CHAPTER THREE
Michelle watched curiously as Shawn came in, catching his nod to Raine and had to ask: "You two dating or something?"
"No, hell no! Ew." Raine shuddered. "He's my dad." At Michelle's arched eyebrow she sighed. "My adopted dad. He knew my parents and when they died, he took me in. He's raised me since I was ten. Why?"
"He's just always hovering."
"Yep, that's Shawn." She sighed in relief when he didn't come over to join them. Watching as he instead sat down with Paul and Mark.
***
"You've got three seconds to get away from my table, boy." Mark growled threateningly, not even looking at Shawn.
"Mark, come on now…" Paul pleaded.
"I think I'll go sit with Raine. She looks like she could use the company."
Shawn was out of his seat in a heartbeat and sitting by Raine, causing Paul to shake his head while Mark snorted.
***
"What the hell, pops?"
"You and Mark having a fight or something?"
"Don't ask." He grumbled, stabbing his chicken breast.
Raine had a fairly good idea what it was about and didn't ask.
"You know something Raine, I think Mark just checked you out." Michelle commented idly, not even hearing both Raine and Shawn groan.
"Gotta starin' problem, Michaels?" Mark called out angrily.
Shawn snorted, shaking his head. He finally snapped to his feet when Mark asked again. "Yeah, I do, Callaway."
"Shawn…" Raine cautioned.
"I was just wonderin' what kind of drugs yo' momma was on when she crapped out a piece of shit like you!"
Silence reigned throughout the entire cafeteria.
The next thing that happened was Shawn's body being literally hurled across the room and going through a table, Mark storming after.
"You fuckin' cocksucker!" He roared, shoving aside Paul when he tried to stop the inevitable. "Keep my family outta your mouth!" Mark bellowed, enunciating each word with a punch to the head.
"Mark!" Paul shouted, waving over some of the guys to help him drag the pissed off bull off of Shawn's now lifeless body.
"GET OFF ME!"
"Get his ass out of here!" Paul ordered, staring down at Shawn in disbelief. What in the name of God had possessed the man to run off at the mouth like that?
Raine was kneeling besides Shawn as soon as she could get through the crowd that had surrounded him. "Dad?"
"Come on, Raine. Let the trainers through." Michelle urged, pulling the younger woman away. "He'll be fine, don't worry. You'll just have to do without him for the night, it'll be okay."
Raine could only nod, finally allowing herself to be guided from the cafeteria, her face ashen.
***
"So how is this going to work?" Raine asked Paul later during the night, waiting with him near the gorilla position, adjusting her armbands. She knew originally it had been a tag team match scheduled but she just didn't see that working too well with Shawn gone. When she was asked how she'd like to be announced, she cottoned one, realizing she was now tagging with Paul.
Paul smiled down at her. "You'll do fine."
***
Mark waited for his cue, hearing it and walked out onto the stage. He was still livid from earlier and it showed on his face as he stared down at the ring, seeing Raine and Paul standing there, talking to each other. Glenn was waiting for him at the end of the ramp, staring into the ring with no expression on his stony face.
Paul kept Raine out of the ring as much as possible. He knew she had trained to wrestle the guys but it was a lingering instinct to protect the woman. Even if she could kick his ass when properly motivated.
Not happy with that, Raine interfered whenever she thought it was needed, tripping both Mark and Glenn.
This wasn't endearing to Mark and after the third time, he grabbed her by her black hair and flipped her over the ropes, into the ring. Blocking a punch to his throat, he wrapped an arm around Raine's waist, his eyes staring directly into the camera right beside them for a moment before kissing her.
Paul, who had been exchanging blows with Glenn, seen that and cursed. Shoving Glenn off the apron, he went to rescue his 'girlfriend'.
Raine went flying backwards as Mark abruptly pushed her away, watching as he turned and ducked Paul's clothesline. Which she took full force. Legs flying out from under her, she felt her head bouncing off the canvas. She could hear Paul once again going at it with Mark, now cursing fluently while he did and managed to roll out of the ring, landing heavily on the mats outside. When she regained some sort of footing, she got back up.
Without Shawn there to stop her, she had peeked at the script enough to know Mark shouldn't be kissing her. So she gathered this was his way of taunting the sure to be watching Shawn. Climbing onto the turnbuckle, Raine waited until Paul spotted, watching as he whirled Mark into her direction and lept.
Mark felt legs locking around his head, the world doing a tilt-a-whirl and soon found himself on the canvas wondering just what the hell had happened. His eyes narrowed, realizing Raine was being forced out of the ring by the referee. So she knew that kiss hadn't been scripted. Good. Maybe that would teach her old man not to fuck with him.
After another long tenure of being excluded from legally fighting, Raine's breath hitched in her throat when Paul slapped her hand.
"Have fun." He grunted, trying to shake his head clear of the cobwebs.
She looked into the ring, hesitating for a moment. Mark was staring at her, slowly raising one hand and gesturing her to him. Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Raine slipped through the ropes, walking over to stand before him. Her green eyes locked with his, feeling short once again. Would she never get used to how tall he actually was? She could hear Glenn pacing the apron, waiting for Mark to hurry up and end this apparently.
Then she heard his 'what the hell' when she pulled Mark's head down and kissed him.
Mark hadn't been expecting that. A slap, yes. A kiss, no. Stunned, he didn't react when she pulled away, grunting when he was clotheslined back, hitting the ropes. Raine quickly followed up with another blow, sending him over the top rope and to the mats below.
Mark stumbled back into the barricade, totally breaking character now, the shock on his face evident for all to see. His lips were on fire from her kiss, so she liked playing games? He chucked darkly, gesturing for Glenn to join him, ending the match and leaving the referee standing there totally confused.
"Don't even start, Stephanie." He cautioned when he was in the back, somehow not surprised to find her waiting.
"Shawn needed staples, Mark. STAPLES."
"Really? Damn, I was hopin' for somethin' more PERMANENT than that." He snorted, brushing past her.
Raine appeared next with Paul, getting the news about Shawn. "But he will be okay, right?" She asked, not waiting for the answer and just took off. She quickly stopped in the dressing room long enough to change and get her things, figuring she should probably grab Shawn's bag as well.
***
David was waiting outside the room when she came out, briefly taking in the bruise on her collarbone from the clothesline she'd taken. "Raine, hold on." He said gently, holding out an arm to stop her. "Shawn is my friend, can I hitch a ride with you?" He asked, concern in his brown eyes. "I promise not to piss you off, I won't even talk. I just want to make sure he's okay. Please?" He smiled when she hastily nodded, following her out of the building, not noticing the green eyes watching them.
David was a bigger man whore than Mark ever thought about being and Raine could be with HIM? Scowling, he stalked out of the arena, needing a stiff drink.
Shawn definitely had his priorities screwed up when it came to potential suitors for his baby girl.
***
"Hey honey." Shawn greeted when she walked in, arching an eyebrow when David followed. "That's… unexpected." He knew Raine couldn't stand the guy. "Nice match, great take down."
"Thanks." She knew he was probably pissed about the two exchanged kisses but then again, hers had been a trap, his had been a taunt. "You look like shit pops."
"I didn't want her coming alone. She looked pretty upset, Shawn." David explained, walking over to shake the man's hand, a soft smile on his face. "I promise, I have NO intention of asking Raine out." He stated. Seeing Shawn's eyes light up and inwardly smirked. "Not that you know of yet, moron." He thought, sitting down in a chair.
"Course I was upset, someone besides me put my main man in the hospital." Raine joked, shooting David a shut the fuck up look. "Yeh gettin' out tomorrow?"
"Day after." Shawn corrected, looking annoyed. "Just to make sure there's no concussion or internal bleedin' from the table. Did he take it easy on you out there?"
"Weren't ya watching, pops? I whooped HIS ass." She joked, getting him to crack a smile.
David just watched the two go back and forth, seeing how protective Shawn was of his adopted daughter, deciding he could potentially use that to his advantage.
***
Mark was still feeling ticked off, sitting in the hotel bar, working his way through a bottle of tequila. He snarled when Michelle slid onto a stool next to him, slowly looking down at her with raised eyebrows. "What the hell do you want?" He demanded gruffly, downing another shot.
"I was worried about you." She said softly. "Mark, I've never seen you lose your temper like that…"
"I'm just FULL of surprises, Shelly." He grunted.
"It's Michelle."
"Whatever."
"Mark, what's going on? You and Shawn never fight." Michelle said, trying to overlook that Shelly bit and placed her hand over his shot glass when the bartender tried to refill it. "He's had enough."
Growling, Mark snatched her hand away. "Keep 'em comin'." He ordered, shooting her a look, cautioning her to back off. "Shawn was cool… until he decided to make things personal."
"Personal? What's there to get personal about?" She demanded, shaking her head and pushing away from the bar. "Drinking yourself into a coma over Shawn Michaels? That's something I never thought I'd see." Michelle turned around, coming face to face with Raine. "Whoa, girl."
"Sorry." Raine apologized, smiling slightly. "Just stoppin' to get a bottle of Jack."
"Getting drunk too?"
"No, it helps me sleep on these kinda nights."
"Fair enough."
Mark heard her voice behind him, wanting to slap Michelle right into next week but refrained because he wasn't a woman beater. Though there always were exceptions to every rule. He snorted, watching as Raine passed the bartender a bill, taking a brown bagged pint of Jack Daniels. Well she had taste, he'd give her that.
In alcohol at least.
He stayed long after she had left, finishing his fifth before stumbling his way to his room. He got onto the elevator, sighing when a hand stopped the doors from closing. David. Great, now his night was perfect.
David was quiet as the elevator rose, watching the numbers shift on the panel. "You know… Raine is fucking awesome." He said conversationally. "She's got the tightest little pussy I've ever pounded."
Mark's brain was fuzzy, watching as the doors slid open and felt himself being pushed off, David's words registering in his mind. He turned to punch the guy only to find the doors closing, David flipping him off before they shut. "Cocksucker…" He muttered, ambling to his room. He had no sooner shut the door and flicked on the light when he felt a warm body pressing against him. Peering down, he found Michelle in front of him, wearing nothing more than a smile. "What're ya doin' here?"
"Sshh…"
***
Raine felt better when she got to work the next day, which turned out to be her first public appearance outside a show. It was a plain old autograph signing, not something she really needed to participate in since she was very unlikely to sign anything but since she was apart of DX… granted, Shawn wasn't there so she felt obligated all the more. Knowing he'd kick her ass for missing it. Smiling brightly when she seen Paul and Stephanie, Raine made her way towards them, pushing through the crowd. "Mornin'."
"Morning sweetie, how's Shawn?" Stephanie asked, smiling as she leaned against Paul, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in both their hands.
"Yeah, has he been released yet?" He chimed in, feeling a nudge from Stephanie and sighed heavily, knowing mark had taken it too far but Shawn also had no right in shooting off at the mouth.
Raine opened her mouth to answer only to be cut off by Stephanie's brother Shane, scowling as he pushed her aside.
"Mark's requested a match at the next pay-per-view."
Paul rolled his eyes. "Yeah?"
"Hell in a Cell, with Shawn."
"Wait- what?" Raine rounded on him, frowning. "Why? He put Shawn in the hospital already, ain't that enough?" She demanded, shrugging Paul away when he tried to pull her back. "I get it, he ran his mouth and…" She trailed off, seeing Mark had arrived looking like… well, hell. Hung over and maybe a little buzzed to boot. "You're fuckin' kiddin' me!"
"What?" Mark demanded gruffly, wincing as his own voice sent stabs of pain throughout his head, watching as Raine stormed up to him, anger in her eyes. So she'd heard about his little match. He held up a hand to stop her ranting before she even got started. "I owe him a proper ass whippin' for not showin' me the respect I deserve. I wasn't even after yer scrawny ass and he was jumpin' to conclusions. He has this comin', Raine." He then walked away from her, rubbing his temples and vowing to stay away from tequila for awhile.
"Overzealous prick!" Raine shouted at his back.
"She didn't mean it, Mark!" Paul called out, clamping a hand over Raine's mouth, dragging her back to their booth. "Just a stupid kid is all! Will you SHUT UP, Raine?"
"Well he's takin' it to damn far!"
Stephanie sighed heavily, knowing Mark was going to hurt Shawn in that match. "We'll figure something out." She promised, touching Raine's shoulder. "He's not going to kill Shawn."
Paul looked at her skeptically.
"RIGHT, Paul?"
"Oh yeah, sure."