Settling into a place on the wall beside Fannin, Jen touched the young man’s elbow and said, “Hey Rich. Sorry to interrupt, but can I have a word with you?”

Rolling the papers into a tube, Fannin smiled and said, “Have a sentence if you’d like. But you should probably make it fast, I think you’re in the Main Event and if the condition of Scarlett’s opponent is any indication, you’ll be going on very soon.”

Nodding, Jen replied, “This won’t take long. I was just wondering, now that Sarah’s champion, have you given any thought to who you’re going to name number one contender?

Fannin figured out where she was going and said, “Truth be told, after dealing with the Hood, I mean Alyson, over the last several weeks, I hadn’t given the title as much attention as I should. However, since Miz. Hannigan seems to have vanished at least temporarily, things can get back to whatever it is we call normal. So to answer your question; yes, I’ve got a short list of names I’m considering for the spot, and you’re name is on it, but…”

His voice faded for a moment and Jen prodded, “…but what?”

The promoter’s mouth opened to voice a reply, but before the words could come out, a low, slightly mocking voice spoke up from somewhere behind them. “But a long pause is Rich’s way of finding polite words to tell you the thought of Jennifer Love Hewitt contending for a World Title is laughable at best; pathetic at worst.”

Jennifer whirled around to face the owner of the voice and sneered when she found herself gazing into the smirking face of Selma Blair. Not missing a beat, Love fired, “Trash from behind! I should’ve known it would be you.”

Blair rolled her eyes. “Scathing,” she said dryly. Then turning to Fannin, Selma asked, “How’s it going Rich?”

Interested to see just where this might lead, the promoter answered, “Just fine Selma. You cracked that copy of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ I lent you yet?”

Her smile growing a bit wider, she said, “Oddly enough, I was just about to start reading when I overheard you two. I hope you aren’t serious about giving Ms Hooty McBoob a shot at Sarah. Everybody knows the Slayer would wipe the floor with her.”

Furious at being treated as though she wasn’t there, Jennifer pushed off the wall and went nose-to-nose with the other brunette. Staring a hole through the mouthy beauty, Hewitt said flatly, “If you’ve got something you want to say, say it to my face.”

“Why? The view is so much worse.” Blair continued to smile, but any trace of mirth or humor had left her expression.

Edging a bit closer to the other brunette, Jennifer fired back, “You talk big Selma, but I don’t see you rushing to stand across the ring from me.”

Absolute contempt played across Blair’s delicate features. “I wouldn’t waste my time.” Considering the matter closed, she let her gaze flick over to Fannin as she added, “I’m gonna go read that book now Rich. Keep me in mind when you want to sign a title match…you know, one fans might actually want to watch!”

She stepped to her right to move around Jennifer, but Hewitt moved with her and the two diminutive vixens bumped into one another in an impact that was slight, but in no way gentle. Chesting into Selma, Jennifer whispered, “You ever get in the ring with me and I’ll waste a lot more than your time.”

Not impressed, Selma’s response was equally low and just as cold. “Get out of my way Juggs or you won’t have to worry about that Cave-Beast Durance tonight, I’ll do it right here and now.”

Perfectly satisfied to resort to a schoolyard staple, Jen pushed in even closer to Selma and taunted, “Make me!”

Returning Jen’s now very unsubtle shove with equal force, Selma sneered, “I don’t make monkeys, I train them…and most learn a lot quicker’n you!”

Struggling to keep her cool, Jennifer took a step back and said, “Get out of my face Selma. I’ve got more important things to deal with.”

Smirking, Blair replied, “I seriously doubt that.”

She’d taken about two steps forward when Jennifer whip-lashed her right hand and DRILLED the smirking brunette with a SLAP that echoed off the walls. Watching coldly as Selma grabbed her reddening cheek, Jennifer spat, “Somebody’s needed to put you in your place for a long time Selma. I’m glad I was the one that got to do it.”

Glaring at Love with undisguised hate, Selma growled, “I don’t know if you can still look over your shoulder with those fake tits of yours, but if you can, I recommend you do it frequently from now on.” Then she stormed off down the hallway.

Watching Jennifer watch Selma’s retreat for a moment, Richard Fannin cleared his throat and mused, “Well that was certainly interesting. My apologies Love, but I think we’ll have to conclude our discussion another night; your match is going to start. Well, just about to anyway. But don’t worry, you’re definitely in the running for the top contender spot. I’ll probably have a decision in a week or so.”

She looked over at him and nodded. “Thanks Rich. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” Giving the promoter a small coy smile, she turned around and headed toward the ring.

She’d only gone a few steps when Fannin called out, “Jen I almost forgot. There’s gonna be a video promo for a new talent airing right before the start of your match. The lights may do some funky things, but it’s all planned; not spooky at all. Just sorta dramatic.”

Glancing back over her shoulder, she replied, “Thanks for the warning Rich. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a match to win.” Leaving Fannin alone with his papers, Jen strode quickly down the hall and went about preparing herself for the fight she knew would be starting very shortly.
******
It was the second week of June when we find ourselves back in the small Florida town of Darkside, and after a particularly dry start to the year, it appeared as if the rains had found their way back home. It had been drizzling pretty steady throughout the morning and it had begun to pick up quite a bit as night descended on the town. Normally with rain on a Friday would be cause for the locals to start complaining but they were actually in a pretty good mood that evening for two unrelated reasons. One, they really needed the rain and two even though there was a tropical deluge going on outside, it was nice and dry at the R’lyeh Club were Richard Fannin’s promotion just happened to be running a show that evening.

To top off what had been a stellar card, the locals were being treated to a Grudge Match main event pitting Jennifer Love Hewitt against former Darkness member Erica Durance. Nearly a year before, Jennifer had beaten Erica clean in the middle of the ring, choking the rookie out with her infamous breast smother and taken her top in the process. The feud had continued through Fannin’s struggle with the Darkness, but the two had never gotten a chance to lock up one-on-one after that first encounter. Tonight, that was all going to change as we go to ringside where standing in the middle of the ring, the announcer begins his tried and true patter.

“Ladies and gentleman, it is time for our Main Event! Introducing first, at 5’ 6” tall… I give you… Ericaaaaa DURANCE!”

‘Let Me Out’ roars to life and the lithe brunette breezes through the curtain. Striding confidently to the ring, Erica is a sight to behold, clad for her battle in a blazing red bikini top and jet-black bottoms encircled by a belt the same color as her top. Her pads and boots are a simple matte black and it contrasts wonderfully with her lightly tanned physique and chestnut brown hair. Reaching the edge of the ring, Erica pauses for only a second before leaping onto the apron in one graceful, catlike motion. Entering the ring, she gives the roaring fans one more confidant pose before settling into her corner to await the arrival of arguably her most hated opponent.

Letting the roar for Erica settle to a dull roar, the announcer took a breath before he continued. “And introducing her opponent who stands 5’ 3”… ladies and gentlemen I am pleased to present the two most popular things in wrestling… Jennifer LOVE Hewitt!”

‘This Love’ comes through the speakers and the brunette presents herself to the fans in the R‘lyeh Club. For her second go-round with Erica, the curvy brunette was clad in a two-piece emerald bikini. Her pads and ring boots were of the same color, and the deep green went wonderfully with her pale complexion and long dark hair. Moving quickly down the aisle, Jen flashed her beautiful smile before hopping up onto the apron and into the ring. Heading to her corner, she eyed Erica coldly and waited for the last minute instructions.

Just as the Announcer was slipping through the ropes, the speakers at the top of the ramp whined a little and the giant projection screen ran fuzzy with static. After that, there was nothing for a moment but when everyone was looking at the screen, the lights in the club faded only to be pierced by several different spotlights of red, yellow, blue, green, orange and pink. When the lights started swirling, the speakers let loose with a low guitar riff that continued for several seconds before kicking into a rousing drum roll and more guitars (the typical top 40 listener would have recognized it as the beginning to Yellow Card’s ‘Lights and Sounds‘) As if this wasn’t enough, the video screen blazed into a swirl of kaleidoscopic insanity. Shortly thereafter, the first half of a rather famous couplet faded into view.

“ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELLE TOLLS….”

It sank into the colors and was replaced by

“THE BELLE TOLLS FOR EVERYONE.”

Then that was gone and

“COMING SOON”

flashed briefly before the screens and speakers cut off and the lights went back to normal. Not exactly sure what they’d just seen, the crowd buzzed among themselves for a moment and then turned their attention to the ladies in the ring. Back in the squared circle, Jennifer shrugged off the colorful interruption but Erica looked more troubled. Something about the intentional misspelling of ‘Bell’ bothered her, but she couldn’t quite say why. Shaking off her concerns, she turned her attention to Jennifer and waited for the bell. Free of distractions and interruptions, the ref gave the signal to start the match.

DING! DING! DING!

On her side of the ring, Erica drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly; steadying her nerves. She gave the ropes to her right a quick tug and swung out of her corner to make her way to the middle of the ring, obviously eager to avenge the loss she felt had started her descent into the Darkness a year ago. In the opposite corner, Jennifer eyed Erica warily but didn’t hesitate for a second when the bigger brunette headed to center ring. Pushing out of her corner, the smaller brunette beauty wasted no time joining her foe for the evening’s entertainment.

Stopping a few feet short of Erica so the she wouldn’t have to crane her neck to stare up at the taller girl, Love gave Erica a small smile and said, “I wondered when you were finally gonna come after me again.”

Erica smiled back but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “I wanted to wait till we were both free of distractions so you won’t be any excuse about the outcome.”

Not liking the slightly accusatory tone in Erica’s voice, Jen replied quietly, “No excuses? That would be a first for you!”

Erica’s faux smile dropped away instantly, all the anger and resentment she’d been building towards Jennifer finally boiling to the surface. Glaring daggers at the shorter girl, Erica stalked forward, rudely bumping into Hewitt. Glaring down into Love’s face, Erica spat, “I underestimated you last time, I’ll admit that. But I’m not a rookie anymore Jen. If you make the mistake of underestimating me, I’ll show the world what I’ve known all along. I’ve always been better than you, I just needed the time to prove it.”

Bristling at the blatant dismissal of her skill, Jen glared up into Erica’s face and fired back, “You’re definitely bigger than me. You might be stronger than me, but you are NOT better! And I don’t need to shove my tits in your face to prove it. All we need to do is share the ring for a few minutes; it’ll become obvious to everyone.”

Reaching the end of her patience Erica snarled, “Prove it then bitch!”

Erica punctuated her challenge by slamming her hands into Jennifer’s shoulders and driving the diminutive beauty backward several steps. Recovering her balance quickly, Love stood for a second, then shot forward and tagged Erica across the mouth with a SLAP so hard it got a communal, ‘awwww’ of sympathy at the imagined pain from the audience.

Shaking her tingling hand, Love smiled and announced to the crowd, “THAT’S how you treat a bitch!”

Erica rubbed slowly her stinging cheek as she regarded Hewitt with hate-filled eyes, then dropping into a crouch, she whispered, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The last word was still coming out of her mouth when the big brunette charged forward and shot her arms out. Hardly surprised, Jennifer assumed her stance and prepared for the clinch only to be caught off guard when Erica went higher than anticipated, wrapping her left arm behind Jen’s head. With lightning speed, Erica yanked Love forward and down, bending the smaller girl double as she locked her hands in a Side Headlock. Running her tongue over her teeth, Erica smiled for real this time, pouring her considerable strength into popping Love’s head like a grape. Ignoring her frantic slapping and pushing her elbow, Erica rose onto her toes for a split second before she suddenly dropped to one knee, bringing her captive along for the ride! Erica pulled Jen even closer and jerked her head back and forth over the hard point of her hip. Turning her head to the side as Jennifer pushed a hand up under her chin, Erica bore down on the Headlock even harder.

“How’s that feel, baby?” Erica hissed. “Still think you’re stronger?”

Erica tossed the hair back out of her eyes with a flick of her head as she gave Jen’s trapped skull another squeeze. Her face already turning red from the brute force of Erica’s Headlock, Jennifer didn’t waste breath on a reply. Instead she opted to wrap her arms around Erica’s waist and clamp down tight. With her jury-rigged Waist-Lock in place, Jen crouched down a bit lower and then pushed up fast, forcing both her and her tormentor back to a standing position. Hoping her sudden movement had been enough to throw Erica off her game for a moment, Love unclasped her hands and placed her right hand against the small of Erica’s back. She shoved as hard as she could and after a few wavering steps alongside her opponent, Jen’s head popped free and she was left in the center of the ring while Erica was using Jen’s shove to build up a head of steam as she bounced off the ropes.

Fully aware that Erica’s Clotheslines were something to be avoided at all costs, Love took a half step back and as the tall brunette bore down on her, she went low and scissored her feet out, snaking them between Erica’s ankles as she did so. With little more than a tug, the Drop Toe Hold unbalanced Erica and sent her sprawling for the canvas. Erica managed to get her hands up and turn her face to the side before she hit, but the landing still drove the wind from her lungs with a meaty grunt.

“OOFFH!”

Having taken Erica’s height advantage away, Jen scrambled to her feet and got behind Erica as the other brunette was just starting to get to her hands and knees. Dropping down behind Durance, Jennifer looped her arms around Erica’s torso, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. Locking her hands together in a fist just below Erica’s breasts, Hewitt leaned heavily on her rival’s back and squeezed very hard. The Kneeling Bear Hug forced a breathy gasp of pain from Erica’s lips and her eyes bulged open as Jennifer bore down even tighter. From her position draped across Erica’s back, Jen decided she wasn’t going to wait long to give Erica a receipt for the Headlock. Leaning forward a little more, she placed all her weight down on Erica’s back, forcing the bigger girl to bend forward, which in turn only exacerbated the pressure being put on her chest by the Hug.

Rubbing her chest back and forth on Erica’s back, Jen leaned her cheek against Erica’s neck and purred, “This feel familiar? The last time they were in your face, but I figured this might bring back pleasant memories of last summer, huh?”

Grunting and gasping as beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, Erica listened to Jen’s taunt with an ever-growing anger. The really irritating part though, was that Love was right. Feeling the smaller vixen’s ample assets rubbing across her back was brining a flood of memories back for Erica, chief among them what it was like having her oxygen cut off as her face was forced into the warm but hardly inviting darkness of Jennifer’s cleavage. That was certainly not an image she needed in her mind right now.

Silently vowing that Jennifer Love Hewitt was going to pay dearly for her crimes, Erica found her voice and panted, “I remember alright, but you’re going to wish you hadn’t called me out on it. I didn’t need any more motivation to kick your scrawny ass, but I won’t turn it down either.”

Erica surged upwards, rising to one knee in a stiff, awkward looking lurch. Ignoring the feel of Jennifer riding her back, Erica gritted her teeth and shoved up a second time, finally regaining her vertical base, despite still being trapped in the Bear Hug. Trying without success to twist her arms free, Erica growled in frustration and turned her attention to the ropes. She managed to stomp and drag herself about seventy-five percent of the way there when Jennifer gave the Bear Hug another colossal constriction that forced the breath from Erica’s lungs.

Enjoying the feel of Erica deflating in her grasp, Jen said sternly, “ That’s not going to prove you’re stronger than me.” Lowering her head, Erica snarled back, “This might.”

With a low roar of exertion, Erica shot her arms straight out at her sides, tearing free of the Bear Hug in the process. Before Jennifer had a moment to react, Erica swung around behind her and applied a basic hold of her own, locking Love’s arms up in a Full Nelson. With her hands laced tightly across the base of Love’s neck, Erica leaned forward and pressed down hard, nearly forcing the smaller girl’s chin into the depths of her own cleavage. Wanting nothing more than to add to Jennifer’s misery, Erica planted her feet against the mat and began twisting her torso back and forth, shaking Love like a dead rat in the jaws of a terrier. Slowing after several seconds, Erica pulled back and pressed back down, wearing down Jen’s shoulders and neck with constant pressure. Remembering the hateful feel of Jen’s rack against her back, Erica returned the favor in her own way, helping herself to the undefended expanse of Jen’s rump with a slow, greedy grinding of her hips.

When she felt Jennifer shuddering in her grasp, Erica smiled sweetly and asked, “You feel that Love? You know what? Screw the Tit Smother, I think I’ll sit on your face when this is over. That’d make us even up in my mind.”

Trying desperately to pry herself free of the Full Nelson, Love growled, “You won’t sit on anything for a long time after I’ve spanked your fat ass. I hope you’re not a crier Erica; it’s so pathetic when they cry!”

Before Erica could respond, Jen pulled her hips forward and then drove them back into Erica’s belly, forcing a startled gasp from the taller beauty. And though she didn’t totally escape her predicament, the hold loosened considerably, so much so in fact that she was able to pull both of them nearly all the way to the ropes before Erica regained her senses and clamped down once again. Infuriated that Love had almost escaped, Erica marched her back towards the center of the ring, wrenching her back and forth the entire time.

Savoring the sweet sound of Hewitt’s little yelps and moans, Erica panted, “I thought you said the ropes wouldn’t prove anything Love? But if you’re too weak to find a way out of this move, I could let you try something different.”

Not giving her winded foe time to retort, Erica released the Full Nelson only to immediately snake one arm around Jennifer’s neck while she pressed her other hand down across the crown of the smaller brunette’s skull. Locking in the Sleeper perfectly, Erica leaned heavily to her right, forcing Jen to bend along with her or risk becoming completely unbalanced. Grinding Love’s chin in the crook of her elbow, Erica bore down heavily on the Sleeper, hoping her height and weight advantage would hasten the other girl’s descent into unconsciousness.

Breathing heavily, Erica cranked Jen’s head a little harder to the side and whispered, “Go to sleep Love. Go to sleep and dream of me kicking your ass.”

Her vision growing spotty thanks to the power of Erica’s hold, Jennifer closed her eyes tight for several seconds and then popped them open, willing her head to clear. It worked for the moment, and with her newly gained clarity she knew if she didn’t act fast Erica was going to choke her out in a most convincing and dominating fashion. Refusing to let that happen, Jen drew as much air into her lungs as she could and then twisted hard into the pressure of the hold. While it didn’t free her from Erica’s machinations, it did turn the Sleeper into a plain old Side Headlock and that was a move that wasn’t at risk of forcing a submission. Ignoring the pain of Erica’s hip grinding against her temple, Jen brought her arms up and applied a Waist-Lock on her controlling foe.

Planting her feet, Jen leaned back, hoping that Erica would take the bait. Luckily for her, Erica did just that. In anticipation of Love trying to shoot her off the ropes again, Erica stepped back with her opponent, trying to keep her place right beside the trapped brunette. But in the brief window when Erica was stepping into place alongside her, Jennifer bent her knees deeply and then lifted up and back. An uncomprehending Erica was lifted easily off her feet and dropped unceremoniously on the back of her head and shoulders thanks to Love’s quick and brutal application of the Back Drop Suplex. When Erica’s head hit the canvas her grip on Jen’s head disintegrated and Love wasted no time in rolling several feet away from her stunned opposition. Getting to her feet, Jen took several deep breaths, allowing her head to clear.

Watching Erica slowly roll onto her belly, the diminutive vixen muttered, “It may be a little early in the match to be going to the high rent district, but I like you better when you’re on the mat and I aim to keep you there.”

Fixing her eyes on the corner nearest to Durance, Jennifer reached the corner quickly enough and ascended to the top turnbuckle with no interference. Standing easily on the ropes, Jen faced the ring and waited for Erica to get her feet under her. Several moments later, the discombobulated brunette did but when she couldn’t immediately see Love in her field of vision, a twinge of fear shot through Erica and she whirled around on her heel trying to locate her stubborn adversary. At the exact moment she began her startled twirl, Love clasped her hands together and leaped, coming down on Erica with a basic, but extremely effective Double Ax-Handle! Erica’s eyes went wide as Jennifer loomed into view, but instead of panicking, the taller girl took a step forward and extended her arms, catching Jennifer out of mid-air in a Bear Hug.

After a second of relishing the shocked look of surprise on Love’s face, Erica purred, “Not good enough!”

She bent her knees and exploded up and backward, tossing Love almost three quarters of the way across the ring with an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex. Jennifer hit the canvas with a wet ‘SPLAT’ almost as loud as the pained groan she let out on impact. Sitting up on the mat, Erica looked over her shoulder and smiled as she saw Jen roll onto her side clutching the small of her back. Not wanting to give Love more time to recover, Erica got to her feet and stalked over to Jen’s corner of the world.

Standing over Jennifer’s head, Erica asked, “You still think I only MIGHT be stronger than you?” There was nothing cogent coming out of Jen’s mouth at the moment so Erica only shrugged and pulled the winded beauty to her feet. Positioning Jen directly in front of her, Erica stepped back and assumed a loose boxer’s stance. Smiling cruelly, she whispered, “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Ending her wait, Erica ripped into Love’s breasts with a whimper-inducing barrage of hooks and then uppercuts that mashed the vaunted rack into painfully unique, if only temporary, shapes. Backing the punch-drunk girl back against the ropes, Erica set her feet once more and helped herself to a final round of uncontested jug mugging before she grabbed Love by the wrist.

Purposefully chesting into the battered brunette, Erica forced eye contact with her rival and snarled, “You aren’t gonna have any tits left when I’m through Love. All you’ll have is a D-Cup crime scene.”

Ending her witty repartee for the moment, she whipped Jennifer off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring and strode forward to meet her foe as she came hurtling back the way she’d came. When Love was nearly upon her, Erica pivoted her hips and reached out with both arms. One slipped across Jen’s chest while the other caught her around the upper thighs. In the same motion she lifted Hewitt off her feet, carried her parallel to the mat just long enough to straighten up and then sat out, driving the full length of Jennifer’s back down into the mat with a Sidewalk Slam. Releasing her grip on Jen as soon as the slam connected, Erica popped to her feet and stood to Jen’s left, just beside her head.

Looking down into Love’s face, Erica commented dryly, “I always loved this when I was a kid; I just never understood the whole ‘cupping your ear’ thing…it always looked kinda dumb to me.”

With the crowd urging her on, Erica ran the ropes and sprinted back toward her intended victim and when she was nearly on top of the other brunette, Erica left her feet in a breathtaking vertical leap. At the apex, she kicked both legs straight out in front of her and as gravity took over, she came down fast to a relatively comfortable landing as her perfectly toned left thigh smashed viciously across Love’s already tenderized breasts. The Leg Drop made Jennifer’s lower body jerk, but she didn’t have the power to pull away and had to settle for rolling over on her side. While Jen was trying to shake off the effects of Erica’s attack, the bigger brunette regained her feet and quickly twirled a fist in Love’s sweat-damp hair; pulling the dazed vixen to her feet. Erica pushed Jennifer back against the ropes where she roughly threaded both her limp arms over the top cable. Erica stepped back, pausing to appreciate the unobstructed view of Jen’s incredible chest. Then Erica raised both hands, clasped Love’s breasts and began to shake them gently.

When the other brunette managed to lift her head, Erica leaned in close and hissed, “I’m not done with these yet!”

She jerked her right hand back and opened her fingers, forming her hand into a crude but effective paddle. Still holding Jen’s shoulder with her left hand, Erica reared back with the right and brought it whistling down with a resounding CRAAACK across the swell of Jen’s right mammary. Taking in the slow heat spreading out into her palm, Erica reset herself and delivered several more Overhand Chops, each wickedly targeting Jen’s breasts and the center of her chest. After a dozen of these implant-smashing SMACKs, Erica realized the ref was starting to drone his count. Since she only had a five count to deliver her message, she acted quickly, grabbing a big handful of Love’s hair and using it to pull the brunette’s head up.

Erica leaned close, nose-to-nose with the pale-faced beauty and purred, “Ya got anything to say about me NOW, Lovie?”

For a moment Erica didn’t think Jen would respond, but then her eyes cleared and as their eyes locked, Jen sneered, “Your tears are gonna feel so good on my tits.”

Enraged, Erica grabbed Jen’s wrist and prepared to Irish Whip her across the ring but when she reached the point where she should have let go of Jen’s wrist, she instead held on tight; running beside Jen as they both headed for the ropes. When they’d nearly reached the cables, Erica released Jennifer’s wrist, sending the smaller brunette spinning, hitting the ropes with her back. Erica remained facing forward and when Jen rebounded off the ropes toward her, Erica brought her knee up and drove it deep into the pit of Jennifer’s stomach. Hewitt gasped wretchedly as her body folded over Erica’s thigh, then she sat down hard, deposited on her back by the force of the gut-wrenching knee.

A bit surprised at how solid Love’s middle felt when she’d kneed her, Erica took a moment to catch her breath (she at least, wasn’t having any problem on this front) and quickly reached up to adjust her ponytail which had become a little frayed throughout the course of the contest. Once her cosmetic adjustments were complete, Erica again focused on the task at hand - complete annihilation of Jennifer Love Hewitt! Sauntering over to Jen who was trying to get her breath, Erica’s anger welled up anew and it was with renewed energy that she bent down to hair-haul the curvy brunette to her feet.

Erica shook Jen’s head from side to side as she hissed coldly, “YOU’RE going to make ME cry? I think you’re deluded little mind has finally gone overboard Jenny. If anyone spends tonight sobbing into a big bucket of Hagen-Daaz, it’s gonna be your pathetic ass.”

Wanting to put Jen one step closer to her conciliatory dish of Rocky Road, Erica slipped her arm up between Love’s shaking thighs and flung the other over her shoulder, hoisting her up over her shoulder and putting her in position for a Body Slam. But instead of merely slamming Jennifer, Erica turned around facing the nearest corner, then after taking two steps back, she sprinted toward the turnbuckles. When only a few feet separated them from the padded steel, Erica put on the brakes and heaved Jen up off her shoulder, letting her rival complete her journey by smashing face first into the top turnbuckle. The whiplash from the ‘Snake Eyes’ whipped Love’s head backward and it was only by good luck that she landed on her feet, barely able to stumble and weave unsteadily back to center ring where her luck ran out!

Erica rebounded off the ropes and Jen never saw it coming! Erica’s Clothesline caught her square across the mouth, slamming Jen on her back to the canvas where she writed in a moaning, muttering heap of battered womanflesh. Kneeling beside her, Erica knew she had Love down for the count as she draped herself over Jen’s bosom and snagged her far leg. The ref dropped into position (as quickly as one can expect a ref to) and began the count. But Love was able to lift a shoulder just as the count hit ‘TWO.’ Scowling at the official, Erica grabbed Jen’s hair and stood up, pulling her foe back to her feet. Taking Love’s wrist, Erica slapped her hand between Jen’s heaving breasts and pushed her back to the ropes, then leaned into her and pressed her lips against Jen’s ear.

Speaking softly but clearly, Erica threatened, “This is NOT going to stop Jennifer. I will run over and through you for as long as you keep getting up.”

Then before Jen could reply, Erica sent her careening off the ropes toward the opposite side, following her and stopping in mid-ring where she awaited her fellow brunette’s return. As Jennifer’s wildly windmilling body cut the distance between them, it occurred to Erica she hadn’t yet decided what she was going to do with Love when she got her hands on her. Cursing her indecisiveness, Erica opted to give herself a few more seconds to think about it. Bending into a deep crouch, she sprang straight up and spread her legs 45-degrees as she Leap Frogged over Jen to let her pass under her and hit the ropes behind her.

Unfortunately for Erica and her display of athleticism, things began to fall apart almost the moment her feet left the mat. Jen put on the brakes when she came up in front of Erica and was still standing there when the tall beauty began to descent from her leap. Second and more importantly, while Erica airborne, Jen took a step forward and dropped to one knee, so that when Erica came down she landed crotch first on Jen’s conveniently planted joint. The look on Erica’s face would have been comical but for how obviously she was hurting. Despite being the mastermind behind the hilarity, Jennifer didn’t grin and even appeared downright pissed off as she roughly shoved Erica off her knee.

That perception remained unaltered when Love shot forward and cupped both hands behind Erica’s neck, pulling the bigger girl close before she could collapse, then nose-to-nose she remained silent as she bent her knees and left her feet in a short hop. As she reached the end of her momentum, Jen brought both knees up into Erica’s chest and when gravity pulled Love down to the canvas, she hit on her back and Erica’s rack was pancaked into her knees in what could best be described as a Face-first Lung-Blower! Jennifer had connected with a new move she’d been testing, one that would thereafter be known as ‘The Power of Love’!

If Erica had any air in her lungs at that moment, she probably wouldn’t have thanked Jennifer for the honor of being the first woman to feel the move’s power; but the truth was that Erica couldn’t form a cogent sentence. In fact, she‘d been reduced to resting on her hands and knees, her head hanging down, gasping and wheezing, trying to get her breath. Love on the other hand, was more than capable of speaking something insightful and she wasted no time in letting Erica have it.

Circling slowly around the penitent brunette, she snarled, “You wanted to make this personal Erica? Consider your mission accomplished. Now let’s see how big and tough you are after I get in a few shots at your rack.”

Jen sprinted forward and lashed out her right foot, delivering a heinous kick that caught the kneeling girl in the chest with a dull, but evil-sounding, THWAP! Most women would have simply collapsed on the mat but Erica was stronger than most, and she managed to stay on her hands and knees despite the force of the blow. In the long run, she might have been better off if she’d fallen because her stubborn resistance only motivated Love to draw her foot back and kick her again! The second shot put Erica down flat on the canvas, but even then her punishment wasn’t over. She’d been down for less than five seconds before Jennifer eased her foot under her ribs and nudged her over onto her back.

Placing one boot roughly on the swell of Erica’s chest, Jennifer pressed down lightly and asked, “Your tits starting to bother you Erica? Well, this probably won’t help any.”

Jen went into a crouch and exploded upward in a vertical leap. In the instant before she began her descend, she straightened her body out parallel to the canvas and let gravity did the rest; bringing her down chest-to-chest with Erica - one impressive rack flattening another via the Body Splash. Resting on Erica’s heaving, air-deprived, chest, Jen made a point of rubbing her assets back and forth on her foe’s.

Not bothering to attempt a cover, Jen taunted, “I don’t see tears yet Erica, but I’m willing to bet your eyes are watering. And if they aren’t, they will be in the next few seconds.”

Jen got to her feet and pulled Erica to hers with a derisive tug of her black bottoms. Guiding Erica by the hair, Jennifer stalked over to the ropes and positioned Erica with her back against them. Grabbing the taller girl’s wrists, Jen stretched Erica’s arms out to the sides as if she were about to crucify her, then she completed Erica’s entrapment when she grabbed the middle rope and pulled it up and snapped it over Erica’s arms, trapping them in the twisted cables. Satisfied, Jen put her fingers under Erica’s chin and forced her head up, making the unwilling brunette look her in the eyes.

Speaking slowly she said, “Don’t you dare blame me for your joining the Darkness. It’s not my fault your fragile little ego couldn’t survive a loss. I hope you’ve toughened up a lot since the last time we fought Erica, because you’re about to lose again. And this time there’s no Katie for you to run crying to.”

Hearing words so closely mirroring her thoughts, Erica managed to gasp, “I hate you!” with a startling amount of venom in her voice.

But Love was not deterred and she grumbled, “Well, I hate you too Erica!”

She placed her hands on Erica’s shoulders, using them for support as she bent nearly double and pulled back as far as her slim frame allowed, using Erica’s body to stretch the cables taut. Holding the position for a second, Love let the ropes snap her forward to drive her shoulder into the pit of Erica’s flat belly. The trapped brunette wheezed as the air was forced out of her lungs by Jen’s shoulder. When she tried to draw a breath, however, Jennifer had already pulled back and she hit her again. Throwing away any appearance of pacing, Jen repeated the Shoulder Blocks over and over as fast as she could; each gasp-inducing impact bending Erica’s body into an awkward ‘C’ that had to be even more unpleasant than it looked.

After a few more seconds of fun, the ref begin his obligatory five count and Jen decided to cap off the festivities with something a little different. Standing in front of Erica, she stepped up on the bottom rope with her feet on either side of Erica’s legs, which raised herh face to face with Erica. Keeping one hand on Erica’s shoulder to steady herself, Love let her other hand move up to Erica’s chest where she gently palmed the unprotected orb.

Closing her hand and squeezing Erica’s breast just the slightest, Jen hissed icily, “Now, let’s see some tears!”

She clamped down hard, digging her fingernails deep into the soft flesh and crushing the doughy mass as hard as she could. By this point, Erica MAY have been crying, but it was impossible to tell over her wailing and screaming as Jen held her in the wicked Breast Claw!. It wasn’t until the ref reached ‘FOUR’ on his five count that Jen hopped down and pulled Erica out of the ropes.

Erica stumbled on spaghetti legs and almost fell, but before she swooned, Jen scooped her up and held her against her chest. Controlling Erica with surprising ease for a girl her size, Jennifer carried Erica to the middle of the ring where she did a slow turn, letting the audience take in the sight of the woman held helpless in her clutches.

Then Jennifer’s wide smile returned to something more like it’s normal smirk as she announced, “Erica’s boobs have had a bad time of it lately, so I’ll leave them alone… for a little while.”

That cheered the crowd and her fans urged her on. Jen rose up on her toes and then dropped to one knee, driving her bent knee deep into the side of Erica’s ribs. The Rib Breaker didn’t quite live up to it’s name this time, but that was of little consolation to Erica whose ribs felt like they were about to liquefy. Her condition didn’t improve when Love pushed her off her knee onto her back in the center of the ring. True to her promise, Jen didn’t immediately resume her assault on Erica’s chest, instead, she ran the ropes, rebounded back to Erica, leapt in the air and came down with both feet on her belly! It was kinda like a baseball slide, only Erica was the base - and bases don’t normally scream and jackknife when someone steps on them the way Erica did!

Standing on Erica’s punished abs, Jen slowly changed position, stepping off with a foot on either side of Erica’s ribs. With her hands on her hips, Jennifer smiled knowingly and chided, “Those abs of yours are getting softer, but they still need more tenderizing.” She squatted and planted her tight butt on Erica’s thighs as she prepared for her next attack. Resting her right hand on Erica’s sweating, heaving, stomach, Jen mused, “After this, crunches are either going to be very, very easy or downright impossible, I’m not sure which…and frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!”

Although Erica was in no position to offer a counter argument, Jen didn’t even wait for one and quickly dug her fingers in, kneading and tearing at the smooth plank of Erica’s abs. The downed brunette kicked and thrashed, first trying to buck Jen off, then to pull Jen’s hands away, but neither tactic worked. Choking back a shriek as Jen tried to dig right through her abs, Erica found another solution. Erica stretched out both arms over her head as far as she could, hoping to grab the bottom rope. But her grasping hands found nothing but empty air and she almost despaired until she arched her back, pushing her firm breasts into erotic prominance as she craned her head and looked back to find the ropes were a few feet away. Frantically blinking back the tears Hewitt longed to cause, Erica started wriggling her ass on the canvas, pushing with her feet, hunching, scrunching and with agonizing slowness, dragging herself toward the ropes - carrying Jennifer along with her on her hellish journey to freedom. After what seemed like an eternity, Erica felt the bottom rope and gave a triumphant grunt as she clutched at it.

For the first time in minutes finding her voice, Erica gasped, “LET GO, YOU SAWED OFF LITTLE CUNT!”

Aggravated that Erica had struggled her way to escape, Jennifer rolled her eyes and shot back, “Whatever you say!”

She released her Stomach Claw but quickly balled her fist, raised her arm drove her fist in under Erica’s navel a good half dozen times. Erica’s good vibes were cut off at the knees as the referee pulled Jennifer away and let Erica curl up in the fetal position, her arms folded over her belly and her butt cheeks jiggling with her rapid panting. It was the only way she could keep her ribs and belly safe from any further abuse.

Knowing she’d done serious damage to Erica in short order, Jennifer believed she could end the fight now if she could just keep Erica out in the middle of the ring away from the safety of the ropes. Deciding on the proper hold for the job, Jennifer walked around to Erica’s feet, grabbed her ankles and pulled. Erica clutched the ropes tighter, but Jennifer just lifted her entire body in the air, then slammed it down on her back. The impact shook her to her core and she lost her grip on the saving ropes. Love began dragging her back to the middle of the squared circle where she crossed Erica’s legs one over the other, then with a final twist, flipped the taller vixen over onto her stomach. Jennifer dropped her full weight on the small of Erica’s back, then went to work with a tight little grin on her pouty lips.

Jen reached forward, grabbed Erica under the armpits and hauled back, pulling her tall foe’s upper torso off the mat, then she draped Erica’s arms over her knees in one often practiced motion. Once she had the Camel Clutch locked, Hewitt shifted her grip to Erica’s chin, clasping her hands under her jaw and slowly pulling Erica’s head back, increasing the pressure on her already arched spine.

“Just give up quickly and I promise not to break you in half,” she cackled as she pulled back as hard as she could, wrenching Erica’s spine nearly to the breaking point.

Erica’s feet beat on the mat as she let out a shriek of abject agony. Erica had been so certain she was going to take the smaller girl down with ease this time but Love was proving to be a nasty opponent; one more than capable of beating herf a second time. Hating the salty tears now streaming down her cheeks, Erica fought the urge to submit, driven by the fact that she was convinced this would be her last opportunity to beat Jennifer one on one. Shaking her head ‘no’ to the ref’s inquiry of her impending submission, Erica tried to ignore the pain aside and enacted her only plan of escape. Moving her arms back a little, she managed to get her hands in behind Love’s knees. Then she clamped down, prepared for the burst of agony she knew would follow. Jen leaned back even further and Erica screamed both in anguish and triumph as she succeeded in getting up to one knee.

After that, it was surprisingly easy for Erica to get to her feet, even with the startled Love clinging to her back like a parasite. Unable to see where she was going with Jen’s hards forcing her head back so far she was staring at the ceiling, Erica could only hope against hope she was heading in the right direction as she maintained her death-grip on Jen’s thighs as she stumbled backward. After a few seconds of staggering around, Erica rammed Jen’s back into a corner, pancaking her body between herself and the turnbuckles.

“WOOOOFFF!” Jen let out a loud grunt and her hold on Erica’s chin finally slipped away. Erica was able to take a breath without suffering blinding agony and, after a few seconds to collect herself, she slowly turned around to face her stunned opponent, who was more preoccupied with protecting her smashed chest than anything else. That proved to be a mistake that Erica planned to make Jennifer pay for. Stepping in close, Erica cupped one hand behind Love’s neck while the other grabbed her under the armpit, digging her fingers in deep.

Erica got Jen’s attention by shaking like a rag doll and hissing, “I’ll never submit to you, understand? You’d have to break me in half first and you’re NOT STRONG ENOUGH to do that ya silicone stuffed bitch!”

Grinning ferociously as Jen’s face started to clear, Erica took two steps out of the corner, lifted up fast and twisted hard. With a single violent torque of her hips, she sent Jennifer sailing through the air with a rather ungraceful but very effective “Beal Toss” that sent Love crashing to the canvas with a ring shaking THUD! Not done with her yet, Erica stayed near the corner and dropped on her haunches.

Pointing to her rival, Erica beckoned Love to get her feet, her tone both angry and begging, “C’mon Love.” she whispered fiercely, “Get up. I know you’ve got more fight left in you, so stop fucking around on the mat and GET...UP!”

Erica never knew if Jennifer actually heard her appeal or not, but Jennifer started getting to her feet a short time thereafter. Letting her voice trail off, Erica kept beckoning Jen up and when the smaller brunette started to make the turn towards her, the taller brunette exploded forward in a loping run directly at her target. With less than two feet separating her from Jen, Erica bent over nearly double and pushed forward even harder. The Spear connected with Jennifer’s navel just as the thin brunette completed her turn and the phenomenal power behind the tackle lifted both girls off their feet and they went flying through the air; Erica stretched out like a 5’8” torpedo with Love’s body bent in the middle, folded forward over her for the few brief seconds between the time Erica left the canvas and when Love slammed down on it shortly thereafter. Getting to her knees, Erica could still feel Jen’s belly molded over her shoulder and the sensation made her extremely happy.

Wiping the sweat off her brow, Erica clapped her palms on either side of Love’s head as she bent down and yelled in her face, “HOW’D THAT FEEL LOVE-LY?”

Knowing she’d have to wait a long time to get a decent answer, Erica simply pulled back and yanked the other girl into a sitting position. Sidling up behind Jennifer, Erica buried a hand in her victim’s hair and snarled, “It’s fitting that a dumpy little girl like you would use something called the Camel Clutch. Me? I’ve always preferred something a bit more majestic.” Her point made, Erica yanked back on Jennifer’s hair and easily tucked the other brunette’s chin into the crook of her right armpit, and made sure her arm was also looped over Jennifer’s right arm. With her left arm, she reached under Jennifer’s body and locked her hands, closing the loop tight and applying the Dragon Sleeper. Rising to one knee, Erica leaned back as hard as she could, putting sadistic pressure on Love’s neck and back. Jerking back on the hold a little bit, Erica bent Jennifer’s neck as far as she dared, and then went a little beyond that in her quest for a submission.

Hearing her captive’s scream, Erica bounced the Sleeper up and down, asking, “Was that a submission Jenny? You wanna give up? Just say it a little more clear and I’ll let you go.”

Nearly mad from the anguish of the Dragon Sleeper, Jen dug her free hand into Erica’s arm and screamed, “FUCK YOU!”

In too much pain to think of a better plan, Jennifer howled in agonized fury and planted her feet on the mat, biting back the pain as she pushed up again, slowly forcing both Erica and herself upward off the mat. Unable to believe Hewitt had powered her way back to her feet this late in the grueling fight, Erica was caught flat-footed when Jennifer tried to twist into the pressure of the submission, a tactic that could have turned the Sleeper into a simple Front Face-lock. Recalling an earlier match when Natalie Portman had used just such a tactic to deliver a truly vicious counter, Erica planted her feet and held Jen in place, struggling to keep the Dragon Sleeper locked in.

Silently shaking her head ‘no’ several times, Erica admonished. “Not a chance baby, I’m not letting you go anywhere just yet. But if you’d like a change of scenery, I think I can help you OUT.”

Erica suddenly unclasped her hands but did not pull Jen free of the Inverted Face-Lock with her newly free left hand grabbed a hold of Jen’s bottoms. She held this position just long enough to catch her breath, then pulled the tiny brunette up off her feet, holding Jennifer extended aloft directly overhead. Then she letting gravity take over as she fell back into an Inverted Vertical Suplex. Jennifer’s previously tenderized chest and midsection absorbed the brunt of the impact. Bouncing, gagging and close to losing her lunch, Jennifer lay sprawled at Erica’s mercy. Unfortunately for Love, the most merciful thing Erica did was shove her over onto her back and go for the cover. If Jen had really been looking for a reprieve from her rival’s vengeance, she should have let her shoulders to stay on the mat, but she stubbornly rolled the left one right after ‘TWO’ and allowed Erica to continue her assault.

Running a hand through her sweat-matted hair, Erica sighed heavily as she slowly got to her feet. After a brief pause to adjust her askew battle togs, Erica knelt and pulled Jennifer up with a handful of hair. Standing her up facing her, Erica held Love to keep her from falling back down while she taunted, “You wanna get up off the mat do ya? You should have said so. I’ll make sure you get higher than you ever thought possible.”

Erica took Jennifer’s left wrist, pulled her forward as she swung around and Irish Whipped Hewitt toward the ropes. Love came rebounding back to her and Erica decided against trying another Leap Frog since Love was all but out on her feet and there was no reason to take unnecessary risks. Sticking with something less risky, she stepped up and extended both hands, slamming them into Jen’s chest and belly. At the same time, Erica bent low and as Hewitt started to tilt over her, she pushed up as hard as she could, sending Jennifer flying into the air with her arms and legs flailing wildly. At the apex of her flight, Love’s head tilted down, her face aimed straight down toward the canvas. It didn’t take long for gravity to take over and bring her back down. As Jennifer hurtled back to the mat, Erica helped her along with a hand on the small of Jen’s back pushing down to add to her momentum.

Erica’s modified Flap Jack lived up to it’s name because when Love hit, it looked like it would take a spatula to peel her off the canvas. But apparently Erica wasn’t too worried about scraping Jen off the canvas - or going for a pin - because after surveying her handiwork, she stepped over Jen, straddling her back, then planted a red boot on the middle of her spine.

Hands on hips, Erica announced, “I put you in this hold the last time and you didn’t give up. But I was a rookie and as that creeping feeling in the pit of your stomach is probably telling you, I’ve got more experience with it now.” She stepped off Jen’s spine and sat on the back of her thighs with her feet jutting up on either side of Love’s head. Getting a hold of Jennifer’s feet, Erica bent her legs at the knees. Erica’s legs were loosely in place behind Jen’s bent knees as she prepared to finish the hold by leanign forward and grabbing both of Love’s wrists. Right before she cinched in the submission, Erica said coldly “You made me scream once, Jennifer. It took me almost a year, but I‘m finally gonna return the favor!”

Any comeback Jennifer might have voiced was preempted when Erica leaned back as far as she could, putting insidious pressure on the smaller brunette’s shoulders and spine. The modified Surfboard was as humiliating as it was painful since Jen was completely tied up and helpless. She could only fight the pain and shake her head violently ‘no’ when the ref asked if she was ready to announce her submission.

Still at the mild end of the pain spectrum, Erica was beginning to work the hold, alternately relaxing and then increasing the pressure, stretching Jennifer’s limbs past the limits her body was able to endure. After an especially hard yank pulled Jennifer’s entire torso up off the mat a few inches, the trapped vixen was able to wriggle her wrists free and gain some relief from the cruel hold. Highly irritated that Jen had been able to get out of her grasp, Erica pulled back and got to her feet. Walking around to Jennifer’s head, Erica bent and pulled the smaller brunette to her feet, then marched her over to the corner. Throwing Love against the turnbuckles, Erica left her hanging a moment before she pulled her out, only to double her over with a kick to the belly, setting her up for a Standing Headscissors.

Wrapping her arms around Jennifer’s waist, Erica growled, “You could have given up or stayed down anytime you wanted, but you didn’t. You insisted on getting up. So I don’t care anymore. Everything that comes from now on is on your head, so don’t blame me when you wake up in a hospital bed.”

She was starting to lift Jen into a Powerbomb against the turnbuckles when Jen wrapped her hands around Erica’s calves and yanked her legs out from under her! Off balance, Erica toppled over backwards, victim of a simple but effective Double-Leg Takedown.

Shaking her head to clear it of the painful haze she’d been dealing with, a tired but determined looking Jennifer Love Hewitt glared down at Erica, “I’m ready to accept the consequences of my actions Erica. I hope you can say the same.”

Jennifer tucked Erica’s boots into her armpits and fell backward, propelling the taller brunette up and over with a Slingshot that ended with Erica smashing face-first into the top turnbuckle. Erica let out a low groan as her body slumped forward against the corner ropes, then she slowly pushed herself backward out of the corner. She hadn’t taken a single step before she started falling over backward because, unbeknownst to her, Love had never relinquished her grip on her ankles and was laying on the mat behind her. This mental picture would have had time to crystalize in Erica’s mind as she fell back since she was still dazed from her collision with the turnbuckle, but the necessity to understand was overtaken by a flash of pain as her body bent viciously bent backwards over Jen’s waiting knees.

Enjoying feeling her knees grinding into the small of Erica’s back, Jen held her grip on the taller girl’s ankles as she kicked Erica off and slowly got to her feet. Making sure Erica wasn’t facing the corner, Jen spat Erica’s earlier threat back in her face, “Just remember Erica, you could have given up anytime you wanted to. You still can, in fact.”

Then Jen flipped Erica over and sat down on the small of her back, slapping on the Boston Crab beautifully. Erica screamed in pain as Jennifer bent her body to its limit; but she refused to give up when the referee questioned her. Refusing to lose another match to Jennifer Love Hewitt, Erica dug her nails in the canvas and started to slowly drag herself toward the ropes, inch by agonizing inch. But just before her fingers could reach the bottom strand, Jen released the hold and dragged her back out to the center of the ring by the ankles. There was no way Erica could reach the ropes as Love sat back down and leaned into the hold once more, twisting Erica into the agonized ‘C’ that Erica was becoming all too familiar with.

Enjoying Erica’s scream, Jennifer snarled, “Submit Erica! I don’t WANT to end your career, but don’t think I won’t if you force my hand.“

Hearing Jennifer’s voice sounding so supremely confident made Erica’s blood boil, dulling the blazing inferno that was centered in her back. Erica slapped both hands palms down on the mat and pushed up, then after an ear splitting shriek, she started dragging herself back toward the ropes again. This time, she got one hand on the bottom cable before Jennifer could drag her away and back out into the ring.

Trying her best to hide the quiver in her voice, Erica screamed hoarsely, “GET THE HELL OFFA ME!”

Curling her lip in a frustrated snarl, Jennifer kept the hold locked in all the way through the zebra’s five count, then released her grip just as the referee was about to DQ her. Dropping Erica’s legs in disgust, Jen got to her feet and stomped angrily to the middle of the ring, turned and waited impatiently while Erica tried to get back to her feet. Several seconds later, Erica rose to her knees and, using the ropes to help herself, managed to regain her feet. She still had both hands on the ropes when Jen waded in and grabbed a double handful of her hair which she used to pull the bigger brunette out to mid-ring.

Jennifer said, “I gotta tell you Erica, you did a number on my ribs and tits but I’m gonna pay you back in spades! After this, you won’t be able to draw a deep breath for weeks.” Erica was still too winded to reply as Jen went about the task at hand without gaining consent from her. Standing beside Erica, Jen bent at the waist and looped one hand through Erica’s thighs while the other found its way around her captive’s chin. Gritting her teeth, Jennifer hoisted Erica off the mat and draped her across her shoulder in a Torture Rack.

Not until her body was stretched painfully across Love’s shoulders, Erica suddenly found the energy to fight the hold as she squirmed and twisted in Love’s grasp. But the green-clad brunette had the Rack locked in and while Erica could twist and squirm, Jen walked around the ring, bouncing her up and down, trying to break either Erica’s body or her spirit. Then with an amazing display of her power, Jen dropped to one knee with Erica still trapped in the Rack! The drop snapped Erica’s body at an even more painful angle and she cried out in pain, desperately trying to free herself.

But Jen wasn’t about to let Erica go and told her so, “Hurt‘s doesn‘t it? Remember, this can end anytime you want it to. All I need to hear is two very important words” In a remarkable display of power the diminutive beauty muscled her way back to her feet as she kept the pressure on the Torture Rack. Wanting to put the nail in Durance‘s coffin, Jen thrust Erica off her shoulders and tossed her to the mat in front of her. As Erica landed, Jen dropped to one knee, smiling knowingly as Erica landed draped with her ribs slamming into her knee, taking another crippling blow.

Shaking her head ‘no’ Jennifer mutters, “Your ribs can’t take much more Erica. As much as I don’t like you, I don’t want this match to end with you on a stretcher.”

But while Jen’s words were pleading with Erica to surrender, her actions were seemingly set on cracking as many of Erica’s ribs as she could. Pulling the bigger girl to her feet, Jennifer hoists Erica off her feet and positions her over her shoulder for a basic Body Slam. Grunting with the effort, she slowly moves Erica onto her shoulder, the other brunette’s midsection resting heavily against the bony joint. Her face eerily calm, Jen squeezes her arms painfully around Erica’s middle, forcing a cry from her lips. Love began rocking up and down in a steady rhythm, forcing her shoulder deeper into Erica with each bounce, a kind of Inverted Canadian Backbreaker.

As she bounces, Jennifer screams at the helpless beauty impaled on her shoulder, “Give it up now Erica! Before I end up squeezing more than a submission out of you!“

She ended with a vicious jerk of Erica’s torso. Deciding to change tactics, Jennifer steels herself for her next move. While still holding Erica aloft, she squats down as far as she can, then pushes up, jumping off the mat. She came down hard on her knees, with Erica still wriggling on her shoulder. The captive brunette was bent even further in two, resembling an inverted ‘U’ before Love let her flop to the mat. The crowd roared at the devastating effect the Over the Shoulder Gutbuster had on Erica. Getting to her feet, Jennifer fully expected to go for the cover, but her hopes were dashed when she spied Erica crawling to her knees and clutching tightly at her mangled midsection.

A dark scowl crossing her face, Jennifer muttered, “Fucking stay DOWN Erica!”

She the validity of her advice by lining up a few feet back from the kneeling girl and simply booting her in the side of the head with all the strength she had left. Erica went down like a felled tree and Jen looked to end the fight right there. Hooking both legs, she leaned all her weight onto Erica’s shoulders and waited for the ref. Moments later he obliged her by slapping the mat, ‘ONE…TWO…THR…NO!’

Someway, somehow, Erica rolled a shoulder off the canvas, breaking the count. Shaking her head in frustration, Jennifer pulls Erica up into a Standing Headscissors and pants, “If you won’t stay down, I’ll just have to drop you right on that stubborn head of yours.”

Preparing to do just that, Jennifer wrapped her arms around Erica’s waist, but before she could invert the bigger girl into the Pile Driver, Love felt Erica’s formerly boneless frame tense in her grip and then to her surprise, Erica straightened up fast and tossed Jennifer high into the lights and back down with a desperation Back Body Drop. Jen hit the mat with a loud THUD and simply laid there moaning. Normally she’d have recovered faster but Love had taken a lot of punishment in this match and her tank was close to empty.

Yet despite having the advantage for the first time in minutes, Erica was unable to capitalize on her counter either for no sooner had Love hit the mat behind her than Erica sank back to her knees clutching her brutalized midsection. Both ladies occupied these less than heroic poses for the better part of ten seconds before either showed signs of life. Crawling very slowly to their feet, Erica and Jen didn’t see each other for several seconds but when they did, the animosity and anger that had been fueling them for the entire contest kicked in once more.

Bringing her fists up in a no frills brawling stance, Erica glared over her fists and said flatly, “I WILL beat you Jennifer. I HAVE to.”

Too exhausted to engage Erica in the clinch, Love balled up her fists and replied, “You won’t though.”

At the end of that sentence Erica and Jen plowed forward into one another, firing tired but still vile looking shots. And it didn’t surprise anyone in the audience that each girl targeted her opponent’s midsection to vent their wrath upon. For the thirty seconds, the mob was treated to the stiffest body punching they were ever likely to see as kidneys, ribs, abs and breasts were all hammered with weary, reckless abandon. Finally, Jennifer seemed to get the better of the exchange, peppering Erica’s battered belly with a piston-like series of jabs that sent the taller brunette reeling back several steps. Keeping her fists up, Jennifer followed Erica across the ring and unloaded with a Haymaker to Erica’s chin that would’ve ended the fight had it actually connected.

Fortunately for Erica and her fans, she grabbed Jen’s wrist at the last possible second, blocking the punch. While Love was taking in this development, Erica grabbed her opponent’s other hand and quickly twisted around behind her, effectively crisscrossing Jen’s arms across her throat in the process. Pulling Jen’s arms back across her own throat, Erica yanked her in even closer and then sat out, jerking Love off her feet and sending her crashing spine first into the canvas. Taking only a moment to catch her breath, Erica releases her grip on Jen’s wrists only to grab her by the hair instead. Bringing them both to her feet, Erica looks to be on the verge of saying something and then remains silent. Apparently she’d rather finish off Jennifer before she says anything else.

Moving much slower than she normally would, Erica reached through Jen’s legs and throws another arm over Jen’s shoulder so she can hoist the other girl up onto her left shoulder. Holding Jen belly down across her shoulder, Erica wraps one arm around Jen’s waist and the other across the back of her neck. Some of the crowd members call for Erica’s take on Emerald Fusion, ‘The Test of En-Durance’ but she’s saving that for another time apparently as she satisfies her urge for violence by breaking into a short run and then leaping forward and down, driving Jennifer into the mat with explosive force courtesy of the Running Power Slam. At that moment, with Jennifer stretched out and helpless on the canvas, Erica thought about going for the cover, but she remembered what had happened the last time she’d thought Jennifer was beaten. The smaller girl had kicked out of one of her finishers, escaped the other and proceeded to win the match by smothering her out. No, love may LOOK beaten, but Erica wanted to make sure she WAS beaten before she ended the fight. Resolution darkening her face, Erica grabbed Love by the wrists and pulled her into the middle of the ring. Figuring she had the positioning right, Erica dropped Jen’s wrists without another thought.

Glaring down into the other brunette’s semi-coherent face, Erica whispered, “I am better than you, whether you like it or not.”

Then Erica turned her back on Hewitt and limped over to the most convenient corner. Climbing the ropes rather stiffly, Erica still reached the top with no problems and when she turned around to face the ring Jennifer was right where she’s left her. Looking out at the audience, Erica managed a pained smile and raised both arms overhead. As the cheers grew louder, Erica nodded in appreciation, then leaped out into the void. Soaring through the air above the ring, the big brunette pulled her legs up in front of her and waited for gravity to bring her down on top of the vixen sprawled below her. Well gravity was never one to make anyone sit around waiting and Erica came down fast and hard, the full weight of her left thigh smashing directly on Jennifer’s face. The tiny brunette’s entire body jackknifed once and then flopped back down and lay still although the ring continued to shudder from her landing for several more seconds. Erica sat up and fell across Jen’s chest, hooked both her legs and rested her head on Jen’s bosom as she waited to hear the three count she craved.

Dropping down into position, the ref slapped the mat, “ONE…TWO…THR…NO!”

Jennifer Love Hewitt had rolled her right shoulder off the mat and no one present could believe it - least of all Erica! Shaking her head in disbelief, Erica’s face got very dark as she grabbed a handful of Jen’s hair and pulled the nearly unresponsive beauty to her feet. Holding Love’s hair in one hand as the wiry brunette slowly wavered back and forth in front of her, Erica drew her thumb across her throat in savagely obvious gesture. “THIS IS IT!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Feeding off the crowd’s response, Erica hoisted Jennifer’s unresisting body up onto her shoulder and this time there was no mistaking her next move; in another moment she would rise onto her toes and sit out, driving Love’s head and shoulders into the mat with ‘The Test of En-Durance’ and the skull splitting move connected so beautifully (in Erica’s mind) that for a moment she actually thought she’d already completed it!

It wasn’t until Jen started squirming on her shoulder that Erica realized she’d blanked for a moment while savoring her anticipated victory. Cursing, Erica rose up on her toes and prepared to deliver the move but before she could, Jennifer’s hands found her face and the smaller girl’s talons raked her eyes…hard. Temporarily blinded, Erica let out a scream as she staggered forward, her hands involuntarily reaching for her eyes - allowing Jennifer to wriggle down her back and drop to her feet behind her. Erica was rubbing her eyes when she felt herself whirled around and lifted up onto someone’s shoulders in a Fireman’s Carry.

Jennifer needed to get into better position as she held the wildly wriggling Erica folded over her shoulder, so she took a few steps back to the middle of the ring, then whirled around on her heel to disorient her foe. She actually got two for the price of one, because as she spun around, Erica’s flailing foot hit the unsuspecting referee upside the head and the glass-jawed dope went down like a felled tree.

Not realizing this little mishap had occurred, Jen clamped down tight on Erica and muttered, “Looks like you lose a second time Erica. Heartbreaking isn’t it?” She shoved Erica’s lower half up and off her shoulders as she fell down and to the side, driving the back of Erica’s head and neck viciously into the mat. Not knowing there was no one to make the count, Love went for the pin immediately and waited for a solid five seconds before she realized something was wrong. She looked around angrily and saw the ref crumpled on the mat a few feet away. Snorting hatefully, Jen snarled, “Of course.”

She got to her feet trying to figure out a plan, paced pensively for a few seconds, then realized Rich would send out a new ref before too much time passed. Til then, she’d just have to keep Erica tied up - and she knew just the move to use! Stalking back over to her semi-conscious nemesis, Love rolled Erica onto her stomach and stood astride her body with a foot on either side of Erica’s hips.

Looking down at the defenseless expanse of Erica’s back, Jen coldly announced to the fans at ringside, “The first time I was kind enough to choke her out but now I’m gonna make her QUIT!”

She bent and grabbed both of Erica’s ankles, pulling her legs up and then tucking them under her armpits. Moving gingerly, she bent a bit farther and captured Erica’s wrists, one in each hand. Love took a deep breath and pulled, lifting Erica off the canvas by her feet and hands, bending the trapped brunette’s nubile body into a sadistic ‘U’. “The Love Clutch” had been cinched on and Jen added the finishing touches by beginning to gently rock Erica back and forth; the motion putting more intense pressure on her captive’s captured limbs and back. The excruciating pain snapped Erica back to her senses, but it wasn’t an awakening she appreciated. Her agonized screams indicated as much as Love kept up a steady rocking as she glared angrily down at her victim and demanded, “Submit!”

Not willing to admit her situation was hopeless, Erica refused, shaking her head ‘no’ and screaming, “I WILL NOT GIVE IN TO YOU!“

Jennifer’s pretty face took on a remarkably cruel expression. She bounced the hold and increased the pace of her rocking. “There‘s no ref to make me break this Erica. If you don‘t scream loud enough for the timekeeper to hear it, I WILL BREAK YOU IN HALF.”

She finished the threat by increasing the speed of her swinging. With her head hanging limp and her hair brushing the mat, Erica knew she’d been beaten once again and the reality of that hurt even more than anything else Love had done to her all night. Choking back a sob that had nothing to do with the ‘Love Clutch’ Erica finally nodded ‘yes’ and whimpered, “I give up.” Then she sank into blissful unconsciousness.

Knowing there was no way for the timekeeper to have heard it, Jennifer was about to admonish Erica again when a voice from behind her chided, “Didn’t I tell you to watch your back?”

Jennifer gave a surprised start, but before she could drop Erica, a black boot shot up and smacked her square on the vulnerable pubic mound bulging out between her spread thighs. It certainly expedited Erica’s release as tears welled up in her eyes as Jennifer dropped to her knees wide-eyed. She was just about to collapse onto her side when hands in her hair pulled her rudely and crudely to her feet. When she turned to face her attacker, Jen’s eyes widened in fury at the sight of a grinning Selma Blair still clad in her ring gear. The slim brunette smiled evilly as she brought her knee up into Love’s groin, hammering away at her weak spot. The knee lift dropped Love to her knees again.

Trapping Jen in a Standing Headscissors, Selma chuckled, “I’m first in line for Sarah’s belt, jug-head. I’d gladly step over your broken body to get there.”

Selma wrapped her arms around Jen’s waist, bent her knees and executed a tight Front Flip that drilled the crown of Jennifer’s head into the mat with a flipping Pile-Driver known as the “Blair Raid.” The sadistic maneuver actually bounced Love back up to her feet - if only for a second - before she toppled face down on the canvas in an unconscious heap of how womanhood.

Selma looked at the carnage around her and joked, “Well this is sad. I’d hate to see such a great match between losers end with no decision. Guess it’s time for my annual charitable act.” Sauntering over to the ref, she nudged him in the ribs several times and said, “Wake up you dope, there’s still a fight going on.” After a few more kicks, the official started to moan and Selma turned to Erica. Kneeling down beside the out of it brunette, Blair put her lips against Erica’s ear and whispered, “The match isn’t over Erica. If you want to prove you’re worth a shit, get on your feet and win this fight.” Erica’s eyes started to flutter and Selma took that as her cue to exit. Deftly slipping out of the ring, she casually dropped into a front row empty seat next to a dumbstruck fan. Smiling glibly, she asked, “Mind if I sit here? I kinda wanna see how this ends.”

The guy only nodded and tried very hard to pay attention to the action in the ring and not the brunette sitting beside him. Speaking of the ring, back inside of it, Erica was shaking off the fog in her head and getting to her feet. Unable to remember the last few minutes, Erica thought Jen had her up in the Heartbreaker but figured she must have managed to escape. And seeing as how the ref was recovering and Jen was still down, it must have been a hell of a counter.

Shaking her head briskly, Erica muttered, “Who cares what happened? The match is still going on and I mean to change that very quickly.”

Stumbling over to Jennifer, Erica pulled the other brunette to her knees and locked her up in a Standing Headscissors. Wrapping her arms around Jen’s sweat soaked waist, Erica lifted her up high, until the small of Love’s back came to rest on the point of Erica’s shoulder. With her hands clasped firmly just below Love’s breasts, Erica began to spin in a circle, picking up speed until her rotations were of a dizzying speed. Just when it seemed she could keep up this pace no longer, she did two things simultaneously. She flipped Jennifer forward and off her shoulder while still gripping her around the chest and she also sat out, landing hard on her butt. The effect of this devastating move was to smash the full length of her victim’s face, chest, stomach and legs into the mat with sickening velocity. Knowing there was NO WAY anyone could kick free of the “Durance Driver” at this stage of the fight, Erica muscled Jennifer’s unresisting bulk over onto her back and went for the pin.

The ref was a bit slow getting into position, but he got there and truth be told, by this point it really didn’t matter as the crowd chanted along with his “ONE… TWO… THREE!”

Within seconds, Erica’s theme was blaring and the Announcer was declaring her the winner. Overjoyed, Erica allowed the ref to help her to her feet and she made several slow circuits of the ring, holding her hands high and simply basking in the accomplishment of having bested the woman who treated her to her first taste of defeat nearly a year ago. Erica was just to shout a thanks to her supporters when she spotted someone in the first row who shouldn’t have been there. Lowering her arms, Erica stepped forward and called to Selma Blair, “What the hell are you doing there?”

Getting to her feet, Selma shrugged her shoulders and said, “Lending a hand.”

Not liking the slightly mocking tone in Blair’s voice, Erica turned to the ref and demanded, “Get me a pair of mics.”

The ref nodded and a few second later, she had what she wanted. Tossing one to Selma (who caught it easily in case you were wondering) Erica tested the device for a second and then asked, “What do you mean ‘lending a hand?’ I know how you operate Selma and you don’t help anyone. So tell me why you’re at ringside or things are gonna get unpleasant.”

Shaking her head, Blair replied, “Man you really aren’t that bright are ya? OK Cave-Girl, here’s a question to answer yours. How do you think Love there got dropped while you were busy working off that tearful submission? I mean your body odor may be strong, but even Jen’s strong enough to withstand that. Think about it. Just a little.”

In a flash, everything came back to Erica; The Heartbreaker, The Love Clutch and most gallingly, her submission. Realizing the most important victory of her career was now meaningless, Erica glared pure murder at Selma and gasped, “You jumped her!”

Selma grinned maliciously, “A dim bulb brightens. Enjoy the win Erica. A ‘W’ is ‘W’ no matter how you got it.”

As Selma turned to leave, Erica screamed, “DON’T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!”

Blair stopped in her tracks and regarded Erica with an irritated stare. “Sheesh, first the floatation device and now the Cave-Beast gets in my face. What the hell do you want Lucy?”

Speaking in a voice so low it was almost a growl, Erica said, “You took something very important from me tonight Selma Blair. The first chance I get, I’ll return the favor.”

Selma looked nonplused. “You’re nothing but a stepping stone Durance. A big one I grant you, but a stepping stone nonetheless. And when the time comes, I will gladly step all over your stupid face. Enjoy your life in the mid-card, bitch.”

The slender brunette spat the last word, then flung down the mic and disappeared into the crowd. Watching her go for a moment, Erica slowly turned her attention to a just now recovering Jennifer and watched as the groggy brunette was helped from the ring.

Erica muttered, “Looks like we still haven’t settled this thing between us Jen. But as soon as I’m done with Selma you and I are gonna lock up one more time.” She shook her head once more, slipped out of the ring and started stalking up the ramp. She needed to find Richard Fannin fast; there was a match she wanted booked and she wanted it booked now.
******
EPILOGUE: Backstage, a few minutes later…Still dressed in her battle attire, Erica stormed through the curtain and looked wildly around her. Shortly thereafter, she found the boss and shouted, “FANNIN, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!”

Glancing up from the monitor where he’d been watching the match unfold, Rich stood up and said, “First, congratulations. Secondly, what can I do for you?”

Breathing hard, Erica demanded, “Where’s Selma Blair? I know that interfering piece of shit can’t have gone too far.”

Wincing, Fannin replied, “I’m afraid she has. According to Pseudo she left in a crowd of fans and has already left the building. She’s probably on her way back to the hotel by now.”

Attempting to get her anger under control, Erica digested Fannin’s words. Pausing over something he’d said, Erica looked at him and asked, “Why’d you congratulate me? Jennifer made me tap out in the middle of the ring. If it wasn’t for that bitch Selma I would have lost the fight and probably gotten smothered again in the process. As it stands I won the match but it’s tainted. I should have just taken the loss. It would have been honest at least.”

Sighing, Rich shook his head and said, “You still don’t see it do you? You don’t understand just what you accomplished out there tonight.”

Erica looked angry. “What the hell are you talking about? What did I do out there besides get my ass beat and win with a screw-job finish?”

Trying his best to calm the brunette down, Fannin said, “A year ago, I told you that a feud between you and Jen would make you both bigger stars, but you didn’t listen. Back then you were so preoccupied with getting back at her for the boob smother that you went and joined the Darkness. Well now, it’s a year later and you two picked up where you left off. Pro Wrestling 101 says a feud can’t work if one participant dominates the proceedings. Now you and Jen have both won a round, and the fans are eating it up with a spoon! Did you hear the ovation when you left? They were on their feet!

“Your fans and Love’s fans are going to be aching to see you lock up again and that only means good things for you. You may not realize it right now, but years later, when you look back on your career you’ll see it was this night that you turned the corner from upper mid-card to bona-fide Main Eventer. And as much as you’ll hate to acknowledge it, you owe Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot. Regardless of whether or not you like one another, you work very well together in the ring.”

Hearing the promoter talk about the match from that point of view was a little odd for Erica, but she couldn’t deny that he had a point. Or that the kind words had done her a world of good. Blinking back a tear (for his part, Fannin thought it was just an eyelash) Erica gave him a loose one-armed hug and said, “Thank you Rich. I needed that.”

Smiling, Fannin replied, “I never lie to angry people…especially ones who could beat me up, Erica. Now go get cleaned up and enjoy the rest of the evening, you’ve certainly earned it.”

Erica looked like she might comply but then she said, “Hold on just a second. Regardless of what order they come in, I want matches with Jennifer and Selma, preferably sooner rather than later.”

Fannin thought about for a moment and answered, “Why not eliminate the middle step and make it a Triple Threat match? I’m sure the other two aren’t going to turn down any chance to get their hands on you.”

Erica nodded, “Sounds fine to me.”

She turned to leave then but Fannin stopped her by saying, “One other thing before you go. Since this match is going to be headlining a show pretty soon I can’t see any reason to not give you all a little more incentive to win. So here it is. The winner of the match between you, Selma and Jennifer will be named the number one contender for Sarah’s Title. Sound good to you?”

The weary brunette couldn’t believe it. All she had to do was win one match and she’d get her first ever shot at championship gold.” Finding her voice, Erica replied, “Sounds great boss. I won’t let you down.”

“I have no doubt that you’ll do great things Miz. Durance. On another note, I was wondering if you’d be averse to working an extra date at the beginning of next month?”

Not really sure where Fannin was going, Erica thought about it for a moment before saying, “I don’t see why not. What do you have in mind?”

Leaning back against the wall, Fannin cleaned his glasses as he said, “I’ve got a party planned for the Fourth of July. Last year your involvement was limited to set-up, this year I was hoping you’d headline.”

Trying to pick her jaw off the floor, Erica waited for several seconds to speak. “You want me to Main Event the party?”

“Yes I would.” the promoter said as he slipped his glasses back on.

Realizing that he wasn’t joking around, Erica nodded once and said, “I’d be honored to do it. Can I ask who my opponent’s going to be?”

Fannin smiled, “You’ll be wrestling a new girl; Dru found tapes of her work in the UK and we’re all very impressed. She’ll be debuting here in the fall, but she’s agreed to fly over and wrestle this match as a sort of ‘preview’ for anyone interested. Her name’s Billie Piper and I think you two are going to match up beautifully.”

Wiping a bit of sweat off her brow, Erica took a deep breath and said, “You tell her she better bring her A-Game across the pond with her because I don’t plan on losing.”