A/N: Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews! The Young Bucks are now the tag champs, Darby is the new TNT champ, and Kenny is the number one contender for the AEW World Title - life is good! Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.


HURRICANE
Rumors


Ashley walked out to the motel parking lot with her luggage in tow. When she got outside, she saw Matt, Nick, and Kenny. The three of them were engrossed in a conversation. She then saw Adam leaning against an SUV - playing mindlessly on his phone. She decided to go over there and approach him.

"Hey there, Cowboy."

Adam looked up from his phone. He smiled whenever he saw Ashley. "Hey. I haven't seen you since Revolution."

"Yeah, I wasn't at the show last Wednesday because I was getting some training done. I learned how to take some bumps." She pointed to his phone. "Anyways, is there anything exciting going on?"

"Not really." He stood to his full height and put his phone into the back of his denim jeans pocket. "But, now there is." He winked at Ashley and she blushed.

She playfully shoved him. "Okay, Cowboy Casanova."

"I actually like that nickname."

"I'm sure you do."

Adam looked over to Nick, Matt, and Kenny, who were all still engrossed in a conversation. "Do you think your brothers will get mad if you ride with me to the arena?"

"Is that an invitation?" Ashley teased.

"Possibly."

"I can go over there and tell them that I'm riding with you. Do you want me to; seriously?"

"Yes, I would like for you to be my travel buddy for this loop."

"Great!" Ashley smiled. "Let me go over there and tell Nick and Matt what's going on." She walked back to the SUV where Nick, Matt, and Kenny were standing near. "So, I am going to ride with Adam to the arena."

"Okay, sis," Matt replied. He seemed a little taken aback by the last minute change. "Be careful."

"I will be." She grabbed her luggage. "I'll see you at the arena." She waved to the three of them and rolled her suitcase back towards Adam.

Adam followed Ashley as she walked to the back of the SUV. He helped her put her luggage in the trunk. She told him thank you and Adam got into the driver's seat and Ashley got into the passenger's seat. Hangman started the ignition. "Let's ride." He put the vehicle in drive and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

Ashley noticed that Willie Nelson was playing in the background. She wasn't surprised in the least considering who the driver of the vehicle was. "You're going to make me get used to this music."

"What are you talking about?"

"I haven't listened to much of Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash, but riding with you lately, it's all I've heard."

"You're saying that like it's a bad thing."

Ashley giggled. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just not my cup of tea."

"What kind of music is your 'cup of tea'?" Adam used air quotes to mock Ashley. "Because I can't think of anything better than this."

"Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, etc, etc…."

Adam groaned. "You're killing me, smalls."

"I'm sorry. Pop is just my musical preference."

"Were you one of the girls in high school who was passionate about the Backstreet Boys versus NSync debacle?"

"Backstreet Boys is the greatest boy band of all time and no one can tell me any different."

"I would've pegged you for an NSync girl."

"Why do you say that?"

"All the girls were crazy about Justin Timberlake."

Ashley scoffed and put a hand on her heart. "I was definitely a Nick Carter girl."

Adam defensively raised his hands. "Excuse me." He laughed at how overdramatic Ashley was being.

"Next time we ride together - we're going to have to jam out to my favorite kind of music."

"There's going to be a next time?" Hangman teased.

Ashley blushed. "Possibly."


Ashley arrived at the women's locker room. As soon as she walked in, she was approached by Penelope. "Hey girl I didn't see you last week, but you should know everyone is talking about how much time you and Hangman are spending together."

Ashley laid down her luggage on a bench. "There's not much to talk about."

Penelope put her hands on her hips. "You're telling me that you went out with one of the best looking guys on the roster and there's not much to talk about? Girl please." She rolled her eyes.

"Adam is an old friend. I was celebrating with him because he had an incredible match and retained his title."

"I think you and him would be cute together."

"Penelope, Adam and I are just friends."

Penelope raised her hands. "I'm just saying…you two are good looking. You're single and he's newly single, so you should totally go for it."

Ashley felt her cheeks get hot. "I'm not saying anything else on the subject."

"You gotta have some sort of an attraction to him."

"Just strictly platonic."

"Whatever you say…" Penelope smirked.

"Let's get ready for the show," Ashley instructed. "This conversation is over." Penelope went back over to her area to get ready leaving Ashley alone with her thoughts. All Ashley could think about was how quick there was gossip of her and Adam.


Cody had just defeated Ortiz and The Elite was in the ring celebrating with him. Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager appeared on the titantron trash talking the members of the Elite. Chris then inquired asking where Nick was, and that's when the camera zoomed in on a fallen Nick Jackson who was trapped underneath a steel door.

Matt, Kenny, Cody, Brandi, and Dustin all ran to Nick's aide. Matt and Kenny, even though he had a broken hand, attempted to lift the door. Cody told them to stop and let professionals handle it. Matt ran to get some help for his younger brother.

Ashley appeared with Matt and the paramedics. She was hysterical over her fallen older brother. It was decided that Cody, Matt, and Ashley would all follow the ambulance to the hospital to check on the status of Nick. Kenny decided to stay behind because his tag team partner, Hangman Adam Page, was wrestling in the main event against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara.

Ashley was alone with Matt and Cody and had no idea what to talk about. They had to pass the time until the main event when they would re-appear to come to the aide of their fellow Elite members.

"So, Ashley, how are you liking it so far?" Cody inquired. "I haven't had much of a chance to talk to you."

"I like it."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Thanks for letting me be a part of AEW."

Cody smiled. "Of course. I'm glad that you're on board with us."

"So, sis, how was the ride with Hangman?" Matt wondered.

"Good."

"Was he careful?"

"Yes. I feel safe whenever I'm riding with him."

"There was a lot of talk about you and him arriving together to the arena today."

Ashley groaned. "Penelope told me that there was also talk about him and I leaving the arena together at Revolution."

"There's nothing going on with you and Hangman, right?"

"Right."

"It sure seems like something is brewing between you and Hangman, Ashley," Cody interjected. "You could see the sparks flying whenever you two entered the arena all smiles and laughs."

"Adam is a great guy and all, but we are just friends."


Hangman Adam Page and Dustin Rhodes just secured the victory for their team. But, they weren't able to celebrate their victory because the Inner Circle jumped them after the match like a pack of wild dogs.

Kenny Omega comes to the aid of his tag team partner to no avail. Kenny's broken right hand he suffered at Revolution immediately becomes a target. The Inner Circle restrain Kenny and Chris kicks the broken hand then takes him out with the Judas Effect.

Cody makes his return from the hospital. He gets a couple of shots until Jake Hager grabs a hold of him and nails a side slam. Jake then tosses Cody out of the ring, Ortiz sets him up for a suplex and lands it on the ramp.

Jake has Hangman in a chokehold and is dragging him up the ramp. The Inner Circle is following along while the leader, Chris Jericho, has a chair. Santana and Ortiz help set up Jake to powerbomb Hangman off the ramp, but Matt Jackson makes the save. He manages to take out the Inner Circle temporarily.

Chris grabs the steel chair and hits both Matt and Hangman in the head. Chris raises the steel chair in the air, but Ashley Jackson appears out of nowhere and tries to take the steel chair from Chris. Chris inadvertently hits her with the steel chair since she snuck up on him from behind and he just swung the chair out of instinct.

The crowd is booing mercilessly at what just transpired. For a moment, Chris looks ashamed of what he did, but immediately brushes it off and celebrates with his Inner Circle members.


Ashley walked out of the training room with an ice pack on her head. The chair shot left a nice goose egg on the right side of her forehead. That was her first time taking a steel chair shot and she had to mentally give herself a high five for that.

Much to her surprise, Kenny was standing outside the trainer's room. "Hey. I wanted to check in on you and see how you were doing."

Even though her head was killing her, she managed to give him a smile. "I've been better."

They started walking beside each other down the hallway. "You took that steel chair shot like a pro."

"I appreciate it."

"Sure."

"How's your hand?"

"It's throbbing right now thanks to the kick from Jericho."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"My head is going to be killing me in the morning."

"I'm sure Hangman can take care of that for you."

Ashley stopped in her tracks. What was the deal with her and Adam? "What does Adam have to do with that? All I have to do is take some Advil."

Kenny ran a hand on the back of his neck. "There's rumors that you and Adam are a thing. You two left the arena together after Revolution and rode to the arena together today." He put his hands on his hips.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "We're friends. Friends hang out."

"I'm sorry...I just thought…."

"...I can't believe you of all people are listening to those rumors," Ashley interrupted. She pointed at Kenny with the hand that was holding her ice pack in place so her ice pack fell to the floor. "I'm disappointed." She grabbed her ice pack from the floor.

"I haven't had a conversation with you since Revolution. I don't know what's going with you."

"But, you know you could've texted me, DM'd me on twitter, or pm'd me on Instagram. We're mutual followers on social media and you have my phone number."

"I didn't want to pry."

"But, you kind of did that whenever you made that comment about Adam."

"You're right." Kenny raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry." He couldn't help but notice the bump on the right side of Ashley's forehead since her ice pack was off. "Jericho wasn't playing whenever he hit you with the steel chair." He gingerly touched her forehead.

"No," she breathed. She felt her breath catch in her throat at how close in proximity they were standing from each other. "He wasn't."

"Why don't we go get you another ice pack?" Ashley nodded and walked with Kenny back to the trainer's room. She quickly forgot about everything that just happened between them because all she could currently think about was how she was all alone with Kenny Omega and how his injured hand was on the small of her back as he escorted her to the trainer's room.


Ashley was asleep in her motel room. Her head was starting to pound from the steel chair shot she took from Chris Jericho, so she decided to take a nap after taking some advil. Without warning, she heard a knock on the door that woke her up from her sleep.

Dressed in a white crop top, black capri leggings, and her blonde hair in a messy bun atop of her head, she begrudgingly went to the door. She wasn't expecting company, so whomever was on the other side of the door would see a completely different Ashley Jackson.

Her eyes widened when she saw Adam on the other side. "Adam, hey!" She tried to cover up the messy bun, but she knew there was no point. He would just have to deal with the side of her that liked to bum it when the day was over with.

Adam stuffed his hands into his denim jean pockets. "Hey. I wanted to check in on you."

"That's sweet," Ashley smiled. She scooted to the side so he could come in. She shut the door once he entered. "How did you know what room number I was in?"

"Please don't be upset, but I asked Nick what room number you were in. I wanted to see how you were doing after that chair shot you took."

"I'm not upset. But why didn't you ask me?"

"I tried texting you, but you never responded to me. So, that's when I texted Nick."

"I'm sorry," Ashley frowned. She sat down on the bed. "I was asleep." She patted the spot next to her. "Please have a seat."

Adam kicked off his boots and joined Ashley on the bed. "So... apparently there's rumors of us being an item."

"Yeah. I was gone last week, but Penelope told me that there has been talk of us spending a lot of time together. I mean just because I'm single and you're single now doesn't mean that there's anything going on."

"Well actually, I was kind of hoping we add some truth to those rumors."

"What do you mean?"

"I would like to spend more time together."

"You do?"

Adam nodded. "Yes. I know we haven't interacted much since you came to AEW full time, but I really enjoyed your company after Revolution and our car ride to the arena today."

"But, we're just getting reacquainted."

"I know, but I want to get to know you better than what I do now."

"Okay, Cowboy," Ashley smiled. "We can spend more time together. We can start by hanging out right now."


A/N: Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think!