Chapter XIII: In Preparation.
Cont. of Raw Monday: 08-10-2001.
After the confrontation with Shane and Austin, Taker and Kane had gone to commissioner William Regal to get him to let them be at ringside but he said there wasn't anything he could do.
Valerie walked in the back along with her father and her uncle, her father scolding her the entire way. They were met in the hallway by the Hardy's.
"Valerie, you don't have to do this," Matt said immediately.
"We can wait for the next shot," Jeff added, his face tense.
"Guys, I'm going through with this. I can't let them take your title shot away," Valerie said simply.
"The hell with the title shot, you're more important then that," Jeff argued.
"Listen to the boy, he's right," Taker said.
Valerie turned around and glared at her father in disbelief.
"What?" Taker said innocently.
Taker was still fuming but there wasn't anything he could do about the situation. Regal had stated very clearly that Shane had solidified the rules and stipulations of the match. Valerie would not be talked out of the match and she insisted that she had a tag team partner in mind. While her father and uncle argued over how they were going to help Valerie, Valerie herself sneaked out of the room and roamed the halls looking for that one dressingroom. When she found the dressingroom she knocked on the door and waited.
"Come in," a gruff voice came.
She went in and walked to the big man sitting there.
"Hey, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked with a smile.
"I need a favor, a very BIG favor," Valerie said, before taking a deep breath and telling him what she needed.
That night, nearing the end of the show, Jeff Hardy made his way to the Undertaker's dressingroom. His heart was pounding away in his chest as he knocked on the door. This was it. If Taker decided that he didn't want him anywhere near his daughter, this could be the end of his relationship with Valerie. On the other hand, if Taker allowed him to date Valerie, they could be more open about their feelings.
"Yeah?" Taker's voice called.
Jeff swallowed. He sounded irritated, that wasn't good.
"It's Jeff," he said, hoping for the best.
"Yeah, come in," Taker said, sounding no less irritated.
Jeff stepped into the room and looked around. Taker was sitting on one of the benches, there was no one else in the room. This realisation made Jeff very nervous. Maybe coming here by himself wasn't such a good plan after all. Taker got up and walked to Jeff. He stood in front of him and looked down at him as if he was nothing. And it was likely that that was exactly what Taker was thinking.
"Listen up, I'm only gonna say this once," Taker began, his green eyes intense.
Jeff tensed up but listened.
"My daughter has obviously taken a liking to you. I don't know why, but she has."
Taker raised himself to his full height, making Jeff just a bit more tense.
"I don't like you, boy," he sneered down at Jeff. "I never have and I probably never will… but who am I to stop my daughter from being what she calls happy."
Jeff sighed an inward sigh of relief.
"You may see her as much as you like but remember this one thing." Taker stepped closer to Jeff and said, "You make my little girl cry, for whatever reason, I'll break your neck. No questions asked."
Jeff nodded but didn't say anything. Taker snorted in disgust and turned his back to the younger man, dismissing him. Jeff obviously knew he was dismissed, because he left. Taker sighed as he sat back down. He really didn't like the boy, though it was likely that was only because he wanted to date his little girl. At least now his daughter would start thinking of him as her dad again and that made up for alot.
Smackdown: 11-10-2001.
Taker arrived at the arena on his bike. He was by himself since Valerie had gone to the arena early to train with her uncle Kane for her big match next monday. It made Taker sick to his stomach at the thought of his daughter stepping into the ring with Steve Austin and Shane McMahon but there wasn't anything he could do about it. There was no way Taker would be able to interfere in the match. He wasn't worried about getting fired. He was worried about losing his relationship with his daughter. She was fiercely independent, and insisted on doing this. If Taker interfered, she'd probably never talk to him again. Or at least, not for a very long time.
It was going to be a tag team match. Shane McMahon and Steve Austin against Valerie and her still mysterious partner. Taker was still worried about who his daughter might have picked, he hoped it wasn't one of the Hardy's. They could barely protect themselves, let along his daughter.
Taker had consented to his daughter's relationship with Jeff Hardy but he still wasn't thrilled about it. How was that boy gonna make her happy? Taker didn't see it, but Valerie obviously did. She had been thrilled to hear that he 'approved' of her relationship with Jeff and as Taker had hoped it would, it had improved his relationship with her.
Taker walked through the curtains to the ringside area where Valerie, Lita and Kane were in the ring and the Hardy Boys and the Rock were on the outside giving advice every now and again. Kane was showing Valerie how to do several moves and Lita was there for Valerie to try it out on.
Taker smiled at the sight of his daughter smiling and having fun. Whoever her tag team partner was going to be, he better damn sure protect her. Taker sighed and walked to the ring. Kane was allowing Valerie to try a submission move on him and when she pulled it off, she was applauded. Valerie smiled and then noticed her father.
"Dad, did you see? Did you see?"
Taker laughed at her enthusiasm and said, "I saw, Joyful"
Valerie left the ring and smiled up at her father. "Now I'm almost ready for my match," she said, feeling slightly giddy.
Taker scowled at the mention of the match and Valerie's smile faded.
She turned serious and said, "I know I'll never be able to beat Steve Austin or Shane McMahon but at least I can defend myself a little. Right?"
Valerie turned and looked at the Hardy's and the Rock for support.
"Right," they all said at the same time.
Taker still seemed sceptical but he smiled at his daughter and spread his arms. She gladly stepped in and accepted the hug.
Raw: 15-10-2001.
The big night for Valerie. She was nervous as hell and nothing could make her stop shaking. She was in her father's dressingroom accompanied by Taker, Kane, the Hardy's, Lita and Sara. She kept pacing up and down, murmuring to herself that she would be fine.
"You're worse now then you were when you accompanied the Hardy's to the ring," Kane said.
"That's because this situation is worse," Valerie pointed out, chewing on a thumb nail.
"Why don't you sit down, Joyful?" Taker asked.
"Pacing isn't going to make it any better," Lita added.
Valerie turned around with a scowl on her face. "Nothing is going to make this better. Why don't you all just say it? I'm a dumbass for ever accepting this match."
Had the situation been different, everyone would have been taken aback by this outburst. As it was, they understood. That, of course, didn't mean Taker had to approve.
"Snapping ain't gonna help either," he said, putting just enough admonishment in his voice.
Valerie looked slightly sheepish at that and nodded. She looked at everyone and smiled. "Sorry about that."
"No problem," Matt said, a small smile on his face.
"Why don't you sit down?" Lita offered.
Valerie smiled and sat down next to Jeff. She leaned against him and he cradled her in his arms. He whispered to her and she nodded.
Taker's face soured as he saw it and he turned away. He still wasn't happy about it. He would leave it be but he would never be happy about it. Why couldn't she pick someone acceptable? Taker frowned. There really wasn't anyone he would find acceptable for his daughter. Taker sighed and looked at his daughter who was snuggling into Jeff's embrace. She looked happy, maybe she was happy. Maybe.
Raw night and Valerie wasn't doing very well. She was jittery and nervous, her only consolation being her tag team partner. He would make it alright, he had to. She was standing between her father and her uncle feeling very safe but she knew it wouldn't last, they would have to stay backstage while she went out there.
Shane McMahon's music hit the arena and he came out with a smug smile on his face. He got into the ring with an air of confidence about him. Then Stone Cold Steve Austin's music sounded and he came out looking ready for a fight. Valerie could feel her knees go out from under her but quickly made herself stand up straight again. 'Pull yourself together, Val, you have a tag team partner. He'll make it okay.'
Shane walked to Lilian and said something to her. Lilian looked stunned. She reluctantly raised the microphone to her mouth and made the announcement. It had become a no holds barred match.
Valerie's heart very nearly stopped when she heard this and her father had to catch her or she would have fallen to the ground. Kane and Taker were furious and powerless.
"They can't do that, they can't," Valerie said, desperation evident in her voice.
"Well guess what," a Southern voice said from behind them. "They just did."
It was the blonde wife of Steve Austin, Debra. Valerie lunged at her but Taker stopped her. No point in getting into backstage scraps, not right then. Debra laughed but then yelped when she was very nearly knocked down from behind. Lita, who had of course been the one to bump into her, walked past her and casually said, "Oops."
Debra looked enraged but said nothing, merely stormed off.
Lita smiled at Valerie and said, "Good luck, sister golden hair,we'll all be watching."
"Damn right," Matt said from behind her.
Jeff stepped out from behind Matt and Lita and stood in front of Valerie, looking like he wanted nothing more than to whisk her into his arms and carry her to safety.
"Promise me you'll be alright," he said, his voice soft but tense.
"Baby, I can't promise you that," Valerie said, knowing anything else would be a lie.
"Promise me you'll try to be," Jeff amended.
Valerie smiled and kissed Jeff on the lips for a brief moment, before pulling back.
"I promise," she said.
Her father's music sounded and, after crossing herself, she stepped out. The crowd roared in approval when she came into view but she barely heard them. All her attention was focused on the two men in the ring, Austin in particular. As she had expected, Austin immediately tried to get to her when she entered the ring. He shoved past the referee and backed her into a corner, an evil smirk on his face. He reached out for her hair with one hair before music came blaring over the speakers. Music that stopped him dead in his tracks.