Sorry this chapter wasn't up sooner. It was supposed to be up start of last week but I've had major laptop problems and had to have it sent off to be fixed. But I'm here now and here's the chapter. The next chapter is also nearly finished so that will be up in a couple of days too :)

A shout out to Bella315-who gave me a lot of inspiration for part of this chapter!

Enjoy :)

Today was one of Layla's bad days. Waking up that morning, her mood matched the grey sky outside. She just wanted to curl up in bed and hide from the world; from everyone and everything. But she couldn't, it was Friday and that meant time to get back on the road after a couple of days off work. Her days off had been good, spent with her family and then seeing her therapist. One thing she had learnt from this therapy was that it was a battle. Some days would be better than others. Everything wasn't just going to be cured over night. it was going to take time and patience. Today though, was one of those days that felt like after taking one step forward she had gone back two.

She hated Carter. She despised him for what he had done, for making her feel so worthless, taking away her happiness. That's what it felt like so often. She remembered back to before him, before everything that had happened in those four years with him, back when she had been such a happy person, so full of life. There had been times when she wished he had succeeded in killing her. Then she wouldn't still be suffering. Even away from him, he still had a hold over her. Her body still had the scars he inflicted on her body. Her mind still held the memories of the beatings and abuse. She couldn't move on with her live entirely. She was still pushing away the man who loved her because of Carter and what he put her through and still was putting her through. For all of this, she would always hate him.

It was times like this, her bad days, that she really thought about her friends and family, the people that, when she had hit her lowest point, were what kept her going. The ones she thought about and how it would affect them if she ended it all. At her lowest point, she had even briefly resented them because it was thoughts of them that stopped her doing it. Thoughts of her parents and brothers. Thoughts of Jon. Of how her death would only cause suffering and pain for them.

While she had gradually moved past the really bad days; the days when suicide felt like the only real escape, she still had bad days, like now. The days when she just wanted to hide from the world. Days that usually started with long, sleepless nights full of nightmares of Carter and the upcoming trial and then dreams of Jon.

Walking around the arena, it was still weird to think that Celeste had left the week before. Layla missed hanging out with her, especially at the house shows, like tonight. She missed those moments with Celeste and AJ, when it would start to feel like she was starting to feel like her old, carefree self again.

Walking into catering, she smiled when she saw Stu Bennett sat at one of the tables.

"Hey Stu, is this seat taken?"

Stu smiled upon looking up and seeing Layla. Somewhere in the time since she had joined Nick on the road, they had struck up a friendship. "All yours, sweetheart."

"Missing Celeste?"

Layla looked up at him, nodding. "It's not the same without her, she was always so bubbly. The place just feels quieter without her and AJ isn't here yet-"

Stu cut her off, grinning. "Oh, I see. I'm just here to fill your time until someone more upbeat gets here."

Layla couldn't help but laugh; "Well, when you put it like that."

"And here I was thinking I was your favourite."

"You're my favourite Brit, if that counts." Layla smiled before taking a sip from her bottle of water.

"It's a start," he retuned her smile.

Layla spent the next ten minutes catching up with Stu, hearing all about how he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend, before AJ showed up with Punk.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me?!" Roman pinched the bridge of his nose; he couldn't believe this. "We've got a match tonight and you show up fucking drunk!" Roman was beyond pissed off.

"What're you talking about, man? I'm fine," Jon slurred as he unceremoniously dropped down onto the couch in their locker room.

"Seriously bro, who are you trying to kid? This isn't the Indies, Jon. You can't show up drunk." Colby tried taking the more friendly approach with a drunk Jon. However, he was also worried about whether Jon would manage to get through their match tonight.

Both Joe and Colby were well aware that Jon had not been in the best place lately and had been struggling, whether he liked to admit it or not, with everything that had happened with Layla. When he wasn't taking his aggression out in the gym or destroying furniture at the arenas, he was out drinking after the shows. This, however, was the first time he had shown up drunk before a show.

"I'm not drunk. I might have had a little drink earlier, but I ain't drunk. Now shut up."

"I CAN SMELL THE FUCKING ALCHOL ON YOU FROM HERE, JON" Joe bellowed, his anger rising by the minute.

Jon looked up at Joe, smirking; "Don't stand so close to me then. Seriously, are you in love with me or something? Let me guess, the woman isn't doing it for you anymore. At least someone wants me then, I can't be that bad then." Jon laughed to himself.

If the last part of Jon's drunken ramble didn't make him feel bad for the man he considered a brother, Joe would have had no problem punching him for his comment regarding Joe's fiancée. As it was, he and Colby had seen how much Jon was struggling with everything with Layla. The man was hurting.

Instead Joe walked over to the couch, grabbed Jon by the front of the shirt, yanked him up and dragged him to the shower, turning the cold sprays on. Jon cussed Joe out, trying to fight him off, but it was no use, he was too drunk and Joe was stronger.

After a few minutes, Jon turned the shower off, letting go of Jon. "Get changed into your ring gear." Stepping out of the small bathroom he turned to Colby. "Go to catering and get some coffee, a bottle of water and some food."

Joe was determined to get Jon as sober as he could before their match. He knew if management found out that he was drunk, he'd be in serious trouble. Luckily it was a house show and a six man tag match, so they would be able to get away with him and Colby doing most of the work.

Layla was surprised when she saw Colby rushing down the hallways, carrying a tray which had coffee, water and food on it. From the look on his face, she could tell something was going on and something told her it was to do with Jon.

"Hey Colby, what's going on? You looked concerned about something."

Shit. This wasn't good, Colby thought. The last thing Layla needed was to see Jon in the state he was in and he wasn't sure if Jon seeing her while in this state was good. "No, everything's fine. Just don't want to leave the guys waiting. You know how grumpy Joe gets when he's hungry."

"So grumpy he can't get his own food?" Layla knew something was going on. "Please don't lie to me, Colb. Is everything okay with Jon?"

Colby's face fell a little. "He's drunk, but don't worry, he'll be fine before the match."

"Let me see him. Please."

Colby nodded, knowing, when it came to Jon, she probably would have followed him even if he had said no. As much as, for her own reasons, Layla kept insisting she couldn't be with Jon, they always seemed to find each other. Whether it was Jon declaring his love for her in hotel corridor, or spending the day together with Talia, or the glances at each other at the arenas, they were never that far from each other. Yet at the same time, it felt like they were so far away from each other.

Jon didn't even notice Layla walk into the locker room, until she walked over to the couch and squatted down in front of him. Taking the tray from Colby. Taking the cup of black coffee, she held it in front of him. "Drink this Jon."

"Princess," Jon blinked a couple of times, as if wondering if she was actually there or if he was seeing things.

"You need to drink this, Jon."

Jon took the cup from her before reaching out and gently stroking her face with his other hand, checking that she was actually there and he wasn't seeing things. "Princess," he again said softly.

Joe and Colby just stood to the side watching the pair as Colby told Joe about seeing Layla in the corridor and Joe telling Colby about Jon being sick while he was gone. The pair hoped that now he had been sick and once he had the coffee and food that he'd be as ok as he was going to be for their match after turning up at the arena drunk.

"Why did you do this to yourself, Jon? You know going to the ring drunk is dangerous; you could hurt yourself or someone else."

Jon just looked at her innocently, not really taking anything in that she was saying, too busy just looking at her. Too scared that she would disappear if he looked away or blinked. "Sorry," he whispered.

Having finished the coffee, he gently took one of Layla's hands in his, holding it up to his face, relishing the feel of her warm touch.

Layla hated seeing Jon this way, so vulnerable and hurt, knowing it was because of her. Seeing with her own eyes that he was starting to sober up and would, if Joe and Colby took the lead, get through their match, she stood up; her hand slipping from Jon's gentle grasp.

She looked over at Joe and Colby, "I better get going."

Jon just sat there staring at her, watching as she walked out of the door.

Layla was starting to regret saying yes to Patty when she insisted on her coming to the family BBQ. It seemed that after only having met her and Sika when they joined Jessica and Talia last time they came to see Joe, Joe's parent's had already accepted her into their family; just like they had Jon, Colby and his girlfriend, Leighla. This meant being invited to little BBQ's like this one, and the many future ones they had. Layla knew from being friends with him how much of a family man Joe was, how important family was to him and now she could see why. Patty was one of the nicest, most caring women Layla had met.

However, now stepping inside her and Sika's large house in Pensacola, the nerves were setting in. With the Royal Rumble that Sunday, Layla would be spending her two days off at their house along with Joe, Jessica, Talia, Jimmy and Jey Uso and their fiancée's, Colby and his girlfriend Leighla, who Layla had met a few times at house shows and Jon. Before returning back to the road on Friday, ready for the Rumble on Sunday. Now Layla was wondering if she could survive staying in the same house as Jon for two days. This woud be the first time she had seen him since he was drunk at the house show and that made Layla more nervous.

She'd just have to try and avoid him as best she could, if that was possible; she thought to herself. She could just spend most of her time with Jessica and Talia; after Joe and Colby, they were who she knew the most. While she knew the others she didn't know them that well and she was still pretty nervous around people.

Layla froze, her throat when dry, her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was going to burst out of her chest. She would recognise that voice anywhere, the gravely tone, one of her favourite things of the person it belonged to. Jon. She knew he was going to be there when Patty insisted she come to the family BBQ that she and Sika held several times a year for the big WWE PPV events, but he was early. Whilst she had arrived that morning along with Joe; Jessica and Talia already being there, she thought she had a few more hours before Jon and Colby, who had a radio interview that morning, promoting the Royal Rumble, would arrive along with Colby's girlfriend, Leighla.

Suddenly being there seemed like a bad idea, she needed to get out. She needed to get away from everyone. She needed space. But at the same time, like always, she just wanted to be wrapped up in Jon's arms. That's where she felt safe. Like he could protect her from every bad thing in the world; like he could heal her from everything bad that had happened to her. But she had pushed him away, broken his heart; rejected him through fear. Fear that was still coursing through her entire body.

She suddenly made her way to the large kitchen, away from everyone. Gripping the counter, her knuckles turning white, she counted to ten like her therapist had suggested. She could do this, she could spend the next two days with him in Patty and Sika's house. Couldn't she?

She jumped when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok sweetheart?" Patty asked, standing behind Layla. She had noticed how she had quickly left the living room and headed to the kitchen at hearing Jon's voice at the door. Of course she knew about the upcoming trial and everything that was going on with Jon.

"I-I don't think me being here is a good idea. It's p-probably best if I leave. I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to leave. Jon isn't going to cause ant trouble. I know things have been tense between you lately, but he cares about you too much to cause trouble. Just like you care about him."

"It's all such a mess."

"Things are only as complicated as we make them. As scary as it is, sometimes we have to take leaps of faith. The way you two look at each other, the leap is worth it. I'd love it if you stayed here for the next two days with everyone, just like Talia would. But, ultimately, it's your choice. I'm not going to force you to do anything, honey;" Patty smiled.

After a few seconds Layla spoke, a small smile on her face; "I'll stay, I just need a minute." Patty smiled before walking out of the kitchen.

With her back to entrance, Layla never saw Jon walking into the kitchen just after Patty walked out.

For a minute, he just stood there watching her, yearning to touch her soft skin, to kiss her and tell her everything would be ok. But at this point, he was starting to wonder if it would. He knew the affect her relationship with Carter still had on her, he understood that. But he didn't understand what had made her pull completely away from him so suddenly, just when it seemed like everything was going right.

Taking a deep breathe, Layla turned around, ready to go back to where everyone else was and face reality. Face Jon. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Jon standing there.

"J-Jon," she whispered as they both stood there just staring at each other.

Unable to just stand there anymore, scared she would run again and needing to know what was going on, Jon walked over to where Layla stood against the counter. Jon suddenly gripped her hips, being careful not to hurt her and lifted her up placing her on the counter, his hands either side of her as he stood between her legs.

"We need to talk, princess. I need you to talk to me, baby, tell me what's going in that beautiful head of yours. Please," Jon pleaded with Layla and she could see the desperation, his love for her, everything in his beautiful, clear crystal blue eyes; hear the emotion in his gritty voice. Right now, everything depended on this conversation.

I know, i'm evil leaving it there :p Gotta love a cliffhanger :p

I promise the next chapter will be up in a couple of days :D