'Cant head up there this week. Got scheduled for the Abu Dhabi tour'

'I know you're probably pissed but that's no reason to ignore me your highness'

'I know I said this week, but work is work. Don't be a bitch'

'Fucking talk to me CJ'

Those were the texts from Dean that CJ had read once she got home from physical therapy. She was sure that she had told Dean about her therapy schedule and that she'd leave her phone at home for that, but she'd gently remind him that she wouldn't have her phone during PT times. She wasn't sure how to address him now that he had sent four texts in twenty minutes, each one having an angrier tone than the one before it. CJ had never had Dean pissed off with her, just circumstances surrounding her, so she didn't know what to do other than pray that the extra hour didn't make him angrier.

'Please.'

That certainly changed things. Maybe he realized how stupid he was being?

'I was at pt. I didn't have my phone. I wasn't ignoring you Dean.'

'You're pissed at me.'

'No I'm not. Work is work and I can understand that. I'll see you when you can get here.' CJ wasn't going to admit that she didn't want him to see her on crutches, so seeing him next week would be better for her confidence.

"How was PT?" Beth asked as CJ flopped onto the couch in a laying position and the twenty-eight year old huffed, propping her knee on the back of the couch and setting her phone face-down on the arm of the couch behind her head.

"Stupid. I understand how important it is, but stationary bikes are the dumbest things ever. Why get on a bike if you're not going anywhere?" She complained, accepting the icepack for her knee while Beth laid Lyric on CJ's stomach. The baby was half asleep already and seemed to fall asleep once her head hit CJ's chest.

"It's only a few more months, kiddo. Then you can get into ring work." Beth tried to soothe, lightly tapping CJ's cheek. "Apple slices?"

"Yes please. Do we have the pre-portioned peanut butter packs? If we don't then I don't need peanut butter." CJ called to the kitchen, hearing cabinets open and shut. Chances were, Adam took the last one and that was why Beth was looking so hard

"I'll have to get some when I go to the store next."

"When I'm capable to drive I'll start doing store runs." CJ offered, accepting the bowl of apple slices from Beth and setting it on the floor in front of the couch. "Is there anywhere in Syracuse with a good ring?"

"I'm sure there's one around here somewhere. We'll look when it's time for you to start working off the ring rust before you go back. Adam and I want your focus to be getting that knee right before you even think about getting in the ring." Beth stated as she got comfortable in the recliner. "You look good with a baby on your chest, Chrissie." She commented as CJ's phone vibrated.

"Babies are so far from my mind right now. I have to become a relationship girl before I think about having a baby." CJ dismissed, raising her phone above her head to read the text that she assumed was from Dean.

'I do miss you CJ. I don't want you to think that I don't.'

"Adam told me that you and Dean are an exclusive something but not dating." Beth said and CJ nodded as she typed her reply to Dean. "That's a step in the right direction because you were never exclusive with Seth."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Chris Jericho was paving in his home office. He was frustrated as all hell and he didn't know what to do to relieve that frustration. He couldn't take his frustrations out on Regal, because the man did do his job. He even took one for the team and got roughed up a bit to keep that pawn Ambrose at bay. He couldn't be upset with AJ Lee, because she kept that half-crab locked in on CJ's bad knee as long as she possibly could before The Wyatts got into the ring.

But he could be mad at Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt could've stood on that knee until he felt it break under his weight. He could've thrown her to the mat with enough force to shatter that kneecap. He could've had the two big guys hold her arms while he held on that right leg and pulled until the ligament was torn beyond repair. Bray Wyatt could have tried harder. He could have gone above and beyond the call of duty like he did when it came to hurting Kane, Daniel Bryan, and everyone else he decided to attack.

But he didn't.

Bray Wyatt did not torment her like Chris wanted. He didn't terrify her like Chris wanted. He didn't make her flee from the WWE like Chris wanted. If anything, Bray Wyatt made her more determined to get back into ring shape and kick his ass, and that wasn't what Chris wanted.

What made everything worse was the fact that Adam was probably onto him now. All because he was terrible at feigning happiness when it came to CJ. Not to mention the fact that he was so careless to have forgotten when she was having her surgery. A real parent wouldn't have forgotten, and he knew that. He hated how Adam had jumped into the father figure position and coddled CJ instead of pushing her to be a better daughter. He was actually kind of jealous that Adam made being the parent of such a huge mistake look so easy. If he could have figured it out being as young and stupid as he was when she was born, he would've gone for it. But probably not.

Definitely not. He was young and stupid. Having a kid before he was even out of high school almost definitely ruined his life. He would always blame CJ for forcing him to have ties with a common whore, and he definitely wanted nothing to do her or her mother. Everything was easier for him when he didn't even have to think about his oldest daughter, which is why he needed her out of the wrestling world so people would stop talking about her and asking him questions about her.

She may have been talented, but he didn't want to hear about it.

"You hate stationary bikes?" Dean asked for the fifth time and CJ laughed, a lovely sound in his opinion, before answering.

"Yes. Having no destination sucks."

"But you can run on a treadmill for hours? How is that different?"

"I have that fancy treadmill that's, like, connected to google maps and this one time I ran some Swiss trail. So technically there's a destination."

"Sounds fancy," Dean conceded, looking up at Seth as the younger man emerged from the bathroom. "and totally different. You win."

"I'm the queen of the world, of course I win." CJ teased, and Dean could hear the playful smirk in her tone. "I gotta go, Lyric is being fussy and I'm alone at the house right now."

"Alright. Don't hurt yourself."

"I won't. Have fun in Abu Dhabi. Get me a cheap tshirt."

"Will do, honeybee." Dean assured before he heard her phone drop on something cushiony and he hung up, looking to see Seth staring at him. "What?"

"Who's your honeybee?"

"No one special. Go to bed." The blonde defended, not trying to get into a fight with his best friend during war time. After they put Evolution down, he'd deal with Seth. For now, Dean knew that the younger man needed his hopes and dreams related to CJ in tact as something to look back on when times got tough. Times were definitely about to get rough once they got back from Abu Dhabi, and their brotherhood was going to be the one thing that they had over Evolution. Those three were in it for themselves, not the good of the team. The Shield was in this for the team.

Like JBL said once or twice, three great individuals don't make a great team.

SmackDown was quite the spectacle. Watching the guys take action and kick ass was so great. Especially when Dean jumped over the couch to wail on Maddox, oh my god I just about died laughing.

On a side note, my boyfriend called me a creampuff earlier in the night while we were watching the show. I dunno if he was teasing me because I had to leave work early or just trying to be cute and I'm still not sure how I feel about it and it's been a few hours. Just a personal tidbit about my day that I thought I'd share.

Thank you to ArtisticLullaby, Kdaniels270, TaijiaK, ChelleLew, tesh diggins, UntilNeverDawns, ILoveAnime89, AshleighxAwsome, and Sarcastic Nightmare for reviewing the last chapter! I love you guys!