Xander Valentine vs. Selena Frost

[Konrad Raab]

3 RP Limit for singles

Deadline: 5 PM ET Saturday, July 20, 2019

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: CD segment only. Developing the end of the arc. Enjoy!

June 9, 2019
Schoenburg Castle
Oberwesel, Germany
9:22pm

Deanna felt herself stir a little – though confusion was the only thing that filled her mind. She had been crying just a moment ago, hadn't she? She remembered the feeling of soft fabric against her cheek, which she actually felt now – but she felt strangely invigorated – biologically refreshed. It made no-

“Hey.” came the soft voice above her, causing Deanna to lift her head. Sapphire eyes met hers and, even amidst the flashing lights of red, blue and white, they were most the beautiful colors the younger Frost would ever see. Instinctively, she squeezed the hands that were still held within hers.

“Did I...” her voice trailed off as the platinum-blonde slowly nodded her head.
“For about ten minutes or so.” she offered a sad smile. “You really cried yourself to sleep there.”

Deanna bit her lower lip sadly, turning her head to look out the window, only for Selena's hands to rush out and cup her face, the sound of jingling metal filling both Frosts' ears. “No.” she ordered, keeping her face on either side of Deanna's jawline. “Don't look. Please. They're...taking out the bodies.”

Deanna's eyes widened before the crashing wave of reality hit her, causing her to lower her head sadly. “Part of me was hoping that this was just a bad dream.” she admitted. “That I'd wake up and we'd be back in our room, happily remarried...”

Selena nodded her head, though she said nothing. It was only the platinum-blonde that could see past Deanna's shoulder, out the window of the car – only Selena that could see the full body bags that were being wheeled out of the tower that still billowed smoke.

Only Selena that could see the death that their actions had brought...

 
I of the Storm

“The Renewal of Vows”

- Day One: June 3rd, 2019 -

Gunther's eyes widened as he saw the cab pulling into the central entry way of the Schoenburg Castle. It wasn't that he hadn't been expecting any visitors. Of course he had! He had taken great strides to ensure the that the castle walls were decorated with banners and fresh flowers of lilacs, roses, and others that his wife was better at naming than he was, were planted everywhere! Every window had been cleaned, every room dusted and vacuumed – even the ones that wouldn't be in use! Can never be too careful with these two... he had reasoned.

No, the old German has expected guests – at least two – there was going to be a wedding renewal in seven days' time after all! Problem was... Gunther had been expecting visitors about twelve or so HOURS ago!

So much for the decorations... he thought glumly as he looked around the night sky, the sun having set several hours ago. Won't be able to see a damn thing...

The yellow vehicle finally stopped a few yards from where he stood and the passenger door opened. Immediately, a woman with platinum-blonde hair stepped out, but her actions were swift as she turned back inside, reaching into to take hold of something – or someone...

“Easy!” she half ordered, half purred, as if beyond happy. “You might have jetlag.”
“Oh please!” came the voice from within the cab. “You just want to coddle me some more!”
“And you're complaining?” Selena countered with a tilt of her head before gently guiding the younger woman, her redhead, out of the vehicle.
“No. But I don't think that's what Harry wants to see.”
“Quite alright, ma'am.” That voice came from the cab driver, who Selena quickly moved to the window closest to him, gave a quick thanks, paid him in a few bills and then moved to the trunk to remove their suitcases.

“Let me guess.” teased Deanna as she followed her wife. The blonde wore a simple outfit of blue jeans and a maroon shirt, whereas Deanna wore a blue and white dress that ended just below her knees, but left her shoulders bare save for the spaghetti straps. “You're going to carry all the suitcases.”
“All meaning three?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “Hardly a difficult task.”
“Pfft... big strong wifey.” Deanna teased, leaning into kiss her wife's neck playfully.

“AHEM!” came the loud voice from the few yards away, the groundskeeper of the castle, in his black pants and brown sweater, making his voice be heard quite clearly.

Hearing it first, Deanna's head jerked towards it before she was suddenly beaming a smile that was almost as bright as the cab's front lights. Immediately, she waved her hand and skipped towards the source of the voice. “Hi Gunther!” she grinned, showing her pearly-white teeth. “Guten tag to you!”

The old man raised an eyebrow. “Guten nicht.” he stated.
“Hmmm?” Deanna asked with a tilt of her head.
“Guten nicht – you said 'good day' to me and actually... it's night.”

The tone in his voice was unmistakable. Not harassing but definitely an “Don't think I don't know you're in trouble!” tone. 

Deanna picked up on it immediately. “Uh-oh... Selena!” she called out just as the wrestler closed the trunk of the cab and stepped away from it with one suitcase in either hand, while the third, the smallest, was placed on top of one. “I think Gunther is mad at us....” she heard Deanna say.

“Well, no kidding!” Selena called back. “We were supposed to be here-”
“Twelve hours ago!” Gunther shook his head. “Do you have any idea the food I had to throw away?”
Deanna cringed a little, biting her lower lip. “A can of tuna?” she offered quietly.

Gunther's silence and a raised eyebrow was all they received for a moment before he gave them an answer. “If by can of tuna, you mean 'whole fish of freshly caught salmon – caught THIS morning at the crack of dawn, I might add!”

By this time, the older Frost, Selena, had made her way to her wife's side and was now sharing in the brunt of Gunther's displeasure. “Why did you not call?” he asked. “I've been worried sick! I thought that something had happened! What if the Frostmeres had gotten you? What if it was Brachiss? Or Evangeline DeWinter?!”

Both Frost wives looked away, the guilt written all over their faces.

“We're sorry, Gunther.” Selena stated first. “We decided to take a slight detour to visit a friend and-”
“And I then had other plans...” Deanna interjected, holding her hands behind her back. “It was really my fault.”
“But I went along with it!” Selena added quickly.
“Yeah! But she's whipped!” Deanna threw back at Gunther. “She'd do anything I'd tell her to! Don't blame her for that!”
“Excuse me!” Selena's mouth hung open in shock. “I am not whipped!”

“Pffft!” Deanna made a weird noise through her lips as she cast a glance at her wife. “Please! I've got you wrapped around my finger!” she teased, holding up her pointer finger at the Snow Queen. “On this finger-” she pointed to her ring finger. “Is my wedding ring – basically meaning I've got your matrimonally wrapped around my finger, and two fingers over is you, wrapped around this one.” she pointed back to her pointer finger.
“Matrimonally isn't a word.” Selena stated, her tone flat and her eyes narrowed at her younger wife.
“Meh.” Deanna shrugged. “You knew what I meant so it works for me!”

“Ahem!” came the voice again, gaining the two wives' attention. “Regardless, I would like SOME explanation as to what has happened. Did Nicodemus contact you?”

Both women shook their heads but only Selena spoke. “No, Gunther. He's not contacted us at all.”
“So why the delay?” he asked. “What happened?”

The two women cast a glance at each other – as if a world of words was being shared between their gazes. Asking, granting, discussing. It was something Gunther understood with the relationship with his wife, which was why he gave it the due time it needed.

“Could we...” Selena tried, holding up the suitcases. “Could we just put our luggage away? Then we can talk?”

Pursing his lips a little, the old groundskeeper ran a hand through the thin wisps of white hair that remained on his head. “Do both.” he stated, as he turned on his heel and began walking towards the section of the castle that housed the room that was to be used tonight. “Walk and talk.”

At first, he heard nothing, only the shuffling of feet and the eventual click-clack of plastic wheels, belonging to the luggage, smacking against cobblestone cracks.

“Well...” came the eventual voice of Deanna as she walked beside Gunther. “It all started when Selena was climbing a tree...”

****************************************


13 Hours Ago (not including time zone difference)
Los Angelas, California
10am (California Time)

The hot weather of Los Angelas, California did not agree with Selena. Did not agree with her one bit. In fact, in the time she had spent travelling from Quebec, soaking in a tub of ice cubes and cold water, redundant as they may have sounded, to hopping on her private plan to travel the necessary hours to reach the insanely hot state, to everything else that had happened in the past two hours – Selena had rather, in that moment, be back on her plane, making love to Deanna on-route. 

“Don’t look down!” the voice shot up from below Selena and rang in her eyes, causing Selena to turn her head in the direction she was told not to look by the woman she was just thinking about.

“You realize when people say ‘don’t look down’,” she shot back. “Everyone is going to look down, right?!”

Below her, the redhead shrugged her shoulders. “Alright… Look down, minx!” she encouraged with a thumbs up!

That… Selena thought, an irritated smile gracing her lips despite her circumstance. I am married to that…

Another thing that didn’t agree with the Snow Queen in that moment? The thirty or so feet of vertical distance between her and her wife – as well as between Selena and the ground as she stood within the central section of the upper part of the trunk – the tree she was climbing a massive presence in the yard of the hospital. She could feel the breeze blowing past her as she stayed put within the thicker branches, her hair, even in its heavier iconic braid, being whipped a little within the gusts of wind, the air making sharp, whistling sounds in her eardrums. 

It was similar to the shrill laughter that had come from the mouth of her former friends and sister, Sienna Swann. Even remembering it now, high above the ground, Selena still felt the irk in her spine and the irritation in her head. What else had she expected from Sienna when she had approached her yesterday before the pay-per-view started and asked “Can I please visit Kelcey”? The woman that did nothing for anyone without some kind of reward to smile and say “Oh of course, Selena! I know she’d appreciate it! I know how close you two have been!”

Yeah, if Trinity Street had been in charge, that would have been the response. But with Chris Cannon, Kelcey’s husband – which sickened Selena whenever she thought about it now – in charge of visitors to Kelcey and Sienna in charge of Chris – well, a shrill laugh of mockery and a “oh yes! I’ll get right on it! And all I want in exchange is your bus!”

That part Selena had actually agreed to, which had shocked Sienna. The IronAngel – much to Selena’s enjoyment – had stammered a little in shock at Selena’s instant acceptance and surrendering of her luxury bus, which Sienna had not expected. Of course, Chris had swooped in and sparred his new paramour any embarrassment, simply dismissing Selena’s request with a “family only” line. It was crap and Selena knew it because then why was Sienna allowed access it?!

In the end, and this is what hurt Selena more than she was willing to admit, Sienna was considered ‘family’ by Chris Cannon. Selena was not… and while she knew it was Chris saying it and it was total bull… it still hurt. More than she wanted to admit.

She hated that Sienna was seen as closer to Kelcey than her, even if it was bias and unfair. Sienna had done nothing but try to steal everything from Kelcey. From her nickname to her moves to her reputation to her own damn husband! Angrily, Selena’s hands tightened around the branches she held, which were thick and sturdy in her hands. This whole was distasteful. A disgrace to everything Kelcey had built her life towards. She didn’t deserve to be locked up like some kind of prisoner while she lay in a coma! She deserved to be surrounded by love, people that genuinely loved her.

Like Trinity.
Like Regan.
Like Peyton.
Like her…

Casting her gaze up, Selena spotted the target. Only a few more yards away but it might as well have been a few miles. The open window that Jennifer Helms had left open. Gods, Selena prayed in that moment that the young girl, Regan’s daughter, would not get in trouble for this. That thw vile woman known as Laura Steinbeck, essentially the brains and mouth behind The Beauty Network, would not find out and punish Jennifer. The Snow Queen had hated to get the young girl involved, but there had been no other choice. She had been the only person in L.A. in that moment and the only person that Selena could trust to ask for Kelcey’s location and to do what had been done.

Selena had known, after her confrontation with Sienna and Chris back in Montreal, that she couldn’t just walk into the hospital and be shown Kelcey’s room. She’d be thrown out faster than she had been last night in that battle royale. Not only that, but Sienna and Chris would be notified and Odin knew what those two would do if they ever got wind of this.

No, this was her only option. It was like when she would sneak out of her house back in Nome, Alaska, to fool around with Adrian Scythe – except the opposite because she was sneaking INTO a bedroom. And instead of her leaving the window open for entry, Jennifer had done that.

The only problem now was getting to said window…

Slowly, her heart leaping into her throat, Selena inched her away along the branched, her form huddled and perched on several strong limbs of the tree. She was just a few yards from the window now. Less than before. But she would have to leap a part of it, she knew, the branches thinning to tips would break under her weight if she went too far on their support.

For a moment, her mind drifted back to her grandmother – Irene Frost – WHY DID YOU BRING HER INTO THIS?! her mind angrily spat – and it had good reason to. It had been Selena getting stuck in a tree like a damn cat that had caused Irene to climb after the older woman using all her strength to climb the branches. Sadly, that strength had left her and before Selena could stop herself, the memory was playing in her head once more – even when she slammed her heads shut to try and force it out. Her grandmother, falling to her death, her body breaking in so many places from the fall. Selena, a child, stuck in that tree, paralyzed, useless to her grandmother’s dying breaths. 

“But I’m not that girl anymore…” the platinum-blonde whispered angrily before her arms and legs, simultaneously, thrusted her forward, giving the Snow Queen temporarily flight as she lunged the remaining distance to the window!

She heard Deanna gasp from below, but she ignored it. All she was focused on, in that moment, was holding her arms out as far as she could, to grip the metal of the window-sill.

And when she felt the sting of the metal against her palms, it was one of the most pleasant feelings of pain she had felt in weeks. She dug her fingers into metal slit for all she had, even when she felt her frame swing into the stone wall of the building. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, the platinum-blonde pulled herself up and through the open window, her entrance the least graceful thing she had ever done – a sort of mixture that started as a tumble, turned into a roll but, somehow ended with a plat landing with Selena lying on her back, staring at the ceiling.

“That’s it!” she whispered as she breathed a little heavily from the shock of it all. “Next time I take elevator!”

She stayed that way – her heart beating a mile a minute – as she heard footsteps coming towards the door, but they immediately began growing fainter a second later, their owner simply walking down the hall and past the door – the only thing keeping her presence in the hospital a secret.

Slowly, the young wrestler pushed herself to her hands and knees, crawling as quietly as she could towards the bed she saw a few feet away. As she reached the side, her brain, over anxious as it was, had a panic – filled moment where she feared she was in the wrong room. What if a total stranger was in the room… one that was awake?! One that screamed as soon as she looked up!

Work would kill me… Selena feared. She had enough people with Giovanni and Xander Valentine wanting to do that. Not to mention the majority of Dark Fantasy and the Beauty Network that wouldn’t mind taking a shot to remove “The Face of SCW” from the picture…

With a forced sigh to calm herself, Selena closed her eyes to force her focus. She trusted Jennifer. Trusted that she had lead the Snow Queen to the right room. Trusted that fate, despite throwing obstacle after obstacle in her life, was not messing with her now. And when she felt her heart had calmed enough for her to move, the platinum-blonde slowly opened her eyes and pulled herself up to stand on her knees, allowing her to see the patient lying on the bed…

And the sight before caused tears to form and fall from her eyes in mere seconds.

Before her lay her friend, one of the closest – along with Regan – she had ever had in her life. And while the young Kelcey Wallace looked like she was simply sleeping, her hair nearly covering the majority of her pillow, all Selena could see in that moment was the breathing apparatus that was invading her friend’s mouth and throat. The IV that was puncturing her skin, dripping chemicals into her bloodstream. Clenching her fists and forcing her eyes shut, the Snow Queen fought against the urge to tear all the foreign tubes and crap that was keeping her friend tied down, shake her awake and let her unleash her wrath upon that bastard of a husband and that homewrecker Selena was ashamed to have once called a friend, Sienna.

Instead, she allowed herself a quiet sob. That was how the anger left her. In quiet sobs as her frame shook. They were cries of failure – that she had not seen the signs in Kelcey’s and Chris’ relationship sooner. Failure that she had not been able to get her sooner. That she had allowed Kelcey to become prisoner to Sienna and Cannon. Failure that she was too weak – and too scared – to kidnap her now, take her to better doctors and surround her with people that loved her as much as Selena did.

She heard the pit-pat of her tears as they landed on her pants and the dark green blanket of the bed she now sat on, her vision, now a little misty and wavy, locked on Kelcey. Quietly, her hands shaking, she reached out to take the closest of Kelcey’s hands into hers. “Hey…” she whispered. “It’s me, Kels.” She added. “Sel…” 

The sandy-blonde-haired SCW Hall of Famer gave no reaction, and while Selena knew this would be the case, she would be lying if she denied that part of her hadn’t been hoping that her voice would have been enough to awaken the Perfect Ten. Like the fairy-tales for Elsianna… 

“Don’t be mad at me…” the Snow Queen started to say. “I’m sure you’re hearing everything around you and that I’m not supposed to be visiting you… according to…” she didn’t want to say their names. In that moment, sitting with her comatose friend, Sienna and Chris Cannon were fighting a war with Xander Valentine over who was getting the majority of Selena’s hate. True, Xander had done the unforgivable in trying to assault her wife and assaulting Mr. D., but was what Sienna – what Chris Cannon – doing that far from being just as bad? Would they even allow Kelcey to see her newborn son?

Despite herself, Selena wasn’t so sure. And it only further her hatred.

“They’re monsters.” She suddenly whispered, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Kelcey, but they are. Xander, Sienna, Chris – all of them. Truly, despicible monsters. One thrives off it and I – I know I’m going to have to deal with that, but the other two? Pretending to be good… ‘for the people’. They’re using your good name to hide all their crap, Kelcey…”

Taking a slow breath, Selena forced herself to stop. She couldn’t bury her friend’s mind with such negative things. She probably, on some level, heard enough of that every time Chris and Sienna walked through the door with their arms around each other.

“I…I’m sorry…” she offered. “I know you hear enough bad news here. Let me share some good news.” She offered. “Peyton… she’s doing okay!” she thought quickly. “There’s even…” an actual smile broke out across the Snow Queen’s face. “They’re talking about how she’s going to face Katie Steward for the Television Championship when we come back from the break – first Breakdown episode.” She gave Kelcey’s hand a single squeeze with both of hers. “I know. It’s just what she needs. And Katie’s a tough opponent, we both know that. But…”

Selena didn’t say what she was thinking. Katie – she was so much like Xander – a veteran, a legend of SCW that felt that she was owed the world. That SCW would be nothing without her – now and forever – and since winning that TV title, the “Goddess” (Selena refused to call her the ‘Queen of Queens’ when she couldn’t beat a single queen in SCW. She’s not my queen…That’s Deanna…) had promenaded through SCW with almost as much ego as Syren and Sienna. Difference was, people could just ignore Katie. She wasn’t assaulting staff or smashing buses or terrifying spouses. And perhaps that was for the best, for the platinum-blonde had no desire for the young Peyton to face someone like that yet.

“She’ll be alright.” She finally said aloud. “She’s getting close to Alistaire – not sure what to make of that but she has some people looking out for her…”

She had spoken the last few sentences to the wall, her sapphire eyes focused on the white wash that lines the side of the room. With a sigh, she turned her gaze back to Kelcey. “And I’ll keep looking out for her. We all will.”

That was a promise Selena had to keep. It wasn’t that she couldn’t sympathize with the veterans – part of her dreaded that she’d be someone like that someday. She couldn’t imagine her life without SCW and yet… wasn’t that the endgame for every superstar in SCW? A day when they would be unable to meet the standards – standards that she strove and fought for every time she stepped into the ring/arena… 

Kelcey had accepted such a thing with a grace and dignity that baffled Selena – the Snow Queen wasn’t so sure she’d be so graceful when the day came that she was told she’d have to retire…

“Regan, Kennedy, Trinity and I… we all seem to be getting along.” She offered a weak smile to Kelcey – still trying to think of positive things to share with her. “You know, I wasn’t the ‘most popular’ person back home in Nome. You know that already, but… back then, I thought you had to follow trends, sacrifice your identity to fit in – be like everyone else to belong and have friends. Imagine if I had just beaten up some of them in a classic fight or something…”

Now, the Snow Queen did not mean viciously assaulting anyone, but there was some truth to her words – as well as some humor. Her friendships with Kelcey, Kennedy and – once again – Regan hadn’t been formed from ‘same goals’ or ‘beauty tips’ or ‘power lusts’. Rather, they had been formed out of mutual respect. All three women Selena had fought and given everything she had – hell, Regan and her and almost killed each other in sheer hatred almost a year ago at Rise to Greatness…

And yet, when all the battles were said and done and the hatred was burned away – the respect emerged and from that, the young Frost had, wonderfully, found kindred spirits, even regaining her sister in Regan, who was going to coming to Germany soon to be her best woman (Deanna was going with the maid-of-honor this time. Selena would wear the suit – she had the perfect one picked).

“I wish I could whisk you away and take you to Germany.” She stated. “Hide you in one of the best, most comfortable suites so we could help you wake up. And celebrate with you…” Selena sighed. “The renewals won’t be the same without you and…”

She bit her lower lip. She didn’t want to say the next part aloud. It was too soon – too unsure what was happening. What if it didn’t work? What if nothing happened? No…it wasn’t fair to give false hope. And yet…in that moment… Selena wanted to tell Kelcey more than anything, her sapphire eyes snapping towards the open window, where her beloved redhead – her perfect, wonderful wife – was waiting for her…

“I need you to wake up, Kels.” Selena quietly begged. “I need you to tell me what to do. How to handle these monsters. How to handle… everything…”

Her eyes caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall. Had twenty minutes already elapsed?! How could that be?! 

“I…” she gazed back down at Kelcey, a few tears leaving her eyes. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave her dear friend – she almost hated calling Kelcey that because the sandy-blonde meant so much more than that to the young Frost – but she had given her word to Jennifer. Any longer and she risked being seen by a nurse or someone that would rat her out to Sienna or Chris…

“I’m sorry…” she whispered, leaning down to gently kiss Kelcey’s forehead. “I love you.” She added before she moved swiftly to the window. It took some doing to leap and nab the strong branch and climb back down to the ground, but she managed it well-enough, taking a deep breath as her feet touched the hard ground, her head tilted up to the open window she had just escaped from.

“Hey…” came the voice of her wife as the redhead leaned against the tree.
“Hey.” Selena turned to Deanna, giving her a small smile as she rubbed the remaining tears from her eyes.
“How is she?”

The platinum-blonde didn’t answer right away. In her mind, she was replaying every detail she had seen of dear Kelcey. Her features,  calm yet tired. As if her soul was worn out. The smoothness of her hair, distinction of care from the nurses. Yet…

“Same as you were.” She finally answered. “I can only imagine the turmoil her mind is going through.”

Immediately, she felt her wife’s slender arms wrap around her, a warm forehead pressing against hers. “If I know anything about going through this.” Came her beloved’s voice. “I’m certain you helped her.”

Quietly, the breathed together, their combined inhale and exhale barely a whisper to the sound of nature and traffic around the hospital and nearby roads.

“I wish I could be so sure.” Selena whispered squeezing Deanna gently.
“Trust me… it was your voice that pulled me out.” Deanna reminded the blonde.

“Well…it’s your voice I’m going to need to pull me out of all this.” Selena admitted, lifting her head to gaze into emerald eyes. “Because between this, Giovanni and Xander, Stanton, and…”
She felt two soft fingers press against her lips.

“I know. And what coming…” Deanna sighed. “I promise I’ll be there to guide you, okay?”

Leaning in, the redhead captured her wife’s soft lips with her own. The two clung to each other for as long as they could, the need for breathing eventually forcing them to separate.

“You won’t lose me, minx.” Promised the redhead as she guided her wrestling wife to the rented car that would take them back to the hangar for their trip to Germany. “Not this time…”