Funny how things change, huh?

Last year I was preparing to defend the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship against Kem Dynamo. Last year, I never thought I’d be anywhere else but UGWC.

But here we are.

As a certain idiot champ of yours is so fond of saying, I’m not here anymore. But, looking around and seeing some of you who ‘aren’t quitters’… I gotta say, I’m glad to be standing here at Wrestle Stock representing my new home.

It’s kind of bittersweet though.

I won’t lie. It’s a damn shame that things ended up the way they did. Did I honestly think that I’d be here now, representing Carnage Wrestling? Hell no. But.. And there’s always a but… I couldn’t be any happier than I am now where I’m at in my life and with who I get to live it with.

Which I guess, brings me to the reason I’m here… In more ways than one.

I get the opportunity to go one on one for the first time with the one person who’s been with me through everything I’ve gone through in the last few years.. And I couldn’t have done any of it without him.

Things might be a bit different now, between he and I since the last time any of you have had the chance to see… but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still the same competitors that we have always been and that’s why I challenged him to this match.

It’s nice for once to come into a match and know without a shadow of a doubt that when it’s over and done, no matter who wins or who loses that we had fun and that we’re still going home together at the end of the night and we’re going to be just as happy as we were before.

There’s definitely something to say about just doing something because it’s fun.

Ya’ll should try that sometime.

Maybe some of you wouldn’t be so damned miserable and judgemental if you did some shit for fun every once and a while. Life isn’t all about title belts and winning everything under the sun, regardless of what some of you might say. Nah. Life is about doing what you love with who you love and having fun while doing it.

If that rubs some of you the wrong way, then I guess I’m glad I’m just here for one match because honestly? I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. But since I am here for one night and I am the same Lucy that you all have known for the last two years…

I hope you all are ready for Joe and I to steal the show on night two because that’s sure as hell what’s going to happen.

 

Date July 4th 2019 / Time Unknown / Status Not Recording
Location Wrestlestock Day One – Cincinnati Sports Complex – Cincinnati, Ohio

Wrestlestock is an event. A big event. I almost forgot how big, that is until I walked in here today to see the mass of people, all moving about in anticipation of tonight’s matches. Hell, I’m not even sure who’s on the card tonight.. That’s how out of the loop I am.

I’m here, yet I feel so removed from it all. It’s hard to feel good and welcome somewhere that I left under such… animosity.

“Why the fuck am I even here…”

I mutter to myself, trying to weave through the crowd without being recognized, which is no small feat. Part of me wishes I’d of heeded Joes words when I left the hotel a little bit ago, saying that I didn’t owe this place anything more than my attendance at tomorrows event for our match.

He wasn’t wrong.

But I’ve missed this. Honestly. And part of me needed to be here, for nostalgia’s sake. Although that nostalgic feeling isn’t all good, the UGWC was my home for almost two years and I enjoyed most of it.

I just didn’t think I’d be this uncomfortable being here.

I guess I underestimated myself.

Guess I underestimated a lot of–

“Lucy Wylde…”

The voice stops me in my tracks in an all too familiar way. I slowly turn around amid the crowd and lay my eyes upon none other than my old nemesis (can I call him that?), Jet Somers. The last real time I saw him, was just after our match at Horizons… what, over six months ago? While things then, weren’t good… Not in the slightest… I actually feel glad to see him.

“Jet! Holy shit.. How are you?”

A couple of fans see the two of us and they stop, apparently wanting to watch our conversation like it’s a soap opera. Maybe they expect the two of us to lunge for one another’s throats or whatever… Like that’s going to happen.

Then again, Guess you really can’t rule anything out around here.

“I’m doing well. And yourself?”

I put my arm up and wave at the fans, before motioning to him that we should probably keep walking.

“They look like they want us to throw down.. I’m not feeling it.”

He nods his head and we fall in side by side as we continue walking around the festival.

“But anyway, I’m good. Great actually.”

I glance over at him and he nods again.

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it. It’s been… interesting around here since you left.”

I shrug my shoulders.

“I can imagine.”

Really, I don’t need to do much imagining since I know what he means, even without having watched any UGWC programming since my departure. Whether or not he and I have ever really saw eye to eye.. I think we’re on the same wavelength at least in this regard.

“Listen… I’m really glad to see you… I wasn’t sure how I was going to be received upon my return, even if it’s only for this match.”

Really, I still don’t. I mean it’s a crap shoot at best.

“How is Carnage, by the way?”

I chuckle and shake my head.

“It’s alright. Boss is a prick, but is that really a surprise? I mean It’s good. I’m happy over there.”

“That’s good.”

I sigh, pulling my hair back out of my face.

“It’s no UGWC though. But I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or a bad thing. I’m really only there because of Joe.”

A smirk crosses his face.

“Yeah, Joe.. So that’s a thing now, huh?”

“Totally a thing. I know there’s no love lost between the two of you but don’t beat up my boyfriend. That’s my job tomorrow.”

I’d forgotten that Jet and Joe really, and truly don’t like one another. It’s no real surprise those feelings have lasted for all this time. It’s kinda funny, really. They’re both strong willed and stubborn as fuck.

“Speaking of.. Why?”

“Why Joe and I wanna beat each other up?”

He nods his head and I can’t help but grin.

“He and I have never faced each other one on one. It just felt like the right time, with everything else going on in our lives.”

Jet, or anyone else, I’m sure haven’t really kept up with Carnage Wrestling TV, or even really know about Joe’s injury and everything that’s gone along with that. It’s been stressful. It’s been hard. Especially on him.

“And you know us, we’re both super competitive so why not?”

“Because one of you will wind up on the couch afterwards?”

I chuckle again and shake my head.

“Nah. We’re here to have fun.”

“You say that now…”

“And I’ll say that afterwards too, even if he does kick my head off my body. Shit’s been kinda stressful lately and I don’t know.. I just want him to have fun. I want him to not have to worry about everything else that’s been taking up a lot of our minds and our emotions and just have one fun match without anything at stake.”

Which I honestly know is going to be hard enough for him as is, especially after Chaos on Monday and everything that’s been going on with his eye and Paragon. It’s a lot. I just hope he can relax and have a good time while we’re here together and maybe even forget about a little bit of the stress that’s been eating at him for weeks now.

That’s hard though, especially while he’s still wearing that patch over his eye – an ever present reminder of what happened to him and how badly he wants to get back at the little fuck that did that to him.

“I’m starting to see the value in that. Not a lot of other people see things that way, Lucy. We didn’t used to.”

I shrug my shoulders.

“Well I’m me. You should know that better than just about anyone, Jet.”

We stop and he turns towards me.

“I’ve never doubted it. Don’t ever try to be something else, ok?”

I nod my head and smile.

“I don’t think you gotta worry about that. But hey.. You probably have a lot of shit to do.”

I extend my hand to him and he takes it without hesitation and we shake hands.

“It was great seeing you though… Take care of yourself.”

“You do the same, Lucy. Looking forward to seeing you out there tomorrow.”

 

Date July 5th 2019 / Time Unknown / Status Not Recording
Location Wrestlestock Day Two – Cincinnati Sports Complex – Cincinnati, Ohio

“Are you excited?”

I ask, squeezing Joe’s hand as we walk backstage – heading towards our locker room to prep for our match in a few hours. It’s weird being back here again, feeling those same butterflies that I felt every other time, every other big show I fought at for UGWC.. but this time, the butterflies are different. Everything is different.

He squeezes my hand back and sighs.

“It’s weird.”

I roll my eyes and glance over at him.

“I know, having a match… for fun.. What a foreign concept for JC. Hmmm?”

He shoots me a sideways glance and shakes his head.

“Years ago I didn’t think you had a fun bone in your body.”

“Showed you differently, didn’t I?”

“Mmmmhm.”

I can’t help but grin as we continue walking among the stagehands and crew as they continue working on the finishing touches of tonight’s show. He has shown me different. In a lot of ways. The way he and I met years ago, I never thought I’d be here.. In this position, with him. I love him. I truly do. He’s given me the opportunity to see a side of him that I’m not sure anyone else has had the pleasure of seeing.

He’s a good man.

Sure he’s a good man that’s done some bad things… He’d tell anyone that he’s a bad man, he’s told me that same thing many, many times over and I know most people would just say that I’m blinded by love when I say this but I don’t see it. I see a passionate, hard nosed man that wants to do the right thing.

And that’s a lot more than I can say about most people these days.

“I just hope you’re ready to–”

“Lose? I hope you’re ready to deal with the embarrassment of losing to me in front of all your old…”

His voice trails off as we see Zane Scott step out of a doorway right in front of us. He looks around, spotting us and immediately the man moves towards us and extends a hand. I take it and shake his hand as Joe moves in closer beside me. Always on guard that one is.

“Zane.”

He smiles.

“Lucy, it’s nice to see you back.”

I glance over at Joe and I almost think I see him roll his eyes before I turn back to Zane and smile.

“Hey, thanks.  How are you?”

He shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m good. Still trying to right my wrongs.”

Joe squeezes my hand and I nod my head.

“Aren’t we all? I’m sure you remember my boyfriend, Joe?”

Zane’s gaze moves to Joe and he nods. Meanwhile, Joe shakes his head and I can feel his eye boring into the side of my head. Hey, he wants to troll me all the time, he’d better expect me to get him back for it.

“I am… Nice to see you again too, Joe.”

“Yeah.”

I can’t keep the grin off of my face as Joe shifts uncomfortably and Zane turns his attention back to me.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing so well, Lucy. Good luck tonight.”

“She’s going to need it.”

Joe mutters under his breath where Zane can’t hear and I elbow him in the stomach.

“Thank you Zane, I appreciate it. Joe’s no slouch. But I think I’ll manage.”

Zane chuckles and nods his head.

“I’m sure you will, and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a Lucy Wylde vs. Angelica Vaughn match in the future…”

My eyes widen for a split moment.

“I’m… sure you would, Zane. You and a lot of other people, but I’m good where I’m at.”

He nods and sighs.

“Worth a shot. I’m going to leave you two to get to where you need to go, you’re match isn’t far off.”

Zane moves away, leaving Joe and I again by ourselves in the hallway. He sighs and shakes his head and I laugh as we continue walking.

“I’m gonna need the luck, huh?”

I finally say as we approach the locker room with my name on it. We stop in front of the door and I turn just in time to see him shrug his shoulders with that half amused grin on his lips.

“That’s what I said.”

I scoff and run my hand along the neckline of his shirt, stopping just long enough to place my palm on the side of his face.

“We’ll see what you say when this is all said and done.”

“Pretty sure I’m gonna be telling you ‘its okay‘ after you lose, but-“

Before he can finish, I get up on my tip toes and kiss his nose.

“Shut up and go get ready. Dick.”

I grab the doorknob and step inside, winking at him and closing the door as I hear a soft chuckle and his footsteps as he continues down the hall.

It’s time to get ready.

 

Hey baby.

I know we’ve been going back and forth a lot lately, fooling around and trolling the fuck out of each other about our odds in this match that’s about to happen. But really? I’m just happy I get the opportunity to have this match at all.

You saved me Joe.

You saved me in more ways than one.

And I don’t know if I can ever truly thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know if I could ever truly thank you for always being there for me, and loving me even when I didn’t think I deserved it.

I’m not going to go into details, because well, you and I know everything we’ve gone through to get to this point in our lives and while it was hard.. The hardest thing I’ve ever been through… I wouldn’t trade any of it because I ended up right where I belong. With you. You truly are the greatest thing that ever happened to me and I don’t think words, these words more specifically could ever truly do justice to the way I feel about you.

You kept me here and you kept me grounded when I was trying my hardest to rid the world of my presence. You made me feel love when all I felt was despair. There’s just something about you, Joe. Something I see each and every time that I look into your eyes and I just know.. I know that this was the way it was always meant to be.

And this match?

Why’d I challenge you? Why’d I want to fight you?

We both know that answer too. We’re competitive people. We love what we do and even more importantly we’re damn good at what we do. Why not do it with each other? Why not do something that we’ve never gotten the chance to?

No, we’re not going to take it easy on each other. No, we’re not gonna come out of this without at least something to remind us of this night.. But we will get to go back home together and continue living this life that I’ve come to appreciate so much. We’ll get to go home and enjoy reminiscing about this for years to come.

I’m here because of you, Joe. I’m here at this show, I’m still here as a fighter… but also because of you, I’m still here on this planet… alive.

As you like to remind everyone, you’re the best at what you do… and who am I to disagree? We’ve gone at it before, back when we absolutely despised each others existence. I gave you a couple of lumps and you returned the favor with enthusiasm. I know what you’re capable of and I’m looking forward to testing myself against someone that I see in exactly the same light as you see yourself.

The best.

I’ve never doubted that either.

And I’ll never doubt that, ever.

I’m grateful for your part in my life, my story, Joe. And I hope we continue to create an even more beautiful life in our future.

I love you.

Let’s tear the fucking house down tonight, huh?

I hope you’re ready.

OOC: JC, Jet & Zane used with permission. Thank you guys for playing along with my shit! Enjoy and good luck Joe! I love you!!!