Playing Hero

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Off Camera

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The raven haired Jessica Lasiewicz enters the dining room area carrying two glasses of drinks, one is water and the other is clearly an alcoholic beverage.  She places the alcoholic beverage in front of her mother’s place while she herself takes a sip of the water before sitting down at the table across from her.  Angelica takes a sip of her alcohol and then looks up at her daughter, grinning broadly.

“You’re a good girl, Jessica…”

“Why?  Because I didn’t give myself the beer?”

“That’s part of it.” Jones says laughing. “But mainly because you’re my daughter.  That’s the only reason I need, right?”

“And that’s the safest answer too…” Jessica smirks knowingly, flashing her mother a wink.

“You’ll be of legal drinking age in October.”

“Looking forward to it.” Jessica says with a chuckle.

“It isn’t all that special, really.” Angelica says shrugging.

“Well it’s sometimes needed, or so I’m told.” Jessica sighs. “Like when you’re being run out of a company.”

“I take it you’re still sore over the IWC situation?”  Jessica nods her head.  Angelica reaches out, takes her daughter by her hands, and squeezes them tightly. “It’s ok, Jess.  You’ve moved on and you’ve become a better person because of it.”

“Maybe so,” she shrugs her shoulders “I joined Frontier and EXODUS, I don’t know what about that makes me so great.”

“They’re new challenges, Jess.”

“Are they really?  It seems to me like I’m taking the easy road.  EXODUS and Frontier both are Lasiewicz Friendly Institutions.”

“Those are both great companies.  I wouldn’t question either of those judgment calls.”

Jessica tilts her head to one side. “Then what would you question?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re here for a reason, mother.”

“Can’t I just come and visit my daughter?”

“You can’t, no.”  Jessica shakes her head.  “You’ve never visited me just to visit.”

Angelica and Jessica lock eyes.  A sharp pain is felt in Angelica’s gut as she realizes her daughter is correct.  Angelica has always visited for a reason and this time is no different.  Jessica is smart, too smart for her own good sometimes.

“Ok, fine, you’re right.” Angelica says sliding the drink away from her in frustration. “I came here with an agenda.”

Jessica nods her head. “At least we’re being honest.  So what decision of mine are you questioning?”

Her mother frowns. “You can probably guess.”

“It has to do with Samantha Hodgson, doesn’t it?”

“Why’d you hire her, sweetie?” Angelica asks. “You saw the hell she tried to put me through.”

“It all comes down to one simple thing; protection.”

“Protection?”

Jessica nods her head. “That’s right, mom, I need my best interests protected.  I can’t let what happened in IWC happen in Frontier, or EXODUS, or even in GCW.  I won’t let it happen again.”

“Jessie, Samantha is just out for herself…”

“Good, because if I’m her client then she’ll want me to succeed.  Me failing would look bad on her.”

“You would think so…” Angelica sighs, turning away momentarily. “…just be careful, ok?”

“I always am, mom.”  Jessica chuckles lightly. “You really should stop being so overprotective.”

Angelica turns back to face her daughter.  A look of pride washes across her face.  Jessica looks so much older, but not in the way of age, but more mature.  She is so proud of her and everything she has accomplished.

“I’m not sure I can, Jess.  You know me, I’m always going to be looking out for my girls.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.” She says, drinking her water. “I’m fine.  Marie on the other hand…”

Angelica takes note of her concern in Jessica’s voice even as it fades off.  “Yeah, I noticed how she has changed.”

“Are you going to do something about it?”

“I’m not sure I can.”

“Why not?”

“I promised you both I’d stay out of your IWC business.  That promise still holds true for Marie even though you are no longer with that company.”

“Maybe it’s for the best?” Jessica suggests, shrugging her shoulders. “Perhaps Marie needs to learn from her own mistakes.”

The mother grins knowingly. “You’ve been talking to Brittany Lohan haven’t you?”

“Huh?”

“That’s what Brittany told me.  She said I should just leave you two alone and let you figure things out for yourselves.”

“What does she know?” Jessica nearly spits this out, getting a little angry. “I never want you to leave me alone completely; I never want you to leave my life altogether.”

Jessica snatches her mother’s hands and squeezes them tightly. “We have had our differences in the past and you’ll piss me off again, I’m sure, but I will always love you, mom.”

Tears form in Angelica’s eyes, tears of joy to be precise.  She takes one of her hands away and uses it to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Thank you, Jessie.  I never grow tired of hearing that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“So you think I should talk to Marie?”

“It couldn’t hurt.”

Angelica is torn between obeying the wishes of her daughter and doing what she feels is right.  She also doesn’t want to smother Marie.  Smothering her, she feels, is what partially led to this problem in the first place.  Angelica really does not want to make the same mistakes twice in a row.

“I’ll…think about it.”

“Don’t just think about it.” Jessica encourages her. “Your daughter needs you right now.”

“She wants me to leave her alone.”

“But it isn’t the right thing to do and you know it.  Any good parent would do what’s right, even if what’s right is difficult.”

That brings back memories of her father.  Angelica and her father, Bart Jones, have had an up and down, very rocky relationship all because of a difficult decision Bart made a long time ago when Angelica was just thirteen, a decision he lived to regret and one that Angelica and her sister Kayla had to pay for decades following, a decision that ruined their lives.

“Yeah, someone I know once told me about making difficult decisions…”

“Really?” Jessica smirks. “Who?”

“Your grandfather.”

Jessica’s eyes grow wide. “Bart?”

“Try and call him grandpa or grandfather, dear.”

“Why?” Jessica is now growing angry. “After what he did to you and Aunt Kayla by abandoning you, he lost the right to be called grandfather.”

“And you thought that way about me once, didn’t you?”

“Well…”

“And you thought that way about your own father, Andreas once, didn’t you?”

“Um…that’s different.”

“How is it different?” Jessica remains silent.  She has no response. “Your father and I made mistakes, a lot of them, in fact.  But you forgave us.  Your father forgave me.  He didn’t have to but he did.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Your grandfather is sincere.  He wants to start over fresh with us and I think it’s unfair to give me and your father a second chance but not to give him a second chance.  And…”

“And what?”

“…I want you to see him.  You’ve never met your grandfather before, have you?”

Jessica shakes her head. “No…”

“That’s going to change.”

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Playing Hero

On Camera

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With every action you take, there is a consequence.  As a young wrestler I had to learn that lesson the hard way.  I had to learn through my own mistakes and failures that I was responsible for my own screw ups and that I needed to make smarter decisions.  But that’s all part of the process of evolution.  Survival of the Fittest is what we call it.  Those who endure the hardships and the trials and tribulations and make it through, those who survive, become the next dominant species.

In my case I survived everything that was thrown at me.  Not only did I survive but I persevered.  And I also learned.  I learned from my mistakes and those mistakes made by others so that I would make them myself in the future.

One such mistake that I have made certain to never ever make is the mistake of trying to be a hero.  Never once in my career have I been accused of being the hero.  I look out for one person and one person only…

…me.

I do what is in my best interests.  Those who associate with me know it.  Brittany knows it…Silas knows it…that’s what makes us perfect for each other, really.  We all want something and we will do anything, step on anyone, destroy anyone, in order to get it.  And I will never ever sacrifice myself for unless I knew I was getting something out of it.

Simon Lyman hasn’t learned that lesson just yet.  Simon believes he can stick his nose in my business, in Brittany’s business, and everything will be ok.

I’m here to tell you that it is not going to be ok, Simon.  You made a big mistake by choosing to play hero and saving Tommy Valentine.  And as for you, Valentine, if you thought Lyman was going to be your salvation then you have another thing coming.  That beating you were going to receive is still on its way, it’s just been delayed.  It’s just been pushed back a few weeks until this coming Breakdown.

And this time it’s going to be worse…a lot worse…

You are going to learn the hard way about the consequences of deciding to play hero.  You chose to play hero and now you’ve made a new enemy.  You chose to play hero and now you have made yourself a target.

Brittany and I are locked on target and ready to destroy.