Title: The Road Less Traveled (33/?)
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: And another review! Thank you, Kittie! In this chapter: Jeff learns more about Rio's past while Shannon and Andrew look for them. Jeff and Shannon square off and Rio's had enough. Now she's really pissed.
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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"Jeff, I think I should be waiting for Shannon downstairs," Rio panted running to keep up with the blue haired wrestler who was pulling her behind him.
"C'mon, Ri," Jeff said over his shoulder. "I neva git t' spend any time witchew now tha' yo' t'getha withim. No offense, bu' I think th' way 'e monopolizes you is really unfair."
Rio frowned knowing Jeff had ulterior motives for saying the things he did about the man he grew up with. She wasn't happy with the rift between the two men, but Matt continued to reassure her that it was only temporary and that Shannon would not forgive Jeff if she left him over it. So she intended to let Jeff spend some time with her until Shannon and Andrew was finished. She just preferred if they would spend that time in a public place. She trusted Jeff with her life but Matt had warned her he might play games to get her away from Shannon. And this sure smelled like game to her.
"Can we at least spend our time in the bar then?" she asked. "Or the coffee shop? I am a bit hungry now. We have not eaten since breakfast."
Jeff stopped in front of the elevator and gave her a considering gaze. She gave him her most earnest smile hoping her plan would work so that she wouldn't have to reject his advances on her, which she was sure he would only make in private, away from Andrew. She knew the large Canadian felt protective of her and that Jeff would want to avoid any confrontation with him.
"Yo' hungry, baby?"
She nodded mutely praying she could find something on the menu that she could eat so that he didn't suspect her of avoiding being alone with him.
"Well, then I betta git ya somethin'," he grinned. "I thought Shanny would at least keep ya fed."
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she said indignantly as he led her to the coffee shop's lobby entrance. "He did not keep me from eating. The bus had no stops."
"Bus?" Jeff exclaimed, as they were led to a nearby booth by the hostess. "Why'dja take a bus?"
"Shannon refused to travel without me and I cannot travel on US airlines in my mask and paint."
Jeff looked at her stunned. "Ya travel like that?" he finally asked. "Ev'rywhere?"
"No," she said squirming in her seat as she plucked open her menu and perused its meager offering of selections. "But while I am traveling with Shannon and your brother I wear the mask."
"Why?" he asked. She could feel his gaze burning into her. "Don'tcha trus' 'em?"
"It is not that," she sighed. "I just have not let anyone I interface with see my face since I have started fighting."
"Why?" he asked again.
Rio looked up from her menu locking her mirrored stare with his green eyes. She considered avoiding his question altogether but dismissed the thought. In spite of his recent behavior, Jeff was her closest friend out of everyone. As sweet as they were, Andrew and Matt had become overprotective to her and Shannon, as much as he showed her how he cared for her, still could not replace the young Hardy in her life. Rio thought of the high flyer as a brother and friend and it was rare to feel that close to someone one was not raised with. Jeff had a right to ask these questions and she would not deny him the information. But, how to phrase the answer was the tricky part.
"I have for so long tried to bury the woman I used to be," she began slowly. "Without the make up, I do not feel like Rio, and that makes me feel vulnerable."
Jeff nodded silently, accepting her answer. This is what made him her brother. He tried to understand her answers to his questions without pushing her further.
The waitress approached the table to take their orders. Rio snapped her menu open again to take one last look before entering her order.
"I will have the steamed vegetable platter with some steamed chicken over it, if that is possible," she said smiling. "Oh, and please ask the cook not to use any sauces or butter."
The waitress nodded as she jotted down the order. "Anything to drink, hon?"
"Some bottled water, please."
Jeff looked at her sideways. "Steamed chicken?"
Rio just shrugged and smiled as the waitress turned to him.
"A double cheeseburger deluxe wit' a side orda o' onion rings," he announced proudly. "An' a vera large Coke, too, please."
The waitress nodded again and collected the menus.
"You eat so large before your shows," she laughed. "It is a wonder you do not explode during your Swanton Bombs."
"Wha's wit'th' steamed food, baby?" he sot back. "I thoughtcha said you were hungry?"
"I am," she said. "This is how I eat. Protein and vegetables keep my energy at the appropriate levels so that I can get the optimum performance out of my body."
"Part o' yo' trainin'?" he asked.
"Yes. Justin taught me how to eat properly once I began working out."
"Can I ask ya somethin'?"
"As if my answering you negatively would stop you, Jeff Hardy."
"Yeah, well anyway," he grinned then turned serious. "How'd they save ya?"
Rio looked down at her napkin for a moment. She'd known he want answers eventually. Not even Jeff Hardy could be that patient.
"I'm sorry, Ri," he said after a while. "Nevamind."
"No," she said. "It is okay. I knew we would have this discussion at some point. It is just difficult for me to talk about."
"Ya don' hafta."
"You are my friend, are you not?" He nodded vigorously. "Then you deserve to know these things about me if I say you do."
She waited for the waitress to finish serving their drinks before she looked back up at him. "After my husband was attacked . . ."
"Attacked?"
Rio nodded slowly. "Yes. That is how he came to be in the hospital in the first place. After he was attacked and in the intensive care unit, I was at the hospital with him. At that point I was told his brain was dead and he would not regain consciousness," her voice cracked and she took some time to breathe deeply before continuing. "I had stepped away from his bedside to go to the bathroom . . . and . . . and."
Jeff reached across the table to squeeze her hand. She looked back up at him again. "I was attacked on my way back from the bathroom. I was beaten very badly and do not remember much. All that I know was that a man that I later knew as Justin pulled one of my attackers off of me and that the man was lying on the floor a few moments later. The other man had escaped. Justin had alerted the hospital staff and I was admitted immediately."
Jeff stroked her hand sadly as he listened intently. Rio breathed deeply again to calm her emotions. The waitress came with their food and they ate quietly for a while as Jeff assimilated what she'd told him.
"There's mo' t' it, isn' there?" he finally asked her. She nodded silently at him picking at her food. She knew she would have to eat a significant portion to appease him for not letting him take her upstairs so she concentrated heavily on the plate in front of her.
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Shannon raced back to the lobby as soon as Andrew, who was hot on his heels, opened the door. They both wanted answers from Jeff, though Shannon was more pissed than the Canadian. When they reached the lobby they looked around at everyone milling about. A lot of their wrestling cohorts were there, some in costume. It was amazing how easily the staff accepted their flamboyant presence without a second glance. Andrew spotted the couple first through the doorway of the coffee shop. Shannon breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Rio wouldn't allow Jeff to do any thing crazy, but he was scared the Hardy boy had convinced her to go up to his room with him.
They walked into the restaurant and sat down in the booth where the two were eating. Shannon made sure he was next to Rio and reached across the table to snag some of Jeff's fries. Andrew did the same, watching Jeff warily.
"You two have a nice chat?" the large man asked putting a friendly arm around Jeff's shoulders. Jeff glowered at him quietly.
"Yes," Rio replied. "As a matter of fact we did."
"So ev'rythin's cool?" Shannon cut in.
"Why wouldn' it be?" Jeff snorted, clearly annoyed at being thwarted.
Before either of the newcomers could answer the waitress approached the table with two menus for them. Rio smiled at Shannon encouragingly so he took the booklet and looked it over. He and Andrew placed orders for sandwiches and Cokes.
"This is so nice," Rio said when the waitress left to get the new orders. "All three of my closest friends are together again."
"Yeah," Shannon said. "Great."
She frowned at him apparently having had enough of the awkwardness.
"I want you all to get along again," she admonished angrily. "I cannot stand to have you all fighting, especially over me."
"We're no' fightin'," Jeff said, but Rio wasn't fooled.
"You are," she looked at him. "Do you think I do not see it? And now you have Andrew fighting as well. I will not have it."
Shannon locked eyes with Jeff silently communicating his irritation with him. Jeff's expression was identical, but they knew they had to call a temporary truth or risk annoying her even more. And nobody wanted to deal with a pissed off Rio.
"I'm sorry, honey," Andrew said. "We won't fight anymore."
"I mean it, Andrew," she said softly. "I know you think Jeff had some diabolical plan today and that you are eager to speak with him alone just as you were with Shannon earlier. I will have no more of this nonsense."
The large Canadian stared at her thoughtfully while Shannon looked on. "Okay," he finally answered. "You're the boss."
"Well, I believe THAT will be a welcome change," she grunted and all of the men at the table guffawed hysterically.
"We runnin' ya ragged, baby?" Shannon gritted out between barks of laughter.
"Just a little," she huffed.
"I fo' one promise ta stop doin' that," Jeff vowed crossing his heart. Shannon stopped laughing and gave him another patented icy glare, which Jeff merely grinned at.
"Me, too," Andrew added.
Rio looked expectantly at Shannon who shook his head at her. "No way I'm promisin' THAT," he said. "Ya'll 'ave me wrapped aroun' tha' finga o' yo's in no time!"
She smiled sweetly at him and popped a carrot in her mouth, chewing slowly and swallowing before speaking. "That, too, would be a welcome change."
Shannon looked up in time to catch Jeff's amused grin.
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: And another review! Thank you, Kittie! In this chapter: Jeff learns more about Rio's past while Shannon and Andrew look for them. Jeff and Shannon square off and Rio's had enough. Now she's really pissed.
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.
--------------------------------------
"Jeff, I think I should be waiting for Shannon downstairs," Rio panted running to keep up with the blue haired wrestler who was pulling her behind him.
"C'mon, Ri," Jeff said over his shoulder. "I neva git t' spend any time witchew now tha' yo' t'getha withim. No offense, bu' I think th' way 'e monopolizes you is really unfair."
Rio frowned knowing Jeff had ulterior motives for saying the things he did about the man he grew up with. She wasn't happy with the rift between the two men, but Matt continued to reassure her that it was only temporary and that Shannon would not forgive Jeff if she left him over it. So she intended to let Jeff spend some time with her until Shannon and Andrew was finished. She just preferred if they would spend that time in a public place. She trusted Jeff with her life but Matt had warned her he might play games to get her away from Shannon. And this sure smelled like game to her.
"Can we at least spend our time in the bar then?" she asked. "Or the coffee shop? I am a bit hungry now. We have not eaten since breakfast."
Jeff stopped in front of the elevator and gave her a considering gaze. She gave him her most earnest smile hoping her plan would work so that she wouldn't have to reject his advances on her, which she was sure he would only make in private, away from Andrew. She knew the large Canadian felt protective of her and that Jeff would want to avoid any confrontation with him.
"Yo' hungry, baby?"
She nodded mutely praying she could find something on the menu that she could eat so that he didn't suspect her of avoiding being alone with him.
"Well, then I betta git ya somethin'," he grinned. "I thought Shanny would at least keep ya fed."
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she said indignantly as he led her to the coffee shop's lobby entrance. "He did not keep me from eating. The bus had no stops."
"Bus?" Jeff exclaimed, as they were led to a nearby booth by the hostess. "Why'dja take a bus?"
"Shannon refused to travel without me and I cannot travel on US airlines in my mask and paint."
Jeff looked at her stunned. "Ya travel like that?" he finally asked. "Ev'rywhere?"
"No," she said squirming in her seat as she plucked open her menu and perused its meager offering of selections. "But while I am traveling with Shannon and your brother I wear the mask."
"Why?" he asked. She could feel his gaze burning into her. "Don'tcha trus' 'em?"
"It is not that," she sighed. "I just have not let anyone I interface with see my face since I have started fighting."
"Why?" he asked again.
Rio looked up from her menu locking her mirrored stare with his green eyes. She considered avoiding his question altogether but dismissed the thought. In spite of his recent behavior, Jeff was her closest friend out of everyone. As sweet as they were, Andrew and Matt had become overprotective to her and Shannon, as much as he showed her how he cared for her, still could not replace the young Hardy in her life. Rio thought of the high flyer as a brother and friend and it was rare to feel that close to someone one was not raised with. Jeff had a right to ask these questions and she would not deny him the information. But, how to phrase the answer was the tricky part.
"I have for so long tried to bury the woman I used to be," she began slowly. "Without the make up, I do not feel like Rio, and that makes me feel vulnerable."
Jeff nodded silently, accepting her answer. This is what made him her brother. He tried to understand her answers to his questions without pushing her further.
The waitress approached the table to take their orders. Rio snapped her menu open again to take one last look before entering her order.
"I will have the steamed vegetable platter with some steamed chicken over it, if that is possible," she said smiling. "Oh, and please ask the cook not to use any sauces or butter."
The waitress nodded as she jotted down the order. "Anything to drink, hon?"
"Some bottled water, please."
Jeff looked at her sideways. "Steamed chicken?"
Rio just shrugged and smiled as the waitress turned to him.
"A double cheeseburger deluxe wit' a side orda o' onion rings," he announced proudly. "An' a vera large Coke, too, please."
The waitress nodded again and collected the menus.
"You eat so large before your shows," she laughed. "It is a wonder you do not explode during your Swanton Bombs."
"Wha's wit'th' steamed food, baby?" he sot back. "I thoughtcha said you were hungry?"
"I am," she said. "This is how I eat. Protein and vegetables keep my energy at the appropriate levels so that I can get the optimum performance out of my body."
"Part o' yo' trainin'?" he asked.
"Yes. Justin taught me how to eat properly once I began working out."
"Can I ask ya somethin'?"
"As if my answering you negatively would stop you, Jeff Hardy."
"Yeah, well anyway," he grinned then turned serious. "How'd they save ya?"
Rio looked down at her napkin for a moment. She'd known he want answers eventually. Not even Jeff Hardy could be that patient.
"I'm sorry, Ri," he said after a while. "Nevamind."
"No," she said. "It is okay. I knew we would have this discussion at some point. It is just difficult for me to talk about."
"Ya don' hafta."
"You are my friend, are you not?" He nodded vigorously. "Then you deserve to know these things about me if I say you do."
She waited for the waitress to finish serving their drinks before she looked back up at him. "After my husband was attacked . . ."
"Attacked?"
Rio nodded slowly. "Yes. That is how he came to be in the hospital in the first place. After he was attacked and in the intensive care unit, I was at the hospital with him. At that point I was told his brain was dead and he would not regain consciousness," her voice cracked and she took some time to breathe deeply before continuing. "I had stepped away from his bedside to go to the bathroom . . . and . . . and."
Jeff reached across the table to squeeze her hand. She looked back up at him again. "I was attacked on my way back from the bathroom. I was beaten very badly and do not remember much. All that I know was that a man that I later knew as Justin pulled one of my attackers off of me and that the man was lying on the floor a few moments later. The other man had escaped. Justin had alerted the hospital staff and I was admitted immediately."
Jeff stroked her hand sadly as he listened intently. Rio breathed deeply again to calm her emotions. The waitress came with their food and they ate quietly for a while as Jeff assimilated what she'd told him.
"There's mo' t' it, isn' there?" he finally asked her. She nodded silently at him picking at her food. She knew she would have to eat a significant portion to appease him for not letting him take her upstairs so she concentrated heavily on the plate in front of her.
--------------------------------------
Shannon raced back to the lobby as soon as Andrew, who was hot on his heels, opened the door. They both wanted answers from Jeff, though Shannon was more pissed than the Canadian. When they reached the lobby they looked around at everyone milling about. A lot of their wrestling cohorts were there, some in costume. It was amazing how easily the staff accepted their flamboyant presence without a second glance. Andrew spotted the couple first through the doorway of the coffee shop. Shannon breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Rio wouldn't allow Jeff to do any thing crazy, but he was scared the Hardy boy had convinced her to go up to his room with him.
They walked into the restaurant and sat down in the booth where the two were eating. Shannon made sure he was next to Rio and reached across the table to snag some of Jeff's fries. Andrew did the same, watching Jeff warily.
"You two have a nice chat?" the large man asked putting a friendly arm around Jeff's shoulders. Jeff glowered at him quietly.
"Yes," Rio replied. "As a matter of fact we did."
"So ev'rythin's cool?" Shannon cut in.
"Why wouldn' it be?" Jeff snorted, clearly annoyed at being thwarted.
Before either of the newcomers could answer the waitress approached the table with two menus for them. Rio smiled at Shannon encouragingly so he took the booklet and looked it over. He and Andrew placed orders for sandwiches and Cokes.
"This is so nice," Rio said when the waitress left to get the new orders. "All three of my closest friends are together again."
"Yeah," Shannon said. "Great."
She frowned at him apparently having had enough of the awkwardness.
"I want you all to get along again," she admonished angrily. "I cannot stand to have you all fighting, especially over me."
"We're no' fightin'," Jeff said, but Rio wasn't fooled.
"You are," she looked at him. "Do you think I do not see it? And now you have Andrew fighting as well. I will not have it."
Shannon locked eyes with Jeff silently communicating his irritation with him. Jeff's expression was identical, but they knew they had to call a temporary truth or risk annoying her even more. And nobody wanted to deal with a pissed off Rio.
"I'm sorry, honey," Andrew said. "We won't fight anymore."
"I mean it, Andrew," she said softly. "I know you think Jeff had some diabolical plan today and that you are eager to speak with him alone just as you were with Shannon earlier. I will have no more of this nonsense."
The large Canadian stared at her thoughtfully while Shannon looked on. "Okay," he finally answered. "You're the boss."
"Well, I believe THAT will be a welcome change," she grunted and all of the men at the table guffawed hysterically.
"We runnin' ya ragged, baby?" Shannon gritted out between barks of laughter.
"Just a little," she huffed.
"I fo' one promise ta stop doin' that," Jeff vowed crossing his heart. Shannon stopped laughing and gave him another patented icy glare, which Jeff merely grinned at.
"Me, too," Andrew added.
Rio looked expectantly at Shannon who shook his head at her. "No way I'm promisin' THAT," he said. "Ya'll 'ave me wrapped aroun' tha' finga o' yo's in no time!"
She smiled sweetly at him and popped a carrot in her mouth, chewing slowly and swallowing before speaking. "That, too, would be a welcome change."
Shannon looked up in time to catch Jeff's amused grin.