| Part XV |
When they got to the arena, Shane McMahon met them at the door. �Paul. Kane. Vinnie Mac wants to see you." He informed them. *Wonder what that�s all about. Alex asked Storm as they watched them walk away. As Storm and Alex were in Kane�s dressing room, discussing their current schedule, Kane came back from Vince�s office. When he looked from Alex to Storm, Alex felt uneasy. �What�s wrong?� She asked. ~Vince is setting up a feud between Paul and I. �What?!� Alex asked. �Why?� Storm added. ~Paul�s suppose to win the title next week; then our feud will build for the next PPV. �Then what?� Alex asked, not exactly sure she wanted to know. �Then who�s going to win the title?� Storm asked, echoing Alex�s feelings. ~Vince hasn�t decided yet. Alex put her head in her hands. �Are you going to be all right with this? *I guess. I�ll be back. Alex rose and walked out to go to Paul�s dressing room. When she walked in, Paul was pulling on his shirt to go to the ring. �Hey.� he said turning to look at her. �Kane told you.� He guessed. �Yeah.� she whispered, he held out his hand and she went to him. He wrapped his arms around her. As he sat down he pulled her down with him. �This is too weird.� She finally admitted. �I know what goes on in the ring is for the show, but this is just odd. Who am I suppose to cheer for?� she asked trying to sound light. �I think Vince did this to torture me.� She pouted. �On the other hand, I�m happy you�re getting the title. You look good in gold.� She teased. �I think I�d like to see the belt on you.� He started. �Oh yeah, that�ll happen.� She laughed. �No, just the belt.� He rumbled. �Hmmm, that sound like an idea.� She whispered, leaning in to kiss him. ~~*~~ The next week when Paul took the belt from the Rock, Alex was ecstatic. It wasn�t his first title reign, but Alex hadn�t been around then. That night she celebrated by showing him how proud she was of him. It wasn�t until the next morning that she realized that now two of the most important people in her life were going to have to act like they hated each other. And that they would be fighting. It all started to make her head hurt. ~~*~~ For the next four weeks Alex had to watch and wonder, while Paul played heel to Kane�s face. During their individual promos she listened while Paul insulted and threaten Kane and what would happen at the PPV. The RAW before the PPV, Paul was in the middle of the ring telling the audience that he had a few surprises for the match, when the ramp pyro�s went off in the middle of his threats, cutting him off. Kane stepped through the curtain and as he and Paul had a stare down, the brides made a rare television appearance. They had come to assure the audience that there would be NO outside interference. �You�d better not let them come down to the ring. We wouldn�t want anything to happen to them.� Paul suggested in a not so veiled threat. The brides were standing two on each side of Kane, arms folded, feet slightly apart in a warrior�s stance. At that, the ladies moved to mimic Kane�s stance by putting either one or both hands on their hips. Kane told Paul and the audience that everything would be decided on Sunday. That the brides had been trained by him, and therefore were MORE than capable of taking care of themselves. ~~*~~ The night before the PPV the ladies were sitting on the patio of Alex and Paul�s. The guys were off preparing for the next night. Alex was still having a hard time. The past four weeks she had watched Kane and Paul beat each other senseless. Now they were to fight for the title and Vince still would not tell them who was going to get the title. Storm and LaShana guessed as to why Alex had been so quiet. �It�s kind of hard to watch, isn�t it?� LaShana asked. Steve having had feuds with both Kane and 'Taker, knew from experience what Alex was going through. �I didn�t like watching his matches before. Now I have to watch while my boyfriend and my best friend beat each other up.� �It�s not real.� LaShana reminded her. �Yeah, well that one brain cell in my head still hasn�t quite wrapped around that fact yet.� Alex sighed. �Actually I know that, but it�s still hard.� �It�s not easy but you just keep telling yourself that it's for the show.� Storm assured her. Alex simply nodded and tried changing the subject. �So is it a normal run tomorrow? Are you guys sure one of the other girls doesn�t wasn�t to go out there?� she asked whining slightly. Alex�s stage fright was well known. LaShana and IceWolf both looked at Storm for a minute. �I think I�ll go see if the guys are done.� LaShana decided. �I�ll go with you.� IceWolf added. As they walked out of the room, Alex shook her head. �Gee, I know how to clear a room.� Alex observed. Storm moved to sit next to her. �Is it because of your stage fright or is it the match?� Storm asked. �The stage fright is always there, but I would never let you guys down. The match . . . I�m still working on.� She replied. �This is an unreasonable issue in my head. I don�t mean to put this on you guys.� �No, it�s not. Look at the other side. What do you think it�s doing to Kane and Paul to know this is hurting you?� Storm asked. �I�ve been doing my best to try to keep this from them. I�m the one with the wacky imagination.� �You should know by now that you can�t keep your emotions from Kane. And do you honestly think your lover doesn�t sense when you�re upset.� Alex sighed heavily because she knew Storm was right. The two women sat silently for a few minutes, and Alex stared off into the distance. �I�m going to go. You look like you need to be alone.� Storm told her quietly. ~~*~~ -She needs to talk to you. ~I know. I can feel her. She�s upset. Kane reached down and cupped Storm�s head in his hand, and gently kissed her. ~I won�t be long. When Kane walked into Alex and Paul�s room, he found her still sitting on the patio where the ladies had left her. When he walked out on to the patio, he noticed she was holding her head. ~What�s wrong? �I seem to have a headache.� She answered looking up at him. ~Doesn�t it feel familiar? He asked grinning. Alex dropped her hand from her head when she realized that blocking him from her thoughts had brought on the headache. ~You should know better by now. He chided her. �I just need more practice, let me try some more. I�m sure I�ll get it right soon.� She answered sarcastically. Kane sat down beside her, and for a few moments said nothing. ~Are you going to tell me what�s wrong? �Noth . .� she started, then rolled her eyes. �Why do I bother?� she asked herself out loud. ~Beats me. Now that we have that straight. �I�m just nervous about tomorrow, you know I don�t like to go down there.� Kane looked at Alex solemnly and she could see the hurt in his eyes. ~You�ve never lied to me before. Alex sighed heavily and leaned back against the patio chair. She could feel his hurt feelings, and she felt horrible. �I�m sorry. I don�t know why I did that. I just don�t think right now is the time to bother you. You have other things on your mind.� Kane tilted his head at her and asked, ~You know I can feel you upset, did you think I wouldn�t come? Alex smiled, and shook her head. �No, I was hoping I could hide it from you.� ~Well since you�ve discovered that that�s not going to happen, talk to me. �These past four weeks have been really odd. I know what goes in the ring is for the people, and unless someone gets really hurt that it�s all a story. I thought I was handling it pretty well, until tonight. I guess since tomorrow is the end, and Vince still hasn�t made a decision on who will get the title. I don�t know how LaShana did this before. Steve�s had feuds with both you and 'Taker. She tried to explain it to me, but it doesn�t seem to be sinking in.� she replied, tapping her fist on her head. ~Yes, Steve and I have gone a few rounds, but nothing�s changed. And before all is said and done, 'Taker and I will have another feud, and Paul will probably have one with both 'Taker and Steve. You can�t let this happen to yourself every time this comes around. �I know!� she said, getting frustrated. �But my head won�t grasp that little fact for some reason. ~Do you think he or I mean any of the things we say out there. What do you think this is doing to us, knowing that it upsets you so much? �I forgot about that part.� She mumbled, realizing how selfish she was being, "And I hate when I�m being stupid.� She said laughing at herself. ~ We leave the show in the ring. Kane assured her. �I think I knew that. And the girls tried to tell me.� Alex whispered. �But I think I needed to hear it from you.� Alex paused and looked at Kane with her head on her hand. �Storm knew that, didn�t she? That�s why you came.� She asked him. ~Yes, she knew. ~You�re also thinking that you have to choose; choose between Paul and I. Looking at Kane sideways, �Have I ever mentioned you�re annoying when you do that?� She asked. Kane smiled at her and continued, ~Being a �bride� only means I brought you into this life to fill an absence in your own. You are free to love who you choose. ~Why do you think you were chosen? �What?� she asked. ~Why do you think I chose you to be a bride? He asked her. �I never quite figured that out.� She mumbled. Hoping her voice wouldn�t crack; she looked at the floor. �Partly because I was afraid to ask. That if I did, you would realize that you had made a mistake.� Kane lifted her face to look at him and shook his head, ~Not likely. You have a lot of love to give and had no one to give it to. You care about people; you feel their joys, and when they hurt you hurt. It has nothing to do with your empathic ability. You were in need of a family, and I provided you with one. Alex looked at him, �You already told me that. I love all of you. I haven�t even met all the other ladies, and I love them as well. ~But you�re not worthy of their love, is that it? Alex looked at him confused. ~You think that one day we will leave. Alex simply stared at him. She knew he was capable of reading her mind, but it still shocked her when he read her heart. That he could find a hurt that she thought had been deeply buried. ~That one day you will make a mistake or do something that makes us turn from you. He reached out and held her hand in his. �With the feud, and the match tomorrow, a small part of my head thinks that I�m putting the people I care about in a position of having to choose. I know that�s unreasonable.� She explained, and then added lightly, �But I�ve always had an over-active imagination.� ~I�m not going to ask you what happened to hurt you and makes you think this way. But I�m going to spell it out for you and hope you will understand. You are one of my brides. No matter who you love, no matter where you are. Yeah, we are going to disagree, probably a lot. But since I know you wouldn�t do anything to deliberately hurt anyone, I can�t think of anything that we would think unforgivable. ~ Once you said that you have a problem trusting people. You�re right. You don�t trust your friends enough to know that they ARE your friends. Because you�re different from them and they love you for those differences. People will always make mistakes, but different opinions and views aren�t a mistake. The people in your life that love you will accept you. No one is perfect, and no one here expects you to be. �I�ve had people drift in and out of my life who did.� She informed him. �And just when I thought they knew me, they were gone. I keep waiting to do something someone won�t like, and you will all be gone.� She confessed. ~Hate to tell you, but you�re stuck with us little girl. �Or you�re stuck with me?� she countered. ~Well if we�ve put up with you this long, I guess we�ll keep you. Alex laughed through the tears she didn�t know had welled up in her eyes. Alex stood so she could be close to his height. �Thank you; for everything. For talking to me, and for the family you�ve given me.� She whispered. �Now go. I�ve kept you away from Storm long enough. Thank her as well. She knows me better than I ever thought.� ~~*~~ After Kane left Alex realized she really needed to talk to Paul. He had been unbelievable patient during the last month, and she wanted to make it up to him. When Paul came in from working out, he found the room dark. As he started to turn the light on, there was a strike and sizzle of a match being lit. He turned back around to see Alex sitting at the table in the middle of the room lighting candles that were on the table. He dropped his bag near the door and crossed the room. Alex had talked to room service and had managed to put together an intimate dinner on short notice. �What�s all this?� Paul asked after he kissed her. �I just wanted us to be alone tonight.� She replied. She maneuvered him into the chair and sat down on his lap. �I just wanted to apologize for being so weird the past couple of weeks. I forgot that you had to be feeling pretty weird about the whole situation as well.� �Yeah, but you were more upset. Kane and I had had a feud before, but this time it was a little different. This time I did it with the knowledge that I was hurting you in the process.� He paused and wrapped his arms around her waist. �I know the other night was hard, and it made me sick to do it. I would never hurt you or any of the ladies. I don�t know why Vince put that in there.� �I told you he�s trying to torture me.� She said laughing. They sat there quietly, neither saying a word. That night Paul held her in his arms as she drifted off to sleep. �At least this will all be over tomorrow.� She murmured sleepily, her head against his chest. |