Title: The Road Less Traveled (32/?)
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:
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: Status quo on the first Rio stories. They're coming. I've gotten a few feedbacks on Shannon's behavior in the story. He is being pretty possessive. It will be explained why in later chapters. Also, I've heard about Jeff's behavior. I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I don't know how Shannon or Jeff are in real life and I've never met either of them. (In fact, on the slim chance they ever read this: Please accept my apologies if you find this offensive.) This portrayal is fictional and not meant in any way to represent the real personalities of Shannon Moore or Jeff Hardy.
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Sven was pleased with Fury's progress. The young fighter was beginning to find it easier to control his muscles and would hopefully be walking again soon. The poison would not leave permanent damage. Still, it troubled Sven that Rio was involved in such a club.
"Do you think I'll be out of this bed any time soon?" the redheaded man broke into his thoughts.
"That is up to you," Sven smiled, clearing away the tray of food Fury had consumed earlier. "Are you ready to talk some more?"
The man looked away from his caretaker, obviously not used to depending on others. Sven could relate to this wariness as he'd gone through this with Rio during her first days with them. Trust wasn't always merely given but sometimes must be built. It appeared as if Fury had been a loner for much of his life and dealt rarely with others.
"My name is Todd," he said softly, still staring at his blanket.
The Scandinavian man smiled. It was a place to start. "My name is Sven," he returned. "And the other man you see with me occasionally is Justin."
"You still haven't told me why I'm here," the young man said glancing back at Sven.
"We wanted to save you so that you could help us save our friend."
"Rio."
"You know that we are connected to her?"
Fury looked down again apparently afraid he would anger his saviors by saying anything derogatory about the small silver woman.
"We saved her, too," Sven said, causing a startled look to be cast his way. He merely nodded. "It is true, we took her in as well. We also trained her to fight like that."
"No wonder she's unstoppable."
"I would not go that far, but she can take care of herself physically in a fair fight."
"Henry hates her," the young man said. "He's going to try to kill her eventually, just like he did to me. He'll send them after her."
"Ah, so it was more than one man who attacked you, then," Sven replied. At the fighter's slight blush, he knew he was correct. "I can only help you if you allow me to do so, Fury."
"Todd," the young fighter answered. "Please call me Todd."
Sven smiled and pulled a chair closer to the bed.
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"Matt!" Shane laughed, pulling his best friend into a hug in the hotel lobby.
Jeff watched from behind them grinning. This also fit neatly into his plan. Matt would be occupied with Shane and Amy, and Shannon was about to have a close encounter of the Canadian kind. He would have unlimited private access to Rio for most of the day.
"Hey, bro!" Matt said, grabbing Jeff around the waist and lifting him a few inches off the ground. "How's it goin'?"
"Fine, Matt," Jeff chuckled. "How's it goin' witchew?"
"Cain' complain," he answered setting his brother down. "Shan an' Rio should be here any minute. Don' cause trouble."
"Who said he'd be the one causing trouble," Andrew groused walking up behind Jeff.
"You eitha, big stuff," Matt glared. "She's goin' through enough."
"We know," Andrew replied stonily. "We do still talk to her once in a while."
"Ya jealous o' MY friendship witter now?" Matt snorted. "Tha's pretty funny."
"Mmm," the Canadian said flatly. "Isn't it though? It's pretty interesting how close you're getting to her considering you hated her guts a month ago, Matt."
"Thin's change, Drew. An' now I don' take kindly to anyone upsettin' 'er unnecessarily. I's no' good fo' 'er concentration in th' ring."
Andrew regarded the elder Hardy boy like an interesting foreign specimen. The chilling look he sent Matt would have frozen Jeff solid were he the one on the receiving end. But his older brother wasn't backing down, a testament to the loyalty he felt towards Shannon and Rio. It only served to piss Jeff off even more.
"Drew an' I don' wanna cause trouble, Matt," he said. "We're th' firs' frien's she had here, an' we'll always put 'er bes' interests first."
Matt switched his gaze to his blue haired brother suspiciously. Jeff knew Matt would be more difficult to deal with than Andrew, as he was aware of his brother's affections for his best friend's girlfriend. Matt leaned in close to Jeff and surveyed him carefully.
"Ya betta think carefully then," he whispered menacingly, "befo' you do anythin' impulsive."
"Hey, I thought you, Amy an' I were hangin' out today befo' th' sho'," Shane pouted, obviously attempting to break up another Hardy blowout.
"We are," Matt said not taking his eyes off his brother. "Ya wanna join us, Jeff?"
"No thanks, man," Jeff smiled innocently. "I haven' seen Shanny inna while, an' it'll be nice ta see Ri again."
Matt's jaw tightened as he stared his brother down. He leaned in even closer to speak in Jeff's ear. "If ya do anythin' t' upsetter Imma show YOU how I'M grown." Then he pushed away from Jeff and walked away with Shane.
Andrew looked at Jeff worriedly after watching Matt stalk off. "What was that about, Blue?"
"Nuthin'. Look, there they are!"
They both watched as Shannon and Rio walked into the lobby and over to them.
"Ri!" Jeff squealed, pulling her to him. Shannon gave his friend a defiant stare as he clasped Rio's forearm in a death grip.
"Hello Jeff," she breathed into his ear and he melted into her.
"Tha's enough," Shannon growled.
"You get to hold her all the time," Andrew said. "We never do. Leave him alone."
Shannon turned an icy stare to the other wrestler but said nothing, allowing Jeff to continue to hold her until Andrew cut in. Shannon had to release her arm at that point as the large man picked her up in a bear hug and swung her around. Jeff, meanwhile, gave Shannon a superior look that the smaller man didn't trust.
"Listen, honey, I'll catch up with you soon," Andrew said, clutching her close one last time before putting her down. "I have something to discuss with Shannon here."
Rio assumed an uncomfortable air and looked at Shannon nervously. "I do not think that is a good idea," she said licking her lips, not knowing how crazy she was making Jeff who stood transfixed. "Shannon and I were going to check in and relax for a while as it was quite a journey."
"Shannon and I are friends, right kiddo?" Andrew asked, grabbing Shannon in a headlock and rubbing his knuckles into his hair.
"Oh yeah," Shannon grumbled sarcastically. "Real good frien's. Now lemme go, ya big ox!"
"In a bit," Andrew winked at Jeff and led Shannon away. Rio stood by in frustration, staring after them.
'Alone at last,' Jeff thought, lacing his fingers into hers and leading her to the elevator.
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Henry was feeling more his optimistic self these days. His short conversation with Phantom had definitely been productive. So, Rio has a group of friends, does she? And she has a boyfriend, too. It would make things much easier for his men when the time came to dispatch her from this lifetime. Henry didn't feel one qualm about doing so, either. She'd been a major thorn in his side since she'd turned up in his club and it would be nice to get things back to normal.
True, Fury's location was still in question, but Henry was confident that the man was probably dead by now. No authorities had come looking for him and it had been some time since the fighter had disappeared.
Yes, it appeared as if all was well on all fronts now, he smiled.
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"Lemme go already, Drew!" Shannon growled. Andrew opened the hotel room door and threw the smaller man inside letting it shut behind them.
"Now we can talk," Andrew said blocking the door so that Shannon would have to get through him to leave. "I have so much I want to say."
Shannon glared at him again, obviously feeling trapped. The Canadian man gave him a feral smile as he contemplated his prey.
"Yo' mad 'cause I'm attached t' 'er, aren'tcha?"
Andrew raised a brow sardonically and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a place to begin."
"Jeff putcha upta this?"
"I put me up to this," the large man barked. "Jeff only helped set up the opportunity."
"So ya ratha she be wit'im then?"
"What?" Andrew said. "No, I'd rather she be with no one actually."
"No' even you?"
"I'm her friend," the large wrestler insisted. "More like a brother to her, really. I don't want to see her hurt and I don't want to see her used."
"I'm no' plannin' ta do eitha o' those thin's," Shannon said sincerely. "I really do lover, Drew. Jus' like I tol' Jeff."
"You told Jeff that?" Andrew asked and Shannon nodded. "He didn't tell me that. He said you weren't listening to reason and that you were obsessed with 'possessing' her."
"Well, I do think o' 'er as mine," Shannon said firmly. "Bu' she doesn' believe I'm obsessed. Don'tcha think she woulda laid me flat a long time ago?"
"You have a point there," the Canadian grinned. "But that doesn't excuse the way you went about getting her."
Shannon looked nonplussed. "Yo' kiddin', right?" Andrew shook his head. "She coulda kicked my ass so many times tha' night and thereafta. She wanted t' be wit' me, Drew. She even tol' that t' th' men who trained her when they called. Wit' a woman like Rio, ya hafta take th' initiative o' she'll neva be yo's."
Andrew was seeing the logic behind Shannon's reasoning but he still didn't like it. He'd always treated his girlfriends as equals with respect for their wishes. "That whole 'no means no' theory means nothing to you then, huh?"
Shannon raised and dropped his arms in exasperation. "Tha's NOT how it went," he sighed. "She neva tol' me ta stop at all, Drew. No' once. She wan'ed ta be mine."
"See, now there's another thing that makes me uncomfortable," Andrew said still leaning against the door. "You're always calling her 'yours' and treating her like property."
Shannon shook his head in dismay again. Andrew watched him accusingly, unwilling to let go of the anger he'd been holding in for so long.
"I don' kno' much aboutter past yet, bu' I can tell ya one thing," he looked over at his would-be attacker solemnly. Andrew waited expectantly for him to continue. "She's neva really belonged ta anyone befo' 'cept 'er husband. An' when he died she almost went withim. She didn' tell me, bu' from th' conversation I had wither guardian, I surmised it."
"You spoke to one of them?"
"Yeah," Shannon continued. "He tol' me she cain' handle losin' anotha mate. He also said he an' the otha trainer would be watchin' us an' as long as I keep her safety first I 'ave nothin' ta fear from them. I teller an' ev'ryone else she's mine 'cause I wanner ta kno' she does belong somewhere an' ta someone who cares aboutter."
Andrew couldn't stay mad at the smaller wrestler anymore. He knew that Rio probably did want to stay with him or she would have extracted herself from him by now. He also suspected Jeff had other motives for setting up his best friend. Apparently Shannon read his mind.
"Yeah, I'm wonderin' wha' he's up to, too," the Southern man said.
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:
Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
--------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Status quo on the first Rio stories. They're coming. I've gotten a few feedbacks on Shannon's behavior in the story. He is being pretty possessive. It will be explained why in later chapters. Also, I've heard about Jeff's behavior. I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I don't know how Shannon or Jeff are in real life and I've never met either of them. (In fact, on the slim chance they ever read this: Please accept my apologies if you find this offensive.) This portrayal is fictional and not meant in any way to represent the real personalities of Shannon Moore or Jeff Hardy.
--------------------------------------
Sven was pleased with Fury's progress. The young fighter was beginning to find it easier to control his muscles and would hopefully be walking again soon. The poison would not leave permanent damage. Still, it troubled Sven that Rio was involved in such a club.
"Do you think I'll be out of this bed any time soon?" the redheaded man broke into his thoughts.
"That is up to you," Sven smiled, clearing away the tray of food Fury had consumed earlier. "Are you ready to talk some more?"
The man looked away from his caretaker, obviously not used to depending on others. Sven could relate to this wariness as he'd gone through this with Rio during her first days with them. Trust wasn't always merely given but sometimes must be built. It appeared as if Fury had been a loner for much of his life and dealt rarely with others.
"My name is Todd," he said softly, still staring at his blanket.
The Scandinavian man smiled. It was a place to start. "My name is Sven," he returned. "And the other man you see with me occasionally is Justin."
"You still haven't told me why I'm here," the young man said glancing back at Sven.
"We wanted to save you so that you could help us save our friend."
"Rio."
"You know that we are connected to her?"
Fury looked down again apparently afraid he would anger his saviors by saying anything derogatory about the small silver woman.
"We saved her, too," Sven said, causing a startled look to be cast his way. He merely nodded. "It is true, we took her in as well. We also trained her to fight like that."
"No wonder she's unstoppable."
"I would not go that far, but she can take care of herself physically in a fair fight."
"Henry hates her," the young man said. "He's going to try to kill her eventually, just like he did to me. He'll send them after her."
"Ah, so it was more than one man who attacked you, then," Sven replied. At the fighter's slight blush, he knew he was correct. "I can only help you if you allow me to do so, Fury."
"Todd," the young fighter answered. "Please call me Todd."
Sven smiled and pulled a chair closer to the bed.
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"Matt!" Shane laughed, pulling his best friend into a hug in the hotel lobby.
Jeff watched from behind them grinning. This also fit neatly into his plan. Matt would be occupied with Shane and Amy, and Shannon was about to have a close encounter of the Canadian kind. He would have unlimited private access to Rio for most of the day.
"Hey, bro!" Matt said, grabbing Jeff around the waist and lifting him a few inches off the ground. "How's it goin'?"
"Fine, Matt," Jeff chuckled. "How's it goin' witchew?"
"Cain' complain," he answered setting his brother down. "Shan an' Rio should be here any minute. Don' cause trouble."
"Who said he'd be the one causing trouble," Andrew groused walking up behind Jeff.
"You eitha, big stuff," Matt glared. "She's goin' through enough."
"We know," Andrew replied stonily. "We do still talk to her once in a while."
"Ya jealous o' MY friendship witter now?" Matt snorted. "Tha's pretty funny."
"Mmm," the Canadian said flatly. "Isn't it though? It's pretty interesting how close you're getting to her considering you hated her guts a month ago, Matt."
"Thin's change, Drew. An' now I don' take kindly to anyone upsettin' 'er unnecessarily. I's no' good fo' 'er concentration in th' ring."
Andrew regarded the elder Hardy boy like an interesting foreign specimen. The chilling look he sent Matt would have frozen Jeff solid were he the one on the receiving end. But his older brother wasn't backing down, a testament to the loyalty he felt towards Shannon and Rio. It only served to piss Jeff off even more.
"Drew an' I don' wanna cause trouble, Matt," he said. "We're th' firs' frien's she had here, an' we'll always put 'er bes' interests first."
Matt switched his gaze to his blue haired brother suspiciously. Jeff knew Matt would be more difficult to deal with than Andrew, as he was aware of his brother's affections for his best friend's girlfriend. Matt leaned in close to Jeff and surveyed him carefully.
"Ya betta think carefully then," he whispered menacingly, "befo' you do anythin' impulsive."
"Hey, I thought you, Amy an' I were hangin' out today befo' th' sho'," Shane pouted, obviously attempting to break up another Hardy blowout.
"We are," Matt said not taking his eyes off his brother. "Ya wanna join us, Jeff?"
"No thanks, man," Jeff smiled innocently. "I haven' seen Shanny inna while, an' it'll be nice ta see Ri again."
Matt's jaw tightened as he stared his brother down. He leaned in even closer to speak in Jeff's ear. "If ya do anythin' t' upsetter Imma show YOU how I'M grown." Then he pushed away from Jeff and walked away with Shane.
Andrew looked at Jeff worriedly after watching Matt stalk off. "What was that about, Blue?"
"Nuthin'. Look, there they are!"
They both watched as Shannon and Rio walked into the lobby and over to them.
"Ri!" Jeff squealed, pulling her to him. Shannon gave his friend a defiant stare as he clasped Rio's forearm in a death grip.
"Hello Jeff," she breathed into his ear and he melted into her.
"Tha's enough," Shannon growled.
"You get to hold her all the time," Andrew said. "We never do. Leave him alone."
Shannon turned an icy stare to the other wrestler but said nothing, allowing Jeff to continue to hold her until Andrew cut in. Shannon had to release her arm at that point as the large man picked her up in a bear hug and swung her around. Jeff, meanwhile, gave Shannon a superior look that the smaller man didn't trust.
"Listen, honey, I'll catch up with you soon," Andrew said, clutching her close one last time before putting her down. "I have something to discuss with Shannon here."
Rio assumed an uncomfortable air and looked at Shannon nervously. "I do not think that is a good idea," she said licking her lips, not knowing how crazy she was making Jeff who stood transfixed. "Shannon and I were going to check in and relax for a while as it was quite a journey."
"Shannon and I are friends, right kiddo?" Andrew asked, grabbing Shannon in a headlock and rubbing his knuckles into his hair.
"Oh yeah," Shannon grumbled sarcastically. "Real good frien's. Now lemme go, ya big ox!"
"In a bit," Andrew winked at Jeff and led Shannon away. Rio stood by in frustration, staring after them.
'Alone at last,' Jeff thought, lacing his fingers into hers and leading her to the elevator.
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Henry was feeling more his optimistic self these days. His short conversation with Phantom had definitely been productive. So, Rio has a group of friends, does she? And she has a boyfriend, too. It would make things much easier for his men when the time came to dispatch her from this lifetime. Henry didn't feel one qualm about doing so, either. She'd been a major thorn in his side since she'd turned up in his club and it would be nice to get things back to normal.
True, Fury's location was still in question, but Henry was confident that the man was probably dead by now. No authorities had come looking for him and it had been some time since the fighter had disappeared.
Yes, it appeared as if all was well on all fronts now, he smiled.
--------------------------------------
"Lemme go already, Drew!" Shannon growled. Andrew opened the hotel room door and threw the smaller man inside letting it shut behind them.
"Now we can talk," Andrew said blocking the door so that Shannon would have to get through him to leave. "I have so much I want to say."
Shannon glared at him again, obviously feeling trapped. The Canadian man gave him a feral smile as he contemplated his prey.
"Yo' mad 'cause I'm attached t' 'er, aren'tcha?"
Andrew raised a brow sardonically and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a place to begin."
"Jeff putcha upta this?"
"I put me up to this," the large man barked. "Jeff only helped set up the opportunity."
"So ya ratha she be wit'im then?"
"What?" Andrew said. "No, I'd rather she be with no one actually."
"No' even you?"
"I'm her friend," the large wrestler insisted. "More like a brother to her, really. I don't want to see her hurt and I don't want to see her used."
"I'm no' plannin' ta do eitha o' those thin's," Shannon said sincerely. "I really do lover, Drew. Jus' like I tol' Jeff."
"You told Jeff that?" Andrew asked and Shannon nodded. "He didn't tell me that. He said you weren't listening to reason and that you were obsessed with 'possessing' her."
"Well, I do think o' 'er as mine," Shannon said firmly. "Bu' she doesn' believe I'm obsessed. Don'tcha think she woulda laid me flat a long time ago?"
"You have a point there," the Canadian grinned. "But that doesn't excuse the way you went about getting her."
Shannon looked nonplussed. "Yo' kiddin', right?" Andrew shook his head. "She coulda kicked my ass so many times tha' night and thereafta. She wanted t' be wit' me, Drew. She even tol' that t' th' men who trained her when they called. Wit' a woman like Rio, ya hafta take th' initiative o' she'll neva be yo's."
Andrew was seeing the logic behind Shannon's reasoning but he still didn't like it. He'd always treated his girlfriends as equals with respect for their wishes. "That whole 'no means no' theory means nothing to you then, huh?"
Shannon raised and dropped his arms in exasperation. "Tha's NOT how it went," he sighed. "She neva tol' me ta stop at all, Drew. No' once. She wan'ed ta be mine."
"See, now there's another thing that makes me uncomfortable," Andrew said still leaning against the door. "You're always calling her 'yours' and treating her like property."
Shannon shook his head in dismay again. Andrew watched him accusingly, unwilling to let go of the anger he'd been holding in for so long.
"I don' kno' much aboutter past yet, bu' I can tell ya one thing," he looked over at his would-be attacker solemnly. Andrew waited expectantly for him to continue. "She's neva really belonged ta anyone befo' 'cept 'er husband. An' when he died she almost went withim. She didn' tell me, bu' from th' conversation I had wither guardian, I surmised it."
"You spoke to one of them?"
"Yeah," Shannon continued. "He tol' me she cain' handle losin' anotha mate. He also said he an' the otha trainer would be watchin' us an' as long as I keep her safety first I 'ave nothin' ta fear from them. I teller an' ev'ryone else she's mine 'cause I wanner ta kno' she does belong somewhere an' ta someone who cares aboutter."
Andrew couldn't stay mad at the smaller wrestler anymore. He knew that Rio probably did want to stay with him or she would have extracted herself from him by now. He also suspected Jeff had other motives for setting up his best friend. Apparently Shannon read his mind.
"Yeah, I'm wonderin' wha' he's up to, too," the Southern man said.