Chapter 12 – The Biggest Tragedy On The Biggest Stage Of Them All PART 1
"How clichéd would it be if I used the phrase 'I can't believe how many people there are out there'?" Heidi Orton asked her father as she once again poked her head out through the black curtains in the guerilla area, only being able to see one section of the arena completely packed for the evening.
"The answer is very clichéd," Randy replied as he placed his hands on his daughters shoulders as he stood behind her "But I mean it's not exactly like this is your first Wrestlemania Heids."
"Well no that's true," Heidi replied "But I mean it's my first Wrestlemania actually having to perform for that crowd of what, 90 000 people."
"Well I think tonight there's actually close to 95 000," Randy replied with a smirk.
Heidi simply turned around and glared at her father.
"Thanks for putting my nerves on steroids Dad," Heidi said, still glaring at her father.
Randy simply laughed as he took a step back, allowing Heidi to turn around and face him.
"Have I mentioned how absolutely beautiful you look tonight?" Randy asked with a smile.
Heidi smiled back.
"Nice save," Heidi replied.
Randy looked his daughter up and down. Yeah it was a nice save, but he hadn't been lying. Heidi Maree Orton looked absolutely stunning tonight. The red dress, whilst still a little short for Randy's liking, fit her like a glove and in his eyes he honestly thought she looked like she was a supermodel about to break through those black curtains behind her and step out onto a catwalk in Paris or Milan. That's how beautiful his daughter looked tonight. She'd taken Dawn's advice and worn simply black strappy looking heels that Randy was hoping to dear God that she could walk on stage in without falling on her face. She'd also helped herself to her mother's jewelery box by the looks of the amethyst pendant that she was wearing around her neck. Randy smiled. He remembered buying that pendant for Lita almost 18 years ago while they were in Hawaii for Christian and Vikki's wedding. Randy's eyes then crossed over to his daughter's hands and smiled when he noticed an absence of any kind of ring on his daughter's fingers.
"I know it's not your birthday until tomorrow," Randy started, drawing Heidi's attention back to him.
Her eyes had wandered back to herself and she was currently smoothing out her dress for the millionth time that evening.
"But I couldn't help myself so I brought one of your presents here tonight," Randy continued, his fingers reaching into the pockets of his grey sweatpants and retrieving a small red box.
"Dad," Heidi sighed with a smile "You didn't have to. I could have easily waited until tomorrow."
"Yeah but I want to be selfish and give it to you now because I want to," Randy replied with a smile as he extended his hand and the red box in his daughter's direction.
Heidi sighed again and smiled at Randy before she outstretched her hand and accepted the box.
"Now I'm guessing with the size of this box it's either a yacht or a Ferrari," Heidi guessed.
"Well it's a good thing I didn't make it a guessing game then," Randy replied.
Heidi took her time looking at the small box in her hands before she finally fingered the seam of the box and prised it open.
Heidi felt a breath hitch in her throat as her eyes caught the item inside. No surprise it was jewelery. Heidi lied, she would have guessed jewelery before she guess Ferrari and definitely before she guess yacht. She just was surprised because she definitely didn't expect it to be a ring. She immediately removed the ring from it's white cushion padding inside the box and Randy, like he read her mind, took the box from her so she could admire the ring. It was nothing fancy, it was nothing flash but it was the beautiful ring she'd ever seen. It was just a plain silver band with the most intricate leaf and vine pattern engraved on the outside of the band. It covered the whole circle of the ring as Heidi soon found out as she twirled the ring around in her fingers to get a look at every inch of it, and just as the ring had almost made a full circle her eyes caught the engraving on the inside of the band.
"Bambi?" Heidi asked with a smile as she looked up at her father.
"What you don't remember me calling you Bambi when you were a little girl?" Randy asked, raising his eyebrows at his daughter.
"Of course I remember," Heidi stated.
"Then what?" Randy inquired, knowing there was something sitting at the tip of her tongue.
"I don't know," Heidi replied, the smile still on her face as she glanced down at the ring in her hands again before she glanced up at her father "I don't know, I guess I just didn't think you remember.
"How could I forget," Randy stated, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips "I think you started your Bambi obsession when you were 3 and it lasted at least until you were 5 or 6."
"Whatever Dad," Heidi brushed off, cocking an eyebrow up at her father "I wasn't obsessed with Bambi!"
"I could practically recite the entire script to that movie!" Randy exclaimed in his defense "You watched that movie everyday for 5 months straight."
Heidi couldn't help but laugh as she glanced down at the ring once more before she placed it on the ring finger of her right hand. Heidi was very surprised that the ring fit exactly. Mom definitely helped with size.
"I don't even think our DVD of Bambi even works anymore," Randy added to support his case "It's been played that many times!"
"You haven't called me Bambi in so long Dad," Heidi sighed as she looked up at her father, her fingers on her left hand absentmindedly twirling the ring on her right.
"I thought you might be getting a bit too old for it," Randy honestly replied with a shrug.
"I'll never be too old for that," Heidi replied as she sent Randy a lopsided smile "I'll never be too old to be your little girl Daddy."
Randy had to restrain himself from crying so he pulled Heidi towards him in a tight embrace instead.
"I can't believe you're already 18 years old," Randy muttered as he stroked his daughter's long brown locks.
"I can't believe I'm already 18!" Heidi exclaimed in response pulling away from Randy slightly so she could look into his eyes "Well at least I will be 18 at midnight tonight."
"Do you know how old that makes me feel?" Randy asked, raising his eyebrows at his daughter.
"Well seeing as you are pretty old," Heidi hummed out loud "I'd guess pretty old."
"Geeze Dad, thanks for the early birthday present!" Randy exclaimed.
"I love the ring Daddy," Heidi replied with a smile in her father's direction "It's really beautiful. I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome sweetheart," Randy replied as he pulled his daughter in for one last hug before he broke away and smiled at her.
"Now are you completely and utterly prepared for the biggest night of your life?" Randy asked his daughter with raised eyebrows.
"Ready," Heidi replied with a nod and a smile "Now hurry up and go to the sky box or you're going to miss my Wrestlemania debut and I will never forgive you for the rest of my life if you do."
Randy smiled. She was her mother's dramatic daughter.
"I'm going," Randy replied as he placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead "Good luck out there."
"Thanks," Heidi replied as she exhaled a deep breath.
"You're going to be amazing Heids," Randy replied as he started to walk away, his body and his eyes still facing his daughter.
Heidi just smiled back at him.
"I love you Dad," Heidi said.
Randy just smiled back at her.
"I love you too Bambi," Randy replied as he turned and started to walk in the direction of the stands and the sky box.
Heidi watched her father leave until he was completely out of sight. In a matter of minutes he was going to be sitting in the sky box watching her sing the national anthem infront of 95 000 members of the WWE Universe. That also meant that in a matter of minutes she was going to be standing on a stage in the middle of the arena singing the national anthem infront of 95 000 members of the WWE Universe. What kind of crazy world was she suddenly living in when she got the honour of singing the national anthem at something as iconic as Wrestlemania. This was all kinds of crazy. She was all kinds of crazy for agreeing to do this. She was going to look back on this in a matter of minutes as the best experience of her life and she knew it, but for right now he stomach just couldn't sit still. She had nervous pee and the urge to hurl everything she ate for dinner a couple of hours ago. Unfortunately though, as she watched the stagehand to her right heading over to her, she had no time for either.
"Are you ready Miss Orton?" the stagehand spoke to her with a smile on his face.
Heidi took a deep breath and put a couple of loose strands of her straightened hair behind her ears before she nodded.
"I'm ready," Heidi spoke.
Meanwhile in the stands at Wrestlemania…
"Li you're making me want to pee my pants the way you're just sitting there and jumping your legs up and down!" Lillian exclaimed as she turned to face her red headed friend "Now stop it!"
"Sorry," Lita sighed as she turned to face Lillian, the leg jumping ceasing altogether "I'm just nervous for her."
"I know you are Mommy," Lillian replied with a smile as she placed a hand on the red head's knee "If you're this nervous imagine how nervous that daughter of yours is just waiting behind those black curtains waiting to come out and sing infront of 95 000 strong in this arena."
Lita threw her friend a very concerned look before she suddenly lunged for her handbag.
"Maybe I should give her cell a call and make sure she is till conscious," Lita said as she started rummaging around in her handbag for her cell phone.
"There were no pockets in that dress Li," Lillian simply stated, watching how crazy her friend looked as she tried to retrieve her cell phone from the depths of her handbag "Her cell is probably sitting ontop of her stuff inside Randy's locker room backstage. Your call is going to be useless."
Lita stopped rummaging and sighed as she placed her handbag back down on the ground. Sitting back up on her seat, her hazel eyes started to scan the room.
"Have you ever seen this many people at Mania before?" Lita asked, turning all the way around in her seat to check out the magnitude of people in the arena tonight.
"Nope," Lillian said, shaking her head as she also turned around in her seat to get a good look at the packed arena behind her "But I have to say I don't think the people in the cheap seats right up the back are going to be able to distinguish Cena from Evan Bourne as they're both going to look like ants from all the way back there."
"Well then it's a good thing we're front row then," Lita said with a smile as she turned back to face the ring, only feet away from her "Cause if I saw an ant version of what I thought was Cena doing a shooting star press off the top rope I'd probably think I was going mad."
"And that was by far the weirdest thing I have ever EVER heard you say my dear," Lillian replied with a laugh as she glanced over Lita to the empty seat next to her friend "And I think the old guy sitting on the otherside of Heidi's chair is just about to drool all over himself staring at the back of your head."
"Ew," Lita winced as she remained facing the ring, refusing to turn her head and look to her left "You mean the old guy that looks like Michael Cole will be in 50 years with the toupe and everything."
Lillian couldn't help herself from laughing out loud at that comment.
"And I think that was by far the funniest thing I have ever EVER heard you say my dear," Lillian said as Lita laughed along with her.
"Ladies and Gentlemen will you please rise for the national anthem of the United States Of America."
A breath hitched in Lita's throat as her eyes were drawn to the stage, Lillian dragging her to her feet.
"And now will you all please welcome to sing the national anthem. Monday Night RAW's new ring announcer, Heidi Orton."
3 minutes later…
"That was the most incredible rush EVER!" Heidi exclaimed as soon as she was out past the curtains, jumping up and down on the spot before her eyes caught John Cena standing only a few feet away from her.
Before Cena could even say a word Heidi lunged forward, engulfing Cena in the biggest bear hug ever.
"Cena that was AMAZING!" Heidi exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Cena's neck.
"Whoah there girly," Cena replied with a small laugh as he hugged the young Orton back.
Heidi soon detached herself from Cena, not being able to wipe the smile off her face as he placed her feet gently back on the ground and distanced himself to be able to look her in the eyes.
"Was it alright? I mean, was I alright? Did everything sound alright?" Heidi suddenly started rambling, her big blue eyes looking up at Cena asking for some answers "Did anything sound out of key or out of tune? I didn't mess the words up did I? Oh God, I hope not, but I mean I think I would have noticed if I had messed the words up. God I would be the worst American in the world if I messed up the words to the National Anthem. People would think I was blonde, or just plain stupid actually."
"You were freakin' AMAZING out there girly!" John Cena suddenly exclaimed, cutting Heidi off completely "ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN' AMAZING!"
"Really?" Heidi asked, the smile on her face growing once more.
"I have never heard anyone sing the national anthem as well as you just did," Cena answered, smiling back at the young Orton "It was pretty damn perfect Orton. Pretty damn perfect."
"I think my life has just peaked," Heidi sighed, as she finally calmed herself down "I don't think any moment for the rest of my life is going to be able to match the amazingness of what I just experienced out there. I mean it's one thing to be in the stands and the atmosphere of Wrestlemania, but Gosh. To be up on the stage infront of millions and millions of people. It's ridiculous. God, no wonder you do Wrestlemania every year."
Cena couldn't help but laugh out loud at Heidi's last comment.
"But seriously, your God honest opinion?" Heidi asked again, a serious look spreading over her face "Cause if I stuffed up out there at all, even if just a little off pitch, I want you to tell me the truth right now. This is your one chance to bag on me Cena and you better take it because I don't think another free pass like this will ever come your way from me."
"Gosh you talk a lot," Cena sighed with a small laugh.
"I have a lot to say," Heidi replied simply before punching Cena softly in the arm "Now please honestly tell me right here and right now."
John couldn't help but just stand and smile at Heidi Orton as she stood before him waiting for an answer. She had absolutely no idea how much she was the exact right mix of his two good friends Randy and Lita. The feisty gene hadn't even skipped a generation and clearly neither had those big baby blues. The ones she was current using to stare holes into Cena as she waited for him to speak his next words.
John simply smiled at her again as he gently grabbed both her arms and bent down slightly to her eye level.
"Honest to God Heids," John spoke, completely seriously and completely calmly "When you hit that high note at the end of that just out there, I got chills. I don't think I have ever heard the national anthem sound like that before. I honestly don't think I've ever even heard you sing like that before."
"Since when have you heard me sing apart from my Vince McMahon audition nightmare?" Heidi inquired, cocking an eyebrow at Cena.
"Well you know how you like to sing in the showers at the arena?" Cena whispered "Well, you know…"
Heidi's jaw dropped as John winked at her and instantly her fist connected with his arm again. This time with the intent of inflicting pain on the Dr Of Thugonomics.
"You are such a pervert Cena," Heidi replied, rolling her eyes "I can't believe such a pervert like you is going to be a father."
Heidi couldn't help herself smiling as she noticed the wide smile that crossed John's face at the mention of him being a father. He looked like a little kid in a candy store.
"You look a little excited there," Heidi commented with a small laugh.
"God girly you have no idea!" John exclaimed, the smile widening on his face, if that were even possible right now "I'm going to be a freakin' father! This is insane!"
"Tell me about it! I know!" Heidi exclaimed back, laughing again.
"I am going to be a freakin' father!" John repeated, almost like he didn't believe the words himself "It feels like I just found out yesterday because I am still that freakin' excited!"
Heidi thought it was really cute how excited John was about Alle being pregnant with his baby, despite the fact that the pregnancy had been totally unplanned. Much like 99.9% of the Alle Dumas/John Cena relationship. Two people absolutely perfect for each and so completely oblivious to it. Heidi really hoped that this baby finally made them realize that they needed to get their heads out of their own asses and just shut up, love eachother and be together. It was a simple equation – boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love, girl and boy break up 5 ½ million times, girl falls pregnant with boy's baby, girl and boy have baby, girl and boy not get married because boy doesn't believe in marriage, and then live happily ever after. OK, so the equation wasn't that simple but Heidi knew they were perfect for eachother and the rest of the world did too. Why was it that Cena and Alle couldn't see it? It had been almost 18 years after all.
"So do we know if you're going to have a son or a daughter?" Heidi asked, still smiling "Which would make it my male or female cousin."
"It's almost like we're related girly," John replied with a smirk "Your worst nightmare or what?"
"No, my worst nightmare would be if I were that unborn child of yours," Heidi quickly retorted, smirking at Cena and anticipating what kind of witty remark he could comeback with.
"I'm going to be a freakin' father! What kind of shit is that?" John suddenly exclaimed, getting suddenly all excited again.
Heidi just laughed out loud. He wasn't listening to a single word she was saying.
"I don't care if the baby's a boy or a girl," John stated "I am going to love that kid so freakin' much!"
"I don't doubt it," Heidi commented "So what about the mother? How is Aunty Alle?"
"She's good," John replied, his smile fading slightly "I mean she tells me that everything is going well. I get to go to her doctor's appointment next Thursday and get to see my baby for the first time which is freakin' cool! Especially so then I can be there for more of the pregnancy."
"You know you should really move in with her Cena," Heidi stated, throwing John a small smile "Then you could be there for all of it."
John smiled back. His eyes and his thoughts though, obviously somewhere else.
"I wish it were that easy girly," John replied simply.
"It is," Heidi stated "Just take your head out of your ass and tell her that you love her because you know you do, I know you do and Alle knows you do. All you need to do is say it right?"
Before John could reply his cell phone started ringing in his pocket.
"Saved by the bell," Heidi commented rolling her eyes at Cena's dumb luck.
"The cell phone actually," John replied with a smile as he retrieved his cell from his back pocket before flipping the small device open and placing it to his ear.
"Cena," John said.
"John?"
"Alle?" John asked, his eyes narrowing as he strained to hear the person on the other end of the call "Is that you Al? I can barely hear you."
John held his breath as he desperately tried to hear what was going on on the other end.
"Alle?" John asked again.
"Yeah it's me," Alle spoke softly, her voice croaky and shaky.
John didn't reply immediately but instead held his breath again and listened into the receiver. All he could hear now was Alle sniffling.
"Alle are you alright?" John asked, suddenly growing concerned "Are you crying baby?"
John held his breath again. She was definitely crying. He could clearly hear her sniffling and her short sharp breaths as she tried to calm herself down.
"Alle what's wrong sweetheart?" John said, suddenly becoming concerned at Alle's lack of a response through her tears and sniffles "Please tell me what's wrong Al. Please talk to me."
John heard a lot more sniffling and then a deep breath before Alle Dumas finally spoke a clear sentence.
"John," Alle spoke softly.
"Yes baby what's wrong?" John spoke, trying to calm her down.
"I lost the baby."
A/N: Look out for the next chapter: Chapter 13: The Biggest Tragedy On The Biggest Stage Of Them All PART 2.
Anyone wanna take a guess as to what the tragedy is? Do it! Just review and let me know. We'll see who's right when I post the next chapter.
NOOO! Alle lost the baby – I had a lot of mental turmoil after whether I actually wanted to make her lose the baby. Sorry guys. Hope you all liked the chapter – READ AND REVIEW! Just thought I'd also put a special thank you to the handful of people that are READING and REVIEWING! It makes my day to see reviews from you guys in my inbox when I wake up in the morning! Make me wanna get on my laptop and write the whole story! Lol. Well I hope you liked this chapter, despite the depressing ending. READ AND REVIEW!
Love you all, God Bless, Mrs Bridget Orton xoxo