Categories > TV > WWE
A/N: I was going through the files on my flash drive and found this. It's the very first TNA fic I ever wrote, and even though I cringe when I read it now, I wanted to post it in its original form (except for a small change at the end) because I'm still proud of it, and it shows how much I've grown as an author.
Original post date: August 10, 2008
Based around: "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Alex Shelley waved again to the crowd as he and his tag team partner, Chris Sabin, made their way from the tightly-packed arena to the backstage area where the other wrestlers and Knockouts were gathered. Chris saw AJ Styles, who was talking to Christian Cage and Rhino, and nodded in greeting. He nudged his friend's shoulder with his elbow, but Alex wasn't paying attention. He was looking at the very beautiful Christy Hemme, who seemed to be deep in conversation with ODB, who was better known to the others as Jess.
"Alex? You okay?" Chris asked, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. Alex didn't reply, as he was still focused on Christy. She was wrapped up in her conversation with Jess, and Alex wished he could know what they were talking about. Jess was nodding in agreement with what Christy was saying, and her expression was serious. Alex had had feelings for Christy for some time now, but he'd never had the opportunity to talk to her about them. Christy usually left pretty quickly after the show was over, either with Lance and Jimmy, or with her boyfriend, Tomko. Come to think of it, Alex hardly ever saw Christy with anyone but Tomko lately. It was no secret that he kept a pretty tight hold on Christy, and never let her even look at or talk to other men.
"Huh?" Alex replied blankly, still caught up in admiring the beauty of the Rock & Rave Infection manager.
Chris followed the direction of Alex's gaze and groaned, rolling his eyes as he spoke.
"Alex, why don't you just go talk to her?" Chris sighed. "It's not that hard. Look, she's alone right now." He waved at ODB as she walked by, wincing when she smacked his ass.
"Yeah, I think I will," Alex replied, as he cracked his knuckles nervously. Christy was now sitting on the floor, reading the newspaper and chewing on her fingernails. She'd never looked so beautiful to Alex than she did right now, with her fiery hair pulled up in a half-ponytail and minimal makeup on.
"All right, bro, then I'll catch you at the hotel." Chris slapped his friend on the shoulder, before making his way over to Christian and AJ. Rhino waved at him as he told the guys goodbye and walked down the hall to catering.
Alex couldn't believe that Christy was alone. Usually Tomko had someone watching her at all times, to make sure she wasn't talking to anyone that he didn't approve of. Christy was only allowed to talk to the Knockouts, and maybe friends of Tomko's, like Kurt or the Dudleys. Under no circumstances was she allowed to talk to any other guys, even if they made conversation first. Alex thought that it was complete bullshit that she went along with it, but then again, maybe it wasn't his business. He still didn't agree with it, though.
Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy
One look puts the rhythm in my hand.
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down
Alex knelt down beside Christy and smiled as he placed a hand on his shoulder. She jumped for a second and her paper fell from her hands. She relaxed, however, once she saw who it was. A bright smile lit up her face, and she patted Alex's hand. The simple touch caused his heartbeat to quicken up, and Alex felt his knees wobble. Didn't she know how beautiful she was?
"Hey Christy," he smiled. "What's up?" He slid down on the floor beside her, leaning his back up against the cold, off-white wall. Christy tucked a piece of her bright red hair behind her ear and shrugged, still smiling.
"Not much," she replied. "Just trying to kill time until Tomko gets back here. He's got a match with Matt right now."
A wave of anger swept over Alex, and he instantly hoped that Matt Morgan would beat the living hell out of Tomko. Everyone knew that Tomko was abusing Christy, both physically and emotionally, and they weren't happy about it, especially Matt. He and Alex were pretty close, and Alex knew that Matt had no use for men who beat up girls. Why can't Tomko pick on someone his own size? Alex was glad that Cornette had agreed to the match between Tomko and Matt at the last minute. Even though he wasn't the one taking on Tomko, it still felt good to see someone else doing what he'd wanted to do for the past seven months. But he didn't want Christy to be upset with him, so Alex nodded slowly and pretended like he was concerned about the outcome of the match.
"Wow," he replied with a low whistle. "Matt's a beast. I definitely wouldn't want to piss him off." He nudged Christy playfully. "Think your boyfriend can handle him?"
Christy winced at the gesture, and Alex immediately tensed up. He hadn't meant to hurt Christy, but apparently he had. He looked down to where he had gently elbowed the fiery haired beauty, at her side, and ran his fingers over the spot. He saw that there were already several bruises on her stomach, and the sight horrified him. He lifted up the edge of her tank top and saw that her entire side was riddled with bruises, some worse than others. They weren't as noticeable as the ones on her stomach, but they were there. Alex could tell that Christy had tried to cover them up with makeup so that no one would notice, and he felt the intense hatred and anger he had for Tomko building up inside him.
Cover up with makeup in the mirror
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you
"What are all these?" Alex asked softly, his fingers still clutching the edge of Christy's bright pink tank top. Christy shoved his hands away roughly and scooted away from Alex angrily.
She folded her hands over her chest and stared down at her feet as she answered,
"Nothing. I got them from the match with ODB and Salinas last week." Her tone was nonchalant, but Alex could hear her voice wavering. He knew exactly how she'd gotten them, and he didn't understand why she felt the need to lie to him. They'd known each other for quite a while now, and he felt like they had a comfortable relationship. She didn't need to cover up the obvious to him.
"Christy." Alex gave the Knockout a knowing look. "You don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on."
Christy's doe-like eyes grew wide with fear, and she shook her head violently.
"No, Alex, it's not what you think. I swear." She tried to explain everything away, but Alex
knew. It angered him that a woman like Christy, who was beautiful and usually chipper, was scared to death of a man like Tomko. He'd broken down a once strong, feisty woman and turned her into a scared little girl. All Alex wanted to do was ease her pain and let her know that she didn't have to take Tomko's crap, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.
The expression on Christy's face was heartbreaking and Alex couldn't bear seeing her so sad. He sighed and took her into his arms, allowing her to rest her head in the crook of his neck. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't need to. Christy knew that Alex had caught on to the situation at hand, and it actually was a relief to her because that meant she didn't have to lie or try and defend Tomko. Right now, in this moment, she felt so comfortable and safe, and she loved it. She never wanted to leave the safety of Alex.
She felt Alex's fingers running through her hair, and she whimpered a bit as he hit a bump there. The bump was the product of Tomko shoving her head into the wall after he'd lost to Christian the week before. Looking back at the incident, Christy knew that it never would have happened if she'd just came out and interfered like she was supposed to. Every time she made a mistake, though, she paid for it, this time with a concussion. Her head still hurt, and she'd wanted to go to the hospital after it happened, but she couldn't. There was no one to drive her to the hospital, and besides, she wasn't allowed to go by herself. She was to be accompanied either by Tomko or Brother Ray at all times.
Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.
"What did he do to you, Christy?" Alex whispered softly, as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the bump. Christy simply whimpered again and tightened her arms around the beautiful young man. She knew that this couldn't last forever, and that she would eventually have to leave before Tomko came looking for her, but Alex was being so sweet and nice to her that she didn't want to leave. She didn't know how long Alex had liked her, because Tomko never allowed her to talk to guys, but judging from what was happening now, she figured it had been a long time. Christy felt a pang of guilt in her stomach, which was quickly replaced by anger because she realized that if she had known about Alex's feelings for her sooner, she never would have started dating Tomko.
"It's nothing," Christy replied, as she brushed Alex's fingers away. He gave her a comforting look, and she shrugged as she intertwined her fingers with his. "Really, Alex, I'm fine." She managed a fake smile. "Tomko didn't do anything. I was coming up the ramp from the ring, and I tripped and hit my head on the side."
Alex wasn't buying it. It made him sick to his stomach when he thought about all the things that Tomko had done to Christy. He knew from the bruises on Christy's body that Tomko beat her, but what else was he doing to her? Tomko obviously had Christy convinced that every beating was her fault and that she had deserved each one…was he abusing her sexually as well? It was a horrific thought that Alex only hoped hadn't happened yet. Maybe he would be able to step in and prevent anything worse from happening. The only think that comforted Alex and kept him calm was the old saying that Chris always told him: What goes around comes around. Maybe it wouldn't happen now, but sooner or later, Tomko would get paid back for the way he treated Christy.
A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever, you will surely drown
I see what's going down
"I want you to come back to the hotel with me," Alex blurted out suddenly, surprising Christy. She cocked her head and arched an eyebrow. The offer was tempting, but there was no way she could agree to it. Someone would be bound to see the two of them going to the hotel together, and that would set off a red flag. Christy didn't want to cause any problems for Alex. She wasn't worried about herself, because she was used to taking the brunt of Tomko's abuse, but Alex wasn't. He was just trying to be sweet to her and there was no need to get him involved in the drama between herself and Tomko.
"Alex, I'm, um, I'm flattered," Christy replied, her cheeks getting red. "But I can't do that, I'm sorry." She saw the hurt in the younger man's eyes and she instantly felt bad. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to the hotel with Alex, but she was afraid of what Tomko would do once he found out. The last time she had gotten home late, he'd thrown her into the wall and threatened to kill her if she ever came home late again. She shuddered at the thought of it happening again.
"Why not?" Alex asked, with a cute smile on his face. "Come on, you know you want to. It'll be fun." His smile grew wider. "I can have Chris keep a lookout for us, so if Tomko does come looking for you, you can leave before he finds you. Please?"
The look on his face was adorable and Christy didn't think she would be able to say no. She bit her lip as she weighed the options, and decided that getting caught was definitely worth the risk. If everything went okay, and Tomko didn't come looking for her, then maybe she would feel strong enough to tell him that she wasn't ever planning on coming back.
Face down in the dirt, she said,
"This doesn't hurt", she said,
"I finally had enough."
"All right," she agreed, which elicited a squeal from Alex. He got to his feet, and picked Christy up, swinging her around in his arms.
Christy didn't think she had ever been happier in her life than she was right now, with Alex's arms around her and the sweet smell of his cologne enveloping her. Was this the start of a possible relationship for her and Alex? Christy wasn't sure, and she didn't really want to know, to be honest.
"I promise that you won't regret it," Alex whispered huskily, as he dipped Christy down and brought her up for a passionate kiss. Christy's hands tangled in Alex's hair, and she felt her knees go weak. She was glad that Alex had a firm grip on her, because if he hadn't, she would be on the floor right now. She felt so much love in Alex's kiss, and it was a welcome change from the rough kisses she received from Tomko.
"Let's go," she whispered, pulling away from the kiss. As they walked, Christy considered texting Tomko and telling him that she was going out with Shelly and the girls, but she decided against it. He probably wouldn't believe her anyway, and the last thing she needed was Tomko sending Kurt or Brother Ray out to check on her. In the end, she decided that a simple message on his answering machine would do.
The duo reached the parking lot, and Alex fished his keys out of his pocket as he pointed to the rental car he had.
"I'm parked right over here," he said, but Christy shushed him as she pulled out her cell phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just going to leave a message with Tomko," she replied, dialing the number. Alex looked at her, a bit confused, but shrugged as he made his way to the car. As soon as he was out of earshot, Christy left her message. She knew that it would probably cause more trouble for her later, but she didn't care. In the course of two hours, Alex had given her the strength to do something she should have done a long time ago. She wasn't scared at all now.
"It's me, Travis," she said softly. "Um, I just wanted to tell you that I won't be coming home tonight..or ever again.” And with that, she pushed the round red button next to her thumb, thus ending the call and the cycle of abuse. She tucked the phone in her back pocket and made her way over to the car where Alex was waiting, ready to make a fresh start and leave the past behind her.
Face down in the dirt, she said,
"This doesn't hurt", she said,
"I finally had enough."
Original post date: August 10, 2008
Based around: "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Alex Shelley waved again to the crowd as he and his tag team partner, Chris Sabin, made their way from the tightly-packed arena to the backstage area where the other wrestlers and Knockouts were gathered. Chris saw AJ Styles, who was talking to Christian Cage and Rhino, and nodded in greeting. He nudged his friend's shoulder with his elbow, but Alex wasn't paying attention. He was looking at the very beautiful Christy Hemme, who seemed to be deep in conversation with ODB, who was better known to the others as Jess.
"Alex? You okay?" Chris asked, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. Alex didn't reply, as he was still focused on Christy. She was wrapped up in her conversation with Jess, and Alex wished he could know what they were talking about. Jess was nodding in agreement with what Christy was saying, and her expression was serious. Alex had had feelings for Christy for some time now, but he'd never had the opportunity to talk to her about them. Christy usually left pretty quickly after the show was over, either with Lance and Jimmy, or with her boyfriend, Tomko. Come to think of it, Alex hardly ever saw Christy with anyone but Tomko lately. It was no secret that he kept a pretty tight hold on Christy, and never let her even look at or talk to other men.
"Huh?" Alex replied blankly, still caught up in admiring the beauty of the Rock & Rave Infection manager.
Chris followed the direction of Alex's gaze and groaned, rolling his eyes as he spoke.
"Alex, why don't you just go talk to her?" Chris sighed. "It's not that hard. Look, she's alone right now." He waved at ODB as she walked by, wincing when she smacked his ass.
"Yeah, I think I will," Alex replied, as he cracked his knuckles nervously. Christy was now sitting on the floor, reading the newspaper and chewing on her fingernails. She'd never looked so beautiful to Alex than she did right now, with her fiery hair pulled up in a half-ponytail and minimal makeup on.
"All right, bro, then I'll catch you at the hotel." Chris slapped his friend on the shoulder, before making his way over to Christian and AJ. Rhino waved at him as he told the guys goodbye and walked down the hall to catering.
Alex couldn't believe that Christy was alone. Usually Tomko had someone watching her at all times, to make sure she wasn't talking to anyone that he didn't approve of. Christy was only allowed to talk to the Knockouts, and maybe friends of Tomko's, like Kurt or the Dudleys. Under no circumstances was she allowed to talk to any other guys, even if they made conversation first. Alex thought that it was complete bullshit that she went along with it, but then again, maybe it wasn't his business. He still didn't agree with it, though.
Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy
One look puts the rhythm in my hand.
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down
Alex knelt down beside Christy and smiled as he placed a hand on his shoulder. She jumped for a second and her paper fell from her hands. She relaxed, however, once she saw who it was. A bright smile lit up her face, and she patted Alex's hand. The simple touch caused his heartbeat to quicken up, and Alex felt his knees wobble. Didn't she know how beautiful she was?
"Hey Christy," he smiled. "What's up?" He slid down on the floor beside her, leaning his back up against the cold, off-white wall. Christy tucked a piece of her bright red hair behind her ear and shrugged, still smiling.
"Not much," she replied. "Just trying to kill time until Tomko gets back here. He's got a match with Matt right now."
A wave of anger swept over Alex, and he instantly hoped that Matt Morgan would beat the living hell out of Tomko. Everyone knew that Tomko was abusing Christy, both physically and emotionally, and they weren't happy about it, especially Matt. He and Alex were pretty close, and Alex knew that Matt had no use for men who beat up girls. Why can't Tomko pick on someone his own size? Alex was glad that Cornette had agreed to the match between Tomko and Matt at the last minute. Even though he wasn't the one taking on Tomko, it still felt good to see someone else doing what he'd wanted to do for the past seven months. But he didn't want Christy to be upset with him, so Alex nodded slowly and pretended like he was concerned about the outcome of the match.
"Wow," he replied with a low whistle. "Matt's a beast. I definitely wouldn't want to piss him off." He nudged Christy playfully. "Think your boyfriend can handle him?"
Christy winced at the gesture, and Alex immediately tensed up. He hadn't meant to hurt Christy, but apparently he had. He looked down to where he had gently elbowed the fiery haired beauty, at her side, and ran his fingers over the spot. He saw that there were already several bruises on her stomach, and the sight horrified him. He lifted up the edge of her tank top and saw that her entire side was riddled with bruises, some worse than others. They weren't as noticeable as the ones on her stomach, but they were there. Alex could tell that Christy had tried to cover them up with makeup so that no one would notice, and he felt the intense hatred and anger he had for Tomko building up inside him.
Cover up with makeup in the mirror
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you
"What are all these?" Alex asked softly, his fingers still clutching the edge of Christy's bright pink tank top. Christy shoved his hands away roughly and scooted away from Alex angrily.
She folded her hands over her chest and stared down at her feet as she answered,
"Nothing. I got them from the match with ODB and Salinas last week." Her tone was nonchalant, but Alex could hear her voice wavering. He knew exactly how she'd gotten them, and he didn't understand why she felt the need to lie to him. They'd known each other for quite a while now, and he felt like they had a comfortable relationship. She didn't need to cover up the obvious to him.
"Christy." Alex gave the Knockout a knowing look. "You don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on."
Christy's doe-like eyes grew wide with fear, and she shook her head violently.
"No, Alex, it's not what you think. I swear." She tried to explain everything away, but Alex
knew. It angered him that a woman like Christy, who was beautiful and usually chipper, was scared to death of a man like Tomko. He'd broken down a once strong, feisty woman and turned her into a scared little girl. All Alex wanted to do was ease her pain and let her know that she didn't have to take Tomko's crap, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.
The expression on Christy's face was heartbreaking and Alex couldn't bear seeing her so sad. He sighed and took her into his arms, allowing her to rest her head in the crook of his neck. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't need to. Christy knew that Alex had caught on to the situation at hand, and it actually was a relief to her because that meant she didn't have to lie or try and defend Tomko. Right now, in this moment, she felt so comfortable and safe, and she loved it. She never wanted to leave the safety of Alex.
She felt Alex's fingers running through her hair, and she whimpered a bit as he hit a bump there. The bump was the product of Tomko shoving her head into the wall after he'd lost to Christian the week before. Looking back at the incident, Christy knew that it never would have happened if she'd just came out and interfered like she was supposed to. Every time she made a mistake, though, she paid for it, this time with a concussion. Her head still hurt, and she'd wanted to go to the hospital after it happened, but she couldn't. There was no one to drive her to the hospital, and besides, she wasn't allowed to go by herself. She was to be accompanied either by Tomko or Brother Ray at all times.
Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.
"What did he do to you, Christy?" Alex whispered softly, as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the bump. Christy simply whimpered again and tightened her arms around the beautiful young man. She knew that this couldn't last forever, and that she would eventually have to leave before Tomko came looking for her, but Alex was being so sweet and nice to her that she didn't want to leave. She didn't know how long Alex had liked her, because Tomko never allowed her to talk to guys, but judging from what was happening now, she figured it had been a long time. Christy felt a pang of guilt in her stomach, which was quickly replaced by anger because she realized that if she had known about Alex's feelings for her sooner, she never would have started dating Tomko.
"It's nothing," Christy replied, as she brushed Alex's fingers away. He gave her a comforting look, and she shrugged as she intertwined her fingers with his. "Really, Alex, I'm fine." She managed a fake smile. "Tomko didn't do anything. I was coming up the ramp from the ring, and I tripped and hit my head on the side."
Alex wasn't buying it. It made him sick to his stomach when he thought about all the things that Tomko had done to Christy. He knew from the bruises on Christy's body that Tomko beat her, but what else was he doing to her? Tomko obviously had Christy convinced that every beating was her fault and that she had deserved each one…was he abusing her sexually as well? It was a horrific thought that Alex only hoped hadn't happened yet. Maybe he would be able to step in and prevent anything worse from happening. The only think that comforted Alex and kept him calm was the old saying that Chris always told him: What goes around comes around. Maybe it wouldn't happen now, but sooner or later, Tomko would get paid back for the way he treated Christy.
A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever, you will surely drown
I see what's going down
"I want you to come back to the hotel with me," Alex blurted out suddenly, surprising Christy. She cocked her head and arched an eyebrow. The offer was tempting, but there was no way she could agree to it. Someone would be bound to see the two of them going to the hotel together, and that would set off a red flag. Christy didn't want to cause any problems for Alex. She wasn't worried about herself, because she was used to taking the brunt of Tomko's abuse, but Alex wasn't. He was just trying to be sweet to her and there was no need to get him involved in the drama between herself and Tomko.
"Alex, I'm, um, I'm flattered," Christy replied, her cheeks getting red. "But I can't do that, I'm sorry." She saw the hurt in the younger man's eyes and she instantly felt bad. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to the hotel with Alex, but she was afraid of what Tomko would do once he found out. The last time she had gotten home late, he'd thrown her into the wall and threatened to kill her if she ever came home late again. She shuddered at the thought of it happening again.
"Why not?" Alex asked, with a cute smile on his face. "Come on, you know you want to. It'll be fun." His smile grew wider. "I can have Chris keep a lookout for us, so if Tomko does come looking for you, you can leave before he finds you. Please?"
The look on his face was adorable and Christy didn't think she would be able to say no. She bit her lip as she weighed the options, and decided that getting caught was definitely worth the risk. If everything went okay, and Tomko didn't come looking for her, then maybe she would feel strong enough to tell him that she wasn't ever planning on coming back.
Face down in the dirt, she said,
"This doesn't hurt", she said,
"I finally had enough."
"All right," she agreed, which elicited a squeal from Alex. He got to his feet, and picked Christy up, swinging her around in his arms.
Christy didn't think she had ever been happier in her life than she was right now, with Alex's arms around her and the sweet smell of his cologne enveloping her. Was this the start of a possible relationship for her and Alex? Christy wasn't sure, and she didn't really want to know, to be honest.
"I promise that you won't regret it," Alex whispered huskily, as he dipped Christy down and brought her up for a passionate kiss. Christy's hands tangled in Alex's hair, and she felt her knees go weak. She was glad that Alex had a firm grip on her, because if he hadn't, she would be on the floor right now. She felt so much love in Alex's kiss, and it was a welcome change from the rough kisses she received from Tomko.
"Let's go," she whispered, pulling away from the kiss. As they walked, Christy considered texting Tomko and telling him that she was going out with Shelly and the girls, but she decided against it. He probably wouldn't believe her anyway, and the last thing she needed was Tomko sending Kurt or Brother Ray out to check on her. In the end, she decided that a simple message on his answering machine would do.
The duo reached the parking lot, and Alex fished his keys out of his pocket as he pointed to the rental car he had.
"I'm parked right over here," he said, but Christy shushed him as she pulled out her cell phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just going to leave a message with Tomko," she replied, dialing the number. Alex looked at her, a bit confused, but shrugged as he made his way to the car. As soon as he was out of earshot, Christy left her message. She knew that it would probably cause more trouble for her later, but she didn't care. In the course of two hours, Alex had given her the strength to do something she should have done a long time ago. She wasn't scared at all now.
"It's me, Travis," she said softly. "Um, I just wanted to tell you that I won't be coming home tonight..or ever again.” And with that, she pushed the round red button next to her thumb, thus ending the call and the cycle of abuse. She tucked the phone in her back pocket and made her way over to the car where Alex was waiting, ready to make a fresh start and leave the past behind her.
Face down in the dirt, she said,
"This doesn't hurt", she said,
"I finally had enough."
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