Laying in his bed in Las Vagas, Jon still couldn't process what the hell had happened. He thought he had it all figured out. He was going to sit his boys down and let them know just how much of an asshole Dave was. They would believe him and apologize to him for having to put up with the bullshit. He would pretend to think about it for a minute, and then accept. And then, of course, they would have sex. Wonderful, fulfilling, life-affirming sex. Then there was Dave and Randy.

He had entered the room and sat apart from everyone else. Joe moved to sit closer to him, but the look he shot him effectively said that it was not a good idea. Joe sighed, but decided to not argue with Jon in the issue. He seemed to understand that closeness was not likely to make much of a difference anyway. Twenty minutes later, with his lovers and friend attempting and failing at a sad "Kumbaya" session, the two left. Randy looked back for a moment looking worried, while Dave seemed disgruntled.

Joe waited for a minute, not wanting Dave and Randy to hear what was being said before snapping, "Damn it, Jon, could you at least make a fucking effort?"

"He pisses me the fuck off!" Jon hissed from the chair he was sitting in. "He acts like everyone owes him something, and it makes me sick."

"Where the hell is this coming from, Jon?" Colby asked in a frustrated voice. Jon paused, wondering if it was worth it. The three guys seemed to be getting along so well that this could sound more like sour grapes. "See, you don't even have a reason. You're just pissed off that your friend feels like he's getting screwed and-"

"The asshole showed up while I was working out alone," Jon gritted out. "It was the most uncomfortable thing you could possibly imagine. He tried to talk to me before I left, and..."

"And?" Joe asked quietly. He seemed genuinely concerned about Jon's well-being. Maybe he was being stupid and should have told him sooner.

"Let's just say that if I was a chick, the mace would have been in my hand. Or possibly a taser. He had this look in his eye the entire time we were talking, and I fucking hated it."

Joe's face went blank. He looked as if a war was going on in his head. Looking over at Colby, he saw the same expression on his younger lover's face. It seemed that they were having trouble processing the information.

"Why did you wait until now to tell us?" Colby asked.

"I was hoping to find a good time to tell you, I guess," Jon said sheepishly. "But that's the thing, isn't it? There is never a right time for this sort of shit. There is never a way to be comfortable about calling someone out on their shit. I really am sorry that it had to come out like this, but I had no idea that he was going to be here like that." He his fingers through his scalp and got up. He began to pace again. "Look, he's coming back whether I want it to happen or not, but I am not happy about it, and I refuse to be friendly with him."

"Jon," Colby said slowly. "Do you think maybe you saw what you wanted to see?"

"What do you mean?" Jon asked raising an eyebrow.

"Look, you didn't really like him before he left, right?" Jon nodded. "And you don't like the idea of him coming back, right?" Another nod. "And you hate that shit is sort of going to be given to him, right?"

"Make your point, Colby."

"What he is getting at here is that you don't like him, so you come up with a huge flaw in him the second you can," Joe clarified. "I think a part of you is kind of looking for a reason to hate him."

Jon shook his head. "Are you saying that I am making this shit up?" There was no way his boys could think so little of him. It just wasn't possible.

"No, no, of course not," Colby said a little too fast for Jon's liking. "We aren't saying that at all. It's just," He paused to gather his thoughts. "in your mind, you are determined to hate him, no matter what. You run into him, and there is no one else around. Maybe in your mind, you wanted made him seem more threatening than he really was? So you can justify hating on him?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Jon seethed.

"Jon," Joe said reaching out for the Ohio native.

"Don't even think about it!" Jon snarled swatting off Joe's hand and storming out of the the room. He ignored his lovers' attempts to call him back.

The rest of the night seemed to go on for an eternity. Thank God, they were scheduled for a couple of days off. He booked a flight to Vegas and there he was. He couldn't believe this shit was happening. First the Rock was treated like royalty, and now this shit? There was even word that Lesner was coming back, for fuck's sake! Was he the only one besides Phil that saw something wrong with this picture?

And why were the two people he care about more than anything in the world treating him like this? That's the part that killed him the most. After all the shit he had been through in his life, he did not need this from them. He gave him his heart, and this is how he got rewarded? In his mind, he knew what he had to do. He just hoped that he had the balls to go through with it.

Walking through the halls an arena for a house show, he practiced his speech. This was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done. But, damn it, he had to try. He had to do it for his own sanity.

"Hey, man, we're up in 10 minutes," Joe's voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Yeah, sure," he said distractedly.

"Are you alright?" They began to make their way towards the ramp.

"We'll talk about it after the match," Jon said. He couldn't make eye contact with the slightly larger man, and that made Joe nervous. He was distracted throughout the rest of the night. What seemed like an eternity later, they made their way out in the crisp autumn air. It was mid November, and the chill cleared Jon's mind. As they got in the car, he decided now was a good of a time as any.

"I don't think this is working out," Jon said as they pulled out of the parking lot. Joe turned around from the front passenger seat of the rental with a look of sheer horror. "Look, in the time that we've been together, I have watched you too competing for my attention to the point you were arguing, listened to you accusing me of using you to get what I want, and lying." He smiled darkly as Joe went to protest. "I don't need this shit, guys. As much as I love you, I can't be with someone who is going to second guess everything I say and do."

Colby gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles were turning white. How the fuck could he let this happen? He had to think fast, or everything would go to hell. Fuck the plan. Fuck it to hell. A sideways glance at Joe showed the same conclusion. They pulled into a gas station and Joe got out of the front seat and got in the back with Jon. They continued on their way to the hotel. Jon went to say something, but Joe opened beat him to it.

"Baby, I know that we have come off as tense over the last few days," he said. "We've just been so excited with the idea of Evolution reforming and feuding. We were so caught up in it, we said shit we didn't mean. I'm so sorry we made you feel like shit." The confidence Jon was feeling and the anger that he had a minute ago seemed to slowly fade.

"We talked to Dave and Randy about what you said," Colby added from the front. He sounded more than a little embarrassed. "Dave admitted he was hitting on you. He honestly didn't know about us. But we should have listened to you from the beginning. I just wanted this to work, and-" His voice trailed off. Jon's heart clenched in his chest. He had expected resistance, of course, but staying firm seemed so much easier leaving home. Now it seemed to weigh down on him like a stone.

Joe saw his hesitance as a window and took his hand gently. "Jon, please give us some time to make this shit right." He kissed Jon's hand and nuzzled into it. "I refuse to be like the other people in your life that fucked with you and left the minute it was convenient for them. Or used you to get what they want. I love you and I know Colby does as well. We will do whatever it takes for you to know that we love you." A tear fell from Jon's eye before he could stop it. Joe wrapped his arms around him and held him to his body and Jon found himself grasping on to him for dear life.

They pulled up to the hotel and they quickly made it to their room. Jon moved to get in the bathroom first. He splashed water on his face and composed himself as much as he could. How could he let them get to him like this? This was getting fucking ridiculous.

He came out of the bathroom, and Colby pulled him into a warm hug. He sighed and leaned into the warm embrace of his lover. It felt so good to held like this and to feel the slightly smaller man's heartbeat. He knew that he should have fought harder. But, it looked like they were winning. There was one thing he could do.

"I want to sleep alone tonight," he murmured into Colby's hair. "I just need some space right now."

"We can do whatever you want, sweetie," Colby said as he hugged him a little closer. Joe made a noise of agreement and hugged him from behind. They stayed like that for a minute and then stripped for bed. Joe and Colby shared a bed for the first time in three months. They gazed over at the man they nearly lost and they silently agreed. Nothing and no one was going to hurt what they had.