Have you talked to Randy?

Avery sighed as she read the text from Nikki. The last time she saw Randy, he and Jon were yelling at each other as they came through the curtain. Colby was able to shut Jon up pretty quickly but from what Avery heard, once all of the men were back in the locker room, Randy flipped out and the two men had a shouting match before Randy stormed out.

Nope,she typed out her answer. I texted him. No response yet.

Avery didn't even see him leave. She hoped he didn't think she had anything to do with what went down between him and Jon. It definitely wasn't about her.

She put her phone into her pocket, knowing that staring at it wouldn't make him respond any faster.

She also had other things to worry about. She was sitting in the airport, with Paige curled up next to her, praying that their flight didn't get cancelled. It had already been delayed but there was still a chance, albeit a slim one, that they would fly out that night.

Her phone buzzed again and she snatched it up quickly, disappointed when she saw that it was another text from Nikki. She answered Nikki's text and then opened her thread with Randy. The last thing she typed was Everything okay?

Almost an hour and still nothing.

"Who are you texting?" Paige asked sleepily, propping herself up on one elbow.

"Randy," she sighed, putting the phone back down.

Paige rolled her eyes, sitting up.

"You know what? I have had just about enough of you pouting," Avery crossed her arms, giving the other woman a stern look. "You have exhibited extremely questionable taste in men since I've known you and I have never acted like this toward you."

"That's not true," Paige argued. "Remember when I dated that guy Derek? You wouldn't shut up about how bad he was for me."

"That was different," Avery pointed. "That guy was a scumbag who lived with his mother."

"And Randy Orton is Prince Charming?" Paige gave her a look.

"He doesn't need to be," Avery insisted. "Although compared to that guy? Yes, yes he is."

"Why doesn't he need to be?" Paige asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not getting into anything serious with him?" Avery asked.

"Famous last words," Paige smirked.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you are terrible at having casual relationships," Paige explained.

"Excuse me?" Avery stared. "That is not true."

"Oh really? Let's review, shall we?" Paige smirked. "Since I've known you, there was Jon, whom you fell head over heels for immediately after declaring that you were off men to focus on work. And after that there was Claudio, your good friend, who you allowed to fall head over heels for you when you knew that you weren't over Jon yet."

Avery opened her mouth to argue but she didn't have much of a leg to stand on.

"Okay," she laughed. "I guess I can see where you're coming from. A little."

"You know I love you to death," Paige ran a hand through her hair. "I know you always have good intentions but you don't always stick to your guns when it comes to guys. It worries me."

"You're right about that," Avery nodded. "But you don't need to worry. That was the past. Being that way hasn't exactly worked out well for me. I've learned my lesson. Trust me."

"I always trust you," Paige said. "I still don't like him. But I will stop pouting."

Avery pulled her into a hug, "That's all I ask."

Colby shifted the backpack he was carrying on his shoulder, knowing he would need to ice it when he finally got to a hotel room. He'd taken a bump awkwardly and he could feel a bruise starting as he walked through the airport with Joe and a very moody Jon. They were all tired and crabby but Jon was on another level. They'd planted themselves at a sports bar after the first delay and Jon barely spoke a word the whole time. Now, they'd given up on their flight after a second delay, deciding to rent a car and make the drive instead.

As they walked past their gate, he spotted Avery and Paige. They were hugging each other tightly, not an uncommon sight.

He whistled at them and they both turned, looking annoyed until they recognized him.

"I'm gonna go get the girls, tell them to come with," Colby announced.

"Col, I am asking you nicely, please do not do that," Jon sighed, throwing his head back.

"Dude, I'm not gonna leave them stranded here," Colby shook his head. He didn't care about Jon's cranky attitude. Avery and Paige were his friends. He was going to look out for them.

"They're in an airport," Jon gestured around. "They're not stranded."

Joe laughed. He always found more amusement in Jon's moodiness than Colby, "Just go get the girls. I'll stay with Debbie Downer over here."

Joe patted Jon roughly on the back and Colby laughed, turning and heading toward the women.

"Long time no see," Avery smiled, standing up and stretching. Paige opened her mouth but before she could speak she was overtaken by a long, dramatic yawn. They both looked dead tired.

"Hey," he smiled as Avery stood next to him, resting her head on his arm. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Get your bags and come ride with us."

"What?" Paige looked confused.

"Flight got delayed again. We're just gonna rent a car. It's only a four hour drive," he explained.

Avery looked over to where Jon and Joe were standing. Joe waved and Jon started looking around awkwardly.

"Yeah, I think we'll just stay here," Avery said.

"Come on, this flight is gonna get canceled," he insisted. "The storm's not stopping. Just give up."

"Don't jinx it," Avery reached up, covering his mouth.

He chuckled, moving her hand down to his chin, "We'll rent an SUV. We'll have plenty of room."

Paige seemed to be considering it but Avery shook her head, "No. No thank you. Paige, you can go if you want. I'm just gonna wait here. I'll make sure everyone's luggage is okay."

"Avery, stop it," he looked down at her. "We have appearances in the morning. We can't wait all night."

"I can if the alternative is a four hour car ride with my ex-boyfriend," she smiled. "I would rather curl into a ball and roll myself all the way to Pittsburgh.

"Okay fine, I tried asking but if you're gonna be stubborn," Colby reached down, picking up Avery's rather large carry-on bag. He started walking toward the guys without another word. After a few seconds he could hear the girls shuffling things around before falling into step behind him.

3 Hours Later…

Avery woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes. She could always sleep in a car but she never failed to wake up the moment it stopped moving. She surveyed her surroundings, taking in the sight of a brightly lit gas station/convenience store. She looked at the clock on her phone and sighed. The drive was taking longer than they expected thanks to the storms that seemed to be following them up to Pennsylvania. She was in the backseat with Paige and Joe. Joe was sitting behind Jon and Paige was in the middle with her head on his shoulder, snoring lightly. Colby was already out, sliding his credit card into the gas pump. She knew this might be her last chance to get out and stretch so she opened her door to get out. Joe and Paige stirred quickly after her and got out to do the same.

Avery walked around to the other side of the truck, standing beside Colby as he started to fill the tank. His brown eyes looked tired as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the car beside her, offering a lazy smile.

"Thanks for making me come with you," she smiled up at him.

He laughed, "You're welcome. You're too stubborn for your own good."

"I disagree," she said. "I think I'm just stubborn enough."

"You would think that," he rolled his eyes.

"You look tired," she said sympathetically. She knew she was tired and he'd worked a longer match than her.

"I am definitely tired," he nodded. "Just a few more hours though."

She looked into the convenience store and then back to him, "I'm gonna go get something to drink. You want anything?"

"Yeah, just a drink," he said. "Whatever you get."

"Deal," she patted him on the shoulder before heading inside. Jon was standing at the register and she breezed past him without a word. They hadn't spoken at all. She grabbed a few bottles of water and iced green tea and briefly surveyed the snack aisle before heading up to the register to pay for the drinks. She was surprised to see that Jon was still standing there, making small talk with the clerk who stood behind plate glass.

"You can put hers on here too," he pulled his wallet out and she narrowed her eyes. She got the impression that he'd been waiting for her.

"You don't have to do that," she said.

"Come on Avery, this nice man doesn't have all night to wait for you," he gestured for her to put the drinks down so the clerk could see what to enter in. Once everything was tallied, Jon slid his card and paid. He started loading the drinks into his already packed bag, "I take it you want one of these now."

"Two actually," she held out her hand and he gave her two bottles of water. "Thanks. What's in the bag?"

"Don't you worry about that," he answered. "Enjoying the ride?"

"Oh yeah. There's nothing more fun than middle of the night rain traffic," she rolled her eyes. She looked outside to see that Paige and Joe had resumed their naps in the car. Colby was still leaning against it, looking like he could fall asleep on his feet.

"He needs a break from driving," She nodded to their friend.

Jon followed her gaze and chuckled, "Yeah he looks pretty dead."

"I can drive for a while," she suggested.

"You sure?"

"It's either me or you," she shrugged. "Joe and Paige are already asleep again. They also need the most sleep to function."

"No one needs more sleep than Joe," Jon laughed. "If you wanna drive now, I'll finish up at the end if you need me to."

"Works for me," she agreed. He held open the door for her and she walked over to Colby.

"I'm tagging in. You can get some sleep."

He looked like he wanted to argue for a moment but thought better of it. He took the bottle of water she offered him, "Thanks Av."

"Anytime," she smiled. "Get in the back."

"You don't want me to help you stay up?"

"I got it man, I'll sit up front with her," Jon came over, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Colby gave Avery a confused look and she shrugged, just as puzzled as he was. He shrugged, walking around to sit in the back.

Avery got into the driver's seat and once everyone was situated, she pulled away from the station and followed the signs back to the highway. This would be an interesting drive.

Jon drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel staring at the road ahead. Avery drove for about an hour but when the roads started getting really slick, he convinced her to pull over and switch. That had been the full extent of their conversation. He'd intended to try and talk to her right away since the others were asleep but the words just hadn't come out. So they drove in awkward silence. He was beginning to think she'd fallen asleep when he didn't hear her tapping away at her phone anymore. When he stole a glance at her, he saw that she was still awake. She was looking out the window, quietly tapping the pads of her fingers on the door handle like she couldn't wait to get out. He knew he had to man up and say something. It was only going to get worse if he didn't.

"Hey, you gotta help me out here," he broke the silence. "The sound of Joe snoring is actually starting to lull me to sleep."

The corner of her mouth twitched upward just a fraction but she didn't say anything or turn toward him.

"You ready to talk to me yet?" he asked.

"I don't really have anything to say but if you do..I'll humor you," she offered.

"Okay," he sighed. "Well, first, I got you a peace offering."

Now she turned to him, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"Look in the bag," he gestured to the bag at her feet.

She frowned, reaching down into the bag. He saw a faint smile touch her face when she pulled out a bag of buffalo flavored pretzels. She loved those things. He thought they were gross but when he saw them at the gas station he grabbed a bag, hoping it might help grease the wheels.

"Okay," she pulled the bag open. "I suppose you can continue."

"I know that the way I came at you the other day was a little..rough. I wasn't planning to do that. I just..I saw you and Claudio and I saw red. I should have taken a deep breath and walked away but…you know that's never been my strong suit."

"You're right, you should have just walked away," she broke a pretzel and ate half of it.

"I know," he nodded. "I'm sorry for that."

She looked confused for a moment and he laughed, "What?"

"I don't know how to deal with genuine contrition from you," she answered. "It's been a long time since I've seen it."

"Yeah well, I'm working on that," he smirked, wincing at the pain at the corner of his mouth. One of Randy's shots had left his right cheek sore and probably a little bruised. He hadn't actually looked.

She smiled, "Your face looks nice."

"You always told me I pulled off bruises well."

"What the hell happened out there?" she asked.

"Why do you wanna know?" he looked over at her.

"I'm just curious," she shrugged. "I don't really get why you would start a fight with Randy when you're supposed to be getting a big push. You could get in trouble."

"I didn't start anything," he frowned. "That guy is an asshole. You know that."

"Do I?" she asked. "It looked to me like you were working a little stiff and didn't like when he did it back."

"Of course you think that," he laughed, shaking his head. He obviously couldn't expect her to be on his side while she was sneaking around with Orton. She was wrong. Randy was the one who potatoed him first. When he returned in kind, the so called Viper lost his cool. They jawed at each other all the way up the ramp. The only reason Jon stopped was because Colby pushed him out past the curtain and Jon wasn't about to get himself in the doghouse for fighting in front of everyone.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, offended. "You act like I'm biased."

"You're not?" he laughed.

"No, I'm not," she answered. "And if you're gonna be all weird like this just because I dared to ask you what happened, then maybe we just shouldn't talk."

"Fine," he agreed. "You're right. We shouldn't."

Avery plugged her phone into the car charger and then sat back, crossing her arms. She wished someone would wake up and talk to her. She'd caught a second win and couldn't fall asleep but she and Jon weren't talking and according to the GPS, they were 45 minutes away from the hotel. She was getting stir crazy. Jon was still tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel. He was obviously tense. She knew he wasn't pleased that she didn't assume Randy was at fault but something else was bothering him. She could feel it.

She rested her elbow on the armrest between them, looking at his bruised face. Joe and Paige were still snoring in the back and Colby was dead asleep with his mouth hanging open. It was talk to Jon or nothing.

"So…are you gonna tell me what you're so upset about?"

He looked over at her for a moment before turning his focus back to the road, "What makes you think I'm upset?"

"Well, you went from apologizing to me and giving me peace pretzels to getting mad and giving me the silent treatment," she explained.

"You're the one who suggested we don't talk," he reminded her.

"Because you got all pissy."

"Okay, you're right," he rubbed his face. "I got testy. I'm just tired. It's been a long couple days."

"And…?" she gestured for him to continue.

"And I'm sorry," he laughed. "Happy?"

"Yes actually," she smirked. "So many apologies from you in one day. I don't know what to do with myself."

"You're gloating," he said. "Cute."

"Thank you," she giggled.

"I can finish the drive if you want," she offered when he yawned.

"Nah, it's okay. We're almost there," he shook his head. "But you can talk to me if you're bored."

"Lucky for you I am."

For the next forty minutes, the two of them managed to have a real conversation. They mostly talked about work but they didn't argue. He even made her laugh a few times. It was actually sort of fun. When they pulled into the hotel parking lot, her eyes were starting to drift closed.

"Home sweet home," he said, putting the car in park. "You wanna wake the kids or should I?"

"Everybody up!" Avery cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting into the backseat.

Colby woke with a start, looking panicked for a moment before he realized where he was. Joe opened one eye, glaring at her. Paige didn't move a muscle.

Everyone except the young Brit got out of the car, unloading their bags. Jon lifted Avery's carry on out, draping the strap over her shoulder.

"You want help upstairs?" Colby asked. It took Avery a moment to understand him through his yawning.

"No, you need to find a bed," she laughed. "Thank you though."

Joe grabbed his bag and headed into the hotel without a word. No one was surprised. He was never very social when he needed sleep. Colby followed behind and then Avery looked into the car at her sleeping best friend, shaking her head, wondering if she was going to have to carry her like a baby.

"You got everything?" Jon asked, closing the trunk.

"Almost," she laughed, opening the back door. She leaned in, lightly rubbing Paige's arm, "Time to go upstairs P."

Paige grumbled, her eyes fluttering open.

"Come on, we gotta go," she said getting out and allowing Paige to scoot over. She wasn't totally awake but she was at least moving around. Once Paige was out of the car and they were standing with Jon, Avery felt a little awkward.

"You sure you don't need help?" he asked.

"I'm sure, I can get this one upstairs myself," she smiled. "You should go do something about your face."

"I can't help it," he shrugged. "I was born with it."

"Yeah, that's too bad," she smirked. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

Jon tossed his bag down, flipping on his hotel room's dim light. He took his wallet out of his pocket, along with his keys and phone and set them down on a table, stripping out of his jacket and kicking off his shoes. He was worn out but he couldn't see himself getting to sleep anytime soon. He had too many things going through his head.

He was thinking about Avery; about how they actually got along for a while in the car. And seeing her leaving with Randy the other night. Part of him still wondered if he misinterpreted what he saw. Maybe there wasn't anything going on with them.

He shook his head, grabbing a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge. Obviously there was something going on, Randy practically grabbed her ass right in front of him.

He shouldn't even care. What Avery did was her business. It had nothing to do with him. But still, the idea that she could be hooking up with Randy irked him. Randy was a narcissistic asshole. He was not the type of guy that Avery should be with.

Jon's pocket started buzzing and he raked his hand through his hair. He had a way to find out exactly what was happening between the two of them. He pulled the phone out of his pocket, tossing it down on the bed.

Avery's phone.

She left it in the car on the charger. He didn't see it at first but when he realized he had to park the car in a different spot, he noticed it as he was getting out. By that time, the girls were long gone. He would call Paige but she was clearly very tired. They were probably already sleeping. He would just give it back in the morning. And until then…

He picked up the phone, hitting the button to unlock it. The number pad popped up, prompting him to type in a passcode. He was sure she'd changed it. But just in case she hadn't, he typed in the same 4 digit code that she used for everything. 1867, the number of her grandparents' house.

Just like that, the phone was unlocked. The picture on the background was of Avery and Paige dressed as the Bella Twins on Halloween.

If he thought too much about what he was doing, he would second guess it so instead he went straight to her text messages. The most recent thread was with a number that she didn't have saved under a name. He selected it, reading over the last messages.

Everything okay?

Everything's fine. Sorry I didn't stop to see you on the way out. I just needed to get out of there. Your ex almost got his ass kicked.

Well that confirmed that it was Randy. He talked a big game but when they were face to face, he didn't do anything.

Did your flight get cancelled?

It did. I already left though. We're riding to Pittsburgh with the guys.

Which guys?

Colby, Joe, Jon

Sounds like a shitty ride. You should have listened to me. You could be in my bed right now.

You were right. Next time I'll listen.

Jon frowned, tossing the phone back down. He didn't need to see more. It was right there in black and white. Randy didn't even seem to know Avery existed when she and Jon were together. They didn't have mutual friends, they didn't talk. But now he was sleeping with her. And Jon had a pretty good idea why.

Tuesday…

Avery rifled through the bed covers, searching for her phone.

"I don't see it," Paige came out of the bathroom. "Are you sure you brought it upstairs last night?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Avery nodded, plopping down, looking around the room. "I made sure we had everything."

When they got up to their room, they both passed out right away. Avery didn't realize she didn't have her phone until after she got out of the shower. Now, she had to be downstairs in 10 minutes and she couldn't find it anywhere.

"I called it. It's going straight to voicemail," Paige said. "The battery must be dead."

"Wonderful," Avery got off the bed, tucking her hair behind her ears as she looked around again.

"It's okay. We'll find it," Paige patted her on the shoulder. "But you better get downstairs. You don't need to get in trouble for being late."

"Yeah, I guess I should just go," she sat down, pulling on a pair of black suede, over the knee boots. "Joe's going too, if you find my phone, just call or text him."

"Of course," she nodded. "I will look for it again once I wake up."

"You're going back to sleep?" she frowned.

"Yes, you're the one with somewhere to be right now, not me," Paige laughed. "I'll look when I get up. I promise. Now go."

"Okay, okay, fine," she grabbed a long, chunky sweater. She'd packed her coat in her luggage, which would be arriving later that morning, so the sweater was the warmest thing she had. She grabbed her purse and sunglasses and checked for her room key. Paige was already crawling back into bed when Avery got to the door. "See you later."

"Love you! Bye!"

Avery rushed to the elevator. She felt naked without her phone but she hoped someone would run across it. Maybe one of the guys grabbed it by accident. She'd already texted Joe and Colby from Paige's phone but they hadn't responded yet. When she made it downstairs, she walked quickly through the lobby and out the front door, looking around for Joe. She saw no sign of him but they had a few minutes before their ride was due.

She put her hands in her pockets, unsure of what else to do with them. She looked out at the parking lot and to her surprise, Jon caught her eye. She didn't think he would be awake but there he was, strolling toward her, looking like he'd just rolled out of bed.

"Hey," she pushed her sunglasses up as he got closer. "What are you doing out here?"

"Apparently I'm going with you instead of Joe," he explained. "I got a call from PR this morning."

"Why isn't Joe coming? He's not sick is he?"

"No, he's dragging himself out of bed. They didn't tell me why they made the switch. They just told me to be down here by 8," he answered, reaching into his pocket.

"They like it when you flirt with the news anchors," she suggested.

"I'm charming, what can I say?" he smirked. "I have another present for you."

"Is it another apology?" she smiled. "I don't know if I can take any more."

"I haven't done anything bad since the last time I saw you," he laughed as he pulled out what she originally thought was his phone. Then she realized it was hers.

"Oh my God," she smiled excitedly as he handed it over. "Where did you find it? I've been looking everywhere."

"I just ran to grab something out of the truck and it was still plugged into the charger," he explained. "I thought you might be looking for it. You're gonna have to charge it though. I think it's dead."

She was thrilled to have her phone back. She hated losing things. She never handled it well. Their black SUV arrived and the driver got out, coming around to the back to open the door for them. Jon allowed her to get in first and took the seat beside her.

"Thank you so much," she smiled, putting the phone into her purse. "I checked with everyone but you this morning."

"And therein lies your problem," he laughed.

"I guess so," she smirked, toying with her purse strap.

They were quiet for a few beats as the driver pulled out of the hotel lot and headed toward their destination. She wasn't sure what to say. They'd actually gotten along the night before and a part of her was scared that if she talked too much, they would just start fighting again. She looked over at him and he was looking down at his hands. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak but shook his head and looked out the window instead. Avery looked out her own window, leaning back in her seat. She couldn't relax though. She felt too awkward. She could feel him next to her. He always ran hot and when he put his hand down on the seat between them, she could feel the warmth.

"Look, I was thinking last night…"

His voice jarred her and she turned toward him, waiting for him to continue.

"I was hoping that you and I could..I don't know..work on trying to be friends or whatever," he scratched his head, looking uncharacteristically insecure. "If you're willing to, I guess."

"To be friends or whatever?" she smirked at his choice of words. "Where did this come from?"

"It was nice last night, having a conversation without us going after each other," he explained. "All of our friends are sick of us fighting. Win takes it very personally."

"He really does," she laughed.

"My point is..maybe it's time we try to be okay with each other," he shrugged. "And I get it if you don't want to but I'm going to try and be better. It's only gonna get worse if I don't."

Avery looked down at her hands, mulling over what he said. He was right, everyone was sick of their bickering. And it was sort of nice to be able to talk to him, even if only for a short time.

"Win would be awfully proud of us," she looked up at him again. "And we wouldn't have to play tug of war with Colby."

"I think he likes that we fight over him," Jon laughed.

"That may be true," she nodded. "But I think you're right. It's only gonna get worse if we don't work on it. It won't hurt to try."

He gave her a relieved smile, "I thought you were just gonna tell me to go fuck myself."

"It's still early," she shrugged. "Besides, I'm still happy with you for finding my phone. Thank you again."

"You're welcome," he laughed. "So…now that you and I are friends, is there..anything you wanna talk to me about?"

She made a face, "No. What would I want to talk to you about?"

"I don't know, I'm just wondering," he shrugged. "Isn't this what friends do?"

She didn't believe him. He wouldn't ask something like that without a reason. But she wasn't going to push it for now. They did just agree to try and be friends. She supposed that meant she should stop being suspicious for at least a few minutes.

"It's a little soon for us to be sharing our lives," she laughed. "Let's just try to tolerate each other for the day. Baby steps."

Nikki sighed deeply, waiting as the camera setup was changed. She was at brunch with Brie, Eva, Nattie, and Trinity and, of course, it was being filmed for Total Divas. They were shooting Nattie as though she just arrived even though she'd already been there and started eating her food. Eating a meal could be a struggle when they were shooting. There was so much stop and start; food got cold, drinks got warm, and the girls got antsy.

Nattie walked in, going around the table and greeting everyone.

"You look gorgeous," she smiled at Nikki.

"Thank you," Nikki got up to give her a quick hug. She knew her shirt was a little too low cut for brunch but she did look damn good.

Once Nattie took her seat again, everyone started talking. They'd been asked to discuss work.

"I really think that the Divas division is in a good place right now," Trinity said. "I mean, I feel bad that AJ got hurt but I think there's a lot of us that are in a position to step up."

"I have to say, I have improved so much and gotten so much more comfortable after working with Sara," Nikki said. She would sing the praises of Sara Amato forever. When she and Brie returned to the WWE in 2013, she was thrilled with the prospect of working with the former independent star and the company's first female trainer. Sara worked primarily with the talent in NXT but she traveled on the road periodically and between that and the Performance Center on off days, Nikki tried to soak up as much as she could from her.

"Sara is amazing," Nattie said. "She's really helped us all elevate what we do."

"And Avery and Paige," Nikki added. "They've both really helped me out."

"Yeah, they're both so good," Brie agreed. "They make me want to step my game up."

Nikki happened to be looking in Eva's direction and saw the redhead roll her eyes so hard she might have sprained something.

Brie caught it too and put her drink down, "Wait, Eva, what was that?"

"What? Nothing," Eva shook her head. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to," Brie said. "Everyone just saw your face. What's the problem?"

Nikki took a bite of her food to keep from laughing at her sister. It seemed that the older they got the more Brie lost her filter. She used to be the type of person to pull someone aside for a quiet conversation. Now, if she saw something, she was going to call it out right then and there regardless of the setting. It was a big part of why the show's producers loved her so much.

"I just don't get along with Paige and Avery," Eva said. "They don't like me."

"What makes you think that?" Brie asked.

"I feel like they're always giving me the side eye," Eva said. "I think they look down on me because they think that some of their friends in NXT should be in my place."

"Eva, they don't think that," Nikki shook her head. She didn't elaborate but she knew for a fact that it wasn't true. Paige didn't think she was taking someone else's place, she didn't think Eva should be there at all. Avery wasn't Eva's biggest fan either but Eva hadn't done anything to help with that. The side eye was usually coming from her first.

"I just don't think they've made any effort to, like, get to know me," Eva said, making Nikki want to be the one rolling her eyes.

She liked Eva, she really did. They'd bonded over the show's filming and she considered the other woman a friend. She could be very immature though. She often assumed that people were envious of her and used it as an excuse to isolate herself.

"Have you tried to get to know them?" Nikki asked.

"I have enough going on in my life right now," Eva sighed. "I really can't bring in any negativity."

"By saying that, you're making an assumption about them," Nikki said.

"You can't say that they're negative people when you haven't actually tried to get to know them," Brie completed her thought.

Eva nodded, "You're right. I get enough people doing that to me."

Nikki could hear Brie mumble 'shut up' under her breath. Brie wasn't overly fond of Eva. They had a strained friendship at best. They got along most of the time but Eva could quickly get on Brianna's nerves.

"You should really try and talk to them," Nikki suggested. "Maybe Avery could help you in the ring like she's helped me."

Out of everyone at the table, Eva was by far the most green in the ring. There was always talk of the company wanting to push her but she never seemed to improve. She looked surprised at the suggestion but she shrugged, "Okay. That would be great. You think she would be willing to do that?"

"Yeah, she's always willing to help," Nikki nodded enthusiastically. As soon as she said it she knew she was going to regret it. She didn't know what came over her. Encouraging Eva to get to know Avery and Paige was one thing; that was just her being kind and mature, wanting peace in the locker room. Volunteering Avery to help Eva? That was dumb.

Brie started coughing and Nikki looked over at her sister, patting her on the back to make sure she was okay.

Brie picked up her glass of water, smirking, "Avery's gonna kill you."

Colby nodded, listening as Mark Carano further explained to him and Jon where there feud would be going toward the end of the year. He was looking forward to it. He was loving getting to play the heel. He loved his time as a Shield member but he really felt like he was coming into his own now. It was fun getting to be the man everyone loved to hate.

The sound of heels on the floor drew his attention and he looked up to see Avery walking in their direction, looking down at her phone. She scolded him so much for being on his phone but lately, she couldn't seem to spend a moment away from hers. She looked up for a moment and when she caught him looking, she made a goofy face at him, crossing her eyes and puffing out her cheeks. He rubbed his hand over his beard to hide his smile. She was always trying to make him laugh. He was great when there was a camera on him but she'd discovered how easily he broke when he wasn't being filmed. They'd learned a lot about each other in recent months. One of the good things that seemed to stem from she and Jon breaking up was that they had grown a lot closer.

I got you she mouthed, winking at him.

He shook his head, trying to turn his attention back to the conversation. He could see her making another face but he tried not to look at her.

"Avery, why don't you come over here?" Mark asked, unfazed by her goofiness. "This concerns you too."

"It does?" she looked surprised, walking over to stand between Colby and Jon. She looked up at Colby but he shrugged, not sure of what the other man was talking about.

"It does," Carano confirmed. "You're obviously coming into an angle with The Authority."

"Yeah, we've been playing up the tension with Stephanie and I," she nodded. "I wasn't aware that it would be any more than that."

"Right, well, it's not going to end with just you and Steph," he explained.

Avery nodded, looking over at Jon, her expression wary. Colby knew what she was thinking. It was written all over her face. She was horrified at the idea that they were going to pair her up with Jon. Jon looked just as apprehensive. Colby couldn't blame either of them for thinking it. He never bought the story that pairing them as a tag team at those house shows was a timing issue.

"What exactly does that mean?" she asked, crossing her arms, her stance tense and annoyed.

"You two are also going to be working together," Carano pointed at her and…Colby.

Jon actually breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Avery's hazel eyes went wide.

"Me?" Colby asked.

"So this has nothing to do with me?" Jon asked.

Carano laughed, "Only peripherally. You and Avery are both, separately, in conflict with The Authority."

"And me?" Colby laughed.

"And you."

"I'm confused," Avery frowned.

"I'm gonna go," Jon smiled. "As long as I am no longer needed here."

"You're good to go."

Jon didn't bother to hide his happiness as he scurried away. He turned, backing down the hallway, smiling and waving.

"I don't get this either," Colby said. "How does that work? Why would I have a conflict with Avery?"

"Ever seen the movie Indecent Proposal?" Mark asked.

"What?" Avery stared.

Colby couldn't help but laugh. He'd never watched the movie but he had a pretty good idea of what it was about.

"Calm down, I don't mean that literally," Mark put his hands up.

"You better not," Avery said. "Because Seth Rollins trying to buy a night with me for a million dollars is not very PG, Mark."

"That isn't what's going to happen," he laughed. "But he is going to show an interest in you that you don't return. And he'll offer to help your problems with Stephanie if you change your mind."

"So Rollins is a giant sleaze?" Avery asked.

"Aren't I already?" Colby laughed. Hitting on an attractive woman wouldn't be anywhere near the worst thing he'd done since his turn.

"Yeah but propositioning me like that makes it even worse," she looked over at him. She seemed completely perplexed by the idea.

"I think that's the point," Colby smirked.

"This seems silly," Avery said. "He's supposed to be the golden boy of The Authority. He's good looking. He could get any girl he wants."

"Thank you Avery."

"Exactly. But he wants you," Carano explained. "And you don't want him."

"Because I'm a scum bag?" Colby suggested.

"See? He gets it," Mark pointed. "You guys will have fun with this. Don't stress out about it. Besides, this idea comes straight from Vince so…"

Everyone knew what that meant. If Vince had an idea, no matter how you felt about it, you went along with it. Fortunately for Colby, he didn't have a problem with it. He didn't quite see the purpose but he wasn't opposed to the idea. It was harmless.

"We'll be fine," Colby said confidently, patting Avery on the shoulder. "I take it this is gonna start soon?"

"It is. We'll film the two of you in an hour."

"An hour?" she stared.

"I've gotta make some calls. I'll see you two later," Mark excused himself, giving them the thumbs up as he walked away.

"They really love to just spring things on us and wander off, don't they?" Colby watched after him.

"This is gonna be weird," Avery declared, turning so that they were facing each other. "Why does it seem like you don't think so?"

"Because I don't," he laughed. "We're adults. It would suck if I had to flirt with someone I don't like but we're friends. It'll be fine."

Thursday…

Kevin bent at the waist, hands on his knees, breathing deeply. He and Avery had been working non-stop in the ring all afternoon. He did pretty well for a while but now he was sucking down air like crazy and Avery was running in place, smiling from ear to ear.

"You are an evil sorceress," he pointed at her.

"You gotta work on that cardio," she patted him on the back before she started side skipping around the ring.

"My cardio is fine," he started to straighten up, still catching his breath. "I'm just not some giant lunged freak like you are."

Avery rarely ever got winded. It was almost disturbing. The only person Kevin knew with better cardio was Claudio. He didn't feel bad about himself though. He was getting into the best shape of his life and, so far, he was getting great reviews since he started working at the Performance Center. And regardless of her stellar conditioning, Avery still came to him when she wanted to work on her move set.

"We can be done if you want," she stopped skipping.

"No, let's just take a break," he suggested. He knew she was feeling better about what they'd worked on but she was just as much of a perfectionist as he was. She wouldn't be comfortable until they'd worked at it a little longer.

She smiled, "Break works for me. I'll get water."

Kevin slid out of the ring and Avery went through the ropes, jumping down from the apron. He grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from his brow and plopping down onto the mats around the ring, stretching his legs.

He felt an ice cold sensation on the back of his neck and he cringed, pulling the bottle out of her hand, "Avery!"

She laughed, sitting down and pressing the soles of her feet together. He waited for her to lean forward and once her forehead was close to her feet, he grabbed the end of her ponytail.

She shrieked, slapping at his hand until he let go, chuckling. They really were like brother and sister sometimes. He always got a kick out of poking at her and vice versa.

"So," he nudged her foot with his as she tried to fix her hair. "What's going on with you?"

They'd been talking about work all day. He would be making his debut at the next NXT Takeover special. She was hopefully next in line for the Divas Championship and getting this push with The Authority. They were up to speed professionally but he wanted to know what was going on in her life outside of work. He felt a lot of responsibility for Avery. She wasn't close to her parents and she didn't like to worry her grandparents so she didn't tell them much. He sometimes worried that there weren't enough people looking out for her.

"Not too much. Things are good," she put her ponytail holder in her mouth, gathering up her hair. "It's been kind of a weird week."

"How so?" he asked, taking a long drink of his water.

"Well..Jon and I are gonna try to be friends."

His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, "And why the hell are you doing that?"

Kevin had once considered Jon somewhat of a friend but he lost all respect for the guy when he cheated on Avery.

Avery shrugged, "We kind of got stuck with a lot of time to talk on Monday night and…he apologized for getting in my face last week."

"Oh yeah?" Kevin scoffed, shaking his head. "Did he apologize for being a cheating asshole too?"

She sighed deeply, rubbing her hands over her face.

He knew what she wanted to say. He knew that she wanted to tell him that Jon cheated one time. It was her instinct, even after what he did, to defend him to Kevin.

Kevin knew the way Avery thought. When she defended Jon, she wasn't actually defending what he did. She was defending what they had. She was defending herself for staying with him and fighting for their relationship when Kevin had told her so many times to give up. But Avery knew him just as well as he knew her. And she knew what would happen if she said it again. So she didn't. She just bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling. The thing that Avery didn't understand was that he believed that Jon had only cheated once. But that one time was enough for Kevin to feel that Jon would never deserve her friendship, or any kind of attention from her, ever again.

"I know you think I'm stupid-"

"I didn't call you stupid," he corrected her.

"It's just difficult to have so much tension and anger with someone who used to mean so much to me," she explained. "It's exhausting."

"I wouldn't give the son of a bitch the time of day," Kevin said. "But you're a nicer person than me. Just..keep your eyes open, okay?"

"Keep my eyes open?" she smirked. "I agreed to try and be friends. That's all. We're not getting back together. It may not even work."

She looked down at her nails at the end of her sentence and Kevin swallowed a sigh. He wouldn't tell her because she would argue, but he could tell how much she wanted it to work.

"Alright, what else is going on?" he gestured for her to continue.

"Nothing really," she smiled, toying with the laces on her boot.

"So there's a boy," Kevin rolled his eyes.

She laughed, shaking her head, "No there's not."

Her cheeks flushed and he laughed, "There is most definitely a boy. Who is it?"

"You're imagining things," she shook her head.

"Come on," he tossed his empty water bottle at her. "Fess up. I don't have all day."

Avery stood up, brushing off the back of her pants and sliding into the ring, mumbling something that sounded like Sandy Morton.

It took Kevin a moment to make out the name, "What?!"

"What?" Avery looked around like she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Randy Orton?" Kevin stared. "You're dating Randy Orton?"

When Avery broke her own rules she certainly did it big. She told him she was done with guys in the business and now she was with one of the faces of the company.

"I wouldn't say dating," she put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, so then what? You're just..talking?" he asked, confused, joining her in the ring.

She twisted her mouth, shrugging one shoulder and he shook his head, realizing where this was going, "Oh come on Av."

He did not need to know what he now knew. Her answers made that obvious.

"You're the one who asked," she reminded him.

"How did that even happen?" Kevin asked. "I didn't know you even hung out around him."

"I didn't really," she answered. "He showed up here one day when I was working with Nikki. She thought he was checking me out, I didn't. But after that, I don't know, we just sort of started..running into each other more. And then Nikki invited him to a party at her and John's place and we were drinking and-"

"That's good, you can stop there," he gave her the kill gesture, swiping his hand in front of his throat.

"Why are you so uncomfortable?" she laughed. "It's just sex."

"Stop," he pointed at her.

"Stop what? Stop saying sex," she asked.

"Keep it up and I won't let you come over for dinner tonight," he pointed.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop," she put her hands up. "But only because you have the cutest kids in the world and I miss their little faces."

Kevin shrugged, "Whatever it takes."