”Why have you waited so long?”

Seb had asked Lucy when they were in Cambodia. Seb was there for a show, and he’d invited Lucy as an emotional support BFF and Lucy was all too happy to oblige. Granted that meant she had to take a break from helping Rogan with ‘the Waystation’, but Rogan didn’t mind.

He knew that if Lucy could help her friend in a hard time, that she would.

So they spent a few days just hanging out and occupying their minds. But one night in particular, they’d found themselves lost deep in conversation, talking about things that perhaps neither of them had thought to bring up to the other.

You know the kind of conversation I’m talking about.

The kind that gives perspective and deepens a friendship.

Regardless, the topics varied from Seb’s breakup with Sloane, to Lucy’s desperate need to burden herself with Joe’s problems because of what she did to him. Eventually their chat turned to a subject that Lucy rarely spoke about.

“I don’t know, Seb. I guess I’ve just.. I’m not good with kids.”

They’d discussed their desires or lack thereof, of continuing their respective bloodlines, and out of nowhere Lucy admitted that she hadn’t even been to Baltimore to meet her new niece. She wasn’t proud of it, and Seb’s question was completely warranted.

If only explaining how she felt was that easy.

But that’s what brought her here today, to her sister’s (and Ken’s) home. She stood outside the front door for far longer than is comfortable before finally knocking on the door.

Maybe she should have called first?

She didn’t have much time to reconsider her decision before the door opened, and a sigh followed.

“What’s wrong now?”

Kyra didn’t waste any time, did she? Lucy shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

“Um.. nothing?”

“Then… What are you doing here?”

It was Lucy’s turn to sigh. She didn’t expect a warm welcome, but she hoped that Kyra wouldn’t be totally opposed to seeing her sister either. Then again, the relationship between Lucy and Kyra has always been a bit… tumultuous. And that’s putting it lightly. At one point, Kyra nearly killed Lucy – but in the same vein, Lucy allowed it to happen.

Anger and guilt riddled the Johnson sisters. That much was true. But this wasn’t about their past. This was about their present, and their future.

“Kyra.. I’m sorry I haven’t dropped by sooner.”

Lucy replied nervously, raking her hands through her hair as Kyra looked on, unimpressed.

“Yeah, well I figured you’ve had better things to do than… You know.”

Forever defiant, those last words dripped with disappointment, even if Kyra wouldn’t admit it. And while Lucy may have wanted, deep down, to try and defend herself – She knew it would fall on deaf ears, and furthermore, it wouldn’t do anything to make things better.

So she nodded her head instead.

“You’re right to think that. I haven’t done a fantastic job of showing how much I care. I told myself I was just giving ya’ll space to settle down with the new baby and then and then and then… I just kept finding reasons to put it off, even though, I’m sure it’s not easy adding an entirely new person to a household.”

“It’s a lot. Yeah. I get it.”

A few moments of awkward silence followed, until Kyra finally pulled the door open more and motioned for Lucy to come inside.

“Might as well come in, I got other shit to do besides stand on the front stoop and stare at you all night.”

Lucy stepped through the door and past Kyra, looking at the house around her. It didn’t change much since the last time she and Rogan had been there – with the main additions being baby things, and other stuff Lucy assumed one would need when they have one of them new babies.

Kyra disappeared almost immediately once Lucy was inside the house, and returned a few minutes later, holding the baby in her arms, followed closely by Kyra’s first daughter, Adina.

Adina stopped the moment she saw her aunt and stared her down as Kyra moved across the room and sat down with little Alexis, cradling her.

“What are you doing here Aunt Lucy?”

Lucy chuckled. If there ever was any doubt that this child was Kyra’s, that doubt would be erased almost instantly. Lucy shook her head.

“I.. Um, I wanted to drop by and see you guys and to meet your baby sister. How’s it being a big sister now, hmm?”

Adina shrugged and moved past Lucy, heading into the room where Kyra was seated with the baby.

“It’s okay I guess. She doesn’t really do much.”

“She’s almost 3 months old. What do you want her to do exactly?”

Kyra asked her older daughter, shaking her head. Adina sat down beside her and stared at Alexis, looking just as unimpressed as her mother did mere moments before.

“Was I this useless, Mommy?”

“She isn’t useless, Adina. Christ. But, yes. This is about all you did for the first few months of your life too.”

Lucy stood there awkwardly, watching them converse. She was perfectly comfortable around Rogan, or Seb.. or any of her friends… But when it came to kids, Eden and Gabriel’s little boy or Kyra’s two little ones… She just didn’t know what to do.

Finally, after a few moments, Kyra looked up and cleared her throat, drawing Lucy’s attention.

“Are you gonna come sit down and meet your niece or do I need to hold your hand?”

“I.. oh, yeah. Of course.”

Lucy mumbled as she crossed the room and sat down next to Kyra, taking her first look at Alexis, letting out a gasp as Kyra unceremoniously lifted the baby and placed her into Lucy’s arms. Lucy looked between the baby, Kyra and Adina as she held the baby – unsure of what she was actually supposed to do.

“What? I.. Uh, she’s beautiful, Kyra. You and Ken did good.”

Kyra nodded as she watched Lucy fumbling with a smirk on her lips. Adina, obviously bored, yawned and got up; scampering off and stomping her way back up the stairs. Kyra sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What is your deal?”

Lucy’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean?”

“If there were one of us that people would have thought would be this fucking bad with kids.. Everyone would have bet on me. But you’re.. Jesus Christ. You are just… bad.”

Lucy’s cheeks flushed as she tried to relax and make Kyra’s statement seem less true than it was. But one more look over at her sister, and she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone.

“I don’t know, Kyra. I don’t know. This.. this is amazing. I’m thrilled for you and Ken, you know? I just.. I don’t know how to do any of this.”

Lucy sighed again. Kyra rolled her eyes.

“You think I did?”

Kyra replied with a laugh, leaning forward and running a fingertip over the baby’s cheek.

“I was terrified because of how we grew up. I didn’t want to be anything like our parents… and no matter how much I told myself that, I still worried I would be like them without trying because no matter how much I hate it… I am their kid.”

“Yeah..”

Lucy said quietly, staring at the baby in her arms. There wasn’t a bone in her body that wanted anything but the best for her friends, and her family. But there’s also that nagging feeling deep down that worries her… Telling her that she’s capable of the same atrocities as her father was.

And that thought terrifies her.

“It’s scary. To be responsible for all this, and the pressure to do better than how you were raised…”

Kyra scoffed.

“A wet paper bag could parent better than ours did, Lucy. Let’s be real here. But yeah, it is. I’m doing it though. And you.. You wouldn’t be allowed near my kids if I honestly thought you were anything like them.”

Lucy didn’t have a retort for that. Instead she just sat there and watched the baby sleep in her arms. She knew Kyra was right, but then again Lucy had done some questionable things over the last few months…

That doesn’t make her a bad person… Right?

Finally, Lucy glanced up at Kyra and smiled.

“Fair enough.”

 

Hey there again, Ezra.

I’m guessing I’m not exactly the name you wanna see across from yours on the card, especially when you’ve got yourself a date with Sebastian coming up. Too bad, I guess.

Congratulations on that, by the way. Not an easy task to make it through five defenses of the Conquest title. Might have taken you some time to get there, but you did it.

You did it at a time when Seb and I were both distracted by other things, you know… But hey, good for you. I know I’m nit-picking here, but it doesn’t really matter how you make it to the finish line, as long as you make it, yeah? That’s the mantra I’m sure you’re going with since we both know if you were faced with… more of a challenge…

Maybe you wouldn’t be here right now?

I don’t know.

I’m only going off of the last time you had that belt and the speed bump you couldn’t get past.

It was me, I was the speed bump.

And that’s why I don’t think you’re a fan of this match because you’ve got one hell of a win streak going right now and it would be a shame if someone fucked that up for you as you face down the biggest match of your career.

Shit, I can feel your nerves from here.

I should know, I’ve been a victim of Sebastian Everett Bryce more than once. But hey, you’ve got nothing to worry about. We’ve all been there, buckaroo. We’ve all gotten our asses handed to us, we’ve all had momentum halted at what we’ve perceived to be the ‘worst possible moment’, and guess what?

You’ll survive.

I have.

I know, I know… who the fuck am I?

I don’t know, Ez. Just the bitch that’s had your number each time we’ve gone head to head. Not saying this is a lock for me, but history does tell a pretty one sided tale, don’t it? I just hope you don’t lose sight of what’s right in front of you while you’re staring at my BFF’s shiny belt.

Because I won’t hesitate to knock you the fuck out.

I’m nice like that.

Everyone needs to be reminded every now and again, you know? Brought back down to earth. Don’t catapult yourself up into the clouds just yet, Ezra. You haven’t quite gotten to the summit yet, and if you still wanna make it there?

Don’t cross me.

Let’s have a good, clean match and I promise I won’t rough you up too badly before you get to test yourself against the other best wrestler in our business to date. I’d hate to be responsible for adding to what Seb’s already gonna do to you.

See you in a bit.