CHAPTER FOUR
"Heard you were shooting off at the mouth today."
"Yeah, kinda." Raine frowned, seeing Michelle was carrying an armful of hair care products. "Uh, what're ya doin'?"
"Highlighting your hair blond."
"I don't think so, it's BLACK."
***
Mark slowly got to his feet when there was a brisk knock on his dressing room door, somehow not surprised to find Shane walking in. "I have my reasons." He said evenly, already knowing what this was about.
"Don't worry, I'm all for this match. It'll be good for ratings." Shane said instantly, waving his hand dismissively. That's what he was all about, the company and what was good for business.
"He's going to learn respect even if I have to beat it into his head."
"Of course, of course. Then you won't mind if it's a handicap match with Raine, will you."
"Actually, I DO mind."
"Think about this 'Taker…"
"No, I'm not hurtin' Raine like that…" David's words flowed through his mind at that moment, his upper lip curling into a snarl. "She with Bautista?"
Shane blinked, having no idea what Mark was talking about. "Yeah, didn't you know?" He lied, gathering this was the bait needed to get Mark to bite.
"Put her in the match." Mark didn't disappoint.
Grinning, Shane all but skipped out of the room.
***
"Hell in a Cell is a cage match right?"
"Of the more brutal, sadistic kind." Shawn nodded, out of the hospital and taking it easy, currently spotting Raine in the gym as she worked out. "You've seen the videos."
"Yeah, but they were scripted, weren't they?"
"Just barely. You're going to let me handle it, right?"
"Oh sure, I'll just somehow try to find a place to hide, pops." She snorted.
***
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"I didn't do anything!" Shane croaked when his brother-in-law grabbed him by the throat, feeling the wall connecting with his back and groaned. "What the hell, Paul?"
"You told Mark that Raine was with Dave just to get him to agree to a match?!" Paul was livid and it showed in his flashing hazel eyes.
Paling somewhat, Shane half shrugged. "It'll make for interesting television…" He had time to flinch when he seen Paul's fist coming at him.
***
Raine was constantly training the days leading up to the PPV, constantly with Shawn. The rumors swirling around about her and David never even made it to her ears. She had turned in her normal ring wear for black faux leather pants and a jade green tank top for the big night. It was her first Pay-Per-View and she was going to be in a Hell in a Cell match.
She had to quit bouncing in place when she thought about that, the heavy plait she'd braided her hair in coming down hard on her back. "Oh Lord…" She groaned, her stomach beginning to churn.
The closer it got to the match, the worse she felt. She couldn't even watch the other matches on a monitor, afraid she'd hear the commentators make some remark on the upcoming main event and hurl. Eventually she did have to haul her ass to the bathroom to toss her cookies. That worked on the puking end of her issues. She brushed her teeth twice and rinsed, fixing her make-up afterwards. "I'm gonna die." She moaned, reluctantly heading back out to the hallway. A glance at the clock told her it was almost time.
"Hey honey!" Shawn greeted, walking down the hall towards her, David beside him.
"Um, hi?"
"You ready?"
"Pops, I think I'm gonna pass out."
David shook his head, patting her shoulder gently. "You'll do just fine, Raine."
"Uh huh." She nodded, unable to say much else.
Somehow, she managed to make it down to the ring without tripping over her own feet, halting to stare at the cage looming over them. The rules of the match were simple, be the first out of the cage. The problem with that was: the opponent pretty much had to be unconscious.
"Just keep out of the way." Shawn ordered when the cage began to lower around them, pushing her gently back into a corner.
The Undertaker's music rolled through the building.
"No, Shawn. Ya trained me to wrestle with the guys so I'm goin' to wrestle." She said quietly, watching as Mark slowly made his way towards them. She refused to be passive in this. "Besides, he's not gonna play nice so why should we?"
Shawn could only shake his head, the cage now surrounding them and Mark was in the ring, his eyes filled with wicked intentions. "Oh shit." He muttered, hearing the bell ring and locked up.
He wasn't interested in a wrestling match though. Mark wanted brutality. He broke the lock-up and head butted Shawn, shoving Raine aside when she joined the mix.
Raine stumbled back into the ropes, glancing behind her at the unforgiving steel cage, glad she hadn't gone over, that would have hurt like a bitch. She darted forward again to help, this time the pair of them hoisting Mark into the air and suplexing him together.
"Back off!" Shawn ordered her away, watching with a groan as Mark sat right back up. That comment he had made about the man's momma was really coming back to bite him in the ass. Really, really biting him.
Raine watched as Mark choke slammed Shawn, paling when his head snapped in her direction. Briefly wondering what she had done to piss him off, she slid out of the ring, darting around it, hearing his footsteps behind her. Finally, she just turned around and bumped right into his chest, looking up at him out of wide, confused eyes. She placed her hands on his forearms, struggling to keep from being slammed as he raised her into the air.
Shawn had forced himself to his feet, knowing his kid was in trouble and launched himself over the ropes, sending all three of them into the side of the cage.
Mark broke Raine's fall somewhat, she landed on his chest though the back of his head collided with the cage. "Damn…" He grunted, rolling her off of him. Stumbling to his feet, he pushed her away when she got up as well, beginning to throw fists with Shawn.
"No!" Raine shrieked when Mark punched Shawn's head, reopening the two week old wound and tossed herself between them, taking the next blow instead.
Shawn froze, holding her up when she slumped against him, dragging her backwards before Mark could attack again. "Raine, honey?"
"Dad, my head is bleedin'." She groaned, the throbbing in her temples increasing with the noise from the fans. When she finally opened her eyes, she found four of him staring down at her.
Mark stood there in shock. He honestly hadn't meant to hit her. Rough Raine up a little but not this. He watched Shawn lean her against the cage before both men rolled back into the ring, ready to finish this.
***
"It's a concussion." Mary said the minute they were able to get in the ring, flashing a light in Raine's eyes. "Raine, can you hear me?"
"Get that fuckin' light outta my eyes."
"Get her backstage."
Shawn helped her out of the ring, wrapping an arm around her waist. His face was nothing but a crimson mask, wincing at his own pain. "You alright, Rai?"
"All four of you are bleedin'."
Mark broke character AGAIN and followed them up the ramp way, knowing Raine was going to be the end of his career if this kept up.
"Shawn, Shawn, come on, you need stitches again. We got her." Another medic said, gently pulling Shawn away from Raine. "We'll make sure she gets home alright, okay? But you need medical attention right now."
Raine leaned against the wall, holding her throbbing head. "Damn you have a hook on you, Mark." She grumbled, sighing in relief when he became two people as opposed to the four, her vision slowly returning to normal.
"Jesus Raine, I'm so sorry, darlin'." He said, walking over to -hell, he didn't even know, stare down at her. He watched as she was guided to a chair for her own head to be tended too, sitting next to her and taking her hand, his eyes daring them to tell him to move.
The medics solved that problem by removing her when her head was taken care of, passing Raine off to Paul and Stephanie.
"I'd really like to go back to the hotel now." Raine said, not watching them bandage Mark's head.
"Someone will need to stay with you." Mary interjected.
"I will." Mark spoke up, ignoring Paul and Stephanie's stares. "This is my fault and I feel responsible fer her. I'll stay with her and make sure everythin' is okay."
"Yeah sure, the you can explain to me just what I did that pissed ya off." Raine snorted.
"You don't know?" Paul asked, confusion all over his face. "He thinks you slept with David."
She started laughing her ass off, which hurt her head in turn. "Hell no. Mark, I'm not sure if yer the best person to be watchin' me, 'specially since ya'd rather listen to rumors than ask me about something'. Not that it's any of your business who I sleep with anyway."
Mark wanted to maim Paul right then and there, shaking his head. "That's not the reason." He lied gruffly, deciding Paul would be getting an extra choke slam the next time they were in the ring together. "Look, Raine, I don't think about you like that. I just want to make sure ya get to the hotel in one piece."
Knowing he was probably going to be adding to his list of grievances with Mark, Paul sighed, seeing Raine shaking her head. "We'll get her there alright, Mark. Why don't you worry about yourself?"
Raine shared a look with Stephanie, both woman looking exasperated. "I can get myself to the hotel fine, it's not my first concussion. So knock it off ya two morons."
Before he could correct her -he was going with her- David walked in.
"Hell Rai, are you okay, honey?" David asked, briefly examining her head with concern in his brown eyes. "You want a lift to the hotel?'
Mark had to walk out of there before he exploded.
Seeing Mark storming off made Raine roll her eyes, nodding. Honestly, what was his damage? "Yeah, I'd appreciate that. I just need to get my stuff."
"Does Mark really think anyone is buying that crap about him not liking her in 'that' way?" Paul asked as they walked off, groaning when Stephanie just slapped him upside the head.
"You're sleeping on the couch tonight." She informed him angrily.
***
Raine was silent on the ride to the hotel, not listening to him as he chattered. "You don't have to walk me to my room, ya know." She said once they were in the building, taking her bag from him. "I'm not goin' to drop, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry but I refuse to leave you until I know you're in your room, safe and sound."
"Because a concussion is gonna beat me up and steal my wallet?"
Sometimes Raine made him mad enough to chew nails, not that he'd let her know that. "You never know." David said, still smiling as he took her key card and opened the door, ushering her in. "I'll run you a bath."
"Yer just as bad as Shawn and Paul!" She shouted after him when he disappeared into the bathroom, rolling her eyes. Raine did not like this man, not one damned bit but it wasn't in her nature to be a total bitch to someone who seemed to be genuinely trying to help her. That and she needed a way out from either Mark or Paul bringing her back. Groaning, she pulled out some pajamas from her duffel bag, slipping into the bathroom when he walked out, locking the door behind her. "Thanks, you can leave now, I'll be FINE!"
I'll be fine was Raine's new mantra.
Deciding to not push his luck anymore, David vacated. Tomorrow was another day after all.
***
"Hope you don't mind, darlin'." Shawn said on their next day off, which coincided with one of his favorite days of the year. He watched as Raine took in the decorated room. "I've only invited a um, a few people… it's just a party."
"Yer throwin' me a fuckin' birthday party. I'm not sixteen anymore, pops!"
"Party time for Rai!" Paul shouted, laughing when she growled. "Oh lighten up kid."
She tugged at the sleeves of the dress Shawn had bought for her as a present, having to smirk because it reached her knees. She hated dresses but for him… she'd suffer. Honestly though, did he think she was still ten? "PAUL, PUT ME DOWN!"
"You're getting your birthday spankings. All twenty-two of them!"
Groaning, Mark watched from his place against the wall as Paul literally put Raine over his knee.
"Ready?" Paul teased, watching as she reached back to hold her dress down. "Nuh uh, take them like a man."
"I'm not a man!" Raine shrieked, feeling him tugging up her dress, glad she was wearing decent panties or else her ass would be hanging out. "Dad!"
"Sorry honey, birthday spankin's are a sacred thing." Shawn toasted Paul with her beer.
Grinning at the crowd that formed around them, Paul licked his hand and began. CRACK!
"PAUL!"
"Busy, Rai!" He teased, spanking her while everyone kept count, allowing David one crack of his own.
Mark left.
"David!" Raine shrieked again, both giggling and screaming now. She flipped Stephanie off when she began snapping pictures. Just what Raine didn't need, photos of herself being spanked. "Paul, no more, it's startin' to sting! Dad!"
Shawn just shook his head, slapping his knee when John Cena began alternating smacks with Paul. "Rai, you met John yet?"
"Who?"
"The other one behind ya."
"Hey, babe!" John said when she glanced back at him, smacking her ass before jumping up and down like a kid in a candy store. "This is freaking awesome!"
Raine lost count, knowing they had to be up there by now.
SMACK!
"DAD! THAT ONE HURT!"
"And a pinch to grow an inch." John added, cheekily pinching her backside.
***
After eating some cake, dancing and opening presents, Raine felt like she was reliving her sweet sixteen all over again. The only perk was this time she could drink the 'adult' punch. After finally extracting herself from Shawn who was getting all weepy about her being so grown up, she bolted. "I'll kill him if he ever does that to me agin." She muttered, focusing on walking a straight line to her room, maybe a bit too much punch. She wondered if she could get Big Dick Johnson to administer 'birthday spankings' when Shawn's day rolled around.
She was more than a bit surprised to find Mark waiting for her. "Um, hi?"
"Hi. I never gave ya yer birthday present." He said by way of greeting, following her into her room when she gestured him forward, not missing the exasperation on her face.
"Alright, Mark," Raine said tiredly, dropping down onto her bed with an ungraceful plop, laughing when the room gave a quick spin. "What is it?"
He didn't answer, slowly removing his fingerless gloves, letting them fall to the floor as his eyes took her in.
Raine licked her suddenly dry licks as he leaned over her, moving back onto her elbows, trying to put distance between them. "What is it?" She whispered, already knowing, groaning when he just hovered over her, his arms brushing against hers.
"Me."