~*~The Healthiest of Scratches~*~
O’Connell Home
New York
She went to Into The Void, her face was around, some even asked her if she was pregnant again because of not being on the show.
All she could do was shrug her shoulders, asure people that she was indeed not pregnant and just watch as Victoria Lyons became the Queen for a Day. She watched as Alexandra’s match, she watched Kayla...she had her eyes on practically everyone. And she was internally kicking herself for mentally checking out and pulling herself from this show.
She was asked, and she mentally just couldn’t.
And she told absolutely no one.
Not even Malachi.
She had garnered herself quite the reputation since her return with the matches that she was involved in and she embraced the hardcore style. But sometimes she had wondered if putting herself through these types of matches was not only not healthy for her, but not healthy for her family.
The realization hit her like a ton of bricks after the last match that she had and she sat at home, still very sore and she would take a couple of days to just spend it with Mal and Máire healing before she felt like she wanted to make her way to the Wolfslair gym for training.
She curled up on a couch as Máire played on the floor.
Now 10 and a half months old, the young one got to her cruising stage. Not quite sure of her feet yet but she would take to holding herself up with the couch, the table, the gate that cut her off from getting into any other major trouble. It also cut her off from her best friend.
“Ooo-ka!” Máire called out as she hung on to the couch in the center of the room with a direct stare towards the husky pup that we have all known to be called Luka. From across the room, Luka laid in her living room bed, gnawing on her rawhide bone that recently was gifted, lifted her head and tilted it. Máire once again calls out “OOOO-KA!!!” and this time adds a little pat to the couch.
Bella looked up from her book with wide eyes and looked around quickly, “MAL! Mal come quick!”
Mal comes running in, “What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! But look!” Bella points to Máire but nothing happens, instead she just turns and looks at Mal and gives a big four teeth smile. Bella sighs, “She was just calling for Luka.”
“Dada!”
“Hello my lil princess, what are ya doing over there? Ya cruising again?” and Máire once again gives a toothy grin and looks back at the dog and points.
“Ooo-ka!” and her little hand opens and closes like she’s trying to urge the pup to come towards her.
Bella turns her head and looks at her husband who is smiling brightly at his little girl, “When did this happen?”
“Just now, she’s been mostly screeching at her and Salem to get their attention but this is something new. Even her patting at the couch to get her attention.”
“OOO-KAAAAA!!!”
“And Luka is completely ignoring her.” Mal laughed.
“Well that bone is far more important, babe.” Bella laughed as she threw the blanket that she had over her legs off and slowly made her way over to Máire who was getting annoyed that Luka was ignoring her, “You want me to help, Máire?”
“Mama,” Máire said with a smile, giving her a kiss before turning back, “Ooo-ka.”
“Yup, that’s Luka. Luka, come.” Luka tilted her head before she picked her bone up and began to trot across the floor. That brought a squeal of delight to the little girls face and she started clapping before she fell to her butt and patted the floor next to her, “You want Luka to come into the pen?”
And she got a big toothy grin again before she crawled over towards the giant Stitch that has been moved out into the living room area and took a hold of her bottle that was currently full of juice and one of her soft book’s, “I think she wants her reading buddy with her. I have a feeling she is about to go down for a n-a-p.”
The nap word was something else she had learned but could not speak yet and every time they did, she would whine and fight it.
Bella opened up the gate a bit to let Luka through and she trotted over to the little one, to Máire’s delight with a soft “Ooo-ka” and she patted behind her and as if they have done this a thousand times Luka simply just laid down behind her and with the soft book and the bottle the two curled up on the floor and just began to simply chill.
“That is so damn adorable. I can’t even. I need my phone.” Bella said, pulling herself up from the spot she was in and heading over to grab it and as she turns around just in time to see Salem make her way over and all three are as cute as can be and Máire’s are already drooping. “Oh my God.”
“I’ll go get her blanket.” Mal simply said as Bella just watched as the three fell asleep and that only brought tears to her eyes as her little girl was seemingly growing right in front of her. Mal returns and covers up his little girl and gives small pats to the animals before he turns around and sees Bella in a full on cry, and immediately wraps her up in a hug, “Heeeey, mo grá, what’s wrong?”
“She’s...she’s growing so fast,” Bella sniffs, “I can’t even believe she’s starting to talk, before we know it she’s going to walk and run and then go to school.”
“Bella, hey, listen. We take her everywhere we go. You never miss anything as is.”
“But if something happens and I get hurt...”
“Babe, where is this all coming from?”
“I- I actually asked Christian to keep me off Into the Void a couple of weeks ago.” She finally admitted it. “And I don’t know why I did it but I haven’t been feeling like myself a bit lately. I thought maybe taking time away was going to help, but then when we went anyway and the looks I was getting I felt ashamed about it. I actually got asked if I was pregnant and that was why I was left off.”
“Which we know that’s not true. But babe, you’ve been doing some amazing things lately.”
“Yeah, and some wild things. And I don’t know why. I should be considering you and Máire before I go and do these wild things and feel sore for days,” she grumbles, “What if I really hurt myself and then I’m on the shelf for good.”
“Bells, it’s what we do!” Mal let out a little loudly as Bella shushed him, “Sorry, but you know damn well that this business, even the simplest of matches can do damage, but babe...you have wholeheartedly found your niche and I’m not gonna lie, it’s sort’ve hot.”
“You’ve said that before, I still don’t get it.” Bella giggled through the tears, “Are you sure I’m not taking things too far?”
“Babe, you are fantastic no matter what. Why don’t you go and call Christian and tell him that you are open to at least the whole King for a Day show with that idiot Guy, though that dude still weirds me out.”
“Oh Guy is harmless...if you are on his good side...at least I think he is.”
~*~Rules of Engagement: King Me~*~
All I said was a big fucking thank you to Guy.
He didn’t have to book me but he did.
And with that simple thank you, I had my head ripped off by Ari because she is finally getting her comeuppance from a few months ago.
I seem to remember recall everyone including your best friend Carter who was full on sick of your shit, Ari. Look, be fucking pissed off at me all you want. You got dealt a shit hand and I’m sorry that you have to go through this insanity match with your hands tied behind your back. But our words will always be remembered.
Just like you brought up how I will never be as good as my mom.
See, I felt bad for you...up until then. And that is your major problem Ari, you let your mouth write checks that your ass could never cash because you could have easily had a friend in this match. Now I’m out to make you an example.
Then we come to the woman who was our Queen for a Day last week, Victoria Lyons. You are not very well liked around here after what you did with your chance to make a true impact and instead you became enemy number one when you attempted to damage Carter and Miles' relationship. They are loved even by the coldest heart.
You are an absolute biatch.
Then we come to sweet Eiley and darling Melissa. I don’t wanna hurt you but hell we all know that this isn’t a normal match either. Guy has definitely made things interesting for each and every one of us. What can a few girls do?
Well I think it’s obvious what we are supposed to do.
Ariana is obviously the one that is meant to be the target and it’s made sweeter by the promise of a match against the Roulette Champion.
Can we all stoop so low for a championship opportunity? .....Yes. Yes we can.
Bob Ross really said it well... “It's hard to see things when you are too close.” Maybe my step away made things a little clearer. Maybe I really am just a bitch. Maybe I’ll never be as great as my mother.
But I never wanted to be her.
I’m the first and only Bella.
And I’m the hardcore pixie.
