Chapter 17 – Sometimes Change Is Bad

It had been a month since the Sacramento christening; the remainder of the visit went smoothly; as did the remainder of the year. Which was only two weeks; plus another two and it was technically 13 days before the Royal Rumble. It also meant it was 5 days until Jimmy and Charisma's wedding.

Roman looked over at MacKenzie as she was laughing with Charisma, Jenaya, Ella and a few of the other girls as they were talking about the upcoming nuptials. Her deep sea blue eyes were twinkling as they were all sitting around the table in the Sette Restaurant of the Radisson Blue Es Hotel in Rome, Italy.

He had to admit he had NEVER seen her so relaxed, unless he counted when they were at his place or hers for their days off. They'd spent Christmas and New Years at his place in Pensacola with his family. He'd even had time to have his Samoan tribal tattoo on his right arm extended to his right pectoral all the way to his sternum and collar bone and stopped at the top of his shoulder. Kenzie was scared of needles but she sat with him the whole time. What he had really enjoyed was her rubbing his chest with the cream they gave him afterwards.

She would lay in bed with him at night while he was watching the football highlights or the news and stare at the pattern before her soft fingertips would trace the design. She'd done it a few times with the design on his arm. Nothing in life felt better than his girls fingers exploring his freshly tattooed skin; softly and cautiously because she didn't want to hurt him.

Roman looked to the side as he got nudged with an elbow. "What fool?" He asked when Jey's smirking face was looking back at him.

Jey chuckled. "Nothing Uce, just trying to figure out who should be taking the vows in a few days you or my twin."

Roman shook his head. "I ain't ready for all that cuz, maybe someday soon though."

"How was the trip to Sactown?" Jey asked curiously.

Roman exhaled heavily. "It was fine until her jackass ex-boyfriend showed up and pissed me off. I never wanted to punch someone out so bad in my life. My temper could've gotten me into a lot of trouble had Kenzie not checked me."

Jimmy looked over at his cousin and twin. "Jeff is a dick isn't he? He cornered Kenzie once when she had first broken up with him and scared the living shit out of her and then got mouthy with Char. I asked him if he wanted to keep his teeth in his mouth or carry them around in his pocket."

Roman chuckled. "If given the opportunity I'd knock his teeth down his throat, but that's just me."

"Believe me, it ain't just you Uce. It's pretty much anyone who knows what he is all about wants to do that to him." Jimmy stated truthfully.

Roman pushed his chair out and stood as he placed his napkin on the table next to his empty plate. "If you all will excuse me; there is nothing else scheduled for the evening for the wedding party, but I have something I want to do with MacKenzie."

MacKenzie looked up as Roman cleared his throat. "What's wrong baby?" She asked curiously.

"I would like you to come with me. I have something planned for the evening." Roman held out his hand.

Kenzie could hear the other girls at the table giggling as she smiled and put her hand into Roman's, she watched as his long fingers closed around her hand as he gently pulled her to her feet. "There's nothing else planned; so I'm definitely in."

Roman kissed the back of her hand as she wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

MacKenzie didn't know Roman was putting her on a private airplane until they reached the airport in Rome. She was curious and kept asking and he kept teasing her about it being a surprise. She reminded him she hated surprises and he just chuckled and said he knew and to get used to it because he was always full of surprises for her.

"Welcome to Venice Italy." Roman murmured in her ear as the plane descended an hour later.

MacKenzie's eyes widened as she looked at Roman while the plane taxied down the runway to the gate. "I'm not even going to ask what we are doing here. Clearly you've got something up your sleeve."

Roman chuckled as the plane came to a stop and the door opened. He stood and took her hand in his once more. "C'mon beautiful, let's get going."

MacKenzie was having the time of her life as she and Roman were walking the streets of Venice, Italy. His big fingers were pushed between hers as he squeezed her hand every so often. They walked over a small overpass, over the water and then down and to the left. Kenzie's deep blue eyes widened as she saw a row of empty gondolas; they walked over to the end and watched as the gondolier stepped out of the flat bottomed venetian rowing boat and took her hand and helped her step.

There were a mountain pillows and a couple of light blankets incase the riders got chilled. Kenzie watched as Roman carefully stepped in and laid back against the pillows as he held his left arm open and waited for her to move over.

Roman wrapped his arm around her while she burrowed into his side. He could see the permanent smile on her face. He knew she always wanted to go on a gondola ride so he'd planned this in advance since he knew they were going to be in Rome for Charisma and Jimmy's wedding.

They felt as the gondolier pushed the gondola away from the platform and set the three of them adrift down the river. As they went out through the streets made of water they watched as the sun set along the Venice skyline; making sure they took plenty of pictures of the beautiful sight.

"This is so beautiful Roman. Thank you so much for bringing me here." MacKenzie stated softly as she leaned up and placed soft kisses along his jaw.

Roman returned her smile as his grey eyes took in how happy she really looked. He wanted that smile on her face 24/7; he also wanted to be the one to keep it there. "I'm glad you are enjoying it baby. We will definitely have to come back another time and have it be just the two of us; without crazy family members involved."

"I don't know everything just seems so perfect right now; being in Rome for Char and Jimmy's wedding and then being in Venice with you. It's all the small moments that add up. We should go to Scotland next." MacKenzie suggested with a smile.

Roman chuckled. "I'll go anywhere with you but those scotts better not get any ideas, you are mine and they can't have you because I do not share." Roman warned with a growl again MacKenzie's ear. He chuckled harder when she squealed before she giggled; knowing her ears and neck were super sensitive.

"I'm not going anywhere Roman. I'm yours as long as you want me." MacKenzie stated softly as she took in the way the moonlight shimmered across the water.

"Then I guess you'll be mine for quite a while." He murmured before he caught her lips in a soft kiss.

"I like that."

Grey eyes looked across the huge clear blue pool at the deep sea blue eyes beauty he'd spent the night making love to. There was nothing but romance in the air. Her skin was slightly tanned and the sun-kissed yellow strapless dress that adorned her body looked perfect on her. The matching 2½ inch open toed heels were perfect and showed off her freshly French manicured toes. Her fingernails matched her toes. Her spiral curls were frizz free and beautifully bouncy; he was completely mesmerized by them while she was walking around their hotel room getting ready for the wedding ceremony.

Roman stood behind her in the bathroom as she was putting her make up on and picked up one of her curls and pulled it away from the others and stretched it all the way out and chuckled when he let it go and it bounced back into place. MacKenzie giggled before she turned around and tapped his nose with her foundation brush.

"Aww babe! Don't do that!" Roman groaned as she giggled some more. His hand rubbed the end of his nose as she laughed even more while continuing to do her make up. "You owe me a kiss after that."

MacKenzie laughed as she turned around and smiled as her eyes locked with his. She reached up and fixed his yellow tie and straightened out his matching form fitted vest. "You better get as many kisses from me before I put my lipstick on, because once it's on you get no more kisses until after the ceremony. I don't want to ruin my hard work."

"Even for me?"

"It would so be worth it for you, but I want to look good in Char's wedding photos and through the ceremony. So kiss away because in 10 minutes I'm applying lipstick and you get no lip service until later." She winked at him as he chuckled and caught her lips with his.

Roman was pulled from his thoughts as he watched Jimmy and Charisma turn and face each other. He was standing behind Jey just as MacKenzie was standing behind Ella, Jey's fiancé.

Jimmy smiled softly as he looked at Charisma. She looked beautiful in her strapless white gown, the sun-kissed yellow sash wrapped around the top of the dress before it crisscrossed across the back and wrapped around her waist and tied in the back and then floated down the length of the dress and train. Yellow was her favorite color so it was no surprised that bright yellow roses were in her bouquet as well as the three bridesmaids and the guys boutonnieres.

"God you look so beautiful baby." Jimmy murmured as he took her hands in his.

Charisma smiled. "You do look quite handsome boo."

Jimmy cleared his throat as the minister gave them the go ahead for their written vows.

"Charisma, from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one with whom I wanted to share my life. Your beauty, heart, and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be. I promise to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you. This is my solemn vow."

Charisma was doing everything humanly possible to not cry; she couldn't ruin her make up.

"Jimmy, today I take you for my husband. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

MacKenzie watched as they exchanged matching wedding bands before the minister pronounced them husband and wife and Jimmy swept Charisma into his arms and planted a toe curling 'we just got married' kiss on her lips. They had taken their pictures beforehand so she really didn't care what happened after that; which was probably for the best since Jimmy scooped her up in his arms and disappeared back into the hotel in their room.

"Good to know my cousin has the same thing on his mind that I have on mine." Roman chuckled as he walked over to MacKenzie. "If I forgot to tell you I want you to keep that dress, you look beautiful in it."

"Keep the dress?" Kenzie asked before she smirked. "So you can rip it off me later?"

"Absolutely." Roman admitted in his dom voice.

MacKenzie couldn't stop the full body shiver or her laughter as Roman pulled her away from the ceremony to the dance floor the hotel had set up for the reception. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his body. "So can I mess up your lipstick now?" He rumbled in her ear.

MacKenzie smiled as she pulled a napkin from the bust of her bridesmaid dress. "I'm fully prepared; mess it up all you want."

Roman did not need to be told twice.

Once Charisma was out of her wedding dress in something a little shorter she could deal with and Jimmy was allowed to lose his suite jacket they rejoined everyone at the reception as everyone danced and drank the entire night.

Roman, Jey and Dean couldn't have been happier to lose their suite jackets as well.

Jenaya let Dean pull her onto the dance floor. She reached up and ruffled his dishwater blonde hair and twisted some of his strands around her fingers putting his curls back in place because he had slicked them back so look nice and snappy for the wedding ceremony and the pictures because Charisma told him if he looked like a raga muffin she was going to shove her foot and her 4 inch heel up his ass. Of course she made the same threat to all the groomsmen; including Jimmy.

"I hate it when you slick it back." Jenaya stated as she let Dean push her around the dance floor. "It looks much better now."

"And I…" He stopped his thoughts as he slid his hands down her waist and across her dress covered back side. "Love it when you don't wear panties with these cute little dresses, which I'm sure are designed to give me a heart attack or stroke."

Jenaya's eyes widened she pulled Dean's head down. "Shut your dirty mouth or I'll shut it for you." She murmured in his ear as she nipped his earlobe.

"Yes ma'am." He growled out as he pulled her tighter to his chest.

The rest of the time in Rome was spent sight-seeing or in their separate couples hotel rooms just enjoying their alone time.

On Friday, 3 days before the Royal Rumble, the couples flew into Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The plane taxied down the runway to the airport and all four couples exited the plane and went to the luggage pick-ups.

Roman looked down as a hand laced small fingers through his after he placed MacKenzie's suitcase on his and pulled it behind him. He smiled down at MacKenzie. "Happy to be back in the states?" He asked softly as all four couples walked through the airport to get to the rental cars which were parked out front already.

MacKenzie nodded. "Yea, just promise we'll do something like that again soon."

"Absolutely; we just have to get through the PPV and then through WrestleMania. Once we get through the big one we can lounge or plan some time off just the two of us, small vacation; whatever you want beautiful." Roman stated as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

They all exited the airport in front of the rental car places and noticed a couple of Pittsburgh Police cars sitting out front. "Excuse me folks…" An officer greeted the couples as he walked up to the four couple.

"Yes officer?" Roman answer.

"Are you four gentlemen Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and Dean Ambrose?" The officer asked.

'Yes.' The four of them all answered. They watched as three more officers approached and began reading the guys their rights while putting handcuffs on them.

"Officer what is this regarding?" MacKenzie asked.

"Ma'am they are all being arrested for the assault and battery of one Jeff Walker."

And within a matter of seconds it all changed.