-Late at night, Eoin O’Rourke lights a candle next to a picture of his deceased brother, Eric. He looks down at the picture raising an eyebrow-

Eoin: … The world's a lonely place without your company lad.

 

-A knock is heard behind Eoin. Behind the door is his butler-

 

Garland: Master O’Rourke, your dinner is ready for you.

 

Eoin: Thank you Garland, I’ll be but a moment.

 

-Eoin kept looking at the picture, and decided to lay it flat, facing upwards, next to the candle. He sighed once again thinking to himself-

 

Eoin: I know it seems I act like a total jerk of a character but, I’m not. I’m not a fake, like Father Nathan. You know that mate. You and Liz both know that. Just wish you were here to see what I’ve become, maybe give me some humanity. Liz, she gives me guidance and love through life but you kept me grounded. I-

 

-Suddenly the cat that Eoin saved jumped up next to the picture and meowed at the Irishman-

 

Eoin: You. I’ve had you for a while and I’ve never given you a name. You’ve been here, acted like…

 

-Eoin raised his hand and the cat met its head with Eoin’s hand, petting itself-

 

Eoin: Like Eric would. Even when I first met you, you were right soon after I lost my brother. A parting gift mayhaps? Or a sign of life’s destiny?

 

-Eoin closes his eyes and remembers when he and Eric were on the verge of being evicted and homeless-

 

-10 years ago-

 

Eric: What are we going to do?

 

Eoin: I don’t know!

Eric: Why did you throw that guy out of the bar?!

 

Eoin: He was being a fucktard idiot! Harassing the customers, what else is a bloody bouncer to do?!

 

Eric: Not throw them through the glass!

 

-A knock at the door is heard-

 

Eric: Lemme guess, it's the bar owner. We’re soooo fucked man!

 

Eoin: Just quiet your gums, I’ll handle him.

 

-Eoin opened the door, taking a step forward, preparing to meet the boss of the bar beneath him, only to be met with Elizabeth Deveroux-

 

Eoin: M-Ma’am? I think you may have the wrong-

 

Elizabeth: No, I know where I am, and I am exactly where I need to be. Are you going to ask me in, or?

 

Eoin: No- I mean, yes, please lass, come on in… For all the good it’ll be for us.

 

Eric: Hey who is that?! Is that Richy?

 

-Eoin steps to the side and offers Elizabeth entry, which Eric stumbles on in-

 

Eric: Oh, wow, whose the dame?

 

Elizabeth: I’m the reason the two of you won’t be evicted. Or fired. I paid the old man for the window, plus a tip to make him feel chuffed, the trade off was he had to tell me where you lived.

-She glanced at Eric and smirked, returning her sultry gaze to Eoin, sizing him up and down-

Elizabeth: Irish? Nice. I like the accent, I may have to investigate that further…

 

-Eric fainted falling towards Eoin, and Eoin shoved his brother back  against the wall-

 

Eoin: Why ma’am? What's a down trodden pair of Irish got to do with your liking?

 

Elizabeth: First off you can call me Elizabeth, Liz for short if you like. You went to great lengths to deal with that piece of shit, and I really appreciate it. I just wanted to drink my ale, watch some sports and decompress and that fucking twat just stepped in and made my mood darker. You did your job, but your boss is a prick. I couldn’t see either of you out on your luck because of my moody disposition. 

 

-Eric became woozy-

 

Eric: I think I’m in love bro…

 

Eoin: She’s out of your league lad. Listen miss Liz, your help for us is greatly appreciated. How can we repay the favor?

 

Eric: What do you mean we?

 

Eoin: Fine, how can *I* repay you Liz?

 

-She glances at Eric and raises her eyebrow, beckoning him over with a long stiletto nail. He seemingly advanced towards her. She held her finger up, stopping him, then kissed his cheek-

 

Elizabeth: Off with you kiddo, we adults are going to talk. Intimately. 

 

-She shot a look to Eoin over his own brothers shoulder-

 

Eric: I-What? Was it something I said?

 

-Eoin grabbed his brother’s shoulders and escorted him out of the room-

 

Eoin: You ‘eard the nice girl, now get! And come back in like, an hour or something lad!

 

Eric: Wha- I? Pfft fine! I wanted out of there anyway! Stupid cramped room thinking we’re gonna lose our apartment… mumblemumblemumble

 

-Eoin turns back to Liz-

 

Eoin: You were saying lass?

 

-She picked some magazines up and plopped them on the sad attempt that was a coffee table, then sat down on the couch, crossing her legs-

 

Elizabeth: There’s a bit more to my appreciation then you might think, come have a seat. I don’t bite, at first. 

 

-Eoin sits on the other side of the couch, giving Liz some space-

 

Eoin: I reckon you don’t, but I'm respectful to my company.

 

Elizabeth: I’m here in town on business. Radio appearance. Five minutes before I went live, I was thumbing through the mail I picked up at a satellite address and saw I had an official correspondence for a law firm. It was about my husband…

 

Eoin: Sorry to hear that. What happened to him? Swimming with the fish?

 

Elizabeth: You could say that. I just came from his wreck site. Plane crash over the Atlantic. He was finally declared dead. I’ve been waiting on this day for six years. Six years of seeing his face in the crowd, hearing him saying my name, smelling his cologne. Six years looking over my fucking shoulder, worried he wasn’t dead. Worrying he was still coming…

 

Eoin: Oh…

 

-Eoin reached for Liz’s hand hoping to help cope with her loss-

 

Eoin: I’m truly sorry Liz. I… I know what it's like to lose someone you loved.

 

Elizabeth: The love I had for my husband died the night he put his hands on me. The night he packed his shit, chartered a plane and went to go party. Engine failure I think they said. Pity. While I am sorry to hear you know the loss of a loved one, take solace in knowing my six year bout of paranoia, self gaslighting and bitterness is over. Not that it doesn’t matter, who did you lose if you don’t mind me asking?

 

Eoin: Welp…

 

-Eoin reached for a case of shitty beer that the boss gave Eoin and Eric and opened a can-

 

Eoin: Twas our dad. He knocked my ma back in the Emerald Isle, I was born there, but my dad kept coming back to the US for trips. He knocked another broad up, and when my ma found out about his adultery, he took me back here to live with me brother you just met. I was barely raised back in Ireland. Even then, it was a fleeting moment. He left, again. Eric's ma couldn’t handle the raising of two, so she blew her brains out. We were orphans by the time I was, what five? He was barely three. I kept thinking that my old man would come back for us. Come back for me…

 

-Eoin downed the beer in disgust tossing and barely missing the garbage can-

 

Eoin: Fuck.

 

Elizabeth: Honestly, that’s terrible. Some American fucking dream huh? So if Eric is the cute little scrapper, then who does that make you and what’s more, how’d you get the extremely sexy accent? It was to sound tough as a bouncer, wasn’t it? I used to work strip joints. I know a thing or two…

 

Eoin: Just born with it I guess? It’s a natural thing, not really an act. I was a natural protector to him, cause he’s not very bright you see. Arseholes back at schools would pick on him easily and I’d fight em off. I hate seeing people get bullied, or made to look down on by others.

 

-Eoin pops another can open-

 

Eoin: Oh, uh… My name’s Eoin by the way lass.

 

Elizabeth: Eoin? I like it. I like you and I’m in the habit of getting what I want, perks of being a diplomat's daughter. At least your brother still has you. He’s cute, in true little brother fashion. But that’s not the only reason I came here. I also came here looking for you in particular. 

 

Eoin: Me? Dunno what’s so special about me lass. I just handle ruffians and scum. Why, God thyself made me a part of this world to just…!

 

-Eoin stopped himself short of making a little scene that he felt would be embarrassing-

 

Eoin: Nothing. Exist but not exist.

 

Elizabeth: Nothing? Hmm. I think I may have a proposition for you, that can get you out of this shit hole and working towards a better existence. You got braun, you have fight. A bit of training, some conditioning…

 

Eoin: Training? Conditioning? For what? What do you do miss?

 

Elizabeth: I’m a wrestler, that’s why I’m in town doing PR for an upcoming show. That isn’t important right now though, what is though…

 

-She pushed herself off the couch and curled right into his lap like a stalking shade. She licked her fangs just a little and grinned like a cheshire cat-

 

Elizabeth: We have an hour before your brother comes back, I’ve got a six year self induced celibacy to end, you interested? 

 

-Eoin thought about it for a moment, looking up at Liz, then at the beer can he opened, and decided to toss that thing to the garbage can, getting it in-

 

Eoin: You, have my full attention.

 

-Liz let out a playful chuckle and time returned to the present, and he was petting the cat-

 

Eoin: Yeah… Destiny. Saved by another, given a new lease on life because of them. Just like you. Just like me. 

 

-Eoin stops petting the cat, and moves to his closet and opens it up, smirking. He pulls out a big bath robe that would fit his wrestling attire, but not dinner.-

 

Eoin: Because even with one everlasting mistake that could’ve changed my life for the worse, the best outcome arrived literally at my doorstep. That is destiny.

 

-Eoin puts on the robe-

 

Eoin: Through all of it, I should’ve failed then, but fate knows that I have purpose. God knows, I have purpose. I am the gift of the world, because of whom I love and keep in my heart of hearts.

 

-Eoin pets the cat once more and encourages it to follow him as he opens the door and walks out of his room-

 

Eoin: The Elite Championship was wrongfully stolen from me, Father Nathan O’Connell… The false Saint that he is, has it. He is in the way of my destiny. He doesn’t acknowledge it yet but he will see. He will see that I am the gift from the heavens. From God, I am the Gracious Gift to this world!

 

Garland: Oh heavens…

 

Eoin: I will not fail! Do you hear me Garland?

 

Garland: Yes Master O’Rourke…

 

Eoin: Because my past has proven true, I have fought, clawed and earned everything I’ve fought for, almost died for! I earned what belongs to me! I will be the champion that this Conquest doesn’t deserve, but I will be it!

 

Garland: Yes, yes very well sir. Are you going to attend dinner now

 

-Eoin looks down over at the table and sees that it is full of roast beef, mashed potatoes and wine-

 

Eoin: A nice warm hearty meal before I go to the pub to kick O’Connell’s teeth in, aye?

 

Garland: Aye indeed sir.