Chapter 8

They all were on the road to join the arena for the Monday Night Raw that would happen this night. As usual, they shared two cars, but this time Mina was not with Damian. It had been a few days now that he was putting more distance with her and avoiding looking her in the eyes. She didn't know why he seemed colder towards her even when she would asl him tosing together, he would refuse.

- "Guys, is there something wrong with Damian? He seems… different". She asked in a worried voice.

- "The big boy has always been weird" JD answered with a smile.

- "He is a troubled soul; he would come back to his normal self eventually" Finn said. It wasn't enough to reassure Mina, she feared she had done something wrong but couldn't figure out what. One morning he would just stop acting like the caring gargoyle he had always been and started acting cold towards her. He had always been the hardest to reach but she knew he was a caring soul, full of kindness and love.

Finn parked his car and she headed to her workshop to finish Becky's new garment. It was a special order she asked for this show, she was fighting Shayna and wanted to show everyone who "the Man" is. Mina liked Becky, she was easy going and always ready for a good laugh. She also always respected her and addressed her politely unlike some other superstars who would just treat her like a maid, an invisible girl in the shadow.

- "You look out of your mind today!" said a voice she immediately recognized as Becky's. The fire-haired woman entered the workshop holding her little girl's hand. Roux was the cutest child Mina had ever seen, she would often come to see her to bring her chocolate or to ask her to sew stuffed toys or clothes for her dolls.

- "Oh… Is it that obvious?" Mina asked with blushing cheeks.

- "Let me guess, boy's problem!" Becky tried with a shiny smile. She couldn't believe the tailor was still single with all the wrestlers who tried to ask her out.

- "Your costume is ready to be tried on!" Mina changed topic, willing to escape embarrassing questions.

- "Guess I aimed right" Becky chuckled with a wink. "Would you mind looking after Roux while I get changed?

- "No problem!" Mina answered as she leaned towards the cute little girl. "Hey Sweetheart, I have a surprise for you!"

Roux's eyes sparkled as Mina gave her a white stuffed rabbit with floppy orange ears. She thanked the dressmaker and started cuddling the soft toy with a bright smile, looking for a good name. Becky came out of the changing room and turned around. Mina was proud of that garment; it was a deep black leotard with shiny green scratches made with translucent fabric. It looked like a green fire was coming out of Becky's body.

- "I love it!" Becky shouted while lifting her daughter in her arms. "What do you think baby?" Roux created a heart with the bunny's ears as an answer. Becky went to change back to her normal clothes while chatting.

- "Come on, which of these handsome looking brutes broke your heart?"

- "Tell Mama and she will beat his butt off!" Roux finished with a fierce sparkle in her eyes, rising her little fist like to fight.

Mina chuckled and gently push them out of her workshop as Drew knocked at the corner of the door, only his head showing in the room.

- "You just saved me from a girl inquisition." She said to the tall Scottish man entering her office. "What can I do for you?"

Drew seemed embarrassed and shy, which was not like him. He cleared his throat and stood straight in front of the short dressmaker.

- "Mina, I wanted to ask you something. Would you like to go on a date with me after the show? I was thinking about a good French restaurant."

- "I'm not up for a date Drew, I have too much in my mind right now, I'm sorry." Her tone was a bit hard but she was fed up with the men asking her out. After Ludwig, Jey came to try, then Sami and even some referees. She just wanted to enjoy her new life.

- "Another night maybe?" Drew tried. Exceeded by the situation Mina closed the door to his face and turned on her radio. She chose some violent heavy metal music to get back to work. She restarted her sewing machine and focused on the pieces of fabric she was assembling.

An hour later Hunter came into her room holding her a piece of paper.

- "You will appear on a segment tonight. Here are the details of your role. Try not to mess up, this show will be on TV." He said with his neutral voice. "Also, wear the red RAW T-shirt." He finished before leaving the office. She was astonished to appear on TV but it was on her contract. Reading the explanations, she sighed in relief, there was nothing more than her usual job. She would just have to avoid laughing. Not willing to be late on her work, she headed back to her sewing machine when JD stormed in.

- "Our mina is going to be a star! Congratulations!" He cheered up giving her a bear hug.

- "Not anxious about appearing on TV?" Finn asked entering the workshop.

- "Come on guys, il will be less than a minute, you are the superstars here." Mina shyly answered.

- "Don't worry, Mr Bird-Out-Of-The-Nest will stay the greatest star here." Rhea chuckled.

- "Will that nickname follow me my whole life?" JD pouted as they all left the room.

The show started as Mina was calmly sewing an outfit for Seth Rollins, she had chosen the most sparkly fabric in the most vibrant colour she could find. She watched the show on the little TV carefully looking at The Alpha Academy facing the New Day. The segment was about to start. She got ready as Otis ripped out Akira Tozawa's T-shirt as a sign of victory. The camera followed the two winners in the corridors as they headed toward the sewing workshop. Putting on her best astonished face she came to welcome the two men.

- "We'll need reparations!" Otis' voice echoed.

- "Again?!" she shouted trying to look annoyed.

Otis pointed his finger at his teammate's torn T-shirt. Tozawa looked at her with shame, looking like a guilty child. Mina had to focus to not to laugh.

- "No! Not you too Mr Tozawa!"

The cameras left the room as Otis shouted that Tozawa had become a strong man.

- "Good job Mina" Hunter said as she went back to her tasks.

- "Thanks Boss."

Weeks went flying as Mina was sitting in the bus with her Friends. Today was the day she feared the most. She was back to her hometown after so many months spent on the roads and in the arenas. She couldn't sleep in the bus despite her exhaustion and the night before was extremely short.

- "You look tired Rapunzel" Finn said.

- "Yeah, couldn't sleep last night because of JD's horniness" She answered in a yawn.

- "What the Hell!" Damian spat out the water he was drinking, glaring at JD murderously. Finn, Dom and Rhea were looking at them with widened eyes as the Irish culprit curled up in his seat.

- "No! Not like that, guys!" Mina said. "His bedroom was next to mine and he brought a conquest who was particularly… vocal" She explained with tired eyes. JD proudly raised on his seat as Dom and Rhea were laughing.

- "Good old JD is back."

They left the bus to go to the hotel they would spend a couple days in. Mina immediately collapsed on her bed. Maybe she would be able to get some sleep before the show. Nobody came in her room, only memories went through her minds. She grabbed her shoulder and petted the raven inked on it as Greg came back to her mind. "Nevermore" she muttered before falling asleep.

This was a live event show, Mina would have a little bit less work to do. She pressed her foot on her sewing machine pedal to assemble the different parts of the long kimono she was creating. Loud Black Sabbath was playing in the workshop, matching the rhythm of the needle. A knock echoed on her door and she decreased the volume. The whole Judgment Day was here.

- "How are you feeling?" Rhea asked.

- "I'm alright guys, why?"

- "Because this city is full of bad memories for you" Finn answered.

- "It's over now, thanks to you guys. Don't be late for the show and please, be safe."

Damian moved the last, he didn't say anything, just looking at her with his cold gaze and clenched jaw. She was always telling them to be safe with genuine intentions, ignoring how much this simple sentence provoked conflict within him. She moved towards him and grabbed his arm, a sad look in her eyes. She noticed he was still wearing the clover to his belt.

- "What's wrong Damian? Why are you avoiding me? If I did something wrong, I'm sorry." She pleaded.

- "Nothing, I just give you some space and time to spend with… whoever you want." He answered coldly before leaving the workshop.

She was left to herself all the evening. Sewing restlessly, sometimes glaring at the little screen to make sure her friends were safe. She finished the kimono, repaired a couple of pants and started to draw a new project for Cody Rhodes. All her work was finished before the end of the show so she decided to leave the arena before her friends and wait for them next to Finn's car, knowing that Damian would not want her to ride with him. Opening the door of the parking lot she sighed as the cold wind bit her face; walking slowly towards Finn's car when a silhouette appeared in front of her.

- "Did you miss me, bitch?" asked the shadow with an angry voice Mina knew too well. "I saw you on RAW, but now fun is over you whore!" It was Greg, he found her and was apparently ready to have his revenge. He walked toward her slowly, like a tiger ready to attack his prey. Mina was tensed and terrified but managed to stand her ground.

- "It's a staff only area, you should leave" she said firmly, her heart starting to beat faster and blood rushing to her temples.

- "Who do you think you are to give me orders you filthy slut?!" He yelled, trembling with anger. He grabbed her arm and locked her from behind threatening to hurt her even more. "You belong to me! You are mine!"

- "Not anymore Greg!" she answered before headbutting him in the face to get free. He threw her to the ground to touch his face with his hand, seeing droplets of blood coming from his injured nose. Mina got up and raised her fists, ready to fight for her life and her freedom. He rushed to her, throwing his fists at her face, his rage growing stronger as she dodged his hits, waiting for an opening. They kept fighting for what seemed to be ages in Mina's mind, she was exhausted, knowing she might lose if nobody came, when the door slammed open, distracting Greg from his target, she took that opportunity to give him a punch in the jaw with all the strength she was capable of, however he managed to grab her by her hair, making her scream.

- "Leave her alone!" thundered Damian's deep voice. He was about to go to his car when he saw the predicament Mina was in, his mind went blank and he started running towards her. In a split second he made his choice: yes, he found himself disgusting to desire her, yes he didn't deserved to be loved anymore, yes he hated his body for being excited by this beautiful tailor but he will use this filthy body to protect her. He won't let anybody he cared about being hurt anymore. "Not her… not this time." He wasn't able to protect Frederica from her cancer, he wasn't able to protect Mina from Greg the first time, now would be different, he was here for her. He grabbed Greg's wrist to force him to let go of her. The blond monster threw her to the ground and Damian stepped between them.

- "Do you think I'll let her leave me? She is mine! She can't run away from me; she will be back in my bed when I want her!" He yelled, his face distorted with rage.

- "Nevermore Greg!" Mina shouted. Greg started to rush on her but Damian violently pushed him away, joined by Rhea, Finn and Dominik. The three wrestlers formed a wall between Greg and Damian and Mina, allowing him to go check on her.

- "Do you want your face being more destroyed?" Dom asked with attitude, loudly chewing his gum.

- "I think Mina did a pretty good job on that" Finn answered with a fake smile. "I see that the fighting lessons were useful" he grinned as JD came back with the security staff to submit Greg. The man kept fighting and yelling like a beast as they brought him away while calling the police.

- "The fighting lessons?" Damian asked with a puzzled look, kneeling next to Mina to take her in his arms.

- "Yes, that was what the early gym trainings were for, I didn't want to relay on you guys for my security, I wanted to be able to defend myself and to stand for my own safety. I didn't want to be a burden for you anymore. So Finn and JD trained me." Mina explained with tears in her eyes.

Damian felt both relieved and stupid. Stupid for being jealous of his friends and giving Mina the silent treatment, relieved to know the truth. He held her tight and put his chin on her head.

- "I'm so sorry, princess. I'm so sorry." He whispered while rocking her in his arms, feeling Mina resting her head on his chest.

- "That punch was a good one!" JD said to ease the atmosphere, "Glad I was not the one who took it."

Damian felt the dressmaker chuckle in his arms. He stood up and helped her going back to her feet.

- "I would never hit my favourite punching ball that hard" she said in a laughter. "That's what they needed JD for…"

They climbed in the cars to go back to the hotel. During the ride, they asked her how she was feeling. She answered that she had never felt so free and relieved. That hit she threw at Greg's face had acted like an electroshock on her, as if she had punched away every bad moment with him. Dom gently squeezed her hand.

- "You're free now" he said with a soft voice his lips forming a smile as he was chewing gum.

She breathed freely when they left the cars, enjoying all the little things she would never have noticed before: the snow starting to melt, the moonlight bathing the city, the noises around her, her friends' smiles, her reflection in the windows and Damian's eyes. They became sweet again, her caring gargoyle was back. As usual, he came to her room to sing with her, sitting close to her and leaning his chin on her head as he would do before. When the song was over, he held her again.

- "I'm so sorry for the way I acted, you didn't deserve this. I'm so stupid."

- "Don't worry Damian, I'm glad you are not mad at me anymore" She answered with her soft voice, infinite sweetness in her eyes. "What have I done to deserve you?" "Thank you for saving me again today."

She leaned her head against his chest and muttered one more "thank you". Feeling his heart racing at this embrace, he got up and wished her good night before hastily leaving the room.