Alice enters the gym, her bag over her shoulder as she prepares for her match tonight. She does a quick run of the ropes, practices some of her moves with Chris, though she's going through the motions. Distracting herself.

From that asshole who wouldn't get over her, Jon Moxley. She was surprised when he didn't bring up the topic of 'them' while watching Unforgiven. When he didn't bring it up when they went to bed, when they got up for breakfast. He didn't say a damn word and that scared her more than anything. The silence was screaming and she couldn't hear it.

Alice doesn't dodge Chris's clothesline, completely botches it. She falls to the ground, her throat burning, begging for air, she coughs, "Ah shit." She growls, holding her hand over her throat.

Chris helps her up, "Shit, Evans, you're usually more on top of this stuff. What's up?"

Alice shakes her head, rubbing her neck, "It's nothing Chris, just a bit distracted, that's all."

"Moxley." Chris rolls his eyes, "Bad for you. So bad for you. I'll tell you what the guy is, he's a fucking parasite. He'll take what he wants and then leave you for dead, I fucking promise it. I've watched the ring rats learn it and I don't want you to learn it the hard way."

"But he-"

Chris shakes his head, "Tell me I did not just hear Alice Evans, my Alice Evans, try to defend a guy she just wanted to dismember a few weeks ago. So it's official now, isn't it? Right under his spell. I expected more."

Alice glares at him, "I'm not under his spell."

"Oh yeah, what are you then? Go ahead, say you're in love or some cheesy shit like that. Tell me about how he makes you feel whole, and how he 'makes your heart race'. That one's my favorite. The last one. Go on, I know you're going to."

Alice slaps him.

Her hand flush against his face, a loud slap sounds through the air. He holds his cheek after it, chuckling.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He says, but he isn't laughing anymore. He sounds.. sad. He looks over at her, his hand still on his cheek, "God dammit, Alice. I don't want to be right, don't let me be right."

Alice is confused then. He was just telling her how stupid she was, how she fell under his spell. Now he was begging her not to let even a small piece of her like Jon Moxley.

Chris just exits the ring then, not even allowing her time to respond.

Alice doesn't see Chris at her match that night. She sees Joey, briefly sees Moxley hurrying about backstage. Bitching about how no one was brave enough to face him. Alice got ready for her match.

She went out and was slaughtered.

She loses the match, it's such a painful loss. She's on her side, gasping for breath, she's bleeding in places she thought people shouldn't ever bleed in. There's a large gash on her forehead, and she's really feeling the deja-vu.

She dimly remembers stumbling to the back, Joey patching her up. She remembers plopping down on the couch and passing out.

Alice wakes up and her head is aching. She reaches for the glass of water, greedily drinking it. She realizes she'd been moved to her room.

"Not so fast." Jon says from her bedside, taking the glass gently out of her hands. "Gotta change your bandages, you bled through them." He says, pulling up a stool. He takes the bandage off slowly, Alice grimacing.

"My own personal nurse? Ouch - how'd I get so lucky.." She grimaces, making a pained yelp when he rips it off in one fast loop. He repeatedly curses when he realizes she's still bleeding. "Crazy idea, a hospital, just an idea."

"Nah, your insurance isn't covering this."

"It covered it last time."

"Barely."

Jon puts the bandage over her forehead quickly, smoothing it into place, "Okay, flip over and lift up your shirt."

Alice glares at him, "Not for you, Moxley."

Jon rolls his eyes, "Hey, it's either me or that doe-eyed Chris Hero you hang around. So far, I'm your only option unless you want Chris to come all the way down here from Chicago to nurse you. It isn't an easy fucking job, believe me."

Alice makes a noise of frustration, turning so she's laying on her back. He gingerly lifts up her shirt, only to the middle of her back. He quickly replaces the bandages and she flops back down on her back.

Jon, while disposing of the bandages says casually, "So you know Chris, he likes you." He takes a bandage off her arm and applies disinfectant, tearing open the bandaging wrapping with his teeth.

"No, he doesn't."

Jon dryly laughs, "So damn oblivious. Thought you'd at least see this one coming."

Alice takes her arm away from him, applying the bandage herself, "Is pissing me off supposed to be part of your occupation? Don't you have some villagers you haven't harassed? A village to tear apart?"

"You told me to stop tearing up the town."

"Mmm, well you get your privileges back, go have fun, you crazy kid." Alice says, giving him a weak smile, "As much fun as this has been, which is a nice way of saying this was torture, I think it's time we go our separate ways."

"Yeah, not yet."

"What is it now?" Alice groans.

Jon responds to this by leaving the room. Alice is confused, but she leans back against her pillows. At least until he comes back in. He has a large envelope in his hand. He hands it to her.

Alice realizes it's already been opened, "Now you're reading my mail? Getting clingy, are we? Have you already stolen pieces of my hair when I wasn't looking?"

"Just look at it."

Alice notes that he's in no mood for her nonsense. She opens the envelope, well, reaches into it and grabs out the papers. It's really thick, she notes. She pulls it out to see... WWE's logo.

Alice's eyes widen and she sits up in bed, her back bandage pulling against her skin. She runs her fingers across the cream paper, "It can't be..." She breathes, at a loss for words, "There.. there's no way."

Jon hooks his fingers underneath the stool, "What's it say?"

"You read it." Alice says with a glare. "They want to meet me, discuss a contract.." She says, a slow smile rising to her lips, "This is all I've ever wanted.. I.. I don't.."

"So you're going to sign with them?"

Alice looks over at him to see his face has darkened, "That was the plan, yes. Day one, this is all I've been trying to do."

"Get into some sexist organization where you'll be treated like some sex toy? Oh yeah, great fucking dream, they'll destroy your career. Mark my words. Two years time you'll be wishing that you were still in the fucking indies."

"Why are you so pissed?"

"Because your dream is stupid."

"Stupid? Wanting to get signed into one of the largest wrestling organizations in the world is stupid? Wanting to be able to change a division for the better, to become a great like Trish or Lita, that's stupid to you? I want my name in the history books! That isn't stupid!" Alice is close to shouting by now.

Jon gets up quickly, throwing the stool to the ground, causing Alice to jump, "You're going to throw away everything you've worked for, just for a few zeros at the end of your paycheck? Oh yeah? You know what the WWE Divas are? I'll tell you what they are, whores, all of them. Don't try and shout exceptions at me because you know it's true. Is that what you want to be, a whore?"

Alice gets up, even though it's painful, she slaps him, it's weak, just like she is. "You shut your goddamn mouth, Moxley. I can't believe, even for a second, I considered.." She cuts herself off, "This is my dream, and you're just.. you're just spitting on it!"

"Yeah, I'm spitting on it. Because that's exactly what Vince fucking McMahon is going to do to your career. He's going to spit on it, twist you until you become his little whore, just like Kelly Kelly, just like that little legend of yours, Trish Stratus, was it?"

Alice slaps him again, "Shut up! SHUT UP!" She's close to tears.

Jon gets closer to her, until he's looming over her, "I should have figured you were just as shallow as the fucking rest of em'. Why the fuck would I think for a minute you were better than every other whore in this business? You just wanted the paychecks, the fame. You were never here for the wrestling."

"It was always for the wrestling."

"Was it?"

"Damn right."

"Then don't sign it. Don't sign the contract. Don't go to the stupid meeting. If it's for the wrestling, stick to the real stuff." Jon says, "Then I'll believe you." Jon's about to leave her room.

"Tell me the real reason why you don't want me to sign."

Jon stops in the doorway, not turning to face her, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"I think you do." Alice slowly walks over to him, "You don't want me to sign because you know I'll be leaving you behind. In two years time, I won't be wishing I was here. I'll be on the road, living my dreams. Meeting Stone Cold, meeting all of these guys and women I looked up to. And that drives you crazy, doesn't it?"

Jon swallows hard.

"You don't want me to leave."

Jon whirls around, "Here's a shocker, princess, the world, doesn't actually revolve around you. These past few weeks, you had me fooled, I'll give you that. Thought I'd be up for the challenge, thought you'd be a great screw. But all you did was jerk me around and fucking laugh. I actually fucking cared, but I'm not making that mistake again. Sign the stupid contract, go to the stupid meeting. Buy fancy clothes with your big paychecks, see if that makes you feel any better. Tell yourself that you're still in it for the wrestling when you're drinking yourself straight to alcoholism because you know I'm right." Jon leans in closer to her, "Then, when you're all alone at the end of the day, think of me, think about what you could have had."

He leaves the room, leaving Alice stunned.

Buy fancy clothes with your big paychecks, see if that makes you feel any better. Tell yourself that you're still in it for the wrestling when you're drinking yourself straight to alcoholism because you know I'm right.

His words won't leave her.