So, How Did Cassie-chan Do?

Akashi's head lowered too. She didn't like yelling at Taylor anymore than Taylor liked doing what she did. She sighed when Taylor apologized and watched as Taylor slid behind her. She felt the hands press into her shoulders and she groaned. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against Taylor's chest. "I'm sorry too, imouto-chan." She said. She lifted up one hand and took it in Taylor's and squeezed it tightly.

"I never think about getting hrt." She said softly. "Especially not when it comes to my head. I've been hit with pipes, brass knuckles, everything uunder the sun. Hell, one of my finishers cuts me open more often than not. What's the big deal, really?" Akashi shut her eyes. "What am I supposed to do? I have to keep fighting until I'm the best or until I'm dead. That's how I'm built. If I can't do that, then what good am I? I'm not ready to retire. I'm not ready to even lose a step. I can be better than I was. Tougher, stronger. I know it. I have to be."

Akashi sighed and looked at the staff hovering around. She narrowed her eyes and flicked her wrist. "G-go away!" She said and swatted at them. She then lowered her head and looked into her lap. "I'm not ready to give up my dreams yet, Imouto-chan." She said and clenched her free ffist. "But... we're together now. That's what counts. You're part of my dreams too, Imouto-chan." Akashi shut her eyes.

"If I did have to hang up my mawashi early... at least I have a family to come home to." She said as she tried to keep herself from crying. She kept the hot tears sealed up. "Like you... and Cassie-chan." Akashi leaned back against Taylor again. The massage felt wonderful. "Oh..." She groaned and then her eyes widened. She sat up and turned her head. "Oh! How did Cassie-chan do!? She won, right!? Please tell me she's still with us, Taylor-chan!"

Taylor swiftly smacked Akashi's hand when she waved the medics away. The AFW medical staff, the ones she knew and the ones she didn't, were all near to her heart. "Be nice."

It broke her heart to hear the pain in Akashi's voice. Maybe on some level, Akashi knew that she wasn't what she used to be. She was certainly not where she used to be. Taylor knew all about the agony of self-doubt, but she'd never been champ. Not the champ, anyway. To be on top like Akashi was, the golden one, the poster-girl for AFW and the biggest star the company had ever had, and then to go out losing to a history teacher and a pair of retarded rabbits... She wished there was something she could say that-

Cassie again. Taylor drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She felt a knot in her throat, wondering if Akashi really had a severe head injury. Maybe she should get an MRI or something.

"Yes. You were there." She went back to rubbing her shoulders.

"So, like, I'm not one of those 'everything happens for a reason people'. I don't think that my dad left so that I could grow up to be a crazy bitch with daddy issues and shit. But I do think that you can make something good out of all the bad stuff that happens. Some of it you have to dig deeper than others, and it doesn't stop things from hurting, but sometimes pain just shows you how to get better.

"It's like I told my girls back when. When, not if, you get knocked down, you always, always, always get back up. Staying down is death. You condition yourself to get back up until your body does it whether it wants to or not. I... didn't do it once, and look how much it cost me." She laughed ironically. "I'm gonna be Alfred for a second. Ya know. Why..." She waved her hand in the air like Akashi should just be able to pick up on the quote. "So we can learn to pick ourselves up!"

She slid around Akashi to sit on the edge of the cot next to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't think about when you're going to give up on your dreams. Just think about what they are now, 'cause, ya know, maybe they're different. You're different. I'm different, and I've got new dreams. You've got to think about what they are, and then what you need to do to get them, like you did before." She leaned forward and looked over to see Akashi's eyes. "Nothing's over. Nothing is ending. You can do whatever you want."

She straightened up. "And if you really want to be the best, then get fucked. I'm the best."

Akashi sighed and listened to Taylor's words. They were a little hazy but she was glad to hear them, even if it was stuff she mostly knew. When Taylor slid next to her and looked her in the eyes, Akashi stared at her. She felt like she was looking through glass but after it was finished, she pushed Taylor away and stood up. She pounded her fist into her palm. "No way!" She said. "I'm the best. A win or a loss doesn't make a career, it's what you string together! I'm still ahead of the game and people still shiver when they look across the ring and see they have to face me!"

She took a step forward. She felt wobbly but she ignored it. "One belt wasn't enough! I'm not going to be satisfied until they build a fucking statue of me in the damn lobby!" She said and stared at Taylor. "So, keep that in mind!"

Akashi sat back down and touched her head. "Well, maybe they can put one of you next to me since you're going to be one half of the best tag team ever. And, I know you're going to win a title too, Taylor-chan." Akashi said grinning as she held up her head. "You have to win one, so I can take it from you." She said, puffing out her chest proudly.

Taylor smiled and shook her head. "A career doesn't make you the best."

She couldn't help but grin when Akashi got up, and some of her fire was rekindled. She and Akashi were very much alike. They both felt things very strongly, and weren't afraid to hide it, Taylor more than Akashi, given Akashi's Japanesey-ness. Low moments were swiftly followed by high ones, and nothing could ever really keep them down for long. That was what made them special. They never let anything stop them, never admitted defeat.

"Easy, Donkey Kong..." Taylor said. "There's not enough bronze in the world to make a statue of your giant ass." She laughed. "And yeah, I'll win the title. And after you try to take it and I beat your ass, I'll sit right next to you on this cot and say 'Why do we fall?'"

She giggled, and hopped up to stand in front of Akashi. She jabbed her finger into her chest. "You need to take care of yourself. You don't have enough brain cells to go losing them all over the place, and you've got to be one hundred percent if you want to keep up with me. By the way, I want you to come train with me at my house in Hamamatsu. I think it'd be good. You can stay in the guest room if you don't want to spend half your life on the train."

"My ass is awesome.' Akashi stated matter-of-factly. She then furrowed her brow and pushed away Taylor's hand. "I take care of myself. And i have plenty of brain cells!" She said. "I'm always ready!" She added and pumped her fist. She then turned her head. "That could be fun. I haven't been down there yet. I want to see what it's like. If Cassie's not going to be around, then my place is going to get really lonely again." Akashi sighed. She liked having people over. She loved it that Cassie was staying with her and even if she did win her match, she still wondered if Cassie would want to move out. Akashi always felt like Cassie was always ready with one foot out the door. She didn't know why she was so paranoid. The next time she forgot to put some clothes on when she trudged through the house. Or if she teased Cassie and she took it the wrong way, then she'd be gone in an instant.

Akashi threw herself Forward and suddenly hugged Taylor tightly. Tighter than she probably should of like Taylor might also leave. Maybe she was already gone too. Akashi squeezed harder. "I really need to lay down and get some rest." She said in the tight hug.

"Fuck you, not right now! And Cassie's..." Oh, forget it.

She hugged Akashi back as tightly as she could, like she was trying to crush the sumo's ribs the way she usually crushed Taylor's. "Yeah," she said. "That sounds like a good idea. You lay down, I'm going to talk to this guy..."

She pried herself out of the hug and went to talk to the nurse that had been attending Akashi. She explained about her apparent memory loss and tried to resist the urge to tell them what to do. She stood so that she could keep an eye on Akashi while she spoke, and when she returned, she hopped up onto the empty cot next to her friend.

"Okay, so I don't think you're going to the hospital, at least not yet. I'd be a lot happier if you got an MRI and a CT scan and stuff, but you're still definitely staying here. I'll stay with you, I'll just tell Johnny."

After her high profile match at Avalanche, all Taylor wanted to do was go home with Johnny and lay with him on the couch and watch TV, wrap herself around him, let him massage away her aches and pains. And then, of course, sex. Always sex.

But she knew she was needed where she was, and Johnny would still be there tomorrow. She couldn't leave Akashi in her current state, and if she was left alone she was fucking stupid enough to try to force her way out and go home tonight, and probably end up with brain damage and Taylor would be stuck wheeling her around in a chair for the rest of her life. Not gonna happen. Taylor got comfortable on the cot and dialed Johnny's number.

"Did you see my match?" She asked while it rang. "What'd you think? I did alright, I guess."

Akashi laid down on the cot and closed her eyes. She listened to Taylor and the staff have a conversation and pressed her palm against her head. She felt angry for not being able to endure. It made her feel weak and useless. She didn't even care that most other wrestlers would probably black out after one or two shots, let alone three.

She turned her head and opened her eye when Taylor came back and sat nearby. "I don't want those things." She said petulantly. "I just want to go home, drink some tea and sleep. And then not have a headache so I can think of how I'm going to kick that stupid sensei's ass. And those Bunnies too! I'm way stronger than that big one. I know that. She knows that." She growled mostly to herself.


Akashi sighed and lifted up her head to look at Taylor. She smiled weakly. "I did." She said. "You were great... I think." Akashi frowned. "I... I really can't remember much of it. I'm sorry. I promised I watched it, though, Taylor-chan. And, I'll watch it again so i can be proud of you all over again." She said as her eyes widened and she smiled hopefully.

Johnny was across the facility in the employee's lounge. A nice place where the wrestlers who were not involved in matches could gather and comfortably spectate. Johnny didn't want to watch the matches from the stands and up until Taylor's match was finished, he knew she would be dead tot he world. So, for now, he was just chilling. After the last match, Taylor had rushed off. He decided to stay put just to make things easier.

When his phone rang, Johnny picked it up. "Yo, babe." He said, knowing that things could be bad or extra bad. "How's it goin? Everything cool?"

"Hey, um..." Taylor lowered her voice, not that it did any good. "No. I'm gonna stay with Akashi tonight. She's got a pretty bad concussion and I just need to be here. Sorry, babe."

She flopped on her back and stretched out on the cot next to Akashi's and sighed whimsically. "Sometimes I think I just can't wait until we're all retired. And we can all get together and tell stories about when we used to do this for a living. How great would that be?" She closed her eyes, and her voice dropped even quieter. "This was a really hard night for me, Bug. Tomorrow I want to spend the whole day with you. Maybe we can explore the city some more."

Johnny frowned at Taylor's words. Not because he wanted her to stay with him, of course he did. But things didn't sound so good on her end. "OK, babe. That sucks man, but it's cool. Everything will be nice and cozy for you when you get home. I'll stop by before I head out."

Johnny sighed. "Love ya, babe. Take care of your gals and I'll take care of you tomorrow." He said. "See ya in a bit. Want me to bring you some food?"

Taylor's eyes lit up. "Oh my gawd, yes! I don't even care what, just lots of it, I'm staving. Akashi, are you..." She looked over at the sumo, but realized quickly how stupid a question it was. "Yeah, bring food. I should see if Cassie wants to come make it a girls' night in at the infirmary."

She slid off the cot and strolled over to Akashi's. "Okay, see you in a bit. Love you, bye."

She hung up, and then swatted Akashi hard in the gut with her palm. "Johnny's gonna bring food," she grinned. "Should I see if Cassie wants to hang out too? Are you up for it, or do you just want to sleep? We've got to wake you up, ya know, and ask you questions and shit."