AN: Thanks for all the support. Your reviews and suggestions are always appreciated.

Chapter 5

Shannon looked over at Karen who had been quiet since getting in the car so they could go to Matt's. Karen caught him looking and just rolled her eyes.

"What's your problem Bane?"

"Two fold really," Karen said. "One why the hell do you insist on calling me Bane? And two, why the hell are you so all fired up about me staying at your house?"

Shannon chuckled causing Karen to become even more annoyed. "Well, everyone in this group has some sort of nickname. I like calling you Bane. Deal with it. Secondly, my house is pretty big, you are recovering from surgery, and you shouldn't be worried about where you live. If I have to tell you one more time that you are actually doing me a favor by staying there, I will strangle you."

Karen smiled as she realized she had finally annoyed the crap out Shannon.

"Why the smile now?"

"It's nice to know I can piss you off," Karen said with a wry smile. "Look, I appreciate everything you have done. I just am not used to being coddled. You are way too nice. How you don't get taken advantage of amazes me."

"Who says I haven't been," Shannon asked as they pulled in front of Matt's house. Without elaborating Shannon got out of the car leaving Karen shaking her head.

Inside Matt's…

Beth stared out the window and laughed as she watched Shannon leave a head shaking Karen in his car.

"What's so funny babe," Jeff asked coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"How long have those two known each other," Beth asked leaning back into his chest.

"About 4 days," Jeff replied. "Why?"

"I think our little Shannon has finally met his match," Beth said with a smile. "They just spent five minutes in the car arguing and if I am right, Karen won."

Jeff looked outside with surprise. "Karen won the argument. That's shocking."

"Shhh," Beth said moving away from the window. "Here they come."

"Hey you guys," Shannon called from the doorway. He was trying to shake the conversation with Karen out of his head.

"Where's the pretty girl," Matt asked coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn.

"Right here Mattie," Shannon said in a high falsetto.

"Cute Reject," Matt said throwing a handful of popcorn at him. "Now, where is Karen?"

"Behind you Matt," Karen answered with a smile. "Is all that popcorn for me?"

Matt looked at the bowl in his hand and then at the girl in front of him. "I guess I could share with you."

Karen leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thanks Mattie!" Beth looked at Shannon as this little exchange took place. She smiled as she noticed the dismayed expression on his face. This is going to be good, she thought.

"So," Matt continued. "Are we all ready to watch some tapes?"

"Sure man," Shannon said plopping on the floor in front of where Karen had sat on the couch. Matt quickly sat next to Karen as Jeff and Beth cuddled on the loveseat together.

Several hours later…

"You guys are nuts," Karen exclaimed after the last video ended. "Wrestling was not like this when I watched."

Matt and Jeff smiled at each other. "You should see the newer stuff," Beth said. "Everything is a lot more realistic."

"Too realistic," Beth grumbled causing Jeff to look down on her with sadness in his eyes.

"Beth, we knew it was going too brought up," Jeff said softly. "Everyone in the world knows what happened. We can't just ignore it."

"What," Karen asked Matt quietly.

"My drug use," Jeff responded to her. "I have a history, one that's not so far in the past. I was suspended a few months ago and my house burned down. WWE is using it in a storyline with MVP. The fans all know what happened, we can't just ignore it."

"But that doesn't mean it has to be out there every week on TV," Beth said hastily.

"What if it helps someone," Karen asked softly having everyone turn to look at her. "What if because of this, all of Jeff's fans can see what he has overcome and still can succeed? He may inspire some to stop their destructive behaviors before they cause more damage in their own lives."

Karen looked at her hands as everyone stayed silent. She felt that she may have crossed a line. She really didn't know these people that well and they may not have wanted her opinion.

"Damn," Matt said as he let out a breath. "She is too damn smart to be working for you Shannon." Karen felt relieved as everyone started laughing.

"I never thought of it that way," Beth said. "It's still bad mind you, but if my boy's success helps other people then I guess I can support this storyline."

Jeff reached over and kissed Beth softly as he smiled. "Who knew all we needed was another smart woman in the group."

A loud rumbling interrupted everyone's thoughts. Shannon smiled as everyone looked at him. "What? I'm hungry, sue me."

Kissing Jeff one last time, Beth got up. "I'm going to order some pizzas. Any requests?"

"No anchovies," Shannon and Karen called out at the same time causing Matt and Jeff to laugh.

"You two are weird," Jeff said flipping over on the loveseat so his feet dangled over the top and his head hung down.

Shannon looked at him with a raised brow. "You call us strange. You are a walking anomaly."

"Nice use of a big word," Matt said hi-fiving Shannon. Karen groaned as she got up off the couch.

"You okay," Shannon asked concerned.

"I'm fine," Karen said trying to stretch carefully. "I'm just a bit stiff from sitting so long. I'm going to the kitchen to see if Beth needs any help or something."

Matt and Jeff watched Shannon as he watched Karen leave the room.

"What's up," Matt asked his friend.

"What's up with what," Shannon asked as he pealed his eyes from the doorway that Karen had walked through.

"What's up with you and Karen," Jeff asked flipping himself around on the couch once again.

"Nothing is up," Shannon said with a sigh. He loved his friends but they need to stop being nosy.

"Beth said she saw you two arguing in the car," Jeff said.

"She was trying to goad me into kicking her out of the house," Shannon said. "She was pissed that she couldn't do it."

"Why are you so hell bent on having her stay with you," Matt asked.

"I can't see her going back to the motel she was shot in," Shannon said simply. "She is doing me a favor though when we go back on the road my house will be taken care of."

"I see your point but she's going to have to move out eventually," Jeff said.

"And when she finds a place, that will be fine," Shannon said getting up. "Until then she is more than welcome to chill at my place." Both Hardy's watched as Shannon walked out the door.

"Think we pushed too much," Matt asked.

"No," Jeff said looking out the window to his pacing friend. "He likes her but hasn't realized it yet. But when he does, she better watch out. He's going to be like a dog with a bone till he gets what he wants."

In the kitchen…

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do," Karen asked. These people have kind of taken her in and she hated not being able to do anything.

"There really isn't anything to do until the food gets here," Beth replied. "Other than the last few days, what do you think of Cameron?"

Karen giggled. "It's been interesting. I really can't thank you all enough for your kindness."

"It's nothing sweetie," Beth said placing her hand on Karen's as they sat at the kitchen table. "The guys, especially Shannon, love to help people."

"Especially Shannon," Karen asked.

"Shannon's heart is bigger than his whole body," Beth explained. "He can't stand to see someone in need. If he had only ten dollars to his name and you needed it, he would give it to you no questions asked, even if that meant him not eating till his next paycheck."

"People don't take advantage of him," Karen asked now thinking of her employer differently.

"People have, especially," Beth stopped talking.

"Especially who?"

"Especially his ex-wife," Beth said bitterly.

"He was married," Karen asked with wide eyes.

"Yes and she took him for everything he had. We never though our Shannon would be ok again. But we are a family. Everyone pulled together and we helped Shannon get back on track."

"You guys are all amazing."

"It has nothing to do with being amazing. As much as Matt and Jeff are brothers, Matt, Jeff and Shannon are brothers. He really is the little Hardy. Jeff and Shannon are particularly close. Trust me, if Jeff had any reservations about you staying at Shannon's, you would had been gone already."

"Nice to know I got Hardy approval," Karen said with a smile. "I hope I can return all your kindness one day."

"You already have," Jeff said from the doorway. "We've been longing for years for someone to fluster Shannon. You've already done that several times since he met you. Pretty soon we are going to put up a monument in your name." Karen looked amazed as Beth and Jeff both laughed now.

"What did I do to earn a monument?"

"I believe," Beth began, "the Hoover comment is what brought you to monumental status."

Karen blushed as she remembered what she had said this morning. "I couldn't help it. He set me up to say that." She looked somber as she raised her right hand in the air. "Hi, my name is Karen and I have a dirty mind." Jeff and Beth were now roaring with laughter.

"What I miss," Matt asked excitedly as he and Shannon, who had just come inside, joined the others in the kitchen.

"Karen was just admitting to us that she has a problem," Beth said as somberly as she could muster. "She has a dirty mind." Beth and Jeff started laughing again as Karen blushed.

"How is that a problem," Matt asked wagging his eyebrows at Karen who had started laughing herself.

"Don't you be getting any funny ideas, Mr. Hardy," Karen said moving out of the way as he started stalking over to her. She quickly jumped into Shannon's arms. Shannon let out a breath as he caught her with her legs wrapped around his waist. He had to admit to himself, it wasn't a bad position to be in. He was quite content to have her in his arms with his hands holding her ass up.

"Don't you know the only way to succeed in this world is to mess around with your boss," Karen said as she kissed Shannon quickly on the lips and then leapt down again. Shannon stood there with his mouth hanging open, gobsmacked again by her.

Jeff and Beth broke into applause as Karen bowed down in front of them. "Thank you, thank you," Karen said. "Your applause is unnecessary. Flustering Shannon has been my privilege."

Before anything else could be said, the doorbell rang. "Pizza's here," Karen said as she grabbed Beth's hand to go answer the door leaving the boys alone in the kitchen.

Jeff and Matt looked at Shannon as he stood there with his mouth still hanging open.

"You are going to catch flies," Jeff said.

"I can't believe he is speechless," Matt said.

"What the hell just happened," Shannon asked when he was finally able to speak causing Matt and Jeff to fall in laughs once again. That girl is definitely going to make their lives more interesting each man thought.