Takers Care

For all the legal reason, previous stated on other stories, here goes: The following is complete and utter fiction. This stuff came out of my head. All wrestlers are the property of WWF and Titan Sports. I do not claim that anything here has, could or would ever happen in reality. Brides' names are used with their permission**

Alison sat in the playroom of the children's critical care unit of the hospital, watching her two charges as they play on the floor. She loved these little boys, and wanted to do what she could for them, knowing that they didn't have a lot of time, and that without her, and other nurses like her, their remaining time would be spent in a bed. She couldn't allow that, so she came, every day, no matter how difficult it was to see them.

She looked down at her watch and realized that she needed to get these two back to their rooms; they were due for their meds soon. "Noah, Jason, we need to head back to your rooms now. Y'all need to pick up those toys and put them back now."

Noah, a small, dark haired boy with baby blue eyes smiled up at her from the floor, "Ali? Can't we play just a few more minutes? Please?" She chuckled, seeing the puppy dog eyes he gave her and shook her head. "You know if I don't have you back in time for your medicine I'm gonna get in trouble…do you really want me to get in trouble?"

The boys giggled, but started putting their toys away. Alison stood and stretched; she was stiff from sitting still for so long. She took each of the boys' hands and they headed back to their rooms. She had just turned the corner when she heard that dreaded sound, the alarms going off in one off the many rooms. That usually meant that one of their sweet little angels had passed over, and her heart leapt in her throat at the sound.

Noah and Jason looked at her, their eyes wide with fear, they too knew what that sound meant, and they wondered if one of their friends was now gone. Alisons' fear escalated when she saw Dr. Killian walking toward her. Two of the other nurses took Noah and Jason, and her heart started pounding in her ears. ~ Oh, Goddess, please…not him, please not him. ~

She took off down the hall, trying not to run over any of the other nurses, and pulled up short just outside of Nick's room. Nick was a sweet, loving, gentle, five-year old, little boy who had been injured in the car accident that killed his parents nearly a month ago. He sustained severe internal injuries and his prognosis was not good, but he always smiled and never complained. She loved him more than she ever thought possible.

She plastered a smile on his face and walked into his room, her heart nearly broke when she saw his emerald green eyes light up at the site of her. "Ali" he whispered through the tubes, "I was afraid I wouldn't see you today."

She sat on the side of the bed, holding the little boys' hand, fighting back the tears. "Nicky...did you really think I wouldn't come see you today? My favorite boy?" She reached over and brushed the hair off his forehead, then picked up the chart that lay on the table by the bed. Looking at the information there, and listening to his breathing, she knew he didn't have much longer, and it broke her heart to see him."

She closed his eyes, knowing that if he was complaining about the pain that it must have been excruciating…he never complained. "Well, Nicky, why don't you just take very shallow breaths…then it won't hurt so bad, and I'll see if I can get you some more medicine."

"I don't like the medicine, Ali, it makes me feel funny." She squeezed his little hand, and looked over her shoulder when she heard the doctor come in the room. She looked at him, the question obvious in her eyes. Dr. Killian shook his head, telling her there was nothing more they could do for the little one.

"I love you too Ali." Was the last thing the sweet little boy said before he closed his eyes for the last time. Alison stayed there for a long time, her arms wrapped around the little boy and her tears falling silently, until she felt the hand of one of the nurses on her shoulder. "Alison, you've been here for nearly an hour, you need to get out of here and go home. Take the next couple of days off and get yourself back together."

Alison sat up, looking at the head nurse, her boss, but more importantly her friend, "You're right, I need to get out of here." She headed out the door, unable to turn around and see the angelic face of the little boy in that bed. "Alison, call me if you need anything."

Alison spent the next couple of days re-evaluating her life. She cared too much about those boys, but she didn't think she could handle watching another tiny life drain away while she was helpless to stop it. She didn't think she could go back to work. The last day of her vacation, she was sitting in her living room, her cat in her lap and a book in her hands, when the phone rang.

"Actually Alison, that's why I'm calling…I've got sort of an odd assignment that I'm hoping you'll take on. It's actually more of a favor to a friend of mine that you'll be paid quite well for."

"Well, I have this friend that is in need of an place to stay and someone who can help take care of him until he gets back on his feet. He has several injuries that he's trying to heal up before he goes back to work."

"Well, he's a little on the private side, and since he works in the public domain, he asked if I knew anyone that might be able to help him out and keep it quiet at the same time."

"Well…if that's what you want to call it, he's a very quiet guy, won't cause you too much trouble I'm sure. Just needs a place to stay where he can recoup and no one can bother him."

She leaned back on the couch, looking around her house, "Well…I do have the space, and I really wasn't looking forward to coming back to work, so…what the hell. When's he gonna show up?"

She had spend the better part of the morning setting up the spare room for Mr. Callaway and making sure she had all of the necessary equipment to care for the man. His list of injuries was unbelievable, and she wondered how one person could possible sustain the injuries he had and still continue to work.

Almost exactly at two o'clock that afternoon, the doorbell rang and she gave the room one last cursory glance before she went to open the door. "Dr Killian, I wasn't expecting to see you today, come in." She opened the door a little further and saw a man standing behind and slightly to the side of the Doctor. Well, maybe a man, more likely a giant. He was unbelievably huge, and seemed to be very quite. His long hair hung down past his shoulders, and he was wearing dark sunglasses. His limp was visible as he walked past her into the living room.

~ Get a GRIP! He's a man, not a giant and you're being rude! ~ Were the thoughts running through Alisons head, "Um…yeah, no problem, call me Alison. Look, why don't you have a seat, and get off that leg." He sat down on the couch, breathing a sigh of relief to finally be off his injured leg. She turned around to talk to Dr. Killian who had brought in Mark's bags.

"Those can go in the spare bedroom, second door on the left." She followed him down the hall, needing to talk to him about the few questions she had about Mark's injuries, and when they returned to the living room, they both chuckled at the softly snoring, man sleeping on her couch. Alison pulled his feet up onto the couch and covered him with a light blanket, before walking the doctor out.

Mark woke up, the smell of steak permeating the house and his stomach growling. He sat up and looked around, trying to acclimate himself to his surroundings. He looked down and saw a small gray Persian curled up on his lap and chuckled. He picked it up and laid it down on the couch so he could move his feet. "Well…you just made yourself at home didn't ya." The cat looked up at him, yawned and then resettled in her new spot on the couch.

He stood up, folded up the afghan that was covering him and followed his nose to the kitchen. He saw the woman named Alison, standing at the sink, chopping vegetables for a salad, and inhaled the smoky smell coming from the grill just outside the back door.

She turned around and leveled him with a look that brooked no argument, "Taker…" She stopped cold in mid-sentence when she looked in his emerald green eyes, "Oh Jesus…Nicky" She dropped the lettuce she had been chopping and her hand flew to her mouth. She fled the room, unable to look at his face at the moment.

"What the hell?" Mark had seen the look cross her face, one of pain and sadness the minute she looked in his eyes. She flew past him so fast that he didn't have the opportunity to stop her, so he limped down the hallway, looking for the woman that he had apparently seriously upset.

Alison heard him outside the door and looked up at herself in the mirror, ~ Get a grip girl…the man is going to think you've lost your mind. ~ She dried her tears, took a couple of deep breaths and opened the door.

He was leaning against the doorframe with one arm, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't a small smile crept across his face, "Sooo, are you going to tell me what just happened, or is it just that I'm so damn ugly I scared you out of the room."

The absurdity of that question caused Alison to bust out laughing and she shook her head. She still was unable to look him in the eye, which caused Mark to wonder what was really going on, but at least she was out of the bathroom and there were no more tears.

She led the way back down the hallway and ordered him to sit down on the couch before he hurt himself. He raised an eyebrow, asking her silently how she intended to back up that order, and then followed her into the kitchen. "I'm not giving up that easily Alison, you didn't just run out this room in tears for no reason and I want to know what happened. And why the hell you called me Nicky."

Alison looked startled, she hadn't realized she had said his name, only that she saw his eyes when she looked that the giant standing in her kitchen. "Its…you just remind me of a patient that I lost a few weeks ago. That's all." She went back to fixing the salad, turning her back to him and cutting off any further conversation. He stood there for a few more minutes, hoping she would tell him more, finally realizing that she had no intention of continuing the conversation. His leg was starting to ache again, so he limped back into the living room and settled himself on the couch, waiting for her to finish dinner.

She brought him a plate, and set up a TV tray in front of him. He had envisioned continuing the conversation over dinner, but she disappeared out the back door, leaving him to eat alone in front of the television. Dinner was wonderful, and he enjoyed every bite, although he wondered what the deal was with this patient…it was obviously someone she had loved very much to react the way she did. ~ Lucky Man…whoever he was. ~

She wandered back into the house after it had gotten dark, pulled Marks medicine out, checked his bandages and helped him to bed. The entire time, she never once looked at him directly in the eye, and she said very little. Only what was necessary to complete a given task or to ask a question about how he was feeling. He tried several times, in vane, to draw her into conversation, but was unable to accomplish the task.

Once she had finished her duties and made sure he had everything he needed, she headed to her room to get ready for bed. She lay under the blankets, staring at the ceiling and listening to the silence in the house, until she finally dozed off.

Mark awoke, hearing a strange sound, he lay there quietly listening, trying to figure out what it was. It took him only a few moments to realize that it was the sound of Alison weeping in her sleep. The sound nearly broke his heart, because she sounded so devastatingly sad, he wondered at the relationship she must have lost when she lost this patient, how much she had to have loved this Nick person to cry like that in her sleep.

He sat up in bed, stretching slightly. His pec muscle was slowly healing, but he had to be careful in his movements to keep from reinjuring himself. He tested his weight on his leg, knowing that after sleeping, it sometimes tended to give out on him and then stood up straight.

The sobbing became small sniffles as he crossed the hall to look in on the small woman that had taken on his care without a second thought. She looked small and frail in the moonlight that streamed in through the window in her bedroom. He considered waking her, forcing her to talk about her pain, knowing that would be the only way to end it, but decided against it. ~ She'd probably just tell me to go to hell and get out of her house…better not press the issue just yet. ~ He limped to the kitchen fixed himself a glass of milk and stood staring out the window at the pale moon overhead.

The next few days were spent with Alison taking care of Mark and him trying to pry information out of Alison. He would ask her questions, and she would ignore them. Every night, she would check his injuries, and although he enjoyed her soft touches while she worked over him, he would have much preferred to have her smile at him and laugh with him.

He would wake every night, listening to the sound of her heartfelt sobs in her sleep, and wish that he could help her. He knew that she had no idea he heard her crying in her sleep, and that she would probably deny it if he mentioned it, so they continued their `civil' silence, only speaking when it was necessary or appropriate.

They had gone on like this for about a week, and not knowing exactly what was bothering Alison was starting to wear on Mark's nerves, and avoiding his questions was starting to wear on Alisons'. She was becoming short tempered, and every time she made the mistake of looking Mark in the eye, her heart break increased at the loss of that sweet little boy. She lay in bed every night and looked over the cards and pictures he had drawn for her during his brief stay in the hospital and just about every one of them was tear stained. She cried herself to sleep every night, and usually got just enough sleep to manage through the day.

She was currently working on Mark's calf muscle, giving him the theapeutic massage that had been prescribed by his doctor. ~ Of all the people for Dr. K to ask me to take care of, he had to pick the one person who had Nick's eyes…I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to keep this up. He's making me crazy with his constant questions and I can't just keep ignoring him ~

Mark was enjoying the feeling of her hands on his legs, but at the same time, he wanted to kick himself for even thinking that. ~ This is rediculous…the woman has not said more than three words in any given sentence, yet every time she touches me I feel like a school boy. What the hell is wrong with me…she obviously was head over heals for this Nick guy, the last thing she needs is me chasing after her. ~

Once Alison finished his legs, she told him to roll over so she could work on his injured pec muscles. She was working the muscle, trying to block the thought of how beautiful his chest was from her mind. ~ O.K. this is totally inappropriate. I can't have thoughts like this about a patient. ~ She busied herself looking at the tatoos on his arms, curious as to their meaning, and was soon so lost in thought that she forgot what she was supposed to be doing. Unknowingly, the massage slowly turned into carreses as she slid her hands across his chest and shoulders. She felt Mark's hand sliding up her hip, and then behind her neck. He brushed the hair out of her face, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands in her hair. He applied the slightest pressure to the back of her neck bringing her face closer to his and just as he was about to kiss her she opened her eyes.

The shock of those emerald green eyes so close to hers startled her into realizing where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. She back quickly away from the side of the bed, stuttering "I…umm…I'm sorry about that…Taker, I…" She turned and fled the room, unable to come up with a plausible excuse for what she had just nearly done.

"Well, that was just the brightest thing you've done all week!" Mark berated himself, laying in the bed trying to get his heart rate to return to normal before he went looking for Alison to apologize.

Mark found Alison in the backyard, sitting on the swing and looking at the stars. He limped over and sat down next to her on the swing. "Alison, wanna tell me why you booked on me yet again?"

He put a finger to her lips and smiled, "What exactly do you think was inappropriate? The fact that you almost kissed me, or the fact that you ran out of there like the place was on fire?"

She looked at him, seeing those beautiful green eyes, and although she still saw Nick in them, it didn't seem to hurt quite as bad. "I…um…well kissing you is definatly out of the question. Its against every rule of ethics I can think of…I'm not supposed to get involved with patients."

She stared at him, lost in his eyes, as his hand slowly worked its way up her arm, "So you're telling me that you CAN'T kiss me, not that you didn't want to kiss me. Right?" His hand had worked its way into her hair again, and the other one was working its way up her other arm. He pulled her in, and brushed his lips against her temple.

"You're right…I'll stop in just a minute." He murmured into her ear as he nibbled along her jaw line. Her hands had crept up his chest without her realizing it, as he moved to her mouth. "Just one more minute" He whispered as his lips brushed hers. His tongue flicked out and tasted her, dragging a low moan from the back of her throat. He kissed her again, this time nibbling on her lips until she opened for him. His tongue swept into her mouth claiming her as his.

She returned his kiss shyly at first, then slowly her tongue slipped into his mouth and she tasted him for the first time. She sucked on his tongue and the moan that he heard came from his own throat. He pulled her into his lap and burried his hands into her hair, tugging just enough to get her to tilt her head, giving him freer access to deepen the kiss even more. He pulled back, realizing that if he didn't get control now, that he probably would lose it completely. He pulled her against him and held her head to his chest, listening to the sound of her rapid breathing and feeling his own heart beat pounding in his chest.

Mark sat in the living room, watching Alison get ready to go out for the evening. She was so determined to get away from him that she had apparently accepted a blind date. Since they had shared that kiss on the back swing, she had avoided him as much as possible. He had tried to get her to talk to him, but she made it quite clear that the topic was off limits and the conversation over.

She was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, wondering why on earth she had agreed to go on this blind date that her best friend had set up for her. ~ God, I hate blind dates…I just know this guy is going to have three heads. ~ But in the back of her mind she hoped it would help her get Mark out of her head. She had broken her own rule, letting him kiss her like that, and she couldn't allow that to happen again.

She walked into the kitchen feeling his green eyes follow her every step of the way. It was obvious that he wanted to talk to her about the other night, but it was a conversation she didn't feel ready to have. She had just gotten to the point that she could look at him, in the eye, and not see Nicky. She wasn't sure that she could talk to him, or anyone else, about her pain without falling completely apart.

He took in the site of her, she was wearing a burgundy silk dress that clung to her curves in all the right places. Her hair was pulled up in the back and there were small dendrils of hair curling around her face. She was stunning and he whistled low as she walked by, causing her to look at him and smile briefly.

The doorbell rang and Mark opened the door looking down at the man who would be taking Alison out for the evening. "Can I help you?" His tone was menacing and he knew it, but something about the guy struck him wrong.

Alison walked around the corner and heard the man's question and smiled, "I'm right here." She tried to walk around Mark and had to pinch his side to get him to move. "Hi Ian," she reached her hand out and shook his, "This is Mark…he's a…friend of mine…"

"Mark, its…uh…nice to meet you." Ian looked at Mark, and held out his hand. Mark stood there, legs braced apart and arms crossed over his massive chest. "Take good care of her tonight."

Alison gave him a disgruntled look and then smiled at her date. ~ Well, he doesn't have too heads, he's actually kind of cute. This evening might not be a total loss. ~ She ushered him out the door and looked back at the door. Mark had not moved a muscle, and was still standing in the door way when they pulled out of the drive.

They went to a small restaurant and had dinner and drinks, enjoying the evening quite a bit. She was really enjoying his company and the conversation was wonderful, but visions of green eyes kept popping into her head. She kept trying to convince herself that they were Nick's eyes, and that she just hadn't gotten over his death yet, but deep down she knew better.

Ian held the car door for her as they were leaving the restaurant, ~ What a gentleman… I've really had a good time tonight. I'll have to remember to thank Jenna for setting me up with this guy. ~

They pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the opposite direction of her house. She wondered where they were going, until he pulled up next to the beach. ~ Ok…this is interesting…what exactly is he planning here? ~ She didn't have long to wonder about that, because in the next instant he was all over her. He startled her so bad that she hit her head on the window and grunted in pain. His mouth was on hers and he was kissing her before she realized what was happening. She pushed at him, but he was slightly bigger than she was and he had her in a position that was awkward to get leverage in.

She finally got herself angled right and managed to push him away from her, "Want you? Hell. I don't even KNOW you…now get the fuck away from me!" She opened the passenger door and started walking, praying that he didn't decide to chase her. She heard the engine start and he pulled up next to her,

"If that's the way you want it…." He sped off into the night, leaving her stranded on the side of the road. "Shit! Of all the stupid, assanine, egotistical…" She continued berating him, and all men in general as she walked to the phone booth to call a cab. In the twenty minutes it took for her ride to show, she had worked herself into a good fit of rage. "I'm going to KILL Jenna when I get my hands on her…fix me up with some sort of a letcher…"

Mark was sitting on the couch, watching TV when he heard the slam of a car door outside. He looked out the window and saw a cab pulling away from the front of the house. Alison slammed the front door shut and stormed past him. He noticed that her hair was a mess and she looked like she'd been through an event.

She turned on him, finally finding a place to vent her anger, "Don't you talk to me…you all are alike…a girl smiles at you and you decide she loves you, she touches your hand and you decide she wants to sleep with you. I'm so tired of the entire male species right now that I would love to throttle the whole lot of you. Uggg!" She stormed off down the hallway and slammed her bedroom door shut.

She stripped off her dress and pulled on a pair of shorts and t-shirt, ran a brush through her hair and washed the make-up off her face. She walked back out into the kitchen and fixed herself a drink and stood in the doorway, looking out at the dark night. ~ I should have known better… why on earth I thought that I might have a date that didn't end up this way I don't know. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! ~

She was still berating herself when she heard Mark walk into the kitchen behind her. She turned around and looked at him, "Taker, you are one brave man to try to come in here and talk to me right now…"

"Phony tough and crazy brave maybe…how bout we go in the living room where you can't get your hands on anything sharp." Mark gave her a half grin and was rewarded when she smiled back.

Alison took a deep breath and followed him into the living room where they sat together on the couch. She pulled her feet underneath her and faced him. "So, tell me what happened…why did you come home in a cab."

She shook her head and looked at him, "We had a nice evening, good food, good conversation. When we left the restaurant he drove us to the beach and parked the car. Took him all of twenty seconds to attack me in the car. Told me he knew I wanted him as much as he wanted me. Then the sonofabitch left me at the beach when I refused to sleep with him. It never fails to amaze me at the way the mind of men works."

Mark looked at her, trying to control the anger he felt when he heard what happened, "First of all, not all men are like that. Second of all, if I ever get my hands on that stupid piece of shit, I'll rip his head off and feed it to him for supper. Why the hell didn't you call me instead of taking a cab home?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, you were a little pissed when you came in here, but you should have called anyway. Umm…as long as we're feeling chatty…I think we need to talk about the other night."

Alison groaned, "There's really nothing to talk about Taker. I let myself lose control and it won't happen again. I don't get involved with patients." She ran her hand along the back of her neck trying to release some of the tension that had settled there and was starting to cause her a headache.

He raised his eyebrow, ~ that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. ~ "Ok…if you say so, but I think it's a shame…that was one hell of a kiss the other night. Do you have a headache? Want me to rub your shoulders for you?"

Alison looked at him, skeptical of his intentions, not wanting to have another confrontation tonight, and knowing that if he really wanted her, she would pretty much be powerless to stop him, he was three times her size. He grinned, reading her thoughts. "I promise…just your shoulders … I won't ever force you to do anything you don't want to Alison…that's not the way I work."

"I could use it, my shoulders are all knotted up." He smiled and she turned around so that her back was to him on the couch. His hands started working their magic on her shoulders and she sighed at the feeling. Her chin dropped to her chest and she moaned when he found an especially tight knot. His fingers worked their way up the back of her neck and at the base of her head. He worked his way up the back of her head, and she was in pure heaven until he hit the knot she had raised when she hit her head on the window earlier in the evening.

"Ouch. Oh shit that hurt." She jumped and he looked at her. "What the hell happened to your head?" He pulled her back against him and parted the hair over the lump he had found. "Jesus…you've got one hell of a knot on your head…when did this happen?"

"My guess would be that it happened when he attacked me in the car…he surprised me so much that my head slammed against the window. I knew it hurt, but I didn't think it had actually raised a lump."

"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" The anger was fairly evident in Marks eyes, and she was shocked that he would be so upset about a simple bump on the head. "No, unless you count my pride…Taker, its just a bump on the head I'm fine, really."

"The bastard is dead if I get my hands on him." The statement was so simple and serious that Alison actually wondered if he meant it. She was still in his lap, his arms wrapped around her and she knew she should get up, but after the night she had, it felt nice to be so safe and secure. She signed and leaned back against him, feeling the tension start to leave him as well.

He nuzzled the back of her neck breathing in the flowery scent of her hair. She tilted her head to the side, unconciously and sighed when she felt his lips on the sensitive skin of her neck. He kissed along her neckline and then nibbled on her ear, chuckling when she shivered from the chills he sent down her spine. His hands moved to her arms and he slid them up her shoulders and then down her back, finally wrapping them around her waist. Her hands were running up and down his forearms as he continued to lavish kisses on her neck and ear.

"God you taste good…" He moaned into her ear, as she turned slightly in his lap, needing to feel his mouth on hers, needed to kiss him more than she had needed anything else in her life, ethics be damned. When his mouth met hers it was a purely carnal kiss, open mouthed and hungry, their tongues dueling in a rhythm as old as time. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he turned her completely so she was stradling his lap facing him.

He worked his hands under her shirt and slid them up her back, enjoying the feeling of skin on skin when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. She stroked his chest through the black t-shirt he was wearing, then slid her hands up and burried them in his hair, pulling him closer to her, while she wrapped her legs around his waist. He slowly brought one hand around her body, sliding it up and cupping her full breast in his hand. She moaned in her throat as electricity flowed through her body at his touch. He ran his thumb across the already tightened bud and then rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. Enjoying the mewling sounds she was making.

She could feel the heat and the strength of his erection between them and unconciously she ground herself against him, he had worked his free hand down and was stroking her bare legs all the way up, just under the edge of the shorts she was wearing. He slid his hand underneath her and stroking her hip and butt pulled her closer to him, enjoying the feeling of her pressed against him.

She moaned his name, not caring that she had told him only a few minutes earlier that she wouldn't loose control like this again, wanting only more of the electric heat that he was sending through her body. "Oh god, Taker…you feel so good." He had removed her shirt and was lavishly tonguing her breast, supporting her as she leaned back in his arms giving him freer access. She ground her hips against him in an effort to ease the ache that he had started in her.

"Ali, baby…you're killing me." That name hit her like a bucket of cold water and she stiffened in his arms. She sat up, trying to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip.

He felt like such an ass, sitting there trying to seduce someone who had obviously suffered a serious loss not to long ago. "Alison, sweety…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. Do you want to talk about it?"

She stood up and walked into the kitchen, trying to distance herself from the man who had made her lose control not once, but twice. She needed to get a grip on her emotions and she had to get past the loss of Nicky.

She stood in the kitchen looking out the window, looking up at the stars. Mark walked into the kitchen and saw her standing there. ~ I think I could love this woman…but how the hell am I supposed to compete with a ghost. I know she feels something for me…that's obvious by the way she respond to my touch, but her heart…that's another matter entirely."

He turned around quietly and walked back to his room, giving her the space and time to deal with her feelings. Alison had heard him come into the kitchen and then just as quietly leave. She turned around, looking at the empty doorway. ~ Should I risk it…should I throw ethics to the wind and let my heart go…is it really possible that he wants to be with me, that he's different than the rest of them? ~

She put the glass in the sink, checked the locks on the door and turned off the lights. She crawled into bed and pulled the box out that contained the cards and pictures Nicky had drawn for her. She flipped through them, smiling at some, and crying at others. She fell asleep surrounded by images the little boy had given her and the image of the dark haired, green eyed man who was trying to steal her heart in her head.

Allison woke the next morning, feeling a little better having gotten a full nights rest. She gathered up the cards and pictures that were strewn across the bed put them back into the box and slid it back to its place under the bed. She could smell coffee in the kitchen and knew that Taker was up and moving already.

She wandered into the kitchen and gave him a shy smile when he turned to look at her. "Good morning." The sound of his deep voice never failed to send chills down her spine, and she shivered slightly in reaction. "Good morning to you too." He handed her a cup of coffee and wandered into the living room to watch the news, never once making reference to the previous night.

~Great…you finally find a guy that interests you more than a little and you drive him off because you can't deal with the death of a little boy.~ She stalled in the kitchen, trying to keep Taker from thinking that she was following him around the house. Once she felt enough time had passed, she strolled into the livingroom and sat down in the recliner.

"Allison…" She jumped at the sound of his voice, having been lost in thought and looked at him. "I'm sorry, Taker. Were you saying something?" His eyes sparkled with laughter and he grinned at her. "Actually I was wondering how long you were going to sit there staring at the television letting your coffee get cold."

She looked down at the forgotten beverage and then at the man who had apparently developed the ability to completely distract her by his mere presence. "I guess I'm just…I'm still sleepy."

He raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was telling him the complete truth. He had noticed that she seemed to be a little nervous around him, but he had promised himself that he would not make any more advances with her until she had time to heal over the loss of Nick. He was just about to say something when the phone rang. He chuckled as she shook her head and got up to answer it.

They stopped at a little café near the doctors office and ate outside in the sun. It was a rare thing for Mark to eat in public, because he was so often bombarded by fans wanting to know how he was and when he would be returning to action, but he felt the need to get outside. The fans were not too aggressive that afternoon, only a few young ones wanting autographs and pictures. He took it in stride and smiled for the pictures.

Over lunch they talked about relationships and Allison got a little more insight into this man who had become such a factor in her life in the past few weeks. His divorce had devastated him; she was surprised by the depth of emotion she saw in his eyes when he talked about his children. She, in turn, told him of her numerous failed relationships over the years.

Taker listened to her talk about her relationships, and wondered why she never mentioned Nick. He wanted to ask about that relationship, but figured she would just freeze up and stop talking all together, so he held his tongue. She laughed at the emotional pain that she had endured at the hands of the insensitive, brainless clots that she had dated, and the entire time he wanted nothing more than to crush any and all of the men who had hurt her.

When the time came for them to head to the doctors office he paid the check and took her hand as they walked to the car. She looked up at him, startled at the touch, but she didn't pull away. ~ That's a good sign. She's not completely opposed to my touch. ~

Allison sat in the waiting room of the doctors office reading when Taker came out, shaking hands with the doctor smiling. She had noticed that he seemed to be feeling better and the limp that had been so prominent when he first came to stay with her had all but vanished.

"Sure…" Allison picked up her book and her bag and they walked to the elevator and then across the parking lot to the car. The trip home was a quiet one, with both of them thinking quietly about their lives and their futures. They pulled up in front of the house and she noticed Jenna's car in the driveway.

Allison smiled, "Mark had a doctors appointment, we're just getting back from there now." She looked over at Mark, "Well Taker, what do you say…are you in the mood for some bar-b-que?"

They headed into the house and started preparing the food that Jenna had brought over. Taker was out back heating up the grill while the girls chatted in the kitchen. "Sooo, Lissa..tell me, is he all that I imagine him to be?"

Allison looked at her friend, laughing, "You sure don't beat around the bush do you? For your information, my relatiionship with Mark is purely professional…we are not sleeping together."

She picked up the steaks and headed out to the back to give them to Taker, and Jenna followed with the onions and portabella mushrooms that they were going to grill. She watched Taker and Allison together, noticing the electricity between them and wondering how on earth Allision could possibly miss the fact that Taker obviously wanted her. ~ I wonder what's holding him back…someone that confident wouldn't just sit back and wait for a woman to make the first move. ~

The three of them sat around watching the steaks on the grill and drinking beer until dinner was ready. Taker carried in the platter of steaks while Jenna took the vegetables. Allison had gone ahead to set the table and soon they were all seated for dinner.

He looked at Jenna and smiled, "Actually, that was something I was going to tell Allison about earlier, and we got sidtracked with dinner. The doctor released me to go back whenever I want. He said that between the massage therapy, the accupuncture and the other treatments he had prescribed I was almost in better shape than before the injuries started."

Allison sat there, stunned at what he had just said ~ he's leaving. I knew he was getting better, but I never thought about him leaving. ~ She got her wits about her and lowered the bite of food she had on her fork back to her plate. "Wow..that's…great. So when are you planning to go back." She felt sick to her stomach and she hoped that her feelings were not readily apparent on her face or in her voice.

The conversation moved on from there to other topics, but Allisons mind reeled at the news. She hadn't realized how used to having him around she had become, but now that she knew he would be leaving she was feeling a sense of loss almost more keen that the loss of Nicky had been.

After dinner they retired to the living room to watch movies, but Allison was feeling out of sorts and needed some time alone. She pleaded a headache and headed to bed, leaving Taker to see Jenna out before going to bed himself.

Allison smiled at the little boy who was sitting across the room playing with his blocks. He had missed her, or so he said when she came back to work six weeks ago. Little Noah…he was doing much better, his cancer was in remission, and in a few days he would be going home with his family.

Hearing the pet name that Nicky had given her so long ago was still painful, but she fought back the emotion and smiled at the sweet dark haired little boy in front of her. "Sure Noah, there's nothing I would rather do that build a castle with you."

She walked across the room and sat on the floor next to him. They played with the blocks for a long while, giggling and laughing when their structure would collapse in a pile of blocks on the floor. She looked up at the clock awhile later and then at the little one, "Noah..its time for bed. Lets get these blocks picked up and get you back to your room."

She shook her head, "I'm sure your not, but if you don't get some sleep, you will be tomorrow." She continued picking up the blocks, fighting back the laughter that was threatening while she listened to Noah grumble and complain. She was just glad that he had survived to do both of those things, and would happily listen to him forever.

Her shift had ended, and she walked into the dark empty house. This was when she missed Mark the most. He had been gone for nearly two months, and although she had returned to living her normal life, there were still times she missed him.

She had tried watching wrestling a time or two, but discovered that seeing him and not really being able to see him was just too difficult, so she quit watching. She looked at the clock and realized that it was late. She slipped into bed, hoping to get a good nights rest.

He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. She felt the water running down his chest and dripping from his hair as it soaked into her night shirt. She watched mezmerized as his mouth lowered to hers, and she sighed when she felt his lips brush her.

His free hand was resting on her hip and she had wrapped her arms around his waist. When his tongue snaked out and traced her lips, she moaned in the back of her throat. He moved slowly, backing her against the wall, and once he had her pinned there he wrapped his arms more securely around her.

With one hand burried in her hair and the other wrapped tighly around her waist, he deepened the kiss until it became purely carnal. Their bodies pressed together against the wall. He slid his hand between them and began unbuttoning the night shirt she slept in and she gasped at the electric shock that ran through her when he cupped her breast in his hand.

He chuckled at her reaction and lowered his head to take the nipple in his mouth. The bud had tightened at his first touch, but when she felt his tongue laving her it grew harder. She moaned his name and wrapped her hands behind his head holding him to her breast. He moved to the other, giving it the same attention and enjoing the sound of her pleasure as she arched her back trying to get closer to him, looking for more of the exquisite pleasure he was giving her.

His hands slid down her body, and he hooked his thumbs under the waist of her panties, sliding them down her body until she was naked before him. He moved slowly, sliding his fingers up the inside of her thighs until he found what he was looking for. She was hot and wet, and she groaned when she felt his fingers stroking the tight bud that was at the center of her pleasure.

He slid to his knees and nibbled the inside of her thighs, following the path his fingers had just traveled. She watched, unsure of his plans, but not wanting the unbelievable pleasure he was giving her to stop. She felt his tongue slide along the slick folds and purred in response. His rumbling laugh caused a vibration and she moaned in the back of her throat. As he started nibbling and sucking on her, she thought her knees would surely buckle. The pleasure was so powerful that she was sure she would die from it, his tongue inside of her and his hands stroking her body were driving her insane. The intensity of her orgasm caught her by surprise and shook her to the core, causing her breath to catch in her throat and her heart to pound in her ears.

Allison opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. It was indeed time for her to wake up. She lay there in the bed, enjoying the aftermath of that dream. She had been having them more often lately, and every time they were more and more erotic and realistic. She was beginning to think that she was crazy.

Taker walked into his hotel room and tossed his bag on the chair by the door. When he flipped the light on, he was greeted by a sight that nearly took his breath from his body. Allison was reclining on the bed, wearing only a black satin negligée and smiling from ear to ear.

amazingly beautifully to him that it was almost heartbreaking to look at her. When he reached the edge of the bed, she slid up to her knees in front of him and started undoing the buttons on his shirt. As each section of flesh was exposed, she kissed his body, causing him to harden in a rush and to moan her name.

She stroked his chest and back with her hands while her tongue and mouth worked on his male nipples. He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her up to his kiss. Her tongue swept into his mouth to taste him and he sucked on it, causing a moan of pleasure to escape from her throat.

Her hands slid down his body and she was busy unfastening his pants. When she had removed them, and he stood proudly before her, she wrapped her hands around the shaft of his erection and smiled up at him. She licked her way back down his body and slowly took him into her mouth.

The feel of her velvet tongue sending wave after wave of pleasure coursing through his body. She held his balls in one hand and stroked the base of his shaft with the other, all the while continuing to suck and and nibble on the portion she could get into her mouth.

He grabbed a handful of hair in each hand, holding her to him, then slowly began to pump himself into her mouth. She had slid her hands around behind him and was gripping his ass while he fucked her mouth. He felt his orgasm building, and groaned,

"Oh, God...Ali Baby, I'm gonna come." She just looked up at him, smiled and continued, increasing her suction, the rolling her tongue around his shaft until he was no longer able to hold back.

The phone was ringing when he opened his eyes and he reached over to grab it, trying to shake the images of the dream that he'd been having since he left Allison's home to return to work.

"You know me to well little brother. She is the nurse that took care of me while I was off healing up. I haven't been able to get her off my mind since I left.I'm hoping I'll get a chance to spend some time with her while we're in town."

Glen smiled on the other end of the phone, hearing a sound in Marks voice that he'd not heard in a long while. Since his divorce, Mark had been so opposed to relationships that he pretty much avoided women all together. This one had apparently gotten to him though, and Glenn was curious about her.

"You know Mark, you are scheduled to be off the four days before the pay-per-view, and since I'm not back yet, I'll be off. We could get to Louisville early. That would give you an oportunity to see her, and I would get to meet her too.I'm wondering what this woman must be like to get you out of the anti-women mode you've been in since your divorce."

The week of the pay per view arrived quickly, although not quickly enough for Mark. Glen had been traveling with the crew for the past week,training and discussing possible story lines with Mark and the writers.

As soon as the taping for Smackdown had concluded, Mark and Glenn headed for the airport to catch their flight to Louisville. Glenn noticed that Mark had been quiet for most of the trip, and once they were seated on the plane he finally broke down and asked, "Man, what is up with you? You are usually quiet, but you have been down right silent all day today."

Mark looked at his friend, "Well." He thought for a moment before he voiced the one question that had been plaguing him since he decided to see Allison again, "I haven't talk to her in better than six months, what if she's seeing someone else now?"

Glenn nodded and smiled, understanding the position that his friend was in,"Man, the only way you'll know is if you talk to her. If you don't dothis, it will drive you crazy for the rest of your life, wondering if you missed out on something because you were afraid to try."

Mark knew he was right and nodded. He sunk down into the seat, trying to find a comfortable position to fly in, and closed his eyes, hoping to catch a short nap before they landed.

Allison gotten up early on Wednesday morning and headed into work to make sure she got to see Noah before he went home. The doctors had released him to the care of his parents and they were coming to pick him up that morning.

She had spent another restless night, dreaming of Taker, so she was still a little sleepy when she walked into the hospital. She stepped into Noah's room and smiled at his parents, and then at the little boy.

She looked at his parents and they smiled warmly, "Allison, we would love to have you stop by and visit anytime. Noah has talked about little else but you since he's been here, its obvious that you took wonderful care of him."

Noah hopped down off the bed and wrapped his arms around Allison. Her heart stopped for just a moment from the depth of emotion she felt. She had lost one little boy, exactly one year ago, and here was this one, able to walk out the door on his own.

She watched the boy and his parents head out of the hospital and to their home and wondered if she would ever know what it felt like to have a family of her own. She shook her head and forced herself back to reality and the day's work that lay ahead of her.

It was past dark when she finally walked into the house that night. She flipped on the lights and looked through the mail that had been left for her earlier in the day. She had kicked off her shoes and was just getting ready to flop on the couch and watch some mindless television for an hour or so when she heard a knock at the door.

She unlatched the door and stood there in shock looking at the man who had been haunting her dreams for the past six months. Behind him stood another man that she didn't realize, slightly taller, with long curly brown hair and beautiful eyes.

The two giants strolled into her living room and took seats in the chairs opposite the T.V. "Allison, this is a good friend of mine, Glenn Jacobs. He works with me at the WWF. Glenn this is Allison."

She stood in the kitchen, with her back to him, trying to remain calm, "Fine, and you?" He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was irritated with him and he wondered what to do about it. "Umm...well, actually I've kind of missed you."

She walked past him, back into the living room and handed Glenn his beer. She sat down on the couch and smiled at the new man in her home. Mark followed her into the living room and sat down, running his hand through his hair. Glen suppressed a chuckle at the stressed out look on his friend's face.

"Well, actually, we need a place to stay. The hotel we were supposed to be staying at apparently lost our reservations and we have no room for the next four nights until the WWF block opens up."

She shocked them both by laughing out loud at their predicament. They both looked surprised, which only caused her to laugh harder. She found the entire situation comical. She had been dreaming about this man in explicit detail for the past six months, wondering how she was ever going to get over her infatuation with him, and out of the blue he shows up on her doorstep asking for a place to stay. ~ My life is so bizzare sometimes, I shouldn't even be surprised. ~

Glenn looked at Mark, wondering what had gone on in the kitchen and then at Allison who appeared to have momentarily lost her mind. He cleared his throat, "Um, we would of course be willing to pay for the room and food while we're here."

She laughed harder at that comment, and then gathered her wits about her, "I'm sorry, I was just laughing at the irony of my life. Of course you are welcome to stay here, free of charge." The look of relief that crossed Marks face was almost as comical to her as the situation, but she restrained herself to a small chuckle.

While Glen was outside, Mark looked at the woman seated across from him. "Allison look, I realize that you are really pissed at me right now, and I'm sorry for barging in on you like this. I appreciate you letting us stay here."

Mark felt a jolt of electricity run through him when she said that name. The way it rolled of her tongue made him ache to hold her in his arms. He looked at Glen as he walked back through the door and shook his head.

Allison smiled at the other man and led the way down the hall to the guest bed room, "There's extra towels in the bathroom across the hall, feel free to use whatever you need. There's more beer in the fridge and if you get hungry, just help yourself."

Glen gave Mark a look that would have killed a weaker man, but Mark just laughed harder. "You know what, dead man, just for that I'm going to take the bed in here and you're dead ass can sleep on the couch."

Glen shut the door and Allison went to the linen closet to get sheets and a blanket for Mark. She was trying to reach the top shelf when she felt Marks body close behind her. She saw him reach up and pluck the blanket off the top shelf and bring it down to her. "Is that what you were trying to get to?"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the pounding of her heart that started the moment she felt him against her, "I...uh...yeah, thanks." She took the blanket out of his hand and turned to squeeze past him and away from his body.

She had moved about three steps when she saw his massive arm in front of her face, blocking her exit. She looked up at him, confused, then sucked in her breath when she saw the fire in his eyes. "Mark,"

"Taker...I..." She lost track of her thoughts when his lips brushed hers. His arm snaked around her waist just in time to support her as her knees buckled beneath her. His tongue slid between her teeth and tasted her, eliciting a moan from deep in the back of her throat.

She slid her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer, silently begging him to deepen the kiss. He did as she asked and pulled her tightly against him. She could feel the heat and strength of his body as his free arm wrapped around her hips and pulled her snuggly against the ever hardening bulge in his jeans.

He pressed her against the wall and ground his hips against her, Enjoing the mewling sounds she was making. He ran his tongue along her jaw, taking little nibbling bites and whispering sexy words in her ear. Her hands had tangled themselves in his hair and she tugged on him, trying to tell him without words what she wanted.

He knew instinctively and carried her to the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, holding her in his lap, where she straddled him. He reached up and brushed the hair out of her face, tightening his fingers in the mass and pulling her to him for another openly carnal kiss. He moaned he name when she ground herself against him and his hand slid down her neck

When his mouth found the first aching nipple and he sucked it into his mouth, she tightened her grip in his hair and threw her head back, pulling him to her breast. He stood up, turning and laying her on the bed, then pulled back from her and looked at the image of her lying in the center of the bed, her breasts bare beautiful in the pale moonlight.

She looked at him, giving up any thought of anger or hurt from his disappearance, "So have I, Taker. So have I." He knelt on the floor at the edge of the bed and wrapped his hands around her legs. Slowly inch my inch he slid them up her legs enjoying the satiny feel of her skin against the calloused roughness of his hands. Her breath quicked, as with every inch his hands moved closer and closer to her aching pussy. She felt his fingers

She nearly cried out when he removed his hand and reached for the button on her shorts. She raised her hips off the bed and he pulled her shorts and panties from her body. He spread her legs and blew a cool breath of air across the center of her heat. His hands retraced their path, making slow circles around her until she thought she would die if he didn't tough her.

He ran a finger through the slick folds and chuckled at the way her hips bucked against him. "You're so hot, so wet.all for me..all for me." He ran his fingers against her again and again, causing her breath to quicken and a moan of pure pleasure to escape her body. He knelt between her knees and she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming when she felt his tongue brush against her aching clit.

"Oh, God Taker." She repeated over and over as he continued to lash at her with his tongue. He dipped lower, entering her in quick jabs with his tongue tasting her honey and enjoying the sound of his name as she called out to him.

He slid a finger deep inside her, then two as he returned to her clit, sucking and nibbling as his fingers increase speed, causing her to toss her head from side to side and her hips to buck wildly against his mouth.

She moaned his name and he felt her tighten around his fingers as wave after wave of orgasm washed over her. He pulled his fingers out of her, quickly undressed and slid up her body. He bit his lip, resisting the urge to take her quickly and find the release his body craved. She tangled one of her hands in his hair and pulled him to her for a kiss, as her other hand slid down his body, seeking and finding the satin steel of his erection.

That was all the invitation he needed as he slid himself into her satin heat. He moaned her name and slid his tongue deep into her mouth advancing and retreating in the same rhythm as his dick was entering her hot wet love hole.

Her words spurred him on to the point that he lost all concious thought of anything but her pleasure. He slammed his dick into her over and over, listening to the sounds of her moaning and calling his name. "Mmmm, oh Taker baby...god don't stop...oooh..I'm soo close."

He felt her tighten around him and knew that she was in the throws of another powerful orgasm. He felt his balls drawing up and his blood rush to his dick, "Oh, God Lissa I'm going to come."

Allison woke, surrounded by a warmth that made her feel safe and secure. As she returned to full consciousness, she realized that the source of that warmth was the man that was wrapped around her body. She smiled and sighed snuggling in against him further.

She looked up, seeing the fire kindling in his eyes and smiled as she rubbed herself against him, enjoying the low groan that escaped from his throat. He leaned down, taking her mouth in a heated kiss, pulling her tighter against him in an effort to relieve the pressure that was building inside him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer and deepening the kiss as she rolled to her back, pulling him on top of her. He settled himself between her legs and ground his hips against her. She moaned his name, enjoying the feel of his rigid male flesh grinding against her hot feminine warmth.

His hands were roaming her body, and she arched against him as his palm brushed first one aching nipple, then the other. He moved against her again, bringing her such intense pleasure that her eyes widened at the feeling. He moved his hands so that they rested on the bed on either side of her head, tangling them in her hair, holding her still, and staring deeply into her eyes.

She arched up against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting her lip to keep from screaming out at the intense pleasure that ripped through her body. He stayed still; fighting the release that threatened the second her velvet heat enveloped him, sucking in air, trying to calm the blood raging through his veins. He rose up slightly and looked down into her face, smiling as he shifted his hips slightly, withdrawing and sinking back into her tight heat.

She sucked in air, fighting the urge to scream as she felt him begin to move inside her. She shifted her hips, trying to get a better angle, wanting to feel him deeper inside her body.

He increased his pace, staring deep into her eyes, watching the passion burning in her eyes. She reached her hands up, stroking his hair back from his face, losing herself in the emerald liquid of his eyes while he buried himself inside her. Their bodies and their spirits melded together as they climaxed.

Taker collapsed on top of Allison, his heart raging in his chest. He could feel her panting below him, trying to catch her breath and calm her own pounding heartbeat. He rolled off of her, pulling her with him to curl together on the bed and falling back to sleep.

The alarm sounded at six am, waking Allison from a dead sleep. She was still tangled with Taker in the sheets and it took some doing to extract her self from his hold without waking him.

Once she had managed it, she moved quietly into the bathroom and showered, thinking about the passion they had shared during the night and the things he had said to her. She wondered if he even realized what he'd said, how much it had meant to her. She stepped from the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and using another to dry her hair.

"Well, I'm figuring Glen will probably be up and about in another hour or so, then he'll have to put on his black eye and put in his contact before we head out…there won't be any place for him to do that in the hospital. I figure we'll probably be there around nine or so, is that ok?"

Taker was prowling around the house an hour later when Glen emerged from the spare room. He looked at his friend and forced his face to remain expressionless. Taker looked like he wanted to kill someone, and unfortunately, Glen figured he was going to catch the brunt of his anger.

"We have to be at the hospital by nine, so you need to get your big ass moving, that's what." Glen sighed and nodded, "I can handle that…you planning to scowl and snap all morning, or is this little fit of yours a temporary thing?"

Mark leveled Glen with a look that would have terrorized a smaller man, but Glen held his ground, understanding that Mark's anger was not really directed at him, but at the situation he seemed to have found himself in. After a moment or two, Mark's scowl eased a bit, and he shook his head, running his hand through his hair, a tell tale sign of stress.

"Man, I don't know how I'm going to deal with this little meeting today…I don't know that I can sit back and watch Allison cater to some man who apparently has one hell of a connection to Nick."

Glen walked over and put his hand on Taker's shoulder, offering him some support, "Look Mark, you have to do this for Allison. She needs this from you, besides, with what I've seen of the way she is around you, I don't think you really have anything to worry about. Why don't you relax a little man, I'm going to jump in the shower and get ready to meet this guy."

Allison made it to the hospital in record time. She ran into Jason's parents in the hallway outside his room. They still had not told him of his relapse, nor had they made any plans to move him to the children's ward just yet. His parents smiled when they saw her rushing down the hallway and she embraced them both when she reached them.

"Susan, Dale, how are you two holding up?" They looked at the door to Jason's room, shook their heads and shrugged, "As well as can be expected I suppose. We thought we were done with this when he came home."

Allison nodded, "I know, it's hard to believe that he is sick again. He looked so happy and healthy last night while I was here." They smiled, "Yeah, he was telling us earlier that the two of you watched wrestling together last night. I hope he didn't torture you too terribly much with that stuff." Allison shook her head, "No, not at all. Actually I have sort of a surprise for him. Apparently the Undertaker and Kane are his favorite wrestlers, and they both happened to be in town this week. They're going to stop by and see him around nine."

Allison shrugged, "I was Taker's nurse for awhile. Helped get him back in ring shape and he stopped by to visit while they were in town. I told them about Jason and they offered to stop by and see him." Jason's dad grinned, "You're amazing Allison, we don't know what we'd do without you here. Jason loves you to death."

Allison looked toward the little boys' room and smiled, "Yeah, I love him too. He's such a sweet little thing." They moved together, walking into Jason's room, wanting to have everyone present that loved him when they gave him the news.

Mark stood quietly as Allison walked out the door. Glen looked on, watching the expression on Taker's face and biding his time to find out what was going on. The look on Taker's face told him that there was more to this that Allison said, there seemed to be something that was tearing at his friends' emotions. His suspicions were confirmed when the door closed and Mark remained where he was, looking in the direction of the door, but obviously seeing something else entirely.

Glen nearly chocked on his laughter, "Man, that girl has got you all twisted over backwards…what's going on?" Mark closed his eyes and shook his head, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a heavy sigh. He crossed the living room and sat down in the chair across from his friend.

"I don't really know exactly. We were curled up nice and cozy on the bed back there when the phone rang. She was told about this guy that had apparently been brought back into that hospital and was asking for her. I didn't really think much about it, until she mentioned HIS name, again.'

"Nicky's" Mark spat the name out with a venom that surprised even him. "Apparently this Nicky guy was a patient of hers a while back…I don't know, I think she must have fallen hard for this guy while she was taking care of him, cause she took it hard…really hard…when he died."

Glen sat quietly, listening to his friend talk about this man, sensing there was more, but not sure whether he wanted to push Mark. So he waited silently, hoping that his friend would spit the rest of it out without prodding. His patience was rewarded when Taker sighed again, "I tried to get her to talk about it while I was staying here. She kept running from me, said I reminded her of him. She wouldn't talk about it beyond that…but she cried herself to sleep every night…heart breaking sobbing that tore my heart out."

"Yeah, I guess I did. I think I fell in love with her the first night I heard her sobbing. Knowing that she could love so much that it would tear at her like that even in her sleep, wishing I could have something like that in my life. But, hell, I can compete with work, I can deal with anger and distance, but how the HELL am I supposed to compete with a ghost?"

Allison rushed into the hospital, heading straight for the nurses station on the childrens floor. "Hey Carrie? Where's Jason? Dr Killian called, said they brought him and and that he was asking for me."

The nurse behind the counter smiled at Allison, "He's in room 720 up in Oncology. They're still running tests and want to keep him there until they figure out what's going on with him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you." Allison smiled and headed up to the Oncology department on the seventh floor. She spoke briefly to the nurse behind the station, as she reached over and picked up Jason's chart, "How's he doing?" She flipped through the pages, listening to the nurse at the same time. "He's ok, a little tired. Apparently he hasn't been feeling too great for the last few days. His parents brought him in to the emergency room last night and his white blood cell count was up. They're still running tests to find out if he's come out of remission or not."

Allison put his chart back down, planted a smile on her face and headed down the hall to Jason's room. She tapped on the door as she walked into the room, not wanting to startle anyone. "Hey, Jase…what's going on man?"

She moved to the side of the bed, cocking one hip up to sit on the edge and taking Jason's hand in hers. "Honey, did you really think that I would just leave you here by yourself? You're my boy…and if my boy needs me, then I'll be here."

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "I'm not feeling so good Ali? What's wrong with me?" She fought back the tears that threatened behind her lids, "Well, Jase, sweetie. That's what the doctors are trying to find out. I promise as soon as I know what is going on you'll know. OK?"

He smiled and nodded. Allison moved over to the shelf in the room, pulling off one of Jason's favorite bedtime stories and the sat on the end of the bed, reading to him until he fell asleep. Once he had closed his eye, she put the book back and moved quietly out of the room in search of the doctor, hoping he had some answers and praying that it was not the cancer returning in this poor little boy's body

Allison spent the entire day at the hospital, and well into the evening. She called home twice during that time, talking to Mark, letting him know that they were still waiting on the results of Jason's tests and that she couldn't leave him until they knew what they were dealing with.

Mark tried to be understanding, tried to fight the jealousy that was raging inside him. She had no idea that he was dealing with such conflict, no idea that his patience was just a mask, covering the pain he was so desperate to hide.

Late that evening, she walked back into Jason's room and saw him flipping channels on the television. "Whatcha watchin buddy?" He looked up and smiled. "Hey Allison, I'm looking for Smackdown…its Thursday night and my favorite wrestler is going to be on the show tonight."

Allison smiled, slightly surprised that Jason was a wrestling fan. He had always been such a quiet, shy little boy. She had a hard time reconciling that image with the rough and tumble wrestlers and fans she'd seen the few times she'd watched. He scooted up in the bed a little further, patting the mattress beside him, "Come watch with me, please Ali?"

She looked at the clock, wanting to get home, but knowing she couldn't leave until she'd heard something from the doctors, she sighed and nodded. She slid into the bed next to Jason, putting her arm under his head, smiling as he curled up against her. "Ok, so tell me who your favorite's are."

She watched entranced as the wrestlers came and went, enjoying the commentary provided by the six year old little boy beside her than the actual show. He explained in detail the history behind each story line, adding his own biased opinion of most of the wrestlers. Her jaw dropped when "Rollin" by LimpBizkit started and Jason got very excited. "Its Taker! It's Taker!" Allison watched, with morbid curiosity as the man she had just spent the night with roared down the ramp on a beautiful harley.

She looked down at the little boy and smiled. His face lit up when he saw the big man walk into the ring and salute the camera and the fans. "Taker is my FAVORITE wrestler EVER!" Allison smiled, and then looked to her left as she saw Dr. Killian walking into the room, a serious look in his eyes.

"Allision? Can I see you outside for a moment?" Allison kissed Jason on the head, and slid out of the bed, telling him that she would be back in a moment. She walked back into the hallway with the doctor, trying to suppress the fear that she felt when she saw the look on his face.

"What is it Doc? Is the leukemia back?" Dr. Killian looked at her so seriously. He had that look, the one he reserved for parents he had to give bad news too. "Yes, its back, and its much worse that the last time. I've called his parents, they're on their way back. They would like for us to wait and not say anything to Jason just yet. They want to talk about options and plans, so that they can explain it all to him. Not that they think he'll really understand it, but I think it's a way for them to put off dealing with the reality of it just yet."

Allison ignored the tears that streamed down her face at his words, and nodded. "I won't say anything to him." Dr Killian handed her a handkerchief and patted her on the shoulder, "I know you are close to this little one…almost as close as…" He hesitated, not wanting to say the name, not wanting to bring her any reminders of the other little boy that she'd lost that year.

She smiled through the tears, "Almost as close as I was with Noah? You can say his name, Doc. I'm not going to fall apart." She dried her eyes, and tucked the handkerchief into her pocket as Dr Killian nodded and walked away. Allison took another moment or two to compose herself before she went back into Jason's room, not wanting to give away an sign that she'd just received such devastating news.

She smiled at the sight she saw when she walked into the room. Jason was sitting up on his knees in the bed, one small hand fisted in the air, mimicking Taker on the screen. He looked so alive and so vibrant at that point that she was having a hard time believing that he was so sick. He smiled when he saw her watching him, "Taker WON!! Isn't that GREAT?"

Allison smiled and nodded, "Yep, Jason that is GREAT!" He looked out the door and seeing no one, looked back at Allsion, "What did Dr. Killian want Ali?" She shook her head, giving him a lopsided smile, "Just to tell me that your test results won't be back until tomorrow and that I needed to go home and get some rest."

Jason flopped back on the bed, a habit that he'd developed during his last stay in the hospital and smiled. "Oh…so I guess that means I'm going to be here all day again tomorrow, huh?"

Allison forced a smile and reached out to tossle his hair. "Yeah, you're going to be here till tomorrow, but that also means you get to spend the day with me tomorrow…is that so terrible?"

Jason's eyes lit up, "You're really gonna be here again tomorrow? Promise?" She smiled this time for real and hugged Jason, "Of course I'll be here tomorrow…you couldn't keep me away if you tried." He hugged her back, whispering in her ear, "I'm scared Ali, this room is too big and empty, but don't tell anybody. OK?"

She closed her eyes, fighting back momentary tears then pulled back and looked at him. "Scared? Well, you know I guess I would be a little scared too staying here in the big old hospital all by myself." She sat beside him on the bed, trying to think of a way to alleviate his fear, she couldn't leave him knowing he was soo terrified. "You know Jason…I bet that if you closed your eyes and pretended that the Undertaker was sitting with you all night, I bet you wouldn't be so scared then." He looked at her and nodded, "The Undertaker could beat up anybody…nothing scares the Undertaker…except maybe his brother."

Allison looked at him, cocking her head slightly, thinking that if she could get him talking about wrestling that it would take his mind off of sleeping alone in the room. "His brother huh? What's his brother's name?"

"Kane! He's even bigger than Taker, and really really strong. Except that he brokeded his hand and hasn't been around lately." Allison chuckled, realizing who he was talking about "Well, then why don't you pretend that Kane and the Undertaker are staying here with you all night tonight?" She pulled the two chairs in the room over by his bed and stood behind them. "Kane will sit right here…and Taker will sit in this chair."

She leaned down to kiss him, "I've got to go home and get some sleep Jason, but I'll be back first think in the morning." She looked over at the chair, giving the empty spaces the sternest of looks for Jason's benefit, "You two take care of my boy, you hear!" Jason giggled and she tossled his hair one more time and left the room.

The drive home was interminable, she was exhausted, and she felt horrible for leaving Mark and Glen alone all day, but she'd really had no alternative. Jason needed her far more than those two grown men. She pulled up in front of her house, seeing the light still on in the living room.

She swiped at the tears that were running down her face, trying to get some semblance of calm across her features. She moved out of the car and got to the front step before it hit her, all the events of the day. She turned around, slumped down on the stairs in front of her house, dropping her head in her hands and allowing the tears to flow.

Mark had watched her pull up, get out of the car and move to sit on the steps. She looked so dejected, so exhausted. He moved quietly, opening the door and sitting beside her on the stairs. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she curled into him, without thought. She sobbed brokenly and he held her, wanting her to release some of her pain. They sat there for a good long while before she regained control of herself.

Taker continued stroking her hair, not speaking, just listening to the sounds of her breathing and the night around them. When she started to shiver, he picked her up and carried her in the house, setting her on the couch and moving to the kitchen to fix her some hot chocolate. She looked up at Glen and gave him a weak smile. Glen smiled back, but she could see that there was concern in his eyes for her.

Mark walked back into the room, moved to the couch and sat beside her, giving her the hot chocolate. She smiled, and he could see how tired she was by the look in her eyes. "Did you have a rough time at the hospital tonight?" She looked at Glenn and smiled as she stretched her neck, trying to relieve some of the stress and nodded, "Yeah, it was a rough day."

Mark noticed the tension in her, and pulled her back against him as he reclined on the couch, rubbing her shoulders, trying to help her relax. He didn't ask her any questions, figuring that she would avoid the issue like she always had in the past. He was shocked when she started talking on her own. "I spent most of the day visiting with Jason in his room. We watched television, read some…just kind of hung out. I just got the news from Dr. Killian about twenty minutes before I left." She stopped, breathing deeply and attempting to control the tears that threatened when she thought about the sweet little boy laying in that hospital bed all alone.

Glen was watching the looks that crossed Taker's face during this time. One minute he looked like he was going to kill someone, then he was all concern and pain. The poor man looked like he was being torn apart, listening to Allison talk about this other man. "So, what did the Doc say Allison?" She looked at Glen, trying her best to smile. "Apparently Jason has come out of remission. His leukemia has returned and its much worse this time than the last."

She leaned back against Mark and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close against him. "Its just so hard for me to believe that he's so sick. Watching him watching Smackdown tonight and seeing how much fun he was having. I just …" She closed her eyes, fighting a losing battle against the tears. Marks arms tightened around her, trying to offer he the only kind of support he could during this time. "I just don't think I can lose another one…it's too hard. It hurts to damn much."

Glen sat quietly across the room, momentarily forgotten by the couple curled up together on the couch. After a few moment, Glen cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence. Allison dried her tears and sniffled, smiling slightly as she looked over at Glenn. "I'm sorry about all this, I'm sure the last thing you need before you make your return this weekend is some weepy woman adding to your stress."

She looked a little surprised at the question, "Yeah, we did. Why?" Mark looked down at her and grinned, "What did you think?" She shrugged, "I don't know…Jason really seemed to enjoy it…expecially you." Mark cocked an eyebrow at her and she grinned. "Apparently you are his..what did he say? Oh yeah, you're his favorite wrestler."

Mark couldn't help but grin, enjoying the fact that apparently this guy was a fan. Allison looked over at Glen, "And apparently you two play brothers? Kane is it?" Glen grinned, "Yeah, but how do you know that? I've been out of action for the past few weeks."

Allison nodded, "So I was told…Jason seems to think that the only thing that Taker here is afraid of is his brother…Kane." Glen laughed out loud at that, enjoying the looks that Taker was tossing his way. He figured he'd pay for it in the warm up ring at some point, but he couldn't help but enjoy the moment.

The look on Taker's face obviously questioned Glen's sanity, however with her back to him Allison was unaware of it. She looked at Glen, her eyes wide, "Would you really do that? Oh it would make his day…they're supposed to tell him about his relapse tomorrow. I think the best thing in the world for him would be to see his two favorite wrestlers."

Taker heard the sound of excitement and pleasure in her voice and caved instantly. He had considered refusing to go, thinking that he would be unable to avoid the other man knowing exactly how he felt about Allison's apparent relationship with him. He kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him with such joy in her eyes that he was helpless against it. "Of course we'll do that. I'd do just about anything for you."

She leaned up to kiss him, feeling better than she had all night. Glen looked across the room, "Hey…it was my idea? How come he gets the kisses?" Allison chuckled and move out of Mark's arms, placing a light kiss on Glen's cheek and whispering a thank you in his ear.

Allison pulled her feet up on to the swing, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on top of them, looking at Taker while she talked. "Nicky was a little boy that was brought into the hospital after his parents were killed in a car wreck just about a year ago." Thinking back on that time brought back the old emotions and the tears welled up in her eyes unbidden. "He was pure joy, Nicky was. No matter how much pain he was in, no matter how bad he felt he always smiled at me. Called me his Ali, and he was my little green eyed monster." Taker leaned back against the swing, cursing him self for being such a fool, for never asking her about him before almost as much as he was kicking himself for dragging it up, causing her such obvious pain now, and all because he had concocted some story about Nicky in his head.

"He was only in the hospital for a month, his injuries were so severe that there was never really any hope that he would survive. I love each and every one of those kids in the hospital, and I have lost little ones before, but none of them were like Nicky. He touched something in me, something I can't explain, and when he died…I…" Her tears were flowing freely and her voice broke on a sob. Taker let out a muffled curse and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. "Shhh, baby, I'm sorry I pushed. You don't have to talk about it, its ok." He continued talking in hushed whispers, rocking and soothing her, stroking her hair as she pressed her head against his chest.

She sniffled after a few minutes, regaining control of herself. "I thought I was over it, but every time I try to talk about it I do this." She sat there for another moment, then pulled back and looked at him. "Why did you want to hear about Nicky anyway?" Taker groaned, feeling like an ass for putting her through that because of his jealousy. "You never told me about him, I…" He looked down and closed his eyes, "I guess I was jealous…I thought he was older, thought you two had been in love."

She sat back, looking at him, absorbing that information. He waited for her to blow up at him, to tell him to go to hell and storm off. He was shocked when she exploded with laughter. He looked over at her, a disgruntled look settling on his face when she continued to laugh so hard that more tears escaped her eyes.

"You…were…jealous? Of … Nicky?" He crossed his arms over his chest, appearing as though he were a petulant child being laughed at by his friends, which only caused her to laugh that much harder. She took a deep breath, realizing that her laughter was hurting his feelings. She laid her hand on his arm and smiled, "Taker…my sweet, adorable, loving, beautiful Taker." He looked at her, watching the look in her eyes change from one of laughter to one of love and sucked in a breath as the emotion hit him square in the stomach.

He reached out a hand and stroked a finger down the side of her face. She moved, straddling his legs and sat, facing him. She reached out, to cup his face in her hands, slowly moving toward him, brushing his lips with her kiss. His hands rested on her hips and he smiled, "Lissa…I think I…" She cocked her head sideways, waiting for him to finish, "Oh hell…Lissa, I love you."