Cruze, Blackbourne, Sutter & Raab vs. Frost, Marie Jones, Tommy Valentine & Gold

[Thomas Valentine]

OOC: The first bit of development follows directly on from my Breakdown rp but from another person's perspective. Excited for this new if not slightly grim direction for Tommy. Good luck all and enjoy!

Well…

Here we are.

We are on the cusp of Sasha's grand scheme to shake up Trios once more. Now a lot of people are going to be asking themselves a lot of questions leading up to Day Of Infamy. Questions like; when I step into that ring, am I going to be able to look to my left or my right and trust the person I look at? Will I be able to make sure I don't get the dregs of the roster to team with when all is said and done? Am I even going to be involved in the tournament this year? And so on and so forth. All will be valid questions when you think of the fact that this Pay Per View could be even more vital to some people than the tournament itself. Think about it, people get to actively tip the scales in their favour in a single night, and that could make all the difference moving forward. Now with all these questions floating about, I'm going to add mine to that vast sea… A question that has been on my mind since the end of Breakdown on Wednesday.

How are you feeling Konrad?

You must be feeling pretty bummed that you let another person in your life down after Kandis I made you tap out clean in the middle of that ring, in front of all the people that were PRAYING you and Aaron could put The Connection in their place. Well in a roundabout way your ineptitude did just that dude… Just not in the way you, Aaron and the millions of fans watching would have wanted. It elevated us above both of you when all was said and done, where we BELONG! Seriously though, it must have sucked to be preparing for what Kandis and I brought to the table, only to be beaten by a move that I only bring out of the bag for special occasions. On the bright side though man, you get to make up for the underestimation of The Connection by picking yourselves up, drying your eyes, dusting yourselves down and looking towards the Pay Per View. It's a brand new ball game and things move to a slightly more even playing field. Hey, I suppose you could even say that the odds might even be in YOUR favour by the time the bell rings… Thats if one of my favourite up and comers Clyde Sutter can be contained because take it from someone who knows first hand, one person can cost you everything with these stakes… And I'd hate for him to be the reason why the two of you lose out again, even if he has a foolish belief he holds a candle to me in the masculinity stakes… Eh who am I kidding, with the potential for disaster in my 'team'...

(I waggle my fingers signifying air quotation marks as I smirk)

I'd LOVE for that to happen!

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Before the SCW House Show
December 14th


Ashley's POV


Mi life had been like a dream or summat since a took miself away from the 'omeland to seek Mi fortune or whatever they call it. A dint think a stood a chance o' gettin' even a foothold in wrestlin', let alone picked up by one o' the most popular wrestling academies in the world! Ante Up is an amazin' place an' the calibre o' talent that the place had boggled mi brain. Then jus' when a thought it couldn't get better, Thomas bloody Valentine took a personal interest in mi trainin' an' from that point a felt sure that a wa' gonna wake up any minute an' discover it had all been one big dream after a night out wi' t' lads! Not only did that NOT happen, but Tommy even convinced his missus… Or his piece… Or whatever she wa'; though personally a think they're the real McCoy as a noticed a few moments where they jus' looked at each other an' felt like a wa' intrudin'... Wait, am gettin' a bit distracted in mi 'ead from the point a wa' gettin' to… Yeah, he got Kandis to 'elp sharpen mi strikin' skills an even threw in some kickboxin'... Nowt too advanced like, just bits an' pieces… Then Tommy went a step further an' somehow got Thomas Watson to 'elp mi submission game! Fuck knows 'ow he got Watson to agree to meet, never mind agree to train mi, but a guess the promise of free alcohol did the trick. It wa' definitely cushty fer mi as time went on, but then a started wonderin' if things were as good wi' the gaffer as he wa' makin' out…


Mi first true moment o' realisin' a wa' right 'appened towards the end o' 2019. Tommy 'ad taken mi on a lil ride along to a house show him an' Kandis we competin' at an' a don't know exactly why Kandis weren't wi' us but a dint question it. We'd got to the hotel an' a nipped back to the car to get mi earphones an' when a got back, it turned out that Tommy 'ad got stuck in the lift… Elevator, whatever it wa' called in these parts… An' the staff were runnin' round like 'eadless chickens tryin' to sort it out as they 'ad two celebrities stuck in there. That one confused mi a bit but once a figured out whereabouts they were stuck roughly, a went onto the nearest floor an' wa' about to see if Tommy were alreight when I 'eard a lot o' shoutin' an bangin' abaht… Wa’ Tommy ‘avin’ a go at someone? A couldn’t be sure but it sounded like it. If ‘e were on ‘is own a might o’ thought ‘e could be talkin’ to ‘imself but as a KNEW there wa’ someone in there wi’ ‘im… It wa’ then that a decided not to intervene an’ jus’ wait fer the engineers to do what they got paid for. A stood there thinkin' abaht what to do pretty much up until a member o' staff found mi an' let mi know they'd sorted the problem an' Tommy as well as 'is mystery companion would be on their way to the floors they had set out to get to. That made mi mind up an' a went up to the floor our rooms were on an' stood waitin' as the power was back on to the… Elevator an' it reached the floor a wa' waitin' on. Tommy dint look too impressed an' when a saw that it wa' Dawn Lohan, a bird a knew 'e' ad some history wi', I 'ad to wonder what exactly 'ad gone on wi' all I'd 'eard before.


Even as Tommy wa' rushin' mi away, a reluctantly spoke to Dawn an' even stranger still, promised 'er to look after 'im which seemed to piss the gaffer off even more. What the' ell was goin' on, like? Well once we 'ad put our stuff in the rooms, Kandis arrived an' once the two of em 'ad had a little 'moment' to themselves, Tommy claimed he 'ad to go an' sort some Ante Up business out an' left. A sat there in their room fer a few minutes an' wondered about what I'd kinda witnessed back in the corridor an' why Tommy looked like he wa' ready to kill someone, an' dint look much better as he left. A must 'Ave zoned out a bit as a dint even notice the door to the room open.


Kandis stood lookin' at mi wi' a bit of a strange look on 'er face as a finally registered she wa' there. "Ashley?" she said as she clicked 'er fingers in front o' mi face.


Blinkin' fer a second, a look at 'er an' try not to embarrass miself any more than a probably 'ad by bein' off wi' t' fairies. "Yeah?" a said wi' as much of a neutral tone as a could manage.


'Er eyes narrowed a little bit as she stared at mi. "Is everything okay?" Kandis asked as a wasn't actually sure about how to answer it wi' what wa' goin' through mi 'wad.


Wi' only a brief 'esitation, a nodded. It wa' a struggle keepin' eye contact though! "... Yeah, everything's tickety boo love…" I answered an' 'oped a sounded like a wa' tellin' the truth.


The further narrowin' of 'er eyes told mi Kandis wasn't buyin' it. Not completely anyway. "You sure?" she asked as a could feel 'er eyes on mi.


Forcin' a smile a weren't feelin' under such scrutiny, a nodded mi 'sad. "Course I am, why wouldn't they be?" A countered' er question wi' the logical one in return.


'Er 'ands were on' er 'ips now as she wa' full on frownin' nah. "I don't know, it's just that you seem to be a little distracted and Tommy is acting a bit strange too…" Kandis said, lookin' thoughtful even as she kept lookin' at mi.


A shrugged, quickly realisin' a wa' no good at this deception lark. "Dunno what ya mean" a said a lil bit too quickly in hindsight.


Kandis' eyebrows were suddenly arched as the suspicion wa' all o'er 'er face. "Have you two had a disagreement?" she asked, concern creepin' into 'er voice.


Once again a forced a smile an' shook mi 'ead though a reckon the smile looked even faker than mi last one! "Nah, of course not" a said, tryin' to make misen sound like a weren't lyin' to mi back teeth.


Kandis pulled a chair from t' breakfast bar an' placed it in front o' mi. A wa' in trouble an' dint know what to do! Where the bloody 'ell were Tommy?! "Then what is it? I'm not stupid, I can tell there's something" she demanded to know as a suddenly felt a trickle o' sweat go down mi back.


"Am just a bit tired, it's been a long day" a said lamely as the scepticism wa' all o'er 'er face.


She nodded slowly an' then glared at mi suspiciously. "And Tommy?" Kandis asked again as a lick mi lips nervously. She weren't goin' to let it drop…


Runnin' a hand on mi 'ead, a try once more to deflect from the truth, or what knew of it anyway. "A dunno love… Mebbe he's tired too. He's had a lot going on" A said wi' as much conviction as a could muster.


Kandis nodded slowly an' a thought a wa' finally off t' 'ook. Then she pulled the chair closer an' stared at mi. "Ash…" she declared as a suddenly wanted to be anywhere else…


"What?" a murmured as mi eyes darted to the door o' the room. If Tommy wa' gonna bail mi aht… Now would 'Ave bin perfect.


Wi' surprisin' strength, she grabbed mi chin an' tilted it so a wa' lookin' right at 'er. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that something hasn't happened" Kandis challenged mi as a realised a wa' in deep shit.


Takin' a deep breath, a look right at 'er. "Nothing… Has happened" a stammered as mi nerves got the best o' mi mid-sentence an' a took a big gulp of air.


'Er eyes widened an' she pointed at mi accusingly. "You're lying!" Kandis exclaimed as a wa' instantly shakin' mi 'ead. If a dint think o' summat fast, a could kiss mi spot in the Academy goodbye! Tommy surely would kick me arse an' then kick mi out fer dobbin' 'im in!


"Am not!" wa' all that spilled from mi mouth as a desperately tried to buy time either fer Tommy to show up, or fer mi to think o' summat to convince Kandis that everythin' wa' peachy wi' 'er fella.


Kandis crossed 'er arms an' a could see she wa' pissed off. "If you don't tell me what's happened, I'm gonna put a stop to your training with me" she promised as mi eyes almost popped out from mi skull. It wa' only a couple o' days before that she reckoned a wa' showin' promise!


A shot to mi feet an' looked at 'er. "What?! That's not fair!" a yelled as a realised I'd given the game away without thinkin'. Fuck mi life…


Kandis looked at mi as a stood there, distraught an' not knowin' what to do. "Then there IS something that's happened. Spill!" she demanded as a shook mi 'ead over an' over.


If the Fates were 'avin' a giraffe at mi expense, then this would be the time that Tommy really did come back as a couldn't think o' owt to say to Kandis an' she dint look like she wa' bluffin' about stoppin' trainin' mi. "It's nowt to be concerned about" a mumbled, knowin' full well that if a felt a bit uneasy about the incident with the elevator, then Kandis would go apeshit if she knew.


She got up an' glared pointedly at mi. "I'll be the judge of that" Kandis stated as a knew this wa' it fer mi. I 'ad to tell' er.


A took another deep breath as a thought abaht 'ow much I'd enjoyed mi time as a wrestlin' student an' it wa' summat I'd never forget. "We 'ad words…" A murmured as a shook mi 'ead.


"About?" Kandis pressed as a continued shakin' mi 'ead.


A thought abaht' ow disappointed Tommy would be fer mi rattin' 'im out an' felt like cryin'. It wa' then, when I'd just about given up on keepin' mi dream alive that a wa' struck by a lie that contained just enough truth, to stop mi from tellin' Kandis that Tommy quite possibly flipped out an' came close to doin' summat he'd not be able to undo. "Am sweet on his daughter…" a blurted out as this seemed to surprise Kandis who frowned even more than she 'ad in this whole exchange.


After a moment o' silence, she shook 'er' ead. "Charlotte? That's not exactly something either of you have kept hidden" Kandis said a second later… Yeah she were reight, but a wasn't done weavin' this story.


"True… But Tommy got pissed when a wa' textin' 'er instead o' listenin' to what he wa' goin' on about" A said, the words tumblin' aht as a tried not to think abaht Tommy an' all the yellin' 'e wa' doin' in that lift.


A tried to subtly see if she wa' buyin'*what a wa' sellin' but this bird wa' hard to read. "Well she IS practically blood, he's obviously going to be protective" Kandis said carefully, as a finally saw what a thought wa' a bit o' scepticism creep into 'er expression again. A figured a needed to amp this up a bit more.


Rubbin' mi chin, a nodded slowly. "Yeah, a know that… But 'e said am not gonna be goin' anywhere near 'is daughter as am not good enough fer' 'er" a replied, an' instantly saw that a wa' losin' 'er belief in what a wa' sayin'.


"As I said, he's going to be protective of her, and in his eyes no one will be good enough for his daughter" Kandis exclaimed, lookin' at mi as if she could see right through mi fib.


It wa' gettin' a lil easier to make this story up, but a really could do wi' gettin' 'er off mi case abaht Tommy as' e wa' obviously leaving 'mi to the proverbial wolves. "... But a dunno 'ow to prove am good enough to 'im" a said softly, bowin' mi 'ead fer effect.


Kandis got up an' sat next to mi, puttin' a hand on mi shoulder gently. "You will probably have to face up to NEVER being good enough" she replied as a wa' thinkin' abaht what to say next even as she replied.


A needed to throw t' cat amongst t' pigeons nar a wa' slowly reelin' 'er in. If she mentioned any o' this to Tommy a wa' fucked on a couple o' unpleasant levels but this wa' the time fer high risk moves. "Well… Am just gonna 'Ave to not let 'Im know about owt that 'appens" a said slowly as a looked up to see Kandis shakin' 'er' ead.


"Just be careful then, Ashley… Chances are he will find out sooner or later…" Kandis warned mi as a smothered a relieved smile wi' mi palm.


Clearin' mi throat to cover the action, a look again at Kandis. "Ya reckon?" I asked, knowin' full well mi 'ead would be on a pike before a knew it if any o' this that a wa' sayin' were the truth.


She smiled at mi. "I do, but when he does, it won't have been from me" Kandis said, winkin' at mi as a breathed a genuine sigh of relief which under the circumstances wasn't suspicious… It wa' just fer a different reason as to what she probably thought it wa' for.


"Thanks Kandis, yer awesome" A said, bein' honest as if this wa' a real situation an' not just me Billy bullshittin' to save Tommy from t' Spanish Inquisition, an' me from 'avin' to abandon mi dream as a result o' it… She wa' steppin' up to the plate fer jus' some kid she wa' trainin'!


She smirked an' nodded. "I know. Just a word of advice, don't invite her on the road because you might give the game away when you get freaky and things get a bit loud" Kandis advised as mi jaw dropped from the unsuspected comment that a dint even allude to. Instantly a felt a flush of embarrassment travel up mi neck. "Awww are you blushing? Surely a handsome guy like you has had a good few women close to bursting your eardrums once they're on their back" she added, chucklin' as a dint know where to look!


Once I'd at least managed to regain mi composure after that unexpected departure from the topic, a nodded as the smirk wa' now firmly planted on 'er face. "Erm… Yeah of course I 'Ave!" i exclaimed as Kandis' smirked even more an' then slid closer to mi on the sofa.


"Or maybe you're a bit rusty in the bedroom department and need a bit of a tune up?" she purred as she tugged at the zip on the front o' the… modest top she'd changed into as part o' 'er ring gear. Nar dunt get mi wrong, Kandis is proper fit but the second that zip revealed a bit of 'er considerable cleavage mi head jerked away to an interestin' part o' the ceilin'.


A could 'ear Kandis chuckle a lil as a said the only thing a could think of. "Er… Tommy?" a mumbled as a felt 'er 'and on mi shoulder.


She leant in an' a could feel 'er breath on mi ear, causin' mi to panic even more. "He won't mind. I'll just tell him it was an educational experience and to get some of that sexual frustration from inside you. We do have a… Flexible arrangement" Kandis murmured as 'er 'and slid down mi arm an' then onto mi chest.


"Um…" a managed to gasp as the bloody woman then moved 'er 'and down onto mi upper thigh, really causin' mi to panic. Wa' she really gonna do this an' get mi killed?


A risk a look at Kandis as she then puts 'er other 'and on mi chin an' 'olds it in place so a couldn't look away, which a wanted to do badly. "What's a matter? Cat got your tongue? If we're quick, Tommy won't even suspect a thing" she purred, then grinned at mi.


After a second or two, she let's mi chin go an' am back lookin' at the ceilin'... Doin' no best to not think abaht 'er 'and bein' so close to the ol' Crown Jewels. "I erm. Kandis, yer nice an' all… But" a manage to get out as she suddenly stands up an' half turns.


"You like mine?" Kandis asked as a frown, wonderin' what she wa' on abaht.


She started swayin' 'er 'ips as a shake mi' was slowly. "Huh?" Is all a could manage as Kandis turned to look at mi wi' a smirk.


The realisation eventually dawned on mi what she wa' on abaht after a thought about what a said, even as she then ran a hand down the back of 'er hotpants an' actually smacked 'er arse. "My ass. A lot of men and women compliment me on it" she needlessly explained as a wa' probably red as a beetroot by this point an' she were proper lovin' it.


"I… Yeah it's nice" a managed to say, unable to not look at 'er arse as a looked fer a few seconds before regainin' mi senses.


Kandis must o' caught mi peekin' as the sly smirk became much more obvious. "Wanna touch it? Just so that when you fuck Charlotte on the sly, you won't have missed out on grabbing THE best ass in the universe" she exclaimed, squeezin' 'er arse cheek slightly without takin' er eyes from mi.


A really dint know what to say or do. A started off jus' coverin' fer the gaffer an' it somehow ended up like this?! "Not gonna lie, am a bit freaked out right now" a said as a looked firmly at the floor.


I 'eard a zip an' looked up wi' relief as Kandis 'ad zipped up' er top an' wa' chucklin'. "Calm down Ash, I'm just teasing. Though you CAN grab it if you want. Our little secret" she said wi' a wink as she wiggled 'er arse again.


Before the lil back an' forth could continue, teasin' or not, a shook mi 'was. "Thanks but I'll pass. Tommy might not like it… He's already in a bad mood" a replied, wantin' the ground to swallow mi up when a realised I'd brought the conversation full circle needlessly like a dumb arse.


Kandis sat down next to me again, her eyebrow arched with surprise… Or what I 'oped wa' surprise. "Just because you want to bang his daughter? He'd be fine with it… Unless there's something else…" she said, lookin' at mi intently.


A shake mi ‘ead, a wa’ in too deep to change mi story or flounder nar. "Nah, I… Ya see the thing is… " a said, unable to stop miself from panickin’ under such scrutiny. A just bout ‘ave time to see a slight frown reappear on Kandis’ face before am FINALLY saved from the interrogation when Tommy walked in the door to the hotel room, a look on ‘is face that wa’ all business.


Lookin’ between me an’ Kandis he smiled slightly an’ I ‘ave to admit a wa’ impressed that ‘e dint look anywhere near as miffed as ‘e ‘ad when ‘e emerged from that elevator. "Are you two ready? The shows starting soon" Tommy asked as a wa’ on mi feet before he’d even finished.


Tryin’ not to show ‘ow flustered a really were after mi ‘experience’ wi’ Kandis, a nod to them both, avoidin’ eye contact. "Yeah I better go an' get to mi seat. Good luck you two. I'll see ya later" I announced before quickly makin’ mi exit.


Just as a wa’ closin’ the door behind mi, a managed to catch the words of a clearly confused Tommy. "What's wrong with him?" he’d asked… Funny thing wa’, all ‘e ‘ad to do wa’ look in a mirror to find the answer to ‘is bloody question!


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Now when we talk about teams in this thing, it's an interesting one in my case. Either Sasha has got a sick sense of humour, or I'm being tested in regards to how much bullshit I can take from the super happy judgy friends, Selena and Jay before I snap and decide that I don't want any part of the sideshow this is probably going to be by the end of the show. I'm not sure which of those possibilities is the most likely and now the die is cast, it makes no difference. What I DO think is worth noting… Is Selena obviously being nominated a team captain, and not just ANY team captain, but MY team captain. I heard you and the Co-captain talking about this match after the brackets were announced. I didn't know there was a team meeting and I wasn't invited… Not cool by the way… The two of you were flapping your gums, high-fiving, the works and then the topic of Marie and more importantly yours truly was brought up. It's cool that the two of you were thinking about how cohesive a unit we could be and all that jazz, but I have to say that though I'm sure social etiquette has changed since they thawed you out and wheeled you from the freezer they keep you in Jay, I'm surprised that a smart and talented woman like you Selena didn't think of the one thing that could get you a definitive answer to such an important question.

You could have just asked.

You could have taken some time from being the 'Face Of SCW' and visited one of the little people who rarely gets caught in your monumental orbit… Okay that sounded wrong but you get the gist. That would have made this whole situation a lot easier because I'm a firm believer… DEFINITELY no pun intended there, in transparency in such situations. So captain Frost, Jay Gold and i suppose you too Marie… You want to know if you can trust me?

No.

I can't be trusted in the slightest.

I have no love or even liking for any of you three, your collective existence affects my life in general very little and my respect for the three of you that I have in varying degrees won't stop me from stabbing any of you in the back if I felt like it. I don't owe any of you a damn thing and so I'll treat the three of you as such.

(I shrugged)

That being said, being able to get a priority pick of who I want on my team would be pretty cool and I've never held a Trios Contract before which would be an impressive feather for my already epic cap. So maybe I'll play ball, maybe I won't. The one thing I can assure you is that as long as I feel you're of the same mindset as me, I'll play my part but make no mistake… I'm not a soldier, I don't have a 'captain' and you are all a means to an end till I decide otherwise. If you forget any of those things on the night? Just ask Syren why she isn't holding a Trios Contract from last year and I'm sure she will tell you all about it if she can stop bitching and whining about the injustices in her universe for a few seconds. I can help achieve your dreams or I can bring them all crashing down around you, regardless of who you think you are and what you think you can do. I guess it just depends on which side of the bed I get out of!

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After The End Of Year Special PPV


So the End Of Year Special was in the books finally and along with it the end of the literal year. I'd been thinking about resolutions and all the normal things people consider at this particular time of year and figured there were a few things I could work on. I had all of my professional aspirations that I wanted to tick off the list before I hung up the old wrestling boots but the more prominent things funnily enough were of a personal nature. Kandis and I were going strong and had started to spend more and more time together since we tentatively put THAT label on what we had, but then I started to think about the next logical progression. My mother was almost constantly pecking at me during every phone call as to when she was going to be able to meet the woman that made me so happy, and I was running out of excuses… And then I wanted her to meet my daughter Charlotte too, as they hadn't been formally introduced to one another and I figured that it would help bring us closer after Charl had been out of my life for so long due to crap that happened so long ago. There was obviously the issue of bringing up the topic to Kandis who I knew was still finding her feet in this whole thing as I didn't want to rush her or anything when things were going so well… I'd been mulling the whole thing over for weeks and figured that I'd test the waters after the last Pay Per View of the SCW calender year was done with.


Ironically I had been ready to talk about the possibility when we were at the last house show, but my encounter with Dawn had completely rubbed me up the wrong way and all I'd wanted to do was compete in our match then relax back at the hotel room. So yeah, getting back to the End Of Year Special; I had decided to work up to the topic and hope she didn't run a mile. Luckily she seemed in good enough spirits following the battle royal and her premature exit from said match, so I figured that as we were leaving the arena I'd move away from small talk to really test the waters.


Smiling, I looked at her. “Hey, you did great out there!” I exclaimed as Kandis rolled her eyes before smirking.


“Yeah, you HAVE to say that though...” Kandis replied, still smirking as i had to concede she kinda had a point in a roundabout way.


Nodding, I smiled slightly. “Hmmm maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t mean I’m lying” I countered as this time I could see she was conceding a point to me before she even said anything.


“Fair point. I’m disappointed about not doing better though” Kandis said, more in a matter of fact manner than in a self pitying way though.


I put a hand on her shoulder as we stopped at the exit to the arena. “Well I’m proud of you, trust me… Matches like that are tough to get through. I’ve been in enough of them” I replied, my experience with battle royals in general was enough for me to not enter that particular one and give Kandis her time to shine.


She nodded slowly then looked at me, the smirk now even clearer on her beautiful face. “I guess it gives us a chance to think about messing up the tag division though, right?” she stated more than asked.


Without hesitation I nodded. “Oh yeah!” I exclaimed as Kandis stepped closer to me suddenly.


“...And speaking of you knowing about how tough those matches are, then you’ll know just how much I need some TLC right about now to make me feel better” Kandis murmured before wrapping her arms around my neck.


Smirking, I move in to kiss her. “I think I can actually help with that” I whispered before she put a finger to my lips at the last second.


“You don’t seem too confident about that, want me to give you a minute to reconsider?” Kandis purred as I looked at her longingly.


Moving in to kiss her again, Kandis let's me this time. “Okay, I don’t need a minute… I KNOW I can help you to wind down after that match” I said as i pulled away for a second to speak.


“Wind down? I didn’t say anything about winding down...” She murmured before pulling away from me ever so slightly.


I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her waist but feel her resisting as she stayed exactly where she was. “You’re really making me work for this, aren’t you?” I asked as I went to kiss her and once again she pulled just out of reach.


Smirking I look at Kandis as she darts forward and gives me a peck on the lips. “Where’s the fun if I just let you fuck me without you putting in any work once in a while?” she asked before cocking her head to the side.


“Point taken. I do like when you play hard to get, now you mention it” I said as a sly grin starts to appear on Kandis' face.


"Well how's this for playing hard to get?" she asked before leaning in and nibbling my earlobe. "I'm not going to let you take a single item of clothing from my body until we're back at the hotel" she then whispered into my ear as i smiled.


This woman certainly knew how to raise the stakes. "Mmm damn that gets me hot babe" i jokingly said as she once again gave me a peck on the cheek this time.


Once again her head was clocked to the side, the amusement quite clear in her expression. "Yeah, well how about this?" she murmured before leaning in once more, though this time she didn't nibble my ear. "I'm not going to let any part of you touch any part of me until we get there too" she whispered as my eyes widened with genuine surprise. Surely she couldn't be serious!


"Not even a kiss?" i inquired as i could already guess the answer.


"Not even a kiss" she repeated, confirming my fear.


I shook my head and chuckled slightly. "Damn you're truly trying to kill me here, Kandis aren't you?" i asked before trying and failing to sneak a kiss in, which she was ready for and ducked swiftly to avoid it.


"I prefer the term you used… 'Playing hard to get'" Kandis said as a full on grin was now lighting up her face.


Knowing this was of my own making I sighed. "Touché" i stated as we stood for a few seconds.


Noticing Kandis gaze back the way we came, i notice some of the staff from the arena milling around, a couple were casting us curious glances. "Now how about we get going?" Kandis asked pointedly as i nodded and we stepped out into the late evening air.


Looking around, i figure that I might be able to create the moment I needed to ask Kandis about meeting some of my family. "How about we walk back to the hotel? It's not that far" I asked as Kandis immediately gave me a dubious look. "What? I promise you I won't try and drag you down an alley and do unspeakable things to you on the way…" I declared as she laughed softly.


"Mmm damn, promises promises Tommy" Kandis purred throatily as i had to work hard pushing down the mental stimulation her statement had caused.


I shake my head. "Hey, you're supposed to be playing hard to get!" I exclaimed as once again she laughed.


Kandis then looked at me and then pointedly at my crotch. "I'm just trying to make it as… Hard as possible, every pun intended" she declared as i lost my self control and tried to put my arm around her.


She chuckled and almost skipped just out of reach before waggling her finger at me. "Uh uh uh… No touching" Kandis reminded me as i groaned dramatically.


Shaking my head I looked at her incredulously. "Not even putting my arm around you in a completely non sexual way?" i asked, wondering why she was doing this to me. She once again shook her head and waggled her finger. "Fiiine" I sighed with mock exasperation before smirking.


Kandis stepped back next to me and smiled slyly. "It'll be all worth it, i promise" she declared as i raised my eyebrows. Not content with that she leaned till her lips were almost touching mine. "I packed a little something I know you'll enjoy taking off me…" she said huskily as I pushed the urge away to grab her, pin her against the nearest wall and do nasty things to her right there and then.


"Hey! That's not fair!" I cried out as she laughed and then shrugged as if to say 'deal with it'. We carried on walking towards the district our hotel was in and found my mind wandering once again. Would Kandis want to meet my mom? Would she feel comfortable being introduced to my adopted daughter? I tried to take my mind off the conflicting thoughts by using an age old idea that never failed. "Its a lovely night" I announced as i tried to stop the grin from appearing on my face as Kandis' expression of disbelief was hilarious.


She shook her head and sighed. "Really Tommy? Small talk?" she asked as it was then my turn to shrug.


"Hey its for my benefit as much as yours" I replied with a wink as Kandis didn't look too convinced.


She looked at me for a few moments before smirking slightly. "Hmmm I'll take your word for it" she finally said as we resumed our walk.


This was going to be my moment, I shouldn't have been so nervous about just asking if she would want to meet my mother… So why was I terrified? Did that mean that somewhere deep down inside I thought she wouldn't want to? Or that me wanting to go to that next stage might be one step too far? From my experience when I started having genuine feelings for her, I knew I couldn't keep postponing asking Kandis such a straightforward thing, it'd only drive me insane… The worst she could say was that she didn't want to, right? Hardly the end of the world! Taking a deep breath, I turn to Kandis and I'm about to ask her when a loud voice suddenly breaks the silence between us. "Fucking hell, its Tommy Valentine and Kandis!" a slurred voice said as two guys who I hadn't noticed were loitering in front of us, jogged over.


Both Kandis and I looked at one another as she then shrugged, looking at the two in front of us that were probably just about able to drink legally. "Hey guys" Kandis said, an obvious fake cheeriness to her voice.


The smaller of the two walked over to me and smiled almost shyly at me. "Could I um… Have your autograph?" he asked as I didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity of his request.


As it happened, I didn't have much time to think on it as his friend, who was a bit taller and a bit wider than the kid in front of me was looking Kandis up and down. "And could I have yours… On my dick?" he asked as I grit my teeth.


"What did you say?!" i yelled as I seriously hoped that for his sake, the next word out of the punks mouth was an apology.


He staggered a little bit and looked at me as if he was measuring me up. "I was asking your lady friend to suck… I mean sign my dick" he drawled as my fists clenched. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a look of concern on Kandis' face as she looked at my hands, but it wasn't a priority at that moment.


The angry haze that I felt drifting in front of my eyes was suddenly lifted as the drunken fuckers friend stepped over and punched him in the arm. "Hey Mike, cut it out yeah?" he hissed as the kid looked back at me sheepishly. Whilst I appreciated him reining the crude bastard in, it didn't change the fact I wasn't planning on any meet and greets.


Smiling apologetically, I shook my head. "Sorry dude, I'm off the clock but if I'm at the next live event, I'll let you take a photograph with me and sign you an autograph or two" i promised as his eyes lit up with joy. See, I could be nice when I wanted to!


"Awesome, you rock man!" the kid said as both Kandis and I took it as our cue to start walking again.


With a sidelong glance at 'Mike' I patted his friend on the shoulder and smiled. "Thanks" i simply said as we then continued to walk on our way.


We had got a few paces from the two young men when Mike decided to flap his gums again, and that's when I quickly lost control. "So you're not gonna do it then?" he barked as i stopped in my tracks, body going rigid as I already knew that consequences be damned, this was going to be the time that Mike learned a lesson.


Sensing my stance, Kandis linked her arm through mine and held on to me tightly. "Leave it Tommy, he's drunk" she murmured to me before turning and looking at the two guys. "Have a good night boys" she shouted, blowing them both a kiss before turning and smiling at me.


She probably thought it was done and dusted, but Mike had other ideas. "Typical! I thought you were game for that sort of thing!" he shouted as this time I stopped and whirled round to stare at him.


"Tommy…" Kandis said as she started to try and grab my arm but then I shook my head, pretending I was gonna keep my cool so she wasn't able to stop me when I saw my moment.


I stood there motionless, seething inside as I stared a hole right through him. "Ya know… If you were as good at wrestling as you are at spreading your legs for anyone that asks, you'd have… You'd have won the Title tonight!" Mike shouted as that was all it took. Kandis made a grab for me and missed as I quickly started to walk back up to the loud mouthed prick.


"Tommy, don't!" Kandis shouted as she then started to try and catch me up.


I drew level with the guy who had a cheesy from on his face as i could then smell the sheer amount of alcohol on his breath "You got something to say buddy?" I said, keeping my voice level as I smiled disarmingly.


The kid must have thought I was all mouth or that just because I was a wrestler, I was one of those guys that relied on my physique to get me by in the business. Whatever the reason, he was going to find out he was horrifically wrong. "Other than the fact your partners a cock teasing slut, I don't think-" Was as far as Mike got before I struck. Kandis got to me in the nick of time to stop me if I was going to punch him… But a punch was too good for this guy. Rearing back as he was mid-sentence, I headbutted him. Blood instantly exploded from his nose as he staggered backwards.


I could hear Kandis in the background, but I wasn't seeing her. "TOMMY!" she all but screamed as i stepped forward and grinned at Mike who was now looking at me with surprise and fear written all over his face.


I swiped away a bit of his blood that had splashed on my cheek as i looked at him. "How about you say that again, douchecanoe?" I growled as he took a step away from me and almost fell over.


The terror was clear in his voice as he looked at me. "Ah! Oo broke mah nose!" he said, the blow to his nose causing his words to come out almost intelligible.


Grinning, caught up in the moment I clench my fist and look at it before turning back to the now pathetic looking Mike. "What's that? Here, let me help you man!" I exclaimed as I prepared to swing a punch to finish the guy off…


Until Kandis was in front of me, anger on her face. "Tommy, stop this now!" she demanded as I almost considered stepping around her and hitting the guy again.


Then I started to come to my senses again and glared at him over Kandis’ shoulder. "I want you to apologise to Kandis right now!" I shouted at Mike as he was clutching his nose and trying to shoo off his friend who was attempting to pull him away from this situation.


Staggering a few steps back, Mike then felt brave or foolish enough to attempt speaking again. "You're 'onna pay 'or this!" he said as he pointed at me.


Pity now the only thing I felt towards this guy that could have avoided all of this, I shrugged. "Or I'm not. Just apologise and we'll be on our way!" I screamed at Mike who was shaking his head.


The drunken idiot swayed a little before he plucked up the courage to craft a response. "No-" was all he got out before I was stepping forward once again, my only thoughts were to get him to apologise to Kandis by any means necessary.


This time, I’d only made it a few steps before Kandis was in front of me once again, her hand on my chest, those eyes I could look into for days seeking mine and speaking without the need for her words that inevitably followed. "Tommy! Please stop!" she begged me as I felt like a switch had been flipped in my head and suddenly I wondered if I’d gone too far, regardless of my motivation.


Slowly, I shake my head. "But-" I tried to argue as instantly Kandis was then shaking HER head.


"Enough, let's go back to the hotel yeah. You need to chill the fuck out!" she said before spinning me around and pushing me the way we had been intending to go before all Hell broke loose.


Unbelievably, the kid was suddenly the toughest guy on the planet once again as we were walking away. "'ope you enjoy unemployment!" Mike shouted as I stopped.


Kandis’ grip was like an iron vice on my arm as I turned and looked at his friend who was probably wondering how we had gotten to this stage so fast. "Hey kid, I'll rustle you up a backstage pass for a show of your choosing if you make sure that you tell anyone who asks, that your friend provoked me into doing what I did" I yelled before turning and walking away, not bothering to wait for the kid to answer as I figured that if he was smart, he’d jump at the chance I just put in front of him.


As the two guys disappeared from view behind us, Kandis stopped walking. It took me a second or two to realise she wasn’t by my side and I frowned as I turned to look at her. You know that saying ‘if looks could kill’? I’d have been a pile of smouldering ash if that was true. "You know you could get suspended for that AT LEAST, right? Why the fuck would you go mental like that?" she demanded to know rather than asked as I shrugged nonchalantly.


"He had it coming!” I replied, that’s all there literally was to it in my mind.


Kandis strongly disagreed and was shaking her head vigorously. "I don't need you or anyone to fight my battles, Tommy. I thought you knew that!" she cried furiously as my frown deepened even more. I was well aware of what she said, but if I couldn’t retaliate to vile little pieces of crap bad mouthing my girl… Then what the fuck was wrong with the world?


"I know that… But why should he think he can get away with talking to you like that? He needed to know there's consequences to his actions" I exclaimed as Kandis was once again shaking her head.


After a few seconds, Kandis just stared at me as if I was a stranger before shaking her head once more. "No, he needed to go and sleep off all the alcohol he's obviously drank tonight, Tommy!" she replied as I strongly disagreed but didn’t want to cause any more grief on what should have been an important night for us.


There were a number of things I could have said, but I settled on the one that summed up exactly how I felt. "Well I'm not sorry for what I did" I said truthfully as Kandis scoffed immediately.


"That might change if he goes to the cops" she murmured as I shook my head.


The drunken shit-stain would probably lose his nerve by the time it came to him reporting me to anyone let alone the police so I wasn’t concerned in the slightest. "I'll deal with it if it gets that far" I responded as Kandis laughed, but without any amusement at all.


"It didn't need to even get THIS far!"Kandis declared as I started to shake my head but then she stepped towards me and prodded my chest. "I didn't need a knight in shining armour before I met you and I don't need one now!"she hissed as I was taken aback at how ungrateful she seemed.


Kandis didn’t even realise that I had her back, whether she needed it or not! "I'm not apologising for caring about you Kandis, no chance!" I scoffed as she ran a hand through her hair and started to pace in front of me.


After Kandis had paced a few times, she stopped and stared at me intently. "You just fucking headbutted someone!" she exclaimed as I narrowed my eyes, confused as to why she thought she needed to remind me.


"And?" I replied as a look of shock and confusion appeared on her face.


The venom was gone from Kandis’ voice, and when she spoke it sounded… Flat for want of a better word. "You don't see anything wrong with that?" she asked me and I could tell that my answer could decide how the rest of the night went.


"Nope. He might have respect for women now. I did a community service" I stated as Kandis could only stare at me wide eyed.


We stood like that motionless for a minute before Kandis broke the silence. "Fuck… We need to talk more about this tomorrow Tommy. Right now I just need to get back to the hotel and rest up while I try not to think about what I just saw" she murmured as I wasn’t sure what there was to talk about.


With no need to say anything else I just nodded. "Okay" I replied and started the walk once more to the hotel.


I didn’t think Kandis was going to follow me and almost stopped until I heard her voice from just behind me. "Fuck…" she said, the one word almost a whisper as I wondered if I HAD gone too far after all. Then I remembered the guy’s vulgar statement and thought that if I hadn’t done something, someone else would have… And I was fine with that.

-+-+-+-

When you talk about team captains, I've already shared my thoughts on Selena Frost… But when you talk about them, what does that conjure up in your mind? Then think about what image pops into your head and then ask yourself if you'd think of Owen Cruze. I'll leave you a moment to think about that…

(I pause for a moment, a smirk on my face)

No?

Well the funny thing is, if you'd ask me that question when Owen first started out, I'd have laughed in your face and told you that the kid would have to crawl before he could walk. I'd have said he was all hype and ready to steal a living from the fact that his dad and uncle had made something of themselves in this business. I mean many of the youngsters of his generation would happily do that and enjoy every moment that the fame their heritage created.

Which is why it's quite odd that none of that has ultimately happened so far with you, Owen. I'm guilty of wanting to smash your brains in after you got the better of me in a match long ago… But I'm not guilty of overlooking the fact that you haven't just exceeded my expectations and those people like me; you've pummeled them into dust with everything you've accomplished dude. Once upon a time I might have talked to you like a kid because of my opinion of you but after the career you've had thus far? You deserve to be talked to like a man. So I will do just that right now.

(I smile and nod)

Get your house in order Owen.

If you really want to stand a chance, you need to make sure that you're all singing from the same hymn sheet. Not just for our sake, but for your own reputations sake too. If it's not Clyde having massive delusions about believing he actually compares to me in that ring, it's Konrad threatening to unleash all the rings of Hell on me all because I whooped his geriatric ass a handful of times and his fragile ego and psyche can't take it. So I cracked his skull like an egg because he underestimated me… So I almost pulled his arm off during a sanctioned tag match because he was ready for the Knee Deep and instead was locked in the Elitist… Tell me Owen, is that worth an open threat to my career? I'm sure your buddy Aaron will have some enlightening things to say, but when Blackbourne turns out to be the safest person to work with amongst the members of your team after his unhealthy obsession with Shilo STILL hasn't been satisfied. It spells trouble and I want this to be where you show what you're truly made of, not when you become th. You were a good kid and you're growing into a good man whose stock is rising more and more by the second, who knows… One day you might reach that… Level I'm at right now if you keep on as you are…

(I look at the Hall Of Fame ring on my finger and smile)

And I know it's hypocritical almost given that I've already insinuated that I'll do what I want, when I want, IF I want for my team, but the thought of having one over on a team that was captained by the 'Male Of 2019' has me licking my lips with anticipation Owen, the spoils of war are merely a nice little exclamation mark on the night. It almost definitely tips the scales in favour of me going all out. Marie talked a lot about nothing, but then she talked a lot about excuses which struck a chord with me… Because I don't want there to be any of them from your band of miscreants if the team I'm on wins. Show me what you're made of Owen, because you and your team are going to be Knee Deep in trouble if you don't!