A/N: Again, I apologize for the delay in updating. I graduated at the end of June, and I've just been so incredibly busy lately. I'll do my best to get another update soon. Please review!
Chapter 25
"No offense, Stace, but your boyfriend's off his damn rocker," Trish said as she stepped into the women's locker room. A week following Randy's cryptic announcement to Dave, the young Superstar had gone to the ring with plans to reveal his plans to the rest of the wrestling world.
From the couch, both Stacy and Molly turned their attention to her. Molly simply nodded in agreement. She had no clue what Randy's announcement would be, but considering his lack of common sense, she could only imagine what it would be. A puzzled look crossed Stacy's face. Randy had briefly mentioned his announcement to her earlier, but the only explanation he offered was that it would "shock the world." She cocked an eyebrow at Trish, momentarily ignoring the monitor.
"What are you saying, Trish?" she questioned, her eyes confused. "You know what this is about?"
Trish bit her lip awkwardly, suddenly wondering if she had said too much. Two hours before Raw began, Randy could no longer keep his announcement a secret. He told Dave, who immediately blabbed to Trish. And though Trish did not get the chance to see Randy before he made his way to the ring, she had some choice words planned for the not-so-brilliant young wrestler.
Deciding to let Stacy hear for herself, she simply took a seat beside her. "Sadly, yes," she admitted, resting forward. Molly sent her a look, but Trish shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..."
In the ring, Randy proclaimed that the wrestling business was not a popularity contest, but about making an impact. And apparently, he was confidently aware of just how to make that impact. He proposed another "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match at Wrestlemania... and although the arena quickly filled with the deafening sound of boos, the three women heard his challenger's name loud and clear.
"Way to write your own death wish, Orton," Molly quipped as she rested back on the couch. Trish nodded an "I-told-you-so", shaking her head. At the end of the couch, Stacy's jaw dropped.
"The... Undertaker?" she repeated, her tone much less confident then Randy's. "Is he serious?"
"Oh yeah," Trish replied. She stretched her arms out, yawning loudly. "I can't figure out what his logic is, but he seems to think this is the cure-all to your problems with Hunter."
Stacy simply stared at the screen, not blinking even as Eric Bischoff's music hit and the General Manager made his way to the ring. She watched blankly as he greeted Randy, commending him on his "brave challenge." She knew Randy better than anyone, and though he had a tendency to make hasty decisions, he was not stupid. He would not make such a drastic decision without wholeheartedly believing the benefits outweighed the risks.
As Bischoff claimed that Randy would be the one to end Taker's undefeated Wrestlemania streak, Trish and Molly snorted. Soon after, Trish frowned uneasily. It was incredibly unusual for Randy to pal around with the General Manager, especially considering the treatment he was given following being kicked out of Evolution.
"What the hell is he doing becoming all buddy-buddy with that prick?" Trish commented, shaking her head. "I'm all for doing what you gotta do, but he's an idiot," she muttered afterwards.
Still, Stacy remained silent. Randy's actions puzzled her beyond belief. A bewildered expression took over her pretty face as Randy complemented Bischoff for helping WCW beat Raw in the ratings for 86 straight weeks.
"And I guess," he said, a mischievous gleam suddenly filling his blue eyes. "That makes you a legend..."
Not a moment later, Bischoff caught on, and the fear filled his eyes. In a matter of seconds he was on his back, laid out with an intense RKO. Randy stood above him, beaming as the crowd seemingly rejoined his side. He waltzed out of the ring, heading proudly to the back.
Though the other two didn't budge, Trish rose from her seat, a grin spreading across her face.
"Okay, that was kickass," she said, proud of his rebellious action. On her way to the door, she tossed her hair over her shoulders and added, "I take back the idiot comment, for now."
Car rides with Trish normally consisted of her changing the radio dial every 30 seconds, then lowering it to tell Dave some story that simply could not wait till they arrived at their destination. One thing he never experienced in a car with her, was silence. But tonight, as he drove them back to the hotel following Raw, not a peep left Trish's mouth.
Dave let it go for awhile, enjoying the peace that he so rarely got to experience anymore. Soon enough, her pout got to him, and he could not ignore her anymore. A hand lifted from the steering wheel, resting gently on her thigh. Trish jumped slightly, glancing down and then over at Dave. She offered him a smile, but it did nothing to reassure him.
"You're quiet," he said softly. She shrugged, turning her attention to the window. Buildings and shrubbery sped past her in a blur, and she couldn't contain a sigh. Dave lifted his hand from her knee, placing it back on the wheel. "Come on, woman, talk to me."
"She had to pick Lita..." Trish mumbled. Dave exhaled sharply... he should have known. "She got me good, Dave. Christy goddamn Hemme got one over on me."
Sock was a complete understatement of her feelings. Earlier in the evening, Christy challenged Trish to a Women's Title match at Wrestlemania. That much she expected. She was not, however, prepared to see Lita enter the ring, revealing that she had secretly been training Christy in preparation for her challenge.
"Trish, she's been training for a month, tops," Dave reasoned. "She's not gonna beat you..."
"I know that. My title's not what I'm concerned about," she said, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Dave, she outsmarted me. A skimpy bikini wearing Diva Search slut dug into my past and is using it against me."
For some reason, her response angered him. Just slightly, but it was enough for him to seriously reconsider her statement. Finding this situation oddly familiar to the bout of insecurity he had the previous week, he shook his head. It was time for him to return the favor. Time for a pep talk.
"So she beat you this week. It's one show, Trish, and I can guarantee you that by this time next week you'll have come up with something a hundred times better then what she pulled tonight," he said to her, his hands steady on the wheel. He exhalehd slowly, "It's not a big deal..."
"This is a huge deal, Dave," Trish snapped back, her voice testy. She looked over at him, awaiting a response, but Dave remained silent, focusing his attention on the deserted highway. "Lita is the only woman in this company who knows me well enough to beat me at the mind games. If I can't win psychologically, I can't win period."
Without a word, Dave slammed on the brakes, jolting both of them forward. He quickly pulled to the side of the road, the tires screeching as the car came to an abrupt halt. Trish screamed, throwing a hand over her chest as her heart nearly jumped out of her body. She stared at Dave incredulously, her jaw hanging open as she looked at him in shock.
"Have you lost your damn mind?" she asked him, breathing heavily as she settled back into her seat... and her skin.
"No, but I think you might have lost yours," he said flatly, putting the car and park and turning towards her. "Do you have any idea how hypocritical you're being?"
"Excuse me?" she shot back, her voice quickly filling with venom. Dave had to bite back a smile. This was exactly the reaction he wanted from her. He wanted to piss her off. He wanted to make her mad, because it was the only way she'd realize how ridiculous she was acting.
"You heard me," he said firmly, crossing his arms. "What was it you said to me in the parking lot two weeks ago? 'Go ahead, tuck your tail between your legs and go home.' Is that what you want to do, Trish? Run away from your problems?" He paused, and she opened her mouth to speak but he was quick to cut her off, waving a hand in her face. "The Trish that I know wouldn't do that. The Trish that I know doesn't take shit like this sitting down."
"I know that," she said, her head hanging slightly. "But she put me on the spot, Dave... after tonight, people are going to start believing she has a chance. And I don't want that."
"You know what I think, babe? I think you should let it go," Dave instructed, reaching across the seat and resting his hand in her lap. "Just stop worrying about, for tonight at least. Tomorrow morning, after you get some sleep, then you plot your revenge."
"I won't be able to sleep," she admitted. The thought of Christy and her former arch-nemesis pointing and laughing after Trish was laid out by a Twist of Fate - a lame Twist of Fate, at that - would fester in her mind until sunrise.
"Well then," he said, a sly grin curling the edges of his slips as he slid to the middle of the seat. "I guess I'll have to help..." He placed his arm around her shoulder, his lips finding her neck. "You know," he mumbled between soft, wet kisses, "Occupy your mind a little."
Trish arched her neck, sighing quietly. A lazy smile found her face as her eyes fluttered shut. "That just might do the trick..."