Full Circle

Chapter 1

Cleveland, Ohio.

Grey eyes looked up at the Gund Arena, narrowing slightly, not believing she was actually here.  Harley breathed in the fresh air, remembering what her best friend, Paul Wight, had told her on the phone when he first signed with the World Wrestling Federation.  It was like going from black and white to color because of how well things were organized in the company.  Harley headed inside, flashing her backstage pass to the security guards, and nodded when they allowed her inside. 

She wore skinny blue jeans and a black tank top, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, black shades on top of her head and black boots on her feet.  One person in particular was on her mind to find and Harley smirked, knowing he had no idea she was coming for a special visit.  It took her about twenty minutes; the man wasn't hard to find being nearly five hundred pounds and well over seven feet tall.

“Well if it isn't The Giant.” She called from behind, causing him to freeze and smirked as he slowly turned around to face her.

He knew that voice anywhere, a slow smile spreading on his lips.  Paul was absolutely floored at the sight of the only woman, to his knowledge, that he considered a close friend.  Hell, she was his best friend.  A moment later, he scooped her up into a massive bear hug, only putting her down when he heard her back pop.

“Well if it isn’t short shit.” His smile turned into a grin, not believing she was standing before him.  They’d talked recently and Harley hadn’t mentioned she was coming for a visit. “I don’t go by the Giant anymore, its Show now.”

“Duh I know that, I figured that'd get your attention though.” Harley grinned, used to Paul's huge hugs, feeling her feet leave the ground again when he gave her another one. “How the hell you been big guy?” She asked, having been one of his best friends in the world of WCW, before he jumped ship to the WWF. 

Harley didn't blame him, the atmosphere was so much better.  Chris Irvine had been right, which was another friend of hers –fans knew him better as Y2J Chris Jericho and he’d just recently debuted in the company-, and Harley couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he saw her.  Just that shocked look alone would make the entire trip here more than worth it, though Paul’s expression was priceless too.

“I’ve been good, real good.” Paul replied, gently setting her on her feet, always being careful because of his size and sheer power.  Paul could easily hurt her with a pinky if he wanted to, which is why he was always cautious around women, especially Harley.  He draped an arm around her shoulder, still not believing she was here, and guided her down the hallway of the arena. “This place is so much better than the shithole.” He referred the WCW as the shithole, refusing point blank to call it anything else. “I’m happy here, less shit to worry about and I’m actually respected.”

Harley nodded, walking with him slowly, knowing how badly Paul was treated in the WCW.

The main thing about WCW was they refused to push new stars – Paul had been new when he debuted as The Giant-, and they never gave him the star power like Hogan, Kevin Nash or Scott Hall received.  The WWF, on the other hand, was giving him the chance to work with a true legend, which Paul was very excited about.  They were actually giving him what WCW never could, real star power, and allowing him to showcase his talent in the ring.

“What about you?  What are you doing here anyway, Har?”

Harley had that patent smirk on her lips, that Paul knew too well, both of them stopping as she stared up into his eyes. “I thought you'd never ask.  It just so happens that Vince McMahon called me up, heard about my fall out with WCW, and I'm here to sign my new contract.” She squealed out when Paul lifted her up over his shoulder, which was a long way down if he dropped her, laughing as he spun her around a few times. “Put me down you big oaf!”

“Why should I, short shit?” He grinned, chuckling softly, and slapped her thigh very lightly when she began wiggling.  A hard slap from him would and could easily leave a serious bruise, which is not what Paul wanted. “I’m giving you a free ride to the boss, aren’t I nice?” He teased, only letting her down when she began yanking on his ponytail, scowling. “That’s not fair, Harley.”

“I don't play fair, Wight, or have you forgotten that?” Harley laughed when he rolled his eyes and felt her feet hit the cement flooring moments later, not able to wipe the smile from her face. “If you would be so kind to guide me in the right direction, I'll go sign the dotted line and make it official.” She winked when he chuckled, having truly missed Paul.

“Down that way, last door on the left.” Paul instructed while pointing in the right direction, shaking his head. “You’ll never change, Harley, you know that?” Laughing softly, he patted her on the head very gently before heading off to find his current tag-team partner, needing to meet up with him to discuss a few things.

His current tag-team partner was none other than The Phenom, The Undertaker.  Paul was very humbled to be working with him.  Taker had been in the company for nearly nine years and was an in-ring general, constantly pushing Paul to his limits, forcing him to show his true potential.  Their current group was called the Unholy Alliance; Taker had recently finished a storyline involving the McMahon family, needing a change of pace. 

Bill Moody –fans knew him around the world as Undertaker’s manager, Paul Bearer- was the faction’s manager, though he only listened to Taker.  Paul wondered what they’d be doing tonight, whistling happily under his breath, having a feeling Taker was going to put him through the ropes again.  He was ready for it though; any time Paul stepped foot in the ring with Taker –on TV or off- was an absolute honor and privilege.

Harley watched him go before heading down the hallway to find Vince McMahon's office, which wasn't hard.  People were looking at her funny, wondering exactly why she was here, though she did manage to run into a few more ex-WCW superstars.  She waved to them, promising to catch up later on, and finally found the boss's door.  Knocking on it three times, Harley heard a 'come in', and took a deep breath before entering with a smile on her face. 

Vince saw her and instantly hung up the phone, extending his hand with a smile of his own, Harley taking it. “You must be the lovely Harley.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McMahon.”

“Please call me Vince, Harley; we’re not formal around here.” He said jovially, shaking her hand enthusiastically before releasing it, gesturing to the chair that was in front of his huge desk, sitting down after she did. “Did you find my office alright?” He asked politely, pulling a manila envelope from a stack of papers he’d currently been looking over, beginning to open it. “I apologize for us having to meet here like this, but I’m currently in a storyline and it’s just easier this way.”

“Yes I did.”

Smiling, Harley watched as he pulled out what could only be one thing, her contract, exhaling shakily because she was finally in color.  This wasn't black and white anymore, it wasn't wrestlers being paid ridiculous amount of money for no reason whatsoever, even when they weren't on television.  This was the real deal, the big leagues, and Harley knew she was more than capable of living up to the expectations.

Vince cleared his throat, swiping his tongue over his thumb to spread the papers apart. “As you know, we usually do contracts on trail basis.  You perform, travel and basically see how well you do with the company.  If there are any concerns on either party's behalf, meaning yours or mine -come actual contract signing time- we discuss them and see if they can be settled.  That option comes with pay; of course, not as much as you'd make with an actual contract, but still a substantial figure.” Vince explained, showing her the contract. “This is the 'trial' contract and then I have a solid contract.  Once you sign it, you're locked in.” He warned with caution, having had problems before with his newer superstars. “There is no renegotiating, all very clear cut.  The downside to that is...anything you don't like isn't really open to change; unless it's an extreme situation, but the bright side...you will ALWAYS know where you stand.” This should’ve been a nice change of pace, considering she had just come from the chaotic WCW, where everything seemed to be jumbled and uncertain, contracts or not. “You can decide which one you want to sign tonight and we’ll go from there.”

“I have to be honest with you, Vince, being here is a little surreal for me.  I never thought I would actually get the opportunity to be here.  My friends Paul Wight and Chris Irvine came here and told me it was like walking into color.” She said, smiling at the memory of hearing how excited Paul and Chris were to be in the WWF. “WCW was black and white and the WWF was color to them.  I can honestly say that I fully agree, so I want to be locked in.”

Harley looked over both contracts, reading them thoroughly, her grey eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  She didn’t want to be surprised by anything, never signing on the dotted line without making absolutely sure she agreed with every term in the contract.  Knowing this would be completely different from WCW, where sometimes they didn't even know what was going on until five minutes before a segment.  Without a second thought, Harley signed the real deal, locking her in for the next four years with the WWF, grey eyes lit up.

“Is that it?”

“That’ll do it.” Vince chuckled at her enthusiasm, pleased with her assessment with his company, which was very similar to how Chris and Paul had acted when they first signed their contracts.  Chris was now being pushed on television, enjoying himself in a capacity he had never been given a chance to explore in WCW. “Now we’ll go meet with the creative team and see if they have something for you to start on.  Of course, your input is appreciated because this is your career and character that you’re building.  There will be nothing tonight; obviously, we’ll just do some brainstorming.  Again, I stress this Harley; if you don’t like an idea that’s suggested, please let us know.”

Harley nodded, acknowledging that she understood what the boss was saying, and followed him out of his office toward the creative team area.  Most of them were really nice, especially Shane McMahon, Vince’s son.  The McMahon family wasn’t anywhere near as dysfunctional as they portrayed on television, which Harley expected. 

They seemed all really nice and it was very different because not one single person uttered the word ‘ratings’ unless Bischoff did countless times in WCW.  That’s all the man cared about was beating the WWF in ratings, which is why they were currently having their asses handed to them.  WCW was going to fall and Harley could only pray she was around when that time happened, ready to throw the biggest celebration at the shithole’s demise.

After talking over with the creative team about her character, they decided her first match would be on Raw Is War the following Monday, wanting to see if she could hack it in the ring against Ivory –her real name was Lisa Moretti.  It was also going to be a hardcore match, which she didn’t mind at all.  Harley was a huge star in WCW, being the valet of Kevin Nash, but never got to truly showcase her wrestling ability in the ring because Bischoff was too busy wanting her to sell sex.  Harley couldn't be happier; she was finally getting a chance to showcase her true skills that WCW flat out refused to give her.  She walked down the hallway with the biggest smile on her face, wondering where Paul was, and saw him standing outside a dressing room door.

“Hey big guy, I've been looking for you.” Before Paul could respond, the door opened as none other than The Undertaker stepped out, followed by Bill.  Even Harley knew who this man was and she tried not looking intimidated, but that was really hard to do. “Call me later, Paul, okay?” Harley walked away, not wanting to bother him right now, not realizing he'd been in an angle with such a legend.

Paul glanced over his shoulder, waving at her retreating form and nodded, turning his full attention back on Taker.  They walked side by side down the hallway and Paul kept his head up, knowing he was a truly a giant.  Considering that Taker was a cornerstone in this business, Paul truly felt honored at being chosen to do this angle with him.

“Ring rat?” Taker asked, sounding mildly interested, raising a slow black eyebrow.

“Uh no…she’s a friend of mine.”

Taker snorted as he squared his shoulders, not caring about Paul’s ring rat ‘friend’, getting down to pure business.  Rolling his neck back and forth, Taker knew they had to run over some moves that Paul hadn’t nailed down yet.  This man had a lot of potential, especially given his size, but was also very much a rookie at heart.  Taker wanted to break him of that, having told him to get his head out of his ass several times. 

Taker did not have patience for anyone who did not want to learn from him, even if he was crude and tough.  Being in the ring was not a game, Taker took great pride in what he did for a living and refused to allow any storyline he was in to be ruined.  He’d handpicked Paul because he knew they could dominate the WWF with ease due to their size…that was if Paul listened and learned. 

They proceeded to practice for several hours, Paul getting winded several times. “You need to increase your stamina in the ring or you will be eaten alive.” He said evenly, green eyes narrowed, doing another elbow tie-up with the big man, hearing him breathing heavily. “You’re going on a diet.”

“What?” Paul asked, somewhat dazed from several punches to the skull Taker delivered, blinking.

“Open your goddamn ears.” Taker grunted, clearly not amused, glancing over at Bill who was reading some kind of magazine. “You’re going on a diet, Show.  Until your stamina is increased and you can actually hack it in the ring with me, you will remain on this diet.” He flipped over the top rope, landing like a cat with incredible agility, and headed to the back with Bill following suit.

Paul just stared after the Phenom, rubbing his stomach, frowning.

Chapter 2

The house shows were completely different in WWF than WCW and Vince decided to give Harley the chance to prove her worth for the upcoming hardcore match against Lisa.  She was currently in the ring with Jacqueline, one of the toughest WWF Divas in the company to date.  The woman had a body that was both beautiful and muscular; Harley truly admired her for it.

Harley landed with ease as Jacqueline back dropped her on the mat, not even flinching, and kept getting back up every time she was flipped on her back.  She finally began bouncing off the ropes, doing drills with Jacqueline left and right, even diving off the top rope and landing on her stomach. 

Without Kevin knowing, Harley had conditioned her body to wrestle in the upcoming months of her release from WCW, especially since it happened right after they broke up.  Three years wasted on that piece of shit, Harley couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been to actually sleep with the man she valeted to the ring.  Being under the wing of Kevin Nash, Harley did have opportunity and stroke, though it was never enough for her.  Sometimes she felt as though she dishes pussy out in order to get what she wanted in the WCW, even though the only man she’d ever had sex with was Kevin.

Now she finally felt like she belonged somewhere and felt like she could really have a great wrestling career in the WWF.  Harley did not wince when Jacqueline gave her a dropkick, ordering her to do it.  Neither woman noticed Paul walking down the ramp way with the Phenom as she delivered a high dropkick, nailing it perfectly.

Jacqueline was a qualified and certified trainer for the WWF, Vince having asked her to give the new female wrestler a run-through on the ropes, just to see where she stood as they had two possible angles for her.  If she had talent in the ring, Harley would become a wrestler.  If she didn’t, they’d stick her in somewhere as a valet while she got the training necessary to compete correctly in the ring.  As it was, Jacqueline saw some areas that needed to be worked on, but for the most part, Harley was good and solid, definitely not afraid to learn what she needed in order to make it in this business and to hang with the WWF women wrestlers.

Paul was beaming from ear to ear at his best friend, wondering where the hell she learned how to wrestle like this. “Go Harley!” He called out encouragingly, hoping he hadn’t broken her concentration.

Taker simply arched an eyebrow, watching the ring intently.

“Okay that's it for today.  You need to work on your landing a little more, but other than that honey, welcome to the family.” Jacqueline shook her hand and walked away, pouring water over her head because this new girl had given her a fun for her money.

“Thanks.” Harley rolled out of the ring, wearing black cotton shorts and a black sports bra, having a body most of the Divas would kill for.  She had a black bandana over her head as she slipped it off, wiping the sweat from her forehead, smiling when Paul rushed up to her. “Were you watching me, Wight?” She laughed when he nodded, shrugging because he looked stunned at what she could do in the ring. “My god that felt AMAZING!  I can't wait for my debut on Monday!”

“You’re going to be awesome.  Where the hell did you learn how to wrestle?” He couldn’t help asking the earlier question he’d asked himself, staring down at her with new admiration. “And do you know what you’ll be doing yet?”

Before Harley could answer, Taker decided to put his two cents in. “Flashing tits and shaking ass.  We have work to do, Show.” He stated coldly, giving Harley a blatant once over before heading to the ring.

Paul had turned three shades of red, clearing his throat. “He’s not really…friendly.” He wasn’t sure that was the word to use, but it was the best he could come up with right now.

Taker’s mind wasn’t on choreographing his upcoming tag-team match with Paul so much as the new…attraction that graced the WWF world.  He wondered briefly if Paul was ever going to stop talking under his breath to himself, inwardly sneering.  Women were usually good for two things and only excelled at one in his mind…Taker shook himself mentally and got back to the task at hand.

“It's fine, I've heard much worse from Kevin.” Harley shrugged nonchalantly, winking, refusing to let someone's sour mood affect hers. “Go on, we'll talk later big guy.”

Heading up the ramp way, Harley desperately needed a shower after nearly a four hour training session with Jacqueline.  After a quick shower, Harley changed into a pair blue jean shorts and red tank top with white sneakers.  She left her hair left down as it wrapped around her waist, heading to catering for something to eat.

“They’re letting anyone in here these days!” A jovial voice sounded behind Harley, causing her to slowly turn around, staring into the sparkling blue eyes of none other than Chris Irvine.  He smirked when she shot him a dirty look, holding his hands up. “Oh chill out, baby, you know I’m teasing you.”

“Uh huh, keeping talking like that and I'll tell you where to stick that peach fuzz growing on your chin, Junior.” She smirked, standing up as Chris pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “You know, I was wondering if I'd get to see you, you're always disappearing.”

They laughed and sat down, Harley nearly engulfing her food because of how hungry she was.  Harley never watched the WWF.  It was against one of Kevin's rules, which caused her to wonder how in the hell she managed to last that long with him and not kill him in his sleep. 

“So what brings your fine cute ass to my side of the tracks?” Chris asked, having heard from Paul she’d arrived a few days ago, grinning. “Not that I’m not complaining you’re here because I couldn’t be happier.”

Harley giggled softly, knowing Chris would forever be his hyper self. “Kevin and I broke up.” She nodded when Chris raised an eyebrow, knowing he thought she’d eventually marry the son of a bitch. “I’m not going into details, but let’s just say that I got tired of his shit and decided to start fresh.  I asked for my release and Bitchoff,” She paused briefly, both of them laughing at their special nickname they gave their ex-boss. “And he was only too happy to see me leave.”

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day.  Hell must’ve frozen over.” He winked, chuckling when she smacked his arm, feigning an injury. “Hey hot stuff, watch it now!  I’m a sexay beast baby!  I need to be perfect for all of my many fans!”

“Uh huh, what fans?” Harley retorted swiftly, smirking as she popped a chip into her mouth, grey eyes gleaming. “You know the fans hate you as much as they did in the shithole, Chrissy.”

Chris snorted, rolling his eyes, and stole one of her chips. “If I didn’t love you so much, Harley, I’d have to seriously hurt you for that comment.”

“You and what army?” She challenged, laughing when he flexed his muscles, honestly wondering if he was serious. “You’re kidding right?”

“Hell no!  These guns can defeat anyone and anything, baby!” He exclaimed, causing Harley to laugh even harder, having missed Chris and his humor ever since he left the WCW. 

She honestly didn’t blame him either. 

Just like Paul, he was another wrestler, who had so much potential to be great, only for Bischoff and the higher power to keep pushing him back.  He wasn’t the only wrestler who left to find greener pastures in the WWF, but she’d only been close friends with a choice few in WCW.  There wasn’t a whole lot of trust within the locker room because everyone was constantly backstabbing each other to try to get to the top of the mountain by kissing Eric’s ass. 

They talked for a little while longer until Chris had to leave to go do a photo shoot for the new WWF magazine cover.  She said they'd talk later and finished up, heading out of catering, deciding to head back to the hotel since she wasn't on the house show that night.  Vince was going to wait it out a little more; wanting Jacqueline to prepare her for would be, no doubt, the defining match of her wrestling career.

“Hey Harley, hold up a sec honey!” Paul called from behind her, running to catch up with her fast walking, which was a feat for him since he did NOT usually run anywhere.  It was damn near impossible for him, so he was actually lumbering by the time he reached her. “Look, about what Taker said back there…I’m really sorry about that.  He’s…not a bad guy…he’s not always an asshole I mean.  He’s been really helpful in getting me a good position with the company, ya know?  Tonight just wasn’t one of his better nights, but he is a really good guy.” Paul wasn’t sure why he was defending Taker to Harley, but he felt like he had to. 

It was all about respect and Paul didn’t want her thinking Taker was a dickhead or anything, even though he’d acted like it earlier. 

“Paul, it's okay, I'm fine really.  This is just...amazing.  I can't think of a better word to describe what I'm feeling right now.  I'm not worried about it, it doesn't bother me; I'll just try to stay out of your way when you're working with him.” She saw the sad look on Paul's face and smiled, gripping his chin to where he bent down, kissing his cheek. “Don't worry so much.  He's a legend and he's showing you the ropes; I'm nobody in his eyes and I have to prove myself, which I will start doing in my hardcore match with Lisa on Raw.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but even if he is a legend, he has no right to…add you into the T&A category.” That didn’t amuse Paul at all and it actually fueled a fire underneath Paul’s big ass, having nearly taken Taker’s head off with a clothesline during their practice.  Paul cheered up for a moment, his eyes gleaming playfully. “Though you WILL be showing some T&A right?” He caught her hand before she could slap him, chuckling softly. “Just kidding around, short shit.  Damn woman, take everything so personal.”

“I will be showing SOME skin because I already have my wrestling outfit in mind.” Harley smirked, grey eyes luminous, laughing when Paul groaned from low in his throat. “Behave.” She wasn't going to let the Undertaker get to her, knowing he was probably a sexiest prick, honestly not caring what he said about her. “I'm just happy they didn't put me in a valet situation because that's all I dealt with in WCW.  Though, sooner or later, I'm sure it'll happen.”

Honestly, Harley was ready for anything with the WWF.

“Well,” Paul seemed hesitant to agree with her assessment, but he couldn’t deny it either, knowing sex did sell and Vince was all about the money. “Eventually, they’ll probably make you a valet or run up some idiotic GTV thing.  It’s just part of the business, I guess.  You know how that goes, wrestling is a sexist business, but at least they’re also giving you the chance to prove there’s more than a beautiful ass and um…” He tried searching for the right word, finally sighing. “Puppies.” Paul kept a straight face, though it was nearly impossible to do so.

“Puppies?” Harley echoed and started laughing when Paul flushed, leaning against the railing with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “I'm going to assume you didn't make that term up on your own and pretend you never said it.” She tried so hard not to laugh at him, but it wasn't happening, nodding in understanding at everything he said. “I already know sex sells and I'm prepared for it, I would honestly be shocked if this hardcore match was the only shot they gave me to show the fans what I've got in the ring.” She sighed wistfully and turned her head when the door opened, The Undertaker stepping out. “That's my cue to leave, see you later big guy.” Winking, Harley walked away from Paul, heading for her rental car.

Paul didn’t even have to turn around to know why she took off without preamble, sighing under his breath when Taker halted beside him. “Off for the night?” He asked lamely.

“Because staying to socialize appeals to me, why?” Taker replied sarcastically, his voice ice cold.

The jibe stung just a little, but Paul brushed it off, watching as his best friend exited the parking lot, shaking his head.

After stopping to grab something to eat at Applebee’s, Harley walked inside the hotel and got her key card from the hotel clerk.  She thanked her and headed for the elevator, rolling her luggage behind her, black hair bouncing with every movement.  She was tired after her intense session with Jacqueline, but honestly Harley didn't want to be anywhere else. 

Stepping on the elevator and pushing the third floor, Harley leaned back against the wall and watched the doors begin closing.  That was until a hand shot out, catching them from closing.  Harley immediately looked away at the sight of The Undertaker stepping on with her, not sure what to do or say.

He grunted what could have been some sort of greeting when he seen her, stepping in and pressed his floor number, staring straight ahead as the doors slid shut.  He had showered and changed into street clothes, black form fitting jeans that hugged his muscular legs and a black muscle shirt, heavily tattooed arms bare.  He carried a duffel bag over one shoulder, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes, even though it was nighttime.

She nodded back at him in acknowledgement, being respectful because he was a veteran in this business, staring straight ahead.  This was one of the most awkward moments in Harley's life, standing beside the Undertaker of all people on an elevator.  The silence was deafening, the tension so thick it couldn't be cut with a knife.  She held her ground though, staring straight ahead, trying not to do anything that would anger him or make him say any other derogatory comments towards her.

The tension was indeed thick and Taker would have gladly tested it with a knife, just to see how thick, knowing most of it came from her.  Though, she wasn't fidgeting or any other silly feminine nonsense, which got a hint of grudging admiration from her.  When the elevator stopped at his floor, he stepped out, deciding to say something.

“When you take a fall, try to land as flat on your back as possible, so the pain doesn't localize in just one spot.” He stated evenly, having noticed how she landed in the ring with Jacqueline, admitting reluctantly she did have potential.

Harley couldn't believe he actually spoke to her like a human being and nodded, cracking a small smile. “Thanks, I'll remember that.  Good night, sir.”

She watched him walk away and leaned back against the wall, blinking and ran a hand through her black hair.  The Undertaker just gave her wrestling advice...Harley was on cloud nine, maybe ten, and went to her room with the biggest smile on her face.  This definitely was paradise, derogatory comments or not, and Harley wasn't giving it up without a hell of a fight.

Chapter 3

“So, making your debut tonight, hmm?” Chris asked, coming up from behind Harley as she walked into the arena, wrapping an arm around her waist casually. “And in a hardcore match too...damn woman, you're just all eager to dive right on into the heavy shit, huh?” He shook his head, his goatee in a little braid, his long blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. “You know the outcome of the match yet?”

“I'm getting my ass handed to me by Lisa, but I'm fine with it.  She's basically using me as an example for Terri.” Terri Poch was known to most fans as Tori. “But I am going to get to showcase some of my in-ring talent for the match, which is all I really want.  Granted, winning would rock, but I can't just shoot up to the top right away.” Harley smiled when Chris clapped her on the back, knowing she would have supporters in the backstage area because of WCW. “I'm locked in for four years, so whatever happens from here on out will HAVE to be better than what I was doing with Nash.”

Chris nodded, stroking his braided goatee thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s true.  Even the ‘valets’ get put in storylines sometimes, they’re not just eye candy.  Well…mostly eye candy, but not just…” Chris amended, knowing he probably wasn’t making any sense, sighing. “Hardcore match though, that’ll be interesting to see.  Last one we had…Lisa took a hot iron to someone’s arm.  They thought it was just warm, but…technical mishap.  Nothing major, I don’t think anyway…You juicing?” He suddenly asked, trying to stay calm, wondering if Harley would bleed.

Taker walked by the pair at that moment, having overheard their short conversation, shaking his head.

“Yes, I'm not saying anymore though.  You'll have to be surprised like everyone else.”

Winking, Harley walked away from Chris, heading to the women's locker room with her bag in hand, trying to breathe in and out evenly.  She didn't realize Taker had overheard her answer Chris's question, knowing her match with Ivory would be second on the card, so she had no time to waste.  Her outfit was a black full piece suit that was sleeveless and black, having a teardrop cut between her breasts, though it left plenty to the imagination. 

It shimmered blue and her hair was being left down.  Her makeup consisted of blue shimmery eye shadow with deep black eyeliner and clear gloss, teardrops on each corner of her eyes.  Harley took a deep breath as she jumped up and down, trying to get pumped for the match, and laced her black wrestling boots up before heading down to gorilla position.

This was it.

Alone in his dressing room, Taker watched her match on the monitor, mildly surprised to see the teardrops on either corner of her eyes, wondering who's idea that had been…hers or wardrobes.  He had worn a similar teardrop beneath his eye not so long ago, though his had been a tribute.  He had heard about her bleeding, rather curious to see just how it would happen.  Usually, they -meaning the wrestlers- would hide a blade in the tape on their wrists and use it to carefully slice themselves…occasionally. 

Though some people, like Mick Foley, enjoyed getting it the good old fashioned way: a hard beating.  Taker knew he had called Harley a few choice words that involved her chest and ass, but honestly he wanted to make sure she was serious about doing this for a living.  Most women who came into the business were after one thing, which was the top guy’s dick, especially coming over from the WWF’s arch rival WCW.

~!~

Harley was in the zone completely, coming out to the ring to Heaven & Hell by Black Sabbath, looking ready for the fight of her life.  The match started out with mostly wrestling, until it was time to initiate the hardcore part of it.  She hit Lisa with different weapons that consisted of: trashcans, kendo sticks, doing several dropkicks and even one hard roundhouse kick to Lisa's chest that sent her flying out of the ring. 

Harley breathed heavily and turned her back to pick up another trashcan lid, waving it around in the air to stir the audience up.  Harley turned around only to be cracked in the head with a steel chair, the sickening smack echoing throughout the arena.  She lay prone on the mat, blood spilling from the cut on her forehead the chair caused, the dent very visible as Ivory pinned her for the victory. 

Blinking as she tried to get her equilibrium back on track, Harley was helped up by the trainers that rushed ringside, nodding when they asked if she was alright.  She managed to stand up on her own two feet, stumbling through the ropes, blinking blood out of her eyes as they handed her a towel.  They guided her up the ramp way as the crowd cheered from behind, feeling as though her brains had thoroughly been scrambled.

~!~

“That was BRUTAL!” Chris exclaimed as soon as Harley came through the curtain, blinking in shock.

“Chris, stop…”

“I want to see…DAMN I love you, but I’m glad that wasn’t MY head being bashed in by steel, baby!”

Paul sighed and lifted Chris up by the back of his neck, tossing him gently but firmly aside. “You alright, Harley?” He asked gently, knowing that chair shot had to hurt.  Though, truth be told, that was definitely one of the best breakout matches he’d seen in a while and from a female no less.

“I'm fine Paul, not like I haven't been cracked upside the head with a chair before.” Harley managed a weak smile, wiping more blood out of her eyes, knowing it was for the good of the company.  She was caked in sweat, bleeding from her hairline -Lisa had good aim and knew what to do because Harley was still a WWF Diva on top of a women wrestler- and in dire need of some medical attention.

“Harley, come on, we need to get you stitched up.” Larry stated, shooing everyone away with narrowed eyes, guiding her toward his office.

“Go on Paul, I'm fine, I promise.” She squeezed his large hand before walking inside the trainer's room to get fixed up, refusing to let her tears fall.  She'd do that once she was safe and alone in her hotel room, not wanting to show weakness to the others.

“How is she?” Chris was really worried, his blue eyes showing it, staring back at Paul anxiously. “Does she have a concussion?”

“I don’t know, she says she’s fine.” Paul answered, running hand over the top of his head, still not believing Harley actually bladed.

“Well, are you sure?” Chris demanded, looking past Paul toward the trainer’s room.

Paul finally lifted Chris up by the back of neck, again, and carried him away from the door so he wouldn’t barge in. “Look, runt, she’s a tough lady.  She can handle it.” He grunted, setting the smaller man down, trying not to show how worried he really was.

“Lisa cracked her pretty good though.”

“She can handle it.” Paul repeated, folding his arms in front of his massive chest.

Larry assured Harley she'd be fine, giving her some pain killers for the pain, having stitched her up along with a bandage.  He gave her some extras and made it clear she couldn't go to sleep for at least two hours -since Harley had a mild concussion- and instructed her not to take the pain pills until the two hours were up.  The woman had a really hard head, causing Harley to chuckle softly when he said that.  Harley walked out of the trainer's room slowly, taking her time as she headed back to the women's locker room, hoping she put some kind of impression on the WWF.

“So...you came all the way from Atlanta just to get your head bashed in?  Nice statement.” Snorted one of the ex-WCW guys, leaning in the doorway to the men's showers, shaking his head. “Leave the real wrestling to the boys sweetheart and just stick to shaking those-” He let out a yelp as he was jerked backward, followed by an audible thud and the unmistakable sound of flesh smacking something like, the shower wall.

Taker stepped out into the hallway, dressed for the night in his ring gear, his hair hanging loose down his back, slightly damp.  He glanced over his shoulder at his handiwork and smirked ever so slightly, knowing that punk wouldn’t be making another comment toward Harley.  Flicking his hair back, acid eyes gleaming wickedly, Taker headed down the hallway.

Harley rolled her eyes, honestly not bothered by anything people had to say to her, though she was shocked by what Taker did.  She simply nodded at him, being respectful, and kept heading down the hallway.  Slipping inside the women's locker room and showering, Harley was being extra careful of her stitches, trying not to rip them.  She dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt with dark blue jeans, not even caring how she looked.  She wanted to take something to help the thudding in her head and stepped out with her luggage rolling behind her, trying to push away the dizziness she felt.

She was already leaving, Taker mused, knowing some of the guys did that as well.  As soon as they were done, they took off.  Others, Levesque, lingered to watch the matches, gleaning information, knowledge from each match, soaking it in like a sponge. 

Considering she had a concussion, however, he supposed that was acceptable.  He wondered how bad it was, if Larry had given the okay for her to drive, shaking his head, heading towards the ring.  He had a promo to cut, wondering why he was so damn worried about the rookie.

Harley was halfway out the door when Chris Irvine came up to her, checking to make sure she was alright, and then convinced her somehow to stick around.  So she currently sat in his locker room, leaning back against the couch with bottled water, having popped the two pain killers Larry had given her.  She hadn't realized it was pain killers, though at least she wasn't in anymore pain, also knowing she could trust Chris.  It didn't knock her out though, just made her tired as she watched the monitor with Paul and Undertaker in the ring cutting a promo.  She had to admit, Paul definitely was lucky to work with a legend such as Undertaker, even though he was a bastard at heart.

Chris was pacing behind the couch, saying different lines under his breath, trying them out for his own match that he would speak beforehand, tugging on his ponytail.  Every now and then, he would glance at Harley to make sure she was alright, not wanting her to doze off.  He knew she had to have a concussion, having noticed her taking something that looked like aspirin, but he knew it was pain killers, wondering if she did.

“Hey, I have to go now, you going to be okay?” He asked, bending over her shoulder so his head was next to hers, watching as Taker delivered a tombstone pile driver, wincing because he knew he was going to get one of those very soon.

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

Harley waved him off dismissively, leaning back against the couch as Undertaker got the victory, clapping a few times because Paul was on his team.  She saw how he moved in the ring, absorbing the knowledge, even though she'd been around wrestling most of her life.  Her father was a nobody wrestling in the Indies, retiring earlier on in his career, but Harley would practice with him. 

She'd been on the high school wrestling team, the first woman ever, though most people didn't know that considering it was a southern school.  Sometimes she really couldn't stand Georgia, where she currently lived, deciding maybe it was time for a change.  Harley could feel her eyes getting heavy and leaned her head back, allowing the darkness to overtake her.

~!~

“Hey, do me a favor and check on Harley.” Chris requested as Paul passed him, needing to head out for his segment. “She’s in my dressing room.  I saw her walking out of the arena and figured driving wouldn’t be the best thing with a concussion.  She looked like she was fixing to fall asleep.”

Paul tried to say something, but Chris was already running off, groaning. “I uh…I can’t.  I need to go…”

“Go.” Taker ordered gravely, sneering, not even wanting to know what was on Paul’s agenda. “I’ll check on her for you.”

Hesitating on for a moment, Paul hauled ass down the hallway, hoping Harley was alright.

~!~

Harley ended up sliding from a sitting position to laying down on the couch, breathing in and out evenly as she slept very deeply.  Wasn't the smartest thing in the world to take pain killers, but she thought she'd only be hanging out for a little while.  That was until Chris stopped her, begging her to hang out to watch his match and the rest of the show.  When the door snapped open, banging against the wall with a smack, Harley didn't even flinch, her arm hanging off the couch, black hair covering most of her face.

Of course, he foolishly volunteered to check on her and she WOULD be asleep.  Sighing, Taker walked around the couch and kneeled down, snapping his fingers in her face.  Considering she hadn't woken up when he had purposefully thrown the door open so it would make a loud sound -to awaken her from a sleep if she was napping or to startle her if she wasn't-, he didn't expect the woman to awaken easily.  He slapped her face a few times, not too hard, but hard enough to sting.

“Wake up, woman.” He ordered gruffly, eyes narrowing.

Harley suddenly bolted upright, not realizing who was there, and smacked her head hard against a very hard jaw. “Fuck!” She groaned, immediately holding the top of her head, right where Ivory laid her open earlier with a chair. 

She heard cussing, trying to get her vision to clear, and when it did those grey eyes of hers instantly widened in shock.  It was the Undertaker.  Harley was completely mortified, fully awake now.  If she broke his jaw or jostled any of his teeth she was a dead woman, Harley swallowing hard.

Staring down at her out of unreadable acid eyes, he slowly ran his tongue over his teeth, checking them all, before grunting. “Paul wasn't kidding about your hard head.” He said slowly, grabbing her by either side of her face and tilted her head forward, examining the bandage to make sure no stitches had been torn when she decided to bash her skull into his face. “You were sleeping, woman.”

Harley really felt terrible as he checked her head, knowing she shouldn't have been sleeping, honestly not meaning to fall asleep. “It was my mistake, I took the pain killers after Chris stopped me and wanted to hang out.  So I did and I didn't think they'd affect me, but apparently I was wrong...” Like he really cared what her excuse was...Harley wished she could be swallowed completely whole right now. “I really didn't mean to do that...I'm sorry.  Are you okay?” That was a dumb question as he finally released her head, grey meeting acid again.

“I am fine.” He assured her in a deep baritone, like she was daft, which in his book she was. 

Taking pain killers...What the hell had she been thinking?  Had Larry given them to her?  What the hell had Larry been thinking?  He did not give anything to someone who had a concussion because, if pain was dulled, it was easy to fall asleep, which is what had to happen.

“Get up.” He ordered, rising to his full height and stared down at her. “Since neither you nor your friends are capable of following common sense, I will make sure you remain alert for another hour.  It wouldn't look very well for the company if you died from a concussion on the night of your debut.”

“It was my fault, nobody else's.  Larry told me to take them after waiting two hours, but I didn't listen.  I've been hit with a chair before, this isn't my first time and I'm sure it won't be my last.  So thank you for waking me up, sir, but I'm just going to head back to the hotel.  I'm awake now, I swear.”

Calling him sir just seemed to come natural to Harley, probably due to how long he'd been in the business.  She made a simple mistake, honestly not thinking it was that bad of a concussion, but now she knew better.  It wouldn't happen again and he'd scared her fully awake by cracking him in the jaw. 

Her head was officially throbbing again.

Chapter 4

“Does not matter, I think I’ll drive you myself.  Your rental will be taken care of by the road crew.” His voice left no room for argument.

Somehow not minding it when she called him ‘sir’.  Though, usually everyone else called him Taker or Calaway.  He stretched his jaw absentmindedly, knowing it was going to be stiff for the rest of the night, cracking it with a soft groan.

Harley knew it wasn't up for debate and just nodded, following him out of Chris's dressing room.  She still couldn't believe she'd cracked him in the jaw with her hard head!  Harley rubbed her temples, heading out of the arena behind Undertaker, the cool night air rushing over her as her eyes closed briefly.  Oh yeah, that would definitely keep her awake for awhile yet, as long as the hotel didn't have the heat blasting in it.

“You really don't have to do this, sir...” She stopped when he did, arching an eyebrow.

“Obviously, I don't, but I am and there's no point in arguing or protesting it.” He said evenly, no scorn in his tone as he opened the door of his own rental for her, passenger side. 

Sometimes, if they were relatively close to one of his houses in either Texas or Florida, he would ride one of his motorcycles.  As they were beginning to do loops up North, where the nights got a bit... cold, he drove instead.  Taker missed his motorcycle, glad they were heading south next week, hating the north because he was a purebred Texan and loved the heat.

She slid into the passenger seat, after handing over her bag of wrestling gear and buckled up, staring straight ahead.  Why was he helping her like this?  Hell he was the locker room leader of the WWF, this was probably an every night thing for new rookies.  Even though she'd been in WCW for several years, Harley knew she had to start from scratch in this business, honestly not minding.

“Thank you Undertaker.” Harley murmured softly, once he slid in the driver's seat and cracked the window as soon as he started the car, pulling out of the parking lot moments later.  Deciding not to mention this to Paul unless he asked, her grey eyes stared out the window absentmindedly.

Considering she was gone from the arena and Paul had been relegated to checking on her and, then in turn relegated the task to him, Taker was fairly sure her friends were going to be in a panic over where she was, smirking at the thought. “It's Taker.” He corrected as an afterthought.

Nodding to acknowledge she heard him, Harley leaned back against the seat, trying not to close her eyes.  Hell, his scent was making her heady and Harley immediately shoved those thoughts in the back of her head.  There was NO way in HELL this man would EVER be interested in some nobody like her. 

Harley actually felt like laughing at herself for even considering it, keeping her eyes locked out the window as the city lights streamed by.  Her head wasn't hurting, though it ached due to the extra trauma she sustained.  Harley had a feeling she would never live that down, biting back a groan.

The drive was relatively smooth, the traffic not as bad as he thought, knowing it would get worse as soon as the show was over.  Glad he had done this simply for that reason alone, even if Harley was somewhat of a pain in the ass.  When they reached the hotel, he parked and got out of the car, walking around to open her door for her.  Somehow, he was not surprised that she was dozing again, her eyes half open as she fought sleep. Sighing, he bent down and unbuckled Harley, easing her into his arms.  Carefully, gently, Taker lifted her from the car, snickering quietly when she woke up completely.

“I'm awake, I'm awake!” Harley actually jolted in his arms, a body reaction because she wasn't used to being this high up in a man's arms of all things. 

In the Undertaker's arms at that...Harley wondered if this humiliation could seriously get any worse, knowing he wasn't going to set her down to walk because the pain killers were slowly overtaking her.  He was going to have to keep her awake unless she ended up spending the next hour in an ice cold tub.  That didn't sound appealing, especially it being not even fifty degrees outside, her black hair still damp from her earlier shower.  She watched as Taker reached down to grab her bag, burying her face in her hands and shook her head in sheer disbelief.

‘I'm really mortified right now.’ She thought, not even able to look this man in the face.

He carried her as far as the backdoor, having parked in the back lot, not in the mood to deal with anyone who might be loitering in the lobby.  Knowing there was always some fans lurking, waiting for a chance to see their favorite wrestlers outside the ring.  Once at the door, he set her down, knowing if one of their co-workers by chance seen this, she would never live it down.  Nobody would dare say anything to HIM, but she would be open season.

“Come on.” He ordered, trying not to sound amused.

Harley kept her mouth shut before something idiotic came out of it, following him up the back staircase with her bag in hand, Taker having handed it back to her.  She already had her key card and was on the third floor, heading in that direction, when Taker stopped her from going up the next flight of stairs.  He simply opened the door to the second floor and Harley knew what that meant, walking past him with a pounding head. 

Why she ever agreed to a hardcore match against Lisa was beyond her, though Harley didn't regret it.  She was going to ask Taker what he was doing, but that would've been stupid to do because she already knew the answer.  Hence the reason she was keeping her mouth shut.

“You may leave in...” He glanced at the clock that rested on the bedside table. “Forty minutes.” Carelessly tossing his bag onto a chair, he sat down and immediately began unlacing his boots.  Still wearing his ring attire as he had gone to check on her right after coming back from the ring, sweat caked uncomfortably over his body.  Once his boots were off, Taker strode to the bar and began mixing himself a drink, his eyes never leaving her. “You can come in, Harley, I don't bite.”

He was really enjoying this and Harley bit back a scowl, simply walking inside his hotel suite, looking around at how nice it was.  Granted, her room was as well, but of course the vets got way better accommodations.  He was seriously going to make her stay here for forty more minutes, Harley set her bag aside and walked over to sit in the nearby chair by the table, feeling like throwing herself out the window.  This was more awkward than the damn elevator ride with him and that only lasted a few minutes!  Harley decided she had to redeem herself somehow and looked over at him, blocking back the pain.

“Did I land okay in the ring tonight?” Harley asked, breaking the silence between them, watching confusion flash across his face. “You told me I had to work on my landing better.  I just wanted to know if I did alright tonight.”

He considered it, sipping his drink slowly as he regarded her. “Given the type of match it was, you landed alright.  Hardcore matches are...difficult at best, as you're usually focusing avoiding taking exactly the kind of shot you took, to really think of how you land.” He said truthfully, being well-known for his blunt nature.

The fact that she HAD thought of it was surprising.  He had learned not to expect too much out of the women, with exception to Lisa and Jackie.  Even then, it was only okay in his eyes, not great.

“Thanks.” Harley really meant that because it proved that she'd at least done something right in this company besides being eye candy. 

Hoping it stayed that way, Harley had a sinking feeling Vince had something planned for her coming up.  She just wasn't sure what it was yet and could already feel her head pounding again.  Those pain killers really didn't last too long, then again they were probably meant to be her to sleep.

‘I'm such a moron.’ She thought, lowering her head while resting her elbows on her knees, staring at the floor.

A moment later, a glass was nudging her knee and, when she looked up, he was raising the glass so it was eye level with her. “It's just water.” Taker said when Harley stared at it, knowing better than to mix concussions and pain pills with alcohol.  At least when it came to other people.  Pain pills and alcohol together worked rather well as a cure-all pain killer to him.

“I figured as much.”

She took the water from him, silently wishing it was Vodka or one of her other favorite liquors, knowing that would probably knock her completely out with the pain killers.  Harley leaned back against the chair as she sipped the water thoughtfully, feeling restless, but she didn't dare move from that chair until it was time to leave.  She felt like she was on timeout and that didn't sit well with her.  Harley wasn't one to be intimidated easily, especially with her ex-boyfriend, so she stood up and walked over to stare out the window, having taken off her leather jacket already.

She was free to do whatever so long as she stayed awake, where he could see her.  He didn't feel the need to completely babysit her, glancing at the clock, not surprised that time was passing by slowly.  At least another thirty minutes wasn't too long, though.  He was going to go insane if he didn't get out of his sweaty wrestling tights soon though, grabbing his bag in his free hand.

“Watch TV if you want.” He offered cordially, slipping into the bathroom and nudged the door partially shut with his foot, beginning to undress.

Harley knew he needed a shower and felt terrible, knowing it was because of her that his night was probably ruined. Seriously, what the hell had she been thinking taking those damn pain killers so soon?  She was supposed to deal with the pain for two hours and THEN take them if all went well. 

She wouldn't live this down, not with Taker, and that made her sick to her stomach as she walked over to sit on the bed.  She grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on, flipping through channels without really paying attention to what was on.  Her eyes were heavy, but Harley was doing everything she could to stay awake, really not needing to be mortified anymore that night.

The shower was quick and cold; Taker didn't bother waiting for it to heat up, soon out and toweling himself dry.  He had almost forgotten about her, wrapping a fresh towel around his waist, and walked back out into the main room.  His wet hair hung down his back and over his shoulders, water running down his bare chest in rivulets.  He spared a glance at the television, then the clock.

“Anything good on?” He asked, not really caring and he was fairly certain she didn't either.  Harley looked more interested in his pillows than what was on the television.

Harley had moved to sit on the bed on the far right side with her head leaning back against the headboard, keeping her shoes off the clean bedding. “Not particularly.” She mumbled, finally tossing the remote down when she found some kind of scary movie, honestly not caring. 

Her head was pounding something fierce, her eyes threatening to close on her, but Harley kept fighting it.  Every time her head would drop forward, she would immediately snap awake, though with Taker currently out of the bathroom she had a distraction.  Of course she didn't dare look at him, simply wishing she could go to sleep.

He sat in a too low, too stuffed chair, staring at her almost broodingly.  It was obvious she was tired and more than ready to go to her room.  He was fairly ready to have her gone so he could discard the now damp towel and go to sleep.

“Ten more minutes.” He said after awhile, shifting in the chair and stretched his long, muscular albeit pale legs out in front of him.

“Look, it's probably going to take me a few-”

She sighed when he just shot her a warning look, Harley instantly stopping as she looked out the window again.  Knowing she wouldn't be falling asleep right away once she got back to her room, Harley sighed heavily.  When the ten minutes were finally up, Harley was ready to get the hell out of dodge, trying not to feel dizzy or stumble as she slipped into her leather jacket.

“Thanks again for helping me, Taker.” Harley grabbed her duffel bag and headed for the door, blocking out the pain the best she could.

“You're welcome.” Taker was on his feet behind her, not in eager anticipation of shutting and locking the door, then going immediately to bed, but because he had noticed she was going slow and steadying herself. “You're dizzy.” It wasn't a question.  He glanced down at his barely there attire, definitely not about to go out in just a damn towel and gritted his teeth. “Why don't you spend the night here?”

Harley actually started laughing as she slowly turned around to face him, wondering if he truly lost his mind. “You're kidding right?” When she saw his eyes were completely serious, Harley actually swallowed hard, the laughter dying instantly, honestly just wanting to go to her room and sleep. “Look I've been embarrassed enough for one night and caused you a lot of trouble.  I'll be fine going to my own room, it's just one floor down...” Out of nowhere, Harley swayed as she pressed her hand against the wall, a dizzy spell overtaking her that was so strong, she nearly collapsed. “Whoa...”

Taker had done the polite thing and offered; now he was just going to do what he should have done in the first place and not give her a choice.  For the third or fourth time that night, Taker scooped her and her bag up into his arms and carried her back into the room, closing the door behind them with the heel of his foot.  He wasn't giving up his bed and she wasn't sleeping on the floor on couch.

“Go to sleep, you're fine now.” Taker ordered softly, easing her down onto the mattress before glancing down at her feet.  If she wasn't already out, she was going to be humiliated as hell in a minute.  He began undressing her, starting with her feet, trying not to seem amused by this.

Harley couldn't even see straight, her body was shutting down on her as he barely felt him remove her shoes, knowing it had to be the pain killers mixing with the concussion.  She was an idiot, a damn fool, a moron, and any other name she could think of at the moment that her brain would allow.  When she felt him lift her up to remove her leather jacket, Harley couldn't even fight him, not even realizing he'd also removed her jeans.  So she was just in blue panties with a tank top and bra underneath.  Harley couldn't stand up even if her life depended on it at that moment, feeling her head hit the pillow once again.

He stopped at the tank top, knowing she was out of it and guessed it was the pain killers, shaking his head.  The professional in him told him to cover her up and go to sleep; the man was busy perusing her body, definitely a well toned, luscious body.  Well...both the professional and man would be satisfied...he wasn't giving up his bed. 

A second later, Taker had laid down beside her, pulling the blanket over them both, instantly falling asleep.

Chapter 5

Harley didn't remember falling asleep, barely remembering Taker lifting her and carrying her to his bed.  All she knew was her head was pounding and it was slowly waking her up.  Larry had told her to take ibuprofen, four if necessary, as long as she could handle it for the headache that was surely to follow. 

Well right now it felt like a drum was beating a melody into her skull.  Her grey eyes barely opened, honestly not wanting to get up, the room pitch black since the shades were drawn so she could barely see anything through blurred vision.  Her entire body froze though when she heard deep snoring to her left, swallowing incredibly hard. 

What the hell had she done last night?

The shades were drawn and then taped in place to allow absolutely NO sunshine into the room.  Taker did not like being woken up before a specific time and had ripped more than one maid's head off on occasion for doing exactly that.  As he usually slept alone, he wasn't accustomed to another person and, every single move she had made, half-woke him, including the sudden stiffening of her body.

“Go back to sleep, Harley.” He rumbled, pulling a pillow over his head, the sheet half off of him.

She was with THE UNDERTAKER?! 

Harley thought she couldn't be more mortified than she already was until that moment, but damned if she'd been wrong.  Harley simply stopped moving, knowing that's what he wanted, covering her mouth with her hand, closing her eyes.  She slowly looked down beneath the blanket, inner relief flooding her when she was halfway dressed at least, knowing she hadn't crossed THAT line.  Harley wasn't going back to sleep as she heard the snoring commence again, knowing she was stuck until Taker woke up fully, still not believing she was in his hotel room.

‘I'm a dead woman.’ She thought, closing her eyes, and somehow managed to doze off again.

Only a few hours later, Taker was woken up to the sound of someone pounding on his hotel room door, sparing a blurred glance at the clock, growling. “GO THE FUCK AWAY!” He bellowed, feeling Harley damn near leap out of her skin beside him.  When the pounding commenced, not ceasing in the slightest, Taker gritted his teeth angrily and slid out of bed stark naked, storming to the door, ripping it nearly off its hinges. “WHAT?!”

Paul was usually not easily disturbed, but he was at the moment, staring straight up at the ceiling instead of a very pissed off and naked Taker before him. “When was the last time you seen Harley?” He managed to ask, his voice gruff with humiliation as his neck turned red, quickly traveling up to his face.

“Two seconds ago when you woke both of us up!” He snapped, slamming the door right in Paul’s bewildered face.

‘He did NOT just say that!’ Harley's mind screamed, her grey eyes widening in shock, knowing exactly what Paul must've been thinking at that moment. 

This was bad; this was not good as she buried her face in her hands, needing aspirin or maybe a bullet in her head at that moment.  She looked up when Taker walked back inside, thankfully the room was dark…though she knew he was still naked.  She heard him growling and cussing, cringing because Paul had come here specifically for her, shaking her head in disbelief as she began slipping her jeans back on.  The faster Harley got out of here, the faster she could regain some of her dignity back.

Regrettably, he was up for the day, listening as she scurried into her clothes as fast as she could and shook his head. “If you rush out of here, it will definitely look like you were doing what I'm sure that fool thinks.” He said, a hint of amusement in his tone as he pulled a pair of jeans out of his bag.

All his clothes were gray, black and green, standard colors; he never worried about what to wear and all jeans were black, the same cut.  He was a simple man.  Taker snapped the button before flicking on a light, arching an eyebrow at her.

“You can't possibly fit both your legs into one pant leg, Harley.” He pointed out, folding his arms in front of his massive bare chest.

Harley groaned, immediately pulling her leg out and slipped it into the other side, wondering how much more she was going to be embarrassed by this man.  He was enjoying this, she could tell as Harley snapped her jeans and zipped them up.  She took her bag when he dangled it out to her on two fingers, slowly taking it from him, refusing to meet his eyes because she would probably see pure amusement, degrading her more.  She took two ibuprofen out, then made it three before popping them, knowing it wouldn't make her drowsy.  Ibuprofen was safe and that's why Larry recommended it as she tossed the bottle back in her bag.

Before she could scurry out the door, Taker clamped a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around. “Try not to hit your head on anything.” He said solemnly, a hint of amusement sparkling in his green eyes as he let her go, rubbing his jaw a bit cheekily.  Well...he mused when she had bolted out the door, leaning in the frame to watch her go. 

Now he had a new amusement.

Harley.

Harley knew her cheeks were red hot because she could feel them burning, walking back to her room hastily, not believing she actually spent the night in the Undertaker's hotel room.  Was she INSANE?  Harley was not surprised in the slightest when Paul was waiting for her, pulling her key card out of her pocket and slipped it in the slot.

“It's not what you think and if you even say a word, I'll find a way to hurt you.” Harley muttered, letting him in as she tossed her bag to the side, still not remembering past being told she could leave his room.

“I’m not saying a word.” Paul stated, studying her thoughtfully, wondering what exactly happened with Taker. 

He knew Harley well enough though that she wasn’t just going to jump in the sack with someone, not even The Undertaker.  Paul also figured Taker wasn’t about to take advantage of a concussed woman, when he could have his choice of some of the more beautiful ring rats that flocked to him at every turn.  Another factor was Harley just got out of a relationship with Kevin Nash and he knew she wasn’t stupid enough to cross that line again.  That and it was safer for his sanity to assume that nothing had happened other than Taker keeping an eye on his best friend.

“How’s your head?” He asked, breaking out of his deep thoughts, wondering how much pain she was in.

“It hurts, but I'll live.  He woke me up in Chris's room last night and took me back to the hotel to keep an eye on me.  I was only supposed to stay with him for forty-five minutes and then come back to my room.  I don't remember staying with him, I remember walking out of his room and then everything just kinda...faded...” Harley frowned, sitting on the bed, putting her head in her hands. “Let's forget this ever happened, okay?” She felt his huge hand on her shoulder patting it very gently, placing her hand over his. “You need to get going, we all have a flight to catch in a few hours.”

“How about you ride with me and Chris?” Paul suggested with a tentative smile, hoping she didn’t see that he was being overprotective of her. “We’ve got a huge van with plenty of room, no seats in the back.” He laughed, gesturing to himself.  He was simply too large to ride in conventional style, but it was something he dealt with on a day to day basis. “I promise, we’ll both behave and not ask anything about last night.” He raised his hand up solemnly in a scout’s honor fashion, crossing his heart with his left hand.

Harley took Paul up on his offer as they all drove to the arena, just talking about the good old days of the WCW...before it became a shithole to work for.  Harley smiled and smacked Chris's arm when he reminded her of the time she'd been in a match with Paisley, only to get creamed with a lead pipe, which wasn't scripted.  Most of the stuff that happened in WCW wasn't scripted, which is why so many superstars got hurt frequently.

“Yeah, I thought my head was going to split open and my brain was going to fall out.” Harley suddenly felt better as her head was just a minor dull ache, leaning back against the seat staring out the window.

“We all thought your head was going to split open and your brain was going to fall out.” Chris laughed, remembering that incident a bit too well for comfort, glancing over at her, his eyes straying to her stitched forehead.  At the time, it hadn't been so funny, now...it was a bit ironic. “Ah well, at least now you won't have to worry about seeking medical attention EVERY night.”

“I know right?”

Harley smiled, glad they hadn't questioned her about what happened with Taker, sighing gently.  She probably overreacted with him a little, but honestly waking up in HIS bed of all places and not remembering how she got there...Harley had every reason to freak out and then some.  She rubbed her head absentmindedly, wondering what the writer's had in store for her upcoming since, as far as she knew, that match with Ivory was a onetime deal to make Ivory look 'dominating'.

“You were right though, Chris; I wish I would've made the jump sooner.” Harley conceded, resting her head against his arm while he drove, smiling as Paul rubbed her back.

They were her best friends and Harley knew they’d never hurt her in any way.

“Pay up.” Chris ordered, reaching a hand behind the seat, waggling his fingers.

Sighing resignedly, Paul managed to get his wallet out and pulled out a crumpled bill, stuffing it in Chris’s hand with a grumble. “Fucker.”

“Within 24 hours of her first night, how good am I?” Chris had a smug smile plastered on his face.

“You can buy lunch.” Paul smirked when that smug smile disappeared, nodding. “Not like you can’t afford it.”

Chris groaned, shooting Harley a look, then grinned. “Fine, fine.  Anything off the dollar menu at McDonald’s.”

“Cheap bastard.” Paul muttered, popping him upside the head.

“You're both bastards.” She muttered good-naturedly, smacking both of them. “I can't believe you had a bet going on!”

Would this humiliation ever end? 

Smirking when Chris pulled up to Arby's, all was forgiven, Harley eating her roast beef and cheddar happily with a grin on her face.  They arrived at the arena, refusing to go to the hotel first because Chris and Paul wanted to get a workout in.  Harley decided to join in, refusing to allow herself to become soft.

“Come on big man, lift me!” Chris ordered, grunting when Paul raised him into the air, keeping perfectly still so he didn't get dropped.  This wasn't a very good height and the floors weren't padded. “Just don't drop me...”

“Then shut up and let me concentrate.” Paul grunted, finally setting Chris back down, watching the blond taking off for the weights and glanced at Harley.*

“Want a go?” Paul playfully flexed his arms with a cheeky grin.

“I don't think so, big guy.  I need to work on my cardio today.”

She winked, wearing a black sports bra and black shorts, the same outfit she wore when working in the ring with Jacqueline.  They were currently in the arena's workout gym and Harley was finally feeling back in her element.  Her black hair pulled up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face.

“Hands off Jericho.” She ordered when he went to cop a feel, rolling her eyes at his groan and stepped on the treadmill to start her workout.

“Damn baby, way to knock a man down.” Chris sighed melodramatically, cupping his hands over his wounded heart and staggered to the weights, chuckling under his breath. 

Some things never changed.

Taker observed them all, having walked in, throwing hard jabs at the punching bag in the corner of the gym.  He wore a pair of workout pants and a black beater, his hair pulled back in a tight braid.  It looked like Harley had overcome her awkwardness from this morning and Taker couldn’t help smirking.

Harley was in the zone as she picked up speed on the treadmill, knowing this was safe and wouldn't hurt her head much.  She had ‘Disturbed’ blasting in her ears, waving three fingers at Paul, who was busy bench pressing well over his weight.  The man was a beast, she still couldn't believe they were friends. 

Then there was Chris, who always managed to hit on her one way or another, but it was completely innocent.  She loved the guy like a brother, not to mention she wasn't remotely attracted to him.  They were her best friends from WCW and she was so glad not much had changed between them.

So long as dumb and dumber were working with weights, he was going to steer clear of that area, preferring NOT to be subjected to their mindless, idiotic chatter.  He liked his sanity, wishing to keep it intact.  Instead, he opted for something else, a stepper, knowing some guys thought cardio wasn’t that important.  As far as he was concerned, stamina was just as important as muscle mass and strength when it came to performing in the ring.

“Now you tell me you like it…You tell me you want it…You're mine and you don't need another one...Come on and tell me you like it…Tell me you want it…You're mine and another one to me...” Harley stopped singing when she glanced over to the right, seeing the Undertaker there, wondering what the hell was going on in the universe. 

She simply nodded at him once and looked straight ahead, deciding she wouldn't be singing with him working out right NEXT to her!  If she didn't talk to him, she would be fine.  Just focusing on her workout and then getting the hell out of there would be fine with her, hating how truly moronic she was around this man.

‘I really need to get a grip.’ She thought, shaking her head as the music blasted in her ear.

She didn't need to stop on his account, but there was no way to convey that as she wore headphones and no doubt had the music blaring.  That made him wonder how she could stand it considering she had had a hellacious headache the night before and probably when she had woke up this morning.  The mysteries of women, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.  However, with her trying her best to ignore him, Taker did get to watch her jog without having to overly worry about her staring at him in return, glad he was to the side and just a bit behind her.

Chapter 6

“Yo Harley!”

Harley noticed Jackie walking toward her, taking the headphones out of her ears and stopped the treadmill, stepping off of it sweating after the intense run. “What's up Jackie?”

“How're you feeling today?  Think you're up for some more in-ring training?” She asked, knowing the woman had a head injury. “No landing.”

“No, let's do the landing.  I need to work on that.” Harley wasn't going to let a simple crack over the head stop her from being a wrestler, knowing others had gone through WAY worse.  She could do anything and squared her shoulders, beginning to walk out, when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

Even Jackie took a step back at the look on Taker's face, clearing her throat. “I'll meet you in the ring.” She hauled ass out of there.

Harley slowly looked over her shoulder and up at the Undertaker, wondering why he stopped her.

“If you're going to practice, stay off the turnbuckle.” He suggested, letting go of her shoulder slowly, staring down at her intently.  If she had been one of the guys, he would have probably been the one training her, or at least been asked to do it.  As it was, there were currently some sexual harassment issues floating around and the company was being careful. “You might feel fine now, but a dizzy spell could come on quite easily for a few days.”

Harley swallowed hard, having a sinking feeling a dizzy spell is what made him decide to let her stay with him the previous night. “Alright, I'll be careful, Taker.  Thank you.” She cracked a smile up at him and walked out of the workout room, her muscles warmed up enough as she headed down to the ring.  It was an honor for a legend like him to actually give a damn and give her proper advice on what to do.

Neither Chris or Paul had missed that, both men exchanging looks.  It just struck them a bit...odd...that Taker was going out of his way to help the rookie, even though he was damn near a sergeant on making sure everyone performed to the best and safest of their abilities.  With some exceptions, like  Mick Foley or himself, but to offer general advice was one thing, this was becoming another.

“Do you trust him?” Paul asked in a low voice, not wanting Taker to overhear them.

“Can I lift you?” Chris retorted sarcastically, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Nope.”

“Can we stay off the turnbuckle today?” She asked as soon as she slid in the ring, Jackie instantly nodding, knowing it was because of her head.

“Sure honey, no problem.”

The practice lasted another four hours; Jackie really wanted to push her and Harley honestly didn't mind it.  Her landing was becoming a lot better and flatter, Taker had been right.  The pain was no longer just in her lower back, it was spreading equally, which is what was supposed to happen.  She sat up as Jackie hopped off the turnbuckle, doing a cross body, but Harley turned the tables as she turned it into a roll up before backing up.

“Not bad girl, not bad at all.  Alright we're done, go get showered and I'll see you here after your few days off.” They always got Wednesday through Fridays off...unless it was a big event like WrestleMania, though that had past already.

Harley nodded and flipped out of the ring, thanking her once again, and headed up the ramp way.  Her head wasn't hurting that badly and Harley hoped it stayed that way, knowing a cool shower is just what she needed.  She probably shouldn’t have asked Jacqueline to keep her off of the turnbuckle, but Harley wasn’t going to ignore Taker’s advice, knowing he gave it for a specific reason.

“Hey, just the woman I wanted to see!” Vince crowed, walking down the hallway towards her, flanked by his own assistants who were looking particularly harried at the moment.  He halted when he seen her condition. “Why don't you grab a shower and then come join me in my office?” He suggested, his eyes roaming her sweat soaked skin, before focusing on her head with concern in his eyes. “Have you been cleared for the ring?  Why don't you stop in and see Larry again?”

“I'm fine Vince, I'm not dizzy or anything.”

Harley wasn't going to tell him about the previous night, not even flinching when he gave her body a once over.  She was used to it being in WCW, not shocked to see that some things no matter where she went changed.  He was a male, of course he was going to look, unless he was gay.  She bit back a smirk at that thought, nodding while dabbing her forehead with a towel.

“I'll meet you in your office, boss.” She winked, walking away and headed for the women's locker room, wondering what McMahon had up his sleeve now.

He had a lot up his sleeve actually and was in a cheerful mood, nodding when he seen Calaway sitting behind his desk. “Comfortable?” He asked sardonically, not amused.

Taker had his boots propped on the desk, his hands laced behind his head. “I heard you wanted to see me.” He stated in a deep baritone, arching a black eyebrow.

“In a moment, in a moment...we're waiting on someone.”

Twenty minutes later, Harley walked out of the women's locker room, having to check her head wound to make sure it was fine, smiling when she saw it was already healing.  She was a fast healer, always had been, her head barely hurting now.  She walked down the hallway in jeans with a WWF logo t-shirt, her hair down and hanging in wet waves. 

When Chris and Paul tried stopping her, she told them she'd meet up with them because she had a meeting with Vince, not stopping her walking because she didn't want to keep the boss waiting.  She wondered what the boss wanted, curiosity burning.  Harley arrived outside his door and tapped twice, waiting for the 'come in', and opened it.

“You wanted to see me...” Her words trailed off as the door closed behind her, feeling her heart drop in her stomach at the sight of Taker. ‘Oh no.’ She thought, thinking Vince was going to reprimand her for 'getting involved' with one of his top superstars.

Vince wasn't too keen on his newest acquisition seeing him sitting in the metal folding chair, he usually reserved for the wrestlers, while Taker was sitting comfortably behind the desk like HE was the damn boss.  He managed a smile and stood up, offering Harley the chair while shooting Taker a stern look.

Taker merely flashed a grin, with all his teeth in it before nodding at Harley. “How was practice?” He asked cordially, hoping she had taken his advice.

“Fine...” Harley's mind was racing as she walked slowly toward the chair, sitting down in it, not even managing to mutter a thank you to the boss because she didn't know what was going on. “Vince, if this is a bad time, I can always come back lat-” She was cut off when his hand rose, feeling as though her heart might leap in her throat, trying like hell not to look nervous though her eyes were a dead giveaway.

“Mark is here because I need to speak to the both of you.”

Taker's upper lip curled into a sneer. “About?” He demanded gruffly, not appreciating the boss using his real name in front of the rookie.

“A new angle the writer's have come up with.” Vince looked a little hesitant and then cleared his throat, the smile once again on his face, looking down at Harley. “How would you like to do a line with Paul and Mark?”

At this point, he had unclasped his hands from behind his head, staring at his boss for a moment, before looking at Harley, trying to gauge her reaction.

Harley's mouth was partially open and she just blinked a few times, grey eyes wide in shock. “Wow...are you serious?” She could only think Vince was talking about Undertaker, using the name Mark had completely caught her off guard.  Vince nodded and Harley had to actually sit back in her chair, relief flooding through her as a big smile crossed her face. “That would be...I'd be honored, Vince.”

Vince flinched when he heard Mark's boots hit the floor and shifted so they were both in his line of vision. “Is there a problem?” He asked innocently, though his eyes were flashing dollar signs.

To his credit, he wasn't TRYING to intimidate Vince, it just usually happened.  Could he help it he apparently frightened people with his mere presence? “Not at all, I just want to know how you plan on working this one out.” He had never been associated with a female, arching an eyebrow at the boss.

“Well,” Vince cleared his throat, trying not to look intimidated, though he couldn't help it.  Mark was just simply frightening by his height and presence, Vince rarely tried getting on his bad side. “Basically what would happen is she would have a couple of matches over the next few weeks and either you or Paul would go out on the ramp to watch her.  Either on the second or third week, she'd be 'kidnapped' and a ceremony would be held to initiate her into the Unholy Alliance.  Now...I was thinking something a little different for this, Mark.  Something a little edgier, something to spark interest with the fans.  Basically I'm envisioning an altar, her strapped to it, wearing pure white and you would paint symbols all over her body while chanting in your special tongue.  Now I know this sounds kind of...insane, but sex sells and she has the look for it.  Black hair, grey eyes, and she can get it done in the ring.  That match she had with Lisa sent our ratings through the roof, think of the possibilities!”

Harley couldn't even LOOK at Vince right now, her cheeks burning while he described this.

“She wouldn't be a valet either, per say, but more like one of your followers.”

“Because a valet would just be out there to cheer people on, while a FOLLOWER would have a chance at winning the women's belt, now wouldn't she?”

Vince hadn't considered that one. “Well, now... She'd have to...”

“Fight.”

“Yes, and-”

“I don't want a simpering woman to be a follower for the Unholy Alliance.  Paul and I are warriors, give us a woman who can hold her own.  As Harley has proven she can do in that hardcore match.  THAT is the kind of woman I want.” Taker declared emphatically, green eyes unreadable.

All Vince could do was agree.

Harley wished she could hug Taker right now because he'd said exactly what she wanted to hear.  She would be a valet AND wrestle, what she always wanted to do ever since getting into this business.  Being a valet was fine, but wrestling was her true passion and she proved that in her debut hardcore match, which she was glad Taker had noticed and acknowledged.  The women's championship was her ultimate dream and that was within her grasp, not even able to speak right now.

After Vince discussed a little more of the story line, Taker found himself adding his own ideas to the mix, finding himself enjoying the idea of strapping Harley to his symbol.  At least this time around it would be done right opposed to that wedding malarkey he had had to do with Stephanie.  This wasn’t going to have anything to do with the McMahon family, there would be no interference…it was going to be done RIGHT.

“So...is everyone happy then?” Vince asked, glancing at Mark hesitantly.

“Jumping for joy.”

Harley nodded, knowing she really didn't have any choice in the matter, though it would be awesome working with Paul again like she had briefly in WCW.  Then there was Taker, one of the greatest wrestlers in this business, and she was having the honor and privilege of working with him.  Harley was on cloud nine as she stood up from the chair, shaking Vince's hand, and then Taker's with sparkling grey eyes.

“Thank you.” She couldn't say anything else, the meeting ending as Harley walked out of Vince's office, hoping she could live up to Taker's expectations.

“Mark, a word?” Vince requested, once Harley was out of earshot.

Taker halted in the doorway, not looking back.

“Be...nice to her, or as nice as you can.”

Snorting, he continued on his way.  If Vince only knew...he had already gone above and beyond of being nice to her. “You can tell Paul, I think he'd enjoy hearing it more from you.” He said from behind a rather stunned looking Harley, once again amused.

Harley nodded, staring up into his green eyes with absolute gratitude in her own. “Thank you, Taker.” Harley murmured softly and walked away from him, biting back a squeal of excitement, knowing she'd definitely made the right decision to jump to the WWF from WCW.  Harley immediately went on the hunt for Paul, finding him and Chris in the cafeteria, grey eyes glittering as she walked over to wrap her arms around Paul's shoulders. “Guess what big guy?”

Paul considered it for a minute. “You're going to admit that those aren't your natural breasts?” He finally asked, looking completely serious.

“I've been saying it for years, anything with that type of perky bounce can't be made my God, it just isn't right.” Chris added his two cents naturally.

“You OD'd on Ibuprofen and are now seeing pink elephants?” Paul tried again, trying hard not to laugh.

“In purple tutus?”

Paul grinned when she huffed indignantly. “Okay, seriously, what is it short shit?”

“Nope forget it, jackasses.” She snorted when Paul took her hand, pulling her to sit on his lap, knowing she wasn't getting away without telling him. “First off, my breasts and EVERY part of my body are natural, Irvine, and don't you forget that.” Harley shot him a glare before looking up into her friend's eyes, not able to containment the excitement any longer. “Remember you said you wanted to work with me again?” When he nodded, he'd said it on the ride here earlier that day. “Well you got your wish, big guy, I'm officially going to be a part of the Unholy Alliance with you and Taker.”

While Paul's jaw was currently on the table, Chris was eyeballing her skeptically. “Bullshit.” He said after a moment, arching an eyebrow when she nodded excitedly. “As a valet?  I can't see Taker allowing Vince to stick him with a valet, no offense.  So what's the catch, Harley?” He tossed a carrot stick at Paul who was squeezing her. “Hey man, don't crush her.”

“The catch is I'm not going to be a regular valet.  Vince is calling it a follower, which means I'll accompany them to the ring, yes, but I'm also going to wrestle.” Harley was grinning from ear to ear, not able to resist, while Chris's blue eyes widened in shock. “I think it's a brilliant idea because I'll get to do both and Vince was really impressed with my match against Lisa, so he might be putting me in the run for the Women's Championship.”

Chapter 7

Paul was choking on the carrot stick now, having been munching it. “Wait,” He rasped, his face red, tears pouring down his cheeks as he pounded his chest. “You're going to be working with us?” He was having a hard time believing that one. “And Taker was OKAY with it?”

“Hot damn woman!  Working with the Deadman AND getting in the title run?  Can't beat that for your first week of work, eh?” Chris was absolutely floored, but thrilled for his friend, grinning from ear to ear.

She frowned, not expecting that kind of reaction from Paul, sighing gently. “I'm not going for the title right away, we have to worry about getting my character within the Unholy Alliance first.  We have that all planned out and everything.  This was all Vince's idea and Taker put his ideas in as well.  He doesn't want just any woman walking to the ring with the group, he wants to a woman who can look beautiful and fight at the same time.” She remembered Taker's words as they rolled through her mind again, staring down at the table. “Maybe this is too fast, but what am I supposed to do?  Say no?  That'd be really fuckin stupid.”

“Uh yeah, hello, that would be incredibly stupid.” Chris couldn’t agree more.

“WCW stupid.” Paul muttered in agreement, still stunned.

“Turner stupid in general.”

Paul chuckled, shaking his head. “Look, you probably won't win the title INSTANTLY, just like it'll be a few weeks before you join us.  That'll give the fans time to get to know you and build you some credibility.  Everything will be FINE.”

“Exactly, it's not going to happen right away.  I'm going to be in a couple of matches over the next few weeks, both live and at house shows, but my Raw matches are going to either have you or Taker walking out on the ramp way to watch me.  I think Vince said two or three weeks into this is when the 'kidnapping' will happen followed by the initiation.” She was NOT going into detail about what was going to happen with that, deciding Taker could be the one to do it, already feeling her cheeks flush at the thought. “I think it's going to rock personally.”

Chris arched an eyebrow, noting her blush and ALMOST called her on it, deciding against it when he remembered what Paul had told him.  First off, he didn't want Harley co-cocking him.  Second, he wasn't about to pry or make her feel bad about whatever -if anything- had happened between her and Taker.

Hey, I'm psyched too!  It makes me all hot and bothered envisioning you as a bad girl with a dark side.” He teased with glittering blue eyes.

“Hell I already am.” Laughing when Chris clutched his heart, acting as if he was having an attack, Harley shook her head as she shoved him off the table with a thump. “You're such a dork, Chrissy.” She looked up at Paul, seeing the hesitation in his eyes, knowing he probably wasn't fond of this situation because of finding her in Taker's hotel room that morning.  Oh well, he would have to get over it as she stood up from the table. “I'm going to get some air, I'll talk to you guys later.” Walking out of the cafeteria, Harley tried not to have doubts about this, but couldn’t help feeling some.

Taker was currently outside indulging in a cigarette, not doing it often, only when the situation called for it or he didn’t have any chewing tobacco.  His mind raced as he thought of all the possibilities for this upcoming angle with Harley, smirking wickedly.  He could easily see all three of them holding gold –Harley as the Women’s Champion and him with Paul as the Tag Team Champions-, wondering if he really wanted to hold one half of the tag team titles.

Then again…Vince wasn’t too keen on pulling the heavyweight belt off the current champion, so tag team titles would have to do for now.  As he took a long drag of his smoke, Taker closed his eyes as he began envisioning the initiation process, licking his lips slowly.  He’d have to get with Vince and run some more ideas by him, but had a feeling he’d get his way as usual.

“ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Harley let out as soon as she was outside, gripping her hair tightly, not seeing anyone else because it was night time now, feeling like her head was going to explode.  She thought Paul would be thrilled to be working with her, but he was acting like it was the worst thing in the world to happen!  She was frustrated, annoyed and beyond irritated as she actually kicked the gate, letting out another vicious growl.

Arching a slow eyebrow, not moving from his spot in the darkness, Taker shook his head, wondering if Harley was cracking under pressure already.  When he watched her kick the gate, a snort filtered from his lips, heading from beneath the overhang he’d stood underneath. “What the hell did that gate ever do to you, woman?” He demanded, trying and failing miserably to suppress the humor in his tone.

She jumped out of her skin, whipping around to face Undertaker and immediately paled, swallowing hard. “Nothing, I'm just irritated right now, Taker.” She lowered her eyes from his, hadn't she seriously been embarrassed enough in front of his man to last her a damn lifetime? “I didn't know anyone was out here and figured blowing up in the arena wouldn't be the smartest idea...”

“Depends on where you decide to blow up at.  The ring always works for me.” Taker offered, wondering what had gotten under her skin because it looked as though she was ready to uncoil. “Bad night?” Taker held out his pack of Marlboros, offering her one cordially, exhaling smoke through his nostrils as the nicotine worked its way through his huge body. “And I thought it had been going so well…Unless you’re having second thoughts about the upcoming angle?” If she was, Taker hoped she spoke up now instead of later, because once this began there was no stopping it until the end.

“No, it's nothing like that.  There are no second thoughts with me.” She walked over and slid a cigarette out of the pack, leaning forward as he lit it for her, taking a deep long drag as the nicotine worked its way through her system. “Thank you.” Harley visibly relaxed, leaning back against the gate she just kicked, blowing the smoke away from him because she didn't want to piss him off. “Paul isn't happy with the angle.” She finally admitted after another drag, flicking ash away. “And I have a pretty damn good idea why.”

“Because he thinks that something may or may not have happened between us last night.” Taker surmised, somehow not really surprised by that, shaking his head.  He had given Paul the benefit of the doubt and assumed the big man had some brains left in his skull.  Sadly, Taker had been mistaken and would have to talk to him about it. “Well, I’ll set him straight because this won’t work if there’s any tension between the two of you.  It will wind up showing in the ring and on-camera with the angle, which will NOT be happening.”

“I know that and I will understand if the angle is cancelled because of it.”

Harley would never speak to Paul again, except professionally, if this went sour for her.  She took another deep drag, closing her eyes to just let it completely relax her.  She was shocked her head wasn't pounding, but knew it would come later on that night and she would have to pop more ibuprofen.

“The angle will not be cancelled, that I can assure you.” Taker stated, taking another drag, flicking ash away. “Vince very rarely calls off something he sees massive potential with.  That and Paul will listen to reason, he’s not a completely fool, I don’t think anyway.” Taker hoped anyway, hoping he wasn’t giving Paul too much credit. “He’s your friend.  Explain the situation, feel free to tell him I’m a domineering asshole, who forced you to stay with me, because I didn’t want you collapsing halfway to your room.  I don’t care, either way, it’s the truth.”

“Taker, I don't even remember coming back into your room.  I remember walking out and then everything faded.  I don't remember being carted back in or laid down or undressed...” Harley flushed, flicking ash away as she took another drag, pinching the bridge of her nose. “ You helped me out last night and I appreciate it.  I'm not going to call you that because it's not the truth.  You saw what was going on and took action, even though I cracked your jaw.” She flinched at that memory, rubbing her head. “If he doesn't believe me, that I nothing happened between us, then that's on him.  But I know nothing happened, you were helping a co-worker out and I happen to have tits.”

“Tell him what happened, he’ll understand and, in the end, it will make things a lot easier all the way around for everyone involved.” He simply suggested, flicking away what remained of his cigarette and rolled his shoulders, looking upward at the darkening sky. “Not that you should have to explain anything, you are a grown woman after all.  What you do behind closed doors is your privacy and nobody should invade it. “He half grinned, shaking his head. “But…just to make life a little less complicated, I’d talk to him if I were you.” If Harley didn’t do it, then Taker would, refusing to let this angle go up in smoke.

“Okay I will.  I'll talk to him.” Harley sighed heavily, staring back at Taker, seeing the impish gleam in his eyes as she cleared her throat awkwardly.  Before he could fully walk away, Harley decided to give him one more piece of news. “By the way, I'm not telling him about the initiation.  So it can either be a huge surprise to him or you can let him on what's going on.” She'd been embarrassed and mortified enough this week.  Harley watched him smirk as he walked back inside the building, turning back around to finish her smoke, not having had a cigarette in a few years.

As reluctant as he was to do it, Taker was going to have to tell Paul about the entire angle, really not wanting the big man to totally blow a gasket or look completely confused when he seen the initiation ceremony.  Taker shook his head, strolling down the hallway toward his locker room, cracking his neck.  Of course, he didn’t have to tell Paul EVERYTHING he was planning, just enough to make him understand the jist of it.  This was undoubtedly turning out to be an entertaining night, one Taker would soon not forget.

Harley stayed outside for a little while longer, just enjoying the fresh night air, and then decided to head back inside.  She knew Taker and Paul would be heading out to the ring, so she would wait for them outside of the Unholy Alliance locker room.  She paced back and forth, knowing she had to make things right with Paul because he was one of her best friends.  Why he didn't believe that something didn't happen, or assumed it, was beyond her, but Harley was determined to make him believe her.  When they both came back from the match, Harley was leaning against the wall and looked up at Paul.

“When you're finished cleaning up, meet me outside.  I want to talk you please?” He just nodded at her, patting her shoulder reassuringly, and Harley cracked a smile before walking away.

“Do you know what that was about?” Paul asked as he walked inside the Unholy Alliance locker room with his mentor.

Taker shrugged, picking up his bag and headed for the showers, refusing to say a word.  Of course he knew, but it was more amusing watching the big man stew and worry.  He was indeed a sick individual as Taker turned the sprays on, becoming completely immersed in them moments later.

Once Paul was clean, no longer smelling like something inside of his shoe, he went in search of Harley, chancing a guess at where she would be.  He sighed with relief when he saw her, considering ‘outside’ wasn’t very specific.  This arena had a lot of exits and places to smoke or just catch a breath of air.

“What’s up?” He asked, standing in front of her, his bag in hand.

“Hey big guy.” Harley was calmer now, a lot calmer, especially after her talk with Taker as she leaned against the wall of the arena, grey eyes staring back at him. “I wanted to talk t you about what happened last night.” She held her hand up when he went to speak. “Just let me get this out please.” She smiled when he nodded, stepping closer to him. “Paul, nothing happened between me and Taker last night.  I fell asleep in Chris's dressing room because he wanted me to hang out with him after my match.  I was stupid and popped the stupid pain killers Larry gave me, when I should've waited two hours like I was told.  I thought I was going back to the hotel though, even though that's STILL no excuse for taking them early.  Taker found me in Chris's dressing room, I'm going to assume Chris asked him to check on me because I was pretty drowsy from the damn pills.  He took me back to the hotel and had me stay in his room for forty-five minutes. I remember the time being up and walking out of his room and everything going blank.  I woke up in my clothes on the other side of the bed with a pounding headache and left.  That's ALL that happened between me and him.  You know I would never lie to you.  I want you to be happy about this angle we're doing because I loved working with you in that shithole company we used to work for.  Paul, you're one of my best friends and am I really the type of woman to sleep around with my co-workers on the first night?” She knew she had a relationship with Kevin Nash, but that didn't happen until two years into working for WCW. “I just wanted to set the record straight because I felt like earlier you weren't that excited about it, when I know normally, if you hadn't found me in Taker's hotel room, you would've been.”

Paul stared down at her, looking a little confused. “You thought…Wait a minute.  You thought I didn’t wanna do the angle or I wasn’t excited about it cause of you and Taker in the hotel?” When she nodded, Paul shook his head, chuckling. “I figured nothing had happened besides what you just said, Harley, I know you better than that.  I was a bit concerned about Taker because he’s made it clear time and time again he won’t work with a woman, so…forgive me, sweetie, but this is all a little shocking to me.  It’s not you, Harley, I didn’t mean to make you think it was.  I was just worried about what he would do, but he seems cool with it, so I’m not going to question it anymore.”

Chapter 8

“He just didn't want another brainless Diva walking with you guys to the ring.” Harley tried not to cry, blinking the tears away that formed in her eyes, clearing her throat. “He told Vince that he wants a woman out there with the Unholy Alliance who can fight as well as be eye candy.  Not in those words, but he wants winners, not brainless losers.” She smiled when Paul smirked, knowing she'd just boosted his ego a little, smacking him playfully in the arm.  She squealed when he lifted her over his shoulder, black hair flying since she'd taken it out of her ponytail. “Paul, put me down!”

“You look better up there.” Paul replied smugly, laughing when she automatically went to pull his ponytail, growling.  Some things never seemed to change. “Do that again and I’ll choke slam your ass.” He threatened, though they both knew it was hollow because Paul would never harm a hair on Harley’s head.  He sighed exasperatedly when she did it again, moving her until he could grab her throat lightly, placing the other hand on the small of her back, so he wasn’t really choking her, just holding her in the air with the palm of his hand between her shoulder blades.  Paul grunted when he was suddenly kicked in the stomach, dropping her right into Taker’s arms.

“What the hell are you doing, Wight?”

Harley was laughing too hard to speak at the moment, blinking when she was suddenly dropped right into Undertaker's arms.  The universe was out to destroy her, she simply knew it, and buried her face in her hands.  This was déjà vu all over again.

“He wasn't hurting me, Taker.” She said in a quiet voice, slowly being set on the ground, rubbing Paul's shoulder as he just grunted out to give him a minute. “We fool around like that all the time, are you okay big guy?”

“No…No, I’m not…” Paul grunted out, coughing because Taker’s kicks were always brutal. “Damn…”

Now it was Taker’s turn to feel a bit foolish, though he tried not to show it, staring at both of them like they were insane. “You were…joking?” He said flatly.

“What the HELL would make you think I’d hurt one of my best friends?” Paul snapped, still trying to catch his breath.

“The fact you had her set up for a slam…”

“It wasn’t serious!”

“He always lifts me on his shoulder, which he knows I don't like, so I pull his ponytail and he always threatens to choke slam me.” Harley explained while trying to get Paul to breathe again, feeling terrible, though she hadn't expected Taker to actually show up much less kick him. “It was a misunderstanding; it did look bad, but I trust this big guy with my life.” She smiled, trying to make light of the situation between the two.

Murder flashed in Paul’s eyes as he stared holes through Taker because, one that hadn’t felt good at all and, two who the hell did Taker this he was? “Damn man…”

Taker had to apologize, which left a bad taste in his mouth. “Sorry.” It came out in a flat tone, but considering he very rarely apologized, Paul should’ve felt special.

“Paul, I'll buy you dinner, how's that sound?” Harley was trying to coax him into feeling better, knowing deep down it was her fault.  Hell everything was her fault these days, looking over her shoulder at Taker, who didn't look amused in the slightest. “You two, I'll buy you big guys dinner.  Damn, I really feel like a shrimp compared to you two.” She shook her head and laughed, black hair bouncing as she headed off to her rental car.

“You ARE a shrimp, short shit!” Paul called after her, following with a smile spreading on his face.  Then again, everyone was a shrimp compared to him.  Even the Phenom had to look up to him, which always gave Paul a hint of satisfaction, even though he would never let Taker know that. “Come on, Deadman, don’t keep the lady waiting.” He called over his shoulder, looking forward to having a nice hardy meal.

Wondering if he would regret this, Taker reluctantly followed them.

~!~

This was interesting to say the very least as Harley sat in between these two massive giants, sipping her beer and chewing on her chicken strips.  Taker ordered a steak while Paul went with a huge hamburger that was almost as big as his head.  Harley couldn't believe the size of the thing and actually wondered if Paul would be able to finish it all. 

Then she remembered who she was sitting next to and shook her head, trying not to start laughing.  She looked over at Taker, trying to get him to at least crack a smile or anything, sighing when he simply remained quiet.  She'd already made sure she was paying for this meal by giving her credit card to the waitress, wanting everything to be alright between these giants.

Paul’s hamburger was going to fit quite well in his stomach and he was going to follow that up with peach pie for dessert, smirking when Harley gave him an incredulous stare. “What?  I’m a growing boy.”

Taker actually snorted into his beer, shaking his head as he finished out a cigarette.

“Sir, the smoking section is in the-I’ll just get you an ashtray.” The waitress squeaked, rushing away.

Taker blinked when Paul leaned around to look at him, arching an eyebrow. “What?”

“Do you HAVE to scare EVERYONE?”

“I thought I got us a smoking table.” Harley looked confused when Taker just shrugged at Paul's question, leaning back in the booth after finishing her last chicken strip. “He's not doing anything wrong, I did ask for a smoking table so it's their fault.” She smirked when Paul just groaned, patting his shoulder. “Just eat your hamburger and I'll get you some pie.” She laughed when he shook his head, knowing him like a book. “What about you Taker?  Did you want dessert?”

Taker stared down at her intently, blowing a perfect smoke ring over Harley’s beautiful head, before smirking. “Sure darlin’,” His voice changed from the usual dark flat tone he used, to just the slightest hint of a southern accent, though the tone still had its dark timbre. “You can get me a slice of…pie.” Dwayne would have loved to be here.

Being as how she didn't watch the WWF -it was forbidden in the WCW and she'd recently just started this company-, Harley had no unearthly clue what he meant by that. “I'm missing something aren't I?” She glanced over at Paul, who was trying so hard not to laugh, but she could already see tears building in the big man's eyes. “Paul, breathe.” She ordered gruffly, folding her arms in front of her chest, clearly not amused. “What is so damn funny?” She jumped when Paul started roaring with laughter, actually hitting the table and Harley was afraid he was going to break it.

It wouldn’t have been that funny…funny yes, but not AS funny if anyone except Taker would have said it.  It was just so damn unexpected and…Paul actually broke the part of the booth he’d been sitting in from how hard he was laughing.  His laughter didn’t stop there, he just lay on the floor, pieces of wood beneath him and laughed harder.

Harley was a delicious crimson red at this point and Taker was enjoying his cigarette, green eyes filled with serene amusement.

Harley blinked when the booth actually cracked and Paul's ass slid to the floor, laughing his ass off with tears streaming down his cheeks.  He was nearly five hundred pounds and looked like an overgrown child at that moment.  Harley scowled, knowing she was redder than a strawberry, still not catching onto what the damn joke was about.  What had Taker said...She slowly looked over at him, grey eyes narrowing.  Neither of them were talking and Harley finally just threw her hands up in the air, beginning to slide out of the booth.

“You officially suck, Paul!”

“Pie!” Paul managed to choke out.

“Uh miss?” The owner sidestepped Paul, trying not to look at the intimidating man smoking a cigarette in his non-smoking section. “I’m sorry miss, but I’m going to have to charge you…for the booth…” He gestured lamely to his now destroyed property. “For the damages, I mean…”

Taker almost choked on smoke when Paul suddenly stopped laughing, no longer finding the situation amusing apparently.

This night seriously could not get any worse and all Harley wanted was to get as far away from Paul Wight as possible. “Go ahead.” She said through gritted teeth, watching the owner haul ass away from her because her grey eyes were LIT on fire. “You SO owe me for this, Wight.” When the waitress brought the pie as she requested, Paul's favorite, Harley smiled at her sweetly. “Thank you.”

A second later, the pie plowed into Paul's face with Harley stalking out of the restaurant, seriously wanting to kill her friend.

By now, Taker was roaring with laughter, his entire body shaking with it, though he didn’t break anything.  He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and pushed himself up out of the undamaged part of the booth, shaking his head. “Enjoy your pie.” He chuckled darkly, working his way out of the diner, long legs quickly catching up to an irate Harley.

Harley retrieved her credit card, not even wanting to know the damages, groaning when it was over five hundred dollars.  Paul was going to be MAIMED for this!  She walked out of the restaurant as the cool night air assaulted her, feeling her entire face on pure fire, clenching her teeth.  What the hell was SO damn funny about PIE? 

Harley headed toward the parking lot, cussing violently. “That no good cocksucking, mother fucking, dick licking, bastard ass, son of a whore!”

“Son of a whore is pretty strong language.” Taker’s voice sounded from behind, all traces of amusement gone from his tone, figuring he wasn’t going to provoke her anymore.  He’d wait until she had calmed down before starting up again.

“Who’s a son of a whore?” Paul asked lamely, red faced and now sweating, having walked rather fast to catch up to them.

“You.”

“Paul, you cost me six hundred fucking dollars because you BROKE the goddamn booth!” She was keeping her distance from him because she was literally trembling with anger, taking a few deep breaths. “You're paying for it.” When he nodded solemnly, Harley took a few more deep breaths while pacing back and forth, growling as the redness of her face slowly began returning normal again.

“I never said I wouldn’t.  I’ll even pay you interest, Harley, I didn’t mean to break it.” Paul hung his head in shame, knowing he probably should’ve just stood up to eat.  Even sitting in a normal sized booth was risky, let alone having a laughing fit.

This woman had Paul Wight -The Big Show, a seven foot five hundred pound GIANT- almost reduced to tears!  If Taker had a camera, he would’ve snapped a few pictures just to remember this moment, not ever wanting to forget it. 

Harley's heart instantly broke at the sight of Paul, immediately calming down as she walked over to him, knowing his size wasn't easy to live with. “It's alright big guy, look at me.” She crooked her finger and when he bent his head down, she hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek, letting him know it was alright. “You didn't mean to do it, I shouldn't have snapped like that.  I don't want any interest either.  Now come on, chin up, it's over okay?  Sorry about the pie.” She bit her bottom lip, trying not to smile, but soon they were both laughing as she hugged him around the waist. “Hell, that wasn't as bad as the time we were on tour with that shithole company and you actually hit your hand so hard on the table, it cracked down the middle.” She started giggling at the memory, knowing that would get him laughing harder. “We were watching sports, I think it was football, and you just totally slammed your hand down on the table as hard as you could.  You scared the waitress to death and made her stumble back as four pitchers of beer drowned her.” By now they were both rolling, Harley leaning against him for leverage.

His moment was ruined, gone was the blubbering Paul replaced with the idiotic laughing Paul.  Even worse yet, Harley was encouraging it on PURPOSE!  Taker rubbed his temples, wondering what Paul was going to break next.  Perhaps the car behind them that he was damn close to leaning against.  Now he was the one who didn’t get the joke, scowling at the thought, always hating being left in the dark.

Harley was glad to have Paul back in good spirits, knowing he absolutely HATED it when she was angry with him.  They were like brother and sister, fighting a lot, but also managed to make things right in the end.  Harley wiped her tears away, giggling as Paul announced he was going back to the hotel before he broke anything else, shaking her head.  That left her standing alone with Taker, but Harley couldn't stop smiling to save her life.

“We have a unique friendship, you'll soon come to realize that, Taker.” She said, winking, and headed toward her car while still giggling over the memory back in WCW.  The booth wasn't as funny because she ended up having to take a major hit financially, but Paul would take care of it so she wasn't worried.

Taker didn’t give a damn about their unique relationship, it was a bit sickening actually.  She had reduced the other man to TEARS, his giant that he specifically handpicked to roll with him in the WWF as the Unholy Alliance!  Taker felt ashamed for the male species, shaking his head as he strolled to his own rental, having followed her to the restaurant.

“Oh Taker, I forgot…”

Taker kept on walking, refusing to acknowledge Paul, not wanting to know what the moron forgot now.  He wasn’t even sure if he could stomach looking up into that still slightly red and puffy face. “Damn woman.” He grunted, starting his ignition, and peeled out of there, leaving Paul watching after him looking confused.

Chapter 9

It'd been two weeks since Harley arrived in the WWF and she was loving every minute of it...mostly.  Of course, she managed to always humiliate herself in the presence of Taker, but it was always unintentional.  She was beginning to think he was ENJOYING himself, knowing there was nothing she could do about it.  What could she possibly say to him, stop it?  Like that would really work, NOT! 

The angle of the Unholy Alliance began and it was the second week into Taker and Paul both standing up on the ramp way watching her in the ring.  Harley had kept her real name for her character, honestly not wanting another name, just like she had in WCW.  Things were really heating up with the angle and Harley honestly enjoyed working with Paul, Taker and Bill, trying to learn as much as she could from the Phenom.  Of course, Bill was a well of knowledge as well and Harley frequently asked him questions about the business.

They were supposed to watch her and converse, as if discussing her, which worked out rather well as Paul kept up a commentary about Harley with Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler and ‘Good Ol’ JR’ Jim Ross.  Paul talked about her WCW career mindlessly, apparently unaware Taker was much more interested than he let on.  Bill had noticed it too, keeping his mouth shut for the most part.  Taker kept his eyes on the woman in the ring, nodding when she took a fall, noting Harley had definitely improved on her landing drastically.

Harley did a drop toehold, facing Tori –Terri-, who was currently Kane's love interest.  Kane was currently on the outside, cheering her on, slamming the mat along with X-Pac, though Harley wasn't intimidated to say the least.  She arched Tori's neck back and applied a submission that was similar to the Crippler Cross face.  When Tori tapped out, Harley immediately rolled out of the ring before Kane or X-Pac could get to her, sweating profusely as the fans booed her, rolling her eyes. 

She smirked wickedly and turned around on the ramp way, freezing at the sight of Undertaker and Big Show, the Unholy Alliance.  A second later, the lights went out and when they came back on, both had disappeared out of thin air.  Harley ran her hand through her hair and quickly handed up the ramp way to the back, knowing she played the part perfectly.

Tori followed shortly after with Kane –Glen Jacobs- and X-Pac –Sean Waltman-, holding the back of her neck. “Awesome job, Harley.” She said complimented, passing by, needing ice.

Sean Waltman halted, studying Harley intently for a second.  He had seen her, but this was the first time up-close, apparently recognizing her finally. “Aren’t you Kevin’s old lady?” He finally asked.

Harley froze when he asked her that question, having been wiping the sweat from her forehead, clearing her throat awkwardly. “I was, I'm not anymore.  Hello again, Sean.” She knew who this runt was, knowing he'd jumped back and forth from WCW to the WWF a few times, all because of money. “Thanks Terri, you too honey.” She smiled and walked away, wearing tight blue pants with a halter top that had a teardrop cut out on the front, like her other wrestling outfits. 

That was her trademark, the teardrop, though she never fully got to use it in WCW.

Sean stared after her, trying to remember if Kevin ever mentioned him and Harley splitting up, let alone Harley jumping ship to the WWF.  Shrugging, he walked off down the hallway, deciding a call to his old friend was in order.  He had to tell Kevin about what his ex-woman was doing in the WWF, knowing the man wouldn’t be happy about it considering Harley had never shown interest in wrestling while in the WCW.

Taker folded his arms in front of his chest and stepped back to allow a technician through the door to catering.  He was going to assume the ‘Kevin’ Sean had referred to was Kevin Nash.  Harley and Nash…he didn’t like picturing that one, snorting.

Harley hoped Sean could keep his mouth shut because she really didn't need her past relationship broadcasted throughout the company.  This was her new beginning, Kevin was her past and he was staying there as far as she was concerned.  She was finally happy with her life, with where she worked, and where she knew she belonged.  Sighing, Harley stripped out of her wrestling outfit and showered, just allowing the warm sprays to engulf her.  She didn't want the water too hot or too cold because it would contract with her muscles, which were overworked at the moment from that grueling match with Terri.

~!~

“So next week, we kidnap her right?”

Taker pinched the bridge of his nose, honestly wondering how many times Paul was going to ask him this question and how many times they’d have to go over it.  Letting out a long suffering sigh, Taker had to look on the bright side that, with Harley in their little clique, conversations were bound to become more interesting.  They just HAD to be after everything that had transpired since her debut.

“Yes.”

“For the millionth time, Paul, yes.” Harley walked inside the locker room, the door being propped open, wearing her usual blue jeans with an off the shoulder dark gray top that made her eyes pop.  Her black hair was swept up on top of her head held by a rather large clip, fanning over the top of it, with a few tendrils framing her face. “And here I thought I was going to be the nervous one of the bunch.” She teased, giggling when Paul growled at her. “You know that doesn't scare me so don't even start, Paulie.”

“Well I WOULD threaten you with a choke slam, but we all know what happens when I do that.” Paul teased right back, shooting Taker a pointed look.

Of all the things he would never live down, which were few, this had to definitely be the worst. “I don’t actually NEED a reason to kick you Paul, just remember that.” He said in a deceptively calm voice.

Paul rubbed his stomach, backing up instantly.

“Just remember that you won't live down breaking the booth while I tried taking you both to dinner.” Harley smirked when Paul decided to shut up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, and turned to face Taker with a smile. “Will you tell me how I did out there tonight?” She'd been asking him this every week after her matches on Raw, the house shows did matter, but not compared to live television and Harley didn't just want to be good.  She wanted to be great. “Please?”

Every week after her match, Harley would come to him and ask how she had done in her matches.  Taker felt like telling her to drop to her knees, clasp her hands and use the ‘cherry on top’ cliché line, just to see if she would.  She valued his opinion, which he liked, even though a lot of others within the company did. 

He was arrogant enough to admit it, but she also LISTENED, really listened, instead of thinking that having listened once was enough.  She kept coming back, wanting to absorb as much knowledge and insight as she possibly could.  Harley was going to give him a swollen head if she didn’t watch it, a dirty thought instantly popping in his head.

“Ah fuck…” He grunted out, knowing exactly WHICH head his brain decided to think of.

“Look I know I'm probably annoying the hell out of you, but everything you've told me to work on, I have.  I'm trying to my best out there because I don't want to just be good, I want to be GREAT.  You are one of the greatest, that's why I keep bugging you so much because your opinion matters.  I'm a rookie and I need guidance, I'm not going to just piss away the opportunity to work with you.  I want to LEARN.” Harley had so much passion in those grey eyes as she stared at Taker, eyebrows furrowed together, knowing he was probably tired of her bothering him, but couldn't help it. 

She wanted to know if she was doing the right thing in the ring, in front of the fans, whether it was landing right, throwing a punch or doing a submission move.  Every little bit mattered and Harley knew that.  She'd been in this business long enough to know that one person got one shot and if they didn't take it, it would never come back. 

Her shot was here, now, working with Taker and Paul.

“You should be a speechwriter or something, Harley.  That was some of the best, most sincere ass kissing without actually doing it, I’ve ever heard.” Paul said after a moment, blinking, glancing at Taker, who was busy regarding her out of narrowed green eyes, his head cocked slightly to the side. “I’m gonna go grab a water.” He coughed, slipping out of the room and down the hallway.

There was a cooler with water sitting on the table in the damn room, Paul was a moron. “You are doing fine, Harley.” He finally spoke, leaning back against the wall with his tights pulled down around his waist, showcasing his muscular chest, tattooed arms folded in front of his chest. “Your only problem now is you OVER THINK everything.”

“It's not ass kissing; it's the damn truth.” She muttered, lowering her eyes away from Taker, taking a deep breath and nodded. 

He was right, she did over think everything when she was in the ring because she wanted every move to be perfect and precise.  Maybe it was time for her to just stop thinking when she was in the ring and just focus on wrestling to the best of her ability.  It wasn't just about wrestling, she had a character to portray out in that ring as well, so it was juggling each one.

“Thanks Taker.” She said softly, truly meaning that.

“Harley, you got the wrestling part down.” Taker admitted, knowing she was probably embarrassed again.  The woman seemed to have the uncanny ability on flushing cheeks and humiliation, most of it imagined, especially when in his presence. “Now it’s time to work on the character.  Your body is trained enough to do what you need too.  Now focus all that thinking you do on making an impression with the crowd.”

“Well, hopefully next week, we'll make that happen.” Her voice had grown softer, refusing to sit down when Taker was standing. 

That's something one just didn't do in his presence, unless they weren't having a conversation.  She wanted to voice her concerns about next week and the initiation, but Harley didn't want him thinking she was having doubts.  She could do anything, she just had to believe in herself a little more.

“I'll try not to ask you how I'm doing again, Taker.  I know if I'm doing something wrong, you'll tell me.”

“Of course I would, but I wasn’t upset with you for asking…” He wasn’t about to tell her what had made him somewhat on edge, because his train of thought had flown south, even if she inadvertently made him do it.  Taker dropped down onto the metal folding chair, bending down to check the laces of his boots and spared a glance at the clock. “Paul and I have a match in ten minutes.” He said randomly, wondering just where that big fool had went.

“I'll be watching.” She sat down in a nearby chair, this dressing room not having a couch, seeing Taker's eyes drift to the door. “He's probably down in the cafeteria eating.  I swear, the man is a bottomless pit.” Harley chuckled softly, crossing one leg over the other while focusing on the monitor, even though it wasn't that exciting of a match.

Given Paul was just border lining weight that barely allowed him to ride in a van and Taker put him on a diet, he didn’t think being a bottomless pit was a good thing for his partner. “I hope he stuck with a salad.” He grunted, ready to pound Paul into the mat if he didn’t follow the regiment Taker specifically instructed.

“I did, but I brought you back some pie.” Paul said innocent as he walked in, offering a small, boxed pie, trying not to grin.

“Hope it’s cherry.” Taker said absentmindedly, his thinking straying back to the kneeling and ‘pretty please with a cherry on top’, glancing at Harley.

“I'm going to plow that pie in your face in a minute.” She muttered, already turning red while trying to focus on the match. 

Harley had finally understood what Taker meant that night at the restaurant two weeks ago and honestly never thought she'd live it down.  The Rock -Dwayne Johnson- talked about pie frequently, though it wasn't the pie most people would assume.  She cleared her throat awkwardly and stood up, deciding to go watch these match elsewhere.

“I'll see you guys later.” She walked out, heading to a secluded place where she could watch their match.

Paul waited until she was out of the room before poking his head out of the door and into the hallway, grinning broadly. “At least it wasn’t strudel!” He called after her, knowing she’d get that one definitely as she had heard Rocky cutting a promo the other night with the ‘strudel’ reference.  He slammed the door shut just in case she decided she was going to come back for revenge, laughing.

Taker shook his head; he was dubbed the locker room leader, but was leading a group of damn children. “When you’re finished, we have a match.” He informed Paul evenly, nodding when Bill stepped inside, the manager for the Unholy Alliance.

“Ready gentlemen?” Bill promptly asked, already in his Paul Bearer character, which wasn’t far off from the actual man…much.

“I’m finished.” Paul grunted, following Taker and Bill out of the door, heading down to gorilla position.

The Unholy Alliance annihilated The Rock -N- Sock Connection, with Taker on commentary the entire time, which Harley found amusing to say the least.  Paul could take on Dwayne and Mick -The Rock's partner Mankind- without breaking a sweat.  Once their match was finished, Harley decided it was time to head out, wondering if she should find a bar somewhere.  It honestly couldn't hurt.  She walked out of the arena and slipped into her rental, driving off to find a bar for a few drinks.

Chapter 10

“Bro, you will never guess who just walked in...” Sean laughed into his cell phone when he seen Harley walking in. “I'm telling you, it's a small fucking world after all.  You mention her, she appears.” He listened for a moment before snorting. “Yeah, see ya, bro.” After hanging up, Sean stood up from his place at a table in the back and sauntered forward, smiling when Harley looked up at him. “Hey Harley, nice seein' you out and about.”

“Hello Sean.” Harley replied smoothly, having ordered a simple beer, refusing to touch the hard liquor tonight.  She just wanted a few to simmer down, wondering what Sean wanted.  She trusted this rat about as far as she could throw him, inwardly groaning when he sat next to her. “I'm glad you're here because there's something I want to say to you.” Her grey eyes suddenly became stormy, flashing angrily, gritting her teeth. “My PERSONAL life in WCW does NOT need to be broadcasted throughout the WWF.  Kevin and I are not together anymore and I'd really appreciate if you kept your mouth shut about it.  YOU have a pleasant evening.” Sliding off of the stool, tossing some bills down on the counter, Harley walked out of the bar to find another one WITHOUT Sean Waltman in it.

Sean followed her out, catching her by the arm and whirled Harley around to face him, confusion etched all over his face. “I don't know what I apparently did to you, Harley, but you need to back the fuck up.” He said coldly. “I didn't even realize who the hell you were until TONIGHT, or didn't you notice?” He shook his head, backing up and snorted. “You haven't been with the company long enough to be a bitch like some of the other divas, so check your shit at the door, honey.” He went back into the bar, muttering about women and their cocksucking mouths.

“Like I'd really believe anything you had to say, Waltman.” Harley’s voice was low, causing him to stop dead in his tracks before he could fully make it in the door. “You're a damn snake in the grass and, even though I haven't been with this company very long, I only jumped ship ONCE.  You've done it quite a few times, so no I'm not going to check my shit at the door.  The first words out of your damn mouth shouldn't have been about Nash because that's none of your business to begin with!  I had more to do with that shithole company than just being with him.  I'm simply telling you not to run your mouth about my past and personal life with Kevin.” She hadn't raised her voice once, but Harley wasn't backing down from this asshole who thought the world revolved his ass. That just wasn't going to happen.

As far as Sean was concerned, he hadn't done anything wrong besides apparently insult her with his lack of knowledge that she wasn't a brand name wrestler anymore.  He had hardly ever exchanged words with her in EITHER company, he sure as hell never really spoke about her to anyone, but Kevin.  Usually it was Kevin doing the talking, so this little bitch had balls.

“You know what, slut, your mouth just overrode your ass; I'd be watching it if I were you.” He cautioned deadly, heading back to the bar. “You might have Taker eating out of the palm of your hand, but everyone else in the locker room knows that you're just looking to be another Sable and sleep her way to the top, AGAIN.”

It took every ounce of restraint in Harley not to go after this bastard as tears shined in her eyes, knowing that's exactly what people thought of her.  She hadn't slept her way to the top, she'd worked for WCW two years before Kevin approached her.  She'd been a part of the NWO, but things got heated between them and, yes, she had a relationship with the man.  What was wrong with trying to be happy?  Harley knew if she continued this conversation with Sean, she would end up probably kicking his head from his shoulders and just went to her rental car, driving back to the hotel as tears trekked down her cheeks. 

Would she ever escape her past with Kevin Nash or was it going to haunt her forever, no matter where she went?

~!~

“What the hell is going on?” Paul demanded, walking up to Chris, not looking happy.

“What do you mean?” Chris blinked, seeing the fire in the big man’s eyes. “I didn’t do it!”

“I just got asked if I could score Harley’s number...”

Chris arched a blonde eyebrow, tugging on his goatee. “You already HAVE her number, Paul.”

“Not for me, but for him…”

“Who’s ‘him’?” If Paul didn’t stop talking in riddles, Chris was going to have to hurt him.

“Morley?”

Sean Morley was known to the WWF fans as Val Venis, which caused Chris to make a face.

~!~

Sean ended up flying off at the mouth after that confrontation at the bar with Harley and she was miserable.  If she wasn't at the arena, she was holed up in her hotel room.  She must've declined at LEAST twenty date offers, all of them leading to the same damn thing: they wanted a piece of Kevin Nash's pussy. 

Scowling angrily, Harley tossed aside a book, staring out the window as the city lights of New York stared back at her.  She wore black cotton shorts and a tank top, her usual sleepwear because she wasn't leaving this hotel room unless it was to work.  She would prove to people she wasn't just another hot piece of ass and Sean Waltman would end up looking like the little prick he was.

~!~

Taker was well aware of what was happening, which was all in a very short course of one week.  He couldn’t defend Harley every time someone mentioned her or her delicious assets, as much as he wanted to.  He wanted to put heads through walls for anyone even mentioning her name, knowing he couldn’t because then it would look exactly like what they expected.  Time is what was required for this type of delicate situation, time to prove everyone wrong.  Eventually, it would die down, things normally did. 

In the meantime, Taker had requested his good friend, Glen Jacobs, to accidentally hurt Waltman when they finally got into the ring together…as enemies.  X-Pac, Waltman’s character, was turning on Glen’s character, Kane, very soon so it was the perfect opportunity for Taker to request something small.  Nothing major…just a life threatening injury would suffice…for now.  Sighing, Taker glanced down at the glistening dagger he turned over in his hands repeatedly, taking a deep breath.

Initiation night had arrived.

Harley stood in front of the full length mirror, feeling like she was either going to pass out or throw up.  She'd already been kidnapped, they'd done that to start the night off.  They were doing both in the same night on Raw and she was nervous to say the least.  Her long black hair was straightened and curled at the ends to give it bounce, to make it look tousled as Janet said. 

Her lips were painted in a peach gloss that shimmered under the lights, her eyes outlined in very thin black eyeliner.  The outfit was a white baby doll with matching silk panties.  The baby doll clung to her every curve, showing off just a hint of stomach and the tops of her breasts. 

Harley took another deep breath and slipped on the white see through robe, knowing she shouldn't be ashamed of her body, but what with everything else going on backstage...NO!  This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and NOTHING was going to ruin this.  She looked over her shoulder when a knock sounded on the door, knowing it was time.

Chris had taken it upon himself to walk her to the gorilla position, knowing she was very likely to be leered at like a piece of meat, scowling.  It was getting rather annoying; there was only so many times he and Paul could be fined.  Recently, Paul had taken to hanging people upside down in the toilet stalls in bathrooms for running their mouths about Harley, men and women alike.  Chris would be seen elsewhere at the time and, when officials came running, Paul would suddenly be with him.

“You look smokin’, baby!” He exclaimed upon seeing her, already feeling himself become aroused. “Nervous?”

Harley could only nod, the sadness apparent in her grey eyes, but she had to push that aside. “I'm fine, never better.” She smiled at him, shoving all of the crap in the far recesses of her mind because she couldn't focus on that right now, not when this was one of the BIGGEST angles going in the company right now. “Thanks for the compliment, Chris.” She took several more deep breaths and tied the rope shut, at least she wouldn't be exposed FULLY and she flat out refused to wear a thong for this segment.  Taker had insisted on it. “You here to escort me?” She smirked when he just lowered his eyes, sighing and walked over to lift his chin. “I know you don't think like the rest of them because you're one of my best friends.  So chin up, everything will work out for the best.”

“Well, you know if you wanted me to think like the rest of them…minus the sleeping the way to the top thing, but the sexual part…I could.” He teased, recovering with his normal enthusiasm and gave her a blatant once over and a very lewd leer, dodging when she went to sock him. “Just playin’, just playin’!”

“Fuck Harley, wear that to my room tonight?” Sean laughed as he walked by with one of his friends.

“You couldn’t get lucky enough, Waltman.  Do you want ME to wear something sexy when I come to your room tonight with weapon in tow?” Chris challenged coolly.

Sean kept on walking, but he wasn’t laughing anymore.

“Anyway, Taker knows to be careful tonight, right?” Chris was still worried about this initiation process. “Cause he’s not using a fake knife…”

“He only wishes I'd come to his hotel room, he would always hit on me whenever Nash wasn't around.  Truly pathetic.” She stated, causing both her and Chris to cringe because the thought of Sean made both of their skin crawl. “Don't worry about it, I'm fine, and I don't need a bodyguard.” She kissed his cheek, patting it with a wink. “I'll see you later, Irvine.”

She walked away and down toward gorilla position, blocking out everything everyone was saying, getting in the zone.  Harley wasn't going to screw this up.  This was her only shot at making something of herself in this business and Harley wasn't giving it up.

Paul and Taker were standing before an altar, technicians alongside them.  Paul grinned when he saw her, trying hard not to think naughty thoughts because she was his best friends. “You about ready for the real kinky shit, Har?” He joked, gesturing to the waiting leather straps that would hold her wrists above her head, also straps for her ankles to keep her perfectly still.

Taker was listening to a technician, who was busy explaining just what kind of paint he’d be using as it was different from some others, arching a slow eyebrow. “Say that again.” He ordered, somewhat baffled.

“Well technically…it’s liquid edible paint.” The woman said, blushing furiously, swallowing hard. “We ah…melted some…things and this is what we came up with.  It’s black, it won’t harden like candy or anything and it’s completely harmless to the skin.  Also easy to scrub off afterwards.”

“I wasn’t kidding you about the kinky shit.” Paul whispered in Harley’s ear, wondering how she was holding up ever since Sean Waltman’s mouth began writing checks his ass couldn’t cash.

“I'm ready.” She stared straight ahead, nodding at the technician and held her hand out to test the paint. 

Rubbing it between her fingers, Harley nodded.  She hadn't been herself since that night at the bar with Sean, though it was for very good reason, wanting to keep this strictly professional.  Harley felt Paul's hand on her shoulder, nodding when he asked if she was alright, assuring him by patting his hand.  She was fully ready for this and watched as Taker turned around once the technician was finished explaining.

“Okay Harley, we need you to get strapped on the symbol.” The woman said with an easy smile, patting the flat out of it encouragingly. “It’ll be uncomfortable as hell, but…at least it won’t last TOO long.” When Harley had gotten herself as humanly comfortable on the giant contraption as possible, the woman began strapping her wrists and ankles down, nodding to make sure she wouldn’t slide off. “Paul is going to wheel you out during the commercial break.”

“She will not fall right?” Bill asked, having kept quiet up until now, still not believing Taker had actually agreed to do this.

“What’s Taker going to do?” Paul asked, staring down at Harley, not believing how calm she looked.

“Lead the way, even though it’ll be dark and all that, people will still see.  No offense, but he’s the Lord of Darkness and you’re kinda like…”

“My lackey.” Taker smirked wickedly, staring down intently at Harley. “Are you ready for this?” He asked, a licentious gaze caressing over her, unable to  help himself from admiring the delicious presentation she made, especially wearing all white.  He was a genius, having specifically came up with that idea himself, nodding, the vision that had been in his mind ten times better in person.

“I was born ready.” Harley stated without hesitation, knowing that's what he wanted to hear, and Harley meant it.  She wasn't going to scream her head off like Stephanie did, this was going to have a more sensual quality to it.  Harley took a deep breath, Paul staring down at her worriedly, winking him with a cracked smile. “Don't worry big guy, if you can't trust Taker, who can you trust?” With that thought, Harley was wheeled through the curtain as the music blasted throughout the arena.  She immediately closed her eyes, her head tilted to the side, acting as if she was passed out.

In full Lord of Darkness mode, Taker lead the way on the stage, watching as lighters began flickering throughout the arena.  He knew the commercial break wouldn’t last too long and waited, turning to stare down at Harley.  He nodded when Paul set the black bowl of edible paint on the small ledge beside him, placing the gleaming dagger over the bowl.

“Trust me?” He murmured, his mouth right by her ear.

“Yes.” Her lips barely moved because she knew they were in front of a live audience, her hair strewn over her face somewhat for added effect.

Harley was ready for this, more than ready, and trusted Taker with her life as the lights slowly dimmed, knowing the cameras were rolling.

Chapter 11

Bill was now holding the microphone that was positioned near Taker’s mouth as he fingered the dagger, his green eyes turning to pure acid within seconds, slipping fully into his role, which wasn’t too far off the mark to begin with.  The best ones seldom were, him and Steve Williams were proof of that. “Are you ready to join us, Harley?” He asked in a dark, seductive tone of voice, trailing the tip of the dagger between her breasts, gently slicing the thin material away. “To give yourself over to the Lord of Darkness and Unholy Alliance?”

Candles were lit all around her on tall sticks, giving Harley a soft glow, especially wearing all white.  Her heart was pounding furiously, but Harley remained perfectly calm, knowing this was live and if she screwed up, she would probably be fired on the spot.  She was over thinking it, Harley kept her eyes closed as the microphone came to her soft shimmering lips.

“Yes my Lord.” Her voice was haunting and low, almost as if in a trance, which is what they wanted everyone in the audience to think.  She didn't dare open her eyes, feeling her hair being slowly brushed away from her face.  The only movement that came from her was her chest slowly rising and falling from breathing.

Carefully, slowly, Taker cut away the robe, leaving Paul to pull it aside as he got his first real glimpse of what she had worn beneath the material.  He would have to lie if anyone asked if he had enjoyed this segment.  Truth be told, Taker was enjoying it probably a little too much, his eyes practically devouring Harley whole.

“There is no turning back, Harley.  Once you’ve stepped into the darkness, there is only one way and that is forward.” He cautioned in that dark baritone.

Turning the dagger teasingly over in his hand, Taker placed the flat of his free hand on her abdomen.  Slowly gathering the material in his strong fist before drawing it taunt, Taker carefully ran the tip of the sharp dagger through it, cutting it open.  When he brushed his fingertips over her skin again, he could feel goose bumps.

Harley tried keeping her breathing calm, but feeling that dagger cut away the robe to reveal the baby doll and panties...she definitely could feel the heat rising within her, fighting back shivers, especially when she felt the heat of Taker's hand against her skin after cutting down the baby doll to expose more skin. “I surrender to you, my Lord.”

Again, her voice was so angelic yet chilled people to the bone and Harley kept her eyes shut, feeling the exhilaration because the entire arena was silent, watching this with bated breath, wondering what was going to happen next.  Would it be like the Black Wedding where Steve Austin rushed to the ring and saved Stephanie from the evil grasp of the Undertaker?  Or would it be something completely different that they'd never experienced in their lives. 

The tension and intensity was deafening.

The camera was focused on Harley’s face, which gave Taker time to turn away with the bowl and then back again. “You are mine.” He declared darkly before bending his head down.

To the millions watching, it looked as though he was either kissing the flesh above her breasts or perhaps biting at it.  When he moved away, strange runes were present, looking like black ink against her skin.  He had used his tongue to paint them there, not that that’s what the people were supposed to think.  Knowing if he looked into her face, Harley would no doubt turn that familiar shade of red, he worked his way down, tracing the same symbols over her abdomen, stopping after every few to speak in that tongue, his eyes rolled in the back of his head, reaching a deep crescendo.

It was a good thing Harley's eyes were closed because, if she saw what Taker was currently doing, she would've completely turned into a strawberry and ruined the segment.  She wasn't supposed to have color in her face, biting back gasping or any form of emotion when she felt something warm and wet against her skin.  She had NO idea it was Taker's tongue, having thought he'd be using a paintbrush with the special paint the technician had made.  Still, it felt incredible and made her relax even more, her lips remaining in a fine line, looking like a sleeping dark angel that was in the grasp of the devil.

Backstage, Vince was absolutely LOVING what he saw, money signs flashing in his eyes.

When he was finished, though not completely satisfied, Taker pulled away and stared down at his handiwork.  He felt very pleased with himself, especially when she opened her beautiful grey eyes and made sure the camera wasn’t on him, before poking out the tip of his tongue, letting her briefly see the paint.  Edible paint indeed, he was going to have to seriously relief himself once they were done with the segment.

As soon as the smoke exploded on the stage, shrouding them, Paul gripped a hold of the altar as the section of stage they were currently occupying shifted down, groaning from low in his throat.

Harley wished she hadn't opened her eyes because she saw the black substance on Taker's tongue, eyes widening just the slightest bit.  She immediately closed them when the camera zoomed in on her face once more, feeling his finger run down her cheek and jaw line just as they disappeared.  The arena went completely dark with Taker's evil laughter echoing throughout the speakers.  Harley couldn't help laughing softly at Paul, immediately having the leather straps removed from her wrists and ankles, looking down at her body for the first time.

“Oh wow...”

“That was FANTASTIC!!” Vince crowed as he rushed up, his eyes wide. “Absolutely realistic, the crowd is absolutely enthralled!”

“Thank you Vince.” Harley couldn't help smiling as Taker helped her off of the symbol, shivering slightly, immediately taking the robe that was handed to her by a technician.

“You could have warned me you weren’t going to brush paint or finger paint, but…”

“Tongue paint?”

“Yeah, that.” Paul shivered from head to toe, not believing how intense that segment had been. “I did not need to see that, it was GROSS.  God…I think I need a shower, I feel dirty…”

When Vince turned to him, Taker just shrugged nonchalantly. “Spur of the moment.” He glanced at Harley, licking his lips again.

“Okay on that note, I'm going to shower to get this gunk off of me.” Harley knew Taker usually did things himself and that tongue action against her skin was just...she needed a cold shower, knowing she would have to start it off hot to get the black edible paint off of her.  She tied her robe tightly the technician handed her and smacked Paul when he asked Taker how did the paint taste, heading off down the hallway.

“That was genius, Taker.” Vince nodded before walking off as well; heading to his office, knowing this angle was going to make him even richer than he already was.

“What does it taste like?” Paul couldn’t help asking, his friend no doubt embarrassed with what Taker did during the segment.

“Like strawberries.” Taker replied distractedly, watching Harley walk away.

Paul actually did something not many others would dare and smacked Taker pretty hard between his shoulder blades. “Just keep it professional, man, and we’re cool.” He said in a deceptively friendly tone of voice, though there was a hint of an edge to it.  Taker did NOT need to fuck with Harley right now, literally, when she was going through so much crap with the locker room.

Taker just stared after the bigger man, walking away.

It nearly took an hour to get the black off of her body, though half of the time was spent with Harley under cold sprays, trying to calm her racing heart and simmer the fire burning within her.  That segment with Taker was just...she couldn't even find the word to describe it, but the ones that were flowing through her mind were hot, sexy, heated, passionate, lustful...Harley sighed as she stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her body, and pulled out her clothes to change.

~!~

He grabbed her by the hand before she could unfold her jeans, knocking the clothing to the side as he pushed her against the wall.  Green found grey as he searched her eyes, looking for signs to stop but found absolutely none.  What he did find was passion and desire, his little stunt had excited her as much as it had him.  Growling huskily under his breath, Taker pushed her back against the wall, feeling her naked body pressing against him, dampening the front of his wrestling costume…

“Nice job out there.”

Taker glanced over his shoulder and nodded to the rookie, who walked by, then back into the showers, pushing the little fantasy he had just had out of his mind for now. “Damn it…”

~!~

“Hey Harley?” Jackie jogged up to catch up with the woman, her bag over her shoulder, smiling softly. “That was absolutely amazing, great chemistry.  I know you're going through a rough time, but I wanted to let you know that I don't think what the others do.  It's not uncommon for the Divas to date the wrestlers, you know what I mean?”

Harley smiled, glad someone besides Chris and Paul were on her side, nodding. “That's why I'm not going to let it bother me.  I know Sean Waltman is the reason everyone knows, but honestly, that was my past.  I'm moving forward from it and I'll prove I'm not here to sleep my way to the top.”

“Good, keep your head up girl.  You have raw talent.” Jackie walked away, patting Harley on the shoulder.

For the first time in a few weeks, Harley actually grinned as she walked out of the arena with a kick in her step.

“Harley, wait up!” Terri ran to catch up with the other woman, smiling when she finally fell into step with Harley. “Listen, I heard you mention Sean to Jackie.” She held up her hands when she got a piercing look. “I don't like the little shit anymore than you do, all I'm trying to say is this: there is a lot of backstabbing and shit here, as you've found out.  Every time you even use his name, he takes it as a challenge.” She stared at Harley. “He really, really does not like you, so...watch your back honey, okay?”

“Oh I am, no worries on that.  I'm not afraid of him either, the only reason why I haven't knocked him on his ass, is because I value my job too much with this company.” She smiled softly and patted Terri's shoulder, seeing the worry in the woman's eyes. “Thank you for letting me know though, I appreciate it.” Harley watched as Terri rushed off to meet up with Glen, knowing they were just really great friends, and headed to her rental car with a gentle sigh.  Sean Waltman wasn't dangerous, he was a piss ant that she was going to squash if he didn't stop messing with her.

~!~

“You and me, we go back how far?”

“Not that damn long.” Taker grunted, wondering what the hell Steve wanted.

“In all this time, you’ve never shown ANY sign of interest in a co-worker…male or female.”

“Austin, unless you want to start a real life feud with me…” Taker’s tone held warning, having changed into pair of skintight black jeans with a black thermal shirt that stretched across his chest, ready to get out of here and head back to the hotel.

“All I’m sayin’, Deadman, is that it looks like yer slippin’.”

Taker parted ways with Steve, heading for his rental, while Steve joined Dwayne and glanced across the parking lot, watching as Harley slid into her car.

~!~

Harley arrived back at the hotel, leaving the windows down, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with jeans and tennis shoes, loving the feeling of the air blowing through her hair.  The segment was finished and Harley could sigh with relief, hoping when she watched it back, it would look and feel just as exhilarating as it had earlier.  She'd gotten a tape of it from the technician, wanting to see how it panned out because her eyes had been closed through it all.  Harley pulled into the underground parking lot and she stepped out, grabbing her bag, heading up to her room.

Taker’s plans for the evening involved a stiff drink, a cold shower and a masturbation session in that order.  To everyone else, his impromptu tongue painting seemed a stroke of improv brilliance.  To him, well…if he kept acting on every impulse that was suddenly coming to mind, Vince would either be reprimanded by the station for showing pornography or make a lot of money.  Either way, Taker was screwed and not in a way he would’ve liked.

“Okay, let's see what exactly the fans saw tonight...” Harley murmured, having changed into a pair of black cotton shorts with a tank top, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, her laptop open on the bed sifting through emails.  She popped the video into the VCR and pressed play, having the remote in hand, knowing that segment closed the show out so she'd have to fast-forward a little bit to get to it.  Harley finally arrived while typing something on her laptop, eyes widening at what she saw on the screen, her mouth actually halfway open. “Whoa...”

How in the name of god was this a world famous hotel and it didn’t have ice in the rooms?  Well, maybe not world famous, but certainly well known.  Taker groaned, looking at the whiskey longingly that was beckoning him and then into the bathroom, where his cold shower awaited, but he needed ice. 

Grunting, he put all thoughts on hold, knowing he had to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others or else Harley was going to pop into his mind, just as she had been doing with annoying frequency lately.  He couldn’t help himself, she was a beautiful woman and intriguing, honestly not like any of the other mindless women the company hired.  Taker had never been intrigued with a woman who worked for the company before, especially not Stephanie McMahon, but Harley was something entirely different…something he wanted to explore thoroughly.

Fate was out to kick Taker square in the ass because Harley was already at the ice machine, needing some after watching the heated segment on Raw with Taker.  She remembered feeling something wet and warm against her skin...Harley suddenly popped an ice cube in her mouth, taking the bucket of ice and turned around, grunting as she slammed into a brick wall, the ice flying everywhere.

Taker somehow wasn’t surprised, tonight just wasn’t his night.  He plucked a piece of the ice off of his bare chest and ran it over his collarbone, before popping it in his mouth, crunching down on it. “I needed that, thanks.” He said dryly, a thin trail of water where he had run the cube against his skin.  He looked at the bucket, arching an eyebrow. “Having a party?”

Chapter 12

This definitely wasn't amusing, especially after watching that segment she'd done with this man earlier, Harley swallowing her piece of ice. “No, the damn room has no ice, so I don't wanna run out.” Harley had a mini fridge and freezer in her room, so she could keep it chilled, having a feeling she would need a lot by the end of the night. “You need to start wearing bells or something, Taker.  I didn't even hear you walk up.” Then again, she'd been in her own thoughts, immediately pushing those aside.

“Somehow, that’s not surprising.” He chuckled darkly, his eyes giving her a once over, not able to resist. “All the paint wash off then?” Taker asked casually, knowing if he licked his lips, she would probably flush a deep crimson delicious red.  Hell, the way she was going, Harley was going to wind up discovering a new shade of red.  He smirked, plucking a piece of ice from her bucket and fingered it absentmindedly. “Why so much ice?”

Harley was already turning red, trying to control herself until she got back to her room, but Taker had an uncanny way of embarrassing her whenever they were together.  Hell, even tonight he'd used his tongue instead of the paintbrush on impulse, though she wasn't going to question his genius.  Taker knew what he was doing and knew how to effectively reach the audience in any storyline he was in.

“I just grabbed the first thing I saw in my room to come get some.  I didn't even realize I filled the whole damn thing until I plowed into you.  Sorry about that, Taker.” If he didn't stop staring at her with those dark green eyes, Harley was sure she'd burst into flames right in front of him.

Looking down at the bucket and then slowly back up into her slowly but surely reddening face, Taker could already feel the desire coursing through every part of his body. “Mind a bit preoccupied?” He took her place in front of the ice machine, scooping ice into his own smaller bucket. “You did very well tonight, Harley.  Considering you really had no idea what to expect out there.” Most definitely not his tongue, Taker owed her an acknowledgement of some kind because he had handled it perfectly.

“Oh...Thanks Taker.” She grinned, glad he approved of how she handled herself in front of thousands and millions around the world with his tongue...Harley immediately shoved those thoughts in the back of her mind, holding her nearly empty bucket of ice, patiently waiting for him to finish. “That means a lot coming from you.”

“Does it?  Why?” He leaned against the ice machine, reaching out to take her bucket from her, beginning to refill it.  Since she’d emptied it because he needed to wear some bells, smirking.  Of course, ice was surrounding them on the carpeted hotel floor, slowly melting beneath their feet.  To him, it felt incredibly good because he was boiling.

Harley arched an eyebrow, wondering if he was serious, folding her arms in front of her chest while he filled her bucket with ice again. “Because of who you are.  You're the locker room leader, everyone comes to you for advice because you're perfection when you step in the ring or anything you do out there.  That and this is your storyline basically so I wanted to make sure I made you, Paul and everyone involved look good out there.  You've been helping me and it makes me feel good to know that I'm doing my job correctly.” Her voice was low and soft, not haunting like it had been in the segment earlier, slowly reaching out to take her bucket away from him as their fingers brushed together.

Anyone else saying that would have sounded either like a world class kiss ass or a little overzealous.  There was a good chance she was both, but his judgment could have been clouded by desire that began surfacing and overtaking him.  When their fingers brushed together, the electricity that coursed through him –he knew it went through her as well- was all it took.  He grabbed Harley by the shoulders and pulled her against him, bending down to brush his lips against hers, having wanting to do that in the segment.

Harley was in absolutely shock when Taker's lips brushed against hers, the bucket of ice dropping at her feet, desire coursing through every inch of her body.  They were so soft and warm...Harley felt as though she could barely breathe, especially when Taker growled and shoved her against the pop machine, cupping her face with his strong hands.  The kiss instantly deepened and Harley began feeling the passion haze cloud her mind.

That was until Kevin flashed in her mind, immediately pressing her hands against Taker's chest, shoving him back as far as she could.  Her grey eyes were wide, chest rising and falling rapidly, lips swollen and her heart felt like it would give out on her with how fast it was pounding.  She couldn't even say anything, her vocal cords weren't working and Harley tried clearing her mind so she could think rationally.

His own green eyes were dark with passion, his sensual mouth curving down into a frown as he stared at her, tilting his head to the side as he studied her.  She hadn’t been able to really shove him away, just broke the kiss, but his hands dropped to his sides and he took a step back.  She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but Harley had also enjoyed that kiss just as much as he did.  Something had spooked her though.  Grunting, he swooped and picked up his bucket, refilling it without looking at her, giving her a moment to either recover from the shock or run.

Not wasting a second, Harley bolted down the hallway of the hotel, completely forgetting about ice and slammed the door shut behind her.  She pressed her back against it, covering her mouth with her hand, wondering if she was dreaming.  Harley tried pinching herself and blinked, huge tears sliding down her cheeks, immediately wiping them away.  She had NO idea why Taker just kissed her or why she even enjoyed it.

Was she out of her mind?

“I can't go through it again.” She whispered, trying to shove Kevin in the back of her mind, but it wasn't happening.  Harley just walked over and stared out the window, after shutting the lights off, her lips burning from Taker's kiss.

Absolutely no surprise gauged his reaction, though Taker was mildly surprised by his desire to chase her pert ass down and either kiss her until she fainted or demand an explanation.  He did neither, congratulating himself on remarkable self-restraint.  Instead, he took his bucket and went back to his hotel room, needing that stiff drink, cold shower and serious masturbation session.  Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself, groaning.

~!~

“You’ll do commentary.”

“Pardon?” Taker arched an eyebrow at Vince, having only been half listening, his mind elsewhere.

“After Harley goes out, I want you to go join JR and King on commentary.  This is technically Harley’s first match as part of the Unholy Alliance.  This will give it a little spice, having the Undertaker out there, watching his new acquisition.” Vince explained, arching his own eyebrow.  Usually, he didn’t have to repeat or explain himself to Mark.

~!~

A week had passed since that night and it was Raw again, Harley staring in the mirror, having barely gotten any sleep.  She'd barely said three words to Taker throughout the week, just nodding to acknowledge she listened at their meetings prior to going out to perform in front of the fans.  Tonight she was being put the test against Jackie, who was looking forward to seeing if her training had paid off. 

Harley's wrestling outfit had been completely changed, wearing a pure white one piece suit that had a halter neckline and shimmered.  That was her gimmick now, wearing all white, her eyes smoky with clear gloss on her lips, white wrestling boots on her feet.  Harley hated the color white, but it definitely gave her character an edge like none other.  Harley jumped from side to side, getting her muscles warmed up, getting her head in the game.

“Hey big guy.” Harley greeted with a smile when Paul walked in, holding a plate of food, giggling as she shook her head. “Do you ever not eat?”

“On occasion.” Paul smirked, staring at Harley's wrestling attire, admitting only to himself that she looked like an angel. “Want some?”

“Nope, I have a match...”

She nodded when a knock sounded at the door, letting her know it was time, knowing Taker and Paul didn't have a match that night.  They were going to watch Harley and see if she really did have what it took to ride with the Unholy Alliance.  Harley cracked her neck as she walked down to the gorilla position, nodding once at Jackie, both of them shaking hands just as the music sounded.  Harley walked out first slowly, her eyes staring straight ahead, almost as if in that trance with her long black hair hanging down her back in waves.  She stepped into the ring as the lights came back on, Jackie making her entrance. 

Within moments, the match was underway.

Without their music being cued for once, Taker, Bill and Paul headed out to the ring, walking slowly, taking their time, knowing the match wasn’t going to end straightaway like some of the other women matches did.  What the hell was he supposed to say?  Taker mused as he glowered down at King, raising his hand as if he would backhand the other man, snorting when he quickly moved his chair to the side a bit before setting down, reaching for the headset.  It would be his damn luck he said something that had been circling his head all week, the main thought being he’d love to take Harley back to his hotel room and show her other uses for ice.

Harley noticed Taker and Paul walking down the ramp way, while having Jackie in a headlock, and felt herself thrown against the ropes before Jackie delivered a power slam.  Harley could feel her back light on fire instantly, though she was used to it.  Feeling Jackie pin her, Harley's arm shot up just before the three count.

"Well uh...this is interesting, gentlemen.  What are you doing out here?" King asked, refusing to say anything about puppies while these men were out here.

“Anything we damn well please, King.  Don't worry about it.” Paul growled, his eyes fixated on the ring, along with Taker.

JR cleared his throat awkwardly. “Back in the ring, Jacqueline telegraphed it, a DDT from Harley…”

“Ross, shut your mouth before I shut it for you.” Taker growled, adjusting his headset over his head until it was comfortable, shooting the commentator a dark and dangerous look, before turning his attention back to the ring. “She looks like an angel, but the truth is, Harley is a predator, a perfect predator.”

“She looks like a woman.”

“And you look like a fat old carcass.”

Harley's grey eyes flashed as the camera zoomed in on her face, licking her lips, standing up as she started delivering devastating kicks to Jackie's midsection.  The shots echoing throughout the arena.  Harley put Jackie's arm around her neck, lifting her up on the top turnbuckle, smirking wickedly as she climbed up on the second ring rope.

“What the hell is Harley doing, JR?!” King blinked, going absolutely nuts when Harley delivered a superplex from the top rope, having climbed the third one with Jackie. “AHHHH!!!”

Paul couldn't believe Harley did that, worried about her, though he didn't break character as he simply chuckled evilly. “That's our angelic warrior.” He watched Taker nod once, the camera zooming in on the Phenom's face temporarily, before going back to the ring.

Taker wasn’t worried about her in the slightest.  He had faith in her abilities, considering how anal Harley was about learning all she possibly could and perfecting what could be perfected.  Hell, the woman went out of her way to do better on moves she already DID do perfectly.  If anything, watching her perform was simply fueling the fire that currently engulfed his body.

“And puppies get the win!” King squealed excitedly.

Taker promptly grabbed King by the back of his neck and slammed his face first onto the announcer’s table.

Harley slowly made it to her feet, stumbling a little as Taker and Paul stepped into the ring, breathing heavily, caked in sweat.  This was the match where she had to prove her worth to the Unholy Alliance and she delivered.  She took Taker's hand when he offered it, kissing it as the lights went out.  When they came back on, they were gone with the audience going crazy with boos since they were the heels.

“Harley, are you alright?” Paul immediately asked, sighing when she nodded at him* You need to go the trainer.

“I'm fine, stop worrying.  I just need a shower.” Her back was killing her, though her and Jackie had practice performing that move repeatedly throughout her training sessions, so it didn’t hurt as much as Harley thought.

“You sure?” Paul persisted anxiously, staring down at her, not surprised when she placed a hand on the small of her back. “You did that move from the top rope.  Why don’t you just have Larry look at it?  It wouldn’t be hard to have pulled a muscle or something.” He suggested worriedly, still not believing she did that.

Taker was considering doing the same thing to Paul he had just done to King if the man didn’t shut up. “If she says she’s fine, she’s fine.  Nothing some ice and a hot shower won’t take care of, Show.”

“Exactly, Jackie and I practiced that move so many times, I'm used to it.  It hurts, but I'll live.  I'm not a porcelain doll so please don't treat me like one.” Harley placed her hand against Paul's chest temporarily, knowing he was really worried about her, smiling when Jackie came up as they clasped hands before bumping each other's shoulders.

“That was definitely your best match yet, your back holding up?”

“Definitely, didn't hurt you too bad out there did I?” Both girls laughed as Jackie clapped her on the back, walking away.  Harley walked away with Taker and Paul toward the Unholy Alliance locker room, not able to wait to get a shower in.

“Ice your back before you shower.” Taker advised as they walked, forcing Paul to walk behind them just so he would shut the hell up. “And then wait about twenty minutes before the hot shower.” Ice to numb, heat to relax, just not one after the other or she’d wind up with stiff muscles. “A massage wouldn’t be a bad idea either.” He added, his voice dropping to a seductive pitch, knowing only Harley could hear him.

Harley swallowed hard when he suggested a massage, noticing the underlining of it, and nodded. “Do we have ice in the dressing room?” When Taker nodded, those darkened green eyes staring down at her, Harley was suddenly thankful that she'd have ice on her back in a matter of seconds because her body temperature had increased.

Chapter 13

They walked inside the dressing room and Harley retrieved a few ice packs, sighing when Paul instructed her to lay down on the couch.  Her eyes closed and Harley tried not tensing when the ice packs came in contact with her back, the white wrestling outfit thin so it went straight through, causing a low hiss to escape her lips.  It would hurt for a few minutes and she would have to deal with it, closing her eyes, trying to think of something besides the stinging.

“So Chris and I were thinking, we’re going to be in Vegas tomorrow…” Paul said, settling down on a metal folding chair, after pulling it up alongside her. “And after the show, we’re planning on hitting a casino.  You want to join us?  Be a bit like old times.” He grinned down at her.

“A casino?” Harley groaned when Paul nodded excitedly, rolling her grey eyes, not really in the mood to gamble, but hanging out with Chris and Paul would be fun. “Yeah sure, I'll hit a few slot machines, have a few drinks.” It sounded like a great time and she trusted those two with her life, so Harley wasn't worried in the slightest.  She reached back to move the ice up just a smidge further on her back.

Taker could ONLY imagine Paul, Chris and Harley loose in a casino, suddenly getting a fleeting image of King Kong playing slots, while Harley in a white Fay Wray dress passing him bananas.  Taker snickered, turning his head to hide an amused smirk when Paul glanced his way.

Paul got dressed, having already showered earlier on, stating proudly he had a date.  Harley wondered who it was, telling him to have fun and not to do anything she would, both of them laughing.  She continued lying on the couch, looking up at the clock, groaning. 

Five more minutes. 

Five more minutes then she could take a warm shower to warm her back up again.  Her entire body felt as though it was frozen, which was a good thing, knowing Taker's advice would work because he'd been in the business so long.  Harley couldn't wait to go back to the hotel and replay the match between her and Jackie, knowing she'd have to pick up the tape from the technician before leaving the arena.

Paul had a date?  As far as Taker was concerned, that was damn near criminal.  Paul could get a date and Taker got the cold shoulder for a simple kiss.  Well, maybe not simple, more like steamy…Still, he growled, glancing longingly at the ice on Harley’s back, feeling both jealous and idiotic, snatching up his bag to head for a cold shower.

Harley sighed with relief when the five minutes was up as she slowly sat up, the ice packs sliding from her back, doing a full body shiver.  She placed the ice packs back in the freezer and stretched her body, going from side to side, knowing she couldn't just stay still or the muscles would stiffen.  Then her thoughts drifted to Taker, staring at the shower room door, the kiss he gave her replaying in her mind. 

She honestly hadn't expected it, but Harley couldn't cross that line, not after what happened with Kevin and what she was currently going through backstage.  Why Taker would even kiss her was beyond her since Harley felt she wasn't even in his league.  Sighing heavily, Harley pushed it in the back of her mind, not wanting to worry about it right now.

Taker stepped out of the bathroom, naked from the waist up, water still drizzling and drying on his massive muscular chest, flustering with braiding his wet hair, rolling his eyes.  Women made it look so damn easy. “Shower’s open.” He muttered, watching as she stretched, and felt the need to turn right back around. “How’s your back feeling?”

“It's better, thanks for the advice, Taker.” She bit her bottom lip, watching him fumble to braid his hair, and sighed as she walked over, stopping him from over lapping a silky wet strand. “Let me do it, it'll be much easier.” Harley murmured, watching his head tilt back as she could reach him, finishing the braid since he'd already had it halfway done. 

She smiled when he reached back to hand her a holder and finished it, watching as he slowly turned around to lock green on grey.  Harley could feel her heart beginning to pound again, her feet seemingly glued to the floor, hoping he didn't mind that she just helped him.  What was this man doing to her?

Taker just stared at her for a few moments, reaching out to run the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip, his eyes never leaving hers. “What are you so afraid of, Harley?” He asked in a soft whisper, feeling like if he spoke too loudly or moved too suddenly, he would spook her. 

Surely he knew about her past with Kevin Nash, hell who didn't after Sean Waltman spout out at the mouth?  Harley was scared of getting hurt, of being accused of sleeping her way to the top...of this man standing before her with intense green eyes. “I didn't even know you saw me that way, Taker.” She finally said, not sure what else to say because there was no way she was revealing what was on her mind.

Stepping away from her, his eyes instantly became guarded as he considered her, almost scrutinizing. “You didn’t answer my question, Harley.” He said after a moment, turning to rifle through his bag, which he had dropped by the bathroom door, pulling out a grey thermal top.  He pulled it over his head, muscles rippling with every movement, the material really showing his muscle definition.

“What do you want me to say?” She growled in frustration and watching him dress was not helping matters at all. 

If anything it was making this situation worse because all Harley wanted to do was kiss him again.  She hadn't been with another man since Kevin, which was some odd months ago.  She lost count, having left Kevin three months prior to actually leaving WCW.

“I'm afraid of getting hurt again, okay?  Is that what you wanted to hear?  Fine, I'm afraid of getting hurt again.” She snatched her bag up from the floor and headed for the shower.

He grabbed her by the wrist before she could fully disappear into the bathroom, jerking her against his body and gent down to kiss her again.  It was a short kiss, but full of passion and the promise that, if she would let go of her fear, so much more would come.  It was filled with want, need, passion and lust all wrapped into one delicious package that Taker wanted to deliver to Harley personally.

“You’re going to lose out if you hold onto that fear, Harley.” Taker said evenly, once he broke the kiss, releasing her instantly. “Enjoy your shower.”

Harley could only watch him walk out of the dressing room and touched her tingling lips with her fingertips, swallowing hard.  She stumbled inside the shower room and peeled her wrestling outfit off, turning the shower sprays on warm, even though she was dying to turn it cold from that burning kiss.  Taker was right though, it was fear holding her back from possibly enjoying what would no doubt be incredible sex. 

So what if others thought she was a slut? 

That wouldn't change anytime soon and Harley hadn't stopped thinking about Taker for the past week.  What was she supposed to do though?  Harley knew what she had to do as she finished her shower, her back feeling much better.

She changed into jeans with a short sleeved deep red top that shimmered, sliding her black boots on.  Harley brushed her hair and blow dried it to give it style before applying gloss to her lips and black eyeliner, just going simple, before walking out of the room with her bag in hand.  Harley slid into her rental and drove off to the hotel, her mind racing, suddenly needing to roll down all the windows as she blasted music.

~!~

“So…”

“Not in the mood, Steve.” Taker warned, wanting to be left alone.

They were currently sitting in the hotel bar, just starting on what promised to be one hell of a hangover in the morning.  So far, Taker was still being grouchy, which didn’t amuse Steve. “What’s her name?” He asked, stroking his goatee. “Harley, right?”

“What about her?” Taker muttered, draining the rest of his beer and motioned for another.

“Just seduce her already and be done with it, damn.  I’m sick n’ tired of seein’ you like this, it’s depressin’ me, really depressin’ me, and ya know when I get depressed, I can’t fuckin drink.”

“Don’t let my own issues keep you from your eventual death by alcohol poisoning.” Taker shot back sarcastically.

“I’m tryin’ not too, son, but yer not makin’ it easy.”

~!~

“You can do this, Harley.  Kevin is the past and Taker wants you, so just stop being a chickenshit.” She coached herself, pulling into the hotel parking lot and cut the ignition, grabbing her bag from the backseat. 

She had to go up to her room first and foremost to drop her things off, heading inside to retrieve her key card. Once she checked in, Harley headed for the elevator, glancing to her right and saw Taker with Steve, sighing heavily.  Great, that was just terrific.  Harley shook her head and just went up to her room, tossing her bag against the wall angrily, slipping her boots off.

“Damn it...”

~!~

By the sixth round, which was accented with a shot of Jack Daniels, Taker was in a slightly better mood. “She’s afraid.”

“I would be too, you look like a damn corpse.” Steve signaled another round, they had moved to a corner table at this point. “She’s probably afraid of gettin’ necrosis or some shit.”

“Aren’t you a bucket of laughs.” Taker snorted, downing another beer.

“Sweet talkin’ ME ain’t gonna get ya laid, Taker.  I coulda sworn I just seen yer lady friend pass by.”

He blinked, scowling when Steve pointed to the mirror that hung over the bar, showing the lobby.

~!~

After pacing and mulling it over, Harley finally decided she needed a drink, rubbing her temples.  She was so confused by this entire situation with Taker and he was down there...with Steve.  Harley sighed and sifted through her bag, finally pulling out a midnight blue off the shoulder dress that had long flowing sleeves. 

It went two inches above the knee and didn't scream slut...she hoped anyway.  Harley didn't bother changing her makeup, slipping black two inch open toed heels on and grabbed her purse before heading downstairs.  Her hair was angled to where her hair covered one eye, even though she could see out of it perfectly, running fingers through it, and walked inside the bar, her heels clicking against the marble flooring.

“Vodka martini, thanks.” She requested, sliding on a stool, the bartender giving her the drink moments later and took the money offered.

“Oh hot damn, that broad has some legs on her!” Steve crowed, they were now on their tenth round, the alcohol going down pretty smooth tonight.

“Blonde, fake tits right?”

Steve squinted his eyes, knowing Taker’s back was to Harley, so he didn’t see her walk in. “Hmm…legs that I just wanna wrap round my waist, an ass that’s beggin’ to be grabbed, maybe even spanked…Sexy as hell black hair, grey eyes…HEY, THAT’S ALCOHOL ABUSE!”

Taker had poured the contents of his glass over Steve’s bald head.

Harley downed her third martini, just wanting to take the edge off.  She'd noticed Taker in the bar with Steve and couldn't help chuckling softly as she watched out of the corner of her eye Taker dump his alcohol of choice over Steve's bald head.  She shook her head and ordered another martini, eating the olive, finally feeling good as she moved to the beat of the soft music flowing through the bar from the jukebox.

Disgusted, Steve was mopping himself off with a handful of napkins. “You best get yer ass over there, Deadman, a‘fore me or some other man goes and tries snatchin’ her off that stool.”

“You really are feeling suicidal tonight, aren’t you?” Taker drained his half glass of whiskey, grunting.

“Hellfire, she’s makin’ me-” Steve trailed off when he seen his friend’s hand convulse around the glass, trying not to smirk.  He managed to keep his laughter to himself when Taker finally pushed away from the table.

Harley was all smiles, feeling very good, ordering another martini when she felt a shadow cast over her from behind.  She knew exactly who it was too, not turning around as the bartender handed her the martini. “Hello Taker.” She felt her stool slowly being turned until grey locked with hazy green, knowing he'd consumed a lot of alcohol that night.  Her legs were still crossed as she moved her hair from her face, her lips shimmering from the gloss she wore.

He was looking down at her, but not at her face right away.  Starting with the tips of her toes, he worked his way slowly up, taking in her legs –He had to give Steve credit for good taste and a nice call on the legs- and then finally looked into her face. “Think about what I said?” He asked, declining another beer when the bartender asked if he wanted a refill.

Drunk around Harley wasn’t happening.

“Funny you should ask that because I was planning on coming to your room tonight for that massage.” Harley smirked, slowly taking the olive from her Vodka martini, sliding it into her mouth before sliding the toothpick down his shirt covered chest, feeling braver now that she had a few drinks in her. “So, is that offer still on the table, Taker?” Harley wasn't drunk; she was just feeling really good and dropped the toothpick in her martini.

Surprisingly, Taker was left with an overwhelming desire to just toss Harley over his shoulder, caveman style, and cart her upstairs to his hotel room so he could ravage her body.  Massage indeed, that’s not all that would transpire either.  Common sense, however, won out barely and Taker eased himself onto the stool beside her, studying her intently, feeling like there was a burning line on his chest where she’d dragged the toothpick. “Why wouldn’t it be, Harley?”

“I don't know, I was just making sure.” Harley smiled when another song flowed through the jukebox, moving gently on the stool to the beat, winking at him as she took a long swig of her fourth martini. “I mean, it's just sex right?  It's not like you want a relationship with me or anything, so why shouldn't I take the plunge with you?  Common sense tells me to run, but I am a woman with needs like everyone else.  So I'm not going to be afraid, people are going to think what they want, no matter what I say or do.” She spoke softly to where only Taker could hear her, refusing to let anyone else overhear their conversation, because it wasn't anyone else's business except the two people talking.

Taker could only stare at her, finally shaking his head. “You really do over think everything, don’t you?” He said after a moment, it wasn’t a question but at the same time, it was. “Come on.” He stood up and extended his hand to her, ignoring Steve’s thumbs up he kept flashing, making a mental note to kill the bald bastard at a later date.

“Yeah I do, I figured you'd be used to that by now.” Harley giggled softly, finishing the rest of her martini, and slipped her hand into his as they walked out of the bar. 

She knew Steve had a pretty good idea about them, hoping he didn't say anything.  She didn't understand why Taker wanted her, but wasn't going to question it anymore, just allowing fate to take its course.  Harley was already dubbed backstage as a woman who slept her way to the top and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Steve watched them leave the bar, flipping Taker off when the other man glanced at him from over his shoulder, shaking his head laughing. “Well I’ll be damned…” He wasn’t going to say anything, Steve wasn’t the type to spread gossip unlike the other jackasses in the company.

Taker was quiet as he lead Harley to his room, not looking at her as they walked.  Feeling her hand in his was enough for the moment.  When they reached his door, he looked down at her finally, arching an eyebrow, wondering if she was having second thoughts.

“Last chance to walk away.” He said softly, giving her the option.

Harley responded by taking his key card and slid it in the slot, pushing open the door and pulled him inside by the front of his vest. “I'm not walking away from you.” Their lips met in a soft kiss that quickly turned passionate, Harley hearing the door close by Taker kicking it shut.

Chapter 14

Harley moaned, tasting the whiskey on his breath mixing with her Vodka martinis, forcing her head to spin out of orbit.  She wanted Taker and he wanted her, which was all that mattered at the moment.  Harley wouldn't regret this either, no matter if it was their only night together, just wanting to enjoy and get lost in this man's touch.

Taking his time, Taker slowly backed her into the room, not heading for the bed just yet, his hands sliding up and down her sides.  As far as he was concerned, they had all night.  Harley wasn’t going anywhere, not if he had anything to say about it, vowing to take her in every way possible until they both were too exhausted to continue.  Her mouth tasted like the martinis she had and the feeling of her pressed against him was permanently burned to his memory.

That kiss at the ice machine flowed through her mind, though it was nothing compared to this one, Harley becoming weak in the knees.  She felt one of Taker's tattooed sleeved arms wrap around her waist, pressing her as close to him as he possibly could.  They were so close, not even a piece of thin paper could slide between them, and Harley's heart pounding vigorously.  Her arms wrapped around his neck, instantly taking the ponytail holder out as she lost her fingers in his hair, soft moans escaping her.

He was busy with her dress, finally breaking the heated kiss long enough to watch the dress slide down her succulent body and puddle at her feet.  Now she stood before him in just her garments, black strapless bra and matching silk panties, which looked luscious on her, along with her open toed heels.  The shimmering blue fabric draped almost artistically over her feet, making Harley even more breathtaking to him.  Slowly, he bent down to lift her legs out of the dress, lowering his head to kiss her instep, his hands running lightly up her silky smooth calves.

When Taker finally lifted her completely, Harley's legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, feeling her back collide gently with the wall, massaging the back of his neck as her eyes drifted shut.  His lips traveled down her jaw to her neck, doing a full body shiver when his lips sealed to that spot just behind her ear.  It drove her absolutely insane and it'd been so long since Harley had been touched like this.  She pulled away long enough to open the vest and slide it from his muscular body, grey eyes swirling like cumulonimbus clouds as the passion haze took over her mind.  She loved skin on skin contact, running her nails very lightly from his hair down his shoulders and arms, breathing heavily.

He felt her ankles lock behind his back, the heels of her shoes digging into him and that just turned him on even more, one hand snaking between her thighs.  He could feel the heat radiating from her like a beacon, guiding him and smirked against her skin.  His other hand was partially holding her up, relying on the wall for the most part, fingers splayed across her delectable ass, groaning.

“You’re driving me insane.” He growled huskily in her ear, loving the effect he was having on her.

“The feeling is mutual, Taker.” She breathed out, her nails running back up his arms and down his chest this time, moaning as his lips practically crushed hers, not minding the rough edge he brought forth. 

Harley gasped when she felt his finger slide gently up and down her panty covered sex, already wet for him.  Nothing though, absolutely nothing, turned her on faster than Taker's lips and long slick tongue nipping and suckling that spot behind her ear, which he did not stop attacking.  She felt him reach behind her back to unsnap her strapless bra, the material pooling to the floor with her dress.

Taker was drawn from the spot that made her melt to her full voluptuous breasts, bending down to trail hot kisses along her collarbone.  He went lower, running the tip of his tongue across her right nipple, doing the same torturous process to her left one, groaning from low in his throat as they instantly turned to small pebbles.  He smoothed them down and then blew cool air, watching as they instantly erected again, smirking wickedly.  His hand slid down her smooth stomach to the material of her panties, moving them to the side, and ran his finger down her wet throbbing slit, feeling Harley tremble at the contact.

Harley hissed out, a deep throaty moan escaping her lips, burying her fingers in his hair as her head tilted back against the wall, chest rising and falling rapidly.  Her nipples instantly began hardened pebbles, the effect Taker had on her wonderful.  He was driving her crazy, Harley cried out when he added a second finger, pure ecstasy flowing through every part of her body.  Every nerve ending sparked and slowly built to ignite a forest fire that slowly began spreading throughout Harley.  Not even Kevin had made her feel this exquisite and Harley wondered what the hell she'd been thinking not coming to Taker sooner, why she'd run away from him instead of embraced this.

The wall was fine if he wanted just a quick romp, but that wasn’t what he wanted from Harley, knowing they wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.  It wasn’t giving him the freedom he wanted to explore every inch of her delicious body or allowing him to do what he wanted to her.  Growling at the thought of the interruption he would have to case, Taker moved his hands to her waist and stepped away from the wall, carrying her to the bed.  He unceremoniously dropped her on top of it, watching with pure lust as her breasts bounced just a little, her body moving accordingly and felt as if he would explode in his very constricting jeans if he didn’t have her soon.

The room was dark except for the moon shining through the window, though it wasn't that bright, her grey eyes shining through the darkness at him.  Crooking her finger in a beckon, Harley heard him growl, feeling his body instantly hovering over hers, his lips softly brushing hers, tickling her skin with his beard.  This man dripped pure sin and sexuality, Harley could tell he enjoyed what he saw of her body so she wasn't going to ruin this moment by saying something stupid.  Instead, her hands reached down, unsnapping his jeans with a flick of her wrist, dying for him to just release the power held within.

Sheer relief flooded his body when she freed him from the confinement of his jeans, literally sighing out against her lips, growling as he bit down on her bottom lip.  Not hard enough to break skin of course, he didn’t want to hurt her or leave any bruises or marks…too much at least.  A little pain at the right time, in the right spot, could take pleasure to all new heights and Taker had a feeling Harley could take it.

Harley's tongue traced the outside of his sensual lips, kissing him hungrily, bending her knees up as her feet pressed against the waistband of his jeans, pushing them down his long muscular legs.  She smirked when Taker broke the kiss to remove them completely, her legs instantly curling against his, thighs spread apart in invitation. “Taker...” She whispered, pressing her forehead against his, loving the sight of his black locks framing his face and hanging over his broad muscular shoulders, actually taking her breath away.  It had to be illegal for a man to look as delicious as he did at that moment, but Harley was definitely not complaining.

For one brief moment, Taker actually felt somewhat like a teenage boy, fumbling with a beautiful woman and having no idea what to do, immediately blinking that away.  Harley was unlike any woman he had ever known and he wanted her in each and every way possible.  No commitment…that was what she said.  If only she could have known that tonight was only the beginning between them, maybe then Harley would’ve walked away when she had the chance.  A rough, husky moan tumbled from his lips as he positioned himself between her legs, wanting nothing more than to just bury himself in her warmth, but knew that was the fastest way to ending this before it even started.

Harley wasn't sure what to expect after this was over, honestly not caring at the moment.  Taker was right, she really had to stop over thinking everything and just feel, which is exactly what was happening right now.  She was completely surrendering and going on instinct alone, wondering what was going through Taker's mind.  Surely he wouldn't want anything more than sex from her and Harley was, surprisingly, fine with that. 

Her nails ran down his chest, glad they hadn't broke while wrestling Jackie earlier that night, though the girls were usually careful when it came to their appearances...looking beautiful while kicking ass.  Taker's lips left hers and began licking and kissing a trail of fire down her jaw and neck to her breasts, Harley's body instantly arching into his mouth.  The last time she'd felt his tongue was in front of millions, though it was nothing remotely even close to what she felt now.

Of course, doing what he had done onstage in front of a live audience and millions on national television had been a bit of a turn on.  Taker apparently had an exhibitionist streak inside of him.  Though, this was a million times better.  There was no time limit, no cameraman trying to get the best angle.  It was just them and the rest of the night, which he intended to use to his full advantage.

Before Harley knew it, her panties had disappeared and could feel the warmth of Taker's finger running up and down her clit.  Deep moans spilled from her mouth, not able to hold them back, honestly not wanting to.  She reached down to grip his wrist, having bent her knees to press her feet against the bedding, her heart pounding and pulse racing.

“Oh fuck me, Taker...” She couldn't help the pleading tone that came into her voice, biting back a whimper when he just continued his teasing and tormenting.  Her body was on fire and he had to put it out before she completely exploded.

Those were by far the sweetest words he ever heard, though it wasn’t enough for Taker to bend at her will.  Feeling her writhing beneath him, his skilled tongue brought her pleasure beyond imagination.  He knew she’d definitely be remembering this night for quite some time to come.  Whimpering was enjoyable, but still not enough for Taker.  If Harley really wanted him to take her for his own, she’d be begging for it before long, providing he didn’t give in because his own body was turning into a traitor, the burning fire raging intensely.

“Mmm…” He rumbled, the vibrations of his tone flowing throughout every part of her body as he continued tasting her fervently. “Delicious…”

His tongue felt like purgatory against her because, while it was heavenly to have him touching her in this way at all, it was pure hell due to all the teasing.  She didn't know what he craved from her, taking two handfuls of his black hair, her own splayed around her haphazardly over the pillow.  While Harley was all for foreplay, she was dying to have this man to just take her, to make her his completely, to end both of their torment.

“Taker please...please I need you...please fuck me...oh god I can't take it...” She cried out when his tongue drove into her, devouring her wet sex, and Harley could already feel her thighs trembling against him.

Growling his approval, finally hearing what he’d been waiting for, Taker finally moved until he could kiss her, letting her taste herself on his lips and tongue.  He could feel her body arching into him, wiggling her hips, trying to get him to finally take what was his, smiling. “Patience, Harley.” He murmured, reaching between them to position himself at her wet sex, guiding himself inside of her just a little and then withdrew, hearing her whimpering with need for him.

He was monstrous, definitely bigger than any man, including Kevin, she'd ever been with.  Harley ran her hands up his strong muscular tattooed sleeved arms, gripping them as he penetrated and withdrew from her receptive body, her breathing erratic, dark grey eyes never leaving those acid pools.  With every penetration, Harley could feel her walls stretching little by little, making her breathless, a soft cry escaping her.

Either she hadn’t been with her ex in a very long while or he just hadn’t been able to get the job done properly due to poor equipment.  Taker had to grit his teeth and force himself to take his time, his large body quivering with each slow movement he made inside of her.  When he finally sheathed himself completely in Harley’s receptive body, he froze completely, the breath stolen from him.  She felt so tight and exquisite…Taker buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent as it completely engulfed him, making him heady.

Harley bent her knees, planting her feet on the bedding, moaning louder as Taker’s thrusts went even deeper inside of her, her black ravenous locks splayed all around her.  She gasped when he lifted her left thigh, increasing the tempo and pace; Harley’s breathing instantly turning ragged because it increased the ecstasy tenfold.  She stared up into Taker’s eyes, moaning his lips covered hers once more, lifting her right though to where she was spread eagle while he pounded into her.

“Ohhh harder…oh please make me cum, Taker…make me cum all over you…” Harley whimpered, pleading with him to just end her torment.  Deep throaty moans escaped her as his lips attached to her nipples again, devouring them with his lips and sinful tongue.

Growling, Taker moved her legs to rest on his broad shoulders, hovering over her as he snapped his hips repeatedly, thrusting deeper, harder and definitely faster, knowing he was hitting her sweet spot at a better angle.  He loved the sounds of her cries, which quickly turned to screams, his eyes refusing to leave her.  She looked beautiful beneath him, her entire body flushing as beads of perspiration began forming, knowing it was because of him that she would cum harder than she had in her life.

“Stop fighting it, Harley, just let yourself go…” Taker rumbled, his mouth right by her ear, loving how flexible she was as he gripped her outer thighs, massaging them. “Cum for me.” He ordered, pulling back, deciding a different position was in order.  He didn’t want her cumming yet, having changed his mind, entitled to it and pulled her up to flip her on her hands and knees before him.  He loved the sight of her delicious ass in his vision, licking his lips hungrily, and gripped her hips before slamming right back inside of her hot wet folds, loving the sound of her shrieking. “Oh yes…much better indeed…” He hissed out darkly, bringing his hand down to slap her flesh.

Harley’s pussy quivered, not believing what this man was doing to her, and whipped her black hair as it fanned over her slick back, slamming back against him.  She was so close, she could feel that hot coil deep within her, begging to be sprung free, wanting to end her torment.  Craving to plummet over that fine razor edge, Harley wanted Taker to join her as she felt his hand wrap around her waist, his hand slipping down to finger her clit while he hammered into her.  The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed off of the walls, along with the headboard hitting the wall loudly, neither of them caring at the moment.

“I-I’m close…Taker…” Harley could barely speak, feeling him grip her shoulder with his free hand, never stopping the thrusting and playing with her clit.

“That’s it Harley, surrender to me…” Taker growled, running his tongue up the length of her back directly on her spine, smirking when she shuddered against him, knowing she was about ready to climax.

With a few more deep powerful thrusts, Harley finally couldn’t take it anymore as she flew over the edge, completely shattering into pieces against him, screaming out his name, cumming harder than she ever had in her life.  Her sweet  hot juices completely coated him, her walls tightening around his hardened cock in a vise grip that made her nearly convulse.  When Taker sunk his cock inside of her and exploded a few seconds later, that triggered another intense wave as it crashed over Harley, forcing her to release again, her orgasm ripping throughout her entire frame.  Harley felt Taker sag against her, his arm still around her waist, feeling him grow limp inside of her as they both tried coming down from their intense sexual high.

Harley collapsed on the bed on her side, trying to get her pounding heart and erratic breathing under control, blinking rapidly.  Did that just really happen?  Did she just sleep with the Undertaker?  Harley actually smiled, feeling him spoon up against her, his lips pressing soft kisses against her neck and bare shoulders, trying to cool down no doubt.

“I do hope you realize that tonight is far from over, Harley.” His voice rumbled in her ear, the sound reminding her of soft thunder right before a raging storm, Taker turning her over on her back to stare down into her grey eyes. “This is only the beginning, do you understand?”

Harley smiled softly and nodded, knowing they weren’t together, but something definitely was building between them.  She cupped his face in her soft hand, sighing as his lips pressed soft kisses to her wrists, not believing how gentle he was being.  Instead of questioning it, Harley decided not to over think it for once and just pulled his face down to hers, passionately kissing him.

Round two commenced soon after.

Chapter 15

Harley walked inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas the following night, gear over her shoulder in a bag, wearing blue jeans with a deep red tank top, her hair pulled up in a messy bun.  The previous night kept flowing through her mind and Harley tried in vain to shove the memories in the back recesses of her mind.  She still couldn’t believe she slept with Taker…of all the men in the company, Harley had slept with possibly the most respected and influential. 

What the HELL was she thinking?!

Hell she practically begged for it to happen and that just made Harley feel even worse, though she didn’t regret it.  How could she regret something THAT passionate and unforgettable?  Harley had left Taker’s bed early that morning though, having to catch her flight with Paul and Chris, already promising them she would travel with them.  If Taker was upset with her, then that was his problem because, in Harley’s mind, it was just sex.

Or so she wanted to force herself to believe.

Taker was already there in the Unholy Alliance locker room, slowly taping his hands absentmindedly, ripping it off as he thought about Harley.  The woman was definitely incredible in the bedroom, though Taker hadn’t been amused to wake up and find her gone earlier that morning.  Had the lust finally cleared from her mind and she was regretting what transpired between them?  Taker snorted, tossing the tape against the wall, standing up as he rolled his shoulders, deciding he would be confronting her as soon as she arrived.

A few minutes later, Harley walked in the room and set her bag down, the door suddenly slamming shut with her back pressed against it.  A bare chest stared her in the face, the room having been dark when Harley walked in, but she could tell even through the darkness who it was.  She blinked a little when the lights flicked by on moments later, staring into the irate acid eyes of Taker, swallowing hard.

“Taker…”

“I want an explanation.” His voice was deceptively calm and dark, watching the confusion swirl those grey eyes, his jaw clenched tightly. “You said you were not walking away from me, that you were done being afraid.  Were you lying to me, Harley?” He’d been hurt –Taker hated admitting it, though it was true- when he woke up, only to find her gone.  She didn’t leave a note or anything, which pissed him off, though seeing the look in her eyes at that moment was lighting a fire under Taker again.  Growling, he lifted Harley up, feeling her legs instinctively wrap around his waist, pressing himself against her harder. “Answer me woman.”

Harley opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing was coming out, her vocal cords taking that moment to stop working.  She knew he’d be upset about her leaving him that morning, but she couldn’t help it.  She had a flight that was booked prior to their little sexual encounter and Harley couldn’t very well skip it!  The heat radiating from his body caused Harley to slowly engulf in flames again, her eyes not leaving his for a second, having gripped his shoulders when he lifted her out of nowhere.

Raising a slow eyebrow, Taker could see the hidden passion swirling through her grey orbs, but he wasn’t making a move until he got his explanation. “I don’t like playing games, Harley.” He stated evenly, shaking his head almost as if in disappointment, ready to end this between them if she couldn’t even be honest with him.  He was too old for this, wondering if it had been a mistake to even get involved with her.

“I had an early flight this morning.” Harley said quietly, sighing heavily, glad she’d finally gotten her vocal cords to work. “You looked exhausted, I didn’t want to disturb you and I promised Chris and Paul I would travel with them because we’re going out on the town tonight.” She hoped Taker remembered Paul plainly asking her, right in front of him the previous night, about going out with him and Chris to the casino, which she accepted. “I’m sorry…”

Taker did remember that, though he had other plans for them, wondering briefly if she would ditch her two friends for him.  He highly doubted it because his lackey and Jericho seemed to be really important to her and Taker couldn’t force her to choose.  That didn’t mean he couldn’t show up unexpectantly and sweep her away without those two morons knowing, a slow smirk spreading on his lips.

“I suppose I could forgive you this time.” He purred, refusing to apologize for his brash behavior because Taker was a volatile man and wasn’t ashamed to admit it. “Such a shame, I would’ve enjoyed waking you up my OWN way.” Taker smirked when she shivered against him, the feeling of her nails slightly digging into his shoulders almost increasing that forest fire.

Harley could only imagine what he meant by that, swallowing hard, feeling her eyes drifting shut as his lips softly caressed her neck. “Taker…” She breathed out, moving her head to where her lips brushed against his cheek, slowly running her hands down his arms.  He slowly pulled back to stare down in her eyes again, which were swirling with hidden desire for him, a soft moan escaping her when he softly kissed her lips.

“Do not leave my bed again, Harley.” He ordered in a dark baritone, slowly pulling back, running his knuckle gently down her cheek. “Last night was only the beginning, I want you with me every night from here on out, understand?”

Her heart felt as though it was beating a furious tattoo against her chest, seeing the intensity burning in his acid eyes, taking several deep breaths.  Before Harley could say a word, his lips captured hers and all rational thought instantly evaporated, wrapping her arms around his neck, instantly returning the heated kiss.  Harley had a feeling it wasn’t going to end after last night, though she also knew they had to be careful, honestly not needing more rumors flying around the company about her.

“Taker…” She breathed out when his lips left hers, slowly trailing them down her neck, slowly pulling back because Harley knew Paul could walk in at any moment. “I don’t know how late I’m going to be out tonight with the guys.”

Taker smirked, running a finger down her cheek to her chin, fingering it gently while staring in her eyes. “Whenever you finish…” He slipped something in her hand, brushing his lips against her fingertips, slowly setting her down on her feet, her back still pressed against the door. “I’ll be waiting, Harley.”

When Harley looked down, she saw Taker’s keycard staring back at her, immediately tucking it in the back pocket of her skinny jeans.  She just nodded at him and took her bag that dangled on two fingers, remembering the last time Taker did that, not able to help smiling.  She took it, accepting another kiss from him, and walked into the bathroom to get ready for tonight’s show.

Paul walked in just as the bathroom door shut, seeing Taker was actually in a much better mood, arching an eyebrow. “Remove the stick from your ass, Deadman?” He snorted, walking over to get some water out of the cooler.

“You could say that.” Taker replied, deciding not to knock Paul’s head off his shoulders because he was in a much better mood, eyes straying to the bathroom door briefly, before going back to taping his hand. “Are you ready for your mixed tag match tonight with Harley?”

Paul nodded, glancing at the door when Bill walked in moments later, handing Taker a manila envelope.  He watched as Taker looked it over briefly before signing off, handing it right back to Bill, the man disappearing moments later.  He didn’t even want to know what that was about; knowing Bill handled all of Taker’s traveling arrangements and whatnot, simply leaning back against the chair while he waited for Harley to emerge.

Harley stared in the mirror, wearing a simple one piece white sleeveless suit that had a teardrop cut on each hip and right above her breasts, hugging her every curve and leaving plenty to the imagination.  White was her new forte in the Unholy Alliance because Taker had called her angel during her match against Jacqueline…so had Paul.  She didn’t mind it much, wearing black eyeliner with white shimmering eye shadow and clear gloss with foundation, hiding any blemishes, leaving her hair down.

Tonight she was in a mixed tag-team match with Paul against Paul Levesque –most people called him Hunter backstage because he was known around the world as Triple H (Hunter Hearst Helmsley)- and Joanie Laurer –Her wrestling name was Chyna.  Harley was really excited because this would be the first match she’d have with Paul, hoping to have more, trusting the big man with her life.  Of course, Taker would be on commentary, which had become his forte in the group, though Harley honestly didn’t mind and Paul didn’t either.  She finished lacing up her white wrestling boots, smiling when Paul’s jaw dropped, rolling her eyes.

“Is that going to be your reaction every time I come out of the bathroom?” Harley demanded playfully, folding her arms in front of her chest, causing the big man to instantly lower his eyes.

“Sorry Har, but damn you look insanely beautiful in white.” Paul would never get the image of her strapped to Taker’s symbol on that stage, wearing all white, and knew he was a sick pervert because this was his best friend. “You ready to go whip some ass?” He smiled when Harley nodded.

Taker was busy admiring how Harley looked in all white, definitely a genius for suggesting that idea to Vince.  She was an angel, in the clutches of a devil, and that’s exactly what Taker wanted to portray her as.  An angel who had a demonic streak and could whip anybody’s ass in the ring…that was definitely Taker’s type of woman, a slow smirk spreading on his lips.  He couldn’t wait to have his angel in bed again tonight, shooting a look at Paul, knowing they already had plans for the evening.  Didn’t mean Taker couldn’t make a guest appearance…he chuckled darkly and stood up from the chair, squaring his shoulders.

“Your match is on in ten.” He informed them coolly, stroking his beard, Bill walking in moments later with bottled water, Taker taking it.  He was hot; he needed something to cool him off until he could have Harley to himself later on. “Are you both ready?”

Harley nodded along with Paul, continuing to hop from side to side, warming her muscles up while flexing her arms.  She was more than ready to get down and dirty in the ring, smirking at the thought of doing a hard roundhouse kick right to Joanie’s face.  Harley didn’t like or respect either of them, especially after Hunter came up to her and asked for her number for a quick romp.  Definitely not a good way to introduce oneself…Harley hoped she got a few licks in on Hunter, already knowing Paul was looking more than forward to ripping him to shreds.

Taker was also looking forward to seeing this, though he did not comment, rarely speaking whenever Paul was around unless it was strictly business related.  All four headed out of the locker room, Taker and Bill leading them of course, their heads held high, arriving at gorilla position.  Hunter and Joanie were waiting for them, both looking intense, Harley standing between Paul and Taker with Bill on Taker’s other side, staring straight ahead.

“Ready to have your ass handed to you, whore?” Joanie taunted, chuckling when Hunter snorted, his arms folded in front of his bare chest.

“Of course she is, she likes it rough.” Hunter smirked, noticing Harley instantly tense, arching a slow eyebrow when Taker shot him a look. “Just remember, Deadman, I’m not afraid of you like everyone else.” His music sounded as Hunter and Joanie took off through the black curtain, the crowd instantly cheering for them.

Taker’s hand planted on Harley’s shoulder, feeling how stiff she was, his mouth right by her ear. “Remain calm or you will make a mistake.” He advised evenly, nodding in approval when she instantly relaxed against his touch, slowly pulling his hand away before looking over at Paul. “Make sure Hunter isn’t able to walk back through those curtains, Show.” He ordered gravely, Paul nodding, their music sounding as all four headed down the ramp way toward the ring.  Taker joined King and JR at the announcer’s table, slipping the headphones on, and growled when King shouted ‘puppies’ in the headset.

“If you mention my angel’s puppies again, I will be forced to sacrifice you, Lawler.” Taker warned in a dark voice, his eyes never leaving the ring as Harley stood on the apron, Paul and Hunter starting the match off.

King swallowed hard, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Well JR…this should be an interesting match…” He said hesitantly, trying like hell to heed Taker’s warning, knowing he meant it. “The match starts off with Big Show versus Triple H.”

Paul outweighed Hunter by at least two hundred pounds, so Paul kept swatting him away like a fly whenever the man tried gaining the upper hand.  The match was simple: men could not fight the women and vice versa.  So when Hunter tagged Joanie in, Paul smirked as he slowly backed up, extending his rather large hand and felt Harley tap it gently. 

He watched as the women came nose to nose in the center of the ring, Harley refusing to back down, no matter how strong and powerful Joanie was.  She almost looked like a man, having way too much muscle on her body to have a feminine quality about her, though Harley wasn’t judgmental except in her thoughts.  When Joanie shoved her, Harley proceeded to deliver a series of forearm shots to her face before swinging her on the ropes, connecting with a lethal dropkick that sent Joanie sailing out of the ring over the top rope.

Not stopping, knowing she had the advantage, Harley flipped out of the ring with ease and proceeded to kick Joanie in the stomach several times, driving her head into the steel ring steps.  She glanced over at Taker, who didn’t have any expression on his face, though she knew deep down he approved of what she was doing.  Joanie was staggering as she slid back beneath the bottom rope, Harley on the prowl with glowing grey eyes.  She was just about to deliver a DDT when Hunter came in, grabbing a fistful of black tresses, yanking her off of Joanie and slamming her back against the turnbuckle.

Paul was livid and stepped over the top rope, immediately going on the pursuit of Hunter, delivering a ring shaking choke slam that literally knocked him unconscious.  Harley staggered over to Joanie and kicked her right in the skull, knocking her on top of Hunter in a rather…precarious position…face planting his lower extremities.  Paul smirked wickedly and put his foot on Hunter’s chest while Harley put hers on Joanie’s, the ref shaking his head as he counted the pin fall.

Taker had to admit –only to himself of course- that the match was very amusing, especially the ending when Harley forced Joanie’s face to plant right into Hunter.  He knew that had to hurt when Hunter jerked involuntarily, still knocked out from Paul’s choke slam.  The man had potential; there was no doubt about it as he slowly stood up from the announcer’s booth, slipping the headphones from his head.  He stepped inside the ring and watched as Harley instantly came to his side, kissing his hand again, her eyes only for him.  If the crowd only knew that she also belonged to him behind closed doors…Taker suddenly had to wipe a smirk from his face quickly before he broke character, nodding approval, all three of them exiting the ring, Bill following suit as usual.

“JR, the Unholy Alliance might be unstoppable…”

“I have no doubt in my mind that they already are, King.”

Chapter 16

“That was so awesome, I hope we get to tag a lot more, big guy.” Harley was smiling from ear to ear, grey eyes sparkling, completely content with her life and the way it was going…even the sex with Taker.

“Hell yeah it was!  See, I always knew I was missing something in that shithole and I finally found it.” Paul grinned down at her, having a loose arm around her shoulders, chuckling when she simply rolled her eyes.  They both stopped short when Sean Waltman came sauntering up, not looking amused.

“Wow, you just don’t quit do you, Harley?” Sean snorted, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Sucking dick left and right, I had no idea your mouth was THAT big to fit HIS…”

“Watch your mouth, boy.” Paul snarled, immediately pushing Harley behind him, blinking when she simply stepped in front of him again.

Harley wasn’t backing down, not this time, staring straight at Sean Waltman with an almost amused look in her eyes. “You really are a piece of work, Waltman.  Fine, you want the truth?” She walked over and stood on a trunk that didn’t roll, causing everyone to look at her that was in the backstage area, clearing her throat. “I slept with Kevin Nash!” She announced loudly before hopping right back down, causing Sean’s eyes to burn with rage. “There, now everyone knows and you know what?  It doesn’t bother me.  You could say I sucked everyone’s dick in this company, but guess what Waltman?  I don’t CARE.  Your words mean shit to me, little man, and the sooner you get that through your head, the better off we’ll both be.”

Paul couldn’t help laughing at the look on Sean’s face when Harley actually announced that she had slept with Nash, even though he wasn’t proud of that fact.  That was one of the lower points of their friendship, though Paul never stopped being Harley’s friend, flat out refusing to judge her.  As long as she was happy, that’s all he cared about, no matter who she was with.

“You’re going to pay for that, Harley.” Sean promised darkly, scowling as everyone began laughing, including the bitch he thought he’d destroyed by revealing her past in WCW.  Apparently not so much and that just completely ate him alive, his beady eyes glaring deadly at Harley.

Terri was laughing as well, not able to resist, shaking her head as Sean’s face began turning beat red from embarrassment. “Wow, you definitely have balls to actually announce that to everyone!” Harley and her embraced briefly before Sean grabbed Terri’s hand, yanking her down the hallway toward gorilla position.

“Bring it on, little man!  I’m not afraid of you or your fifty cent performance!” Harley called down the hallway, hearing Terri laugh even harder, smirking wickedly as she placed her hands on her hips, waiting for Paul to calm down.

Taker had stood off to the side, allowing Harley to take care of the piss ant, nodding once at Glen when they gave each other a look of understanding.  Sean wouldn’t be walking out of the arena that night, at least not without medical attention, which satisfied Taker for now.  He really wanted to just wrap his hand around the little puke’s throat and throttle him until he turned blue, but Taker knew that would only fuel the rumor mill.  Harley didn’t need any more problems backstage than what she already had so he’d behave…for now.

“So are we still on for tonight, short shit?” Paul smirked when Harley glared at him, lifting her up over his shoulder, causing a squeal to sound out of her mouth, chuckling. “I love it when you do that.”

“If you don’t put me down, I won’t go out with you and Chrissy.” Harley threatened, giggling when Paul reluctantly set her down, grumbling. “Aww no grumbling, we’re going to have FUN tonight!” Of course that was said with heavy sarcasm because Harley honestly did NOT want to know what Paul and Chris had planned in Vegas.

Paul smirked wickedly, placing both of his huge hands on Harley’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Chris and I just have a few…places…in mind, nothing too humiliating.  A couple strip joints, after hitting the slot machines…” He felt her tense, chuckling as they walked inside the Unholy Alliance dressing room. “So get your ass in gear and dressed, woman!  I wanna show you off tonight!”

Harley rolled her eyes; neither of them noticing the jealous spark enter Taker’s eyes, Paul wiping the sweat from his forehead as he sat down on the couch.  Taker was really tempted to ask where they were going tonight, but refrained, knowing Paul had no idea he and Harley had been together the previous night…repeatedly.  He hid another smirk, nodding at Bill when the man announced he was heading back to the hotel, sinking down in a chair slowly as he began unraveling the tape around his wrists.  If Paul wasn’t careful, he was going to find a serious problem on his hands because Taker felt like ramming his head repeatedly against the wall, knowing it was because of that hypnotic woman who just walked into the shower room.  Envisioning her beautiful naked body pressed against his…Taker suddenly needed water as he promptly opened one and dumped the contents of it over his head, Paul blinking at him.

“Problem, Show?” He ordered gruffly, though he felt chilled again for the most part, shaking the excess water out of his long black hair.

That was until Harley emerged from the bathroom.

Harley was all smiles as she walked out, her hair wet and hanging down her back in waves, wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and an amber colored dress top.  It left her shoulders bare and had a lace panel boat neckline, the material clinging to her every curve, especially showcasing the shape of her voluptuous breasts, the bottom having a frill design to it that went a little past her waist.  She had black open toed heels on her feet, so used to walking in them from being in WCW, so they felt like tennis shoes to her as she began doing her makeup. 

Feeling Taker’s gaze penetrating her, Harley tried not to blush as she did her foundation and then clear gloss with simple black eyeliner, Paul having gone to take a shower already so he could get ready too.  Looking down to find her mascara, Harley glanced up and stared in those acid eyes through the reflection of the mirror, feeling him take a strand of her damp hair, twirling it around his finger, sending shivers down her spine.  He brought it to his nose, having to bend down somewhat, growling softly while wrapping one of those muscled tattooed arms around her waist. 

Harley felt as though her heart might give out with how fast it pounded, especially when his lips softly caressed her neck, instantly melting against him as her eyes drifted shut.  She did not want to go out with Paul and Chris, not when this man had given her his key card.  All Harley wanted to spend the night doing was having this man buried to the hilt inside of her, flushing slightly as the previous night flooded her mind.

“You did very well out there and have exceedingly improved.” Taker stated, continuing to lovingly nuzzle her neck, loving the way she instantly melted against him. “I know what you’re thinking and, if you wish, I will have you out of here in seconds.” Abruptly pulling away from Harley, Taker squared his shoulders as she continued staring at him through the mirror. “The choice is yours.”

Harley sighed heavily, lowering her eyes and closed them, knowing how much Paul was looking forward to going out with her tonight.  What the hell was this between her and Taker?  She was so confused, the key card Taker gave her tucked securely in her back pocket.  No, she wasn’t going to back out of this with Paul, no matter what, and groaned when she looked up again only to see her cheeks had turned crimson again.  Lord, would she EVER stop turning red in front of this man?

Taker happened to enjoy the reactions from Harley because they were so open and honest, almost border lining innocence.  Of course, this woman was anything but and that just made Taker smirk wickedly, folding his arms in front of his chest.  Harley looked tormented, battling with herself no doubt on what to do, if she should go with Paul and Chris or bail on them to come to the hotel with him.  Decisions, decisions indeed and Taker knew that, if he truly wanted to, he could convince Harley to leave with him instead of those two goons.

Before Harley could say anything, the door opened as Chris walked in, causing her to roll her eyes.

“Who’s a sexy beast, baby?!” Chris crowed and stopped short, staring at Harley, groaning out loud as he clutched his head in his hands. “Woman!  What in the hell are you doing wearing something like that?!”

Harley smirked as she finished applying the rest of her makeup, clipping a black choker around her neck, turning to face him. “Problem Chrissy?” She asked innocently, causing him to groan even more.

“You’re gonna have a problem in a minute.  You look HOT girl!” Chris walked over, completely ignoring Taker, and pulled her into his arms to softly kiss her forehead. “You look sensational.  Marry me?”

Harley laughed softly, shaking her head. “Now you know I’m not the marrying kind, honey.” She tapped his nose with her fingertip, winking and turned back around to stare in the mirror, catching Taker’s heated gaze once more. “Besides, you couldn’t handle me in the bedroom.”

Was she challenging him?  Taker really hoped she didn’t mean him because last night proved he was more than capable of handling her in the bedroom.  Then he watched her smirk wickedly over at Chris, shaking his head, deciding it would be best to walk out before he did something drastic…like put Chris’s head through a wall for touching Harley.  She belonged to him, though she didn’t know that yet, deciding he didn’t want to bombard her too soon.  Harley didn’t realize it, but in time she definitely would because Taker planned on claiming in every way possible on and off camera.

“He gives me the creeps.” Chris admitted as soon as Taker walked out, doing a full body shiver.

“Or maybe he turns you on.” Harley laughed when Chris gaped at her, Paul walking in moments later.

“Where’d Taker go?” Paul asked, not really caring, grinning at the sight of his beautiful best friend. “Looking stunning as always, Har.”

“Thanks big guy.” Harley beamed as she turned to face him, pulling a purse over her shoulder, walking over to hug him quickly around the waist. “So, where are we off to?  And keep in mind that if you say a strip club, I’m so bailing on both of your asses.”

Chris and Paul both grumbled in unison, causing her to laugh harder, walking out of the dressing room with both of them following suit. “You’re no fun, Harley.” Chris whined, chuckling when she flipped him the bird over her shoulder, loving to goad her on.

Some things truly never changed as the old WCW trio walked out of the arena, never noticing eyes watching their every move.

~!~

Harley stood outside of the hotel room, having taken drastic measures not to be noticed.  This was Las Vegas and anything was possible, especially with the rumors flying around the WWF locker room.  Staring down at the key card in her hand, Harley suddenly wondered what she was doing, swallowing hard, remembering the reason she’d left WCW to begin with. 

She’d been involved with Kevin Nash and, shortly after their split; she immediately got the shaft from Eric Bischoff and creative writing.  She’d already planned on putting in her resignation, but it pissed Harley off that her happiness and personal life didn’t mean anything to them.  And now here she was again, about to make the same mistake. 

Did she enjoy torturing herself? 

Because that’s exactly what this was…a sweet torture that would end in nothing but heartache.

“Second thoughts?”

Harley’s head snapped up, not even hearing the hotel door open, those acid eyes locking with grey.  Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe and all thoughts of backing out vanished from her mind.  Not even Kevin had this effect on her as Taker extended his hand to her, bare from the waist up, not stepping out of the dark room.  Only his hand was visible, the rest of him shrouded in darkness, though Harley could tell his long black tresses were hanging down his back and over his shoulders.  His scent once again stimulated her and, before Harley knew what she was doing, her hand slipped into his as Taker pulled her into the dark room.

“I can’t…” Harley made one final attempt at fighting the temptation, her voice incredibly weak, feeling her leather jacket being pulled from her body.

“Yes you can.  Stop fighting what you desire, Harley.” Taker ordered in a dark caress, hanging her jacket over a nearby chair, seeing perfectly through the darkness.  He could feel her trembling with anticipation, a slow seductive smirk crossing his sensual lips. “You want this as much as I do.”

Harley was absolutely powerless, feeling his hand gently grab hers, pulling her toward the bed. “This is wrong…” She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment, the bed creaking telling her that Taker had sat down upon it and she was standing between his massive legs. 

Why was she fighting this if sex is all Taker wanted from her? 

Was it really a crime to enjoy his touch and advances? 

Taker wasn’t the monogamy type so what was Harley honestly worried about as she felt his strong hands run up her jean covered outer thighs.  His hands felt as if they were searing right through the material, Harley’s eyes slowly drifting shut, having ditched Paul and Chris when they insisted on going to a strip club.  She didn’t feel like watching fake silicone tits being shoved in her friends’ faces and knew Taker was waiting for her.  Harley bit her bottom lip as Taker’s hands moved up to her waist, yanking her down to straddle his lap, fingering the bottom hem of her shirt.

Knowing what he wanted, Harley immediately pulled it up and over her head, tossing the material over her shoulder.  Taker growled from low in his throat approvingly, running his hands from her waist to up her sides, loving how soft her skin was against his rough calloused hands.  With a flick of his wrist, Harley’s bra fell to the floor since it was strapless and Taker found himself growing harder at the sight of this woman in just a pair of jeans topless.  She stirred his blood as he lowered his head, pressing his forehead to her chest, his hot breath causing her nipples to instantly harden.

“Still having second thoughts, Harley?” He rumbled huskily, his tongue running up the valley of her breasts to her collarbone, gently nipping at it, his strong hands running up and down her back. “Hmm?”

“No.” She breathed out, completely lost in this man, her soft hands running up and down his muscled tattooed arms. “Taker, please…”

“Please what?” He growled in her ear, tracing the outer part with his tongue, running his thumbs in circles on her hips, having already unsnapped her jeans. “Tell me exactly what you want from me, Harley.”

A soft whimper escaped her, not believing how much he was torturing her, forcing her into submission. “You…I want you, Taker.” Harley moaned out uncontrollably, doing a full body shiver against him, his lips capturing hers moments later.

Taker’s hand buried in her black tresses, making a fist, as he kissed her forcefully and hungrily; though, not to the point of hurting her.  She was his angel after all; he would never harm a hair on her beautiful head, unless she gave him a reason to. “Do not leave me again, Harley.” He ordered evenly against her lips, tightening his hold on her hair when she didn’t respond immediately, acid eyes flashing. “I want you to stay with me from now on, do you understand?” Before she could protest or utter a word, his lips crashed against hers again, Harley whimpering as she could only kiss him back.

Harley could only hope this didn’t backfire on her as Taker slowly guided her down on the bed, ready for another night of unbridled ecstasy.

Chapter 17

A month passed since Harley joined the Unholy Alliance and started sleeping with Taker on a nightly basis.  She still had no idea what she was doing, only that Taker made her weak in the knees and her heart nearly stop.  There were no complaints for the most part because, whenever they were in front of others, Taker treated Harley like he would any of the others.  He still gave her advice on what to do in the ring, refusing to add to suspicions of the others that something else was going on between him and Harley. 

Though behind closed doors, it was a completely different story.  Taker claimed Harley in every way possible and Harley knew she was already falling for him.  That couldn’t happen though; she would have to stop herself at any and all costs, deciding if it did get to that point she would have to gain the strength to walk away from him.  This wasn’t going to turn into another disaster the way her relationship with Kevin had.

It was one of their only days off and Harley was busy getting dressed, wanting to go out shopping for awhile.  Taker had just stepped out of the shower, looking scrumptious as ever, Harley having started sharing a room with him.  They still booked a room for her in case Paul became nosey or anyone in that company for that matter.  Taker didn’t mind it, walking over to wrap a muscular tattooed sleeved arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head affectionately.

Harley sighed gently and watched him walk away, finishing her makeup, wearing a pale blue off the shoulder top that had long sleeves and went past her hips, a huge black belt around her waist for style with dark blue jeans and black stiletto heels.  Her hair was left down, blue eyeliner and clear gloss on her face along with foundation to hide any blemishes.  It was fairly chilly out for a September day, though weirder things had happened in the world.

“You look beautiful.” Taker complimented, handing her a cup of coffee, watching as those grey eyes lit up whenever she stared at him.

“Thank you, I can clean up when I want to.” She winked with a smile, sipping her coffee, feeling him grab her chin to look up at him gently. “What is it?”

Taker didn’t say anything for a few seconds, just memorizing every contour of her face, every single detail burning it to memory. “Where are you going today?” He asked in a soft voice, running the pad of his thumb gently across her cheek.

“Shopping, I just want to get out for awhile.  It’s a beautiful day.” Harley replied, sighing as his lips softly caressed hers, humming gently with a smile. “Do you want to come with me?”

Taker raised a slow eyebrow, taking her hand and pulling her toward the bed, sitting down on it with her standing between his legs. “Not today, darlin’.  I’m really tired, I just want to stay in and get some more rest.” He pressed a finger to her lips before she could start apologizing, knowing her like a book. “I was up before you, but I’m going to try getting some more rest.  Somebody has been wearing my ass out.”

Harley chuckled softly, leaning down to softly brush her lips against his again, still not knowing what they were.  She wasn’t going to question it though, remembering how Taker warned her about over thinking things, knowing today was their only day off for a few weeks.  Going out shopping while he slept was the perfect solution because Harley knew Taker was currently suffering from a few nagging injuries, wondering if he would ever take time off to heal.

“Get some sleep, Taker.” She whispered, loving how his black tresses flowed over his shoulders and down his back. “I’ll wake you up when I get back for lunch or possibly dinner.”

“Sounds good, be careful.” Taker cautioned, yawning loudly, though he stood up to walk over to stare out the window. “Harley?” He called out to her before she could fully walk out the door, acid green locking with beautiful grey.

“Yeah?”

Taker opened his mouth to say something and then closed it, shaking his head as he waved her off dismissively. “Nothing, go on.” He murmured, turning to stare out the window again, pressing his forehead against the cool glass window, shutting his eyes.

Harley’s eyebrows drew together, wanting to ask him what was wrong, but decided against it.  Taker was a very complicated man, a puzzle that she was constantly trying to figure out.  It was attractive in some ways and unnerving in others, frustrating her to the point where she sometimes wanted to rip her hair out of her skull.  Sighing softly, Harley walked out of the room, closing the door behind her and headed to the elevator for a day of shopping delight.

Taker watched her walk out of the hotel and nodded when she got in her rental, running his fingers down the glass with a heaving sigh.  Something about her called to him, made him want to make love to her every waking moment he possibly could.  He wanted to claim her in every way…mind, body, heart and soul.  Wanting it all, Taker knew he would have it because he could look in her eyes and see all the feeling swirling through those grey orbs.  Harley wore her heart on her sleeve and far too trustworthy, though Taker would never hurt her, knowing the moment she walked into his life it would be turned upside down.

There was one fact that not even Taker could ignore: Harley was changing him.

“She’s ruining me…” He murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his temples with his nimble fingers, trying to decipher what exactly he felt for her.  It was more than lust. 

All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms after their sexual encounters, feel her heart beating against him gently, burying his face in her hair as her intoxicating scent engulfed him.  Harley was definitely changing him and Taker wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, deep down knowing he wouldn’t have a choice in the matter because Harley belonged to him.  He would kill anyone who tried taking his precious angel away from him, scowling at the mere thought, eyes narrowing and flashing with pure venom.

“She’s mine.”

~!~

“So tell me something, who the hell has your attention these days, short shit?” Paul asked, having been at the mall and spotted Harley looking at some clothes, raising an eyebrow when she merely shrugged.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Nobody has my attention, big guy.” Harley lied smoothly, sighing when Paul clamped a hand down on her shoulder, turning her to face him. “Paul…”

“Harley, you’re hiding something from me and Chris.  We’re your best friends; we won’t judge you and you know that.” Paul stated, guiding her over to sit on a nearby bench, wrapping protective arm around her shoulders. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Harley was trying to figure out if Paul would blow a gasket or not if she told him about who she’d been sleeping with. “Look, I’m happy, isn’t that all that should matter?” She finally asked, sounding somewhat defeated, lowering her eyes away from his.

One thing about Harley was she could never lie to save her life.

Paul frowned, not liking the sound of that, heaving a sigh. “So you’re not gonna tell me who it is.” He finally resigned, watching as Harley clasped her hands in her lap, her bottom lip sucked in between her teeth even more. “Harley…”

“Please don’t…” She whispered, tears stinging her eyes, not trusting her real voice at the moment. 

Honestly, Harley had more than a few doubts over the past month ever since this whole thing started with Taker, still not believing it was happening.  It felt so wrong yet so right at the same time, which confused Harley to say the least.  Every time they were together, especially at night, Harley did not want to be anywhere else except in Taker’s strong tattooed sleeved arms.  She loved waking up with him spooned against her, or her head resting on his chest over his steady beating heart.

Paul’s heart broke at the sight of her tears and immediately pulled Harley into his arms, wrapping her in his strong embrace. “I’m sorry, Har.  I’m so sorry for making you cry.  Don’t cry okay?  Please, you’re killing me…” Harley rested her head on his chest as the silent tears fell, Paul simply running her fingers through her hair. “I won’t ask again.”

“I want to tell you more than anything, Paul.  You don’t understand how much this is tearing me apart, but I can’t.  I’m happy and I just want to stay that way.” Harley murmured in a thick voice, wiping her tears away, sniffling as he handed her a tissue. “I’m scared to death right now.  What I’m feeling inside, I’m terrified and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Just so I understand this, we’re talking about you with another guy, right?” Paul clarified, watching her silently nod, suddenly feeling an overprotective aura overtake him because he remembered the hell Kevin had put her through. “Harley, whoever this is, if they hurt you…”

“It’s not like that, Paul.” Harley cut him off before he could go into his overprotective mode, shaking her head. “It’s a no strings type of deal and I’m fine with it.”

At least that’s what Harley chalked it up to because Taker never gave any other indication they were together.  Granted, he wouldn’t let her sleep alone anymore, but that was probably due to him wanting someone to wake up with in the morning.  Loneliness was a very bitter pill to swallow.

“You don’t sound fine about it.” Paul pointed out, raising a slow eyebrow down at her, seeing more tears spill down her cheeks. “Christ, you’re in love with this guy aren’t you?”

Harley’s eyes widened, immediately shaking her head, wiping her tears away hastily this time. “No!  No that’s ridiculous!  Paul, I don’t want to fall in love again, especially after what happened with Kevin…” When Paul shot her a knowing look, Harley just started crying again, burying her face in her hands. “I just want to be happy.”

Absolutely hating to see her cry, Paul let out a heaving sigh as he simply held her, wishing she would tell him who it was that she’d been seeing.  Then again, Paul wasn’t sure if he even wanted to know because of how overprotective he was of her.  He would probably wind up doing something stupid, like putting the guy’s head through a wall at full force, and with Paul’s size it was definitely possible.  Harley just wanted to be happy; he wasn’t going to take that away from her, flat out refusing to be responsible for the tears she shed.  They nearly broke him in half, Paul was always incapacitated whenever Harley cried, secretly hating it.

“Then be happy, Harley and don’t let anyone, not even me, stand in your way.” He finally said, watching her head slowly lift as their eyes locked, Paul watching as a small smile crossed her lips. “Just be careful, alright?  I don’t want what happened in WCW to happen here because the WWF is truly the place to be.  It doesn’t get any better than this and I don’t want you ruining your career for a man.”

“I promise, big guy, nobody is taking my dream away from me.” Harley stated emphatically, knowing that’s exactly what Paul had to hear, kissing his cheek as her tears slowly subsided. “So what are you doing in the mall anyway?”

Paul chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly, clearing his throat. “I need a new jacket…” He grumbled, watching her eyebrow slowly rise, finally growling when Harley began giggling at him. “Don’t laugh, it’s not funny Har.  I went to put my jacket on this morning and pulled a Farley.”

“A Farley?” Harley looked confused, wondering what her best friend was talking about, blinking. “What the hell is that?”

“Have you ever seen Tommy Boy with Chris Farley?” Paul finally asked resignedly, feeling very embarrassed, his cheeks already turning red when she nodded. “Yeah…I pulled a Farley with the coat.”

It suddenly dawned on Harley what Paul was talking about, remembering that scene in the movie where Chris Farley was in David Spade’s jacket. “Fat guy in a little coat?” She was trying so hard not to laugh, knowing Paul was self-conscious about his height and weight as it was, chewing her bottom lip. “You have gained a few pounds since being here…”

“I know.” He growled, clearly not amused, eyes flashing when an idea suddenly popped in his head. “You wanna go with me to find one?  I’d really appreciate your input and we haven’t hung out in awhile, please Har?”

Harley groaned, knowing she couldn’t deny Paul anything, sighing resignedly with a nod. “Fine, fine let’s go find you a new jacket, big guy.” Sliding from his lap, Harley grabbed the few bags she’d had with her, having purchased a few things that caught her eye, walking away with Paul.

It took nearly three hours before Paul found the perfect jacket, which was leather, and Harley was exhausted.  All she wanted to do was collapse in bed with Taker and sleep for the next decade, trudging inside the hotel lobby with bags in hand.  Of course, she hadn’t shopped for herself anymore, too busy trying to help Paul find a jacket that suited him, both of them ending up in a Harley Davidson store that was right across the street from the mall.  Harley had ended up buying a cute outfit and even something for Taker, knowing how much he loved Harley Davidson.

She nodded at the security guards that surrounded the hotel, knowing Vince wasn’t taking any chances with the fans, the hotel being on lockdown so the Superstars weren’t disturbed.  Harley had been caught outside by a few fans, though she didn’t mind it, signing autographs left and right.  They were the reason she was here and did what she loved for a living, so she wasn’t going to question or deny them anything they wanted…within reason of course. 

Harley walked toward the elevator and arrived at her door, walking into the room setting the bags down.  She kicked her shoes off and ran a hand through her hair, suddenly wondering what Taker was doing as she chewed her bottom lip.  Should she bother him or simply let him alone for the night?  Harley missed him something fierce all day and finally walked toward the connecting door, noticing it was slightly cracked ajar. 

“What the hell?” She whispered, slowly pushing the door open as it creaked; the room was shrouded in pitch black darkness as Harley tried adjusting her eyes to the darkness. “Taker?”

There wasn’t a lump in the bed and she couldn’t hear him snoring like usual…Harley suddenly began feeling a dread of fear bubbling up inside of her as she walked further into the room, trying to find the switch to flip the light on.  When she did, Harley felt sick to her stomach at the sight before her, immediately rushing over to Taker.  He was lying face down on the carpeted floor, blood trickling from his head from a nasty gash. 

His entire body was covered in dark bruises, having looked as though he was beaten to death.  Harley immediately checked for a pulse and sighed with relief when she found one, though it was incredibly weak.  He was absolutely motionless and Harley began trembling, ripping off her shirt to apply pressure to the wound, tears streaming down her face while she yanked her cell phone out of her jean pocket to call an ambulance.

“Taker, stay with me, stay with me baby please…” She whispered after she’d gotten off the phone with the ambulance, calling Paul next because she couldn’t be alone right now, not like this. “Taker, please wake up…please…”

Chapter 18

What the hell was taking so long?

Pacing back and forth in the waiting room, Harley chewed her thumbnail nervously, trying to get her mind off of what happened.  The vision of Taker lying face down with a small pool of blood from the huge gash in his head…Harley blinked as a few tears slid down her face, knowing Paul was probably wondering what the hell happened.  He currently sat in the waiting room with her, both of them extremely worried.  Paul had arrived right before the ambulance, having rushed up to Taker’s room, finding Harley leaning over Taker trying to get him to wake up.

Of course it didn’t happen, Taker was completely out cold and Paul had to forcefully drag Harley away from him while the paramedics did their job.  Taker had been alive, though his pulse was incredibly weak, having lost a lot of blood.  His body was covered in dark bruises, struck with something hard, though no weapon had been found in the hotel room.  The police arrived moments later to take their statements, Harley telling them she’d found Taker and Paul had joined her moments later after she’d called him freaking out.  The police took their statements, promising to do a full investigation, and sent them on their way to the hospital to check on their friend.

“What did he do to piss you off?” Were Paul’s first words upon the sight, causing Harley’s eyes to shoot out of their sockets.

“I didn’t do anything!  I walked in my room and his door was ajar!” Harley didn’t know what to think as Taker’s body was carted out of the room moments later, riding in the ambulance with him, holding his hand the entire time. 

Paul followed in a car, too big to ride in the ambulance with her, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Harley, you have to sit down.  You’re making me dizzy, girl.” Paul grunted, finally stopping her as he pulled her down to sit on his lap, wrapping a huge arm around her waist to prevent her from getting up. “Taker will bounce back from this.”

“How do you know?  How can you be so sure?” Harley whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment, burying her face in her hands. “What if…”

“What ifs are not going to solve anything, Har.”

Paul sighed when she rested her head on his shoulder, rubbing her back up and down, wondering why she was so worried about Taker.  Then again, the man had been mentoring her so she had to feel something for him, right?  He knew Harley felt in debt to Taker for all he had done for her, including placing her in the Unholy Alliance storyline, choosing her over everyone else.  Suddenly, something dawned on him as Paul looked down at his best friend, seeing the tears staining her cheeks, a frown spreading across his face.

“Harley…”

“Please don’t, Paul.” She sniffled, knowing he would put two and two together, swallowing hard. 

She and Taker never discussed telling anyone about them or being together.  As far as Harley was concerned, it was just sex to him and nothing more than that, which she was fine with.  She enjoyed having any piece of him, relished in it, and hoped he pulled through this as fresh tears stung her eyes.

“It’s him isn’t it.” It wasn’t a question and Paul just watched her lower her head away from him, heaving a very heavy sigh. “Harley, you do realize…”

“Don’t.” She ordered in a more forceful tone, managing to extract herself from his arms just as Chris walked in, knowing he was the only one who would understood her dilemma. “Chris…”

“What the hell happened?” Chris demanded, rushing over to Harley, pulling her into his arms as she began to cry. “Harley, you have to calm down sweetie and talk to me.”

“I-I don’t know what happened!  I went shopping and then came back to the room and he was bleeding…” Harley had to take several deep breaths to calm down, turning around as Paul towered over both of them, knowing he had questions along with Chris. “Look, I will explain everything, but now isn’t the time or place.”

“I don’t care what’s been going on, have you heard anything about Taker?” Chris demanded softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead softly when she shook her head.

“No one has said a word to me in hours.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll wake up and we’ll figure this out together.” Chris looked down at his watch and cursed, rubbing his temples softly. “Damn it, I have to go.  I have an appearance to make, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Harley sighed, knowing Chris didn’t want to leave, but he had other obligations he couldn’t ignore.  She understood that and Taker would too, forever putting the business above anything and everything else, including his own wellbeing. “Go on Chrissy, I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on with him.” She promised, squeezing his hand to ensure she meant what she said.

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done with the appearance, sweetie.  Keep your head up.” Chris stated, walking out of the waiting room moments later, Harley watching him before slowly turning to face a very angry looking Paul.

“You need to explain what the hell is going on yesterday, Harley.” Paul ordered, folding his massive arms in front of his chest. “Now.”

Harley sighed heavily and nodded, opening her mouth to speak when the doctor walked out, stopping her momentarily. “Are you two here for Mark Calaway?” The doctor asked, causing both Paul and Harley to turn around, staring a rather aged looking man with graying hair and matching mustache and kind blue eyes. 

“Yes, we are.” Harley responded, walking over to him, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “Is he…”

“I’m Doctor Laughlin and I’ve been treating Mr. Calaway since he was brought in.  Mr. Calaway suffered a great deal of damage and trauma; I’m not going to sugarcoat this.  It’s quite serious; he had to have emergency surgery to remove his spleen and appendix, due to the severe blows he sustained.  I’m guessing it was some kind of metal according to the shape of the bruises.  If he had been brought in any later, we would’ve lost him.” He explained, causing tears to fill Harley’s eyes, but quickly blinked them away, feeling as though her heart might leap from her chest. “Are you the one who found him?”

“I did, yes.” Harley whispered softly, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Doctor Laughlin nodded at her, taking a deep breath. “You just may have saved his life.  Whoever it was that did this really did a number on him.  Broken ribs, dislocated shoulders, fractured leg and massive internal injuries, which is why we had to perform emergency surgery.”

“Jesus…” Harley felt all the air driven from her body, feeling as though she might keel over, somehow managing to maintain her composure. “I-Is he going to be alright?”

“The road to recovery will be a long one, but yes he will be alright and heal in the end.” Doctor Laughlin replied enthusiastically, feeling confident as he cracked a hesitant smile at her.

Paul noticed how weak Harley became as the doctor explained Taker’s injuries, pulling her to lean against him, feeling lightheaded himself. “What’s he gonna need, Doc?” He asked quietly, rubbing Harley’s back soothingly.

Harley was just thankful Taker was going to live, wanting to know who did this to him, and finally let a few tears fall.

“He’ll have to stay here for awhile until he’s able to go home.  Like I said, it’ll be a long road, but he’ll be alright.” Doctor Laughlin answered, clearing his throat. “He’s very lucky all that was on his head was a bump; the rest of the injuries are elsewhere, so there was no significant brain damage.”

Paul couldn’t help chuckling softly, nodding. “Yeah, he has a pretty hard head…”

However, Harley wasn’t laughing as she slowly pulled away from Paul, taking a deep breath. “I want to see him, both of us do.” She stated, trying not to cry anymore because she was tired of it, just wanting to be by Taker’s side.

“He’s asleep now and the first forty-eight hours are going to be extremely critical to make sure that the internal bleeding doesn’t start up again.” Doctor Laughlin warned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You may see him shortly as soon as we get him stabilized in his own room.  Right now, he’s in recovery from the surgery.”

Before Harley could argue, Paul nodded, pulling her away from the doctor. “Thanks, just let us know.” He watched as Doctor Laughlin nodded, walking away to tend to his other patients, sighing as Harley stormed away from him to sit back down in a chair.  Paul walked over and sat beside her, unable to imagine how she was feeling, not believing the extent of Taker’s injuries. “He’ll be okay, Har.”

“I know he will be, but I want to find out who did this to him and make them pay.” Her eyes flashed, grey turning dark and stormy. “I want them to pay, Paul.”

“We will find out who did this, I promise you that.” He replied soothingly, rubbing her back again, knowing she needed comfort more than anything at that moment. “We just need to concentrate on his recovery first.” His questions were put on the backburner, knowing Harley would tell him when the time was right, too worried about Taker to care what had happened between them at the moment.

Harley nodded, exhaling shakily and just sat there with Paul as people passed them by one by one, worried for their own loved ones.

A few hours later, a nurse walked out and called out Mark’s name again, Harley’s eyes slowly opening.  She had cried herself to sleep and currently laid in Paul’s arms sideways, rubbing her tired eyes as she slid from his lap, walking over to the nurse. “I’m here for him, what’s going on?” She asked softly, the nurse middle aged with soft brown eyes and hair, looking somewhat apprehensive.

“Are you Harley?” She asked, the nurse’s nametag ready Cindy, causing Harley to nod instantly. “He’s calling for you.  He’s not awake, but he’s been muttering your name for the past hour.” The nurse informed her, holding an armful of patient charts. “He’s in his own room if you wish to see him.”

Her grey eyes widened in surprise and Harley had to take several deep breaths, her heart warming at the thought of Taker thinking of her even while unconscious. “Thank you.” She whispered, glancing over her shoulder at Paul, and headed toward Taker’s room alone as her heart pounded vigorously.  Slowly pushing open the door to his room, Harley’s heart nearly stopped beating and her entire body tensed at the sight of him, tears instantly sliding down her cheeks, slowly walking toward his bedside.  She stared down at him, taking his hand gently in her own, trying not to cry in his presence, but couldn’t help it. “Taker, I’m here…”

Taker looked so much different than normal, almost in a pathetic fashion, though only he would think so if he saw himself in this current condition.  He had casts and bandages all over him, a huge gauze patch on his forehead from the blow to the head.  The blanket covered his stomach, which was currently heavily stitched and bandaged from the surgery, his face incredibly pale and devoid of emotion, eyes closed.  He looked like he sat on death’s bed, his beautiful raven locks pooled over his shoulders and bunched up on top of his head.  Taker tried to shift ever so gingerly, still unconscious, his brow furrowed and muttered her name so quietly that she could barely hear him. 

Harley blinked as huge tears fell from her eyes, running her thumb across the top of his eyebrow tenderly, sniffling as her forehead pressed carefully against his. “I’m right here, Taker.  Harley’s here and I’m not leaving your side.” She whispered, knowing somehow he could hear her and felt him immediately settle upon hearing her voice, his brow smoothing as his breathing evened out.

Pulling a chair over, Harley sat down and took his hand again, lacing their fingers together.  She knew it was stupid, that she shouldn’t be in love with him, but Harley couldn’t help it.  Falling deeply in love with a man that was unavailable and putting her heart on the line again, like she had with Kevin Nash back in WCW, but to Harley this was much different. 

Taker made her feel things Kevin couldn’t imagine in his wildest dreams of doing.  She did love Kevin, but Harley knew deep down inside that she was never in love with him, staying with him out of obligation more than anything.  But with Taker, he had captured her heart and held it hostage, forcing her to submit to him in every single way possible, forcing her to fall deeply in love with him.

He made her feel desired, wanted, cherished and loved, even though Harley knew that was ludicrous.  Then why did he keep muttering her name for the past hour as Nurse Cindy said?  Did Taker feel something toward her that Harley somehow misinterpreted?  Or was she being stupid again and believing in the whole happily ever after scenario that deep down she knew could never happen with a man like him?

Would she ever stop being a foolish woman and protect her heart?

Either way, no matter how many questions sifted through her mind, Harley refused to leave him.  He had taught her the ways of the business and gave her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.  If that’s all he gave her was passion and pleasure, who was she to deny him the simple task of taking care of him through his recovery? 

Of course, Harley knew what was at stake, but was willing to give him all of her, only accepting pieces of him in return.  When he went home, Harley was going with him no matter what he did or said, knowing he would soon wake up.  The amount of injuries sustained would force Taker to stay asleep until his body was strong enough to wake up.  Harley would wait for him, no matter how long it took.

Days, months and even years…it didn’t matter to her because Harley knew this is where she was meant to be.  She was meant to be beside him, to take care of him, to be with him for as long as he wanted her.  In a way, she knew he was simply using her, but what a way to be used.  A shiver coursed down her spine as Harley closed her eyes, remembering the night before when Taker passionately made love to her, every time they came together feeling like it was the first.

Leaning over, Harley very softly brushed her lips against Taker’s, never once releasing his hand. “I love you and I will see you through this.” She whispered, running her fingertips down his cheek with her free hand, dying to just lie in bed and hold him in her arms.

Instead, Harley stayed put in the chair and rested her head on his chest, being mindful of the lower half because of the surgery.  Paul had woke up and watched the entire thing from the window of the door to Taker’s room, sighing heavily, knowing his best friend was indeed in love with Taker.  He watched as she fell asleep against Taker, her black hair strewn all over the man’s gown covered chest, saying absolutely nothing. 

Harley was a big girl and could take care of herself, make her own decisions.  Besides, if Paul tried to order her to stop seeing him, she would simply put him in the hospital right beside Taker with his own injuries.  He chuckled softly, deciding once Taker woke up he would have a talk with the man about Harley, refusing to let his best friend be hurt again. 

Without another word, Paul walked off, heading out of the hospital to get some much needed rest, knowing Taker was in good hands.

Chapter 19

Once the forty-eight hours passed, Harley sighed with relief when Doctor Laughlin assured her that Taker was making a slow but great recovery.  She didn’t leave Taker’s side, except to use the bathroom and shower, and Paul was kind enough to stay behind to bring her food and fresh clothes.  She was lucky to have Paul beside her through this, along with Chris, though he had to remain on the road with the company.  The Unholy Alliance angle was cancelled due to Taker’s untimely attack, neither of them coming any closer to the truth.

A few weeks passed by and Doctor Laughlin had kept him in a medically induced coma for them to ensure there was no permanent brain damage, wanting to be absolutely certain.  After that, he allowed Taker to rest and try to wake up on his own, though the man hadn’t yet.  He’d been hydrated and fed through tubes, keeping his strength up as much as possible.

Paul poked his head in as the doctor walked out; staying in the city to make sure Harley was alright, refusing to leave her alone. “I come bearing gifts…” He said by way of greeting, watching her slowly look toward him with those saddened grey eyes.

Harley couldn’t even smile at him, though she tried, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with blue jeans, holding Taker’s hand. “Hey big guy.” She murmured quietly, feeling Paul walk up to stand beside her, placing a huge hand on her shoulder comfortingly, setting the few bags to the side he brought with him.

“A fresh change of clothes, some food, shampoo and other girly crap.” Paul stated, pointing to the three bags, trying to make this as easy on Harley as possible. “It was really nice of the Doc to give him a private room with his own shower…”

“He deserves it, thanks Paul.” She stood up and hugged him briefly; looking back at Taker with tears brimmed in her grey eyes. “Have they found out who did this to him yet?”

“We have some leads.” Paul admitted softly, nudging her toward the bathroom, placing the bags in her arms. “Go on and shower, get refreshed and then we’ll talk about it.” He ordered gently but firmly, hoping she finally ate something for a change.

“Thanks big guy, I won’t be long.” She promised, leaning down to brush her lips against Taker’s like always, hoping for once those beautiful green eyes would open to stare back at her. 

Sighing sadly, Harley headed into the bathroom with the bags in hand, thankful to have her hair washed at last.  Emerging from the bathroom about a half an hour later, Harley wore fresh blue jeans with a white tank top, her white hooded sweatshirt back on since the hospital was insanely cold and occupied her chair once more beside Taker.  Paul walked in moments later with a tray of food he warmed up down in the cafeteria, the staff having been very kind to them since Taker’s arrival.

“Feel better?” Paul asked, setting the tray on the table, rolling it over toward her since Taker wasn’t using it currently. “Eat and then we’ll talk.  I have a lot to tell you.”

“Just tell me, I’m not hungry you should know that.” Harley stated stubbornly, though her stomach rumbled loudly, sighing when Paul handed her the sandwich he’d purchased. “Fine, I’ll eat while you talk.”

Paul rolled his eyes, knowing Harley’s way of compromise always managed to get her what she wanted in the end, nodding.  He waited until she took a bite before sighing a bit, running a hand through the top of his head, his hair pulled back in a tail. “I called a PI buddy of mine and he did some digging.  He sent me videos of the security cameras of the hotel, telling me this was his most promising lead.” He took out his phone, pressing a few buttons and showed it to her silently.

The video showed a clear view of Taker’s room from the outside, suggesting that it was taken from across the way.  In his window, Harley saw Taker standing at the window, sipping from a glass of brandy she would guess, until he turned around.  Only to be struck by a shadowy figure, the video was too dark for her to see a face, though the culprit had worn a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, using a lead pipe on Taker repeatedly. 

Every strike caused Harley’s stomach to churn, dropping the sandwich on the plate, no longer hungry as tears slid down her face.  Paul looked over her shoulder as they both watched in silence, the video continuing as the shadows kept the person’s head, shoulders and most of his torso hidden, but Harley did notice something as she looked closer.  On the attacker’s clothing, she noticed the white lettering of a shirt, eyes narrowing to slits as the partial writing flashed at her almost like a neon sign.

‘Tin :16.

“Austin…” She hissed out angrily, grey eyes flashing dangerously, gritting her teeth as tears instantly spilled down her cheeks.  No wonder she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him, the man who claimed to be Taker’s best friend! “THAT BASTARD!!”

“Wait, wait hang on, I’m not done.” Paul guided her to sit once more as soon as she stood up, seeing the anger in her eyes. “What the PI told me is that he’d been tracking Austin since he found this video.  The problem is that Austin was at a signing that evening the same time of Taker’s attack.  He has evidence to back it up and thinks that someone is trying to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Wait, what are you saying?” Harley’s head was spinning, swallowing hard, looking more confused than ever before as she wiped away her tears hastily. “So you’re saying that someone dressed in Austin’s clothing to frame him?”

“Or just an Austin sweatshirt.” Paul nodded, glad she had caught on to what he was trying to explain.  Sometimes words didn’t come easy for Paul, though Harley knew him well enough to read between the lines. “Because whoever it was KNOWS that Taker will murder the one who attacked him and they want him to think it was Austin due to their feuding.”

“My god…” Harley was stunned and blinked, wishing they had more evidence because right now, it didn’t look like Steve did this.  Why would he, given the man was the most popular performer in the WWF?  Not to mention, he was the only one who knew about her and Taker being together…at least until now. “What the hell are we going to do now?”

“I talked to Steve.  He’s pissed that somebody’s trying to frame him.” Paul actually cringed, swallowing hard. “I do NOT envy whoever it was because, not only does he have the Phenom to worry about, but now they have a highly pissed off Rattlesnake headed for them too.”

“My lord…” Harley couldn’t imagine it either, trying to figure out who could possibly frame Steve, scratching her head as her eyebrows furrowed. “Who do you think it was?  Who does Steve think it is?”

“I don’t know about those two, but I have my own suspicions.” Paul watched her eyes narrow, rubbing the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “Who’s the one person who would want, more than anything, to take out the two top guys in the company?  Not to mention, who has a grudge against both Taker and Steve?”

Harley thought about it for a split second, gritting her teeth and scowled darkly. “Hunter Hearst Helmsley.”

Paul snapped his fingers, nodding. “Bingo, see some would have said Rocky, but that’s not his style.  If he wants to kick your ass, he’ll do it face to face without having to attack from behind.”

“No, I’ve met Rocky –Dwayne- and he would never do something like this, but Hunter damn sure would!” Hunter’s real name was Paul Levesque, though Harley refused to call him Paul because, in her mind, there was only one Paul worthy of that name. “Have you heard from Bill at all?”

“Yes, he had to go home for an emergency the same night as Taker’s attack and I’ve already spoken with him as well.  He also thinks that Hunter had accomplices with this attack.  He thinks it was all a scheme to get Taker out of the picture and you on the road…alone…” Paul looked uneasy now, staring back at his best friend, clenching his fists together tightly. “He thinks Sean is involved somehow because of how close Hunter and the little maggot are.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me; especially with all the trouble he’s put me through with the company ever since I came here.” Harley sighed with a heavy heart, looking back at Taker, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles soothingly again. “That rotten piece of shit…” She hissed angrily, standing up and began pacing back and forth. “We need proof though, big guy.  Solid proof or there will be nothing.”

“I told my PI buddy to get some background information on him; he’ll get back to me as soon as he finds something.” Paul assured her, trying to put her mind at ease, though he knew she was far too angry to calm down at the moment.  Hell, he had damned near took Austin’s head off, until they talked rationally about the situation and Steve had a perfect alibi to cover himself.

As Harley paced, a sound emanated throughout the room, though she’d been so focused that she missed it at first.  Then, she heard it again, this time louder…a deep, yet soft groan.  Harley stopped dead in her tracks, immediately turning to stare at Taker, swallowing hard as tears shined in her eyes.  Paul had heard it as well, staring at his mentor while Harley rushed to his side, wondering if Taker was finally waking up.

“Get the doctor now.” She ordered, watching Taker’s eyes twitch, though they hadn’t opened yet.  He was waking up; she couldn’t believe it, feeling as though her heart might give out from how fast it was beating. “Tell him Taker’s awake.”

Paul nodded and immediately rushed out of the room.

Taker slowly shifted in bed, his eyelids slowly fluttering open as his blurred vision cleared, his eyes watering at the bright lights of the hospital room.  Harley couldn’t say anything as she simply ran her thumb over his eyebrow, the biggest smile of relief crossing her lips.  She blinked as tears cascaded like two rapid streams down her face, those beautiful green eyes finally locking with grey.  They were hazy, but they were there and Harley finally felt complete for the first time in weeks, not even looking at the door when Doctor Laughlin rushed inside.

Doctor Laughlin was in pure shock because Taker’s vitals were stable and normal, which he couldn’t even fathom happening this early into the recovery.  Somehow, someway the big man had actually managed to wake up DESPITE all of the injuries, having honestly thought he’d be in a coma for a few months. “Easy there, big man, easy…” He ordered in a soothing voice, beginning to check him over, Harley remaining by his side.

Taker had no idea what the hell was going on, his eyes finally settling on the one person he wanted to see more than anything.  He doesn’t move for the longest time, the doctor leaving to order a nurse in to change his bandages and whatnot.  Without a single sound, Taker slowly raised his hand to Harley, beckoning her toward him, the tube in his throat having been removed, though he couldn’t speak from how raw it was.  All he could think was how grateful he was that she was safe and sound, feeling her hand instantly take his.  Harley kissed his hand, the tears never stopping, which slowly break Taker’s heart.

“Water…” He croaked out in a raspy whisper.

Harley nodded, the doctor having gotten him some ice chips, and slowly began feeding them to Taker. “Chew slowly.” She commanded in a whisper, placing one on his tongue, not wanting him to choke as the tears subsided.

Taker listened for once and feasted on the ice chips, loving how cool his throat felt from them.  He raised his hand, slowly tracing a tear path down her cheek, hating to see her cry. “Tears?  Why the tears?” He asked in a croaked, gruff voice, eating a few more ice chips.

“Why?” She looked back at him incredulously, not believing he actually asked that question. “You nearly DIED…I was so worried about you.  I-I haven’t left your side, not once…and you’re asking me why I’m crying?”

Taker chuckled a bit, not able to resist; he was a sick man after all and found all of this amusing in a very twisted way. “I will be fine, Harley.  There is no reason for crying, you are stronger than that.” He stated, his voice still gruff with both sleep and dryness. “Why have you not gone back on the road with the company?”

“Now you will be, but you have no idea what I’ve been through these past few weeks.  You weren’t just out for days, Taker.  You were out for WEEKS.  Today marks a month actually…” Harley couldn’t help letting a few more tears fall, Paul having given them a moment alone. “Y-You scared me to death…”

Sighing heavily, Taker pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the pounding headache he currently had. “You do not have to worry about me, foolish woman.  I always get back up, no matter how long it takes.” He assured her quietly and, without thinking about it, took her hand in his own to kiss the back of it tenderly.

Harley smiled down at him tearfully, placing his hand against her cheek as their fingers laced together. “I’ll always worry about you, Taker, no matter what…” She swallowed hard, kissing his forehead softly. “You need to rest, Paul is calling Bill and Vince right now to inform them you’re awake.”

“When can I get out of here?” He immediately demanded as soon as the doctor walked in, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Nice try.  You’re gonna be here for awhile, Mr. Calaway.” Doctor Laughlin stated, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Do not even think about getting out of that bed either.”

“Damn it…” Taker grumped, clearly not amused, wanting to ring the doctor’s neck as he closed his eyes briefly, never releasing his hold on Harley’s hand.

“I’m not leaving your side either.” Harley’s voice held no room for argument, running her thumb across his eyebrow again, trying to soothe him. “And when you are finally released, wherever you’re going to recover, I’m going with you.”

“Harley…”

“I don’t want to hear it, Taker.” Harley leaned forward, brushing her lips against his, sighing when he kissed her back instantly. “You’re not doing this alone, I don’t care what you do or say to me.  For once, I’m going to take care of you the way you’ve been taking care of me ever since I joined the WWF.  You’re not going to stop me either, my mind is made up.”

Taker growled from low in his throat, wondering exactly what kind of bedside manner Harley had, already feeling himself harden at the mere thought.  He was a man after all and he hadn’t been able to touch her in a month…one long month…and she’d never left his side for an instant. “Stubborn wench.” He rumbled against her lips, yanking her on the bed beside him, glaring at the nurse when she began protesting. “Move her and I will personally kill you with that needle.”

Huffing, the nurse stormed out and Taker went back to kissing Harley, feeling his strength already flooding back as he captured her lips once more. “Taker, I don’t think…” Harley moaned when he simply shut her up, passionately kissing her, Harley instantly melting against him, not able to do anything else. “I missed you…”

“I missed you as well, my angel.” He whispered against her lips, feeling her rub her nose against his own, both of them settling down and instantly fell asleep with hope for the future.

It would be a long tedious recovery, though Taker was secretly grateful that Harley was sticking by his side through it all.

Chapter 20

A few days later, Harley walked out of Taker’s hospital room while he slept, blinking at the sight of Terri Poch coming toward her. “Hey girl, what’s going on?” She greeted, both women embracing briefly before heading down the hallway slowly.

“I heard Taker woke up, is it true?” Terri asked quietly, causing Harley to nod, and took a deep breath because she wasn’t sure how to go about saying what she had to. “I had a few days off and had to come see you.  I found out some things about Taker’s attack.”

Raising a slow eyebrow, Harley wondered what the blonde had to say, leading her into the cafeteria of the hospital as both of them took a seat. “What’s going on, Terri?” Harley was all business now, her voice deceptively calm and quiet, not wanting anyone else to overhear this. “I won’t tell anyone what you tell me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The relief instantly crossed Terri’s face as she physically relaxed, knowing Sean would probably kill her if he found out she was here.  She’d lied and said she was visiting her sister in Florida, booking the first flight here because she had to talk to Harley. “Thank you.” She whispered, Harley nodding as they both sipped their coffee they’d acquired prior to sitting down.

“No problem, now what the hell is going on?” Harley demanded, done with the games, wanting to get right down to brass tactics. “I’m going to safely assume the reason you paled moments ago is because Waltman doesn’t know you’re here?”

“No he doesn’t.  I lied to him and told him I was going to Florida to visit my sister on my days off.  I’m a good liar when I have to be.” Terri admitted, though she knew she would never lie to Harley, knowing the woman had been through pure hell with Waltman and Kevin Nash in WCW, according to all of her boyfriend’s stories. “Look, I came here because I have information on what happened with Taker.”

“You said that, what’s the info?” Harley sipped her coffee, knowing if she pushed Terri too hard, she would get scared away and that’s not what Harley wanted. “Take your time, we’re not rushed obviously.”

Terri appreciated Harley’s dry sense of humor with the situation, though this was about to become serious in a heartbeat. “I know who attacked Taker…” Before she could finish, Harley held her hand up.

“It was Hunter.”

Terri blinked, wondering how the hell Harley knew that information, taking a long sip of her own coffee. “How do you know that?” She finally asked, listening intently as Harley explained what Paul had done, hiring a private investigator, who was a great friend of the big man’s.  She was stunned to find out exactly what Hunter had tried to do, swallowing hard, staring down at the table with clasped hands, suddenly not thirsty for coffee anymore. “They tried framing Steve along with possibly ending Taker’s career…”

Harley raised an eyebrow, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Who helped Hunter?” She somewhat demanded, trying not to do it, but Harley was on edge with this entire satiation.  Of course, it didn’t surprise her that Hunter would stoop to a level as low as this to gain the top slot in the company, but now she was curious as to whom else was involved. “I know Waltman was involved, but…”

Terri watched as all the color drained from Harley’s face, tears already sliding down her cheeks, simply nodding. “I’m sorry, Harley…” She whispered, lowering her head in shame. “You have no idea what I did when I found out…”

“This can’t be happening, it just can’t…” Harley was devoid of emotion, whispering because she couldn’t trust her real voice at the moment, silent tears streaking down her own face. “Are you telling me…?”

Terri nodded again, cutting Harley off in her own way. “I’m afraid so.  I overheard Sean talking on his cell phone and you know what a big mouth he has…”

Her chest constricted painfully and Harley suddenly couldn’t breathe, beginning to silently hyperventilate, wanting to kill all of them.  Terri stood up instantly, taking a paper bag that the cafeteria lady handed her, having apparently noticed Harley’s momentary freak out.  She waited until Harley calmed down, though the tears kept falling, which didn’t surprise Harley in the slightest.

“Does anyone else know about this?” Harley finally asked after what seemed like an eternity of crying silently, not wanting to make a sound and attract more attention.  She watched as Terri shook her head, which Harley was very thankful for because she planned on speaking to Paul about this first before anyone else, including Taker. “This wasn’t just about stealing the top slot in the WWF was it?”

Terri knew that was more of a statement than an actual question, simply nodding. “I’m afraid so, sweetie.  I still can’t believe he’s actually involved in it, I really thought Waltman had more sense than that.” After everything that Terri overheard, she was seriously thinking about ending her relationship with Sean and going her separate ways, refusing to apart of this.

“That’s why Waltman started bringing my past in the WCW up in the locker room.” It was all finally starting to piece together and Harley suddenly felt her cheeks flush angrily, clenching her fists tightly in her lap. “At first I thought it was because I basically threatened Sean when I ran into him at a bar after he noticed who I was.  I told him that he needs to keep my past with WCW to himself and not talk about it openly.  He took offense to it to say the least…” Of course Harley was sugarcoating what she’d really told Sean, but that was due to how the little bastard treated her in the WCW, even when she was with Kevin.

 She hated him, plain and simple.

Terri was floored, blinking at Harley, and suddenly became just as angry as her friend. “Are you fucking kidding me?  That little prick didn’t even tell me he had a run-in with you!” She hissed furiously, wanting to rip his dick off and shove it in his mouth, scowling darkly. “That’s it I’m definitely ending things with him.  I was going to be nice and try to work things out, but if he’s going to keep things like that from me…he can go to hell.”

“No offense, but I really think you’d be better off.” Harley stated without any remorse, causing Terri to agree, both of them actually giggling softly.  The giggling stopped though as Terri suddenly chewed her bottom lip, hoping Sean or the others didn’t find out she came here, especially Joanie Laurer –most fans knew her throughout the world as Triple H’s bodyguard Chyna- because that’s the last thing Terri needed was more problems on her hands. “I’m going to assume that Steve knows about this already.”

“Oh you bet he does.  Hell, when Paul thought it was him that attacked Taker, he immediately flew his ass to wherever Steve was at the time and nearly put his bald head through a wall.  That was until Steve demanded to know what the hell was going on and Paul decided to let him have his say.  Steve was at a signing the exact same night Taker was attacked, which was several hours away.  He was busy signing autographs and several people vouched for him being there when Taker was attacked, so we know he’s not full of shit.” Harley explained, leaning back against the chair as she ran a hand through her black hair, having left it down.  She was very exhausted and it clearly showed on her face, scrubbing a hand down it tiredly. “Steve and Taker are best friends…”

“Which brings me to my next question, why aren’t you on the road with the rest of us?  Surely Taker can manage to take care of himself?” Terri raised an eyebrow when Harley’s grey eyes lowered to the table, finally putting two and two together, her eyes widening. “You and Taker…”

“Terri, please don’t say anything okay?  We’re not ‘together’ in that way, it’s just sex and I care about him…” Harley could already feel the tears swell in her eyes, feeling Terri take her hand, squeezing it gently.

“Harley, your secrets are safe with me as long as mine are safe with you, which I know they are.  So no worries, I won’t tell anyone.  Though I have to tell you, if you want to hide it better, I’d definitely get that look off of your face because, every time you mention his name, you light up.” Terri pointed out with a soft smile, chuckling when Harley’s head snapped up, her grey eyes widened. “I’m serious, look at how wound up you are and all I asked was a simple question!”

“Shut up.” Harley mumbled, clearly not amused, causing Terri to laugh even harder. “I’m not leaving him, that should give you some indication of exactly how deep my feelings go for him.”

Terri immediately stopped laughing, becoming serious again, taking a deep breath. “Harley, just…be careful okay?  Taker is known for playing sick mind games on people and I really don’t want you to end up hurt.  I’m your friend and I wouldn’t say it unless I was really concerned about you, so don’t get mad okay?”

“I’m not mad and I know exactly what you’re talking about.  Hell, at first I thought Taker was fucking with me and tried everything in my power to push him away.  That was until he demanded to know what I was so afraid of.  I told him I was afraid of getting hurt and his words were ‘if you don’t stop being afraid, you will miss the opportunity’.  I don’t know how he feels for me and I honestly don’t care because, as long as he wants me, I’m here to stay and I don’t care if I’m being used.  It’s better than being alone at this point.”

Terri couldn’t argue with that even if she tried because she knew what it was to feel wanted, no matter what degree, nodding. “I understand sweetie, don’t worry I won’t say anything.  So, how bad is he, really?” She finally asked, watching as Harley’s shoulders slumped, knowing it couldn’t be good…at all.

“Banged up pretty badly.  He can’t leave for awhile and then he’s going to need at least six months at home to fully recover.” Harley didn’t even want to think about Taker being out of the ring or off the road for that length of time, but she would stick by him through all of it.” Her eyes suddenly grew stormy, gritting her teeth. “I really hope Hunter enjoys his rise to the top.  I already know he’s going to become WWF champion before long, but he’s going to have a very RUDE awakening when Taker is finally healed and ready to come back.  That goes for the others as well.” Harley had to call Paul immediately, knowing he was on the road, but there was no way she could keep this to herself until he came to see them in a few days.

“I’m sure Steve is going to want a piece of the action too.” Terri couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to have both the Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin going after the same guy.  She almost felt bad for Hunter…ALMOST. “Look, I really need to get out of here, but you have my number if you need anything, sweetie.”

Harley nodded, standing up, knowing Terri had to get out of here before someone recognized her.  She had her hair back in a tight ponytail with a baseball cap and shades on, blue jeans and a red tank top with a sparkling devil on it. “I will keep you posted on what’s going on while on the road and come visit whenever I can.  Just…take care of yourself and remember what I said…I’m here for you.”

“Thanks Terri, that means a lot.” Harley whispered, hugging her tightly, and watched as Terri walked out of the cafeteria, leaving her standing there with so many thoughts running rampant through her mind.

The first thought in her mind was how much she wanted to kill all of these bastards who caused Taker the amount of pain he was currently in right now.  The second was letting the betrayal slowly sink deep within her, not believing how vindictive…Harley shook her head and whipped her cell phone out, knowing Taker was currently out of it from the pain medication the nurse administered earlier on.  There was only one person Harley could talk to about this as she walked out of the hospital to use her cell phone, leaning against the wall and waited for the caller to pick up.  Tears instantly slid down her cheeks when his deep voice filtered through the phone, Harley sliding down the wall, sniffling.

“Steve, its Harley…”

Steve blinked, not expecting to hear from her of all people, sitting up in his chair from home. “Harley, honey what’s wrong?” He immediately asked, having given her his cell phone number when he came to visit Taker about a week ago. “Talk to me, honey…”

It took several long minutes before Harley calmed down long enough to actually talk clearly, though her voice was rough from crying so much. “I just got a visit from someone, I can’t tell you who it is because I promised, but they gave me some new information on Taker’s attack.”

Harley knew she should be calling Paul, but right now, she just needed to talk to someone who wouldn’t either explode and take half of the state they were in with them or be judgmental.  Steve was the only one who knew about her and Taker, he never said a single word about it, which Harley was very grateful for and made her trust him that much more.  Steve was a good friend and Harley knew she could rely on him, especially with what she was about to say.

“Go on and try to breathe, honey.” Steve ordered in a lower voice, having a feeling he was not going to like what he was about to hear. “Take yer time.”

Nodding, Harley breathed a few times in through the nose and out the mouth, finally ready to tell him. “Hunter had help with Taker’s attack…and I know exactly who did it and why.” Steve was silent; knowing speaking right now wouldn’t be a wise choice, simply waiting patiently for her to continue. “Steve, are you there?”

“Stop beatin’ around the bush, Harley.  What the hell is goin’ on?” Steve finally demanded in a gruffer tone, folding his arms in front of his chest, no longer sipping his beer.

“It was Sean Waltman and…” Harley could feel the tears sting her eyes already, squeezing the phone tightly in her grasp. “Kevin Nash.”

Steve let out a stream of cuss words, screaming something about being there in a few hours and hung up, leaving Harley sitting there in the grass stunned with a dial tone.

Steve had hurled his phone, smashing it to pieces.

Chapter 21

A few hours later, Harley was not surprised to see not only Steve walk inside the hospital, but Paul was with him too.  This definitely wasn’t going to be pretty, especially after what Terri told her and vice versa.  Paul walked over to Harley immediately, seeing the tears stinging her eyes, and pulled her into a very gentle embrace because of his massive size.  Taker would maim him if he hurt her in any way, shape or form because it seemed as though the big man genuinely cared for her.

In his own sick and twisted way, maybe Taker even loved her, though Paul refused to delve deeper into the mind of his mentor.

“Where’s Mark?” Steve demanded flatly, arms folded in front of his chest, wearing a pair of skintight blue jean shorts with a simple black tank top, a gold chain around his neck, black shades on top of his head.

It took Harley a few seconds to process that because, to her knowledge, Steve had never called Taker by his real name before. “He’s sleeping, Steve…” She sighed when he simply brushed past her, heading toward Taker’s room, but Harley stopped him by grabbing his arm, forcing him to turn around as their eyes locked. “Please don’t, not yet.”

“He has the fuckin’ right to know, Harley.” Steve growled, not amused in the slightest and shrugged her hand off of his arm, pissed beyond belief.  That was until the tears started cascading down her cheeks, Steve’s demeanor instantly changing. “Aww hell honey c’mere, I didn’t mean to make ya cry…” He sighed when Harley just buried her face in his shoulder, his strong arms wrapping around her in comfort, nodding at Paul silently to assure the big man she was alright.

“Harley, we’re going to have to tell him eventually.  He has a right to know what the hell is going on.” Paul stated, causing her head to slowly lift as she stared into Steve’s blue eyes, knowing he was the one who told her best friend. “Thank you.” There was no way she would ever be able to repay Steve for doing that because Harley honestly didn’t know if she ever could.

“No problem, honey, but Show is right.  We gotta get this shit handled and Mark needs to know what the hell happened and why.  If what ya told me on the phone is true, we gotta serious problem on our hands.” Steve explained, not even wanting to think about the possibility of a WCW guy invading their locker room, blue eyes turning to ice instantly. “How long has he been sleepin’?”

“A few hours at the most, he woke up after I got off the phone with you…” Harley didn’t even want to know what Steve had done to his cell phone when she called to tell him what she’d found out, swallowing hard. “He asked me what was wrong and I told him nothing.  He knows I’m hiding something from him, but luckily the nurse administered some more pain killers and knocked him out before he could fully grill me on the subject.” She felt terrible, but Harley simply couldn’t tell Taker who Hunter’s accomplices were.

“Well he’s gonna find out right now.” Steve stated, seeing the fear enter her grey eyes, wiping the tears away instantly with the pads of his thumbs. “Do ya want me to do it alone?  Show can stay with ya while I handle this, Harley.”

“No, I want to be there with you because I have a feeling he’s going to fly off the handle and I may be the only one who can calm him down.” Harley stated, ignoring Paul’s incredulous look, though it was true.  She’d been the one to calm Taker down after receiving a lethal chair shot to the skull by Sean during a match on Raw.  Harley should've suspected it then…she felt stupid now and lowered her head, eyes widening at the next voice that sounded behind her.

“Where’s Mark?” Glen Jacobs demanded, having also been called by Steve, Harley staring at the Rattlesnake intensely.

“Why would you…”

“He’s closer to Mark than anyone in the company.” Steve replied flatly, no remorse in his voice, glad he had called Glen. “Those little bastards are gonna wish they’d never been born when we’re through with ‘em.”

Unfortunately, Steve wouldn’t be there to witness it because he was going off of the road in a few weeks for neck surgery.  They were doing a storyline where someone was going to run him down with a car in the parking lot at Survivor Series, which was the next pay-per-view coming up.  Steve didn’t have a problem with it, knowing if he kept going the way he was, he’d end up paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 

That simply was not happening.

However, Steve would get his own payback when he returned to the WWF, determined not to let this neck injury end his career.

“Damn straight they will.” Glen stated, walking toward Harley, his eyes narrowed slightly because Steve told him about them. “How is he?”

“He’s frustrated and hates being bedridden.  He wants to know who did this to him, but I lied and said I didn’t know yet…” Harley sighed heavily, knowing these three men were going to tell Taker whether she liked it or not.  She couldn’t possibly fight all of them off, not even if she barricaded Taker’s hospital room door or padlocked it. 

They’d find a way in.

Glen understood because he knew how volatile Mark’s temper could be, refusing to call him Taker when they weren’t on the road.  He was Mark Calaway, a man who was attacked viciously from behind, and nearly lost his life.  Glen’s best friend and the best man at his wedding...Glen wanted to rip Hunter, Nash and Sean limb from limb, not believing he still had to work with the little punk.  Then again, they were enemies and Glen could hurt him in the ring anyway he pleased, knowing Vince wasn’t crazy about Sean Waltman to begin with, especially since he’d jumped ship from WCW to WWF several times.

“Can we at least wait until he wakes up on his own?” Harley suggested weakly, seeing all three men stare at her hardening, and folded her arms in front of her chest. “He’s been through hell and you three just show up here on a whim!  You’re going to let him wake up on his OWN and then we can tell him together, do you understand me?”

Paul smirked; knowing when Harley got riled up, not a lot could stop her.  He watched as Steve and Glen stared at this petite woman in sheer bewilderment, chuckling from low in his throat.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head, letting her know that they wouldn’t just barge into Taker’s room and wake him up.

“How about we go get something to eat and…”

“I’m not leaving him.” Harley immediately cut Paul off, shaking her head and pulled away from him, grey eyes moving down the hallway where Taker’s room was. “You three go on, I’m not hungry anyway.”

Steve frowned, wondering exactly when was the last time Harley left the hospital, stepping forward. “Honey, when’s the last time you left to get some air?” He asked softly, ignoring Paul’s warning glare, seeing the tears shine in her eyes. “Harley…”

“I’m not leaving him.” Harley whispered determinedly, showing just how stubborn she could be, sniffling a little. “I haven’t left and I’m not leaving until he does.  Then I’m going with him back to Houston to help him recover.  I’m not leaving his side, Steve.  I…” Her voice broke on that simple word, not able to continue what had been burning on the tip of her tongue for awhile now.

“You don’t have to leave him, Harley, but you also can’t run yourself down.  We’re just concerned about you, sweetheart.” Glen stated, knowing he hadn’t been around that much, though he’d done whatever Mark asked of him as far as Sean went.  He’d heard the rumors and beat the little piss ant to a bloody pulp in the ring several times.

“I’m fine, I just don’t want him asking for me and I’m not there.  I promised I’d be there for him.  I’m not leaving his side.”

“Just relax Har, you don’t have to leave.  If you want, we’ll bring you back something.” When she nodded, Paul held her for a few more seconds, knowing she needed as much as comfort as possible. “Just don’t run yourself down, alright?”

Nodding, Harley heaved a sigh of relief, glad they didn’t fight her on this, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.  She was steadfast.  She was not going to leave Taker’s side until he asked her to.  Even then, Harley would put up a fight, honestly not caring about having a broken heart anymore because she completely surrendered it to him that night at the bar.  The night she made a choice and took a chance, allowing him to guide her to his room, where he made passionate love to her…Harley often thought of that night when she sat besides Taker’s bedside, holding his hand while he slept.

“Harley, Mark’s asking for you.” Doctor Laughlin announced from behind, causing all four heads to turn around, a soft smile on his face. “All of you may join her, but please keep it down.”

“Thanks Doc.” Paul shook the man’s hand that saved Taker’s life, following Harley down the hallway, along with Steve and Glen, hoping they didn’t just jump right into talking about the attack.

Taker looked toward the door when it opened, having been staring out the window of his private room, those captivating green eyes locking with grey.  Harley instantly went to his side, Taker not even needing to extend his hand, pulling her down until their lips met in a soft kiss.  If Harley was shocked he did that in front of the guys, she didn’t show it and smiled down at him, running her thumb gently across his eyebrow.

“You asked for me, is that what you wanted?” She asked quietly, watching as Taker’s head moved back and forth, shaking his head.

“All of that and more, though we’ll have to wait until a later time.” Taker replied, instead opting to pull her in bed with him, ignoring her protests, wrapping his strong tattooed arms around her waist. “Quiet woman, I’m not made of glass.”

“But your stitches…”

“Enough Harley.” Taker whispered, his mouth right by her ear and nipped it for added effect, smirking when she flushed a deep crimson red.  He’d missed that, remembering how red she’d gotten around him when she first debuted in the company. “What are you three doing here?” He asked, suddenly directing his attention toward them with slightly narrowed eyes.

“They’re here to see you.” Harley said as Taker’s arms tightened more around her, swallowing somewhat hard even though she trusted him completely.  He would never hurt her.

“That much is clear, angel, but I want to know why.” Taker knew Glen rarely left the road for anything other than his lovely wife, Tabitha, so something definitely was going on. “Glen, this is an unexpected surprise.” Taker’s voice was deceptively calm, though his eyes were spitting venom, continuing to hold Harley against his body.

“This isn’t a visit out of the kindness of my heart, Mark.” Glen said flatly, walking over to stare down at his best friend, ignoring the deathly glare. “You’re Mark right now, so you can stop glaring at me.  I’m not scared of you.”

“What’s going on?” Taker demanded gruffly, running a hand through his hair, which was pulled back in a low ponytail. “Glen…”

“It’s bout yer attack, Taker.” Steve respected the man’s wishes not to be called by his real name, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Ya see, I gotta interestin’ call from Harley yesterday and she told me that someone came to visit her.”

Harley physically froze in Taker’s arms, turning red again, not believing this was happening.

“Who came to visit you?” Taker demanded, suddenly staring down at her through cold eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?  I knew something was bothering you, especially since you were crying, trying to convince me it was nothing.  You lied to me, Harley.”

“I-I didn’t mean to!” Harley suddenly cried out, tears streaming down her face all at once, the emotion of this entire situation finally coming out. “I-I can’t tell you who came to see me, I promised…”

“You do realize I can always find out from the nurse’s station.” Taker informed her lamely, though didn’t release her, simply stroking her hair to try calming her down.  He hated seeing her tears. “What did this person tell you?”

Harley suddenly visibly paled, burying her face in her hands, sighing when Taker gently nuzzled her neck. “Your attack…it goes deeper than either of us realized.” She whispered, not trusting her real voice at the moment.

“What do you mean?” He pressed in a deep soothing voice, holding a hand up when Steve went to speak, wanting Harley to tell him. “Harley, you can tell me anything, I want you to trust me.”

“I do.” She whispered softly, sometimes hating the effect Taker had on her as he gently but firmly gripped her chin, forcing their eyes to meet.  Tears instantly filled hers and Harley blinked, feeling them slide down her cheeks, Taker brushing them away with the pad of his thumb. “Taker…”

Taker knew this was not going to be pleasant, especially when she started crying, clearing his throat gruffly.  He absolutely hated to see women cry, especially Harley, kissing the top of her head affectionately.  He knew he couldn’t push her to tell him, but only the truth would sound from her lips, shaking his head silently when Steve stepped forward again.  Only Harley would tell him the truth when she was ready, her body curled up against him, his arms instantly circling her body.

“Leave us.” He ordered, green eyes never leaving the angel in his arms, knowing she was exhausted from whatever was bothering her.  At the very least, now he knew exactly what was bothering her, remembering how she’d come in his room the previous day with red bloodshot swollen eyes.  She’d been crying then and she was crying now, which unnerved Taker, though he wasn’t about to upset her any further. “When she’s ready, she will tell me the rest of it.  I only want to hear it from her mouth, do you three understand?”

“You sure about that, man?” Steve finally asked in a reluctant voice, watching Taker nod without hesitation, Harley instantly falling asleep against him. “Mark…”

“What?” He stroked Harley’s raven hair, loving how silky it was against his fingertips, such adoration and feeling swimming in his eyes for her, even as he was forced to be bedridden in a hospital.

Just the look in Taker’s eyes answered any questions he might have had regarding Harley, nodding. “You know how to get a hold of me if ya need me, man.”

Taker nodded once, Harley’s breathing evening out instantly, his heart secretly breaking because she had cried herself into an exhausted sleep.  He knew she hadn’t been sleep well since she found him lying in a pool of his own blood in the hotel.  If holding her in his arms made her sleep better, Taker would do it in a heartbeat, just wanting to feel her in his arms for the rest of his life.

“The same goes for us, big man.” Paul clapped a hand on Glen’s shoulder, seeing the hesitation in the man’s eyes, knowing Glen probably wanted to speak to Taker alone briefly. “Come on, Glen, they need rest right now.  You can talk to him later.”

Deciding that was best at the moment, Glen nodded, promising to come back tomorrow since he was staying in town for a few days.  Taker thanked him for coming in a quiet voice, knowing they had a long talk ahead of them, most of it regarding the woman in Taker’s arms.  Taker was determined to fight for her, his hand running up and down her back soothingly, watching as she snuggled against him. 

“Sweet dreams, angel.” He whispered, softly brushing his lips feather lightly against her lips, a low groan escaping him followed by a sigh.

Within moments, Taker fell asleep with Harley in his arms, right where she belonged.

Chapter 22

Harley was shocked when Taker didn’t immediately start grilling her about what had been bothering her lately, having expected it.  Taker simply went along as if nothing ever happened, just wanting to get the hell out of the hospital.  Harley was slowly starting to lose her nerve, especially at night when Taker would hold her in his arms in the small hospital bed, somehow managing to fit both of them.  The doctor finally opted to give them a bigger bed, much to Harley’s relief, even though she loved nothing more than being close to Taker.

He was going to end up suffocating her though.

Taker wondered what went through Harley’s mind while she sat beside him, knowing she ached to be back on the road with the company.  He told her countless times that he didn’t need her to stay with him, only for Harley to snap in return.  She actually cried and Taker decided it wasn’t worth mentioning again, wondering exactly when he lost his own balls to her so to speak.  Sex did weird things to people, though Taker didn’t mind, actually wanting her to have his balls in her hands.

A smirk stretched across his lips at the thought of everything he was going to do to Harley once he was out of the hospital.

Before either knew it, two more months passed and most of his major injuries had healed, such as his fractured leg, broken ribs, dislocated shoulders and his internal injuries along with his emergency surgery.  He had an X across his lower stomach, though his tights would no doubt hide that.  Knowing Taker was getting restless now because he was healed for the most part; Harley decided to talk to the doctor about possibly releasing him to go home.

“I was actually going to discuss with you signing some of the release papers.” Doctor Laughlin chuckled when Harley blinked; being handed a stack of papers, knowing Taker still had a long way to go before he was fully recovered.

“Really?”

Doctor Laughlin nodded, patting her shoulder comfortingly. “He still has a long way to go before he’s fully healed, Harley.  It’s not going to be a hop, skip and jump.  He still has to rehabilitate that leg and regain his strength.” He explained seriously, wanting her to understand the full extent of Taker’s injuries and recovery process. “He can’t go back to the ring until he’s fully healed.”

“I understand, thank you Doctor Laughlin.” Harley hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek, the biggest smile on her face, knowing Taker would be thrilled. “I mean it, without you Taker wouldn’t be here.”

“Why do you insist on calling him that?” Doctor Laughlin chuckled wholeheartedly, watching her cheeks flush slightly, shaking his head. “Never mind, off you go dear.”

Harley took off back to Taker’s room, though she refused to run in a hospital, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open.  Taker’s eyes moved from the television, not interested in what was on it, and stared back at her with brooding green eyes.  He didn’t know where she’d run off to, though Taker was about sick of being in this damn hospital, wanting to plan an escape.

Before he could open his mouth, Harley spoke first as she set the papers on Taker’s lap. “You’re being released first thing in the morning.” She announced happily, watching his eyes widen slightly as he stared down at all the paperwork, his mouth suddenly going dry. “You’re well enough now to where you can go home to recover the rest of the way.  I…I really want to go with you, Taker.”

“I don’t have a choice; you said you wouldn’t leave my side, Harley.” Taker looked amused, seeing the apprehension in her eyes, extending his hand.  He pulled her toward him, right back in the bed, kissing her lips very softly. “I want you to come to Houston with me.”

“You do?” She whispered, those beautiful grey eyes piercing him like always, and Taker suddenly had to learn how to breathe again as he nodded.

“Yes.”

“Good because I wasn’t taking no for an answer.” Harley murmured, some of that fire returning to her voice, causing Taker to smirk because he absolutely loved it when she became aggressive with him.

“Is that right?” He chuckled darkly in her ear, feeling her shiver against him, groaning because all he wanted to do was take her as his own.  It’d been damn near three months since he touched her intimately, felt her skin against his, and Taker was growing incredibly impatient. “You do realize when we arrive in Houston; you won’t be leaving my bed for at least a month.”

Harley giggled softly, knowing he was sexually frustrated, nodding. “Only if the doctor says it’s fine.  Otherwise, I’m sleeping in a different room.” She watched his eyebrow slowly quirk, snuggling against his chest, wrapping her arm around his waist gingerly.

“Like hell you are.” He grunted, lifting her chin up with his strong hand, and passionately kissed her like he wanted to for the past few months.  All they shared was soft kisses, but this one told Harley clearly that he wasn’t taking no for an answer when they finally arrived in Houston.

~!~

Sometime the following evening, Harley helped Taker into his two story ranch and straight up the stairs to his bedroom.  Of course, the house completely floored her from how beautiful it was, not that Taker didn’t have good taste because he did.  The floors were a deep rich cherry oak wood while the furniture was deep dark brown leather. 

Of course, the entertainment centers, cabinets, coffee table and things like that weren’t leather, though they were a deep red oak.  It went beautifully with the house, the walls painted a cream color, though Harley didn’t like the huge deer head hanging on the wall in his living room.  Somehow, the fact that this man hunted did not surprise Harley in the slightest and astonishingly turned her on.

She was becoming as sick and demented as him.

After Taker was settled in his huge four poster king sized bed, which had a black comforter and silk sheets beneath, Harley proceeded unpacking his things.  She could feel his eyes boring into her back, her black hair swept up on top of her head in a messy bun with a clip holding it in place.  A pair of black cotton shorts and a white tank top the only thing she wore, since Houston was so hot.  Her feet were bare as she padded around the room, looking and sifting through drawers, finally finding where everything went, glaring at Taker whenever he’d chuckle at her.

“Don’t even think about getting up out of that bed.” Harley warned, her back completely turned to him, smirking when he simply huffed in exasperation.

“How is it that I’m being held against my will in my own damn house?” Taker grumbled, trying not to sound good-natured, and failed miserably.  This woman was changing him and Taker wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, stroking his goatee in thought.  He’d recently trimmed the beard, beginning to grow his regular goatee back, which secretly made Harley swoon even more for him. “Woman, I’m not on bed rest here…”

“Yes you are and if you get out of that bed, you will suffer the consequences.” Harley stated, finally turning around to face him with those beautiful grey eyes. “Taker, I want you to get better and the best thing for you right now is rest.  You can’t just expect to heal if you insist on pushing yourself too much.”

Taker snorted, rolling his eyes heavenward, wondering if Harley enjoyed tormenting him. “Woman, going downstairs to get something to eat isn’t pushing myself too hard.” He argued, folding his massive tattooed arms in front of his chest, bare from the waist down.  Eventually the pants would have to go as well; Taker enjoyed sleeping fully nude and hadn’t been able to do that for the past few months while being held in that godforsaken hospital.

“I don’t care; you’re not getting out of that bed!”

Harley watched him begin to get up and shoved him right back down with her bare foot against his upper chest, being careful of his lower abdomen.  Even though he was recovered fully from surgery, she still wasn’t taking any chances, carefully straddling his waist.  His strong hands ran up her creamy smooth legs to her thighs, emanating a deep moan from her mouth. 

She proceeded to grab both of his arms, placing them above his head, leaning over him to where he could get a nice gander at her voluptuous chest.  The tank top was tight and showed off the tops of her breasts, so Taker had a very nice view at the moment.  Harley took the clip out of her hair to allow the raven locks to cascade all around her, almost in a curtain as she leaned down to press her chest against his.

Taker growled from low in his throat, knowing she was doing this on purpose, arching a slow black eyebrow. “You do realize I could easily overpower you any time I wish.” He pointed out the obvious, though Harley didn’t seem fazed in the slightest, his green eyes narrowing slightly. “Cheeky wench, what do you want?”

“You know what I want.” She murmured in a low seductive tone of voice, running her thumbs across his wrists gently, those deep grey eyes never pulling away from green for a second. “I came with you to help you get better…” She pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck, loving how he tried fighting back a groan. “To make sure you don’t push yourself to hard…” She pressed another kiss to the other side of his neck, this time suckling every so lightly. “To help you with anything and everything you need, including personal needs.”

“Personal needs huh?” Taker couldn’t help letting his imagination run wild, picturing Harley in front of him on her knees, ordering her to remove his pants.  The possibilities of this arrangement were endless, though Taker refused to treat his angel like that.  He was a sick man in mind, but as far as forcing her to do something that degrading wasn’t on his agenda ever. “What kind of personal needs, darlin’?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She purred, her mouth right by his ear, suddenly allowing Taker to touch her as her hands released his arms. 

Harley hadn’t really felt his touch like this in months, remembering the last time they were together this way, having always cherished every night she spent with him.  Being in love with an unavailable man did hurt her, but Harley flat out refused to leave his side as their lips finally met in a passionate, fiery kiss.  Part of the reason she’d decided not to leave his side was to maybe find out how he truly felt for her, if what they had was indeed just sex and nothing more.

It would kill Harley if it was just sex because that’s not how it felt, at least to her, though Harley wouldn’t bring it up.  If Taker wanted to, then she would talk about it.  If not, then Harley would just be happy with whatever he decided to give her.

“Taker, we really shouldn’t be doing this...” Harley sighed against his finger pressing to her lips, knowing he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Mark.” He gruffly corrected, slowly pulling away from the kiss, having turned the tables and hovered over her; his warmth and strength radiating in waves down at her as grey locked with green. “We’re not on the road anymore, Harley.  Call me Mark.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond because it looked like she was stunned, taking advantage of the situation as his lips captured hers passionately.

Did he just tell her to call him Mark?

This woman was definitely changing him and Mark finally just decided to go with it, succumbing completely to her, knowing he would have to tell her eventually how he truly felt.  Harley wasn’t just another roll in the hay to him…she never was and never would be.  He was in love with her, helplessly devoted, and wanted her for the rest of his life.  Mark knew Harley had been hurt by Kevin Nash, but he’d been hurt as well in his lifetime and it was time for them to finally be happy together.  Or as happy as they could be, considering the type of man he was and the type of woman she was.

They were opposites, yet attracted in every way possible.

Harley wasn’t sure what to think or say when Taker demanded her to call him Mark, his real name, and swallowed incredibly hard.  He removed her shorts and panties, sitting up to where he could remove her tank top and unsnapped her bra, pulling that away from her body as well.  Within moments, Taker was buried to the hilt inside of her, Harley’s thighs spread apart as wide as they could go, clinging to him for dear life.

Their breathing increased along with Mark’s thrusts, going at a methodic tempo, driving Harley to the absolute brink of insanity. “Mark…” She moaned out for the first time, running her nails down his arms, loving how the muscles rippled beneath her touch. “Slow down, take your time…”

“Shut up woman and enjoy this.” Mark growled, the sound of his name spilling from her lips igniting a fire within him that he didn’t know existed. 

Spreading her outer thighs apart wider, Harley bent her knees as he drove in and out of her like a madman, a man possessed, burying his face in her neck.  Mark thought he was dead when he was attacked; the last visions in his mind were of this beautiful angel beneath him, thinking he would never see her again.  Those stunning grey eyes, her warm smile, the way she flushed whenever he embarrassed her both accidentally and purposely; everything.

She was the only person that haunted his dreams day and night.  When Mark was laid up in the hospital, all he kept whispering was Harley’s name, just wanting her beside him.  He remembered waking up and seeing those tearful grey eyes staring back at him, the relief pouring out of them doing his heart good.

“You’re mine.” He whispered in her ear, feeling her nod as her moans quickly became screams of pleasure, the ecstasy overtaking both of them.  The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed off the walls as Mark plundered inside of her repeatedly, not able to get enough of this woman, no matter how many times they made love.

The sound of Harley screaming his name was all Mark needed to hear as he climaxed right along with her, both of them crashing with one another.  Mark sagged against her, moving to roll on his back, immediately pulling Harley to sprawl across his massive chest while his hand moved up and down her back.  Harley snuggled against him, draping her thigh over his leg, her hand resting against his chest, feeling his pounding heart against her palm.

“Mark?” She whispered, looking up to see his eyes were closed, his breathing evening out.  Mark had fallen asleep instantly and Harley smiled, leaning up to softly kiss his lips feather lightly. “I love you.”

Within moments, Harley fell asleep in Mark’s arms.

Mark waited until Harley was fully asleep, having pretended to be, and held her even tighter against him without waking her. “I love you too, darlin’.” He whispered in her ear, knowing she wouldn’t hear him as her chest rose and fell evenly, and fell asleep soon after her.

Chapter 23

Two weeks passed since Mark came home from the hospital and he was moving around well for the most part.  At first, Harley fought Mark every step of the way, but when he finally showed her he wasn’t completely helpless, she backed off a little.  Harley didn’t want to grit on his nerves, knowing the kind of temper Mark had on him.  It was really strange calling him Mark instead of Taker, though Harley adapted rather quickly to it.

It was a beautiful day in January, the weather in the low to mid seventies, though Harley couldn’t help thinking how weird it was that there was no snow on the ground.  Then she remembered where she’d been staying for the past month or two.  She was losing track of time, especially since Mark had become rather distant from her lately.

It was almost…Harley couldn’t think of the word for it really, though she was hurt.  She knew Mark was going through changes in his life, trying to reevaluate everything, and in the process he had pushed her away.  Harley had started sleeping in one of the guest rooms after that night they made love because all Mark wanted to do was sleep, eat, get up and work out.  The man was never wanted to just lay back and relax, enjoy his well deserved time off.  Of course, it was forced and Harley knew that was the reason why Mark was so hell bent on getting back in the ring.

Not to mention Harley still hadn’t come clean with who all had been involved in Taker’s attack.

She sighed heavily, knowing it was now or never when she heard the unmistakable sound of a rumbling motorcycle vibrate through the ranch.  Mark had a beautiful collection of motorcycles and often went riding after one of his intense rehabilitation workouts.  Half of his four car garage was devoted to them and Mark rebuilt many of them with his bare hands, making them look like brand new.  It amazed Harley to watch him work and often made her wonder if there wasn’t anything on the planet this man couldn’t do.

It made her fall in love with him even more.

She wore a pair of blue jean shorts and a black tank top, the windows open since it was cooler outside than usual, though Harley wanted to air the house out a bit.  She figured some fresh air would be good for Mark, even though he’d gotten plenty on his bike ride through the country.  Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hallway and Harley didn’t turn around, continuing to stare out the window with those fathomless grey eyes.  She felt Mark stop right behind her, feeling his hot breath on her ear, his hands gently molding to her sides as her back slowly pressed against his chest, causing Harley’s head to spin.

“Enjoy your ride?” She asked softly, arms folded in front of her chest, trying not to shiver when his goatee brushed against her neck.

“Yeah, I did some thinkin’ while I was ridin’.” Mark sighed, having adapted well to being home, which included his southern accent seeping back in his tone.  When he spoke, it was no longer dark but a rich deep southern accent that sent chills throughout Harley’s body. “I need to talk to ya bout a few things, darlin’.”

Harley did not like the sound of that, though his accented voice completely enthralled her, drew her in even more to the mystery this man possessed.  She slowly turned around with Mark’s help, staring up into those deep emerald green eyes that had changed so much over the past couple of months.  That wasn’t all that changed on him either, Harley still not believing the incredible transformation.

His hair was a deep beautiful auburn red instead of the black and he’d completely gotten rid of the black beard, instead having a matching auburn red goatee that fit around his sensual mouth perfectly.  It was currently pulled back into a tight low braid, a black bandana wrapped around his forehead.  He had on skintight blue jeans with a light blue sleeveless top that was tucked in the waistband, the buttons undone, showing off his incredible muscular chest.  Because of his BSK Pride tattoo on his abdomen, it hid most of the surgical scars he had from the attack.

“About what?” Harley asked, feeling him take her hand as he guided her toward the living room as Mark slowly settled down on the dark brown leather couch.  He immediately pulled Harley to side sideways on it, wrapping his strong tattooed sleeved arms around her waist, preventing her from moving. “Mark…”

“Harley, I’m thinkin’ about retirin’.” Mark said flatly, causing her to stop squirming and moving on his lap, which was currently causing Mark to have a new problem.  He sometimes hated how much this woman turned him on, thanking the stars for tight jeans because they were currently cutting off circulation to his lower extremities. “I’m thinkin’ about callin’ it quits.”

“WHAT?!” Harley blinked, grey eyes wide as saucers and possibly bigger, staring up at the man who had helped her in so many ways over the past months. “W-What are you talking about, Mark?  Stop talking crazy.”

“I’m not talkin’ crazy, darlin’.” Mark cleared his throat because this was not easy for him to talk about, closing his eyes briefly to shield the pain from her. “Harley, I’m not exactly a spring chicken anymore and that attack was a sign.  I’ve been doin’ a lot of thinkin’ and maybe it’s time for me to just step back and let the young bucks take over…”

“You’re quitting?” Harley didn’t want to be anywhere near him right now, tears stinging her eyes, though Mark refused to release her.

“I don’t think I have what it takes anymore, darlin’…” Mark blinked when he saw the huge tears sliding down her cheeks, his heart instantly breaking, immediately wiping them away with the pads of his thumbs. “Don’t cry, please don’t cry Harley.”

“W-What did you honestly expect, Mark?  You’re talking about quitting the one thing you love most in this world!  You’re talking about walking away from the company and everyone who ever believed in you!  You’re talking about letting that son of a bitch Hunter get away with what he’s done to you!  Not to mention the damn fact he wasn’t alone in this!” Harley didn’t even realize what she was saying anymore, flailing her arms out every which way with tears pouring even harder. “That mother fucker Sean Waltman brought that prick ex-boyfriend of mine in the mix too!  Are you really going to let them get away with what they did to you?!”

Mark’s face had gone from understanding to anger in a matter of seconds, not expecting Harley to just blurt out who else had been involved in the attack. “Waltman and Nash were in on it too?” He asked, his voice changing drastically, Harley’s ranting instantly stopping as her face went white as a sheet.  Just that one reaction told Mark everything as he tried in vain to keep his temper in check, watching as Harley’s eyes instantly fell to her lap, hands clasped together in it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know…” Harley whispered painfully, the tears not stopping as she shook her head, unclasping her hands to bury her face in them. “I’m…I’m responsible for what’s happened to you.  It’s my fault, Mark…”

Mark frowned, not liking to hear that because he knew for a fact Harley had nothing to do with his attack. “No it’s not.” He stated, pulling her to lean back against him, running his fingers through her silky black hair that hung down past her waist, trying to soothe her the best way he knew how. “Harley, none of this is yer fault, darlin’.  You can’t be blamin’ yourself for my attack anymore, do ya hear me?”

“H-How can you expect me not to?  It’s because of me that Waltman and Nash helped Hunter with it!  Kevin is pissed off that I left him and came to the WWF!  I know Waltman’s been filling his head with a bunch of shit about us, about how I’m sleeping my way to the top again like I did with Nash in WCW, which I didn’t!  I was in that damn company two years before I even met him!  And they attacked you because Kevin wants me back, he has for awhile now, and it’s my fault this happened to you!”

Harley knew she was rambling, but couldn’t stop herself even if her life depended on it, all the guilt crashing over her in brutal waves.  She felt like she could hardly breathe, chest rising and falling rapidly, quivering in Mark’s arms.  When she went to open her mouth again, Mark stopped her as his lips captured hers in a heated kiss, knowing he had to calm her down, get her mind off of this somehow. 

Harley instantly melted against him and Mark pulled her closer to him, groaning from low in his throat when her mouth opened, accepting the invitation instantly.  He simply couldn’t get enough of this woman and probably never would, loving how her hands molded to his broad shoulders, the kiss deepening little by little.  When Mark felt her fully relax, he slowly pulled away as those emerald eyes stared back into sad grey, running his finger down a tear trail on her cheek.

“Thank you.” He rumbled soothingly, knowing getting upset in front of her wouldn’t solve anything and send her probably into another hysterical fit.

“For what?” She whimpered, sniffling as the tears began flowing again, not believing how good this man was to her. 

Harley didn’t deserve him, his lips softly brushing hers again, causing the guilt to increase tenfold because he wasn’t angry.  Knowing he was holding it in for her sake, Harley just cried harder as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as tight as she possibly could, never wanting to let go.  She loved him with everything inside of her and Harley never wanted to leave, never wanted to be anywhere else, knowing if Mark did end up retiring because of the attack, she would never forgive herself for it.  It would be like she had ended this man’s illustrious career and Harley couldn’t accept that, flat out refusing to let him walk away.

“I’m sorry; I’m so sorry Mark…” She just kept saying, Mark’s arms tightening around her even more, to where Harley straddled his lap, needing to be more comfortable.

Mark didn’t say anything and just kept on soothing her the best way he knew how with actions.  He knew talking right now was pointless because of how worked up Harley had gotten, kissing her forehead softly every few minutes.  Her head rested on his shoulder, face buried in his neck while his fingers ran through her silky soft black hair, his arm tightened around her waist.  The woman got herself worked up for no reason, thinking he hated her constantly, when the truth was that Mark was completely and irrevocably in love with her.  Harley could betray him a thousand times and Mark wouldn’t be able to harm one hair on his angel’s head, burying his nose in her hair.

It took two hours before Harley finally stopped sobbing, leaving only silent tears coursing down her face, though Mark knew she was settling down finally. “Harley,” His voice rumbled in her ear, causing her eyes to close, her entire body trembling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. “Darlin’, I’m not mad at you.” He lifted her chin with his strong hand, his heart breaking instantly at the sight of her tears, and leaned forward to brush them away with his soft lips. “I’m not blamin’ you for anythin’ that’s happened ‘cause none of its yer fault and I want ya to stop gettin’ so worked up bout it.”

“But…”

Mark stopped her by pressing his finger against her sweet lips, their eyes never leaving one another. “No, there’s no buts bout it, angel.  Ya didn’t do anythin’ wrong.  What happened to me may be because of you, but they’re grown men, who made their own decisions and dug their own graves.” His green eyes flashed momentarily, knowing damn well there would be no retirement necessary because Mark was going to make it back to the ring, even if only for one last match.

He was going to maim Hunter –Paul Levesque- for what the man did and put him through.

Kevin Nash would get his own too in time, though Mark was more focused on the man who actually attacked him.  Kevin and Sean had hands in it, but the video only showed one person…Mark only remembered one person…and that was Levesque.  The Princess Stephanie McMahon was going to be a widow very shortly because Mark already knew where he wanted to make his return at, a slow sick smirk spreading across his sensual lips.

Harley swallowed hard, seeing the look in Mark’s eyes and sat up a little more on his lap, her hands molding to his broad shoulders. “Please don’t retire.” She whispered, those grey eyes trailing from his eyes to his lips and neck, her hands running up and down his muscular arms. “You have plenty of fight left in you, plenty of punishment to dish out.  You can’t walk away from what you love most when you know deep down you have what it takes to be the big dog again.”

“The big dog eh?” Mark smirked when Harley’s cheeks lit on fire once more, growling as he gripped her hips, pulling her even closer to him.  He simply couldn’t get enough of this woman and never would, totally addicted to her in every way. “Enough about work, I wanna ask ya somethin’.”

“What is it?” Harley asked in a softer voice, hovering over him as his hands slid across her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze.  She loved his hands anywhere on her body, the tears subsiding as they dried up, those beautiful grey eyes swollen and rimmed in red. “Wait, don’t say anything yet.”

Without hesitation, Harley captured his lips in a very soft passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his.  Whatever Mark wanted to ask her, Harley didn’t want him doing it without at least feeling his lips against hers one final time in case he wanted her to leave, the thought cutting her apart inside and out.  She loved this man and wished she could just tell him, Harley was tired of being a coward and moaned when his tongue slipped past her sweet lips, tasting each other.

Mark was in fact doing the opposite as he slowly pulled out of the kiss, breaking it, even though all he wanted to do now was carry this vixen upstairs to have his wicked way with her.  He had to ask her this first though before they did anything else, before they went any further, his hands suddenly grasping hers. “Harley,” He watched as those grey eyes instantly locked with his, his breath suddenly stolen as he laced their fingers together. “Darlin’…”

“Yes?” Harley nearly felt her heart stop in her chest, the hesitation in Mark’s eyes causing her to become completely breathless, tears filling her eyes. “Mark…”

“Damn it, I’m not good with words.” Mark grumbled, suddenly releasing her hands and lifted her up, setting her on the couch as he began pacing back and forth in front of her.  How the hell did he do this?  Harley could only watch him and Mark knew the anticipation was killing her, hating to see the tears return, but he didn’t know how to go about asking her.

“Mark…”

“Just…shush a minute, woman…” He gruffly ordered, raking a hand through his long auburn red hair, pulling something out of his jean pocket and tossed it at her. 

Harley caught it, blinking in surprise at the texture, and looked down at the squared velvet shaped box.  Her head snapped up in shock, mouth completely going dry, and watched as Mark stared back at her intently. “Mark…” The fear in her tone had returned, chest rising and falling rapidly from how fast her heart pounded, almost afraid to open it.  Something was bound to leap out at her and attack right?

“Open the box, Harley.” Mark requested in a huskier voice, walking over to sit beside her, watching patiently as she fingered the box, studying it intently.

Harley opened and closed her mouth several times, but absolutely nothing was coming out; not a single word coming to her fuzzy brain.  She finally took a chance and slowly popped open the lid, her heart soaring to the heavens at the sight before her, more tears cascading down her cheeks.  It was absolutely gorgeous as Harley pulled the item from the box, setting it aside, holding Mark’s gift in the palm of her hand.

It wasn’t a ring.

It was a key.

Chapter 24

“Hello?  Earth to Har!  This is your best friend speaking, can you hear me?” Paul waved his hand in front of her face, watching her jolt out of the deep thoughts, chuckling low in his throat. “Wow, whatever has you distracted better be more important than our upcoming match.”

“Sorry.” Harley mumbled, turning red as she slapped Paul in the arm, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t realize just how deep in thought I was apparently.”

“Yeah well, you’ve been different since you came back on the road.” Paul watched her eyes lower instantly, heaving a sigh, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“There’s nothing really to say besides the fact I miss him.  I miss him so much, big guy.” She sniffled softly, leaning against him and blinked the tears away, hoping she made the right decision by coming back on the road with Paul.

After Mark surprised her with a key to the ranch –not an engagement ring like Harley originally thought and was grateful because they were nowhere near ready to be married-, Harley got a call from Vince demanding for her to come back on the road.  She was destroying her career and he had an angle for her and Paul to be the first unisex tag-team in WWF history.  Of course, Stephanie and Hunter were their opponents, but Vince wanted to see what kind of real chemistry Paul and Harley had together. 

At first, Harley was completely against going back without Mark, flat out refusing to do it, until Mark sat down with her talking about how she couldn’t do anything more for him.  She accepted him and they were fully together, but it was time for her to continue her career while he recovered at home.  It was hard for Mark to say that, but in all honesty it was the best thing for both of them because Harley hadn’t left Mark’s side since the attack.

A bitter pill to swallow.

They fought that night and it ended with Harley storming upstairs to one of the guest rooms, crying herself to sleep.  Mark decided it was time to show her tough love and called Paul, demanding him to get his ass to Houston to bring Harley back on the road.  Paul didn’t have a problem with it, though Harley was livid when she woke up in the morning, all of her things packed up in three huge luggage cases.  Mark really wanted her to leave that badly…it broke her heart and Harley decided to give him what he wanted, leaving the key on the nightstand in the guest room.  Just as Paul was about to pull out of the driveway, Mark came limping out the door, still recovering and practically yanked Harley out of the car.  He nearly ripped the door off its hinges, shocking both Harley and Paul, though that was until Mark lay a soul searing kiss on her lips that left her breathless.

“This is yers.” He whispered against her lips when they parted, pressing the key in her hand, those green eyes penetrating her like always. “I’m doin’ what’s best for ya, darlin’, don’t ya see that?  I love you and I don’t want ya destroyin’ yer career for me.”

That was the first time Mark said those three important words to her and Harley couldn’t even remember what she’d been thinking.  She remembered slipping the key in her jean pocket securely and pulled Mark’s lips to hers again, kissing him even deeper. “Took you long enough, I love you too.” She whispered, not trusting her voice and squealed out when Mark lifted her up, legs wrapping around his waist.

Needless to say, Harley didn’t leave until the following morning, her and Paul nearly missing their flight.

Paul hadn’t minded waiting, Vince having given them both three days to get things situated and whatnot.  He knew it was very difficult for Harley to leave Mark’s side, to go back on the road to face the music of everyone, though Paul would be right beside her along with Chris.  Steve was currently recovering from neck surgery; though he managed to get a good beating in on Sean Waltman that put him on the sidelines for a few weeks prior to leaving.  Paul had made a special visit to WCW while Harley was in Houston with Mark and proceeded to put Kevin Nash out of commission for awhile.

When he told Mark, the man was very appreciative, but made it clear that Hunter was not to be touched in any way, shape or form.  He would be dealt with when Mark made it back to the ring, which nobody knew when it would be, not even Harley.  It was killing her to be on the road without Mark, Paul knew that, but hopefully the time would fly by while they wrestled together.

Not in this lifetime; being on the road without Mark absolutely sucked and every day felt like an eternity.

WrestleMania came and went with Paul being in the main event in a Fatal-Four Way Elimination match involving Mick Foley, The Rock –Dwayne Johnson- and Hunter with Stephanie by his side as always.  The McMahons were going through a family feud at the time so Linda McMahon was in Foley’s corner, Vince in The Rock’s and Paul had the little worm Shane in his.  Harley flat out refused to be involved in it, declining Paul’s plead to be by his side out there at WrestleMania.  She was going to do it, until the smug Princess came to them demanding Harley to be kept away from ringside during the bout.  Paul wasn’t happy, but Harley honestly didn’t mind; calling Stephanie a bitch to her face had been worth it along with the fine that soon followed.

Of course, Hunter ended up winning the match when Vince turned on The Rock and hit him upside the head with a steel chair two times.  Paul had been eliminated first from the match, which he honestly didn’t mind, leaving the arena with Harley before neither of them could watch the end of the show.  Harley went straight to her hotel room that night, refusing to go to the WrestleMania after party, and called Mark to tell him about the event.  She wasn’t surprised to know he’d been watching, sighing heavily at the longing in his tone to be in the ring once again.

~!~

For the past few weeks after WrestleMania, during every show, a video package would play showing little girls skipping and talking in eerie tones.  Harley and Paul had no idea what was going on, thinking Vince had signed someone else from the WCW.  They thought nothing of it; gearing up for the Iron Man Match that Harley was going to be accompanying The Rock to ringside for it.  Paul wasn’t going to be involved in the match, though there’d been a seeded hatred brewing between Harley and Stephanie, so the writer’s decided to force her to become The Rock’s valet for one night.

Judgment Day arrived and Harley was in all white, like always, the one piece suit having teardrops cut in the center of her breasts and down her legs, showing skin and it was sleeveless, leaving plenty to the imagination though. Currently, Harley was in quite a predicament, Rocky having been laid out on the outside, thanks to Hunter’s illegal sledgehammer.  Stephanie had distracted the referee and Harley hadn’t been able to stop it from happening, the referee stopping her, and that gave Hunter the advantage he needed to clock Rocky twice in the head with the sledgehammer.  Now Harley was alone in the ring with D-Generation X, including Sean Waltman. 

Harley was in deep trouble.

Hunter and Sean began stalking her, along with Stephanie, Road Dogg Jesse James and Badass Billy Gunn standing back.  Harley swallowed incredibly hard, grey eyes actually holding a hint of fear, though she was prepared to fight instead of run like a coward.  Hell, there was nowhere to go, especially when her back hit the turnbuckle, feeling her heart leap and lodge in her throat.

“You think someone’s going to save your sweet ass?” Hunter taunted, licking his lips hungrily, chuckling from low in his throat as hazel eyes flashed dangerously. “Nobody is going to save you, Harley.”

“Fuck you.” Harley spat angrily, knowing she had absolutely nothing to lose, gasping when Hunter’s fingers wrapped in her black hair, twisting it violently, trying to drive her to her knees. “Go to hell!”

Hunter chuckled darkly, yanking her to where her chest pressed against his sweat covered one, his mouth right by her ear. “I’m going to end your career just like that pussy Taker.” He whispered, feeling her body tense against his, and groaned from low in his throat.

Her body was suddenly shoved right into the arms of Sean, causing Harley to feel sick to her stomach, knowing this was NOT scripted.  Rocky was down for the count and nobody was dumb enough to help her, including Chris.  She was completely alone and felt Sean holding her captive, her back pressed against his chest while Hunter slid out of the ring to grab his patent sledgehammer.  This was definitely not good and Harley began struggling, screaming at the top of her lungs when her hair was yanked back forcefully and grunted as a knee pressed against the middle of her back, forcing her to her knees.

“That’s it bitch, bow to me!” Hunter crowed, watching as the tears swelled in Harley’s eyes, holding the sledgehammer threateningly over his shoulder. “Now I suppose we COULD give her an ultimatum, boys…”

“What do you have in mind?” Sean demanded anxiously, his mouth practically watering at the smell of Harley’s hair, wondering exactly what she hid beneath this one piece wrestling outfit.

“She could join DX and save her career…”

Grey eyes widened as Harley immediately began struggling again, shaking her head emphatically, giving him her answer clearly. “NO!” She practically screamed out, gasping for air when Sean’s hand wrapped around her neck, beginning to squeeze, though not enough to fully cut off her air supply.

“Hmm pity, I guess I have no other choice then…” Hunter almost sounded regretful, though Harley knew better, that sledgehammer slowly being raised above his head.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow to come, hoping one shot would knock her out so she didn’t have to feel any of the pain that was sure to follow…

As I lay me down to sleep

I pray my soul is mine to keep

And never step outside this bed

Never

Into all the evil…All the evil

Now back from the dead

Are you scared?

He’s here…

It was that damn video again as Harley’s eyes flew open, the crowd suddenly going ballistic as the roaring engine of a motorcycle rumbled throughout the arena.  Hunter spun around and Sean immediately released Harley, his eyes wide as saucers as a rather large man came peeling down the ramp way, stopping just short of the ring.  He stood nearly seven feet tall and had beautiful long auburn hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, black sunglasses on over deadly acid filled eyes along with a long leather trench coat.  Skintight black jeans hugged his muscular legs and he had on a dark blue denim sleeveless shirt that was unbuttoned, tucked in the waistband of the jeans, black boots on his feet.  Harley was in complete shock as she watched him slip through the ropes while the crowd went absolutely ballistic.

It was Taker.

Taker had returned!

DX could only stare incredulously, especially Hunter, as The Phenom began whipping the hell out of all members of the faction.  Harley was in the far corner away from the carnage, blinking in shock as tears streamed down her face, the overwhelming emotion coursing through her almost making her breathless.  Once the faction was destroyed, including Sean Waltman, the only people left standing in the middle of the ring was Hunter and Stephanie.  Taker actually pulled the shades from his eyes, taking his time, wanting this bastard to think about what transpired eight long months ago. 

Hunter swallowed incredibly hard, putting Stephanie in front of him, who proceeded to run her mouth like always.  Harley finally couldn’t take it anymore and whipped her around from behind, obliterating the Princess and effectively shutting her up with a hard roundhouse kick to the side of the head, knocking her out instantly.  Taker was too busy with Hunter; his huge hand wrapped around the punk’s throat, smirking sadistically at the sight of Harley taking her aggression and anger out on the Billion Dollar whore, squeezing Hunter’s throat a little more with each passing second.

Hunter began to struggle, needing to get to Stephanie immediately because she was bleeding from the temple, but Taker refused to let the man free.  As strong as Hunter was, Mark’s rage was infinitely stronger and it clearly showed in the man’s acid filled eyes.  He held out his hand, watching as Harley immediately went to retrieve a microphone, and held it up to his mouth as the crowd instantly quieted.

“You tried to end me, Hunter.” His voice was deceptively low and calm; sending shivers coursing through every part of Harley’s body, the shades now on top of his head. “That was not the wisest thing to do.” He squeezed tighter, watching as Hunter began gasping for air, clawing at his arm, though it didn’t faze Taker in the slightest. “You are NOT the Cerebral Assassin like you want others to believe, Hunter.  You didn’t think I’d find out, did you?!” He began shaking the man by the throat alone, the fear entering Taker’s eyes pure exhilaration for him. “Say goodbye to YOUR career!!”

Without another word, Taker dropped the microphone and set Hunter up for a move he’d secretly been preparing for back in Houston.  He nodded at Paul, who had come to ringside, knowing the cameras were no longer rolling on PPV.  Harley watched in astonishment as Paul took the steel ring steps, tossing them in the ring. 

She’d never witnessed this side of Taker before and swallowed hard as he gestured for her to position the ring steps just right.  Harley did it without preamble and stepped aside as Taker placed Hunter’s head between his legs, lifting the man up into what seemed like a power bomb.  Taker hooked his thumbs in Hunter’s trunks as he lifted him high above his head and slammed him down as hard as he could on the steel with as much strength as he could possibly muster.  Harley actually cringed at the sick impact, the crowd chanting ‘holy shit!’ and Harley couldn’t help doing it mentally in her head.

Those green eyes met hers as Taker turned around to face her, the acid instantly diminishing, and Harley knew it was Mark staring her in the face.  Without a second thought, Harley ran and jumped into Mark’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, legs around his waist with tears of sheer joy sliding down her face.  Mark carried her out of the ring and placed her on the back of his motorcycle, revving it up, and sped out of there through the curtain while the EMT’s attended to both Hunter and Stephanie, knowing Hunter’s back was more than likely broken.

Once they arrived back at the hotel –Mark hadn’t stopped to talk to anyone backstage, dying to just have Harley in his arms with no distractions-, Mark guided her inside to his suite, her things already there.  Harley shook her head, a soft giggle escaping her, and stripped out of her wrestling tights, leaving her clad in a pair of white lace panties and bra, somewhat like the same outfit she’d worn during her special initiation into the Unholy Alliance.  Who would’ve thought they would come this far in such a short amount of time?  Before Harley could even utter out how much she missed him, Mark’s lips found hers as he guided her toward the bed, knowing it was going to be a very long night for both of them.

“Do you know what I just realized?” Harley asked hours later, lying in Mark’s arms spooned against him, running her fingertips up and down his forearm feather lightly.

“That I’m the best lay you’ve ever had?” Mark chuckled when she smacked his arm, nuzzling her neck, not believing he was finally back with her again on the road, where they both belonged. “What darlin’?”

“We’ve come full circle and now we can just go on being happy with each other.  There are no more obstacles in our way, no more worrying.” The rumor mill had died down considerably after Mark’s attack, which Harley was very grateful for, and everyone knew they were together. “We’ve come full circle.”

“Not quite yet.” Mark pulled away for a split second to pull something out of the nightstand drawer, this time having a deep purple velvet box in his hand with a little black bow on top, green instantly meeting grey. “Harley, do you want to go full circle with me?”

“What do you…?” Her words instantly trailed off when he flipped the box open, revealing a stunningly beautiful black onyx stone that was cut in the shape of a heart and outlined in a small diamonds set on a silver band.  It was truly breathtaking as Harley felt tears slide down her cheeks, covering her mouth with a shaking hand.

“Go full circle with me, become my wife and complete me, Harley.” Mark requested gently, already pulling the ring out of the box, and watched as she silently held her left hand out for him to slide it on her ring finger, but he stopped short. “Say yes only if you really want this.”

“Yes, yes I’ll go full circle with you, Mark.” Harley whispered, not trusting her voice, the ring instantly igniting a new feeling in her heart as she leaned forward to passionately kiss him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, angel, more than you know.” Mark murmured against her lips and proceeded to make passionate love to his fiancée again; hardly able to wait to see what else life could throw at them.

Being full circle, there was nothing that could stand in their way.

The End.