Following The Main Event;
By AliceJericho
Chapter 16: Cat out of the Bag
"The thought that comes out is, maybe there's a good reason it's a secret." – Ben Rudolph
Friday, March 12
I disappeared into my bedroom, hiding from the kids. I had an important to phone call to make on behalf of Shawn and Bret, probably on behalf of Matt Korklan, too. I found the phone number in my text messages – Nikki had sent it to me.
I sat on my bed, my knees pulled to my chin as I waited for a resonse.
"Hello?" Laura Hart answered hesitantly.
"So nice of you to answer." I said sarcastically, getting ready to tear into her.
"Who is this?"
"Everyone's worried sick, you know that? You mean a lot more to people than you think you do." I told her straight away, wanting to get straight to the point.
"Sunday?" Laura asked in absolutely shock. "Sunday Michaels? Iva Hickenbottom?"
"Yes, you ass clown. Don't call me Iva." I spat at her, hating to hear my real name come from her mouth.
"Why are you calling? And how did you get my number?"
"I'm calling you because no one else can get a hold of you! You're like the Golden child around here! You're dad's about to call the cops and file for missing persons." A slight exaggeration but it was necessary if I wanted to use scare tactics and have her feel genuinely bad for running away.
"Well you got hold of me, he doesn't have to." She sighed at me. It was clear that she was upset about upsetting Bret.
"Laura, people here love you for reasons I don't know. They're worried sick." Time for the exaggeration, or the lying, depending on how you looked at it. I hadn't been around to witness anything first hand but Nikki and Victoria had given be some information about the whole situation. "Did you know that you made Matt cry? You made a grown man, a professional wrestler cry, they're the toughest guys on this damn earth and you up and left like it was nothing and you made him cry. Nattie's a damn mess, she hasn't stopped worrying. Eve's an emotional wreck and Bret... Don't get me started on Bret." I finally took a breat. "He's interrogated every single person on the roster and accused them of making you leave. He's searched all our hotel rooms for any sign of you. You're going to kill him if you don't come back soon."
"Just tell him that I love him, okay? And that I'll see him at the Hall of Fame ceremony." I huffed at her and made sure it was loud, she had to know what she was doing.
"You aren't waiting that long. This place is a mad house, at least call him and let him know that you're alive so he hears it first hand and doesn't try to kill me when I tell him." Not that I would be the one telling him, but Laura doesn't need to know that.
"Please, Sunday... I just need some time to think," she begged with bated breath.
"If this has anything to do with Matt, I will kill you. You've caused a locker room meltdown over a guy and no one will be happy to hear that. I'm not happy thinking about it." At least I hadn't caused much trouble, I'd been sent home to heal before I could do just that.
"Look, if you do this for me, I'll owe you big time, okay?"
"Do you know what? That's not even enough right now. You're even scaring my dad and I can't take it."
"Sunday, I'll do anything if you just let me sit this out. I'll be back in my own time."
"I'm not happy about it, Laura. I'm really not happy about it." She groaned and I knew she was going to give in.
"Just tell him that I'm safe, okay?"
"Make sure you call me or text me or something every couple of days so I know you haven't died." I paused briefly, ready to end the conversation there but I couldn't resist adding something to the end. "Coz I'd hate to see everyone if that happened."
She hung up without saying anything else and I smirked knowing I'd hit a nerve. I made my way back into the kitchen, sitting on an island stool watching Shawn and Rebecca in the kitchen.
"Who were you on the phone to? Cody?" Rebecca asked hopefully causing my dad to look at me expectantly.
"No, actually. I called Laura."
"And?" Dad asked.
"Well, she's alive. She's sorry and you need to tell Bret that she loves him. I didn't get much out of her other than that. Tried to scare something out of her but it didn't really work."
"Sunday, I told you to be kind about it."
"No one's been kind to me, why should I offer the same courtesy?"
It was true. I had been getting stupid messages about those stupid pictures ever since they got out. Dad knew about them, Rebecca knew about them. It was an unspoken rule in the house that they not be spoken of. If no one mentioned them they would disappear, or at least that was their logic. I was still hell bent on finding out how those photos had gotten out.
Monday, March 15
After much begging and a few tears I had convinced dad that I should be allowed to fly to San Diego with him for Raw. I hated being away from the company as it was but knowing that I would be missing Stone Cold Steve Austin hosting Raw was enough to make me disregard Vince McMahon's rules. All he needed was a quick conversation with Shawn and I was on my way to California.
Dad asked me countless times if I was ready to go back, if I was ready to face everyone. I was ready; I wasn't going to let them mess with my head.
Cameron wasn't allowed to come along – Dad's orders – which meant I was free to enjoy myself without having one eye on him the whole night.
"Sunday!" Barbie's voice called for me only seconds before her body collided with mine and her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug. "That looks nasty," she commented, pointing to my cast.
"Yeah, well, if I don't wear this I won't be wrestling again. Nice to see you, though."
"I've missed you so much! I was just getting used to having you around again and bam you're out the door three seconds later!" Barbie pulled me by the hand down the hall. I was thankful I had decided to wear flats because she runs dangerously fast in her sneakers.
"I'm not having much fun at home. This is the most exciting thing that's happened in two weeks and all we've done is run down a hall."
"You ain't seen nothing, yet! You're coming out tonight! You missed last time and it was so much fun," Barbie beamed. She quickly opened a door and pulled me inside, closing it behind us. "Ladies!"
A chorus of squeals hit my ears and I joined in almost instantly. It was a relief to be welcomed back so warmly.
The Divas had a few minutes of air time that night. Maryse and Kelly were expected to have a match that lasted less than two minutes before Eve, Gail, LayCool and Vickie came out and fought in the ring. Classic Divas' match.
"How hot are those photos of you?" Eve asked genuinely, sitting down on the fold out chair beside me. "Damn girl."
"Thank you." The compliment couldn't be denied. "But the second I find out who leaked those photos someone is going to get hit."
"Wait, you didn't want them to get out?" Eve asked, her eyebrows rising in horror. "Well, shit."
"They were for Cody and only for Cody. Someone was fucking around with his phone, found them and... Well."
"Is that why you slept with Kofi?" I got whiplash I turned around to look at Barbie so quickly. "Oh."
"Thanks, B." I mumbled, looking down at my hands as the other Divas were overcome with silence.
"Is that why you and Cody broke up?" Layla asked tentatively and I nodded slowly, not lifting my head. "Oh, sweetheart."
"We're not talking about it, okay? End of conversation."
a/n if anyone wants a Christmas one shot... Send me a pairing and a song (Christmas related or not) and I'll see what I can cook up for you :)