Beg For You - Chapter Three
Title - Beg For You
Author - Callaphera
Rating - R for language, adult situations and language
Pairing - Christian/OC, Chris Jericho/Trish
Disclaimer - I own all original characters. Recognized characters are owned by the WW(F)E. Don't steal, don't sue.
Author's Note - The story takes place in 2002. Enjoy and lemme know what you think!
She met up with Trish Stratus fifteen minutes before the show was to begin to air live. She had seen her in the hallway and tapped the blonde woman on the shoulder, accepting the bright smile and cheery hello, before motioning to an empty room. Trish followed her there, watching as Shea turned on the light and closed the door. "Sorry to just grab you like that, but it's time for you to go sit with the team you're now going to be valet for," Shea said quietly, smiling a little at the shorter woman.
Trish's eyes lit up suddenly, and her face broke into a wide grin. "Oh, my God, you have a gorgeous voice," she murmured, laughing softly. "I'm sorry, it's just that I've never actually heard you speak, and well, it's nothing like I figured it to be." She cocked her head to the side and laid her hand on Shea's arm, her happy expression slipping away. "This isn't easy for you, is it? I mean, you've been with Edge and Christian since the very beginning and-"
Shea cleared her throat, breaking her off. "I'm gonna let you in on a few secrets before you go over there. Edge can be a real baby when he's injured. If it gets to be too much one night, just mention the word 'diapers', and he'll shut the hell up. When he's tired, he has a habit of using females for pillows, more specifically, their lap. It's mainly just so someone will play with his hair. It'll knock him right out, and then Christian will wake him up, and he'll make his way to whatever closest bed there is. Doesn't matter if it's his or not." She chuckled suddenly, and it didn't sound a bit like the recorded chuckle they were all used to hearing. "Christian...he likes to watch the news in the evening. Unless he's really tired or hurt, no matter where he is, he'll watch the eleven o'clock news. If we're on the West coast, it'll be CNN for an hour after he gets back to the hotel room. He's always misplacing his reading glasses, so it's just better if you keep them in your purse. That way he doesn't have to tear through his bags to find them. He's a bit of a neat freak, likes things in their proper places. Edge is only neat when it comes to writing stuff down. He has a great filing system. Both of them are completely computer inept, so I hope you're good with them."
Trish nodded. "Yeah, I know my way around a computer all right. Myst, you don't have to-"
"My name is Shea, everyone will learn that tonight, and Christian calls me by that name now, so don't be surprised if you hear it tonight, before...everything. Anyway, usually, Christian takes care of the plane tickets, Edge takes care of the rental cars, and I book the hotel rooms. They always prefer to have two adjoining rooms, so that they can always be in close contact with me- you, now. That won't change. I left a notebook in their locker room with all the details of the usual hotels that we book at, the phone numbers, and the like. It's not that expensive, but it's not exactly cheap, either. Neither of them likes room service, by the way. They'd much rather find a 7-11 somewhere, if it's really late, and just buy a couple of sandwiches. But they're both really good cooks, especially Christian. He loves food, period. Edge adores popcorn, so you might want to get used to that, too."
The short blonde Canadian smiled for Shea's benefit, rubbing her arm when she heard her voice break towards the end. "Anything else?"
"Um...coffee. Christian likes dark chocolate mochas when he's on the road. He likes sweet, but not too sweet. They both drink their coffee black. Um, Edge will drink anything that catches his fancy, usually something cold, but he has a habit of ordering for me. Don't try to get him to make it non-fat or anything like that, he just won't remember. The three of us share the driving on the road, and whoever is in the passenger seat gets to pick the music. Bring some CDs with you, or else you'll get completely screwed. Person in the back usually sleeps; they always bring a pillow and blanket with them for that matter. And they're both gentlemen, so don't be offended by anything they do. They like to carry bags, open doors, give you their jackets if you so much as think of shivering. Get used to it. They're sweethearts. If you treat them right, they'll treat you like a princess."
"Are they okay with me walking out with them?"
She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yes and no. They understand why I want someone else with them, and really, there's no one that I trust more than you. Same goes for them. They're happy that you said yes, but they don't want me to go. Give them a little while, and they'll be fine. Now, you talked with Chris, right?"
The woman blushed a bit, before she nodded again, her blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders. "Yeah, he explained everything to me. I don't quite understand everything that's going on, but I know what you're doing, and I think it's the right thing. You're a lot braver than I am, My...Shea. Wow, that's such a pretty name. Anyway, we worked everything out. Don't worry, everything is arranged on our end."
"Good. God, I don't know why I'm rambling on and on like this. I wrote all of this down for you. And it's not like they're going to expect you to move in with them. But, thankfully, you live in Tampa, and they really like hanging out on their off time with whoever they work with. Quite often, they go over and visit Jericho, so you know, get used to that. They're social butterflies, unlike me. They'll probably love that about you."
"It's okay, I can completely understand. Don't worry about them; I'll do the best I can."
Shea laughed suddenly and sniffled when she felt tears come to her eyes. "I don't want to leave them, Trish, I really don't. I love them like...they've been such great friends to me, and Edge really is like an older brother, and Christian, he's-"
Trish held up a hand, stopping her. "You're in love with him, I know. I knew it when you sent me back that email. Does he know?" At Shea's nod, she sighed. "I'll keep an eye on him, make sure he's okay. I know that you don't want to hurt him. And I know that you're going to tell me that if I hurt either of them, you'll make me regret the day I was born. Okay? We're completely understood on that. But, I really have to thank you. I know that you don't want to do this, but this is a great opportunity for me. I never thought that I would get to walk out with the best tag team in the company. And don't worry, I can take Lita. The redheaded little bitch isn't going to get anywhere near them."
"Good," she whispered, before hugging Trish quickly. "Enjoy them. They're great guys. And they already think the world of you." She smiled and let the woman go. "They're waiting for you in their locker room. They'll expect you to share with them. They'll leave when you want to change, so just don't worry about that." She handed her a plane ticket and keycard to a nearby hotel. "This is for the next flight and your room. We typically book a few weeks in advance, so Edge has the rest of your tickets with him in his bag. Don't forget to get them, because he will. Forget, I mean. I'll call you in a few days, okay?"
The two blonde women nodded at each other and shared a final smile, before Trish slipped out of the door and down the hallway, clutching the plane ticket and keycard in her hand, her duffel bag thrown over her shoulder. She made her way to the locker room with Edge, Christian, and Myst's names on the door, knocking on it. It opened almost immediately, and she smiled up at Edge, watching as his shoulders fell a bit. "Sorry, I know you were hoping it was someone else," she said quietly, as he opened the door to let her in. She stepped in and looked around. Between the two large bags on a nearby table, she saw a brand new notebook sitting there, with her name scrawled on the cover. "It's okay, you don't have to pretend. I know that you don't want her to leave, but really, this is just a temporary situation, until she comes back, right? I'm mainly here for Lita and to make sure that you two always have clean socks."
The taller of the brothers smiled at that and laughed a bit. "Thanks, Trish."
She shrugged, putting her bag down between theirs, over the notebook. "Hey, I understand. Shea and I have been talking a lot lately, and she's been filling me in on all of your embarrassing little habits and stuff. Is...Is Christian taking this okay? I know that the two of them have been rather close lately."
"Inseparable is more like it," he told her, running a hand through his hair. "He's not really talking all that much. I think he's regretting the fact that he never...you know...said anything to her before this. He's taking this really hard. I'm kind of worried about him."
Trish surprised him as she raised herself up on her heeled boots, wrapping her arms around his neck. He breathed in sharply, noticing the difference in the two women. You could tell that Shea was a wrestler, not that she was overly muscular, but you could feel the strength in her arms. Trish, on the other hand, seemed all woman, soft and delicate, but he knew enough from watching her that she could be a little hell-cat in the ring. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head until his forehead resting on her shoulder, closing his eyes. "Christian will be fine, Edge. He's a really strong guy, and I know it seems like it's all falling apart around you, and I know that I'll never be able to replace her, so I'm not going to try. But please know that I'm here for you if you need me." She ran a hand over his wavy hair as he tightened his hold on her briefly. "Everyone's so concerned about Christian, and I can understand why, but how are you dealing with this?"
His voice was muffled against her shoulder, but she still heard him loud and clear. "She's my little sister. I don't want her to go," he said softly, cursing the fact that he was getting emotional about this. "And I don't want to hate her, like she keeps saying we're going to."
"Then don't," she said comfortingly, now rubbing her hand up and down his muscular back. "Know that whatever she's doing, inside, she's still the same Shea that you've been around for three years, and remember: not everything is what it seems to be. Trust her."
They all knew from experience that cameras were everywhere backstage once the show began, and you never knew just when you were going to be caught doing something live. It was because of that reason that there were no more clandestine meetings with Shea once the show began. Instead, the foursome met in the hallway for a final goodbye. Christian had already met her before, in the same room that she had spoken to Trish in, and they had a private goodbye. She had kept him there long enough to wash the evidence of the tears off his face before taking him by the hand and leading him out to where Trish and Edge were supposed to meet them.
The four of them stood in the hallway, smiling awkwardly at each other for a moment, before Trish broke the silence, her shoulders moving up and down with a sigh. "I guess this is it, huh?" she asked, looking directly at the masked valet. She nodded silently, thankful for Christian's hand on her lower back. If there was anything she needed at that very moment, it was support. Shea's eyes flicked from person to person for a moment before she stepped forward and placed her hand on the side of Edge's face, her head cocked to the side as he regarded her silently.
Finally, the tall man smiled for her and nodded. "Good luck," he told her quietly, bending down to kiss her cheek. Her hand slipped away from his face when he moved and instead, landed on his shoulder, bringing him to her in a tight hug. Letting go of him, she turned to Christian and smiled for his benefit, raising herself to kiss his cheek quickly, not wanting the scene to get emotional. Finally, she looked at Trish and let her lips curve into a bit of a smile, reaching forward to embrace the young woman.
When she let her go, she stepped forward and watched as Trish walked between the two men, linking one of her arms through one of Edge's with a bright smile. "Don't worry, hon. I'll take good care of them, and-" She broke off when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly let go of the taller man, pushing Shea against the wall and sticking her foot out at the same time, watching as the redheaded woman tripped over it and sprawled to the floor. "Damn, do you have to try and ruin everything?" she exclaimed, looking down at Lita. "Can you not tell when someone is trying to have a private moment? How do you put up with her?" she finally asked, her eyes going to Shea. The masked valet simply shrugged with a look of amusement as the redhead glared up at them.
Together, the two women hauled Lita to her feet and threw her into a nearby room, ignoring the shouts of protest from whatever wrestler was changing into his tights, pulling the door shut with a bang, Trish giggling. The door opened almost immediately, and Lita was thrown back out, before Chris Jericho popped his head out the door, laughing, his blue eyes twinkling at the women. "Thanks, but it isn't my birthday. Maybe next month," he told them, closing the door.
Trish giggled again, a hand covering her mouth as she walked back to Edge and Christian, taking Christian by the wrist. With a cheery wave at Shea, she started down the hallway and towards her new dressing room with her new tag team, Shea stepping over the redhead with a nasty look and a kick, before heading off in the other direction.
Much like they had figured, they had been caught on camera, and now the whole world knew that Trish was replacing Myst, and the unmasking was really about to begin.
It was almost towards the end of the show when someone knocked on her dressing room door, letting her know it was time. Shea knew that she didn't have to worry about the redhead interrupting her at any time; Edge and Christian had fought a grudge match against the Hardys, and both Trish and Lita had been at ringside. Lita had been used to fighting against the high-flying, flashy Myst, but she certainly wasn't used to the mat work of Trish Stratus. Trish had used it to her advantage and cleaned the redhead's clock. In fact, as far as Shea knew, Lita was still getting looked over the medical staff, probably waiting for the numbing shot to kick in so she could get stitches in her forehead. Trish had grinned wickedly when she saw that she had busted the redhead open and kept her from interfering in the tag match, and when Edge and Christian won, she climbed into the ring and held their hands up, much like Myst always did, solidifying their new relationship.
Myst watched as the three men in the ring, one of which had been a total surprise to the audience, were arguing, before she slipped out of her room and made her way to the curtain, nodding at one of the technicians. At just the right time, the lights went out in the arena, and like her first appearance, her laugh was piped over the sound system. She slipped out in the darkness and made her way to the top of the ramp, feeling a hand rest on her back reassuringly. She nodded and handed over the microphone she was clutching in her hand, as the lights came back up briefly to show her standing there, her smirk firmly planted on her face. One of the men in the ring, Eric Bischoff, started to spout off to her, letting her know that she wasn't welcome here, that he didn't give a crap if she was supposed to take her mask off or not. She simply cocked her head to the side and smirked again when his microphone was cut off.
The crowd had been on their feet, screaming their approval for her, as the lights went out again. The cheers only seemed to get louder as they realized what was about to happen. She took a deep breath and quickly untied her mask, throwing it down at her feet and taking the microphone back from the man beside her. Raising it to her lips, she said her first words ever on television. "Hello," she said in her normal, cheery voice, as the lights blazed back up. The crowd was jumping up and down, fists in the air, yelling and shouting for her when they realized that she was unmasked, and a camera was directly focused on her face. Her eyes went to the ring and locked onto the other man's, before smiling brightly. "Daddy," she finished.
She turned her head and looked over at her older brother, Shane McMahon, as he winked at her, smirking in his dad's direction. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing his baby sister towards him, raising the microphone he was holding. The camera focused on the two of them, side by side, and the large screen behind them reflected their faces. For the first time, people began to realize just how similar their smirks were. "Didn't recognize her, did you?" he asked, over the shouting crowd. They calmed down when he began to speak. "Your daughter of twenty three years, and you didn't even know she was here. A little hair dye, a little leather mask...and little Shea McMahon became Myst." She turned her head and grinned at her big brother, eyes sparkling. "You don't get it, do you?"
Finally, Vince had a chance to speak, and he chose not to answer his son's question. "What in the hell is she doing here?"
"I've been here for three years, Daddy. It's not like my appearance is that shocking," she told him, laughing to herself when the crowd started up again. "And the reason I'm here...is you. You see, long time ago, when I was just starting my second year of college, I got a call from Shane. He told me everything that had been happening lately, everything that I missed being in England. And he told me just how disappointed he was with you. Then Stephanie got on the phone. Well, I hadn't spoken to Steph for about what...a year or so? Since that last Christmas at the house. You remember it. Just before you told me you disowned me." The crowd started to boo and jeer at Vince, and she only cheered them on, motioning for them to get louder. When she was satisfied, she began to speak again. "Daddy, this is really all your fault. You're the one that started airing the family's dirty laundry on television. Funny enough, you never mentioned me. Well, I guess that's somewhat expected. Being the black sheep and whatnot, I could see why you wouldn't want to tell anyone how inadequate you are as a father, that you had to send your own daughter away to another country because you just couldn't handle her."
Eric Bischoff started to say something, but she quickly interrupted him. "I'll let you know when it's your turn to talk, asswipe. I'm not finished yet." Shaking her head, she stepped away from the arm that Shane had around her, making her way slowly down the ramp. Shane followed close to her. "Anyway, like I was saying, I talked to my darling older brother and sister, and they had a bit of a proposition for me. You see, they wanted to catch you off-guard. They needed the element of surprise, and really, they needed a spy. So who better than me? Shane paid for my way back to the States and he paid for me to get lessons with one of the top wrestlers in the industry...Shawn Michael's really is a sweetheart," she told him, giggling when the crowd jumped up and shouted loudly at the Heartbreak Kid's name. With a chuckle and a shrug, she climbed the stairs to the ring and slipped between the ropes, coming face to face with her father. "And just like Shane said, a little hair dye to make me a blonde instead of a brunette, a mask to hide my features, never speaking...and no one, not even Edge and Christian, knew who I was. It's amazing what a girl can learn when she keeps her mouth shut. I think I know every dirty little secret that happens backstage."
Coming closer to her father, she looked him directly in the eye. "See, Shane had this great plan all worked out. I come here, I listen, I learn, and then we use all of that information to our advantage. Now, you did speed things up when you brought Eric Bischoff out. I mean, no one expected him. There wasn't even a whisper for his appearance backstage. That was something that Shane couldn't plan for. He thought that he could use this sudden friendship of yours to his advantage. I mean, what's better than having someone go toe to toe with the enemy? But you see, there's a little hitch in Shane's plan."
She turned to face her brother, smiling at him, reaching forward to put a hand on his cheek. He gave her an odd look as she continued to grin brightly. "Shane, that little hitch of yours, well..."
Vince finished the line for her. "You thought wrong," he told his son, in his normal throaty shout.
Shea lifted her hand from his face and quickly slapped him, before backing up enough to plant her knee between his legs. Shane sagged to the ground, and she caught him before he could fall, swinging his body around for a neck breaker that had the ring shuddering with the impact. She picked herself up and laughed to herself as Vince opened his arms to his baby daughter. She fell into them, hugging him back as the crowd began to react to what had just happened. The woman forced herself not to flinch at the sudden reaction from them, not surprised at how quickly they could turn on her. Stepping out of her father's embrace, she waited until he kissed her cheek before turning to Eric and brushing her hand along his face, his arm going around her back as he pulled her towards him, kissing her in front of the crowd.
Shane had rolled out of the ring, a hand on the back of his neck as he looked at his little sister with disbelief in his dark brown eyes, unable to comprehend just what the hell she had done. Shea laughed as she pulled back from Eric, kissing him again lightly and moving out of his embrace. "What, do you think I'm an idiot like you, Shane? Please! 'Oh, let's team up and take Daddy down!' You didn't have the first clue of how to go about it, and when I called Daddy that night and let him know that his two older children were conspiring against him and I was willing to get all the dirt about to and pass it on to him, well...let's just say that I was welcomed home with open arms. For three years now, three years, you thought that I was working for you, and really, I was just playing you, pumping you for information, biding my time with those two idiot brothers, until Daddy was ready with his plan. Until he could take you down, and rip you apart. Oh, is little Shane's heart breaking at the sight of seeing his precious little sister standing next to her father? Or is the fact that for the past six months, I've been helping Eric get ready to make his debut on RAW...and sleeping with him the entire time. I always did go for the older men." At her words, Eric wrapped his arm around her, moving her closer to him. The lovers smiled at each other.
"Face it, Shane. You got screwed. And starting next week, Shea McMahon and Eric Bischoff are taking over. Get ready, because RAW? Really is going to be war." With a laugh, she dropped the microphone that she was holding, and reached up, pulling Eric's face back down to hers, kissing him as passionately as she could with her father watching, before letting go of him, both of them turning to smirk at Shane's shocked face. They stepped away from each other as Vince stood between them and grasped their wrists, raising their hands as if signifying a win.
The trio in the ring waited, smirks firmly in place, as Shane finally made his way up the ramp, giving his sister a wounded look, before disappearing behind the curtain. Vince left the ring soon after, and Eric helped Shea out, lifting her by the waist as she stood on the edge, putting her down on the ground beside him. She took his hand as they went up the ramp, the repetitive 'No Chance in Hell' ringing through their ears as they posed one last time at the top of the ramp, and then disappeared behind the stage. The woman giggled as she took off in a slow jog, her hand still entwined with Eric's, towards his rather larger dressing room.
Vince was already waiting for them there, a large grin on his face as he met the two of them in the room. "Oh, princess," he said, putting his hands on Shea's arms and dipping his head to look in her dark blue eyes. She smiled at him softly. "You don't know how proud I am of you. You did so good out there. Shane never suspected a thing until you hit him. That's my girl."
She looked down at her shoes, face flushing at his words. "Well, I learned from the best," she told him softly, before stepping away. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I really wish I could stay and talk with you more, but I'm really tired, and I'm afraid that Shane or maybe Christian or Edge might come to see me, and really, that's something that I want to avoid. Besides, I have to talk with Lita and the Hardys tonight, remember? Eric set up a meeting for us in our suite. And I kind of want to get out of this horrible outfit before they get there," she added, gesturing to the black leather pants and corset top that had become Myst's uniform.
He nodded and drew her to him again, kissing her cheek. His hand ruffled her hair from behind. "You really are my princess, Shea. I'll never forget what you've done for me these past three years, what you had to give up in order to help me. Now, you're coming back home for the weekend, right? I'm sure your mom would love to see you."
Her nose wrinkled. "Mom hates me. You know that."
"And you know how much fun that can be," Vince reminded her, giving her a look. She grinned suddenly and laughed before her father said goodbye to the two, shaking Eric's hand, leaving the two alone. Without a word, they both gathered their bags, Shea's duffel and his briefcase, before leaving the room. They didn't speak a word, only held hands as he carried both the bags and led her towards the parking garage, where there was a limo waiting to take them back to their hotel.
Shea almost froze in the hallway when she saw Christian and Chris Jericho standing against a wall, Jericho glaring at her with angry blue eyes. She paled a bit, and stepped closer to Eric when she saw the look Christian directed her way. She could feel tears rising to her eyes when she saw how hurt he looked, how confused. Jericho moved his hand onto Christian's shoulder, gesturing for the two of them to get the hell out of their sight, and they did so, Eric pulling her along by the hand quickly. She bit her lip and held herself together as she climbed into the limo, waiting until he closed the door behind them. The car took off almost immediately and she tipped her head back against the leather seat, closing her eyes.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Eric asked her softly from the seat beside her, before putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her head down to his shoulder. She sniffled and rested her cheek against his leather jacket. "I'm sorry, Shea. I didn't- I mean, when we agreed to this, I didn't think there was anything happening between you and Christian."
She laughed coldly. "I told him he would hate me, Eric. And he does. I want to tell him and make him understand that I love him, and only him, but...he wouldn't listen even if I tried. That's why I left Trish with them. I just...Jericho I can handle. He's in on this. He knows everything that's going on, but Christian. He's so hurt."
Eric Bischoff smiled at the young girl resting against him, rubbing her bare arm slowly. "It won't be long before we put Vince in his place, and you can go back to him." Nudging her up, he slipped off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, tapping her on her cheek with his finger. "He loves you, Shea. He's not going to give up on you, and when he learns why you did what you did-"
A third voice interrupted them from across on the other seat, and reached out to take Shea's hand. "Trust me, little girl. Dad's not gonna know what hit him," Shane McMahon told her with a comforting smile, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.
No, Vince didn't have any idea what was really going on.
Next Chapter >> Chapter Four
Previous Chapter << Chapter Two
Author - Callaphera
Rating - R for language, adult situations and language
Pairing - Christian/OC, Chris Jericho/Trish
Disclaimer - I own all original characters. Recognized characters are owned by the WW(F)E. Don't steal, don't sue.
Author's Note - The story takes place in 2002. Enjoy and lemme know what you think!
She met up with Trish Stratus fifteen minutes before the show was to begin to air live. She had seen her in the hallway and tapped the blonde woman on the shoulder, accepting the bright smile and cheery hello, before motioning to an empty room. Trish followed her there, watching as Shea turned on the light and closed the door. "Sorry to just grab you like that, but it's time for you to go sit with the team you're now going to be valet for," Shea said quietly, smiling a little at the shorter woman.
Trish's eyes lit up suddenly, and her face broke into a wide grin. "Oh, my God, you have a gorgeous voice," she murmured, laughing softly. "I'm sorry, it's just that I've never actually heard you speak, and well, it's nothing like I figured it to be." She cocked her head to the side and laid her hand on Shea's arm, her happy expression slipping away. "This isn't easy for you, is it? I mean, you've been with Edge and Christian since the very beginning and-"
Shea cleared her throat, breaking her off. "I'm gonna let you in on a few secrets before you go over there. Edge can be a real baby when he's injured. If it gets to be too much one night, just mention the word 'diapers', and he'll shut the hell up. When he's tired, he has a habit of using females for pillows, more specifically, their lap. It's mainly just so someone will play with his hair. It'll knock him right out, and then Christian will wake him up, and he'll make his way to whatever closest bed there is. Doesn't matter if it's his or not." She chuckled suddenly, and it didn't sound a bit like the recorded chuckle they were all used to hearing. "Christian...he likes to watch the news in the evening. Unless he's really tired or hurt, no matter where he is, he'll watch the eleven o'clock news. If we're on the West coast, it'll be CNN for an hour after he gets back to the hotel room. He's always misplacing his reading glasses, so it's just better if you keep them in your purse. That way he doesn't have to tear through his bags to find them. He's a bit of a neat freak, likes things in their proper places. Edge is only neat when it comes to writing stuff down. He has a great filing system. Both of them are completely computer inept, so I hope you're good with them."
Trish nodded. "Yeah, I know my way around a computer all right. Myst, you don't have to-"
"My name is Shea, everyone will learn that tonight, and Christian calls me by that name now, so don't be surprised if you hear it tonight, before...everything. Anyway, usually, Christian takes care of the plane tickets, Edge takes care of the rental cars, and I book the hotel rooms. They always prefer to have two adjoining rooms, so that they can always be in close contact with me- you, now. That won't change. I left a notebook in their locker room with all the details of the usual hotels that we book at, the phone numbers, and the like. It's not that expensive, but it's not exactly cheap, either. Neither of them likes room service, by the way. They'd much rather find a 7-11 somewhere, if it's really late, and just buy a couple of sandwiches. But they're both really good cooks, especially Christian. He loves food, period. Edge adores popcorn, so you might want to get used to that, too."
The short blonde Canadian smiled for Shea's benefit, rubbing her arm when she heard her voice break towards the end. "Anything else?"
"Um...coffee. Christian likes dark chocolate mochas when he's on the road. He likes sweet, but not too sweet. They both drink their coffee black. Um, Edge will drink anything that catches his fancy, usually something cold, but he has a habit of ordering for me. Don't try to get him to make it non-fat or anything like that, he just won't remember. The three of us share the driving on the road, and whoever is in the passenger seat gets to pick the music. Bring some CDs with you, or else you'll get completely screwed. Person in the back usually sleeps; they always bring a pillow and blanket with them for that matter. And they're both gentlemen, so don't be offended by anything they do. They like to carry bags, open doors, give you their jackets if you so much as think of shivering. Get used to it. They're sweethearts. If you treat them right, they'll treat you like a princess."
"Are they okay with me walking out with them?"
She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yes and no. They understand why I want someone else with them, and really, there's no one that I trust more than you. Same goes for them. They're happy that you said yes, but they don't want me to go. Give them a little while, and they'll be fine. Now, you talked with Chris, right?"
The woman blushed a bit, before she nodded again, her blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders. "Yeah, he explained everything to me. I don't quite understand everything that's going on, but I know what you're doing, and I think it's the right thing. You're a lot braver than I am, My...Shea. Wow, that's such a pretty name. Anyway, we worked everything out. Don't worry, everything is arranged on our end."
"Good. God, I don't know why I'm rambling on and on like this. I wrote all of this down for you. And it's not like they're going to expect you to move in with them. But, thankfully, you live in Tampa, and they really like hanging out on their off time with whoever they work with. Quite often, they go over and visit Jericho, so you know, get used to that. They're social butterflies, unlike me. They'll probably love that about you."
"It's okay, I can completely understand. Don't worry about them; I'll do the best I can."
Shea laughed suddenly and sniffled when she felt tears come to her eyes. "I don't want to leave them, Trish, I really don't. I love them like...they've been such great friends to me, and Edge really is like an older brother, and Christian, he's-"
Trish held up a hand, stopping her. "You're in love with him, I know. I knew it when you sent me back that email. Does he know?" At Shea's nod, she sighed. "I'll keep an eye on him, make sure he's okay. I know that you don't want to hurt him. And I know that you're going to tell me that if I hurt either of them, you'll make me regret the day I was born. Okay? We're completely understood on that. But, I really have to thank you. I know that you don't want to do this, but this is a great opportunity for me. I never thought that I would get to walk out with the best tag team in the company. And don't worry, I can take Lita. The redheaded little bitch isn't going to get anywhere near them."
"Good," she whispered, before hugging Trish quickly. "Enjoy them. They're great guys. And they already think the world of you." She smiled and let the woman go. "They're waiting for you in their locker room. They'll expect you to share with them. They'll leave when you want to change, so just don't worry about that." She handed her a plane ticket and keycard to a nearby hotel. "This is for the next flight and your room. We typically book a few weeks in advance, so Edge has the rest of your tickets with him in his bag. Don't forget to get them, because he will. Forget, I mean. I'll call you in a few days, okay?"
The two blonde women nodded at each other and shared a final smile, before Trish slipped out of the door and down the hallway, clutching the plane ticket and keycard in her hand, her duffel bag thrown over her shoulder. She made her way to the locker room with Edge, Christian, and Myst's names on the door, knocking on it. It opened almost immediately, and she smiled up at Edge, watching as his shoulders fell a bit. "Sorry, I know you were hoping it was someone else," she said quietly, as he opened the door to let her in. She stepped in and looked around. Between the two large bags on a nearby table, she saw a brand new notebook sitting there, with her name scrawled on the cover. "It's okay, you don't have to pretend. I know that you don't want her to leave, but really, this is just a temporary situation, until she comes back, right? I'm mainly here for Lita and to make sure that you two always have clean socks."
The taller of the brothers smiled at that and laughed a bit. "Thanks, Trish."
She shrugged, putting her bag down between theirs, over the notebook. "Hey, I understand. Shea and I have been talking a lot lately, and she's been filling me in on all of your embarrassing little habits and stuff. Is...Is Christian taking this okay? I know that the two of them have been rather close lately."
"Inseparable is more like it," he told her, running a hand through his hair. "He's not really talking all that much. I think he's regretting the fact that he never...you know...said anything to her before this. He's taking this really hard. I'm kind of worried about him."
Trish surprised him as she raised herself up on her heeled boots, wrapping her arms around his neck. He breathed in sharply, noticing the difference in the two women. You could tell that Shea was a wrestler, not that she was overly muscular, but you could feel the strength in her arms. Trish, on the other hand, seemed all woman, soft and delicate, but he knew enough from watching her that she could be a little hell-cat in the ring. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head until his forehead resting on her shoulder, closing his eyes. "Christian will be fine, Edge. He's a really strong guy, and I know it seems like it's all falling apart around you, and I know that I'll never be able to replace her, so I'm not going to try. But please know that I'm here for you if you need me." She ran a hand over his wavy hair as he tightened his hold on her briefly. "Everyone's so concerned about Christian, and I can understand why, but how are you dealing with this?"
His voice was muffled against her shoulder, but she still heard him loud and clear. "She's my little sister. I don't want her to go," he said softly, cursing the fact that he was getting emotional about this. "And I don't want to hate her, like she keeps saying we're going to."
"Then don't," she said comfortingly, now rubbing her hand up and down his muscular back. "Know that whatever she's doing, inside, she's still the same Shea that you've been around for three years, and remember: not everything is what it seems to be. Trust her."
They all knew from experience that cameras were everywhere backstage once the show began, and you never knew just when you were going to be caught doing something live. It was because of that reason that there were no more clandestine meetings with Shea once the show began. Instead, the foursome met in the hallway for a final goodbye. Christian had already met her before, in the same room that she had spoken to Trish in, and they had a private goodbye. She had kept him there long enough to wash the evidence of the tears off his face before taking him by the hand and leading him out to where Trish and Edge were supposed to meet them.
The four of them stood in the hallway, smiling awkwardly at each other for a moment, before Trish broke the silence, her shoulders moving up and down with a sigh. "I guess this is it, huh?" she asked, looking directly at the masked valet. She nodded silently, thankful for Christian's hand on her lower back. If there was anything she needed at that very moment, it was support. Shea's eyes flicked from person to person for a moment before she stepped forward and placed her hand on the side of Edge's face, her head cocked to the side as he regarded her silently.
Finally, the tall man smiled for her and nodded. "Good luck," he told her quietly, bending down to kiss her cheek. Her hand slipped away from his face when he moved and instead, landed on his shoulder, bringing him to her in a tight hug. Letting go of him, she turned to Christian and smiled for his benefit, raising herself to kiss his cheek quickly, not wanting the scene to get emotional. Finally, she looked at Trish and let her lips curve into a bit of a smile, reaching forward to embrace the young woman.
When she let her go, she stepped forward and watched as Trish walked between the two men, linking one of her arms through one of Edge's with a bright smile. "Don't worry, hon. I'll take good care of them, and-" She broke off when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly let go of the taller man, pushing Shea against the wall and sticking her foot out at the same time, watching as the redheaded woman tripped over it and sprawled to the floor. "Damn, do you have to try and ruin everything?" she exclaimed, looking down at Lita. "Can you not tell when someone is trying to have a private moment? How do you put up with her?" she finally asked, her eyes going to Shea. The masked valet simply shrugged with a look of amusement as the redhead glared up at them.
Together, the two women hauled Lita to her feet and threw her into a nearby room, ignoring the shouts of protest from whatever wrestler was changing into his tights, pulling the door shut with a bang, Trish giggling. The door opened almost immediately, and Lita was thrown back out, before Chris Jericho popped his head out the door, laughing, his blue eyes twinkling at the women. "Thanks, but it isn't my birthday. Maybe next month," he told them, closing the door.
Trish giggled again, a hand covering her mouth as she walked back to Edge and Christian, taking Christian by the wrist. With a cheery wave at Shea, she started down the hallway and towards her new dressing room with her new tag team, Shea stepping over the redhead with a nasty look and a kick, before heading off in the other direction.
Much like they had figured, they had been caught on camera, and now the whole world knew that Trish was replacing Myst, and the unmasking was really about to begin.
It was almost towards the end of the show when someone knocked on her dressing room door, letting her know it was time. Shea knew that she didn't have to worry about the redhead interrupting her at any time; Edge and Christian had fought a grudge match against the Hardys, and both Trish and Lita had been at ringside. Lita had been used to fighting against the high-flying, flashy Myst, but she certainly wasn't used to the mat work of Trish Stratus. Trish had used it to her advantage and cleaned the redhead's clock. In fact, as far as Shea knew, Lita was still getting looked over the medical staff, probably waiting for the numbing shot to kick in so she could get stitches in her forehead. Trish had grinned wickedly when she saw that she had busted the redhead open and kept her from interfering in the tag match, and when Edge and Christian won, she climbed into the ring and held their hands up, much like Myst always did, solidifying their new relationship.
Myst watched as the three men in the ring, one of which had been a total surprise to the audience, were arguing, before she slipped out of her room and made her way to the curtain, nodding at one of the technicians. At just the right time, the lights went out in the arena, and like her first appearance, her laugh was piped over the sound system. She slipped out in the darkness and made her way to the top of the ramp, feeling a hand rest on her back reassuringly. She nodded and handed over the microphone she was clutching in her hand, as the lights came back up briefly to show her standing there, her smirk firmly planted on her face. One of the men in the ring, Eric Bischoff, started to spout off to her, letting her know that she wasn't welcome here, that he didn't give a crap if she was supposed to take her mask off or not. She simply cocked her head to the side and smirked again when his microphone was cut off.
The crowd had been on their feet, screaming their approval for her, as the lights went out again. The cheers only seemed to get louder as they realized what was about to happen. She took a deep breath and quickly untied her mask, throwing it down at her feet and taking the microphone back from the man beside her. Raising it to her lips, she said her first words ever on television. "Hello," she said in her normal, cheery voice, as the lights blazed back up. The crowd was jumping up and down, fists in the air, yelling and shouting for her when they realized that she was unmasked, and a camera was directly focused on her face. Her eyes went to the ring and locked onto the other man's, before smiling brightly. "Daddy," she finished.
She turned her head and looked over at her older brother, Shane McMahon, as he winked at her, smirking in his dad's direction. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing his baby sister towards him, raising the microphone he was holding. The camera focused on the two of them, side by side, and the large screen behind them reflected their faces. For the first time, people began to realize just how similar their smirks were. "Didn't recognize her, did you?" he asked, over the shouting crowd. They calmed down when he began to speak. "Your daughter of twenty three years, and you didn't even know she was here. A little hair dye, a little leather mask...and little Shea McMahon became Myst." She turned her head and grinned at her big brother, eyes sparkling. "You don't get it, do you?"
Finally, Vince had a chance to speak, and he chose not to answer his son's question. "What in the hell is she doing here?"
"I've been here for three years, Daddy. It's not like my appearance is that shocking," she told him, laughing to herself when the crowd started up again. "And the reason I'm here...is you. You see, long time ago, when I was just starting my second year of college, I got a call from Shane. He told me everything that had been happening lately, everything that I missed being in England. And he told me just how disappointed he was with you. Then Stephanie got on the phone. Well, I hadn't spoken to Steph for about what...a year or so? Since that last Christmas at the house. You remember it. Just before you told me you disowned me." The crowd started to boo and jeer at Vince, and she only cheered them on, motioning for them to get louder. When she was satisfied, she began to speak again. "Daddy, this is really all your fault. You're the one that started airing the family's dirty laundry on television. Funny enough, you never mentioned me. Well, I guess that's somewhat expected. Being the black sheep and whatnot, I could see why you wouldn't want to tell anyone how inadequate you are as a father, that you had to send your own daughter away to another country because you just couldn't handle her."
Eric Bischoff started to say something, but she quickly interrupted him. "I'll let you know when it's your turn to talk, asswipe. I'm not finished yet." Shaking her head, she stepped away from the arm that Shane had around her, making her way slowly down the ramp. Shane followed close to her. "Anyway, like I was saying, I talked to my darling older brother and sister, and they had a bit of a proposition for me. You see, they wanted to catch you off-guard. They needed the element of surprise, and really, they needed a spy. So who better than me? Shane paid for my way back to the States and he paid for me to get lessons with one of the top wrestlers in the industry...Shawn Michael's really is a sweetheart," she told him, giggling when the crowd jumped up and shouted loudly at the Heartbreak Kid's name. With a chuckle and a shrug, she climbed the stairs to the ring and slipped between the ropes, coming face to face with her father. "And just like Shane said, a little hair dye to make me a blonde instead of a brunette, a mask to hide my features, never speaking...and no one, not even Edge and Christian, knew who I was. It's amazing what a girl can learn when she keeps her mouth shut. I think I know every dirty little secret that happens backstage."
Coming closer to her father, she looked him directly in the eye. "See, Shane had this great plan all worked out. I come here, I listen, I learn, and then we use all of that information to our advantage. Now, you did speed things up when you brought Eric Bischoff out. I mean, no one expected him. There wasn't even a whisper for his appearance backstage. That was something that Shane couldn't plan for. He thought that he could use this sudden friendship of yours to his advantage. I mean, what's better than having someone go toe to toe with the enemy? But you see, there's a little hitch in Shane's plan."
She turned to face her brother, smiling at him, reaching forward to put a hand on his cheek. He gave her an odd look as she continued to grin brightly. "Shane, that little hitch of yours, well..."
Vince finished the line for her. "You thought wrong," he told his son, in his normal throaty shout.
Shea lifted her hand from his face and quickly slapped him, before backing up enough to plant her knee between his legs. Shane sagged to the ground, and she caught him before he could fall, swinging his body around for a neck breaker that had the ring shuddering with the impact. She picked herself up and laughed to herself as Vince opened his arms to his baby daughter. She fell into them, hugging him back as the crowd began to react to what had just happened. The woman forced herself not to flinch at the sudden reaction from them, not surprised at how quickly they could turn on her. Stepping out of her father's embrace, she waited until he kissed her cheek before turning to Eric and brushing her hand along his face, his arm going around her back as he pulled her towards him, kissing her in front of the crowd.
Shane had rolled out of the ring, a hand on the back of his neck as he looked at his little sister with disbelief in his dark brown eyes, unable to comprehend just what the hell she had done. Shea laughed as she pulled back from Eric, kissing him again lightly and moving out of his embrace. "What, do you think I'm an idiot like you, Shane? Please! 'Oh, let's team up and take Daddy down!' You didn't have the first clue of how to go about it, and when I called Daddy that night and let him know that his two older children were conspiring against him and I was willing to get all the dirt about to and pass it on to him, well...let's just say that I was welcomed home with open arms. For three years now, three years, you thought that I was working for you, and really, I was just playing you, pumping you for information, biding my time with those two idiot brothers, until Daddy was ready with his plan. Until he could take you down, and rip you apart. Oh, is little Shane's heart breaking at the sight of seeing his precious little sister standing next to her father? Or is the fact that for the past six months, I've been helping Eric get ready to make his debut on RAW...and sleeping with him the entire time. I always did go for the older men." At her words, Eric wrapped his arm around her, moving her closer to him. The lovers smiled at each other.
"Face it, Shane. You got screwed. And starting next week, Shea McMahon and Eric Bischoff are taking over. Get ready, because RAW? Really is going to be war." With a laugh, she dropped the microphone that she was holding, and reached up, pulling Eric's face back down to hers, kissing him as passionately as she could with her father watching, before letting go of him, both of them turning to smirk at Shane's shocked face. They stepped away from each other as Vince stood between them and grasped their wrists, raising their hands as if signifying a win.
The trio in the ring waited, smirks firmly in place, as Shane finally made his way up the ramp, giving his sister a wounded look, before disappearing behind the curtain. Vince left the ring soon after, and Eric helped Shea out, lifting her by the waist as she stood on the edge, putting her down on the ground beside him. She took his hand as they went up the ramp, the repetitive 'No Chance in Hell' ringing through their ears as they posed one last time at the top of the ramp, and then disappeared behind the stage. The woman giggled as she took off in a slow jog, her hand still entwined with Eric's, towards his rather larger dressing room.
Vince was already waiting for them there, a large grin on his face as he met the two of them in the room. "Oh, princess," he said, putting his hands on Shea's arms and dipping his head to look in her dark blue eyes. She smiled at him softly. "You don't know how proud I am of you. You did so good out there. Shane never suspected a thing until you hit him. That's my girl."
She looked down at her shoes, face flushing at his words. "Well, I learned from the best," she told him softly, before stepping away. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I really wish I could stay and talk with you more, but I'm really tired, and I'm afraid that Shane or maybe Christian or Edge might come to see me, and really, that's something that I want to avoid. Besides, I have to talk with Lita and the Hardys tonight, remember? Eric set up a meeting for us in our suite. And I kind of want to get out of this horrible outfit before they get there," she added, gesturing to the black leather pants and corset top that had become Myst's uniform.
He nodded and drew her to him again, kissing her cheek. His hand ruffled her hair from behind. "You really are my princess, Shea. I'll never forget what you've done for me these past three years, what you had to give up in order to help me. Now, you're coming back home for the weekend, right? I'm sure your mom would love to see you."
Her nose wrinkled. "Mom hates me. You know that."
"And you know how much fun that can be," Vince reminded her, giving her a look. She grinned suddenly and laughed before her father said goodbye to the two, shaking Eric's hand, leaving the two alone. Without a word, they both gathered their bags, Shea's duffel and his briefcase, before leaving the room. They didn't speak a word, only held hands as he carried both the bags and led her towards the parking garage, where there was a limo waiting to take them back to their hotel.
Shea almost froze in the hallway when she saw Christian and Chris Jericho standing against a wall, Jericho glaring at her with angry blue eyes. She paled a bit, and stepped closer to Eric when she saw the look Christian directed her way. She could feel tears rising to her eyes when she saw how hurt he looked, how confused. Jericho moved his hand onto Christian's shoulder, gesturing for the two of them to get the hell out of their sight, and they did so, Eric pulling her along by the hand quickly. She bit her lip and held herself together as she climbed into the limo, waiting until he closed the door behind them. The car took off almost immediately and she tipped her head back against the leather seat, closing her eyes.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Eric asked her softly from the seat beside her, before putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her head down to his shoulder. She sniffled and rested her cheek against his leather jacket. "I'm sorry, Shea. I didn't- I mean, when we agreed to this, I didn't think there was anything happening between you and Christian."
She laughed coldly. "I told him he would hate me, Eric. And he does. I want to tell him and make him understand that I love him, and only him, but...he wouldn't listen even if I tried. That's why I left Trish with them. I just...Jericho I can handle. He's in on this. He knows everything that's going on, but Christian. He's so hurt."
Eric Bischoff smiled at the young girl resting against him, rubbing her bare arm slowly. "It won't be long before we put Vince in his place, and you can go back to him." Nudging her up, he slipped off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, tapping her on her cheek with his finger. "He loves you, Shea. He's not going to give up on you, and when he learns why you did what you did-"
A third voice interrupted them from across on the other seat, and reached out to take Shea's hand. "Trust me, little girl. Dad's not gonna know what hit him," Shane McMahon told her with a comforting smile, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.
No, Vince didn't have any idea what was really going on.
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