I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.

Alex's Point of View-

Tara and I were walking back to our connecting rooms after getting Chris situated in his, I sipped at my coffee in hopes it will make me more awake but it was barely making any effort towards that. I was digging this Tara girl, kind of glad she gave up her room to switch with Chris because I don't think we would have met if she didn't.

"Why did you stay up all night last night?" Tara asked.

"Does it matter why I did what I did? Everything is done for a reason and I honestly can't explain why I did what I did…" I said glancing over at her trying not to smile at how beautiful she was.

"You seriously don't like sick people?"

"Seriously…" I said.

"Thanks…no one has ever took care of me before besides my mom when I was younger…I can never afford to be sick, I need work…"

"Aw, you're the type of person that never misses a day of work and your there even if you don't need to be…how many days of work have you missed since you got hired?" I asked.

"1, but that is not counting the days I took off for this but still sort of working if you count me helping Chris." Tara said as she sipped her coffee when we approached her room.

"So what, 3 days? Why don't you take more time off?" I asked curiously.

"I can't, okay?" Tara said offensively as she went into her room, the moment I stepped forward to apologize for offending her she slammed the door on my face.

"What did I say wrong?" I asked myself as I went into my room, I went to open the connecting doors but her door is closed and already locked, I put my ear up against the door hearing her crying, I could tell by the sniffling. I knocked on the door before I said

"Tara, can we talk? I'm sorry if I made you upset…can we talk?" I hoped that she would open the door so I can try to explain myself but I didn't know how to explain myself if I don't know what I did wrong. No response when I heard her begin talking, I assumed she probably called her mom. I went to my bed plopping down closing my eyes trying not to let this bother me but I hate making girls cry especially over something I don't know that I did wrong. I couldn't fall asleep even with how tired I was so I pulled out my phone calling Chris knowing he knew Tara better than I did, "Hey man…"

"Hey, what's up?" Chris said.

"This Tara girl, is she usually really emotional?"

"I have only seen her cry once before, but that was because she was stressed to the max and she cracked. You made her cry didn't you?" Chris said, I didn't say anything and he knew, "Damn you Alex, thanks a lot man…what'd you do?"

"All I asked was why she didn't take more days off…"

"Your so insensitive Alex….some people aren't as well as off as us, and they can't get the multiple days off a week like we do and still get paid as much as we do. Some people can't afford to fly in an airplane, some people can't afford their house….I know for a fact it took Tara this whole year to save up for this cruise…"

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"The second time I met Tara, she had a jar on her desk, you know what that jar was for?"

"What?"

"With every paycheck, she would cash it and whatever change she got back she would drop that into the jar along with others in her office to help pay off the cruise expenses." Chris said.

"I thought she was a manager in training."

"She is, her job is really good trust me but even with her job and her life, she isn't like us Alex, she doesn't get all the privileges that come with it. Some people have to work hard towards nice things."

"But, is that something worth getting this upset over? I mean, I didn't know….I've never seen someone cry over someone asking about days off."

"I don't know…she may be missing her family, I don't know man…women are weird."

"Yeah, I feel so bad…she won't talk to me and won't let me apologize…"

"Give her time…she will come around…." Chris said.

"Give me her cell number."

"No, you can't call her…not now…" Chris said.

"I wasn't going to call her…" I said as I stopped pacing to run my hand through my hair.

"I can tell you are lying….Alex, I know you don't like making girls cry, no man does…she'll come around, go shower up and we'll go grab lunch before our Q & A bud…" Chris said.

"Sure…" I said not wanting to but knew he was right, I hung up tossing my phone aside going in taking a quick shower getting into my ring gear, pulled on a MCMG shirt before I pulled sweat pants over it so no one knows I will be in the ring later. I ran a comb through my hair and brushed my teeth before I grabbed my bag, phone and keys. I stopped in front of the connecting door, "I shouldn't bother her but I can't not bother her…" I said as I dropped the bag that held my boots, my ring jacket and other things before I went to the door putting my ear up to the door hearing her on the other side. I knocked on the door before I said "Tara, I'm sorry for whatever I said which I still don't know what that was, but would love for you to come with me if you would only open this door…." I waited for a few moments to pass to see if she would open the door but nothing so I continued, "I guess your not opening the door. I hope you have a change of heart, I would still love for you to be out there…" I said hoping she takes that offer, I picked up my bag heading out of the room and down to Chris's room. I knocked on his door and he answered it with just one crutch, "What would Tara say if she saw you like this?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"She will tell me to sit my ass down and use two crutches, because if I use just one I will damage my knee more?" Chris said.

"She sounds like your mother…." I said jokingly as he hopped out of the way letting me walk in behind him closing the door behind me. "You'll think they will have that handicap button to push to get the door to open for you." I said as I made sure the door shut and I turned back around seeing him now sitting on the bed.

"One would think, could you help me out and grab my ring gear."

"Your going to wear your ring gear?" I asked as I dropped my bag and went to the hanger holding his ring gear.

"Their pants that are cut along the side unlike yours…" Chris said as I tossed it to him and I turned around distracting myself with the paper that was hung on his bulletin board.

"What's this?" I asked looking it over.

"It's a list of numbers and people I can call if I need any services….but I will never call them because I have Tara here, I trust her….the only person on there I will call is the person for the emergency evacuation…" Chris said.

"Yeah, I would say so, I don't think Tara would be very helpful during that, but this guy sounds like he can throw you over his shoulder…his name is Butch, I'm thinking a big boy that will throw you over his shoulder and runs...you'll be his football that day…" I joked.

"Butch does sound like a big boy, like a football player that can break me in half if I piss him off…" Chris said.

"Watch it'll be a very muscled lady with a unibrow." I joked.

"That would be one scary lady if her name is Butch…what kind of joke would that be?"

"A good one…" I said chuckling.

"Alright my pants are on…" Chris said as I turned around seeing him adjust it and he swung his legs over pulling on one of our shirts to wear under the jacket he was going to wear.

"You want to put some sweat pants on or something to cover it from the food?"

"I can't with my cast…"

"Right…" I said looking at the cast that went to mid thigh to hold his knee still for the time being.

"Can you throw my boot into your bag?"

"Just one?"

"I can't wear both." Chris joked.

"Right…" I said smiling as I put his boot into my bag as he was putting his shoe on and pulling a sock over his cast. "Let's go drop our bag off before we go grab some food."

"Why?"

"I can't carry that much bud." I said.

"Oh yeah…." Chris said as I led him to the door holding it open for him and do what Tara would do, I felt bad because I felt like I ruined Chris's help from Tara because of my big mouth but I honestly didn't know what I had said wrongly to her. We went down the ramps instead of the stairs, we waved and posed with fans on our way to the backstage area near the ring seeing Eric and Rob Van Dam back there getting ready for their match against each other.

"Hey, how's your leg?" Eric asked as he pulled his arm over his head to stretch it.

"Hopefully this will be off soon and will start rehab…."

"How much rehab will you have on that thing?" Rob asked.

"At least a couple of months, they already told me I will have to continue using the crutches during the first month….I won't return to action until March the earliest." Chris said.

"But at least it wasn't too serious…you can still wrestle after this…" Eric said.

"Thank god for that…" Chris said.

"That is what all of us are thankful for….good luck out there, we're going to go grab some lunch, you guys want anything?" I asked.

"Nah, we're good thanks…" Rob said as I opened the curtain letting Chris walk out first before I walked out behind him leaving our bag there knowing it'll be safe.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked not really wanting to eat, this whole thing with Tara was still bugging me which was odd.

"You want to grab some Subway?" Chris asked.

"Sounds good…" I said as we went to Subway, it was the closest restaurant to the ring which was probably the reason why Chris had chosen such restaurant and I didn't care.

"Are you going to be able to wrestle?" Chris asked.

"Yeah man, why wouldn't I be able to wrestle?" I asked as we waited our turn in line to order our subs.

"You seem kind of out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine….just trying to put Tara out of my mind." I said.

"Alex, why are you so strung out about this? I know I hate when girls cry too but you need to focus on your match because when your not focused is when things go wrong in matches." Chris said.

"I know I know, but I think when I get in the ring I will push it out of my mind…are you worried about me?" I asked smirking a tad looking over at him.

"No, I'm not worried." Chris said.

"Yes you are, your worried that I will hurt myself….aw buddy." I said hugging him.

"Get off me!" Chris said trying to push me off of him and I was just trying to tease him a tad.

"What do you know about Tara?" I asked as we stepped up to the clear glass to look at the multiple ingredients that they have to make the sandwiches.

"She's a hard worker, she cares about people, and she loves the color orange and polka dots." Chris said.

"Orange and polka dots?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, but she's not a girly girl type girl who is obsessed with them and has them everywhere but she does love them." Chris said.

"I think I can handle those, at least it isn't Hello Kitty or pink." I said as we both chuckled, we walked through the line ordering our sandwiches and I help Chris by carrying his tray and got his drink for him.

"Do you like this girl?"

"Chris, come on, look at who you're talking to…" I said as Chris gave this dirty look as he unwrapped his sub. "It's only been what? A day and a half if that…."

"Well it's a day and a half more than none…people have begun liking each other less than that…" Chris said picking up his sandwich to take a bite.

"I mean she's attractive but I don't know her that well…" I said, which was a lie.

"Just do me a favor…"

"What's that?" I asked wiping the sides of my mouth.

"Just don't treat her like the past girls you had, one night stands or date them until you got what you want then leave them….I still have months of seeing her and I don't want anything to be awkward." Chris said.

"I have changed Chris….why do you think that is all I do with women?"

"Because I know you Alex, hell I am the same way, we are both players but this time it's different." Chris said.

"How? I mean, I know you and her are close but how is it going to affect it?"

"Just that we are work friends, if you hurt her then it'll get awkward between us and I don't want that…." Chris said.

"I won't, friend's code." I said smirking as I stuck my fist out letting us do a fist bump making a promise with him. Our lunch was pretty quiet besides random burst of conversations when we were horsing around like usual, I loved Chris like he was the brother that I never had and we laughed at everything. "Come on, we don't want to be late." I said as I stood up taking both our trays tossing the trash into the trash cans and going back handing Chris his crutches and grabbed both our drinks to carry for him heading back to the ring seeing fans gathered around the railing near the ring listening to Jake that was doing the announcing this weekend for us.

"Rob's and Eric's matches ended quickly." Chris said.

"No crap, something wasn't planned right." I said as we went around the back way that the fans won't recognize us, I opened the curtain to allow Chris to walk in before me and I walked in behind him trying to not let Tara ruin my focus.

"How was the match?" Chris asked as he sat down on the empty chair next to Eric who was tying his shoe.

"Good…Rob landed wrong and he is getting checked out by medics now." Eric said.

"Ouch, hopefully it isn't nothing too bad." I said as I put our drinks down aside on the table hoping they won't get knocked over as I sat down across from Chris opening the duffel bag handing him his solo boot and I begun to pull mine on lacing them up focusing on other things trying to get Tara off my mind, Chris did a good job at lunch for doing so. James and Bobbie walked into the curtain carrying one duffel bag, "Hey guys." I said as I sat up enough to shake their hands before I went back to lacing my other boot and they shook Chris and Eric's hand as well.

"You ready for our match boy?" James asked before he took a sip from his beer, it was probably water because he is known to put water in his beer bottles and give the persona that he was drinking alcohol but he wasn't.

"Yep…" I said hoping that I was and that Tara would come.

"How much longer will you be out?" Bobbie asked nodding to Chris.

"A few more months, should be back around March." Chris said.

"Man, you did do a number on that knee…" James said.

"But it was awesome though…" Chris said.

"It was pretty gnarly." I said.

"I bet…" Bobbie said as I stood up stretching before I pulled my shirt over my head and pulled my jacket on in hopes to warm me up from the cool breeze that we were getting from the ocean and from the boat travelling. I begun to do push-ups and jumping jacks to warm-up for the match along with stretches before Chris did our ritual of reciting all the states in alphabetical order when our names were then announced and our music hit.

"No thinking of Tara, you will deal with it afterwards." Chris said.

"Yeah…" I said nodding but it just kept putting her back in my mind, I walked out holding the curtain open for Chris before I ran and jumped onto the apron watching him pull himself up the steel stairs meeting me on the apron where he was sliding himself along trying not to lose his balance, I sat on the ropes for him and he leant against me for support as I held his crutches as well while he stepped in with his good foot standing up on the other side. I lifted his casted leg sliding it into the ring where he was trying not to stand on it and I slid in with his two crutches handing it to him for him to lean against while doing the Q & A. I stood next to him looking out to the screaming crowd when the music slowly went quiet and I didn't see Tara anywhere and I knew then that I must have really messed up this whole thing but I was trying not to let it bother me now since I had to get into my match state of mind.