It wasn't the greatest place to be, since all the wrestlers snubbed her in the locker room. It was, however, Rose's dream to become a WWE Superstar. Rose was the first ever woman in CZW, which she hated to leave, but she did need more money which Vince offered her. Rose was hoping that everyone would take her for the tough girl she was, without being stereotyped with the blonde-big breasted-bimbos that worked there. Rose was afraid of being called a man just because she could actually fight in a wrestling ring, or being called fat because she wasn't all that skinny or beautiful. I guess you could say Rose was the Mick Foley of female wrestlers. Rose was tough, she didn't take shit from anyone neither, and this is the story of her beginning and end at World Wrestling Entertainment.

            Rose was talking with Paul Heyman, a supervisor on the writing team.

            "You know Rose, if ECW was still around you'd be there wrestling for me." Paul said to her.

            Rose smiled and patted Paul on the back, "Don't I wish!"

            Paul smiled, "Well Rose you know what you gotta do, so go on and do it."

            "I appreciate this Paul. I always loved your work with wrestling." Rose said with a smile on her face.

            "Hey, it's not a problem, I'm only doing my job. I'll see you later in the show ok?" Paul said.

            "Sure," Rose smiled and walked down the hallway and into the locker room.

            There was only 4 females on the Smackdown roster, including her. Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie greeted Rose with nothing but stares and snickers. Rose didn't care, because she knew she was going to be getting a lot more TV time than those bimbos were. Rose put on her jeans and a slightly oversized T-shirt and pulled her hair back and slipped a bandana on her head.

            "Look at her, she knows nothing about beauty." Torrie said to Dawn.

            "Ugh I know, who is ever going to like her?" Dawn replied.

            Nidia nodded in agreement.

            Rose sighed, got up and left. "I really hate stupid whores." Rose said to herself as she walked down the hall.

            "Hey are you the girl from CZW?" A voice said.

            Rose spinned around to face Terry, who normally goes by the name of Rhyno.

            "Yup, that's me. Wow, I never thought I'd be standing in front of Rhyno."

            "Heh Heh, thanks. I just wanted to tell you that I watched some CZW tapes with  you in, and I have to say that you are one tough chick. I never seen a woman take such chair shots, or get cut up like that." Terry said.

            "I have a high tolerance for pain is all. Heh, It's nothing really."

            "I've seen you hit those suplexes too, damn that is fuckin' awesome.!"

            "I never thought I'd see the day where Rhyno would tell me that I'm awesome!" Rose smiled.

            "By the way, you can call my Terry." He offered his hand.

            Rose shook it and smiled, "Alright Terry, thanks."

            Terry smiled and walked away.

            "Muhaha… this is great…." Rose said quietly to herself.

            Smackdown started, it was time for Rose to get into super-tough-bitch mode.  Paul Heyman walked over to Rose.

            "Hey you ready… my new… client!" Paul said with a smile.

            "I've been ready to be your client since I was sixteen man."

            Paul beamed from ear to ear. It was nice for him to feel respected.

            "You think anyone will know who I am?" Rose asked.

            "I think so, and if they don't we'll make them know who you are!"

            "Muhaha…"

            "Alright, c'mon I gotta go cut this interview thing with Matthews. Look mean."

            "No problem." Rose turned her excitement into anger in under 3 seconds, and walked with Paul over to the man with the microphone, Josh Matthews.

            "Mr. Heyman! Mr. Heyman!" Josh shouted.

            "What?"

            "Word is that you will be getting a new client tonight."

            "Once you are right. I will be debuting the tough, the scary, the ruthless….."

            The camera zoomed out to reveal Rose standing off to the side.

            "Her?" Josh pointed to Rose.

            Rose looked like she could break someone's neck in under 5 seconds.

            Heyman looked frustrated. "Yes…HER! My new client Rose will be beating the ever-loving crap out of every damn person here."

            Rose smiled a maniacal grin, the kind that gets people locked up at the mental hospital. Heyman and Rose walked away together.

            "Interesting girl there, huh Cole?" Tazz said to his commentary partner Michael Cole.

            "Yeah, quite the interesting one." Cole answered.

            "Well tonight Cole, you know we have the Bikini Contest, that I will be judging!"

            "Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson in a Bikini Contest… how cool."

            "Totally Cole, this will be great."

            "Dawn Marie and Torrie up next!" Cole said as Smackdown cut to a commercial.

            Rose smiled at Heyman and jumped up and down.

            "Ok Ok, calm down, just remember that you are mean… and ruthless out there." Heyman said with a smile.

            "Heh, naturally!" Rose said with a grin.

            Smackdown came back from commercial and Torrie Wilson's music hit and she walked out to the ring in a robe, and waved to the loud crowd.

            Tazz stood in the ring with the microphone in his hand smiling.

            Dawn Marie soon came down to her cheap music and got into the ring, also in a robe.

            "Ok.. Ok… Now we're gonna be judgin' on dese tomatas by the applause of the audience. Aiight, Dawn Marie youse gets ta go first." Tazz said in his thick New York accent.

            Dawn went to take off her robe when an unfamiliar music hit over the titantron.

            Rose appeared with Paul Heyman right behind her. Rose looked at Paul and motioned to them and laughed.

            Torrie and Dawn looked disgusted.

            Rose waved a mic in the air and put it up to her mouth, "Whoa whoa… what the hell is this? I swear this was World WRESTLING entertainment. Not un-entertaining softcore porn. Hmmmmm…" Rose said as she approached the ring.

            Dawn rolled her eyes, "stupid bitch."

            Rose smiled at her as she got into the ring.

            Tazz looked at Rose. Paul Heyman stood outside of the ring.

            "What are you going to do slut?" Torrie said.

            Rose laughed, "Me? Slut? You must be mistaken, only SLUTS I see in this ring are you 2. Only girls like you can get a job in this business without knowing a DAMN thing about actual wrestling, and no, wrestling in bed with the higher ups doesn't apply."

            Dawn gasped and took a swing a Rose. Rose grabbed her arm and wrenched it back and threw her over the ropes. Rose turned around and grabbed Torrie by the hair, "Ok Bitch…. lets play." Rose dragged her by her hair and chucked her out the ring.

            Tazz stood there like he didn't know what the hell just happened.

            Rose smiled at the carnage and looked over at Tazz. She walked over and stood in front of him. "What the hell are you doing? Didn't you used to be a wrestler? Now you are looking at naked chicks, and sitting next to Michael Cole!? God Tazz, you were once great, now you are a shell of the man you used to be." Rose looked at him in disgust and left the ring. Paul Heyman followed; grinning.

            Tazz stood in the ring and looked around and slowly exited the ring and went back to sit with Cole.

            "What the hell was that all about?" Cole asked.

            Tazz sat silent. Knowing that Rose was right, 100%.

            "Tazz?"

            Tazz cleared his throat as Rose's words echoed through his head. "Huh, yeah? I'm coo'"

            Smackdown went to a commercial after they showed Hogan badmouthing Vince McMahon.

            "Hey Pete, are you alright?" Cole asked seeming concerned.

            "She's right." Tazz looked down.

            "Who's right? What are you talking about?"

            "That… That girl, Rose…. I'm just a shell of a man I used to be."

            "Oh my God Pete, you got to calm down, it's just acting, I'm sure she really doesn't feel that way about you."

            "What if she does man? I am just a shell of a man. I used to be the human suplex machine for fucks sake, now look at me… I'm just a fucking nobody."

            "Pete just take a deep breathe, don't take this all too seriously man."

            Tazz sighed and looked down, "Yeah man, youse right. I gotcha."

            Smackdown came back from commercial.

            Rose stood in the back looking at Heyman as he babbled.

            "That was great out there Rose! I loved that shot you took at Tazz. Ha, it's all true."

            Rose smiled slightly.

            Tazz listened and looked down again, knowing Heyman of all people wouldn't say something like that unless he meant it. Heyman was the man that made Tazz into the man he is…. or was. Cole looked concerned at the depressed Tazz. Tazz let out a sigh and tried to gain composure during this segment.

            "I'm going to get used to this business Heyman." Rose said as she patted him on the back and walked away smiling.

            Rose went back into the women's locker room, she sighed as she opened the door. Nobody was in there so she went into the corner and sat down. she put her head in her hands. Rose was feeling depressed, even when she was smiling with everyone else. She never told anyone the truth about her past, nobody really knew her. Rose had a shady past, her parents died in a car accident a few years ago. She had nobody to turn to for comfort, not for her parents death, not for anything. She always liked wrestling, but never really thought about joining until her parents died. She figured that the physical pain she would inflict on herself would mend her deep emotional pain she had inside. Nobody had ever saw the scars on her wrists from when she tried to kill herself right after her parents had died.  Nobody saw the emotional scars inside her either, she wouldn't let them, she figured anyone that entered her life would leave her or betray her. Nobody knew anything about her, even if they thought they did.

            Rose sobbed quietly as she kept her face covered. Just then the door opened and in walked Nidia. Rose wiped her face and quickly walked out of the locker room.

            "What a bitch." Nidia said.

            By this time Smackdown had ended, and everyone was getting ready to leave. Rose went into the unisex bathroom at the end of the hallway to get some tissue and dry the tears from her eyes and face. She heard something coming from one of the stalls which sounded like a man crying softly.

            "Is everything ok?" Rose asked turning around looking at the almost closed stall. All Rose heard was the faint cry. Rose slightly pushed the door open and saw Pete (Tazz) sitting there crying with a razor blade hovering over his left wrist.

            "Oh my God… what are you doing?" Rose asked. Rose soon had a flashback to where she was sitting in her bathroom with the blade over her wrist. Rose shook her head, "What are you doing? What's wrong…Jesus…" Rose asked in a soft voice.

            "Just let me die, I gots nuthin' to live fo'" Pete said.

            "You got plenty to live for… come on out here and talk to me… please.." Rose asked quietly.

            Pete looked up with tears in his eyes. Pete was the last person on earth she'd ever thought to see crying.

            "Come on…. give me the blade…" Rose said.

            Pete looked at her and put the blade in her hand and stood up and walked out the stall.

            Rose looked at the blade and set it down on the sink. "Why are you doing this…?"

            "You were right." Pete said.

            "Right about what?"

            "I'm just a nobody now, I got nothing left to my name."

            "What… you mean.. from what I said earlier during Smackdown? Is this why you are going to kill yourself? Over some words that were written in a script? I didn't mean anything I said…"

            "I know, but it's true. I'm nothing like I used to be. I have nothing now. My whole world is crashing down around my feet, and I'm powerless to stop it." Pete said as he held his eyes closed with the palms of his hands.

            "This isn't just about what I said… is it?"

            "My life is worthless. I lost my wife and kids to this business. Nobody ever understood me, nobody cared for me either. A lost cause roaming around the streets of Brooklyn was all I was to anyone. I wanted to be a wrestler because I couldn't go anywhere else in life, I wasn't a high achiever, I was just a kid. I was good at what I did, I kicked people ass fo' a livin', but look at me now, I'm NOTHING, a NOBODY." Pete said and he hung his head low.

            "Your life is worth something to somebody, Pete." Rose said softly.

            "What do you know?"

            "I know a lot." Rose said and looked down and sucked up her breath.

            Pete looked at her slightly confused, "You don't know how I feel, nobody knows how I feel."

            Rose looked at Pete. "I tried to kill myself once." Rose pulled off her wristbands and showed Pete the scars on her wrists. "I couldn't take the pain and agony of my parents dying…." Rose looked down, "The emotional pain was too much, and I snapped and slit my wrists. They put me in the hospital for a couple months. I joined wrestling thinking that physical scars would override the emotional ones. When I feel depressed, I go out into the ring and let out my anger and when I get a beating, I feel no emotion. My emotions run out of me with my blood." Rose looked up and sighed, "You are the first person I ever told this to."

            Pete looked at her like he was looking into a mirror. "You do know…."

            Rose looked at him and nodded, "I told you, I know a lot."

            "Why did you just open up now.."

            "I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone, and I guess I'm not either." Rose said and looked at him.

            "Thanks… Rose." Pete said and smiled slightly.

            "If you need someone to talk to Pete, I'm here."

            "And if youse need someone to talk to, I'm all ears."

            Rose took the blade and tossed it into the trash and left.

            Tazz sat on the sink and smiled. A couple minutes later Michael Cole burst into the bathroom.

            "Pete, man you ok?" Michael asked.

            "Yeah man, I'm aiight now…"

            "What happened?" Michael asked.

            "Man, it was nuttin', I'm aiight now." Pete said as he got off the sink and walked out.

            Michael stood there puzzled. Pete always told him what was wrong, he never kept anything from him, or so he thought.

            Rose walked down the hall fiddling with her wristbands trying to get them back in the same place they were to cover up her scars. Then she jumped into Terry and looked up quickly.

            "Hey Rose… Have you been cryin?"

            "Nah, I'm just tired."

            "You sure?" Terry asked.

            "Uh huh, I'm super." Rose put on a smile and walked away. Rose didn't like to lie to people, but she felt she had to. She didn't want anything else to get loose in the locker room, especially WWE's locker room, where rumors fly and get bigger and bigger, and end up all over the internet.

            Rose went back to her hotel.

Rose laid awake on the firm hotel mattress. She stared at the ceiling and pondered. Her mind flooded with depressed thoughts, and Pete jumped in between each thought. She was concerned about him, what she didn't know was that Pete also was concerned about her.

Pete was at his hotel also, he was laying on the tiny loveseat with his knees bent over the arm of the seat and his feet dangling over the edge, his arms bent as he put his hands behind his head. He pondered the same way Rose was, in between the depressed thoughts there she was, smiling at him.  He knew behind that smile was a hurt soul. He was concerned about her.

A week has passed, and there Rose was at the arena in the women's locker room dreading the next 6 hours or so with the women. Vince made all his employees show up at 2 in the afternoon to make sure they got everything down for the show.

"Ugh, this is dreadful." Rose said to herself and looked around.

Dawn Marie walked into the locker room scowling at Rose in the process.

Rose rolled her eyes and tied her shoes.

Torrie Wilson walked in and looks at Dawn Marie, they both started to whisper and snicker. Rose sighed and got up and left. Rose rubbed her wrists.

"People like that drive me into an insane rage." Rose whispered to herself and walked down the hall and sat on a bench.

Pete walked down the hall talking with Michael Cole about the night ahead.

Rose stared at the ground.

Pete saw her sitting there. "Michael, I'll catch up with you later, I forgot something back in the locker room, aiight?"

Michael nodded and walked right past Rose.

Pete waited until Michael turned the corner and walked over to Rose. "Hey…" Pete said as he sat down next to her.

"Huh… oh hey.." Rose said as she sighed.

"You alright?"

"No." Rose said rubbing her wrists.

"Hey.." Pete said as he took her hand, "Don't be thinking like that…"

Rose looked at his hand and felt like jerking her hand away like she always did when someone touched her hands, but she didn't. She didn't know why. She never let anyone touch her, especially her hands or wrists. She was very sensitive about her scars, and feared someone would hurt her if they got near them.

Pete moved his hand and looked at her, seeing the uneasiness in her, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No…." Rose looked up and looked right into Pete's eyes.

Pete looked back into her hazel eyes.

Rose looked away quickly, hating making eye contact with anyone.

"The eyes are the window into the soul." Pete blurted out.

"You won't see much. My soul is gone." Rose said as she looked down.

Pete looked at her, "Your soul isn't gone, it's just lost."

Rose looked up again and looked straight ahead, "A lost soul is kind of hard to find."

"I know, but eventually you will find it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I know."

"What do you know?"

"I know a lot." Pete said quoting Rose as he stood up, "I'll see you later." Pete walked off.

Rose leaned back thinking about what he said.

It was time for Smackdown to go on the air. Rose sat on some boxes near the curtain where she could see out to the ring, but nobody could see her. Rose looked over at Pete next to Cole.

"Rose, you're on in 5 over there." Tom Prichard said motioning toward Paul Heyman standing by the camera.

Rose walked over, "Hey Paul, what's crackalackin'?"

"Hey Hey Rose, I've been looking everywhere for you, is everything alright?"

"Sure, lets just cut this bad boy."

The cameraguy pointed at them, signaling that they were on.

Rose stood there looking homicidal.

"This is Funaki, Smackdown's numba 1 announca here, with Rose and Paul Hay-man. Paul, how is you going to make Rose a big name here in da wwe?" Funaki said in his broken English.

"My client Rose, is the toughest person in this company. Tougher than any man, or any woman. She WILL be WWE champion one day, I tell ya!" Paul said.

Rose grabbed the microphone, "Listen here all you stupid bitches, why don't you show some fucking guts and fight me. Prove to me that you have some kind of damn talent." Rose said as the censors bleeped out all the swears.

"Rose, Rose, you can't swear on TV," Paul said.

"What the fuck do you mean I can't fucking swear on TV?!" Rose said as the censors bleeped out the swears again.

Pete sat at the announcers table and snickered.

"She sure has a foul mouth on her doesn't she?" Cole asked

"Hahaha!" Pete was laughing.

"Lets go Rose," Paul said.

"Fuck this fucking shit! What the fuck?!" Rose walked away as the censors followed right behind her trail of words.

Rose found herself laughing after the cameras went off, "That was fun."

"You and your mouth." Paul said.

"My mouth gets me far, and not that way bastard."

"I didn't say anything."

"I know what you were thinking." Rose said as she walked away.

Dawn Marie walked out the ring.

"Hey Bitch, if you're back there, come on out and fight a real woman!" She called out.

Rose turned around hearing Dawn's voice and looked at the monitor. "I bet she really means that shit too." Rose shook her head and walked over to the front, and snuck into the crowd waiting for the right time to attack.

"C'mon BITCH!" Dawn shouted.

Rose grabbed an unoccupied chair and snuck through the crowd.

"You scared?! You afraid?!" Dawn shouted.

Rose jumped the barricade with the chair and ran into the ring and swung the folding chair, making a loud THWACK noise again Dawn's head. Dawn collapsed in the ring. The referee rang the bell for the match to begin, but just as the match started, Rose pinned the 1,2,3 and won. Rose grabbed a mic and looked down at Dawn's fallen body.

"Heh, inflicting pain is just as fun as enduring it." Rose said with a smirk.

Dawn laid mangled in the ring, while EMT's rushed to her aid.

Rose smiled and headed up the ramp.

Paul Heyman ran up to her backstage, "What was that? I told you not to give into demands from these people!"

"Shut it Paul. I don't need you telling me what to do." Rose said as the camera zoomed in on the confrontation.

            "But you are my client, you do as I say!" Paul shouted.

            "Then guess what Paul. I quit." Rose said and started to walk away.

            "You can't quit! I am the greatest manager ever, nobody leaves Paul Heyman!"

            Rose turned around sharply, "Paul, if you knew how to manage anything, ECW would still be around, and nobody would have left your company."

            Paul looked shocked, "How DARE you!"

            "Ha, I quit, I'll do better by myself! I don't need you or anybody else!" Rose shouted and walked away.

            Heyman stood there in shock.

            Pete smiled, "That is absolutely true, Cole. If Paul knew anything, E C Dub would still be around."

            "Yeah, yeah." Cole said.

            Rose grumbled and went into the bathroom and sat on the sink. "Stupid sons of bitches."

            Pete looked around wondering what he just saw was scripted or real. Pete knew what happened to people who didn't go by the script….

            Rose walked out of the bathroom to be greeted by Vince McMahon himself.

            "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You think you can just break the fucking script like that?! Who the fuck do you think you are, you are nothing here! You are nobody! You have no fucking right. I have nothing else to say to you but this… You're fired." Vince said.

            "WHAT?!" Rose shouted, "You can't fire me!"

            "Watch me. FIRED."

            "What am I supposed to do now?!"

            "That ain't my problem." Vince said and walked away.

            Rose couldn't believe it, she had just been canned and hadn't even been working a week yet. Rose felt the anger bubble up inside her and tears well up in her eyes. Rose ran down the hall and outside into the parking lot. Rose couldn't hold back her tears, and she cried. Rose sat down and leaned against a pillar outside. Rose couldn't stop crying, she just wanted to die right then. Rose pulled out a paperclip from her pocket and un- bended the curves of the paperclip. Rose pulled off one of her wristbands and looked at her scar, she put the paperclip over her wrist and starting picking at the scar. Rose didn't realize she had been outside for a good hour.

            The show was over by this time. Pete and Michael were roaming the halls. Pete was looking around.

            "Something wrong, Pete?" Michael asked.

            "Huh.. no…. " Pete said slowly while looking around. Pete was looking for Rose.

            "You sure man?"

            "Yeah." Pete said as he went into the locker room to change.

            Michael stood outside, "Alright man."

            Pete walked back out with his bag and dressed in some jeans and a pullover.

            "Ready to go?" Michael asked.

            "Yeah." Pete said as they both walked outside.

            Michael continued to walk and Pete stopped, hearing some sort of noise. Pete looked around.

            "What's wrong now?" Michael asked.

            "Nothin'. I forgot somethin', youse can go, I'll see youse next week." Pete said.

            Michael shrugged and walked out to his car.

            Pete looked around, "Hello?"

            Rose was crying and she kept scratching her scar.

            Pete followed the cries and saw Rose behind the pillar.

            "Rose…" Pete said softly as he walked up behind her.

            Rose wiped her eyes quickly, "Why are you here?"

            "I heard you cryin'…." Pete quickly realized that her left wrist was red. "Rose…what are you doing to yourself." Pete asked.

            "I want to die."

            "Rose… why?" He looked at her wrist.

            "They fired me."

            "What…."

            "They fucking fired me!!!"

            "Oh my God…. How could they do that?"

            "Well they did. Vince told me himself, said breaking script was a big no-no, and that I was fucking stupid or something…" Rose trailed off and started to tear up.

            "Rose… shhh…." Pete put his arms around her and hugged her.

            Rose hugged back and cried. Rose felt safe in his arms. Nobody ever held her like this, she never felt so secure. "I tried so hard… I always try and nobody gives me a second chance… ever."

            "Rose it will be ok… It will, trust me."

            "It won't be ok, it's never ok!"

            Pete pulled back slightly and took Rose's hand and looked at her red wrist. "You can't keep doing this to yourself… You told me yourself… killing yourself won't solve anything."

            Rose looked at his hand, then looked at him.

            "I'm sorry…" Pete said and let go of her hand.

            "No… don't be sorry. Thank you Pete. Thank you so much."

            "For what?"

            "Just for… listening to me."

            "You're welcome…." Pete looked at her.

            "Nobody ever listens to me, nobody even hugs me, or cares." A single tear rolled down her cheek

            "No tears." Pete took his thumb and wiped the tear away.

            Rose looked at him.

            Pete blinked and looked at her wrist again. "Let's get you cleaned up."

            Rose nodded and walked back inside.

            Pete let her into the place where the wrestlers get treated for their injuries.

            Rose sat on the cot they had in there, "Do you know what you are doing?"

            "Yeah.. just hold tight for a min." Pete got some gauze and some antiseptic.

            Rose looked at her slightly swollen scar.

            "Ok…this might sting…" Pete said as he put some antiseptic on the wound.

            "Ouch!"

            "I'm sorry… I'm sorry."

            Pete wrapped up her wrist with the gauze slowly.

            Rose watched him.

            He looked up at her.

            "Thanks…." Rose said staring at him.

            "No problem…" Pete finished wrapper her wrist, he held it for a second and brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

            Rose pulled her wrist away and looked at him.

            "Sorry…." Pete said softly.

            "Don't be…"

            Pete stood up and stood in front of her.

            Rose looked at him as her breathing increased.

            Pete lowered his head slightly and kissed her gently on the lips.

            Rose looked at him with shock, then looked down at the floor.

            "I'm…"

            "Not sorry." Rose looked at him, "I have a confession to make…"

            "What…"

            "I have never been kissed before."

            Pete looked at her, "Now you have." Pete said and lowered his head and kissed her again.

            Rose looked down, "Why you kiss me?"

            "I…. I don't know…" Pete looked at her.

            "I'm strongly attracted to you Pete…."

            "And I to you…"

            Rose thought she was worthless, she thought she wasn't pretty, smart, or talented. Rose had very low self-esteem, but now someone saw her for what she was really worth. Rose didn't know how to react to this new feeling.

            A long awkward silence fell upon the room.

            Pete smiled slightly and kissed her softly on her bandaged wrist. "Let me take you back to the hotel."

            Rose nodded and they both left to go back to the hotel.

            Pete pulled up to her hotel, "You going to be ok by yourself, Rose?"

            "Yeah.. Thank's…. for everything…" Rose said softly and got out the car.

            Pete watched her as she disappeared into her first floor room.

            Rose went into her room and went straight over to her bed and plopped down on it. She stared at the ceiling just thinking about what happened. She rubbed her wrist slightly and fell asleep. Her thoughts took over her as she started to dream.

            Rose hadn't had a dream in a long time since the medication she was on overpowered her mind during the night. But this was a dream.

She couldn't see anything, it was pitch black, but she knew something was about to happen. She felt a hand on her shoulder, so she turned around. Pete was standing there.

            "Hey…." Rose said softly. The room started to lighten slowly.

            "Rose…" Pete said as he disappeared into the darkness of the room.

            "Pete… come back!"

            "Follow me…" she heard his voice in a faint whisper.

            Rose walked slowly through the room as it got lighter. She soon noticed the room was lit with candles.

            Pete walked over to her and took her wrists and kissed them. Rose looked at her wrists and her scars were gone.

            "What's going on…" Rose asked.

            "I'm going to make you happy."

            "Happy…Happy?" Rose asked as if it were a question, as if she didn't know the meaning of the word.

            Pete laid her down on a bed ornamented with black satin sheets and rose pedals. He got on top of her and straddled her body. Rose was silent. Pete pressed his lips against hers in a deep, passionate kiss.

            "Rose, I know everything you are feeling. I know what you want, what you desire. I know your deepest, darkest fantasies…" Pete whispered as he slowly lowered his lips to her neck.

            Rose felt her body shiver as Pete slowly started to bite her neck. Rose wanted to feel pain, but all she felt was pleasure. Pete continued to bite her neck, he bit her so hard that he drew blood. Pete slowly licked her wound. Rose moaned softly in pleasure. Pete took her wrists and pinned them down to the bed and continued to taste her sweet flesh in his mouth.

            "Let yourself be free…" Pete whispered in her ear.

            Rose looked into his eyes. His eyes were dark, but they weren't cold. His eyes seemed to give her the signal that it was ok for her to let go. Let go of her emotions, let all her emotions out right there. Rose slowly lifted her head and kissed him. Pete's hands traveled from her wrists down over her supple breasts.

            "Bite me…." Rose whispered in his ear.

            Pete gave into her command and dragged his teeth along the flesh of her neck.

            Rose moaned. Pete slowly got up off her.

            "Don't go…" Rose whispered.

            Pete bent over and picked something up from the floor.

            Rose turned her head to see what it was.

            "Close your eyes…" Pete whispered to her.

            Rose did as she was told and felt something cold wrap around her wrists. Rose opened her eyes to notice Pete had handcuffed her to the bed.

            "What are you doing…" Rose asked.

            "This is what you were thinking…." Pete said and got back on top of her and kissed her.

            "How did…."

            "I know?"

            "Yeah…."

            Pete smiled and whispered, "I told you… I know what you want and what you desire. Our souls are one, Rose."

            Rose didn't understand.

            "Our souls are one…. I will prove it to you …." Pete whispered as he pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head.

            Rose watched, wanting to touch his chest.

            "You will get to touch…" Pete whispered as he pulled off Rose's black skirt.

            Rose tugged on the cuffs.

            "Don't worry…" Pete whispered as he slipped off his pants and straddled her unadulterated body.

            Pete slowly un-cuffed her wrists and kissed them. "Let your hands explore..."

            Rose slowly brought her hands up to his chest and slowly let her fingers flow down his body. Pete watched her hands as they explored his strong body.

            Rose looked into his eyes wanted reassurance that everything would be alright.

            "I will take fine care of you, Rose." Pete whispered into her ear as he lowered himself into her.

            Rose closed her eyes as she felt him go deeper inside of her.

            "Oh Rose…." Pete whispered as he slowly tried to satisfy her, "Rose… let go…."

            Rose looked up at him and moaned softly. Pete continued to pick up the pace. Rose soon was in sheer ecstasy. Her body and his were in rhythm together. Her moans echoed through the candle lit room.

            BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

            A loud noise awoke Rose from her erotic dream. Rose looked around to see that her alarm clock was noisily beeping. Rose got up angrily and threw the alarm clock into the wall smashing it into thousands of pieces.

            "Fuck." Rose said angrily and sat down on her bed resting her face in her hands. Rose realized she had to go home today, she had no job, no nothing. Rose started to cry. Pete's words echoed through her head No tears. Rose looked up and sighed. Rose walked out of the bedroom. She walked across the cold floor on her bare feet, something crunched slightly under her left foot, she looked down and it was a folded piece of paper. She bent over and picked it up and unfolded it.

            "What's this…" Rose said softly and she started to read it aloud.

            "I never thought I could love someone so much. My sanity must be leaving me. My heart yearns for you Rose. I can't stop thinking how much I want to lock you in my embrace forever. A few hours, a few days, a few weeks told me, told me I want to be with you for years. Now you are leaving. Before you go, I want you to know that you will be in my thoughts and dreams forever….

                                    -Pete"

            Rose blinked and looked at the letter again. Rose folded up the paper and put it on the table. She went and got dressed and grabbed the letter and walked out the hotel. Rose got on her cell phone and called for a cab since she didn't have a ride. Rose got into the cab and she told the driver to take her to the Hilton, where Pete was staying. The cab pulled up and Rose got out and ran into the lobby.

            "Peter Senerchia please." Rose said trying to catch her breath hoping Pete hadn't left yet.

            "Room 215," The man at the desk said.

            Rose ran to the elevator and it opened and Pete was standing right there.

            "Rose?" Pete shouted.

            "Pete….. Did you mean what you said…" Rose took the letter out of her pocket and held it up.

            "Every last word." Pete said looking into her eyes, and being as serious could be.

            Rose moved close to him.

            Pete took her into his arms and kissed her, "Run away with me…" He said softly.

            Rose looked at him, "What about your job?"

            "I gave Vince my notice this morning."

            "But how did you know I'd show up…"

            "Because I knew…" Pete whispered to her.

            Rose shivered.

            Pete held her hands, "I love you. I want to spend eternity with you."

            Rose looked at him not believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

            "I had a dream last night about you, and for some reason it told me that me and you were meant for each other." Pete said.

            Rose blinked, "I had a dream too…"

            "Really?"

            "Yeah…"

            Pete picked her up into his arms and carried her out to his car.

            Rose giggled. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

            Pete and Rose got into the car and they drove off, to nowhere in particular.

            Pete drove, and drove. Rose was asleep in the passenger side. Pete approached a blinking yellow light, and went through it.

Rose awoke to the sound of tires screeching and glass breaking. Her body was thrown violently thrown forward, as Pete's body laid unconscious and bleeding in the driver's side. The car that had the blinking red light didn't stop, and crashed into Pete's car.

Next thing Rose knew she was laying in a hospital bed with a bandage around her head.

"What happened?" Rose asked quietly as she looked at the doctor who was tending to the person lying in the bed next to her. Rose soon realized that person was Pete.

            "You both were in a serious car accident." The doctor said as he checked Pete's vitals.

            "Is he going to be alright?!" Rose asked; very worried.

            The doctor looked at her, "Lay back down Rose, you suffered a concussion, you need to rest."

            "I don't care about me! What about Pete? Is he going to be alright?"

            The doctor walked over to her. "His chances of survival are very slim, but we are doing our best."

            Rose's eyes welled up with tears, "Fix him! Make him better!" Rose screamed.

            The doctored took her hand, "We are doing our best Rose… Believe me we are. Lay down sweetheart."

            Rose laid back down and covered her face.

            The doctored sighed and walked out of the room.

            Tears were flowing down Rose's face as she looked over at him. Pete was hooked up on every machine imaginable. Tubes and pumps were everywhere.

            Rose remembered her parents in this same position. Seeing Pete hooked up to all these things made Rose think about her dead parents. Rose started to cry even more. Rose pulled her IV out of her arm and staggered over to his bedside. She looked over him, and climbed into his bed on top of him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

            "I love you Pete…." Rose whispered to him hoping he'd hear her. Rose's tears soaked his shoulder. "Please don't leave me…"

            Pete's heart race increased as she whispered to him. Rose looked at the heart monitor and looked at him knowing he could hear her. Rose rested her head back on his shoulder and cried. Rose knew he was in pain, and wouldn't be the same when and if he woke up.

            Rose whispered, "Sleep my precious darling. We shall sleep forever. For all eternity… together…" Rose looked around and spotted a bottle of sleeping pills on the table adjacent to the bed, that the doctor accidentally left behind. Rose picked up the bottle and opened it slowly. Rose took a deep breath and slowly downed all 30 pills that were in the bottle. She laid back down on Pete. "I love you …." Rose whispered and faded off. Rose fell into her permanent sleep.

            Pete's heart soon stopped beating. The doctor rushed in, but it was too late. Pete was gone.

Pete and Rose passed onto the other side, forever in each others arms. Forever… Together.