Summary: Paige struggles to accept and find a place for herself in AJ's married life.


Fruitcake and Muffin's Nutty Frenemyship

A WWE Fanfic by

Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Match 2: Paige (with Big E) vs. CM Punk (with AJ)


Though AJ only served as a commentator for a few months, it had a major impact on the WWE's broadcast team. She was such a big hit that Divas were given a permanent seat at the announcer's table. This gave Divas some much-needed additional TV time, and allowed the ones that were still recovering from injuries to reconnect with the fans.

None of that, however, changed AJ's mind about leaving WWE, not even when she was offered a new contract as a full-time commentator.

Paige was crushed, having tried everything she could think of to make AJ stay, short of locking her in a room. They had at least discussed their feelings for each other, but AJ remained firm on their being friends and nothing more. Although, as it turned out, AJ's definition of friendly behavior allowed for prolonged stalking, unannounced visits to each other's homes, hugs that lasted too long to be entirely innocent, and kisses that landed rather close to the mouth. So Paige could not deny that she was largely happy with the arrangement. She just wasn't happy that AJ wouldn't be around as much.

"You're being silly," AJ told her. "If you ever really need to see me, just take some time off, hop a plane to Chicago, and you can tag along with me at whatever I'm doing at the time. And I'll come visit you and the girls backstage whenever you come to town, or when I have some free time. It's not the end of the world, muffin."

"Hearing you call me that in person isn't the same as hearing it over the phone, or reading it in a text, though," Paige complained.

"Which is why I told you to come see me whenever you want, Paige! We've talked about this so many times already."

"I don't want to miss you. I don't want you to go, AJ."

AJ rolled her eyes. "You are being such a baby. You're so lucky I think it's cute on you."

Paige glared at her. "AJ, don't make fun of me right now!"

"I kinda have to, Paige. You have other girlfriends, and they're going to support you when I leave, just like they've been doing from the start. I've given you every possible way there is to contact me at any hour of the day. So unless you want to quit WWE and move in with me, there's nothing else I can do for you. You're just going to have to be a big girl. Stay in-character all the time, if that helps you deal with it. You're more than tough enough to handle this. No pun intended."

"But-"

AJ slapped her hand over Paige's mouth. "Nope, no more whining from you. This is happening, Paige, and you just need to deal with it." She paused and lowered her voice. "I know you love me lots, muffin, and I love you, too. But if you're going to be in my life, you have to tone down the clingy stuff. At least long enough for me to actually leave. I promise I'll text you as soon as I'm a mile away." When Paige nodded her agreement, AJ removed her hand.

"Sorry. It's just, you really mean a lot to me, AJ."

"Well, of course, it's me!" AJ said, giving her a smug smile. "You'll be fine, Paige, I just know it. Eventually, you'll know it, too."


A Few Months Later

Paige was drunk. Not falling down drunk, because she was already stretched out across a bed. Not tossing cookies drunk, because if she had done that already, then she didn't remember it, and she didn't feel sick, exactly. Not brawling drunk, either, because she felt too fuzzy to hold a decent grudge at the moment.

No, Paige was what the girls tended to call missing AJ drunk. Which was nice, in that it made Paige quiet and reflective, but bad in that it also made Paige moody and a total buzzkill. If Normal Paige ever met Missing AJ Drunk Paige in a bar, there would be a fight, only one would emerge alive, and that one wouldn't be missing AJ. At least, she wouldn't be so terribly obvious about it.

Not that anyone really blamed Paige. AJ was the sort that fell in love easily, just as she was the sort that people fell for easily. And it was only natural that Paige, who had extremely bad luck with men, would be drawn to another woman. That was all fine and good.

Then came the complications. AJ was happily married, apparently had little to no interest in having an affair with Paige, but still wanted to remain Paige's best friend. Admittedly, Paige wanted that, too. It was just that she was also hoping to expand that into a very long and fun night, possibly with Drunk and Messy AJ, who, if she existed, would probably be a lot more flexible on having an affair. And to be fair, if they could manage that without completely wrecking AJ's marriage, Paige was all for it. She liked AJ's husband, which was to say that she trusted him to keep AJ happy, and did not harbor detailed fantasies about accidentally causing him bodily harm. Most of those were on purpose, and in any case, Paige could control those impulses largely because AJ wouldn't approve. If AJ wanted her husband injured, Paige was confident that she could manage it on her own. Still, if AJ ever desired help with that, Paige would be happy to tag in.

They were partners still, Paige decided. She thought AJ felt the same, or hoped she did. And there were ways to test that. It took a little effort, but Paige managed to dig her phone out of her pocket. It was tricky, because there was a warm, female body lying on Paige's arm, and it grunted a bit when she jostled it, but otherwise did not complain. Paige pressed a single key on the phone, and waited. The fuzziness, which had earlier clouded her brain but had been gradually fading, returned in full force the moment she heard AJ's happy voice.

"Muffin, hi! How are you?"

"Hey, AJ," Paige whispered, unable to suppress a smile, and hoping the desperate need in her voice was not too obvious. "I'm good."

"Really? You sound a little drunk."

"Maybe a little," Paige admitted. "I went out with Foxy, Rosa, and Nikki. There was a bar, and drinking, and... um, peanuts. Possibly pretzels."

"You forgot the drunk texting. There was that."

Paige blinked slowly. "Huh?"

AJ giggled. "Phil and I were snuggled up, watching a movie. My phone buzzed, and I was comfortable, so I made him pick it up. It was you, saying that you loooooooove me. And when four letter words come with eleven letters, I figure you're probably drunk."

Paige winced. "Oh. I don't remember that."

"Shocking. I figured you were with the girls, and that Foxy might have borrowed your phone to play a little prank. But you went on to ask if you could please come over and make out with me. Then I knew it was you, Foxy's never polite."

"Um." Paige wasn't sure what to do with that. "This was after Phil had given you the phone and gone back to the movie, right?" she asked weakly.

"Nope." AJ sounded amused, but Paige assumed it was fake, or forced.

"I'm so, so sorry, AJ!" she wailed.

"It's fine, muffin. I'm not mad, and Phil thought it was hilarious. Asked if he could watch, the big perv."

"You're really not mad?"

"I'm really not."

"Promise?"

"Promise. But out of curiosity, were you really going to come over if I said yes? Only I heard you guys were in Canada this week, and the thought of you trying to jump on a plane in that condition, not too smart."

Paige blushed. "Well, I was drunk. Didn't know what I was saying."

"Doubt it. You do love me, and you do want to make out with me. You just wouldn't normally say it so boldly. And I don't mind that, but I'd rather you said it while sober. Anyway, did you meet anybody at this bar?"

Paige was caught off guard. "Huh? Who?"

"Anybody? At the bar? That you might want to start dating?"

"Why would I want to start dating a bar?"

AJ sighed. "Paige, try to stay with me. Did you meet anyone at the bar?"

"Uh, no. Should I have?"

"If it will keep you from getting this drunk, then yes, you should. A nice boy or girl to keep you occupied, and preferably sober, most of the time."

Paige suddenly felt sick, and knew it had nothing to do with being drunk. "Oh. Yeah. I'm working on it, I guess. Foxy promised to introduce me to some people later. Could be fun."

"That's sweet of her. And Rosa is okay with it?"

"Uh, sure." Paige glanced to left, and slid her free arm over Rosa's waist as an apology for the jostling earlier. "She's doing a lot better. It's not awkward or anything anymore. She understands."

"Good, good. Tell her I asked about her?"

"Yeah. You going somewhere?"

"Yup, Phil has a meeting, so I have to go with him and look extra pretty. I'll call you when we get back, yeah?"

"Oh, great," Paige said quickly. "I'll be here. And you're really not mad at me?"

AJ laughed. "No! You're so silly, muffin. I could never stay mad at you."

Paige closed her eyes, trying her best not to admit just how wonderful that those simple words made her feel. "Cool. Good luck at your meeting. And tell Phil I said hi."

"Sure. Paige, promise me something?"

"Anything," Paige replied, all too aware that she could deny AJ nothing.

"Don't stop looking. Someone is out there waiting for you, I know it."

Paige bit her lip nearly hard enough to draw blood. "Okay, I promise. Am I making you late?"

"No, my darling husband, who can never find his socks, is making me late. I need to go be his savior again. Hey, you're not anywhere you don't need to be, right? Do I need to call someone for you? I mean, you were drunk, but you're safe now?"

Paige smiled. "Yeah, I'm safe, in bed, in a hotel. Thanks for worrying about me. Go save Phil from himself."

"I love you, muffin."

Paige swallowed hard. AJ hadn't lowered the volume of her voice, hadn't whispered, hadn't made any attempt to conceal what she was saying, and she was probably in the exact same room as her husband. She had never lacked guts, that was for sure. "I love you, too, AJ."

"Say hi to the girls for me. Oh, give Foxy a kiss from me."

"I will." Paige closed her eyes, and listened to the empty air on the phone until long after AJ had gone. She might have done it all night, if not for someone loudly clearing their throat.

"So? Where's my kiss?"

Paige jumped, her face whiter than usual as she turned to find a very much awake Alicia Fox lying next to her, staring expectantly. "You... Foxy, how long were you-"

"Long enough," Alicia replied. "So? My kiss? And make it good, because you know AJ was no slouch."

Blushing, Paige gently grasped Alicia's face and gave her a slow, lingering kiss on the forehead.

"Nice," Alicia commented approvingly. "Worthy of AJ. Now I won't have to call her and complain."

"Did you hear everything?" Paige murmured.

"No, but it's not like you didn't know I was right next to you. It was even your idea for the three of us to share your bed tonight, in case you don't remember. Luckily, you two were too drunk to do more than pass out as soon as we got in. Oh, and I was there when you were texting AJ earlier. You should thank me for not letting you send that last one. It was... rich in detail, Paige."

"Oh. Uh. Thanks, Foxy."

"Paige." Alicia scooted a little closer. "You're still not over her, are you?"

"Huh? Her, who?"

"AJ."

"What? No, you're wrong. That's-"

"Paige. This is me you're talking to."

"I told you, I'm not-"

"Paige, did you forget that I heard most of the conversation?"

Paige closed her eyes. "You must think I'm an idiot."

"For trying to lie to me when I was right here? Yes." Alicia reached over and rubbed Paige's shoulder. "For being in love with someone you shouldn't? I haven't set a good example for you, so I can't blame you. And I know AJ, so I can understand why. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to as many people as you want."

Paige laughed softly. "Won't do a bit of good, will it?"

"Doubt it. You got it bad, muffin."

"Don't call me that," Paige whispered with a pained expression. "Only AJ can-"

"You're just proving my point, Paige. And if you're this determined not to meet someone, maybe we shouldn't bother."

"I promised AJ. I have to try."

"Look, I'm sure AJ really wants you to find someone, but I don't think she realizes the pain it'll cause you in the process. Maybe you should talk to her again before I set anything up for you."

"No. I'll just go out with someone safe first. Someone who can't possibly hurt me." Paige paused and glanced to other side of the bed.

"Who, Rosa?" Alicia asked. "Oh, no way. Baaad idea, Paige. She can't hurt you, but you can definitely hurt her. Again. You remember that, right?"

"I'll make it clear that I'm just testing the waters. She got upset because I wouldn't even consider going out with her last time. This time, I will."

Alicia shook her head. "I'm totally against this, Paige. If you get her hopes up and then let her down again, she'll be just as crushed as you were when AJ left. You don't want to do that to a friend."

"It won't be like that. I'm not leaving her, and I'll take care of her, no matter what."

"You sound just like AJ, you know that? And for once, that's not a compliment."


Against Alicia's advice, Paige and Rosa went out two nights later. Much to Paige's surprise, she enjoyed it. But that was mainly because she and Rosa had always gotten along, so their friendship came about easily. And that was the problem: Paige had such a good time because she still saw Rosa as a friend. Rosa, on the other hand, had a good time because she still had a crush on Paige, even though she hadn't acted on it since the last time Paige had been forced to reject her. They had finally gotten back to a place where their friendship was comfortable again, and just as Alicia had feared, taking Rosa on a date was a perfect way to send the whole thing to pieces again.

But Paige did it, because she had promised AJ, and because she was tired of feeling alone in-between the times that she and AJ talked on the phone. It seemed like a good idea at the time, at least. At worst, she figured she could fake being happy, for Rosa's sake.

And it was a true testament to how unhappy Paige must have been that Rosa, who had been unable to tell that Paige had no feelings for her beyond friendship, could see that Paige was still heartbroken over AJ, and actually dared to point it out.

"If you want to lie to yourself and pretend I'm AJ, I can do that for you, Paige. But there's no way you can convince yourself that you two aren't soulmates. Being with me or anyone else isn't going to make that ache go away. I can tape you up as many times as it takes, but AJ is the only one who can fix you."

If that wasn't enough of a sign, Rosa actually turned down a second date, in the hopes that Paige would be honest with herself. And it worked. Paige admitted to herself that dating other people was pointless. She wanted AJ. And if she couldn't date AJ, then remaining her best friend and actually being near her were the next best things. True, it was hard to get time off without being injured, but AJ knew that, and her schedule was now far more flexible than Paige's. And Paige knew it would only take a little whining to get AJ onto a plane to wherever the next live event was, but she also didn't want to abuse that power too much.

Still, there was no denying that when Paige did get some time off, the only places she ever went were to visit her family, or to see AJ (and in one instance, to take AJ to meet her parents).


Paige had not been able to really appreciate it until after AJ left, but it wasn't just the Divas who had been influenced by her. Virtually every Superstar that AJ had worked with had later come up to Paige and asked if she needed anything, and it didn't take long to figure out that AJ had put them up to it. Of all of them, Paige liked Big E Langston the best, perhaps because he had the most in common with her and AJ. He had come up through NXT just as they had, and understood the pressure of fighting to make a place for himself on the roster. More importantly, he didn't mind sharing AJ stories with her, or joking around with her backstage, or Paige's habit of greeting him with a running body tackle (though that usually resulted in him then picking her up off of the ground).

So it was no surprise that Paige often invited Big E to visit AJ with her. It was like having an older brother for a bodyguard, and few other people understood her fixation on AJ. Also, Big E was eager to learn all he could from a veteran like CM Punk, which benefited Paige in giving her plenty of alone time with AJ. It wasn't exactly moral on her part, but Paige didn't really care too much. All she really cared about during those trips was being with AJ as much as possible. AJ understood that, too.

At least, Paige thought AJ did. Which was why it was very weird, during one such trip, when Paige and Big E walked out of the airport, only to find CM Punk leaning against his van. Paige was shocked, but Big E walked over and shook Punk's hand. Paige wanted to ask where AJ was, but figured that would be rude and very telling.

"You look surprised to see me, Paige," Punk noted with a smirk.

"I am," she admitted. "Usually AJ picks me up."

"If you're gonna keep working for WWE, you really need to get in the habit of seeing the screw job coming from a long ways off," Punk told her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, We need to go. Ape will kill us all if her homemade dinner gets cold."

Paige wasn't exactly sure how she felt about CM Punk, even now. She was mad that he had married AJ, and surely part of AJ's decision to leave WWE was in support of him. On the other hand, working hurt was no fun, and if AJ had been hurt to that degree, Paige would have wanted her to walk away, too. Worse, from what Paige could tell, Punk was a decent guy. AJ was very happy with him, and he had never tried to come between her and Paige, even though this was apparently because he was hoping to walk in on some HLA (Hot Lesbian Action). Given all that, it was hard to stay mad at him. Although Paige privately thought "Ape" was a horrible pet name, but then AJ could get pretty frenzied when upset, so maybe it was less cute and more entirely accurate.

But any bad feelings that Paige had about Punk were pushed aside the instant she saw AJ running from the house, all smiles and arms outstretched for a big hug. Paige either forgot or didn't care that Punk and Big E were there, but she wasn't the only one. AJ ran into Paige's arms, squeezed her tight, and then covered her face with swift, sweet pecks, ending with a rather long kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"You're finally home, muffin," AJ murmured, running her fingers lightly through Paige's hair.

Paige smiled, closed her eyes, and let her head rest gently against AJ's. She was indeed home, because they were partners, and home was wherever and whenever they were together.


Just as Paige had hoped, she spent the entire weekend with AJ: shopping, swimming, training, and sleeping (though in the actual, boring, non-intimate way, unfortunately). It was, of course, great... and it ended far too soon. But Paige and Big E were due back at work, so there was nothing they could do to avoid that.

Paige was not at all surprised that Punk volunteered to drive them back to the airport. She was now more certain than ever that he had a hidden agenda, and she was right. It just wasn't what she thought it was.

"I know you're in love with Ape, Paige," he said the moment they left the driveway. "And I want you to know that I'm cool with it."

"How does that work?" Paige asked, shooting a nervous glance at Big E, who shrugged.

"Look, I've got my weird friends, and Ape has hers. You can't always introduce them to polite company, but if you need someone to pay your bail, take a bullet for you, or donate a kidney, they're there. And I know it would do more harm than good to keep you two apart. It's not like you're hurting anything."

"But... you're married to her," Paige said slowly.

"Right. And I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to say that. This amazing woman loves me for some reason that I will never understand. She walked away from her dream job to be with me, and I never asked her to. So if making her happy means the occasional visit from her hot friend, I can think of far worse fates. Like still being sick and still working for a company who was happy to let me stay that way."

"And it doesn't bother you that we do?"

"There was a time when I was happy there, and so long as that's true for you, then you should do what you have to do. I'm just saying protect each other, and don't depend on management to go to bat for you every time. You guys are cool with Ape, so you're cool with me. But try to keep the hospital visits to a minimum."


"I don't believe it! Paige has suffered a mysterious and unexpected wardrobe malfunction! Her top is totally gone, her cleavage is totally exposed! She's trying to shield herself, but - OHH! AJ Lee's got the roll-up! 1! 2! 3! It's all over! Paige has lost to AJ Lee yet again! But what's this?! AJ's not letting go! She's fondling Paige's silky, smooth-"

"Having fun?"

AJ squeaked in shock, dropping the Divas action figures on the bedroom floor. "How long have you been standing there?!" she demanded, blushing.

"Does it really matter?" CM Punk asked, smirking at her from the doorway.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled cutely, snatching up the action figures.

"You know, when we made that rule about each of us being allowed to collect certain action figures no matter how the other felt about them, I wasn't aware that you were allowed to play with mine."

"You can play with my guys anytime," AJ replied, clutching the Paige and AJ action figures to her chest.

He laughed. "No, I think we might need stricter rules on what you're allowed to do with mine. No telling what my girls have seen by now."

"Nothing you haven't," AJ said defensively.

"That doesn't reassure me at all." Punk held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. "C'mon, hand 'em over."

"Noooo!" AJ whined. "I'm not done yet!"

"Didn't you have plenty of chances to fondle the actual Paige all weekend?"

"Yes, and how do you think I got so good at it? Practice!"

Punk stared at her, clearly impressed. "You... oh, you're definitely telling me that story tonight."

"Fine, but after I'm done playing," AJ insisted.

"Only if I get to be the guest commentator."

AJ grinned at him. "Deal!"


Paige was restless for the entire plane trip, constantly fidgeting in her seat. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that AJ and CM Punk were making love at that very moment, and it was driving her mad with jealousy.

Next to her, Big E was similarly restless, but for an entirely different reason. He had spent several hours that weekend listening to Punk go on and on about his Divas action figures, and had a much better idea of what Punk and AJ were actually doing with them. Which bothered him only because AJ had eagerly shown him her Big E action figure, with actual chalk on its hands. And while Big E wasn't sure whether the thought of AJ or Punk fondling his action figure bothered him more, it definitely bothered him plenty.

Once they touched down and left the plane, Big E offered to collect their luggage. Paige thanked him, then ducked into a restroom and immediately called Natalya, who she knew would already be at the arena. Sure enough, she was, and before Natalya could ask how the trip had gone, Paige cut her off with a question.

"Nattie, could I crash on your couch for a while the next time we make it home?"

There was a slight pause before Natalya answered. "Okay, but why wouldn't you just go to your place?"

"I'd get lonely," Paige admitted, "and I don't want the other girls to know."

"You know I have cats, though."

"I know. I could use the extra attention."

"So, just to confirm, you want to sleep on my couch, with my cats crawling all over you, and you don't want to tell me how the trip went?"

"Sounds about right."

"Bring some new toys for the cats and you've got a deal."


Paige crashing at Natalya's had the unfortunate consequence of awakening Natalya's maternal instincts. It started with simple questions, then proceeded to nagging, and finally just telling the other girls outright. Paige didn't feel betrayed, just annoyed that Natalya hadn't kept her mouth shut.

Rather than give her a hard time, however, the other Divas decided that Paige needed a new constant companion, someone who could be with her when AJ wasn't. A cat, however, was deemed too independent for Paige's needs.

This was how Paige found herself adopting a Doberman that formerly belonged to a friend of Jimmy Uso. Considering the source, and the dog's breath, Paige affectionately called him Stinkface. For no reason that anyone could explain, Stinkface was unusually relaxed for a Doberman, and spent much of his time sleeping, which made him very easy to care for.

He wasn't AJ by a long shot, but he didn't mind hugs, and he slept at the foot of Paige's bed every night that she was home, which was all Paige really needed from him.


When AJ had practically forced Paige into changing her ringtone, she had also returned the favor, thinking it would be cute. Everyone would know when Paige was getting a call from her number one girl crush. Likewise, AJ thought that Paige's frequent calls would be a good reminder for her own husband that she always had other options.

Sometimes, it didn't quite work out that way. In a very strange role reversal, AJ had greatly underestimated just how attached to her Paige had become. And also what a bad idea it was to give her so much access.

The end result was that when both AJ and her husband were rudely awakened early one morning by Paige's theme music shrieking at them from AJ's phone, neither was surprised.

"Your friend, your phone, your problem," was the unhelpful husband's response, just before he rolled over and buried his head underneath his pillow.

Normally, AJ would have insulted him, but she was far too exhausted to think up a good one. Instead, she snatched up her phone. "Paige," she muttered, "it is 3:52 AM, and unless you are bleeding heavily, I am going to hang up."

"Wait, AJ, please! It's really important, I swear!" Paige pleaded.

"What," AJ growled.

"Happy Thirtieth Birthday, pumpkin!" When this produced no immediate reply, she added, "Er... surprise?"

There was an exceedingly long pause before AJ answered. "Oh, you absolute doll. I'll only murder you with slightly rusty knives now. After I wake up properly. Which means I'm going back to bed right now."

"Wait, wait! I got you the greatest gift ever! Just look outside!"

AJ had a feeling what she would see from her bedroom window, and she was soon proven exactly right by what she saw: Paige, standing in the front yard, weighed down with several WWE Shop bags, struggling to wave up at her and simultaneously seem adorable, all while still on the phone. AJ was impressed, but only by how much Paige really didn't seem to get it. "Paige, my BFF, my beloved, my tasty little muffin. Tell me something?"

"Sure, AJ!" Paige replied happily.

"You still have your key?"

"Got it right here. Uh, somewhere."

"You still remember the alarm code?"

"Yeah, I do."

"So then please tell me why you couldn't just let yourself in quietly and surprise me properly later this morning, after I woke up?!"

"Um... I couldn't wait that long?"

"Uh huh. Paige? I'm not leaving this bedroom, and neither is Phil. So you can either stay out there until we wake up on our own, or you can let yourself in now. Like you should have done all along."

"Okay. I'll be up in a bit."

"No, you will sleep downstairs in the guest room. If you come up here, I'll be tempted to get the slightly rusty knives."

"Ah, right. I'll just see you later on today."

"Mmm. And Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"If you should happen to wake up, or perhaps not wake up, only to discover I've suffocated you with a pillow while you were sleeping, I really did enjoy my birthday present. Just not the ungodly hour in which she arrived."

"AJ, it's going to be really hard to spend your whole birthday with you if you do that."

"Oh, don't worry. It'll take me at least that long to think up a creative, fitting way to dispose of your body."

"...AJ, I'm really sorry and I love you so much, so please don't kill me?"

AJ sighed. She was a sucker for when Paige begged. "Did you at least bring me lots of free and unusual T-shirts?"

"Yeah! Sheamus has a new one so blinding that even I can't stand it."

"Okay, you're forgiven. Remind me of that, if you spot me with the slightly rusty knives. I might forget. I understand that lack of sleep can impact some people that way."

"I'm reeeally sorry, AJ. Ooh, I'll make you breakfast! Promise! Lots and lots of fruitca-"

"Too soon, Paige," AJ interrupted firmly. "Way too soon."

"Right, sorry, sorry, love you!"

End of Match 2.


Endnotes:

A weird factoid. Because I wanted a certain amount of realism in how AJ and CM Punk relate to each other, I listened to various interviews they've each done. And I learned way more than I expected, just not about what I expected. I'm sure Punk's pet name for her is just short for April, but it sounds exactly like "Ape", so...

I can't deny it, I've started watching reruns of Total Divas. I saw clips of Rosa kissing Paige, and then Rosa's wardrobe malfunction, and I couldn't turn away. But it's all in the name of research, allegedly. Though I have to admit that I love it when a Bella mispronounces common words.