New Perspectives

January 24
Orlando, Florida

A perfect sunny afternoon, out in the backyard of his beautiful home with his two little daughters…and all Lachlan could think about was Victory.

More specifically, the episode of Victory where he came to the ring, pouring his heart out to the crowd about how he felt like a failure and that he let everyone down, only to be blindsided by not only the she-demon that’s been plaguing his very existence almost since the beginning of PWE and her parasitic tagalong…but his own best friend.

Correction - former best friend.

The scene had been replaying in his mind for days now. And the worst part of it all was he didn’t even know why. Nothing leading up to the beatdown had given him any indication that their friendship had been on the rocks. Of course, it had been some time since they had last seen each other, but they had kept in touch through messages and social media. And then, when Eddy had surprised him by showing up at the Wolfslair facility in Orlando back in October, it was like no time at all had passed for them. They still had the same inside jokes, still told the same stories from their time in Japan. After everything that had been happening in his personal life up to that point, being able to let go of the stress and worry and just share a laugh and a beer with his best friend was like a soothing balm to his soul.

Which made Eddy’s betrayal hurt that much more. And it wasn’t even about the physical pain, though Lachlan had a sore neck for a few days after whiplashing into the corner turnbuckle the way he did. No, this was the kind of pain that he would carry with him for quite a while, if not forever. One that wouldn’t heal like a cut or a bruise. And for someone like Lachlan, who valued loyalty over just about everything…it cut extra deep.

He knew he shouldn’t let this get to him. Everything in him screamed to just keep focusing forward and looking to the next challenge to arise in PWE. But after failing to claim back his Victory title, like he had boasted about doing for weeks, he was adrift. He didn’t know where he was going from here on out. And he knew that if he didn’t have a goal or a plan in place for his career soon, he would give in to the dark thoughts in his mind that were clamoring for him to take revenge on Eddy. He had already gone down that path before, and he wasn’t keen on doing it again quite so soon. Especially since his wife was due to give birth very soon and he didn’t think she’d appreciate it if he decided to go AWOL without telling anyone like he did last year.

But still, the thoughts were swirling in his mind as he sat out in the backyard of his home, his one safe oasis from wrestling right now. While he still showed up for his training duties at Wolfslair, it still held some bad memories. Not to mention the pitying looks his students and fellow trainers would give him when they thought he wasn’t looking. It got under his skin in the worst way, so he limited the time he spent there on the off chance he snapped on some poor undeserving trainee. Today was a rare day off for him, and while he might normally have been training for the next Victory show, he decided that he would simply take a day to be with his family and try to quell the rising storm inside him.

The joyful shrieks of his daughters pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced up to see them chasing each other around with toy swords and shields, and it brought a soft smile to his face.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since last week.”

The sound of his wife’s voice drew his attention to the patio doors leading to the house, and he watched as Sierra made her way slowly outside to sit beside him on the loveseat. Her stomach looked like it was ready to burst, and he rested his hand on it to rub gentle circles as he draped his other arm across her shoulder. “Kind of feels like it,” he admitted with a sigh. “Just…haven’t really had much to smile about.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, pointedly staring down at her stomach. “Oh no, nothing much. Just the impending birth of our child.”

He smiled a bit sheepishly, kissing the side of her head. “Of course, there’s that. And believe me, I am completely over the moon about it, love. But you know how I get when something’s eating at me.”

“All too well,” she said, with a roll of her green eyes. “I want to preface this next bit by saying I love and adore you with all my heart, but you need to get your head out of your ass already.”

Even after four years together, Sierra’s blunt nature still sometimes caught Lachlan off guard, but it was one of the reasons he had fallen for her in the first place. Still, his mouth gaped open for a few moments before he chuckled and shook his head. “Straight to the heart of the matter, as per usual.”

“Lachy, I’m serious. You can’t let this guy have this much control over your emotions. Sure, he may have been your best friend at one time, but it looks like something’s changed for him. And until you know why he did what he did, I really don’t think moping about the situation is going to help matters.” She put her hand on top of his, where they were resting on her stomach and laced their fingers together. “You may get an answer from him about why he did it, you may not. But in the meantime you just need to push on, and deal with whatever happens afterwards.”

He sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, mulling her words over in his mind before looking back to her with a soft smile on his face. “As usual, you are the voice of reason in this house.”

She returned his smile, and leaned forward to give him a kiss. But just as their lips were about to touch, a pained look came across her face and she squeezed Lachlan’s hand tightly. “Uh, that didn’t feel good.”

Lachlan’s eyes widened as his body immediately went into protective mode. “Everything OK?”

“...I think it’s time.”

—-----------

January 25

It was amazing how 24 hours could completely turn your world upside down.

Just yesterday, Lachlan was moping around his home, lamenting the fact that one of his very best friends had seemingly turned his back on him and brutally attacked him in front of the whole world. And now, that incident was the furthest thing from his mind as he cradled his newborn son in his arms.

He still couldn’t fully wrap his head around it. The tiny bundle swaddled in blankets was barely bigger than his forearm, and yet he instantly became the center of Lachlan’s entire world. As much as he loved Jade and Olivia, there was something different about watching your own child come into the world, hearing his very first cries, seeing him take his first breaths. It was something that would be etched into Lachlan’s mind forever.

He walked back and forth in front of the window in Sierra’s hospital room, staring down at the sleeping baby in his arms. The smile had not left his face since the moment the tiny baby had been placed in his arms, and he felt the soreness in his cheeks. But he just couldn’t stop smiling.

“My little boy,” he whispered softly, careful not to wake Sierra who had just gotten to sleep a few moments ago. “Cruz Keely O’Connell.” Saying his name out loud simultaneously brought tears to his eyes and a laugh to his throat. “Oh, your auntie Bella is gonna laugh her ass off when she hears that. It’s certainly going to be a fun story to tell you when you get older. Not that I’m in any rush for that. Hell, you’re only 5 hours old, little one.”

He leaned his head down to gently press his lips to Cruz’s head, and the newborn wriggled and cooed. “Sorry, guess Daddy’s beard is a bit scratchy. I just…this all feels like a dream. I still can’t believe you’re finally here, little man. But you’re here, and you’ve got a wonderful family just waiting for you. You’ve got two big sisters who I know are going to love you to pieces. You’re all they could talk about for months. You’ve got a mama who might seem like she’s a tough lady, but she’s going to love and cherish you so much. And you’ve got a daddy here who will do anything to make sure you grow up happy and healthy. No matter what this crazy life is gonna throw at us, I promise you that I’m going to protect you and the rest of our family with everything I have.”

A small sob drew his attention, and he turned to see Sierra staring at him with a sheen of tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. Lachlan gave her a mock-stern look, though it was tempered by the smile on his own face. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“You try giving birth and then getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. Everything from the waist down feels like I got run over by a Mack truck,” she scoffed.

He laughed lightly as he sat down on the edge of her bed, and she gingerly sat up enough to lay her head on his shoulder as they both stared down at their son together.

—----

“You know, it’s incredible how a single moment can change your entire outlook on life.”

Out in the backyard of his Orlando home, seated next to the pool staring up at the night sky, Lachlan Kane looked to be the picture of relaxation. His arms were raised up behind his head, his right leg was propped up at the ankle on his left knee, and a peaceful smile adorned his face as his blue eyes stared up at the canopy of stars above his head. The faint sound of crickets and the odd croak of a frog could be heard as Lachlan’s head came forward to look into the camera set up just off to his side. His arms came down to rest in his lap, his fingers interlaced together.

“Just a few weeks ago, I made an appearance on Victory after going through yet another hellish battle. I walked into that match with all the confidence in the world that I was going to get my title back, and it went up in flames just as easily as I did. When I came out to speak to the PWE faithful that night, I was fully ready to ride that shame spiral. When I came to the ring and poured my heart out to you all, that was 100% real. And then, to get brutally attacked the way I did by someone I thought was my best friend…” A wry smirk crossed his face as he shook his head. “Well, you can’t really get much lower than that, can you?”

The wry smirk was replaced by a genuine smile, full of soft reverence and pure love. “But then, something happened. Something that happens to millions of people each and every day, but is still seen as something miraculous, awe-inspiring. The birth of my child. On January 25, my baby boy Cruz was brought into this world, and everything else just faded away. For a few blissful days, nothing else mattered to me except my beautiful, perfect family. My wife, my children…we were in our own personal paradise. All the pain, the embarrassment, the rage I felt…it just seemed so small and insignificant as I stared down into the face of my baby boy.”

The smile turned back into a smirk at this point. “But eventually, I had to come down from cloud nine. Back into reality. After all, Daddy’s gotta be the breadwinner now.” He gave a cheeky wink to the camera. “And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was dangerously close to treading into some dark waters again. But once I was holding my baby boy in my arms, I was able to pull myself back from the brink. I was able to cram those dark thoughts to the back of my mind.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m coming back to Victory any less hungry and determined than I was before. If anything, it’s sharpened my edge, made me even more of a threat. Because I am not done, not by a long shot. That Victory championship was a fingertip away from being back in my hands…and it was snatched away.”

He took a moment to glance to the side, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath. When his eyes opened back up, there was a hard glint in the bright blue depths. “And that’s why I’m coming back to Victory ready to do everything to climb the ladder and become a champion again. Victory, Impulse, Excellence…they’re all targets in my sights.”

“But first, I have to get onto that ladder, don’t I? And the first rung just happens to be Miss Chelsea Skye, the woman of many professional endeavors. You and I have tangled before, haven’t we? And the last time we did, it didn’t work out in your favour, now did it?” Lachlan shook his head, almost in a disappointed manner. “See, I’m not going to begrudge you your side projects, because if that’s what truly makes you happy then by all means, live your life the way you see fit. But I can’t help but to wonder just how dedicated you are to professional wrestling. I see you around in a few other promotions not only here but on an international stage, as well as being involved in the music scene and your other…spicy extracurriculars. At what point does it all become too much, Chelsea? When do you even have time to sleep, I wonder? Or train? Perhaps that’s why you haven’t been able to capture the success here in PWE that’s been eluding you, hmm?”

He sat back in the chair, pressing his fingertips together under his chin with a contemplative look on his face. “Look, I’m not trying to shame you for anything you do. But as someone who gives his all when he steps into the ring because professional wrestling is all I’ve ever wanted to do in my life, I’m not about to walk into Victory and let you surpass me. I’m the hungriest I’ve ever been in my career thus far, and I’m not playing with kid gloves when it comes to you. If professional wrestling is truly what you want to make your name from, then my friendly advice would be to start acting like it.”

His eyes narrowed again, and his lips tightened to a thin line that was neither a smile, nor a frown. “But you will not be making your name at my expense. The only thing you will be is the first step back to my redemption.”