Uncommon Sense Chapter 32
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.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

"Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions."

-David Borenstein, January 28, 2000

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Dave knew that she would be well immersed in her duties at the RAW House Show…And he remembered the arena from past shows clearly enough to know where they would have housed the wardrobe area…knew it all well enough that he could even envision where she standing at this very minute…probably without her shoes. But he was nearly half the length of the United States away from her…and so his over-active imagination and a best-laid plan was all he had. Dave Batista took a deep breath as he contemplated what he was about to do…kicked around the consequences of his forthcoming actions once more, and then he remembered how rewarding the benefits would be…despite the penalty.

He tapped the door, with shaking knuckles and waited until he heard the voice from the other side telling him to enter. He took another deep breath and let it out in a slow stream between his lips. Dave was glad he had left his Championship Belt back at the hotel…if for no other reason than that he was a little selfish and wished to hold onto it for another day at least, should he be required to surrender it right away. He knew that what he was about to do, was something he wouldn't have even dreamed of six months ago, but then what significance would his career hold ten years from now if he were all alone? He had to remind himself of that.

Another verbal prompt from the other side of the door reminded him that he had indeed knocked, and so he slowly twisted the knob, prepared to concede his Championship Belt, and bargain for his return to RAW…or his retirement should they refuse.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Christy slid the last of her shoes into the travel bag, and took another swift mental inventory of the items needed to ensure her seamless transition to Smackdown. She tossed a tube of lipstick into her purse after swiping a coat across her lower lip, pressing her lips together and letting them come apart with a little smacking noise, followed by a smile. "What, else? What am I missing?" She whispered to herself. Nothing…she wasn't missing anything…not anymore…not now that she had her ticket to Smackdown, and her competition for the affections of a certain World Heavyweight Champion had been demolished.

Another twitch of guilt, as she pulled her sweater on over her lacy bra, and as always she shoved the guilt aside…Nancy and Dave might try to work it out for awhile, but in the end Christy would win out…she always did. Dave would tire of trying to make the relationship work from thousands of miles away…it hadn't worked with his ex-wife, and it wouldn't work with Nancy. Christy would be there to help just like she had been after his divorce…he would finally see the situation the same way she had seen it all along. Triple H had said so, hadn't he? He knew Dave Batista about as well as a person could, didn't he?

A last minute glance around her apartment, told her that she had turned off everything and she tugged the blasted heavy luggage toward the door. Her cab was waiting at the bottom of the steps…her new career was waiting for her just an hour and a half flight away…and her man was waiting for her just a few hundred miles distance at the SmackDown taping…even if he didn't know it yet.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Nancy peeked gingerly around the door into the Wardrobe area, glad to find that it was empty. This had been her home for some time now…not the room, not the arena…but the job—the position itself. The machines surrounding her, the memory of the familiar hum of a needle piercing fabric as the Singer pieced together another of her creations. The hudreds of different spools of thread that made up a veritable wall of color…the beat-up and battered trunks with their missing leather corners and broken latches, those had been her 'family'...She rolled her suitcase against the wall and laid her handbag on top of it. Her fingers glided over the top of the serger, grazed the table and then as she patted the lid of the Singer Sewing machine…a smile crossed her face…this was the machine that gave her fits, cut her, made her bleed.

"Not anymore…" She whispered to the machine. Nancy held a secret…another one, in her head and in her purse. Tonight would be the last night that the machine would ever get the better of her…tonight would be the last night she would have to deal with Triple H…and tonight would be the last night she would ever work with Max Hadaway.

Because, folded neatly in the inner pouch of her purse was the very eloquent and articulate resignation, which she was prepared to present to Eric Bischoff at the end of the night. Nancy knew that a decision like this could possibly put her in a position to have to rebuild her career from the ground up, but she also knew that the reward of being with the man she loved far outweighed the difficulty that reconstructing her career might entail.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Stepping inside of Teddy Long's office, Dave Batista was met with a demonstrative smile and a warm greeting. That alone went a long way toward easing his nervousness, and he extended his hand to return the salutation.

"Teddy." He retracted his arm from the handshake and placed both of his hands in his pockets to still their nervous trembling.

"Dave, I'm glad you wanted to have this meeting with me." Teddy's brow arched in concern as he leaned against the edge of his desk. "You sounded urgent on the phone…but before we talk, I want to thank you." He held one finger up, making his gratitude a priority.

"For what?" Dave wondered what he might have done to warrant appreciation from his friend.

"My daughter Alicia was able to get a hold of Angie last month, after you suggested the two speak with one another." He referred to his 25 year old daughter, who had recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "Angie gave her a wealth of information about the Oncologist that she used for her treatment, and I have to tell you that because of that information, we were able to get Alicia in to see that Doctor." Teddy's eyes reddened, but no tears fell…his voice, normally steady, had a catch in it. "They recommended a treatment to Alicia that would not have been available to her if we had kept her with the original physician that we were using."

"That's really good to hear." Dave put his hand on the old man's shoulder. "How's it looking for her?" He knew from his experience with his ex-wife how difficult the situation was, and how important having the right information could be.

"Good, Dave…in fact she's in remission right now, the Doctor thinks that she won't have a recurrence." Teddy smiled. "She's my Baby…I don't know what I would do if I lost her…" He cleared his throat. "So I just wanna convey my thanks to you, personally and could you pass it on to Angie for me?"

"I will…she'll be glad to hear about Alicia's progress." Dave squeezed the man's shoulder.

"And if there's anything I can ever do for you or Angie…you let me know…anything, anytime." He looked Dave directly in the eye, unable to define what price could possibly repay Dave's ex-wife for the invaluable information she had provided. Teddy just knew that he would be glad to do whatever he could whenever he was needed. "Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Dave?"

Dave nodded aware again of why he had come, and then the offer from the lips of the SmackDown General Manager, pierced his subconscious thought, running across his conscious mind like a flashing banner and the inner beast for once in Dave's life spouted off something…not crass, not lewd, but…rational? 'Tell him you need a favor.' The beast suggested calmly.

The entire thought, the need, the scenario, took shape perfectly in his mind as if God Himself had conceived of it and deposited it directly into his heart at just that very moment. He looked up toward the ceiling, as if to give Almighty his thanks. 'I knew you loved me.' He told God silently and then he cleared his throat again and spoke.

"Teddy, did you really mean what you just said…about a favor?" Dave asked biting and then releasing his bottom lip in his nervousness, hoping the old man's offer hadn't just been empty words.

"Absolutely." The old man nodded his head confidently.

"Because I really need a favor…a big one." Dave informed Teddy.

"Name it."

"I mean this is huge, Teddy…so if it's too much, I understand." Dave felt it imperative to impress the weight of the matter upon Teddy beforehand. He also felt confident knowing how much the General Manager was liked by his peers and upper management…That type of rapport gave Teddy Long a lot of stroke.

Teddy arched a brow and smiled, "How big a favor are we talkin' about here?"

Dave pulled his hands back out of his pocket and licked his lower lip, the words coming easily. "It's like—pooling all of your G.M. superpowers into one massive enterprise…" Dave gestured with his hands, his eyes filling with hope. "…And conjuring for me, a miracle out of thin air."

Though Teddy appeared confused, having never seen Dave Batista exhibit vulnerability or need, he assumed that whatever it was…it had to be something more than just a night off. "Well, whatever it is, I'll try my best…let's sit down and talk about it."

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

She would wait patiently for Max, so that she could tell him the news of her departure before letting anyone else in on the secret. Nancy smiled to herself as she stacked the repairs from the week prior in accordance with their level of priority, thinking about what she would soon do. True, she was a little bit scared at the prospect of jumping into unknown waters, especially since she hadn't called Dave since the fated 'Breakfast From Hell' to let him know about her choice, but she was certain it would work out for the better…at least that's what she hoped.

She unzipped an unknown garment bag and pulled out a less than fresh, torn shirt with a paper reminder, to be sent to the dry cleaners…the garment having had an inbound date of over two weeks, and a very stale odor was most likely the result of Max's forgetfulness. Nancy couldn't help but think the paper reminder should have said 'Burn this when you get the chance!'

Nancy crinkled her nose up as she turned to place the rancid garment bag at a safe distance from the fresher items in the repair pile and she was suddenly met with the malicious visage of her male nemesis. An abrupt rush of fear caused the blood to course through her veins so loudly that she could hear the rapid pulse in her own ears. Triple H turned casually to lock the door as was his custom, and Nancy began inconspicuously to look left and right for something heavy to use in her defense. Blessed was she, when she discovered that his attempt to lock to door from the inside was foiled by the small God-given gift of a key-only double-sided lock.

The inability to control every aspect of the environment must have irritated him, for she saw his brow crease harshly as he tilted his head to the side and regarded her through a veil of blonde hair. He smiled and then chuckled lightly, confirming from her pallor that she was in fact afraid, and his undaunted, gradual approach told her that he wasn't bothered by the fact the door would not lock. Nancy wanted to scream…and she would have, unfortunately her voice was lodged somewhere deep down, unable to force itself forth. Nothing heavy, nothing worthy of use as a weapon could be found close by, save for the scissors in the jar, which she dared not touch, for fear she might actually use them, and so Nancy continued walking backward, retreating from him until her back connected solidly with the wall.

"Glad to see you made it back to us." Triple H commented, his voice oily, insincere. "How's the shoulder?"

Nancy's eyes narrowed despite the fear that shadowed her. "Peachy…" was her jaded response.

"Peachy…that's cute." He stopped his pursuit only inches away from her. "Funny how everyone followed through with their end of the bargain—except you…and yet somehow you still seem to be the only one unscathed when the dust settles." His hand reached out to graze the skin of her face, when what he really wanted to do was choke her.

"I wouldn't say unscathed." Nancy observed, not bothering to mask her sarcasm. "You seem to have come through the whole thing just fine."

"You defied me every chance you got, you spit in my face and still, by whatever Act of God Almighty you were spared of the indignities I had planned for you…You're the most formidable enemy I've ever faced…maybe I should have chosen you to ally myself with a long time ago." He spoke truthfully, darkly, and yet he still seemed to be contemplating something innocent and simple. But Nancy knew he was livid, knew the extent of his battered pride…could see in his eyes that he remained bent upon getting revenge. "But I was right about one thing at least, wasn't I? Dave saw the crack, the flaw, didn't he? He knows how tarnished you are, doesn't he?"

Nancy felt the sting, still…more so because of the fact she had actually paid heed to his words and been stupid enough to believe them, than that she thought they might be true. "He knows…" She admitted nodding her head. "But he doesn't care." She added, trying to find a measure of comfort.

"How interesting…that he doesn't care about your scars and yet he's now on Smackdown…with Christy…and he left you here on RAW…with me." He knew she was afraid, and yet he couldn't deny the bravery flashing behind her jade eyes. "I'll bet it hurt when he left you…almost as bad as it hurt when I dropped you for the Pedigree after taking advantage of your bad shoulder…and now you're here, locked in a design contract with my wife and you can't ever leave…you and I are bound to get to know one another much better."

Nancy refused to speak, to give any hint to her secret, or to the fact that she hadn't yet signed the contract binding her to the fashion line, she only stood firm against the wall, reminding herself that he couldn't do much if anything, because that door was unlocked and anyone could walk in at anytime.

"Hmmph." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "You're in for a hell of a ride now that Dave's not here to rescue you." She hadn't begun to cry yet, which was what he had really wished would happen and it began to rile him. "And you just thought you hated me before." He whispered, leaning in close.

"Thought?" Nancy asked as she smiled and arched a brow. And then after swallowing deeply she appeared every bit as gutsy as she could. "No need to think about it, I'm quite sure I still hate you."

His hand balled into a fist, slammed into the wall next to her face and she flinched, but only for a moment. "We're gonna have a lot of fun around here, you and I, aren't we?" He asked through clenched teeth. "Me at the helm of RAW and you behind the scenes doing my dirty work for me."

"Oh, that's right…" Nancy said her voice trembling. "I forgot. The only way you could be a champion again was to have Dave sent to another brand so you wouldn't have him to contend with…because you knew you could never beat him on a level playing field." Her voice was dangerously low and she knew it was a gamble…speaking to a treacherous man with such disrespect, it was akin to poking a caged tiger. "You'll be back on top, we both know that…but not with my help."

His hand lashed out and grasped her arm roughly, his lips pursing together, eyes flashing with fire, and yet she continued.

"You could win John Cena's belt, fair and square and you'd still be a loser…because any victory you ever achieve will be a cheap counterfeit when compared with Dave." She winced when he shook her, jarring the sore shoulder. "The measurement of your success is only as long as the distance of the leash between your throat and Stephanie's hand!" She whimpered when his fingers bit into the flesh of her shoulder, next to where the few sutures had earlier that day been removed, by Spencer Whiles.

"You are stubborn, aren't you?" His words spewed forth on a hiss as he gripped her arm violently, his heated breath stirring the curls next to her face as he spoke harshly. "But, ya see…that's the thing about old wounds…old injuries—old secrets, Nancy…they never do go away!"

"Neither do old vendettas." The voice from the door startled both of them and both heads turned to behold the current WWE Champion, hat turned backward, jaw set and ready for business. "Aren't you at the wrong end of the arena? " He asked as he considered Triple H, eyes darting from the former Champ's vice-like grip on the seamstress's arm to her green eyes filled with gratitude for his timely arrival. "I'd think that after what happened to your Ferrari two weeks ago, that you'd have a hawk's eye trained on that brand new Mercedes Maybach in space a-29?" He took another step inside of the wardrobe room, rolling his shoulders and neck, as if preparing for a scuffle. "They never did find out who vandalized your Modena, did they?" He watched as Triple H's grip on Nancy's shoulder loosened. "That's too bad…Lemme know when they do, so I can shake his hand."

Triple H turned to Nancy preparing to release her all together, but before he did so he chanced to whisper one last threat in her ear. "You just have angels everywhere don't you? But that's okay, because I will see you around…your contract with my wife ensures that." He released her upper arm and smiled obligatorily, passing John Cena with a look that said 'Next Time' and departed through the open doorway.

John waited until the former champion departed before turning to ask Nancy if she was okay. He had received a call from Dave less than ten minutes prior and as a favor to his old friend, he had agreed to make a trip to Wardrobe to check on her. John was relieved that he hadn't put off the deed and was a little inclined to believe that maybe Dave had some sort of clairvoyance…either that or he was just guessing that Paul Levesque would have made one last ditch effort at intimidating Nancy. "You alright?" He asked, patting her arm.

"Yeah…I'm okay." She sighed and rubbed her shoulder where his biting fingers had left a fresh red mark. "I'm so glad you happened to be in the neighborhood."

He smiled, turning his hat forward again. "Well I wasn't just out for a stroll. I actually came down here for a reason."

"You're finally ready for that bathing suit, now huh?" Nancy joked, trying to steady her pounding heart. "Gimme just a second I'll take your measurements."

"No, not this week." He laughed, leaning against the table. "I was really bummed to hear about Dave's transfer to Smackdown." He began, without hesitation. "I woulda thought you might have gone with him. Matter of fact, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get rid of you too."

Nancy laughed softly. "Thanks a lot…"

"You need to go to him." John's words were so blunt and so unexpected that had she been drinking her coffee, she would have spewed it all over him.

"Do what?"

"You're gonna miss the train, if you don't leave behind all that baggage you're tryin' to carry." He told her and then he reached one finger up and pointed to the side of her head, gently touching it. "All o' those voices up there, tellin' you who he is, what he's gonna do…what you should do…cut 'em all loose, ignore all o' that and just go."

Nancy was shocked that he had known or guessed what her dilemma had been, and that he'd had the audacity to call her on it. But then in the short time she'd known John Cena and from all that she knew about him from her observations, he had never seemed like the type of man to pull punches. He just told you what he had to say and if you didn't like it then you could take it outside. She appreciated his candidness, even if it hadn't been what she was expecting.

"You helped me out with something that meant a lot to me and I appreciate that and so now you get my advice without cost." He grinned. "You're really lucky to have snagged the heart o' that man, because he's without a doubt one o' the best people I know, not just in wrestling, but in his character...don't waste that opportunity."

Nancy nodded, wondering if she should tell him that she had already planned to resign her position tonight, but decided against it when he stood to his full height and excused himself. "Now I have a match to get ready for, so I'm out, but you think about what I said, huh?"

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Christy fairly flew through the airport after her plane landed, her rolling luggage nearly smoking at the wheels as she made her way toward the escalator, barely able to contain her excitement at the prospect of seeing Dave during the taping. Her script had come via fed-ex the day prior and she was slated to stand next to Stacy at a make-up table with Dave walking by to squirt them playfully with a water bottle. It wasn't much, but some interaction was better than none, and at least if he had to be polite to her on camera, then maybe some of that cordiality would trickle over into real life.

She missed the first hotel shuttle, and spouted a curse as it pulled away from the curb in a cloud of exhaust just as she reached the ramp. She lifted one elegant arm to flag down a cab, making a snide remark as a red taxi pulled up just seconds behind the departing shuttle. Her luggage was loaded and she was on her way to the hotel with the prospect of finagling Dave's room number out of a hotel employee…surely not everyone could be as evasive as the clerk from the Ambassador in San Antonio had been. Christy laughed when she thought about how she'd been able to bypass the system to get into Nancy's room, despite the hotel's fallible attempt at rigorous security. Another wave of guilt…she quashed it, knowing that if Nancy and Dave were meant to be together, then Nancy would be with him right now, he wouldn't have sent her back to RAW, which was apparently the case…Stacy had informed her of that, gleaning that assumption through discussions with other wrestlers on Raw, who were still her friends.

Christy was due front and center debuting on Smackdown with Stacy in one hour and despite the traffic, she was impressively tranquil, examining her nails after a lengthy manicure aimed at repairing the wreckage that her nervous nail biting had created the past few days. Perfect…they were perfect…a glance in her Tiffany compact told her she was perfect…everything was perfect or soon would be…she just had to get to Dave and every last piece would finally fall in it's place.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Max smiled as he stepped into the wardrobe room, hanging awkwardly from the doorframe with one arm while the other held a nicely wrapped bouquet of flowers for his best friend.

"She's back…" He said wryly, holding the bouquet up like a torch. "With nothing but love…"

Nancy wondered what his comment might have meant, but she only thanked him as he pressed the bouquet into her hand and embraced her heartily. She had just picked up her handbag and had been headed to Eric's office, intent on presenting him with the resignation and leaving early. In light of what had just happened, she wasn't altogether sure that she felt safe in the arena anymore. But Max's untimely arrival had put a halt to her plan.

"I'm glad you're here, cause I was just gonna go te--" Nancy began, but was cut off.

"Yeah, I'm glad you're here too, because I have something I wanna tell you." Max said, clasping her arm and leading her back.

"Well, actually…"

"This can't wait, and you're gonna listen." Max said firmly. "I'm a little bit miffed that you're here, when you should be relaxing somewhere in Seattle." His voice rose in his agitation, but Nancy stayed silent, knowing that she should allow him to give reign to his tirade, despite the fact that it was extremely hard for her to keep her amusement over his anger in check.

"I can't believe that finally you have a chance at a future with someone halfway decent and you go running off into the sunset…in the wrong direction!" He tossed his hands up in exasperation. "I don't guess you have a clue about all of the things he's done for you…but then sometimes selfishness has a way of blinding people."

"Max, I…" she interjected holding in her laughter. If only he knew what she was planning.

"Don't say it…I don't wanna hear it! I'm so mad at you I can't even see straight…as if you ran to my mother!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "And there she went, telling you some sweet little story about 'Tara Cunningham-Something-or-Other' and treating you to breakfast with the Airheads, when what she shoulda done was tell you to get your ass back on a plane to Seattle and say you were sorry!"

Nancy held up a hand to get him to stop so she could tell him what her plans were, but he rattled off at the mouth so rapidly that any interruption was made impossible.

"I left you, ya know." He announced in a huff, crossing his beefy arms over his chest, deciding that now was as good a time as any to tell her all he had done to ensure her getting to know Dave Batista in the first place.

"What?" Nancy asked not understanding what he meant.

"Yeah, that's right…The night you rode with Dave all the way to San Antonio?" He watched her blink in surprise. "I left you…I planned the whole thing…I hid Dave's bag, I planted your purse so you'd have to go back in after it, I was watching you after you threw your shoes at the back of the bus…I left you…on purpose."

Nancy's eyes filled with fury at the newfound knowledge that he'd left her without forethought to the danger she might have faced. "You left me?" She confirmed in a tight voice.

Max nodded resolutely. "I almost got my ass beat for it too."

"You left me!" She hollered and lifted the bouquet up rapping him on the head with it.

"I did!" Max yelled back, lifting his arms to ward off any further blows. "And you should be thanking me!"

His attempt to protect himself had little effect.

"Thank you?" She asked increulously, stalking him with the bouquet in hand as he rounded the table, retreating. "I think I'm gonna kill you." She announced coolly as she swiped at him from across the table, catching him fully on the side of the head with the bouquet.

Max stumbled in his attempt to get away, thankful that the flowers he'd chosen didn't have thorns and when he tripped over the sewing machine cord and landed on his belly she was on top of his back in a split second. "What if someone had kidnapped me, or if Dave hadn't come out in time to give me a ride? What then?" She hit him again in the back of the head with the bouquet.

"I wish he had kidnapped you and never brought your ass back!" Max announced, his voice muffled as he pressed his face into the low-pile carpet covering the back of his head with his hands.

Only the shrill ring of Nancy's cell phone saved Max from further injury…Nancy dropped the bouquet with calculated force, in the dead center of his back as she stood up and stepped over him to answer her phone, tempted to plant her heel in his ass as she passed.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Teddy Long tilted his head slightly to the left as he held the phone in his hand, the earlier look of confusion replaced by a look of amused submission. A sidelong glance showed him a nervous and pacing Smackdown Champion, and though part of him wanted to laugh at the entire situation, another part of him understood it perfectly, because he had been there…in a very similar circumstance with his own lovely wife of 35 years. "This is the right number?" He confirmed and then proceeded to dial after the nod of affirmation from Dave Batista. "Okay, Dave."

He held the phone to his ear, listening to the ring in the receiver as it was answered from the other side by Nancy Adams.

"Miss Adams?" Teddy smiled when she answered, noting the sudden halt in Dave Batista's pacing. Did the poor boy have to be so obvious? "Yes, this is Teddy Long, General Manager of Smackdown…"

"Yes, I'm fine, listen I have a proposition for you." He glanced over his shoulder when he noted that Dave had again resumed his slow pacing.

"I find myself in need of a supervisor for my wardrobe department, having lost mine to maternity leave…" It wasn't a lie, Teddy reasoned, he had lost Janelle to maternity leave, albeit almost five months ago. He was quite sure she was never coming back and so he had been left with her assistant, who was so wet behind the ears that she may as well take to wearing a life jacket. "I acquired two names from the Human Resources department, yours and Max Hadaway." He looked over his shoulder as Dave once again stopped pacing and gave ear to Teddy's end of the conversation. "I'm impressed with your qualifications and as you know, due to some recent acquisitions from RAW…I could use someone in the driver's seat who can set a pace around here for the rest of us." He pointed and grinned at Dave who was walking a trench, fully intending the pun.

"I'm prepared to offer you the job and an immediate transfer."

Dave watched Teddy nod and respond to her unknown dialogue with a few 'uh, huh's and I see's' and the whole thing had him believing that she might be reluctant to accept.

"I can give you twenty-four hours to think about it and then I have to offer the job to someone else." Teddy announced. "Alright darlin' I'll wait for your call" then "uh…huh, thanks." He deposited the phone into the receiver, and eyeballed his friend and most prized RAW acquisition, before speaking. "Does the word 'Obsession' mean anything to you, playa?" He shook his head smiling.

And yes, that word meant everything to him right now…he was exhausting his last resource, still determined to give everything up if she said 'no'. "She's thinking about it?" Dave asked feeling a small spark flare in his tinder of hope since she hadn't flat out refused.

"I have to know somethin'…" Teddy sighed. "If you want her over here so bad, why didn't you just have me push for a transfer without her knowledge? You know just have me bring her over here? She is a WWE employee, not exclusive to RAW I could have done that for you."

Dave shoved his hands in his pockets as he contemplated the question. He knew why, and the thought of doing that had crossed his mind, but he'd wanted her to come because she desired it, not because she had been required to do so. "I want her to have a choice."

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

"Yes Sir, Thank you." Nancy flipped the phone shut and flopped down in the nearest chair, slack-jawed, and baffled.

"I wish that man had never taught you to wrestle." Max huffed, as he brushed the crushed leaves, Baby's breath and pollen, off of his back and face and out of his hair. "Was it Dave?"

"No." Nancy said softly, shaking her head. She held the phone against her chest and closed her eyes, smiling and then she let out an excited squeal and spun around in the chair, lifting her eyes to the ceiling she whispered, "I knew you loved me." Thanking God.

"Lemme guess, someone caught that whole 'horticultural assault' on tape just now and they want you to try out for 'Days of Our Lives', right?" he asked with feigned enthusiasm. "I could have you thrown in jail for that, you know."

"I'm going to SmackDown." She bit her lip and then repeated it softly once more when she saw his look of confusion. "I was trying to tell you about my plan, when you admitted to leaving me…that was Teddy Long…" She rattled off, pointing to her phone. "He lost his Wardrobe manager…she's having a baby and he wants me to transfer…I was planning to quit my job tonight, but he called and now…" Nancy saw a bittersweet smile spread across Max's face and she stopped in mid sentence. "If I go, you would have to take over the Wardrobe Department here…and you wouldn't have me to room with anymore…" She wanted to pout when she saw the look on his face. "I wanna go, Max."

"And you should…because he really does love you." Max cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Nancy's shoulder. "Did you know that he burned every single shred of those papers while you were in recovery…I helped a little bit." He laughed at the memory "Huge wrestler, hunkered down by the loading dock, burning papers in the dark."

"I-I thought he still had them." Nancy admitted, having thought that he might have locked them up somewhere for her, but glad just the same to hear he had destroyed them.

"Nope." Max told her. "He didn't want anyone to be able to come back and use them against you, so we burned them to ashes…that's what he thinks about your past, Nancy…ashes." Max hugged her tight. "Nobody's ever gonna love you like that…not even me…so you go get him…you call Teddy back and you take that job."

"What about you?" Nancy asked Max. "Maybe you could go with me."

"Then who's left to run the ship here?" Max asked. "Besides I can finally get rid of you once and for all…I may want you here…but I don't need you." His last statement came out riddled with emotion, leaving him turning away to find a Kleenex.

Nancy wiped her eyes and kissed Max hard on the cheek. "I love you and I'm sorry I beat you up just now." She whispered, because saying it out loud would make her voice crack.

"Call Teddy." Max encouraged, blowing his nose in a Kleenex.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

"Well, that's good news, then." Teddy smiled, turning to give Dave the thumbs up sign. Nancy's return call had come before he'd even had a chance to send the nervous Champ on his way. "I'll expect you at the house show in Minnesota, tomorrow night, you can get Missy Wyatt from corporate to secure your flight arrangements and I'll pick you up from the airport personally." He winked at Dave, who only smiled and turned away to face the door.

"Uh…huh? You're welcome darlin'" Teddy hung up the phone, and filled the room with his knowing laughter. "Well Dave, I conjured a miracle out of thin air for you."

"Thank you Teddy." He shook his hand.

"Don't think I did all this for you." Teddy joked. "This helps us both…I just now secured the finest acquisition in the known sports world and my wardrobe will reflect that shortly."

The two finished their short discussion and then Dave excused himself, preparing to go back to the hotel and retrieve his belt so that he could film his entrance into the arena tonight. He was elated about the news that Nancy was coming to SmackDown, but dismayed that in a half hour, he would have to deal with Christy. He made his way through a back hall and like a black cloud conceived from pure thought, there she was…standing with her script in hand and a smile on her face.

"Dave?" She asked hopefully, biting her lower lip the script pressed against her chest. "Can I talk to you about the script?"

"I'm busy, Christy." He would have swept past her, but she blocked the hallway by standing directly in the middle of it.

"This is our first interaction on SmackDown…" She pouted. "I want it to be as good as the one we had on RAW." Christy referred to the story line that had played up a meeting between the two…that had eventually led to the real life sexual encounter that Christy was still holding onto.

"All I have to do is squirt you and Stacy with a water bottle and walk away after you say something…" He appeared irritated. "It's hardly a theatrical stretch…You'll be fine without a rehearsal."

Christy gripped his arm. "I just want our chemistry to be right, Dave…if you're still mad at me the camera can't mask that."

"We don't have chemistry, Christy." He informed her. "Please excuse, me." He brushed past her, despite the fact that the action caused her body to pivot to the side and out of the way.

After returning to the arena with his belt, he entered the locker room, and stumbled upon Eddie Guerrero and Booker T, intently watching a video on a small monitor. Glancing around the monitor he caught a glimpse of an oddly familiar portly man standing on top of a yellow sports car, a pipe in hand. Eddie's head snapped up and he quickly pressed the eject button, putting an abrupt halt to the viewing.

"What are you watching?" Dave asked apathetically.

"Oh, nothing Holmes…" Eddie cleared his throat as he stuffed the video tape deep into his bag and nodded to Booker T, whispering, "Later, Bro"

Dave dressed for the filming of his entrance as he talked animatedly with Eddie, in a much better mood than he had been mere moments ago.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Stephanie McMahon-Levesque whistled cheerfully as she strolled through the hallway of the arena. She had only moments ago arrived with her father and had been greeted by a producer with a cell phone, telling her that the call was from Teddy Long. He had requested a transfer approval for Nancy Adams, which normally she might have denied for the sole purpose of pissing off the person requesting it. Stephanie might be a lot of things, but a hindrance in the matter of someone's future, she was not. The transfer might have put a kink in her plans to start a new line of fashion, being as the person in question was the very designer she was planning to commission, but Stephanie was a master of adaptation and knew that the two of them could easily make this endeavor work. Making a long distance personal relationship work, however, would have been nearly impossible and since Stephanie knew without a doubt that Nancy and Dave cared for one another…she was reluctant to deny the transfer.

In her hand she held the envelope with the signed transfer slip that she had only just moments ago requested faxed over from her assistant, along with the copy of the contract for the new fashion line that made Nancy the recipient of a nice little monetary advance in the form of a check, which also was tucked obediently inside.

"Hello?" She tapped the doorframe, and grinned when Max and Nancy jumped and released one another from their embrace. "Hi Max, Can I get you to take a break for a minute?"

"Sure, Stephani." Max said brightly, with only the slightest hint that he was a bit intimidated by her.

"Why is the side of your face so red?" Stephanie asked Max as he passed. "You have, uh…little pieces of grass or something in the back of your hair." Her face contorted with confusion and then she shook her head and smiled.

"I fell carrying in some flowers." It wasn't a complete lie…sort of.

"Why don't you go ask Vicki to help you get that out." Stephanie offered innocently contradicting the verity that she knew exactly what had gone on between he and the make-up artist.

"Yeah…" Max said deprecatingly. "She would just love to get her hands on me again."

"Or her knee." Stephanie said smiling.

"Ha…Ha…" Max waggled his finger at her and blew the two ladies a kiss, excusing himself.

"You know…I like him." Stephanie admitted, watching him go.

"He's an easy guy to like." Nancy said softly. "Some girl will be very lucky to nab him."

"You seem to be a lucky girl." Stephanie remarked. "I wanted to give this to you, personally."

Nancy's fingers made contact with the envelope as Stephanie passed it forward and for a split second, she thought it might have been a 'pink slip'. "What is it?"

"It's your transfer…to SmackDown." Stephanie told her. "And the contract for the line of clothing that I still want you to design…along with the advance, which I'm sure you'll find more than sufficient."

"But I won't be here…it'll make it hard to confer." Nancy admitted.

"No, it won't." Stephanie encouraged. "We can confer over the phone and via e-mail, you can fed-ex me the proto-types using the company's shipping account…besides it's a lot easier to have a successful long distance 'business relationship' than it is to have 'personal' one."

The revelation hit its intended mark and Nancy smiled. "Thank you, Stephanie." The two women stood and then Stephanie suggested that Nancy might want to say her goodbyes and prepare to head out.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Paul Levesque watched as Nancy passed from the Women's locker room to the catered food area, gifting Sean Michael's with a hug and some unknown words, and then much of the same for Victoria and then John Cena. He stifled a laugh…because he knew she was afraid and had most likely come up with some excuse to leave for the evening. It was just like her…running every time she got scared.

"What's up?" His wife nudged his shoulder as she spoke cheerfully, a soft smile on her face.

"You look happy." He remarked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder for effect.

And she was…happy…even if it wasn't in her own marriage. "It's not everyday you get to be a Good Samaritan." Her reply was laced with an undercurrent of mystery and she sighed as her eyes beheld the friendly seamstress saying her goodbyes to the few friends she'd had from the beginning of her tenure at RAW and to a few more that she seemed to have gained as a result of her match with Triple H.

"She looks happy too." He said curiously as he watched her finish embracing Chris Jericho/Irvine who was apologizing profusely, laughing, offering free Fozzy Merchandise…anything to elicit her forgiveness.

"It's okay…just take care of Max for me." He heard Nancy say to Chris and then she excused herself from him and turned her glittering green eyes on Paul and his wife. She turned to face them and then began walking toward the duo, her eyes filled with a hidden amusement. Nancy stopped in front of Stephanie and Paul and said.

"Thanks again Stephanie." She gave the Billion Dollar Princess a hug, cast a narrow eyed glare to Triple H behind his wife's back and then waved goodbye to the pair, a slight spring in her step as she walked away.

"What in the world has her so cheerful?" Paul asked his wife, curious to know why the seamstress had thanked Stephanie. What had she done?

Stephanie turned and planted her handsome husband to the wall with a knowing and icy stare, having been fully aware of his recent spiteful behavior and then through a crooked smirk, she announced. "She's transferring to Smackdown."

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

After loading the back end of the rental car with his luggage, he shook hands with Rey Mysterio and climbed in, preparing to go to an unknown hotel so as to avoid Christy, who had been surreptitiously inquiring about his whereabouts and his plans all evening. He just had to hold off for one more night…tomorrow Nancy would be at the house show and he was sure that if he could just get some private time with her that they could turn the whole thing back around and get their relationship headed once again in the right direction.

The street lights glared off of the window as the wipers beat a path across the windshield in an intermittent pattern. It reminded him of the night they had spent in Albuquerque and he felt a sudden twitch in his stomach when he thought about her. He wondered if she was thinking about him right now, the same way he was unable to entertain the notion of anything else but the two of them locked in a torrid embrace. He knew that any miscommunication between them could be resolved and he was looking forward to the opportunity to prove that theory.

A call from John Cena earlier had assured him that she was okay, despite another attempt at bullying by Paul Levesque, which Dave had known would occur…he had recognized that very thing the morning she had been in his lap at the dining table…that had been the biggest reason for his insistence that she not go back to RAW. But it was all water under the bridge now, because she was coming back. He checked the clock on the dash…yes, she was coming back in less than twenty-four hours and he be damned if he ever let her leave again…next time he hid her clothes, it would be behind lock and key…he chuckled to himself. No, this time she would stay because he would give the effort with her that he hadn't with Angie…he would heed his ex-wife's advice and not repeat his past error.

He pulled up in front of the hotel with a sigh of relief and out of habit, he glanced around the parking lot, familiarizing himself with his surroundings…and making sure that Christy hadn't somehow been able to follow him. He could get a shower first, since leaving the arena without one in his hurry to get away from the red-haired demon, and then he could get a good night's sleep after answering his daughter's e-mails…maybe…he doubted sleep would supersede his anticipation, especially since he hadn't slept soundly before she came, nor since she'd been gone.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Max, couldn't concentrate on repairs, knowing that Nancy was headed out early and this might be the last time until a joint pay-per-view that he would see her for a long while. He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stand on end…had this been what he'd envisioned the first time he'd seen the two talking after she had kicked her phone across the floor and into Dave's shoe? No…not quite…but then how many times can a person be witness to the beginning of a love like this? It certainly hadn't been the ordinary circumstance…no one had seen it coming…but it had and it was the greatest thing that he'd ever observed…and he'd been a part of it from the very beginning. So what if he'd meddled?…look at the result…a country apart and instead of giving up, the two of them were fighting to get back to one another.

He had watched his very best friend learn things about herself that she might have otherwise stored deep down and never allowed to surface. The clumsy cohort he could always count on to give him a laugh, had turned into the dignified debutante who had snagged the heart of a Champion…How often did that type of thing ever happen in real life? But for her…it had.

And for him…Dave Batista, the cold, animalistic, undeniably, destructive force, determined never to be under the influence of an emotional tie…he had been brought to his knees by his love for a woman that he might never have even given a second glance had she not been such a klutz, spilling hot coffee on his date right in front of him. People could change though….Max couldn't deny that, he'd seen it all around him in the last few months. Jealousy had turned Christy into a crazed victim of her own obsession. Her words of poison had changed several Divas into conspirators. Chris Irvine had changed into an angry, malleable weapon of war for Christy's use, and then back into a protector and exactor of vengeance. He'd watched Triple H's greed spin a web of lies and conspiracies that would have made the government look chaste, he'd even seen money turn Vicki into a soldier of destruction and a venomous vixen.

But there had been heroes too…people who had come when least expected to help Dave and Nancy…Max had watched John Cena intervene on their behalf over and over, along with Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero. His very own mother had exacted her own special brand of heroism, in the form of sheer torment in the company of overacting socialites…everything around them pointed to the idea that those two were meant to be together, and Max just knew that there had to have been some divine intent at work…God's fingerprint was all over it.

He wiped the corner of his eyes and even though he was sad to be losing her…he couldn't think of another person that he would rather be losing her to. Matter of fact, he was more than happy to hand her over…because that meant that he would always get the best bed. Nancy stepped back into the room, her eyes slightly red and he guessed that she had probably been crying too.

"I wish you weren't leaving, but I'm glad you're going to Smackdown and not to TNA or something." He joked as she sat down on the table beside him and ran the fingers of one of her hands through his hair, flattening it out where it had been standing at attention.

"I fly out in the morning so I have all day at the hotel to sit around and wait in anticipation." Nancy told him.

"Call him." Max encouraged. "Tell him you're coming…I'm sure he'll wait with you." Max snorted his joke.

"I could do that." Nancy bit the inside of her cheek…and looked around for her handbag, grasping it and digging inside for her phone. She opened it and dialed his number, pressing the phone to her ear and chewing her lip nervously. The ring resounded several times and then just as it had been the last time she tried to call, his voice, introducing his mailbox filled her ears and instead of leaving a message, she snapped the phone shut.

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

He made a sopping-wet, mad dash for the phone, a towel wrapped carelessly around his waist, held in place by his hand as he snatched the phone up, flipped the cover open and answered it breathlessly.

"Hello…" It had been her…he had recognized the number as soon as he flipped the cover open. "Nancy…hello…" He repeated, but was met with the empty dial tone.

"Sunuva bitch." He muttered, as water ran in rivulets down his body onto the floor. He'd not had time to dry off completely and at present he had tracked more water out into the hotel room than had been in the shower. He swiped the towel over the receiver, drying off the water that he'd left there when he'd attempted to answer the phone. And then he chanced to check his voicemail box before calling her back, not certain what her call meant. The box opened at his verbal and keyed commands, but no message had been left, and so he summoned up his courage…he would call her back…he had every right to do just that, because she'd called him first hadn't she?

He dialed her number and held the phone to his ear with one hand and the towel in front of him with the other. "Pick up, come on..." He whispered as the rings continued to resound. Her voicemail soon answered and despite the inclination to hang up in frustration, he spoke. "Nancy…please call me when you get this…I just barely missed your call…um, call me back." Not knowing how to end the sentence, he simply hung up. He knew he hadn't needed to leave his name, she would know who it was…but would she care?

Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

"Don't you dare do that!" Max howled, pointing his finger at Nancy.

She jumped when he yelled, startled and then scowled at him. "What?"

"Don't you do that to him!" He repeated. "Call and don't even leave him a message! What if he thinks you're mad at him?" Max reached for her phone, which she held out of his reach.

"Stop it!" Nancy ordered. "I only did it because I didn't know what to say to his box."

"You call him back right now and leave a message at the very least!" Max ordered, snatching at the phone greedily. The scuffle caused the phone to slip from Nancy's hand and through Max's fingers into the air and over his head, landing on the floor behind him. It was only when he stepped back in a hurry and accidentally planted his entire weight on the tiny phone, that the both of them heard the audible crackle of plastic and technological components. Max lifted his foot to reveal the devastation, and he, like Nancy stared at the crumpled phone with rounded mouths in perfect silence.

Instead of anger, Nancy burst into laughter…true it might prevent Dave from reaching her if he called back, but it was such a hilarious last minute disaster with her partner in crime as the culprit, that she couldn't help but let out a peal of much needed laughter. "Um, Max…can I borrow your phone so I can call him back and leave a message?" She asked after her laughter died down.

"I would let you, only mine is charging back at the hotel." Max admitted gingerly. "Trust me, when you see him tomorrow night and you tell him what happened to your phone, he's bound to understand…he ought to…after having seen me at the gym."

"Do what?" Nancy asked.

"Oh nothing…I'll tell you all about someday…after I'm sure there's nothing around that you can use as a weapon." Max, shook his head and bent over to pick up the plastic shards that once resembled Nancy's cell phone.