Author's Note: Thank you for all of the reviews, follows, and favorites. I really hope everyone continues to enjoy this story.
Disclaimer:I am no way affiliated with AEW.
The Judas Effect
The Response
"This fucking sucks."
Marley sat beside Jon on the couch in their house. They had just gotten home. Jon had been having trouble with his elbow again. The news he had received hadn't been good.
He held his phone in his hands. He was getting ready to tweet about what he had found out.
"I'm sorry." Marley said, inching closer to him. She leaned against his side. She knew how excited he was about working for AEW and how much he was looking forward to his match with Kenny Omega. Seeing him so disappointment broke her heart.
He wrapped an arm around her and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his midsection lightly as she leaned against this chest.
"You will be back in no time. The doctor said it wouldn't be a long recovery. Then you can have your match with Kenny."
"I hate having to back out of the show. The fans were pumped. Fuck, I was pumped."
"I know baby but, it's important for you to be healthy. You need to make sure you get this taken care of so you can be healthy for the match."
He sighed. "I know."
"I'll be here for you."
He smiled and stroked her hair gently. "I know babe. You always are."
She sat up to her full height so she could give him a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'll start dinner. I'm going to make your favorite. Then we'll go for a walk" She got up and walked around the back of the couch to head to the kitchen.
He chuckled. "Thanks babe. I'm going to get this sent out and get it over with."
"Everyone will understand." She leaned over the back of the couch, wrapping her arms around his neck and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leaving to cook.
Marley sat alone in the waiting room for the OR. She flipped absently through the pages of a magazine, barely even glancing at the photos. She didn't pay much attention when someone sat down beside her - minus being slightly nonplussed at the idea of someone sitting directly beside her in the otherwise empty waiting room.
"How are you holding up?"
She looked up, surprised. She found herself staring into an all-too-familiar pair of blue eyes. "Chris?"
Jericho smiled slightly, "I heard Jon was having his surgery today. I wanted to check up on him. . . and you."
"I haven't heard anything yet but, it shouldn't be much longer."
"I'm sure he's doing fine. He's one tough son of a bitch." Chris replied.
She sighed. He knew her too well. She closed the magazine and tossed it onto the pile on the table. "I know he is." She waved one sneaker clad foot back and forth as she gripped the knee that was crossed over her other leg. She hated to be vulnerable around Chris but, she couldn't hide her worry. Her stomach was turning as she sat there.
"MRSA is serious." Jericho said. "But, he's going to be okay. He's getting it taken care of."
"This is his second staph infection. I just worry that he is going to keep getting them."
Jericho reached over and patted the back of her hand gently. "The doctors will keep an eye on it. . . and he will be careful. He might not get another bout after this."
Marley smiled weakly. "I hope you're right."
"Besides - he has you to keep an eye on him." Chris added.
Marley nodded, "True."
Chris grabbed one of the magazines off of the cable table and flipped it open. Marley grabbed one too and leaned back in her chair. She opened the magazine and laid it across her lap.
"Chris?"
"Yea, Mar?"
"Thanks for coming." She smiled at him and he smiled back. "I appreciate the support and Jon will too."
He nodded and turned his attention back to the magazine he was holding.
With some of her tension and apprehension abated, Marley did the same.
On the previous week's episode of Dynamite, After Jon's match against Trent, Jericho had offered Jon a Ford GT if he joined the Inner Circle. Jon had promised to give his answer on the following week's episode of Dynamite.
Marley walked with Jon to the ring. She was wearing a pair of black cargo pants, a gray crop top with a black cropped long sleeve shirt over top, and black boots.
Jon was prepared to give his answer to Jericho and the rest of the Inner Circle, who were waiting for him in the ring. She followed Mox into the ring and leaned against the ropes, arms outstretched, as he began his promo.
The fans all booed when Jon accepted the invitation to join the Inner Circle. He stopped in the center of the ring, unzipping his jacket to reveal the Inner Circle t-shirt Chris had given him.
The Inner Circle all celebrated, pleased they had managed to convince Moxley to join the group.
"What about you Marley?" Jericho asked the blonde.
She stood up and walked over. Jon handed her the microphone he was holding as the fans waited for her to answer the question.
"I'm sure you all know the answer to that. Where Jon goes, I go." She said. "I'm in."
The group once again celebrated. Marley handed the microphone back to Jon and she walked over and stood beside Jake and Sammy.
"Like i said. I came here to dominate. And there is no more dominate force, no more powerful, no more dangerous, no more influential force in AEW than the Inner Circle and I want to stand with them."
Jericho smiled triumphantly to the audience, raising his mic to his lips. "I told you he was going to say yes. You idiots didn't believe me." Jericho yelled.
Jon was pacing the ring. He paused, looking at Jericho, "If you want to be great, you have to learn from the greats and the pea-brains out their might not want to admit it but the truth is, the fact that i believe in my heart, Chris Jericho is the greatest of all time."
Marley nodded, clapping, saying "He is." when Jon paused.
"So I will stand with Chris Jericho. I will surround myself with greatness.I will surround myself with the inner circle and we will dominate AEW for years to come - Le Champion there is only one thing left - pop open a little bit of the bubbly."
The fans all cheered and Chris raised his hand in the air while Sammy celebrated in the background. Sammy Jake and Marley all grabbed bottles of the bubbly and popped them open. Jake handed a bottle to Jericho while Marely handed hers to Jon.
"Moxley said Yessss." Jericho gloated, holding his bottle of the bubbly. "2020 is going to be the year of the Inner Circle baby!"
He began to spray the bubbly around the ring while Jon got up close to the camera. Jon turned around and began to spray the bubbly all over the ring as well. They all continued to celebrate while Jericho called for some music.
As the music started to play they continued to celebrate in the ring. Mox hugged Sammy around the neck while Marley talked with Jericho.
Jericho stepped forward and held up the key to the car he had promised Jon. "This car, worth 750,000 dollars, more than every single person in this place makes, all combined, and Mox - it is yours." Jericho handed Jon the keys.
Jon raised his arms while Jericho said that everything was in Mox's name. Jon shook the keys in the camera, talking about how much the car was worth - while Sammy talked about what a great git it was.
The fans all chanted "You sold out". Merely rolled her eyes at their comments. She yelled at an audience member who was chanting, "Like you wouldn't sell out your own mom for 750 thousand, shut up, you idiot."
The fan chuckled at the interaction and Jericho patted her on the back. She turned her back to the fan and once again leaned against the ropes, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Oh I sold out. I got a 2015 dodge ram I paid cash for. I was gonna run that thing til the wheels fell off, until I got the gift of Jericho." Jon laughed.
"So generous!" Marley clapped for Jericho, smiling.
"You're right Mox, you did sell out, every, single, night, baby." Jericho said, wrapping arm around Mox's shoulders. "Cause the Inner Circle means money! Come on now."
Chris went on to talk about how successful both he and Moxley were. The music began again as they celebrated but, Mox called for production to cut the music. He grabbed another bottle of bubbly off the table.
"I forgot one final thing." Jon walked up to Jericho. Marley tilted her head to the side, watching Jon with interest. "Chris, my friend, I was just kidding."
The fans all cheered. Chris looked dumbfounded.
Marley stood up to her full height but remained expressionless.
"I would never join the Inner Circle. It's a stupid group. You have nothing that I want. . . except for that." Jon said, indicating that he wanted Jericho's title. He smashed the bottle of the bubbly upside Chris's head before giving him a paradigm shift. Sammy ran into the ring but also took a paradigm shift.
Jake ran into the ring but Jon jumped out. Marley followed suit. She ran up the ramp while Jon ran into the audience. Marley went backstage while Jon stood with the fans and held up the car keys to end the segment.
"I'm starving." Jon complained. He flipped the channel on the remote, frowning. "And there's nothing good on."
"Well I can't help that there's nothing good on TV but, I can run down to the vending machine and get us some snacks." Marley offered, looking up from her phone.
"Please."
"Wow you are desperate. You are even using your manners." She teased. She got up from her spot on the bed and adjusted her t-shirt. She slid on a pair of flats and grabbed her wallet and key card. "I'll be right back. Try to hold on while I'm gone okay."
"I'll do my best but, you've got to hurry."
Marley laughed and left the hotel room. She walked over to the elevator and hit the down button. She waited for the elevator then took it to the ground floor where she had spotted some vending machines.
When the elevator doors slid open and she stepped into the lobby, she was greeted by a familiar face.
"Hey Marley, what are you doing wandering around the lobby?" Chris asked, clearly surprised to find her out of her room so late at night. He was carrying a carry-out bag from a local restaurant.
"I could ask you the same thing." She smiled, "but I guess you just got back from dinner with the guys?" She nodded toward the bag in his hand.
"Guilty."
"I was going to the vending machine. Jon is dying of starvation apparently."
Chris chuckled. "I better not keep you then. I just wanted to say hi - and tell you I'm looking forward to working with you again."
"Thanks Chris. Me too. I appreciate the good word you put in with Tony and the EVPs. It will be nice to do something different for a change. I'm excited."
"No need to thank me. You're going to be great. It's about time you got to show off your talents." He nodded toward the elevator. "Well I'm going to head up. Talk to you later."
"See ya." She smiled and turned toward the vending machines while Chris made his way toward the elevators. As she walked toward the vending machine she took a quick backward glance at him while he waited for the elevator, a smile curving her lips.
Marley walked into the hotel room, carrying an armful of snacks. She kicked the door closed behind her and dropped her wallet and key-card on the dresser. She kicked off her flats and walked over to the bed.
"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I got a variety." Marley said as she sat down beside Jon on the bed. She dropped her haul on the bed.
"You are seriously the best." Jon gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he grabbed one of the protein cookies off of the pile. He ripped open the package and took a bite.
"Better?"
"Much. Thank you. What would I ever do without you?"
"Order room service?" Marley suggested.
"True. Maybe I don't need you after all." He kidded.
"Hey!" she playfully elbowed him in the ribs, laughing. "See if I do anything nice for you again." She threatened.
"You will. You can't help yourself. You love me too much not to."
"Man - Moxley, don't let that ego get too big." She teased. She got up from her place on the bed.
He grunted in response and took another bite of his protein cookie. She smiled and shook her head as she walked over to her suitcase.
"I'm getting ready for bed." she told him as she dug a pair of her pajamas out of her bag.
"Okay."
She took her clothes into the bathroom and changed; then brushed her teeth, braided her hair, and removed her makeup. She turned off the light on her way out of the bathroom. She crossed the room and climbed into bed. Jon was still leaning against the headboard but he had moved the pile of snacks onto the bedside table so they wouldn't be in her way when she went to lie down.
"Thanks for moving those for me."
"No problem babe." He said without taking his eyes off of the action movie he was watching.
She adjusted her pillow and leaned back. "Goodnight." She stifled a yawn with her hand.
"Night, love you."
She smiled and closed her eyes, "Love you too."
