Making Up is Hard to Do

A while after their match there's a knock at Sammy's door. Yes Reign has a key but she's not sure how her walking in uninvited would go over at this moment. She's wearing no makeup, her hair is in a high ponytail and she's wearing the goofiest Lilo and Stitch pajamas ever. She exhales, her head leaning against the door to try and listen and see if Sammy's in there.

Reign Reyes:
“Hey, it's me. I was hoping we could talk. Or maybe I could talk and you could listen. Since I have stuff to say.”

There was a long pause before she could hear Sammy yell at the door.

Sammy Grimes:
“Say whatever you want! I have headphones on so I won’t hear it! LALALA!”

He was being as hard headed and stubborn as you’d expect him to be. Reign scowls and pouts and it's adorable, even though he can't see it. Then she lets herself in using her key. She walks right in, plops down on the bed beside him and leans her head against his to try and listen in on his headphones. He was playing loud sad rock music. He clearly felt her there but he didn’t make a move. He just kept looking up at his ceiling.

She smiled a bit. She had to admit, the whole I don't see you stubborn routine was kind of adorable. She took this opportunity to push herself up and over, straddling over him with her knees on either side as she smiled down at him. Since he couldn't hear her she decided to do the most adorable mime routine ever.

First she pointed at herself in an exaggerated manner and mouthed, "I'M..." then she traced a heart around her own heart and made a sad face while mouthing, "SORRY."

Next she pointed at herself again and mouthed "I WAS..." Then she spun around so her pajama'd butt was in his face, pointed at her butt and looked back at him while mouthing, "AN ASSHOLE."

Sammy sighed and took his ear buds out and put them to the side. He looked at Reign, not saying anything for almost an entire minute before he shook his head.

Sammy Grimes:
"You shouldn't be apologizing to me right now anyway. It should be Ava."

He turned away and scoffed.

Sammy Grimes:
"Are you really sorry though? Because the Joey Reyes and Ashleigh Jericho was really shining through you in that interview."

He turned back to Reign.

Sammy Grimes:
"And when they say shit? They don't mince their words. They don't hold back. They let loose and say exactly what's been on their mind the entire time."

He holds up his hand.

Sammy Grimes:
"And before you start with how I went at your grandpa first? I didn't say anything that he hadn't heard his entire career. Even if he hears it? He doesn't give a fuck."

He leaned forward and he was glaring a hole right into Reign.

Sammy Grimes:
"But you know who does care? Ava. So good job, Reign. You won. You fucking did it and we're all so proud of you."

She swallows and nods.

Reign Reyes:
"I deserve that and yes, I'll go apologize to Ava but I'm pretty sure visiting hours are over at the moment. Plus if I'm being super honest, I know you'll forgive me before she does because let's be honest, you love me more than she does. Luckily."

She draws a breath.

Reign Reyes:
"You were both right and wrong with what you just said. Yes, my grandfather has heard it his entire career and on the exterior it just rolls off, but I've seen cracks of doubt. I've seen him question if he was right to take such an extreme stance. I think when idiot fans or other wrestlers say it, it's one thing. When a family member says it... and yes, he considers you family... it stings more. So yeah, that set me off but it's not an excuse."

She chews her lip.

Reign Reyes:
"You're right, I'm more like my mom and Ashleigh. I meant what I said. I want Ava's career to be over because if I'm being completely honest, it scares me to think what she'll be like in five or ten years. Two traumatic brain injuries this soon is bad, Sammy... really bad. That scares me for her. I meant when I said the Grimes thing to do is to jump right back into the fray. She already did it once and look what happened. Sure sometimes it works for Gavin and it may even work for you, but Ava? Her body betrays her in ways yours and Gavin's doesn't."

She grunts.

Reign Reyes:
"I meant what I said about the Grimes legacy. I don't think you should try to emulate what Gavin's done. I think in some ways he's in danger of making a mockery of all he's worked for. I'd rather see you forge your own path instead of relying on the history of your family name."

She shrugs.

Reign Reyes:
"I knew exactly what I was doing in that interview, it was calculated to a degree. Look how it ended? With you two on the floor while I sat there like little miss innocent. If I'm being honest, it also scares me a little. How easily I went to that place. How I flipped that switch and how good it felt to say the horrible shit I said. It's like walking around with a filter on constantly and suddenly someone removes it and you can breathe. I mean that's how most people are, right? They think things in their head... sometimes horrible things... but they don't say them because society doesn't accept those things. But put a mic in a wrestler's hand and it's a license to spew all of it. For ten minutes you feel free. So I pushed it and I crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed. But this?"

She motions towards her face and her body.

Reign Reyes:
"This is the real me, Sammy. You know the real me. I'm not saying that wasn't the real me in the interview, just that it was a different side of the same coin. This side right now? This is me most of the time. That other side comes and goes and can't be sustained... nor would I want to sustain it. But it does come in handy sometimes. So yes, like my mom and like Ashleigh... I'm sorry that you're upset but I'm not sorry for what I said. There were grains in truth in all of it."

He nods.

Sammy Grimes:
"Exactly. There were grains of truth in all of it. So many grains. And if my reasons for doing this are trash? And if I'm just going to be chasing your tail the entire time? Then why am I doing this?"

He wiggled out from under her and stood up.

Sammy Grimes:
"And I mean, Gavin and Ava are both injury prone, right? Maybe I'm next, right!? Because the reason I probably haven't gotten hurt? Is it because I haven't been going full throttle out there!?"

His eyes start to well up.

Sammy Grimes:
"Everyone just forgets what happened to me before the Academy started up, Reign. I keep pushing forward and pushing on, trying to forget that I was fucking kidnapped and tortured and starved for over a week and I thought I had it under control. I thought I put it past me but no. Fucking no."

He pulled out his phone and sitting there on the screen was that tweet from Jack Graves. Reminding him of everything that had transpired.

Sammy Grimes:
"That's all it took to fuck me up. And I took it out on you and Alice. Not because of the Gold Star, but because I wanted other people to feel pain too. That's why I brought up your grandpa, that's why I brought up her dad."

Sammy's arms went limp and his phone dropped out of his hand before tears started to stream down his cheeks.

Sammy Grimes:
"I thought maybe... Just maybe if I could channel some of my older brother's energy... That I could power through like always seems to do. Rebound like he always seems to do. But I can't. I'm not him. I'm weak."

He looks down in shame, tears still streaming down his cheeks as he lets everything all out, everything that he had been holding in. Reign is holding him in a flash, her hands on his shoulders as she wipes the tears from his cheeks. Her own eyes are starting to well up because seeing him like this rips her heart out.

Reign Reyes:
"Hey. Look at me..."

She raises his chin and holds it there.

Reign Reyes:
"You are not weak."

She shakes her head and even raises her voice a little.

Reign Reyes:
"I'm not just saying that Sammy. You are not weak. You're not weak because you've been able to hide that pain and those scars away so well up until now. In fact you're only letting it out, in front of me, someone you trust and love."

She exhales.

Reign Reyes:
"Yes, Jack fucked you up, but he also gave you a gift."

She holds up the one minute finger when he goes to object.

Reign Reyes:
"He gave you the darkness. He may not have meant to but he did. He gave you that energy to draw from when you need it. When your back's against the wall, when you need to dig down deep and find strength you didn't know you had. Just like Gavin. He has his darkness. He escaped from it and ran from it but he carried it with him... and just like you're breaking down now with me, he's broken down too. You know he has. You know he has with Ashleigh."

She nods.

Reign Reyes:
"So you took some of that pent up rage and unleashed it on me and Alice. Good. Seriously. Good. That interview was fucking fire. Each of us pulled no punches and had the audience eating out of our hands. We just put on one of the greatest matches the Academy has ever seen and people gave a shit. Some people probably wanted to see me win. Some wanted you to win... and let's be honest, most people probably wanted her. But they cared. This wasn't Saoirse who no one could connect with. This was three very real people with real pain and we bared it for the world."

She held his face between her hands and smiled.

Reign Reyes:
"So don't think less of yourself for struggling with what happened. Use it when you need to... and if it feels like it's getting to be too much and it's eating you up inside I will always be right here to help you regain control of it."

Sammy wrapped his arms around Reign and held her very tight, so much so that he was almost squeezing the air out of her. He was exhausted and done as he had let out everything that he was holding in.

Sammy Grimes:
"Can we just lie down and you hold me?"

He sniffled and shook his head.

Sammy Grimes:
"I don't think I can put any more energy into talking or doing anything right now."

She nods and guides him over to the bed where she falls down with him. Kissing him atop the head she smiles.

Reign Reyes:
"I love you. You're my hero."

Sammy Grimes:
"And you're mine."

He leans in and kisses her softly.

Sammy Grimes:
"I'm sorry too, you know?"

Sammy snuggles into her.

Sammy Grimes:
"Just saying. And I'm proud of you."

He says with a sigh as he closes his eyes and he already starts to fade.