So I don't generally write the same scene from two different perspectives, but every once in a while I find it necessary. I believe this is one of those times.

Chapter 19

Lexi spent three long hours stewing over her fight with Roman. During that time she'd convinced herself she was right. Then she'd listen to Amber and Zoe both tell her that she was being unreasonable and had damn near kicked them out of the locker room for it. They didn't know how it felt to be betrayed like that by the men they loved. She'd stewed over that thought for awhile when something popped into her mind that before long had her rethinking her actions. At one point while trying to get a grip on her emotions, she asked herself what Doctor Moreno would say. That was when Doctor Moreno's statement about Lexi emasculating Roman stuck in her head.

Roman was a big guy, with an even bigger heart, but he was also very much the alpha male type. He was programed to protect those he loved. It was one of the reasons she'd been so attracted to him. She loved his confidence and protective nature. So why now was she so insistent to squash the very things she loved about him?

She'd consider that thought, even while she stood in Gorilla with Amber watching the monitor as The Shield's music played. Her heart pounded in her ears, mixing with the music until she thought she just might puke from the stress.

"Roman looks angry," Amber observed.

"That's because he is," Lexi replied, now wishing she hadn't taken quite so long analyzing their fight. While she'd come to the conclusion that she wasn't entirely wrong, but she wasn't entirely right either. Roman had a valid point when he said that the cheater storyline was making her ill. She had been sick recently and most of it had everything to do with her nerves.

While she still contended that he'd been wrong to go to management without telling her and he'd been wrong for not telling her after the fact, she'd been wrong too. She should have been open minded and considerate when it came to his feelings. After all, everything he'd done was because he'd had her best interest at heart.

Maybe if she hadn't been so proud, she could have found it within herself to apologize to him before the match started. Then maybe he wouldn't be quite so angry right now. Of course it was too late for that, but once the match was over, she would be sure to find him and apologize. Then maybe they could talk..

The match started and her pulse sped up. Even with the script change she was dreading what was coming. On the screen Dean was taking some serious punishment from Jimmy, yet Roman was staring at the stage, his focus obviously not on the match.

Why wasn't he concentrating on the match?

"Roman seems distracted," Amber observed.

Lexi gave Amber's statement a slow nod as she watched Dean tag him in. Hopefully now that he was actually in the match he'd focus and he could make quick work of his cousin. While she didn't want to see the match end she also needed to end so she and Roman could talk. The faster he put the Uso's away, the faster that could happen.

Roman had no problem looking pissed off and intimidating as he made his way through the crowd toward the ring. As of the moment Raw went live he still hadn't spoken with Lexi. The only way he knew she was okay we because Amber and Zoe told him.

He known she was going to react badly to the news about the change in storyline. Maybe that was part of the reason why he'd put off telling her. Still, he hadn't fully anticipated the blowback his actions would cause.

He jumped the barrier, assessed his opponents. His cousins Jimmy and Jey stood next to CM Punk inside the ring, waiting. Roman enjoyed working with his cousins. They would put on one helluva match with Jimmy and Jey. They always did. A small part of him was sad knowing after tonight that chemistry between the teams would end. Since he and Seth would be turning face there would be no need to fight against the Uso's in the future.

He climbed onto the apron and slid into place in what was usually Seth's spot. Seth shot him a perplexed look, then without a word, climbed up on the opposite side as Dean slipped between the ropes into the ring for the start of the match. Within seconds of the bell ringing, Dean took a clothesline from Jimmy and smacked the mat, immediately popped to his feet and repeated the process, setting up a quick back and forth that had the crowd cheering. Roman's attention drifted from the ring to the empty stage as this thoughts turned back to Lexi.

He wondered if she was still mad at him and he felt the frown that crawled across his face. Damn it! Why couldn't she see that what he'd done was for her own good? If she wanted to act like a spoiled brat that was fine, but this wasn't just about her anymore and by God she needed to see that.

Seth smacked him on the shoulder, pulling Roman from his thoughts. "Hey, you with me?"

"What?" Roman glanced at him. "Uh...yeah." He raked a hand through his loose, wet hair.

Seth frowned. "Dude. I know you're upset about Lexi, but you need to try and focus."

Roman nodded. "I know. Sorry."

"It's okay." Seth patted him on the shoulder a split second before Dean tagged Roman in. Needing to purge some of his pent up anger, Roman plowed through Jey, giving him a clothesline that damn near decapitated him. Jey hit the mat hard and apparently stunned stayed down for a moment. Roman cursed himself and barely resisted the urge to apologize. He needed to fucking focus before somebody got hurt.

When Jey finally got to his feet he shot Roman a quick 'what the fuck' look, then immediately began pounding on him. Roman accepted the first few blows as payback for being overly aggressive, but it didn't take long for his patience to disappear. He fought back, plowed into the Uso's corner and took out Jimmy and Punk before going back after Jey.

Then match broke down quickly after that and within seconds all the men were in the ring pounding on each other. Roman bounced against the ropes and braced himself as Jey flipped him over the top and out of the ring. He hit the mats in front of the announce table with a thud, took a moment to shake off the sting, then climbed back onto the apron. He'd just straightened up when Jimmy hit him with a dropkick that sent Roman flying backwards off the apron a second time. Only this time pain bloomed as his head hit the corner of the announce table, then the blackness swallowed him.