Friends Maybe More

Authors note: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, and that it is so short, but I decided that I needed to get off my butt and attempt to write something. I promise I'll post more soon. Work has been very busy lately, so I don't get to write as much as I like to. I'll try harder to get the next chapter out sometime this week. Thanks again to all my readers.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Raw

Chapter 9

Maria paced back in forth in her dressing room. She was anxious to leave, and couldn't wait to get out of there. She felt better about telling John, but didn't like putting him in danger. She had no idea where he was planning on taking her when they left, and she didn't care as long as it was far away from here.

She jumped when she heard a knock at the door, and went to go see who it was. Keeping it locked, she hollered out into the hall to see who it was. "Who's there?"

A voice that wasn't John's answered her back, "It's Shane, I need to talk to you for a minute, it's important, so open up."

"Shane, whatever you need to say, you can say through the door. I'm not supposed to open it for anyone but John." She replied.

"Well, can't you make an exception? I really need to tell you this face to face."

"Nope, sorry. Maybe later. Bye." She pulled herself away from the chair and went to sit down again.

Shane banged even harder on the door. "Maria, this has to do with John! Something's happened, and he wanted me to come and get you." He yelled through the door.

Panic showed on Maria's face. Getting up and running to the door, she flung it open. She stared at Shane for a minute, unshed tears brimming in her eyes. "What happened?" She half yelled, pulling him in the room after her.

Shane paused and ran a hand through his hair. "Somebody attacked John. I'm not sure how bad he is, but they had to take him to the hospital. I promised I'd come and get you and take you there to meet him. I really think we should go now though, and avoid the traffic."

Maria nodded her head slowly, allowing what she'd just heard to sink in. Tears started streaming down her face as she began to weep. Shane let her sob for a few minutes before he reached out to comfort her. Pulling her to him, he rapped his arms around her and held her to his chest, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Maria stiffened in his embrace. Pushing him back, she looked into his eyes questioningly. "Why did you do that?"

"I was just trying to make you feel better. I don't like seeing you cry baby. Now dry those tears and lets get going." He started to usher her out of the room.

Quickly grabbing her purse, she allowed Shane to lead her out of the room and down the empty hallway. He grabbed her by the elbow, and started to walk very briskly to the parking lot. Practically running to keep up with him, Maria tripped in her heels and fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

Looking down at her in annoyance, Shane reached down and drug her to her feet, continuing once again to pull her behind him like a rag doll. Maria let out a gasp of pain as she clambered along behind him, begging him to slow down.

He stopped for a moment, and looked back at her, "What the hell is wrong?" He seethed in anger.

Maria shocked by his anger, took a step back. "My ankle hurts, I was just wondering if you could slow down, and let up on my arm, it hurts."

He squeezed her arm even tighter and muttered through gritted teeth, "We need to be going now. Quit trying to slow me up. I've waited too long for this, and you aren't going to ruin it for me. Now buck up, and deal with the pain til we get to the car."

Maria's eyes grew wide with fear, and she didn't know what to say in response. Ripping her arm away from Shane, she turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could with a twisted ankle. Kicking off her shoes, she ran faster, screaming down the empty hallway.

It didn't take long for Shane to catch up with her and tackle her to the ground. He turned her over, and glared menacingly into her eyes. "I really wish you hadn't done that. I didn't want to have to hurt you yet. But it seems as though you want to play the hard way, so lets play."

Reaching into his back pocket, he dug out a cloth covered in chloroform. Her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to fight him off. Pressing it against her mouth and nose, she had no choice but to breathe in the chemicals. It didn't take long before she went limp underneath of him.

Satisfied that she would be out for awhile, he placed the cloth back in his pocket, and pulled her up into his arms. Turning on his heel, he made his way out to the car without further interruption, smiling the entire way.

Depositing her in the trunk, he quickly got behind the drivers seat and headed for the airport and to his private jet that would take them to their new lives together.