Monday October 6th

Misty had several hours to consider what she was about to do.  She had thought about it as she drove away from the Fort Hood Military Base in Texas.  She contemplated the decisions in her mind on the flight back to Las Vegas.  She even debated it over and over again as she wrote the two letters which she was about to deliver before leaving Las Vegas behind for an unknown amount of time.  But while she knew that there would be a considerable amount of pain to follow what she was about to do, she also knew that she was only following a path of a shattered heart.

So she finished writing the letters and packed up as many clothes as she could.  She made a few phone calls and set something in motion that could not be turned back, and then she got into her dark blue Ford Edge and headed over to Spike and Vixen’s home.  No one was there, of course, as Spike and Vixen themselves hadn’t gotten home from Texas just yet and Timmy and Eden were in school.  Because she knew where the spare key was still hidden, she was able to let herself inside, but she had no plans on being there for long. She just headed to the master bedroom where she would leave the two notes where Spike and Vixen would find them when they returned home.

She left one addressed to each of them on the pillows of their bed before she turned and quickly headed out of the house, returning the spare key to its hiding place, then getting back into her car and heading for the airport.

---

Dear Spike,

Let me start by saying I’m sorry.  I can’t apologize enough for the pain I have caused our family over the last three years, but more specifically, over the last couple of months.  You need to know that the purpose for this letter, and the things I am going to say are to keep Eden safe and to stop her from being hurt ever again…by me or by anyone else.

Everything that has happened recently is my fault.  If I hadn’t started this war with the Mean Girls…with Delia…she wouldn’t have stooped so low as to go after our daughter.  Delia can think her intentions were good all she wants, but we both know she wasn’t.  If there is one thing I regret, it’s not calling the police right after I found out about that, because I should have.

I could have put a stop to this.  I could have stopped while I was ahead and just let things be and dropped this war against Delia, but I didn’t, and now there is no turning back.  The damage is already done, and now you’ve decided to step back and disband something you worked so hard for.

What you should have done, Spike, is to keep Eden away from me, because that is real problem.  Whether I am the cause of her tears or not, now she’ll just be used as a way to get to me, and I can’t allow that anymore.  I’m afraid of what this drama with the Mean Girls will further do to me, so I am going to make the decision.  From now on, I will be staying away from Eden to protect her.  Believe me, I don’t want to, but it has to be done.  I can’t allow Eden to be exposed to anymore pain and heartache because of me.  

I know Vixen will be a great mother to her.  She already has been over the last 2 years and I know in time Eden will understand why I made this decision.  You’ve always had her best interests at heart, but no matter how hard I’ve tried, I’ve never been the mother Eden needed me to be.  

I will have Eden’s things from my house delivered sometime this week.  As for me, I need to get away to clear my head.  I’m not sure how long I will be gone, but please…don’t try to contact me.  

Again, I am truly sorry and congratulations to you and Vixen on your upcoming addition to the family.  Eden will be a wonderful big sister, of that I am sure.

--Misty

---

Dear Vixen,

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you and Spike have made Eden a big sister.  I know she’s wanted nothing more than to have a baby brother or sister, and I’m happy for all of you.  Thank you for taking care of my little girl and being the mother I never could be.  I know you’ll continue to do a good job.

I wrote Spike a letter as well, as I’m sure you’ll find out at the same time, but this is my letter to you to hopefully get you to understand.  I have to protect her, Vixen.  I can’t keep hurting her or allowing her to be hurt, and I trust you’ll be the best mother to Eden.  You already have been.

I know it took us a long time in building this friendship we have, and some people might consider it strange under the circumstances, but I am glad we were able to put our differences aside and become the friends we are.  I want to thank you for offering your home in Canada as a place for me to get away to clear by head, but after some thought, I need to go elsewhere.  I’ve included your key with this letter.  I’m not sure exactly where that will be or how long I will be gone, but I know you’ll understand.  I already told Spike not to try and contact me, and I’m asking the same of you.  Spike might try and ignore it, but I trust you won’t and I also trust you’ll get him to understand.  

I don’t know how either of you will explain this to Eden, but I know either way, she will be hurt.  It pains me to know she will shed any more tears because of me, but you have to understand…it IS for her own well-being.  It might take her a while to understand that, but in time, she’ll grow to love you more as a mother and she’ll completely forget about me.  Please be there for her every step of the way.

I never wanted any of this to happen this way, but it is all for the best.  Thank you for all you have done and all you will continue to do for our family.  It means the world to me.

--Misty

---

Chicago, Illinois
It has been a little over twenty-four hours since Climax Control took place at the Fort Hood Military base in Texas.  After learning the awful truth about what happened between Drake Green and Delia, Misty couldn’t even get herself to stay for the entire show, and instead found herself getting on the first flight back to Las Vegas.  But, she wasn’t even planning to stay in Vegas, either.  She made a spur of the moment decision, and in her mind, she knew it was going to cause a lot of backlash.  But after she left Las Vegas, her next stop would be the very first city she called home.  But her reason for going to Chicago didn’t matter just yet.  But it would soon.

All that mattered right now was getting as far away as possible.  From what, though?

From Drake Green.  And from Delia FUCKING Darling!  Misty had to get away to try and clear her mind and get over the awful truth, if it was at all possible.  She knew there was at least one person that could snap her out of this dark place she was in, but that also meant possibly running into the man whose heart she had broken earlier this year because of her feelings for Drake Green.

As hard as she was trying to get Drake out of her mind, it was a task easier said than done.  Over the years, she had been the one to do the heart breaking, and end the relationships she was in, so to have the tables turned on her was a new experience for her.  One she didn’t really see coming, but she was going to do everything in her power to move past it.

After her flight landed in Chicago she drove straight to her ultimate destination.  She didn’t stop to check into her hotel room first.  No, she headed right to Frankie’s Gym…the place where she had received all of her formal wrestling training.  She wasn’t sure why she wanted to speak to Frankie.  She hadn’t seen the crabby old man since earlier this year, but she wasn’t turning back.  

She parked her rental car across the street from the building, but something immediately caught her eye.  The building that had been old and nearly falling apart on the outside was in the final stages of being remodeled.  She stepped out of the car and gazed at the “new” building so to speak and a brief smile flashed on her face.

“Huh,” she said to herself while folding her arms across her chest. “The old man finally listened to reason and fixed this place up.”  

As she glanced to the front entrance of the building, she also noticed an all too familiar truck.  Seth’s truck was parked in its place, and if there was any chance of avoiding Seth before, that chance was currently gone.  Misty takes in a deep breath then heads towards the door.

As was the case most times she visited, there was no one at the front desk.  Misty shakes her head and continues on her way, heading towards Frankie’s office, eager to see her mentor.  She glances into the training center where two prospective wrestlers are sparring in the ring and she sees no sign of Seth anywhere.

At least not until she stops in the doorway of Frankie’s office.  

She freezes in place as she looks at Seth, whose back is currently turned away.  He’s rummaging through a file cabinet looking for some papers and from the sound of his occasional mumbling and cursing under his breath, he’s having no luck finding what he is looking for.  

“Seth?”

The sound of Misty’s voice is enough grab his attention.  He immediately goes still and stops searching through the filing cabinet, but he doesn’t turn around.  Misty waits for him to respond, but when he doesn’t, she takes a step inside the office and closer to her ex.

“Seth, what are you doing in Frankie’s office?  Where is Frankie?”  She asks, waiting for an answer.  She’s not expecting a happy reaction from the man whose proposal she turned down just about six months ago, but right now she didn’t care.  

Seth straightens his posture and very slowly closes the drawer to the filing cabinet.  He turns around just as slowly to face Misty and to look into her eyes for the first time in six months.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, clearly less than thrilled to see her.

“I came here to see Frankie.” Misty responds with just a little more attitude. “I know you’re his second in charge around here, but if I remember correctly, he hates people going through his office.”

Seth looks away from Misty, obviously hiding something.  He sits down at the desk, opening a file on the computer.  Misty only thinks that his silence is due to the way their relationship had ended, and his clear hate for her.

“I know you didn’t want to see me again and maybe I should have called Frankie before I showed up here, but I didn’t have time to think.” Misty says, looking down at Seth as he continues to ignore her.  He lets out an obnoxious laugh and looks up at her with a fury in his eyes.

“Gee, big surprise there, Misty.” He snaps at her. “You never think much before you do things.”

“Okay, I deserve that.” She says, taking a seat across from Seth.  He glares at her, clearly wanting her to leave, but she doesn’t. “I never meant to hurt you, Seth.  Really, I didn’t.”

Seth rolls his eyes and begins typing something. “Yeah, well, you did.  So you can shove your apology up your ass.  Go back to your happy life with that pretty boy boyfriend of yours.”

The words sting more than Seth realizes.  Misty lowers her head and takes in a deep breath, fighting back tears.  From the corner of his eye, Seth notices Misty’s reaction and he turns to look at her.  Before he can even question her about what is going on, she speaks up with a shaky voice.

“Look…can you just…tell me where Frankie is?  When he’ll be here?” She asks, looking at Seth with pleading eyes. “He’s the only one who can talk me out of doing something right now, so I really need to talk to him.”

Seth takes in a deep breath and a saddened look falls over his face.  He leans back in the chair, trying to figure out the best way to say what he has to say.  It is only then that Misty realizes something is wrong…that Seth isn’t telling her something.

“What?” she says. “What is it?”

“Misty, I don’t know how to tell you this…”

The words are enough answer for her.  She begins shaking her head and stands up from the chair, refusing to believe what Seth is about to confirm.

“Misty…Frankie is dead.”  Speaking the words is even hard for Seth.  He may have always been at odds with the old man, but Frankie was like a father to him.

“No…No…” Misty repeats over and over, continuing to shake her head in denial. “Why would you lie to me like that, Seth?  I know you hate me for what I did to you, but why would you tell me that Frankie is dead?  Frankie is NOT dead!” She’s unable to fight back tears now.  The events of the last twenty-four hours had been hard enough but this…this was devastating.  

Seth stands up and walks around the desk.  Even after everything Misty had put him through, he still finds it in him to wrap his arms around her to comfort her as he tells her the awful truth. “Yes he is, Misty.  I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that.  Frankie’s gone.  He’s not coming back.”

Misty begins sobbing in Seth’s arms and he rubs her back, trying to calm her.  After a few minutes, Misty backs away and looks up at him, her eyes swollen and red from all the tears.

“When?” She asks.  

Seth takes in another deep breath and looks down at the floor.  â€œSix months ago.  Not long after everything happened between us…” Misty’s jaw drops and she stares at Seth in disbelief.

“Six months?” She says slowly before she narrows her eyes and the rage builds inside of her. “SIX MONTHS?!?!”

“It wasn’t easy, Misty!” He fights back, defending himself. “I thought about calling you and letting you know, but I was pissed off!  I still am!”

Misty begins shaking as the anger starts to consume her.  She doesn’t even try to contain herself before she lets loose and starts hitting and punching Seth in a wild rage.  She’s screaming like a banshee and out in the training center, everyone’s attention has been turned towards the situation in the office.  A woman with long dark brown hair sees the situation, and Misty unleashing her wrath on Seth, and she bolts towards the office not even thinking twice.  Even though Seth is able to hold his own, the woman runs up behind Misty and grabs her by her long dark hair, YANKING her away from Seth, though Misty continues to kick and scream.

“Get your hands OFF of my fiancée you crazy bitch!” She says as she throws Misty to the ground with relative ease.  Misty goes quiet rather quickly as the woman stands in front of Seth, ready to defend him again, but Misty just looks up at Seth, wondering if she heard the woman correctly.

“Fi…fiancée?” She asks, dusting herself off and getting back to her feet.  She doesn’t even look at the woman claiming to be Seth’s fiancée, and just waits for him to respond.  

Seth places a hand on the woman’s shoulder and she turns around, and looks at him, making sure he is okay.  He smiles and nods at her.  â€œSara, can you give us a minute?”

The woman, now identified as Sara, shakes her head. “Absolutely not!  The bitch was attacking you!”

“It was a misunderstanding, Sara.  I’ll be fine.  Just give me another minute, okay?” Seth replies, reassuring her.  Sara turns around and glares at Misty, but Misty quickly looks away, now experiencing even more emotions.  Seth leans down and kisses Sara, reassuring her once again.  

Sara turns around and heads towards the door.  Before she walks out, she stops right next to Misty and gives her a final warning. “If you lay so much as another finger on him, I’ll end you, bitch.”

Sara then walks out and Misty closes her eyes.  She runs her hands through her hair, which is now a wild mess and tries to regain her composure, but she looks at Seth, shaking her head.

“Boy that didn’t take you long, did it?” She says and the pain shines through her voice.

“My life is none of your business anymore, Misty.  You gave up the right to know anything when you dumped me for that pretty boy of yours.”

“Yeah, well you’ll be happy to know that things didn’t work out between Drake and me, Seth.  I made a huge fucking mistake, but I’m sure you’re just thrilled about that.” The amount of emotional pain Misty is in is very clear to Seth at this point.  He steps forward, but she holds a hand up, stopping him.

“Don’t even bother.  I’m getting everything I deserve and then some right now.  That much is very clear.”  She says, taking in a deep breath. “I hope you have a happy life with her, Seth.  I don’t expect you to believe me, but I did love you.  I just fell in love with someone else who turned out to be a complete fake.”

Misty doesn’t even give Seth a chance to respond to that.  She quickly turns and runs out of the office, out of the building and away from Chicago.  Where she is headed next is anyone’s guess, but with the revelations of the past twenty-four hours, only time will tell just how long Misty will be gone.

---

Sunday October 12th
Fort Benning Military Base
Immediate after Climax Control

The SCW stars and Bombshells are slowly starting to filter their way out of the Fort Benning Military base in Georgia.  All in all the show went smoothly, but Misty wasn’t there to see any of it.  After disappearing just a week before, she made the decision to avoid the show, but more specifically, the Heavyweight Champion, Drake Green.  Her whereabouts the last week are still unknown, but right now, she is sitting in her rental car outside the base, waiting to go inside.

The show was over, that much she knew, and she was there for a reason.  But she had to hold off on going inside the base because she absolutely did not want to run into Drake or Delia for that matter.  So she’s watching carefully as the men and women of SCW leave the base.  And when she sees him, her heart stops.  

After successfully defending his title against Steve Ramone, Drake Green is seen walking out of the base with his title drape over his shoulder.  Several emotions take over Misty as she sees him for the first time in a week, and while a part of her wants to get out of her car and run over to him, she knows she can’t because of what he did.  Her heartache soon turns to pure hate as she watches him get into his car and drive away from the base.  Once the coast is clear, she gets out of the car and heads inside on a mission to find one person.  

She didn’t care that the military men and women saw her and were quietly whispering to themselves as they got the first sight of Misty since she left Texas last week.  She just searched around until she found what she was looking for…an office door with a sign reading “CHRISTIAN UNDERWOOD” taped to it.  She built up the courage finally knock on the door.

“Come in.” Christian’s voice was heard inside and Misty didn’t hesitate.  She slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside Christian’s make-shift office for the evening and faced one of her bosses.  He looked up and, surprised to see Misty, immediately stopped what he was doing to give her his undivided attention.

“Well this is a bit of a surprise.”  He says. “Erik told me you asked for some personal time off.”

“I did, but we need to talk.”  Misty replies as she takes a seat in front of Christian.  He leans back, nodding his head slowly.

“Hmm…last time you said that, you up and left for months.” Christian replies.  He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head, staring at her with a questioning look. “Please tell me this is not a repeat of earlier this year.”

Misty looks to the ground, unsure of how to answer that.  Christian leans forward with a clear look of disappointment falling over his face.

“Misty, do you really think—“

“That’s not what I’m doing here.” She interrupts him.  He goes quiet and leans back in the chair again, allowing her time to speak. “I need you to give me my match against Delia.  It can’t be put off any longer so I’m asking you to book the match next week.”

“I understand your desire to face Delia in the ring, but—“

“No buts, Christian.” She says, interrupting him yet again. “Book the damn match, because if not, I’m going to get thrown in jail for breaking that piece of shit restraining order she got against me.”

Christian lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “Misty, don’t you think this war against Delia has gone a little too far?  The both of you are going to drastic measures as a way to destroy the other.  Do you really think it best to face her?”

“Christian, I was starting to back off.” Misty replies, leaning forward.  A pained expression falls over her face.  â€œWhether she believes it or not, I was easing up and starting to slowly ignore her because I had someone else to focus on…or I thought I did.”

Misty looks away quickly, trying to get Drake Green off of her mind.  Christian goes to speak up, but Misty stops him. “I am not the one stooping to the lows that Delia is.  I wouldn’t go after someone’s daughter as a way to get to them, and I sure as hell wouldn’t sleep with someone just to destroy her or piss her off!”

“I understand that, but you did get arrested a couple of months ago after you tried to attack the Mean Girls in that nightclub.” Christian’s response doesn’t sit well with Misty.  She narrows her eyes, but says nothing back. “I hate to say it, Misty, but the fact is that this all happened because of decisions you have both made over the past several months.  I’m not taking sides here, but when is enough going to be enough?”

“When you give me what I want and book this match against Delia!” Misty shouts.  â€œIf I back off now, it won’t make me look any better and it’ll only make them run their mouths even more!  I’m not going to give them the satisfaction in thinking they made me walk away again.  It’s not happening.”

Christian thinks for a moment, considering Misty’s demand.  He folds his arms across his chest and nods his head as Misty stares at him, waiting for him to say something.

“I’m afraid it’s so simple anymore, Misty.” He speaks up, finally breaking the silence.  â€œWe are aware of that restraining order Delia has against you, and as of right now, we have yet to find a way around it.”

“That’s bullshit!” Misty shouts, quickly getting to her feet.

“Please, don’t shout at me Misty.” He warns her, pointing a finger at the chair, ordering her to sit back down.  â€œWe know there is a way around it.  We just haven’t found it yet, but we will.  However, there are other things to consider.”

“Other things like what?” Misty says, sitting back down.

“Well,” Christian begins as Misty folds her arms and glares right at him, unimpressed. “You haven’t been back for very long, and while there are some people who support you getting another shot at the Bombshell title, there are others who don’t think you’ve quite earned it yet.  Especially with how you left earlier this year.”

Misty laughs and shakes her head. “You know ever since I came back, I never really expressed any interest in the Bombshell title.  If people don’t think I deserve a shot at the championship, or Delia, then fine.  Put me in a match and I’ll earn it.  Hell put me against Mercedes Vargas.  Besides Delia, she’s the only Mean Girl left that I need to beat.”

Christian thinks for a moment, considering Misty’s idea.  He rubs his chin before he smiles getting a better idea.  â€œUnfortunately there are other plans for Mercedes Vargas at the moment, but would you be fine with challenging someone else to earn this shot?”

“I’m not going to walk away from a challenge, Christian.” She replies.

Christian smiles and nods. “Then it’s settled.  You’ll face Roxi Johnson next week in a match to determine Delia’s next challenger.”

Misty’s eyes suddenly widen and she places both hands down on Christian’s desk, staring at him in disbelief. “I’m sorry…What?  You’re putting me against Roxi?!”

Christian nods. “You said you would face anyone, and Roxi Johnson is the perfect opponent.  Is there a problem with that?”

Misty lowers her head and sighs. “I have nothing against Roxi Johnson, Christian, but…you can’t put me against her for this chance!  You can’t put me against a woman I’ve grown to respect and now consider a friend…”

“Yes, I can actually.”  He replies.  â€œYou of all people should know that sometimes a little friendly rivalry is perfectly acceptable.  If you want your match against Delia all you have to do is defeat Roxi Johnson.”

Misty shakes her head and she goes speechless.  So many thoughts are running through her mind.  She had no problem earning her shot at becoming a four time bombshell champion, but she never expected this.  She was absolutely lost now.  She stood up from the chair and headed towards the door when Christian called out to her.

“Is that a no, then?” He asks just before she walks out the door.

She turns and faces him with a blank expression on her face. “Just book the match…”  And with that, she walks out the door, now with even more to consider than before.

---

Tuesday October 14th

Great.  This is just what Misty needed right now.  In her mind she had been tricked into agreeing to earning her shot at Delia and the bombshell championship in a match against Roxi Johnson.  Sure she had told Christian she would face anyone, but she was expecting..and secretly hoping…it would be Mercedes Vargas.  She couldn’t deny that Roxi deserved this chance just as much as she did, but there was something she wasn’t ready to admit and that is what scared her the most.  

So what did she do?  After her surprise meeting with Christian Underwood after Climax Control, she went right back to the airport and booked a flight.  To where exactly?  The same place she went to last week after finding out about Drake and Delia.  

Ireland.

That’s right.  Misty flew all the way to Ireland to do her soul searching and to clear her head.  She had been to Ireland before, but she never really got to experience its full beauty.  Not to mention it put plenty of space between her and the personal problems that followed her around back in the states.  

Upon arriving back in Ireland, she took in the beautiful sights of the country.  For the most part she was relaxed and peaceful as she was driven through the country roads leading to the quaint little inn she had stayed at last week as well as the local pub that was within walking distance.  It was the early afternoon when walked through the doors of the inn and greeted its owner with a smile.

“Well isn’t this a nice surprise,” the older woman said in a thick Irish accent. “What are ye doin’ back so soon deary?”

Misty took in a deep breath and smiled again, placing her purse on the front desk. “I have some time to kill this week before I have to be back to the states for my next match.  Don’t tell me you were glad to be rid of me Mrs. O’Reilly.”

Misty frowns but the old woman just laughs and walks around the desk, wrapping her arms around Misty in a friendly hug. “Of course not, deary.  It’s a pleasure having you here.  Now tell me, did ye go see yer daughter?”

Misty takes a step back, taking her eyes away from Mrs. O’Reilly’s pressing glare.  She shakes her head and leans against the front desk, unable to speak a word.  Mrs. O’Reilly rubs her back, trying to comfort her before she walks back around the desk and looks at Misty.

“I’m sure the little one misses you dearly.  Why didn’t ye go see her?” She asks.  

Misty can only shrug her shoulders. “I don’t know, Mrs. O’Reilly.  I just have to stay away from her for a while.  It’s killing me.  It really is, but it’s to protect her in the long run.”

“Keeping a child away from her mother is to protect her?  Forgive me, but I’m not sure how that’s possible.” She replies.  Misty lifts her eyes and looks at the old woman, still with a saddened look on her face.

“It’s hard to explain, but I’m not here to fall back into that mood, Mrs. O’Reilly.” Misty replies, standing tall now. “I never expected this place to keep my head as clear as it has been the last week.”

“This place or…” Mrs. O’Reilly lifts her eyes, but Misty shakes her head, stopping her from finishing that sentence.

“Don’t even go there.  He has nothing to do with me coming back.” Misty says.  Mrs. O’Reilly simply smiles and shakes her head.

“Whatever ye say, deary.” She turns around, grabbing a room key from off the wall behind her. “I don’t believe a word ye say and it’s clear to me yer in denial.” She slides the key over to Misty. “Same room as last week.  I know how much ye enjoyed the view.”

Misty smiles and takes the key. “Thank you.  I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’ve been so kind this last week and you barely know me.”

“I know a troubled soul when I see one, deary.” Mrs. O’Reilly replies with a gentle smile. “We all need kindness in our lives, regardless of our past mistakes.  You are no different.”

Misty grabs her bags from a few feet away before she heads up to her room. “You’re wrong about him, by the way.” She says, turning to Mrs. O’Reilly one last time. “I didn’t come here looking for anything like that and even if I did, he is definitely not the type I would fall for.  I don’t need another asshole in my life.”

Mrs. O’Reilly shakes her head and chuckles, choosing not to respond to that.  Misty quietly heads upstairs to her room.  She steps inside the equally quiet room, placing her bags on the bed and walks over to the window.  The view behind the inn shows the vast green scenery that Misty has grown to love over the last week.  As she continues to stare out the window she is startled back to reality by a gentle knocking on the door.  She turns around to face the man standing in her doorway with a smirk on his face.  His five o’clock shadow and dark hair add to his ruggedly handsome look, but Misty doesn’t look as pleased to see him.

“Did ye miss me that much, love?” He says, leaning against the frame of the door.

Misty rolls her eyes and folds her arms. “Don’t flatter yourself, O’Malley,” she says heading over to him. “What are you doing here?” She tries to shut the door, thus kicking him out, but he remains right where he is with that cheeky grin.

“I heard ye was back and I just had to come visit my favorite person.” He replies with a laugh. “I’m actually kind of hurt that yer not happy to see me.”

Misty laughs and shakes her head. “Me?  Happy to see you?  O’Malley, you’re everything I’m trying to avoid.  And quit trying to get anywhere with complimenting me because it won’t work.”

“Not yet, anyway.” He replies.  Misty fires back with a roll of her eyes before she places a hand on his chest and pushes him out of the room.

“Not ever, O’Malley.  So stop wasting not only my time, but yours.”  Misty checks to make sure she has her key in her pocket before she turns and locks the door behind her.  Once it’s locked she walks past O’Malley, quickly trying to get away from him.  Unfortunately for her, he follows right behind her.

“Now where would the fun be in that?” He says, quickly following behind her as they walk down the stairs.

“Why are you doing this to me, O’Malley?” She spins around, the agitation apparent on her face. “I came to Ireland to relax and to get away from all the stress that surrounds my life, but you just keep following me around pissing me off even more!”

O’Malley just smiles getting a great amount of satisfaction in Misty’s anger.  As they make it to the bottom of the stares, Mrs. O’Reilly watches from a few feet away, keeping a close eye on the situation..particularly O’Malley.

“And yet ye came back just a few days after ye left in the first place.” O’Malley leans down, his face just inches away from Misty’s. “Ye can deny it all ye want, but we both know ye didn’t come back just for the scenery.”  He winks and lets out a laugh.

Misty rolls her eyes and growls. “And you think that I came back because of you?  Get over yourself, O’Malley.  And stay away from me!”

Misty quickly spins around and bolts for the door, walking out of the building.  O’Malley just laughs when Mrs. O’Reilly walks up to him, giving him a stern look.

“O’Malley, ye better leave that poor woman alone.  She’s liable to hurt ye.” She says, not even sure if she believes that or not.  O’Malley shakes his head.

“I don’t think she will.  Did ye hear how many times she said my name?” That cheeky grin returns to his face and Mrs. O’Reilly stares at him, confused.

“What on earth has that got to do with anything?” She asks.  

He leans down and laughs. “I think the answer to that might be highly inappropriate for ye to hear, Mrs. O’Reilly.”  He has to think fast as Mrs. O’Reilly’s eyes go wide and she attempts to smack him.  He bolts out the door, following behind Misty, leaving Mrs. O’Reilly standing there, shaking her head.

Just outside, heading towards the pub down the road, Misty doesn’t even realize that O’Malley is following behind her.  At least not until she hears his footsteps behind her.

“Is there a reason you ignored me when I said to stay away from me?” Misty doesn’t stop walking, nor does she turn around to face O’Malley as he catches up to her.  

“Come on now, Misty.  In the short amount of time that ye’ve known me, have I struck ye as a man who listens?” He asks with a chuckle.  

“You’re right, O’Malley,” she says, stopping just short of the door to the pub. She turns around and glares at him. “You don’t listen, but I would suggest you listen to me because right now, at this point in my life, I’m not a woman you want to mess with.”

“And ye still won’t tell me why.” He replies.

Misty closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath.  When she opens her eyes, she looks at O’Malley very seriously before she responds. “Look, it’s really none of your business, okay?  If I wanted you to know, I would have told you.  I’m trying to forget certain things that have happened in my life.  Telling a complete stranger my life story will not help.”

“Complete stranger?  Yer breaking me heart, love!” He says, grabbing his chest and pretending as though he’s in pain.  Misty again rolls her eyes, but for a brief moment, the start of a smile appears.  It fades quickly however.

“Seriously, O’Malley…Why won’t you just leave me alone?” She asks, looking up into his eyes.

“Because,” he starts getting closer to her. “You seem like a challenge, and I love a good challenge darlin’.  And I want to know what is so bad in yer life that it has ye running all the way to Ireland.”

She shakes her head, breaking the eye contact before it affects her too much. “My life isn’t bad, O’Malley—“

“Darlin’ ye sure do like saying my name don’t ye?” He asks, interrupting her with a smirk.  

“There you go again flattering yourself, boy-o.” She replies using the only form of Irish lingo she can think of and O’Malley laughs. “But as I was saying.  My life isn’t bad.  I just needed some time to think before I head back to the states for my next match.”

“Match?” He asks curiously just as Misty realizes she’s said too much.  O’Malley looks at her curiously, refusing to let her walk away from answering that one.

“Yeah…Well…I’m a professional wrestler.  Or I was.  I might not be after Sunday.” She replies just as the door to the pub swings open and a local patron walks out.  He smiles and greets Misty and O’Malley before walking away.

“Again, love, what are ye running from?”

“It’s…it’s complicated, okay?!”  Misty shouts and her eyes narrow in fury. “It’s none of your business and I don’t want to talk about it!”

Misty then storms into the pub without another word.  O’Malley stands there for a moment, dumbfounded, before he shrugs and walks into the pub with a grin.  He has no intentions of giving up and leaving Misty alone, and if there is one thing he will learn very shortly…

…it’s that you don’t want to piss off Misty.

---

Dear Roxi,

I can’t sit here and write this letter to you and have it start off with a lie.  Know this, after my meeting with Christian Underwood after Climax Control on Sunday, I was fully considering walking away.  I was honestly considering doing something I’ve never done before and actually no-showing for a match, but let me explain why.  

You have a good heart Roxi.  Truly, you do.  You’re the hero that SCW has always needed whether I could always see that and admit it, we all know it’s true.  You fight for everyone you care about, no matter the circumstances.  You, Roxi, are the champion I’ve always dreamed of being.  

You’ve also grown to be someone I consider a friend.  As you say, maybe not best friends, but a friend none-the-less and I hope to keep it that way.  That is why I considered no-showing for our match on Sunday.  That is why I am really not looking forward to facing you.  

Well…that and the fact that the last time we faced off in the ring, you walked away the winner.  You defeated me for the Bombshell championship just a little over a year ago and I’ve never been able to forget that.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold a grudge against you for that.  If anything, I should be thanking you.  

It’s no secret that at the time we faced off, I was going through another personal struggle.  I was dealing with my beloved grandmother’s declining health and I will admit it was a bigger distraction than I thought it would be.  But if you remember, Roxi, at the time I was still known as the Queen of the Damned.  I was still the awful woman that to this day, I regret ever being known as that person.  

I think facing you, Roxi, was the true beginning of the end to the Queen.  I’m sure if I had fought hard enough I could have gotten my return shot against you, even though almost immediately after that I was forced into a tag team with the woman now known as Odette Stevens.  The fact is, Roxi, after my loss to you, that part of me was quickly starting to fade away and that meant letting go of the Bombshell title for quite some time.  It meant letting you be the champion I knew you were meant to be…the Bombshell champion that SCW needed.  

You, Roxi, are a huge factor in the Queen’s demise and I have to thank you for that.  You might not realize that or even agree, but I’m telling you the truth.  It took me a long time after that to redeem myself, and I think even to this day I am still fighting in a way, but I’ll keep fighting as long as I am still breathing.

And now here we are…on the verge of our rematch.  Sort of.  The only difference is that the title isn’t on the line, but a shot at the title is.  But know this, Roxi.  I’m not looking at this match as an opportunity to go for the title.  If you know me as well as I think you do, you know that the only thing on my mind now, as it has been for several months now, is finally getting my match against Delia.  The fact that she is the Bombshell champion is nothing but a consolation prize at this point.  I can’t sit back and claim to deserve a shot at the Bombshell title after everything I’ve done…or haven’t done…this year.  If going after the Bombshell title is what gets me my match against Delia…I have to take it.

That is why I have to apologize in advance.  I’m sorry that I have to face you…a woman I’ve grown to respect and consider a friend…to earn my shot at the one woman I despise with every fiber of my being.  I know you understand my feelings and you understand just why I need to face Delia, but don’t take that as me asking you to give anything less than one hundred percent in this match.  I want you to fight just as much as I plan to.  I want you bring you A-game and go out there and show everyone just why you deserve it more than I do.  I want you to step into that ring with me and show everyone why WE are the true definition of what a Bombshell should be, because a match between the two of us…Well it should be the main event instead a Mean Girl.  

I know you have what it takes to beat me, Roxi.  You’ve done it before, and I know you can do it again.  But that time is not now.  I can’t allow it to be now.  I was dealing with a personal struggle before, and I’m dealing with a personal situation now but the difference this time being, I’m not letting it hold me back.  I’m letting it fuel my fire, Roxi.  I’m using it to my advantage rather than letting it be the one thing that destroys me, because if there is one thing I know…

…it’s that I’m a hell of a lot stronger and smarter than to let Delia Darling be the person to destroy me and everything that I worked so hard to build.  

I hope you understand, Roxi, that the fight you’re in for…it’s strictly business.  

And one more thing…WHEN I defeat Delia at High Stakes IV, I’ll gladly put the title on the line against you and we can have a real rematch.  You have my word.

I’ll see you Sunday, Roxi.

--Misty

---

Friday October 17th

Misty closes her laptop, having finished writing the letter to Roxi.  Much like the letters to Spike and Vixen almost two weeks ago, it wasn’t easy for her to write that letter.  She knew this match was important.  For both her and Roxi equally.  It’s why, even though she had told O’Malley just a few days ago that she might not be involved in wrestling after Sunday, she changed her mind.  She HAD to go back.

And that is exactly what she is doing.  

Her bags on the bed, packed and ready to go.  She puts her laptop in its carrying case, then looks around the room, making sure she has all of her things.  She lets out a sigh as she looks around the room one final time and out the window, not knowing when the next time she would be back…if ever.  She really had grown to love Ireland, and the friends she had made during both of her stays.  After a few minutes, she grabs her bags and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her and she heads downstairs.

Mrs. O’Reilly is waiting at the front desk for her with a sad look on her face. “Time for ye to go already, eh?” She asks. “Probably for the best I suppose.  Ye got a daughter who I’m sure misses ye like crazy.”

Misty smiles and nods. “I’m sure she does, but I honestly don’t know when I’ll see her again, Mrs. O’Reilly.  I’ve got other things to take care of first, and Eden is in good hands with her father and stepmother.”

“Now ye listen to me, Misty, and listen good.” Mrs. O’Reilly says, waving a finger at Misty. “Ye better make time to go see her.  If ye had time to fly halfway around the world to Ireland, ye’ve got more than enough time to see yer daughter.”

“It’s not that simple, but I understand.  Thank you, Mrs. O’Reilly.” Misty replies, setting her room key on the desk and sliding it back to Mrs. O’Reilly.  She takes some money out of her pocket and hands it to her, paying for more than just a week’s stay. “I know it’s more than I owe, but please don’t argue.  You’ve been so kind to me these last two weeks, and it’s the least I could do.”

“Thank you, deary.” Mrs. O’Reilly says, accepting the cash. “But I would have been glad to not charge ye anything if ye had promised to go see yer little one.”

Misty shakes her head.  She goes to say something when Mrs. O’Reilly looks past her, and just out the door.  She nods her head and smiles. “Looks like someone came to see ye off, deary.”

Misty looks confused as she turns around.  Standing outside by the car waiting for Misty is none other than her new friend O’Malley.  She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“Gee and I wonder how he found out I was leaving today.  You didn’t have anything to do with it, I suppose?” Misty asks with a smirk.

Mrs. O’Reilly just smiles innocently and shakes her head. “O’ course not, deary.  That O’Malley has ways of finding things out.”

“Mmhmm..” Misty replies.  â€œI’m sure he does.  Anyway, I really need to get going if I’m going to catch my flight.  Again, I can’t thank you enough and I hope I can come back soon.”

“Yer welcome anytime, deary.”

Misty smiles again before she turns and heads out the door.  O’Malley is leaning against the car waiting for her with a smile.  She doesn’t make eye contact as the driver takes her bags and places them in the trunk.  

“Changed yer mind, huh love?” He asks, opening the door for her.  â€œI can’t count how many times ye’ve broken me heart over the last two weeks.”

Misty tilts her head to the side and folds her arms.  â€œYou should have stayed away, O’Malley.  If you’re really concerned about your heart being broken, you could have saved yourself even more heartache by seeing me leave again.”

“What can I say?” He says with a shrug. “I’m a glutton for punishment.  What changed yer mind?”

She shrugs back. “I’m just tired, O’Malley.  I’m tired of running and giving people a reason to doubt me or say shit about me.  I can’t deny anything they say anymore, but what I can do is give them a reason to believe in me again.  I can give myself a reason to believe in me again, because I don’t think I have for quite some time.”

“When ye coming back?”  He asks, but the look on Misty’s face might be answer enough.  

She shakes her head with a blank look on her face. “Honestly?  I don’t know.  Ireland is an amazing place, and it’s been the perfect place for me to clear my head and figure things out, but the fact is…I’ve got things I need to sort out back home.  I need to face the shit head on and deal with it once and for all.”

O’Malley takes a step towards Misty.  She looks away, ready to step by him and get into the car, but he stands in her way.  â€œI have to go, O’Malley.  I have a flight to catch.”

“I think you know that we’ll be seeing each other again soon enough, love.” He says, looking down at her.  She refuses to look at him, and almost has an uncomfortable look on her face.

“No.  We won’t.” She says. “Just forget about me, O’Malley.  I’m broken, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever get put back together.”

“Ye say ye don’t want to keep running away love,” he starts as he places his hand on her chin.  He gently pushes her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes. “But that’s exactly what yer doin’ now.”

“Damn it, O’Malley!” She slaps his hand away from her chin. “That’s not what I’m doing!  You don’t know me and you never will.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go.  I have a damn match to win on Sunday and I don’t need YOU to be the reason that I don’t.”

O’Malley goes to take Misty’s hand, but she yanks it away quickly.

“Misty…” He says, trying to speak to her.  She shakes her head and walks past him, getting into the backseat of the car.

“Goodbye, O’Malley.” She then looks away and closes the door, ordering the driver to leave.  The car pulls away a few seconds later, heading down the road as O’Malley just watches Misty disappear, wondering if he’ll ever see her again.  After the car is out of sight, his eyes light up.  He turns around quickly and sprints off down the road.

What he has up his sleeve now is anyone’s guess…

 Wednesday September 17th
Sweet Home Las Vegas

Violent Conduct II was just three days ago, and the much anticipated week off is upon all of the members of the SCW roster.  Even though she didn’t have a match of her own at Violent Conduct, three time former Bombshell champion, Misty, is enjoying every minute of the week off.  And while she hasn’t had a match in weeks, you don’t hear any complaints coming from the self-proclaimed Original Bombshell.

No.  After Violent Conduct had ended and Drake Green successfully defended his title against Rage, Misty had decided to spend a couple of days with him before retreating back to her home for the week.  She couldn’t deny she was enjoying every minute she spent with Drake, but she also missed her daughter Eden and the week off after the supercard meant spending more time with her six and a half year old mini-me.

As she walks through the front door of her home in Las Vegas, she lets out a loud sigh and drops her bags on the floor.  She doesn’t even bothering carrying them into her bedroom to begin the unpacking process and she wanders into the kitchen, soaking in the silence as Eden is currently in school for the day.  She walks over to the fridge and grabs a hold of the handle.  Her eyes dart between the photos she has sticking to the refrigerator door with various magnets; Photos of her and Eden and even one of her and Drake.  A smile grows on her face as she opens the door and takes out an ice cold beer and pops to top off.

She doesn’t take a sip as she walks over to her kitchen table and takes a seat, looking out the window at the Las Vegas sky.  Just as she brings the bottle to her lips and is about to take a sip, she stops herself and lowers the bottle.  She looks down at it, toying with it in her hands.  She thinks for a few moments before she pushes herself away from the table and walks over to the sink where she doesn’t even think twice about pouring the entire bottle down the drain.  

It was no secret that Drake was currently working on his sobriety, and although she wasn’t around him at the moment, she felt she still needed to be supportive in some way.  If that meant getting rid of every ounce of alcohol in her own house and not drinking so much as a drop of any kind of alcohol herself, she would do it.

“Good thing Mark didn’t see that, or he’d be calling for my arrest for alcohol abuse.” She said to herself as the beer swirled down the drain and she promptly tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin.  She repeated this process for the rest of the six pack she had in her fridge and every last bottle was in the recycle bin as well.  She dusted herself off proudly and looked around the empty kitchen until her eyes fell on the clock perched on the wall just a few feet away.

One p.m.  Eden wasn’t due out of school for another hour and a half, and she’d have to head over to Spike’s place to meet her.  She shrugs and heads back to the front door, grabbing her bags and heading into her bedroom.  She tosses the bags onto her bed and opens one of them up, removing her clothes from inside.

She heads over to her dresser and starts humming a tune as she puts her clothes away.  She doesn’t hear herself humming, however, as she gets lost in her own world.  She grabs a hair tie from off her dresser, pulls her hair back and walks away.  When she takes a step in front of her full length mirror, she stops as she sees something from the corner of her eye.  A sight that clearly terrifies her.  

“Don’t look at the mirror, Misty.” She closes her eyes and whispers to herself. “You’re imagining things.  Just walk away.”

But she doesn’t listen to her own warnings.  Something inside of her can’t, and she slowly turns and faces the mirror and the reflection looking back at her.  She stands there, shaken and frozen, as she looks at herself staring back at her.  Well…her former self.  Inside her mind, the dark and demented form of the Queen of the Damned stares back at her with a wicked smile and her long hair flowing down past her shoulders.  

“No.  No!” Misty shouts as she brings her hands up to her face and shields her eyes.  She shakes her head, furiously wishing away the vision.  The trick her mind is playing on her clearly continues, as the reflection of her Queen of the Damned self chuckles wickedly and stares at her with devious intent.  

“Oh, yes, Misty.” The voice says slowly, sending chills up Misty’s spine. “Deny it all you want, but I’m still here.  I’m still a part of you, whether you want me to be or not.”

Misty again shakes her head, but she doesn’t open her eyes.  She’s already seen the reflection once, she can’t see it again.  She turns around, turning her back to face the mirror and only then does she open her eyes.

“No you’re not.” She shouts back as she fights to gain control of her body once again.  She’s still shaking, and she’s holding back fearful sobs, but she can still feel the Queen’s piercing eyes on her. “Go away!  I don’t know what you’re doing here!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The Queen responds, wanting nothing more than to take a step towards her weaker self, but she’s trapped as a mere reflection. “You and I both know you’ve been fighting this for quite some time, sweetie.”

Misty straightens her posture, standing up tall and as proud as she can.  She still refuses to turn around and face the evil woman she once was, and she stares across the room with a fiery determination in her eyes.

“I’m not fighting anything.  I know who I am, and I’m not you!” The Queen laughs again as Misty snaps back, clearly trying to persuade herself.

“Keep telling yourself that, dear,” the Queen starts, folding her arms across herself in the mirror. “It might have worked in this war so far, but I know you can feel something horrible coming.  You can feel you’re the end of your world coming soon.  That’s me warning you, sweetie.”

Misty snarls and shakes her head.

“You don’t know a thing!”  Misty shouts, still refusing to face herself. “If anything, you’re just trying to trip me up.  You can tell that my world…my life…is only getting better and happier and you’re becoming more and more non-existent.”  Misty smiles, proud of herself as she fights her own demon.  The Queen, however, just shakes her head, still with that wicked smile on her face.

“Your denial is really quite saddening, dear.” The Queen responds. “Your life may be happy right now, but for how long?  How much longer do you see your life continue to grow and prosper?  Do you really think you’re going to get a happy ending now?  After everything we did?”

As the Queen laughs again, Misty can no longer keep herself from facing her.  She spins around and looks directly into the mirror.  She looks right into the eyes of the evil form of the Queen of the Damned, taking a single step towards the mirror.

“I…did nothing!” Misty says, pointing at the mirror. “You were the one that did all those horrible things, not me.  I’m a better person now since I got rid of you.”

The Queen throws her head back and laughs louder this time.  She laughs for a few moments before she lowers her head, glaring at her weaker self. “You say that, but you and I both know that won’t be the case for long, dear.  Especially not if you wish to continue this war against the Mean Girls.  Bravo for that attack on Delia Darling, by the way.  Though I could have managed far worse damage than what you did.”

“SHUT UP!” Misty shouts louder, getting closer to the mirror. “JUST SHUT UP!”

The Queen nods with the hint of a smile. “Testy, testy.  What’s the matter, Misty?  Am I getting to you?  Or are every word the Mean Girls throw your way finally sinking in and you’re just trying to fight the inevitable truth?”

“What inevitable truth, you evil bitch?!” Misty snaps back. “I did what I did to Delia as payback for what she did to Eden!  It has nothing to do with all the jealousy bullshit that Delia and her clones are throwing at me or the rest of the Bombshells on a daily basis.  So fuck you and what you think.”

“If you really wanted Delia to pay for what she did to my precious heir, you would have let me handle it.  Why must you fight this?” The Queen asks in a disappointed tone.  

Misty narrows her eyes and tilts her head to the side. “Eden is my daughter.  She will never be anything like you.  And Delia will pay a steeper price for what she did.  Sunday night was only a taste of what I’m capable of.”

“Oh I know, dear,” the Queen starts, leaning forward just a bit with a malicious smile on her face. “Because by the time you face Delia inside of that ring, one on one, it won’t be you going against her.  It’ll be me and the damage will be far more severe and permanent than anything you could dish out yourself.”

“I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN!  I CAN DESTORY DELIA MYSELF, DAMN IT!”

The Queen holds her hands up as Misty shouts at her, proudly displaying them for Misty to look at.  Misty stands there, frozen once again as she stares at her hands…and the blood on them.

“No, you can’t, dear.” The Queen says. “Delia’s blood will always be on my hands.  Never yours.”

Misty finally loses all control.  She lunges at the mirror with both fists bared, and punches the mirror.  It immediately shatters, and the pieces of the mirror fall to the floor, but Misty doesn’t stop.  She continues to punch and scream at the mirror, and inside her head, the Queen continues to laugh.  Once Misty is able to calm herself down, she brings her hands up and stares down at them.  Blood is pouring from the gashes that now line her hands, and she’s shaking furiously.

“Think about what I said, sweetie.”  Misty shakes her head, refusing to give the voice inside her mind any more attention.  Tears start to stream down her face and she looks around her room, frantically searching for her phone.  She spots it on the bed next to her suitcase and picks it up, not caring about getting any blood on it.  She just dials a number and waits for the person on the other end to pick up.  A few moments later, someone does, and her face lights up in relief.

“Dixie, I need you to come get me right now.”  She says with a shakey voice. “I’ll explain when you get here, but I need you to take me to the hospital.  And please hurry.”

Misty then tosses her phone on top of her duffel bag.  She heads into the bathroom to grab a couple of hand towels to wrap her blood soaked hands in while she waits for her younger half-sister to come get her.

---

MountainView Hospital
Triage Room

Misty was lucky that the emergency room of MountainView Hospital not far from her home wasn’t very busy today.  It didn’t take long for her to be checked in and taken back to a triage room.  She’s currently sitting on a gurney with her hands on a table in front of her.  She’s waiting for the nurse to return to the room with a suture kit, as her hands are going to require several stitches.

Her sister, Dixie, is in a chair just a few feet away from her.  Not a word is being spoken between the two as Dixie stares at Misty’s hands.  All Dixie knows is that the cause of Misty’s bloodied hands was a shattered mirror in her room, but she has yet to find out exactly why Misty went postal on said mirror.  

Misty looks down at her hands, and she shakes her head.  

“Shit.” She says as a thought suddenly popped into her head.

“What?” Dixie asks curiously.  

Misty looks up at her sister and with a laugh she says, “I have to figure out how the hell I’m going to explain this to Drake.  I’m not going to be able to hide this from him.”

Dixie shakes her head. “I don’t know why you laughed.  This isn’t funny.” Dixie has been concerned for her sister for quite some time, but she hasn’t been there as much as she wanted to.  Not since she has been spending the majority of her time with her now boyfriend, former SCW Heavyweight Champion, Giani Di Luca.

“It wasn’t a funny laugh, Dixie.” Misty replies, holding her hands still.

“Oh because that makes this situation any better?  You’re worried about how you’re going to explain this to Drake, yet you haven’t even told me what the hell happened.  Why did you decide to get into a fight with your mirror?”  Dixie gives her sister a stern look, asking for the truth.  She has a feeling Misty won’t tell her the whole truth, but regardless she wants an explanation.

“I saw a couple of gray hairs and I freaked out.” She says with an amused grin and a laugh that follows.  Dixie, however, stares at her and she doesn’t return the same amusement.

“Sheesh,” Misty starts, rolling her eyes. “Lighten up.  I was just trying to be funny.”

“Yeah, and I already said this isn’t funny!” Dixie snaps back.  Just as the argument is going to get further heated, the nurse walks into the room with a suture kit.  

“Everything okay in here?” She asks as she places the kit down on the table next to Misty’s hands.  She puts on a sterile pair of gloves and looks back and forth between Misty and Dixie as she starts to open the suture kit.

Dixie sits back in her seat and folds her arms across her chest.  She refuses to say another word, so Misty gives the nurse a polite smile and responds.

“Everything is fine.” She says, then looks back to her battered hands. “Well, except for the obvious condition of my hands.”

“I have to agree.”  The nurse says. “You did quite a number on them.  You said you punched a mirror, right?”  She begins prepping the wounds on Misty’s hands, cleaning and sterilizing them before she starts to stitch the gashes.  Misty just nods, trying her best not to think about why she destroyed her mirror.  

“I don’t mean to pry, but I’m assuming the clear tension in the room has something to do with wanting to know why you punched that mirror?”  The nurse asks with genuine concern in her voice.  Dixie turns her head, still wanting an answer, but Misty can’t give her one yet.

“It is, but I don’t really want to talk about it just yet.  I already regret it, so we can just leave it at that, please.” Misty replies as she glances at Dixie.  Dixie shakes her head disappointedly and Misty winces as the nurse injects a local anesthetic to numb the area before she starts stitching.

“Fair enough.” She says. “After I’m done here I can ask the doctor to give you a referral for someone to talk to.  You know, as someone with an outside perspective on things.”

Misty snarls and glares at the nurse. “I don’t need a shrink.” She snaps. “I need you to do your job and finish stitching up my hands so I can go back home to my daughter.”

The nurse nods and continues her work quietly.  There is a long awkward silence as the nurse works on stitching up both of Misty’s hands.  Dixie wants nothing more than to talk about what happened, but she knows that Misty won’t say a word with the nurse there.  It is a long while before the nurse finishes stitching up the wounds, then wraps Misty’s hands in gauze wrap.

“All finished.” She says as she removes her gloves and tosses them into the trash.  â€œThe doctor will be back in shortly with your discharge papers and instructions.”

Misty nods.  She looks down at her gauze wrapped hands and shakes her head. “Great.  Eden is going to start calling me Mummy now.”

That manages to get a laugh out of Dixie, though it was a quick one and the smile quickly disappears off of her face. Dixie looks at Misty with genuine concern.

“Misty, what the hell happened?” She pleads with her sister. “I need the truth.  I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on”

Misty lowers her hands to her side, looking at Dixie.  She thinks about what happened and she knows that if she tells Dixie the truth, she’ll think she’s crazy.  So she thinks of a better excuse inside her mind…one that Dixie is sure to believe, though it pains her to even use that lie over the truth.

“It’s just all this crap with the Mean Girls, Dixie.” Misty starts, choosing her words carefully and making them as believable as possible. “Do you know how often they call me old and washed up?  Irrelevant?  They’re constantly spewing a bunch of shit saying I need to return to the nursing home or something.  I just…I looked in the mirror and I guess I started to see what they see and I freaked out.”

Misty lowers her head ashamed of every word she has just spoken.  She knows they aren’t true, but she’s able to speak them as if they were and Dixie looks at her, shaking her head.

“You can’t be serious?” She asks and Misty raises her head thinking Dixie saw through her lies. “You’re letting those horrible excuses for women get to you?”

Misty shrugs, laying the shame on as thick as she possibly can.  Dixie stands up and takes a seat next to her sister.

“Misty, those…things…they don’t know what they’re talking about.  They like to talk about jealousy a lot, but from my point of view, they’re jealous of you.  You’re beautiful on the inside and out and they know they’ll never have what you have.” Although Misty’s story was a lie, Dixie’s words come as a great comfort to her.  She looks up at her sister with a warm smile and wraps her arms around her in a tight embrace.

“I don’t deserve you as a sister, Dixie.” She says, wiping a tear away from her cheek. “How can you think I’m this beautiful person inside and out after everything I’ve done to you and to our family?  Hell, I don’t even deserve Drake.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Dixie asks Misty with a nudge. “Drake is hardly a saint himself.  None of us are perfect, Misty.  The fact that the Mean Girls think they are is what makes them the true ugly ones.”  Dixie rubs her sister’s back as Misty looks to the floor; the shame over the entire war with the Mean Girls really coming to the surface now.  â€œYou’ve made mistakes, Misty, but you’ve been doing everything to make up for them this past year.  I’m proud of you.”

Another tear rolls down Misty’s cheek as Dixie brings her in close for a side hug.  She tries to wipe the tears from her eyes, but they just keep rolling down her face.

“Dixie, I just feel like…I dunno…something bad is going to happen.  With the exception of all this bullshit with the Mean Girls, everything in my life has been going so great.” She shakes her head, unable to shake off the horrible feeling washing over her. “Eden and Timmy finally trust me again.  Spike and I are civil towards one another and I’m practically best friends with his wife for christ’s sake.  And Drake…” Her voice trails off, but an awkward smile grows on her face.

“What?  What about Drake?” Dixie asks as Misty looks up at her.

“He…He told me he loves me, Dixie.”

Dixie’s eyes widen but she smiles.  â€œWhat?!  That’s…that’s great!” One look at Misty’s expression tells Dixie that perhaps she’s wrong. “Isn’t it?”

Misty looks back to the floor and shrugs. “I…I don’t know.  I mean, I thought it was, but Dixie…I just feel like maybe it’s not enough.”

“Do you love him?” When Dixie asks this, Misty’s head shoots up and she stares at her, unsure of how to answer.  Dixie nudges her again. “Well?  Do you?”

Misty’s mouth drops open and when she goes to speak, nothing comes out.  She’s at a loss for words, but Dixie smiles, already knowing the answer.  â€œQuit being so afraid and just tell him already, Misty.  Haven’t you already waited long enough?”

“Exactly how long do you think I’ve felt this way about him?” The question makes Dixie laugh and Misty realizes what a stupid question it was after asking it.

“Long enough, don’t you think?” Dixie replies. “You just couldn’t admit it to yourself, and for whatever reason you still can’t.  What are you waiting for?”

“Honestly?” Misty asks, looking up at her sister.  Dixie nods, urging her to answer. “I’m just afraid that if…when I tell him that I love him, that something is going to screw it up.”

“You mean that Drake will screw it up…” Dixie asks.  Misty, surprisingly shakes her head and frowns disappointedly.

“No…that I will screw it up.”  Dixie looks surprised to hear Misty admit this and before she has a chance to question what she means, Misty explains. “My track record over the last two and a half years isn’t all that great, Dixie.  I’ve been the one to screw things up and throw away a great thing when I had it.  Spike…Giani…”

Before Misty can stop herself, she lets Giani’s name slip.  She regrets it, but Dixie shakes her head, shockingly not bothered by it.

“Please, Misty.  What you and Giani had wasn’t a great thing, obviously.” She laughs and Misty even manages to chuckle.

“Sorry,” Misty starts. “But, you get my point.  Spike…Giani…Seth…I was the one to leave all of them, Dixie.”

Dixie shakes her head.  She stands up and stands directly in front of Misty, placing her hands on her shoulders.  She looks down into her sister’s eyes and smiles.  â€œStop, Misty.  Just.  Stop.”  Misty blinks, and she doesn’t say a word. “Look, everything happens for a reason, right?  For whatever reason, you and Spike weren’t meant to be together, otherwise you would be.  Giani was clearly just a fling.  And Seth…he wasn’t willing to make things work.  He allowed himself to be stuck in that life back in Chicago, knowing you could never move back there because of Eden.  Do you want my honest opinion?”

Misty nods and says, “Please.”

“Drake needs you, and a part of you needs him.  Tell him how you feel about him, because the longer you wait, the worse it looks.  I can tell you right now, you won’t screw this up.  If you were going to, it would have already happened.”  Before Misty has a chance to respond, the doctor walks into the room with Misty’s discharge paperwork and instructions.  Misty looks to her sister and quietly mouths a “thank you” to her.  Dixie just smiles and nods, as the two turn their attention to the doctor as he goes over the final paperwork before Misty can go home.

---

Sunday September 21st
2 a.m

Misty is sleeping peacefully, snuggled under her blanket.  Just down the hall, her six and a half year old daughter is tucked into her own bed, but she’s hardly sleeping as well as her mother.  Eden is tossing and turning with her stuffed teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms.  She lets out soft, fearful cries until she bolts upright and screams, “MOMMY!!”

She clutches her teddy bear tighter and starts rocking back and forth as the tears start streaming down her cheeks.  Moments later, Misty comes running into the room.  She switches on the light and walks over to her daughter’s side.

“Eden, sweetie, what’s wrong?” She asks, comforting her terrified little girl.  She brushes a few strands of hair away from Eden’s face and hugs her tight.

“I…h-h-had a b-bad…dream.”  Eden says, sobbing into Misty’s shoulder almost uncontrollably.  Misty rubs Eden’s back, doing her best to calm her down.\

“Shhh..” She says, backing away and looking into Eden’s tear soaked eyes. “It was just a nightmare, sweetie.  Do you want to tell me about it?”

Eden shakes her head, not saying so much as a single word.  Her tears become less and less as her nerves finally start to calm down in her mother’s comforting arms.  Misty lays back in the bed next to Eden, still hugging her tight.  She starts humming a tune to her, trying to get her to fall back asleep, and doesn’t notice Eden staring at her bandaged hands.  At least, not until Eden speaks up and questions her about them.

“How come you haven’t told me what happened to y our hands?” Eden asks as she takes one of Misty’s hands in her own.  They’ve already begun the healing process, but it would be days before the stitches could be removed.

“Well,” Misty begins, allowing Eden to gently run her hand over the bandages, concerned for her mother. “I just had an accident is all.  You don’t need to worry about it, though.  It’s just a few stitches.”

Misty hated lying to Eden, given the things she had done over the past couple of years, but she had no choice.  She couldn’t allow the Queen of the Damned to return.  And while her main reason was because she didn’t want to hurt Eden again, there were also several other reasons to not allow that to happen.

“Did the mean lady with the funny accent do it?” Eden asks, looking up at Misty curiously.  She yawns softly, slowly growing tired once more.

“No, sweetie.” Misty says, looking down at Eden shaking he head. “Delia didn’t hurt my hands.  She’s not going to hurt me or you ever again.”

“How can you be so sure?” Eden asks quietly, almost disappointed to admit she doesn’t believe her mother.  Misty takes in a deep breath.  She thinks about how best to reassure Eden, considering Delia has already stooped to such a low level.

“Because I’m your mother, Eden.” Misty says, continuing to sooth her. “I can’t promise you that Delia won’t try to hurt you again, but I can absolutely promise I won’t let her.  I’m just sorry that she felt the need to use you as a way to get to me.  I’m sorry she scared you, sweetie.”

Eden pouts her bottom lip out.  She looks like she’s considering asking another question, but she’s holding back.  She yawns again and her eyes start to flutter closed.  As she slowly drifts off to sleep again, she finally breaks her silence and asks the question that was on her mind. “Mommy, you’re not going to leave me again, are you?”  She yawns again, this time unable to keep her eyes open.  

The question is enough to break Misty’s heart, especially hearing the way Eden asks it.  Misty hugs Eden tightly, not realizing she has already fallen fast asleep again.

“Of course not, Eden.” Misty says, but Eden doesn’t hear her. “I’m never ever going to leave you again.”  Once she hears Eden’s soft peaceful breathing, she looks down at her and sighs.  Once Eden woke up, she would have to reassure her that she would never leave again.  

Misty carefully gets up from the bed, once again tucking Eden under her blankets.  She leans down and kisses her forehead before she heads towards the door.  As she passes by the mirror on Eden’s vanity, she glances at it and nearly loses it again.  She sees the reflection of her Queen of the Damned self once again, and the Queen just winks at her, then blows a kiss in Eden’s direction.  Misty holds herself back from clenching her fists, as doing so would likely pop the stitches of her healing hands, but her vision quickly vanishes as her mind just plays tricks on her once again.  Misty shakes her head and walks over to the door, flipping the lights off once again before returning to her own bedroom for the rest of the night.

---

“When I returned two months ago, and let the entire SCW roster and its fans know that I was targeting the Mean Girls, I never imagined how exhausting this battle would be.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not backing down.  I’m not walking away, so any thoughts of any of the Mean Girls may have about thinking that is the case, they can just keep their mouths shut.”

“I’ve slowly been working my way up to my main target, Delia.  I don’t care when…I don’t care how, but I WILL get Delia one-on-one in that ring and I WILL walk away the winner whether she thinks I will or not.  I made easy work of the bottom of the barrel, Angelica and Tessa, in my first match back.  Sure, it’s not exactly something to brag about considering one has been out of action for quite some time and the other has very little wrestling experience under her belt.  But, come on, they were given a clear advantage in facing me in a HANDICAP MATCH, and yet they still walked away on the losing end.  Misty…one.  Mean Girls…zero!”

“The following week I decided to do things a little bit different.  I had to get creative.  Because of the rules in SCW, I couldn’t face Holly Wood in a sanctioned match, so what did I agree to?  A drag contest.”

“Not one of my prouder moments, but hey, I had a ton of fun with that.  And I won.  Yet Holly cried foul and challenged me to an arm wrestling match.  Oh, and guess what?  I won that one, too!  Misty…two.  Mean Girls…zilch!”

“Do you all see where I’m going with this?”

“Now, the six-woman tag match on the last edition of Climax Control before Violent Conduct II didn’t exactly end how it should have.  Sure the Mean Girls walked away with the victory over Roxi, Amy and myself, but if you watch that match over again, that win was not something to brag about.  It may be in the record books, but it was CLEARLY an illegal win because neither Delia nor Amy were the legal women in the ring.  But…I’m not going to cry over spilled milk.  What’s done is done, but my point here is that one-on-one…the Mean Girls simply can’t beat me.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Amy or Roxi for what happened, it was just how the cards were dealt that night, but when it comes to singles matches…I won’t lose against the Mean Girls.  I REFUSE to lose.”

“This Sunday in St. Louis…I get my next victory.  The bosses have done me a favor in placing me against Veronica Taylor one-on-one and it is going to be oh so sweet beating the hell out of that brainless idiot and prove to her that while she may be on a ‘winning streak’ as of late, that streak is about to be broken.”

“I have to wonder how the Mean Girls will feel after I beat Veronica?  They all want sooo badly to defeat me and to *air quotes* send me back to the nursing home, yet they’ve clearly failed to do so thus far.  Not to mention, they have a mole in their midst.”  

“Who is it?  Who has been feeding information about the Mean Girls to not only me, but SCW as a whole?  It very well could be Veronica Taylor.  I mean…when she loses to me in that ring, maybe the Mean Girls will point the finger and think just that.”

“One thing is for sure, though.  The Mean Girls are destroying themselves, and I’m enjoying every second of it.”

---

Thursday September 25th
Spike Staggs’ Home- Las Vegas

It’s a scorching day in Las Vegas, with temperatures soaring near one hundred degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  Timmy and Eden Staggs are currently in school for the day, and no one is seemingly home at the Staggs household, but there is a visitor in the backyard.  The woman who used to live there, but now lives just a few minutes away.  

Misty’s mind has been all over the place over the last week, and as weird as it may sound, there was one place over the last couple of years where she found some peace: the corner of Spike’s backyard where he had made a little memorial for the child…the son…he and Misty had lost.  She didn’t live there anymore, true, but when she needed to think and clear her mind, she found herself wanting to visit the memorial.

So today, dressed in a blue tank top and a pair of shorts, she let herself into the backyard, heading over to the memorial for her son, who would be going on two years old if she hadn’t miscarried him.  She hasn’t found herself shedding any tears over the loss in a while, though the guilt still returns every now and then.  Once she stands over the memorial, she looks down at the stone Spike had made and lets out a sigh.  She kneels down placing a hand on the stone and closes her eyes.

“I’d hate to think what those wretched rats would do if you had been born, sweetie.” She says. “Delia went after your big sister, so God only knows what she would try to do to you.”

“Misty?” Spike’s voice comes from behind her and startles her.  She jumps back to her feet and turns around, bringing her hand to her chest.

“Jesus, Spike.  You scared me.” She says to Spike who is just stepping out of his house.

Spike starts walking towards her keeping his sunglasses over his eyes. “What are you doing here?  How long have you been here?”

Misty dusts herself off and turns around, looking back to the memorial stone.  Off in the distance she can still see the abandoned building she called home with the disciples and Ruby, but she tries not to focus on that building.

“I’ve only been here a few minutes.”  She replies, folding her arms across her chest as Spike walks up next to her.  â€œI hope you don’t mind.  This is just one of the only places I can really clear my head.”

“You know I don’t mind.”  Spike shakes his head then looks down at Misty’s bandaged hands.  He folds his arms across his chest, tilts his head down and looks at Misty over the top of his sunglasses. “Care to explain what happened to your hands?  A little birdie mentioned you had some sort of accident?”

Misty sighs and looks at her hands.  She shrugs and shakes her head. “It was nothing.  The stitches will be out in a couple days.”

“Just in time for your match against Veronica.” Spike replies, narrowing his eyes. “And from the looks of it, it wasn’t nothing.  You might be fine with lying to our daughter, but I’m not.  Now tell me the truth.”

Misty sighs again.  She has no desire to relive what caused her to shatter her mirror, but she also knows Spike will not let up until he gets the truth out of her.  However, before she has a chance to even begin explaining, they turn their attention to the door where Vixen is walking out.

“Everything okay out here?” She asks, stepping through the door and into the backyard.  She joins her husband’s side, giving him quick hug before looking to Misty.

Misty nods and turns away from the memorial stone. “Everything is fine.  I just thought I’d spend a little while hear while I wait for Eden to get home from school.”

Spike shakes his head, a disappointed grin appearing on his face. “That may be partly true, but I believe you were just going to explain what you did to your hands?

“Her hands?” Vixen asks curiously.  She catches site of Misty’s bandaged hands just before Misty hides them behind her back and she looks at Misty with concern. “What happened?”

“And don’t try and say it was nothing again, Misty.” Spike adds.

Misty sighs and brings her hands out in front of her again.  She shakes her head and looks to the ground, and her mind goes to a dark place…a place she doesn’t want to return to.

“I can’t tell you guys the truth, because you’ll get the wrong idea.  You won’t understand.” Misty doesn’t even try to hide the shame and embarrassment she feels as she looks at Spike and Vixen.  She turns around and looks at the abandoned building in the distance; her thoughts immediately wandering to the life she lived there.

Spike and Vixen exchange curious glances.  Neither can even gather a guess as to what happened, but they both want the truth.  Because Misty is Eden’s mother, they are both equally concerned.

“Why don’t you leave that to us and just tell us what happened.  I think we might be more understanding than you think.” Spike says, hoping to reassure Misty.  Vixen takes a step towards Misty, standing next to her.

“Spike is right,” she says, looking at a distracted Misty. “Whatever is going on, we can help you.”

As Misty stares at the abandoned building in the distance, her eyes well up with tears.  She stays silent for a long while and Spike and Vixen wait for her to speak up.  After a while, she turns around, and the two of them are surprised to see the tears rolling down her face.

Misty looks at Spike first and says, “You have to keep Eden away from me, Spike.”  Her voice cracks a little as she grows more visibly upset. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt her ever again, so I think it’s best if you keep her away from me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Spike asks with a hint of anger in his voice.

“Misty, how does that have anything to do with Eden?” Vixen adds.

Misty holds her hands up in front of her. “This war with the Mean Girls…with Delia…it’s bringing back a side of me I don’t want to come back.  I destroyed a mirror because of it!”

Spike tilts his head, confuse by what Misty is trying to say. “Misty, I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.  If you’re afraid that you’d ever hit Eden—“ Misty immediately shakes her head, putting that thought to rest.

“No, of course not.” She says as she wipes away the tears from her eyes. “But if you look at that building off in the distance, I think you’ll understand what I’m talking about.  I can’t let Eden be around me if I were to go back to that place...”

She turns around to face the building once again.  Spike and Vixen share a shocked look, but neither jumps to conclusions, nor do they judge her.

“IF you go back to that place?” Spike asks, trying to stay calm.  Vixen looks at him and shakes her head.

“What makes you think you’ll go back to that, Misty?  What happened?” Vixen asks.

Misty sniffles and wipes more tears from her eyes.  She looks down at her hands, and in the back of her mind she can still hear the Queen of the Damned laughing and taunting her.

“When I got home last week…when I was unpacking, I saw her.” She starts, going over the memory in her head. “I was walking past the mirror in my room and it was her reflection staring back.  I mean…it was me as the Queen of the Damned.  It was that awful person I was.”

Misty begins toying with the bandages on her hands, ashamed of what she is admitting to Spike and Vixen.  Spike nods and scratches the back of his head and even Vixen isn’t sure what to say.  

“If I’m honest guys,” Misty takes in a deep breath and begins. “I think I just need to give up and end this war with the Mean Girls.  I shouldn’t even bother going after Delia anymore, because it’s clearly only going to end badly.  One way or another…”

Vixen suddenly shakes her head.  She grabs Misty’s arm and turns her around. “And what is that going to accomplish, exactly?  If you just give up, everything you’ve done so far will be for nothing.  If you give in to them, they’ll never let you live it down.  Trust me when I say you’ll regret it.”

“Misty, you can’t let Delia get away with that stunt she pulled at the mall with Eden.” Spike warns her. “I pushed the damn boundaries by doing what I did at Violent Conduct for fuck’s sake.  You have to get Delia in the ring one way or another.  Hell do you want to prove Mercedes Vargas right with how many times she’s called you a quitter?!”

Misty closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. “No, of course not!”

“Then don’t fucking give up!” Spike shouts.  If he weren’t wearing sunglasses, Misty would be looking into his icy glare. “Finish what you started.  And as for that Queen of the Damned bullshit…Well, you won’t go back to that shit if you don’t let yourself.  And I suggest you do everything in your power to not let it happen again.”

“Finishing what I started would mean going after the Bombshell title again.” Misty replies, turning her attention to Vixen.  

“Yeah, so?” Spike asks before Vixen has a chance to respond.

“Vix, I can’t go after that belt so soon after she took it from you.” Misty says shaking her head.  â€œI can’t do that to you.  You deserve that belt more than I do.”

Vixen gives Misty a thoughtful smile and shakes her head. “I’m not going to hold it against you, Misty.  And if you ask me, you need to be the one to take the title from you.  You need to end her reign.  You need to finish this.”

“What if it doesn’t end even after I beat Delia?  What then?” Misty asks.

Spike shakes his head and sighs. “Look…you need to take a step back and focus on one thing at a time. You’ve got a match against Veronica Taylor first in St. Louis.  Take this stuff one step at a time.”

Misty closes her eyes and sighs again.  She nods, knowing in her mind that Spike and Vixen are right.  She brushes herself off and stands tall, trying to build her confidence up. “I’m just not looking forward to defending a victory over Veronica because everyone knows she’ll have some sort of excuse.”

“Yeah, well, that’s just what the Mean Girls do.” Vixen says. “They give us all hell when we point out why their wins haven’t been fair one way or another, yet we’re never allowed to do the same.  It’s just getting to the point where we need to stop fighting about it because everyone knows the truth.”

Just then the sound of Eden’s school bus is heard pulling up in front of the house.  The sound of the little girl darting into the house and looking for her parents is heard before she appears at the back door.  She opens it up and runs around, excited to see her mother.

“Mommy!”  She says as she runs up to Misty, giving her a hug.  She didn’t even bother removing her Disney Princess book bag from around her shoulders.

“Hey baby girl.” Misty says, returning the hug. “How was school today?”

Eden takes a step back and shrugs. “It was okay I guess.  Miss Darcy gave us too much homework, though.”

“Did she?” Misty asks, kneeling down to Eden’s eye level. “Well, you better go inside and get it finished, otherwise I can’t take you out for some ice cream.”

Eden’s eyes light up and she jumps up and down excitedly. “Ice cream?!  YAY!”  She doesn’t even have to be told a second time and she quickly runs back inside to go get her homework done.  Misty just laughs and Spike and Vixen offer a chuckle of their own.

“So much for keeping her away from you, huh?” Spike says.  

Misty looks at him, takes in a deep breath and shrugs. “I’m not making the decision to stay away from her, Spike.  But if you make the decision, I won’t fight it.  I only want what’s best for her.”

Misty doesn’t give Spike or Vixen a chance to say another word before she walks away, following after Eden.  She walks inside the house to help Eden with her homework if needed.  Spike just looks at Vixen and shakes his head.  He’s at a loss for words and Vixen just wraps her arm around him and leads him back inside the house.

---

Saturday September 27th
St. Louis- Scott Air Force Base

In just over twenty-four hours, Sin City Wrestling hits the first stop on its military tour here in St. Louis, Missouri.  Scott Air Force Base is buzzing with excitement as the SCW superstars and bombshells are making their way to St. Louis; some even stopping at the base before hand to get a feel for the venue, and the military men and women who will be in attendance.  

Misty has just arrived at the base, with a camera crew in tow.  Up until three years ago when she and Spike moved their family to Las Vegas, she had lived in St. Louis for six years.  But she had never visited the base to thank the men and women who have served this country.  

Now is her chance.

As her rental car pulls up to the base, the SCW camera crew is already there waiting for her.  She parks her car and steps out of the driver’s seat.  The temperature today is slightly warmer than normal for this time of year, so there is no need for Misty to wear a light jacket as she had originally thought.  She’s sporting a pair of dark jeans and her signature ‘Original Bombshell’ tank top as she walks up and greets the colonel in charge of the base.

“Welcome to Scott Air Force Base, Misty.” The colonel says, extending his hand.  Misty shakes his hand with a thoughtful smile and she looks around the base.

“Thank you.” She replies. “I have to say it’s an honor to be here.”

“Well the men and women here are more than excited to have our base be the first stop on the SCW tour.” He replies with a smile of his own.

“I think we in SCW are a little more excited.” Misty adds, turning around and taking in the view of the base.  The colonel leads her into the base’s hanger, where tomorrow night, SCW’s six sided ring will be set up and the men and women of the base attending in the audience.  

“I hope you don’t mind me coming here today.”  Misty asks the colonel. “I figured the hanger would be the perfect place to record a special video message to my opponent this week.”

“Not at all.” He replies. “We’ve had the superstars and bombshells in and out of here all week.  My men and women know to stay out of your way if at all possible, but as I told the others, don’t be surprised if the background noise gets to be a little too much.”

Misty shakes her head with a smile. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.  And I won’t take up too much time.”

The colonel salutes Misty then walks away, leaving her all alone.  Well, except for the cameraman now standing behind her.  She looks around the hanger, closing her eyes and imagining how the atmosphere will be tomorrow night when Climax Control is in full swing.  

“Are you ready?” The cameraman asks with the camera perched on his shoulder.

Misty turns and looks at him.  She nods and grins. “As ready as I’ll ever be.  Let’s get this thing started.” The cameraman gives her an acknowledging nod then points to her letting her know the camera is rolling.

“Veronica Taylor…the lowest of the low for the Mean Girls.” Misty starts, looking dead center into the camera.  Several hundred feet behind her, a small group of military men and women has formed, and they watch her, all with smiles on their faces.

“Veronica, I want you to take a good look around this hanger.  It may be empty right now, but tomorrow night, the SCW ring will be set up right where I stand and I’ll finally get your ass in the ring one-on-one.” The expression on Misty’s face turns serious and you can see the determination in her eyes.

“I almost feel sorry for you, Ronnie.  Oops..am I allowed to call you that?” Misty grins and lets out an amused laugh before she continues. “It’s funny that the Mean Girls call you Ronnie for short, because if my memory serves me correctly, isn’t Ronnie more of a masculine name?  What does that say about how the see you, Veronica?”

Misty looks around as if making sure she is truly alone.  She brings her hand up to the corner of her mouth as if she is going to whisper her next statement. “I think it means they see just how manly you look, sweetie.  More so than Holly, in fact.”  She laughs again, clearly having fun at Veronica’s expense.

“How does it feel, Veronica?  What must be going through your mind knowing that you get to be the first Mean Girl to lose to me one-on-one?  How are you going to react when it happens.”  She grins confidently, taking a step towards the camera.  â€œAnd you better believe I’m going to beat you, Veronica.  I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if you’ll have Liz Smalls out there as support, because I could beat the both of you in a handicap match just like I did with Angelica and Tessa.  But I’m sure you don’t agree with that.” Misty brings her hand up to her face, tapping her chin as a thought pops into her mind.

“You know, I was originally going to applaud you for your recent weight loss, but it just hit me.”  A slightly sympathetic look grows on Misty’s face as she looks into the camera, speaking directly to Veronica. “Why exactly did you lose that weight?  Was it for your health, or was it simply because the Mean Girls were growing tired of having a fat camp reject in their midst?  I’m sure you got wind of the simply awful things they were calling you behind your back, right?  It’s really quite sad because you all thing you’re role models?  I don’t think so.”

Misty turns around, holding her arms out as if telling Veronica and those watching who the real role models were. “Look at this place, Veronica.  Look at the men and women standing in the distance behind me.  They are the role models.  They are who I want my kids to look up to, because they put their lives on the line defending this country and our freedoms.  And you…you lose weight and primp yourselves to try and be like that evil bitch, Delia.”  She shakes her head in disgust, but then waves to the men and women standing on the other side of the hander.

“If I know you like I think I do, Veronica, I have a feeling that you and your *air quotes* sisters will show nothing but disgust on this tour.  I have a horrible feeling that you’ll be stupid enough to insult the men and women who are stationed at the bases we’re going to be visiting, and I’m going to warn you right now…You better think twice about doing that.” Misty spins around, then looks into the camera once again, sending a harsh warning glare to Veronica Taylor.

“The days of you hags insulting kids and genuinely good people are over, Veronica.  You can insult me all you want.  I don’t give a shit anymore, but I will not stand by as you insult people who don’t deserve it.” She points to the group standing across the hanger again. “They fight for you, Veronica.  They fight for our entire country, and the thought of you insulting them or treating this tour with disrespect just pisses me off to no end.  So I’d suggest you think long and hard about how you and that band of disrespectful pieces of trash act on this tour, because I’m watching every move you make…listening to every word you speak.”

She pauses for a few moments, walking towards the camera.  She folds her arms across her chest and looks directly into the camera with a dark and devious look in her eyes.

“Make no mistake that I will destroy each and every one of you rabid rats if it is the last thing I do.  You can all try and protect Delia and keep me from taking her down, but trust me when I say it won’t happen.  She’s got a huge target tattooed right on her forehead and I’ve got the arrow that will hit the bulls eye.”

She leans in closer to the camera and with a smile she says, “Sorry not sorry.”

And with a wink, the camera cuts out and the scene fades to black.