Joe stared Jon down before he turned to leave. Dixie sat down on the bed and held her head in her hands. Now she was forced to make a choice and knew it was going to hurt Jon. He sat beside her on the bed and put his arms around her "shhh, don't cry babe. It will all be fine. Colby is a big boy and he will be pissed for a while, but he will eventually get over it. I love you so much and I am so proud you love me too. I don't think any woman has ever said that to me that I really believed. I wish that we had met differently so Colby didn't get hurt, but I won't deny how happy you have made me. I never thought I would meet a woman like you that would love me, and that I could see spending every moment with. Fuck, I was sure I would be spending the rest of my life lonely, screwing cheap women just to have someone around for a while. Dixie, I can't tell you how I have longed to hear those words."

Dixie started to cry harder. Her telling him she was going back to Colby was going to wreck him. She really felt like she couldn't breathe. Her heart was aching and she felt sick. She did want to be with Jon, but she knew if everything came out right now, it would bring all three of them down. Their act worked with all of them together, and something like this would destroy all their careers. She knew Jon wouldn't understand, but she was doing it for him too.

"The only good thing that will come of all of this is you will finally be mine. We won't have to hide or sneak around anymore. Of course, I will probably end up with a black eye, but you are worth it."

She stood up between his legs and took his face in her hands. She rubbed her thumb across his cheeks and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him ardently, not wanting to let him go. When she pulled away, she brushed his hair back from his eyes. "I love you, Jon. But I can't stay here."

His face fell and turned angry. "What the fuck do you mean you can't stay? Don't fucking tell me you are actually going back to Colby!"

"I'm so sorry baby, but I have to. He can't find out like this. It will devastate him and probably end his and your careers."

"Who cares about my career, Dixie?! You can't leave me, not again; not after telling me you are in love with me!"

"I do love you, but I love him too. He doesn't deserve this from me, from us. I owe it to him to try and make it work, at least one more time. I can't hurt him like this."

"But you can hurt me? What I want doesn't fucking matter? You can break my heart without blinking an eye? What can he give you that I can't huh? I can love you and protect you. I will give you everything you ever wanted and more and I will never make you wonder if I think you are beautiful. Dixie, I have never begged anyone for anything in my life, but I have never been in love before either. I am begging you, don't go. Stay here with me and let me make you happy."

"God, Jon don't do this. It is killing me to leave you, don't you know that? I think about a life with you all the time. You think I am enjoying this, choosing between the two men I love? I am not doing this to hurt you, baby I swear. I am doing this for you too. If Joe tells Colby, you are finished. Both of you. I know he will come after you and you both will end up fired. I know you say you don't care, but do you really want to go back to the Indies and work in dirty gyms getting bludgeoned with barbed wire and thrown through glass for fifty bucks a night? I don't want that for you. I don't want that for Colby either. I made this bed now I have to lie in it. I have to go back to him and pretend everything is great when my heart is here with you. And with Joe watching, I won't even have you to keep me sane. So no one wins really."

"Except him. He gets you and he never knows the difference. So you are telling me you never want to see me again?"

"No, I wish that it could be different, but Joe said…"

"Fuck Joe and what he said. I am not giving you up. We just have to be extra careful."

"Jon, are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. I know you won't be happy with him long. I have waited this long."

She thought about what he said and was tempted. "No, we can't do this. If I am going back to him, I will be faithful and give it a real chance to work."

"Dix, I will make us work."

"I know you would. I am sorry, baby, I am so sorry. I hope you one day understand why I have to do this." Dixie put her clothes back on and packed their toys back in the bag.

Jon was hurt and angry and biting back his tears. "Oh yeah, don't forget your toys. Maybe you can get that asshole to use them on you," he said with spite.

"We won't be using these. They were only for you and me." She gathered everything up and pulled her hair back. She splashed cold water on her face and dried her eyes. "I guess I am going to go before he gets back. I will miss you, more than you will ever know."

"Yeah, I am sure."

She leaned up to kiss him and he turned his head. She closed her eyes and softly kissed his cheek. She whispered, "goodbye, Jon."

Dixie left and he broke down as soon as she was out the door. He sat back on the bed and covered his face as the tears fell from his eyes. He couldn't believe he could go from elated that she was there to completely dejected in just a few minutes. He felt he was cursed to spend his life alone; the one person who told him she loved him, and he still wasn't good enough to make her to stay. He really never expected that she would chose Colby. He hated Joe for not just catching them, but for bullying Dixie into staying with Colby.

She walked back to their room and flung herself on the bed. She was racked with guilt and crying uncontrollably. She hated herself for breaking Jon's heart, knowing everything he had been through. She knew she should have never started things with him, but he was like a drug to her. Now she had to live with knowing she betrayed them both. Colby didn't know she was cheating, but she did and she had to face him with that knowledge every day. She finally pulled herself together and got into the shower. She felt dirty and needed to wash away her sins.

Jon went into the bathroom and cleaned the blood off his lip and washed his face. Luckily he was able to turn and most of Joe's blows were glancing. He got dressed and headed to the gym, needing to hit something to let out some of what he was feeling.

When he walked in, he headed straight for the heavy bag. He taped his hands up and started punching the bag as hard as he could. Joe saw him come in and went to talk to him. "Something wrong, bro?" Joe asked with a smirk.

"Fuck you. You know goddamn well there is. It is your fucking fault."

"My fault? Are you whacked? I wasn't fucking my best friend's girl."

"No, but you practically forced her to stay with him. You knew she would choose him and you pushed her right back into his arms."

"That is where she belongs. He loves her and…."

"Yeah, but I love her too. You have no idea how miserable she is and you know what, she is only staying with him now because of our fucking careers, not because she loves him so much. I fucking hope you are happy. The only woman I have ever loved just tossed me aside because of you."

"You never should have started screwing her in the first place and this wouldn't have happened. If you weren't taking time away from them being together, maybe Colby would have the chance to make things right with her." Joe walked away, letting Jon stew in his own juices. Jon turned back to the punching bag and started striking it, needing to release his anger and frustration.

Colby saw him and asked Joe, "what's the matter with Jon?"

"I don't know, man. He didn't want to talk about it. Don't worry. I am done working out, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I need to get back upstairs and figure out what is wrong with my girl."

"Did she say something was wrong?"

"Um, yes, but not sure I really want to talk about it with you. No offense."

"Sure thing. I am here if you want to talk though. Maybe I can help."

"Maybe. She is upset with me because she thinks we are like an old married couple. Hell, I guess she is right. We have been together over four years, and admittedly I am not as romantic as I used to be. I guess I have gotten complacent. But that doesn't mean I don't love her and am not attracted to her any more. I think that is what she thinks."

Joe thought back to the scene he walked in on and figured Colby was right. That was what Jon meant when he said he could make her happier. "You can't let the spice disappear. Complacent is the last thing you want to be with your woman. Go and talk to her, work things out. Show her you are still that guy she fell in love with. Remind her of why she loves you."

"You're right. I will. Thanks, bro. See you later."

"Later." Joe hoped that they would be okay, for everyone's sake. He was angry at Dixie, but he was furious with Jon. He never would have thought he would mess around with Colby's girlfriend. Since traveling together and being The Shield, they had been like brothers.

Colby got back to their room and heard Dixie crying. It panged him to see her upset. He closed the door and she looked over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were red and bloodshot and tears streaked her face. He felt it was his fault for not giving her attention and not making her feel loved. He took off his sweaty clothes and grabbed clean boxers before climbing into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He nuzzled his nose in her neck and kissed her shoulder softly. "Please don't cry, mama. I am sorry. I promise I will make it up to you and things will be different."

She sobbed harder, ashamed that Colby felt he needed to apologize. She rolled over and buried her face in his chest. She held him tightly and blubbered against his skin "I am so sorry, Colby. I am so so so so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to hurt you. You didn't deserve me treating you that way."

"Hush, baby, it's okay. You don't have to apologize. You were right. Everything will be better now. No llores, mi amor. We are fine. I love you so much and I will do anything to make you happy. Dixie, I can't stand to see you so upset. Please calm down."

"I am not worthy of your love, Colby."

"Shhhh. Don't say that. I am the one not worthy of you. You give me everything and you take the time to come see me and I don't show you the devotion that I should. No more. I will make everything right with us."

She finally started to calm down, but laid there in his arms for a long time. She had so much on her mind and so much she wanted to say. She wanted to confess everything to him, but she knew it was better not to. She gave up a lot to be there with him, so she kept quiet. They had a long talk and she told him how she felt about their relationship. She explained that she felt he took her for granted and that she wasn't satisfied with their lovemaking anymore. She told him that she missed how they used to be and she worried that she didn't appeal to him now. He reassured her that she always turned him on, and guaranteed that he would never fail to show it again.

That night, he got in the tub with her and they made love like when they first met. She was glad that the red marks had gone away and he didn't see them. After sleeping for a while, he rode with her to the airport for her red-eye back to Davenport. When she got back home, things seemed different to her. She couldn't believe everything that had transpired on her trip. She really hoped things would be different and that she could move on past Jon.

A/N It was going to be really long so I had to stop it there. However, stay tuned for the next chapter to be posted later today.