Post by Alanah O'Connell on Jul 23, 2020 0:33:41 GMT -5
July 3rd
Las Vegas, Nevada
It was a few days after Destiny, and the war was finally over. Mattie had been rescued by not only her beloved Mack, but by a whole contingent of the PWS roster. Aside from some cuts, scrapes and bruises, as well as a case of dehydration, she was in fairly good health physically. Mentally...well, that was another story.
Still, she was happy to be home (despite it being a temporary accommodation in a Las Vegas hotel room), curled up with Mack in the large bed watching TV. A knock on the door, however, immediately put Mack into defensive mode as his hand shot to the pocket of his pants as he slowly crept to the door. A quick glance out the peephole made him relax, and he unbolted the chain latch and opened the door to Jack and Alanah standing on the other side.
“Hope we’re not disturbing you,” Alanah said, giving Mack a quick hug.
“Nah, not at all. Mattie’ll be thrilled you stopped by.”
Alanah then made her way to the bedroom, racing over and throwing herself onto the bed next to Mattie, as they wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hug. The two men followed after them, with Mack immediately moving to Mattie’s side and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.
Jack noticed this, and gave his friend a nod while he put his hands in his pockets. “Hey, maybe we should give the girls a few moments.”
Judging from the glare that he leveled towards Jack, Mack looked like that was the absolute last thing he wanted to do, as he subtly tightened his hold on Mattie. But she looked up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him a small nod and a soft smile. He still didn’t look entirely pleased about it, but bent down to kiss her forehead as he and Jack left the room, closing the door quietly behind them. When the girls were alone, Mattie immediately fixed Alanah with a knowing look. “Alright, spill. Something’s up with you.”
Alanah blinked her big brown eyes in confusion. “What are you talking about? We just rescued you from a couple of deranged psychopaths. I’m worried about you.”
Mattie waved a dismissive hand through the air. “I’m a tough girl, I’ll bounce back. But I watched the rest of Destiny last night. I saw the match. I know you’re not OK.”
Alanah was about to protest, but a pointed look from Mattie had her sighing in defeat. “Yeah, you’re right. I feel so torn about the whole thing,” she said, her face falling into a look of despair. “I promised that this wouldn’t come between us no matter what, but ever since Destiny…” She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “I want to be happy for her. I mean, I am happy for her. But it still hurts.”
“Of course it does. Anyone who tells you it shouldn’t is a damn liar. You held that belt for months. You were looked on as one of the greatest champions in the whole damn company. And no one can take that legacy away from you.”
A few tears spilled over from Alanah’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks. “I just feel like I’m being a horrible friend. I put on that smile at the end of the match, and we did our thing at the war, but once we had time to settle down, it just hit me. Felt like a punch right to the stomach. She’s been calling and texting me, and I just...I can’t.”
Mattie grasped Alanah’s hands tightly. “Listen to me, Alanah. You are not a horrible friend. You’re a human being with real, valid emotions. Of course it hurts, and that’s perfectly fine. Do not let anyone tell you that you’re not allowed to feel upset. If they do, you feel free to punch them straight in the nose.”
Alanah giggled a bit through her sniffles. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“Good point. They won’t say shit to your face because you’re the greatest champion in PWS history.”
“Well, I don’t know about -”
Mattie put a hand over Alanah’s mouth. “Nuh-uh. Not hearing it. Just nod.”
Alanah rolled her eyes a bit, but nodded her head. Mattie smiled as she removed her hand. “Good! Now, you and Bells just need to sit and have a good heart-to-heart, preferably over a bottle of good wine, and everything will be peachy keen once again!”
Alanah smiled as she reached over to hug Mattie again. “Thank you.”
Mattie hugged her back, returning the smile. “Hey, what are best friends for?”
“Oh, speaking of best friends….I think Mack wants to introduce you to someone…” Alanah jumped up from the bed and pulled Mattie to her feet as they walked out into the living room area just as the two boys walked in, Mack holding the end of a leash. Mattie’s eyebrow shot up in a look of confusion as she followed the leash down, until she saw Dodger come waddling into the room, tongue lolling out of his mouth and a smile across his wrinkled face. He spotted Mattie and immediately ran up to her, his back end wiggling in excitement as he jumped to his hind legs and planted his front paws on Mattie’s thighs.
“Love, this is Dodger,” Mack said. “Found the little guy while I was out looking for you.”
Mattie just stared down at him, her face unreadable for a few moments. The other three were starting to get a bit worried, and Mack even tried to tug on Dodger’s leash to get him to move away, but then Mattie crouched down and started scratching the dog behind his ears, smiling at him.
“Ooooooooh, look at the handsome man!” she cooed, as Dodger’s face relaxed into a look of pure bliss.
Mack let out a sigh of relief, and Jack clapped a hand to his shoulder. “See, what did we tell ya? No way she was gonna resist that handsome devil!”
Everyone let out a laugh as they moved to the couch to hang out for the rest of the night.
Las Vegas, Nevada
It was a few days after Destiny, and the war was finally over. Mattie had been rescued by not only her beloved Mack, but by a whole contingent of the PWS roster. Aside from some cuts, scrapes and bruises, as well as a case of dehydration, she was in fairly good health physically. Mentally...well, that was another story.
Still, she was happy to be home (despite it being a temporary accommodation in a Las Vegas hotel room), curled up with Mack in the large bed watching TV. A knock on the door, however, immediately put Mack into defensive mode as his hand shot to the pocket of his pants as he slowly crept to the door. A quick glance out the peephole made him relax, and he unbolted the chain latch and opened the door to Jack and Alanah standing on the other side.
“Hope we’re not disturbing you,” Alanah said, giving Mack a quick hug.
“Nah, not at all. Mattie’ll be thrilled you stopped by.”
Alanah then made her way to the bedroom, racing over and throwing herself onto the bed next to Mattie, as they wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hug. The two men followed after them, with Mack immediately moving to Mattie’s side and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.
Jack noticed this, and gave his friend a nod while he put his hands in his pockets. “Hey, maybe we should give the girls a few moments.”
Judging from the glare that he leveled towards Jack, Mack looked like that was the absolute last thing he wanted to do, as he subtly tightened his hold on Mattie. But she looked up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him a small nod and a soft smile. He still didn’t look entirely pleased about it, but bent down to kiss her forehead as he and Jack left the room, closing the door quietly behind them. When the girls were alone, Mattie immediately fixed Alanah with a knowing look. “Alright, spill. Something’s up with you.”
Alanah blinked her big brown eyes in confusion. “What are you talking about? We just rescued you from a couple of deranged psychopaths. I’m worried about you.”
Mattie waved a dismissive hand through the air. “I’m a tough girl, I’ll bounce back. But I watched the rest of Destiny last night. I saw the match. I know you’re not OK.”
Alanah was about to protest, but a pointed look from Mattie had her sighing in defeat. “Yeah, you’re right. I feel so torn about the whole thing,” she said, her face falling into a look of despair. “I promised that this wouldn’t come between us no matter what, but ever since Destiny…” She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “I want to be happy for her. I mean, I am happy for her. But it still hurts.”
“Of course it does. Anyone who tells you it shouldn’t is a damn liar. You held that belt for months. You were looked on as one of the greatest champions in the whole damn company. And no one can take that legacy away from you.”
A few tears spilled over from Alanah’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks. “I just feel like I’m being a horrible friend. I put on that smile at the end of the match, and we did our thing at the war, but once we had time to settle down, it just hit me. Felt like a punch right to the stomach. She’s been calling and texting me, and I just...I can’t.”
Mattie grasped Alanah’s hands tightly. “Listen to me, Alanah. You are not a horrible friend. You’re a human being with real, valid emotions. Of course it hurts, and that’s perfectly fine. Do not let anyone tell you that you’re not allowed to feel upset. If they do, you feel free to punch them straight in the nose.”
Alanah giggled a bit through her sniffles. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“Good point. They won’t say shit to your face because you’re the greatest champion in PWS history.”
“Well, I don’t know about -”
Mattie put a hand over Alanah’s mouth. “Nuh-uh. Not hearing it. Just nod.”
Alanah rolled her eyes a bit, but nodded her head. Mattie smiled as she removed her hand. “Good! Now, you and Bells just need to sit and have a good heart-to-heart, preferably over a bottle of good wine, and everything will be peachy keen once again!”
Alanah smiled as she reached over to hug Mattie again. “Thank you.”
Mattie hugged her back, returning the smile. “Hey, what are best friends for?”
“Oh, speaking of best friends….I think Mack wants to introduce you to someone…” Alanah jumped up from the bed and pulled Mattie to her feet as they walked out into the living room area just as the two boys walked in, Mack holding the end of a leash. Mattie’s eyebrow shot up in a look of confusion as she followed the leash down, until she saw Dodger come waddling into the room, tongue lolling out of his mouth and a smile across his wrinkled face. He spotted Mattie and immediately ran up to her, his back end wiggling in excitement as he jumped to his hind legs and planted his front paws on Mattie’s thighs.
“Love, this is Dodger,” Mack said. “Found the little guy while I was out looking for you.”
Mattie just stared down at him, her face unreadable for a few moments. The other three were starting to get a bit worried, and Mack even tried to tug on Dodger’s leash to get him to move away, but then Mattie crouched down and started scratching the dog behind his ears, smiling at him.
“Ooooooooh, look at the handsome man!” she cooed, as Dodger’s face relaxed into a look of pure bliss.
Mack let out a sigh of relief, and Jack clapped a hand to his shoulder. “See, what did we tell ya? No way she was gonna resist that handsome devil!”
Everyone let out a laugh as they moved to the couch to hang out for the rest of the night.