Unfinished Business: Part 6

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Off Camera

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The old saying goes “forgive and forget” and then there is the song made famous by Disney’s Frozen titled “Let It Go” and some have used that phrase quite often, telling friends and family to just “let it go” regarding whatever grudge they may have.

It’s quite easier said than done; and if you don’t believe that, then just ask Angelica and Kayla Jones.  The two women have had nightmarish teenage years that scarred them and, indeed, shaped them as adults.  Those years, those events, the women have held onto for a long time.  Some would say that their insistence upon holding onto those horrific nightmarish incidents proved to be unhealthier to them than the incidents themselves.  But it was how they each reacted to their own separate incidents that have, up until now, separated Angelica and Kayla.

Angelica and Kayla’s birth mother was brutally raped and murdered, but while Kayla was spared having to witness it, Angelica was forced to watch every horrific second of the monster taking their mother away from them.  Angelica held onto that horrific memory for so long, a memory that scarred her for life and warped her mind so much that it would lead her to committing a crime that landed her in a mental institution.  Even after years of treatment at the institution, Angelica’s anger issues were still present.  But ultimately, just a year ago, Angelica let go of the past.  She learned to forgive and to “let it go”, to quote Disney.

After their birth mother’s death, Kayla ended up in the foster care of one Oliver Hardy Sr.  Her foster father brutally abused her, physically and emotionally and yes, even sexually.  But unlike Angelica, Kayla never quite learned to let go of that past.  She kept hanging onto it, just like Angelica, but the difference is Angelica was quite obvious and up front with how her issue warped her mind.  Kayla kept her feelings bottled up and put up a front to mask it all, so that no one would ever know just how much her problems with Oliver Hardy Sr. had indeed warped her mind, perhaps warped her mind even more so than Angelica’s…

Unlike her older sister who did finally learn to let go of her past, Kayla never did let it go.  She kept it bottled up.  But even those who bottle up their feelings and emotions, those who bottle up what troubles them, even still there comes a point at which they snap and that bottle cracks open violently.  And it happened recently to Kayla Jones when she learned that the family of her late foster father wanted his ashes and that they could not legally possess them unless given to them by the heirs and the heirs, as written in his own last will and testament, were Oliver Hardy Jr. and Kayla Jones.

It was enough to cause Kayla to break; her anger grew to a boiling point and she snapped at anyone and everyone for the slightest things.  She damn near assaulted her own sister in a parking lot, and that isn’t even considering the smaller matter of how this emotional and mental roller coaster has affected the career of both Jones women.  The Sisterhood as a unit has been on a losing streak for weeks, a streak that started almost to the day when Kayla and Oliver were first approached by the Hardy family.

It’s now or never that something must be done.  That’s why this afternoon in the corporate office of Jones Wrestling Incorporated is so very important.  It is here where Kayla, along with her foster brother Oliver, will meet with relatives of Oliver Sr., relatives Kayla barely has any memory of, relatives she isn’t even sure she will recognize when she sees them.  She just hopes that Oliver Jr. and Angelica are both right when they insist that doing this, confronting the family head on, will solve her problems once and for all and help her to finally let it all go and finally to heal mentally and emotionally.

Kayla is not alone as she walks through the offices today.  Oliver Hardy Jr. is already here waiting on them to arrive in his office but walking with Kayla today is her older sister Angelica Jones.  Angelica agreed to come with Kayla in order to provide moral support in what has to be a very difficult time.

“Thanks for coming with me…” Kayla remarks quietly as she and Angelica pass on by the secretary at the front desk, not even bothering to give the young man a greeting.  They are all business as they face forward and make their way towards the back.

“Don’t mention it.  What are older sisters for, eh?”

“Stealing my stuff when we were younger.” Kayla answers back with a smirk.

“You got me there.” Angelica says with a slight laugh. “But again, as you said, we were much younger then.”

“Of course we were.  Young with our childish innocence.  Innocence we lost way too early.”

“Yeah…way too early…”

“I mean it though, sis.” Kayla says, trying her best to maintain her composure, sensing that tears may be coming soon. “Thank you for coming.  I need all the support I can get for this.  I mean, I know that they themselves didn’t do anything to me, but still this is the family of the man who…who…”

“I know,” Angelica answers, nodding her head “I know, and trust me, I know all too well how difficult it is to confront your demons.  Remember how I confronted the man who raped and murdered our mother?”

“Yeah…” Kayla says nodding her head “…you were very strong.  Stronger than me.”

“And you will be strong too.  I just know it.”

The Jones women are silent, the entire office is silent today, which accentuates the sound of the soft clicks of Angelica and Kayla’s high heel shoes hitting the marble floor as they walk through the door and down the hall towards the office of Oliver Hardy Jr., Kayla’s foster brother.  The walls were covered with grey and ivory wallpapers and motivational photography with silver frames. There were two small sections of offices across from each other.  People were working but they took no notice of the Jones siblings as they passed this work area by and entered down another hall, rounding a corner, and finally making their way through a door that led them to Oliver’s office.

The room is small and square, with two plastic chairs, a table and an empty water dispenser. The window is cracked, allowing a faint but pleasant smell of moisture into the room.  Angelica and Kayla find Oliver at his desk, looking a little less than confident from his usual temperament.  This is due to the unexpected nature of today’s proceedings.  Kayla Jones has indeed agreed to sign the paperwork, thus signing over the ashes of Oliver Hardy Sr. to the family who wishes to have them, but she will not do so unless she gets to “say her piece” as she puts it…

…and Oliver Hardy Jr. has no idea exactly what she will say to this family, a family she has, fairly or unfairly, held a grudge against her entire adult life.

“Good afternoon, Angelica.” Oliver says, trying his best to exude confidence before turning towards his foster sister Kayla. “How are you holding up, sis?”

“As well as can be expected.”

“You know we’re both here for you.” Oliver says, embracing her with a hug.

“That’s right,” Angelica says, joining in to create a group hug “we both are here for you.”

“Thank you, both of you.” Kayla says, grinning from ear to ear. “Your support means a lot.”

“Anything to help, Kay.  I know, better than anyone else maybe, how important it is to move on and at least try to heal from the wounds and scars of the past. You’ll never forget, you shouldn’t forget, but moving on IS important and healing IS important.  I didn’t let go of my past and it landed me in a loony bin.  I don’t want…I don’t…” Angelica’s voice trails off, unable to finish her thought.  Kayla, though, surmises what her older sister was trying to say and just shakes her head.

“Don’t worry, Angel.  That won’t happen to me.”

“Right,” Oliver chimes in “we won’t let it.”

“Hey bro,” Kayla says, drastically changing the subject as she turns to face Oliver “when are they supposed to arrive anyway?”

“Anytime now.” Oliver answers, checking his watch. “I wanted everyone here at my office by three and you arrived five minutes until three…”

“Great, almost show time.” Kayla says with a sigh. “Who will it be anyway?”

“My uncle Samuel and my grandmother Jenny.”

Almost as if dramatically on cue there is a knocking at the door.  Oliver immediately faces Angelica and Kayla and mouths the words “that’s them” before walking to the door and opening it up.  A gray haired woman, though elderly but still energetic and vibrant, enters.  Following her is a middle aged balding man, with a slight beer belly.  Oliver extends a hand and the man accepts the handshake first.

“Good afternoon Samuel.” Oliver smiles as he turns to face the woman and maintains the forced smile. “Hi, grandma.”

“Hi Oliver.” The woman, Jenny Hardy, his grandmother, answers back. “It’s nice seeing you.  I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Yeah, you’ve gone off the radar, boy.” Samuel chimes in. “What gives?”

“A great deal has happened to me, Sam.  Let’s just leave it at that.”

“I can see life has been nice to you.” Samuel responds as he scans the office. “Is this your setup?”

“Yes, I’m the head of Jones Wrestling Incorporated’s legal department.” He turns to motion towards Kayla. “Grandma, Uncle Samuel, this is Kayla.  She owns this place and I work for her now.  The woman next to her is her sister, Angelica Jones.”

“Kayla?” Jenny says as she approaches Kayla, squinting her eyes to get a better look. “Is that you?”

“Yes, it is.  Nice to see you, Ms. Hardy.”

“My gosh, it’s been so long since I got to see you.” Jennifer laughs lightly. “Your father never let me see you or your brother very often.  The last time I saw you…in fact, the only other time I saw you…was the day he got you from social services.  You were just a little girl then, barely over thirteen years old.”

Kayla is gritting her teeth.  She is doing her best to hold back her true emotions and she is doing her best to maintain a strong front.  She knows now is not the time to speak out about how she really feels.  Oliver Jr. can tell that she is having difficulty right now and he knows that he needs to speed this along…

“Well grandma, Uncle Samuel, I’m sure you two really want to get this whole process finished, so do we,” Oliver walks past them and back to his desk.  He opens up a drawer and produces a legal contract and a pen. “This is the contract that will give you control of the ashes of my father…”

“Oliver…” the grandmother begins

“…now as you know, it takes the signature of both heirs to give you the ashes.  That’s how my father deemed it in his will.  I already signed the contract.  That means it just needs Kayla’s signature and we can all be on our way.”

“No need to rush, Oliver.” The grandmother says.

“Yeah, boy.” The uncle chimes in. “It’s like you want to rush this too fast.  We haven’t even seen ya in forever; you or Kayla.”

“Grandma, Uncle Samuel, I think it’s in everyone’s best interest if we…” Oliver attempts to get his thought finished but once again he is cut off, this time by Kayla Jones.

“Stop, Oliver.” Kayla remarks. “Just stop.”

Everyone in the room, Angelica and Oliver, Jenny and Samuel, all of them turn to face Kayla Jones who has a cold, stoic glare on her face.  Angelica and Oliver are the only ones who have any clue as to what may be going through her head right now and even they are unsure as to how she’ll react right now.  They are not sure if this will turn out well or not…

“Oliver, I told you that I would sign the contract.” She says, looking at her brother. “But I have something to say and I will say my piece before I put my signature on that piece of paper.”

Oliver sighs and just nods his head, giving his approval.  Kayla then turns to face Jenny and Samuel.

“You contacted Oliver back in July about wanting the ashes.  And we’re only just now getting around to finishing the deal.  Has it ever occurred to you why it took so long to get this deal done?”

“Nah,” Samuel says with a shrug of his shoulders “just figured it was legal crap.”

“No,” Kayla says, shaking her head “Oliver had everything all drawn up and ready to go the moment you called.  You have me to thank for this delay.”

“Why?  What is it, Kayla?” Jenny asks.

“This wasn’t a snap decision I could make, Ms. Hardy.  This wasn’t even a decision I could easily make in a few months, though it appears that way.  This is something I’ve been struggling with for nearly two decades.” She points a finger at Jennifer and Samuel. “Your son, Ms. Hardy, your brother Mr. Hardy, the man who legally became my father but whom I will never recognize as my father…he…he hurt me…”

“Oliver, my son Oliver that is…” Jennifer begins, not sure what to think of this revelation “…what did he do?”

“Sorry to be so blunt, Ms. Hardy, but he was a drunk.  Use your imagination.” Kayla says scowling.

“Yeah, I can vouch for that.” Samuel says with a nod of his head. “He always took to the bottle way too much.  Heh, I drink a little myself, but he did it in excess.  I even warned him about it but the snobby piece of shit never wanted to listen to me.”

“What are you suggesting?” Jennifer Hardy asks of her son Samuel.

“I’m just saying that whatever it is Kayla here says Oliver did to her, I can believe it.” He shakes his head. “He wasn’t good people, mom.”

“He beat me, Ms. Hardy.” Kayla begins, not holding anything back. “He beat me and on top of that, he took my innocence away from me.  He molested me.  You’d think by now I would’ve gotten over it…”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “No such luck.  His nightmarish image has lived on in my head for a very long time.  Ironically he gave me an assist in getting out from under his iron fisted rule; he used the Hardy influence to get me started in the modeling business.  And the modeling success led to professional wrestling, which led to what I have today.  But to this day I have problems sleeping at night as I ask myself if I really earned any of this or did all of it, the modeling and the wrestling and even this company I own, if all of it is just due to the Hardy family influence?”

Kayla takes the pen from Oliver’s hand and then signs her name to the contract.

“There.  The asshole’s ashes belong to you. But I wanted you to know the full extremity of what he did to me.  He beat me physically. He took my innocence from me.  And only recently, thanks to my true friends and family, have I learned to believe in myself again.”

There is a long tense pause as everyone stares at Kayla.  Finally Jennifer Hardy breaks the silence.

“Like Sam, I did have my suspicions about what Oliver was doing.” Tears are forming in her eyes. “He never brought you around me and never let me come to see you.  I had a feeling that there had to be something wrong but I was too afraid to say anything.  I was too afraid to speak out.”

She shakes her head. “That was my mistake.  I should have said something.  Believe me, Kayla, I never wanted to see you get hurt.  The moment I saw you the first time, the moment I heard your story and how you came into the family, all I wanted was for you to be happy.  I hope you can forgive me…forgive all of us.  This family never meant to hurt you.”

“Ms. Hardy…” Kayla pauses momentarily and a small yet genuine smile creeps across her face “…grandma, my brother reminded me that an entire family should not and cannot be blamed for the sins of just one man.  You have nothing to apologize for.  I just needed to get that off of my chest.  That’s all.  Now maybe…”

Kayla turns and looks into her sister Angelica’s eyes. “…maybe I can just let it go?”

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On Camera

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Do we like having to work with Dante McAffery, knowing the he clearly doesn’t want to work with us, knowing that he probably doesn’t even want us on the same team as him?  No.  Not a chance in hell.  But Kayla and I are consummate professionals and we will do our job.  We will play along and help our team get the win, with or without Dante’s participation.  If we have to, we’ll drag his broken ass to the finish line.

But already talked in great detail about how we feel regarding Dante.  It’s time to move on to our opposition.

Kennedy Street, the way you’ve turned yourself and your attitude around is remarkable.  Many doubted you, and others, namely Ethan Von Aaron, tried to hinder you.  But you did manage to turn yourself around which I applaud.  I, myself had to turn myself and my attitude around not too long ago while people doubted me.  So I can relate to you and what’s more, I respect you.  But that respect means nothing when the bell rings.  Only the winners will advance their career while the losers continue down the abyss and lately, that’s where Kayla and I have been headed…towards a black abyss of loss after loss…

…we’re tired of heading in that direction and if ending that streak means winning at your expense then you had better believe we will do whatever is necessary to take all five of you down.  And yes, that includes your new friend Thirteen, no matter how legendary he is, he can be conquered by The Sisterhood, and so can Katelyn Buehler.

Buehler, we’ve tangled before.  We’ve butted heads before so you know what I’m capable of when I am under pressure.  Right now, The Sisterhood is under immense pressure to perform and no one will stop us, not even you.  You say this is your house?  Well we’re going to burn your house to the damn ground.

Finally The Resurgence.  Are you sticking with this name, by the way?  Jake, Tommy, there is respect there from me…maybe not from Kayla, but she is, by her own admission, a bitch…but no, we don’t like one another.  We’ve clashed before, not just as a tag team, but you and I have clashed on many occasions, Jake.  And I look forward to this opportunity, an opportunity to not only get back on the right track, but to get back to our winning ways by beating you two.

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On Camera

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There are those on the opposing side that I respect; namely Kennedy and Katelyn.  Others I don’t really care about; namely Thirteen.  And still others I just don’t like; Jake Starr, Tommy Valentine, I’m looking at you.  But like my sister said, I am a bitch, and I don’t care about who I like or don’t like and I damn sure don’t care about respect right about now.

The Sisterhood has been on a losing streak for too damn long and we’re ready to end this streak right here, right now, at Under Attack.  Is this the ideal setting for us?  Hell no.  We’d rather have anyone else on our side than Dante.  We’re not sure we like the idea of Edwards Adams being on our side either.

Autumn can stay.  She’s fine with us.

But one thing that we all have in common is the shared desire to win and regardless of the circumstances that brought us together, we are going to head into this match and we are going to kick your teeth right down your throat.  Do you understand that?  We are going to kick your damn teeth right down your throat and your bow to us.  You will lose to us and The Sisterhood, we’ll be back on the right track.

So once more, with feeling, just in case you missed it…Angelica and I, and hell, even Autumn, Adams, and Dante, we are going to kick your teeth right down your throat at Under Attack!

Unfinished Business: Part 5

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Off Camera

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It wasn’t that long ago when, at Apocalypse, Angelica and Kayla Jones, The Sisterhood, once again failed to cash in an opportunity to turn their luck around. Individually Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street are excellent competitors, but they had never teamed together until they faced off against the former two time SCW World Tag Team Champions.  Kayla Jones had thought that this would be a cakewalk for them and that this big win would give them the momentum they needed to get back into the title picture.

Unfortunately it turned out to be yet another loss in a string of disappointing losses for The Sisterhood.  Their frustration has continued to build up to a boiling point.  The frustration has built up to a point of no return.  Angelica and Kayla know that a win is needed and soon.  They need to turn their luck around.  They just are not sure what to do and how to do it.

Under Attack is looming just around the corner and The Sisterhood feel slighted in a way.  They haven’t been on the last few Breakdowns and assumed they wouldn’t be at Under Attack either but, in a way, they feel as if they are being used as filler in this upcoming five on five tag team match.  They are partnered with Dante McAffery, Autumn Valentine, and Edward Adams to face Kennedy Street, Thirteen, Katelyn Buehler, and a team the Jones women are quite familiar with, The Resurgence (Jake Starr and Tommy Valentine).

The Sisterhood really have no qualms or beef here with anyone in this match.  But they’re competitors and they’ll do what they have to do to win or, at the very least, carry their load.  Winning would be the best, though.  Winning here would be big for Angelica and Kayla, when they haven’t won in a long time.

Winning when one has been on a losing streak is quite difficult.  It requires Angelica and Kayla to find out what the problem is, why they haven’t been clicking lately, and correct the issue.  Thus far they haven’t been able to do that.

Perhaps now they are about to…

It’s bitter, cold, and dark outside in a gloomy, creepy cemetery on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts.  Inside this cemetery are trees, some are alive and well, but most of them are dying.  The grass is also dying, as indicated by its brownish color.  Lightning can be seen flashing in the background the wind can be heard howling off in the distance.  Leaves are blown about and while most of the headstones in the cemetery are upright and stable, others look as if they could topple over any moment, they look in total disarray.  Not a person, squirrel or even bird can be seen.  Its eerily quiet and empty, just completely empty.  Off to one side a new looking headstone stands out. Even the ground in front of the stone is fresh dirt.  The smell of moss and decaying leaves permeates the air.  Off in the distance is a marble stately mausoleum, which is in direct contrast to the rest of the cemetery, which is in clear disarray and has been neglected.

Standing directly in front of the entrance to this magnificent mausoleum is the red headed Bostonian known as Angelica Jones, along with Kayla Jones, and Kayla’s foster brother Oliver Hardy Jr.  Angelica is wearing a long flowing black maxi skirt, black high heeled pumps underneath, a white silk blouse, and a matching floral print black blazer.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  Oliver is also dressed rather nicely, or in a respectful manner as you might say; respectful of the dead.

Kayla, normally, would be dressed appropriately enough as well.  She almost always is wearing nice clothing but on this case, on this evening, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  She just doesn’t feel comfortable enough to be in a nice skirt and blouse or a nice dress like her sister.  Instead, Kayla is wearing denim jeans, black flats, and a red long sleeve shirt.  Kayla does not look like her normal self.  In fact, Kayla hasn’t felt like herself at all as of late and that is part of the reason why this trio of individuals have gathered here today at this mausoleum.

It all began when relatives of the late Oliver Hardy Sr., Kayla’s foster father, requested the ashes of their dead relative.  Those close to Kayla know all about the torment she endured while under the care of Oliver Hardy.  She was regularly beaten and abused, in every way imaginable, including physical, mental, emotional, and even sexual abuse.  Kayla used her modeling career and later on her wrestling career to get away from Oliver’s control.

She thought that was the end of the nightmare but then he returned, he continued to stalk her in an attempt to regain some control over her.  When he died during his attempt, Kayla thought that the nightmare was finally over but then his relatives came, requesting the ashes, and Kayla was informed that they could not get the ashes because Oliver had legally made her an heir to his estate.

Her brother Oliver Hardy Jr., her sister Angelica, no one quite understands what happened, let alone why it happened, but something about that action, something being made an heir to his estate, this renewal of the nightmare, caused Kayla to snap.  Both Angelica and Oliver Hardy Jr. recognize this and now they are here, in this lowly cemetery on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts, hoping to put an end to it once and for all.

And how, exactly will this help?  Well, this just so happens to be the familial mausoleum of The Hardy clan.  Kayla does not wish to come here but she is being made to come here against her will because her family, those who truly do love her, know that she needs help.

But it doesn’t mean Kayla has to like it…

“I still don’t understand why we’re here.” Kayla growls.

“It’s because you need help, sis.”

“Fine, then get me help!” Kayla says, snapping back at her older sister with venom dripping from every word. “But get me a shrink, get me a doctor, do anything but bring me here!”

“I know it must be hard, sis,” Angelica sighs deeply “I can’t even imagine how difficult this must be for you…”

“No, you can’t.” Kayla snaps back at her.

“…but Kay, this is for your own good.”

“No, Angelica, just no.” Kayla remarks, shaking her head. “You have no idea what is for my own good.”

Kayla spins around suddenly and points a finger in Oliver’s face. “And you…you of all people should know how difficult this is…you of all people should know how tough this is for me…and yet you still made me come out here…”

“Please try to understand that we are only trying to help.” Oliver places both of his hands on Kayla’s shoulders, providing her some gentle yet firm comfort. “Angelica is right, we only want what is best for you.”

“And you think this is what’s best?” Kayla pulls away from Oliver’s grip. “You’re both nuts.”

“You need to deal with your issues, Kay.”

“I DON’T HAVE ANY ISSUES!”

With that shout, Kayla turns and storms away in a fit, stopping at a nearby tree.  Oliver considers going after her but is stopped by Angelica.  Instead it is the older sister rather than the foster brother who goes after Kayla.  Angelica approaches Kayla with some caution, knowing that now, in the state of mind she is in, it is not a good time to startle her.

“Kayla, I’m sorry if we upset you, but…”

“What’s wrong with me?” Kayla asks as she turns to face Angelica.  Tears are rolling down her cheek as she begins to cry. “I snapped at you and Oliver and, hell, I damn near assaulted you in a parking lot.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Kayla asks a second time.

“I honestly don’t know.” Angelica says, shaking her head. “But that’s why we’re here.  That’s why Oliver and I brought you here.  We want to help you and he thinks that this place will help you cope with whatever issues you have.”

“How the hell could he know what issues I have when even I don’t know what issues I have?!” Kayla snaps back.

“I don’t know,” Angelica says shrugging her shoulders “but Oliver cares about you, and from what I know about the Hardy family, I think he knows a bit about this whole situation; at least he would know more than me.  So I trust him.”

There is a pause as Kayla takes time to consider her sister’s words.   Finally Kayla forces a smile onto her face and she nods her head.

“Well, I guess if you trust him to handle this situation, then maybe we can give it a shot.”

“That’s the spirit.” Angelica says patting Kayla on the back. “We can work it out.  Together.”

“We HAVE to work this out.” Kayla remarks gravely. “We can’t afford to wait any longer.  We have to appear at Under Attack.”

“Right, I know all about that five on five tag team match, but that’s not as important as you.  Your mental and emotional well-being is much more important than winning that match.”

“Wrong!” Kayla says sharply, shaking her head. “We’ve been losing far too long and hell, we’ve been off television for far too long.  We need a win.  Nothing else will do!  Who knows what happens if this losing streak of ours keeps up?”

“I get it, I truly do, and yes, that’s partially why we’re here, to try and fix you, but I just…” Angelica’s voice trails off as she takes a moment and sighs “…I just don’t want to rush it and then screw it all up; screw you up. You know?”

“I get that and I appreciate the concern but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Kayla smiles warmly. “Like you said, I trust you both.  I trust my family.”

“Great,” Angelica says as she grins from ear to ear “then let’s go see Oliver.  Let’s see if Oliver has a solution for you, then you can focus on Under Attack.”

Kayla nods as she turns around leads the way back over to her foster brother.  Angelica follows ever so closely behind.  Kayla approaches her foster brother and embraces him a tight hug.

“I’m sorry, Oliver.” Kayla remarks quietly through the tears. “I kinda lost it back there.”

“I understand, Kay.  And I’m sorry that this is so tough, but trust me when I say that this is for the best.”

“It’s hard but…” Kayla’s voice trails off and she sighs, nodding her head “…yeah, I trust you.”

“Good.” Oliver says with a warm, sympathetic smile. “So, do you want to get started?”

“Yeah, why not?” Kayla says, shrugging.

“Great.” He turns to face the mausoleum.  “Now of course this is my family’s mausoleum.  Generations of Hardy men, women, and children can be found here.”

“Seriously?” Angelica pipes in, somewhat surprised. “I didn’t think your family was wealthy enough to afford this…no offense, Oliver.”

“None taken.  But your sister probably told you about how well connected my father was, but the truth is that it wasn’t just him.  All Hardy men were quite well connected through lawyers, politicians, and businessmen.  If you had the last name Hardy, you always got what you wanted.”

“Seriously?” Angelica asks, to which both Oliver and Kayla nod in response.  Angelica’s eyes then grow wide with shock.

“Kayla, you were…”

“Yeah, when we found each other after being separated for so many years, I was going by the name Kayla Hardy.  That’s because the Hardy name gave me advantages that the Jones name at the time didn’t.”

Tears once again flow down Kayla’s cheek.  “Dad…Oliver Sr. told me that I only made it in the modeling business because I was a ‘nice piece of ass’ but I knew better.  I made it in modeling only because of the Hardy name.   Same with wrestling.  I got hired so quickly out of wrestling school because of the Hardy name.  I didn’t earn a damn thing on my own merit.”

“You’re wrong, Kay.” Angelica says as she embraces Kayla in a tight hug. “You’re dead wrong.  Everything you have achieved up until this point, you achieved it because you earned it.  Especially in the wrestling business.  You and I TOGETHER made the Jones Wrestling Family a respected and feared family in this business.  You and I together have been two time SCW World Tag Team Champions.”

Angelica smiles warmly. “And damn it, Kay, you and I can get to the top again.  I just know it.”

“I guess…” Kayla’s voice trails off as she tries to find her voice through the tears and crying “…I guess  it’s part of why I haven’t been myself lately, you know?  The Hardy family resurfacing, me finding out I’m a Hardy family heir, all of that happened right at the same time as we were on our losing streak and I guess I began to put two and two together and I got four…I came to the conclusion that this losing streak was all my fault…because I never earned anything in the first place.”

“For starters, you added two and two and you ended up with five.” Angelica says with a knowing smirk. “Secondly, this losing streak we’ve been on, it’s both of our fault.  We’re both at fault here.  We win as a team and we lose as a team.  Together we made it to the top.  It’ll take a team effort to get back to the top.  Understand, sis?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Kayla says, nodding her head.

“But that’s not the end of her dilemma.” Oliver remarks, pointing towards the entrance to the mausoleum.  “We need to go inside.”

Oliver doesn’t even bother to ask the Jones women if they really want to go.  He just begins walking towards the doors.  Kayla looks reluctant, so Angelica grasps her sister’s hand and squeezes it tightly.  The two women then walk hand in hand towards the mausoleum.  Oliver is inside first and then Angelica and Kayla follow him.  Inside of the mausoleum is full of marble and granite.  It’s exquisite, definitely befitting a family with connections.  Even Angelica and Kayla, who are rather well off themselves, are impressed and, in a sense, have an idea what paupers must feel like.

“In here rests the previous generations of my family…” Oliver says quietly.

“What are we doing in here, Oliver?” Kayla asks.

“Look over there.” Oliver says, pointing towards the front.  There are three markers.  The trio make their way over and Oliver points to the one on the far left. “This is my great grandfather, Samuel Oliver Hardy.”

He points to the marker in the center. “And this is my grandfather, Samuel Oliver Hardy Jr.”

“So the third one…” Kayla’s voice trails off, waiting for Oliver to finish her sentence, which he does as he begins nodding his head.

“That’s right, Kay, the third one is supposed to be for my father; Oliver Hardy Sr.” He turns to face Kayla. “That is, it will be if you agree to give the ashes to the family.”

“I don’t…” Kayla just shakes her head “…I can’t.”

“Yes you can.” Oliver remarks. “I’ve already signed them over.  Now you have to sign.  As an heir you MUST sign.”

“That’s why I refuse to sign!” Kayla shouts angrily. “If I sign I let him win!  If I sign, I’m admitting that yes, I am an heir to his sick and twisted family and I refuse to give that monster the satisfaction.”

“Kayla,” Angelica remarks quietly “he’s dead.  He won’t get any satisfaction.”

“I don’t care, Angel,” Kayla remarks, shaking her head “even in death I refuse to give him the satisfaction.  Let him rot in hell for what he did to me!”

“Not all of his family are bad, Kay.” Oliver Jr. remarks, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Not all of us are like him.  Yes, the Hardy family is very well connected, and quite often gets what it wants, but some of us use that influence to do good in the community.  The people asking for the ashes, they’re some of the good guys.  They do good things for their communities.  They’re not self-aggrandizing sexual monsters like my father.”

He motions to the marker left for Oliver Hardy Sr. “All they want right now is for him to be where he rightfully belongs, with the rest of the family.”

“Kayla, turn and look at me.” That’s Angelica’s voice.  Kayla turns to face her older sister. “Do you remember how I would steal your clothes?”

“Yes…” Kayla answers, frowning.

“I remember too.  I remember how you would freak out and throw a major tantrum.  Mom had to restrain you; but Kayla, do you remember what mom would always tell you?”

“Why bring her up, Angel?” Tears once more fill Kayla’s eyes. “Damn you!  Why bring her up?!”

“I know, it’s hard for me to talk about her.” Angelica says, tears forming in her own eyes. “But please, tell me…what did she tell you when you after I stole your clothes and you threw your tantrums?”

“She told me…” Kayla wipes some tears from her eyes “…she told me that the best form of revenge against an enemy is to forgive your enemy.”

“I’m not saying forget what happened, but you’ve held onto this grudge for too long.  Forgive them, Kayla…I mean, they didn’t even do anything to you.  It was Oliver Hardy Sr. who did those things to you.  Not his family.   You need to drop it so you can move on, so WE can move on.”

There is a tense moment as Kayla faces Angelica.  Then she turns to face Oliver and looks into his pleading eyes.  Finally she turns back to Angelica again and sighs, nodding her head.

“You’re right, sis.  You’re absolutely right.  I’ve been letting these personal issues of mine, issues that I’ve been holding onto for decades, cloud not only my judgment but my focus.  You can say we win as a team and lose as a team all you want, Angel, but this losing streak is on me.  I know I’m the reason we’ve been losing and it’s because I can’t get my head straight.  It’s time I get my head on straight.”

Kayla turns to face Oliver. “I’ll sign those papers and let them have the ashes, but…”

“Yes?”

“…I want to speak to them in person.  I have something to say to them and when I say my piece, then I’ll sign the damn document and hand over the ashes myself.”

==========

On Camera

==========

Dante sure has a funny way of making us feel welcome.  He isn’t sure why he’s teaming with the likes of Edward Adams, Autumn Valentine, and us, The Sisterhood?

Edward Adams I get…Autumn Valentine I don’t understand.  She’s been dominant in Supreme Championship.  Seriously, she and Gable beat us for the SCW World Tag Team Championship. And we consider ourselves among the greatest tag teams in the world; and that, my friends is a nice segue to us…

…what’s the problem, Dante?  You prefer your network of pals and amigos to two time SCW World Tag Team Champions?  Two proven leaders?  Two proven warriors?

But you know what, I get that too.  I mean, we haven’t exactly been in tip top shape lately.  We may be former two-time SCW World Tag Team Champions but we haven’t been performing like that great team of old.  We’ve been performing under par.  We’ve been lackluster at best.  The Sisterhood has not been the spectacular force it once was.

To put it bluntly, we’ve been stale.

We needed a fire lit under our ass and you know, maybe we’ve had that fire lit?  We lost to Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street at Apocalypse and as much as Kayla and I both respect them as athletes, I have to admit, the loss crushed us.  No disrespect intended to either of them, but that was a winnable match and not only did we squander the opportunity to get back to our winning ways, we were made fools of by two people who had never before been a tag team.

And then to have you say you don’t even know why we’re teamed with you?  Well it got us to thinking; why ARE we working with you?  Why ARE we helping you?  I mean, if I’m perfectly honest with you, Dante, looking at the two teams, I like the other side a hell of a lot better than the people on my side.

Kennedy earned our respect at Apocalypse.

Katelyn Buehler and I have thrown down before in GCW, so she definitely has earned my respect.

I may not particularly like The Resurgence but I RESPECT The Resurgence.

The only one out of that group I’m not familiar with is Thirteen. That’s it.  So out of that entire group, I like or at least respect most of them.  On my team, I respect Autumn Valentine.

Yeah, that’s about it.

So I get it, Dante.  I really do.  Why are you teamed with us…with any of us?  Why are you teamed with Autumn, Edward, or The Sisterhood?  You need us, Dante.  You need us a hell of a lot more than Adams, Autumn, or The Sisterhood needs you, because if all of us opted to walk out on your ass, it’d just be you against all five of them.

Speaking just for myself, I don’t want to help you win, Dante.  I’d just assume plant your damn head through the canvas with a Hot Shot and call it a day.  Quite frankly, I just don’t like how you operate.  But lucky for you, that’s NOT how Kayla and I operate.

You can count on us to do our job at Under Attack, but it isn’t because we like you or want to help you.  It’s because we are consummate professionals and we respect this business too damn much to play some childish games like that.

That’s your operation, not ours.

==========

On Camera

==========

We have been frustrated lately because we can’t seem to buy a win lately.  I’ll be completely up front and honest about it, we haven’t been ourselves lately.  We’ve been terrible.  But damn it, it is time that Angelica and I turned things around in a big way and there’s no better time to start than the present.

That’s why you can count on us, Dante.  You can count on us to do our part because even in the midst of a really nasty losing streak, The Sisterhood will always respect this business.  It is a great and proud business that, as cheesy as it may sound, has truly saved the lives of many individuals; myself and Angelica included.

Yeah, I can be a bitch at times.  But I have always and will always fight for his business.  I have always and will always respect this business.

Dante, I question just how much you respect this business considering it seems like you’re willing to form yet another gang to do your bidding and give you what you want; taking the cheap and easy way to glory.

That’s not who I am.  I’ve had to fight and claw for everything I’ve achieved and earned in this industry.  So no, Dante, I do not like you.  Neither does Angelica.  We’re just as confused as you are as to why we were chosen to be on this team.  But what we have no question about is our role as members of this team.

We are competitors and we will do what we have to do in order to win.  And The Sisterhood’s losing streak ends now.

Kennedy, Buehler, we respect you…Thirteen, don’t know you…Valentine and Starr, sorry but unlike Angelica, to hell with you…and at Under Attack, we’re going to kick your teeth right down your throat!

Unfinished Business: Part 4

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Off Camera

==========

The silver gray Mercedes S600 cruised down the freeway, travelling south.  Gazing straight ahead, only half-aware of a world outside the claustrophobic comfort of the car, gripping the wheel, barely noticing the almost soundless changing of the gears, Kayla Jones, who sits in the driver’s seat, easily gets lost in her thoughts, and her thoughts are centered around one individual and one individual only…

…Oliver Hardy.

It wasn’t bad enough that her mother was raped and murdered while Kayla was out shopping with her father, Kayla would suffer further torment for the rest of her teenage life after being placed in the foster care of Oliver Hardy; the man who physically abused her, sexually abused her, and mentally abused her.  Kayla never got to have a true childhood as a result of this one individual.  She was forced to learn survival skills at too young an age.

Kayla thought she was rid of Oliver when she broke into the modeling industry and walked out on the Hardy household at the age of eighteen.  But little did she know that several years later he would resurface in her life, assaulting and raping Kayla’s niece Marie Annabelle Jones.  Oliver tried to do the same thing to Kayla but she killed Oliver in self-defense.

Marie’s child, Sean Connor Jones, would serve as a permanent reminder of Oliver Hardy but at least the man himself and his influence would no longer be felt.   At least, Kayla thought he was finished; but then Hardy Jr., her foster brother, informed her about the Hardy family wanting his ashes.  And the icing on the cake?

Kayla would have to give them permission; for Oliver Hardy had made her an heir and executor shortly before his demise.

She wishes this whole thing would go away and while she knows she could easily make this go away by just giving the family what they want, by just letting them have the ashes, Kayla on principle will not allow them to have the ashes.  Oliver Hardy Sr. did terrible things to her and out of spite she will gladly treat the rest of his family like utter shit.

Is she being childish?  Perhaps.  But in her mind, no one can judge her, for no one has been through what she has been through.

Besides, Kayla has better things, more important things to worry about than her dead, sorry ass foster father.  The next SCW pay per view, Apocalypse, is coming up and she is teaming with her sister Angelica to face Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street.

The Sisterhood has been in a bit of a slump as of late.  Both sisters are extremely frustrated by their string of bad luck that includes losses to The Brotherhood, Adrenaline Rush, The B&B Experience, and a loss in the Scaffold Scramble.  What they need is a win and you can’t get a win much bigger than against wrestlers the caliber of Amy and Kennedy.

Kayla knows this and looks forward to this challenge at Apocalypse.  She and Angelica can make a big statement with a win at Apocalypse.  And who knows, perhaps more success in professional wrestling will allow Kayla to take her mind off of this Hardy business?

If nothing else, preparing for this match will temporarily get her mind off of her personal family troubles and that’s why Kayla was excited to hear her sister wanted to meet with her today.  The only thing odd about this is why she wanted to meet with her at the hotel?  Watching tape or discussing strategy, Kayla guesses, but they could do that at a gym where the two could also workout or spar in preparation for Amy and Kennedy.

Oh well, she is certain that there is a method to her sister’s madness and she is sure she will learn exactly what it is as she takes the next right.  She spots the hotel sign up ahead and an expectant grin forms across her face.  Kayla turns into the parking lot and quickly finds a parking space, pulling into it, and then shutting the car off.

Kayla steps out of the car and shuts the door behind her.  She starts to walk towards the front revolving doors when suddenly…

“Kayla!” Kayla stops and turns to spot her sister standing over at the other end of the parking lot. “I’m over here.”

“Angelica?” Kayla says quizzically, turning to look back at the front doors and then back at Angelica. Kayla motions with her thumb back to the doors. “Why don’t we just go inside?”

“No, I’d rather not.” Angelica remarks, shaking her head. “We should talk out here.”

“Why?” Kayla asks. “I mean, we have a match to prepare for, sis.  If we’re going to study tape then let’s go in and…”

“We’re not studying tape.”

“Then what are we doing?”

“Just come over here, please.” Angelica insists.

“Whatever.” Kayla shrugs her shoulders and relents, walking over, approaching her older sister. “Ok, so where’s your car?  Are we going to the gym now or what?”

“No, no gym.” Angelica responds, shaking her head. “Not right now, at least.”

“Then what the hell is the point of any of this?!” Kayla is clearly getting frustrated as her voice raises a few decibels. “We have been on a losing streak lately and it is because of shit like this; distractions.  We don’t watch tape, we don’t prepare appropriately for our opponents, and then we get upset over losing.  You do know who we’re facing at Apocalypse, right?”

“I do,” Angelica says, nodding her head “Kennedy and Amy.”

“Then you should know we need to be at the top of our game.  They are both former world champions and you had better believe that they will be game plan ready.  We need to be game plan ready as well.  The least we can do while you drug me out here is to talk about strategy for the two of them.”

“No, we can do that later.” Angelica answers back. “There’s something more important than our match at Apocalypse right now that I want to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”  Kayla asks.  “What could possibly be more important than The Sisterhood getting back on the right track by beating those two?”

“Oh I can think of at least one thing.” Angelica answers, holding up one finger.

“And that would be what?”

Angelica reaches out and places a gentle, comforting hand upon her younger sister’s shoulder.  This is troubling for Kayla; why would Angelica feel the need to do this?

“Kayla…” Angelica’s voice trails off, she sighs “…why didn’t you tell me the Hardy family resurfaced?”

Kayla’s eyes grow wide with surprise but quickly they narrow as a look of anger washes across her face.  She swipes Angelica’s hand away from her shoulder.

“Who the hell told you?!  Oliver?!”

“Yes, Oliver told me.” Angelica remarks, nodding her head. “He’s worried about you, Kayla.  He thinks the family resurfacing has brought back terrible memories, memories that have caused you to…to…”

“To do what?” Kayla demands in a snappy, venomous tone.

“He’s afraid you’ve…well…”

“Spit it out!”

“Look, Kayla, I just want to tell you that I know what you’re going through.” Angelica remarks. “I’ve fought those demons before.  And IF you need help, I’m here.”

“If I need help?” Kayla is confused at first but as she thinks about it for a moment a light bulb goes off in her head. “I get it…”

Kayla backs away slowly, smirking “…you and Oliver think I’m going crazy.”

“I didn’t say you were crazy.  I didn’t even say I necessarily agreed with Oliver.  You know I don’t trust him, not entirely.  But he said you were in trouble and when he explained the situation, I knew I had to see for myself.”

“Well I’m fine.” Kayla insists, folding her arms over her chest almost like a petulant child. “Now can we please forget this Hardy shit and go prepare for our match at Apocalypse?”

“Fine, sure, but before we go,” Angelica again reaches out and places a hand on her sister’s shoulder “I meant it when I said that I’ve been where you are.  If you need me, just let me know.”

Angelica must have said something wrong, because Kayla snaps that very moment.  She swats her sister’s hand away and starts to step aggressively closer towards her, causing Angelica to back up.

“You have no fucking clue where I’ve been!”

“Kayla, what are you talking about?!”

“You had it easy after mom died!  You became a damn nun!  Every damn night my new daddy came home drunk I would get beat and molested!”

“Kayla…he’s not your…”

“SHUT UP!” Kayla reaches out and grabs Angelica by her throat. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH!”

“Kayla! STOP!”

“YOU DID THIS TO ME!”

“Please…I can’t breathe…Kay…”

“You…you did…” Kayla suddenly opens her eyes wide as she realizes what she’s done, she releases her grip and backs away slowly “…Angelica, I…I’m sorry…”

“It’s ok…” Angelica holds her own throat to ease the pain “but Oliver was right, you need help.”

==========

On Camera

==========

My sister can play nice all she wants, but me?  I’m Kayla Jones.  I’m in bitch mode ninety-percent of the time.  So I’m going to be completely real with each and every one of you.

This tag team match pitting The Sisterhood against Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street, the script has already been written.  It’s a storybook ending that Mr. D couldn’t have written any better, that the fans no doubt will love to see, that the fans I’m sure WANT to see.

Amy and Kennedy, the two BFFs, both returning from their own individual battles against their own respective demons, teaming up to get a big win!  Who did they beat?  Eh, doesn’t matter now does it?  They win!  WHOOPIE!

That’s the script that’s written and that’s the job Angelica and I have been assigned to do.  We’re expected to lose.  Plain and fucking simple.

Amy, Kennedy, I will echo ONE thing that my sister said…I respect the hell out of both of you, but there is one thing that I will not allow and that is to allow you to use The Sisterhood as a stepping stone.  We will not let you make a statement at the expense of The Sisterhood.  We will not let you build momentum at our expense.

The Sisterhood is a good team, a damn good team.  Sure, we’ve hit a rough track lately, but that doesn’t mean we’re a pushover.  This is your first time teaming together and already you have a one-man fan club coming up with cutesy catchphrases to be put on lunchboxes and t-shirts.

All that marketing will be for naught when we beat you in your first tag team match, and you’d better believe that it can and will happen.  You were given The Sisterhood as an opponent because Mr. D thinks we’re weak…we’re vulnerable…we lost to The Brotherhood, Adrenaline Rush, The B&B Experience…surely we’ll lose yet another one to you two, right?

Wrong.

We may be in a slump but we’re still the two time former SCW World Tag Team Champions.  We’re still the team that beat Standing Room Only and Honor Code to get to that position.  Mr. D has no idea, but he just put you two in the worst possible situation against one of the best tag teams.

That’s not arrogance, it’s fact.  Even the best of the best have rough periods.  We don’t claim to be the best of the best, but we believe ourselves to be among the elite tag teams in this sport, and while some have forgotten it, we’re prepared to remind everyone of that fact at Apocalypse.

Now while Mr. D has no idea what he’s gotten you into, I hope, for your sake, that you know what you’re getting into at Apocalypse.  I do agree with Angelica, I want us to tear the house down, I want the four of us to steal the show and show the world what tag team wrestling is all about. But make no mistake about it, Amy and Kennedy, we will kick your teeth right down your throat!