Daughter of the Deadman III
Chapter 21: An Interlude
It had been about two weeks since Seth and Angel had had their confrontation in the ring and Beth's wedding ring had been stepped on and broken. Angel still didn't have it back yet as it was in Houston, at the jewelry store that Taker had bought it from twenty three years ago. What was more surprising was that the person he had talked to was now older, but he had sold Taker the ring originally. And the man still remembered him, which was even more remarkable.
Meanwhile, Roman, Kristy and Dean had been doing everything they could to keep Angel cheered up and distracted. Even Lea and Wyatt were trying to help, but she really was struggling. She had lost most of her matches in the last two weeks and everyone could tell that her heart wasn't in it.
At the moment, Angel was down in the Gym with Roman while Kristy, Dean and Wyatt were up in the hotel room that they shared with Seth and Roman. Angel had been staying with them too, but ever since Seth had crossed a major line, she had gone back to staying with Taker and Lea.
Kristy was cleaning up the room while Dean and Wyatt stepped outside onto the balcony after roughhousing for a bit. Dean closed the door.
"Hey, Wyatt, can I talk to you about something very important?" Dean asked.
"Sure. Am I in trouble or something?" Wyatt asked.
"No. It's about your Mom." Dean said.
"What about her?" Wyatt asked.
"Well, see….the thing is…I'm in love with your Mom." Dean told him, blushing a little bit.
"You are?" Wyatt asked, looking surprised.
"Yeah…" Dean said, suddenly feeling as though the situation had gotten awkward fast.
"Well, if you really love my Mom. You need to tell her, not talk to me about it, you silly man." Wyatt said.
"But I do need to talk to you about it. I don't want to do anything that's going to upset you. And most of all, you've got a great relationship with your Mom and I want to keep it that way." Dean said.
"Really?" Wyatt asked.
"Really. So before I say anything to your Mom, I want to ask if it's OK." Dean said.
"It's really OK, Dean. You can tell my Mom. I won't mind. I can tell that she loves you too. But…she hasn't had good experiences…so she's kinda afraid to say anything." Wyatt said.
"I know." Dean said.
"Dean, where were you when I was born?" Wyatt asked him suddenly.
"That depends. When were you born?" Dean asked.
"January third twenty-eleven." Wyatt answered.
"I was working the independent wrestling circuit. I signed my contract here when you were three months old." Dean answered.
"I wish you could have been with Mommy this whole time." Wyatt said.
"And why is that?" Dean asked.
"Because you're the first one that's considered my feelings. I mean, I know I was little, but seeing my Mom get hurt by John Cena and Adam hurt me too." Wyatt told him, giving him a hug.
Dean beamed. Just then, they heard a commotion from inside the room. They walked back in from the balcony to find Roman standing there, holding Angel in his arms. She was passed out and he had Ozzie's leash wrapped around his wrist. Taker had thought about sending the dog to Dean and Liam in Houston, but Angel had pointed out that the only way Ozzie could be of help to her was to be there with them. Just then, Kristy came running in from the washroom.
"What happened?" she asked.
"No idea. I told her to take a break so that she could take Ozzie out, but she didn't want to stop working out. I took Ozzie outside and when I came back in, she was passed out. I woke her up and gave her some water, but then she passed out again. She's really warm." Roman said.
"She did it again." Wyatt said.
"What do you mean?" Dean said.
"Whenever something happens, she works out a lot. To the point where this happens. She passes out and it takes a whole day usually for her to recover. She's probably going to have to spend tomorrow resting." Kristy said.
"OK. How do we help her now?" Dean asked.
"We need to get her awake and give her some water and something to eat. Then let her shower and sleep for a bit. I'll go across the hall and get a change of clothes for her and then let Uncle Taker know where she is. You two wake her up and get her some water and food." Kristy said.
"Right." Dean and Roman said.
Everyone jumped into action. Kristy walked across the hall and knocked on the door. She heard Taker call come in and when she opened it, she found him and Lea play wrestling on the floor. She couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Lea had Taker on his back and had somehow got an arm bar locked in on her father. She was putting as much pressure on it as she could. As soon as Lea saw Kristy there, she let her Dad go and jumped up. Something was wrong.
"Uncle Taker, you've got to get that ring fixed and fast. Ang is going to kill herself.' Kristy said.
"That's not even funny." Taker said, standing up.
"I'm not joking. She worked out so much today that she passed out. Roman's got her across the hall and he and Dean are trying to help her out. I came over here to get a change of clothes for her so she can shower and rest." Kristy said.
"Not again. Will she be OK?" Lea asked, a look of fear crossing her face.
"She'll be alright, Little One. But we're going over there too." Taker said.
Lea nodded. Kristy did too. She had expected nothing less from Taker at this point. She went into Angel's bag and grabbed a pair of pyjamas for her friend. Then all three of them walked back across the hall. Angel was sitting up on the couch, hugging Roman. She seemed upset and exhausted at the same time.
"Come on, Ang. Let's go. I'll help you, OK?" Kristy said.
Angel nodded, still not saying anything. Kristy helped her up and the two girls went into the washroom. Kristy shut the door. Taker sighed. Lea climbed up on the couch and sat next to Roman, who looked worried.
"I don't know how many times I've told her to listen to her body…she's supposed to stop when she's tired." Taker said.
"This isn't the first time?" Roman asked.
"Far from it. She used to do it at home on a regular basis. Although, she was getting better with listening to her body and stopping when she'd had enough. Then that little weasel did what he did two weeks ago…so now she's upset." Taker said.
"And working out is how she deals with these things?" Dean asked.
"Usually. Only this time, she didn't stop when her body got tired. She stopped because she passed out." Taker said.
"Damn him!" Roman snapped.
"Why did she look so upset when we came in, Daddy? Did she think you were going to give her trouble again?" Lea asked.
"Yeah, she did." Taker said.
Just then, the bathroom door opened and Angel came out. She looked at little better, but she seemed as though she needed a good rest. She walked over to Taker and hugged him, bursting into tears. Taker just hugged her back, looking confused.
"It's alright, baby girl. You're not in trouble. I know you're upset and everything. It's alright. Really." Taker said.
"I'm sorry I made you worry, Daddy." Angel whispered.
"It's the Dad in me that does that, baby girl. It's not your fault. Besides, if I didn't love you, Lea, Wyatt, and Kristy, I wouldn't be worried." Taker said.
Angel pulled away from him, wiping her tears away. She smiled up at her father. She still couldn't believe that in all the time they'd been reunited with each other, they had never argued. Not even when their stubbornness collided. She hugged him again. Just then, Wyatt voiced what Angel had been thinking.
"It's so weird. I've never seen Aunt Angel and Papa Taker argue with each other. It's really surprising, given that they're two of the most hard headed and stubborn people I've ever met in my life." he said.
"I don't ever remember seeing them argue either." Lea said.
"Really? You two have never fought? Ever? I mean, I know Angel was only sixteen when she was reunited with you, but she never did….something that a teenager would do that lead you two to fight?" Roman asked.
"Ro, when you live in a home like Angel did, you learn fast not to do anything to start a fight. Besides that, I have a feeling Angel can make Taker give in when they're both being equally stubborn." Dean said.
"She's about the only one." Taker said.
"Except maybe Mom." Angel whispered.
"Come on, baby girl. You need rest." Taker said.
Angel nodded. Dean, Roman and the two kids moved out of the way and Angel laid down on the couch. Taker pulled off his trench coat and laid it over her. Then he placed a hand on her forehead and locked eyes with her. It didn't take long for Angel to doze off to sleep. Everyone looked worried.
"That girl is going to make my hair go gray. I swear." Taker said.
"Will she be alright?" Roman asked.
"She'll be fine. She just needs to take it easy for a couple of days." Kristy said.
"What did you do to her?" Dean asked.
"I put her in a dreamless sleep." Taker answered.
"You can do that?" Roman asked.
"Yeah, I can. Sometimes that's the only way that Angel gets a peaceful sleep." Taker said.
Roman nodded. Just then, the door opened and Seth walked in. He stopped dead when he saw Taker and Lea there. However, he glared at Angel, who was asleep on the couch. Ozzie growled at him and Lea hid behind Taker, looking at Seth from behind her father where it was safe.
"What is she doing here?" he snapped.
"She passed out in the gym and I found her. So I brought her back here because I knew that Kristy could help." Roman explained, telling a half truth.
"Well, get her out of here." Seth said to Taker.
"Watch your mouth, boy." Taker snapped.
"Do you want to know what happened and why this happened?" Kristy asked.
"No, but you're probably going to tell me anyway." Seth said.
"You broke her mother's wedding ring. You upset her. And when she's upset, she works out in excess rather than taking her emotions out on everyone. Usually, she'll stop when her body says it's had enough, but this time she didn't. So in a way, Seth, this is all your fault." Dean said.
"I don't want to hear it. Get her out of here." Seth snapped, glaring at Taker as he spoke.
Before anyone could stop Taker, he had Seth by the throat and was holding him off the floor and against the wall. He looked livid. He squeezed Seth's neck a little bit, ever so slightly cutting his air off.
"Listen you cocky, filthy, selfish, no good, lousy little cockroach. You don't ever…ever tell me what to do! You're going to have to learn two things here in WWE. One: Don't say anything unless you can back it up and two respect the legends that paved the way for you. Otherwise this legend will drag you out to the yard he's dominated for the last twenty four years and you'll learn the lessons the hard way. Do we have an understanding, Rollins?" Taker growled.
Seth nodded. Taker dropped him to the floor. Seth quickly grabbed his bag and mumbled something about seeing the Shield at the arena later. Then he left. Roman and Dean stood there, shaking their heads. Everyone looked at Taker. He didn't look too happy with what had happened.
"So now what do we do?" Lea asked.
"Well, Kristy, Dean and Roman have to go to the show. I'm taking Angel across the hall and putting her in bed and then calling up Vince and letting him know what's happening." Taker said.
"Can I stay with Papa Taker, Mom?" Wyatt asked.
"Do you mind, Uncle Taker? He's worried." Kristy said.
"Nah. I don't mind. I'll watch him for a few hours." Taker said.
Kristy nodded. They picked up their things and Roman kissed Angel on the forehead. Kristy gave Wyatt a hug and told him to be good for Taker. Then they left. Taker picked up Angel and they went across the hall. Taker laid Angel in bed and covered her with the blankets. It was then that Beth appeared. She took Angel's hand. She looked worried.
"Don't worry, Bethy. She'll be alright just as soon as I get that ring fixed. I understand how she feels, but part of me is a little confused by it." Taker said.
"Simple. There's a whole room of my things back at home, which is all well and fine. But my wedding ring was something that was portable. She could take it wherever she wanted and she always had a piece of me with her." Beth said.
"Hm. When you put it that way, it makes perfect sense." Taker said.
Beth nodded. Taker smiled and walked over. He kissed Angel on the forehead. Then he turned and walked out of the room. He found Wyatt sitting there reading a book. He looked around and saw Lea sitting out on the balcony. He sighed. Something seemed to be wrong with the little girl.
He walked over and opened the door. He sat down in the chair next to Lea and waited, knowing that when Lea was ready, she would talk to him. To his surprise, she hopped off her chair and climbed into Taker's lap, something she hadn't done since she was small. Then he noticed that she was crying.
"Hey. What's the matter?" Taker asked.
"It's Angel, Daddy." Lea said.
"Angel will be OK, Lea. Don't worry." Taker said.
"I know, Daddy. It's just…I'm worried. She's my big sister and I care about her a lot. I want to be strong like her when I grow up." Lea said.
"Lea… Angel is strong because of you. She had to take care of you and protect you when you were small because you didn't have anyone else back then." Taker said.
"I know, Daddy. But still….she's always been super strong and caring and I want to be like her when I get older. If I can be half the person she is, I'll be happy." Lea said.
"Little One, you don't have to be like Angel or me when you grow up. You can just be you, sweetheart. And if people don't like it, then forget about them." Taker said.
"I know that, Daddy. I just wanna be like her because she's so kind and caring. I also like the fact that when she decides she's going to do something, she does it and no one can talk her out of it." Lea said.
"Sometimes that's been known to get her into trouble though, Little One." Taker reminded her.
"I know, Daddy, but still…I wanna be kind and caring and determined like her." Lea said.
Taker nodded. Lea hugged her father. Then they went inside. Wyatt was sitting there, looking worried. Taker reassured them that they were alright. Just then, Angel came out of the bedroom. She still looked tired, but she looked better then she had a few hours ago.
"Angel!" Lea said, jumping up and running to her sister to give her a hug.
"Hey, baby girl. How are you feeling?" Taker asked.
"Still sleepy, but better." Angel answered.
Taker nodded. After that, things were pretty normal. All they could do now was wait for Kristy, Dean and Roman to get back. It was several hours later when they did. Kristy came running into the room, crying her eyes out. Dean and Roman walked behind her, looking completely disgusted. Not only that, but Bret and Owen were there as well and they didn't look particularly happy either. Angel walked over to Kristy and hugged her.
"What did Seth do now?" Taker asked.
"I'm not even going to ask how you knew that." Dean said to him.
"Sometimes Daddy just knows." Lea said.
"So, what happened?" Angel asked.
"Well, Kristy went to the ring and explained what was going on with you. Basically, you were supposed to wrestle tonight and you couldn't because you got sick unexpectedly. And then…Seth showed up." Dean said.
"What did he say?" Angel asked.
"Basically he came out and said that no one gave a damn about you. Then he started on Kristy saying that she only got to the WWE because of Bret, Owen and Davey and that she was handed the opprotunities that most Divas have to work for. Then…he called Kristy a bunch of names." Roman said, hesitantly.
"Like?" Angel asked.
"He said she was a bad mother for one. A filthy ingrate who had no business in the WWE due to her being deaf. And then he capped it all off by saying that she was a cheap whore who went from Barrett to Cena to Edge and that Dean was going to be next." Roman said.
"When I get my hands on him, he's gonna wish he had never opened his big mouth!" Angel snapped as the lights flickered and the glass in the windows cracked somewhat.
"I know he's wrong….and I know the fans know otherwise because they were booing him to high hell within five seconds…." Kristy said through her tears.
"But that kind of stuff still hurts." Taker said.
"Yeah…" Kristy answered.
"Well, Kristy, we don't think any of those things. And there's one man in this room and I know for sure doesn't feel that way." Angel said, casting a meaningful look at Dean over Kristy's head.
"What are you talking about, Ang?" Kristy asked.
"I'm talking about Dean, silly." Angel responded.
Kristy turned and looked at Dean, evidently confused. Dean just nodded calmly, although there was a noticeable red tinge in his cheeks that hadn't be there a few seconds ago. Kristy let go of Angel and ran to him, giving him a great big hug. Then to everyone's surprise, Dean kissed her right there in front of everyone. Once they pulled apart, Kristy looked down at Wyatt. He was grinning.
"Are you OK with this, baby boy?" she asked.
"Dean talked to me first, Mommy. He knows that we're super close and he didn't want to do anything to mess that up." Wyatt explained.
"Dean….you…?" Kristy started.
"Of course I did. I wasn't just going to tell you I loved you without talking to Wyatt first. He's just as important as you are. And if he had have said he wasn't OK with it, then that's bad luck for me." Dean said.
"Dean, does this mean…well…this means what I think it means right?" Kristy asked.
"Yes, Kristy. It means that I love you." Dean said.
"I love you too." Kristy said without hesitation.
"Just make sure that idiot doesn't find out about this. And Dean, hurt Kristy and you're dead about fifty times over." Owen said.
"I know. I know. Don't worry." Dean said with a grin.
Everyone was smiling. Despite the recent turmoil, something good had come out of everything in the end. They all hoped that this meant that things would be getting back to normal soon.