~ What Lies Beneath ~

Author's Note - Just to clarify, just in case there's any confusion - this story won't be following any storylines on TV - hence Punk not being champion at the moment. Dates also won't make sense. The story is set in 2012, so it's as it's happening now. I think it's a lot of effort to be getting all the PPVs in the right order when it's a better story to just forget timings. Just in case that wasn't clear xD Also, get well soon Punk!

Warnings - Strong language throughout and possible scenes of a sexual nature ;)

Disclaimer - I own no-one but Abbie in this story. This is merely a work of fiction; it all came from my brain. At no point do I suggest this story reflects reality, it's entirely made-up. Any other songs, cars or brands mentioned also belong to their respective owners.

~ What Lies Beneath ~

~ Chapter Fifty Five: ~

Rather than being out of it from the fall, Abbie was very much aware of everything around her. Her senses were hyper-sensitive and she could hear the front row fans shouting as they leaned over the barriers. As the cameras went to a commercial, she felt referees and medics buzzing around, helping the guys to the back. She wanted to check on Mike but she had to stay in character.

"Abbie…can you move or do you want us to get a stretcher?" she heard a ref ask. Moving a little, she found her body didn't protest as much as she feared. Apparently the adrenaline was somewhat numbing it. That's not to say she wasn't in excruciating pain, but she was pleasantly surprised to be conscious.

"I can walk" she told them as they gently helped her up, making sure not to move Mike too much. "Is he okay?" she whispered to the ref, crying out as her back went into spasm.

Two referees supported her weight. "We'll see"

Seeing her eyes widen at that, he clarified. "I'm sure he'll be fine"

She watched worriedly as they rolled him onto a stretcher. He wasn't moving, but as the medics looked him over, they muttered about him being responsive. Fans yelled support as she limped her way to the back, painfully slowly with her back playing up. They pushed back the curtain and led her to the medics' station. The others were already in there, getting checked over.

"Compulsory post-match handshake" Sheamus held his hand out to her. She shook it, shaking Zack's and Daniel's too. Daniel had a nasty bump on his head but other than that, they seemed to be okay.

"You were great out there"

She turned to face the source of the voice, aided by the refs holding her up. Cody held out his hand and she took it as a sign of respect. He too looked beaten up but relatively okay.

"You alright there lass? You took a couple a' big bumps" Sheamus frowned.

"I've been worse" she shrugged.

"A trooper" he smiled, winking as he left to shower.

She was seated on the table, whining as her back protested the movement. Her reflexes were checked, and concussion tests performed. So far so good. Luckily she just needed some physio on her back. Nothing was broken and no old wounds were aggravated. Thinking about it, it was pretty miraculous. Apparently her little body could take a beating these days.

Laying face down on the table, she let the physio roll up her top so he could unknot the muscles and fix anything that was out of place after the fall. She cried out as he started pressing hard along her spine. Clearly she spoke too soon.

"You've dislodged some of the small bones along your spine. Nothing major but this is going to be painful so would you rather we cleared the room first?" the physio enquired.

"Fuck that, just get it over with" she gritted her teeth. She felt every pair of eyes on her as the man ran his thumbs along her spine. Behind her, she could hear the others greeting someone else.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Phil hop onto the table next to her looking subdued. The medics checked him over and for the most part, he was silent, staring into space.

"Fuck" she forced out, fighting the urge to jump up and kick the shit out of the man putting so much pressure on her sore back.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked, concerned, appearing in her line of vision.

"Oh yeah, I feel like doing cartwheels" she rolled her eyes.

She noted the way Phil winced every time she cried out in agony.

"Sorry babe" Zack grimaced.

She shook her head at his term of endearment. "Where's Mike?"

"They've stretchered him to one of the side rooms. I'm gonna go check on him in a bit"

"Let me know how he is?" she asked.

"Of course" he nodded.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she felt her spine cracking as the physio worked. She could still feel the others watching her.

"Motherfucker" she growled, jerking away from the pain.

"You're gonna have to stay still sweetheart" the man lectured.

"It's not that easy, you fucking try it" she snapped, the cold surface of the table on her bare stomach adding to her discomfort.

A ripple of amusement at her sharp tongue reverberated around the room.

"See you back in the locker room" she heard Phil mumble to the others.


"What's up with him?" Daniel asked, addressing no one in particular.

"No idea" Sheamus shrugged.

"You think he feels bad?" Alberto asked.

"He did push her pretty hard" Daniel shrugged.

"I'm right here guys" she groaned, breathing laboured as she tried not to show pain in front of her colleagues.

"Sorry lass. You alright? You're being awfully brave" Sheamus crouched beside her.

"I'm not five" she laughed. "And if Phil feels bad then he needs to get over it. In practice I specifically told him to do exactly what he did. Under the lights and all that pressure, so much could go wrong. The consequences of him pushing me too hard were less. At that angle, I'd have been caught on the ropes and broken my neck if that shove wasn't forceful enough" she shook her head.

She let out another loud whimper as her back was poked and prodded again.

"I can understand why though…I can't imagine he wants to see you like this" Daniel gestured to her body, her skin beginning to show the bruising.

"I'm fine" she snapped.

"No. You're not" Cody interjected.

"And even if it wasn't intentional, he caused it" Daniel shrugged.

"No. He didn't. I did. By agreeing to get in the ring with people who know this match inside and out. With people who are stronger than me and people who have my life in their hands. Thanks for taking care of me out there" she reached out to shake Daniel's hand.

"No worries. I still can't believe we had a girl out there. The fans went fucking mental" he chuckled.

"You showed us up" Cody laughed.

"Oh guys…you flatter" she teased.

"Let's take a break. I'll give you a heat pad to loosen you up and come back in half an hour and I'll fix the rest" the physio instructed.

She willed herself not to cry out as he helped her off the table. It felt like her back was broken. He strapped heat pad to her back and sent her on her way.

"You want some help back to the locker room lass?" Sheamus offered.

"While my pride would normally turn you down, I'd definitely appreciate that right now" she admitted.

Sheamus looped an arm around her waist and supported her weight as they walked. The pair only just made it out of the room when they spotted Zack leaving one of the side rooms near the gorilla.

"Is Mike alright?" Abbie called to him.

"Yeah…he's concussed and his ribs are bruised from the impact but other than that he's fine"

She frowned.

"In other words, stop worrying" Zack laughed. "He's more worried about you, he said he'll give you a call in a bit"

"That's a relief" she released a breath.

"He's back to acting like an assclown so he's alright. You worry about you and making sure that back is gonna heal up" Zack winked.

"Thanks" she laughed, immediately regretting the action when pain shot up her spine.


After a very slow journey, they made it to the locker room. On opening the door they found Phil sitting on a bench wearing only a towel, his head down.

"Knock knock, brought you a present fella" Sheamus announced their arrival, helping Abbie to a seat next to Phil.

"Thanks" Abbie smiled warmly at Sheamus as he left them in peace.

"What's got you so grumpy?" she asked, shuffling up next to him.

Phil just shrugged.

Abbie was determined to let him break the silence and remained quiet, watching him. After a few moments, he did.

"Is your back alright?" he asked.

"I'll live" she studied his face, even though he wasn't looking at her. "You alright?"

"Yeah…bit sore…nothing much"

"Come on Phil. Stop fucking moping. That's not like you. I don't think I've ever seen you feeling sorry for yourself. What's going on?" she probed.

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I just feel like shit"

"Why? Is it about the match?" she asked. He didn't respond. "Don't be stupid. You did your job Phil. It's a wrestling match, you went out there and we wrestled. We did the spot as Regal and McMahon wanted it and it looked fantastic. It went as well as we could have hoped. I knew what was going to happen. The fans loved it and the end was great. Is this really about you pushing me off that ladder?"

"But you're hurt. I feel like a fucking dick when I hurt anyone. But you…" he sighed.

"Phil…a fall like that was obviously going to hurt"

"And that's why…" he started. She cut him off.

"That's why you didn't want me to compete in the match anyway. I know. But I'm not the one complaining. I don't regret it. It was fucking awesome"

He smiled a little. "You're fucking insane you know that?"

"Yup"

She watched the little beads of water roll down his chest as he seemed deep in thought.

"I just wish it wasn't me who had to do that…"

"I know, but I trust you above everyone else so I'm glad it was you. Plus, the fans ate it up" she grinned. "You're the baddest heel I know, I'd have thought you'd have loved every minute"

That drew a little grin out of him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, using her best puppy dog eyes.

He laughed. "You should be the one moping not me"

"Well I for one had a fucking awesome night. Well, it'll be better once everything in my back is where it should be but I still had fun. Did you see Bryan suplex me off that ladder?" she beamed.

"I was wrong you know…"

She frowned.

"I shouldn't have said that shit about this being a bad idea. I know I was worried you'd get hurt and I really don't like how much pain you're in but you did a great job. You really made the girls relevant again. And I can tell you loved every second of it. Sorry for inadvertently hold you back"

She bit her lip, a grin spreading across her face. Not caring that he was still damp from the shower, she hugged him as tightly as she could manage in her condition. Finally he got it. He understood why she did the crazy stuff she did - because she lived for the thrill of pushing the boundaries.

"Mr Money in the Bank" she grinned, pulling back but keeping her hands on his neck.

"Would have been pretty funny if we'd botched it and you ended up with this beauty" he said, gesturing to the case beside him.

"Vince would have had kittens" she laughed.

"Oh yeah" Phil grinned, the cheeky glint sparkling behind his eyes. She knew their 'talk' was impending and that she really should try not to make things more complicated that they already were, but she couldn't resist pressing her lips gently against his once more. It didn't last long and neither probed further, it was just nice.

"Thanks for looking out for me" she bit her lip.

"Sorry for throwing you through a ladder"

She laughed. "No problem, but you better watch your back Brooks" she teased. "The trainer wants to see me now…I have to go fix my back" she told him.

He nodded, running his tongue over his lips and grabbing the briefcase. "Want me to come with?"

"You're bringing the case?"

"This baby isn't leaving my sight from now on" he asserted, standing up slowly and making his way to the door. "You coming?" he asked, noticing she hadn't moved.

"Err…little help?" she laughed.

"Shit. Sorry" he chuckled, helping her up.


After another hour of pain, Abbie was finally allowed to leave. Under instruction of head physiotherapist, she was to rest and alternate heat and ice every few hours. Phil too spent some time with the physio working the stiffness out of his surgically repaired elbow. He seemed to be in a lot of pain as they took him to a separate room to examine it. When she questioned him about it on the way to the parking lot, he wasn't forthcoming.

"I texted Kelly, she said she's happy to drive your rental back to the hotel for you"

"Thanks" she looked up at him, squinting under the bright lights behind the arena. The fans had long since left and most of the superstars and divas cleared out as soon as the show was done.

"Meet you at the hotel?" she asked as they stood beside his rental. "Yeah…give me a text when you're showered and we can go get food and…talk"

She nodded, leaning up on her toes to kiss him. He allowed a chaste kiss before ducking into his rental. Releasing a breath she ran a hand through her tangled hair and limped her way over to her car. Watching Phil drive away, she couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going through his mind. She sure didn't know. Hell, she didn't even know what was going on in her own head. All she knew was that the feeling in her gut told her that this 'talk' was a make-or-break conversation.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You were amazing!" Kelly ran up behind her, wrapping Abbie up in her arms.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Abbie screamed as her back protested.

"I'm sorry!" Kelly let go immediately.

"It's okay…" she breathed, closing her eyes until the pain subsided.

"I'm so sorry…I forgot…that was the whole reason I'm driving you back and I just made it worse…"

"Seriously, it's fine. I'm fine" Abbie sighed, lowering herself into the passenger seat.

"You were absolutely incredible tonight, people are going insane on twitter" Kelly beamed, joining Abbie in the car.

"Thanks"

"I don't think you understand" Kelly told Abbie, taking her phone out. "Look"

Abbie glanced at the screen. Sure enough, there she was. All four of the top worldwide trends related to her.

"That's pretty cool"

"No…it's amazing! You're the most talked about person on twitter in the world Abbie! How's that for fame?" Kelly beamed.

"I don't wanna be famous though" Abbie laughed as Kelly pulled out of the parking lot.

"I'd bet you my favourite pair of Louboutins that Jimmy Fallon will be ringing your phone off the hook within days"

"Can we get going?" Abbie giggled.

"You just wanna go get ready for your 'date'" she mocked.

"It's not a date! Fuck you!" Abbie chuckled.

"No need to be so defensive"

"It's not a date…it's more of a 'we need to talk' dinner…" she explained.

"Oh…I thought things were better between you now…" Kelly frowned.

"They are. I don't know. I don't know what's going on anymore"

"Maybe he's gonna ask you out" she teased in a child-like voice.

"Kelly don't say that" Abbie sighed sadly.

Kelly realised she hit a nerve and remained quiet for the remainder of the journey. Abbie was relieved when they pulled up to the hotel and she could escape. Thanking Kelly for driving, she hobbled to her room and straight into the shower. She moaned as the warm water soothed her aching muscles, relaxing under the spray. After thirty minutes, she knew she had to get out and face the music. With difficulty what with her back, she pulled on a short denim skirt and a customised Ramones tee. Lacing her converse, she pulled her damp hair into a messy bun.

Ready when you are

Abbie x

His reply was fast.

I'll be outside your room in ten. What number?

Punk x

114

Abbie x

She grabbed a zip up hoody and waited nervously for the knock at the door. It came soon and she opened it, chewing her lip anxiously.

"Hey"

"Hey" she smiled. He looked handsome in his long cargo shorts, a black t-shirt and a jacket.

She looked from his Ramones shirt to her own. "Well this is awkward. One of us is going to have to change"

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Psychic connection huh….how's the back?" he asked.

"Eh…" she played it off.

"Come on…don't bullshit me Abs"

"Fucking hurts" she laughed. "How's the elbow?"

"Eh…" he joked.

She shoved him. "Let's go fucker"

The drive was short, Phil deciding to stop at the first place they came across - a Denny's. He parked the car and turned off the engine. He was about to get out when he felt Abbie grab his wrist. She turned herself to face him - awkward in the confined space but she managed.

"Before we go in…I…"

He frowned, feeling her hand come up to touch his cheek. He ran his own hand down her arm.

"I don't expect you to forget what I did…I just…please…" she looked away.

"What are you worried about Abs?"

"We keep saying we'll 'talk' after Money in the Bank. Well the pay per view is over. I've been dreading this since we agreed to it" she admitted.

"Why?"

"Because every time I kiss you…I see something in your eyes…hesitation I guess. I tried to ignore it…but I can't help but think this is the part where you decide to break it off for good. We're so hot and cold I don't know what to do anymore…"

"Is that what you want? A clean break? Because I agree, this kissing one minute and not speaking the next isn't working for me either"

"No. That's not what I want at all…" she breathed.

"What do you want then?" he asked huskily.

Taking the chance while it was in front of her, she used the hand on his jaw to pull him into a searing kiss. Unlike the last they shared, this one was heated. She took control - needing to show him how she felt…needing him to feel how she felt. She slipped her tongue past his lips at the first opportunity and revelled in the sensation of his tongue duelling with hers. Slowing down to enjoy the feeling, she nibbled his lip. When his lips journeyed down to her pulse point, she felt a fire ignite within her. With his help, she climbed into his lap. She felt his hands in her hair as he pulled the band free and let the onyx waves fall around her shoulders.

She let out an involuntary whine as he sucked on her neck and she was glad he missed the blush on her cheeks. Her hips naturally rolled into his and she could hear his breathing pick up.

"I want you, Phil…that's what I want" she whispered, his lips still firmly attached to her skin. She felt lighter, having finally said it.

He moaned, throwing his head back against the seat. "I swear you'll be the death of me…" he panted. "You really want me to go have dinner like this?" he asked, gesturing to his shorts.

She blushed, looking down. The sight of his shorts stretched tight confirmed what she was thinking.

"I don't feel like dinner anymore…let's just get a pizza and eat in the park" she smiled.

"Fucking women…" he grumbled, adjusting himself as she dismounted him.

"Still look at me as 'one of the boys'?" she teased.

"Not this again. I think I'll regret saying that for the rest of my life" he facepalmed.

"So what's the verdict?"

"Huh?" he asked.

"What did our 'talk' achieve?" she clarified.

"That you want me…" he smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "…and what does that mean for us?"

"Well I know I want you…so how about we try seeing each other again?"

She grinned widely, kissing him again. He pulled away quickly. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's go get food before this escalates again"


"This makes me happy" Abbie smiled as she slipped her hand into Phil's.

"This makes me fat" he grumbled as they walked through the park, slices of pizza in hand. It was dark out, not another soul around.

"Oh quit whining. Eat something that's not green this once" she ribbed.

"All jokes aside…this is nice" he smiled.

"Like old times" she grinned, finishing her pizza and wiping her hands on her skirt.

She squeezed his hand as they walked, a cool wind whipping her hair back.

"Phil…"

"Yeah?" he asked, staring up at the sky.

"Do I make you happy…?"

He seemed a little taken aback by the question, and it hung in the air for a while.

"…sometimes you make me mad as hell…and sometimes you do things I don't agree with…but yeah Abbie, you make me happy…happier than I've been in a while actually" he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I can't promise to never make you unhappy again…but I can promise to put a smile on your face as often as I can" she smiled.

He pulled her closer, tucking her under his arm.

"You make me happy too…I've never felt content like this before, like things are finally how they're supposed to be. I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing about my life right now. That's a big deal for me" she admitted.

"I'm glad" he kissed the top of her head. She snuggled into his side for warmth and he wrapped some of his jacket around her.

"The stars remind me of our little rooftop rendezvous" she sighed.

"That was a fun night" he chuckled. "One of many"

"And many more to come I hope" she bit her lip wistfully.

"I don't know about you, but it's getting a bit cold…you wanna head back soon?"

"Yeah" she nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as he ran his hand up and down her arm to warm her up.


He didn't think twice when she asked him if he wanted to come in after walking her to her room. An hour later and she was sleeping curled up on the couch, her head on his chest after warming up with some hot chocolate. He finished his drink and watched her a little while. Her hair was always so shiny and silky to the touch, it was just begging him to run his fingers through it.

"Abbie…" he whispered. "Abs…?"

She heard his soft call and her eyelids fluttered open. "Mmmm?"

"The couch won't do your back any favours"

She grumbled, tired and warm where she was.

"How is it?"

Rubbing her face into his stomach, she sighed. "Achy"

"Want a massage?"

Her interest piqued at that. "That's romantic…"

"I told you, I'm a romantic at heart" he chuckled, helping her up. He helped her onto the bed and into a comfortable position on her front. "Got anything I can use? Oil…cream…?"

"There's body butter next to the bath" she sighed, feeling the soft pillow beneath her cheek. She heard him return and felt the bed dip beside her.

She shivered as his hands played with the hem of her shirt before pushing it up. She removed it and relaxed back into the bed. He opened the tub and immediately his nostrils were filled with the scent of coconut. Rubbing some between his palms, he gently pressed his hands to her lower back and massaged soft circles over her milky white skin. Using the muscles in her back as a guide to how much pain she was in, he worked his way up. Upon reaching her bra strap, he paused.

"Mind if I…?"

"Go ahead" she whispered, feeling his fingers make short work of the clasp.

The sight of her bare back…the expanse of skin under his fingertips was making his heart beat faster. The intimacy of the moment was getting to him and before he knew it, he pressed his lips to the top of her spine. He felt the gasp at the light contact and he continued massaging all the way up to her neck. Wanting nothing more than to flip her over, to see the bare breadth of her chest for the first time, he kissed the spot just behind her ear.

"Better?" he whispered huskily, breath tickling her skin.

"Much" she sighed.

"How about you turn over and I rub your stomach too?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

She turned over slowly, keeping her undone bra over her chest.

"Ohh, that's not fair" he pouted.

She shot him a cheeky grin.

"Just a peek?" he teased.

"Nope"

He leaned over her, teasing her lips with his. He was playing, not quite kissing her, just nipping and probing. Distracted, she felt a sly hand over hers as he pried the material from her grasp.

"Phil…" she gasped, his chest that hovered over hers the only thing stopping him from exposing her to his gaze.

"What are you so afraid of?" he breathed.

"I'm not afraid…not anymore…I just want the first time you see me this way to be the night I lose my innocence to you"

He took a deep breath before kissing her softly. He allowed her to cover herself with the sheet before his eyes wandered, and running a hand over her collar bone he kissed the spot before lying down beside her.

"Phil…?" she asked, snuggling back into the warmth of his body.

"Mmm?" he asked sleepily.

"I don't plan on making you wait much longer…"

His chest rose and fell rhythmically behind her as he contemplated her words.

"I've told you this Abs…it doesn't matter to me. It wouldn't be right to do it any other way than on your terms and I accepted that a long time ago. I'd be lying if I said I didn't dream about it a lot…but until it happens I have my right hand to satisfy those…urges" he chuckled, taking advantage of the fact she hadn't replaced her shirt and running his fingers over her taught stomach under the sheet.

"…when?" she asked curiously.

"When what?"

"When do you…you know…partake in the ole five knuckle shuffle?" she giggled.

He snorted in amusement. "Hey! That's a very private question right there" he laughed.

"I only ask because I'm pretty much always with you and I've never known you to…you know" she bit her lip shyly.

"Choke the chicken?" he laughed. "In the same way that you don't want me to see you topless…I'd rather keep my sexual habits to myself until we reach that level of intimacy" he chuckled. "But if you must know, I'm only washing my hair for like 3 minutes in the shower if you catch my drift"

She rolled over to face him, wincing at the pain in her back. "I love you Philip" she grinned.

"I love you too Miss Rose" he kissed her properly, forming a seal with his lips and initiating a battle between their tongues. She ran her hands along the hem of his shirt and inched it up. Feeling the twitching muscles of his torso underneath her palms, she pushed the shirt over his head. She watched confusion dance in his eyes, until she pulled the shirt over her own head, preserving her modesty.

"You HAVE to stop being such a damn tease" he groaned.

"Sorry…"

"You're not sorry at all are you?" he moaned.

"Nope"


Yay! They're back together! Finally huh? Will Jimmy Fallon call? Is Phil's elbow okay? Where do their careers go from here?

Firstly, and most importantly - get the WWE app and vote for AJ and Punk as best kiss in the Slammy Awards people! I miss AJ/Punk SO BAD! Also, how good was TLC? When Punk kept saying 'strip me' on RAW, I was like 'oh I'm sure we can arrange that…'. Ooops, did I say that out loud? Oh well xD Hope you enjoyed it, drop me a review and let me know! Also, the title lyrics are from the song Take Me Back by Alela Diane. Not the sort of thing I usually listen to but it's the song at the end credits of the walking dead game which I have a slight obsession with so there we are :P