Chapter XVII: Keepin'em Decent

Shawn Michaels wasted no time in telling the world that Samia Carlsen was his 'girl.' The woman in question wasn't exactly as comfortable when it came to him showing 'affection' to proclaim that, especially in the ring. While she may have wanted to push his hands away in public, she could hardly resist at all other times. Maybe it was that drawing away that caused the fans to be split on whether or not they were in favor of their relationship. All that aside, she really didn't seem to care. He made her feel like she was in heaven every night and hung on his arm every day.

While Hunter and Kevin were congratulatory, X-Pac seemed to become more distant towards her after Shawn's 'announcement' about the two of them. She tried working with him despite the obvious distrust and dislike. He had won the Intercontinental title from Booker T only because she had worked a clause in over McMahon that got him the shot with a guest referee—Shawn Michaels. She and HBK had been fairly successful in keeping X-Pac in easy matches but that hadn't seemed to appease him. She was one of those people who wanted to be liked, especially by those she worked with. Part of the excessive hurt she experienced after her break-up with RVD was the loss of friendship and the anger that her former friends projected at her. Working so closely with the Kid pushed her harder to find some way to convince him to trust her, or at least like her.

While she might have been focusing her efforts on X-Pac, Shawn continually talked and negotiated for them all and Samia twisted words and wrote. A slight fudge got the Cerebral Assassin out of a planned hardcore run by the bookers. On the other hand, she managed the odd tag-team match-up of Triple H and the Big Show. The tag-team belts were still on SmackDown! but they were working hard to get themselves a title match for one of the pay-per-views. In the mean time, the two were practicing on the current tag-teams of RAW so that they could become unstoppable in the ring together.

Due to an oversight by McMahon, she had gotten Nash a match with the Undertaker but had not been able to institute the no DQ clause, causing Undertaker to keep the Undisputed title. She had earned Kevin a re-match that was being highly promoted for the next pay-per-view. The nWo just picked at the Undertaker instead of launching a full-scale war on him, which was the usual action taken by the group. She was a little concerned a few of them were planning something that they weren't sharing with her as more and more words were whispered over her head and additional meetings were head by the core of the group—Nash, Helmsley, and Michaels—without her. She wasn't sure whether she should take it as a compliment or as distrust. If they were planning something, she figured that they knew she probably wouldn't agree with it, so they didn't share.

"Someone has to keep these boys half way decent," she muttered to herself as she trotted down the hall with cans of soda in one arm and a plate full of cookies in the other hand, a bit of indulgence for the guys. A familiar voice called her name and she turned to see Rob Van Dam rushing to catch up with her. Not long ago, she would have practically dropped everything in her arms and eagerly met him. Now, she felt just a slight ping in her heart and wanted to dodge him because he had to be up to something to want to talk to her.

"So…I understand you and Shawn are a hot item?" he started, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his work-out pants.

"Yeah, I would guess," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"You do know how he treats women?"

"He's been nothing but a gentleman to me," she responded quite defensively.

"What I'm saying is that you're the flavor of the month. You were something he couldn't have but, now that he has you, he'll waste no time in tossing you aside when he's bored." The red beady eyes of some mythical creature stared at her from his chest and seemed to taunt her.

"I am not the flavor of the month. Thanks for the vote of confidence," she snapped and turned to go.

"Samia, wait!" he called and put a hand on her arm to stop her. "I just want you to be aware of Shawn's past history so you don't get hurt so bad. He doesn't have that nickname for nothing. He'll break your heart."

"I have already been through the worst heartbreak of my life," she stated very pointedly, glaring at him. "What business is this to you?"

"Because maybe I…" He trailed and she realized she was hanging on his every word. "Never mind. Just be careful, please." With her defenses now down, her softened eyes locked with his briefly and the look on his face after Adrienne's "betrayal" flashed through her mind. He was past history and she couldn't let a passing moment in the hall change her resolve. Samia nodded to break their gaze and then returned to her mission at hand, forcing her thoughts away. Rob was the last thing on her mind when she was greeted with a kiss upon entering the room and a greedy bunch of boys pounced on the plate of cookies.

Before Samia could comfortably settle down to watch any of RAW, Nash pulled her aside and began detailing another task for her. "Kevin! You want me to do what?" Samia literally shouted at him. Nash rose to his full height, folded his arms across his chest, and stared down at her. She stared back for a moment from where she sat to defy him but, when he didn't budge, she knew she had no choice. "Okay. I'll go get the laptop out of the car." RAW was half through and Nash had another hare-brained scheme—pictures of models with Brock Lesnar's head superimposed on them as psychological warfare for the main event that night. By now she had lost all of her fear about walking throughout the arena by herself, so she stalked out a little angry by Kevin's demands.

The nWo had arrived fashionably late and they were stuck with a parking spot in the back. About five cars down from theirs, she noticed a black boot sticking out between a motorcycle and a van. Quietly she sneaked down to the motorcycle and gasped at the sight before her. The Undertaker was laid out between the two vehicles with blood trickling through his red spiky hair. I can't believe they'd do this! was her first thought but then chastised herself for knowing that they could and would as she dropped down beside him and gently shook him, calling his name. Taker didn't move. She quickly headed back the way she came to keep from drawing too much attention to them too soon and grabbed the first person she saw. "Pamela, get the paramedics," she evenly explained. "Undertaker's down in the back of the parking lot." Samia gave Pamela a slight push and then dashed back to where the Undertaker lay. She was on her knees beside him again, trying to wake him. His hand moved and she grabbed it.

Heavy eyes then fluttered open and, when he recognized her, he barely whispered, "Help me."

"I've got somebody coming, I promise. Stay with me now. Okay?" It wasn't like he was on the verge of dying but she just started rattling off whatever came to her head first. Taker tightened his grip on her hand and didn't let go. He barely nodded at her words but his eyes slowly shut again. The paramedics worked around her while she continued to hold his hand and talk to him despite the fact that they tried to make her move. She felt she owed him something for what she was almost certain the nWo had done.

Pamela was doing a good job holding off most of the curious on-lookers and cameras. As they started to load the Undertaker in the ambulance, one paramedic asked her if she was going with him. The iron-grip he had on her hand convinced her to climb in the vehicle with them. She motioned for Pamela to hand her his bag and trench coat. "Pamela, please tell Shawn that I got sick and had you take me back to the hotel. Oh, and tell him not to bother me, that I'll call him when I feel better. Please," she pleaded. Pamela nodded hesitantly and watched the ambulance disappear. Samia felt sorry for the poor girl who would have to deal with the nWo.

A bump in the road must have jostled the Undertaker awake for a moment because, through the oxygen mask, he muttered, "Sara, call Sara."

"Don't talk now. I'll get her. Just rest," Samia whispered to him and his eyes fluttered shut again. She couldn't help but sigh at the love the two of them shared.

At the emergency room, the woman was able to pry her hand out of his death-grip. Otherwise, the hospital personnel would have done it for them before they disappeared with him behind a large set of double doors and left her standing in the waiting room, holding his coat and bag. She started pacing the empty room and quickly drew the looks of the attendants. I probably look like some prostitute off the street, she thought and quickly slipped on the coat in hopes of toning down her outfit and losing some of the stares. The coat dragged the floor but at least it covered up her revealing outfit. Think, think, think. What now? Who do I call to get in touch with his wife? None of the attendants seemed to care about the ballgame that was on, so she quickly turned the television to the last half hour of RAW. The program was just heading into a commercial break.

Samia began rifling through the Undertaker's bag and found his cell phone. She about jumped for joy when she found his home number on speed dial. "Sara, this is Samia Carlsen…yeah, unfortunately, that's me…No, just listen to me…Please, listen. Someone attacked your husband and I happened to be the lucky one to find him…No, I had nothing to do with it…Just listen. He should be just fine. He's got a bad gash on the back of his head and pretty nasty cut on the front. A concussion is possible but right now he's in the emergency room and they're checking him over…He said to call you…I'll stay until you get here…I don't care how long it takes. I'll leave his cell phone on if you want to call back…Yes…Alright. 'Bye."

The commercials were over when she got off the phone and Lawler and J. R. were back to their usual off-color comments but quickly stopped to let everyone know that the Undertaker had been attacked and taken to the hospital. They showed what footage they had, which wasn't much—just a bunch of people standing around and then the paramedics loading him into the ambulance. Jerry thought he recognized a quick shot of Samia's blonde hair and voiced that opinion. "Damn it! Damn it all to hell!" she shouted but was then surprised at herself for letting something like that slip in public. She sheepishly grinned and shrugged her shoulders at one of the nurses.

The nWo made an appearance after the footage and Samia suspected it was damage control. Shawn may have been controlled by his libido but Nash was smart as a whip and probably put two and two together. Jerry once again voiced his opinion that Samia was the one with the Undertaker since she wasn't with them. However, Shawn took great care in explaining Pamela's version of Samia's absence. Lawler stated that he didn't believe him but dropped the subject anyway. Shawn said that the nWo had nothing to do with the attack but expressed that they wish they could have been the ones to take him out. Samia rolled her eyes. Yeah, right, she thought and knew they did it with Vengeance coming up in a little less than two weeks. So much for keeping them half-way decent. RAW ended with a clean finish between a victorious Nash and a defeated Brock Lesnar, only Lesnar's second loss ever.

By the time the Undertaker was finally settled into a room, Samia had given up on attempting to determine their relationship. He had been courteous to her when she most needed a friendly face. Then out of nowhere, he was the one who was coming to her rescue from Guerrero and Benoit. She had mulled over why he had helped her and then left the message checking on her. She had thanked him for his help but that had been the last of any major interaction between the two. Her life then hit the spin cycle and the woman had thought little of him since. Now, she wondered why he cared at all to befriend her and, mostly, why he had 'rescued' her when he knew that Michaels would have found her eventually. However, she had no doubts as to why she had helped him and it had little to do with reparations for what the nWo had done to him.

Samia made herself comfortable in the seat closest to the bed and began her wait for the Undertaker's wife. She must have dozed off because she was startled when Taker called her name. "Samia, what time is it?"

"Gosh, let's see…three-thirty. Sara should be here fairly soon," she answered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and checking her watch.

"So you got in touch with her?" he groaned, rubbing his head.

"Of course, I did. My cohorts may be absolutely merciless but I'm not all that bad," she replied, smiling.

"I always knew you were too good for them. Thanks."

"For what? Just being human?" she facetiously asked but he somberly shook his head at her. "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Some water would be good," he answered, gingerly feeling the bruises on his face and the stitches on the back of his head.

She poured him a cup from the pitcher she had filled earlier and made sure he had a good grip on it before she let go. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Not to dredge up what happened earlier, but do you know who attacked you?"

"I wish I did," he sighed when she expected anger. "Whoever it was hit me from behind and I turned to see who it was and got it from the front before I could see anything."

"I'm sure my boys did it, but I want you to know that I had nothing to do with it and knew absolutely nothing about it," she said, trying to assure him that she wasn't there for his harm. He nodded and closed his eyes against a wave of pain. "Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll see about talking to someone about getting you some painkillers." She squeezed his arm and headed out the door.

Sara arrived right before dawn and Samia quietly left the room without saying 'goodbye' as Sara woke up her husband. Samia had dozed on and off all night, so she wanted nothing more than to get in bed. She slipped the keycard into the lock and opened the door to find Shawn lounged out in a chair asleep, his feet propped on the bed and the remote in his hand. While they may have been lovers, they didn't technically share a room. If they spent the night together, they did, but she always booked herself a separate room. Their relationship wasn't exactly that of hers and Rob's and she still needed privacy and, more importantly, some time to herself. Plus, she worked better alone and it seemed she was typing endless contracts.

Samia tried to quietly back out the door so as not wake him. She first needed to formulate a good excuse but it was already useless. Shawn quickly rose and put his hands on his hips in a demanding manner. "I, um…I…" she began but then just dropped her hands to her sides in surrender.

"That's what I thought."

"Look. You just can't lay out people like that and leave them to bleed to death or something like that," she accused, plopping down on the bed to remove her boots from her aching feet.

"Who said we did it?" he asked, his tone not much different than hers, but she just glared back at him. "Okay, so we did. We made a boo-boo and you fixed it. That's what you're here for anyhow."

"Glad to know it," she scoffed.

"Why did you go with him and stay there?" he asked, his voice softer and more inquiring.

"Shawn, he asked me for help and wouldn't let go of my hand. In the ambulance, he asked for his wife. I called her and she wanted me to stay with him until she got there. I couldn't say 'no' to any of that. I pictured us in that same situation and would have wanted someone to do that for you and me."

"Alright. I can't fault you for that. But why did you send Pamela to us with that big, fat lie?"

"I knew you would be mad—me fraternizing with the enemy before my main man's match. Are you crazy? Of course, I lied," she angrily replied.

"Are you that scared of us?" Shawn asked, sitting down beside her.

"I just know what happened the last few times I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time—a lot of hurt. I didn't want that to happen again, but I guess it did," she said with a sigh and turned away, already imagining how this was going to mess up her life.

"No, it hasn't happened again," he replied and hugged her to him.

"I hope the other guys are just as convinced as you are," she responded with a nervous laugh. They would not be as convinced because they knew what had happened. If Lawler was intelligent enough to figure it out, they were too. When Samia had been gone for longer than it should have taken her to retrieve her laptop, X-Pac began asking questions, raising Kevin's suspicions. He had asked where Helmsley and the Big Show had dropped the Undertaker—the parking lot. Shawn casually tried to find Samia but there were so many people crowded around the 'scene of the crime' that he couldn't get through. After that, the inner circle of the faction began formulating damage control.

"I'll be sure they are," Shawn assured her. "Don't you worry about it. Want some breakfast?"

"No, I just want to go to sleep. It's been a long night," she answered and snuggled into Shawn's warms arms. "You know, I love you."

He stroked her hair and replied, "You're nothing but an angel." She didn't think about his response and quickly fell asleep with him curled around her.

TBC…