Title: The Road Less Traveled (10/?)
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thank you, thank you for the review! THANK YOU! (I love reviews, and appreciate them all.) Andrew and Jeff are still wondering about how to find Rio. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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"Hey, you think I can get a match against Jeff tonight?"
Lance gave his partner an are-you-out-of-mind look before he answered. "I highly doubt it, Drew. He's not in any of our storylines right now."
"I think we should ask the writers to work him in," Andrew said, looking disappointed. "It's not like he's got anything solid right now. He's American, we're the Un-Americans. . ."
Jay walked into the locker room in time to hear this last statement. He couldn't help but give Drew a trademark smirk. "Still annoyed with Jeff, huh?"
"You knew who we were talking about?" Lance asked Jay, amused.
Jay negligently lifted a shoulder. "How could I not? He's been muttering about him for the last two days."
"I have NOT!" Andrew sputtered, slamming open the door and leaving in a huff.
Jay and Lance exchanged smirks.
--------------------------------------
"I'm fine, Matt," Jeff said into his cell phone . . . again.
Matt had gone into full overprotective brother mode after they left the club the other night. Jeff was secretly relieved that he and his brother weren't traveling together this week. Most of the time he missed him, but sometimes (like now) he just wanted to be left alone, and if Matt were here that's the last thing he'd do.
"Well, just make sure ya concentrate on yer trainin' and matches," Matt replied. He worried for the umpteenth time that day that Jeff was going to try to find a certain silver chick. When his brother fixated on something, it became an obsession. Usually, Matt was there to knock his head back on straight, but since he was moved to Smackdown, Jeff's been left to his own devices.
"I will," Jeff assured him. Matt wasn't fooled.
"Make sure ya stay away from little silver distractions, too," he ordered.
Jeff chuckled. "Yessir, daddy."
"Not funny. "
"Hey, Shanny told me he's back this week," Jeff said excitedly. "About time."
"Yeah," Matt answered. "They still haven't found the S.O.B. that did it though."
Jeff grunted. Shannon was one of his best friends and he didn't like what had happened at that Indy show two months ago. There were performers from all over the world participating in it. One had decided to streak into the middle of Shannon's match and twist his ankle in a manner in which no ankle should be. He'd been on the injured list ever since. The heavily costumed offender disappeared as quickly as he emerged, leaving no clues. Hopefully, Vince will change his new policy about letting WWE performers do these shows. The exposure was good for the company but this latest development showed the disadvantages could far outweigh the benefits.
"I hope they get 'em," Jeff said.
"I hope so, too."
"Well look after him fo' me, Matty."
"I will," Matt said. "I need a new project now that you're not wit' me."
"Betta Shanny than me," Jeff teased.
--------------------------------------
Rio felt her phone vibrate in her purse at the airport just after she got her boarding pass. She retrieved it as she looked for signs leading to her gate.
"Hello?"
"Sweet one," said a deep voice tinged with a Scandinavian accent.
"Sven!" she exclaimed, slipping immediately back into her native New England voice. "How are you?"
"Remember to keep the Russian accent in public, little one," Sven said. "I'm fine, and you?"
"I'm better now that I know you and Justin are near," she said, pasting the 'Rio' voice back into place. "Where exactly are you anyway?"
"Near enough."
"But I want to see you both," Rio said in a rare pout. She never allowed herself to show emotion usually, but this was Sven and he and Justin knew her too well for her to be concerned about hidden agendas.
"I know, sweet one," he said kindly. "You will. Eventually. First we are observing this organization you have joined. We are not happy with its owner."
"Justin has already mentioned his misgivings on the subject," Rio sighed. "You both know why I must do it alone."
"We know," he said. "But we don't have to like it."
"I never thought I would get to see you guys again."
"We thought it was best to return you to the real world," Sven explained slowly. "But we have decided it was mistake to leave you."
Alarmed, Rio stopped walking. "What do you mean by that? There was unfinished business. I needed to settle things, Sven."
"Yes," he said. "But it would have been easier on us if we'd kept you with us."
"I cannot hide behind you forever."
"Can't you?"
"Geez, you two are worse than any overprotective parent."
Sven laughed softly. "Don't worry. We will not ground you, sweet. We will just watch over you as always."
Rio quirked her mouth up into a smile. "Okay. That I will allow."
"As if you could stop us," he said. "I would like you to email us any and all information you have on this club you are in."
"Email you? You have email?"
"Yes, we have email, sweet one," Sven said patiently. "I want to know approximately how many performers there are, who are the boss' favorites, that sort of thing."
"Why do you want this?" Rio asked.
"We wish to make sure we know everything about it," he replied. "You are very important to us and we want to make sure you are safe. You are on the inside. Right now, you can answer all of these things."
"I am not online."
"You will find a laptop waiting for you in the overhead compartment above your seat. There will be a detailed list of instructions, your new email address and a page of questions we want answers to."
Rio looked around her as she spoke. "You are here now, aren't you?"
"Please do this for us, sweet one," Sven said. "You know we will get the information anyway."
Rio sighed again. She knew the battle was lost before she even started. She could never refuse them after all they had done for her. Besides, the computer would give her another means by which to keep in contact with her 'family' now. "I will send it to you as soon as I can."
"I appreciate that."
"Sven . . ."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the computer."
"You are going to set up a Rio web site, aren't you?"
Now it was Rio's turn to laugh.
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thank you, thank you for the review! THANK YOU! (I love reviews, and appreciate them all.) Andrew and Jeff are still wondering about how to find Rio. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
--------------------------------------
"Hey, you think I can get a match against Jeff tonight?"
Lance gave his partner an are-you-out-of-mind look before he answered. "I highly doubt it, Drew. He's not in any of our storylines right now."
"I think we should ask the writers to work him in," Andrew said, looking disappointed. "It's not like he's got anything solid right now. He's American, we're the Un-Americans. . ."
Jay walked into the locker room in time to hear this last statement. He couldn't help but give Drew a trademark smirk. "Still annoyed with Jeff, huh?"
"You knew who we were talking about?" Lance asked Jay, amused.
Jay negligently lifted a shoulder. "How could I not? He's been muttering about him for the last two days."
"I have NOT!" Andrew sputtered, slamming open the door and leaving in a huff.
Jay and Lance exchanged smirks.
--------------------------------------
"I'm fine, Matt," Jeff said into his cell phone . . . again.
Matt had gone into full overprotective brother mode after they left the club the other night. Jeff was secretly relieved that he and his brother weren't traveling together this week. Most of the time he missed him, but sometimes (like now) he just wanted to be left alone, and if Matt were here that's the last thing he'd do.
"Well, just make sure ya concentrate on yer trainin' and matches," Matt replied. He worried for the umpteenth time that day that Jeff was going to try to find a certain silver chick. When his brother fixated on something, it became an obsession. Usually, Matt was there to knock his head back on straight, but since he was moved to Smackdown, Jeff's been left to his own devices.
"I will," Jeff assured him. Matt wasn't fooled.
"Make sure ya stay away from little silver distractions, too," he ordered.
Jeff chuckled. "Yessir, daddy."
"Not funny. "
"Hey, Shanny told me he's back this week," Jeff said excitedly. "About time."
"Yeah," Matt answered. "They still haven't found the S.O.B. that did it though."
Jeff grunted. Shannon was one of his best friends and he didn't like what had happened at that Indy show two months ago. There were performers from all over the world participating in it. One had decided to streak into the middle of Shannon's match and twist his ankle in a manner in which no ankle should be. He'd been on the injured list ever since. The heavily costumed offender disappeared as quickly as he emerged, leaving no clues. Hopefully, Vince will change his new policy about letting WWE performers do these shows. The exposure was good for the company but this latest development showed the disadvantages could far outweigh the benefits.
"I hope they get 'em," Jeff said.
"I hope so, too."
"Well look after him fo' me, Matty."
"I will," Matt said. "I need a new project now that you're not wit' me."
"Betta Shanny than me," Jeff teased.
--------------------------------------
Rio felt her phone vibrate in her purse at the airport just after she got her boarding pass. She retrieved it as she looked for signs leading to her gate.
"Hello?"
"Sweet one," said a deep voice tinged with a Scandinavian accent.
"Sven!" she exclaimed, slipping immediately back into her native New England voice. "How are you?"
"Remember to keep the Russian accent in public, little one," Sven said. "I'm fine, and you?"
"I'm better now that I know you and Justin are near," she said, pasting the 'Rio' voice back into place. "Where exactly are you anyway?"
"Near enough."
"But I want to see you both," Rio said in a rare pout. She never allowed herself to show emotion usually, but this was Sven and he and Justin knew her too well for her to be concerned about hidden agendas.
"I know, sweet one," he said kindly. "You will. Eventually. First we are observing this organization you have joined. We are not happy with its owner."
"Justin has already mentioned his misgivings on the subject," Rio sighed. "You both know why I must do it alone."
"We know," he said. "But we don't have to like it."
"I never thought I would get to see you guys again."
"We thought it was best to return you to the real world," Sven explained slowly. "But we have decided it was mistake to leave you."
Alarmed, Rio stopped walking. "What do you mean by that? There was unfinished business. I needed to settle things, Sven."
"Yes," he said. "But it would have been easier on us if we'd kept you with us."
"I cannot hide behind you forever."
"Can't you?"
"Geez, you two are worse than any overprotective parent."
Sven laughed softly. "Don't worry. We will not ground you, sweet. We will just watch over you as always."
Rio quirked her mouth up into a smile. "Okay. That I will allow."
"As if you could stop us," he said. "I would like you to email us any and all information you have on this club you are in."
"Email you? You have email?"
"Yes, we have email, sweet one," Sven said patiently. "I want to know approximately how many performers there are, who are the boss' favorites, that sort of thing."
"Why do you want this?" Rio asked.
"We wish to make sure we know everything about it," he replied. "You are very important to us and we want to make sure you are safe. You are on the inside. Right now, you can answer all of these things."
"I am not online."
"You will find a laptop waiting for you in the overhead compartment above your seat. There will be a detailed list of instructions, your new email address and a page of questions we want answers to."
Rio looked around her as she spoke. "You are here now, aren't you?"
"Please do this for us, sweet one," Sven said. "You know we will get the information anyway."
Rio sighed again. She knew the battle was lost before she even started. She could never refuse them after all they had done for her. Besides, the computer would give her another means by which to keep in contact with her 'family' now. "I will send it to you as soon as I can."
"I appreciate that."
"Sven . . ."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the computer."
"You are going to set up a Rio web site, aren't you?"
Now it was Rio's turn to laugh.