Title: The Road Less Traveled (24/?)

Author: Esquirella

Rating: R (for violence in some chapters.)

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: At last! A new installment! In this chapter: Matt has second thoughts about how he treated Rio. Sven and Justin grab Fury from Henry's men.

Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am working on Rio's first stories. Please bear with me.

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Rio woke with a small start, feeling someone's arms around her. At first she was unsure of her surroundings, but then the events of the previous evening with Shannon came back to her. Light streamed through the hotel window indicating that morning had arrived. She'd meant to leave his bed before he woke but, judging from his movements behind her, she could tell that was now impossible. Slowly she turned to face him and found herself looking into his thoughtful green gaze.

"Mornin', baby."

"Good morning," she answered.

"Ya slept okay?"

She took a moment to try to remember if she'd had anymore of the nightmares, which had bothered her when she'd first drifted off to sleep. Realizing she'd had none, she knew it was because of Shannon's close proximity. He was definitely having a strong effect on her.

"Yes, I believe that I did. How did you sleep?"

"Betta than usual," he smiled.

Dangerous, she thought quietly. "I must go soon before Matt comes back."

Shannon nodded, frowning. "But we'll do this again soon," he stated emphatically.

"Maybe," Rio found herself saying. She knew she should refuse him firmly and be on her way but she just didn't seem to want to do that.

"No maybes about it," he said still frowning.

Rio sighed, breathing in more of his scent. She could get very comfortable in his arms, but knew it would be selfish of her to pursue this relationship further. She had a goal to accomplish. After that she could put this fighting club behind her for good and try to reassemble the pieces of a normal life. Perhaps then she could catch up with him . . . assuming he still wanted her. Rio felt a sadness she couldn't explain at that last thought. She should be concentrating on her task.

"We shall see," she said, kissing his cheek and getting up from the bed. Shannon followed her closely.

"We are no' goin' back t' square one, li'l girl!" He clutched her arm and turned her to face him. "As far as we're concerned, and yes there is a 'we' in this, we're t'getha."

She was shocked speechless at his sudden ferocity.

"Ya hafta kno' wha' I'm feelin', Rio," he said pulling her closer. "I kno' yo' feelin' it, too. Ya wouldn't 'ave come 'ere wit' me othawise."

"I cannot let you get hurt because of me, Shannon," she said pleadingly. "I cannot live with causing another death."

Shannon hugged her tightly trying to stop her tremors. She knew he would continue to push the issue of their relationship, but not now, and she felt relieved that she would be able to sidestep it temporarily so that she could examine her own feelings privately. She found she was unable to think logically around this man and distance was needed. Sighing again, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave into the contact. Shannon kissed the side of her head and tightened his hold.

"Ya kno' I'm 'xpectin' ya t' call mo' often now, right?"

Rio nodded, figuring that was a given.

"Ev'ry night," Shannon added looking down at her possessively.

"Every night?"

"Yes."

"But . . ."

"No buts," he said in a tone that left no room for discussion. "Yo' callin' me ev'ry night, Rio. Period."

She stared at him for a long while, trying to come up with an argument to sway him. Finding none that would change this particular stubborn man's mind, she merely nodded in resignation. Shannon smirked apparently pleased he'd won this battle. He gently kissed her lips again and released her, bending down to pick up her bag and walk her to the door.

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Matt returned to the room he was sharing Shannon later than he'd planned. He and Jeff had stayed up nearly all night talking about everything. Everything except the little silver woman they'd fought over to begin with. He opened the door expecting to see his roommate sleeping in. Instead he found Shannon dressed and combing out his damp, long hair.

"Yo' up early," he said, dropping his keys on the night table beside the unused bed and sitting down.

Shannon grinned at him and plopped down onto the unmade bed, facing Matt. "How'd it go wit' Jeff?"

"We're still workin' on it," Matt said, returning Shannon's smile. "But the good thin' is we are workin' on it."

"Ya iron thin's out 'bout Rio then?"

Matt's smile disappeared at the mention of her name. He still felt a pang of guilt over his conversation with her, even though he would do it again if he felt he had to, to protect his brother.

"We didn' discuss 'er."

"I see," Shannon said letting his own smile fade.

"I'm not gonna apologize fo' tryin' t' keep 'im safe, Shan."

"Rio would neva 'urt 'im, Matt," the smaller man said quietly.

"An' ya kno' this how?"

"She came t' save 'is best frien' at considerable risk t' 'erself," Shannon pointed out. "Ya eva wonder what woulda happened if she neva came there?"

"We woulda fought 'em ourselves," Matt said.

"We mighta lost."

"Four o' us, 'gainst two o' them?" Matt asked disgustedly.

"Who says Drew woulda been there at all?"

Matt hadn't thought of that. Rio's connection with Andrew had forged his friendship with Jeff. And if she hadn't told Jeff what she'd heard, Shannon might not have had any back up there at all. Matt had been so focused on her relationship with his brother he'd overlooked some of the facts before him. Damn. Now he felt even guiltier and he hated feeling guilty. But try as he might to hold onto his anger, he couldn't do it. She'd saved Shannon's career at the very least, possibly even his life, and all Matt had done was try and convict her for what he thought she was.

"Neva thought o' it tha' way," he said to the younger man facing him.

"Yeah, I kno'," Shannon said gently.

"Why didn'tcha get mad a' me like Jeff?"

"Who says I'm not mad atcha?"

"Yo' still wit' me."

"Would leavin' ya have solved anythin'?"

Matt threw a pillow at him. "Yo' too young t' be tha' smart."

Shannon grinned, letting the pillow hit him on the shoulder and fall onto the bed beside him. "Ya should apologize t' 'er."

Matt knew he probably looked as confused as he felt. "An' 'ow am I supposed t' do that?"

"I could letcha speak t' 'er nex' time she calls me," Shannon said without batting an eye.

"She calls YOU now?"

"Don' go getting' mad atter fo' that now," Shannon said testily. "I made 'er promise t' call me afta ya spoke t' 'er. Ya really shook 'er up an' I was vera worried 'bout 'er."

"Fo' such an amazin' fighter, she 'as a lot of guys worried 'bout 'er," Matt groused.

"Ya eva see a human time bomb?"

Matt stilled, instantly knowing what Shannon meant. He was suddenly very afraid that he'd been the one to light the silver fuse. "Ya think she'll talk t' me if ya ask 'er to?"

Shannon nodded thoughtfully. "This time, tho', ya betta be nice t' 'er, o' I WILL leave ya."

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Rio finished cleaning off the silver paint and put her gear away. She stretched into her exercises stiffly, working out the kinks leftover from her match. She was just getting warmed up when her phone rang. She reached for it, irked at the disturbance.

"Yes?"

"Quick Silver," Henry's voice purred into her ear. "Congratulations. I didn't get a chance to really talk to you last night."

"Hello, Henry," Rio said, careful to keep the scorn from her voice. "Thank you."

"Like I said last night, you won't have as many matches because the ones you will have will be more brutal than the usual ones."

"I understand."

"You're up to the challenges, I presume?"

"Henry, not to be offensive, but you did see me actually win that belt, correct?"

She heard a chuckle from the phone and frowned deeply, despising this man more every time she found herself dealing with him directly. She knew that she would be doing so more often now that she was champion.

"I did," he said finally. "You were most impressive."

"Thank you."

"Your first title defense won't be for another two weeks."

"That long?"

"I find that it helps to build interest if I make the fans wait."

"But you gave me a match the night after Fury defended the belt."

"Yes," Henry admitted nonchalantly. "That was an oddity. But your fight with Sinbad and Grendel impressed me greatly and I wanted to reward you right away."

Rio's frown deepened as she chose not to buy that story, but she said nothing.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'd be calling you from now on directly.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Okay, Rio," Henry said. "You can call me if you have any questions or concerns."

"I will," Rio assured him before severing the connection.

Something was definitely not right with this, she mused.

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Henry smiled as he heard the click. He replaced the receiver and steepled his hands, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. He had decided to allow her three title defenses before taking care of his new champion. Assuming she lasted that long, that is.

He looked up to see the familiar dark figure enter the room.

"Did you take care of Fury?"

"He wasn't there."

Henry's smile disappeared immediately. "What do you mean he wasn't there?!?!"

"We went to the hospital and he wasn't there."

"Where the hell is he?"

"I thought you would know," the imposing figure replied. "That's why I came back here."

Henry felt a rare tremor of fear surge through him. He hated loose ends and was hoping this one would be as easy to tie up as the others. Evidently Fury had other plans.

"FIND him," Henry hissed.

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Sven looked at the broken man lying on the bed in the room in the basement. Without the mask and tights, he could see every scar on Fury's body, and they were numerous. He silently praised himself and Justin for training their little ward so well that she'd thus far avoided acquiring such a collection of wounds. The young man in the bed had not stirred once since they'd brought him in, a testament to the amount of sedatives the hospital had given him. Sven had decided to wait until the man woke before administering any more narcotics.

He glanced down at the chart in his hands, reading the doctor's notes. He recognized the wounds that Rio had been responsible for giving the former champion, but there was one slash wound in the abdominal area for which the fight could not account. Sven had seen Fury's last two matches and knew the cut had been a result of these fights. It looked too fresh, anyway.

"How is our new guest doing?" Justin asked from the doorway.

Sven looked up, meeting his companion's gaze thoughtfully. "He has not come to yet."

"What's troubling you?"

"He has an abdominal wound left by a knife."

Justin waited patiently for Sven to continue.

"Rio did not cause it and it is too new to have come from his other matches."

Justin's eyes widened slightly but his face remained stoic. "I wonder why he not awakened yet."

"I wonder why, too," Sven agreed.