When Tempers Collide

Alaina closed her eyes and was silent for a few moments.  Just at the simple mention of her dad a flood of memories poured into her mind, pulling her every which way.  Her being a chubby kid when she was very young, crying to him because no matter what he knew just what to do to make her feel better.  Going to prom and calling in the middle of the after party because her date ended up being a jerk.... his diagnosis...... her graduation from nursing school....

"He's doing as good as he can.  Like, right after I was born he found out that he had MS, but it hasn't really manifest itself until a few years ago.  He's stuck in a wheelchair now and always tells me that everything is going fine.  A few weeks ago mom said otherwise.  He's getting bad."  Alaina just stared straight ahead, wiping her eyes once more albeit much more quickly this time.  "Its dumb, but I really wanted him to go down the aisle with me when I get married.  This time last year I was sure he'd be able to but after M...."  Alaina caught herself.  Her ex was also her trainers brother-in-law, and another trainers son.  Alaina used to be furious with him, but over time came to have a begrudging understanding of his choice... even if she did feel tossed aside in the end.  She met another guy who she was hitting it off nicely with, and her breakup was old news that didn't factor into much of anything.  Still, she didn't want to bring it up because of the inevitable awkwardness.  "Its just that I don't think he'll be around when I get married, if I ever get married."  Alaina said with a sigh, and a slight quaking to her voice.  She kept quiet again, trying to collect herself with mixed results.

Taylor couldn't help but start to tear up herself just listening to Alaina. The words were simple, but she understood the weight they carried. She couldn't imagine losing a father who had been an active part of her life, a good father. Taylor's own had died two years before, from cancer, just before she won the Entropy title.

In a weird way, she found herself slightly jealous of Alaina.

"I guess... Since Bear's gone, this is my job now."

She wrapped her arms around Alaina from beside her and held her in a tight hug. "Don't worry about Mamouru. It's okay," she said, having to choke back tears again. "And... That... Really sucks. Sorry, I don't know a better way to put it, but I understand. It sucks."

She drew a breath to get her composure, but didn't let go of Alaina. She leaned her head against the amazon's shoulder. "Tell me about him," she said, like she was asking for a bed time story.

Alaina choked backer own tears as she felt Taylor's arms wrap around her. She did the same, squeezing Taylor tight. As Taylor's head rest on her shoulder Alaina took a second to collect herself before trying to talk about her dad again.

"Dad just had a way of making everything all right. Like, no matter what happened to me, or what sort of screw up I made, he was always there for me. He was a quiet, round guy and had job as an accountant. He actually sorta looks like Santa." Alaina felt herself choking up and had to pause again. Why as it so tough to even just talk about him? Was it because she took him for granted, and she was just realizing he wasn't going to be around forever? That might have been it.

After a moment, she continued. "Being an athlete was what I was always happiest doing, but knowing what he had is why I went into nursing. I wanted to help people and I liked it, but wasn't truly happy. He saw that I think. My mom went berserk when I told her I wanted to be a wrestler, but dad just smiled and accepted it. He said he wanted to see me enjoying what I do. Thats what he was always trying to do, put everyone else around him first to make sure they were taken care of before he took care of himself." Alaina stopped again, shaking her head. "I knew this was eventually going to kill him but I never ever believed that he'd actually be gone as dumb as it sounds. He's always just been there, that constant that..."

Alaina couldn't finish, she put her head down and squeezed Taylor even tighter as she began to openly sob.

"Yeah..."

Taylor held Alaina tight while she cried, and gently rocked back and forth. Even while she comforted her, Taylor felt her emotions retreat behind a wall of practiced numbness. Taylor had lost her father unexpectedly, Alaina was probably going to lose hers before too long, but not unexpectedly. Alaina's father was always there. He was involved, he was supportive, he loved other people more than himself. It wasn't that Taylor didn't love Thomas Parker, but he was none of those things.

Maybe Mr Sanders never ditched because the way out didn't have a wheelchair ramp. Which was a horrible thought, and Taylor felt like an ass for even thinking it. Now was not the time to indulge her jealousy.

"It sucks. I'll be okay, but it sucks now, so just let it suck. It'd be way worse if you didn't feel anything at all."

Alaina rocked back and forth with Taylor, glad to have finally told someone about the situation with her dad. "I guess I can take comfort knowing that we know that we love each other. Thanks Taylor. Just... you know, thanks." Alaina said as she regained her composure. She was a nobody when she met Taylor, but Taylor took the time to work with her and get to know her. Taylor could have easily told her off, but she didn't.

"I am going to make a trip back to San Diego, soon. When I go do you want to come with me?" Alaina asked, hoping that Taylor would but not sure she would be able to.

Taylor finally let go of Alaina and hopped up to sit on the counter, leaning with her palms on the edge.

"Yeah, man," she said. "I mean, I've got a lot of stuff right now, ya know, like, winning back the title. But I'll talk to Morg, and if I can move stuff around to go with you I will. I... Man, I miss the States so much. I've only been back once, in almost five years, and that was just for Summer Splash last year when I beat Adrian in Jersey. I went to Manhattan, but I still haven't been back to Staten Island."

She shrugged her shoulders and raked back her damp hair with her fingers. "I dunno."

Alaina missed being home as well. Japan was fun but it wasn't the same as San Diego. "I hear ya. Like, the way Kelly did what she did bugged all of us. I just don't want to see you forget about all the stuff you have outside winning the title from that cheating bitch. I want to say not to let it consume you but I'd feel like a hypocrite. I want gold around my waist too, its what drives people like us day in and day out." Alaina said quietly. She got screwed out of a title herself not too long ago and it ate away at her as well. It was one of the things adding stress to Alaina leading to her boiling point along with Talia and her fathers health.

She would trade it all to have an MS free father in a heartbeat. Still, she did understand why Taylor herself hadn't been her usual self since losing that title. "I guess what I am trying to say is don't let Kelly run how you do things. Just be you, and things will fall into place I promise. You are too good not to come out on top in the end. At least, not until I come for ya to get that Friction title." Alaina said with a playful wink and nudging of Taylor as she stood beside her.

"Yeah, I know..." Taylor nodded, and bowed her head. "Balance, and stuff. I talk about it all the time these days. I'm getting better about it. But I need to be the best there's ever been, man, and that doesn't come cheap."

She strolled over to open the fridge, and bent down to look around inside. "Speaking of balance..." She said, and grabbed a bottle of beer. "I'm not getting off the couch for the rest of the night."

Alaina understood that being the best didn't come cheap. Thats what she wanted to be! Problem is, she had a long ways to go....at least, longer than she would have liked to see.

Alaina did chuckle a bit at Taylor as she sat on the couch with a beer. "Haha, thats the way to do it!" Alaina said as she moved towards the doorway. She figured Taylor wanted to rest up, and Alaina talking all night might not have been her idea of rest. Alaina was just happy to part ways peacefully with Taylor, a bit surprising given the events of earlier in the day. "I'm really glad we got to have this talk Taylor, I mean that. For all you guys have done you mean the world to me ya know?"

Taylor plunked down on the couch and gave Alaina a tired smile. "Yeah, man. That's the whole idea with the dojo. We picked you because we knew you were worth the time... Not that anyone isn't worth the time, I don't mean it like that. But we just... We're glad to have you."

She held her beer in one hand and closed her eyes as she slowly laid down across the couch, but the moment her head hit the pillow at the end it sprung off like it had landed on a trampoline.

"The fish!" She exclaimed. Meaning the taiyaki.

She sprung up off the couch and hurried back into the kitchen to check the griddle. <Kaasan! Sorry! Did I ruin the taiyaki?> She called out in her accented but ever-improving Japanese.