The next morning came quickly. I woke up to the sound of Stephanie getting ready, and the TV. I rolled over and saw Paul watched television with Matthew laying on his chest. Paul was running his fingers on Matthew's hair. The bathroom door was open, and I could hear Stephanie from the other side.
"Paul," she called. "What time do we have to leave"
"Don't worry, we have plenty of time, I still have to wake Destiny up," Paul called back. "And I have to get ready"
"You didn't wake her yet?" she asked. "Nothing like you waiting until the last minute to get ready"
"What can I say," Paul said. He gently lifted Matthew up and laid him on the bed. He looked over at me and saw that I was awake. "That was easy"
"When did he get up?" I asked.
"About an hour ago, he was sitting in his crib. He just crashed," Paul answered. "Do you want the bathroom next"
"No, you better go, I have to dye"
"Ohh, gotcha," he said. "Well, I am going to go in now then"
"Have fun," I told him.
Paul went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. I went through my bag, looking for the dye. Red, blood red. Sort of ironic I guess. I threw the clothes I'd be wearing to the arena on the bed, then went through Matthew's things and got his. Matt made Matthew his own baby sized Hardy Boyz shirt, which I put on him. Matt also made him a Team Xtreme shirt. I quickly dressed Matthew while he was sleeping. Stephanie came out of the bathroom shortly after. She looked at me and smiled.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Almost," I answered.
"No, I mean for the match," she said. "Hours away"
"Oh, that. Well, I guess so. I don't think I can prepare anymore for it," I said. "However it goes, it goes"
"You'll do fine. You always manage to pull it off, always. Things could be going so bad for you, and you seem to come out of it ok," she replied. "I'm going down to get breakfast, meet you guys there"
"Sure, shouldn't take me too long," I answered. "I'm a pro with this dye stuff now"
She opened the bathroom door and told Paul where she was going. I heard the water stop soon after she had left. I thought about what Stephanie had said about me, that no matter what, I tend to come out ok. I wanted to believe that, but I couldn't see it. I had been down this long and dark road for so long, it was impossible to believe I'd soon be coming out of it. Stephanie was so sure that I would be ok. She sounded so convinced, I really did want to beleive her. Paul came out of the bathroom and I went right in. All of our things were packed away and on the bed. Paul took apart Matthew's crib. I stood in the shower for a long time thinking. Thinking about Matt and Jeff and what happened with them yesterday. I thought about what Jeff said to me last night and what I had done to myself. The scar on my leg was still fresh and red. I ran my fingers across it. The water made it burn. I thought about everything that had lead me up to this point, everything that had happened to make this match possible, everything that had led up to me completly lossing it. It was hard to beleive it'd all be over soon.
I did a quick dye job. I taped my leg up and got dressed. Paul was in the room with all of the bags in his hand. I picked Matthew up and carried the rest out. Everyone was downstairs in the lobby. It was a caotic peacfull noice. We found our group right away. All of them in a circle, talking. Matt walked up to me and took our son from me. Matthew started waking up.
"Want me to take him tonight? I know you're going to be pretty tired," Matt said.
"That would be nice, thank you," I answered.
"Big day for you," Adam said to me. "I'll come right down there for you if you want"
"No, I need to do this alone," I said. "No offense to you, any of you"
"Absolutly," Adam replied. "Just remember this, if Kurt decides to get down there, or something goes wrong, I will be there"
"I know," I said and smiled. Matthew was now awake and wanting to run around. Matt put him down, but held onto his hand to keep him around. But, Matthew had broken loose and made a run for it. "Matthew Anthony Hardy, get back here now!" I yelled, I shouldn't have yelled.
"Know it's bad when the full name comes in," Adam said. I had forgotten that only Matt, Stephanie, Adam, and Jay knew about the name. I told Matt and Stephanie right away, and Jay and Adam had asked about it on the flight to Tampa. No one else had asked.
"He's a Hardy?" Jeff asked me.
"Yes, and I should have told you," I answered. "I'm sorry"
"No, it's ok," Jeff said, in the tone of voice you knew it wasn't ok. "I just assumed"
"I should have been up front," I told him.
"Really, don't worry. He's yours and Matt's son, it makes sense"
"You're ok with this, bro?" Matt asked.
"Fine," Jeff answered. "When do we leave"
"Soon, I think," Jay answered.
I sat down on a chair with Matthew clutched in my arms. I wasn't really sure if Jeff was ok with it. I could see why he'd be upset, but at the same time couldn't understand. Matt took him aside and I noticed them talking, probably about this whole situation. I watched, Jeff placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and insited he was ok. "Alright," Paul said. "Les go"
I rode with Paul and Stephanie. The arena was only ten minutes away. Matt took the baby with him. Paul didn't seem to mind one bit about the whole name thing. Which I guess is a good thing. I felt all of the anxzieties creep up. This would not be an ordinary match. I hadn't seen Amy in days, and normally I wouldn't care to. But, not seeing her made me feel a bit nervous. I scared me knowing the first time I'd see Amy would be before the match. This really was a fly by the seat of your pants match, the two of us never talked once. Fans were lined up already around the arena. I wasn't there the day before to do the meet and greet. They saw into our car as we pulled around back and saw that I was there, and freaked. The gate closed behind us as we pulled into the garage. I got out and stretched my legs then reached in the back to my bag. I threw it over my shoulder and walked in with the two of them. A man told me once we entered the arena that Vince was looking for me and that I would find him by the anouncers table. I made a quick stop in the locker room to drop my things off and made my way down there.
The ring was already set up, the cage was already hanging above it. I stood at the top of the ramp and looked up at it. It was pretty scary, very scary. I walked down the ramp and around the ring, Vince was standing beside the announcers table talking to JR. I stood behind them while they still talked. JR noticed I was there, he smiled and hugged me.
"Good to see you're feeling better," he said to me. "Well, Vince, I will talk to you later." And he walked away.
"You must have been sick, it's not like you to miss anything," Vince said to me.
"Projectile vomiting," I replied back. "Wonderful," he smiled. "I want you to know that security's tight. I have hired extra security for tonight. Two will be stationed right outside your locker room door, they will walk you to the ramp if you'd like. I am going to have some at the top of the ramp, some by the sides, any way that someone can enter the ring will be blocked. There is no way anyone will get in. This will also include any of your friends as well"
"I understand, but they will only come down to this ring if Kurt does, or at the end to see how I am. I can assure you, they won't cause you trouble"
"You know me, I have to be fair," he said. "Well, after his match, I don't know if Kurt will be able to do anything else," I said.
"Granted, but better be safe than sorry, right"
"Absolutly," I answered.
"Good, glad to see we are on the same page. Well, I have a lot to attend to down here, and I am sure you have a lot of preperation you need to do, so I don't want to take up any more of your time," Vince said. I nodded and walked back up the ramp. Michael Cole came up to me and told me that I was going to cut a promo in about ten minutes. I went back to the locker room, where everyone was now, and started to get ready. No one was really talking much, just sort of walking around. Everyone was nervous, for Jeff and myself. Our matches had a lot on the line, they were the most personal. I put my ring gear on, the same as it usually is, MACgirl pants and some kind of top that I alter myself. The pants were red and black, so I wore a black tanktop, a tank top I made, under a red fishnet. It all matched my hair, makeup included. My eyeliner was thick and black, and red shadow was worked into my eyes, my lipstick, a deep red. I actually matched. As I was leaving, Jeff came up behind me, and walked out with me. It was going to be our promo.
"Mind if I get in on this?" Jeff asked Michael.
"Absolutly not, go right ahead," he answered. There was a count back from five, and we began. "Michael Cole here and I am standing with Destiny Diaz and Jeff Hardy, two people who, tonight, will put their bodies on the line. Two very high profile, very emotional, very personal matches. I know the two of you aren't much for words, but there has got to be some you can use to describe how you are feeling"
Jeff started first, "there really isn't. What can you say? You see a man constantly pushing and twisitng his way to get something from this woman right here, what are you supposed to do? I have faced Kurt before, and I can tell you he is one tough comepetor. No one thought I could beat him the first time, but I did, and the same goes for tonight. I am sick of the things he is doing to Destiny, and tonight, he will vow to stop"
"I think all of us who have witnessed Kurt's games will agree," Michael replied. "Jeff is a real sweetheart for standing up for me," I replied. "I know a lot of things have happened in our past, but it's nice to know he is willing to stand up for me." The interiew became personal.
"Yes, you two were the high profile couple of professional wresting, and I know personal issues have pushed you apart, and we are not here to open up old wounds," Michael Cole replied.
"This isn't just standing up for some fellow wrestler, it's standing up for a friend, someone I love. And yes, we have had personal issues in the past, but the past is the past. Live for the moment, right? Isn't that our motto, the Team Xtreme motto? It was, and I still think it applies. And right now, I am going to show Kurt he can't push around the people I love, who I care about, my friend, and my fellow teammate"
"Am I hearing this correct? An open offer to reform Team Xtreme?" Michael Cole asked.
"We were unstopable. We had something that no one else has ever had," Jeff continued. "And it's time to show everyone that the past is dead, and the now has come back"
I couldn't believe what he was saying. It wasn't just about bringing the team back, his words implied more than that. I was shocked, and I knew that Matt was too. But, this was more than Matt too, more than just this team, it was about Jeff and myself. Bringing back something that was long forgotten. "Destiny, I can only imagine what you must be thinking about this," Cole said. "I am thinking, lets get the three of us together in a room and lets talk about this," I said. "I am all for this. Showing everyone what it means to be extreme"
"I think tonight, you will be doing that, the both of you. But, Destiny, tonight is a very personal night for you as well. Tonight marks the final battle between the WWE's biggest fude. How are you feeling"
"I can't put into words the emotions I am feeling right now. This belt goes on the line, but it's not about gold. If I lose this belt, sure I'll be upset, but this goes beyond that. I can't describe how much I hate Lita. She has ruined my life, caused me more pain, cut me deeper than anything. That all stops tonight"
"In a steel cage none the less," Cole replied. "There is no doubt that blood will be spilt"
"Of course, we will walk out of there two completly different people. But that's how the game is played, right?" "When you two play the game, yes I can expect something like that," Cole replied. "So, what is going to happen then with Destiny Diaz after Lita is pushed out of the picture"
"Lita was never my career, she was a big part of it, but she was never my career. I'd like to think I can go on and be a star and a champion without her. I am one half of the tag team champions, and I intend to keep it that way," I said. "Chris Jericho and I will prove to everyone that we are a team to be reckoned with"
"The best of luck for the both of you in that," Cole said. "It's just hard to believe that this is going to be the end. We have seen this fued start the moment you got here, two years ago, and here we are still talking about it, and we will continue to talk about it. We sort of mentioned the past, and the present, lets talk about the future. What does the future hold for Jeff Hardy and Destiny Diaz"
"Well, tag team success, for the both of us," I answered.
"Naturally," Cole said.
"The bringing back of old ways," Jeff said. "The returning to what feels right. Throwing it all out the window and coming together again. But, like Destiny said, we'd all have to talk about that"
"We are all used to seeing the Hardy Boyz the tag team champs, and Destiny with Woman's Champion in that situation," Cole said. "But I know it's what the fans have been wanting for a year now"
"It is," I said. "It's what we've wanted too. We've all branched out, got our own success, proved that we can make it on our own. So, why can't the team come back and each of us hold a different title? Keep the individual successess and have a team"
"You make a very good point," Cole replied. "And we will see how all of this plays out. I wish the both of you the best of luck tonight. Michael Cole here, we are just hours away from Unforgiven, don't you move, more to come next." And that was that. "Thanks guys, good luck"
"Thanks, Cole." Jefff and I both said.
"What just happened?" I asked.
"I-I don't know. I think we might have inadvertinally brought the idea of Team Xtreme back," Jeff answered.
"Amazing," I said. I looked at him. "Did you mean it"
"About the team? Absolutly"
"No, about me. The past is the past, time to move on," I said.
"That," he paused. "Yes, yes I did. You were right. I've been thinking about it, a lot, all of it. I don't want to get too much into it, like you said, we have matches to worry about, but I have been doing a ton of thinking lately, and I think, no, I know, this is right. I just used the team as a metaphor for the three of us, you and me even. Throwing the past out and moving on. I've dwelt in the past too much, I always do, I know I have to move on, with everything, and I used the team as a way to say it to you." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Whatever we had Destiny, and we had so much, that was powerful. You were my best friend, you understood me, I didn't just have my brother anymore. I can't lose that, I can't lose you as a friend, I don't want to. I've tried, and I can't. Lets just leave it at that for now"
He walked off in a different direction. I walked off in another, not back to the room, just away. I had worked so hard just to get him to say hello to me, now he was telling me he couldn't lose me as a friend. I found myself confuised, not knowing if I was dreaming or if this was real. The Jeff I knew just a few days ago was completly different than this Jeff. I wondered if this Jeff was just a product of insane emotions, or if this was the real Jeff coming back to us. In my thinking I had walked down to where Amy and Kurt were being kept. Kurt walked out of the locker room.
"Walking into enemy waters, aren't you?" he asked me. He got in close behind me. "Who would stop me if I were to take you somewhere right now"
"Stop it," I said.
"You're right, not now, not before my big match. I need the energy," he said. He got in real close to me and flicked his tounge at me. "Just ignore him" I heard a voice say. "I have been," it was Amy.
"I didn't mean to walk down here," I said.
"I think you and I can be somewhat civil right now. Why would I attack you before our match"
"True," I said. "Are you as nervous as I am"
"Scared to death," she answered. "I don't think I have ever been this scared in my life." She was still standing in the locker room, I was out in the hallway. "Well, any match we may have after this is going to be a walk in the park"
"True, and I could use the low profile matches," Amy replied. "Though, nothing we will ever do will be low profile. Amazing, some new kid like you became the best thing to happen to my career"
"I guess we have a lot more to be thankful for than we thought," I said. I leaned against the wall and squatted down.
"Who knew," she replied. "I think your friends are going to worry about where you are"
"Nah, they know how I get before a match," I said. "Saw your promo, the team's getting back together"
"Oh, I don't know. Jeff's improvision," I answered.
"Good luck with that, if it happens you know"
"Amy, I didn't kick you out of Team Xtreme. That was a business decision, a change of scenery"
"No, but it was you who came in. I lost it to you," she said. "I can't forgive you for that"
"I just can't beleive all of this started because you are mad about that. You would think all of this would start on something serious"
"I consider that serious. You don't know what Team Xtreme meant to me. It wasn't just a gig, it was like it was to you, family. And because Vince wanted to try something knew, the guys wanted to try something knew, I lost family. Why do you think I have been making your life such a living hell? I have been trying to get you to know what it feels like to have your family torn form you. But, I didn't have to do that, you did it on your own." "I may have made a mistake in my life, but I already knew what that felt like before I even got here," I told her. "You have taken a jealious streak, and stretched it out for miles"
"You would think that, because you don't know. I didn't have one say in what happened. It was Vince, Matt, and Jeff. I was left out. I was given the elbow without even having to defend myself"
"They said you were getting crazy, hard to work with, hard to deal with. They said no one could work with you because you were so wound up"
"You don't throw someone out without telling them, without them having a say in it. Do you want to know how I found out I was out of the team? I was going to go to the ring with them when Adam stopped me and said, 'What do you think of your replacement? Looker huh? I hear she's got a lot of potential'. That's how I found out, Adam told me, Edge, Adam Copeland, not Matt Hardy, not Jeff Hardy, not Vince McMahon, Adam Copeland told me. That's when I saw you for the first time, all bubbly and happy, unaware that you took my family from me. And, each day I watched as you made them your own and turned them against me, and you got closer and closer and I just got further away, leaving me with Kurt Angle. Yeah, everyone thinks I wanted to side with him, we were in some kind of plot, no not at all. Kurt always wanted you, and I thought I could use him to bring you down, but he just took it too far, each time, but we were a team enough. I used his skills to help me, whatever he tried to do to you sexually is his own thing. I hate him, I think he's a rotten person, but I needed his ring skills, and that's what I used him for. Trust me, as soon as our thing ends, I will end it with him because I can't stand him"
"I"
"Didn't know? Of course not, why would you? Why would even try to understand why I am the way I am? You assumed I was jealious, but you had no idea what you had done"
"First off, Amy, no one told me the truth about what happened. I went with what I was told, and now that I know the truth, yeah, it was wrong the way you found out, but I wouldn't change anything. Matt and Jeff are my family, and I have heard of the fucked up things you did to Matt while you were together. I had very good reasons not to like you from the start. The grudge you have isn't against me, it's agains Vince, Matt and Jeff, for the way it was handled, which I will admit, was wrong. You were pushed further away for the way you had acted, not just at work, when you were with Matt, it all. Amy, I was told that you were impossible and you had to go. As for Kurt, you can't expect to play the game without getting played yourself. You can hate me all you want for being put into Team Xtreme, or whatever, but the things you have done to me, I can't forgive you"
"Exploting you was the only way to open everyone's eyes to you"
"And you failed," I said. "They think you are the lesser person for doing it. I wish I can stand here and understand why you are mad at me, but it makes no sense. From what you say, you are mad at me because I took your place and became close to Matt and Jeff while you faded away. Did it ever occer to you that you faded because they wanted you to? Why can't you accepted the fact that you were not wanted anymore. You were the one who screwed up, became impossible, hurt Matt"
"Did you not hurt Jeff? If we are going on that, well, you are no better," she pointed out.
"Yes, I admit to that, though, I have worked to better the situation, I haven't seen you do the same. Not once have I seen you try and fix the relationship you once had with them. You claim they were your family, and when the going got tough, you ran. You expected them to bow to you as if nothing had happened. That's why you were replaced, personally and professionally"
"That's right, Destiny, you will be nothing more than my replacement"
"Oh, believe me, Amy, I have done more than be just your replacement," I said. "You are part of a troubled and forgotten past"
"And, in due time, so will you, a new, younger, more beautiful woman will come along, and you will see what I mean"
"No, Amy, that won't happen. I won't let successess get to my head. I won't buy into everything I hear. I'm grounded and I know how to handle myself personally and professionally. Everything we did was for the group, not for the individual, that's why we can make this work again. We've done our own things, and we can work it into the group. Something you could never do. Anything you did on your own always had to outshine the group's efforts. That's why you failed."
I got up and walked down the hall back to my own locker room, feeling that much better about tonight