January 2nd, 2023

“You’re thinking about her again…”

Rogan squeezes Lucy’s hand, prompting her to turn her head towards him – staring at him with those ice blue hues; happy, yet with a tinge of melancholy just beneath the surface.

“…Aren’t you?”

Rogan nodded his head and Lucy turned her eyes away from him – biting her lip.

“You’re very perceptive, Dark Man.”

“I am.”

He releases her hand and wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer on the bench they’re sitting on.

“You want to talk about it, Lass?”

Lucy sighed and leaned her head onto his shoulder, pulling her jacket tighter to her body.

“I mean, yeah. But there’s not really much to talk about. I’m just.. Conflicted, I guess. Like, they have her and there’s a part of me that feels like I should feel angry about that.”

“But you don’t.”

She nodded her head.

“But I don’t.”

Rogan placed a soft kiss on the side of her head and laid his head on hers as they watched the people of New York as they moved about their day.

“There isn’t a thing wrong with that.”

“Isn’t there though?”

Rogan shook his head, but Lucy continued.

“I mean regardless of everything that happened between us and our parents… She’s still my mother. Shouldn’t that mean something? I mean, you don’t have to answer that, but it doesn’t. When I looked up there and saw her surrounded by the creeps.. I was more confused than anything. I didn’t feel anything about it. They wanted to use her to get into my head and it failed them… It failed Tempest and it wasn’t because I just didn’t show that it affected me. It just didn’t affect me.”

She sighed.

“They can keep her.. Hell, maybe she’ll be happy there, I don’t know. I don’t care.”

“Something you have to realize, Lucy… Is that it’s okay to not care. It’s okay to let it go and move on with your life.”

Silence settled between them for a few moments. Finally Lucy sat up with a chuckle and turned to face Rogan as they sat on the bench.

“It’s funny, you know? Look at the year we just had and here I am, UGWC World Champion again and sitting here worried about someone who sat by our whole life and let our father torture us. I know he did the same to her, but still.. Kyra and I moved on and we made something of ourselves. We’re happy. We’ve got people who love us. What does it matter anymore?”

Rogan sat up too, his eyes watching Lucy intently, as the humorless smile slowly fades from her lips.

“But that isn’t all of it, and we both know it.”

“No, it isn’t. If it wasn’t for her, my dad would have killed me in that warehouse. Without a doubt. One thing. She did one thing to protect me, and it was a pretty big thing… But it doesn’t change anything, other than the fact that I’m still here and he’s six feet under.”

Rogan scratched his chin as he contemplated her words and when she finally looked up into his eyes once more, she could see that he was itching to say something.

“Rogan, what?”

“Do you want to get her out of there?”

His question was simple. It was direct and there wasn’t a single note of hesitation behind it. Lucy knew that if she’d said yes, that he’d do anything he could to help her do just that. She knew she loved him, but she loved him even more just knowing the lengths he would go to in order to help her do anything she needed.

But not this time.

“No.”

He nodded his head and stood up, reaching his hand out for hers. She took it. He pulled her up to her feet and brushed a few strands of errant blonde hair out of her face.

“Then come on, let’s go do something. Get your mind off of this, yeah?”

Lucy nodded her head, smiling.

“Sounds like a plan.”

They turned and walked off, but after a few moments Lucy glanced over at Rogan and a troubled expression crossed her face.

“But… What about you?”

“What?”

Rogan asked, confused.

“What about you? You’re always listening to me and my bullshit. Always reassuring me and all of this and I feel like I don’t thank you enough for all that you do, and all that you’ve done…”

She motions around them to hammer her point home.

“..What about you? Do I do enough for you? What do you need, Rogan? How can I help you for once?”

Rogan seemed floored by the question. He scratched his chin again, contemplating.

“To be honest, Lucy… when it comes to this little war I’ve got going on with Holden, and presumably Ichabod, don’t let me let up. Don’t let me soften at the nostalgia of their friendships. Push me the way I push you. It’s important that I remind them of just how devastating I can be.”

Lucy nodded her head, the smile returning to her lips.

“I’ve got you, Dark Man.”

 

January 4th, 2023

While Rogan was back in their apartment, presumably still sleeping – Lucy was out and about. The holidays had treated them well, and in this new year, it gave them both an opportunity to move on and upward. That entire thought process wasn’t lost on Lucy, and honestly, that thought process is what brought her out into the city on this day without the Dark Man.

Behind the scenes, Lucy had been trying to figure out something meaningful to do for Rogan, and finally after a lot of thought and sleepless nights, simply laying awake and watching him slumber peacefully – it had come to her. It may not have come to her in time for Christmas, but late Christmas gifts were a thing, right?

Rogan MacLean was a mystery.

Much less of a mystery to her now than he’d ever been, but still.. She’d always been interested in him, and the things that made him tick. But something told Lucy that he didn’t really think people were interested in who he was, or where he’d come from… What made him into the man he is today.

Maybe the rest of them weren’t. She didn’t know. But none of those other people, aside from a few, really mattered to Lucy. Rogan wanted her to push him. He wanted her to help him show everyone who doubted him just how costly that decision would be for them.

And maybe it doesn’t entirely make sense, but as Lucy stepped back into the apartment building holding two tickets to Ireland… She knew she was doing just that. Something told her that not only would she be able to learn more about the man she’d fallen in love with – but maybe he’d learn a little more about himself too. Maybe he’d find something he thought he’d lost a long time ago.

Or maybe the Dark Man would be able to build upon the pieces that were already in place.

Either way, Lucy was excited to present him with this late gift, one that would show him how truly important he was to her.

“There you are.”

Rogan said as Lucy stepped through the threshold and into their apartment. Lucy was surprised to see him, and put her hands behind her back to hide the tickets as he peered at her from across the room.

The Dark Man knew shenanigans were afoot.

“Here I am.”

Lucy replied as she closed the door with her foot. He watched her intently as she crossed the room and took a seat in the living room, leaving the tickets behind her back where he couldn’t see them before she laid her hands in her lap.

“You’re up early.”

“It’s eleven o’clock, Lass. What’s that behind your back?”

Lucy looked at him incredulously.

“What are you talking about?”

Rogan barked with laughter as he made his way into the living room and sat in front of her on the coffee table.

“I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t sit on the furniture that wasn’t supposed to be for sitting.”

Lucy said, pointing to him as he sat. Rogan simply shrugged his shoulders, an ornery grin on his lips.

“You’re trying to change the subject so that I’ll forget that you’re hiding something.”

Lucy shook her head.

“I’m not hiding a damn thing, thank you very much.”

“Lass, you’re a terrible liar.”

A bit of pink rose to Lucy’s cheeks as she grinned.

“Just to you, maybe.”

Rogan playfully narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn’t say another word. The two of them stared at each other until Lucy finally sighed and laid her head back on the couch.

“FINE!”

She knew she couldn’t compete with that look on his face. She reached behind her and pulled the envelope out and held it out to him.

“I was TRYING to hide it until I could wrap it and make it all pretty for you… But here. As far as Christmas gifts go.. I know it’s kind of late, but I hope… Well, I hope you like it.”

Rogan took the envelope cautiously, wondering what she was up to. When he opened it, he slowly took out its contents and his eyes widened.

“Tickets to IRELAND!? This is—when did you—this is awesome! Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been to my home land!?”

“Too long?”

Rogan didn’t even answer, he just moved forward and embraced her. Lucy kissed the side of his head and hugged him back.

“I told you I wanted to know everything about you…”

 

New Year, same old set up. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, right?

Lucy sat on the floor in their living room, her legs crossed and the UGWC World Heavyweight championship laying on the couch behind her. All that time off seems to have done her good, she looks refreshed and the battle wounds from her fight with Tempest have all but faded at this point.

“Back to work, huh? I can’t say I’m not ready to get back into the thick of it and we’re starting the year off strong. But before I get into the two gentlemen I get to face this week, let me just say a few things about how last year ended.”

She sits up a little straighter and brushes her hair out of her face.

“Actually, come to think of it.. What can I really say that hasn’t already been said a hundred thousand times at this point? Unless ya’ll were hiding under a rock, you saw it. You know what happened.. And let’s just say I’m one proud woman as I sit here before you. But the work is never truly done, is it? Horizons was just the beginning. But saying that doesn’t really mean anything. Us wrestlers, we do our talking with our bodies. We do it with our fists and our boots. We do it with our blood, sweat and tears. These belts, these accomplishments don’t mean jack shit otherwise.”

She shrugs her shoulders.

“But you know that better than most, Seb. And on that note, I just gotta say that as much of a pain in the ass as you are to face… I gotta say that I’m amazed by you and the shit you’ve accomplished. I respect the hell out of you and I always look forward to standing across from you in the ring. Granted, you’ve had my number more times than I’ve been able to keep track of, but that just goes to tell me how God damned good you are at what you do. People wanna overlook you because of that silver spoon that they see in your mouth and they refuse to see the work you put into this… All of this. But I see it Seb. I see you for what you are… You’re a champion.”

She smiles.

“And I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes at me saying this and that’s okay. Of course you already know all of this about yourself. But there was a point in time when you didn’t. We both know that and it never hurts to let someone know that they’re seen. There’ll come a day when you’re not Chaos champ anymore, a day when you look back and wonder where you went wrong, or if you’re any good anymore.. And hopefully you look back and remember that there’s never been a moment in your career when I’ve seen you as anything less than what you are right now.”

“But I digress. You are my opponent after all and I don’t need to inflate that ego anymore than it probably already is.”

She laughs.

“I kid, I kid. But at any rate, here we are… You with your big shiny and me with my slightly bigger shiny. And I think it’s gonna be one hell of a fun match…”

She waves at the camera.

“Heya Chuck. I didn’t forget you. I just… I’m not entirely sure what to make of you. That’s not intended as an insult but I figure much like your brother, you’re going to take that however you want anyway. And also in true Dave Rydell fashion, it seems like you like to do an awful lot of talking without actually doing anything about it. I’ve looked back on a few of the things you’ve said and I don’t know, it’s just a lot of hot air. A lot of uninspiring and uninteresting opinions that you’ve not entirely done a damn thing with.”

She shrugs again.

“Don’t get me wrong, Seb and myself do a lot of talking too. I know I’ve at times made observations that have proven themselves to be wrong and I’ve gotta own that shit. Eat a little crow if you will. That’s the game we play here, it’s just… You don’t seem like the ‘own up to it’ kind of guy to me. You seem like the ‘talk faster so they’ll forget what a jackass I am’ kind of guy.”

“Maybe you’ll shut me up on Monday, Chuck. Maybe you’ll prove me wrong. And hey, as one of the many faces of the UGWC, I welcome it. I’m always here to learn and grow. Like I said, the work doesn’t stop when you’ve accomplished your goal. But that burden is on you, and until then…”

She reaches behind her and pulls the world title into her lap and pats it.

“I’ll just be here, waiting on you to put up or shut up.”

Lucy blows a kiss at the camera.

“Love you Seb. Let’s show Chucky boy how it’s done, yeah?”