1: Minor Improvement
Royal Rumble: 1999
January, 24

Fallon bounced from one foot to the other, ignoring the look her husband –now 'Commissioner' of the WWF- was giving her. "The only way you're going to talk me out of it is to ban me from ringside, which we both know you won't." She said flatly, adjusting the straps of her crimson colored vinyl halter top, wearing matching shorts and boots.

It had been just over a year since the Incident, and just around a year since Shawn's career-ending back injury, which, in a cruel twist of fate, had occurred only days after they had been reunited. In that time, so much had changed. She and Shawn had changed, mostly for the better, though… they still had their moments. What was important was that they were both clean, drug-free, and now anytime they got into it, or a temper spiked, it was just them being them. Minor improvement.

Shawn was scheduled to finally have surgery on his back after living with it being 'broken' for a year, he was fixing to be laid up for several months afterwards and the odds of him ever wrestling again… Well, the odds of that were slimmer than the odds of her winning the heavyweight championship.

Storyline wise, he had parted ways with DX, Hunter was now 'in charge' and she tended to bounce back and forth on-screen between Shawn and then raising Hell with her fellow Degenerates. It was… interesting, but fun.

"No, I won't, because then you'd break me in half for real." Shawn grumbled, staring down at her intently. She was about to enter the Royal Rumble, the first woman to ever do so, and he was worried. And jealous.

"Come on," She said with a coaxing smile, wrapping her arms around his neck when he frowned. "I can do this. I'll get tossed out of the ring for sure, but at least I'll have been in it. And then afterwards…" She rubbed his shoulder blades, knowing he was both concerned and resentful at the same time. She got to participate in the Royal Rumble while he couldn't even wrestle at all. "When the night is over, and we're- Oh, shit!"

Shawn shook his head when her music cued her, watching as his wife hauled tail for the ring entrance. He wouldn't lie, he was envious of her. He couldn't even believe she was doing this, going out there to fight in the Rumble. Part of him wanted to cocock Hunter for resuming her wrestling training and the other part of him was proud of her, and then another part despised her. Not that he would ever tell her that, it would hurt her feelings for one, and two, he knew it was irrational and petty on his part.

"Good luck." He whispered to the empty space she had moments ago occupied.

Fallon was helping Hunter and Jesse –who was still a stoner but also a fellow DXer- in throwing Mabel over the top rope when the lights went out. When they came back on, she automatically stepped behind Hunter. Anytime she knew 'Taker was in the immediate area, she tended to disappear.

The last time she had actually been within a respectable distance of him was… last year's Royal Rumble, for his and Shawn's casket match. He had purposefully inflicted as much damage to Shawn as he possibly could, and the end result was her husband no longer being able to wrestle and now heading off for back surgery.

'Taker had left her alone though, which was a plus, though that didn't stop her from maintaining a healthy fear of the man and what he could do. He had changed in the past year, and not really for the better. Vince was just encouraging the change, using it for his damn storylines, a storyline that was getting more and more disturbing with each passing week.

"What the fuck are they doing?" Jesse demanded, watching as the Acolytes and Mideon dragged Mabel up the rampway, towards the waiting Undertaker.

"Adding to the collection." Hunter snorted, glancing back over his shoulder at Fallon. "You alright?"

She nodded, peering around him to watch. 'Taker was wearing that damn robe of his, looking like a wanna-be druid, and now asking Mabel something about 'accepting him as his savior', that was just messed up. As per the usual, a beat down commenced with Mabel winding up being taken backstage.

"Sorry Fallon."

She turned in time to see Steve, blue eyes apologetic but also sparkling with humor. A second later she had been gently dropped outside the ring, staring at him with a slack jaw. "Prick!"

He shrugged, turning in time to counter Hunter's blow.

In retaliation, Fallon got up on the apron and began trash talking like the pro she was. When Val Venis was the one to come answering the trash talk, he got whacked in the head and pulled over the rope, aided by a push from Jesse. "Good luck, Jess." She winked at him before dropping down to the mat.

She headed backstage, not surprised to find Shawn waiting for her and just shook her head with an apologetic smile. She knew it was her own damn fault for being distracted by the Undertaker, but she couldn't help it. If He was around, she wanted him in her line of vision at all times, she was just that paranoid.

"What had you distracted?" Shawn asked, following her as she led the way towards the office. When she simply shrugged, he openly scoffed. He already knew the answer. It was because the man who had raped and impregnated her had been out there. Not that Shawn was blaming her because in her shoes, he would have been distracted too. "We need to talk."

Fallon turned to look at him, watching as he closed the door behind him. "Okay."

"I spoke to Vince about you taking the time off to come with me to Birmingham and he said no."

Why was she not surprised?

"It's Wrestlemania time and he wants everyone who can be on the road, that includes you, Frogger." Shawn wasn't overly pleased with the situation but there it was.

She could only imagine what a basket case she would be today if she would have been conscious for the… session with 'Taker. Being unconscious was definite the preferable alternative and that was why she was simply paranoid instead of a crazy ball of string. "Why am I not surprised?" She sighed, knowing the request for time off had been a long shot. Wrestlemania was always big and she was a part of DX. She and Sable were the most well-known of the women in the WWF, they had to be there, and she really hated Sable.

"You shouldn't be, it's Vince" Shawn pulled her towards him with one arm, the other hand reaching into the pocket of his slacks to pull out her wedding ring. She always took it off before competing, just so nothing happened to it. Personally, he thought she might've used the stone as a weapon, but then again, she was also a snob with an appreciation for beautiful things. He didn't overly mind her taking it off, so long as it was back on her finger by the end of the night. "You'll be with me soon, before you know it. Hunter'll bring you."

She smiled up at her husband as he slid the ring back on her finger, where it belonged. "When do you leave?" She asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"After the show."

"Well then… let's not waste what time we have left."