F E R G A L

     ❝YOU'RE SO INNOCENT.❞ 

  ↻ 

   I shouldn't be this interested in the matter, but she's a muse and I'm the artist looking at pure inspiration. No matter how much I try, my eyes can't help but to remain focused on her as she smiles at the interviewer. 

   Speaking eloquently, the camera can't bring justice to the shimmer of enthusiasm behind her eyes. On the screen it's a little spark in her hazel eyes, but in person it feels like looking at a twirling fire storm.

    The sharp wit and humor just flows out of her so naturally as the camera man adjusts his lenses. If he's not zooming up on her face, then he's an idiot who doesn't know who the real star is.

   ❝YOU'RE A VERY CHARMING GAL.❞  The interviewer flirts as his eyes avert to her lips. When he licks his own, Rebecca's eyes then narrow straight to the ground before sporting a blushed expression.

    For a few seconds she squirms, and still, shyly smiles.  ❝You're too kind.❞ Is her only response as somehow, only a gentle soul like Rebecca could not look at him any differently. 

    While it's not her preference to ever judge, it is in her nature to be so oblivious to the signs that the interviewer is practically unbuttoning his shirt for her.

    Despite sending her all the signals, they go unacknowledged to her virgin eyes. From a few feet away, I can only observe and try my hardest not to laugh out loud.  

   The entire situation is like a bad rom-con in which Rebecca plays the beautiful girl who doesn't even know her charm and worth while everyone else see's it. While Becca's years of insecurity are still far from completely gone, she over compensates with: good work ethic, innocence, and humility.

    She was still naive to a frustrating fault, but

EVERY ONE
HAS A VICE.

❝TELL ME BECKY, WHAT DOES
A BEAUTIFUL GIRL LIKE YOU,
DO ON SATURDAY NIGHTS?❞

   The interviewer asks as she looks up with a pondering expression on her face, still not reading into his word's sheer meaning that roughly translate to something along the lines of, ❝will you go out with me or can I take you out this Saturday Night?❞

   ❝I'm like an old retired hobbit, ya know?❞

   She truthfully answers as the geek inside of her inventively spills out to weed out the uncultured. 

     As the interviewer blinks in confusion, 

I deeply sigh. 

    The man is clearly not suited to date her if he doesn't even know who J.R.R. Tolkien is, nonetheless his creations. ❝Uh, of course!❞ He lies, caught red handed as he nervously smiles back at her for more details—

    ❝I like adventure as much as I like staying in doors. Sometimes I feel like exploring a new city, other days I simply want a night in. Regardless, I'm always in need of karaoke with good friends and some time alone to drink a coffee and write in my journal.❞

   ❝What kind of music do you like? Is there any song you got on repeat lately?❞  He then strategically questions as I suspect he's not entirely asking to genuinely know, but just to drop another unsubtle hint about wanting to get inside her pants.

   Always an open book for fans to know her a bit better, Rebecca grins as she pulls her iPhone out of her dark brown leather jacket's pocket. ❝Well, I like all kinds of music. I do however lean more onto alternative, classic rock, punk rock, heavy metal.❞ She began, tapping the screen a few times before reading off the most recently played list.

   ❝As for what song's I've had on repeat lately: 

   ‣ My Demons by Starset
   ‣ Demons by Imagine Dragons
   ‣ Am I Demon? By Danzig
   ‣ A Demon's Fate by Within Tempation

   When Rebecca smiles back at him, the interviewer barely nods as he blinks. Clearly this guy's more than an idiot if he doesn't know what a hobbit is any more than he's familiar with any of the amazing songs she's just mentioned.

    ❝That's a lot of demons there. Some people might think you're possessed.❞ He dumbly jokes as Rebecca only nervously laughs only to not be rude.

   If it were me, I'd of given him a serious look before telling him that only she could get away with puns and walk away. 

   ❝I LIKE DEMONS.❞ Rebecca then admits as her eyes avert to the ground the second the interviewer gives her a crazed look. 

   ❝I mean, I think there's this scary ideology that surrounds demons. That all of them are bad, but I think that some can be quite good. Sometimes people do best when they're faced with a demon or two. It can light a fire, a friendly reminder that in order to weather a bad storm in life, we ought to slay our demons to stay awake and away from the other side. At least, it does for me.❞

   Becky celebrates in full detail as she toys with her hands when noticing that the interviewer wasn't even giving his entire attention

   Stupid half wit, karma better strike him before my fist does. ❝So you think demons are motivational?❞ The interviewer then laughs with a blatant laugh as Becky maintains a serious face that says it all— this is no joking matter to her.

   ❝Sometimes. Not everyone will understand my more philosophical perspective on them, so I'll also add that like some—I just find them intriguing, alluring, and mysterious.❞

❝WE ALL HAVE AN INNER
DEMON WE TAP INTO.❞

   She sheepishly finalizes before looking down as the camera man smiles at her a little too much and fumbles with his cards

— amateur.

   ❝Right so uh, how does Becky Lynch drum to her own beat?❞ He asks as she looks back directly at the camera and once again politely smiles back at him.

   ❝That's easy — you see, Becky Lynch is an alter ego that comes from Rebecca Quin. Quin didn't always drum to her own beat, especially as a youngster. Rebecca was very obedient and passive, which led her to do what other's wanted her to do and be instead. She ran from scary things like demons because everyone said falling for them would lead to darkness, and that darkness is bad. Had Rebecca Quin not gone down the wrong road at one point in life, Becky Lynch wouldn't even be here. As cliche as it sounds, I really do think we all need to fail in order to find success.❞

   A subtle frown grows on my face as the interviewer then tries to ridicule her sentiments with his stupid thoughts— ❝That's not a very positive message for the kids.❞

   ❝You're wrong, It's not positive to lie.  A lie would be saying that life is all great. Truth is, it can be, but it can also be very hard at times. The not so fun part of life was having to go through a downward spiral. The lesson learned through that was that sometimes, one has to do things on their own. I know I did. After going nowhere down a path of destruction, I took an exit and headed towards a road to recovery. There was a few relapses here and there, especially after close ones stopped standing beside me, but I made to the end of the tunnel. That's where I found her, that's  how Rebecca Quin became Becky Lynch.❞

    She smiled with a deep sigh of relief. Somehow through out that heart felt message, she managed to stay in character while metaphorically give her life's rendition. The one outside the WWE that wasn't entirely PG.

   As the interviewer fumbled to give any word back, Becky shook her head and cut him off with more to her answer—

   ❝So through being submissive, Becky Lynch learned to break free of those chains and drum to her own beat. That's Becky Lynch for you— dominant, caring, passionate. The Lass Kicker doesn't want to be the best, she wants to bring change and leave a significance behind. Success is important, but more so being remembered as someone who never stopped fighting for what she believed in and desired most.❞

   I stand now closer, proud of her. In many ways Rebecca is still naive for wanting to believe that everyone is truly good. Yet for every time that she's been screwed out of something for just that extreme innocence that she carries, that naivety that shields her away from almost being at the top, Rebecca makes it up with the undying love the crowd gives her.

   Day in and day out, she wins them over and it's impossible not to take notice of exactly why she's so beloved.

      Coveted an underdog, 

—not in my eyes.

   To me, she's the fire who'll spark a change because no one believes and loves more in the possibilities of good prevailing than her. There's not a bigger heart that Rebecca's backstage, and the love she gives is the love she takes back.

   It's abundant, and it just keeps on growing.

   Whenever she's called an underdog, a part of me wants to tear her flesh open for them to see that she's just like us, one of us.

    She bleeds too, and under her skin is also just vessels of flesh, blood, and bone. Perhaps her tough exterior leads others to think otherwise, but all humans can crack under pressure.

    If I could let one thing be known about her for everyone to see, I'd head to the nearest tattoo shop and have this etched over my heart— DO NOT COUNT HER OUT.

   ❝Great interview.❞ The camera man then interrupts as Becky thanks him with a courteous nod. Yet, before she can dismiss herself he calls her attention back to the interviewer—❝Hey Jeremy, what's that song you can't stop singing?❞

   Completely oblivious to the camera's man attempt at acting as a wing man, Becky only patiently waits. 

   ❝I want to see your private parts by halestorm.❞ He stupidly smirks with a full on glare towards Rebecca that makes her gasp and look around at her surroundings.

    That naive nature of hers has washed out, and I try my hardest not to laugh at loud as she's for once, fully aware of the thoughts and desires regarding her that go through the interviewer's mind.

   ❝I-it's actually called Private Parts.❞ Becky corrected before immediately shifting her gaze down at the ground as if totally embarrassed. 

   As I take a step forward, Paige appears next to me with a sly smirk. ❝Bex finally figured out that the interviewer has been madly hitting on her, hasn't she?❞

    With a subtle nod, I then begin to chuckle at the situation ahead of us. ❝It's way too funny, but we shouldn't let her suffer like that.❞ I muse as Paige is then called for another interviewer.

    The Brit raises her brows, shrugging. ❝Put Bex out of her misery then.❞ She puffs before walking away as I look back at vibrant orange hair. ❝Are you sure it's called that and not I wanna see your pr—

❝SHE'S DAMN SURE.❞  I sternly assure, as I intersect myself between the two before glaring back at both men to let them know that I'm well aware of their bullshit.

   The two nod, gulping down hard as I direct my eyes towards Becky who only dips her head back with a sigh.

   ❝That was the most uncomfortable interview of my life!❞ Becky squeals as we walk away with her cheeks still blushed from the awkwardness of that situation. 

   ❝YOU'RE SO INNOCENT.❞ I then tease as she rolls her hazel eyes in response— ❝Is it so bad that I don't think of everyone as evil or that the world is all horrible? I'll never understand how girls insinuate that everyone who looks their way falls in love with them or is hitting on them.❞

   She argues as we make it out of the venue, done with our night's media duties. Outside the street's of Florida, the air is chilly and my eyes are even more magnetized to her as the wind blows enough for her hair to occasionally trace across my face. 

   ❝There's a thing called reading the signs.❞ I suggest as she turns her face to glare up at me. I stare back, well aware that for many girls who think everyone's in love with them is just a nasty complex they carry.

   Yet as my dormant heart beats with the promise of a fairy tale's happy ending every time I see her, I know that in Rebecca's case, the issue isn't an egotistical complex.

   How can one not fall in love with her?

   She's infectious, and no matter how much one tries to dislike her, Rebecca will get under your skin. It'll happen when least expected, and she will leave traces of her that'll keep one up at night with sudden wild fantasies that lead to wondering if —

   ❝It's stupid that I'm 28 and still see the world as pure, but I can't help it.❞ She murmurs in a slight somber tone as I can only be grateful for her interruption that led my thoughts away from the gutter.

    ❝Rebecca?❞

❝Fergal?❞

   There's a subtle pause before the words just roll out of my tongue.

   ❝IT ISN'T STUPID, 

IT'S BEAUTIFUL❞

    Rebecca returns a warm smile in exchange as she crosses her arms over her chest. While we continue to aimlessly walk around, my mind dwells on the reminder that set back after another, she has gotten back up.

   Despite all the filth life's thrown at her, for Rebecca's eyes the world is still good and pure. If that isn't one of life's beauties, I don't know what else is. 

   ❝YEAH WELL, SOMETIMES
CHOOSING HAPPINESS IS
THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE A
LIFE AND NOT A LIE.❞

   Becky then responds as she manages to steal a smile from me—the kind that just creeps in with no promise of being hidden.

   Vibrant hair flies all around her face as the a gust of wind passes through us, and Rebecca only smiles as she enjoys the rare colder climate in Florida.

   ❝Should we eat here?❞ Rebecca then suddenly asks as we stop outside a pub. I lower my eye sight down to her, after all these years still intrigued by her comfort and ease towards me.

  It's been years, but I sometimes wonder if she's still willing.

   ❝I know of a better place.❞ I suggest as she only smiles and nods while I take the lead.

   Even after all these years she still submits to my requests without ever putting up a fight or complaint. It's like she's happy to follow me, and I've always known not to relish on that control over someone, but I can't help it. 

   ❝This place looks awfully fancy.❞ Rebecca nervously whispers, never having been a fan of fancy anything. ❝I know, the bread here is worth putting up with all that needless extravaganza.❞ I assure as she grins and still trusts my knowledge of her favorite anything.

   ❝SHALL WE?❞
I propose.

❝OKAY❞

Rebecca accepts, submissive and decisive before I even open the door.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

i. Told through Fergal's point of view. Chapter's will be labeled as Fergal, or Becky. If not, it's just in simple third person narration. 

ii. To those who have read this in the past before, I'm sorry if this is just a repeat chapter. I'm still not 100% on what to scrap out entirely.