CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BLOODY HELL



Rob Van Dam had gone crying to William Regal over what Eve had done to him, whining about how embarrassing it was to have a girl take the Hardcore title from him when he'd managed to hold it for so long against people like Big Show, Kane, and the Undertaker. Regal gave him a rematch for the next Smackdown.

When the word came to Eve and Team Xtreme, Jeff was understandably worried. He knew RVD would be looking to punish Eve for the humiliation he'd suffered on Raw. Jeff wanted Eve's permission to go down to ringside during the match and rough Rob up a bit. It wouldn't be illegal because anything goes in a Hardcore match. Eve's answer was, of course, a firm no.




When Eve went down to ringside for her match with RVD, she grabbed trash cans, lids, metal chairs, and stop signs and tossed them into the ring before she got in. RVD watched her, occasionally stepping out of the way of a flying projectile.

When the ring was littered with pain-causing foreign objects, Eve finally got in. She was determined to win this match. If she could, then it would most certainly prove that she could handle herself in tough situations.

Rob charged at her the very instant the bell rang, trying to deliver a flying drop kick. Eve had been expecting something like this and dove to the side. Rob ended up between the top and middle turnbuckles, his legs divided by the post and his eyes bulging out and crossed in pain. He fell over and slid out of the position. Eve got up and started kicking Rob in the head.



Backstage, Jeff's eyes remained glued to the screen as RVD got up and he and Eve started pounding on each other with the stuff in the ring. Rob grabbed a stop sign and aimed it at Eve's head, catching her with a point and opening up a bloody gash in her forehead.

Jeff felt like he was about to pass out. Usually, the sight of blood didn't bother him, but because it was Eve's blood, he found it difficult to stand the sight.




Blood pouring freely down her face, Eve suplexed RVD from the top rope to the exposed concrete floor below, nearly passing out from all the pain she was in. Somehow, she found enough strength to roll herself over onto her opponent before she completely blacked out.

Paramedics quickly brought two stretchers to ringside and wheeled them both away.

Eve was lying on her side in a hospital bed when she finally opened her eyes. A purple-haired head was pillowed on arms near her waist. "Jeff?" she asked quietly. He didn't move and his breathing remained deep and eve. Sleeping. She must have been out for several hours then. All night, she quickly realized when she notice sunlight streaming into the room.

She must've had one hell of a head wound to have been out all night. Jeff, that sweet sensitive man, had stayed with her. She put a hand on his head and idly toyed with his hair, thinking about how he deserved someone better than her. Sure, they were slowly growing closer, but Eve always held a part of herself back. Yet it could be no other way, at least not until her past had been resolved and she told Jeff her deep, dark secret. That couldn't happen, not now, maybe not for a long time to come.

Eve could hear the door open and turned her head carefully to see who it was. Lita.

Lita's face lit up when she saw Eve wide awake and looking at her. "Hey-"

"Shhh. Jeff's sleeping."

"He hasn't been asleep very long, then. He was still awake when Matt and I left less than two hours ago so we could shower, change, and get something to eat." Lita came around to the other side of the bed so Eve wouldn't have to keep looking over her shoulder.

"Where's Matt?"

"Getting some coffee. He should be here shortly."

"Timmy's?" Eve asked hopefully.

"Nope, just regular hospital coffee. Besides," Lita smiled, "he's not bringing any for you. We weren't sure if you'd be awake, but I'm glad you are."

"Me, too."

"Me, three," Jeff murmured, not bothering to lift his head but instead searching blindly with a hand to find one of Eve's, interlacing his finders with hers when he did.

Eve thought he kept his head down because he was tired. That was partly true. The other reason - the much bigger one - was that he didn't want her to see the tears flowing from his eyes. As long as he didn't look at Eve with her bandaged forehead, he could keep himself composed enough so that he wouldn't start breaking out into gut-wrenching sobs.

Seeing Eve unconscious and bloody had been hell for him, but he would have to get used to seeing her in these Hardcore matches as long as she held the Hardcore belt.

Eve frowned for a moment, thinking back to last night and the Hardcore match with RVD. "Hey, Lita?"

"Yeah?" she asked, sitting in a chair by the wall.

"Did I win the match lat night?"

"Yep. Rob's pissed, though. You shoulda heard him when he walked out of here last night."

Jeff"s fingers tightened on Eve's and he made a choking sound. So much for composure.

Both women looked at Jeff in consternation as he began to shake with sobs. They'd never seen him cry, except for a few tears squeezed out after a particularly painful injury.

Lita knew these two had some issues to sort out and left them in peace, shutting the door behind her and standing close by to make sure no one else disturbed them.

Eve sat up, fighting some dizziness and nausea, and moved down the bed. One hand still lay tangled with Jeff's while the other cupped the back of his head. She let him cry himself out, using her free hand to rub the back and top of his head and along the back of his shoulders.

Jeff finally lifted his head. His face was wet and flushed from crying and his eyes were a little puffy. He tried to speak but no sounds came out.

"Shhh," Eve whispered. She pulled Jeff closer to her and hugged him, feeling him shudder a few more times as he took in deep breaths. She couldn't resist laying a kiss on the top of his head.

Jeff looked up in surprise when he felt Eve's lips on his hair. He looked deep into her eyes and couldn't resist kissing her. To hell with the consequences.

Eve savored the slight salty taste of Jeff's lips, as eager as Jeff in sharing this intimate caress. She was tired of pushing him away, keeping him at arm's length. Tired of not being able to surrender herself to him as she so much wanted to do.

If only Eve could tell Jeff about her past, then none of this suffering would be necessary. But she couldn't. Not now, maybe not ever. But she wasn't thinking about that depressing thought now, she was concentrating on Jeff and his erotic kissing as his tongue invaded her mouth.

When they ran out of oxygen, their lips parted.

"Wow," was the first word that came to Jeff's lips.

"Yeah," Eve replied as she brushed the hair out of Jeff's face.

"Eve, I know you have your demons to face," Jeff began seriously, "and I respect that you want to face them on your own, but I want you to know that you don't have to do it alone because I'm here for you no matter what. I know this probably isn't the best time for me to say this, but I love you. I think I have since the first time I looked into your gorgeous eyes and ran into my brother."

Eve laughed at the memory. She sobered quickly, though. "Jeff, I want to tell you that I love you back, but-"

Jeff pressed his fingertips to Eve's lips, stopping the flow of words. "Eve, I told you I love you because I honestly feel that way and I am free to say it. I don't expect you to declare your feelings for me until you're free of whatever it is in your past that's still got a hold on you. Besides, I know the feelings are there."

They sat in companionable silence for a few more moments, feeling more at peace with each other tha they had in a long time.

"Maybe you should go let Lita back in," Eve finally spoke. Matt could be back by now with the coffee."