Title: The Road Less Traveled (13/?)
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: Rio and Jeff make a plan to keep Shannon safe. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
--------------------------------------
"Rio?" Jeff asked cautiously.
"Yes, Jeff," she answered, sounding urgent. "We really need to talk."
"I thought ya preferred talkin' to Drew."
"Please do not get into a pout over that, Jeff," Rio said, sighing heavily into the phone. "Andrew was acting irrationally and I worried for your safety."
Jeff suddenly felt a warm sensation in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know how, but she'd just defused his entire bad mood. Well, hopefully she didn't know she had such a profound effect on him.
"Sorry," he said. "Wha' can I do fo' ya?"
"Is one of your friends named Shannon?"
"Uh, yes," Jeff was becoming very confused now. How did Shannon figure into this?
"Was he injured recently?"
Jeff gripped the phone tightly. As much as he liked Rio, if she had anything to do with his best friend's injuries, Jeff would be very unforgiving.
"Wha' do ya kno' about that?" he asked her in a harsh tone.
"I promise you," she assured him, as if she read his mind, "if I had anything to do with it, I would not have let him off with that minor warning."
"MINA WARNIN'?" Jeff exclaimed. "Tha' ankle kep' 'im out fo' TWO MONTHS!"
"I am aware of what that injury would do," Rio said. "I have inflicted it enough times."
Jeff was incensed. This was definitely not the woman he thought he was getting to know and he was suddenly quite wary of her.
"Are ya callin' t' tell me ya kno' somethin' about Shannon?" he demanded.
"I'm trying to tell you that," she half whispered pleadingly into the phone. "I would not have saved you and your brother the other night if I had any malicious intentions, Jeff."
Jeff paused, startled by her demonstrative response. Although he had had only one other conversation with the tiny silver woman, he instinctively knew she was not given to fits of emotion. He suddenly felt like he was punishing an innocent for an offense she knew little about. It was hard for him to put aside his protective instincts for Shannon, but he knew he had to in order to get the information she was trying to give him. Matt was always better at this sort of thing.
"I'm sorry, Rio," he said softly. "I'm jus' vera worried 'bout 'im. He's like a brotha t' me."
"Yes," she answered. "I got that."
Jeff sighed and they were both silent for a moment. Just when he thought she'd probably given up and was going to hang up on him, she spoke.
"Do you remember the two assholes who attacked you?"
"As much as I can rememba two masked men," he replied.
"They are the ones that attacked your friend, Shannon, at that show he did two months ago."
"Ha' didja fin' out?" Jeff asked, highly pissed.
"I heard them talking," Rio answered. "I lurk in the shadows backstage a lot. And, Jeff, that's not all."
"Go on," he quietly ordered, no longer angry at Rio. He was convinced she was being truthful with him now because he could hear the sincerity in her voice.
"Apparently my scumbag boss has contributed to the situation."
"What!?"
"Henry is the instigator," she explained. "I heard them talking about the bonus they would get for taking out a known performer, particularly a WWE performer."
"Son ova bitch!"
"Jeff, I am truly sorry. I had no idea this was going on."
"Wouldja 'ave cared?" he snorted.
Rio was silent for a moment. Jeff couldn't blame her. The remark had slipped out before he'd thought about it. And now it sounded quite insulting, even to his own ears. Why couldn't he control his mouth, just this once? If Matt were here, he'd be shaking his head in disgust.
"I know you have no reason to believe me," Rio began carefully. "I would probably feel the same, were I in your position."
"Rio, I'm really sorry . . ."
"Let me finish," she interrupted. "As I was saying, I know you have a right to feel that way. But I had a family once. People I loved very much; who were the center of my world. I know what it is like to lose that."
"You did?"
"Did you think I was always this way?" she asked. Jeff was envisioning the sad smile that always seemed to tug at her lips when he'd seen her.
"No . . . um . . . I guess I neva thought 'bout it."
"No," she said sadly. "No one usually does, do they? I guess you know what I mean about that."
Jeff did know, he thought miserably. How many times had he and Matt talked about the fans that adored them? The very ones they worked so hard to entertain. The ones who thought they knew everything about them. He'd learned early on his career never to fall for a fan. They tried to mold you into what they thought you were, ignoring your inner soul. Now he realized he'd been doing the same thing to Rio.
"I don' kno' how many mo' times I'm gonna apologize tonight, but again, I'm sorry."
"It is all right, Jeff," she said softly. "I am not offended."
"Why d'ya do it?"
"Do what?"
"Why d'ya fight inna circuit like ya do?"
"What answer would you like?"
"How 'bout th' truth?"
"I'm not sure anymore," she admitted. "I started out needing the money, but now . . . well, I don't know."
Jeff was suddenly very sad for her.
"If ya eva wanna talk," he offered, "I'm only a phone call away."
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied. "Now, what shall we do about this little situation?"
"Oh, shit," Jeff said, rubbing his temple with his free hand. "Shanny said he's gonna go back inna few weeks t' try t' flush out his attacka."
"Damn," Rio agreed. "Grendel is hoping for such a chance."
"Well, I have Shanny's back," he said determinedly. He knew Rio wouldn't like that any better than Shannon did.
"As nice as that is," she answered carefully, "you are going to need someone to have your back. Have you forgotten about Sinbad?"
"Are ya offerin'?"
"Are you interested?"
"Are ya kiddin?" Jeff grinned broadly as he answered. "Like I would eva pass up a chance to pair up wit' ya, lady!"
Rio chuckled. "This should be interesting."
"Yeah," he said. "Ya kno' this could be a whole new version of Team Xtreme."
"Ah," Rio groaned. "I don't think so. I mean no offense. Remember, we still have to go back to our own worlds after."
"Oh yeah," Jeff said, disappointed. "Hey, is this gonna ruin any plans ya got in yo' future wit' tha' hellhole company o' yaws?"
"Oh, probably," she said, laughing. "But then again, Henry hates me so much it might take something this radical to get me a title shot."
"He hates ya?"
"Oh, yes."
"Why?"
"I'm a girl," she said simply. "A very tiny girl . . . who shows him that being a woman isn't the weakness he thinks it is. It pisses him off."
"I see," he said. "I 'ave a friend who says things like that."
"How is Lita doing?"
Jeff smiled. "Amy is recoverin' nicely," he said. "She should be back in action at th' scheduled time."
"Good for her," Rio replied. "Jeff, you cannot warn anyone of our plan. Not even Shannon."
Jeff scowled. "Bu' why?"
"We cannot risk anyone finding out about what we are doing," Rio said. "Grendel and Sinbad think I would never go to these Indy matches. If they had any idea I will be there, we will lose our chance to shelf them."
"Shelf 'em?" Jeff asked.
"That's right. I will have to shelf them for a while, or Shannon will not be safe from them. They will pursue him until they finish what they started."
Jeff did not like the sound of that. How long could he protect Shannon if they were allowed to run around free?
"Rio," he said softly. "How're ya able to do it?"
She didn't even hesitate or pretend to misunderstand him.
"Because I have to in order to survive in this business," she said. "Because if I do not they will come after the rest of you next. I did not save you only to let that happen."
"Why didja save us?"
"Because you do not deserve to be touched by that filthy world."
"I'm sorry ya 'ave t' live tha' way," he said with feeling.
"Why? It was not your decision to make."
"Bu' it shouldna happened."
Rio was quiet for a long time. He hoped he didn't make her feel worse. He could tell from her tone she was tired of what she was . . . no, what she had become.
"I will call you before we meet at the show to confirm things."
"Right," he answered.
"Jeff . . ."
"Yeah, Ri?" He heard a small giggle at the new nickname and smiled, knowing he'd lightened the mood somewhat.
"I will not let you down."
"I know," he stated firmly.
"Good bye," she said.
"For now," he answered.
After hearing the click, he turned off his cell phone. He turned over in his bed and wondered who and why someone had ever let her down in her life . . . and helped turn her into what she currently was.
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: Rio and Jeff make a plan to keep Shannon safe. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
--------------------------------------
"Rio?" Jeff asked cautiously.
"Yes, Jeff," she answered, sounding urgent. "We really need to talk."
"I thought ya preferred talkin' to Drew."
"Please do not get into a pout over that, Jeff," Rio said, sighing heavily into the phone. "Andrew was acting irrationally and I worried for your safety."
Jeff suddenly felt a warm sensation in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know how, but she'd just defused his entire bad mood. Well, hopefully she didn't know she had such a profound effect on him.
"Sorry," he said. "Wha' can I do fo' ya?"
"Is one of your friends named Shannon?"
"Uh, yes," Jeff was becoming very confused now. How did Shannon figure into this?
"Was he injured recently?"
Jeff gripped the phone tightly. As much as he liked Rio, if she had anything to do with his best friend's injuries, Jeff would be very unforgiving.
"Wha' do ya kno' about that?" he asked her in a harsh tone.
"I promise you," she assured him, as if she read his mind, "if I had anything to do with it, I would not have let him off with that minor warning."
"MINA WARNIN'?" Jeff exclaimed. "Tha' ankle kep' 'im out fo' TWO MONTHS!"
"I am aware of what that injury would do," Rio said. "I have inflicted it enough times."
Jeff was incensed. This was definitely not the woman he thought he was getting to know and he was suddenly quite wary of her.
"Are ya callin' t' tell me ya kno' somethin' about Shannon?" he demanded.
"I'm trying to tell you that," she half whispered pleadingly into the phone. "I would not have saved you and your brother the other night if I had any malicious intentions, Jeff."
Jeff paused, startled by her demonstrative response. Although he had had only one other conversation with the tiny silver woman, he instinctively knew she was not given to fits of emotion. He suddenly felt like he was punishing an innocent for an offense she knew little about. It was hard for him to put aside his protective instincts for Shannon, but he knew he had to in order to get the information she was trying to give him. Matt was always better at this sort of thing.
"I'm sorry, Rio," he said softly. "I'm jus' vera worried 'bout 'im. He's like a brotha t' me."
"Yes," she answered. "I got that."
Jeff sighed and they were both silent for a moment. Just when he thought she'd probably given up and was going to hang up on him, she spoke.
"Do you remember the two assholes who attacked you?"
"As much as I can rememba two masked men," he replied.
"They are the ones that attacked your friend, Shannon, at that show he did two months ago."
"Ha' didja fin' out?" Jeff asked, highly pissed.
"I heard them talking," Rio answered. "I lurk in the shadows backstage a lot. And, Jeff, that's not all."
"Go on," he quietly ordered, no longer angry at Rio. He was convinced she was being truthful with him now because he could hear the sincerity in her voice.
"Apparently my scumbag boss has contributed to the situation."
"What!?"
"Henry is the instigator," she explained. "I heard them talking about the bonus they would get for taking out a known performer, particularly a WWE performer."
"Son ova bitch!"
"Jeff, I am truly sorry. I had no idea this was going on."
"Wouldja 'ave cared?" he snorted.
Rio was silent for a moment. Jeff couldn't blame her. The remark had slipped out before he'd thought about it. And now it sounded quite insulting, even to his own ears. Why couldn't he control his mouth, just this once? If Matt were here, he'd be shaking his head in disgust.
"I know you have no reason to believe me," Rio began carefully. "I would probably feel the same, were I in your position."
"Rio, I'm really sorry . . ."
"Let me finish," she interrupted. "As I was saying, I know you have a right to feel that way. But I had a family once. People I loved very much; who were the center of my world. I know what it is like to lose that."
"You did?"
"Did you think I was always this way?" she asked. Jeff was envisioning the sad smile that always seemed to tug at her lips when he'd seen her.
"No . . . um . . . I guess I neva thought 'bout it."
"No," she said sadly. "No one usually does, do they? I guess you know what I mean about that."
Jeff did know, he thought miserably. How many times had he and Matt talked about the fans that adored them? The very ones they worked so hard to entertain. The ones who thought they knew everything about them. He'd learned early on his career never to fall for a fan. They tried to mold you into what they thought you were, ignoring your inner soul. Now he realized he'd been doing the same thing to Rio.
"I don' kno' how many mo' times I'm gonna apologize tonight, but again, I'm sorry."
"It is all right, Jeff," she said softly. "I am not offended."
"Why d'ya do it?"
"Do what?"
"Why d'ya fight inna circuit like ya do?"
"What answer would you like?"
"How 'bout th' truth?"
"I'm not sure anymore," she admitted. "I started out needing the money, but now . . . well, I don't know."
Jeff was suddenly very sad for her.
"If ya eva wanna talk," he offered, "I'm only a phone call away."
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied. "Now, what shall we do about this little situation?"
"Oh, shit," Jeff said, rubbing his temple with his free hand. "Shanny said he's gonna go back inna few weeks t' try t' flush out his attacka."
"Damn," Rio agreed. "Grendel is hoping for such a chance."
"Well, I have Shanny's back," he said determinedly. He knew Rio wouldn't like that any better than Shannon did.
"As nice as that is," she answered carefully, "you are going to need someone to have your back. Have you forgotten about Sinbad?"
"Are ya offerin'?"
"Are you interested?"
"Are ya kiddin?" Jeff grinned broadly as he answered. "Like I would eva pass up a chance to pair up wit' ya, lady!"
Rio chuckled. "This should be interesting."
"Yeah," he said. "Ya kno' this could be a whole new version of Team Xtreme."
"Ah," Rio groaned. "I don't think so. I mean no offense. Remember, we still have to go back to our own worlds after."
"Oh yeah," Jeff said, disappointed. "Hey, is this gonna ruin any plans ya got in yo' future wit' tha' hellhole company o' yaws?"
"Oh, probably," she said, laughing. "But then again, Henry hates me so much it might take something this radical to get me a title shot."
"He hates ya?"
"Oh, yes."
"Why?"
"I'm a girl," she said simply. "A very tiny girl . . . who shows him that being a woman isn't the weakness he thinks it is. It pisses him off."
"I see," he said. "I 'ave a friend who says things like that."
"How is Lita doing?"
Jeff smiled. "Amy is recoverin' nicely," he said. "She should be back in action at th' scheduled time."
"Good for her," Rio replied. "Jeff, you cannot warn anyone of our plan. Not even Shannon."
Jeff scowled. "Bu' why?"
"We cannot risk anyone finding out about what we are doing," Rio said. "Grendel and Sinbad think I would never go to these Indy matches. If they had any idea I will be there, we will lose our chance to shelf them."
"Shelf 'em?" Jeff asked.
"That's right. I will have to shelf them for a while, or Shannon will not be safe from them. They will pursue him until they finish what they started."
Jeff did not like the sound of that. How long could he protect Shannon if they were allowed to run around free?
"Rio," he said softly. "How're ya able to do it?"
She didn't even hesitate or pretend to misunderstand him.
"Because I have to in order to survive in this business," she said. "Because if I do not they will come after the rest of you next. I did not save you only to let that happen."
"Why didja save us?"
"Because you do not deserve to be touched by that filthy world."
"I'm sorry ya 'ave t' live tha' way," he said with feeling.
"Why? It was not your decision to make."
"Bu' it shouldna happened."
Rio was quiet for a long time. He hoped he didn't make her feel worse. He could tell from her tone she was tired of what she was . . . no, what she had become.
"I will call you before we meet at the show to confirm things."
"Right," he answered.
"Jeff . . ."
"Yeah, Ri?" He heard a small giggle at the new nickname and smiled, knowing he'd lightened the mood somewhat.
"I will not let you down."
"I know," he stated firmly.
"Good bye," she said.
"For now," he answered.
After hearing the click, he turned off his cell phone. He turned over in his bed and wondered who and why someone had ever let her down in her life . . . and helped turn her into what she currently was.