Disclaimer: Ooops. I forgot to do one for last chapter. C'mon people. For
any of you who care, just read page one! Otherwise, onward with the story!
Later that night, Eric Bischoff sat behind his desk in the makeshift office that had been set up for him for the night's house show. He opened the desk drawer, pulled out a pencil, and began tapping it against the desk; a nervous habit that he had had since he was a kid. He hadn't approached Shawn and Rob in the restaurant earlier, and had waited for them to leave before leaving himself. He knew that neither of them had seen him, and was just as glad; he really had absolutely no clue how to handle this situation. For once in his life, Eric Bischoff, the ultimate schemer, was completely and utterly stumped.
He sighed softly, knowing that he had to do something soon. The HBK/RVD match was only two nights away. Eric knew that he couldn't let them mess up his main event; Smackdown's ratings were already significantly higher than his. Stephanie was winning and he couldn't allow that. Vince McMahon wasn't going to fire "daddy's little girl", but Eric knew that, in Vince's eyes, he was expendable. If only they had written the script so that Hunter had retained the title. Eric shook his head, refusing to let himself complete the thought. "If only's" were useless; he knew that he had to act and act now, before RAW.
Eric picked up his phone, fingers hesitating over the keypad, wanting so much to call her. but he closed his hand, taking a deep breath. He had to handle this on his own. Knowing that there was no point in putting it off any longer, he dialed Val Venis' number.
Val picked up on the second ring. "Val Venis."
Eric sighed, praying that this guy wouldn't keep grating on his nerves. He had chosen Val for the trade, but at the time he didn't know how annoying he could be. "Val it's me. Tell Rob Van Dam and Shawn Michaels that I need to see them in my office, pronto."
"Sure thing, Mr. Bischoff," Val said in a sugary, all too sweet tone. Eric nearly groaned out loud. All he needed was another suck up around here. Rico was enough for the whole company, let alone RAW. "Sir, is there anything you want to tell me? I mean you did appoint me as Staff Superviser."
Eric sighed again, as this was only about the ten-millionth time that day that Val had reminded him of it. "No Val. There's really not anything that you need to know about. Tell them that it's about their match on Monday."
"Alright, sir. I'll send them right up." Eric could almost taste the disappointment in his voice. He had had second thoughts (and third, and fourth for that matter) about the wisdom of giving Val this job; he seemed to enjoy stirring up problems a bit too much. But Eric also knew that he needed the help, and Val was the same build, age, ect., as the majority of the other wrestlers on RAW. He simply didn't need him in the ring, and he needed the fresh perspective that Val could give to the company.
Eric hung up the phone without saying goodbye and took a deep breath, massaging his temples. He already had a headache, and he had a feeling that he was in for a long, tough next few days.
A few minutes later, Rob walked into the GM's office to find Shawn already there, sitting in one of two folding metal chairs. Rob somehow managed not to smile or keep glancing at Shawn. Instead, he closed the door behind him and focused on Eric. "You wanted ta see me?"
Eric rose from his desk, not even bothering to plaster on his usual fake smile. "Yeah, I did. Have a seat, Rob." He gestured to the empty chair.
Rob sat down, and Shawn gave him a terse nod of greeting. Rob gave him the same greeting, only his eyes betraying any hint of emotion. It killed him to have to act like that towards his boyfriend, but he knew that any more than that would have tipped off Biscoff. Rob didn't trust himself to be able to speak, but before he had to test his luck, Shawn spoke aloud the question that they were both wondering. "Why'd ya call us in here?"
Eric sat back down in his chair. "Alright guys, here's the deal. I know about you two." He held up a hand when Shawn opened his mouth to say something. Rob was feeling queasy, and looked like he had just found out that his dog had died. "I'm not playing mind games here, and I'm not fishing for information. I was in the restaurant earlier."
Rob turned pale and started trembling. Shawn, basically knowing that the jig was up, put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "How many people have you told Bischoff?"
"None. As far as I know, the only other person that knows is my sister. We went out to lunch today, and just happened to pick the same bistro that you did." Eric sighed. "Look, my only concern is that your emotions don't screw up my main event. I looked through the script earlier, and it's going to be a brutal match."
"We'll be fine, Eric. The match'll go great." Shawn said, confidently. He knew that they could shove aside their feelings for each other for one night.
Eric smiled, looking relieved. "Great. You boys do your jobs on Monday, and I swear that I'll keep what's going on between you two quiet for as long as you need me to."
Rob looked up and finally spoke, glad that his voice wasn't too shaky. "Why would you do that for us?"
Eric picked up a small, silver picture frame from inside of the foliage of the potted plant that sat on his desk. He smiled down at the picture of Stephanie McMahon, and gently caressed the photograph's cheek. He looked back up at them, slightly misty-eyed. "Because I know what it feels like to be in love and to have to keep it a secret."
Author's notes- Another short chapter. but cooking and cleaning up after a gazillion people is tiring. Just in case you were wondering, yes the "her" that Eric was going to call for advice was Stephanie McMahon. And no, I'm not cruel to my muses.**grins evilly and winks**. This idea just popped into my mind after talking to a friend of mine about our favorite wrestling moments. One of hers happened to be the Stephanie-Eric kiss. Actually, I was going to have our ol' buddy Eric get insightful and philosophical, but I was afraid that I would scare you all off. Come to think of it, I would have been scared myself. Insightful, caring Eric Bishcoff.**shudders**
Also, for any of you who may be confused by the timeline, chapters four and five take place on the Friday before that awesome HBK/RVD match. Chapter six will probably be the same night, but I'm not quite sure yet.
Please keep the reviews coming!!!
Later that night, Eric Bischoff sat behind his desk in the makeshift office that had been set up for him for the night's house show. He opened the desk drawer, pulled out a pencil, and began tapping it against the desk; a nervous habit that he had had since he was a kid. He hadn't approached Shawn and Rob in the restaurant earlier, and had waited for them to leave before leaving himself. He knew that neither of them had seen him, and was just as glad; he really had absolutely no clue how to handle this situation. For once in his life, Eric Bischoff, the ultimate schemer, was completely and utterly stumped.
He sighed softly, knowing that he had to do something soon. The HBK/RVD match was only two nights away. Eric knew that he couldn't let them mess up his main event; Smackdown's ratings were already significantly higher than his. Stephanie was winning and he couldn't allow that. Vince McMahon wasn't going to fire "daddy's little girl", but Eric knew that, in Vince's eyes, he was expendable. If only they had written the script so that Hunter had retained the title. Eric shook his head, refusing to let himself complete the thought. "If only's" were useless; he knew that he had to act and act now, before RAW.
Eric picked up his phone, fingers hesitating over the keypad, wanting so much to call her. but he closed his hand, taking a deep breath. He had to handle this on his own. Knowing that there was no point in putting it off any longer, he dialed Val Venis' number.
Val picked up on the second ring. "Val Venis."
Eric sighed, praying that this guy wouldn't keep grating on his nerves. He had chosen Val for the trade, but at the time he didn't know how annoying he could be. "Val it's me. Tell Rob Van Dam and Shawn Michaels that I need to see them in my office, pronto."
"Sure thing, Mr. Bischoff," Val said in a sugary, all too sweet tone. Eric nearly groaned out loud. All he needed was another suck up around here. Rico was enough for the whole company, let alone RAW. "Sir, is there anything you want to tell me? I mean you did appoint me as Staff Superviser."
Eric sighed again, as this was only about the ten-millionth time that day that Val had reminded him of it. "No Val. There's really not anything that you need to know about. Tell them that it's about their match on Monday."
"Alright, sir. I'll send them right up." Eric could almost taste the disappointment in his voice. He had had second thoughts (and third, and fourth for that matter) about the wisdom of giving Val this job; he seemed to enjoy stirring up problems a bit too much. But Eric also knew that he needed the help, and Val was the same build, age, ect., as the majority of the other wrestlers on RAW. He simply didn't need him in the ring, and he needed the fresh perspective that Val could give to the company.
Eric hung up the phone without saying goodbye and took a deep breath, massaging his temples. He already had a headache, and he had a feeling that he was in for a long, tough next few days.
A few minutes later, Rob walked into the GM's office to find Shawn already there, sitting in one of two folding metal chairs. Rob somehow managed not to smile or keep glancing at Shawn. Instead, he closed the door behind him and focused on Eric. "You wanted ta see me?"
Eric rose from his desk, not even bothering to plaster on his usual fake smile. "Yeah, I did. Have a seat, Rob." He gestured to the empty chair.
Rob sat down, and Shawn gave him a terse nod of greeting. Rob gave him the same greeting, only his eyes betraying any hint of emotion. It killed him to have to act like that towards his boyfriend, but he knew that any more than that would have tipped off Biscoff. Rob didn't trust himself to be able to speak, but before he had to test his luck, Shawn spoke aloud the question that they were both wondering. "Why'd ya call us in here?"
Eric sat back down in his chair. "Alright guys, here's the deal. I know about you two." He held up a hand when Shawn opened his mouth to say something. Rob was feeling queasy, and looked like he had just found out that his dog had died. "I'm not playing mind games here, and I'm not fishing for information. I was in the restaurant earlier."
Rob turned pale and started trembling. Shawn, basically knowing that the jig was up, put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "How many people have you told Bischoff?"
"None. As far as I know, the only other person that knows is my sister. We went out to lunch today, and just happened to pick the same bistro that you did." Eric sighed. "Look, my only concern is that your emotions don't screw up my main event. I looked through the script earlier, and it's going to be a brutal match."
"We'll be fine, Eric. The match'll go great." Shawn said, confidently. He knew that they could shove aside their feelings for each other for one night.
Eric smiled, looking relieved. "Great. You boys do your jobs on Monday, and I swear that I'll keep what's going on between you two quiet for as long as you need me to."
Rob looked up and finally spoke, glad that his voice wasn't too shaky. "Why would you do that for us?"
Eric picked up a small, silver picture frame from inside of the foliage of the potted plant that sat on his desk. He smiled down at the picture of Stephanie McMahon, and gently caressed the photograph's cheek. He looked back up at them, slightly misty-eyed. "Because I know what it feels like to be in love and to have to keep it a secret."
Author's notes- Another short chapter. but cooking and cleaning up after a gazillion people is tiring. Just in case you were wondering, yes the "her" that Eric was going to call for advice was Stephanie McMahon. And no, I'm not cruel to my muses.**grins evilly and winks**. This idea just popped into my mind after talking to a friend of mine about our favorite wrestling moments. One of hers happened to be the Stephanie-Eric kiss. Actually, I was going to have our ol' buddy Eric get insightful and philosophical, but I was afraid that I would scare you all off. Come to think of it, I would have been scared myself. Insightful, caring Eric Bishcoff.**shudders**
Also, for any of you who may be confused by the timeline, chapters four and five take place on the Friday before that awesome HBK/RVD match. Chapter six will probably be the same night, but I'm not quite sure yet.
Please keep the reviews coming!!!