I'm really getting into writing this story... it has more twists and turns then Space Mountain!
"Come on, Rob! Fight him!" Lilian yelled, pounding on the mat with her fist as she watched Shelton Benjamin lock in yet another sleeper hold on Rob. Even though she knew the end result of the match, she still felt butterflies as she watched Rob sell the move. He seemed to be fading away with every moment, really convincing her that he was about to pass out, even though she knew he was just fine.
She unconsciously touched her elbow, wincing at the throb that had settled there since that afternoon. She was wearing pants and a long, sleeveless shirt, so the gauze encasing her injuries were mostly covered, except for the one on her elbow. Lilian almost laughed to herself, wondering how many different speculations there were about how the injury had occurred. She hadn't had the chance to check the Internet before the show to see if any of the 'news' sites had picked up on what had happened, but she had meetings and practice to do before the show…
Stephanie had originally planned for Rob, with Lilian in his corner, to face Shelton, along with Kurt and Charlie, tonight, but Lilian's role had been more active. She was supposed to take an Angle Slam after Rob defeated Shelton… However, seeing as how someone had tried to run down Lilian, Trish, and Lita, Stephanie had taken it into her hands to make sure that all three ladies had limited roles tonight so they were not more seriously injured. Granted, Lilian seemed to be the one who had taken the most punishment when they were attacked, but the little blonde had insisted on having some involvement in the match tonight. She hadn't wanted to cause too much trouble within her first week back, which is the main reason why she had insisted she somehow get involved in the match.
"Yes! Come on, Rob!" Lilian shouted, watching excitedly as Rob drove an elbow into Shelton's ribs once, then again a few seconds later. He broke free, nailing Shelton with a heel kick. The young athlete fell in perfect position for Rob to hit one of his signature moves, Rolling Thunder.
"Come on, baby!" she murmured under her breath, watching from her spot by the ring apron as Rob gracefully leapt to the top rope, nailing the Five Star Frog Splash on Shelton. "One, two, three!" she said along with the referee, hopping onto the ring apron as the bell was rung. She went straight to Rob, giving him a big hug before she raised his hand along with the referee of the match.
Rob winked at Lilian, exhaustion on his face. However, that look quickly turned to surprise when Kurt nailed him from behind, stomping him down along with Charlie. Lilian stepped back, looking surprised at the change of events. "Stop, please!" she yelled as Shelton threw the referee unceremoniously out of the ring. She stepped back, feeling somewhat helpless as Kurt locked the Ankle Lock on Rob with Shelton and Charlie teasing Rob. Even though she knew this was what was going to happen, Lilian couldn't help but feel some empathy for Rob, especially since he had just had a hell of a match.
Lilian swallowed nervously when Kurt released the hold and turned his attention to Lilian, along with Charlie. She backed up, knowing that this was the big part of the segment for her and not wanting to screw up. Lilian kept her gaze on the two men advancing on her, backing up until she bumped into someone's chest. Turning, she screamed, hoping she sounded truly terrified, when Shelton grabbed her shirt to keep him from running out of the ring. Kurt grabbed her hair, pulling her to him.
Lilian's hand automatically came up, slapping the taste out of Kurt's mouth. He let go of her, stumbling back as Charlie and Shelton each grabbed an arm. She fought viciously, kicking and yelling as Kurt turned to her, his eyes flashing dangerously. Lilian's heart dropped, her eyes widening slightly at the look of anger on his face.
That was the exact same look John got when he was about to beat the shit out of her.
Lilian swallowed, forcing herself to focus on Kurt, who was now charging at her. She had to remember that Kurt was not John, and he was not going to intentionally hurt her. At the last possible second, she dropped down, causing Kurt to crash into Charlie and Shelton. Charlie dropped to the ground as Shelton went tumbling out of the ring.
"You little bitch!" Kurt exclaimed, holding his jaw as he rounded on Lilian, ready to attack her again. Before he could do anything, however, Rob jumped him, pummeling him with lefts and rights. Lilian slid out of the ring, taking a deep breath as she watched Rob rid of Kurt and Charlie easily. Her knee and elbow were hurting a little, especially since Shelton had accidentally grabbed her elbow. Glancing down, she saw that there was a little bit of blood on the bandage. Sighing, she got back in the ring, placing a hand on Rob's back as he gestured for Team Angle to come back in the ring and come get some more. The three men backed up the ramp, obviously not wanting anything to do with Rob Van Dam for the moment.
Rob turned to her, shaking his head as Kurt waved his hands and turned, walking out of the arena and to the back, his two Team Angle members following behind him. Lilian took Rob's wrist, raising his arm in victory once again to the cheers of the crowd.
"Are you okay?" Rob asked casually, hugging her lightly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lilian replied. "You're the one who got his ass kicked for the entire match."
"Ugh. Please don't remind me," Rob said, wincing as he rubbed the back of his neck. Even though the match had been planned out, his neck was a little stiff where Shelton's elbow had accidentally crashed into him at some point in the match.
"Maybe I'll give you a massage later," Lilian murmured, nudging him as she watched Rob exit the ring, relieved when he sat on the ropes, opening them so she could get out of the ring easier. She took his hand as they walked up the ramp together, Rob slapping the hands of little kids who had eagerly stuck their hands out to touch hands with the WWE superstar. When they reached the top of the ramp, they turned together, waving to the fans as they raised their arms once again.
Lilian's eyes scanned the crowd, taking in some of the people in the crowd as she waved. However, her heart nearly dropped when she made eye contact with someone in the crowd, her face turning white and a chill going over her body as she realized who she was looking at.
John was there, amongst the massive crowd, glaring at his wife with cold eyes.
Lilian allowed Rob to lead her through the curtain, noticeably pale. "Lilian, what's wrong?" Stephanie asked, breaking away from Kurt, Charlie, and Shelton when she saw the look on Lilian's face, guiding the little blonde to a chair. "Are you okay?" Lilian sat, her eyes wide as she looked at Stephanie, almost as if she didn't recognize the brunette standing in front of her. "Lil, please, talk to me. You're scaring me."
"He… he's out there…" Lilian stammered, her hands shaking slightly.
"Who?" Rob asked, though he was pretty sure he knew who Lilian was talking about. He took her hand, squeezing it slightly in encouragement.
Lilian swallowed, closing her eyes as she whispered, "John."
"Where is he?" Stephanie asked sharply, feeling bad when Lilian jumped slightly.
"He was… he was in the crowd. To the left of the ramp if you are facing the ring," Lilian said shakily.
"What does he look like?" Stephanie asked, gesturing for security to join them.
"Tall, about 6 foot 2, blonde hair cut in a crew cut. Blue eyes, a scar above his right eyebrow, about 245 pounds. He has a tattoo with my name in a sword with blood dripping down on his left bicep," Lilian said softly.
"What was he wearing?" a security guard asked.
"I don't know," Lilian said miserably, crossing her arms tightly as tears threatened to fall.
"Okay," Stephanie said to Lilian, patting her knee reassuringly. She turned to the security guards, saying, "Look for that man. His name is John Garrett. If you find him, I want him in my office." They nodded and walked off, Stephanie turning back to Rob and Lilian. "I want you to get Lilian out of here. Take her to the hotel and call me when you get there and in your room. I'll call the hotel to let them know to put extra security up," she said to Rob. He nodded, helping Lilian to stand. The little blonde did so, numbly, not saying a word; rather, she was thinking that John was right.
He would always be in her head.
The plot thickens… end part 11…
Just wait till the doozy known as Chapter 12...