Post by Eden Morgan on Dec 10, 2016 21:50:27 GMT -5
New Orleans
Eden turns back once more and gives Killian a soft smile and a wave before turning back to the entryway to the plane. She huffs a puff of air out, ruffling her hair before stepping inside, the door shutting behind her. Inside she's met with the stares of several pair of eyes, Sherry and Jezebel's curious, Jet's amused, Havyn and Dyson excited, and Cypress-- Cypress' gaze could have decimated them all to ash with the proper genetic mutation. She quickly takes a seat near Jet and Sherry for the takeoff, unable to miss Cypress' muttered “Coward.” She closes her eyes and rests her head against the high-backed leather chair.
“What exactly am I a coward about now?” she asks in irritation, conscious of Jet's surreptitious touch at her shoulder, warning her to remain calm.
“We'll discuss the specifics once we're in the air and can move around,” Cypress snaps at her, looking back to his two children, Havyn listening raptly. Dyson was focused on the window and showing his wrestling figures the outside as the ground began to move by faster and faster. The passengers fall into an almost eerie quiet as the plane takes off, the adults relaxing once the plane stabilizes. Cypress fixes his sister with a pointed look, Eden unfastening her seat belt.
“Havyn, Dice, there's a room in the back you two can make yourselves at home in,” she says awkwardly, Havyn obviously about to argue, the argument dying on her lips with a quelling look from her father. She gives him a mutinous look but goes to the back with the rambunctious 5-year-old anyway. Cypress' eyes narrow and then he turns back.
“Did-- did my son have a Killian King action figure?” he fairly growls, Jet stifling a laugh. Eden gives a little laugh.
“Yeah, about that-- Killian brought some stuff for the kids to entertain them on the trip--”
“Goddammit, yeah, now I get Hastings' point. Remind me to tell him I want one of those 'I hate Killian King' shirts,” he tells Jezebel who just rolls her eyes.
“Oh come on, he didn't have to lend us the plane for the early Christmas back home, don't you think you're being just a little bit of a, oh I don't know, a jerk?” Eden asks, frowning at her brother. Cypress glares at her.
“The whole fucking reason we're having to do this is because of you and him, and about that, yeah I've got some goddamn questions,” Cypress shoots back.
“Such as?” Eden asks, not rising to his display of temper.
“Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you marrying an entirely different limey prick two months ago?”
Eden stiffens, very aware of Jet's eyes on her.
“That's not fair, you know what happened there,” she says evenly, proud of herself for maintaining her calm.
“Yeah, you're right, I do, but what I can't wrap my mind around is how the hell you can go from being engaged to and marrying Hugh, hating Killian, then suddenly not only are you two together, but you're leaving with him after Horizons to spend the break and the holidays in London. How the fuck does that work, Eden, I can't quite get it?”
Eden glances over at Jet and Sherry, Cypress slamming his fist down on the chair beside him.
“Don't fucking look at them, look at me! I want to know what the hell is going on and I'm sick of being the last one to know!”
Eden sighs.
“I understand, Cyp, and I'm sorry, it's a long and complicated story that really isn't fit for a time that's supposed to be about family,” she continues on through Cypress' muttered growling, “-- but I will tell you that this isn't something new. Killian and I-- we've felt this way about each other for a while, we just weren't aware the other felt the same way. And it isn't like he's someone new to me, we've known each other for a couple of years now. I know it doesn't answer a lot, but if it means anything, we're happy. I'm happy. I'm ecstatically happy,” she says, smiling brilliantly at her brother, willing him to understand. Cypress watches her for a moment, noting the shine to her eyes and the glow to her cheeks. Finally, he nods.
“Alright, you're happy, that's good enough for me,” he says without a trace of anger. He then turns eyes on Jet. “I assume you knew about this?”
Jet gives a big, goofy grin.
“I knew a little,” he replies, Sherry pressing her lips together in a lame attempt to hide her growing smile.
“Yeah,” Eden agrees with a straightface. “Just a little.”
Charleston, SC
“It's harder than it looks,” Jet says, the comment not just a little generic. Eden makes a face at him.
“That's all you got? I need you to pick up your advice game, Somers,” Eden says, forcing herself to sip at the tumbler full of spiked eggnog this time.
“Alright, my advice is this- don't dwell on this crap. Enjoy what you have, control what you can, and to hell with the rest.
“And Fear?” Eden asks, swirling her cup and watching the cinnamon merge and then separate once more.
Jet's forehead wrinkles.
“Why that match, Edie? A cell match is dangerous without what you've placed inside it, and you've been a thorn in Phrixus' side the past few weeks. I'm worried this won't end with just the one mirror.”
Eden shrugs.
“If it does, it does. But I have some more tricks up my sleeve for him,” she says with a grin and then a hiccup. “I think I can throw him off his game.”
Jet shakes his head.
“Deimos is master of mindgames, so you better have something real good to throw him off his--”
“Don't tell me we're talking business, I thought we all agreed, no business,” Sherry sidles up beside Jet, draping an arm across his shoulders as she lays her forehead against his bicep. She peeks one eye over at Eden. “Kick his ass,” she whispers and then winks, Eden grinning at the pretty redhead.
“We uh-- we-- were-- just finishing up?” Jet supplies lamely, Sherry rolling her eyes and pulling him off into the living room in the direction of some mistletoe. With a sigh, Eden hops off her stool, her head spinning for a second. She holds her hands out to steady herself, refilling her tumbler before making her way over to where Cypress sits in a high-backed cushioned chair, Dyson hopping off his lap and rushing off, clutching a book in his little hands.
“Got a story for me?” she asks, Cypress looking up at his sister and holding a hand out toward the chair across from him, offering her a seat.
“Something tells me you don't have the attention span for a damn story,” he rebukes her softly, Eden chuckling as the fire heats up her already liquor-warm cheeks.
“Maybe not,” she agrees, Cypress shaking his head.
“I want you to be careful Monday. Phrixus and I have a little history. And I can tell you, the way a man like that survives and manages to place himself back at the forefront with what looks like the slightest effort, that's not something to just shrug off. He's not someone who breaks his patterns, but you've had him doing that. You've had him doing things he hasn't in years, and I don't know if that's good or bad. Just-- be careful in that cell Monday. There's a lot of ways that match could end badly.”
Eden nods, watching the flames lick and crackle at the logs.
“Jet said something like that. I'll be as careful as I can, but I won't make any promises. You taught me that. No promises in matches like these, right?” she asks, Cypress giving a small, reluctant nod.
“I've got a bad feeling about Monday. Watch your back,” he says, pulling himself out of the chair. “Now excuse me, but I gotta find where Jez has hidden herself at.”
“Last I saw she was with mom and the kids,” Eden offers, Cypress groaning as he heads off in that direction. Eden stares at the fire in silence, draining the remnants of the tumbler.
“Got time for your old man?”
Eden turns her head and looks up at her father, his dark hair so like her own only now starting to show signs of gray creeping in at the edges. He leans down and places a kiss on top of her head, nodding in the direction of his study. Eden gets to her feet much more smoothly than before and follows him in, curious as to his apparent desire for privacy.
“You looked like you could use saving, and lord knows I've done little enough of it in regard to you,” Thomas Morgan says, taking a seat behind his desk and watching his only daughter. Eden places her empty tumbler on the desk and drops down on the leather couch against the wall.
“I'm happy to be here, Dad, really. This has been a lot of fun, and I think I needed something to clear my head.”
“I agree, but don't pretend that this did it. I've been watching you tonight, and you're saying and doing everything perfectly, but I do believe the lady doth protest too much, as they say,” he qualifies, Eden raising an eyebrow.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means, my dear, that you've reiterated the fact that you're deliriously happy so many times, I'm afraid if it were a drinking game your brother and the rest of his crew would find themselves completely useless for the foreseeable future.”
Eden makes a face.
“That much, huh?”
“Yes. So, why don't we forget what has become rote to you and we discuss what's really going on,” he braces his elbows on his desk, steepling his fingers before him. Eden watches her father, considering.
“Okay. Are you sure you're ready for this because-- it's pretty lengthy and involved,” she informs him, giving him a way out. Thomas Morgan smiles.
“I've got nowhere else to be tonight. Entertain me.”
And so Eden goes through he entire course of occurrences in the past several months, leaving nothing out. When she's done, her father sits quietly, thoughtful.
“Well I'll say this, you certainly know how to make trouble for yourself, don't you?”
Eden reddens, Thomas not giving her time to respond.
“So am I to understand that this Dr. Baal is holding the death of your former fiance' over your head? Is that correct?”
“Yeah, that's about it. I don't know whether to expect police to show up or what, but between the anxiety about it and I just-- I feel bad because I caused that--”
“How?” her father inquires calmly. Eden frowns at him.
“Dad, I just told you, I sent him off with Baal, it's my fault he was there in the first place--”
“No, my dear, I'm afraid that was a decision made entirely on the part of that quack of a doctor. Allow me to explain-- you were hurt by his betrayal and his plans, as anyone would be. Had I known at the time, I would have loved to have gotten my hands on him and your Killian has endeared himself to me infinitely simply because he did. Now, you reacted, and while it may not have been the best of reactions, it was simply that. You were not his wife, in fact, you were nothing to the man at the time you made the call. The doctor is the one who acted on it and, I might add, without the proper protocols. Not to bring up distasteful memories, but when you yourself were taken for treatment last year, it required quite a bit of due process. Cypress and Jet had to fill out numerous papers, talk to several professionals, provide proof, and your mother and I were even interviewed. This doctor did none of that. In effect, he kidnapped your former fiance' and imprisoned him. That was his choice and his doing, not yours. You couldn't make him do it, could you?”
Eden blinks.
“I-- no I guess not. You're saying Gabriel had no legal means to hold him?”
“Exactly. And while I'm sure this charlatan has covered his steps thoroughly, any lawyer would salivate at getting their hands on him in court. I have a few friends who would definitely enjoy it. Does that help ease your mind any?”
Eden nods slowly.
“It does.”
“Good. Now on to another topic. I try to stay out of your business in regard to the ring, but I've managed to catch snippets of conversation between Cypress and Jet. They're both very concerned. Neither of them doubt your talent, from what I can tell, but it's your actions in regard to your opponent and this upcoming match.”
Eden shrugs.
“I mean, I get it. When I found out Deimos was the one who released my medical records-- Dad I saw red. Like literally. Red. I was so angry. But then I decided to be smarter, to beat Deimos at his own game. No one's ever really done it. So I faked my leaving the company. Everyone had to believe it was true, everyone. And once I ghosted for a while, I tracked Phrixus down and started to follow him. At first I didn't think I could do it, but apparently I'm quite the sneak when I need to be,” she says with a grin, her father shaking his head.
“Yes, I remember your youth. But continue.”
“After several days, I didn't think there was anything to find. The man has to be most boring and weird guy ever. He does a lot of observing. A lot. And he constantly writes in one notebook or the other. Like, he walks down the street and takes notes. 'Cracked pavement on 75th and Elm, potential trip hazard.' 'Leaking pipe behind fire station, in winter may freeze and cause numerous accidents.' His hobby is taking pictures of manhole covers. And Dad-- he fills out the customer satisfaction surveys in restaurants. Who does that?”
“While that's all incredibly interesting, I assume that isn't all you discovered about him.”
Eden shakes her head.
“He finally did something interesting one day. He went somewhere new. It turned out to be a sort of mini library, a sanctuary I guess. And like I said, this guy keeps journals? Dad, the walls were lined with journals dating back years. And video tapes. That first night I stayed for hours just reading journal after journal. He could have caught me at any time, I just didn't care. I took a couple tapes to watch, slept a few hours, then returned. I was more careful that time and made sure of where he was before I went back, but each time I read more and more. It was like being completely in his mind. It's-- insane how his brain works.”
“And these journals-- you took them?”
“Many of them, yes. I couldn't possibly take them all, but I wanted him to know I had been there. I left my mark in every book I left behind. A parting gift.”
“I see. And what did you do with what you took?”
“Phrixus and a man who was helping him attacked Killian a couple of weeks ago. It was revenge for my taking the journals, for Killian taking the title belt from Phrixus, and Killian and the other guy have issues as well. I didn't take it well. I brought a trash can out on stage and burned several journals one by one until Phrixus agreed to a match with me.”
“Dramatic, but effective. You had journals left over after that?”
Eden nods.
“Yeah, I kept what looked like some of the more important ones.”
“As you would,” her father agrees. “So this match, I understand it has something to do with mirrors?”
Eden nods again.
“Yeah umm-- it was an idea of mine. Initially, I wanted to face Phrixus in a Hall of Mirrors match, but he refused, said I wasn't worthy and basically said I bastardized the profession. In the end, I'm glad he did. His match would have done nothing to resolve what we have between us. It's flash without a lot of substance to it, just puzzle solving. Kinda like him. So I bastardized his match like he said I do everything else, as a deliberate slap in his face. It involves mirrors simply because a mirror match is synonymous with him.”
Eden's father muses, obviously impressed.
“I always said you had a cutthroat mind for business. You definitely know how to get under someone's skin, my dear.”
Eden gives a small smile.
“He won't admit it, but I've definitely gotten under his. He's lost the past three weeks because of it. He'll spin it some other way, but it's the truth and everyone can see it. I hope it eats him alive,” she finishes bitterly.
“So tell me, having said all that, are you still deliriously happy?”
Eden gives a wan smile.
“That depends on what aspect of my life you're asking me about.”
Her father smiles at her.
“Good answer. Very good answer.”
It was 2 AM and she was still tossing and turning. Eden sighs in frustration and throws the covers back, climbing out of bed and flipping the light switch on. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden bright light intruding into her pupils, but once they do, she sighs and looks around her childhood room. The walls were still painted a lavender color trimmed with a pale pine, the wood carried over into the furniture still within the room. Eden looks around, memories flooding her. An idea occurs to her and she flings open the closet door, crawling inside. A knock at the door makes her poke her head back out.
“Yes?” she calls quietly. “It's open.”
The door opens slowly, Jet poking his head in, taken aback when he finds her on the floor in the closet.
“You okay? I was up and saw your light on.”
“Couldn't sleep,” she says before crawling back into the long closet, Jet frowning and crouching down to peer inside.
“Do I want to know what you're doing?” he asks.
Eden doesn't answer, simply whisper-shouting “Score!” and shoving a large box in his direction.
“Grab that and put it on the bed,” she tells him as she makes her way back out of the closet, Jet hefting the surprisingly heavy box and placing it on her bed.
“Yes ma'am,” he says sarcastically. “Anyone ever tell you you're bossy?”
Eden makes a cutesie face at him.
“Killian seems to enjoy it,” she says sweetly, Jet making a show of trying to stop himself from vomiting. Eden swats him on the shoulder in response before climbing on the bed and pulling the top off the box.
“What's all this?” he asks, sitting on the other side of the box and reaching in to pull something out.
“Scrapbooks and journals and all kinda odds and ends that I kept while I was in high school,” she answers, Jet immediately putting what was in his hands back in the box.
“Nope, save me from the mind of a teenage girl,” he says emphatically, starting to get up when Eden catches his arm.
“Jet, look at this,” she says softly, holding up an open page in a scrapbook. On it there were several pictures, a 16-year-old Eden innocently smiling up at them with an equally young friend of hers, the two of them goofing off in a couple of the pictures, others of them straddling bikes, posing with members of the DMW at the time, and one of Ryan Hanneman with both girls under each arm in a headlock. Jet can't help but grin looking at the array of pages and paraphernalia that follow that one, each with every inch of empty space covered with pictures and scribblings, quotes, and such. He looks up at the heading, written in large, swirling font, Eden's cutesy little heart in evidence.
“December 2007. What exactly was going on here?” he asks, Eden pressing her lips together in laughter.
“I had forgotten about all that. But uh-- I was 16 at the time.. and had just gotten off on holiday from Ashley Hall. My friend, that's her, Tessa,” she points to the other girl in one of the pictures, “was staying with me for a week. And in case you weren't aware, Ashley Hall is a boarding school-- all girls,” she says meaningfully, Jet shaking his head.
“That explains so much,” he rolls his eyes skyward, Eden elbowing him in the ribs.
December 2007
“I'm just sayin' we need to do something or I'm gonna fuckin' scream. I mean I'm repressed over here, Edie, like seriously repressed. Being surrounded by vag for an entire semester is something no teenage girl should ever have to experience,” Tessa gripes, looking down at her chest as she presses her hands flat to the sides of her breasts, pushing them together. “Unless they like that kinda thing. Hey, does it look like my boobs have gotten any bigger?” she asks. Eden pays her no attention as she stares out her window, watching her brother and his friends pack and ready their bikes for their trip. She's jolted out of her viewing when a stuffed animal flies at her head.
“Whaaaat?” she asks spinning around, her dark ponytail slapping her in the face, Tessa indicating her chest.
“This is important. Tits. Bigger. We're not all blessed like you,” she says in agitation, Eden rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, Tess, I can totes tell. They're like gozongas now.”
Tessa scrunches up her face.
“What the fuck is a gozonga? But yeah, it's probably because I jacked some of my mom's cutlets and stuffed. Looks pretty good until the bra moves and then-- illusion gone,” she says dejectedly. Eden glances out the window again, biting her lip as she considers something.
“I've got an idea. Look, quick, grab your overnight bag and pack a couple changes of clothes and some essentials. Hurry up!” Eden urges her friend, throwing her own bag together.
“Okay, okay, what are we doing?” Tessa gripes, moving slowly as she sorts through items. Eden grins mischeviously.
“We're gonna be riding motorcycles,” she says simply, Tessa's entire face lighting up.
“Ooooo with the boys?!” she asks excitedly. “How are we gonna--?”
“Leave that to me,” Eden says with a wink, both girls hurrying to put their bags together.
Every year in December, the DMW made a run up to Columbia for their annual Toy Run and other festivities for bikers from all over the east coast. Cypress moves down the line of bikes, a cigar clenched between his teeth, his long hair flying behind him. Beside him walked a man who had been his second in command in every aspect for a long time, and was soon to leave, setting out to start up his own charter of the DMW. The Appalachian Chapter. Chaos' bald pate shines in the sunlight, a length of chain swinging from his belt.
“You all ready, 'Hound? Got everything?” Cypress asks his Sergeant-At-Arms, already knowing the answer. “A-Dogg, you good?” he ask, grinning and shaking his head when he gets an answer in the affirmative. “I fuckin' love it that I can rely on these guys to handle everything.”
“Always good when you don't have to fuckin' babysit the bastards,” Chaos replies, his eyes narrowing as he takes in one of the younger recruits, a Prospect. Before he can say anything, a tall man with lanky blonde hair comes up loudly, hugging Cypress, the two of them clapping each other on the back and then doing the same to Chaos.
“You fuckin' ready for this?!”
“I know you are, asshole. What, a week out, this time?” Cypress asks with a grin, Hanneman shaking his head.
“They couldn't make it stick, bro.”
“Maybe if you keep your ass out of jail long enough you can actually make something of yourself,” Chaos jokes.
“What and find myself neck deep in pussy I can't even touch cause I'm their boss like you? Fuck that,” Ryan moves off toward his own bike, Chaos' attention returning to the Prospect.
“I know you like the kid, Cyp, and I know Ryan's his sponsor, but there's something about him--”
“Give me something better than 'something about him' and we'll go from there. He's a fuck up sometimes, but he's a good kid. I was thinking, he's about to graduate from college--”
“Yeah, that you paid for,” Chaos points out. Cypress shrugs.
“Kid was smart, not his fault his mom made some shit choices and couldn't do for him and his brother like she wanted to. He just needed a hand up,” Cypress says, Chaos shaking his head as he watches the slim dark-haired younger man at the back of the line. His musings are stopped when his long-time friend, Lucky approaches, the three of them moving off to discuss the agenda for the weekend. They're so immersed in their discussion, they don't notice the two young girls slip out of the house and make their way to the back of the long line of bikers.
“Alright, listen, quick run down- we have to stick with the guys at the back, they're called Prospects. Any of the core members will know who I am and this won't work. It may not anyway, but just-- flirt, okay?” Eden whispers furiously, Tessa grinning and licking her lips.
“Flirt. Got it,” shes says, the two of them slowing their swift movement. The shorter of the two guys looks over at Eden, doing a double take, his eyes widening. Eden blushes softly, grinning despite it.
“Hi, umm-- we're going on the run with you guys and we were told to go to the bike and ride with someone. Can I ride with you?” she asks, rocking forward on her tiptoes and cocking her head to the side as she asks her question, the pushing his hair out of his face.
“Fuck yeah you can,” he says enthusiastically. Eden's grin brightens and she extends a hand to him.
“I'm Beth, and do you have an extra helmet?” she asks, spying A-Dogg looking toward the back.
“Hey Beth, I'm Jason, and uhh yeah, one sec,” he turns around then comes back with a black helmet, Eden quickly shoving her hair up under it and pulling it on top of her head, sliding sunglasses over her eyes. As the others starts to climb on their bikes, Jason climbs on his, holding a hand out to help Eden move in behind him.
“Hold on tight,” he instructs, placing one hand over hers clasped around him. “First time on a bike?” he asks, Eden shaking her head against his shoulder.
“Not at all,” she says, already feeling the thrill rushing through her. She turns to look back, finding Tessa seated with the Prospect behind her, sunglasses covering her face as well. The air is suddenly filled with revving engines, and then the line starts to move. Jason hangs back just enough to give his bike a leap, forcing her in closer against him. Eden giggles, knowing full well it was a sneaky trick meant to feel a woman even more fully against them.
Soon they were flying down the road, Eden having to fight not to completely let go and hold her arms out on either side, turn her face up to the sky. Talk about a dead giveaway. The core group all knew she enjoyed a bike ride almost as much as they did. With that wind whipping around them and moving that fast through the open world, it felt free.
Eden quickly focuses, noticing Bloodhound falling back little by little, checking the progression from back to front. When he gets close, she quickly turns her face to to look off the opposite way, hoping Tessa was smart enough to do the same. When he doesn't falter and moves back up, she grins breathing a sigh of relief. The trip would take a little over two hours, so there shouldn't be any danger of stopping, and they were already well over an hour in. Eden suddenly frowns.
“Why are we slowing down?” she shouts the question in Jason's ear, Jase turning a little.
“I don't know, it's coming from the front, something may have happened to one of the bikes.”
A feeling of dread creeps along her spine as the line of bikes move to a stop.
“Just keep your seat, probably won't take long and we'll be on our way again,” Jason says, resting a hand on her thigh easily. Eden peeks around his shoulder to see her brother, Chaos, Bloodhound, and Ryan making their way down the line.
“Fudgesicles,” she mutters emphatically, hiding her face in Jason's back, causing him to laugh.
“Fudgesicles? You know, you're cute as fuck,” Jason says, giving her thigh a squeeze.
“Ingalls!”
Eden's heart drops into her stomach when she feels Jason tense, knowing clearly who Cypress had been yelling at.
“Yeah, boss?” Jason calls out.
“Get your fucking hand off my sister,” Cypress growls at him, Jason laughing.
“What, this isn't your sister, your sister's like what, a kid, and I'm telling you, this chick, no kid,” he says with a knowing grin, Ryan moving faster ahead of the others.
“Shut the fuck up while you're ahead, Ingalls. I swear to fucking christ, you're gonna be the death of me, kid,” Jason's sponsor says with a shake of his head. When he's sure Jason is going to remain quiet, Ryan turns clear blue eyes on Eden. “Come on, brat, game's up. You and your little friend.”
Eden pulls the shades off her eyes and glares at Ryan before slipping off the back of the bike, whispering “Sorry” in Jason's ear, noticing Tessa doing the same. She stands just behind Eden as Eden moves around Ryan and stands in front of her brother and the other two.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Cypress asks, Eden shrugging.
“We wanted to go, what's the big deal--”
“The big deal-- is you two are 16! You can't go on a road trip with a bunch of bikers!” he roars, cars blowing past them on the road. “Did they fucking know? Were they in on it?” he asks, looking to the two Prospects. Eden and Tessa both shake their heads.
“No, I swear they didn't know. We tricked them, said we were sent to the back to ride with the Prospects. I figured they were the only ones who wouldn't know me,” Eden grumbles, Bloodhound chuckling.
“Probably would have worked, girlie, except women don't ever ride with the Prospects. That and I've known you since you were about this high,” he says, holding a hand out to his side. Eden glares at him, Bloodhound laughing and shaking his head. “Don't blame me, you're the one that got busted.”
Eden rolls her shoulders and moves up closer to her brother, looking up at him.
“Well I guess you have two choices, Cypress. You can either take us with you or you can have two of your guys turn around and take us home, then have to come all the way back again.”
Cypress leans forward, obviously annoyed.
“Or I could just leave you two the fuck here.”
Eden appears affronted for a second and then shrugs.
“I guess you might, but Chaos wouldn't leave me. I'm like his little sister,” Eden smiles winningly at Chaos, his eyes on the Prospect behind her.
“Oh, I don't know, I might this time, Edie-girl.”
Eden rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, pouting.
“Oh come on, you guys, it's not that bad--”
“Fine!” Cypress shouts, pointing at Eden. “You're riding with Chaos. You--” he points at Tessa “-- you're riding with Hanneman. And if either of you two cause me any more trouble at any point this weekend, I'll personally take a belt to your asses. Got it?”
Eden grumbles an affirmative, Chaos slinging a protective arm across her shoulders while Tessa looks Ryan up and down, nodding her head in appreciation.
“Yeah, okay, I'm good with this change,” she says, Ryan raising an eyebrow at her. She giggles, everyone moving off to their respective bikes, the line taking off again.
“This is bullshit,” Tessa complains, flopping on her belly on the hotel room bed.
“Yeah, fuckin' tell me about it,” Hanneman gripes as he stuffs a piece of pizza in his mouth, talking around it. “I should be out partyin' it up with the guys, instead I'm stuck on babysitter duty with you two brats.”
Eden huffs warningly at both of them.
“Could you both please, with the language?!”
Hanneman grins.
“Right on it, Princess.”
Eden rolls her eyes, Tessa turning over to look at Ryan.
“I know how we could make things more interesting,” she says suggestively, winking at him. Ryan snort-laughs, almost choking on his pizza.
“Get the fuck outta here with that shit. I catch enough charges on my own without your underage ass to help me.”
Tessa frowns at him. Eden pauses in her flipping through TV channels to look at her.
“You wouldn't want that anyway, Tess. Ryan has a problem with going in and out of jail, mostly in though. Pretty sure his STD's have STD's,” she says snarkily, Ryan narrowing his eyes at her and snatching the remote out of her hand. “Hey! Jerk,” Eden glares at him, Ryan shaking his finger.
“That rude shit right there, you need your ass beat, Princess.”
“Like I heard they beat yours in jail?” Eden asks brightly, Ryan scowling at her.
“You're killin' me, Edie, you really are.”
“If only,” she says mockingly, turning her attention back to the TV, Ryan flipping through until he comes to a channel with wrestling on it. Eden drops her hand into her lap, looking over at Ryan.
“Really? You know I'm not supposed to watch Cyp's matches, he doesn't want me seeing how bad it apparently gets sometimes.”
Ryan speaks around a mouthful of food.
“This ain't Cyp's company, he's in PPW with that prissy fucker Wallace and Klaus and that weird bastard, Dragon. This is LWF. So nyeh,” he says, sticking out a tongue coated in thoroughly masticated food. Eden makes a face, Tessa suddenly interested.
“Is it true your brother wears a mask out to the ring? Like a scary one?”
“Yeah. In the ring, he's Salem. Used to be called Boogeyman,” Eden waggles her fingers at her friend spookily, Tessa giving a terrified little shriek.
“FUCK!” Hanneman shouts, looking down at his phone. He throws it across the room, expression sour.
“What now?” Eden asks.
“Anything you need me to kiss and make better?” Tessa asks, Eden giving her a tired look.
“Really, Tess--”
“Just lost a shit ton of money because of some upstart in London,” Hanneman complains.
“How exactly?”
“Bare knuckle boxing. Placed a bet on a guy who hasn't lost a fight in months. Some fucking youngster comes in and wipes the floor with him. Weird goddamn name, King or some shit. Who the hell saw that coming?!” Ryan exhales slowly. “Hey, one of y'all get my phone for me.”
“When you ask so nicely? No,” Eden says coldly.
“You know, you catch more flies with honey, Princess. You don't sweeten up some, you'll never find a man to put up with you.”
Eden mocks his words, mimicking them in a higher pitch, Ryan glaring at her while Tessa scoots off the bed, sauntering across the floor with a sway of hips. She bends at the waist, slowly to pick up the phone, turning around to grin at Ryan. He rolls his eyes. She pops back up and grins seductively as she makes her way back over to him, holding the phone out. When he reaches to take it, she yanks it back, holds it out, then yanks it back, Eden finally having enough and snatching it away from her to throw it at Ryan.
“There!” she yells at him then looks to her friend. “Seriously, Tessa?!”
“What, he's hot,” Tessa says with a giggle. Ryan shakes his head and then peruses the phone, sliding it out to get to the keyboard. A few minutes later---
“FUCK!!!”
He throws the phone against the wall once more.
“There's an MMA fighter from here over in Thailand, Jet Somers. His sister's in that company your brother's in. Big-eared bastard beat my guy over there. Fucker. I'd love to punch him right in the fucking mouth,” Ryan fumes, Eden raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe you shouldn't gamble, cause you kinda suck at it.”
Before Ryan can say anything, Eden turns her attention back to the TV, frowning and scooting forward to watch the scene play out. A man stands in the middle of the ring with a huge mallet over his shoulder, appearing to be waiting for something or someone.
“Who is he?” Eden asks.
“That's uh... 'The Talk of the Town' Alan Fernandez. He's got a qualifying match, but it's been kept quiet who he's facing-- why the fuck are you so interested?”
“Maybe I wanna do what Cypress does, what Chaos and 'Hound used to do,” Eden replies noncommittally. Ryan bursts into a round of obnoxious, raucous laughter, clutching his sides.
“You want-- to wrestle-- that's fucking-- golden-- wait'll I tell-- Cyp-- and C--- bwahahahahahah!!” his laughter continues on, Eden doing her best to ignore him as another man emerges from the back, the announcers shouting his name.
Fear.
It was apparent that the two men in the ring knew each other well, and were likely even friends. Then, the one called Fear did something odd. He seemed to ask for a moment of patience and then hopped out of the ring, digging underneath it. When he returned to the ring, it was with a--- herring? Eden frowns in confusion. The odd man and Fernandez tossed the fish back and forth for a moment before Fernandez tossed it out of the ring, hugging the man before him. The crowd cheered around them, dread building in Eden's gut. Something wasn't right---
And then it happened. Fear snatched the mallet from his friend and drove it into his face, sending a frenzy through the crowd and the announcers. Eden gasps, covering her mouth with a hand while Ryan continues to laugh uproariously at her previous statement. She watches as Fear tells the referee to ring the bell, staring with rapt fascination while he waits for Fernandez to rise, the hammer still in his hands, using it once more on him. The second blow was equally as brutal as the first, but it seemed to satisfy Fear who ordered the referee to ring the bell once more. Eden watches almost in a trance as he lays the mallet across the neck of the busted open and bleeding Fernandez before exiting the ring, giving him the victory by disqualification. Before she can see more, the channel changes, Ryan finally catching his breath. Eden turns back to him angrily.
“What the-- I was watching that!”
“Yeah you were, a little too intently. Whoooo. I almost died from laughing. You in a ring, Edie, that's a pretty fuckin' good one--” he trails off, changing the channels every few seconds, Eden lost in her own thoughts about what she had just seen.
“So you saw a Fear match when you were 16?” Jet asks incredulously, Eden nodding.
“Yeah. I guess I'd forgotten until I saw this. It all came flooding back,” she says almost sadly, running a hand over the pictures on the page.
“Funny that the first match you saw with him, he was betraying his best friend,” Jet muses, Eden nodding again. Sensing her mood, he clears his throat. “So what happened the rest of the time there?”
“We were allowed to go to some of the charity runs and stuff, had to always be escorted by one of the core members, and at night one of the core members was our babysitter.”
Jet breaks off into a round of laughter, Eden shaking her head.
“Hey, I know you've got something planned for your match with Fear, but hear me out. This guy's been doing this for a long damn time. And he's got tricks up his sleeve, a master of mindgames, you saw how he was almost ten years ago. All I'm saying is think about it before you do it, whatever it is. You might find you don't have to go that extra mile, you've done enough. There's a point where it's no longer getting under their skin, it's making an enemy for life. You don't want that with Fear. Just-- think about it,” Jet finishes, patting Eden on the knee before leaving the room quietly. Eden sits in silence for a time, considering the events of the past weeks and Fear's history.
“Oh I'll think about it, but it seems a shame to waste such fine writing,” Eden says to herself with a grin of anticipation. She closes the scrapbook.
Eden turns back once more and gives Killian a soft smile and a wave before turning back to the entryway to the plane. She huffs a puff of air out, ruffling her hair before stepping inside, the door shutting behind her. Inside she's met with the stares of several pair of eyes, Sherry and Jezebel's curious, Jet's amused, Havyn and Dyson excited, and Cypress-- Cypress' gaze could have decimated them all to ash with the proper genetic mutation. She quickly takes a seat near Jet and Sherry for the takeoff, unable to miss Cypress' muttered “Coward.” She closes her eyes and rests her head against the high-backed leather chair.
“What exactly am I a coward about now?” she asks in irritation, conscious of Jet's surreptitious touch at her shoulder, warning her to remain calm.
“We'll discuss the specifics once we're in the air and can move around,” Cypress snaps at her, looking back to his two children, Havyn listening raptly. Dyson was focused on the window and showing his wrestling figures the outside as the ground began to move by faster and faster. The passengers fall into an almost eerie quiet as the plane takes off, the adults relaxing once the plane stabilizes. Cypress fixes his sister with a pointed look, Eden unfastening her seat belt.
“Havyn, Dice, there's a room in the back you two can make yourselves at home in,” she says awkwardly, Havyn obviously about to argue, the argument dying on her lips with a quelling look from her father. She gives him a mutinous look but goes to the back with the rambunctious 5-year-old anyway. Cypress' eyes narrow and then he turns back.
“Did-- did my son have a Killian King action figure?” he fairly growls, Jet stifling a laugh. Eden gives a little laugh.
“Yeah, about that-- Killian brought some stuff for the kids to entertain them on the trip--”
“Goddammit, yeah, now I get Hastings' point. Remind me to tell him I want one of those 'I hate Killian King' shirts,” he tells Jezebel who just rolls her eyes.
“Oh come on, he didn't have to lend us the plane for the early Christmas back home, don't you think you're being just a little bit of a, oh I don't know, a jerk?” Eden asks, frowning at her brother. Cypress glares at her.
“The whole fucking reason we're having to do this is because of you and him, and about that, yeah I've got some goddamn questions,” Cypress shoots back.
“Such as?” Eden asks, not rising to his display of temper.
“Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you marrying an entirely different limey prick two months ago?”
Eden stiffens, very aware of Jet's eyes on her.
“That's not fair, you know what happened there,” she says evenly, proud of herself for maintaining her calm.
“Yeah, you're right, I do, but what I can't wrap my mind around is how the hell you can go from being engaged to and marrying Hugh, hating Killian, then suddenly not only are you two together, but you're leaving with him after Horizons to spend the break and the holidays in London. How the fuck does that work, Eden, I can't quite get it?”
Eden glances over at Jet and Sherry, Cypress slamming his fist down on the chair beside him.
“Don't fucking look at them, look at me! I want to know what the hell is going on and I'm sick of being the last one to know!”
Eden sighs.
“I understand, Cyp, and I'm sorry, it's a long and complicated story that really isn't fit for a time that's supposed to be about family,” she continues on through Cypress' muttered growling, “-- but I will tell you that this isn't something new. Killian and I-- we've felt this way about each other for a while, we just weren't aware the other felt the same way. And it isn't like he's someone new to me, we've known each other for a couple of years now. I know it doesn't answer a lot, but if it means anything, we're happy. I'm happy. I'm ecstatically happy,” she says, smiling brilliantly at her brother, willing him to understand. Cypress watches her for a moment, noting the shine to her eyes and the glow to her cheeks. Finally, he nods.
“Alright, you're happy, that's good enough for me,” he says without a trace of anger. He then turns eyes on Jet. “I assume you knew about this?”
Jet gives a big, goofy grin.
“I knew a little,” he replies, Sherry pressing her lips together in a lame attempt to hide her growing smile.
“Yeah,” Eden agrees with a straightface. “Just a little.”
Charleston, SC
“It's harder than it looks,” Jet says, the comment not just a little generic. Eden makes a face at him.
“That's all you got? I need you to pick up your advice game, Somers,” Eden says, forcing herself to sip at the tumbler full of spiked eggnog this time.
“Alright, my advice is this- don't dwell on this crap. Enjoy what you have, control what you can, and to hell with the rest.
“And Fear?” Eden asks, swirling her cup and watching the cinnamon merge and then separate once more.
Jet's forehead wrinkles.
“Why that match, Edie? A cell match is dangerous without what you've placed inside it, and you've been a thorn in Phrixus' side the past few weeks. I'm worried this won't end with just the one mirror.”
Eden shrugs.
“If it does, it does. But I have some more tricks up my sleeve for him,” she says with a grin and then a hiccup. “I think I can throw him off his game.”
Jet shakes his head.
“Deimos is master of mindgames, so you better have something real good to throw him off his--”
Do I still have the drive, the passion, to do this?
In truth, I do not know.
Perhaps it is time for a new voice. Perhaps it is time for a new generation. Perhaps my time has passed.
What words do you choose when you have nothing left to say? What actions do you take when you are loathe to lift a finger, to do naught but stand idle while the world passes you by?
In truth, I do not know.
Perhaps it is time for a new voice. Perhaps it is time for a new generation. Perhaps my time has passed.
What words do you choose when you have nothing left to say? What actions do you take when you are loathe to lift a finger, to do naught but stand idle while the world passes you by?
“Don't tell me we're talking business, I thought we all agreed, no business,” Sherry sidles up beside Jet, draping an arm across his shoulders as she lays her forehead against his bicep. She peeks one eye over at Eden. “Kick his ass,” she whispers and then winks, Eden grinning at the pretty redhead.
“We uh-- we-- were-- just finishing up?” Jet supplies lamely, Sherry rolling her eyes and pulling him off into the living room in the direction of some mistletoe. With a sigh, Eden hops off her stool, her head spinning for a second. She holds her hands out to steady herself, refilling her tumbler before making her way over to where Cypress sits in a high-backed cushioned chair, Dyson hopping off his lap and rushing off, clutching a book in his little hands.
“Got a story for me?” she asks, Cypress looking up at his sister and holding a hand out toward the chair across from him, offering her a seat.
“Something tells me you don't have the attention span for a damn story,” he rebukes her softly, Eden chuckling as the fire heats up her already liquor-warm cheeks.
“Maybe not,” she agrees, Cypress shaking his head.
“I want you to be careful Monday. Phrixus and I have a little history. And I can tell you, the way a man like that survives and manages to place himself back at the forefront with what looks like the slightest effort, that's not something to just shrug off. He's not someone who breaks his patterns, but you've had him doing that. You've had him doing things he hasn't in years, and I don't know if that's good or bad. Just-- be careful in that cell Monday. There's a lot of ways that match could end badly.”
Eden nods, watching the flames lick and crackle at the logs.
“Jet said something like that. I'll be as careful as I can, but I won't make any promises. You taught me that. No promises in matches like these, right?” she asks, Cypress giving a small, reluctant nod.
“I've got a bad feeling about Monday. Watch your back,” he says, pulling himself out of the chair. “Now excuse me, but I gotta find where Jez has hidden herself at.”
“Last I saw she was with mom and the kids,” Eden offers, Cypress groaning as he heads off in that direction. Eden stares at the fire in silence, draining the remnants of the tumbler.
“Got time for your old man?”
Eden turns her head and looks up at her father, his dark hair so like her own only now starting to show signs of gray creeping in at the edges. He leans down and places a kiss on top of her head, nodding in the direction of his study. Eden gets to her feet much more smoothly than before and follows him in, curious as to his apparent desire for privacy.
“You looked like you could use saving, and lord knows I've done little enough of it in regard to you,” Thomas Morgan says, taking a seat behind his desk and watching his only daughter. Eden places her empty tumbler on the desk and drops down on the leather couch against the wall.
“I'm happy to be here, Dad, really. This has been a lot of fun, and I think I needed something to clear my head.”
“I agree, but don't pretend that this did it. I've been watching you tonight, and you're saying and doing everything perfectly, but I do believe the lady doth protest too much, as they say,” he qualifies, Eden raising an eyebrow.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means, my dear, that you've reiterated the fact that you're deliriously happy so many times, I'm afraid if it were a drinking game your brother and the rest of his crew would find themselves completely useless for the foreseeable future.”
Eden makes a face.
“That much, huh?”
“Yes. So, why don't we forget what has become rote to you and we discuss what's really going on,” he braces his elbows on his desk, steepling his fingers before him. Eden watches her father, considering.
“Okay. Are you sure you're ready for this because-- it's pretty lengthy and involved,” she informs him, giving him a way out. Thomas Morgan smiles.
“I've got nowhere else to be tonight. Entertain me.”
Imagine opening a box on Christmas morning, the exciting of pulling a new toy out of a box, one that you have been waiting for as long as you can remember, only to discover that it is broken.
And so Eden goes through he entire course of occurrences in the past several months, leaving nothing out. When she's done, her father sits quietly, thoughtful.
“Well I'll say this, you certainly know how to make trouble for yourself, don't you?”
Eden reddens, Thomas not giving her time to respond.
“So am I to understand that this Dr. Baal is holding the death of your former fiance' over your head? Is that correct?”
“Yeah, that's about it. I don't know whether to expect police to show up or what, but between the anxiety about it and I just-- I feel bad because I caused that--”
“How?” her father inquires calmly. Eden frowns at him.
“Dad, I just told you, I sent him off with Baal, it's my fault he was there in the first place--”
“No, my dear, I'm afraid that was a decision made entirely on the part of that quack of a doctor. Allow me to explain-- you were hurt by his betrayal and his plans, as anyone would be. Had I known at the time, I would have loved to have gotten my hands on him and your Killian has endeared himself to me infinitely simply because he did. Now, you reacted, and while it may not have been the best of reactions, it was simply that. You were not his wife, in fact, you were nothing to the man at the time you made the call. The doctor is the one who acted on it and, I might add, without the proper protocols. Not to bring up distasteful memories, but when you yourself were taken for treatment last year, it required quite a bit of due process. Cypress and Jet had to fill out numerous papers, talk to several professionals, provide proof, and your mother and I were even interviewed. This doctor did none of that. In effect, he kidnapped your former fiance' and imprisoned him. That was his choice and his doing, not yours. You couldn't make him do it, could you?”
Eden blinks.
“I-- no I guess not. You're saying Gabriel had no legal means to hold him?”
“Exactly. And while I'm sure this charlatan has covered his steps thoroughly, any lawyer would salivate at getting their hands on him in court. I have a few friends who would definitely enjoy it. Does that help ease your mind any?”
Eden nods slowly.
“It does.”
“Good. Now on to another topic. I try to stay out of your business in regard to the ring, but I've managed to catch snippets of conversation between Cypress and Jet. They're both very concerned. Neither of them doubt your talent, from what I can tell, but it's your actions in regard to your opponent and this upcoming match.”
Eden shrugs.
“I mean, I get it. When I found out Deimos was the one who released my medical records-- Dad I saw red. Like literally. Red. I was so angry. But then I decided to be smarter, to beat Deimos at his own game. No one's ever really done it. So I faked my leaving the company. Everyone had to believe it was true, everyone. And once I ghosted for a while, I tracked Phrixus down and started to follow him. At first I didn't think I could do it, but apparently I'm quite the sneak when I need to be,” she says with a grin, her father shaking his head.
I have achieved so much by doing little more than watching others. You learn more by listening than by talking, more by watching than by running blindly. Yet I cannot shake the feeling that I am being watched myself.
“Yes, I remember your youth. But continue.”
“After several days, I didn't think there was anything to find. The man has to be most boring and weird guy ever. He does a lot of observing. A lot. And he constantly writes in one notebook or the other. Like, he walks down the street and takes notes. 'Cracked pavement on 75th and Elm, potential trip hazard.' 'Leaking pipe behind fire station, in winter may freeze and cause numerous accidents.' His hobby is taking pictures of manhole covers. And Dad-- he fills out the customer satisfaction surveys in restaurants. Who does that?”
“While that's all incredibly interesting, I assume that isn't all you discovered about him.”
Eden shakes her head.
“He finally did something interesting one day. He went somewhere new. It turned out to be a sort of mini library, a sanctuary I guess. And like I said, this guy keeps journals? Dad, the walls were lined with journals dating back years. And video tapes. That first night I stayed for hours just reading journal after journal. He could have caught me at any time, I just didn't care. I took a couple tapes to watch, slept a few hours, then returned. I was more careful that time and made sure of where he was before I went back, but each time I read more and more. It was like being completely in his mind. It's-- insane how his brain works.”
“And these journals-- you took them?”
“Many of them, yes. I couldn't possibly take them all, but I wanted him to know I had been there. I left my mark in every book I left behind. A parting gift.”
“I see. And what did you do with what you took?”
“Phrixus and a man who was helping him attacked Killian a couple of weeks ago. It was revenge for my taking the journals, for Killian taking the title belt from Phrixus, and Killian and the other guy have issues as well. I didn't take it well. I brought a trash can out on stage and burned several journals one by one until Phrixus agreed to a match with me.”
“Dramatic, but effective. You had journals left over after that?”
Eden nods.
“Yeah, I kept what looked like some of the more important ones.”
“As you would,” her father agrees. “So this match, I understand it has something to do with mirrors?”
Eden nods again.
“Yeah umm-- it was an idea of mine. Initially, I wanted to face Phrixus in a Hall of Mirrors match, but he refused, said I wasn't worthy and basically said I bastardized the profession. In the end, I'm glad he did. His match would have done nothing to resolve what we have between us. It's flash without a lot of substance to it, just puzzle solving. Kinda like him. So I bastardized his match like he said I do everything else, as a deliberate slap in his face. It involves mirrors simply because a mirror match is synonymous with him.”
Eden's father muses, obviously impressed.
“I always said you had a cutthroat mind for business. You definitely know how to get under someone's skin, my dear.”
Through it all, she has never proven to have been what her first few months promised she could be. She has a great many concerns. The winning and defending of championships is rarely among them.
Eden gives a small smile.
“He won't admit it, but I've definitely gotten under his. He's lost the past three weeks because of it. He'll spin it some other way, but it's the truth and everyone can see it. I hope it eats him alive,” she finishes bitterly.
“So tell me, having said all that, are you still deliriously happy?”
Eden gives a wan smile.
“That depends on what aspect of my life you're asking me about.”
Her father smiles at her.
“Good answer. Very good answer.”
It was 2 AM and she was still tossing and turning. Eden sighs in frustration and throws the covers back, climbing out of bed and flipping the light switch on. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden bright light intruding into her pupils, but once they do, she sighs and looks around her childhood room. The walls were still painted a lavender color trimmed with a pale pine, the wood carried over into the furniture still within the room. Eden looks around, memories flooding her. An idea occurs to her and she flings open the closet door, crawling inside. A knock at the door makes her poke her head back out.
“Yes?” she calls quietly. “It's open.”
The door opens slowly, Jet poking his head in, taken aback when he finds her on the floor in the closet.
“You okay? I was up and saw your light on.”
“Couldn't sleep,” she says before crawling back into the long closet, Jet frowning and crouching down to peer inside.
“Do I want to know what you're doing?” he asks.
Eden doesn't answer, simply whisper-shouting “Score!” and shoving a large box in his direction.
“Grab that and put it on the bed,” she tells him as she makes her way back out of the closet, Jet hefting the surprisingly heavy box and placing it on her bed.
“Yes ma'am,” he says sarcastically. “Anyone ever tell you you're bossy?”
Eden makes a cutesie face at him.
“Killian seems to enjoy it,” she says sweetly, Jet making a show of trying to stop himself from vomiting. Eden swats him on the shoulder in response before climbing on the bed and pulling the top off the box.
“What's all this?” he asks, sitting on the other side of the box and reaching in to pull something out.
“Scrapbooks and journals and all kinda odds and ends that I kept while I was in high school,” she answers, Jet immediately putting what was in his hands back in the box.
“Nope, save me from the mind of a teenage girl,” he says emphatically, starting to get up when Eden catches his arm.
“Jet, look at this,” she says softly, holding up an open page in a scrapbook. On it there were several pictures, a 16-year-old Eden innocently smiling up at them with an equally young friend of hers, the two of them goofing off in a couple of the pictures, others of them straddling bikes, posing with members of the DMW at the time, and one of Ryan Hanneman with both girls under each arm in a headlock. Jet can't help but grin looking at the array of pages and paraphernalia that follow that one, each with every inch of empty space covered with pictures and scribblings, quotes, and such. He looks up at the heading, written in large, swirling font, Eden's cutesy little heart in evidence.
“December 2007. What exactly was going on here?” he asks, Eden pressing her lips together in laughter.
“I had forgotten about all that. But uh-- I was 16 at the time.. and had just gotten off on holiday from Ashley Hall. My friend, that's her, Tessa,” she points to the other girl in one of the pictures, “was staying with me for a week. And in case you weren't aware, Ashley Hall is a boarding school-- all girls,” she says meaningfully, Jet shaking his head.
“That explains so much,” he rolls his eyes skyward, Eden elbowing him in the ribs.
December 2007
“I'm just sayin' we need to do something or I'm gonna fuckin' scream. I mean I'm repressed over here, Edie, like seriously repressed. Being surrounded by vag for an entire semester is something no teenage girl should ever have to experience,” Tessa gripes, looking down at her chest as she presses her hands flat to the sides of her breasts, pushing them together. “Unless they like that kinda thing. Hey, does it look like my boobs have gotten any bigger?” she asks. Eden pays her no attention as she stares out her window, watching her brother and his friends pack and ready their bikes for their trip. She's jolted out of her viewing when a stuffed animal flies at her head.
“Whaaaat?” she asks spinning around, her dark ponytail slapping her in the face, Tessa indicating her chest.
“This is important. Tits. Bigger. We're not all blessed like you,” she says in agitation, Eden rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, Tess, I can totes tell. They're like gozongas now.”
Tessa scrunches up her face.
“What the fuck is a gozonga? But yeah, it's probably because I jacked some of my mom's cutlets and stuffed. Looks pretty good until the bra moves and then-- illusion gone,” she says dejectedly. Eden glances out the window again, biting her lip as she considers something.
“I've got an idea. Look, quick, grab your overnight bag and pack a couple changes of clothes and some essentials. Hurry up!” Eden urges her friend, throwing her own bag together.
“Okay, okay, what are we doing?” Tessa gripes, moving slowly as she sorts through items. Eden grins mischeviously.
“We're gonna be riding motorcycles,” she says simply, Tessa's entire face lighting up.
“Ooooo with the boys?!” she asks excitedly. “How are we gonna--?”
“Leave that to me,” Eden says with a wink, both girls hurrying to put their bags together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Every year in December, the DMW made a run up to Columbia for their annual Toy Run and other festivities for bikers from all over the east coast. Cypress moves down the line of bikes, a cigar clenched between his teeth, his long hair flying behind him. Beside him walked a man who had been his second in command in every aspect for a long time, and was soon to leave, setting out to start up his own charter of the DMW. The Appalachian Chapter. Chaos' bald pate shines in the sunlight, a length of chain swinging from his belt.
“You all ready, 'Hound? Got everything?” Cypress asks his Sergeant-At-Arms, already knowing the answer. “A-Dogg, you good?” he ask, grinning and shaking his head when he gets an answer in the affirmative. “I fuckin' love it that I can rely on these guys to handle everything.”
“Always good when you don't have to fuckin' babysit the bastards,” Chaos replies, his eyes narrowing as he takes in one of the younger recruits, a Prospect. Before he can say anything, a tall man with lanky blonde hair comes up loudly, hugging Cypress, the two of them clapping each other on the back and then doing the same to Chaos.
“You fuckin' ready for this?!”
“I know you are, asshole. What, a week out, this time?” Cypress asks with a grin, Hanneman shaking his head.
“They couldn't make it stick, bro.”
“Maybe if you keep your ass out of jail long enough you can actually make something of yourself,” Chaos jokes.
“What and find myself neck deep in pussy I can't even touch cause I'm their boss like you? Fuck that,” Ryan moves off toward his own bike, Chaos' attention returning to the Prospect.
“I know you like the kid, Cyp, and I know Ryan's his sponsor, but there's something about him--”
“Give me something better than 'something about him' and we'll go from there. He's a fuck up sometimes, but he's a good kid. I was thinking, he's about to graduate from college--”
“Yeah, that you paid for,” Chaos points out. Cypress shrugs.
“Kid was smart, not his fault his mom made some shit choices and couldn't do for him and his brother like she wanted to. He just needed a hand up,” Cypress says, Chaos shaking his head as he watches the slim dark-haired younger man at the back of the line. His musings are stopped when his long-time friend, Lucky approaches, the three of them moving off to discuss the agenda for the weekend. They're so immersed in their discussion, they don't notice the two young girls slip out of the house and make their way to the back of the long line of bikers.
“Alright, listen, quick run down- we have to stick with the guys at the back, they're called Prospects. Any of the core members will know who I am and this won't work. It may not anyway, but just-- flirt, okay?” Eden whispers furiously, Tessa grinning and licking her lips.
“Flirt. Got it,” shes says, the two of them slowing their swift movement. The shorter of the two guys looks over at Eden, doing a double take, his eyes widening. Eden blushes softly, grinning despite it.
“Hi, umm-- we're going on the run with you guys and we were told to go to the bike and ride with someone. Can I ride with you?” she asks, rocking forward on her tiptoes and cocking her head to the side as she asks her question, the pushing his hair out of his face.
“Fuck yeah you can,” he says enthusiastically. Eden's grin brightens and she extends a hand to him.
“I'm Beth, and do you have an extra helmet?” she asks, spying A-Dogg looking toward the back.
“Hey Beth, I'm Jason, and uhh yeah, one sec,” he turns around then comes back with a black helmet, Eden quickly shoving her hair up under it and pulling it on top of her head, sliding sunglasses over her eyes. As the others starts to climb on their bikes, Jason climbs on his, holding a hand out to help Eden move in behind him.
“Hold on tight,” he instructs, placing one hand over hers clasped around him. “First time on a bike?” he asks, Eden shaking her head against his shoulder.
“Not at all,” she says, already feeling the thrill rushing through her. She turns to look back, finding Tessa seated with the Prospect behind her, sunglasses covering her face as well. The air is suddenly filled with revving engines, and then the line starts to move. Jason hangs back just enough to give his bike a leap, forcing her in closer against him. Eden giggles, knowing full well it was a sneaky trick meant to feel a woman even more fully against them.
Soon they were flying down the road, Eden having to fight not to completely let go and hold her arms out on either side, turn her face up to the sky. Talk about a dead giveaway. The core group all knew she enjoyed a bike ride almost as much as they did. With that wind whipping around them and moving that fast through the open world, it felt free.
Eden quickly focuses, noticing Bloodhound falling back little by little, checking the progression from back to front. When he gets close, she quickly turns her face to to look off the opposite way, hoping Tessa was smart enough to do the same. When he doesn't falter and moves back up, she grins breathing a sigh of relief. The trip would take a little over two hours, so there shouldn't be any danger of stopping, and they were already well over an hour in. Eden suddenly frowns.
“Why are we slowing down?” she shouts the question in Jason's ear, Jase turning a little.
“I don't know, it's coming from the front, something may have happened to one of the bikes.”
A feeling of dread creeps along her spine as the line of bikes move to a stop.
“Just keep your seat, probably won't take long and we'll be on our way again,” Jason says, resting a hand on her thigh easily. Eden peeks around his shoulder to see her brother, Chaos, Bloodhound, and Ryan making their way down the line.
“Fudgesicles,” she mutters emphatically, hiding her face in Jason's back, causing him to laugh.
“Fudgesicles? You know, you're cute as fuck,” Jason says, giving her thigh a squeeze.
“Ingalls!”
Eden's heart drops into her stomach when she feels Jason tense, knowing clearly who Cypress had been yelling at.
“Yeah, boss?” Jason calls out.
“Get your fucking hand off my sister,” Cypress growls at him, Jason laughing.
“What, this isn't your sister, your sister's like what, a kid, and I'm telling you, this chick, no kid,” he says with a knowing grin, Ryan moving faster ahead of the others.
“Shut the fuck up while you're ahead, Ingalls. I swear to fucking christ, you're gonna be the death of me, kid,” Jason's sponsor says with a shake of his head. When he's sure Jason is going to remain quiet, Ryan turns clear blue eyes on Eden. “Come on, brat, game's up. You and your little friend.”
Eden pulls the shades off her eyes and glares at Ryan before slipping off the back of the bike, whispering “Sorry” in Jason's ear, noticing Tessa doing the same. She stands just behind Eden as Eden moves around Ryan and stands in front of her brother and the other two.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Cypress asks, Eden shrugging.
“We wanted to go, what's the big deal--”
“The big deal-- is you two are 16! You can't go on a road trip with a bunch of bikers!” he roars, cars blowing past them on the road. “Did they fucking know? Were they in on it?” he asks, looking to the two Prospects. Eden and Tessa both shake their heads.
“No, I swear they didn't know. We tricked them, said we were sent to the back to ride with the Prospects. I figured they were the only ones who wouldn't know me,” Eden grumbles, Bloodhound chuckling.
“Probably would have worked, girlie, except women don't ever ride with the Prospects. That and I've known you since you were about this high,” he says, holding a hand out to his side. Eden glares at him, Bloodhound laughing and shaking his head. “Don't blame me, you're the one that got busted.”
Eden rolls her shoulders and moves up closer to her brother, looking up at him.
“Well I guess you have two choices, Cypress. You can either take us with you or you can have two of your guys turn around and take us home, then have to come all the way back again.”
Cypress leans forward, obviously annoyed.
“Or I could just leave you two the fuck here.”
Eden appears affronted for a second and then shrugs.
“I guess you might, but Chaos wouldn't leave me. I'm like his little sister,” Eden smiles winningly at Chaos, his eyes on the Prospect behind her.
“Oh, I don't know, I might this time, Edie-girl.”
Eden rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, pouting.
“Oh come on, you guys, it's not that bad--”
“Fine!” Cypress shouts, pointing at Eden. “You're riding with Chaos. You--” he points at Tessa “-- you're riding with Hanneman. And if either of you two cause me any more trouble at any point this weekend, I'll personally take a belt to your asses. Got it?”
Eden grumbles an affirmative, Chaos slinging a protective arm across her shoulders while Tessa looks Ryan up and down, nodding her head in appreciation.
“Yeah, okay, I'm good with this change,” she says, Ryan raising an eyebrow at her. She giggles, everyone moving off to their respective bikes, the line taking off again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“This is bullshit,” Tessa complains, flopping on her belly on the hotel room bed.
“Yeah, fuckin' tell me about it,” Hanneman gripes as he stuffs a piece of pizza in his mouth, talking around it. “I should be out partyin' it up with the guys, instead I'm stuck on babysitter duty with you two brats.”
Eden huffs warningly at both of them.
“Could you both please, with the language?!”
Hanneman grins.
“Right on it, Princess.”
Eden rolls her eyes, Tessa turning over to look at Ryan.
“I know how we could make things more interesting,” she says suggestively, winking at him. Ryan snort-laughs, almost choking on his pizza.
“Get the fuck outta here with that shit. I catch enough charges on my own without your underage ass to help me.”
Tessa frowns at him. Eden pauses in her flipping through TV channels to look at her.
“You wouldn't want that anyway, Tess. Ryan has a problem with going in and out of jail, mostly in though. Pretty sure his STD's have STD's,” she says snarkily, Ryan narrowing his eyes at her and snatching the remote out of her hand. “Hey! Jerk,” Eden glares at him, Ryan shaking his finger.
“That rude shit right there, you need your ass beat, Princess.”
“Like I heard they beat yours in jail?” Eden asks brightly, Ryan scowling at her.
“You're killin' me, Edie, you really are.”
“If only,” she says mockingly, turning her attention back to the TV, Ryan flipping through until he comes to a channel with wrestling on it. Eden drops her hand into her lap, looking over at Ryan.
“Really? You know I'm not supposed to watch Cyp's matches, he doesn't want me seeing how bad it apparently gets sometimes.”
Ryan speaks around a mouthful of food.
“This ain't Cyp's company, he's in PPW with that prissy fucker Wallace and Klaus and that weird bastard, Dragon. This is LWF. So nyeh,” he says, sticking out a tongue coated in thoroughly masticated food. Eden makes a face, Tessa suddenly interested.
“Is it true your brother wears a mask out to the ring? Like a scary one?”
“Yeah. In the ring, he's Salem. Used to be called Boogeyman,” Eden waggles her fingers at her friend spookily, Tessa giving a terrified little shriek.
“FUCK!” Hanneman shouts, looking down at his phone. He throws it across the room, expression sour.
“What now?” Eden asks.
“Anything you need me to kiss and make better?” Tessa asks, Eden giving her a tired look.
“Really, Tess--”
“Just lost a shit ton of money because of some upstart in London,” Hanneman complains.
“How exactly?”
“Bare knuckle boxing. Placed a bet on a guy who hasn't lost a fight in months. Some fucking youngster comes in and wipes the floor with him. Weird goddamn name, King or some shit. Who the hell saw that coming?!” Ryan exhales slowly. “Hey, one of y'all get my phone for me.”
“When you ask so nicely? No,” Eden says coldly.
“You know, you catch more flies with honey, Princess. You don't sweeten up some, you'll never find a man to put up with you.”
Eden mocks his words, mimicking them in a higher pitch, Ryan glaring at her while Tessa scoots off the bed, sauntering across the floor with a sway of hips. She bends at the waist, slowly to pick up the phone, turning around to grin at Ryan. He rolls his eyes. She pops back up and grins seductively as she makes her way back over to him, holding the phone out. When he reaches to take it, she yanks it back, holds it out, then yanks it back, Eden finally having enough and snatching it away from her to throw it at Ryan.
“There!” she yells at him then looks to her friend. “Seriously, Tessa?!”
“What, he's hot,” Tessa says with a giggle. Ryan shakes his head and then peruses the phone, sliding it out to get to the keyboard. A few minutes later---
“FUCK!!!”
He throws the phone against the wall once more.
“There's an MMA fighter from here over in Thailand, Jet Somers. His sister's in that company your brother's in. Big-eared bastard beat my guy over there. Fucker. I'd love to punch him right in the fucking mouth,” Ryan fumes, Eden raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe you shouldn't gamble, cause you kinda suck at it.”
Before Ryan can say anything, Eden turns her attention back to the TV, frowning and scooting forward to watch the scene play out. A man stands in the middle of the ring with a huge mallet over his shoulder, appearing to be waiting for something or someone.
“Who is he?” Eden asks.
“That's uh... 'The Talk of the Town' Alan Fernandez. He's got a qualifying match, but it's been kept quiet who he's facing-- why the fuck are you so interested?”
“Maybe I wanna do what Cypress does, what Chaos and 'Hound used to do,” Eden replies noncommittally. Ryan bursts into a round of obnoxious, raucous laughter, clutching his sides.
“You want-- to wrestle-- that's fucking-- golden-- wait'll I tell-- Cyp-- and C--- bwahahahahahah!!” his laughter continues on, Eden doing her best to ignore him as another man emerges from the back, the announcers shouting his name.
Fear.
It was apparent that the two men in the ring knew each other well, and were likely even friends. Then, the one called Fear did something odd. He seemed to ask for a moment of patience and then hopped out of the ring, digging underneath it. When he returned to the ring, it was with a--- herring? Eden frowns in confusion. The odd man and Fernandez tossed the fish back and forth for a moment before Fernandez tossed it out of the ring, hugging the man before him. The crowd cheered around them, dread building in Eden's gut. Something wasn't right---
And then it happened. Fear snatched the mallet from his friend and drove it into his face, sending a frenzy through the crowd and the announcers. Eden gasps, covering her mouth with a hand while Ryan continues to laugh uproariously at her previous statement. She watches as Fear tells the referee to ring the bell, staring with rapt fascination while he waits for Fernandez to rise, the hammer still in his hands, using it once more on him. The second blow was equally as brutal as the first, but it seemed to satisfy Fear who ordered the referee to ring the bell once more. Eden watches almost in a trance as he lays the mallet across the neck of the busted open and bleeding Fernandez before exiting the ring, giving him the victory by disqualification. Before she can see more, the channel changes, Ryan finally catching his breath. Eden turns back to him angrily.
“What the-- I was watching that!”
“Yeah you were, a little too intently. Whoooo. I almost died from laughing. You in a ring, Edie, that's a pretty fuckin' good one--” he trails off, changing the channels every few seconds, Eden lost in her own thoughts about what she had just seen.
“So you saw a Fear match when you were 16?” Jet asks incredulously, Eden nodding.
“Yeah. I guess I'd forgotten until I saw this. It all came flooding back,” she says almost sadly, running a hand over the pictures on the page.
“Funny that the first match you saw with him, he was betraying his best friend,” Jet muses, Eden nodding again. Sensing her mood, he clears his throat. “So what happened the rest of the time there?”
“We were allowed to go to some of the charity runs and stuff, had to always be escorted by one of the core members, and at night one of the core members was our babysitter.”
Jet breaks off into a round of laughter, Eden shaking her head.
“Hey, I know you've got something planned for your match with Fear, but hear me out. This guy's been doing this for a long damn time. And he's got tricks up his sleeve, a master of mindgames, you saw how he was almost ten years ago. All I'm saying is think about it before you do it, whatever it is. You might find you don't have to go that extra mile, you've done enough. There's a point where it's no longer getting under their skin, it's making an enemy for life. You don't want that with Fear. Just-- think about it,” Jet finishes, patting Eden on the knee before leaving the room quietly. Eden sits in silence for a time, considering the events of the past weeks and Fear's history.
“Oh I'll think about it, but it seems a shame to waste such fine writing,” Eden says to herself with a grin of anticipation. She closes the scrapbook.
The witch thinks she has won something.