'Twas The Smackdown Before Christmas
Chapter I
“Scream if you wanna go faster.”
Kalleasto McMahon smiled softly, turning the page in the black notebook she clutched tightly in hand where she sat on the packing crates at the ramp entrance of the arena. She read on.
The bike roared to life, tearing off down the driveway of the North Carolinian home and out onto the dirt road with incredible speed. The girl tightened her arms around the slim waist of the man before her, snuggling into him, her cheek resting against his back as she held on for dear life.
Her heart thumped in her chest, her breath catching in her throat every time she tried to draw air into her lungs...
But her blood was pumping through her veins with the thrill of adrenalin and suddenly she had some understanding why the man she clung to as desperately now as she did throughout her every day life loved his motorbikes so much.
She finally managed a deep breath, giving his waist an affectionate squeeze as she grinned to herself.
You only live once.
And so Kalli McMahon screamed.
She could feel his chest heave slightly as he started to laugh beneath her touch, accelerating so that the bike, already moving at speeds far greater than she was used to, burst forward even faster than before, and though her grip tightened around his waist, for some reason her breath came easier and she laughed, the sound echoing around inside her helmet as she savoured every second of the ride.
The girl giggled to herself as the memory of her first ever motorbike ride played out in her head.
It had been only a few months ago, and already it felt like a whole other lifetime.
She closed over the book, staring down at it. In truth she knew she should probably get rid of it somehow. After all, her continuing attachment to the stories it held was symbolic of exactly how hard she was finding it to just walk away... To just let Jeff go.
She could keep the book just a while longer, couldn’t she?
“Kalli, didn’t expect to see you here.”
The McMahon Heiress looked up, flashing a wry grin at Mark Callaway as he approached his bike, checking it over, his Hardcore Title slung half-heartedly over his shoulder. “Hey old man. Still kicking around I see.”
The man better known to the world as The Undertaker laughed, “You are still the cheekiest shit I have ever known.” He hung the Hardcore belt over the handlebars of the bike and sat down on it. “Got a vested interest in my match?” The girl nodded and he chuckled, “God forbid I hurt one of your beloved Hardy Boys.”
She smiled, “You know I’d have to kill you if you did, right?”
Mark simply smiled in response before asking, “How did Jeff shape up last night? He said he had a bit of a headache.”
“He was okay,” her concern for her former flame was still clear in her voice, “I think.”
The WWF Superstar nodded slowly, “So it is true.”
Curiously the girl asked, “What’s true?”
“You and ol’ Jeffy Boy have gone your separate ways.” Her face fell at this and he sighed, “Sorry to hear that, Kalli.” The first sounds of his entrance music hit and he started the bike, revving it loudly, watching her as her eyes remained downcast. He sighed softly. Reaching out from the bike to squeeze her hand. She looked up and he gave her a smile before taking off, slowly making his way through the curtain and out onto the stage.
The girl looked after him a moment and then sighed herself.
“Oh hey, Kalli!”
The McMahon Heiress tensed the moment she heard a voice from behind her. She didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. Muttering darkly, “Stacy.”
“I’m glad you’re back,” the girl sauntered around to stand before Kalli so the girl had no choice but to look at her. “I missed you so very much.”
“Missed me?” Kalli asked pointedly, “Or missed trying to drive me nuts?”
The blonde giggled, “A little of both actually.” She leant forward, whispering, “I heard you and Jeff broke up. I’m so very sorry.”
Yawning mockingly, Kalli asked, “Don’t you ever get tired of these pathetic little games you play, Stace?”
“But its so fun playing them with you.” She cast a melodramatic look around and asked, “Hey... Where’s Matt? I thought he’d be here drooling over you like he normally does while you pretend you’re not acting like a whore with him.”
How easy it would have been to just reach out and slap her.
But Kalli McMahon was determined she was not going to be that girl. Not anymore. She simply shook her head, chuckling, though the very sound was forced, jumping off the crate to walk away.
Knowing she was pushing her, Stacy reached out, snatching the girls arm, “You think Jeff’s lonely, Kalli? Think he’d like some company, huh?”
Fire flared in the McMahon Heiress’ eyes as she leant forward, “Making a last ditch effort to get to me, Stace? How...” She spat the word, “Pathetic.”
“Don’t think I’ll stay away from him, Kalli. Don’t think it. Not even for a moment.”
Kalli laughed, this sound not forced at all, “Stacy, as much as that should bother me. It doesn’t.”
Stacy’s tone set accusingly, “You don’t care about him at all, do you?”
“I love him,” Kalli told her honestly, “And I know that he has more sense than to ever go near the likes of you.”
And with that, the girl walked away, smiling contentedly.
“And I know that he has more sense than to ever go near the likes of you.”
She could rest easy...
Because that lone fact was true.
Running her fingertips over the book she still carried, Kalli sighed.
“I love him...”
How long would it be before that went away?
She shook her head.
And how much did she prolong it by keeping that book? By reading those stories, those memories, time and time again?
Kalli shook her head, murmering softly to herself.
The book would have to go.
~*~
Chapter II
Kalleasto McMahon waited patiently, Mark Callaway standing by her side as the ambulance that had just driven away re-appeared around the corner, coming to a halt before them. Despite both Matt and Mark’s brief assurance since the completion of their match and before the camera’s starting rolling again, she was pacing on the spot, nervously fidgeting, her face a little pale.
“He’s fine, Kalli.”
The girl looked up at the WWF Superstar, nodding as she spoke softly, “Yeah, I know... I just...”
Mark smiled knowingly, “Yeah.”
The rear doors of the ambulance opened and Matt stepped out, still fighting with the neck brace he was wearing in a vain attempt to remove it. “God damn it,” he cursed.
“Here,” Kalli stepped forward, gently taking his hands and it was only then that he even realized she was there waiting for him. She gave him a smile when she saw the surprised look on his face, undoing the brace and handing it to the nearest EMT. “Better?” She asked, and he nodded.
“How you holding up, son?” Mark asked, stepping up nearer the Hardy Boy, examining him.
Matt shrugged, “Okay. Just sore.” He shook his head, “I am not at all fond of The Last Ride, that’s for sure.”
Mark chuckled heartily at this, shaking his head softly and looking to Kalli. He thrust his thumb toward Matt as he walked away, “He’s definitely fine.”
“So...”
“So...” Kalli looked Matt over, “You’re okay?”
“Uh huh.”
Concern swam in her voice still, “You’re sure?”
“Uh huh.”
“Totally sure?”
He smiled, “Uh huh.”
Catching his smile, one of her own appeared. “I’m fussing, aren’t I?”
“Just a little.” He reached out, pulling her into his arms to give her a warm hug. “So what's the plan for tonight, Kalli? You wanna get some coffee before we head back to the hotel?”
The girl shrugged, “Up to you. I just don’t wanna stay out too late...”
Curious, he cut her off, “Why not?”
Turning a little crimson she said, “Well... I have an early flight home in the morning...”
“To Connecticut?” He asked. The girl nodded and despite himself, his face fell.
In all honesty, though they were attempting to see each other, they were no closer to settling into anything, let alone a relationship at the moment, and he knew he should not have expected her to want to return home to Cameron with him.
But somehow he had.
Seeing the look on his face, Kalli reached up to gently smooth the creases from his brow with her fingertips, “I’m sorry, Matty.” She whispered softly, “Did you think I was gonna go back to Cameron?” He nodded slowly and she sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just...”
He nodded again, “It’s too soon. I know.”
“I just...” She explained quietly, “I just feel that I should be home for Christmas. It’s been such a turbulent year for the McMahon family and...” She looked up into his eyes, “If I go back to Cameron...” She broke off, lowering her eyes, hurt welling up in them, “I don’t want to intrude upon the Hardy family Christmas, and I would, Matt. We both know that.”
Trying to soothe her he whispered, “It wouldn’t be intruding...”
“It would be to Jeff,” she cut him off. “I won’t do that.”
“Yeah,” he pressed his lips to her forehead, “I know.” He shrugged gently against her, taking a hand in his and leading her as he head back into the arena, making his way to the locker room. “I guess I’m just disappointed.”
She nodded, “Me too. But at least we’ll be with our families for Christmas, right?”
“You are my family.” He told her. Kalli smiled a moment before scrunching her nose up. “What?” He asked.
“Either that’s incredibly sweet, or you just made us sound all incesty and stuff.”
The elder Hardy Boy laughed, “I never thought of it like that before...”
“Kinda scary, isn’t it?” She giggled softly and he nodded in agreance. When her giggle died away she looked at him intently, asking, “Did you ever see this happening between us?” He shook his head sincerely and it was her turn to nod, “Me neither... I always thought we were just that.” She smiled gently, “A family.”
Matt laughed, his tone warm, “We’re one fucked up family if you don’t mind me saying so.” He slipped an arm around her waist as he came to a halt at the locker room door, pulling her too him...
Only to drop his arm away an instant later when he looked up and saw Krissy and Adam up the corridor, talking at Krissy’s office door.
Kalli sighed softly when she looked up and saw the oblivious couple as they spoke in the doorway. “It’s going to be like this for a long time, isn’t it Matt?” She turned back to look up at him, “We’re going to be hiding this forever.”
“No, Kalli,” he reached out, pressing a hand to her cheek. “We agreed, remember? Just for now.”
She nodded sadly, hurt in her eyes, “I know, it’s just...”
He cut her off, “For me too.” He cast another look up the hall, grateful when he saw that Krissy had gone back into her office and Adam was wandering down the corridor out of sight. He pulled her against him again, this time holding her tighter than before. “It’ll get better for us... One day...”
“Yeah,” Kalli murmured.
One day.
One day...
“So you got something to do for fifteen minutes while I shower?”
Kalli nodded against him, “I can go bum around, watch some more of Smackdown... Want me to meet you at the car?”
“That’d be good.” He kissed her cheek a little sadly, “I’ll see you in a few, Kalli.” He gave her an adoring smile and stepped into the locker room. She stared after him a while, hurt.
This was harder than she had ever thought it would be...
But damn it all to hell, she was going to make it work even if it killed her.
~ The End ~