United We Stand
Chapter I
When a still sleeping Kalleasto McMahon felt gentle fingertips stroke lazily down her cheek bone, across her jaw and then creep ever so softly over her lips, a sweet, sleepy sigh announced that she was drawing from sleep. Eyes still closed, a dreamy smile touching her face, she whispered, “Jeffy...”
A chuckle slightly deeper than Jeff’s reached her ears. She opened her eyes, a choking gasp escaping her as she leapt back against the head of the bed, “MATT!!!”
In fits of laughter now where he half knelt by, half lay upon the bed, Matt Hardy gave her the kind of grin that could melt women the world over. “You know, Kalli, you really need to start locking your door of a night.” His laugh trailed away when she leant forward and slapped him, “Hey! Ooowww!!!” He grasped his injured cheek, “What did you do that for?”
“You scared the crap outta me!!!”
He pointed to the now reddening patch on his cheek, “Was that any reason to slap me?” He gave her a forlorn pout.
After a moment of sitting, arms folded and glaring, she sighed, leaning over to stroke his cheek. He flinched melodramatically before he let her touch him though. “My poor, poor Matty.”
“Aww, well...” He smiled, “All is not lost.”
She asked softly, “Its not?”
“Nup.” Matt shook his head, smiling knowingly at her. “You called me Jeffy... I *knew* your big talk was all bravado.”
She blushed, “Matt, after so long with your brother, that's just kinda a reflex action.”
“No,” he shook his head again, “You are still mooshy girl.”
Kalli giggled at his use of a term she had used to describe herself on several occasions when she had been discussing her relationship with Jeff, or these days lack thereof, with the elder of the two Hardy Boys. “I kinda hate you,” she whispered.
He smiled, leaning over to kiss her forehead, “I love you, too.” When she returned his smile he reached out and stroked her cheek, “See, there’s my girl.”
She brushed his hand away, “Matty... I wish you wouldn’t do that.”
He gave her a confused, innocent little look, “Do what?”
“Baby me,” she replied.
The Hardy Boy shrugged, “Why not? You do it to me all the time.” She simply shook her head in reply, lowering her eyes. “So...” He watched her for a little while, “How are you on this fine Texan morning?” She yawned in response and he chuckled, “I see... So you’re *not* up for a round or two with Krissy in the gym?”
“She wants me to train with her again this morning?” Kalli stretched lazily as Matt nodded. “Why doesn’t she just ask me herself?”
Matt shrugged, “I think she thinks she’s nagging you.”
Pulling back the covers and hopping out of the bed, clad in a pair of Jeff’s boxer shorts and one of his singlets she had managed to hold on to since their break up, she stretched again. “It’s not nagging. I remember how...” Spotting Matt’s eyes on her boxers she said, “Matt, hello? Are you like the least subtle perve on the face of the planet or what?”
He looked up and her smile told him she was only playing with him, but he was still embarrassed. “I’m sorry, it’s just...” He pointed to the satin material that covered her waist and upper thighs, “Those are Jeff’s.”
She groaned, “Yeah, yeah. The singlet is his too. So I sleep in his clothes still. It’s just an old habit.”
“Well..”
The McMahon Heiress cut him off, continuing her morning stretches and returning to the matter at hand, “I remember when I first starting wrestling all I wanted to was train too. I don’t have a problem with Krissy’s enthusiasm. If she wants to train, we’ll train.” She caught a flush appearing on Matt’s face and she said, “You have but face.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and she said, “Not butt face, but face.” She groaned, “Never mind.” Motioning toward him she said, “Why the look?”
Matt sighed, “Well, there’s *one* little catch this morning.”
Kalli looked at him intently for a few moments and then sighed, “Jeff is going to be there too, huh?” He nodded slightly and she sighed, “Then no.”
She started to make her way across the hotel room, but Matt got up, grabbing her arm, “Come on, Kalli...”
“No, Matty.” She tugged her arm free, “I already tried this being in the same place at the same time as Jeff thing. I made a total mess of it, and it ended in tears okay? I’m not doing it again.”
“Kallikins...”
“No.” Their eyes locked and the tears in her eyes were an emphatic statement in themselves.
“Matt! Kalli! Get in here!!!”
Krissy’s panicked voice could be heard from where Matt had left the hotel room door open on his entrance earlier.
Both exchanged a look, darting from Kalli’s room across into Krissy’s and Matt’s.
Krissy and Jeff stood, silent and completely unmoving, in front of the television...
~*~
Chapter II
“Reports indicate that a passenger jet crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre around 10 minutes ago...”
Kalli stepped shakily into the room, certain her legs were about to crumble under her weight. Matt moved over to Krissy, wrapping an arm around her waist. She melted immediately into his touch, her face pale.
When he heard her footsteps close behind him, Jeff turned to face Kalli, immediately moved by the look of sheer horror on her face. “Oh my God...” She whispered.
On instinct, he reached out a hand, taking hold of her hand gently. When he lightly lead her over to him, she did not even contemplate resisting, her eyes locked on the screen. “I don’t believe it...” He whispered into her hair as she leant her head against his shoulder, neither one conscious of anything but the sight before them.
“What the hell is a passenger jet doing that low over Manhattan?” Matt asked softly, taking in some of the first shots of the badly damaged, flame engulfed upper storeys of the skyscraper. “What the hell...” His voice trailed away, lost in his own shock.
Krissy, tears streaming down her face, totally stricken whispered, “All those people...” Matt squeezed her to him more tightly, “All those people...”
“Are you guys watching this..?” Adam’s mortified voice trailed away as he entered the room with Jason and Tiara in tow.
Kalli only barely managed to pry her eyes from the TV screen to look at her friends. She couldn’t form a sentence for the life of her, and Tiara simply nodded knowingly at the girl, understanding perfectly her friend’s dismay.
“Oh my God...” Jason pointed to the screen, grabbing at Tiara and pulling her closer, “Look...”
Turning to face the screen, Kalli’s jaw dropped as a plane came into sight near the Twin Towers. “No way...” She murmured, unconsciously snuggling closer to Jeff...
~*~
It was now 10:45am.
And for two hours Kalli McMahon had not moved from Krissy and Matt’s hotel room. She, Jason, Tiara, Adam, Krissy, Matt and Jeff had huddled around the television, watching one of the greatest tragedies the world will ever know unfold in a vicious act of terrorism.
There had been tears. So many tears. And not just from the girls either.
Banded together in their horror, nothing had mattered in those two hours but the horrific vision before them. Kalli and Jeff, despite their discomfort with each other over the weeks since their break up, had managed to stay in the same place at the same time for longer than five minutes. Krissy, who spent the better part of her time these days torn between Matt and Adam, the two greatest loves in her life, was able to move freely between the two, hugging each in turn, without fear that either man would look at the other with accusing eyes.
No, every difference that may have been had between the small group gathered in that room was no where to be found.
Until the phone had rung, not five minutes ago.
Vince, checking in with his daughters, had reminded Kalli that she had family elsewhere that may or may not know of her whereabouts. The gravity of the situation set in when he insisted that she call her mother.
Her father *never* insisted she call her Mother. In fact, nine times out of ten she was sure he would rather she have nothing to do with her. And for him to call now... It was strange, but in some ways it made the very surreal happenings of the day sink in that bit deeper.
Only a few days before, she had been in New York City. And it was from there that she last called her Mother and Sisters. At the time, she had been pencilled in to appear at Monday Nights Raw Is War party at WWF New York. Her schedule had changed since then, indeed, but her family back in Australia were not aware of that.
Taking a deep breath, Kalli glanced over at her own TV, which she had switched on the moment she had gotten back into her room, and then dialled the number. The phone rang...
“Hello?” A sweet, melodious women’s voice came from the telephone, her Australian accent thicker than Kalli ever remembered it being. She guessed spending so long in American she would eventually start to notice that Australians really did have accents after all, but hearing the sound of her mother’s voice had almost startled her.
“M...” The words didn’t want to come out past the shocked tears that still ran down her face, and she cleared her throat to try again. “Mum? It’s Kalleasto.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.
And then the phone went dead.
Kalli held the phone to her a few moments, listening to the tormenting ring of the engaged tone before replacing the phone in its cradle. Her eyes cast over it like it was a snake, ready to strike out at her at any moment. She shook her head, whispering near silently, “She wouldn’t have..? Would she?”
She picked the phone up again, dialling the number a second time.
It almost rang out before someone answered it silently.
“Mum?” She nearly cried out into the phone, “Mum? It’s Kalleasto.”
To her surprise, it was a sleepy male voice that answered her, “Kalleasto?”
She looked at the time, remembering that it was around midnight in Australia. Mum is always up this late to watch Sunset Beach though... She barely fought a groan as she said as enthusiastically as possible, “Hey Jake.”
"Where are you?” He asked, at least some attempt at genuine concern in his voice, “We’ve been watching the news... Amy said you were in New York last she talked to you. You’re not still there are you?”
“No...” She added plainly, “I’m in Houston.” She went on softly, “I wasn’t sure you knew where I’d be... I just wanted to let Mum and the girls know I’m okay.”
Jake’s voice was as warm as he could manage, “Well, I can let her know...”
A little taken aback, Kalli asked, “Isn’t Mum there?”
He sighed, “She’s still at work at the Pub, Kalleasto.”
Despite herself, little hints of hurt slipped into Kalli’s already sad voice, “But Mum just answered the phone...”
Seemingly confused, Jake queried her, “Before?”
“Yeah... I just called like a minute ago...”
“Oh!” He sounded entirely too enthusiastic, “When the phone dropped out? That was you?” She nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her, “That was Amy.”
Kalli shook her head, “No, that was Mum.”
He cut her off, “It was your sister, Kalleasto.” He cleared his throat, “Anyway, I’ll tell your Mother you called.” He added without sincerity, “I’m glad you're safe.”
And for the second time, the line went dead.
~*~
Chapter III
She had cried for minutes...
Completely unmoving, huddled on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried.
And though Jeff knew he should walk away..
He couldn’t bring himself to.
Honestly, he had no idea exactly why he had chosen to follow her when she left Krissy and Matt’s hotel room. But he had. And he had heard her on the phone to Jake. He nearly growled at the thought of Kalli’s Step-Father. When her mother had married him when Kalli was 14, together they had pushed Kalli to try and forsake her ties with the McMahon family, attempting to get Vince to give them a Maintenance Settlement so they could spend the rest of their lives in luxury. But Kalli loved her Father, and her family here...
And so at 16, she had left Australia to be a McMahon.
The only ties she had back there now were her younger sister, Amy, and her Step-Sister, Heidi.
Because obviously her Mother and Step-Father didn’t give a damn about her.
He stepped quietly into the room, the door creaked slightly, but she did not look up, lost completely in her pain. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.
For a long time he simply stood there, watching, pondering, desperate to figure out what his next move should be. Every thing still stood. Every reason was still valid. He hurt her with his in-ring antics. He caused her to worry, making her suffer through the torment of waiting for the moment he went down and stayed down.
Jeff hated to see her cry.
And now she was.
Now she cried for lives that were forever to be changed by the tragic events of that sunny Tuesday morning. And for the family that did not seem to care that she was safe.
A cold chill ran through his body.
Less than a week ago, she had been in New York City.
If she had died there...
He had to shake the thought away. Even pondering it broke his heart in ways nothing else ever could.
Leaving her had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Nothing in this life, nothing in his lives to come, could ever rival the pain that had flooded his poetic heart when he had watched her face fall as he whispered those earth-shattering words. “It’s over...”
More than anything he wanted to say that it was all okay now. That the decision had been right. That they could go on with their lives. That Kalli McMahon could move on and find someone to love that didn’t strike fear into her heart every time he stepped into the squared circle.
But the thought of her with someone else just made him hurt all the more.
Sighing silently, he stepped across the room, his footsteps soundless on the soft carpet of the lush hotel they were, for now, calling home. She did not even sense his presence as he neared, and it was only when he sat down beside her that her eyes snapped up.
Bleary and heart broken, those deep, soulful brown eyes told him how despondent she truly was.
“Jeff...” She tried to wipe away the tears...
But he took her hand, stopping the movement. “Kalli,” he whispered, reaching out his own hand, his fingertips caressing her soft, dampened cheek. He gently wiped each tear that fell away. “Please don’t cry,” he whispered.
She looked deeply into his eyes, whispering back, “I can’t stop.” They exchanged a long look and then she melted forward into his arms. They wrapped around her without hesitation and she cried softly into his chest. His fingers stroked through her long, soft brown hair, his lips instinctively pressing against her forehead, tears filling his own eyes at her pain.
When it seemed her crying would not cease, he shifted on the bed, laying back on it, pulling her down to lay beside him. Her head rest on his chest, tucked slightly under his chin, one arm draped gently in the small space around his neck where the pillow did not quite reach. Her other hand rest dutifully on his chest, their fingers locked together.
They had lay together in exactly this position through countless nights and long, lazy days, neither one speaking or moving. Just feeling and loving the other. Time would stop, the world would cease. And eternity would allow them a tiny fragment of forever.
But they had never lay together on a day so grave as this.
After many moments silence, Kalli spoke softly through her tears. “All those people... All that pain...”
He nodded gently against her, the image of the second plane striking the South Tower of the World Trade Centre replaying grimly over and over in his mind. “I know.”
Sniffling, fighting back a sob she asked, “Why?” She repeated softly over and over, “Why?”
Hugging her even more tightly he replied, “I don’t know, Kalli.” Trying to be comforting, but not even knowing if there was any comfort to be taken in those moments, he said, “All we can do right now, is pray for those people...” He kissed her forehead, “And be thankful that we are alive.” He added, all honesty but without thinking, “And together.”
Kalli gasped very softly at this, her aching heart almost ceasing to function.
Realizing what he had said, afraid that he would give her false hope, but deep down truly wanting there to be hope for them, he started to say, “Kalli, I...”
“Ssshhh.” Her voice was still a whisper, but barely that now... He could only just make out her voice as she spoke, love and pain and hope and fear sounding in her soft tones all at once. “Don’t say anything.” She leant up, kissing the underneath of his chin, “I don’t care what tomorrow brings, Jeff. Let’s just have this here and now.”
Their eyes locked for a moment and he nodded. As though now given permission, she lay back down, his arms around her, clinging to her just as tightly as she now clung to him. Their eyes rest on the TV screen before them, but their hearts were with each other...
And though misery and tragedy surrounded them, in the face of it all, in this singular moment, they were together again.
~ The End ~