BECAUSE I SAID SO!

Alaina sat at the table, listening as Junko seemed to talk to herself out loud. She seemed like a nice lady and Alaina kept looking at her while she spoke. "Well, I am sort of curvy I guess." Alaina said when Junko mentioned her chest size.

Alaina was a bit taken back when Junko asked her about kids. Alaina chuckled a bit and smiled. "I really like kids. I used to see them a lot when I was a nurse back in San Diego." Alaina said, giving Junko a bit of background as she spoke. "As for me, I don't think I'd try to go out and get pregnant anytime in the immediate future because of where I am at in my career... the beginning, and I'd like to be married before I have a baby. But... down the road I would love to be a mom."

"Down the road may be too late for me. The time for grandchildren is nigh." She said in a grimly serious tone. She then stood up and blew her whistle as loud as she could. That would get those ragamuffin's attention even from the other side of the house.

"Alaina-chan, please follow me. Let's see if the other ladies are still about to kill each other, fufu."

She stepped into the living room which lead to the hallway that connected tot he gym and stopped, looking at Taylor. She smiled. "How goes the battle between you and your rival in love, my daughter? Fufufu."

She turned and looked back. "This is Alina-chan. She is Mamouru-kun's girlfriend. Mamouru-kunis the sort who likes a motherly bosom, can't you tell?" She said, pointing out Alaina's breasts once more. "But, yours will grow when you have my grandchildren, fufu. And Junichi-kun loves them as well." Junko's wry eye twinkled.

She looked back at Alaina. "This is my daughter-in-law, Taylor-chan. I love her to death and if I had one regret it's that I could not have brought her into this world myself. However, she will bear me beautiful heirs with my son, so it is no regret at all, fufu."

Taylor stomped her way into the house and rounded a corner to find herself face to face with Junko and... Alaina?

"Mom, can..." She stopped short. She ground her teeth and scowled, and after the very first words out of Junko's mouth she already wanted to punch her. She was fuming, but... Alaina.

"Alaina..." She said to the tall brunette, and gave her a friendly pat on the arm. Her smile was burdened by her mood, but genuine nonetheless. "Hey. It's really good to see you, man. I didn't know you were coming, but I'm actually really glad you're here. Mom..." She turned to her mother-in-law and leaned in closer, and lowered her voice. "Can we talk about this for a minute?"

Junko's smile seemed to increase in proportion to Taylor's scowl. It was quite obvious what had happened even without having stolen a peek. The older woman looked at Alaina and bowed her head. "Aliana-chan, please head to the gym. Kozue-san is in there. After you greet her, please begin running ropes. Kozue-san will instruct you and take time.

Junko turned and slipped an arm around Taylor, easing her away from Alaina, still smiling widely. "What is it, my precious daughter?" Junko said, her wide grin and nearly closed lids providing a stark contrast to Taylor as well as giving her a bit of a poker face.

Taylor watched Alaina head into the gym, and when she was out of site she leveled an incendiary glare at Junko.

"What the fuck is this all about, huh?" She snapped. "You're just fucking loving every second of this, aren't you? You'd really love for me to pull out all my hair and quit wrestling and get divorced, just because it's so much fun to have rivals. What the fuck am I supposed to do, here?" She waved her arm at the gym and paused while she struggled to put words together.

"Fuckin'... Ninjette in there... Call her whatever you want, but she hates me, man. She thinks things about me that I really don't think are true. She acts like I'm always the worst person in the whole world, and she makes me feel, like... really bad about myself. I don't like being around her. And she told me that she only wants Johnny because he'd never cheat on me, and like, she's obviously fresh out of high school thinking that shit, because everybody will cheat if they let some hot chick or dude or whatever get close enough. Everybody will leave if they want to and they get the chance."

She paused again, but her aggressive, red-faced body language said very clearly that she wasn't done. "So, okay, since you're in charge and shit, why don't you just explain to me why the fuck I'm here, instead of in Hamamatsu, with Johnny, in our house that our careers paid for, training and being a wrestler and being a wife and not worrying at all about cheap, uppity sluts who think they're better than me and just want to rub my face in it. You seriously need to tell me, mom, because I'm fuckin' losing it here."

Junko never flinched as Taylor poured out all of her heart and frustrations to Junko. She remained patient with a smile on her face, carefully taking in all of her words until her daughter had laid it all out there.

When Taylor was finished, Junko rested both her hands on Taylor's shoulders and tilted her head, staring into Taylor's eyes. "You're here to learn like everyone else, Taylor-chan." Junko said in a calm, quiet voice. Until the end of your career, don't ever think you've got nothing left to learn. Even if these girls may not be at your level, you never know from where a lesson might come."

Junko then lifted her head and stared at Taylor. "As far as Junichi-kun is concerned, maybe you're right. Maybe Kozue-san can't stand you. Maybe every time she looks at you she can only see her own inadequacies reflected back at her. Maybe she's jealous of what you have and can't allow herself to set it aside for the benefit of peace and mutual growth."

Junko tilted her head. "However, if she truly desires Junichi-kun, then she is an utter fool. In a hundred years, she will never be able to replace you in Junichi's heart. I know this for certain and it's not because Junichi has no failings as a man it is because of Kozue-san's failings as a woman."

Junko leaned forward and pressed her lips close to Taylor's ear. "If I desired your man, Taylor-chan, I would already have him."

Junko leaned back, knowing that might make exacerbate Taylor's fears. Junko closed her eyes. "You are a strong, beautiful woman. Junichi-kun is yours as long as you desire him and I want you to see the competition so that you can look upon them and laugh. If I was worried about a girl stealing Junichi-kun away from you seriously, then I would let you know because you are my precious daughter."

Junko brushed some hair from Taylor's face. She then rubbed her thumbs along Taylor's cheek like the girl was getting ready for school. "She will help you Taylor-chan, trust me. You never have to like her. You may even come to dislike me for making you be around her but I have your best interest in mind. If you can learn how to handle this situation, then you can learn how to handle anything."

Junko leaned forward and Kissed Taylor on the forehead. "Please, just trust me Taylor-chan, I would never do anything that I didn't think was the best thing for you. Kozue-san is a good manifestation of the demons that writhe inside of you. She is there for the conquering. Most of us are not so lucky to be able to bare our inner demons in such a physical way as to allow for a tangible trial."

Taylor made a low grumbling noise. She already did dislike Junko for making her do this. She certainly couldn't just quit, because she said she'd do it, and she never just said no to any training Junko had for her, and ultimately she wanted to help with the dojo. Just... not like this.

She drew in a long, slow breath, and let out an even longer, slower sigh, sinking as if she might melt all the way through the floor. She put her hands over her face and tried to rub the resentment out of her expression before looking back at Junko.

"I'll do whatever," she said, resolute, though her heart wasn't in it. "I won't let anything stop me."

She looked back at the door to the gym, and then at Junko with eyes that asked "do I really have to go back in there?"

Junko smiled and leaned in, hugging Taylor tightly. She rubbed the girl's back for a moment before pulling away.

"It's not just you and her anymore, Taylor-chan. Once everyone else shows up, you'll be able to focus more. We can have these rookies spar and see what they're made of. Who knows, maybe Alaina-chan will beat up on Kozue-san, fufu." She said with a chuckle as she led her daughter back into the gym.

Alaina was happy to receive a warm greeting from Taylor. "Its great to see you too!" She said with a big smile. As Taylor leaned in to talk quietly to Junko, Alaina made her way to a side room to quickly change into her practice gear.

Alaina worked her way over to the gym, and saw someone she hadn't seen before alone in there. She looked small, but Alaina knew small women were just as dangerous as giant, steroid freak women.

"Hey, how's it going? I'm Alaina, I take it you know Taylor or Junko somehow?" Alaina asked as she began to run the ropes just as she was instructed to. Her top speed probably wasn't anywhere near Taylor or this young ladies, but Alaina could maintain it for quite some time. She figured Taylor and Junko would be back soon, but maybe the other woman would be up to talk.... if she wasn't too winded to do so.

It was funny, Kozue wouldn't think just bouncing on the ropes like this would take up too much energy, but after about three or so minutes of springboarding, it was starting to wear on her. It was paying off, though. She'd gotten good enough to no longer need the hums as training wheels, and she was nailing the proper placement more often than not. Now that she was getting the specifics down, it was amazing how good each bounce felt.

She was cut off mid-routine when she heard an unfamiliar voice, and she jumped off the middle rope instead of the top to see who it was. A girl, about her age, though you might not have guessed that just to compare bodies. Taller. More muscle. Definitely more gifted in the chest area, Kozue would've loved to see Junko's reaction on that. Another student, and a friendly one. Good, she was glad to have someone to go crazy with.

"Kozue Kaburagi." She gave Alaina a salute and started to run the ropes with her, keeping a slower pace to help her wind down. "Just met Junko not too long ago. Taylor..." She tried not to grumble too much. "Not sure if 'know' is the right word, but we're acquainted. You? What got you down here?"