Bobby drove up to the Quality Suites, parked in the parking lot, and eyed the building. It wasn't fancy, but it had a roof, four walls and a bed, and it was far cheaper than staying at the Westlake. He got out of his car and went to the front desk to see what they had to offer.

The desk was indifferently staffed by a man in a rumpled black blazer. He stared hard at Bobby when he walked in, and his thousand yard stare didn't abate when Bobby came to the counter and said hello. His cheeks were marked with two day old stubble, and his lips were cracked and twisted in a frown. Bobby got the creeps just looking at him. The two of them stood, looking at each other, and Bobby was wondering if he would stay here after all.

"Help you." The man spoke softly, moving his mouth as little as possible in a weak attempt at customer service. Bobby blinked but decided to go ahead with it anyway since this was cheap and close.

"I'd like a room, please."

"Single bed." The clerk seemed incapable of asking questions.

"Yes, please."

The clerk turned stiffly to his computer and blinked several times before handing his hands to the keyboard. Bobby's curiosity was piqued. "Long day?"

"4th shift in a row. Relief called out."

"I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope your relief arrives soon. That's a crime that you've working so much. Isn't that illegal here?"

The clerk jerked a shoulder up. "It's just the way things are."

"Do you have a cot to sleep on in the back at least?"

"Got a chair." The clerk's burned out glare floated away from the screen and landed on Bobby. "Got a nice room for you. Room 207. Single bed no smoking."

"Thank you so much." Bobby paid for the room and wished the clerk a good day, adding again that he hoped he could get some rest. He turned towards the elevator, and then turned back. "Would you like a Red Bull or a Mountain Dew or something?"

"No...well..."

"Red Bull okay? I have two in my bag. You can have them both." Bobby leaned down, unzipped his bag, and pulled out two cans. "They're kind of warm, but they're good."

"Thanks. Thanks a lot." The left side of the clerk's mouth hitched up in a smile. He took the cans and opened one right away, drinking half of it in a gulp, and let out a small belch. "That hit the spot."

"You're welcome," said Bobby, amused.

He went to his room and changed for the party into a small blue swimsuit. Not too tight, but not too loose, either. He checked out his butt in the mirror, and, laughing a little, gave himself a thumbs up. He pulled on pants, a hoodie, and flip flops, and left for the resort, giving the gloomy clerk a wave on the way.

He made it through the vast expanse of the resort, which was far bigger than he'd thought, and came up on the party. Things were just getting started, but James was already waving around a bottle of beer as he told a story to a small rapt audience. He spotted Jeff Hardy, Mickie, and Tommy listening to James. Over by the end of the pool he saw AJ, Kaz, and Daniels standing in a tight circle, and a smile surfaced on his face. JB sauntered up to him and gave him a beer.

"Thanks, bro," said Bobby. "Where are you hanging out?"

"Over there with EY, Ray and Gail. Let's go." JB pointed and Bobby could see Bully Ray teasing Gail Kim and making her laugh. The two of them went over. Bobby shed his clothes quickly and threw them on the back of a lounge.

Gail raised her eyebrows as she checked him out. "Nice."

"Thanks." Bobby sat down in the chair and took in the whole scene. He made sure not to let himself gawk in AJ's direction. Even though Bischoff wasn't here, he wanted to keep on his toes.

The party got louder and louder as the sun went down. James jumped in the pool three or four times. Some other people got in and paddled around, or cannonballed, or dipped their toes in. EY snatched Pope's pants off and pretended to throw them in the water, and Pope pretended to threaten him with an ass whipping. Bobby got in the pool and actually swam around; at one point he swam over to where AJ was talking with Daniels and gave both of them a quick hi. AJ gave Bobby a look he could feel in his spine, and Bobby swam away fast before his blush became evident, dipping his face in the water to both hide and cool himself off.

But someone saw it. Tommy was watching him furtively, and once he saw the flash of smile on Bobby's face as he swam away, he got angry. He snatched a drink from the waitress and sat down on his chair, brooding slightly.

"The hell got into you just now?" James asked.

"Nothing. I'm cool."

"Better be."

Tommy threw his flip flop into the water, just missing Bobby. Bobby gave him a dirty look, then swam back towards his chair. He didn't feel like starting a fight. Tommy's flip flop floated forlornly in the pool. He stood up and shouted at Bobby, "Hey, dude, my bad, can you get that?"

"Get it yourself," said Bobby as he hauled himself out.

Tommy watched the water ooze down Bobby's back and thighs. "Fine," he continued bellowing, "keep being an asshole, shit bag."

Neither of them noticed AJ walking in Tommy's direction. Daniels trailed in his wake, his face quizzical but he was ready to support his buddy nevertheless. AJ walked up to Tommy and tapped him on the shoulder. Tommy turned around and his eyes closed to tiny slits. "What?" he said to AJ.

"I want to know what your problem is," AJ said. "You're always mouthing off to someone around here. Seems like a day can't go by without you standing up and calling someone an asshole. So, tell me, what in the world is your problem?"

Quiet radiated out from them as people turned to watch. James turned around and immediately facepalmed. He looked over at Bobby; Bobby was standing shoulder to shoulder with JB, watching the situation like everybody else.

Meanwhile, Tommy's mouth coiled. "I don't have a problem."

AJ said, "Yeah, you do. Why are you throwing things in the pool at people? Everybody else is having a good time and here you are, trying to get a fight started. You do it all the time, and I'm sick of it."

A muted "ooooo" came from the crowd. Bobby heard JB mutter, "This is going to be bad." Bobby himself kept quiet. He knew what this was really about.

"I do not." Tommy said, defending himself. "I was just playing."

"No, you weren't. You were being a dick, like you are all the time."

"You got a problem with me throwing things at Bobby, huh?"

"I have a problem with you throwing things at anybody. I have a problem with you stirring things up with anybody. I'm calling you out now because I am fed up with the way you act, and you need to straighten up."

"I don't need to do shit. You think you're my father or something? Kiss my ass."

"If your father had kicked your ass a little more growing up, maybe you would know how to act."

The whole place was rigid with tension, waiting for the fists to start swinging. Tommy made the mistake of saying one more thing. He bent down and said, "Maybe if you stopped letting people put their tongue in your ass, you'd be more of a man."

AJ's eyes widened and the intakes of breath around the entire pool were audible. In the silence, James said behind Tommy, "Oh shit son, you did it now." AJ balled his fist up and swung at Tommy, hitting him a direct shot in the mouth. Tommy's head snapped around and blood spurted from his lip, splattering on the ground. Before he could get turned around, AJ punched him again, his fist plowing into Tommy's face and smashing into his jaw. More blood flew, out of Tommy's mouth this time as his cheeks split against his teeth, and his eyes slammed closed. Quick as a snake, AJ punched him again, in the eye, and Tommy's eye watered and began to swell and bleed. He went to one knee and put both hands down for balance. He stayed on all fours, panting, and then tilted his bleeding face up to AJ's. Incredibly, he smiled, the blood streaming from his cheeks turning his mouth into an empty lit stage, and with his right hand he gave AJ the finger.

AJ backed up. So did Daniels. So did everybody else. AJ lunged forward and kicked Tommy in the hip as hard as he could. Tommy let out a howl and grabbed his side. Blood was raining down on the ground from his cut and swollen mouth and oozing a bit from a cut under his left eye. Tommy started to crawl away, his left leg dragging behind him, yelping a little from the pain. AJ watched him crawl. Bobby watched him crawl and wished he had a video camera. He was thoroughly enjoying this moment. Next to him, JB was hiding a grin behind his hands.

AJ backed up again, waiting. He didn't move until Tommy had crawled a few feet; until he was facing the pool. He came in for another kick, this time landing his foot squarely in the middle of Tommy's ass. Tommy shot face first into the pool and went down in a patch of gory water. Several scattered cheers went up. Bobby was one of the cheering ones.

"Take that," said AJ. He spat into the pool after Tommy and stalked back off to his seat. Daniels went with him, as bemused as ever.

"Damn, man," said Pope, walking over to where JB and Bobby were trying unsuccessfully to hold in laughter, "ain't anybody else getting in that pool tonight. Tommy always has to fuck it up for somebody."

"He deserved that," said JB, between laughs.

"Oh yeah, he did. You didn't see anybody stopping AJ, did you? Nobody said wait, break it up, or even said take it outside. You saw that, right? As soon as he went for the gay shit, it was a wrap. He signed his own death warrant with that." Pope shook his head. "Pure comedy. Tommy is lucky AJ didn't try to murder his ass. Kicked his ass in the pool old school Dynasty style. You remember that Bobby? Those chicks were always fighting and throwing each other in the pool. I'm gonna start calling Tommy Paige Carrington."

James was standing at the edge of the pool. As Tommy popped back to the surface, gasping for breath, James took a swig of his beer and looked thoughtful.

"Hey, James, help me here, my fucking leg's fucked up." Tommy said, slurring slightly. His lips were swelling a lot.

"Come on James!" Pope yelled. "Help Paige out the pool. Those diamonds are getting wet!"

James thought for a second, then reached out and grabbed Tommy's hand. He helped Tommy out of the pool, and Tommy sat on the lip - gingerly - and wiped some of the water off his face so he could see a little. "Shit," Tommy said, "that little fucker really got me."

"Get up and go back to the hotel room." James' face was hard and unforgiving. "I'll talk to you in the morning. Right now, you get the fuck out of my face."

"But I didn't start anything!"

"I don't care. Shut up and get gone."

Tommy lowered his head, but eventually, he did make his way to his feet. He walked a little way from the pool and staggered, almost falling. He turned to James. "Can you at least help me to the door?"

"No." James turned his back.

Tommy looked sullenly at James, and then step-staggered back towards the hotel. As he passed AJ, he looked up, and AJ's steely blue eyes bored into his. AJ's mouth was fixed in a sneer. "Got something else to say? My hand's itching."

Tommy looked back at the ground and kept on walking, favoring his left leg and rubbing his side as he went. AJ watched him go, a look of pure satisfaction welded onto his face. Daniels gave him a high five.

Eventually, AJ separated from Daniels to go get a soda. Bobby slipped out of his group and met up with him.

"Nice job," Bobby said with a smile.

"Thanks. It felt good to kick that big moron right in the ass."

"I bet. I've been replaying it in my head. You boot him in the ass and he shoots into the pool. Set it to music and it wins Oscars."

AJ laughed. "Yeah, I'll remember it too."

"So will he, when he sees his face in the mirror."

"No doubt." AJ looked around, and then lowered his voice. "Where you staying?"

"Quality Suites. Room 207."

"That dump?"

"It's not that bad for being so cheap."

"Yeah, but dang." AJ swallowed some of his soda.

"It'll be okay. Come by tonight. I need to thank you for fighting for my honor."

"I'm your hero, huh?"

"Every day."

"You're sweet. I'll be there. Around one, okay?"

"Okay. See ya."

"Later."

AJ walked away, and Bobby turned to resist temptation as much as he could. He went back and rejoined the party, slinging his arm over JB and letting loose a smile. JB held up his beer. Bobby toasted him.