Dawn Lohan vs. Deanna Frost vs. Marie Jones vs. Polly Playtime

[Konrad Raab]

2 RP Limit for singles

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, March 12, 2022

[SnowQueenSCW]

Project: Black Ice

”Locker-room Talk”

TD Garden
Boston, Massachusetts 
February 24th, 2022
9:17pm

Deanna’s lungs burned and so much of her hurt. Her feet, her head, her arms, her back – was this what Selena went through every night she wrestled? 

Training with her wife, yes, the Snow Queen had not necessarily ‘held back’ with moves and slams against her – Selena wanting to acclimate her wife to the impact and damage such moves could bring, but there had been something missing, which both Deanna and Selena had admitted to. A ‘killer intent’, as it were. A desire to harm the other. 

That was not the case here. Diamond Steele had, from the start of the night, publicly declared an intention to end Deanna’s ‘singles run’ – in its first match of the kind! She wanted to hurt Deanna to the point where the redhead never wrestled again…

Never train with Selena again in their ‘forever home’…
Never fight by her side in an SCW ring…
Never have the chance to fight for the tag-

For a split second, as Deanna managed to kickout out of another pin attempt – her mind flashed back to a place she hated to go. That feeling of fear in the dark, the fear of being powerless, of being alone, of being separated from the woman she loved more than anything on this planet. In this universe.

She may have left Frankfurt Prison III almost a year ago, but – how did that saying go – LOOK OUT! her mind screamed as she ducked, her instincts driving her to tumble under the Pele Kick that Diamond Steele was sending her way!

“You can take the girl out of the prison…” her voice seemed to whisper to herself, her nervousness, coupled with the fear rampaging through her body. But you can’t take the prison out of the girl.

PTSD, nerves, it didn’t matter to Deanna in that moment as her eyes flew, for less than a second, to gaze at the worried expression of her wife – the World Champion, Selena Frost. Like Deanna, Selena was wearing her wrestling attire, choosing to be ready to act should anyone like Kim and Marie or anyone from Double Jeopardy chose to get involved with this match. Diamond…and Dawn Lohan… wanted Deanna gone and out of SCW, for whatever reason – if there was really any reason beyond their own advancement within the company. It didn’t matter. They were trying to separate her from Selena – like Dawn had done to Jordan Majors…

And I did not spend nearly two years in prison away from Selena to be ripped away from her now! She thought angrily as she grabbed hold of Diamond Steele, tossing her back with a massive German Suplex, release a loud growl and yell as she used all the energy and strength she had in her to do it!

I’m not going to let them take this from us! She thought in determination as she managed to get to the pin, her eyes flying, once again, to see Selena – and the look of surprise on her wife’s face over that last move – a move the Snow Queen never used. That she had brought out such surprise to her wife’s features caused a smile to come to Deanna’s.

There’s some moves that I learned by myself, minx… Deanna thought in contentment but was ripped back to her present as Diamond kicked out from underneath her. Crap! I need to end this… she thought, grabbing Diamond and hooking her arm- That move that Selena said I did REALLY well!. It was called “The Lightning Spiral” by others, but that name had made no sense to Deanna, and if Selena had named a superkick “The Glass Shard”, she was going to name whatever move she did ‘really’ well! 

If I can hit this – I can win and- AH! she groaned out loud as Diamond stomped on her foot, managing to get out of it. The next second, Deanna found herself, her whole world actually, suddenly upside down! She spied the smug look on Diamond’s face and, once again, the frightened look on her wife as the Snow Queen stood at ringside. Even upside down, Deanna could see the platinum-blonde’s body tense, every muscle that Deanna knew, on a intimate level, wanting to spring in and help the redhead. 

NO! Deanna’s mind screamed, her body kicking and moving of its own. I don’t care how much it hurts! You’re not taking her from me! You’re not taking her from me!

The hand slapped on the mat beside her! 1…

Not taking her… 2…

From me! 3!

The bell ringing snapped Deanna out of her thoughts, the redhead looking around, shock running through her body. “The winner of this match, as a result of a pinfall…” she heard the ring announcer, Philips (such a nice person! Deanna quickly thought), “DEANNA FROST!”

“Wait…what?” 

Deanna’s head snapped around as a familiar song filled her ears, along with the massive cheers of the audience. Her emerald eyes shot down to see Diamond underneath her, unconscious – the lyrics of the song, where had she heard that song before? 

Oh, yeah! That’s Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us”! That’s the song I chose for my theme for when I enter and when I…when I…

She would later feel embarrassed at the length of time it took her to put all the pieces together – she still hadn’t figured it out when the official had raised her hand – not even when Selena had slid into the ring and wrapped her in her arms, causing the redhead to cling to her… how she loved being held by this woman.

“Hi, Selena!” Deanna tried over the noise. “What’s up? Why’d they stop the match? Did I…” the pieces finally began to fit in her head.
“Deanna!” Selena shouted over the crowd and music. “You won!”

Emerald eyes spun to Diamond, who was rolling out of the ring to recover, to the audience cheering loudly, to the music playing – her theme music. 

“I… I won?!” Deanna asked in lingering disbelief. 
“You won!” Selena repeated, the joy more than evident on her pale features. “You did it!”

Deanna could barely believe it, even as her wife took the liberty to raise her hand and help her celebrate in the ring and with the fans as they made their way up the ramp to the back. Even as, later in the night, they were talking to their friend, Jessica Winters and Deanna had made a challenge to Dawn Lohan and Marie Jones – acting purely on instinct. 

In fact, it wasn’t until the redhead was in the shower of their changeroom, feeling the warm water pelting her face, shoulders and bare back and soaking her hair that she was able to relax and truly come to terms with everything.

She had won. She had beaten Diamond Steele in the ring… 

She was no longer in possession of the ‘worst record in SCW’. She was no longer a ‘winless loser’ – as she had called herself. She had won an SCW match…

She let that fact sit with her as the hot water soaked her skin and relaxed her sore muscles. She could feel spots on her arms and legs where she knew bruises would be in a short while. With a quiet sigh, she lowered herself into the ‘tub’ section of the shower, her back resting against the porcelain as the shower ‘rained’ upon her chest and legs. Would this win change anything? Would people see her as a capable wrestler in some capacity? As someone that could achieve… she wasn’t entirely sure what she could achieve. She had just been wanting to achieve a win after so many months of not having one. Now… it was like the training wheels had been taken off. She had her win…

“Now what?” she whispered to herself, though it wasn’t really a question as it was an analysis of what she was doing. She knew exactly what was going to happen now. She had challenged Dawn Lohan and Marie Jones to a match at the next pay-per-view – Retribution…

“My first real Pay-per-view match…” she breathed slowly, feeling her arms wrap around her bare legs. She hadn’t been thinking when she made the challenge – she had still been in denial over her win, yes – but… and maybe it was the high of adrenaline, but she hadn’t wanted that to be it. She didn’t want to ‘just wait’ for whatever match came her way. She had wanted to do ‘the next right thing’… and what Dawn had said, what Diamond had said and tried to do? She didn’t want to wait for management to ‘make a call’… so she had spoke up… made her first challenge.

Looking up, Deanna saw her reflection beside her against the shower slide-door. “You’re challenging a former world champion and current television champion AND the woman that kidnapped you last week…” she sighed, shaking her head as her mind analyzed that statement, no longer dealing with the adrenaline of her match. “What are you thinking, Deanna?”

It wasn’t a hard question. She knew exactly what she was thinking. How could she not challenge and go after Marie Jones after what she and Kim had done to Selena and her and the others? How could she not go after Dawn after nobody had said or done anything to what she had done to Jordan Majors? Hell, Dawn had seemingly been rewarded for attacking Jordan and, partially or entirely, driving the former Adrenaline champion out of SCW. 

It was… it was just wrong. Jordan had been Deanna’s friend! Selena’s too! She had looked up to the Snow Queen and been so helpful and protective of Deanna in their six-person tag match against the Brand weeks and weeks ago! In short, Jordan was a good person. Yes, she made mistakes but who didn’t in this life, Deanna reasoned. Did that warrant some bitter beatdown by a forsaken lover? 

No! Dawn and Marie deserved to be held accountable for what they had done. Marie for what she had done to Deanna, Selena, and other innocent people, and Dawn for what she had done to Jordan! And… it felt good. It did – the idea of doing the right thing. To be fighting against those that had done wrong while her wife fought for integrity of SCW and the World title? What good was integrity if SCW was full of people that wanted to cheat and hurt others just to get ahead? That’s what Deanna had felt when she had laid that challenge and when she had promoed against Diamond Steele.

If Selena was going to do all she could to make the SCW title mean something – make SCW mean something - to the fans, then Deanna was going to help however she could. Selena would take on whoever was lured towards the world title, like so many of the Double Jeopardy combatants crying on Twitter over “I beat so and so! Give ME the title shot!” and Deanna would deal with whoever was left!

Maybe it wasn’t ideal to people here wanting to make ‘a legacy’ or name for themselves, but for the redhead, she smiled at that thought. At the idea of helping her wife achieve such a dream. She didn’t need a title or some fancy trophy or some kind of “Hall of Fame” ring. She just wanted to stay with Selena and help her. Was that too much to ask?

“I love her…” Deanna whispered to herself, a smile of contentment forming across her features. Even now, after seven years of marriage, the redhead could still find herself in disbelief that such a woman was married and, more than that, faithful to her. That such a woman found her, a simple ‘Kentucky-girl’ to be attractive and desirable and someone worthy of her ‘forever’. “And now I just want to kiss her…” she added with a whisper.

And why not?! She had barely gotten what? Three or four kisses after her match with Diamond in celebratory?! That’s way too few for my first win! she thought playfully as she stood up, careful not to slip on the tub floor, and reached out to turn the shower off. Carefully, she pulled the shower door open and stepped out onto the floor towel, grabbing the larger black towel hanging on the wall hook to dry herself off. “Should at least be in the tens or twenties…” she said in a whisper as she dried her hair next. All of that accomplished, she slipped into the clothes Selena had left for her in the room by the door: black jeans and a dark-green shirt with black sleeves. The bottom of the shirt was bigger than Deanna’s waist and flowed down to her hips. Carefully, Deanna pulled her hair into a mermaid-style pair of braids that tied back around her head, leaving a good waterfall mane of red to flow down her shoulders and back. Checking herself in the mirror, Deanna could not help the smile that came to her face.

“Definitely in the tens or twenties…” she teased, though her smile faltered when, with the shower turned off, she suddenly heard voices from outside the bathroom.

“I don’t need to hear hers. She was already quite clear on that. I want you to talk her out of it!”

The voice didn’t belong to Selena. Deanna knew that immediately, knowing her wife’s accent and tone with ease. But she did recognize the voice. How could she not? How many years had she heard that voice on and off in her relationship with Selena?

Quickly, her hand flew to the handle, ready to pull it open and stand by her wife. DON’T! her mind screamed, halting her action. Why not? Why couldn’t she step out and help her beloved stand down the new television champion? What if Dawn wanted revenge for Deanna beating her girlfriend an hour or so ago? What if Selena got hurt because Deanna stayed in the bathroom?

“Why would I talk her out of it?” She heard Selena’s voice, cold and slightly detached. “She’s an SCW superstar now. She’s allowed to challenge people.”
“So have her challenge some nobody! Crystal so and so, any of those masked idiots in Lexy-Land, that guy being brainwashed by Giovanni – I don’t care!”

Deanna’s ears picked up the sound of a bit of movement on the other side. Carefully, biting her lower lip as she made her decision, she grasped the handle of the door and slowly – ever so slowly – turned it to pull the door open. Carefully, she pulled the door open enough to crawl out of the bathroom, staying low to the ground. The bathroom had a bit of hallway where she was able to duck against and still be hidden from the main-changeroom area, allowing her to peek into the room.

There stood Dawn Lohan in the middle of the room. The new champion was still in her wrestling attire but she was not holding the title she had recently acquired from Kim Williams. Still, despite the good news of being a champion again, the “Wonderful One” seemed more angry than happy, glaring daggers at the woman that sat in the sofa-chair, one leg crossed over the other.

“You could always deny the challenge.” Selena shrugged her shoulders. “Though I can’t imagine that will look good for you.”
“I don’t have time to babysit your rookie of a wife, Selena.” Dawn huffed back. “I have bigger plans in play.”
“Supreme Champion?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “You just won one title and now you’re jumping to another one just like that? That’s ridiculous.”
“Why?” the blonde woman with blue tips in her hair scoffed. “Afraid I’ll do it?”

“No.” The Snow Queen replied coldly. “But the idea that you think you can just come back, win a match or two and think you can get whatever you want is ridiculous.”

“Seems to be an acceptable trend around here, far as I can tell.” Narrowing her eyes, Dawn paced around the room. “I am telling you, for her sake and your own as well-“ she spoke slower, stressing each word. “I don’t have time to waste on a match with a nobody. I need to be fighting contenders and people that will get me to the Adrenaline title. Hate to break it to you, Selena, but Deanna is NOT one of them. The fact that you’re even entertaining the delusion that she could be a wrestler is ridiculous.”

That remark stung Deanna, who sat against the wall, her hand over her heart. It wasn’t that she cared about what Dawn thought of her, but it did strike a nerve over the possibility of such a statement being proven true.

“You know how dangerous I can be.” Dawn’s voice came in again and Deanna spied around the corner to see the woman leaning down over the couch-sofa towards Selena – a closeness that, while Selena did not flinch or turn away – Deanna’s spine went rigid and her hands tightened into fists. Get away from her… her mind growled. Get the fuck away from my wife! Still, she did not move from her spot.

“I am not my girlfriend.” Dawn threatened. “I KNOW how to wrestle in an SCW ring… and I know how to hurt people.” Her eyes flew down, taking in Selena’s features. “And if I have to take on your wife – then I’m not going to feel guilty if I give you PTSD from our last clash.”

“As I recall…” Selena replied coldly, refusing to back down. “I WON that last clash. And Deanna was there… so I’m sure she remembers it too.”

Dawn’s eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. “Tell her to cancel the challenge.” The edge clear in her warning.
“No.” Selena replied coldly. “You brought this on yourself, Dawn. Jordan was her friend.”

“Oh!” laughed the new Television Champion as she marched around the room. “So you ARE taking Jordan’s side in this?” another laugh. “You have no idea what she did to me.” The laugh turned into a growl. “She took and took and did nothing to earn it! She ruins lives without consequence-“

“Really?!” it was Selena’s turn to laugh, the Snow Queen pushing herself to her feet. “That’s rich coming from you! You want to talk about ruining lives? Let’s talk about Tommy Valentine. Want to talk about him, petal?” she glared Dawn down, using the pet name Tommy had very publicly used when flaunting his relationship with Dawn years ago.

“That…”

“Or how about that weird relationship you had with Red Rayne. Wanna go into that? Didn’t see you lift a finger to help her when she was sent to an asylum.” Selena shrugged. “Or are we talking just about lovers? Cause I’m still not sure what you and Kennedy Street went through – but better yet… let’s talk about you and me.”

Deanna felt her heart stop. She knew it was going to come to this – it had been what had kept her from jumping out and mouthing off to Dawn in the first place. The massive elephant in the room where Dawn and Selena were concerned. One that would, probably, always exist between them.

“I don’t want to talk about us.” Dawn replied sternly. “I made mistakes.”
“Yeah, you did.” Selena replied, crossing her arms. “You broke my heart and then stalked me for months, trying to take me out of SCW, trying to ruin my life because why? Because I didn’t ‘visit you in the hospital’ after you told me you never wanted to see me again? Because your ‘mommy’ told you too?”

The two stood there in silence, staring each other down, the mountain of history between them. Despite herself, Deanna spied another glance to see her wife standing there, her posture so like when she was “The Snow Queen”. Was that who was talking to Dawn now?

“Soon as you were done with me? You ran to Tommy. Then who was it?” she held up her hand. “It doesn’t matter. You eventually made your way to Jordan? And now what? How long did you wait before jumping into bed with Diamond Steele?”

“Ask Jordan how long it took for her to jump into someone else’s bed. Not long…” Dawn countered with a growl. “The breakup up was amicable. We both agreed to it!”

And yet you still attacked her?! Deanna’s mind screamed in disbelief. If what Dawn was saying was true, then there was no reason why she should have attacked Jordan except out of jealousy – THAT’S what hurt her friend?! Biting her lower lip hard, Deanna winced at the pain as she heard Selena’s voice.

“It doesn’t matter. At some point, Dawn-“

“I made you!” the voice came from Dawn and halted Selena’s words and caused Deanna’s eyes to widen. It was the last trump card that Dawn had and one that she clearly had been saving.

“You career wouldn’t be where it is if we never met. I took you under my wing! You sat under my learning tree! The friends you made? Kelcey? Sienna? REGAN? They never would have accepted you if we never crossed paths! You never would have met your wife without me making you a big star with MY tag-title shot! Everything you have now is because of me!” 

The television champion stood there, a mixture of confidence and hurt showing on her face. “Is it too much to ask for a little bit of loyalty for all of that?”

Deanna felt her eyes sting with tears that threatened to fall. She hated this woman! Because all she was doing was telling certain parts of their history! What about how she had broken Selena’s heart? What about the months of attacking Selena, who refused to fight her due to that loyalty Dawn was speaking of? What about when Dawn had taken Selena’s gold-nugget necklace and smashed it with a hammer? What about demanding Selena put her hair on the line against Dawn in a match? What about her trying to sue Selena over some trumped up sexual-harassment lawsuit? What about…

Are you mad? Or are you jealous?

The thought was in her head, but it didn’t seem quite sound like her own. Nevertheless, it was enough to stop Deanna’s mental ramblings in her tracks. After all, it was a thought that triggered her greatest fear.

At one point, long ago, Selena had been so in love with Dawn that she was going to propose to the woman. Propose marriage… Selena Lohan. Dawn Frost.

And despite herself, Deanna had always had that ‘fear’ – one she thought long dead after years of marriage to Selena – but was now crawling back to the surface like some undead fiend.

Was she Selena Frost’s true love? Or the substitute redhead that had taken Dawn’s place?

Despite herself, Deanna’s eyes flew to the ceiling, the tears slowly falling from her eyes as she bit her lower lip to keep from crying out too loudly.

“I am loyal to three things, Dawn.” She slowly heard Selena’s voice reply strongly. “My wife, my children, my beliefs.”

“And without me-“

“Without you, I wouldn’t have accomplished what I initially did. Fine. I wouldn’t have become a tag champion. Maybe the world wouldn’t have noticed me as quickly. Maybe my whole life would be different in some way…” A quiet laugh escaped her. “But the funny thing is… I don’t believe it would have.”
“Excuse me?” Dawn asked with a look of disbelief.

“Maybe you got me to a certain point of fame faster. And maybe our relationship helped me realize what I was as a lesbian. But…” her eyes looked around the room – immediately seeing the emerald eyes  that bore into hers from their hiding place. Sapphire eyes widened a little, but a smile crossed Selena’s features. “But every time I look into Deanna’s eyes… I know that I am where I am supposed to be. That we were meant to find our way to each other one way or another.”

Carefully, so as not to give Deanna away, Selena turned her attention back to Dawn. “I will always thank you for how you helped me early on and even how you hurt me and broke me and tortured me. It lead me to where I am now in its own way – or at least played a part. But if you think I owe you more than that? If you think that you are responsible for the years I put in. What I overcame on my own and with Deanna or the courage she showed for years in prison- If you think we owe you everything because you ‘picked me’ to save you from being irrelevant at the hands of Kennedy and Janeeri? Then you can go to hell, Dawn.”

The former world champion stood there, her mouth hanging open a little at Selena’s words.

“Way I see it? You dumped Jordan as easily as you dumped me and Tommy. That’s how YOU are. And when you saw someone not break like I did, but act exactly like you and find an immediate replacement? You lashed out. And THAT is what Deanna is holding you accountable for. Because what you did to Jordan? Just like what you did to me? It was wrong. And you know it. Deep down, you know it.” Selena shrugged her shoulders. “You’re the bad guy here, Dawn… and just like I did, a Frost wants to hold you accountable for your actions. And I’d be a hypocrite if I tried to stop her or stood on your side after all you’ve done.”

Standing there, Dawn clenched her jaw and Selena saw her hands tightening into fists. Deanna, meanwhile, was certain a fist was going to be swung and was quickly moving herself into a better ‘springing’ position.

“Is that your final answer?” Dawn asked between clenched teeth.
“It is.” Selena replied. “I honestly hope you will accept the challenge or that management approves it. Deanna could learn a lot beating someone like you.”

A bitter smile crossed Dawn’s features. “You give that substitute-for-me too much credit, Selena. I almost feel bad for her.” With a dismissive wave, Dawn made her way to the door. “Because now, well, should this match come to pass – then I’m going to have to beat her twice as hard because of you. Hope you know that.”

“And she is going to try twice as hard to beat you, Dawn. I hope you know that.” The platinum-blonde countered. “Don’t believe me? Ask your girlfriend.”

With that, Selena pushed the door shut as Dawn exited the changeroom. With the Television Champion gone, Selena leaned against the door for a moment before turning around to stare into the room. “You going to come out, De?”

It took a moment, but, hearing Selena’s voice, Deanna released a breath before pushing herself to her feet, turning the corner enough to lean against the wall, in full view of Selena. “You didn’t have to back me up.” The redhead replied, her hands playing together. “I am sure you think it’s stupid of me to challenge Dawn and Marie…”

“Yeah, I do.” The Snow Queen huffed, gaining Deanna’s full attention. “Dawn is beyond dangerous and Marie is no less dangerous than her sister. They both want SCW to kowtow to their demands – Dawn for the Adrenaline title and Kim for the Underground title. And you’ve given them a way to do it…”

“Wha…how?” Deanna asked, standing up to her full height.

“Deanna.” Selena sighed, reaching up to grasp the bridge of her nose between her eyes. “Kim and Marie willingly tried to screw me out of the World title despite having nothing personal against me. They kidnapped you. Dawn just tried to bully me into cancelling the challenge and trust me – that was her being nice.”

“But how does my challenge-“ Deanna stopped herself as her eyes widened in realization. Selena, meanwhile, released a sigh as she spied her wife’s expression.

“Figured it out?” Selena asked. “Kim’s practically ignoring the world title match – opting to ‘ruin Retribution’ somehow. And clearly screwing with me as had the best effect for her in the past. So imagine what happens if Marie makes you bleed? If she breaks you? If she leaves you in the ring, needing to be carried out by an ambulance? Imagine what that will do to me.”

“And Dawn?”

“After what I just did? Please.” Selena huffed with a tilt of her head, falling back onto the nearby couch that stood against the wall. “She’ll be itching to be the one to do it. If only to get back at me now.”

“Then why did you agree with me?” Deanna asked, moving to sit on the couch beside Selena. “You could have sided with her. I would have understood. I wouldn’t have liked it or agreed to it and…and… I’d be lying if I wouldn’t be a little jealous… but…”

She stopped as her hand suddenly felt warm and cool at the same time. Looking down, she spied her wife’s hands holding hers. “I didn’t agree with her because, even though I think it was stupid to challenge BOTH of them in one match… I know why you have to do it.” She sighed, her eyes still on Deanna’s hands. “And I’m proud of you.”

Deanna’s head snapped up to gaze into Selena’s sapphire eyes as they lifted to her emerald ones. “You are?”

“Of course I am.” She sighed, giving a tired laugh as well. “I am scared out of my mind about it – there’s, at least, a hundred different scenarios running through my head right now, most of which are not good… but… I would have done the same thing… It’s partly why I chose to face Kim in the first match of Double Jeopardy.” 

Carefully, Deanna’s studied her wife’s features. Of course it was what Selena would have done – Selena was the redhead’s inspiration. How many times had Selena taken up the fight against someone that hadn’t wronged her, but had wronged others, being her primary reason.

Xander Valentine attacking Mr. D. and innocent audience members.
Giovanni Aries assaulting management.
Katya and Infamous abusing power to try and rule SCW like tyrants.

Someone had to stand up to them and it had been Selena time and time again to do it.

“You’ve always…” Deanna tried to find the words as she held her wife’s hands. “You’ve always fought for what you felt was right – all alone… I… I want to show you that you’re not alone anymore.” She sniffled a little, reaching up with the hand on top of her and Selena’s hand-holding to rub her eyes a little. “I want to show you that I can carry some of that burden – that I’ll happily carry some of that burden with you. That I can work with you – beside you – to make this place better for everyone. That our friends, when they get hurt, they can come to us and believe that we will do all we can to help them.”

She heard a sigh escape her wife. “It’s often a thankless job.” She heard Selena warn. “You’re often hated by those that can’t keep up or vilified by those that refuse to. And if you slip up, even once, you lose so much headway. You’ll be constantly mocked and insulted for every mistake and failure that occurs. You may even be blamed for things that you had nothing to do with or no control of.”

For a moment, Deanna could hear the tiredness in Selena’s voice, though she understood her wife’s words. How often was Selena mocked and ridiculed each day on Twitter? Had they not just gone through The Brand’s ‘smear campaign’, which was still ongoing by the petulant Giovanni Aries? Even now, there were still declarations of Selena being a witch, or a fraud, or blaming her for the controversy of End of the Year and Body, Heart and Soul, both of which Selena had been the intended target, not the one behind them.

Was this part of the burden of Selena being what she was? Was this the hard-part, the dark-side of being “The Face of SCW”, being a hero, in the eyes of so many? Was this the burden that she constantly carried?

“Even so.” Deanna squeezed the Snow Queen’s hands assuredly. “It’s easier if there are two of us carrying that responsibility, don’t you think? I mean, many hands make light work, right?” She added, holding up their conjoined hands a little to emphasize the point.

Quietly, Selena released a chuckle before lifting up Deanna’s hands up a little more - enough to gently press her lips to them. “You always did know how to make a persuasive argument.” She whispered, pressing kisses to each knuckle. 5….6…7…8… Deanna counted in her head. 

“Of course.” The redhead smiled genuinely, a hint of playfulness in her voice, as she held her hands out to Selena’s lips. “I convinced you to marry me, didn’t I?”
“I seem to recall that I proposed to you.” Countered the platinum-blonde.
“Pssh, yeah…” Deanna remarked. “Because I persuaded you too!”
“Oh is that how it went down?” Selena asked with lifted eyebrow and nodding head. “Well, very smart, my dear. Very smart indeed.”
“Thank you.” Deanna smiled back as silence seemed to settle among them for a few moments.

“Did you mean all of that?” Deanna whispered under her breath. “What you said to Dawn?”
“I said a lot of things to Dawn.” Selena replied, her eyes locked on her wife.
“That you honestly think that, even if you hadn’t been with Dawn and all that, you still would have found me?”

“I said that we would have found each other some way.” Selena corrected. “And yes. I do believe that.” She sighed. “How else can we explain the last seven years, Deanna? How, no matter what happens – we always find each other. When you had to flee to Germany? When I ran back to Nome for months and you followed me? When I almost gave in and tried to drink myself into oblivion with the NX drug? When you were kidnapped by the Scythes?”

“Or Frankfurt…” Deanna’s voice trailed off, the redhead trying to shut down any rising feelings of PTSD regarding her incarceration.
“No matter what has happened – we have always found a way back to one another. So, I have to believe that, if we had never met in Kentucky… we still would have eventually found one another.”
“And then what?” Deanna asked slowly, her breath hitching as Selena stared into her eyes.

“Then, we would have felt that same connection we felt years ago…” she kissed Deanna’s palm.  9… “We would have fallen in love – you would have bashed down all the walls I had up, even if I was still denying what I was.” Pale lips brushed against Deanna’s wrist. 10… “And you would have ‘persuaded’ me to marry you…” Selena’s lips turned to a teasing smile as they moved up to kiss her wife’s cheek. 11… “And, eventually, we’d be having this conversation that we’re having right now about what if we had met some other way.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad…” Deanna breathed, a little distracted by her wife’s lips. “But I do love our lives now.”
“As do I. I wouldn’t have changed a thing that got us here.”

Deanna was about to ask if that included her time in Frankfurt, but if that hadn’t happened, she would not have had their third child, Amiliah. And that’s worth all the hell that happened!

“Can you just kiss me now?” Deanna blurted out, catching Selena by surprise. “You’re at 11 so far and I think I deserve more for winning my first match!” 

“Oh do you now?” Selena smirked at the redhead before dipping her head to finally, Deanna thought, capture her wife’s lips with her own. 12… Deanna thought, grabbing the front of Selena’s shirt to pull her in closer and keep her there. And I’m going to make this one last… she thought as she held firm for what felt like several minutes.

“How’s that?” Selena finally whispered as she pulled away a few centimeters.
“I think you still are only at 12…”
“Well…” the Snow Queen started, reaching up to tuck a lose strand of red hair behind Deanna’s ear. “How many kisses does a ‘first win’ acquire? Should we make a chart or something?”

“Oh, just you wait!” Deanna grinned in a rather predatory fashion before pouncing on Selena, driving the world champion to lay on the couch with the redhead over her. “’First Pay-Per-View win’ is even MORE demanding!” she laughed before descending upon her wife’s waiting lips once more…

_______________________________________________________________


Hello SCW Universe-people!

I don’t really have a name for this segment yet – not really something I’m good at. Names. I mean, Selena helped me with a few of the ones I’m using know, as well as that move I used on Diamond called “The Red Sunset” – doesn’t it sound cool!

Speaking of which, I mean... for those that watched my last match on Breakdown… 

I won… I won my first match.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I mean, for so long now, I was haunted by being ‘winless’. I didn’t think about “records” or “titles” or “standings”. None of that – I’m still not really thinking about them. But I was beginning to think that I was the one dragging Selena down with being unable to help her win matches we were tag-teamed in. I mean, it was me that got pinned the first time and it was me that caused the last match she and I had together to get thrown out… I still feel a little guilty because we were so close to beating the Brand that night! 

But, anyway, all I wanted to do was to win one match. One match so I could say to the world – say to my wife, Selena – that her investment, her belief, in me wasn’t a waste of time. That it wasn’t for nothing.

More than that, I wanted to see for myself if I could do something incredible. Something… something special.

Because guys... I’ve been with Selena for nearly seven years. I’ve watched her matches backstage, I’ve watched her matches from the audience, from at home, and, of course, right there at ringside with her.

Even before I met her, I was a fan of SCW. I was inspired by her, mostly, but also by the SCW wrestlers. For a small girl in Kentucky that had to hide who she was, to see a woman like Selena discover something similar and, eventually, embrace it about herself – it gave me courage and made me want to be part of that world, or at the very least, no longer hide who I was.

Sorry if I’m being too subtle – or maybe I’m not being subtle – I’m not sure how I sound yet with these promos. But what I mean is that me being a lesbian – Selena and SCW helped me embrace that part of myself.

Anyways, as time went on in my adventures in SCW, and I became more and more in love with Selena – eventually marrying her – the desire to be part of SCW only grew. Because now? I don’t just want to be a manager, though I will continue to do so for my wife, happily. I love being a manager – standing by my wife as she accomplishes so much here… But I also want to be a wrestler too.

I want to be someone that a young girl living at home can see and be inspired by. I want the little boy too afraid to embrace who he is to see me and be inspired to accept and love himself the way Selena did for me. I want to be something as good for others as SCW was good for me.

So…if I am going to be such a person, I need to be someone that does the right thing. That means putting in the time and working hard. My last match with Diamond Steele was the first step and was a real eye-opener. Like, wow.

Till that point, the only real opponents I had had that gave any thought to me were the Brand. Cid 
Turner, Holly Adams and Giovanni Aries – and let’s face it, they were more concerned with my wife than with me. Little more than a few jabs. Diamond was the first person to make me feel like I was the target of a very real attack. That my career could be over before it even began. But I need to do the right thing. I needed to overcome whatever nerves and fears I had and fight! 

And it’s not like those fears go away completely after just one match. It’s almost funny, guys. My wife is about to face five other women in Double Jeopardy and I am nervous about facing three. I mean, sure, she has two and then one from the other match – but what if the people that lose are bad sports? Am I supposed to think Brittany Lohan will leave ‘graciously’? She is a Lohan after all.

And yes, I did mean that as it sounded. Because Polly Playtime made a remark last Breakdown. She said that I was treated like a star when I needed Selena to get there. At first, I thought “what the hell?” because what part of being kidnapped, attacked by people bitter at my wife, and starting at the bottom of the card was ‘the star-treatment’? The rough part?

But then I realized as the days passed that Polly had a bit of a point. I was being treated differently than others that started, and the main reason was that I am a Frost. Being able to have main-event matches teaming with my Selena? Standing at ringside for the main-event of pay-per-views like Rise to Greatness? Fighting against people so much more experienced than me like The Brand?

It was because my last name was Frost. Because I was in love and married to Selena.

Now, that is something I will NEVER regret – sorry, Polly. If your goal was to make me guilty for meeting and falling in love with Selena, I’m really sorry, but you are wasting your time. Nothing could make me regret that or taking her last name. I love being a Frost – but you think that’s the only reason I am where I am… and I ask… is it?

William Shakespeare wrote, in my favorite play, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Not sure what it means? That’s okay! I’ll explain. It means that we could call a rose anything we want: A gooblegoop! A phiselfasel! A colowra! Doesn’t matter, it would still smell sweet. It would still do what it is meant to do! The name is just a name – and if that is all Polly can see in me, then what’s in a name?

The question for me then became, if Frost was my name, what would I be regardless of it? Well, I already answered that. I want to be an inspiration to those suffering like those here were to me. Those ashamed of who they are, I want to inspire them to love themselves and be strong in their beliefs. I want to be someone that does the right thing.

Which is why I challenged Dawn and Marie to a match. Because Dawn, it doesn’t matter to me how you rationalize it. Jordan was my friend. Someone that looked up to my wife the way I did. Someone that always tried to do good here in SCW. I get that you had relationship trouble but she didn’t deserve what you did. She didn’t deserve to be hurt like that. 

But watching that? I was reminded of how you did the same thing to Selena. How you hounded her after you hurt her. How you stalked her, tried to ruin her and take her hair… Is that your plan for others here, Dawn? Actions that you can justify by some twisting narrative?

A Lohan by any other name. Would she be ‘wonderful’ or just ‘evil’? Because it doesn’t matter how you spin it, Dawn! What you did was wrong! Jordan wasn’t your prisoner! She was free to leave you when she wanted to. That’s how a relationship works! But you think you can abuse that, hurt her, and then walk away? No – that’s not the right thing to me. The right thing is you needing to be held accountable to your actions. Since Jordan can’t do it now, then I will.

And yes, I know, you’re a former world champion, multiple title holder, main-eventer, Ms. Wonderful. Yeah, you are good and scary, and I wish Selena was with me, but I can’t rely on her, otherwise I would endanger her match and, just as important, I would be proving Polly right. It is scary, but it’s also right that I fight you. That I stand up for Jordan.

Just like how I need to stand up for those you kidnapped, Marie Jones, including me. Did you give any thought or consideration to us, Marie? Did your conscience tell you that this was wrong? Endangering people’s lives over what? A slight over a title? Seriously? That is so petty and stupid! Why couldn’t you just keep fighting and earning your way there? Why couldn’t you keep trying with Shaun? What did kidnapping me, Dawn, and others do for you? Did it get YOU anything? 

No, it was just you doing wrong – and I’m not sure you get why. But it doesn’t matter at this point. Because you made me feel weak that night. That night, where I couldn’t look after myself? Where I needed my wife to come and rescue me, along with Shaun and the SCW staff – I haven’t felt that weak since… well, since Frankfurt. And I swore to myself that I would never feel that weak or powerless again.

Thanks to you, Marie, and your sister, I am a liar to myself. 

But that means I need to fight to get back my power! I need to fight back to get the power you stole from me! I need to fight to give the power back to those you hurt, and yes, that does include Dawn Lohan – though I imagine she is feeling pretty powerful after taking the Television title from Kim.

The bottom line, Marie and Dawn, regardless of your names and what they mean in this wrestling workd… what you two did was wrong – it was unfair. And I can’t just sit idly by and do nothing after seeing it in one case and being a part of it in another. I need to do something – not only for SCW but for myself. For my conscience. I know Polly thinks this is all about ‘standings’ and ‘spots’, but it isn’t to me. What the honky kind of ‘spot’ can I have after winning only one match in my career?

This isn’t about that! This is about doing the right thing! And it doesn’t matter if I was a Frost or not. By any other last name, I would still be trying to do the right thing! That’s who I am! That’s who I will always be.

But as a Frost? As the Queen’s Guard? That path is so much moreso necessary for me!

For a Frost, by any other name, would also fight for all they believe in. A Frost by any other name would fight until they had nothing left. A Frost by any other name, would face all their fears and stand up to them, facing every challenge because they were fighting for so much more than just ‘a win’ or ‘points’. They were fighting for their beliefs, for their friends, for their family.

So, Deanna Frost, by any other name, will fight for what’s right tonight, at her first real pay-per-view match! Deanna Frost, by any other name, will fight with all she has against the wrongs of Dawn Lohan and Marie Jones and against the misperceptions of Polly Playtime. 

And Deanna Frost, by any other name, will still be the one that stands victorious! For SCW, those kidnapped, for Jordan, for me – for what’s right!

[Jay Gold]

Season 2 / Episode 17 / On My Own