a/n Thanks to WalkAmongDaylight for being precious and reviewing!

Following The Main Event;
By AliceJericho

Chapter 19: Hall of Fame II

"We are what we pretend to be, but we better be very careful what we pretend." – Kurt Vonnegut

It wasn't long before people were asked to be seated for dinner and I slowly made my way to the table. Randy and Sam had already taken their seats. I sat down next to her and listened to her compliment my dress and my hair - I'd had it braided so extravagantly that explaining is impossible - before I reciprocated automatically. It had become robotic very quickly and I'm sure it was the same for every other woman in attendance.

Ted, Kristen and Cody made their way to the table at the same time so I was able to greet the married couple and further distract myself from Cody.

"You look gorgeous, Sunday!"

"You do, too," I smiled back sweetly. "Are you glowing? Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked in a joking manner, adding a wink for good measure. Kristen shook her head and told me, as she had many times before, that they weren't trying for kids.

Ted and Kristen then turned their attention to the Ortons in a not so subtle attempt to force me and Cody into conversation. I sat up a little straighter in my seat and fiddled with the name card.

"You look beautiful, Sun," Cody said after a few moments of silence. "Really beautiful." In any other universe I wouldn't have reacted with such a blush or smile but in this one I was still very much in love with Cody Runnels.

"Thank you," I said shyly, unable to bring myself to look at him. Dumbly, I added, "we, uh... We match."

"Yeah," he said as he inspected his tie. "I asked Victoria to help." My heart fluttered. He had gone out of his way to match my dress. That had to mean he still cared.

I was about to ask him why he would do that but food arrived just as I opened my mouth. I looked down at the chicken and silently cursed it for interrupting.

"Are you ready for tomorrow, Sunday?" Randy' question caught me off guard. I had spent so much time worrying about my own life that I had barely had time to think about Shawn retiring.

"I think so..." I was hesitant in my answer. "Come this time tomorrow I'll probably be a blubbering mess, but."

"Proud blubbering," Randy corrected and I laughed lightly. "It's gonna be great. Match of the year."

The guys all started talking about the Wrestlemania card causing Kristin and Sam to roll their eyes at each other. It wasn't malicious in the slightest, they had smiles on their faces, they were merely joking that it was always about wrestling. I, on the other hand, listened intently. I hadn't been around to hear the rumours backstage so any insight I could get was welcomed.

I tuned out, though, when Cody casually dropped his arm over the back of my chair and leaned slightly over me so that he could hear Randy better. I stopped breathing and turned slightly to my left, looking at Sam in slight horror. She had to cover her mouth to stifle a loud giggle. Everyone looked to her and then, when they noticed she was looking at me, to me. I tried to relax my face, knowing that I looked absolutely ridiculous with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

"Sun? You okay?" Cody's hand moved from the back of the seat to my shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah," I answered shakily. "I just need some fresh air." I pushed out my chair when Cody removed his arm. I picked up my bag before walking away from the table and towards the doors to the courtyard. The air washed over me and I instantly felt better.

I noticed that Keegan was sitting on a chair outside, checking her phone. She looked up briefly before turning back to her phone; I sat down in a seat near her and waited for her to finish whatever it was she was doing.

"Have to keep up with the WWE Universe," she told me once she'd put her phone back in her bag. "I can't believe Mania's tomorrow."

"I can't believe I'm not on the card," I groaned.

"I can't believe I get to be pinned by my step-mum," Keegan countered and I couldn't help but laugh at her.

"You're gonna be back there, right?" I asked quietly, staring off into the distance.

"Of course," Keegan said as she moved into the seat next to me and took my hand in hers. "Nothing could keep me away."

"Good," I paused. "I'm going to need someone to let me cry on them."

It was going to be hard. I knew, deep down, no matter how much I wanted to be wrong, that it was his last match. He was tired and he wanted to see Cameron and Cheyenne grow up. We'd had many discussions where he told me that he wasn't going to be the guy who retired from WWE and then appeared in TNA a month later. He was a WWE man but this was it.

"You just have to promise me that if something goes wrong you're the first person down there. I can't break character."

"Nothing's going wrong," I assured her. "But you know that no one would be able to stop me."

She squeezed my hand, "We've got this company, you know? We're the future. Regardless of our fathers and the expectations... We've got this."

"Yeah," I nodded, a smile growing. "We'll be facing each other at Wrestlemania. Taker versus Michaels Version 2." Keegan laughed at the suggestion, both of us knew that calling it that was an invitation for a riot.

"So, Cody's trying."

"Trying what?" I asked back, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Trying to get you back, to make amends..." Keegan shrugged, "If you ask me, he's forgiven you for fucking Kofi."

"Thanks, Keegs," I sighed. "I'm here because I needed to get away. He's acting like nothing happened."

"Good, go with it."

"I told him I loved him. As he was walking out the door. I don't even know if he heard me."

"Ask him? Sorry," she apologised when I looked at her in horror. "If he didn't love you then he would have gotten his seat moved." I decided that it was time to change the topic, Keegan was fantastic but not on the top of my list of people to talk to.

"You gonna have some fun tonight? Taker's not here, you can get away with it."

She scoffed, "I wish. The moment I so much as look at someone Michelle will have texted him and I'll be getting a call."

I frowned at her, knowing how she felt. It had been much the same when I started in OVW, I was worried that if I got into a relationship then Shawn would find out and put an end to it. When I met Cody, I didn't care what Shawn thought – I was going to go out with him no matter what. Keegan was yet to find that person.

The door opened and Keegan looked over my shoulder, standing up as she did so. The smile on her face as she left caused me to watch her as she left. When I noticed who she was looking at, I sighed lightly. Cody was standing in the doorway, holding it open for her. When she was close enough he greeted her and asked her how her night had been, the conversation lasting less than a minute before she finally went inside.

He walked over to me slowly, sitting down in the seat Keegan had just left. He didn't say anything at first, just looked at me with a small smile on his face. I raised my eyebrow at him, prompting him to say something.

"You okay?"

"Fine, just needed to get out of there for a bit." I was startled when he took hold of my hand. My gaze instantly went to my lap where our hands were joined. "Cody..." I trailed off, unsure of what I wanted to say. "What are you...?"

"I miss you.A lot, Sun. It's driving me crazy."

"After... But I..." I shook my head in disbelief. Hearing him say it was enough to bring tears to my eyes. He didn't let go of my hand. "But Kofi. How can you possibly miss me after I did that?"

"We need to talk," he told me quietly. "About everything."

"Yeah," I agreed sadly. "We do."

"Not tonight. There's too many people and tomorrow I have a match."

"I know," I said smiling at the thought. I still had tears in my eyes but knowing that Cody was going to get his Wrestlemania moment made me happy. Cody stood up, his hand still holding mine. He stretched out his other hand and I placed my plastered hand in it, letting him pull me up.

"Can we..." he frowned and let go of my hands, reaching up to wipe the tears that were falling down my cheeks. "For tonight... Can we just be Cody and Sunday?" I nodded and smiled at him. His arms wrapped around me and I fell into his body, wasting no time in wrapping my arms around him.

I didn't want to let go, partially afraid that he was would disappear into thin air if I did, but we had to go back inside. I'd been outside for almost half an hour by that point and they were probably setting up for the actual ceremony. He pulled away, taking hold of my good hand and walking us towards the door.

Cody and Sunday felt normal. Regardless of everything that had happened, it felt like nothing had changed.