CHANGES OF HEART

SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT, MARCH 18TH, 2001

Matt, Jeff and Lita sat around a table in the hotel, playing poker. Jeff was sitting across from Lita and they stared at each other intensely, both without expression.

Suddenly, Jeff snapped and slammed his cards down. "Fine, Lita. You win. I’ll go talk to her."

"Okay," Lita replied slowly.

"You’re right, okay? You’re right. I care about her. But this is the last time."

Lita smiled at him. "You won’t regret it, Jeff."

"Yeah, I hope not," Jeff mused. "So, where is she now? If I was Chris Benoit, where would I hide?"

"The arena," Matt and Lita said together.

"Right," Jeff agreed. "I guess I’ll see you later." He picked up the key and left the room.

Matt and Lita stared at each other for a while. At the same time, their hands snaked down and slammed onto Jeff’s cards.

"Okay, you do it," Matt laughed.

Lita smiled back at him and uncovered the cards. "Oh, I don’t believe it."

Matt took a look. "The little jerk won the round."

Lita grinned, then reached for the money in the middle. She divided it in two and gave half to Matt. "Not anymore."

Matt smiled back at her. "I guess we’ll thank Angel later."

* * * *

A messenger arrived at the locker room with something for Benoit. He took it and immediately turned to Angel. "Your costume’s here. Put it on."

"My what?"

"Your costume. You’re my valet. It’s time you started dressing like it."

Angel formed her scowl. "Show me."

Benoit unfolded the piece of clothing. It was a tiny tube top with the words ‘Prove Me Wrong’ printed across it.

Angel shook her head slowly. "No. I won’t wear that."

"Yes, you will."

"No. I’d rather go topless."

Benoit shrugged. "If that’s what you want."

Glaring at him, Angel grabbed the top away and walked silently behind the screen in the locker room. When she was dressed, she stepped out in front of a full-length mirror and examined her reflection expressionlessly.

"Good seamstress," she said at last. "Shame about the slogan."

"So it passes the test?" Benoit asked.

"No, it doesn’t. But I guess I have to wear it."

Benoit smirked. "Okay. Then we’re ready to go."

Angel nodded and followed him from the room. "You’re just damn lucky I look hot in it. Otherwise I would go topless."

* * * *

‘Shooter’ played and they made their entrance, then waited in the ring for Benoit’s opponent to arrive. When he did, Angel turned back to Benoit.

"You didn’t tell me you were facing Broccoli Boy."

Benoit was focused on Haku. "You didn’t ask. Why, is he a friend of yours?"

"No. That means I’ll enjoy watching the two of you kicking the crap out of each other. More than usual, that is." With that, she rolled from the ring.

Something was different. It was almost as though the spirit of the ‘Prove Me Wrong’ tube top had possessed her. She cringed when Haku scored a takedown and nodded approval when it was Benoit’s turn. She even caught herself almost applauding after the typical trio of German suplexes. When Benoit missed his flying headbutt she actually clawed at the apron as Haku took the advantage. Finally, after a reversed clothesline, Benoit locked on the crossface and Haku tapped out.

Angel climbed into the ring next to Benoit and nodded at him. She couldn’t explain it, but there it was. He’d just won a match against a man Angel hated no more than Benoit, and yet she was glad. She stared at him in utter bewilderment as he smirked back at her. It was almost as though he could hear her thoughts. Benoit rolled from the ring and Angel thought about following him, but he was back in a minute and he had a chair.

"Here," he said coolly, handing it to Angel and looking over at Haku’s fallen body. "I know you want to."

"What?" Angel asked with a frown.

"That Tongan Death Grip on your friends a few weeks ago. I know you want revenge."

Angel’s mouth dropped open as she remembered. How did Benoit know about that?

"I watch everyone’s matches," he explained before she could ask. "That way I know exactly where to beat them. Now, hit him." He let go of the chair so Angel now held it alone. "Hit him."

As if in a trance, Angel peered down at Haku as Benoit made sure the ref didn’t interfere. Groaning, Haku looked back at her and spotted the chair. He exclaimed something in Tongan, but Angel was staring at his eyes. He looked so scared. Scared of a girl with a chair.

"Hit him."

Haku couldn’t get up. The crossface had injured him badly. He needed medical attention.

"Hit him!"

Haku had knocked Matt and Jeff out using his bare hands, and yet here he lay, just as helpless as they had been. He might not have been Angel’s friend, but he was still a man. Angel slowly turned back to Benoit.

"No."

"I said hit him!"

"No," she repeated, even more emphatically.

"Do it!"

"No!" They were both getting louder. Benoit’s face was red and the veins in his neck bulged.

"I told you to do it!"

"No!"

"Little girl…"

"NO!" Angel screamed.

At that moment, someone grabbed her by the arm. By the time he said her name and the voice registered, it was too late. At his touch, she immediately spun and the chair cracked across his skull. He fell to the canvas with a sickening thus and did not move. Angel immediately dropped the chair and it bounced off his head. She stood over his body, not knowing quite what to do. It wasn’t Haku, of course. It was Jeff.

She just stood there, staring down at him, unable to move, unable to speak. She was in shock. She was hyperventilating. And then Benoit was carrying her away and she was letting him, because of the power of what she’d down. She’d hurt Jeff, hurt him real bad. And this time, there was no excuse. She’d meant to hit him, and she had.