A/N: Thank you so much for all the feedback for this story, really appreciate it. And if you like my Dolph/AJ stories, I'm probably going to start a new one next week, so keep on the lookout for that one. Hope you enjoy this chapter though, and please review, thanks. :)

"Stop fidgeting."

"I'm not fidgeting," AJ protested, but she could feel her fingers shaking slightly as she kept rubbing her hands together. Dolph looked pointedly at her hands, and she glanced down and stopped her ministrations. He gave a soft chuckle and grabbed her hands, stilling the shaking. She looked up at his gratefully.

"You do realize that you've wrestled before, right?" he asked her redundantly.

"I know, it just feels like it's been forever since I was in a real match," AJ responded, and it did feel like a long time. She'd been so embroiled with the GM position then with Cena that she'd only had an intermittent match every now and then, and this match tonight was her building her way to getting a title shot. She had to start somewhere, and she'd requested a match against anyone on the roster, so tonight she'd be facing Alicia Fox.

"It hasn't been that long, you had that match with Tamina last month, right? That was last month wasn't it?"

"Yeah, early December, it was short, but I did win," AJ said, feeling slightly more encouraged as she thought about it.

"And think of it this way, Alicia is not as strong as Tamina, so the playing field is going to be more even. Better chance for you to win, plus you've got your secret weapon," he winked, referring to her Black Widow submission hold. "You're going to break that out, and all the divas in the back are going to be like, 'What the hell is that?' and they're going to be so scared."

It was AJ's turn to give a soft laugh, "I don't know if they'll do that."

"Have more faith in yourself," he told her. "It's a great move, the challenge will be getting her dazed enough to lock it in, but you're a really good wrestler. You've been doing this for years, you know how to have a good match, you know how to get the upper-hand."

"Since when have you become motivational speaker extraordinaire?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously. In actuality, his words and actions were easing some of her nerves. It felt like she was getting back on the bicycle now, focusing on what she was here to really do. Even when she'd wrestled last year, it was always seemingly because of some guy or something to do with Vickie, it was never for herself.

At the beginning of last year, she'd been with Daniel, and he'd wanted her to be the best diva, and he would accompany her to her matches, but he always made it about him. After that, she always seemed to be stuck in mixed tags that had nothing to do with going after a title then with Cena, same thing, it was never really about her wrestling to get a title. Now that was different. She and Dolph wanted to hold the title together, to rule over everyone, to make their names synonymous with success.

"I don't even need to motivate you, the title should be all the motivation you need, that and beating Kaitlyn."

"She wasn't there for me when I needed her," AJ looked down, saying it more to herself than to Dolph. It was a way for her to remember what was at stake. She'd needed Kaitlyn so many times over the past year, and Kaitlyn was nowhere to be found. When she was around, she was derisive and chastising, and that's not what AJ needed out of a friend.

"AJ, you're up next," one of the production assistants said. AJ nodded. "You've got three minutes."

"So how are we going to do this? Are you going to do a Ziggle Wiggle, and I'm going to act impressed?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively. She pictured herself going out there and wiggling her butt, and it was not a pretty picture.

"I think I'll leave that to you," AJ scrunched up her nose. "I'm just going to do my usual entrance, should we kiss at the top of the ramp?"

"Sure, we can do that," he told her. He could see her start to shake again, and he grabbed her face in his hands, his palms framing her cheeks. She looked up at him, just barely tilting her head up towards him, which gave her an innocent look. Dolph leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly. "You are going to be great, you are going to win, and I'm going to be proud of you no matter what."

She could feel the beginnings of tears forming behind her eyes. She'd been so familiar with that feeling, the prickling of them, not quite reaching her eyes just yet, but getting there. Over the past year, her and that feeling became best friends almost. Crying seemed to be just another part of her everyday life, like breathing or eating. These were a different kind though, these were happy tears, tears of knowing that there was at least one person here who had her back without question.

"Thank you," she breathed, barely audible above Alicia's entrance music, which meant she was sauntering down to the ring.

Dolph pulled his hands back slowly and held out his hand to her, fingers splayed out. She laced her fingers with his and they walked through the short tunnel to the actual entrance to the stage. They paused there for a second before her music started playing. She let go of Dolph's hand as she skipped out onto the stage, stopping at the top as Dolph came out from behind her. He stood next to her, nodding appreciatively as she gave a coy look around the crowd. Dolph stepped up next to her and she turned to him, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

She smiled as she pulled away, continuing to skip down the ramp. Dolph trailed behind her as she stopped in front of the ring. Dolph hopped up onto the apron easily, leaning down to lend her his hand. She let him pull her up to the apron and held the ropes for her so she could enter. Once inside, she went to the other side of the ring to grab a microphone from Justin, who was announcing that evening. She stood in the middle of the ring, Dolph standing to her right, and let the boos rain down on her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Dolph.

"Listen to them," AJ said, "they love us."

"Good," he winked at her.

AJ let the crowd quiet down before she raised the microphone to her mouth. "Kaitlyn, Katie, Kitty Kait," she said tauntingly, staring up the ramp like Kaitlyn would actually show her face. "I know you're back there, and I know you're watching with my future title around your waist, and I know you're scared to give me a title match, I would be too if I were you. You want to keep that title around your waist as long as possible, and you know if you actually gave me the chance, I'd beat you, I get it, I really do. So I'm going to get my match, even if you don't want to give it to me by taking down every single one of the divas. You can't avoid me forever, Katie. So keep good care of my title because I'm coming for it."

Dolph took the microphone from her and hopped out of the ring as Alicia hopped back inside. Alicia glared at AJ as they circled each other in the middle of the ring, sizing each other up. "You're not getting past me," Alicia called out to her. AJ pretended to yawn as Alicia lunged for her, but AJ ducked under her arms and they circled each other again. They finally locked up and Alicia quickly got AJ in a headlock, but AJ powered out of it. AJ kicked her in the back of the leg, making her fall to her knees as AJ ran the ropes to hit a dropkick across Alicia's shoulders, making her fall to the mat. AJ tried for a pin, but only got the two-count. She stood up and huffed, miffed that she didn't get the pin.

She stalked Alicia getting up and she was about to jump on her back to get a sleeper hold when Alicia moved out of the way. She got behind AJ and wrenched her arm back and throwing her into the corner. AJ could hear Dolph pounding on the mat cheering her on as Alicia slammed her face into the turnbuckle before setting her up for and hitting her with a northern lights suplex. Alicia tried for the pin, but AJ managed to kick out. She could hear Dolph whooping it up for her, and she groggily staggered to her feet. Alicia grabbed her and put her into a chin lock, AJ screaming. She managed to get out of it with a snapmere, and quickly got to her feet.

She knew now was the time to hit the Black Widow, and as soon as Alicia was upright, AJ went for it, twisting herself around Alicia and grabbing her arm, wrenching it back. Alicia screamed as she was forced to remain bent over, and AJ tightened her legs and wrenched her arm further, screaming for Alicia to tap. Alicia resisted for as long as she could, but was forced to tap. AJ kept holding on for dear life, the referee grabbing her and pulling her off Alicia, who fell to the mat, grabbing at her arm. AJ skipped around her before blowing a kiss towards the ramp, mouthing Kaitlyn's name.

Dolph climbed in the ring and she turned to hug him, jumping in his arms and kissing him like she did at the Slammys, her legs hooking around his waist as they made out. His hands were all over her back, running over her sweaty skin, and his mouth opened, his tongue snaking out and finding hers. She finally pulled away, jumping off him as he held her hand up in victory. The crowd was booing them again and they just took it in, reveling in their hatred before Dolph was holding the ropes for her again as she climbed through. On their way up the ramp, his hand grasped hers again, and she took it like she did earlier, lacing their fingers together as they walked triumphantly up the ramp.

As soon as they were backstage, her giddiness got the best of her and she was hugging Dolph. "I told you, you could do it."

"It felt good. It felt right."

"We're going to rule this joint, babe. With me in the Rumble, which I'm going to win, and you winning the diva's title, hey, maybe you can get a match at the Rumble for the title?"

"I don't know if I can get it that soon, maybe at WrestleMania though, there's no way I've earned it, not yet," AJ said. "But if you can win the Rumble, that means we can both have matches at WrestleMania, can you imagine that? Can you imagine the both of us walking out of that as champions?"

He dared to dream, "It would be incredible. I just hope I get a good number."

"That's where I come in."

Dolph and AJ looked to their side and Vickie was there, "Next week, you're in the Beat the Clock challenge. Don't say that I never gave you anything. I figure that this is my way of extending the olive branch so to speak."

"What's the catch?" Dolph asked, instinctively standing in front of AJ. She grabbed Dolph's hand and held it in both of hers, standing just off to the side and behind him.

"We have this every year, there's no catch," Vickie told him. "You get to choose your number."

"Okay," Dolph still didn't trust her, but he didn't want to stick around here either. Vickie might not pull something with him, but she wouldn't hesitate to do something to AJ, and he wanted to prevent that from happening. "Come on, babe, let's go, you probably want a shower, and I know you have some hard to reach places."

AJ grinned and kissed his t-shirt covered shoulder. "Think you can reach them for me?"

"That's what I'm here for," he told her. AJ sent a smug look to Vickie as they walked away. As soon as they were out of earshot, she laughed and bumped herself against his arm. "Hard to reach places?"

"Well, if you did need help, I've got very nice fingers, they're great for that kind of thing."

"I think I can shower on my own."

"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing," Dolph told her. "I'm proud of you though, that was a great match, and you just took over and didn't let her get the best of you. Plus, it was quick, which means that you saw the right opening. If you can handle Alicia that fast, think about how fast you can take Kaitlyn."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

"Thank you for believing in me, I'd forgotten what that was like."

Dolph kissed her temple, and this show of affection was starting to become familiar, and she liked it. It wasn't romantic, but it was nice nonetheless. "I'm always going to believe in you because you are great."

"You are too."

"Of course I am."