Producer: "Are we ready to air?"
Film Editor: "As ready as we'll ever be, sir."
Producer: "Good work, Whitlock. We've got to deliver on this; it's too hot of a story to keep to ourselves and you know it better than I do."
Film Editor: "At least we found out from someone close to the source. It sure made our work a heck of a lot easier."
Producer: "Don't I know it. Let's get this footage rolling and I'll treat you and the crew to drinks after the show. What do you say to that?"
Film Editor: "You've got a deal, Tomkin."
Producer: "Returning from break in 3...2...1...roll footage!"
The camera feed died out to the footage that had just been ordered to roll by the WWFG producer. Only three souls in the entire arena knew what those files contained but the information would not be so confidential for much longer. The WWFG fan base was fixing to have what had floated among its hallways in hushed whispers confirmed.
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Phoenixfire pulled her four-door sedan to a sudden stop in front of the address she’d scrawled on a piece of paper that was stained by coffee that had dripped out of the mug in her still trembling hands that morning. She let the car idle for a moment while she glanced from the paper through her window to the dwelling before her, checking for some sign of life within the home. Phoenix slowly released a sigh of relief upon watching a light flicker on in an upstairs room before she killed the motor and retrieved her keys. Her next steps were out of the car and to the trunk where she retrieved a couple sets of luggage, slinging the strap of a bag over her arm before retracing her path to the rear door on the driver’s side without bringing her suitcase. Phoenix allowed her movements to slow as she opened the door to allow her access to the infant slumbering under the layers of a fleece blanket in his car seat, blissfully unaware what went on in the world around him. She was relieved that Matthias had drifted off during the latter part of a long drive because this had allowed her to focus her attention on escaping into the night with nary a chance of being discovered. Phoenix tucked the spare edges of the blanket around her son before unhooking the restraints that held his seat in place and removing it from the car, gently closing the door behind her. She retrieved the suitcase from the rear corner of the car before readjusting the handle of her son’s car set and making her way up a paved path, only coming to rest once she ascended the steps of the home. Phoenix gently set her son’s car seat out of the path of the door, leaving her luggage by his side before approaching the door. She hesitated as the skin of her fingertips brushed the plastic doorbell, questioning the efforts she’d taken to seek out this home. With the course of events that had brought her to this doorstep, was not a better choice? No, she thought to herself as she paused to readjust her jacket and pressed the doorbell, allowing it to ring and retreating a step with the hopes that those inside would grant her shelter.
Mike had arrived at his home in Colorado after delivering the promo at the WWF event. He wasn't scheduled for a match, so he decided to isolate himself before his temper got the better of him. He was lucky the show was so close to one of his homes, he didn't feel like going all around an unfamilier town that night looking for a hotel. He was too emotional, too stressed, and all of his tools he used to relax and get away from the world were right there in the foothills to the Rockey Mountains. It was where he went to retreat from the world and recover from his injuries sustained by Jed after the Ironman Steel Cage match two years ago, and now it was to be his haven in this crucial time in his life. Or so he thought...
He heard his doorbell ring and his first thought was to ignore it. Who could it have been at this hour? Some college student who wants him to pay his way through school buy buying subscriptions? He wasn't interested. Then he looked at the time, and it was close to midnight. No one would be out that late at his door without a reason, and so reluctantly he threw on a robe and pajama pants and stepped downstairs to answer the door. He braced himself for the worst case scenario, some poor schmuck who got his car busted, and opened the door. Mike turned pale as a ghost and backed away, holding his chest as his heart began to beat like a jackhammer. He couldn't beleive she of all people was there, with his son, and no Chrono. Something had to be up. Something was wrong...but he had wanted nothing but to see his son for months, and so he let his guard down just a little in order to get to the bottom of things.
"W~w~what are you doing here? How did you know where I live? Where is Chrono?"
"What? Not even a hello?"
Phoenix let a nervous chuckle slip from her lips as she looked Landry in the eyes before quickly looking to porch beneath her feet. From that one stolen glance, she'd gathered enough information to know that her presence had come as a shock but he was struggling with how to respond. Phoenix combed a strand of her red hair back as she fought to get the words from her mind to her mouth. She let out a ragged sigh as she looked at her son as he squirmed beneath his blanket before she forced herself to face the father of her son. Here she was prepared to ask for help from the man who had caused her so much pain and heartache. The thought was stunning but she knew she'd have to speak sooner or later and answer his question before he could possibly allow her inside. Phoenix could feel herself begin to struggle with the emotion that came with the words that she'd prepared to speak, hating herself for allowing what had drove her here even an ounce of power over her.
"He's not here and he didn't get the information; I did. I got the information out of someone who works backstage. You could be gracious and let me bring your son inside where it's warm. What would you say to that?"
Mike didn't trust Athena, not after everything she's done. Not after everything she's ALLOWED to happen. However...he had been fighting for all these months to get Athena to trust HIM, and so maybe he didn't have as much room to talk. He looked upon his son for a good long while. He had never been this close to him, and he didn't believe Chrono had ever been so far away. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of his young son's face, and his walls broke down just like that. Landry stepped aside.
"Come in; we need to talk."
"Indeed we do."
Phoenix nodded at Landry's request to come inside so the two could talk, knowing that they had much to cover in regard to what had brought her to his doorstep. She wasted no time in retrieving her son and their luggage before crossing the threshold, gladly leaving the crisp weather behind her as she followed Landry into his home. Phoenix was weary from the length of the drive into Colorado from her home with Chrono and the haste in which she had made the journey, which made her more than glad walk into Landry's living room where she could sit and relax if only for a little while before they begun their conversation. Phoenix walked the length of living room to a couch that was stationed against the far wall, gently sitting her son's car seat on the floor before allowing her luggage to slide off of her arm only a hair's breadth away. She wasted no time in seating herself upon the couch and retrieved her son, wrapping him in his blanket and cradling him in her arms so he could continue his slumber somewhere more comfortable than his car seat. Phoenix lifted her gaze to meet Landry's as he approached where she sat, knowing that the conversation she dreaded would have to begin at that moment.
"I know there's much that you want to know so maybe it's best that you ask the questions and I answer."
Landry let her inside but didn't lead her anywhere. He followed her wherever she went, playing along for now. He intended to do so, however he couldn't take his eyes off of his baby boy. He was getting bigger, he could tell, and it broke his heart that he had missed so very much of his son's development because of this stupid situation he was placed in. It was his son, it was his right, but still he had been denied access...until now. He turned and looked sternly at Athena, though he couldnt' be too mad. Underneath Athena's strong demeanor, he could see she was rattled.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here because I'm scared. For Matthias and for myself. I can't quite put my finger on it but something about Chrono has changed. There's a rage inside him that nothing can quite quell and he's moved to a place where he's well beyond my reach with no chance of coming back. He's shut me out and I don't know why."
Phoenix began to bite her lip as she felt tears began to accumulate at the corners of her eyes and heat rise to her cheeks. She didn't want to admit defeat, not in the face of a man who had once been her enemy. Phoenixfire traced the tips of her fingers under an edge of her son's fleece blanket that hung loose from how she cradled Matthias in her arm and used it to dab at the edges of her eyes before she quickly returned her arm to where it had been before. She knew she'd have to continue with her story, however unpleasant the memories felt to her.
"As I've said, I'd been noticing the gradual shifts in his personality. We were getting along just fine until shortly before the last time he did a promo. There's something he's been brooding over and I knew it so I asked. I just wanted to talk but he brusquely brushed me aside. He just didn't want to talk about it and I let him go but it didn't stop the worry. I began to fear him once I saw how he handled that child at ringside. I saw how he pulled that Kid Omega mask off of that child and I decided to confront him because if he could treat a child he didn't know like that, it was only a matter of time before he did the same to Matthias. I waited until we had gotten home and tried to coax him into a better mood instead of confronting him but he didn't want that. We began to argue as we went from room to room in our house and in the heat of it all, he hit me, Mike. In front of my son."
Phoenix took a deep breath after she finished her sentence, feeling great discomfort at remembering all that had gone on in her quarrel. She tried to force her face to straighten but the emotions showed all too clearly on her face. Phoenix could feel Matthias stir in her arms and she didn't want him to see her upset so she tried to lower her voice as she continued.
"We went to bed later that night but I couldn't sleep. I waited until the wee hours of the morning before crawling out of bed and throwing some things together, mostly for Matthias than myself. I got Matthias and our stuff out to the car and we left. I called one of the men I know that works backstage from a payphone at a rest stop so I could get your address...and I guess that puts us here."
Mike was having a tough time believing the story. It seemed unlikely as Chrono, to him, had always behaved that way. It didn't seem to be inconsistant, and so he was trying to take everything she said with a grain of salt. That was, of course, until she told him his struck her. Landry's eyes were replaced of their skepticism and in its place, rage took hold. Athena hadn't exactly been on the side of angels as of late, but NO ONE...NO ONE hit the mother of his child, especially infront of his son. He had to turn away to try and calm himself, slamming his fist like a hammer against his wall, denting it noticably. He already loathed Chrono, but this was the straw that broke the camel's back. He was going to have a very severe struggle NOT murdering Chrono in cold blood during their match at the Royal Rumble, or sooner if he found the opportunity.
"..."
He tried to speak, but he was still too upset. There were so many things going through his mind, he didn't know where to begind.
"You can stay here...but I have rules. One: You don't make a phone call I don't know about. Not a single one. Chrono doesn't know where I live and for the sake of that boy right there i'd like to keep it that way. Two: You don't leave here until this business with Chrono is sorted out. I'm not trying to keep you prisonor, I just want to keep you and Matthias safe. Understand?"
"Yes, sir. I understand."
Phoenixfire kept her words brief after Landry gave her permission to stay and delivered his rules for what wasn't permitted while living under his roof. The two simple edicts seemed quite reasonable and easy to conduct her life by while she hid from her husband in Landry's abode. Phoenix was exhausted but to have received shelter from the father of her son gave her permission to relax, if only for the moment. She shifted Matthias to where he could rest his head on her shoulder before she faced Landry again and did her best to let a thin smile work its way across her face.
"Thank you, Landry. You don't know how much this means to me."
Landry smiled as well, weakly at best. He was once again seeing what it was about Athena that drove him so madly in love with her once before. He reached up and gently brushed some hair from her face, petting her cheek gently before pulling away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
"Yeah...yeah I do..." He said as he glanced at his sleeping son.
"And don't call me sir, please. I know you can't be comfortable around me still, but i'm his father. Our past doesn't have to define our future."
It was late, and she was clearly exhausted. He backed away and grabbed hold of her luggage, stepping up his stairs to put them in the guest bedroom.
"Your room is up here on the right. It's mostly a nursery, but it's got a futon mattress in there too."
He explained, revealing his confidence on the matter of getting his son back, but not Athena. He full expected he'd be on the futon in the wee hours of the morning when his son was crying and needed food. Crying. He'd finally be able to hear Matthias cry. And laugh. And play. And eat. And everything else he'd missed out on.
Phoenix had bristled at first when Landry combed a portion of her hair back so he could pet her cheek. She knew he meant well but trust was not something that came easy with anyone at the moment, especially with the father of her child. Phoenixfire had waited until he pulled away to glance his way again and it was in those seconds that he looked at Matthias that she could see in his eyes a glint of compassion. It was if she could see his heart melt away with love for the son that she'd kept from him for thus long. Phoenix was grateful she'd found her way to Landry's doorstep in her hour of need. She slowly arose from the couch after Landry gathered her luggage and dismissed himself to find the guest bedroom at the top of the staircase. Phoenix followed slowly to avoid waking her son but upon entering the room he'd offered, she began to feel a twinge of regret for such behavior that shut Landry out of those little moments in her son's life that meant the world to a parent. She could see the things he'd prepared in anticipation of gaining custody over Matthias and while she was happy that these things were here for her, she felt shame for allowing their situation to grow so hostile. Phoenix crossed the nursery to the crib and slowly lowered her son onto the bedding, ensuring her son could sleep safely before turning away to his father. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye but the struggle to get these words out of her mouth was quickly won.
"Again, thank you for everything. I'm so sorry I let things get this far. I really didn't know what I was doing...will you please forgive me?"
Landry walked to the doorway, almost escaping the room without feeling the need to answer the question. Something stopped him cold in his tracks. It was like hitting a brick wall, and he knew he wasn't allowed to leave that room without answering.
"Forgive you? Athena...I did things to you that should firmly plant me in the deepest, darkest, fiery pit of hell for a few eternities. But i'm not dead, so God decided to bless you with the most beautiful baby boy i've ever seen in my life, and I was forbidden to touch him, my only son..."
Landry, still back turned to Athena, whiped a tear from his eye.
"I didn't even know I could HAVE a child...Athena i'm doing all of this because it's the only thing I can think of to live for anymore. My son, that boy right there, is the only thing that matters to me, because if I can save him from Chrono and his perversions, if I can raise him up and make him a half-decent human being, someone who grows up away from this business and makes something for himself...then maybe...just maybe...I just might be able to die happy. I'm not doing this because I think I deserve to have that kid, because I don't. I'm doing this because I believe i'm the best damn shot he's got."
Landry paused for a moment, turning for the first time to face her, gently holding the place over his heart where Athena branded him with his own mark all those months ago.
"Forgive you? I don't blame you. I never did. Not once."
Landry spoke solomnly and turned the corner to go back to his room.
Phoenix stood speechless as she watched Landry walk away. She knew he firmly believed every word he said and the way his voice trembled when he spoke only confirmed it. Phoenix slowly walked her way to the door of the guest bedroom to watch unseen as Landry's door began to close on its hinges. She was prepared to turn in for the night but there was something else on her mind that she knew would refuse to let her rest until it was out in the open.
"Mike...wait. I need to tell you something."
Phoenix could feel her heart catch in her throat as she kept her eye trained on the door to Landry's bedroom and stepped into the hallway. Fear returned in spades as she prepared to reveal something she'd kept from his attention until this moment. Phoenix looked back to the crib where her son slept until she redirected her gaze to the floor.
"Mike...Chrono doesn't know but you should. I'm pregnant."
Landry stood in the doorway, unmoving, still as a statue. It was like he was a computer, and he was taking the time to process the new information before doing anything about it. In the end...he didn't do anything. He merely nodded and stepped through the door, shutting it normally, as if nothing had happened. He was already a boiling pot of emotions, he didn't need anything more to set him over the edge. Instead, he just stepped into bed, trying to sleep, though he knew it to be futile.
Phoenix waited long enough to give Landry the chance for the information to sink in before she dared look him in the eye, feeling as if her stomach was doing somersaults from how anxious this revelation made her. She watched as he simply nodded as if he was unaffected by what she'd just said, which left her relieved that she'd still be able to stay with her son despite her statement. To think that he would do otherwise made her nauseous. Phoenix waited until he was within his room before returning to her son in his crib as he drifted into a deeper sleep, remaining blissfully unaware of what occurred in the world around him. She almost wished she'd kept the information to herself but knew that it was best to say something now than to suffer later if he found out through a way other than her own confession. Phoenix let out a ragged sigh as she lay eyes on her son and kissed the tips of her fingers before gently stroking his strawberry blonde curls. Phoenix remained only a moment longer until she admitted the need for sleep to put her nerves at ease and made her way to the futon mattress, easing herself under the covers even if the fear of tomorrow threatened to keep her awake.
---End Footage---
