PART 24

AUGUST 15, 2002

Dwayne Johnson headed toward the locker room area in search of Adam.  He had to speak with him about their match that night.  Finally reaching the locker room he was looking for, he pushed the door open and made his way in.  He nodded hello to Matt Hardy and Billy Kidman, spotting Adam in the back of the room

"Adam," he called, making his way over to him.  The Canadian looked up, grabbing a seat against the wall as he responded,

"Hey Dwayne.  I heard we're teaming up tonight."  Dwayne nodded, sitting next to him.

"Yup.  Main event too, against Benoit and Guerrero," he added.

"Cool.  Should be a hell of a match," Adam said, sorting some of his things out.

Dwayne sighed, "You're right, it will be.  But, um, that's not really why I came in here.  I… I need to talk to you."

Adam raised an eyebrow, "Oh… okay… what's up then?"  Dwayne sighed again, rubbing his eyes before speaking.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, I'm facing Brock Lesnar this Sunday at Summerslam.  And seeing as how this is the last show before a pay-per-view, we have to have some sort of confrontation," the Great One explained.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with me," Adam lied, hoping that Dwayne wouldn't notice that he was already turning red at the thought of standing in the same ring as that bastard.  However, the Undisputed Champion saw right through the act, just by the way the Canadian grunted at the mention of Lesnar's name.

"Look Adam, I know the two of you have major ass problems with each other okay?  I just want to make sure nothing happens in the ring tonight that isn't written into the show.  I also figured that I should remind that your girlfriend will be in your corner, cause Brock will be coming out there," Dwayne said, watching Adam's eyes widen at the sudden realization.

"Let him lay a finger on her… I'll kill him.  Maybe we can work a… wait a minute, how do you know about Brock and Britney?" he asked suspiciously.  Adam thought their circle of close friends were the only ones who knew what had happened.  Not that Adam didn't consider Dwayne a friend… he just wasn't really around when any of it was happening.

"Mark told me.  I-I wasn't snooping or anything, he just kinda showed up and told me what he knew."  Adam nodded in response, so Dwayne continued.  "So anyway, I know that this could be a segment with a whole lot of tension, so I'm doing my best to minimize it.  This is what we're going to do.  After we win, we jump up, shake hands, raise arms.  After that, don't waste time… just hop out of the ring, grab Britney, and get the hell away from the ring.  You should be headed up the ramp just as he gets to the bottom."

"No, we don't need to do all that.  I won't screw anything up, I promise.  Besides, the fans will know something's up if me and Brit just book ass right after the match.  We always hang around for a minute or two during commercial," Adam said, shaking his head.  Dwayne shook his head as well.

"Well, the Edgeheads will just have to suffer for one night.  I'm just trying to help the situation for everyone.  For the sake of the show, because the fans will be confused as hell if Edge and Brock have the intense stare down when it's supposed to be a Rock/Brock stare down.  For your sake, cause Lord knows the shit load of trouble you'd be in if you got in a fight on TV.  And most importantly, for Britney's sake, cause God knows she's not gonna want to be out there with him.  For everyone's sake, just do like I said, okay?" he pleaded, hoping the Canadian had enough sense to agree.  Adam was reluctant, but he went along with it… for Britney's sake.

"Fine.  Just don't mention this to Britney… as a matter of fact, don't even tell her he's coming out.  I'd rather just get her out of there confused than to have her worrying all day," he said, to which Dwayne nodded.  He stood and shook hands with the slightly younger man, satisfied with the outcome of their conversation.  This show will go perfectly, whether Brock Lesnar likes it or not.

THAT NIGHT

"Come on Edge!" Britney screamed, pounding on the ring apron.  She had been playing the role of his manager/valet for awhile now, even before they started going out.  Stephanie and the creative department decided they meshed well… and the fans ate it up.  She smiled as she heard the crowd chanting her name, as they often did when she was competing or simply valeting.  She shivered as she felt goosebumps cover her skin… it was a pretty cool feeling.  She got back into the match as the crowd did.  She began to watch more intently as she knew her spot was coming up soon.  She watched Rocky toss Chris Benoit over the top rope and on to the mat by the announcers' table.  Referee Mike Chioda turned his back to the ring to try and get the other two men back into the ring.  Meanwhile, Edge jumped to the top rope and flew off, attempting to knock Eddie Guerrero down with a cross body.  Latino Heat saw it though, and he flattened the four-time Intercontinental Champion onto the mat.  Britney's hands flew to her mouth as she watched Edge grimace in pain.  She cautiously checked to see if Chioda was still preoccupied… and then she went up.

"Referee Mike Chioda still a little tied up with Rock and Benoit, he doesn't see that Eddie Guerrero, who is the illegal man, stomping a hole in Edge.  He's really tearing into him," Michael Cole called into his headset from the announcers' table.  "You ain't kiddin.  Edge is just getting the hell beat out of him.  Really man, he's getting the snot kicked outta him and… hey, check out Britney!  She's gonna fly!"

Tazz called the match enthusiastically, gesturing to the diva as she climbed to the top rope.  She perched herself up there, waiting for Eddie Guerrero to make the mistake of turning around.  When he did, she flew, connecting to his face with a crisp missile dropkick.  The crowd went nuts as she slid out of the ring just as Chioda turned back in.  A few minutes later, the match was over, Edge and the Rock having won the bout.  Britney watched Dwayne raise Adam's arm, and the two men shook hands.  She went to slide in to join them, but she noticed Adam sliding out of the ring.  He grabbed her hand and started pulling her away from the ring.

As they started up the ramp, Britney questioned him, "What the hell are you doing?"

Still waving and sending everyone that huge Edge grin, he replied, "Don't worry.  Just come on."

Britney was confused but she walked with him anyway.  Suddenly, a huge blur of muscle shot past her, bumping into her and almost knocking her completely onto her back.  She straightened up, wondering why Adam's grip on her hand had tightened so much.  Looking up into the ring, she instantly realized why.  The big ball of muscle in the ring, who was currently fist-fighting with the Rock, was none other than Brock Lesnar.

THREE WEEKS LATER

Stephanie sat in her hotel room with Matt, Amy, Britney, and Adam.  The five of them were waiting for Jay, who was in a meeting with Vince McMahon, to get back so they could decide on how they were going to spend their night off.  They were all hanging out, and the atmosphere was very mellow… until Jay stormed through the door.  He flung the door open, slammed it shut, stomped over to the group and threw himself down on the chair all in a huff.

"Wow… bad day?" Matt asked, cracking a smile.

"Fuck you," Jay retorted, sighing loudly.

"What happened babe?" Stephanie asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, as you know Steph, Levesque and Heyman butted into yet another production meeting and suggested that the UnAmericans should all look alike and that means Drew and I would get hair cuts.  Apparently, your father thinks that it would be a grand idea, so he told us we had to do it.  Drew wasn't too thrilled and said that he'd rather not.  Well, I told him to flat out fuck the idea up the ass… and he wasn't too happy.  He ranted and bitched for a half hour on how he should have never 'let Stephanie talk me into pushing such an ungrateful ass.'  Like I don't work my fucking ass off every damn week," Jay said bitterly.  He wished he just didn't go to the meeting altogether.  Scratch that, he wished Paul Levesque wasn't such an asshole.

"Why is it such a big deal?  To Vince, I mean.  What does he care if you keep your hair long.  I mean, he knows that storylines don't last forever, especially ones in this company.  So what's the big deal?" Britney asked, looking at Adam, who just shrugged.

"Because it was Levesque's idea, and Vince is his pigeon.  What Paulie says goes," Jay answered.  The others, even Britney and Stephanie, couldn't help but agree.

"But why the hell would Paul suggest that?  What would he gain from it?" Amy asked curiously.

"Lets just say he doesn't hold me in high regard, Red.  He's not too fond of some comments I made to him… and the fact the I'm with Steph.  You, uh… you could say our relationship is a slightly less hateful Adam and Brock.  He'd pretty much do whatever he could to hurt me or piss me off.  And he's succeeded, because now I'll be shoved back down to lower mid-card to rot yet again…"

"Jay, don't say that.  Everything will work out, I promise," Stephanie assured him.

He sent his girlfriend and the rest of his friends an uneasy half smile, "I sure hope so."