Chapter XXI: Nine WWE Couples

Jon was walking back to the locker room that Beth was sitting in when he spotted Mike and Sophie walking out towards the bus that they had rented to chauffeur the small family across the United States and most of Canada.

"Hey," he called, causing the young father and small toddler to turn towards him, "I got to ask you something." Mike nodded and motioned for the lunatic fringe of the Shield to follow him.

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, um, a couple of days ago I told Beth that I think I love her, and well," Jon paused, as he scratched the back of his neck, "You're the only guy that I know is married besides Bryan and we all know his and Brie's story thanks to that damn reality show, so I was wondering when you…you knew that you were in love with Rayleigh." Mike chuckled. He should have seen this conversation coming the moment that Beth asked Rayleigh the same question.

"Come on," Mike said, "It's a long story and I have to get this little Princess into her pyjamas, so she can go to sleep."

"But, I not sleepy Daddy," Sophie complained, as she rubbed her eye with her tiny fist, "I don't want to go to sleep."

"Uh huh," Mike said, smiling down at his little girl as she continued to rub her eye with her tiny fist, "Well, let's get you into those pyjamas anyway. I'm sure Gramps would love to see his little angel in the pyjamas he got her for Christmas." Sophie nodded tiredly, laying her head on her father's shoulders.

"Now, it's no secret that everything with Ray and I started the night that she found out about John's little dalliances with a Diva by the name of Kaitlyn," Mike started, "And to be honest, I was kind of in the same boat that you were in with Beth. I can't count the nights that I was up all night thinking about how her blue eyes shined or how beautiful she looked that day. I wanted her, man, I wanted her, but she was with Cena and I wasn't about to take on the face of this company to get his girl."

"Why not?"

"She was in love with him," Mike shrugged, as he unlocked the bus door, all the while balancing his daughter on his hip, "As long as she didn't know about Kaitlyn and she was happy with him, she was going to love him unconditionally and I wasn't going to get my heart broken by the woman I love and then lose my dream job, no matter how much my heart thought it would be worth it. But, anyways, she walked in on the two of them and ran, tears in her eyes and she ran right into me, like it was fate trying to tell me something. It would have been a dream come true for me, if I didn't knock her right on her ass and saw the tears in her eyes."

Jon watched in silence as Mike placed Sophie on the bed in the back of the bus, as he pulled her pyjamas out of a bright pink suitcase that looked large enough that Sophie could sleep in it.

"I spent the night with her, just talking that's it and that night just cemented my love for her," Mike explained, "Except after everything Cena did, she vowed that she was never going to fall in love with another wrestler. She wanted nothing to do with wrestlers in her love life, until Cena asked her if she and I were dating."

"That's when she gave you a chance?"

"That's when she gave me a chance," Mike agreed, "And I didn't waste it. I threw myself into that chance and proved to her that I wasn't going anywhere, I wasn't going to turn my back on her, I wasn't with her until I found something better. I am with her for as long as she wants me."

"And she believed you," Jon asked, "Just like that?"

"I was friends with her for four months before I started dating her," Mike explained, "I made sure to get rid of any doubts about my character during that time, so that when, not if, when I got the chance to show her how much I loved her, she wouldn't doubt any of it."

"So, you and Rayleigh fell in love just like that," Jon said, watching as Mike quickly changed Sophie and kissed her forehead as he noticed her slowly nodding off.

"Just like that," Mike said, "Now, we had a few problems along the way. Even though we were engaged, she had trouble letting me take care of her and she had a life time of daddy issues working against her even with role models like Hunter, Mark Calaway, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, but we understand each other, we love one another and we're always going to be there for one another."

"But, when did you know that you loved her?"

"I thought it was obvious, Jon," Mike said, a hint of a smirk on his face, "I loved her from the moment that I first saw her."

"You believe in love at first sight?"

"Yeah," Mike said, "From the moment I saw her walking around the arena with the big oaf that she now calls her best friend, my heart would pound when I saw her, I couldn't go a day without thinking about her. Ray, she…she's my soul mate."

"I think Beth is mine," Jon whispered. Mike smiled at the younger wrestler.

"Jon," Mike started, "You don't think someone is your soul mate, you know someone is your soul mate."

"And how do I know for sure that Beth is my soul mate?"

"I'm going to answer that with a question," Mike explained, crossing his arms as he looked at Jon, "Does she make your heart beat fast every time you see her?"

"Yes."

"Is there a day that goes by that you don't want to see her?"

"No."

"Is there a day that goes by that you don't want to hear her laugh, her voice?"

"No."

"Would you ever try to hurt her intentionally?"

"No."

"Would you try to protect her, no matter what harm may come your way?"

"Yes."

"Then you have your answer," Mike smiled, slapping his hand on Jon's shoulder, "Now, why don't we go find our girls?" Jon smiled at the thought of sweeping Beth up to his arms upon seeing her and telling her that he loved her.

"Are you serious," Beth squealed, clapping her hands together, "He...He's going to propose? Tonight?"

"Yeah," Rayleigh said, rubbing her stomach, as she felt the baby kick once more, "He's been planning it for awhile now and he's been driving me crazy trying to figure out an original idea for his proposal. I don't understand why it needed to be completely original; Mike just placed the ring on my finger, while I was asleep and asked me when I woke up."

"No romantic speech?"

"Yeah there was a romantic speech, but it wasn't fancy and that's what made it perfect though in my eyes," Rayleigh said, twiddling her engagement ring and wedding band.

"I guess I just never saw Punk proposing to anyone," Beth shrugged, "He doesn't act like the kind of guy that would want to get married."

"It just takes that perfect person to come along," Rayleigh shrugged, "April and him, they're made for each other."

"But, weren't you the one that smacked him upside the head when he escorted Amy Dumas to the Hall of Fame in 2013, broke up with her the next day at Wrestle Mania and then started up with AJ a week later."

"Yeah," Rayleigh chuckled, "But, that's because Amy's a good friend…plus Phil told me that he had already broken up with her hence the reason why I started setting him up with April, so imagine my shock when she comes running into mine and Mike's locker room crying that Phil just broke up with her. He was lucky he was taking on Mark that night, otherwise I would have gone after him right then and there."

"Wow," Beth chuckled, "If I didn't know any better I would say that you're the WWE's resident match maker. Adam and Liz, Nikki and Cena, me and Jon, Phil and April-"

"Jay and Denise," Rayleigh added still chuckling, "Mark and Michelle, Kevin and Maryse, Morrison and Barb, Nattie and TJ, the second time…I think that's it."

"That's it," Beth squawked, "That's it?"

"What's it," Jon asked, as he, Mike and Sophie walked into the locker room.

"Miss Match Maker has set up a total of nine WWE couples and she says, 'That's it," Beth complained a hint of humor in her voice. Mike chuckled and sat himself beside his wife, laying Sophie across both of their laps.

"Oh," Mike said, a hint of a smile on his face, "She didn't tell you that she's working on number ten?"

"Ten," Beth repeated, "Who?" In response Rayleigh just dragged her fingers across her lips, miming that her lips were in fact sealed. Beth huffed, crossing her arms across her chest, much like Sophie would do when things weren't going her way.

"You're not going to tell me," Beth said, pouting slightly.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I can't have him sniffing around right now," Rayleigh said, "I haven't found a girl, I think is good enough for him and the last thing I need to do is make him wise to my little tricks when I don't even have someone in mind for him yet." Beth, Jon and Mike all shook their heads.

"Really, Ray," Mike asked, looking at his wife incredulously, "You haven't even found a woman for the poor man and you already have your heart on setting him up with someone. I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"Nothing," Rayleigh answered with an obvious smirk on her face, "You wouldn't have me any other way."

"Whatever you want to believe, baby," Mike joked, kissing his wife on the lips, "Why don't you work on getting your big oaf of a best friend to put a ring on his girlfriend's finger before you start setting up anyone else?" Rayleigh jokingly gasped in response before whacking her husband in the shoulder. Beth shook her head and looked at Jon, her eyes shining.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. Beth's smile widened and she whispered it back to him as she brushed her long finger nails through his short hair. The exchange between the two went completely unnoticed by the married couple mere feet away from them.

The next morning, April came bounding into the hotel's adjoining restaurant at full speed practically dragging Phil behind her. She couldn't wait to tell the woman that had been responsible for setting them up as well as all of their friends on the roster. She couldn't believe it she was engaged. She was engaged to CM Punk. She was engaged to Phil Brooks. She was engaged to the love of her life and she wanted to do nothing short of screaming it from the nearest, highest roof top.

"April," Phil said, from behind her, as she looked for their large group of friends, "Slow down. I'm sure they're all waiting for us anyway."

"No, I will not slow down," April argued weakly since she wasn't able to wipe the smile off of her face, "I'm so excited to tell them that we're getting married. I can't wait…oh, I'm going to have to talk to Rayleigh and Kaitlyn. I'm sure they'll be able to help me plan everything. Do you want a small wedding or a big wedding? Or do you just want a reception and we'll get married at the court house in Chicago?" Phil started blinking at April rapidly. For as long as they had been dating, for as long as they had known one another, he had never heard her speak that quickly.

"I…I," he stuttered, unsure of what to answer.

"Oh never mind," April interrupted, still looking around the restaurant, "I have to talk to Ray and Kaitlyn first before I even think about pl-"

"Do you really think it's wise to get those two involved in something at the same time," Phil asked, finally breaking his silence, "I know they're all good now and Cena's moved onto the Fearless Bella, but do you really think it's wise to put the former girlfriend and the former mistress in the same room at the same time?" April abandoned her search of the restaurant to turn to her fiancé (FIANCÉ) wide eyed. She hadn't thought about that.

"Oh," April said, quietly, "Right…I forgot all about that."

"Yeah," Phil said, "This is going to be interesting."

April looked back to the restaurant more subdued than she had been a moment ago. She really had forgotten all about the drama that Cena had started between Rayleigh and Kaitlyn. Sure, Phil was right when he said that the two were on good terms. Kaitlyn had gone to Rayleigh's wedding and Rayleigh had gone to Kaitlyn's, but she wanted both Rayleigh and Kaitlyn to have a large part in her wedding to Phil. April bit her lip. This was going to be a nightmare.

"April," called Beth, as soon as she spotted the couple, waving them over to the table, where almost everyone was sitting. April's large smiled return. Well, maybe they should just tell everyone about their engagement first and then she would be able to worry about Rayleigh, Kaitlyn and what parts they could both play in her wedding.

The camera focused in a familiar red head that was filing her nails. The red headed, Beth was sitting alone in the make-up area reluctantly waiting patiently for one of the ditzes behind her to start working on her hair and make-up before her match with the one half of the Bella Twins, whom she now took delight in calling the Clones.

"Beth," came a familiar voice behind the red head, causing her turn abruptly and come face to face with the man that she had come so close to putting in the hospital only a short week ago. Punk was smiling at her. She glowered at him through the mirror in return.

"What do you want Punk?"

"I want to know why you didn't tell me," Punk said, placing his hands on the back of her chair as he leaned closer to her.

"Didn't tell you what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Beth," Punk said, looking at her through the mirror, "We both know that you're too smart to play dumb. So, let me try this again, why didn't you tell me that you were in love with me?"

"I wasn't in love with you," Beth answered, though the waver in her voice said differently. Punk raised his eyebrow at her and smiled down her as he watched her swallow thickly.

"Beth," Punk said, leaning down so it looked as if he was going to lean his head on her shoulder, "We both know you're lying, but that's okay. You're not ready to tell me, I guess, I can accept that even after you broke my best friend's heart and left me for dead in the middle of that ring last week. I guess, I'll just have to wait, but you know what?"

"What," Beth answered, a slight quiver in her voice.

"I won't wait for long." Beth's eyes widened as the tattooed superstar turned and walked away leaving her alone with her own thoughts of what had just happened. She couldn't believe that Daniel and spilled her secret last week. No one else had known, not even Dean and even he was looking at her with a look of distrust. What was she going to do?

"Did you do it," AJ asked, as soon as Punk turned the corner. Punk frowned down at the small Diva in front of him and nodded. He still didn't agree to her and the Bella Twins plan, get Beth to show that she was still in love with him and leave her heart broken anyway. Half of that was what got them into this mess with Beth and the newly reformed Shield in the first place.

Punk looked back down the hall to where Beth was now sitting in a slightly dazed state, while one of the make-up girls started curling her hair. A large part of him felt this was one of the worst things that he could do to her, but a small part of him said, 'it's for the better.'

The camera faded out and the audience was met with the sight of the Undertaker standing in a dark room with iconic images from the last thirty Wrestle Manias plastered to the walls around him. Most of the walls were covered with the faces of the men that had tried and failed to defeat him at the grandest stage of them all, but there was a rather large empty spot right behind him.

The crowd watched as the Undertaker, took a small pin in his hand and held up a photo from Wrestle Mania 21. In the image, clear as day, the audience could make out the iconic picture of Hot Ray-Leigh and John Cena celebrating his first WWE Championship. Cena had raised the Diva high onto his shoulder, much like the Macho Man had always done to Miss Elizabeth, the belt was hanging from her shoulder and the two looked as happy as could be.

The Undertaker slowly placed the image back down before exiting the small dark room, which the audience now knew to be a small wooden house with a cemetery in the back yard. Lightning struck at that moment and near the steps of the house, the audience saw two tombstones sitting side by side, both with the emblem of the Undertaker on them. One, they all knew said John Cena, but the one beside it wasn't blank. It also had a name on it.

And that name was Hot Ray-Leigh.

A/N: Alright, two chapters in less than a week. Let me know what you think and don't forget to vote for the person you want to induct Hot Ray-Leigh.

As it stands right now:

Edge & Christian – 6
Beth, John Cena and Stephanie McMahon - tied at 5
The Miz – 3
Kelly Kelly, Lita and Trish Stratus – tied at 1

xo