The Nuclear Family Pt. 02

While happy being a Mum, Peter had told me that Georgia was not having a great time with Brad Jr. My older brother was proving to be quite a deadbeat dad. After I left in disgust, my older brother immediately moved in with my traitorous wife. But the gossip that made it to my ears was that he was out drinking or pretending to work rather than be at home more often than not. He rarely helped look after his son, referring to him as 'the brat', thinking it was humorous.

So armed with a certain amount of satisfaction that my family was suffering, my ex-wife was unhappy and combined with the anger that they had turned up to this fight, I was ready to bring Cody a war he wasn't aware that he was about to have.

Cody walked into the arena to almost thrice the amount of cheering I got. Music and a massive video production played on the big screen showing how he was the biggest fish in what he perceived as a little Aussie pond.

We touched gloves retreating to our corners. When the bell went, we both came out fast. With his boxing background, Cody went straight for my face using a series of jabs and punches to get me off balance. I deftly danced out of the way, going for his legs with a series of Muay Thai moves. Cody almost went down three times in that first round but always managed to keep his feet. He landed two good blows on me; I must admit they stung. But I also got a few good blows into his sides, knowing I stung him back. By the end of the first round, I would have estimated that we were about even. When the bell rang for the second round, the cockiness that Cody had was gone, and he was much more cautious in his approach.

In round two, we again traded blows. As a boxer, he continued to go for headshots, aiming for the knockout blow. He landed a couple more hits, for which I must admit I was a little dizzy. But I gave as good as I got landing a dozen blows to his midsection, his legs and even one to his head. But again, he managed to keep his footing and stand through it all.

In round three, we danced, and the referee had to break us apart for the first time when we got too close.

That was when I made a big mistake.

For a moment, I took my eyes off Cody. For some reason, I was distracted by the movement of my older brother laughing and pointing at me. The momentary lapse cost me, Cody's punch catching me right in the face, and I went down hard. Stunned for a moment, the referee was counting to four by the time I knew what was going on. I stood back up; the referee looked me in the eyes; he asked if I was alright to continue. I nodded but not before I glanced over the referee's shoulder at Brad Jr, smiling like an idiot back at me, raucously talking to everyone around him. His arms wrapped around Georgia's shoulder to show possession. My parents and sister were laughing at whatever he was saying.

Rage!

I shook my head, shaking out the last cobwebs as the referee stood away, then suddenly, Cody and I were back into it. Now, my punches had more force, I started using my legs and knees. Surprised, Cody for the first time, started going defensive. He kept his arms up, his stance trying to weather the flurry of blows I was brought against him.

After a particular exchange where I pummelled him heavily, then disengaged for a breather, I saw an opening. He was changing his stance, thinking with less than a minute in the round that I would draw out the round for a rest. And honestly, that was my game plan. I was still feeling the effects of Cody's blow to my face, and I was tired from angrily throwing blow after blow at him. But he made a mistake, in the middle of changing his footing, momentarily bringing his arms down to balance while he thought I was out of reach. That was my opening. That was when I struck.

Much like I had done to Brad on the street, I threw myself at Cody with a flying kick connecting with his head. The moment I launched my attack, everything went into slow motion. Micro-seconds drew out as my leg extended. Noise from the crowd ceased, and it was like every eye in the place was drawn to the trajectory of my foot moving towards Cody's exposed head.

I twisted my torso mid-rotation, bringing more momentum into my strike, my foot connecting with his cheek. The collective intake of breath taken by everyone watching was something I will never forget. Nothing happened for a moment; mere fractions of a second went by as kinetic energy transferred from my foot to Cody's head.

I completed my rotation as Cody hit the side of the ring, his body moving like a rag-doll thrown by an upset three-year-old. He landed on his side, his mouthguard half hanging from his lips. His body was twitching, but his eyes were closed as he began to drool.

No one said anything as the stunned referee quickly made his way to Cody, starting the count. Cody never moved.

When the bell rang, the stunned crowd went wild! I pumped my fist in the air, turned around to each part of the crowd, and kept fist-pumping. When I looked back at Brad Jr, Georgia and my family, they were the only ones not cheering. Brad looked like he might shit himself, having felt that move only a few months ago. I locked eyes with him, whispering the words, "Fuck you" to him. My brother sat down; the message was received.

An ambulance crew had entered the arena checking over a still unconscious Cody McGuiness. Smelling salts and a few checks later, he was stretchered out of the area to the local hospital for a checkout. The referee grabbed my hand with the microphone.

"The winner by knockout, your new champion, Robbie Other!" the referee proclaimed.

Before I knew it, Darren, Toni and Amy were in the ring. Darren had a smile a mile wide, Toni also cheering and beaming with pride. Amy wrapped herself around me, her hug almost crushing me as I winced slightly. I may have some bruised ribs. But then she pulled me in for a kiss causing the crowd to go wild again. In the background, I noticed three things as I looked up. First, the sports reporter was gesturing wildly toward me as he reported to the camera. Second, Amy would not let go of me. I could feel pride radiating off her. And third, my family had noticed Amy in the ring with me, and it now looked like they were arguing with Georgia.

I gestured my family to Darren, Toni and Amy. They followed my gesture, all of us laughing as they stood shouting backwards and forwards between each other.

For the next two hours, I went through post-match testing. Darren was also pleasantly surprised by our winnings. It was quite a bit more than anyone thought because the odds were I was meant to lose. With Cody being some big-shot MMA star, we got a little more than beer-drinking money this time.

I did the post-match interview, the reporters kept asking what happened during the third round that got me fired up. I spun some bullshit response that I just came to understand I needed to dig deep. They then asked about my finishing move.

"Well," I smirked. "I have to thank my brother for that one. He opened me up to the possibilities a few months ago..." My family might never see the interview; then again, who knows.

As I finished up, I headed back into the dressing room. Darren, Toni and Amy followed.

"Bullshit!" Amy spat at me once we were away from the reporters. I looked at my girlfriend, surprised. Her eyes weren't angry, though. They were full of humour.

"I'm sorry?" I said, looking at her as Darren began unwrapping my hands, Toni bringing me an ice bucket.

"I said bullshit, baby," Amy was laughing now. "That was total and utter bullshit what you just told that reporter, and we all know it."

"Well," I smiled in return for my girlfriend's accusation. "What was I going to tell them? I got angry because my brother was laughing at me and trying to rub it in my face by holding my soon-to-be ex-wife in his arms in an attempt to get me to lose?"

"Well, I wouldn't have said it that way," Amy replied, stifling her laughter. "But I know the true story." Suddenly Amy couldn't hold in her laugh. Toni, Darren and I joined in.

Darren got my wraps off having me put both my hands into the ice for about fifteen minutes. My gloves were thinner than most with my fighting style, so the results tended to be more vicious to the body. While I had won over Cody, he still gave me a pounding. Hell, if it wasn't for Brad Jr trying to piss me off to make me lose, I may not have won. I had to ponder that.

"Robbie, you did amazing out there tonight. I don't think anyone expected the result." Toni said, sitting down on a bench.

"Me included," I said, also taking a seat. My knuckles were just starting to cool off. I think I will have some minor swelling after today. "Cody was a solid opponent."

"You did well, mate," Darren said sagely. "There was a point when you got back up after that hit, I thought you were going to lose it and just go nuts, but you controlled the anger, picked your openings and damn Robbie, where did that kick come from?"

I explained how I used a similar move against Brad a couple of months ago. Up till that point, Darren and Toni knew that I had done something to end up in the police watchhouse, but not that I had put Brad in hospital for two days with a concussion.

We continued to laugh as the four of us talked about a few points in the fight while my body began to relax. Darren proclaimed that I was cooled off at a certain point, taking me into another room to give me a warm-down massage ensuring to work several knots out of my muscles before the lactic acid would cause me issues. Afterwards, he sent me for a shower in the locker room.

I found a naked Amy in the showers, standing in a steaming shower stall with some shower gel and a washcloth. I grinned as she told me it was now her turn to look after me. I decided then and there as she lathered me up that Amy needed to come to all my fights if my post-fight showers were going to be like this.

Darren and Toni were waiting for us when we came out of the showers about twenty minutes later, big grins on their faces from the sounds I am sure they overheard emanating from the locker room. I admit that I was as relaxed as I had ever been post-fight.

All but a few of the crowd had disappeared, including my family, for which I was relieved. We did a final check-in with the event management team, and I got the clean bill to leave the arena.

It was a little after midnight as we exited the arena doors. I was tired, glad that Darren and Toni would be driving us back up to Amy's place. They wanted to hang out on the beach with us for a few days sampling life on the Sunshine Coast instead of the Gold Coast, where we had all lived for most of our lives.

We were walking towards Darren's truck when we all heard her voice call out.

"Robbie, wait!" my mother almost screamed.

They must have been standing around at one of the public entry gates waiting for us to come out for the last few hours. All of my family looked tired. My mother was running ahead of the rest of them. She had a desperate look in her eyes.

I turned at the sound of her voice, stopping. Amy's hand was firmly in mine. Darren and Toni also turned a dozen steps behind us.

"Robbie, please wait, don't go." My mother pleaded as she closed the gap between us.

Releasing Amy's hand, then crossed my arms over my chest. I looked at my mother. She wasn't aging well. Her hair was almost a white colour now, whereas a year ago, it was brown with a few streaks of grey. She had worry lines all over her face, and while she was never a fitness nut, she used always to be fit and trim; now, she was huffing and puffing like she had run a marathon.

"What is it, Hattie?" I asked as I felt Amy slip an arm around my waist.

My mother briefly looked at Amy, then her eyes focused on me, "Um' I mean, Robbie..."

Joanna, Brad Jr, Georgia and my father then also completed the brisk walk catching up with us standing in a rough semi-circle around Amy and me. Darren and Toni were still standing a little further back, Toni leaning on Darren.

My father, like my mother, took a quick look at Amy, then dismissed her as irrelevant, focusing on me. "Son, come home; it's been a year now. You've had your little snit, we forgive you, but it's time for you to come back to the fold," he said.

Both Amy and I laughed.

"Snit?" I asked, grinning.

"Yes, son, snit," my father said sternly, acting like he was scolding a young child. "You should never have walked out on us. We need you to get over yourself and come back."

"Right..." I said, drawing out the word.

Amy snorted, "And what's this shit that you forgive him?" she asked, her tone accusing.

"Shut up, Amy, this is none of your business," hissed Georgia at her younger sister.

"Amy?" my mother said before Amy could respond, realisation coming to her face as she looked at my girlfriend. She put together the argument that Georgia was having with Brad and my father earlier. "You're Georgia's little sister?".

"Half-sister," Amy replied, smirking, "But yes, I have that unfortunate relationship with a slut who fucks men other than her husband."

The sisters glared at each other.

"Honestly," Amy continued while grinning at Georgia. "I think she must get the cheating gene from her father. As my father is as loyal to our mother as they come."

"Shut up Amy," Georgia repeated. "Robbie is still my husband."

"Only for another few days, then he's all mine!" she said proudly, gripping my waist protectively.

Georgia glowered at her sister. I must admit it was entertaining to have them fighting over me.

"So you're not even divorced, and you're sleeping with your wife's sister?" Brad Jr tried to say in a serious tone.

"Shut up, Brad," Georgia yelled back over her shoulder at him. I don't think he was willing to get close to me.

Both Amy and I laughed again. I could also hear Darren and Toni sniggering behind us as well.

"At least I waited till after I found out my fuckwit of a brother and whore of an ex-wife were fucking behind my back with the endorsement of family." I retorted.

"Oh, and Brad, between you and me, you can keep Georgia. I think I got the wrong sister the first time around. Georgia is nothing in bed compared to this little firecracker." I said, tightening my arm around Amy and looking lovingly into Amy's eyes. Amy looked back up at me with a bedroom gaze.

A moment later, I looked back at my older brother. He was a little red. I wasn't sure if it was embarrassment, anger or jealousy. But he was embarrassed, so I decided to push a little more since they made an effort to come and see me.

"Hey Brad, did you like my finishing move tonight? Did it feel a little... familiar?" I grinned at him.

Brad blushed more profoundly, this time undoubtedly embarrassed. I was a head shorter than him, but I was also mostly muscle while he was primarily fat from being lazy. He looked at me but knew he could never take me on.

I laughed again but focused back on my father.

"So, Brad," I said, returning the topic to the business at hand and looking at my father. "Amy asked you a relevant question. What have I done that you should forgive me? Should it not be the other way around?

"You walked out on us, you ungrateful little shit," he almost spat at me. I think my jovial tone at his other son had pissed him off. "After everything we did for you, you walked out on us."

"After everything you did for me..." I looked at him cocking my head to the side. "After everything you did?" I repeated incredulously, my brain not able to put together his statement.

My sister, Joanna, never one to keep her mouth shut, had to get in on the conversation. She knew how to pick the losing side. Perhaps that's why she never could keep a relationship. Under that brown hair, she must have been airhead blonde.

"Your job, you idiot!" Joanna proclaimed, nostrils flaring, "Mum and Dad gave you a job right out of high school, even letting you do university while you worked. Dad is telling you, you threw it in their faces, that your little temper tantrum is insulting."

It was apparent to everyone what my parents meant, but I know they didn't want to voice the next part about their betrayal or how for some reason, they still thought it was alright for them to treat me like they did.

I looked at my parents.

"Brad, Hattie," I said contritely. Both Mum and Dad looked at me. "Thank you for the job out of high school."

They smiled back.

"But university was a scholarship. I worked hard for that, and never once did I let the quality of my work disrespect what others had sponsored me for." They stopped smiling. "Never once did I let my martial arts training get in the way of work, and never once did I let the laziness or incompetence of my siblings stop work from getting done. Can you say the same?"

"Of course, we can," my father responded defensively.

"Really," I replied immediately before my father could take another breath. "So your family life is excellent; the business is going from strength to strength without me?

They said nothing.

"I didn't think so." I finished.

I raised an eyebrow looking at Georgia. Under my gaze, she shrank back half a step. My parents looked at her, blushing.

"Look," I sighed. "Nothing has changed in a year. I asked all of you to leave me alone, I told you I want nothing to do with any of you, but you keep chasing me down, acting like it's all my fault that your lives suck. It's not my fault. What you should be doing is looking at yourselves."

"That's not fair, Robbie." Joanna protested. "It's not our responsibility your slut couldn't keep her legs closed."

The moment she said it, her hands went to her face realising what she had said. At last, someone had said something I could agree with.

Joanna looked at Georgia, who, by the way, was passing crimson into the realm of violet embarrassment. No one else said anything; everyone was lost for words for the first time.

"I'm sorry, Georgie, it just came out," Joanna said. She swung back to me, throwing an exaggerated hand towards Georgia while glowering at me. "See, if you had only kept with the program, I wouldn't be embarrassing my sister-in-law like that."

I couldn't help; I hooted in laughter and felt Amy chuckling beside me.

"Look, as wonderful as seeing you has been," I said sarcastically. "I do appreciate the cheer section for my fight tonight, but unless there is something essential that you need to tell me, then we have a long drive home."

"Where are you living?" my mother asked.

"A long way away from all of you," I replied, perhaps slightly snarkily.

"You're living with my slut sister," Georgia said, glaring at Amy.

"Slut?" Amy replied in a cheery voice accentuating the battle between the sisters. "Sorry, sis, but I have only been with one man my entire life, and I'm never letting him go! Now I'm Robbie's. You had your chance and blew it."

"Okay, ladies," I said. "Georgia, you need to move on. I will never have anything to do with you again after you betrayed me. For goodness's sake, the kid isn't even mine."

"Amy," I said. She looked back up at me with big puppy dog eyes. "Down girl." Amy gave a little bark and smiled at me, giggling. If she had a tail, I was sure it would be wagging with happy thoughts.

"Everyone else," I said, looking back to my assembled family. "Get it through your thick skulls that I am not returning to Total Build. I am not coming back to your family. I have no desire to see you, hear from you or have any contact with any of you if I can help it."

"But why?" my mother said mournfully, almost begging tone.

"You really need me to answer that after the past year. Have you listened to nothing I had to say?" I replied.

"Come on, son, have you never made a mistake?" Dad replied in the softest tone I had yet heard from him.