Havoc had been an eventful night. There was so much to unload that both Sean and Michelle’s ride to the airport that night had been fairly quiet as they each processed their experiences from the show. Going in with Stu-E Price’s big announcement kicking things off Sean went from a Fatal-4 Way match to what would now be a Triple Threat. Also on his mind was Uncle Butch. Wisdom had asked some time ago for him to be her second set of eyes so-to-speak. While Butch was managing pretty well recently with his medication, Wisdom was still cognizant of anything that could trigger an episode in him and she couldn’t be everywhere all the time.

For a moment that night things got a bit heated between Butch and Maniac, and Sean was as much of a protector as he was in true Parker fashion. Michelle was excited that in her corner of the ring, things seemed to be brighter. Starlight Kid was a wonderful addition to the division, and with Sarah back from the Olympics it made her feel surrounded by the sense of friendship she had been missing.

Now in her kitchen Michelle was expecting Sean any moment. He was bringing grilled chicken to add to the Waldorf Salad. They had had a spirited conversation the night before about their take on meals. For her, not every meal needed to be accompanied by meat, and for Sean not having it was not a question. Intent on proving his point he offered to bring chicken to add to the salad she was going to make for lunch the next day to prove how much it enhanced a dish and could still be healthy. Fast forward to today and grapes were cut, walnuts crushed, apples diced, lettuce washed and all the other fixings were ready. She wiped her hand on a kitchen towel when the doorbell rang. She rushed to the door and opened it immediately. There was Sean looking cute and dapper and he gave her a mildly punishing look.

(Michelle): Oh crap, I forgot, sorry!

In her head she could hear him from a previous conversation some time ago.

“You can’t just open then door like that it could be anybody, you have to ask “who’s there” or something. You’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.”

A few years in now and she was still very much getting used to life in Los Angeles. There were so many little quirks to life her, she sometimes thought she’d never remember them all. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tippy toes to give him a big hug. Sean leaned his head down and buried his head lovingly into Michelle’s neck, taking in her beautiful scent. God, she smelled so good. He turned his head and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

(Sean): Also, you said the “C” word, Miss Learner. Ten points from Gryffindor, young lady.

He grinned boyishly, momentarily reveling in the fact he’d always been the one caught out letting his language slip all too often.

(Michelle): Fine, but I’ll get those points back once you have some lunch, and maybe, just maybe I made some of my grandmother’s peanut butter toffee cookies.

She gives him a playful look holding those points ransom over his head with the prospect of fresh baked cookies.

(Michelle): You’re just in time, I not long got off the phone with my mom.

She guided him in and closed the door heading back to the kitchen.

(Sean): Oh yeah? How’s she doing?

Sean couldn’t help but take in the amazing smell from the salad that Michelle had prepared for their lunch as he took off his jacket and set it down across the back of the sofa as he followed Michelle into the kitchen.

(Sean): You know, I think we should take a trip back to Utah, surprise your mum, dad and brothers. What’ do you think?

(Michelle): They’d like us to come for Thanksgiving actually. I know you usually spend the holidays with your family, so I told them I didn’t know. If you come with me, maybe things will have cooled down over there a little by then too.

Sean waves it off with a dismissive hand gesture.

(Sean): You know what? After everything that’s happened lately? I could do with some drama free holiday spirit, so Thanksgiving at your folks sounds like bliss. Even though I know your dad still isn’t one hundred percent all in on me.

(Michelle): I can’t promise “drama free” things are a little whackadoodle right now. This new tv series…that…Hulu show about the Mormon TikTok Moms or something, you know…its one of those reality tv things. It’s disgusting Sean, they’ve disrupted the whole community. They’re drinking and fornicating together, it’s like they’re not Mormons at all. Their kids are going to see this someday, what are they going to think?

Michelle pulls Sean’s grilled chicken out of its container. Admittedly, it did smell amazing but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She begins dicing it for the salad as her conversation with her mom about that horrid show lingers in her head that she tries to move on from. She was worried about these women on tv as they were. She and Sean had made such progress as a couple with her parents and these hedonistic women easily drudged up concerns they had about being out here in LA and her relationship with Sean.

(Michelle): Anyway…they’d love to have you, and you know my dad has warmed to you; he’s not as bad as he was.

Sean tilted his head in conceding fashion, leaning back against the kitchen counter with the palms of his hands, absentmindedly picking at some of the salad with his fingers but not before Michelle patted his hands away with a smile.

(Sean): I know, but you’re still his little girl and I know he still blames me partly for what happened… you know… with Erica. I want to make it up to him somehow. He like fishing, right? Uncle Butch used to take me a lot when I was a kid. Maybe we can go together? I don’t know? Sounds silly.

(Michelle): You take that man fishing you just might have him hooked, pun intended. Do you know he even asked about Matt and Jeremy the other day?

“How’s you other friends…those two boys”

…she does her best imitation of her father, bringing a smile to Sean’s face. She finishes tossing the salad, grabs some bowls and plates servings for the two of them. These were some of her favorite moments with Sean. Just the two of them outside their work, normal, everyday twenty-year-olds.

(Michelle): Go have a seat, I’ll serve.

She supposed it was a bit old-fashioned, but there was something she very much enjoyed about parts of date social norms when it came to the man / woman dynamic. It wasn’t a fancy meal, and she hadn’t slaved in the kitchen all day making it but there was joy in serving him. Seeing him go to the table and sit down like a prince or a king. He took care of her in so many ways, these simple gestures were one of hers to take care of him.

She set his bowl of salad down in front of him, the table already set with napkins and utensils, and a cold bottle of water finished things off. She sat down, said a small blessing and smiled at him as she picked up her fork as he waited for her.

(Michelle): I saw they sent us out itinerary for Norfolk earlier. Maybe we can go see that battleship over there if we have time. I’d like to take pictures for my dad. He’s the one who actually told me about it. I’m so excited to see Sarah back in the ring too, she and Starlight are going to have an amazing match.

Sean couldn’t but beam with happiness at seeing how much Michelle was getting back to her normal self. After the chaos of what had unfolded with Erica, Sarah going to the Olympics, Alexis being sidelined and Jeremy on his personal crusade, he knew how isolated she was starting to feel. And now with Starlight Kid adding some much-needed refreshment and Sarah being back, Michelle had a buzz about her again, the same buzz she had when she first came to the Academy, that had attracted Sean to him in the first place.

(Sean): I love seeing you like this… excited for Havoc, that cute smile on your face that gives you those adorable little dimples in your cheeks. I love seeing you happy.

She blushed, and he was right…she was happy.

(Michelle): You’re too kind. I don’t know…I just feel like things are finally looking up for a change and its nice. I love seeing you happy too ya know, and don’t think I hadn’t noticed the effect Sensei’s had on you lately with your meditations, but I still worry about you.

She wasn’t wrong. Kokoro no Michi had done wonders. There were times when he had felt the subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, pull of… whatever it was that was guiding him but he was grateful for it. That horrible, languishing feeling of rage and bubbling anger had all but vanished and he had started to feel like his old self again too.

(Sean): I’d tell you not to worry about me, but we both know that’s not gonna happen.

He reached over, taking Michelle’s hand, giving it a squeeze before bringing it up and placing a kiss on top of it.

(Sean): I guess it just shows how much we love each other.


She rubs his grip with her thumb tenderly as they make eye contact.

(Michelle): I guess it does, but I still want you to be happy…truly happy. This thing with Sensei is nice and all, and I can’t by any means claim to understand it but if it gives you the direction you need, I’m all for it. It might do Jeremy some good too if he’d ever go for that sort of thing. He hasn’t heard from Matt you know? It’s been over a week now, and that stunt Lunatic and Maniac pulled at Havoc…it just wasn’t nice.

Sean instantly felt his stomach turn at the mention of Maniac and Lunatic.

(Sean): Don’t get me started on those two idiots. You could go into any of the bars in Downtown or West Hollywood and still not find anything faker than those two. You know for a fleeting moment, I actually felt a pang of sympathy for Maniac after what happened to Mandy. But did you hear him afterwards? It was like nothing happened, back to his usual self.

Sean shook his head.

(Sean): And people wonder why Jeremy and I don’t give either of them the time of day.

(Michelle): I don’t want to even think about what happened to Mandy, it was awful…more than awful. What did Butch have to say? He and Wisdom have to be beside themselves with everything going on. Everything seems too far from where we started Sean. I don’t even know what a Zoo Match is but it’s on the card for the ppv, this Maniac and Erica thing I can’t even fathom, and that weird Professor Hoff guy creeping around. After everything Mr. Hans has been through he had to go and poke that bear. Why?

She sighs, forking another bit of salad in her mouth and chewing before speaking.

(Michelle): I don’t mean to question them, I’m sure they have some reasons but even Mr. Hans seems to be having a harder time with what’s going on. I think he and Jeremy are on the same page about a lot of things, I guess we’ve been too preoccupied maybe to really see it, I don’t know.

(Sean): To be honest… I haven’t spoken properly with Butch for a while… I feel these days he thinks he has to babysit me. And after everything that’s happened… I can’t say I blame him. But you’re right, everything’s so crazy. But hey, Sarah’s back, I’m sure Alexis said at the Academy the other day she’s about a month or so from getting back into the ring, Starlight’s permanently here now. Maybe I can teach you some Japanese so you can properly talk to her?

Michelle almost jumps from her seat with excitement.

(Michelle): Would you? I’d love that. The translator app is really helpful but it doesn’t get everything right. Oh wait…I thought I read something about how hard Japanese was to learn. I don’t want to offend her, she’s so patient with me as it is trying to use that app.

She forks more salad and takes a drink of water.

(Michelle): Oh, I know, how about after the ppv, we can start then. I wouldn’t want to distract you. This is going to be a big match. Is there anything I can do to help you prepare? I know I can’t spot you or anything on the bench press but there has to be something I can do.

She looks at Sean, hopeful that she can be of some use. She didn’t have a match for the ppv and she didn’t want to feel useless. She’d already planned on speaking with Butch and Wisdom if they had anything for her as well, but if Sean needed her than she much rather be by his side.

They finished eating and in gentlemanly fashion, Sean cleared the table and loaded the dish washer while Michelle went into the hall closet and pulled out yoga mats. After their food had digested a little they had planned an intense routine with long strength building holds and breathwork. Sean joined her and rolled out his mat on the floor when both their cells buzzed and within a moment later the room shook and rolled. Michelle yelped out loud instinctively jumping into his arms.

Sean grabbed her as the shaking continued for a moment then mellowed to a wavy sensation. He was a bit tickled by her reaction, but he knew she was a little afraid of Earthquakes and LA had experienced quite a few recently. She buried her face into his chest, before looking up into his eyes.

(Michelle): I hate those things.

He smiled at her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

(Sean): It’s alright, that was just a little guy.

Her eyes spoke to him, they said “thank you” they said “I feel safe with you,” they said “I love you,” and he gave her a delicate kiss on the lips. His face flushed as did hers as they pulled away from one another.

(Michelle): Sean Parker to my rescue again…I’d say you’ve earned yourself some fresh cookies.

(Sean): Yes!

He jerked his fist back like a young boy excited by some personal triumph and she giggled making her way to the kitchen. She grabbed a saucer and began putting cookies on it, Sean’s eyes following her hands as she removed them one by one from the cooling rack. 1…………….. 2………….. 3…………..and she turned to put the tray back on the stove then caught his eyes. Now it was his who spoke to her, they said “don’t make me beg.” She smiled and put more cookies on his plate until he grinned at the sweet and chewy decadence of now 6 cookies. She poured a glass of milk for him as 6 quickly became 5 and he muttered “50 points to Gryffindor” with a full mouth and the scene fades to black.