A Little Bit of Faith

The bright light of the evening moon filtered through the heavy drapes in the bedroom of the North Carolinian home, breaking the darkness that would otherwise encase the room.

Snuggled deep into the warm bed lay the very thing that Kalleasto McMahon considered to be perfection. His soulful hazel eyes were locked together in exhaustion, his lips parted slightly as he breathed deeply in his sleep. The quilt sat across his waist, leaving his finely chiselled chest exposed. Tiny scratches and bruises gave voice to the injuries he had sustained over the course of the night, marring his fine white skin.

From where she sat, fighting sleep herself, Kalli watched him ever so closely. Her worry far from appeased.

On the way home she had taken him to the Hospital, and though the Doctor had explained he had a mild concussion, some bumps and bruises and little more, one thing continued to bother her.

It had whipped back so fast when he had fallen through the table, bumping awkwardly. And though he did not say even a word about it, since leaving the Hospital she had caught him rubbing it more than once. Tomorrow she would ask him about it. If he told her not to fuss, that it wasn’t bothering him...

Then she would be undeniably hurt.

She wasn’t blind. She could see very well how much discomfort he was in.

Kalli sighed. No matter how much Jeff told her that her concern was not just accepted but welcomed, part of her still couldn’t get past that niggling fear. If she fussed too much would she push him away?

And now especially the last thing she wanted to do was isolate him in any way. Not with Stacy Kiebler hanging around.

The girl growled under her breath. There were not words for how intensely she hated the WCW Starlet. Since her father had purchased the rival company the leggy blonde had done nothing but infuriate Kalli. With her plunging necklines and tiny, tiny skirts that showed more of her than the McMahon Heiress cared to see. She would bat her eyelids at every man in the WWF locker room, stroking their egos with her roaming eyes and wandering hands.

Granted, prior to recent events, Kalli McMahon didn’t truly *have* a justifiable reason for hating Stacy Kiebler the way that she did.

But girls like her gave women in the wrestling business the world over a bad name. Over the years Kalli had seen a lot of the women in the WWF subjected to blatantly sexist storylines. There had been bikini and beauty contests, tabletop dancing and even her *Father’s* disgraceful treatment of Trish Stratus in the month prior to Wrestlemania X-7. None of the girls, save an incredibly select few, welcomed the opportunity to shake their asses and look like little more than a cheap whore with the enthusiasm that Stacy did. And her behaviour out of the ring was no better than that when she was in character. The girl had the morals of a nymphomaniacal bitch, and Kalli didn’t give a damn how long those sultry legs of hers were, she failed to see what men saw in Stacy Kiebler.

Her bleary eyes narrowed into a hateful stare into space.

Stacy had her *eyes* set on Jeff.

It wasn’t that Kalli didn’t trust Jeff either. She had perfect faith in him. He loved her like she loved him and she knew that. But Stacy wasn’t nearly as stupid as she seemed and her conniving and scheming had already gotten her far in life. Kalli was not about to let it get her into Jeff’s pants.

Straight up - Stacy didn’t stand a chance with the high-flying Hardy Boy. But if she lied and cheated the way Kalli knew she could, then it certainly swung the odds in her favour.

The girl shook her head, silently wondering why she didn’t just tell Jeff straight out what Stacy was up to.

But that was about where that niggling fear thing started happening again.

Would it sound like it was Jeff she had no faith in if she told him that, honest to God, she felt threatened by Stacy? Would he be hurt if it seemed like she didn’t have enough faith in him to trust his judgement?

Despite herself, Kalli knew that should the situation be reversed, that would probably be her initial reaction.

It really *wasn’t* that she did not have faith in him at all. It was just...

Kalli McMahon knew how easy it was to make the kind of mistake that could change your life forever. And not only your life...

But the lives of the people you loved above all else.

"Kalli, please.." Krissy found several of her own tears making their own trails down her face. "You hurt me so bad. My God, why did you have to do it? I loved him so much. I know I wasn't perfect, but what did I do to you? What did I do that you had to take Mattie?"

Her sister was right in the end. She had destroyed them. And a good two months had passed and she felt no better about it either.

And though she might die trying, she was going to do whatever she could to repair the damage between Krissy and Matt.

A yawn filling her, Kalli stretched lazily in the armchair, shaking her head. Sleep was more than creeping up on her now. It was set upon her like a cat with a mouse. Her mind was wandering all over the place and she could barely keep one thought from running into the next.

Her body craved sleep.

But so long as Jeff lay sleeping, she would resist.

The Doctor may very well have said ‘mild concussion’ and granted it had been hours and hours now and Jeff was certainly safe to sleep, but she worried regardless. She felt better keeping an eye on him during the night...

Besides, she smiled, there were certainly worse things than sitting awake all night gazing at the most beautiful person you had ever laid eyes on.

But still... If she didn’t do something she was going to crash right there where she sat.

She grinned, leaning over and grabbing the phone...

A good girl talk and she would be fine.

A stifled yawn and the attached whiny noise filled Kalli’s ears as someone picked up the telephone. “Yeah?” came the gruffly spoken greeting.

Kalli giggled, “Yeah?”

There was a short, confused silence and then the sleepy female voice sounded again, “Kalleasto?”

The McMahon Heiress grinned into the phone, “Uh huh. Hey Heidi.”

Her half-sister exclaimed, “Oh my God! Hey! How are you?”

“I’m good, honey. How are you? Were you sleepin’?”

“Yeah... I had a late night last night and thought I‘d try get an early one in...” She added, “But I got to see Survivor Series today. Is that crazy boyfriend of yours okay?”

Kalli sighed, “I think he’ll live.” Not wanting to further ponder the image of Jeff plummeting from the top of the steel cage and through a wooden table any more than she already had for the night, Kalli changed the subject quickly. “So, how’s the fam?”

“Aims is good. She’s off doing her end of year exams. Jake’s on some fishing trip with his mates again. And Mum...” Heidi groaned into the phone, “Kalli, you’d rather not know.”

Frowning slightly she asked, “Mum treating you okay, hun?”

“Not exactly,” Heidi went on, her agitation with her mother in her voice, “She’s still on me about school and work and shit.”

Kalli nodded knowingly. Heidi, now nearing 20 years old, had completed the first two years of a three year Art Degree before deciding to take a bit of time off to do something she had never done her entire life...

From a very early age, Heidi had been the busiest of the Jacobs girls. She had the most active social life of anyone Kalli had ever known, and she spent endless hours on top of that wandering off to this place or that to draw. Heidi Jacobs was quite the little artist, and Kalli’s bedroom back in Connecticut had become a display case for a various number of her younger sisters works throughout the years.

The McMahon Heiress suggested gently, “Heidi, why don’t you just tell Mum to shove it and go travel a while. I know you want to get out on the road...”

“That’d be nice,” Heidi murmured, “But they ran out of work for me at the Pub and I don’t have enough money to go travelling around.” She sighed, “God, I don’t care *where* I go so long as Mum is *nowhere* to be found.”

“Then my offer still stands.”

“Come back with me then, Heidi. I’ll bring you over to the States and you can come on the road with me a while. You’ve never been there before and I want you to see the country I’m calling home.”

Her half-sister shook her head, “Kalli, you know I’d love that, but Mum is never going to forgive me if I go off gallivanting around America the way you did...”

“That was different,” Kalli’s eyes narrowed slightly, “I left because she pushed me away. And these people, Heidi, they’re my family, they’re *all* my family. My place in the WWF doesn’t just boil down to being a McMahon.”

“No buts. You, me, America. Whaddayasay?”

But still her sister had said no.

Since Kalli had first head out on the road with the WWF at 16, she had been trying to get Heidi and Amy to come join her in the States for a while. Both girls refused. While Amy’s decision was based more on her relationship with her boyfriend, David, Heidi’s came from the fear a trip to America would cause her as many headaches as Kalli had faced throughout the years.

Kalli, the McMahon family, the WWF and the United States of America were things you *never* mentioned in the Jacobs household. And the announcement that Heidi was joining Kalli would not be welcomed. Not by a long shot.

But it hadn’t stopped the McMahon Heiress from trying to convince her sisters to visit every chance she got. The last time she had been home, it had been over Christmas of the previous year, and Kalli had only barely failed in her campaign to drag Heidi at least to America.

Heidi sighed, “Kalli, its not that I don’t want to, but Mum...”

“Screw, Mum.” She softened her tone with a playful, “Besides, how much longer can you resist the temptation of those WWF boys, hmmm?”

Her younger sister laughed, “Don’t start that again! Besides, you know all my favourites are either married to, marrying or dating one of your damn sisters!”

It was Kalli’s turn to laugh, “Hmmm... I guess you kinda have a point there.” She shrugged to herself, “But hey, I could always hook you up with Steven Richards...”

“Bitch! Shut up!” Heidi retorted, “You’ll *never* get me to America saying shit like that.”

Their laughter trailed away and Kalli, still fighting sleep, breathed deeply into the phone. “I mean it, Heidi, I want you to come over here a while. Just to get away from Mum.”

“Come on, please?” She pleaded sadly, “This is my life over here, Heidi. This is my world, I want you to be a part of it, you know.” There was silence for few moments and Kalli smiled, knowing her words were sinking in. She smirked, adding Jason Reso’s favourite method for getting Kalli to agree to anything, “What if I threw in naked, chocolate covered Edge & Christian’s?”

Mock disinterested, Heidi said, “I dunno...”

“What if I threw in Matt and Jeff ?”

“And Christian too?”

Heidi giggled, “Done!”

Excited Kalli practically shouted, “YES!!!” She giggled into the phone, “Its about time!!!” Heidi’s melodious little laugh filtered through the phone at Kalli’s excitement as the McMahon rushed on, “So, when can you be ready to come over?”

Heidi said nonchalantly, “When do you want me?”

Kalli grinned, “I can have you on the next plane out of Melbourne if you want, honey.”

“That soon?” Heidi sounded surprised.

“The sooner the better!”

Her sister sighed sillily, “You truly are a nut.” She pondered a while and then said, “But okay... Let’s say tomorrow. I can be ready by then.”

“Done.” Kalli was already pulling her cell phone out of her bag to get the number for the crew that organized most of the WWF’s travel arrangements. “I’ll organize everything and then get back

Still giggling a little, Heidi’s smile could be heard in her voice. “Okay.” She added seriously, honestly, “I love you, Kalli.”

Kalli grinned, “I love you too, Heidi.” Gushing slightly she said, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay. Bye Kalli!”

“Bye, hun!” She waited for her sister to hang up and then rest the phone back in its cradle.

“You know...” Jeff’s sleepy voice came from across the room, “You make enough noise to wake the dead.”

A blush painted Kalli’s face in the darkness, “I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s okay.” In the moonlight she could make out him waving her over with his good arm, “Come hop into bed, Kalli...” She went to object, the makings of a ‘but’ beginning to form in her throat but he cut her off, “No, come on.” She sighed, climbing to her feet, unable to resist him, then moved over to climb into the bed beside him, snuggling down into him the moment he had pulled the quilt over her. She placed a light kiss on his naked chest as he asked, “Finally got Heidi to agree to come over, huh?” She nodded against him, trying to gain some control over her excitement. “When?”

“ASAP,” she exclaimed, her excitement again besting her.

He chuckled, “I’m glad.” The Hardy leant down, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “But baby, next time..?”

She smiled up at him, “Not at 4am, huh?”

“Uh huh.” He hugged her tightly to him, closing his eyes, and the girl melted happily into his grasp, silence ascending, sleep coming to take the concussed WWF Superstar again...

But before sleep could fully take him, he heard her voice whisper softly to him, “Jeffy? Your arm...”

He opened his eyes, their gazes locking on each other in the moonlight. He was silent a while before whispering, “I can’t get anything by you anymore, can I?”

The girl smiled gently, “Not anymore.” She crept a hand up to toy with his long blue hair, “I can’t help it, Jeff. I notice everything...” She shrugged slightly against his naked chest, “Even when I think I’m not watching, I see.”

He nodded, that adoring little sparkle in his eyes, “Me too.” He gave her a little grin and held up his sore arm, flinching a little as he did so. “The arm’s okay, Kalli. Just tender.” She gave him a slightly dubious look and he sighed, “I *guess* I can have it looked at tomorrow if you like.”

She smirked playfully, pleased by his offer, “That’s my boy,” before snuggling her head back down against his chest, cuddling him as she lay, all prepared to let him drift off to sleep without further interruption.

Jeff had other plans however, telling her softly, “Seeing you mentioned not watching and still seeing...” She tilted her head back up to look at him again, a curious look on his face, “I’ve noticed something the last couple of weeks.”

Fear crept onto her face, and the never-ending guilt she seemed to bear instinctively made her think of Matt.

Had Jeff heard the rumours too? Was he having any doubts about her loyalties?

She near shuddered at the thought.

“You and Stacy...”

Relief flooded through her, but the worried expression still didn’t leave her face. “Me and Stacy?”

“You and Stacy.” He watched her curiously, “What’s up with that?”

She shook her head slightly, feigning stupidity, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Jeff sighed, “Come on, Kalli. I saw the way you reacted to her tonight. Those little jibes you were making at her.”

“I just don’t like her,” Kalli offered meekly.

“Is it that or does it have something to do with the fact that she’s running around spreading shit about you and Matt?”

Kalli’s jaw dropped and she stammered without thinking, “How did you know that?”

“Well, you see...” Jeff explained...

A brief almost timid knock sounded at the door to the locker room and Jeff Hardy, doing up his boots in final preparation for his match for the evening, called out, “Come in.” He looked up, hints of surprise on his face as his gaze trailed up the long, sultry legs of the girl before him. His face met hers and he managed a startled little smile, “Hey Stacy.”

The blonde smiled sweetly at him, “Hey Jeff, how are you?”

Standing, stretching as he spoke he gave her a little nod, “I’m good. Thanks.”

“Good, good.” She nodded, overly enthusiastic, a brief silence settling in for a few moments before she asked, “So ready for your match with Matt and Adam against Test and the Dudleys?”

“Nearly.” He continued stretching, silence again settling in. His eyes never left Stacy’s face as she hovered before him, fidgeting somewhat nervously. He’d be lying his ass off if he said he wasn’t curious to know exactly why Stacy Kiebler had taken to hanging around him so much of late. The moment word of Kalli’s suspension had spread she’d taken to saying hello when they passed each other in the hallway and smiling at him across the room during WWF meetings and the like.

He hadn’t been able to help pondering the notion that maybe Stacy’s intentions toward him were not as innocent as she liked to make out. But he supposed, in her defence, if she had some sort of a crush on him, surely she wouldn’t have waited until after he and Kalli got back together to make her move.

No, Stacy claimed she was just being *friendly* and until he had something a little more concrete than his niggling suspicion to go on, he would just have to take her word for it.

Eventually he asked, “Uh, Stacy? I don’t meant to be rude, but, what are you doing here?” He cringed a little, the words still coming out wrong. “I mean, uh, can I do something for you... Or..” He sighed. It still wasn’t sounding a whole lot better to his ears.

The girl gave him a comforting smile, understanding in her eyes, “It’s okay. I know what you mean.” She didn’t seem any less nervous though as she went on, “I just wanted to tell you... That... Well...” Suddenly seeming panicked, her cheeks flushed, she said, “No, no. You know what? It doesn’t matter.”

She turned on her heel to go, but Jeff hooked a hand around her forearm and pulled her to a halt. “Stacy?” He asked softly, “Is something wrong?”

Shaking her head, she tried to back away from him. “No. It’s nothing. It was a mistake to come here. I’m sorry...”

Her eyes started to fill with tears and she again moved to walk away, but Jeff kept a firm grip on her arm, a sympathetic look on his face. “Hey, it’s okay.” He smiled again, trying to appease her, “It’s okay, Stacy.” She ceased backing away at least and his grip on her arm turned into a gentle rub, “Now, just calm down a bit and tell me what’s wrong.”

“I...” She struggled, eventually stammering, “I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, but... Jeff...” She took a deep nervous breath and he rubbed her arm again to urge her on. “It’s still going on.”

The younger of the two Hardy Boys face fell, knowing full well what she was referring to. He murmured, “What?”

The girl started to cry now, offering weakly, “Kalli and Matt... I saw them together.”

Horrified, Kalli asked, “She actually *said* that?”

Jeff nodded, “Yes,” he cleared his throat, “And will you let me finish?”

She blushed, “Sorry, baby. Go on...”

“You...” He struggled, his gaze locked with 100% intensity on hers, “You saw them together?”

She nodded nervously, “They were... They were kissing...” She sobbed softly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but someone had to, it’s not fair to you that they run around...”

He cut her off, his voice dark, angry, “You expect me to believe that?”

Her jaw dropped and she fell silent, “Wh... What?”

“I said,” he spoke slowly and a little more loudly, “Do you expect me to believe that?”

Kalli beamed, “You didn’t believe her?”

“Of course not.”

She beamed a little more, “Why didn’t you believe her?”

He smiled softly, “Because I love you.” He kissed her forehead, “Because I know you.”

She grinned, “And so then what happened? Come on, tell me it all!”

Stacy back-pedalled slightly, “Jeff...”

“Come on, Stacy. *Everyone* in this company knows that you and Kalli hate each other.” He grinned a little more mercilessly than planned, “Kalli’s had one up on you ever since you got here.” He added, angry that this girl who knew *nothing* about he and Kalli, or Matt and Kalli for that matter, would dare to even suggest to him that Kalli would cheat on him when he knew, he *knew* she would never. “I’m not stupid, Stacy. Since you heard Kalli got suspended you’ve been hanging around like a bad smell... Trying to kick her while she’s down, right?”

Sobbing heavily now, Stacy shook her head, “Jeff! No! It’s not like that! Please...”

He shook his head, waving a hand at her, “Get out.”

He snapped coolly, “Right now,” turning his back on her to continue stretching.

The leggy blonde stared helplessly at him for a few moments before turning to flee from the room.

Kalli was in hysterics by this stage, “You made Stacy Kiebler CRY???” Her laughter continued, “Oh my *God* I wish I could have seen that!”

Jeff chuckled at her, “I’m glad you’re so impressed!”

“I am!” She smiled adoringly at him as her laughter started to trail away, “Man...” She asked, still smiling away, “Why didn’t you tell me about this on Tuesday when it actually happened?”

He shrugged, “I guess I was holding out to see how long it would take you to tell me.”

“Then you caved big time, baby.” She smiled, cursing her own stupidity silently. For these past two or so weeks since her return to the WWF at Rebellion, she had stressed and stressed over Stacy’s attentions toward Jeff. And after all that, she certainly knew now she had nothing to worry about.

“Kalli?” The McMahon Heiress’ eyes met Jeff’s as he said her name, “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

She sighed, “I thought...” She took a deep breath, “Maybe it would sound like I didn’t trust you.”

“You know I wouldn’t think that...”

She cut him off, “But I would, if I were you. And that was my way of thinking.” She placed a little kiss on the underneath of his chin, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he ruffled her hair, “But next time, tell me about it, okay?”

She nodded, the twosome falling into comfortable silence before she whispered, “Jeffy?”

Fidgeting with his hair again, this time as a nervous reaction more so than anything else she asked, “Do you...” Softly, “Do you really trust me with Matt?”

“Baby, you made a mistake.” His face showed the strength of his convictions where she and Matt were concerned, “I don’t like that it happened, I never will, but I know Matt. That kiss, that was not Matt. That’s not what Matt is about. He’s all for Krissy and nothing else and we both know that, Kalli.” He gave her a tender smile, “And you. I know you. And *that* is not you either. That will never be you.”

Somehow something inside Kalleasto McMahon was appeased by that in a way nothing had managed to comfort her since her fall from grace. A smile touched her face, a truly happy smile, that no guilt, no shame and no fear of a repeat could erase...

Because in that moment, she knew her fear of a repeat performance with Matt was just that.

Stacy’s little mind games and the gossip that filtered to her from the WWF locker room had brow beat her into doubting her own feelings.

Jeff’s irrevocable faith in her gave her renewed strength.

“Thank you,” she whispered, meaning it with all of her heart. He smiled, leaning down to give her a tender kiss. When he pulled away he fought to stifle a yawn and she giggled, “Sleepy?” He nodded and she kissed him again, “Then goodnight, sweet prince,” before snuggling down into his arms, closing her eyes and breathing him in.

The Hardy lay back, cuddling her lovingly, closing his own eyes, knowing sleep would soon come. “Goodnight, Kalli.”

They lay silently for a long time before Kalli, drifting off to sleep herself whispered, “And Jeffy? Next time you make Stacy Kiebler cry and don’t call me so I can come watch first, I’m going to kick your ass.”

He chuckled softly, “I’m sorry. It will never happen again.”

“Better not.” She snapped playfully.

Kissing her forehead again he murmured warmly, “Evil bitch.”

And Kalli giggled again, “Damn straight.”