Title: Falling For You
Author: Katie
E-mail: [email protected] (I check this one mostly, but try the [email protected] one also
Pairing/Characters: Lilian/Rob Van Dam
Disclaimer: All characters and people in this fanfic belong to the WWE or the person who I am writing about. No harm is meant.
Distribution: Ask me first.
Rating: PG, with some minor wrestling violence
Spoilers: None really, except for Jazz's attack a few weeks ago and the Island Boys incident.
Summary: They've been watching each other for a long time now. Out of an unexpected match comes a new relationship.
Notes: this is my first Lilian Fic. I'd appreciate all feedback, but I won't beg. It's not in my character. Enjoy!
~/~ As she stepped out of the office, her head was spinning. Their words echoed through her head, repeating themselves over and over.
"We want you to wrestle tonight."
At first she thought it was a trick, that she was the victim of a practical joke by one of the guys. Then, she felt that maybe it was a mistake. They mixed up her name and Molly Holly, or even Ivory. Then, she remembered that Molly was out with an injury, and Ivory was out training potential wrestlers.
She felt a presence next to her, and she looked over to see her best friend and tag team partner for the night.
"I'm not a wrestler." The four words came pouring out of her mouth. "I don't even own wrestling gear, let alone have it with me," she pointed out, gesturing to the boot cut jeans and little top she was wearing before continuing.
"What the hell are they thinking? Beside the point, they put me up against Jazz and Victoria?"
"Don't worry. I have your back. They aren't going to do anything to you as long as I'm in the ring the entire time," the other woman responded.
"No, you won't. I've seen what these women have done to you, and you are still not 100%. There is no way I'm going to let you stay in there the whole time!"
"But you pointed it out that you aren't a wrestler. I'm not going to stand there and let you stand in harms way!"
"Trish, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But I'm not going to let you stand in harms way either. I'd rather see myself in a hospital with a broken bone than you having to put a pause in your career."
"What about you, Lilian? I saw how broken you were when those damn Island Boys attacked you. You could barely move for three days! Besides, what if you damage your throat? How would you sing with a damaged larynx?"
The two women stared at each other unhappily, realizing that they were pretty much in a bad position all together. Trish knew that she could take either of the women, but even with her strong pride she knew that she couldn't take on both at once. And she knew that poor Lilian could easily get hurt, yet there seemed nothing she could do to protect her friend. Even that would be difficult, for both Jazz and Victoria seemed hell-bent on destroying Trish and anyone closely related to her.
"I don't even have shorts or a regular shirt," Lilian pointed out all of a sudden, breaking Trish out of her musing.
"I'm sure we can find something," Trish said with a wary smile, leading Lilian to her bag.
"And not an evening gown," Lilian pointed out, mustering a small smile, referring to when the writers thought it would be fun to put her in an evening gown match against the Fink. Lilian groaned aloud, thinking about her enemy and how he may get off watching this.
"What's the matter?" Trish asked suddenly, hearing Lilian's groan.
"I just thought of the last time I was in a match. The damn Fink was probably aroused the whole time. Imagine him watching me get beat up. He'd probably love it."
"This was probably his idea," Trish grumbled. After all, the Fink made his feelings toward Lilian very public, and he would love the chance to take over announcing for Raw. for good.
"Well, that's another reason we need to win," Lilian said, accepting the shorts and top that Trish offered without looking at them. "We can't let Fink get aroused. He may scare away our entire fan base." She finally looked down at the clothes, finally noting the dark exercise shorts and the 100% Stratusfaction T-shirt. "Thanks," Lilian said. "I think I'll go change."
~/~
Rob Van Dam stood outside his dressing room, stretching for his upcoming match. He was bringing his leg up to his shoulder when Trish Stratus and Lilian Garcia walked by him.
"Hi, ladies."
"Hey, Rob," Trish replied, mustering up a smile. Lilian glanced at him, giving him a brief smile before bringing her head down to look at the floor.
Rob's heart nearly broke. He could tell Lilian was scared. This was her first wrestling match, and she was against two psychotic women and a nut case of a man at the ringside.
He liked her, a lot. He just wasn't sure how to express his feelings. Lilian was so quiet, in the back. Many of the guys thought she was too self- absorbed in her musical ability, but Rob knew that she was shy. She was such a beautiful singer, but she found it hard to talk to the guys.
Rob found himself always watching her, whether it was when she was announcing matches, singing, walking to her car, or even during a wrestling match. He had almost lost a match once when his focus suddenly came upon the intense blonde beside the ring.
Rob had a deep crush on her, something he could never admit to the guys out of fear of endless teasing. He enjoyed flirting with her in the ring, making her face light up with that incredible smile she had.
But he wasn't sure about how Lilian felt. She was always timid around all the guys, even the sweet ones like Spike Dudley, Jeff Hardy, and The Hurricane, especially since the attack by the Island Boys. Rob didn't want to scare her, for Lilian seemed as if she was going to pass out whenever a male turned toward her.
"Crush?" Rob wondered aloud, watching as Trish and Lilian rounded a corner and went out of his sight. "I think I'm in love." Plus, he wouldn't let anything happen to Lilian.
That was for sure.
~/~
A short while later, Lilian and Trish were standing by the entrance to the Titan Tron. Earlier, Jazz and Victoria called out Trish, challenging her and a partner to a match. Trish answered the women, and let them know that her partner was going to be Lilian.
The crowd seemed kind of surprised, many murmuring that Lilian wasn't a wrestler. JR and the King hyped up the match, noting that this was Lilian's first tag team match, and of course, King noted the fact that Lilian and Trish were pretty much screwed, something that they need not be reminded of once again.
Jazz and Victoria, accompanied by that damn fruit loop, as Trish liked to refer to him as, Steven Richards, entered the ring first. Lilian couldn't help but notice that Jazz looked absolutely thrilled about getting the chance to get her hands on Trish again. And her too, probably. Lilian shuddered, wondering how anyone could be that psychotic.
"Are you okay?" Trish asked, gripping Lilian by the elbow.
"No," Lilian said shakily. "I think I'm going to throw up."
"You'll be okay, babe."
"No, I'm not. I'm going to die tonight."
"You won't die, Lilian. I won't let them hurt you," Trish said, pulling her friend into a hug. "Try not to look scared. I think it only encourages them."
That was the last thing that Trish said before the first chords of her theme music hit, and the two ladies stepped out onto the ramp. Lilian took a deep breath, fighting the pounding in her chest to work the crowd. After all, it was part of her job to get them pumped up.
Trish and Lilian entered the ring, Trish raising Lilian's hand for the crowd. The crowd went nuts, wondering what Lilian's debut would be like. They probably had no idea that Lilian was wondering the same thing.
Trish and Lilian held a short discussion, and they decided that Trish would face up against Victoria first. Quickly Trish got the advantage, forcing Victoria into the corner and unleashing a series of lethal kicks into Victoria's ribs. Victoria tried to fight back, but Trish kept up the offense, whipping her into the other corner.
Victoria barely had a chance to bring her elbow up, but it was enough to stop Trish from running into her. Lilian winced as Trish fell backward, clutching at her jaw. Victoria quickly tagged in Jazz, who looked almost maniacal to Lilian. Quickly Jazz worked on Trish, stomping away at her and kicking her in the ribs. Trish gasped, trying to catch her breath as Jazz pulled her by the hair to the center of the ring, pulling her arm back into a submission maneuver.
"Do you quit?" asked the referee, Charles Robinson.
"No," Trish cried, fighting against the pain that felt as if her arm was going to be torn from the socket. All of a sudden, Jazz let go, relieving Trish of the pain for a second. Desperately, Trish began to crawl to her corner, trying to get a chance to break away. However, Jazz grabbed Trish by the ankle and pulled her back to the opposite corner, where she tagged in Victoria.
Lilian was barely aware of anything except for the pounding in her chest as she watched her friend get beat up. Trish was physically spent already. Lilian knew that her friend had returned much earlier than need be, and she would probably pay the price later on.
Lilian snapped back to attention when Trish suddenly broke free of Jazz, who was now in the ring again. Trish had kicked her in the jaw and was now trying to crawl over to Lilian again. Trish was almost touching Lilian's hand for the tag when the mat was suddenly not under Lilian's feet anymore. Lilian's jaw struck the mat and she fell backwards on the padded area on the ringside. She looked over, seeing that Steven Richards had pulled her down to prevent the tag. Lilian's blood boiled and she quickly jumped back onto the mat to see that both women were now stomping on Trish while Richards created a distraction with Charles Robinson.
Out of the corner of his eye, Charles Robinson saw that Lilian had entered the ring and was charging Jazz and Victoria. At the last second, Robinson grabbed Lilian and forced her back into her corner, as Steven Richards entered the ring and began stomping on Trish as well.
"You didn't get the tag, Lilian!" Charles said to her, pushing her out of the ring as Richards slid out also. Lilian argued feebly, although she knew that there was no point in arguing, and Jazz stepped out of the ring as Victoria set to dish more punishment out on an injured Trish. She knew that it was a matter of time before Trish got in a lucky shot and was able to make the tag, so Lilian waited patiently, trying to plan her offense. She knew that she couldn't be forced down to the mat, for Jazz and Victoria were both excellent mat technicians. She also knew that she had to watch out for Richards, who loved to interfere.
Lilian was deep in her thoughts that she almost missed Trish moving out of the way of Victoria so that the women ran into her own tag team partner.
"Come on, Trish!" Lilian yelled, coaxing her friend over to their side. Finally, in what seemed like the nick of time, Trish tagged Lilian. She felt as if electric surged through her, and Lilian entered the ring, striking out at all females that moved in her path. She was running on adrenaline more than anything, looking for revenge for the two hurting Trish. For added measure, she ran to the ropes and smacked Richards, sending him off the mat and into the barrier. Lilian barely had a chance to gloat before she felt someone broadside her. She fell to the mat, striking her head. The mat seemed to turn for a minute, and Lilian grabbed at the floor, in case she were to fall. Someone grabbed her by her hair, and yanked her up and threw her into the corner, and then Jazz and Victoria began stomping her down to the mat.
She tried to protect herself from their blows, but the two powerful women were too much for Lilian to handle. Jazz dragged Lilian to the center of the ring, and hit a vicious DDT. Lilian lay on the mat, either unable to move to not wanting to. Jazz quickly applied the STF, and Lilian had no choice to tap out when she realized that Trish was unable to move in the corner due to her earlier beating. The rope was a mile away, and Lilian had no way of moving anywhere. Her neck felt as if it was being wrenched, and she knew that tapping was better than a broken neck.
The bell rung and Lilian realized immediately that Jazz wasn't going to let go right away. Charles Robinson told her to let go, but Lilian could hear Jazz telling him she wasn't going to let go. Lilian grabbed at Jazz's hands, but they were clasped in a death grip, and she realized that it would take more than her weakened state to force them off. Jazz finally let go after a few more seconds, and Lilian let her face fall to the mat, somewhat relieved that she had let go, but she kind of wondered what else they had in store for her. Victoria answered her thoughts, sending a vicious kick into her ribs before she felt someone pulling her up by her hair once again. Lilian could barely stand, but Jazz and Victoria held her up by her arms so that she was kneeling on the mat as Steven Richards came into her view. He grabbed her by the jaw, and grinned wildly into her eyes. Lilian could see his lips moving but she had no idea what he said. Her head was pounding and it felt as if all the blood has rushed to her head.
All of a sudden, she saw his hands move to her shoulders and felt him ripping the Stratusfaction T-shirt off, leaving Lilian in the shorts and her lacy black bra. Then, he slapped her across the face. Lilian feared what he was going to do next, but she would not find out.
A cheer erupted, and Lilian heard someone else in the ring, cleaning house. She collapsed on the mat, closing her eyes and trying to breathe. Pretty soon, a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to move her over. However, Lilian protested, afraid of being the receiving end of another beating.
"Shh, it's okay, doll." A hand touched her jaw, and though the words barely registered, Lilian opened her eyes to look in the gorgeous hazel eyes of one Rob Van Dam.
"You saved me," Lilian whispered, reaching up to touch his face.
"I didn't have much of a choice," Rob said softly. "You certainly weren't getting much offense in."
"Don't remind me," Lilian said, wincing, before a thought suddenly hit her. "Trish!" she gasped, sitting up as fast as she could, but nearly passing out when pain coursed through her body. Rob placed an arm across her back, steadying her and helping her to sit up.
"Charles and Earl are tending to her," Rob said softly. "She just seems a little shook up, but otherwise fine." He paused before adding, "I'm more worried about you. Your lip is bleeding." He reached over and gently touched her lip, as if trying to heal the gash that would probably need stitches.
Lilian pushed his hand away, noticing that she was still only in the lacy bra. She blushed, trying to cover up. Rob noticed her agitation, and blushing at his insensitivity, pulled off the T-shirt he was wearing and quickly covered up the shivering blonde in his arms. Rob noticed that she was in no condition to move, so he lifted Lilian into his arms and exited the ring.
She was in no shape to protest, and she lied her head against his shoulder. Lilian looked over and saw that Charles Robinson was assisting Trish to the back.
Trish glanced over at Lilian, and their eyes met. Lilian could tell that Trish felt guilty about Lilian getting attacked. She knew that Trish would be apologizing for days.
Rob carried Lilian to the back, taking her to the training room so that the trainer could check her over and make sure that there weren't more than bruises and a split lip. Charles followed, helping Trish to sit before leaving the room so the two ladies could be looked over.
"Are you okay?" asked Rob uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot as he glanced nervously at Lilian, now that Trish was in the room, her eyebrows raised slightly as she saw how smitten Lilian seemed by Rob.
"I'm fine, Rob. Thanks again for helping me out. I really owe you one," Lilian said, mustering as much of a smile that she could.
Rob stood there for a moment, then said, "Well, I have a match against Regal tonight, so I better get prepared. See you later."
He left the room, and Trish raised her eyebrows at Lilian. Before she could say anything, though, the trainer entered the room. Lilian knew that this was far from over, and that she was going to hear it later from her Canadian friend.
~/~
Lilian exited the shower, towel drying her long blonde hair. She hadn't realized until she was in the shower that her clothing was on the other side of the arena, left there when she changed for the match. She realized that she was going to have to wear Trish's shorts and Rob's shirt for awhile, at least until she could change later.
Lilian pulled the shirt over her head, smiling as it fell down to her thigh and past her elbows. It didn't smell like sweat like she expected. Instead, it smelled more. she didn't know what. Manly? She could smell a slight trace of some sort of soap, or maybe cologne? She wasn't sure what, but she decided that she liked it.
Pulling on the shorts, Lilian then laid down on the couch, putting an arm over her head, wincing at the headache that had formed. Other than some bruised ribs and a split lip, she would be okay. She had survived this encounter, but something told her that Jazz, Victoria, and Steven Richards weren't finished with her or Trish. Lilian glanced over at the television monitor, smiling as she watched Rob Van Dam walk to the ring to face William
Regal. He was handsome, no doubt about that. He was also overly sweet. When she was attacked the Island Boys, Rob had visited her in the hospital, bringing flowers and that great smile. He was always friendly, and she found it hard to act like an adult around him. Rob was so laid back, and she couldn't help but recognize the pull in her heart.
The one that told her she had a crush on one Rob Van Dam.
There was no denying it. Ever since he had come to the WWE from ECW, she caught herself staring at him. Rob was very playful, always joking around with her, saying his name along with her and the crowd when she announced him for a match. It always cracked Lilian up when Rob did that with her. The way he pointed to himself was awesome too. Rob knew that he had skills, and he wasn't afraid to point that out.
But why would he like her? She was just the ring announcer and the one who song The National Anthem. She wasn't huge chested and didn't have long legs. Lilian wondered why in the world a man as handsome as Rob would be interested in little old her.
The opening of the door broke Lilian out of her thoughts. She looked over and saw that Trish had entered the room and flopped down in one of the soft chairs that the arena provided.
"You like him, don't you?"
The question was simple yet Lilian blushed. "I don't know, Trish," she responded, knowing that her friend wasn't going to let it go that easy.
"I can see it in your eyes," Trish said with a small smile.
"Is it that obvious?" Lilian asked after a pause.
Trish nodded, then cleared her throat. "Look, I just wanted to apologize to you. I promised to protect you tonight and I wasn't able to do that," Trish said.
"Trish, it's not your fault. I saw how hurt you were. It's not your fault at all. There wasn't much you could do," Lilian said.
"I know, but they could have really hurt you," Trish said.
"But they didn't. I mean, sure I'm bruised up and sore, but they didn't hurt me that bad," Lilian pointed out. "Are you okay?"
"Just sore also." Lilian nodded, and her glance went to the monitor, where Rob Van Dam was setting up for the Five Star Frog Splash. All of a sudden, Steven Richards appeared, shoving Rob off the top rope and into the barrier. The referee had no choice but to call for the bell, but Lilian knew that didn't mean that Richards and Victoria were going to let up on Rob.
Lilian didn't think, she just stood up and ran out of the room toward the arena, stopping only to grab an empty steel chair that was sitting by the entrance to the arena.
~/~
Steven Richards and Victoria were stomping on Rob when Lilian slid into the ring. Steven Richards noticed her first and grabbed Victoria's arm, but Lilian swung the chair at both of them, feeling the chair shudder as she connected with the side of Steven Richards.
It was enough to shake him, for he immediately jumped out of the ring, Victoria following immediately. Lilian leaned over the ropes, throwing the chair down at the two before turning back to Rob Van Dam.
He looked at her in shock, surprised that the normally quiet woman who always kept to herself had come to his aid, like he had for her earlier. Lilian stared at him and then went to exit the ring, but Rob ran over and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.
She turned, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. What Rob did next surprised the hell out of Lilian.
He kissed her.
Rob took Lilian's face in his hands, and pulled her gently to his face, kissing her softly on the lips. Lilian closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to touch his, returning the kiss. The crowd hooted, none of them realizing that this was two people revealing their love to each other.
It seemed like minutes, but in reality the kiss only lasted for a few seconds. Rob pulled back, smiling as he kept his hands on her face, stroking her delicate skin. "Please don't hit me," Rob said softly, letting his hands drop slowly from her face to rest on her arms.
"I'm not going to hit you," Lilian replied softly. Rob nodded, taking a deep breath before turning to exit the ring. Lilian grabbed his arm, turning him so that he could face her. Rob barely had a chance to blink before Lilian threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him once again.
Rob was surprised, but he wrapped his arms around Lilian's waist, accepting her passion. When she finally pulled back, Lilian smiled and said, "You're not going to hit me, are you?"
"Of course not," Rob said, lifting Lilian easily into his arms. He carried her to the back for the second time that night, taking her all the way to the dressing room where Trish was waiting.
"That was really, smooth, Lil," Trish said with a small smile, talking about both her saving Rob and the kiss.
"I wasn't thinking," Lilian said in shock. She looked at Rob, who had gently set her down on the couch before sitting next to her. "Did I really just hit someone with a chair?" she asked in wonder.
"Yeah, you did," Rob said with a smile. "And I think we need to talk." Lilian glanced at Trish, the surprise evident in her eyes. Trish could tell that Lilian was regretting kissing Rob, and that she was feeling embarrassed. Lilian looked at Rob, but he only smiled, adding, "Alone." He smiled sweetly at Trish, then gestured to the door with his head.
Trish blushed, then stood up, mouthing the words, "Call me" to Lilian before exiting the room.
Lilian looked at Rob, and before he could say anything, she began talking. "I am so sorry I kissed you in front of all those people. I probably embarrassed you and you probably hate me and you probably never want to see me again and I-"
His lips on hers cut Lilian off, and she brought her hand up to his face, accepting the sweet taste of his lips. Rob pulled back, and asked with a smile, "Are you done?"
"I think I am," Lilian stammered, leaning back so that he could continue.
"Doll, I've been watching you since I first came here. You are so beautiful, but I've never known how to tell you that I have a crush on you," Rob said slowly. Lilian stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "I really like you, and I hope that we can. well, you know. maybe."
"Go out?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Rob said with a blush. He saw Lilian smiling, and he sighed softly. "For someone who is so laid back, I am such a dunce when it comes to romance," Rob murmured.
"Yes," Lilian said softly.
"Yes I'm a dunce, or yes you'll go out with me?"
"The latter, of course," Lilian said with a smile, covering his hand with hers. She squeezed it, and smiled at the man who she was falling in love with.
~/~
This part is finished. Let me know if I should continue or not. I'm thinking of making the next chapter The Date.
Author: Katie
E-mail: [email protected] (I check this one mostly, but try the [email protected] one also
Pairing/Characters: Lilian/Rob Van Dam
Disclaimer: All characters and people in this fanfic belong to the WWE or the person who I am writing about. No harm is meant.
Distribution: Ask me first.
Rating: PG, with some minor wrestling violence
Spoilers: None really, except for Jazz's attack a few weeks ago and the Island Boys incident.
Summary: They've been watching each other for a long time now. Out of an unexpected match comes a new relationship.
Notes: this is my first Lilian Fic. I'd appreciate all feedback, but I won't beg. It's not in my character. Enjoy!
~/~ As she stepped out of the office, her head was spinning. Their words echoed through her head, repeating themselves over and over.
"We want you to wrestle tonight."
At first she thought it was a trick, that she was the victim of a practical joke by one of the guys. Then, she felt that maybe it was a mistake. They mixed up her name and Molly Holly, or even Ivory. Then, she remembered that Molly was out with an injury, and Ivory was out training potential wrestlers.
She felt a presence next to her, and she looked over to see her best friend and tag team partner for the night.
"I'm not a wrestler." The four words came pouring out of her mouth. "I don't even own wrestling gear, let alone have it with me," she pointed out, gesturing to the boot cut jeans and little top she was wearing before continuing.
"What the hell are they thinking? Beside the point, they put me up against Jazz and Victoria?"
"Don't worry. I have your back. They aren't going to do anything to you as long as I'm in the ring the entire time," the other woman responded.
"No, you won't. I've seen what these women have done to you, and you are still not 100%. There is no way I'm going to let you stay in there the whole time!"
"But you pointed it out that you aren't a wrestler. I'm not going to stand there and let you stand in harms way!"
"Trish, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But I'm not going to let you stand in harms way either. I'd rather see myself in a hospital with a broken bone than you having to put a pause in your career."
"What about you, Lilian? I saw how broken you were when those damn Island Boys attacked you. You could barely move for three days! Besides, what if you damage your throat? How would you sing with a damaged larynx?"
The two women stared at each other unhappily, realizing that they were pretty much in a bad position all together. Trish knew that she could take either of the women, but even with her strong pride she knew that she couldn't take on both at once. And she knew that poor Lilian could easily get hurt, yet there seemed nothing she could do to protect her friend. Even that would be difficult, for both Jazz and Victoria seemed hell-bent on destroying Trish and anyone closely related to her.
"I don't even have shorts or a regular shirt," Lilian pointed out all of a sudden, breaking Trish out of her musing.
"I'm sure we can find something," Trish said with a wary smile, leading Lilian to her bag.
"And not an evening gown," Lilian pointed out, mustering a small smile, referring to when the writers thought it would be fun to put her in an evening gown match against the Fink. Lilian groaned aloud, thinking about her enemy and how he may get off watching this.
"What's the matter?" Trish asked suddenly, hearing Lilian's groan.
"I just thought of the last time I was in a match. The damn Fink was probably aroused the whole time. Imagine him watching me get beat up. He'd probably love it."
"This was probably his idea," Trish grumbled. After all, the Fink made his feelings toward Lilian very public, and he would love the chance to take over announcing for Raw. for good.
"Well, that's another reason we need to win," Lilian said, accepting the shorts and top that Trish offered without looking at them. "We can't let Fink get aroused. He may scare away our entire fan base." She finally looked down at the clothes, finally noting the dark exercise shorts and the 100% Stratusfaction T-shirt. "Thanks," Lilian said. "I think I'll go change."
~/~
Rob Van Dam stood outside his dressing room, stretching for his upcoming match. He was bringing his leg up to his shoulder when Trish Stratus and Lilian Garcia walked by him.
"Hi, ladies."
"Hey, Rob," Trish replied, mustering up a smile. Lilian glanced at him, giving him a brief smile before bringing her head down to look at the floor.
Rob's heart nearly broke. He could tell Lilian was scared. This was her first wrestling match, and she was against two psychotic women and a nut case of a man at the ringside.
He liked her, a lot. He just wasn't sure how to express his feelings. Lilian was so quiet, in the back. Many of the guys thought she was too self- absorbed in her musical ability, but Rob knew that she was shy. She was such a beautiful singer, but she found it hard to talk to the guys.
Rob found himself always watching her, whether it was when she was announcing matches, singing, walking to her car, or even during a wrestling match. He had almost lost a match once when his focus suddenly came upon the intense blonde beside the ring.
Rob had a deep crush on her, something he could never admit to the guys out of fear of endless teasing. He enjoyed flirting with her in the ring, making her face light up with that incredible smile she had.
But he wasn't sure about how Lilian felt. She was always timid around all the guys, even the sweet ones like Spike Dudley, Jeff Hardy, and The Hurricane, especially since the attack by the Island Boys. Rob didn't want to scare her, for Lilian seemed as if she was going to pass out whenever a male turned toward her.
"Crush?" Rob wondered aloud, watching as Trish and Lilian rounded a corner and went out of his sight. "I think I'm in love." Plus, he wouldn't let anything happen to Lilian.
That was for sure.
~/~
A short while later, Lilian and Trish were standing by the entrance to the Titan Tron. Earlier, Jazz and Victoria called out Trish, challenging her and a partner to a match. Trish answered the women, and let them know that her partner was going to be Lilian.
The crowd seemed kind of surprised, many murmuring that Lilian wasn't a wrestler. JR and the King hyped up the match, noting that this was Lilian's first tag team match, and of course, King noted the fact that Lilian and Trish were pretty much screwed, something that they need not be reminded of once again.
Jazz and Victoria, accompanied by that damn fruit loop, as Trish liked to refer to him as, Steven Richards, entered the ring first. Lilian couldn't help but notice that Jazz looked absolutely thrilled about getting the chance to get her hands on Trish again. And her too, probably. Lilian shuddered, wondering how anyone could be that psychotic.
"Are you okay?" Trish asked, gripping Lilian by the elbow.
"No," Lilian said shakily. "I think I'm going to throw up."
"You'll be okay, babe."
"No, I'm not. I'm going to die tonight."
"You won't die, Lilian. I won't let them hurt you," Trish said, pulling her friend into a hug. "Try not to look scared. I think it only encourages them."
That was the last thing that Trish said before the first chords of her theme music hit, and the two ladies stepped out onto the ramp. Lilian took a deep breath, fighting the pounding in her chest to work the crowd. After all, it was part of her job to get them pumped up.
Trish and Lilian entered the ring, Trish raising Lilian's hand for the crowd. The crowd went nuts, wondering what Lilian's debut would be like. They probably had no idea that Lilian was wondering the same thing.
Trish and Lilian held a short discussion, and they decided that Trish would face up against Victoria first. Quickly Trish got the advantage, forcing Victoria into the corner and unleashing a series of lethal kicks into Victoria's ribs. Victoria tried to fight back, but Trish kept up the offense, whipping her into the other corner.
Victoria barely had a chance to bring her elbow up, but it was enough to stop Trish from running into her. Lilian winced as Trish fell backward, clutching at her jaw. Victoria quickly tagged in Jazz, who looked almost maniacal to Lilian. Quickly Jazz worked on Trish, stomping away at her and kicking her in the ribs. Trish gasped, trying to catch her breath as Jazz pulled her by the hair to the center of the ring, pulling her arm back into a submission maneuver.
"Do you quit?" asked the referee, Charles Robinson.
"No," Trish cried, fighting against the pain that felt as if her arm was going to be torn from the socket. All of a sudden, Jazz let go, relieving Trish of the pain for a second. Desperately, Trish began to crawl to her corner, trying to get a chance to break away. However, Jazz grabbed Trish by the ankle and pulled her back to the opposite corner, where she tagged in Victoria.
Lilian was barely aware of anything except for the pounding in her chest as she watched her friend get beat up. Trish was physically spent already. Lilian knew that her friend had returned much earlier than need be, and she would probably pay the price later on.
Lilian snapped back to attention when Trish suddenly broke free of Jazz, who was now in the ring again. Trish had kicked her in the jaw and was now trying to crawl over to Lilian again. Trish was almost touching Lilian's hand for the tag when the mat was suddenly not under Lilian's feet anymore. Lilian's jaw struck the mat and she fell backwards on the padded area on the ringside. She looked over, seeing that Steven Richards had pulled her down to prevent the tag. Lilian's blood boiled and she quickly jumped back onto the mat to see that both women were now stomping on Trish while Richards created a distraction with Charles Robinson.
Out of the corner of his eye, Charles Robinson saw that Lilian had entered the ring and was charging Jazz and Victoria. At the last second, Robinson grabbed Lilian and forced her back into her corner, as Steven Richards entered the ring and began stomping on Trish as well.
"You didn't get the tag, Lilian!" Charles said to her, pushing her out of the ring as Richards slid out also. Lilian argued feebly, although she knew that there was no point in arguing, and Jazz stepped out of the ring as Victoria set to dish more punishment out on an injured Trish. She knew that it was a matter of time before Trish got in a lucky shot and was able to make the tag, so Lilian waited patiently, trying to plan her offense. She knew that she couldn't be forced down to the mat, for Jazz and Victoria were both excellent mat technicians. She also knew that she had to watch out for Richards, who loved to interfere.
Lilian was deep in her thoughts that she almost missed Trish moving out of the way of Victoria so that the women ran into her own tag team partner.
"Come on, Trish!" Lilian yelled, coaxing her friend over to their side. Finally, in what seemed like the nick of time, Trish tagged Lilian. She felt as if electric surged through her, and Lilian entered the ring, striking out at all females that moved in her path. She was running on adrenaline more than anything, looking for revenge for the two hurting Trish. For added measure, she ran to the ropes and smacked Richards, sending him off the mat and into the barrier. Lilian barely had a chance to gloat before she felt someone broadside her. She fell to the mat, striking her head. The mat seemed to turn for a minute, and Lilian grabbed at the floor, in case she were to fall. Someone grabbed her by her hair, and yanked her up and threw her into the corner, and then Jazz and Victoria began stomping her down to the mat.
She tried to protect herself from their blows, but the two powerful women were too much for Lilian to handle. Jazz dragged Lilian to the center of the ring, and hit a vicious DDT. Lilian lay on the mat, either unable to move to not wanting to. Jazz quickly applied the STF, and Lilian had no choice to tap out when she realized that Trish was unable to move in the corner due to her earlier beating. The rope was a mile away, and Lilian had no way of moving anywhere. Her neck felt as if it was being wrenched, and she knew that tapping was better than a broken neck.
The bell rung and Lilian realized immediately that Jazz wasn't going to let go right away. Charles Robinson told her to let go, but Lilian could hear Jazz telling him she wasn't going to let go. Lilian grabbed at Jazz's hands, but they were clasped in a death grip, and she realized that it would take more than her weakened state to force them off. Jazz finally let go after a few more seconds, and Lilian let her face fall to the mat, somewhat relieved that she had let go, but she kind of wondered what else they had in store for her. Victoria answered her thoughts, sending a vicious kick into her ribs before she felt someone pulling her up by her hair once again. Lilian could barely stand, but Jazz and Victoria held her up by her arms so that she was kneeling on the mat as Steven Richards came into her view. He grabbed her by the jaw, and grinned wildly into her eyes. Lilian could see his lips moving but she had no idea what he said. Her head was pounding and it felt as if all the blood has rushed to her head.
All of a sudden, she saw his hands move to her shoulders and felt him ripping the Stratusfaction T-shirt off, leaving Lilian in the shorts and her lacy black bra. Then, he slapped her across the face. Lilian feared what he was going to do next, but she would not find out.
A cheer erupted, and Lilian heard someone else in the ring, cleaning house. She collapsed on the mat, closing her eyes and trying to breathe. Pretty soon, a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to move her over. However, Lilian protested, afraid of being the receiving end of another beating.
"Shh, it's okay, doll." A hand touched her jaw, and though the words barely registered, Lilian opened her eyes to look in the gorgeous hazel eyes of one Rob Van Dam.
"You saved me," Lilian whispered, reaching up to touch his face.
"I didn't have much of a choice," Rob said softly. "You certainly weren't getting much offense in."
"Don't remind me," Lilian said, wincing, before a thought suddenly hit her. "Trish!" she gasped, sitting up as fast as she could, but nearly passing out when pain coursed through her body. Rob placed an arm across her back, steadying her and helping her to sit up.
"Charles and Earl are tending to her," Rob said softly. "She just seems a little shook up, but otherwise fine." He paused before adding, "I'm more worried about you. Your lip is bleeding." He reached over and gently touched her lip, as if trying to heal the gash that would probably need stitches.
Lilian pushed his hand away, noticing that she was still only in the lacy bra. She blushed, trying to cover up. Rob noticed her agitation, and blushing at his insensitivity, pulled off the T-shirt he was wearing and quickly covered up the shivering blonde in his arms. Rob noticed that she was in no condition to move, so he lifted Lilian into his arms and exited the ring.
She was in no shape to protest, and she lied her head against his shoulder. Lilian looked over and saw that Charles Robinson was assisting Trish to the back.
Trish glanced over at Lilian, and their eyes met. Lilian could tell that Trish felt guilty about Lilian getting attacked. She knew that Trish would be apologizing for days.
Rob carried Lilian to the back, taking her to the training room so that the trainer could check her over and make sure that there weren't more than bruises and a split lip. Charles followed, helping Trish to sit before leaving the room so the two ladies could be looked over.
"Are you okay?" asked Rob uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot as he glanced nervously at Lilian, now that Trish was in the room, her eyebrows raised slightly as she saw how smitten Lilian seemed by Rob.
"I'm fine, Rob. Thanks again for helping me out. I really owe you one," Lilian said, mustering as much of a smile that she could.
Rob stood there for a moment, then said, "Well, I have a match against Regal tonight, so I better get prepared. See you later."
He left the room, and Trish raised her eyebrows at Lilian. Before she could say anything, though, the trainer entered the room. Lilian knew that this was far from over, and that she was going to hear it later from her Canadian friend.
~/~
Lilian exited the shower, towel drying her long blonde hair. She hadn't realized until she was in the shower that her clothing was on the other side of the arena, left there when she changed for the match. She realized that she was going to have to wear Trish's shorts and Rob's shirt for awhile, at least until she could change later.
Lilian pulled the shirt over her head, smiling as it fell down to her thigh and past her elbows. It didn't smell like sweat like she expected. Instead, it smelled more. she didn't know what. Manly? She could smell a slight trace of some sort of soap, or maybe cologne? She wasn't sure what, but she decided that she liked it.
Pulling on the shorts, Lilian then laid down on the couch, putting an arm over her head, wincing at the headache that had formed. Other than some bruised ribs and a split lip, she would be okay. She had survived this encounter, but something told her that Jazz, Victoria, and Steven Richards weren't finished with her or Trish. Lilian glanced over at the television monitor, smiling as she watched Rob Van Dam walk to the ring to face William
Regal. He was handsome, no doubt about that. He was also overly sweet. When she was attacked the Island Boys, Rob had visited her in the hospital, bringing flowers and that great smile. He was always friendly, and she found it hard to act like an adult around him. Rob was so laid back, and she couldn't help but recognize the pull in her heart.
The one that told her she had a crush on one Rob Van Dam.
There was no denying it. Ever since he had come to the WWE from ECW, she caught herself staring at him. Rob was very playful, always joking around with her, saying his name along with her and the crowd when she announced him for a match. It always cracked Lilian up when Rob did that with her. The way he pointed to himself was awesome too. Rob knew that he had skills, and he wasn't afraid to point that out.
But why would he like her? She was just the ring announcer and the one who song The National Anthem. She wasn't huge chested and didn't have long legs. Lilian wondered why in the world a man as handsome as Rob would be interested in little old her.
The opening of the door broke Lilian out of her thoughts. She looked over and saw that Trish had entered the room and flopped down in one of the soft chairs that the arena provided.
"You like him, don't you?"
The question was simple yet Lilian blushed. "I don't know, Trish," she responded, knowing that her friend wasn't going to let it go that easy.
"I can see it in your eyes," Trish said with a small smile.
"Is it that obvious?" Lilian asked after a pause.
Trish nodded, then cleared her throat. "Look, I just wanted to apologize to you. I promised to protect you tonight and I wasn't able to do that," Trish said.
"Trish, it's not your fault. I saw how hurt you were. It's not your fault at all. There wasn't much you could do," Lilian said.
"I know, but they could have really hurt you," Trish said.
"But they didn't. I mean, sure I'm bruised up and sore, but they didn't hurt me that bad," Lilian pointed out. "Are you okay?"
"Just sore also." Lilian nodded, and her glance went to the monitor, where Rob Van Dam was setting up for the Five Star Frog Splash. All of a sudden, Steven Richards appeared, shoving Rob off the top rope and into the barrier. The referee had no choice but to call for the bell, but Lilian knew that didn't mean that Richards and Victoria were going to let up on Rob.
Lilian didn't think, she just stood up and ran out of the room toward the arena, stopping only to grab an empty steel chair that was sitting by the entrance to the arena.
~/~
Steven Richards and Victoria were stomping on Rob when Lilian slid into the ring. Steven Richards noticed her first and grabbed Victoria's arm, but Lilian swung the chair at both of them, feeling the chair shudder as she connected with the side of Steven Richards.
It was enough to shake him, for he immediately jumped out of the ring, Victoria following immediately. Lilian leaned over the ropes, throwing the chair down at the two before turning back to Rob Van Dam.
He looked at her in shock, surprised that the normally quiet woman who always kept to herself had come to his aid, like he had for her earlier. Lilian stared at him and then went to exit the ring, but Rob ran over and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.
She turned, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. What Rob did next surprised the hell out of Lilian.
He kissed her.
Rob took Lilian's face in his hands, and pulled her gently to his face, kissing her softly on the lips. Lilian closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to touch his, returning the kiss. The crowd hooted, none of them realizing that this was two people revealing their love to each other.
It seemed like minutes, but in reality the kiss only lasted for a few seconds. Rob pulled back, smiling as he kept his hands on her face, stroking her delicate skin. "Please don't hit me," Rob said softly, letting his hands drop slowly from her face to rest on her arms.
"I'm not going to hit you," Lilian replied softly. Rob nodded, taking a deep breath before turning to exit the ring. Lilian grabbed his arm, turning him so that he could face her. Rob barely had a chance to blink before Lilian threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him once again.
Rob was surprised, but he wrapped his arms around Lilian's waist, accepting her passion. When she finally pulled back, Lilian smiled and said, "You're not going to hit me, are you?"
"Of course not," Rob said, lifting Lilian easily into his arms. He carried her to the back for the second time that night, taking her all the way to the dressing room where Trish was waiting.
"That was really, smooth, Lil," Trish said with a small smile, talking about both her saving Rob and the kiss.
"I wasn't thinking," Lilian said in shock. She looked at Rob, who had gently set her down on the couch before sitting next to her. "Did I really just hit someone with a chair?" she asked in wonder.
"Yeah, you did," Rob said with a smile. "And I think we need to talk." Lilian glanced at Trish, the surprise evident in her eyes. Trish could tell that Lilian was regretting kissing Rob, and that she was feeling embarrassed. Lilian looked at Rob, but he only smiled, adding, "Alone." He smiled sweetly at Trish, then gestured to the door with his head.
Trish blushed, then stood up, mouthing the words, "Call me" to Lilian before exiting the room.
Lilian looked at Rob, and before he could say anything, she began talking. "I am so sorry I kissed you in front of all those people. I probably embarrassed you and you probably hate me and you probably never want to see me again and I-"
His lips on hers cut Lilian off, and she brought her hand up to his face, accepting the sweet taste of his lips. Rob pulled back, and asked with a smile, "Are you done?"
"I think I am," Lilian stammered, leaning back so that he could continue.
"Doll, I've been watching you since I first came here. You are so beautiful, but I've never known how to tell you that I have a crush on you," Rob said slowly. Lilian stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "I really like you, and I hope that we can. well, you know. maybe."
"Go out?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Rob said with a blush. He saw Lilian smiling, and he sighed softly. "For someone who is so laid back, I am such a dunce when it comes to romance," Rob murmured.
"Yes," Lilian said softly.
"Yes I'm a dunce, or yes you'll go out with me?"
"The latter, of course," Lilian said with a smile, covering his hand with hers. She squeezed it, and smiled at the man who she was falling in love with.
~/~
This part is finished. Let me know if I should continue or not. I'm thinking of making the next chapter The Date.