December 31, 2016
After years and years of chasing the dragon that was the OWF World Heavyweight title, he finally did it.
JC expected a lot with his first OWF World title win. He expected it in March. He expected it to be the main event. He expected it to be in the OWF. None of those things worked out quite the way he thought. Instead, he fought one of the best ever in front of a crowd of maybe hundreds at the Frontier Park Fieldhouse in Chicago. It was a gymnasium. Thanks to certain OWF presidents he'd rather not think about, his big moment was reduced significantly from how he built it up in his head.
And yet, he looked down at the OWF World Heavyweight title, cradled in his arms, and none of that mattered.
He sat outside in his rental car, allowing the stinging Chicago cold to chill his sore muscles. The car was an older model so its heating unit was taking more time than most would prefer to heat up. JC didn't mind. It gave him time to really sit and appreciate the gravity of what he had accomplished.
Of all the people Jesse Williams had defeated in his career, few likely gave JC a chance, even after he soundly sent him packing at Shock and Terror. Yet here it was. He took Jesse's best shot and withstood it. He gave Jesse his best shot and the franchise fell.
He found himself staring at the belt, hoping it didn't vanish. It was a bittersweet victory, given the circumstances of the where and the why, but it was a victory nonetheless. And no bitterness could take away the elation he currently felt.
It was later in New Jersey, but he decided to give his wife a call anyway. She wasn't feeling great due to the side effects of pregnancy, so she elected not to make the trip. It was understandable. Perhaps if he were still the same person he was before he met her, he might begrudge her for this. As things stood now, he was too happy to worry about who did and who didn't see it.
The phone rang a couple of times before he heard her drowsy voice on the other end.
"Hey babe, how'd it go?"
"I won."
"You did? That's great!"
Her voice immediately perked up and he heard a bit of excitement in it. She didn't care about wrestling and likely never would, but she knew how important this was to him.
"Yeah, I still can't believe it myself. All the time I was in the OWF and I finally did it. All it took was for the place to completely shut down."
"I'm proud of you, Joe."
"Thanks."
He didn't know what else to say at the moment. He sat there, unable to really form the words. Even in his thoughts, he had no idea how to really put together how he felt. Sure, there were the usual emotions you get with a title win, but this one was his biggest to date. It even overshadowed his first due to the fact that his opponent was tougher and it was a much bigger prize. It was something many felt he couldn't do. He never won Quest for the Best. He never even won the Network title and he had two opportunities.
And yet, it was only now, at the end of a mostly terrible 2016, could he hold his head up high and call himself champion. Everyone that ever doubted him was immediately proven wrong by the ten pounds of gold he currently had in his lap. It was something he wasn't sure would happen. Even he began to doubt himself at times. The culmination of everything he ever worked for was his. Now he just needed to figure out what to do with it.
"Joe?"
He realized he hadn't said anything for the last five minutes. He had a tendency to lose himself in his own thoughts.
"I'm still here."
"Good. I thought the call dropped, or something. So I was asking, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to defend it."
It was a decision he entertained prior to winning it and when prompted, the only choice he felt he could make.
"You're going to defend the belt of a place that doesn't exist anymore? That doesn't make a lot of sense."
"I know it doesn't, but I just can't let it die. I can't just accept this as my greatest achievement without proving that I deserve it. That means defending it and retaining it against the best. That's what the champions before me did. I know you don't understand, but..."
"No, I get it. You're competitive and you think you have a lot to prove to everyone. I just don't agree."
"What?"
"I think you've proven it already. Fuck what anyone else thinks. When's the last time you've even been pinned in one on one competition? It was months ago, right? I think you're doing just fine."
"I appreciate that. I really do."
"Now get your ass home. We have a life to plan for our baby and I feel like shit."
"Yes ma'am.
"I told you not to call me that!"
"I'll try to keep that in mind. I think you need to go back to bed though, Stace."
"Definitely."
The two said their goodbyes and JC ended the call. It was one thing to say he would defend his title against all comers, it was another to work out how to do it. There was no official committee or OWF president to determine who was worthy of a shot and who wasn't. As with Jesse Williams before him, it was completely up to JC who he would defend against or if he would defend at all.
Things were going to be very interesting in 2017 and he planned to continue his success. His legacy was just starting to get re-established and he wasn't going to let anyone stop it from happening.
He moved the car from park to reverse and began to back out of the arena parking lot.
What he didn't see, what he couldn't have seen, was a woman about his age lurking in the background. She was in her own car, with a man ten years her junior in the passenger seat. They simply observed JC as he took off, but made no moves to follow or approach him.
Their time would come.
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January 4, 2017
It had been a bit of a whirlwind couple of days for him. After his victory at New Year Zero, JC immediately flew back to Jersey City and received a call that told him he had a match with Lucas Silva, again, at Chaos 30. Apparently the people in charge of Carnage Wrestling had been trying to contact him for days, but he was either in Chicago getting ready or tending to the needs of his wife. As far as he was concerned, she came first. Not just now, with their baby growing inside of her, but she always would.
He didn't always see it like that, which is why he considered himself lucky that she stuck by him so long. Six months ago, their marriage could have been on the verge of collapse. It was Stacy, not Joe, who fought to keep it going. He was trapped within his own psychosis and the best efforts of everyone around him couldn't pull him out. Only when he stuck out a hand for aid was she the one to grab him and pull him out. Trent Steel gave him the push he needed to get out, she pulled him the rest of the way.
She would always be his top priority.
At the moment, the two were seated inside a medium-sized room, itself located inside an obstetrics & gynecology office inside of their room. Of course, seated was a relative term for Stacy, as she was laying on the hard 'bed'. She had been there for a battery of tests today to check on the baby's health and now they were ready for the obstetrician to come in for the ultrasound. They hadn't actually met Dr. Harold Walters yet, but they had made every effort to make sure he was the right doctor for them.
It was fine to just go with any doctor when it came to JC's various injuries, but this wasn't for him. This was for his baby, and he was going to make 100% sure his baby and his wife were completely healthy before, during and after the birth.
As far as he was concerned, Dr. Walters needed to walk on water to get his ultimate approval.
"Where are they, anyway?"
She was very nervous, and understandably cold since she didn't have any winter clothing on and it was January. The winter weather typically lowered the unusually chilly temperatures in a doctor's office to what felt like subzero levels. Her modest attire was fine but JC knew she wanted a coat or a blanket.
"Doctors always take their time unless it's an emergency. Although once I had a gusher on my head and it felt like I was going to bleed out before they got me sewn up."
He glanced over at his wife, who had a look of unease and nausea on her face.
"Oh it's too early for blood talk."
"Morning sickness?"
"It's not as bad as it has been, but I still have no appetite. But at least I just feel like I want to throw up instead of actually doing it. This heartburn can go the fuck away, though."
He felt bad for her, but as far as he knew, this was common in most pregnancies. He wasn't sure why the act of becoming a mother meant that a woman had to suffer until her child was born. Perhaps that was just nature's way of weeding out those who could handle it. Considering stories he'd read in the news, he thought maybe nature needed to try a little harder.
Finally they heard some noise on the other side of the door, and Dr. Walters came in. A nurse followed behind him with an ultrasound cart and monitor. JC got up and moved to the other side of the bed so she could plug everything in and assemble the tools they needed to see their child.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Lee. I'm Dr. Walters, your obstetrician. I'm sure you knew that already. My nurse tells me you've already had a lot of your tests already?"
"They came in here and got my blood already, if that's what you mean."
"It is. This and the ultrasound, what we call a Nuchal Translucency Screening, is just to make sure the baby's doing okay and not at risk for any chromosomal conditions. And give you a chance to see it, of course."
"Chromosomal conditions?"
"Abnormalities. The risk is usually low, but we have to check to make sure."
That was a new and sudden horror neither were prepared to hear about. Joe had questions about other possible problems and didn't want to add this to the pile.
The nurse finally had everything hooked up and turned on, so now she silently moved forward and asked for Stacy's permission to lift her shirt. When she got it, she lifted it just enough to reveal her stomach so she could apply the gel.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Lee, we make sure to warm the gel before we apply it. Otherwise it'll give you even more of a chill."
"That's good news."
Joe watched with a guarded fascination as the entire process was underway. The gel was eventually spread over her abdomen and Dr. Walters took the little tool and started to slowly run it over her surface, making small talk as he did it.
"So, do you two have a name picked out yet?"
"Well, we don't have anything for a boy, but we were considering Elizabeth for a girl."
"Or Lizzy, for short."
"Let's hope it's a girl then, since you seem to have that name ready to go."
Joe had actually considered naming the baby after his father if it turned out to be a boy, but he hadn't brought up the idea with his wife yet. After what seemed like an eternity, an image finally appeared on screen. At first, Joe wasn't even sure he saw anything, then he managed to make out a tiny little lump that was the size of an avocado.
"Well, look at that."
"I haven't done any measurements yet, but as you can tell, it's only about one and a half inches long. That's right along with your estimated time of conception in October."
Shock and Terror weekend, if Joe guessed correctly.
"The little guy, or girl, is moving around a lot right now, but of course, it's hard to see with the naked eye. You won't be able to feel it right now either, but there will come a time when you wish it'll settle down."
"Oh I doubt that day ever comes."
He saw tears forming in his wife's eyes and he wasn't too proud to admit he felt on the verge of crying himself. These were things that he missed in his last marriage due to the fact he was busy with ICW and his first wife was manipulating him with a fake pregnancy. This was his child, their child, and he was felt humbled just to see it.
The doctor stood up from his tiny chair and made a motion to the door.
"I'm going to go get you a prescription to deal with your nausea and then we can talk about how to care for your baby during the rest of the first trimester. You'll want to meet with Mimi outside to schedule your next appointment, of course. Melody, our nurse, will clean that gel off you as well, Mrs. Lee."
As he started to leave, Joe walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. What he said next was lower than normal, as if he were keeping a secret.
"Actually, can I have a word with you outside?"
He glanced back at Stacy, who was already getting herself out of the bed and chatting with the nurse. What he had to say wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but with her hormones the way they were he didn't want to bring it back up and cause her to get upset. It was bad enough that this was upsetting him. It was bad enough that it was even a possibility.
"Yes?"
"Out in the hallway, please."
The doctor did as he was asked and the two stepped outside. JC hoped his wife wouldn't notice, but then she probably did. She wasn't stupid. She knew what he was worried about it.
"What do you need to ask me, Mr. Lee?"
"Joe."
"Right, Joe."
"Well doctor, I needed to ask you about hereditary diseases. Or I guess in my case, hereditary mental illnesses."
"Go on."
"I have bipolar disorder. Moderate bipolar disorder with 'psychotic features', as my own doctor put it. I'm sure you'll read about it in our medical histories."
"And you're worried it'll pass to the baby."
"The thought had crossed my mind, yes."
"I'd have to go over the latest research to be certain, and I'm not a psychiatrist, but the last time I heard, the chances of something like that passing to the child were minimal. I think as high as I've read was a 15%. I'm not going to lie to you, it's possible, but it's highly unlikely."
All Joe had heard was 'it's possible' and almost started to tune out the rest. Hearing that seemed to put blinders on the rest of what the doctor said, even if the outcome seemed to be the opposite of what he feared.
This time, Dr. Walters put his own hand on JC in an attempt to comfort him.
"I know it's not my place, but you do have an advantage when it comes to this sort of thing. You know the symptoms. You know what happens when an episode is coming on. So if, Heaven forbid, something did happen to your baby, you would be able to catch it early and make sure he or she has the proper treatment. Correct?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Trust me, Mr. Lee. With taking care of your life and planning to be parents you're going to be far too busy to worry about what's far off in the future. Trust me, I'm a new dad myself."
"Thanks, Dr. Walters."
"Call me Harold. We're going to be on a first name basis for a while, I think."
Joe noticed the door opening behind him and saw Stacy, looking like she was guilty of eavesdropping. As it turned out, it was something much simpler than that.
"Hey Joe, can we go? The nausea's back with reinforcements."
Joe left out a nervous laugh and hoped the nervous part was lost on her. He said his goodbye to Dr. Walters and they made their way to the front desk. It was once again the second time he had been reassured about his future child's mental illness and he knew he had no reason to worry. Even if something did happen, he'd handle it. He'd take care of his baby. He would love his child no matter what.
But more than anything else, he didn't want it to suffer as he did.
And no matter how much reassurance he received, that fear would continue to gnaw at him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It had been a bit of a whirlwind couple of days for him. After his victory at New Year Zero, JC immediately flew back to Jersey City and received a call that told him he had a match with Lucas Silva, again, at Chaos 30. Apparently the people in charge of Carnage Wrestling had been trying to contact him for days, but he was either in Chicago getting ready or tending to the needs of his wife. As far as he was concerned, she came first. Not just now, with their baby growing inside of her, but she always would.
He didn't always see it like that, which is why he considered himself lucky that she stuck by him so long. Six months ago, their marriage could have been on the verge of collapse. It was Stacy, not Joe, who fought to keep it going. He was trapped within his own psychosis and the best efforts of everyone around him couldn't pull him out. Only when he stuck out a hand for aid was she the one to grab him and pull him out. Trent Steel gave him the push he needed to get out, she pulled him the rest of the way.
She would always be his top priority.
At the moment, the two were seated inside a medium-sized room, itself located inside an obstetrics & gynecology office inside of their room. Of course, seated was a relative term for Stacy, as she was laying on the hard 'bed'. She had been there for a battery of tests today to check on the baby's health and now they were ready for the obstetrician to come in for the ultrasound. They hadn't actually met Dr. Harold Walters yet, but they had made every effort to make sure he was the right doctor for them.
It was fine to just go with any doctor when it came to JC's various injuries, but this wasn't for him. This was for his baby, and he was going to make 100% sure his baby and his wife were completely healthy before, during and after the birth.
As far as he was concerned, Dr. Walters needed to walk on water to get his ultimate approval.
"Where are they, anyway?"
She was very nervous, and understandably cold since she didn't have any winter clothing on and it was January. The winter weather typically lowered the unusually chilly temperatures in a doctor's office to what felt like subzero levels. Her modest attire was fine but JC knew she wanted a coat or a blanket.
"Doctors always take their time unless it's an emergency. Although once I had a gusher on my head and it felt like I was going to bleed out before they got me sewn up."
He glanced over at his wife, who had a look of unease and nausea on her face.
"Oh it's too early for blood talk."
"Morning sickness?"
"It's not as bad as it has been, but I still have no appetite. But at least I just feel like I want to throw up instead of actually doing it. This heartburn can go the fuck away, though."
He felt bad for her, but as far as he knew, this was common in most pregnancies. He wasn't sure why the act of becoming a mother meant that a woman had to suffer until her child was born. Perhaps that was just nature's way of weeding out those who could handle it. Considering stories he'd read in the news, he thought maybe nature needed to try a little harder.
Finally they heard some noise on the other side of the door, and Dr. Walters came in. A nurse followed behind him with an ultrasound cart and monitor. JC got up and moved to the other side of the bed so she could plug everything in and assemble the tools they needed to see their child.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Lee. I'm Dr. Walters, your obstetrician. I'm sure you knew that already. My nurse tells me you've already had a lot of your tests already?"
"They came in here and got my blood already, if that's what you mean."
"It is. This and the ultrasound, what we call a Nuchal Translucency Screening, is just to make sure the baby's doing okay and not at risk for any chromosomal conditions. And give you a chance to see it, of course."
"Chromosomal conditions?"
"Abnormalities. The risk is usually low, but we have to check to make sure."
That was a new and sudden horror neither were prepared to hear about. Joe had questions about other possible problems and didn't want to add this to the pile.
The nurse finally had everything hooked up and turned on, so now she silently moved forward and asked for Stacy's permission to lift her shirt. When she got it, she lifted it just enough to reveal her stomach so she could apply the gel.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Lee, we make sure to warm the gel before we apply it. Otherwise it'll give you even more of a chill."
"That's good news."
Joe watched with a guarded fascination as the entire process was underway. The gel was eventually spread over her abdomen and Dr. Walters took the little tool and started to slowly run it over her surface, making small talk as he did it.
"So, do you two have a name picked out yet?"
"Well, we don't have anything for a boy, but we were considering Elizabeth for a girl."
"Or Lizzy, for short."
"Let's hope it's a girl then, since you seem to have that name ready to go."
Joe had actually considered naming the baby after his father if it turned out to be a boy, but he hadn't brought up the idea with his wife yet. After what seemed like an eternity, an image finally appeared on screen. At first, Joe wasn't even sure he saw anything, then he managed to make out a tiny little lump that was the size of an avocado.
"Well, look at that."
"I haven't done any measurements yet, but as you can tell, it's only about one and a half inches long. That's right along with your estimated time of conception in October."
Shock and Terror weekend, if Joe guessed correctly.
"The little guy, or girl, is moving around a lot right now, but of course, it's hard to see with the naked eye. You won't be able to feel it right now either, but there will come a time when you wish it'll settle down."
"Oh I doubt that day ever comes."
He saw tears forming in his wife's eyes and he wasn't too proud to admit he felt on the verge of crying himself. These were things that he missed in his last marriage due to the fact he was busy with ICW and his first wife was manipulating him with a fake pregnancy. This was his child, their child, and he was felt humbled just to see it.
The doctor stood up from his tiny chair and made a motion to the door.
"I'm going to go get you a prescription to deal with your nausea and then we can talk about how to care for your baby during the rest of the first trimester. You'll want to meet with Mimi outside to schedule your next appointment, of course. Melody, our nurse, will clean that gel off you as well, Mrs. Lee."
As he started to leave, Joe walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. What he said next was lower than normal, as if he were keeping a secret.
"Actually, can I have a word with you outside?"
He glanced back at Stacy, who was already getting herself out of the bed and chatting with the nurse. What he had to say wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but with her hormones the way they were he didn't want to bring it back up and cause her to get upset. It was bad enough that this was upsetting him. It was bad enough that it was even a possibility.
"Yes?"
"Out in the hallway, please."
The doctor did as he was asked and the two stepped outside. JC hoped his wife wouldn't notice, but then she probably did. She wasn't stupid. She knew what he was worried about it.
"What do you need to ask me, Mr. Lee?"
"Joe."
"Right, Joe."
"Well doctor, I needed to ask you about hereditary diseases. Or I guess in my case, hereditary mental illnesses."
"Go on."
"I have bipolar disorder. Moderate bipolar disorder with 'psychotic features', as my own doctor put it. I'm sure you'll read about it in our medical histories."
"And you're worried it'll pass to the baby."
"The thought had crossed my mind, yes."
"I'd have to go over the latest research to be certain, and I'm not a psychiatrist, but the last time I heard, the chances of something like that passing to the child were minimal. I think as high as I've read was a 15%. I'm not going to lie to you, it's possible, but it's highly unlikely."
All Joe had heard was 'it's possible' and almost started to tune out the rest. Hearing that seemed to put blinders on the rest of what the doctor said, even if the outcome seemed to be the opposite of what he feared.
This time, Dr. Walters put his own hand on JC in an attempt to comfort him.
"I know it's not my place, but you do have an advantage when it comes to this sort of thing. You know the symptoms. You know what happens when an episode is coming on. So if, Heaven forbid, something did happen to your baby, you would be able to catch it early and make sure he or she has the proper treatment. Correct?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Trust me, Mr. Lee. With taking care of your life and planning to be parents you're going to be far too busy to worry about what's far off in the future. Trust me, I'm a new dad myself."
"Thanks, Dr. Walters."
"Call me Harold. We're going to be on a first name basis for a while, I think."
Joe noticed the door opening behind him and saw Stacy, looking like she was guilty of eavesdropping. As it turned out, it was something much simpler than that.
"Hey Joe, can we go? The nausea's back with reinforcements."
Joe left out a nervous laugh and hoped the nervous part was lost on her. He said his goodbye to Dr. Walters and they made their way to the front desk. It was once again the second time he had been reassured about his future child's mental illness and he knew he had no reason to worry. Even if something did happen, he'd handle it. He'd take care of his baby. He would love his child no matter what.
But more than anything else, he didn't want it to suffer as he did.
And no matter how much reassurance he received, that fear would continue to gnaw at him.
I caught this movie on TV the other night that I think applies perfectly to the situation we're in. It's really old, even by my standards. It's called 'Cool Hand Luke.' You see, there's a line from the Captain that really sticks with me. And no, for those you keeping score, it's not the one about a failure to communicate. That does apply but it's what he says after. He said that Luke's situation is "the way he wants it." Then he adds simply, "Well, he gets it."
Just like the Captain, I don't like this situation I've been thrust in. I have to once again babysit Lucas Silva because he's got it in his head that The Rogues have done something egregious against the malicious manager of Razor's Edge. You shouldn't let the name fool you, Lucas. We haven't been actual 'Rogues' in quite some time. Trent, the accused, has been atoning for his ways a lot longer than I have, and he's the least likely of the two of us to do something like this.
Now we're just the best tag team on the entire planet and Megan Harris can't handle the fact we beat her boys soundly at Ultimate Carnage 2.
But from what I hear, you wanted a rematch with me. You wanted to start a fight with The Rogues. This is the way you want it, so, you get it.
Let's get this straight. I understand. You saw a pretty girl and your mind wandered. Megan Harris is an attractive woman. It's something even an old married man like me might see, especially when she has to let everyone know it on Twitter. I guess she subscribes to the philosophy of "if you've got it, flaunt it."
However, she's also a vindictive, lying, cheating human being. She claims it's just business but I have no doubt that her brothers would be very upset with how much she is interfering in their matches. After all, her brothers seem like they love wrestling for the sport of it, and not just whatever fame or money it might bring them.
Now she's convinced one of the best guys in the company that The Rogues, specifically Trent Steel, attacked her backstage. And you...bought it? You've seen what she does against other teams. She did it to you to win a shot at our tag team titles. But sure, let's just take her at her word that she was attacked. You're too good to let someone like that trick you, Lucas. You're smarter than she's making you out to be.
I'm sure you gave yourself the Sandtown Kid nickname because you're proud of your Baltimore heritage. The 'kid' part is more appropriate now because you've revealed how immature and naive you are. But don't worry, I'll set you straight.
It's time to come back to reality. The reality is we have a match and I don't like myself or my friends being falsely accused of maiming someone. I don't like questioning your character, either. However you seem to be so easily misled that you'll champion someone who is clearly playing you. So I've got to do what I do best and knock some sense into you. At Chaos 30, we're set for a rematch and nothing's going to change.
If you'll recall, I beat you then. I'm going to beat you now. First of all, your head is not in the game. You're worried about someone that's playing you and you've got yourself into a situation that you can't possibly win. You're out to get "revenge" on me for something I didn't do and I'm just looking to make 2017 start as well as 2016 ended.
That's the other reason you won't beat me. I'm on a roll. In addition to winning the tag team titles from the Harris boys, I also beat you and Gary Altus. I finished off my year by taking the former top prize in wrestling from the former top star. Yes, the king is dead and buried. JC is your new OWF World Heavyweight champion. I'm sorry Silva, it's not arrogance to suggest that if Jesse Williams couldn't take me down, you couldn't either.
I have no issue with you. I think you need to get your priorities straight and I think you need to take a long, hard look at who you associate with. However, I don't have a problem with you personally. So don't take it personally when I embarrass you again. I'm not going to let myself get beat by a kid who just learned that he likes girls. Go find Megan's Twitter and take care of your business, because I'd rather have you thinking with your brain.
I hope to one day fight a Lucas Silva that has his focus completely on me and isn't letting outside factors affect his judgment. Obviously you're not letting that happen this time, so expect to lose. It's that simple. You'll lose to me, then you'll lose to Trent, then you'll lose Megan when she decides you're not worth her time. Have fun working your way back into the spotlight when you didn't think and it cost you everything.
I'm good at changing people's minds about me. I have the belts to prove it.
Lucas, the Captain said that there are some men you just can't reach. I hope that's not true with you. You're a good kid and you've got a bright future in this business. But you can't let yourself be fooled so easily. Stop letting others feed off your good intentions and your naivety. Give yourself a chance to breathe.
Otherwise, you're going to get hurt. You're going to end up with nothing.
Contrary to popular belief, nothing is usually a real bad hand.
