CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER...
CAYLA
Everything was falling into place. Cayla was nervous, but in a good way. Fred and Thaddeus were running around like chickens without heads trying to finish setting up the last of the equipment while Trixie and Danny finished decorating. Cayla watched as Trixie tried to get on a ladder and Danny stopped her.
"No way. You'll probably fall," he teased her.
"So? I know you'd catch me," Trixie replied. She gave him a quick kiss on his lips.
Fred raised an eyebrow at that. "I still can't get used to the two of them together," he admitted to Cayla.
"He's good for her, Fred. He takes care of her," Cayla said. "And more importantly, he makes her happy."
Fred nodded. "That's all that matters."
Corri and Randy were carrying in food. Keith and Molly had the drinks. Nicky came in with Lucas by his side. They had some of the emergency medical supplies. Cayla smiled as she watched the two of them steal glimpses at each other when they thought no one was looking. Nicky had confided in her about their relationship, but he was refusing to tell anyone else. Seeing him smile as the two of them worked together, Cayla knew Lucas was exactly what Nicky needed, and she hoped they'd tell everyone else soon. Still, if anyone understood the importance of coming out of your own terms, it was Cayla. She'd kept their romance a secret, even from Corri. She suspected her sister already knew anyway.
Cayla heard Ginny burst out laughing from nearby and looked up to see why. Gabe had arrived, and he wore a giant bunny rabbit costume. Behind him stood Saraya and Corri's NXT kids, all dressed in costumes of their own. Saraya looked very impressed with herself as she appeared from behind them.
"They look great, right?" She asked.
"They do," Cayla confirmed, giving her a kiss.
"Cayla?" Paul called as he joined them along with Stephanie and Shane. He looked around in amazement. "The place looks great!"
"I'm impressed," Stephanie admitted.
"And the PR can't hurt," Shane added. "You did a great job."
Dean, Colby, and Joe rushed inside. "Are we ready to open the doors?" Joe asked.
"We're good to go," Cayla confirmed as the last of the room was set up.
"This is going to be awesome," Colby said excitedly.
"Where's the midget?" Dean asked suddenly.
"Did you misplace my cousin again?" Joe demanded.
"It's not my fault the kid's a frigging ninja! This is what I get for letting her come in and hang out before the other kids." He looked at Cayla. "Where would a small person hide in here?"
Cayla looked at him with an indulgent smile. "Randi, sweetheart, come here for a second," she called.
That didn't work. Dean grabbed Molly. "Offspring, the midget vanished again."
Molly laughed and rolled her eyes. She pulled up the ring apron and stuck her head underneath the ring that had been set up in the middle of the room. "Come on out, Kid," she said.
Ten seconds later, Randi crawled out from beneath the ring. "It's so cool under there!" She exclaimed. "No wonder Hornswoggle lived down there!"
Molly laughed and picked her sister up, putting her on her shoulders. "Quit running off on the Sire," she said. "He hasn't had to chase a tiny person in several years."
"Let's get those doors open," Saraya said to Cayla.
Cayla nodded and personally opened the doors. She greeted every single child and their parents with a bright smile. The costumed wrestlers escorted them into the room. When everyone was inside, Cayla took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Hi everyone!" She greeted them. "And welcome to the very first clinic session of It's the Big Show. As you probably know, I'm Cayla Casey. Today, I stand here with my family and friends to take you all on a journey. As some of you know, my friend Big Show was born with some serious medical conditions that could have prevented him from living his dream, but he never gave up. I know all of you have obstacles you face. Some of you are really sick. Others have developmental challenges that make everyday life a little bit harder for you than it is for other kids. I want you all to know that there are no weirdos or freaks here. You're not sick kids or special needs kids... You're just kids. I started this clinic to honor my friend, and to give kids like him a chance to experience what it's like to be a WWE wrestler in a safe and fun environment. Every clinic will give kids a chance to train with real WWE wrestlers."
She'd worked hard to find trainers who specialized in working with sick and handicapped children. They were teaming up with the wrestlers to engage the children in anything they could handle. Thanks to generous donations from several superstars past and present, as well as from Paul, Stephanie, and Shane, Cayla had ensured the children and their families didn't have to pay a penny for anything. She partnered with Make-A-Wish to find some of the kids and let children who were healthier but still in need apply online. She'd insisted Johnny bring Randi because she knew the girl wanted to grow up to wrestle but her Van Willebrand's might make it hard for her to achieve her dream. Cayla intended to run a weekend-long clinic once every month, but she'd wanted to make sure Randi got to be there for the first one.
Show had loved kids and Cayla knew this was the perfect way to honor his memory. Seeing the kids smiling and laughing as they got to spend time with the wrestlers, Cayla hoped he was watching. She wiped away a single tear before joining the others with the kids.
SARAYA
A week after Cayla's clinic ended, everyone was in Iowa for a pay-per-view. Since it was Kristy's hometown, Saraya had decided to bring her inner circle to the show. Paul had agreed to let Kristy and Riley have a dark match against Ginny and Faye before the pre-show. That had gone wonderfully, and now Kristy, Faye, and Riley were bouncing off the walls backstage.
Colby and Joe were with them. Saraya watched as Joe held his daughter, looking more proud than he'd ever been before.
"Did you see it?" Kristy asked excitedly.
"I did! It was perfect! A thing of absolute beauty! In fact, it was a better Phoenix Splash than I've ever done!" Colby said, just as excitedly. He hugged her tightly.
"You two are adorable," Saraya said.
"She's like his clone," Molly remarked as she and Dean joined them.
That was when Saraya spotted a startled-looking woman approaching them. "Oh, God! How did you find out? Look, I can explain-" She said.
"Mom? What's wrong?" Kristy asked. She looked at her in alarm.
"Hannah?" Colby asked. "Oh my God, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in years!" He reached out to hug her, but Hannah didn't move.
Saraya arrived at the only logical conclusion before anyone said anything, but she quietly allowed things to play out.
"Colby, please don't be mad... I can explain," Hannah said again.
"Explain what?" He asked.
"I didn't know until after you were gone, and I didn't want to stand in your way... You were living your dream... How did you figure it out?"
"Figure what out?" Kristy asked. "Mom, you know him?"
Oh, she knows him, alright, Saraya thought.
"I... You don't know?" Hannah realized.
This is gonna be good, Saraya thought. She kind of wished she had some popcorn.
"Mom, just tell us," Kristy said.
"I... Baby, he's... Colby and I are old friends. We went to high school together... And we've run into each other a few times since. Including nineteen years ago."
Say it, Saraya thought, enjoying the show. We've all been joking about it for months now... Prove us right!
"Mom...?" Kristy let the question trail off.
"He's... Kristy, Colby's your father."
"He's... what?" Kristy asked.
"I'm... what?" Colby asked at the same exact time.
"I knew it!" Molly cried out.
"You owe me fifty bucks, Joe," Dean said.
"She's your daughter, Colby," Hannah said. "I'm sorry I never told you... I knew you were living your dream, and I didn't want to mess that up for you."
Colby stared at Hannah. "Mess up my dream? Are you kidding? She's great! She's the coolest kid I've ever met," he said.
"Seth Rollins is my father..." Kristy said. "Why didn't you tell me? I mean, I'm only his biggest fan ever..."
"I'm sorry, Baby... Are you okay?" Hannah asked.
"Are you kidding? This is awesome!" She looked at Colby and added, "Are you okay?"
"I have spent a lot of time with you lately... I've been honored to be your mentor, and now I'm honored to be your father... Unexpected as it may be," Colby replied.
"Dude, how did you not know?" Dean asked. "She's you in female form. She's your Molly."
"Wait a second," Saraya said suddenly. She looked at Molly, Riley, and Kristy and said, "We've got the Shield here! An all-female, brand new Shield!" She was suddenly excited. "I can't wait until Riley and Kristy are ready for the big leagues and we can actually put you three together!"
Colby looked surprised by her words, but soon, he smiled. Dean and Joe were smiling, too. "The Shield Offspring, together in WWE," Dean said. "The world isn't ready for that much awesome."
Hannah looked uncomfortable. Colby turned to her and smiled. "I think you and I need to catch up," he said. "Let's get dinner later, after the show."
Hannah nodded. "That sounds like a plan," she said.
Saraya laughed to herself. She apparently had a talent for finding hidden Legacies. As she looked at her NXT Kids, she knew the future of WWE was going to be interesting, and she was thrilled to be part of that. Finally, everything felt right again.
RANDY
His therapy had ended two months earlier. Three weeks ago, he had finally gone back to work. That was when he'd told Paul he had made a decision about where he wanted things to go. Paul hadn't argued. He understood what Randy needed to do.
Now, he stood in Gorilla with his sons and his wife. Nicky hadn't been seen at any shows since his suicide attempt, but now, he stood wearing a referee uniform. He was the surprise special guest referee. He also wore the arm guards Lucas and Molly had designed for him to make sure his scars remained covered while he still managed to look cool. Nicky looked nervous.
"Are you okay?" Randy asked. "You don't have to do this if you aren't ready. Gabe can be the guest referee."
"No, I..." Nicky took a deep breath. "I can do this. I'm ready. Today, I'll play referee, and tomorrow, I start wrestling again."
"I'm proud of you, Nicky," he told him.
"Dad, I... Mom..." Nicky paused. "I'm dating Lucas," he blurted out.
Corri laughed. "Oh, Baby, we figured that out months ago," she said.
"You knew?" Nicky asked.
"We'd have to be blind not to," Keith said.
"What I can't understand is why you didn't tell us," Corri said.
"I... I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with it," Nicky said.
"Nicky, my twin sister is married to a woman. Why on Earth would I have a problem with you falling for Lucas? He's a great guy."
"I'm an Orton... Ortons aren't supposed to be gay. We have an image-"
Randy was stunned. "Nicky... I don't care who you love, as long as they're good to you and make you happy," he said.
"Really?"
"Of course. You're my son. I love you, and I always will, no matter what. Besides, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. And anyone who tells you anything different deserves an RKO."
Nicky looked relieved. Randy patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't ever be afraid to talk to us, Nicky. We're here for you."
Voices started to play. Randy took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" Corri asked.
"I am," he said, although a small part of him wasn't sure. He knew he was making the right decision, but that didn't mean it was easy.
He walked out with Corri by his side. The fans cheered wildly, ready for a match they'd been waiting for since Keith's debut. Randy went up on the top rope, posing as he always did, with Corri right beside him.
Burn in my Light began to play. Keith marched out arrogantly, fully in character. For the last couple of weeks, he'd been building this storyline, cutting promos about how New Legacy was undefeatable and could beat any so-called Legend out there. Randy had shown up as a surprise, delighting the fans, and demanded Keith prove himself by taking him on. He'd then offered the stipulation that made this match so important... If Keith beat Randy, Randy had to retire.
Finally, Brandi announced the special guest referee. The fans went insane as Nicky ran out. People had hoped this would be the news, but no one had expected it to happen. The fans had missed Nicky, and no one was sure if he was coming back. For several moments, the arena cheered for Nicky's unexpected return. Randy saw the shock on Nicky's face as they chanted, "Welcome back" over and over. He thought Nicky might break down and cry, but he kept it together. After acknowledging the fans with appreciation, he called for the bell.
Randy had wrestled Keith a lot over the years, both to train him and just for fun. Now there was a crowd watching, but they easily fell into their familiar routine. They were a good match for each other. Every time Randy hit a move, Keith reversed it or kicked out. Every time Keith knocked him down, he got back up. Keith hit him with a punt. Randy RKO'd him, but he kicked out at two. Randy clotheslined him. Keith hit a diving crossbody. Keith suplexed him onto the barricade. Randy hit a swinging neckbreaker. Keith powerslammed him on the mat. Randy hit a punt kick, because he wasn't going to let Keith be the only one to hit a punt in this match. Keith barely kicked out at two. He then hit Randy with a clothesline, followed by an RKO when Randy got back up. Randy nearly lost, but kicked out just in time. Nicky argued with Keith that it had only been a two count. Keith RKO'd Nicky and the fans began shouting more, stunned by this. Nicky got back up quickly and returned the favor, RKOing Keith. Corri jumped into the ring and broke them up. The match continued. Keith tried for a hurricanrana, but Randy jumped impressively high into the air and hit an absolutely beautiful RKO. Somehow, Keith kicked out just in time. Every fan was on the edge of their seats. They knew it was time to end it. Keith went up on the ropes again, and everyone expected another hurricanrana. Instead, Keith shifted and hit an RKO. Randy hit the mat. Nicky counted...
His hand slammed down once. Randy remembered being a little boy and watching his family wrestle. He knew he wanted to grow up to be a wrestler, too. It was in his blood. It was what he lived for.
Nicky slammed his hand down again. He'd met Corri after smashing into her in the hallway. As soon as she'd said, "Maybe next time, you can RKO me," part of him knew she was the one, no matter how much he tried to fight it. That meeting had changed his life. Flashes of their earliest days together raced through his head. The good, the bad, the unbearable... And then he saw her at Cayla and Saraya's wedding, and winning the title, and eloping with him after secretly flying in his mother and Alanna... He saw her pregnant and happy, first with Keith, then with Nicky... He saw his boys growing up on the road, and his heart swelled with pride... All of this flashed by in seconds.
Nicky's hand hit the mat a final time. The bell rang. The fans cheered. The entire arena began chanting. "Thank you, Randy" as he stood back up. Corri pulled him into a hug. She was crying.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you," he told her.
Nicky hugged him. Finally, Keith came over to them, done with his celebration. He extended his hand to Randy, who shook it before pulling him into a tight hug.
When he broke the hug, Corri handed him a microphone. "Today, you proved yourself worthy, Son. You both did." He took a deep breath. It wasn't common for Randy to be overcome with emotions, but as the WWE Universe chanted his name and begged for one more match, he felt tears in his eyes.
"I want to thank all of you fans for everything. You are the reason we do this.I am honored to have been a part of this world for so long... But it's their turn now." He hugged his sons again before Voices began to play. He gave the fans a few more signature poses before he walked out of the ring with his family by his side.
DEAN
The road here hadn't been easy. It had started with him getting shot, which should have been an indication that things were going to be difficult, but that was the story of his life. He'd fought for everything he had, and he fought now for this.
He'd defended his title several times. None mattered as much as his match tonight. At first, he'd been told it couldn't be done. There were rules in place, and they were there for a reason. Dean, however, had made it very clear that the only way he was going to give up his title would be if it was done on his terms.
Now he stood in Gorilla waiting. As his music began, he hurried out to the ring. The crowd cheered and he smiled. He had a surprise opponent tonight. He'd issued an open challenge. No one knew who he was facing except for the people on the inside. The fans waited eagerly for his challenge to be answered.
Suddenly, his opponent's music began to play. The crowd went dead silent for a moment before erupting into wild cheers. Could this really be happening? Was it possible?
Molly stepped into the ring. She was dressed to wrestle. She smiled at him and he nodded. This was going to be one hell of a match.
It hadn't been easy to get Paul to agree to this. "Dean, the women can't fight the men," he insisted. "It's too dangerous."
"Molly can handle it," Dean pointed out. "She wrestles guys all the time. She did it at CZW and at other indies, and she grew up trained by men. Insisting she can only fight the women is holding her back, and she's not happy, Paul… And if my Offspring isn't happy, I'm not happy."
"It's a problem. How will she defend it?"
"She can handle any guy you put in front of her… Come on, Paul. You're the one who said it was time for things to change. This is a change. We need to get back to how things were in the Attitude Era. Fuck this PG bullshit. Women who are trained properly are just as good as the men, and there's no reason they shouldn't have a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship."
"It's just not done, Dean!"
"Well, it's time to change that. Come on, it's been done before. Molly's not a Nikki or a Brie… She's a Lita, a Trish, a Chyna, a Beth Phoenix… She's too good to be restricted to just the women. So, either you let us do this, or she walks. And so do I. And I'm not giving up the title to anyone else."
Ultimately, Paul had realized he was right. He allowed the match, and that was how Dean found himself in the ring with his daughter now.
The match started off quickly. Molly ran at him and hit him with a spinning side slam, a move he'd done in CZW that she'd adopted long ago. They called it Moxicity. He responded with a tornado DDT. Molly kicked out and began punching him wildly in the lunatic brawling style they were both known for. He went for a front missile dropkick next, but she dodged it. She went for a snap elbow drop, but he escaped the blow. They managed to dodge each other's blows for a couple of minutes straight before Molly went up on the top rope and hit Air Lunatic. She nearly pinned him for the three count, but he kicked out. Molly laughed like a maniac and regrouped. She then hit a running crossbody, followed by multiple punches. He tossed her off of him and got himself to the corner, pulling himself up to his feet. Molly immediately went for Dirty Deeds. She hit it perfectly, and Dean stayed down for a couple of moments, but as the referee was about to hit three, he kicked out hard, pushing the referee out of his way. Now he was laughing like a lunatic. He did a double leg takedown on Molly, then followed it up with punches like always. He knew Paul was cringing about the level of violence, but he knew Molly would have no issue handling it, and he wasn't hitting her in any way that would actually hurt her. He would never hurt his Offspring. He went for a pin as Molly stopped struggling, but she kicked out and rushed to the ropes. She went up and hit another Air Lunatic. This time, Dean hit the mat hard. He barely kicked out on time, and Molly let out a frustrated sound for the sake of the crowd. Then she went back up on the ropes. When Dean finally stood up, Molly hit a hurricanrana and took him back down. She pinned him, and the referee began to count. This time, Dean did not kick out.
Molly's music played and the fans were stunned, but they were also excited. They began cheering. Molly paused and instead of taking the title from the referee, she extended her hand to Dean and helped him stand up. Dean took the title from the referee and draped it over Molly's shoulders as she was announced the new champion. He had never felt so much pride in his life, but seeing Molly standing there, the first female WWE World Heavyweight Champion ever, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He hugged her tight and didn't let go for a minute. When Keith came out, followed by the rest of New Legacy, Dean let them have their moment. Keith and Molly cut a brief promo proclaiming themselves the future of WWE. Dean smiled because he knew it was true.
At the end of their promo, Dean took the microphone. "I'm proud of you," he said. Then he added, "And I expect my rematch soon." The fans cheered as they left the ring together.
Once backstage, Molly kissed Keith before hugging Dean again. "Thank you, Sire," she said. "I would never have had this opportunity if you hadn't fought for me… And I won't let you down."
"You could never let me down, Offspring," he said. "I love you."
Dean looked around at his family and knew that, in this moment, everything was exactly as it should be.
CORRI
Everyone had gathered around in a local restaurant. No one was too keen on a WWE-sponsored party after what had happened the last time, but they'd all wanted to celebrate this pay-per-view that had been designed to start a new era of the company.
She looked at her husband and Keith and smiled. Randy may have wrestled his last official match, but she knew he'd taken a Legends contract. He'd still appear in other roles. He would probably show up and randomly RKO people who deserved it, and he'd cut promos every once in a while, but he was going to be spending most of his time at home with her. She definitely didn't mind that idea.
She spotted Nicky with Lucas, now openly holding hands. She walked over to them. "Hi, Lucas," she said. "I heard you two finally decided to be honest with everyone."
"We would have told you sooner, but… Nicky was nervous," Lucas admitted.
"It's okay… Just treat my son right, Lucas."
"You know I will."
"I do. And I'm happy you two have each other. There's nothing more important in this world than finding the person who has the right amount of glue to put you back together."
Looking around, Corri realized everyone seemed to have found their glue people. Trixie laughed shyly as Danny whispered something to her. Keith held Molly in his arms as she admired her new title. They were WWE's new power couple now, filling the role that had once belonged to her and Randy. She was incredibly proud of them.
Cayla looked so relaxed as Saraya stole a quick kiss, it made Corri smile. She was relieved to see her sister looking happy again.
Finally, Corri walked over to Randy. "So, Sexy, how does it feel knowing you wrestled your last WWE match tonight?" She asked.
"It feels right," Randy said, pulling her into his arms. "It was time."
"You'll always be my sexy viper, you know. And you can still feel free to RKO me anytime you feel the urge."
Randy laughed. "I love you, Corri Casey," he told her.
"I need even stronger words than that, Sexy," she informed him. She kissed him and felt him relax against her.
It was hard to imagine what a mess she'd once been. Somehow, in spite of every messed up thing she'd done to him, Randy still loved her, and they'd found their way back together. Two decades ago, Corri never would have pictured herself living this life, but now that she was here, she couldn't imagine it any other way. It seemed impossible, but finally, they were genuinely happy. She kissed her husband again, thrilled to realize that life on the road would no longer separate them. He was home, and he was hers for the rest of their lives. There was no better thought in this world.
THE END.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this fic. I cannot express enough how much your feedback and support has meant to me. I'd especially like to thank my muse, LadyDeathWing, as always, for your patience, support, and extremely thorough reviews. You never fail to inspire me. I'd also like to thank Mkfreeze27, whose frequent reviews and messages made me smile and gave me a reason to keep writing until this fic was finished.
This fic was supposed to be the end of the story, but I fell in love with the kids… I decided I needed to tell one more story, making this a trilogy. The next fic will be called Legacy in the Night and will be coming soon! I will post a final note in this fic when the first chapter of that fic has been uploaded so you know to look for it. Legacy in the Night will focus more on the next generation. It will be the story of New Legacy, set a few years from the time of this fic, and will include the points of view of the members of the stable, including Molly, Keith, Nicky, and Trixie, and also Danny, Lucas, Gabe, Ginny, Kristy, Riley, the Punk/Lee twins, Molly's brother Dillon, Faye, and a couple of others! It will not include the points of view of Corri, Cayla, Saraya, Randy, or Dean, but they will all be featured in the fic. (Dean, at the very least, will be heavily featured because he'll still be wrestling. Corri and Saraya will also play important roles, as they are still very involved in the company.) If you like the idea of seeing the All-Female Shield made up of their children, read the next fic! (I know I'm very excited about that.)
Thank you all again, and I look forward to writing the final story soon! I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.