A/N : This chapter is from Taker's point of view,there might be some strong opinion about certain wrestlers in this one but please take no offense.
Raw : 17-12-2001.
Taker sat in his dressingroom getting ready for his match.Alot of things went through his mind as he sat there. His relationship with his little girl,how much she would hate him if he went through with it.It mattered but he couldn't let it be,not anymore.
He remembered the day his daughter was born,18½ years earlier.She was the most adorable baby,the light of his life from day one.Red hair,blue eyes,the cutest little nose and dimples when she smiled.His little girl,his little joy.He had come up with her nickname almost right away,she brought such joy to his life,how could her nickname be any different.
He remembered the day she had been admitted in the hospital after a car accident when she was just 6 years old,how scared he had been of losing her,how angry he had been at himself for letting it happen.She meant the world to him,no Valerie,no life.
His little miss know it all,he remembered the day she wanted to go to Florida State University for a degree in health and political science and he had complaned about the cost of it all.She had said:"Remember dad,more costly than a good education is the lack of one".Taker smirked but than frowned.Apparently that didn't count anymore as she was no longer in school,wrestling was everything to her now,well…almost everything.
Which brought him to Jeff Hardy.That boy had been a curse from day one in his eyes,a crease that needed to be smoothed out and tonight Taker would do just that.He would show the boy there was no room in Valerie Calloway's life for him.His little girl would be much better off without Jeff Hardy and one day she would come to realize this.
Taker sighed and sat back,it wouldn't be easy.She'd be furious and she wouldn't wanna see him for a very long time but it'd be worth it if it meant no more Jeff Hardy.Taker knew he was breaking every promise he ever made to Valerie and that she would hate him for it and lord knew he didn't like himself much either but it had to be done.
Taker looked around the room,a certain object catching his eye.He got up and walked to the other side of the room.He picked the object up and turned it around in his hand,it was Valerie's stuffed animal.A hideous,fluffy and pink monstrosity but Valerie loved it.She called it her smoozy.
{Flashback 1995}
"What's a smoozy?" Taker asked.
"You really wanna know?" Valerie asked giggling.
"Yeah" Taker said carefully.
"What's a smoozy?.That is a good question to ask.For a Smoozy is a friend,whose love will last and last.No two Smoozies are alike,though their hearts are always true.Smart and happy they are,bringing Smoozy love to you.They come from a magical place,far far away from here.But to our hearts they have come,to bring laughter and great cheer" Valerie said with a broad smile on her face.
Taker just stood there and after a while he laughed.
"Come here" Taker said with a smile.
Valerie jumped into her father's arms.
{End Flashback}
She must have left it here,Taker suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
"Great,that's all I need,guilt" Taker muttered as he put the animal back down.
He sighed loudly and sat down again.Only 10 more minutes and it would be time for Valerie's match against Trish Stratus for the WWE women's championship.Yep,his daughter was wrestling for the belt and she was gonna win too,Taker was sure of it.
Taker knew it was best to just stay out of Valerie's way for the entire night.He didn't wanna be a hypocrite by pretending nothing was wrong and he wasn't going to do anything to upset her.He wasn't doing it to upset her, he was doing it to protect her but she wouldn't see it that way.
Taker waited for Valerie's match to begin and when it did he watched the screen.He looked on as his daughter came out to her entrance music.A tall red headed Texan,just like her father.She had always been tall,she was 5'7 foot at the age of thirteen but it wasn't until she turned 16 that she really started to grow and she went from 5'7 foot to 6'0 foot.Valerie entered the ring and waited for Trish,the champ.Taker was not impressed,girl couldn't wrestle worth spit yet she had a belt around her waist.A bitch with a belt,but not for long.
The match started and Trish flew at Valerie.Valerie countered easily and sent Trish flat on her face.
"That's right" Taker muttered and smirked.
Valerie however didn't wanna wrestle that way,so she extended her hand to Trish and helped her up.She wanted to wrestle for real,no half-assed stuff.Taker watched as his daughter fought her heart out against Trish. At the end of the match Valerie surprised everybody,including Taker,by nailing Trish with a Last Ride.1,2,3. Valerie was the new Women's champion.Taker smirked and nodded,feeling a wave of pride wash over him.
"That's what being a Calloway is all about" he muttered.
Valerie helped Trish up after the match and they shook hands.Taker found this less encouraging.Why would Valerie be bothered with someone like Trish?.Valerie didn't see it that way as she and Trish hugged.Both of them were attacked by Jazz after the match but Valerie and Trish worked together to put her away.
Taker smiled,his daughter was the new Women's Champion just as she should be and he was going to go out there and do what needed to be done.Than why did he have this nagging feeling in his heart?.Why did he feel like he was going to lose everything tonight?.He pondered this for a while until one of the maggots that worked in the federation as stagehands came to tell him it was time for his match.
Taker shrugged it off and got up.It was time.He walked through the hallway,head held high,chin up,hands by his sides and the aching feeling in his chest.
He was getting ready for his entrance when he heard a soft familiar voice behind him.
"Dad?"
Taker turned around and looked at his daughter,who looked very worried.
"Hey joyful,congratulations on your win tonight,I'm proud of ya" Taker said.
He saw Valerie's face light up for a moment but the smile disappeared again.
"Dad,I have this feeling.A feeling something bad's going to happen" Valerie said,putting her hand on her heart.
Taker briefly touched his heart and than lowered his arm again.They both felt it.Taker swallowed hard and spread his arms.Valerie stepped into his embrace and whispered:
"It's in my heart.It's like I'm going to lose something"
"It'll be okay babygirl,I promise" he said softly.
Valerie broke the hug and looked at her father.Taker knew she much have seen the doubt and the guilt on his face but she didn't say anything.Taker's music hit and Valerie stepped back.She smiled briefly as he walked away.Taker's heart was heavy as he approached the ring,not for the Hardy Boy but for his daughter.
As soon as Jeff Hardy entered the ring,however,Taker's fury was ignited again and he attacked him.He yelled out: "You will respect me,boy" and continued to aggressively dominated Jeff.He put Jeff through alot of physical pain during the match and although Jeff fought hard,it wasn't enough.Taker nailed Jeff with the Last Ride and pinned him.
Taker sat on his bike and thought hard.He had to do it but…He got up from his bike,no buts,it had to be done. He went back into the ring and scared Lita away from Jeff.He picked Jeff up and carried her all the way to the top of the ramp,Lita following him.Taker knew his daughter was on her way down there and that the confrontation wouldn't be pretty.He Last Ride's Jeff off the stage and before Valerie could stop him he threw Lita off as well.Valerie freaked out on him just like he knew she would,what he hadn't expected her to do was to attack him.She hit and kicked him.He let her do it without defending himself.He could see her growing frustrated and she turned away from him.He watched as she climbed down to where Jeff and Lita were and she burst into tears.He walked to the edge of the ramp and looked down at his daughter,who was kneeling down next to the Hardy Boy and the bitch.
"Oh Jeff,I'm so sorry,I had no idea he would do something like this,I had no idea" Valerie sobbed.
Valerie screamed at an employee to get help quickly and she tried to help both Jeff and Lita but they were both badly hurt.Taker watched as his daughter fussed over her boyfriend and her friend and the feeling in his heart returned.Maybe he went too far.Taker frowned,maybe not.Valerie would get over it,someday.
Taker walked away from the scene and to the backstage area.He got a lot of heat from the superstars in the back as he passed by but it didn't matter,he did what he had to do.For the sake of his child.
A/N : Well,a somewhat longer chapter and hopefully more interesting.Read and review and tell me what you think.