❊ "there is more to life than work and sebastian." ● ch. o1

[Rora Sky]

● ● ●   ● ● ●   ● ● ●

❊ INT. MEDICAL AREA OF THE FACTORY - MARCH 5TH, 2018

To say Aurora Vaillancourt was hysterical would be an understatement. She was currently watching two members of the medical team tend to her beloved partner, Sebastian Fournette. Seb had suffered a tremendous amount of abuse during their first night as contracted Factory fighters, and a lot of it due to Seb’s need to follow through on his promise to always protect her. The stunning ice queen had her hands pressed to her face and couldn’t even fight back her tears anymore. Sebastian’s back was tore up, and Aurora wasn’t sure she could handle it. The moment Seb winced as they started cleaning his cuts, Aurora cried out, “You’re hurting him!” She rushed to his side and Seb, bless him, held a hand out. “It’s fine, Rory,” he reassured her as she laced her fingers through his. “I will be fine.”

“Seb, this place is barbaric. What happened out there with Vanity and that horrible chain, it was just too much.” She squeezed his hand and desperately searched his face, looking for some type of reassurance that he agreed with her. “Whoever owns this place just wants to put people in dangerous situations and make money off of them. All these matches tonight have just been awful.”

Despite the fact Aurora’s words were super dramatic, she felt everything she was saying at the moment. She felt every ounce of pain Sebastian was dealing with because whenever he was hurt, so was she. They were soulmates whether either of them knew it at this point or not. Seb waved the medical people away and gingerly got down off the table. Gently taking Aurora’s face in his hands, he looked directly into her tear filled green eyes.

“I agree with you that tonight has not been ideal but look how we managed to overcome the odds. You and I are still standing and both of us came out victorious. As long as we stay calm and keep our heads together, they can’t hurt us. We’ve dealt with physical pain our whole lives. This is nothing. My back will heal. I’m okay.”

Aurora took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and Seb pulled her close. Aurora buried her face in his neck and clung to him, not ever wanting to let Sebastian go. He pretty much felt the same, and whenever the two of them were together it was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. After a few moments, Aurora reluctantly pulled away and got her emotions together. “I’m going to cancel my cruise.”

Sebastian wanted nothing more than for his partner to do that, but she always cancelled everything for him. This vacation for Aurora and her mother had been planned well before The Factory had become a thing in their lives, and Sebastian’s girlfriend Shiloh Kontaveit was coming into town. Sebastian hadn’t seen Shiloh in awhile because she was currently based in England, working the independent circuit over there. “Don’t. As hard as it will be without you, you deserve this. You’ve always wanted to go to Cuba, Rory, and it is your mom’s birthday. I will be fine.”

Aurora sniffled, but she nodded her head. Of course, Seb was right. But also, the two weeks they were about to spend apart would be the longest of their lives. Aurora wasn’t sure if she could function with Sebastian.

And Sebastian already knew that he wouldn’t be able to function without Aurora.

● ● ●   ● ● ●   ● ● ●

❊ INT. THE KNIFE PARRILLA ARGENTINA BAYSIDE - MARCH 18TH, 2018

“I really did have fun, Mom. I promise.”

Vera Vaillancourt looked at her only child, but kept mum. For the past two weeks, Aurora had done nothing but sulk, FaceTime and text with Sebastian, and occasionally message with someone she had recently met at a wrestling gig named Alyx Flash. Vera did her best not to pay attention to her daughter’s chosen profession. She didn’t understand it nor did she want too. But in order to be supportive, she had to hear about it and for the entire duration of their vacation, it had seemingly taken over Aurora’s sense of being.

“But you’re ready to go back.”

Vera stated it because she knew it was a fact. Her daughter had barely touched her food and was literally just counting down the minutes until they headed for the airport. Aurora’s flight back to New York City was basically a red eye, allowing the pretty brunette plenty of time to get to Newark for tomorrow night’s show. Vera was going back home. She never watched Aurora and Seb wrestle in person.

“I’m definitely ready to go back. I just know Sebastian so well. He’s told me all week he’s ready and everything is fine, but I know he’s lying. The people he’s facing tomorrow are horrible. All they know how to do is beat people with weapons and hurt them. Seb has no one he can count on and I have to be there for him. His own partner has already threatened to break his arm. Like I just need to be with him.”

This was nothing new. Vera was well aware of Aurora’s unspoken feelings for Sebastian Fournette. Aurora had looked at him with nothing but stars in her eyes since the age of 10 when she decided boys weren’t gross.

“I’m sure he had a lovely week with Shiloh,” Vera gently replied. She wasn’t pointing out the obvious to be cruel. She was just realistic. Sebastian always seemed to have a girlfriend. He wasn’t short on female attention. Aurora on the other hand had never really dated, and if she had been interested in someone, she hadn’t shared it with Vera. When Aurora had brought up Alyx to her, she had hid her surprise. Other than Sebastian and Vitaly Tretyakov, Aurora had never mentioned a boy.

“Mmhmm. All that matters is that Sebastian is happy.”

At best, Aurora and Shiloh tolerated one another. There was nothing that would ever come between Seb and Aurora, and Shiloh did her best to deal with that fact. She knew she didn’t have a choice if she wanted to continue her relationship with the former skater, and Aurora made sure she didn’t interfere ever, often taking a backseat to Shiloh. It hurt her to do that but she assumed it’s what Seb wanted.

“What about your happiness though?”

Aurora looked up from her phone, surprised.

“I’m very happy, Mom. I just don’t know if The Factory is for Seb and me. I mean, we will see how tomorrow night goes. It’s a case by case basis I guess.”

Vera sighed. “That’s not what I meant, Aurora Sky. You deserve someone special in your life just as much as Sebastian does.”

Aurora’s face flushed. She had no desire to go down the dating road but it’s not like she could tell me mother that. No one knew why she didn’t want to give her heart away, not even to Sebastian. She didn’t feel worthy of it. “Mom, can we not?”

Vera was persistent. “Did this Alyx ask you out before you left?”

Aurora turned a deeper shade of red. Alyx Flash had made sure to catch her right before she had left The Factory. He had conveniently walked up to her right after she had said goodbye to Seb. “I mean, yes. But he hit me with a door. I’m sure he was just being nice.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “So you turned him down.”

“I mean, no? I told him I would see him at the next show and then we could talk. Look, I don’t want to talk about my private life.”

“I just want you to be happy, dear.”

“Mom, I already told you that I'm happy.”

But Vera knew that look in Aurora’s eyes. She was broken and had not been the same person since running off the ice in Sochi. Vera had long ago given up trying to talk about that day, but she wasn’t content with letting Aurora waste the best years of her life.

“Then go on a date. You’re 21. There is more to life than work and Sebastian.”

Aurora didn’t respond. In her heart, she knew her mother was right. But things were more complicated than that. They were much more complicated than anyone could ever fathom. Eventually, Vera changed the subject and Aurora felt the tension ease between them. Whenever she could give her automatic answers and fake smile through conversations, Aurora was at her best. For the rest of their time together that day, Vera never brought up Seb, Alyx, or The Factory again.