Family Bonds: Book 2 of Sista

by Blackstar1979

Family Bonds the sequel to Sista. The the Superstars and Sistas have been through a lot that have carved out bonds where there were none. Will the past rip apart the bonds that have been forged or make them stronger? Reviews are welcomed as always.

37. Chapter 37 Reflection of the Heart

Chapter 37

Reflection of the Heart

Mark heads out, jumps on his favorite bike, and took off down the drive way. He hit the remote and tore out of the yard. He needed to move, and move he did. His thoughts were turning faster than he dared let his bike go. Stopping off at a diner, he sits at the back of said diner. Finding himself here was odd. When he left this diner the last time, he'd been trying to help a drunk Logan back to the ranch to sort out his mind about his next steps. Whether they were going to lead him back to Megan or out of her life. In a diner like this, he let himself remember the time Glenn got him back to his house and out of the public eye when he was coming undone after finding out about Racheal. Other memories of their times before something switched. He witnessed it almost four years ago Glenn went to a party and got out of the trolling scene. He told Glenn that the woman was a shark. Glenn told him butt out and for a time Glenn was happy. Mark had started to think that his asshole ways towards Carla were some type of coping bullshit. He's then assaulted with a memory from a different time.

Flashback:

Nina had just passed, and Mark had brought Janet to live with Megan. He'd hit the road and made every show whether he was on it or not. He remembered Vince asking him what he wanted. Mark raged at Vince "I want Work, is that too hard for you to understand. I couldn't save her but I can't sit around doing nothing. I can at least provide for my kid." Vince set him up with Glenn in a storyline, they took the WWE on a fast hard ride as tag team champions. He then was introduced to Racheal as his travel manager. She was good, and then Glenn started talking about marriage. Weird conversations with his baby girl who at the time he thought was just growing up too fast. Every time he went home something was different. Glenn up and got married and even though they were in a downswing in their friendship. Mark showed at the wedding. He knew he was going, even when he told Glenn that he was being an idiot. Mark thought of Glenn as a promising talent and like a little brother of sorts. Paula later told him maybe he was so hard on Glenn because he felt that he wouldn't be as important in his best friend's life. Mark over analyzed that and chilled on ribbing Glenn about Carla. When Glenn Jr. was born Glenn had a hard time with the fact that his parents still treated him like his fucking ring persona was going to rip apart their over religious lives. Mark knew the type. Nin's parents were the reason she hit Dallas and never turned back. Mark started hanging with Glenn again and he seemed to improve. Then Mark got swept up in trying to court Racheal, he bent over backwards for her, let shit that would have made him push her ass away, go. Glenn must have noticed, because he said that she was taking advantage of him. That pissed Mark off because that was the same thing he told Glenn about Carla, among other things, and they didn't utter a word to each other outside of the ring for months. He thought he was so damn lucky to find someone that really knew him, after thinking no one would want to know his cranky ass after Nina. It ended with Racheal leaving his ass on April Fool's Day. Mark was soon given a chance at the strap, his attitude and the hurt of being made a fool of by Rachael fueled him to go get his strap back. Then the girls started talking to him. Paula, Sophie, Angel and Lady. Real friendships were being forged, it went against everything he had ever told himself. The conversations before he made it to Grandville got him over some of the weird shit that was taking place in his life. He'd been in a chat with Paula when Glenn had stormed into his dressing room and told him that Glenn Jr. wasn't his. Mark had taken him to the gym and let Glenn get his mad off. When Samantha screwed up their travel and landed them in Grandville South. Mark noticed Glenn draw towards Angel. He warned Glenn to not lead her on. The damage was done and he'd thought that it over when Meg had revealed Glenn's marriage. Finding out that they were on a break of sorts, was weird because he'd had conversations with Angel about the cheating aspect of relationships. After Angel's message from Glenn. Everyone seemed to be once again moving in their own way forward. Everyone accept Glenn that boy's luck took a turn for the worse. Mark tried all he could to help out his friend, but then the betrayal started and it just kept getting worse and worse.

End of flashback.

Mark gets up and headed back home. He felted weighted he hadn't drunk much of anything because he had driven so damn far. Stopping at a gas station to fill up his bike a woman walked into him who wasn't paying him no mind on her phone. "Damn-it lady watch where you're going." Mark growls she looked up at him and smiled and apologized then tried to grope him. He purposely grabs her hand with his left hand with his wedding band glinting in the sunlight bouncing off her shades on her face and told her. "Don't think so" She pulls her hand free and hopped in a Hummer that looked familiar then was gone.

Mark headed home, and spoke with Paula and Janet about Glenn. Janet revealed to him that she saw the article on an entertainment news site. When he asked his Janet, his image of Nina how she felt. She gave him a shrug, and said she was sorry her uncle Glenn felt he had to kill himself. She then asked did he think it was because like the news article said he loved her aunt. She then asked was that why Uncle Logan didn't come around anymore. Mark had expected media spin, but to hear it coming from his daughter's mouth was a blow he wasn't ready for. Sitting down from where he'd been pacing the room. Mark pats the sofa for Janet to sit beside him. Paula excuses herself to go check on the twins. "No one really knows what drove Glenn to end his life but Glenn. By this being close to Mania the news is going to try to fill in the gaps and get as many ratings as they can." Janet asked him was he okay. "I'm okay honey, it was a shock and for what it's worth I never wanted him to take himself out." Mark knew he spoke the truth but none of this changed the fact that his friend Glenn the man that had waited with him when Janet was born, his brother, was gone long before he took his own life. They soon sit down to dinner and Mark sat back and looked around the table at his small family. A decision that he'd been warring with made itself clear and his path towards it was something he had to do.

Earlier that day just after 2pm, Bobby and Sophie meet up at her office inside of Ivey Enterprises. Luke got called back to work since he was the doctor of record for a patient that had been brought into his ER, his system pushed his name to the top of the on call list. He asked her was she sure she didn't need him to stay with her. Not wanting him kicking himself for not going. Or even worse if something happened, she didn't need depressed, or resentful, withdrawn Luke. They were doing great in the relationship department, and she wasn't up for him brooding on how he could have stopped, or helped someone. Sophie told him to go to work. She was fine now, or at least she wasn't in a temporary fugue state, as he'd called it. No more phase outs, as she called them, she was clear headed. She was also pissed off at her father, but business was business, and right now she would handle business. She is the CEO of Ivey Enterprises, and she wasn't going to just take this media spin laying down. She called in a few colleagues, and a few of Angel's computer tech friends, and they went to work along with Captain Joy Wildflower, trying to pull where this damn death note video originated from, and how the hell it got to the webpage on a social media site.

After two pots of coffee, and endless hours of trying to crack a stream, Joy sat back in her chair, and looked at the woman that was her boyfriend's little sister. They had sent all the routine stuff to Bobby's boss. Sophie Ivey looked up at her. "I found something, maybe." The room went silent. She revealed the company that was using Ivey Server. It was layered to hell and back, but she'd cracked it. "It's a new site that was purchased under an alias. Here's your um, client." Joy turns her screen for Sophie to see. Sophie points to something, and one of the techs starts typing then shows her something. Joy watched for a reaction, something, but got nothing. Sophie seemed unaffected almost a stony persona latched on to her tone as she then said she'd need to make a few calls but for Joy to go ahead and send the last of it to Agent Harold. "Are you sure?" Sophie told her absolutely. Bobby's head snapped up at his sister's tone. He then looked at the page and smirked. Now Joy was irritated at being left in the dark. "Anybody want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Bobby kissed her, thanked her, and ran from the office. "Bobby!"

After dismissing her team and the techs Sophie floored her when she said that the woman that was behind this site was the CEO of a new upstart recoding company named Vargo Recoding. "Okay I know that now. I just showed you, but why does that make you happy? Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest since LEGNA just bought a brick of your stream less than a year ago?" Sophie says that Ivey Enterprises no longer owned the server that was used. Though an Ivey owned it. "Your dad?" Sophie nodded "Holy hell. So he turned Bobby in your direction, and now it's going to possibly bite him in the ass." Sophie handed her a piece of paper that had just came out of her printer. Joy reads through it. "His Org. but why the layering. If he knew, why send Bobby after you?"

Sophie sits back in her chair and says "That's the thing. I don't think he did, I think he saw what Agent Harold thought he saw, an Ivey Server logo. To answer your question on why this makes me happy, it's not happiness it's relief. This goes way deeper than surface hacking. Someone back doored my dad's server and the real question is who is the money behind the hack job. I know Henriette and she alone is not smart enough to pull this off. You might need to dig deeper but at least with what I have given you, you have a better direction then following a dead layered stream." Sophie escorts her to the door and they head in opposite directions.

Maranda Sanchez cooed at her great-grandson until her grandson and newest granddaughter showed up to take him home. She'd been just delighted to visit with her daughter. Getting a chance to spoil her great-grandson was a pleasure she would treasure for the rest of her life. "You will be big and strong like your papa" She says in Spanish to Jonathon-Chase Leonel Davenport as she holds him. His little hooded blue stare matched that of her grandson Joshua's. A knock sounds at the door and her daughter soon comes back in the den with her granddaughter. "Cassandra, how nice it is to see you dear." Her granddaughter had been through so many phases now she looked like a business woman. Maranda was proud of Sally's middle child. She had always lectured her granddaughter about the importance of family, any time she visited. It had been some time since she last had a talk with her spitting image. Cassandra was a good girl most of her childhood, she was daddy's little girl and Maranda knew this. When Sally told her that they were all attending Joshua's wedding, Maranda was nervous how it would play out. Before her youngest grandson's wedding Sally's family was distant at best, and completely dysfunctional at worst.

Cassandra greeted her grandmother. Her focus was on Joshua and Angel. She wondered had Josh told Angel about his brother escaping prison. She didn't know how his day went after almost face planting the treadmill while on the phone with her this morning. Cass had seen a news article that she wanted to talk with her baby brother about, before he got in the wind. Calling him while he was in the car, would only result in him putting her on speaker phone. The entertainment news was lighting up with the death of Glenn Jacobs. She knew of some of the things that went on from stories traded about when Angel first came back to Grandville South. Cassandra wasn't up for providing shock therapy of that nature to her sister in law. If Angel hadn't seen it herself yet, Cassandra didn't want to be the one to tell her. Right before she was going to ask Joshua in to the next room before he split, Bradley drove up and he was now parked behind the Ivey Transit car. It was a rare treat when their grandmother was in the country, let alone in town. Cass wished Rapture could be here, she thinks that he'd get a kick out of her gram mama. He was at school, and like he thought, since he was starting late, his first few weeks would be on campus. Maranda Sanchez didn't mince words, either she liked you, or she didn't. If she didn't you wouldn't get a peep out of her. Cass was glad her gram liked the newest additions to their family. At Josh's wedding she saw her gram crying when they lit the unity candle. Their grandmother adored Joshua even as a foster child before the adoption was final, she was calling him her grandson. Seeing gram so over the moon about her great-grandson and newest granddaughter put a smile on Cass's face. She must have stared at Joshua too long, he asked her what was wrong breaking her reverie. "I was wondering if I could speak with you alone for a few seconds." Their grandmother told Joshua to go so she could steal a few more moments with her little man, as she played with JC's toes making him curl them, and laugh at her.

Joshua nodded and headed into the kitchen. He wondered why Cass was staring at him. He knew he called her this morning, but really couldn't remember anything she said that would warrant that look. Cass walks in and carefully closed the door. With everything that was going on today, he almost didn't want to know why she was acting like their conversation had to be top secret. He tried for an open stance, as opposed to his usual closed off stance when something made him uncomfortable. Having your older sister stare at you for a good 5 minutes not saying anything to you, was cause for alarm in his book. He leans back on the counter with both hands at his sides. "What's up?" she tells him about Glenn. Reminding himself to let go of the counter, he hadn't even realized he was gripping it, so much for an open stance. "I saw it. and if Angel seen it, she hasn't said anything about it, at least to me she hasn't." Cass asked him was that why he was riding in the Ivy Transit. Joshua nods, Cass asked had he told Angel about Patrick. He shakes his head no, before Cass can get on him about waiting, he tells her about their owner's conference call then how the news story about Glenn hit his screen as he was signing out. "I wasn't in the room with her so I couldn't gage what she felt about the Glenn thing, and it's no secret that I didn't like the guy. I don't know if that is why she's not saying anything or what. As for the Patrick shit, I didn't see that as the right time to tell my wife, and oh by the way honey, my fucked in the head brother is on the run. Right after our call she wanted to come visit with gram, and pick up JC. The ride over here I was kind of more concerned with watching our surroundings if you know what I mean." Joshua does the international sign for police waving his finger around in a circle to represent the red and blue lights motion on a police vehicle.

Cass nods and then says "Joshua, I know you don't like the guy, and no you made it no secret, but do you really want your wife hiding her feelings? Are you sure she saw it? You said you were in different rooms. I know when I'm done with a conference call, I'm the first one off the screen and out of the system. As for telling her about Patrick that is an issue of safety." He rages at her asking did she think he didn't know that. Cass stepped back, Joshua leans back on the counter with a mumbled apology, but she could tell he was holding himself in the room.

Joshua was ready for this talk to end. "I'll talk to her about both. You're right though, I don't know what Angel saw if she saw anything. I just don't want to pile more shit on her. It's bad enough that Chase is in his "me against the people who give fuck" stage over some skirt with a past drug problem that left her own kid with her abusive husband." Cass steps closer and asks was that why he had such a negative view of the woman. Joshua turned away from her. He wasn't taking about this. Cass asks did Chase say anything to Angel. A muscle in his jaw twitched from him holding his mouth shut. He then says "No, Chase didn't say anything to Angel, but hell he didn't have to, he basically chewed out Sophie, and Bobby was pissed before the chick even got in the room. Now he's not taking anyone's calls, and that has Angel worried. The tension at dinner last night was so thick you could cut it with a blade." Cass spoke and made him see that he really needed to see what Angel saw if anything because Cass was right again he didn't want Angel to view him as unapproachable if she had anything to say about Glenn. Cass's therapy also came into the conversation and she told him not to transfer his own childhood, on to Chase's female. They end there talk and he hugs Cass to him and says in a gruff tone. "Thanks for putting your verbal foot in my ass." She says he's welcome and anytime, they let go and head back out in the den with the family.

After Bradley left her house, Candy turned on the rerecorded Davenport Lighting Album and raged out, and cleaned her house from top to bottom. Bradley was conflicted about heading to his parents' house or staying with her. Candy knew how the family loved Sally's mom, that made her push Bradley to go visit with his grandmother. Candy also didn't want to start depending on Bradley's presence. He talked some damn sense into her about the overwhelming feelings of guilt she felt about Deon stealing from the club. Her phone breaks into her music. Not recognizing the number, she answers. "Hello" it was Deon. She'd forgot that she deleted his profile which would send him into her general ringtone. He begs her to talk to him, she can hear the sad tone of voice but she'd heard it all before. The thought that he could be high right now, or drunk, chilled her, dulled her reaction to hearing his pain. "Want to talk, sure let's talk about you paying me back the money you stole from my club. Or how you attacked and threatened my friends and I." He says he didn't attack her and this wasn't about anyone but them. "Well there is a video circulating with you knocking my ass off my feet and dragging and pinning me against my back door. You let him into my house and instead of him hurting me, I guess that was your job this time. I guess I owe your friend a thank you, since he's the one that distracted you from continuing to restrain me. I saw the musical video, and the silent one that plays longer. You turn towards the camera, and say something to him before the camera goes off." Deon says he's sorry and explains about Jason telling him to just stop and how afraid he was for her when she passed out. He says that he was angry, and not thinking clearly, but he was willing to get help now and wanted another shot. "I don't know you." he says yes she does. He pleads with her that he is the same man she fell in love with, that is if she really loved him at all. He suggests they do couple's therapy. "I fell in love with the Deon Baza that I thought loved me back, that claimed that he wouldn't hurt me anymore, yet he did in more ways than I care to think about. Goodbye Deon" She hangs up and when her phone rang again she turned it off. Heading into her bedroom she switching on her computer. As she was setting up her other web based music profile she prepared her mouse over where adds would pop up. Sure enough, an add popped up, but she made the mistake of reading it. It was an entertainment news story with a picture of Glenn as Kane. The headline jumped off the screen at her WWE's Kane found dead in his home. Candy read more and the more she read the worse it got. It looked like a suicide. The police said they would investigate it further since somethings did not add up. It was leaked that he was scheduled to take on The Undertaker at WrestleMania though the contract for the run hand not been signed by either party.

Over at Ivey Mansion, Angel puts JC down for a nap. She had a missed text come through she noticed when she walked out of her baby's room. She usually put her phone and the door signal on vibrate, as not to disturb her baby. JC hated loud noises, he was surely her child. When she was younger she hated alarms or the reset signal of this very house, it always caught her off guard. If JC was just like her, that fear would change when he got older. As an artist that created a lot of sound, the only noise that sent her into a panic were sudden in nature, or that of someone yelling at her. Those noise stimuli, she was afraid would always be one of her triggers. Her physiology, when one of her triggers were struck, hid nothing, she blushed, blanched, she teared up, and in some cases she ran or tried to. Swiping open her phone and turning her sound back on she reads the words that seem to take over her screen. Confusion flooded her.

Unavailable Contact: One Ex, Two Ex, Your Husband better watch out you're a Black Widow

Someone was dead that she'd dated, besides Braden, this made no sense. Who the fuck was texting her? Not wanting to hide this, she heads towards Joshua's music room. On their way back Joshua said that he wanted to speak with her. She'd told him let her get JC down for his nap and then she'd be all his. Today her husband had been quieter than usual. The only times he spoke was when they had the conference call, and at his parent's house. When she'd woke this morning, he was already gone. He'd sent her a text saying he was at the pool grabbing a swim, then a few hours later he came back. She didn't even know he was back in the house until the owner's call, and from his background he'd been in his music room. She just knew Joshua would have something to say about the Deon theft thing, so she'd exited the second they said there was no more business. Yes, he came in their bedroom with her, but he'd just asked was she ready to go get JC. They rode in silence, she asked him was everything ok, and he said sure and kept his gaze out the window. She knew he was anxious about being out and soon having JC with them back in a vehicle and understood, but it was like there was more. Or possibly she was just reading too much into it. Over examining things was a flaw of hers. At his parents' home, he spoke to his grandmother, and to his sister in the kitchen. At one point, he was yelling something then quickly stopped, and went back to mumbling, or talking to where no one could hear. He'd then resurfaced from the kitchen ready to go. Angel couldn't shake the feeling that something was up, and she was getting weird texts messages to her phone not even through her social page. So someone that knew her number felt the need to what exactly, where they taunting her?

Walking into the music room, the quiet melody Joshua was playing on one of his favorite violins took her back to when they were in school. She stood listening to him masterfully tell a story that he'd written long ago. When he stopped it was like he sensed her, because his head lifted and turned looking at her. She knew she hadn't made a sound when she eased the door closed behind her, in case he was recording. He put the violin down and sat watching her. Not knowing what to say first she waved. She then berated herself why the hell did I just wave at him? "You said we needed to talk. Um, before we do I wanted to show you something, because it's weird, also you are mentioned not by name, but by title. I don't know what to do with it." Angel swipes her phone open and turns it around for him to see the message. He mouths the words then meets her gaze. Something was wrong, she could tell, it wasn't in her head something was bothering her husband. Joshua asks her to come sit with him. Her limbs felt like they weighted a ton, as she walks the short distance to sit next to him in the middle of the room. "Something has been bothering you, what's wrong?"

Joshua waits until she sits next to him, he opened his mouth then closed it. You're stalling, she knows something is up, tell her now Looking like a fish out of water is not going to make this any easier. He thought it was hard when he thought she knew, her not knowing was worse. Sighing he opens his laptop and says "I thought you saw it, but I'm guessing you haven't heard. um Glenn the news says it looks like he killed himself. My guess is that someone figured they would mess with you, and when I find out who. I'm going to..."

Angel went from shock to dread in seconds as all kinds of scenes played through her head. "Nothing, do you hear me? I'm going to tell Bobby and Andrew, and you are not going to get in anyone's face about this. Glenn wouldn't have killed himself, someone killed him. What if it's the same people that my dad was worried about? The ones that killed Lonnie. Hell, it could be his wife for all we know." Joshua told her that the only reason they say suspected, is because the case is still open. He tells her the people sent to kill Lonnie weren't targeting wrestlers. "Someone is pissed enough to have killed Glenn and when he's found they send me a taunting maybe even threating message." Angel gets up. and paces the room. "Was this what you wanted to talk about? Why would you think I wouldn't say anything?" He shrugs and says that's not all of it. "There's more, what now?"

Joshua noticed the anger, and wanted to know why she thought Glenn was murdered. He really hadn't given any thought to possible foul play. Was it because the news was calling it a possible suicide? Was he latching on to the thought presented in print, and not willing to think any deeper into it because it was Glenn? What did that say about him? There had been a large amount of false reporting going on these past few months, why did he cling to this story's printed spin? Why did she cling to a more dangerous angle? He was angry and could tell but didn't know the root cause. She was waiting on him to keep talking. She stopped pacing and was standing in front of him hugging herself. Her unconscious vulnerable stance just told him this was not going to get better. "Patrick is on the run. My lawyer called and told me this morning."

Rage fuels her heated high-pitched words "Let me get this straight there are at least two nuts running around, one killing people and the other is your crazy ass brother, who by the way would like nothing more than to take off you face and wear it around town for a while, and you figured you could wait to tell me. WHY?" She screams, her chest heaving, with her fist clenched by her sides. He stands yells back because the whole Glenn being murdered thing is not what he said, and claims that's a byproduct of her not wanting to believe that Glenn offed himself. "Someone is sending text messages to my personal unlisted phone. Glenn's dead, and you, he and Braden are mentioned. You could be in danger DAMN IT."

"Angel, someone is fucking with you. The message also called you a Black widow and the last time I checked, a guy killing himself, and another guy getting killed whiles trying to shoot you, is not the definition that fits that little nasty term. You are upset I get that, this is a shock but screaming at me, and painting a picture of some invisible guy out there in the bushes isn't going to help. As for the Patrick thing, I told Andrew and he's pushed it up the ladder. Bobby is transferring more of his agents to be security. How the hell are you so sure that Glenn didn't do himself in?" Once again stance changed her tone lowered, and he was prepared for that Ivey snap back.

His eyes were blue fire, as he discredited her fears. Standing in here yelling at each other wasn't going to solve anything. Lifting her gaze and firming her lips she says "You're right, I'm not sure that Glenn didn't off himself. I'm not sure that he didn't do himself in. What I am sure of is that your brother is dangerous and even if someone is fucking with me via text. Someone wanted and has gained my undivided attention. I showed you because it struck me as weird, and alarming at best. I know you don't believe me your entitled to your own beliefs," Joshua rolls his eyes. "I'd rather wait to find out from people qualified to investigate this crime, more than I believe some journalist. You and I both know it only takes one of them to start the media ball rolling. Or do you honestly believe everything you read?"

It wasn't a question; he knew her last statement wasn't a question. His mouth opened and as he was speaking he wanted to shove the words back in. With everything that was eating at him, the only thing that seemed to come out was. "Whether Glenn was murdered or he killed himself the end result is the same, he's dead, why the fuck does it matter to you?" Time seemed to stop. All those years in therapist offices couldn't prepare him for this. His anger at Angel was misplaced. With a crushing clarity, Joshua realized that he was jealous of a dead man. Her proclamation of "knowing" Glenn so well that she couldn't believe he would kill himself, had hit a nerve. What he didn't want to see appeared, a tear streamed down her cheek, followed by a stream of them. "Angel" She wiped at her eyes then turned away and ran out of the room, the door closing behind her set him into motion. As if his body gave him free will to move again. He chased after her. All the while trying to think of what to say when he caught her.

Hearing the door to their bedroom slam he ran to it and found the soundproof entry locked. Forget closing him out of her thoughts, now she'd locked him out of their room. "FUCK!" he yells as he almost hits the door with his fist but stops mid-punch. His phone rang. Knowing it wouldn't be Angel he answers tightly "Yeah" Cass asked him what was wrong. "What's wrong is that I just had a screaming match with my wife over a dead man, or his method of death, to be more precise. No she. I fucked up, she said something, and I like a dumb ass let it cook my temper." Cass asked did he hit her. "No, are you nuts? I don't hit women." Thinking of the look in Angel's eyes. "Not bodily at least." Cass tells him to start talking or she would be over to give him another ass kicking, and it might not all be verbal. As he walked away from their locked door he explained to Cass what was said, and like he'd thought she gave it to him with both barrels. She called him a real class A jerk, among other more colorful names.

Now that her tirade was over, she wanted to try to help him. "Joshua, you do see how stupid it was for you to be jealous of a dead man right? Not only that, from you own description of their relationship, he wasn't even in the picture as a friend before he died, so why would she want him after his death? So what, she's having a hard time believing that someone that boasted about his fame killed himself. Yes, your words were true, he's dead it really doesn't matter how, to you." Her little brother mumbles at her. "My theory, and hey you've been on more couches than I have, so this is just beginner stuff. My theory of why she would paint this image of some killer lurking in the bushes as you said, Nice visual to paint for someone that is prone to nightmares by the way." Joshua grumbles something at her. "Uh huh, but like I was saying, it is like saying that if Glenn killed himself it was her fault, I know, it's bullshit, and you know, it's bullshit. But it's a theory, that puts the blame on an outside source. Also you said she got a text message that mentioned you. Here's a little nugget you may have missed, your wife, when she thinks something may threaten you, gets very protective. You are who she loves. Please stop with the jealousy. Take it from someone that wore it very proudly, it isn't a good look for you, and you run the risk of pushing her away. Bottom line, don't let a dead man break up your family. You have a real nut out there, and though he didn't kill Glenn, Patrick is dangerous." He asks what was he going to do. "That baby brother, I don't know, you know her better than I do. Go with your gut."

Inside their bedroom, Angel lays across their bed, glaring at the celling through her tears. Joshua was angry, and her temper got the better of her mouth. She accepted that. She'd used a tone that got his back up. Him discrediting the danger that could very well exist, pissed her off. His words, the last straw that broke her resolve angered her. Why did it matter to her? Glenn killing himself was so not the expected. He tried at every chance he got to make it known that he was famous. His rambling message on Music Nation stuck in her mind. He took no blame for any of his actions. He referred to himself in the third person or was it the fourth? That's what didn't matter anymore. Where she was glad Braden was gone, he'd did more than scare her or hurt her feelings. The endless abuse, and mischarge, finding out he was in cahoots with Sophia and trying to kill her in that hotel room, made her feel a sense of relief when Harold announced that Braden was dead. It was over. What did she feel about Glenn? If he did kill himself, which she still doubted, why was it so important? She knew she without doubt didn't love Glenn. Her attraction to him when she got here, coming out of hiding, learning all the shit that came with her. Glenn once represented safety, and though she didn't view herself as a ring rat, she was drawn by the two personas, the one for tv that she saw every Monday to the point her fangirl crush grew. She was also attracted to the first part of the real Glenn. Joshua had once said that she had put Glenn on a pedestal high above herself. Until he shook her out of that tree with his marriage. The view of him slanted, but she tried to put him back up there among the unattainable. She abandoned pattern, not completely, the night Glenn's marriage was revealed she did leave this house hoping to wait him out. It didn't work, he came for her. All it took for him to be placed back on her shelf, was for him to apologize, and tell her that his marriage was coming to an end. The funny thing was, not even a full hour before Megan screamed at her that Glenn was married, she thought along those lines, she'd thought he probably has hundreds of females or a wife at home. In her fangirl mind Kane wasn't single. She was right. His next shake to her tree, the thing that tipped her off of wanting him for anything, was the hate he spewed. It was like all the glass that was holding up his pedestal crashed and broke into pieces. That day by the time she got his vengeful voicemail all of her triggers had been not pushed, but trampled. It hit her why it mattered. Glenn kept trying to get her back for whatever reason. If he did kill himself was she apart of his distress, or was she merely giving herself too much importance. He'd admitted that he thought of her as no more than a fan to manipulate. She'd given him that power when she agreed to work it out, and that they give each other time to handle their separate lives. She wondered did he think of that win as so momentous, that he could do what he pleased. She knew that answer, it was his later action towards her and even his words, the answer was yes, and he feared no consequences because, as he said himself, he wore his fame as a shield, and her transparent fangirl veil would remain in place or so he had hoped. Sighing she tries to relax, focusing on a ceiling tile, she started something Middlebrooks would only describe as a form of meditation. She counted the tiles. A practice she hadn't done since childhood, as she listens to the sounds coming over the baby monitor, the little mobile, she could see it in her mind's eye as it rotated. The sound of her baby at rest. The next thing she knew she was waking up. She knew why instantly as her eyes tracked the ceiling, there was no noise. To her, no noise was like an alarm. She looked over and the monitor light was out. As she is about go in search of her baby, the feeling of being watched suddenly rose her awareness. She turned over and saw Joshua standing in the bathroom door. She'd forgot about the other entrance through the guest room. Or had she? So many questions, so many emotions. She was tired, she felt numb. Her next words were a pacifier she knew the moment she said it. "Josh, it doesn't matter." Joshua walked closer to the bed. Her eyes following his every move before chancing a gaze into his eyes. What would she see there? More questions? Anger? When their eyes met she saw sadness, and something darker. The blue crystalline fire of anger had dulled. He sat on the end of the bed.

Well, he'd got her anger, she shut him out, and locked him out, she'd used a pacifier. "Why did you lock the door?" She says she doesn't know. She asks him why he turned off the monitor. He sighs, and just now she was using topic, avoidance, yet another of her emotional armor tools. Shaking his head, he tells her "Don't. Not with me." She asks him don't what. "That thing you do. You mirror what I say in hopes that it would pacify me." She says she needs to go check on JC. "I turned it off, because he's not in his room. I called Nikki and she came over, their down in the den. Look, Angel, I get it I hurt you, and for that I'm sorry. I really am." Angel's lack of a response was just like being on the other side of the door, which was where he'd been for the better half of this afternoon. "Just like the yelling, this silence isn't going to get us anywhere, we need to talk. I'll go first. I lashed out at you and I was pissed but something had set me off but it wasn't until I was done speaking that it hit me why I was pissed." He explains it how he explained it to Cassandra.

Angel looked at him, the fact that she had single handedly gave her lover something he thought was worthy of jealousy shocked and pained her. "Joshua, when I said it doesn't matter yes when you first came in, or when I first saw you rather, it was said as a quick pacifier. I don't want to argue with you. I'm not changing what I said, just the meaning behind it." Angel explains her tailspin of thoughts, linking her initial surprise, and feelings of guilt if she accepted the news's version. Joshua broke off her quickly spoken words when he grabbed her hands and put them on his chest, and says that she is his. He continues that the way she was shredding herself over someone that she knew never loved the real her. Someone that went out of his way to hurt her, and never respected her as much as her husband does, shredded him. Joshua had just said something that pulled her jumbled thoughts into one manageable stream. No matter the way that Glenn died it had nothing to do with her. Since Glenn never loved her, and she was fine with that, because she didn't love him. She was dazzled by parts of his personality at first, but that was nowhere near the security, love, and trust she has for and with this man her lover, her husband, that sat right here in front of her with such a pained expression on his face, though he tried to hide it, and she was causing this pain. She spoke of this realization.

Joshua released her hands. "Babe, I think you said it best. Just because someone dies doesn't instantly make them a saint. His demons and obsession with the idea of you, made him dangerous, and explosively violent. I love you, all of you, not just the person you show to the world. Heck, not even just the person you show to your friends. It may sound possessive but you're mine. My wife, the mother of my child, my life, and my lover." She says she loves him, and she is sorry she hurt him. Her gaze slid to her hands in her lap. As she asked could she kiss him. Claiming her gaze, Joshua tilts her face to his "Babe, you never have to ask" he murmured and kisses his wife, and she lit his world on fire as she kissed him back. He encircled her waist urging her to lay back on their bed. His actions were primitive. As he took her, feeling her responding and letting go of her hold on her control, letting him send her into orbit. When he brought her to climax her nails raking his back, her crying scream of his name, sent him over. Her locking him out of their room, had hurt, pushing him away, and his belief that she was crying because of Glenn pissed him off. Bending his head, he tucked his face into the hollow of her neck as he inhaled his woman, his wife, his anchor. Her declaration of not liking to fight with him mirrored his own thoughts. When they were at odds, it sent him in to a war within himself. He'd armored himself against everyone, could deal with lots of shit from multiple people, he had. Angel had shattered his armor long even before he'd proposed. Angel leveled him out, and when he felt that he couldn't do the same for her, it shook him at his core.

Monday morning, Angel gets up checks on JC on the monitor, sees Joshua in there tending to their son, and then heads back to bed. It wasn't until Sophie called her that she woke back up for good. She'd made up her mind that she was going to remote access from home to LEGNA today. Going back to her office right now she just didn't feel was a good idea, and un like last week, she would not ignore this feeling. Deon had scared the shit out her. Patrick was out there somewhere. The main reason was, she needed a break, time to get her head together. Sophie spoke of the news that was flying around about Glenn. "Yeah, I heard yesterday, I was going to call you but after Joshua and I fought, and made up I had like no energy." Sophie asked why were they fighting. "it's a long story." Sophie asks what happened. Angel sighed and told her sister about the confusion between Joshua and herself, and Joshua's assumption about her feelings and actions. Sophie said she was team Joshua on that topic. Angel tries to say that it was the wrong perception, fearing that her sister would never understand that she wasn't mourning Glenn. Sophie says Joshua's perception at that moment was all that he had to hold on to, with Angel shutting him out, and locking him out of the room like that, just gave it fuel. Sophie asked Angel how she would feel if the tables were turned, if Joshua behaved how he presumed she did, about his ex-girlfriend Katharine Cole. That made Angel cringe, she'd be shattered. "Oh my god Sophie, I'm so glad Joshua came in anyway, and insisted we talk this through last night. To Answer your question, if I believed what Joshua believed of me, I would have been crushed." Sophie says same goes for how Joshua probably felt. So that was the look riding in his gaze, just below the sadness when she'd first glimpsed her mate standing in the doorway. Would she have even come in? When he'd slammed the door to their bathroom after one of his nightmares she left the room. Angel's mind drifts and snaps back into the present when Sophie told her that there was a suicide note. "So, Joshua was right." Changing the subject, it didn't matter that part of her conversation with Joshua was the truest thing she could have said. "So, what are we going to do about dad, and Nikki's mom?"

Sophie sat back in her office chair. "I don't know; he is pushing legal shit my way through Bobby. There is a death video circulating, and Joy is trying to pin down how it came on to the scene. The obvious answer isn't so black and white. Hey, aren't you going to be late for work? It's 8:15." Angel tells her that she wasn't going in to her office, and being paranoid all day, just to try to prove to herself that she could be there. Saying she tried that shit last week after the cop thing with Joshua, and all it got her was a visit from Deon. She then reveals what Joshua had said about his brother out and on the run. "Yeah, maybe you should remote access, you're wired just talking about it, you'd be bat shit crazy by the time 5 rolled around, but Angel don't let this lock you in the house for too long okay." Angel says she won't, they end their call.

Mark heads to his school. Paula and the twins were at Angel's place. Janet was at Ivey Enterprises shadowing her teacher. He wanted damn answers before he got on the plane to catch back up with the tour tonight. His weekly staff would have been the ones processing the mail outs. It niggled at him about Rapture Sloan's placement letter not going out at all. Yesterday, he'd sparred with Rap, and the kid's drive and skill was just as impressive as it had been on his video part of his audition. He not only had some moves but his verbal skills were decent. So many of the guys in the business these days, had nothing but strength. Put a microphone in their hand, and they would sink like a boulder. By the end of his day, he had the woman in his office that had dropped the ball as far as the packets going out. She tried for apologetic, but something just didn't jibe about her act. "Hold that thought Denary." Denary Strait, was hired on from the beginning. She had processed everyone's paperwork. She was very good at getting the work done, only when it came to Rapture did she seem to drop the ball. Rap wasn't first pick, but number two was supposed to get his acceptance packet way before the classes started. Mark had thought that he'd missed Sloan turning down the opportunity. To find out from Cassandra and Rapture that the boy had thought he'd been rejected, made Mark wonder where his packet landed? He'd been here since 6 this morning, and still hadn't found it. The packets were not done in alphabetical order on purpose, they were done by ranking. Mark called Sloan into the office. Minutes later Sloan was at his door. Mark watches Denary, when Sloan walks in wearing his ring attire. The big man asked was this a formal meeting, and if so, he could go change, saying the ref just told him to get here. Denary turned her face as if she were shy, that was bullshit. "Rapture Sloan, I want to introduce you to my head of HR and assistant Coordinator, Denary Strait." Denary looked at Rapture and gone was the boy's uncertainty of showing up in dark spandex, to what could possibly be a business meeting. Mark saw recognition and confusion in the younger man's gaze.

Rapture never even cared to learn the skinny little brunette woman's name, she was a part of his past. One of the married females that had been all too willing to let him dominate her in her basement dungeon. "Ma'am?" She'd signed the contract, there was no relationship, he'd used her as he used all of them, as human sex toys. Now she stared at him and asked Mark what this is about. She had some edge to her voice. Callaway didn't miss it either. As he said he just wanted to introduce them since Rap had come on a Sunday instead of during the week. Denary held his gaze with a partial smirk, and holds out her hand saying it was a pleasure doing business with him, and the rehearsed line about if he needed anything to please let her know. He directed his statement to Callaway even though he was facing the woman. "I'm pretty ok, learning a lot, just wanting to make it worth your time Mr. Callaway." Mark dismisses him, and Rap got the hell out of there.

Mr. Callaway sits on his desk with his arms crossed over his massive chest. It was a power position, Denary sat back in her seat. Mark asked her was there anything she wanted to say since her demeanor was very uptight right now. She admitted that she and The Rapture had history. Callaway asked was this going to continue to affect her work. "No sir, like I said before, the fact that you sent me the inter office memorandum to push his late packet, never made it to my desk, I'd destroyed the packet since it hit my desk after the deadline. I would have handled the situation had I been aware of your instruction." Mark tells her to please from this point on to try make more of an effort to catalog their communication, especially since he'd given her this positon so he could with confidence leave on tour, and not have to worry on what he'd be coming back to. "As I stated before, this was an Isolated incident, that managed to birth other incidents" Callaway smirks at her, that was not reassuring. He says to make sure she kept her incident ratio to a minimum, or they would have to have another meeting and she would not like the outcome. He then dismissed her. Denary hit her own office. Her thoughts were a jumble. Did Callaway know she was lying about her mismanagement of Rapture Sloan's case? She had Rap in her house with her kids, and councilman husband, upstairs asleep. Her husband had shut down the Dark Knight Paradise club. She'd wanted another meeting with her Rapture, soon after his boss Kyle died. She had sent Rap millions of texts until he told her that he wasn't interested in taking their previous arrangement any further. Yeah she had signed the contract, and it had expired, but she thought that since she had given him complete control of her pleasure, that she could change his mind. She didn't think Sloan deserved this shot at making more money than he did from the club. She'd envisioned him needing her, and coming back to her willing to renegotiate the terms, if even for a trade for a place to stay. She'd looked up his condo, and his lease was up. To find that he'd moved and left only a P.O. box irritated her. Pulling up his profile on her computer his home address was password protected. She would have to be careful, Callaway's tech team were very good at what they did.

Mark called in Steve Austin. He knew Stone Cold would keep his students in check and keep an eye on his assistant coordinator while he was away. On camera Stone Cold and he were rivals, off camera they were acquaintances, as Angel would call it. A smile lights Mark's face as he remembered Angel's breakdown of what constituted as a friend. The smile faded as he thought about the fact that he never let a lot of people too close to him. Some of the ones he had, like Glenn, Rachael, and at one-point even Lady, ended up burning him pretty bad, and some of them like Paula, Angel, and Sophie were truly worth putting himself out there. After getting off the phone with Austin, he swung by Ivey Enterprises and picked up Janet. Mark heads out to the Last Ride, Paula came out with Tracy who helped fasten in the twins, and drove him to the airport. Kissing his wife, and hugging his girls, he set off for New York.

Tonight's Raw was going to be at the Garden. Every time he did this, it got harder, and harder to leave. Then he thought of why. For the last few years he'd been running keeping himself involved to the point of exhaustion, so he wouldn't have to think about the shit in his rearview. The doubts that plagued him about how he could have helped save his first wife. The fear that he'd never be able to put to rights his relationship with his oldest. At the time he noticed Janet pulling away. It started with her not wanting to go home with Racheal and he. To find out the first cause of that distance was Racheal, and to later find out his own sister, through emotional intimidation, and physical abuse pushed Janet to cope the only way she knew how, which consisted of her closing down on him, afraid to voice her thoughts for fear of him, or the image of him his sister, and ex, had, instilled. Nowadays, Janet and he talked, and it helped him to know what was on his child's mind. No more would she be snooping around doors trying to see if he was in an approachable mood, before asking for some of his time. They'd went to Nina's gravesite a few more times. He never thought he would be this close to his oldest daughter, after his major failure of judgment leaving her with Megan, and even with Racheal. Paula helped him understand that the extremely large void he thought he'd have to cross to reach out to his oldest, was mostly in his head. His mood improved when he thought about the woman that was taking care of not only Janet, but his twins. Paula was his rock, someone he trusted who would not, and had not burned him. Someone that he loved so much that it shocked even him sometimes. His relationship with her wasn't like with Rachael, where it had become a pale imitation of his first marriage. Mark would never admit it to Paula, but Rachael had puppet-mastered his ass. Rachael wore her hair like Nina, she wore Nin's perfume, she adopted his first wife's mannerisms, and a few key phrases, and made him a desperate self-loathing, self-doubting shell of the man he was. He'd held on to Racheal for as long as she'd allowed. He let her boss him around, and manipulate him into actions he would have never done, like disallowing Janet to go to Mania. One of his biggest mistakes, was introducing her to his child. He'd kept Janet out of the public eye as best as he could, and then had subjected her to not one but two women with an agenda, whether consciously, or unconsciously to fuck up his relationship with his child. Mark sat in his seat looking out over the tops of clouds as he forced his mind to latch on to something more positive. Finally, he could leave, and work without fear that he'd fucked up again. Paula loved and cared for Janet as much as she did their twins. After landing, and collecting his luggage, he hit the hotel they were to stay at, and called his girls telling them what they would want to know. "Yeah, I made it. I'm in the room right now, the rehearsal isn't for another few hours. I love you girls too." After seeing on the cam that he was safe Janet excused herself. Paula and he spoke then since she asked he told her why he'd Face Chatted her instead of just texting, or calling, which was his norm. "I do have unlimited data to burn, but I just needed to see and hear you girls. I miss you already and it hasn't even been 4 full hours. I love you Shortbread." She tells him she misses and loves him right back. They talk for a while and get off the computer so he could get to his meeting with Vince at the arena.

Over at Ivey Mansion, Paula poked her head in Angel's home office. Her girl stood behind her desk talking to a wall of flat screens that had been affixed to the rear wall of the office. Paula slid back out. Joshua came by and asked did she need anything. "I was just checking in on her." Joshua gives her a yeah sure look, and says okay, with question in his tone. "I wanted to talk to her about this staying in thing."

Joshua rubs the back of his neck and then meets his cousin's gaze. "Paula, I respect you, but this isn't your call. With Deon attacking her, and out of jail already, and my brother on the run, she needs this break, this small barrier between her and the world. Those men and women on those screens are at LEGNA as we speak. She didn't take a day off, she just wanted for right now, to do her job, without having to worry about Deon messing with her, or Patrick breaching security, or following her trying to kidnap her again. Him and James followed my ass a good two weeks before I knew what was going on." Paula asks had he been out of the house since his ordeal with the police after leaving their place. "Yeah, I have; it's not been easy, but I have. Please leave her alone about this. I've done the same thing before, and if I went in there and gave her the don't hide shit, and she went in, and something happened, I wouldn't be able to deal with that. Not when she can do it from home. I still see this as improvement. She says she's going into her office tomorrow she wants her dad to make sure his upgrade is tested before she reenters that building. I'm heading to her office to put her new desk together the store delivered it, but her in-desk computer is not assembled."

Paula agrees that is progress. She then says" You're going to that office for more than a handy man routine, but I understand, I was worried that Angel would start her hermit dance, shutting everyone out again like with Scott." Something in her younger cousin's blue gaze shifted at her words. "The thought crossed your mind a time or two as well I see." Joshua didn't have to say anything the answer was in his body language. "Go on and check out your wife's work space. I'll watch JC, he can visit with his cuzos."

"Thanks Paula" Joshua says as he walks in to the garage. Andrew radios into the garage asking him did he need a ride via Ivey Transit. Joshua says to the speaker system. "No, I'll drive my truck". He had a few stops to make and wasn't in a waiting mood. Backing out, Andrew walks towards his passenger door. Joshua stops abruptly when Andrew taps on said door. Powering down his windows, he meets the gaze of his Close Protection Agent. "I thought you were going to trail me." Andrew says because of the fact that no one knew where Patrick was, he thought it best to be closer than a possible car length away. Knowing this had to come down from Bobby himself, Joshua says. "ok" Andrew gets in, and they head towards LEGNA. Parking in the covered garage of the recording company, Joshua pass keyed himself up pass the 6th floor to Angel's floor. Her receptionist came running down the hall, then stops when she sees Andrew step in her path. She introduces herself and says Angel isn't here. Andrew tells her he knows that and steps out the way. She says to Joshua that she knows who they are but she would have to insist on seeing his ID card. Andrew shows her his that was attached to his Close Protection Agent badge. Joshua pulls his ID and says "You should have asked fucking Deon R Baza for his LEGNA ID, and my wife wouldn't have been attacked." She nods that his was still active, steps back and says usually people up here have already been carded or have swiped their passkeys. "Angela said he looked wrecked, that didn't send up any flags for you?" She says she sees other members of the staff that didn't look like they should be anywhere near a public office. As she raked him with her gaze. "Always with a comeback. How about this? Pay attention to your area, instead of doing whatever the hell you were doing the day that piece of shit walked by your desk, and into my wife's doorway." The woman says he didn't have to be rude. Joshua steps closer, Andrew blocks his visual of the little bitch, and says he came here for a reason. Joshua turned and pass keyed himself into Angel's office. He hears Andrew tell the woman to please go back to her desk, and from now on to please make Mrs. Davenport aware of visitors, and that included members of staff. For once the bitch didn't have a comeback, and Joshua heard her carpeted heels thump back down to her circular desk. Joshua was going to recommend that her desk be moved closer to Angel's office. Looking at the desk still in the box, Joshua knew if Angel walked in here and saw this, she would have probably walked back out, and been home anyway. He and Andrew made quick work of putting her desk up and Joshua set up her computer. Looking around he wondered where her personal items were. The thought that none of her stuff survived Deon's rampage, pissed him off. Not wanting to speak to her receptionist he asked Andrew to go ask. The woman walked in and into the little room that was his son's, Joshua heads in after her. The woman turned around and he saw that he made her uncomfortable. She points to a box of stuff and briskly walked back pass him, and out of Angel's office. Joshua pulled the largest item out of the box. It was their wedding photo, minus the glass. He remembered where all of these items were placed on her desk. Looking through the box he couldn't find her paperweight of her name that Candy had made her. The thing was as long as the shelf on the outer side of her desk. In the bottom of the box, he found it in large pieces. It had been trashed beyond repair? The thought more than irritated him. As he tossed the broken remains in the trash along with the box. Andrew says at least Angel is ok. "That's the only reason Baza is still breathing. You saved his life along with Angel's" What Joshua didn't say, was that Andrew saved his life as well that day, because bat shit crazy would be putting it lightly if something happened to his wife.

At Conner Construction's base location, Logan sat in his office working while Glenny sat on the floor of his office and played with his Tonka dump trucks, giving them voices, and missions to complete. His personal cell phone rings, and the voice on the other side made him sit up a little straighter. It was Mark. Looking at the clock it was also 6pm. He hadn't spoken to his… wife's brother since the day of the funeral. Compartmentalizing this aspect of his life had helped keep him afloat. "Hey, Yeah, I read about him and his wife. I'm not showing my kid that video, he's been through enough." Realizing how that sounded and remembering to whom he was speaking he says. "I'd didn't mean…. I meant… His m…Carla is the reason he was in danger in the first place. Is there something you wanted Mark?" He was anxious. His son looked up at him. Smiling at Glenny, Logan forced himself to appear relaxed, siting back in his chair, he didn't need Glenny picking up on his unease. Mark says just to bring him up to speed, and see how Glenny, and he was doing. "Fine, we're doing fine. How's Paula and the girls?" He realized he really wanted to know. Janet had been a part of his life since she was born, just on more of a full time basis after Nina died. Then Megan would change that forever. He thought of the twins, and times he got a chance to hold them on Christmas. The bittersweet memory of the whole holiday flashed through his mind. Mark told him that Janet had asked about him. That one statement stopped the onslaught of memory, like crashing through a brick wall, and shoved him into the present. "She did?" Mark says he had no reason to lie. "I didn't mean it like…" Mark says that the girls are at Angel and Joshua's place if he wanted to drop by. "Yeah, I think I will." Mark closes the conversation and they get off the phone.

Mark calls Paula she answered two rings before her phone would have sent him to voicemail. "Hello Darlin" She greets him and asked was he ready for tonight. "Yeah, look I reached out to Logan, he is supposed to be coming by to visit with you, Janet, and the twins. I think you were right. Aside from him sending me a thanks after he got the letter telling him to watch out for what Carla got Glenny mixed up in, he was doing what you said. You could hear it in his tone." Mark describes Logan's unusual halting speech pattern, and his surprise that Janet had asked about him. Paula asked about his meeting with Vince. "It went ok I guess. I'm going to be doing the run with Randy Orton." They speak about whether Randy can be safe to work with. Mark had a practice with him in an hour, and then he'd be able to know where to gauge Randy's skill. Their last run had ended with Randy messing up moves to the point that he almost injured himself. Mark was coming off the top rope from a move, and Randy moved in the wrong direction. Unlike his mythical character The Undertaker, in real life, Mark couldn't combat gravity, and landed on Randy. Mark is known as a ring general, a safe and controlled competitor that helped push the objective of the fight visually to the crowd, but still kept himself and his opponent safe while doing so when he could, or cared to. Paula asked did he sign any weird contract she should know about or be prepared for. "NO, I told Vince, and I told Randy, my family is to be left alone." Paula sounds relived. Mark meant what else he said to Randy when they stepped out of Vince's office. He hadn't liked the smirk Randy had thrown him, when he signed the contract. He told Randy that he meant it, if Randy went after his family, he'd beat him within an inch of his fucking life. Randy admitted he'd thought about it, but with what went on last year, and the fact that Mark had ended Shawn's career due to the injury he caused in their fight, Randy said he'd keep it professional since he didn't need Mark trying to end his life, or going after his new wife Sasha Orton. Mark and Paula soon end their conversation when he is called to the creative office.

Later that night, Paula, Janet and Angel who had finally come out of her home office, all sit on the couch in the den watching Raw. Paula knew who they were going to announce as Mark's competitor. She didn't know why the idea of Randy made her uncomfortable. The announcement comes at the end of the show, with Randy issuing his challenge to the legend, that he intended to take him down, and crush the streak. Mark came in view in the ring after a lights out segment that started with his bells tolling, and delivered his linage with an expert level, making Randy retreat from the ring wild-eyed. Whether it was just good scripting, or not, the scene itself was great for Taker fans. Paula enjoyed watching her cousin, and her girl, get wrapped up in the segment yelling at the TV that Randy was in for the fight of his life. Angel yells as Randy retreats that his best bet was to run away before Mark clobbered him. Janet tells Angel her dad would catch him though. Paula smiled it was that fan magic that Mark strived for, from his matches and show appearances. In family relation Angel was her cousin, in the COTN community and what she felt was that Angel was a sister of sorts. This time last year she was weary of Lady's friend rocker Angel, of Angelic Impression, then when everything came out of how Angel and she had been manipulated into roles of mistrust by the seemingly naïve Lady, Paula's view shifted, and the haze of mistruth lifted, to reveal the girl from town. What got her to thinking, was Sophie's words about perception, how the public, and even parts of her own family perceived her sister, and what was true. The fact was, the Ivey girls according to the townspeople that drifted into her bar, had not changed. Sophie spent more time as a younger adult in her club, the opportunity for distance with Angel, which was what Lady had banked on, was that Angel didn't hang in the Last Ride or near her sister's café. A smile crosses Paula's face, even back then, her cousin was a The Davenport girl. Paula knew of Angel, but until this time last year she didn't know Angela Rosa McBride Ivey now Davenport. Paula gets a text from Logan, breaking her reverie. Janet says she going to go check on JC, and the twins and then was going to bed since she had to be up earlier for her trip to her school. She had a schedule change the woman that was supposed be training her girl for her externship was not going to be in the country. Paula knew her girl was disappointed, but the woman had sent the email to the school, which made the school pull Janet back in to her core classes. Though the woman was an accountant for Ivey Enterprises, she was also an accountant with a very famous client listing. Janet had told her that her teacher was a fiscal coach for an actor from Brazil that was having trouble and paid for her presence to personally handle his problem. Paula thought at first that the woman was hyping her girl, but a talk with Sophie revealed that the man wanted to start another clothing chain, and needed the one-on-one so he would not jump at the first deal thrown at him. "Okay baby girl goodnight." Looking down, and swiping her phone open, Paula reads Logan's words.

Logan: hey Um Glenny and I was going to stop by, but work took me longer than I thought are you girls going to be in town for a few days?

Well that explained why he hadn't come by. Or his excuse of why anyway. They chat for a time, and agree to meet up in the afternoon, after Janet got out of school. Angel gets up and turns the lights that surrounded the front porch to dim for night. Paula saw that her cousin kept looking out, and then she would go back, and sit down. "Something wrong, or are you expecting someone?" Just as Angel was about to speak Joshua came in, and she flew to him. He was surprised as he took her into him, hugging her telling her he was fine. Apparently from what Paula could tell Joshua had not sent Angel a text before leaving this mid-morning / early afternoon. He meets her gaze and asked didn't she tell Angel where he was going. "That was earlier how much work was there It's after 11 pm?"

Joshua pulls his phone eyeing his wife. "I texted you when I was heading to the club." Looking down he notices that his phone had not sent the message, the little red triangle of death, as he calls the symbol when your phone could not send something out. "fuck" he says more to himself than to anyone in the room. "Angel, I went to your office, I put your desk and stuff back together and then got a call from dad, who needed to use the club for some video he's shooting, saying his guest password wouldn't let him change the lighting. Andrew was with me the whole time."

Angel places her hand on his chest and says "Joshua, I believe you I was busy too, and should have just called when I didn't see or hear from you. I let my mind get caught up in all kind of scenarios. I was just worried okay. Are you hungry?" He looks down at her hand covering hers with his own, and leans in and whispers in her ear that though pizza sounded nice he'd, like nothing more than the taste of her, his wife. Angel shuddered at his intensity. Last night, his love making was rough, demanding, with a dominating feel as if he thought he had to mark her as his. She was his from the time they met, they just were too young to realize it then. When he proposed in their bedroom and told her of how he'd heard her wishes though one time she was drunk and the other she'd thought him asleep, and revealed that they matched his own. The feeling of being wanted by someone that she trusted, who could set their own fire within her like no one ever could. Before that moment yes they had kissed, but both held back in fear that the other would not feel the same way. He told her over and over last night, that she was his anchor and good luck charm, if that was true he was her landing when she felt like she was flying out of control, her sanity, the only mate she'd ever love with all of her. He'd told the truth last night, he knew the real her, beyond all of her triggers, walls, and armor against the outside world. He'd walked into her heart, and shut the door behind himself, and stood guard protecting it. Saying their goodnight to Paula almost in unison, she let him lead her up the stairs.

Once inside the soundproof confines of their bedroom, Joshua hugged his wife to him, her back to his front, as she was about to head to the shower. He moved his hand up, and cups her breasts, eliciting a moan from her. He loved hearing her pleasure he wanted to watch her face. Kissing her spot on her nape, she shivers and sighs on a shaky breath. He bends and says "Turn around Little Red Riding Hood so I can see more of you." She complies, her cheeks were flush, her eyes hooded from the non-stop touching. He moved his hand lower stroking the space right under her belly button above her panty line. She twitched and breathed in sharply, and says she needs her big bad wolf to. "You need me to what?" he growls low as he takes her nipple his mouth, watching her face as he leans in, she reached out to grab at his belt. He takes both of her hands in one of his above her head against the door and took his other hand reached inside her underwear and brought her to climax. When he let her hands go she draped them on his shoulders as she reclaimed her breath. Feeling her come apart, and the look on her face with her rocking her hips into his fingers drove him wild, and just made him want her more, how that was possible he would never know. Then she smirked up at him, and he could see the heat in his wife, as she tells him to place his hands on the doorframe, and keep them there. She made slow tortuous work of removing his jeans and when she started working his length with her hands from root to tip, he almost let go of the doorframe. She was driving him wild, as he tried to hold himself against the door with both hands. When she slides down his front on to her knees he did let go of the door, reaching for her, she tells him to put his hands back on the door in a husky voice, filled with passion. He complies, and she took him into her warm mouth, and drove him out of his mind. Suddenly the build was over, she hit one more spot, and his eyes slammed shut on their own, his knees almost buckled as he roared "FUCK" as a massive series of trimmers took him over the cliff of bliss. She slowly gets to her feet and licked her lips and told him that he was right. After he reclaimed his breath and stopped feeling as though he was going to go head first into her if she didn't have her hand on his chest, he asks "About?" She smiles that smile that made his member twitch. She leans up and kisses him and says that he was much better than pizza.

The next few days, were a media soup, Glenn Jacobs's death or the manner of his death was listed as undetermined, because though the cause of death was an overdose that appeared to be self-administered there were also fingerprints from his wife Carla Fairchild-Jacobs whose manner of death was ruled the same, undetermined because of the fact that the glass to her husband's truck was busted out and there were post-mortem markings on her hands, and neck that pointed to someone removing her body from her original place of death. The fact that her death wasn't reported made manner of death unclear. Both looked like suicide complete with a Farwell of some kind, but there was too much evidence that pointed to foul play, with no real witness. The only thing that the news said was that Glenn was not a suspect in the death of his wife, only because his death was a week before hers. Joshua turned off the TV and looked at his wife. Angel tried to hide it but Joshua saw that she was worried about a segment that was Glenn's parents' 15 minutes of fame. After 20 years, according to Paula, it seemed that Glenn's parents had come out of hiding. On camera they were so mournful for the loss of their son and his wife. Joshua felt it was bullshit, but hey, his thoughts on the situation as Angel pointed out to him, probably had more to do with transference, and counter transference, from his own relationship with his birth parents. The only reason Joshua cared at all, was because Glenn's parents demanded in their interview that Mark, Angel and himself, be questioned as persons of interest. It wasn't that hard to figured who Glenn's note was talking about. Jonathon instructed them to do the same as he'd done when police wanted to talk to him, even though he had nothing to hide, he requested his lawyer be present. Joshua was all for that one, for a few reasons, one his wife, he and their cousin Mark had nothing to do with Carla, or Glenn's decisions to take themselves out. The other reason was, Joshua didn't trust having cops real close to his wife and himself, without someone else there to witness it. Cops could make Andrew leave the room, but would be hard-pressed to do that to their attorney. Angel finally voices her fears about what Glenn's parents were doing. "Babe, you and I know that we had nothing to do with what ever happened to Glenn and Carla. His parents have an agenda, Paula said that they disowned Glenn when he started wrestling under the name Kane. Now they are getting attention and like the fucking taste."

Mark met with homicide detectives in his hotel suite. Sophie sent him two lawyers both were present. Mark gave away nothing more than they asked for. The fact that Glenn's father was leading this circus was a fucking joke. It was revealed that Glenn died on February 9th his parents 25th anniversary. His mother Julia may have really been upset, but his dad Joel Jacobs, Mark just didn't see it. The fact that Joel was leading this pack of lies, just pissed him off. Mark was told not to leave town. His attorney made it clear that with the nature of Mark's job that was not an option and offered a travel itinerary. The detectives didn't like it but agreed. To Mark this witch hunt was going to end real soon if he and his cousins were the only suspects. Then the date hit him before the detectives left. After quickly speaking to his lawyers privately, they give him permission to speak. That was the same day Joshua was attacked by state cops after coming back via a chartered jet by their father from the Grammys. The New York detectives winced at his words. After all is said and done, and the face chat video was gleaned from his phone company. Hopefully they would see what his cousins were doing that weekend and the hell they had been going through at the same time Glenn was taking his last fucking breath. Even his last goodbye was like a big fuck you to the people he claimed to be so sorry for fucking with. His attorneys told him that they would make Sophie Ivey aware of this interview in it's entirely. "I was gonna tell her, but you do that." They leave and Mark hits the hotel gym.

Amy sat in her new restaurant everything was going so fast. She went from having a small store front catering company, to being part owner of one of the largest restaurants in town. Chase was being questioned about the bitch that had almost broke them up. He was worried about how much he could say without getting his son into trouble. His children were not happy he was dating her. It was starting to disturb her girl's mood. Ever since that dinner, her girl stayed to herself on her phone in constant chat with her friend. She tried to talk to Nikki, but Nikki would just say she was fine, and asks how her mom was doing with all of this. Amy said what she figured her daughter should hear. That she was fine. Amy was anything but fine, she was stressed, this was a large undertaking. She loved Chase, but wasn't used to all of this attention by the media, and this discourse of an investigation. Police showed up at her home this morning to interview him. She'd walked to into her living room and there were 4 extra strangers there to greet. Chase's two lawyers, and the two detectives. People kept calling her, asking her about her relationship with Chase. This was too much. She loved the man, but this life wasn't her norm. She couldn't wear that stony impersonal mask, like his daughter Sophie, who was born and bred into this life, the young lady could put on the mask, with a blink of her eye. Amy was Amy not a socialite. She gets a call from a news magazine, here at her work. "No comment" she says just above a whisper, so she won't reveal her emotional state over the phone. The woman kept speaking and then started verbally baiting her. Amy softly put the phone back in the cradle. It rang again but with a Washington D.C. prefix. She picks up, and her mother's voice un did her. She burst into tears. "No, it's nothing like that momma." Someone was out to damage her image in the media. Pictures of her in the hospital the day Nicolas died. Chase's angry tirade at some part of the desk staff. Pictures from a distance of her at Nicolas' burial site, with Chase standing over her. The media had caught him there before she realized he was standing there. The concern in his eyes was for her. He'd noticed her trying to close out the world, by staying in her old home and trying to sleep away the memory of her marriage. The charismatic older male that had wooed her at a gala she was catering, was much more than what he seemed. After getting off the phone with her mother she felt guilty, that she had not told her parents about Chase. She picked at that thought for a while. She knew why he was hesitant to tell his children about her. From their reaction to her, maybe they should have waited longer. Those people knew things about her because of who her girl is. They had already formed their opinions before she had even stepped foot in that dining area. Amy takes a sip of wine as she walks around the restaurant. Then downs the glass. The warmth hit her filling those spaces that felt so cold an alone within her. Walking into the little dining area that revealed to her that she would never be welcomed into Chase's family and the other deeper fear if they did, she looks at the table that had set the stage. She'd change this room. Starting with this damn table. Irritation and something else darker grips her, as she grabs the table and pushes it out of the center of the room. The exertion of her own physical power over such a small part of her life felt good. She needed help she realized when she looked back at the bottle of wine that was full when she got here but was now empty.

Days goes by Angel, Joshua, Mark, and Jonathon are no longer people of interest in the deaths of Glenn Jacobs and Carla Fairchild-Jacobs. The last person of interest in the death of Carla Jacobs was Chase. This was soon closed out when Captain Joy Wildflower revealed that the website was a very expert hack job, that revealed yet another server in use. The state police were under I nvestigation. Joy and Andrew both sent her the news at almost the same time. This cleared not only Ivey Enterprises but also the Saving Granville Foundation's server. Sophie sat back in her home office desk after reading the news and sharing the news link with Luke.

Luke: I'm glad the truth came out. See you tonight?

Sophie: I have a EBook event tonight at the Last Word you can me meet there then we can plan from there. I just wanted to share the news with you. I am so relieved.

Luke: As for the news article I am glad that everything came to the light. Now maybe my dear you can get some real rest. I don't like seeing you stressed and I really had to bite my tongue around Chase after I found out he sent them your way.

Luke: l will be coming from work I hope I am not overdressed for the event is it black tie or casual? (lopsided grin emoticon)

Sophie: Not that you have a piece of casual wear in your wardrobe, it's business casual so you should be ok.

Sophie had a few stops to make before her book event tonight. Heading out and towards the center of town to a very good produce market for some things she wanted to try on her menu, she pauses before getting out, when she pulls up and sees Amy. Figuring she'd lend an olive branch to the stressed looking woman, she gets out of her car and heads in to the market. Nikki wasn't with her to provide an ice breaker but oh well here went nothing. "Amy" The woman looked back at her and put her hand to her throat as if Sophie had scared her, and says hello calling her Miss Ivey. Okay maybe she had scared her. The woman's discomfort came off her in waves. "You can call me Sophie unless you are more comfortable with Miss Ivey, that's fine too. I wanted to talk you."

Amy looked around and then back at Chase's daughter. Now that Nikki wasn't in ear shot she may be able to say what was on her mind. "I would not have a problem with talking to you. That is if this is not round two of the dinner. I get it you don't like me." Sophie starts to say something. Amy keeps talking before she loses her nerve. Releasing her necklace, she forces herself to walk in step with Sophie, holding on to her cart as if it will roll away from her. "I can't say the same, you and your siblings and your mate, have treated my daughter so well, and for that I am thankful. I assure you I had no clue that Chase was going to purchase such a massive building for my little business. I didn't ask him in any way to do that. The only reason I'm willing to do this at all, is because, I love your father, and I get that he thinks this will help, and the location holds some historical value in his eyes to your family. I appreciate that he believes in my ability but..."

Sophie stops walking when Amy stops speaking Sophie says "Amy, I can't speak for anyone but myself. It isn't that I do not like you. I know of you, but I don't know you. You seem very stressed and with you just getting out of therapy all of these life transitions are a huge step for you. I want to give you a number to a life coach here in town. It's through the Sheldon network so you know they will be discrete." Amy takes the card of one of the life coaches Sophie used when she first started dealing with her own life transitions. Her life transition issues were of a different brand. They were more of the, after getting engaged to Julius letting her mother go nuts and convincing her to buy the 10 grand dress, and agreeing to most of her mother's over the top fairytale suggestions about the wedding, in that moment in time she thought she needed that bonding experience. Her mother had been married twice so who better to ask was her thought back then, then to have Julius upend all of her fucking planning and leave canceling the mega event to her between that, and having to deal with her mother, when she returned to Grandville South without a husband in tow, was when Sophie sought out help.

Glenn's funeral was fast approaching and WWE had done their interviews of his co-workers to be played at the end of this week's Smack Down. Mark ran though his prepared approved lines and left before they said whether they need him to do it again. Logan had met up with Paula and his girls and Vince had told him that he was going to have a new travel liaison. Mark was not in a good mood when he hit Vince's office. "I don't need a liaison. You see how great that was last year. That bitch could have killed my ass." Stephanie McMahon, Vince's daughter was silent until he was done speaking and told him that it was not up for debate. "Where's your old man?"

Steph smirks she was in charge of Raw until her father felt better. "Mark don't forget who I am, as for the push back about having a travel manager, this is not a debate. Besides, one, if it weren't for that fuck up it may have taken you longer or forever to marry your second wife." He glares at her, Steph was used to him, so his Callaway glare didn't scare her. "Look you are going to have some heavy scheduling between your school and Mania approaching and we all just want what will be best for you and the company." Steph crosses her arms over her chest and says "So, meet your new travel manger." Steph walks over, opens the door, and a tall slender mixed race woman with dark hair pulled back in to a bun that looked painful stepped into the room at Steph's request. "Markus L Callaway, meet Stacy G. Blank."

Stacy smiles at Mark then turns to Steph "Hello sir, my name is Stacy Bloke, not Blank. You have two events tonight, the taping, and the signing, they are two hours apart and about that distance that far apart, my suggestion is that you go to the first one and leave 30 minutes early." Steph excuses herself and leaves them alone. By the look on his face he wasn't pleased to meet her. Though she was tall for a female standing at 6'1, he was still almost a foot taller than she. He tells her before they get out of this office he wanted to make a few things perfectly clear. His next stream of words explained the look on his face. "Well, I can assure you Mr. Callaway. I'm not attracted to you. For starters not every girl wants to date the image of her father. Also though in this lifestyle I'm sure this means nothing to the diva types, but I'm happily married. Have been for 11 years. Your last travel manager was a temp that got hired to replace someone that quit your grouping. I've been working in this field, in this capacity, granted for other types of performers, but if I can remain detached while a rock star that is my age, runs in my hotel room half naked, asking for when his next show is after a night of partying. I'm sure I can handle telling you when you have to appear somewhere. So, may we leave the room or are you going to continue to stand here while time ticks away, and you get further behind schedule?" He smirks and extends his hand towards the door telling her to lead the way.

A week passes, Glenn and Carla's funeral is today. Many stars from many walks of life fill the pews, of the mega cathedral type church. Glenn's mother is the perfect image of someone in mourning of her dead child. She wears all black as the people walk pass her, stop, and kiss her on the cheek, or give her a hug. Joel Jacobs looks sad, but something in his eyes just don't sell the amount of hurt he raged about when Glenn was discovered. Dave Batista walks from his row and heads towards the exit. With his drug problem under control, and the WWE roster getting shorter and shorter, Vince had offered him his job back. Being clear headed here after all the turmoil he'd left in his wake, just made him feel like he had to apologize to those he'd hurt. He'd met with Glenn's parents and had given a eulogy that would be printed everywhere for a time. His social media platform was working, fans wanted "The Animal" back. Mark had shown but said nothing. Dave had seen the reprint of Glenn's letter, and felt that this was partly his fault. Mark's second wife glared his way when she saw him. Mark and he never even made eye contact, but Mark knew he was here. There was one person that had told him that he would regret his actions, and she was right. The only female that had not just swooned over him because of his looks. Rubbing a hand over his face he thinks of the woman that's he lost to his own stupidity. He'd basically attacked her while drugs, and anger, raged for control of his actions. When the drug induced fog cleared, he had no job, no friends, and had lost his home in D.C. He now lived with his parents. He felt guilty that he was selected to give Glenn's eulogy. He'd fucked over and set up Glenn to get back at Sophie's sister Angel. He had no idea that would spiral that damn fast. He was hurt because he knew he wouldn't get Sophie back. His image of their last moments were one of the only full memories he had. What was done was done, he kept telling himself. He should leave, he'd tried to call Sophie, but her fucking auto attendant would not let him through. He tried from different phones and got the same treatment, or when he did not give his name the thing hung up on him.

It was early March, Cassandra hated being home alone. She mostly visited her parents, and Joshua's place. Today she was thrilled at the prospect of watching her nephew. With Joshua's brother on the loose, Angel's grandmother sending her cousin to the club to demand that Joshua let him and his gram see his baby cousin, not to mention the fact that their own father's trial was today. Cassandra arrived at Joshua's home early and would be watching JC while Joshua and Angel went to the trial. Bradley was working an out of town job for Logan. Cass had talked to Rapture on the phone every day since the 15th of February, he'd claimed to be doing a hell of job. He even tried to send her part of his stipend, they had argued. She didn't want his money, hell she made more working at LEGNA USA than she had ever made in her life. She understood his need to want to repay her, but it pissed her off that that he felt he had to. She ended their argument by telling him that she had not loaned him money, she was helping build their life together, and if he didn't see it, they had more problems than could ever be fixed. With what she knew of his past, and the way he thought, was her reasoning behind her words. He'd picked this house, and she had the means when he did not, to turn it into their home. She didn't want him feeling he had to pay her back. This was the first time that her name was on a lease. She'd lived with her parents, and with Bradley, but still her name was not on the lease. Her father set that up, she'd been 18 when they were made to move. She'd lived with Chadwick, and because he was the sole owner of the house, and had threated her life if she didn't sign the divorce papers that let him keep his everything and left her with only the few furnishings her ex best friend and Chad's new wife Amber didn't want. She moved back with her parents. Now that she had sold, or given Bradley the stuff in storage, and trashed the rest of it, she had a chance to wear a cape or two when Rap needed it the most. God knew that man had put on a few capes for her. At one time she would have never thought this was possible walking into her baby brother's home to watch her nephew, Joshua and herself were closer than she had even thought possible. Heading up the stairs Angel leaves JC's room with Joshua following her. Hugging her siblings before she heads in, Joshua stops her from letting go and admits that he's afraid of what's going down today. Cassandra hugs him back and says "Joshua, all you can do is be there for them. Dad's lawyers are confident but dad and mom seeing you guys there will help." He nods and walks down the stairs. Bradley shows up and says he was glad he hadn't missed them. They all head out with Andrew leading a team of STOP officers. The news was once again giving this a lot of ink, which had the press following her parents, and harassing them all. Andrew had put in for more agents when a reporter busted out one of Joshua's windows. Joshua had come home from their club and had stopped at a red light. When people started shouting shit at him, he powered up the window and drove home. Joshua was informed that night from Interactive Supervisor Securities an Ivey company, that some nut had thrown a TV camera through his office window with a note that read "You and your father can't hide from the truth the press has a right to know."

Later that afternoon, with everything that had went down, Wolfe had not pushed his agenda for Salvatore Fenny Paradise to speak to Jonathon McBride's woman. Maxwell Stalk Wolfe had gone back to Ireland to check on his daughter. That left Salvatore here to run the US Den. He'd proved he could do it in Wolfe's absence years ago. Max called him today and reminded him of their talk weeks ago. Salvatore felt he had to speak to Gloria Fenny-Shannon before Max returned to American soil. Seeing her enter LEGNA he gets out of his car, and heads into the building. His den members where keeping an eye out for McBride. A woman stops him and asked him did he have an ID card. "No, my name is Salvatore Fenny, I'm here to visit with a family member of mine." The woman asked who and he told her using Gloria's preferred surname. The woman told him to have a seat. He wondered for the first time if Gloria would see him.

Gloria enters her office and her assistant asks her to view an image of someone that wished to meet with her. As an executive partner of LEGNA, she met with lots of people. When she glanced at the screen, she froze. Her assistant mentioned that his name that was given did not totally match what the screen read through their face matching system. Jonathon's add-on after Deon's infiltration of their company, had identified her cousin under his true surname. They were both the black sheep of the Fenny family. She wondered why Paradise would want to speak to her. None of them wished a reunion, when she would have needed it the most. Did he expect money? Only one way to find out his agenda. Lifting her chin, she spoke to her assistant instructing the woman to have Mr. Fenny Paradise go to the public conference room on the 6th floor. Until she found out why he was here, she would not let him above public level. There would also be more security at her fingertips. She didn't trust him, family or not, and though that fact saddened her immensely, she had to go with her instinct.

Salvatore is escorted up a few floors to a conference room. Looking around he noticed the system. So she thought she'd record them, he pulls his phone and set the image of him smiling up at the camera as the loop. It wouldn't hold for long but it was something. When his cousin entered the room her gaze was shock for a minute, then turned into something else that he couldn't easily read. She cuts right to the chase and asked him why he wished to meet with her. Then he realized what her stance and gaze revealed, he made her nervous. "Gloria, I'm here to speak to you on behalf of my employer." For some reason he didn't want her to think he was here on his own. "Your relationship with Jonathon is the topic." She says that her relationship wasn't his or his employer's business. He keeps speaking "I was told to convey to you that if you're not serious about him to leave him alone, because if you destroy him like you did Victor Shannon you won't live to tell the tale."

Rage and fear guided her words "Get out NOW! I will not have you come into my place of work and threaten me no matter who the message comes from." He walked towards her, she held up her remote. "You take another step in my direction and your employer with have to bail you out" He stops advancing on her, and smirked at her. His next words slammed in her with the velocity of a punch to the chest. As he revealed that, he a part of her own bloodline, was employed by Maxwell Wolfe and that if she got him detained today, her life would not be worth shit by nightfall. "How could you work for him?"

Sal sits on the table and says "Long story, and I'm not in a sharing mood. If you're with John and believe it will last keep up the good work. Wolfe has said if he liked Victor more than he did he would have completed the task even for the down payment. Lucky for you one, Victor didn't pay upfront and two, Wolfe found him annoying. Seeing her hurt, anger, and fear, he felt he had to tell her "Jonathon is protected by Wolfe" She asked if he was a part of the group that tried to end her life. The question made him uncomfortable, so he shrugs saying "Nothing personal," She tells him that was fucking bullshit, that he was a part of her bloodline, this was beyond as personal as it could get. She then asked what had she ever done to him for him to hate her so much. Looking up at the system in the room. He then looks back at her meeting her sorrowfully angry expression. He switches to speaking Irish and says quickly "I don't hate you or I would have tipped him off on you a long time ago. Fuck, I'm armed right now, if I had any hate in my heart towards you, your head would be in pieces all across this fucking room. I could not save your ma, but I had nothing to do with her death. Wolfe sent me after you to deliver the message. I did that. Now I'll take my leave, Goodbye blooded cousin." He backs out of the room watching her, then turns and walks into the elevator.

Over inside the Pyramid Court, Sally, Joshua, Angel, Bradley, Candy, Vashon, and his wife Cynthia all sits just behind the wall partition referred to as the bar, separating them from Michael and his two lawyers. After Sally was called up to testify, and pictures were shown. Joshua held his mother's hand after she stepped down and came back to her seat. Seeing the images of his mother so abused and hearing what happened shook him to his core. Angel held his other hand. Angel looked over at the jury as they reviewed the photos. Vashon was called up to testify since he'd called Sally during her attack. He repeated what was said. After Michael's retelling of the situation. The state tried to confuse him, but his story remained the same as it did in print the night he was taken in. When Officer Cody Tanner was called to testify. His claim to have witnessed the act in progress from the door, fell apart at the hands of Michael's lawyer's cross-examination, who provided an outline of the crime scene, and the diagram of the house. Spencer's wife's diagram gave the jury a time based account of the events based on a Pyramid officer's testimony. Many times the judge had to shut Officer Cody Tanner down, to the point she promised to hold Tanner in contempt of court if he did not remain quiet. Bradley had been before this judge when he was a young adult, and she did not fuck around. He just hoped this trial didn't fuck his dad. The state gave their close then Spencer's wife stood and delivered their closer. The jury left the box and court was in late afternoon recess for the jury to deliberate then return with a verdict. At the end of the day the jury came back. Everyone headed back into the court room. The woman in the first seat in the Jury box stood, gaining everyone's attention. "We the jury find Michael Davenport on the account of Murder, not guilty, on the charge of domestic abuse on Sally Lu Davenport, not guilty, We the jury find that Michael Davenport's slaying of Chadwick Denton was a justifiable homicide since Chadwick Denton posed an imminent threat to the life of Sally Lu Davenport."

Officer Cody Tanner jumps up and says "this is bullshit, Davenport found Denton fucking his bitch and..." The judge had him removed then banged her gabble and ended the case.

Their group hugs Michael or shakes his hand, then heads out of the courthouse and down the steps. Reporters shout questions at them. They all get in the limo, Sally sits on one side with Bradley flanking his father on the other side. Angel suggest they come to the house. No one objects, as they soon ride into the gate and then into the garage at Andrew's orders. Upon entering the house now that they were not being watched Sally grabs Michael and hugs him tightly with tears of joy streaming down her face. She mumbles incoherently as Michael crushes his wife to him kissing her. Bradley is next to grab ahold of his father expressing how relieved he was. Joshua thanks the Spencer couple; Derrick Spencer tells them all that he wasn't about let Michael go down for protecting his family if he could possibly help it.

Derrick Spencer sits in the grand living room of Ivey Mansion. Looking at his client. When the state called that damn cop to the stand he could hardly wait to cross him. His wife must have picked up on his anger when she stood before he did. He remained in his seat and watched as his wife ripped apart the State cop's claim. It was like opening a present at Christmas. He'd met with Sophie Ivey a few times since getting canned from Strickland and Associates. This was the hardest he'd worked in a while. Most of his cases never made it to court. He was classically a plea-bargain attorney, but remembering walking into that interrogation room and watching the injured old guy look lost, made Derrick think that Michael was toast if someone didn't help him. Derrick had meant what he told his former employer, this guy would not have been able to afford a team of seven. After going over Davenport's expenses to come up with a fair price, his wife had asked him what made this case so special. As Derrick had spoken of what he walked in on, and had probably stopped in the process, and the fact that his firm had tried to rip him from the case to leave it to chance, made her see his determination. It made him think of how many cases he'd been passed on, because a win was something the firm hadn't saw possible. Taking this case had changed something in him forever. He and his wife take their leave after asking Michael was he still wishing to go after the state cop. Before Michael could respond it was his sons and daughters that told him hell yes. Spencer said that with Officer Cody Tanner's behavior today in court, he had a few discovery type things to do, but he would soon get those wheels into motion.

Sophie walked into the house and stops at the image before her. Their family and friends were all sitting around Michael Davenport. "I take it you won." Michael looks up meeting her eyes and thanks her. If it weren't for Spencer telling her what happened, she would have not even known that Becky Strickland was about to refuse Michael's case based on his net worth. The thought made her ill. She'd had a talk with Strickland and the remaining associates. Strickland's daughter was put on probation which pissed off Strickland. Sophie didn't give a shit. It had taken a high profile court dodger, to come to her office asking to start up a firm of his own to open her eyes, to what was happening in one of her biggest merger law firms. No wonder Strickland jumped at the idea of a merger in the first place. With his daughter firing the lawyers, they needed the life raft of merger. Finding out their win count was mostly for stars and politicians that could afford 7 or 8 yes men, pissed Sophie off enough to walk into Strickland Law, demand a meeting with the partners, and tell them all, that if this continued she would withdraw Ivey Enterprise's support for good. Sophie was not going to continue helping a law firm that behaved like this. When she first passed the bar she worked in D.C. most of her earliest cases involved people that wouldn't be able to pay until the case was over, and she respected that. Yes, now a long list of people had her on retainer, but back then mattered, it made her what she was today, and she would not allow a firm to damage her business's reputation with high handed tactics.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. Well the trial has come and gone. Thanks to my beta team for helping me come up with a proper title considering I had like three of them. End note