Chapter XV – 1st Match

Cleo confidently walked first into the arena, being followed by the three men who, with her, were the team of Evolution. She wasn't limping anymore. They were given the directions to their locker room.

"You nervous?" Dave asked Cleo while they were walking towards it.

"No, not really." She answered truly. "It's not my first match, not even for the championship."

"Well, I am." She looked at him surprised. "Why?" He smirked. "Oh, it's nothing. It's not like you can break your foot or anything."

"Oh, come on!" she said laughing. "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you" he answered, "I just don't trust Trish."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, to worry!" she said grining. Then she caught a little of Ric and H's conversation behind them: "... and it will be a blast! WOOOO!"

Suddenly Cleo stopped. "Speaking of blast, I gotta go... do something." And she started walking through a hallway that seemed to be heading...

...the ring. Dave thought. "What are you doing?" he yelled.

"It's a surprise!" she yelled back. Dave looked at Hunter, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll be in the locker room!" Hunter yelled. "Don't get lost!" She just raised her hand to show she heard him, without even turning back.

"I wonder what she's up to now." Ric asked as they kept walking.

"I just hope it isn't trouble." Hunter stated.

"Nah." Dave said, while the other two agreed. None of them actually believed that.

-+-

Cleo walked through the hallways. She had alredy done the thing she was gonna do, and now she managed to find her way to Evolution's locker room. At a point she turned left, and saw something very strange. She hid behind that corner and saw Randy Orton, who was facing her, talking to a blonde woman with her back turned to Cleo. She looked to the side for a seconde and Cleo was able to see it was none other than Trish. What can those two possibly be talking about? She thought. She tried to hear their conversation, but she was too far away. Just a minute or so passed when Trish left to the side she was facing and Randy started walking towards Cleo's side. She glued herself to the wall praying he wouldn't see her, and fortunatly for her, he passed so quickly he didn't see her hiding on the corner. She stood leaned against the wall untill he desapeared through another hallway. Then she went the same way as Trish.

The same question she had put herself while she watched them stood on her mind, and she was so concentrated looking for an answer that she didn't see the person who walked in front of her and bumped into her.

What? It was Trish. They stood there, facing each other with defiant looks in their eyes. "Ready to get the shit beat out of you?" The blonde asked.

Cleo smirked, without breaking eye contact. "That's an interesting view. Here's another one for ya: you're gonna get pretty injured, loose your championship, and leave the ring humiliated! I kinda pity you. No, wait, no I don't. I'm gonna do that to you!" and she started walking passed her, but Trish grabed her arm and twisted it so they kept looking each other in the eyes. Cleo looked at the other's hand grabing her arm and then back at her. She was about to punch Trish with her free untill someone came and separated them.

"Hey, hey, girls, come on!" Shawn Michaels pushed them away from each other and placed himsefl in between them. "Leave all that fire to the ring! The last thing we need is someone getting injured in a cat fight!" Cleo frowned at that comment.

"You know what, you're right!" Trish said. "I'll be able to do everything I want to in the ring. I won't even need the help!"

"Oooo, I'm petrified! Shawn, save me!" Cleo said, grabing his arm. They directed one last glare at each other and Trish left.

"You have to control yourself. You can't just go around and create fights anywhere!" Cleo was about to say she was the one who had started it, but he spoke first. "That's what the ring's for. And you be sure to get that title. I never really liked her."

"Don't worry, I'll do that." She said with a smile. He winked at her and left. Cleo started to head the locker room, but she kept thinking about Trish's words. Something didn't feel right. She said she wasn't going to need help... she thought. No, wait, rewind. Her exact words were that she wouldn't need THE help. There's definitly a difference. This would mean she would alredy have... and then it hit her. That was what she was talking about with Orton! They're set up to screw me!

She entered the recently found locker room door with her mouth opened.

"What happened?" Dave asked her. She was going to tell them what she found, but then she thought better.

"Nothing." No way he's gonna let me get to that ring if he knows Randy will be there... "Hum, you're gonna be backstage during my match, right? Right at the ring entrance?" "Why are asking that?" "Are you?" "Yeah, I thought of that. Why?" "No reason, just... You brought my bag from the car, didn't you?" "Yeah, it's on that couch." She picked it up and headed the bathroom to change.

Not only he found the question very strange, as he had noticed the sudden change of conversation. He decided to drop it, because he would never get anything else from her. That was how she was, mysterious.

-+-

Cleo was alredy in her wrestling outfit, which consisted in a layered maroon miniskirt and a black lace corset, with fighting boots. Trish's theme was beeing heard and she felt nervous. She kept telling herself there was no reason for it, but she kept feeling butterflies in her stomach.

Trish's music stopped. She closed her eyes and gave a deep breath, squeezing the hand she was holding harder. That hand happened to belong to Dave. "Good luck." He said. She smiled to thank him, and let go of his hand, feeling a lot more nervous when she did. But when she got out of the curtain she put on a confident smile and raised her hand to greet the fans who cheered for her. When she got to the ring, Trish was handing the belt to the referee, out of it, so she was alone up there. She put her finger in front of her lips telling the fans to be silent. She raised her hand one more time, and as she brought it down abruptly with her fist closed firework exploded in the turnbuckles, creating a theatrical effect. The fans even cheered harder.

Trish came into the ring and the bell sounded.

They stood a little in the ring looking at each other before Trish stepped forward attacking first. She pushed Cleo into the corner but when she approached Cleo was able to hit her in the face with her elbow. Trish backstepped and when she looked up Cleo delievered a superkick. She went for the cover but only got a quick two count. Trish got up and pushed her towards the ropes, but Cleo escaped the clothesline by ducking and passing under the blonde's arm. Before Trish could see where she had gone Cleo kicked the back of her knee causing her to fall. She raised her hands in a gesture that asked the fans to cheer harder, as she waited for Trish to stand. When she did and she turned, Cleo applied the dropkick and went for the cover again, getting the same result as the first time.

"Wow, JR!" King said. "That's the second time Evolution's only girl, Cleo had a two count on Women's Champion Trish!"

"She has proven to be a very impressive wrestler, but it won't be easy to beat Trish." JR answered.

"These two seem to have a lot of issues going on, don't they?" King asked. "It would be better if they were friends. I love it when girls get along!"

"Just stick with commenting the match." JR said with an expressionless voice.

In the meanwhile, Trish had caught Cleo off guard and turned the advantage by applying her Chick Kick. She pinned Cleo but only got a two count. When Cleo got to her feet again she was pushed into the corner and punched, but she punched back. After a punch, she was able to push Trish into the ropes and deliever a clothesline that caused her to fall. Before Cleo could stop her she rolled her way outside the ring, but Cleo hit her right in the head with a baseball slide and put her back into the ring. When Cleo got in, Trish didn't even gave her the chance to stand up, and she droped her elbow right on Cleo's head and pinned her, not going further than a two count. Trish turned her back to Cleo, waiting for her to stand so she could deliever the Stratusfaction, but when she turned back to face her Cleo was alredy standing and gave her a Rogue Kick right on the side of the head, which left her laying on the middle of the ring. Cleo was going for the cover when she stopped. She looked at the turnbuckle and smiled. She climbed it and then jumped hitting Trish in a perfectly done Frog Splash. She pinned Trish, but she unbelievebly pulled out at two and a half. Cleo pulled herself up and backstepped so Trish could stand.

She was so focused on the match that she didn't see what was happening outside. When she climbed the turnbuckle, Randy Orton had came out but Batista caught him in the ramp, preventing him from interfearing. Soon Chris Benoit had joined him.

As soon as Trish stood up, Cleo gave her a blow in the stomach with her knee. As she bended forward, Cleo placed the other's head between her legs.

"I think were gonna see another Pedrigree!" King said from the anounce table.

But instead of hooking Trish's arms, she grabbed her firmly by the abdomen and lifted her on her shoulders. She felt a sudden pain on her foot due to all the weight, but even so she executed the powerbomb perfectly, slaming Trish down and ending up sitted. She quickly went for the cover and closed her eyes while she heard and felt the referee's hand slam the mat.

One, two, three.

I GOT IT!

She stood up with some tears of happiness on her face. When the referee handed her the championship belt, she held it up high while the fans cheered. Just then she looked at the ramp and saw what was going on. She was a little shocked at first, but she was too happy to be affected. When her eyes met with Dave's, more tears of happiness started running down her face. He forgot what he was doing and ran up to meet her on the ring. He picked her up by the waist and spun her around. When he put her down, she was caught up in the heat of the moment and she raised herself to kiss him. First he was a little surprised but then he started kissing back, deepening the kiss. They didn't even care that everybody was watching, or that Chris and Randy were still fighting. For a moment, they were one in a deep, passionate kiss.

-+-

A/N:

I finally updated! Wow, it's been a busy week. I had so much fun writing this chapter, and God, it was long! I hope you could picture the firework scene: it's kinda like Kane does. I sure hope you liked it!

Anyways, I've been forgeting to tell you this: first, I said the ppv was No Way Out, but then I realised that that was a SmackDown ppv! Sorry about that!

Don't forget to review! Reviews make a fanfic writer's world go 'round! LOL

Always yours,

Ari