Chapter Twenty One: Slammiversary, New York City
Jeff's POV
Slammiversary was held in New York City the year Taylor graduated from high school, right before her seventeenth birthday. The night before the event we held a party for her like we had the year before, when she first became part of TNA. Everything was different this time. Taylor was more outgoing, she was more mature, and this time, she was getting ready for her first huge match as a wrestler.
After sharing a couple of wins and losses with Havok since she debuted, Taylor was facing Havok in a singles match for the championship at Slammiversary. I was facing Bobby Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. My feud with Bram was put on hold because he had to take leave to deal with his wife, Ashley.
"She really is a completely different kid, Sir," James said sitting with me.
"She's not a kid anymore, James."
"No, I guess not. She is a beautiful woman. Talented, radiant. You should be proud. You have shown her how to find herself."
"I am very proud of her. I just regret the way we came back into each other's lives."
"Don't," he said and I looked at him. "Don't misunderstand me, Jeff, it is tragic. But would you want to change her?"
"No!"
"Then you shouldn't regret. If you came into her life another way she may not be the same woman you helped her to become."
I looked at him. He was right. I nodded at him. He got up and left.
Taylor's POV
The party was great. I was having an awesome time with my friends who were able to make it to New York and the friends I'd made at TNA. Jessica, aka Havok, and me were having a good time joking around on Mark and Devon. It was relaxing to have my birthday party the night before Slammiversary, especially after having just graduating high school.
"May I have this dance?" Wesley Richards asked me.
I got up and went to the dance floor with him.
"How are you doing tonight, Davey?"
"I'm good. How are you doing? Better than last year?"
I remembered the conversation I'd had with him at my second Sweet Sixteen. He had reassured me it was okay to be happy with Dad even though I was with him because Mama had died. It was because of him that I had started to accept that the accident couldn't be changed, but it didn't mean that I had to make myself be miserable or the girl my mother wanted me to be for the rest of my life.
"I'm doing better than last year. I miss my friend, Nick. He couldn't be here because he's been sicker than normal, but I don't feel guilty about having a good time because of Mama. I'm also looking forward to wrestling at Slammiversary tomorrow.
"You should be. It's your first major event as a professional wrestler."
"I'm excited."
"Nervous?"
"No. I had some really good teachers."
"Good girl," he said and kissed me on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Taylor."
He walked away and I went back to enjoying the party.
Jeff's POV
It was five in the morning. I had just gone to bed in the hotel. Slammiversary was tonight. Taylor was in her room in the suite, Ruby sound asleep between Amy and me. I got up and took my phone into the living room area of the suite before it woke any of the girls up.
"Hello?" I answered groggily.
"Mr. Hardy? It's Grace."
I was instantly awake.
"Grace, is everything alright?"
She started crying and my heart sank, fearing what she was calling to tell me, fearing what I would have to tell Taylor.
"Mr. Hardy, it's Nick," she said before she started crying more.
"Is Nick okay?"
"He died an hour ago," she said and her sobbing got uncontrollable.
I wanted to cry. Since the first time I'd met Nick, I'd spent some time with him whenever I could. He was an awesome kid and I could see why Taylor was such good friends with him.
"Grace, do you have any friends with you?"
"No."
My heart broke for her. She had given up everything to take care of her brother when their parents died. Then he had gotten sick. It took a lot out of her. And now she was alone now that he had finally lost his battle.
"Grace, I'll ask Amy if she'd be willing to go stay with you until Taylor and me can get down to you tomorrow. Let me call you back in a few minutes."
"Okay, Mr. Hardy."
I got off the phone with her and gently woke Amy, getting her to follow me out to the living room area.
"What's wrong, Jeff?"
"I just got off the phone with Grace."
"Is Nick?"
"He died an hour ago," I said, struggling not to cry.
"Taylor's gonna be devastated!"
"I know. I'm worried about telling her."
"We'll do it together."
"Actually, I wanted to know if I could ask you to go stay with Grace. We'll meet you there tomorrow, but Grace is alone, Amy. I'm worried about her. She's only a few years older than Taylor and she's got nobody to be at her side as she's getting ready to bury the last of her family."
"What about Taylor?"
"I'll figure out how to deal with this as gently as I can."
"I'll go."
"You are the perfect woman, Amy Dumas. So generous and caring," I said as I hugged her and let a few tears slip for the life of the young man who just left this world.
"I'll go pack."
"I'll call the airline and Grace."
Amy went back into the room. I heard her crying and I tried not to start crying more. After making the arrangement for her flight, I called Grace back.
"Grace?"
"Yes, Mr. Hardy?"
"Amy is coming down. Her flight should land at noon. Can you pick her up at the airport or should I have her rent a car?"
"I'll pick her up. Thank you, Mr. Hardy."
"I'm sorry about Nick, Grace. He was an amazing guy. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Mr. Hardy."
I got off the phone with Grace and called Matt. He picked up on the third ring.
"What's wrong, Jeff?"
"I need you to come stay in my suite for a few hours."
"Why?"
"I need to take Amy to the airport and I don't want the girls alone. I won't answer my phone while I'm gone."
"What's going on?"
"Nick Alvarez died an hour ago. Amy is going to Texas to be with his sister, Grace, so she doesn't have to be alone until I can get there with Taylor and Ruby tomorrow."
"I'll be there in five."
"Thanks, man."
When Matt got to the room, Amy and I were dressed and ready to leave. I had called a car to drive us to the airport and wait for me to bring me back to the hotel.
The sun was already up by the time I got back. Matt was on the couch, playing with Ruby. Reby was sitting at his side.
"We're going to go to Texas with you tomorrow," Matt said. "Is there anything else we can do for you?"
"Actually, can you take Ruby back to your room for a while? I don't want this overwhelming her when I tell Taylor."
"No problem," Reby said. "We'll watch her during the event for you, too, since Amy is helping with Grace."
"Thanks a lot, guys."
They took Ruby and left the room. I sat on the couch, wondering how to tell Taylor about Nick.
Taylor's POV
I woke up in a cold sweat, crying. Something was wrong. I didn't know what, but I could feel it. I felt like I knew what it was, like maybe I'd dreamed about it, but when I woke up I'd forgotten. Dad came running into my room.
"Taylor, what's wrong?" he asked me as he held me in his arms.
"I don't know. Something's wrong, but I don't know what it is," I said to him as I kept crying.
He held me as I kept crying. I tried to focus on my dreams. They were sketchy. I remembered something about my favorite skate park in San Antonio. I looked in the corner, where the hoodie Nick had given me for my birthday last year was draped over my chair.
"Dad?" I said, trying not to break down.
"What is it, Baby?"
"Have you heard anything about Nick?"
He hesitated. He didn't want to answer. That was answer enough for me. I started crying harder.
"Grace called me at five this morning, Taylor. She was heartbroken. I knew something was wrong. It took a few minutes to get it out of her, but she told me that Nick passed away around four this morning. I'm so sorry, Taylor," he said as he held me tighter. "Amy left this morning to go be with her until we can get to Texas tomorrow. She's not alone."
I could hear the pain in Dad's voice. I curled into him and just cried. At about one Mark and Devon knocked on the door. I was supposed to train with them before the event. Dad sent them away, explaining why I wasn't training.
Jeff's POV
My heart was breaking. Not only for Grace and Nick, but for Taylor, who was mourning one of the best friends she'd ever had. Still, at four o'clock I had to knock on Taylor's door.
"Taylor?" I said as I entered the room.
She looked over at me. Her face was still red, but she had cried until she couldn't cry anymore hours ago. She was clutching the hoodie that Nick asked me to design for her birthday last year. I sat down on the bed next to her.
"I know this is hard for you, but we need to get through tonight. We can't back out of our matches tonight."
She nodded at me.
"And you need to eat before you wrestle. Come outside. We have to leave for the arena in an hour, so you need to eat now."
She looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I don't know if I can, Dad," she said, her voice low and hoarse.
"You have to, Tay. Do it for Nick. All of this today. You know how much he loved wrestling, and how excited he got when he found out you were training to start competing. Dedicate today, eating, the match, all of it, to Nick. He would want you to eat, to go out there tonight and kick ass."
"I'll try."
"Good, because that's what I'm doing, Taylor. He was a special kid and I'm glad I got to meet him. Today is for him. And tomorrow, we'll go be there for Grace as a family, because blood or not, Grace is our family."
Taylor nodded again and gave me her hand. I led her out of her room. She sat down, and it took her a little bit, but she did eat most of the pasta and grilled chicken dish I'd ordered for her. When she was done, I sat her down on the couch, to do the hardest thing I was going to have to do before taking her to Texas.
"I have something for you, Taylor, and it's gonna be hard for you to get it."
"What is it?"
"Nick and I had been talking after your debut match. He didn't like the ring gear they'd put you in. So we worked together, and this is your birthday gift from him."
I handed her the gift.
Taylor's POV
I looked at the box that Dad handed me. His last gift to me. I didn't want to open it. It made what I was already struggling to deal with too real.
With my hands shaking, I opened the box. I pulled out the ring gear. It was perfect. I started crying again.
"They're going to be making this for you in different colors so you can choose what to wear when."
"He always knew me better than anybody."
"We need to get ready to go to the arena, Taylor."
I put the ring gear in the box and got up, going back to my room. After packing it with my things for the arena, I got ready to go. When I came out of the room, Dad and I left for the arena.
At the arena, I was finding it was harder for me to cope with Nick being gone than Mama being gone. My match was the fourth match of the night, so I had time to kill. Jamie was waiting in mine and Dad's dressing room when we got to the arena. Mark had told her what had happened. I could tell she had been crying. Nick touched everyone in the locker room.
"Are you okay, Tay?" she asked me.
I shook my head, not trusting my voice. I needed to hold myself together, at least for a few more hours. Dad was right, Nick was one of my friends who had always loved wrestling, loved the fact that it turned out that I was the daughter of one of his heroes, and was proud that I had followed in my father's footsteps to become a wrestler. He wouldn't want me to let his death ruin tonight. If there was actually an afterlife, I knew he would be watching me tonight.
Dropping my things, I left the dressing room and went to find Havok. We discussed the basics of our match. She knew something was wrong with me.
"Are you sure about going out there tonight? We could ask Dixie to have somebody else job to me and give you the title shot another night," she said to me.
"No, I'm going out there tonight. Nick would want me to. He always loved wrestling. I have to do this."
"If you're sure about this, than I won't say anything."
"I'm as sure as I'm gonna be, Jess."
"If you need to end the match early, just give me a sign while we're in the ring."
"Thanks. I should go start getting ready."
I went back to the dressing room and got changed into the ring gear Dad had designed as Nick's gift to me. Looking at myself in the mirror, part of me couldn't help but admire the design, but part of me wanted to cry. Looking at the cargo pants with the viper design on it down my right leg on the front, and the dragon, the symbol that Nick had always used on his skate gear, on the back of my left leg, seeing the design of the dragon with the viper snaked around the dragon's leg on the back of my wrestling shirt, it reminded me just how intertwined Nick and I had always been. Finally, I sat down and started French braiding my hair, like I used to when I went boarding, since it always kept my hair from getting too windblown and me from getting busted by Mama.
Dad came back to the dressing room and found me just finishing my hair. He sat down next to me, giving me my elbow pads. We were both having a hard time facing what was going on. Instead of saying anything, he just hugged me when I tied my hair off at the bottom of the braid.
"It looks great on you," Dad said to me.
"Like I said, Nick knew me better than anyone. We've always been part of each other. I think that's why I woke up freaking out this morning. I think I already knew what was happening."
"What do you mean?"
I told Dad about the dream. He just looked at me. Before he could really say anything else, a stage hand came to tell me I needed to go to hair and make-up. When I came back, it was time to go for my match.
Jeff's POV
I went to ringside with Taylor for moral support. I wasn't going to interfere in her match, but knowing everything she was dealing with, I knew she needed all the moral support she could get. She entered to my song "Indigo" because she said it fit how she was fitting.
Even though she was on the roster now as a Knockout, she was still my sixteen year old daughter who had just lost one of her best and longest friends. She needed moral support. I was her father and I was going to give it to her.
The bell rang and Havok came over to taunt me. Taylor got angry. She grabbed Havok by her arm and hit her with a hip toss, throwing her a quarter of the way across the ring. When Havok got up, Taylor Superkicked her and hit her with Whisper in the Wind. Taylor covered her, but Havok kicked out at two.
Havok got back to her feet and grabbed Taylor, pulling her into a bear hug, putting massive pressure on her lower back. Taylor was wincing in pain. I started beating on the apron of the ring. The fans started clapping in beat with me, trying to get Taylor to rally. Suddenly, Havok hit Taylor with a Tilt-a-Whirl backbreaker. She picked Taylor back up and hit her again on her other knee. Taylor curled up on the mat. I jumped up on the apron, ready to jump in the ring to check on her. Brian Hebner, known to many as Baby Hebner came to the ropes to stop me. When he did, Havok lifted Taylor and stretched her back over her knees, making Taylor shout in pain.
"Get off the apron, Jeff! This isn't your match!" Brian shouted at me.
I put my arms up in defeat and jumped down from the ring. He turned around and ran to ask Taylor if she wanted to submit. She said no.
"Ask her again!" Havok shouted at him as she put more pressure on Taylor.
"Taylor, do you want to give in?"
"NO!" Taylor shouted back.
Havok realized that Taylor wasn't going to tap out and flung her off of her knee. Taylor rolled into the ringpost. I ran to the ringpost.
"Are you okay, Baby?"
"I'm fine, Dad," she replied out of breath.
Havok came and grabbed her by her hair. She picked her up over her shoulders. As she carried her across the ring, I saw Taylor shifting her weight. Just before Havok tried to throw her onto the ring steps, Taylor jumped off her shoulders and kicked Havok over the ring ropes onto the steps. Havok didn't get back up immediately. Taylor climbed the turnbuckles and Swantoned her. I ran to the other side of the ring to check on her.
Taylor's back was bleeding where she hit the edge of the ring steps. She was holding her back, much like I did when I did my high risk moves in the ring. I was standing between her and the ring steps when she shoved me behind her. When I turned around, I saw her lift Havok and Powerbomb her. I didn't know she could lift Havok. She tossed Havok back into the ring and rolled back in, her back still bleeding.
Taylor covered Havok again and Havok barely kicked out. Havok put Taylor in an armlock and dropped to the mat with her knee in her shoulder area. Taylor curled up hugging her arm. Looking at my daughter in the ring, I could see both her injury and determination in her eyes. She was a trained athlete. This injury wasn't going to hold her back. She got back to her feet, hit Havok with a lightning quick Hurricanrana, followed it with a Superkick and ended her combo with a Moonsault, where she grabbed Havok's leg to cover her with her one good arm as she landed. With such a quick succession of moves, Havok didn't have time to kick out.
Rolling off of Havok, Taylor got back to her feet. I slid into the ring. Brian Hebner brought her the Knockouts Championship belt. I held it up for her while I held her good arm in victory. As Havok stormed out of the ring, the rest of the Knockouts came out and applauded Taylor, one for defeating Havok and becoming the new champ, but also because all of them knew what it took for her to get in the ring with what she was dealing with in her head. Officially, she was a professional wrestler. She pointed to the band around her arm that said "R.I.P. Nicholas Alvarez" and when I looked up, the cameras where doing a close-up of the band. All the Knockouts were wearing them. I didn't know anyone but me and Taylor were wearing that for the event. She fell to her knees in tears.
Velvet Sky came to the ring. She put her arms around her. Taylor just looked up at her. Velvet pointed to the top of the stage. Taylor followed her finger to see what she was pointing to.
"We all want to honor him tonight, Taylor. He touched us all. Dixie decided to dedicate tonight's event to him. A portion of all merchandise sales are going to the American Cancer Society in his honor," Velvet said to Taylor.
Up on the stage, the whole roster was standing applauding Taylor's match, her bravery and professionalism in spite of her heart being broken and in Texas. Velvet and I helped Taylor back to her feet. J.B. entered the ring after Christy announced Taylor the new Knockouts' Champion again.
"So, Taylor, we announced at the start of the event that someone close to the TNA family passed away today. He came to us as a Make-A-Wish kid over a year ago, but he became more special because of you. Can you tell us about him?"
Taylor's POV
I knew that I didn't want to answer any questions. I hadn't trusted my voice in hours and I was already crying. But I knew that Slammiversary was recorded and put out on DVD's for the world to buy. Answering these questions, letting them know about Nick would immortalize him. I had to do it.
"His name was Nicholas Alvarez. He was my best friend for most of my life before I met and moved in with my father, Jeff Hardy. Even after I moved away, Nick and I stayed close. In fact, the ring gear design I'm wearing now was a collaboration between him and my dad."
"What do you mean?"
"Nick and I were friends in secret. My mama never would've approved of him. We were skater kids. He realized how I became more open about who I was when I went to live with Jeff and he had Jeff help him design a new skateboard and hoodie for me for my birthday last year. This year, he incorporated my skateboard design, which is based on a tattoo I have, with his skateboard design, and the design became my ring gear. My tattoo is a viper. His skateboard design was a dragon. The viper coiled on the dragon on my shirt is to show how intertwined the two of us have always been no matter how far we've been from each other. This was his last birthday gift to me, which my dad gave to me after he told me that Nick had passed on today.
"Nick Alvarez was only seventeen years old and he only had his older sister, Grace. Their parents died three years ago when Grace was nineteen years old. She gave up college, everything, to come home and take care of Nick. Two months before my dad returned to TNA last year, Nick was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. I think the love he received from the people here at TNA gave him the will and strength to fight as long as he did because the doctors didn't think he'd make it more than a few months. After they found out that he was so important to me, they brought him to any show he was up to travelling to, if he was too sick to travel, we went to see him when we were in his area, brought him to the shows close to him, and a lot of us went out of our way during our time off to go check on him and his sister, so they always knew that they weren't alone. Just like the people here at TNA quickly took me in as family when they found out I was Jeff's daughter, they quickly took Grace and Nick in as their family when they realized what they meant to me. I can never thank all of you enough for that.
"Wrestling was always Nick's biggest obsession outside of skateboarding. When he found out that Jeff Hardy was my father last year, he was jealous. I had never seen wrestling until I met my dad, but Jeff Hardy was one of Nick's idols. My family here at TNA made his wish come true more than he ever expected by making him and his sister part of the TNA family. You all made him so happy since he met you last year. When he couldn't be around, he always wanted to know what was going on. He loved all of you."
"What was it like for you to be out here, tonight, fighting for the Knockouts' Championship in such a brutal match against Havok, while your heart was with Grace and Nick, wherever he is?"
"It was hard, I'll be honest. I didn't want to be here. But Dad got me out of bed by telling me this is what Nick would want for me. Nick loved wrestling and he loved that I was following in Dad's footsteps. He wouldn't want me to give up on such a major opportunity because of him. So, I really decided to do this for Nick. I really think wherever Nick is, he's looking down on me, smiling, because not only did I make it through this very brutal match with such an incredible opponent like Havok, because she is an incredible opponent, but I won the Knockouts' Championship, becoming the youngest Champion in TNA history. He would be proud of me to accomplish those two things at my first major event, Slammiversary, especially here in New York City."
"What do you mean you're the youngest champion in TNA history?"
"I just turned seventeen myself, Jeremy. Nick was a few months older than me. This was why I worked under my mother's name until I started wrestling, which I didn't start doing until I graduated from high school last month when I was still sixteen. I had been training lightly with some of the members of the roster since before Slammiversary of last year, but after I gave Lashley the Twist of Fate at night one of the New York City tapings last June, I started training more seriously with more members of the roster, Al Snow, my family, and even some family friends who don't work with TNA. My father and I made a deal. I could continue to do that as long as my grades didn't drop and I was supervised carefully, but I couldn't actually start to wrestle until I graduated from high school. Since I was doing physical school part-time and tutors the rest while I travelled with the company, I had more time to train, but I still kept my grades up. I graduated as the valedictorian of Union Pines High School in Moore County, North Carolina last month. I had my first match a week later."
"You were valedictorian! Congratulations. What about college? Are you going to stay with us?"
"J.B. I came to love wrestling as much as Nick and the rest of my family. I got into some of the top colleges in the country. But I'm staying with TNA, at least for now. My father and I talked and I deferred Stanford for a year. In six months, I will make the decision whether I will go to college part-time to wrestle and go to school or put off school until I am older. Wrestling is my passion. I can't do that forever, but I can go back to school when I'm older. It's still in negotiations with me and my family."
"Well, I'm sure Nick Alvarez would be very proud of everything you've accomplished since you've been with Jeff Hardy. Congratulations, Taylor. And from everyone here at TNA, we're very sorry for your loss," J.B. said.
He pointed up at the Titantron and it showed a montage of shots of me and Nick as well as Nick with Dad and other wrestlers. At the end, it showed a picture of him and it said, "Farewell to a great little brother, Love, the TNA Family." It had his birth and death dates on it. I started crying. Velvet helped me out of the ring and to the training room. I needed to get away from Dad for a few minutes.
Jeff's POV
I could tell that the interview was hard for Taylor, but when she went with Jamie, I just let her. She was holding up as well as she could, having lost somebody as close to her as Nick was, and I didn't want to smother her. All of a sudden, I heard somebody calling my name.
"Jeff!"
I looked around. It took me a minute to spot him. It was Collin. He was in an aisle seat on the ramp. I was wondering how he had gotten tickets. He had told Taylor he couldn't afford to come to New York, let alone come to New York for Slammiversary. As the roster started making their way backstage, I went over to him.
"Collin, what are you doing here?" I asked him as I stopped by him.
"Spud called me. He paid for me to come up. His exact words were 'Miss Taylor's gonna need all the friends she can get today.' He told me about Nick. He remembered I was the one with her the night she found out about him. Can you get me backstage?"
"Come on," I said as moved aside for him to jump the barricade.
Security came over to try to stop him. I put my hands up.
"He's with me. He's one of Taylor's best friends. Spud called him and asked him to come up. I'm bringing him backstage to see if he can help make Taylor feel better," I told them.
"You know fans are supposed to have backstage passes, Jeff," the security guard said.
"I know, but this isn't a typical situation or I wouldn't be doing it. Have a heart. My daughter is in a bad way right now," I told him.
"As long as you, Taylor and Spud keep him out of trouble."
"We will. I promise. He's a good kid. The most he'll do is get starstruck. But he's here for Taylor. He'll leave everyone else alone."
"Alright."
Collin and I went backstage to the dressing room. When Jamie and Taylor came in, her back was bandaged and she was walking stiffly. Jamie had an ice pack to wrap around her back. As soon as Taylor saw Collin she ran to him, hugged him and started crying into his chest. He just held her.
"Is she alright?" I asked Jamie.
"The cut on her back wasn't deep enough for stitches, but she's bruising. They want her to use the ice pack. I figure give these two a few minutes before we stretch her out on the floor with it wrapped on her lower back. How's he here? He said he couldn't do it," Jamie replied.
"Spud. He really looks out for Taylor. He paid to get him here tonight."
"James is really good with her. Him, Michael, Michael, Wesley, Jeremy, Mark, Devon, some of the others, too, but those guys go out of their way to help her."
"So do you, Jamie. And I can't thank any of you enough."
"You don't have to. She's a great kid."
Jamie walked over to Taylor's suitcase and pulled out Taylor's skateboarding hoodie. She walked over to Taylor and put her hand on her shoulder. Taylor looked at her.
"Honey, you need to stretch out on the floor and ice your back. Here, you can put this over you while you do," Jamie said as she handed her the hoodie.
Taylor nodded and hugged the hoodie to her. Collin sat on the floor while Jamie wrapped the ice pack around Taylor's waist. Taylor laid down on the floor, putting her head in Collin's lap and snuggled into the hoodie. Collin sat there, stroking her hair and telling her that while things were bad now, there would be a day where things seemed to get better again, but for now, it was okay not to be okay. I was grateful he was there.
"Jeff," a stagehand at the door called to me. "We need you in hair and make-up."
"I'm coming," I said to him, turning to Jamie. "Can you stay with them?"
"Go," she said.
I went and got my hair done and then went back to my dressing room, where I found the ice pack on the counter, and Taylor asleep on Collin's lap. I looked at Jamie.
"She's exhausted. The emotional roller coaster she's on takes a lot out of a girl."
"That's okay," I said to Jamie. "Collin, do you need anything?"
"A soda?"
"Jamie, can you ask Spud to bring him one?"
"Sure. Start your make-up."
"Thanks."
Jamie left the room and I sat down with my make-up. I could see Collin watching how the magic happened for me. When it was done, I put on my arm bands then my shirt, finishing by putting Nick's armband on my upper arm. Spud came in with a drink for Collin right after I changed.
"Here you go, Sir," he said to Collin as he handed him the drink.
"Thanks," Collin replied.
"Sorry I didn't have a chance to tell you about this, Jeff. When I found out that Nick had passed, I thought it best that she have her best friend here and I made arrangements as quick as possible. I just hadn't had a minute to talk to you since. For good reason, you and Taylor were keeping to yourself."
"She appreciates it and so do I. Thank you, James."
"No problem. Anything for Taylor."
Taylor started to stir. She got up and saw I was in my ring gear and that Spud was in the room. Taylor got off Collin's lap and gave Spud a hug and thanked him for bringing Collin up. Then she looked at me.
"Is it time for your match?"
"Almost."
"I'm going out with you."
"Your back."
"I'm going with you."
"Why not stay back here?"
"Being out in the middle of everything helps keep my mind clear."
I hugged her to me.
"Alright, Darlin'."
"I'll go back to my seat for the match," Collin said. "By the way, Spud, thanks for the awesome ticket."
"You're welcome, Sir."
"I'll head out now. Tay, if you need me, I'm a text away."
"Thanks, Collin. Enjoy the match."
Collin left with Spud taking him out to have him escorted back to his seat with instructions to bring him back after the match. I looked at Taylor. She looked fragile, like she did when I first met her again.
"Are you sure you're okay, Taylor?"
"As much as I can be, Dad. Nick was my first real friend in my life. I can't understand how a sixteen year old gets stage IV lung cancer and dies a year later, so I can't really be okay."
"Jeff, time to go," the stagehand came back to tell me.
"We're coming," I said to him before turning to Taylor. "Things like that never make sense, Baby. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out."
I hugged her to me and we left for the ring. We entered to "Time and Fate" she came down with the Knockouts Championship Belt around her waist, the first time she was holding it in public. She came into the ring with me to wait for Bobby Roode to come down. When he came down he shook my hand, hugged her, and then she left the ring to stay at ringside. Stiffler took the belt from Bobby and started the match.
Taylor's POV
Bobby Roode is an excellent athlete. He's bigger than Dad, but Dad doesn't let things like that get in his way. He kept the match moving at a quick pace, taking risks off the ropes, like diving cross-bodies, Swantons, and Whispers in the Wind. A few of them made contact, but Bobby Roode is tough. He got back up.
One of the times that Dad went for a Whisper in the Wind, Bobby Roode was ready for him. He caught him in mid-air and hit him with a Roode-Bomb. I could tell it knocked the wind out of Dad. He didn't get right back up. Roode covered him. Dad kicked out at two, though I could see pain in his face as he did.
Roode picked Dad up by the hair, but before he could do anything, Dad hit him with a reverse mule kick, making Roode loose his grip on him. Dad kicked him again and hit him with the Twist of Fate. Going onto the top turnbuckle, Dad hit him with the Swanton Bomb. He covered Roode. Roode barely kicked out before Stiffler came down on the count of three. Roode got back to his feet and he was wobbly. Dad hit Roode with an Irish Whip into the turnbuckle. I had an idea that technically wasn't illegal.
"Poetry in Motion!" I called to Dad as I slid into the ring in front of Bobby.
Dad hesitated for only a second before he ran at me, and using my back to propel himself, threw himself into Roode, forcing him into the turnbuckle with more force. I slid back out of the ring. My back was sore, but I didn't care. Dad grabbed Roode by the back of the head, hit him with a running bulldog and went back to the top turnbuckle. He yelled out and threw up the hand guns that were his symbol before throwing himself off the turnbuckle to perform the Swanton Bomb. He grabbed Roode's leg for the cover. This time, Roode was just a little too late trying to kick out. Stiffler had already counted three.
"And your new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy!" Christy announced.
I slid back into the ring more carefully since I was in pain. I helped Bobby to his feet. He looked from me to Dad.
"You two make a good team. Nothing illegal. Gotta give it to you. Clean match," he said as he hugged me again.
He reached his hand out to shake Dad's hand and Dad shook it, and then raised his hand in victory too. Bobby grabbed my hand and raised my hand in victory with their hands.
"Good match, Bobby," Dad said. "I can't wait to the rematch."
"Me too. Now I know I need to keep an eye out for who you have at ringside," he said winking at me.
I smiled at him.
"I didn't touch either of you. I just gave Dad a way to do one of his moves without bringing in a chair."
Bobby smiled at me one more time and rolled out of the ring. Dad and me held our hands up in victory, he hand the TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt in his hand. Finally, J.B. came in to interview Dad.
"So Jeff, what does it feel like, you're family going through a hard time and both you and your daughter are walking out of Slammiversary at the top of your divisions?"
Jeff's POV
"Well, Jeremy," I said, still breathing heavily, "Taylor and I decided when we decided that we would still be competing tonight that it would be in Nick's memory and honor. The fact that we both won the title matches we were scheduled in is just icing on the cake."
"So these title reigns are both in his memory?"
I looked at Taylor. She nodded at me.
"Absolutely. Taylor and I had a rough beginning, but it was finding out the truth about Nick that actually showed us that we could have a relationship as father and daughter, friends, and now co-workers. We went through some hard times when we found out he was sick, but ultimately, it made the two of us closer as a family and it made us able to have a complex relationship."
I hugged Taylor to me.
"Congratulations to both of you. You fought hard tonight. I assume you'll be taking a few days off now?"
"Yes, we will. Not too long, but we will be taking a little bit of time to be with Grace and attend Nick's funeral. We'll probably be gone for a week or two. But don't worry, when we come back, the Hardys will be back with a renewed passion!"
"We look forward to your return," J.B. said.
I started to lead Taylor out of the ring. When we got backstage, we were brought straight to Dixie by a stagehand. I closed the door behind us and we sat down in front of her.
"I want to thank both of you and tell you how grateful and proud I am that you both kept a clear head to get through tonight. You were both two of the most anticipated matches of the night. I don't know what would have happened if you had cancelled this morning, though I would've understood if you had," Dixie said.
"Dad was right, Miss Dixie. We're professionals, we can't just blow off work. Besides, he was also right about Nick. He really wouldn't have wanted me to skip my first Slammiversary as a wrestler. He talked about it since my debut. He was so happy I was wrestling. I couldn't not do it. If there is an afterlife, he'd be pissed off at me for it. And if I didn't skip it, Dad wouldn't."
"It was very responsible of you still. And I want you to know that I was serious about the announcement made after your match. A portion of all merchandise proceeds from tonight will be donated to cancer research. Each wrestler has been asked to designate a portion amount to be donated since this affects their profits as well, anywhere from five to fifty percent. Most chose between twenty to thirty percent of the proceeds of their merchandise to go to charity. All TNA specific merchandise will donate forty percent of the profits to the charity. We just need to know about the two of you. This will be sales from here and online."
"I want to donate all profits for the day, Dixie," Dad said. "If it's okay, I'd actually like to donate fifty percent to the charity and fifty percent to Grace directly. Now that she's on her own, I'd like to help her out."
"I don't have merchandise so I don't know why I'm being asked," Taylor said.
"Actually, Darlin', we didn't get to show you before the show, because you weren't feeling very sociable, but you do have merchandise, and it's flying off the stands and out of the warehouse."
"What do you mean, Miss Dixie?"
She pulled a box out from under her desk and handed it to Taylor. Taylor opened it. There were two t-shirts and a hoodie. The t-shirts both had the same design, the design on the back of her ring gear shirt, but one was short sleeve and one was long sleeve. The hoodie also had the same design.
"This is in addition to your promotional pictures, your banners, your intro music which went up last week, the paintings you gave us permission to reproduce, and the chair you broke over Havok's back last week. You have merchandise, here and on the online shop. How would you like to handle the donations, Taylor?"
"The same as my Dad, if that's okay, Miss Dixie."
"Of course, it is. In fact, I will talk to all the others, see how they feel about splitting their donations, half of whatever portion they chose to donate to the charity, half to Grace. We would all like to make sure she is taken care of after funeral expenses and his medical bills. Maybe some of them will increase their donations for that. I'll have the tech team put an announcement up on the website explaining how we will be distributing all of the charitable donations so the fans don't think we are lying to them. And I will have a check to give to her by the funeral. When is it?"
"I believe it will be either this Wednesday or Thursday," I replied.
"Perfect. We have no appearances between now and Thursday night, so anyone who wants to attend the funeral will be free to do so. I'm glad that we're able to allow that option to everyone. I'm going to attend, and I'm going to ask the publicity team to make sure that while awareness is brought to his death and the cause, that they make sure the funeral and wake stay out of the public eye unless she asks for it."
"Thank you, Miss Dixie. I know how much the TNA family meant to Nick. I really think he held on as long as he did because of all of you. The doctors really didn't think he'd make it through last summer, and he almost made it a whole extra year. I think it's because of everyone here at TNA."
"It was an honor to have him around. He was a breath of fresh air. Besides, for a kid, he knew what he was talking about with wrestling. We paid him a decent amount of money because he pitched a few storylines to me that I liked. I used them while you were finishing high school, Taylor."
That surprised us both.
"I didn't even know that, Dixie."
"He didn't want a big deal made of it. He was just glad that his ideas made enough sense that I liked them. He didn't even want the money. I insisted. His sister was grateful because she knew I paid him more than I would pay an independent contractor."
"Thank you. You really did make all of his dreams come true in just over a year, Miss Dixie."
"I'm glad I could. Like I said, Nick was very special. We'll all miss him around here, though we all know none of us will miss him like you and your family," Dixie said. "Now, you two should go back to your dressing room. I'm sure Matt, Reby, Ruby, and Collin will be in there waiting for you and you have to get ready to go back to the hotel and get ready for a long week."
"Thanks, Dixie."
"Taylor?"
Taylor looked back at Dixie.
"Yes, Miss Dixie?"
"Just know, as bad as things are now, they'll get better. You have a lot of people here for you. If you ever need to talk, don't forget that. My office door is always open for you if you need to just talk."
"Thank you, Miss Dixie."
We left the office, with me hugging Taylor to my side. She was clutching the merchandise that Dixie had given to her. Nick was being immortalized through TNA. He never got out of high school, never got to wrestle like he wanted to, but he was getting immortalized within one of the top wrestling promotions in the country. In my mind, there was no better way to send him off. I hoped Taylor saw that, too.