Chapter 20
"Try Greece, it's a beautiful country." He said from the doorway, stepping inside and kicking it shut with his heel. "You're really going to marry him, are you?" 'Taker stared down at Jaxine, glaring at her engagement ring like it was personally insulting him. "Do you love him or are you just latching on to my polar opposite to save yourself from wanting me?"
She looked up at him with those amber eyes, a serious expression on her face. "I love him." She stated with no hesitation in her voice before looking back at the booklet, pretending as if he wasn't towering over her. "Yes I'm marrying him; no I'm not doing it to save myself from wanting you because I no longer do and I was thinking Australia actually, always wanted to go there." She tapped her chin with the tip of her finger, her ring flashing every time she did it.
"Yes, I can just imagine you in the outback with your snake." He said flatly, finally grabbing her hand and all but tearing the ring away. "Uh-uh." He teased when she went to retrieve it, dropping the ring down the waistband of his trunks. "I do believe you look better without it. If you want it, take it." He instructed coldly.
Tears instantly welled up in her amber eyes when he did that, shaking her head before looking down at her book, feeling naked without her ring. "I hate you so much." She whispered, trembling from head to toe angrily and finally stood up, kicking him as hard as she could in the jewels, temporarily immobilizing him. She quickly reached down his trunks, finding the ring and knew she would have to wash it as she threw it in her bag. "NOW GET OUT!" She shrieked, stumbling back, blinking her tears away. "I made my choice you cocksucker now leave me the hell alone!!"
Steve had appeared at the precise moment her hand went down 'Taker's trunks, his blue eyes widening. Before he exploded, he took stock of the situation. 'Taker was holding himself, looking like he had swallowed his nuts, so apparently this wasn't a recreational activity on his part. "I don't even want to know." He said, kicking 'Taker in the face and rolled him out of the room.
Jaxine had ran into the bathroom and was currently running scalding hot water over the ring, tears in her eyes, not believing Undertaker did that. Shoving her beautiful ring in his nasty trunks...she shuddered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms, finally feeling like the ring was sanitized before turning the cold water on. She waited until the ring was cool enough to touch before turning it off and dried it off, slipping it back on her finger.
Steve leaned in the bathroom doorway after having closed and locked the door behind, the knee brace he had gone out for firmly in place. "What was that all about?" He asked, arching an eyebrow, trying to not think of that ring being down...He turned green.
"You don't want to know and I don't want to talk about it. I never want to even THINK about what just happened again. The ring is fine, I sanitized it and now I'm going back to plan for our wedding." She walked past him and out the door, sitting on the couch and started flipping through the magazines. Her eyes were lit on fire and she was trembling from head to toe, closing her eyes while still flipping through it.
He inhaled deeply, knowing he would be getting his hands on the Undertaker very soon. Not tonight, but soon. Tonight he would be fighting Val Venus. He snorted in disgust, now there was a challenge. "You comin' ringside with me honey?" He asked, pulling his current tee shirt over his head, sporting the 3:16 on his chest proudly.
"Yes." Jaxine wasn't going to be caught alone again with Undertaker if she could help it and stood up, slipping the magazines in her bag, smoothing her jean skirt down and fluffed her hair before taking his hand. Together, they walked out of his dressing room and went down to gorilla position, a smile on her face. "I love you." She whispered and pulled his face down, softly kissing him just as the glass shattered.
He smiled, returning the kiss before composing himself, automatically slipping into his character which wasn't that far off from who he really was to begin with. He let go of her hand simply because he was likely to pop it out of place on his way down to the ring. He stormed through the curtains, staring into the ring and knew if Val raised that microphone he was currently holding, he was going to get his teeth knocked down his throat. He turned to wait for Jaxine, tempted to smile.
A bright smile crossed her face as she made her way down the ramp way, seeing Steve waiting for her and clapped as she stayed at ringside, knowing he was all business when it came to the squared circle. She walked over to stand in front of JR and King where she normally went as the match began, her amber eyes only for her fiancé. The beautiful diamond ring on her left hand sparkled with every movement she made, causing her smile to widen more.
Steve folded his arms over his chest when he seen Val was indeed stupid enough to speak, arching an eyebrow as his listened.
"Now if Jaxine ever decides she wants a REAL-" Val got no further as he was tackled to the canvas, Austin sitting astride him, delivering closed fisted punches to his head.
Jaxine couldn't stop laughing even if she wanted too, covering her mouth with her hand, trying to stop. She shook her head when Steve flashed a grin and just walked back and forth, running her hands back and forth on the ring apron and pounded it when Val Venus started making a comeback. "Come on Steve!" She shouted encouragement, knowing he didn't need it, but she wanted to remind him she was there by his side and nobody else's.
Steve flashed her a smirk as if to say 'come on, I can beat this clown easily', ducking under Val's arm and avoided a clothesline, rebounding off the ropes and throwing himself on Val, turning the match back into his favor. He was going for the win when the bells tolled, the lights going out. "Son of a bitch!" Steve cursed, knowing this wasn't good.
Jaxine's heart leapt in her throat when the lights went out, immediately backing up from the ring, feeling the announcer's table behind her. She swallowed hard, her heart thundering in her chest, and felt her mouth suddenly go dry as a bone as she backed up more, feeling her way around in the darkness.
Val Venus was groaning as he lay on the mat, looking up at the arena lights, having just received a Stone Cold stunner.
Steve was already on his feet, looking around wildly, snarling when he didn't see a damn soul, besides the obvious. He looked at Jaxine, verifying for himself that she was safe and frowned, knowing they were being targeted for Undertaker's mind games. He wondered how long this could go on. Apparently 'Taker was still feeling it because he wasn't out here, then the mist rolled in.
"Oh my god..." She whispered as the mist started coating the outside area of the ring, backing up more and raked a hand through her hair as she stood on a chair, swallowing hard. She looked up in the ring, seeing it was being covered as well, barely being able to see Steve, and immediately felt her protective instinct kick in. She ran over and slid under the bottom rope. "Steve!!" She shouted, feeling her way through the mist and backed up as the mist came faster, causing her to back up as she hit a turnbuckle, holding the ropes shakily and tightly in her hands, the bells tolling even harder.
The fans were screaming, none of them able to see, though the screams weren't panicky, it was sheer excitement. Sickos. The bell tolling was almost deafening, though suddenly the Ministry's music began playing, just as loudly as the bells. The screams grew louder, almost unable to be heard over the music.
"Jaxine?" Steve shouted, wondering if the pyro had gone haywire, but knew deep in his gut this was the Undertaker's doing. He felt for her, snarling when he got Val and kicked the man aside. "Jaxine!"
Jaxine coughed as she inhaled the smoke, pressing her hand against her heart, swallowing hard. Why was he doing this? Why was he deliberately making her life miserable? Why didn't he want her to be happy? Jaxine felt a chill run down her spine as the mist completely blinded her and looked up when she heard a creaking sound, her eyes widening. It was his symbol slowly lowering to the ring and Jaxine couldn't take it anymore. She crouched down in the mist, not believing this was happening.
"Steve..." She whispered out softly, not able to use her voice, almost stunned into fear.
Steve was close enough where he heard it, dropping down and reaching out blindly, feeling her face and reached out to pull her into his arms his gaze straying up. He didn't want to know what was going on, he only remembered too well what had happened the last time he seen that symbol. He had been set on fire. "It'll be okay, honey." He soothed, stroking her hair. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"Steve, what's happening??" She whispered in his ear, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, tears falling down her cheeks. She was trembling like a leaf against him and slowly looked up, her amber eyes widening even more as the mist slowly dispersed. "Oh my god!!"
"OH MY GOD KING!! IS THAT-"
"THAT'S STEPHANIE!! THAT'S STEPHANIE MCMAHON ON THE UNDERTAKER'S SYMBOL!!"
"HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Stephanie shrieked out, tears running down her face, clad in a black wedding dress as the symbol kept lowering to the ring. "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Jaxine felt the back of her neck with a shaky hand, not believing this was happening and what she was seeing. That could be HER on that symbol. She shuddered against her fiancé.
Steve stared at Stephanie with wide blue eyes, not believing the Undertaker would stoop this low. "Go stand in the corner." He ordered gruffly, seeing the fog was beginning to dissipate, gently nudging her back as the symbol came to a halt maybe six feet off the canvas. He jumped into the air, grabbing a hold of it, beginning to pull himself up. A second later he let go and dropped, shaking his burning hands.
"Now, now Stone Cold, hands off my future wife."
Jaxine's eyes flew open when she heard that, Stephanie's shrieks causing her heart to shatter.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL NEVER MARRY YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Her eyes landed on the symbol and instantly ran over past Steve, crying out when he stopped her.
"NO! We can't just stand back and watch this happen!! That poor girl..." She didn't know why, but she had to help her, to find someway.
"Please!! Please help me!!" Stephanie begged, her head dropping as the tears kept falling, thrashing against the bindings on her wrists and feet.
"King this is SICK. The Undertaker is SICK."
For once, King had nothing to say.
The Undertaker had arrived. He stood on the stage, flanked by his Ministry of Darkness, Paul Bearer at his right side, laughing like a hyena. He smiled, the smile filled with cruelty and malice, looking lingeringly at Jaxine before moving his gaze to Stephanie, looking like a giant predator. Tonight he was just making the announcement, letting the world see his bride. Soon he would wed her.
"Stand still." Steve ordered, jumping again and this time ignoring the scorching hot metal, knowing that if he wasn't careful, the thing was likely to go up in flames. There was no way in hell he was allowing the Undertaker to marry any woman who obviously didn't want him.
Stephanie immediately jumped off of the symbol and wrapped her arms tightly around Steve's neck just as the symbol lit up in flames, causing her to cry harder.
Jaxine watched on, her eyes fixated on the fiery symbol before snapping her head to the side, the Ministry on their way. "We have to go now!" She shouted taking Steve's hand as all three hopped out of the ring. "Come on!" She took Stephanie's hand as they jumped the barricade before running to the back while Steve cracked the Ministry's heads with a steel chair, hopping the barricade as well before going to the back. "It's alright." She soothed, rubbing Stephanie's back just as Vince rushed up, taking his daughter in his arms as both trembled.
'Thank you.' Vince mouthed to Steve, knowing they both had their differences, and closed his eyes as he buried his face in her neck. She'd been missing for a week now, having been abducted last Monday night on Raw.
Jaxine nodded before running back to Steve's dressing room and began gathering their things. They couldn't stay there because she knew and could feel Undertaker's temper and it was bad.
Bad was an understatement, he was already shoving through the fans, preparing to destroy someone's life if he had too just to get what he wanted. He shoved aside a fan who made the mistake of getting in his way, finally emerging in the hallway, roaring when he seen Vince hurrying an obviously terrified Stephanie away as quickly as possible. Out of the corner of his eye he seen someone flying at him and turned, only to be greeted with a stunner right there on the cement floor.
Jaxine rushed out of the dressing room just as Steve came flying at her, grabbing her hand as he yanked her toward the exit. "Steve, slow down!" She shouted feeling like her harm would be ripped out of its socket as they ran for the truck. Jaxine's eyes widened when the arena door burst open, seeing a raging Undertaker coming after them at full speed. "Oh my god!" She quickly ran past Steve and to the truck, having the keys, and got in, unlocking his door and started the ignition. The Ministry was following him as Jaxine quickly locked the doors while Steve reversed it. "GO!" She cried out when Edge's face slammed against her side, the fear ripping at her insides. A second later, Steve flew out of there, squealing his tires so hard the smoke rose up from them and the pavement.
Steve shook his head, not believing how they had been swarmed. The Ministry had almost appeared like demons from hell in the dark. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to get that thought out of his head, visions of a screaming Stephanie filling his mind. He reached across the seat to take Jaxine's hand, feeling it trembling in his and knew his hand was probably doing the same. Tonight had shaken him to the core.