Yellow roses were better. Yellow was for friendship. Willow had a lot of respect for friendship. It was because of friendship that the world didn�t end at her hands. And that was good. The world being able to exist was right. The lives of innocent people shouldn�t be brushed away in a fit of rage. Life should continue.
But it didn�t stop her from wanting to die.
Everyone told her she was just depressed. That she had gone through a lot and that was affecting her. It made her think dark things, think that her life was pointless. Well, that was obvious. Willow could tell that much through the muddle her mind had become.
But that wasn�t it. She had been telling Buffy the truth during her whacked out revenge kick. The only time Willow felt like anything was when Tara looked at her. When those hazel eyes would see her as wonderful, that�s when Willow was alive.
She didn�t have that anymore. She couldn�t ever find it again even if she wanted to. Willow didn�t deserve that kind of love. Not ever again. She deserved to be dead in the ground and rotting. She knew but everyone else refused to acknowledge it.
But they were lucky that Willow was a coward. She couldn�t take her own life. She wanted to, but death already tainted her hands. She could only see Warren�s death and would chicken out. Willow really was a loser. First a nerd, then a junkie, and now a spineless suicidal killer. Gee, she sure was well rounded.
On the bright side, though she couldn�t kill herself maybe someone would do it for her. Willow had been banking on Spike doing it for her. But low and behold, he came back to town with a brand spanking new soul. Funny how things turned out.
Anyway, her death, how would that come about. It didn�t take long for Willow to figure out it wouldn�t. Buffy and the others made sure of that. She began to understand what her death would do to them. After all the pain she had already caused, Willow couldn�t bring herself to do that to them. So, death was scraped. But as for staying in Sunnydale, that wouldn�t have happened no matter what. They all knew, even Clem knew. They chose to ignore it while Willow planned a way to get away from the whole mess. They knew it was what she needed. Hell, they left her alone at times, giving her the ample time to go away. Not that they wanted her gone, but they understood that she would leave no matter what. They accepted it subconsciously.
And she did leave. There was no way she would have stayed. Just packed her bags and kissed them all goodbye. Given her magic stuff to Anya, hugged Dawn and Buffy, and slept with Xander. Yeah, she knew that was stupid. But they knew she was going and never coming back. And of all the people in her life, Willow loved him the most. Sure, they were just friends, but they couldn�t leave it at that. She wasn�t in love with Xander; he wasn�t in love with her. It was like Spike and Anya. It just happened, and it was nice. She left him while he slept.
On her way out of town, she swung by Spike�s-well, William�s crypt. He sat huddled in the corner as usual, weeping from his nightmares. Buffy and Dawn were trying to help him, but he would run from their comfort. He didn�t deserve it, he was a monster. A lot like Angel, a lot like her. Damn but souls were irritating.
She had knelt beside him, whispering comforting words into his ear. She gave him a kiss and helped him back into his bed. She held his hand and stroked his hair until he calmed. He had let the dye out of it. His hair was brown again. But god he looked handsome like that.
He had squeezed her hand and thanked her. She smiled and told him she was leaving. Told him that Buffy and Dawn would look out for him, and Xander would be nicer. She promised to write to him and made him promise to write her back. And if he ever picked up poetry again, she wanted to read it. He kissed the back of her hand and said a tearful goodbye. She wiped the blood off his cheeks and gave him another kiss. Then she picked up her bags and left Sunnydale for good.
***
Jeff Hardy let his eyes wander the bar. He was drunk and knew it. He wondered how he let Edge talk him into a drinking competition. The man in question lay in a booth, head in Trish Stratus�s lap. He was worse off than Jeff. Jeff had tried to warn him, but he wouldn�t listen. Jeff hadn�t been beaten in a drink off since high school.
His eyes moved around the room, taking in the inhabitants. His older brother Matt sat next to Trish, drinking and miserable over Lita. Jeff felt for his brother. He missed Lita too, but Matt was her boyfriend. Matt was missing out on a lot more. Of course, Matt loved Lita purely, but Jeff couldn�t help thinking vulgar thoughts. It was the alcohol affecting his brain.
Bubba Ray Dudley sat on the other side of Trish, not entirely happy that Edge was burrowing his head in his girlfriend�s lap. Only the fact that Trish kept nibbling on his neck kept him from putting Edge through the table they had gathered around. RVD seemed to be the only one who was sober. Probably because he was too busy kissing Torrie Wilson to actually take a drink. God, those two had been down each other�s throat all night. It made Jeff want to wretch.
That was it for wrestlers. Other ordinary people lounged about, half drunk, half sober. No one of any real interest. The bar was pretty quiet. Jeff figured that was because it was almost two in the morning. People tended to be pretty soused by then and that usually put a damper on the rowdiness.
His eyes fell on a lone figure at the bar. A little redhead downing a shot. He watched her place her glass back on the counter and demand another. The bartender refilled her glass, shaking his head slightly. The redhead merely downed it again. She was pretty drunk too. Her eyes were red and her face forlorn. Jeff wondered what made her so sad. Without realizing he had done so, Jeff found himself settling in next to the redhead. He peered at her closely in concern. She shot him a wary look.
�Are you okay?� God he was drunk. He should really go back to minding his own business by his friends, but he couldn�t leave.
The redhead turned in her seat, gazing at him closely. After apparently deciding it was an honest question she turned back to her drink. �I�m fine,� was her curt reply.
�No you�re not,� he protested. Yep, too drunk to know better.
�Why do you care?�
�I don�t like that you�re sad.� It was the truth.
The redhead just shook her head. �Well, get used to it,� she laughed mirthlessly. �I plan on staying sad for awhile.�
�How come?�
�Because I deserve it.�
�No one deserves to be that sad.�
�You don�t know me.�
�I�d like to.�
She gave him a sharp look at that one. Jeff wanted to kick himself. If he weren�t liable to end up on the whole with massive injuries, he would have done so. But then again, the redhead might do it for him.
�You don�t know what you�re asking,� she finally replied.
�I think I do.�
�You�re drunk.�
�I know that.�
�You don�t know what you want.�
�Nah-uh. Alcohol makes you lose your inhibitions. It doesn�t make you confuse what you want.�
�You should leave soon.�
�Why?�
She turned to look at him. God, she had beautiful green eyes. They were filled with unshed tears. Lord, he wanted to hold her.
�Why?� he repeated.
�Because you might get what you asked for.�
***
When Willow woke up the next morning, she had no clue where she was. Sunlight streamed in from a window. There were white walls and decent furnishings. It was a hotel room, but not her hotel room. Hell, Willow knew this wasn�t her hotel. She had a feeling she did something stupid last night.
Becoming aware of a heavy weight that was restricting her movements, Willow glanced down and knew she did something stupid last night. There was a man on her. She hoped it was a man. She couldn�t tell from her angle. She could only see the top of his head, which was multi-coloured. She did a quick mental check and failed to come up a single demon that had hair like Rainbow Brite. Which begged the question: who the hell was this guy?
Willow tried to move out from under him, but he would have none of that. The man had burrowed his head into Willow�s chest. His arms were wrapped around her waist and he wasn�t letting go. Stubborn even in his sleep, Willow wasn�t so sure she liked that. She laid back and tried to remember the previous night. She went to a bar, got drunk, blanked out, and woke up naked with Rainbow Brite. Damn, she was off to a great start on her own. Overwhelmed, Willow began struggling under the weight of her companion. It didn�t get her anyway, but did wake him up.
He lifted his head and frowned at her. Willow�s heart stopped. He was gorgeous, a little weird, but gorgeous. His green eyes stared into hers in confusion. �Sleep now,� he mumbled, setting his head down again.
Willow rolled her eyes. �No, get off now,� she replied. She struggled anew and he just gripped her waist tighter.
�Can�t, you�ll leave,� he muttered.
Willow gave him a look. �What?�
�You said last night that you would probably try to leave in the morning,� he explained, begrudgingly becoming more awake. �You said if I wanted to see you ever again, I better hold on pretty tight.�
Willow went red. �You have to let me go,� she ordered him.
�So you can leave?� he lifted himself up on one elbow. It gave her some breathing room, but not enough to get away.
�That�s the plan,� she muttered, struggling again.
�I don�t think so,� he laid back down on her. �I think I want to keep you.�
�You don�t get to decide!� Willow shouted at him. Who the hell was this guy?
�Doesn�t matter,� he shrugged. �I usually get what I want.�
�Who are you?� she demanded.
�I�m Jeff,� he answered.
�Well, Jeff,� Willow glared at him. �You better let me go right now.�
�But I want you to stay,� he pouted.
�You don�t always get what you want,� she informed him. �Now, let me go!�
�Stay,� he whispered.
�No.�
�Why not?�
�Because.�
�Because why?�
She was silent for a moment.
�You don�t know why, do you?� he asked her.
�When did you become the expert on me?� she demanded in response.
�Last night,� he answered. �You cried you would leave but that you didn�t want to. You don�t want to be alone but you think you deserve to be sad.�
�I do,� she whispered, finally stopping her struggles.
�Be sad with me,� he offered.
�Are you insane? I just met you.�
He shrugged. �Maybe, but I want you to stay.�
�What if I don�t want to?� she countered.
�I have ways,� he waggled his brows.
Willow had had enough. �No.�
Jeff readjusted himself so he lay right on top of the redhead. He bent his head and delivered a kiss to her neck. �Please?�
�No.�
He continued to kiss her neck. �Please?�
�No.�
He made his way lower. His lips fluttered across her collarbone. �Please?�
�No,� with less resolve this time.
He kissed even lower. His lips caressed the top of her chest. �Please?�
�N-no,� she managed to stutter out.
He went lower. Willow gasped at the contact of his lips and her flesh. �Please?�
�Wh-what?� she couldn�t think. He was distracting her.
�Please stay.�
�I can�t,� she whispered in a pained voice.
�Yes you can,� he replied. �And you want to.�
�What would I do here with you?�
�Travel with me.�
�You travel a lot?�
�I�m a wrestler,� he answered. �We travel a lot.�
�I wouldn�t have anything-�
�You can be my manager.�
�I don�t know anything about wrestling.�
�But you could manage the managing.�
�This is insane.�
Jeff shrugged and resumed his kissing. �Stop that!�
�Not until you agree to stay.�
She glared down at the man. He merely grinned and continued to kiss his way around her body. She tried to ignore it, but it didn�t work.
�Fine,� she sighed.
He stopped and lifted his head to grin at her. �Good,� he climbed off her and yanked her to her feet.
Willow clutched at the bed sheets. �Hello, naked here!� she protested.
He grinned again. �Well aware of that,� he whispered huskily in her ear.
Willow went beet red and starting protesting when he pulled on her arm. �Where are we going?� she demanded.
�We�re going to take a shower,� he replied mischievously.
It was the best damn shower she ever had.
***
�Are you insane?�
Matt rolled his eyes at Jeff. His younger brother shrugged and draped an arm around their new manager.
�You have to come out there,� he explained to her. �That�s what a manager does.�
�I�m not too sure about this manager thing,� Willow replied sourly.
�Then why�d you agree in the first place?� Trish asked.
�I was under duress,� Willow shot Jeff a glare.
"I bet you were under something all right,� Edge smirked at her. Willow went red and returned her attention to her clients.
�I have stage fright,� she informed them.
Matt�s eyes bulged. When Jeff had come to him with the idea, he had been against it. He assumed it was just some wrestling wannabe using his brother to get into the WWE. Meeting with Willow, Matt quickly came to the conclusion that it was entirely Jeff�s idea. The girl had no clue about wrestling. And now, she had stage fright. �You have stage fright,� he repeated, rubbing his eyelids.
�That�s what I said,� Willow huffed. �I�m not going out there.�
�You have to,� Jeff insisted again. �It�s what managers do.�
�I don�t care, this whole thing was your stupid idea,� Willow poked him in the chest. �I could be in New York working at a diner or something.�
�That�s your big goal?� Bubba asked in disbelief.
�No,� Willow denied. �But at least I wouldn�t be dragged about in front of thousands of people.�
�Don�t forget the millions watching at home,� Edge added helpfully. Willow paled at that.
�Shut up Edge,� Matt shook his head. �Look, Willow, if you want to stay here with us you�re going to have to walk us out.�
�Oh well,� the redhead sighed. �It was nice knowing you.� She gave a quick wave and headed for the door. Jeff snagged her before she got too far.
�You�re not leaving,� he informed her.
�Damn it,� she muttered in defeat. She turned pleading eyes on Matt. �You�re his brother. Talk him out of this craziness.�
�Red, I can�t talk him out of anything,� Matt told her resignedly. �He�s as stubborn as a mule and twice as dumb.�
�Bite me Matt,� Jeff shot back easily.
�Isn�t that what Willow�s here for?� Edge piped up.
Jeff frowned at him. �Didn�t we tell you to shut up already?�
Edge shrugged. �I didn�t listen.�
Willow cleared her throat. �Hello, remember me?� she waved for their attention. �I�m not going out there. You can�t make me.�
Trish sighed and climbed out of Bubba�s lap. She extended a hand to the redhead. �Come on,� she urged. �I�ll help you out.�
�No need for help. I�m not going out there, remember?�
Trish merely pulled Willow along with her, waving off the thankful look Jeff shot at her.
When the two women had left the locker room, Matt turned on his brother. �What are you thinking?� he demanded. �That girl has no business here. She has stage fright for Christ�s sake.�
�I want to keep her,� Jeff replied stubbornly.
�Hate to break this to you Jeff, but she�s not some sort of pet you picked up at the pound,� Bubba reminded him.
�I know that,� Jeff sighed, running his hands through his hair. �But if I let her go, she�ll go back to being sad. And I don�t want that.�
�You�ve known her for about two days,� Matt interjected.
Jeff shrugged. �I think I love her,� was his only response.
�You think?� Edge repeated. �Dude, you slept with her and then refused to let her leave your vicinity. I say that you definitely love her. Why, I have no idea. Did you hit your head that night at the bar or something?�
�A head injury would be a welcome change,� Matt commented dryly. �Then maybe he�ll learn to think straight.�
Jeff stuck his tongue out at his brother. �She�ll be great,� he insisted. �Just wait and see.�
Matt shook his head again. �She better be little brother.�
***
Willow had ascertained that everyone in this company was insane. Jeff was obviously way ahead of them in the acts of insanity, but it didn�t change the fact that they were all crazy. Like this Trish Stratus woman. Didn�t Willow already inform everyone that she was not going out to ringside? So why was this woman helping her put on makeup while giving her advice?
�Just focus on Jeff,� Trish advised. �Remember why you�re here?�
�I�m here because he uses cruel methods of persuasion,� Willow muttered darkly.
The blonde woman laughed. �I think it�s just because he�s in love with you,� she giggled.
Willow sighed. �He�s not in love with me,� she protested. �He doesn�t even know me.�
�That may be the case, but he is in love with you,� Trish gave the redhead a meaningful look. �I�ve known Jeff Hardy a long time. Never have I seen him this worked up over a girl.�
�This is all insane, I�m not supposed to be here,� Willow whispered.
�Where are you supposed to be?�
�Somewhere else,� Willow replied. �Alone.�
�Why alone?�
�Because I deserve it.�
�No, you think you deserve it,� Trish amended. �Fate may have a totally different opinion.�
�Fate�s a bitch,� Willow stated bitterly.
�Fate�s fate,� Trish replied, brushing out Willow�s long red hair. �It just leads you down paths. What you do when you�re there is your choice. But did you ever think that maybe you�re not meant to be alone?�
Willow frowned. �If I wasn�t meant to be alone, Tara wouldn�t have died,� Willow argued pointedly.
�I don�t know who Tara is, but I�m sorry that she died,� Trish gazed at the young woman in front of her. �But what you could have with Jeff, that�s important.�
�I don�t love Jeff,� Willow countered.
�But you might,� Trish pointed out. �And maybe that�s why you met him.�
Willow shook her head. �I was meant for one person,� Willow disagreed stubbornly. �She was taken away from me. I should be alone now.�
Trish sighed and wondered how she could get through to this girl. She talked like her life was over. But didn�t she see? Her life could begin all over again.
***
Willow stood with arms crossed glaring at the brothers in front of her. With Trish�s help, she had transformed into quite a different Willow. Eyeliner and shadow brought out her green eyes, her long red hair had been let down from its customary ponytail, and she wore a lot of leather. Trish had been kind, and Willow uses that word lightly, to lend her some ring apparel. Tight leather pants and a tank top constituted ring apparel.
Willow felt like an idiot. �Don�t I get a say in this?�
Jeff grinned. �You�re our manager,� he chuckled. �You had a say in that. This is what that entails.�
Willow glared at him. �Say in that my foot,� she muttered darkly.
Music started up. Matt and Jeff edged for the curtains. Willow stood still for two seconds before she tried to turn tail and flee. Arms around her waist prevented that from happening.
�Put me down!� she shrieked. Her demand fell on deaf ears. With a laugh, Jeff pulled her through the curtains and onto the ramp. Lights and noise bombarded her instantly. Willow faltered slightly, senses overwhelmed. �I hate you,� she sputtered at Jeff. He merely grinned and planted a kiss on her neck. She shot him an exasperated look.
�The following match is for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Making their way to the ring, being accompanied by Willow,� cried the ring announcer. �Matt and Jeff, the Hardy Boys!�
The crowd roared in approval. Willow dimly wondered who had told the announcer her name. She had just recently been talked into this right? Suddenly, Matt yanked her up and dragged her down the ramp, leaving a slightly flabbergasted Jeff on the stage. Spinning her around a few times, Matt put her on her feet at the ring.
�Climb in,� he invited before sliding into the ring himself. Rolling her eyes, Willow climbed the ring stairs and slipped between the ropes. Jeff had caught up to them and was shooting his brother dirty looks for taking off with his girl. Both Hardy brothers leapt to the turnbuckles and played to the crowd. Willow watched in amusement as they raced from corner to corner, jumping, dancing, and basically getting the fans psyched up. Only when their music died did they calm down.
�Listen,� Matt advised, approaching her. �When the others arrive, just duck out of the ring. And stay away from Rico!�
�Rico?� Willow repeated, eyebrows raised.
Jeff opened his mouth to explain but was cut off by new music blaring out across the arena. The fans jumped in with a chorus of �boos� as three people appeared on the stage.
�Making their way to the ring, being accompanied by Rico, they are the tag team champions, Billy and Chuck!�
Willow gave an unimpressed chuckle at the sight of the opponents. �Are those sideburns or Velcro?� she whispered to Matt.
The older Hardy laughed. �Supposedly sideburns, but everyone has their doubts.�
�Stay away from him Willow,� Jeff warned her. �I don�t want him going after you.�
�Why would he do that?� Willow demanded. �I�m not in the match.� Matt and Jeff stared at her.
�You�ve never really watched a single show before, have you?� Willow shook her head.
�Remind me to show you some tapes afterwards,� Jeff told her, ushering the redhead to the ropes.
Willow shot him a curious look before jumping down to ringside.
***
The match was fast paced and brutal. Willow cringed every few seconds when a wrestler was slammed, choked, or just plain given a beating. She learned a lot from that night at ringside.
First of all, she learned that not only were Matt and Jeff insane, they were apparently suicidal as well. Her heart would leap up her throat every time they performed one of their high-flying stunts. Halfway through the match, Willow wondered how long she could be their manager before succumbing to a heart attack.
The second thing she learned was that Billy and Chuck were really bad cheaters. Their personal stylist Rico was as involved in the match as they were. It made Willow�s blood boil.
The third thing she learned was that maybe Trish was on to something. Willow didn�t have to be here, she let herself be dragged around by Jeff Hardy. She could have left anytime after the bell rung, but she didn�t. Hell, she could have left any point before this. Jeff had no right to keep her here. She wasn�t being held captive. On some level, Willow liked the prospect of staying with Jeff. He seemed to want to take care of her, and that was a welcome change.
And the final thing Willow learned was what managers in the WWE were really for. Towards the end of the match, she had seen Rico grabbed the belts and go to offer them to Billy while Chuck had the ref distracted. Marching over there, Willow grabbed onto the belts before Rico could pass them along.
�I�ve had enough of you,� she told him sternly, tugging on her end of the titles. Rico shot her a disbelieving look and the two commenced a slight tug-of-war over the titles. Seeing Billy stretch a hand out to her, Willow promptly stepped on Rico�s foot. The stylist screamed and released his hold on the belts. Stumbling from the force of it, Willow had inadvertently struck Billy squarely in the head with the titles. She had stopped in her tracks, staring open-mouthed at the man she had just clocked. Snarling from behind warned her Rico had arisen. Willow whirled around, bringing the belts down on the stylist�s head before she could really give the situation a thought. The man crumpled down at her feet.
Willow looked on in shame.
***
Jeff had seen Rico approaching the ring with the belts. He also saw Willow approach him and the slight confrontation they had. His heart constricted when he saw Billy Gunn stretch a hand out to his redhead. Frantically, he made his way over to the wrestler, only to be shocked when Willow decked him with the titles. The ref had been distracted the entire time. Matt crept up behind Chuck and threw him out of the ring. He looked over at Jeff.
�Now little brother!� he instructed. Wasting little time, Jeff jumped up to the turnbuckle. Matt set Billy up for him with a Twist of Fate. Rising to his feet and balancing on top of the ring post, Jeff saluted the crowd and flew into a Swanton bomb. Recovering from the landing, Jeff pulled Billy in for the three count. The crowd chanted along with the referee.
One. Two. Three.
They won. They won the tag titles. And it was mostly due to the little redhead his brother had been so against bringing out with them. Jeff turned to find Willow, to pull her into a celebration. Spotting her, the young man stopped. She gazed down at a fallen Rico, title belts in her hands. The redhead looked positively shameful. He exchanged a look with Matt. The elder Hardy shrugged and approached the redhead.
�We won, way to go Willow,� he thanked her. Willow nodded mutely, still holding the title belts to her chest. Matt gently pried them from her arms and led her over to Jeff. The trio made their way up the ramp, the brothers waving their belts in victory.
�The winners of this match and the new WWE Tag Team Champions, Matt and Jeff, the Hardy Boys!�
The crowd gave them a thundering ovation. Jeff pulled Willow into a hug. �I didn�t mean to hit him,� she whispered to Jeff when he gathered her in up his arms.
�It�s okay,� Jeff told her. �It happens here. It�s not a big deal.�
�Yes it is,� she whispered back tearfully. �I don�t want to hurt anyone. Not ever again.�
Jeff frowned and hugged her tightly. He glanced at Matt over her head. The elder brother looked at the redhead and shrugged. Jeff wondered what she was talking about. She was a sweet little thing.
How did she hurt anyone before? And why never again?
***
Willow was still feeling miserable later in the evening. She sat on the hotel bed, hair still wet from the shower. She was watching television, an old rerun of Scooby Doo. Jeff was in the shower. Yes, she was staying with him. Why, who the hell knew? It made as much sense as her being his manager.
She watched idly as Scooby and Shaggy ran from another unidentifiable monster. Willow gave a half-hearted laugh when they stumbled across another hidden hallway. Amazing the abundance of hidden hallways in Scooby Doo cartoons. And how come they almost always ended up in a mansion? It was repetitive.
�I can�t believe I�m here dissecting Scooby Doo,� she muttered to herself. �I�m worse than Xander.�
�Who�s Xander?�
She looked up at the question. Jeff walked in, rubbing his hair with a towel. He was shirtless and Willow had no problem with that. She decided that even if she wasn�t happy with Jeff, there was no reason for her to be upset with his body. She raked her eyes over his midsection. Nope, no reason to be upset with his body.
Jeff looked down at her, an expectant look in his eyes.
�What?�
�Who is Xander?� he repeated.
�Just some guy,� she replied vaguely. She watched in amusement as he stiffened physically.
�A guy,� he repeated. �Some sort of ex-boyfriend guy?�
�Kind of,� she smirked at him. �Jealous?�
�Yes,� he answered truthfully. �I like you too much to imagine you with other guys.�
�Would girls be okay?� she asked.
He grinned. �More than okay,� he assured her.
Willow shook her head. She was reminded of that talk her and Tara had with Anya not too long ago. �You�re a pervert,� she told him.
�Nah, just all things Willow turn me on,� he grinned, climbing onto the bed with her. Willow watched him approach with a wary eye.
�I make you perverted?� she asked, backing up when he continued to advance.
�If you look at it like that way,� he shrugged, coming to a stop when he was directly on top of her. Jeff grinned down at the redhead beneath him. �I like to think of it in pleasanter terms.�
�Such as?� Willow asked as he bent to kiss her neck.
�Love,� he whispered in her ear.
Willow sighed and pushed at him. �You don�t love me,� she told him.
�I�d beg to differ.�
�You don�t know me.�
�Give me a chance. I could.�
�You might not like what you find out.�
�That�s awfully pessimistic,� he told her.
�It�s the truth,� she looked up at him. �Run while you can.�
�I think I�ll stay,� he smiled at her.
�Why?�
He grinned and proceeded to show her why.
***
They fell into a bit of a pattern then. Willow would accompany Matt and Jeff almost everywhere in her capacity as manager. Autographs sessions, house show, promotional tours, you name it, she was there. She was getting quite a following too. Signs began to appear, linking her name with the Hardys. She had her own bio on the WWE Website. Hell, she even had her own t-shirt. It read �Green-Eyed Monster� on the front along with her picture. The back had �Jealous?� on it.
Matt and Jeff continued their reign as tag champs. They had the traditional rematch with Billy and Chuck. Rico spent the entire match trying to make her pay for the turn out of the first one. Unfortunately for him, Edge and Bubba had been put on Willow duty. The time that the man approached her during the match, the two of them ran down to ringside and proceeded to give him the beat down of his life. Even though Willow knew he had it coming, she still felt guilty. She was the cause of another person�s pain. It just didn�t end for her.
Anyway, she got a legion of four wrestling protectors. When Test had tried to hit on her, Matt and Jeff jumped him in the backstage. When Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman tried to attack her, Bubba and Edge interfered. She was never without protection, and she really didn�t mind it.
Matt was fast turning out to be her friend. He was like the parent of the group. He would settle squabbles and look out for everyone. He would often just sit with Willow when she was feeling bad about one of the beat downs happening at her expense. He never tried to say anything. Just sat next to her, going through his wrestling gear. Willow appreciated it.
Edge and Bubba were darlings. They took care of her like a pair of older brothers. They fended off unwanted advances, kept an eye on her while she was at ringside, and brought her a lot of ice cream. They would even insist on taking her out for cones certain nights. They babied her.
Trish was fast becoming her girlfriend. Any time Willow felt overwhelmed by the males attending to her, Trish would somehow sense it. She would grab the redhead and wave the men off with a proclamation of �girl time�. They went shopping, painted toenails and even had a sleepover once. Not more than once because their respective guys didn�t want to be without them for too long.
And Jeff, what could she say about Jeff? He was fast becoming the centre of her life. Though she denied it, deep down she believed it when Jeff told her that he loved her. He didn�t say it a lot, because it usually put her in one of her moods. But slowly, Willow was becoming convinced. It would have been great to ignore it, but she couldn�t. It made her sad to think she would have to leave because of that. When people loved her, they ended up ass deep in shit they could no way handle. Or they ended up dead. Willow didn�t have the best track record with love.
And the prospect of leaving depressed her. Ever since Tara died, Willow had been haunted. She could only remember two things: Tara�s death and Warren�s death. Though she didn�t feel sorry for killing him, she did feel bad about the act itself. Murder was wrong, no matter what the reason. And she felt guilty that there were people in Warren�s life who would miss him.
As for Tara, there was always that dull ache in her heart when Willow thought of the blonde witch who she loved so much. It was ever present. She had lost the love of her life. It was all she could think of at times. But when she was with Jeff, she could forget for a while. This strange man with his rainbow hair could make her forget she was miserable. At nights, with him inside her, kissing her, telling her he loved her, Willow could almost believe this was reality. That this is what she was meant for, where she should be. Tara and Warren faded into the background. The guilt, the pain, the hurt, it was gone. She could even forget the hell that is Sunnydale California when she was with him.
But in the mornings, it would all come back to her. Tara, Warren, her actions, the pain she inflicted, and the pain she felt. It would all come back and Willow would have to stop herself from crying. Even with Jeff lying with her, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, couldn�t deflect those emotions in the mornings. Willow remembered everything she lost and everything she had thrown away. And she would resolve to leave that day. Then Jeff would wake up. He had some sort of six sense when it came to Willow. Whenever she would make up her mind, he would wake. He would rise and drag her into the shower. He wouldn�t leave her side until the thought left her. Until he knew she wouldn�t leave the second he turned around. It was all mounting to the one thing she had feared from the beginning of this whole mess. The one thing she didn�t deserve, something that she should be denied for the rest of her life. And the one thing she was too much a coward to stop.
Willow Rosenburg was falling in love with Jeff Hardy.
***
Willow really should have seen this coming. She knew she couldn�t run from her old life no matter what, but she thought she would have a brief hiatus. But she should have at least expected it. She banked entirely too much on the fact that none of her friends watched wrestling. However, she forgot that she didn�t know one Charles Gunn that well.
So it was in LA when her old life met headfirst with her new one. Funny, until it happened, Willow didn�t know she considered this to be her new life. She didn�t figure this was a life. It was just something that happened after she left. She had never planned on staying, and yet, four months later, she was still there.
She felt it that first morning in the City of Angels. She had been sleeping, Jeff tucking her into his body. They never slept any different. Always with him holding onto her. It was like he really was afraid she would leave him while he slept.
Anyway, it was morning, late morning at that. Jeff was a late sleeper. Willow never used to be that way, but she guessed Jeff was rubbing off on her.
So it was late morning when Willow stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she knew. Sitting upright, her mind whirled. Of course it would happen, she had been stupid to think it wouldn�t. It didn�t matter that no one she knew watched wrestling, he always knew. Willow figured that out a long time ago.
�What�s wrong?� Jeff mumbled, slowly waking up.
�I�m going downstairs,� she explained, hurriedly reaching for clothing.
�What? Why? You hungry?�
�Nope,� Willow shook her head. �Gotta meet someone.�
�What? Who?� but his question fell on deaf ears as the redhead was already out the door.
Grumbling, Jeff rushed to get dressed and follow his sort-of girlfriend.
***
She felt it the moment she exited the elevator. She cast a glance around the lobby. Nope, not there. That left the hotel restaurant.
�Willow?� she heard someone call her name. The redhead turned to see her friends seated at a table eating breakfast.
�You two are never up this early,� Trish frowned at her friend. �Where�s Jeff?�
�He�s coming,� Willow answered distractedly, eyes scanning the tables. Then she saw him, seating in the shadows, watching her intently. �Angel,� she breathed.
�What did you say?� Matt looked at her in concern. He exchanged glances with Trish, Bubba, and Edge. �Are you okay-�
�Excuse me for a second,� Willow brushed them off. She made her way to the corner where he sat waiting.
Jeff came running up at that second. Matt grabbed his arm when he started to follow the redhead. �What?� Jeff demanded.
�I think she needs some privacy,� he gave his younger brother a look. �Sit down.�
Jeff sat down in a huff, eyes intent on Willow. He watched as she approached some tall guy in the corner. The man stood and enveloped his redhead into a large hug. Jeff bristled.
�Who the hell is that guy?�
***