(coding and grammar fixed. enjoy)
"I did it Lexi...." She throws her arms around me and in this moment I am beyond proud of all she's done. Standing backstage with yet another woman I considered a sister. A woman I helped save.
"Oh sure, I guess I'm just chopped liver then..." Kahlan"bliss" Blaze pretends to be hurt at Evie Taylor's lack of affection, that is until the shorter darker woman pulls the very pregnant Kahlan into a group embrace with us. Evie has tears in her eyes as she pulls back and I know that for the first time in her life she feels like she's worth something more.
"It's because of both of you that I'm here at all."
Kah picks up the belt that Evie just won moments ago at IWA's Proving Grounds and I know the look in her eyes. I know she misses the action but the growing bump under her sweater has pulled her into an entirely different direction. She hands it back to Evie, her first full fledged student and I know she's proud of her. About as proud as I was when Kah had help up that North American Title during her MPW stint. But then my mind wandered to the events that followed. About the man that nearly destroyed us both but on the other hand, if not for his betrayal of us both... Our reconciliation would never had happened. It seemed fate had a funny way of working out.
Evie looks behind her just as a guy I recognized as her boyfriend Matai puts a hand on her shoulder. He smiles warmly, looking tired and a little roughed up from his match.
"Ladies... Afraid I'm going to have to steal Evie for a while, maybe you'd both like to come to dinner..."
I look at Kah, she gives me that look I'd gotten to know all to well over the years. "Thank you Matai but we have a late flight back to Vegas. Raincheck though. Evie has told us so much about you..."
Kah interrupts, "But we haven't had time to see if you cut it for our girl yet" I wish I could say she was kidding but unfortunately Kahlan was rather protective of those she loved. Matai, being the good natured man he was chuckles.
"You must be the infamous Bliss Fischer I've heard so much about. I will take you both up on that raincheck for sure. Have a safe flight. Don't worry about Evie, she's in safe hands." Evie gives us both another hug each an pd Kah puts the belt on Evie's shoulder but I can tell she's reluctant to do so. Once the young couple are out of ear shot, Kahlan's smile fades.
"Are you sure he's a good guy?" So it was worry, not anger behind this expressive brown eyes. In her almost 26 years of life, I'd rarely seen this much concern in her eyes for someone other than herself.
I put an arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry babe..." She suddenly shrugs me away, sending daggers at me.
"I told you how I feel about calling me that!" She starts to storm off and I realize my folly. I'd been talking to Drake again recently and seemed his catch phrases were rubbing off on me. Kahlan had confessed that she still had nightmares about the man. She would never be able to get him out of her head, even though her devotion was completely to Jax, her husband of 1.5 years.
"I'm sorry Kahlan."
She stops, her fingers automatically going to her wrist. Some habits died hard. For Kah Drake Hunter and snapping elastics were her two big ones.
"Let's just go an hour without HIM coming into the conversation. Please."
The ride to the airport is solemn. I know I've put her in a bad mood and it couldn't get any worse when my Bluetooth goes off and the name across the dash is of course Drake. Kahlan's face goes dark with an unbidden rage I hadn't seen in over a year.
"I'll call him back..."
"It's fine."
I'm leary but I answer and Drake's rich tenor comes over the speakers and fills the rental car."How are my two favourite exes doing tonight?" He laughs. He knew that Kah was with me but purposely antagonizing her was his own brand of fun. Another game he liked to play.
"What's up sweetie?" I give Kahlan a sympathetic look.
"What no love from Kahlan? I'm disappointed..." He gives a pointed laugh but gets to the point. "I remember you saying you're opponent next week was this chick named Crystal Hilton."
"Yeah, what about her?"
"I know someone you can talk to whose faced her before. Might give you some needed insight."
"Who?" But in my mind I already know the answer.
"Violet."
He laughs because he knows that Kah and I are exchanging almost terrified looks. Violet, the self dubbed "pretty little psycho" and for good reason. The girl was certifiable. A true case of multiple personalities and a woman that had it out for every single one of Drake's exes since her obsession of hers began.
"I already talked to her and she'll meet with you once you get back to Vegas. You're welcome."
"I'll think about it. I'll talk to you later sweetie."
"You know it. Good night Bliss. Sweet dreams. We'll see you soon Lex."
And he hangs up, forcing the stereo back to the local St.Cloud radio station. Kah looks angry but stews in silence until we've found our seats on the plane.
"You can't meet with her, you know that right? She's too unpredictable."
I turn to her. I know ever since we'd worked together to help save Roxi her protectiveness had grown by leaps and bounds. She was more of a mother hen then I was.
"She won't do anything."
"How do you know that? This could be a trap setup by both of them."
"I doubt that. Drake and vi's relationship is... Complicated."
She narrows her eyes at me, "When has Drake ever had a relationship that wasn't complicated?"
"Touche." I give her a smirk, "Regardless I think talking to someone who has faced Crystal before will only help me out there next week. I lost last week and I didn't like it. I don't want to lose again, especially to a mean girl wannabe."
"Harsh Lex..."
We both start laughing. The better part of the flight is spent going back and forth before finally, I agree to let her come. Knowing Violet's very odd respect for pregnancy and children we're hoping that it gives us both a free pass from petty violence from the curious red head.
***
I want to say I feel safe in public when it comes to Violet Bloom but I don't. She sits at the table, looking us both straight in the eyes with her unique amber coloured ones. Drake always talked about her eyes and how it was the one surefire way to know who you were talking to. If they turned blue, we were in trouble. She sits across the table from us, suddenly lifting her doc martin clad feet onto the empty chair. The cafe is fairly small but busy enough that we'd be safe from any outbursts... I hoped.
She looks at her nails before looking us both over. "So you want to know about Crystal Hilton huh?"
I smile. "Yes, you faced her before in LAW. What can you tell me about her?"
Violet shakes her head, "Not much to tell really. She's a stupid little bitch who cares more about showboating that competing. It was because of that I was able to outsmart the slut. Just don't put it past her to take any opportunity to stab you in the back. Don't trust anyone in this business... But the pair of you already know about that don't you?"
She snickers, obviously knowing more than we thought originally.
"You both got played by the same crazy dickweed. It's classic. But I bet you both don't look at men the same way now." She chuckles.
"Watch you're mouth." Bliss speaks up, and I know its not the same Kahlan she's been outside the ring for the last 24 weeks. This is the former Sin City Champ.
"Or what? I'm not going to touch you Blissy poo. You got a bun in your oven and I don't beat on pregnant women. You both seemed to move on from that bullshit pretty easy so what's the problem?"
"Is there anything else I should know about Crystal?" I ask, wanting to wrap this up before Kah's rage and possibly her water break all over the place.
"She does a lot of work with her legs. But given how you tower over her, somehow I think that might be a little harder for her. How tall are you anyway?" Her amber eyes go wide.
"5'11"
"You a tall bitch." She laughs, "I can only imagine how great it must be to have those bean poles wrapped around someone. I'm jealous. Anyway. Just don't take that skank for granted. She's a clever little minx and she's got the background to prove it, but just remember... No one is immune to a good shot to the head with a steel chair."
I roll my eyes. "I'm not cheating to get a win."
She stands, smirks at me and I have to take a double look. She mimicked so many of Drake's expressions and mannerisms. She was almost like his clone with ovaries.
"Suit yourself. I took her out with my belt. Felt so sweet."
She salutes us and suddenly leans into Kahlan grabbing the sides of her face and kissing her expectantly. She pulls back before She can take action. "Drake sends his love... Love"
She giggles before flipping her ruby coloured hair and walking away.
Kahlan wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, looking utterly disgusted. "Well that was a waste of time."
"No... It wasn't. I just got an idea."
***
Crystal, seems I took the wrong approach when it came to preparing for our match at 'Void'. I thought by talking to one of your past opponents I could gain some insight, find an advantage but then I realized something. My advantage is myself.
See I've been looking at this whole thing wrong since I returned to SCW. I've been looking for revenge, vengence. Because of Delia trying to manipulate tbe crowd into believing that I was a cheater. I didn't even know it but she got under my skin. I lost my focus and thus, i lost to Vixen, lost my title. And ever since then, I continued to let her eat at me. And look at her now... She has MY title shot. All because I was too consumed with physically wanting to get retribution when really, this is a psychlogical game, not a physical one.
For a moment, I was going to take the same approach this week with you. I was going to get on my soap box and rant about you're flaws, you inconsistancies, the fact that for the longest time you hid yourself under a mask. Then I realized something... I was doing the very thing I vowed to stop.
At 'Void' crystal you get the distinct pleasure of facing the 'New' Lexi Styles. A woman with a renewed sense of self and and even further improved resolve to bring herself out of those ashes of self doubt and pity. A new woman who wants nothing more than to prove to her fans just why they loved her to begin with.
I still won't take no shit from the mean girls. And I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating you as an opponent either. But I will tell you this. Next Sunday I plan on wiping that smile off your face. I plan on winning. I plan on showing everyone that I may be one of the oldest bombshells, but I ain't dead yet. This old dog has some tricks left in her yet and you Crystal are going to be the first in a very long list of people I have to move through to regain my place on top of the mountain. It's nothing personal, it's all about business. It's all about taking back my momentum.
I'll see you next Sunday Crystal, better be ready to fight, cuz I sure will be."
