Okay, we're in Danny's POV and well now, we're in the homestretch as far as reunions go.
Well, that went over well.
Remind me to never have anymore family reunions.
At least Tatem and David took things well. Okay, they took things well AFTER they got finished with chewing me and Uncle Ric out. And Eddy after his involvement was revealed. They took out pictures of their kids to show Dad and promised to bring them over. I wonder how Dad feels about being a Grandfather?
I talked to Athena before I left Atlanta. Her family reunion seemed to be everything I'd hoped mine would've have been. As happy as I was for her I couldn't help but feel envious that she was getting this great reunion and all I got was my Mom hitting my Dad. I haven't had to guts to ask Uncle Eddy yet if he told Mom about his involvement yet.
Vince and Co's trial starts in a couple of days. I went with Uncle Eddy and Eric to go to Texas to pick up Steve Austin for the trial, another person I believed dead until a month ago when I went with Uncle Eddy and Eric to San Antonio the night Vince got taken down in, ironically enough, Atlanta. I noticed that Eric had a black eye when me and Uncle Eddy met him at the airport. Eddy asked how he got it and Eric just ground out "Raven," which I didn't understand but Uncle Eddy seemed to understand. I didn't ask. I figured the entire story would come out later. Eric seemed to like to talk a lot. The most ironic thing about this trip was that a few months ago Eric and Uncle Eddy didn't know if Austin would be awake much less testify at Vince's trial.
Uncle Eddy was driving while Eric stared straight ahead. I was in the back-seat staring aimlessly out the window.
"Seems strange doesn't it? That in two days, our part in this will truly be over?" Uncle Eddy asked Eric.
"Can't wait to see the look in Vince's eyes when I testify against him. Bastard thought he had me in his back pocket for 17 years. That's going to be fun."
Uncle Eddy chuckled. I realized I rarely heard him laugh. "Yeah, well, wait till he sees WHO you helped cheat death. That ought to give Vince a stroke."
"Irony is a beautiful thing isn't it?" Eric asked rhetorically. Okay I respect the fact that he helped save my father, but the guys an egotistical son of a bitch. I'm about to say that to him when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
"Hey guys, how long has that truck been behind us?" I asked noticing for the first time the blue truck that was keeping pace with us as we headed to Austin's house.
Uncle Eddy looked in the rearview mirror and Eric turned around to look at the back window.
"SHIT!" both exclaimed at the same time.
"You know who that is don't you?" Eddy asked Eric.
"Yeah, yeah I know who the hell it is. Probably saw us leaving together and wanted to know why my ass isn't in jail along with Vince," Eddy said throwing his head back against the seat. "Dammit! Lose him Eddy, or we're going to have some questions that neither of us wants to answer at the moment."
"I'll try but if he's already figured out where we're heading, that might be a moot point," Uncle Eddy replied already turning the wheel in an attempt to lose the truck.
Uncle Eddy meandered a few blocks before going back on the road we'd been on, finally losing the truck. Or so we thought.
When we finally got to the Austin home, we got out of the car, intent on heading straight to the house. That's when the blue truck came up behind us, and a stout, gray - haired man got out and barreled towards Eric. Next thing any of us knew, the man had his hands wrapped around Eric Bischoff's throat.
"You son of a bitch!" the man ground out in a Southern accent.
"JR, I can explain!" Eric wheezed out, trying to get a couple of breaths in.
Even though I didn't know a whole lot about wrestling growing up, I did recognize Jim Ross, who served under Vince as Vice - President of Talent relations and had been known for many years as the 'Voice of the WWF' announcing WWF events such as RAW and PPVs. Ross retired along with Mark Calloway shortly after Survivor Series 2003, following the 'death' of Stone Cold Steve Austin in what I now knew was one of Vince's assassination orders. I wonder what JR would do if he knew how much Jeff Jarrett got paid for that little piece of work.
"JR!" a woman's voice cried out. I looked to see a blond woman with gray at her temples coming towards us. She also had a southern accent and looked a bit familiar to me. It took a few moments for me and Eddy to get the former commentator's hands off Eric's throat. The aged man looked at all of us (Okay Eddy and Eric since I'm pretty sure he didn't know who the hell I was, since the only image of me in the papers was of me in a dress) with rage in his eyes.
"You son of a bitch! How come you're not in jail right now! It was your idea to have that stupid NWA - TNA 'invasion' that got Steve killed. How come your not in jail with Stephanie and Vince?" JR raged.
"I cough I didn't know about what was going to happen until after the deal was done. If I'd known that Vince - " Eric coughed out, trying to get his voice back after being choked by the former announcer.
"Vince killed Steve?" the older blonde woman said in a voice that was so small it was heartbreaking. I finally recognized the blonde as one of my mom's closest friends and somebody I considered an aunt over the years, Debra. She was also Steve Austin's wife. They'd reconciled before the deadly scaffold match.
'This day keeps getting better and better,' I thought bitterly, Please don't let Debra have talked to Mom in the last few days.'
"You low down snake!" Ross yelled. "You knew for how long? 15 years?? DAMN YOU! Why the hell didn't you turn Vince in before that match took place? Steve would still be alive if that match never took place!"
If only he knew.
The fact of the matter is, it took this long just to get enough evidence to prove that it was Vince that was actually behind the scaffold match. See by allowing Eric to set up the cross promotional deal, Vince had a way of framing Eric for it, by saying that Eric paid Jarrett off to push Austin off the scaffold. There had to be concrete proof that Vince planned it. That was another of Vince Russo's favors to us. The man doesn't want to go to prison, so he's rolling every which way he can. There are already at least 12 mysterious accidents over the last at least 20 years to wrestlers that Russo's offered up and at least half could be definitively traced back to Vince and/or Hunter/Stephanie. The rest are still being investigated.
"Look, I know what you think about me JR, but one thing I'm not is a murderer!" Eric yelled. Given what I've been told about the two men, it wasn't hard for me to believe that Ross absolutely hated Eric. This was going to make things even more explosive. Apparently Uncle Eddy thought the same thing and we both moved closer to keep the former commentator from choking the crap out of Eric again.
"I've done and said a lot of things in my life, some ruthless things, but never Vince's level! Never murder! Eric shot out. "My hands are clean of blood on that score."
"Oh really? What about setting yourself up as Chief mourner at Owen Hart's funeral? Huh? Debra's deceptively soft voice carrying a lot of venom. "and for that matter, what the hell are the three of you doing at Steve's house? The last time it was lived in was - " she cut herself off, unable to continue without crying.
Damn! I should've realized that's what Eddy meant by moot point if he figured out where we were heading. Jim Ross probably traveled down the road we were on hundreds of times before Survivor Series 2003. I prayed Eric wouldn't let his anger get the best of him. Bad enough we were going to have to explain why we were here. But I didn't think Eric blurting it out was the best way for them to find out.
Debra Austin looked at me curiously, then recognition sparked in her eyes. Shit, that was the last thing I needed.
"Danny?" she asked, "what are you doing here?"
I never got the chance to answer her, because right then the person we came here for decided to reveal what we were doing here himself.
"What the fuck is going on out there?!" a gruff voice asked, cutting off another Ross tirade. Both Jim Ross and Debra Austin froze at the sound of the voice as they recognized it. Everybody turned to the front porch to where the sound came from even though me, Eric and Eddy already knew what Debra and Ross would find.
Steve Austin stood on the front porch, a hand leaning on the railing. I didn't see Chase yet but I was sure that he was inside the house somewhere. I didn't see any vehicles belonging to Shane Douglas or Mark Calloway yet, so I assumed they weren't here yet. Oh yeah those two showing up was going to make the situation better. Considering the man in front of us was in a deep coma a month ago, I was amazed that Steve Austin was up and around so fast.
I turned back to JR and Debra. Shock and recognition was registering on both of their faces and I swear I thought Jim Ross was going to have a stroke right then and there. Debra looked very pale and I moved closer to her incase she fainted.
"JR, Debra?" Austin asked finally recognizing the pair that followed us.
JR was in shock and couldn't move.
Debra Austin whispered "Steve?" and fainted at the sight of her presumed dead husband.
Why do people always faint around me?
Okay three reunions down. More from Texas in 81.
Well, that went over well.
Remind me to never have anymore family reunions.
At least Tatem and David took things well. Okay, they took things well AFTER they got finished with chewing me and Uncle Ric out. And Eddy after his involvement was revealed. They took out pictures of their kids to show Dad and promised to bring them over. I wonder how Dad feels about being a Grandfather?
I talked to Athena before I left Atlanta. Her family reunion seemed to be everything I'd hoped mine would've have been. As happy as I was for her I couldn't help but feel envious that she was getting this great reunion and all I got was my Mom hitting my Dad. I haven't had to guts to ask Uncle Eddy yet if he told Mom about his involvement yet.
Vince and Co's trial starts in a couple of days. I went with Uncle Eddy and Eric to go to Texas to pick up Steve Austin for the trial, another person I believed dead until a month ago when I went with Uncle Eddy and Eric to San Antonio the night Vince got taken down in, ironically enough, Atlanta. I noticed that Eric had a black eye when me and Uncle Eddy met him at the airport. Eddy asked how he got it and Eric just ground out "Raven," which I didn't understand but Uncle Eddy seemed to understand. I didn't ask. I figured the entire story would come out later. Eric seemed to like to talk a lot. The most ironic thing about this trip was that a few months ago Eric and Uncle Eddy didn't know if Austin would be awake much less testify at Vince's trial.
Uncle Eddy was driving while Eric stared straight ahead. I was in the back-seat staring aimlessly out the window.
"Seems strange doesn't it? That in two days, our part in this will truly be over?" Uncle Eddy asked Eric.
"Can't wait to see the look in Vince's eyes when I testify against him. Bastard thought he had me in his back pocket for 17 years. That's going to be fun."
Uncle Eddy chuckled. I realized I rarely heard him laugh. "Yeah, well, wait till he sees WHO you helped cheat death. That ought to give Vince a stroke."
"Irony is a beautiful thing isn't it?" Eric asked rhetorically. Okay I respect the fact that he helped save my father, but the guys an egotistical son of a bitch. I'm about to say that to him when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
"Hey guys, how long has that truck been behind us?" I asked noticing for the first time the blue truck that was keeping pace with us as we headed to Austin's house.
Uncle Eddy looked in the rearview mirror and Eric turned around to look at the back window.
"SHIT!" both exclaimed at the same time.
"You know who that is don't you?" Eddy asked Eric.
"Yeah, yeah I know who the hell it is. Probably saw us leaving together and wanted to know why my ass isn't in jail along with Vince," Eddy said throwing his head back against the seat. "Dammit! Lose him Eddy, or we're going to have some questions that neither of us wants to answer at the moment."
"I'll try but if he's already figured out where we're heading, that might be a moot point," Uncle Eddy replied already turning the wheel in an attempt to lose the truck.
Uncle Eddy meandered a few blocks before going back on the road we'd been on, finally losing the truck. Or so we thought.
When we finally got to the Austin home, we got out of the car, intent on heading straight to the house. That's when the blue truck came up behind us, and a stout, gray - haired man got out and barreled towards Eric. Next thing any of us knew, the man had his hands wrapped around Eric Bischoff's throat.
"You son of a bitch!" the man ground out in a Southern accent.
"JR, I can explain!" Eric wheezed out, trying to get a couple of breaths in.
Even though I didn't know a whole lot about wrestling growing up, I did recognize Jim Ross, who served under Vince as Vice - President of Talent relations and had been known for many years as the 'Voice of the WWF' announcing WWF events such as RAW and PPVs. Ross retired along with Mark Calloway shortly after Survivor Series 2003, following the 'death' of Stone Cold Steve Austin in what I now knew was one of Vince's assassination orders. I wonder what JR would do if he knew how much Jeff Jarrett got paid for that little piece of work.
"JR!" a woman's voice cried out. I looked to see a blond woman with gray at her temples coming towards us. She also had a southern accent and looked a bit familiar to me. It took a few moments for me and Eddy to get the former commentator's hands off Eric's throat. The aged man looked at all of us (Okay Eddy and Eric since I'm pretty sure he didn't know who the hell I was, since the only image of me in the papers was of me in a dress) with rage in his eyes.
"You son of a bitch! How come you're not in jail right now! It was your idea to have that stupid NWA - TNA 'invasion' that got Steve killed. How come your not in jail with Stephanie and Vince?" JR raged.
"I cough I didn't know about what was going to happen until after the deal was done. If I'd known that Vince - " Eric coughed out, trying to get his voice back after being choked by the former announcer.
"Vince killed Steve?" the older blonde woman said in a voice that was so small it was heartbreaking. I finally recognized the blonde as one of my mom's closest friends and somebody I considered an aunt over the years, Debra. She was also Steve Austin's wife. They'd reconciled before the deadly scaffold match.
'This day keeps getting better and better,' I thought bitterly, Please don't let Debra have talked to Mom in the last few days.'
"You low down snake!" Ross yelled. "You knew for how long? 15 years?? DAMN YOU! Why the hell didn't you turn Vince in before that match took place? Steve would still be alive if that match never took place!"
If only he knew.
The fact of the matter is, it took this long just to get enough evidence to prove that it was Vince that was actually behind the scaffold match. See by allowing Eric to set up the cross promotional deal, Vince had a way of framing Eric for it, by saying that Eric paid Jarrett off to push Austin off the scaffold. There had to be concrete proof that Vince planned it. That was another of Vince Russo's favors to us. The man doesn't want to go to prison, so he's rolling every which way he can. There are already at least 12 mysterious accidents over the last at least 20 years to wrestlers that Russo's offered up and at least half could be definitively traced back to Vince and/or Hunter/Stephanie. The rest are still being investigated.
"Look, I know what you think about me JR, but one thing I'm not is a murderer!" Eric yelled. Given what I've been told about the two men, it wasn't hard for me to believe that Ross absolutely hated Eric. This was going to make things even more explosive. Apparently Uncle Eddy thought the same thing and we both moved closer to keep the former commentator from choking the crap out of Eric again.
"I've done and said a lot of things in my life, some ruthless things, but never Vince's level! Never murder! Eric shot out. "My hands are clean of blood on that score."
"Oh really? What about setting yourself up as Chief mourner at Owen Hart's funeral? Huh? Debra's deceptively soft voice carrying a lot of venom. "and for that matter, what the hell are the three of you doing at Steve's house? The last time it was lived in was - " she cut herself off, unable to continue without crying.
Damn! I should've realized that's what Eddy meant by moot point if he figured out where we were heading. Jim Ross probably traveled down the road we were on hundreds of times before Survivor Series 2003. I prayed Eric wouldn't let his anger get the best of him. Bad enough we were going to have to explain why we were here. But I didn't think Eric blurting it out was the best way for them to find out.
Debra Austin looked at me curiously, then recognition sparked in her eyes. Shit, that was the last thing I needed.
"Danny?" she asked, "what are you doing here?"
I never got the chance to answer her, because right then the person we came here for decided to reveal what we were doing here himself.
"What the fuck is going on out there?!" a gruff voice asked, cutting off another Ross tirade. Both Jim Ross and Debra Austin froze at the sound of the voice as they recognized it. Everybody turned to the front porch to where the sound came from even though me, Eric and Eddy already knew what Debra and Ross would find.
Steve Austin stood on the front porch, a hand leaning on the railing. I didn't see Chase yet but I was sure that he was inside the house somewhere. I didn't see any vehicles belonging to Shane Douglas or Mark Calloway yet, so I assumed they weren't here yet. Oh yeah those two showing up was going to make the situation better. Considering the man in front of us was in a deep coma a month ago, I was amazed that Steve Austin was up and around so fast.
I turned back to JR and Debra. Shock and recognition was registering on both of their faces and I swear I thought Jim Ross was going to have a stroke right then and there. Debra looked very pale and I moved closer to her incase she fainted.
"JR, Debra?" Austin asked finally recognizing the pair that followed us.
JR was in shock and couldn't move.
Debra Austin whispered "Steve?" and fainted at the sight of her presumed dead husband.
Why do people always faint around me?
Okay three reunions down. More from Texas in 81.