Author's Note: I'm so mean... hope you like the let down. *grin* ~Eleven Roses~

~~~~~

Shane's face was pulled tight in restraint, and Danielle grinned as she kissed her way to his hairline. She could hear him groan reluctantly when she tugged on his earlobe, and then he gently put both hands on her sides. She expected him to pull her closer, but instead he pushed her away. Looking at him with a small smile from the other wall, Danielle saw him grasp at his composure and calm.

"Would you... tell me what's going on here?" Shane met her eyes, holding his arms out in case she tried to jump him again. The thought was so good in his mind, he couldn't believe he was willing stopping her.

She pursed her lips and watched him back, confused. If he wanted her so badly, why wasn't he taking advantage of the situation? "I'm doing a little... experiment," she said softly. "And it involves you... me... and maybe some of this..." She moved closer and paused when he stopped her. Moving his hands with a grin- he didn't try to stop her again- she froze when their faces were almost touching.

He looked down at her, intrigued. "And some of what?"

Slowly grinning, Danielle tilted her chin up and kissed him softly for a second. He smiled slightly, and she did it again. "I could use a little cooperation," she teased.

"Go back to your room, Dani," he said, surprising them both. He sighed, did she have to keep staring at him with those entrancing eyes? "I don't know what's gotten into you," he added, "but I know you're not acting like yourself."

"What's gotten into me..." she repeated, studying his eyes from such a close distance. "What's gotten into me... is you." Her own face went surprised when she said it, like she hadn't thought about it and couldn't believe what she'd just said. Her stomach churned, she suddenly felt so weak, and she stepped away from Shane quickly.

He could see the faltering look in her eyes, and he reached out to grab her shoulders. "Dani, what's wrong? You don't look so good, maybe you should sit down..."

Danielle nodded weakly. "Yeah..." she mumbled, before her eyes rolled and she fell to the floor.

~~~~~

Hands were holding her, pushing her hair from her face, trying to force the nose plugs for air into her nostrils. Danielle couldn't get her eyes open, but she didn't like what was happening- even if she wasn't sure what was being done to her. She forced air out of her nose, fighting to get it clear, and her own hands tore at cold plastic gloves. The same hands held her own body to the flat surface she was lying on, and she struggled to no avail.

Voices were becoming clearer to her, but she didn't recognize any of them. Morphine was mentioned- to calm her down and deaden any pain- and so many people were barking orders. Someone tried to soothe her, telling her to be still and that it was alright, but it had no effect on her. Danielle didn't know where she was, and she'd be damned if she was just going to let these people control her.

So still felt so sick, so tired, and she wished she could see what was happening. The next sensation in her arm was recognizable, and she tossed her head viciously as a needle pierced her skin. A cry escaped her, and she fought for air in thin gasps. An oxygen mask was put over her face, and Danielle didn't fight the needed air.

I'm in a hospital, she realized suddenly- she hadn't noticed the clues until then. Oxygen, needles, unfamiliar people trying to calm her... what the hell happened? Danielle remembered passing out- it seemed like ages ago- in front of Shane, and she still didn't know why. She'd felt so sick so quickly, and now she was laying on a hospital bed. What she wouldn't give to be able to see what was going on around her.

Danielle could feel the needle take effect. Her body felt so heavy, and her breathing was ragged and sluggish- even with the mask on. Her heart thudded in her chest, making her wish she couldn't feel it, and she fell back suddenly. The darkness descended over worn-out eyes for a second time.

~~~~~

They wouldn't let him see her. He thought he might go insane if he had to stand outside her hospital room for another minute, the shutters drawn and the nurses in there with her. The need to see her was overpowering, he had to see her eyes again, and her mouth curved in the most charming of grins. He'd asked the doctor, and each nurse, if he could go in, and they'd said "no" for the past twenty minutes. What were they doing to her? He needed to know.

Danielle had been so out of character when she came to see him, it worried him and excited him at the same time. It wasn't worth it though, he'd give up every kiss she'd initiated just so she wouldn't have fallen. He didn't know what had happened to her, one minute she was giving him that teasing smile, and then she had blacked out.

Her body didn't hit the floor. Shane managed to catch her, and he tried to get her to do or say anything. But she didn't. She was so still in his arms, unnaturally quiet, and Danielle's breathing was fast and shallow. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but he did manage to keep his calm. She was laying on the floor while he called the ambulance. Shane never thought to call anyone else, he just fell onto his knees beside her, whispering to her and trying to wake her up.

Everyone knew something was wrong when the ambulance workers ran to the room- Stephanie recognized it as Shane's room and started sobbing- and dragged the stretcher to the door. They brought out Danielle, pale and lifeless, and had to fight to get through the now-crowded hallway. Shane ran after them and rode in the ambulance, he didn't stop or notice anyone yelling questions at him.

Shane only cared about one thing at that moment, and now he stood outside her hospital room. He didn't know how many people drove their own vehicles to the hospital. Stephanie came- she hugged him in tears- and he wouldn't bother to explain things to anyone. Glen Jacobs and Charles Wright were waiting with them too, even though they had only been told that Danielle had collapsed.

They waited for hours, it was around 11:17pm when the doctor came to talk to them. He had walked up unsure, eyeing the four people. "Are any of you Ms. Smith's immediate family?"

"No," Stephanie replied first. "Please let us see her!" The doctor gave her a raised eyebrow, and Glen gave her a slight push on her shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Did you forget I'm standing here?" She had no clue what he planned, and he winked discreetly. They wouldn't let anyone but family in, so he had a few convenient positions for them to fill. Glen turned back to the doctor and nodded. "I'm her brother." The doctor smiled- they did have tall build and reed hair- and Glen motioned toward Shane. "That's her fiancé," and then to Stephanie, "and her soon to be sister-in- law."

The doctor nodded and then glanced at Charles. "And you are...?"

Charles grinned. "I'm giving her away- but you'll notice I'm not related to her."

Shane cast Glen a pleased smile- never underestimate the quiet ones- and looked at Charles. So honest, he hoped the doctor would let him see Danielle regardless. Shane hoped they all could see her... awake and healthy.

"I suppose I could let you in- all of you- but make sure to be quiet. She needs some rest, so I don't want more than two of you in at a time." Motioning toward the door, the doctor gave a slight smile and turned to leave. Shane stopped him, and met his eyes curiously. "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to give us her diagnosis? We'd like to know what happened to her." Shane stood in front of him, impatient and still worried, and the doctor nodded again.

"We're not exactly sure yet. It's a combination of things, I believe, but we need to do some tests to be sure." The four visitors expected more, and he sighed. "We think it was a combination of stress, lack of proper sleep, and the fact that she's been pushing her body over the limits. It all caught up to her- it always does- and her body retaliated by just blacking out. Ms. Smith needs rest and a calm environment, she's lucky that nothing worse happened."

His words were frightening, and Stephanie leaned against the wall for support. "What could've happened?' she asked softly. Dark serious eyes met hers, and she swallowed thickly. "Never mind, I don't want to know the answer."

The doctor left shortly after, and they stood in the hall in a tense silence. Charles looked around, and then looked at the hospital room door. "Well... who wants to go first?" He looked at Shane, who shook his head, and he understood Shane wanted to see her alone. "Why don't Glen and I go in? Then the McMahon's will have a little privacy."

Shane nodded slowly, it was surprising how perceptive Charles was sometimes- much more than he appeared to be. The two men went in without another word, and Shane looked across the hall at Stephanie. She was in tears again, curled into her arms like a child.

"She could've died," his sister whispered softly, meeting his gaze with sore blue eyes. "She... she's going to end up dead, because of..." Stephanie didn't finish it, she didn't have to, and Shane swallowed thickly.

He walked over to her in two long steps, and pulled her now-sobbing body into a hug. "I know," he replied. "But, I won't let that happened. I won't." He meant it, he would talk sense into her somehow. Shane had to, or else he wouldn't know what to do- he might lose her.

~~~~~

The room was yellow, meant to be cheerful but appearing sickly instead, and it had the smell of medicine that he'd gladly forget. It was dim inside, and Danielle lay still underneath white sheets. Her breathing was so soft, but Shane could hear it, and it relieved him.

Glen and Charles had long since visited with her. She didn't wake up, and Stephanie had went in alone. She was- if possible- crying harder when she left. Shane had waited to be last, to have all the time the nurses would give him. He hoped that Danielle would wake up while he was with her, but he wouldn't wake her. He would have to be content with watching her sleep so peacefully.

Shane pulled the chair that was provided, sliding it next to her bed with a soft scraping noise. "Dani," he whispered, searching for and then holding her hand. "God, please be okay." He paused, and she didn't stir. "You scared me, Dani, I'll admit that. You have to get better and wake up- everyone will help you. We'll get you on an easier workout... and you can stop the late nights..." His voice trailed off, and he touched a still, pale cheek.

Danielle sighed, and he looked up at her quickly- her eyes were still closed. "Dani... let me know if you can hear me. Just, just look at me, or move, or anything." Still no response, and he frowned. "Let me know... I'll do anything, if you'd only talk to me... or at least look or smile." Shane glanced at the floor, and then back at her. "I want to see you smile again... just once, long enough to say everything."

No smile was given, and no more words were said. Shane fell back into his seat with a sigh. He sat there for a while longer, just waiting for her, and then he stood up slowly. Danielle couldn't hear him, and he was going home... even if he didn't want to. Not without one smile, be it charming, teasing, arrogant, or alluring. Shane bent and kissed her cheek softly, and then he turned and left.

Behind him, a sleeping Danielle's mouth twitched. Her lips curved into a hint of a smile, and she sighed once more in her sleep.

~~~~~

The first thing Danielle noticed was how cold her feet were. Then she recognized the bed she was laying on, with it's perfect white sheets, and the hospital. I'm still in the hospital, she thought. What time is it? And, what the hell is going on? One minute, I'm... acting insane, and then I'm out, and then I'm in a hospital. Danielle opened her eyes again and looked around. Shane didn't... he couldn't have... did he beat me up?

The scent of flowers caught her before she could answer her own question. She looked to her right, at the small table, and saw it overflowing. A dozen roses, coloured boxes, and an array of "Get Well Soon" cards. One thin eyebrow raised. Get well? Now I really have to find out what's going on.

Danielle sat up quickly, and fell back immediately. Her head was spinning, and she realized how weak she felt. There was no energy in her, and her arms and legs felt like dead weights. She swallowed thickly and brought herself up, slower this time, satisfied when she had a better view of the room.

It was small, horribly coloured, and not much to look at. The cards and flowers were more interesting, and Danielle reached out with a shaky hand to get them. The first she grabbed was decorated with the Canadian flag. It was obviously hand-made, and Danielle smiled when she read the name. Charles Wright. It told her to "never scare us like that again," and she sighed. Well, she thought, if I knew what happened I could stop from doing it again.

There were cards from Glen, Stephanie, Michael- better known as Shawn Michaels, and Chris Irvine, but none from Shane. Danielle had to frown, but then she remembered the flowers and a slow smile spread across her face. Slowly sliding one leg out of bed, she was surprised when her feet were bare. No wonder they were so cold...

"You'd better not be trying to sneak out of here."

Danielle turned, met a relieved Shane's eyes, and she smiled. "I was just wondering if you had weaseled out of getting me a gift." Pulling her frozen leg back under the covers, Danielle put her hands on her knees and looked over at the table. "Care to explain?"

Shane smiled fully and closed the door behind him, taking her in with his eyes. She still looked weak, but she was awake, and she was grinning at him. So much better than the last time they'd met. "I got you something," he replied, looking at the bedside table. "The roses are from me, and the box of chocolates are from Steph."

"Chocolates?" She raised her eyebrows, and he had to laugh. "You honestly thought some roses were better than chocolates? You've got a lot to learn, Shane." Smiling slightly, Danielle couldn't help but watch him look through her cards. He looked... relieved still, and he was looking at her like he normally did.

Meeting her eyes for a moment, Shane raised his eyebrows in response. "How are you feeling?" He walked closer and looked down at her, reaching out to tug on her messy hair. "You had us all worried, Dani." His eyes were so dark and serious, and Danielle's grin faded.

"I'm feeling better... and I didn't mean to. In fact, I have no clue what I really did anyway." Danielle shrugged, and Shane pulled up the chair. He sat and looked at her curiously, and tilted her chin with his hand.

"What are you talking about? Don't you remember, well, how you acted last night?" Danielle immediately froze, and he knew that she remembered. "Don't worry about it," he added quickly. "I know you weren't... feeling right."

She nodded slightly, which was hard with his hand underneath her chin, but still met his eyes. "I really don't know what came over me," she said. "I was just thinking about how I was sick of being such a victim, because of all those... things, and I just decided to..." She paused and looked at the flowers, and then back into brown eyes. "Take control of the situation."

Shane smiled slightly and shook his head. "Well, you sure did a good job. Slamming me into the wall was a nice touch." She laughed, and he waited for her to look back at him. "And I mean that literally."

Ignoring the last comment, Danielle looked down at herself. The IV needle had been put into her hand- she'd woken up in the middle of the night when they'd done that and asked what kind of fucked up hours they worked- was now gone, and the nose plugs were removed too. "What happened to me?" she asked him softly. And then, more loudly. "I don't know why I passed out!"

"Your doctor said it was a combination. Stress, no sleep, not enough good food, and you've just been pushing your body too hard." She frowned, and he slouched in his seat. "You need to take some time off, to relax and get healthier."

That did it, now Danielle was officially pissed off. She could barely remember the last match she had, and they wanted her to take some time off?! If anything was going to change, she was going to talk to Vince about it being her slowly declining body of work. Her eyes were burning when she looked back at Shane. "I am not taking time off, it's been long enough since I last worked already. And I haven't worked out in three days!"

"I'm sorry if you don't agree, but this isn't negotiable. You're taking two weeks off, no questions asked." Shane watched her narrow those electric eyes, and he sighed. "You do know that you're lucky, right? Do you have any idea how much worse this all could be?"

Laughing sarcastically, Danielle fell back to the pillow and closed her eyes. She was silent for a minute, thinking, and her voice was soft when she spoke. "Lucky is going back to work for Raw, not having everyone pity me, and never having my birthday celebrated again." She met his eyes, and then looked at the bare ceiling. "I'm in a hospital, suspended from work, and being preached to by one of the men responsible for all this damn stress. If you call this lucky, you're insane." That stung, she knew it but didn't care at that moment. He was telling her she couldn't work, that she couldn't exercise, and she was supposed to accept it kindly?

Her job, being able to preform in front of thousands of screaming fans every week, was her life. She loved every second, and she never regretted a thing she'd done on Raw or any injury she'd received. It was worth it. This job kept her sane, gave her something to work at and be proud of, and lately it had been slowly taken from her. The storyline with Stephanie was brilliant, explosive, and had limitless potential. And they were just going to pause it, pretend that the Wildcat didn't just disappear for a few weeks, and life was supposed to go on.

"I know you don't like any of this," Shane finally answered. "But it's what needs to be done. You aren't strong enough to wrestle. Hell, you're not even strong enough to act like an adult right now." As if Danielle needed anymore reasons to be angry, he made his own cutting remark. She didn't reply, and he got up to leave. Great, he thought, we've ruined this visit.

Danielle watched him, and her voice paused him as he reached for the doorknob. "It's funny," she said softly. "You came here so desperate for a smile, but instead you decide to piss me off as much as you possibly can."

Not turning, he opened the door. How'd she know that, did she hear him the night before? He slowly shook his head. "You might want to think about how easy it is for me to get under your skin, Dani." He left without another word spoken between them.

~~~~~