I post this update with nothing but happiness flowing through me right now. Not only has yours truly officially bagged her LL.M (thank God for that, this means I've completed all formal education as far as I'm concerned. Screw all that PhD talk, lol), but Into the Deep End has made it past ONE THOUSAND reviews! I literally cannot believe it and I cannot begin to thank you all enough for showing so much support with your fantastic reviews. Even better, a reviewer actually compared my smut scenes to those of CFierce116! Like eeeeep! That is a huge compliment! I usually don't do this because I prefer to be impartial/neutral on this site, but guys if you're looking for first class Roman stories/smut, hit up CFierce116 or benova13's pages, they are awesome. They're part of a select group of fabulous writers in a period where (in my humble opinion) there doesn't seem to be that many great writers or fanfics anymore. Plus every story seems to be slash now and no offense, but (for the readers who PM'd me with requests and anyone else who might also ask) I don't read or write slash. At all. Never will. Sorry.
Anywho, big, big, big thank you to Tammy, Siren's Call To The Dead, LetItReign, ChelleLew, Alisi824, Chermayne, BillionDollarPrinceStephanie, corbettluv, LuxuriaVanitas, PassionWriter101, DeeMarie426, Shield316, Bharm, CFierce116, justkimmy, nikki1335, benova13, mitchy21, Alexis Black-Reigns, Olivia Reigns, princessreigns, KailahBoo11, ItReignsJustice-619, Guest, squawswarpath and vegas angel baby for the last set of reviews. If Jasha's sexiness is givin' y'all a collective heart attack, I'm afraid to say (or maybe not) that the best is yet to come, including a chapter I've been waiting to unleash on y'all for MONTHS ;) So keep your eyes open, your cigarettes, water bottles etc. at the ready, lol.
Enjoy 52! Sorry I took so long to update.
"Dude, are you even listening to me?"
Jon Good's gruff voice yanked Joe back to reality, interrupting a very pleasant memory involving strawberries, melted chocolate, Sasha's ass and his tongue, his thoughts vivid enough to tune out both the car stereo and his friend. Raising his head off of the window of the passenger's side of the car, he directed his glare towards the driver's seat. "You still yammerin' about the Monster Truck thing Renee took you to?" he said.
"I'm not yammering, have some respect," said Jon.
"Yes you are. And no, I'm not listening to you," Joe answered bluntly, resting his head back against the window.
"You ain't the only one, Uce. We stopped paying attention to him a long time ago," Jonny Fatu piped up from behind Joe's seat, eyes on his phone, cramped up in the back seat with his twin Josh and Colby, both of whom nodded their agreement with the statement. It was a long drive to the next town, and the last thing they needed to hear for the entire trip was Ambrose talking about shit they'd already heard a hundred times before.
Jon scoffed. "Please. You just mad I'm distracting you from your sexting session with Trin, you and your shitty-ass multitasking skills. You tellin' me you can't listen to me and phone-fuck her at the same time? And didn't you already physically fuck her last night? I swear everyone on our entire floor could hear you two." That was very possible. Jonny and Trinity were notorious for being a little loud in bed no matter where they went.
"Don't hate that I treat my girl right on the regular, Ambrose," Jonny countered. Joe rolled his eyes, sensing the pissing contest about to commence.
"And what makes you think I'm not doing the same with Renee? Because the entire state don't hear us when we go at it?" said Jon. "I just don't fuck and tell. But I'm definitely treating my girl right."
"Can you fuckers not start? Y'all are making me miss Gigi more," Josh whined, referring to his fiancée back at home with his baby son.
"At least y'all got someone," Colby muttered under his breath as he glared out of the window, crossing his arms dejectedly.
"Now here's a guy who's definitely doing the business with his lady," Jon grinned, reaching over to pat Joe on the head. The bigger man instantly swatted his hand away like a pesky fly, causing the rest of them to laugh. "Dude, watch the fuckin' road," he grumbled at Jon.
"He's right though, Uce. We hear the stories. Your dumb ass is making the rest of us look like chumps," Jonny complained. "Trin told me about the suite you booked in Vegas for your anniversary. She was all up in my ear the next few days asking when I was gonna get us a room like that."
Joe smiled dreamily at the thought of his girlfriend and the incredible night – and morning – they shared. "I'm just doing my thing, man," he said with a shrug. "Maybe y'all need to step up your game." Speaking of his girl, she hadn't called him in a while. He hoped everything was okay at the hospital.
"Alright, alright guys," Josh jumped in before his brother or Ambrose could protest. "I think we can all agree that we're all treating our ladies right and no one's doing better than the other," he said, quietly noticing Colby's sulky features and realizing how insensitive they were being. "Is that alright? Is that okay? Can we move on to something else now?"
Chuckling, Joe's gaze settled on his phone as it beeped with a text message. Sasha. Finally. There was a photo attached to the message.
Say hello to my niece, Imani Winter Melody Greene. 6lbs 5oz. New mama's doing great. So happy rn *heart eyes* X
A huge smile spread across his face at the photo of a sleeping newborn infant, wrapped up in a pink blanket. "Hey guys, Pam had a girl," he announced, "Sash sent a picture."
"Can I see?" Colby took the phone from Joe. "Aw man, she's beautiful. Tell Sash to say congrats to the new Mommy and Daddy for us."
"Sure thing." He immediately texted Sasha back, relaying the boys' message to Pam and Elgin before letting her know he missed her. Subconsciously his gaze returned to the picture of the new baby, smiling softly at her tiny, smooth face, and a familiar longing resurfaced and settled in the pit of his belly.
Daddy. He really liked the sound of that, and not just in the sexual way, like back in Vegas when Sasha first addressed him by the kinky nickname. It was hot, for sure, and it catered very well to his dominant tastes. But he was starting to think about it in the literal sense of the word. Being a daddy. Being someone's father.
It had been quite some time since he used protection with Sasha. He did try to be careful, but more often times that not things always got a little heated, especially when he returned home after being gone for so long. Evidently her birth control was working fine, otherwise with the way they'd been going at it she would definitely be knocked up by now. Was it selfish of him to want her to get pregnant? Sure, his nieces and nephews were awesome, he now had another kid to dote on in Imani and he already treated Mia like his own daughter. But he wanted his own; children he could call his very own. And with all honesty, if he were to have them, he wanted Sasha to be the mother and no one else. She'd already shown with T.K. and Mia how excellent of a mother she was. He imagined having a son, with his grey eyes and Sasha's electric smile, and dreamed about teaching him to play football or the basics of wrestling. He envisioned a little girl as beautiful as her mom – if that was the case, he'd have to consider purchasing a shotgun to keep the lecherous boys at bay. He didn't get why he craved it so much, fatherhood. It wasn't like he was going to be a regular dad. He would be gone three hundred days in a year, maybe longer as his star rose higher. He knew how tough it was for Josh every time he had to leave Gianna and Brandon behind. Of course, the potential problems that Sasha's body would go through during pregnancy was not far from his mind. But it didn't stop Joe from wanting it, from daydreaming about it.
Would he be a good dad? Mia thought so. He would try his damnedest to be, even though he couldn't be around as much as he should. That was one of the many lessons he learned from his father. Sika got to know his first three children very late in life. He had been away from Alma, Matt and Cassie for most of their lives, and Joe had been the only one to truly enjoy his father's presence at home as his legendary career only started to wind down after Joe was born. He had witnessed how their father's absence affected his older siblings, the casualties of following and achieving a dream, trying to make life better for the children he barely knew. It was a daunting thought to Joe, knowing that not being there enough could easily jeopardize his relationship with his child. But it was a thought he knew he had to contemplate and pore over and over as his and Sasha's relationship continued to progress.
Exhaling heavily, the Samoan stared back out the window, watching the scenery go by. He found himself feeling jealous of Pam and Elgin. They probably didn't realize how lucky they were, how good they had it in the normality of their lives. As their friend, he could only hope that they did, and that they would take none of it for granted.
A month after Imani was born, Pam and Elgin were married in Miami. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony at the beach, and standing by in her peach-colored Maid of Honor dress, Sasha was a blubbering mess the entire time as she watched her best friend exchange rings and vows with the love of her life. She wished Joe could have made it to the wedding, but it was impossible because he was away touring Europe. She sent him photos and videos from the day, a giddy smile on her face when he'd complimented her dress. Sasha tried to catch WWE programming more often, pleasantly surprised to see the Shield had finally made their face turn – another wrestling terminology provided to her by T.K. – and were more popular than ever. They were even granting wishes to Make-A-Wish kids now, breaking the Cena monopoly. Sasha knew Joe enjoyed that part of his job a lot, giving back, spending time with the sick children and putting happy smiles on their faces. At least he was keeping busy, and that was a good thing.
Currently, she was halfway through her morning shift at the Grill, her mind flitting to the job she'd applied for a week ago; as a photographer for a popular local magazine. Sasha had managed to create a decent portfolio over the months; from the snapshots from Reggie's last birthday and Pam's picturesque wedding to an action shot of Mia dancing. An old photo of T.K. sailing through the air, about to hit a slam dunk. The Grill on a busy night. The amazing lake view from the bedroom balcony at home. Joe's whipped hair. Trinity's silhouette. Ambrose working out. Though she kept all three wrestlers' faces obscured in the shots to keep the WWE off her back. Various types of photographs to showcase her versatility, and though she was probably not as experienced as other potential applicants, she hoped the magazine would be impressed enough to consider hiring her. She loved working at the Grill; it had taught her so many skills and she could never repay Reggie enough for taking her in and showing her the ropes, but photography was her ultimate passion. She hoped to turn it into a career, and this was the first step. Reggie had given his blessing, as did Joe and the kids, and it was all she ever asked for, the support of friends and family.
There was a lot of other things Sasha was doing with herself these days, from starting GED classes, helping Mia rehearse for a huge audition coming up, to preparing for the trip to San Francisco with the kids for WrestleMania, as well as helping Pam out with baby Imani. Her best friend, as expected, was still coming to grips with her role as a new mother. Between breastfeeding, diaper changes and waking up at all hours of the night, Pam was struggling a little. Her weight was another point of concern, but Sasha didn't understand why. Because she had kept working out through most of her pregnancy, Pam didn't gain that much weight. Sasha thought her body looked more beautiful. Her hips were a little broader, her breasts fuller, making her look shapelier and more womanly. It was normal that she filled out after giving birth, and it had taken Sasha as well as Elgin a while to convince Pam of this, more so when she was trying on wedding dresses. Sasha always made sure to stop by the Greenes' after or before work, even if it was only for half an hour, to allay the loneliness the new mother was surely feeling from being cooped up at home with the baby while Elgin was away at work. She didn't mind going out of her way at all. The fitness instructor was her rock and support for years, it was high time Sasha started to repay her in one form or the other. Besides, she didn't mind spending time with Imani…Her niece was simply the sweetest little baby.
Because she'd become so involved with taking care of the infant, Sasha admittedly had begun to feel a little broody, and was starting to seriously consider the option of a third child. Joe would be very happy to hear that. Her sweet, caring boyfriend deserved to have everything he wanted in life, and being a father was one of those wants. There was no better way to show her love for him than having his baby. So she made up her mind, that whenever Joe was ready, they could start trying, and if it happened she would do everything in her power to ensure the pregnancy went as smoothly as possible, and she would give life to that baby, even if it meant potentially risking her own. She tried not to be too negative though. Maybe her experience with Mia was a one-off. Maybe things had changed with her body. She was in better physical shape now; she was working out more, eating healthier, all largely influenced by Joe's lifestyle…It was possible that those complications wouldn't be there anymore, but that was her being hopeful. She made a note to herself to get checked out by a Doctor whenever she had the time, to get answers to all the questions swirling around in her head.
Sasha returned from the back room, stopping in her tracks when she saw T.K. walking through the front door. Good. Perhaps she could convince him to come out with her and Mia after work. She was meant to pick up Mia from dance class so they could go shopping for tinted lip balm at the mall. Apparently Regina had started using some and Mia wanted her own. Sasha wasn't sure if an eight-year-old girl should be wearing anything resembling lipstick. Pam and Cheryl were all for it, and when Sasha told Joe about it he only laughed, saying he wasn't even going to touch that subject, that the decision was completely up to her. She eventually caved in, deciding to allow it and hoping she wouldn't end up regretting her decision.
"Hey honey," she greeted T.K., her words trailing away when she caught sight of his pale features. "What's wrong?"
He made a beeline for her, and as he got closer, Sasha gasped in shock at his red eyes and tear-streaked face. He grabbed onto one of the barstools, shaking from head to toe. Her concern quickly morphed into alarm. "Tyson, what's wrong? What's the matter?" she demanded. Did something happen? To Mia? Oh dear God, she prayed not. "Ty, talk to me. Please."
His bottom lip trembled. "They f-found him, Ma," he stuttered, drawing in a breath that sounded like a sob. "They've found L-L-Lamar…"
Unable to get the rest of the words out, T.K. broke down in more tears, covering his face with his hands. Without hesitation Sasha reached for him, pulling him into a hug and whispering soothing words in his ear. He collapsed in her embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he wept bitterly.
There weren't many funerals Sasha had been to, but not a single one of them felt pleasant to be at, at all. Especially not that of a teenager who should have had his whole life ahead of him, but had lost that life the moment he wandered into the path he eventually took. Lamar's body was found by the police about a mile from where T.K. had been shot, the last place anyone had seen the young drug dealer. He was in the trunk of his beloved white Mercedes which had been parked in an abandoned garage, a bullet lodged in his decaying forehead. Finding the perpetrators became increasingly difficult due to the lack of forensic evidence and the time that had elapsed. Suspects were brought in nearly every day and even with T.K.'s help in identifying them, the Police came up with nothing. It was as though the men had disappeared off the face of the earth, the only evidence of their existence the dead body they'd left behind.
Lamar's funeral was held a week after he had been found, and Sasha opted to go with T.K. for moral support. She knew Lamar's aunt as well, so it made sense to go if only to simply offer her condolences. T.K., Steve and the other members of the Mason Hill basketball team wore their jerseys in Lamar's honor. He was once a part of the team, from middle school all through to sophomore year of high school before he dropped out and set off on his own. He never got to see one of his dreams come true, seeing his alma mater win the State Championships for the first time in their history. Sadly, he would never get to dream again.
Standing at a distance from where her son stood with his team mates, Sasha watched her son carefully. In his clutches were a Mason Hill jersey and an Austin 3:16 shirt, as Stone Cold Steve Austin was Lamar's all-time favorite wrestler. As he draped both shirts over the coffin, she noticed the broken expression on his face. He could very well have been one of the very last people to see him alive and she knew it was eating at him. No one should ever have to go through this, especially not a teenager. How he was keeping it together was beyond her. Everyone else around him was in tears. Lamar's aunt was inconsolable, as was Chanel. It was obvious that for all his shortcomings, Lamar was loved, had friends who cared for him. Perhaps if Sasha hadn't distanced herself from him, if she had perhaps made an attempt to help him, to steer him away from the path he was going down, then maybe things may have been different. In this neighborhood, this could have been anybody's child being lowered into the dirt. Hell, it could have been her own child lying inside that coffin. There was a scar in his lower back to prove that point. He had been so, so close to being ripped away from her, and the bone-chilling thought was enough to bring a few tears to her eyes. She'd always realized the importance of not taking her life and those of her loved ones for granted, and that lesson was never more important as it was today.
It was a somber mood the next couple of days. It was the weekend, so T.K. was home. He was in his room most of the time, watching old wrestling videos, and when he wasn't he was toiling away in the in-house gym or swimming in the pool. Sasha tried to give him some space. She didn't like watching from afar as she wanted to be there for him, but she knew it was important to let him deal with his grief on his own. Mia, her ever alert little girl, had no such inhibitions, getting close to her big brother and doing her best to cheer him up and make him feel better, just like she did when he was recovering from his gunshot wound. Sasha was so grateful for the bond that had developed between her two children. Some kids were already at each other's throats from an early age and squabbled until the day they died and even beyond. Sasha could only hope the love between them remained strong because in the end, all they had was each other.
She had finished making lunch when T.K. sauntered into the kitchen. "Hey, sweetie," she smiled at him.
"Hi Ma." He returned her smile, sitting at the kitchen counter.
"Hungry?"
"Naw, I'm good."
"You sure? I made your favorite."
"I'll eat when I'm hungry." Glancing at Sasha, T.K. sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Ma. Quit lookin' at me like I'm about to have some sort of nervous breakdown."
Smacking her lips, she didn't take her eyes off him. "I just don't want you beating yourself up about what happened, baby. None of it was your fault."
"I know."
"Look, if you wanna talk about it-"
"I'd rather not."
How many times had she heard that? Dismayed, she gave the answer she always gave. "Okay. I'll leave you alone."
T.K. grabbed a glass and poured himself some water, the sounds of the music program Mia was watching in the living room filling the silence between mother and son. "Ma, I've been thinking…" he began.
Yay, he did want to talk about something! Finally! She turned back around so quickly she was dizzy for a second. "About what?" she asked, a little too eagerly.
He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, contemplating what he was going to say. Then he said, "After I graduate, I'm gonna start training to become a wrestler."
Huh? She hadn't expected that at all. "Really?"
T.K. nodded, meeting his mother's eyes. "Yeah. Colby is opening a school in Iowa soon, and I want to be one of his students."
Sasha was skeptical. Iowa? She didn't know anything about this. Was she the only one who didn't? "I take it you've talked to Joe about it already, then?" she asked, rather begrudgingly. It was becoming increasingly evident that T.K. needed her less and less…not only because he was an adult, but because he was now surrounded by men like Joe and the other guys, fellow athletes and Alpha Males who bonded with and understood her son in ways she never could. Yes, there was a hint of jealousy on her part; he no longer depended on her like he used to and as his mother, it made her feel somewhat obsolete.
T.K. shook her head at her question. "Not yet. Other than finding out about the school from Colby, I haven't really talked to anybody about it," he replied, "I wanted to come to you first, let you know about it. I've started training and working out. Wanna be prepared by the summer."
The results of his workout were more than obvious. He got bigger and more muscular every day. "Ty…are you sure this is what you want?" she asked, her voice quiet with a tinge of worry, "You've seen how long Joe's gone from home," she said, "You know what he goes through in the ring; the injuries, the aches and pains, on a constant basis. This isn't varsity basketball schedule. It could take years before you even get close to making it to the big time. And I'm not saying any of this to discourage you; I just want you to see the reality of it all, and I want you to see that and think long and hard about making this decision."
"I understand, Ma. And I'm a hundred percent sure," T.K. insisted. The tears began to materialize in his voice. "I know I should be thinking about college, but I don't know, Mama. Life is too short not to follow your dreams. Just like you're doing trying to chase your dreams to be a pro photographer. And I hope you get the job, Ma. I really do. Photography's your passion. For me it's basketball and wrestling, but I decided to choose wrestling because I want that more. Triple H of all people said I have potential, and I really want to explore that potential and prove him right. Even if I fall flat on my face in the end, at least I tried. I haven't abandoned college; I can always go back to it but for now, I really, really want to do this."
Sasha regarded him quietly, aware that his deceased friend was on his mind. It was quite clear that there would be no unchanging his mind. Nodding her head in understanding, she said to him, "Well, if that's what you want, then I'll support you all the way."
The teen sat up straighter, surprise etched on his features. He hadn't expected her to cave in so easily. "Really?"
"Of course. You're an adult now, Ty. I may give my input but in the end your decisions are yours and yours alone to make. If you wanna become a wrestler, then go for it. If you're happy, I'm happy, and that's all that matters." She kissed his cheek, pleased at the way his eyes had brightened at her words. He was smiling again, and that was what she'd hoped for. Like she said, his happiness was all that mattered.
Thoughts?
For interested readers, I recently completed my other Roman/OC project, the We Are series. Hopefully you'll check it out and let me know what you think. :D
It's Spring Break over here and I've been relaxing a little too much, lol. I'll do my best to put up the next update faster. :)