The Way to Eden

Eden's head was screaming at her in pain when she finally began picking at her food in dismay. She was hoping the tray would contain something she could use as a weapon, but no such luck. No silverware was in sight and the bowl was made of paper. Damn Dixie, anyway. She'd been listening for movement upstairs to let her know how many people were in the house, but all she heard was one set, presumably Sven's. He walked slowly, with a purpose. Not like Samuel walked at all.

Samuel's moods only varied slightly: rarely amused, often annoyed or angry or, at times, just emotionless. That was the one Eden strived to elicit most often. It was way too difficult to amuse Samuel. Such a state usually involved extreme pain on Eden's part. Annoyance and anger produced similar results. At least when he was unemotional, Eden could avoid his wrath and escape the humiliation he usually inflicted on her when she erred. Samuel was nothing if not thorough in his punishment.

She knew he would be along to collect her eventually. And she knew she would pay for this mistake even more severely than any other. Instinctively, she knew she would be lucky if Samuel left her in enough condition to heal. He'd often warned her that when she did choose her test, she'd better pass it. In fact, he'd said while looking at her pointedly, her very life might depend on it. She hadn't liked that look at all. This was supposed to have been an easy assignment! Sighing, she pushed thoughts of her guardian out of her head.

She wondered how Jeff was doing. Part of her was relieved that he hadn't died by her hand. She knew now that either she wouldn't have been able to kill him, or she would have eventually destroyed herself if she had. This wasn't an easy epiphany for her. She'd never felt actual guilt before and had no idea the feeling could be so powerful. She figured he wouldn't be interested in hearing her thoughts on the subject now. Rio had probably used the situation to turn him against Eden anyway. That wasn't quite true, Eden realized tiredly. She'd been the one to give him reason to hate her now. Well, if nothing else, at least he was alive. That was something she could take comfort in.

She finished off her soup and bread and drank the rest of her water from her paper cup. Then she decided that Sven was right, there was no point in exhausting herself by staying awake waiting for Rio. The silver fighter would show her apparently redheaded self when she was good and ready. If Sven or the other father chose to finish her off here, there was little she could do about it anyway. Settling herself down on the narrow bed as comfortably as she could with a badly broken arm, Eden closed her eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.

--------------------------------------

Tara watched as Jeff hung up the phone solemnly. She knew his phone call to Mr. McMahon hadn't gone as well as they'd all hoped.

"Well?" Nora asked, not covering up her worried tone very effectively with her impatience, but Tara chose not to tease her and to let it slide. It was enough that she was here.

"'E said I been too distract'd lately anyway," Jeff said somberly. "Tha' I 'aven' been th' same since th' split wit' Matt."

"Oh, Jeff," Tara sighed, latching onto his hand as he looked down at his shoes.

"'E's right," Jeff asserted. "I ain' been much good ta them lately."

"What's been on your mind?" Todd asked, settling himself into a kitchen chair.

"Ev'rythin'," Jeff mumbled. He looked up into Tara's eyes and gave her a small smile. "Notchoo, baby. Leas' no' only you. I been 'avin' trouble findin' my place wit'out Matt. I guess 'e grounded me."

"Oh, I'm sure he's been wanting to ground you," Todd teased. Tara knew her brother was trying to lighten the moment, but she found it hard to laugh.

"Yeah," Jeff laughed softly.

"So what does this mean?" Nora asked gently.

"I'm released."

"What!?" Nora exclaimed. "Just like that? You have a murdering madwoman after you and they say 'Fine. See you.' Instead of backing you?"

"I ain' been backin' them."

"But your new storyline . . ."

"Yeah, that," Jeff grinned. "Trish'll be solo again, I guess."

"So, your WWE career is over?" Nora tried again. "How can you just let it go like that?"

"'Cause I don' disagree wit' 'em," Jeff replied. "I need th' time off. You hate the backstage bullshit as much as I do, Nor. Ya kno' 'ow it is. I need a break."

"But this is permanent."

"Ain' NOTHIN' permanent in THAT company," Jeff laughed. "Look at Piper, Michaels an' 'Ogan. I ain' done yet. Whetha it be 'ere o' in anotha company, I'll be back, dontcha worry."

Nora tried to smile but Tara could see she was still in a state of shock over the events that had just taken place.

"He will be back, Nora," Tara smiled, patting the other woman on the shoulder. "In the meantime, I'm sure he'll keep us all in terror jumping over cars on bikes, or something."

Todd howled in laughter and Nora's eyes widened in mirth at the sound.

--------------------------------------

Justin stalked his new prey stealthily. Henry thought he was being inconspicuous, but he stuck out like a sore thumb in those olive-colored chinos and that Hawaiian shirt. Justin had no trouble locating him when he reached Shannon and Jolene's hotel. Henry was tailing them, thinking Tara was there. He would likely pounce on her when news broke that Jeff Hardy was missing, or no longer with the company. However the McMahons chose to handle the situation, Justin knew Henry would take it as a sign that Jeff's body had been discovered. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket when he saw Henry enter his hotel room for the night.

"Hello?" a Scandinavian voice greeted him a moment later.

"Hello,love," he purred into Sven's ear. "How are you this evening?"

"I am well," Sven replied in a low tone. "I just miss my roommate."

"A roommate, I am now?" Justin said a mock-alarmed tone. "Oh, how quickly my love forgets me."

"Never," Sven laughed.

"How is our houseguest?"

"She has finally taken my advice and settled in for a rest," Sven said. "I got her to eat some soup and bread, but that is all."

"Are you not afraid she will use her spoon as a weapon next time you open the door?"

"She has no spoon," the blonde man replied. "Just a paper bowl and a paper cup of water."

"You are clever."

"I thought it would be best."

"And her injuries?"

"Her nose was not broken, but it will bruise badly for a while," Sven said in his authoritative doctor voice. "Her arm was broken in four places and will likely take many weeks to heal."

Justin whistled. "Our daughter was angry."

"That she was."

"Do you think you will make any headway with her?"

"She will be harder to reach than Todd," Sven admitted. "Tara had already trusted me when I took her on, but he hadn't. Yet he was not as abused as Sin has evidently been."

"How do you know?"

"She has many healed fractures and scars, my heart," Sven said in a haunted whisper. "I do not know what kind of guardian she had, but he definitely did not see her as anything more than a possession. She will be difficult."

"Are you up to the challenge?"

"Am I not always?"

Justin laughed. His mate always found a way to break through a beaten person's protective walls and bring them back. He'd done it with their children and he'd done it with Justin himself. He had every confidence in Sven.

"And how is your mission progressing?" Sven asked.

"Predictably," he chuckled. "Henry is either very stupid or very egotistical. He is hiding in the same hotel as Shannon."

"He is probably an equal measure of both," Sven laughed. "You will be careful, though, will you not?"

Justin grinned at the warm feeling Sven just evoked. "Always."