Chapter 2

Sean, Andrew, Scott, Adam and Jason crowded around Bret as Chaya climbed back into the ring. Paul stood with his arms crossed in the ring, listening to Vince explain the rules. News of the match had spread through the crowd of performers and crew like wildfire, and there was now easily more than a hundred people watching and questioning Chaya's sanity. "Guys I need to ask a favour." Bret announced and turned to the five of them. "Name it." Adam said instantly. "Well actually two favours. One I want you all to hold me back. Chaya made it absolutely clear that I wasn't to interfere, but that doesn't mean I won't try. That's my girl up there, if anything happens to her..." He trailed off and the guys all nodded gravely. "What's the second favour?" Sean asked. "I want you to promise me that when Chaya gets hired you'll look out for her. As much as we all know she can be a hellcat, she's still a young lady and I want you to swear that you'll take care of her." Scott was already nodding before he'd even finished. "You got it." Adam replied. "No problem man." Sean said squeezing his shoulder. "Andrew?" Bret turned to the very silent young man. Andrew's blue green eyes met his penetrating gaze. He could see the unspoken question in the older man's eyes. He replied with a steady voice even as his insides shook. "I'll take care of her Bret." Satisfied, Bret turned back to the ring just as the bell sounded.

Chaya and Paul circled each other in the ring. Chaya knew he was waiting for her to make the first move and she was determined not to. She knew Paul was a reluctant participant, but if she was ever gonna prove herself she had to make him take her seriously. The best way to do that was to make him angry. "C'mon Giant, you're not scared of a little girl are ya?"

"Hardly."

"Then come and get me!"

"Ladies first, I insist." Chaya sighed. Men were impossible. When you want them to treat you like dirt, they decide to be angels. Finally, Chaya got tired of waiting and executed a drop kick to his knee. The big man faltered, but didn't go down. When he didn't respond she continued her attack. She used the ropes to propel her weight into knocking out his legs. With each blow, she could see his resistance fading. Around her she could hear his colleagues mocking him and she smiled. A man could only take so many shots to his pride. She had forced him to one knee when he finally snapped. She came in for another hit and was met with a huge shove that sent her halfway across the ring. She was up quickly and launched herself at him once again.

Andrew felt Bret stiffen beside him, and he quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, reminding him that he couldn't interfere. Paul was starting to get mad now, and he began to really put up a fight. When Chaya went crashing to the mat a second time Bret shrugged off Andrew's arm and turned away cursing. On his other side Sean, Adam and Jason were cheering her on. Scott stood a few feet away, silently watching the match, but Andrew could see the tough-talking hardcore legend wince every time Chaya hit the mat. The way Scott was looking at her made Andrew scowl. He was tempted to stalk over there and wipe the intimate look off the other man's face. *How in the hell do you know Chaya?* Andrew thought harshly. *You're not anywhere near good enough for her.* He scowled towards Scott before focussing back on Chaya. He watched the way her body moved in the ring, the way her hair fell around her shoulders, the calculating light in her golden eyes. Those same eyes had haunted him night and day for the past six years. And now....now his nightmares had come back to haunt him. Chaya would make it to the WWF, and then there would be no place for him to hide.

Chaya went crashing down to the mat one more time. She'd succeeded in ticking Paul off, and now she was paying for it, with blood. She'd leapt at him in a high flying manoeuver and he'd caught her in mid air with the back of his hand. Her lip was busted wide open now and as she lay there dazed on the canvass she could see Sean and Adam straining to hold her uncle back. Wincing, she rolled over and saw Vince watching her closely. Growling with determination she swallowed her pain and blood and all but jumped to her feet. When Paul saw the damage to her face he was instantly sorry. Guilt washed over him and he tried to apologize to her. But Chaya was having none of that. She taunted him further, attacking him with a brutality that brought him once again to his knees. Pain lanced up his leg as she drop kicked it again, and then twice more. It was time to end this, Paul decided. So he got to his feet and wrapped both hands around her throat, hoisting her in the air.

Andrew sucked in a harsh breath as he watched Paul thrust her small body high above his head. He knew it would all be over soon. Beside him Bret hung his head, fluently cursing Vince. Scott was doing the same, though his eyes never wavered from the ring. The match ended in a split second. But it wasn't Chaya's body lying motionless on the mat, it was Paul's. She'd defeated him. Everyone sat in complete silence after what they had just witnessed. "She won." Andrew announced stunned. Scott, Adam, Sean and Jason cheered. Bret jerked his head up to see Chaya standing over Paul's body. "How?!"

"Bret man, it was incredible." Sean said gleefully. "One second Paul had her going for a ride, and the next he dropped like a sack of potatoes!"

"But how!?"

"She moved like lightening man. She jabbed both her fists into his neck and did the splits, nailing Paul's armpits. Dude screamed in pain and BAM, he was gone!" Adam explained. "Shit, I ain't never seen anything like that." Scott proclaimed loudly. "Me either." Jason agreed, shaking his head.

Vince had already climbed into the ring, grinning widely and offering Chaya his hand. There was a hard glint in Chaya's amber eyes, but she took his outstretched hand nonetheless. "Spectacular my dear, simply amazing."

"Any other WWF superstars you'd like me to dismantle today Mr. McMahon?" Chaya asked with a smug grin. Vince merely laughed. "Not just now my dear. Perhaps later when you're working at one of our shows."

"I'm in?" Chaya asked. She was holding her breath, unsure of Vince's insinuation. "Absolutely Ms. Neidhart. I expect you to be in Jim's office tomorrow morning at ten am sharp signing your new contract."

"Thank-you!" Chaya screamed catapulting herself into Vince's arms. Vince laughed as he caught her and gave her a quick hug. "Sorry. I swear you won't regret this Mr. McMahon!" Chaya bubbled as she let go. She thanked him several more times before jumping down from the ring.

"I take it you got the contract." Bret scowled at her as Sean, Adam, Jason and Scott all began talking to her at once. "C'mon Uncle Bret. You're s'posed to be happy for me!" Chaya said punching his arm. "Well you didn't have to throw yourself at that scumbag! Just look at what he did to you!" Bret reached down to cup her face, angling it so he could see the damage. Chaya pulled his hands away and held them softly in her own. "Let it go Uncle Bret. I'm in. That's all that matters. Now lets get out of here and celebrate!"

"You're not going to stay for the show?" Adam pouted. "Yeah c'mon Chay. You gotta stay! Blondie and I are taking on the Hardys' and Dudleys' tonight in a TLC match." Jason told her. "Who you calling Blondie, Goldilocks!" Adam grumbled punching Jason's arm. Chaya laughed as she continued to listen to the three of them beg. Scott finally won her over. All he had to do was look into her eyes and ask. "Please stay Chaya, for me?" The familiar teasing smile he gave her warmed her heart. "Anything for you bird-boy!" Scott laughed outwardly and pulled her in for a hug. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Andrew stalked past them up the ramp and disappeared behind the black curtain. He'd sensed the tension in the air between Andrew and Chaya. More than once he'd caught Chaya watching Andrew when he wasn't looking, and even more puzzling was the way Andrew was doing the same thing. But outwardly they were both content to forget the other actually existed. Scott was sure he knew the history between the two of them. Andrew had trained with Chaya for close to three years and Chaya had always referred to him as a good friend. But that's not what he saw here today. He made a mental note to ask Chaya about all this when they were alone.

"Chaya you almost done in there? You gotta be waterlogged by now pixie! Show starts in a few minutes!" Chaya could hear Bret yelling at her on the other side of the locker room door. She sighed, tipping her head back to let the warm water course over her bruised muscles. She was sore now, but happy....almost. Scowling she slammed the tap off and stalked towards the hooks that held her towels. *Why does he have to be so damned sexy!* Chaya thought bitterly. She was hoping that a few years with the WWF would have marred that pretty face somehow, but no such luck. He was as beautiful as she remembered. *Dammit, dammit, dammit!* She re-entered the locker room common area and was so consumed by her tormented thoughts that she nearly tripped over a redhead doing stretches on the floor. "Sorry." She apologized quickly and turned towards her bag sitting open on the bench just above her head. "No problem girl. Hey you're Bret's niece right?" The redhead asked, jumping up. "Yeah. Chaya Neidhart." Keeping one hand firmly on the towel on her chest she extended her other hand towards the young woman. "Amy Dumas." She smiled taking her hand and giving it a solid shake. "I'm L_"

"Lita. Yeah I know. You were one of Bret's favourite students in the Funking Dojo." Amy beamed at her and sat down on the bench next to her bag. "I watched your shoot matches today. You certainly lived up to your reputation."

"What reputation?" Chaya asked carefully. "Your rep for being an absolutely unbelievable performer. Adam and Jay have talked about you non-stop since I started here. I've even seen some of your old indy tapes from when you and Levy were tag partners. I swear sometimes I felt like I was in your shadow and you weren't even here!"

"I'm sorry."

"No! Hey I didn't mean it like that." Amy laughed. "You really are amazing, and today you definitely proved that you have the moves to hang with pretty much anyone here. Gawd I will never forget the look on Jo's face when you beat her! She was livid!"

"And this is a good thing?"

"Are you kidding? Any woman here would have killed to be able to show up Joanie like you did. She's been stuffing her high and mighty crap down everyone's throat since she got that Intercontinental belt and personally I'm sick of it."

"Always glad to know I'm loved." Joanie spat as she leaned against the doorframe. Amy's face coloured as she turned away, mumbling that she was late meeting Matt and Jeff. Joanie gave her a dark look as she passed. When she turned back, Chaya was patting her damp hair. She'd left her braids in and they looked a dark red now, still heavy with water. Joanie stalked over to Chaya and placed her hands on her hips. "You didn't prove a damn thing out there today you know. All you showed was that you could take a beating."

"You're entitled to your opinion Ms. Laurer."

"Stay out of my business little girl." Joanie told her fiercely. Chaya met her diamond hard gaze with cool confidence. "Sorry Joanie, but wrestling IS my business. I'm here to work, nothing more, nothing less. You stay outta my way and I'll stay outta yours."

"You'd better stay out of my way, cause I'll have to rearrange that pretty face if you don't. Got it?"

"You could always try." Chaya returned coldly. She had no idea why she was baiting the other woman, but she just couldn't back down. Joanie scowled at her and raised her fist but was forced to drop it when Amy came running back in. She lowered it slowly and glared at the two of them on her way out.

"You okay?" Amy asked breathlessly as Chaya turned away to start dressing. Amy turned her back allowing the smaller woman some privacy. "I'm fine. Joanie knows she can't actually hurt me, but her stupid pride has to at least make threats."

"Bret was kinda worried when he saw Joanie go in." Amy heard a laugh behind her. "Yeah Uncle Bret would think like that. I swear the man still thinks I'm only twelve years old. You'd think he'd get it through his thick skull that I can take care of myself."

"Believe me I know how you feel. Matt and Jeff treat me the same way."

"What's the deal with you and Matt? Are you guys actually_"

"Dating? Sort of. Our story line kinda evolved faster than we did, so we're still just trying the whole relationship thing on for size." It was on the tip of Chaya's tongue to tell the redhead about her own experiences with occupational dating, but she shook her head lacing up her metallic red combat boots. "Well I'd better get out of here. I promised the guys I'd stay for the show." Chaya explained packing up her gear. She'd all but thrown on her black jeans and meshed Flames jersey over her black tank top.

"Cool. I guess I'll see you around." Amy said as Chaya waved on her way out. "Oh hey Amy?" Chaya called out turning back.

"Yeah?" Amy asked looking up from her stretching. Chaya smiled warmly. "Thanks." Amy smiled back and nodded. "Anytime girl. Welcome to the WWF." Chaya's grin widened. She'd finally made it, and nothing was gonna stop her now.