Chapter 28

Colby bought the bus for him and Mercedes. He hired a driver and he and Mercedes found a nanny for Evelyn. Then everyone was traveling with WWE.

Seth Rollins was back in action regularly on Raw. He was feuding with Bobby Roode and the fans were loving it.

Mercedes was working in the ring with Raw superstars while traveling with Colby. She enjoyed working with all the ladies of the locker room. It was especially great working with Ashley and Pam as always.

But as Mercedes was continuously working in the ring, she was definitely ready for wrestling at a houseshow. And Stephanie planned for her to return to the ring at a houseshow. It was best to get Mercedes in the ring in front of fans, but not on Raw or at a Pay-Per-View, for her return match. It was best that way, because it would (hopefully) help Mercedes not have a freak out if she were to have one because of her attack.

Mercedes was going to appear on Raw the Monday after Thanksgiving and the Saturday following that Raw, Mercedes would have her first back match.

Sasha Banks and Peyton Royce would be feuding. Sasha was going after Peyton for the shit she had said a few weeks back. It was personal, but sometimes the personal stuff was good with storylines. In her first match, back at the houseshow, though, Sasha would be facing Billie Kay.

Mercedes and Colby spent Thanksgiving with her family. The year before they had spent it with his family. That coming Christmas, they would be spending it with his family. They were alternating years with which holidays would be spent with particular families. However, there could be compromises.

Mercedes was very happy to be in Boston with her family. She was especially happy to have baby Evelyn there with her. Every single member of Mercedes's family was in love with Evelyn. That made Mercedes was very happy.

Mercedes still thought back on when she had first been raped and her family members being ashamed of her or blaming her for what happened. She also still thought her family of being judgmental, because of her getting pregnant and keeping the baby.

"You're over thinking," Colby said to Mercedes.

It was Thanksgiving night. Mercedes and Colby were in their room of the guest room of her mother's home. Evelyn was sound asleep. Judith had gone to bed herself. And Mercedes and Colby were soon headed that way.

"You're over thinking, baby," Colby repeated.

Mercedes had just told him how she felt about her family with the whole situation of her rape and Evelyn.

"Your family does not blame you for anything! And they are not ashamed of you in any way! They are proud of you! They are proud of how far you have come in the last year! They are proud that you are going to take care of your daughter for the rest of your life! They are proud you were able to slowly recover from that! And they are happy that you have me!"

"I don't know why. I just can't stop overthinking everything," Mercedes admitted as tears came to her eyes.

"It's all right, baby. You are thinking about a lot suddenly. I think too much is happening and things are being said that is making you overwhelmed. What Cassie said a few weeks ago, about you being selfish was just part of the act! She didn't mean it! You are not selfish!

"And you want to do everything to get back into work. But that is overwhelming you and you seem a little scared."

"I am scared," Mercedes sobbed. "I am scared I am going to freeze up if I get in that ring and getting caught in a maneuver and not being able to break free. I have been able to work with everyone and break out of them. But I'm still scared."

"I know. I remember when Joe and I were having our match at Money in the Bank last year, I went to do the same move with him that I had with Glenn (Kane) and my knee suddenly giving out on me, I hesitated a little. I was scared of my knee going out on me again.

"You just need to go out there and do it, baby! You just need to face your fears! You can do it! I have no doubt in it! You are a brave and strong woman! Evelyn will have no doubts about her mother when she gets older. She will see you as a very strong and courageous woman, because you are. Even in your darkest hours and days of what happened!"

"I love you, Colby!" Mercedes said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I love you too," He replied, wiping away her tears.

Mercedes gave a small smile.

"Can we do something tomorrow?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm not going Black Friday shopping if that's what you want to do!" Colby teased.

Mercedes laughed. "No, not that. I want us to take a walk to where everything happened?"

Colby nodded his head. "If that's what you want, then yes."

Mercedes nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Of course, you can do as your please, but I'll be right there if you need me."

Mercedes nodded her head again.

The next afternoon, Mercedes with Colby by her side went to the bar where she had met her attacker, Glenn Parsons. Butterflies had been in Mercedes's stomach since they had left her mom's house and were on the way to the bar. But now the butterflies were flying faster.

Mercedes took a breath as she held onto her fiancé's hand as they stood outside the bar.

"You okay?" Colby asked.

Mercedes nodded her head. "Yes, I just haven't been back here since it happened."

"Well, I'm here with you, baby. Don't worry. We can stand here for a little bit, go in, or just walk away right now."

"Thank you."

"Anytime," Colby replied. He kissed her cheek.

Mercedes smiled at him. She then closed her eyes remembering. She nodded her head. "This way," She said, looking at Colby.

"I'm right with you."

Mercedes smiled again. She held on tightly to Colby's hand as they walked on the sidewalk. She remembered walking down that same sideway with her attacker. As they got closer to the alley she had been pushed down for her attack, her heart beated faster.

"You're all right, Mercedes," Colby said, knowing very well his fiancée was getting very tense. Mercedes looked at him. "I'm right here, beside you! It's me, Colby! Not Glenn Parsons!"

Mercedes nodded her head. She looked forward again and kept walking. You're okay, Mercedes! There's no reason to be afraid! It's just a damn alley way! Yes, it happened there, but you are absolutely safe with Colby! He is your fiancé! He is the man you love! The man who wants to spend the rest of his life with you! The man who was by your side the whole time you were pregnant with your daughter! The man who loves that daughter as much as you!

Mercedes smiled a little. Just knowing Colby was right there with her and thinking about everything with him made it so much better. She held her head up.

Mercedes stopped when they reached the alley. She walked a few steps into it, holding tightly onto Colby's hand still. He walked right with her.

Mercedes thought: This is where you took a piece of me last year, you asshole! You took me away from the ring! You made me be so afraid of almost everyone! You made me so afraid of being pregnant! You made be scared to even think about keeping her as my own! You took a lot from me. But now I am going to wrestle my first match in over year in one week's time.

And I am going to marry a man in less than a year who was there for me when I needed someone. He took care of me and was by my side the whole time I was pregnant with my daughter and his! Not yours! He has taken care of Evelyn as if she were his own daughter! She is his own daughter! He named her! She is Evelyn Sadie Lopez!

Mercedes let go of Colby's hand and walked further into the alley. She held her head high. This is Sasha Banks facing a foe! This is Sasha Banks going to step into the ring with that foe! This is Sasha Banks going to whoop the ass of that foe and make them tap out to the Bank Statement. This is Sasha Banks winning another championship: her life back!

Mercedes smiled. She turned to Colby. He stood there. He smiled when he saw her smiling. Mercedes moved over toward him, cupping his face and kissing him. He happily returned the kiss. Mercedes pulled away after a bit.

"I love you, Colby," Mercedes said.

"I love you too, Mercedes," He replied with a smile.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. Colby wrapped his own arms around her and hugged her back.

"Let's go," Mercedes said.

"You got it," Colby replied.

The two pulled out of their embrace. They smiled at each other. Mercedes took Colby's hand. The two walked out of the alley.

Since Mercedes had conquered that fear. She decided she wanted to go to lunch at the restaurant she had gone to with her friends before they went to that bar. Mercedes had loved that restaurant and she had not been back to it since that night as well.

And that fear was conquered as well. Mercedes enjoyed being back at the restaurant, sitting at a table and enjoying the food. The food she had not tasted in over a year. Yes, Mercedes had taken her life back!