[Mark Ward]

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[Jake Sullivan]

 Evolution of Rage Part 5: I Am Jake


Monday June 5th
Las Vegas
Home Sweet...New Home
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What a long week. Too long, actually, but we’re almost home. All three of us. Kittie, Ember and I. The original plan was to just go to Michigan, pick up Ember, pack some of her things and fly back to Las Vegas. Two days, tops. But because Electra and Danny had no other family that could be found, I took it upon myself to handle the funeral arrangements for the both of them. And I only did it for Ember.

It wasn’t easy. I can’t deny it. I never had the best relationship with Electra as it was, and I really didn’t know her brother very well, but I just couldn’t take Ember home to Las Vegas without taking care of this for her. And, as little time as I’ve known Ember and spent time with her, it wasn’t easy watching her have to deal with that either.

That was three days ago, and she’s ben quiet ever since. I don’t really know how to handle this, or to get her to talk, but I’m not going to pressure her right now. And neither is Kittie. I’m just pulling my car into the driveway, and I see Ember finally looking up and out the window at our house. Her eyes widen at how big it is. Her jaw drops open a bit and I can’t help but let a grin cross my face as I put the car in park, shut the engine off and turn around to look at her.

“Home sweet home.” I say, and Kittie turns around to look at her, too.

“This is where you live??” She asks, moving her eyes to look at me and Kittie.

Kittie and I nod. “Yep. For a few years now, but you live here now, too. You ready to head inside and check it out?”

She looks out the window again, in awe at how big the house really is. She leans back a few seconds later, takes in a deep breath and then slowly nods. Kittie and I both open our doors and get out of the car, as I push my seat forward to let Ember out of the backseat. She grabs her backpack from next to her and squeezes herself rom out of the backseat. I let her step ahead of me, taking her time, and worry about our luggage in the trunk later.

“Why’s it so...big?” She asks as we walk towards the house, and she turns around and looks at me. “Do more people live here, too?”

Kittie chuckles and shoot her a glare and she immediately goes quiet. “Nope. It’s just the three of us. Your Uncle Phil lived here for a bit, but he lives with his girlfriend now.”

“I have another uncle?” She asks excitedly as her eyes light up.

I nod, and I’m pretty sure I can feel myself smiling a bit. “Yep. You’ll meet him soon, too. Along with the rest of our...family.”

We finally walk up to the front door of the house and she stands back a little bit, still reluctant. I open the door and hold it open for her, wanting her to step inside first. She looks at Kittie, who nods to her with a reassuring smile and then she turns her attention to me. I smile back and nod my head towards the inside of the house. She takes in a deep breath and finally steps inside.

“Woooow…” She says slowly, in complete awe of the interior of the house. She looks around every inch of the kitchen and then our living room, left speechless.

“What do you think?” I ask her.

“It’s so...so…” She can’t think of the right way to describe it as she continues looking around. Her eyes then fall on the patio door leading to the pool and patio area and her eyes go wide. “WE HAVE A POOL?!?!” She jumps and spins around, staring at me with her jaw dropped.

Kittie laughs. “Well, I think that sold her.” She says and I nod in agreement.

“We sure do, kid.” I reply and before I know it, she drops her backpack and bolts right towards the patio door. I can’t even call out to her as she unlocks the door and bolts out to the patio. “This is gonna be fun, isn’t it?” I ask Kittie.

“Fun is one way to put it.” Kittie replies with a laugh.

We quickly head over towards the patio door to meet back up with Ember. As we step out onto the patio, Ember is walking slowly around the pool, again marveling in the size and overall, just the entire property. She walks up to the edge of the pool, reaches down and puts her hand in the water and laughs as she quickly pulls it back out. “It’s cold!”

“It’ll warm up soon.” I say as Kittie and I approach her.

She stands up and frowns as she looks at the pool and then back up to me. “You don’t have any floaties! Or toys! How boring is that?!” She folds her arms, disappointed, and Kittie again laughs.

I look to the side at Kittie and frown at her. She shrugs her shoulder, indicating Ember has a point. “Well,” I say as I turn my attention back to Ember. “I’ve never really had a reason to have any of that stuff. But, I’ll make sure to go and get all of that tomorrow if it’s that big a deal.”

Kittie snorts. “And so it begins…” She says under her breath, thinking I can’t hear her. I turn my attention to her again and she just smirks before looking back to Ember.

“What do you say we head back inside the house and you can go check out your room?” I ask, trying to steal her attention away from the pool. I really have no idea how her room is set up, but the last time I spoke to Synn he assured me her room was finished and ready for her to move in. She still seems more interested in the pool as she slowly looks up at me.

“I guesssss….” She draws out the word, showing her disappointment and turns and heads back towards the door. As she walks back inside I grab a hold of Kittie’s arm and stop her for a moment.

“We’re gonna have a hard time keeping her out of the pool, aren’t we?” I ask.

She shrugs and runs her hand along my arm. “Maybe, but who cares? She needs something to keep her occupied and happy so if it’s a pool, then let her enjoy it.”

I nod and we both head back inside where Ember is waiting for us. She’s standing by the steps, wondering if she should go upstairs and downstairs first and I point upstairs. “Our rooms are upstairs, kid. We’ll show you the downstairs in a little while, but let’s go check out your room.”

“Okay!” She says, her tone switching at the drop of a dime. She grabs a hold of the bannister and quickly skips upstairs as we follow behind her. “Hey, how did you get my room ready if we were in Michigan?”

She gets to the top of the stairs before we do and she turns around to stare at us. “You can thank your aunts for that. They all pitched in and helped set it up and decorate it for you.”

She smiles brightly and jumps up and down excitedly as Kittie and I finally get to the top of the stairs. I look down the hall to our left, immediately seeing which room they chose to decorate as Ember’s as a large E is painted in pink on the outside of the door. I point towards it and she turns around, spotting it, even more excited than she was before. I don’t even have to tell her to check it out before she bursts inside her new room, and her jaw drops even more than it already was. When Kittie and I approach the door, even we’re left in awe of what we see inside the room.

“OH MY GOSH!” Ember says loudly as she looks around her brand new butterfly themed bedroom. “This is...MINE?!” She turns around, staring at me in utter disbelief.

“Well I’m not going to be sleeping in here. And neither is Kittie. So...it must be yours.” I say back, trying to be funny. It works, though, as Ember giggles and turns around to take it all in.

Kittie stands in the doorway, nodding slowly in approval. I look around, taking in a deep breath as I stare at so much...girlie stuff. The walls have now been painted a faint shade of pink. A variety of sizes of butterfly wall sconces or whatever the hell they are called are scattered throughout the room in shades of blues and purples. She even marvels at her simple white twin size bed with pink butterfly sheets and a matching bedspread. And, they couldn’t forget the butterfly pillows. I won’t even get into the rest of the furniture this kid now has.

“With Melody pitching in I thought for sure we’d walk in to see unicorn vomit all over the place or something.” I whisper to Kittie as Ember slowly walks around the room, touching all of her new stuff. “I never could have gotten this done.”

“Neither could I.” Kittie says, turning to face me. “It’s all a little too girlie for my taste, but it’s Ember’s room anyway.”

“Do you...I mean, we...have any pets?!” Ember suddenly asks.

Our eyes go wide as we slowly turn to face Ember. “Uhhh...not anymore. We used to have a cat named Aggie, but Phil has her now.”

“Oh.” Ember frowns. “Why?!”

“Well, she got sick after Phil moved out. I tried to take care of her with my work schedule, but I couldn’t, so Phil took her to get her better.” This whole situation is new to me, but I feel everything coming so naturally to me. I have a feeling I know where that question is going to lead to, but at this point, I don’t even think I could say no to her if she asked.

“That’s too bad.” She says, frowning again. She runs her hand along her bed, walking slowly. “I love cats. And Daddy...I mean...Uncle Danny...He wouldn’t let me have one.”

Aaaand there it is. She asked without having to say it as a question, and somehow, just the tone was like a shot in the gut. Danny raised her, sure, but how could he say no to this kid? How could...Oh hell, it’s already starting! I turn my focus to Kittie with a panicked expression on my face and she just shakes her head. “Uh huh. I’m not gonna be the bad one here. It’s your decision.”

“I know that!” I bite back through gritted teeth. “But how can I say no when we’ll have more time on our hands now to make sure the cat is taken care of?!”

“What the hell does that mean?” She asks, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to attract attention from Ember. “We’ll still have to travel for--”

“Kittie, do you really think I’m going to continue wrestling now that I took custody of Ember? There’s no way I’m going to travel and leave her with a babysitter or something.” I reply. Before I know it, I hear Ember running up to me.

“You’re not going to quit are you?!” She asks, surprised. I knew she was a fan of SCW already, but I didn’t think she’d actually be okay with me travelling.

“Look, Ember…” I start, honestly lost for words. She looks up at me with puppy dog eyes, which I’m not used to being given at all, but I do my best to not let them affect me. “My main concern right now is making sure that you get adjusted and settled in here. I’m not gonna lie to you and say that I’m gonna be good at this whole being a Dad thing, but I gotta try. And right now, you’re my number one priority. I’m not the champion anymore. SCW doesn’t need--”

“YOU CAN’T QUIT!” She shouts at me, even going as far as to ball of her fist and punch me in the stomach. It’s harder than I expected to as I let out a slight ‘Oof’ before looking to Kittie, who is once again chuckling. “Tell him, Kittie! Tell him he can’t quit!” Kittie seems surprised that Ember is already asking for her help in this situation. I look to Kittie, who now has her attention focused on Ember.

“I wish I could help you, Em.” Kittie says to her, taking in a deep breath and glancing to me for a brief second. “But it’s really up to him. He has a valid reason for wanting to call it quits with SCW. I think it would be good--”

“No!” Ember shouts, interrupting her. “He can’t quit! You can’t quit, Daddy! Especially not because of ME!” Her eyes quickly start to fill with tears and she’s full blown crying a few seconds later. I look to Kittie in a panic, but she has no idea what to do either, so I guess it’s all up to me to figure this one out.

“Ember...Ember, calm down.” I say calmly to her, trying to get her to stop crying. But she won’t, and I finally have to kneel down to her eye level and put my hands on her shoulder. “Look, if it means that much to you, I won’t quit. I just want to make sure that you’re taken care of, and SCW could get in the way of that.”

She slowly starts to calm down, but she continues to sniffle as she wipes the tears away from her eyes and stares at me, still looking completely heartbroken. “You have to get the title back though! And I don’t want to be the reason that you don’t. I’m not a baby. I’ll be fine!”

I won’t lie. That actually made me smile, and I could tell Kittie was smiling behind me, too. “Look, we’ll figure everything out in a few days, okay? Right now, let’s just take the rest of the day to get you situated and just...relax. It’s been a long week for all of us.” I say to her, gently rubbing her shoulders. This dad stuff really isn’t that hard...yet.

She sniffles and nods, wiping away the last of the tears from her eyes. “Okay…”

“Okay. I’m going to go get the rest of the stuff out of the car and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I stand up and she turns around, walking around her room once again. I stop next to Kittie and take in a deep breath. “Stay here and keep an eye on her while I go get our bags.”

Kittie nods. “Don’t forget...well, you know what.”

“I won’t. I probably should have brought them inside to begin with, anyway.” I then take in a deep breath as I head towards the stairs and then make my way downstairs.

It takes me a couple of trips to get everything out of the car and back inside, but once I’m finished I’m finally able to relax for the first time in over a week. Mine and Kittie’s lives have officially changed, and from here on out...I have no damn clue what to expect.



“Ember has been living with us for almost a month now, and things aren’t as crazy as I thought they would be. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go from it being just Kittie and I in the house to adding my ten year old daughter to the mix, but so far so good, I guess. I was hoping to have a conversation with Mark or Christian at some point after that and find a way out of my contract, but leave it to Ember to change my mind. Hell, I really wasn’t expecting that.

Who’d have thought that mine and Electra’s kid would actually beg me NOT to quit. Sure, travelling for SCW isn’t as often as if I were in a much larger promotion, but I still can’t expect to drag a ten year old to every show. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to deal with that, but I made a promise to Ember, and I’m not about to go back on that.

I think this is what I was afraid of from the beginning. This is why I was afraid to ever be a part of her life. It’s why I was reluctant to take custody of her after finding out about Electra and Dannying dying. I was afraid to get attached, because I knew...I knew that if I ever had kids, I couldn’t let them have the same rough upbringing I had. And, even know, I’m not one hundred percent sure how to prevent that.

But I think a good starting point is doing whatever I have to do to make her proud that I’m her father. I lost out on ten years of her life because Electra lied and said she had a miscarriage. And I very well could have lost out on the rest of her life because of my own stupidity. I’ve got a lot of making up to do, and I don’t care what it takes...I will do everything I can to get back to the top of SCW and get the World Heavyweight Championship back.

I never imagined this change happening as fast as it did. I didn’t see this almost immediate need to do everything and anything I can to make her happy and keep her safe, but it did. I saw how her world was turned upside down because Electra and Danny died so suddenly, and I just felt this need to take all of her pain away.

But...something else also happened. Something I knew even before then that was slowly happening within me. Even before then, I felt Rage fading away. He wasn’t even fighting to stay around or stay in control. But me? Jake? I was fighting to stay in control and take back the life I never even really had to begin with. For so long I was consumed by Rage...the identity, but also the emotion. I don’t even know how or why it really started.

But it all officially ended that day Kittie and I took Ember from child services. I didn’t tell Kittie that day. I didn’t even tell her the rest of the week, either. Too much was going on, and I couldn’t figure out how to talk to her about it.

So I waited until we were back home in Las Vegas to bring it up.

But how do you tell the woman who married you as one person, that you no longer want to be known as that person? It was a conversation I really had no clue how the hell to bring up…”



Later That Night…
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To say that we’re all tired is an understatement. We’re all completely exhausted, especially after the last week that we’ve had, and Ember just couldn’t fight through the exhaustion anymore. She finally passed out about thirty minutes ago and I had to carry her from the living room to her room. I don’t think the poor kid was ready to try and fall asleep in a new room. Not that I blame her, but I could tell she was doing everything she could to stay awake.

After tucking her into bed, hopefully for the night, I headed out of Ember’s room, leaving it open a crack just in case. I walked just down the hall to mine and Kittie’s bedroom where Kittie has already gotten comfortable in bed, and looks like she’s already asleep. I quietly walk to our master bathroom to change out of my clothes, even though I’m tempted to just crash in bed with my damn clothes on. I’m that exhausted. I’m in the bathroom for only a couple of minutes as I take off my shirt and jeans, tossing them into the dirty laundry and then do my business before I head back into the bedroom and over to the bed.

I crawl into bed, only covering myself with the sheet and put my hands behind my head as I look up at the ceiling and close my eyes, but Kittie rolls over a few moments later, and shows that she’s still awake. “I’m still surprised she fell asleep when she did. I thought for sure she was going to stay up all night.” She scoots closer to me and puts her arm over my chest.

I take in a deep breath and then laugh as I open my eyes. “Wouldn’t have surprised me, but she had to crash sooner or later.” I reply back, wrapping my right arm around her. “And I thought you were already sleeping, too.”

“I thought I was going to pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow.” She runs her finger along my chest and we both just lay there, refusing to move otherwise. “But is it weird that I don’t think I’m gonna be able to get much sleep tonight?”

I shake my head. “Nah, because as tired as hell as I am, knowing that my kid is now sleeping just down the hall is a weird feeling.”

“Yeah tell me about it.” She says, finally putting the palm of her hand on my chest. “This whole last week has just been weird, hasn’t it?” My thoughts start to drift, and I’m not really paying attention to anything Kittie is saying. I’m thinking about the events over the last week. From finding out that Electra and Danny had been killed in a car accident, leaving Ember with no other family to live with. To flying to Michigan to save her from the foster system that would have surely screwed her up. “Rage? Rage are you even listening to me?”

Kittie props herself up on her elbows and looks at me. She doesn’t get my attention until she snaps her fingers right in front of my face and I turn to look at her. “Rage? You ok?”

Rage...that’s supposed to be me, isn’t it? I blink, shake my head and take in a deep breath. “I don’t know, Kittie…” I say and this causes her to sit straight up and look down at me.

“You don’t know? What’s going on?” She asks, concern written all over her face, and I shake my head again.

“I mean, I am okay, Kittie.” I reply, confusing her even more. But before she can question me on it, I sit up and turn to face her. “I just don’t think I’ve ever been...better? I don’t even know how to describe it, Kittie. As soon as Ember ran up to me back in Macintosh’s office in Michigan and wrapped her arms around me, it was like this crazy weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was like I was a whole different person…”

She raises an eyebrow and nods slowly, trying to understand where I’m going with this. “Oookay…”

I hold my hand up, stopping her before she can say anything else. Not that she was going to anyway. “Kittie, for so long...for as long as I can remember, I’ve only felt this deep seeded anger...this...rage. And not just outwardly by calling myself Rage, but just deep down, I was angry with everything.”

She laughs and nods. “Yeah, tell me something I don’t already know. But, even despite all that you had your good moments.”

I shake my head. “Hardly.” I say. “I was still a miserable bastard, and usually for no reason at all other than because I wanted to be seen that way. But..”

“But what?” She asks.

“I don’t remember a time where I ever actually tried to be just...me.” I finally say.

She scratches her head and tilts it, staring at me confused. “Just you?”

I nod and say very simply, “Jake.”

Her mouth opens just a little and she nods, very slowly, finally understanding what I was getting at. She takes in a deep breath and tries to process that, but before she can say anything, I continue talking. “I always thought that Rage was stronger and taken more seriously, but now? Looking back on everything a lot of people have said throughout the years, he wasn’t strong at all.”

“Sooo…” she says, trying to find the right words to say. “You’re saying…”

“I’m saying that I can’t be called Rage anymore. Because it’s not who I am anymore, and it’s not who Ember...or even you...need me to be. I know I made a promise to Ember earlier that I wasn’t gonna quit SCW, but I can’t be known as Rage there anymore, either.” This is a lot for Kittie to process. That much is very clearly by the look on her face and her occasional deep breaths, but I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by any of this.” She finally breaks her silence a few moments later, turning to look at me. “The past several weeks I could tell something was changing in you, especially when you were the one who suggested we get married back in New York.”

“I don’t regret us getting married, if that is what you’re trying to say…” I say quickly, trying to put her mind at ease.

She shakes her head and smiles. “Dude, relax. That’s not what I think. But it’s good to know anyway.” She replies, and it immediately puts both of us at ease. “I’m just saying, I’m not as surprised by this sudden change as you seem to think I was going to be. I mean, I was watching the two of you when she threw her arms around you. As terrified as you might have looked, you didn’t back away at all, either.”

“I wasn’t expecting that at all, Kittie. I really wasn’t.” I say very honestly as I take in another deep breath.

“I wasn’t either, but I’m glad it did. I think it finally put to rest any doubts you had about bringing her here to live with us.” She says, and I nod in agreement. “Anyway, if you want to just be known as Jake from now on, that’s your decision. I can’t say I’ll catch on right away, because it’ll be an adjustment…”

“It’s ok. If you call me Rage I just won’t answer.” I say and we both share a laugh.

“Oh so nothing will change as far as that goes, then.” She grins at me and I just roll my eyes. “But you know, I’m not the only one who will have a hard time in getting used to calling you Jake.”

I raise an eyebrow, confused. “Well it won’t be Phil, because he never called me Rage as it was.”

She shakes her head. “I wasn’t talking about Phil. I was talking about the Sins.”

I shake my head and before I can get a word out in response, we’re both quickly surprised by the sound of footsteps running down the hall and then Ember appears in our doorway, with a scared look in her eyes. “I...I had a nightmare. And it’s really dark in my room.”

I glance at Kittie and take in a deep breath. We both shrug our shoulders and Kittie scoots over, leaving enough space between the two of us. “Alright, kid.” I say, motioning her over to the bed. “Come here.”

She doesn’t even hesitate as she runs over and jumps onto the bed and makes herself comfortable between me and Kittie. This is a whole new experience for me, and for Kittie, but after everything Ember has been through, we’re going to let her adjust in her own way and on her own time. “When do I get to meet my aunt’s and uncles?” She asks, followed by a big yawn.

Kittie and I glance to one another and I just shake my head. “Soon, Ember.” I say as she snuggles in closer to me. “Things can be kind of hectic with everyone else, so I want you to get adjusted here first and then we’ll plan something for you to meet the whole family, ok?”

I get no response. “Ok, Ember?” I say again and Kittie just taps on my shoulder and points down to Ember. When I glance down, Ember is already fast asleep once again and I can’t help but crack a bit of a smile as I leave her there.

Kittie reaches over and turns off the the light on her nightstand, and a few moments she closes her eyes, trying to follow Ember and drifting off to sleep. It was a strange feeling...a new feeling...but as I looked at Ember sleeping, again, and I watched as Kittie drifted off to sleep, I knew in that moment that I had made the right decision.

And I wouldn’t change it for the world…



“No regrets. Not a single one. The rest of the week was spent relaxing and letting Ember settle into life in Las Vegas. She had her ups and downs. There were plenty of laughs, but there were also many tears as she was hit with the waves of grief over losing Danny and Electra. Kittie and I did our best to comfort her and be there for her, but I gotta admit, it wasn’t easy.

And it wasn’t easy asking Phil and Maddie to watch her for a day while Kittie and I headed to Fort Defiance in Arizona for Climax Control that weekend. I didn’t have a match, but I had an entirely different reason for wanting to go to the show. Ember wanted to go with, and looking back, I probably should have let her, but it gave her the chance to meet Phil and Maddie.

You see, if I was going to stick around in SCW and try and work my way back up to the top of the mountain, there was something I needed to do. And sooner rather than later. I had already taken care of the conversation with Kittie. I already told her that I wasn’t Rage anymore...that I couldn’t be called by that name if Rage was gone and never coming back.

But SCW had to be told. And not just Mark Ward and Christian Underwood. The entirety of SCW and it’s fans. I wasn’t sure how people would react, or what they would think, but in all honesty, I didn’t care. I was putting it all out in the open. I was ready to show everyone in SCW just how serious I was about this change. Some people would probably take me seriously, and I had a feeling a select few others wouldn’t.

But it had to be done. And there was nothing holding me back.

And, again, I had not a single regret. After all, I didn’t just do this for myself...I did this for Kittie and Ember, too. I did it for my girls...for my family.

Speaking of family, I knew Ember was anxious to meet the rest of the Sins. The people who, even though she hadn’t met them yet, were already her aunts and uncles. And as anxious as I was for her to meet them, too, I was also hesitant and taking my time.

Anyone who knows the Sins, even solely on camera, knows just how crazy things can get. As tight knit as we are...or were up until I made the mistake of siding with J2H back in October...there just is never a dull moment in this group of people that has been my family for the last ten years or so. But I’m not complaining. I really wouldn’t trade any of the chaos I was ever involved with in the Sins for a much for relaxed family setting because that is what makes us so unique. That’s what makes us so close knit.

But I wasn’t ready to just toss Ember to the wolves, so to speak. She wouldn’t let me take time off from SCW, so she already had to deal with me needing to be at the shows every week. So I couldn’t add one more stressful moment in her life so soon after her world was turned upside down.

Maybe it was a mistake, waiting so long to introduce her to the Sins. Who knows, maybe if she had met them sooner, it would have helped her adjust that much quicker, but if it hadn’t? If it had done the complete opposite and made it that much more difficult to deal with, I would have kicked myself in the ass more than I am now.

That’s all about to change, though. After Ember begged me to take her on the cruise with Kittie and me, I found out that not only would the three of us be there, but so would everyone else. Yep. I found out that Gabriel and Despy had been asked to host Summer XXXTreme, and naturally when they were there, so would Odette, Synn and the rest of the gang.

The Sins...back together in one place! And on a cruise ship, no less. Which meant that I had to introduce Ember before the cruise set sail…

Well...there never was anything better than a good old fashioned Sins party…



Wednesday June 28th
A Family Reunion of Sorts…
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If you had asked me a few months ago if I’d be standing in my house, about to be surrounded by the rest of the Sins again, I probably would have laughed in your face. After I joined sides with J2H back in October, they all made it very clear what they thought of me, and not a single one of them wanted to talk to me. I had already accepted that fact when the situation with Ember fell onto my lap, and it actually changed everything.

But here I am now, heading towards the door following the first ringing of the doorbell. Ember is standing back, next to Kittie with Phil and Maddie next to them. I grab the doorknob, ready to open the door, but I look to my girls first. More specifically, I look to Ember. “You ready?”

She looks up at Kittie for a moment, and Kittie just nods to her and she takes in a deep breath before she looks back to me. “Ready! Open the door!”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I opened the door, allowing the first of the Sins to step inside. It’s Gabriel, Odette, Lucas and Melody. Gabriel is holding Lucas in his arms but he hands him off to Odette as the girls have their eyes on Ember after greeting me. With Ember distracted, Gabriel takes the moment to smack me hard upside the back of my head.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?!” I say through gritted teeth, trying not to be loud and grab any attention. Ember is smiling as Odette, and Melody greet her, along with Lucas who already seems smitten with Ember.

“You bloody well know what that’s for, peanut head!” He snarls back, pointing out the obvious. The two of us hadn’t been face to face since before the J2H crap.

“Alright, fine.” I say, rubbing the back of my head. “I probably deserved that.”

“Probably?!” He raises his hand again, acting as though he’s going to smack me again and this causes me to flinch.

“Alright, alright! I did deserve that!” I back away a couple of inches. “But you of all people can’t blame me for doing what I had to do to get close to J2H and the Heavyweight title. You are the Sin of Greed after all…”

He folds his arms and glares at me. “That might be true, but a heads up would have been nice. And there were other ways to get to the damn title, but you had to go the stupid route.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” I say as we both turn our attention over towards the girls, and Lucas. “But today isn’t about me. You ready to meet my daughter?”

Gabriel laughs and pats me on the back. “Your daughter. Never thought I’d hear those words, but yeah, I’m ready.”

Gabriel and I then walk over towards them. Ember actually has Lucas in her arms, and she must have said or did something funny, as he’s just gotten done laughing. “Lucas seems to like you alot already.” Gabriel says as we walk up to them.

Ember looks up to Gabriel with a smile on her face. “He’s so adorable. I always wanted a little brother.”

Cue the awkward looks in mine and Kittie’s direction. Gabriel pats me on the back again and Kittie and I both go silent. But that doesn’t stop Melody from adding in her two cents. “You heard the girl, RageFace! You better get to work!”

The doorbell suddenly rings and I let out a sigh of a relief. “Saved by the doorbell. And Melody, about the RageFace thing. I told you guys to call me Jake, remember?”

“Well calling you JakeFace isn’t going to work, now is it?!” She relies back, making a very good point and eliciting a few laughs, including from me.
I then walk away as Gabriel introduces himself to Ember before she hands Lucas back to him. Everything seems to be going pretty smoothly, and Ember is taking it all well, thankfully, as I head back over to the door, letting the next to inside.

“Shane...Fantasia. Good to see you two--”

WHACK!

Like Gabriel, Shane smacks me right upside the back of the head, maybe even a little harder.

“Seriously?!” I growl at him as I rub my head again, and offer Fantasia a quick hug.

“You deserved it and you know it.” He replies back with a smirk.

I let out a sigh and nod. “Yeah, yeah.” I say.

Both of them look over towards Ember and it’s Fantasia who makes the first comment. “She looks like Electra. She’s beautiful, Rage. Sorry...Jake.”

Shane, too, pats me on the back. “Well, at least she doesn’t look like baldy here. That would be bloody unfortunate.”

I shake my head and walk the two of them over towards the others, and steal Ember’s attention away. “Em, this is Shane and Fantasia.”

“Hi!” She shouts as she runs up to Fantasia first, offering her a hug and then she does the same to Shane, which I think catches him off guard. I’m about to openly wonder where Synn and Despayre are, but my answer comes a few moments later as Despayre announces his presence the only way Despayre knows how.

“Hey! Where are all of her gifts?!” All eyes turn towards the door where Despayre has just let himself in, and Synn and Theresa follow just behind him.

“And now the real fun begins.” I say outloud, drawing a few laughs.

I head over to Despayre, Synn and Theresa and as soon as I walk up to Despayre, he rears his foot back and swings it forward, kicking me right in the shin! I quickly hop on one leg, holding myself back from shouting out a few obscenities in front of everyone, including Ember. “Ow! Despy...what was that for?!”

“I just had the urge to do it.” He says very matter of factly and with a shrug. “Now...where are Emmy’s presents?!”

I rub my shin and trying to shake the feeling back into my leg. “Presents?” I ask. “What presents?!”

“You can’t have a party for her and not have presents!” Despayre states.

Ember then appears behind me. “I’m getting presents?! Where are they?!”

Synn and Theresa share a laugh as I close my eyes and take a couple of slow deep breaths. I open my eyes and immediately focus on Ember, trying to figure a way out of this mess that Despayre has now gotten me into. “Uh..Well you see, Em..”

“Pfffft...What an amateur!” Despayre says with a wave of his hand and everyone lets out a laugh. Despayre then turns his attention to Ember, as she smiles excitedly at finally getting to meet him. And not only meet him, but be a part of his extended family. “Hi! I’m Despayre! And this is Angel, but I’m sure you already knew that. Everyone knows who Angel is!”

Ember nods excitedly. “You guys were my favorite in SCW!”

“Where is your protector?” Despayre asks with a frown.

“Protector?” She asks and then looks up and points to me. “Oh! You mean my Daddy! He’s right here!”

Everyone shares a smile and I grin proudly, but Despayre shakes his head and laughs. “Nooo...I mean, your teddy bear protector! All kids are supposed to have one! But I’m sure Uncle Rage knew that and made sure to get you one, right?!”

“Despy, I’m not Rage anymore.” I point out.

He looks at me, confused. “I thought you looked different...in a familiar kinda way! But...who are you?! I’m not supposed to talk to strangers!”

“Joshua.” Synn interjects and Despayre looks behind him to Synn. “Remember the talk we had last week? Rage is going by his birth name now. He’s Jake.”

Despayre stares at Synn for a moment, and then back to me, and then back to Synn, clearly confused. Quiet laughs go around the room before Despayre just shakes his head, not ready to wrap his head around this situation just yet.

“Whatever!” He says. “Hey Emmy, this is my Dad!” He turns around and points to Synn. Synn steps forward a little bit, looking directly at Ember. He didn’t intend to come across as intimidating, but as soon as Ember lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes went wide and she darted behind me nervously.

I let out a snort as I look to a confused Synn and then down to Ember. “It’s ok, kid. He has that effect on everyone.” I tell her and she peaks her head out from behind me.

“I’m sorry, Ember.” Synn says calmly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, but I assure you I mean you no harm. I’m Synn, and this is Theresa.”

Theresa steps forward. “Hello, Ember. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you, hija.”

Ember finally steps out from behind me and offers the both of them a hug, catching Synn off guard more than anyone else. “Well...that’s everyone. The whole bunch. Are you guys ready to get this party started?”

Ember excitedly looks back to Despayre. “Race you to the pool?!”

And before anyone can even object or stop the either of them, they dart of and run towards the patio door. I shake my head and look back to Synn. “That...that scares me.”

“Did you really expect that they wouldn’t get along?” He says with a laugh.

“Well...you have a point there. Thanks for everything, by the way.” I say, and not only to Synn, but to everyone else. I look around the room at the others...at my entire family. “To all of you, actually. Odette, Melody, Fantasia and Maddie for decorating her room. Gabriel, Shane...for smacking me upside the head. And just to all of you for being here after putting up with my bullshit from the past several months.”

“Bloody hell. I need a beer.” Shane says. “I’m too sober for this emotional bollocks.”

I point to the fridge with a laugh. “It’s all stocked up. Help yourself.”

He and Gabriel don’t need to be told twice as they start to raid the fridge and we all head out to the patio to enjoy some pool time. I didn’t admit it at that moment, but I really missed all of this. Chaos or not, there was nothing better than being surrounded by all of these people, and adding Ember to the fold just made it that much sweeter. And in just a few days, we’d all be setting sail on the Summer XXXTreme cruise for a week of unpredictable laughs and fun.

And then it would be time to focus on Calvin Harris, and the challenge that was ahead of me...Oh the adventure this will be!



“I know what most of you must be thinking. What has been the whole point of me sitting here, recounting to you all the emotions and events of the last month in this entire promo? What does any of it have to do with Summer XXXTreme and my upcoming match against Calvin Harris? Don’t lie, because I know a fair few of you are thinking just that. And I’ll be honest with you.

Directly, it has nothing to do with my match against Calvin Harris, but if you really listen...if you really pay attention, you’ll understand why I’ve done things the way that I did. You see, Calvin Harris and I faced off earlier this year. Well, sort of, anyway. He faced me as Rage...as who I used to be...who I no longer am. And I’ll admit it now, he was a bigger challenge then than I was ready to admit at the time.

A lot was on the line in that match. For those of you that don’t remember, it was the King of The Hill ladder match at Inception where I walked away with the briefcase in my possession. I know Calvin wanted it. I know Calvin fully expected he was going to walk away the winner, and looking back, a part of me wishes that he had.

Don’t get me wrong, I ended up cashing in that briefcase and becoming the World Heavyweight Championship, but look at how much grief it caused me? Look at the circumstances surrounded how I cashed in that briefcase and what everyone thought of me, and probably still thinks of me to this day. No doubt Calvin will have a few choice words about that over these next couple of weeks.

It’s ok though. I’ll take every damn word that is said against me, not just by Calvin but by everyone else, because I know how shitty it looks, and I know how worse I look even now considering my World Heavyweight Championship was basically an embarrassment. Go ahead, Calvin. Say it all you want, because I know you’re just dying to say it, and say it a few times, I’m sure.

But I’m not the same person I was six months ago, Calvin. I’m not the guy that won the King Of the Hill briefcase. I’m not the guy who cashed in on Drake Green following his match against J2H at the following supercard. I’m not Rage anymore, so don’t you make the mistake of thinking that I am.

You’re the same arrogant S.O.B that you’ve always been though, aren’t you Calvin? I know they kept you in the title picture following that ladder match, all be it for the Internet Championship, but we all saw how that turned out, didn’t we? You couldn’t get the job done, and what happened? You disappeared from SCW for a couple of months. You remind a lot like a few guys who used to be in SCW, Calvin. Kevin Carter. Damian Kingston. Kain. Just to name a few...

Do you want to know why, Calvin? Why do you remind me of those three? Because you guys all share the same mentality that you’re better than everyone, and the second that you lose a title match, you piss off and spout of some crap about needed personal time, that no one believes. Don’t try and deny it, Calvin. I know guys like you, because they’re a dime a dozen.

I may have been an asshole up until recently, Calvin. I might have been this anger fueled jackass, but you want to know one thing I never did? Not once? I never cried off and quit like a little bitch just because I lost a title match, or I lost a title. I mean, I could have. I could have tucked my tail between my legs after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Jeremiah Hardin, but what sort of message would that send? I didn’t want to be lumped in the same category of guys like you.

Guys like you say they’ve changed. You try and get so many people to believe that you’ve better yourself once you make your return, but you never do. Am I going to sit here and exude this confidence that I’m positive I’m going to beat you at Summer XXXTreme? Hell, no, because after watching you since you made your return, I know how determined you are, Calvin. I know you’re trying to get yourself back in the World Heavyweight title scene, and honestly, you may have already done just that.  

But I know exactly what is going to happen the second you fail. You don’t think you’re going to, but sooner or later, Calvin, that arrogance...that ego...it’s going to get the best of you, and you’re going to fail. And then you’re going to do what you always do...what the guys before you did...and you’re going to disappear again. For a few weeks maybe. For a few months, but if you want my opinion, I hope the next time you pull that crap, you stay gone because guys like you give guys like us a bad name.

We work our asses off just as hard as you Calvin, if not more. And to piss off the way you do when you lose, makes it look like we’re not worth it. That you’re better than any one of us. That you’re God’s gift to everything and anything.

But you’re not, Calvin. You’re no better than anyone else, no matter what you think, and come Summer XXXTreme, I’m going to prove it. Win or lose, Calvin. I know I’m up for a fight, but you’re up for a fight too, and you’re up against a side of me that you’re not even familiar with. You’re going into this with a disadvantage, Calvin, because like I said earlier...I’m not the same guy you faced back at Inception.

I’ve changed, and for the better. I’m thinking a lot clearer than I was back then, which says a lot considering I walked away the winner during our last encounter. If I beat you then, just imagine what I’m capable of now as I’m finally able to embrace who I am.

You want the World Heavyweight Championship pretty bad. I can tell that much, but guess what, Calvin? That’s not gonna happen as long as I have anything to say about it. I’m looking forward to the fight, though, because at least I know you’re not going to be an easy win like some have been in the past. Bring your absolute best, Calvin, because nothing will satisfy me more than knocking you down a few notches when you’re at your best.

You have eight days, Calvin. Eight days to get ready for this fight, because I’m not going to be like Jeremiah Hardin...or Joshua Acquin...or Dmitri. I’ve got a lot more to prove than Dmitri. And I’m a lot more motivated than Hardin and Acquin ever have been. You can count on that. The man...the opponent...you knew as Rage is long gone, Calvin.

Come Summer XXXTreme V, for the very first time you’re gonna come face to face with Jake Sullivan. The man who, as long as I have anything to say about it, will serve you up with your very first loss since your “shocking” return several weeks ago.

Good luck, Calvin. May the best man win.

[Jake Sullivan]

 Sunday July 2nd
All Aboard!
Grand Princess Cruise Liner
**OFF CAMERA**

It’s hard to believe that it’s already time for the Summer XXXTreme cruise and the weeklong adventure that comes with it. On the cruise last year I actually built up the nerve, if you want to call it that, to ask Kittie to marry me and she actually said yes. It wasn’t your typical proposal, either, but then again, nothing with Kittie and me is what you would call typical, is it? And here we are, a year later. Married. But last year’s cruise didn’t just mark mine and Kittie’s engagement.

It was also when Electra told me that she and I had a kid...a daughter whom she named Ember. Back then, I wasn’t ready to be a father, and I didn’t think I ever would be. But...things have drastically changed since then and now Ember is with Kittie and me on the cruise.

“Do we HAVE to check out our room first?! I want to go exploring and see the rest of the ship!” She asks as she follows reluctantly behind me and Kittie. Alright. I should have expected that. She’s eager to check out every inch of the ship, if that’s even possible for her in the span of a week. I laugh as I carry all of our bags as we walk along deck ten where our penthouse suite is located. I had to change our reservation at the last minute to a bigger suite to accommodate the three of us.

“Look, Em, I know you’re anxious to see everything on the ship.” I say as the three of us stop for a moment in the middle of the hall. Our suite is just a few rooms ahead of us, and I turn to look at Ember. “But we need to make sure we find out room first. As soon as we do, and as soon as the ship sets sail, we can go exploring.”

She rolls her eyes...actually ROLLS her eyes at me. The first time in the month that she’s been with us. “Uuugh. Well...we need to make it fast! This ship is huge and I want to see ALL of it this week!” She finally agrees. I can’t hold back a laugh as we continue walking down the hall and finally make it to our room.

“Penthouse suite C402.” I say, stopping in front of our door and looking to my girls. “Here we are.”

“Open the door! Open it!” Ember orders me excitedly.

I look to Kittie, as she has the key, and she puts the key in the lock and unlocks the door, pushing it open for us. Ember runs in first, and then I let Kittie go in after her, before I walk in last. Ember stands frozen in the middle of the room, looking around with her jaw dropped. “Woooowwww…”

“Damn. This room is even nicer than last year.” Kittie points out.

“Well, we weren’t on the same ship last year.” I remind her. She shoots me a look that says ‘Duh’ and I just laugh. “Besides, I had to upgrade us to give us a little bit more room. I’m just glad I was able to at such short notice.”

As Ember continues to look around, she gets a confused look on her face before she turns to face the two of us. “Why is there only one bed? Where am I gonna sleep?!”

I take in a deep breath, knowing exactly where she’s going to sleep, but I have to look further in the room to find it. “That should be it.” I say, pointing to the sofa.

Her jaw drops and she looks at me, almost angry. “There?! But...that’s the sofa!”

“Em, it pulls out into a bed.” Kittie chimes in.

Ember looks at the sofa for a second and then back to me, and she folds her arms. “Well that stinks! I hope it’s comfortable anyway!”

I laugh as I set all of our bags on the bed, at least for the moment. We all walk around the suite for a few more minutes, taking it all in before Ember heads towards the door. “Alright! We’ve found our room! Let’s go look around the rest of the ship!”

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, because I’d much rather relax in the room for a little while than deal with making my way through the crowds of people who are still boarding the ship. But Ember stands by the door with her arms folded and tapping her foot impatiently and I throw my arms in the air, defeated. “Alright, fine. We’ll do some exploring for a little bit, but--”

And out she goes! She swings the door open and makes her way back out into the hall, running to the right. “Em! Wait up, kid!” I shout as Kittie and I rush out to follow her.

“Uncle Phil! Aunt Maddie!”

Kittie and I stop in the doorway, glancing at each other confused for a moment as we hear Ember call out to my brother and his girlfriend. We step out of the room and, sure enough, they’re just down the hall, walking out of their own room.

“Phil? Maddie?” I say with surprise as Kittie and I walk up to them. “I didn’t think you guys were going to be on the cruise.”

Ember throws her arms around Phil and hugs him as he looks to me. “We thought we’d surprise you. DIdn’t realize our room was going to be just down the hall from yours.”

“Uncle Phil! We’re going exploring! You wanna come with?!” Ember asks him excitedly. For a kid who just a month ago lost her mother and the only father figure she ever had, she’s doing pretty well. Which makes things easier on all of us.

“Well sure, Em.” Phil replies, wrapping his arm around Maddie. “We were just going to take a look around ourselves.” He agrees and Ember jumps up and down excitedly. Kittie suddenly elbows me in the side and I almost blurt out my first swear word in the last month.

I glance down at Kittie, giving her a look that asks what that was all about, but I know what she’s thinking. I don’t even have to ask as the thought hits my head at the same time and I turn my attention back to Phil, Maddie and Ember. “Hey Phil...would you mind watching Ember for a bit? Since the two of you were going to take a look around, and Em is dying to do the same, it could give you guys a chance to spend some time together.”

Maddie seems more than happy as Phil thinks about it for a moment. “You guys don’t want to come with?” He asks.

I run my hand along the back of my head, trying to be discreet. “I wanted to take a little while to get settled into our room. Maybe relax...for a bit.”

Phil gets the hint. I know he does. He just nods slowly and grins. “Relax...sure. We can take Em for a little while. You sure you don’t want to come with?”

“No.” Both Kittie and I speak at the same time, because of course that’s not awkward at all. “I mean, I’m not really wanting to make my way through crowds of people right now anyway. You’ll be less noticeable than me, anyway. You okay with hanging out with Uncle Phil and Aunt Maddie for a while, Em?”

She nods quickly. “Of course I am! Besides, maybe we can find Despy and Angel, too!”

“Uhh...maybe a little later.” Phil says, clearly not wanting to be a part of any shenanigans just yet and Ember frowns, disappointed.

“Alright, Em. Let’s go see what we can find on this ship.” Maddie adds and Ember rushes off down the hall. Maddie follows quickly as Phil stays back for a second, looking right at me.

“We owe you, Phil.” I say, ready to lead Kittie back to our room.

He shakes his head with a laugh. “She’s my niece, Jake. I’m not gonna turn down spending time with her. Besides, you two clearly need some alone time so...have at it.” He laughs again and turns and tries to catch up with Maddie and Ember.

Kittie and I quickly head back to our room, as Kittie walks in before me. I close the door, locking it behind me and she rushes over to me. “Finally!” She says as she runs into my arms and I lift her up, bringing my mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. I carry her over to the bed to share our first ‘alone time’ together in over a month. And to say the both of us needed it would be an understatement...but who’s asking, right?

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

Later that night…

Luckily for me and Kittie, Phil and Maddie kept Ember occupied and away from the room for most of the afternoon after we boarded the ship. Not that I’m going to ask them very often, but having them around could prove to be pretty useful at times when Kittie and I need some alone time, but I’m not going to just shove my kid off on my brother and his girlfriend, regardless if they mind or not.

From what they told me, Ember was pretty excited to watch over the edge of the ship as it pulled away from the dock and set sail, and then just exploring a couple of the decks afterwards was enough to wear her down. Not long after getting some dinner for the night and finally settling into our room for the night, Ember passed out on one of the chairs. I just finished pulling out the sofa bed and tucking her in for the night when Kittie walks out of the bathroom having just taken a shower and getting ready to get some sleep.

“Shower is all yours.” She says and glances to Ember already asleep. “Damn. That didn’t take long, did it?”

“Nope.” I say, shaking my head as I walk up to her. “Why don’t you go ahead and go to bed. I’m gonna walk around the ship for a bit and try to clear my head.”

“Clear your head?” She asks, sounding concerned. “I thought for sure the couple of rounds we went earlier would have helped that.” She says with a wink.

I let out a laugh as I lean down and kiss her, trying not to get too into the kiss for the simple fact my ten year old daughter is sleeping just a few feet away. “Oh that helped. I’ve just gotta start thinking about this match against Calvin Harris next Sunday and if I keep watching Em sleep, that ain’t gonna happen.”

“You don’t need to worry about that tonight, Jake.” She says, and I raise an eyebrow. It was the first time I could recall her actually calling me by Jake since I told her that’s what I wanted to go by from now on. “Damn, that’s still weird as hell to say that.”

“I’m still trying to get used to it, too.” I reply.

“Just go take a shower and come to bed, alright? All promotional stuff for Summer XXXTreme starts tomorrow so just...relax for tonight.” How can I not actually listen to her for once? I think about it for a few seconds before I lean down and kiss her again.

“Alright fine.” I cave. “I’ll be out in a few.” I then turn around and head into the bathroom as Kittie heads over and slides into bed. I start the water in the shower, letting it run for a few minutes and steam up the bathroom more than it already was before I take off my clothes and step into the shower, standing under the shower head for several long moments.

I normally don’t take very long showers, but I’m just mentally worn down all of a sudden for some reason and I really need it. By the time I walk out of the bathroom, refreshed and in just my boxers, Kittie is already passed out in the bed. I look over to Ember, making sure she’s still asleep, and she is. As mentally drained as I am, physically I am not tired enough to even sleep yet, so I walk over to my bag and grab out a pair of clean pants and a t-shirt and slip them on. I know I told Kittie I’d come straight to bed, but I just feel like going for a quick walk around one of the upper decks and try and clear my head.

I sneak out of the room quietly and turn down the hall leading toward the elevator lifts. I decide to head up to the Sun Deck and head to the Sea Breeze Bar, not that I plan to get anything to drink, but maybe I will. Once I step out of the lift and head to the bar, I see there are quite a few people there for this time of night. More than I thought there would be, actually, and instead of walking over and grabbing a drink, I head over to the ledge and just look out at the ocean as we cruise along. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, and a few seconds later someone pats my back, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin, but I turn around to see Phil standing next to me.

“Jesus Christ, Phil.” I say taking in a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Don’t do that shit to me.”

He laughs and holds his hands up. “Sorry, bro. Didn’t think you were so jumpy.”

“It’s alright. I never used to be, but things have changed, ya know.” I turn and look back out into the ocean and the moonlight shining down on the water. I’m pretty sure I spot a whale come up to the surface, but I could just be imagining things.

“So...did that alone time with Kittie help the two of you?” He says and I can almost hear the amusement in his voice. He usually tries to avoid personal questions like that, but given the circumstances, he was being more nosey than usual.

I turn and look at him, noting the grin on his face and I nod, grinning back. “Yeah, it helped. Thanks for taking Ember, again. We haven’t exactly had much of a sex life the last month since she came to live with us.”

He laughs. “It’s okay, Jake. I get it.” He says. “Kids change things, I know. But you still seem kinda off right now. What’s going on?”

I shake my head and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know, Phil. I’m just worried I’m not gonna be able to keep focused on things in SCW now that we’ve got Em. I told her I wouldn’t quit, but how the hell am I gonna focus on my matches when she’s not with me? I mean, that’s not the case this week, because she’s on the cruise, but what about later on?”

“I get why you’re worried, bro, but it’s not like SCW travels very far away, right?” He says, trying to reassure me. “Don’t get me wrong, I know about the occasional tours to other places, and maybe out of the country, but for the most part it’s really not that far away. And there are plenty of people who can watch her while you’re gone.”

I lower my head. I understood what he was saying, but since actually taking on this whole being a father thing, the thought of all that just didn’t sit well with me. “I know, Phil. I get that, but honestly? I’d feel like a big shithead if I were to just leave her with someone else while we travel wherever we are needed. She needs me. Now more than ever since Electra and Danny died.”

“You’re the only one who can decide what to do, Jake.” He turns and gives me his full attention, as I continue to stare out to the ocean. “But I think if Em is telling you that she wants you to keep wrestling, you should at least give it a shot. For as long as you can, anyway. She seems to be pretty proud of that.”

I can’t help but smile at that thought, because I know it’s true. Even before she knew I was her father, she was a fan of SCW, and I’m sure Electra had something to do with that. “I know she is, but what if I disappoint her, Phil? For the first time in I don’t even know how long, I have a huge weakness and these guys are gonna figure it out.”

“Don’t let her be a weakness. Let her be a strength. Her and Kittie.” He replies and I finally turn my attention back to him. “You’re not the only guy in this business that has kids and you’re not going to be the last. You haven’t had time to fully adjust to all this, Jake. Hell you’re still trying to adjust to not being Rage anymore. You’ll figure everything out. I have faith.”

I pat him on the back, offering him a thankful smile. “Thanks, Phil. For everything.”

“Anytime.” He replies.

“So what are you doing up here without Maddie, anyway? Aren’t you two usually joined at the hip?” I ask, cracking a grin.

He laughs with a nod. “Usually. But, she fell asleep and I saw you sneaking out of your room, too so thought I’d come find you to chat. I wanted to fill you in on something anyway.”

“Oh? What’s going on, Phil?” I raise an eyebrow at him curiously, though I’m fairly sure I knew what he was about to say, and it was one of two things.

He smiles and then reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small ringbox and opening it up to show off a shiny engagement ring. “Think she’ll like it?”

I stare at the ring, pretty impressed with his choice. “That’s a pretty impressive ring, Phil. Finally decided it’s time to pop the question, huh?” I ask, nodding in approval.

He laughs and closes the box, returning it to his pocket. “I’ve been wanting to for a while, but I had to save up the cash to get the ring I wanted for her. Working all those double shifts made it a lot easier.”

I nod and pat him on the back. “Well congrats, bro. I think she’ll love that ring.”

“Thanks, but hold off on the congrats for now. I haven’t asked and she hasn’t said yes yet.” He says and we both share a laugh.

We both go quiet for what seems like minutes after that, but I’m sure we’re both thinking about the same thing. We’ve both been through hell and back in our lives, and Phil nearly took his own life just a few years ago because of it all. And now here we both were, just a couple of years later, both better off than we had ever been at any point in our lives. I had Kittie and now Ember, and he found Maddie and was all set to propose to her soon. Somewhere our sister and mother(if the evil witch was still alive anyway) were out there absolutely clueless to how much our lives had changed, but that was fine. We both wanted it that way.

“Thanks, Phil. For everything.” I break the silence between us a few moments later and we both turn and look at one another. “I know I was a shithead on more than one occasion, but I’m honestly glad to have you as a brother.”

He pats me on the back with a smile. “Likewise, bro. And the same goes to you. Pretty sure it’s safe to say that had you and Synn not come to Boston a few years ago, I probably wouldn’t be here. I owe you guys my life.”

“Ya know, I think that was when things started changing, Phil.” I reply.

“What do you mean?” He asks, arching his eyebrow.

“I mean, when I saw how vulnerable you were back then. When I saw how far it had gotten to lead you to trying attempting suicide? That was when I really started to change. And then it was just like a domino effect after that. It took a few years, but...ya know.” I say, looking out at the ocean one last time for the night.

“I know what ya mean, bro. We’re both a hell of a lot better off now than we were back then.” He says, and then out of nowhere he yawns. “Well, I guess that’s my cue to get back to my room and try and get some shut eye. You should do the same.”

I nod. “I will in a few. Thanks for the chat, Phil. And let me know when Maddie says yes.” I glance to him with a smile on my face.

He grins and pats me on the back again. “Well I plan to ask her on Friday night after dinner so hopefully you’ll find out not long after that. Anyway, goodnight, Jake. We’ll catch ya tomorrow sometime?”

“At some point I’m sure. Meet and greets start tomorrow.” He just nods in response before waving and heading off back to the elevator lifts to head back to his room.

I stand there for a few more minutes, closing my eyes and breathing in the sea air and trying to clear my head of all the doubt and uncertainty.