Flames

Near and Far, part 2

Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Belfast. Wrestling, talk shows, signings. Somehow Becky had managed to sneak in some time with her mother and brother during all that hustle and bustle, but not having Seth and Roux with her made it all feel a bit empty. She wished she could have seen Roux run up to her family and proudly show off her new teeth and new vocabulary—and inevitably mortify Becky by relating some story better left unshared. She missed long, lazy strolls with Seth down cobblestone streets, laughing as he grumbled about how it was hard on the feet. Having her life split between Ireland and the United States was a bittersweet fact of life for her now, but this should have been a rare occasion when she was able to bring her two sides together.

She had called and texted often, as promised—even the pictures Seth had asked for only teasingly—but it would never be the same as having her husband and daughter with her. When you're blessed for so long, she thought as she was flying back to the United States, it hits harder when things are taken away. She felt guilty for even thinking of it like that. Seth and Roux hadn't been taken away: they were still at home, happy and healthy—or at least mostly, in Seth's case—and waiting for her, and that was the biggest blessing she could imagine. Too many people in the wrestling world had lost loved ones early, so Becky was grateful for her little family and the fact that most of the time, they were able to travel together. Next time, she thought. Well, not LITERALLY next time.... Before Backlash, there would be dates in Austria and Italy that Seth wouldn't be able to make either.

When the plane landed and she had cleared Customs, Becky wasn't surprised to see their tour bus waiting. She had suggested Seth and Roux use it while she was gone and have some little adventures, but Seth insisted she have it ready for her return. "Welcome back," their driver said as he took the luggage cart from her. "Before you ask, no, your crew isn't here."

Becky nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. She had pretty much figured that Seth and Roux would still be at home, but a small part of her had hoped for an end-of-tour surprise. Since the women's battle royal for Rhea's vacated title was on Monday, it didn't make much sense for her to go back home for what would be a matter of hours, and seeing her little family would have been a lovely boost. "That makes sense. How have you been?"

Catching up with their driver and his wife, who acted as Roux's nanny while they were on the road, wasn't quite like having her family with her, but the conversation was comfortable and cozy and helped Becky feel not quite so alone. Once her bags were stowed away and she and the nanny had chatted over coffee and a snack—Seth had made sure the kitchen was well stocked with all her favourites, she noticed—Becky excused herself for a nap. Normally she loved having a shower after she got off a plane, but for now, she was content to take off her make-up, change out of her travelling clothes, and shrug into one of Seth's old Black & Brave shirts.

Of course, the second she put her head down on the pillow, the sense of wrongness crept over her again. She and Seth did their best to behave on the bus: after all, not only was Roux usually with them but also the driver and the nanny. It didn't mean they were completely chaste, and even if they didn't have sex, she was almost always cuddling him when they were in bed together. "Just a quick call," she promised herself as she reached for her phone. She had texted Seth as soon as the plane had landed so he knew she was back in the country, but she knew she needed some proper rest—not a series of fitful naps strung together over a transatlantic flight. "There's my favourite face," Becky said when Seth appeared on the screen.

He grinned widely. "You mean I actually beat out Roux for something? That's a miracle." Then Seth jerked his chin a bit, as if using it to point at something. "In bed already?" he asked. "Bad flight?"