Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't sue me.
Distribution: My site, Tango's. Anyone else, please ask first. Rating: Summary: Steve makes the big step while Kat tries to build a life away from the WWF. Kind of a sequel to A Little Conversation.

Kat had never thought of herself as much of a dancer but after joining one of Montreal's dancing crews, she realized that she was one hell of dancer who'd never had a chance to express her talent. So every night, except on Mondays and Tuesdays, she toured various clubs in the Montreal area with her fellow dancers, kicking up parties and reviving the dying atmosphere in some clubs.
During the days, she worked on a weekly column that was published across Canada in the fringe newspapers which were so popular in colleges, universities and coffee shops. The column itself focused on the challenges on life as a young Canadian. And in her spare time, she worked on what she personally referred to as her great Canadian novel.
However, the main change in her life was that she stayed away from everything that was even remotely related to wrestling. She didn't watch it on TV, she didn't check it out on the Internet. She completely cut it from her new lifestyle. She still loved it, but she didn't want to see Steve, or his wife on TV, or Andrew, the man she'd betrayed with her cheating ways.
The young woman was still lost in her thoughts of her past life when the crew chief came into the dressing room. As usual, Norman was bustling with energy and he did a great job at psyching up his team. He led them out on the dance floor, gently pushing the club's customers out of their way. Then their music started.
Moving as a well oiled machine, the group of dancers moved to the music, their skin, dusted with glitter, catching every catch of the light as they moved. Kat was working her area of the room when she felt eyes boring into her. She missed a step as she recognized some of the people she'd worked with in her past with the WWF. They were all staring at her, the anger and disgust in some of their eyes unmistakable. Kat stumbled and turned away, running straight into Norman.
"Tempo," he shouted at her, "tempo!"
Gathering up her courage, Kat finished the number and was the first one to rush to the cramped backstage area and started changing out of their original outfit into a pair of crushed velvet burgundy hip huggers and a black rubber bra. Norman barely waited for her to change before getting on her case.
"What's wrong?" he asked her, realizing she was in a state of shock right away.
"I saw my ex out there. With his friends. I didn't know they were in town. I kind of freaked."
"Are you going to be all right to continue?"
"Yeah. Put me on top of the speakers all night and I'll be cool."
"I thought you were afraid of heights?"
"I'm more afraid of them."
Kat's eyes were riveted on the extensive lighting system as she danced, refusing to look down, afraid she might be forced to see them, look at them, or worse speak to them. She recognized them all, Andrew, Matt Bloom and Matt Hardy, Amy, Jeff, Adam and Jason. And she'd felt their hatred. But the show must go on, she told herself as she went on dancing, strands of her pink wig sticking to her sweaty skin.
The night couldn't end soon enough and instead of hanging around and dancing the rest of the night away with her fellow dancers as she usually did, she hurried out of the club through the back entrance. Her head bent, her jacket covering her revealing clothing, she started walking to her nearby apartment.
"Thought you could get away?" asked a familiar voice.
"I was hoping."
Kat turned around and saw him. She heaved a heavy sigh and whipped the wig off her head and shook out her sweat-soaked tresses. Beyond him, she saw all of his friends, looking at her, their intent to protect him clear.
"Listen," she said, "I'm sorry. Had I known you guys were going to be there, I would have changed my schedule. I didn't have willingly put you through this."
"That's very considerate," Andrew said, his sarcastic tone successfully making her start.
Kat sighed again and fought the urge to snap back at him. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried a tentative smile.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Tell me why. Tell me why you cheated, why you threw away what we had."
Kat gasped and staggered back a step. Andrew didn't make a move to catch her.
"Because he seduced me and I didn't have the strength to say no."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Yes. I wish there was something better but there isn't. I was weak. It was my fault."
"Will you at least tell me who it was?"
"I'm sorry Andrew. But that is the one thing I cannot tell you."
"Damn you," Andrew hissed, his eyes narrowing on her, "damn you to hell! I pictured a life with you. I wanted you to have my children. And you were nothing more than a whore."
"I know. Can I go now?"
"Yeah. Go. And stay the fuck out of my life!"
Tears streaming down her face, Kat started running away. She was more than a block away when she realized she was being followed. She pivoted quickly, swinging her heavy backpack at her would-be attacker.
"God damn it woman, what the fuck are you trying to do? Kill me?"
"It's a thought," she said, her tone dripping with acid. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"I was coming to see you. Bad idea?"
"Bad idea, bad night."
"Yeah, I figured."
Kat looked at Steve and realized with a start that she was burning for him. Literally burning for him, whereas she'd felt nothing more than tenderness for Andrew. And yet, she stepped away from him from Steve, frightened by her reaction to him.
"I can't do this Steve," she whispered, "I really can't."
"I'm divorced," he said, shoving a paper into her hand.
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Damn it woman..."
"Stop damning me and tell me why."
"Because of you damn it! I thought about dragging you down to Texas and setting you up and in a house and I damn well near hated myself for it!"
"Good!"
"Don't gloat. Hell, when I realized I had you on the mind more than anything else..."
"More than beer?"
"Hell yeah, more than beer."
"Consider me flattered."
"Are you going to make me stand out here all night long or are we going to go to your place?"
"We're standing out here."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not so sure I want you back in my life Steve. You pursued me, you seduced me, and because of you, I broke my commitment to a man who cared about me deeply."
"So it's all my fault."
"Oh no. It's my fault too. But what do you expect from me? To just come back on the road and be your personal ring rat?"
"I don't know..."
"You don't know. What do you know?"
"That I care about you and I want to be with you."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"Yes."
"Prove it to me."
Kat watched as Steve looked over all twenty-seven of her columns plastered on the living room wall about her computer. She prepared a pot of tea and set out a plate of crackers and cheese.
"Sorry I can't offer you more but tomorrow's grocery day and..."
"It's okay."
The young woman watched as Steve did the honors and filled two of her brightly colored mugs with tea.
"Two sugars, right?"
"Yes."
"Here you go."
He handed her a mug and took his own, sitting across from her on a couch.
"What do you want me to say?" he asked, "that I'm a new man? That I found God?"
"Lie to me? No thanks."
"Kat, come on, you have to give a man a chance?"
"I remember the last time I gave you a chance. I ended up in your bed."
"And was that all bad? I mean, don't think about Andrew or Debra-- just think about you and me, together, in that bed. Was that all bad?"
Kat didn't answer. She covered a cracker with a piece of cheese and chewed it thoughtfully.
"No. It wasn't all bad."
"So, why not give us another chance?"
"And rub our relationship in Andrew's face, not to mention your ex-wife's? I don't think so."
"So, to spare their feelings, we're going to forego our shot at our happiness? Don't we deserve to be happy too?"
"No. We cheated, we're cheaters, we were wrong! We do not deserve to be happy," Kat said sharply, getting up so fast her mug slipped from her fingers and crashed to the ground, breaking into a myriad of pieces.
Steve put his mug down on the ground and went to the kitchen to get a mop and garbage pail. He got down on his knees and carefully picked up the pieces of clay, putting them away. He sopped up the mess and finally pushed Kat back into her seat.
"Breathe," he told her, "breathe."
"I can't," she whispered as she started to hyperventilate.
Steve sat next to Kat, helped her hold her head between her knees and rubbed her back. Finally, when she was able to breathe normally, she straightened up and looked at Steve.
"Leave," she said.
"No."
"Leave, now."
"Why?"
"Because you can't be here with me and I can't be here with you."
"Tell me why? Damn it Kat. I've been wanting this so bad it hurts. I want to be with you."
"Steve. You do realize that the moment you and I get together Debra and Andrew will know, right?"
"That I was the one you cheated with? Yeah."
"You'll be ostracized. Like I was. It's not a good feeling. Everyone hates you. When I was up there, dancing on that speaker, I felt so naked, so bare, so alone as they stared up at me. There was such hatred there Steve."
"So what? I'm the Rattlesnake, I can live up to it."
"Steve, you shouldn't have to. Not for me."
"For you, I will."
Kat sighed and Steve wrapped her up in his arms, holding her tight. She finally allowed her body to relax against his and allowed him to pull her into his lap.
"And anyhow, it's not like I'll be going through this alone, right?"
"Steve..."
"Kat-- come on now, I didn't go and fall in love with a coward."
"Who the hell did you go and fall in love with?"
"Aw, come on now..."
"Steve..."
"So you're going to be like that huh? You're going to pretend you don't know how I feel about you?"
"Steve, come on..."
"Aw hell! Now you're going to make me say it now, aren't you?"
"No."
"Fine-- then I'll just say it because it's the truth. I love you Kat."
"Steve-- do you expect me to believe that? Hell, you probably told Debra you loved her too. Yet, here you are, divorced from her and telling me you love me."
"What the hell am I going to have to do to convince you?"
"Who says you can?" she asked, her eyes drooping sleepily.
"Damn it honey, you are the stubbornest cuss since the Rattlesnake himself."
"Stop damning me."
Kat dozed off in Steve's arms and he watched her, a grin on his face. He didn't know much, but he knew that after all the shit they'd been through, they were meant to be together again. For the whole forever thing too. Only thing was convincing her of that now.

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