She watched him carefully from her spot in the corner where she had been placed and told to stay out of the way. She didn't understand how such a big man could be hurt so badly. She didn't understand how such a good man could be treated so miserably. "If your brother sees you eyeing him, he'll kick your ass." She heard and recognized the distinctive southern drawl. "And if he sees me talking to you, Shawn, he will kick it even faster," Mechelle replied and looked up to see Shawn Michaels looking down at her. Shrugging, Shawn sat down in one of the chairs at her table and smiled. "Nah, he'll kick my ass and tell you to stay away from a 'bad influence' like me. How did you get him to bring you anyway?" Mechelle smiled thinly, turning her gaze away from the man at the bar and onto Shawn. "He didn't. Stephanie did. She offered me a job. Seems she somehow found out that I've been feeding Paul ideas for storylines for years and decided maybe I should get paid for it." Shawn pretended to look shocked. "You're kidding! My, I wish I had known that! I would have told her myself." Mechelle rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back onto the man at the bar again, watching as he threw some money down and got up to leave.

"You keep sighing like that, little girl and I might think you got somethin' for him," Shawn drawled playfully and Mechelle turned her eyes back to him with a glare. "I don't have the foggiest idea what you are talking about Shawn Michaels, so mind your own business." Shawn was laughing at her when he sensed someone standing behind him and didn't have to look back to see who it was. "Hello Paul. Are you going to join us or are you just gonna stand back there and growl like some barbarian? Oh right, I forgot - you are a barbarian." Paul growled loudly and glared at his sister. "I told you to stay out of trouble!" Mechelle sighed and rolled her gaze to him, managing to look extremely bored. "No actually you told me to stay out of the way. As you can see I have done that." Getting up she smiled sweetly at Shawn. "Shawn let's finish our talk over breakfast. I'm in room 345. Pick me up at 8." Then, without waiting to hear what her brother had to say, she flounced out.

As she made her way out of the hotel bar and through the building, finding the elevator, and selecting her floor, Mechelle's mind was far away from the confines of the building. Automatically she selected her floor and only knew she had reached it when she realized that the doors were standing open and almost ready to close. Hurrying through she bolted down the hall suddenly, as if she was late for something. Practically running she reached her room swearing not so silently when it took her three tries to get the key card to work, but once she was inside she sighed suddenly slowing down again.

Pulling her long black curls out of the scrunchie they were bound up in at the top of her head, Mechelle undressed leaving her clothes in a pile by the door and walked to the bathroom. As she stood naked waiting on the water for her shower to heat up, Mechelle studied herself in the mirror wondering at the woman staring back at her. Finally deciding that no answers were going to come to her that night, Mechelle stepped in under the water tilting her head back to let the water flow down over her face and body. Turning she tilted her face up with her eyes closed and again let the water wash over her trying to block everything out of her mind. She didn't know how long she had been standing there when she became aware of a presence behind her and sighed with relief when big hands were set on her shoulders before beginning to massage out the tension they felt there. "I thought you were gonna sit at that bar forever," she sighed letting her body melt back into his, smiling when his long arms wrapped around her. "I thought that your brother was never gonna stop eyeing me so I could leave," Mark replied and Mechelle grunted softly turning in his arms so that she could rest her head on his chest.

"Shawn came to talk to me," she said absently, but felt his body tense. "What did he want?" Mark asked nervously and Mechelle ran her hands up and down his back trying to soothe him. "To give me a hard time… what else? To tease me about my hobby of staring at you. I am sure he had another reason, but Paul intruded like always." Mark sighed closing his eyes as she turned her head spotting a mark on his side. "Do you think he suspects?" Mark asked and Mechelle shrugged absently looking at the bruise and recognizing it as new. "I don't know… but like I said before… you don't gotta worry about Shawn, Mark. Even if he did suspect he might say something to you or me, but he would never tell Paul not even if they got back together. Shawn and I are close. Where did you get the bruise?"

Again Mark tensed and she knew the answer before he opened his mouth. "Just an accident workin' on one of the bikes," he said trying to sound nonchalant, but she wasn't buying it. "What did she hit you with this time?" She asked softly and she felt him bristle so she turned her head kissing his chest before turning her eyes up towards him. "What did she…" She started to ask again, but he cut her off looking away. "She didn't mean it. She was drunk and I smarted off. It was my own fault. I shoulda known better." Mechelle sighed and closing her eyes turned her head again to rub her cheek against his chest. "What did she hit you with, Mark?" She felt his body sag as if the air were rushing out of a balloon. "A steel pipe I had lying around in the garage. She was pissed cause I forgot to call her and tell her I had to go on the road last week." Mechelle sighed and tilted her face up to see him looking down at her with almost desperate eyes. "I thought you told her to stay away?" She asked even though again she knew the answer. "I did but..." Mark waved a hand trying to turn his face, but she lifted a hand wiping away the tears not willing to pretend they didn't exist. "I know baby," she whispered then kissed his chest again while running her hands over his back, but this time she swiveled her hips rubbing herself against him, hearing him moan softly in response. "Girl," he whispered breathlessly lifting her off her feet slightly claiming her mouth with his own. Bracing one hand on the side of the shower and the other gripping the shower rod she wrapped her legs around his hips letting him slide into her as her mouth found his neck sucking and biting its way up and down its length.

She felt his hips rocking and his hands digging into her buttocks, but she wasn't taking time to think. All she knew was the feel of him filling her and the taste of him washing over her senses. Filled with all the turbulent emotions that he had been holding back since he had left her two weeks past, Mark didn't even consider taking his time, and gripped her ass as he let his head fall back moaning with pleasure. Sooner that he wanted he felt his balls tightening and letting his head fall back, roared her name as he shot into her only half hearing her calling his name as well. He felt her arms wrap around his neck as her cheek rested against his and closing his eyes tried to catch his breath as she whispered into his ear. "I love you Mark. You'll get away from her. I swear. We'll find a way." Shuddering he squeezed her tighter and prayed she was telling the truth.

Meanwhile down at the bar a battle of wills was going on. Paul had seated himself at Shawn's table intent on informing him just why he should leave Mechelle alone, but the older man didn't seem to be interested in it listening and every time Paul would talk Shawn would imitate him in some annoying voice. So Paul gave up and there they sat glaring at each other. "You know Pauly I am soooooooooooooooo glad that you came over to join me in this stimulating chat," Shawn said cutely and Paul growled. "I have told you once and I have told you a million times… STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Tired of the same worn out argument Shawn rolled his eyes wishing he had brought his beer bottle with him. "She isn't a child anymore Paul and I ain't your property. Neither of us has to ask your permission to associate. You're just afraid that little sister is gonna take my side in things."

When Paul gritted his teeth and turned his head Shawn sighed knowing he had hit the nail on the head. "You are such an idiot," Shawn sighed softly and Paul's head whipped around to glare at him. "Why Shawn? Because I give a fuck that my sister barely talks to me anymore thanks to you? Why can't you leave me what little I have?" Disgusted Shawn shook his head and pushing back his chair stood to look down at his former love. "When are you gonna take some responsibility for your own actions? I didn't put a rift between you and Mechelle, Paul, you did that all by yourself. I didn't turn the boys in the back against you, Paul, you did that all by yourself. And like it or not… our relationship didn't end solely because of me. You did more than your fair share in ruining a really good thing and until you are man enough to step up and say I fucked up… baby your life is only gonna go downhill." With that Shawn turned and left the bar leaving Paul sullenly to watch him walk away… again.