Okay, I know it's been forever and a day since I last updated this story. But I've gotten a few recent reviews and decided to write this up for those of you who are still reading after all this time. You guys are awesome and I hope this chapter is up to par with the rest!
After spending a grand total of ten minutes getting ready, John and Kiara packed all their stuff and headed downstairs to meet everyone else in the lobby before they were set to start traveling again.
"What if he's down there?" Kiara asked quietly as they stood on the elevator. Her hair was pulled back and under a baseball cap and she was wearing a pink long sleeved top to cover the cuts on her arms with baggy grey sweatpants.
"The RAW guys should have left before us," John assured her. "And don't worry even if he is."
The doors slid open to reveal the lobby and Kiara braced herself. She looked out before walking off and smiled in relief when she saw just the Smackdown crew. John was right, they had left already.
Dawn was sprawled out on one of the couches and Nidia was lying down against Charlie Haas, looking like she was nursing a killer hangover. Dawn saw Kiara and jumped up, half pulling and half dragging Nidia along with her.
"Where have you been?" She exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.
Kiara winced at the pressure against her back and tried hugging Dawn back. "We need to talk," she whispered in her ear.
Nidia nodded in agreement. "We really do."
Dawn looked at both of them in surprise. "How come I'm the only one who doesn't have something to share?"
"Let's go into the bathroom," Nidia suggested as she saw a few questioning looks directed their way. They followed her into the women's room and she made sure the heavy wood door was all the way shut behind them.
"So what's going on with both of you?" Dawn asked. She peered at Kiara and gasped when she saw her face under the harsh fluorescent lighting. She took her hat off and Nidia gasped too. "What happened to your face?"
"Um, I kinda just fell—"
"Bull shit," Nidia interrupted. She stepped closer to Kiara and tilted her chin up. "What did you do?"
By this point they were both so close to her Kiara could smell the spearmint gum in Nidia's mouth in an attempt to hide her hangover and Dawn's Listerine mouthwash. "Remember how we all thought Randy really liked me?"
"He just wanted to rough you up?" Dawn exclaimed. "But why?"
Kiara put a hand to her forehead. "Well no, technically that wasn't his intention. That was the side effect of me trying to get away from him as he tried to force himself onto me." Understanding appeared on both their faces and in a second she was enveloped in a close hug, with 'you're so brave' and 'I just can't believe it' being whispered at her in a somewhat reassuring manner. "But I'm fine now guys. John saved me and then let me sleep in his room with him. He slept on the couch," Kiara added quickly when she knew what Nidia was going to ask her. "So that's in the past—done and over with. What did you want to tell us?" She asked, desperate to get the attention off her.
Nidia sighed. "I'm afraid mine isn't much better then yours."
"It can't be worse," Dawn said.
"I suppose not," Nidia agreed thoughtfully. "But it depends I guess. Vince said he wanted to do another draft to sorta switch things up around here. He said something about the product going stale, or the bread going stale, or something."
"That's awesome though," Kiara said. "I wonder who's coming over here."
"Miss Jackie," Nidia answered.
Dawn wrinkled her nose. "But don't they need to make it an even trade?" She asked and Nidia got a sad look on her face.
"You're getting switched to RAW?" Kiara exclaimed. Nidia nodded solemnly. "But you can't go over there," she whined. "You don't like any of the divas over there—"
"Who are you going to travel with—" Dawn interrupted.
"Who are you going to go shopping with—"
"And go to the spa with—"
Nidia held up her hand to silence the barrage of arguments. "I know. It sucks. But think about it, the Women's title over there. This could be a terrific opportunity."
"You're going to get all caught up with the blonde bitches." Dawn muttered.
"I won't," she answered with a laugh. "And I mean we'll be able to see each other at the joint pay-per-views."
"What are there, like one a year?" Kiara pouted. "Why the hell would—"
A loud knocking on the door interrupted her whining.
"We're leaving now!" John called from outside the door. "Just thought you three would like to know."
Kiara grabbed Nidia's arm on her way out the door. "Don't think this conversation is over. We have a long bus ride ahead of us." She pulled open the door and came face to face with John. "You've come to escort me to the bus?"
"Anything to keep you safe,"
Dawn wiggled her eyebrows in Kiara's direction and Nidia made a kissing motion with her lips. Kiara shot them both an irritated look over her shoulder.
Smackdown
"I never thought you'd have the guts to show up here tonight," Kurt mentioned as he sat down at the same table as Kiara and John. "Not after what happened on Sunday."
Kiara didn't say anything and kept her eyes to the yogurt cup in front of her.
"Yeah well, it's not like I had the option to just not show up to work," John responded. He reached over and squeezed Kiara's arm. "Besides, we're both almost at 100 percent today, we can handle the Undertaker."
Kurt snorted. "Yeah okay. Just let me know when you plan on doing that. I want to be there with a camera."
John rolled his eyes. "Whatever Kurt, isn't there a GM's ass you need to be kissing?"
Kiara sighed as she watched Kurt push back from the table and storm off, muttering under his breath. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" John asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Kurt was just trying to be nice and friendly," she explained patiently, as if to a child. "And you are, for some strange reason, unable to accept kindness from a person. You automatically think it's going to end up being some personal attack against you and it's not."
"That's not true."
"It so is," Kiara replied. "I just saw it happen. I think you need therapy."
John scowled and looked and started to get up from the table when Kiara placed a hand on his arm.
"See, you're doing it again."
He crossed and then uncrossed his arms and looked like he wanted to say something bad when he snapped his mouth shut. "Are you happy? I stopped myself from saying something I'd probably regret."
"So you're making progress," Kiara replied with a smile. "Now come on, we need to go get ready for your match."
A piece of paper was slapped down on their table and they looked up to see Dawn standing there, an unreadable look on her face. "You mean your match."
Kiara looked confused. "Isn't that what I just said?"
Dawn shook her head and sat down next to her friend. "No Sweetie. I guess after what happened in the match on Sunday, the creative team thought it'd be great for ratings if the two of you were in a handicap match against Taker tonight."
"Well, no offense, but the creative team wouldn't know a good idea if it bit them in the ass," John said hotly. "I'm going to go talk to somebody about this." He turned towards Kiara, whose face had turned a nice pale color at the prospect of being in the same ring with the Undertaker, again. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll be back soon," he said and then nearly sprinted out of the room in search of Stephanie.
"I'm not ready for a match against the Undertaker," Kiara said.
Dawn nodded understandingly. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't either but that's what happens here. You just hafta roll with the punches and you'll survive."
"Yeah, but I have to get through this match first," Kiara said, resting her chin in her hands and sighing.
Read and review like usual. You're reviews make my world go 'round!
-Manda