From the second his car door opens I can tell he's a douche bag. His hair is gelled in that way that someone does it when they're trying too hard to look like they're not trying. His stubble is the perfect length of "come here, 16 year old girl, wanna fuck?" and his eyes are hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. He slams the car door shut, and buttons up his suit jacket. It looks like Armani. Fuck this guy.

He makes his way around the car and up onto the sidewalk, then crosses the lawn and heads for the porch eyeing Mia and I the entire time. Mia takes a few steps to get to the top of the stairs, conveniently in between the two of us.

MIA: Hey! You're earlier than I thought you were going to be.

DANIEL: Surgery finished early today, I figured I'd come by and surprise you.

RAVEN: What happened? Kill someone on the table?

He eyes me suspiciously. He knows who I am, but remains focused on Mia.

DANIEL: I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company over. I can come back later, or tomorrow.

RAVEN: That'd be great, scalpel jockey. Why don't you head on home to the frat house?

MIA: JAMES! Stop it!

Daniels eyes light up when she confirms my identity for him. He turns to fully face me and extends his hand with a smile that drips condescension.

DANIEL: So YOU'RE the famous Mr. James Raven!

RAVEN: Yeah, and you're someone I've never fucking heard of.

MIA: That's it, get out James! You're being rude as shit!

DANIEL: No, no... please... let him stay. This has got to be an awkward situation for him. I'm sure it is for everyone. He's more than entitled to lash out at first, I can take it.

I roll my eyes and throw my hands into the air.

RAVEN: Come on man, you're a surgeon not a psychiatrist! Cut the shit and fix my rotator cuff or something.

DANIEL: Good one. Actually, I don't do that sort of work. I'm a plastic surgeon.

I stare at him blankly. I turn to Mia.

RAVEN: Are you fucking kidding me?

MIA: What?

DANIEL: Did I say something wrong? I was-

I hold my hand up to cut him off mid-sentence.

RAVEN: Speak when spoken to, boob job. Mia, I ask you again, are you fucking kidding me? A plastic surgeon? A guy that gives ass implants to video hoes, and vaginal restorations to soccer moms for a living? That's the guy you're going to move my son in with?

MIA: For the last time, he's not YOUR son! He's ours, and you don't have a say in this part. Sorry, not sorry.

DANIEL: Also, you trivialize my work. I do a lot of scar removal, and-

RAVEN: I swear to God, tummy tuck! Speak when spoken to!

He smiles, and steps up the last few stairs and past Mia. Now fully on the porch he looks me up and down. He removes his sunglasses and stares at me with calculating hazel eyes.

DANIEL: You don't like me, I get it. You're threatened by me spending time with your son, I get that too.

RAVEN: I'm not threatened by shit.

DANIEL: You are, and it's OK. I promise you. At a certain point you'll just have to get over it, though. I suggest we come to that point quickly.

I see a look of fear wash over Mias face and she rushes up the step and grabs Daniel by the arm, pulling him away a few inches before he slips free and retakes his ground.

MIA: Please don't do this.

RAVEN: What did you just say to me?

DANIEL: I don't think I really need to repeat myself, James. What are you looking for? Will fighting me make you feel better?

I feel the blood boiling as it pulses through my veins, my heart beating at a jackhammers pace as I try to retain composure.

RAVEN: I promise you, you don't want to open that Pandoras box. I would end you.

DANIEL: Maybe. I think you'd be surprised, though.

RAVEN: No need to be hypothetical. We can figure it out.

MIA: Guys! STOP!

Mia forces her way between us as Daniel begins to remove his suit jacket and tie, and I roll up my sleeves. I know this is stupid, but at this point there's no backing down. It's go time. I have no endgame; I don't want Mia back, I know she won't be happy. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, though.

MIA: Seriously, both of you! Stop it! NOW!

The screen door swings open, and Tyler rushes out onto the porch. Immediately I unclench my fist and turn away from the situation, breathing heavily. He runs over to Daniel, throwing his arms around him.

TYLER: Hi Danny! I heard your car!

Tyler hugs everyone. He loves it. I shouldn't take this one so personally, but I do. I know he has no idea, but it feels like he just chose his side of the battle line. I stay turned away from them. I don't want to watch that shit.

DANIEL: Oh yeah? I revved it extra loud for you. How are ya, Ty? All ready to move in?

Fuck him.

TYLER: Yeah, almost. Do you and my dad know each other?

DANIEL: We sure do. We're old friends, aren't we Raven?

I turn slowly, ready to lose it on this fucking douche nozzle when I lock eyes with Tyler. Sometimes the innocence of a child can really fuck with your plans.

RAVEN: Sort of.

Daniel smiles. It's cocky, it's arrogant, it's everything that everyone always accuses me of being.

TYLER: Are you both staying for dinner?

MIA: No, your dad has to go home and-

DANIEL: Mia, don't be rude. James has come a long way, and if he'd like to join us for dinner... in our home... I'd be thrilled to have him. We can keep it civil. We'll talk wrestling.

TYLER: What's civil mean?

MIA: I really don't think that's such a good idea. I'm sorry.

TYLER: PLEEEEEEEASE?!

MIA: Tyler, tonight just isn't a good-

TYLER: PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE?!?!?!?

DANIEL: I think we'd better give him what he wants. Come on James, don't you want to talk wrestling with your son over a pizza? We can discuss your match with-

I lunge forward, throwing up my hands to cut him off.

RAVEN: WHOA! HEY! STOP!

DANIEL: - Thaddeus Duke.

It lands like a bomb on Tyler. He hears his favorite wrestlers name despite my best attempt to shut it down, and his eyes widen to almost anime-like proportions. I can almost see the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end, and his heart jump up his throat and out his mouth.

RAVEN: Fuck.

MIA: Language!

TYLER: You fought Thaddy?! You said you didn't who won? What happened? You said you guys were friends!

RAVEN: No, I said I had met him, and we haven't fought yet we're fighting this week.

Daniel looks at me with a look of mock disapproval.

DANIEL: Come on James, don't like to the boy. You fought at High Stakes, and you almost kicked Dukes head off.

TYLER: WHAAAAT?!

MIA: That's enough, Daniel!

DANIEL: You broke the poor kids nose, James.

Tyler is nearly in tears as Mia grabs him and hugs him tightly, and I take a menacing step towards Daniel and make sure Mia is covering Tylers ears before whispering in a tone that only Daniel can hear.

RAVEN: You're over the line. Don't play with my son like that, or I swear to god I will kill you.

For the first time, he looks like he takes me seriously. His eyes lose a bit of their luster and he swallows hard before looking to Mia for support, but she's still attending to Tyler. I back away from him, minding my business before Mia notices anything is going on. Tyler begins to calm down, but looks at me with sorrowful eyes.

TYLER: Don't fight him again! Or let him win! You don't need it daddy, you can let him win.

RAVEN: I don't know. It doesn't really work that way, bud.

DANIEL: Sure it does, you just show up Saturday... and lose. Simple. You're still the number one contender, and you build a star for the company. If that's not enough, you make your son happy. What more do you want? Or need?

RAVEN: Don't do that, Daniel. I'm warning you.

DANIEL: Just food for thought, I suppose.

MIA: I'm done with this, we need to get inside and eat dinner. Come on guys.

Mia grabs Tyler by the hand.

DANIEL: Are you sure you won't join us, James? You can even stay in the guest bedroom tonight instead of the hotel.

I swear to fucking god, I will get this guy. I don't know how or when, but I will. Mia looks to me with eyes that are almost apologetic, and Tyler is still reeling after the Thaddeus Duke bombshell. I cant just throw that match, but I need to figure something out that would make Tyler happy... I can't let him start to slip away from me.

RAVEN: I'm good, Dick... errr, Dan. I'll come by tomorrow before I go back to Canada, OK Tyler? I'll explain the Thaddeus Duke stuff to you, it's not that bad. I talked to him after the show that night, he said his nose was totally fine.

TYLER: Promise?

RAVEN: I promise.

TYLER: OK. See you tomorrow, dad.

RAVEN: See ya, buddy.

MIA: Goodnight, James. Sorry you flew all the way down here.

RAVEN: Don't be. It was good to see two thirds of you.

She smiles and walks Tyler into the house, the screen door swinging shut behind them. Daniel lingers and stares at me, a smirk on his face. He says nothing. Finally, he shrugs and heads into the house leaving me all alone.

Fuck.

It's going to be a long trip back home.

Here we go Thaddeus, the calm before the storm.

I want to change pace on you, and apologize. I've been going through a lot the past couple of weeks, and I may have been a little less patient with you than I'd have normally liked to be. Besides, I think you can admit you came at me off the jump a little aggressively... I was reacting.

I honestly don't dislike you, Thaddeus.

I think you're a talented kid with a wealth of potential, you just don't have somebody to let you off the leash or tell you to wait... and you don't have the common sense to do it for yourself yet. I sang your praises to Vinny Lane, I spoke about you on the phone with Theo and asked why you weren't a King... I just want to make all of that known, so that when I beat you it doesn't become more than it needs to be. I don't want you thinking I'm some other Legend spitting on you because of your youth, I admire it. I don't want you to think I was mocking your old losses and shortcomings, so much as I was pointing out veins of golden experience that I know you've yet to fully mine.

Despite what you may think, I want you to succeed.

My recent conversations with my son have made me re-evaluate my relationship with you. The XWF is littered with unfriendly faces looking to take me down, either for fortune or fame, but I don't count you among them. You aren't a King, you aren't AX3, you aren't a current Universal title rival (though you will be someday, I'm sure). You're just a kid that's doing his best, and with very little assistance. I can respect that.

As much as Tyler asked me to throw this match, I can't do it. I'm coming to win, but I'm doing it with respect to you. If you want the chance to measure yourself against the best, you've got it. When it doesn't end the way you'd dreamed, though, don't do yourself the disservice of saying "I was young" or "I wasn't ready" and discarding the week like old trash. These are the weeks that alter the path, that create the legacy you'll someday leave behind.

Don't cut corners.

You're better than that.

Now I'm sure your last promo will be scathing. I'm sure it'll be filled with more allegations of child neglect, and tales of how I've never beaten anyone of value. I'm sure you've reference my ratings against Barney Green again and pretend that's my overall total, ignoring the previous weeks where I dwarfed you. I'm sure you'll flip flop between the kid that wants to shadow me and the knight that hopes to slay the dragon, nitpick little sentences while ignoring my bigger messages... I'm sure you'll do all that and more, considering how close we are to the show I'm sure you won't see this in advance, and even if you did I'd only expect it anyways.

My point is I'm willing to ignore all of that.

I'm willing to write it off as water under the bridge, a brief flare up between the present and future of the XWF that was quickly squashed for the greater good.

I'm willing to offer you my hand.

I'll see you in the ring on Saturday, Thaddeus. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a nice warm up before I stomp whoever holds the Universal title at King of the Ring, and you rebound to take the crown at the end of the tournament. King Duke? It might be a bit confusing... but Universal Champion Raven and King Thaddeus, I like the sound of that.

The balls in your court. I'm sure we'll be in touch.

You claim not to fear the Raven, let's see how much you really respect him.