Throttle arrived in Salt Lake City, UT in about 6 hrs. He figured this was a good place to stop for the night. He saw a flyer at the hotel he was going to stay at. He saw Michelle's name on the flyer and got upset. He asked the person there at the front desk where this event was at.

"That's at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. The address is 301 West South Temple. I'm selling tickets for the event tonight. You interested?"

"Actually, I am. I've never gone to a live event. Who's this former champ, M.T.?"

"Not sure, but she's going against the new champ. It's the main event tonight."

"Sounds like it should be an interesting night. I'll buy a ticket and I need a room for tonight. I have a long ride ahead of me tomorrow."

The front desk guy saw the bike parked out front and whistled.

"That your ride?"

"Yep. I've had her since I was 16. My dad gave her to me after I graduated high school. She's been very good to me."

"That's good. You're in luck, I have one room left. I'll give you a discount since you're buying a ticket to the event tonight."

"Great! Thanks!"

Then Throttle paid for both the room and the ticket. He was determined to talk with Michelle before her match tonight. He had no idea that she was an MMA champion.

The front desk guy gave Throttle his room key and the ticket for the MMA event, then he headed for his room to change clothes, then head over to the arena to try to talk with Michelle.

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After Throttle changed clothes, he got on his bike and headed to the arena to talk to Michelle. He was hoping that he was able to and that she wants to talk to him. He knew it was very important to reconnect that bond that she's trying to severe. Throttle also knows that what she's doing isn't normal for her. She's acting out and going for blood. He remembers the last time the bond was almost severed, he saw the look of blood lust in her eyes. Without her in front of him, he knows she has the same look in her eyes.

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He arrived at the arena an hour later. He was glad that Charley had put in a navigation system on his bike a while back. He also had her put in a GPS system. What he never told Michelle is that he had Charley put a tracking app on her phone so he could track her anywhere. He knew that if he had told her, she'd chew him out and he didn't want that. He also knew that Michelle would smack him for bugging her phone without her consent.

He finally got off his bike after he parked it. He had been thinking about how he was going to tell Michelle how he found her without her smacking him and telling him off. He hadn't been using the GPS tracker since he left California. He didn't even know that she was in Salt Lake City. He just figured that he would stop here for the night and continue on in the morning. If he had gone to a different hotel, he probably wouldn't have seen the flyer and wouldn't be going to see her before the MMA event tonight.

He put his helmet in his saddle bag, locked it and headed for the doors to the arena. He was hoping that there wasn't a security guard to stop him from heading to the locker rooms. He may have signed the divorce papers, but Michelle never did. So, technically, she was still married to him, whether she likes it or not.

He has no idea that Michelle had plastic surgery on her ears. He may not be happy about what he is going to see when he talks to her. He may get pissed before he even talks to her and walk out.

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As he went to grab for the doors, the security guard got up from his desk and walked up to the doors. He opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I'd like to talk to one of the fighters."

"Which fighter?"

"She goes by the initials of M.T. She's my wife."

"What's her real name then? You understand why I'm asking."

"Of course. Her real name is Michelle Thornboy. Like I said, she's my wife."

Then the guard let Throttle through the doors.

"I'll take you to the locker rooms and you can talk with her. I remember watching her about 10 yrs. ago when she first debuted in the octagon. She kicked her opponent's ass quickly."

"I've seen some of her matches on TV, but this will be the first live event for me. She doesn't know that I'm here, so I wanna keep it as a surprise."

"I get it. I'll tell her that a fan wants to meet her."

"That works. If she's a former champ and retired, why is she getting back into the octagon?"

"She was issued a challenge by the new champ and she accepted. I think your wife will kick her ass."

"After what I've seen her do to my dad yrs. ago, I know she'll wipe the floor with this new champ."

The security guard stopped and looked at him in shock. "Really? Sounds like it was more than a disagreement between her and your dad."

"It was. Its also a long story."

"Ah, maybe another time then."

"Maybe after the MMA event?"

"That works too. I'd love to hear about it." Then he noticed they were at the locker rooms. He turned towards Throttle. "Wait here."

Throttle nodded and the guard went inside.

"Is everybody decent? I'm coming in." He had to announce himself cause there were women in the locker rooms.

All the women said yes to being decent as he walked into the locker rooms. The guard walked up to Michelle and told her that a fan would like to meet her.

I turned around at looked at the guard. "I haven't had fans since I retired. This person must follow everything I do in my life. That's a true fan. Alright, I'll go see this fan."

I followed the guard out of the locker room and to the fan. I was not expecting to see Throttle standing by the locker rooms.

"Oh hell no! I don't need this before the main event tonight. Get him out of here." I turned to walk back into the locker room, but was stopped.

"Michelle, please. I just wanna talk. Nothing more. I just want you to hear me out."

I sighed. "Fine." Then I looked at the guard. "Thanks Josh. You can go back to your desk."

He nodded and left us to talk.

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We talked the whole time he was there. He also told me that he paid for a ticket to see the event.

"First live event for you?"

"Yep. Will you at least think about what we talked about? I know you haven't signed the papers yet, so there's still time to mend this. I'm also worried about what severing the bond has done to you. Last time this happened, you had a look of bloodlust in your eyes like you do now. And your ears? Why would you do that? You know you can never go back to being Human again. Once the transfusion was done and the change from Human to Martian was complete, it was a permanent thing."

"I'm going to be honest with you, Throttle. I'm tired of people staring at me when I would walk through a door. I had to do something about the problem. I went to a plastic surgeon to make my ears smaller. I know you don't like it, but its something I had to do to stop the stares."

"You're right, I don't like it, but I do understand why you did it. If we get back together, and that's a big IF, I'd like you to get it fixed."

"I honestly didn't think that severing the bond would make me this way. You know that's not me."

"I know its not, but it's a look you can't get rid of 'til either the bond is reconnected or…"

"Or what?"

"Or 'til you kill someone. I'm afraid that the 2nd option might happen tonight during your match."

"You heard about that?"

"Yep. Why didn't you tell me that you were an MMA champion?"

"Wasn't really important. Its just a belt. I do hope you enjoy the matches. I have to finish getting ready for the main event. I will think about what we talked about and hopefully I'll have an answer for you by the time I've taken a shower and changed clothes."

"What about the trip to Chicago to see the Blackhawks commissioner? Don't you have to be there with Nosedive?"

"Yeah, but I know I won't make it 'til at least 2 days from now. I honestly wasn't expecting to be in the octagon 'til the boys were in school. I haven't trained in yrs."

"After what you did to my dad, I think you're more than ready to go one on one with this new champ. I have faith in you, babe."

I looked at him with a stern look.

"Too soon?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry. It's a habit. You are still my wife and I'm not letting you go."

"Persistent, aren't you?"

"Damn right I am."

"You bring the bike?"

"Of course, why?"

"I have some time before the doors open. Thought we could go for a short ride."

"We can do that. Let's go."

We headed for the front of the stadium parking lot. The guard, Josh, asked where I was going before the doors open.

"Out for a short ride. Don't worry, Josh. I'll be back soon."

Then we walked out the doors and over to the bike for a ride. It was nice to the bike again. I had to run my hand down her tank.

"Hey girl. Hope you're not mad at me for what I did. I am sorry." She beeped at me.

"Guess she's not mad at you. She doesn't beep at just anyone. She never beeped at Carbine when I took her for rides."

"Sounds like she didn't like Carbine."

"She didn't. She loves you, though. And I'm glad she likes you over Carbine."

I smiled. "I am too. Look, I'm sorry for what's going on. I'm also trying not to tear your throat out cause of the connection being nearly broke."

"Then let me re-establish the connection before your match tonight. I don't wanna see you kill your opponent in the octagon."

"Thing is, I need to live my life the way I want to."

"I know you do, but you need to be there for the boys, too. They need you. I need you."

I lowered my head in shame. "I do miss the boys. I hope Charley and Modo aren't mad at me. I kinda blew up at them for letting the boys stay with them when they were suppose to pack their things."

"Charley told me about that last night before I went to bed. I had called the boys to see how they were doing. They asked about you."

I looked up at him with tears streaming down my face. "I failed them as a mother. I've been wanting to live my life that I didn't think about what I was doing to my family and friends. Please help me, Throttle. I don't wanna be a horrible mother."

Throttle put his antenna on mine and re-established the connection. I felt something different. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Something doesn't feel right."

"Like what?"

"I…I'm not sure, but something isn't right. Is it possible that the connection is so severed that you can't re-establish it?"

"Maybe, but I'm not going to give up. I'll try one more time to re-establish the connection. If this doesn't work, then I don't know what else to do. I can't lose you, Michelle. The boys can't lose you, either."

"I know. I don't wanna lose them or you, either. Please make it work. I don't wanna be like this. I don't wanna kill anyone." I started crying again at the thought of killing my opponent, even if it is accidental. He wiped the tears from my eyes and held me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried more. He tried one more time to re-establish the connection. This time he held his antenna to mine longer than he did before.

About 15 mins. later, he stepped back, but held my hands in his. I looked at him. He looked deep into my eyes. He saw just what he wanted and needed to see. He saw the love in my eyes. He also felt it when he re-established the connection.