Chapter 18

"Why does my dad hate you so much?" Lily asked John as the two left the airport in St. Louis to head to the hotel.

"He thinks I'm a good for nothing thug that treats women like shit and blah blah blah," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him.

Lily had ignored her father the entire journey from Milwaukee to St. Louis. Although she was forced to sit next to her father on the plane, as soon as she got off she found John and Randy and stuck with them through baggage claim and out to the parking lot to find their rentals. She and John were now on their way to the hotel to drop off their stuff before heading to the arena to prepare for the Supershow.

"There's gotta be more to it than that, John, or else he wouldn't be so hell bent on splitting us up," Lily said, her eyes focused on the scenery out the window as it whizzed past the car window.

"I don't remember doing anything to him, I've never had a storyline with the guy," John shrugged.

Lily sighed, not knowing why her father was suddenly being so stubborn. She closed her eyes, her thoughts reeling with different suggestions, each one more far fetched than the least. She opened her eyes to see John looking at her and she smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing," he lied, his eyes snapping back onto the road.

"John."

"Nothing, I swear!" he insisted.

Lily made puppy eyes at her and pouted, "What is it?"

He laughed and tweaked her chin playfully, "You're cute when you're aggravated."

Lily shook her head and kept silent for the rest of the ride, her mind still solely focused on her father.

That night John sat in his locker room watching the SmackDown taping before Raw started, Lily was hiding in the bathroom, for she could not watch Randy's match as Kurt Angle applied the Ankle lock on his, attempting to break his ankle. John's duty was to call her out when it was over so she did not have to listen to his yelling in pain.

"Lil! Come here! It's over!" he called ten minutes later as he watched the medics support Randy out of the ring.

She poked her head out from behind that bathroom door and looked at the screen. Her eyed were the size of dinner plates, brimming with tears at the sight. John smiled and motioned for her to join him on the couch as Randy disappeared behind the curtain and the ring went black signifying the end of the broadcast.

"What a way to go, I'm telling ya, start your suspension off with a broken ankle, he's gonna be pissed," she smiled, trying to brush off the fact that she was almost on the verge of tears.

John stood up and pulled her into a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. She snuggled to him and closed her eyes as John's hand rubbed her back consolingly, her muscles relaxing at his touch.

"It's okay, he'll be fine, relax," he mumbled into her hair.

Lily nodded as his hand moved up her bare back and under her top. She was in her ring wear, her leather glove tucked safely in the belt of her skirt. John slid his hand back down her back as he felt her calm down and looked down at her. He smiled when her eyes flickered open.

"You alright now?"

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled, kissing him in thanks. "I haven't gotten emotional like that since I broke up with Jack, my stalker," she wiped her eyes and adjusted her eyeliner before taking a seat on the couch.

"If it makes you feel better we can visit him after the show, I'm sure that'll cheer Randy up too," John suggested, taking a seat beside her.

"Sounds good to me," she shrugged. "I can't believe Vince is putting me in a match with my Dad. That's so much crap, especially against Viscera and Candice."

"You're scheduled to win, though aren't you?"

Lily shrugged, "No idea."

"What about his movie thing? May 19th is supposed to be affecting no too, right?"

Lily jumped and covered his mouth, "Don't say it."

John laughed and licked Lily's hand. She scrunched her nose in disgust and drew it away from his mouth and wiped it on his shorts. He laughed even harder at this and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"That was nasty," she muttered.

"How about this?" John grinned and pulled her into a kiss.

Lily fought at first but realized what John was doing and relaxed. They broke apart at a knock on the door and Lily hopped up to answer it. Before she could open the door it flew open and her father loomed in the doorway. She shrunk under his menacing stare and looked at the floor.

"Let's go, we have a match," he growled and grabbed her harm.

"See you later, John," she said in a small voice, still cowering under her father as he pulled her from the room.

Glen led Lily to the curtain, his scowl in place. She kept silent, slipping into her character as his music hit. The two strode menacingly out onto the ramp to immense cheers from the crowd. Lily grinned at the familiar chant of 'Raise Hell' and signaled 'rock on' to the crowd.

Candice and Viscera were already in the ring as Kane and Phoenix climbed into the ring. The two took their spots in the middle of the ring, Kane looming over his daughter and they raised the pyros together, the entire arena going red. Phoenix climbed onto the apron so her father could start the match with Big Vis who was eying Phoenix up as Kane glared at him.

Candice and Phoenix glared at each other as the two huge men went at it in the ring. Phoenix was startled from her glaring when her father held his hand out to her to tag in. She looked up at him and he nodded as Candice climbed into the ring opposite her. She slapped her father's hand enthusiastically and climbed to the top turnbuckle as her father climbed onto the apron. Phoenix jumped off the ropes, hitting Candice with a monstrous clothesline. The Go Daddy Girl fell to the mat clutching her chest in pain and Phoenix went for the cover.

The ref slid down as Candice struggled and hit the mat for one. Phoenix growled, throwing her weight on Candice's shoulders but only received a two count when someone kicked her back, forcing her to jump off the Playboy cover girl in pain. She looked up to see the face of Viscera helping Candice to her feet. Phoenix rolled out of the way when her father came crashing into the scene, hitting Vis with a drop kick. The two illegal men took the fight out of the ring as Phoenix set her fury back on Candice Michelle.

She pulled Candice to her feet by the hair and hit her with a DDT before beckoning her to her feet. Phoenix became impatient and pulled her to her feet by her hair. She then grabbed her by the throat as the crowd went nuts around her. She hit the Chokeslam and went for the cover. She waited patiently for the ref to get down, his hand under Candice's shoulder as he hit the mat. One! Two! Three! The crowd counted and Phoenix jumped to her feet her hands in the air in victory. That's when she heard the deafening crack of a steel chair. She whipped around to see Viscera rolling on the ground, his hands clutching his face as Kane stood over him with the chair.

The arena went red and he looked up at the screen where a mask was floating, calling to Kane.

"May nineteenth!" it hissed before going black.

"Look out!" someone yelled from ringside but it was too late, Phoenix turned to be met with a smack to the head, her eyes flickering before everything went black.

"Lily, are you alright?" a voice floated into her unconscious mind. "Wake up." It pleaded.

Lily groaned, a sharp pain on the top of her head as her eyes swam into focus. John and Glen were leaning over her, both looking worried sick. She blinked to clear the colorful dots that erupted in front of her eyes and glared at her father.

"Thank God you're alright," John sighed with relief.

"I would be fine if you hadn't smacked me with that fuckin' chair!" Lily growled at her father.

He looked guilty, helping her sit up. She was in the medical room surrounded not only by her father and John, but Trish and Torrie as well. Lily moved away from her father's helpful grip on her arm and turned to her fellow Divas.

"Hey girls."

"We saw the match, it was great. You're so good at your character, keeping Phoenix alive. I was so impressed," Torrie piped up.

"Thanks," Lily smiled. "Trish, don't you have match tonight?"

"No, I just had to make an appearance. Get attacked by Mickie and then let the medics help me back. You were out for a while though. The show's over."

Lily looked stunned and tried to turn her head, only to get dizzy and fall back onto the table she was laying on. John held an icepack to the bump on her head from the chair.

"You took that this pretty hard, I'm surprised you didn't get a concussion or anything," he muttered, stroking her hair.

"Alright, you can stop making me feel immensely guilty," Glen snapped.

"You shouldn't have hit her then!" John growled, taking Lily's hand in his.

Glen banged his fist on the wall in frustration, making Lily jump, "I'm sorry, okay? It was part of the storyline. I had to hit somebody and she was the only one standing. I didn't mean to knock you out, Lil."

Lily turned her head away from him and scowled, "I don't accept your apology. I won't until you tell my why you hate John so much."

Glen looked stunned and sat down on a folding chair beside the table. Trish and Torrie bid them goodbye, knowing this was their cue to leave before they got involved in something not of their concern.

"I just have my insecurities, hun. The age gap, the temper. His al around nature just sets off warning flags whenever I see you two together. I know you protest every word I say, but just listen to me, for once. Find someone else, who's more respectable and doesn't use unheard of slang terms."

Lily glanced at John, who looked about to tear somebody's head off and sighed, "No, Dad. I love him."

Both men looked startled at this. John grinned and kissed her while Glen fumed.

"I can't prevent this from happening, butdon't come to me when he leaves you for a better looking, older woman," Glen growled and stood up.

"That's bullshit, Glen and you know it. You just don't like the fact that she no longer needs you to protect her anymore," John snapped, his temper flaring.

The Big Red Machine slowly turned to him and looked down at John menacingly, "You think so?"

"I know so," John growled. "You just don't want to give her up to someone like me because I have a reputation for being a little rowdy sometimes. You are afraid I'll hurt her and leave her to harm, huh? Guess again, big man. I wouldn't leave her in a million years. You don't have to worry about me; I know how to treat a woman."

Glen looked furious and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Lily looked lost and drew her knees to her chest, not knowing how to react to the situation.