Author Topic: Putting Down The Bulldog  (Read 938 times)

Offline Malachi

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Putting Down The Bulldog
« on: March 31, 2023, 07:10:39 AM »
March 25
King’s Point, New York


I still can’t believe Lanah is doing all this,” Mal said with a shake of his head as he and Bella made their way from their car up to the front door of the home owned by Mal’s younger sister Alanah and her husband Jack Russow. “She’s literally weeks away from having another baby, and from what she’s been texting me, it seems like she’s gone all out for this party.

Well, you know your sister. She wants everything to be special,” Bella commented. “Besides, at this point when she was pregnant with the twins she was bed bound. I’m pretty sure she’s just enjoying the fact that she’s able to walk under her own power.

Fair point.

They walked up to the door, but before they even had a chance to knock it flew inward with a dramatic flourish. A high-pitched squeal could be heard as Jack’s younger sister Rosie Russow was revealed. The dramatic preteen clapped her hands together excitedly as she rushed forward, but at the last second stopped herself and gently wrapped her arms around Bella.

Oh, my darling Bella! How I adore seeing you again!” she said excitedly as she stepped back, taking an appraising look. “You have that same stunning glow about you that my dearest Alanah has! Pregnancy has been kind to you both!

Bella giggled a bit. “Thanks, Rosie.

Rosie then turned to Mal and immediately wrapped him in a tight hug as well. “And my favourite not-so-grumpy man himself! I do hope that you plan to enjoy today’s festivities! After all, not only are we celebrating your little bundle of joy, but your birthday as well!

Mal awkwardly reached up and patted Rosie on the head. “Uh, yeah. Gonna be a great day.

Rosie smiled at them both again before she flounced off into the house. Bella and Mal traded looks, with Bella trying to suppress her giggles and Mal rolling his eyes as they followed her into the living room. It was completely decked out with blue and pink streamers, balloons and other decorations. They heard some noise coming from the kitchen, so they headed there to see a heavily pregnant Alanah waddling around the kitchen along with her and Bella’s friend Mattie Cormier as well as Aileen O’Connell, Alanah and Mal’s mother. When Alanah turned around from putting a tray in the oven and saw Bella and Mal in the doorway, she squealed and made her way over to give them both hugs.

You guys are early!” she said. “We haven’t even got the food ready yet! Not to mention all of the guests aren’t here.

Well, we could always give you a hand…” Bella said, but a narrowed-eye look from Alanah stopped her mid-sentence.

Don’t even think about it, missy. This is your gender reveal-slash-birthday party, after all!” She started shoving them slightly out of the kitchen. “Now, go relax in the den while we finish setting everything up.

Bella and Mal traded looks and shrugged their shoulders as they made their way to the other side of the house, where in the den they found Jack playing with Patrick and Elise, while Rosie’s twin brother Charlie was curled up in the reading nook by the bay window with his nose in a thick book. Mattie’s fiance Mack McKane was in one of the armchairs at the side of the room, seemingly asleep.

When little Elise caught sight of Bella and Mal coming into the room, her face lit up and she got up from the floor to toddle her way over to them. To everyone’s surprise, she went straight past Bella and made a beeline for Mal, holding her little arms up to her uncle.

Mal’s face broke out into a wide grin as he picked up the 19 month old. “Heya, my little Leesie,” he said, playfully rubbing his beard on her round cheeks. She squealed in delight as she squirmed in his arms.

Well, looks like someone’s got a favourite,” Jack said with a little smirk.

Are you kidding? When we looked after them for you, she wouldn’t leave his side. Probably didn’t help that he spoiled her absolute rotten,” Bella said with a sideways glance and smirk at her husband as she sat down on the loveseat. “Even got Uncle Mal to sing her a special Irish lullaby for bedtime.

Mal took the seat next to her, and Elise made herself comfortable in his lap while she played with one of her dolls. “Hey, Patrick got just as much attention as she did. He seemed to prefer you over me, anyhow,” he said, looking down at his nephew who was busy building a tower out of foam blocks. The stack wobbled before it came crashing down right onto Jack’s head, and the little boy giggled as Jack pretended he was hurt.

A little time passed, and soon the house was full of people and the party was in full swing. Bella’s parents Laura and Nick Madison had arrived with Bella’s little brother Aaron, who was eyeing the lavish blue and pink cake in the centre of the table. Laura was doing everything she could to keep the four year old from getting his little hands on it, and it was certainly an entertaining sight for everyone as they laughed.

At one point, Mal caught the eye of Mattie, who beckoned him over. He raised an eyebrow and excused himself from Bella’s side with a kiss on her cheek as he walked over to Mattie, who was heading over to the empty den. “Hey Matts, what’s up?

She gave him a measured look, folding her arms across her chest. “Look, I don’t want to start anything on your big day, but there’s something I have to ask…what happened that day at the studio?

Mal raised an eyebrow at her again. “What do you mean?

When you came over for your fitting before the SCW pay per view…I was running a bit late, so I messaged Claire to let her know. I get there, and she’s all in your arms.” Her look turned slightly accusatory. “I just wanna know what happened.

Mal held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Whoa, hold up just a second. I don’t know what she told you, but nothing happened. She figured we could get a head start on the fitting since you were gonna be there soon anyways, and when I came out after I put the gear on she tripped over something on the floor and banged up her ankle. I was just helping her to the kitchen to get some ice since she couldn’t walk. That’s it.

Her brown eyes narrowed. “You swear?

He drew an X over his chest on the left side with his finger. “Cross my heart and hope to die.

Mattie studied his face for a few moments before her face relaxed and she sighed slightly. “Alright, I believe you.

Now, it was Mal’s turn to be curious. “Why? What did Claire say?

Nothing that you didn’t already just tell me, but she has been acting kind of weird since you and Bella started coming around the studio. Like she isn’t focused on her job. Making mistakes that she’s never made before. The girl’s always had an incredible mind for business, but lately it’s like her head’s been everywhere but.” She ran a hand through her thick brown waves of hair. “I dunno, maybe it’s just the stress of getting this collection out that’s finally getting to me. That, and watching too many telenovelas.

Mal put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Listen, I promise you that absolutely nothing happened. You know how absolutely in love with Bella I am. Not to mention the fact that we’re finally going to have the baby that we’ve been wanting for months now.

Mattie smiled. “Yeah, I know. You’ve been head over heels for that girl since day one.” She gave him a quick hug. “I’m sorry for bothering you with this, today of all days.

Hey, no harm done. I know you’re just being a good friend and looking out for Bella.” He held out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. “Let’s get back to the party. I think we’re gonna be cutting the cake soon, or else Aaron’s gonna be the one revealing the surprise.

Mattie laughed as they headed back into the living room. Bella gave him a curious glance as he returned to her side, but he just gave her a reassuring smile as he kissed her forehead.

About time you got back!” Alanah said, grabbing both his and Bella’s arms and pulling them towards the table. “Let’s get this cake cut and find out if it’s a boy or a girl!

Bella and Mal stood at the back of the table, the ornate cake in between them and everyone crowding around to get a good view. The couple looked at each other with eager smiles on their faces as Mal picked up the knife. “Are you ready for this?

Bella’s hand was shaking slightly as she put it on top of his, and she took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.

They smiled at each other one more time before they brought the knife down into the cake, making two cuts and lifting out the slice to reveal…

Layers of pink ombre, with pink candies spilling out across the table.

A cheer went up from the crowd as they all snapped pictures and took videos of the moment. Mal felt the biggest smile appear on his face as he stared down at the cake, before looking up to see Bella with happy tears rolling down her cheeks as she put her hands over her mouth. He gently wrapped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head with tears spilling out of his eyes as well as the celebration continued on around them.

—----

March 26
Manhattan, New York


Hey, the new card for SCW just dropped, babe,” Bella called down the stairs of their home, into the basement gym where Malachi was in the middle of a set of bench presses.

Dressed in a pair of black shorts and white sneakers, Mal lifted the barbell over his head once more and placed it back onto the rack. Sitting up on the bench, he pulled his headphones down off of his ears to rest around his neck and picked  up a towel to wipe away the sweat from his forehead and his bare chest. “Huh? What’d you say, Bells?

She rolled her eyes and huffed exasperatedly. “Get your ass up here so I don’t have to keep yelling!

He grunted in response and made his way up the stairs, walking into the living room where Bella was curled up on the couch with Luka dozing at her feet on the rug. He finished wiping himself down and plopped down beside her. “Alright, your Sassy Majesty, what were you hollering for?

The new Climax Control card just got announced. Figured you’d want to see if you got booked or not.” She held up her phone which was already on the SCW homepage. She tapped a few times to bring up the new card, and the two of them read it over together.

Oh goody, I got Bill Barnhart for the umpteenth time. Whoo-hoo,” Mal said sarcastically, rolling his blue eyes and twirling a finger in the air. But Bella’s eyes lit up in excitement when she saw where the show was being held.

Ooooo, Barbados!” Bella squealed excitedly. “I could really use some beach time. This weather has been wreaking havoc on my poor body. The headaches I’ve been getting from all the damn pressure changes…ugh. Not to mention the snow not making up its freaking mind whether it’s coming or going.

Uh, Bells…” Mal’s voice held an uncharacteristic worried tone. His eyes briefly glanced down to his wife’s slightly rounded stomach, then back up to her face. “Are you really sure you should be traveling that kind of distance? Going across the States is one thing…

She gave him her best sad puppy-dog look, her blue eyes wide and her lower lip sticking out just a little bit. “Mal, I’m not gonna get to do much traveling at all soon. Besides, I researched the heck out of this and so long as I don’t have any complications, it should be safe. Even double checked with the airline and everything to make sure that I could still travel with you, at least for a little bit longer. Plus, this is the first time Mom’s been back in the ring since Aaron was born, and I wanna support her as well.” She scooted over so that she was sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Please please please, pretty please can I come?

He still looked a little hesitant. “I dunno…I just don’t want anything to happen. You know how wild these SCW shows can get sometimes.

Babe, I promise that I will stay out of the way. I just want to be able to enjoy as much as I can before I push a whole human out of my body.

Mal sputtered in surprise, while Bella laughed at him. “Geez, you didn’t have to put it that way!

Well, it’s true! Soon, I’m gonna be waddling around the house like Alanah was, barely able to climb the stairs without getting winded.

He laughed a bit, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Alright, alright. As long as it’s safe for you to fly and you promise to stay out of harm’s way at the show.” He looked down to her stomach again and rubbed his hand across it, a soft smile appearing on his face. “I’m just trying to protect my girls.

When he looked back up at Bella’s face, her eyes looked like they were on the verge of tears as she leaned forward and pressed a passionate, lingering kiss to his lips.

—---

March 30
Bridgetown, Barbados


The scene opened up on a gorgeous shot of a white, sandy beach on the Caribbean island of Barbados. It was just after sunrise, the sky painted in brilliantly saturated shades of red, orange and yellow as the sun began its climb above the horizon. The turquoise water lapping at the shoreline sparkled and shimmered as it softly lapped against the shoreline, and there was not a soul to be seen at this time of the day.

Save for one person, that is.

A silhouetted figure could be seen walking slowly along the beach, haloed by the rays of the rising sun. As they drew closer to the camera, it was revealed to be Malachi, one of the more polarizing figures on the SCW roster. While at one time he was one of the most hated men in the locker room, the new year seemed to have brought about some changes in the Irish fighter that the fans were starting to rally behind. Though he was still mostly the same no-nonsense brawler he’d always been, he seemed to come across less abrasive and a slight bit more respectful…at least to those who he felt deserved it.

Dressed for the balmy Caribbean weather in loose black and white shorts with a casual black button-up shirt that hung open and his feet bare, he wore sunglasses across his face to shield his eyes from the glare of the early morning sun. As he approached the camera, he stopped just in front of it and folded his arms across his chest, an easygoing smile across his face. “I gotta say, when Mark and Christian plan a tour, they certainly know how to pick the destinations. Granted, it may have been for an unorthodox reason, but I’m not about to complain when I’m standing on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

He held his arms out as he took in the scenery, the water lapping at his bare feet. “It definitely helps to lessen the sting of that loss from Blaze of Glory. I’ll give credit where it’s due - there’s a reason that Goth is a hall of famer and multiple-time champion, and he proved it at Blaze of Glory.” He bowed his head slightly. “You were the better man that night, sir. Maybe down the road we’ll clash again - with a different ending.

He gave a cocky little smirk, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head. “But then again, maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t win the Roulette title. After all, I think I made my feelings about that damn wheel pretty apparent the last time I was in contention for the title. Pretty sure I said something along the lines of ‘I’ll chuck that stupid thing straight into the trash’, or something to that effect.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Ah well. Can’t always get what we want, I suppose. Better to just move on and look ahead. Like towards my upcoming match at Climax Control.

His expression hardened slightly into a look of fierce determination, his blue eyes blazing in the early morning sunlight. “Bill Barnhart…now, there’s someone that I need to settle up with. See, you and I have a bit of history, don’t we? The first time we met in the ring was a mixed tag affair, which Bella and I won. But after that…well, you became a bit of a problem. A black mark in my book, so to speak. The first time we tangled one on one, I made the rookie mistake of getting too caught up in my rage. I lost focus, and we ended up going to a double count-out. Which brought us to a triple threat at Violent Conduct for the Internet title, along with Caleb Storms. And while I may not have won that night…neither did you. Not only did you not win, you were the one to eat the pinfall from Caleb. So I took some small solace in that fact.

He slid his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “And that was the last time I was seen in an SCW ring up until the beginning of this year. And when I came back, I came back with a vengeance. I am currently undefeated on Climax Control, and I fully plan to stay that way. So, I’ve got double the motivation to beat your ass from pillar to post come Sunday night. Not only to keep my undefeated streak going on Climax Control, but to avenge that double count-out. Now, I know from experience that you are one of the toughest, most tenacious, and heaviest hitters on the entire SCW roster. But then again…so am I. I know that you and I are going to hit and hit hard come Sunday night. But one of us is going to hit hard enough to keep the other one down for the three-count…and you’re looking at him.

He reached up to slide the sunglasses down from the top of his head back over his eyes, the cocky smirk returning to settle across his face. “Come Sunday night, I’m going to right some wrongs of the past, continue my undefeated Climax Control streak, and work my way back into championship contention.” He whistled a low note. “Gonna be a busy night for me, that’s for sure. But I’m more than up for the challenge.

He reached up to lower the sunglasses just enough so that his bright blue eyes were visible again. “Time to put the old Bulldog down, for good.

He pushed the sunglasses back up and slid his hands into his pockets as he walked out of frame, the camera going out of focus on the rising sun before gradually fading out to black.