Phil Brooks paced around the living room of his home. The Chicago weather outside was cold and unforgiving. It had been a long and difficult week. His WWE travels had been sidelined completely due to the rigorous physical therapy that had recently begun on his injured hip. It all had started in a routine match with Adam "Edge" Copeland. The script had called for Punk to take a DDT midmatch. The second he landed, he had known something was immediately wrong. The pain was sharp and intense and like nothing he had ever felt before. The problem was, it hadn't gone away. It had lingered and lingered, hindering him not only from performing in the ring but it had also started to affect his activities of daily life. Standing, walking, and sitting for extended amounts of time was incredibly uncomfortable. The WWE ordered an MRI and the culprit was diagnosed as a torn tendon. It was thought that surgery might be required but the lead physician had deemed last minute that it was not necessary. Plenty of rest, aggressive physical therapy, and one to five months out of action was the plan to have him healed by Wrestlemania.

He loved the WWE. He loved his life. Wrestling was all he had really ever wanted to do anyway. The schedule was tough and demanding and after years of trying to make a name for himself in the Indy's, he had finally made it to the place that every up and coming worker was striving to get to. He didn't realize just how much the lifestyle had taken a toll on him. He was starting to get burned out. So even though a nagging hip injury sucked, it gave him the opportunity to lighten his travel load and work duties. The company had thought enough of him to keep him on as a commentator. For Phil it was all about going with the flow.

He wasn't particularly close to anyone on the roster. He got along with his co-workers, a lot of them he even considered friends but he was a private man, quiet and thoughtful, serious and complex, guarded and controlled. He rarely opened up. He had tried to let his guard down with Maria Kanellis. He had sworn he would never go for the typical Diva but her beauty was riveting and her sweet personality was irresistible. It had been good while it lasted. They had fun and the sex had been incredible but it was not enough to keep the relationship going. It had ended, not on the best of terms but deep down Phil would always care for Maria. That was evidenced as he saw her get herself tangled inside Randy Orton's web of deceit.

The running joke backstage was that the man's tour bus had a revolving door. He loved the ladies and they loved him. Randy's favorite line to the guys was, "Pussy comes a dime a dozen and I have a dollar". Comments like that only left Phil shaking his head. The recent paternity claim had put young Randal in the hot seat and he had dodged a bullet when the child had turned out not to be his. But it wasn't the first time he had found himself in hot water due to his cavalier sexual escapades. There had been the time he had hooked up with a young woman who had turned out to quite young indeed…17. Her father had been irate and had threatened all kinds of law suits. The family had been quietly paid off before the sordid details became public. Then there was the time he had contracted a nasty case of Gonorrhea from a stripper in New Jersey. There had been truth to each rumor and the scandalous details of the Viper's private life had made their way around the locker room. None of it had stopped him or slowed him down for that matter. Randy was young and successful, rich and handsome, reckless and dangerous. He was a man who did what he wanted and he always got what he wanted. He cared about no one but himself and that was a proven fact. Friendships and relationships meant nothing to him unless he was gaining something from it. Randy Orton could not be trusted, plain and simple. Phil knew that, now he just had to hope his girlfriend would soon realize it before it was too late.

Memphis Kramer was unlike any woman Phil had ever met before. She was beautiful on the outside but the main attraction was her inner beauty. That wicked sense of humor, razor sharp intelligence, strong will, and the way she shot it straight and didn't take crap from anyone. Being around her was fun and exciting and Phil adored everything about her. He could talk to her about any and everything from the pain of his childhood that had fostered his straight edge adulthood to his favorite books. She understood the WWE life and her work ethic was admirable and matched his own. And despite that rock hard exterior, there was something internally vulnerable about her. It was an endearing contrast that made him want to hold her, take care of her. Randy had been a thorn in her side from the very beginning. His actions had been childish and nevertheless dastardly. Memphis had been hurt but a change of heart followed by a freak accident had turned everything around. Phil had watched helplessly from the sidelines as the woman he loved had fallen hook, line, and sinker for Randy Orton's bullshit.

Phil had never considered himself the jealous type. But recently he had found himself feeling differently. Two emotions had fueled that change in thought and behavior….his love for Memphis and his hate for Randy. He wasn't stupid. Randy was trying to get Memphis into bed. That was his angle. Every woman threw herself at The Legend Killer's feet and the few that didn't, amused him enough to issue a personal challenge to change their minds. Memphis was better than that and the thought of Randy's grimy hands all over her was enough to make Phil physically sick. But he saw it all coming. He saw Memphis being used and ultimately hurt again by Randy. And he saw himself losing the one woman he cared deeply about. Folding his hands as he winced from the pain in his hip, Phil's thoughts were interrupted as his cell phone rang. Digging it out of his pocket, he checked the Caller ID and smirked before answering it.

"Dollface."

"Hey you," came the warm voice on the other end of the line. "How are you?"

Phil shrugged.

"The tendon is still a little sore which pretty much sucks but I can't complain. I mean, what can you do, right? Talk about a real pain in the ass."

She couldn't help but smile.

"I'll be sure to give you a nice butt massage later," she quipped.

He checked the clock.

"Speaking of, when does your plane land? Did you find something yet?"

Last minute, she had decided to join him in Chicago. There had been some bad weather between New York and Illinois so it had been quite the feat to get a flight out but he had been anxiously awaiting her arrival.

"You could say that."

"Want me to pick you up at the airport?"

"No."

Phil furrowed his brow.

"What are you up to?"

"Open up your front door and find out."

He did as he was told. On the other side, she was there, hair pulled back, no makeup on, wearing a leather jacket with her skinny jeans tucked into a pair of high heeled boots.

"What a pleasant surprise," he folded his arms.

"I made it. After being on the standby list forever, not being able to get a flight out of Macarthur and having to go all the way out to JFK, after the bumpiest flight in the history of flights, and after having a bratty eight year old kick the hell out of my seat for three hours straight, after me trying to tidy up in the O'Hare airport bathroom to no avail, obviously, here I am, a happy to see you, tussled, aggravated, exhausted mess. What do you think?"

He gave her a serious look.

"I think you look breathtaking."

An embarrassed smile came to her lips.

"Mug me or marry me…that's been my motto all day. I don't have the energy for anything else."

He picked up her bag and ushered her inside where Memphis quickly shed her jacket and boots. She closed her eyes and relished in the warmth of the house as her boyfriend guided her to the cozy comforts of his couch. There she curled up in his arms, sighing in contentment. She had a way of bringing out this uncharacteristically affectionate side of him. Holding her close, her buried his face in the sweet smell of her shampooed hair. Finally tilting her face forward, he looked deeply in her eyes.

"Memphis?"

"What?"

He was staring so intently, it was almost scary.

"I love you."

"Baby, I love you, too."

"I mean that," he repeated in a voice barely above a whisper. "I really, really love you."

"I know you do," she nodded, pulling his face downwards for a passionate kiss.

When they finally released, she reached over on the floor and unzipped her carryon piece of luggage she had brought with her.

"What are you doing?"

"I couldn't come empty handed. I have a surprise for you."

Pulling out a neatly wrapped package, she handed it to him.

"Memphis…"

"Just open it, babe."

He did so and immediately began to grin when he saw the contents.

"Wow."

"You like it?"

"Book Four of Gotham Central."

She made a face.

"I know how excited you were to read it but I wasn't sure if you had gotten it yet. Am I too late?"

He touched the cover.

"No. You're, um, you're right on time. It's a great present, Dollface. Thank you. I love it."

"I'm glad. I saw it and couldn't help but think of you."

"This is really cool," he said quietly.

"Are you sure? I mean, you don't seem very excited. If you don't like it…"

"No, it's not that, Memphis. It's great. That is exactly what I wanted and you somehow knew that even though I never came right out and told you so. That…that's pretty cool. I like that about you, how sometimes you know what I'm wanting or thinking or feeling without me having to say it. I guess I never had that before and I don't want to lose that."

"Lose it? What do you mean? You won't. You won't lose me."

"I'm glad that you're here."

"I'm glad to be here but babe, are you sure you're okay? You're acting kind of weird. Is everything alright?"

"I want you around all the time. Tell me, does that sound as creepy as it did for me to say it?"

She chuckled.

"It's not creepy. I love being around you. I'm actually kind of bummed about your new travel schedule. I miss you when you're not on the road with me."

"I miss it too, Memphis, that's why I want you to move here."

"What?"

Phil looked around.

"So it ain't Buckingham Palace. It's a modest two story house that I spend more time fixing up than I do actually living here. I like to leave my dirty underwear on the floor sometime and my comic book collection has its own bedroom but uh…it's home. It's mine. It's where my heart is and you have my heart, Dollface. I know you don't have ties to New York, that you basically moved to Long Island for the whole lawyer thing. Hell, you're barely home yourself. I'd move there with you but face it, I love this city. I love this house and I love you. Move in with me."

"Phil…"

Memphis was taken aback. His words were soft, serious, and sincere. It had come out of the blue and she was still trying to process it all but before she could, he had another bombshell to drop. He leaned over and reached into the drawer beside the couch. He pulled out a small box that he had been carrying around for a few days. One day hurting and exhausted after therapy, bored from sitting at home, missing Memphis, and worrying about her alone on the road with Randy, he had taken the subway to Chicago's downtown loop location. Wandering around Wabash Street, he had found himself at the Jeweler's Mall. Jewelry had never been his thing. He found it flashy and gaudy and he had never bothered to shower a girlfriend with rings, earrings or bracelets before but a beautiful white gold band with a square cut black onyx centerpiece had immediately caught his eye. The sides were lined with diamonds. It cost a couple thousand but money was no object. Though it wasn't a marriage proposal, he couldn't help but imagine slipping it on her finger.

"I wanted you to have this," he put it on her as her much smaller hands shook inside his.

"Oh…oh my God…"

"Do you like it?"

Tears clouded her eyes.

"I…it….Phil, it's beautiful. You didn't have to. You shouldn't have."

"So what do you say?" he asked her.

A lump formed in her throat.

"I, I'm shocked. I don't know what to say."

"Just say what's in your heart."

She glanced down at the ring, then back at him. It was unbelievable. She knew that Phil cared about her but she had no idea how much until that moment.

"Do you mean this? I mean, is this what you really want, for me to move to Chicago, move in with you full time?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "I do."

"Then I guess I want it too," she laughed nervously. "Wow. When, when do we do it?"

"Whenever you want. The sooner the better."

Memphis nodded, looking in awe again at the gem adorning her left hand. As he watched her, Phil felt a measure of relief inside. He loved that woman more than anything. All he wanted was to keep her safe, make her happy. And now they had a chance.