"So, I heard you let some kid from FCW beat you up last night."
Aidan was just sitting down in the catering area when the topic of the FCW match came up. Mike Mizanin, otherwise known as the Miz, was addressing Punk with a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
"C'mon! I won!" Punk objected with a grin.
"I heard it was a good match," said Daniel.
"Who were you up against?" asked Kofi.
"Dean Ambrose," said Punk plainly.
Mike, not giving up on his ribbing of Punk so easily, turned his attention toward Aidan.
"You were there, Aidan. Did the kid beat him up or what?"
"He put up a fair fight, but Punk showed him up in the end," she said, leaning into Punk with a smile.
"Ah, you're just saying that because he's sitting next to you," Mike said playfully.
"I've worked with that guy before," Daniel said casually.
"You know him?" asked Aidan, a little overeager. All the men at the table looked at her curiously. Trying and failing at nonchalance, she said, "I ran into him backstage last night. He was a bit…odd."
"We were never friends, but I worked with him enough to know him fairly well. He's super tough, but he's borderline insane. I'm surprised he was offered a contract here. I didn't think the WWE brass would be into someone like him. "
Though she was eager to hear more, Kofi changed the subject.
"I've been hearing rumors they're thinking about starting season four of NXT. One of those "kids" might be paired up with you again, Mike."
"For all of our sakes I hope that's not true, but, even if it is, they'll have the honor and privilege of working with a top class Superstar such as myself. Isn't that right, Daniel?"
"Of course, Mike. Working with you was the greatest," said Daniel sarcastically.
Aidan missed Mike's response. Her attention was diverted when Punk slid his arm around her waist. He looked to her and then toward the door, his covert way of suggesting they go elsewhere. She got the feeling he'd had enough of Mike's banter for the time being. The two of them stood up.
"—it was the worst. NXT was complete crap, especially because you were my pro," said Daniel, only half joking.
Before Mike could retort, Punk cleared his throat.
"Well, you guys don't have too much fun. The champions are going to go warm up. You know, because we actually have matches tonight."
"Yeah, we know what you mean by 'warming up'," said Mike with a devious grin.
Aidan narrowed her eyes, a look of warning that was powerful enough to wipe the grin off of Mike's face.
With a laugh, Punk pulled her in closer to him and said, "And that, gentlemen, is why she's my girlfriend. Good day,"
"See you later, guys. Be good, Mike," Aidan said as they walked away arm in arm.
As they left the catering area and walked further into the depths of the backstage area, Aidan began wondering where exactly Punk was leading her. She looked to him to find him smiling, but his mind seemed to be somewhere else.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
He gave her a sideways glance, still smiling in that dreamy way.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Shrugging, she said, "You seem a little lost in thought."
Punk stopped walking and stepped in front of her. He took her hands in his and stared down at their interlaced fingers.
"I've been meaning to ask you about something," he said softly.
The deliberation in the way he was speaking was something new to her. Punk wasn't normally the type to beat around the bush. It all made her nervous as to what he was leading up to say.
"What is it?" she asked.
He hesitated before he spoke, wonder growing with each second that passed.
"I was wondering…if you'd go out to dinner with me after the show tonight."
The suspense broke apart and fell around her in little pieces. Relief escaped her in the form of a laugh.
"Of course I will. What's with all the build up?"
"Build up? I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a grin.
Aidan rolled her eyes. She felt like he was up to something, but then again sometimes that's just the way Punk operated. Between his odd sense of humor and his rascally nature, he still found ways to surprise her even after all the time they'd been together.
"I've got reservations for a place in town. It's one of those really fancy dress-up places."
"Dress-up, huh? You hate dressing up."
He shrugged. "Not if it's for you."
"You're too sweet," she said putting her arms around him.
Punk looked as if he were on the verge of saying something else, but both of them were distracted when a crew member came running down the hallway. The nervous young man skidded to a halt in front of them.
"Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. McMahon wants to see Aidan right away."
Thrown off guard by their sudden visitor, Aidan glanced at Punk who seemed just as surprised as she was.
"…Okay. I'll be right there."
The young man ran off just as suddenly as he appeared. After he was gone, Aidan looked to Punk.
"What were you saying?"
"Nevermind. Go ahead and see what McMahon wants."
He pulled her in close and kissed her slowly and softly, leaving a smile on her lips.
"I'll see you after the show," he said.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
As the bell rang, her theme music kicked in. Aidan grabbed her belt and rolled unceremoniously out of the ring. Holding on to her side, she made her way up the ramp, paying little attention to the spectators roaring all around her. The match hadn't been her greatest. Despite winning, she'd taken a nasty bump namely because her focus was lacking. She was finding it hard to focus on anything aside from the terrible news she'd received mere minutes before her match began.
By the time she made it backstage, Punk was already waiting for her. Seeing him only made the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach intensify. She kept walking as he followed along behind her.
"Aidan! Wait up!"
She slowed down, knowing she must face him. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, his olive eyes searching hers.
"What's wrong? And don't say 'nothing'."
She turned her eyes to the ceiling, trying to blink back the tears that were burning at her eyes.
"I just wrestled my last match on RAW," she said.
"What?" Punk asked in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"You know those rumors about NXT? They're true. Vince wants me to be a pro."
"I'm not following. How does that mean you won't be wrestling anymore?"
"I'll be wrestling, but not on RAW. Vince wants me to move to Smackdown. He says it will make scheduling easier and it will fill out the roster since Beth and Kelly just left."
"That's not so bad then. It just means he's got a lot of faith in you."
"But I don't want to go to Smackdown. We'll hardly see each other anymore."
Punk smiled warmly, wrapping her in his arms.
"It's true that our schedules might be a little different, but you're not getting rid of me that easily, and I don't think you've wrestled your last match on RAW. You know the brands are nearly universal these days. This is a great opportunity for you! You should be happy. I'm proud of you."
She sighed heavily and took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. He was completely right. There was no reason to be going into hysterics. This could be a great thing for her. If nothing else, it would be a new experience. She was so thankful for having Punk around to help her see the bright side of things. Positivity was not her strong suit.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so dramatic," she said.
"Just cheer up. Things will probably change a lot less than you think. Either way, I'll still be around, even if they move you to the moon."
She giggled as she said, "How is it that you can always make me smile?"
"Oh, you know me, Mr. Charming," he said playfully. "Now, you'd better be getting ready. You've got a nice evening out ahead of you."
Dinner. Fuck. Because she'd been so upset, she'd forgotten all about it. She'd agreed to meet with the writers and the prospective rookies after the show. They were also supposed to work out the details of her move to Smackdown.
"Promise you won't hate me?"
He seemed to read her mind.
"You can't go."
"I am so sorry. They want the pros to meet their rookies after the show. I could try and cancel if—"
"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling weakly.
"They're ready for you."
A director had appeared and was calling Punk to the curtain.
"I'm on my way."
As the director walked away, Punk turned back to her.
"Really, it's fine. We'll reschedule. Just go to the meeting, have a good time, and I'll see you later tonight."
"Ok…" she said, still feeling like complete crap. "See you tonight."
After he was gone, she made her way through the backstage area looking for the room they'd designated for the meeting. She was a little early, but she didn't mind waiting. It would give her time to think about all that had been thrown at her in the past few hours.
At last, she found the room and walked inside. She'd expected an empty room. Instead she found Dean Ambrose.
He looked up, his wild blue eyes finding hers. A smirk twisted his lips.
"Hello, Sunshine."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
A/N: So, obviously this NXT is going to be a bit different than what it really is. Pieces of the puzzle are still falling into place! I promise it will all make sense in the end! :D Thank you for all the attention this story has gotten so far. I appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and so forth.