Chapter IV: Valet for Once.

Valerie bumped straight into the person before her and fell back, landing on her butt. She could hear someone chuckling above her and when she looked up, she saw a grinning DDP standing over her. She quickly got up and tried to look indifferent.

Page smirked at her and said, "Well, well, well, if it isn't little miss Calloway, being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Valerie tried to back up but Page grabbed her by the hair and slammed her up against the concrete wall. He kept her in place with his own body, placing his hands around her throat. The smirk on his face had long since gone and she knew she was going to get hurt.

"I warned you to stay out of it but no… you had to be brave and help your daddy out, well now you'll pay the price for that bravery, little girl."

Valerie managed to choke out, "Go to hell."

This only served to piss Page off even more and he squeezed harder.

Valerie was trying to get her legs in front of him so she could kick him but he was standing too close and he was too strong to budge. He laughed as she began to turn blue. Black spots were rising in her vision when suddenly all the pressure was released from her throat and Page was gone. Valerie's knees gave way and she collapsed onto the cold floor. She felt someone cradling her head and softly speaking to her but she couldn't make out the words. She was feeling light-headed as she vaguely heard her father yelling and then, she was out.

She woke up two hours later in a hospital bed. She looked around the room, wincing at the pain in her neck, and saw her father sleeping in a chair next to the bed, his massive arms folded on the bed, his head on top of them. Her lips twitched at the sight before placing a hand on his arm to try and wake him up.The effect was immediate. Her father woke up and bolted upright.

When he saw she was awake, he got up and gently touched her cheek. "Hey, joyful," he said softly.

"Hi, daddy," she whispered back, smiling for him.

She tried to turn her head further only for it hurt even worse. A tear escaped as she quickly moved her head back. Taker gently touched her face, his face sad and angry at the same time.

"Why do these things happen to me?" Valerie mumbled. "I never did anything to deserve that." She thought for a moment and giggled through the few tears she was shedding. "Okay, I might have done one or two things to deserve it, but still…"

Valerie suddenly realised something. Someone had helped her and it hadn't been her dad.

"Dad, who helped me?"

Before Taker could respond someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Taker called.

Lita and the Hardy Boys came walking into the room and Taker smirked.

He turned to Valerie and said, "There's your answer."

Valerie smiled brightly, ignoring the pain to turn her head to them. "Hey, you guys."

"Oh, Valerie," Lita sobbed as she hugged Valerie.

Valerie hugged her back, saying, "Hey, no crying now, I'm fine."

"I was so worried about you," Lita said, breaking the hug while wiping her tears away.

"Well, worry no more, I'm fine," Valerie assured her gently.

Valerie looked at Matt and Jeff who were quietly standing there.

"Hey, I hear you're the ones that helped me."

Matt nodded but Jeff was silent.

"Well, come here and let me hug you guys," Valerie said.

Matt walked to Valerie and hugged her gently. Jeff hugged her as well but he held onto her a little longer. When he let go, he was blushing so he quickly turned away from Valerie. She had seen it, however, and she thought it was cute.

Team Extreme stayed with Valerie for a little while after until Taker had had enough of them and kicked them out. He went back to his daughter and told her to get some rest. Valerie looked at her father and saw in his eyes that arguing was not an option so she rested. It didn't matter, she was tired anyway.

Taker looked at his daughter as she lay there with her eyes closed and saw her wince in pain every now and then. His only thought at that point was of revenge.

After some more time in the hospital, and some more visits, she was released from hospital early in the morning of the next day. She had lunch with the Rock that afternoon, as he had promised, and they had a ball. Valerie noticed that the Rock's presence had almost the same effect as her father's, no one dared to go near her and no one looked at her for too long. Valerie chuckled when she pictured the Rock laying the smack down on every man in the eathouse. The Rock returned her to the Undertaker after lunch and she spent the rest of the day annoying the hell out of her father by getting him to do things for her because her neck still hurt so much. It was nonsense of course, she was perfectly capable of doing things herself but her father indulged her…for the most part.

Smackdown Thursday : 04-10-2001.

Valerie and Taker were back in the federation. Taker wasn't happy with his daughter being there but he figured she'd be safer there with him than home alone. They walked into the building and they encountered the Hardy Boys. Jeff's face lit up the second he saw her and he smiled at her.

Valerie smiled back and said, "Hey guys."

"Hey, Valerie," Matt said.

Jeff stood next to Valerie. "Hey," he said with a slight blush.

Matt stifled a chuckle but Taker didn't look amused. The look in his eyes clearly spelled, "Back off or get hurt."

Jeff didn't seem to notice or at least pretended not to notice as he turned to Valerie and said, "Hey, uh…me and Matt wanted to ask you…we uh…"

"Are you gonna tell her what it is you want or are you gonna stand there blubbering all day?" Taker snapped.

"Dad," Valerie scolded.

Taker gave Valerie a far from innocent look but turned away slightly.

Valerie turned back to Jeff. "Yes?" she asked gently.

"Well… we got a match later on tonight and we were wondering if you'd wanna valet for us."

Jeff had said it as fast as he could without stumbling over his words and he was now waiting for her answer but she never got the chance to say anything because Taker's venomous words beat her to it.

"Boy, are you out of your mind? My daughter is NOT coming out there with you. Not now, not ever."

"Dad, I think…"

"Joyful, it aint happening, they can't protect you and I'm not risking it."

"It's not a risk," Matt said defensively.

"We can protect her," Jeff added with a scowl.

"I'd…" Valerie started.

But Taker cut her off. "Who are you two facing?" he demanded.

Jeff and Matt were both silent.

"Come on, boy," Taker snapped at Jeff. "A second ago you couldn't stop blabbering, tell me who you're facing."

"Austin and Booker-T."

"What?" Taker yelled. "You want my daughter to go out there…"

"Dad, please you're yelling."

"I don't care if I'm yelling, they're crazy."

The argument went on for a good five minutes until Taker gave up. His daughter had always been good at convincing him and this was no exception. She was allowed to come but not until after the Hardy's swore on their very lifes that she wouldn't get hurt.