Hearing Rumours (For Nolee)

"He won't. I'm...I'm gonna quit TNA," she confided. "All I'm going to be here is some girl in Immortal who...who they want to put in silly little contests..."

"No! Don't!" Brian cried out, suddenly sitting up. "We...we can stop them. If we find away to destroy their team..." He said, not actually having any ideas. He was just making excuses so she'd change her mind.

"How Brian? I'm useless. I'm just a little girl who had the unreal dream of wanting to play in the big leagues against the big names," Nolee said, looking away.

Brian frowned at her. "You are not useless. Don't let them make you think that. That's what they want..."
He reached out and gently stroked Nolee's cheek. "They want you to give up and leave their team because they're scared of being beaten by a girl." He added softly.

"No, no ones scared of being beaten by a girl. I...I act tough but then when it comes down to it, I fail. I always have." Nolee said, pulling away. She had really let the idea of doing what she did for the WWE become what she did on TNA as well get to her.

"They are actually..." Brian said quielty, trying not to react to her pulling away. "A lot on TNA guys, especially Immortal, are so full of their 'male pride' that being being by a girl would humiliate them." He told her, annoyed that all the confidence she'd had earlier was suddenly gone.

"And what about me huh? Do I have to go through life knowing that men are afraid of me?! Maybe I'm tired of being the strong girl! Maybe I'm tired of being the one that has to straighten up and not cry when she's hurt!" Nolee said exasperatedly.

"That's not what I meant," Brian sighed, thinking he'd upset her. "And it's not every man, just the stubborn ones...you don't have to not cry if you're hurt at all Nolee...even guys cry sometimes..." He reminded her, wiping away the tears he'd shed earlier.

"They're making me compete in a swimsuit competition with the other girls in TNA," Nolee said, getting to the root of the problem. "All my life, I've been the one who wanted to break the social norms of women professional wrestlers and here I am being confined to a 'pretty little girl' competition. I mean, I proved to them I could fight Alex Shelly and win, don't they think that counts for something?"

"Is that why you screamed earlier Nolee?" Brian asked softly. "You know they put you in that contest because you beat Alex, don't you? Hogan and Bischoff obviously didn't actually believe you'd beat Alex. You did and it scared them because the two of them love nothing more than being in control."

"I don't care, I'm done. Why should I believe I can do this when everyone has been telling me my entire life that I can't?" Nolee sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Brian stared at her "Nolee...you-you can't..." He said sadly. "You can't give up. Don't believe what they say..." He ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do, tears in his eyes again.

"It's not just them Brian. It's everyone. Everyone, in the end at least, ends up thinking like they do," Nolee shrugged. She stood, "I'm making you cry...I should just go back up to my hotel room..."

Brian shook his head. "Only because I don't want you to go..." He said softly. He reached out a hand to her, though he didn't actually expect her to take it.

Nolee hesitated but there was something in the way that Brian held out his hand and looked at her that made her feel like she had to do this. She had never doubted herself in her entire life. And now this? She shook her head, swearing that they wouldn't beat her. Smiling, she took his hand.

"Fine, for you. I won't leave."

Brian suddenly grinned at Nolee, pullling her close as he hugged her. "That's better," He said. "It just doesn't sound right when you of all people talks like that."

"I'm sorry...lapse of faith," Nolee sighed.

Brian smiled softly, putting a hand on her cheek. "Well there's no need for it silly." He told her, already back to his usual cheerful self.

"You shoulda seen them in there...looking at me..."

"They weren't being perves again, were they?" Brian asked, frowning.

"It's not all of them. I make it sound like Immortal is all one big group of baddies. Jeff Jarett is a sweetheart, he helped Jerry Lawler raise me. And it seems like Ken's pretty chill. But...Bubba Ray.."

Brian nodded "I keep forgetting Jarrett's even part of them because he has never really done anything to me." He said, smiling. "Ken's ok, mostly he's just in with the wrong crowd. But Bubba's always been a bit odd. Hogan and Bischoff...well they're their usual power mad selves and the other...he..." Brian shuddered and shook his head, frowning. He didn't even want to talk about the other member.

"The other he is an ass who shall remain nameless," Nolee finished for him. "Bubba Ray scares me. And Brian...I've only ever been scared of two people in my entire life."

"O-okay..." Brian said, glad to not have to speak about him. "Really...? Who are the others then?" He asked curiously, Nolee already knew who he was scared of.

"Well...and it's more of a respect thing mind you," Nolee said, "but Jerry and my brother Carter."