Uncommon Sense Chapter 22
By Batistafan
Rating - NC-17 for violence
Distribution: If you would like to add this story to
your site that's fine, just let me know.
Main Characters include: Batista, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Christy
Hemme, Nancy Adams (Original Character).

Disclaimer: This is a mature fanfiction intended for mature readers.
This story contains violence, coarse language, as well as mature
sexual situations (some may consider explicit), and these would not
be deemed appropriate for all readers.
I do not own nor claim to have any affiliation with the WWE, its
characters, wrestlers, staff or other affiliates. I do own any
original characters that I have created, as well as scenarios that
ensue throughout the course of this fiction. However, since both my
characters and scenarios are inexorably intertwined with those of
the WWE, my ownership of them is not autonomous.
I do not endorse nor do I discourage the use of any brand-name
products that might be referenced in the fiction and have no claim
to them as they are property of their respective companies of
license. Thank you kindly for not suing.

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"The first rule in keeping secrets is nothing on paper."

-Thomas Powers

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Christy shifted uncomfortably on the wooden bench in the women's locker room, an exhausted groan escaping her lips. She hadn't had such a diminutive amount of sleep in a long time. Christy had struggled with trying to cover up the bags under her eyes and had used her share of unscented muscle rubs just trying to relieve the affects of the stress on her body. The pulsating muscle ache in her lower back was a constant droning reminder of the fact that she was carrying around a burden that she had no business towing.

How had she gotten herself into such a mess? Sheer jealousy possibly, but even that was too impossible to contemplate because of her pride. And now Triple H had somehow exhumed more dirt on Christy herself…it would just be a matter of time until her own skeletons would be dragged out of the closet, if she didn't play along. True, in her conceit, she could see that o scandalous deed she'd ever concealed could compare to the secret that Nancy was toting, even so Christy couldn't help but feel a stab of pity, as she contemplated what she was soon prepared to do at Triple H's behest.

She had begun to wonder if in fact Dave would be receptive to resuming a relationship with her after Nancy was finally out of the picture. She wasn't sure that he would feel like being a part of anyone's life again once he found out the truth and cast Nancy aside. Was it a grave possibility that he would be too angry, to hurt to want to anything more than wallow in his depression while he nursed his impending injury?

Christy wasn't stupid enough to believe that Dave and Nancy were merely friends anymore…it was obvious that Triple H's sources were reliable and she was now fully, agonizingly aware that the two had been holed up in his cabana the last full night and most of the day before their flight. Christy had also been dismayed to see that Dave Batista had not been on the same flight with the rest of the wrestlers. Another quest for info on Triple H's part had turned up the disturbing detail that Dave had flown standby…coach, even! On the very same flight with Nancy...She knew now, for sure that something serious was developing between the two…and rather quickly. It didn't bode well for a future hope of a romance with him, but Christy wasn't giving up yet.

She adjusted the waist band of her mini-skirt and smoothed the front of her shirt down. A turn from side to side revealed pre-match perfection and so, with a little pout of her lips, a tiny ladylike swipe of her hair over her shoulders, she headed out to the ring to meet up with Stacy Keibler for a tag match.

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The door creaked slightly as Nancy used her hip to push it open, a cup of steaming coffee in each hand. She smiled when Max lifted his eyes and rewarded her with a knowing smirk. He appeared tired, bags under his eyes, a wrinkled shirt over even more wrinkled slacks. Max's dishwater blonde hair had taken on a free standing life of its own, much aided by his habit of running his sweaty palms through it. Nancy had known him well enough to know that it was a habit that only reared its head when he was frustrated. And even though Max grinned at her as if he knew every detail of her time in a certain someone's cabana, she knew he either wasn't happy or wasn't feeling well.

"Well…you're still alive…and still walking." Max appraised her smile and the way she averted her eyes. "So that's a good sign." He suspected that the red flush spreading across her face and chest was as much from her excitement as it was from her embarrassment.

"Oh, and thank you for kicking me out." She said, palming the hot coffee cup gently into his beefy hand. "Just cream." Nancy nodded at the cup.

"Well you always were hard to room with." Max joked. "I would have said 'Hello' to the two of you on the flight, but I was on rumor patrol with some of the staffers, who saw you two board. Imagine…Mr. Heavyweight Champion flying coach…with normal people." Max laughed softly. "He must really be something else…to cancel a first class ticket."

"He is." Nancy agreed as she hugged Max's shoulders, reminded of how special she'd felt when she thought about how Dave could have put them in a completely separate hotel from the rest of the WWE Family to avoid a rash of awkward questions. Instead he simply paid for a room in the Marriot where everyone else had booked and promptly marched her upstairs undaunted by stares or whispers from of the other wrestlers. "You don't seem yourself." She pulled away, eyebrows pleating as she assessed Max more closely.

"Sleep deprivation." Max's weary eyes glittered devilishly. "Do you know how hard it is to try to see what your best friend is doing in a cabana on the hill…through binoculars, perched for hours on the window sill? I'll have a mark on my ass for days." Max poked her in the arm. "Besides the fact that I stayed up half the night trying to imagine details that I know you won't give me, because you're a lady."

"You're a shit, Max." Nancy poked him back, and then took a sip of her own coffee.

"You're not ever coming back to me are you?" Max asked sadly and though Nancy knew he'd meant it as a jest, she suspected that he was a tad depressed.

"Poor baby…of course I will…" Nancy began. "I'll just tell Dave that tonight's the last night we can…"

"The hell you will!" Max cut her off. "I never wanna have to fight you for the best bed again…let him deal with your antics…I've been trying for months to get rid of you." He leaned his head on her shoulder accepting another hug from her.

The pair was interrupted by the opening of the door and the appearance of Vicki, who was dressed in tight black leather pants, paired with a soft, flowing white blouse under a pink jacket. It was an ensemble that Nancy would have termed an eighties catwalk disaster, straight from the closet of 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince', but Nancy would never have voiced her thoughts to the make-up artist.

"Max?" Vicki said delicately, offering a small wave to Nancy. "Could I talk to you…I need help for just a second with something."

Nancy returned the small wave and could see from the look on Max's face that he was smitten…she wondered if his lack of sleep had anything to do with Vicki.

"Oh yeah, sure." Max answered. "Nancy, do you mind?"

"Nope." Nancy suppressed a grin. "Take your time."

The two walked away, arm in arm and Nancy sighed with satisfaction. Maybe things were finally falling into place for Max. It gave her a precious sliver of hope that even she might be able to keep some shred of what she was developing with Dave, as long as he never knew who she really was.

Shaking off the invasive thoughts, Nancy sipped her coffee and then set herself to the task of measuring the black fabric on the table so she could make Lita/Amy Dumas a new blouse. She heard the screech of the heavy door again behind her and she knew it wasn't Dave, because he always seemed to sneak up on her without her knowing. Without bothering to look, she tossed a greeting over her shoulder. "Hi, give me just one second."

The casual greeting was caught by none other than Triple H himself. "Sure." Was his lackluster response, and he was internally pleased when he saw that the seamstress stiffened the moment she recognized his voice. Her bodily reaction was just further proof to him that she had a guilty conscience.

Nancy turned slowly to confirm that it was indeed Triple and she swallowed, deeply as she caught a glimpse of the intimidating man. He was someone who had never come into the wardrobe room, not even once in the entire time since she had been in charge of its operation.

Nancy knew that because of his status, he preferred to have his garments sent out to a professional alteration service. "Um…" She began nervously. "I, uh…You don't have anything in here waiting to be altered or repaired, do you?" She spoke kindly even though she was leery. Nancy was still slightly guilt ridden about having eavesdropped on him twice, and she knew full well because of his comments in the stairwell that he wanted to be rid of Dave and that fact alone put her on the defensive. His being here period, was out of the ordinary and it made her uneasy.

"No." He turned to the door and twisted the lock. "But I do have something important to discuss with you, though."

"You, should probably unlock that door." Nancy said, apprehensively, wiping her suddenly sweaty palms on her skirt trying desperately to feign confidence.

He shook his head, with an air of aloof self-assurance. "No, I don't need to unlock it."

Panic and internal alarms began to sound, but Nancy steeled herself against the oncoming fear, and convinced herself that he wouldn't dare hurt her…not with so many other people roaming the halls on the other side of that door. She tried to induce the belief that his locking of the door was a form of intimidation…nothing more.

"You know, the very first time I met you…after you had been snubbed by Eric Bischoff, I knew that there was something distinctly different about you." Triple H stepped forward, wagging a finger at her as he spoke. "I can see why Dave likes you so much." He remarked in a low voice as he appraised her appearance, noting that she nervously ducked her head to avoid meeting his gaze.

Nancy was no exotic beauty like Candace and she wasn't Playboy model material like Christy Hemme, but he couldn't help but notice that she had delicate features and clear eyes, a symmetrical, classical beauty. She had been blessed with olive skin that she had obviously taken good care of and shiny chestnut curls that lacked the straw-like appearance of so many naturally curly haired women, instead it glimmered in variegated hues ranging from cinnamon to light brunette and a million complementary shades in between. She was shorter than average, but her body was lithe and slender with unbroken curves that reminded him of a dancer. He couldn't refute the fact that she was undeniably appealing even if she was not gorgeous. She would most likely age gracefully and still be attractive in form and face long after the cosmetic laden beauties that graced magazine covers would be seeking cosmetic surgery.

"I…really don't think that this is appropriate…discussion." Nancy stammered, her lips tightening. She pushed the fabric aside so she could walk around the table to avoid his sardonic gaze.

"Why? Because I'm married and you're…fucking Dave Batista." He remarked, straightening his tie as if he'd made no offense.

"Something like that." Nancy's brow furrowed and she jutted her chin out, trying to pick her pride back up. She had never enjoyed that particular verbal expression and she certainly wouldn't have placed her very new physical relations in that sort of tasteless light.

"I wouldn't worry…My wife won't be at the arena for another hour or so, and your…whatever Dave is to you…is engrossed in a very interesting conversation with Eric Bischoff, and then of course after that he has a match." Triple H continued slowly to advance on her and the effect was nauseating rather than stimulating as it was whenever Dave was cornering her.

"Is there something you wanted?" Nancy asked firmly, her eyes narrowing. She exuded bravery, but on the inside she was scared to death…something oddly threatening radiated from the man in front of her and instinctively she put her guard up.

"It's funny you should ask that." He began. "I watched you in the ring the other night during your…match, and when I witnessed the way Dave came swooping down to save you, I was reminded of something that I had forgotten a long time ago." He noticed that she shifted uncomfortably as she crossed her delicate arms over her ample chest and he grinned as he glanced toward those breasts covered by a crème colored silk top, surmising that Dave Batista must have had plenty of fun with those. "When I was fifteen, my mother took me to an estate sale." He continued, undistracted.

"I hardly think that has anything to do with me." Nancy interrupted clearing her throat as a lump of apprehension formed.

"On the contrary," Triple H held up a finger. "It has everything to do with you, and its odd how I'd forgotten about the experience…until you." He was less than two paces from her and he stopped. "My mother loved to buy things at a discount…but my father always used to tell her, 'You get what you pay for'. He was always spouting off little appetizers of wisdom. She hated that about him…At any rate, she…found this, uh…crystal vase at that estate sale." He laughed softly, as if the memory might have bordered on fondness and then his expression of arrogance returned as he continued.

"It was in a box among some other ordinary things and it was covered in dirt and dust, with caked-on water spots, but it was intact and my mother just had to have it. She took that fifty-cent crystal vase home and worked on it for hours…all the while, with my father spouting his insight over her shoulder…'You get what you pay for'."

He reached a hand out to push a curl away from Nancy's face and then chuckled softly when she swatted his hand away. "She removed all of the spots and all of the dirt, thinking how lucky she was that she'd bought that vase, and it wasn't until she lifted it up to put it in that lit up curio case, that the light shined on it and she saw this…thin, almost invisible crack that went from rim to base." He shook his head and sighed. "By damned, she was so disappointed, I can still remember the expression on her face…And it certainly didn't help hearing the 'I told you so' from Dad."

He leaned against the table pleased that Nancy appeared too scared or too intrigued, whichever the case, to move away from him. "Of course…she kept the vase, because she couldn't bear to part with it after she'd invested all that time into it, but she never would put it out front and center, she placed it in the back of that display case, behind other things she'd collected…things unflawed…and as long as she never moved it forward, put into the light…no one would ever see the crack in it and she would never have to be ashamed." He reached a long finger out and brushed her jaw with it, pulling away before she could swipe at his hand again. "Then I saw you and Dave together and it occurred to me…how very much like that crystal vase you truly are."

Nancy blanched and then with dismay, she noted that he hadn't missed her reaction. She wanted to back away, but her hip was against the tall self-supporting caddy, and he was in front of her and could easily have blocked her path. Standing up to him was the only choice she had.

"Dave might be willing to invest a lot of time and resources into you now, but as soon as he sees that huge flaw in you, mark my words…he's going to be ashamed." Triple H held fast his stance when he saw her shift her weight as if she might move to get away from him. "And I know much better than you, what kind of guy Dave is…he might keep you around for a while because he's noble, but he'll keep you hidden on the back burner so nobody knows who you really are…he won't hold you up and be proud that you're his…because you'll ruin his life if he puts you on display…he'll be a laughing stock." He chanced a last scalding insult. "I guess it gives life to the notion that no matter how you clean it up…trash will always be trash."

Nancy felt the bile rise in the back of her throat…maybe Triple H didn't know the truth…maybe he was just guessing…at any rate, she wasn't about to be bullied in her own territory. "Max…is gonna be back any second, so you---"

"No he's not." Triple H chuckled and shook his head, as he cut her off. "Vicki and I have a great arrangement. She seems to know the value of a dollar even if she's a little rough around the edges. I'd wager that he's going to be occupied for a good little while." He watched Nancy's brow crease, amused that she appeared slightly annoyed. "I did think she was gonna quit on me when I paid her to sleep with him, though." He laughed. "And let me tell you, that cost me a pretty penny."

Nancy's face fell and she bit her lip, unable to conceive of how disappointed, how utterly devastated Max would be when he found out. "Oh God, Max…" She said on a whisper, closing her eyes as she let out a trembling sigh. Nancy had felt that the whole thing with Vicki appeared suspicious, but she had held off telling Max her reservations because she hadn't wanted to insinuate that he wasn't worthy of someone beautiful or desirable. She felt tears tease the back of her eyelids and then fury began to bubble up inside of her. "Get out and leave me alone, you pretentious asshole..." She ground out in a mere whisper between clenched teeth, and then turned to reach her left hand into the caddy drawer to retrieve her walkie-talkie, intent on calling for Max…or anyone else who would answer. Before she could pull it out, the force of the front of his body slamming forward into hers, caused the drawer to shut painfully on her left wrist. Her body was pinned against the caddy, wrist still trapped in the drawer, as Triple H pressed his entire weight against her.

Triple H held her there, his hips pressing against her back as he spoke aggressively, determined to let her know that he meant business. He brought his lips close enough to her ear that she could hear the dangerously low rumble of his voice. "Let's not be hateful."

Nancy bit back a cry of pain, as her trapped wrist began to throb. "Let go of me and get out!" She was on the verge of screaming until his response brought her to sheer silence.

"I bet that's what you said to Mommy's boyfriend, wasn't it?" He gloried in the instant drain of color from her face and the way her tense body went suddenly slack. He used his free hand to brush the glimmering curls back over her shoulder so that he could whisper in her ear. He saw her chin quiver as she closed her eyes. "But he didn't. Did he?" He felt her body shudder with fear and shame and continued. "You kicked and fought but Eddie was strong…that's right, his name was Eddie Pritchard." He pressed his weight against her when he felt her try to break free. "He was so much stronger than you, wasn't he? But drugs can do that to a man, though."

Nancy nearly choked on a sob and tried in vain to push backward against him so she could free herself, but her wrist was trapped in the drawer and her other arm was folded painfully, and pinned between the front of her own body and the caddy. Besides that, there was no moving someone of his size…and they both knew it. "Please..." She begged in a whisper, as tears streamed unchecked down her face.

"You begged him too, just like you're begging me now…" He continued undaunted and uncaring of the deep wound he was reopening. "He didn't listen to you and he took away your only precious thing…and your mother…he lied and told her you came onto him…she beat you and you ran away, but the police just dragged you back…and what about the night you were supposed to go to the prom…he was right there again to ruin it…he tore that dress that Mrs. Masey made for you in secret, because she knew your mother would never buy you one. You were gonna be dressed and gone and then back safe in bed before Mommy got home from work, but Eddie scored some meth that night and came home early…He tore that red dress to shreds and cut your lip…and you ran away again and the police brought you right back…again." Triple H persisted in spite of Nancy's tears. "Who's ever going to believe a teenager from the trailer park? That's what Eddie told you, and he was right…but you were ready next time, weren't you? You knew he'd come for you again…and he did…" He spoke rapidly, forcefully.

"Please stop…" She sobbed unable to fight his weight against her back, unable to free her pinned arms in order to cover her ears. She leaned her head against the caddy as his searing cruel breath burnt a hateful path down the tender flesh of her neck. She had given up praying for help…and his malicious reminders had shed light on the fact that he was the one in control, and that no one was going to come to her rescue this time.

"You were ready…and when you felt the weight of his body on your mattress and you smelled the meth on him and the sweat…" He watched as her face contorted at the memory. "And he rose up above you just like before, but you were ready and you sank that knife all the way into his belly." Had he not been pressing himself against her, he was fairly sure that she would have fallen. "And you sat there in the corner of your room and watched him bleed out and die on your dirty carpet, and then you called the police and told them what you had done."

Nancy felt her trapped wrist begin to go numb at the unremitting pressure, but she didn't care. Her carefully constructed wall of poise and control, built out of layer after layer of lies and denial was tumbling down brick by brick. How could he have possibly known?

"They took you away with blood all over your fingers and put you in the Juvenile Detention Center, the one across the road from the fiberglass factory. Lucky you…you were in there 6 months before you even got a trial, because you were too ashamed to tell them what he'd done to you…I bet that 8' by 8' cell was better than being with Mommy, though." He could feel her fear and anger welling up as she tried again in vain to extricate herself from his hold. "You would have been there for two more years and then probably gone on and been sentenced to life in prison if that nosy Mrs. Masey from the trailer park hadn't been walking her dog down the back lane the night of your prom and seen him tearing your dress off through the window…I guess it's a good thing she went to the cops on your behalf…even though we both know you slaughtered him." He laughed, enjoying the pain and regret his words were causing. He knew that in his hands Nancy was malleable and would do whatever he wanted in order to keep him from exposing her. "You could have saved his life and let him go to prison for what he did to you…but no, you had to play God and let him die, writhing on your floor…. But luck was with you, wasn't it, because they let you off after that humiliating medical exam and sealed your Juvenile record up tight as you please…and at the age of seventeen you took off and never looked back. Wouldn't you say that's a pretty accurate account of what happened? I wonder how Dave would feel if he knew he'd exposed his precious baby girls to a murderer."

Triple H felt her breathing increase and for a moment he thought she might be about to hyper-ventilate. "And Mommy's boyfriend isn't the only one that's dead because of you isn't that right?" He gritted his teeth. "You're just a regular 'Jane the Ripper', aren't you? I bet if you think really hard, you can remember your Daddy…he was always good to you…always sober and loving even though your Mommy was always a drinker…he used to take you out to feed the ducks when Mommy was on one of her binges…I bet you can remember when he took you out looking for a Christmas tree and your mother demanded that she be allowed to come along even though she was slightly looped…that's what the court transcripts said…and he stopped by the bakery that he owned, after hours, so he could get you…what was it?...Ah, macaroons…because you loved them…and because he was a good father…but he was taking so long and you wanted those macaroons, so while Mommy was nodding off in the front seat…"

"Oh, God…please…you have to stop…" She whispered, through her sobs…how could he have possibly known every little detail unless he had unsealed her juvenile records? How could anyone be so brutal?

But he didn't comply with her pleading, he continued with a rushed a fierce tone. "But Sweetheart, I'm just getting to the good part…you snuck out of the backseat and ran into the store…but Daddy wasn't the only one in there…and when you flipped that light-switch on and startled those men, they pointed that gun at you. But Daddy loved his little girl and he put your tiny little body behind his and tried to talk them out of using that pistol, but you started to cry and tug at your Daddy's leg and they got restless. They would probably never have shot him if you hadn't come in there and interrupted them while they were robbing him…he was giving them the money, but you just had to have your cookie, like the selfish girl you are." His words were laced with venom and revulsion. "You watched him bleed to death too, huh? Because you were too little to save him, or because you were to ashamed of what you did…and you hugged him and shook him but he didn't wake up…you got his blood all over your grey coat."

Nancy was too weak and too ashamed to do more than lean forward and rest her defeated weight against the caddy, wrist still trapped and throbbing. "What do you want?" Her question was devoid of anything other than submission as her tears dripped over her lips and into her mouth. He'd known…exactly how it had all happened, and somehow had created, with the power of his bitter words, an incarnate version of exactly how she'd viewed herself. Nancy had only been lying when she'd told herself that it wasn't her fault, that she hadn't been to blame, but he was right, her mother was right…if she had stayed in the car like her Daddy had told her, then he would be alive today and she would never had been put in the position to defend herself against Eddie, against anyone, because her father would never have let a single soul hurt her.

"You're a smart girl…I'm sure you can guess what I want." He said in answer to her tearful question. "But in the interest of saving time…I'll be straightforward. We both know that I know all about your past…I even know about every single part of your body that's ever been injured because I have possession of all your medical records, I dare say I know more about your body than Dave does and I've never even had you…I bet there are quite a few interesting stories you had to tell the hospitals, huh?...I also know that you care for Dave a great deal…people like you never go into a relationship half-assed…people who have been hurt like you've been tend to love people more deeply, and sadly you tend to hurt people more deeply…I can guess that you would never want to see Dave be hurt or humiliated, because you know better than most how it feels to experience both. Now, I can keep him from finding out about your past…from being humiliated by you and all I need from you is a small favor in return." He waited and felt her body stiffen against his. She didn't even have to speak for him to know what she was thinking, her body language was giving her away.

"You'll have the opportunity to help me win a match against him…the specifics of which I'll supply you with later…and then I'll take the paper copies of what I have on you and give them to you for your own disposal. Understand that doing this means betraying Dave and it also means the end of a future with him, you'll lose him either choice you make, but if you make the right one you can at least save his feelings and his reputation…but in the meantime, you'll be a good little girl and keep quiet, because at least if you choose to help me he won't be publicly humiliated along with you."

He watched her shake her head in refusal.

"I can't help you." She quavered.

"Yes…you will…" He hissed pressing against once more, so forcefully the caddy shook and Nancy cried out as her wrist was smashed, yet again. "You're gonna keep doing what you always do best, and that is to continue lying to everyone around you, including Max." Triple H continued as Nancy's shoulders shook with silent sobs "…oh yes…you're gonna keep silent about what you know of Vicki, and you're going to continue doing, whatever it is that's put such a big smile on Dave Batista's face as of late."

He delved just a bit further. "Oh and since I know you have a propensity to run away when things get rough…let me warn you that I can make it very hard on Max here and anywhere else he could choose to seek employment...You're best plan is to stick around because if you try to pack up and take off, I'll make sure that every major internet search engine has a fancy little link up to your past indiscretions, and you'll never have a job anywhere on this continent…and just to sweeten the pot, I have to say that I would hate for Vicki to call the police and tell them how Max wouldn't take 'no' for an answer…especially since she'll have a nice viable DNA sample here in about, oh…say half an hour." He laughed, shaking his head. "This is costing me a fortune, by God…she charges an arm and a leg to have sex with fat-boys."

Triple H glanced at his watch and then he backed away from Nancy, watching as she pulled her injured wrist from the drawer and slid down the wall into a defeated pile, tucking her knees up to her chin, as she folded her skirt under her legs to preserve her reticence. "A little too late for modesty don't you think? You're already tainted goods."

Nancy laid her head on her knees unwilling to look at him. She waited until he was gone, then she scrambled and ran to relock the wardrobe door behind him. Back on the floor behind the dressing screen with her heart pounding so fiercely it threatened to break her sternum, she scooted up against the wall and pulled her legs up under her, cradling her wrist in her lap as she glanced at the angry welt that was forming on both sides. This was insane, every aspect of it…how could she have let herself get into this position? She had been stupid to believe that she could be normal, that she could achieve a level of success and rise from the dredges of a trailer park…she'd been a fool to believe that something as sacred as a sealed juvenile court document could ever have been out of the reach of someone who wanted it badly enough. Nancy was hiding there on the floor, just like she had hidden in the bathroom floor of the convenience store after the first time she had run away from Eddie Pritchard. She wasn't safe then and she wasn't safe now. Her mother's boyfriend was dead, but Triple H had just as easily brought him back to life with his words and his blow by blow account.

Nancy covered her face with her trembling hands, ashamed and destroyed…it could all be over, she could run tonight, disappear now…leaving Dave with all his questions, ones that would never be answered. She could even possibly be miles away before he heard the news. Nancy had saved her money for years and could have gone fairly far if she was thrifty, but not now. Now it was impossible. Nancy had no choice but to stay, and to deceive Dave…not like she hadn't been doing that already, Triple H had been more than eager to point that out, but now it wasn't a ruse of her own volition…she had Max to think about and Dave's reputation…and two little girls that weren't hers and never would be.

Nancy still didn't know the specifics of what Triple H wanted her to do in return for his silence. Yes, he had said she would have to help him win a match, but it wasn't what he had told her about the favor that was weaving icy terror through her heart, it was what he hadn't told her.

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Dave Batista shut the door of Eric Bischoff's office, preparing for an ass chewing…he didn't much care whether he got one or not, because he was determined not to let anyone or anything spoil his good mood. He hadn't been able to think about much other than Nancy, and his own amusement over the curious faces of several of his friends when he had been carrying Nancy's luggage along with his own through the lobby and up to his room. He knew people wanted to ask, but they hadn't quite gotten up the courage to do so…he found it comical. And after the past few days he'd had, he was in such high-spirits that he wasn't really worried about anything Eric could do to him, even if he had promised there would be atonement to pay.

"Have a seat." Eric commanded from behind the massive desk.

Dave smiled, nonchalantly…it was slightly humorous, the look on Eric's face, the anger simmering below the surface of his authoritative demeanor. "I'll stand." Dave announced calmly, stuffing his hands in his pockets, defying Eric because he knew he could and just because he knew it would piss him off.

Eric scowled and then his angry expression drifted into a self-satisfied smirk. "Sit, Stand…I don't really care, because after you hear what I have to say, you just might be asking me for a chair." Eric pulled his glasses off and slid them into his jacket pocket. "I understand you have a little bit of free time on your hands…enough free time, in fact, that you've decided to partake in fraternization with another WWE Employee."

Dave almost laughed out loud, but instead he allowed the smile that had been playing at his lips to break into a full grin, and he sat down in the chair in front of Eric's desk, lacing his fingers together behind his head. He leaned back, still grinning and gave a sigh. "Now I know you're not gonna hassle me over what I'm doing in my free time…and I think it's fairly safe to assume that if other people on the roster can fraternize, than it shouldn't be a problem for me to do the same."

"As long as it's not affecting the performance of either of the employees, than it's not a violation of the rules…" Eric said in his most professional voice. "However, I do recall that you decided to employ your own set of twisted rules when you took Nancy and spirited her away from the arena the very first night she was scheduled to have a match, and I also seem to recall that during the match she actually showed up for, you jumped in the ring and nearly bludgeoned Chris to death with a chair and then you once again, dragged her away from her duties."

"Oh come on…" Dave shook his head, as a look of incredulous irritation crossed his face. "You actually expected her to work after that farce of a match?"

"You're damned right I did." Eric stated plainly. "She's being paid to do a job and it's not getting done."

"What are you saying? Are you gonna fire her?" Dave wasn't the least bit bothered at the prospect of her being jobless, because that meant that he could spend as much time with her as he wanted and no one could say anything, but he knew that she loved her job and for that reason alone, he was willing to bargain for her employment.

"I'm not sure that I want to fire her…and only because I would be hard pressed to find someone that can do her job as well as she does it, despite the fact that no one seems to be able to find her when they need her." Eric admitted. "I understand that several of the Divas tried to get her to do some design work when she was on the island and she couldn't be found."

A little laugh bubbled forth from Dave's throat, he certainly hadn't had a problem knowing where she'd been. "It seems to me that if she's expected to do work during her free time, that you should be paying her more instead of bitching and moaning because she's not on call twenty-four hours a day." He sat forward and glared at Eric. "What is it you really want? Do you want me to say I'm sorry…promise that I'll leave her alone while she's on the clock? What?"

"Your word doesn't mean much to me, Dave." Eric stated. "I spoke with Vince already and gave him an idea to build on the match that we started Nancy in on Raw." He waited for the implication to sink in, halfway hoping that Dave might get down on his knees and beg.

Dave said nothing, but Eric didn't miss the way his jaw worked and his eyes darkened ominously. "So this is my penance? I get to watch you torment Nancy because you're angry with me." He ran his hand over the line of whiskers on his chin and propped his foot up on his knee.

"I had hoped that you would have let her learn a lesson from her last match, but instead you came galloping in like a knight in shining armor and saved the day, and all she learned was that she can do whatever she wishes because you'll be there to ward off the blows." Eric smiled as he studied the man before him. "I'd say she's got you trained…you're becoming a hell of a bodyguard."

"Stop beating a dead horse and tell me what you want." Though his manner was calm and his temperament placid, Dave was inches from losing his cool.

"I've done some talking with Vince and I've decided to sanction a championship match." Eric stood up and began to pace behind his desk, not daring to come around to the side for fear that Dave Batista might be able to get hold of him if got any angrier. "The match will headline the next pay-per-view." He slid his hands up in mid air. "…Triple H versus The World's Heavyweight Champion, Batista---" Eric was cut off when Dave cleared his throat and raised his hand into the air.

"I think you forgot that my contract forbids a rematch." Dave reminded him even though he was still wondering what a match with Triple H could possibly have to do with all of Eric's insinuations about Nancy. "Maybe you should go back and re-read it."

"Nope, your absolutely right…that's what the contract says." Eric nodded his agreement. "However, it never forbids a challenge of the title by proxy."

Dave was amused to the point of hilarity. "Now who in the hell is stupid enough to play as Triple H's proxy, and go through all the hell of a match with me just to hand over the title to him?"

"Christy Hemme." Eric made the statement as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Holy Hell…" Dave muttered and then laughed in earnest…it took him a long moment to recover from the highly entertaining notion of what Eric had just suggested. "An inter-gender match with someone who can't wrestle…does this ever sound familiar."

"It's not exactly like you think." Eric informed him and continued. "It will be a tag match, You and Triple H on opposite sides, each of you with a female wrestler as your tag partner…when you tag out, he tags out so neither you nor Triple H will be in the ring with a female."

"Whose ridiculous idea was this?" Dave asked, rolling his eyes and letting out a heavy puff of air. "Christy's?"

"It shouldn't matter whose idea it is, since I've already been cleared to sanction it." Eric said roughly. "Now on top of all of that…the match is no holds barred…you seem to love that one…and the belt will be suspended above the ring only reachable by a ladder." He let it sink in, but was dismayed when there was no reaction from Dave other than a steely glance. "Now because of your contract, and the rematch clause…Triple H can never pin you for a win…nor can he retrieve the belt himself…so in the interest of fairness…you also cannot retrieve the belt from above the ring, only your female tag partner may do so."

Dave knew in an instant exactly what it was that Eric was getting around to, he knew why Eric had been hinting around about Nancy and he'd be damned if he would allow another ludicrous escapade to happen a second time. "And so Triple H has picked his partner and it just happens to be Christy Hemme, right?" He worked his jaw again, clenching and releasing. "Did he get permission from his wife? A palace hall pass?"

"No, the match was picked because of ratings and the public's desire to see the two of you in a rematch…Triple H needed no one but Vince's permission, and as far as I know he chose Christy based on the impression that you might choose someone of little experience as well." Eric was stealthily circling the issue of including Nancy and Dave knew it.

"I don't know where he would have gotten that idea, because where the title's concerned, I'm calling in the big guns…I'll talk to Trish and see if she'll agree to partner with me…no way would I leave it to inexperience." He swallowed, thinking of how he would have to approach Trish, she was friends with Christy and she might consider it a conflict of interest.

"Well Vince and I thought that you might be ingrained with that particular line of thinking and so we decided that what was best for ratings, was hyping something similar to the 'damsel in distress dynamic' that you seem to have with Nancy." Eric slung the verbal dart pinning Dave squarely with it. "You have no idea the volume of e-mails we received after the match on RAW…people loved seeing you come in and trash the match…which I might add, was not supposed to have been a part of the deal."

"True physicality was never supposed to have been part of the deal either, but I don't see you ripping Chris's ass out." Dave defended himself.

"I have a contract for Nancy to sign, two actually…one for the match...we'll do an in ring contract signing next week on RAW, and the other for three weeks of training at OVW." Eric dropped the bomb in Dave's lap and wasn't surprised when he got a reaction.

"She's not doing it." Dave announced forcing smiled in order to mask his fury. This entire scenario was Eric's sick vendetta and he was afraid that Nancy would pay dearly if she stepped in that ring with Christy.

"She doesn't have a choice!" Eric blasted. "And neither do you! I'll fire her ass and I'll fire her buddy Max…I'll make sure that her résumé has a black streak on it that can be seen from a mile away. I'll even sue her for breach of contract, because she signed an employment agreement that stated she would 'be willing to undergo any and all future development endeavors required by the company in education or training to advance her knowledge of the inner workings of the industry in all facets'…shall I go on or is that close enough to verbatim?" He slapped the copy of her employment agreement down on the desk, causing the other papers nearby to sail off the side and float to the floor. "Fuck with me on this, Dave and so help me I'll sue her for liquidated damages and she'll owe this company money that she'll never be able to repay!"

Dave knew that Eric had him dead to rights, there was nothing he could do in order to get him to change his mind, but he'd be damned if he'd let her be sent to OVW for training when he could do the job himself. He knew Nancy didn't want to wrestle, knew that if someone else trained her she'd learn what she needed to know to work the ring, but there were things he wanted to teach her. Besides, those guys didn't have a personal knowledge of what Christy might be tempted to do in retaliation and therefore he knew he needed to teach her a few tricks to protect herself. Dave had to teach her how to play 'dirty pool'.

"Don't send her to Kentucky." Dave requested. His voice remained calm and even. "Let me train her…I already know that she's teachable."

Eric snorted haughtily. "I'll bet you do…maybe you learned that much when the two of you---"

"Watch it." Dave cut him off, a dangerous glimmer in his deep brown eyes.

"I'll run it past Vince for confirmation…but I can't promise anything." Eric answered.

"Guarantee me something…at least that…I'm not leaving here until you do…and then you'll have to sue me for not fulfilling my match requirements for tonight." He pressed Eric for assurance.

Eric sighed and scratched his head. Dave was under his thumb, no doubt. No way in hell would Dave Batista have tried so hard to swing the stakes in her favor if he hadn't cared for her…using Nancy to get to Dave had definitely been one of Eric's better ideas. He supposed he could be made to fulfill a small concession, and so he told him. "You can train her, but Dibiase or Patterson has to see you work her in-ring before we can put her in the match…and if she's not ready by the time the match rolls around, then I will sue her ass, and that's your guarantee."

Dave nodded stiffly and stood to his full height…a harsh glare into Eric's Bischoff's eyes showed him fear, and he smiled…Eric might have the upper hand right now, but he would always be afraid. "I'll go tell her."

"No…you won't. I'll have her brought to my office now and explain the terms of the match to her personally." Eric announced with one eyebrow arched. "I suggest you get ready for your match…and I wouldn't worry, I'm sure you'll see her later and she can tell you all about it."

Dave glowered fiercely, and disappeared through the doorway. Once out in the hallway, he exploded like an overloaded radiator, kicking the trashcan next to the office door with such force, that it skidded across the hall, slamming into the wall and spilling over, sending trash in all directions. Several staffers including a female producer stood slack-jawed, watching the sudden furious outburst. Managing a miniscule shred of composure, Dave thought the better of destroying anything else. His energy would be better spent after the show.