-September 13, 2010-
"How's working with Maryse?"
I was back on the road for the week after having spent the previous fortnight in Connecticut sorting out paper work and helping with some storylines. I was at Raw working in the production truck and would be flying off the next morning to catch NXT and make sure everyone had settled and then work in the Smackdown production truck.
"Okay I guess, worried that I may have to dance because of the Raw Roulette."
"Oh god no! I'll have to put a warning on the screen before you go out, 'watching this may cause viewers to go blind' just so they know!"
"You're such a great friend." Ted deadpanned.
"I know," I smiled at him innocently before dropping my smile, "But how has she been?"
"Yeah, she's been perfectly pleasant. Might be because she knows I'll tell you if she's being a bitch, and the last thing she wants you to have is more ammo."
I slumped down in my seat, my eyes quickly scanning through catering. Nothing had changed but I still felt like I didn't belong. I wasn't supposed to be here, I'd forfeited my place. It had only been weeks – I still hadn't technically left the company yet – but it felt like I was looking through someone else's eyes.
"What's up, Frenchie?"
"I never wanted to be anywhere but here…" I trailed off and took a deep breath, "Now I don't feel like I belong."
"What are you talking about? Of course you belong," he said incredulously, "Why would you think you don't belong?"
"It feels different. It didn't feel this different after I returned. It didn't feel this different when I was delegated the job of assisting with NXT… But now that I'm about to leave for ever… Ted, it feels different." He raised his eyebrow at me and I sighed, "It's a complicated feeling. Unable to be formed into words."
"Clearly. But seriously, Claire, you're always going to belong here." I smiled at him half-heartedly. We sat in silence as I watched him eat what looked to be chicken but I can't be too sure. I continued looking around catering, taking in all of the people. They looked exhausted, I had always known that people were tired because I had been the same, but looking at them after having a sufficient amount of sleep, of not having been travelling constantly for two weeks, I began to wonder how I had ever done it.
I jumped in shock as someone burst into catering, the door banging against the wall. All eyes turned instantly to Alex Riley who was searching around the room frantically. My stomach dropped as his eyes landed on me and he walked towards me, not caring that he was shouldering people out of the way.
"You need to come with me." He said, trying his hardest to sound calm but he wasn't doing so well.
"Why?" I asked him slowly as I rose from my seat hesitantly. "What's he done?"
"They. And doing." He corrected me; I furrowed my brow but followed him nonetheless. I shot Ted a quick, unsure look and he stood too.
"Alex, tell me what's going on!" I said loudly as I almost jogged to keep up with him, Ted hot on my heels. He turned a few corners and if I hadn't been jogging I would have been lost.
"I can't! You need to see!"
"You're sca-" I was going to say he was scaring me, but that was nothing compared to what I saw as we rounded the last corner. Alex stood to the side and Ted stood right behind me. "Putain!" I swore loudly, though nothing changed.
It was a sight I had seen before but had never wanted to see again. Randy was holding Mike by his collar, lifting him off the ground. It looked like Mike had blood coming from his mouth but it was hard to tell. Mike was grimacing while Randy spat angry words in his face, though I think it was from the amount of pain he was in.
I took a step forward but Ted put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me backwards, he walked towards the two, ready to step in between them. Mike was dropped to his feet, though Randy was still pushing him against the wall with one hand, the other was used to push Ted back. The latter lost his balance, landing on his ass but his eyes never left the scene in front of him.
Randy went back to glaring at Mike, he was speaking but I only picked up the occasional swear word.
I took a deep breath and walked over to them, putting a hand on Randy's bicep. He tensed and I knew that he was ready to swing his arm out at me to knock me off of my feet as he had done with Ted but the split second it took for him to register someone touching his arm gave Mike enough time to push him away. Randy was pushed across the room but I was unaffected by the movement.
Mike doubled over immediately, clutching his stomach and I took a small step forward and reached out a hand.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Randy was at my side instantly, stepping in between me and Mike so I couldn't see him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alex and Ted move to make sure he was okay.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" I asked him angrily, "I thought you were sorting out your fucking issues."
"I can't help myself when that fucker gets in my way." Alex pulled Mike from the scene, probably to get some sort of help, but Ted stayed with me, watching us carefully. I knew that he knew that Randy wouldn't ever hurt me, but it was nice to know that he was there just in case.
"Are you not going to stop until he's dead? I don't even care what he's done, Randy! Just ignore him! He's not worth the amount of trouble you'll get in!"
"He's given you so much trouble, Claire. He needs to learn his lesson."
"For fuck's sake, Randy!" I screamed in his face, "I don't want to see you get suspended or whatever just because of Mike! Because of me!" I stressed to him. He remained expressionless and continued to tower over me. "You don't scare me."
"That's because I'm not trying to."
"Why? Why'd you do that to him? Before a show? Are you fucking stupid?"
"Why do you care? He's a fucking pain in the ass and he needs to be taught a lesson. I'll be happy to teach him until he finally learns." Randy smirked somewhat sadistically.
"You're a fucking idiot. Stop it. I don't want your 'help', Randy. I just want you to calm the fuck down. You aren't going to get fired for helping me when I do not want to be helped." I stepped away from him and turned around, "I'm going to make sure he's alive. He does have a match to be in."
"Of course, run after him. It's kind of pathetic, Claire. Are you going to realise that?" I took a deep breath and turned around so I was facing him again.
"I have a job to do. And that job involves making sure this show runs smoothly. Last minute changes will need to be put in place because of your stupidity. It's your fault I'm going to him right now."
I knocked lightly on the physician's door.
"Ferdinand?" I asked after hearing no response.
"Come in!" he called out thirty seconds later. I opened the door and sighed upon seeing Mike lying on the table with a pained look on his face. "Claire?"
"I'm fine," I told him quickly hearing the concern in his voice. "I just have to make sure that he's okay. He's got a match up first tonight."
"Yes, I know. He's taken quite the beating. Won't breathe a word about who did it, though." My eyes travelled over to Mike's face again and I sent him a sad smile.
"It's nothing, just a pre-show practice gone wrong. I'll be fine. Can I go? I need to stretch?"
"I don't think you'll be wrestling tonight, Michael." In an instant, Mike had swung his legs over the edge of the bed and was sitting up though no one missed the look of pain that shot across his face. "Lay back down."
"Now, Kevin, would you like to tell me what happened?" Ferdinand asked him as he slowly pushed Mike back onto the bed.
"I wasn't there when it happened," Alex lied easily, "We have to take his word."
"Right, well, I'm not giving you the all clear to wrestle tonight. Claire, I take it you'll be in charge of this last minute decision."
"If we book the match as Miz vs. Bryan but make up an injury so Miz doesn't have to fight, no one will ever know. We'll just play it off as Miz being unwilling to face Bryan in a submission match."
"Alright, now you can sit up. Slowly." Mike did as he was told, "Go with Claire, and explain to Pete what's going on. Maybe he'll get the truth out of you."
I watched as Mike stood up slowly, wiping at his mouth with his right hand while holding onto the bed tightly.
"That bad?" I asked quietly as he sucked in a harsh breath. He didn't answer me, just walked passed me and into the hallway. I looked to Alex, "I suppose we should follow him."
"Give him these, they should help with the pain." Two small tablets were dropped into my hand. I closed my fingers around them, nodded, and followed Mike's path.
"Michael!"
"What? What could you possibly want from me?! Your fucking boyfriend's already beaten the shit out of me, I can't wrestle tonight and no matter how hard I fucking try I can't stop thinking about you! What else do you want?!"
"Pa-pain killers." I stuttered slowly and quietly, stretching out my hand. He took three huge steps forward, snatched the tablets from my hand roughly before downing them dry.
"Go tell Pete that I'm not wrestling tonight." He ordered me before turning around quickly and walking away. His shoulders slumped and his arm across his stomach.
"Mike…" I sighed, watching him walk away, his words sinking in.
"That's as much of a confession as you're going to get from me." Mike turned around as he spoke but once he had finished he was walking away again.
a/n thank you for reviewing and for reading this chapter! There is a poll on my page and I would really appreciate it if you'd take a second to cast your vote!