TIME FOR REVENGE

JUDGMENT DAY, MAY 20TH, 2001

"Enough suplexes!" Angel cried. "Let's scratch match."

Benoit released the waistlock. "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you have a match tonight you should prepare for and taking me on is going to do you a hell of a lot more good than suplex after frigging suplex."

Benoit raised his eyebrows. "That's what you think."

Angel sighed. "Just bring it on, jackass. What's the matter? You afraid of a little girl?"

Benoit scowled, then ran at her. She raised her knee and slammed it into his abdomen, then went for momentum off the ropes.

"Hold it! You're not starting 'til I get there."

Benoit raised his head. "Y2J. What the hell are you doing?"

Angel broke into a grin, then climbed out of the ring and threw her arms around him. "Hiya, Jerky."

Jericho held her close and whispered in her ear. "Have you told him?"

"You know, I thought I'd let it be a surprise. He already has Kurt to worry about."

"Coward," Jericho accused.

"Screw you," Angel scowled, before they broke apart and grinned at each other.

"Bitch! Get your ass back in the ring. I don't have time for this."

Angel sighed but climbed back in, not knowing that Jericho was following her.

"Jericho, I asked what the hell you're doing," Benoit snapped.

"I'm thinking triple threat," Jericho replied, pacing around. "Are the two of you up for it?"

Angel grinned. "Anything you can dish out, buddy."

Jericho nodded, then turned to Benoit. "You, junior? It'll be a real challenge before you meet Kirk tonight."

Benoit nodded. "Okay. Triple threat."

"Alright," Angel grinned. "You two start off. I'll jump in to break the cover." She climbed from the ring and stood in the corner. "Come on, Jericho!"

Benoit and Jericho circled each other, then locked up. Benoit forced Jericho into the corner, but was stopped with a knife-edge chop. He returned in kind, but then Jericho ducked it and pushed Benoit away, before hitting him with a spinning heel kick. Benoit hit the deck, then scrambled to his feet, just in time to hear the distinct slapping of a tag being made. He spun quickly, straight into a hard right from the little bitch. He felt his legs falling out from under him and then she grabbed him and brought him down for a DDT. Next, she rolled him over and made the cover, but he kicked out quickly. She grabbed him, sent him for a bulldog and again made the cover. He kicked out and, frustrated, she scooped him up, whipped him into the corner, then tagged in Jericho.

"Poetry In Motion," Angel whispered.

Jericho nodded, ran towards Benoit, then dropped to his hands and knees. Angel springboarded off his back, then slammed her legs into Benoit's face. He fell forward, but Angel and Jericho carried him over in a double hiptoss. Angel grinned, then climbed out to let Jericho take over.

Jericho hit the suplex, then went for the lionsault. He started to make the cover, then changed his mind and turned to the corner. "Rogue?"

She was eagerly hanging over the ropes, beckoning for the tag. Jericho leaped over and let her in so she immediately climbed up top.

"Swanton Bomb!" she screamed and then she took off. Her back hit Benoit; she hooked his legs and one…two…

Bam! Benoit threw her aside.

"Just stay down already!" she cried, leaping up and going for momentum off the ropes. She flew and took him down with a headlock, which also winded her.

"Come on, Rogue," Jericho called. "Come on."

Her lungs heaving, she crawled towards the sound of his voice.

"That's it, baby. You're almost there."

Suddenly, Benoit leaped onto her back ad locked on the crossface.

"Argh!" she cried out as panicked thoughts filled her mind. 'Where's the rope? Where's the rope?'

She frantically reached for it with her right hand and grabbed…rope! She was on the rope!

"Let her go, Benoit, she's got the rope."

Benoit scowled up at Jericho and reluctantly released the hold. Angel quickly slipped from his grasp and flew through the air, her hand crashing against Jericho's.

Y2J was quickly in the mix, sending Benoit for the Irish whip, then scoring the flying clothesline. He then bundled Benoit up in a neutral corner as Angel caught her breath, then went up top again.

"Jerky! Whip him my way!"

A whip, a fly, a hurricanrana. Benoit was down and Angel quickly vacated the ring as Jericho grabbed his legs, then turned him over into the Walls Of Jericho. Benoit tried to struggle to the ropes, but Jericho simply dragged him back again. Tap…tap…tap. The match was over. Jericho let go of Benoit as Angel climbed into the ring and leaped into his arms.

"We did it! We did it!" she cried excitedly.

"We sure did, baby," Jericho enthused.

Benoit scrambled to his haunches.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded breathlessly.

Jericho grinned. "A challenge, junior. Good preparation for your match."

"How will that help me?" Benoit snapped. "I didn't get a single shot in."

"Calm down, junior. You got the crossface."

Benoit just glowered at him. "It was supposed to be a triple threat."

"Oh well," Jericho shrugged. "That happens sometimes. Besides, I think me and Rogue make a pretty great team, don't you?"

Benoit scowled, shifting his gaze to Angel. "Bitch, we're leaving."

Angel sighed and gave Jericho a meek smile. "Thanks for this. I'll see you tonight."

"You bet, baby." He gripped her hand fondly, but just then, Benoit grabbed her leg and pulled her from the ring. He started to put her over his shoulder, but she struggled to her feet.

"Don't touch me, jackass. Just 'cause Jericho said me and him make a great team, you don't have to get shitty about it."

"Shut up," Benoit snapped. He was feeling very, very uneasy. He always did on Pay Per View day. But today was different. Today Jericho and the bitch had beaten him. Sure, it had required both of them, but he'd been right when he'd said he hadn't gotten a shot in. And that didn't bode well for tonight. Kurt's medals were on the line. He'd cheat, of course he would. He'd try to fool Benoit, just like Jericho and the bitch with their triple threat-cum-handicap match. If Benoit fell for Kurt's tricks, he could lose.

"Well, that's not gonna happen, bitch," he muttered. "That's not gonna happen."

Angel stopped and gave him an indignant look. "You're a freak," she snapped. And then she kept on walking.

* * * *

Angel hurried down the hall. As usual, she'd given Benoit the slip during his pre-match interview. Today he was talking to Lilian Garcia, so he probably wouldn't notice she was gone until it was over. She was in a hurry to get back to the locker room, so she and Jericho could talk strategy without Benoit around. She knew he'd find out that they were tagging, eventually, but she was quite content to put off dealing with his shit for as long as was humanly possible.

As she walked, she flexed her newly movable left hand. After training, Jericho had taken her to a local hospital to have her cast removed. They hadn't wanted to do it - she'd only had it on for three weeks - even elite athletes needed four to five. But she'd been stubborn about it, of course, and told them that if they didn't remove it, she'd hack it off herself with a pair of scissors and asked them which would damage it more. So they cut it off, she thanked them and then distinctly heard someone mutter the words "crazy wrestlers" as she left, a free woman.

Her arm was still heavily bandaged, but she could now move her fingers and that was enough. She could fight.

"Hey! Wait, wait, wait. Whoa! Girl with short hair. Hold up! I wanna talk to you."

Angel didn't recognize the voice so she stopped and turned back, smug smirk on her face. "So, talk already."

She didn’t even back off when she saw who she was talking to. X-Pac, flanked on either side by his two bitches, Justin Credible and Albert.

"I've seen you round," X-Pac told her. "You're my kind of woman."

"Really?" Angel asked, eyebrows raised, before she cocked her head towards Justin. "I thought he was."

"What?" X-Pac screamed as Justin prepared to rush her.

"It's just what I heard," Angel went on coolly as X-Pac grabbed Justin and dragged him back.

"From who?" X-Pac demanded. "Jericho? 'Cause, you know, he'd know all about liking other men. What the hell have he and Benoit got going?"

Angel shrugged. "It's pretty intense, that's for sure. Benoit…Jericho…me."

X-Pac actually gulped. "You're kidding me. You're actually doing those two losers?"

Angel gave him a sexy grin. "I do what…and who…I wanna do."

X-Pac nodded, clearly impressed. "You know, you remind me of this chick I was nailing for a while. Tori. She didn't take shit from no one. And you know how I got her? I stole her away from Kane. And then I kicked his ass. So, how about it?"
Angel tried not to give an incredulous frown. What a loser!

"I don't know," she said softly. "I mean, you're cute and obviously a great wrestler if you can beat Kane. And I might be interested…" She gave a reluctant frown. "But I don't know…facial hair really turns me off. Seriously. There's nothing I hate more than a guy who's never learned how to shave. But anyway, I guess I'll see you around."

She turned and walked away, knowing they were still staring at her. That had gone well. X-Pac hitting on her - who'd have thought it? It'd sure make things interesting if she and Jericho had to face the X-Factor in their match.

She pushed open the door to the locker room and stepped quickly inside.

Jericho looked up. "Hey Rogue. Been expecting you."

"Yeah, I would have been here sooner," Angel apologized. "Only I was busy being hit on by a greasy-haired ferret and his two bald friends."

"You're kidding!" Jericho cried. "X-Crap wants a piece of you?"

Angel frowned. "What, is that so strange that he might wanna hit on me? 'Cause it happened, Jerky."

"Yeah, I believe you," Jericho replied. "I just wanna know what his problem is. You're way out of his league."

"Oh," Angel murmured, before breaking into a grin. "Well, thank you."

Jericho gave a cool nod. "You're welcome, Rogue."

Angel suddenly found herself staring into his eyes. They were beautiful, so very blue and filled with light whenever he smiled, like he was doing now.

"So yeah," she murmured, before snapping out of it. "We should talk strategy."

Jericho nodded. "Strategy's simple. We beat the hell out of Edge and Christian."

"Yeah, definitely, but do we know how we're gonna do that?"

"Just like this morning. We isolate them, and then we destroy them."

Angel nodded. "Okay, but we don't even know what number team we are."

"Yeah, we do," Jericho insisted. "We're number six. A messenger came by just before to let us know."

"Oh, okay," Angel mused. "But we don't know what number Edge and Christian are."

"Number seven," Jericho replied.

"They are? How do you know that?"

"I heard them talking. 'You know what, Christian? This is so totally an omen, dude. Number seven? And us, the E to the C, we're like the seven time tag tam champs'."

Angel grinned at his dead-on impression. "Okay, they're seven, we're six. That means we only have to beat one team before we meet them. But we don't know which team. So, let's talk strengths and weaknesses."

"Whoa, baby. You really are Benoit's student."

Angel ignored this comment. "I've been watching tapes all weekend and I think I've got every team figured out. Take the APA. Their strength is their strength, their weakness is speed. We can also beat them in the air. I'm talking 'ranas, missile dropkicks, moonsaults. I think you get me."

"Yeah, I get you," Jericho said thoughtfully. "But I don't care about the Acolytes. What matters is revenge, on Edge and Christian."

At that moment, Benoit appeared. "Jericho, have you seen…" His eyes fell on Angel and he cut off with a scowl.

She pretended like he wasn't even there. "I agree, but there are five teams to be beaten before Edge and Christian even come out. So, let's discuss how that's gonna happen."

"Okay," Jericho agreed. "Go on."

"Next, the Radicalz. Like this jackass, they're great technically, but they're lacking in imagination, brawling ability and aerial skills. Is that a fair assessment?" she asked Benoit, who was pacing the room.

He raised his eyebrows, then nodded.

"Moving on," Angel said. "The Hardyz. I know them well. High on risk, plenty of speed and imagination. But they're not great wrestlers. They're like…the anti-Radicalz. The Dudleyz are kind of like the Acolytes. They're strong, they're slow. If we run them off their feet, they're sunk…"

Suddenly, Benoit stopped pacing. "We?" he cried incredulously. "Y2J…you chose…the bitch as your tag partner?"

Jericho nodded slowly. "Yeah, junior. I did."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"Look, Benoit," Jericho told him. "I'm not going to take shit from you about this. I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't. She's a girl!"

"I know that."

"She can't wrestle," Benoit seethed. "She's not even contracted."

"McMahon signed her for this match," Jericho informed him. "Come on, Benoit. We can do this. We kicked your ass this morning."

"Wrong!" Benoit snapped. "You kicked my ass. The bitch is a liability. She'll destroy both of you."

"You see, I don't think so," Jericho shot back. "I think she's a great fighter and we make a great team. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, eh?"

"No," Benoit replied emphatically. "We won't, because she's not going out there."

"Yes, I am," Angel insisted.

"Stay out of this!" Benoit screamed, before turning back to Jericho. "Why her? There are other people around here."

"Not as good as her," Jericho shrugged.

"Oh no? Put her in the ring with anyone…Billy Gunn, Grandmaster Sexay, anyone. The two of them, one on one. Who's gonna win, Jericho? Not her."

"Not in one on one, maybe," Jericho conceded. "But she and I are a team. Right, Rogue? We look out for each other. When we get together in the ring, like this morning, it's tremendous, it's synergistic. We have a chemistry."

"Bullshit!" Benoit snapped. "So you wanna screw each other, I don't care. Just keep it out of the damn ring."

With that, he stormed out of the locker room and slammed the door.

Angel and Jericho stared at it, then at each other. For a moment, the mood was tense. Then Angel spoke.

"So, anyway, let's move onto X-Factor."

Jericho relaxed and smiled at her as she went on.

"Obviously, Albert's a problem. But, to tell you the truth, we can't waste time worrying about him. We need to beat X-Pac and Justin. Now, you know X-Pac a lot better than I do, but I really think this tag team is a lot like Edge and Christian. They're all jackasses, they all have technical and aerial skills, but they're all stupid as shit. Beat them with a fast break, then keep on surprising them. They won't know what to do with themselves."

Jericho nodded slowly. "I'm impressed, Rogue. You've really looked into this."

"Well, I had to," Angel grinned. "We've gotta win. Now we've done strengths and weaknesses, we've gotta decide who we want to face. Like, say D-Von Dudley's starting off. Who'll take him on, you or me? Now, what I think is, if you're okay with it, I'll take on the weaker team member and you take the strongest."

Jericho nodded. "Okay, I'm cool with that. So, who are the weak links?"

"I'm just getting to that," Angel smiled. "Let's start with Edge and Christian. Christian's smaller, he's weaker. I honestly think I could beat him."

"I think you can too," Jericho agreed. "So, he's yours."

"Thanks," Angel grinned. "But that's not to say if you're in with Edge and you need the tag I won't be there for you."

"You bet, baby," Jericho enthused. "So, who next?"

"The Dudleyz. Buh Buh is bigger and stronger, but he's also slower than a damn tortoise. So long as he can't catch me, I'll wear him down on fitness. Are you cool with battling D-Von?"

"You actually want to take on Buh Buh Ray Dudley?" Jericho asked skeptically. "You're brave."

Angel shrugged. "I've thought all this through carefully. Now, with the APA, Faarooq is weaker, but…"

"But?" Jericho echoed.

"Well," Angel grinned. "Like I told you, Bradshaw wants to see me naked, so here's what I'm gonna do. When I dress for the match later, I'm gonna skip the bra. Once Bradshaw gets a load of these puppies bouncing around, even under my shirt, he's not gonna know what to do with himself."

Jericho let out a surprised laugh. "Okay, baby. What happens if he gets confused and starts thinking it's a bra and panties match? You'll be screwed then."

"Not so," Angel argued. "If we get to the rolling on the mat part, I'll just put him in a figure four leg lock. Then he'll tap, faster than you can say 'down, boy!'"

Jericho laughed again. "You're a smart one."

"Nah," Angel grinned back. "Just a slut."

"You're not a slut," Jericho replied. "Stephanie's a slut. Trish is a slut. You're different. You're special."

Angel stared at him, surprised. "Thanks."

"No problem, baby," Jericho grinned. "So, who's next. Who else can we slut it up for?"

Angel slowly broke into a smirk. "X-Factor. X-Pac wants me. I don't know why, but I intend to use it to my advantage. Our advantage. Unless you'd rather face him. Justin Credible is the crappier of the two."

"No, baby. The greasebag's all yours."

"Fantastic," Angel grinned. "We are going to rock out, big time. In Radicalz I want Dean Malenko. I've beaten him before, I'll beat him again."

"You bet," Jericho agreed. "So that leaves us…one team to go."

Suddenly Angel went pale and stared desperately at Jericho. "The Hardy Boyz."

"That's right," Jericho nodded. "That won't be easy for either of us."

Angel shook her head. "No, it'll be fine. You take Matt, I'll take Jeff."

"Are you sure?' Jericho frowned.

"Yeah," Angel nodded. "I've trained with him. I know him like the back of my hand. He might think he knows me, but I'm not the same wrestler I was back then. Now, I'm a shooter. All I have to do is ground him, and then I'll beat him with submission. He can’t handle submission."

"You've really got that one worked out, Jericho said admiringly. "But are you really sure you wanna fight Jeff?"

"Yep. I don't know if I could beat Matt, but I can beat Jeff. I know I can. All you have to do is let me."

Jericho stared at her for some time before he answered, his voice low and soft. "Alright, baby. If you want Jeff, you can have Jeff."

"Thanks!" Angel cried, leaping over and throwing her arms around him. "Oh, this is going to be so great, Jerky. All we have to do is beat one team and then we'll finally get our revenge on Edge and Christian. We're gonna beat their asses, Jerky. They're gonna run home crying!"

Jericho grinned and held her tight. "You bet, baby. You bet."

* * * *

Benoit marched furiously down the hallway. He should have been in the locker room, preparing for his match - getting dressed, getting mentally ready. But right now he couldn't go in there. Not when he wanted to kick Jericho's ass.

How could Jericho be so damn stupid? How could he fall for the whore's shit, like he couldn't see through what she was painting? He'd been there for all her crap, with Regal and Angle and Edge and Christian. There was no way anyone changed that much that fast. But Jericho was the eternal optimist. What the hell was the matter with him? She'd ruin Jericho's match, for sure. And they'd both get hurt - her because she was weak and pathetic, him because he'd do the chivalrous thing and try and rescue her. And then Benoit would have to take revenge for the damn whore. Again. He was sick of it. For the first time he began to wonder whether things would be easier if he just let her go. But he shut that thought out of his mind. The only way he'd let her go was if he got what he wanted from her - pure, unadulterated fear, and even then only once he'd taught her a physical lesson that would even top her Edge and Christian experience. Because they'd gone about it all wrong. When Benoit attacked her, he'd take it slowly, limb by limb, bone by bone, body part by body part. He'd tear the damn bitch apart! But while he did that, he'd leave her head alone. She'd be conscious for it all. She'd see him destroy her! The thought of it actually brought a smile to his face…but then it faded. Jericho would never let him do that. It would probably cause their feud to resume; the feud that had fed the WWF vultures countless top-quality Pay Per View encounters, not to mention the freebies. Right now, Jericho was far more useful as a friend than he'd ever been as an enemy. Benoit couldn't afford to screw that up. Maybe the bitch was disposable, but Jericho wasn't. And so the bitch would stay, at least for now, no matter how much she pissed Benoit off.

Suddenly, up ahead, he saw two men standing next to a cage and talking. He let out a low growl and grabbed the nearest person, slamming their head into the cage. Then he grabbed the other, picked him up and powerslammed him down onto the hard ground. Finally, he continued his walk.

"Hey Benoit, we're totally getting you back!" Christian called after him.

Benoit stopped and turned around. "I can't wait. Boys." Then he gave them his trademark smirk and headed off again. That had felt good. Maybe he could go get ready now. If Jericho wanted the girl, that was his damn problem. Benoit would just have to keep trying to talk him out of it.

* * * *

Angel stood next to Benoit as they listened to Kurt insult the crowd and his opponent. Benoit had been silent since he'd returned to the locker room. Strangely silent, even for him. And he'd pretty much ignored both her and Jericho…not that that was particularly strange. Then suddenly she knew what was wrong. Benoit wasn't any different to normal. He was quiet because he was in the zone, exactly as he was before every big match. It was the match itself that was different. This was the first Pay Per View match since this whole mess had begun back in February, when she wasn’t intent on screwing with Benoit's mind. The first time she would cheer on Benoit…and actually mean it. The first time she'd ignore his protests and cheat so he'd win, no matter what it took. All because she hated Kurt Angle so much. She and Benoit had the gold medals and after tonight, they'd still have them, Angel was damn sure. He who has the gold has the power. The power to reduce Kurt Angle to a quivering, touchy, weeping mess. He deserved to be like that forever and, if Angel could help it, he would be.

Suddenly, Benoit started walking and she almost lost him, but hurried to catch up. 'Shooter' was playing and in a minute, the match would begin. Angel walked with Benoit to the ring as the crowd roared. She soaked in the atmosphere. Pay Per Views were pretty cool. Benoit climbed into the ring, then reached down the front of his tights, pulled out the medal and handed it to the referee. Angel solemnly plunged her hand down her top and produced her own medal. But, just as the referee reached out to take it from her, Kurt attacked Benoit.

"Ref, ref, look! He's mugging him!" Angel cried as Kurt forced Benoit into the corner and started kicking him. The ref was soon on the case so Kurt whipped Benoit into the diagonal corner, then grabbed him from behind and formed the waistlock. Bam! Kurt hit the German suplex and Angel's hands flew to her mouth. If Kurt was going for a trio here, Benoit would not be a happy boy. Bam! German number two.

"Come on, Benoit!" Angel screamed. "Hit him, elbow him! Come on!"

Bam! Third German. Benoit was flat on his back, but Kurt wasn't done yet. Staring down at Angel, he violently spread his arms, then went up top.

"Not on your life, buddy," Angel murmured, before she screamed out to Benoit. "Benoit! He's going for headbutt! Three, two, one, move!"

On cue, Benoit rolled towards Angel and when Kurt hit the deck, he simply scooped him up and sent him for his very own Angle Slam. As he made the cover, he sneered down at Kurt.

"I've told you before not to steal my moves, bitch," he muttered as the ref made the count.

One...two…three. First fall over. Time for submissions.

"Finish him off, Benoit!" Angel cried.

Benoit ran quickly back to Kurt and immediately locked on the crossface.

"Tap, pussy!" Angel screamed, but she spotted Kurt going for the rope.

She had to stop him. She raced around the ring, but by the time she reached him, he'd reached the rope.

"Dammit," she scowled, but had to move as Kurt crawled her way, out of the ring.

"Get back in the corner, bitch!" Benoit snapped as he climbed down after Kurt.

But Angel simply fell into step behind him as he slammed Kurt into the barrier, then hit him with a knife-edge. This set off the crowd.

"Whoo!" they all cried, but it seemed someone was a little slow, for as Benoit grabbed Kurt and slammed his head into the steel steps, he finally called out 'whoo', three times in a row. Angel turned and glared in the direction of the annoying sound, but she couldn't figure out quite who it was coming from. That was a good thing too, because she was in an ass-kicking mood. Then, as Benoit picked Kurt up and threw him into the steps again, Angel realized that annoying guy wasn't about to stop saying 'whoo' any time soon.

"Get in the corner!" Benoit cried, spotting her, but she simply gave him the finger, then stepped out the way as he again grabbed Kurt, dragged him to the next corner and bounced his head off the ringpost. Benoit then hit another knife-edge and tried for another, but Kurt ducked it, grabbed him and slammed his genitals right into the ringpost.

"Oh!" Angel cried, running in before Kurt even saw her, grabbing him and slamming him down in a DDT. "That wasn't very nice." She bounced to her feet and started kicking him, until she heard a voice.

"Hey! Get back in your corner!"

But it wasn't Benoit. It was the ref. She simply raised her hands and walked away.

Kurt began to follow her lead, sinking his boot into Benoit. He picked him up by the head and bounced it off both announce desks, three times in total.

"Get back in the ring!" the ref cried.

Kurt picked up Benoit as if he was going to do just that, so the ref climbed back in. This was the opportunity Angel had been waiting for. While the ref had his back turned, she nailed a standing dropkick to Kurt's knee and knocked him right over. Then she ran.

"Hey! I saw that! Don't make me DQ your guy!"

Angel frowned up at him. This ref was sharp! She'd have to watch herself if this match was going to end in two falls.

She turned around and noticed that Kurt and Benoit were back in the ring. After a few sharp boots to the body, Kurt tried to apply the ankle lock, but Benoit quickly crawled away and reached the ropes.

"Yeah!" Angel cried, racing over thee. "Way to go!"

But Kurt just picked him up and whipped him into the corner, then ran at him. Benoit got his feet up and kicked out, sending Kurt flying. Benoit then ran at Kurt, who just brought him down in a drop toe hold, then again tried for the ankle lock, but Benoit rolled out and countered into an ankle lock of his own. Kurt wriggled desperately and finally kicked Benoit away before scrambling over him, jostling for position. Benoit hooked his arm and applied the crossface. Luckily for Kurt, the rope was nearby and he grabbed it quickly. But Angel was right there and she violently unhooked his fingers, throwing his hand off the ropes.

"Hey!" cried a voice. "Last warning, valet. Stay out of it!"

Angel glared up at him. This ref sure wasn't making things easy. Especially when Kurt was rolling out of the ring, right towards her and she couldn't even attack him because the damn ref was watching. Benoit jumped down after Kurt and shot her a dark glare.

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll stay out of it. I was just trying to help."

Pouting slightly, she turned the other way and started walking around the ring. When she got to the other side, she spotted Kurt and Benoit, headed right for her. Benoit was in control and Angel formed a smirk as, behind her, the 'whoo' guy kept shouting 'whoo'.

"Come on, Benoit!" she cried. "Kill him!"

Just then, from deep inside her, she heard Kurt speaking.

"Come on, Angel. You can trust me. I'll get you there."

And then he was holding her back as fists and trashcan lids and chairs flew. Every time they got in a good shot, he'd shout 'whoo!' right in her ear. 'Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!' She scrunched her eyes closed but she couldn't lose the sounds of crunching metal, flesh on flesh, Kurt's voice…'Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!'

"Shut up, Kurt!" Angel screamed, whipping around and punching him right in the face. Her eyes flew open.

"Oh my God," she gasped. "I just decked a spectator." Sure enough, the 'whoo' guy was down.

"That's it!" screamed the ref. "You're out of here, valet! You're gone!"

Still dazed, Angel spun to face him. "What?"

"You're banned from ringside! Get moving or I will DQ Benoit. Go!"

"But…you can't do that!" Angel stammered.

"I said, you're gone!" the ref shouted. "One…two…"

"Okay!" Angel cried. "I'm going."

She had no choice but to turn around and trudge up the ramp, alone. So much for helping Benoit. If he wanted the win, he was going to have to do it by himself.

When she reached the backstage area, she spotted a few tech guys, who were scrutinizing the action on a TV monitor.

"Move!" she snapped, pushing her way into a position where she could see.

She watched carefully, a feeling of helplessness taking over her whole body as she murmured what she thought Benoit should try, what counters he should use.

The second fall seemed to go forever. Benoit impressed with a figure four leg lock, a sharpshooter and a modified version of the Walls of Jericho, but when Kurt hit the Angle slam into the ankle lock, he had nothing left. He tapped.

Angel let out a deep sigh.

"Okay, Benoit," she murmured. "Let's finish this thing."

She pushed her way out of the viewing circle and started running back towards the ring. She knew where to attack. Always work on the one weak body part and Kurt's left knee was screwed.

The hook holding the medals was raised to the roof as Angle looked on, telling the ref to take care of his medals. Angel dove into the ring, stick in hand, and slammed it across the backs of Kurt's knees. He immediately fell to the ground so she simply reached forward and grabbed his leg, ready to bend it over the rope.

Suddenly, someone caught her from behind and she spun defensively.

"I thought I kicked you out!"

Angel threw her hands onto her hips and stared the ref down. She was taller than him and she'd be willing to lay bets that she was stronger, too.

"This is a ladder match. It's no DQ. You can't stop me."

"The hell I can't!" the ref snapped. "I banned you from ringside."

"Yes, but this is no DQ," Angel repeated. "So I'm back."

The ref just glared at her. She was right. She'd beaten him. But there was one person she couldn't beat.

"Bitch! Get in the corner!"

Angel sighed and climbed out of the ring. Man, Benoit was an asshole.

Kurt and Benoit battled on the outside, until Kurt reversed a whip and sent Benoit flying into the steel steps. Meanwhile, Angel was playing under the ring. She had an idea. Grinning to herself, she pulled out a small ladder and stood up, ready to throw it into the ring.

"Hey Angel," called a voice. "You give me that ladder."

"Okay, Kurt," she smirked. "I'll give it to you."

He was just behind her. She could hear him breathing. So, as she lifted the ladder, she kept it going over her head, planning to slam it into Kurt's face. Just at the critical moment, Kurt ducked, then spun around and grabbed the ladder. Angel tried to pull it away from him, but he slammed his end downwards. It clipped Angel on the jaw and she hit the deck with a thud.

Kurt gave an evil grin and threw the ladder into the ring, before clambering in after it. He opened it up and started to climb.

"Hey pussy!" Angel cried, picking herself up. "That ladder's too small. You're not going anywhere."

"Shut up, Angel!" Kurt shouted as he reached the top of the ladder and tried to grab for the medals. But Angel was right. He was never going to reach.

At that moment, Benoit ran in and knocked the ladder over, sending Kurt flying into the corner. Angel was there to meet him.

"Hi pussy. Mind if I take a look at that knee?"

She grabbed his left leg and wrapped it around the ringpost, once, twice. Then she picked up both legs, either side of the pole - and posted him. Screaming in pain, he fell from the ring, bounced off the steps and hit the ground.

"Get in the damn corner!"

Angel sighed. Benoit was back. She stepped back around the ring as Benoit threw Kurt into the crowd, then picked up a larger ladder. He put it in the ring, set it up, and started to climb.

Angel picked herself up nearby. Kurt would be back soon and she had to be ready. Then she spotted something and smiled. The small ladder was still there, lying on its side. Perfect. She ran for it and picked it up.

"Hey, I told you to keep out of it."

Angel frowned irritably as the ref tried to wrench the ladder from her grasp. The match was no frigging DQ. Why couldn't the prick just let her be? Suddenly, she heard a roar and spun around, releasing the ladder. Kurt was in and Benoit was on the mat.

"Son of a bitch," she spat. "Whoa, shit!"

Kurt had pushed the ladder and it was falling towards her. She jumped out the way just in time.

Kurt started pounding Benoit, then sent him for a snap suplex, just as Angel went for a standing dropkick to the knee. She hit it and jumped up for another, but she missed this one and slipped clumsily through the ropes and out of the ring.

Kurt picked up the big ladder and started slamming it into Benoit's gut. Then he raised the ladder to the crowd and turned around to hit Benoit again, but Benoit simply raised his arm and hoisted both Kurt and the ladder from the ring.

"Holy shit!" Angel screamed as the ladder flew over her head. But this was no time to get freaked out. She had a job to do, so she hooked her arms under Kurt's, hoisted him to his feet, then slammed him down in a full nelson sit-out powerbomb.

Suddenly, Benoit picked her up by the neck.

"You listen to me, bitch! You get back in the damn corner. I don't want your help. I don't need your help. You have your own damn match tonight, so stay the hell out of mine. Do you hear me, bitch?"

"Yes," Angel scowled, trying to struggle free.

"Good. Now get in the damn corner and stay there!"

"Fine," Angel sighed, stomping off to the corner. Screw Benoit. She was trying to help him win the damn match. She'd been kicked out for the second fall and he'd gone on to lose it. Coincidence? Angel didn't think so. Benoit needed her help. But if he didn't want it, she wasn't going to bust her ass giving it. He was on his own.

The ladder match passed in a haze of ladder shots, big falls and changing fortunes. Angel encouraged Benoit, but she stayed in the corner. She wouldn't help him, not even if he was going to die. He didn't deserve it and she'd be damned if…

Bam! Suddenly Angel flew through the air, over the ropes and the next thing she knew she was eating canvas. She rolled over to see what the hell had happened. Edge and Christian? What the? For their next trick, they jumped into the ring and started pounding Benoit. Angel didn't even think. She just dove for the nearest thing she could grab - Christian's leg - and dragged him away from the others. Then she jumped on his back, locked his arm in the leg scissors and applied the crossface. He tried to struggle but she slammed her elbow into the back of his head and locked on again. Christian started tapping, but she wasn't letting go. And then Kurt Angle kicked her in the head. She lost her grip on Christian and the world started to go black, but all she saw was Kurt. Kurt freaking Angle.

She let out a roar and leaped, knocking Kurt down from behind. Then she pinned his back and grabbed for his leg. Ankle lock. She hadn't tried it with Benoit since before she'd broken her arm, but it wasn't hard. She remembered. And it may have been called the ankle lock, but Angel knew what she was doing. She wanted to bust his knee. He screamed in pain and started tapping, but she showed no mercy; she just kept on wrenching his boot around, ignoring her own pain shooting through her left arm.

Suddenly, Christian grabbed her and dragged her out of the ring, where Benoit was already trading punches with Edge. Angel kicked out and Christian flew into the announce desk. He didn't like that too much and soon they were brawling, just like Edge and Benoit. Angel ducked a punch and shoved Christian, giving her a second free. And then she jumped on Edge's back.

"Benoit! Go stop Kurt! Climb the ladder, I'll take care of these clowns."

Benoit growled and threw Edge away, taking Angel down too. Then he started climbing into the ring. Kurt was halfway up the ladder. There wasn't much time. Suddenly, the bitch cried out and someone grabbed Benoit's leg, pulling him down again. He tried to scramble free, but…Ding! Ding! Ding! Kurt had reached the medals. The match was over.

"Son of a bitch!" Benoit screamed, finally kicking free and chasing after Kurt. But it was too late. Edge and Christian grabbed their friend and escaped up the ramp, leaving Benoit to furiously pace out the ring and contemplate what might have been. Eventually, he climbed down and searched for the bitch. She was just picking herself up, having been thrown over the announce desk, practically onto Paul Heyman's lap. Benoit glowered at her, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the ramp.

"Let me go!" she shouted, as she always did.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "We'll debrief in the locker room."

She almost made some smartass comment about debriefing, but one look from him shut her up real quick. She also stopped struggling as he dragged her along. Finally, the bitch was getting it. He was pissed off. People didn't intentionally piss off Chris Benoit very often. It just wasn't smart.

* * * *

"I gave you one request!" Benoit screamed, his face a frightening magenta color. "One goddamn request! I told you to stay in the corner and keep out of the damn match! Why couldn't you do that?"

Angel sighed. "When Edge and Christian…"

"No!" Benoit cut her off. "You were trying shit long before then. You got your ass kicked out. Why didn't you just stay out?"

"Because I wanted…"

"No!" Benoit screamed again. "It doesn’t matter what you want. It was my match. That means I call the shots. I told you to stay in the damn corner. You should have just stayed in the damn corner. Because of you, I lost the match."

"Bullshit!" Angel cried. She'd put up with him yelling at her, but she wasn't going to let him lie. "Because of me you nearly won."

"Maybe you think so," Benoit scowled. "But let's remember something. I have had four Pay Per View matches against Kurt Angle. Twice I won. Twice I lost. In the matches I lost, you tried to help me. In the matches I won, you weren't even there. What does that say to you, bitch? What does that say? I don't need your help!" he shouted before she had a chance to respond. "If I wanted a tag partner, I'd get one. But even then, it wouldn't be you. So, you do your job and you be a damn valet. Accompany me to and from the ring and look pretty for the fans. That's what valets do. You're not a wrestler, you're a valet. You're a manager. You're nothing but a dumb broad and don't you forget it."

Angel glared up at him, then jumped to her feet, stormed over to the punching bag and started pounding at it as she could.

"You get your ass back here!" Benoit screamed. "I'm not done with you yet."

But Angel just ignored him and kept on punching the bag.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, bitch!" he snapped, stepping up behind her. "Don't you dare…"

Bam! Just as he reached out to grab her shoulder and spin her around, she turned and scored a hard right hook to his face. His hand flew up and he glared at her viciously. Then he lunged forward, shouting furiously. He was going to kill her, he was going to kill her.

"Hey!" shouted Jericho, jumping between them before Benoit could even land a punch. "Cut this shit out!"

He pushed Benoit backwards, away from Angel. Benoit tried to reach around him, but Jericho wasn't going to let him do anything.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Benoit?"

Benoit panted and glared at Jericho. "She…that bitch…she…"

"Yeah, well maybe you deserved it," Jericho spat, still shoving him back towards the door.

"What?" Benoit screamed, his eyes crazed.

"Go take a shower, okay?" Jericho ordered, pushing him out the door. "Don't come back 'til you've cooled off."

He slammed the door shut before Benoit could argue, then stared over at Angel. She didn't thank him. She didn't even soften her scowl.

"You should have let me kick his ass."

Jericho gave her a serious frown. "He would have killed you."

But all she could think was that, if he'd hit her, and he would have, she'd be free now. But it wasn't Jericho's fault. He didn't get that bit. He thought he was doing the right thing and, after the mess with helping Benoit, she really couldn't fault him for that.

"Come on, baby," Jericho encouraged her. "We've got a match to prepare for. Let's stretch up."

Angel nodded slowly. He was right. They had a match.

* * * *

"Mr. Jericho? It's time for your match."

Jericho nodded over at the messenger, then looked over at Angel. "You ready, baby?"

She gave a tense nod. "Let's do this."

They left the locker room and headed for the ring. Benoit had returned after his shower, collected all his stuff and walked out again without a word. Since then, Angel and Jericho had been alone. They'd stretched up, changed outfits, talked strategy some more, and then the messenger had arrived and it was time to go.

Jericho gave her a sideways glance as they walked. "You nervous, baby?"

She kept her eyes forward. "I'm shitting myself."

Jericho gave a laugh, then reached down and took her hand. It was freezing, but his was warm. She gave him a surprised look, but she didn't pull away and he smiled at her.

"Don't be nervous. You'll just be causing trouble like you always do, only this time it'll be legal."

Angel grinned and they walked on in silence.

When they reached the backstage area, Angel looked around with a frown. There were tag teams all over the place, discussing things, even stretching up.

"Wait right here," Jericho whispered. "I'm gonna go mess with Coach's mind."

Angel gave a nod as he walked over to the interview space. She leaned against the wall and watched the other teams. It seemed like almost everyone except Edge and Christian were already here. They probably figured that, as team number seven, they had at least another twenty minutes. Well, good for them. Angel was glad to be early. Now she could scope out the competition.

"Hey, Kat's friend! You're lookin' hot, darlin'!"

Angel grinned up at him. "Hi Bradshaw."

"You heading out there, honey?"

"Yeah," Angel nodded. "I'll be there."

"Well, I hope I see you. I gotta go now."

"See you," Angel nodded.

She kept surveying the other teams.

"Oh my God!" she cried. "No way!"

Suddenly, Jericho was back by her side. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Look over there. X-Pac. When I got here today, he had a beard."

Jericho frowned over at his old enemy. "What did you say to him?"

"That I didn't like facial hair."

"No kidding," Jericho laughed. "Insane, baby."

He put a fond arm around her as teams one and two - the APA and the Radicalz - made their entrance.

"Hey, Chris. Just because you're our friend doesn't mean we won't kick your ass tonight."

Jericho gave a sarcastic grin. "Oh really, junior? We'll see, eh?"

Matt grinned back. "So, any clues on your mystery partner?"

Jericho frowned. "Okay, I'll tell you. But only you, Matt."

Matt nodded. "Who is he?"

"You're looking at her."

Matt's mouth dropped open. "Angel?"

"That's right," Jericho grinned. "Team Jericho, present and account for."

Matt shook his head. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"No, I'm not kidding," Jericho replied. "And, before you ask, yes, I am aware she's female and yes, she can fight."

Matt just frowned. "You're out of your damn mind."

"You see, I don't think I am," Jericho protested. "Maybe you should wait until after you see us fight before you judge us, okay?"

Matt glared at him. "Okay, Chris. But if she gets hurt out there, it's gonna be on your head. You're just damn lucky you told me and not Lita or Jeff."

Jericho just shrugged. "We'll see, Matt."

Matt glared at him, then slowly switched his gaze to Angel. "What the hell's the matter with you, Angel? I thought you were smarter than this."

Angel just stared back at him. "Well, Matt. I hope I see you in the ring. Then we'll see how smart I am."

Matt shook his head once more and then walked away, muttering, "Angel and Jericho? Jeff's gonna shit."

* * * *

"Break the Walls Down!"

Jericho made his entrance, then turned back and beckoned. His mystery partner was about to appear. Angel walked confidently to his side. She looked hot, in her 'Shooter' shirt and no bra. Unfortunately, the APA had been eliminated, but, as she looked out at their first opponents, she saw light at the end of the tunnel. X-Factor. X-Pac. She'd use her booby trap yet.

Jericho stopped partway down the ramp, turned to her and held out his fists. She grinned and brought hers down on his, then let him do the same. This was gonna be great!

If she could have heard he comments of the announcers, she might not have been so confident.

"That's a girl!"

"Chris Jericho's finally flipped. It's official."

"I think maybe Jericho's still feeling the effects of those conchairtos. He's brought a woman out to the ring as his tag team partner."

"A woman who tried to sit on my lap earlier tonight. She wants me, JR."

"Well, I don't know about that, but I can't help wondering. Should she be out here at all?"

"The Radicalz brought Terri."

"That's true enough, but Terri wasn't fighting and I'm not certain Angel should be either."

As they reached the ring, Jericho turned to her one last time.

"You ready?" he asked again.

She nodded, before using one of his catchphrases. "It's go time."

She had just started to climb the steps into the ring when the fans let out a roar, Benoit leaped from the crowd, grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She angrily picked herself up and prepared to climb back in, when ding…ding…ding. The ringbell had sounded. She peered into the ring. Jericho was battling X-Pac as Benoit rook on Justin Credible. The match had started. Angel was not a part of it. Benoit, that son of a bitch, had stolen her match. She almost turned around and walked right out of there. But then she stopped herself. She'd come out here to help Jericho win a match, to help him kick Edge and Christian's asses. She could still do that. But first, they had to get past the X-Factor. And to ensure that happened, she'd have to do the impossible. She'd have to take out Albert.

Jericho had just landed a missile dropkick on the big man, who grabbed him like a doll and slammed him into a ringpost, then dumped him on the ground. Angel raced around the ring. There was Jericho, flat on his back, while Albert stood over him, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Angel ran towards them, jumped onto the barrier and flew. She grabbed Albert's ample head and slammed it down on the apron in a modified bulldog. Then she jumped out the way and started running.

"Come get me, you big ugly lug!"

She was halfway around the ring before she realized Albert wasn't following and, by the time she returned, he'd already bounced Jericho off the barrier like a basketball. Angel let out a cry, then ran after Albert. She formed the waistlock, leaned back and bam! Albert spun around and floored her with a single punch. Before she could recover, he picked her up like she weighed nothing and threw her into the crowd.

Angel moaned and tried to regain her bearings. There were hands on her. People she didn't even know were going the grope. She quickly found her feet and broke free of the crowd, pulling herself up onto the barrier. She flew at Albert, looped her arms around his neck and got him in a chokehold. Then she hooked her legs around his waist and leaned back, increasing the pressure, cutting off his air. Albert simply spun around with one huge arm and knocked her to the ground. Her back and head hit and she cried out involuntarily. Albert stood imposingly over her.

"Stay down!" he boomed and then he walked away.

Angel pulled herself up so she was sitting. Albert was tough, that was certain, but she wasn't beaten yet. She finally caught her breath, picked up a nearby chair, ran at Albert and slammed it across his back. And then she ran.

This time, Albert followed her, obviously oblivious to the fact that it was all a ruse to keep him away from the in-ring action. Angel was agile and fast. She completed two laps and still had time to turned back periodically and make sure he was still following. Albert was growing impatient. Angel had to try something else. She slowed down as they rounded another corner. She could almost feel him breathing down the back of her neck. She was running towards the barrier, but instead of turning to keep on running, she leaped to the left, onto the barrier. Albert fell for it, slamming full force into the barrier and slumping over it. Angel leaped from her position, landing a dropkick to the back of his head. Then she grabbed his legs, pulled them straight and dug in a kick which, if he was a little shorter, would have hit him in the stomach. As it was, it brought tears to his eyes. She hit another for good measure, then pulled him backwards, off the barrier, trapped his arm and locked on the crossface.

Seconds later, Albert threw her off easily. Angel scowled and ran at him, but he plucked her from the air again and held her over his head. Still holding her up, he stepped calmly over to the Spanish announce desk and dumped her onto it. She writhed in pain, but he wasn't done, discarding the covering from the desk, then scooping her up again. He held her high, over his head, then brought her down in a devastating powerbomb, which shattered the table. Angel screamed and then everything went black.

"Hello? Are you okay? Do you need help? Hello?"

It took Angel a moment to realize that the voices were speaking in Spanish. She didn’t feel like opening her eyes just yet, but she did reply, in the same language.

"I'm okay. I just need to lie down for a minute."

And so she did, right where she was until…ding…ding…ding. She suddenly sat upright and her eyes shot open. Who'd won? Then she heard 'Break Down The Walls' and she let out a huge sigh. It was her team. They'd won. And then the song changed.

"You think you know me."

Angel glared as they made their entrance. Suddenly, she remembered why she was out here. X-Factor had been formidable, but this battle was what it was really about. She pulled herself up and stumbled towards Benoit and Jericho's corner. No matter what, she was going to get involved in this match. Edge and Christian would rue the day they turned against her.

She got her chance early as Christian rolled from the ring. Benoit followed him, but Angel didn't care. She sneaked up behind Christian, got a double handful of his hair, then yanked him to the ground before landing on top of him with a flurry of punches.

Suddenly, Benoit grabbed her and shoved her away.

"Get back in the corner, bitch."

"Screw you, Benoit. This is my match."

"Whose match?" Benoit smirked.

"It's mine and you know it, you piece of shit."

While they were arguing, Christian slipped away from them and climbed onto the apron, where the ref could see him. Angel's chance was gone. She sighed and stormed away from Benoit without another word, knowing that now she had nothing to do but join Benoit's Y2J cheerleading squad and wait for her next opportunity.

"Come on, Y2J! Fire up!"

"Let's go, Jerky! Kick out! Yeah!"

When Edge was out of the ring, she landed her hit and run stick shots, but she knew it wasn't doing much damage.

"Come on, Jericho!"

Edge grounded Jericho, then walked over and taunted Benoit, who leaped into the ring. The ref raced over and tried to stop him, allowing Christian in for the illegal double team. But Angel wasn't upset. She actually smiled, then walked so she was behind the ref and dove into the ring. She focused on Christian, sized him up, then sprinted towards him. Bam! A spear into the ropes and Christian was down. Angel climbed to the floor, grabbed for Christian's hair, then twisted his neck around and slammed his face into the steel steps. Finally, before Christian could get up or the ref could see, she ran, and was back in her own corner in no time.

Edge taunted Benoit again, but this time he didn't fall for it, much to Angel's disgust.

"Come on, Jerky! Come on!"

"Fire up, Y2J! Fire up!"

Edge and Christian whipped Jericho into the corner and went for the Poetry In Motion. But Jericho, who'd performed that same move with Angel that very morning, was never going to fall for it. He ducked out the way, brought Edge down in the bulldog and finally tagged in Benoit, who quickly knocked Edge off the apron. Angel was on the run again.

"You know what, Edge?" she cried, leaping onto him, grabbing his head and slamming it back onto the ground over and over again. "I've changed, you know? I fight dirty now!"

With that, she bounced to her feet and stomped her boot down on his groin. Edge's scream sounded so good she did it again. Then she took a few steps back to survey the damage.

"The only thing you reek of now is impotence, jackass!"

Then, rubbing her hands together for a job well done, she returned to her corner. Obviously, Edge didn't have much down there anyway, because he soon climbed back into the ring to bail out his brother. Jericho raced in there and all four started brawling.

"Come on, Benoit!" Angel cried. "Come on, Jericho!"

There were bodies all over the ring by the time Edge tapped Christian in the face and they climbed down to pick up some chairs. Angel tired to grab Edge's but he swung it free, then turned to the ring. Just then, Jericho and Benoit his simultaneous baseball slides, slamming the chairs into Edge and Christian's faces. Benoit threw Christian back into the ring as Jericho dumped Edge. They both picked up the chairs and climbed back in after Christian as Angel looked on, a smile on her face.

"Hello Edge," she mused, climbing onto the apron.

As soon as Edge found his feet, Angel flew in the 'rana and he was down again. Angel bounced right up and started removing the cover from the remaining announce desk.

"Excuse me, guys," she said to Heyman and JR. "I'll just be a second."

Cover safely removed, she climbed up onto the desk, took a peek over her shoulder and flew in the moonsault. She landed on Edge and pinned him, landing punch after punch until ding…ding…ding. She threw him down. 'Shooter' was playing. They'd won.

"We won!" Angel screamed, leaping into the ring. "We won!"

Jericho was lying on his back, absolutely spent. Angel raced to his side.

"We won, Jerky! We beat those sons of bitches!"

He just groaned in pain. Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed aside. Damn Benoit. He helped Jericho to his feet, shouted something obviously inspirational, then butted chests with him and they patted each other on the back.

Angel stood out of the way, watching them expressionlessly. Who was she kidding? Benoit and Jericho had won, not her. What had she done? Scored a few cheap shots on the outside and felt what it was like for her back to slam through an announce table. Whoop-de-freaking-doo. She wasn't the number one contender for the tag team championship. She was just the valet.

"Rogue!"

She looked up. Jericho was stumbling towards her, a half-crazed grin on his face.

"We did it, Rogue!"

"Yeah, you did," Angel replied quietly, as he reached her.

He wrapped his arms around her, gripped her tightly, and then he kissed her. When he pulled away, Angel stared at him, surprised. It hadn't been a long kiss, and it had been more friendly than romantic, all lip, no tongue, no real mouth movement to speak of. But it had been nice and now she was smiling.

He held her at arm's length and stared into her eyes.

"No, Rogue. We did it. I saw you with Albert and…is that Edge? What did you do to him?"

Angel grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "What didn't I do to him?"

"Rogue, you're something else," Jericho grinned. "Now, let's get out of here while I can still walk."

Angel gave a little laugh and helped him from the ring, unable to resist the opportunity to give Christian a little boot to the ribs. So maybe she wasn't the number one contender. Jericho had made it clear that she was part of the team. And she'd also gotten a pretty significant revenge. And really, that was all she'd wanted in the first place.