The Way to Eden

Eden waited a week before calling the number neatly printed on the card. She wanted Jeff to wonder if she'd call him. It would never do to seem too eager for her salvation. She still wasn't certain why she'd felt that tingle when she touched his hand that night, and it worried her.

Because of her upbringing, she'd had very little social contact with people her own age. Samuel had forbidden it, opting for the home schooling method. This, in fact, was the first time she'd ever spent more than a few hours away from what she considered her home. Eden learned to live with her loneliness, especially on Samuel's frequent business weekends. Those started in Eden's late teenage years and he'd strictly forbidden her to leave the house when he was gone. She always wondered why she couldn't go out, but was too afraid of him to ask. Eventually she abandoned her silly girl dreams and threw herself into her training. She noticed that the better she became the more pride Samuel showed her, so she made every effort to excel.

She looked around the small apartment she'd rented and sighed. Samuel's house was so big and airy compared to the dingy little room. Of course, she could have afforded something better with the money Henry had given her, but Eden intended to save that for her and Samuel's life after they left the US. She wondered where they would go when they left. She supposed Samuel would make that decision and inform her when he deemed it necessary.

It would be the first time she'd traveled outside of the US. They'd lived in several different states before, but Eden didn't experience much beyond the walls of the home Samuel bought. That's why she was so determined to make her career as a martial arts fighter so successful. She didn't want Samuel to order her back home. At least she knew she'd be permitted to leave the house for her matches. To lose that would be inconceivable now that she finally achieved it. But now that she was handling Henry's job, she was free to live on her own temporarily. It was a rare opportunity indeed. She just hoped it wouldn't be too difficult to give up once she went back to Samuel. One might wonder why she would willingly go back to him, but he was the only family she knew and she was quite grateful for his attention. Still, she wasn't entirely happy that she was still beholden to him.

She shook herself from her thoughts and picked up her cell phone punching in the number on the card. If nothing else, Jeff Hardy would prove very entertaining.

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"'Lo?" Jeff said into his phone trying to catch his breath from sprinting at top speed to escape the rain.

"This a bad time?" inquired a soft female voice he couldn't place.

"Uh, sorta," he mumbled. "Who's this?"

"If it's a bad time, maybe I should go."

The woman's reluctance suddenly brought home who it was.

"Original Sin."

"Most people just call me Sin," she purred. "Listen, this is a bad time for you and probably was a mistake on my part . . ."

"No!" Jeff squeaked as he punched the elevator button and shot into the first available car. "I mean, i's no' really a bad time. I'm jus' gittin' back t' th' hotel an' i's rainin', is all. I'm in th' elevata now an' should be in th' room inna few seconds. Ya'll stay on th' line, right?"

"Um . . ."

"Please?" he added hopefully.

"Well . . ."

The doors opened and Jeff shot out of the elevator and ran down the hall to his room, sticking his card key and quickly bolting inside. He flopped backwards onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, praying Shane would stay out for a while.

"See? I'm already there," he laughed triumphantly.

"Well, since you're there, I guess."

"Thanks, baby."

"Don't call me 'baby'."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you to."

"Well, I don' like callin' ya Sin."

"But that's my name."

"No, i's not," Jeff said firmly. "I doubt yo' birth certificate says 'Original Sin' on it."

"Well maybe it should," she huffed back.

Not wanting to annoy her any further lest she hang up on him, Jeff thought for a second before coming to an epiphany of sorts. He'd always given people nicknames before and if he couldn't call her 'baby', he could call her something else.

"How 'bout 'Kitten' then?"

There was a moment of silence when he'd thought she'd given up and was probably about to sever the connection.

"'Baby' it is," she said finally, and Jeff laughed silently to himself.

"You can always tell me yo' real name instead," he offered magnanimously.

"That's quite all right," she replied. "I'd prefer not to."

"Maybe someday?"

"Maybe."

"So, I'd almos' given up hope," Jeff said. "I'm gladja called, baby."

"I'm still not sure why I did or what you want from me."

"You don' wanna talk ta me?" he asked in disappointment.

"I didn't say that," came her hesitant answer. "I just don't know what you hope to accomplish with this conversation."

"Conversation?" he chuckled. "Ya mean conversations." He emphasized the 's' at the end of the word clearly.

"I never promised I'd call you the first time. What makes you think I'll call you again?"

"Well, ya did make th' firs' call."

"So?"

"So, I'd like ta think I'll make a good enough impression on ya fo' anotha call."

"Maybe," she said after another long moment of hesitation. And Jeff took it as a good sign. Wisely, he decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Why dya use a knife?" he asked, hoping not to annoy her too much so that she hung up on him.

"Why do you care?"

"I jus' don' unnerstan' why such a talented fighta needs ta use knives."

"It's not a need," she said scathingly. "It's my signature. Again, why does it matter?"

"It jus' seems like ya LIKE ta hurt people."

"I was trained to be the best fighter I can possibly be," she said quietly. "My trainer specifically taught me to use the knives effectively. He made it part of my repertoire and therefore I use the knives."

"Why'dja choose th' career path yo' on?" Jeff asked in fascination.

Sin coughed in apparent discomfort. "I don't have an answer that will satisfy you," she replied. "Suffice it to say, I'm here and that's it."

Jeff sighed sadly into the phone. He really wanted to understand this woman and wasn't making much headway. How could he reach her when she insisted on erecting all of these barriers. He needed to find some neutral ground first, he decided. That's what will help.

"Well, I'd like ta unnerstand," he said. "Bu' maybe ya can 'xplain it ta me someday."

"Maybe."

"Do ya watch my programs?"

"Why?"

"I jus' won'ered if ya did."

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Nice match with the Hurricane, by the way."

"Ya caught 'Heat' this week then," he smiled. "Cool."

"Yeah. Too bad they've relegated you to jobbing lately."

He winced inwardly, trying to keep his cool. He knew his first conversation with Sin would be difficult but she was doing her best to draw blood.

"Thanks," he said dryly. "We cain' always be on top, ya know."

"Sorry," she sighed. "I really didn't mean it as an insult. I just think you have more talent than your company gives you credit for."

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah. You're their best high flyer."

"Thanks," he said sincerely.

"So, why do you want to talk to me?"

"I jus' wanna see if yo' really happy doin' what ya do."

"How does happy enter into it?" she asked without malice this time. "I do my job, collect my money and go home. What more is there to say?"

"There are mo' ways ta earn a livin'."

"Not for me."

"Why not?"

"The man who trained me made the decision."

"So ya gonna lettim tell ya whatta do fo'eva?"

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Eden sat dumbfounded on the other end of the phone. This conversation wasn't going how she imagined it. She thought Jeff would immediately start in on her career, which she did. But when she rebuffed him, she'd expected him to keep badgering her. Instead he'd changed the subject only to turn it back when she least expected it but follow a different path. This man followed no known logic that she could discern. Yes, he was definitely entertaining. But he was also a little too charming for his own good. Or maybe for her own good.

"He raised me," she said not knowing why she felt it necessary to divulge her true past. Well, may it would be better this way, she decided. It would sound more natural. Eden wasn't sure she could pull off an intricate act.

"He's yo' fatha?"

"No," she said softly. "But he raised me and trained me. I don't mind doing what he says, anyway. He's always taken care of me."

"By teachin' ya ta cut people?"

"Look, my opponents know full well what they're getting into when we're in the ring," she said losing some of her patience. "And it's not like I haven't faced those odds myself."

"Tha' makes me feel so much betta," he said sarcastically.

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

"Ya remin' me o' someone I kno'."

Eden closed her eyes in disappointment. Rio, of course. No matter how good a fighter she was, or how far got in whatever fight club she was in, she would never make anyone forget the legendary Rio Angele. Rio was first and she remained undefeated until the end of her career. Eden stood no chance of eclipsing the small silver warrior.

"Really?" she said trying to mask her emotions. "Who?"

"I think ya kno'."

"Why should I know?"

"I could see it in yo' eyes th' night we met," he said steadily. "Ya kno' I'm frien's wit' Rio."

"I remember Rio Angele," Eden said unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "I went to almost every one of her matches."

So, ya were you one o' 'er fans then?"

"Until she turned her back on us, yes."

"She turned 'er back on th' business, not 'er fans," Jeff corrected firmly. "An' she married my bes' friend."

"Why should this concern me?"

"She didn' wanna be saved eitha."

"Is that what you're trying to do?" Eden asked happy to get back to the business at hand. "Because if it is, you're wasting your time."

"Tha's about what she said back then, too."

"Look, Jeff, this was a mistake," Eden said hurriedly. "I think I'd better go."

"Wait!" he exclaimed, making her smile. "Don' end the conversation like this."

"Why not?"

"I wanna talk ta ya again."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Please?"

Eden remained silent for a few moments, letting Jeff think she was pondering the suggestion. He waited mutely for her decision.

"I'll call you again tomorrow," she finally acquiesced. "Before I go to work."

"Ya promise?"

Eden laughed inside. 'Oh, yeah, Hardy boy. I promise.'

"I said I would and I will," she said. "Talk to you then."

"Bye, baby," he said.

She hung up the phone and sat back in her chair. This was definitely going to get interesting, she thought.