A new girl in town
Chapter 72
Kayla/John/Stephanie
"You could be a Clinton for all I care. Your name is just a name until you've done something that really matters. Call me when that happens. Until then, calm the fuck down, princess," Kayla said not backing down an inch.
"I do something every day that matters bitch." Steph said. "I help run the biggest television program in the world."
Kayla shrugged.
"Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, sweetheart. But last I checked, it's your father's name on the credits and in the bylines. Funny, but I'd think you'd get a bit more recognition if what you did mattered as much as you think it does," she said.
"YOU BITCH!" Steph shouted and flew at Kayla with her hands set as claws and teeth bared.
John just stepped forward and caught her. Stopping her from actually getting to Kayla.
"Let me go!" Steph shouted still spraying spit. "I'll have you fired."
"As for 'running things' as you put it, you're nothing more than a figure head. If it weren't for 'no bodies' like me, you'd be up shit creek without a paddle. Who puts the content together? Who makes it look pretty, produces all of it and makes sure it looks fit to sell? People like me, princess. So I'd watch who you talk down to... unless you'd like to give my job a try. You're a McMahon, after all. If I'm as expendable as you think, I'm sure you'll do just fine," she added.
"You are so going to get fired when I tell my father what you two have done." Steph said breaking free of John and speed walking down the hall toward her father's office.
Kayla looked over at John.
"Eh, it was worth it," she said with a grin.
"Someone needed to give her a dose of reality. Honestly, I'm glad it was me," she added.
"Some people can't handle reality. Vince is going to be pissed. Not because of what you said. But because now he had to hear her bitch." John said.
Kayla laughed.
"Girl definitely imitates a banshee well," she quipped.
"Unfortunately he'll have to placate her somehow or he'll never hear the end of it." John said. "You're either going to be punished or he'll make you apologize."
Kayla sighed.
"Yeah, you're probably right," she admitted.
"Well, if I can apologize to Hunter of all people, I can probably manage for one for her if I have to," she added.
John smiled and they kept walking in the direction Steph had stormed off in.
"Any hunches about why he wants to see me?" She asked John as they walked.
"As far as I know, I haven't done anything lately... and the last five minutes or so don't count," she added with a smirk.
"No idea." John said. "Maybe he just wants a progress report. If tonight is typical you can't have gotten far." John said smiling.
Kayla smiled.
"Nah, tonight was just special. No one goes out of their way to find me normally," she said.
"Well that's good. I'd hate you to have to tell him you've gotten nothing accomplished." John said. "He just wants control of everything all the time."
They arrived at the door to hear Steph still screeching inside. They couldn't hear Vince saying anything but that only made things worse.
"Well, here goes nothing," Kayla muttered as she knocked.
They heard him holler come in and Steph went silent.
Kayla opened the door.
"Bring Bradshaw in with you." Vince said angrily.
Kayla shrugged and entered the room, figuring that John would follow.
"I only called you to find out if you've gotten anything done." Vince said sounding aggravated. "But now you've gone too far. You've insulted Stephanie. You know better than to touch her Bradshaw. Between the two of you I don't know which is worse."
"I didn't insult her, Vince. All I did was tell her the truth. How she chose to intemperate that is out of my control," Kayla said calmly.
"She told me what you said." Vince said. "It sounded pretty derogatory to me."
"Yes she was really a bitch." Steph said in an angry whine.
"As for you Bradshaw I have half a mind to suspend you." Vince said.
"I'm sure she conveniently failed to mention what instigated all of this," Kayla said coolly.
"It's quite a boost to moral to have someone in her position tell you that what you do doesn't matter at the end of the day," she added.
"What she said doesn't matter. You had no right to attack her the way you did." Vince said. "She's MY daughter and you will treat her with respect do you understand."
Kayla fought against the urge to tell Vince to go fuck himself.
"Fine. My apologies," she said instead.
"Now as for Bradshaw I want to know why he laid hands on my daughter. It better be good." Vince said.
"I was afraid with Kayla's background that if I let Stephanie hit her that your daughter would get hurt. So I grabbed her to prevent her from hitting Kayla." Bradshaw said. "I'd do it again."
"Why were you even with Kayla? Shouldn't you have been in your locker room?" Vince said.
I wouldn't have touched her. Kayla thought. She felt touched as she heard John say that he'd do it again.
"Regardless of why you did it if you do it again you are in for serious trouble. Do you know what I mean?" Vince said sternly.
"Yes." John said. "I understand perfectly."
"He's with me because it's become necessary. Someone's developed a disconcerting habit of stalking me," Kayla said before John could reply.
No point in him taking even more heat. She thought. It's not like falling into the fire is anything new to me.
"It's been escalating for the past little while. At first it was texts with pictures of accident scenes, dead people, etc. Then it got more personal: they snuck into my room while I was asleep and left notes along with more pictures. I started rooming with other people in an attempt to put a stop to it but they found me there, too. It's gone too far, so I went looking for some help," she explained.
"I think you're just being a drama queen." Steph said snidely.
"I find that highly doubtful since you are not in the public eye. BUT if you feel it's necessary as long as it doesn't interfere with your work or the APA's matches it doesn't matter to me." Vince said.
"It won't," Kayla said.
"As for a progress report, things are going as scheduled. The website is close to being revamped and things with the network are on target. I have a few show ideas that I'd like to run by you, but that can of course wait for whenever you have time to discuss them," she said.
"We'll talk about that later. I haven't received the bill for your equipment. You were so anxious to get it yet you haven't purchased it yet." Vince said.
Christ, he's astute in all the worst ways. Kayla thought, wondering what she could possibly say to appease him.
"I've been really busy lately. I'll take care of it tomorrow on our day off." Kayla said.
"Does your busy have anything to do with your 'stalker'" Steph asked snidely.
"No." Kayla said. "It has to do with the schedule, J.J.'s accident and other things." Kayla replied to Stephanie.
"I'll get it taken care of tomorrow." Kayla said looking at Vince.
"In that case you are dismissed. Don't make me talk to you two again about Stephanie." Vince said.
They both nodded and headed out the door.
"Christ, that was like being in front of a firing squad," Kayla said once she was sure they were out of Vince and Stephanie's earshot.
"I'm surprised he didn't demand eternal servitude and my first born child. Ya know, if I wanted children," she added.
"I've been through worse with. Taker could be a real hardass." John said.
"Damn, and I thought my CO'S were bad. Come for a smoke with me. I need about a million after that shit," Kayla said.
John laughed and turned towards the exit door.
"Ron used to smoke." John said. "But closest I come is the occasional cigar."
"Hey, I like those too," Kayla said.
"I'm more into cigarillos though if I had to pick. Those burn forever," Kayla said as they headed outside. They'd barely gotten through the doors before she was lighting up.
John laughed for a second. "I guess you really did need one." He said.
"Yup. I've been smoking for years and this job has made it worse, but there are worse things. Hell, I've done some of them," Kayla said between drags.
"Yeah like what?" John said. "I mean this is pretty close to football so my job description hasn't changed that much."
"You know I was a marine before I came here. It was a while before that but yeah, I served for years. That's how this shit happened," Kayla said, gesturing to her face.
"We were on a standard patrol and I was driving. The hum V hit a landmine. Killed everyone but me and took half my face with it. Anyway, I saw a lot of fucked up shit on my tours. Fucked some people up, too," she added.
"Then you should have no problem handling Vince." John said. "Steph could drive anyone to drink. But Vince is nothing but a control freak and a blowhard."
Kane/Sammy
Kane sat quietly holding J.J.'s hand waiting and praying for her to wake up.
"Kane." Sammy said putting her hand on his shoulder.
Kane started, having forgotten he wasn't alone with her.
"Oh, Sammy." Kane said after a minute.
"You need to take a break. Even if just long enough to get something to drink and use the men's room." Sammy said.
"I guess I could at that." Kane said. "But I'm not going to be gone very long."
"I wouldn't expect you to be." Sammy said. "Don't worry I'll talk to her while you're gone."
Kane nodded and got up.
Sammy gave him a quick hug and a gentle push toward the door.
"J.J." Sammy said once they were alone. "You've got to snap out of this. You're not waking up is killing him and he won't make it without you. You'd be so proud of how strong and calm he's being. But he really needs you so you have to wake up. The sooner the better."
I can't believe this is happening. Kane thought as he walked out of the ICU. Once again I had everything I could ever have wanted and it's being taken from me. I won't survive if I lose her I just know I won't'.
Kane walked down to the men's room and then the cafeteria and got a cup of coffee but didn't even sit down for a second instead he headed right back upstairs to his wife.
"That didn't take you long." Sammy said as she saw he walk back in.
"I don't want to be away too long." Kane said.
"Kane." Sammy said. "She'd be really proud of how you've handled all of this you know."
Kane looked at her with confusion.
"You've been calm for the most part. You've made good decisions and not become angry when things got hard. You are doing great and I know she knows." Sammy said.
"I got angry in the ER." Kane said.
"Yes you did but you were in shock then. Once you were able to process what was happening you calmed right down." Sammy said. "Even Taker was impressed at how well you're managing.
"We're both so proud of you." Sammy said.
"I'm glad you could stay. I wouldn't be able to do this on my own." Kane told her.
"You could handle it." Sammy said. "But taking breaks would be harder. That's all."
"I don't know." Kane said. "I just wish this had never happened. This isn't the first time Hunter has gone after her. I hoped it would never happen again."
"Why did he go after her?" Sammy asked.
"He was trying to keep her away from me. To make me suffer. He also didn't like that she wouldn't obey him and stay away." Kane said. "I don't know why he would do it again. I haven't done anything to him since the cage match and that was a while ago."
"Maybe it has nothing to do with you?" Sammy said.
"What else could it be?" Kane asked.
"Hunter is a bastard. He could be doing it for no other reason than that it entertains him." Sammy said.
"Well he's a dead man when I get back. Proof or no proof that it's him behind it." Kane said.
"It might have been someone else pulling the strings too." Sammy said.
"NO one but Hunter has that kind of clout unless you're talking Vince or Shane." Kane said. "I just don't see those two getting involved like this."
"Neither do I." Sammy agreed. "After all since she got hurt at work Vince is footing the bill for this mess."
"I can't see Shane doing it either." Sammy added.
"No it has to be Hunter." Kane said. "I'll make him pay just wait and see."
Kayla/John
"Being in the military is different. There's a clear chain of command, you know? Authority is usually earned... or it feels like it is so it was easier to take orders when I was serving. It's not the same as a civilian. Then again, I didn't have PTSD while I was on active duty, so maybe that's the difference. Either way, being here feels way more stressful than it ever did back then," Kayla said sounding like she was thinking out loud.
"Maybe you should find a way to relieve that stress. Do you work out? Or run or something to make yourself feel good?" John asked.
"I run, yeah. Haven't been doing much of that lately though. I've mostly just been getting kinda fucked up when I can't take it anymore," Kayla said with a shrug.
"At least it turns my brain off and it's fun," she added.
"There is a difference in turning your brain off and relieving stress. Getting fucked up will turn your brain off but not in a good way. You'll fuck up somehow. Running is a much better alternative. At least in my opinion. I mean me and Ron may have a few beers but it's mostly the poker that relieves my stress." John said.
Jamming helps I guess, but all my gear's back in New York. I can't exactly cart around a full drum kit on my bike," Kayla said after a moment.
"How about an electronic drum kit they are not much bigger than a keyboard now. You could probably cart one of those around." John said.
Kayla shrugged.
"I guess that's something. It doesn't really seem the same as beating the shit out of real drums but then again, I've never used one," she said.
"Just save your neighbors and get a decent pair of headphones so you can do it without bringing down the house." John said laughing.
"Yeah, I'm sure that'd really make Vince's day," Kayla said grinning.
"Maybe I need to get in the ring and go full throttle at somebody. If kicking ass can't distress me, I'm probably fucked beyond repair," she added with a laugh.
"Don't even say that out loud." John laughed. "Vince might hear you and actually do it. You really don't want to go down that road."
"True. Being a target 24/7 isn't my idea of a good time. I get enough of that shit from Hunter," Kayla said sighing deeply.
"Yeah if you think the men are competitive you should see the women. They lie, cheat and connive as well if not better than the men." John said.
Kayla nodded.
"Yeah, girls can be fucking crazy, especially when they're in direct competition with each other. My last year of college was a blood bath with the girls, and that was just creating shit. They didn't have a ring," Kayla said as she remembered how hyper-competitive her female classmates had been and how much the profs had encouraged the madness.
"And there was no title on the line when you were in college. Titles mean more money. There are several titles to compete for in the men's division but only one in the women's." John said. "So it's either top or nothing."
"Except for Chyna she's been intercontinental champ." John said correcting himself.
Kayla nodded.
"Yeah, that's true. I've noticed that the talent level varies with the women though more so than the men. I mean on one hand, there are Chyna and Lita, and on the other there's Trish and Tori. You've got the cream of the crop and the bitches who've slept their way to the top. It's like a cesspool of everything awful," she said.
"I'd rather not join that shit show," she added shaking her head. Then she looked down at her phone.
"Shit, we should go. We've been out here for ages and the last thing I need is Vince on my ass again tonight," she said as she but out her smoke.
"Yeah you're right we should go back in the show's almost over." John said. "But you're right about the women. Some try to use their looks and the guys to get over. But not Lita. Chyna's another story all together. She's in a league all her own."
"Neither do I but she came in fighting and now that she's hooked up with Hunter who knows what will happen." John said as they reached her office.
Kayla sat back down at her desk and resumed working as if she'd never left. In seemingly no time at all, the alarm she'd set signaling the end of the show went off. She paused mid-edit, insured that everything was saved in the usual locations, then packed up her belongs.
"Show's over, dudes," she said as she swung her bag over her shoulder.
"I don't care who's watching her. I'll find a way to get her." ? whispered from the darkness.