The Chase Center
San Francisco, California
Sunday, October 16th, 2022
1 hour before Chaos 013 went on-air
The inside of The Chase Center was sheer madness, but this was the norm with a Chaos event about to go live in about an hour or so. Many officials and staff members were running around in different directions making sure that everything was perfect before the cameras went live on the last event before Rumble at the Rock. The soft hum of random theme music can be heard as the sound systems are run through their paces.
In one of the locker rooms, we see an individual doing some stretching while standing in front of a black leather couch. The HOW LSD Championship and the HOW ICON Championship belt can both be seen laying over the back of the couch. Jace Parker Davidson was dressed casually but was getting himself loosened up because he would be competing later on in the evening. Jace leans forward and begins to stretch out his back when the sound of his cell phone ringing echoes off the walls.
Jace leans up back up and lets out an audible sigh in frustration. He walks over to where his duffle bag is sitting on the floor beside the couch. He rummages through the bag until he pulls out his phone. The name and phone number on the screen are from his sister Bailey Brown. Jace accepts the call and raises the phone up to his ear.
“Yeah?” Jace asks in an exasperated tone.
“Ummm Hi, it’s me, your sister. Flesh and blood and all that. You remember me, correct?” The sound of Bailey’s voice is loud enough to hear from the phone.
“Funny, what is it?” Jace cuts right to the point.
“We’ve been back here in Florida for about a while now and you’ve not been here once at all. I know I updated you on the damage that was done to the place, but I thought you’d at least want to see it for yourself, and I don’t know. Maybe help out a bit and make sure we’re all okay?” Bailey wasn’t one to pull any punches.
“See, I do this thing called professional wrestling. Which is why I’m in San Francisco right now and the show is about to start in about an hour.” Jace more than willingly shot sarcasm right back at his sister. “That’s why I haven’t been back to Miami to look at the house. I trust you to have it all figured out so just send me the bill and it’ll all be taken care of no problem.”
“So, you’re wrestling seven days a week now and not just on Sundays?” Bailey wasn’t buying his bullshit. “Besides, we know a Chaos show isn’t the real reason why you haven’t been back here to Miami. You and your little hump bunny have been shacking up together. Which is fine is that’s what you want to do but at least have some consideration for the other people in your life.”
Jace shook his head side to side for a moment before responding.
“I don’t have to come to Miami to have consideration for the other people in my life. You see that thing in your hand? The one pressed to your ear, the one that you used to call me. That’s called a smart phone and it allows you to call me, text me, or video chat with me whenever you want.” Jace said, talking down to his sister.
Bailey begins to respond but Jace cuts her off by continuing to speak.
“The lectures are getting old. The other people in my life, namely you and Madison, know exactly where I’m going to be on any given Sunday evening. So, instead of whining that I’m never at home in Miami, why not come to a show? Hang out backstage, buy a ticket, whatever tickles your fancy. Do something convenient for ME instead of expecting me to bend over backwards for YOUR needs.” Jace’s comments were filled with venom.
There was a long and awkward silence on the other end of the phone until Bailey finally decided to speak up.
“Look, if you’re just going to be a dick about this forever then why not just sign over the house here in Miami to me? You clearly have no further use for it since clearly your move to Denver has been well documented. Madison and I stay here, and we are the ones taking care of the place. If we’re that much of a nuisance to you then just give us the house at a reasonable price and be done with it.” Bailey said logically.
Jace takes a seat down onto the couch as his face scrunches up in absolute offense to his sister’s suggestion.
“When did YOU decide that I have no further use for the house that I brought there in Miami? The reasons for why I bought the house in Denver are none of your business and they certainly do not mean that I am never coming back to Miami again. I allow you and Madison both to live there out of the kindness of my heart for free. A little gratitude and respect go a long way.” Jace’s head moved a bit as he spoke.
“Gratitude and respect?” Bailey’s voice was filled with exaggeration and shock. “You mean to tell me you actually know what those words mean? I would have never guessed that. All I’m asking here is simple human decency on your part. You’ve made zero effort to end this fight you have with Madison and–”
Jace holds up his hand even though he’s alone in the locker room to interrupt his sister.
“Excuse me? I have made zero effort. What about the fact that earlier today I was there with her during the Warhandle event in 5BW? Do you realize how hard it is to travel cross country in one day to make sure I made it to 5BW and back here for Chaos?” Jace lowers his hand and grips the arm of the couch. “I’ve made more effort for Madison than she has for anything to do with me. When’s the last time she’s even bothered to show up for a Chaos event?”
“Please, you show up at 5BW shows to spend more time with Miss Tolson, since of course you can’t pull your head out of her ass.” Bailey argues. “Madison told me what happened and how you acted earlier today. And what about her matches in MVW? You’ve yet to attend one of their events to support her.”
Jace starts laughing obnoxiously.
“You expect me to attend a Missouri Valley Wrestling event?” The laughter gets louder and more obnoxious. “You must be out of your fucking mind. That place is run by Ray McAvay and has Joe Bergman there. Also, it’s in the middle of fucking nowhere. Hard pass. She signed there just to piss me the hell off, she made her bed there, so she can lie in it alone.”
“Why the hell are you so fucking stubborn?!” Bailey shouted in frustration. “You refuse to work things out with Madison, you refuse to even be in the same room with your father, and you refuse to even step foot back in Miami since it all happened. You have no idea how hard it is to–” Bailey was once again interrupted by Jace.
“Bails, listen, I would love to sit here and listen to each and every single one of your grievances but like I said I have to get ready for the event since it starts in under an hour.” Jace pulled himself to his feet as he continued to speak. “The fact that Madison is doing whatever the hell Madison does and that you two keep treating that random stranger like he has any kind of relation to me is not at the top of my priority list. I have to have a match tonight before heading off to Alcatraz on the night before Halloween. You want to keep me updated then do it through text messages. I only care about the Cliff notes anyway, so buh bye.”
Jace pulls the phone away from his ear and ends the call. He leans over and places the phone back into his duffle bag before straightening back up.
“All the way across the damn country and I still can’t escape the bullshit. Maybe I should have tried buying a house in London instead of Denver.”
Jace rubs his hands down his face before shaking off the thought as he goes back to prepare for Chaos.
—–
Jace’s House
Miami, Florida
Sunday, October 16th, 2022
Right after Jace ended the call
Bailey pulled the phone away from her ear and stared down at the screen with an appalled look on her face. She placed her phone face down on the couch where she was seated and let out a muffled scream into one of the throw pillows beside her.
“I cannot be related to him!!!” Bailey pulled her head from the throw pillow and took a moment to catch her breath.
She shifted her position back on the couch and leaned her head back with a deep sigh. Bailey had a lot on her plate but trying to wrangle both Jace and Madison together was trying to catch two greased pigs at the same time.
“Why do I bother?” Bailey said to herself.
Everything in the house was quiet, almost too quiet. Bailey felt the beginning of a headache coming on as she reached for her phone once again. She glanced down at the time and realized it’s been a while since she had eaten anything.
“What is even open this late?” Bailey mused out loud.
Dinner had been early and with the hour of night on a Sunday there wouldn’t be many options available to choose from. She goes through the limited list in her head and Waffle House sounds like the most appealing choice. Bailey pulled herself up off of the couch and headed up the stairs. It would be rude for her to go out and get herself some food without at least seeing if Madison wanted to tag along with her.
“I hope she’s not asleep already.” Bailey whispered as she approached Madison’s bedroom door.
Bailey reached out and knocked on the door softly a couple of times. There was no direct response but from behind the door she could hear what was fumbling around of some sort and some hushed whispers. She raised her eyebrow confused until finally the bedroom door cracked open and Madison poked her head out of the room.
“Hey, what’s up?” Madison asked with a fake grin on her face.
“Are you okay? I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Bailey asked as Madison appeared to try to wipe something from the side of her mouth.
“Sleeping? No, I was just uh, relaxing a bit. I’m just fine though but thanks for asking.” Madison pulled her head back into the room for a moment.
“I’m starving and I was wondering if you wanted to come along with me to get something at Waffle House?” Bailey inquired but narrowed her eyebrows as Madison poked her head out of the door again.
“Hungry? Oh no, that’s okay. It’s late and you know it’s hard work keeping my figure as it is. That discipline you’re always telling me about and what not.” Madison chuckles when suddenly a sneeze is heard.
Bailey didn’t sneeze and neither did Madison. The sneeze came from inside of the bedroom. Having enough of the weirdness Bailey pushed the door open to reveal Jace’s biological father sitting on the edge of the bed trying to put his pants back on.
“MADISON!!!” Bailey screams.
“Hello, dear.” Jace’s father says awkwardly while waving towards Bailey.
Bailey just stands there in shock blinking rapidly before looking over at Madison who has a mischievous ‘oops’ expression on her face.
“Sorry for just bursting in like this but I realllllly need to talk to her for just a moment.” Bailey grabs a hold of Madison by the arm.
Bailey pulls Madison out of the room then slams the door shut behind her. Bailey drags Madison with her down the stairs away from the bedroom. The two women make their way past the living and into a nearby bathroom on that floor. Bailey slams the door closed, making sure to lock it then turns and looks at Madison.
“What. The. Fuck?!” Bailey yells in a whisper to Madison.
“I can explain.” Madison replies while holding up her hands.
“I’m not sure I want to know!” Bailey throws her hands into the air frantically.
Bailey takes a moment to turn around and run her hands through her hair trying to process everything that she just saw upstairs. She takes a moment to breathe before turning to look back at Madison with a calmer demeanor.
“Okay, you’re a grown woman and you’re allowed to do whatever you want to do behind closed doors.” Bailey says in a low and leveled tone. “That being said, what the hell is wrong with you?! That is my brother’s biological father!” Bailey says in a faster tone while hitting Madison in the arm repeatedly.
“Alright, alright, I get it. I screwed up!” Madison says as she tries to fight off Bailey’s assault on her arm.
Bailey stops hitting Madison who groans out loud as she sits down on the edge of the tub. She lowers her head into her hands as Bailey remains standing concerned for her friend and pupil.
“Tell me what is going on with you, I know all of this is hard but what is the real issue?” Bailey tried to be the ear and shoulder that Madison needed.
Madison sat there for a moment then slowly raised her head.
“It’s just difficult right now. Here I am in Miami, living in his house, sleeping in his bed, but he wants absolutely nothing to do with me. I left everything, my friends, my family, and my whole life back in Tampa just to be with him. And it was great, and I was just so happy but now? I have to sit back and watch him on social media with Samantha. They are buying a house together; he’s staying at her various places when he’s not at an arena. I just don’t know what to do.” Madison admits in a somber tone.
Bailey remains silent as she lowers herself down onto the edge of the tub beside Madison.
“And this is why you’re obsessed with Tolson? I don’t think… whatever it is you did… with Jace’s father is the answer.” Bailey places her hand on Madison’s back.
“I’m just angry all the time. What happened upstairs had nothing to do with Terrence himself. I’m just grasping at straws trying to find ways to either make him take notice of me or to piss him off. Well, that, and the fact that my batteries died earlier.” Madison lets out a weak chuckle.
“I’m… not even going to go there.” Bailey lets out a chuckle of her own. “I get it, heartbreak is a bitch, but you can’t just live the rest of your life being angry at Samantha.”
“It’s not even anger.” Madison leans her head back and groans again. “Like I get it. Samantha Tolson is more like him than I am. She’s this muscular fitness babe who is totally hot and has won a bunch of titles in a lot of different companies. I’m just some ordinary chick he met years ago who became his manager and his cum sock.”
“Gross.” Bailey leans over and visibly gags because composing herself. “However, you’re not just some ordinary chick. You’ve been by my brother’s side through thick and thin. I’m sorry he’s a thick-headed asshole but you can’t make someone love you.”
Madison nods her head up and down slowly.
“I know, trust me Bailey, I KNOW.” Madison says with emphasis. “I just can’t flip off my feelings for your brother like a light switch. I know he was never actually my boyfriend, but I moved in with him. I took care of him when he still couldn’t get around very well due to the neck injury. I’ve cooked for him, cleaned for him, did his shopping, and took care of his every need. We’ve shared the same bed whether it was here or somewhere else around the world. It wasn’t a label kind of thing but dammit it was still real. You can’t just fake those kinds of feelings or closeness.”
“I know Madi, and I wish I had an answer for you that would fix everything, but I don’t.” Bailey rubbed her hand up and down Madison’s back. “You’ve told me the stories of how he would just treat you so badly once he got back into wrestling. You’re too kind of a person to want to be with someone who would do that to you. You deserve better, sweetie.”
Madison sits down for a moment in silence as Bailey continues to rub her back. Madison tightens her hand into a fist and shakes it vehemently.
“That’s the thing, it’s hard to feel like I deserve better when I get passed over for someone else.” Madison begins breathing a little heavier. “I want to hate her; I want to wish death on her, but the reality is that if it was me then I wouldn’t be kicking her out of bed either. That’s what makes it worse for me. So, instead of hating her I’ve decided to make this a competition.”
“Okay, that just sounds crazy.” Bailey says in a worried tone.
Madison rises to her feet then begins to pace back and forth across the bathroom rug.
“It might sound crazy, but it makes perfect sense.” Madison extends her index finger as a devilish grin spread over her face. “She’s into fitness? Then I’m going to get into better shape than she is. She wants to be a stripper and kinky. I’ll be a better dancer than her and a bigger, better, sluttier whore than she could ever be. Jace wants a girl that can be a World Champion and throw a thousand suplexes? Then I’ll start throwing as many suplexes as she does in the ring. I’ll do it even better than she does and then slowly but surely, I’ll climb the ladder until I’m the one with gold around my waist.”
“I’m all for you being successful but…” Bailey is interrupted as Madison continues speaking.
“I’ll do all of that and more until he looks at her and sees the disappointment that he saw in me. She’ll be the one that he kicks to the curb before he comes crawling on his hands and knees back to me.” Madison stops pacing and holds out her open hand. “I’ll hold him right where I want him, and I’ll make him suffer. I will crush him, mind, body, and soul until he has no choice but to worship the very ground that I walk on.”
Madison stands there with a crazed look on her face as Bailey sits there wide eyed and disturbed by her friend’s demeanor and tangent. The awkward silence is broken by the sound of Madison’s stomach growling.
“I guess I did work up an appetite.” Madison holds her stomach with an embarrassed expression on her face.
Bailey rises to her feet and shakes her head slowly.
“Madi, we call that being hangry.” Bailey wraps her arm around Madison’s shoulder. “Let’s get some Waffle House inside of you and maybe you’ll start thinking with a clearer head.”
“And what about Terrence?” Madison asked as Bailey led her back out of the bathroom.
“I guess it’s only fair that we bring him along too, especially after you did whatever it is you did up there to him.” Bailey said with a bit of sarcasm. “But I swear to God if you two start playing footsie under the table or disappear into a restroom together, I’m going to totally lose my shit.”
Madison and Bailey share an awkward laugh as they head upstairs to gather Jace’s biological father. Bailey knew that this whole thing was far from resolved but was happy to sweep it under the rug for the moment in favor of some greasy food. It would give her more time to think of a way to piece this puzzle back together into a more pleasant picture.