Quick A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this part up. My A-Ry muse ran away and it took me ages to find him again. Have to say thank you to darkangel_0410 for helping me re-discover Alex. Just hope he hangs around long enough for me to finish this fic – fingers xd!

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Part 10

Mike winced as the ice pack on his neck shifted. He winced as well as Hunter continued to rip Alex a new one right in front of him. Mike too was shocked. He knew it was hard to remember that Alex was only a rookie that less than a year ago he'd been busting his arse down in FCW but even so he'd never known him to be so sloppy in the ring. For a moment Mike found himself wondering if he'd done it on purpose, if hurting him had been a snide attempted to get back at him. But that thought was wiped out the moment they'd got backstage and Alex had all but carried him to the trainer's room. Grunting with sudden flash of pain that flared in his neck Mike finally snapped, "Hey he didn't kill me. Just lay off him a moment."

"He could have broken your neck," growled Hunter levelling Mike with a heart-stopping glare, "I will not tolerate sloppiness in the ring."

Mike went to make a smart arse comment but found a hand on his arm stopping him. Following the line of the arm up he ended up looking up into Alex's face. With a slight shake of his head A-Ry silenced him. Staring into the eyes he adored Mike found himself wondering if there wasn't something else behind Alex actions, some other reason for the sudden slip in standards. Frowning slightly he licked his lips then making his voice sound more exhausted than he was he all but mewed, "Hunter, you done? Can we go get changed and get out of here now?"

"Fine!" snapped the boss, "But I'm warning you Riley, you better buck your ideas up or I will send you back to FCW with no hope of or return."

"Yes Sir," nodded Alex his face paling slightly, "I promise I'll be more careful."

"And as for you," Hunter's expression softened as he looked down at Mike, "You take care of that neck. You want me to cancel the media stuff tomorrow morning? Give you a chance t..."

"Don't you bloody dare!" snarled Mike, "I'll be fine."

Hunter regarded him a moment then with an almost paternal smile he nodded and praised" Good boy." He paused and glared at Alex once more before storming out of the room.

As he left Mike noticed Alex let out a long deep breath the younger man actually seeming to deflate slightly.

"A-Ry, what happened out there?" asked Mike softly. He carefully lowered the ice pack knowing he needed to concentrate on Alex's reply, knowing he needed to be fully aware of what his ex lover said.

But Alex didn't reply. He just gave that little shrug he was so found of, the muscles frame pulling off an almost boyish motion as he bowed his head and said nothing.

"Do you want to be sent back down? Do you...are you...I..."

"I just got sloppy," replied Alex softly glancing at Mike from beneath his lashes. It should have been a stupid action but it wasn't. Not to Mike. To Mike it made his breath catch in his throat and without realising what he was saying he confessed, "I've missed you."

The look that flashed over Alex's face had Mike chuckling and blushing intently he added with fond sarcasm, "I mean its been strange having to carry my own bags."

Alex gave a low snigger and shaking his head he bit his lower lip before replying, "I've missed you too. I..." he held Mike's gaze and for a moment nothing else seemed to matter. But the moment was broken as the door opened and the trainer came back in. As the trainer started to fuss over Mike, Alex gave an almost apologetic smile and offered, "Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not ready for this push." Then before Mike could say anything he slipped out of the room. But not before sharing one last look with Mike. A look that had Mike's heart racing but also confused him as well. He knew Alex he knew him so well and he knew that look. Alex was up to something. He just didn't have a clue what it was. And that scared him. That scared him a lot.

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Alex had never known pain like it. He honestly hadn't meant to screw up the power bomb. But something had happened and suddenly everything went wrong. He'd screwed it up so badly. He lay on the mat clutching his stomach, trying to breathe thought the intense pain shooting thought his stomach. He could hear the crowd cheering Jack; he could hear the ref talking. But it didn't matter, nothing mattered expect the bone numbing fear that when he got backstage he was going to be fired. That was he about to be sent away from Mike for ever.

It took two trainers to help him backstage. The pain burning in his lower back was more than he had ever experience but it was nothing to the look on Mike's face. That was a look he wished he could do anything to erase.

"What the hell happened out there?" hissed Mike, shooing the trainers out the way. Without thinking he reached out for Alex, his eyes running over Alex's face as he asked, "A-Ry – what happened?"

"I don't know," gasped Alex fighting for breath, "I just I..."

"For fuck sake Riley!" yelled Jack the moment he got clear of the curtain, "You trying to get us both inured? Why the fuck didn't you ju..."

"JACK!"

They were interrupted by the compact form of Evan flying between them, his hands running over Jack's chest and arms obviously hunting for any unseen injuries.

"Are you okay?" demanded Evan, "I saw what happened? You never screw up the bomb"

Jack looked as stunned as everyone else at Evan's concern. Stunned and so turned on, the poor man was burning bright red from the high flyer's attention. As if sensing everyone watching him, Evan gave a cocky little smirk and huffed, "Oh grow up. I'm allowed to be concerned for one of my best friends without it meaning I wanna get in his trunks!"

Having his back to Jack he didn't see the big guy's face fall but Mike and Alex both saw the look of hurt disappointment flash across Jack's face but it was gone by the time Evan turned back to him and asked, "You want a hand back to the dressing room?"

"Yeah," murmured Jack all too willingly accepting the offer of help, although the height difference meant he could do little more than draped an arm over Evan's shoulders and let the small fighter lead him away.

Mike watched them go for a moment before turning back to Alex and snapping, "You really want to get out of here so badly? Huh? Is that what this is about? Hunter is going to kill you for this. He is going to bury and..."

"I didn't do on purpose! I just...I just...fuck!" Alex gave a little growl of frustration blurting out, "I wasn't trying to screw things up this time. I..."

"What do you mean - this time?" asked Mike, his razor sharp mind catching the inadvertent confession.

Alex gulped then realising everything was screwed anyway he murmured, "The last two times we fought I...I messed up I..." he licked his lips and without looking up at Mike he finally confessed, "I was trying to do what you asked me to do."

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Then after a longer pause than Alex had ever thought possible, Mike asked hoarsely, "What do you mean – doing what I asked?"

"I mean," replied Alex with heartbreaking honestly, realising everything was slipping away from him anyway, "that I was trying to do what you asked. I was ...I..." he ran a hand over his face and snapped bitterly, "I didn't have the guts to go to Hunter and say I didn't want the push so I was tying to...trying to make him I..."

Mike just stared at him, the colour draining away from the former champions face as Alex's words sunk in. Then without speaking he simply turned on his heel and walked away. Alex watched him go, watched as the one thing he wanted more that anything else in the world walked away from him, not even giving him the satisfaction of screaming at him.

"Well that was intense."

Alex jumped and glancing back he saw John leaning against a flight case. He hadn't even realised the veteran was there. He closed his eyes, acute embarrassment burning his face wondering how much of his conversation John had overheard.

"You know how I call Mike an idiot," asked John pushing away from the flight case and wandering closer to Alex. He waited for Alex to nod before continued, "Well I think I can safely say you're about as big an idiot as he is."

Alex didn't reply. He knew John was right but right then in that moment he was still numb from the fact Mike had walked away from him without saying a word.

"Come on, lets get you to the trainer's," chuckled John. He slipped an arm around Alex's waist making sure not to touch his injured lower back. As Alex finally leant on him John added softly, "I know you still love him and I know you think you're doing the right thing but trust me, no one is worth jeopardising your career for. No one..."

"Not even Randy?" asked Alex, the words out of his mouth before he realised what he was asking.

John didn't reply. He simply walked Alex to the nearest trainer's room. As Alex sank onto the bench he looked up and saw a strange look over John's face. Opening his mouth John beat him to it saying firmly, "No one is worth risking your career or your health. Not even the man who makes your life worth living." He held Alex gaze for a moment before adding, "Besides is it fair to put Mike through such pain?"

"Mike?" murmured Alex not following.

Giving a knowing grin John nodded and leaning forward he whispered in Alex's ear, "He was scared shitless back here. It took me and Evan to hold him back from running down to the ring to save you. Don't give up on him just yet, kid. He might yet surprise you."

The look on Alex's face was priceless as John pulled back. Shooting the stunned rookie a wink, John clapped the trainer on the back chuckling, "You might wanna give him something for shock as well as the pain."

The trainer - long used to dealing with the wrestlers and their in jokes – ignored him and continued to check out Alex's lower back. Not that Alex noticed he was too lost in the thought that the idea of him getting injured had upset Mike. Maybe then, just maybe there was sill hope. Maybe Mike did still feel something for him. Maybe, just maybe, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. But even as the joy started to spread through his system it was followed by a crippling fear. Fear that Hunter would see through his threat – fear that even if everything got resolved between him and Mike he might not be there to enjoy it.

TBC