Until I Met You

~aubree~
I couldn’t stand this. Everyone was getting beat up because of me. I sat between Jerry and Cole, and Cole was giving me a first class ticket on the guilt train.
“So let me get this straight. You didn’t read your contract, so now all your friends are suffering for your mistake.” He snapped.
“Now Cole, Laurinaitis tricked her. He didn’t give her time to read the contract. If it’s anyone’s fault it’s the Miz’s.” I didn’t even hear them though, all I could see was Phil about to hit his finisher, but then Mike reversed it.
“NO!” I screamed as Mike started to go for the pin. Nick saw that they were going to win and ran over behind the announcers table and grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Matt had his hands full with Jake, and Raina was being pinned down by Eve.
Then the lights went out.
I heard Mike scream, and Nick didn’t move, but I felt him shaking. “This is not part of the script.” He muttered. When the lights came back on Mike was knocked out, and Phil was covering him. I couldn’t help but smile, Phil was barely conscious, but he was awake, so the ref started the count.
“One!”
“No chance!” Nick growled. But before he could stop Phil I swung around and latched onto him back, causing him to fall over and my back to go straight into the announcer table.
“Two!” Nick tried to run over there, but I grabbed his leg and tripped him up. Matt was holding down Jake and Raina had Eve, all I had to do was hold on. After what seemed like an eternity of my back screaming at me in protest I heard that beautiful word. “Three!” I heard the bells ding and let go of Nick, collapsing onto the floor. Phil’s music started to play and I just smiled. But when Nick stood up and glared at me my smile vanished.
“You stupid b-” All I saw was a fist and Nick hit the ground. I looked up and Matt was smiling at me. He helped me up and wrapped me in a huge hug. But things can’t stay perfect I guess.
“Now hold on a minute.” I looked up to see John walking down, David Otunga by his side in his stupid little bow tie. “I don’t know about you John, but I am questioning the legality of this match.”
“What?” I squeaked. They couldn’t be serious, could they? Matt let go, keeping his arm around me as they walked into the ring. Raina, Matt and I all slid in to stand by Phil.
“I have to agree David.” John rasped. This was not happening. I felt my heart drop into my stomach as John let out a huge sigh. “Due to questionable circumstances, the winners of this match, by disqualification, are The Miz, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, and Eve.” Matt gripped me even harder. “But, since titles can’t exchange hands in a disqualification, the circumstances will stay as they were, Mouse is the property of Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Eve and Jack Swagger.”
“You can’t do this!” Matt screamed. I had never seen him this angry before, it was terrifying and it caught the entire arena off guard. But John just smiled and pulled my contract out of his jacket pocket.
“Actually, Ryder, yes I can.”
“I won’t let you touch her.” He said as He saw Mike slithering over, he gripped me even harder.
“Then you’ll be fired.”
“Fine!”
“And Raina too.” Everyone looked over at Raina, who was obviously shocked. But I wasn’t going to let her lose the career she had worked so hard for, not for me.
“No.” I said. “I’ll go with them.” I felt like I was going to cry. Matt looked at me in total shock.
“Mouse please; you don’t have to do this.”
“I’m not going to let you and Raina get hurt because of me anymore.” I hugged Matt. He was unresponsive at first, but then he just held me like it was his last day on earth.
“Alright, break it up.” Mike said, pulling me away from Matt and throwing me into Jake, who dug his fingers into my collarbone to make sure I didn’t try to run.
“Mouse.” I looked back at Matt. “I am not going to stop until I get you back.”
“Zack…”
“Neither will I.” I looked over at Raina, who was torn between being royally pissed and crying.
“I won’t either.” I looked over at Phil who was pissed. “This is not going to stand.”
“Well, that’s too bad, because we won Punky. Maybe next time you shouldn’t cheat. Let’s go.” Jake herded me off like a prisoner. And that’s exactly what I was. We were almost all the way up the ramp when I heard his voice.
“Mouse!” I turned to see Matt, his heart was shattered, you could see it in his face. He ran over to Eve. “Can I please just say goodbye?”
“You said goodbye.” Nick growled.
“Eve, come on, please.” Eve, as much as I think she loved being a bad guy, couldn’t say no to Matt’s face.
“Jack, let him say goodbye.”
“But-”
“Just do it.” She hissed. Jake let me go and I ran into Matt’s arms, crying. He pulled back and gave me a small kiss, and the audience roared. “I love you.” He whispered. “And I’m going to make this right.”
“Zack…” I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck as the audience cheered.
“ALRIGHT THAT’S ENOUGH!” Nick grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me away from Matt. “Let’s go.” He growled, tossing me back to Jake, who slung me over his shoulder. I watched as Matt sunk to his knees, defeated.
“Matt…” I whispered quietly enough so the camera wouldn’t hear me. He looked up at me.
“I don’t care what it takes!” He hollered, jumping back to his feet. “I’m going to get you back!” Raina and Phil ran over to his side.
“We’re going to get you back Mouse!” Raina swore. “They won’t get away with this!” The audience booed as Mike turned around and smiled before we left. When we got backstage they still didn’t put me down.
“The show’s over! Put me down!” I demanded, but Nick chuckled.
“You really didn’t read your contact, did you?” He said.
“We’re allowed to take ‘any measures necessary’ to make sure that you have no communication with anyone we think may try to take you away from us.” Mike continued.
“So you’ll have your room, but we’ll all have keys to it so we can make sure no one tries to help you escape.”
“And if you willingly try to escape, Matt and Raina’s contracts will be terminated.” Eve finished. I felt sick. Jake carried me out to the parking lot, tossing me into the rental. I was squished in the middle between Jake and Nick, with Mike driving and Eve in the passenger’s seat. I tried to be strong and fight back the tears on the way back to the hotel.
“Aww, now don’t make that face Mousey. John said that you’ll get to see Matt on Smack Down tomorrow. I have a match, and will be accompanied by you, of course. So maybe you’ll see him backstage.” I felt my heart leap. I had to tell Matt, I was sure he could think of something to smuggle me out of there. I kept thinking of what I should do while we drove back to the hotel. I had to get another room key for Jake, Mike, Nick, and Eve to use, and then they locked me inside of my room. I felt the tears stream down my face. I already missed Matt and Raina and Phil. Eve came in later and said that she’d be sleeping on the bed and threw me some pillows to sleep on the floor with. When she was in the bathroom I locked the deadbolt on my door so that Nick couldn’t sneak inside in the middle of the night. I cried myself to sleep that night.
I woke up a few hours later to a small tapping noise outside my door. I grabbed my glasses and looked at my clock. 3AM? Who was outside? I slowly crawled over to the door, trying not to wake Eve. I slowly stood up on my knees and silently turned the deadbolt. I slipped open the door to see Matt.
“Au-” I covered his mouth and pointed to the bed, where Eve was starting to stir. I pulled my hand away and signaled for him to be quiet. I slipped open the door and slid out, leaving the door open a crack so that I could get back inside. Matt grabbed my face and pressed his lips to mine desperately.
“Matt, I don’t have much time.” I whispered.
“Just come on, let’s go.” I shook my head.
“You don’t understand, if I run off you and Raina will get fired.” Matt looked crushed. He’d sacrifice his own career in a heartbeat, but not someone else’s. “But.” I said. “That’s if I ‘willingly’ try to escape.” I told Matt all about Mike’s match tomorrow and all about my plan to get me out of there. Matt just smiled more and more with every detail. “But you’re going to have to find someone on Smack Down who’s willing to help, someone they could never tie back to me, or you and Raina will get fired.”
“I’m sure we can find someone who’s willing to help us out. Not everyone is evil.” He teased. I felt my eyes start to sting with tears.
“I miss you so much, I just hope this works.”
“Aubree,” Matt looked at me, not a single trace of happiness on his face. “You know that even if this works, they’ll never stop.”
“I would spend the rest of my life with those losers if it meant I could have just one more night with you.” Matt’s face turned bright red.
“Aubree, do you mean..?” I nodded and Matt did his best to keep his voice down and he pressed his lips to mine, holding me like I was his only thing left in this world. I ran my hands through his hair, but then I heard footsteps and I felt my heart race. I pulled back from Matt and slid back into my room.
“You have to go, now.”
“Aubree…”
“Matt please, tell Raina and Phil about the plan, if it works out we’ll be back together tomorrow night, I promise.”
“Aubree, I will get you back.”
“I know you will Matt, but you have to go, please.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, I love you.”
“I love you too.” I gave him a quick kiss. “Now go.” I shut the door to my room and smiled. Mike was in for one hell of a surprise tomorrow.
I woke up the next morning and tried to hide my smugness. Eve yawned and threw some clothes at me, telling me that I’d better be ready for Smack Down by the time they all got back from the gym. They left Jake in the room with me to make sure I stayed there. He just sat down and watched TV and never really talked to me.
“Why are you helping them?” I asked meekly. He refused to answer me, so I went over to the TV and turned it off. I immediately regretted it though, because Jake stood up, glaring at me. “Why are you helping them?”
“Because.” He said.
“What would your son think?”
“Leave Knox out of this.”
“Does he know why his dad always plays the bad guy? Don’t you want to be his hero Jake? Don’t you want to be the good guy?” Jake stalked over to me and I swallowed nervously.
“I didn’t get title shots when I was the good guy. No one knew my name when I was the good guy.”
“Catalina did.” Jake sighed.
“I can’t help you, I’m sorry.”
“Yes you can Jake! You don’t have to be a bad guy, talk to creative! Could you imagine the reviews you would get if you turned on Nick and Mike and helped me? The people would love you! You’d get a title shot in a month.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.” But before Jake could do anything the door flew open to Mike, Even and Nick.
“Time to go Mousey.” I turned back to Jake and mouthed ‘think about it’. As I was marched out the door I just prayed that my long shot plan would work.
It was my only hope.