A/N 1: Yup, another week and another chapter! Even more good news, a good chunk of the next chapter is already written too, and although it brings this story even closer to the end, I'm looking forward to sharing it with you soon.

"Seventy-seven days," calculated Laura. That's how many days it had been since Diedre had killed her sister and taken her own life. Seventy-seven days and three unexplained deaths later and all was quiet. Not a single incident. While the deaths themselves had been concerning, at first, Diedre's lab had provided all the answers they'd needed, and then some. More than enough to convince them it was well and truly over. Or, it should have been enough. More than a decade, in Laura's case and a lifetime in Carmilla's, of caution and unease was a hard habit to break. But slowly, as the days turned to weeks and then months, slowly they'd accepted their new normal. "Normal," she thought derisively. Sure it was new to them, but they were in the minority. "Well," she considered, "as normal as two dating fighters can be."

Laura tried to focus on either Carmilla's talented fingers attempting to ease the tension from her shoulders or the official taping her hands but was failing miserably. Something, anything, to take her mind off her nerves. She wasn't worried about her fight. Nor was she worried about Carmilla's as she was more ready for a fight than she'd ever been. No, it was the before and after Carmilla's fight that had her distracted. After all the times Carmilla had managed to surprise her, she was looking forward to repaying the favor. The crowd, though? That? That had her flustered. Sure, her one and only professional fight had only been in front of a few thousand people, but knowing the arena was sold out didn't faze her. At least fighting in front of it didn't.

She took a deep breath, sighed, and hung her head.

"You okay?" asked Carmilla in her ear.

"No," she thought but shrugged instead.

"All right!" announced Carmilla. "If you can't be quiet or don't need to be here," Laura looked up, "Out!" Danny pointed to herself. "Pup?"

"Stay," Laura mouthed to her.

Danny helped usher everyone out until only she, the man taping Laura's hand, and the official monitoring them remained.

"Better?" asked Carmilla.

"Much." She looked at Danny. "Thanks."

"Close your eyes," Carmilla instructed and she did as she was told. "Remember your last fight?" She nodded. "Okay, forget about the walkout…"

"Still not going to tell me what song you picked for me?" interrupted Laura.

"No, shush!" admonished Carmilla. "Can I continue?"

"Please," she answered meekly.

"Forget about the prep point." She nodded. "I want you to remember the moment the cage door closed and it was just you, Randa, and the ref. You there?" Laura nodded. "What was going through your head?"

"My game plan," provided Laura.

"And that was?"

"Impress without revealing what I'm capable of."

"You're done," the official interrupted.

"Thank you," Laura replied and then looked at Danny. "Hold the pads for me?"

"Sure, Hollis."

"What?" she asked a frowning Carmilla. "What's the point of you tiring your arms before your fight if someone else can hold the pads?"

"Fair," Carmilla accepted and handed Danny the pads. "So what's the game plan this time?"

"I thought I'd take a page from your book," Laura joked as she stretched.

"Oh, really?" Carmilla chuckled.

"There are a few things I have in mind," she revealed. "Aside from that?" She shrugged. "A thrilling, quick, and decisive win."

"That's it?" Laura nodded. "Seriously?"

"We all know a game plan goes out the window the second the first strike is thrown. You can prepare, watch videos, and envision every outcome, but in the end, your way works best." She kissed the slightly shocked look off of Carmilla's face. "Adapt. Persevere. Overcome." She smiled. "You taught me that and so much more than I've ever taught you." Carmilla blushed. "Ready?" she asked Danny.

"Almost," Danny replied and waved Carmilla over.

"Okay, but why?" asked Carmilla.

"'Cause you're the same height as Randa," offered Danny.

"You've done this before," Carmilla commented neutrally.

"We have trained together, were training together before Laura met you…" answered Danny.

"So you were training with Danny for your rematch with Randa in May?"

"Carm? You okay?" asked Laura.

"I'm sorry," Carmilla sighed. "You should…" she motioned to the pads.

"No," differed Laura as she turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"Just…" she sighed. "When did you guys break up?"

"We weren't ever really together," Danny chimed in.

"Whatever," dismissed Carmilla. "When?"

"February?" Laura asked Danny.

"The week before Valentine's day," specified Danny.

"Why?" asked Laura.

"We haven't really talked about it and I was curious." She raised an eyebrow. "Still nervous?"

"What?" blurted Laura.

"Still nervous?" she repeated.

"You were trying to distract me?"

"Yes." Carmilla smiled. "Did it work?"

"Yes," Laura replied with a playful punch of her shoulder. "Brat!"

There was a knock at the door followed by a voice warning them they had thirty minutes left.

"Better get to it, Pup," urged Carmilla.

Danny held the pads up at the same height as Carmilla's head, and as she'd held pads for Laura many times before, for the next twenty minutes everything else fell away. Her nerves? Gone. All the stress of the decade? Forgotten.

"Ten minutes," Carmilla announced. "Ready?"

"Gods, yes," laughed Laura.

"Danny? Give us a minute?" asked Carmilla.

"Of course," she replied and gave Laura a quick hug, "You've got this, Hollis."

"Thanks, Danny," they both replied.

Laura stretched until Carmilla interrupted her and took both her hands.

"She's right, you know," Carmilla said and searched her eyes, "You've got this."

"I don't know," replied Laura as she looked down to cover her smile, "I think you're both wrong." She met her eyes. "How can I have something I've already won?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I won the second I met you," she clarified.

"And then knocked me on my ass shortly after," joked Carmilla before she kissed her and then rested their foreheads together. "You've got this, Pup."

"I know," she replied.

Because she did. She'd fought, and beaten, Randa before. From what she'd seen of her fights on the show, she hadn't seen anything new. The same couldn't be said for Randa. Not only did she only have the one fight to review, but Randa had also only seen the skills Laura had chosen to show her. Namely, her striking. Randa, hell everyone, had no clue what she was truly capable of. They were about to find out.

Laura wasn't really paying attention as Carmilla led her from the locker room to the entrance of the arena, and as such, didn't recognize the song Carmilla had chosen for her until she began the walk through the crowd to the cage.

"Roar?!" she said with a laugh as she turned to Carmilla and then kissed her. "It's perfect!" She turned and walked ahead of her team, hands held above her head and singing at the top of her lungs. "I got the eye of the tiger! A fighter! Dancing through the fire! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar!"

The crowd was deafening; she knew the card was sold out, but as she was the first fight on the main card, she hadn't expected this many people. She continued to sing along, albeit it quietly, as they made their way to the prep point. She needed to save her voice for Carmilla's fight.

Laura took off her sweatshirt, running shoes and sweatpants, handing each one to Danny as she went and then turned to Carmilla for any last-minute words of wisdom.

"There's nothing I can tell you that you don't already know. You've got this. You know you've got this. You're not the favorite in this fight for no reason." Carmilla glanced at Randa waiting for her in the cage. "She might not think you deserve it, she does have more fights. But you know what you've got that she doesn't?"

"You?"

"Damn straight!" laughed Carmilla. "Go get 'em, Pup. Show her," she hooked a thumb over her shoulder at Randa, "show everyone," she motioned to the crowd, "most importantly, show yourself you deserve to be here!"

"I love you," she replied.

"I love you too."

Carmilla handed her her mouthpiece, kissed her, and then turned her to the waiting official. Laura glanced at the mouthpiece before putting it in, smiling when she saw the etched 'SBNB' on the inside of it. She held her arms out to the side for a quick pat-down from the official before he checked both her gloves and mouthpiece. She turned slightly to a second man who added vaseline to her cheeks and forehead before being directed to the cage.

She searched a moment for Carmilla as she walked, met her eyes for a brief moment, nodded, smiled, blew her a kiss, and then climbed the stairs. She paused a few feet inside of the cage to savor the experience and assess her opponent.

Truth was, she hadn't earned her favorite designation. She only had one professional fight, whereas Randa had five, not including her fights on the show. No, the reason she felt she was considered the favorite had little to do with her and more to do with a show she hadn't had a chance to compete on. Were it not for the show, and them showing her fight, most people wouldn't have had any idea of who she was, let alone think she could win.

She walked to the middle of the cage, nodded to Randa, and then held her hands over her head and slowly turned to the cheers of the crowd. Although she couldn't see most of them, she could hear them and see the dozens of Pride flags scattered throughout.

Laura stopped as she faced her corner and then chuckled as she walked towards it.

"Laura 'Flawless' Hollis," she read. "Proudly sponsored by Karmma Gyms. Sometimes Beaten, Never Broken." She looked at the top of the cage and a grinning Carmilla and Danny over her banner. "Flawless?" she mouthed.

Carmilla responded by smiling and making a heart with her hands.

"Well," she thought as she walked over, "I suppose there aren't many words that rhyme with 'Hollis'."

She tuned Bruce Buffer out as he began his introductions, listening only for her own intro, and considered the significance of this fight. In terms of her career, ultimately, it meant little; she was fighting in a division she didn't belong in for an organization that didn't yet have her chosen one. It could, however, help determine her next opponent. Do well, and win or lose she could well be fighting for an Atomweight title within a year. Doing poorly would mean a climb from far lower in the rankings.

Did she want to win? Of course, she did. Laura might only have the one professional MMA fight but she'd had least three tournaments in each of the Martial Arts she'd learned. Not one loss in any of them.

"No," she thought as she again held her arms aloft and walked to the middle of the cage at the end of her intro, "this?" She smiled. "This is all personal."

Laura walked backward to her corner, bounced off the cage when her back hit the cage, and then hopped in place several times, bringing her knees to her chest each time, her eyes never leaving those of her opponent across the cage.

"That's right." She smiled. "The leg is just fine."

She made her way to the middle of the cage, tapped her glove with Randa's, and then settled into an unorthodox stance as they began circling each other.

"Or is it?" She raised an eyebrow. "Am I protecting it? Or just messing with you?"

Only one was partially true; she was rendering three months of Randa's training useless. While Randa was training to fight a right-handed fighter, Laura had used the same time strengthening her left-handed strikes. They weren't quite as strong as her right, but they made up for it due to their unexpected nature.

They continued circling to Laura's left, both sizing the other up until Laura dashed in and delivered two hard right jabs to Randa's face and snapping her head back on both.

"That's right," she taunted mentally, "no holding back this time."

Before Randa could reset she hit her with another two stiff right jabs followed by an inside leg kick that almost took her leg out from under her.

"Oh yeah," she smiled, "leg's fine too."

Randa got her feet back her only to be rewarded with two more right jabs to her face, the second splattering blood across it. Laura took no time following it up with a big looping left hook which she thought missed but used its momentum to pivot on her right foot and swing her left foot up and towards Randa's head. As it connected she grabbed Randa's outstretched arm, pushed off with her right leg, secured Randa's arm between her legs, pulled them both to the ground, and secured the armbar as they landed.

She pulled back on the arm and waited for the tap but was instead shocked when the referee pulled her off before it came. Laura looked at Randa as she let the arm go and then scooted away on her behind.

"Must have gotten knocked out by the fall," she reasoned as Carmilla knelt beside her and hugged her.

"What the fuck was that?" she questioned as she held her at arm's length.

"Reverse flying armbar?" she offered after taking out her mouthpiece.

"You sure about that?" Carmilla asked and pointed to one of the monitors replaying the end of the fight. "Thought you said that kick was too flashy to be effective?"

"It is!" she laughed as she accepted Carmilla's hand up. "I was using it to set up the armbar!" She pulled her into a hug and looked over at a slowly recovering Randa, her face covered in blood. "What happened to her nose?"

"Your last jab," provided Carmilla. "Maybe we should get your interview over with now?" She smiled. "You know? Since you finished so quickly?"

"I guess." She shrugged and then walked over to Randa's corner while Carmilla went to arrange it. They'd originally hoped to forgo Laura's interview to give Carmilla more time to prepare for her fight, but it seemed that it was no longer necessary. She tapped the shoulder of the man nearest her and asked if she could speak to Randa. He asked her, she shrugged but nodded in response.

"Sorry about that," she greeted as she knelt beside Randa who they'd propped against the side of the cage.

"Sorry?" scoffed Randa once she moved the ice pack from her nose.

"I didn't think the kick would land." Randa laughed and shook her head. "What?" she prompted.

"I didn't see anything after that second jab broke my nose," she revealed." And," she nodded towards the monitor, "by the look of it, I was out as soon as that left connected."

"The left connected too?" She watched the end of the fight again, this time in slow motion. "Every. Single. One?" she thought as she turned back to her. "I was trying to set up the submission."

"Well," Randa reached out with her uninjured arm and pulled her into a hug, "you did that. Good fight."

"Thanks," accepted Laura. "And thanks for taking the fight."

"So much for redemption," Randa joked as she pushed her away.

"Rematch?" she offered.

"No!" she laughed. "I'm three and oh against the two of you, I'm done."

"That's fair," Laura chuckled and leaned in. "You'll want to stick around for after Carmilla's fight, she's got a surprise for all the semi-finalists." She turned at a tap on her shoulder.

"It's time to announce the winner," advised Carmilla.

"Carmilla?" Randa piped up, "Good luck."

"Thanks." Carmilla took her hand. "Shall we?"

Carmilla left her in the middle of the ring with the referee and the two waited for Randa to join them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," started Bruce Buffer, "the referee Herb Dean has called a stop to this contest at forty seconds of the very first round. Declaring the winner by Knockout! Laura! 'Flawless'! Hollis!"

The crowd went wild as the referee held her hand aloft. She shook her head and laughed;
"Knockout?" That wasn't the plan at all. She'd wanted to finish, and finish fast with style, but she hadn't meant to injure Randa in the process. But, she reasoned, if she had to lose, a quick knockout loss could be easier to recover from professionally if not mentally or physically.

"Laura! Hey, hey, over here," Joe Rogan got her attention. "Ready?" She nodded. He waited for the microphone to go live and then started; "Wow! Just, wow." He looked up to one of the screens. "Walk us through the end here," he prompted and held the microphone to her.

"I was setting up the armbar," she revealed to his surprise. "I didn't even think any of those landed until I saw the replay."

"So you were waiting for the tap?" She nodded. "What was with the stance change? Were you trying to protect the leg?"

"No," she laughed and shook her head, "the leg's fine." She shrugged. "I knew she'd be training for a righty. I figured if I could use it to my advantage and use it quickly before she could adapt, I could finish the fight fast." She smiled. "You know, so my girlfriend, Carmilla!" she shouted. "'Karma'! Karnstein!" she finished to the crowd's cheers and Carmilla's embarrassment. "So she can have as much time to prepare for her fight as possible."

"What's next for you?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "We've got a vacation planned and then after that?" she smiled. "I guess I'll see what I'm offered."

"Well," he smiled, "After that performance, I know I'm not the only one looking forward to seeing you fight again. Your winner, Vancouver, Laura Hollis!"

The crowd cheered again as Danny and Carmilla enveloped her in a hug and then, after stopping for a quick team photo, they left the cage and hurried back to the locker room.

"Can you guys give us a few minutes while we have them?" Carmilla asked the group at large when they reached the door. They all nodded and all but Danny wandered off, the redhead opting to stay close to the door.

Laura opened the door, Carmilla following close behind and then pulling her into her arms and kissing her deeply as the door closed.

"How the fuck am I supposed to beat that?" joked Carmilla as she stepped back and started taking the tape off of Laura's gloves.

"Who says you have to?"

"What about our 'bet'?"

"I didn't finish the fight fast because of our bet," she pointed out as Carmilla pulled off her first glove. "I did it so you'd have more time to prepare." Carmilla looked down as she pulled off Laura's second glove. "Hey," she prodded and waited for her to look up, "I wasn't trying to steal your thunder."

"No, I know," Carmilla replied neutrally, "you just did what I told you to do." She smiled. "You proved why you deserved to be the favorite."

"Not in the way I wanted to though," she sighed.

"Wait!" Carmilla laughed, "You're actually disappointed with a knockout?"

"I wanted the submission!" she protested to Carmilla's laughter. "No!" she smacked Carmilla's arm with her free hand as she only laughed harder. "I didn't want to injure her!"

"You were in a fight!" laughed Carmilla.

"You know what I mean!"

"I do," she admitted as she caught her breath, "Maybe next time if you don't want to knockout your opponent, don't throw your strikes with everything you've got?" She smirked as she started working on the tape on her hands. "But I get it, you wanted to prove you could've finished your first fight anytime you wanted?"

"Maybe," Laura conceded. "Or maybe, because this fight could hurt her career more than mine, I wanted to give her a chance to bounce back from it?" Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "I weighed in at a hundred and twelve," she reminded her.

"So?"

"We both know I don't belong in this division…"

"I think tonight's performance begs to differ," interrupted Carmilla as she started work on her other hand, "Not to mention your last win against her."

"Exactly."

"I don't follow."

"I've beaten the same fighter twice." She flexed her newly freed hand. "What happens when I'm faced with someone even bigger?" Carmilla had no response." We both know technique only overcomes a size difference for so long. Isn't that why you always planned to finish Danny so quickly?" Carmilla considered a moment and then nodded. "That would be me, more often than not, in this division."

"And if you moved down a weight class you'd probably be fighting for a title within a year," Carmilla reasoned with a smile. "It wouldn't be the UFC though."

"Gee, thanks."

"Who knows?" Carmilla said as she hugged her. "A few more fights like that and you just might do for the Atomweight division what Randa did for women's MMA."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"Bring it to the UFC?"

"You think?"

"Could you imagine the knot the religious right's panties would be in? Dating female UFC Champions? The storylines alone!"

"Not to mention," Laura laughed, "Lilita rolling in her grave."

"Now that," said Carmilla growing serious as she took Laura's face in her hands, "should be motivation alone." She kissed her. "Besides…" she trailed off at knock at the door. "Come in!" she called.

"Time to wrap your hands Ms. Karnstein," the same official who'd wrapped Laura's hands informed them.

"Can I use the bathroom first?" He nodded. "Thanks." She kissed Laura's cheek. "Be right back."

Laura waved Danny in as the official got ready to wrap Carmilla's hands.

"You remember the plan?" she asked her once Carmilla was safely in the bathroom.

"I thought I was done lying for you Hollis?" asked Dany as she handed her her jeans and a Karmma sweatshirt."

"I need you to keep her calm, you don't have to lie…"

"Cover for you then," interrupted Danny. "It's fine, Laura," she rushed to assure her, "I'm happy to do it."

"You are?" she asked skeptically.

"Does she make you happy?" Laura smiled and nodded." I think I know the answer to this one, obviously, but; do you see a future with her?"

"Even though I have no idea where that future will lead us," she smiled as she took off her shorts and slipped on her jeans. "I know it's with her."

"Did I hope, once upon a time, that it'd be you and me?" She shrugged and looked at the bathroom door. "Maybe." She looked back at Laura. "But I see you with her, I see how happy you both are…" She shook her head. "Did it bug me at first?" She took Laura's arms in her hands. "Sure." She squeezed her arms. "But then I realized if I cared about you, about both of you, I should be happy for you." She pulled her into a hug and whispered as Carmilla returned; "It took a while, but I'm happy to help."

"Thanks, Danny, I owe you."

"Yeah, you do," the redhead laughed as she pushed her away. "Nice knockout, by the way."

"I was going for the submission!" she protested.

"You're upset?" mocked Danny.

"She is!" affirmed Carmilla as she took a seat and waited for hands to be taped.

Laura looked over at one of the monitors where they were again replaying the end of her fight.

"It was awfully pretty," she accepted. "I can't believe they all connected."

"That left haymaker was a thing of beauty," praised Danny

"Thanks." Laura pulled on her sweatshirt to cover her blush. "What were you going to say?" she asked Carmilla.

"When?"

"Before we were interrupted?"

"Oh." Carmilla thought a moment. "Better we not fight in the same division?"

"Fewer questions about us fighting each other?"

"Precisely," Carmilla smiled. "But…" she shook her head. "No, he'd never go for it."

"Who go for what?" questioned Danny.

"The Ultimate Fighter; me versus Laura with a season-ending exhibition fight at a catchweight of a hundred and ten?" She raised an eyebrow. "No belts at stake?"

"Just bragging rights?" offered Laura.

"Maybe filmed at our brand spanking new mountain training facility?"

"Six weeks together but apart?" pointed out Laura.

"Maybe we could compromise?"

"Go on…" she prodded.

"Weekends off? Saturday morning to Sunday evening?"

"Maybe," she considered as she started massaging Carmilla's shoulders. "Certainly would be a unique show." She paused and then asked; "Do you think he'd go for it?"

"Maybe to introduce a new division?" Carmilla proposed as she looked over her shoulder. "If neither of us is holding a belt, maybe the winner gets the next title shot in their chosen division?"

"That could work." She kissed the top of her head. "Let's get through tonight first, yes?" Carmilla nodded. "Okay, close your eyes and start focusing."

As Laura spent the next hour helping Carmilla prepare for her fight, she found her nerves, the same nerves she'd so successfully suppressed for her own fight, come rushing back. It wasn't just what she had planned for before and after Carmilla's fight that had the butterflies in her stomach all aflutter. It was, despite all of her careful planning, that she could still so easily screw it up. She could still say 'No'.

"Ms. Hollis?" She lowered the pads that Carmilla had been hitting and looked at the door. "We need your post-fight sample." She glanced at the monitor; the fight before Carmilla's was coming to an end.

"Right." She took the pads off and handed them to Danny. "Be right back." She kissed Carmilla on the cheek and followed the official out and over to the nearest bathroom. "Do you know if everything is ready?"

"I do, it is," he nodded towards the entrance of the arena. "They'll be ready when you are."

"Who says I'm ready?" she thought as she took the sample container from him and headed into the bathroom. She took a deep breath. "It'll be worth it if it works." She smiled. "I've already pulled off one miracle tonight, what's another two?" She finished providing her sample, washed her hands, exited, and handed her toilet paper wrapped sample to the official as Perry handed her a cup of warm tea.

"Ready?" asked Perry.

"Not sure," she admitted. "Doesn't matter, she's worth it."

A/N 2: Hey Creampuffs! How ya all holding up? It's my birthday today and how better to celebrate than giving you all the next chapter? Originally I'd planned to have both fights in one chapter but decided against it for two main reasons. 1). after all this time both Laura and Carmilla deserved a chance to have their moments to shine. That might not have happened if I had both fights in one chapter and started worrying about length. 2). My girlfriend said it was better in two chapters to draw the story out just a little longer. And, as an added bonus, you get another chapter sooner rather than later.

Thanks for all the feedback on the last chapter, it really does help with the ole' writer's block. Also, I was shocked to find out that someone else is Tweeting about my updates, so thanks for that too.

I hope everyone is staying safe, happy, and healthy. Until next time Creampuffs, I'd apologize for the sorta cliffhanger, but you probably won't have to wait long for the conclusion!