May 30
Saxon Hotel - rooftop
“You may now kiss your bride.”
With that statement - and the biggest smile on his face - Lachlan leaned forward, cupping Sierra’s face in his hands gently and gave her the most heartwarming, tender kiss of his entire life while the small gathering around them clapped and cheered. When they finally parted, he pressed his forehead to Sierra’s, still smiling broadly, while she gave him a bashful little grin and her cheeks flushed pink. He took her hands in his and the newlywed couple turned to the crowd consisting of just their family. Lach could see Alanah dabbing at her eyes with a tissue while Jack gave them a double thumbs up. Mal had a rare genuine smile on his face as he applauded, while Bella was smiling warmly at them. Sierra’s parents and brothers were also giving them smiles and thumbs-up gestures, and Lach’s mother held her hands over her heart while she beamed proudly.
Lachlan felt like he was on cloud nine.
Despite the world being in a complete state of chaos, despite all his doubts and fears about his own career...he had just gotten married to the love of his life in front of his dear friends and family. Sure, it wasn’t the original affair that they had planned for, but to Lachlan, nothing else mattered except that Sierra was now his wife, and he was her husband. They could have gotten married in the middle of the street dressed in their sweatpants and T-shirts and it wouldn’t have changed how happy he felt.
And not only did he get a wife, he got two beautiful stepdaughters that he loved and adored as much as if they were his own flesh and blood. The two little girls in question had now raced up to the two of them and were excitedly jumping into their arms, Lachlan taking Jade and Sierra holding Olivia. Jade was giving him the biggest gap-toothed grin as she threw her arms around his neck. “Now I get to call you Daddy!” she declared excitedly, to the happy laughter of everyone in attendance.
Lachlan smiled even bigger - he wasn’t even sure that he could, his cheeks were already hurting so much - as he hugged her tightly to him. “That would make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Yay, Daddy!” Olivia clapped her little hands together as she grinned towards Lachlan.
He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes for the second time, the first being when he finally saw Sierra coming down the aisle in her wedding gown. “Well, what do you say we go have a party now? I heard there’s gonna be cake.”
“Yay, cake!” Jade said happily.
The new little family made their way back down the aisle as everyone cheered and clapped and they disappeared into the hotel to rest up for a little bit before the reception.
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A few hours later
The rooftop bar had been transformed into a beautiful reception area, with a dance floor cleared in the middle of the rooftop, tables and chairs set up around its perimeter, strings of beautiful twinkling lights strung up all over the place and a booth set up for the hotel DJ to play music for the guests to enjoy. Everyone was mingling and talking, waiting on the arrival of Lachlan and Sierra to officially begin the festivities.
Soon, the elevator doors dinged and slid open, and everyone turned to see them step out, dressed a little more casually but still nice, Jade and Olivia with them as well. As soon as they stepped onto the rooftop, the crowd clapped and cheered for them as they made their way to the head table, stopping to talk and thank everyone that came to celebrate with them. While their wedding had been more on the formal side, they had decided to keep the reception a more casual affair, more of a dance party with light food. Just a way for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves after all the stress of the past few months.
The DJ eventually got the music going, and soon everyone was laughing, talking, dancing, drinking and having a great time. Lach had managed a moment to himself for the first time since the party started, and he stood off to the side with a drink in his hand as he watched Sierra and her brothers in a cheesy dance-off to some old school hip-hop song, and he smiled at the sight.
“So, how’s life as a married man?”
He glanced to his left to see Malachi come up beside him, giving him a lopsided grin and clapping him on the shoulder. “Is it everything you dreamed of? Birds singing, rainbows everywhere you look, all that Disney shit?”
Lach gave a shake of his head with a wry grin. “I know you’re taking the piss, but yeah, it actually is. Despite only being about five hours into my marriage. And I’m looking forward to all the hours ahead of us, as well.”
Mal shook his head. “God, you sound like a cheesy Hallmark card. But in all seriousness, I’m happy for you. You deserve all this, after the shit you’ve gone through. Sierra’s a good woman.” He paused, giving Lach a sideways look. “But don’t tell her I said that. She’d probably think I was insulting her in some way and kick my ass.”
The brothers shared a laugh as they sipped at their drinks and continued to watch the dancing as the party continued on.
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June 19
The Vegas night was balmy with a fair breeze blowing over the city as Lachlan Kane sat out on the balcony of his hotel suite, enjoying the night air with a serene smile on his face. The newlywed Irishman
“So, here I go again. Another opportunity to prove myself worthy in the ranks of SCW. Pretty sure you’re all tired of this song and dance from me...but how do you think I feel having to live it? Seems like every time I get any kind of headway in this company, I find myself running into a brick wall. After this point, I should be as flat-faced as Bill Barnhart’s dog.” He chuckled. “Nevertheless, I persist. Because that’s just who I am. No matter how many times life kicks me in the stones, I will always get back up, wipe the blood from my face and smile, ready for the next go-round. And this week, I get the privilege of stepping into the ring with the new Roulette champion, our resident warlock Kedron Williams.”
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together and resting them behind his head. “You know, I have to say I’m actually quite shocked. Everyone had Jack pegged as the future of this company, myself included. That kid comes from wrestling royalty. He’s got the looks, the talent, the charisma...he’s the whole bloody package. My money was on him completely obliterating Griff’s record with the Roulette title before he went on to become a World Champion. But then...Into the Void happened. Now, don’t take this to mean that I’m knocking your skills as a competitor, Kedron. I’ve seen what you can do in the ring, and you’re damned impressive. But I think - and don’t take this the wrong way - you were the underdog walking into that match. Everyone I talked to had Jack as the odds-on-favourite to win. So, congrats to you for bucking the trend and capturing that title.”
“And now, you and I get to meet up in that ring. First time for us, if I’m recalling correctly. Forgive my bad memory...years in this business taking bumps to the head will do that to a poor guy’s brains. Turn them into nothing more than scrambled eggs.” Lach let out a chuckle. “Though I’m fairly certain I’d remember if I went up against someone like you before. You...you definitely stand out in a crowd. Your look, your presence, your talent...you are definitely a one in a million type of performer.” He smirked a little. “Me, though? I’m once in a lifetime.”
He unlinked his hands and brought them back down to his knees, leaning forward in his chair and fixing the camera lens with an intense blue-eyed stare. “Now, I realize that this match is non-title. I know that wasn’t your decision, and you’re probably itching to defend it and prove that you weren’t just a fluke. And that time will come, believe me. Because I know that once we lock up in that ring on Sunday night - and I defeat you - I will be the next in line for a shot at that title. So believe me when I say that I am fighting like hell once that bell rings. I am gonna bring everything I have to you, and then some. I am going to fight like that belt is on the line, because once I do overcome all the odds and pin you in the middle of that ring, then maybe….MAYBE I can shake this demon and finally prove to everyone that I am more than one-half of the greatest mixed tag team in the history of SCW. That I am more than just ‘poor little Lach, can’t get a title’. I will finally prove that I belong in the title hunt.”
With a little smirk gracing his lips, he leaned back in his chair again and gazed out over the night sky as the camera faded out on his striking profile, highlighted by the neon glow from the street below.
