A/N: A big thanks goes to BreakTheWalls and Leasha Ambrose for the wonderful reviews. Also a thanks goes to everyone who is continuing to read this. We are down to the final chapter; but the story doesn't completely end there. A sequel is in the works and will follow directly right after this one. I hope you all continue to follow me on this journey in telling this story.

Chapter 22:

Going All Out

Karina

Today was the day. Today was All Out and I was nothing but a bundle of nerves. After seeing Kenny last night, I thought I would feel better about the things that were going to happen. As it turned out, it didn't help at all. I was still worried about Adrian and rightfully so. Upon waking this morning, there had been a message from him waiting for my eyes. "I will see you soon…" was all it said; but it was enough to get my stomach twisted into a knot.

I closed my eyes for a moment, pushing the negative thoughts to the back of my mind. There was far too much happiness to let a single person ruin it. Shay ran her fingers through my newly dyed hair. Kenny wasn't the only one who had missed the aquamarine hair. It was my trademark and I was foolish to think that it would change.

"Are you ready?" She asked softly, coming to sit down next to me on the edge of the bed I slept in.

"I believe I am." I answered, turning my head to meet her gaze. She smiled, her glossy lips shimmered under the lighting of the room.

We stood up together and left the room together, pulling my bag of ring gear behind me. It didn't take long for me to drive to the Sears Center. There was so much going on inside the building. Stage workers were quickly putting things into place, testing the sound system and putting the finishing touches on the ring.

Shay was in awe with everything she was seeing. She had fully admitted that she really didn't know much about wrestling and at this point, I believe she was curious now. There weren't too many talents backstage that I could introduce her to, though it was still fairly early in the day. It was almost ten in the morning and I was searching for Cody.

"Karina!" Brandi shouted from the other side of the hall.

"That is the Chief Brand Officer, she's also Cody's wife." I whispered to Shay before approaching the woman addressing me.

Brandi's long hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She was dressed in comfy yoga pants and a bright pink tank. Clearly she had just come from a workout when she had spotted me. "What's up?" I asked, standing close to my sister in the process.

"I wanted to formally meet the sister I've heard about."

"Right! This is Shay."

"It's nice to finally meet you."

She extended her hand out to Shay, in which she accepted fairly quickly. There was a smile on her face. I honestly expected her to be shy when meeting new people; but she was anything but that. They started to talk about little things. Witnessing her laugh, my heart started to flutter.

Cody turned the corner from the other side of the hallway. His eyes caught mine almost immediately. There was a happiness about him that I hadn't seen before. Of course, there was a perfectly good reason to be happy. 'All Out' was going to be another step forward in the wrestling profession and the fans were in for a real treat.

"Kenny said you wanted to speak to me."

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that you are okay with the storyline."

"It's great, I just didn't expect this much screen time so soon."

He chuckled lightheartedly. He shook his head and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You are perfect for the role and we have every confidence that you will knock it out of the ballpark."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Brandi moved to stand next to her husband as Shay closed the distance between us. This was a big day for not only me; but for all the athletes on the roster, including Kenny, who I'm sure was busy getting prepared for his match against PAC.

Telling them that I'd see them later, we walked away and entered my own locker-room. It was quiet and the silence only got me thinking about what was to come. "Are you sure that your ready for this?" Shay asked, sitting down on the edge of the nearest chair.

"Yes, I've been ready."

Kenny

All the morning meetings kept me busy clear up until it was time to film a pre-tapped segment that would be used to hype a pending feud moving forward in the women's division. That was the first time I'd seen Karina all day. The first thing I noticed was her hair color change. It brought a smile to my face, kind of reminded me of the first time I'd ever laid eyes on her.

After the segment was done, I had to leave and take my place in production. It was time for the 'Buy In' to take place and the fans were starting to get loud. I could hear Excalibur talk about the Women's Casino Battle Royal. Goldenboy made a notion of an incident that had taken place earlier in the day, which was the pre-tapped segment we had shot earlier on.

The video was played and shown to the world. Karina was walking backstage alone sipping from a bottle of water until it was smacked out of her hand by Nyla Rose."I really hope you aren't here to enter the battle royal." She said, staring Karina up and down.

"And if I was?"

"You won't last five minutes." Another voice entered the fray. A voice I knew she cringed inside upon hearing.

PAC approached, looked Karina up and down before sneering at her. Nyla held a coy smile upon her face."Five minutes huh? I beg to differ." Rina replied, standing her ground.

"Just because you a member of the 'Elite' it doesn't make you immune to pain that inevitably will come your way in that ring." Nyla said, standing inches away from her.

"Is that a threat, because it sounds more like jealousy to me."

It didn't take long for things to get out of hand. The two women immediately went after each other. PAC simply laughed until I involved myself into the equation. Wrapping my arms around Karina waist, I pulled her back towards me and away from Nyla.

Her hair was a mess and the intensity in her eyes spoke volumes and if I was honest with myself, it was incredibly attractive.

Once the video package was over, Justin Roberts took over with announcing duties. He explained the rules of the match to the crowd and the show was finally underway. The women that drew the Clubs Suit from the deck of cards started to make their way down to the ring, which included Nyla Rose, Leva Bates, Priscilla Kelly, Shalanda Royal and Faby Apache.

Nyla proved in quick fashion just how dominant she really was in the women's division. In a matter of minutes she had eliminated the four participants in the same suit. The crowd was hot for the match as they counted down the seconds left before the next suit would make their entrance. It was the diamonds, which included Dr. Britt Baker, Shazza McKenzie, Big Swole, Penleople Ford and Sadie Gibbs.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Karina approach the gorilla position. Her hair was down in long ringlets down her back. She bounced from side to side, warming up her muscles a little more. Her eyes connected with mine for a moment before I returned to the monitor in front of me.

At this point, the spades had made their way to the ring. Tenille Dashwood, Ivelisse, Brandi Rhodes, Bea Priestley and Awesome Kong were the next participants. Nyla was racking up the eliminations along with Britt, who was now seeing red at the sight of Bea Priestley. She was no longer concentrated on the match. The only thing she wanted was revenge.

Shifting my eyes away from the screen again, I could see Karina was standing alone now that the hearts were making their way to the ring. It looked like she could use some encouragement from anyone. There nerves were clearly written on her face. "Karina, you are up in five." Cody announced.

She walked closer to the stairs that would lead her to the stage. Her long silver coat almost dragged on the ground as she stopped momentarily next to me. Discreetly, I reached for her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. She turned her head in my direction, curling her fingers around my palm.

"And the woman who drew the joker…" Justin announced.

'Finally Free' started to play, getting the crowd up from their seats. Our hands separated as she moved to walk up the stairs to step out onto the stage. Once she appeared, the crowd started to scream. Nyla stopped mid-punch to stare up at her. "From Jacksonville, Florida...Elite member...Karina Dawson!"

She stripped herself of the long coat and revealed her well kept secret ring gear. A large mix of lace and vinyl of a silvery color. The top was a halter, tying neatly behind her neck. There was also a small hole right above where cleavage would be normally. Her stomach was bare to the world, revealing tattoos that I hadn't seen before on her right side and right below her hip bone on the left side.

Small shorts clung to her bottom half, giving the audience quite the visual of her assets. She leaned over the barricade to hug Shay, who was standing front row. Nyla's eyes never left Karina's as she slid into the ring standing face to face with her new found enemy. 'Rina' chants erupted within the Sears Center and it only seemed to infuriate the Native Beast more.

She swung wildly and Karina ducked under and rolled into the ropes, bouncing off them to give her more momentum to strike back. Wrapping an arm around Nyla's neck, she planted her with a DDT. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the other competitors surrounding her from all sides.

Bea attempted to clothesline her over the top rope. Karina counted with her legs wrapping around her neck, pulling down her arm in the process. It was a modified triangle, a submission. Britt came from behind and eliminated Bea, gaining a small measure of revenge. Karina rolled back into the ring and stood back face to face with Nyla, who had gotten back to her feet.

Bea got back up onto the apron and pulled at Britt's arm, making it easier for Nyla to eliminate her. Britt was devastated at the loss and immediately chased down her adversary. Karina was distracted by the outside fight and it cost her. Nyla rushed in from behind and clubbed her in the back of the neck, sending over the top rope to the floor. The winner was Nyla Rose and she was now one of the participants for the Women's World Championship.

"I told you what would happen if you got in here." Nyla taunted, as Karina got back to her feet.

Karina

I slowly made my way back to the back. The disappointment was clear as day on my face. Kenny was there waiting for me with a smile upon his face. I wanted to smile back; but I just couldn't. My performance out there was not what I had hoped it would be. It was far too short to really show the world what I was capable of.

"I'm sorry that we had to cut the match a little shorter. I know you wanted to show the world what you could do." He said, taking a step closer to me.

"I did; but I get why it was cut short. I think most of us were having fun out there. It got a little carried away." I answered, stepping out around him to make my way back to my locker-room.

My heart clenched walking away from him like I did. Shay was still out in the audience watching the show, so I was alone in the room. I tossed my coat on top of my travel bag and pulled out a change of clothes. The next part of my night was the section I was least looking forward to.

I dressed in a pair of distressed black jeans, matching them with black suede boots that reached to my thigh. The top I chose was a white mesh crop that covered over my black bralette. Tonight was supposed to be special and I felt like I had let the fans down in some way. I knew that the time restraints were out of my control; but at the same time, there was so much I needed to prove.

"Karina…" Britt's voice entered the room.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to act like nothing was bothering me.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did a fantastic job out despite the time restraint. I can't wait to share the ring with you again."

Britt genuinely seemed to care about how I was feeling at that moment and I walked slowly to where she was standing. I extended my hand out to her, hoping she'd accept the gesture. She smiled and did just that. "Thank you." I said, letting go of her hand turning to leave the room.

The show had continued on despite my absence from the production area. Brandi was in the middle of the hallway waving me to come closer. Sprinting towards her, I could see what was going on and why she was frantic. Kenny's match had begun already and my next role was to take place in a few minutes.

"Where were you?" Brandi asked, placing a hand on my bare arm.

"I needed a moment to recollect my thoughts."

"Understandable, are you sure that you want to do this?"

"I have to or I'm never going to be able to move forward. I need to face this head on."

She simply nodded her head and allowed me to continue on. Kenny was battling PAC in the middle of the ring. It seemed as though he was getting the upper hand on the British Native and the man who had sent me spiralling into a sea of depression for far too long. The fact that they both had speed inside that ring made them almost equal and it was back and forth for most of what I had seen on the screens.

Nyla came through the crowd and picked up a steel chair, slamming it closed. Kenny argued with her, not understanding why she was even out there. He took his eyes off his opponent. I rushed up the stairs and ran down to the ring, kicking the chair out of Nyla's hands. We exchanges hands until she slammed me back first into the apron.

"Mind your own business." Nyla yelled, as she grabbed me by the hair, pulling me to my feet.

She held my arms behind my back tightly, forcing me to watch as PAC locked in the 'Brutalizer' submission on Kenny. He tried to fight it, refusing to submit to the hold. I screamed out for him to stay awake, for him to continue the fight. Nyla was laughing behind me as I struggled to get free; but it was too late.

Kenny had passed out and the referee called for the bell to end the match. PAC had his hand raised in victory and I sneered at the image. Nyla backed off and retreated back through the crowd, the same way she had come in the first place.

"Are you okay?" I asked, seeing Kenny's eyes open.

"No…"

I knew he was upset with the match. Once again, there was a time restraint. He slid under the ropes and touched down on the floor. I held onto him, knowing that he wasn't fully awake yet. We slowly made our way back to the backstage area. There was a look of concern on Shay's face as we passed her.

The trainer wanted to take a look at Kenny before he did anything else. I sat down in the chair next to the table-bed, watching and listening to what they were saying to each other. I couldn't help but feel like PAC enjoyed everything he did tonight a little too much. Perhaps, it was a message directed at me.

"I'm going to have you step outside, okay." The trainer told me.

I did as he asked and I stood outside the door, waiting. There was so many things going through my head. Was he truly okay? Would I really be able to live up to Cody's expectations? Of course, Shay's personal favorite, would my feelings for Kenny ever be accepted? Even with all those unanswered questions, I still felt happy underneath all the worry for his well being.

The trainer opened the door and welcomed me back inside as he left the area, leaving us alone. Kenny was sitting up with an ice bag propped on the back of his neck and shoulders. I returned to sit down in the chair beside him. "Boy, I really fucked up tonight." He commented.

"What do you mean? The match was perfect. I'm always in awe watching you."

"I underestimated how far he would take things on a personal level."

"Did he say something to you?"

Reaching behind his head to take ahold of the ice bag, he moved it to rest on his lap. I curled my bottom lip in under the top one, waiting for an answer to my question. For him to be this discouraged, Adrian had to of said something to him during the match. "It doesn't matter. What matters is right in this room."

I froze, understanding what he meant by that statement. There was no other person or object in the room other than me. Standing up, I took the ice bag in my hand and placed it back onto the back of his neck. He took my free hand into his own, rubbing the pad of his thumb across the sensitive skin of my knuckles. "I think this is as good of a time as any to admit something."

"Admit what?"

"I care...far too much to let whatever this is between us go away. I don't want him to ruin anything, because you are the reason I've been able to move forward and smile again."

He slid down from the edge of the table-bed and stood before me, the ice bag falling to the floor behind him. The words were out of my mouth now and there was no going back. It was in the open. It was up to him to decide where we go from here. "Tell me, before I answer that, who was your song 'Alive' written about?"

"I think you already know; but if you want to hear it straight from my mouth...it was you."

His lips were on mine in a split second. His fingers tangled themselves in my hair as I rested a hand on his bare chest. My heart was racing and all I could do was enjoy the moment for however long it lasted. I had forgotten all the bad things that had happened earlier on and solely focused on him and only him.

Drowning in the sensations, it hadn't dawned on us that we had company until a voice was heard. "Good lord, get a room." Nick said, covering his face with his hand. We separated immediately and a blush appeared on my cheeks.

"Are you done?" Nick asked, peeking through his fingers.

"Yes." I quietly answered, shying away back towards the chair I had been sitting in earlier.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you have a match coming up?" Kenny answer, a little irritated by the interruption.

Matt, Cody and Adam all peeked around the corner of the open doorway. The Elite was all in one place. Kenny smiled, realizing that they all came to check in on him. When it came right down to it, they were all a family. Standing up, I moved to weave through them in attempts to leave. My hand was caught by Kenny. "Where do you think you're going? You are a part of The Elite too remember." Matt teased.

"To answer your earlier statement...he isn't going to ruin anything. I promised you that I wasn't going anywhere and I meant that. Let's see where this goes."

I smiled, allowing him to pull me back into his arms. He kissed the top of my head lovingly before Matt made a comment that got the group laughing. "It's about time."