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*Christmas Day*
Matt rolled his eyes with impatience as Mandy cried for what seemed to be the zillionth time. He was tired of her crying and whining.
The little girl had been a handful since he'd first taken her, but the last couple of days had been a sheer nuisance. Mandy had complained of a "tummyache" and kept calling her for "Mommy and Daddy." And now, at this point, she wouldn't eat anything he gave her. Then, the final straw had been when she had gotten sick all over the floor in the hotel room.
Matt had finally had enough. He'd been pushed well beyond his limit, and he wasn't going to tkae anymore. It just didn't seem worth it anymore. He could probably do something else to make them pay, anyway.
As it was, the dark-haired man was giving himself a Christmas present - he was getting rid of the crying, whining little brat as soon as possible.
For once, as they made their way into the medium-sized mall, the child had stopped crying. He couldn't help but think, 'Thank goodness for small favors.' He'd truly had enough and wondered how he'd ever put up with this kid for five long years when he'd been in a relationship with her mother. It was an absolute miracle he'd held onto his sanity!
Matt felt relief flooding through him as he studied the store directory. There was a Toys 'R Us on the second level. Good... Without a word to Mandy, he grabbed hold of her hand, firmly enough to cause the little girl to wince, and tugged her along to the nearby up escalator.
"I wanna go home!" she said in a small, plaintive voice just as they stepped off onto the second level. She was nearly on the verge of tears again, and she really didn't feel good. She wished her Mommy were here - she would know what to do to make her feel better.
"Shh," Matt hushed her as he ushered her into Toys 'R Us. And to his surprise, Amanda seemed to momentarily forget her sorrow and discomfort as she ran off to the nearest toy of interest.
The elder Hardy glanced around, trying his best not to appear conspicuous. He could just walk off right now, and neither Mandy nor anyone else would be any the wiser. If he had to be around the child much longer, he really *would* lose his mind.
The little girl seemed suddenly immersed in her toys, her face appearing happier than he'd seen it in five days. She was probably expecting him to buy her something, and just in time for Christmas. Well, let her think that - just because that bastard Copeland spoiled her didn't mean *he* would, too.
"You stay here," he said firmly to her, bending over to her level. "Don't you move from this spot.
Mandy blinked as she looked directly into his dark, mean eyes. She didn't even dare to reply verbally. This man scared her. Where were her Mommy, and her *real* Daddy?
Matt backed away slowly, his eyes still on the child until he turned fully around. Glancing at the few parents and other adults around, as well as the cashiers he noticed working nearby, he started casually for the exit.
*
Mandy swallowed hard, nervous as she finally moved from the spot upon which she'd stood - and from where Matt had told her to stay. She didn't know how long it had been since he'd told her to stay put, but it felt like a really long time. She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand as she walked down another aisle.
There were other children all around her. Some were really small, others older than her, but the one thing they all seemed to have in common was that they weren't alone - they were with a parent, or parents, or some other grownup. She wondered where Matt went.
"Hi!"
A little boy, with blond hair like hers - with blue eyes, who looked to be her age, smiled at her. He was holding a packaged toy in his hands.
Normally shy around adults but not as much with other children, Mandy smiled.
"Hi."
"My name's Tommy," the boy said. "What's yours?"
"Mandy," she replied. She gestured to the package he held. "What is that?"
"A Christmas present for my cousin Sarah," Tommy answered. "She loves wrestling." The little boy turned the package around to show his new friend the WWE action figure inside...
... It was a figure of Lita... Her Mommy.