TITLE: Alluded Distress
AUTHOR NAME: Marlena R. Snape
CATEGORY: Drama
SUB CATEGORY: Romance
RATING: PG-13 for language and such.
CAST: Marlena Dubois, Ashleigh Morgan, Chris Sabin, A.J Styles, as well as mentions and appearance of others throughout. ( Tons of cameos! )

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, y'heard? I only own Marlena Dubois, as minus the last name and picture base? She IS me. Ashleigh is credited to one of my best friends, Candace. Brooklyn Dubois ( the few parts she's in I should say ) is credited to my friend Angel, while Marlena's parents, and her sister Patricia are my real family. Chris Sabin, A.J Styles, and the rest of the NWA:TNA superstars in this story, are to my best rendition of their real selves, but I don't know them, or own them. ( However a girl CAN wish! ) Chris Irvine ( 'Jericho' in the WWE scene ) is not mine either…oh how I wish. He makes a few appearances as well, as do a few other WWE superstars. I own jack shite, okay? So don't sue me for letting my imagination run wild! :-P Enjoy the story.

Lyrics and name of the Marlena POV chapter, is from Selena's "I Could Fall In Love", off of her album "Dreaming of You".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Nine: I Could Fall In Love

Marlena sat in her bedroom, staring at the blank, white sheet of notebook paper in front of her. She held a pink pen in her hand, as she sighed. She knew something was wrong, when she was too confused to write.

"What's wrong with me…?"

Marlena asked herself, over and over again in her head ( as well as out loud ), closing her eyes for a moment. She didn't know why she was hung up on something like this. After all, it was JUST Allen. But was it really just Allen? If it was, she wouldn't feel like she did. When he told her he liked her, a part of her wanted to jump for joy, that someone as sweet, caring, and considerate could take a liking to her like that. It was a relief, if anything.

The other part of her, wanted to just sit and cry. Why? Did she not like him? Was there something wrong with him in her opinion? It was nothing of the sort, she just wasn't sure if she was completely over Charlie. But they had an advantage - Allen and she. They worked together. They lived near each other. They had a lot going for them…

She began writing on the paper, after taking a long time to think. The way she was writing it, was like a letter to Allen - maybe it would give her an idea of how to talk to him in the morning. In fact, she thought she'd give it to him, anyway. Maybe that wasn't smart, but maybe it would help.

------------------------
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might
Lose control and let you stay
'Cause I could take in my arms
And never let go
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
------------------------

Allen;

I guess I'm a little confused right now, and I don't know how to process what you told me tonight. I'm not angry, just a little shocked. Maybe it was one of those "I should have noticed", things? I really don't know, I guess I just never imagined someone like you, to like someone like me.

I'll be completely honest with you right now. I don't know if I'm ready to accept the fact you like me. I have no problem with it, in fact - I'm incredibly flattered by it. I feel a little shy knowing that someone as kind, and sweet as you are, could find someone like me not only attractive, but like an equal to you. It's just mind-blowing to tell you the truth. Let me explain where I'm coming from, okay? Don't think this is a cowards way of saying I don't like you. It's hardly that.

The more I think about everything that has happened over the past few months, the more I can't seem to comprehend it all. I mean, first, getting the position with TNA. That was the one thing I thought would make my life complete. I guess I was wrong there, as I found myself dating Charlie Haas. I wanted that, I wanted a relationship, with someone I could trust. With the distance between us, and our schedules, it was impossible. That, is the reason we broke up. Not because I didn't like him, not because he didn't like me, but because of conflicting schedules.

I'll give it to you straight, a part of me, still adores the ground Charlie walks on. But I've grown out of the 'I think I love him', thing. Because I don't. I know the difference, that's why I'm confused about you. When you told me you liked me, I was like 'great, cool', because I didn't know how you meant it. I thought you meant friends.

But when you elaborated?

It's not that I don't like you, my god - believe me, it's not like that at all. Not by a long shot. I found myself talking to my sister Trish about you. Something about you radiates to me, you know? You're professional, but you're also laid back, and I truly adore everything about you, Allen.

I guess what I'm saying is, please, let me think where I stand. Where I am right now in my life. I just hope that when I realize what I want, and if it is you that I want, that you'll still feel like you do about me. I would feel foolish if I waited, and waited, and you found yourself with someone else. I'm kinda selfish that way…

------------------------
I can only wonder how
Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
------------------------

I can't sleep, sadly enough, I want to just go to your room, and tell you what's going through my head. I can't though, I'm just - so unsure of everything - and I don't want to say something that you might take the wrong way. I shouldn't even say anything, at all, just like I shouldn't even give you this letter. I'm not the type of person to open my heart up and explain myself to anyone. I've never been that way. If you don't believe it, ask CJ… {Chris Irvine, you know, Jericho?}, he's known me forever. We both grew up in Winnipeg together, he knows me best of anyone -- well, save for my sister Trish.

I know what I need to do, is contemplate what I'm feeling. Whether what I feel for you is friendship, friendship and something more, or just something more. I can't even begin to process it all, and I feel a bit more than imprudent for it. I just hope you can give me time, so I can figure myself out, and understand myself. Saying I didn't love the hell out of you would be the biggest lie in the world, because no matter what it is I'm feeling, I do love you, you know? Every time I see you, I just smile. You do that to me, maybe you can help me understand…

Well. I've ranted, and I feel a tad bit crazy for it. I just hope you take this letter for what it's worth, and take it as the true context of it. Not as a "I don't like you, leave me alone" letter. I wouldn't want you to leave me alone. Ever. And I also, wouldn't want to hurt you. That would be the farthest from the truth. We'll talk face to face in the morning, okay? I hope you can help me know either way what it is I feel, and I hope that when I figure it out, you'll still be with me….

-Marlena

------------------------
And I know it's not right
And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
Siempre estoy sonando en ti
Besando mis labios, acariciando mi piel
Abrazandome con ansias locas
Imaginando que me amas
Como yo podia amar a ti.
------------------------

Marlena took time to read over the letter. She shook her head a bit, putting it into an envelope. Scribbling "Allen" across it. Standing, she walked across her room to the adjacent door that Allen's room was in, and she noticed it looked dark when she opened the door just a bit. She only slipped the letter onto his nightstand table, and went back into her room, shutting the door.

She laid down on her bed after putting her notebook away, and shut off her light. She curled under the blankets, the fan near her bed blowing her long hair out of her face, as she sighed. She was still confused, even though she wrote all that down. Thoughts ran through her head.

"What do I want to do?"

"Do I like him like that?"

"What could happen between us?"

"He's Allen… how could I date Allen? He's like, my best friend…"

She had never been attracted to a good friend of hers. The way she figured it, if anyone she would be attracted to, it would have been Chris Irvine. But thinking about it, he was married to a great woman, he had a son, and they had known each other since they were both young living in Manitoba, and watching wrestling together. It would have been just, weird.

Allen though, in her opinion, was different. By a long shot. She knew she just wanted to be happy, but didn't expect Allen's bombshell realization to slap her like this. Maybe it was the fact of it being so out of the blue to her, if only she knew how long Allen struggled with telling her.

Marlena traced circles against her new baby blue satin sheet, her eyes still opened. She knew she had to get to sleep, especially considering she had to give one hell of a performance. Not only was it the week before the pay-per-view extravaganza "Vendetta Rising", but her friends from the WWE were showing up. She wanted to prove why TNA had the best talent.

------------------------
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love
I could fall in love
With you...
------------------------

Taking a few deep breaths, Marlena rolled over onto her back, staring up at her reflection in the pale moonlight that was shining in her room. She decided that she would talk to Allen after she knew he read that letter. She wasn't going to think about it, not anymore anyway. She didn't just want to go to sleep, she needed to.

"Goodnight…Allen…"

Was all Marlena uttered under her breath, resting her head against the pillow again. She hadn't felt a time where she was so much more unsure of herself. The only thing she could count on being sure about right now, was her wrestling skill that night on pay-per-view.


[A/N: One POV chapter, done. Shazam. On with Allen's, eh?]