Dark Legacy: 3 (Conclusion)

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Off Camera
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Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt Logan are walking into the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, the building that will play host for Taking Hold of the Flame. The British Bombshell is dressed in a pink sun dress with a hemline that stops just above the knee and strappy sandals. Her long blonde hair hangs straight to just past the shoulders. Her husband Kurt, dressed in denim jeans and a button up shirt, seems to be doing most of the work at this point as he is carrying his wife’s bags for her, bags that contain her ring gear for the evening.

“You know, I love you babe, but days like this remind me that I married a verifiable Wonder Woman.”

“Really?” Glory says with a sly smirk on her face. “Well I may have an accent but I don’t have a lasso, shield, sword, or…”

“You know what I mean.” Kurt says with a chuckle, interrupting her. Glory laughs and nods her head.

“Yeah, yeah, but you love it.”

“Of course I do. Speaking of Wonder Woman, though, you could have cosplayed as Wonder Woman out there tonight instead of the same old boring outfit you always choose.”

“Boring? Kurt, I love my purple outfit!”

“You love anything purple. That and pink, and this whole pink thing is new.”

“I know but I can’t help it. I was visiting my sister and she had this absolutely stunning pink outfit she wanted me to try on. Turns out the color actually does suit me! It looked so good that I wanted some ring gear with that color.”

“Why not that new one tonight instead of the purple?”

“Purple is my favorite color. Lucky color. When I’m in a big match scenario, I have to go with purple.”

“Whatever you say, babe.”

Glory chuckles lightly. “You don’t mind playing into my crazy quirks, do you?”

“Your crazy quirks are fine, Glory. I wouldn’t trade them or any of this for the world, babe.” He walks over and kisses her on the cheek right as they enter the Enterprise Center. As they continue their walk Glory holds out her arms offering to take some of the bags.

“I’ll take one of those to help you out, love.”

“No, babe. I got this.”

“Suit yourself. Don’t say Wonder Woman didn’t offer.” Braddock continues to lead the way through the halls of the Enterprise Center. But then a few moments later she spots a familiar figure off in the distance. She stops dead in her tracks, as does Kurt. He is notably concerned by the sudden stoppage.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you say that guy?” She points at the person up ahead. Kurt looks and sighs. He nods his head.

“Yeah....”

“Is that who I think it is?”

“Henry Van Stanton?”

“Yes, I was afraid so. I suppose I should go talk to him. I doubt he came here to see Taking Hold of the Flame. He’s probably here to see me and he probably has an agenda.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Kurt offers. Braddock shakes her head.

“No thanks, love. I can do this myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I know I can handle this wanker.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Kurt says sternly. “You have a temper, Glory. And you don’t trust him, you don’t like him; you have admitted as much yourself. But his son is dating Melinda. Aren’t you afraid you will lose your cool?”

Even The British Bombshell has to admit that Kurt speaks the truth. The blonde sighs and shakes her head, firmly resolved not to let that happen. “I promise I will keep control of myself.”

“Alright, I’ll go find the dressing room. You speak with Henry and find out what he wants.” Kurt kisses his wife and then goes his separate way. Braddock then slowly and cautiously approaches a man she has had several bad memories of, a man who she has had a brutal feud with, a man whose son is dating her daughter. Braddock gets closer to Van Stanton and then he turns and faces her with a wry grin of his own on his face. Once The British Bombshell gets face to face with Henry she stops and folds her arms over her chest.

“What do you want?”

“Nice to see you too, Gloria.”

“You know, nights like tonight require me to be focused. I cannot be distracted by anything. And you? You are just a distraction.”

“You are competing tonight, I know. I could be here just to watch? I could be here to watch this great event in person.”

“And I could sprout wings and fly off. Cut the crap, Henry, and let’s take care of whatever business you have with me tonight, because I cannot imagine you being here for any other reason.”

Henry chuckles. “You claim you learned humility from Aphrodite Noel and yet that right there is one of the more arrogant statements you have made in recent months. You alone are the single solitary reason I am here tonight? I once was a wrestling manager, perhaps I am getting back into that? I am a trained wrestler, so maybe I am a secret entrant into this battle royal?”

“Ok, fine, you’re right. There are other reasons that you could be here. So tell me, what brings you here to St. Louis, specifically the Enterprise Center where I am about to wrestle? Hmmm?”

Braddock stares coldly at Henry who stares right back with a stoic gaze. Finally he shrugs his shoulders. “I’m here to see you.”

“I knew it!”

“Calm down for a moment, will you? Geez, you won’t let a guy get a word in edgewise when you lose your temper like that.”

“I am not angry!”

“Oh yes you are.” Henry points to her face. “Your face is all beet red.”

“Fine! I am angry! But it is because you are here annoying me! Taunting me! You’re…”

“I am not here to annoy or taunt you, I assure you. Will you calm down long enough so that I can explain why I am here?”

Braddock takes in a deep breath so as to calm herself down. She lets it out and nods her head. “Right, talk…”

“Thank you. Honestly, I do want to talk to you and that is why I am here but you competing tonight gives me an excuse to see a wrestling event. I miss the wrestling business, you know? I haven’t been involved in wrestling in any shape, form, or fashion since May of 2019 when you beat my ass and kicked me out of your company.”

Braddock smirks as she remembers that date rather fondly. “You had managed to convince the Board of Directors to remove me from power and install you. I had to beat you in a match to win the power back and not only did I beat you but I choked you out. It was the last time I ever saw you.”

“Until now.”

Braddock sighs and nods her head. “Right; until now. So if you missed wrestling so damn much what have you been doing the past two years?” Braddock already knows, from her daughter Melinda, that Henry has been overseas in England. She is curious, maybe even a bit nosy, about what he is up to and hopes he will go into some details.

“Most of the last two years was spent just me, my wife, and my son spending quality time together. I needed their help to restore faith in myself. What you did to me two years ago made me question myself.”

“Good. You deserved it.” Braddock snarls. “And your brother, he is going to have a hard time finding work anywhere in wrestling again because I am going to do my best to keep him blackballed from any company with whom I have ties.”

“Mason probably deserves that. Quite honestly, what he did to you was out malice and spite. What he did to you was simply a power grab, plain and nothing more. He didn’t care about what was good for the business.”

“Oh and you did? You stole my company from me! It was a hostile takeover!”

“Maybe it was but try and understand that I was only thinking about the best interests of the business. You were acting increasingly out of character from the Glory Braddock I once knew. I didn’t think you could be trusted. I did what I felt was right.”

“Bullshit! I don’t buy that line of crap for one second and you want to know why? Your father ended my father’s wrestling career with a back injury. Then you and your brother stole my company from me. After I got my company back your brother continued to torment my sister and continued to ruin her life. I don’t believe what you said because you are a Van Stanton! It is in your blood that you want to destroy my family! Do yourself a favor, Van Stanton, and stay the hell out of my life!”

Henry shakes his head. “You and I both know that I cannot do that. I believe it is time that we addressed the elephant in the room.”

Braddock remains quiet for a moment but doesn’t break her intense glare at Henry. She knows what he is referring to; he is referring to the fact that his son Archie is dating her daughter Melinda. The children of these two feuding families dating is right out of the Romeo and Juliet playbook. But Glory finds no entertainment value in this situation at all.

“Melinda is my daughter…”

“And Archie is my son. You clearly don’t trust me, does that distrust and disdain extend to him as well simply because his last name is Van Stanton?”

“Do I trust a kid who was raised by the man who stole my company? Do I trust a kid who is a part of the family that has made my life a living hell for most of my professional career? No, I do not trust him.”

“Look, Glory, my son loves your daughter and from the looks of things your daughter feels the same way about my son. There is little we can do about that. So I am here to attempt to bury the hatchet with you before this situation gets too out of hand. You do recall how Romeo and Juliet ended, don’t you?”

Braddock rolls her eyes. “You’re always so bloody dramatic.”

“I’m just suggesting we make amends. I’m suggesting we try to make this work. Do you have any better suggestions?”

“You already heard my suggestion and it remains the same; stay the hell out of my life. I can handle this myself. I can handle Melinda, you handle your son, and we don’t have to deal with each other. Quite frankly I think that’s the best option considering I can never and will never trust a Van Stanton.”

Henry Van Stanton had been maintaining his composure and keeping his cool, which is better than Glory Braddock can say. But when this statement is made Henry immediately starts growing more frustrated and it begins to show.

“I cannot believe how a woman as bright and intelligent as you would hold a grudge for so long!”

“Yes, you’re right, all you did was convince the Board of Directors of my company that I was too crazy to be left in charge and to give you run of the company. I should just forget you did that.” The sarcasm is dripping from Glory’s voice.

“Hey, maybe I was wrong, maybe I misread the situation, but I had the best of intentions! And besides, I’m not talking about that one event! You hold this grudge back to our own fathers! You’re still pissed that my dad ended your dad’s wrestling career! Well guess what, Glory...IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! ACCIDENTS HAPPEN IN THIS SPORT! GET OVER IT!”

Glory rears back and slaps the taste out of Henry’s mouth. “How dare you!”

“I’m just still amazed that you hold this grudge yet your own daughter is willing to forget it and move on and your own sister is willing to forget it and move on!” He points a finger at Glory. “You are the only member of your family still holding onto this hate!”

Braddock furrows her brow out of curiosity. “Wait...my sister?!”

“Yes, your sister. Surely you know that Chastity and I are working closely together on a project that she calls…”

“The Julia Foundation.” Glory says, nodding her head. “Yeah, she told me all about it. But she never mentioned your involvement.”

“I am just handling the legal and corporate side of things that she isn’t as knowledgeable about.”

“But Aphrodite taught me everything I know about business. I could have helped Chastity…”

“She knows but she wants this to be her thing. She knows that you wouldn’t intentionally try to steal the spotlight but your involvement would have put the spotlight on you. She wants this foundation to be her brainchild, her gift to society. We started working together a few months ago and that’s when and why I moved the family to England; so that I could be closer to Chastity, that way I can more easily help her.”

“That’s how Melinda got involved with Archie again.”

Henry sighs and nods his head. “Yes. Melinda was staying with your sister most of the time. Then one evening when I had my wife and son over to have dinner with Chastity, well, Melinda was there. And the two kids rekindled their relationship.”

Glory is stunned into silence after hearing the news of how Melinda and Archie got back together. She had no idea that her own sister Chastity was inadvertently behind it. She had no idea Chastity was also working with Henry Van Stanton. Apparently Henry is right, Glory really is the only one who still refuses to let go of this deep rooted family feud. The British Bombshell isn’t quite sure what to say but luckily she doesn’t have to come up with any words, as she is “rescued” by the arrival of her husband, Kurt Logan.

“I found the dressing room, Glory.” Kurt says looking at his wife. He then looks up at Henry, much more cautiously. “Henry.”

“Good evening, Kurt. Are you doing well?”

“Yes, yes I am.” Kurt answers. He looks down at Glory. “But Glory and I should probably leave. You know she has her match tonight.”

“Yes, I do. And I hope I haven’t been too much of a problem tonight. I only want what is best for both of our children. I hope you understand that.”

“I do.” Kurt says as he takes Glory by her arm and starts walking away. Henry then calls back to them.

“Glory…”

They stop and turn to face Henry.

“...think about what I said, ok?”

“Yeah.” Glory says simply with a nod of her head. Then she takes Kurt by the arm and lets him lead her back down the hall away from Henry.

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Off Camera
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Glory still finds herself distracted by private issues; specifically those involving her daughter, Melinda Braddock.

Melinda has been spending much of her time in Glory’s native home of London, England training at the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School, honing her skills in preparation for her own wrestling career. The British Bombshell was as proud as you can expect any mother could be, and she was grinning from ear to ear as she got to personally graduate her daughter from the school. But her pride quickly dissipated when Glory learned that Melinda had used her time in London to reignite her romantic relationship with Archie Van Stanton. Archie is the son of Henry Van Stanton and a member of the same Van Stanton family with whom the Glory and the Braddock family have been feuding with for a very long time. Glory and Henry mark the second generation of this bitter feud, a feud that began when Henry’s father Thomas Van Stanton ended the career of Glory’s father Glenn Braddock in a wrestling match.

Braddock has her own trust issues regarding the Van Stantons. Henry has been known to be deceitful if it serves his purposes, Henry’s brother Mason is a known con artist and scum of the earth rotten to the core individual, and she has no reason to doubt Archie would be any different. But Glory’s husband, Kurt Logan, seems insistent that she give Archie a chance. The night of Taking Hold of the Flame Glory was surprisingly approached by Henry himself who seemed willing to try and bury the hatchet for their children’s sake. But can she just ignore history? Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and Glory does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past, especially when it concerns the Van Stanton family.

Melinda has since returned to London in order to continue her wrestling career which is still in its infancy. Glory Braddock travels to London when she can so that she can watch her daughter and encourage her career, but also keep up with what she is doing with Archie. This evening Glory Braddock finds herself in the company of Melinda, Archie, and Glory’s sister Chastity. They are in the living room of the Braddock family home where Glory and Chastity both spent their childhood.

The British Bombshell does her best to hide how uncomfortable it makes her feel to see Archie seated so close to Melinda on the sofa with an arm around her shoulder. Glory sits perpendicular to them on a comfy chair. Chastity has managed to get the third remaining seat on the sofa, perhaps keeping Melinda and Archie away from the bothersome Glory Braddock.

Glory and Chastity each have glasses of wine in their hands, as does Archie. Melinda, though, just as a glass of water. Chastity, seated on the side of the sofa closest to her sister Glory, reaches for the wine bottle and offers Glory a refill, Braddock nods her head and Chastity fills it to the top. Glory is grateful for the wine. She is doing her best to keep her nerves settled and this wine helps. She does want to give Archie a chance, if only for Melinda’s sake, but this is very difficult.

“Are you sure you don’t any wine, Mel?” Chastity asks. Melinda shakes her head.

“No thanks, Aunt Chastity. Technically I’m of legal age here in London but I don’t think mom would approve.” Melinda winks knowingly at Glory. “Besides, I have a match tomorrow and I don’t want any alcohol to be clouding my judgment.”

“Funny, that’s the kind of thing your grandfather would have said and done before matches.” Chastity says as she turns the bottle towards Archie. “More wine?”

“Yes, thank you, Ms. Braddock.”

Glory watches as Chastity pours Archie some more wine. Glory must admit that Archie has been quite the gentleman throughout this entire ordeal. Every single time she has been in Archie’s presence she expects him to do something wrong, to screw up, or at the very least disrespect her or her daughter. Yet Archie is the perfect, loving, and caring boyfriend every single time towards Melinda. The British Bombshell should be thrilled that Archie is proving her wrong. Yet somewhere deep down inside she is disappointed.

“Where is your match going to be?” Glory asks.

“London. It’s a small venue but hey, I’m still a rookie, I can’t expect packed stadiums like Wembley right here in London or Madison Square Garden in New York City right away. I have to work up to that. I have to pay my dues.”

“That’s the best mindset to have, love.” Glory says. That sense of pride returns to her face as she smiles at her daughter. “You can’t expect instant success. You can never ever expect instant gratification in this business because it almost never happens.”

“If I recall, you did have instant gratification.” Chastity chimes in with a look of mischief on her face. “You were never an amateur like dad, you never worked any independent circuits like dad; dad used his pull to get you a debut in a major wrestling promotion. And you won a championship your first night.”

Glory rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but that’s only part of the story. I had no idea how cutthroat this business could be and as a result of my inexperience I lost that championship that very same night. In fact, I get betrayed many times early on in my career because I didn’t have the kind of experience dad had from the independent circuits.” She turns her attention back towards Melinda. “Your aunt is right, I may have had a shortcut in the infancy of my career but it did more harm than good. You are definitely going about this the right way, Mel. Do not make the same mistakes I made.”

“Oh c’mon, mom, you are a fifteen time former world champion. You couldn’t have made that many mistakes!” Melinda says with a hearty laugh. Glory is insistent and shakes her head.

“I mean it, Mel. There are many things I wish I could take back, many things I wish I could do over, but I can’t. What I did do was learn from my mistakes. Never forget the past, Mel, because if you ever do then you are doomed to relive and make those same mistakes again.”

“Now you’re stealing Sophie’s thunder.”

“Huh?”

“Sophie O’Brian, your friend and one of my trainers at the school. That was one of her lessons.”

Braddock nods her head. “Ah, well it was a good lesson then wasn’t it?”

“It was; everything I learned at grandpa’s wrestling school was so valuable to me. What I learned from Sophie and from Randall [Williams] has helped me immensely, but most importantly I learned to have a deep respect for the sport and its history. I will not forget what happened in the past, mom.”

“Good.”

“Now, with that being said,” Melinda finishes the last of her water and then sets her glass to the side “I think I would like to go to bed.”

“Already? It’s still young yet.” Chastity argues. Melinda nods her head.

“I know but I need the rest. I have a match tomorrow, remember?”

“Good point.” Glory says as she stands up. “I’ll go bring the car aro…”

“Uh, actually, I was planning to stay the night with Archie and his dad.”

Glory Braddock is in total silence. She isn’t quite sure what to say. The silence is awkward and unpleasant but Chastity breaks the silence quickly and immediately. “Uh, yeah, that’s fine. Right, Glory?”

“Uh…” there is another pause from The British Bombshell, but she looks at her sister’s fierce gaze and decides an open and public argument with Chastity isn’t worth it “...yeah, of course.”

“Awesome. Thanks, mom!” Melinda embrace Glory in a tight hug. Archie finishes the rest of his wine and then holds his hand towards Glory.

“Thank you, Ms. Braddock.” Archie says, holding out his hand for a handshake. Glory, not wanting to be totally rude, reluctantly accepts the handshake. Archie then turns and walks with Melinda out of the living room. As soon as Glory can hear the door open and then shut again, signifying that the two love birds have left for the evening, she sighs and sits back down, this time on the sofa where Melinda and Archie just were.

“So you really don’t like Archie do you?” Chastity asks, sitting down next to her sister. Glory sighs deeply.

“Was I that obvious?”

“You didn’t do a good job of hiding it.”

“Well I did my best, damn it!” Glory exclaims angrily. “I even allowed him inside our family home!”

“Technically its MY home now and I could have overruled you.”

“Yes but you’re missing my point. This is the place where we grew up, where our father grew up, and that boy’s grandfather is the same man who ended our father’s wrestling career. Yet I allowed him inside this home without any word of protest.”

Chastity nods her head. “Yes, I admit that you are making progress. But it is definitely clear to me and I’m sure Melinda that you are very reluctantly allowing their relationship to continue. As a matter of fact, you probably wouldn’t allow it to happen if you had your way. The only reason you have been acting so polite is because you know that you cannot stop them. Melinda will be twenty one this year, Archie is twenty three, and you cannot stop them from doing whatever they want to do.”

“I just worry about my daughter, that’s all. Is that so wrong of me?”

“Not at all. But you don’t have to be so controlling and overprotective of her. You know?”

“Bullocks. I don’t want to control Melinda.”

“Yes you do, mate.” Chastity says, nodding her head. “I can see it in your eyes, I hear it in your words, I see it in your actions. You want to control her, much like how ‘Mother’ tried to control us.”

“Aphrodite?” Glory scoffs and shakes her head. “No, no way! You are delusional!”

Chastity pauses to think for a moment. A smirk forms upon her face before she sips her wine. “Actually, you’re right. You are controlling but not like ‘Mother’. You are far more subtle about it. You are like our dad.”

“Bullshit!”

“No, I’m being serious! Think about it, love, before mum left we wanted to follow in his footsteps eventually but not right away. But after he suffered that career ending back injury and mum left him shortly thereafter, what happened?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Glory answers, shaking her head.

“We were pressured into continuing his legacy. He didn’t outright force us to begin training right away but the pressure was there. And we had plans of starting slow, maybe having an amateur career and then doing the independent circuits before trying a major promotion. But dad pushed both of us to debut in major promotions. Like I said, very subtle but still controlling.”

“He just wanted what was best for us.”

“I agree, he was doing what he thought was best, but he was still very controlling. Even dad admitted at the end of his life that he was wrong in trying to control us.” Chastity reaches out and clasps her sister’s hand tightly. “You’re doing things mostly right by allowing Melinda to control her own wrestling future. But you need to let go and trust her judgment when it comes to Archie.”

Glory pulls her hand away and shakes her head. “I’m sorry, mate, but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I gave Melinda free reign for quite awhile to do what she wanted because I did trust her judgment. But then she proved to me that I couldn’t trust her judgment when Clyde Sutter happened. He got into her life, influenced her...beat her...and...and…” Glory can’t finish her statement as tears begin to form in her eyes. Chastity pats her on the back gently but firmly.

“It’s ok, mate.”

“After that happened I swore I would never allow that to happen again. So excuse me for being a little apprehensive about Archie Van Stanton.”

“Forgive me, Glory, but Archie has been a perfect gentleman to Melinda. He has treated her like royalty. He is like the exact opposite of that jackass Sutter.”

“But he is still a Van Stanton.” Glory says in a snarling voice. “His father attempted a hostile takeover of my company, his uncle waged mental and physical war upon both of us. Together Henry and Mason Van Stanton both have tried to destroy this family.”

“So that’s it.” Chastity nods her head. “You are still holding onto that grudge.”

“Maybe I am! But what about you? When were you going to tell me that you suddenly got all buddy-buddy with Henry Van Stanton?”

“What are you talking about, mate?”

“Don’t play dumb, Chastity. I spoke with Henry. He told me all about his involvement with The Julia Foundation.”

Chastity, realizing that her secret is out, sighs with frustration and nods her head. “Yes, Henry is helping me out, but he is a small player at best. He is just helping with the legal and corporate matters.”

“Why did you even bother going to him anyway? Why didn’t you come to me for that? I could have helped and…”

“And what? The Julia Foundation would have just become another part of the great Glory Braddock business empire the same way dad’s school, your wrestling promotion, and cousin Kayla’s modeling agency has all been engulfed by your company. And even if you did keep it separate, your mere involvement with it would have changed the narrative into one all about you. I want this to be my project, Gloria. Not yours. And you want to know what I have learned from working with Henry on this?” Chastity points a finger at her older sister. “For starters he is an idealist, much like you. He has a vision of how things should be and typically that vision is actually quite a good and noble vision, much like yours. And he feels extreme guilt when he realizes that he has made a mistake and that his pursuit of his idealistic dreams have caused harm to others...much like you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Henry regrets it, he regrets everything between you and him that led to the attempted hostile takeover of your company.”

“He should feel regret and guilt. He made the world think I was a lunatic.” Glory growls angrily.

“And he wishes he could undo it all but he knows all he can do is attempt to mend the fence. He also recognizes that his brother Mason is the scum of the earth and will never ever let go of this grudge against our family. That’s why Henry will never work with Mason again.” Chastity points a finger at Glory. “But you, Gloria, you are a lot like Mason in that you too refuse to let go of this grudge against the Van Stanton family. Let me ask you something, sister...did Henry apologize?”

“What?”

“Did he apologize for attempting to take over your company?”

“Yes.”

He told me he was going to apologize if he ever did get the chance to speak to you again. So my question is if he has moved on then why can’t you? Why can’t you let go of this bloody, ridiculous feud?”

Glory shakes her head. “He’s a Van Stanton and…”

“Your problem isn’t with the entire Van Stanton family. What Thomas did to our father in the ring was an accident. Thomas didn’t go there planning and plotting on how to end his career. Henry did try to take over your company but you must admit it was not out of contempt or hatred but only because he was concerned about you and your judgment. He recognizes he was wrong back then and has tried to apologize and make amends. The only piece of shit that family has ever produced is Mason. So why can’t we just agree that Mason is scum and try to get along with Henry?”

“I...I just…” Glory shakes her head “...I want to, Chastity. It’s just difficult. But I am trying, damn it!”

“I know you are, but you need to try harder. You know why? Because Melinda loves Archie and there is nothing you can do about it. You can learn to live with it and love them. But if you continue down this path you’re going then you are going to push Melinda away. Much like how our dad pushed me away. You remember why I legally changed my name to Chastity Noel, don’t you?”

“Because dad pushed you away.” Glory answers. Chastity nods her head.

“That’s right. Do you want to push Melinda away?”

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Off Camera
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Glory Braddock refuses to let go of a long running feud between her family and the Van Stanton family. This complicates Glory’s relationship with Melinda because Melinda is currently in a serious romantic relationship with Archie Van Stanton, son of Henry Van Stanton. Everyone around Glory, everyone from her sister to Glory’s husband Kurt Logan, have told her that she needs to drop this feud, try to bury the hatchet with the Van Stanton family. But Glory just cannot bring herself to trust them. But the mere fact that holding onto this grudge could permanently drive a wedge between her and her daughter has given Glory pause to reflect. Should she drop it? Should she make peace?

Those are questions for later. For right now she can at least enjoy the company of her daughter and at least pretend everything is ok. But first she needs to find Melinda. The British Bombshell is walking the halls, scanning the backstage area of The Ford Center for her daughter Melinda. Currently she is nowhere in sight.

“Melinda? Mel? Where the hell are you?!” Braddock continues walking in the same direction, scanning the halls for her daughter. Then she feels her cell phone buzzing. Braddock reaches into her pocket and produces her iPhone. The screen indicates a text. She pulls up the text and it is from Melinda. It reads ‘Behind you!’. Braddock spins around and is met immediately by her daughter.

“Boo!” Melinda leaps up and nearly tackles her mother down but Glory manages to stay on her feet. Mother and daughter both share a hearty laugh.

“Bloody hell! Are you trying to give me a heart attack, love?” Glory asks. Melinda is giggling uncontrollably. She shakes her head.

“Nah! Just wanted to surprise ya, that’s all!”

“You damn sure surprised me, love. Scared me half to death, at that. But it’s ok, I could use a good scare every now and then, I suppose.”

“True. And besides, I am helping you!” Melinda proudly declares.

“How do you figure that, love?”

“Simple; I am just a little girl and I managed to get the jump on you. At Rise To Greatness you will have three opponents all at once.” Melinda shakes her head in a mockingly scolding manner. “You will need to do better than that if you want to be champion, mom.”

“Look, that’s a little different situation and you know it. Besides, you’re not exactly a ‘little girl’ any longer, now are you? You have spent a year now, is it? Or more than that training? Which is it?”

“Little more than a year, I think.”

“Yeah, over a year you spent overseas, basically on your own, training to be a wrestler in your grandfather’s own wrestling school.”

“I had Aunt Chastity. I wouldn’t say I was on my own.”

“Don’t be so bloody modest. You did this on your own and you earned it. You are now a wrestler in your right. You have grown up and I can honestly say that I am damn proud of you, Melinda Alexis Braddock.”

There is a tear in Glory’s eye as she says this; there is a tear in Melinda’s eye as well. Mother and daughter meet and embrace in a tight hug. Upon breaking the hug Glory kisses her on her cheek.

“Thanks, mom.” Melinda says, blushing furiously. “And you’re right, I have had to grow up pretty quickly in order to earn this. And having said that, I wanted to show you something.”

Melinda reaches into her pocket and produces a small case, one that typically contains some sort of jewelry. She opens the tiny case and sure enough a diamond ring is inside. Glory’s eyes grow wide as she admires the diamond. Then The British Bombshell takes her eyes off the diamond and looks back at her daughter.

“Beautiful diamond, Mel.”

“I agree. It is gorgeous.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Well you know that Archie and I flew back in from England so that I could travel with you while you wrestled for SCW and MWE. Well that evening after we got back to Miami he gave me the diamond and asked me to marry him.”

“He proposed?” Glory’s eyes grow wide. Melinda nods her head in confirmation.

“Yeah…” her voice trails off. Glory has to pause for a moment to let it sink in. The gravity of the situation is enormous. Glory realizes that she and Melinda have had some tense moments over the Van Stanton family. Glory hates them and yet Melinda is dating one. It was awkward enough that Glory Braddock was refusing to drop this bitter feud when her own daughter was dating a Van Stanton, but now a marriage proposal is on the table? Melinda could become a Van Stanton herself? The British Bombshell isn’t sure how to respond to this news. She asks the one and only question that she can think of, the most obvious question that comes to mind for a moment like this.

“So, uh, what did you say?”

“Look, mom, I am not stupid. I know you have been real supportive of me and you have been real polite around Archie. I appreciate all of that. But I can tell that you still hate Archie’s dad and uncle, you still don’t trust Archie. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure you out, mom, and I knew that agreeing to marry him would drive you nuts. So I didn’t give him an answer. I told him I needed more time to think about it.” Melinda sighs deeply. “Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you first. I wanted to make sure you would be ok with this.”

“I admit that I am surprised you didn’t say yes…”

“Why? You’re my mom and I respect you and love you too much to do something like that.”

“Maybe, but you are also a grown woman now. You can make your own decisions and I can tell how much you love Archie. You do love him, don’t you?”

“I love him more than anything you can imagine, mom.”

Glory Braddock stares into her daughter’s eyes. She can tell just by gazing deep into those eyes that Melinda is being sincere. A low chuckle escapes Glory’s mouth. Melinda furrows her brow out of curiosity. “What is it? What’s funny?”

“When I dated Randall Williams, the man who would become my first husband, my dad hated him. He hated him because he was an American. Your grandfather wanted his daughter to marry someone with English heritage and roots.”

“What happened?”

“Ultimately I told him in so many words that Randall was a good man and that I could have a relationship with anyone I wanted, regardless of if he approved. It took my father a bit to get used to it but he finally came around and grew to accept it. He grew to drop his old prejudices.” Glory smiles down at her daughter Melinda. “Maybe it is time that I dropped my old prejudices?”

“What are you saying, mom? You have no prejudices?”

“I do have them; I don’t like Archie simply because his last name is Van Stanton. How much more prejudiced can you get? And for what? Archie’s grandfather ended your grandfather’s wrestling career. They were both wrestlers and it wasn’t like he was actively trying to give him a career ending injury; it was an accident. The only bad thing Henry did to me was convince my company’s board of directors to take power away from me and give it to him. But his motives were pure, he was legitimately concerned that I was not of sound mind to run the company. How many times have I done terrible things with the best of intentions? I would be a hypocrite for holding that against Henry.”

“What about Archie’s uncle?”

“Mason? Mason IS scum of the earth and there is no redeeming him.” Braddock smirks. “But other than that, I see no reason to continue holding onto this grudge.” Glory reaches out and places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You never needed to ask me for my blessing, but since it means this much to you, you have my blessing to accept Archie’s marriage proposal.”

“Thanks, mom!” Melinda embraces Glory in a tight hug. “You are the best! I love you!”

“I love you too, Mel.”

It feels as if a great weight has been lifted off of Glory’s shoulders. No longer is the cloud of this bitter rivalry weighing her down and filling her mind with doubt and concern. For the first time in a long time, things look bright for Glory Braddock and her family.

==========
Off Camera
==========

Romeo & Juliet, a Shakespearean tragedy about lovers torn apart by a bitter family rivalry, ended with both Romeo and Juliet committing suicide. The infamous story of the Hatfields and McCoy feud also included a trail of bloodshed and dead bodies all over the Kentucky and West Virginia areas of the United States. For a long time it seemed as if Glory Braddock was determined to follow in the path of the Hatfields, the McCoys, the Capulets, and the Montagues in continuing her own bitter rivalry with the Van Stanton family. Despite the fact that her own sister had made peace with them and despite the fact that Glory’s own daughter had began dating Archie Van Stanton, The British Bombshell still seemed to stubbornly refuse to at least attempt to make peace herself and end the feud.

That all came to an end a few days ago when Melinda Braddock dropped a bombshell; Archie Van Stanton had got an engagement ring and proposed to Melinda. The revelation that Archie could become her son in law shook Braddock to her core in a good way. She finally recognized that she needed to make peace with this new reality, she needed to make peace with the Van Stantons, and if she didn’t she risked driving her own daughter away from her. Would it be difficult? Of course, trusting a family who has been at war with you for so long would be difficult for anyone. But Glory is willing to do anything for her daughter and she is willing to do anything to make peace.

Perhaps this story will not end as tragically as the Hatfields and McCoys or that of Romeo and Juliet? It would certainly appear that way, and one would need look no further than this scene on the 18th of July in Miami, Florida. Gathered around the dining room table inside the home of Glory Braddock and Kurt Logan are Glory and Kurt and a few guests; their daughter Melinda Braddock and future son in law Archie Van Stanton, Archie’s parents Henry and Autumn Van Stanton, and even Archie’s uncle Mason Van Stanton.

Yes, the same Mason Van Stanton who has been a thorn in the side of Glory Braddock for years and years is sitting in her dining room, sharing drinks with the rest of the family as they discuss wedding plans for Melinda and Archie. Even Glory herself finds it hard to believe that this is actually happening.

“St. Christopher in Birmingham would be a nice place to host the wedding.” Comes the voice of Glory Braddock. Henry nods his head in agreement.

“It is a beautiful place. Archie, Melinda, and I went to see it while we were overseas working with your sister.”

“But you and Melinda are Catholic now.” Kurt points out.

“I know but the church can shove it. Melinda is the one getting married and I know she has always dreamed of getting married in England, in one of the many churches her grandfather used to attend.”

“The church can shove it, eh?” Kurt chuckles. “You sound like your father.”

“Yeah, well dad would turn over in his grave if he knew his granddaughter would get married anywhere else but in a Church of England parish.”

“Glenn always was a bit overly patriotic, wasn’t he?” Henry says, chiming in. Glory nods her head.

“Yes, I must admit that he was a bit overzealous in his love of his home country. I’m not sure he ever did like my first husband Randall [Williams] but at least he grew to accept it. By the time Kurt came around he mellowed out a little and accepted that not all Americans were jerks.”

“But most are.” Mason says with a smirk. Autumn, henry’s wife, turns and elbows him hard in the rib, causing him to yelp.

“Actually, I don’t think I want to get married in St. Christopher.” Melinda says. This causes everyone’s eyes to turn towards her and Archie. “It is a beautiful place but I have been doing a lot of thinking and a lot has changed since the days of my grandfather and Archie’s grandfather. Granddad for a long time hated America and most Americans got on his nerves, but in his final days he lived with mom here in Miami. He once held such a grudge against Archie’s grandfather, a grudge that continued until just a few days ago. And granddad’s devotion to England was so enormous that it did include his love of the Church of England. But mom and I are both converted Catholics.”

“Like I said, your grandfather would be rolling over in his bloody grave.” Glory says while laughing. Melinda nods her head.

“Maybe, but since all of us have contributed to these major changes in our respective lives, I think we should continue with the changes. I want to get married in St. James.”

“St. James as in the Catholic Parish?”

“Yes.” Melinda answers, nodding her head.

“That would work out for us, we are Catholic already.” Henry states.

“Is that what you want, Mel?” Glory asks.

“Yes, that is what I want.”

“Catholic, not Catholic, doesn’t matter to me. I’m atheist.” Mason says, smirking devilishly. This brings about another swat from Henry’s wife Autumn. “What was that for?!”

“You’re being an asshole.” Autumn says, scolding her brother in law. Mason chuckles.

“No I’m not. I’m just trying to liven up the mood.” He rises up from the table and slowly starts to walk around. “I mean, think about what young Melinda just said, this grudge started not be my father Thomas Van Stanton but by Glory’s stubbornly monstrous father Glenn Braddock is what started this whole so-called feud.”

Mason approaches Glory. Glory stands up and gets nose to nose with him. “Let’s be perfectly clear, Glory, my father never disliked your father. He never held a grudge. Hell, he looked up to him much like most of the other morons who loved Glenn Braddock. He went into a deep depression when he learned that he was the one responsible for ending Glenn’s wrestling career. But Glenn’s anger and resentment caused you and your sister to hate him for it, and in turn hate myself and my brother for no other reason than our last names.”

“Mason, do NOT do this!” Henry starts to approach his younger brother in an attempt to stop him but Mason doesn’t stop.

“Henry didn’t deserve any of the crap he got from you. But me? Yeah, maybe I did deserve it. I deserved it because I looked at what happened to Glenn at the hands of my own father and realized, hell, maybe I can finish the job? Maybe I could derail the entire Braddock legacy. I am no saint, Glory, I do not pretend to be, and we will never ever be on the same page, let alone be friends, but I do agree that the time to put an end to this war is now.” Mason extends a hand out to Glory. “Believe it or not, I am capable of human emotion. And that young man over there, that is my nephew, I do want what is best for him.”

Braddock stares at Mason’s outstretched hand for a long tense moment. Eventually she does accept the handshake. “It’s good to hear you say that, mate. I don’t trust you, I may never trust you, but I do believe you want what’s best for Archie.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Mason says with a smirk on his face. “Now, as an olive branch of sorts could you perhaps lift that ridiculous ban and let me manage again in your promotion?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough.” Mason says as he releases his grip and turns and walks back to his chair. As soon as he sits down Glory turns her attention to the rest of the room and sighs.

“Look, I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to get along with. I have strong convictions, I have a strong moral compass, I know what I think is right and wrong, and I will die for those convictions if I have to. There were times I felt I had to defend my family honor, there were times I felt I had to defend the sport of professional wrestling, but today I realize that what’s most important is my daughter Melinda. I need to swallow my pride and realize that I am not always right, and even if I am right that doesn’t mean Melinda has to go along with whatever I say. She is allowed to create her own path and follow it, even if it isn’t the exact path I would have chosen for her.” She points to Henry, Mason, and Autumn. “I’m sure you three had your own strong feelings the moment you realized that your son was dating a Braddock.”

“I’d be lying if I said that weren’t.” Henry says, nodding his head.

“Today is the day we put our children first. We put our children ahead of ourselves and any of our petty differences. It’s the only fair thing to do.”

“Here, here,” Henry says as he holds up his glass which contains wine “in fact, I offer a toast, to Melinda and Archie, may this engagement and eventual wedding be a glorious one.”

“Agreed.” Glory says as she takes her glass and clinks it with Henry’s and everyone else’s glasses. Everyone drinks up and then that’s when Glory takes her seat. After everyone has had time to sip Kurt is next to speak.

“So what’s next?”

“A lot, quite frankly. Choosing a best man, maid of honor, groomsmen, brides maids, on and on and on, so many choices to make…” Henry says, his voice trailing off.

“But the good news is that we have plenty of time.” Melinda says cheerfully. “St. James won’t do the service for at least another six months. They want time to meet with us for counseling, preparation, and other stuff like that.”

“But what do WE do next?” Kurt asks again, putting an extra emphasis upon the word ‘we’.

“Not much love,” Glory starts “unless…” a wry grin forms on your face.

“I know that look. You have an idea.”

“Always. Since we are celebrating a new beginning how about we take Henry and Autumn out to dinner tonight?”

“What about Mason?” Kurt asks.

“What about him? I don’t like him.”

“Glory!” Kurt exclaims, somewhat surprised. But Henry nods his head in agreement.

“I don’t like him either, and he’s my brother.”

“Besides, he can stay behind with Melinda and Archie.” Glory looks over at Henry. “I want this to be a night for the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom to put an end to a dark chapter in our lives and celebrate a bright new beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”

==========
Off Camera
==========

It is dark in Miami, Florida, late in the evening several hours after the Braddock family met and had a peacemaking of sorts with the Van Stanton family in advance of the future wedding of Melinda Braddock and Archie Van Stanton. The big surprise of it all perhaps was Glory Braddock herself. She is one of the primary players responsible for keeping the Braddock and Van Stanton feud going for so long, all because she refused to let go of the grudge she held against them. But in a symbolic gesture of burying the hatchet, a token goodwill offering if you will, Glory suggested that she and Kurt take Henry Van Stanton and his wife Autumn on a night on the town in Miami. The night went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was almost as if there never had been a feud to begin with.

Kurt is driving and Henry is up front with him. Their wives, Glory and Autumn, are sitting in the back. Big smiles are upon their faces and it isn’t just a simple fact of the enjoyment they had tonight. It is also a sense of relief that all of them are feeling; relief and joy at what the future holds for their children.

“I had heard that you were a good karaoke singer but I didn’t believe it until I saw it tonight.” Henry says. Glory nods her head.

“Yeah well you should see what her karaoke is like when she’s drunk.”

“Hush it, Kurt!” Glory exclaims. Henry and Kurt both laugh and, despite herself, Glory does too.

“You were good, Glory.” Autumn remarks, patting her hand. “And thanks for tonight, this was great.”

“Not a problem, mate. It’s just as I said, this is a celebration. We are celebrating the end to that bloody ridiculous feud that I held onto like the stubborn bitch I am and we are celebrating the bright new beginning that our children, Melinda and Archie, are bringing to us.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Glory. It wasn’t all on your head. My brother admitted that he wanted to hurt you and your family. And me? I didn’t help matters either.”

Braddock reaches out and places her hand on Henry’s shoulder. “No, you didn’t. Did you have good intentions? Yes, I admit that you did. I needed psychiatric help at the time and I wasn’t listening. So when I did get help and I did get better, you had every reason to doubt me.”

“But I should have talked to you about it instead of siding with my brother.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Glory nods her head. “But that’s all water under the bridge. It’s in the past. And you know what? I forgive you for that. Just as my sister has forgiven you. Tonight we focus on the future, alright?”

Henry nods his head. “Right.”

Glory sits back in the seat next to Autumn. The car ride is silent for the next few minutes as they draw closer and closer to Glory and Kurt’s neighborhood in Miami. Eventually the silence is broken, not by anyone from inside the vehicle but from sounds coming from outside. These are sounds of sirens off in the distance. Police sirens to be exact. These sirens immediately raise up alarm bells for the driver, Kurt Logan.

“That’s police I’m hearing, right?”

“I think so.” Henry says, nodding in agreement. “Where are they coming from?”

“I don’t like this.” Glory says, shaking her head. “They’re getting louder the closer we get to the house.”

As the car continues its drive towards Glory and Kurt’s Miami home the police sirens do get louder. Eventually Kurt can see a police car in his rear view mirror coming up with his lights flashing and sirens going loudly. Kurt slows down and pulls over to allow the police car to pass him.

“Where is he going?” Kurt asks.

“It looks like he’s going towards our home.”

Kurt is now beginning to get just as concerned as Glory but he doesn’t show it, he has to be strong and drive. He continues driving down the road towards their home. Henry and Autumn both remain silent, both with looks of concern on their faces. The concern grows as they approach the Braddock home and they can see police cars, ambulances, and other emergency personnel parked out front.

“My God! That’s our home!” Glory exclaims. “Let me out…”

Just wait.” Kurt says.

“Stop and let me out!”

“Wait, damn it!” Kurt exclaims loudly. The car comes to a stop. Glory swings her door open wildly and violently and runs over towards the home. Before she can get there she is stopped by a police officer.

“Ma’am, you can’t come any further.”

“You have to let me in!”

“This is a crime scene, ma’am.”

“I own that home! My daughter is in there!”

“Ma’am, please calm down.”

“Where is my daughter, damn you?!” Glory shouts angrily as she scans the area for any signs of Melinda or even Archie. Eventually she sees the EMS people guiding two stretchers, each with someone on the stretcher, towards the ambulances. Glory’s eyes grow wide with fear as tears begin to flow freely.

“NOOOOO!!!!!”

Glory’s wails can be heard throughout the night. Kurt rushes up behind his wife and grips her tightly in a hug. He dares not let her see his face, or she would see that he too is crying. Henry and Autumn are holding tightly onto one another as well. All four of them are crying. This cannot be happening. On the day that peace was made between the two families, a nightmare has seemingly come to pass. Hell has destroyed the heaven they thought that they had created.

==========
Off Camera
==========

Sunday was supposed to be a glorious, wonderful day in the history of the Braddock family. Glory’s daughter, Melinda, had accepted a marriage proposal from her longtime boyfriend Archie Van Stanton. This relationship, which at one point had seemed like an impossibility due the raging feud between the two families, had not only blossomed to the point that a wedding would occur but that the feud itself would finally be put to rest. It was a feud that spanned two generations of Braddocks and Van Stantons, and it was the third generation that would bring it to an end. Even Glory Braddock herself, who was one of the most stubborn about the feud, one of the last to let go of the hard and bitter feelings leftover from the feud, was thrilled and relieved that the war with the Van Stanton family had finally ended.

Yes, Sunday was supposed to be an absolutely wonderful day for the Braddock and Van Stanton families. Instead what started out as a wonderfully glorious day turned into an absolute hell on earth. Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt Logan had offered to take Melinda’s future in-laws, Henry and Autumn Van Stanton out on the town in Miami. When they returned home they found police and other emergency medical personnel on the scene. The Miami home of Glory Braddock and Kurt Logan had been turned into a crime scene and the two victims were none other than the future couple Melinda Braddock and Archie Van Stanton.

The British Bombshell sits in a waiting room, in complete denial about what has happened. It was very early in the morning, just a few hours after she arrived home and saw the scene. Police wouldn’t let her onto the scene initially; besides, she wanted to be with her daughter. So she rushed to the hospital, following the ambulance. Braddock still isn’t certain of what happened. It still remains a mystery. Yet as much as she wants answers she wants to know about the condition of her daughter. That is first and foremost on her mind.

Her husband, Kurt Logan, is sitting next to her and has a comforting arm around her shoulder. He is doing his best to maintain his composure and look strong for Glory’s sake but even he is having difficulty keeping his cool. Melinda is his step-daughter, not biological daughter, but he loves Melinda as if she were his own. This is as devastating to Kurt as it is devastating to The British Bombshell.

“What the hell is wrong with Melinda?! Why won’t they say anything?!” Glory exclaims loudly and angrily. This garners the attention of a few passersby. Kurt quietly hushes his wife, despite the fact that he does partially agree with her sentiment.

“They’re doing the best that they can.”

“Bullshit!” Glory exclaims. “They could do more! The least they could do is tell me what’s wrong with her?! Like, why the hell did I come home to see a crime scene?! What happened to my daughter?!”

“I…uh,” Kurt shakes his head “...I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”

“We should know something, damn it! Our daughter is back there fighting for her life!”

“So is Archie!” Kurt points out. “Have you seen or heard from Henry or Autumn?”

“No, no I haven’t. And what about Mason?! He was supposed to be there looking out for them?! Where the hell was he?!”

Kurt shrugs his shoulders, as he does not have an answer to that or any question right now. Kurt squeezes Glory tightly, hoping this will comfort her. He suspects nothing will comfort her right now at this moment. Just then they hear strong, thudding footsteps. They look up to see none other than Mason Van Stanton himself not too far away. He appears angry and is trying to storm off in a huff.

“Mason!” Glory shouts, calling out after him. He stops and turns to glare at Glory and Kurt. The eyes are filled with anger and hatred. What Glory cannot tell is if the anger and hatred is directed at them or not. After last night’s incident, anything is possible. But he was in much brighter spirits before any of this.

Mason Van Stanton then shakes his head and continues to walk away. Kurt is about to go after him but they are stopped when a man in a black suit approaches. “Mrs. Braddock? Mr. Logan?”

“Yes…” Glory answers. The man then holds up a badge.

“I’m Detective Reynolds of the Miami Police Department.” He motions to an empty seat next to Glory and Kurt. “May I have a seat? I would like to talk to you about what happened tonight.”

“Sure.” Glory finally feels a sense of relief in that at least she may finally get some answers from this detective. Detective Reynolds sits down.

“Do you know why this…” the detective cannot even get his question out before Glory begins ranting again.

“I don’t even know what happened, yet! I was just out with my husband some friends and we came home to find my home has been turned into a crime scene! I see my daughter and her fiance being loaded onto ambulances! And when I tried to get answers your police wouldn’t let me in!”

“Well I apologize for that, ma’am. What I can tell you right now is that this was a home invasion. A young woman and a young man were both shot. Some valuables were taken.”

“My god…” Glory’s voice trails off as the worst possible scenario enters her mind “...are they...how they doing?”

“I haven’t spoken to the doctors yet, ma’am. Can you tell me the names of the two victims?”

“Melinda Braddock is my daughter. Archie Van Stanton is her fiance. Do you know who did it?”

The detective shakes his head. “Not yet, ma’am. Do you know of anyone who would want to harm you, your daughter, or Archie?”

“I admit that I have made a few enemies in my business dealings. Matthew Alan has always held a grudge against me for buying his company out from under him. Ronald Duane Kennedy doesn’t like me because I managed to buy out a modeling agency that he wanted all for himself. Meagan Collins probably blames me for her current incarceration. But she doesn’t have the means right now to come after me, and I can’t imagine either Matthew or Kennedy taking the chance to come after me.”

“We will look into them, Ms. Braddock.” Detective Reynolds says as he scribbles notes on his notepad. “Can you think of anyone else?”

“Just…” she sighs and shakes her head “...no one.”

“What? What were you about to say?”

“Nothing, it’s just…the Van Stanton Family and my family had been feuding for a couple of generations now. But we had buried the hatchet. We ended the feud. My daughter is supposed to marry their son. They wouldn’t do a thing like this.”

“We’ll look into all of this, ma’am.” The detective writes some more notes down. “Thank you for your help. We promise to get the people who did this.”

“Thank you, detective.” Glory says. Detective Reynolds turns and walks away. Glory turns back to look at her husband Kurt. “They got shot?”

“It could just be a home invasion gone wrong.” Kurt suggests.

“I hope you’re right. I really do. Over the past couple of years I have been dealing with this crap too damn much; from Matthew Alan and his criminal connections to Kennedy and his manipulations and deceptions, and Meagan Collins who will do absolutely anything to get what she wants. I just can’t handle this anymore.” She shakes her head. “I can’t…”

“Uh, Glory? Something you told the detective got me to thinking; you don’t actually think the Van Stantons had anything to do with this, do you?”

“No way.” Glory shakes her head. “Archie got hurt in this attack just like Melinda. Even if they did still hold negative feelings towards me, would they really risk one of their own just to get at me?”

“I know, I know, it makes no sense. It’s just that...that cold stare Mason gave us earlier...”

“Yeah, I know. I have no idea what to make of that…” Glory shakes her head “...I don’t know what to make of any of this.”

“It’s ok, Glory.” Kurt leans over and kisses her on the cheek. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for all of this.”

“I know, but right now I just want to see my daughter.” Glory says, wiping tears that are forming in her eyes. Then she is startled by the sounds of loud sobbing. She stands up and approaches a door. She looks inside and sees down the hall stands Henry Van Stanton and his wife Autumn. They are holding one another tightly and both appear to crying uncontrollably. Braddock is stunned but doesn’t say anything. She knows that this isn’t a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

“Mrs. Braddock?” Glory turns around and finds a middle aged man in scrubs standing there a few feet away. He must have just entered the waiting room. Kurt stands up next to his wife as the doctor approaches. “I am Doctor Yana.”

“What’s wrong with my daughter?”

“Your daughter is resting right now. She sustained several injuries but she will pull through.”

“Thank God!” This is the first piece of good news that Glory has heard ever since this nightmare began. A sense of relief comes washing over her. But that sense of relief slowly comes to an end when Kurt asks a question she hadn’t even thought to ask…

“What about Archie?”

“The young man…” Doctor Lang sighs “...we did all we could. I’m sorry.”

“That’s...that’s horrible…” Glory says, her voice trails off as she realizes the enormity of what happened. This is why Henry and Autumn were sobbing.

“Can we go see our daughter?”

“Of course; your daughter is just outside that door, to the right, and the fourth room on the left. But just for a little while. She needs her rest.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor turns and walks away. Kurt pulls Glory in close and embraces her with a tight hug. “Melinda is going to be fine…”

“But poor Archie.” Glory says. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. Not like this!”

“I know.” Kurt nods his head. “I know.”

Kurt clasps his wife’s hand tightly and guides her slowly out of the waiting room and down the hall. They see that to get to Melinda’s room they have to walk past the grieving Van Stanton family, who no doubt have already been told the bad news about Archie. This is indicative based upon their extreme emotional state right now. They are inconsolable. Glory and Kurt approach Henry and Autumn slowly.

“Henry, Autumn, we are so sorry.” Glory says quietly.

“Yeah, we are sorry. If there’s anything we can do…”

“Thanks but…” Henry is fighting back the tears as he shakes his head “...there really isn’t much to do. We were supposed to be planning a wedding. Now we’re planning a funeral.”

“Do you…” Autumn tries to speak but she is also having difficult to talk through the tears “...do you know what happened?”

Glory shakes her head. “The police aren’t saying much, I will put it that way. If they have any leads, they’re not telling me anything. But what about Mason? I saw him walking out under his own power, completely unharmed. How did he escape unscathed?”

“Mason…” Henry growls with a hint of anger “...I blame him for this.”

“Why?”

“It’s his fault!” Henry exclaims, storming away angrily. This leaves Autumn there alone. Glory and Kurt share confused expressions on their faces, and then they look back at Autumn.

“What’s wrong, Autumn?” Glory asks.

“Henry blames Mason because Mason left them there alone. Mason went out to pick up some beer. When Mason came back the door had been kicked in, the inside of the house ransacked, and Melinda and Archie were in a pool of blood. Mason was the one who called 911.”

“Y’know, Mason and I never got along but even I think Henry is being too hard on him. Melinda and Archie are both adults now. They don’t need a babysitter. And seeing as these intrudgers or whoever it was had guns, if Mason had been there he would have been hurt too.”

“That’s what I keep telling him but…” Autumn shakes her head “...Henry is grieving. Can you blame him? Archie was…” Autumn fights back the tears again “...he was our only son.”

Glory Braddock thinks about how lucky this turned out for her. Melinda will survive. Glory still has her daughter with her. But Henry lost his only son. This entire thing with Mason now looks even more strange. But right now Glory just wants to see Melinda and check on her. Autumn can sense this and embraces Glory in a tight hug.

“Go see your daughter, Glory. I need to go find Henry.”

“Thanks, Autumn. And I’m sorry…”

Autumn nods and then walks away. Kurt and Glory then turns and continue down towards Melinda’s room. They turn left and walk into a room and find their daughter, Melinda Braddock, lying there on a hospital bed with some tubes and other equipment connected to her. Luckily nothing is impeding her mouth or throat so she can speak.

“Hi, Mel…” Glory says, trying to smile even though she wants so badly to cry right now.

“Hi, mom…” Melinda winks at Kurt “...hi dad.”

“That must be some pretty strong painkiller they’re using on you, Mel. You never called me ‘dad’ before.” Kurt says jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. Melinda chuckles.

“Yeah, well, maybe it is the painkiller? Or maybe it’s something about near death experiences that make you rethink things. I mean, they did lose me three times.”

“You’re kidding?” Glory asks. Melinda shakes her head.

“Not kidding. Apparently it was close but I managed to make it.”

“I’m just glad you are ok.” Glory approaches Melinda’s bedside before leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.

“I’m sorry this happened, mom. I know you hate distractions like this when…”

“Stop right there, Mel.” Glory says, interrupting her daughter. “You are not a distraction. You are more important to me than my business or my wrestling career. Remember that I love you and I always will.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“The detectives said it was a home invasion.” Kurt states.

“That’s what I told the one detective who spoke to me. Detective Reynolds I think is what he told me…”

“Did you recognize any of the intruders?” Glory asks. Melinda shakes her head.

“No, I haven’t seen any of them. The way they were trashing the place made me think they were just trying to steal whatever they could get their hands on.”

“How many of them were there?” Kurt asks. Melinda chuckles.

“I feel like I’m being interrogated again. It was three guys. Only two had guns and they didn’t even fire until Archie decided to be a hero.” Melinda sighs deeply. “The two with the guns weren’t paying attention so Archie charged them and was hoping he could knock them off balance. He was hoping that if he could cause this robbery to get out of control that they would be scared and run off. He did knock one of them down but the other started firing like mad.”

“My God…” Glory exclaims.

“Mom, have you heard about Archie? How is he?”

Glory freezes up. This is the question she was dreading. She was dreading this moment because she doesn’t want to be the one to tell her daughter that her fiance is now dead. Braddock begins to tear up and Melinda seems to already get the picture as her own face goes pale.

“Mom...please tell me what happened to Archie…”

Glory turns to look into her husband Kurt’s eyes. No words have to be said, they know what the other is thinking. They know how hard this is right now and hard it will be for Melinda. But she has a right to know. Glory Braddock braces herself for the worst as she prepares to tell Melinda the hard truth. She looks back down at her oldest daughter, still lying in the hospital bed and still awaiting an answer.

“I’m sorry, Melinda. I am so very sorry but Archie…” Glory sighs deeply “...Archie didn’t make it.”

“No…” the first word is quiet as a look of shock and disbelief washes across Melinda’s face; she is hoping that Glory is lying but the serious look on Glory’s face tells Melinda that this is all too true. Melinda now shouts out in grief and anguish “Nooooooo!!!!”

Seeing her daughter in such emotional agony is too much for The British Bombshell, and she begins to break down and cry as well. Kurt Logan takes Glory and embraces her in a tight hug to try and comfort her. Even Kurt has tears flowing down his cheeks at this moment. The three are all crying for an unknown amount of time until a female’s voice breaks through the air, interrupting them.

“Mrs. Braddock, Mr. Logan?” Glory and Kurt look up to see a nurse has entered the room. “I’m sorry, but Doctor Yana insists that Melinda needs her rest. You can return tomorrow.”

“Sure…” Kurt says, nodding his head. He takes Glory and tries to guide her out of the room but she stops him. Glory turns back to face Melinda.

“Mel?” Glory quietly says, trying to get her daughter’s attention. But Melinda is inconsolable. She will not even acknowledge her mother right now. Kurt gently tugs on his wife’s arm.

“Come on, Glory. Let’s let Melinda rest.”

“Right…” Glory nevertheless blows a kiss towards her daughter “...see you tomorrow, Mel.”

Glory watches briefly, hoping Melinda will acknowledge her; but Melinda is still shouting in grief over the news of Archie Van Stanton’s death. Tears are flowing freely down her cheeks. Kurt then gives one more gentle tug at her arm and she allows herself to be guided out of the room and back into the hall. The British Bombshell is emotionally distraught, because this was not supposed to end this way. She also is feeling anger. Her daughter does not deserve this. Melinda was going to be happy but now that has been taken from her. And perhaps what is even more outrageous to The British Bombshell is that she wants so badly to make this right, she wants to help her daughter, but she cannot think of how she can help.