Chapter 1 Scott, Mechelle, and PJ

"Attention Passengers we are beginning out final decent to JFK. Please fasten your seat belts and make sure your seatbacks and trays are in an upright position. For those of you that are making New York your final destination we hope that you enjoy your stay. The next time that you visit Japan we hope that you fly with us again."

Scott sighed and looked back out the window. 12 months ago he's been unsure that he was making the right decision by going to Japan and now he wasn't sure that he was making the right decision in coming back to The States. There was no pressure overseas… being Scott Hall wasn't a bad thing. His problems and mistakes weren't an issue there. Hell they were barely known. He was treated like the king of the mountain and frankly he'd loved it.

The only person that he had to answer to and worry about was himself. There was no Kliq to consider and no Kevin to tell him what to do. As long as he showed up ready to wrestle they didn't care what he did with his time. But here…

Here he had Kliq and cubs to think about. He had Kevin to answer to and fans, co-workers, and bosses that looked at his past first and him second. Here being Scott Hall wasn't really a good thing.

He'd almost not come back. He'd been seriously considering staying in Japan until he'd talked to Mechelle.

"Mech, what would you say if I stayed here in Japan?" He'd asked her hesitantly.

"I'd say that you have come a long way fuzzmuffin, but you need to come home. I know it's harder here, but you need to be here. There are people that need you. The Kliq needs you!" Mechelle paused after that waiting patiently for everything to soak in.

"What are you afraid of?" She'd asked quietly deciding that he needed some further prompting.

"That I'll lose what I've gained. I don't know to be strong there… I don't know how to…" He'd stopped willing the pain to wash itself away.

"You don't know how to what?" She'd asked softly.

"I don't know now to be strong around Kevin there. I don't know how to be without him there. I DON'T KNOW…"

"Scotty," She'd interrupted, "stop Bro."

"You aren't coming home to be alone. I'll be here and so will Paul and Mike and Sean. We aren't gonna just sit and let Kevin walk all over you, but honestly I don't think that you're gonna have a problem with Kevin. He's… changed while you were gone."

"I can't do it," Scott insisted stubbornly, "I'm not coming back and that's it!"

"Scott you have to come home," She'd pleaded sounding slightly panicked.

"No, I don't," He'd replied firmly.

"Scotty this isn't the time to stand up for yourself," She'd shot back impatiently. "COME HOME!"

"NO, you aren't my boss and you CAN'T MAKE ME! If I don't wanna then I don't hafta. They want me to stay and I'm gonna. I'm sorry, but…" Scott'd stopped realizing she'd spoken but he hadn't heard what she'd said. "WHAT?!"

"I said that PJ needs you," She'd whispered painfully. "If you don't come back then we'll lose him. Scotty please you're our last hope!" The panic in her voice had been obvious and from that second on there hadn't been any other decisions to make… he went home.

The jarring of the plane touching down on the runway jerked him out of his thoughts. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves he reminded himself one more time that PJ needed him and in the end that was all that mattered. "I swear if PJ got hurt while I was gone I'll kill Kevin," he muttered to himself as he waited for the plane to come to a rest.

Once the plane was stopped Scott moved with uncharacteristic quickness getting his belongings and exiting the plane. He was filled with this sudden overwhelming sense of panic. He had to get to PJ and make sure that he was all right. Walking with long quick strides Scott moved through the terminal and past the security points.

Mechelle told him that she would be bringing PJ to the airport with her and warned him that he'd changed some so he wouldn't be too shocked by what he saw. The right that greeted him when he spotted them though took his breath away. Mechelle was standing next to a full row of occupied metal seats. She appeared to be watching for him with big worried eyes chewing on her lower lip. Justin… he was sitting in one of the seats next to Mechelle. His eyes were closed and his head was bowed like he was been sleeping. He looked to have lost a great deal of weight… too much weight if you asked Scott. He had a feeling that if that shirt that looked like it fit Kevin came off they'd be able to count PJ's ribs.

Scott saw Mechelle nudge PJ and say something to him softly. The hard eyes that greeted him when PJ looked up were unrecognizable to him and he couldn't believe that they belonged to his little cub… HIS Justin.

He couldn't hear what PJ said to Mechelle because he was too far away and he couldn't read his lips because PJ had turned his head to look at Mechelle, but by her flinch and paling it obviously wasn't a kind remark and Scott's eyes narrowed. "I'm fuckin gonna kill Kevin," he muttered before finishing his trek to his friends.

The first one he hugged was Mechelle. Her arms locked around his neck with an almost desperate strength as if she were afraid that he wasn't really there. "Oh thank God," She whispered. I was so afraid… PJ isn't Kevin's fault."

When he put her down she looked around his arm almost hopefully. Turning he saw PJ starting to stand and Scott wondered at the shakiness of the action. For a second there was a flicker of the PJ he recognized, but it was gone so quickly that Scott wasn't really sure it had ever been there. "Can we go now? I have a show to get to," PJ asked hotly ignoring Scott and looked at Mechelle with hostility.

"You aren't wrestling PJ," she said tiredly realizing that Scott's arrival hadn't changed a thing. "I've told you that a million times. No… no… and no… not until you have a release from OUR doctors saying that you can wrestle will you step into the ring. It AIN'T happening!"

"Look you motherfucking bitch, I ain't letting you hold me back. Paul E said that you were gonna hold me back and he was fucking right. Well I ain't lettin some cheap whore ruin my career. Screw you… I'm wrestling and you can't stop me!" PJ stood snarling at Mechelle as Scott looked on stunned.

"Actually I can," she replied quietly. I didn't want to do this PJ, but you leave me no choice. You're barred from the shows. You won't be allowed backstage until you have a medical release. If you buy a ticket to a show then I suggest that you stay of the correct side of the barrier cause you will be arrested if you cross it. If you wrestle in ANY non-WWF affiliated fed we will sue you for breach of contract."

Mechelle took a deep breath as PJ glared at her hotly. "PJ we're only doing this for your own good…"

"FUCK YOU BITCH!" PJ said trembling with rage.

"Between Paul E, Francine's shit and that damn kick to the head your brains are fried. We aren't letting you ruin your career. Believe it or not Jean-Paul and I have plans for you. IF we can get you healthy!"

"Oh right… like what? Jobbing to more developmental talent and guys like Funaki?" PJ shot back bitterly.

"We told you already that we weren't booking that. Paul E was," she replied rubbing a hand over her face.

"Right, Paul E told me all about it," PJ sneered. "He'd book me to win and you or Paul would change it. He'd try and get me a push and you or Paul would kill it. You're trying to DESTROY MY CAREER!"

"OK one last time… Paul and I don't get involved with dark matches and house shows. Ask Raven. He's the one that's been TRYING to help Paul E book them. We've never changed one of your matches to kill a won… just the opposite! We've been TRYING to GET you more wins, but Paul E keeps saying that you aren't ready. The only thing we killed was the reunion of the Impact Players because you HAVE TO GET PAST ECW! Goddamnit PJ you are TOO talented to waist your talents on that hardcore SHIT for the REST OF YOUR CAREER!"

"NOW… you've been taken from Paul E by VINCE at the request of JR not us! But we are VERY anxious to FINALLY work with you ONE WE GET YOU HEALTHY! But until you recover from that damn kick of Lance's you aren't wrestling PERIOD!"

PJ moved to stand in front of Mechelle, but Scott stopped him nervous at the gleam in his friend's eye. "I'm gonna gettcha bitch. You better sleep with one eye open and have eyes in the back of your head 'cause I'm gonna getcha good. When I'm done with you no one's gonna recognize you. Not those Hardy's that you're screwin' or that brother of yours that you're probably screwin' too." Then with the threat hanging in the air PJ stormed off leaving Scott stunned and Mechelle almost convinced that PJ might be too far gone to help.

Turning to Mechelle Scott growled and said, "Maybe you better fucking tell me what you've done to PJ while I was gone." Tiredly Mechelle just sighed and walked off towards baggage claim.

Read part 2 of 23 of KliqAngel's Kliq Love