"Who in their right mind would want to be associated with me now?"
Stephanie sighed brokenly.
"Your brother would. Lita would and I'm sure that Chris Jericho would. Mostly there would of course be me." He smiled slowly and encouragingly. She'd never in the short time she'd known him seen him this soft. She parted her lips to object but he placed a pale finger to them to quiet her.
"Don't worry I know this person very well I trust her with my life." He replied.
"Alright. I'll meet her." Stephanie answered.
"Hayley you can stop snooping now!" Marshal called out. There was a small sigh and a short blonde girl entered the room. She looked to be about 8 or 9 years old. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy little bun and she was dressed plainly in a pair of jeans and a shirt that said Limited Too. She smiled at the pair and jumped into her father's arms. Settling herself on his lap she stared at Stephanie looking her up and down.
"Do YOU really LOVE my daddy?" She asked squinting as if looking really hard for something. She closely examined and scrutinized Stephanie.
"I do.I love him very much." Stephanie smiled.
After a few moments she stuck out her hand. "I'm Hayley Mathers." She said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Hayley." Stephanie reached out and shook her hand.
Hayley turned Stephanie's hand over and looked at her maroon colored nails. "OOO pretty nail polish!"
"Hey maybe we can do our nails later." Stephanie smiled.
"And then we can watch the new Britney Spears DVD daddy bought me and the Barbie Rapunzel one too. He always looks real sick when he watches them. I think he's afraid of girl germs or something. Boys are so weird!" She grinned enthusiastically. Her eyes then fell upon Max. "Is that your dog?"
"Yes he's my killer watch dog." Stephanie laughed and patted the bed space between them. "Max! Here boy!"
Max trotted over and jumped on the bed. Hayley began to pet him. "Oh he's so sweet!"
"Hey let me get dressed and we'll do everything after breakfast!" Stephanie smiled.
"Oh hey I'll go get breakfast. I'll go after you shower and get dressed." Marshall offered and Stephanie kissed his cheek. "Thanks."
45 minutes later Stephanie walked down stairs a yellow box in hand. She smiled at Hayley and they sat down at the coffee table and began to set up their little beauty center. Marshal smiled as he left. There was a McDonald's a block away and he steadily walked towards it. Back at the house Hayley had turned on the Barbie movie and Stephanie was doing her nails.
"I think pink!" Hayley suggested. "You're already wearing red! And ooo can I do your hair?"
Just then a burst of flames busted trough the window between them. Hayley screamed and Stephanie reached for her. Holding on to the girl for dear life Stephanie inched her way around the building flames. They were everywhere. Stephanie screamed in frustration and finally made her way to the door. Pushing Hayley out she flung herself out of the door as the flames engulfed everything around her. She looked and saw Hayley crying. Kneeling beside the girl she hugged her like Marshal had earlier and rocked her slowly. The sounds of police cars and fire engines calmed her. She then remembered Max. Looking around frantically for him she heard barking and watched Max bound out the door thankfully without a burn on him. He rushed to her and she patted his head. She held back tears of pure and utter fear and waited for help to arrive.
Marshal walked down the street and stopped in time to see a fire truck go blazing past him with at least three police cars behind it. Marshall watched in the direction they were going. His mind was telling him nothing was wrong. But something inside him shook and he did an about face and ran in the same direction. Sprinting through the crowded side walk and shoving people out of his way he rounded the corner and found himself on the same street as Stephanie's house. His cell began to ring. He looked down at his pocket a thunderous panic coursed shrilly through him. Picking up the phone and answering it. His face turned into a mask of fury. The mask to cover up the fear, the pain, and the worry.
"I know what you're thinking." The voice said. It reminded him of someone. It was young and angry. Scratchy and rough with emotion, he cursed himself for not being able to put a face and a name to the voice. He'd heard it clearly before. He identified it as a man's voice. But who could it be? He growled hollowly into the phone.
"The Bitch and the girl are inside. I suggest you hurry." Then there was nothing but the dial tone. Tossing the phone aside he ran around to the front of the building to find Stephanie and Hayley safe and sound. Dropping to his knees and embracing them both he looked at the building. It was a symbol, it was a message, and it meant that things weren't over just yet.
"Stephanie?" Marshall looked at the shaken woman.
"We need to get somewhere safe somewhere where people will protect both you and Hayley." He said quietly. "I need you to make a call."
"Marshall they won't.." She took shaking deep breaths.
"How will you know if you don't at least try. I have a feeling that this is connected not to you but directly to me. In fact I know it has nothing to do with you. This is why you and Hayley have to go. Please." He said. He looked very serious and she could almost imagine the wheels in his mind turning with the mystery of who was going after them.
"Ok I'll call them. I'll call my parents." She took a deep breath.
"Your brother would. Lita would and I'm sure that Chris Jericho would. Mostly there would of course be me." He smiled slowly and encouragingly. She'd never in the short time she'd known him seen him this soft. She parted her lips to object but he placed a pale finger to them to quiet her.
"Don't worry I know this person very well I trust her with my life." He replied.
"Alright. I'll meet her." Stephanie answered.
"Hayley you can stop snooping now!" Marshal called out. There was a small sigh and a short blonde girl entered the room. She looked to be about 8 or 9 years old. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy little bun and she was dressed plainly in a pair of jeans and a shirt that said Limited Too. She smiled at the pair and jumped into her father's arms. Settling herself on his lap she stared at Stephanie looking her up and down.
"Do YOU really LOVE my daddy?" She asked squinting as if looking really hard for something. She closely examined and scrutinized Stephanie.
"I do.I love him very much." Stephanie smiled.
After a few moments she stuck out her hand. "I'm Hayley Mathers." She said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Hayley." Stephanie reached out and shook her hand.
Hayley turned Stephanie's hand over and looked at her maroon colored nails. "OOO pretty nail polish!"
"Hey maybe we can do our nails later." Stephanie smiled.
"And then we can watch the new Britney Spears DVD daddy bought me and the Barbie Rapunzel one too. He always looks real sick when he watches them. I think he's afraid of girl germs or something. Boys are so weird!" She grinned enthusiastically. Her eyes then fell upon Max. "Is that your dog?"
"Yes he's my killer watch dog." Stephanie laughed and patted the bed space between them. "Max! Here boy!"
Max trotted over and jumped on the bed. Hayley began to pet him. "Oh he's so sweet!"
"Hey let me get dressed and we'll do everything after breakfast!" Stephanie smiled.
"Oh hey I'll go get breakfast. I'll go after you shower and get dressed." Marshall offered and Stephanie kissed his cheek. "Thanks."
45 minutes later Stephanie walked down stairs a yellow box in hand. She smiled at Hayley and they sat down at the coffee table and began to set up their little beauty center. Marshal smiled as he left. There was a McDonald's a block away and he steadily walked towards it. Back at the house Hayley had turned on the Barbie movie and Stephanie was doing her nails.
"I think pink!" Hayley suggested. "You're already wearing red! And ooo can I do your hair?"
Just then a burst of flames busted trough the window between them. Hayley screamed and Stephanie reached for her. Holding on to the girl for dear life Stephanie inched her way around the building flames. They were everywhere. Stephanie screamed in frustration and finally made her way to the door. Pushing Hayley out she flung herself out of the door as the flames engulfed everything around her. She looked and saw Hayley crying. Kneeling beside the girl she hugged her like Marshal had earlier and rocked her slowly. The sounds of police cars and fire engines calmed her. She then remembered Max. Looking around frantically for him she heard barking and watched Max bound out the door thankfully without a burn on him. He rushed to her and she patted his head. She held back tears of pure and utter fear and waited for help to arrive.
Marshal walked down the street and stopped in time to see a fire truck go blazing past him with at least three police cars behind it. Marshall watched in the direction they were going. His mind was telling him nothing was wrong. But something inside him shook and he did an about face and ran in the same direction. Sprinting through the crowded side walk and shoving people out of his way he rounded the corner and found himself on the same street as Stephanie's house. His cell began to ring. He looked down at his pocket a thunderous panic coursed shrilly through him. Picking up the phone and answering it. His face turned into a mask of fury. The mask to cover up the fear, the pain, and the worry.
"I know what you're thinking." The voice said. It reminded him of someone. It was young and angry. Scratchy and rough with emotion, he cursed himself for not being able to put a face and a name to the voice. He'd heard it clearly before. He identified it as a man's voice. But who could it be? He growled hollowly into the phone.
"The Bitch and the girl are inside. I suggest you hurry." Then there was nothing but the dial tone. Tossing the phone aside he ran around to the front of the building to find Stephanie and Hayley safe and sound. Dropping to his knees and embracing them both he looked at the building. It was a symbol, it was a message, and it meant that things weren't over just yet.
"Stephanie?" Marshall looked at the shaken woman.
"We need to get somewhere safe somewhere where people will protect both you and Hayley." He said quietly. "I need you to make a call."
"Marshall they won't.." She took shaking deep breaths.
"How will you know if you don't at least try. I have a feeling that this is connected not to you but directly to me. In fact I know it has nothing to do with you. This is why you and Hayley have to go. Please." He said. He looked very serious and she could almost imagine the wheels in his mind turning with the mystery of who was going after them.
"Ok I'll call them. I'll call my parents." She took a deep breath.