Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with TNA. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.
Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings: None this chapter

Chapter 27

"Please! Help me," Ella cried to the stranger before her. She frantically glanced behind her and saw the drunken men slowly stumbling through the door and heading toward her. "They attacked me!"

"It's okay," came the stranger's soft voice. It was thick with an accent—Russian, or perhaps Ukrainian. "You're safe now." He tugged her behind his tall frame, and shielded her, then turned his attention to the approaching men. "Leave her," he commanded in a tone that was not to be ignored.

The men stopped short, and seemed to be ascertaining whether they should ignore the man and go for the woman anyway. One of them snorted in reply, "Dude, there's five of us. How do you think you're gonna stop us?"

The drunken man known as "Jim" lurched forward and made a clumsy grab for Ella's arm. She gasped and cringed away as the stranger shot his hand out and grabbed hold of the drunkard's wrist. She could have sworn she heard bones crunch a second before Jim screamed in torture. The foreigner kept hold of the man's limb and then reared back and punched him in the face. Jim fell backward onto the sidewalk, and all but sobbed through the pain of his broken nose.

"I think you need to re-think your plans," the stranger's accent seemed to grow thicker and his tone was laced with malice. "The woman doesn't want to be around you," he glanced behind him and took in her state of dress. "You have no right to force yourselves on her, no matter what her profession is. I told you to leave her."

Ella felt her face burn at realizing her rescuer must think she was a stripper.

Or something else.

"Man, you're crazy," one of the others yelled at the foreign stranger. "We could kill you!"

"Not likely."

Ella watched as he opened his coat up and revealed a gun in a shoulder holster, as well as a badge that he pulled out of his coat pocket.

One of the men uttered a sharp curse. "He's a cop! Run!"

One of the hoodlums managed to help Jim to his feet and then they all turned and ran back the way they came, and re-entered "BODY SHOTS".

"Please, sir," Ella started timidly. "They have my coat, and my keys and phone. C-could you…possibly get them for me?"

"Of course, miss," the man said kindly. He removed his coat and wrapped her in it. "Wear this till I come back. Just wait here. I'll only be gone a moment."

Ella watched as he entered the bar. She found it amazing that he seemed to feel no fear. It seemed as though she'd been scared for many years, and she just couldn't fathom someone not being afraid in a situation like the one she was in.

However, I guess having a gun would give someone a feeling of bravery, she reasoned.

In the next instant, the man returned with her things and Ella removed his coat and handed it back to him.

"Thanks for your help," she said, pulling her own coat around her slender frame. "That was…really scary." She looked down at her hands as she buttoned her coat. "If you are planning to arrest me, you should know that I'm not a prostitute."

The man seemed baffled at first, "Excuse me?"

"You told those men…that they had no right to attack me, no matter what my profession was. So I was telling you, I'm not a stripper, or prostitute. I'm a celebrity impersonator. I normally just do birthday parties, and sometimes take part in entertainment at hotels. But that's it. My boss forced me into a bachelor party tonight, and I had a bad feeling about it. But due to a contract, he wouldn't allow me to quit." Ella prattled on nervously. "They ripped what little clothing I had on, off. I realize I look…rather unsavory, but it wasn't by choice. So, please…don't arrest me."

"I wasn't planning on it, miss," the man told her. "Don't worry. Do you need me to drive you home?"

"No, I'm fine," Ella said. "Really, thank you though."

"Okay, well, I want to follow you then, and make sure you get home safely."

Ella nodded, "Alright. Thank you." She held out her hand. "My name is Claire, by the way. Claire Jones."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jones," the man said, taking her hand and shaking it. "I'm Detective Dankevych. Viktor Dankevych."

Ella smiled, "It's nice to meet you, sir. Thank you again. I shudder to think what would've happened if I'd not bumped into you."

"Well, I was happy to help," Viktor told her. "Now, how about we get you home?"

Ella nodded, "Yes, that sounds wonderful."

He walked her to her car, and then climbed into his own a few spaces down from hers and waited for her to lead the way.

The drive was a quick one, even though Ella was careful to stay within the speed limit. All she wanted to do was get home and soak in a hot bath.

And in the morning, she thought, pulling into her driveway, Lyle's a dead man walking.

She killed the engine, and then climbed out of the car, looking behind her as Viktor pulled in behind her car. He exited the car then, and approached her.

"I thought I'd walk you to the door," he explained. "I'm a gentleman."

"Well, thank you," Ella smiled kindly, leading the way.

As they entered the light from the porch, Viktor's appearance became clearer. Ella saw that he was an attractive older man, perhaps in his forties. He wore his dark hair in a very short buzz cut, and his eyes were a chocolaty brown. He had an angular face with a nose that had clearly been broken once or twice.

She began to feel a tad awkward when he made no move to back down the steps and leave.

"Thank you, again," Ella smiled, and began unlocking her door. "I'll get inside so you can get home. Don't make your wife worry about you," she told him, and then could have smacked herself. It sounded as though she was interested in him, and fishing for his marital status. But it couldn't be further from the truth. She just wanted to go into her house and unwind.

"Oh, no," he said, chuckling. "I'm not married. So that's not a problem."

"Oh," Ella replied. "Okay. Well…I'd better get inside. I'm really tired."

"Okay," Viktor said slowly. "Well, would you mind if I came by tomorrow and checked on you? Maybe we could grab a bite of lunch."

Ella was taken aback by the question. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but on the other hand, she was married and not interested in anyone but her husband.

I'll never get to be with Joe again, she thought miserably, but in my heart, I'm married to him. I still love him, and always will. And I'll not dishonor our marriage by dating another man. Ever.

"Um…well…I'm not really dating right now," she answered. "I've got a lot going on. I'm in school, and-"

She saw Viktor's mouth twitch as if he were about to smile.

"That's all right, Claire," he said. "I wasn't actually meaning to date." At the skeptical expression on her face, he elaborated. "I'm… I am still fairly new to Seattle, and was hoping to make a friend. I haven't really had time to be very social just yet."

Seeing sadness in his eyes, Ella instantly felt terrible.

"Oh, gosh…I'm so sorry. I must seem so rude," she said, rubbing her temples.

Great, she thought, here is a lonely guy just trying to be friendly, and I have to go and assume he wants something more.

"No, not at all," Viktor said. "I realize the way I asked implied I was looking for something more than friendship. It was my fault."

"No, not really," Ella said. "I think I've just developed some trust issues after…" After a psychopathic killer murdered my parents and tried to kidnap me, she thought to herself. Instead, she finished with "tonight." She chuckled nervously, trying to lighten the mood between them. "So, anyway, if you still want to, I'd be happy to hang out and have lunch with you."

Viktor smiled and pulled a notepad and pen from his coat pocket.

"Here, write your number down in this, and I'll call you in the morning sometime so we can figure out where to eat and when."

Ella scribbled her number down on the pad and handed it back to him, "I gave you my cell number because I have classes in the mornings. If you call me during one, just leave me a message on my voicemail and I'll call you back a.s.a.p."

"Okay," Viktor smiled. "I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Claire."

Ella returned his smile, "Goodnight."

He turned and headed back to his car, and Ella went into her house, closing the door and locking it again before heading upstairs to change her clothes so she could go pick up Miracle from Jolene and Rick's house.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

Ella stepped up onto the Bryan's porch and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Jolene opened it wearing a smile. However, the smile slowly disappeared as she saw the look on Ella's face.

"Claire," she questioned worriedly. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Not really," Ella answered, entering the house as Jolene ushered her inside. "Other than I'm quitting my job tomorrow on my lunch break."

"Oh, no! Why," the older woman asked, knowing how much Ella had loved her job up to that moment.

"Well, my boss sent me to a gig tonight that got me attacked," she said as she entered the living room with Jolene and sat down on the sofa. "I had to go to a strip bar dressed horribly trashy. It was a bachelor party and the guys wanted me there to act as a stripper. They were already drunk when I got there and they attacked me."

"You poor thing," Jolene sympathized, pulling Ella into a hug. "How did you get away?"

"The entrance was locked, so I used a chair to break the front window. I crawled out and literally bumped into a cop."

"My goodness... I'm so glad you're okay. Would you like something to drink or anything?"

Ella shook her head. "No, thank you. I really just need to get Miracle and get home. I need some sleep after today," she sighed.

Rick came in from the den then and smiled, his green eyes lighting up. "Hi, Claire. Ready to get your little girl?"

Ella smiled and nodded. "Yes, seeing her will be a breath of fresh air after the day I've had."

Rick's smile receded and concern lined his forehead. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, it's fine now," Ella answered. "I'm just glad today's almost over," she added, relief evident on her face. Changing the subject, she smiled at the couple. "So how was Miracle? Did she behave well?"

"Oh, Lord, yes," Jolene returned Ella's smile. "She's always an angel. I don't think you have to worry about any behavioral issues with her. At least not till her teen years, that is."

Ella groaned jokingly. "Yeah, well that's only about four years away."

"Then enjoy the time you have," Rick chuckled. "Teenage girls tend to be more trouble than teenage boys."

"Okay, now you're just scaring me," Ella laughed. "Is she asleep?"

"Probably," Jolene replied, heading for the stairs. "Come on, she's up in the spare room."

Ella followed Jolene up the stairs, and to the room the Bryans used for times when Miracle had to stay at their house till late at night. They found Miracle asleep on her side in the bed, one of her hands tucked under the pillow.

Ella smiled, and sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing her fingers down the little girl's silky cheek. "Miracle," she whispered. "Wake up, angel girl."

Miracle stirred slightly and twitched.

"Mommy's here," Ella said softly. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Mommy…" the little girl echoed sleepily and managed to open her eyes. "Mom," she exclaimed then. "I missed you!" She sat up in the bed and wrapped her arms around Ella's neck.

"Oh, I missed you too, baby," Ella returned, and embraced her tighter. "I couldn't wait to get here and see your beautiful little face." She kissed the top of her head then. "I have some good news for you," she added, pulling back so she could see Miracle's face.

"What is it," her daughter asked, completely curious.

"I'm going to quit my job tomorrow. All I'll have to deal with is classes and rehearsals, and my finals performance. I'm going to have more time to be with you, lo'u alofa."

Miracle squealed and hugged Ella closer, "Yay, Mom!"

From the doorway, Jolene watched the tender display happily. It was such a joy to see the glee on Miracle's face. Jolene knew the little girl wanted as much time with her mother as possible. Now, it seemed the girl would get her wish.

Laughing and giving her daughter an Eskimo kiss, Ella lifted her up into her arms and carried her out of the room. "Thank you so much for helping me the way you have, Jolene," she said softly to her friend. "You don't know how much you guys mean to me."

"Oh, hush," Jolene smiled warmly. "She's a joy to have around. Rick and I are happy to help you in any way we can. You're an amazing person, Claire, and we're so glad to know you." She turned her attention to Miracle then and kissed the top of her head, "Goodnight, cupcake. We'll see you soon, okay?"

Miracle nodded and reached over to hug Jolene, "Goodnight! I love you!"

"I love you, too," Jolene smiled. "Now, get home and get some sleep."

Ella smiled at her friend, then followed Jolene down the stairs, and let Miracle say goodnight to Rick. Then minutes later, they were in Ella's car, and heading home.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

"Purple's sounds great," Ella smiled as she talked with Viktor on her cell phone.

She'd just left her last class of the morning, and didn't have to go back till later in the afternoon. Viktor had called during her last class, and she returned the call as soon as she was outside the Fine Arts building. He wanted to see how she felt about eating at Purple's Café & Wine Bar for lunch and getting to know each other.

Honestly, she was still apprehensive about a friendship with him. Even though Viktor had assured her he was just wanting to make a friend, she still had a slight feeling of unease. But then she felt a little silly.

It's been ten years, she thought. If Fournier was going to get me, he surely would have found me by now. Still, she made a mental note to not mention Miracle to him, nonetheless.

"Great," Viktor shook her free from her thoughts. "When do you want to meet there?"

"Um, let's see," Ella thought, as she drove toward Royal Talent Entertainment Agency, "I'm going to my former place of employment and am about to officially quit. I know my ex-boss is going to threaten me with a lawsuit for breach of contract, but I think I have enough evidence to persuade him otherwise. Anyway, I shouldn't be very long…Maybe meet in half an hour?"

"Sounds good to me," Viktor said. "If you need any help with your boss, let me know. I was a witness as to what happened, and I think I can be pretty persuasive."

"Thanks so much, Viktor. That's very kind of you. See you in a little while."

After they said their goodbyes, Ella disconnected the call, and drove the remaining three blocks to the agency. Upon pulling into a parking space, she stalked into the building purposefully, determination fixed on her pretty face. She strode right into Lyle's office and marched up to him. He stood from his desk, somewhat startled by the angry gleam in her eyes.

"Claire? What's wro-?"

WHOOSH—CRUNCH!

Ella's fist collided with Lyle's face, and then the pain registered a second later—both in Lyle' s eye, and Ella's hand.

Lyle immediately grabbed the right side of his face and cursed. "What was that for?!"

"I was attacked last night, you jerk," Ella yelled back. "I told you I didn't feel comfortable doing that gig, and you made me do it!" She backed away from him, afraid she'd punch him again, and she was sure—if she hadn't already—she would break her hand the second time around.

"Alright! I'm sorry," Lyle said heatedly. "I was wrong. And it won't happen again."

"You're right about that," Ella growled at him. "I quit."

"Now, Claire, you know what I told you last night. I'll sue."

"Now, you listen to me, you piece of scum…" She trailed off, not wanting to say something she'd regret later. Lyle backed away from her when he saw the deadly calm expression on her face. He'd never seen her look so in control. "Don't you DARE threaten me," Ella continued. "I only have two months left in my contract. And I obviously can't trust you to do what's right by your talent. If you are willing to risk a woman's safety for a little extra money, then I want nothing more to do with you, or your agency. I have a witness as to what happened last night. And guess what? He's a COP, and there's no telling what would've happened to me if he'd not saved me. So if you want to try and sue me, you WILL be sorry. I'll not only bury you legally, I will make sure to let every single one of your talents know what kind of boss they really have!"

With that, she stomped out of his office and left the building for good. She headed to her car and then was on her way to meet Viktor at Purple's.

She was at the nice restaurant within minutes, and went inside. She quickly spotted Viktor at a small table for two, and let the hostess know she was meeting with him. She was led over to the table and greeted him.

"Hello," Viktor smiled and put his menu down. "Everything go okay?"

Ella smiled as she sat down across from him. "Better than I expected. I'm now unemployed."

"Will you be okay?"

"Financially," Ella asked. At his nod, she nodded in return. "Yes, I have enough savings to last me a while." She purposefully glossed over how much "savings" she had. She knew one couldn't be too careful. "I graduate in about a month, and then I'll be looking for a better job."

"What are you majoring in," Viktor asked.

Ella glanced over her menu as she answered, "Vocal music. I've trained in opera for a few years, so I am hoping to do something with that. Or, begin trying for a record deal."

The last sentence was actually not true. She had no plans to try for a record deal because if she succeeded, that would mean her face being plastered on CDs nation-wide if not world-wide. But, she knew that she needed to at least make a show of wanting one. After all, that's what a lot of musicians did. However, Ella did not need a career. Truth be told, she actually had gone to school simply to have some interaction with society. And to keep her mind alive and working.

"So, how long have you been here in Seattle," Ella asked, trying to get the subject off herself.

"Only a couple weeks," Viktor answered, just as a waitress approached them.

"Hi, I'm Phyllis. I'll be your server. Are you ready to order, or would you like a few more minutes?"

"I'm ready to order," Viktor said, and looked over at Ella. "Do you need some more time?"

Ella shook her head. "No, I know what I want too."

Viktor indicated for her to order first.

"I'll have the half-size Greek salad with no onions, and a glass of sparkling water with a slice of lime, please."

Then Viktor ordered grilled wild salmon, and a glass of Roussanne. The server then went to place their order, and the two continued talking.

"So, how did you get to be a cop," Ella asked. "Was it something you always wanted to do? Or was it like a family tradition kind of thing?"

"Well, I always wanted to be a cop," Viktor started, taking a sip of his wine. "But the desire escalated when my little brother was killed in a drug deal that went bad."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ella said softly. "That's so horrible."

Viktor nodded. "Yes, it hit the family extremely hard. I acknowledge my brother was doing something wrong. And he needed to be punished for it. But I don't believe he deserved to die for it. I know other people would see it differently…but he was my brother. I could never say he deserved to die for anything."

"I understand. And I think other people would understand too. It's one thing to realize a relative is living wrong, and needs to be punished and corrected…but to say that relative deserves to die…I couldn't do it either."

Their food arrived a moment later and they began eating through their conversation.

"So," Viktor said, swallowing a bite of his salmon, "Are you from Seattle originally, or did you move here?"

"I'm—I'm from here," Ella only slightly stammered over the answer. "Seattle's my home," she smiled, and took a sip of her water. "I can't imagine living anywhere else. What about you? Where are you from originally?"

"I was born in Ukraine and lived there till my brother was killed a few years ago. Then I lived in Manhattan. But I wasn't happy there at all. I tried to make it work, but I became so unhappy, I had to try something new. I ended up here, and granted, I've only lived here a couple weeks, but so far it's been wonderful."

Ella smiled at him. "That's great. I'm glad you're feeling more at home. Do you miss Ukraine?"

"Not so much anymore," Viktor said, taking another bite of salmon. He swallowed before continuing. "I was homesick for a year or two, but after that I was fine."

"Do you have any family there?"

"Yes, but we aren't close." He left the answer at that. "Do you have any family here?"

Ella shook her head in answer. "No." She swallowed a bite of her salad to stall for a moment. She'd always had a story ready for anyone who asked her personal questions but she liked to prepare herself so it came across more genuine. "My biological parents gave me up for adoption. I have no idea who they are or where they are. And I don't really care to know either. My adoptive parents…well, my father was killed serving our country. My mother couldn't handle it, and killed herself a year later."

"I'm so sorry," Viktor said softly, placing his hand on top of hers. "How old were you?"

Feeling uncomfortable, Ella gently eased her hand out from under his, and picked up her drink.

"I had just turned eighteen when Daddy died, and I was nineteen when Mom died."

"So young to have experienced such tragedy."

Ella nodded. "Yes." You have no idea how much tragedy, she added in her mind. Having finished her salad, she gulped down the remainder of her water. "I'd better get going," she said glancing at her watch. "I have another class in an hour and I have rehearsals for my vocal finals later too."

"Alright," Viktor said. "I'll take care of the check."

"Oh, no," Ella said. "I can get my-"

"Please, let me," Viktor persisted. "I asked you out-" He halted when he saw a brief flash of suspicion cross Ella's face. "I just mean I was the one who invited you to have lunch. I should be the one to pay."

Ella felt uncomfortable, so she just agreed, standing to her feet. "Okay, well thanks." She tried to put on a friendly smile as she grabbed her handbag. "I'd better go. Goodbye."

She turned and left, not giving Viktor a chance to reply. She felt awful on one hand, being so rude. But, on the other hand, she felt she had the right to be cautious. She had worked far too hard on establishing herself as a whole new identity, to risk screwing it all up for the sake of a supposed friendship. She had a feeling Viktor Dankevych was not merely looking for friendship as he proclaimed. It was just a hunch she had, but she was willing to bet money he was lying.

Hurrying to her car, she didn't see Viktor watching her through Purple's large picture window as she pulled out of the parking lot of the restaurant.

}i{}i{}i{}i{

"Will your face-turn work, Joe?" Jeff sat down by Joe in the Samoan's dressing room, and eyed the larger man wearily. "Dixie thinks it will help you in the long run—that it'll give you better peace of mind." At Joe's blank stare, Jeff continued. "Playing a bad guy seems to fuel your temper. And as long as you're harboring so much anger, you're going to continue to work too roughly. And face it...the anger just isn't healthy—not a decade of it. But…are you going to be able to do a face-turn successfully, and in a believable manner?"

"I can and I will," Joe said, not bothering to look at Jeff. "I've been a face many times."

"Yeah, but not working with me, you haven't."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Look, Joe," Jeff stood and paced the floor a couple times. "I know you hate me. And hate won't make your job easy-"

"I don't hate you."

Jeff turned to make sure Joe had actually spoken the mumbled words, or if he'd imagined them. "You sure could've fooled me."

"Look, I'm just a really angry person," Joe said, hating to divulge such personal information. "I'm so angry...anything at all sets me off. Just leave it at that, Jeff." He glanced up at the older man then and said softly. "I am sorry, though…about the way I referred to Ella a while back. She was… She was my life. Without her, I'm… I'm just a shell of myself."

Jeff was initially unsure of what to say. But knowing Joe needed some comfort, he chose his words carefully, not wishing to make him even angrier.

"I'm sorry, Joe. I can only imagine how hard it's been for you. I lost my niece, and it was excruciating. But she was your wife. I don't know how I'd handle losing Nina. I don't even want to think about it. But you've had no choice in thinking about it." He cautiously reached over and patted Joe on the shoulder.

Joe shrugged, "Life isn't fair. It's a tough lesson learned. I'm just trying to get by. As soon as my life's over, I can't say as I'll care so much."

That statement worried Jeff.

"Now, Joe… You wouldn't do anything crazy…"

Joe scoffed, "Jeff, I'm a wrestler. I can't do anything much crazier than that."

Jeff shook his head. "You know what I mean."

"No, Jeff. I am not going to kill myself. It's been ten long years. If I was going to commit suicide I'd have done it by now." Joe looked down at his hands. "I just don't particularly care when it's my time to go, is all."

"Ella would've wanted more for you."

"Well, I wanted more for her too. But she didn't get it," Joe returned. He abruptly stood to his feet then, "Let's talk about my run-in. I want to have it down perfectly."

Jeff nodded and followed Joe to the ring to practice. He knew better than to push Joe to talk further. It could sabotage any progress the large Samoan had just made.