"Pride and Prejudice"
An Edge/Ashley fanfic
Thanks to Writinglove101, Christal-R, KxH, Deeelyndz, Hailey Egan, xAttitudex, jojocheer28 and xXRiaHardyOrtonxX for reviewing last chapter, you're all awesome!
I dedicate this chappie to my awesome, awesome friend Mikki and she knows the reason *huggles* BESIDES being both obsessed with the EdgexAsh pairing at the moment, of course lol. Keep on rockin' girlie!
R&R and enjoy! :)
Chapter 40
"Rise Above"
"That skank! With what nerve does she even dare to talk to me?! And what I get? To be the guest fucking referee in her match… ugh!!!"
"Ash, you need to calm down." Matt wisely pointed out from his spot on a wooden bench as the dirty diva frantically paced back and forth in her rage after he had literally dragged her in his own locker room.
"Calm down?! How can I calm down?! Have you heard her? And don't tell me to be better than her and ignore her bitchy remarks cause… uggggh!"
"Ash." He softly yet firmly said.
"I know, I know." She let out a sigh while she eventually collapsed on the opposite bench, "I need to calm down, I know. It's just that… let's face it Matt, she won. And that's the only way I have to try to get back to her for what she did. And instead what do I get? A striped ref shirt, wow." She sarcastically rolled her eyes.
"I think it—"
"I mean… hello? What the heck?! Okay, I get that this little private detail isn't universally known or at least not yet, but last week didn't she admit on live TV she had been the one persuading Cherry to attack me? Wasn't she the one attacking me in the ring as well? And yet Cherry gets the match… that's not fair. As much as I love that girl, of course." She pouted, her chin on her closed fists.
"May I speak or you're going to verbally kick me?" He playfully asked.
"Go ahead, sorry." She retorted with a playful eye-roll.
"You know they booked the match cause they ended up fighting against each other too last Friday… think about it, after all it's only natural that Cherry goes against Kelly after what she did… isn't it?"
"I guess." She unwillingly admitted, folding her arms on her chest.
The older Hardy lightly chuckled at the childlike gesture; "You'll have your turn, I'm sure. They wouldn't have put you someway in the match if they thought you weren't involved in this. Just…"
"…What?" She questioned as he trailed off.
"You need to relax to really get to her. I know, I know," he rushed to add as she shot him a death glare "but think about it. You're too caught up to think straight now… you'd give her an advantage this way."
"So you're suggesting I should forget I want to tear hair after hair away from her platinum blonde scalp every time I see her?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"…Kinda."
"I love you Matty but you're a fool." She sulkily pointed out.
"C'mon, don't you know the saying? Revenge is better when cold… or something like that. You know what it means anyway. I'm not saying forget about everything and go ahead with your life as if nothing happened… but don't give her the satisfaction of getting under your skin. You surely don't want that, do you?"
She simply shook her head.
"Good. Then… play along. Be an impartial referee, she surely expects you to do something… then don't. She needs to be surprised when you finally attack her… either in the ring or outside. Let her watch her back when she's in the corridors, let her worry about her safety when tonight she'll enter your ring. We both know you're going to get her sooner or later… but that's cause you're better than her, not cause you too caught up in the hate for her."
"…You know what? You're a cunning genius Matthew Moore Hardy." Ashley commented with a genuinely impressed look.
"Thanks, I guess." He lightly laughed, "I'm just trying to make you learn from my own experience… you know I understand what you're going through. And what did acting on impulse bring me? I had to leave Raw. You're not going to make my same mistake Ash, you're going to be a winner in this." He said becoming serious again.
She lifted up her face with a weak yet grateful face; "Thanks Matt. I'm starting to fully understand only now what you passed because of them… that— that wasn't fair. And you were right, you were right all along… I wish I had listened to you and never even spoken to him. Not after what he did to you in the first place, I'm so sorry…"
"Hey now," he softly said as he stood up to join her on the other bench, an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "It's in the past, let's not dwell on what's already done and buried. After all I rose above that, didn't I? I built myself a new successful career on Smackdown, I found a beautiful… beautiful girl…"
She smiled at the obvious hint, lowering her gaze as a blush colored her cheeks and she started to fidget with her hands.
"I wish things could have worked out better for us in the end."
"Ash, the fact that I let you go doesn't mean that I've never regretted that." He almost whispered, "especially now that—"
Fortunately enough, though, he didn't have time to continue his speech cause a loud knock on the door interrupted the dangerously intimated moment, making them both jump up.
Thus announced, one of the seamstresses entered the room with a big smile on her face as she handed a black & white striped tank top and a black pinstriped mini-skirt to the punk princess.
"There we go," the latter announced running a finger through the soft fabric as the woman closed the door behind herself, "I guess I should put them on." She attempted a convincing smile, feeling slightly awkward after the moment she and Matt had just shared. "Would you mind if I used your bathroom to get changed?"
"I could point out that time at home when you used my bathroom as in almost re-painting it to play around with Jeff's hair dye…" he mused with a mischievous grin "but I'll just be a gentleman and say be my guest."
She playfully rolled her eyes as she passed him by to reach her destination, not before playfully shoving her shoulder against his arm in response, making him chuckle in amusement.
As the bathroom's door clicked closed, his boyish smirk turned into a darker one as he reached for his cell phone in the duffel bag, quickly typing a text message while he waited for her to get back.
"How does it feel now to be the one losing everything you ever wanted?"
x—x—x—x—x
After what could have definitely been classified as a public humiliation, a very much disappointed Rated R superstar entered his locker room again and loudly slammed the door behind himself, proclaiming to the world how ready to snap on anyone he was at the moment.
…and, unfortunately, a very unaware anyone jumped up in anticipation right then.
"What are you doing still here?" Adam snapped in frustration as he met with Kenny's smiling face.
"I was waiting for you!" He matter-of-factly exclaimed, "How did it go? Did she appreciate the flowers?"
"Get lost Kenny."
"Oh." The younger superstar had at least the complacency of understanding the encounter hadn't followed his friend's expectations as he immediately dropped his previous grin, "Then no, I guess she hasn't." He sympathetically sighed.
"Sharp thinkers, aren't we?" He sarcastically echoed, lifting an eyebrow in Kenny's direction before turning his back at him.
"Are you sure she got the flowers' meaning, right?"
"Kenny." The warning on the edge of his voice –no pun intended, of course- was quite obvious at this point… but after all it's Kenny Dykstra we're talking about, and so he obliviously pressed on.
"I knew it… you should have put at least a white rose in the middle as I told you. I bet the problem was all about the purity of your love."
"Would you mind getting the fuck out of my locker room?!"
There, he had eventually snapped. Not that it wasn't predictable, at that point.
"Alright, alright… I'm going." He sulkily said as he raised his arms in surrender.
"Good, and bring those damn flowers with you." Adam instructed pointing at the whole load Kenny had previously placed on the small table.
"And what should I do with them?" The latter asked in surprise.
"Eat them, burn them… whatever, I don't care. Just take them!"
"…Okay…!" He gasped under the sudden weight of the different bouquets being tossed at him without warning as he tried to balance them all in his arms. "What happened to the others then?"
Adam didn't even bother to give him an answer, he just marched to the door, pushed the ex Spirit Squad member (with flowers attached, of course) outside and finally closed the door again.
"Well, no need of being so touchy about it." Was the loud mutter that echoed from the other side of the door, fortunately not heard by the champion.
Thus alone again, he just stuttered around in his locker room without a real direction before letting himself fall on the black leather couch and closing his eyes for a brief moment. Shaking his head to try to block the earlier events recollection, he then leant forward, placing his chin on his hands as he stared into nothing.
Or actually… his distracted gaze fell on the coffee table, or to be more exact, on the cell phone that was resting upon it.
One unread message.
Now, Adam Copeland was neither a fool or a hopeless romantic, and that was a fact; therefore he surely wasn't expecting the sender of said message to be Ashley, though that didn't stop the genuine surprise on his face when he read not only who that was, but also the contents of Matt Hardy's text.
Instinctively his hands closed into tight fits. As if his current mental status wasn't already enough without having to add such frustration on top. He didn't know what game his old rival had decided to play in the midst of the messed up situation… but he surely as hell didn't like it.
And furthermore, he didn't like the fact that Ashley was involved in this. Not one tiny bit.
Caught up in said thoughts, the Rated R Superstar literally jumped when his cell phone started to actually ring, the notes of Alter Bridge's "Come To Life" filling the small room. He didn't even check the ID as he flipped the device open and moved it to his ear.
"Yes?" He asked in an annoyed tone.
"Well, that's a way to greet a brother?!" The person on the other side of the line asked in mocked reproach.
"Jay," he relaxed a bit after hearing his best friend's voice "what do you want?"
"Now there, don't get too heavy on the corny side, would you?" Jay 'Christian' Reso echoed in amusement.
"Idiot." Adam playfully rolled his eyes even though his fellow superstar of course couldn't see him, "I meant what's up?"
"Oh, same old shit actually. Avoiding Jericho's calls, Trish trying to convince me to start yoga… with no success whatsoever, of course" he snorted "trying to make up my mind whether I should leave TNA and accept the contract Vince has offered me…"
"Wait." He immediately adjusted into a more upright position, "You didn't just say that."
"What? The yoga thing? Dude, I swear… she's fucking beautiful when she does it, but could you really picture me doing that? Honestly?"
"Shut up, you know what I mean!"
"Well then… yes, I totally said it." The self proclaimed Captain Charisma revealed with a full grin.
"No way…! And what were you waiting to tell me?! Actually, most importantly, you're going to accept it… aren't you? How reeking of awesomeness would that be?!"
The short haired man chuckled at his best friend's enthusiasm, unaware of the fact he was actually doing him a huge spirits-lifting favor with this call. "I'm valuing my options," he enigmatically responded, "and to answer to your first question… actually you've been a bit of a stranger lately so you can't really complain."
And then, of course, reality crushed back in as Adam found himself letting out a weary sigh.
"I know man, it's just… there's much going on at the moment so I'm just being… a bit caught up, that's it. I owe you at least two phone calls, I know."
"Screw the calls, why don't you come up and visit one of these days? Isn't your next PPV in Canada?"
"Yes, it is… but I don't know Jay, I don't think it's—"
"Ashley included in the offer, of course." He cut him off mistaking his hesitation, "Actually Trish has been telling me for ages that we all need to get together again… and I'm quite offended you just introduced your punk girl to me once, really, I could start to think you're ashamed of me or something." He joked.
"Look, I—"
"Just warn her about this yoga thing first, would you? She'll need it, trust me."
"Jay."
"Adam? Are we going to play first-names game?"
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why, you want to use my full name instead?"
He let out a weary sigh, "Ash and I are not exactly together at the moment." He eventually was able to reveal, with that 'exactly' being the euphemism of the year, of course.
"Why? What did you do to her?"
"HEY! I didn't do anything, alright?" He protested.
"Then what happened?"
"…It's a long story."
"I'm all ears."
"Listen man, I gotta go now… need to get ready for my match. I'll get you back on this, okay?"
"Fine… and Adam?"
"Yeah?"
"Whatever you did, I'm sure eventually she'll end up forgiving you… I never seen you so lovestruck in your whole life, honestly."
"Thanks Jay." He snorted closing the conversation, count on your best friend to give you the blame of your messed up relationship. Though, he had to admit it, he felt slightly better… at least he wasn't feeling alone in the world as had become the usual fashion for him once the dirty diva had left him.
And, for once, that was nice for a change.
x—x—x—x—x
"Is my outfit ready?" Kelly casually asked as she attentively worked on her fingernails.
"Yes," Layla replied showing her the electric blue in-ring gear she was just placing on the bench next to the blonde "you're going to look great in this."
"Yeah, I know." She giggled, prompting the curly haired diva to laugh as well.
"Aren't you worried about the match?" Brooke inquired in genuine curiosity.
"Worried about the match?" Kelly echoed before letting out an amused scoff, "PLEASE. As if that stupid girl is real competition for me."
The brunette was halfway ready to point out that after all it wasn't like the Extreme Exposé leader had much more experience in the ring, but eventually –wisely- decided against it, leaving her two fellow divas to giggle to each other.
"And what about Ashley being the special guest referee?"
"What's up with all the questions?" Kelly clicked her tongue in frustration, accompanying the gesture with an eye-roll. "Do I look like someone who's worried of the punk skank? No? Good, cause she's not even in my league."
And with that she stood up, making sure to flick her long blonde hair on a side with a dramatic movement, before linking arms with Layla and exiting the women's locker room.
Brooke could only refrain from sighing out loud as she followed the two outside like a faithful puppy… only she wasn't counting on bumping into someone as she did so.
"Sorry, I didn't see you!"
"Oh, excuse me I'm such a klutz sometime!" She automatically exclaimed, then stopped in mid-track as she took in Kenny's sights… with the flowers and all the rest. "What are you doing?" She asked half amused, half confused.
"Oh that… never mind, long story." He shrugged his shoulders, "Did I hurt you?" He inquired in genuine concern.
"Nah, no big deal." She sincerely smiled, "I wasn't paying attention either."
"Well, sorry anyway." He goodheartedly said offering her his hand to stand up from the floor.
"Thanks Kenny." She smiled up at him, "I need to catch up with the girls now." She awkwardly nodded, trying not to show her disappointment on how the two hadn't even noticed she had remained behind.
"Sure, I'll see you around." He stepped aside to make her pass… only to call her back the following instant.
"Yes?"
"There… it suits your complexion." And with an innocent smile he handed her a white rose before quickening his pace and disappearing in the opposite direction.
Taken aback by the sweet gesture, Brooke found a smile slowly creeping up on her face as she sniffed the flower.
x—x—x—x—x
"Alright, here I come." The punk princess loudly announced as she stepped outside of Matt's bathroom in her brand new referee outfit which consisted in a low cut black & white striped tank top with a black bra underneath, and a black pinstriped mini skirt completed by a couple of silver belt chains with stars as charms; a pair of black converse at her feet.
"What do you think? Do I look like a believable ref?" She playfully questioned as she turned on herself one last time.
"Let me se…" Matt trailed off as he moved on the edge of the bench, "are you available for my match later tonight against MVP? Cause, honestly, my referees are never this sexy."
She laughed, hitting his shoulder. "I don't know, I have a quite full card for tonight I fear. Maybe next Friday."
"Cruel, cruel woman." He playfully muttered, "And what about tonight after that?"
"Matthew Moore Hardy!" She exclaimed in mock disbelief, "Are you trying to seduce a referee?!"
"Actually I was thinking of a quiet dinner after the show," he put on his sweetest smile "what do you say?"
"I'm all up for it." She amiably smiled back, "I guess I'd better go now."
"Cool, alright."
"Oh, and Matt?"
"Yes?"
"You think I could choke Kelly with my ref shirt after the match?"
"Ash."
"Alright, alright," she rolled her eyes "I won't harm her." And with that she closed the door behind herself, leaving an amused –and very much pleased- Matt behind.
"C'mon Ash," she muttered to herself as she walked down the corridor "you can do this, you can."
x—x—x—x—x
"I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this!"
The two Hooligans and Michelle McCool exchanged a look as Cherry started (or better, continued) to panic.
"Cherry, honey, you can easily get her." The blonde tried to reassure her friend as she paced back and forth the Hooligans' locker room, her eyes glued on the floor while she bit on her fingernails.
"No, I can't…!" She echoed shaking her head, "She's taller… and slimmer… and more athletic than me… and she probably can—"
"Actually I think you can beat her." Surprisingly enough, it was Brian the one piping up this time, attiring a strange yet amused look on himself from his best friend. "I've been… happening to watch your matches, you have a nice bulldog."
"Oh." Was all the shy diva could utter at the moment in the midst of her surprise as she stopped in mid-track, "Thanks… I guess."
Michelle eloquently lifted her eyebrows as a silence followed, during which the two kept gazing at each other… until, fortunately, Paul interrupted the staring contest with a sigh.
"I don't get why she had to leave with Matt. Wasn't it as good as his locker room here?"
"He's probably trying to calm her down." The faith-heart-soul diva wisely pointed out.
"Why, couldn't have we as well?"
"Maybe it was a bit too crowded in here for that…" Brian mused, "she needed a moment to recollect herself after the news and… well, after what happened."
"I don't know." The dark haired superstar let out another sigh.
"Don't you like Matt?" Cherry asked with wide eyes.
"It's not that," he shrugged in response "it's just that I don't like how sometimes he acts like he's the only one who actually cares— never mind, forget I say anything." He concluded shaking his head.
"I thought Matt was a nice guy…" the less experienced diva wondered out loud, "at least he doesn't have those scary psycho eyes when he stares at you in the ring…"
Both Hooligans looked at each other with perplexed looks, not sure of what the comparison was about right now.
"…Right." Michelle sharply nodded, "Maybe you should head to your match sweetie?"
"Yes… I really should! Do you think I should change my outfit? I didn't know I was in a match tonight…" She trailed off glancing down at her attire which consisted in a pair of tight black capris and a white halter top with black polka dots and a high black belt, a foulard of the same fabric (though black with white polka dots) in her hair which was tied back in a ponytail.
Michelle didn't have time to reassure the shy diva, however, cause it was actually someone else who beat her on the time.
"It looks very nice actually." Brian complimented with a timid smile.
"Oh… thank you Brian." She responded with the same smile, blushing at his words.
"You might go before it gets too late." Paul pointed out with an amused chuckle a few seconds later when the diva seemed to have forgotten her previous decision.
"OH, right…! I'm going right now, as matter of fact!" She said coloring even more before rushing outside.
"Good luck, and don't worry!" Michelle yelled after her.
"Wow, that girl is definitely something else." Paul commented in goodhearted amusement.
"She's cute." His partner echoed with a dreamy smile, earning a nudge in the ribs as Michelle silently giggled.
x—x—x—x—x
Two minutes later and the diva 'from the other side of the tracks' reached the Gorilla position, finding only one of the other two girls involved in the match already there.
…and fortunately, it was the good one.
"Hey," Ashley welcomed her with a genuine smile "you ready?"
"…Would 'not really' be a good answer?" she winced.
"C'mon, you'll be just fine." She playfully smiled and patted Cherry's back as she lead her on, "I was there with you last week when you did some major ass-kicking in the ring."
"…I was angry there." The shorted blonde weakly protested.
"And I remember you having your very own debut match against me. You did good back there too."
"But Deuce & Domino were with me then…"
"Oh c'mon, who needs men anyway? We're divas… we're as powerful on our own." The punk grinned, trying to build up Cherry's self esteem for the match.
"…I guess so." The latter timidly smiled.
"Good, now let's go and make me proud since I can't lend a single finger on the bitch… unfortunately." She rolled her eyes, encouragingly squeezing her friend's shoulder.
"Oh I'll try my best." She eagerly nodded her head.
…you'd better hold on tight cause I want to love you nice…
"That's my cue, see out there. I'll be the one with the striped shirt." Ashley winked before disappearing through the curtain.
"…Sure thing!" Cherry nearly yelled after her, "God, help us." She muttered under her breath while she nervously shifted from one leg to the other.
x—x—x—x—x
"Not to quote Raw's own Jerry Lawler, Michael, but I wouldn't mind being in this match right now!" Tazz cheerfully exclaimed as Ashley checked both opponents before the match's start.
"I know partner," Michael Cole echoed in amusement "unfortunately not all our refs look as good as Ashley tonight."
"You can say that!"
The two divas started to walk around staring at each other once Ashley signaled from the bell to be ringed and to thus start the match. The punk girl had to actually bite on her bottom lip as Kelly started to taunt Cherry by effortlessly pushing her back a few times.
The shy diva at first didn't respond, giving the Extreme Exposé leader all the advantage she had counted on; then, after perceiving Ashley's determined glance on herself, she slowly swallowed the lump in her throat before responding with a powerful bitchslap.
Whether the famous saying that wanted a look to be more powerful than a thousand words was true or not, as Kelly held her sore jaw and Cherry charged right into her ribs with a kick, it was clear that only then the match had finally started.
x—x—x—x—x
Attentively watching the match from the couch in his locker room, Adam had to admit he was actually impressed.
And no, his amazement had nothing to do with Cherry's newfound determination and energy, it was actually all about Ashley's self control.
With the well knowing recent history between her and Kelly, he had predicted for this match to be nothing but trouble… and instead, in spite of all Kelly's obvious attempts, the dirty diva had never once lost her impartiality.
Yes, indeed. Every time the ECW diva accidentally had stomped on her foot, elbowed her in the stomach in an attempt of backing away from her opponent, or even gotten caught up with her bracelet in the punk's hair, she had just raised her arms signaling that it wasn't done on purpose… and had this way continued to judge the match without letting her emotions have the upper hand.
And the Rated R Superstar, if possible, had found himself even more in love with her than before. In his eyes she was just… amazing, in every single aspect of her personality.
So, in spite of the situation, he felt his lips curve up in a smile when eventually, after a really good bulldog, his ex-girlfriend raised Cherry's arm in victory.
Take that, bitch.
Only the satisfaction didn't last long cause, while the two repeated the gesture in every corner of the ring, Kelly had all the time to recover… and she charged right behind them, causing the two divas to inevitably lose their balance and fall on the mat.
Already fatigued by the 15 minutes match, Cherry just let herself roll outside the ring until she hit the concrete; Ashley, on the other hand, was only ready for a fight and the two started to brawl in the ring like there was no tomorrow. A few minutes later and all Kelly's bravado had disappeared after receiving a StarStruck from the top rope. And, truth be told, never the punk princess had performed her finisher with more determination and anger as tonight.
Thus satisfied of the outcome of her night, the self proclaimed dirty diva slid out of the ring, raising one arm and pointing the other at the scorned diva knelt down in the ring and glaring at her while the crowd went wild with excitement. Too bad the excited roar soon turned into a disapproving one as Layla quickly rushed to the ring and pushed a very oblivious Ashley inside once again.
The latter was definitely taken aback, but nevertheless was she worried of a 2 on 1 fight against the two skilled dancers, though the tables soon turned when the blonde exited momentarily the ring to come back a couple of seconds later with a steel chair in her hands.
Despite Layla's surprised look, Kelly's intentions were more than clear.
And actually so were Adam's as he immediately sprint up ready to run to the ring… only he stopped when another cheers uproar was loudly heard… and that could only meant two things.
Ashley had somehow managed to overcome the odds; how, he had honestly no idea.
Someone else had already arrived to her rescue.
As predictable, much to his dismay, this was definitely the second case.
He stood on his feet before the TV monitor, staring as none other than Matt Hardy knelt down next to her, making sure she was alright, while the ECW divas wisely opted for a quick escape.
They had to stop, however, when a cheerful music started to play and Teddy Long appeared with a microphone in his hand.
"Now there players, not so fast." He began, causing Layla and Kelly to look at him in slight confusion. "Since you want to take things to another level, Kelly, I'd suggest you to get ready cause next Friday on Smackdown you're going to face Ashley and Matt Hardy."
The diva and the superstar glanced at each other in surprise at the news while Kelly… well, let's say she would have been good competition for the most psycho version of Mickie James with her reaction.
"Kelly… you can calm down, I didn't say it was going to be a handicap match. You're going to have a tag team partner as well… and judging from the little video you showed us last week… who better than the champ himself, EDGE!"
The blonde immediately stopped her hysterics, a not-so-subtly smirk coming across her face.
The man in question, in the loneliness of his locker room, let himself heavily collapse back on the couch in disbelief, his hands slowly coming down from his hair to his jaw. He recovered only in time to see Ashley's hardened expression on the screen and Matt's pleased one as he swung an arm around her shoulders.
"Oh and by the way Layla, since you seem so eager to compete on Friday Night Smackdown, I just spoke with your general manager and we agreed that next week you and Brooke are going to face Michelle McCool and Cherry in a tag-team match. Holla, holla, holla!"
