To The Stars - 20. December, 2018

Saturday, December 8th

"Now snapmare!" Diego ordered, and Lance obeyed, hooking his arm around Rachel's neck and rolling her forwards onto her back. "Headlock!"

"I can do better than a headlock!" Lance shouted back and blew a kiss at his mentor, making everybody laugh. He locked his long legs around Rachel's swan-like neck and squeezed.

"Yeah, that works!" Gloria giggled, in Lance's corner.

It was a battle, alright. Diego and Rachel versus Lance and Gloria - not a real match in front of a crowd, but a training exercise. At the New Year's Pay Per View, Gloria and Rachel were going head to head in what Diego knew was going to be Gloria's final match at KADA Wrestling before she took some time off. Diego had the biggest match of his entire career that same night in the main event, and it never hurt to have Lance in the ring constantly to force him to improve. He was getting better - slowly, of course - but there was no denying he was one of a kind. He used a lot of his dance training to give elegant flair to basic moves, and his balance and flexibility were tremendous assets.

"Ten to fifteen seconds ideally," Rachel warned Lance, struggling so that he knew to relax the hold and let her counter it. "Enough time to catch our breath, not enough to bore the crowd to tears." She then sprung back, catching Lance by surprise and his shoulders were on the mat. Jimmy, the designated referee, was quick to begin a count, but Lance kicked out and wrapped his legs around Rachel's midsection instead, and hooked his arms around her head to create a sleeper hold.

"Beautiful!" Gloria clapped. "Keep the crowd on their toes! But when she counters you this time, you have to let her get away with it, or you'll spend too much time on the mat."

After a few seconds, Rachel rolled them over so that she was on her stomach, and she grabbed Lance by the hair - a common villain move - and rolled him forward off her.

"Get him, Rach!" Jimmy cheered. So much for an objective referee, Diego thought with a big smile.

Lance stumbled forward with a very choreographed clothesline attempt and Rachel ducked under it, dashing to the ropes, rebounding and leaping at Lance to take him out with a dropkick. Once, Lance would have cowered and fallen back over his feet, bracing his fall. Back when he was scared to take a hit. This time, however, Lance sold it well - not brilliantly, but well enough. Rachel walked over and made the tag to Diego, who happily stepped in and playfully cracked his knuckles.

"It's a shame we haven't had a real match before, kid," Diego teased him, shoving Lance backwards. "It'll be the last thing you ever see. I beat Jimmy Vause twice for the Championship. Did you know that?"

"Everyone bloody well knows that ya git!" Lance pushed Diego back, but the bigger, stronger man didn't budge an inch. "No!" He squealed when Diego grabbed his arm and effortlessly hoisted him up onto his shoulders. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed, making Diego laugh. He was terrific in this role.

"Counter my finisher," Diego instructed him, giving Lance a whole second to think about what he would do here. He wound his body around to the left, then quickly spun Lance around his right, ready to drop him to the canvas, but Lance stuck to him, wrapping his legs around Diego's thick waist and his arm around his neck.

"Ooh, that's neat," Jimmy commented, leaning against the ropes. "I was expecting the headscissors."

"Not! Sexy! Enough!" Lance shook his whole body to both emphasise his point and make the hold look as painful as he could. Diego struggled to both support Lance's weight and laugh at his words at the same time.

"Goddammit, kids!" Jimmy teased, a wry smile on his handsome face. "You're trying to make him submit in the ring, not the bedroom!"

"Can't I do both?" Lance asked, beginning to laugh as Diego's giggling fit started anew.

"Move it along, you horndogs!" Gloria whistled from her corner. "Some of us want to get in the ring before the 28th!"

Diego heard her and made his move. Lance let Diego manipulate his body and slam him on the canvas.

"Go and tag her. She and I have business a long time coming!" Diego taunted Gloria, staring right into her pretty black eyes. She stared right back.

"You wanna go, little starling? You think you can outwrestle mama bird?" Gloria reached out her hand, and Lance gratefully slapped it, tagging her in. "You might fancy yourself as the teacher here, but let's not forget who taught you how to wrestle for the camera in the first place! I don't even care if you beat Jimmy Vause twice!"

"I have a long memory, Glo," Diego winked at her, and he lunged. The collar and elbow tie-up, but Gloria was stronger than he credited her. She pushed with all her might and weight, and he hadn't adequately braced himself, so she shoved him right on his ass.

"What'chu got, Diego Silva?" Gloria flipped him off right in his face and wiggled her chest.

"Get him, Gloria!" Rachel cheered her on from Diego's corner. Oi Rach! You're cheering for the wrong person! "If you beat him, then that means you can beat Jimmy twice as well!"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Jimmy started laughing, holding his face in his hands. "How did I become the guy that lost two matches to Diego Silva?"

Diego, genuinely a little embarrassed by how quickly she overpowered him, got back to his feet and the two locked arms once more. He was stronger than her, though. They were roughly the same height and build, but Diego was able to force her backwards. Gloria strained and pushed as hard as her muscles would let her, crying out in frustration as Diego raised his eyebrows several times to mock her. She suddenly fell back, rebounded off the ropes and took him down with a clothesline. Diego, remembering that they were as good as wrestling a match and not just matching power, sold it well. After, Gloria, still determined to prove herself as the better of the two, lifted Diego up and onto her shoulders. Wow! It wasn't an unusual thing, to be lifted and carried in wrestling, but women so rarely did so to men. Gloria then gripped his chest with one arm and just below his belly button with the other. Holy moly. She's going to lift me into the air. No way! Diego didn't feel entirely safe with this, but he trusted her. True to her ambition, Gloria lifted him off her shoulders and right up above her head, her arms straining under the weight.

"How in the hell?" Lance was gobsmacked, and Rachel was yelling approval.

"That's our girl," Jimmy clapped his hands lazily, and Gloria threw Diego in front of her. Diego hit the canvas hard - although he knew exactly how to fall safely, it still didn't feel nice.

"Alright, we can go home now," Gloria joked, reaching down and grabbing Diego's legs, covering him for an unsuccessful pin. "Ooh, you're a stubborn bitch. Stay down!" She covered him again, but Diego kicked out a second time.

"Tag me, Rach!" Diego held out his hand, dramatically crawling towards his corner, but Rachel poked her tongue out instead of her hand. Gloria grabbed Diego by the ankle and dragged him away, closer to the corner she shared with Lance. "You're a terrible partner!"

"I've been a heel for four years! If you wanted a good partner, you should have picked someone else," Rachel said, fluffing her golden hair behind her.

"Me, me, me!" Lance begged for a turn, holding his hand out. "I'll get him, baby girl!"

"Oh, please," Gloria rolled her eyes. "I watch KADA. An opponent could be unconscious and you wouldn't be able to pin them for a win!"

"You and I both know that!" Lance chuckled. "But TV Lance doesn't! Let him screw things up!"

"Point well taken," Gloria conceded and slapped his hand. "Don't lose too quickly! I'm not through with that one. He needs to learn to respect mama bird!"

With Diego still on his back on the mat, awaiting Lance's offence, he was amazed to see the boy pull his right leg all the way up to his face, then he fell forward. A leg drop was a widespread move in wrestling, but Diego couldn't remember the last time he saw someone do a split at the same time - particularly a male. OUCH. Lance didn't seem to be in pain at all when he landed, though, using his hands to brace most of the impact of his fall, and his leg landed across Diego's chest like a guillotine.

"Okay, that's a move I'm never gonna try," Jimmy was visibly cringing at what he'd seen, but Lance wasn't focused on that.

"Oi! I'm pinning him! Do your job, ref!" Lance yelled at the bigger man, still in a perfect split with his leg pinning down his mentor's shoulders. Lance on TV tended to get vocal and critical of the referees, continually accusing them of favouring the opponent when he couldn't beat them.

The match went on for quite a while. There was never intended to be a time limit or a victor. They merely had fun together honing their craft and having one hell of a workout. When someone tired, they swapped jobs with the referee. Diego was in shock when Gloria managed to pick Jimmy up on her shoulders as well - but it was clear she couldn't hold his weight for very long. Diego had that same problem after a long match. The big man was... big. Heavy. All muscle and testosterone. Still, when Gloria slammed him down with a crash that could have shattered all the windows nearby, everyone applauded her. Wrestlers, spectators and civilians. She's too young to retire from the ring. And far too good. I wish she'd change her mind. Diego's phone rang, and he briefly left the ring to go and answer it. Zoey?

"Yeah, what's up?" He asked stiffly.

"Diego, it's Zoey," she was in tears, he could hear. She sounded distressed. "I'm in a pickle here."

"Why?" Diego frowned in concern. "Is it him? Is Jillian okay?"

"Can you please just get here?" Zoey begged, and Diego decided he didn't have a choice.

"I'm on my way right now," Diego reassured her. "I'll be about an hour and a half."

"What?" Zoey cried into the phone.

"I'm in Cincinnati at the moment. It'll take me a while to drive back to Columbus. Is Jilly okay?" Diego asked her firmly this time. He wanted an answer.

"She's okay," Zoey answered, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Can we go to your house? Please?"

"What? Of course you can," Diego picked up his gym bag. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Stay safe, okay?" He hung up on her, and he turned to the others, who had halted their activity.

"All okay, Di?" Gloria asked, and Diego nodded, pushing down the worry in the pit of his stomach.

"Carry on. I'll be back for the show," he didn't explain what was going on. "Just some trouble with the twins. You know how they are."

It was the fastest trip Diego ever made. It was a miracle no officer pulled him over for any of the many times he breached the speed limit. By the time he'd made it to his house and saw Chase's little car parked in the driveway, he felt nervous. Almost sick. I wish I brought my gang with me, he thought — safety in numbers. Moral support. But this doesn't concern them. He used his keys to open the front door, and was immediately greeted by a very subdued Jillian.

"Daddy!" She latched on to his leg. "Chase won't wake up!"

What the hell?

"Slow down, Bean," he picked her up and she nestled into his embrace. For the first time in a long time, he could believe she was actually Julian's sister. "What's the matter? Where's Mommy?"

"I'm here," Zoey's tired voice alerted him from the kitchen, and he walked through to find her at the table. She looked like hell. Bruised and battered, a thick lip and a black eye.

"Chase won't wake up," Jilly repeated solemnly. "Mommy hit him."

"Zoey, what the hell is she talking about?" Diego marched over and grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the shoulder. "What did you do? What did he do? Why did my daughter have to see it?"

"You were right when you came to my place," Zoey's tangled brown hair made her look even worse, and she ran her hands through it repeatedly. "I should have gone. I'm sorry."

"Answer my question first, then we can talk about what you should have done," Diego clutched his terrified child to his chest and sat in the chair next to her. "What is Bean talking about?"

"I hit him with an ashtray and he's... I don't know if he's okay," Zoey admitted, breaking down into tears once more. "It's the first time I stood up to him, and I think I killed him!"

"Why?" Diego asked, aghast. He screwed his eyes shut. This woman was a living disaster, and he deeply regretted ever having her in his life. Surely I could have had the twins with a sane, stable woman. "Because he was beating on you?"

"No," Zoey told him, crying into her hands. "He does that all the time, but when he threatened my daughter..."

"You mean..." Diego's blood chilled. "That bastard would have put his hands on my little girl? Our Jillian?"

"I didn't know what I'd done until he didn't get back up," Zoey explained, and Diego put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Diego, I think I killed him."

"You need to call 911!" Diego told her, fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Zoey, if he's not okay, then you need to phone it in! Maybe he's just knocked out cold! Did you check?"

"I... I didn't," she looked up wand Jillian reached out to her. Zoey took Jillian's hand and kissed it. "I was too scared."

"Look, you did what you did to protect yourself and our girl," Diego pointed out. "They will understand. I'll be a witness for you. I just wish you let me help you earlier. Bean's a smart girl, Zo. She knew what was going on with you. How long has it been going on? Does this have anything to do with why you were abusing our son?"

"I'm sorry!" Zoey hid her face in her arms, slumped on the table. "Chase got worse when you cut down on the payments, and I blamed you for it. He started beating on me, and... look, I love Julian. Honestly, I do, but he is... he is YOU, and all I could think was that everything was your fault. I couldn't bear to look at him. Then... when you took Julian away and the payments stopped for good, Chase lost it, Diego. He threw the rock through your window and left you all those messages in your mail. He started taking what he wanted from me, and... then he went after Jillian."

"I'm glad you protected Jillybean," Diego brushed the hair from the traumatised child's face. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to Julian, but you're the mother of my kids. I'll do whatever it takes to help you, okay?"

"I miss him," Zoey whimpered, looking up and into Diego's eyes. She looked like a revenant, he thought. Someone who died a long time ago and lived on in the flesh only. "I want my son back, Diego. I'm a monster. I know it. I know you might not believe it, but I love him. How could I do that to him?"

"Zo, you're never going to have my son again," Diego told her firmly, the resentment he felt for her battling with the sympathy. "I know you felt trapped and scared, but what you did is unforgivable. If Juli wants to see you, then I won't stand in the way, but I have to be there. He's very... dependent on me at the moment. But I know Jillybean loves her Mommy. Isn't that right?" He kissed her fondly and passed her over to Zoey, who gratefully took her and cuddled her close.

"What do I have to do to see Julian?" Zoey asked. This was a different woman entirely. The bitch that made his life uncomfortable since before their children were born was gone — consumed entirely by this broken spirit. A desperate, empty vessel.

"You need help, Zo," Diego shrugged, dialling 911 into his phone. "I can hook you up with a great psychiatrist. If you go and get some help for your issues, then I'll feel a whole lot better about you being around our kid. I'll even pay for it, okay? To be frank, Zoey, I wouldn't even think about giving you a second chance if you weren't such a good mother to Bean. It proves to me that you're not irredeemable, you know? Now, let's sort this disaster before it becomes a catastrophe."

~

Friday, December 21st

Work was insane the past few weeks. The storyline was so hot right now. Diego and Lance pulled every filthy trick in the book to keep the title on the Brazilian superstar as long as possible. The crowd was electric as the Kodeine vs Big Bad Jimmy vs Diego and Lance rivalry built up week by week for the big crescendo one week from this Friday. Two weeks ago, Kodeine challenged Diego once more for the Heavyweight Championship, and Diego managed to win when Jimmy tried to sucker punch Diego from ringside to give the victory to Kodeine - an attempt to thwart Diego from breaking Jimmy's record for the longest Heavyweight Championship reign. Lance pulled Diego out of the way by the foot and Jimmy's giant fist hit Kodeine instead, handing Diego a cheap win. Following the match, Kodeine and Jimmy brawled like hell. Last week, Jimmy got one last chance to stop Diego from breaking his record by beating him in a Heavyweight Championship match, but as Jimmy looked sure to win, Kodeine stormed the ring and attacked the big man, causing a no contest and costing him the championship as payback for the giant's interference the previous week.

Diego had never felt such excitement in his entire career. The crowd was a hundred and ten percent invested, splitting into three different factions - support for Kodeine the hero, support for Jimmy the wild card, and support for Diego and Lance, the villains. Not even in England had the fans roared - mostly in hatred - so loudly when Diego's music hit the arena. This time last year, the crowd was so quiet that Diego's theme often drowned them out completely. This year? Oh, no. He was on fire. The whole damn four of them were on fire. Gloria, too. Gloria was racking up immense support as she geared up to face Rachel despite only getting two or three minutes a pop to wrestle with. It felt like after a reasonably terrible year of enduring Margaret Bloom and her business decisions, things were finally coming back to form - except for the languishing women's division.

"Are you guys ready?" Justin from production asked the two members of Lansilva, and they both nodded eagerly.

Diego wore trendy casuals - a blue button-up shirt with a black tie, black pants and black shoes. Lance wore skin-tight pants and an over-sized tank top both so full of slits that exposed his spray-tanned skin that Diego felt that the clothes were redundant. Still, the lad was smart enough to wear lace-up boots without heels. They were going to get physical, and there was no point making things more dangerous than they needed to be by trying to battle in stilettos. On the monitor, Kodeine and Jimmy were in the tenth minute of their insanely competitive singles match. As far as the crowd knew, the winner of this singles match tonight would go on to face Diego at the Pay Per View next week for the Heavyweight Championship.

"Now is good!" Justin gave the thumbs up.

Diego and Lance sprinted through the curtain, and the crowd immediately burst into a chorus of booing. Noticing this, Kodeine and Jimmy knew their cue and knocked each other down with simultaneous fists to each other's faces. Showtime, Diego thought, sliding under the bottom rope and using his championship belt to thrash Jimmy half to death while Lance was stomping a hole in Kodeine's ribs. The crowd went mental. Diego heard at least three different chants in between the booing.

"Assholes!"
"You suck!"
"Lansilva!"

Because of their interference, the match was ruled a no contest - again, no winner. Diego heard Lance's telltale shrieks of terror and spun around to see that Kodeine, the far superior wrestler in the storyline, managed to turn the tides on his protégé, so Diego came to his rescue by slamming Kodeine in the back of the head with the title belt, reinciting the adverse reactions from the crowd. In the corner, Lance hopped up to the second rope and beckoned. Diego picked up Kodeine's near lifeless body and shoved him into the turnbuckle between, and Lance used his rarely seen finishing move to put Kodeine down, somersaulting from the turnbuckle and bringing his opponents chin down on his shoulder. By now, Jimmy was back on his feet and ready to fight, but the two on one advantage prevailed and Lansilva picked Jimmy apart. Diego held Jimmy's arms behind his back so that Lance could deliver the pirouette roundhouse kick to the side of the man's head, and then Diego finished him off with a Silva Spiral. After dumping both lifeless heroes outside the ropes, Diego and Lance celebrated in the ring with a sweet, long kiss.

"Diego, I have some bad news!" Lance was the first to speak on the microphone, and the noise from the crowd was almost loud enough to drown him out. Diego loved it. Any reaction is a good reaction, and their method of ruining a highly enjoyable match had every fan in the crowd pissed off. "It looks like you won't be competing next week at the New Year Pay Per View after all!"

"Right you are, Lance. You see, Michelle did say that I would defend my Heavyweight Championship against either Jimmy Vause or Kodeine depending on who won tonight, but... I guess neither of them will get that opportunity now."

The audience booed their hearts out at Diego's attempt to weasel out of competing at the Pay Per View. I love this!

"How sad, but it's not like you'll be missing out on much," Lance grinned, playing to the San Diego audience. "I mean, the Pay Per View is in LA, and one week in California is already a week too long. It's bad enough you have to share your name with a city as... low-shelf as this one. I feel like it cheapens you as a person."

Lance's tawdry jabs at the Californians brought a whole new wave of jeers and angry booing. Diego took a brief moment to appreciate how terrific the youngster was when it came to crowds, fans and entertainment as a whole. He was a seasoned veteran, and he oozed charisma from every pore. I'll never doubt him again, Diego thought. He was on to something when he pushed for us to follow this character angle.

"I know everyone who watches KADA paid good money to watch me compete next Friday," Diego boasted, arrogant and obnoxious to the core. "But to be honest, I don't see the point! I don't need to do this! What can I prove by beating Kodeine and Big Bad Jimmy YET AGAIN? Seriously? Does Michelle have amnesia or something? Doesn't she know that I already beat Jimmy Vause on two separate occasions? Didn't she watch two weeks ago when I beat Kodeine for-- what was it again, Lance?"

"The second time!" Lance held up two fingers and spun around to taunt the crowd. "You have two victories over Jimmy Vause and two over Kodeine. What difference would another match with those losers make? Legit, it's not like they put up any type of fight tonight! Go to the back of the line, already. Blimey Diego, their memories are so bad. Why don't we remind them?"

"Great idea! Isn't he great, everybody?" Diego began clapping for his protégé. "Alright, so you be Jimmy, and I'll be me! Ref? We need a ref! All you have to do is count to three. I mean, you've already seen me beat both Jimmy Vause and Kodeine? So you must know how to count to three."

"Okay, okay! I'm ready!" Lance put his microphone down on the mat and made his very best Jimmy Vause impression, roaring and beating his chest like a gorilla.

It was hardly convincing and the crowd began to laugh. Diego nearly corpsed on the spot - Lance was naturally funny. He beckoned with his fingers. Lance angrily stomped, flexing his muscles and scowling as hard as he could, and Diego grabbed him and rolled him to the canvas with an inside cradle - the way he defeated Jimmy in the match in which Diego sprained his MCL several months ago. The referee counted to three, and Diego and Lance hopped up and did a simultaneous bow.

"Here is your winner and STILL your Heavyweight Champion, Diego Silva!" Lance cheered into the microphone. "Yaaay! But what about Kodeine?"

"You're right!" Diego put his hand on his chest as though the question shocked him to the very core. "I forgot all about him - but can you blame me? It's not like he's ever done anything memorable. Okay, Lance! Let's remind them, then! You be Kodeine, and I'll be me!"

Lance immediately hunched his back and changed his expression - now, he looked like someone who ate tranquilisers for every meal. He coughed up phlegm from his throat and spat it over the top rope to the ringside area, then brazenly scratched his crotch. The crowd, enjoying the performance in spite of themselves, laughed heartily, and this time Diego couldn't stop himself from giggling, biting the inside of his cheeks to try and bring discipline back to his body. It was just so... accurate - exaggerated, but accurate. Lance looked over the ropes then suddenly went rigid, pretending to be hit in the face by Jimmy the way Kodeine did two weeks prior, and he fell back like a log falling in the forest, crashing comically onto the canvas. Diego crawled on top of him, and the referee counted to three again. The two got to their feet and once again bowed to signal an end to their ridiculous display.

"Here is your winner and... yes, STILL your Heavyweight Champion, Diego Silva!" Lance cheered a second time as Diego held the Championship belt high up in the air.

"I'll tell you what, Lance, there's no competition for me in KADA anymore," Diego claimed cockily, putting his arm around Lance and pulling him close. "I'm breaking the all-time record for the longest reigning Heavyweight Championship. Week after week, month after month, I've defeated every viable contender - not once, but twice! And that's exactly why I'm going to be the Heavyweight Champion forever."

Throwing his microphone down, Diego held his championship up nice and high while Lance threw his arms around his on-screen beloved. The fans were on the feet, so full of anger and contempt that some went as far as to throw half-eaten hotdogs and mostly empty cups over the barricade at the two most hated villains in KADA wrestling. When Michelle's music played, they did a complete 180 and cheered like hell for her.

"Holy crap, guys, I've passed kidney stones less painful than you," Michelle played up to the audience. She was good on the microphone. "I mean hell, if you don't want to face either Kodeine or Vause for the Championship next week, so be it. I've got a better idea. Since you came down here and fought even though you weren't scheduled to compete, then what kind of general manager would I be if I didn't encourage your craving for battle? So you won't be sitting at home watching the Pay Per View on the couch at home next Friday. You will defend the Heavyweight Championship against BOTH Kodeine and Vause in a triple threat match. Good luck, Silva. You're gonna need it, kid. Just don't turn around."

Diego and Lance did turn around - right into both Jimmy and Kodeine, who had been laying in wait while Michelle captured the villains' attention. Kodeine kicked Lance in the chin with his patented superkick whereas Jimmy snatched the Heavyweight Championship belt and clobbered Diego across the face with it, drawing the segment to a close as Jimmy and Kodeine posed over the fallen bodies of their arch enemies. The justice dealt out by the heroes endeared them even more to the fans, and the "Jimmy" and "Kodeine" chants were deafening. This is wrestling. THIS IS WRESTLING.

By the time the four returned to the backstage area, they were given a round of applause by half the damn locker room.

"You stole the show, guys!" Ollie was laughing and clapping his hands, slapping all four guys on the shoulders as they passed him in single file. "Damn, man! That was good!"

"That was awesome!" Jimmy was pumped and punched the air above him. "Mm! I can't wait for the replays! I wanna see Lance making his impressions!"

"Yeah, hot stuff, dudes," Kodeine gave handshakes to both Diego and Lance, and that was a surprise. A show of respect by the guy who found them both repulsive. "You knocked that out of the park. The best segment you've ever done, I think. I'm keen for our match next week, yo."

Diego made eye contact with Sean and received only an icy turn of the head in response. It hurt a lot. Sean blamed Diego - and now Lance as well - for destroying his career in 2018. It wasn't as though Sean was wrong about it. Maybe he'll forgive me one day, Diego thought. Lance didn't share the sentiment, however. Following the fight the two had in the locker room, a juvenile argument in which neither of them acted professionally or with dignity, they'd completely fallen out. Unfollowed each other on social media and everything. Young gays. So dramatic.

"Silva! Lovecraft! Bugger me sideways, that was an epic show!" Michelle was quick to give her congratulations right off the bat - something she didn't do lightly. "I don't remember the last time anyone got heat like that!"

"It was all Lance," Diego said modestly, looking at his protégé with awe and affection. "He carried it."

"No, that was hands down your best promo performance ever, Diego!" Michelle gently slapped his face a few times. "I almost didn't want to interrupt you at all! But we have a schedule to stick to. Really, you're probably the most over wrestlers in the world right now. You couldn't have done it any better if you tried!"

"Thanks, Lance," Diego had to say to the red boy when they were finally free from adoring co-workers and production crew members. "I mean it. I've never had more fun being a wrestler than I did out there with you just then."

"Isn't it fun to go out there and not be afraid to make a fool of yourself?" His eyes twinkled, and he rested his head on his mentor's shoulder. "You've always had it in you to be this good, Diego! You don't need to thank me."

"Oh, yes I do! I mean... last year, I wasn't that far away from being released from my contract because I didn't get along so well with the fans or the other wrestlers," Diego paused and took Lance's hand. "I know we've been on a very rocky road, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Whatever you think I've taught you in the ring, well... that goes triple for teaching me how to be an entertainer. I would never have considered doing anything like that in the past."

"Cobblers! You're making me blush!" Lance claimed, but his makeup was so thick that it didn't show.

"I mean it, Lance," Diego ran his thumb over the back of Lance's hand. "You've done so much more for me than I've ever done for you. My career is at the best it's ever been, and I've never been happier, and a lot of that is because of you."

"Honey..." Lance reached up and kissed Diego fondly on the cheek. "You were there for me when I was growing up, and you didn't even know it. Why don't you consider us even, then? Because we had some bad times, sure, but I wouldn't change it for the world either."

~

Christmas Day
Tuesday, December 25th

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Nina, can you piss off?

"Hello sweetie," Diego murmured, not appreciating the method she was using to wake him. "What time is it?"

"4:45!" Nina bounced on his bed right next to him. "Can we open presents? Please?"

"Presents?" Julian asked from the other side, woken by his sister's cheer. Oh, no. Why is it illegal to sedate your children? "It's Christmas! Daddy!"

"Christmas doesn't start until seven," Diego lied to them both, closing his eyes and pulling the blanket over his head. "You better go back to sleep, you two, otherwise it will be a long two hours until you can open presents, okay?"

"Nooo!" Nina and Julian whined at the same time.

"That's Santa's rules," Diego didn't feel one bit guilty about this. "Let's go back to sleep and wake up when it's Christmas time, okay? You can sleep here if you like. Don't wake your mother or sister, for Heaven's sake."

"Can I sleep here with you?" Nina asked, her spirits dampened. Poor girl. Diego remembered how exciting it was when he was only her age. Waking up with Luiza to open the one present their parents could afford. Playing all day long with each other.

"As long as you sleep!" Diego's patience was at an end. "Daddy's exhausted. You too, little man. Let's sleep."

Sleep naturally did not come. The children were both restless, whispering to each other over their father, and that in itself kept Diego from returning to a peaceful slumber, so by 6:30, he gave up and let everyone get out of bed. He had to appreciate the bond between them, however. They fought, of course, but for the most part, Nina was gentle and sweet with Julian. She loved him to bits. It very much reflected the relationship he had with Luiza at similar ages. If it ever comes to light that Nina is a lesbian, then I guarantee it will end much differently than it did for my sister. Diego wondered if he should send a message to his parents for Christmas, but he remembered the last text he'd received from them. Paraphrasing, they were very displeased by his behaviour on television - kissing Lance, no doubt - and that was the last straw, according to them. Children born out of wedlock and no wife in sight. The final threads that held Diego to them broke when he chose his sister over them - the best decision he'd made in a long time. They deserve to be alone.

Diego was not here for Christmas last year. Work took him away to New York City. The year before, he was in Housten. This year, he was with his family in his house. Audrey was here overnight, spending much of the day here before she took Nina to visit her family in Bexley. Nina's maternal grandparents spoiled her rotten every year, and it was the only time Diego overlooked how much chocolate she would eat. After all, Audrey and her parents would have to be the ones to deal with the sugar rush in a child with ADHD.

Zoey would be dropping by to spend time with the twins, so long as she behaved herself. Diego was teaching her a lesson by strictly enforcing a rule that she would only be permitted to see Julian if their son agreed to it. This scared Zoey into accepting regular appointments with a counsellor about everything that happened recently, but it was all a bluff, in the end. Diego knew that Julian was very quick to forgive. Still, he didn't want to see Zoey without Diego present, and that was how it was going to be until Diego felt he could trust her once more. She was currently living with her brother upstate. It turned out Chase was merely taking an extended nap and woke up with a severe headache and a nasty bump on his forehead. Diego would have been happier if he died, but teaming up with his ex-girlfriend to press charges on the bastard for assault, rape, vandalism, stalking and endangering a minor were enough to get him out of the picture for good. Now that Diego knew who was threatening his family and that he was locked away in jail awaiting his trial, a weight had been lifted from him. The security fence was installed, but the gate wouldn't be finished until after Christmas.

"Okay, so no presents yet. Not until Audrey and Bean are out of bed, alright?" Diego said in a hushed voice. Julian agreed, ready to be quiet and compliant, but it backfired with Nina.

"Jilly! Mommy!" She shouted, opening the door to the twins' room and waking her little sister up. Diego facepalmed. How did I not see that coming? "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"

"Hah!" Audrey pointed at him and laughed when she emerged in her dressing gown and fluffy slippers and saw the look on his face. "Hah!"

"What are you hah-ing about?" Diego turned up the heating. It was freaking cold today.

"She outfoxed you, didn't she?" Audrey gloated, laughing wickedly. "You thought I was being nice when I told you we'd stay for Christmas Day? You naive prince. This is punishment for leaving her with me every year. Now you know finally know what it's like! Merry Christmas, Diego!"

"You evil..." he laughed and welcomed her into a hug. "Merry Christmas! Now... how do you turn her off?"

"You get nice and toasted and watch while she takes years off her grandparents' lives," Audrey wiggled her eyebrows in amusement. "We may as well do the presents now. It'll keep them occupied and we can start drinking at nine in the morning."

"Jesus, when did you become an alcoholic?" Diego teased, flicking on the kettle.

"Only three days of the year! Easter, Christmas and her birthday," Audrey laughed and looked at Nina, Jilly and Julian. They were all so fired up. "Try going through the day sober, and you'll be drinking out of the bottle by noon. Especially with the twins here as well."

"I see your point," Diego admitted, already exhausted by the events of the morning. "At least if they open their presents right now, they can keep themselves busy."

"Now you're thinking!" Audrey tapped her nose, and then she spun around to three eager young faces. "C'mon, you lot. Let's see what Santa's left us, then."

Diego couldn't entirely be sure, but he was confident he saw them leave behind a cloud silhouette of themselves like in old cartoons when they dashed to the tree in the living room. He hated that thing. A giant fire hazard that left a mess and likely spiders and other unsightly bugs. Still, the children had all cooed with such wonder when he plugged in the lights. As disillusioned as Diego had become with the whole idea as he set up the thing while the kids "helped," their joy was enough to reinvigorate him. Naturally, the magic of the blinking lights and ornaments quickly wore off.

Santa gifted Nina with several figurines of her favourite wrestlers, new clothes, a wrestling-themed bedspread, a small keyboard - why Audrey would ever wilfully give her anything that could make noise was beyond Diego's understanding - and a gift from Lance Lovecraft himself: a wrestling outfit he'd designed for her in her size. She was over the moon. Julian got the complete BluRay set of the Power Rangers, a new inflatable swimming toy, his favourite biscuits and from Lance, a new teddy bear twice his size. Diego, although still wishing his youngest daughter would be more interested in playing with dolls, consciously went against the prejudices he still had and bought her a new collection of toy cars and trucks, including one that came with a remote control. Lance sent her a little punching bag, and Jilly seemed happier with that than anything. Good idea, Lance. Now she can beat up something that isn't her brother.

Naturally, the children were all envious of each other's gifts in some way, but the most marvellous and unbelievable thing happened next - Jilly let Julian drive her car with the remote. Diego recorded it on his phone so that people would believe him and sent it to Zoey, who would arrive later on in the day. The good Doctor Bandyopadhyay would undoubtedly be thrilled to see such a thing. He'd done terrific work with all of them - Diego included. He'd felt like such a mess of a parent at one point, but all he needed was some reinforcement and a little help. Audrey was invaluable during the last year. The first thing Nina did was to change into her wrestling clothes and challenge Diego to a match. She looked the part, he thought proudly. My little girl's going to be the Women's Champion one day. The outfit was inspired by Wonderwoman - blue and red and gold. Nina looked like a superhero, and Diego let her wrestle him to the floor and frantically tapped out to an applied ankle lock to give her the win.

"Now I'm the Heavyweight Champion!" Nina laughed with glee.

"You're my champion!" Diego told her. "Can Daddy give you a hug?" Nina scaled the couch and jumped at him, and he caught her mid-air and swung her around. "Never change, Nina! You're turning me grey, but it's worth it." He ran his fingers through her curly black hair. "You know I'll love you no matter what, don't you? Always."

"Yes!" Nina put her arms around his neck. "I love you too."

Shortly afterwards, Julian was the next to hop onto Diego's lap, briefly exhausted by the intensity of the family activities.

"How are you, little man?" Diego asked him, playing with his curls. He could use a haircut. "Are you okay to see Mommy today?"

"Okay," Julian nodded, but still he looked uncomfortable.

"It's alright if you change your mind," Diego reassured him, and Julian snuggled up nice and close. "I love you, little man. Remember something, okay? No matter how big you get, you can always come and cuddle with your Daddy." Julian laughed, but he snuggled in where he was safe and happy. Diego, once irritated by his son's soft, cuddly nature, couldn't be more content. Part of him hoped Julian would still be so affectionate even when he turned twenty-one.

"Jillybean!" Diego greeted the third child who sought him out. "You're looking happy today. Do you like your trucks?"

"Yes!" Jilly beamed at him, holding onto his leg. "Tell Santa I won't kill him."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Diego smiled, although that was disturbing. Ah well. Even when she's the most famous serial killer in the world, I'll still love her to bits. "You were such a good girl earlier, letting Julian play with your toy."

"He is a bad driver," Jilly looked concerned. "I don't think I will do it again."

I should have guessed.

"Bean, there's something I want you to remember, okay?" Diego leaned forward and mussed her hair. She threw his hand off, but she laughed. "We might fight a lot. You might get mad with me, and I might get mad with you, but when you're angry or lonely, remember that Daddy loves you. Okay? No matter what. Can you say it for me?"

"Daddy loves me no matter what!" Jilly repeated with a big smile, and she climbed aboard for an affectionate hug.

"No matter what!" He kissed her.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Diego frowned. Zoey was certainly early. He was hoping Audrey would be on her way with Nina before Zoey turned up - there was far too much potential for a fight. They despised each other. Well, what is Christmas without a little adversity anyway? Diego opened the front door, shivering as the chill washed in, and he gasped.

"Lu! You made it!" He threw the door open and welcomed his sister inside. "I didn't think you wanted to come!"

"I didn't think so either," Luiza replied, dressed in summer clothes and looking like she was about to die of frostbite. It was Summer in Fortaleza, but in Columbus, it was the middle of Winter. "But I thought a lot about how much I miss having a family... and I thought I'd surprise you."

"You did," he sniffled, emotions bubbling up all over again. "I thought you wanted more time. I'm glad you're here." When she hugged him for the first time in twenty-three years, he began to weep in earnest. Is this forgiveness?

"Oh, Diego!" She managed to laugh as he sobbed. "Whatever changes you think you made, you are still the same boy who used to cry on my shoulder."

"Ahh-- yes, I suppose I am," Diego pulled away and clumsily wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "Does this mean you want to be a part of my family? Do you forgive me?"

She took a short while to answer him, her brown eyes studying him sadly.

"A month ago, I thought I needed time to come to terms with seeing you again," she replied with a shaky voice. "But twenty-three years has already been far too long. I'm not sure if I'm ready to forget everything that happened, but I do know that I want to be here with you. Is your family here?"

"Yes. I'm so happy you're going to meet them!" Diego grinned. "But... they speak English. Do you remember how to speak it?" Now, and during their last meeting, they spoke in their native tongue.

"You not teach the children our language?" She scolded him playfully in messy, thickly accented English. "You fail as parent!"

"Come on through," he giggled, guiding her through the kitchen and into the living room. Four pairs of eyes looked at them, all surprised and curious. "This is Audrey. She is Nina's mother," Diego introduced her. "Nina over there, and this is Jillybean and Julian. Everyone, meet Luiza. My big sister. She's here to surprise us!"

"Luiza!" Audrey stood up in disbelief. "Oh, my gosh! Welcome!"

"Meu Deus," Luiza muttered under her breath, taking everything in as a flood of joy rushed over the entire room, and children rushed to greet her for the first time. "Eu tenho uma família novamente." She smiled wider than Diego had ever seen.

Nobody else understood what she said - but Diego did. "I have a family again." He couldn't have asked for a better gift during Christmas than having Luiza back.

Thank you to everyone who reads To The Stars. As it wraps up, I'm super inspired to write. It's a cruel system!
The finale chapter coming soon.