AN: How's the pace here? Good? How am I doing so far?

AJ and Kaitlyn arrived at the next live event better rested than they had ever been. AJ skipped through the door, aware of every pair of eyes on her, including Kaitlyn's. A part of her liked it, but a still larger part of her refused to admit that. Her life couldn't be this complicated. She couldn't be in love with her former friend and current enemy. She just wouldn't allow it.

Suddenly she stopped mid-skip, as she looked over at Kaitlyn for the first time that night. She was wearing a lace dress, with her hair down around her strong shoulders. A sigh left AJ's lips before she knew it. She stared, for a second, slightly slack jawed. Only a second, though. She shook it off. She was the Diva's champion now. She had WrestleMania coming up. She had to focus.

Adapt or Die.

That was her new motto.

Kaitlyn looked at AJ with pure sorrow in her eyes. She could almost feel AJ's dismissal of her before AJ had even looked her way. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and as soon as her hand made contact, she frowned.

It felt like it had the consistency of straw today. Her hair was always a mess to her. No matter what she tried. It was hopeless, no matter what she tried.

Now the hair mocks the heart.

She clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders, looking away and heading into Hunter's office.

AJ noticed Kaitlyn going into Hunter's office, and the internal struggle intensified.

What was she meeting Hunter about?

Wait, why did she care?

AJ was flung violently out of these thoughts as her boyfriend Dolph walked up.

"Hey baabe!" he said with a grin, hugging her tightly to his chest. She could almost see the love in his eyes. She knew Kaitlyn had that same love. It was unfair to keep Dolph's hopes up this way, but she refused to dump him just so she could find another Dolph. Just so she could find another replacement for what she knew she would never have.

Kaitlyn had met with Hunter to ask him about the Vicki Gurrierro Invitational. Just she had ironed out the terms, a wave of determination washed over her. She would be the Diva's champion again. AJ's dismissal and rejections notwithstanding, she would.

Just then, Layla walked by with Eva Mendez. They were arm in arm, laughing obnoxiously loudly. She would never have that. AJ would choose to drink acid before she allowed herself to feel what she knew was true.

Suddenly, a wet droplet ran down her face. She felt it in disbelief. What the hell?

She didn't even realize she had been weeping openly.

"Crying over AJ?" Roman Reigns suddenly appeared over her shoulder. She turned suddenly, wiping at her eyes.

"No," she lied so shakily that even she wouldn't believe it.

"Stop lying." Reigns always was notoriously laconic. He never said more than three words to anyone who wasn't Seth or Dean.

Kaitlyn continued to vehemently deny, insisting that it was just allergies, then that her puppy died. But when Reigns asked, "What's his name?" She stood there stunned, stammering, "Uh-It's uh- it's Fido." She blinked at him with an expression that told him she was waiting to see if he was fooled.

"You're still lying." He wasn't fooled.

Just then, Seth and Dean walked up. Seth had a large frown on his face, almost too large. Dean was snickering and poking his sides like the little devil he was. Seth stopped walking and clenched his fists, staring off into the distance, and locking his arms. He shook where he stood so violently, that his hair flapped around his face. He glared at Dean, who wore a devilish grin, and poked him one more time.

That was it.

Seth grabbed his hair, and SCREAMED. Kaitlyn was taken aback a bit, not knowing that someone Seth's size could make a sound that loud. Dean giggled, getting ready to poke Seth in the side again, just to see how far he would go. Roman stayed that with a hand as Seth stomped rapidly in anger, and then flung himself into Reign's arms.

Reigns wrapped his arms around Seth as if this was the norm.

"It's going to be fine, just stop letting him get to you."

"Hm-jmm- kmmm-mmm" Seth yelled into Roman's shoulder, meaning to say "He just keeps going."

Dean suddenly lost his giddiness, glancing over at Kaitlyn with his head at an odd angle.

"Kaitlyn!" he said, as if he was surprised to see her. He threw her an odd grin, as if he was trying to smile, but didn't know how.

Kaitlyn took a tiny step back.

"Are you and your girlfriend finally back together?" Dean asked with another tilt of his head.

Kaitlyn scoffed. "In my dreams." She said dismissively.

"And hers too." Dean quipped.

Seth jabbed him in the ribs, shushing him.

"What?"

Roman barked at him, "Hush."

Dean opened his mouth wide, gesturing between them, but not a puff of air left his mouth as Roman still held Seth in the arm farthest from Dean.

It was always this way.

Dean sighed, catching Seth mouthing a –thank you- to Dean, and burying himself into Reign's arms. Dean's shoulders dropped slightly, and he moved away as if he was resigned to his own sadness. He gave Roman a look that said exactly how Reigns abandonment always made him feel.

Reigns gestured with his hand, and Dean smiled, a real and beautiful smile, and twirled into Reigns arms. Seth opened his eyes, noticing there was warmth beside him, and scowled at Dean, jabbing him in the side. Dean jabbed him back, twice as hard.

Reigns let both of them go with a frown. Seth and Dean immediately protested. Reigns shook his head, and asked, "What did we say?"

Dean and Seth answered in monotonous unison, "NO fighting in your arms."

"So?"

They turned to each other and hugged, "I'm sorry."

Kaitlyn watched their dynamic with a grin. It was odd, a bit unorthodox, but they made it work.

Maybe she could too.