speak. You need to do the same thing" Dean said.
"But…I can't do that…" Kristy said.
"And why not? Give me one good reason" Angel's voice said.
Everyone jumped all over again. They hadn't even heard Angel come up behind them. Not only that, but she wasn't alone. Lea and Wyatt were there too.
"Because I'm not allowed to! No one knows this. Not even Uncle Taker. When Daddy agreed to let me wrestle, there was a deal struck between Daddy, Uncle Bret, and Vince. It was a closed-door deal. Not even Uncle Owen knew about it. I don't know all the details. I just know that if I so much as reach high or try to do something to try to get to that height, I'm done. Vince didn't even want to hire me. He only did it because Uncle Bret promised that I would toe the line" Kristy said.
"I don't get it. Ro?" Dean asked.
"There was a back door deal done because Kristy was a Hart. Basically, she's stuck playing second fiddle to Angel forever and toe the line. I think it was Vince's way of making sure Kristy didn't try to get revenge on behalf of Bret when she came in." Roman said, looking disgusted.
"Look, Kristy. I don't care about any damn deal. You're gonna give me the fight of my life on Sunday, even if I have to drag it out of you. If you're that determined to change the way you're treated, then do it. And if the old man asks, blame it on me" Angel said.
"Why you?" Kristy said.
"He's scared of Daddy remember? He won't do anything to me. Unless he wants to incite Daddy's wrath, which based on past experience, I don't think he does" Angel said.
"Wait…wait…Bret made a back door deal and tells no one and now because of a stupid contract, Kristy can't be who she wants to be because Vince is scared she'll go after him? Vince and Bret settled that at Mania Twenty-Six. Not only that, but Bret and Shawn are all…wait a minute here. Deadman, didn't you say once that you thought something was fishy about the way Hunter just let Barrett get away with what he did to Kristy and that Stephanie even turn on him?" Dean said.
"Dean, don't. That has nothing to do with that" Kristy said.
"Oh, yes it does. In fact, it's got a lot to do with what you said tonight" Dean said.
"I have questions" Lea said.
"Me too. What's happening?" Wyatt asked.
"It's a grown-up thing" Dean said.
"Does this have anything to do with the phone call Mom got the other night?" Wyatt asked.
"Wyatt, we said we wouldn't say anything, Little Man" Dean said.
"I know, but Papa Taker and Aunt Angel have a right to know, Dean. Not just you, Mom and I" Wyatt said.
"Wyatt, that phone call was wrong, I'll admit that. But we can't talk about it the way you might want to" Dean said.
"Someone better start talking. Who was this phone call from and what did the person say?" Taker asked.
"Dean, we might as well tell them. They're just gonna figure it out anyway" Kristy said.
"Hunter called Kristy the other night. He told her about the deal and started going on about how if she so much as won that title from Angel, she would know what it felt like the night Bret got screwed" Dean said.
"Tell them all of it" Kristy said.
"Yeah, well, I'm not happy about this next part. Hunter also said that if she didn't get Angel mad enough to end their friendship on screen then she'd better do the job and take a dive. Otherwise, she was finished, Bret loses his Hall of Fame spot, and the rest of them can kiss the Hall of Fame goodbye. Basically, Kristy has to choose between the Harts and the title" Dean said.
"They're making Mom choose her job or the family legacy" Wyatt said.
"It's all on me now. If I win, the whole family from Grandpa Stu down is in trouble. If I lose, they're safe" Kristy said.
"You are not taking a dive. I'll be back" Angel said.
"Where are you going, young lady?" Taker asked.
"To talk to Vince and get rid of that stupid back door deal. Think about it, if Kristy was gonna take her revenge, she would have done it by now. Not only that…I think Bret stepped over a line by making the deal in the first place. Montreal was what it was and it's pretty much resolved now, so he had no right…" Angel said.
"You really think he's gonna listen to you, Angel?" Lea asked.
"I'm not hurting anything by trying" Angel said.
"Ang no look the deal is done there is no breaking it. I won't let the family legacy die."
"Kristy, don't waste your breath. Angel is determined. Just let her try" Dean said.
"I…alright fine. Just be careful" Kristy said.
"Yeah, be careful, Aunt Angel" Wyatt said.
"I will. Don't worry. Did either one of you record Triple H's phone call by the way? That is his son-in-law after all. He's more likely to believe me if I have proof" Angel said.
"It's on the cloud account that Dean and I share. And Dean has a copy as well" Kristy said.
"Dean…" Angel said.
Dean nodded and pulled out his cellphone. He set it up so that all Angel would have to do was hit the play button. He even pointed out the button so Angel would know where to press on the screen. Angel took the phone and thanked him. Then she left and headed for Vince's office. She felt nervous as heck. This was her first time confronting the boss about something and she wasn't sure how it was going to go. She hesitated for a second before knocking on the door. He called come in and Angel walked in, remembering to close the door behind her. Vince was sitting at his desk looking over some papers. He looked up, but before he could say a word, Angel spoke.
"We need to have a talk, old man. I know about the back door deal you struck up with Bret and Davey in regards to Kristy. Now, either you're gonna tell me what the hell the big idea is or I'm gonna bring my Daddy in here and you're gonna explain it to him. And I assure you he's gonna be a lot less willing to be calm and listen" Angel said.
"So, you guys found out about that huh? I wondered when he'd making that call" Vince said.
"You knew he was going to call and threaten her? OK, Vince. I want the whole story from the beginning. Now" Angel snapped at him.
"Where to begin. Bret and Davey came to me about a month before the two of you signed with us. They told me about what a talent Kristy was and that she'd be a great addition. Not to mention the fact that she wanted this her whole life. So, Davey and Bret wanted to meet up to do the final paperwork. We met at HQ and were just going over the last bit of information. Hunter walks in says his got a new deal for Bret and Davey. The was this if Kristy kept to the shadows and didn't try and step out or come for any of us. He'd let her sign. I asked him what he meant and he said that it was a deal he'd been holding on to since Kristy was born.
"Hunter knew she'd end up here and he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't destroy "his way". Which meant basically he didn't want another Hart to come in and upstage him or his picks. Which Kristy has managed to do despite his effort. It wasn't until the papers were done and ready that Hunter added the clause about the whole the Harts legacy thing." Vince said.
"You're kidding? I guess my next question would be why in the hell you would agree to something like that? What is wrong with you?" Angel asked.
"I didn't agree to it. The deal was between Bret, Davey and Hunter I had nothing to do with it" Vince said.
"Son of a…so you're telling me that Davey and Bret both put the Hart Family Legacy ahead of Kristy?" Angel said.
"That's what I'm telling you" Vince said.
"OK." Angel said, taking a deep breath, "This is the thing. You're the damn boss. You are going to get Kristy out of this mess. And if you don't, we're gonna have an issue"
"I'll do the best I can Angel but even I don't know how iron clad this contract is." Vince said.
"Thank you." Angel said.
She turned around and walked out of the office. She headed for the locker room knowing that everyone had probably left Gorilla Position by now. When she walked in, everyone looked at her expectantly. They had apparently been waiting there all that time.
"I'm not sure how to say this or where to start" Angel said, taking a deep breath.
"Bad news?" Dean asked.
"Well, Vince didn't agree to it, first of all. He had no say whatsoever in this mess. Basically, Hunter didn't want another Hart coming in and destroying "his way" and upstaging him and his picks. Which is something Kristy has managed to do despite all his effort to stop it. He's had this ready since Kristy was born because he knew she'd get here eventually. Vince knew about the phone call the other night so I didn't even have to play it for him. Hunter didn't tell them about the whole Hart Legacy thing until after they had both signed it. Vince is going to try and get you out of this, Kristy, but he's not sure how iron clad this is" Angel said.
"Are you saying that Bret and Davey put the family Legacy ahead of Kristy?" Dean asked.
"Unknowingly, but it looks that way from where I'm standing" Angel said.
"Uncle Owen is going to be pissed" Wyatt and Kristy whispered.
"I heard that. Let's not tell him yet. I feel like we don't have all the information. I'm sure Hunter had another motive for this, but I haven't…wait. No one was punished for Montreal. Shawn couldn't be because he was Champion. Earl Hebner worked for the company for years up to then, so that was out the window. Technically, all the heat should have fell on Hunter for it because it was his idea. He should have been punished in some way and he wasn't. What if part of the reason he did this was so that he could avoid punishment some more? I mean, we all know how strong Kristy's feelings are when it comes to Montreal" Angel said.
"Daddy always said Montreal was the family's downfall. I remember Grandpa Stu telling me it was my job to do what Uncle Owen couldn't and to finish what Uncle Bret never got the chance to. When Uncle Bret and Shawn made up, I figured everything was fine. Until they did the tell all DVD and Shawn mentioned that Hunter had been in on it. Wait a second…"
She reached into her bag and pulled out a note. She handed it to Taker, looking worried. He quickly read it over. Then he looked up at everyone. He seemed shocked about something he had just read.
"Are you gonna tell us, Daddy or do we have to guess?" Lea asked.
"I know that look. That note was written by Uncle Pillman before he died" Kristy said.
"But he died in October ninety-seven. Montreal happened the next month. Therefore, this note couldn't be about Montreal. By the time it happened…" Angel said, trailing off.
"I know, but Uncle Pillman was always good at finding out things that he probably shouldn't know. He tried to warn Bret. According to the note, he overheard Hunter talking to Shawn about wanting to screw Bret over and that it was Shawn's time" Kristy said.
"Daddy, what does the note actually say?" Angel asked.
"It says 'Bret, watch out for Hunter. He's going to come after you and the title, but I think he's going to use Shawn. Be careful because I don't trust him. Something isn't right with him'. That's all it says" Taker said.
"This whole thing is crazy. It's not that I don't believe you guys, but there is literally no way to prove any of this stuff even if it does make sense" Dean said.
"Don't underestimate what this family knows, Dean. There are things that I don't know yet or am not supposed to know about that I tend to figure out" Kristy said.
"And it seems to have rubbed off on these three" Taker said, looking at Angel, Lea and Wyatt as he spoke.
"Hey!" all three said at once.
"Alright. Still, how do we prove all this? I mean, it makes perfect sense. Everything leads back to Montreal. But it's not like he's going to admit it to us. So where does that leave us at?" Dean asked.
"He makes a fair point, you know" Taker said.
"He won't have to admit it to us" Kristy said with a smile.
"Uh-oh. Mom has that smile again" Wyatt said.
"Alright, you two. What's your plan?" Dean asked.
"Simple. Mom? I know you're around and you've heard everything we've said" Angel said.
As if she had been waiting for her cue, Beth walked into the room through the closed door. She was grinning in spite of everything. Dean and Roman looked at each other. They still couldn't figure out how they could see Beth, but it was something they would have to worry about later.
"Why are you grinning, Mom?" Lea asked.
"Leave it to Angel and Kristy to figure stuff out that they aren't always supposed to know. So do you need me to talk to him or listen in on him?" Beth asked.
"Listening in on him is not going to work this time around. It's not like he's going to tell anyone about it" Kristy said.
"I don't think talking to him about this directly is going to work either. He won't admit it. All it will do is scare him half to death" Angel said.
"Don't tempt me" Beth said.
"Aunt Beth can do something much better. She can break into Hunter's office and steal my contract" Kristy said.
"That's actually a good idea. Beth doesn't have to mess with locks and there's no chance she'll leave evidence. The only thing I wonder is how is she going to get it back here without anyone noticing. I mean, everyone is going to notice papers floating down the hall of their own accord" Roman said.
"That's a fair point. Someone needs to wait around the corner from Hunter's office" Angel said.
"Why around the corner?" Lea said.
"If the person stands around outside Hunter's office it'll be super obvious that they're up to something, silly" Wyatt said.
"I'll do it. I can always stash the contract in my bag with my art supplies in it. No one would be the wiser because they see me with it at every arena" Angel said.
"Sure. Why don't you sit and draw while you're at it?" Dean said.
"I know you meant that at as a joke or sarcastic comment, Dean, but it'd make a good cover in case anyone spots me" Angel said.
"Dean, we've done this a million times. We know what we're doing" Kristy said.
"Believe me. I can't get away with anything. Nana Beth always tells Mom every time I do something wrong" Wyatt said.
Everyone started laughing. It went on for a few minutes and once everyone had calmed down, they put their plan into action. Before they did anything, though, Angel changed out of her gear and into street clothes. Then she went and picked up her art bag. She left the locker room and headed for Hunter's office. Just around the corner from it, there was a small alcove. Angel sat down and set up her art stuff.
She pulled out a sketchbook and started to draw. She seemed to wait there for a long time before Kristy's contract finally fell on top of her drawing. Angel closed the sketchbook and put it back into her bag along with her pencils and drawing board. Then she stood up and walked back to the locker room.
When she got there, everyone was changed and ready to go, deciding that this was probably better to look into back at the hotel rather than in the arena.
"Got it?" Kristy asked.
Angel nodded. She pulled out her sketchbook and opened it. The contract was laying right where Bethany had left it. Kristy picked it up, looking nervous.
"What's wrong, Kristy?" Taker asked.
"I don't know if I wanna look at this. Also, what happens if Hunter notices it's missing? You know that he's going to dish out consequences" Kristy said.
"Nothing is going to happen, Kristy. I will put it back when you're done reading it" Beth said.
"OK. Thanks, Aunt Beth" Kristy said.
"So what are we looking for?" Angel asked.
"The clauses in there that talk about Bret's deal" Kristy said.
Angel nodded. Kristy handed the contract to Taker, since he had the most experience with the contract side of things. Taker sat down and started leafing through the pages. It seemed to take a while, but he finally found it on the last page.
"Kristy...Bret isn't the only one who signed this. Your Dad did too" Taker said.
"Even Papa Davey is throwing Mom under the bus?" Wyatt asked.
"Hey. They didn't know. I don't think. What does it say? Is there a way out of this for me?" Kristy asked.
"I haven't found anything yet" Taker said.
"Great. It's iron clad and Kristy is screwed" Angel said, trying not to get upset.
"Just because I haven't found it, doesn't mean they're not in there" Taker said.
He read through the contract again. This time, he found something on the last page in the fine print. He looked up, but he wasn't smiling or anything.
"Oh boy..." Kristy said.
"There is a buyout clause in here. But...if you do it, you have to pay every penny you've made" Taker said.
"How would that work? And if I do that, how the hell am I gonna support myself..and Wyatt" Kristy said, tears forming in her eyes as she spoke.
"You mean Hunter would get all the money? And she gets nothing?" Dean asked.
"That's what it says. In order to get out of the contract, Kristy has to pay back every penny she's made up to this point. Then she can get a new contract" Taker said.
"Basically, I pay every penny that I earned as a Hart and get a contract under a new name" Kristy said.
"Actually, it doesn't say anything in here about having to change your ring name or give up the Hart name. You just have to pay out to Hunter and then negotiate a new contract with Vince" Taker said.
"You're sure?" Kristy said.
"I'm positive. I've read this thing about four times in the last few minutes. I'm not gonna tell you what to do, Little Kristy, but clearly you're miserable at the moment" Taker said.
"And as for supporting yourself and Wyatt...I've saved almost all my money over the last five years or so. The only time I've used it when we were staying at Nattie and Ty's. Or to buy art stuff. Other than that...well, Daddy doesn't make me pay for stuff for whatever reason" Angel said.
"Life on the road is stressful for you at the best of times, baby girl, without you having to remember to pay for hotels and whatnot" Taker said.
"OK. Back on topic here. Kristy, you have something to think about" Angel said.
"I...don't know what to do..." Kristy said, "If I take the buy out, then I can be who I want to be, but having to give all my money to that nose..."
"She can challenge him" Dean said.
"Not exactly. It also says in here that if she challenges and loses she will be fired on the spot. Looks like Hunter wanted to cover his sorry ass" Taker said.
"Wait...there isn't anything in that contract about any of us challenging him! If one of us were to do it with the stipulation that Kristy will be allowed out of this stupid contract. Right, Daddy?" Angel asked.
"There's nothing in there about that. Just that either Kristy has to pay out or keep going along with this. There's nothing that says she can't challenge him. It just says that if she does so and loses, she's fired on the spot" Taker said.
"I'll do it. I'll challenge him" Dean said.
"Dean..." Kristy said.
"I don't want to hear any protests, Kristine. I've decided. I'm going to face him. I have nothing to lose by doing it. I have nothing to lose" Dean said.
"You know he's right" Taker said.
"But...what if Dean loses?" Wyatt asked.
"Then nothing happens. He won't even know the real reason until the contract signing. He'll assume that I'm trying to get myself over" Dean said.
"Alright. I'm not gonna fight you on this one. Just be careful. He's underhanded" Kristy said.
"I know. I know. I guess we should tell Vince about this. That we found a way out" Angel said.
"You know, Vince and Steph could be in on this. I mean, Steph has been on his ass lately" Kristy said.
"And Vince didn't look pleased when he explained the situation to him. It wasn't so much that we knew, it was more that Hunter would do that to a talent" Angel said.
"Taker can make a phone call in the morning. It's getting late" Roman said.
"Kristy, are you going to be alright? You just found out that your Uncle and Daddy threw you under the bus to try and protect the family Legacy. You haven't said a lot about that part of all this" Taker said.
"What can I say? I mean, the family legacy was what we were raised to protect and pass down. Nattie, Harry, TJ and I. We all knew that one of us would be the scapegoat. I mean, I should have known it would be me. I'm the last and I was picked. Guess it was better me than anyone else" Kristy said.
"Kristy! They betrayed you! I'm all for carrying on a Legacy and everything, but this crossed a line! They both literally stopped you from getting anywhere in this company! If it was me, I'd feel totally betrayed and I would never speak to them again!" Angel said.
"I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I...still feel too upset and angry" Kristy said.
"Maybe we should call Bret and get his side of the story" Dean said.
"Can we do that tomorrow?" Lea asked with a yawn.
Taker nodded. It was getting late and they had a lot of work to do to get to the bottom of the whole mess, including getting Bret and Davey's sides of the story.
Well, that's part one of this whole thing. Next chapter, it will continue and we'll see where this goes. Please read/review. You guys are great! Bye!~Taker's Soul Girl