Chapter Thirteen

*** NOTE: There is a sidestep to this story calledMissing Reality in the Haze of a Dream. If you have not read it I would suggest you do. It may help explain some things in this chapter. ***



After her confrontation with Bradshaw, Angel headed down one of the hallways alone searching for a room that she could use for an office before heading out to the ring to meet more of the guys. Turning down a seemingly empty hallway she found an area with several crates used by the crew for transportation of the various items needed for the show. It wasn't a room, but the hallway was quiet as it was away from the ring and the locker rooms and Angel decided that was all that she needed. Climbing up onto one of the crates set near the wall she scooted to the back and as she waited for her laptop to boot up she laid her head back and closed her eyes.

So far Sean had been right in his prediction that Smackdown would be ok. She'd taken Eddie's warm welcome as an opportunity to clear any past wrongs and the two of them had talked for quite awhile. By the end they were both laughing. Eddie had promised to help any way that he could and she promised to treat him with the respect he deserved and had earned. Sean had mysteriously disappeared while she and Eddie had been talking. She assumed it had been to go find his lover and the rest of the crowd had headed to the ring.

She hadn't seen Mark yet, but then she hadn't looked for him either still worried Kevin had burnt that bridge for her as well. Hearing the ping of the laptop she opened her eyes and straightened intending to check her email before she headed to the ringside area herself. As her email program retrieved her messages she couldn't help but notice an email addy that could only be her Scotty. Opening the message she smiled softly seeing that it have been sent not long after they had parted that morning. Settling back against the wall she maximized the window and set about reading her lover's message.

My Angel,

It has been but mere moments since I watched you walk away from me with your Devil Protector and yet the pain of our separation tells me that it has already been too long. My life, always so dark and lonely, seems to take on a light and color that I never imagined possible when I am with you.

If I close my eyes I can not only see the beauty of your naked flesh before me, but I can almost feel it with my fingertips and taste it on my tongue. I have waited so long for you and dreamed of being one with you so often and yet the reality of you only exceeds my expectations."

At this point Angel paused and ran her thumb over the old burn on her left palm. She knew that he still believed their stolen moments together all those years before in WCW were only hallucinations brought on by all the drugs he was doing at the time. Only she and Sean and Mark knew that the night they shared in the hotel was not their first time together. She had a guilty feeling nagging her that she hadn't ever told him the truth. But after all of these years she just didn't know how to broach the subject. Sighing she turned her eyes back to the email.

"I love you my Angel. I need you my Angel. I worship you my Angel. Knowing that you are mine gives me the strength to resist temptations that I have never resisted before. IT gives me the courage to believe in things that I have never believed in before and to see things that the darkness that was my life never allowed me to see before.

I love you with a force that consumes my every moment whether it be in the consciousness of the waking moments or ever second while I sleep. I pray to you my Angel, my goddess, my one and only guiding light and I but pray that I can serve you in the fashion that one of your beauty deserves.

Forever Yours,
Scotty

Sniffling angel read the letter several times wiping the tears from her face feeling humbled at the devotion this man gave her and felt stronger for his love. "I hope those are happy tears otherwise I'm gonna have to kill someone." She heard someone say with a distinctive southern drawl that she hadn't heard in far too long. Looking away from her laptop she smiled shyly seeing Mark leaning against a wall watching her with his arms crossed. Nodding her head she set her computer aside before raising up on her knees facing her old friend. "My Raven sent me an email this morning after we separated at the airport."

Mark nodded understanding as his lips curved into a soft smile. "I heard that you two had finally gotten together. I take it he is treating my baby girl good then?" Angel nodded smiling happily. "Oh Pops he's so good to me! I never thought we would actually get together and have both of us remember it." Mark chuckled softly nodding as his green eyes watched her intently. "So why are you duckin' me, Baby Girl?" He asked softly and Angel bowed her head blushing lightly. "I ain't exactly. I just…" She let her voice trail off and Mark came over putting a finger under her chin forcing her head to lift so that their eyes would meet. "You just…?" He asked prompting her to continue. Angel sighed hoping that he would understand her fears. "I was afraid that you'd hate me like the rest of 'em do cause of Kevin."

Mark sighed and ran a hand over her hair. "Baby Girl, I got more brains than those fools." Angel sniffled and looked up at Mark, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "I couldn't stand it if you hated me, Pops." Mark pulled the woman into his arms kissing the top of her head. "Ain't much chance of that, Baby Girl." Angel nodded and pulled out of his arms biting her lip as she looked up at him. "I hafta tell you, after the Raw roster I was a little afraid to find out what is wrong here on Smackdown. If it's half as bad as Raw I'm gonna dig myself a hole and hide."

Lifting Angel off the box, Mark took her hand and led her through the back towards the ring. "Well I would like to tell you that there ain't no problems over here, but that would be a flat out lie. Being the misfit roster naturally the boys have some self-confidence issues, which is a damn shame considering the number of talented guys that they have here. There are other problems but…" Mark waved a hand in the air and Angel nodded. "Does Hunter mess with you guys?" She asked casually and Mark stopped looking down at her with a frown on his face. "Hunter messes with everyone, but not as much here as on the other roster. We're not worth his time you know." Angel nodded again carefully and began walking again not giving Mark much choice but to follow her. "Why do you ask Baby Girl?" Mark questioned when she didn't respond.

Angel stepped through the curtains and onto the stage where she observed her Devil man laughing and smiling with some of the guys. "I have my reasons," she replied mysteriously not giving Mark a chance to response before she continued on. "I had words with Bradshaw." Mark looked down at her quietly before deciding that he would let it drop for now. "I expected that you would," he replied seeing that some of the boys were beginning to notice their presence. "Well he better get over it," she muttered before hearing her name shouted from the ring.

Smiling she watched Shannon Moore leap off the ring apron where he'd been standing and run up the ramp to where she was. "Hi Shann," she greeted laughing happily as he bounced excited in front of her. "It's really you!" Grinning she nodded up at the blond. "It's really me," she acknowledged and Shannon looked at her hopefully. "Does this mean I ain't gonna be a reject no more?" Angel smiled thinly looking up at Mark briefly before turning her attention back to Shannon. "I can guarantee this means that you ain't gonna be a reject no more, my friend. No more rejects, no more misfits, no more b-roster for any of you." Shannon cheered happily, but Angel wondered how she was going to fulfill such a big promise.

Read chapter Fourteen of ?? of Monster in the Shadows