Thanks so much to those who have reviewed. I'm having a lot of fun working on this story! I have some crazy long flights coming up so I'll try to get another update out soon. As always, please leave a review. I love to hear your feedback!

Monday…

Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Minneapolis/St. Paul. The current local temperature is 28 degrees...

Avery frowned as the pilot gave them the usual end of flight rundown. 28 degrees sounded awful but she supposed she should just be grateful that it wasn't snowing. It was Minnesota in December after all.

She'd spent her entire morning teetering back and forth between excitement and dread. She was itching to be back in front of the camera and the fans but she was not especially excited to get back to the road. She'd been home since Wednesday morning and managed to have an incredibly relaxing week. She took Kevin and Jessica's kids for a night, allowing the couple time to go on a date and get their Christmas presents wrapped. She loved getting to spend time with those little munchkins. They all made dinner together and the next morning, they had a little yoga class in her living room. Watching them try and get all of the poses perfectly was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, especially the youngest who was a ham and a half like her father.

She went to see her friend and hair stylist Flora who was the only person on Earth she trusted to color her hair. When Flora suggested a minor change, Avery jumped at the chance because...well because she was a cliché sometimes and changing her hair when she was stressed had always been a bad habit. Her contract prohibited her from doing anything too drastic but she walked out of Flora's salon with new pale lavender shadow roots and her split ends cut off. It was an incredibly subtle change that she hated at first and then fell in love with by the end of the day.

She spent two days assisting Dusty at the PC. Time with him was always priceless. He was the coach, possibly the person, she missed most now that she was on the main roster. He brought her along to live events Friday and Saturday and she helped Ashley with her matches with Becky. She was very careful to avoid the topic of her love life. Kevin, of course, heard about what happened in Vegas because Paige told Rami but she told him that the topic was off limits and to her surprise, he respected the boundary. She didn't want to deal with him raging about it or telling her that it was some kind of sign. Nikki and Paige had called to check up on her so many times that she considered temporarily blocking their phone numbers. Jon called her twice and she wasn't available to talk either time. Truthfully, she wouldn't have answered if she could. She didn't know what to say to him. Her thoughts were still all over the place where he was concerned. She would have to face him that night, there was no avoiding that, but until then, she didn't want to stress herself out thinking about it. She put her headphones in and closed her eyes, deciding to tackle the day once she was actually on the ground.

"I am not ready to go back outside into that," Windham shook his head, staring out the window.

Jon looked up to see that the snow was starting to fall. The city was supposed to get several inches before the end of the night.

"Oh quit complaining," Colby laughed, ramping up the speed and incline on his treadmill. "There's nothing like a Midwestern winter."

"You actually like this?" Windham's face twisted. "So evil isn't just a character for you, then?"

"Back me up here, Good," Colby called Jon's attention.

"Hell no," Jon shook his head. "I hate the cold. There's a reason I don't live in it anymore."

"Oh that's right," Colby laughed. "You aren't tough enough to handle it."

"I'm smart enough to know I don't have to," Jon countered. The debate continued as he grabbed his phone, checking the display. They'd been at the gym for almost an hour and he was hoping she would have called but all he had was a text from Joe.

"A watched phone doesn't ring, my friend," Windham advised.

"I'm not watching it," Jon insisted.

"I'm kind enough to not tell you how many times you've checked it," Windham smirked.

Jon didn't bother with more denial. He knew Win was right. He hadn't seen Avery since his horrendous birthday party and he was respecting her need for space but it was beginning to drive him crazy. He wanted to know where they stood after Wednesday but more importantly, he missed her. Paige was still icing him out and he didn't feel comfortable asking Nikki how she was doing. He wanted to apologize again. And again and again if that was what she needed.

"Have either of you talked to Avery?" he asked trying to sound as casual as possible.

"She texted me Wednesday morning to make sure I was alright," Windham answered. "I didn't even find out what happened until after that. I barely even remember your party."

"That is not entirely surprising," Jon admitted. After Avery left the bar, Jon had to practically carry him out of the bar on his back. Then they couldn't find his room key anywhere so he slept on Jon's couch.

"Once I found out about what happened with Rachel, I asked if she was alright. All she said was 'yup'."

Jon looked over to Colby, waiting for an answer.

Colby continued to jog until he seemed to notice him staring. He sighed, "Yeah, I talked to her."

"And?" Jon waited.

"And we didn't talk about you," Colby answered.

Jon bristled at his irritated tone, "Then what did you talk about?"

"None of your business, man," Colby answered. "She's alright if that's what you're worried about."

"Of course that's what I'm worried about," Jon insisted. "She didn't say anything about what happened?"

"No, Jon, she didn't," Colby answered. "She didn't want to talk about it so we didn't talk about it. You want me to check my phone to see how long each call lasted?"

"What's your problem?" Jon frowned.

"When Avery is ready to talk to you. She will," Colby hopped off of the treadmill. "Honestly, if we had talked about it, I wouldn't tell you what she said. I am not your spy."

"I'm not asking you to be," Jon put his hands up.

"That's exactly what you want and you know it," Colby accused. "I'm going upstairs. I'll see you guys later."

Colby stormed out and Jon and Windham stared after him.

"What the hell was that about?" Jon asked. "I just asked him a question."

If anything, Jon had a right to be mad that Colby sat by for almost a week without mentioning that he'd talked to Avery and knew exactly how she was doing.

Windham's expression was weary when he turned to face him.

"What?" Jon asked. "He's overreacting. I've never asked him to spy on Avery."

"Do you remember when you went into Avery's phone to find out about her and Randy?"

Jon sighed, nodding. Not the best decision he ever made.

"Do you remember asking Colby to talk to Avery about it?" Win crossed his arms.

"Okay, fine, one time," Jon admitted.

"That wasn't the only time. And you asked him to keep what you did from her when you know it put him in an awkward position," Win argued.

"He's my best friend. It's not weird for me to ask him to keep a secret," Jon said. "Besides, he told her what I did anyway."

"Which she deserved to know," Windham shrugged. "Anyway, you shouldn't put Colby, or anyone else for that matter, in the middle. It isn't fair."

"That's not what I'm trying to do."

Windham sighed, "Doesn't mean that isn't what you're doing."

Avery practically skipped out of the trainer's room once she got a final OK. Her doctor at home signed off on her returning to action but she had to get approval from a staff doctor as well. She still had faint pain in her shoulder but it was nothing like it was at first. She could work through it without any problem.

"Must have heard good news."

She smiled when she heard Paul's distinct voice behind her, turning and waving a signed form at him, "You've got yourself a mostly healthy wrestler."

"Good because you're in a tag match at the top of the third hour," he laughed.

She saw the match board when she arrived at the arena. She and the Bellas were scheduled to take on Paige, Foxy, and Summer. A six woman tag wasn't her favorite option for her first match back but she would take what she could get.

"We need you in hair and makeup soon," he stated. "You've got some pre-tapes to do."

"I can head there right now," she offered, taking a step past him. She'd been sneaking by the higher ups since she got to the building hoping no one looked at her hair long enough to yell at her.

"Not so fast," he gently grabbed her arm.

She winced, turning around, "Yes?"

"I wanna talk to you about a few things for tonight," he explained, gesturing for her to follow him to a quieter corner. She crossed her arms, nerves creeping up her spine at his serious expression.

"We're announcing tonight that you're getting another title shot next week," he explained.

"I am?" she stared. "Already?"

"You are," he chuckled. "Winner hasn't been decided yet but the match is happening."

"Okay," Avery nodded, forcing herself to maintain composure. She wanted to throw up her hands and dance around but that was unprofessional. She couldn't allow herself to get too excited. A match didn't guarantee a win. She knew that all too well. Still, getting another championship match so soon was fantastic.

"Ambrose is involved in the announcement of the match," he continued.

"Should I go get him?" she asked. Lately, they were always pulled in together to talk about show plans.

"He's doing Meet and Greets," Paul explained. "And I only want to talk to you about this part."

That was cryptic.

"We're going to have the big kiss tonight," he explained.

For a moment, Avery didn't know what he was talking about and then it hit her. The next logical step in their on screen relationship was a dramatic first kiss.

That would certainly muddy the waters.

She kept her expression neutral, "It sounds very creepy when you say it like that."

"It does, I can acknowledge that," he laughed. "We're not telling Jon."

"Why?"

"So his reaction will look natural," Paul explained. "You're gonna kiss him so we want him to seem caught off guard."

"Please never have anyone surprise kiss me," she requested.

"I wouldn't do that but I also figured the two of you wouldn't mind," Paul said. He looked mildly uncomfortable when he continued, "I heard you're back together."

"We're not," she shook her head.

"Still with Randy?" he questioned.

She sighed, "Not anymore. It got..complicated."

He crossed his arms and took a deep breath, eyeing her with concern that bordered on paternal. This was not a conversation she wanted to have with her boss, no matter how close they were.

"Avery, I'm gonna give you some advice," he began, looking her firmly in the eye. "Right now, there needs to be no one in this world more important to you than yourself."

She nodded as he continued.

"You are on the road to a championship. You are at the forefront of ushering in a new era. What's more important? That or figuring out who you want to be your boyfriend?"

Paul made it sound so simple. He was right. She needed to have her eye on the prize. She'd set so many goals for herself and she was on her way to accomplishing them but if she let herself get distracted, she could find herself at the back of the line. She wouldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't.

"Understood," she assured him.

"Good," he smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Now..about the kiss."

"You mean the kiss with my ex boyfriend you just told me not to get involved with?" she smirked at the irony.

"Vince insists that you can't have your hair up," Paul stifled a laugh.

"What? Why on Earth does that matter?" Avery frowned.

"He says it'll look more romantic."

"Seriously?" she glared.

"Let it go, Avery," he advised.

"Can we at least agree that his fascination with my hair is odd?" she asked. She was confident that no other woman on the roster had as many discussions about their hair with the higher ups as she did.

"Slightly," Paul shrugged. "But it could be worse. Go get ready for the show."

"You got it, boss man," she pointed. "And thank you for the advice."

"Anytime," he nodded. She started off toward the glam squad when Paul called after her. She turned, "Yeah?"

"I don't remember Carano bringing up you changing your hair," he pointed toward the top of her head.

She winced, "You noticed that, huh?"

He nodded, "I notice everything."

Nikki held up her phone, staring critically into the self facing camera. She'd just had her makeup done and something was off but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Too much highlight maybe?

Her stern expression gave way to a grin when she spotted her man's handsome face behind her. His strong arms looped around her waist as she quickly snapped their photo before locking her phone screen.

"You know it's a little too busy back here for you to be walking and taking a selfie at the same time," he laughed, kissing her cheek.

"I can do anything while taking a selfie," she assured him. "But Brie and I are looking at a new social media manager to handle most of our pictures."

"Let me know if you need any help."

She smiled, turning to face him, "Thank you but I've got it. We're thinking of going with someone we met through E. He's worked with some pretty high profile people."

"Well then he'll be prepared for you," John said. "Do you have a few minutes or are you doing meet and greets?"

"Nattie, Foxy, and Eva are doing meet and greets," Nikki explained. "Why?"

"Well, I just left a meeting and I have it on good authority that Avery is going to be our new Divas Champion very soon," John explained.

"I think that's pretty clear," Nikki laughed. He seemed surprised that she didn't have a bigger reaction. "How soon?"

Last she heard, it likely wasn't going to happen until the Rumble as that was their next pay-per-view. Brie said she heard Wrestlemania which seemed way too far.

John answered quickly, "Before the Rumble."

"What?" Nikki stared. "That's amazing!"

That meant sometime in the next 3 weeks. Now she understood why he expected more of a pop. Nicole was over the moon with excitement for her friend.

"From what I was told, she doesn't even know yet so don't go running to tell her," John cautioned. Nikki had a feeling John knew exactly when it was going to happen but he wasn't sharing that much. She actually appreciated it. She could keep a secret but it would've been harder if she knew all of the details. At least she had some plausible deniability.

"I won't say a word," Nikki assured him. "But why are you telling me if I can't talk to her about it?"

"Because I want you to be prepared," he explained.

"For?"

"You need to be careful about your positioning right now," John explained with a serious expression. "You shouldn't be pushing for a match with Avery anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"Because her next angles are set. You won't get a meaningful shot at her until after Mania and you shouldn't be in the ring across from her until it means something. You don't want to be a stepping stone."

Reasonably, Nikki could understand where John was coming from. Avery was essentially a steamroller at the moment with her and Paige clearly at the top of the division. Some of the girls were getting bitter about it but Nikki knew that her moment would come. She'd had a long program with AJ before she got hurt and she'd end up in the forefront again when it was time. She didn't feel threatened. She was happy for her friend.

"What you need to do is continue to position yourself as the on camera best friend," John continued. "The fans aren't exactly clamoring to see a match between you two right now but if you play up the friendship enough, you'll be in perfect position for a turn and a feud that the fans, and Vince, will really want."

Nikki frowned at the way he framed what he was saying. Her friendship with Avery wasn't about positioning. The only reason it had bled through to their work was that the fans noticed how often they posted pictures together or about each other on social media and creative thought it made sense for her to tag with the Bellas when she needed partners once she turned face.

John seemed to sense her feelings and he took her hand in his, "I just want the best for your career and I'm trying to make sure you can have that."

"I know," she nodded. Everything he was saying made sense. It also made her uncomfortable to talk about. She crossed her arms, "I hear you."

"Nicole!"

She jumped when she heard her name and turned to see Paige coming around the corner behind her.

"What are you two lovebirds talking about?" Paige smirked as she sauntered over to them.

"Plans for the house," John answered quickly. "Nikki wants to build out her closet and I'm explaining why that may not work."

She watched him out of the corner of her eye for a moment before nodding, "Yeah. We'll just have to let the contractor settle this one."

Paige looked unconvinced and Nikki didn't blame her. She just hoped the young Brit didn't hear any of that conversation. She didn't need tension between them again.

"Well I hate to interrupt but we need you," Paige hooked her arm. "We're going over the end of the match and Avery wants your input."

Nikki didn't miss that Paige specified who wanted her input. Sometimes it seemed hard for her to even pretend she took Nikki seriously.

Nicole pasted on a big smile and gave John a quick kiss on the cheek, "I'll think about what you said."

He nodded, "Good."

Avery stayed at the table with Claudio and TJ as Brie, Nikki, and Paige went to get their makeup touched up. The men had overheard them plotting out the end of their match and came over to give some input. Frustrated as she was with TJ for what he'd told Nattie about her weeks earlier, Avery still liked him and valued his opinion. He was criminally underrated in the ring. They both were. They were currently discussing Avery's recent use of the Death Valley Driver. She'd been working a lot on adding in some power moves. Colby was kicking her ass every time they worked out together and she'd significantly increased her weightlifting. She was clearly getting stronger but she wanted to make sure her movement still looked fluid and there was no one better to talk to than Claudio. He perked up when she asked him about it as he already had some thoughts on how she could make it look smoother.

"You're leaning forward a little too much when you do it," he explained. "That's why you aren't getting the follow through that you want."

He had her stand up and demonstrated what he meant, as much as he could in the middle of catering. He put a hand on her stomach, keeping her tipped back a bit and walked her through it.

"You do it that way and you can pop right up after if you want, go right into the MCS or one of your kicks. Anything really," TJ explained. "You know what would be really cool?"

TJ detailed his idea, having her opponent sitting upright after the driver to take a standing double foot stomp. Avery tried to focus on him but she noticed that Claudio's hand was still on her side. Were things ever going to go back to the way they were between them?

Probably not and she had herself to blame for that. Miraculously, he didn't seem to have heard what happened in Vegas. If he had, she was certain he would have taken the opportunity to bring it up.

She stepped toward TJ as she asked a question, causing Claudio's hand to fall. He took a seat in the chair she'd vacated earlier and Avery was about to sit in his when Windham's loud voice caught her attention. She looked up to see him walking into catering with Joe and Jon close behind. His eyes found her quickly and she waved awkwardly, unsure of what else to do. She couldn't help but notice the twitch of his brow when he saw Claudio.

"I'll be back," Avery gave TJ a quick pat on the shoulder. "Thank you both, seriously."

"Anytime," TJ assured her as she headed toward her ex. They needed to talk eventually and she wanted to do it before the show started.

Windham spotted her first, grabbing her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet.

"You are so lucky my shoulder pain is mostly gone," she glared at him, sharply tugging his beard.

"We're all lucky for that," he chuckled.

Jon was quiet, waiting for her to start. She knew that was hard for him.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked him.

"Of course," he nodded. He gestured for her to go first and followed close behind her. She walked for a minute, making sure she had her thoughts together. When she found a quiet hall, she turned and she heard his slow footsteps behind her. As soon as she turned around, a rush of words left him, "I am so sorry Avery. I didn't know that was going to happen. I would never have brought you that place if I knew that Rachel would be there."

"I already told you, I know," she stopped him. "Obviously, you didn't know she would be there but...it was still kind of a slap in the face."

"I know," he looked pained. His blue eyes were incredibly sincere as he continued, "I just want to fix it. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Jon, there's not some magic thing that you can do," she said. She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I'm afraid of you...Of us together. Ever since I saw Rachel, I've been thinking the same thing over and over. I can't go through that again."

He met her gaze. "I can't take back what I did. I wish I could. But I want to make it up to you."

"I know," she nodded. She sighed, resting her hands on her hips, "I had this talk with Colby last week, about how things were when we were together. I don't want to be that person again. I don't want to be so wrapped up in you that I can't see what's going on around me. I don't want to be that couple that everyone hates being around because of all the drama."

"I'm not looking for what we had before, Avery," he took her hand. "I want something better with you. I want to do it right this time."

She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out slowly, reluctantly pulling back her hand. Hearing that made her heartbeat speed but she had to stick to her guns. "Tuesday night, I should have been in my hotel room, icing my shoulder. Instead, I was in a bar, half-drunk, talking to Rachel of all people. I cannot afford to make any bad decisions right now. I need to be focused on my career. And maybe at some point we can figure this out but...it can't be my focus right now."

He looked upset. She hated it but she knew that it was for the best. Paul was right, she had to put herself first.

"I get it," he nodded. "You have to take care of yourself. You know how I feel and that isn't gonna change but I don't want to pressure you. I want to earn your trust back. I want to make up for what I did. And I'll go about it however you need me to."

She studied him for a moment, impressed. The old Jon would have started angling to get his way by now. He was never good at taking no for an answer but she could see that he meant this. He was serious and earnest and it somehow made things more frustrating.

"And you aren't just gonna try and kiss me and make me forget everything I just said?" she crossed her arms.

"Trust me, I would love to do that," he admitted, carefully tucking her hair behind her ear. "And if I thought it would work I would probably try it. But I'm not pulling my old tricks. You're about to get to know a whole new man."

"Oh really?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "Very mature. Better Listener. Everything you could want."

"You're ridiculous," she rolled her eyes.

"That part probably isn't gonna change," he smiled.

"Good," she smiled. "I didn't say I wanted it all to change."

Randy crossed his arms, watching as Kofi and Mike worked out spots in the ring. He was sitting in the front row of seats having just finished a magazine interview. He was fairly certain the man interviewing him had never actually watched wrestling a day in his life but he was nice enough and didn't ask anything intentionally disrespectful. Sometimes that was the best they could ask for.

He had time to kill before he had to get ready for the show. He knew pre-tapes were going on backstage and his match wasn't until the third hour. He scrolled through the list of notifications on his phone. He had a missed call from his ex-wife followed by a text telling him it wasn't urgent and to call when he could. He appreciated the text as he wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to her. They normally had a pretty healthy relationship but recently, they'd been arguing a lot. He couldn't figure out the cause. He wasn't doing anything any differently but his every move seemed to irritate her. Sometimes it felt like they were divorcing all over again.

"Orton."

He heard someone approaching from his left and looked up, giving Paul quick nod of acknowledgement.

"You look happy," Paul smirked.

"I always look like this," Randy returned, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"How was the interview?"

"Good," Randy assured him. "Took a little longer than I expected but it was alright. Why? Were you worried?"

"About you?" Paul laughed, loosening his tie a bit. "No. At this point, I can trust you to handle media."

"At this point?" Randy smirked. "Are you saying there was a time when you couldn't?"

"You forget I've known you since you were 20."

Randy chuckled. He did have a point there.

"Which is why I'm surprised you managed to manipulate me a few weeks back," Paul looked over at him. Classic Levesque move, start a small talk conversation and then sharply segue into the real topic.

"How did I do that?" Randy asked, unfazed. He didn't get rattled by Paul the way many people did.

"You got me to pull Claudio from a match with a lie," Paul declared.

Randy had almost forgotten doing that. Looking back on it, he didn't feel any remorse. Claudio may not have been the one to spread those rumors about Avery but he had been a source of frustration and drama for her. Not to mention, he seemed to have a completely unwarranted problem with Randy.

"I did that?" Randy asked.

Paul was not amused.

"What do you want me to say? Sorry?" Randy asked. "I'm sorry, Paul. I shouldn't have lied to you. Happy?"

"You have to be one of the people I can trust most," Paul told him, his tone more serious. "You're supposed to be my friend."

Well now he did feel a very small, fleeting amount of remorse.

"Okay, alright, I am genuinely sorry," Randy put his hands up. "How did you even find out?"

"I brought it up to Avery and she told me that there was no way Claudio spread the rumors. Next time, maybe fill the person you use as an excuse in on the lie."

"I will remember that for next time," Randy smirked and Paul let out an easy laugh that let him know they were good. "You know, I knew you would fall for it because it was her. You could at least try to hide your favoritism."

"I don't have one favorite," Paul said, defensive.

Randy made a face.

"I have several favorites," Paul clarified. "And yes, Avery is one of them. She has a great future ahead of her."

Randy nodded. There was no disputing that fact.

"So what happened with you two?" Paul asked.

"You asked her about that too, huh?"

"Sort of," Paul said. "It came up. She said you weren't involved anymore. You get dumped for the first time in your life?"

"Would not have been the first time, but no," Randy answered. "We had a pretty significant difference of opinion and I thought it was best to take a step back. She's young and her friends are constantly in her business. We're just at different places."

"Everything seems so much more dramatic when you're young," Paul mused. "You live, you learn."

Randy agreed.

"She's got a big heart, though," Paul said. "Maybe she could've taught you some things about how to treat your friends."

Paul chuckled, patting Randy on the shoulder as he got up. "I'm gonna go find my wife and tell her it's a new national holiday. Randy Orton actually apologized to me."

"That's the only one you'll ever get," Randy joked. "Enjoy it."

"I am," Paul tossed over his shoulder as he left.

Jon leaned against a road case, watching as Avery filmed her pre-tape. She was being interviewed by Tom Philips about who could be behind the match stoppage at TLC.

"I know exactly who had my match stopped that night," Avery said, her beautiful features clouded with bitterness. "The Authority may be gone from Raw but they aren't gone from this company and I can't think of anyone who would love screwing me over more than Stephanie McMahon."

"You think Stephanie is the one who had your match stopped?" Tom questioned.

"I know she is," Avery corrected, seething. "And I know that I can beat Paige but there's always something. Those stupid little trolls, Jamie and Joey. Seth Rollins. Now this. I'm beginning to think that I'm never actually going to get a fair shot at that title. Maybe..."

She looked away, shaking her head. He could see tears welling up in her eyes. She turned back to Tom, "Maybe I should just stop trying."

She walked out of frame and Jamie called 'Cut'.

"Well damn, Avery," Jamie laughed. "You actually made me feel bad for you."

"Want me to give you some acting lessons?" she offered.

"Hell no," Jamie shook his head. "You're not that good."

"One day, Noble," she pointed menacingly at him. "I'm going to attain my one true goal of beating you in a match on live TV."

"You'll never beat me clean," he pointed back.

"I'll tap your little ass out," she returned.

"Hey!" Jamie called over to Jon. "Come get your woman."

Jon smirked, "She's got a point, man. She's made me tap before and I'm a hell of a lot tougher than you."

"I don't need to know what you two are into when the lights go out," Jamie made a face. "You got your lines down for this next one?"

"I don't have many but I've got it," Jon assured their segment producer.

They were just waiting on guest GM, Mick Foley, to show up to make the match announcement. Once Mick was in place, in full Santa Claus regalia, they were able to get started. Jon started out of frame, by the door. The segment began with Avery warily approaching the festively dressed hardcore legend.

"You...wanted to see me?" Avery asked, looking anxious as her eyes scanned the makeshift office, covered in Christmas décor.

"I did," Mick confirmed. "I saw what you said to Tom earlier and it really touched me. I know those feelings. I know what it's like to scratch and claw your way to something only to have it snatched away from you. I have felt that desperation, Avery. And I'm sorry for what you're going through."

"Thanks Mick," she smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. "At least I'm in good company, right?"

"I am great company but I've got something better than that for you," Mick explained. "I have a Christmas gift."

Avery looked suspicious again, "For me? Why?"

"Well, You've been good for most of the year," Mick teased. "At least the last third."

Avery winced at the reference to her previous bad behavior, placing her hands on her hips.

"Lucky for you, you have a friend who was good all year and he used his Christmas wish for you."

"You lost me, Mick," Avery stared. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mick chuckled, "I am using my power as guest General Manager to grant you one more chance at Paige for the Divas Championship, next week on Raw."

Avery stared, her mouth opening, brows drawing softly together. She managed to look so happy she might cry, "Are you serious?"

"As serious as I get," he said with his signature spotty grin. "You deserve a fair shot and you're gonna get it next week."

"I don't even know what to say," she smiled, hugging the older man. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," he patted her on the back. "But it's not me you need to thank. It's him."

Mick pointed at Jon and Avery turned her grateful smile in his direction. She walked over to him and the camera followed her.

"You did this, Ambrose?" she asked.

"I might have," he shrugged, smoothing down the back of his hair.

"Thank you," she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You don't have to thank me," he wrapped an arm around her, grazing his hand over her back. "You deserve it."

She pulled away, her arms still loosely draped around him. He gave her a curious look, wondering what she was doing. Jamie told him they were supposed to cut after the hug. Her nose was a whisper from touching his and he no longer cared what the hell the script said. He felt her hand toy with the hair at the nape of his neck and then she captured his lips with hers. Jon closed his eyes, pulling her close and threading his hand into her hair. She grabbed the collar of his t-shirt, leaning back and pulling him in. He was in danger of completely losing himself when she pulled away, smiling up at him. He was fairly certain that his face conveyed his confusion pretty well and she winked, pointing up above them. There was mistletoe hanging from the pole of the boom mic above them. He had no idea when the hell that got there.

"I have a match to get to," she smiled, smoothing down his collar.

"You're just gonna spring that on me and leave?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I guess I am," She smirked, amused. "See ya later Ambrose."

She slipped out of his grasp and Jamie called cut as she walked out of frame.

"God damn, you two," Jamie laughed. "This is a family show, you know?"

"In my defense, I didn't know that was gonna happen," Jon said, still a little out of breath as Avery walked back over.

"That was clear," Jamie said.

"Paul told me not to tell you," she explained, looking sheepish. "I'm sorry."

After the talk they had earlier, he certainly hadn't expected an on camera make out but he didn't mind the affection. He resisted the urge to grab her and kiss her again. He meant what he said earlier. He was going to respect her wishes. He would be patient and work to get her back. Patience was just going to be harder now if he got to kiss her when the cameras were on.

Avery twisted her hair up into a bun, looking around the locker room. The tag match had gone smoothly and, to her great relief, her shoulder felt perfectly fine. She tugged on a loose fitting black t-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants, happy to be done for the night.

"Such a good shirt choice," Nikki grinned as she came into the room, walking by and smacking Avery on the ass.

Avery looked down at her chest. She'd pulled on a Fearless Nikki shirt without realizing it. She shrugged, "Always happy to support my faves. I'm gonna go watch the next match, wanna come?"

"Yeah, give me two minutes to change," Nikki dug through her bag for a change of clothes. Once she was ready, Avery looped her arm around her friend's elbow and they made their way to production. "What's up next?"

"I honestly don't know," Avery admitted. She just didn't feel like sitting around in the locker room or catering. She and Paige were riding back to the hotel with CJ and there was a Rusev dark match after the show which meant they couldn't leave early.

The next match had already started by the time they found a monitor they could watch. Randy was teaming with fellow Authority member Kane against The Usos.

Avery waited for the inevitable Randy comment from Nikki but it never came. She seemed to be focused pretty intently on the match and happy Nikki's intrusive nature for once, Avery settled in to watch as well. She thoroughly enjoyed watching Randy work. Everything looked so seamless and perfect and his powerslam was an absolute thing of beauty. The match crossed over a commercial break but Avery could sense when the endgame was coming. Randy was taken down with a superkick and then Jimmy went up to the top rope for a splash. She watched as Randy scooted over slightly to get into the right position.

"Cupcake!"

Avery's attention was drawn away when she heard Paige's voice and quickly drawn back when she heard Nikki gasp beside her.

"What?" Avery turned back to Nicole.

"He overshot the splash," Nikki pointed with wide, concerned eyes.

Avery focused on the monitor watching as Randy writhed in pain, holding both hands over his face.

Paige reached them, draping her arm over Avery's shoulders, "What's going on?"

Nikki explained what happened. When Jimmy overshot the splash, lower body crashed against Randy's shoulder. Production wasn't showing a replay which was never a good sign.

"Is he okay?" Avery got closer to the monitor as though she could somehow get a better answer that way. Glenn came into the ring to break up the pin. That was good. If a match stopped short that meant something very bad had happened. Jey came in and superkicked Kane as Randy used the ropes to pull himself to his feet with only his right hand. He looked to be in immense pain, keeping his left arm tucked against his side. He hit Jey with a one armed RKO. When he turned over onto his stomach for his usual RKO taunt, he only used his right arm to slam against the canvas as Jimmy made his way to his feet.

"He looks pissed," Paige observed.

Avery couldn't agree more. Randy's icy blue gaze was full of fury. His cheek also looked to be swelling at an unnerving pace from the botched move. Avery crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her skin. Randy hit the second RKO and pinned Jimmy for the win. Rather than staying to pose and gloat, Randy quickly slipped out of the ring and started stalking up the ramp, stopping at one point and leaning forward, clutching his left shoulder with his right hand. He was clearly in pain. The show had gone to commercial but they had a continuous feed backstage so she watched as Glenn walked up to him and put a hand on his back. Randy roughly shrugged him off and she couldn't hear what she said but she had enough lip reading skills to know he said 'fuck' a few times. The Usos rushed up the ramp but Glenn stopped them before they could get to Randy, likely advising them to give him some space.

Avery could hear commotion coming from Gorilla and she moved away from her friends, not really putting any thought into her actions. Randy burst through the curtain followed closely by two referees.

"Get the fuck out of my face!" He whirled on one of them when his arm was grabbed.

"You're going in the wrong direction, Cupcake," Paige advised.

Avery turned to her friends who were actively backing away from the scene. Ignoring Paige's warning, she moved a little closer. The poor referees were trying to direct Randy to get his arm checked out and Randy was having none of it. Then Jamie came from Gorilla with his hands up, "Randy, you need to calm down."

"Oh do I?" Randy asked, glaring at Jamie. He was so angry his eyes were almost wild. Avery loved to joke about kicking Jamie's ass but she was fairly certain she was about to watch it happen if Jamie made the wrong move. Randy was seething but Avery was more concerned with the way his jaw kept clenching. That was a sure sign of pain and Randy had a known history of shoulder injuries.

"Randy, we just want you to go to the trainer and get checked out. That's all," Jamie approached him like a wild tiger.

"I said no," Randy spoke through clenched teeth before turning away from the smaller man.

"Randy," Avery darted off after him, catching him in a few quick strides.

He turned around so sharply she actually stumbled back. He was sweating, his breathing slightly ragged, "What?!"

She put her hands up the same way Jamie did, despite knowing he wouldn't hurt her.

"I just wanted to check on you," she spoke quickly.

His nostrils flared, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," she countered, letting her eyes fall to his shoulder before meeting his again. "I get where your head is at, believe me, but you have to get it checked."

"I don't have to do anything," he said, turning to leave. She saw him wince again as he turned away.

"Randy!" she used a harsher tone this time. He stopped and she could see the muscles in his back working. He turned slowly and she realized that she didn't have a plan.

"You know you're gonna have to go eventually," she decided to try for reason. "You're obviously in pain. Just..just get it over with."

"I'm f-"

"You're not," she shook her head. Her expression was pleading, "It may not be really bad but it's not fine. Just go. Please."

He stared at her for a moment, his breathing beginning to slow down. He didn't look any less angry and she had no idea what was going through his head.

His head moved in the faintest of nods before he started walking slowly in her direction, toward the medical staff.

He pointed at Jamie who was now standing behind her, "You stay the hell away from me."

"No problem," Jamie quickly stepped out of his way. He didn't say another word to her and they both turned, watching, bewildered as Randy stalked off with one of the refs following timidly behind him.

"How in the hell did you do that?" Jamie questioned.

Avery turned to him, "I don't really know."

"And for you?"

"Just water for me, thanks," Colby smiled at the pretty waitress who blushed, smiling back at him before heading to the bar to put in their orders. He'd agreed to one drink at the bar before heading up to his room. Technically, his friends were all having a beer while he drank good old H20. He'd broken his training for Jon's party but he was back to cutting out alcohol until his Muscle and Fitness shoot.

"What time are you guys heading out in the morning?" Windham asked.

"Early," Joe rolled his eyes. "Jon and Avery have a signing."

"Quit your complaining," Jon returned to the table from the bathroom, slapping Joe on the back of his shoulder. "It's not that early."

"Early enough," Joe frowned.

"The girls riding with you?" Aaron asked.

"They're riding with CJ," Jon answered.

"They're not letting her drive, are they?" Joe laughed. "She's a menace behind the wheel of a car."

"No one lets CJ drive," Colby shook his head. "Not without a death wish."

Windham shook his head, turning his eyes to Jon, "I gotta tell you. After that kiss tonight, I didn't think you'd be down here with us."

"Believe me, it's not exactly where I want to be," Jon smirked.

"Hey!" Joe feigned offense, giving him the finger.

"Listen, Avery and I are not back together. Everybody can stop bringing it up," Jon said. "I'm working on it but...we're just not there yet. Especially not after last week."

Colby noticed that Jon was looking at him as he spoke and he frowned, confused. When the waitress brought back their drinks, she smiled at Colby again, setting down an extra napkin beside his water. He looked down at it when she left, smirking when he saw that she'd written her number. By the time he saw it, she was already at another table.

"You know if I knew Rachel worked there, I would never have picked that place," Joe said, apologetically.

Joe was almost too loyal. He felt bad for picking that bar as if he set something into motion but the location wouldn't have mattered if Jon had never cheated to begin with. Colby was sure he'd apologized more to Jon for what happened than Avery.

"I know," Jon nodded. "And the Rachel thing isn't the only reason. She's just..not feeling confident about us yet. Right, Col?"

Colby looked up from entering the number into his phone, "What?"

"I mean, you would know, right?" Jon's eyes narrowed.

Colby's jaw clenched. He thought they covered this earlier. He wasn't going to be Jon's spy when it came to Avery, "Don't start this, man."

"Start what?" Jon asked, taking a drink from his beer. His fourth one by Colby's count, more than anyone else at the table. "Start asking my best friend why he would tell her that it's a bad idea to be with me?"

Colby sighed, rolling his eyes, "I didn't say that."

"Then what did you say?" Jon roughly set his drink down. "Because it sounds to me like you told her all the reasons why she shouldn't give me another chance."

"She asked me what I thought," Colby leaned forward on his elbows. "She came to me and she was upset and stressed out and I told her the truth. What did you want me to do? Lie to her?!"

"Alright, everybody chill out," Joe put his hand on the table between them.

"If you're frustrated about why Avery doesn't want to be with you, maybe you should look in a mirror," Colby said. "It's not my god damn fault that Rachel showed up and but guess what, Jon? Avery had doubts before that even happened. If you want to fix things with her, you need to show her she can trust you again because right now, she doesn't. And that's not anyone's fault but yours. Don't put your bullshit on me."

"My bullshit?" Jon sneered.

"Yes, your bullshit," Colby glared.

"That's enough," Joe got up, grabbing Jon's arm and pulling him up out of his chair. "Come on, let's go outside for a minute."

"Don't bother," Colby stood up. "I'm done for the night."

Avery stared absently at the TV. She was trying to watch a rerun of Law and Order: SVU but Benson and Stabler couldn't seem to keep her attention. She was antsy with too many thoughts running through her head at once. She was thinking about her title match and what she could do to make it special.

Randy and his bum shoulder

Pulling off this angle with Jon without driving both of them crazy

Social media was going crazy with pictures, gifs, and videos of the kiss. #AmbRyan was trending with fans of the couple already dubbing themselves the Rebel Fringe. She was also getting a small but vocal percentage of hate tweets from fans telling her she didn't deserve their precious Dean Ambrose. She'd gone through and liked a few of the supportive tweets knowing that the fans would notice and take it as confirmation that they were 'officially' an item. In just a few hours, she managed to jump into and step back from a relationship with the same man. What the hell was her life?

She tried drinking some tea but that didn't seem to help. She picked up her phone, not entirely surprised that Randy hadn't texted her back. She sent him a message when she got to the hotel asking how he was doing. Knowing there wasn't much she could do there, she resorted to scrolling through her pictures. She had a bunch of the kids that she needed to send to Jess but once she was done with that, she was back to anxiously staring at reruns. Finally, after a watching the end of a particularly bad episode, she thought of the perfect thing to change her mood. She pulled up her favorite contacts, typing out a message.

You up?

After a few minutes, Colby responded, You know that's how booty calls start, right?

It's a pretty universal opening line in the middle of the night, she typed back.

It's not. Basically means you have a (hand emoji) in your (pants emoji)

Trust me

Obviously the answer to my question is yes.

Obviously. What's up?

Having a weird night. Need to talk.

I'm having a weird night too.

Room #?

437

On my way

She smiled, plugging her phone back into the charger. She could always count on him to be up late and willing to put up with her. She picked up a couple items of clothing that had fallen onto the floor and grabbed a big t-shirt, slipping it on just as she heard light tapping at the door. He started tapping out a song and she laughed, letting him play a bit before opening the door, "Nerd."

"You ask me here to insult me?"

"It's not an insult," she laughed, pushing him into the room. "I like nerds."

"That's because you are a nerd," he laughed, narrowly dodging a slap on his arm.

He plopped down on her couch and she sat on her heels beside him

"So why was your night weird?" she asked. "Everything okay?"

He sighed, looking over at her before turning his gaze back to the TV, "Everything's fine."

She narrowed her eyes, "You sure?"

"You're the one who said you needed to talk," he reminded her. "Everything okay with you?"

"You're deflecting," she accused.

"Maybe," he smirked.

"Lopez, this is not one sided," she insisted. "You can talk to me."

"I know I can," he assured her, meeting her eyes again. "But I promise, I don't need to talk anything out. I'm here for you. What's up? What trouble did you get yourself into now?"

"None that I know of," she said, wrapping her arms around a throw pillow. "I told Jon tonight that I have to focus on my career and not on us. He actually took it pretty well."

"Did he?" Colby scoffed.

"He really did," she insisted. "Why? Did he say something to you?"

Colby shook his head, "Nah, not really."

There was obviously something he wasn't saying but when Colby didn't want to share his feelings, he wouldn't. There was no changing his mind. He just seemed tense. She hoped that he would talk about whatever was bothering him once he relaxed a bit. She moved to the opposite end of the couch, stretching her legs out.

"You're doing the smart thing, you know?" He looked over at her. "I'm sure you're wondering but don't. You have to come first."

He was right, there was faint voice creeping into her psyche and questioning her decision but she was doing her best to silence it.

"I know," she gave him a faint smile.

"I'm proud of you," he told her. "Everything you're doing right now, turning in these 5 star matches-"

"5 stars is a bit strong," she blushed. "TLC was a 3.5 at best. Would've been better if I hadn't fucked up my shoulder."

"You're crazy, that match was amazing," he laughed. He picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels, turning and stretching his legs toward her.

"I'm just trying to change the landscape of professional wrestling," she quipped. "You know, NBD."

They talked for a while about their last few matches and some ideas that Colby had pitched to creative. He was one of her favorite people to talk shop with. Sometimes she talked to people in the business and got the impression that they were put off by her enthusiasm. Colby wasn't like that. He got just as excited as she did.

"Do you think we'll be champions at the same time?" she asked. Even speaking with an assumption that she would become champion made her nervous. Her grandmother was always superstitious and some of it rubbed off on her. She didn't want to jinx anything but in the privacy of her hotel room, she was willing to admit the inevitability of her reign.

"Uh yeah," Colby laughed. "You're gonna be the champ in like five minutes."

"You do not know that," she pointed.

"Av, it's not a coincidence that they're giving you a title match in Nashville next week," he reminded her. Avery had been trying not to think about that part. The idea of winning in front of her hometown, with her grandparents in the audience, it was almost too much.

"Vince loves jobbing people out in their hometowns," she countered.

Colby opened his mouth to argue and she waved her hands, shaking her head, "Enough, enough. I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

He laughed but relented, keeping her from sticking her fingers in her ears like a child. She noticed that his shoulders were relaxed and he seemed more like himself and she smiled. She couldn't get him to talk it out but at least he his spirits had improved.

"Thanks for hanging out with me tonight."

"Of course," he waved off her thank you. "I mean, honestly, I was still half convinced this was a booty call."

She dropped her mouth open and he cackled at her expression. Rolling her eyes, she tossed her throw pillow at his head, "Shut up."