MY LITTLE GIRL
Summary: What if Jeff left years ago because of something other than a suspension? Theo is his girl and whole world, so what happens when things go wrong and his angel is put in danger?
Rating: T.
Genre: Drama/Comedy/Angst.
Pairing: N/A.
Disclaimer: I do not own the WWE or any of the wrestlers. What is written in this story, save for what is seen on television the rest is my own creation and I only own the OC and her friends. All WWE entertainers belong to themselves and WWE. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Tim Graw's My Little Girl was playing in the background while I was doing English and this is the result. Love to know what you all think.
- - -
CHAPTER ONE
Jeff looked at the little baby sleeping in the plastic hospital crib through the glass. His hand slid down the glass before he smiled as the tiny pink bundle yawned and wriggled slightly. "Theo," he whispered. She was real. The blonde beside him put her hand over his. "Thank you. I know its not easy doing something like this."
She smiled, shaking her head. "At least I know she is going to be looked after," she told him. He wrapped his arms around her. In the past nine months, they had become close but both of them knew the future; she had to leave, that was the one part of the deal she had decided on.
"Everything will be taken care of," he said as they pulled apart.
Matt appeared at his side with a smiling Amy. "So-" Matt started, looking over the babies behind the glass as the blonde left, leaving the trio alone. "Which one is she?"
Jeff stepped up beside his big brother, pointing to the tiny little bundle with the name "Theo" written across the top of the clipboard attached to the end of the cot. The tiny precious little thing yawned before a wet nurse picked her up.
"She's gorgeous," Amy said, while hugging the younger of the two Hardy boys. Jeff grinned as his brother wrapped his arm around his neck, hugging him tightly.
- - -
Jeff smiled as the tiny body beside him turned over and buried into his side, her tiny arms squished between his chest and her. His hand came up and pushed back the strands of blonde and bright pink hair that was hanging into her eyes as he watched her sleep. How many nights had he spent doing this? Countless now.
Probably every night that she come and laid in here with him, wanting to be with him. His smile never once wavered as he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently before slipping out of the large bed. He pulled the blankets back up around her while Nemeth snuck up from the other end of the bed and curled up against her back. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled it up into a ponytail and grabbed a t-shirt that was in the second from the top right hand side draw of his chest of drawers.
Pulling it on, he leaned down over the bed and kissed her on the cheek. "Come on honey, you got to get up," he cooed into her ear, his hand pushing her hair back - again - as he watched her eyes crack open before they shut again and she shook her head, rolling onto her belly. He grinned and pulled the covers back before picking her up around the stomach and laughing as she squealed and Nemeth jumped up, barking at him, believing to be protecting the small girl from an attack.
Setting her down on her feet, he quickly grabbed her when she made to jump back into the bed and carried her out of the room and down the hall to where her bedroom was. The walls were plastered with band posters, wrestling posters, pictures and memorabilia that they had collected in the past year.
Most of the stuff was new or sent by fans after the incident last year when they'd lost the old house. Lucky that they hadn't been at home, but at Gas Chamber Ink when it had happened, he'd lost Jack, but he was grateful Theo hadn't wanted to stay with a babysitter that night.
"Dad!" she screamed when he held her upside down by her legs and carried her over to the wardrobe. "Put me down!"
He laughed as she tried to pull herself up and righted her before putting her down on her own two feet. "So- what are you gonna wear to class?" he asked.
Saturday morning's consisted of one thing for them.
Dance lessons mixed with gymnastics.
"Um-" she trailed off and sorted through the clothes before giving a 'Ah-ha' as she found something and held up the overalls that had been cut into shorts and a pink WWE Divas t-shirt. He told her to get her leotard on first and said he was going to make them breakfast before leaving the room.
- - -
Theo looked at the clothes she had tossed onto her bed and then at her father's back as he disappeared. Giggling, she tiptoed behind him and snuck back into his room, pushing Nemeth to the end of the bed before diving in beneath the covers.
It took Jeff all of ten minutes before he realised Theo wasn't in her room when he called her for breakfast and got no answer.
Pursing his lips, he stuck his head into the room and saw the clothes on the bed. And no Theo.
Walking over, he picked them up and headed for his room, knowing that's where she'd be. Curled back up, completely hidden beneath the covers, Theo was fast asleep.
"Hey," he called, nudging her with his foot. "Get up Theo or we'll be late and I don't need to cop it from Ms. Hastings again."
A tiny whine met his order as he grabbed his jeans, tugging them on. He called once more and this time he saw a tiny hand appear from under the top of the blankets and grab her leotard. Shaking his head, he kicked Nemeth out and told her breakfast was waiting.
After breakfast, he sat on the coffee table as she watched Spongebob Squarepants and he plaited her hair back into two French braids, pinning back the wispy pieces off her face. She smiled as he kissed her on the nose before telling her to go get her shoes on.
- - -
Ms. Hastings looked up from where she was instructing the girls in doing the splits as she heard the studio door opened.
Her lips curled up into a smile as she saw the man holding it open as the tiny person ducked in and he followed, escaping the rain.
She stood up and told one of the older girls to take over as she approached the man. Theo unclipped her overalls and stripped down to her flats and leotard before joining the girls.
Jeff folded the clothes up and stuffed them into the backpack he'd brought, looking at the 5'7" woman who stood in front of him. "This is the seventh time she's been late," she stated.
Jeff nodded. "I know- I work Friday nights, most of the time out of the state."
"What is mo-"
"She's the most important thing to me, Ms. Hastings, I'm not gonna lie to you there but I can't take the time off until next month, besides we're only five minutes late," he replied. She shook her head.
"You and I could always talk about this later on, over dinner, maybe?" she suggested.
Jeff grinned nervously at her and politely turned her down. "I'm sorry, its just- I'm not looking for a relationship."
"The girl needs a mother," she told him.
Jeff flinched before he hung his head. "Look- I promise it won't happen once I get the time off, and she is always practising at home."
The woman sighed before nodding and walking over to the little girl who smiled up at her before spinning and bowing playfully making her father chuckle.
Jeff looked at the women sitting in a corner, chatting away as their daughter's danced before looking away and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He slid down the wall near the door, watching his daughter as she moved across the studio gracefully in all these different ballet moves and gymnastic poses.
His eyes moved to where all the were women were sitting and saw them quickly look away as he quirked an eyebrow at them, smirking a little as he watched them all go back to their gossiping.
Theo waved at him and he returned it.
Five years. Had it really been that long? He still remembered the day he'd decided to do what he'd done. Beth had been with him for about three years and he'd asked her about the idea of kids and marriage. Marriage was great for her but she didn't want kids. Or really, she couldn't have them and even if she could she didn't want them. But he had.
That's when they broken up and he had chosen to have a kid one way or another. Rochelle had been a great woman. She'd loved the idea of one night with him and being a surrogate mother when he'd asked her. Just before his suspension, he had been given the tiny blessing that was now doing cartwheels across the studio floor. In the time since she'd been born, Jeff had been on a total of three dates and his love life - save for his love for her, family and friends - was otherwise completely nonexistent.
Most people, especially those close to him knew how much he loved his little girl and how he would do anything for her. She was his whole world and he wouldn't change that for anything.