The blonde woman was crumpled against the floor, a pile of blood pooling around her head. She coughed, spitting up blood. She was a sad little thing, her small frame curled tightly into a ball. No tears fell from her eyes, she was angry, her eyebrows knit together, but her face was contorted in pain. She tried to pull herself up, but only fell again.

"Pathetic." A man spits at her, gives her a swift kick to the midsection, "Can't believe I call you my daughter." Black spots darken her vision, she can hear his boots walking away from her. She can hardly breathe as she pulls herself up, her midsection screaming in pain, she grabs at the wall, edging towards the door. Alice didn't ask for this life, she just wanted to be happy. She placed her hand on the knob, pushing it open. The sun hits her hard, she tightens her eyelids, firmly closing them. She walks towards her car, fishing out the keys.


"Where the hell is she?" Joey Mercury snaps as he watches Tyler Black and Jon Moxley do runs in the ring. He stares impatiently at his watch, "I don't care who you fucking are, if you get a lesson with me, you don't stand me up."

Jon flies off the ropes, launching himself towards the other side, "Probably just another stuck up model chick trying the wrestling scene. Nothing to get your panties into a bunch about."

Joey leans against the ropes, "My hunches are never wrong, Moxley, this one was special."

"Bet you say that about every girl you fuck." Jon says bitterly, laughing at Joey as he kicks off the ropes again.

Joey rolls his eyes, "Start practicing pile drivers guys. I'm going to see if Hero has talked to her today." Joey steps out of the ring, walking over to Chris Hero, another guy in the indies. "Hey, you talked to Alice today?"

Chris looks up at him, setting his bar down, "Nah, maybe she fell down the rabbit hole again." Chris says with a light laugh, pulling himself up. He grabs a towel, wiping his face down, "Don't worry, she probably overslept."

"Not like her." Joey says, turning back towards the ring.

Just then, the door opens. A woman straggles in, her hair is unkempt and her eyes are wild and bloodshot. She's bleeding profusely and she's walking as if she's drunk. Her lip is bleeding and she nearly collapses.

Joey turns, turning to see her. "Alice!" He shouts, running over to her, "What the fuck happened to you!" Alice just about falls into his arms. "Shit shit shit. Chris, grab the first aid kit!"


Alice wakes up, staring at the ceiling of Joey Mercury's gym. She groans, feeling her head to feel a bandage where the cut was. Alice pulls herself up, her body feeling broken. She sees Joey talking hurriedly with Chris, Jon, and Tyler. She absentmindedly feels her lip, feeling the wound still there, fresh. She winces, pulling her finger away. Alice stands up, stepping out of the ring.

"You're going to tell me what the fuck just happened. No lies, none of your usual bullshit." Joey storms over to her when he realizes that she's awake. "No falling down the stairs, no running into doors. None of that. You've walked into my gym with black eyes, fucked up lips, but nothing like this. I can't look over this, Alice."

Alice looks down at her converse, "Nothing happened." She brushes past him but he grabs her arm, she winces.

Joey notices it, rolling up her sleeve, he sees a string of bruises. "Oh Alice." He whispers.

Alice licks her lips, "You don't need to worry." She says hastily, grabbing her arm back and pulling her sleeve down. "I have it under control, I'm handling it." She charges for the doors.

"Is this what you call handling it?! Who is beating the living shit out of you?!" Joey shouts at her, charging after her, "Is it some abusive boyfriend I don't know about? ALICE!"

Alice whips around, storming towards him, "What do you want me to tell you? I'm a trained wrestler - and I can't even handle something like this. What does that make me? TELL ME!" She shouts at Joey.

Joey looks at her, then he turns to the three men, watching the two curiously, "You three, scram, beat it. Go get washed up, you're all done for today."

"Alice-" Chris tries to reach out.

"Go." Joey snaps at Chris, "If you all want careers, you'd go shower, and leave us alone."

The three men disperse, each one throwing Alice and Joey concerned looks, or curious looks.

"You won't tell me what happened, fine, but I won't let you stay in that house anymore. You're moving in with me."

Alice's mouth falls open, "No way in hell - besides don't you already live with Moxley-"

"We've got a spare room, we used it for the punching bag, but you need me right now."

"I don't need anyone."

"Shut up, Alice. When Moxley is done showering, we're going to go grab your stuff."

Alice sets her jaw, folding her arms across her chest, "You can't just make me move out of my apartment - I'm fine in my apartment."


Alice eventually lost the argument, when Joey threatened not to train her anymore, she gave in. Jon Moxley came out of the shower, not saying a word when Alice hopped into the passenger's side. They arrived at her apartment, and Alice raked her eyes nervously for him.

She shakily put her key into the lock, her cat Wilson came bonding down the hallway. Mewing at her, pawing at her legs. "Hey buddy." She says, giving him a pat on the head. She beelines for her room, ignoring the blood in the kitchen.

"Scene of the crime." Jon whistles, walking into the kitchen, "Surprised she didn't bleed out, fuck."

Joey is behind him, stepping into the kitchen, "So, abusive boyfriend seems like the best case." He looks over at the knocked down chairs, picking them up. "She fought."

"Not hard enough." Jon puts his hands in his pockets, "You sure about letting her live with us? I'm sort of unstable, might be overwhelming."

"I'm sure. Better having her around a nutcase instead of having the shit beaten out of her in her own kitchen." Joey runs a hand over his head, "This is fucking scary." He pauses, "ALICE! You about done in there?"

"Do we have to bring that demon?" Jon nods at the cat, "Ain't much of a animal person."

"Done!" Alice announces, stepping out of her room to find them in the kitchen.

Joey turns around, "Boyfriend?"

"Don't have one." She says as she scoops Wilson up, putting him into his carrier along with some of his toys. "Stop asking questions."

Joey walks over to her, "I want to know what happened."

"What? So you can protect me from the big bad wolf?" Alice rolls her eyes, "I'm handling it." She insists, "Let's go so we can get this over with."


She laid in bed, tossing and turning. She heard loud moaning noises coming from Jon's room, to which she had to layer her pillow around her ears. She finally got frustrated, getting out of bed.

Alice poured herself a glass of water, and sat at the counter, placing with the ice cube in her water.

"You still up?"

She looks over to see Jon Moxley, standing at the other side of the counter, shirtless and in jeans.

"Can't sleep." She says, "Thin walls."

Jon chuckles, walking over to the fridge and grabbing the milk. He grabs a glass, setting it down next to Alice. He sits beside her, pouring the glass then taking a sip. "Best get used to that."

Alice drinks her water, "Didn't know you were into whores."

"All men are into whores, sweetheart." Jon smirks, taking a long drink of his milk, "It's the girls like you that aren't as fun."

Alice looks over at him, looking at him through narrowed eyes, "What the fuck are you talking about, Moxley."

"Ain't easy. Just a bunch of fucking games. Probably why I haven't even bothered trying to fuck you, you'd just swat me away with your high as fuck standards." Jon chuckles darkly, downing the rest of his milk, "Trust me sweetheart, you ain't that special." He gets up, about to walk away.

"Hey Jon."

He turns around.

"Fuck you." Alice bitterly says.

Jon laughs, going back into his bedroom, "I know."