ONE YEAR LATER

Scarlett Walker; a storm with flesh — covered with pure and utter perfection, was how everyone described her.

And her grand-parents couldn't be prouder.

She made endless profitable deals with fashion lines, jewellery manufacturers, and even charities — it made her the spitting image of hard work.

But in spite of all this, she was still just 19 years old.

It had been a whole year since she had last seen Mark — it seemed like his father pulled out of the business industry to pursue something else, losing all possible contact with the Walker family.

Scar still caught herself thinking about him — sometimes when she was all alone at night and missing how he used to hold her she'd ask herself; What would've happened if I had just stayed? but as soon as those messy and hurtful thoughts came she did her best to cast them away.

Braxton, Alice and her grew close again. She let them in after several attempts of telling her how sorry they were — it wasn't until he showed her boxes and boxes of proof that they had been searching for her, did she finally start to trust them again.

"I think it's a horrible idea." Scar voiced while sitting inside her favourite Diner.

Alice smirked "I agree with Walker. It's a horrible idea."

"What's the harm in it?" Brax sighed, drinking his milkshake with only a touch of whiskey in it.

Scar narrowed her eyes "Did you just ask what the harm was in underground fighting?"

"...I know it sounds weird," he admitted reluctantly "But I want to go back"

Alice nodded her head thoughtfully "Why?"

"I miss the old days where the three of us would fight the hardest opponents by each others side"

She eyed her half eaten meal "Well, you can rule me out - I quit fighting a long time ago."

"Fine." Brax grunted, disappointment flashed across his features before facing Alice "What about you?"

A smirk once again found it's way across her face "Me? I never stopped fighting,"

"This whole time" Scar's eyes widened "And you never stopped?"

She nodded her head slowly "Fighting wasn't just fighting to me. It was where you could get hurt and get back up again, it was where you could see other's give their all, and never give in - I'll be damned if I'm ever going to turn my back on it."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say," Brax stated — something shined in his eyes, something Scar envied. She wouldn't admit it, but a part of her missed the underground too.

Scar stared down at her hands for a moment "...I guess I could come - but only to watch....Not to fight."

"Then it's settled!" Alice cheered "I'll book a fight for Brax and me, and you can watch in the crowd."

Scarlett nodded her head slowly "Sounds like a plan." Alice gave her one last smile before walking away to take another person's order.

"How are you holding up?" Brax asked her lightly — Scar would unknowingly be the only person in the world that would ever experience this side of him.

She stared at him for a moment "You never told me why you left me when my parents-"

"Scar, plea-"

She bit her lip "No, I forgive you and Alice. Trust me, I've moved on from that but the least you could do is tell me what I did..."

"It wasn't you, Scar" he whispered almost unsure of what he was going to say next "You did nothing wrong."

Scarlett sighed "Then why, Brax? Why did the both of you leave?"

"I'll tell you when the time is right" he shut his eyes like he was battling an internal war "...I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you why I did what I did and why Alice had to stay away. I'll tell you, I promise but-just give me some time..."

Scar nodded her head slightly, she could see that he was struggling to find his words — even though it caused a tinge of fear to roll up her spine, her mind decided to leave it at the moment "Okay...I'll be waiting."

"I'm counting on that."

* * *

Pain 

That's all he felt.

It was as if someone had turned off a switch, he was no longer the weak little nerd he was a year ago — he was a man now but was his sacrifices worth what he had become now?

Loss

That's all he knew when she walked out of his life.

Things got worse when he left her, his mind wasn't his own anymore — his dreams were shattered into pieces and now as he stared at his reflection he no longer knew who he was staring at.

Fear

An emotion he was no longer capable of.

His eyes had seen things no other man should, his fists had done things no other would wish upon their worst enemy and his subconscious had delved into a place where only his inner demons lived. That's all he saw, he shouldn't of left her, he shouldn't have gone — this could've all been avoided but...

He did leave her.

He did go.

He didn't avoid this.

And now he was paying the price.

"Can you see who I am anymore...or... who I've become?"