As Finn sat there in his locker room looking at his reflection in the gold plated letters that he had been representing for months, just reflecting back on the past few months and how things had changed from becoming champion. The first and maybe most important thing about becoming champion was that it was the fruition of a dream that a much younger Finn had watching then WWF television. He was a champion in WWE, not the same caliber as his heroes growing up in his humble opinion but a champion nonetheless.

The second, unexpected thing that came with this belt was his relationship with Sasha. It was confusing on the more intimate parts because he wasn't sure if it was her selling a storyline or genuine. There was one thing he was sure about though and that was that she had become his second best friend behind Kevin Owens. Thinking about it was enough to get Finn smiling as he looked down at the belt that so changed his life.

It had been a bit since Brooklyn and things were starting to become normal for Finn Balor. He was no longer really working with Sasha since the Boss and the champion Bayley were working on one last program, Sasha's swan song before she would go to the main roster full time. Of course, he was disappointed not getting to hang out with a busy Sasha but he was also happy for her like he was for Kevin. They were accomplishing their dreams.

Now that didn't mean Finn was left in the cold with nothing to do. It was actually quite the opposite in that regard. He had been busier than usual thanks to the new program he was starting with Samoa Joe, an old friend. He and Joe had been entered in the Dusty Rhodes Classic, a Tag Team tournament in honor of the American Dream, one of the men most important to the class of NXT Superstars.

Finn personally thought that it was strange to have both he and Joe on a team because neither of them really had the amount of experience with Dusty that some of the other superstars had but this was a means to an end, with the end being a rivalry between him and Joe.

Finn looked up when the door to his locker room was pushed open and he smiled at the sight of his current tag team partner, Samoa Joe. Joe was already in his wrestling gear with a white towel around the back of his neck like an old school prizefighter. "Ready to go champ? We got the Mechanics to start the show."

Nodding, Finn stood up recalling the pre-show meeting that they had with Triple H with the story for their match. It would be Finn and Joe's first match of the night and once they won they'd face another team. Snapping the belt around his waist, the NXT Champion got into his leather jacket and chuckled. "They really need a better name."

Even Joe who was always intensely focused smirked at the small crack at their opponent's silly name. "Tell me about. You got first billing with the entrance. See you out there champ." The large Samoan then clapped Finn on the back with a bit more force than usual making him stumble a bit.

He had done it hundreds of times, so many times that he was almost able to do it with his eyes closed. When darkness went to light Finn's arms went up and then he spun showing his Balor Club jacket to the crowd as his arms went up again, a maestro in front of his captive audience.

And before he knew it he was standing in the ring as Joe's music hit, the music sounding like the beating of a war drum while the crowd added an intoned chant of Joe that mixed so well with the music that Finn had to actively hold himself back from bobbing his head.

When both of them were in the ring instead of paying attention to the Mechanics, Finn and Joe were busy discussing who would start off the tag match. In the end, they agreed it should be Joe but before Finn had the chance to fully get out of the ring he was hip-checked from off the ringside to the arena floor by Dash Wilder.

The red haired man quickly paid for his blind side attack when Joe took him to a corner and started to beat him down with a straight fist barrage. When the assault finally came to an end Joe looked to the corner and saw Finn still not there so he threw Wilder back into the corner to receive a barrage from both his fists before getting slapped across the chest with a chop.

A two corner beatdown was not enough for the Samoan Submission Machine and he proved it when he grabbed the back of Wilder's neck and threw him to a third corner. Backing up, Joe ran forward to splash Wilder but missed when Scott Dawson pulled his teammate out of the way leaving Joe to land on nothing but buckle.

Taking advantage of the stunned man, Wilder threw him to the mat and started to stomp on Joe's broad chest, the impact of each stomp shaking Joe back into the mat. Stuck over in their corner Finn was forced to watch as all the momentum Joe got was cut down by the double beatdown by Dash and Dawson. Fresh tags in and out kept the beatdown going and all the referee could do was continue to restart his five count and force them out.

Finally, they made their mistake when Wilder brought Joe into the middle of the ring where he was finally able to counter and block to build some more momentum which led to Dawson tagging in to try and stop Joe. He failed because Joe ducked under a lariat and was finally able to tag in the NXT Champion.

Dawson sprinted to Balor in hopes of cutting him off before he could even jump in but he got a kick to the side of the head from Finn sending the bald wrestler stumbling back. Leaping over the top rope Finn dropped Dawson to the mat before he turned his attention to Dash giving him a kick to the side of the head for the cheap shots he took as well.

When he turned back around Dawson was in a corner the perfect spot for a running knife edge chop that cut through the arena getting the crowd to sing out a Wooooo while Dawson cried out in pain from the sting. Finn hit one more before dropkicking both Dawson and Dash out to the ringside area in front of the ramp, Wilder first then Dawson.

The long-term tag team outside tried to get it together as the NXT audience started to chant for their Champion. It was a chant that fueled Finn as he went flying over the top rope diving out and taking both men of the tag team out with him much to the delight of both Finn's fans and his partner.

By the time Dawson rolled in Finn had everything set up to go for the finish but one more time Dash Wilder ran interference allowing his teammate to land a ferocious chop block to Finn's knee. With Finn rolling around in pain on the canvas the two men who were all about reviving the old school went to work on Finn's leg and knee, slow and boring but brutally effective.

It took a long while but Finn finally created some space by knocking both of his opponents to the outside. Holding his injured knee, Finn turned to his well-rested and raring to go partner and made the leap to tag him in but the functioning team of Wilder and Dawson were a step ahead as Dash pulled Joe off the apron cutting the tag off.

Furious that he was cheated by the redhead tag team wrestler Joe made for a full sprint towards and into the ring causing the ref to jump in front of him to try and get him out of the ring. With the man in the stripes distracted Scott and Dash were able to nail a backbreaker and elbow drop that left Finn contorted up painfully. Dawson went for the pin and got a near three that left him in disbelief and Samoa Joe reeling with relief on the apron, both men with heads in their hands.

The Irishman finally managed to make a tag and Joe came in like a house on fire as he reeled off rapid-fire right hands that snapped Dash's jaw back on repeat until Joe sent him off the ropes. Hitting Joe's body, Wilder was elevated and dropped atomically making him cringe and hold his groin. Getting in the corner the Samoan Submission Machine spiked Wilder in the mat.

Joe hauled Wilder's motionless body up onto the top buckle and started to set him up for a muscle buster when Finn had Joe tag him in. The Muscle Buster was hit followed by Finn's Coup de Gras which did enough damage to Finn's already suffering knee but it was enough to get the pin.

In the end, Finn had to be helped to the back by Joe but that was just the two of them selling the angle for later tonight to the perfect degree. After the two vanished behind the curtain the only thing that was important was the knee of the NXT Champion from both the commentator perspective as well as the fans… which just meant that the two professionals had done their job.

The show continued on and Finn was safely put back in his locker room where he could move around freely, do some stretches, and just generally operate like he would without fear that he'd be breaking character when not even five to ten minutes ago he was in the middle of the ring with one good leg to his name.

As he thought about his second and final match of the night, Finn couldn't help but give a chuckle that bounced off the walls of the room around him. "Man, am I glad that I am not Joe in this next match." He was no stranger to helping sell a 'Monster' and in this tag match, Joe was going to have to help sell two of them. "Better him than me." He finished with another chuckle.

"Should I be worried that you're talking to yourself?"

Surprised because he didn't hear anyone sneak their way in, Finn spun around tense but that all left him when he saw Sasha standing there in her wrestling gear with a shirt over her torso, hands on her hips and a smirk on her painted lips. Knowing he was caught red handed Finn just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"What's up Sasha?" Finn asked taking a seat, eager to move past what just happened but also very happy to be seeing the woman he had been spending so much time with both on camera and off of it… and admittedly they were some of the best times he had since coming to NXT from Japan.

A frown briefly flashed across Sasha's face prior to her letting out an annoyed sigh, not at Finn but just generally annoyed. "There's just so much noise running around there. I had to get away from it all." She muttered, running one of her hands through her long hair.

Finn's face scrunched up in confusion and his head tilted to the side with that same kind of confusion evident on his face. "Huh, what do you mean?" The way she put it made the environment sound kind of antsy which usually wasn't the case from what he had experienced at least.

"It's just that everyone is on my case if I am okay since this is my last NXT show and they all want to smother me with good wishes and the like but I am just trying to get myself ready to put on a show." Sasha went on ranting, throwing and slashing her hand around a few times before her shoulders slumped and she sighed.

"So I thought I'd come to the one place left that was comfortable." She didn't say it but it was implied that she meant here with him and that made Finn smile at her. Wanting to get comfortable, Sasha dropped down on the bench beside Finn and laid her head on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind?"

Their eyes met for a long few silent moments before Finn shook his head, silently telling her that he did not mind her being here. His answer was proven to be totally the right one when Sasha's beautiful smile shone at him. Holding his arm between her two arms, Sasha shifted her head a bit and closed her eyes contently, just leaning on Finn, cuddling him.

That was one of the good things about Finn Balor, Sasha realized… that he kept things quiet and mostly kept to himself even in a working environment like the WWE where social interaction was almost as natural as breathing. It also selfishly made Sasha feel special that she was one of the very few that Finn allowed in.

It wasn't long before Finn leaned back into Sasha letting her have that arm to lay on while he pushed the side of his head gently into the top of hers prompting the woman resting with him to lean in further and give a long, slow nuzzle. Slowly sliding her hand into Finn's when she felt him squeezing her hand in response she smiled brightly against his shoulder.

They had thirty-some minutes before Finn had his match and after that, her match and right now both the Boss and the Demon had plans to enjoy every last minute they could with each other down to the second. "Hey, Finn?"

"Yeah?" He responded after a moment sounding almost like he was ready to fall asleep with how long it took him to respond and how low his voice was when he finally did answer.

"Did you enjoy our time together?" Sasha asked quietly, her heart pounding in her chest faster and louder. For a moment she thought that her beating, the swelling heart might have been even louder than the volume of her voice, which only gave her more nerves about this silly as it seemed.

Finn readjusted his hand and Sasha's so that their fingers interlocked and he could properly feel her soft hand resting inside of his larger one. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Finn gave a silent nod of his head. "The best time I've had in NXT, hands down."

Then just like that, all her nerves were replaced with an indescribable kind of happiness that went throughout her entire being calming her and leaving her with a slightly red blush. Sasha only hoped that Finn couldn't feel the heat on her cheeks that most certainly would have given her away. "I feel the same, Finn."

Almost inexplicably both separated, sitting upright for a moment before they both turned to look each other directly in the eyes. Neither of the two said a word and just stared longingly at the other's eyes until slowly both began to lean, Finn down and in with Sasha leaning up and in. They were maybe a moment away from kissing when an alarm suddenly went off shocking Sasha and reminding Finn.

"Shit gotta go match is gonna start soon! Good luck with your match Sasha!" And like that Finn was gone as he rushed out of the room towards the ring.

Sasha sat there staring at the door Finn exited from for a few moments before she brought her hand up to touch fingers against her lips. 'I was so damn close.' Sasha whined internally as she replayed that moment again in her head.

The Tag Team Tournament in the honor of Dusty Rhodes had just been completed and the victors were none other than Finn Balor, the NXT Champion and the world-renowned Samoa Joe which immediately gave this newly created award validity immediately. Bringing credibility to a newly made award was always the challenge but with two of the biggest names going in NXT being the inaugural trophy winners that was one thing NXT wasn't afraid of not having.

WWE management even decided it was for the best to bring in some of Dusty's immediate family into the ring for a small speech and presentation of the rather hefty trophy which in itself was a thrill for Finn who respected both Cody and Dustin Rhodes immensely. That was actually more exciting for the Irishman than getting a trophy was.

Cody was busy going over a speech he had prepared and he could feel Joe moving around the ring showing his excitement and respect for Dusty but Finn, he remained motionless just giving the occasional smile when he felt it was needed.

He looked distracted because he was distracted by the small part of him that told Finn that this wasn't an award that should have been his. He wasn't one of Dusty's Guys, he was one of the first class outside of Dusty Guys. Yet he still had a job to do so he held the appearance of someone who was proud to win… which he was, he was also just tired of being in the ring. Which is why when the cameramen asked him and Joe to raise up the trophy Finn cursed behind the facade of a smile but lifted it up, although it was obviously much lower on his side then it was Joe's. Part of that was because he was smaller and the other parts were him being tired and selling the bad leg he was supposed to have.

It wasn't long before the cameraman with word from production was able to inform them they were cutting to the piece between Bayley and Sasha and they were able to move around more freely. Of course, there was another round of hugs and congratulations between those in the ring before the squared circle started to empty.

The ring emptied in this order… the Rhodes family, then Samoa Joe, and finally Finn was the last to leave shooting the audience a Too Sweet before he hopped out of the ring so that the crew could get the trophy out of there and prepare the ring for the main event.

Making his way up the ramp Finn was swarmed on both sides from people looking for high fives or pictures and despite the craziness of having over a hundred people yelling at him from ringside Finn managed to get every last one of them before he vanished behind the curtain and into the backstage area.

Immediately Finn's body was hit by a much cooler atmosphere outside of the bright lights on the ring, a welcomed change that left him sighing, not that the soft noise was heard over the rest of the commotion going on around him. Snagging a towel and wiping down his face, head, the back of his neck and his shoulders, Finn slung the towel over one of his shoulders and knifed his way through all the traffic.

He had just gotten out of that packed, loaded room of chaos and fitting as it was waiting outside of there was Sasha who pulled her glasses up on top of her head. Finn didn't even have to say anything and neither did Sasha, they mere shared a look and Finn walked by brushing his hand against hers knowing that the Boss would do her thing.

When Finn walked past her Sasha took one more moment to center herself, taking a deep breath, holding it for a moment then releasing it. Slowing her heart down and focusing on the game plan, Sasha flipped down her shades with a smirk and swaggered on into the room right before the ramp.

From that point on things seemed to happen in fast forward. She couldn't remember doing her entrance let alone Bayley's but when she came to she was standing there staring across at Bayley who of course had a slight smile on her face but that was just the Hugger being the Hugger, her character. Wanting to maintain the integrity of her Heelish character without having to say a word, Sasha made sure that everyone in the crowd saw how her focused gaze never left the title, not even to look at her opponent. Disrespectful? Yes

Something the Boss would do? Definitely

The referee first showed the title to Bayley who gave it a longing look before nodding her head. Then he took the title and showed it to Sasha who quickly yanked it from his hands and held it up like she had already won it. Being a predominantly pro-Bayley crowd she was heavily booed for her disrespect. It was that booing which brought a massive, cocky smirk to the face of the woman called the Boss.

When and only when she was sure that her message had gotten through to everyone watching did Sasha give back the title to the referee so that the match could officially begin. For the briefest of moments Sasha had to correct herself, it was her last match. But as soon as that thought came it was banished from her mind. 'Can't be thinking like that, I need to focus on what I'm doing right now.'

When the bell went off immediately Bayley and Banks were tied up in a test of strength, turning and rotating positions so that each woman had the opportunity to establish the dominant position. In the end, Sasha got the best of Bayley and shoved the current champion off to the side with a look of steely determination that didn't falter even as the crowd around them chanted for Bayley.

Circling each other a few more times, Bayley and Sasha locked up again but this time Sasha got a clear advantage and was able to use a side headlock to bring Bayley down to the mat, setting up for a number of quick pinfalls with the third one being the closest as it netted the Boss a two count.

As soon as Bayley's shoulders pushed off the mat Sasha was back on top of her and re-locking in the headlock that not only put pressure on the Champion's neck but also made sure that neither of them burned too much energy with the rest of the match looming in front of them.

Next, it was Bayley's turn to mount some offense as she worked her way to a vertical base that eventually threw Sasha off and into the ropes and when she came back Bayley ran Sasha over with a shoulder tackle. Following that up with a quick succession of pinfalls, the Hugger introduced a small burst of adrenaline and got the crowd into cheering for her.

They continued to chain wrestle together pin after pin for another near two minutes before Sasha hit a meaningful move in the form of a beautiful dropkick that nailed Bayley on the jaw, dropping her down to the mat, in a corner. From Sasha's almost demeaning expression to the unsure one on Bayley's face the story was clear as if it had been said out loud. Sasha Banks was oozing confidence and Bayley, the Underdog Champion was unsure of herself.

But that was only for a second because in the next moment Bayley sprung up and hit Sasha with a lariat. Not happy with being knocked down, Sasha hurried back to her feet to knock down Bayley but her haste got her a pair of vicious but clumsy arm drags that left the former NXT Women's Champion prisoner of the current Champion's armbar.

Reversing with an arm drag, Sasa pretty much threw Bayley across the ring into the opposite corner and when the champ got up Sasha charged the corner. Leaping into Bayley's stomach knees first, Sasha missed when Bayley stepped to the side but Sasha recovered easily when she sprung up to the second buckle then up again so she could take Bayley's head and spike into the buckle.

Bayley knew it was coming though and caught the ropes feeding into the buckle just in time to stop her face from smashing the buckle; however, this left her back open and gave the Boss the time she needed to try and lock in the Banks Statement. Once again Bayley was ready and grabbed the ropes causing Sasha's move to fail as she fell to the ground. This time it was Bayley who went for her finisher causing Sasha to scramble away to the safety of a corner, much like Bayley did earlier.

Then something strange happened… Bayley went over to the Boss and offered her a hand to get up which Sasha took. Things didn't end there though because Bayley and Sasha hugged which might have been fitting for the champ but Sasha she took Bayley by the hair and pulled her down into the mat… as was fitting for the ruthless, success-driven Boss. They might have been friends out of the ring but this was her show, her time and she let Bayley know, verbally.

A pleased smirk worked its way onto Sasha's face as the crowd booed her for the dirty tactic against the lovable champion. It was fuel she used as she worked over the back of Bayley's neck, dropping elbow points into the base of her neck. Ready for the corner spot, Sasha whipped Bayley into the corner. "This is why I am the Boss!"

She ran right for Bayley but again she was cut off when Bayley turned her shoulder catching Sasha in the jaw. With the Boss staggering back Bayley was able to perform a spring off the second rope and arm drag Sasha again. This time it was Sasha who went rolling all the way across the ring to the opposite corner. Hot on her heels, Bayley crashed into Sasha with a jumping clothesline.

Crumbling to the mat like someone who had just done a sit up, Sasha cried out in pain when Bayley hit a whirling elbow right in her spine causing her to spring forward then back and as she came back Bayley dropped an elbow on Sasha's chest, driving her to the mat. Feeling her momentum spilling away Sasha tried to climb back to her feet but for her troubles, she was knocked out of the ring by a dropkick.

For the first time it seemed like Bayley was building actual momentum in the match, a thought further strengthened by the way Sasha was literally scrambling away from Bayley, as far as she could. She didn't get far though because Bayley came shooting under the bottom rope, cutting that corner and drop kicking Banks into the guardrail.

Rolling her adversary into the ring, Bayley waited an extra moment for the Boss to get to a hunched over position that gave her the opportunity to plant Sasha's face into the mat courtesy of a running bulldog. Bayley quickly flipped Sasha and hooked both legs pulling her into a deep cover that got her a two count.

Not wanting to give her opponent a second opportunity to land a pinfall, Sasha quickly rolled to the ropes but not fast enough because Bayley practically pounced on her. In her rush Bayley left herself open and got rolled up in a pin, a pin aided by Sasha's feet being on the ropes giving her more leverage but the ref saw it after only counting one and started to chide Sasha for her blatant cheating.

"What the hell! What was that!?" Sasha demanding like she wasn't cheating and it was the man in the stripes that was in the wrong in this situation. With her back turned, Sasha made for an easy target but at the second Sasha sidestepped and Bayley almost crashed into the referee. Thankfully she stopped herself but this allowed Sasha to do what Bayley tried to do but like Sasha, Bayley avoided the attack and it was Sasha who almost hit the referee.

In a moment of brilliance, Sasha stepped on the bottom rope and turned her back using her body to obstruct the ref's vision and allowing her to thumb Bayley right in the eye. As the champion was busy dealing with her blindness Sasha schoolgirl pinned Bayley and got the 1-2-3.

The score was 1-0, Sasha Banks with about 21 minutes left.

Right after that the match turned into nothing more than the two women rolling around the mat trading mounted positions as they rained down fists on each other, not slaps but straight rights and lefts that demanded a guard be put or risk being knocked silly. It took a bit but Sasha was able to get the upper hand and forced Bayley into a corner.

Sasha laid Bayley horizontally across the second turnbuckle so her back was on one corner of the ropes and her legs were on the other. To make sure she stayed that way Sasha open hand chopped Bayley right on her exposed stomach with a loud, stinging sound. Seeing her opportunity, Sasha sprung up but before she could get knee spiked down, Bayley caught Sasha with her shoulder and dropped her chin first on the top buckle.

With her challenger in a vulnerable spot, Bayley went to push the advantage but Sasha lashed out with a kick to keep the distance. Bayley caught her foot then grabbed Sasha's other foot and pulled her up so she could drive her down but instead of that happening Sasha landed gracefully on her feet and nailed the champion with a straight elbow that could jar loose some teeth.

Hopping onto the top turnbuckle, Sasha had plans to jump down and land a crossbody but instead, she fell right into the waiting arms of the Hugger who swiveled her hips and lifted Sasha up and over with a ring-shaking Bayley to Belly that planted Sasha flat into the mat. Falling into the cover Bayley was the one to get the 1-2-3.

Everything was tied up at 1 with about 19 minutes left in the Ironman match.

Both women were exhausted from the first eleven minutes of the match but Bayley worked her way to her feet first, using the adrenaline from her win tying it up to push her to her feet first while Sasha rolled out of the ring where she was safe for at least a count of ten.

That was until Bayley rolled out and started to make a jog for the corner, jumping she slid under the bottom buckle again to dropkick Sasha for the third time. However, the third time proved to be the charm for the Boss who caught Bayley's legs then swung her to the right, body first into the heavy, unforgiving steel steps.

As the crowd gasped in concern and Bayley's number one fan Izzy ran to the guardrail to try and check on her favorite wrestler and role model, Sasha took the few moments afforded her to gather her breath and properly recover from taking Bayley's finishing move. Two seconds passed on the ref's count and Bayley was rolled into the ring but all Sasha got was a count of two.

Frustrated that her lead was no longer a thing, Sasha took Bayley out of the ring again and once again threw her shoulder and head first into the steel steps that vibrated from the impact of flesh on steel… but that wasn't enough for the Boss who pulled Bayley up by her hair and threw her into steps a third time. Grinning an arrogant, satisfied grin with the job she had done, Sasha stopped herself right in front of Izzy and almost got in her face. "This is your girl, right? What a joke, both of you!"

Very much the bad woman of NXT the crowd almost in unison booed her for something they thought was uncalled for, taunting a small girl like that, but in the eyes of the Boss, she hadn't gone far enough, not until she won back her NXT Women's Championship. When they both got back in the ring Sasha only got a count of two so she threw Bayley out of the ring like trash, a landing that tweaked Bayley's knee leaving her with a bad leg and bum shoulder now.

"Watch this" Sasha called out to Izzy as she dragged Bayley up the ramp by her slightly sidewards ponytail. Once at the top of the ramp Sasha threw Bayley into the video board of the timer making the screen short circuit and go fuzzy thanks to Bayley's body bouncing off it.

With her opponent downed and out Sasha Banks sashayed her way down the ramp right past Izzy but she didn't pass by her without incident because as she walked by she yanked the bow right off Izzy's head much to the surprise of the crowd and horror of Izzy. Rolling into the ring Sasha put the bow on her head and put her balled up hands under her eyes like she was crying as she circled her ring and the referee counted to 10.

Sasha Banks had taken the lead once again, leaving the score at 2-1 with 15:45 left in the match.

Laying on her stomach in the ring, Sasha looked directly at Izzy who was on the verge of tears. Knowing she had the little girl on the edge, Sasha got back onto her feet and waved mockingly at the girl before she hurled the ribbon back at her. That was the last straw as the little girl started to cry with her father holding her… and with it, the crowd went absolutely wild.

Bayley did her best to drag her body down the ramp and roll back into the ring but as soon as her body went under the rope Banks was there with a baseball dropkick that forced Bayley back outside of the ring, not even letting the lovable champion back in the ring.

When the champ finally did get in the ring all she got for her troubles was Sasha alternating between stomping the small of her back and mocking her by acting like Bayley would which of course brought down more booing from the NXT crowd.

Backbreaker, Boston Crab, stomping the back of Bayley's neck. The former NXT Women's Champion had an assault that was flawless, striking every portion of Bayley's damaged body. Or that was the case until Sasha went back for a second Crab because Bayley caught her by surprise when she suddenly rolled Sasha up in a pin and got the fall.

One more time everything was tied up. This time the score was even at 2 and there was only just over twelve minutes left.

At first, there was disbelief that her lead had slipped from her fingers but that turned into a rage and anger that drove Sasha into truly brutalizing Bayley but when that wasn't enough to get another fall in her favor the anger turned into frustration.

Bayley and Sasha continued trading moves and near falls for seven minutes until Sasha got desperate enough to try a suicide dive from the ring to the outside. She didn't quite land it though because she landed in Bayley's arms... again and again, she was belly to belly suplex but this time onto the outside.

Quickly Bayley pushed Sasha into the ring but the referee's count only netted her a two and three fourths, so close but still not enough. With both women down trying to recover some energy for the home stretch, the crowd began chanting Ironwomen, an incredible moment fitting a history-making match.

Both women were nearly limp against each other at this point but slowly, almost painfully Bayley got enough strength to set Sasha up seated on the top turnbuckle. It might have taken all she had left but somehow Bayley gathered herself, ran up the buckles and hit a Bayley to Belly from the top buckle. All that momentum nearly rolled them out of the ring but eventually, Bayley got on top for a pin. The ref got a count of two when the fatigue caused Bayley to slump forward pushing Sasha's leg onto the ropes and breaking what would have been a go-ahead pinfall.

Slumped over the bottom rope that had just betrayed her, Bayley looked absolutely spent as did Sasha who was still flat on her back breathing heavily. Like they were moving through quicksand, both women slowly climbed back to their feet. Exhausted but wanting the gold they rushed each other and Sasha was a step quicker which allowed her to hit Bayley's finisher on Bayley.

One!

Two!

Bayley kicked out just before three but her momentum from kicking out so forcefully put her flat on her stomach which Sasha pounced on as she locked in her Banks Statement submission hold. Wrenching back on Bayley's neck, Sasha put all of her weight down on Bayley as she screamed for her to tap out right there in the center of the ring. The champ finally dragged herself to the ropes but before she could grab it Sasha used her foot to push off the rope, roll them back into the center of the ring, and re-lock in the submission.

Fighting through the pain of being in the Boss' submission for over a minute, somehow Bayley managed to get out of the hold but the damage was clearly done on the writhing champion. More tired than in pain with the seconds ticking down under a minute Sasha positioned herself behind Bayley, hands under the champ's chin. With the last of her energy, Sasha jumped to perform the backstabber that was the prelude to her Banks Statement.

But at the last moment, Bayley rolled over her knees and caught the Boss in a modified arm breaker that had both of Sasha's arms extended to that painful threshold. Stomping, bending the fingers, Bayley did everything she could and Sasha gave up as the last second came off the clock.

"The winner of the match and still NXT Women's Champion… it's Bayley!" Music and applause flooded the arena as the champion successfully defended her title in one of the greatest matches in NXT history, past or future.

Last time it was about the women who changed ladies wrestling but this time it was about Bayley as she stood there in the ring, the proud champion while the entire NXT roster plus William Regal, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon stood at the top of the ramp applauding both women.

Sasha in pain and trying to fight back the tears from this being her last match in the brand that shaped her into a superstar didn't recognize what was happening around her until she looked to her left and saw that it Triple H. He mouthed to her that she was perfect in this match before he went down the ramp. And when he moved Finn was there holding a massive bouquet of flowers and a charming smile. "You were amazing!" He told her voice filled with admiration as he handed her the flowers.

That was all the physically and emotionally spent Boss could take as she crumbled right into Finn's arms obviously trying to fight back the tears as she let the man she had been working with, doing press tours with, and getting to know support her with his strength as the crowd around her chanted Thank You, Sasha.

Triple H seeing that Sasha was being taken care of hid his smirk as he walked down to the ring where Bayley was looking up the ramp to her friend nearly in tears herself. Stepping into the ring, the Game handed Bayley her assortment of flowers and the two shared an embrace, much like a Father would his Daughter.

Taking the hand of the victorious competitor, Triple H proudly raised Bayley's hand high as the crowd showered the Women's Champion in admiration and respect, a showing that was topped off by a chant of You Deserve It!

Back on the ramp, Sasha looked one more time at her friend with a warm smile before she turned and saw Finn focused on the ring, smiling and clapping. Without warning Sasha through her arms around Finn's neck and pulled him right into a kiss. The first to see it where those around them and behind them that were left wide-eyed in shock. The huge thing of flowers might have been blocking some of their faces but it was more than obvious how fierce of a kiss it was.

Yes, she was doing this for her and the feelings she had for Finn but she was also sending a message to anyone watching. Finn Balor was hers.

Next to notice it was the crowd who had gone silent for a moment as their collective brain tried to reboot from seeing Sasha Banks actually kissing Finn Balor right there in front of their eyes but when they did recover the crowd began to whistle and cheer. Sasha slowly pulled back slightly red-faced from doing that in front of so many people but seeing the dazed look on Finn's face made her smile.

With one more look out to the crowd and setting she'd miss undoubtedly in the future, Sasha took Finn's hand and pulled him backstage and past the roster that was nice enough to part for them to get through.

It felt like she was moving faster than any time during the match but eventually Sasha had pulled Finn into an isolated, dead-end hallway. Sasha could feel the white brick wall cold on her heated flesh but she only had eyes for Finn who was looking at her with a surprised expression still. It made her smile.

"Sasha was that for the screen or was it…" His Irish accent hung in the air but he never got the chance to finish his question because one more time Sasha pulled him into a kiss. This time she used his shirt to pull him into her and his body weight pinned her against the wall as their lips met.

Finn was ready for it this time as he ran one of his warm hands up the back of Sasha's thigh, going up a few inches before squeezing her thigh. The pressure made Sasha gasp against Finn's lips giving him the space he needed to slide his tongue into her mouth.

Moaning as her tongue pushed against Finn's tongue, Sasha pushed her body into Finn's. She pressed and rubbed herself against him, trying to get as much contact as possible before she slowly pulled herself back towards the wall, breath heavy and a bit unfocused by the intense kiss. "Finn, Fergal, Prince" In their business, it could get confusing what name to use in a relationship but she wouldn't let that ruin their moment. "I don't know when it happened but I found myself liking you, like more than a friend. I couldn't deal with it if someone else even tried to take you from me. It's greedy, possessive I know… but that's how I am when I want something and I want you, Finn."

"I'd be stupid to not return the feelings of such a beautiful, smart, and talented woman," Finn replied with a charming smile, his words making Sasha blush. Because she couldn't trust her mind to put together coherent words Sasha opted to just kiss her new boyfriend.

Compared to the first two, this kiss was nothing too crazy but for the new couple that didn't make things any less satisfying when eventually Sasha pulled her lips away from Finn's. "As much as I'd like to stay here kissing you all night. I do need to shower still."

"And let me guess, you'd like to use my locker room right?" He had noticed that pattern of her showing up at his dressing spot, not that he had plans to complain about the company of a beautiful woman… who just so happened to be his girlfriend now.

Sasha's mouth curled up into a smirk as she nodded her head slowly to confirm what the Irishman said. "That is one hundred percent right. C'mon lets go, I know who is washing my back~" She said in a sing-song tone before she pulled Finn towards where she knew his dressing room to be.

All Finn could do was chuckle in the wake of Sasha's enthusiasm. Her being happy was more than enough reason for him to be happy he quickly deduced. What he also realized walking behind Sasha's swinging hips was just how nice of an ass and long legs she had… but he'd keep that to himself for now.

Yes, this was inspired by the Mixed Match Challenge coming out. It got me to push out this chapter.