Several Hours after Aftershock: The Revival.

True to her word, Kelly Evans stayed behind to make sure the inmates didn’t burn the asylum to the ground in her absence. After the fans had all emptied the arena, and the staff had all punched out, and the “boys” and “girls” had left the building, the Matriarch of DEFIANCE was the last one out.

She arrives home soon after, a one bedroom apartment in the Central Business District, where she allowed Ty to crash on her couch when he first returned to DEFIANCE two years ago. In the months since DEFIANCE’s World Tour, they’ve been sharing it as their fifteen year friendship of ups and downs evolved into more.

The place is fancy, it even has it’s own secure elevator, which takes her directly to the apartment. The elevator door opens to mostly darkness, with the only available light coming from large windows that look out on to the street, and the light from within the elevator itself.

Kels - Ty?

She calls out as her heels click on the hardwood floors with every step, while the elevator door shuts behind her. A sudden burst of low light pours in, revealing the custom kitchenette of stainless steel appliances and bathes the rest of the lofted living area in dim shadows. Pausing for an answer, she sets her phone, keys and clutch purse on the counter.

With no response, she figures he’s still out with Lindsay Troy and Dan Ryan, doing god knows what, because it’s never just drinks when alcohol is involved. Chaos and Hilarity always seems to ensue somehow. The thought of Ty brings a smile to her face as she remembers the silly George Jefferson style jig he was cutting.

Heading to her left, she kicks off her heels before ascending a set of stairs. With every step, she strips away pieces of tight and skimpy clothing that once left just enough to the imagination. By the time she reaches the top of the steps she’s nude and deposits her clothes on top of the dresser, then turns towards the closet.

Opening the doors, she looks down and finds a clothes basket, which she picks through until coming up with one of Ty’s baseball jerseys. Slipping it on over her head, she lets it fall over her naked body. Feeling comfortable, she walks around to her side of the bed and sits before swinging her legs on to it.

Sitting back against the pillows, she decompresses with a sigh, enjoying this well deserved moment of quiet after a long night of constant noise. All told, it was a highly successful night with the show getting rave reviews from the fans and dirt sheets on the internet.

She smiles with satisfaction and bathes in the peace surrounding her.

=/=

Meanwhile.

Elsewhere in the city.

On the order of Kelly Evans, the new DEFIANCE World Trios Tag Team Champions hit up the city of New Orleans. Drinks were had, food was consumed, drunk frat bros got tossed, and there might have even been a rendition of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” at the Cat’s Meow on Bourbon Street to cap off the night.

Completely unconfirmed, of course.

All the while, they had no clue what went down during the main event and it’s shocking twists and turns in the aftermath. As minutes turned into hours, the time flew by, with partnerships and friendships being forged along the way, the three eventually bid each other a good evening, until next time.

Ty checks the time and finds it to be just after midnight. Deciding it was about that time anyway, and figuring he was close enough to home, he walks the several blocks. The whole time, Ty checks his phone for fan reactions to the show and the main event, seeing nothing but positive responses that don’t tell whole the story.

Pocketing his phone, Ty smiles with a touch of pride for Kelly’s efforts to salvage what could have been a disaster in the wake of Edward White’s demise. He considers how much she has grown, having become much more than the infamous Whore Next Door and Team Danger’s go to girl.

She’s a true boss now.

As time and blocks pass, he arrives home. When the elevator brings him to the apartment, he sees light coming from the kitchen and the bedroom. Walking over to the stairs, he quietly walks up so as not to disturb Kels if she’s sleeping. Peaking inside the bedroom, he finds her having already drifted off to sleep.

Fishing out his cell, he sees it’s almost 1 in the morning, not feeling quite that tired at the moment. Backing away from the door, he retreats to the couch downstairs. Leaning down, he feels a bit of stiffness in his aging body, the toll of his impromptu part in the Trios Title Match catching up to him as he fires up a laptop before taking a seat.

Grabbing a different remote, he presses a button and turns on an enormous, 88 inch flat screen television that displays the desktop of the computer. Opening a browser, he logs into DEFIANCE’s private server and finds Aftershock. Skipping through the show, he comes up on the Main Event.

He settles into a deep seat as he kicks off his Timberlands and sits back, finally relaxing. On the screen, Darren Quimbey is just about to begin his introduction to the match as Ty feels his eyes start to droop, getting heavier by the second as he fights off the physical urge to cash out for the night.

=/=

Approximately ten minutes later.

Hearing sounds coming from downstairs, Kelly’s eyes flutter open as she’s roused from her sleep. Getting up, she walks to the stairs, and with each step the sounds become clearer in her mind as she begins to recognize the voices of Angus Skaaland and Darren Keebler.

Going downstairs, she finds Ty on the couch struggling to remain conscious and the Main Event playing on screen. The playback is right around where Dusty Griffith and Eugene Dewey wrecked Angus and Keebs desk. Shuffling over to him, Kelly puts a hand on his forearm, causing him to wake and see her in front of him.

Ty - Ayyyyyye…

He says with a sleepy half smile, that she reciprocates with one of her own.

Kels - Heya, tired?

Ty - Nah, nah, I’m good… I’m… After this...

He attempts to object as he nods at the screen, but his eyes say otherwise as he struggles to keep them open. Refusing to take no for an answer, she turns off the tv and reaches down for his wrists and pulls up.

Kels - C’mon, lets go to bed, you can watch this whenever.

He doesn’t fight it and raises up to his feet with her help. Kelly leads Ty to their room, where she strips off his shirt before he sits himself down on the bed, though still a little uncooperative and mumbly in his half drunk, half sleepy state. His hands come up to gently hold her by the hips.

Ty - Aye…

Kels - Hmmm?

Ty - Yunno I loves you, right?

Kels - You love everyone, Ty.

Ty - I do… But I got love for ya too, woman.

Kels - I know, I love you too, Ty…

She hears the words, but figure it’s just his being inebriated and partially delirious with a need for sleep. She knows he cares about her, even loves her in a certain way that fifteen years of friendship would create. As for anything more than that, she’s unsure of how real it could truly be.

Ty - Seriously doe...

Kels - I know.

He looks up to her and shakes his head as an ever so brief moment of clarity peaks through the drunken, sleep deprived haze.

Ty - Nonono… Woman… it’s like… I loves you... for real, real…

The moment of clarity fades as quick as it arrived as he yawns and rests the side of his head against her soft body, still covered with one of his jerseys. Kelly sighs as he leans into her, stroking the back of  his neck, unsure of this confession, was it a product of Bourbon Street’s finest talking, or a genuine, heartfelt expression?

Getting him to lay back, still in his trousers and socks, he zonks out pretty quick as she goes around and takes her spot on the bed, and gets in under the covers. She leans in and kisses him on the temple before curling up against him.

For now, they sleep on it.

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