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Tanya, Anya, and Ara?a hugged and kissed Taylor as she entered the backstage area, with most of the roster coming out to greet her triumphant return to the GCW after two years away. The fact that they were in wrestling in her hometown or that she hadn't done much that evening hadn't clicked with any of them yet but when they saw her hug and kiss her family it finally dawned on them that this was all planned and was big for the company. She went through the gathered men and women and accepted their congratulations, with the women laughing at some of the shocked and surprised expressions of their colleagues as they told them that they had known about the big reveal for three months and didn't tell a soul let alone their own husbands. There were always detractors among the group, with the ones who were upset being the few who had a strong grudge against Taylor for her making a mockery of them when in NEW and in the indies before. It was years ago yet Taylor seemed to always cause them to get upset, especially as they were having trouble seeing her as a woman especially after seeing her as a man for too long. She ignored them, if they were going to cause her trouble they would find themselves on the outs especially as she was still their boss and not only had a stronger fanbase but also held their futures in her hand. She talked with the ladies about what they would do for the news few months, with the foursome going against the stable in a battle of wits and numbers as Taylor's group would recruit whoever was free to be their fifth member to even the odds and give that woman a major feud to get herself over then let her go to continue on her own. The rotating fifth member was a key part of the story as they weren't a true stable so they would have their own mini feuds while the overall arc was going on with it lasting all the way until Wreslecade the following year. The only hitch would be injuries but that was an easy fix as it would mean the stable evened out and went four on four or Taylor's group used two newcomers to fill out their numbers and give one of the free ladies more time on camera and more house show matches. Taylor had to do the gamut of media and talked with each of the legitimate sources while ignoring the attempts by wannabe dirtsheet bloggers. She happily talked with everyone who had a strong working relationship with GCW and gave token interviews with ASPN and the regional sports networks but focused her attention squarely on the matches that were going on and ignored questions about her personal life especially her transition. ASPN kept trying to badger her, annoying her to the point of walking out and telling the other networks that she'd talk with them when ASPN left and gave the smaller newspapers bigger interviews that the larger networks would use soundbites of but barred ASPN from talking with her as she stated they weren't there for actual reporting and were pushing their own agenda on viewers instead of doing what they claimed to be doing in reporting the facts. Her verbal smackdown of ASPN was one of the biggest soundbites of the night as ASPN was exposed as another illegitimate source for news as its own agenda was splashed across the screens that night as Taylor was bashed for refusing to talk with the media regarding her return to action as a woman after her sex change into a woman. Fox, CBS, CNN, NBC, and other major outlets fired back with their own stories of ASPN bullying people into reporting their skewed views on controversial topics and trying to use the private lives of athletes as fodder for ratings and giving anyone who refused to go along with their view on their lives a tough time as they threatened to show them in a bad light. Taylor wasn't the first athlete to be shown to have undergone that treatment, with the network's coverage of athletes dating back over 40 years being shown to have been skewed to favor ASPN's views on who wasn't an athlete and who was with all of the favorable reporting being shown to be those they employed later. ASPN's parent had to endure complaints from shareholders as many of their controversial reports were exposed, such as the past exploits of Miles Finn from 8 years before or their initial coverage of Taylor when she was wrestling back in college. Taylor refused to address the controversy and tried to move on from it, with Vince standing by her and Stacy doing her best to turn things around to get focus on the other athletes harmed. She took heat for doing that but she wanted others to have the spotlight not just Taylor especially as Taylor didn't want to keep reliving her past issues and others were harmed worse over the years by ASPN's bias. Taylor went home that night and smiled as she felt more alive than she had been in over two years. She was whole, she was wrestling, and she was wrestling beside three women whom she loved dearly. The trio were like sisters to her, she couldn't help but feel that they were more than friends especially as she felt a special bond that nobody but them could understand. Betty understood her line of thought, she and Lillian Black shared that feeling. Her sister-in-law was her longtime best friend and through Taylor's initial friendship with the boy who would become her brother, Hank, she became Betty's sister by marriage. The two shared a bond that Taylor couldn't quite understand, despite being Lillian's friend since they were 14 she just couldn't understand Lillian as her wife had and even though they were close Lillian and Betty were always closer. Now it was Taylor's turn to be close to someone in a way Betty wouldn't understand. The trio was of a single mind whenever around Taylor but when all four were together it was like a hive mind and if you tried to understand things you were immediately left wondering what the heck was going on. It was a big joke among them that they could finish one each other's sentences before anyone else could even utter one syllable from their mouths and were already doing what the other needed before they asked. Taylor talked the next morning with the trio and had them come over so they could discuss things that would impact them as a whole. The trio hugged her deeply when they entered and kissed Bella as she waddled over to greet the ladies, with the three fussing over her as the boys looked on. The little girl just smiled and called them "Auntie" as she waddled off, causing each to go "Aw" at her approval. Taylor shook her head at her daughter's sly actions, telling the three, "She is just trying to get cookies out of you, mom dropped off some for tonight as she wants all of you guys to have a nice sugar rush for the big show. She is probably watching us to see if we eat all of them on her, her brothers know not to go for them as their grandmother would be upset. She does like you, she knows you are my friends." The trio laughed as they spotted Bella peeking at them from behind a chair, eyeing them and the plate as they walked by it. The ladies got down to business and talked about what they could do as a team as it was clear that was where they were going with their characters. Taylor couldn't pin down a name for them while Ara?a tried to figure out how to keep the division interesting while trying to hold onto her belt, only the duo had solid ideas but most involved them just chucking it aside and giving in to the need to be a solid stable and doing their best to counter the Absolute Riot stable. Things went back and forth until they agreed that they'd be an unofficial stable and unite the babyfaces into a group that would work against the heels while keeping the heels on their toes as they tried to find new ways of tipping the scales in their favor. Ara?a hated to do it, but the best thing to do was to have her give up her title to Ruby Paige and let the heels do their best to try to retain it while trying to get the tag team titles off of Tanya and Anya. It was a classic heel tactic, but it was what worked best for them as it allowed Ara?a to work towards obtaining it again at Bash of the Summer that August. Anya suggested that they drop the tag titles as well, but do so in two months so it gave the pay-per-view a chance to have something worth talking about afterward as Ruby would need the next one to get the title and Ara?a could take a couple of weeks off from the, "Beating" to let things simmer in her feud with Ruby. One of the other ladies would take her place as the next challenger for the title, with Taylor suggested as the replacement but immediately saw her trying hard to not be that person. Ara?a agreed with Anya, with Tanya joining in unison forcing Taylor to agree to it as it was the only real choice. Taylor hated to admit it but the ladies were right about her being the best for the job. She was the most likely to seek the title as she was the one who could use the push during that time. It was a lull in their schedule with Taylor doing her hardest to think of new storylines so inserting herself into the title picture let her give the ladies a fun chance to show that they could do their best against her and she wasn't using her family connections to obtain the title on her own with the ladies knowing full well that it wasn't her choice to seek it as they weren't ready for it or had a shot too recently. They ate lunch and enjoyed some quality time with the kids with Bella again making an appearance to see if they had eaten her cookies causing Taylor to smile at her deviousness. Her pleading looks caused Taylor to hand her one, only to have Betty tell her to put it back while the boys complained about Bella getting to eat them before they did. Bella gave them a fake cry, setting off the ladies while Betty took the 15-month- old out to swim and give them some time off before they left for their show. The show preparations started two hours early, with Taylor meeting with the ladies to talk with them to establish their views on how things would develop over time. The loss of both championships to the Absolute Riot was met with excitement as Ruby was in tears while her partners were getting their first big push in the company. The rest of the ladies accepted things as they were, with Taylor happily telling the ladies that she was taking the inconsequential title defense loss to Ruby so the others didn't lose their push to the slower summer months while Taylor faded to the background to help put them over later on in the year and into early the following year. She really knew how to win over the ladies as she had done more in one hour of talking and preparing than they had done in a decade. The only ones not surprised by Taylor's style of working with them were the ones who had been with her in the past but even then they hadn't seen Taylor at full strength as she had only been a producer and not wrestling with them. Her wrestling as a man wasn't the same in their eyes either, this was her going full tilt without her mind being clouded by her desires to be with them in the ring or to be like them in body. When she started to change into her ring attire, Taylor had all eyes on her as the ladies saw just how she had changed in body. The telltale bulge was gone, when she removed her panties they saw just how far she had gone to become a woman and caused several to gasp in shock at seeing her vagina. She had to stifle saying something, but the trio told the others that she had the final surgery the previous June and was still recovering when she was at the big Killer Gagne retirement show the previous August. Taylor finally told the ladies that she didn't undergo the surgery as a stunt, it was part of becoming her true self and was the final act of becoming whole. She blushed as she added that the breasts were more to give her a more natural shape which the other ladies who had undergone the same procedure agreed with, it was commonplace among female wrestlers to enhance their breasts to compensate for the loss of breast tissue due to the increase in muscle mass in their chest and upper arms as well as making them look more feminine. Taylor's breasts weren't too bad in size overall, they looked fairly natural and were average for the ladies in GCW and looked good on her in their eyes. Taylor didn't flaunt her body nor did she do much at all as she got into her ring attire, she simply got changed into her singlet, pulled on her knee and elbow pads, and laced her boots to prepare for the show. She was wearing a singlet that was designed by the three kids, with each coloring part of it with Betty helping Bella color her part and having her choose the overall color for it. It was a bold statement but one that she happily told the announcers to mention as it was showing her true side as the mother in her was just as important as the wrestler. The ladies teased her about the wild design, but it was an eye-catcher. The crowd would love the design but it was a one-time design that she had saved for a special occasion. That night was special to her, it was the night that Taylor Turner would show the world that she was a female in full and would not let anyone tell her otherwise that she wasn't a woman nor that she couldn't compete with them physically. She playfully teased them that they wouldn't get any of her mother's cookies, which sent them all into a fight of giggles as she showed that she could take the ribbing from them and wasn't upset at the hazing that they all went through when they started out on the roster. The elder of the ladies, Mickayla Jace, was more than happy to give her a shocked and exaggerated, "That's just cruel!" while the trio tried to plead with her to not make them beg for Nancy's cookies getting a laugh from Taylor. She smirked and had them wait until later, she didn't want the kids to see them eating them as they walked past them. The night went smoothly as Taylor took to the microphone and got the crowd into a frenzy as she gave her introduction and settled the score regarding who she really was and who she used to be. She told the world that she was a woman and would not hide from the world anymore, with the Absolute Riot ladies joining the fray and showing respect to Taylor as they started their feud on camera. The whole lot were fighting smiles as it was a great match with Ruby being a great match for Taylor as she showed the newcomer her moves while learning just how much Taylor had changed in the two and a half years since she had graced the NEW ring with the then-new Ruby when Taylor filled in for another wrestler. After the match, Taylor talked with the GCW backstage interviewer and gave insight into the fun times that were to be had with the ladies of their new stable then talked about the respect she had for the other stable. It was followed by Taylor talking about how she prepared to rejoin the GCW and how she tried to be a mentor for the younger wrestlers as well as helping to train the newest crop of wrestlers to go through the indies. She was genuine in her affection towards the youngsters, with the interviewer mentioning her work with Killer Gagne and the Anderson Brothers while naming many of her trainees. Back in the locker room, the ladies laughed and ate the cookies, with Taylor all but inducted into their exclusive club. The ladies loved being around her, with Taylor doing everything possible to be like a big sister to them even if she was in the mid-range in age among them. Mickayla and she talked about the fun they were having, especially as they were the only mothers among the group and showed them that motherhood wasn't the end of their careers if they worked around their schedules and made time to be a mother along with a wrestler. The ladies were either single or married to guys in the business, making things tough on them as they would essentially have to give up on their career until the kids were old enough to go to school or they hired a nanny to watch their child for them. Taylor was seen as lucky, she had three kids but didn't have to give up her career to have them. Mickayla did give up two years and missed out on a lot of time with her now son Tyson as she worked hard to keep the family afloat with her husband away in Japan or Mexico earning a large salary but sacrificing time with his wife and son. Taylor felt for them and wished they would have the same luck she had with motherhood but it was a tough choice to make. She would never allow them to give up on their careers due to pregnancy, she told them that as they saw her interact with the trio when they sought her out after the night. Betty told them that they would be alright for at least four months if they told her early enough, they would work with the ladies to accommodate them but it would still impact them regardless. Things were normal for the next month as the ladies enjoyed their matches and worked with Taylor to make them fun and give the fans what they wanted. The first big hurdle was making Ara?a lose the title without making it look like it was a typical title change, they used Taylor accidentally causing a bump to spark the quick pin costing Ara?a. It was so fast it looked natural but took a full day to get right. Ara?a lost the title to Ruby then started a typical feud to get it back, which was coupled with Taylor in the mix trying to help her after feeling remorse over costing her the match. The ladies were together for just about each week, with several house shows featuring the groups battling but never going forward in their feuds. Taylor hated doing the house shows but it was part of the feuds and gave her a chance to work with other ladies while enduring the ladies' wrath as they took their feuds to differing heights. The house shows also caused issues as Taylor's involvement forced GCW to put up with unscrupulous promoters who tried to have her banned from "their" shows as they didn't' want Taylor anywhere near "their" arenas. One, in particular, refused to let the show go on unless they made the changes that he told them to make and created matches that were to his liking then cited the need to "protect the ladies" and "keep things pure for the kids" attending. It was the same spiel that the GCW had heard time and again over the years, first with racism then later with sexism so they were prepared for it. The ladies told one promoter where he could shove his claims, with Ruby telling him that they'd go to a park across the street and wrestle there instead of setting foot in his arena. The crew did just that as they sought permission from the city then had the promoter tell the city exactly why he had just cost them a full night's worth of parking revenues from the use of the city-owned arena. The city allowed the free show to be put on, with the GCW getting free publicity from the media for giving the city a free event that turned into the biggest event that they had ever held in the park's history. Over 75,000 people showed up to watch the show, netting the GCW more in food and merchandise sales than they would have raked in from the show itself. The GCW's ticket sales percentage were paid to them by the former promoter which he had tried to sue over yet couldn't due to his breaking their agreement over his trying to ban their wrestler without just cause then change the card to fit how he wanted it to go. He was only the facilitator, he had no right to try to force his own card on the GCW so he forfeited the money paid to him leaving him with a high price paid to the city for use of the arena and all of the parking revenue shared with him from the event. Taylor worked her match and helped get things done behind the scenes while Vince and Stacy worked with the legal team to cover them from retaliatory lawsuits. It was an interesting night for all as it was a rare outdoors event and one not done in a traditional venue. It turned out to be a big success and was looked at as a possible idea for a future show, with the city getting the first crack at hosting it as a thanks to them for facilitating the show with such little notice. At home, Davis and Vinny missed Taylor but she had to be away for four nights a week as she worked the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday shows. Bella didn't quite understand what was going on nor did she see it as an issue, she was happy to have Taylor home when she returned from the weekend away. The boys hoped that she would return to how she used to be but it was going to be tough to do now that she was wrestling full-time with the company and needed to put in her time working house shows first. The farther away she went, the longer the flights were, and the less time she spent with them on Friday and Tuesday. It was tough but she swore that she'd do what she had to do to get back to them each week and be there for them as they did school activities. She was needed, but family mattered most to her. The ladies saw how being away from the kids was affecting her and tried to keep her focused on the job but knew it was just delaying the inevitable. She was a mother at heart, only Mickayla understood her inner pain and suffering. Her own son, Tyson, was with her parents as he chose to stay with them to give his mother what she needed most in life: one last big run with GCW before retiring for good. Tyson would rarely join Mickayla as he enjoyed his high school years at his private school in Texas. He didn't pass up vacations with his mother, but chose stability over homeschooling and being on the road with Mickayla. When she returned to the GCW he made it clear that he wouldn't let her lose focus on her life, he loved her too much to make her choose between him and her professional life and went so far as to get Nancy and Stacy to talk with her about his choice to stay in Texas. Nightly talks with Tyson was the best that Mickayla could do but it was enough to satisfy her as she did have contact with him and he enjoyed being with his grandparents especially as he had gotten himself a girlfriend since he started at the school. Taylor had to calm her as Mickayla heard that news, she was in a state of shock that her baby boy had gotten so grown-up that he found someone to date at his age. It was a big step towards manhood, and one she wasn't ready for yet. Taylor remembered when she herself did the same thing with Betty and reiterated the same advice her mother had received from Mickayla by telling her, "He's found someone to spend time with who also understands his needs to be independent and himself. He loves you, but he is a growing boy and has won the eye of a young lady who wants to spend time with him. It's not like he is getting married, he is just starting to date and she is just as afraid of messing things up as he is. He will always be your baby boy, but he is no longer your little boy in body and mind. He will come to you, just let him be himself." Mickayla smiled at her own words being turned against her but felt better especially as she met the girl Tyson was dating and was told by her parents about the girl's family and reputation. She was a normal girl, her parents had some money but weren't snobs nor spent opulently. She was close to Tyson and the two grew closer as time wore on, with the couple dating when they couldn't deny their attraction. Mickayla's husband Slick gave her an earful but relented when he heard how close they were and why they were so involved with one another. Taylor talked with him about it and caused him to see that it is a good thing for the couple as they needed one another even if they were closer than he wanted them to be. Slick gave in to Taylor's superior skills with kids, she understood Tyson better than Slick did. The next month was a pain but Taylor had her big match with Ruby at GCW's "to the Extreme" pay-per-view event. She was supposed to lose in a tight bout, with Ruby trying every dirty trick to win and needing her friends to cause all sorts of havoc while she hit Taylor with illegal moves in her efforts to win. It was supposed to end with Taylor knocked out by a chair shot to the head, but that didn't happen. The match went back and forth. Ruby hit Taylor with a variety of kicks and chops before sending her into the turnbuckle and causing "pain" to her ribs. Taylor recovered and did the same to Ruby, giving her a big kick to the chest that sent her flying into the ropes and flinging her to the floor. This is where things turned for the worse as Ruby landed hard on the outside, hitting her head on the mats laid out to protect them from the concrete floor. She tucked her shoulder but her neck and head took the brunt of the force. Taylor tried to help her out when she got back up but Ruby was in no shape to continue on and told her to take the pin but Ruby tried to keep going forward anyway. The official didn't see how badly she was hurt so kept them going, with Ruby trying hard to get a hold of Taylor only to slip off of her during an arm drag and hit her head and shoulder directly on the ring post knocking her out cold. Taylor tried to make it look like it was still OK but the official finally saw the issue and threw up the "X" sign and told Taylor to pin her for her own good as there was no way that Ruby could continue on her own. Taylor pinned Ruby and was declared the victor, with Taylor immediately seeing to Ruby to ensure that she was OK while officials made their way to the ring. Ruby's neck wasn't injured but her head was bleeding from the impact. Her shoulder was in worse shape, it took a hit causing her collarbone to snap and leaving her in visible pain and disoriented to the point of being unable to sit upright let alone stand. Taylor had won her second individual championship, again via an injury to her opponent. She looked at the belt and knew that she'd have to make a lot of changes to the upcoming feuds and needed to do it fast. She gave word to Vince that an emergency meeting was needed, with Vince working with Stacy and her through night to move feuds around so they worked in their favor as they would hold a quick tournament as Taylor would drop the belt due to "injury" the following night allowing her to take time off to "recover" while also coordinating the changes. The plan was simple yet effective, she'd be attacked by Absolute Riot and be unable to defend the title in a match Monday night causing her to be stripped of the title as she didn't fulfill the obligations. The ladies would battle for the title with the finals held at the pay-per- view in four weeks. It was also going to serve as a way of getting Ara?a her title back at Bash of the Summer as they had originally planned but would involve a lot of jockeying for who would get to face her in the future. Taylor never wanted to be champion but she endured people complaining that she got handed the belt by the company for being Vince's granddaughter or because they wanted to make a mockery of the title or even that they wanted to exploit her transition to further their narrative of, "Inclusion" for all. It didn't matter that Ruby was legitimately hurt during her match and would miss at least a month of action, all that people saw was Taylor with the belt and, "Ex-man" popped into their heads. Ruby talked with her the next day and was sad that Taylor had to endure the issues that her own injury caused, Taylor didn't deserve to put up with idiocy and she would see to it that she got the title legitimately in the future. Taylor dropped the title as expected, with Taylor moving right to the Gorilla position to coordinate the ladies in the hastily drawn together tournament. Pairings were what fans wanted to see, with Ara?a the first to win while other surprises popped up as the ladies battled for the next three weeks until it was a final standoff between Ara?a and Ruby's henchwoman, the stunning Mandy Morgan. Each was a match for the other as they had similar styles but had their own takes on certain moves with Mandy using a few power moves while Ara?a used more aerial moves. The finals featured the two groups battling again, with Taylor returning to help an outnumbered Tanya and Anya got to battle with the Absolute Riot's strongwomen Sarah DeVille and Sonya Logan as well as their submission expert Liv Rose. The ladies ran for their lives at seeing Taylor standing tall over her friends, with Taylor giving them the look of death as she swore she'd get them back for costing her the championship. She helped the ladies up and back to the locker room to a standing ovation, with Taylor fighting a smile as the crowd cheered for all three of them and called her name out for all. Her return filled a gap in the event caused by a last minute squash match necessitated by an injury to one of the male wrestlers that had a secondary match in-between the championship matches. He was showing off for the cameras as part of the publicity tour for the pay-per-view and ended up tweaking his hamstring, causing him to be unable to perform that night. Taylor was free and the two ladies were only there for moral support for the main event so it was a quick set-up that worked for all. The trio was unused to performing on pay-per-views as they had only been jobbers until Ruby asked to have them work with her to give her a bigger push as Ara?a, Tanya, and Anya was getting to be too tough to go at without help. Taylor calmed them and worked with them to get each their own chance at pinning her, then worked on the finish. She'd win, but it would be after a tough match with the ladies. The match got underway to the crowd cheering for Taylor's being there while giving the DeVille/Logan duo an angry round of boos, giving them a lot of heat that they were happy to enjoy as it meant they were doing their jobs right. The duo took to the ring and went at it without stopping, going full tilt for 15 minutes as they hit Taylor in the chest, face, arms, legs, and back with every kind of strike, kick, and chop they could come up with and she still kept coming. She was unstoppable, earning cheers from the crowd as they cheered her on. Taylor struck back with enzuguiris, moonsaults, and finally headscisssor takedowns as she started her assault, wearing them down but suffering retaliatory superkicks followed by a variety of punches that led to powerbombs making it look like she might finally be pinned. After the second powerbomb, she managed to do a reversal where she slid down Sonya's arms and slipped between her legs, performed a quick Russian leg sweep, then finally flipped performed a moonsault followed by a frankensteiner that flipped Sonya onto her back to set up the finisher. Before she could do it, Sarah attacked her but ended up getting flung over the top rope and landed on her back outside the ring making her appear to be knocked out cold allowing Taylor to climb the ropes again. Sonya played her part perfectly, selling the frankensteiner's impact while positioning herself for the 450 corkscrew frogsplash onto her chest. She reacted at the right moment and made it look like she had the wind knocked out of her, sealing Taylor's victory as the stunned Sarah tried to make her way into the ring to break the 3-count. Taylor had the crowd roaring, with the ladies getting their first chants of, "This is awesome!" from the crowd after a slow 18 months on the roster as glorified jobbers to the stars. The crowd was fired up as the next bout kept the excitement, with the guys performing thanking Taylor for making their match seem more important than just a mid-card match between jobbers who were in the midst of a push. Nobody cared for their match yet the crowd put them over for Vince and Stacy due to the momentum that they were able to sustain. They were talented performers, they just couldn't talk well and were only on the card due to it being a major turning point in the year's feuds. The Ara?a vs. Mandy Morgan tournament final was the 2nd to last match of the night and would be the one that was talked about for years to come as the ladies worked hard to make the match memorable and got so involved that they went over their allotted time and needed Stacy to come out and restart the match to ensure that one of them was the victor. Ara?a kept hitting her aerial moves while Mandy hit her strikes and bided her time until she could get clean shots on Ara?a. The two traded blow for blow and in the 30 minutes that they fought both were winded with Ara?a edging out Mandy as she was able to get to her after a final hurrricanrana that seemed to sap all of their energy. Ara?a's arm was raised in triumph, with Taylor, Tanya, and Anya coming out to celebrate with her. She looked to Taylor and told her that it was her belt, but Taylor countered that she had won it fair over all of the other women on the roster. It was her way of telling the fans that Ara?a was the true champion and there were no hard feelings over Ara?a winning what Taylor had been forced to give up. The celebration moved backstage and saw the ladies enjoying a fun night as they prepared for the start of the next round of feuds, with Taylor taking the focus as she worked with Tanya and Anya against the team of Mandy, Sarah, and Sonya. The ladies purposely kept away from Ara?a as they were trying to set her up for a feud against the returning Ruby which would enable Ruby to slip into the ranks of the championship hunt by exercising her right to a rematch which would get her the belt back once she was cleared in two weeks. The feuds centered around keeping other contenders from trying to go after the #1 contender's spot, with Taylor and the duo unknowingly being pawns in Ruby's hunt while the trio of Mandy, Sarah, and Sonya worked to keep everyone in their place. When Ruby returned, she went at the others with a vengeance. Tanya was her first victim, followed by Anya. Taylor was the last to fall, with Taylor being blamed for, "Stealing" her title as she went after the unsuspecting Taylor backstage with her full stable as the five went at it for several minutes until "help" arrived to get the ladies off of Taylor. Ruby and Taylor were put into a 3-way dance for the title as Taylor couldn't compete due to the beating and as she had the same clause due to beating Ruby she was as just as entitled to the title as Ruby was. The whole twist was a last minute swerve that was needed as Ruby's collarbone wasn't fully ready for action and needed additional surgery to set it properly while Ara?a got news that would change her life- she was pregnant. Taylor was going to have to be the one to take the win and carry the title for a while as Ruby would need three full months off while Ara?a would be out nine months as she fought to get back into shape after giving birth. Taylor tried to get someone else to take the title off of her but none of the ladies were up to being the one to take it and even the ever-popular Mickayla refused to accept the belt out of respect to Taylor. There was little she could do, the ladies had made their decision and wouldn't accept the gift as she was the one who had earned it as she was the one who was in the midst of a push and was the fan favorite so it was going to be her until they decided otherwise. Vince and Stacy had to talk with her about their plans for her with both telling her that she was the one who had worked the hardest for longest and who was both experienced and able to give them the best feuds without cheapening the title. As much as she wanted to put the title on either Sarah, Sonya, Tanya, or Anya none of them had the ability to make the title reign seem legitimate especially as they weren't singles competitors yet. Taylor talked with Betty about the whole turn of events, with Betty squeeing with glee at the news of the bundle of joy for Ara?a but feeling sad that she would miss so much time away from the ring. She kept Taylor in check by asking if she didn't think that she deserved it because she wasn't a real woman or if she hadn't paid her dues working her way into the ring as the others had. She hit Taylor right in the gut by asking her the one question that she dreaded answering, yet it was the heart of the matter. Taylor sighed, then confessed, "I can't be the champion. I'm a woman but I'm not a 'real' woman. Sarah or Mandy or Liv or Sonya deserve the title. Tanya or Anya deserve the title. Heck, even Mickayla deserves a final shot at the title. I just bring nothing but angry people complaining that I'm stealing a job from a 'real' woman." She was in tears as she told all of that, bringing out months of frustration that had been boiling below the surface since she joined the women's division in April. For her worth, Betty immediately told her, "That's a crock and you know it. People would complain about you no matter what. You are a Turner, you are also a beautiful babyface who works hard to be at the top and stay there. You have been there as a singles competitor as long as Tanya and Anya have been with GCW, you have worked as hard if not harder than those two and they know that as much as I do. You are deserving of the title." She was quiet all week as she played with Bella in the pool and worked out in the gym. She went on a couple of walks with Bella, then drove over to the Killer Gagne Wrestling Academy to check out what was going on over there and talk with Killer about things. Bella went to sleep so her mother could talk, she wasn't a big fan of the academy and found the wrestlers boring allowing Taylor freedom to talk. Killer took one look at her and told her firmly, "Don't ever pass up a title opportunity. Take every chance to get the belt, and if you win it do what you have to do to keep it. Straps don't come often, you have an opportunity for your third strap in four years. Even if someone got hurt to give you the first two, take the strap like a queen and seize the moment to stand in the limelight as the top woman in GCW." She looked down in shame and asked how did he know, causing him to smile and tell her, "Your wife is your biggest supporter and wanted my advice. I told her to tell you to go for it, don't let anyone tell you to lay down for others. It's your right to be champion, you earned your place and belong at the top. I know you have your doubts, but every one of those women chose you to be the appointed champion. Four of those women agreed to not even try to win it, with your biggest mentor refusing to take one last run as champion before she hangs up her boots in two years. They want you to fill the void and reign." Taylor listened to him and looked away in shame, but he was telling her what she already knew in her heart to be true. She loved the idea of being champion and had fought her way up through the ranks to be a champion even if she had to give up her attempt at a championship as a man then fought to get to where she was as a woman. She couldn't see herself as anything but the champion, yet she still had her doubts and couldn't see past the criticisms of her being a fraud and a fake woman. Killer sat her down and told her affectionately, "I was the same way back when I first started out. I was a snot-nosed kid who was too big for my britches and who challenged anyone who came to a match. I lost a lot of matches the hard way, did my time as a jobber because of that attitude before I was even considered to be a good enough draw to get a shot at the title. When I finally won my first, the place went wild. Then I won again and again across different promotions in front of crowds that were half the size you see on a basic Monday night show. I worked my tail off to get back on top after each loss, after each injury, after each falling out with promoters. I worked hard and had the support of the others, with people walking out in support of me forcing changes to cards and putting the belt on me to appease the locker room. I did it for years, with the last time being a way of saying goodbye and thank you for your career with them so a new generation could say they saw Killer Gagne win the title." He sighed and looked over at her as she tried to make sense of things. He added, "My point is simple: you are worthy. You earned it. You are Taylor Turner, the best darn women in GCW. You are the one who deserves that title, you should have won it long ago but you are too stubborn to admit it. You are the glue that holds GCW together, you are the one person that has earned a shot and getting it because your friend has to leave is just part of wrestling. I had many of my friends do the same thing to me and for me over the years, it's part of the industry. She'd feel the same way if you were in her position. She would want you to keep it but accept it nonetheless. You earned it, so accept it." She drove home after talking with the Anderson brothers and Ken Ortiz about some academy matters. It was just her way of calming herself before she talked with Vince and Stacy but the three were happy to oblige her and appreciated that she was trying to keep an interest in the academy. They let her ask the questions then showed things were in order and rushed her out, not letting her delay things any longer and telling her to "woman up" and face her destiny as they smiled at her good fortune. When she got home, she made her phone call and was met with the duo in the office talking with the writers about what to do with the title. She steeled herself, then told them, "I have been outvoted by all. I have to take the title. Ruby won't be ready for three months and none of the others will accept it. I am not happy, but I have no choice. Just keep my appearances to a minimum, I don't want to become the new centerfold for GCW magazine or put on every morning show between here and Tokyo." Taylor called Ara?a to talk with her about the baby, wanting to know more about her situation as she was not entirely forthcoming with her when she made the announcement. Ara?a was in tears as she told Taylor, "My fiance Pablo is upset at me for getting myself pregnant. He blames me for the baby, he kept wanting me to get rid of it. I can't do that, I can't dispose of part of me because he's not mature yet to settle down and become a father. Vince has assured me that I can have as long as I need, but I don't know if I'll be coming back once I have him or her. I know I'm all alone and my family won't help." Ara?a needed a bit of time to calm down, but when she did Taylor asked pointedly, "Have you talked to your parents or siblings about your pregnancy?" Ara?a shed more tears and shot back, "Nobody in my family will speak to me, I have visited their warehouse several times since I became champion and each time I got run out of the office by my mother while my father looks at me with disgust. This will be just another in a long line of disappointments to them." It was a serious situation that required a response by the trio of friends. One of them needed help and it was up to them to be there for Ara?a even if she didn't think she needed it. They'd have a talk with the wayward boyfriend and Ara?a's family or they'd ensure someone paid the price for abandoning her. Taylor pulled herself together and asked her to talk with per parents the next time they were in LA. She would have plenty of support if she needed it, offering her a place to stay if she couldn't bear to be by herself as her pregnancy went on. Ara?a accepted her offer, telling her that she was the best friend any woman could ever want and getting Taylor to get misty-eyed at the compliment. Her next call was to Tanya and Anya, with the couple being at home and wanting to speak to Taylor to get her to take the women's championship yet not knowing she already agreed to do it. She spoke with them and was blunt, telling them that Ara?a needed her friends and they had a mission to do when they were in LA that week. Taylor was angry and on a rampage, the duo knew to let her speak until she had made her point before offering their own words about the situation. The couple listened to her plans and agreed, then turned things around and asked her to be their maid of honor alongside Ara?a at their wedding that Christmas. Few knew that they had been together since they had graduated high school or had become lovers let alone lived together, but the marriage was a huge step for them as they were confirming what only their friends could see- they loved one another. It was Taylor who got them together as a tag team and she who suggested that they stop trying to act like they weren't what they were and start to be more than close friends, in their eyes she earned the right to be called their maid of honor alongside their other closest friend Ara?a. She happily agreed but told them to keep things private as they would be plastered all over the TV if the PR people had their say and it would impact their honeymoon as fans would give anything to have pictures of the couple enjoying themselves in private. It was what they expected her to say, but they had it all planned out and wanted to do things small with just close friends and coworkers and perform it at the arena before their LA show as it was the last time all of them would be together. The fact that it was going to overlap both Ara?a's situation, as well as Ruby Paige's last match, wasn't a coincidence. The event was scheduled, with the guest list being assembled and not even being needed to be finalized as it was only members of the GCW roster. Their families disowned them when they wanted to become pro wrestlers instead of becoming mothers and marrying their suitors or college boyfriends. It wasn't clear to them at the time, but they had no interest in any men because they were fighting their internal issues with their sexuality and upon seeing each other finally accepted that they liked women. When they came out after they finished training at a wrestling academy in Miami their families freaked out and threatened them. They kept their relationship a secret from management but most of the other ladies knew that they were dating as they were always together and shared an apartment. When they were hired by NEW their relationship had to be revealed but it didn't impact their development, it only gave the company reason to keep them together and strengthened their characters as a whole. Taylor facilitated their relationship and kept the writers from using their relationship as fodder for feuds between the couple or other women. There was a line that she wouldn't cross, a legitimate relationship being put on the line and aired publicly is one of them. The only notice of them being married would be a picture of the wedding that would be shared between them with a congratulatory notice posted on the GCW social media site about the ladies marrying. It would garner anger from fans but it was personal and between them alone. Their real family and their true friends would be there and support them in full, what others thought was irrelevant. The couple was not part of the media efforts by the GCW so their private lives weren't open for discussion by the world especially as they insisted on being kept away from the reality shows about GCW personal lives. Taylor worked with Ruby Paige and Ara?a to create a match that was believable for all three of them to be at top form but with Taylor taking the bulk of the beating physically. Ruby was limited to kicks and leg moves, Ara?a was grounded from doing aerial assaults, and Taylor was forced to come up with the perfect balance between the two. Her only option was to have Ruby come in at opportune moments to break pinfall attempts while Ara?a would get a kayfabe injury grounding her aerial attempts. The battle would last 20 minutes and feature each trying of a pin several times but coming up short. It would take Ruby trying to use a steel chair to cause the final pin, with Ruby hitting Ara?a but Taylor using it to hit Ruby then pinning Ruby to win the title. Ruby would slink away in pain and vow to get her back while Ara?a would need to be carted off for "medical treatment" after which she would then be forced to miss out on wrestling for an undisclosed amount of time. The match went without a hitch as the trio timed the moves perfectly and saw Ruby taking more bumps than she should have but showing no pain despite it being hurtful to her. Ara?a got the least amount of bumps but sold the hits as she endured much of Ruby's initial assault allowing the two to go at it with the varying styles complimenting one another. Taylor hit her aerial moves while avoiding hitting Ruby in the collarbone, making Taylor get several accidental knees to her belly leaving bruising that would be a badge of honor as they were going to be tough to hide on camera the next night. The ladies spoke to one another backstage and were in tears as Ara?a would be gone until the following August and when she returned she'd have a beautiful little baby to show off to the roster. Ruby felt the pangs of motherhood but wasn't ready to give up wrestling for a year like Ara?a so happily asked if she was going to let them babysit which got Ara?a to come to tears at the gesture. It was heartfelt and the ladies were more than happy to band around her as she needed them to be sisters in place of her family especially when she told them that they were closer to her than her own family had been. Ruby talked with Taylor about the title chase and thought it best that she have a short run after she got back and worked with her to position her stable to try to unseat her with the intention of putting herself back into the title by a quick squash, "Win" over the one who beat Taylor. It would also allow them to have a building tension that would culminate with a big match at Wrestlecade where the stable would battle one another for supremacy. It was brilliant and Taylor loved the implications for all of them. Without thinking, Ruby set up another woman to win the title. Taylor wanted the belt off of her soon but that was the earliest Vince would allow. The new woman would win, a darkhorse challenger. Ruby suggested they just stop fooling around and give it to Mickayla Jace so she could finally get her last title reign that fans had requested for months. It would require some finagling, but Taylor thought that she could get Mickayla her final shot at Wrestlecade and do so legitimately as she and Taylor held a specialist match, with Mickayla being the winner in a ladder match over Taylor. The kicker would be how to get it to feel organic and how to get Mickayla to agree to it in the first place. Mickayla needed her son to force her to accept the belt, with Tyson happily telling his mother that she was being given a special gift that would only secure her legacy with the company. Tyson wanted his mother to enjoy telling people that she was the champion and make her biggest detractors stop as they harped on about how she never did any big matches and how she never beat anyone of note. Taylor is about as big as you can get in the world of wrestling and for her to willingly give up her title so she could have one last title reign told many of her detractors that she was to be respected. Mickayla was told and burst into tears of joy over Taylor giving her a gift that she would appreciate for years to come. She could only tell her that she would make her proud, with Taylor retorting, "You have done so for years. I'm just doing what is right and am happy to lose to you." Things settled down until Christmas. Taylor endured three inconsequential feuds that were really fillers to hold her over until April. Mickayla and she had some strife that showed on camera that was part of the longer feud that would end up leading to their Wrestlecade match, with the two disagreeing about how to deal with the various challengers while Tanya and Anya tried to play referee. It was brilliant. The two were of like minds and knew just what to suggest to "set off" the other and how to make it look like it was nothing but really was sowing the seeds of discord. The duo had to give the couple their due, they played their parts well and with the added wrinkles of the duo costing the couple their tag team titles went even further toward them battling things out on the main stage. They held two weeks off by taping shows at military bases and thanks to it being free to all it was a big tax write-off making it actually a profitable set of shows for the company. Taylor's involvement was a big concern but the brass who objected to her were kept as far away as possible and had to explain to the Pentagon why they felt the need to cause issues with the troops' morale as she was one of the most requested performers. The soldiers knew her history as being born a male, but they also demanded that she be there as she was one of the best performers in the company and gave them a better show despite who she was in the fading past. The shows were a huge success and garnered a lot of rave reviews from the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. The PR tour was grueling but Taylor accepted it as her duty to ensure that the men and women of the military enjoyed a chance to meet someone whom they had demanded be there as it was her duty to give them what they had requested. She didn't mind the long hours, she was just weary of the few in the military who had issues with people like her but they had a lot to lose if they acted out around her. She met with many military personnel, both active and retired, and got a sense of how much they had to endure as she heard their stories and saw the impact that her colleagues had on them as they recalled the matches and history to one another during long periods in the field and on guard duty. It was a very touching moment, she felt for them and was happy to have played a small part in keeping them safe even if they were doing it all on their own. She was proud of their service and at times felt like she was an outsider there as they were true heroes in her eyes even if they had a lot of respect and admiration for her and the GCW wrestlers. She enjoyed the event especially as she got the biggest ovations from the crowd as she showed just how much she could move and make things stand out among the many matches. The airmen joked with her that if she spent any more time in the air she'd have the air traffic controllers on her or she'd have the fighter jets going in to take her out for being an unidentified flying object. She was quick to counter, "I know they fire missiles, I didn't think they fired missile leg drops too!" The military personnel loved the shows and with the merchandise sales from the special event going to them it was a big win for all. Most of the wrestlers were spending the next two weeks at home but did spend one last night for their taped show in LA. It was going to be a filler show so nothing major would be going on but it would still feature the entire roster out of respect to everyone. The wedding took place before the show, with Vince and Percy acting as fathers of the brides and saw Taylor and Ara?a as maids of honor. The ladies were in tears as they saw their flower girl, Bella, and their ring bearers, Matt and Wallace Turner, walking down the aisle in front of them. When the two men took their arms they could barely contain themselves, with Vince telling them they were his two biggest rocks as they showed women they didn't need to fight one another to be successful. Percy happily told them that things were as they requested and they looked better than they could have imagined, giving the ladies the fatherly advice he had hoped to give to his own daughters when they married in the future. The reverend hired for the service was quick and thorough and as he saw the number of large men and women he didn't dare offer any backhanded remarks about the marriage between two women especially ones who had powerful friends. The couple exchanged rings, kissed, then enjoyed the night off but participated in a backstage segment with Taylor as their rings were seen by all with nobody saying anything about them but the ladies happily smiling the whole time. The couple made their official announcement and the GCW offered their heartfelt best wishes to the newlyweds with no further discussion being taken place as they enjoyed their privacy. The hint in the responses by wrestlers was clear, they were not to be discussed as it was a private matter and they had the love and support of the entire GCW roster. Only a few wannabe dirtsheet bloggers tried to build on the rumors but with none of the wrestlers taking their bait their stories fizzled. After they had finally left for their honeymoon in the Caribbean, the couple released the only pictures of the wedding that they'd allow: the entire roster there to view it and the couple kissing. It sealed the rumors that they were more than tag partners while breaking thousands of hearts of boys and men who thought they might have a shot with one or both of the ladies. Ara?a was in it and her being part of it as well as the news of her being pregnant breaking the week before gave things a lot of traction as she was looked amazing despite the small bulge in her dress. After the wedding furor, Ara?a and Taylor made the long-dreaded trip to visit Ara?a's parents. It was a tough thing to endure, but Ara?a needed to do it for her own sake. She knew what they'd say to her but it had to be done so she could have peace of mind and move on with her life even if it meant that she would never again see her parents. The Hernandez family owned several prop and memorabilia supply shops around the LA County area and were heavily into the movie and TV business as their props were often unique as well as could endure a lot of wear and tear from multiple takes. Ara?a grew up around the props and played with many of them as a kid but never held the need to follow in her parents' footsteps and work as part of the entertainment business in that way. She was a happy young lady but she just never held the interest in following the family tradition and working in the business, she wanted to do her own thing and fell in love with the sport after watching a show with friends when she was in middle school. The Hernandez family felt the pain of seeing her leave to go to college, moving away to Orlando in the hopes of finding a good wrestling school so she could break into the business. Taylor's need to find a new girl to replace the original Ara?a character that Taylor had been playing was her big break, and through Taylor she got a good job that paid well and led to her getting a try-out and eventual contract with NEW. Taylor had saved her from returning home in disgrace, with her parents frequently asking her to return home and few offers after graduating from her wrestling school. The duo rang the Hernandez' doorbell and braced for the worst, with Mrs. Hernandez escorting them to the family's dining room and the eventual showdown with Mr. Hernandez. The two listened intently as Ara?a told them her news and hoped that they would make peace with her as she raised her child. She told them how she had been rejected by her boyfriend Pablo and how he refused to be a man and act like the father he should be and left her all alone to raise her child. Mr. Hernandez asked about Taylor and her relationship to Ara?a. Ara?a confessed to him, "She trained me to be a wrestler after my first school scammed me out of a real job. She got me my first real job in the business. She's one of the best wrestlers in the world and is heir to the GCW. She runs all of it, she won't admit to it but she's the boss even if her aunt and grandfather are the ones who run it on paper." She steeled herself and explained, "She's the one who made headlines around the world. She's the man who became a woman. She is my closest friend, I owe everything to her." Taylor didn't say a word, she was being sized up by Mr. Hernandez while Mrs. Hernandez didn't look to be too happy to have someone like Taylor in her house. Mr. Hernandez realized just who Taylor was and had to think long and hard about what he'd do next. His business relied on Hollywood to survive, if he tossed out the niece of a studio head and one who just also happens to be an actress he would see his business destroyed and face being ruined financially. Mrs. Hernandez looked at her husband and saw that he wasn't going to do anything about Taylor being there. She told Taylor to leave, she had no business there. Taylor got up and left, with Ara?a telling her that she would be out shortly as coming there was a mistake. Ara?a looked over her parents and told them boldly, "You haven't changed at all. You are frauds. You act like you are nice people who try to be the best people in the world but you are just angry. You made a lot of money off of the hard work of family and friends and don't pay them for what they do. You got in trouble with the state over your actions and dare to take it out on me. I love you but you two are just too far gone to try to reach. I love that woman like a sister and you toss her out. Why? Because she doesn't fit your small view on people? In this town? It's laughable. You are lucky that she won't destroy your business because she can with just a single word. She's too nice of a person to do that. She loves me too much to let the stink of you linger on me. Thankfully, the mask I wear hides my lineage so your stink won't follow me around. I am sorry to have disturbed you, but this is goodbye." She got up and walked out, shedding tears as Taylor hugged her and led her to their rental car. The duo drove on to the Turner mansion to tell the family how badly the meeting had gone. Ara?a needed the hugs from Betty then from Sally and Kate to calm down, while Matt and Wallace tried to get attention on them so she felt better again. The mother in her started to stir and gave the boys hugs and kisses, which they loved. She was with a group who appreciated her and respected her, what she would call real family. She wasn't a Turner but she was a member of their family, as were Tanya and Anya. Ara?a ignored the incoming phone calls from her parents, they had nothing to say and were only trying to salvage their business. She was just a business decision to them, they didn't really care one bit about her all they wanted was her to not destroy their company. For what they were doing to her, Stacy and Vince considered just buying them out and putting Ara?a in charge but she wouldn't let them do that. The Christmas celebration was a lot of fun for the Turner trio as it was their first as college students and first where they were back with their family after a fun semester in New York. Sally had to endure a lot of men trying to date her while Kate fell hard for one of her professors. Bart was the one who kept the two in line, keeping boys away from Sally while ensuring that Kate knew that she would throw away her life if she didn't quell her lust and gave into her professor's overtures. Sally did date a nice young man but found him to be incredibly boring until he revealed that he was a big book and movie fan allowing them to spend hours together. He was fine with her being a single mother especially after hearing the truth about her ex-boyfriend. He was a good guy who met Bart's approval but did have to quell himself at times as he could get fanatical about topics Bart disliked, much to his sisters' pleasure. Kate found a guy who was into the theater production side of entertainment and spent multiple dates with him on the town as he enjoyed the perks of being employed to review plays. He was a decent guy, but he was the first who wasn't intimidated by Bart. She liked that about him, he was smaller than Bart and clearly was never going to harm him physically yet he still stood up for himself around Bart. Bart was following in his grandfather's footsteps in learning the wrestling business from the promoter side. He liked to broker deals and worked alongside his aunt to watch her reorganize contracts and give the company a fair shake while also giving the wrestler a decent increase in pay. He found it to be a lot more exciting and fun than it appeared, especially if you did a lot of research and backed up your side of the negotiations while the other side came unprepared. Vince was proud of his grandchildren, especially Sally for following her heart and taking to writing as a future job. She was creative and could work from home while raising the twins, and through her hard work, she had gotten a job proofreading the upcoming memoirs for several wrestlers, something that she loved as it was her subtle way of helping her father and grandfather. She had a knack for the job and she had found a few errors that had gone unnoticed by editors the first time they read the books. Like her twin, Kate found her niche in life in the form of the theater. She saw a few good plays and helped to get the plays produced but after being rejected by producers she got her grandparents to help fund them leading to the GCW seeing a potential tax shelter and revenue source. Kate may not join them as part of the GCW directly but she did open their eyes about possibly running a theater of their own and making their mark in a new entertainment area. The Blacks joined the family in California, with Richard finally being forced by the assembled Turner family to nail down a date for his wedding. It took Ara?a playfully putting him into an arm lock that was on the verge of pulling his arm out of the socket before he blurted out, "Wrestlecade Eve" as the big day. His fiance Nora slipped Ara?a a $20 bill for her troubles, with Richard groaning at being set up. He also announced to the Turners, "I decided on a major. I'm going into sports medicine like Taylor so I can be involved in the business even if I'm never lacing up a pair of boots." Vince was pleased, he was showing his gratitude to them by helping in his own way- it was all he could ask for from him. Nora was practical, she was going for a degree in elementary education and would be by her husband's side and possibly help the GCW by being there for their kids especially as the current generation were on the cusp of becoming parents. She looked at Ara?a and smiled, it was her that inspired her to make the jump into elementary education. She loved being there for kids but having a friend of her family be in need of someone to teach and care for her child it was only fitting. The gathering lasted through the evening and into the night once the three kids were put to bed. Chase and Ollie Turner got to stay up while Ginny and Jerome Black begged and pleaded to do the same, only to be granted it after some long thoughts from their parents. The four teens kept to themselves and gave one another presents that were to their liking, with Ginny getting a big kiss from Chase that went along with long looks of hormonally charged lust that his 15-year-old body found hard to resist. The adults exchanged a few gifts as they didn't want to show off to one another especially as the Blacks and Simpsons couldn't find the proper gifts to give the Turners as they had everything that they could ever want. The fact that they considered the Blacks family and the Blacks treated them as such was gift enough in Vince and Patty's eyes. The Turners were a small family, and they had never gotten along with King Reign's family due to his insulting his own parents and siblings for being "beneath" him once he started to date and later marry Stacy. The family stayed together for the full week before breaking up into the three branches. Chase kissed Ginny on the lips during the week and got her to tell him that she had found a nice boy who was like him but had nicer lips, causing him to blush while Jerome shook his head in shame. The boy she was talking about was actually a girl, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it but she had fallen for her classmate and both girls had developed a strong bond to the point that she felt she might be a lesbian. Watching the teens have their fun was Ara?a and Taylor. Ara?a was happy to watch a family who loved one another as they did and who would be there for each other even if it meant they had to make a few sacrifices for the greater good. They were what she had hoped families were, not just a collection of people who are related to you and who work for next to nothing so you can save expenses. Ara?a was like another aunt to the kids and in the eyes of Taylor, she was as close as she could get to a sister. She loved Ara?a, she was just too amazing not to. She, Tanya, and Anya were the only women who Taylor had ever felt any kind of bond with on a deep level, they understood her more than anyone else could simply due to their personal lives being so similar. Ara?a's family weren't happy that she had ignored their calls and just walked away from them. Now that they knew that she was in close with the Turners they thought that she could help them get better contacts and thus new contracts to bring the business to a whole new level. Instead, they saw the Turners telling anyone who inquired about their connection that they didn't know the Hernandez family and their daughter may work for the GCW but she kept her home life separate from her in-ring life. Reading between the lines, they all but told everyone they weren't going to be exploited by the family and Ara?a didn't approve of their actions. They would happily have used them if they had been on good terms with Ara?a but since she showed the real Hernandez family, they wouldn't be used. They did use the Hernandez family business via proxies but didn't let on that they did. The return to normalcy was quick for the family as Ara?a moved in with Betty and Taylor and had to endure the Blacks and Simpsons fussing over her. She and Nancy Simpson grew closer and at times was upset as she felt a motherly bond with Nancy that she never shared with her own mother. Nancy was in tears as she heard that, she loved Ara?a as she gave her something she had missed with Taylor: being able to talk with her one on one. As much as she loved Taylor, when she was Ara?a's age she was still Matt. Ara?a needed guidance and Matt was too headstrong. Matt had Hank Black and Betty to give him his needed guidance, he would go to his mother for support but not in the same was Ara?a was. Nancy and her husband Wally talked about the bond between Ara?a and Taylor and had Nancy crying at the thought of Ara?a going through pregnancy with little support. Taylor and Betty were there, but it was tough to go through it without anyone else. Wally sighed and asked if she was willing to become the mother that Ara?a needed, to which Nancy confessed, "I feel like it already." Wally agreed to do what was right as she was just too beloved to endure the troubles of being all alone. She was worth making changes to their wills and pulling needed paperwork, she was worth the trouble as she was the daughter that Nancy needed. Taylor may be their daughter, but Ara?a needed a mother and she was going to endure what only a mother would know. The Simpsons asked to speak with Ara?a a week after they got back to Florida. She showed up at their home with Betty and Bella, expecting the worst. Nancy had her sit down while Wally led the duo out back to the pool to give them privacy before returning to the living room to talk. Nancy asked her if she wanted to become part of their family, as she needed them and they couldn't just sit by while she needed help. Ara?a was in tears and confessed that she would love nothing more, to which Nancy handed her the paperwork and had her sign the forms. It took a while but after reading the entire stack twice she signed everything and thanked them for caring enough about her to do that. Mother and daughter hugged, while Wally told Betty just what was happening. She just nodded and told him, "If you didn't do that, mom and dad would have. She's just too young to be all alone, she needs us and mom and dad felt it was right to do. She does give mom a chance to help be a mom to a woman who is enduring what she herself went through. Taylor understands why you are doing this and isn't the least bit offended at Julia giving mom a special moment that she couldn't." Julia Maria Hernandez stopped being referred to by her ring name of Ara?a and became part of the Simpson arm of the Turner Family days later. Vince, Patty, Stacy, Percy, and Faye were all ears and proud that Wally and Nancy would want to mother her and be the parents her biological parents refused to be. None of them could argue against her inclusion into the family, she was just too close to all of them to not be considered a member in full. When Tanya and Anya returned, they hugged Julia and told her that she was the luckiest woman on the face of the planet for being tossed out of a family only to land in the arms of a better family. They were genuinely happy, they didn't need a piece of paper to tell them that they were part of the Turner family as they were close with Stacy and Taylor and were fast becoming friends with the younger ladies as the duo sought them out more so than Taylor and Betty. Things calmed for much of the winter as the kids and teens kept themselves busy while Julia grew larger and had to fight off Davis and Vinny trying hard to help her. During Bella's 2nd birthday, she and the younger twins spent much of it playing with the trio loving that one of the, "Adults" was happy to do the fun things with them while the others did boring things like talk. Her motherly instincts were on display and even though she was several months from giving birth it felt like she was a mother already. The Hernandez family tried hard to get a piece of their daughter, going so far as to try to threaten to sue for custody of her baby. She fought back hard and had Percy and Faye overseeing her case from LA and having a hard time fighting back laughs and anger as the Hernandez family tried every dirty trick and claim in the book to get back at Julia. Their lawyers were no match for the ones Percy hired, in fact, the Turners used Jo and Phylis Kaplan with the sisters winning easily over the Hernandezes. Their true intentions were solely on controlling their grandchild and not on his/her best interests, they showed just that when the Kaplans went at them for trying to seek their grandchild only after they had learned that she was a successful professional wrestler and close friends with Taylor Turner. Their bias against Taylor spewed forth but the real crux of the matter was the fact that neither parent had any sort of contact with Julia for years, not since they learned that she wanted to become a wrestler. She had to come to them for them to learn about their grandchild and only after she had refused their demands did they try to contact her directly and each time getting fiercer and more threatening in their demands. The Kaplans laid out just what kind of support Julia had and where it was coming from and who was the one to pay for it. The fact that she was earning money as producer while on maternity leave, that just so happened to also come with medical benefits that were not covered by her current plan was both a surprise and a killer for the Hernandez case. She had plenty of money and had a home at the Turner estate in three places, with two doctors close by and two people who were willing to oversee her and help ensure that she was receiving the proper care and didn't overexert herself. The kicker was the Kaplans announcing, "Julia Maria Hernandez, at her own consent with the request of Mr. Wallace and Mrs. Nancy Simpson, has been adopted by the couple as their daughter. She is now by adoption a member of the Turner family, whose home she resides at. Her new sister and sister-in-law are both medical doctors and has the support of multiple members of the family. That's not including her sister-in-law's family, who are also willingly helping her." The judge ruled in favor of Julia and admonished the Hernandez family for trying to use their daughter as a pawn in their business. She went for their throats and told them that their daughter's wishes were to be left alone and they chose to ignore them. She issued a restraining order barring them from trying to go after the baby again and apologized to Julia for them making a mockery of the courts to get at her. The Kaplans not only won handily, but they had also unintentionally ruined the Hernandez family as the studios and production companies canceled their contracts or forced them to pay out loans to them to acquire needed inventory. Percy saw a chance and bought out the Hernandez family, renaming the business after his wife and allowing her to oversee it so she had something to do with her free time and give her a part of the family business that she could call entirely her own. It just so happened that the business also overlapped her children's chosen fields as they would also use her for props for their productions when they graduated college and stepped out into the world of entertainment on their own. Taylor and Julia grew closer together as time wore on. Julia learned the ropes as a producer and was a good match for Taylor as she and the ladies had a great rapport and she could tell a good idea brewing in the minds of the ladies that needed nurturing that would grow into a great match in the future. It took a while, but after two months she was able to create matches that were worth seeing and ones that were some of the best of the night and rivaled Taylor's own matches in how well they looked on camera. Taylor's whole program with Mickayla was handled by Julia as she was far enough away from both to give them a good match while also ensuring that the seeds that had been planted months before got to come back to light and grow to maturity. Mickayla was an amazing performer who took a beating on the mat and who never complained, Julia had her do a lot of the work that Taylor would normally do as she was stuck having to deal with the constant challenges to her title that she purposely set up due to being a "fighting champion." Mickayla's hard work earned the crowd's approval especially as she and Taylor started to devolve into bickering over the number of bumps Taylor wasn't taking and finally to the two going toe to toe on the mat to settle their argument. Taylor and Mickayla's final straw came two weeks before Wrestlecade as Taylor and she were in a tag team match against two newcomers to the Absolute Riot stable. Billie Royce and Peyton Kay were a couple of Australian wrestlers who had ridden the fringe of the women's division and worked their way up the ranks thanks to the upheaval caused by Ruby Paige's injury. They weren't too talented and were playing a couple of classic "mean girl" characters but were the perfect foils for the feud's crescendo as it played into their usual opportunistic actions to get wins. The duo was set to make a dual finisher on Billie Royce when Peyton Kay pushed Taylor forward and into the unsuspecting Mickayla leading to her dropping Billie allowing Billie to grab Mickayla into a small package pin attempt with the referee ignoring Billie's legs being on the ropes for leverage. It was a quick motion but the fact that Taylor knocked Billie down ruining the finisher caused Mickayla and her to have words and go back and forth until they came to blows. Not even Tanya and Anya rushing to separate them could stop them, Mickayla had finally had enough and challenged Taylor to the match. The match itself was brilliant and would last a while as they were positioned to be the main event. It was big news as only three other main events had featured women in Wrestlecade's history and all of them were mixed tag team matches. Taylor and Mickayla were one of those, "Matches for the ages" as the two were likely never to face off again simply due to Taylor being a perennial babyface and Mickayla being in the twilight of her career and looking at retirement in two years time. The match lasted a while and once the adrenaline started to wear off Taylor felt something was off about her body. Her arm started to weaken and she felt her shoulder stiffen. She was going so fast and furious that when she calmed down and got to the middle of the action she started to feel the pain; it dawned on her that she had just torn her rotator cuff or something inside her shoulder and before long her arm would be useless as she couldn't move it. Mickayla started to notice the problem and whispered to the official Taylor was hurt but could continue on with the match so far. The "X" sign was given after Taylor took a kick to the midsection to give her a breather and the match continued but Taylor was struggling to make it look good. She could still move and her legs worked, but her aerial assaults weren't fully working as she couldn't lift herself to the top ropes without a lot of effort. Mickayla sold a lot of her moves but had to take control of the match and worked with Taylor to give her a believable frankensteiner to which Taylor landed awkwardly and sold herself being injured which allowed Mickayla to start her finisher, an inverted jumping DDT that would make her land on the injured shoulder allowing them to have some storyline coverage of the injury to go alongside the real injury. She was gentle with Taylor's shoulder and made it look believable to the crowd, but Taylor was clearly fighting the pain now making it impossible to mask the pain. Taylor raised Mickayla's arm as the winner, with the two giving each other a hug then saw Taylor finally led off in pain, with her arm hanging limp. She was going from the top of the game to being out of action for six to nine months. She knew that she was on borrowed time physically as she had avoided injuries in the past, but getting her first true injury was an eye-opener. She knew it was going to be tough, but she had to return and show the world that she was still a fighter and wasn't letting her first injury slow her down. Taylor immediately sought out the GCW doctor and explained the situation. She was given a quick exam to which he confirmed her suspicions, telling her firmly to take things easy until she got back home and then seek help from her own doctor for further treatment. It was devastating to her but it was inevitable, injuries happened a lot and it was one of the common ones for aerialists so she was expected to have suffered it at some point in her career. The rest of the night was spent making plans for her trip home, with Mickayla needing Tanya and Anya to comfort her as she felt horrible for injuring Taylor despite it being something that she had nothing to do with as it was a stress injury that was started before they set foot in the ring that night. Taylor had to reluctantly admit that her shoulder had been feeling stiff that week after a tough match on the go-home show the previous Monday, it had to have been hurt during the final set-up match before that Sunday and her own stubbornness refused to believe that she had actually hurt herself. That gave her some relief but only led to Taylor being admonished by the three ladies for ignoring her health in favor of others. She should have gotten help from the medical staff just to be sure it wasn't a serious issue, and if need be she could have had a third person added to the match to eat the pin while she didn't take too many bumps during her match. It was done all of the time with injured stars, it was no different with her but she felt that Mickayla deserved a clean win despite her growing pain. Taylor was flown to New York to have her shoulder examined and had Stacy come out the next night to address the crowd to tell them the results of the testing. It wasn't good, it was a torn labrum and not the torn rotator cuff as Taylor suspected. Betty was upset at her wife for keeping her injury to herself and for not getting help when she had to have known that something was wrong with her shoulder. The doctor went easy on her, it was tough for doctors to seek treatment even if they know something is off about themselves; Taylor was of the typical "physician, heal thyself" trap in overlooking her own issues due to issues of others. She accepted her admonishment but was praised for going easy after she finally took notice that her pain wasn't normal pain. She should have ended the match sooner, but she did the right thing in trying to change things to look "real" while not hurting herself more. The only course of action was surgery, one that she had to undergo as soon as possible so she could get back into action and the thick of things the following year. It was going to be at least six to nine months of rest and rehabilitation for Taylor but there was no alternative. She would still oversee things behind the scenes, but she was out of action in the ring until the subsequent January. The kids were upset that he needed surgery, but hearing that it was due to her wrestling they were a bit more relaxed especially as she explained how she was going to be around for a while as she rehabbed. The only one who wasn't upset was Bella, she was just happy to have her mommy back with them. The surgery took place in Orlando and saw Betty observing it while her parents took care of the kids. It was tough to keep Vinny calm as he feared the worst, but the Blacks were able to get him to keep his mind on his schoolwork and once school was finished the boys went with them to the hospital to see their mother. She hated to be seen as helpless but the boys were just glad that she was doing better. It would be a tough six weeks in a sling but it was nothing she hadn't endured already. If there was one thing that she was grateful for from her gender confirmation surgery, it was that she could endure the after- effects of any other surgery now. She was used to being immobile, so the loss of the use of her arm wasn't too far of a stretch in her mind and gave her some comfort that she at least could move now. A nurse was hired to help her dress and bathe as well as ensure that she didn't overdo things while her wife was out with the kids or working. She was a local who idolized Taylor for some reason. As the two talked she learned that the woman was like her and saw Taylor as a hero even if Taylor didn't feel like one despite doing something nobody else in the transgender community had done. She and Taylor talked extensively about her role in the community and saw Taylor feeling terrible that she hadn't tried to extend a hand to the transgender community despite being the most prominent icon in the transgender community in the eyes of the media. She didn't know that she was so respected and admired, she had kept to herself for so long that she never really bothered with the community after graduating college. She had a few transgender patients as an intern but that was as close as she had gotten since giving away her former tenant at the woman's wedding years before. She had a chance to make amends but it wasn't her fault in their eyes, she was trying hard to bring out the best in her wrestling and by doing that she was actually doing more than she could have done with her words. Actions speak louder than words, her performance in the ring by first getting back into it then by winning the championship was what was seen as being the greatest effort she could do. She had done more just by being herself than she could have done by encouraging others to do better. Her nurse was an amazing young woman and Taylor was glad to see that she could help her out even if she was just her employee. She was smart and caring, knowing how to help Taylor without making it look like she was helping her while ensuring that she had taken her anti-inflammatory medicine and was both eating and sleeping properly. She was a good conversationalist and gave Taylor a chance to get a few things off of her mind that she couldn't tell to anyone else especially her wife. After six weeks together, the two parted ways with Taylor giving her a strong recommendation and a few contacts who would be proud to have her as a nurse. She had gotten a nice job lined up for her, it was with Betty's former hospital and a good fit for her as she was able to endure the egos of the doctors and give a solid performance on the fly under pressure. She was good with kids and if she could endure the trio of kids running around while she helped Taylor dress she could endure anything. Taylor was forced to endure visits from Julia as she kept her mind occupied and gave the nurse days off and time to herself as she met with her gender counselor. Julia was looking more and more glowing as she grew larger, the little one was making her beautiful and filling her body out more to the point that she was plumper and sported larger breasts than her former mother sported. The pregnancy was in its final stages so she wanted to be close to her sister when the little one finally came out, giving her peace of mind that she was in good hands even if Taylor wasn't allowed to be her doctor. The little one finally decided to come out in late May, a week late and with Julia feeling like there was a problem but not realizing that it was just him being stubborn. She had a tough labor but with Betty and Taylor by her side as well as Tanya and Anya waiting just outside the doors she felt better. Her son was a screamer, but shared a lot of similarities to his mother and gave her a sense of purpose in life. She learned from her new mother how to feed, cloth, bathe, and change her newborn son, all being done with a smile on her face as Nancy showed great care in helping her new daughter learn some of the basics that she had been taught by mother and grandmother. She decided on the name Samuel Hector Hernandez after her grandfather as he was always kind to her despite the issues her parents had with her choice of profession. It helped that he had worked as a luchador back in his native Mexico during the heyday of the sport in the 70s so he felt pride in her following his lead. Samuel was a quiet boy and only ever got upset when his new grandfather was around, but that was a big joke to the family as Wally Simpson had that effect on all of his grandchildren when they were so young. He was actually good with the kids when they got older but until they could crawl he was just a scary man who seemed to give them gas or make them poop. Julia shed a tear when she heard that it was just following tradition, especially as Bella giggled and nodded to them at them doing it for fun. The sisters kept close to one another and saw Julia's maternal side bond with Taylor's much more so than either had thought and led to the two talking for hours as they passed the time during flights as Samuel slept in his mother's arms. The other ladies noticed the change in Julia when she returned to her producer role and seeing how Taylor was with Samuel got them to see her in a new light as the two had a special bond that now only three women on the roster shared. Mickayla gave her own bits of motherly advice to Julia while she helped change Samuel's smelly diaper, showing that the trio had a stronger side than even the toughest ladies had as they didn't flinch at the horrible aroma nor did they break stride in their conversation. It was funny to the crew as some of the ladies touted their toughness yet gagged at seeing the baggie being removed from the room. The trio ignored all of it, with the crew laughing at the ladies as they sprayed air freshener around the room. Julia would spend much of her time backstage and talking with the wrestlers as they got ready for their matches. One of the people she talked with was a tall, heavily built Samoan named Fetu Tui, but he was nicknamed "Mack" as he was built like the truck and as powerful as one when angry. He was heavily respected and feared by the wrestlers as he was protective of the women and smaller wrestlers like the growing cruiserweight class of wrestlers Taylor had gotten involved in greater numbers. Mack and Julia shared a spark that went beyond simply being a producer to his matches. He acted like a lovesick puppy around her, listening to whatever she said and giggling at her jokes. He was different with her than anyone else, he was practically a new man rather than the tough guy he portrayed. Taylor watched them closely and shed tears as she realized that Julia and Mack were flirting and deep down had feelings for one another. She wasn't like that with her former boyfriend, she was acting like Taylor and Betty acted whenever they were around one another. The two had a special bond, it was like they were in love but neither realized it and tried hard to not show it to one another. After a month of the two dancing around one another, Taylor talked with Mack about his interest in her sister. Mack tried to deflect and pretend that he didn't know what she was talking about but she wore him down until he admitted that he liked her a lot yet couldn't get involved with her as he didn't want to upset her. It was the best possible answer he could give, he put her feelings first over his own. She did the same with Julia, getting a blush as she admitted that he was more of a man than Hector, her ex-fiance and Samuel's biological father. Taylor pressed her about dating Mack, getting a blush and big smile as Julia thought about Mack in bed. She finally told Taylor, "He can get any girl he wants, why would he go after a single mother who needs her sister and friends to help care for her newborn son? He can do better than me. I love him as a friend but I can't let him settle for me." It was clear, the two were dancing around the issue and needed a subtle push to get together. She would do just that, they had to find out if they were compatible and give their love a chance to blossom. She had to work their schedules around but finally got Julia to be Mack's semi- permanent producer forcing the two to be around one another frequently as she planned out his matches and storylines. The two talked a lot more and after a while, Taylor finally told them to just stop acting and go out on a real date. The two tried to refuse but Taylor was adamant that they give it a chance, they didn't know so how could they say no if they didn't at least try. She even babysat Samuel for Julia as an incentive to try. The two went out and found that they were great together, with Mack treating her like a queen while Julia was a good listener. He told her about his island and family while she told about her family. He was visibly angry which caused her to swoon, he was doing everything right to win her over. After they returned, Julia kissed him deeply then thanked him for a great night. The two made plans for more nights, with Samuel being asked to go with them. In Mack's eyes, if he couldn't endure the little one then he had no business trying to date his mother let alone falling for her. Samuel actually seemed to like Mack and took to him the first time he held the infant in his arms. Mack felt his heart melt, with Julia taking it as a sign that he was happy to have Mack close to them. She gave Mack a deep kiss, with the two just sitting in the hotel room talking while Samuel slept in Mack's arms. The couple remained close and when it came time for her to reenter the ring Samuel stayed with Mack, giving the other wrestlers an eyeful as the strong man acted like a new father instead of the tough and gruff guy they were used to. Nobody dared to make any jokes, he was still intimidating and those who were fathers knew the expressions he was showing all too well. He was acting like a father to the boy and anyone who messed with a father got a wrath worse than the normal Mack wrath. Taylor and he talked and he confessed that he was in love with Julia and wanted more from her. She had an impact on him, he couldn't stop thinking about her and whenever they were apart he counted the minutes until they were together again. Taylor just nodded, it was the same thing that Julia had told to her only it was with a happy, "He's like the man I always pictured marrying, the true father of my kids. I have never felt so beautiful or loved by anyone before." Taylor casually told him, "She loves you deeply, anyone can see that." He looked on at Julia and saw the woman's glowing aura, one that he couldn't keep his eyes off of and gave him drive to do more. When the two finally had a free weekend, Mack got down on one knee and proposed, telling her, "I can't stop seeing the beauty in you. You are what I dreamed a woman would be. I love you and I want to be the father to your son that he needs. I want to be part of your life forever." She was in tears, telling him, "I love you too and yes I do want to be your wife." He told her that he is going to tell his family and get her ex-fiance Hector to give up all rights to Samuel so he could adopt him as his own son. She was in tears at hearing that, he was doing what Hector wasn't man enough to do and was doing it because he cared about Samuel as his own child. She showed off her ring to the ladies and got tears and hugs. She was marrying a man that all agreed is the best looking among the men and who was going to make her the happiest woman alive. Tanya and Anya were in tears as they were glad that she'd never had to mention Hector again. When the GCW visited California two weeks later, Mack's brothers Afa and Sika joined him in visiting Hector's apartment with the needed paperwork to give up his claim to Samuel. Afa and Sika were bail bondsmen and lawyers, becoming those as their taste for pro wrestling faded once the thrill of it wore off after a couple of matches and the reality of not making much money from the sport hit. Mack was not like them, he enjoyed the hunt for a title that came with the sport and the applause from the fans and just couldn't hold himself to become like his brothers but did love to help distract people who the brothers were after whenever the GCW was in town. Hector saw the three big men and nearly wet his pants. Mack asked to speak with him, letting him see the gravity of the situation by using his threatening tone. Hector let them in and saw the brothers gather around the man and enjoyed seeing him squirm under the pressure of the trio. Afa handed him the paperwork and told him, "Your son needs a father. I'm only going to ask this once, sign the paperwork or find yourself a new home far away from here and hard to locate. You abandoned your fiance and renounced your child, she moved on and found a better man. He wants to become the father that your son needs. He won't be threatened, but he will fight back hard. Sign the paperwork." Hector wet his pants at hearing the threatening tone in Afa. He signed away all rights to Samuel and gave Mack one long, hard look before flinching in fear. Mack simply told him, "I'd hate to have to hurt you but you did the right thing. Your son will never know about you, I'll raise him properly and be the man that you obviously can't be. Your ex- fiance sends her regards, she moved on and is about to be part of my family. Don't think about retaliation, my brothers and I are nothing compared with our mom." The three brothers left and met with their mother, who asked where they had gone. Mack looked down in shame and confessed, "We had to talk with an overgrown kid about signing some paperwork to give up his rights to the son he refused to acknowledge so I could adopt him." She looked at him with a sly grin and asked for the whole story, not just the abridged highlights. Mack steeled himself, then explained, "I asked Julia Hernandez to become my wife. You know her as 'Ara?a' the best friend of our boss Taylor Turner. I told her that I was going to adopt her son as my own so he could have a real father and not some guy who refused to be a man. She accepted so we had to persuade him to sign over his rights allowing me to adopt him and become the father he needs." She didn't respond, walking off to seemingly think while his brothers had to hide their laughter at their mother holding something over their younger brother. When she finally reentered the room, she asked about Julia then demanded to meet her. Mack told her everything, with his mother's face showing a big smile the more he talked about his and Julia's relationship as well as his relationship with Samuel. She waited for him to stop, then explained, "Have her come by to meet us. Your father and I want to see for ourselves the woman who has stolen your heart enough to make you want to jump into fatherhood. We were hoping you boys would settle down, we never expected you to be the first." That was pointed directly at Afa and Sika but meant with love. The twins were bachelors who enjoyed the lifestyle so it was grating on them to hear their mother shoot glances at them to get them to act like real men and settle down. They would do it, they just haven't found the right women yet. Mack headed back to the hotel and told Julia what was going on and why. She was scared but his look was one that told her that it was alright. He softly told her, "Mom just wants to meet you. She is trying to extend a hand to you as her family. She cares too much about you to upset you so don't be afraid. If she didn't approve of you she would be here with me to tell you herself. She is happy for us." They performed that night and the next day visited the Tui home. Mack's father Tumua or, "Tim" as he liked to be called, and his mother Sina entered and greeted the couple. Seeing the little one hugging so close to their son caused Sina to see just why he went so far to protect the little one especially as he was looking at them while they were looking at him grabbing Mack's arm and shoulder. Taylor was joining them just in case they needed her help, but she would only be there for peace of mind as she knew Tim could easily break her in half if he wanted to. He was a retired wrestler who had a long run with GCW and on the regional circuits before retiring to own his own training school and is one of the few who genuinely scared Vince with just a look in his eyes. The two were good friends and Vince would speak highly of Tim but it was still possible he might have a bad reaction to the news. Tim told them to sit while Sina took Samuel off of their hands and tried her hardest to keep from saying anything about the couple's situation. He cuddled into her arms, falling asleep quickly and giving Julia a sign that the meeting would go well. Sina didn't bother to question her son, it was not going to change what she was seeing with her own eyes, Samuel had spoken more than they could have. Tim asked what was going on and listened to what the couple had to say. He nodded at Mack's actions the day before and was happy to have him acting mature especially as it made his brothers have to be the same way now. He asked if Mack was serious to which he showed that they had already signed the forms and were filing them when they got back to Florida so the couple could marry. Tim didn't need to say anything more, but Sina did say that they had better plan a proper wedding as she wanted the whole family involved. Mack tensed, he'd have all of his cousins, aunts, uncles, and his grandparents involved while Julia would only have a few people going. Sina just smirked to which Tim told them, "We have known the Turners since we were children, your aunts and uncles grew up around Vince and his father. He was the best man at my wedding to your mother and was there when you were baptized. Your friends and colleagues are going to be there, as will all of your siblings and cousins. We are more numerous, but we consider Vince family to us." He looked over onto the mantle at an old picture, smiling at it as he realized that for the first time in the long history of the family the Turner and Tui families would be joined in marriage. Tim explained to the silent Taylor, "Your grandfather and my father were close. He brought dad to the US to wrestle and gave him a chance to get out beyond our family's plantation and the eventual fighting that would have happened when my grandfather passed on. His brothers were better at running it and had their hearts in the island, dad was just a third wheel. His sister had no interest in doing anything and when the time came he saw that it was best to take Vince Turner's offer to turn his size and strength into something he could use to entertain people. He moved to Los Angeles and trained under some of the older wrestlers and after a year of toiling around getting beaten by them, he was deemed good enough to wrestle. The rest is history. The Samoan Wildman might be an offensive character nowadays, but he saved dad's life and we owe it to him to show his newest granddaughter that she is family to us." Julia asked what he meant by that. Tim smiled and explained, "Vince Turner and Manuia Tui are blood brothers. My father swore an oath to the Turner family and we have remained close to them ever since. The only time it's been tested was your former uncle's actions but he never got away with what he tried to do to us. He forced the retirement of my brothers and made it impossible for my other sons to make it in the business but you taking over has righted those wrongs. Even if she wasn't your sister we would be happy to accept Julia as our new daughter as she is your friend and that makes her family to us by extension. We care for our family, even if we don't agree with one another we take care of our family." Taylor understood what he was saying, with Julia being told all of this so she saw that she was accepted by them as their family in more than just marriage. They weren't blood, yet the Turners were family to them. Julia was joining them and through them, she sealed a decades-old blood compact that the Tui family had made to the Turners and with Taylor's facilitating it without knowing she had done so. Tim sat Taylor down and asked her about her being a "Fa'afafine" or "third gender" as he translated. She was unsure how to answer that, telling him, "I'm female, not a third gender." He didn't take offense to her quick rebuttal, instead, he offered her a glimpse into his culture that she needed to know. He explained to her, "My aunt is fa'afafine. She wasn't normal and as we were growing up she was too small to help on the plantation. If she was a man things would have been easier on us as the plantation would have been split evenly but she showed signs of being a woman early and refused to act like as a man. She was amazing at home but out in the field, she was too slow and weak. She found love with the third son of a fellow farmer and moved to a secluded home away from the plantations where she taught kids while he worked on mundane office work for the nearby plantations. She was always great with us kids and encouraged us to go beyond the fields and be ourselves. I joined dad in wrestling, my brothers joined the military or police. She was a rare person in our culture, but we loved her deeply." Taylor understood now. He continued, "Fa'afafine are looked down upon by foreigners but they were a key to our culture during the time before foreigners gave us 'new blood' and increased the gene pool. I know it's sort of insulting but it's what we see as being true: you are a third gender, born in the wrong gender and became what you really are. We respect your journey and see you as warriors as your fight is one that can't be seen and you have beaten it just by being your own person." Sina was still cuddling with the sleeping Samuel which caused Julia some anxiety. Tim just laughed as the new mother looked over at Sina being the doting grandmother. He was honest with her, telling her, "She wanted the boys to marry for years. They weren't ready yet and 18 is too young to be parents. She is just happy that you are willing to allow our son to be a father to your son." When he woke up and demanded food Julia fed him with Sina joining her in the kitchen to help with the bottle. Tim watched as the little one didn't cry or fight, he accepted Sina and was giving her a show as he cooed and dribbled as he watched his mother prepare his meal. He had to hide his smile as Sina was being given something she had wanted for a while, with Mack fighting saying something to him. When they returned, Sina asked when they were going to do the deed. Julia looked at Taylor who told her, "We are all together before Wrestlecade, it'll be the easiest time to do it." Julia nodded while Mack just let the ladies hammer out the details. He wisely knew not to bother saying anything about the date, his mother is not one to let him wiggle out of things or put them off so a firm date with everyone able to be there was set without his refusing it. The trio left with Samuel reluctantly separating from his future grandmother. The trio talked in the car as they drove over to the arena, with Taylor telling them that it was the best thing that could have been done as it was everyone that they cared about and people who were family. She was proud to be the one who got their families together, it meant the world to her that Julia had confirmation that she had a real family and now she would have a large family who would go to war for her to ensure her happiness. It was the Bash of the Summer night so Julia was making her triumphant return to the ring and saw her in a title hunt already as she exercised her rematch clause to be done at the next pay-per-view. She and a newcomer named Bailey Banks were going against Mickayla and Ruby Paige in a fatal four-way bout for the title, with Julia getting the title while Bailey would be her next contender as the two did a feud that would last through the fall until Julia dropped the belt that November at the annual Soul Survivor. Julia was happy to drop the title to the hot young star as she was the perfect mix of sassy and sweet and gave the women's division a natural lovable babyface that complimented the other babyfaces. Taylor would end up facing her at her return at Wrestlecade, giving Bailey her biggest push ever as she became the new face of the company as Taylor opted to start becoming a supporting wrestler and give the ladies a chance to get the title on their own once she herself had another reign as champion. Taylor would be in the hunt but would always see to it that she had something else going on to ensure more opportunities. Taylor saw to it that it was her last title reign as she spent four months as the champion and gave up the title to Ruby allowing her and Bailey to have their own feud once Bailey had a feud with Julia solidifying Ruby and Bailey as the new tops of the company over Taylor and Julia. Julia would be out on honeymoon after Wrestlecade and return once she had gotten her fill of the South Pacific islands and meeting her husband's extended family. His own feud with Taylor's longtime mentor Impossible would see him leaving for a few months allowing the couple to go off together without the duo needing a reason. Impossible was a great counter to him and he was happy to have Mack endure a lot of abuse from him while making him look good, especially as few could keep up with Impossible's style; it was tough to give Impossible great matches because of style differences with most of the roster but Mack did it frequently and with Impossible happily taking losses to fuel their rivalry. Things were looking up for all, especially as Taylor worked on her physical therapy and got the green light to start doing light workouts to increase her range of motion. She wasn't happy to be told that she had to cut back on travel and work out at the GCW training center but her doctor was adamant that she not fly so often and admonished her for trying to keep to her previous schedule and not take time off to rest as she should have been. It hurt her as instead of taking six months for a simple surgery, she had a full nine months off and heavy rehabilitation schedule instead! Taylor listened when her parents and Julia set their feet down, followed by Mack forcing her to go back to the airport and take the GCW plane back home. He pulled out the family card, having his brothers be there to ensure that she actually met the plane and gave her a hearty sendoff. They were eager to help her, even if she tried to reason with them but they had higher orders from their mother making it moot. Sina was contacted by Mack and as the only person who actually scared Taylor, Taylor listened to her orders and apologized for being stupid. Her being the one to force Afa and Sika to force her to get on the plane made Taylor finally give in without a fight as she didn't want to hear the angry Sina on the phone. It was safer to agree to what she wanted, Sina was not one to be ignored nor was she one to let you get away without punishment. At home, Taylor was forced to endure her wife's smirk while the boys giggled at her being in trouble. She let them have their fun, but Bella did add, "Mommy made momma mad" and ran off giggling. The little girl knew how to hit you hard, she was Taylor in looks but all Betty in personality. Betty set up a schedule for her rehabilitation and ensured that she followed through on it. Dr. Betty was at work, even if she wasn't practicing full-time as she should be and was barred ethically and legally from treating Taylor she could at least ensure that her wife was doing what she was supposed to do to get back as soon as possible. She had already hurt her recovery by putting off needed rehabilitation but the time had passed and she'd now have to comply. The kids loved having her back and got a thrill out of seeing their new aunt on TV while telling others that she was going to marry one of the meanest men on TV. Vinny could happily tell others that he had a big cool family now, as Mack's family was one of the toughest families in wrestling. Two of Tim's elder brothers had a long run with other promotions alongside stints in the GCW and Mack's cousins were starting to make strides in the indies out in California but Mack was the star of the moment and having him be the guy who made all others cower in fear gave Vinny something to wear with pride as he told his friends and classmates about what his family was up to. Bella was often with Taylor when she was doing her rehab stretching and ensured that none of the hired rehabilitation therapists got too friendly with her. It was conflicting emotions, she hated that they would try to do something to her but was happy to know that guys were finding her sexual enough to try to cop a feel off of her. Seeing a little kid there and knowing that Taylor had a wife nearby during most sessions when she wasn't working was enough to keep most of them at bay, but she did have to fire two for getting too, "Personal" and smack their hands away from her breasts as they moved her arm around during their "testing phase" of her rehab. Betty just smirked and told the company to send a woman and if they had an issue with it they were in for a lot of fighting as Taylor was a sports medicine doctor and knew what was incidental contact and what was attempted molestation. She didn't fool around, she had them tell exactly who was to be there and then had the person vetted by an investigator. When she came back clean, they allowed her to be Taylor's therapist then worked with her on how to do things right. Bella got a kick out of her mother wincing as she stretched and moved around. Bella knew that it was important but still got a laugh out of Taylor's facial expressions. It was odd yet fun to see her in pain but to the little girl, it was great fun as Taylor never showed that kind of reaction to anything before. Taylor worked throughout the fall to regain her motion then steadily increased the weight she could lift with her arm then how much she could lift with both. She was upset at being so, "Weak" yet she had to blame herself for ignoring her rehab for months while helping Julia. It was a rare time that Taylor had to endure humble pie, but it was something she would gladly do due to Julia needing her sister there. Taylor was in constant contact with the GCW to the point that whenever she wasn't going through her rehabilitation routine she was on the phone with them about storyline changes and working around the need to rest someone due to injury or prevent them from getting injured to save a storyline in the future. It was tough work yet she managed to be there without being there, with Julia, Anya, Tanya, and Mack acting as her proxies when she was unavailable due to swimming or a doctor's appointment. They were starting to become just as vital as Taylor and she had eyed them as being her new production team for when the current producers finally gave in to their burning desires and returned to the ring with another company or retired; she had no issues with them but they still struggled to understand her. By December, she was cleared to head back to the ring but struggled with her moves. She had to figure out new ways of performing without being an aerialist who struggled on the mat with holds and getting around strikes and kicks, finally finding the right set of moves thanks to observing a couple of, "Stiff" performers. They were visually great performers, in wrestling rings they were hated due to their limited range of motion and movesets that made the others have to work hard and brace for impact more. GCW employed two of them, the fan favorite Harvey Boys. They had been with the company off and on for 25 years but whose style was mostly centered in a bygone era of theatrics and lowered standards of abilities in the ring. They couldn't move around much of the time due to longtime injuries and could really only perform basic moonsaults and similar aerial attacks, their only real worth to GCW was their ability to take a pounding and make fans cheer during lulls in storylines as they were always made the crowds scream loudly and give breathers to the crew since they were all about reactions not movement. She liked them personally, but she thought that they were long due for retirement especially as the two had earned enshrinement into the GCW Hall of Fame. She didn't want to be like them and only serve to eat up time during slow Monday nights, she wanted to perform and have her matches mean something. She was happy to become just another wrestler on the roster who could be a champion, but she didn't want to become a glorified jobber like the Harvey Boys had been reduced to. She worked with the Anderson brothers to help them during their Christmas charity show as a special guest as well as offering them another set of eyes to spot who was going to be their next departures. She was only going to do a quickie match that featured a lot of grappling, she needed this and would have her shoulder worked hard as a way of stressing it without going overboard. It was tough to get the needed stress without it being real, so her doctor approved of her participation but did demand that she not overdo things as she was still shaking off the ring rust and needed more time before coming back. The match went fast and featured a lot of great moves by Taylor which left the crowd cheering as the GCW star was back in action in their eyes. Taylor was still stiff and took time to get back to ring shape but once she was five minutes into the match she was moving fluidly. Her opponent was a great help, she was going to be hired by IoH shortly and Taylor gave her a big recommendation which IoH would happily take to mean that she was ready for their top wrestlers and could be champion in a year. Taylor happily worked alongside a surprising figure: her mentor Impossible's son Miguel. He had a lot of trouble breaking in with IoH and FJPW so was trying to get back to basics so he could work his way back to the big times. He donned the mask that she had worn years before and happily told her that he wore it due to her request which she had to shed a tear over as she never thought he'd actually do it. He was good and with the right teachers, he would be great. She did what she could do, she called the NEW lead instructor and asked him to head to the high school where the matches were being held and to keep a close eye on Miguel. If she asked, she was really ordering you to do it. As expected, the instructor was impressed and ignored the IoH representative as he tried to badmouth Miguel. Taylor smirked and told the IoH representative that they were foolish to let him go as he was exactly the kind of guy they needed in NEW and GCW as he was an athlete and was grounded in personality. He could win over fans with just his actions but was a fan favorite outside the ring. He was hired immediately and led to Impossible thanking Taylor for helping Miguel. She happily told the proud father, "You did the same for me when I was in IoH, I am returning the favor. He earned his place with us, all I did was ensure that the right people realized it. He's a legacy superstar, just as I was. I had you there to keep others in line and learn the ropes, now he will have us to do the same. I have to do that for my primo. El Hijo de Impossible deserves nothing less from me." She felt stiff the next day but it was just related to ring rust and not her injury. She was going to have her full clearance the next month, allowing her to return at Battle Royal and be the shocking last person to enter. Her path was cleared already, she was simply waiting for the event to return. She kept working with the recruits at the academy especially the ones who were closest to having their own offers of employment with the indies, mostly working with the guys as they benefited from her as much as she benefited from them. Her only real break in the action came at Christmas but even then she was in the pool that afternoon and in the gym early in the morning before the kids woke up. It was tough to get her to take time off but the whole family being there was reason enough to only swim. In January she worked twice as hard, enduring two 20-minute matches a day until she was working up a solid amount of movement and not suffering any stiffness the next day. When she was finally given the all clear she had three matches a day for a week just to build up her stamina, with everyone in the academy watching her as she showed how tough it could be to get back into shape after a major injury. When the time finally came for her to return, she was kept away from the media as well as other ladies so her appearance was a shock. Julia, Tanya, and Anya kept her being there a big secret, they didn't get let in on the full details only that she would be there that night in some capacity. She flew in with Stacy and Vince on their private jet so nobody knew her exact arrival and if they took notice the fact that she was with the duo wasn't seen as out of the ordinary especially as she was the HBIC of the show. As the match got underway, Taylor got changed into her ring attire in a closet then donned a robe. She stayed back until everyone else had gone out and paid close attention to the action. When the last person entered the ring the crowd was cheering as they knew something special was about to happen. Her music hit, sending the crowd into a frenzy as Taylor Turner announced her return to the GCW. It was expected in the wrestling community as it was almost a tradition for high profile wrestlers to return during Battle Royal's namesake match, it was simply an easy return and fit the timeframe best. Vince didn't intend for it to become one but it was tough to avoid when injuries started to occur just after Wrestlecade in years past and the returns coincidentally coincided with Battle Royal occurring. Taylor walked slowly to the ring allowing the ladies inside to relax their muscles as she preened for the cameras, knowing that all cameras were on her allowing them a rest break before the action started up and hit overdrive. Taylor was on top of her game and made the ladies try to act like they were going to make a gameplan but really just telling who was getting eliminated and how. Bailey Banks and Taylor would be facing off against Ruby Paige and Sarah DeVille with Bailey and Taylor being the last two in the ring as they set in motion the fires to ignite their post-Wrestlecade feud. Ruby and Sarah were tough to take down as they were quick on their feet and used the two "friends" to cause Bailey and Taylor to "hold back" or they'd strike one another. They did it for several minutes but suffered a miscue as Ruby ended up hitting Sarah as she was climbing the turnbuckle and fell outside in a dramatic fall, thus eliminating her. Ruby wasn't far behind as Taylor and Bailey worked her body and caused her to try to use her cunning but failed as the duo stopped holding back and accepted hits from one another as they tried to pummel Ruby, sending her over the top rope onto the floor via a double clothesline with a quick yank of her tights to get her up over the ropes and prevent the trunks from falling down thanks to being snagged on the rope. The duo shook hands and grappled for the next 10 minutes as neither would give in. Bailey came into the match in the low-teens while Taylor was #30 giving Bailey a long time in the ring but was also the most agile among the women making her able to last without expending much energy. The two were an even match as Bailey's agility matched Taylor's experience allowing the two to make it look like they were in a true battle of the best while barely doing much more than grunting and showing pain. When they started to go for their aerial moves, Bailey showed she was green and overdid her moves as Taylor moved out of the way at the right time. She had perfect timing, ensuring Taylor was in motion before she turned her body slightly to appear to be off target but hitting her mark perfectly. Taylor was impressed with her abilities, but since she had been the one to approve of Bailey's training as an aerial attacker she was doing what Taylor had hoped she would do when Bailey made it to the GCW. The "miscue" allowed Taylor to take advantage and debut her new moves that were made for grappling while she ensured that Bailey was in proper position to accept her throws and holds. Bailey worked up a bit of steam but it was just to set up Taylor's finisher which was then used to put Bailey over the top rope. The two weren't finished since she landed on the ring apron causing more grappling. The battle ended up causing Taylor to go over the top rope onto the apron allowing the two to battle to a standstill until Taylor caused Bailey to hit the ring post and fall, winning the match. The crowd was in an uproar as it was one of the best matches GCW had put on in a long time and had a finisher that was going to be remembered for decades. Taylor was crowned champion and told that she was going to be facing her sister Ara?a for the women's championship, causing her to cry tears of joy. In the locker room, she hugged Julia as the two celebrated together. Julia had her title back and was in a match with her beloved sister for the first time in a long time and going to drop the title to her as Julia left for her honeymoon with Mack. The ladies were joined by Mickayla, Anya, and Tanya as they went out to celebrate while Mack and the guys stayed at the hotel to decompress and babysit Samuel. The next night, the sisters were in action and started their own placeholder feuds as Ruby went after the victorious Taylor while Sarah went after Julia. Bailey had her own feud and worked with Sonya Logan as the ladies were kept apart but allowed for some tensions as Sarah and Sonya teamed-up to face their counterparts in a tag-team match. There was some tension with Bailey trying hard to keep from being a hero worshiper while Taylor tried hard to not be the elder who looked down on newcomers. It worked as the two were making their brewing rivalry into something bigger than it appeared and was giving Bailey the needed push that she deserved while Taylor was giving herself less to do as she was taking things slowly as she eased fully into wrestling again. Bailey didn't mind the spotlight, they had a lot of time to make their rivalry grow and she was enjoying the crowd supporting her. Taylor was still a fan favorite, but she was drawing the right amount of complaining as Bailey grew in popularity. Back at home, she was struggling to maintain home life as Betty grew overwhelmed by Bella's needs and being there for the boys. Taylor sighed and suggested a nanny as it'd give her more time to herself and able to be there for the boys, making Betty feel horrible but seeing that Taylor was serious. She sighed and told Betty, "You endure a lot for me, you need help now that the boys are getting older. I know your parents are happy to help but they already have enough on their plate." She shed a tear as Taylor hugged her, telling Taylor, "I guess you figured out what I tried to hide from you. Ginny is dealing with being expelled for fighting girls who were upset that she is gay and Hank and Lillian can't keep Jerome from getting himself in the same situation for retaliating against the girls or their boyfriends. I couldn't bring myself to ask mom and dad for help with Bella." It was a tough situation for the Black family but her parents needed to focus on Ginny's issues first. Taylor talked with her niece and got the real image and didn't like it: Ginny was targeted because she is a lesbian but more importantly, it was really about Taylor as they were getting at Taylor by going after the easier target in Ginny. The girls wanted to make Taylor look bad as they thought they could get Ginny arrested and cause the media to hound her to the point of giving up her wrestling life in order to focus on her family. The girls were related to Taylor's old nemesis, Harry Waite, and unlike their older half-brothers they were followers of his beliefs about who was better than others. Ginny was told that she could go with Taylor until her parents found her a suitable school to attend. It was a tough situation as local schools refused to accept her and her grades weren't the best beforehand due to some behind-the-scenes finagling by certain teachers. She was an average student, but she was a quick learner who just needed more time to learn and a safer environment to do so. Lillian and Hank Black agreed to allow her to go with Taylor, provided that Ginny was working on her online schoolwork and stayed out of trouble. Ginny agreed in full as Taylor worked out the logistics for the duo as they traveled. Ginny was quiet but happy to endure the travel, working as a personal aide for Taylor and gopher for the backstage crew and wrestlers while babysitting Samuel for Mack and Julia. Ginny's issues lasted for weeks but she kept close to Taylor and actually improved her schoolwork. The girl had a lot of enthusiasm and studied hard for her tests and passed the required work easily allowing her time to help Taylor and learn the business firsthand. She was following in her father's footsteps and had an eye for details that Taylor happily used in the matches, giving her a paycheck for her hard work. Her parents finally got the school into court and had them admitting that they were targeting her as she was bringing pressure from Harry and other bigoted parents and in the interest of other students it was easier to remove her when she finally struck back rather than stopping the girls from harassing her once it had been shown that they were bullying her. They were forced to accept a lawsuit by the Blacks and had to fire both the principal, school counselor, and two teachers who had forced colleagues to grade Ginny's work unfairly making her seem like an average to borderline student instead of the advanced student that she really was while Harry was barred from all schools yet again. The girls were expelled as well, with Ginny reinstated and the marks against her being removed from her permanent record with a public apology being given by the school. Ginny won $1 million total in the settlement while Harry tried hard to retaliate against Taylor but was caught by police trying to hire a hitman to kill her. His actions led to another divorce by his current wife while his ex-wives, the mothers of the girls, refused to take the girls in. To top it off, his own sons sought custody of their sisters with Maxim Paine being their appointed guardian as the eldest child. Taylor talked with Maxim and his wife Constance about the situation and encouraged them to speak with the girls to get to the heart of the matter and see if it was truly the girls being bigots or if it was the work of their father making them act that way. It was easier to nip it in the bud if it was Harry's work and show them that he was wrong, but if it was their own beliefs then it was going to be a tough time and they would have to endure a long road to realizing they were in the extreme minority and didn't share the views of the majority. Taylor suspected it was trying to please Harry, Ginny had known them for years and they were alright with her but when she went public with her relationship Harry was the most vocal opponent and got them to parrot his rants. Ginny had a nice nest egg for a while thanks to her paycheck, with Taylor insisting that she not spend it all in one place. Her girlfriend would be happy to enjoy dates but neither was really for want as both the Black family and Ginny's girlfriend's family had well-paid jobs and just wanted to enjoy their time with one another. They were a cute couple and the bulk of the issues with their relationship stemmed from the belief that they were too good looking to like women making the boys upset that the duo was "off the market" while causing the other girls to be jealous of their beauty. Ginny was cleared to return to school after two months away, getting apologies from her teachers who were supportive of her while students steered well clear of her until word got around about the girls who were expelled being sent to live with their brother getting Ginny smiles as she had rid the school of two unwanted pests. She ignored them, she knew who her real friends were and kissed her girlfriend deeply while her friends dared the others to say something. They walked on to class without saying a word while the assembled Black family stood by, ready to defend Ginny. Taylor was ignored as she was known to be Ginny's aunt and the students whispered that she got her niece a job helping out on the road for the five weeks she was with Taylor. It was a subtle leak and was in line with what was known about Hank and Taylor already, making Ginny into a popular person as she was among wrestling elites and they could see her help as Taylor used one of her ideas for a show two weeks before with Taylor happily telling the media it was Ginny's idea to go a certain way. Ginny's drama was a good distraction as Betty's nanny hunt was tough as she couldn't find the right person for the job. The ladies interviewed weren't of the best quality and were more interested in trying to cadge deals with tabloids and dirtsheets than working for the family. She struggled for a month and came up short each time, with Taylor hoping that things would calm down for her. They hit pay dirt as Taylor's former nurse recommended a young lady who desperately needed a job and who had a lot of experience with children thanks to having several younger siblings. She was 16 and had been kicked out of her home for trying to transition in secret but had become too feminine too fast to hide her new breasts. Betty was heartbroken, she felt for the girl while Taylor saw it as a sign that they needed to do the right thing and help her out. The couple met with the young lady, Riley Johnson, and fell in love with her immediately. She had a strong liking to Bella and was able to get her to eat and use her potty without a fight. The little girl gave her parents a smile as she did both, showing that she approved of the new girl and wanted her there. Riley and the boys were on edge as Riley's younger brothers hated her with a passion and she feared the two would do something to her if they found out the truth about her. They sensed something was off about her actions and asked about it, with Riley telling the two, "I'm transgender. I am used to my little brothers beating me up for being smaller than them then threatening to kill me if they ever saw me after I was exposed as being a girl inside. I don't want you to hurt me." She got up to leave but the boys hugged her tightly, preventing her from moving. Taylor nodded to the two to stop then explained to Riley, "I'm transgender. The boys have met several who are transgender and have no problem with them. They knew me as dad before I started to transition fully to mom. They are more likely to protect you than hurt you, they would be hurting me if they didn't." Riley looked at her shocked, not believing it for a second. Taylor asked if their mutual friend told her about the family, getting a solid, "No," followed by a sad, "She gave me a room for as long as I needed it and asked around for jobs so I could earn my keep. I was only told to meet with you about being your nanny, she seemed to think that I'd get it easily." Taylor smiled at that, Betty calmly told her, "I talked with her about needing to get a nanny and she gave you a strong recommendation. We needed to see if you were able to do the job and as Bella has taken a liking to you and your background is clean the job is yours. We do ask that you continue your education, preferably at night and during Bella's naps. You are too young to give up on school." Riley accepted their offer and didn't even try to ask about compensation. The pay was worked out, she had her own room and would be paid the going rate for nannies as well as an allowance for clothing and entertainment. She was also made aware that she'd likely be asked to help with the wedding as the youngest Turners would be there and refused to be separated from Bella. Riley and Taylor talked about their lives and saw Riley in awe of Taylor while feeling jealous that she had to hide her inner self until she lost the battle and fled for her life. Taylor hugged her tightly as she saw that Riley was what she could have been had her parents not supported her back when Taylor was still Matt. The girl was a mirror to Taylor's life, the sad, "What if" that she never wanted to find out. Riley's doctor was less than enthusiastic to help her transition but when told that she was employed by two doctors who had enough firepower to topple any doctor who stood in their way caused her to give up Riley's care to a more local doctor. Her new doctor had experience with transgender patients and who was more than happy to take Riley to task over her use of online hormones. She accepted the admonishment and was happy to be told that she would transition normally but under strict oversight. Riley was good at her job, so much so that it was tough to get Bella to listen to her parents whenever she was around Riley. It was cute to them, Riley was another girl in Bella's eyes and one who needed to be hugged and kissed based on how she acted at times. She showed great care for Bella as well, telling Betty, "She's a great kid and better than my younger sisters. They are spoiled rotten by our parents." The more Riley talked about her family, the worse they appeared. Riley was normal to the point of her being too normal. It made sense, she was so used to abuse that she tried to normal out of fear. Taylor talked with her therapist, Dr. Acula, about Riley and started to see that the strong veneer of the wealthiest families hid the sad truth that they were terrible people inside. She had seen it with her own maternal grandparents, the couple was nice to everyone but stabbed you in the back when you least expected it and mocked you when you were out of earshot. Her mother was a great person but her grandparents were horrible and whom she had not talked to since moving in with her wife's family way back in high school. Riley was hitting a sore spot in Taylor, especially when she started to receive mail from the Johnsons as they threatened to remove Riley if the couple didn't fire her and force their, "Son" to return home. Taylor did what she didn't want to do, she took Riley to get a restraining order then filed to adopt her as her own daughter making their harassment end. Riley wasn't told what was going on, only assuming that she had to go with Taylor and if she didn't she'd end up fired and out on the streets. Riley had been legally emancipated by a caring judge but this was going a step further. Taylor could see that Riley wouldn't survive out on the streets and her parents would stop at nothing to get back at their child especially as she was starting to make trouble in their lives as others took notice of their actions. The mother in Taylor overrode the need to be an employer, she couldn't let Riley get hurt. Betty saw the hurt in Taylor's eyes as they talked about Riley. It was hard to not see that Taylor had to do the right thing for Riley and be the mother that she needed instead of the employer that she was. The two couldn't let harm come to Riley, it went against everything that they stood for as people. The couple appeared in court and got the restraining orders, going to the office building where Riley's father worked then on to the law firm where her mother worked. The couple were the exact opposite of their daughter, her father was short, fat, bald, and loud while her mother was tall, chubby, and looked as if she was in a constant state of anger. The two were loud, upset at the couple for daring to take-in their deviant son, and screamed at them for preventing them from removing Riley. Mr. Johnson's bosses weren't happy with his behavior and offensive language towards his child while Mrs. Johnson's partners were upset that the friend they had known for years wasn't who they thought she was. Mr. Johnson had to explain what he meant by "showing him how to be a real man" then was told that he was being terminated for child abuse as the company refused to employ people who would willingly harm their child. His wife was even worse off, she was in breach of her partnership agreement and was told that they were going to remove her as the other partners had finally had enough of the way she was hurting the firm due to her actions. The family would be in real trouble as they had too many kids and a lot of debt. Riley was the oldest of eight kids, her parents owned a huge house but mortgaged it to keep up appearances of wealth. Without jobs, they would have to tap into their spending money and pay it off or become homeless. Taylor and Betty were happy that Riley had gotten away from the couple. They returned home to find Bella asleep in Riley's lap with Riley trying to read a textbook while rocking the little girl. She tried to get up but was pinned by Bella's weight making her have to sit and talk with the couple. The couple saw it as a sign that it was the right time to ask her if she wanted to join their family in full. Sitting on either side of her, Betty asked, "Do you enjoy staying here?" Riley started to get scared as she feared that they were about to fire her, fighting tears in her eyes as the thoughts of why the couple was about to fire her raced through her mind. Riley reluctantly answered, "I love working for you, Mrs. Turner. You and your wife have been the best employers. And I can't help but love Bella and the boys." It was the perfect response, and it showed that they were doing the right thing for her. Taylor softly asked, "Would you like to join our family as our daughter?" Riley wasn't sure how to react to the question, she did enjoy working for them but never wanted to have them as her parents. She wouldn't think of it, they were just too kind to her as it was and she couldn't overstep that boundary. Taylor smiled at the reaction, with Betty adding, "We have enjoyed you as a nanny but see that you are in need of more than just a place to stay and a job: you need parents. You are still young enough to need them and we want to give you that opportunity. You are great with the kids but the way you treat Bella and the boys go beyond the scope of employment- you treat them like siblings." Taylor cut her off before Riley could respond, adding, "We have grown to care for you, you are a dream child who just needed parents who loved her. I can't help but see myself in you; if I didn't have my own parents supporting me I would have never survived. I don't want that to happen to you, I want to be the mother that you need. I want you to become our daughter." Riley finally wept, unable to stem the tide of tears from the life- altering announcement. She was being given the greatest gift she could ever want, she was being given parents who loved her and wanted to be her parents instead of just putting up with her. She loved her job and the kids were what she hoped younger siblings were like, but becoming their daughter was one thing she never imagined. Bella started to stir with her asking if Riley was in trouble because she was crying. Betty explained to the little girl, "We just asked if Riley would like to become your big sister. She's crying because she is happy, she loves being your nanny but is now going to become your sister." Bella hugged and kissed Riley, calling her, "Big sister" which caused Riley to cry again as the little girl had given her the greatest gift she could give: she accepted her as her sister. The two hugged while the couple started to gather the forms and talk about how they would break the news to their parents. It was a tough conversation as they didn't want to upstage Julia's wedding but it was going to be tough to keep the announcement from having an impact as it was a bold move for the couple. The announcement was taken in stride, with the Blacks hugging and kissing Riley while the Simpsons gave the young lady a long talk about being part of their family and what impact it would have on her as she went forward in her life. Riley confessed that she didn't know what she wanted to do with her future as she never had the chance to think about the future due to trying to eek out a meager existence. It was an eye- opener as the family happily told her that she was going to finish high school with her new cousins and then go on to college, there was no way they would let her smarts go to waste. Seeing that her future grandparents accepted her caused her to cry again, with Nancy and Carey Black taking her off to talk "girl talk" while Jerry Black and Wally talked with their daughters. Jerry asked about her being so developed, with Wally asking why she was so eager to please them. Taylor had to explain the truth causing both to get upset but reining in their emotions for Riley's sake. Carey asked Riley if she really took estrogen supplements bought online and if she had tried to castrate herself so she could become a woman faster. Riley tearfully nodded, showing them the damage to her body with both women gasping at the scar from the knife that she held to her scrotum that she couldn't bring herself to cut off leading the ladies to hug her to show that they weren't upset at her. It was a big shock to them, she was what they feared Taylor would become had they not helped her. She was asked to tell them about the incident, with Riley tearfully explaining, "Two years ago just after my 14th birthday I had my first wet dream and couldn't bring myself to become male. I hated that I was producing sperm, I couldn't bear to be like dad and my younger brothers. I thought if I cut them off I'd slow down but I couldn't get beyond a small cut as I couldn't take the pain. I was lucky, nobody noticed it but I had to tell your daughters about it." The ladies understood then asked about the hormones. She sniffled and explained, "I couldn't castrate myself so I thought it was better to grow my breasts. I know it was stupid, I read what they would do to me but I had to take them. You don't understand, if I didn't I would have become a hulking beast. My younger brothers are already bigger than me despite being 13 and 14. It was only a matter of time. It took a year and a half but mom and dad saw me without my shirt and took me to a doctor who told me I was crazy and then told my parents. They beat me and told me I was going to a psychiatrist and if I kept it up I was going to be put into a mental hospital. I fled that night." She was in tears, she further explained, "I met with some friends I had made online with one giving me a place to stay and tried to find me a job. Mrs. Turner talked with her about needing a nanny and was told about me by her. My friend was happy to get me the job, Mrs. Turner was always nice to her and I would be a good fit with them. I met with Mrs. and Mrs. Turner and they hired me." Sitting her down, Nancy explained to her, "Taylor sees herself in you and we see why. You are a brave young woman and had no support when you needed it most and had to endure a torture that no person should have to endure. We understand why she fell in love with you, you are her in so many ways and it pains her to see you struggle to become the woman you are inside. She will ensure that you are able to become a mother in the future if you are able to still produce sperm and will help your breasts grow the right way. Please, don't try to hurt yourself. She is there for you, she's your new mother in full." The ladies hugged until they had run out of tears, with Riley accepting that they were being truthful and really did care about her. They led her downstairs to where their husbands were and saw them hugging Riley while Taylor told Riley that she explained her past to them and they were upset at her family for being so cruel and selfish. The two hugged and kissed her, showing affection that she craved and doing more in one minute than her own father had done for her in her entire life. The boys were told and hugged Riley tight, kissing her cheek as they showed more love to her than her own younger brothers ever showed and without trying hard to appear to be masculine afterward. It was a touching scene, with Bella joining them as the six adults took a picture to immortalize the moment. The Blacks told them that they'd tell Hank and Lillian to expect a phone call to discuss something that couldn't wait, with Taylor smiling as it'd be a big introduction for Riley to her future cousins and it was coming at a time where Ginny needed a close friend and would help Riley greatly in the long run. Hank and Lillian came by the next afternoon with the reluctant Ginny and Jerome. The four then immediately demanded to know what was the emergency, getting Taylor to explain, "As you are aware, mom and dad have been swamped with work due to Ginny's issues and suing the school so they were unable to help as much as they used to. Betty needed help so we hired a nanny to care for the kids. This nanny is an emancipated 16-year-old girl whose family caused her to flee because she was found to be transgender. We hired her but in the past two weeks we have fallen in love with her and are unable to see her as an employee anymore. We have decided to adopt her as our daughter, she needs to be with family and I can't help but see myself in her. She needs us." Hank saw the sadness in her eyes and couldn't bring himself to say anything further about it. He asked if they had gotten restraining orders and filed the adoption paperwork, getting a nod for both with the couple hugging their new niece while Jerome tried to not feel weird about hugging a girl that he felt a bit of attraction to his new cousin. She was pretty; if she wasn't family he'd have asked her out himself. Ginny caught the subtle looks Jerome gave Riley and smiled at her brother having a crush on her. She was unaware of his looks, but she grabbed Riley and dragged her to Riley's room to talk while their parents got the paperwork sorted. She happily told Riley, "They will be a while. Mom and dad want this to be thorough so there aren't any issues, your birth family might have a claim to you if they aren't. In Riley's room, the duo talked about typical teenage things before Ginny casually mentioned, "Jerome likes you. He was looking you over and I think he may have asked you out if you weren't becoming our new cousin. He doesn't date much, he likes certain girls and was eyeing you closely." She had a smile on her face as she said that. Riley blushed but explained, "I don't like guys. I may be a girl but I don't like guys. Everyone seems to think that just because I'm transgender I'm into guys now." Ginny snorted then laughed. She looked her in the eye and told her, "Aunt Taylor was born as a guy, she is just like you in more ways than one. Aunt Betty loves her deeply, she's the only man she has ever had sex with and was the one who got Aunt Taylor to admit that she was a girl inside. All three of your new siblings are her children by having sex, they didn't use a donor." Riley blushed at hearing that, but Ginny nodded and showed a picture of her aunt before she had to be her aunt full-time. Riley couldn't believe it despite having been told that Taylor was transgender before, but Ginny showed more pictures and the news stories about Taylor's transition and her full-time job. Riley didn't realize that she was a wrestler, she thought that she was working behind the scenes for the company especially as she spent so much time at home instead of on the road. The two talked for a bit before Ginny grinned and asked if she wanted to go on a date with her friend, a girl who was looking for a girlfriend but was happy to date someone who is transgender. Riley was too shocked to say anything, Ginny took the silence to mean it was a, "Yes" so she called her friend and got a quick, "Thank you" especially as she was happy to help Riley to get adjusted to being family. The two talked about school and where Riley was, then laughed as she was doing well and was probably going to be put into Ginny's school now that the school had to accept students like her or face their wrath. The duo walked out to where their parents were to which Ginny announced, "Riley has a date. She's going to join me and Rose and Alexis." Lillian asked if she had cleared it with Alexis first, getting a nod and happy, "She screamed for joy, she doesn't like the other girls in school." Taylor looked at Riley who blushed and tried to hide her face, causing her to ask, "Did she pressure you into it?" Riley shook her head, explaining, "All we did was talk about her brother looking at me. I told her that I don't like guys then she told me about you and being the father of Bella and the boys." Taylor hugged her to calm her while Betty explained to her, "She has a habit of doing things that push you too far too soon. We love her but she doesn't know when to not push limits. Yes, Taylor did 'father' the kids but we fell in love at your age and have been together. We know what you are going through, it's why Taylor and I want to be your parents. You aren't alone anymore, we are there for you." Hank saw the mother in his sister starting to come out again while Taylor gave him a knowing look. He saw in Riley what he remembered Taylor to be back at the same age, only without people who loved her unconditionally and supported her in full. It was tough to not see Riley as her daughter, Betty was in full motherhood mode and coupled with Taylor understanding her mental health he couldn't help but tell them to get the forms signed and have their lawyer file them with the courts as soon as possible. The Blacks left after eating dinner, with Riley giving Jerome funny looks while he cringed at his own looks being caught by her. As they were getting ready to leave, she hugged him and kissed his cheek for being a gentleman and not trying to prey on her. He didn't respond, but she could see that he felt a little bit of relief that she wasn't going to make light of his small crush on her. The next day, Taylor and Betty's lawyer filed the paperwork for Riley's adoption. She didn't ask the duo any questions, simply filing it with the court after ensuring it was fully signed and in order. She did try to joke that they'd have to inform Vince about the family expanding again, which had slipped Taylor's mind in the furor of the past two days. As Taylor was en-route to the next GCW venue, she called her grandfather to tell him the news. Vince listened and when she was finished, asked if she was sure about what she was doing. Taylor didn't miss a beat and told him firmly, "She is what I was, only without help and support. I can't leave her to live a life on her own, she needs parents and love." It was what he needed to hear, she was doing it because she loved Riley and not because she was in a bad place and needed people who understood her. He already knew about the adoption from Wally, but it was still something that Taylor needed to tell him herself. She was his granddaughter and she had just done what he had seen his son do before thanks to Taylor, it was a family trait that he was proud of. Taylor touched down and was greeted Stacy and Vince. The duo asked for pictures of Riley and then listened to Taylor explain her story, not holding back anything as it would only make them upset at her withholding it from them. They were upset at what happened but happy to Riley, asking if Taylor had her school situation settled then asked about her and the kids. Taylor showed a picture of Riley and got Stacy to ask about her breasts, getting an immediate demand to have her see doctors to ensure that she didn't hurt herself internally then correct the problems if there were any. It was all taken care of by Betty, she hadn't sterilized herself but did have to cut back on her hormones until she was on a level that wasn't toxic to her body. Vince was quiet about all of that, it was too far beyond his comprehension and he didn't feel comfortable talking about it much to their dismay. Vince finally told her that she still needed a nanny just so Betty was able to have more free time, but she herself was going to be cutting back on her travel schedule as she wasn't needed so much on TV and it gave Bailey Banks the spotlight that she needed to build herself up. To Taylor, it was his way of telling her that she should start considering winding down her career as she was already past the usual time when ladies retired from top-level competition and she already had a major injury occur due to stress. This was true of the ones who were smart enough to have saved up enough money on their own to not need to be out there every weekend. It was tough to do but she was ready for retirement, she already had enough money in her bank account to provide a nice life for herself and had a steady business with her share of the Killer Gagne Academy. She told the duo, "When I turn 40, I'll hang up my boots. I have nothing left to win, I don't want to be a tag-team champion nor do I want to participate in the intergender hardcore championship. I'll still do tag- team work, but refuse to be in the hunt unless I have to be for storyline reasons. The other ladies are at the point of being on their own and need a chance to shine, it won't happen with me there." The trio entered the arena and talked with the ladies about the road ahead, with Taylor telling the ladies, "I talked with Vince and Stacy and told them in two years I am retiring. This is my final reign as the GCW Women's Champion, I'll drop the title at Bash of the Summer and help set up the road ahead. I'm only going to be a part-timer from Wrestlecade onward so the spotlight falls on others. I know some of you wanted it and felt that I was hogging it, well now is your chance to move into it and show that you are ready to carry the division from here on out. It's yours to lose, I'm finished as a contender." She walked off to finish preparing for the show, with the ladies left to talk about what was going on. It was being taken as the beginning of the end for several as they relied on Taylor's support. Julia, Tanya, and Anya told those ladies, "She's taking a stronger role at home, she will still be the executive producer for the shows, everything goes through her and then on to Stacy and Vince. You aren't going to get tossed out by her replacement, she won't let you get away unless you deserve to go. Only those who need to go for disciplinary or budgetary reasons will be let go and even then it's likely to NEW unless IoH or FJPW give you a better offer." Ruby Paige defended Taylor, telling the sharks circling around that they weren't going to get a shot if they didn't deserve it. Sonya Logan parroted the sentiment by adding, "If you haven't been groomed yet for a push you aren't going to get one. You aren't over with the fans, you do poorly in your matches, and if not for selling swimsuit calendars and appearing in photo shoots that we don't want to be in all of you would have been released already." The ladies laughed at that as they had a sore spot for the ladies who weren't that good and who were really just glorified jobbers whose only real role was to look pretty at times. Stacy kept them around as they were making minimum amounts and got strong reactions during the house shows but were kept off of TV most of the time and were mostly there because of publicity events. Taylor actually was the one who kept them employed as she wasn't doing house shows due to easing her back into the ring but she was now going to all but disappear from the shows making those ladies vital to the company for now. Taylor had a rough map of where she wanted to go and got Ruby and her clique to approve of the way they were going to be featured, especially with her tag-team duos getting their needed shots and allowed to have some more time off as they worked fewer dates overall. Looking over the schedules, she had seen that Taylor was trying to get the division some turnover so they had fresh blood and stories told. She and the ladies were going to spend the year as the top teams with Bailey working her way up to the top then using them to retain, with her Absolute Riot stable working with Bailey ensuring that she stayed there. Talking with Julia proved the toughest task for Taylor. She was upset that Taylor didn't tell her before that she was taking a huge step with Riley, she thought they could tell each other anything. The sisters were at odd but when they were finally alone Taylor sat her down and explained the situation to her and why it was so important to do what she did for Riley so fast without telling anyone. Julia shed a tear at hearing the reasons, it was tough to see anyone hurt especially one so young. She thought that Taylor wasn't seeing her as her sister, but it was really Taylor coming to terms with her own demons and trying to put them to rest. She forgave Taylor for not telling her, it was noble and Julia couldn't help but offer a warm ear for Riley to talk to about her past especially regarding bad families. Riley's picture caused Julia to shed a tear at someone so young and beautiful being assaulted by family and run out of her own home. Hearing that her own siblings were behind it caused Julia to swear to be a good aunt to her new niece, making Taylor smile at the mothering instinct in Julia starting to show. The two talked for hours about Riley and the family as they prepared later matches and shows, with the two starting to feel closer than ever thanks to the bond that only a few in GCW could understand fully. The matches that night weren't that spectacular but did see Julia getting to team with Mack for the first time while Taylor worked with Tanya and Anya with a reluctant Bailey joining Sarah and Sonya. It was a brilliant match as Bailey was performing the reluctant heel act that Taylor herself had performed years before, while Taylor struggled to be a solid babyface as Bailey started to get at her over their constant strife. Had it not been planned, it was looking like it was a legitimate break in their seemingly strong friendship especially as the ladies looked to be frustrated with one another on camera. Tanya and Anya did most of the work in the match as it was really just a tag-team match with the other two added in for storyline purposes. The couple was showing signs of strain in their own relationship with Taylor but that too was part of the storyline as they would be pushed toward the top of the tag-team division with Taylor all but being isolated as she worked out her issues with Bailey. Tanya and Anya had been so tightly bound to Taylor that few expected them to do that, which made the split work for both sides when it finally occured. Taylor cost her team the match and saw her battling with Bailey over accidentally making contact with her then getting upset at the couple for not helping her. The couple tried to defend themselves but it was for naught as Taylor was inconsolable and fighting a brewing anger that was going to explode. Bailey was also upset, she hadn't meant to go after Taylor but wasn't going to let her push her around. Backstage, the four were all smiles as they had pulled off a big step in the parting of the ways for them. Taylor happily told Bailey that she sold it perfectly and was proud of how she has progressed. Bailey was in tears as she thought she oversold it and made it seem like she had really upset Taylor. The ladies hugged and went their separate ways with Bailey telling Taylor that she was the best in the business, causing Taylor to shoot back, "You are the future. You have 'Hall of Famer' written all over. I guarantee in five years you will be talked about in the same light as Trish Phoenix, Beth Stratus, and Lita Blaze. You are on their level with popularity, merchandise sales, and talent." Bailey blushed at that. The young woman worshiped Taylor and wished she had Taylor's mind for the business. Bailey was a wrestler because of seeing Taylor at a Florida Wrestling Association show while on vacation with her parents in high school, even though she was still presenting as Matt Simpson then she saw in Taylor something that she could be: a performer, someone who was small but could do great things and wanted to emulate her when she returned home. The matches for the next month were routine allowing Taylor to focus on her home life. Riley had to make a trek north with Taylor to meet the New Jersey branch of the Turner family to meet her new great-aunt and great-grandparents. She was scared to death at seeing the imposing Vince while the 19-year-old Ollie and 17-year-old Chase caused her to feel fear that she had done something wrong in coming to their home and interrupting their lives. Chase was in a bad mood over having to dump his girlfriend over her cheating on him with a college senior while Ollie was upset that his fiance had to help her family that weekend. The two teens saw Riley and weren't impressed, she was average to them which only caused her to shed a tear that she might be causing trouble for them but Stacy laughed at their lack of reaction. It was a good reaction to her, if it wasn't they would have been vocal but after knowing Taylor for four years it was just another person meeting them for the first time. When the two went up to their rooms, Stacy explained to her, "You aren't their type of girl. Ollie has his eyes squarely on his fiance while Chase prefers more athletic girls. I swear he spent too much time in the locker rooms when he was younger because he likes girls that look like our wrestlers. I just hope that he isn't disappointed that most of them are dating or married or prefer women." Riley felt better but still concerned over the guys' reaction to her. Chase walked over and asked what the big rush was regarding adopting Riley, finally getting out of his funk and trying to be a good host. Taylor explained, "She's like me, she ran away from home when she couldn't transition and her parents have tried to get her back by threatening her if she didn't do as they ordered." Chase saw the sadness in her eyes then asked, "Did you get it legalized?" Taylor nodded, adding, "She has a hearing in two weeks, it'll be done before Wrestlecade. Your cousin Julia won't let her stay home so she has no choice but to join the family for it. And be warned, you might be setup with a few of Mack's cousins. Don't worry, they won't hurt you...unless you anger them that is." Chase ran off scared as her smirk was one of sadistic joy. Riley felt better while Stacy shook her head in shame at her niece getting her cousin good. Vince and his wife Patty were all smiles over it being just another day with the Turner family and Riley was getting a good view of the action. Patty and Vince walked her to her room then sat her down to talk privately. Patty asked her warmly, "Are you being pressured into joining the family? You don't have to if you don't want to." Riley looked at her shocked, then told her, "I love mom and momma deeply. They are the parents I have wanted since I was little and my former parents dumped me on my grandparents every time they were too 'busy' to do stuff anything with me. When my brothers and sisters were born, I stopped being paid attention to as my brothers became dad's favorites and mom refused to let me do anything feminine. I love my new parents. They are the greatest people I ever met and want me to be their daughter. There is no pressure, I was happy helping them as their nanny and am thrilled to be their daughter." Her resolve was strong and showed that it was the right decision for all. Taylor was being motherly and was doing better as a producer than she had before and was taking a lesser role than the hands-on role she had held for a while. Riley was a beacon of what could have been, they didn't need to know the full story but seeing Riley they could see how much Taylor went through before being helped by them. Taylor and Riley spent the weekend there and were told that Riley was going to start school in a few days. Betty was thorough in her forcing of the school to accept their daughter as a student especially as there was no reason to deny her an education. The fact that Betty just happened to be the aunt of Ginny made them work hard to please her and gave in without a fight and forced her old school to produce her records so her credits transferred over, allowing her to start immediately. Ginny introduced Riley to her friends and saw her friend Alexis and Riley hit it off immediately, giving Ginny and her girlfriend Rose a look of joy as she saw Riley for the first time. Rose blushed as she had to look away to hide her own feelings for Riley, causing Ginny to tell her that she wasn't as beautiful as Rose causing Rose to blush deeper while Riley looked away in shame. Alexis hugged Riley and kissed her cheek, telling her warmly, "You are beautiful. I can't believe you've only been transitioning for under two years, you look so feminine. None of the girls are going to be happy seeing you in school." The two couples were close and walked into school with their heads held high while Betty ensured that Riley had no issues receiving her schedule and finding her way around. Ginny and the girls were in all of the same classes and shared the same electives allowing for the two couples to be together almost all day. Riley was going to be alright, Rose and Alexis wouldn't let any harm come to their new friend. With that out of the way, when not wrestling all talk turned to Julia's upcoming wedding. It was going to be a huge affair as the entire Tui family would be attending, including the elders of the family who were flying in from Samoa. Julia had only the Turners and her friends as family, but she was also being represented by her colleagues the GCW who were there for her as well as Mack. The media were kept away from the ceremony, with Mack's mother Sina reigning over the planning and the wrangling of, "Outsiders" as she called those not directly invited by the family. The GCW and NEW stage crew were pulling double duty as ushers and ensured that everyone was dressed and had the right makeup on to look their best. Sina was pleased that they deferred to her for all coordinating, with her own mother happily sitting in a chair watching her daughter command a small army of people. The elderly Safia Tasi was a legend in their village and rarely left it, let alone the island. Her youngest grandchild getting married to someone who was family by honor was enough to get her to attend and it was made further special as Mack was her favorite grandchild simply due to not trying to impress her. Her daughter taught him well, Afa and Sika were great young men but just didn't understand that she is not someone who needed to be pleased while Mack acted with respect and was himself in her presence. Meeting Julia brought tears to her eyes as Safia embraced Julia and happily hugged the growing Samuel who hugged her back. His lack of reaction was a sign to Safia that her grandson was the boy's real father and he was her great-grandson already. Sina smiled at her mother, loving her expression as her mother was feeling the same impact she had felt meeting him for the first time months before. The mothers took Julia off to a separate hotel so she'd enjoy some quality time with them while telling the guys to keep their partying to a minimum. That was targeted specifically at Sina's nephews as the guys were known to have a lot of drunken fun and had gotten themselves arrested countless times in the past. Mack, Afa, and Sika were not going to get into trouble, but Sina had to lay down the law just to ensure that her nephews knew not to try anything especially with Mack being so famous. With Julia being the big boss's granddaughter, the trio was not about to even try to get into trouble nor enjoy the kind of fun their cousins loved to have. They'd enjoy a night at the bar enjoying basketball and hockey and had the GCW guys with them ensuring that their cousins were kept in line and if need be they'd enjoy some quality time in the back of the bar facedown from a punch to the gut. Impossible, the Paine brothers, and Slick Jace were the designated drivers for the group, with Slick getting his first chance to be part of the GCW and loving that he was, "One of them" even if he had spent his career working outside of GCW and only really knowing some of them through reputation alone. Slick made a strong impression on Vince as he coordinated things. Impossible saw his look and knew the man was going to hire Slick in the near future as he wound down his Hall of Fame caliber career, especially for his wife Mickayla's sake. He was good and was overlooked for far too long by the former producer and talent scouts but could make his mark as a wrestler, then as a producer in the near future. The teens had their own fun as Tyson Jace, Richard, Jerome, Davis, Vinny, Chase, and Ollie joined the older Bart Taylor and his brother-in- laws Dickson York and Richard Sargent and led the guys to a fun day playing video games while Bart's sisters Kate and Sally and sister-in- law Reese joined Riley, Rose, Alexis, Ginny, Ollie's fiance Felicity, and Richard's wife Nora in a day fooling around at a water park. Sally's twin sons joined Samuel and Bella in being looked after by the doting Carey, Nancy, Stacy, and Faye Turner who were all more than happy to let the kids' mothers enjoy their day while their husbands watched sports on TV. Vince, Wally, Jerry Black, Percy Taylor, and Tim Tui joined Tim's father Peter and father-in-law High Chief Tovale "Tom" Tasi at the Turner mansion for their father powwow. They had big grins as they saw their sons try to act mature while devolving into little kids in their presence, especially as the elderly Tom and Peter gave them warning looks that told the Tuis and Tasis that they had to be on their best behavior or there would be a lot to answer for. When the males fled, the fathers had to laugh at their sons knowing full well how they'd act especially with Slick taking no guff from anyone and was going to ensure that they kept out of trouble or he'd take some southern justice out on them. The younger group joked with one another about their wives and girlfriends, with Vinny and Davis not giving any thought to their older relatives' antics. They were good enough to keep their language in the PG range and not too overboard with obscenities. Davis may have been 10 but he wasn't one to swear while Davis never swore and cringed at hearing anything lewd or offensive. The worst offensive words their heard were the joke about Richard and Dickson being called, "Big Dick and Little Dick" which was an in-joke between their wives. Richard preferred to be called, "Ricky" as he disliked the nickname and knew his wife Kate only called him that just to get him to cringe. Dickson could care less at what people called him, he was madly in love with Sally and happily adopted her twins as his own sons when they married. Taylor was in contact with her father and her brother-in-law Richard about the kids, with both telling her to stop worrying while adding that they were playing on their own as they weren't mature enough to play the games the guys were playing. She was relieved to hear that but added that they were watching them most of the time anyway since they had little else to do. Taylor smiled then called Vinny's friend, getting his mom to take the boys on for the day so they weren't bored and cause trouble for the guys. Taylor dealt with her own issues as she was brought before the elders of the combined Tui/Tasi family. Tim's mother Natia and Sina's mother Safia sat her down and asked her about herself and why she is so close to their future granddaughter-in-law. They knew the truth about her being fa'afafine but wanted to hear for themselves about her life and why she and Julia were sisters. Taylor steeled herself and explained her life from when she was 13 up to that point, with the two giving her a smile as they heard just how close she was to Julia and their friends. Mack had told them about her and from their own talks with Tim they learned the real Taylor that she tried to hide. They saw her as the kind of young woman that made a perfect wife in their culture, she was loving but would protect her family and wasn't afraid to fight for those she loved. Taylor was introduced to Tim's aunt Arihi, the fa'afafine woman whom she had heard about in glowing terms from Tim when she first met him. She was tall, large, sported small breasts, and had a plump face that sported a perpetual smile. When she was introduced to Taylor she embraced her in a crushing hug that she couldn't help but give into and feel the warmth of, she just made you feel love and acceptance. The ladies gave the elders their proper respect and didn't ask about what Taylor was discussing. Julia was concerned, but a look from Sina calmed her as she wouldn't let any harm come to Taylor. Anya and Tanya were left to entertain the ladies, with the Samoans giving them a lot to deal with as they were the true life of the party and enjoyed mingling among the ladies. Mack's cousins figured out why Arihi, Safia, and Natia were talking with Taylor about and let word get around that Taylor was fa'afafine and talking with someone who lived the life for longer than her. The few who didn't know what a fa'afafine was were told, with the ladies seeing Taylor as an extended part of the Tui/Tasi family through Arihi's treatment of her like another niece alongside Julia's treatment. It was a rare time where Arihi was the most knowledgeable and had Safia and Natia defer to her. Taylor didn't get grilled so much as hugged and told that she was blessed with what many desire but it came at the cost. The cost wasn't apparent, but looking back on her life Taylor could see that she was a lightning rod for others to criticize her actions and who sought to show that they knew best. She was in a constant battle until she stopped fighting herself, she won the battle but lost her childhood. When the elders had finished their talk with Taylor, the bridal party began. Julia was the center of all of the attention with Safia offering her traditional gifts for her and all of the bridesmaids. Julia was shown the wedding dress that Natia and Safia had chosen for her and saw her in tears as it was beautiful and simple, with white fabric flowers sewn to give it a floral pattern and showing off her arms. It was a dress that she was proud to be married in, she never believed that she'd ever marry let alone marrying in a dress that was special to the family as it was part of their culture and a traditional gift. The other bridal gifts were basic things like small charms for Julia's many necklaces that she likes to wear outside the ring with Taylor giving her a special one with four stones, with Julia blushing over the indication of the fourth stone. Sina smiled at Taylor's mischievous side, with Natia and Safia grinning as they nodded in approval. In their eyes, it was likely to happen especially as the two were so in love. The group shared a meal together once the gifts were given, with Natia and Safia reigning over cooking as Sina was joined by Patty, her daughter Faye, and Julia and Taylor's mother Nancy Simpson as the toddlers joined the ladies for the meal. The four had to hide their smiles as the two elders held sway over all of the Tui/Tasi family and Julia's closest friends. Taylor was unsure if she should be shocked or happy that everyone was so orderly, but the look on Sina's face of deferring to her mother and mother-in-law showed it was all respect for the two ladies. The meal was great and enjoyed by all of the non-Samoans, with Julia asking for the recipe for several of the foods that the two had cooked as she wanted to try to give Mack a taste of Samoa at home. It was music to the elders' ears, they were proud to tell her and even prouder to know that she was trying to be part of Mack's culture. Taylor grinned as Julia would definitely make it for Mack, she loved to cook and he loved to eat making it a perfect coupling on yet another level. The party broke with the ladies taking home plates of food for their families and children. Julia was sad to not be able to see Mack that night but was happy to hear that he had made it back home without any issues at the bar. Slick called to tell them what happened, with him happily explaining how some of the rowdier Tasi cousins chose the wrong people to pick on. The Tasis acted tough and chose one of the cruiserweights to tease, not knowing he was one of the strongest wrestlers and could grapple with guys three times his size. He made them look like kids as he bent one guy's arm the wrong way while causing another to pass out from a sleeper hold. One made a mess of himself as he was caught in a tight hold making the entire bar laugh at his stupidity. Poor Mack had to tell his cousins that they were all current or former pro wrestlers with most having a lot of amateur experience in judo and other martial arts. They didn't believe it until Mack showed them a few of the pictures from the guys' past including Taylor's. The fact that his future sister-in-law held a black belt in jui jitsu and was a national champion wrestler shocked them, but Mack happily told them that she was fa'afafine and didn't become her true self until six years before. Things went better after that as the guys enjoyed talking and watching the TV. They were the only ones in the bar as Vince had rented it out for the guys to enjoy the night as well as keep them out of trouble. The guys did have some fights among themselves but nothing a few punches to one another that didn't leave any real marks didn't solve that was quickly followed by a drink to cool the tension. Mack was pleased to hear about Taylor meeting Arihi, telling Slick that she had gotten the blessing of the one person who had the most to be jealous of Taylor for. She and Taylor were of the same mind and shared a lot more in common than just their bodies being born wrong. She'd never tell Taylor it but he saw in both the same personality with Taylor doing things that Arihi had done for many others. The guys helped the Tui/Tasi family members to their hotel while Mack ensured that the NEW guys were all in proper shape for their matches the next night. They were fine, thanks to taking things slow and having the Paine brothers keep them from overdoing things. Maxim and his brother Fuller were the two that all in NEW listened to with both deferring to Taylor on all things; she was the top dog in the company and worked her tail off to ensure that the youngsters were improving but not overdoing it. In the morning, the whole of the group gathered together for the final preparations. The bridesmaids were given their dresses and were a bit surprised at the looks of them. Sina insisted on them having full traditional designs while Julia chose the colors. The dresses were floral print dresses with matching headbands that were associated with the Tui family, with Taylor's dress being special in that it was the same dress that Sina's sister wore at her Sina and Tim's wedding 30 years before. Mack's group didn't say a word as they dressed in formal Samoan ie faitagas and dress shirts, but seeing the manly Tom and Peter wearing them alongside Afa and Sika stopped any complaints as they didn't show any signs of emotion as they donned the traditional garb. It was a request from Julia that the guys wore them as she wanted the elders to show their pride and know that she cared about their heritage and their traditions mattered to her, winning over both elders yet again. The men entered the estate and happily took their places while the other guests were waiting. The kids were already there and saw them being less than happy to were the ie faitaga but seeing all of the guys wearing them as well eased their emotions. Little Samuel was even in one, with him not liking it but it was par the course for him as he didn't like wearing clothes at all. Tom and Tim got another tradition added as they told the GCW security chief to bring inside the next group that walked past the gates as guests. It was odd to them but it was a wedding tradition that there be outsiders who enjoyed the wedding alongside the couple's friends and family. It was a tradition that was supposed to represent generosity and sharing; in this case it was sharing with strangers. The ones who were chosen were a small family of four who lived next door who happened to walk by for an afternoon stroll and caught security's eye. The two kids were thrilled to go inside while their parents weren't. They were aware of who owned the house and that there was something going on so were trying to get out for the walk before things got out of hand and the guests too rambunctious. They were seated between the family and the GCW and NEW wrestlers. It was shocking to the kids as they recognized most of the faces, with the young son fighting hard to not say who was who. His sister realized just whose house it was and who the people were, almost cheering at seeing Taylor Turner live despite living next to her for four years. The fun started with a shock to the guests as Safia and Natia providing a proper Samoan wedding dance along with a fire twirler as Mack's female cousins entered and performed a rousing rendition of the dance on behalf of Julia who wasn't able to learn it in time. She entered with her father Wally as the ladies took their places around the altar, with Mack handing her Samuel who hugged her tightly. The priest performed the vows and offered Julia and Mack a sealed envelope with Mack opening it and gave the crowd a happy, "Samuel Hector Hernandez is officially adopted by me by order of the state of Florida and has been given the new name of Samuel Tumua Tui, and by order of the assembled high chiefs is to be considered part of the Tui and Tasi families in full." Julia kissed him deeply then handed off Samuel to Mack who received a deep hug from Samuel giving the crowd a show of affection as he took to Mack as his own father without any thought. It was a hug that sealed his joining, he was part of their family in all but blood. The couple kissed again and moved off to the side to allow the ladies to dance them to the reception area. The crowd intermingled and saw Taylor greeting the, "Shanghaied" family who were intimidated by the crowd and kept quiet during the wedding. The young girl hugged Taylor who smiled at her affection and waited for her to say something. She could only mutter a soft, "You are the greatest wrestler," which caused Taylor to blush and shoot back, "Julia is better than me, she's always been that way. She was a great learner but has more raw natural talent than any wrestler I have seen. Bailey there is going to be even better than her, she's just so natural and if not for us she'd be the champion." It was rare for Taylor to be so open with fans but this was a private moment around people she cared for and there was little the family could do to her as she had dozens around her to keep her safe. The family was also reminiscent of Betty's family, with the two clearly being twins and a young baby who was oblivious to the world and who simply liked being outside. The kids were in awe of her and she was happy to talk with them, especially as it gave the others a chance to unwind. The girl asked Taylor if she really was transgender, showing Taylor longing eyes as she didn't believe the rumors and couldn't believe that the beautiful woman sitting with her was transgender. Taylor just smiled and nodded, telling her warmly, "I competed with the guys for over two and a half years until I couldn't compete any more thanks to my former uncle outing me to the world. I have really only lived as a woman for four years but dressed in private since I was 13. I had surgery to finalize my transition then was forced by close friends to stop hiding and return to the ring and be the wrestler that I deserved to be. I look 'natural' but it's thanks to taking after my mother genetically." Her brother was in shock, muttering a timid, "Nobody believes you were Matt Simpson. Everyone who said you were him gets told it's all a lie and Matt was just a wrestler who quit and you were brought in to make things look intriguing. Matt is seen as a hero around the city, people don't want to believe that it might be true because pro wrestling is fake." Taylor snorted then laughed, telling him firmly, "King Reign was the one who started those rumors, or rather he had friends of his start them. He's in prison because he tried to extort me into quitting then threatened my family if I didn't quit. I went out there in front of the crowd four years ago and told the world that I was transgender, I had dressed as a female and even wrestled as female quite a bit before. I did it as a female in the FWA then again in NEW. It's actually how I met Julia, she took on my persona as 'Ara?a' and has performed as that character ever since. I even won a few titles as 'Ara?a', earning them because someone was hurt or they needed storyline help." She had him enthralled. His sister smiled at Taylor, with the mother in Taylor showing the young girl that she was all female and not some ogre people try to portray her as. She loved talking with kids, she was sad that she didn't get the opportunity more often due to security concerns and upset parents. She moved on to talk with others and was left with the girl giving her a longing expression. Her family got up to leave after another half hour, thanking the bride and groom for allowing them to attend then receiving hugs from the grateful Safia and Natia for honoring their tradition even if it was odd to them. As they walked out, the girl told her parents, "She is what I hope to be. She's the girl I need to be. I have to be like her, I can't go back to being a boy again." Her parents saw the determination in her eyes and didn't respond, their daughter had just shown that she was not going through a phase and their son was gone for good. She was seeing how life can be if she kept forcing her way forward and followed her dreams. Without realizing it, Taylor had just done what others had not been about to do for her back when she was that same age: give her the drive to go forward in life as a girl. Away from the crowd, Betty and Taylor talked about her little talk before. Taylor smiled and told Betty, "Out of all of the people to drag to the wedding, the security guys chose a family with a little girl like me. It's obvious they are identical twins, she's just starting her transition and her hair is long enough to be unisex but the way she was admiring me and her specific question pinged her as like me. I just hope that she has a better chance in life, she deserves it." Betty hugged her and responded, "It was pure coincidence, but you have met her before we moved here. She and Vinny were in the same kindergarten class, they changed school when she started to fight the boys and was caught dressing in girls' clothes with the girls. She didn't recognize you because you were still Matt then and her parents never met you as their uncle picked them up. I think Vinny may have finally realized who she was and blushed at seeing her, he's still trying hard not to look at her. I swear if he wasn't so much like you in how he treats others I'd think he was liking how she looks as a girl." Across from them, Riley and her girlfriend Alexis shared discrete kisses while Ginny was in Rose's lap as the two couples sat together and enjoyed the adults talking and laughing. They were doing the bulk of the childcare as Bella refused to leave Riley's side and Sally's twins wouldn't let her out of their sight as they took a strong liking to her. She didn't mind being put to work by the others, she loved Bella and the boys were just too sweet and cute to not care for. Alexis asked if she ever thought about having kids, to which Riley looked down in shame and told her, "I tried to do the worst thing you could do if you wanted kids, I tried to take off my manhood. I never saw myself as being loved by anyone let alone having kids, I just wanted to be normal. Momma and mom are the best parents and made me preserve my semen so I can have them in the future. They made me save enough so I could have multiple kids if I wanted to." Alexis smiled at hearing that, telling her warmly, "I want lots of kids. I'd love to have yours. Even if we aren't compatible I still want to give you a child." The two hugged deeply while Bella hugged Alexis after they broke the hug, moving to her lap while the twins jumped in Riley's lap. The two couples were observed by their grandparents, as Carey and Nancy shed tears over the four all but showing that they were going to be together much the same way that their parents got close at the same age years before. Their husbands shook their heads at the girls taking after their parents, with Riley not even knowing how much she acted like Taylor. The four smiled at the teenager becoming the link to her past that she could finally see as a positive instead of feeling bad about. The crowd started to disburse with Samuel going with Sina and Tim as his parents prepared to go off for a night of passion. Samuel was happy to go with Sina, falling asleep in her arms while Julia had to hold off tears at the toddler not realizing his actions. She told him she'd be back the next morning and to be good for his grandparents, with Samuel smiling to Sina and Tim over being with them. His lack of trying to go with her caused the already emotional Julia to cry again, it was yet another sign that Mack was her one true love and the father that Samuel needed. When the last of the guests left, the happy couple went inside and spent the night together as they made sweet love until the early hours and continued when they both awoke late the next morning. Nobody said anything about the couple's sex when they appeared the next afternoon, they simply hugged the couple and left things unsaid. Taylor had a big grin as she told Mack, "Afa hit things off with Bailey, the couple shared a room last night and haven't been apart since. The way it sounded, she and he were hot and heavy but thankfully for them, your parents didn't try to say anything. It's clear that they are hoping that they'd last, though." Mack smirked while Julia shook her head at the news. Taylor then added, "Sika did well himself, he and Ruby Paige were together all night as well. They were a little more discrete but she did have to ask Bailey if she had a condom that she could have. Sika had one that he kept with him that was so old that it's almost rock hard!" Mack didn't offer any reaction, Julia was fighting tears as her friends had gotten themselves some sex and ensured that the twins would have a hard time avoiding their parents' looks. Both were in the mood for love and Ruby might be ready to have a child, especially if she found the right guy. The two were also from the LA area so they didn't have the problem of possibly moving across the country, unlike Mack who moved to Orlando to live with Julia just after he proposed to her. The family gathered together and had lunch together before splitting apart. Natia, Safia, Arihi, Tom, and Peter would be joining Mack, Julia, and Samuel on the flight to Samoa the next day as the couple spent their honeymoon on the island. They would spend a month there and relax, with Samuel and Julia being given citizenship by the country as part of the adoption and marriage. Being a high-born son and grandson, Mack had no choice but to go so it was best to enjoy their trip as a family. Taylor hugged her tightly as it was going to be a tough night for the duo. Taylor would have to beat her in a tough match while also seeing her own feud start with Bailey and see Julia start her own path to the title race in a year. Taylor didn't have the heart to tell her why she was out of the hunt until then, but it was going to be hard to wrestle when you have a child on the way as all expected a second pregnancy to be announced as soon as they returned from their honeymoon. The matches that the duo had planned for Wrestlecade were typical matches that had a lot of storylines built up but packed plenty of action. Mack would lose to Impossible in their world championship match while their friends Anya and Tanya would lose their own tag-team match. The couple was about to take time off so they could enjoy motherhood as well, giving Taylor a lot of help behind the scenes as the duo would take slack from Julia while they staggered their pregnancies so one was in action while the other was on maternity leave with both sharing sperm donors so their children were biological siblings. Julia felt bad that she was costing them time in the ring but it was the best thing for them as Anya could have her own singles run while Tanya would work with the newer ladies and serve as Anya's manager. Anya was the better of the two and Tanya wanted to give her wife her own legacy instead of just being tied to her and their marriage, while Anya wanted Tanya to take things easy as she was starting to take risks and would have ended up injured before the end of the year thanks to some of the ladies' botches costing her time off regardless of her pregnancy. Taylor facilitated it all, with her own lessening of control over the division being worked out so she had a hand in helping the ladies build up their own feuds and gained experience in the ring. It was getting to the point that few of the ladies even remembered her as Matt so all of the previous nervousness about wrestling against a, "Former man" went away while the newer ladies had known her from NEW and her work with Killer Gagne's academy or by reputation from IoH wrestlers allowing Taylor to be a mentor. She did her best with them, and they were eager to learn from the veteran Taylor. The night was turning into a special night for all of them with it made all the more special as Mickayla Jace announced her retirement from wrestling that night. Taylor was kept in the dark on purpose; if she had known she would have tried to dissuade Mickayla from doing so. It was a noble gesture, but it was for naught as Mickayla was ready to retire and there was nothing left for her to do at GCW. With tears in her eyes, she told the world the big secret and wished all of the women luck in their future endeavors, specifically mentioning Taylor and how she had saved Mickayla's career by trying hard to give her matches that helped her and others. She went further and told the world that Taylor was like a niece to her and she loved her with all of her heart; she was the family that she needed when she was homesick, offered her a chance to act like a mother when she needed an emotional pick-up, and offered her home to her family so her son wasn't stuck with his grandparents when she was on the road. Taylor hugged Mickayla deeply and saw her husband Slick and son Tyson come out to hug and kiss her as she walked off to roaring applause. It was tough to follow her announcement but Taylor found a way of doing so by having a fun match occur and gave the crowd a back and forth battle between the rising Bailey and the fading Peyton Kay and Billie Royce. She handled them well and from the reaction of the crowd, she might have kept the duo from getting let go that summer as they won over the crowd. Tanya and Anya went on after a quickie match for the GCW Cruiserweight title, which for the group was a happy affair as it featured Impossible's son Dominic winning the title with his father hugging him then lift him up on his shoulder in celebration as they were likely to be the first father-son champion team in GCW. It was coincidental, Dominic was a replacement for an injured wrestler and the current champion was hurt two weeks before in a house show making it a special night for the family. The couple's match wasn't anything major, but did see them dropping their titles in an extreme rules weapons match to Sarah DeVille and Sonya Logan in a big way as they were worn down and suffered multiple blows to each other causing them to look to be winded and worn out as all four struggled to get the pinfall. Sarah managed to get Tanya into her finisher, a knee drop on the kneeling Tanya, then pinned her for the win. Tanya appeared to be hurt and spent a lot of time walking to the back as the ring was cleared of the weapons used and to allow the next match to prepare, that of the midcard Global Championship with the long walk helping to sell the match's impact on her body Tanya was given time off under the guise of announcing her pregnancy which wasn't true yet wasn't far from the truth as it was going to be done a week later. Anya would move on to singles action and see her trying to go forward but acting as Taylor's occasional tag-team partner. Tanya would be around, she was going to replace Julia and do some mentoring at the NEW complex for new wrestlers until it was time for her to return and Anya to undergo her own insemination and maternity leave. The Global Championship was a great match but paled in comparison with the Women's Championship that took place after it. The match saw the two guys battling it out for the title and had two actual rivals going at it in a legitimate "shoot" match as the two were actually trying to make the other submit to the locks and take legitimate body shots from the chairs and other weapons. The two had hated each other for years and if not for Mack getting between them they would have come to blows before, now they could get their aggression out with the loser being taken out of action as his contract was up. It was an unmentioned stipulation, both had pissed off the roster for so long that one of them had to go and both were on the line as neither could afford to lose their jobs. The crowd had a clear favorite, he and Mack had been friends for years but Mack took no sides in their feud. If not for Mack's brothers he would have been beside Mack as his best man at the wedding the day before. Brute Strawman was not just a play on word, it was about as apt as you can get for a person who was a bodybuilder who was built like a truck and legitimately the most powerful member of the GCW roster. His parents were owners of a string of gyms and who encouraged him to hone his strength then try to become a wrestler. He was also as gentle as they come as he was great with kids and loved to act like an uncle to the others' kids as he watched them for their parents while they wrestled and let them, "Beat" him with his playful antics. Brute's counterpart, Cody Punk, was also a big detractor of Taylor, which was what really fueled all of Brute's hatred. He was smart in only making remarks when Taylor, Stacy, or Vince weren't around and only to a few who wouldn't rat on him for fear of what he'd do to them, but miscalculated with Brute. Their fights were legendary among the wrestlers, and if not for the fact that Brute handled his own messes they would have run the jackass out of the GCW for insulting the boss two years before. Brute won his match, suffering several gouges and deep bruises but his superior strength and stamina worked to his advantage allowing him to beat Punk senseless forcing him to be taken out on a stretcher as Brute walked off to a rousing ovation. In the back, he hugged Taylor and told her, "He's not going to trash you and insult your management anymore. I'm sorry, boss. I couldn't let him insult you anymore. He's a fraud and hypocrite, he loves girls with 'a little something extra' but insults you for doing what you needed to do to be who you really are." She hugged him back. Nobody dared say anything and nobody cared one bit that they had seen one of their own taken away to be treated for broken ribs and a concussion. Taylor was their boss and Cody Punk stepped over the line too often and earned his beating by Brute. Taylor's match would pale in comparison but it was on purpose. She and Julia battled it out for a hard 10 minutes and worked each other hard as they hit aerial attack after aerial attack. Julia would add her own quick strikes while Taylor tried to use her holds only to see Julia counter. The tide turned as Taylor forced Julia to, "Miss her mark" and get, "Dazed" allowing her to set up her setup and finisher moves. They both took the aerial finishers but Taylor's was doing more damage to the crowd as Julia took longer to recover. Taylor finally "faked" Julia into making her think she was going to go for another aerial attack but instead went for the Muta Lock, causing Julia to tap out as they struggled back and forth until Julia couldn't take it anymore. Taylor had won the title again, this time cleanly and doing so in front of her hometown crowd. Mack had the match of the night as he lost trying to defeat Impossible for the GCW championship. It was a tough match to watch for the fans as both were battling each other to a stalemate while awaiting their opening. It went back and forth for 20 minutes, with each man giving their all while trying hard to make the match look like the epic showdown that it had been billed as. Mack broke first after seeing Impossible kick-out for the fourth time after a series of big suplexes and spears. Impossible was able to hit a couple of tough moonsaults off the ropes while getting headscissor takedowns of Mack in between kick-outs. Impossible finally hit Mack with his signature shooting star press then borrowed Taylor's own 450 corkscrew frog splash to pin Mack to retain his championship. Backstage, Taylor hugged Julia and Mack and wished them well. Brute told them to actually get out of the bedroom causing the locker room to laugh at the couple while Mack smirked and Julia blushed. It was a rousing sendoff for the couple, with the two heading to a hotel for the night before heading for the airport the next morning and their long journey to Samoa.