"Come on Kahlan...I know you have more than that...."

Bliss looked up, angry brown eyes clashing with the Hazel ones she'd grown to hate more than life itself. Not because she'd broken up with her brother and married that douche bag Ryan but because she'd been relentless. She hadn't been easy on her at all, ever. it made her kind of respect Lexi, but on the other hand, it made her want to beat the piss out of her even that much more.

"I've given you everything Electra." she huffed out before pushing a brunette strand out of her face. She still continued to dye her hair brown, much to the chagrin of her family who preferred her natural dirty blonde locks.

"I don't think so. I know you can do so much more. I know you can be ruthless. Don't you remember what I did, what I've done. I'm trying to make you into someone like that."

"I am ruthless..." she protested. Instead of coming after Lexi, dressed in bright pink spandex shorts and a white sports bra who was crouched on the other side of Thomas Fischer's wrestling training ring, she turned and slid out. She picked up a water bottle and a towel.

Lexi shook her head but with a smile she followed Bliss out, grabbing her own towel.

"You did good today." she replied. Bliss grunted at her and it only made Lexi laugh. Bliss could only think about how much she was looking forward to finally beating-in her face. She watched the older woman with interest...her normally happy youthful face looked a little distressed today, like there was something on her mind. Bliss' hatred melted away. She had to admit, Lexi had been adamant about helping her be the best. Her father had insisted that Lexi be her main trainer because he knew what she was capable of teaching her and in her early retirement she didn't have much to do with herself. With a sigh Bliss put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's up? You don't seem yourself?"

Lexi turned her worried eyes to Bliss and gave her a grateful smile.

"I dunno exactly.... you know things were going great with Ryan these last 8 months but since the miscarriage he's grown distant and he's kind of angry all the time."

Bliss chewed her lip. "Well have you asked him... you know guys...they kind of don't talk about their feelings. I should know... I have 5 of them living with me."

Lexi smiled at the comment. "I tried. he's apologised for being cranky with me but he just seems like he spends most of his time either at the gym or hanging out with old buddies.... one weird guy stopped by the house the other day. Ryan let him in but they spent like 20 minutes in the basement before the man came back upstairs. He was polite to me but had nothing but daggers for Ryan. I think it was Harlow."

"Harlow? James Harlow?"

"Yeah...."

"You mean the guy that Ryan screwed over?"

Lexi looked surprised. "Well I knew that Ryan trained with him before he met me but really?"

"Your surprised?"

"Well I guess not but still... he looked pretty good for his age...."

Bliss smirked. "He's old as sin. Oh yeah, Ryan put him in the hospital or something. I don't really follow him I just heard Justin and Jerry talking about it before."

Lexi shook her head. "How is Justin?"

"Fine I guess. He doesn't really talk much, he's always out of town working for this weird company he says gives him jobs. Works during the summer but he's going back to Uni in the fall."

"What? Why? He has his computer science...."

"Wants to do something with Math or something. I dunno."

Lexi looked away from her for a few minutes before turning back to Bliss. "I think that within a few months you'll be ready for any fed you want."

Bliss shrugged. "I'm not doing this to be in the business Lexi, I'm doing this to prove I can. For years I watched my father train my brothers.... even training Jake...at 7 years old but I was never allowed anywhere near the ring. I watched from the door or the window outside. I'd sneak in with a crowd. My dad always looked at me like I was some fragile princess and I guess I kind of believed that. But I'm not... I'm no where close to being that. And I'm grateful that he thought that I could finally do this, even if I did have to railroad him to do it."

"Railroad him?"

Bliss smiled. "Yeah, being Daddy's little girl has it's advantages."

Lexi's smile faded. "Sorry, wouldn't know..."

"Sorry.... Why don't we quit for today? Go home... get your man all liquored up and jump his bones."

This caused Lexi to let out a genuine laugh this time. "Yeah maybe something like that."

"And I wouldn't worry about James Harlow. He's just a washed up old has-been that's upset because his protégé betrayed him. That's why if I ever joined a fed...I'd never be a face....."

*~*

Present day: Sunday

And they try and call me a slut....

I think I saw it the same as the rest of the world... the fact that Biguns tried to tell the world that she wasn't the type to sleep around and then she's banging not only that gross mother fucker Clash but Adams as well? yeah I may cheat to win. I may insult people with no remorse and I may turn on my so called friends but I don't sleep with ugly ass guys to get a GM job...even if she did turn it around on Adams.

And I don't give a fuck what she tries to threaten me with because I have a contract and if she tries to even remotely get me fired I'll have her ass out faster than it took for her to get off Adams. See the Hales like me... they like my style....unfortunately their hands were tied when they booked that match for my title against Newman and I really don't think Newman actually wants this title...he just wants to try and beat me in a ring which will never happen.

After the disaster that was Kurt Newman I had vowed to myself not to get caught up in a relationship....relationships were bad when you were trying to build your career. You ended up hitting your boyfriend over the head with a weight bar when he grew to be too snoopy. I still regretted hurting him. I still hated that he had lost 6 months of his life but I didn't regret anything else. Kurt had been a part of my life and it helped me get to where I was by learning that having people too close only got them hurt but being with Jackson was different. Maybe a part of me kinda knew that Kurt wasn't 'the one' not that I believe in that shit. I didn't want the marriage thing. I didn't want the kids thing... I had 4 brothers that could go and do that shit. I was happy being professionally single...or whatever this thing with Jackson was. Come to think of it...did I really have to put a label on it? Wouldn't calling him my boyfriend make things weird? he was the least like any boyfriend I'd ever had but yet....but yet I found myself feeling things I didn't think I was capable of....

The thing I had to concentrate on was the match I had with the old Fart that had pulled a Ric Flair. Who comes back in their 50's to wrestle again? Shouldn't he be in an old folks home by now playing shuffleboard with all the other washouts?

With a sigh I knew that I was going to have to address this old bastard because lord knows he probably has a thing or two to say about me....probably going to say I'm too cocky or too young. he seemed to like to try and make people remember when they were good if they ever were. Rage was good once? Who fricken knew? Was that before or after he nearly killed his wife the first time?

With a sigh and an eye roll I texted Tasha and Wyatt. Whoever got back to me first would get the story...

*~*

I was meaning to ask one day what Jay Wyatt did before becoming a sleaze ball interviewer for NYCCW and MPW. He had absolutely no style, even though he'd met with Justin's stylist in New York. Today the disgusting mustard coloured sport jacket with a blue tie over jeans was horrible. Enough that I was embarrassed to even look at him.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" I asked. I was in MPW's parking lot... enjoying my VIP spot reserved just for the NA champ. Suck on that Caine... you have to park that monster of a car in the back parking lot now....if he ever drove again....

Wyatt looked down at his jacket and back up at me. "What's wrong with it?"

"What's not wrong with it?" I shook my head. "But you don't have time to change so let's just go and get this over with shall we..."

Wyatt shook his head like a bobble head and his stupidity and gullible-ness made my head hurt.

"So how did you want to do this...."

I turned to look at him. "Please don't ever say that again to me.... you make it sound like I'm going to give you a BJ or something....which by the way... don't even imagine it.... never in your lifetime"

Wyatt gulped.

"As for this interview, I don't give a fuck where we set it up I just want to get on with my day thank you."

"You called me..."

"Yeah don't' remind me. I'm going to have to address Harlow, especially with that garbage about respecting me an all he regurgitated from one of his old 80's promo's I was surprised he hadn't tried to bring back that mullet he had."

"Well we can use the garden..."

"Wait...what? MPW has a garden? When the hell did they build that?"

"Uh...they've had it since before you signed on...."

"Well damn. Okay sure. Sounds fine to me."

We walk to where this 'garden' is and I'm amazed to see exactly that. It's not very big. One little bench and a koi pond with no koi. shock. I take a seat and he pulls out a notebook. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I don't always use a camera. sometimes I write down what you say and then report on it after.... it's old school..."

I shake my head.

"Really? You don't have a fricken camera? I guess I was kinda curious as to why you were here by yourself. No wonder everyone talks to Bowers or Tasha before you."

Wyatt shrugs. "I'm older than either of them. Not everyone wants to watch promo's... it's easier to write it in an article."

I shake my head again. "See that's the thing right there.... easier. Do you chose your options in life based on how easy they are? If I did that, I would not be the North American Champion right now."

"You cheated to win...."

"And you think that was easy? Okay let me just say this right now, that was not easy that was my anger taking over and that's never an easy choice for me. I've struggled with my Anger since I was a teenager and I thought I had control but apparently I don't. Laura got involved in something that didn't have anything to do with her and so did Biguns. I don't know if Biguns has like this girl crush on me or if she thought at the time that I was going to benefit her somehow. I will not give her credit for my win and the fact that she slept her way into the GM position just proves that she's everything she's said she wasn't. You wanna talk about someone being a hypocrite or taking the easy way out.... go talk to her."

"Aren't you afraid that what you say may get you fired?"

I laughed, "Wyatt you have a lot to learn. I always cover my own ass and I can't be fired for things I say. It's in my contract, I made sure that it was in my contract because admittedly I have a big mouth and I don't always have control over that either. Besides that, her control of MNME is limited. The Hales control everything and I doubt very much they will let her just fire people that bring in the crowds and the money. I am far from this dim-wit that people here like to portray me as. It doesn't mean that I'm intimidated."

"I wanted to ask you about what happened with Caine... everyone thought you were friends and then you resort to cheap tactics...so I think what most people want to know is, were you playing him this whole time?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes but I couldn't be angry at the man for doing his job. It was what people wanted to know. Tasha had tried to ask me about it too.

"No, I honestly wasn't playing him. How was I to know that I'd end up going up against him again? I'm not boobzilla...whose boobs are bigger than her brains. I actually liked hanging out with someone that wasn't interested in sleeping with me. Someone that could actually go shot for shot with me. I know he doesn't believe me and I really can't blame him. After what I did I wouldn't believe me either. He can say whatever he wants about me because it doesn't matter. I'm not going to apologise because I did exactly what I was supposed to do. True, I couldn't insult him in promo's. True I had a hard time going against him in the ROTD tourney but I got a big reality check... what goes on in that ring has nothing to do with what goes on in our private lives. I know that lots of people use that as tools to try and get their opponent on edge and yes, I have done it. I do, do it, however this had been an odd moment for me where I was actually myself with someone. Is it sad that he took what happened in the match personally? sure. Am I sorry to lose an almost friend? I don't know. I've never been good with friends. I'm done talking about it really and this will be the last time I mention it."

"And Laura?"

"Whatever. She's got her own issues to deal with now and I can't be some sounding board for someone crying over a failed marriage. It's why I don't believe in marriage. Humans are not meant to be monogamous creatures. I personally think she's better off with out that useless piece of trash. Do I care if she comes back to MPW? Not really. She was cool to hang out with when she was a bitch like me. Now she's just a blubbering sack of 'feel-sorry-for-me' shit and I don't have time for that."

"So now that we have that out of the way... your match coming up at the PPV vs. Your ex Kurt Newman..."

"Don't really wanna talk about that right now thank you. All you need to know is that Kurt needs to grow up and I will never go back to him. Period."

I picked at my fingernails for a second before Wyatt cleared his throat and I sighed. He wanted more. Damn greedy asswipe.

"Not my fault that he thought he was in love with me. Tell me Wyatt... you've seen how Kurt is.... do you really think that it would have worked out between me and him in the long run? He'd never be able to keep his dick in his pants for long....so when I reflect back on that relationship now, I know that sooner or later I would have dumped him. either because I was bored or because I caught him in some bimbo's bed. He knows it and I know it. He can deny that all he wants. He will do whatever he can to try and get under my skin and I'm not going to let him have that. I've been over Kurt Newman for a very long time."

"What about this past Monday when you obviously screwed him out of that win with Bloodhound?"

I laughed. "He was done even if I wasn't the ref. Look, I don't like Bloodhound any more than anybody else in this fed but in the grand scheme of things around here, Kurt is not even close to being able go up against someone like him. Kurt is more like a mascot, especially with him wearing that ridiculous piece of fake gold and leather around his waist. You know why he's been handing all these little appeasements since he got here? because everyone thinks he's a joke. I know that he's capable of so much more than what he's been doing. I know that if he took anything seriously he really could have a decent chance of going against me or anybody else in this fed but as long as he is more concerned about ... 'Kurt Jr.' he's never going to amount to anything but the resident male gigolo. My little speech here is not going to change that. Kurt will always be just that. he can never be serious, he never thinks about anything other than his own vanity and how good he is in bed...."

A wide smile spreads across Wyatt's face and I know the question before he asks it.

"I will be one of the first women to admit that yes, he's not just pumping himself up in that department, however...it's not all about sex. Besides that we were always arguing and his solution to any fight was to catch me off guard and seduce me. That's why when I hear rumours about me being 'the one that got away' I laugh. I don't know how much stock to put into those rumours but he should know that if maybe he'd stepped up and been a man and actually put more thought into our 'relationship' maybe things would have turned out differently....but can't go back now."

"So since you screwed him over on Monday now that he's the ref in the match with you against Harlow do you think he'll try and do the same to you?"

"No doubt. I'm prepared for that. I never do anything not expecting someone to try and 'get even'. But it doesn't matter. Harlow is old and he hasn't been in this business for years. I'm half his age, half his weight and about 3 times more skill. I wouldn't be Champ right now if I didn't have a bag of arsenal waiting for every kind of opponent."

"And what kind of things would those be?"

"Nice try. You think I'm stupid enough to tell you? So you can run to Harlow and Kurt and give away secrets for some kind of immunity or exclusive interview. No way. I know that you don't like me Wyatt. Not a lot of people do, Bliss is an acquired taste. All you and everyone else needs to know is that I'm always prepared."

"Harlow has quite a reputation."

"Reputation for what? Drinking himself to oblivion and when he'd wasted all his money he comes crawling back begging for a job in a fed where there are tonnes of new young talent? I heard he pays his ex-wife out the nose... You know I never understood alimony. what right does the old bitch have getting his money for years after they're split up... and besides, isn't that supposed to stop the day she starts in a relationship with someone new? If and that's a big if I ever do decide to get married I'm pre-nup all the way. No bastard is going to get half my money for the rest of his life."

"Well he had nothing but praise for you with the odd comment about not going easy on you..."

I laughed. "Praise? He should have praise for me. Look at what I have. My second fed, been here what? a couple months and I already have a belt around my waist? And as for not going easy on me I welcome it. I hate when my opponent underestimates me as some princess. Sure, the guy was great in his heyday but it's been a few years and that ring rust is going to show through. He can try to beat me and if he thinks he's going to make a big impression by beating me on his debut match he's crazier than I thought."

Jay doesn't look impressed at all, in fact he looks a little bored.

"Why? I don't intimidate you any more little Jay bird? Well let me just set the record straight here. I know exactly who James Harlow is... the "Hammer" or whatever he wants to call himself. He could call himself Thor's incredible Mjöllnir and it wouldn't even begin to scare me. I'm not scared of anything or anybody, especially a man that thinks he's being given an honour to fight the North American Champ in his first match back after vigorous games of shuffleboard and Bingo. you know why he's in this match tomorrow night? because blubber lips thinks it will be funny to continuously piss me off because my brother was an asshole to her. Well I got a big surprise for her... she can throw whatever dirty deranged stupid no talent hack at me and I will just continue to clean up this place of the trash."

"Everyone is right about you Bliss... you are a bitch..."

Laughing I reply, "Grew a pair since the last time I saw you didn't you little man? You think calling me a bitch is going to make me angry enough to give you fodder for a lawsuit? Did Miss spread-my-legs for everyone get to you too? offer you money to get me riled up?"

Jay is finally showing some fear in his eyes as he shakes his head in negative.

"No... well just watch yourself Wyatt."

"Do you have any more words for Harlow?"

"For Harlow? Yeah sure. Make sure the old bastard knows that he's not going against a light weight and that he may say he's not going to take it easy on me well hope he knows that I don't ever feel sorry for anybody. I will use whatever opportunity to win. and as for him saying he wants a nice clean match.... well he shouldn't expect that when I'm involved. if there is one thing I've learned from everything I've gone through these last few weeks it's that I can't have a conscience in this business so If I should say.... end his new career before it begins then that's just the way it goes."

Jay finished writing and then put the notebook back in his pocket and looked up at me. I couldn't read the expression, not that I really cared much anyway.

"You can go on with your precious day now...."

I grabbed his face, forcing his mouth into a fish imitation before he could finish his comment.

"I never said I was finished talking Wyatt. That was all I had to say to Harlow but you... oh yes you I have many words for and none of them are pretty or flattering. If you ever want to be anything in this business there are a few things you should take note of. Next time you want to interview me you better bring a fucking camera crew, second stop trying to hide tape recorders on your self to make it look like your some big shot at shorthand and third, you better not look like a reject high school science teacher again. Do we have an understanding little man?"

He nodded back and forth and I let go of him and noticed that now there were little crescent shapes on either side of his cheeks. Good...hope it hurt.

"Scurry off now and I better see the interview up before tonight or I may just have to find you and hurt you some more."

The fear I had loved had returned to his eyes and I felt so much better. he left, walking but a little more briskly then I think was normal for his gait.

I looked around the garden and realized that I missed this at home. My dad gotten a bit of a green thumb in his retirement and when I had gone home recently I'd enjoyed just sitting in our backyard with him. We didn't ever really have much to say to one another. It had been that way for years...ever since I'd blackmailed him into letting me train...it was almost like he had this image in his head that I was someone I wasn't and by me doing what I do, he was disappointed that I wasn't more of a girl. It was fine though and I liked our unspoken communication.

I got up after that few minutes and decided that I'd thought enough about past stuff and it was time to think about future stuff. Future like making sure Harlow knew exactly who Bliss Fischer was and that he was going to be climbing out of or unconscious in that ring tomorrow night. Either way he was going to lose.