The 2018 Fall Semester at SU officially began for its many students and faculty. Everyone's level of excitement or dread about the forthcoming school year varied from person to person, but the overall consensus was a little relief falling back into a familiar routine.

Dean Ambrose still wasn't really sure what he was going to school for. He enjoyed reading stories and discussing ideas and philosophies, but he was more than certain a career as an author or book critic wasn't going to pay bills while Alexa worked a 9 to 5 as a teacher. His blurred vision for the future did thin out a little when he stepped into his Criminal Justice class. A lot of the talking points during the first day were things Dean already knew about, thanks to his troubled past living with his mother. Professor Rougeau, a retired state policeman turned college professor, discussed the more important, possibly less talked about psychological reasons as to why someone may commit a crime. Rougeau asked why a man might rob a convenience store. Dean raised his hand, replying that perhaps he needed the money for rent or medicine for a loved one. Rougeau snapped his fingers, pointing at Dean with a smile and a compliment in French.

"Life isn't all blacks and whites," Prof. Rougeau told his class. "There's shades of gray that you need to see to better understand the world around you." The man's thick French-Canadian accent made Dean chuckle under his breath, but his philosophy hadn't gone over Dean's head. The Professor added, "Not every bad person is a criminal; Not every criminal is a bad person. The same could be said about the police force."

That garnered a few laughs from the class. Dean didn't think it was funny and it didn't look like Rougeau meant it as a joke either, judging by his slight frown and slow head shake.


Zack's next steps in becoming the latest paralegal in his family started just fine. He became a first day stand out in his Advanced Public Speaking/Debate class when he spent most of the period keeping his own in a discussion regarding any topic his professor read off, ranging from minute topics like local speed limits to major ones such as gun control. Zack liked to think he was decent at winning an argument when it mattered, and his teacher seemed to think the same.

The one topic of debate that Zack couldn't seem to win on was in regards to Bayley's ongoing quest to get him into bed for 'activities' not including spooning, watching Netflix, or feeling the twins kick. Bayley's Computer Science degree required a lot of classes she could easily do online in the comfort of her pajamas at home. Being on a computer most of the day meant Bayley spent a lot of time researching classes... and looking up the 'dos and don'ts' when it comes to pregnancy. Bayley went out of her way to make a PowerPoint presentation on why it was 'still perfectly ok' to have sex at this stage of her pregnancy. Zack, genuinely unsure how to process the amount of work put into the twenty-nine slide presentation, assured Bayley he'd think about it. Bayley rolled her eyes but accepted her husband's decision.


Becky liked to think she knew what she wanted to do with her college career, but she was still unsure what direction she was going. A lot of that had to do with the relationship drama clouding her thoughts for most of the day. If Becky's brain hadn't gone into 'autopilot' and took notes for her, she was sure she would've forgotten everything her professors talked about.

Charlotte thankfully kept true to her word and gave Becky space to think. The Irishwoman maybe saw her ex-best friend once or twice in the quad. The most Charlotte did in those chance encounters was flash a quick smile or wave. Becky considered beating a nearby paparazzo to death with his camera as a favor and a showing of gratitude, but she relented and went about her day.

Sonya was none the wiser about Becky's actions during the party; That was good or bad, depending on who knew about the discretion and where their morality lie. Becky met up with her girlfriend for lunch and discussed their first day so far. Becky helped Sonya find her classes when she needed help and texted her words of motivation throughout the day. Becky wasn't sure if she was just doing that to make herself feel better or she was trying to distract herself from the fact that she hadn't stopped thinking about Charlotte since the night prior.


Alexa's journey in student teaching wasn't set to begin for another week. She was more than ready to dive right in head-first, but the Stamford school district required a "buffer week" before student teachers started just so the students could get used to their regular teachers before a substitute came in.

Alexa had the morning off, which was a luxury she hadn't had since she started attending SU. She slept in, after only waking up momentarily to wish her fiance a good day and kiss him goodbye. Her morning would've been nothing but sleep if it weren't for the knocks at her door every ten minutes. Many of the boys and girls on her floor had complaints or requests that apparently needed Alexa, the forced RA, to solve.

Alexa sighed, trying to keep her voice as upbeat as possible. "David, I've told you three times this week already; You need to see a doctor about your rash. I can't do anything about it."

Alexa quickly closed the door. She made it about halfway to her bedroom before another knock broke the silence and made Alexa sigh again.

Shuffling back up to the door in her pajamas, Alexa switched the lock on her door.

"Hi," the tired, and mildly annoyed, Bliss greeted.

A girl, probably closer to Dean's age but around Alexa's height, stood in the hallway with a paper plate covered in plastic wrap and assorted cookies.

"'Ello," the girl spoke with a thick accent, sounding Scottish or perhaps Sweedish. "Erm, do you 'member me from the other day?"

Alexa thought the girl looked familiar. As she spoke, it started to slowly come back to her. "Were you the one that made my fiance break up your fight? Nikki?"

Nikki dropped her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. "Erm, yes. I wanted to apologize fer that." She held out her hands, offering the plate of desserts for Alexa to take.

Alexa took the plate from Nikki. "Cookies?"

"Snickerdoodle," Nikki pointed out, the liveliness returning to her voice. "Me gran'ma made them fer me all the time. I added a little extra sugar on the top there."

Alexa smiled; Her stomach suddenly rumbled with a craving for snickerdoodle.

"Thank you so much," Bliss gestured back into her apartment. "Do you wanna come inside? I'm kinda bored and my fiance isn't home. We can chat and have some of these awesome-looking snickerdoodles."

Nikki lightly shook her head. "I have to get to class. I stopped by just ta say thanks. You look very pretty, by the way."

Alexa spoke with a smile, taking the compliment to heart. "Thank you, Nikki. That's very sweet. You can stop by here whenever you need something. Or if you bring more snickerdoodle."

Nikki laughed so hard she snorted, which prompted Alexa to laugh. Nikki threw her arms around Alexa, lightly embracing the equally tiny woman. Alexa noted Nikki's personal aroma was filled with cinnamon, which she loved the smell of, that was most likely from baking the cookies. Nikki bid farewell and left. Alexa, unwrapping the plate and setting it on the counter, picked a treat as her phone buzzed.

"Hey, babe," Alexa answered, seeing Dean's name appear on the screen.

Dean spoke. "Hey, cutie. I got some time before my next class. You still in your pajamas?"

Alexa bit into her cookie. "I sure am," she moaned at the burst of flavor over her taste buds. "Holy shit," she muttered, taking another nip at the delicacy.

"Perfect. I got breakfast from Nitros. Be there in like, four minutes. What's 'holy shit'?"

Alexa was so transfixed on the snickerdoodle that she nearly missed Dean's question. "Oh, one of the girls on my floor dropped off snickerdoodle."

"Was she hot?" Dean asked.

Alexa rolled her eyes. "Yes, babe. She gave me the snickerdoodle and I gave her head."

"Oh do tell." Dean quipped.

"You dork," Alexa giggled. "I'm joking, obviously. You remember that girl you had to restrain when she was beating the hell out of some other girl?"

"Yeah."

"It was her."

The door to Alexa's apartment opened. Dean, still on the phone, continued talking like Alexa wasn't standing five feet from him.

"Yeah, she was pretty cute. You sure you didn't hit that?"

Alexa hung up the phone. "Hush, you."

"Hello?" Dean glanced at his phone. "She hung up on me? That little mother fu- oh, hey, Lexi."

Alexa, her arms crossed but a gentle smirk on her lips, tilted her head to one side.

"Little mother what?" Alexa asked.

"Little mother... for my future children?" Dean guessed.

"I'll allow it," Alexa skipped to her future husband. "Whatcha get for me?"

Dean set two small paper bags on the kitchen counter. "Breakfast sandwich, extra sausage, and one strawberry-banana smoothie with a blueberry muffin for afterward."

Alexa pecked Dean on the cheek. "Thanks, baby. How was class?"

Dean gathered his food and headed for the living room.

"It was pretty good. I really like my Criminal Justice class." He replied, scooting over on the couch so Alexa could sit next to him. "I fucking hate Earth Science. Intro to General Communication ain't too bad though. How's not getting up at six am?"

"The best," Alexa chuckled. "I feel like I've slept well for the first time in four years."

"Well, I'm sure I had a little to do with that."

Dean was referring to, of course, the sex they had at House ZBZ in Alexa's personal suite before heading back to Poffo Hall. Alexa would've preferred to stay at ZBZ, but her duties as an RA required her to stay in her assigned apartment as often as possible. The sweet, drunken, deeply in love feeling carried over and resulted in more celebratory love-making in Alexa's bedroom. Going to sleep before midnight while a campus party raged bordered on felonious in Dean's mind, but he didn't want to be dead tired and hungover for his first day of classes.

Alexa nodded. "Maybe. But I did have a lot to drink last night..."

"Ouch," Dean said, albeit jokingly.

"You know I'm kidding, baby," Alexa offered the plate of cookies to Dean. "Snickerdoodle?"

Dean plucked one from the plate. "Who brought these to you? That crazy girl I had to stop from killing that blonde bitch?"

"Her name's Nikki. She's actually pretty nice," Alexa switched between eating her breakfast sandwich and nibbling on the homemade treat from Nikki.

"You should ask her to rush ZBZ," Dean suggested through a mouthful of cookie. "Then ask her to make snickerdoodles for every meeting. Then invite me over to... supervise?"

"That's not a bad idea," Alexa figured. She did have a lot of work to do with ZBZ, including recruiting new members. She already had Sonya, but that was obviously not going to be enough for the upcoming year. "I do love her snickerdoodle."

"I love your snickerdoodle," Dean commented.

Alexa cocked an eyebrow. "You're not talking about cookies, are you?"

"I love your cookies," Dean chuckled.

Alexa narrowed her eyes. "Criminal Justice got you all riled up, huh?"

"Sure. Learning about the psychological reasoning behind crimes really gets my goose geesin'."

Alexa tutted her tongue. "I'll pretend to know what that even means."

Dean grinned. "Like you haven't been doing that for a year with half the shit I say."

"True."

"So, this Friday..." Dean began, trailing off.

Alexa couldn't contain her smile. The next coming Friday marked one year since Dean and Alexa formally called themselves a couple. Last night was to celebrate the one-year mark when they hooked up, which wouldn't have been a key moment for normal couples but Dean and Alexa weren't like everyone else.

"What do you have planned?" Alexa asked, her sky-blue eyes scanning her fiance's face for any kind of give away.

Dean jumped into a full breakdown of his plans for himself and his fiance. "Well, we start with dinner reservations at Blackjack's; Seven o'clock. Then I want us to catch a movie. Movie dates are very classic and a little juvenile, but so am I. I'm thinking either "An Interview with God" or "Crazy Rich Asians." Both look really good and I know you like romance-dramas, so I think you'll probably want to see the latter. Then we head back here for a little dessert; I want to make the chocolate malts my mom sometimes made during the Summer... my Samoan mom, not the other one. She's not here to tell me not to have more than one, so I'm having like, six."

Alexa's smile grew. "And what about after the malts?"

"Bible study," Dean replied flatly, baiting a laugh from Alexa.

The tiny brunette shook her head slowly. "You are the man of my dreams, Dean Ambrose."

Dean shrugged. "I like to think so too, sometimes. But you still deserve better."

Alexa pecked Dean on the cheek. "Not possible. So stop beating yourself up."

"We'll see," Dean muttered with a shrug.


Somewhat ironically, the bone-crushing brutality of football practice brought a sense of joy to the boys (and girl) on the team. After a long day of using their brains for the greater good, a little caveman-like violence cleansed the pallet of those who had a strenuous day in the classroom.

Coach Jones knew something was up between his two best defensive linemen, Reigns and Seaona. In his experience, it more than likely was a 'dick-measuring' contest about who was better than who. As annoying and incredibly stupid as he found that, Jones was thrilled that they found a way to try and better themselves on the field. If things ever got out of hand, then Coach Jones was more than ready to step in and put an end to it... but for now, he didn't see a reason to stop it.

Dean's knee wasn't getting better. He stretched like his life depended on the flexibility in the sore joint; And in a way, it did. He ran high knees at half speed, full speed, then slowed down to try lunges. Sandow carefully examined Dean's movements during his warmups. On the surface, everything seemed fine. What Dean hadn't mentioned was how much pain he was in each time he stood up to switch legs during lunges. Dean let the discomfort show for a moment when he winced as his knee nearly buckled. Sandow noticed and ordered Ambrose to sit out the rest of the practice. Dean, on the verge of reckless endangerment, stripped his pads off and watched the rest of practice from the sideline.

"How does it feel?" Alexa asked her fiance. The cheer squad had taken a water break shortly before. Alexa looked for her boyfriend on the field. After not finding him in a drill or talking with a coach, her heart fell to the floor when she saw him sitting pad-less on the bench with a bag of ice on his troubled knee.

"I don't know," Dean muttered, trying hard not to let his anger surface and make Alexa take a single ounce of it.

"Ok," Alexa sighed, seeing Dean was upset and that more than likely meant he wasn't willing to talk about the issue more. "Want me to grab you some water?"

Dean nodded his head. "Sure."

Alexa scratched her fingers through Dean's sweaty hair, then placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"You're still my badass," she whispered in Ambrose's ear. "You earned taking it easy, ok? We need you a hundred percent. Who else is going to give LIU's QB permanent brain damage?"

Dean, though he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, managed a smile. "That's true. It'd be a crime to let him walk off the field."

"And you need both wheels to do that," Alexa politely pointed out.

"I know, hun," Dean agreed with a sigh.

Alexa squeezed Dean's shoulder before heading over to the water cooler. Dean tried choking back the lump in his throat and focus on practice, but it was damn near maddening to do that from the sidelines.

As for Seth, he wasn't really sure why he was getting a few dirty looks from his teammates and some of the coaches. He hadn't lost any playing time or his starting position as Kick Reciever, but he had the sneaking suspicion that something was off.

To make matters worse, Toni hadn't said a word to Seth all day. Rollins caught up with the kicker just before practice started. Toni kept her eyes on the field, not saying a word. Seth immediately assumed he crossed a line the night before when he tried inviting himself into Toni's apartment. But he vaguely recalled Toni kissing him last night, not the other way around... or maybe it was. Seth wasn't really sure who made a move on who, but it was apparently complicated enough to cost his friendship with Storm.

Roman wasn't really aware of what was going on with his adoptive brother or best friend. He was more focused on making sure his starting spot wasn't going to change anytime soon. If he had to break someone's legs to keep his playing time high, then he was ready to do just that. As far as he was concerned, Roman wasn't going to let anyone keep him from playing to the best of his abilities this upcoming season, and that included Joe Seaona.

After practice and conditioning wrapped up, the team retreated to the locker room. Dean, forcing as much weight onto his right leg and off his injured left as possible, hobbled into the shower room. The warm water did help soothe his ailments a little bit, but he knew there was a risk of further damage if he didn't take this seriously.

"Even I'm not stubborn enough to chance this," Dean told himself, grunting slightly when a bolt of pain shot through his leg.

Seth and Roman were in the middle of changing out of their practice clothes. Roman had been catching glares from Joe, while Seth was still trying to piece together the puzzle of what triggered Toni's coldness.

"Wanna get a beer after this?" Seth suggested.

"I think Dean's got some at his place," Roman said. "I promised my dad I wouldn't spend so much cash at the bar this year."

"Yeah, I should probably do the same," Seth agreed.

Coach Graves appeared around the corner. "Rollins? My office."

Seth ignored the catcalls from his surrounding teammates. He looked at Roman for any kind of explanation. Roman simply shrugged and shook his head. Seth headed for the head coach's office.

Seth lightly tapped Graves' open office door. It unnerved him that Coach Carr and Coach Jones were also in the office, but Rollins kept a strong front and stepped into the small room.

"Close the door?" Graves instructed.

Seth did as he was told, then sat across from his coach. "Is everything ok, Coach?"

Graves sighed. "It bothers me that I have to bring this up, but you understand that dating your teammates is not allowed? It's against the player's handbook and NCAA regulation."

Seth nodded. "Yes, sir. I know that."

Graves continued. "Well, some of your teammates are concerned. Apparently, you left a party with Storm yesterday? I assume there was no alcohol involved because that's an issue I don't want to discuss right now."

Seth thought back, trying to recall the day. "Uh... yeah, but that was to go to another fraternity. Sigma Nu has these video game tournaments and we left for BPO for a little bit. We came right back a little later."

Graves said, "You didn't walk her back to her dorm then?"

Seth paused, which was a bad decision in hindsight. "We didn't do anything, Coach. I was just making sure she got home safe-"

"It doesn't matter," Coach Carr cut in. "Relationships with teammates are not allowed. If we find out you're still pursuing Storm, we will suspend you indefinitely."

"You understand?" Coach Jones added, showing no hint of mercy in his tone.

Seth was at a loss for words. He wondered if the coaches had already spoken to Toni and that's why she wasn't talking to him. Or, more terribly, maybe Seth did step over the line last night and pressured her into doing something she didn't want to do. Seth didn't have a great sense of judgment sober, but it was even worse when he'd been drinking.

"I understand," Seth said.

"Good," Graves spoke. "I will say that I am impressed with your hard work at wide-out. I usually go by seniority since Woods and Dillinger have been on the team longer than you. But if you keep working and show you really want to be a starter, then I don't see why you couldn't be your Junior and Senior year."

"Thank you, sir," Seth said.

Coach Graves excused Seth from his office. Once stepping back into the locker room, Seth immediately noticed stern looks from several of his teammates, including McIntyre, Strowman, Gable, and most of the specialists.

Seth finally let his annoyance show, allowing a frown and an eye roll.

"I'm not trying to get with Storm," Seth told the room. "She's a brother. That's fucked, alright? Get that shit out of your heads. Fuck's sake."

Seth hurriedly collected his body wash and towel, then ducked into an unoccupied shower stall.


Bayley's journey into motherhood was a new frontier she didn't expect to tackle at twenty-one years of age, but she was fully aware that a lot of unexpected things could happen a lot earlier, or later than she thought they would. For starters, Bayley wasn't planning on being married before she was out of school. Her main focus before moving from San Jose to Stamford was her Computer Science degree and nothing else. Then a trio of rowdy boys entered her life, she befriended her roommate's then-girlfriend, then met one of that girl's friends who fate had destined to be the boy that flipped her world upside down in the best way possible.

Zack and Bayley occupied two chairs in the waiting room for their latest OB/GYN appointment. Zack was fighting fatigue both from practice and staying up the night before studying and fending off Bayley's sexual advances. Bayley wasn't forcing herself on Zack at all, but the hugger was having a tough time understanding why Zack was still hesitant even after she literally made him a presentation on why it was still ok for them to be intimate.

Dr. Sinclair entered the room. "Bayley?"

The energetic young woman, with help from her husband, stood up and followed the older woman to an observation room. Bayley went through the familiar routine of laying down on the padded bench, unbuttoning her pants, and lifting her shirt so Dr. Sinclair could apply the gel for the sonogram.

"There they are," Dr. Sinclair gestured to the computer monitor, her right hand guiding the camera to show the two babies carried in Bayley's abdomen. "Little Minerva and Michael seem to be sleeping. What's your diet like, Bayley?"

"Lots of vegetables, like you suggested," Bayley chirped, her eyes never leaving the monitor. "I still make Zack make bacon mac and cheese though."

"Well, of course," the doctor chuckled. She flipped a switch on the camera, filling the room with the soft, rhythmic thumps of two heartbeats. "Hearts sound healthy. Everything looks good, guys. Bayley, we will be taking a blood test from you today just to check nutrient levels. Do you two have any questions?"

Bayley looked at Zack, then bashfully turned back to Dr. Sinclair. "Um... what's the policy on..."

"Sex?" Dr. Sinclair guessed. She nodded, a warm smile spreading when Bayley dropped her head. "Nothing to be ashamed of. It's actually one of the most common things pregnant couples ask when they stop in. Yes, you can still have sex. Just don't force any weight on the belly or engage in any extreme positions or activities."

Bayley furrowed her brow. "Extreme?"

"No BDSM. Car batteries, cattle prods," the doctor started to chuckle but trailed off after noticing the twin looks of horror on Zack and Bayley's face. "Right. Uh, I recommend girl-on-top. Least amount of pressure on your belly."

Zack spoke up. "Actually, my issue isn't having sex. I'm just afraid I'll... poke the baby? Ya know..."

Dr. Sinclair nodded. "Ok. And that's a normal worry for a lot of first-time parents. The fetuses are protected by the placenta and the muscles surrounding the uterus. Unless you are actively trying to harm your children, there's very little chance you could. Bayley isn't high-risk, so I see no problem with you two still having intercourse."

"Does his penis size matter?" Bayley asked, giggling slightly when she said 'penis'.

"Not exactly," Dr. Sinclair figured. "How big is Zack's penis?"

"About average," Bayley informed.

Dr. Sinclair rolled her stool over to a drawer. She rustled through the contents until she produced a ruler. The doctor held her finger just above the bold '5' on the piece of wood.

"That's about average," Dr. Sinclair pointed out. "Zack's perfectly able to have intercourse with you."

"He's bigger than that," Bayley said.

"Bay..."

"I'm just trying to show you it's ok, Zack," Bayley pointed at her husband. "Show her. We wanted to measure it anyway."

Zack shook his head. "I'm not showing Dr. Sinclair my dick, Bayley."

"She's a doctor!" Bayley exclaimed.

"It's not my practice, but I've seen plenty of penises and vaginas in my career," Dr. Sinclair said. "If you're comfortable, Zack."

"Fine. Fine!" Zack unbuckled his pants and dropped them to mid-thigh. "There. Happy, Bay?"

Bayley nodded. "See? That's about average, right?"

Dr. Sinclair, jaw slacked and eyes wide, slowly shook her head. "N-no... that is well above average... um... what are you told when you go in for checkups?"

"They haven't really said anything," said Zack, who was trying not to blush at his wife's constant giggling.

Dr. Sinclair put her ruler away and pulled out a tape measure. After washing her hands and applying rubber gloves, she measured the length of Zack's penis from base to tip.

"Thirteen-point-two," Dr. Sinclair chuckled dryly. "You certainly are a lucky boy, Zack. Do you insert yourself all the way when you have intercourse?"

"I tried to but I can't," Zack said.

"Good. Don't," Dr. Sinclair told. "The vagina, when aroused, can be as deep as eight inches; You still have five inches on that. Your experience isn't affected by that?"

Zack shook his head. "No. Well, clearly not. I'm fathering two children."

"What about sensitivity? Do you last longer or shorter on average?" Dr. Sinclair asked.

"It usually takes an hour," Bayley chimed in. "Depends on what we do."

Zack pulled his pants up. "Well, I'm going to go hide for the rest of my life."

Dr. Sinclair waved her hand. "It's perfectly ok, Zack. Plenty of couples are unsure about a lot of things when it comes to pregnancy. Your friends, Alexa and Dean, asked a lot of the same stuff you did when they were here. Tell them I said hi next time you see them."

Zack and Bayley thanked the doctor one more time. Zack, not really sure how to process what had happened a moment before, felt a little easier knowing he could perform once again for his wife. Bayley had an obvious smirk on her face when she settled into the car and buckled her seatbelt.

"What?" Zack asked with a chuckle. "Are you excited you get your way?"

Instead of responding, Bayley slid her hand from her armrest to her husband's right leg. Zack watched on with amusement while Bayley moved her middle and index finger like they were legs walking up his thigh. Zack sighed heavily. Bayley's fingers caressed his manhood over the top of his pants, then her palm brushed against him until Bayley felt his precious organ stiffen.

"Are you sure?" Zack asked.

"Do I have to show you the PowerPoint again?" Bayley asked with a giggle.

Zack shook his head. "No, babe... do you think you could wear what you did in Boston?"

Bayley grinned. "If you wear your running shorts."

"Deal."

Bayley giggled with glee, finally excited to sleep with Zack again. Zack quickly started the car and headed back for the campus.


Becky needed a drink, or perhaps even needed to be drunk. Class, soccer practice, and now Sonya getting on her case about being a few minutes late to their lunch date was starting to weigh down on her shoulders almost as heavily as her recent infidelities.

The reason for Becky being a few minutes tardy was simply because she got out of class later than she thought she would, ran back to the apartment to shower, then hurried to Nitros. Sonya was waiting at their usual table; A half-eaten chicken salad, and a sour frown in return for Becky's schedule complications. Becky apologized immensely, promising to make it up to Sonya, but Deville wasn't hearing it. When the time came to head back to class, the most Becky got was a light side-hug and a half-enthused 'see ya later' instead of the usual 'I love you, see you at home.'

Maybe it was the guilt clawing through Becky's conscience that was making her feel like throwing up her veggie wrap. Guilt was not something she liked the feeling of and it certainly wasn't going to go away any time soon. Becky's morales, religious or otherwise, knew that cheating and lying would never help anyone in the long run. That being said, Becky knew Sonya's current disappointment in her wasn't because of who she did or didn't partially hook up with at a BPO party. If ignoring texts and the cold shoulder was how Sonya handled her lover being a little late to lunch, then Becky could only imagine the worst if Sonya ever knew about Labor Day.

Becky checked her wallet. She'd intended to get a part-time job to help pay for some living expenses. Her Summer-time job waiting tables footed the bar tab a few times so far this year, but she was already starting to run low on finances; Becky's bank account was almost as empty as a mining town abandoned since the premiere of the twentieth century. Since Becky was too proud to ask Finn and didn't want to worry her parents and ask them for money, Becky decided to go and bother the one friend she knew would have a few cans or bottles of ice-cold beer: Dean.

Becky headed for Sammartino Hall following a quick text to her friend. She also told Sonya about her plans, adding that she hoped she'd join her and have some fun with their friends. Becky made herself laugh at the thought that, had she'd been in a heterosexual relationship, Sonya would be on a rampage if Becky told her she was hanging out at a boy's dorm.

After tucking her phone away, Becky headed in the direction she vaguely remembered Sammartino Hall being. As she started to fade into her thoughts again, Lynch caught sight of the blonde who'd been in her daydreams for most of that day. Charlotte offered a soft smile and went about her way, as she had been for most of the day. Instead of continuing on, Becky took a quick detour and headed for her friend.

"Hey," the Irishwoman greeted the taller woman, offering a slight grin.

Charlotte's eyebrows twitched, showing clear signs of hope. "Hi?" Her quick greeting sounding as if she was expecting good news.

"Not t'at," Becky led with, already defusing Charlotte's hopes. "I was going to ask if ya wanted ta hang out with me?"

"Really?" Charlotte looked around the immediate area. "Where's Sonya?"

Becky shrugged. "I was a little late to lunch today. She was... upset about it."

Charlotte sighed. "I don't know. I don't want you to think you have to do stuff with me just because I'm still waiting for your decision. Not that you need to make it right now, but... I mean..."

Becky grinned. "I was goin' ta bug Dean fer beer. It's been a long day."

Charlotte let off a little stress with a laugh. "Oh, sure. Yeah, I can annoy Dean. Sounds like fun."

Becky spotted a pair of bozos with cameras watching Charlotte from afar. Instead of charging the men and possibly killing them with their equipment, Becky gave them each 'the finger' before leading the way across the campus with her blonde friend tailing close behind her.


Dean thought his friends were kidding when they all agreed to meet at his apartment for beer and shooting the shit; Ambrose had only gone back to his own dorm room to have a little alone time with Alexa after they'd been interrupted multiple times by a few Freshman needing to speak to the RA. He quickly put two and two together when he heard the front door unlock from his spot on the couch. Alexa's head had been bobbing in Ambrose's lap at that point, but luckily she sat up and pulled her fiance's shorts up just as Roman and Tessa stepped into the living room. Soon after, Becky and Charlotte arrived as well with the same goal to dig into Dean's beer supply.

"No, we were just watching TV," Dean lied offhandedly, leaning against the kitchen island with a beer in his hand. "Freshies at Poffo were driving us crazy so we came back here."

Roman nodded. "That's why we came back too. Some asshole set off the fire alarm at her place and we couldn't go back in until the fire department shut it off."

Dean looked at Becky, who was staring off into space. "What about you, Lucky Charms? Where's your girl?"

Becky's eyes had been locked on Charlotte's ass for the better part of five minutes. She was almost certain Charlotte was leaning over the back of the couch just so she could stare, which would explain why she was wearing tight grey yoga pants.

"Dunno," Becky replied, snapping from her trance. "She was pretty upset about me bein' later fer lunch. Hasn't said anythin' ta me since."

"Shit," Dean muttered. He was going to dive deeper into the issue, probably even talking about the issue that was the tall blonde in the other room, but he stopped himself considering the fact his brother was within arm's reach and didn't know Charlotte was into Becky.

"Is Seth coming?" Asked Roman, breaking the small pause in the conversation.

"Said he's on the way," Dean told. "Don't know how fucking long it takes for him to get here from the Science building. Takes me like, three if I think Lex is naked here waiting for me."

Roman shook his head. "He's not really trying to fuck Storm, right? That was just..."

"Bullshit? I fuckin' hope so," Dean sipped his beer. "Fuckin' guy needs to get his head out of his ass really fuckin' quick."

In the living room, Alexa sipped slowly at her beer, not really sure how to converse with Charlotte and Tessa. Wounds had been mended between her and Flair, but Alexa still felt a little awkward about their previous argument. As for Tessa, Alexa liked talking to her and how happy she made Roman, but it felt like the conversation between Roman's current and ex-girlfriend felt more like courteous small talk rather than the two being actually interested in conversing.

Charlotte chuckled. "I know I say this every time we see each other, but I swear I know you from somewhere."

Tessa shrugged. "I don't know. I would've remembered meeting you before."

"Yeah, I suppose," Charlotte trailed off, wondering if Alexa could sense how uncomfortable she felt.

Alexa made eye contact with Charlotte. Catching the hint in her friend's eye, Alexa quickly reached for the remote.

"You guys like Letterkenny?" Alexa suggested.

Tessa responded first. "Yeah. Me and Rome watch it all the time."

"I haven't seen it," Charlotte admitted.

"Oh, perfect!" Alexa said with a giggle. "That gives me an excuse to start over."

While Alexa pulled up the proper streaming service for her favorite Canadian-based television series, Charlotte steered her focus back at Roman's new flame.

"Greensboro, you said?" Charlotte asked. She quickly added, "I'm sorry I keep bringing it up, but it's bugging me so much."

Tessa chuckled. "No, it's ok. Maybe we played volleyball against each other? I think we played Charlotte a few times."

Charlotte shook her head. "No. I don't think we played Greensboro..."

"I thought you said you're from Wilmington?" Roman chimed in from the kitchen.

Tessa laughed. "Shit, sorry. I was born in Greensboro. Sorry, it's been a long day. I'm from Wilmington."

Charlotte furrowed her brow, finding Tessa's slip-up a little suspect. She wanted to press further into that issue, but she stopped when Becky walked by and slipped into the bathroom.

"We're gonna run across the hall and jack some of Seth's beer," Dean told the trio of women as he and Roman headed for the door.

"See if he has any cool ranch chips!" Alexa yelled back.

Dean threw a thumbs-up over his shoulder. Charlotte heard the front door close, then the bathroom door close, then Alexa's show start. When she thought everyone was distracted enough to move without anyone thinking anything of it, Charlotte rose like she was casually getting another beer. Instead of heading for the kitchen, Charlotte turned for the bathroom just as Becky exited.

"Hey," Becky whispered with a smile.

Charlotte checked over her shoulder, then pecked Becky on the cheek.

"Sorry," Flair muttered, bashfully dropping her head. "You just look really cute today."

Becky frowned. "Sonya's on t'e way."

Charlotte's brow raised as her heart hit her shoes. "Oh yeah? Free beer and Letterkenny sounded good to her?"

"I guess so," Becky tried to think of what to say next, leaning more towards just kissing Charlotte or telling her to leave her alone, but she got cold feet when Tessa glanced at them curiously from the living room. "You look great too. I..."

Becky trailed off when Dean and Roman returned to the room with a loud cheer; Dean had a case of beer under each arm with Roman following him with a few bags of differentiating chips in his arms.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked.

Becky lowered her voice. "I'll tell you later."

Charlotte wanted to get another word in, but Dean called for everyone to come and get some food. Becky walked away, but Charlotte stepped into the bathroom for a moment to herself.


The good news hadn't gone to waste for SU's newlyweds. Bayley had been quick to fulfill her promise of dressing up (or down in this case) in the outfit she wore during her and Zack's visit to Boston the year prior. While Zack had no issue wearing his old cross country running shorts and t-shirt, Bayley couldn't squeeze into her tight-fitting black tank top thanks to her pregnant belly. Instead, Bayley opted to wear her swimsuit top with her shorts. Zack's wide-eyed and speechless stare was all the validation Bayley needed in her wardrobe choice.

Zack stared at the back wall of his bedroom, running his fingers through Bayley's free-hanging hair. The hugger sat on the edge of their bed, her doe-like dark eyes staring up at her husband while she steadily worked him with her mouth. Zack was still a little nervous about the whole experience they were about to go through, but he knew that Bayley's feelings and needs were at play here and he needed to fulfill them.

Zack watched his wife wipe the tears from her eyes when she fully pulled away from his member. She chuckled nervously, flashing Zack a reassuring grin when he looked for any hint of hesitation on her face.

"You sure you don't just wanna play Super-Smash Bros?" Asked the nervous Mr. Ryder as he lay down on his back, placing his head on a pillow.

Bayley giggled. "Yes, my love. I'm sure."

Zack gripped Bayley's hips while she tried steadying herself over his waist. Bayley sat back, sighing intently at the long-missed feeling of Zack entering her.

"Holy smokes..." Bayley whispered.

"Yeah?" Zack chuckled. It never ceased to amaze him how sweetly innocent his bride was, even with her experience with him in the bedroom.

Bayley began picking up the pace, using Zack's shoulders to keep her balance. Zack kept his eyes locked on Bayley's abdomen as if something were to happen to his children if he let himself enjoy the experience for even a second.

"Ow..." Bayley whined quietly.

"What's 'ow'?" Zack asked, his chest sinking.

Bayley moved Zack's hands from her sides. "You're squeezing me really hard. Relax, baby."

Zack loosened his grip. "Sorry. I feel like you're going to fall."

Bayley giggled breathlessly as she kept her steady pace. "I'm not. I promise. If it'll make you feel better, it feels really nice."

Zack grinned. "Good. It feels good on my end too."

Bayley and Zack shared a laugh. It was times like this when even during intercourse that Zack loved how silly he could be around his wife. It was like, no matter how much of a nerd or goofball he was, Bayley would always adore him.

"Oh wow," Bayley moaned.

"You ok?" Zack asked.

Bayley nodded. "Yeah. It feels so fucking good, Zack."

"Swear."

"Shhh," Bayley giggled.

Zack almost let his guard down long enough to equally experience the good feeling in the air, but that was quickly thwarted thanks to muffled rock music suddenly blaring through the bedroom wall. Bayley tried to ignore it, but the muffled voices following the music threw off her rhythm.

"Shit!" Bayley cursed.

"Just ignore them," Zack insisted. "Focus on us. You look beautiful, babe. Like our wedding night."

Bayley blushed. "Yeah? You liked that, didn't you?"

"You know I did..."

Bayley started to regain her rhythm. "I sure do... fuck, Zackary, that was so hot. I love feeling you cum on my fucking face."

Zack's eyes widened. "Jesus Christ..."

"Too much?" Bayley asked.

Zack shook his head. "No, that was great. Keep going."

Bayley giggled. "Do you like cumming on my face, Zackary? I bet you wanna fucking do it right now. You wanna cum on my tits too?"

"What the fuck?" Zack chuckled under his breath.

Bayley started to buck her hips a little faster. "I love you so much. I love... fuuuuuuck! Bet you'd like to fuck my face, huh? Face fuck me like a little slut!"

Zack finally let his guard down. He raised his hips in tune with Bayley's, trying to bring her orgasm faster and with more intensity.

"Yeah baby, just like that!" Bayley cried out. "FUCK ME! FUCK ME, BABY!"

"I CAN STILL HEAR THEM FUCKING!"

"SHUT UP, SAMMY!"

Zack's face flushed red just as Bayley's lost all color. It was at that point that Zack realized the bed was squeaking and slapping against the divider wall. Bayley slowed herself and dismounted her husband's waist. Zack laid there, staring at the ceiling, unsure what to do next.

"Um..." Bayley began, trying to find the words. "I, uh, didn't know I was being that loud..."

Zack scratched his head. "Uh... I-I don't know what to do. Wanna keep going?"

Bayley shook her head. Zack sighed and sat up beside his wife.

"It felt really good," Zack said, trying to bring Bayley's spirits back up. "Maybe we try again when the neighbors aren't home? I... really liked your dirty talk."

Bayley sheepishly smiled and dropped her head. "Of course you do."

"It was sexy," Zack chuckled. "I like sexy Bayley. She's really awesome, especially with babies in her belly."

Bayley leaned on her elbow to share a kiss with her husband. She paused for a moment to listen to next door for any indication of whether or not the neighbors were listening.

"They're just jealous," Bayley made the comment.

"Of what?" Zack asked.

"You're getting laid and they're not," Bayley giggled.

"Can I marry you again?" Zack asked, drawing more small laughter from his wife. "I love you so much."

Bayley pecked her husband on the lips. "I love you more. I'm kinda feeling more hungry than horny right now. Maybe..."

"Bacon mac and cheese and Survivor?" Zack figured.

Bayley hopped to her feet. "You know me so well, my hubby!"

Zack got to his feet. Bayley's eyes lazily fell to her husband's waist. The married couple shared a smile, then Bayley kissed Zack and teased him below the waist.

"I'll take care of you two later," Bayley cooed with a giggle. "Right after you take care of the three of us."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Ryder," Zack confirmed with one more quick kiss before getting dressed in a comfortable outfit appropriate for dinner prep and watching reality TV.


With the day starting to melt into the early evening, the small gathering of friends sat around Dean and Roman's apartment engaged in small talk or the competitive trash talk directed at the TV and the many rounds of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Things had gotten tense when Sonya showed up. Becky greeted her girlfriend at the door with a hug and a kiss, but Deville spotted Charlotte trying to keep her head down in the other room. Sonya exploded, accusing Becky of all kinds of things and refusing to calm down. Things culminated when Sonya called Charlotte a 'girlfriend stealing skank' and took off, nearly running Seth over in the process, who himself had arrived just as the screaming stopped.

Becky wanted to chase after Sonya and try to explain to her why there was nothing to worry about, but that just wasn't going to do any good. There was something to worry about with Charlotte and Becky still hadn't gotten any closer to a proper solution. Instead of making things worse, Becky stayed at Dean and Roman's. Thankfully, Dean brought out the harder liquor and poured his Irish friend a glass.

"I like to think as myself as a 'barely functioning alcoholic'," Dean told his future wife while he mixed a combination of vodka and diet soda.

Alexa sipped at a plastic cup filled with Dean's attempt at a vodka cranberry; All in all, it wasn't too bad. Maybe a little strong for Alexa's liking, but it was aiding in taking the edge off from Sonya's explosion.

"That's a little worrisome, baby," Alexa told her boyfriend.

Dean nodded. "Yeah. You're probably right."

In the living room, Becky, Roman, Seth, and Tessa were occupied in a four-way co-op mission. Charlotte watched from her perch on the couch, stuck somewhere between being embarrassed by Sonya's outburst and wanting to track down and strangle the other woman for making Becky feel like shit. Of course, Charlotte also knew she didn't have a lot of room to really feel upset.

Becky checked her phone. "Shite! My phone's about ta die. Does anyone have a charger?"

Those who did, had their own phones plugged in. Becky sighed heavily, watching her battery life drain.

"I can run to your place and get yours," Charlotte offered.

"Really?" Becky asked.

"Yeah. Keep playing. I'll be right back," Charlotte ruffled her hand through Becky's orange locks, then left the apartment.

Roman cleared his throat. "So, why does Sonya think Charlotte is trying to steal you away, Becky?"

Becky froze. "Erm, yer guess is as good as mine, lad. I really 'ave no idea."

Roman nodded, trying to focus back on the game. In his mind, he figured it was just because his ex and Becky were close friends and, because of Becky's preference in sexual partners, it could be often misconceived that she was into women as more than a friend when that wasn't the case. Roman wasn't very concerned about who Charlotte was seeing, regardless of their gender, since he had Tessa now, but it was still a curious subject.

Becky caught Dean's eye from the kitchen. Dean lightly shook his head, shutting one eye to silently tell his friend he wouldn't breathe a word to anyone. Becky nodded, wordlessly sending her thanks.

"I got next," Dean called out. "I'll take over for whoever finishes last. Or Seth, since he wants to break bro-code and fuck our teammates."

Seth threw Dean a wild middle finger. "Eat shit and die, Ambrose!"

Dean grinned. "More like, 'eat pussy and live.' Amirite, babe?"

Alexa rolled her eyes. "Oh my goodness, what am I gonna do with you?"

"Marry me and barely put up with my bullshit for the rest of our lives?" Dean guessed.

Alexa snickered. "That's it. Sounds like a good idea."

Tessa threw her hands in the air. "Dude, what the fuck was that!? Fucking horseshit on a fucking cracker!"

"What?" Seth chuckled.

Tessa stood from the couch. "Dean, you're up. I need a fucking drink."

"We can take a quick break," Roman stated. "I need a drink too."

Seth leaned back in his seat, waiting for more people to filter into the room before he started another game. Becky was staring at her phone, watching hopelessly as her battery life dwindled.

Seth took a drink from his cup. "So, like, why orange? Your hair, I mean."

Becky shrugged. "Set fire to an orphanage when I was a kid. Hair's a reminder."

Becky shot Rollins a sly smirk, who was staring back in shock and awe. The two started to laugh when it was clear Becky was only being a smartass.

"It's me favorite color," Becky continued. "I like green too. Like yer eyes..."

Seth chuckled. "You like my eyes?"

"Alrighty," Dean sat between Becky and Seth. "Enough of the girly talk. Let's kill each other digitally."

Alexa kissed her fiance's cheek from behind the couch. Roman returned to his spot, fresh beer in his hand and Tessa curling up close to his side.


Charlotte arrived shortly at Race Dormitories. Thinking about her task at hand, Charlotte couldn't help but remember the last time she was here; It was the night of Formal a few months back when she first started truly feeling strong feelings for her friend. It made Charlotte smile to think they could be something more in some given time, but she still frowned at the thought that a relationship had to come to an end so she could get her way.

Charlotte arrived at Becky's apartment. Using the key her friend gave her, Charlotte unlocked the door and stepped inside.

At first, it seemed like no one was home. After a minute, when Charlotte switched the lights on, she realized she wasn't alone. Across the room, sitting on the couch, was Becky's girlfriend. More importantly, the part that made Charlotte freeze in place was the fact that Sonya's top was pulled over her chest, she wasn't alone on the sofa, and the other girl along with Sonya was roughly tonsil deep in her mouth.

"Whoa!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Sonya and the other girl quickly spotted the stunned Flair. The other girl jumped from the couch, cursing under her breath as she bolted for the door. Charlotte didn't bother stopping her from leaving. Sonya stayed on the couch, shooting Charlotte a death glare as she pulled her shirt down.

"What?" Sonya snapped.

"Are you cheating on Becky?" Charlotte questioned.

Sonya chuckled dryly. "No shit, Sherlock..."

Charlotte scoffed. "Are you serious? Who the hell even was that? Was that... was that the bitch who was being a dick to you guys the other night?"

"Shayna isn't a bitch, ok?" Sonya fired back. "She's just... confused, ok? Kinda like you, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Charlotte said.

"Don't act like I'm stupid," Sonya growled. "I saw you and Becky kissing on Labor Day. Then she couldn't keep her eyes off of you at the lake."

"How long have you been cheating on her?" Charlotte shot back.

"Fuck you," Sonya hissed.

"How long?" Charlotte pressed.

Sonya shook her head. "A week..."

"A week?" Charlotte repeated.

"...after we started dating," Sonya finished.

Charlotte shook her head. "You little fucking slut. And you have the balls to call me a skank?"

Sonya chuckled. "Are you going to tell her? Who do you think she'll believe? Me, or the poor rich girl who's trying to break us up? I know she's trying to figure things out. I heard you on the phone, I read her texts when she's sleeping. You just now magically realized you might like women and it just had to be Becky, right? If you tell her you caught me, she'll just think you're trying to pressure her into making a decision."

"What if Becky caught you instead?" Charlotte pointed out.

Sonya shrugged. "Win-win for me."

Charlotte's fists clenched at her sides. "You little bitch!"

"Lay a finger on me and Becky never speaks to you again," Sonya hissed with a grin. "Go ahead, bitch. Hit me. Becky will fucking lose it on you and you can't let that happen... right, 'baby'?"

"You're fucking insane!" Charlotte accused.

Sonya shook her head. "No. I'm just sick of having to share what's mine. Becky hasn't fucking touched me in days and now I get why. She's got your fake tit, flat ass on her mind."

Charlotte swallowed her anger, knowing full well there was nothing she could do. Instead of charging the younger woman and putting her through the wall, Charlotte swiped Becky's phone charger from the counter and stormed from the apartment.