"You can, uh, you can put me down now," Lilian said quietly as they
entered the backstage area. She was still shaky. Lilian hoped that Taker
couldn't feel her shivering. She was slightly embarrassed at the fact that
she let Sable and Vince get the upper hand on her. If it wasn't for Taker
grabbing her from Sable's shoulders. well, she didn't even want to think
about the possibilities of how she may be exiting the arena had Sable been
able to follow through with the powerbomb.
Taker glanced at the blonde woman in his arms but still didn't set her down so she could walk on her own. He had carried her to the back after their altercation, only letting her stand to exit the ring. Taker had surprised Lilian when he swept her up once again when he saw the pain filled look on her face with the first step she took. Her slight weight was nothing to him, but Taker was very aware of her arm draped around his shoulders for stability.
Stephanie glanced at the two, somewhat surprised at the protective nature that Taker had suddenly developed for Lilian. Lilian saw the young McMahon looking at her and said, "Steph, tell him to let me walk on my own, I'm fine."
Before she could answer, John turned around and walked over to the pair. Without a word, he gently poked Lilian in the stomach.
"Ouch!" the little blonde yelped indignantly, resisting the urge to slap Cena.
"I'd say you aren't okay," John said, "Sable kicked you pretty hard. So shut up and enjoy not having to walk."
Lilian looked shocked, glancing at Taker. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a small smile on his lips. She moved her glance to Stephanie, and the brunette simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry, Lil, it's three on one," Stephanie said.
"Well, I'm not going to complain," Lilian said with a sigh, not wanting to admit that it hurt her pride to be carried around like that. "We're at the dressing room anyway."
John opened the door, allowing Taker to walk in first with Stephanie directly behind him. He placed his hand on the small of Stephanie's back to guide her in and she shivered at the warm sensation that she suddenly felt in that area. It was like electricity was suddenly running through her veins.
"Stephanie?" John whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
"Yes?" she asked, hoping that her voice wasn't too husky.
"Is there a reason you stopped in the door frame?" John asked.
Stephanie swallowed, very aware of the fact that his hand was still on her back. "No," she finally replied, willing her legs to move into the room.
Taker and Lilian glanced at each other, amused. Before Stephanie could see their exchanged look, Taker turned around and set Lilian gently on the couch. "Are you okay?" he asked, breaking his silence as he knelt in front of Lilian.
"I think so," Lilian replied quietly. "She just kicked me. I wasn't. uh, I wasn't powerbombed through a table, thanks to you. so, uh. thanks."
"No problem," Taker replied, hesitantly ruffling Lilian's hair as he stood up. "Let me call a trainer for you."
"No," Lilian said suddenly, reaching out and grabbing his hand.
Taker was surprised at her quick move, and glanced at his hand. Her small fingers were wrapped around three of his fingers. He looked at her questioningly.
"No trainer, please," Lilian said. "I'm not hurt, and I don't want Vince and his Fool Crew to think I am because you know that they will target me."
"Lilian, we aren't going to let anything happen to you," John spoke up from the behind Stephanie's chair.
"Thank you for that reassurance, John, but you fail to realize that I am the weakest link. You and Taker are professional wrestlers. I've seen what you guys can do. Stephanie has had wrestling training. Me? I'm the ring announcer. I was knocked out after taking one hit from Jamal, thanks to Eric Bischoff. Hell, Jeff Jarrett damn near broke my knee and there was nothing I could do about it. Shit, Steph, when you threw coffee all over me all I could do was scream."
Stephanie blushed and asked, "Did I ever apologize for that?"
"Yes, several times. The point, though, is that you guys can't watch my back all the time. What happens when I am announcing on Raw? You guys can't be there the whole time. I. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm. well, I'm."
"Scared?"
Lilian wasn't sure who said it, but she nodded. It hurt her pride to admit she was weak. "Yeah, I am," she said with a sigh.
"So what are you going to do?" Stephanie asked. "Quit?"
"Maybe it's better if it were done that way," Lilian said softly.
"I'm not going to accept that, Lil. This was your idea," Stephanie pointed out. "We're going to train you and make sure that you don't get hurt."
"How can you be sure of that, Steph?" Lilian asked softly. "Sable could have really hurt me tonight."
"But she didn't. I can't guarantee anything, Lilian," Stephanie answered, "But I know one thing. Taker and John will do everything to make sure that nothing will happen to you. We need you. We need your brains, your courage, and your determination. Without you, the numbers game is uneven again."
Before Lilian could reply, a sharp knock rang out. Cena immediately turned around, placing himself in front of Stephanie instinctively. He glanced at Taker, and the older man nodded his head.
"Who is it?" Cena called out, muscles tense at the thought of an impending fight.
"It's Kurt."
Cena looked at Taker again, the confusion evident in the young man's eyes. Taker nodded again, words unspoken but the question answered.
"What do you need, Angle?" Cena asked, not unlocking the door.
"I don't need anything, Cena. It's what you need and I want to help."
The cryptic response caught Cena off guard. Still, he asked, "What exactly is that?"
"Open the door so we can talk," Angle said, impatience obvious in the Olympic champion's voice.
Once again, Cena looked at Taker for advice. The veteran nodded once again, and Cena slowly unlocked the door and ushered Angle in. He glanced in the hallway and then shut the door once again, moving to stand next to Stephanie.
"Did anyone follow you here?" Taker asked sharply, standing up but not moving from Lilian's side.
"No," Angle replied, looking at Lilian. "Are you okay?" he asked her, concern evident.
"Yes," Lilian said quietly, unnerved by his intense gaze.
Kurt nodded, moving his eyes to meet Stephanie's, the questioning look there obvious. "Yeah, I'm okay as well," Stephanie replied. Angle nodded again, satisfied.
"What is it you need, Angle?" Taker spoke up. "If you came here to check on the ladies, they are shook up but fine. Now what do you want?"
"I want to help you guys," Angle said simply.
"How is that?" Cena spoke up.
"Well, Steph said the numbers game was even. But it's not. They have Lesnar on their side," Angle pointed out. Lilian paled at the thought, images of her taking an F5 running through her mind. "So, I want to help you. You need strength in numbers."
Taker and Cena looked at each other, words being spoken with their eyes. Taker looked at Stephanie, and the young woman nodded slowly. "Okay, Angle. We could use the extra power," Taker said. "I'm warning you, though. This had better not be a double cross. If anything happens to Lilian or Stephanie because of you, it's going to be a long, painful period of suffering for you."
Angle stuck out his hand, and Taker accepted the gesture of an alliance. Cena followed suit, gripping the man's hand as well.
"Where does that leave you, Lilian?" Stephanie asked quietly of the blonde silently watching the exchange.
Lilian sighed, leaning her head against the soft cushion. She was in this too far. There was no doubt of that. There was a very strong chance that Vince would go after her if she pulled away, especially now. She felt a hand resting on her shoulder and without opening her eyes, she knew it was Taker. She also knew what she had to do.
"I'm in."
Taker glanced at the blonde woman in his arms but still didn't set her down so she could walk on her own. He had carried her to the back after their altercation, only letting her stand to exit the ring. Taker had surprised Lilian when he swept her up once again when he saw the pain filled look on her face with the first step she took. Her slight weight was nothing to him, but Taker was very aware of her arm draped around his shoulders for stability.
Stephanie glanced at the two, somewhat surprised at the protective nature that Taker had suddenly developed for Lilian. Lilian saw the young McMahon looking at her and said, "Steph, tell him to let me walk on my own, I'm fine."
Before she could answer, John turned around and walked over to the pair. Without a word, he gently poked Lilian in the stomach.
"Ouch!" the little blonde yelped indignantly, resisting the urge to slap Cena.
"I'd say you aren't okay," John said, "Sable kicked you pretty hard. So shut up and enjoy not having to walk."
Lilian looked shocked, glancing at Taker. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a small smile on his lips. She moved her glance to Stephanie, and the brunette simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry, Lil, it's three on one," Stephanie said.
"Well, I'm not going to complain," Lilian said with a sigh, not wanting to admit that it hurt her pride to be carried around like that. "We're at the dressing room anyway."
John opened the door, allowing Taker to walk in first with Stephanie directly behind him. He placed his hand on the small of Stephanie's back to guide her in and she shivered at the warm sensation that she suddenly felt in that area. It was like electricity was suddenly running through her veins.
"Stephanie?" John whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
"Yes?" she asked, hoping that her voice wasn't too husky.
"Is there a reason you stopped in the door frame?" John asked.
Stephanie swallowed, very aware of the fact that his hand was still on her back. "No," she finally replied, willing her legs to move into the room.
Taker and Lilian glanced at each other, amused. Before Stephanie could see their exchanged look, Taker turned around and set Lilian gently on the couch. "Are you okay?" he asked, breaking his silence as he knelt in front of Lilian.
"I think so," Lilian replied quietly. "She just kicked me. I wasn't. uh, I wasn't powerbombed through a table, thanks to you. so, uh. thanks."
"No problem," Taker replied, hesitantly ruffling Lilian's hair as he stood up. "Let me call a trainer for you."
"No," Lilian said suddenly, reaching out and grabbing his hand.
Taker was surprised at her quick move, and glanced at his hand. Her small fingers were wrapped around three of his fingers. He looked at her questioningly.
"No trainer, please," Lilian said. "I'm not hurt, and I don't want Vince and his Fool Crew to think I am because you know that they will target me."
"Lilian, we aren't going to let anything happen to you," John spoke up from the behind Stephanie's chair.
"Thank you for that reassurance, John, but you fail to realize that I am the weakest link. You and Taker are professional wrestlers. I've seen what you guys can do. Stephanie has had wrestling training. Me? I'm the ring announcer. I was knocked out after taking one hit from Jamal, thanks to Eric Bischoff. Hell, Jeff Jarrett damn near broke my knee and there was nothing I could do about it. Shit, Steph, when you threw coffee all over me all I could do was scream."
Stephanie blushed and asked, "Did I ever apologize for that?"
"Yes, several times. The point, though, is that you guys can't watch my back all the time. What happens when I am announcing on Raw? You guys can't be there the whole time. I. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm. well, I'm."
"Scared?"
Lilian wasn't sure who said it, but she nodded. It hurt her pride to admit she was weak. "Yeah, I am," she said with a sigh.
"So what are you going to do?" Stephanie asked. "Quit?"
"Maybe it's better if it were done that way," Lilian said softly.
"I'm not going to accept that, Lil. This was your idea," Stephanie pointed out. "We're going to train you and make sure that you don't get hurt."
"How can you be sure of that, Steph?" Lilian asked softly. "Sable could have really hurt me tonight."
"But she didn't. I can't guarantee anything, Lilian," Stephanie answered, "But I know one thing. Taker and John will do everything to make sure that nothing will happen to you. We need you. We need your brains, your courage, and your determination. Without you, the numbers game is uneven again."
Before Lilian could reply, a sharp knock rang out. Cena immediately turned around, placing himself in front of Stephanie instinctively. He glanced at Taker, and the older man nodded his head.
"Who is it?" Cena called out, muscles tense at the thought of an impending fight.
"It's Kurt."
Cena looked at Taker again, the confusion evident in the young man's eyes. Taker nodded again, words unspoken but the question answered.
"What do you need, Angle?" Cena asked, not unlocking the door.
"I don't need anything, Cena. It's what you need and I want to help."
The cryptic response caught Cena off guard. Still, he asked, "What exactly is that?"
"Open the door so we can talk," Angle said, impatience obvious in the Olympic champion's voice.
Once again, Cena looked at Taker for advice. The veteran nodded once again, and Cena slowly unlocked the door and ushered Angle in. He glanced in the hallway and then shut the door once again, moving to stand next to Stephanie.
"Did anyone follow you here?" Taker asked sharply, standing up but not moving from Lilian's side.
"No," Angle replied, looking at Lilian. "Are you okay?" he asked her, concern evident.
"Yes," Lilian said quietly, unnerved by his intense gaze.
Kurt nodded, moving his eyes to meet Stephanie's, the questioning look there obvious. "Yeah, I'm okay as well," Stephanie replied. Angle nodded again, satisfied.
"What is it you need, Angle?" Taker spoke up. "If you came here to check on the ladies, they are shook up but fine. Now what do you want?"
"I want to help you guys," Angle said simply.
"How is that?" Cena spoke up.
"Well, Steph said the numbers game was even. But it's not. They have Lesnar on their side," Angle pointed out. Lilian paled at the thought, images of her taking an F5 running through her mind. "So, I want to help you. You need strength in numbers."
Taker and Cena looked at each other, words being spoken with their eyes. Taker looked at Stephanie, and the young woman nodded slowly. "Okay, Angle. We could use the extra power," Taker said. "I'm warning you, though. This had better not be a double cross. If anything happens to Lilian or Stephanie because of you, it's going to be a long, painful period of suffering for you."
Angle stuck out his hand, and Taker accepted the gesture of an alliance. Cena followed suit, gripping the man's hand as well.
"Where does that leave you, Lilian?" Stephanie asked quietly of the blonde silently watching the exchange.
Lilian sighed, leaning her head against the soft cushion. She was in this too far. There was no doubt of that. There was a very strong chance that Vince would go after her if she pulled away, especially now. She felt a hand resting on her shoulder and without opening her eyes, she knew it was Taker. She also knew what she had to do.
"I'm in."
