The scene opens up the usual way with a Ben Jordan promo, he face appearing on the screen....
Record scratch!
Ben's face didn't appear on the screen, but the face of Ben and Evie's loveable, turtle loving dog, Bear. Bear looks down the camera, his head tilted.
"Alright people." Ben's voice can clearly be heard saying. "Another week, another match, another Ben Jordan talking part."
Bear tilts his head the other way, his eyes fixated on the camera.
"A match against a couple of friends of mine before moving on to face the champions, Lachlan Kane and Sierra Williams." Ben's voice can be heard saying. "Two tough matches to get what we really want, and those are those Mixed Tag Team championships. Here, hold on a minute..."
Bear puts his long tongue out towards the camera.
"Oi..." Ben says. "Is that camera on me or the dog?"
The camera moves up to Ben's face, Ben sitting to the right of Bear wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt. An unimpressed look crosses over the Cockney's face.
"I know he's a handsome devil." Ben says with a dry tone. "But come on, when he get's booked in a match, he can have a chinwag with ya."
Ben's face turns to a smile
"Anyway..." Ben continues. "Tough match against two top people before going on to face the champions? It's enough to get ya blood pumping, that's for sure, but the fact is, I'm recording this on the third of January, I got over a week before that match so I'm being all very relaxed about it. I wanna tell ya a story about what happened at and after the last Climax Control show. Kinda proves a lot of things, and I got time to tell you this one before chatting away about the match."
Ben runs his hands over his chin.
"Most people know how I handle contracts." Ben says. "I sign one a year, January the first for a year, which means I was going in to this match contract less unless a deal could be reached. That was a big reason I was at Climax Control, so I wanna show ya that, then I wanna show you one of the best presents I ever got...."
*******
December 23rd
The last SCW show of the year had been and gone, and although not everyone was on the camera that night, both Ben and Evie Jordan had been in attendance. They had reason to be there, without having to be on camera. They had watched Ben's friends Jon Dough and Amy Marshall confirm their spot in the play offs to face the Jordan's at Inception III on the 13th of January, but Ben had other business there.
Shortly before the tag team match....
Ben knocks on the door of Hot Stuff Mark Ward and Christian Underwood, waiting patiently for an accent to scream through the wooden door frame. It didn't take too long before a voice did just that.
"Come in." Hot Stuff Mark Ward's English accent boomed from behind the door, causing Ben to nod his head, taking a deep breath and walking in to the office of the two bosses, a daunting task for anyone. Ben strolls in the office and looks at the two bosses, their desks side by side.
"Ah, right on time." Christian comments as he reaches to a folder on the desk and hands it to Ben. "Look that over, sign, usual stuff unless we're gonna have Despayre show up and negotiate again."
"Nah, no Despayre this year." Ben says with a smile. "As fun as his contracts were and as genius as some of the clauses were, I think it's time to be a little more serious in 2019. Besides, the facial hair clause was a little restricting, I like changing my look every week."
Ben had dealt with these two men for a long time, and trusted them more than most would, but his eyebrows furrowed as he looked over a certain detail in his contract.
"Guys." Ben says with a questioning tone. "This contract is split a bit. Says I work Inception III then get a few months off if I'm not a champion by then."
"We haven't heard from your doctors in a while Ben." Hot Stuff explains. "You know we always had our doubts about you wrestling while getting the treatment for your illness, but we let it flow, booked you lightly. This time we want you to recover fully, so we split the contract."
Ben slowly shakes his head, disappointed at these turn of events.
"I really shoulda brought Despayre in here, cause you know I'm not signing that, right?" Ben tells them firmly. "I'm fine, treatment has been going very well. I slowed it down to stop damage elsewhere, but in fairness, I'm kicking it's arse and getting better to the point I ain't gotta have anymore treatment till next year. Put the year deal on the table, I'll sign that, get you a latest doctors report and if he says I'm improving, we go on like nothing has happened, if he says there's no sign of improvement or recommends I step away, suspend the contract and I'll take off the time you want me to."
Hot Stuff and Christian share a looks from behind the desks and Hot Stuff shakes his head.
"Well it was worth a try." Christian says with a shrug. "We were only thinking of your health Ben."
"I know and appreciate that." Ben says with a genuine tone. "But wrestling keeps me focused, gives me something to do to get my mind of things, keeps me from sitting there thinking about all doom and gloom."
Hot Stuff nods his head and reaches on his own desk, ruffling through and finding a folder. He hands it towards Ben and Ben takes it, opening the folder and looking closer at it.
"One full year, pay rise, some perks." Hot Stuff says as Ben reads the contract.
"Never about the money." Ben tells them. "More I earn, more charity gets."
Ben's eyes scan the contract, looking at the details of the typed words. Ben nods in satisfaction and reaches in to his top pocket and pulls out a pen. He quickly signs his name on the contract and hands it back to Hot Stuff.
"Much appreciated fellas." Ben says with a smile. "Looking forward to what 2019 brings."
"Match against Fenris?" Christian says with a smile. "He has been hinting at it."
"Think I'll give that a swerve" Ben says with a smile of his own. "Anyway gents, thanks. I gotta get going, got that tag match to watch then back off to Maine cause ya know, I live there."
Ben nods at the two before turning and leaving the room. As Ben leaves the room, he smiles at his wife, waiting impatiently for him.
"So?" Evie asks with her thick Australian accent.
"Another year signed down." Ben tells her. "They was a little odd cause they wanted me to take time off to get better but I told them it's all good and I'll be knocking around this place for people like Salco to call a dinosaur for another twelve months."
Ben looks down to Evie's side, seeing his faithful dog Bear looking up at him. Ben strokes Bear on the head.
"Right, let's watch this match and head off shall we?" Ben says looking at Evie.
*******
Back to Ben sitting down in the chair looking down the camera.
"Jordan 2020." Ben says with a smile. "New deal done, new contract with my name on it and I'm here for another year. You can all call me the old boy again, even though you lot think anyone who remembers the beginning of the nineties old."
Ben can't help but smile again.
"But God willing health wise." Ben starts. "I'll be on your screens for 2019 and I will be trying to do what I couldn't do this year and go unpinned. So close this year, next year, I wanna be that undefeated fella."
Ben nod seriously.
"But before I start talking about the first obstacles in our way to go undefeated, we're going back to later that night." Ben explains. "Back to After Amy and Jon was announced to be our play off opponents, and trust me, I know how dodgy play offs can be, take it from a Millwall fan. We'd found out that could be the first of two matches that night, but we also knew that we had some time off, some time to relax. The card wasn't official for a week, but we knew we had three weeks off."
Ben holds up three fingers.
"So it was time to go back off to Maine..." Ben says with a curious look. "Or so I thought...."
*******
A private jet was one of Ben's first investments when he found his way to wealth, or wealth found it's way to him. He knew he wanted to travel the world, see a bit of life, a private jet goes a long way to making such a thing a reality. It also gave him the freedom to live a fair distance away from his place of work, something as a wrestler, he saw as important.
Stepping on to his private plane with his wife Evie, and dog Bear, Ben looks down the aisle of the jet, watching Bear run in front to his designated padded seat, especially designed for the big dog to be strapped in. Ben looks back at his wife, taking the small bag she was pulling behind her and lifting it to one side, lifting it in to the overhead compartment.
"Ever the gentleman." Evie whispers in his ear from behind, her arms wrapping around his waist.
Ben turns around and looks at her, looking deep in to her eyes.
"It's what made you fall for me." Ben reminds her. "Along with my charm, sophistication and..."
"This..." Evie says as she smacks Ben on the rear.
"Cheeky." Ben says with a wink. "But I'll allow it."
Ben kisses Evie on the forehead before reaching for his bag at the side of his leg and lifts it up in to the overhead compartment, before shutting it down. He looks towards Bear and walks over, stroking his friend on the head.
"You'll be back looking at the turtles before you know it." Ben tells him as he straps the dog in his soft box seat. "Will let you out when we're in the air boy."
Ben turns to Evie, and smiles as he takes a laptop case off his back and unzips it, pulling out a laptop and placing it on the dinging room style table in front of the seat. As Ben boots it up, Evie takes a seat next to him and Ben instinctively puts his arm around her shoulder.
"Another Football Manager marathon?" Evie asks her husband with a smirk.
Ben pulls Evie closer, kissing her on the forehead and looking her in the eye. He slightly shakes his head at her and smiles.
"Not today babe." Ben tells her. "I think I might go a little more traditional today."
"Oh?" Evie asks with a tone of curiosity in her voice.
"Well it's Christmas eve tomorrow." Ben says with a slight smile. "Christmas used to be this massive thing for me and the family where we'd all be gathered around each other. I may pop out Christmas eve. I'd go out with my uncle Christmas day, Christmas night I'd be with the family, boxing day out with my uncle losing money on three legged horses, and I would sit and watch Only Fools and Horses with every spare moment."
Ben taps his password in to his laptop and looks back to Evie.
"Now I love where I am now babe, I truly do." Ben tells her "I just fancy some Only Fools as a way to remind me of back home as a kid. So that is the plan for this one and maybe we can think about making our own Christmas traditions now all this is out in the open."
"How about one with no tree unless we're burning it? No decorations, no Christmas music and no people around." Evie says sarcastically.
"Not exactly what I had in mind." Ben says with a smile at Evie. "I was thinking more trees, more decorations, more Christmas music and more people around."
"Yeah.... nah." Evie says with her thick Australian accent. "I like my idea better"
"Ah, you grinch." Ben says playfully as he squeezes his arm around his wife. "Should get in the Christmas spirit."
"Why?" Evie asks him. "It's a holiday for kids and you're apparently an old man."
Ben scrunches his nose up at his wife as he looks at her playful smile and shakes his head just a little.
"This old man might grow a big long beard and dye it white in time for next year." Ben says with a grin. "And only wear red in December, nothing but red, and put antlers on Bear."
Bear hears his name, looking up and towards Ben, but quickly covers his eyes with his paw. Ben shrugs his shoulders.
"Or not" He says with a sad look on his face.
"Definitely not." Evie says to her husband with a wave of her finger.
"Ah, so mean." Ben says with a pouting lip before turning towards the laptop.
Ben clicks away at the laptop, the opening credits to Only Fools and Horses start to play. Ben leans back in his chair but his eyes start to feel heavy. A yawn escapes from his lips as he closes his eyes for just a second. Evie turns her head to look at Ben.
"Ben...?" She says slowly.
Ben doesn't respond, his mind already in dreamland. Evie sigh as she looks at her husband and slowly shakes her head.
"Not even past the opening credits." She says with half a smile on her face.
She knew Ben has had a rough 2018, not his best year health wise, and it did take a toll on the couple, so Evie never really minded if Ben were to randomly sleep... As long as his life wasn't in danger. Even runs her fingers through Ben's hair before standing up, moving down the aisle towards the cockpit. Evie puts her head through the curtain as the captain, co captain and navigator makes their final checks.
"Change of plans boys." Evie says firmly. "We're not going to Maine..."
Nine hours later.
"Ben..." Evie says in an almost whisper. "Millwall just scored."
"Come on you lions!" a very sleepy voiced Ben says.
Ben slowly opens his eyes and looks towards Evie, one eyebrow raised at his wife.
"Hold on a minute." Ben says to Evie. "Millwall are not playing today."
"Easiest way to get you awake while you have clothes on." Evie says biting her lower lip. "Come on, wake yourself up, we're home."
"Home?" Ben says stretching out. "It's really weird babe, but I feel like I'm a lot more refreshed sleeping this time then I usually do when we fly home. I feel like I've had twice the sleep of what I usually do."
"You don't know the half of it." Evie whispers to herself.
"Hmmm?" Ben queries.
"I said the doors opening, so off ya go." Evie instructs.
Ben stands up, looking at the table where his laptop was and seeing it already packed away. He stands up to see the bags already on the floor from the overhead compartment.
"Someone's been busy." Ben says as Evie stands up.
"Well I waited after we landed to see if you'd wake up on your own, got the bags down, considered poking you with a pencil till you woke up." Evie says with a calm shrug.
"Oh, the normal." Ben responds.
"Pretty much." Evie replies.
Ben picks up the laptop bag and putting it over his back and watches Bear run towards the door of the plane, standing at the top and looking out. He fires a tilted head look back towards Ben as Ben picks up the bags.
"What's wrong with him?" Ben asks Evie.
Evie shrugs her shoulders, an innocent look on her face as Ben walks to the door of the plane and looks around, looking down at Bear, who looks back at him.
"Eves, darling, sweetheart." Ben says slowly.
Evie walks behind Ben as he steps down, looking around at the surroundings around him.
"Yes Ben?" Evie says innocently as she appears at the top of the steps to the plane.
"How long has Canary Wharf been in Maine?" Ben asks.
He points towards the famous pointed top of Canary Wharf, seen very clearly from the runway. Ben looks around his surroundings and looks back to Evie.
"This looks a ton like London City Airport." Ben says before snapping his fingers. "I get it, I'm still on the plane, still asleep and this is just a dream."
Evie steps down the steps of the plane, pinching Ben on the arm, causing him to jump.
"That feel like a dream to you?" Evie asks "You fell asleep, I decided to give you a bit of your childhood. I told them to bring the plane to London, so we can spend Christmas and New Year here. It's not like we ever leave home without passports or Bear. They way you spoke about home. I knew it was time to come see your family."
"You're a star, you know that?" Ben says with a wide grin on his face.
"Don't tell everyone, it will ruin my reputation...." Comes the reply from Evie.
*******
Back to Ben in current times, a wide nostalgic smile on his face as he looks down the camera and nods.
"And that people is where you'll find me right now." Ben says. "Thanks to my incredible wife, I'm here in London for a couple more days and it was honestly the best present I could have ever hoped for. We got to be home, around family and you'll be amazed how much something like that would focus your mind on to other things, like matches in SCW."
Ben nods firmly.
"Kinda liked that segway thingy there." Ben admits. "Either way, we got focused and I'm very focused about the job in hand in a week or so's time. It's always a blessing and a curse to take on a friend or two, you tend to do the odd training session together, you tend to work hard to impress them in training, they see you at your best behind closed doors, they see you up and raring to go like no other. I've been in this situation with Jon before, I've been in it with Amy too, and we all know Amy's experience mind would simply pick holes in what she's seen me do. She'd make a cracking trainer when she's had enough of this, so I reckon Amy might have a trick or two to share with ya about me Jon, but you've had something different to know me, haven't ya?"
Ben pauses for a second.
"You've actually been in the ring with me countless times." Ben says with a nod. "And we know training is one thing but performing under the big lights adds a whole different side to things. Unexpected things happen in those kinda matches and a few tricks get used. You've seen mine Jon so this is where I know I gotta be better, I need to be better to try and out fox you. I ain't that arrogant guy who sits there saying he's definitely gonna win, we got enough bellends in SCW who do that or feel entitled that be in certain spots but I've come home for a bit, my mind is clear, my mind is thinking outside of the box. How to get one over on someone who knows so many of my game plans, hell, a man I've spoke to backstage and has given me advice?"
Ben taps his chin.
"Sod it, there's only one way to do it." Ben muses "I gotta wing it"
Ben shrugs his shoulders
"I know, not much of a game plan" Ben admits "But when ya in there with someone that knows your every move before you even think of it, gotta be creative, gotta do something different, gotta wing it and that's what I'm gonna do. I ain't gonna be Mr predictability in this one, I gotta take the chances I ain't taken before because Jon, that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is there waiting for me. I know Lachlan and Sierra are a couple but not married, so Evie and I could be the first married couple to hold those belts and everyone loves a first. We wanna be the first married couple to get hold of those belts and I ain't under any illusions here people."
Ben shakes his head fast.
"Under none at all." He states. "Jon and Amy are one hell of a challenge, they a pair who deserve a ton of credit for everything they can do in the ring but there's something booting me in the jacksy driving me on to try and get hold of these belts. I know it's gonna almost be like crashing through a brick wall to get past Jon and Amy but sod it, gonna get me Vinnie Jones on, be Juggernaut and crash though some walls."
Ben takes a deep breath.
"Jon, you're always a challenge I like facing mate, always a challenge I'd go for over and over again. Not many people push me to my limits but you have your way of doing just that." Ben says seriously. "But I know I do the same with you and this time ain't gonna be much different, because I will be pushing my limits to try my bloody hardest to get through you and on to what matters. I know people out there are gonna question if I can do two matches in one night with everything that has happened to me over the last year, but I can promise each and every person out there who is watching, each and every person out there live, or buying the show that match two ain't gonna see me drop my standards. I got a couple of gears to work through and I will get to that top gear at the right time in that second match."
Ben holds up two fingers.
"This will be two one hundred and ten percent committed Ben Jordan matches in one night, no slow down for anyone or anything." Ben says with a nod and a smile. "I ain't coming to mess around, coming to go through some friends and get hold on those titles."
Ben looks down at his watch and looks back at the camera.
"Well my friends, it looks like I'm out of time." Ben says with a slightly sad look on his face. "But thank you all for sitting here and listen to me chat and I'll probably be back next week to do it all over again. Until then, you lot be good and I will speak to you soon."
Ben winks.
"Laters people!"
The camera fades to black.