A/N: I hope this chapter makes sense. Anyways, I appreciate the reviews. If you review me, I'll you review you. With that... Special Thanks to Ceane226, Huntersgirl, Lance Cortex and Mentally-Unstable.
"Look man, I don't care what kind of strings you have to pull. Suspend him." Taker said, as he sat across from Teddy. Frustration evident in his normally monotonous voice. "You didn't see her. Damn it man! Her eyes was swollen and bruised. She looked like shit!"
Long shook his head, sympathizing with Taker. "You need to talk to your girl and tell her that Bubba is bad news. Ya feel me dawg? But in the meantime, I'll call Vince. I'm sure we can do something. But you know I can't make any promises playa."
"Something will be done about this situation. Either you take care of it, or I will."
Teddy dialed the numbers of the Chairman, Vince Mc Mahon and spoke briefly before replacing the phone on it's cradle. "It's a go. Holla, holla, holla. The paperwork should be faxed over by the end of the show. Bubba Dudley will be officially suspended. You want to deliver the news or should I?"
Taker got up and nodded at Long. "Just let me know when the papers get here."
Melony unlocked the door to the hotel room, walked inside and fell on the bed. It was the first time in months that she felt free. She took the three bottles of wine and six-pack of Corona out of the bag and put them in the mini-fridge. She was eternally grateful that she had passed a liquor store on the way. The wine was just what she needed. The Corona was a small token of thanks for Mark.
Mel uncorked a bottle of wine, as she dug through her bag in search of some comfortable clothes. She glanced around the room in search of a glass, focusing in on the generic plastic cups that the hotel provided, she laughed to herself. "Yeah Mel. Nothing like a nice Chardonnay out of a plastic cup. Oh well." She sipped the wine, as she walked over to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She quickly pulled off her clothes, and stepped under the hot water. It almost immediately relaxed her muscles and eased her tension. She let the water flow over her head, as she tried to block the thoughts of Bubba from her mind. She hoped Mark wasn't too rough on him. How could she possibly return to work and coexist with him? Her mind started to ponder all the things that could go wrong. Mentally she shook herself out of the thoughts, resigning to the fact that Mark would handle things. But realistically she couldn't expect Mark to solve all of her problems. She would eventually have to face Bubba. 'Later. I'll deal with it later.' She thought to herself.
Wrapping a towel around herself, she polished off the cup of wine, and poured another. Just as she was about to take a sip, her phone started ringing. She looked at the caller id, Bubba Dudley appeared and she pushed the power button, turning the phone off. "Shit!" She mumbled, as she downed the cup of wine and grabbed the bottle, turning it up. She plopped down on the bed, continuing to dig through her bag for clothes. She pulled out a black 'U Suck' tee shirt. Holding it in her hands, she wondered how she had managed to pack it. She laughed hysterically at the memories the shirt held. She turned up the bottle of wine, as sadness shrouded her heart. The tears came slowly and steadily. She slipped the shirt over her head and crawled into the bed, taking a new bottle of wine with her. "Damn it Kurt! Where are you when I need a good laugh?" She asked out loud, as she uncorked the second bottle.
Flash Back Four Months Earlier
"Come on you piece of shit!" Melony said, as she turned the key in the ignition again. She had been trying to start the car for ten minutes and it still had no sign of life. Bubba and DeVon had already left for the house show in Tucson. And here she was still in Phoenix, because she and the other divas had made an appearance to promote the next pay-per-view. She looked around the nearly vacant parking garage and sighed. "I knew I should have rode with Torrie and Dawn." She grumbled, as she popped the hood and got out of the car to take a look at the battery. "Ugh! Like I know what I'm looking at." She stared blankly at the battery, wishing for once, that she new something, anything about cars.
"Hey mamacita. What's the matter?"
"Hi Edd....Kurt? Why are you impersonating Eddie?" Mel laughed, surprised to see Kurt still in his wrestling gear and a U Suck tee shirt.
"Sorry Mel. Eddie and I just got through with our match. You know how it is when you are around Eddie too long. You start picking up the accent. What's wrong with your car?" Kurt sat his bag down and peered under the hood.
"Well Kurt, other than it being a piece of crap, I'm not entirely sure."
"You probably just need a boost. Where's Bubba?"
"Him and DeVon already left for Tucson."
"Oh. Well. Um, ok." Kurt was dumbfounded as to why Bubba would leave Mel to travel all alone, when he normally never left her side. He decided it best not to pose any questions into her personal life, at least not at that moment. "You probably just need a boost. But I don't think it's safe for you to drive to Tucson all alone. There's no guarantee that you won't break down again, this time though it will be in the middle of nowhere." He let the hood down and gave her a thoughtful glance.
"Thanks Kurt. I'll keep that in mind. I guess I will call Hertz and see if they can send over a replacement car."
"Just tell them to come pick this one up and you can ride with me. I need someone to help keep me awake anyways." A huge grin spread across his face, as he waited for a reply.
She took one look into his big, beautiful, blue eyes and melted. Wondering why she had never noticed his stunning features before. "I really don't want to be a bother Kurt."
"Bother?" Kurt laughed. "We are going to the same place. How can it be a bother? Besides I told you that I need someone to keep me awake." He said, as he picked up his bag. "Now call Hertz, Avis, or whoever and tell them to come get their crap wagon. I'm going to get my car and I'll be back here in a few."
Mel had just hung up with Hertz and was getting her luggage out of the trunk, when Kurt pulled up. He had apparently taken time to change into clothes, as he now wore a pale blue, fitted, muscle shirt and slacks. "I'll get those for you." He lifted the bags out of the trunk and exaggerated their heaviness. "What's in here? The Dudley's table?"
Mel rolled her eyes. "Funny Angle. Real funny." She laughed and walked over to the drivers side of the car. "Hey Kurt, why don't I drive? I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel. And besides, I don't want to go blind from the reflection of headlights bouncing off your bald head in the rearview mirror." Melony died laughing at the look of shock on Kurt's face.
"Oh, ok. You got jokes I see. So you want to play dirty." Kurt was holding back his laughter, as he threw the wadded up U Suck tee shirt, that he had taken off earlier, at her head. "There you need that Mel, cause you SUCK!" He laughed at his own corny joke and jumped in the car. Mel opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. Still clutching the tee shirt, she quickly fell into a daze. It had been so long since she had laughed that hard. She was actually thankful that her rental car had broken down. Maybe it was fate. No matter what it was she was sure she would have hell to pay when Bub found out she rode all the way to Tucson with Kurt.
"Why so quiet?" Kurt asked, as he pulled out into the steady flow of traffic.
"No reason really. Just thinking about how long it's been since I've laughed like that. It's been so long that I think I may have pulled a muscle.
Kurt chuckled and glanced over at the fragile looking girl. He noticed the sadness slowly creeping back into her features. He was fully aware of the situation between her and Bubba. It made him ill that someone as beautiful, intelligent and strong as her, was so blinded. He couldn't help but wonder what she saw in the loud, obnoxious Dudley. "How much trouble are we going to be in?" Kurt asked, trying to keep the question light-hearted.
"I really don't want to talk about it Kurt." Mel turned her head and watched the passing scenery out the window. She wanted nothing more than to ride the rest of the way in silence, but she knew that would be virtually impossible.
"Sorry." Kurt replied softly. He couldn't help but want to be her hero and take her away from that miserable son of a bitch. Couldn't she see that she deserved more. Bubba damn sure wasn't worthy of her. Deep down, Kurt had to face reality. A woman of her caliber wouldn't be interested in a boring, drone like himself. He snuck another glance at her. He inhaled deeply, marveling at her very presence. She was like an angel. Her long brunette hair cascaded over her shoulders. He fought the urge to reach over and tuck a strand behind her ear. Her delicate hands rested on her lap, as he imagine what they might feel like against his body. He just had to let her know. 'Let her know what Angle? That I'm a big dork, that has been admiring her since we teamed together for a match almost six months ago.' The little voice in his head asked. He recalled that day in particular. He thought the idea of him, an Olympic gold medalist, teaming with a woman, would ruin his reputation of being a serious technical wrestler. After all he had his sights set on the US Championship, he didn't see the need to take part in an inter gender tag match. Mel was on fire and ready to go that night. They were in the ring going over spots and working the match. Mel could tell Kurt wasn't to thrilled to be doing the match. He was goofing off, while she was seriously trying to put together some amazing spots, so that everyone involved would look good. He made the bad decision of doing his little Olympic twirl, while she was trying to talk to him. He twirled right around and into a Stone Cold Stunner. Before he knew what hit him, she had nailed his ass with the stunner and was trying to lock him into a Crippler Cross face. Kurt started laughing at the memory. He had secretly been smitten with her since that day.
"What's so funny?" Mel asked suspiciously.
"Do you remember our first match together?" Kurt asked, still laughing.
Mel started laughing at the recollection of that day. "I vaguely remember you laying on the mat, screaming like a little girl."
Kurt looked over at her. God how he loved her smile, be it rare that he ever saw it. "HEY! I was not screaming. In my defense, you did catch me off guard."
Mel giggled and punched him in the outer thigh. "Aww, poor baby. That'll teach you to doubt me. I'll take you on any day."
Kurt smiled, revealing his huge dimples. "Want to stop for a cup of coffee?"
"Sure crybaby." Mel said with a smile.
Kurt pulled the car into the parking lot of a roadside diner, just as Mel's phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller id, then at Kurt.
"You go on in. I'll be there in a second." Melony's voice held a hint of sorrow, as she flipped open the phone. Kurt knew immediately who was on the other end, but there was nothing he could do, except go into the diner and order coffee.
Melony made her way inside the diner and headed straight for the ladies room. Splashing water on her face, she tried to remove all traces of her tears, but it was no use. Her tears mixed with the water, as she recalled Bubba's threat. Not only would she pay dearly, but Kurt would likely suffer in some way as well. Bubba made their conversation short and to the point. He was beyond pissed that she was with Kurt, and she had thirty minutes to get to the arena, or there would be an even greater hell to pay. Bub already thought she and Kurt were having an affair, so there was really no need to inform Kurt of their time limit. How absurd. Like Kurt would ever be interested in her. He could have any woman he wanted and she was sure he didn't want her.
Mel dried her face and applied a touch of make-up. Satisfied that she looked halfway presentable, she went to join Kurt. She slid into the seat across from him and offered a small smile. "Sorry I took so long."
Kurt just couldn't stand it anymore. Her pain was killing him. "Why are you with him Mel? He keeps hurting you and you keep staying with him. You obviously aren't happy. So why stay with him?"
Mel was completely caught off guard. She wrapped her hands around the hot cup of coffee, searching for an answer she didn't have. She looked into Kurt's gorgeous blue eyes and saw something she hadn't noticed before. Did Kurt have feelings for her? She quickly shook the thought from her mind. "Kurt, can we please just go?"
"We aren't going anywhere until you answer my question. Why are you with him?"
Frustration took over her. She was so tired of trying to answer questions for everyone else when she didn't have all the answers herself. "Look, Bubba was the first person in this business to take me seriously. When I finally made it to ECW, he looked out for me and made sure no one took advantage of me. We spent all of our time together, so it was only natural that we fell in love. And when he go the call to join WWE, he negotiated a deal to bring me with him. So if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here today."
Kurt looked at her skeptically. Inwardly fighting the urge to beat his fists on the table. How dare Bubba feed her that line of bullshit. He didn't get her into WWE, but Kurt wouldn't bring that truth to light just yet. "Is that so?"
"Yeah Kurt, that's right. Now can we drop it?" Mel stared out the diner window, wondering why he had suddenly taken an interest in her life. "Kurt, can we please go now."
Kurt didn't say a word. He reached for his wallet and threw a wad of bills on the table. He looked at her and felt his heart drop to his stomach. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. They walked in silence to the car. Kurt placed his hand on the passenger door handle to open it for her, but changed his mind. Turning to face her, he finally spoke.
"Mel" He softly said her name. "There is something I want to tell you. Ever since the night you stunned me. I have been wanting to be with you. That night you captured my respect and my heart. We have this undeniable, unexplainable bond between us. No words can describe how I truly feel about you Mel."
Melony leaned against the car, not believing what she was hearing. Kurt really did have feelings for her, but why? Avoiding his gaze, she looked towards the sky and focused on the full moon. The cool, dessert breeze made her shiver. Kurt put his hands on her bare arms, rubbing them gently. "Kurt, I really don't know what to say."
Kurt smiled. "Tell me you feel the same way."
She looked deep into his eyes, they sparkled with such hope and happiness. How could she not fall for him? She couldn't fall for him because Bubba would kill them both.
"Oh Kurt! I can't. I'm with Bubba. I mean, I do like you a lot. And I do feel we have a definite bond. I love the way you make me laugh, you make me feel at ease with you and safe. I cherish our friendship so much. But I just can't be with you Kurt." Mel averted her eyes to the ground, as Kurt rubbed his bald head in frustration. Pacing back and forth, he tried to calm himself before he spoke again. "Damn it Mel! Bubba is a worthless bastard. I just don't get it."
"Let's go. We are seriously going to be late."
Kurt looked at her in disbelief. Here he was pouring his heart out and all she could worry about was being late. "Fine Mel. But know that I am not giving up this easily." And before she could respond, he kissed her with a passionate force.
End Flash Back
Melony pulled the cover over her head and closed her eyes. Tucson was the last time she had seen Kurt. That was the night the Dudleys put him out of commission by putting him through a table. Kurt ended up with a broken collar bone and two broken ribs. Her mind replayed the incident over and over. She thought of him laying helpless and still, in the middle of the ring. Bubba stood in the corner of the ring with a sick, sadistic smile on his face. Her mind flashed to Kurt being wheeled by her on a stretcher. As he gave her a small smile and a wink. It was her fault, she had known Bubba would never let up on him after their little road trip. Mel never got a chance to apologize to Kurt.
She finally dozed off, yet she kept tossing and turning from the nightmares of Kurt laying in a pool of blood. She searched desperately for the wound to stop the bleeding. But blood kept flowing from all directions. Kurt was telling her that it was ok, and he loved her. She was crying in her sleep when Taker walked in the door. He walked over to her and tried shaking her awake, but she was too intoxicated. She was now mumbling incoherently about Angle. Taker looked around the room at the empty wine bottles and shook his head. "Well, at least she relaxed."
He strolled over to the table and picked up a note she had left for him. 'Mark, I can't thank you enough for all your support and help. But there's a start in the fridge. He walked over to the fridge and took out two of the Coronas. Smiling at the gesture, he knocked back the first one and tossed the empty bottle to the side. Opening the second one, he sat down on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He took a gulp of the beer and almost spit it out as Mel screamed, "KURT!"