TITLE: The Shadow Dancer
AUTHOR NAME: Marlena R. Snape
CATEGORY: Drama
SUB-CATEGORY: General
RATING: R. Blatantly, it'll get bad.
DISTRIBUTION : Ask and you might receive.
GENRE : Wrestling (WWE/TNA - AU)
CAST: Malela Trombley OC, Chris Sabin, TNA roster, some WWE cameos, and an unnamed assailant.

SUMMARY:

Malela (Ma-le-la) Trombley was a WWE diva. She had a good career, she was a former Women's Champion, had a lot of amazing friends, but something went wrong. She had a vivid affair with a fellow superstar, and after they broke it off, Malela left the WWE for 'reasons unnamed'. Her contract is free though, and she's picked up by Total Non-Stop Action. It was her chance to really shine.
Malela has a new man in her life as well. TNA's Chris Sabin. Her alias on screen, Taylor, is the valet for America's Most Wanted (with Jeff Jarrett and Gail Kim) and is in the midst of a kidnapping storyline. But what happens when her storyline becomes all too real, and a shadow dancer is out to not only to make her pay for her past infidelity, but also, to prove he loves her? Love makes you do desperate things, this is one of them.

DISCLAIMER:
I've been dying to do a fic to prove I'm crazy D This is IT. "Sleeping With Ghosts" was bad, to where I got, but this one? Oh doggie, you're not even going to KNOW who the shadow dancer IS until it's, well, too late. Bum bom bum! Malela is mine, that's about it. I'm not dating Chris Sabin, I'm not managing Chris Harris and James Storm. I'm not friends with Gail Kim or Jeff Jarrett. You know the deal by NOW. Note: there are two main types of chapters. Present and video. However, there is one past. Hope it's all clear.

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Chapter Three: New Beginnings

(Present)

2004 was the start of a new beginning for Malela Trombley. She had a lot of things going for her, really. She was working out, taking her time into rekindling her wrestling career, and her personal life was going great. She was focusing purely on herself now days, and that seemed to be the best thing for her. It wasn't that she was being self-centered, or overly self-indulgent. She just recently bought a home in West Palm Beach, Florida -- where she was going to be settling down and enjoying herself. She had been through a lot the past year, why -- after leaving the WWE in March (the 10th, 2003) she heard that April 22nd, 2003 -- Jeff Hardy left the WWE. Fired.
The rumor was drugs.

Malela thought: "Jeff? Drugs? No way… there's no way…"

She couldn't believe someone like Jeff would resort to drugs. Sure, he was constantly late for work, and shows, but wasn't everyone entitled to being late once in a while? She hadn't exactly talked to Jeff much since she left the WWE -- so she didn't know. She was only going on good faith that Jeff wasn't like that. She still received constant phone calls from Shane Helms asking her the same thing over and over and over again.

"So, Lela, when are you coming back?"

She had no answer for that. She didn't want to go back to the WWE. Sure, she loved the fans. They had been good to her. But she didn't think she'd be able to handle it yet. It wasn't all that long ago things were bad for her there. And she knew Matt was still there. If she couldn't eliminate the problem, avoiding it was the next best thing. In late 2004 though, Malela received a phone call while at home in West Palm Beach. It was a man named Jerry Jarrett. He was with a company called TNA. Total Non-Stop Action.
Jerry was interested in possibly picking up Malela's contract if she was interested in being a part of his company.

"Now, there's not so much of an active women's division, but I've seen videos of your days in ECW. You aren't afraid to mix it up with anyone."

"Eh… ECW feels like forever ago, Mister Jarrett…" Malela laughed a little. "It does. I spent something like, two years in the WWE… so it just seems like forever ago."

"Well I've talked to some of the people you worked with back then, and more recently who just signed from the WWE." Jerry went on to say. "You have a lot of friends in the industry and probably don't even realize it."

"No surprise." she said absently.

"Could I interest you in coming down for a look?" Jerry asked as Malela seemed to be thinking about it.

"Where about are you located, Mister Jarrett?"

"Well, we have our Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee."

There was a pause. Malela was honestly contemplating it. Why not, really. Her contract with the WWE wasn't going to affect her now, would it? It wouldn't (because she technically quit) but for her to be comfortable with the thought of wrestling again, it would be 2005 before she stepped into the ring. Stepped into the TNA arenas. Before she'd even consider signing a contract with Jerry Jarrett's Total Non-Stop Action. She showed up at the Orlando tapings of an iMPACT! one night in June, and ran into a considerably short man (compared to most wrestlers SHE had worked with) who had curly brown hair, kind of long, and blue eyes… dressed in a white button up shirt and brown corduroy pants.

"Can I help you?" He asked, as Malela looked at him awkwardly.

"I'm here to see Jerry Jarrett… is he around?"

"You might b- wait a minute…" He seemed like he was thinking about something. "You know, you look familiar I just can't place you…"

"Malela Trombley…"

"Weren't you--"

"Taylor…"

"Oh shit yeah! I know who you are! I'm Chris Sabin." Chris held out his hand, "I used to watch you in the WWE. And ECW a bit. You're a hell of an entertainer. You planning on signing with us?"

"Possibly…" Malela smirked a little. She had a fan here? Interesting. "Chris Sabin… I think I've heard of you. Weren't you X-Division champion?"

"Yeah…you've actually heard of me?" Chris seemed pleasantly surprised. "That is too awesome. Come with me, I'll show you to Jerry. He's going to be stoked to see you here."

She hadn't told Jerry when she'd be there, but when she walked into Mister Jarrett's office, he was talking to his son Jeff, and another person -- named Jeff. Only this one, was Hardy. When Malela walked in, she was in tight blue jeans and a light green tank top, her hair down and wavy, and a pair of white and light green Kswiss sneakers on her feet, customized for her. She had to have her footwear match her outerwear.

"Mister Jarrett?" Chris smiled a little. "I'm sorry to interrupt you and all…"

"Malela?"

"Jeffrey!"

Chris was interrupted this time, by Malela and Jeff Hardy. Malela ran up and Jeff held out his arms. Malela practically JUMPED into Hardy's arms, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She didn't pay much attention to TNA, or wrestling in general anymore (that was televised) so she had NO IDEA Jeff was in TNA. She didn't believe in the internet anymore, either.

"My god, I've missed you." Malela said as Jerry smiled a little.

"Miss Trombley? A pleasure to see you."

She smiled at Jerry for a moment, before turning back to Jeff Hardy. How could she not? She hadn't seen him SINCE she left the WWE, only talked on the phone a couple times here and there. He had been having problems with his girlfriend the last time they talked. She made a mental note to talk to him in private later.

"I'm sorry to interrupt whatever you guys were talking about," Malela started, "But this nice man right here…" she gestured to Chris, and he smiled at her recognition. "Showed me to your office, Mister Jarrett."

"Please, call me Jerry. Surely you must know my son Jeff," he gestured to Jeff Jarrett, and Malela shook Jeff's hand.

"Nice to meet ya, Miss Trombley."

"Malela, please. That would make me more comfortable to be on a first name bases."

"Of course."

"And I see you know Mister Hardy…"

"Know and love, Mister Hardy." Malela laughed a little as Jeff smiled. "I haven't seen this kid for a couple years…" Calling Jeff a 'kid' was actually an oxymoron for her. She had just barely turned 25... (May 16th) and Jeff was turning 28. "I can wait for you to finish your meeting, I'll just wait outside with Chris."

"We'll make it quick, Malela." Jerry assured her, "Wouldn't want to keep you waiting since I have been pursuing you for two years now."

"Sorry it's taken me so long." Malela said with a small smile. "Yeah, I'll be outside with Chris. Just give me a shout when you need me."

Chris escorted Malela out of the office with a smile, and the two sat down outside for a while just talking. They talked about a lot of things, but Chris was more interested in what she had been doing since she left the WWE. He admitted to watching it while she was Women's Champion, and actually admitted to having a small crush on her.

"I swear it's nothing serious!" He defended himself, "I don't want to freak you out or anything. I do respect everything you do in the ring and I'm SURE you could kill me in a hardcore match…"

"Don't worry, I'm actually flattered, so no asskickings will be administered…" Malela laughed, "I think it's kinda cool."

"Okay, as long as you don't think I'm some sick freak or anything." Chris tried to hide a smile. "I mean, we might work together, so I don't want you to think I'm insane."

"You're not. You're just adorable as hell…"

It was about a half-hour before Malela felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up, to come face-to-face with a familiar green gaze. She looked into the smile and face of Jeff Hardy. He crouched down next to her and gave Chris a playful glare.

"You hitting on my Lela?" he asked, as Malela laughed.

"Oh yeah, he's totally all over me."

"Really?" Jeff shook his head. "I told you, if you ever moved on move on to me. But do you listen? Nope…" He cracked a smile, as held out his hand to her. "C'mon, Jerry's ready for ya."

Chris stood up with Malela and Jeff, and he dusted himself off. He smiled at Malela, and she returned his smile. So he was really cute… she went with Jeff after telling Chris she'd see him later. She wanted to see him again anyway, and probably would if she got the job. For sure. Jerry Jarrett and Malela had their meeting and the more Jerry talked, the more Malela was interested. Everything was so -- promising. There was so many opportunities.

"Wow, Jerry…" Malela started softly. "I can't even begin to comprehend what you're telling me here. It's amazing already…"

"Well, I know I would love nothing more than to sign you into my company." Jerry said sincerely. "But I won't want to push you."

"No, you're not pushing me. In fact, it's making me want to sign with your company, Mister Jarrett."

"You can take all the time you need to make your decision-"

"I'd like to sign right now, sir… if that's okay with you."

"All right? Miss Trombley, that is more than all right." Jerry said in an instant. "I honestly have been hoping to hear from you, and now that you've finally accepted the offer, I'd be a fool to deny."

It was the start of the process.

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A/N: Anyone interested in a psychopathic video? Next chapter! -M.S