Supreme Championship Wrestling

Frost “Forever Home”
Manhattan, New York
December 2nd, 2023
12:34pm

How could being home feel so… off?

It was the question that had quietly rampaged through Deanna’s mind from the moment she had stepped back into the house this morning. It had been weeks since she had stomped out the front door – shortly before her Elimination Chamber match at Under Attack – leaving her Forever home, family… and wife – Not permanently! Her quickly mind told her. This whole thing had been meant to simply be a wake-up call to her pigheaded, stubborn partner! A few days’ absence, tops! She had been expecting phone calls or text messages after Under Attack, Selena wanting to talk to her and get things back on track… an effort to fix the situation that had spiralled out of control since Selena had walked out of SCW… something!

But still, here she was, nearly a month later, and the only message she had received – aside from the blasted “Good luck” text prior to her chamber match – had been sent to her a few days ago, and no less comforting.

“Need to head to my parents this weekend. Can you watch the kids?”

A message as distant and detached as had been the few interactions she had had with the ‘Snow Queen’ – the nickname seeming more appropriate to Deanna these days. Least she still has a nickname. The redhead sighed.

This ‘spat’, for lack of a better word, had been hard to explain to the kids. At first, Deanna had simply called them and explained that work was keeping her busy. It wasn’t a complete lie, at first, with Under Attack looming over her the first week, and Fatal Fortunes on the horizon. However, when she found herself sneaking to the kids’ school to spend lunch with them every day, the trio had become more and more suspicious.

Deanna hadn’t had a choice. It was the only time she could really see them without worrying about running into her wife. Selena never left the Black Arrow neighbourhood except to run errands, but Deanna couldn’t really rely on that, and there was no way she had allowed herself to risk going home. So, as many school days as she could make, the young wrestler had simply walked up and into the ‘play area’ to meet the kids and have lunch with them. Of course, she had to let them go when the bell rang or when David wanted to play with his school buddies – indifferent as he seemed about the whole affair. Amiliah just loved seeing her mom at lunch so she didn’t seem to mind, but Elsianna?

Her eldest had been the person Deanna had had to change her ‘excuses’ for. ‘Work’ was no longer believable after so many weeks, only accounting for a few days here and there with Breakdown and other engagements Deanna had to do as the SCW United States Champion. And with the number of times she had met with her mother in the last near four weeks, the young girl was certainly figuring things out.

So, Deanna had had to be honest with her oldest child. That her and Selena were going through a ‘rough patch’ and ‘working things out’ as they both transitioned to their new roles – Deanna as primary income supplier and Selena as ‘housewife’. It had been enough at the time when Elsa had asked it, but the redhead could see the growing uncertainty in her daughter’s eyes with each passing day…

As for her, Deanna hadn’t stepped foot inside the house since then. She had spent Thanksgiving, she chuckled sadly at the memory, ‘enjoying’ turkey slices she had nabbed from a grab-and-go at the grocery store, eating the plastic container’s contents (complete with already pre-mashed potatoes and a spoonful of stuffing) while sitting on her bed in her hotel room, watching some French-dubbed version of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, which, right now, certainly wasn’t!

But now, she was back home… and feeling more like a stranger than one of the owners/mother-figures of the house should. In truth, she had felt more ‘at home’ in the hotel room with the poor turkey and stuffing – ‘life on the road’ style that she had grown used to working with SCW.

With a sigh, the young woman glanced outside the nearest window to see her children playing in the backyard, all three of them bundled up to protect them from the cold. Though the snow had come and gone in Manhattan a few times over the last few weeks, there was still a clear ‘winter cold’ that swept through the city continuously, with gray clouds looming overhead that kept the sunshine from truly peeking through.

Symbolic… Deanna mused as she finished her kids’ lunch – tuna sandwiches with cheese and a handful of grapes and strawberries on the side. Why Selena had bought strawberries when they were out of season, Deanna wasn’t sure, but it was her wife’s money, she supposed. Finishing by adding a few juice-boxes to the mix, the mother brought the plate down the stairs and to the back exit of the house where the backyard was.

“Lunch time, guys!” she called out, immediately getting the attention of her three children. David and Amiliah ceased their running around of, Deanna assumed, their game of tag, shifting directions to rush up to the canopied deck that linked to the basement.

“Awww…tuna?” David whined, pouting out his lower lip for emphasis.
“YAY!” Amiliah remarked, immediately diving into her sandwich as Elsianna, quietly walking her distance, joined them at the outside patio table.

“No complaining, David.” Deanna warned gently, taking a seat in her own chair as she watched her children eat. Truthfully, she wasn’t the best cook and these ‘easy lunches’ was the best thing she could make, part of her not wanting to spend too much time away from her children and the other – immature as it sounded – not wanting to leave much of a ‘presence’ here after she left, as it could be counter-productive to the point she was trying to drive home to her wife!

“Where’s mommy?” Amiliah asked, her mouthful of bread, mayonnaise, cheese and tuna.
“Ami.” Deanna firmly, and without thinking, pressed. “What did we say about speaking with your mouth full?”

Guilt replacing her features, the child gulped down her mouthful before staring down at her hands. “Don’t do it. It’s rude.”

“That’s right.” Deanna nodded. “Now, is your mouth empty?”
“Yes, mother.” The youngest Frost nodded.
“Okay. What was it you asked?”

“Where’s mommy?”

The question was innocent enough, and one Deanna wasn’t too afraid to answer. “She’s visiting your grandparents.” Came the innocent reply.

“Oh… I wanna see grandma and grandpa!” Amiliah beamed.

“I’m sure you will.” The older redhead smiled, though she wasn’t sure what her wife was talking to her in-laws for. Maybe there had been some developments with the Alden witch group, and while Deanna continued to study, attend class, and do well – refusing to seem ‘weak’ in front of her wife in any capacity, she was not as social as she used to be with the Aldens. Not that they really noticed, more concerned with the Frosts’ progress – which had been shifting to Selena ever since the woman had quit SCW. More time, clearly. Deanna reasoned. Still, she had fallen into a sort of ‘routine’ of avoiding Selena for the few hours that their classes were. She’s come in, sit in the front, while her wife sat in the back, with Deanna refusing look behind her or even acknowledge her wife. Soon as class ended, she had grabbed her books and left without looking, usually walking past several houses to where she had parked her car to leave. Selena never tried to stop her or catch up with her or talk to her.

In short, they were avoiding each other, and until the platinum-blonde smartened up and started acting like herself again, Deanna was hellbent on keeping her demands real! If she could be stubborn… so can I!

“Mom…” again, Amiliah – the little redhead – was seeking her mother’s attention, which Deanna granted with a shake of her head.
“Sorry, baby.” She sighed. “I was day-dreaming, I suppose. What did you say?”

“She was wondering if we could see Grandma and Grandpa VanHohenheim for Christmas.” Elsianna quietly spoke, the light-haired daughter having watched her mother rather intensely as she quietly nibbled on her sandwich.

“Oh… yes, I think so.” Deanna answered, but quickly adding, “But I might be working those days as well…” and then adding again as she saw her youngest’s face drop. “But I promise I will find a way to spend some holiday time with you all. I promise!”

That seemed to please the younger Ami, but not the older Elsianna, who kept her eyes (so much like her Snow Queen mother’s) locked on Deanna. It actually had only recently sunk into Deanna’s mind as she gazed around her surroundings – the absence of Christmas decorations.

Usually, the Frost family, upon completing Thanksgiving (some years even sooner), would embark on decorating the house with Christmas, with as much splendor and glamour as they did for Halloween! Even the stone gargoyles ‘protecting the yard’ – Deanna stole a glance at them over Elsianna’s shoulder – would be decorated with festive lights in their ‘claws’ and ‘maws’. There would be figures in the yards, lights on the roof, a tree in the family room and gods… it was like the Spirit of Christmas had vomited all over the house some years.

There was nothing of the kind anywhere in the house.

“Kids…” Deanna tried to approach the subject delicately. “Have you guys started working on decorating the house?”

Slowly, all three children shook their heads.

“Mother doesn’t want to.” David shrugged, having finished his sandwich (begrudgingly) and working on his fruits and juice-box. “Every time Ami whines about it, she says she’s tired or busy.”

“I don’t whine about it!” Ami remarked – sounding a little like a whine to Deanna.
“You do too.” David shot back, the boy eyeing his sister. “’It’s not Christmas without a tree!’” he fake-whined, seeming to do an exaggerated impression of his younger sibling.

“I don’t sound like that!” the whine was becoming more of a cry from Amiliah, and Deanna could almost hear a slight sniffle come from the little redhead.

“David, stop.” She warned sternly. “You use to love Christmas that much too. I remember a year you cried when we were two days late in putting up the tree.”

“No, I didn’t!” David rebuked defiantly.

“Oh yes, you did!” Deanna laughed. “You believed that if we were any later, ‘Santa-‘” It was her turn to do an impression. “’Santa won’t visit me!’”

“And then I won’t get my Switch!” This imitation came from Elsianna, also adding her own spin on her little brother’s whine, causing a giggle to come from Amiliah, the child immediately perked up from her mother/sister’s act.

“Stop picking on me.” David grumbled.
“Then don’t pick on your sister.” Deanna instructed. “There is nothing wrong with being excited for Christmas.”

With a huff, David crossed his arms over his chest, his plate empty, same with his juice-box. “Not fair…” he grumbled under his breath. “Girls always stick together.”

With a roll of her eyes, Deanna ignored that last remark, even excusing the boy and Amiliah as they finished their lunches to resume their playing. Alone with Elsianna, Deanna watched her eldest eyeing her plate quietly for several minutes before looking up to stare at her mother, as if gathering unseen courage.

“Are you and mother getting a divorce?”

Emerald eyes grew wide at the question, and Deanna’s jaw dropped a little. “Where do you hear that?” she asked. “Are people talking about school?”

“No where.” Elsianna answered honestly with a shrug of her shoulders. “And no one is talking. I’m just wondering… and worried.”

“Worried?” Deanna tilted her head. “Elsa, you’re 12 years old.”
“I’ll be 13 soon.”
“Exactly!” Deanna shook her head. “You shouldn’t even be worried about this sort of thing.”

“Mom, I know what ‘divorce’ means.” A slight huff escaped the normally shy girl, her gloved hands tightening into fists. “A few of my classmates have divorced parents.”

“I…Okay…” Wow… Deanna’s mind raced. How the hell am I supposed to deal with this? Compared to this, hell, I’d settle with not knowing where and against whom I’m going to wrestle against with Fatal Fortunes! That seems much less daunting than this! “What…” her words came out slowly. “What makes you think your mother and I are getting a divorce?”

“You haven’t been home except today. You’ve only called me and David to talk to us or Ami, and every time I ask mother about you, she doesn’t really give me any answers either.”

“Sweetheart…” Deanna tried. She sure as hell did not want to be like Selena and seemingly give her daughter nothing. “I tried to explain it to you earlier. Mother and I are just going through a few issues right now. We’re working through some stuff with me being a full-time wrestler and her qu…her leaving SCW and all that.”

“But I heard her…” Elsianna’s voice trailed off, her eyes suddenly darting away for a moment to suddenly focus on her nearly empty plate of food. Even so, her words were not lost to Deanna, who felt her heart skip a beat (in a bad way).

“You heard Se- I mean, you heard your mother?” when no response was given, the 12-year-old choosing instead to fret the lacings of her black gloves, Deanna leaned forward, her small hand gently taking both of her child’s hands. “I need you to tell me, Elsianna.” She stressed her daughter’s full first name. “Have you heard your mother talking about divorce?”

The blonde girl took a shaky breath before slowly nodding her head. “I…I think so… but I’m not sure.” Quickly, her eyes flew up, almost surprised that she admitted this to Deanna, her words suddenly faster. “I mean… I think I did, but maybe the context was wrong. It was a few nights ago. I couldn’t sleep and Ami was upset and crying, so I went to find mother. I went down the stairs and I could hear her talking on the phone. I…” she stopped, her hands wiggling a little nervously in Deanna’s one. “I went to the family room and saw her talking to someone for a split second. And before she turned and saw me, I heard her say “Maybe divorce isn’t out of the question.”

The two, mother and daughter, sat in silence for a few seconds, one thinking and the other processing what they had just learned. “That’s… that’s why I asked.” Elsianna added, her voice laced with guilt.

Deanna, meanwhile, could not stop the spike of panic that erupted in her heart, but she refused to let it cripple her, letting the hit happen before slowly calming herself back down.

“Elsianna.” She stated, her voice a little shaky. “Your mother and I are not getting a divorce. I don’t know what you heard, but she and I have been through far worse than this. We just need some time to get back on the same page.”

“Is that why mom’s going back to SCW? So you guys can get back on the same page?”

Again, Deanna was stunned into silence by the child. “Back to… Okay, how much of your mother are you spying on?!”

“No, that…” Elsa shook her head at her mother’s shock, surprised by it, it seemed. “It’s been on the news and Twitter – X.” she remarked. “Didn’t you see the video?”

“Clearly not because your mother isn’t going back to SCW, Elsianna.” Deanna tried.

“But I saw it…” the younger woman looked around the room before releasing a huff. “Mom, may I be excused to get my phone, please?”

“Why do you- yes, okay.” Deanna settled on answering, letting her daughter leave the table and rush upstairs. Because of her own confusion, the redhead chose to ignore the sound of her daughter running up the stairs (which she was not supposed to do), instead choosing to clear her mind until her daughter returned, the short girl flicking through her phone with her finger.

“Right…. Here!” Elsianna remarked before turning the phone over to Deanna, who gingerly took it. Before her eyes, Deanna watched the YouTube video slowly play, complete with SCW graphic, Fatal Fortunes graphic/announcement and-

She almost dropped the phone as she saw her wife before her, the sight of ‘The Face of SCW’ and ‘Snow Queen’ Selena Frost standing there. Clips played one after the other of the platinum-blonde, some with her holding a title, others with her defeating superstars like Adam Allocco and Cid Turner. There was nothing new there – all old footage, Deanna recognized – but what the hell did that matter? Especially when the words “Witness the Return of Selena Frost!” flashed across the screen!

“H…how…” was all Deanna could verbally muster, after several minutes but her mind was racing. How had CHBK done it? Or management or whoever?! How had they made this possible? It couldn’t be real- immediately, her eyes flew to the source and her heart nearly stopped as she spied the channel was SCW’s official one! It WAS from SCW! Meaning... It was legit!

Selena… was coming back?

Again, her mind brought the question-train back around. What had SCW done? What had they offered? Her wife had seemed so certain that a return was out of the question, yet there it was! Proof positive that it was happening! If tickets weren’t sold out for both Fatal Fortune nights already, this would certainly make that happen, as well as bring ratings way up! Sure, Deanna still needed to defend the SCW United States Title, and she was still nervous as hell about not knowing the how or who of it but this development dwarfed the nerves she felt regarding that!

“How did he manage this?” Deanna asked, pressing the ‘replay’ button to start the video again, as if it would change the second time she saw it. Again, she saw her wife’s face – the old Selena Frost she had begged her partner to return to being – full of bravery and spirit.

“Maybe it wasn’t him.” Elsianna answered, trying her best to help her mother. Despite only nodding her head in response, Deanna heard the suggestion fully, causing her mental-direction to shift.

What if it had been Selena that had orchestrated this? But why would she? After promising that she would never return? What would have made her change her mind? Was it money? Were they in some kind of financial trouble? Was it ego? Didn’t seem that way before… Wait!/i] her mind halted her barrage of theories, focusing on the one she had been ignoring.

Her. Herself. Deanna.

The redhead tilted her head as she eyed the phone-screen. Had her plan actually worked? Had her fight with Selena sparked something within the older woman, prompting her into calling SCW and negotiate coming back?!

She didn’t know… and it was almost silly with how ‘stupid’ she felt.

She didn’t know which night she was to defend her title.
She didn’t know who she was defending the title against.
She didn’t know what match she would have to defend the title under.
She didn’t know what game Kristen ‘The One’ was playing with that Trios cash-in announcement.
And now, she didn’t know what the hell was going with her wife ‘returning’ and all this!

[i]I really don’t know anything… she laughed quietly to herself, rather ashamed, in that moment, of her own ignorance of so many things. She didn’t know much, but there was one thing she did know…

She had to see Selena. Right now!

“I…” she looked up to see her daughter waiting patiently for her, blue eyes watching her quietly. “I have to do something.” She handed the phone back to its owner. “Watch your sister and brother.” She gently ordered to Elsa, who gave a nod before leaving the table to join her siblings. Pulling out her own phone, Deanna made a quick call to get Gerda over to watch the kids, the redhead waiting only until the older woman was inside the house before rushing to get into her Jeep Liberty. Immediately, she was on the road, speeding down the interstate to get to New Jersey.

“What the hell is going on here?!” she said aloud, knowing the cars that sped around her couldn’t hear. She was confused, she was irritated… and more than anything else, she was growing more and more hopeful the closer she drew to Maplewood…

And given how vulnerable ‘hope’ had made her lately… she didn’t like it one bit!

VanHohenheim House
Maplewood, New Jersey
December 2nd, 2023
2:02pm

She could see the house and garden in the distance, quickly approaching her, as if the property was the one speeding towards her rather than her Liberty. Still, Deanna didn’t care, emerald eyes jerking left and right to constantly check the road for any of the neighborhood children. The weather had been the same in New Jersey as it had been in New York, which might ‘street hockey’ and ‘tag’ were very much on the table for children activities. Hell, she had left her three children – well, two, mostly as Elsianna was helping watch them – playing tag when Gerda had arrived to look after them as well. Fortunately, there weren’t many people outside in the small neighborhood as the redhead pulled up to the house, parking on the side of the street next to the front lawn.

Immediately, her eyes spotted Selena’s motorcycle resting on the other side of the driveway from where Deanna had parked. She recognized the make and model immediately. After all, Deanna had been the one that bought it for her wife years ago. It had been just a few months after the pair had moved into their ‘Forever Home’, shortly before their wedding and only a month or so since Deanna had gotten pregnant with their son, David. She had seen her wife oogling a motorcycle and then looking at them on the computer – which had made the case a no-brainer. She had scrimped up her savings as Selena’s manager – meager compared to the salary Selena had been bringing in but still possible – and bought her the dark-blue bike, even getting some snowflake-decals put on it. The cost had been more than worth it just to see Selena’s face beaming at it – the Snow Queen, at the time, having been too ‘responsible’ thinking of her soon-to-be expanded family to truly think for herself for even a moment.

She deserved to be happy and nice things… Deanna thought, realizing she had already parked the car in her mental wanderings, even turned it off, and was now simply sitting in the driver’s seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Deep down, that’s what all this was about. Making her wife happy. That was all Deanna had truly wanted. Not to have Selena be her ‘shield’ or ‘sword’ or ‘security blanket’ or whatever. Not to protect her. No! It was just to make Selena happy… And no matter how many times Selena had said she was since leaving SCW, Deanna could see right through it. For months, she had seen her wife avoid talking too much about the federation she had spent nearly a decade in. Nothing about her accolades. No what-ifs. No going elsewhere like XWF or TIA federations. No! It was a total ‘out of sight/out of mind’ scenario and it was just… wrong.

That’s what had driven Deanna to all of this – driven her to try and force Selena to open up to her about it. Because that’s what this ‘house-wife’, ‘I’m so happy to have all this free time!’ screamed to her. More avoidance. More just running away and pushing it to the side rather than facing it!

If Selena were happy, truly happy, with leaving SCW – even retiring from wrestling altogether, than Deanna could have easily accepted it. She could handle herself and things like Fatal Fortunes and The One’s upcoming cash-in! She had managed through the Elimination Chamber just fine, hadn’t she? She had lived through, basically a year as some ‘joke’ thanks to the ‘5 moves of Doom’ match she had had with Adam Allocco and turned that around. But this life – this version of her wife? – that wasn’t her wife happy. Not like she had been winning, and losing, big matches with integrity. Not like when she had beaten Cid Turner the first time to headline Rise to Greatness. Not like when they had won the tag-team titles together. Not like… like so many other times in their lives.

The smiles seemed force.
The laughter seemed like an act.

And no one could see it but Deanna…

“Crap…” Deanna sighed, realizing she still hadn’t gotten out of the vehicle. “What the hell am I going to say?” She was sure her mother-in-law, Alejandra, wouldn’t object to her dropping by, but she and Selena had not spoken more than a few words and hadn’t seen each other since before Under Attack!

Casting her eyes downward, Deanna spotted her phone on the opposing seat and quickly snatched it. She knew what she wanted. An explanation. And if she could charge ahead with demanding a chamber match for the United States championship, she could do this. With one more steeling breath, Deanna pulled herself out of her vehicle, her eyes, once more, finding her wife’s motorcycle before marching past it. She assumed the front door would be locked, but she knew that Alejandra kept the side-door by the garden unlocked until the evening. Pulling the screen door open, the redhead pushed the door open after turning the handle, stepping right into the house and immediately smelling the vanilla candles.

“Hello?” came the familiar voice, allowing Deanna to lock onto it and move up the short stairs to the source, coming from the familiar family room. Reaching it, she spied her mother-in-law sitting on the couch, her eyes full of surprise but her smile gentle.

“Deanna-“

“Sorry, mom.” Deanna spoke quickly. “But I needed to-“ her words stopped as she turned her head to see her intended target standing at the other side of the room, a cup of tea in her pale hands.

“What’s wrong?” came the short and quick question, but the alarm in her voice was clear. “Are the children alright?”

“They’re fine.” Deanna assured the older woman. “Gerda is watching them.”
“Oh…okay.” Selena breathed, the awkwardness high between the two wives. “What is…”

“You tell me-“ Deanna started before stopping herself. “Nope… let me try that again. Don’t want to start this combative.” Holding out her head, she turned her phone screen on, using her fingerprint to unlock the phone to the video link Elsianna had sent her before handing the device to Selena. For a moment, she just stood there, watching her wife intensely as Selena’s eyes gazed down at the video Elsianna had played for Deanna only an hour ago. She saw sapphire eyes narrow, then grow wide, then narrow again. Saw the jaw muscles tighten under pale skin as Selena clenched her jaw. And finally, a long exhale escaped the platinum-blonde before the taller Frost lowered the phone, taking a few long breaths before slowly turning her head towards Deanna.

“Did you do this?” she asked.
“Did I-“
“Did you tell them I was coming back?” Selena asked directly.
“Wha-me?!” Deanna stammered, the conversation taking a turn she had never expected. “No!”

“Oh come off it, Deanna!” Selena shot back. “What was the plan? You tell them I’m coming back? Get SCW excited or whatever and then I have no choice because I would be ‘letting down SCW’ or ‘making you out to be a liar?!” Her voice was angry, but the hurt in it was far more apparent. For Deanna, it was the reverse!

“You’re blaming me for this?!” she asked in disbelief. “Why the hell would I have come here asking for an explanation if I was behind this?!” she glared at her wife. “Elsianna showed me the video! I didn’t even see it till an hour ago!”

“Then you said something.” Selena shot back. “Something in an interview that got screwed up. Something misinterpreted!”

“I’ve barely mentioned you! And it’s not like I’m hogging the ring with things to talk about these days!” Deanna argued.

“Girls, I think we need to calm-“ Alejandra tried but her daughter overpowered her.

“Then why does this video exist?” Selena’s voice raised.
“I don’t know! I thought it was you who did it!” Deanna replied. “After our fight! I thought you were behind this!”

“Oh my god….” Selena turned, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand as she gazed out the large window to the front yard where her motorcycle was parked, a bitter laugh escaping her. For Deanna, it was more than enough proof to her.

“So this isn’t a joke.” She replied. “You seriously aren’t behind this?”
Another bitter laugh but this time, Selena turned her head back to her. “I am so tired of this. I’ve run out of ways to tell you. And I’m sick of all these little games of yours.”
“I told you! I’m not behind-“

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!”

The last statement rang from Selena’s throat and filled the room, casting it into complete silence. For Deanna, she could no longer find the words, her energy being bent to stop the stinging in her eyes from unshed tears that threatened to fall. “Fine…” she whispered. “If nothing has changed from the last time we spoke, I’ll be going.”

“Deanna… no.” Alejandra tried, pushing herself out of her seat. “Please stay and we can talk about this as a family.”

“No point.” Deanna replied, the bitter clear in her voice. “Not like she’d believe me no matter what I said.”

“She didn’t mean that!” Alejandra cried out as Deanna marched away, going the way she had entered to find herself back outside on the front line. She didn’t go directly to her car, instead stopping in front of Selena’s motorcycle. What happened next, she wasn’t sure what caused it.

Was it rage at SCW for that video? If neither Frost was behind it, than why?
Was it anger at Selena for all she had said?
Was it anger at herself for daring to hope again?

Maybe it was all three, but the next thing the redhead knew, she pulled the bike upright and her right foot had swung out, kicking the kickstand out before simply stepping back and letting the bike – her gift to Selena – fall to the ground with a loud clang! Quickly, she jerked her head to glare up at the window, spying Selena looking down at her with an expression that read two things: tired and sad. The anger was gone from the Snow Queen and she merely shook her head at Deanna, which only spiked Deanna’s anger as the redhead turned and got back into her car. She was speeding away within seconds, heading back to… back to…

Actually, she didn’t know where she wanted to go. But right now, she prayed that her wife had been telling the truth about that video.

Because Selena Frost was now the last person Deanna wanted to see.

_______________________________________________________________


So… yeah… Still working on a name for this segment thing, guys. Really sorry about that. I know with everyone having flashy new names and nicknames and such – SCW constantly changing, I’m sort of behind the proverbial eight-ball in that. But as you can imagine, I’ve been, understandably, distracted with some other, more pressing issues lately than the trimmings of a nickname or title for my promos. And I’ve always been a woman that favors ‘substance’ over ‘style’. I’ve never needed sparkling dresses or scandals or TMZ videos or holidays renamed after me. At the end of the day, the only thing I’ve truly cared about is being true to myself and leaving everything I have in that ring…

So, please bear with me on this as I speak my mind and my heart. I also need, if I may, to ask your indulgence on where I am going to tread because what I am going to say is something that some people may not agree with. And if that’s not your thing, change the channel, switch the video, feel free to watch someone else’s verbal rambling about ‘fortune smiling on them’.

Because I know what EVERYONE wants me to talk about. What everyone wants me to discuss. I mean, everyone saw the video right? Nobody else was highlighted last Breakdown for Fatal Fortunes were they? Not the champions, not the current talent. Nobody else got a full hype video made for them. Nope, SCW chose one former superstar to talk about and the reaction has been… well, exactly what you’d expect – so I know what everyone wants to ask me. Wants me to ‘legitimize’, right?

But, legitimately… and honestly, guys… it doesn’t matter one way or another.

I’m sorry. I know that’s a swerve coming from me, but it doesn’t matter to me. Whether or not one particular superstar shows up or not is not important to me because that is not what these two nights are about to me. Whether or not one certain wrestler shows up, bells ringing, snow falling, loudly booed by you guys or whatever – it simply doesn’t change what I need to do when my name is, inevitably, drawn. What I have to do when the pressure is on me.

And when I say that, I don’t mean about a potential ‘opportunity’ for another title or contendership. I don’t mean the other ‘unknown’ match that I could be part of. I don’t mean getting a ‘big break’ or a ‘lucky draw’ or whatever! Again, you know me, guys, and I don’t walk away from fights – I give them my all and when THAT match happens… IF a match like those happens, I will give you everything I have. You have my word on that.

But all I’ve been hearing about Fatal Fortunes from people so far has been wanting to ‘get something’ out of it. No, it’s true. James Evans wants another title, Lexy wants more titles for her little group, The One wants titles, clearly. Amy Chastaine would love a title. Everyone wants fortune to smile on them and give them ‘more’ and no one’s future is set or clear.

Except whoever holds this title. The United States Championship.

See, speaking about ‘The One’... Last week, Kristen Scott made a bold declaration that, as soon as Fatal Fortunes concludes, the United States champion will have to defend their title against her on the last episode of Breakdown of the year as part of her Trios Cash-in. Yeah. Out of the fire and into the frying pan, right, guys?

And some people would look at that and instantly feel dread. Feel that trepidation. That hesitation about whether or not they want to be thrown into that kind of mess. Like, is it ‘fortune’ to have an opportunity for this title if you’re gonna have to defend it right after against the woman that’s beaten the likes of Syren AND Kandis? Is it an opportunity to be the United States Champion if you immediately are up against the woman that broke my arm without a second thought?

HELL YES, IT IS!

Kristen Scott may be eager to ‘pass me by’ with remarks like ‘whoever is the United States Champion’, but I, personally, see that as a challenge! I see that as someone daring me to meet them and still be here – still be the United States Champion – when that cash-in occurs! Daring me to be standing there, and, dammit, it is a challenge that I readily accept!

So, I am not interested in wishing for another title or some ‘big reward’ for my ‘other match’. I am not interested in ‘adding a title’ to my collection as some sort of gimmick of ‘cleansing them’. I am not interested in proving I am ‘a hero’ or ‘the biggest star of SCW’. I am not interested in settling for whatever ‘title’ floats my way. And I sure as hell am not interested in the drama surrounding the world title or listing off every ‘good opponent’ I could face. While those opportunities will get my best if they come my way, the truth is that my focus, my heart, all I am, is focused solely on defending and RETAINING the title that I have! The title that has meant so much to me for so much of this year! The title that I went through the chamber from start to finish to retain! The SCW United States Championship!

Because when it comes to this title, there is no challenge that I am afraid of. There is not a superstar in the back, coming or going, that I am afraid of! There is not a match stipulation that I am afraid of! And that goes for every legend, veteran, rookie, mid-carder, main-eventer, even the popcorn guy if he gets drawn – I do not fear the unknown and what I fight for isn’t fortune but certainty!

And, for certain, I WANT to be the one that fights Scott’s cash-in. I WANT to be the person that survives Fatal Fortunes and ‘The One’ for the umpteenth time and be the person that brings this title into the new year of 2024!

And more importantly, with so much drama surrounding so many other titles, I want THIS title to continue to be the proving grounds for myself and everyone that comes in to challenge for it. Proving grounds to show our skills, our heart, our abilities, everything that we have and everything we bring to this ring!

Now, for those of you that think I am being foolish in focusing on ‘what I already have’ and the harder road ahead of me that comes with retaining this championship, I’ll simply show you this.

This scar on my arm? The one from where Kristen Scott broke it last year? Yeah, if you haven’t figured it out from that, then you really don’t know me, because ‘the hard way’ is how I’ve been living my entire life! I don’t want ‘easy’. I don’t want ‘simple’. That isn’t going to help me continue to forge my path here in Supreme Championship Wrestling. That isn’t going to prove to the world that I am my own woman and can stand on my own!

I wrestled under the last name of the woman that I love DESPITE knowing that I would be hated for it.
I wrestled with a broken arm DESPITE risking my career.
I took on two matches across two nights DESPITE putting myself at a disadvantage.
I demanded the Elimination Chamber DESPITE the odds being stacked against me!
And now? I seek to retain the United States Championship DESPITE the force of destruction that awaits me if I do!

I will NEVER take the shortcut. I will NEVER take ‘the easy way out’. I will NEVER hide from my problems or run from my fears! I will face them – any and all, just like at Fatal Fortunes! I will face any and all that comes my way for this title! And you can bet your butt that I will give as good as I receive!

So, I don’t care who’s “Year of”, it is. I don’t care if you’re so desperate for titles that you’ve got someone ‘campaigning’ for another shot for you. I don’t care if you’ve got some cute tagline or some crystal ball or some other ‘insight’. I don’t care if you have ‘a system’. And I don’t care if you have to scrape me off the ring from my ‘other’ match and toss me into the ring for the title defense, I am GOING to find a way to retain this title DESPITE it all!

And when I do, Kristen, you better damn well be watching! Because if I am willing to defy such odds to remain the United States Champion, if I am willing to endure things that you have NEVER endured before… then what the hell do you think I’m going to do and endure to get past you?

Fatal Fortunes… where every path is unclear and unknown, I say this with utmost honesty, my ‘path’ – my ‘way’ – has never been clearer. I have never felt more purpose. I have never felt more ready. I have never felt more excited to face the unknown and refuse to waver!

So prepare, SCW Universe. Because fate, karma, The One’s plan? The outcome of all three is beyond clear and beyond certain. It’s me… burning it all to the ground!

Checkmate, bitches!