Author: eena_angel2001
Email: igrewal@s... or eena_angel@h...
Rating: PG-13
Category: BTVS/WWE
Pairing: Willow/Jeff Hardy
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. Vince owns the WWE and Joss owns Buffy.
Spoilers: Buffy, Season Five. No branch extension for the WWE, and some stuff after Wrestlemania, but not much. I'm adding Vengeance spoilers.
Summary: challenge response-sequel to bekabulwinkle's Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
It had started out like a normal day. Get up, go the gym, shower, head to the arena, go over the script, eat, and then get ready to go live. He had done this enough times by now; he could do it in his sleep. Funny how the exciting life he always wanted would be so repetitive. But then again, it didn't change the fact that he loved his job.
Again, a normal day, or so he thought. Never would he have imagined this would happen to him. He actually never even conceived of seeing her again. She seemed so adamant to stay in that town, that god-awful town. But now she was here, and he was holding her in his arms.
He remembered the last day he had seen her. At the memorial service for Jesse. He hadn't been able to say much that day. He didn't want to end up in tears in front of her and him. They were sad enough as it was, they didn't need him to break down. He knew they thought of him as the older brother, their hero, their role model, their support. How could he be supportive if he was a blubbering mess?
No, he didn't cry that day. He spent enough time crying the day before to get it out of his system. He wanted to be strong for them, to be that solid wall they would need him to be. And that's what he had been expecting.
But they had gotten stronger on their own. They had clung to one another instead to him. He could see the pain and grief on their faces as they looked down at Jesse's grave marker. But he could also see the strength in them. He felt like he had let them down, that he hadn't been there when Jesse first disappeared. He thought they would clamour to him, turn to him for strength. But they had developed their own strength in the year that had passed. They didn't need him anymore.
And they refused to leave. He begged them to at the wake. He didn't want them to stay there. Didn't want to wake up one day to be told they suffered the same fate as his little brother. But they refused. They didn't take him at his word. They would stay and they would remain in this town to keep it safe. With her, their friend, the superhero.
Brock wasn't an idiot. He and his parents knew full and well what had taken Jesse away from them. He also knew that for some reason, this Buffy girl came to town to stop it from happening to other people. And the two of them would stay with her, to help her. He hadn't been that strong. He just wanted to leave it that day.
He almost wished they could go back to those summer days when they were children. When the three of them were his younger siblings.
When they would jump on his back and run circles around him. When she would crawl into his lap during scary movies and hide her face in his shoulder. When the boys would come to him and ask him to play basketball. When they would look at him with shining eyes and he could see the hope and promise in them.
But that changed with Jesse's passing. They were so different, but the same. She was still innocent, he was still goofy, and they remained the closest of friends. But there was something else there, something he wanted gone. A hardened edge had developed in their attitudes. The hope in their eyes died and they looked at the world for what it was. They tried to cover it up with jokes and smiles, but he could see the bitterness welling up in them. The world had lied, and Jesse paid the cost.
He should have stayed with them. Maybe he would have been able to preserve some of that hope and promise in them. Maybe he could have spared them the reality of the world and they could have lived their lives in ignorant bliss. But again, he hadn't seen it coming. None of them had. And that's what made things so hard sometimes. That he couldn't change it. For all the strength in him, he couldn't make the world right for them again. No one could.
Maybe staying to fight alleviated the guilt they felt. He knew Xander was damn near crippled with Jesse's passing. Maybe he felt like Brock felt, like he had let his friends down. Perhaps staying offered them a chance to fight back against the darkness that invaded their world. To make sure no one else was shattered by the harsh reality of the world. Who knows? Maybe they just wanted to kill as many of them as they could, for revenge. He wished they had come with him. They could have convinced their parents or even just left without their consent. Brock doubted that either pair would care their child was missing. That's the way it had always been. That's why those two were always at his house. That's why they loved him so much. Because he and his family did care. They cared a lot and they always made sure the two knew that. Brock wondered what happened after his parents moved away. Who looked after them? Who cared for them? Who worried about them and told them they were important? Maybe that friend Buffy of theirs and that librarian they had a strange attachment to. He was at Jesse's memorial too. The blonde, Buffy, hadn't been there. She was in LA, but the British librarian was there. He offered comfort to them, but they only clung to one another. The one thing that had been constant in their lives was their friendship. Brock hoped it would last them forever. He hated to see what the loss of that friendship would do to them. They both might cease to exist.
Cordelia had been there too. He was surprised; the brunette was always so cruel to all three of them. She shamefully flirted with him whenever he was home, but she treated his siblings like crap. But she was there at the service, for comfort as well. It was bizarre, like he had stepped into an alternate universe where Miss Prom Queen felt human emotions. Maybe that was harsh, but he had seen the effects of her torment up close. But they seemed to have forgiven her, so who was he to stick his nose into it?
He left right after the service. His parents left the week after.
He never actually thought he was leaving them alone. They had each other, they had these new friends, they would be all right. They would have to be. There was nothing he could do until they left that place. But they never did leave it. Didn't even consider it after they graduated. They were determined to stay and he knew he couldn't change their minds. They were after all stubborn things. He knew that, he did grow up with them you know.
He lost contact with them afterwards. They just didn't keep in touch, but they probably should have. They would have been so proud to know he made it here in the WWE. They would have been ecstatic. They would have jumped for joy and done the happy dance. He missed the happy dance. No one could do it like they did it. The two of them practically made it into a Broadway production. He really did miss them all these years.
And he knew he should have kept in touch because now she was here, in his arms. It had been a shock to see her standing behind him, with this hopeful look on her face. Almost like she was praying he would remember her. How could he forget her? Sure, she looked different. Her hair was dyed an unnatural red, her clothes were different and her whole posture was changed. Gone was the innocence, replaced only with knowledge and pain. Ignorance really was bliss you know.
He had leapt up from the table and taken her up in his arms.
He knew the others were staring, trying to figure out what was going on. But he didn't care, she was here. All that mattered right now was her.
He could tell she was crying. It tore at his heart. He was mixed with feelings of joy at her presence and anger at her pain. He wanted to end it immediately, to once again make her that little girl who would smile and giggle with him all day. But that would have to wait. Right now, he was holding her and she was crying into his shoulder. And nothing else even penetrated.
"Willow!"
Sniffling and then the reply.
"Hello Brock."
***
She felt silly. She didn't want to be crying in front of all these people, but she couldn't help herself. She was with Brock once again. Her older brother. Well not her older brother, biologically he was only Jesse's brother. But in reality, he was hers. He was her protector, the one who could handle her at her worst. He was that feeling of safety and care she had been stumbling to find after Buffy's death.
He was hugging her pretty hard. Soon she was going to have to struggle out of his arms, she wasn't going to be able to breathe much longer. She saw the other wrestlers at the table staring at them in shock. She ignored them, she had Brock now. Nothing else mattered.
"Okay, need oxygen," she rasped out finally. He startled for a second before dropping her to her feet. Once on the ground, she took a deep breath before turning her head upwards. Looking into his eyes, she just wanted to start crying all over again. It had been too long, far too long, since they last saw each other. Why she had let it happen, she didn't know. But it did, and now it was an electric shock to her system.
He was looking at her carefully, eyes looking directly into hers. He picked out a problem. He always knew when something was wrong. She had never been able to hide that from him. Whether it was Cordelia's taunts or her parents' lack of interest, he always knew.
"What happened?" were the next words out of his mouth. She gave him a little smile before peeking over at the wrestlers behind him. He followed her gaze and then seemed to remember they were there.
"Can we talk in private?" she whispered to him. She didn't particularly like the way they were all staring. Made her extremely uncomfortable. Didn't matter how much she had changed in the past few years, Willow still wasn't one to handle attention well. Her face was going red, she knew it.
Brock looked back and smiled at her. Obviously taking pity on her, he led her away from the table without another word. She could hear the others break out into curious whispers. A couple of guys leered at the two of them as they walked by. One glare from Brock sent them on their way. She gave a chuckle at that. Even now he was still scaring away harassers. Some things just didn't change. He led her into a locker room and shut the door behind him. She sat herself down on a bench, waiting patiently for him to start.
"I like your hair," he offered finally. She was a little stunned, she hadn't been expecting that. Her hands went up to her hair and then she realized. Brock hadn't seen her for years, he wasn't used to this. He still remembered when she left it long and uncut, like a little girl. Probably because she had been a little girl.
"Oh yeah," she giggled, tugging on a strand. "It's a lot different than it used to be."
He grinned at her, tugging on a strand of his own. His eyes roamed her face and her body. Not in a sexual way, but in an appraising way. Like he was trying to fit this image of her to the one he had locked away in his mind all these years. She knew it was a drastic change. She had been all fuzzy sweaters and floral skirts before.
She might still have floral skirts, she wasn't sure, but the sweaters were all gone. She had gotten rid of them after Joyce died. That day she hadn't been able to find one shirt or sweater that looked like it belonged to an adult. She didn't know why that bugged her so much, it just did. She threw all of them out the next day and went shopping. She filled her closet with tight pants, low cut shirts, miniskirts, high-heeled boots, peasant blouses, and anything adult she could get her hands on. She was a very different Willow now.
"What happened?" he asked again, as if coming out of a stupor. "Is it Xander? Did something happen to him?-"
"No!" she interrupted. "No, Xander is fine. He's great in fact. Engaged too."
"Engaged?" Brock repeated. "Is that why you're so upset? Xander's getting married?"
"Nah, over that," she assured him with a smile. "That whole puppy love thing between me and Xander is way over. I'm happy for him, really I am. Anya loves him, she's a bit weird, but she loves him."
Brock nodded slowly.
"It's just that when I left you were still in love with him," he chuckled. "Did he ever figure that out?"
"Eventually," she giggled. "It took him until senior year, but he figured it out. There was a slight blow-up and he ended up breaking up with Cordelia-"
"Cordelia?" Brock interrupted in disbelief. "Cordelia Chase?"
"I know," she smirked at him. "It's hard to believe. But that's not the reason. Xander is just fine with his life as it is, and I'm happy for him."
"Why are you here?" Brock pushed gently. "Not that it's not good to see you again, but why Willow? What happened? And I know something happened, so don't even try to lie to me about it."
She sighed and looked down at her hands. Still observant as ever, he knew right away something was wrong. She could feel tears prickling her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Willow?" he lifted her chin up and looked right into her eyes.
"Tell me what's wrong Little One," he pleaded. "Maybe I can help."
"Buffy's dead!"
There, the revelation just spilled from her lips. Tears overflowed and she was crying once again. She felt his wrap his arms around her and pull her into his lap. She buried her face in his chest, just like she used to when they watched scary movies. And she just cried while telling him the entire story. When it was out, she had no energy left. It was like she was drained to the point of exhaustion. Her eyelids were threatening to fall and she couldn't bring her head up.
Eventually she just closed her eyes and settled against him. Brock rocked her in his arms until the sobs faded away and then stroked her hair as she sniffled. Slowly, her mind shut down and Willow fell asleep.
***
Brock stared down at the little girl in his arms. No, the woman in his arms. Willow was all grown up, and he had missed it. You know, he always knew he would, but now being confronted with it, it was incredibly painful. Buffy was dead. Willow had lost another loved one and where the hell had he been? He didn't even keep in contact, he should have at least done that much. But he didn't bother, told himself he didn't have the time. But there was no justification for it. She needed him and he was off being an asshole.
Brock sighed and shifted her off his lap gently. He reached for some of his shirts, bundling them up into a pillow for her. He eased her down, stretching her on the bench. The shirts went under her head and he let her go. She shifted a little in her sleep but then stilled. Brock just sat across from her, watching carefully. What would they do now? She had come to him for something. Safety, care, something over than feeling the pain of loss? Who knew, she just came to him. It made him feel a bit better, that she had come to him. At least she still thought of him, respected him on some level. Brock only hoped he could provide Willow with whatever she came looking for.
He leaned back against the wall, thoughts in a jumble. He would have to get her a pass for a while. He didn't know how long she wanted to be with him, his subconscious yelling at him to make it a long time. He could convince her to stay with him for a while. After all, it didn't look like she had anywhere else to be.
His thoughts were interrupted with the arrival of his agent, Paul Heyman. Paul took one look at the redhead on the bench and turned to Brock with a disapproving look.
"Not what you think," Brock spoke up before he could even open his mouth. "She's family. "
"Why is she sleeping on your locker room bench?" Paul prompted. Brock shrugged.
"She was tired."
"And when will she wake up?" Paul continued. "Because you do have a match, in fact you have the first match-up for the night. We're up in about thirty minutes. Will your friend be done her nap by then?"
Brock just shrugged again. He didn't feel like explaining the dynamics of his relationship with Willow to his agent. He felt tired already, like Willow's cry had drained the energy out of both of them. He rubbed his forehead while rising to his feet.
"I have to go talk to Vince," Brock informed him. Paul opened his mouth to protest, but Brock interrupted him once again.
"I have to get her an extended pass," he explained. "She's going to stay with me for a while. Stay with her and if she wakes up, tell her I'll be right back."
Paul frowned and nodded begrudgingly. Brock sighed and made for the door. He was about to slip out when he turned back to Paul.
"Don't try anything Paul," he warned the greasy man. "I'll kill you if you do."
And then he left the room.
***
"Wanna hear something interesting?"
Jeff Hardy looked up as Trish Stratus poked her head into the locker room. He exchanged an amused glance with his brother Matt.
Trish came to gossip.
"What?" Lita finally asked, eyes twinkling. The redhead too was amused with her blonde friend. Trish had come a long way from that bitch no one liked or trusted, but she still had some bad habits. Like being a compulsive gossiper. It had gotten her into plenty of trouble with some of the other people on the roster, but the blonde just couldn't help herself.
"Well, it seems that the monster Brock Lesnar has a soft side," Trish announced, bouncing into the room.
"Meaning?" Matt prodded.
"Meaning this redhead walked up to him backstage and he hugged the daylights out of her," Trish continued gleefully. "And it was all teary and stuff. The girl was crying and Brock actually gave a nice smile at the sight of her."
"Brock smiled?" Lita repeated incredulously. "Well, that is news. Are you sure its for real?"
"I saw it," Trish assured her. "The girl was a tiny little thing and real pretty. Maybe she's his girlfriend or something."
"Are you telling me you saw Brock Lesnar act like a human of sorts?" Jeff demanded. "I don't believe it."
"Believe it," Trish shot back. "Half the lunch room saw it. Brock might just be part human after all."
Jeff continued to shake his head.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he disagreed. "I personally don't think Brock is any part human."
"You're just bitter because he likes to beat you up," Lita teased him.
"Sorry, but I can't help it that that pisses me off," Jeff shot back, making a face at his friend. Lita just giggled at him before turning to back to Trish.
"So does this mysterious girl have a name?"
Trish nodded.
"Willow," she confided in them. "I heard him shout it when he saw her."
"Willow, huh?" Jeff mused. "That's a pretty name."
***
Brock sighed as he let himself out of Vince's office. It had taken some convincing, but he had gotten Willow a backstage pass for an indefinite amount of time. The only stipulation was the Vince wanted to meet the girl. Probably wanted to know if he could exploit some back-story involving the redhead. Little did he know that Brock would sooner kill him then let the man take advantage of Willow. If she wanted to hang around, get in front of the cameras a bit, that was totally up to her. No one was going to force his sister to do anything she didn't want to.
Yeah, he was well aware that Willow wasn't his actual sister, but that didn't matter. She was his little sister in everyway that counted. Her and Xander were family, despite the alienation of the past few years. And they would always be family. Brock made his way back to his locker room. Spying a leggy blonde heading his way, Brock nearly sighed in relief. That was another problem solved.
"Stacy," he stopped the blonde's progress. "Can I ask you a favour?"
Her eyes widened and he winced at his choice of words.
"Not that kind," he assured her quickly. "I have a guest with me and my match is up first. The problem is that she fell asleep in the locker room and I don't want to leave her alone. Paul and I have to go to ringside and I was wondering if you could just stay with her?"
Stacy looked at him suspiciously.
"Who is this guest?" the blonde demanded, arms crossed at her chest.
"My little sister," Brock answered without blinking. "And I just need someone to stay with her while I'm out there. Please?"
Her eyes widened again. Brock realized he was probably ruining his badass image, but he didn't care. Not when it came to Willow. He didn't give a rat's ass what he would have to compromise to keep her safe. Even being nice to people.
Stacy thought about it and then finally nodded. He actually smiled in relief. That shocked her again and Brock couldn't help but laugh. Maybe he was too uptight if a smile from him was an event for shock.
"Thanks," he nodded in the direction of his locker room. "It's this way."
***
"Here comes the monster," Jeff announced, settling down in front of the monitor. His friends gathered around to watch Paul Heyman walk Brock Lesnar down to ringside.
"I don't see a redhead," Jeff continued, turning his head to stare meaningfully at Trish.
"She's here!" the blonde insisted. "I saw her! And if you really don't believe me, ask the APA. They saw her too."
Jeff rolled his eyes at the woman who was currently sticking her tongue out at him.
"If she's here, then where is she?" Jeff needled. "You don't leaved guests unattended back here. And who the hell would watch her for Brock?"
Trish frowned and sat a bit straighter.
"She's here," she mumbled insistently. "I don't know where, but she's here."
Jeff nodded his head.
"Sure she is."
***
When Willow opened her eyes again, she was more than a little disoriented. Her eyes took in the bundle of shirts that had constituted her pillow and the long wooden bench that had been her bed. She burrowed her brow in confusion. Where was she?
"Oh, good, you're awake."
The redhead turned her head to the sound of the voice. There was a very pretty blonde woman sitting on a chair opposite of her. She was really tall, mostly due to her extremely long legs that were well on display because of her tiny skirt.
"Where's Brock?" Willow mumbled, pushing herself into a sitting position.
"Oh, he has a match right now," the blonde filled in. "He asked me to stay with you while he was out there. I'm Stacy by the way."
That last part seemed to be added as an afterthought. Willow smiled and accepted the extended hand.
"I'm Willow," she introduced herself, shaking the woman's hand firmly.
"Brock's little sister," Stacy nodded. "I didn't realize that Brock had a little sister. Didn't realize that Brock was related to humans. Oh, sorry, that last part just came out."
Willow laughed it off.
"No apologies necessary," she assured the girl. "I've watched the show. I've seen the way he acts. But, will he be back soon?"
"I think so," Stacy motioned behind her. "Match is almost over."
Willow turned and took in the television set behind her. She moved up closer and settled down to watch the match in earnest. Stacy got up and joined her. Both girls watched in a companionable silence.
***
Brock waited patiently in the ring as the ref came to raise his hand. He looked down at the unconscious figure of RVD and realized something. He took no satisfaction in this victory. All his thoughts were focused on the lost little girl in his locker room. He just wanted to get back there to her, try and work something out. He wanted her to stay with him for a while. Long enough so that he would know that she would be okay.
Paul came into the ring. Brock allowed his to raise his hand, to show off to the crowd. Brock gave the fans the barest of glances, raising his fists into the air. They loved to hate him, he loved to rile them. Wouldn't they be surprised to find out he's human after all?
Deciding that was enough showboating, Brock turned to exit the ring. Static burst out across the speakers and the GTV logo appeared on the titantron. Brock stared up at it in confusion. What could GTV be showing during his match? Willow!
The image on screen took place. Sure enough, there was Willow sleeping on the locker room bench. Her mouth was turned downwards in a slight frown. He knew she wasn't having a nightmare per say, but the dream itself wasn't pleasant. Brock watched in interest as Paul came on screen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his agent trying to slip between the ropes. On pure instinct, Brock shot out an arm and restrained him. His attention turned back to the screen. Paul seemed to be stalking the sleeping girl. Horrified, Brock watched as the man stretched out a hand to fondle the girl while she slept. Brock watched as Paul's hand traveled over her neck, her breasts, her midsection, and finally her legs. It was the barest of touches. Willow stirred uncomfortably at the contact but remained asleep. Paul had the most disgusting leer on his face as he looked down upon Willow.
The image cut out and left the audience booing the perverted agent. Brock didn't hear any of it. He turned to his agent, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Now Brock," Paul pleaded. "Let me explain-"
Brock snatched him by the throat, cutting off his words. Paul's eyes widened and he knew he was in for it.
***
"God, Heyman is so disgusting!" Lita declared, making a face at the image of Paul fondling a sleeping girl.
"Um guys?" Trish called for attention. "That's her."
"Her who?" Matt asked.
"The redhead," Trish clarified. "Willow."
"You mean that's Brock's precious visitor?" Edge asked, leaning in closer to get a better look at the girl.
"Yeah," Trish confirmed. "And Brock doesn't look too happy with Heyman right now."
Jeff's head swung back to the screen. He watched as Brock put a chokehold on Heyman.
"Looks like the slime ball is going to get his," Matt shrugged. Jeff nodded, watching the screen intently.
About damn time.
***
Willow felt so violated. She watched as the man who her brother had trusted fondled her while she slept. It made her stomach churn. Willow could literally feel the bile coming up her throat.
"Disgusting!" came the exclamation from Stacy. "Heyman is the most disgusting low life on this planet!"
"I agree," Willow choked out. This was not how things were supposed to go. She just came to see Brock, not get to sexually assaulted in her sleep.
"Don't worry," Stacy assured her, patting Willow's shoulder. "Brock will take care of it. I've seen how he is about you. Heyman is going to get his just desserts."
Willow merely nodded, eyes never leaving the monitor.
***
Brock never felt so angry in all his life. Never. He couldn't remember one thing that compared to this.
"My sister!" he shouted at the terrified Heyman. "You dare do that to my sister! I warned you, didn't I Paul? I said don't try anything with my sister! You disgusting, bottom-dwelling piece of trash!"
Paul couldn't say anything in response. Probably because of the chokehold Brock currently had him in. But Brock didn't care. He had enough of listening to Paul Heyman, doing what the man ordered. Heyman crossed a line that no one could come back from. Not for Brock anyway.
He lifted the man up onto his shoulders. He gazed out at the crowd before spinning the creep around and down. Throwing him onto the mat with force, Brock listened gleefully to the sounds of Paul's cries of pain. He planted his boot in the man's back and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"You stay the hell away from me and from Willow," he warned him. "Because next time Paul, it won't be a power bomb, won't be a suplex. Next time, I'll just plain kill you."
With that, the monster Brock Lesnar left his former agent writhing in pain at centre stage. He made his way up the ramp, fists still clenching in anger. Willow had come to him for safety. And she was going to get that safety. Even if he had to kill everyone on the goddamn roster to get it for her.
***
"Little worm!" Brock declared, stomping into his locker room. "Disgusting little toad! I ought to back out there and rip his balls off! Hey, not a bad idea."
Brock made to go again when Stacy stopped him.
"Don't you think that's overdoing it?" the blonde asked nervously. "You got to remember that Paul has Vince on his side. Vince may or may not let that attack go by, but another is impossible."
"Don't care!" Brock spat out, eyes turning on the woman. Stacy seemed to shrink into herself at his gaze. The large man recognized the fear there and tried to calm himself. He turned back around, punching and kicking the lockers. Willow watched his display with wide eyes.
"I can't believe I trusted that pervert!" Brock continued to rave, throwing his wrestling gear across the room. Stacy remained by the door, wide eyes taking in the entire display. After a while, after he completely ravaged the locker room, Brock sat down. His chest was heaving and anger still fully gripped him. He stared down at his clenched fists, trying to reassemble some semblance of calm.
Eventually, Willow got up and sat beside him. Looking at him with sad eyes, she reached into her bag and pulled out a bag.
"Jellybeans?" she offered him. Brock snapped his head up, looking between her and the bag. Red jellybeans, his favourite. His eyes took in her innocent, wide-eyed expression. She looked like a child, biting her lip while holding the candy out to him. Brock couldn't help himself. He laughed. Brock Lesnar broke out into a fit of laughter. Stacy looked like she was going to die of shock, but he barely acknowledged it. Still laughing, he took the bag of candy from Willow and pulled the girl in for a hug.
Willow let herself be squeezed against his massive chest. She could feel the laughter vibrating through his body. She couldn't help but to start giggling herself. Very slowly, the both of them were laughing uncontrollably. Willow felt tears streak down her face. She didn't know if they were sad tears or tears from laughing so hard.
Stacy remained by the door, watching the scene unfold in confusion. The blonde folded her hands in front of her and waited impatiently for them to finish. She wasn't sure if she had been dismissed yet, didn't know what she was supposed to do. Stacy shifted uncomfortably by the door.
Willow noticed her discomfort and pulled back from Brock. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and gave him a bright smile.
"What now?"
***
"Heyman is so gross!" Lita made a face. "Imagine being that poor girl and seeing him to that to you. God, it's just beyond description."
"So, do you think she's his girlfriend?" Matt asked, watching once again as Paul handled the redhead while she slept.
"I don't know," Trish mused. "I got more of a sister vibe off her. Maybe she's family or an old friend. Cause if she was his girlfriend, I'm pretty sure I would have seen some tongue by now."
"She's pretty," was Jeff's only comment. The locker room quieted immediately as everyone turned to stare at Jeff.
"I'd get those kind of thoughts out of your head," Lita advised him. "I don't think Brock is going to like them much. And considering what he just did to Paul, I don't think it's healthy for you either."
Jeff rolled his eyes.
"I just said she was pretty," he shot back. "I didn't say I was going to hump her or anything."
"Thinking about humping?" Trish asked innocently, batting her lashes at him.
Jeff frowned at her.
"Grow up."
***
"No way."
Willow gave Brock a strange look.
"What are you talking about?" she asked him. Brock gestured to her motel room.
"No way are you staying here," he clarified.
"How come?" Willow asked, confused. She gave her room a glance and couldn't find anything wrong with it.
"It's a dump!" Brock declared. "Yeesh, it looks it hasn't been cleaned in years. I don't even want to see the bathroom."
"Well, it's all I can afford," Willow muttered defensively. "I spent most of my money on that backstage pass."
Brock looked down at her with a slightly reprimanding face.
"If you had phone first, you wouldn't have had to buy it," he informed her.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Willow declared. "I should just phone up the WWE headquarters and demand your number because we're all legally related and stuff."
"Fine," Brock relented. "The calling thing might have been out, but it's over now. And you are not staying here. Especially not after that look the clerk gave you. I've got half a mind to give him a F-5."
"Half is about right," Willow muttered. Brock shot her a look and mussed up her hair.
"Yuck it up," he shot back. "Acting all snotty once again. It's like I never left. Now all we need if for Xander to show up with some cutting remarks about my hair-"
"What were you thinking by the way?" she interrupted, grazing her fingers over the buzz cut. He swatted at her hand and sighed heavily.
"Big brothers can never get a break," he moaned theatrically.
"They don't deserve one," Willow retorted easily.
"Whatever," Brock rolled his eyes before pointing to her suitcase. "Pack. You're coming with me."
"Sir yes sir!" Willow barked, saluting him. Brock glared and lunged for the giggling girl. Willow ducked and raced over to her suitcases, packing obediently.
***
"Why does he want to meet me?" Willow asked nervously, shooting Brock a look upwards. Brock kept his head forward, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes roamed the hallway, shooting anyone that even looked Willow's way a glare. The redhead was well aware of what he was doing, but didn't really care. Nice to have someone worry over her, to take care of her. Even if he was overdoing it a bit.
For Brock's part, he was worried about Willow. Maybe bringing her to Vengeance wasn't the best idea in the whole world. But what could he do? Leave her in the hotel by herself? Paul might be able to corner her there and do something else. Brock had no inkling as to how far his former agent could go. He had only begun to see what a jerk he was. And he hadn't really cared before. But Paul overstepped a very serious line. No one touches Willow and lives. That was Brock's new motto. Maybe he should get it made into a shirt.
"Probably going to try and convince you to sign a contract," Brock guessed finally. "Especially after what happened with Heyman. The fans love damsel in distress storylines."
"But that wasn't a storyline, that was for real," Willow protested, frowning slightly.
"They know that," Brock assured her. "But they also know that we're here to entertain. And after GTV gave them a sample of you, it's entirely possible that they want more of you."
"But I was sleeping the whole time!" Willow objected. "How can they want more of me? I was sleeping and then some creep felt me up. How is that entertainment?"
Brock's eyes darkened at the mention of the incident. He wrapped an arm around Willow and pulled the redhead close.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he assured her. "In fact, the only thing you have to do is meet with Vince. That's the only way I could get the visitor's pass."
Willow scrunched up her nose distastefully.
"I hope he doesn't try and trick me into something," she mused. "Because I'm not as good at mind games as I used to be."
"You were ever?" Brock needled her. "My little Willow, playing with people's minds. I don't see it."
"Well, you weren't there," Willow stuck her tongue out at him. "You didn't see me in true form. Before Buffy-"
She faltered over her words at that point. Willow looked down at her toes and tried to blink back the tears in her eyes. Brock tightened his hold on her, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Composing herself, she turned back to him.
"I can almost talk about her without crying," she sniffled.
"Take your time," he told her. "You don't have to talk about Buffy yet if you don't want to."
Willow nodded and leaned her head against his side. They continued down the hallway in a companionable silence.
"So," she started suddenly. "Vince is like very important, right?"
***
"Guess who I just saw?" Trish chirped, skipping into the locker room. Jeff raised a brow at her, eyeing her skipping pointedly.
"The Wizard of Oz?" he asked innocently. Trish stopped her skipping immediately and stuck her tongue out at Jeff.
"Not funny," she protested, pouting slightly. "Just for that, I'm not telling you about the latest Willow sighting."
"There was a Willow sighting?" Lita asked, coming into the room with Matt and Edge in tow. "And just where was the elusive Willow this evening?"
"She was walking with Brock down the hallway," Trish supplied happily. "I think they were on their way to see Vince."
"How would you know that?" Jeff demanded. "Trish, were you eavesdropping?"
"No," Trish protested vehemently. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to be there to overhear that Brock and Willow were on their way to see Vince. And the little redhead was worried about something or the other. For a second I thought the poor baby was going to cry."
"Cry?" Jeff repeated, frowning. "She scared of Paul or something?"
Trish smirked at him.
"Awfully interested in her aren't we?" she teased him. Jeff shot her a look.
"Just helping the gossip along its way," he retorted. "Besides, you're probably going to tell us all why anyway."
"I actually don't know," Trish shrugged.
"You don't know," Lita repeated. "This coming from the nosiest diva on the whole roster. If you don't know, then nobody will know."
Trish frowned at her laughing friends.
"I swear, I'm so under appreciated," the blonde pouted. "Next time, I just won't say anything."
"Yeah right," Matt chuckled. "Face it Trish, you're a gossip addict. Maybe you should look into therapy."
"Maybe you should look into hospitals," Trish growled at him. "Cause I'm about to put you in one!"
Matt dodged the irate blonde's blows, coming to hide behind his girlfriend. Trish stopped and gave him a look.
"Coward," she muttered before plopping down next to Jeff.
"Not that we don't enjoy the displays of outright violence and general rowdiness," Edge interrupted with a chuckle. "But don't the ladies have the first match of the night?"
Both divas yelped and raced out the door. Jeff watched them go with a grin before turning to Edge.
"When they realize that the show hasn't started yet, you're so going to get it," Jeff told him. The blonde ma shrugged.
"Being mauled by two scantily clad women," Edge laughed, mischievous glint to his eyes. "I would so hate for that to happen."
"Speaking of hurting," Matt turned to his brother in concern. "You're not getting a crush on Brock's redhead, are you?"
"So what if I was?" Jeff muttered defensively, eyes avoiding Matt's for the moment.
"Then that would be bad news," Edge put in. "Cause then Brock would kill you and Matt would no longer have a tag partner."
"I'm with Blondie," Matt nodded. "Brock will kill you if you express any interest in his redhead. Just look at what he did to Heyman."
"Heyman groped the girl in her sleep," Jeff frowned. "And since I don't plan on sexually assaulting her, I think I'll be okay."
"Don't be too sure about it little brother," Matt warned him, concern evident in his eyes. "Because that monster has tried to rip you in half for no reason at all. Imagine if you provoked him? Things would turn ugly."
Jeff nodded, agreeing with their assessment. But that still didn't stop his thoughts from drifting to the redheaded mystery making her way to Vince's office.
***
"Very nice to meet you."
Willow gave a nervous little smile before reaching out to accept the outstretched hand.
"Likewise," she murmured, trying to shake off the feeling she got at the man's stare. It wasn't perverted or anything, Vince probably knew better than that with Brock standing right next to her. It was like he was trying to see right into her. To push right past her defences and see what makes her tick. And all so he could warp it all around to use it against her. Probably because that was what he was trying to do. Probably what made Vincent K. McMahon the great businessman that he was.
But that didn't mean he was any sort of great human being. Willow scolded herself for that thought. She didn't even know Vince enough to make that kind of judgement about him. But she couldn't help but feel it was true.
"I won't bother dancing around the issue," Vince began abruptly. "I saw the reaction you got from the fans on Smackdown, and I for one liked it. You could be very good for ratings Willow, and I want you to know that I'm interested in having you on my roster."
"With all due respect sir, I have no place on a wrestling roster," Willow responded truthfully, staring Vince straight in the eyes. "I don't know the first thing about this business."
"A lot of people don't," Vince informed her. "And half the divas on the show don't belong in a wrestling ring. But that doesn't mean much of anything to me. If you can get a good response from the fans, I don't care if you even walk in a straight line."
"Well, that's awfully callous of you," Willow stuttered, turning shocked eyes up to Brock. The large man just grinned at her before turning to address Vince.
"Willow doesn't do anything she doesn't want to," he stated firmly. "I don't care whether or not you want the ratings. My sister does what she wants, no one can force her into anything."
Vince nodded, backing up slightly. Willow bit the insides of her mouth to keep from laughing at that. Even Vince knew enough not to mess with Brock. Her brother was quite the impressive figure around here.
"Well, how about a trial run?" Vince suggested a tad nervously. "How's about Willow walk you out to the ring tonight?"
"No way," Brock responded immediately.
"Then what is she going to be doing while you're in the ring?" Vince asked in response. "Are you going to leave her in your locker room by herself?"
Brock faltered at that, cursing himself on the inside. He knew he shouldn't have brought Willow here tonight. Willow looked between the smug face of Vince and the slightly irked face of Brock.
"I can walk you out tonight," Willow agreed hesitantly. "I don't really want to be alone in the back with that jerk Heyman walking around."
Brock looked hard at her, seeing her obvious discomfort at the thought of his former manager. He gave an inward sigh before nodding his head in agreement.
"Excellent!" Vince clapped his hands together. "You're on at the end of the night, so you pretty have the bulk of tonight to get familiar with the basics. Have a great show."
Willow figured that meant they had been dismissed. She scrambled to her feet, shuffling out of the office ahead of Brock. Once safely in the hallway, she turned to her brother.
"Is he always that . . ." she trailed off, struggling to find the right word.
"Shady, underhanded, overly sleazy?" Brock supplied, taking her by the arm and leading her down the hallway.
"Are you sure about walking me out?" he asked her seriously. "Because you can bow out if you want. I could probably get Stacy to stay with you again."
"Not necessary," she replied. "Not that I don't like Stacy, because she's surprisingly nice. Maybe because you scare the hell out of her, but whatever. Anyway, I think it would be better if I was with you out there. I don't think Stacy could mount much of a defence against that slime ball Heyman. And I'm not one for fighting anymore."
"You're probably right," Brock sighed, rubbing his neck tiredly. "And it is just RVD. He doesn't go after women, not like some of the guys. He wouldn't bother trying to come at me through you. And I guess I could convince JR and King to keep an eye on you at ringside."
"And by convince you mean threaten, am I right?" Willow needled, poking her brother teasingly in the ribs. Brock blushed, catching her finger.
"Try not to do that in public," he told her. "I have a badass image to keep."
Willow rolled her eyes.
"Badass my foot," she giggled. "You're nothing more than a giant teddy bear."
Brock scowled at her, noting that the APA were now making their way down the hallway in laughter.
"You're going to be the end of me," he growled. Willow giggled mischievously, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Promise?"
***
"She's his sister!"
Jeff looked up, momentarily confused. He turned his head sideways, regarding the curious face of Trish Stratus next to him. And then he turned back to the bouncing Torrie Wilson standing in front of him.
"They're multiplying," the younger Hardy intoned in a deadpan voice. Trish glared at him, swatting him roughly on the head.
"Shut up," she huffed. "I don't know why I put up with you."
"My keen fashion sense?" Jeff suggested lightly. A frustrated growl from Torrie returned their attention to the blonde woman.
"You're supposed to listen to me!" she whined, stomping her foot a bit. "I have gossip!"
"Well then by all means," Jeff grinned teasingly at the diva. Torrie stopped her fidgeting long enough to toss him a glare.
"I'm ignoring you now," she informed him, turning all her attention to Trish. "Well, Trish, are you interested in hearing my gossip?"
"Always," Trish returned with an excited smile.
"Willow, the mysterious redhead, who holds so much of Brock's affection, is not his girlfriend," Torrie revealed dramatically. "She's his sister."
"Sister?" Jeff repeated. "They look nothing alike!"
"So?" Torrie frowned at him. "Bubba and D-Von look nothing alike, and they're brothers. Doesn't change anything. Little Willow is Brock's baby sister."
"How did you find this out?" Trish asked curiously. Torrie shrugged, plopping down on the bench next to her friends.
"Heyman was telling everyone," the blonde explained. "In fact, he's telling anyone who will listen. Half the roster knows, and the other half will know by the end of the show."
Jeff frowned, cursing as he jumped to his feet.
"What?" Trish asked, watching him in worry.
"He's telling everyone that Willow is Brock's sister," Jeff growled. "That means anyone with a grudge against Brock will know that Willow is his sister. Which means-"
"They can get to Brock through Willow," Torrie finished for him, eyes wide as the truth dawned on her. Jeff nodded, scowling once more.
"Which means Heyman just put that girl in the line of fire."
***
"Little breaths," Willow muttered to herself. "Just take little breaths and oh my god what am I thinking?"
Brock looked down at his sister, not knowing whether to laugh or comfort her. He chose to laugh. Willow tossed him an angry glare, stomping her foot in irritation.
"Don't laugh!" she fumed. "This is serious! I forgot about my stage fright! I can't do this!"
"You forgot you have stage fright?" Brock repeated. "Did you ever think that might be because you don't have it anymore?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Willow frowned. "I'm Willow. I'll always have stage fright. It's like in my genetic makeup or something."
Brock looked down at Willow in amusement.
"You can go back to the locker room if you want," he suggested with a smile. "I can send some of the security guards with you. And have Stacy down there."
"You know, you keep just assuming that girl will do what you want," Willow glared at him. "Is she Vince's assistant or yours?"
"Will you just answer the question?" Brock asked with a sigh. "You always have to make things so difficult, ever since you were younger."
"Hey, complicated is the only way to do anything," Willow retorted, holding her chin up. "And I can so do this. I might puke on the ramp and make a complete fool of myself on national television, but I can do this."
"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked her.
"Yes," she stated, with only the slightest of stutters.
Brock grinned devilishly at her.
"Good," was all he had to say before grabbing the girl and slinging her over his shoulder. While she was sputtering and pounding on his back, Brock rather happily made his way through the curtain.
***
"And being accompanied to the ring by Willow," Lillian started to talk, stopping as she turned to look up the ramp. RVD who had been stretching next to her, also stopped dead in his tracks when he got a glimpse at the ramp. There stood Brock Lesnar with a screaming girl slung over his shoulder, a huge, genuine smile on his face. The ref was quick to nudge Lillian, signalling for the ring announcer to hurry up.
"Brock Lesnar," Lillian finally managed to finish. The blonde woman shook her head as Brock continued his way to ringside, the little redhead still slung over his shoulder. He actually tossed the ring announcer a grin as he made his way over to JR and the King. Lillian didn't know whether to be scared or flattered.
Settling for both, she gave RVD a confused look before slipping out of the ring.
By the commentators' booth, Brock finally let Willow off his shoulder. The redhead straightened, feebly punching him a few times before sticking her tongue out at him. Brock just continued to grin, turning to look at the commentators.
"Look out for my sister boys," he shouted at them, gesturing to Willow with his thumb. "She's not used to this whole deal yet."
JR and King were stunned, nodding once or twice in numbed agreement. Brock grinned wider, turning to ruffle Willow's hair before glancing at the ring. Willow glared at his back, making an exaggerated face to the back of his head. The fans roared with laughter.
Tossing the nearest camera a wink, Willow settled into the chair next to the King, shooting both men a bright smile. She accepted the headphone and mic that JR offered her, eyes going to the ring.
"Hey boys," she greeted them, eyes on her brother and his opponent circling each other in the ring. She heard JR and King return her greeting, not seeing how the King turned at winked at JR, motioning to her with his head. JR frowned at his colleague, pointing at Brock in the ring.
"Even you're not that crazy," JR stated simply before turning his attention back to the ring. "And this guarantees to be one hell of a match ladies and gentlemen. We are joined at ringside by Willow, who as far as I know, is the younger sister of Brock Lesnar."
"Then you know all there is to know JR," Willow returned with a sweet smile. "That's my bro in there."
"You don't look a thing a like," the King mused. "I mean, you're gorgeous and he's some sort of well, something other than human."
Willow grinned at that, not even taking offence to King's remark.
"Well King, family's something that comes from the inside," she shrugged. "Not the outside."
JR nodded, smiling to himself.
"Now that is wisdom."
***
"She's cute."
Jeff tore his eyes off the screen to glance at Lita.
"Huh?"
"She's cute," the redhead repeated, joining Jeff in front of the monitor. The younger Hardy had been glued to the screen ever since Willow and Brock had come out. His friends would have made fun of him for it, but they were too busy being distracted by the sight of a smiling, happy Brock Lesnar. No there was something one doesn't see everyday.
"What do you mean?" he asked, still a little confused on where Lita was going with this.
"She's adorable," Lita continued, pointing at Willow who was currently joking around with JR and the King, helping Jerry Lawler make fun of Brock's haircut. "I mean, she makes Brock act human, totally charms anyone she comes across, and she seems so sweet," Lita shrugged. "I think I kind of like her. Just have to meet her now."
"Like that is going to happen," Matt rolled his eyes. "She's been here all day and Brock's kept her locked up in his dressing room. I don't think he's all for letting anyone else within three feet of her."
"He left her down there with JR and King," Jeff protested.
"Probably more out of necessity than out of choice," Trish put in. "It's either take her to ringside or leave her backstage by herself. And after what Heyman pulled, what do you think he would do?"
The rest of the room nodded, mumbling their agreement. Jeff shrugged, turning back to the ring to watch Brock and Rob duke it out. Willow could be heard off camera, still making fun of Brock's haircut. He smiled to himself at that. Lita was right. She sure was cute.
Now if only thinking that wasn't hazardous to his health.
TBC . . .