The next morning Cassandra opened her eyes and looked around her
bedroom. Her head still hurt but far less than it had the previous night.
The doctors had confirmed that she had a slight concussion and had
reluctantly released her into her family's care when she had stubbornly
stated that she was not staying the night. Reaching up her fingers brushed
absently over the small bandage on her forehead as she reflected on the
previous night.
They had dropped Shawn off at the car before heading to the hotel where they were staying. Shawn. She thought her mind drawn back to the handsome Showstopper. Cassie remembered his strong arms holding her . . . protecting her. Her mind drifted back even farther to the near kiss in his dressing room. Maybe I imagined it, she thought disheartened. Cassandra sighed and sat up climbing out of bed. "Stop it," she told herself, "Shawn was just being nice. And you just met him. You don't even know him."
Forcing thoughts of Shawn from her mind, Cassie walked out of the bedroom into the main part of the suite. Her father and sister already sat on the large couch watching TV. Vince smiled, "Feeling better, sweetheart?"
Cassie smiled back, "Much." She looked around for a clock, "What time is it?" she asked.
"Almost seven o'clock. You slept the whole day," Stephanie told her after glancing at her wristwatch.
"Ahh," she moaned in frustration, "I'm supposed to meet Bischoff at the arena at 9:00!"
"Are you up to it?" Vince asked, "You don't have to go tonight."
"I'm fine," Cassie told her father firmly, "And I'm going."
Vince laughed, "Okay, okay. I won't try to stop you," Vince sobered a bit, "But, I do want you talk to you about Shawn Michaels."
Cassandra glanced over at her sister but Stephanie refused to meet her eyes, "What about him?" she asked having a feeling she knew all too well what this was about.
"I don't want you around him," Vince told her, "He's not trustworthy."
Cassie crossed her arms, "Really? I seem to remember him being very trustworthy and kind last night," Cassie glared at her father, "Let's be honest. This isn't about Shawn. This is about no one being good enough for your little girl. No one ever is." Cassie put a hand on her hip, "He's my friend, he showed me around. That is it. But-" she paused to make sure her father was listening, "If there was something there, you're not going to stop it. I'll date who I want."
Not giving her father the chance to respond Cassandra turned and stormed back into the bedroom. Fuming Cassie got dressed choosing black leather pants and a light blue, low cut, midriff baring tank top. She brushed out her hair leaving it loose. As she pulled on her boots she sighed, Daddy is going to have to learn to let go sometime, she thought.
Cassandra pulled on her coat and walked out of bedroom and out of the suite never giving her father a second glance.
Vince watched her go and once she was gone picked up the telephone. Stephanie bit her lip worriedly, "Daddy, don't do what I think you're going to do."
"I know what's best for her," Vince told his eldest daughter firmly, "Cassandra will thank me for this one day." Vince dialed a number and waited until someone picked up, "Hello Shawn," Vince began, "You and I need to have a talk."
Cassandra drove her car to the arena still more than slightly angry with her father. She knew he loved her but she just wanted him to stop trying to control her. She flashed her I.D. at security and pulled into the parking lot. The young woman stepped out of her car her chestnut mane flowing around her. She looked down at her watch, "Damn, I'm late," she muttered moving hastily through the halls to Eric Bischoff's office.
When she reached his door she knocked, "Come in," Eric called out. Cassie opened the door and stepped inside. Eric rose to his feet, "Cassandra," he greeted her flashing her a charming smile, "I'm so happy you made it. Let me be the first to apologize that it was two of my wrestlers that got you hurt. I promise you they will be punished."
Cassandra shook her head somewhat disgusted by Eric's transparent attempt to save his own ass. "Thank you, but no," she told him, "It was an accident. I'm content to leave it at that."
Eric looked confused, "But your father said to make Shawn Michaels and Hunter pay." "What!" Cassandra cried a lump of ice forming in her stomach and the dull ache in her head growing worse.
"Yeah," Eric continued nervously, "Mr. McMahon called and said he wanted them punished. Severely. Especially Shawn."
"Oh God," Cassie gasped, "Where are they? What did you do to them!" she demanded urgently.
"Well, I haven't touched Hunter yet but . . ." Eric trailed off and pointed to the monitor in his office.
Cassandra turned to look and was horrified to see Shawn being attacked by Jamal and Rosie. For a moment she wasn't sure if her nausea was due to her concussion or the sight of Shawn's body being drilled into the canvas. Shawn's pained expression and agonized cry spurred her into motion. "Damn my father!" she cried as she turned and ran out the door. Eric followed wanting to know exactly what was going on.
Hastily making her way to the stage and down the ramp, Bischoff right on her heels, she saw Rosie on the top rope about to jump. "Stop him!" she ordered Bischoff frantically.
Eric slid into the ring, "Stop, Rosie!" he ordered moving between the inert Shawn and the mammoth Rosie. Rosie looked down, confused but stopped. The crowd was thundering their relief at the rescue of icon Shawn Michaels. Cassie ignored them.
Cassandra slid into the ring crawling over to Shawn's side, "Shawn?" she called brushing his hair back from his face, "Shawn, come on open your eyes!" she pleaded tears stinging her own eyes.
Shawn let out a moan and Cassandra held her breath until his eyes fluttered open. "Cassie?" Shawn whispered obviously disoriented.
"Oh Shawn," Cassandra whispered, "I'm so sorry. This is my fault."
Shawn merely gazed at her, confusion and pain apparent in his hazel eyes. "We need to get you out of here," she said, "Can you stand?"
"I think," Shawn said fighting his way into a sitting position.
Cassandra looked over to where Eric Bischoff stood with his two thugs, "Don't just stand there, you idiot," she yelled, "Help me."
Eric blinked and quickly moved to assist Shawn to his feet. As they half carried Shawn up the ramp Cassandra looked over at Eric, "You will cancel the attack on Hunter," she ordered her voice shaking with fury.
"Yes ma'am," Eric replied immediately, "But could you be kind enough to tell me what the hell is going on?"
As they entered the backstage area Cassandra frowned and nodded, "As soon as you tell me exactly what my father said."
They had dropped Shawn off at the car before heading to the hotel where they were staying. Shawn. She thought her mind drawn back to the handsome Showstopper. Cassie remembered his strong arms holding her . . . protecting her. Her mind drifted back even farther to the near kiss in his dressing room. Maybe I imagined it, she thought disheartened. Cassandra sighed and sat up climbing out of bed. "Stop it," she told herself, "Shawn was just being nice. And you just met him. You don't even know him."
Forcing thoughts of Shawn from her mind, Cassie walked out of the bedroom into the main part of the suite. Her father and sister already sat on the large couch watching TV. Vince smiled, "Feeling better, sweetheart?"
Cassie smiled back, "Much." She looked around for a clock, "What time is it?" she asked.
"Almost seven o'clock. You slept the whole day," Stephanie told her after glancing at her wristwatch.
"Ahh," she moaned in frustration, "I'm supposed to meet Bischoff at the arena at 9:00!"
"Are you up to it?" Vince asked, "You don't have to go tonight."
"I'm fine," Cassie told her father firmly, "And I'm going."
Vince laughed, "Okay, okay. I won't try to stop you," Vince sobered a bit, "But, I do want you talk to you about Shawn Michaels."
Cassandra glanced over at her sister but Stephanie refused to meet her eyes, "What about him?" she asked having a feeling she knew all too well what this was about.
"I don't want you around him," Vince told her, "He's not trustworthy."
Cassie crossed her arms, "Really? I seem to remember him being very trustworthy and kind last night," Cassie glared at her father, "Let's be honest. This isn't about Shawn. This is about no one being good enough for your little girl. No one ever is." Cassie put a hand on her hip, "He's my friend, he showed me around. That is it. But-" she paused to make sure her father was listening, "If there was something there, you're not going to stop it. I'll date who I want."
Not giving her father the chance to respond Cassandra turned and stormed back into the bedroom. Fuming Cassie got dressed choosing black leather pants and a light blue, low cut, midriff baring tank top. She brushed out her hair leaving it loose. As she pulled on her boots she sighed, Daddy is going to have to learn to let go sometime, she thought.
Cassandra pulled on her coat and walked out of bedroom and out of the suite never giving her father a second glance.
Vince watched her go and once she was gone picked up the telephone. Stephanie bit her lip worriedly, "Daddy, don't do what I think you're going to do."
"I know what's best for her," Vince told his eldest daughter firmly, "Cassandra will thank me for this one day." Vince dialed a number and waited until someone picked up, "Hello Shawn," Vince began, "You and I need to have a talk."
Cassandra drove her car to the arena still more than slightly angry with her father. She knew he loved her but she just wanted him to stop trying to control her. She flashed her I.D. at security and pulled into the parking lot. The young woman stepped out of her car her chestnut mane flowing around her. She looked down at her watch, "Damn, I'm late," she muttered moving hastily through the halls to Eric Bischoff's office.
When she reached his door she knocked, "Come in," Eric called out. Cassie opened the door and stepped inside. Eric rose to his feet, "Cassandra," he greeted her flashing her a charming smile, "I'm so happy you made it. Let me be the first to apologize that it was two of my wrestlers that got you hurt. I promise you they will be punished."
Cassandra shook her head somewhat disgusted by Eric's transparent attempt to save his own ass. "Thank you, but no," she told him, "It was an accident. I'm content to leave it at that."
Eric looked confused, "But your father said to make Shawn Michaels and Hunter pay." "What!" Cassandra cried a lump of ice forming in her stomach and the dull ache in her head growing worse.
"Yeah," Eric continued nervously, "Mr. McMahon called and said he wanted them punished. Severely. Especially Shawn."
"Oh God," Cassie gasped, "Where are they? What did you do to them!" she demanded urgently.
"Well, I haven't touched Hunter yet but . . ." Eric trailed off and pointed to the monitor in his office.
Cassandra turned to look and was horrified to see Shawn being attacked by Jamal and Rosie. For a moment she wasn't sure if her nausea was due to her concussion or the sight of Shawn's body being drilled into the canvas. Shawn's pained expression and agonized cry spurred her into motion. "Damn my father!" she cried as she turned and ran out the door. Eric followed wanting to know exactly what was going on.
Hastily making her way to the stage and down the ramp, Bischoff right on her heels, she saw Rosie on the top rope about to jump. "Stop him!" she ordered Bischoff frantically.
Eric slid into the ring, "Stop, Rosie!" he ordered moving between the inert Shawn and the mammoth Rosie. Rosie looked down, confused but stopped. The crowd was thundering their relief at the rescue of icon Shawn Michaels. Cassie ignored them.
Cassandra slid into the ring crawling over to Shawn's side, "Shawn?" she called brushing his hair back from his face, "Shawn, come on open your eyes!" she pleaded tears stinging her own eyes.
Shawn let out a moan and Cassandra held her breath until his eyes fluttered open. "Cassie?" Shawn whispered obviously disoriented.
"Oh Shawn," Cassandra whispered, "I'm so sorry. This is my fault."
Shawn merely gazed at her, confusion and pain apparent in his hazel eyes. "We need to get you out of here," she said, "Can you stand?"
"I think," Shawn said fighting his way into a sitting position.
Cassandra looked over to where Eric Bischoff stood with his two thugs, "Don't just stand there, you idiot," she yelled, "Help me."
Eric blinked and quickly moved to assist Shawn to his feet. As they half carried Shawn up the ramp Cassandra looked over at Eric, "You will cancel the attack on Hunter," she ordered her voice shaking with fury.
"Yes ma'am," Eric replied immediately, "But could you be kind enough to tell me what the hell is going on?"
As they entered the backstage area Cassandra frowned and nodded, "As soon as you tell me exactly what my father said."