~*~If Ever So Humble...~*~
Bella Madison barely noticed the glow of the city lights passing by as Malachi drove through the quiet streets outside of New York City. Her mind was elsewhere—her upcoming match against Aleesha, the SCW Bombshell Internet Championship, and the relentless training she had thrown herself into for weeks. Every spare moment had been spent in the gym, in the ring, pushing herself harder than ever. Losing the title before Christmas still gnawed at her. She had held it for such a short time, and now that Aleesha had thrown down the challenge, Bella wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip through her fingers.
But tonight wasn’t supposed to be about wrestling.
Mal had insisted on a date night, practically dragging her away from the gym. At first, she resisted, not wanting to break her focus, but now that they were in the car, she realized just how exhausted she was. Her muscles ached, her mind raced, and for the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to lean back against the seat, letting out a deep breath.
“You’re thinking about it again,” Mal said, glancing over at her.
Bella smirked, knowing he had caught her. “You act like that’s a surprise.”
“It’s not,” he admitted, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “But tonight, I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
Mal reaches over and grabs her hand in his and brings it up to his lips and gives it a kiss, “Let it go. Just for a little while.”
Bella frowned. “Mal, I—”
“Just trust me,” he interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. “I promise you’ll like where we’re going.”
She sighed but nodded, resting her head against the window as the car continued down a familiar-looking road. A few minutes later, Mal slowed the car and turned into a long driveway. It took Bella a moment before she recognized where they were.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“The house?” she asked, sitting up straight. They had put in an offer weeks ago, before her tag match with Aleesha against Young Justice, but since then, it had been nothing but waiting and silence. A distraction she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on.
Mal didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled the car to a stop and turned to face her with a knowing smile.
“Come on,” he said, stepping out of the car.
Bella hesitated only for a second before unbuckling and following him. As they approached the front door, she expected him to pause, maybe call the realtor, or at least look nervous. Instead, Mal pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door.
Bella froze. “Wait. What?”
Mal pushed the door open, stepping aside and motioning for her to enter first.
“We got it,” he said simply. “The house is ours.”
For a moment, Bella just stood there, staring at him, the words not quite registering. Then, slowly, she stepped inside. The house was empty, but the spacious living room, the high ceilings, and the massive fireplace she had fallen in love with were all there, just waiting for them to make it their home.
Tears pricked at her eyes. “Mal…”
He took her hand, leading her further inside. “I wanted to surprise you. I got the keys yesterday. Figured we could celebrate the right way.”
That was when Bella noticed the setup near the fireplace—a thick, cozy blanket spread out on the floor, a small picnic set up with food, a bottle of wine, and candles flickering softly.
She turned back to him, her heart swelling with emotion. “You did all this?”
Mal shrugged. “You’ve been working yourself into the ground, Bells. I get it. You want that title back. You feel like you didn’t hold it long enough. Like you let people down.”
She lowered her gaze, because he wasn’t wrong.
“But listen to me,” Mal continued, stepping closer and tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “There’s no one in SCW who has more heart than you. No one who fights harder. You didn’t fail anyone. You fought like hell to win that title in the first place, and I have no doubt you’re going to do it again.”
Bella let out a shaky breath, her fingers curling into his jacket. “I just… I want it back.”
“And you will,” Mal promised. “But tonight, I need you to remember that you’re more than just a wrestler. You’re my wife. You’re Máire’s mom. And now, you’re a homeowner.”
A small laugh broke through her emotional haze. “I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it, love.” He leaned in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her lips. “Now, what do you say? Let’s eat, drink, and make the best of this first night in our new home.”
Bella took another look around, the reality of it sinking in. “You know, it’s gonna be weird not living in Mom’s old building anymore,” she admitted. “That place was home for so long. First when I was a kid, then when she let me have it, and when we got married… we put so much into it. Converting the factory into our own home, making it ours.”
Mal nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah, we did. Took a lot of work, time, and money, but we made it something special. And now, we get to do it all over again, but this time? It’s even bigger. No more cramped spaces, no more city noise. We’ve got room for Máire to run, a stable for horses, and a whole other place where we can set up a gym and a ring. Finally, we have space to really breathe.”
Bella’s eyes lit up. “Oh, the things I could do with this place.”
Mal groaned playfully. “Here we go.”
She smirked. “You knew this was coming.”
“I did,” he admitted. “Just don’t turn this into another massive project that takes over our life, alright?”
Bella grinned. “No promises.”
Mal laughed, shaking his head before pulling her into his arms. “C’mon, let’s eat before you start drafting blueprints in your head.”
Bella smiled, the weight on her shoulders feeling just a little lighter. “Yeah,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “Let’s do that.”
Tomorrow, she would go back to training. Tomorrow, she would refocus on Aleesha and the championship. But tonight? Tonight, she had something even more important—her husband, their future, and the reminder that no matter what, she was never in this fight alone.
~*~Rules of Engagement: Know What You Are Stepping Into~*~
The camera opens to Bella Madison standing in front of the SCW banner, the dim lighting casting shadows that accentuate the intensity in her expression. She takes a breath, running a hand through her blonde hair before locking eyes with the camera.
"Y’know, I’ve had a lot of time to sit and stew on things since December. Since I lost the SCW Bombshell Internet Championship to Aleesha. And if I’m being honest? It didn’t sit well with me. Not one bit. It gnawed at me, dug its claws into me, and I’ve been carrying it around ever since. That loss? It wasn’t just a blemish on my record—it was a scar, a reminder that in this business, you can give everything you have and still come up short. And that? That doesn’t sit right with me. Because I know damn well I am better than that.”
"And now, at Inception, I finally get my chance to fix that mistake.”
"See, Aleesha, when you beat me, I told you I had respect for you. That hasn’t changed. But I can’t shake this feeling, this gnawing, burning thought in my head that you didn’t want that title because you were ready to carry it. You wanted it to prove a point. And now that you have it? What have you done? You’ve just been floating. Hanging in limbo. And I get it, maybe all the drama with Cassie Wolfe had something to do with that, but let’s be real—Young Justice was a distraction neither of us needed. But now? Now there’s no more distractions, no more Cassie, no more outside noise. It’s just you and me, and that title.”
"And that’s exactly how it should be. Because when I held that title, I fought for it. I defended it. I wanted to make it mean something. But when you took it from me, it felt like I got shoved back through the glass ceiling I spent all of 2024 breaking. And you can bet your ass, I didn’t like that. So now? Now I don’t have a choice. It’s all or nothing at Inception, and I refuse to walk out of Las Vegas empty-handed. I refuse to be pushed back down. I refuse to let that feeling of failure define me.”
Bella steps closer to the camera, her eyes burning with intensity, her voice steady but laced with emotion.
"You wanna talk about hunger? About passion? About heart? Aleesha, I’ve spent every moment since I lost that title clawing my way back, pushing myself harder than ever, because I refuse to let my legacy be that of someone who just held it for a cup of coffee. I refuse to let you, or anyone else, define my place in this company. I am not here to be a footnote in your story—I am here to take back what’s mine.”
"You’ve had your moment. You’ve had your run. But at Inception, I’m taking that championship back. And it’s not just about gold, it’s not just about another reign—it’s about proving to the world, to you, and to myself that I am exactly who I say I am. A fighter. A champion. A woman who does not take failure lying down.”
"So bring everything you’ve got. Bring that same fire you had when you took the title from me. Because I promise you, I am coming at you like a goddamn hurricane. And when it’s all said and done? When the dust settles? The SCW Bombshell Internet Championship will be right back where it belongs—around my waist."
Bella smirks, but there’s no amusement in her eyes—only cold, hard determination.
"See you in Vegas."
The scene shifts to Bella standing in front of a mirror, staring at her own reflection. The dim lighting in the hotel room casts sharp shadows across her face. She exhales, gripping the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning white.
"You let it slip through your fingers. You had it, and you lost it."
~*~Self-Reflect~*~
Her voice is low, almost a whisper, but there’s an undeniable steel behind it. She meets her own gaze in the mirror, eyes narrowing.
"How did that feel? Watching her walk away with something you fought so hard to earn? Watching everything you bled for get taken from you? You let it happen."
Her lips press into a thin line. She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair before slamming her palm against the counter.
"No more. That was the last time. You have busted your ass for too long to let someone else define your worth. You’re not just another name on the roster. You are Bella goddamn Madison. And at Inception? You take back what’s yours."
She exhales sharply, shoulders rising and falling, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. The doubt, the frustration—it’s still there, clawing at her mind. But beneath it, something stronger. Something unbreakable.
"You deserve this."
Her fingers curl into fists at her sides. The weight of every moment, every setback, every ounce of heartbreak sits heavy on her shoulders. But she won’t crumble beneath it. No—she’ll use it.
"You’re not just here to compete. You’re here to conquer. And when you walk out of Las Vegas, you walk out as the SCW Bombshell Internet Champion. Because failure is not an option."
Bella holds her own gaze a moment longer, breathing in deeply before exhaling. She straightens, rolling her shoulders back, her expression hardening into one of pure, unrelenting focus. With one final glance at her reflection, she turns on her heel and walks away.