"Now do you have everything for the cruse?"
"Yes Momma"
"You have the pepper spray I gave you for Christmas packed right?"
"Poppa..."
"I'm serious, you're going to be stuck out on a ship and neither Steph or I can help you out until you're back in Miami"
"Johnny, Donovan and the guys will be around if I need any help. Besides with that many fans around and the itineraries everyone has... That man doesn't even know the definition of Down time so I doubt he'll have enough time off to make my life even worse."
"Chris is the last person I'd ever stick up for but right now I think you should take this opportunity to do some real soul searching and fide out just where this hate and spite you have for him is coming from! I Have never known him to do anything just to hurt you like you have been doing to him these last ten years. You still haven't even told 'Us' just what it is that happened between you two that had you change so much..."
"I'm Sorry Momma, I'll try to do just that while we're out to sea. Look the boat is pulling away from the docks. I love you both."
"We love you too Kitten!"
Hanging up her cell just before losing what signal she had, Dove turned it off and stuffed it deep into her backpack before walking inside the cruise ship and to her cabin. Hunter and Steph we're right she had been nothing but her grandmother's mini me with how big of a bitch she had been towards her ex. No one needed to know just why she upped and left Jericho like she did back ten years ago in her opinion, but they were right she was the one being crewel here and not him. After all, she was asked to work his rock and wrestling cruise and he had a say in who got the boat.
"Hey Cuz, how's it floating?"
A familiar voice spoke up from down hall a few rooms down from Her's. She put on a massive grin and waved at her cousin before ducking into her room. This brought up another thing about this cruise, why, why out of all of the bands Jericho knew did he invite Hollywood Undead to perform. The cruise had just barely started and it was already feeling like it was going to be a long one.
"Knock, knock" Johnny called out knocking as he entered Dove's cabin and closed the door behind him "I didn't think they'd stick you all the way back in our hall. I'm actually glad they did because now I can keep a better eye on you!" he stated taking a seat on her single room's bed while he watched her stand and watch the docks shrink away behind them out here window.
"Right, out of the two of us your addictions are worse than mine..." she scuffed off handedly.
"My addictions aren't the topic of discussion here." he stated defending himself "Your alcoholism is and from what I've seen since Jacksonville is that you never even got on the sobriety wagon like we last talked about, did you?" he pointed out point blank "They have a 24 bar on this boat and I'll make a deal with you. You keep off the booze and I'll flush my shit right here and now!" he proposed seriously.
Dove snorted not believing him "and when I lose this bet, you're still S.O.L." she pointed out as if it wasn't that hard to figure out.
Standing up he marched over and turned her around before using his massive size to spell out how pissed off he was at that crack. "What the fuck crawled up your ass Catherin, huh? You were never like this twelve years ago. It wasn't until... that MOTHER FUCKER... What the fuck did Irvine do? What was it that split you two up that had you fucking change into... well, into THIS cunt before me?" he demanded to know. He was a hair away from busting out of that cabin and going off to beat the living shit out of her ex. That was until he heard her choak back a sob that automatically backed him down and guide her to have a seat on the foot of the bed while he squatted in front of her "It's between us Catherin, you know I'm no fuckin snitch!" he reassured her in a softer voice
Dove shook her head as tears started to run down her face "He... he never knew why I hopped that flight to LA... The flight you took me right to the ER from and spent almost two weeks in the hospital with me before recovering at your place with your family... Seeing you with your daughter was just like watching him with his twins and son... and just reminded me of what I'd never have... ever..." she tried to explain the best she could without stating the problem.
"That's the... Fuck..." arms shot out and wrapped around her sobbing form without a second thought, Johnny held her tightly and sat next to her on the bed as those two months of having her around came back to him. Something that traumatic would change someone. "After this cruise you and me will go back to LA and I'll show you something I always thought you'd like. Then we look into finding someone you can talk to... How's that sound?" he suggested speaking softly in his big brotherly voice that had her nodding 'yes'. "Good! Now let's flush the shit in my sock!" he suggested knowing that they both could use a good four days sober, together.
Sock contents flushed, as well as the bottles of booze he discovered hidden around her cabin later Dove was in the shower and Johnny had headed back to have a 'band meeting' while he waited for her to get ready for day one of the Rock and Wrestling cruise. He wasn't her family by blood but he was more family to her than any of her surviving blood family. He gave her adopted father a huge about of credit in stepping up to the plate to help her great uncle out as he did after the tragedy that took her family from her. Right now, she needed her HU Family while her buddies in AEW were busy with meet and greats and other thing's they had that cut into their free time. The meeting was simple their Dove was on the wagon and they each knew from own personal life experiences she'd need all of their support to get through these next four days with a lot of help and their set wasn't until day 3.
A soft knock was heard on the HU cabin's door and Danny was the one to answer it. "Hey, come on in Dove. You look... Hell, you look like shit, let's just face it girl" he joked giving her a backwards compliment that was all in fun.
She was dressed in a simple black sundress with her two-piece bathing suit underneath it was nothing fancy as she just wanted to blend in with the passengers. "Thanks Danny, you look like shit too." she laughed knowing him all too well. "Are you guy's sure you want me around? I can just"
"You're not going to Number One keep yourself locked in your cabin during this cruise" Charlie spoke up walking around her.
"Three..." funnyman then called out.
"THREE?" the guys then asked "What the fuck happened to two?"
"I had that one covered in her cabin!" Johnny called out from within their small bathroom.
"Pinch it off and get out here already." Dove called out disgustedly at him "If I'm going to get the HU intervention you can a least join in from out here!" she stated earning a high five from Funny Man.
"And wash your fucking hands this time!" his band mates joined in busting his balls.
Laughing, Dove smiled for what felt like the first time in she didn't know how long as her cousin walked out of the bathroom flipping them all off "I get it guys, this trainwreck is running the tracks with training wheel's! I can't thank any of you all enough for including me in your free time."
Walking over and resting an arm over both her shoulders, Johnny smiled down at her "Don't thank us just yet Catherin. You're only at the start of your first trip down the road to sobriety!" he stated knowingly.
Walking around the decks, Dove smiled and watched as Fans asked for autographs and pictures with the HU without any complaint. She had several made-up tittles they had given her in the past when she would hang out with them like this at outdoor shows but this time, she was just simply herself, her 'real' self. She even had some fan's ask her about the HU mask tattoos she had circled her right calf that even included Dead Bite's mask right up in the middle of them. There was no tell tail signs of PDA between her or any of the members of the band except for when they felt the fans were putting a bit too much distance between. Finally, when they reached the sports deck HU got into a game of hoops against some wrestlers which soon had a large crowd gathered. Dove really didn't know who won and didn't care because this was the most fun, she was able to have in a very long time.
After having had enough time walking around as a group, they all headed in to eat at one of the restaurants on the ship before going their own ways and meeting up at their cabin at a later time. Dove and Johnny headed out to the area where VIPs could lay out in the sun without too much commotion going on just to give her some quiet time to relax. He could think that people drinking around here was beginning to bother her and this was the best option he could think of. What he wasn't counting was someone else having the same idea and taking up the lounge chair on the other side of his younger step cousin.
"Nice weather today..." Dove spoke with closed eyes knowing exatly whom had taken the empty place at her left side.
"Yup" they replied sounding a little out of place.
"Johnny, Can I meet up with Y'all later? I'll be alright here." she asked, knowing that it was now or never to make an attempt at mending this busted bridge. Sighing he got up and placed his large hand on her hear before walking off reluctantly. Once she knew that they were alone(ish) she sat up and turned to face the one on her left. "I'm ready to talk if you are Chris..."
Not feeling right about leaving them alone to 'talk', J3T went up to the next level and found Charlie already keeping an eye at Dove talking quietly with her ex-Chris Jericho on the deck below. They couldn't hear what was being said but they could see him asking questions and Dove doing her best to answer each one without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
"She's got a lot to spill about why she did him so dirty!" Johnny sighed heavily "I don't know how he's going to except her truth. I know I wouldn't if I were in his place."
Charlie nodded "Good thing you were in that ER when she found out that ectopic pregnancy miscarried." he whispered knowingly.