Chapter 24

Jaxine made it back to Kane's locker room and slammed the door shut, gasping when a hand came over her mouth from behind and whipped around, staring into the terrified blue eyes of Stephanie McMahon.

"Please, you have to help me." She whispered frantically, clad in a black dress, tears streaming down her face. "I managed to escape them, you have to help me!" She was trembling and Jaxine's heart broke for her.

"How did you-" She jumped when she heard 'Taker's voice boom down the hallway and took Stephanie's hand, pulling her into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it. "There." She pointed, reaching up and opening the window, glad it was at her height barely. "Come on, we don't have much time!" She whispered frantically and smiled when Stephanie took her hand. Together, they managed to slide through the window, Jaxine never releasing the young girl's hand, looking around frantically. "Come on!" She hissed, hearing voices and pulled Stephanie to stand behind something black, both of them blending perfectly, their feet not visible.

Stephanie was silent as well as Jaxine pulled her to stand in front of her, wrapping her arms around her, and buried her face in her neck, both of them waiting with bated breath.

"Where IS she?" The Undertaker bellowed, his voice easily reaching them, obviously in Kane's locker room now with his Ministry. Sounds of things being thrown around came wafting out the window, a particularly violent crash suggesting a broken table. "Grab him!" He roared when his brother walked in.

Kane wasn't quick enough to retreat as he was snatched by the Ministry and dragged forward, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Where is Jaxine? And where is Stephanie?"

Kane's eyes widened, beginning to get a vague picture and just shrugged.

"Kane!" Jaxine whispered fearfully, loud enough for only Stephanie to hear, but knew she couldn't save him, not right now. "Come on, he's giving us the distraction we need." She took Stephanie's hand in her own and took off through the parking lot, having brought her own rental car, and unlocked the doors before getting in. Jaxine waited until Stephanie was barely buckled in before speeding out of there, whipping her cell phone and dialed Vince's number.

"WHAT?"

"Vince, I have your daughter and I'm not telling you where I'm taking her. Just know she's in safe hands. I will keep her until this whole ordeal with Undertaker is finished. Just trust me." She hung up and looked over at the shaking woman.

"W-Where will we go?" She shakily asked, looking over at this woman who had saved her from disaster.

Jaxine smiled sadly. "My apartment in Chicago. Nobody knows where I live and I've made sure your father hasn't kept any records or Paul Bearer." Jaxine had been prepared before taking this job. Undertaker would have to dig DEEP to find out where she was located as they sped toward the airport.

Stephanie could only cry during the ride, eventually the sobs turning into hiccoughs until she fell into an uneasy sleep, tired out from her terrifying ordeal with the Undertaker. She fell asleep with her head on Jaxine's shoulder, clinging to the older woman for dear life.

"Be safe Kane." She whispered regretfully, looking down at the sleeping girl, and shook her head. How could Undertaker do this to a young girl, a mere child? She sighed heavily and decided instead of taking a plane she would drive, taking the back roads. They'd been in Minneapolis so it wasn't that far of a drive from Chicago.

~!~

Kane laughed the entire time he was getting his ass handed to him. He had no idea what was going on and he was glad for it. Not that he would have spilled anyways.

"Well... I suppose we will be sacrificing someone tonight."

~!~

The whole time all Jaxine could think was what she was going to do now. She saved the young McMahon from an unwanted marriage and Jaxine felt herself thinking what if it was her? What if she was in that black wedding dress? What if the Undertaker did love her and wanted her for the rest of eternity? "No, he's incapable of loving." She whispered as she took the exit, knowing in a matter of hours they would be back at her apartment in Chicago.

"Who's incapable of loving?" Stephanie murmured, sitting up and yawning, blinking sleep out of her way too innocent eyes. She looked around, her face scrunching slightly, having no idea where they were. "Are we in Chicago yet?" She asked naively, hoping Jaxine was right and the Undertaker wouldn't find them there, she couldn't stop herself from shuddering violently.

"Almost." She replied softly, sighing heavily and wondered if she should come clean to the young girl. "Undertaker is incapable of loving." She felt Stephanie nod and sighed, biting her bottom lip. "Stephanie, no matter what happens, if he finds us, you need to get yourself out. Do you understand?" She asked, her voice soft and warm, not wanting to terrify her, but she also couldn't leave her in the darkness about what could happen. "We'll stay at my apartment for a few days and then move to a different location. I have a cabin in Colorado in the mountains, we could go there until this all blows over." She could only hope it did, knowing how dangerous Undertaker could be.

"Colorado?" Stephanie whispered, wondering if it would really come to that. "No, my daddy is going to put a stop to this." She said, sounding confident, though at the end of the sentence her voice wavered. "I hope..." Stephanie played with her long, dark brown hair nervously. "How are you involved in all this?" She asked finally, needing a distraction.

"I came to the WWF as Kane's valet, hired by his father Paul Bearer. I was used as a distraction to the Undertaker...and it worked, in more ways than one." She cleared her throat, turning left before continuing on. "I have a scar on the back of my neck and it resembles his symbol, minus the X." She felt Stephanie tremble and took her hand, soothing her the best way she knew how. "We have a connection that's...hard to decipher. When he found out I was marrying Steve Austin, well..." She looked back at Stephanie with knowing amber eyes. "I won't surrender to him so he's taking it out on innocent people, innocent girls..." She gripped her steering wheel tightly with her free hand, not releasing Stephanie's. "I won't let him do it. I won't let him anywhere near you, no matter what."

All Stephanie could do was sit there in silence, digesting all this information. Some of it made sense, some of it didn't. "So he was after me to get to you?" She whispered, not believing she had been a pawn in some sick game. "If you two have a connection... what kind of connection?" She changed track.

"My scar." She simply replied, knowing it was hard to understand. Hell, she didn't even understand it, but she knew and could feel it. "I don't even know how to describe it." She said honestly, pulling onto her street, sighing with relief that they'd made it unscathed. "And yes, he's after you to get me to surrender to him. That's how he works. He plays mind games with people and doesn't care who he hurts in the process. He's a vile, vindictive demon who takes pleasure in destroying lives." She gripped the steering wheel harder and pulled into her apartment complex. "We're here."

Stephanie looked up at the building, her eyes widening. "You live here?" She asked, taking it in, not entirely sure what she had been expecting. She didn't like knowing she was being used in some sort of game between the Undertaker and Jaxine, but she also knew she didn't have a choice in the matter. "Are you sure he can't find us here?"

"No, but it's the best we have right now." She stepped out of the car, being brutally honest with the woman, and shut the door before guiding her through the front door. It automatically locked behind them as they went up the three flights of stairs, finally arriving at her apartment. As soon as Jaxine stepped in, tears filled her eyes, inhaling Steve's scent and threw her keys on the end table before taking her boots off. "The guest room is down the hallway, first and only door on your left. Make yourself at home, Stephanie." She walked into the kitchen, needing something to drink, preferably alcohol, but refrained. She couldn't be too careful and decided on water before going to shut all the blinds and curtains.

Stephanie looked around the apartment curiously, taking her time in studying it. She finally realized she was probably being rude, but after spending a weekend in the Undertaker's company, she was really past caring what other people thought. She found the guest room with no problem, nodding appreciatively at the colors before walking back out to the kitchen. "I hate to impose on you anymore than I already have, but do you have something I could wear?" She gestured to her black gown.

Jaxine nodded and stood up from the couch, walking past her and into her bedroom, flipping the light on. "Something more colorful." She stated dryly before opening her closet, pulling out a lavender shirt that didn't fit her anymore due to her height and a pair of matching pajama pants from her dresser and garments she hadn't worn yet. "They're brand new." She assured her before guiding her into the bathroom that was linked to her bedroom and the hallway. "Take a shower." She instructed softly and closed the door before pulling her cell phone out, hoping Kane was alright.

Coughing heavily, Kane reached for it, knowing it had to be Jaxine simply because no one else had the number. "Hello?" He rasped, groaning and held an ice pack to his throbbing head. The Undertaker had personally done a number on him after being disappointed by Kane's apparent lack of knowledge. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine. I'm going to keep this short because I don't want Undertaker finding out where we are. I just wanted to check on you and to let you know I'm getting a new cell phone. I will try to call you with the new one, but right now, I have to be careful. I love you Kane, please be careful." She then hung up before he could say another word, taking in a shuddering breath, and stood up before taking her battery out of it. She had another cell phone in her room and began digging for it, finding it a box of things she'd kept over the years. 'Please work.' She thought and slid the battery in, turning the power on, sighing with relief when it did and put her cell she'd been using back in the box, having swapped them. Nobody knew this number so that would give them a definite advantage.

~!~

To say the Undertaker was livid would be an understatement. If he were God, the end of the world would have started by now simply because he wanted vengeance against every living thing, no matter who was innocent and who was not. How DARE Jaxine interfere in his plans? She had REFUSED him and now she took away his distraction? He arranged for a match against Kane the following night, hoping Jaxine would hear how the Red Monster had been beaten to death.

~!~

For a solid week straight, Jaxine had kept Stephanie in her apartment, holed up, cooking for her and whatnot, feeling the need to take care of her. They watched movies together, even had a few laughs. So far, the plan was working and Undertaker had no idea where they were. Jaxine was up late on this night while Stephanie slept in her room, the door cracked open, and looked down at her new cell phone. Did she even dare call him? Deciding against it, Jaxine finished her wine before going to clean her kitchen. She needed a distraction and, truth be told, she was missing the WWF.

'I need help.' She thought with a shake of her head before starting the dishes.

He stood outside her door, staring at it as if trying to open it with the mere power of his mind. Sighing, he raised one fist to knock, hesitating, wondering if she would even be here. That would be all too obvious. But then again, he had to try. He knocked, three times, firmly just incase she was asleep.