Unfinished Business

EPILOGUE

A/N: Thanks so much for reviewing, and taking the time to read my story! I really loved how this turned out. I was inspired by a fight my bestest friend and I got into. I really, really appreciate all the encouragement, and sorry it took so long to update! So… the final chapter is finally here…

Taryn smiled, and went for the pin. 1…2…

Alex smiled to herself as Taryn got the pin. The match was finally over. Taryn Reso was the Women's Champion. Taryn beamed as she held up the title, gulping down much needed air. Alex just rolled out of the ring and looked up at her former best friend. She didn't feel guilty for letting Taryn win, and not a tiny bit jealous either. It was written that Alex was supposed to win, but instead she took it into her own hands.

Alex sighedas she made her way to the Women's Locker Room. The night was over, and it was time to go back to the hotel. She would now be touring with the WWE. Alex Hardy was now an official member, and nothing could replace the warmth of joy in her heart.

She grabbed all of her belongings, and walked out of the arena, to her rental car. Right as she opened the driver's side door, she heard fast clicks of high heels coming towards her. She looked up, and a breathless Taryn Reso came striding over.

"Alex – Can we talk for a sec?" She asked. It was completely obvious that she was nervous. She kept playing with her hair, and looking down.

"What do you want, Tare?" Alex sighed. She soon realized what she said, and both heads jerked up at the sound of an all-too-familiar nickname.

"You… You called me Tare…" Wide eyed, Taryn gaped at Alex.

"Uh, yeah… sorry about that…" Awkward silence. Both girls found a great interest in their feet, Taryn with her 3 inch heels, and Alex with her Nike tennis shoes.

"So, um – You needed something?" Alex said.

"OH yeah! I actually had to, um, ask you something…"

"So… are you planning on asking it, or are you just gonna tell me you have to ask me something?"

"I'll ask it… Geez… Uh, out there, tonight…(clears throat) Did you… Did you let me win?" She's stuttering now…wow, that is so unlike her…Alex thought.

"Why?"

"Well, because you were supposed to win, and I was supposed to get that title from you 4 weeks from now!"

"Well, yeah, actually. I did. But you got your title, and that is all you wanted right? Why does it matter how you got it?" Taryn seemed to notice the sarcasm and glared at her.

"FYI – It DOES matter. I wanted to actually beat you! I don't like taking the easy way out! You're a wimp, you know that? The only way anyone would let the Women's Championship slip through their fingers to their ARCH ENEMY would be if they were either A: Crazy, or B: STUPID!"

"OK, I don't have to take this. You got what you wanted, so why don't you leave me alone? This is over and done with, FORGET ABOUT IT! In the fan's eyes you're the winner, and I am the loser. Get it through your head… You've won. You've beat me. I gave up. All these years all you wanted to do was beat me… and now you have, so… so just let it go…" Alex had tears in her eyes as she turned around and got into her car. Before she could drive off though, and unsuspected reply came from her former best friend.

"It hasn't always been this way. We were sisters once." Alex could see the hurt in her eyes, but continued to back out, and drive away, leaving a shattered Women's Champion behind.

Later that evening, Alex got an unsuspecting text message.

MEET ME AT CHILI'S TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00. I KNOW ITS YOUR FAVORITE. WE NEED TO TALK. DINNER ON ME?

-TARYN

Alex sighed. I knew this was coming… She wants to be friends again…Am I ready for that?

With shaky hands, she called the only person in the world that she could trust.

"Lee Lee… its me. I uh, I don't know if you saw my match today, but I let her win. I don't know why I did it… I just, did. Now she wants to talk and I… I don't know what to do. Please call me… She said to meet her at Chili's tomorrow at 7, so please hurry." And with that, Alex hung up.

CHILI'S – 7:00

Alex walked into the restaurant, her heart thudding against her chest. She didn't see Taryn anywhere. Was she being stood up? Was this one big joke?

"Um, excuse me, but can you tell me where a woman with medium length blonde hair, red tips, about 5'5" is sitting? She probably put her name down as Taryn Reso…"

"Sure, she is at the far back, take a left. I am her waitress, are you there meeting her?"

"Yes, I am. And thanks!"

"Sure."

Alex walked down towards the back of the restaurant, took a left, and saw big blue eyes staring back at her. As soon as she sat down, the waitress came.

"What would you like to order?"

"I will have a pepsi with a cheeseburger. Thanks." A soft "no problem" came from the waitress as she walked back into the kitchen.

"So… You said you wanted to meet me?" Taryn nodded.

"I want to be friends again." Taryn always had a strange way of being blunt.

"I… I don't know, Taryn… We have hardly spoken in like, 7 years…"

"Look, we don't have to be as close as we were, well, not all at once at least. Just give me a chance, please? I am sorry. I really am. Everything I've done… all over the stupidest things! I… so many things happened to me over these past 7 years, and I have wanted to tell you so badly, but… but I put up this wall, and forced myself to hate you. At first I thought 'This is only a phase, we will get over it.' But… it never happened."

"I didn't want to hate you either. You just gave me all the reasons to."

"And I said I was sorry! Isn't sorry enough?" she was on the verge of tears now.

"Taryn – you're right, we can be friends again… eventually. I don't want to hate you, but sorry isn't going to help…"

They just stared at each other. That awkward silence filled the air again, and neither one of them said a word until their food came.

"Taryn, why don't we be acquaintances for a while, and when I can trust you again, we will move up. Slowly but surely we might be able to make this work…"

"Yay!" Taryn squealed. "Now that we are acquaintances, can we not glare at each other anymore? Yours scares me." This caused Alex to almost spew her drink.

"Sure…and also – you said a lot of things happened to you over these last few years… what were they?"

This made Taryn go silent for a few moments before looking completely serious. She took a deep breath, and began her story.

"Well… you know that Scott guy? From the bus stop?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, when you told my mom, shehad forbiddenme to see him. Well, you know me… the rebel in me insisted on seeing him, so I snuck out, and one night… we uh, did it. No one ever knew until… until I got pregnant."

Alex gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth in surprise.

"Yeah, well… I took a test, my mom found the box, and she forced me to get an abortion. Of course I didn't want to get rid of it, but when I told Scott… lets just say he didn't want it either. This all happened when I was 14. When I was 15, I got arrested for smoking pot, 16, I got kicked out of school, at 17, when I finally graduated, I decided I wasn't going to college, and moved out. I lived with this boyfriend of mine who I knew was cheating on me. But, I needed a place to stay, so… I let him do it… The night I finally confronted him, he threw me out on the streets, and because I had too much pride, I didn't go home. I lived with Casey, this friend of mine.

"Well anyways, Casey died of cancer when I was 18, so I got her apartment to myself. That was a bad time for me… I partied a lot, had a lot of one night stands. You would think I had learned my lesson, right?" she said with a small chuckle. Alex was wide-eyed, mouth open with horror. But Taryn still continued.

"So, at 18 ½ I realized I wanted to go into the wrestling business. I trained, worked hard, and despite all of my drinking and smoking and drug addictions I had a nice body. One day, when I was 20, I hit rock bottom, and went into a serious depression. I had not talked to my mom in years, and when she called one day to see how I was, I yelled at her. I told her how much like my father was, never caring about me. I told her that I was surprised she waited so long to kick me out, and that I thought she would have done it sooner… and when I heard her crying, I hung up, went out, got drunk, and drove home. But on the way, I hit some lady… I still have nightmares about her… she had long blonde hair, and I can still see her hair spread out all across the windshield… I hit the passenger's side of her car…I don't know what ever happened to her..."

By this point, Alex was hysterical. She was talking to herself, repeating, "No, that's not her, it can't be her, it's someone else…"

"Alex, you okay?" Taryn asked, seeming concerned. Alex just looked at her, and asked so softly Taryn had to lean over to hear, "What street were you on, and what day?" Taryn looked confused, but answered.

"Uh, Longridge Avenue, sometime in late April of last year… why?" Alex paled, and started to cry.

"I know who you hit!" she screamed. Some people turned around to stare at them, but most people didn't hear. "You hit Haylie! You hit my best friend! I was up all night worried sick about her, and you were the one who ruined both of our lives! Some stupid fight with your mom cost Haylie a year of not walking! I hate you! I hate you! I never want to speak to you again!" She was blood red now, screaming with all her might, and soon the manager had to come out to escort her out of the building. Taryn just stared into space, her eyes glazed over with tears. She couldn't move.

When Alex got to the hotel, she cried herself to sleep. She woke up, with three missed calls on her cell phone. The first one was from her mom.

"Lex, it's me. Just calling to say hi. Sammy really misses you, and everyone wants to know when you are going to be home. You said sometime next week you would be home, but when? Call me later. Love ya, girlie."

The next one was from Mr. McMahon. "Hello, Ms. Hardy. I am just calling to inform you about a schedule change. You can have all of next week off. Taryn told me you had family issues to work out, and that you were needed back home. It's good to see you two as friends. I expect you to be in San Francisco, California on Saturday, at 8:00 sharp."

And finally, the last one was from Haylie. "Hey Alex, it's me. I have been doing really great with my walking lately. I can pretty much walk around the room by myself, but I get tired easily. The doctor says another 6-10 months and I will be completely better! Well, not completely, but mostly. Sorry I didn't answer my phone, I was sleeping. And about Taryn… you guys were sisters, and I would hate to see you never get that friendship back. It's not my choice, and I know you already met her, but just give her a chance. I need details, young lady! Call me."

Alex sighed to herself. I am so sorry Haylie, but that is just not going to happen. Not after everything she has done to you. You have been there for me when no one else was, so now I am going to be there for you.

She picked up the phone, and called Mr. McMahon.

"Hi, Mr. McMahon? Yeah, it's Alex Hardy. I am afraid I have some bad news. I… I am having some personal family problems. Yeah. So, I was wondering is it possible to have a few months off? Because of last night, could you put me on the injured list for knee surgery? Yes, I understand sir. I only need a few months. How much are you willing to give me? 5 months? That's great. Thank you, Mr. McMahon. I promise when I come back I will blow the crowd away. Yes, I know. And thank you again, sir. Good bye." As soon as she hung up, she smiled. Haylie was going to be so surprised when Alex returned home.