| Part XVIII |
Alex didn�t remember walking out the door. She held her arms around herself, and tried not to tremble. The next thing she remembered was Chris in front of her. She had fallen to her knees and Chris was raising her to a standing position. �Alex, honey look at me.� He requested. When she didn�t respond, �Okay, I�m going to take you back to Kane.� �NO!� she cried frantically. �I can�t see him right now.� �Where do you want to go?� he asked, �I�m not leaving you like this. And I don�t think you want Paul to see you this way.� At that Alex stood up straighter, and shook her shoulders like she was trying to shake a bad dream. When she still didn�t respond, Chris grabbed his bag from the floor and led her to his car. They drove in silence back to the hotel. Chris led her into the lobby and went to the front desk, while Alex waited. On the way up the elevator, she finally spoke. �I can�t go back to our . . my . . .that room.� She mumbled. �No, I got the manager to give you another room. They�re having someone bring you your things.� As they approached the door, Chris unlocked it and led Alex inside. She walked through the room and out to the patio. Chris brought her a blanket, and started to sit. �No.� she whispered, shaking her head. �I can�t be around people right now.� Chris nodded and touched her hair. He placed the keys on the dresser and walked out. Alex didn�t know how long she was out there; her brain wasn�t functioning right. She was beyond pain, beyond anger. She was numb. When she heard the door open she didn�t flinch; assuming is was the hotel bringing her things. Kane stepped out onto the patio, �Alex?� he whispered. �How did you find me?� she asked not looking up. �When I couldn�t feel you in the arena anymore. . .� �I told you I just needed practice.� �We started to ask around.� He continued. �Christian told me he saw Chris leaving the arena with you.� �How come he told you where I was? He knew I didn�t want to see you.� �I threw him against a wall. Very effective in getting him to talk.� He stated plainly. She looked up at him in shock. Kane smiled, �He was waiting for us in the lobby.� he explained, �He�s very worried about you.� Alex only nodded; Kane�s attempt to be amusing only made her feel worse. �Go.� She requested quietly, turning back to the skyline. �Alex, you can�t . . .� �YES, I CAN.� She snapped. �Go away. Please.� She insisted again. �Little girl, let me . . .� �NO! Don�t you understand?! You can�t fix this. Not this time.� She yelled, slamming her fist on the arm of the chair. �You really expect me to walk away don�t you?� he yelled back. �He used me to hurt you. He almost hurt Storm. I�m not so much hurt anymore as I am angry. I let myself be stupid. And I let . . .� �You did NOTHING!� Kane growled viciously. He knelt down to look in her eyes and grabbed her arms shaking her slightly. �Do you understand me? You loved him with all your heart and he hurt you.� Paul�s words came back to her; �You love Kane and 'Taker more than me.� She remembered. �I know that�s not true. He obviously didn�t understand or saw only what he wanted to see.� Kane answered reading the thoughts that she no longer had the strength to block. �He was looking for an excuse to shift the blame. He let his ambition get in his way, and he lost something very precious. Something he will regret.� �Leave him.� She said quietly, shaking her head. �I don�t want you to do anything to him.� �I'm talking about you, little girl. I�m not talking about physically, even if I do want to break his neck!� Kane growled. �You got close.� She mentioned, remembering Paul�s face. She didn�t want to be happy that Kane and 'Taker had hurt him. �I made a mistake.� She whispered weakly. �I told you before, no one is leaving.� He reiterated, taking both her hands. �He lied to me for the past month. I can�t believe I was that stupid.� She tried. �Stop!! Do you know how proud I am of you?� Kane asked. Alex looked at Kane as if he�d gotten the tombstone and landed too hard on his head. �What the hell are you talking about?� She finally asked. �I saw DX coming through the crowd and I knew why they were coming. I knew then what Paul was up to. He�d been acting weird during the match and when he cut my eye open with the shot to the head, I knew something was really wrong. I tried to end the match as quickly as possible. I thought DX would try to hurt you girls. When I looked around the ring again, I saw all of you ladies beating the hell out of DX!� He exclaimed. For some reason Alex laughed. �I can�t tell you how proud and relieved I was.� �It was just a reaction.� She shrugged. �I didn�t know what they planned to do. I just assumed they were going to try and get in the ring.� �Then when Tori came down I didn�t know what to think.� Kane continued, �And I had trouble concentrating on the match, which is how Paul got the upper hand. When everything finally settled down, I wanted to end the match because I was so proud of you ladies.� �Then when you went to confront Paul. I knew you�d do more damage than either 'Taker or I could ever do. You stood up to him and you didn�t take what he did to you lying down.� Kane explained. �You are SO much stronger than you give yourself credit for. It�s beginning to irritate me that you don�t see that.� He added. �I don�t feel strong right now.� she whispered. �You just have to remember that little girl in the room with Paul. That�s you.� He explained, rubbing her hair. �A little bumped and bruised right now, but you.� Alex sat there letting it all turn over in her head. �Is Storm alright?� she asked finally. �She has a slight bruise on her arm from when she flipped Tori, but she�s fine. Only she and the others are worried about you.� He informed her. �Did you teach her that?� Alex asked him grinning. Kane merely shrugged and pulled her up from the chair to lead her inside, only to find everyone waiting there. Alex turned and tried to walk back out, she didn�t know if she could deal with another emotional roller coaster. Kane turned her back around and nudged her toward the ladies. Storm, IceWolf, LaShana, and Kanike all hugged her. She looked over their shoulders to the guys who all smiled at her. �Thought you might want to know what happen after you left.� Steve started. �Vince was royally pissed off about what happen. The match was supposed to go to Kane. Apparently Paul called Tori after she was fired, and set this thing up.� �Vince yelled at DX for not finding him and for listening to Paul, but they�ll be fine.� Jim added. �Paul however, has been suspended.� Alex looked at 'Taker and angled her head to see his lip swollen. 'Taker with his arms around Kanike, noticed, simply shrugged, �I warned him.� Alex smiled as she sat down on the bed. �Everyone is okay?� she asked looking at the other ladies. �We�re fine.� IceWolf emphasized leaning against to Jim. �How are you? You left the arena without us.� She stated sounding hurt. �These guys were ready to tear the place apart before Christian found Kane.� LaShana added from within Steve�s arms. Alex looked around at the guys, who managed to look a little sheepish. �I�m . .� She sighed heavily; �I don�t know what I am right now. Confused really. I mean he hurt me.� Alex grinned as 'Taker growled and Kanike squeezed him, �Easy, sweetie.� She whispered. �I thought I knew him, and he turned it around and used me. But standing in that room yelling at him I realized that he didn�t understand me. He used what he thought he knew and twisted it. And thought I would turn my back on you guys because I �loved� him. And that just pisses me off.� She said shaking her head. �Nobody should ever have to make the choice he put in front of you.� Storm stated, standing with her arm around Kane. �Oh, I know. He actually had the nerve to say �if you loved me�.� Alex stated and had to giggle when the ladies groaned. �But he is the first guy I gave my heart to and right now it�s broken. So like I said, confused.� She sighed again. �I want to apologize . . .� Alex started. �For what!?� 'Taker demanded. �Don�t you DARE apologize for what he did.� Kanike warned. �No, no.� Alex replied shaking her head. �Tonight is completely on him. I know now that he misunderstood my relationship with Kane and 'Taker, and even though that�s not the first time that�s happen, it didn�t give him the right to do what he did.� �I want to apologize for all the junk I�ve been thinking lately about you guys. I�ve had friends who disappeared at the first sign of trouble or differences. I thought you guys would do that too. That�s why I left the arena. I thought when I made a mistake that you would be gone, and I would be alone again. I underestimated your friendship, and for that, I�m sorry. I should have known better.� She said solemnly. �Love is acceptance.� She looked at Kane. �A very good friend taught me that. Love is accepting someone for all the things you love about them and all the things that annoy you. I love you guys and as weird as I�ve been this past month and everything that happen tonight, I�ve come to realize that you guys aren�t going anywhere like too many other people have done in my life.� �That�s because we love you too, little girl.� 'Taker replied. Alex looked around the room at the people she considered her family. �Yeah,� she sighed heavily, �that�s finally starting to sink in.� ~FIN~ |
| ~This story is dedicated to all the people I�ve met on-line and now consider friends. May I be a better friend in the future than I�ve been in the past.~ |