Chapter 11- Stealing Cinderella

I came to see her daddy

For sit down man to man

It wasn't any secret

I'd be asking for her hand

I wasn't at Raw like I told Nolee I would be tonight. Yes, I know that lying to the woman you love is a bad thing but hear me out. Instead I was in my favorite black hummer, dressed in a black Affliction shirt and nice jeans with my favorite combat boots on, driving to the home of WWE legend Jerry "The King" Lawler who was at home after a particularly nasty attack by Jack Swagger and Micheal Cole. I had something that I planned on doing, something that I needed to do. Ever since I had started dating Nolee for the second time, I had been plagued by dreams of marrying her. Yes, I knew it might have been to quick to do so but when you're 30 and divorced, when you find that woman who makes your blood boil and makes you feel like a kid again, you hold on to her and you never let her go. Nolee is that woman. I intend to marry her, as long as I have Jerry's permission that is. I don't want to enter into a marriage that our families don't want. I guess I'm old fashioned that way. Dad has always liked Nolee, they met during the old school taping of Raw. We weren't together at the time but my father had told me after they talked how professional she was and how she would be a good match for me.

I guess that's why he left me

Waiting in the living room by myself

With at least a dozen pictures

Of her sitting on the shelf

I knock on the door and stand there, hands clasped in front of me. When Jerry opens the door, he smiles at me. "Orton, nice to see you. Need something?"

"Sir...I need to talk to you..." I reply, looking at him and nodding respectfully. I may have gone through that legend killer phase but I learned from it. You get farther if you respect the legends than you do if you disrespect them. Jerry opens the door and lets me in, revealing a nice living room. Photos in frames line three separate shelves on the wall nearest to me. A green loveseat with what looks like pale pink decorations lining it. There is also a matching couch sitting in front of a brown coffee table which is littered with magazines and newspapers. "Nice place you have."

He smiles, "Thanks Randy. Now, want something to drink?"

I nod, "A Mt. Dew if you have it, water if you don't."

He walks into the kitchen and a few seconds later brings back a pitcher of water as well as two glasses, "Water sounded like a good idea. And the only Mt. Dew I have is diet. You know how Nolee is about her diet sodas."

I laugh, "Yes, she does love them doesn't she." I pour Jerry and myself a glass before taking a thoughtful sip. "She's...she's sort of the reason I'm here Jerry."

"She's not in trouble is she? Nolee hasn't been in the ring in a while so I thought maybe she was hurt and us announcers hadn't been told." Jerry says, looking at me thoughtfully. "I mean, with how bad Jack and Cole have been coming after me I wouldn't be surprised if they went after her as well."

"No sir, it's not that either." I reply, leaning back.

"Then what is it?" Jerry asks, puzzled look on his face.

She was playing Cinderella

She was riding her first bike

Bouncing on the bed and

Looking for a pillow fight

"Sir...I've been dating Nolee for a while now. I...I know I love her. There is no one else I'd rather spend my days and nights with than her. She takes good care of my daughter, she takes good care of me, and I take good care of her. I...I want to marry her," I boldly say.

It seems like forever before he speaks up, "You want to marry Nolee?"

"Yes sir. I love her."

He stands up and walks over to the shelves lined with pictures, gesturing for me to stand up as well. I follow him over, seeing the pictures. Most of them are of his family: Brian Lawler (his son), Nolee, and Katana (Nolee's adopted sister from Russia and Edge's current wife). "Tell me, what do you see in these pictures?" Jerry asks.

"I see a happy family," I smile.

"That's right. Nolee isn't mine by birth but she's my daughter." he picks up a picture where she's standing with Katana at what appears to be the Magic Kingdom Disney park in Florida with Alice from the popular Alice in Wonderland movies. Nolee is wearing a cute pink dress with a white cowgirl hat and white cowgirl boots. "She never has been a Prince Charming and Cinderella type girl. Even when we went to Disney world, she didn't fall for the pretty dresses of the princesses. She's always been a simple girl." There is a nostalgic tone to his voice and in his eyes.

"I know sir. And I'm not much of a Prince Charming. I'm just me," I reply, clapping a hand to his shoulder.

Running through the sprinkler

With a big Popsicle grin

Dancing with her dad and

Looking up at him

Jerry turns to look at me and there is a sadness in his eyes. "Randy...I just want someone who can treat her right. Look what's happened with the other two kids I've let go." He called her a kid. In Jerry's mind, Nolee is always going to be a little girl. I understand that, Alanna is always going to be my baby. Jerry's scared she's going to get hurt. Everyone knows that his son, Brian, is a screw up. Katana ended up being the unwilling object of The Undertakers affection as well as being the mother of Kane's son Byron before marrying Adam Copeland a.k.a Edge. As the youngest, Jerry doesn't want to see either of these things happen to Nolee.

"Jerry...she's growing up. She's 23 now, not a child anymore. I know that you still see her as one but she isn't. She's gone through a lot in her career and personal life." I say softly.

He looks at me and nods, "She's q good woman. I don't want to see her broken by another man."

"What do you mean broken?" I ask, frowning.

"She never told me...but I saw the bruises on her arms and face from whenever she'd get hit by Ted. He was a bastard to her. I should have said something but every time I tried, he always showed up and she'd get quiet again," Jerry replies, looking at me. "What if your disease comes in to play during an argument?"

In her eyes I'm Prince Charming

But to him I'm just some fella

Riding in and stealing Cinderella

I leaned in towards those pictures

I look at him, "Sir...I know in the past I've had problems with my 'disease' as you so blandly put it. But that's in the past. I take medication for it now. The chances of me attacking her while in an I.E.D attack are slim to none. She knows what to do in case I start looking like I'm in one of those moods. We've talked about where I keep my medication. And on the off chance that I did hurt her, I would end my own life because no woman that beautiful deserves to be hurt by any man." He looks at me and nods, sitting back down after grabbing a photo album that was wedged in between two shelves. He flips through it, smiling as he looks at the pictures. "Can I look with you sir?"

Jerry flashes me a smile, "Call me Jerry."

I sit next to him on the couch, looking at pictures as he flips through them. One of my favorites has to be one of Nolee in her prom dress standing next to Jerry as they do the arm raise Jerry usually did in his matches. I laugh, "You taught her everything she knows didn't you?"

"About wrestling and life outside the ring. I tried to teach her not to fall for coworkers but you can see how well that turned out," Jerry laughs back. Though he was laughing, I sense something more in his voice. Almost like he's bitter about this whole situation.

Deciding to turn the conversation back to the original topic I ask, "So may I marry her?"

To get a better look at one

When I heard a voice behind me say

"Now ain't she something son?"

I said, "Yes she's quite a woman"

Jerry looks at me, closing the photo album on his lap and pausing. "You promise never to hurt her? Ever?"

"Never." I say, raising my right hand in an act of swearing.

"And you'll put her above all things in your life? Above your career, above the ring rats who come to you in the bars when she's not there?"

"Above all things," I nod. Ring rats, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, are women who want just one thing from professional wrestlers: the chance to say that they did something intimate with them.

"And no matter how old she is, you'll always find her beautiful? You'll always see her as the woman you love?"

"First off Jerry, I'm older than she is," I laugh. When I see his serious tone, I drop the smile from my face and nod, "Yes, no matter how old she is I'll always find her beautiful." And it's true. Nolee will always be the one woman I find attractive. Even when I was married to Samantha, I thought she was beautiful. That was during the Spirit Squad phase, mind you, when she wore her hair in pigtails and wore a green cheer-leading costume to the ring.

"Then I guess you can."

And he just stared at me

Then I realized that in his eyes

She would always be

Playing Cinderella, riding her first bike

My eyes light up, "You mean it? I can marry-"

I hear the door slam and a familiar voice echoes, "Uncle Jerry? Did you get a new Hummer?" Soon the voice's owner comes to stand in the doorway. Nolee looks exhausted, probably because she had a match tonight, and looks from me to Jerry back to me. "You said you weren't going to be in Nashville tonight because your knee was bothering you so you were staying in St. Louis."

"I...I lied," I reply.

"Well no shit Sherlock," she laughs.

Jerry gives her a harsh look, "You know the rules about that language in my house."

Nolee gets her wallet out of her pocket and grabs a nickle from the coin area. She hands it to him and he sticks it in his pocket. When she sees the confused look I'm giving her she laughs, "Every curse word is a nickle." I nod and then she looks at me, "Wait...whats going on here?"

"Nothing," Jerry responds, "he came to see me because he wanted to surprise you. Knew you usually stayed here when you were in Nashville."

"Oh," Nolee smiles, sitting on the loveseat. Once again her face turns to questioning as she spies the picture album sitting on the coffee table.

"Brian was over here, you just missed him. I wanted to try and save the relationship we do have," Jerry immediately lies.

"Ha!" Nolee says in triumph, pointing a finger at Jerry, "Now I know you're lying. Brian was at Raw tonight with Micheal Cole. They cornered me backstage to try and get me to betray you. Now I want the truth boys!"

Bouncing on the bed and

Looking for a pillow fight

Running through the sprinkler

With a big Popsicle grin

I look from her to Jerry before sighing, "Nolee, I can't tell you."

"You can't or you won't?"

"Both."

"I'm not in trouble am I?" the look she gives is so heartbreaking that I move from my spot on the couch and sit next to her on the loveseat, taking one of her hands in mine.

"That's not it at all day. Trust me, in a few days you'll know," I smile, looking into her eyes.

She nods and leans over, demurely kissing me on the lips. Jerry clears his throat, "Well, Randy do you have a hotel to stay at?"

I shake my head, "No sir. I can get one though."

"Nonsense," Jerry laughs, "You'll stay here in one of the spare bedrooms. A few rules though. You make a mess, you clean it up. You don't stay in a room with Nolee but in one of the guest rooms. When you're in a room with Nolee, the door doesn't get closed. Is that understood?"

I think the rules are a little over the top but I nod, "Yes, yes I get it."

"Good," he smiles. He turns to Nolee, "Wanna come help me make something for dinner?"

She looks at him worried, "You didn't eat yet?"

"Had a bit of mac and cheese but nothing else. Why?"

"Oh Uncle Jerry, what am I going to do with you?" she asks as they head for the kitchen. I'm glad that my plan didn't get out to her. But as I watch them walk away, I can't help but smile. One day, that's going to be me and Alanna. And I'm not sure if I can simply say yes to the man who wants to marry Alanna when that day comes. After all, she's my little girl.

Dancing with her dad

And looking up at him

In her eyes I'm Prince Charming

But to him I'm just some fella

Riding in and stealing Cinderella

He slapped me on the shoulder

Then he called her in the room

When she threw her arms around him

That's when I could see it to

She was playing Cinderella

Riding her first bike

Bouncing on the bed and

Looking for a pillow fight

Running through the sprinklers

With a big Popsicle grin

Dancing with her dad

And looking up at him

If he gives me a hard time

I can't blame the fella

I'm the one whose stealing Cinderella