Disorder and Disarray

"Dude, fuck that!" Johnny said and threw up his hands. He didn't even react to the shove. He didn't want to fight with Taylor, but he was a little surprised at the things she had been saying.

"I ain't no fuckin bunny! What the hell, man. I didn't get DQ'd. I've been fightin these bitches for a long ass fuckin time! Fuckin clean as shit, too, so fuck that, man! Fang beat me once and I LET her pick the match, just so I could fight a fucking guy that's probably gonna murder me ALL BY HIMSELF, without thirty other fuckin people jumpin me while I'm tryin!"

Johnny snorted. "This ain't like Kelly where she's too much of a pussy to fight you clean cause she knows she can't beat you. In a straight fight, in the ring, I probably don't have a shot."

Johnny's tone began to change. From heated, to something else. As if he had just now began to understand the futility of his mission. "I'm scared, Taylor-chan. And the only thing keeping me going is knowing that if I can survive one more round of King's bitches and somehow pull out a victory, that maybe, JUST FUCKIN MAYBE, I might get on crack at King in a way that no one else could and show everyone else that he's not an unstoppable monster. That he's just some sick freak..."

Taylor stood defiant, her shoulders back and hands unconsciously clenched in tight fists. Several times she was ready to jump in and fire back at her husband, but each time he spoke before she could.

She rolled her eyes at the notion that he didn't have a shot, mostly because at the moment she didn't know how else to react. But by the end of it, Taylor's shoulders had slumped, and her face fell. Her defiance melted away, and she pleaded with Johnny.

"Babe, you're losing it. I can't watch you go in there and get..." She drew a breath to try to steady herself, but her chest quivered. "Don't do things you can't take back. Just... Stop. Please, just quit! If wrestling is gonna make you into someone you're not, just walk away and we can still be happy. Fuck King. People have got to figure him out eventually. Shit, I'll take him out! I don't even give a fuck how. I'll fuck him up and send him running back home and we can forget all about him and move on with our lives and be happy!"

Her deep blue eyes welled up with tears, and she put her hands over her nose and mouth and just kept shaking her head.

Johnny was on Taylor instantly, cradling her tightly against him. There was remorse on his face, and he kissed the top of her head. "Babe, I'm sorry..."

Johnny paused. "You fighting King just changes the problem, it doesn't solve it. I've got to fight him, babe. But, he ain't turnin me into shit. Fuck that. I'll always be me, no matter what..."

Johnny sighed and lifted up his hand to clutch Taylor's chin. "I'll figure a way through it. Don't worry, ok?"

Johnny leaned in and kissed Taylor. <Don't worry, Taylor-chan. If I have you, there's nothing anyone can do to me.>

Taylor automatically leaned her forehead against Johnny's shoulder and let the tears silently roll down from her eyes. <If you have me> she said. <If you don't leave me. What you did to Fang scared me more than anything King ever did to you. He can't take you away from me, but...>

She wrapped her arms around his midsection and squeezed him as hard as she could, and didn't let go. In the smallest voice, she said <Don't go.>