[Jake Sullivan]

 OOC: Sorry that this isn't up to my usual quality or legth...Been fighting a nasty head cold the past 3 days and I had to rush to finish this at the library, due to the fact everyone at my sister's is also sick, which is where I normally use the computer.  Anyway, I'll stop rambling..I apologize again!

Monday December 17th

The scene opens up in what is mostly a rather dreary looking apartment.  It is dreary because Christmas is only a week away and not one single inch of the apartment is decorated for this holiday season.  There is no Christmas tree or festive lights.  No window decorations either.  Whoever lives in this apartment must be Scrooge for all intents and purposes.

Just then, the door to the apartment opens and in walks the very attractive red-head that has been spending some time with “The Sin of Wrath”, Rage, lately.  Sabrina Stevens walks in to the apartment, flipping the light switch next to the door.  When the lights are on, she looks around the apartment, shaking her head very disappointedly.  She has a few bags in her hands and she sets them on the floor, and folds her arms across her chest.

”Oh Rage.  I simply can’t allow this apartment to look this...dark…for Christmas.  Let’s see what I can do before you get home.”

Sabrina places her purse on the table by the door then turns around and walks back out the door, holding the keys in her hand.  After several minutes, she walks through the door once again, holding several more bags in her left hand, as well as a long rectangular box in her right hand.  She places the bags next to the other ones on the floor, then walks over to the window in the living room to the apartment.  Sabrina opens the curtains, letting some light into the apartment and sets the box down in front of the window.  The picture on the front of the box reveals it holds a four foot pre-lit Christmas tree.  Sabrina looks at the box with a smile, and then looks at the watch on her wrist.

”Well, I better work quickly if I want to surprise Mr. Scrooge.  I hope he likes it.”

Sabrina then gets to work setting up the Christmas tree and all the decorations that are in the bags.  A few hours later, the door to Rage’s apartment opens and the big man himself walks in.  He looks around the now very festively decorated apartment of his with a rather confused look on his face.  The tree is set up directly in front of the window.  The window is lined with multi-colored lights and Christmas window clings are placed on the windows.  Rage sets his keys down on the table not noticing Sabrina’s purse and he continues to look around his apartment.  He slowly walks into the living room, toward the tree and stops just a few feet in front of it.

”What the f—“

”Now, now…Is that really appropriate language to be using at such a joyous time of year?”

Rage spins around as he hears Sabrina’s voice behind him.  She has just walked into the living room from one of the other room’s down the hall and has a bright and cheery smile on her face.  Her long red locks are pulled back into a ponytail, and she is wearing a red sweater and black dress pants.  Rage looks at her, then back at the tree and to all the decorations that now line his apartment.

”Sabrina?!  How the hell did you get into my apartment?!  Better yet, what the hell did you do?!”

Sabrina looks around at all of her hard work with a satisfied smile.

”What?  Don’t you like it?  I thought I’d surprise you and decorate this place myself.  I have to say, it was rather dark and dreary in here before I put all of my good decorating skills to good use.  You do realize that Christmas is next week, right?”

Rage nods, but still doesn’t look as happy as his new female friend standing in front of him.

”Yes I know that Christmas is next week, but I also do know that setting all this up was a waste of time.  I’m not here enough you know.  Take it all down.”

Sabrina pouts out her bottom lip and walks over to Rage, standing next to him.  She shakes her head, as Rage looks down at her, growing more frustrated.

”Sorry to disappoint you, Rage, but I’m NOT taking any of these decorations down.  I spent several hours setting all this up for you so you’re just going to have to live with it.  Show a little appreciation, would you?”

Rage lets out a frustrated growl as he walks past Sabrina and into his kitchen.  His eyes widen as he sees the decorations lining his kitchen, but he opens the refrigerator and takes out a beer.  He pops the top off, and chugs half of the beer down, before he looks back to Sabrina, slightly calmer than before.

”Fine, you can leave this shit up if you want.  But like I said, it was a waste of time either way, because I’m not going to be here very long anyway.  I just came back to get some clean clothes and then I have to head over to Synn’s place tomorrow.”

”Why do you even have this apartment if you spend most of your time over there?  It seems like a waste of money if you ask me.”

Rage rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his beer.  He walks over to the sofa which is just a few feet away from his new Christmas tree and takes a seat, glaring at the tree and all the ornaments it holds.

”I keep this place because I have to, Sabrina.  Synn already puts up with me enough, and vice versa.  I need this place as my get away from all the craziness.  It’s no offense to the others, but sometimes, I just need to be alone and in my own world, and this apartment is my way of doing that.  Or it used to be before you turned it into Christmas land.  Odette has her and Gabriel’s place just as festive…if not worse!”

Sabrina laughs and takes a seat next to Rage, crossing her left leg over her right.

”It’s called a woman’s touch, Rage.  It’s not such a bad thing, you know.  Speaking of Gabriel…how is he?  I watched the show last night.”

Rage shrugs his shoulders and finishes his beer.  He places it on the floor next to the sofa.

”How do you think he is?  He’s moping.  I gave him a ride home and I wanted to smack some sense in to him.  I can’t say I don’t know how he feels, because I lost the tag titles once myself, but losing the Heavyweight title was worse for me.  Look, if you’re so worried about Gabriel, why don’t you go and give him one of your therapist sessions and quit asking me.”

”Is that what you think I am to you, Rage?  Your therapist?”

”That’s what you told Ms. Big Tits a few weeks back wasn’t it?”

Sabrina chuckles and nods as Rage looks at her curiously.

”That I did, but you know as well as I do that I said that to clear up the rumors that were no doubt running around.  It was just another favor I did for you.  Besides, I'm sure Gabriel wouldn't want my help, much less need it.  He has Odette for that."

"So you'd leave Gabriel alone if he doesn't want or ask for your help, but you won't leave me alone?  Lovely."

Sabrina turns to face Rage as they both stay seated on the sofa.  Rage doesn't look at her, however.

"Okay, first things first.  Gabriel doesn't have a blatantly obvious anger problem.  YOU do.  Secondly, if I remember correectly, I gave you your space after I first introduced myself to you a few weeks back.  I in no way forced you to call me, but you did.  But you are still refusing to admit that you have a problem!"

Rage looks at Sabrina out of the corner of his eye, and a tiny smirk forms at the corner of his mouth.  Though as quickly as it appeared, it is gone.  But Sabrina noticed it.

"Excuse me but just what exactly are you smirking at?  Do you think this is funny?"

"What I find funny, Sabrina, is the fact that you're trying to help my *air quotes* anger problem, and you just raised your voice at me.  Tell me, do you have some anger issues of your own, woman?"

Sabrina frowns at Rage and folds her arms.  She stays silent for a moment before she grabs Rage's empty beer bottle and walks it over to the trash.  She turns around and glares at Rage.

"This isn't about me, Rage.   This is about you.  I'd really like to help you, but you're still holding back.  You still won't talk to me about what happened two weeks ago when you walked out of that tag team match you were involved in."

"That's because there is nothing to talk about.  I did what I had to do.  What's done is done, so there's no use in talking about it."

Rage stands up and walks into the kitchen, taking another beer out of the refrigerator.  Sabrina yanks it out of his hand before he can open it, and she places it on the counter nextto the fridge.  Rage glares at her with his nostrils flared.

"Oh there are two reasons why I think you need to talk about it.  You could have helped that poor man from being assaulted like that, but you didn't!  You just walked out and let it happen."

Rage laughs, but Sabrina doesn't find any of this amusing.

"Poor man?  POOR MAN?!  Lady, you need to do your research on Matthew Kennedy if you feel any amount of sympathy for him.  He asked for that damn fight, and he got it.  They just threw me into that match to be his damn protector.  Well, I showed them I'm no one's protector, especially not Matthew Kennedy's.  He got what he deserved, and if he continues going after Mark Ward and his lackeys, he'll get ten times worse I'm sure."

"How can you say that?  What if that had been Despayre out there?  Or Gabriel?  Are you saying you wouldn't protect them in that situation?"

Rage narrows his eyes at Sabrina and takes a step towards her.  Though he towers over her, she is not intimidated by him.

"Don't you bring Despy or Gabriel into this.  You don't know them."

"You're right.  I don't know them, but think about it.  What if either one of them had picked a fight with Mark Ward and his friends?  What if they had, but you didn't want any part of it?  Can you honestly say you wouldn't protect them?  You would walk out of the match just like you did to Matthew Kennedy because it wasn't your fight?"

"They wouldn't be that stupid.  And besides, their fights ARE my fights.  I'd protect them with everything I have.  Quit acting like you know everything, Sabrina, because you're really starting to piss me off."

Sabrina lets out a slight laugh and rolls her eyes.

"Gee, what else is new?  The most mundane of things can piss you off, Rage.  Which is why I want to help you.  You don't see it but your anger problem is now starting to affect your job."

"What makes you think that?"

Sabrina shakes her head.  She holds up a finger telling Rage she'll be back in a moment when she walks down the hall to Rage's room.  She walks back out a few moments later with Rage's laptop in her hands.  She has it open as she walks over to Rage.

"THIS is why I know that, Rage.  This look familiar to you?"

Sabrina shows Rage the replay of Climax Control from December 2nd.  She forces him to watch the video of his tag team match with Matthew Kennedy as they faced Nick Jones and Jordan Williams.  Rage's eyes are glued to  the laptop screen and he watches as he jumps down from the ring apron and walks out of the matcb, leaving Matthew Kennedy there defenseless.  That decision ultimately cost him and Primetime the match, and out of frustration, Rage slams the laptop shut and yanks it out of Sabrina's hands.  He puts it in the counter and glares st Sabrina.

"I remember what happened, Sabrina.  What is your fucking point?!"

"Don't you see, Rage?  You're starting to make irrational decisions!  You cost yourself matches because you get angry or frustrated.  Is that what you really want?"

"What I did in that tag team match was a one time thing.  It won't happen again."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not so sure I believe that.  How can you guarantee that it won't happen again?  You could get just as frustrated on Sunday when you face Kain, right?  After all, you don't have a feud going with him right now.  The thought *air quotes* this isn't my fight could very well pop right back into your head and you could leave again."

Rage shakes his head.  He grabs the beer off the counter and opens it, tossing the top into the trash can.  He takes a drink, keeping his eyes locked on Sabrina.

"That's not going to happen.  This isn't some pointless tag match this week. This is one-on-one and I'm determined to win.  Matthew Kennedy lost a few weeks ago...Not me.  Kain isn't going to beat me.  My losing streak ends on Sunday."

”If you say so, but don’t get all bah humbug when it happens again, because it will.  Maybe not in the same exact way, but sooner or later, your anger is going to get the best of you, and when it does, you’ll know you need help.  You won’t be able to deny it any longer.  At least not to me.”

”Whatever.  I’m not going to sit here and argue with you anymore.  I need to go take a shower, and I’d appreciate it if you were gone when I get out.”

”And here I thought you enjoyed my company.  If you want me to leave, fine.  I’ll give you your space.  But before I leave, why don’t you go get all the Christmas gifts you bought and I’ll do you another favor by wrapping them for you.”

Rage raises an eyebrow as he polishes off his beer and throws the empty bottle in the trash.

”What gifts?”

”You’re kidding me, right?  Christmas is next week and you haven’t gotten anything for anyone yet?”

”I’m not much of a Christmas shopper, Sabrina.  I normally just get those special cards that hold cash and give that to everyone.  That way they can buy whatever they want.  It makes it a hell of a lot easier.’

Sabrina laughs and shakes her head.  She walks over to the table by the door and grabs her purse and her car keys.

”Well I have news for you.  Now that you know me, you are most definitely NOT doing that this year.  It’s the thought that counts, so whether you like it or not, you’re going to buy gifts for every one of your friends this year.  In fact, this will be a great therapy session.  Since you waited until the last minute to buy gifts, I’ll take you out Christmas shopping on Monday when you get back from California.”

”Therapy session?  What kind of therapy session is that?!”

Sabrina smiles as she stands in front of the door.

”You have apparently never done any last minute shopping on Christmas Eve.  You are in for quite a rude awakening, Rage.  Anyway, I’ll see you next week.  Good luck in your match, and if you need anything you have my number.”

Sabrina turns to walk out the door, and as she does, Rage walks up behind her.  He stops her for a second, looking down at her.  She smiles up at him sweetly, and he reaches his hand up above her, taking something down that was hanging from the door…mistletoe!  He dangles the mistletoe she hung over the door in front of her, shaking his head.

”Nice try, Sabrina.  This shit is dangerous in my place.  Luckily I noticed it before Synn had the chance to suddenly stop by.”

”I didn’t put it up there for that reason, Rage.  You always think the worst about everything.”

Sabrina suddenly catches Rage off guard as she gets on her tippy toes and gives the big man a kiss on his cheek.  She leans back down with a smile and throws the strap of her purse over her shoulder.  Rage stands there, almost shocked.

”See you later, big man.”

Sabrina then turns and walks out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.  Rage stands there for a moment, holding the mistletoe in his hand.  He grunts a little then tosses it on the table and turns around, looking over his apartment again.  He shakes his head and heads down the hall and into his bathroom, flipping on the light.  His voice yells out from the bathroom.

”YOU’VE GOTTA BE F**KING KIDDING ME?!  What did that woman do to my bathroom?!?!”

A loud guttural growl is heard as he slams the bathroom door shut and the scene fades out.

OOC Note: To find out how Rage’s last minute Christmas shopping goes, stay tuned for a special CB Christmas RP to be posted next week

*************************

Things haven’t gone so smoothly for me the last few months.  It seems as though my wrestling career is just getting worse and worse.  I’ve suffered a few losses…a few big losses, and quite honestly, each one just makes my mood worse.  Don’t get me wrong, I accomplished a hell of a lot this past year here in SCW…more than I’ve accomplished in my entire career, but just when things seem to be going good, it all goes to shit just as fast.

Take my tag team title reign with Jamie Staggs.  We were the very first tag team champions here in SCW.  As odd of a pairing as we were as a team, we made a damn good team and I thought we’d hold those belts for a while.  I thought we’d end up defending them against Gabriel and Despayre, but things didn’t work out the way I thought they would.  We lost the belts on our very first defense.  It was a loss neither one of us thought should have happened, but what’s done is done.  After that loss, I didn’t have a match for almost two months, and Jamie went on to do his own thing in BACW and NWA.

I can’t say that I blame him.  Once I got back to the ring that is when I had my sights set on something bigger.  I had my eyes on the big prize here in SCW.  I never held heavyweight gold back when I was in GXW, and my time as the top champion was long overdue.  So I worked my ass off and did what I had to do.

It might have taken me a while, but I pulled it off.  I won the tournament to become the number one contender for the Heavyweight Title, and I went after Nick Jones.  It didn’t happen the first time, but I learned from my mistakes in that first match, and the second time I faced Nick, I took him down.  Everyone knew I could do it.  I knew I could do it.  It doesn’t matter how much Nick wants to deny it, but I beat him for a reason.  I was the Heavyweight Champion for a reason, and it doesn’t matter that my title reign wasn’t as long as his was.  I still had it.

And I want it again.  But I have to get through an annoying piece of shit that goes by the name Blade Alexander to get my shot again.  I’m not going to sit here and waste my time talking about Blade Alexander, because I’ll get to him in just a few weeks at New Year Rising, but I have someone else I need to take care of first.  A man I’ve faced before, though this time it will be one-on-one.  The man who calls himself The King of Kings.  I’m talking about you, Kain.

Let me start by congratulating you and your new tag team partner, Lucian Frost, on doing something I honestly thought couldn’t be done.  You won the tag team titles, ending Gabriel and Despy’s what, eight month reign as champions?  I applaud you guys for that.  I’m not happy about it, but you guys are the champions, right?  But this week, it’s not about those tag team titles, is it Kain?  It's not about any title this time, actually.  It'll be just you and me in that ring.

I know what you're capable of, Kain.  I've seen it before.  I've experienced it, but that doesn't mean shit anymore.  You were out with an injury not that long ago, but you're back now.  I'm sure you still want your shot at the Heavyweight Title, but that's just gonna have to wait.  Who knows.  Maybe once you finally get that shot, the belt will be around my waist again.  With any luck, that just might happen.

Don't make the mistake of saying some bullshit like my time as champion is done.  Don't be so stupid and naive to think that you can beat me one-on-one, because this Sunday, I'll prove that you can't, and I'll show everyone in attendance that I'm most certainly NOT finished here in SCW.  I want that title back, and I'll do anything and everything I have to in order to get it back.  If it means kicking your ass and pinning you one, two, three in the middle of the ring....You bet your ass I'm gonna do it!  Then once I'm through with you, I'll finally get my shot at Blade Alexander and I'll earn my return shot at the Heavyweight Title.  

You...You, Kain, can just sit back and watch it happen.  Be happy walking around with the Tag Team Titles...for now...because it's gonna be a long time before you hold the Heavyweight Title...if ever.  But, gold is gold right?  You're a champion in your own right, so you deserve props for that.  I just have a bit of a warning for you though, Kain.  You see, two of my friends...my family members...are reeling after losing those belts.  They might not admit it, but I know then pain they feel.  I've felt it before.  They may be wishing you luck, but because you took those belts from them, Kain, I've gotta give you a little something in return.  Call it my Christmas gift to you. You've gotta experience a little bit of pain yourself.  And, boy, will you ever feel pain.

'Tis the season to be...Ragey.  Merry Christmas and Good Luck, Kain.