The next morning, Dixie went to the hospital early and went to her office. She turned her computer on and checked her messages. She decided to go ahead and type her letter of resignation so she could get it over with that morning when the CFO arrived. She liked her job and had been promoted to comptroller last year after the man she worked for before was fired for inaccurate reporting. As she was typing her letter, she couldn't seem to say what she needed to. Last week she had been sure of what she wanted, but now she was wavering. She decided to save the letter and work on it later. She had a lot of things to catch up on that piled up during her week off and she thought it would be better to start on them.

She buried herself in work and only left for meetings and to go to lunch. Her boss Mike, the Chief Financial Officer, noticed something seemed off with her and she was very quiet; not like her usually friendly demeanor. He stopped by her office and asked her about it. "Dixie, everything okay?"

She looked up from her computer and gave him a light smile, "yeah, everything is fine. Just really busy. Always a lot to do when I come back from vacation, you know."

"Yes, I do. I had a mound of reports in my mailbox this morning when I came in. Okay, well I will leave you to it. Don't forget we have a management meeting at three in the conference room."

"I won't. Thank you." She hated that she just wasn't honest with him, but at the moment, she wasn't sure if she was okay herself.

That evening when she got home, she tried to start packing some things away, but had a hard time doing it. 'This is what you want Dixie. You chose to be with Jon. Stop doubting that.' She had to keep reminding herself that it was just the memories that were holding her back. She turned on the TV to watch Monday Night Raw, knowing the guys were supposed to have a match. She didn't have to wait long since they came out with CM Punk already in the ring. She could tell there was tension between them in their body language with each other. Jon looked like he was about to come unhinged as he watched the match from ringside. She noticed that when Punk was on the floor, he flipped Jon off. She wondered if Colby had told him what happened. Colby looked frustrated and tired and she always hated it when he took bumps that hurt him. As soon as their match was over, she turned the television off and went back to trying to sort through her clothes.

While he was waiting for his teammates to join him in the car, Jon called Dixie to see how she was doing. Jon didn't feel comfortable riding with Joe and Colby but with all the people outside, they had to be seen together to still seem like a unit. None of the guys were happy about their arrangement. He had not spoken to her since their brief conversation the night before and he was worried about her. He didn't like the fact that she was alone in her and Colby's house, surrounded by all the things that would remind her of how much she loves him. She saw him calling and picked up her phone, needing to hear him. "Hi babe."

"Hey. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Had probably the most fucking uncomfortable experience I have ever had on camera but we got through it. Punk is pissed off at me, and of course so is Colby and Joe. But fuck it. How are you? How was work? How did your boss take it when you told him you were quitting?"

She took a deep breath, not wanting to get into it with him right then, but she didn't want to lie. "Oh, it was okay. Busy. I um, didn't tell him yet."

Jon's voice caught in his throat. "Why?"

"I just, couldn't. I will, just not today."

His mind immediately went to his worst fears that she was going to change her mind and go back to Colby. "Dix, if you are having second thoughts…" He felt his heart clench, scared of what she was going to say.

"I'm not, baby. I just couldn't find the right time to say it and I still need to finish my resignation letter." She knew he was worried and she didn't want to make it worse by telling him how she was feeling. She hoped any thoughts she was having about how she and Colby used to be would pass soon enough.

"Oh, okay, I just thought maybe you had decided…"

"No, Jon. I love you. Yeah it is hard being here, but it doesn't change the fact that I am in love with you." Jon was always so cocky and confident that she sometimes forgot how fragile his heart was. Right now, he needed her reassurance and she didn't want him doubting their relationship.

He finally was able to draw an easy breath, relieved to hear those words from her. "I love you too." Colby and Joe got in the front seat so he changed the subject quickly. He told her he would be there early Wednesday morning after the SmackDown taping. He told her about what he wanted to do for New Year's Day since she would be off, even though it would be later before he would be able to see her. He told her they could at least talk on the phone at midnight and maybe Facetime their kiss.

Colby was so mad he was ready to choke Jon out right there going down the road. He couldn't believe the nerve of him talking to Dixie like he wasn't even sitting there, with no regards for his feelings. Joe was furious with Jon as well and it pained him to see how upset Colby was. He finally spoke up "dude, seriously, you need to get off the phone. You are being an inconsiderate jackass. If you had a shred of decency left, you wouldn't be acting like such a dick."

Dixie heard him talking in the background and asked Jon about it. "Is that Joe?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you right now?" she asked, getting irritated.

"In the car."

"Goddammit Jon! Has Colby been in the car all this time?"

"Not the whole time. They only got in a few minutes ago." He knew that was not the right answer when he heard her loudly huff into the phone.

"Fuck! What did I ask you not to do, huh? Damn it! Just, call me later."

"I'm sorry, ba…" She hung up the phone before he could say anything else and stared with disbelief that he would do that with them in the vehicle with him. She was very frustrated with him and knew they were going to have words about it later, especially after she already asked him not to rub their relationship in Colby's face.

Colby was glad that Joe said something before he exploded. He knew if he opened his mouth, it would probably turn into a brawl inside the car. He nodded in Joe's direction and Joe smiled knowingly, sensing a thaw in the ice. Colby heard his phone ding and looked down, seeing a text from Dixie.

'I am sorry about that. I didn't know you were in there or I would have hung up.'

'I know. I don't blame you'.

'Stop being so nice to me.'

'I can't help it.' He paused, thinking about if he should type what was on his mind. He decided he should; forget the consequences. 'I still love you.' He hit send, not knowing what her response would be.

She felt her heart leap into her throat as her eyes welled up reading his words. She couldn't answer him, knowing what she wanted to say wouldn't help matters. Instead, she closed her eyes and whispered them. "I still love you too, baby."

Colby felt disappointed that she didn't reply, but felt he had to let her know where he stood. He didn't want there to be any doubt about how he still felt. Him neglecting to show her how much he loved her had cost him dearly and he knew if he was going to get her to come home to him, he had to prove what she meant to him; even if that meant swallowing his pride. His ego was bruised and his heart was broken, but he knew he could move past it, if he could win her back. He was still angry and hurt but it was tempered with his love for her.

He decided that Jon being an asshole had inadvertently given him an idea. He knew when Jon would be getting to Iowa; he just had to get there first. He wasn't going to let Jon have her first kiss of the new year. He thought this was one time that he would have home-field advantage. He logged onto Google and started searching for the fastest flight he could find. Colby saw that he could fly into Chicago, then fly to Moline, and get there hours before Jon. He smiled at his phone and Joe glanced over at him, wondering what was going on in his head.

They eventually made it to D.C. and checked into the hotel, in separate rooms. Jon settled in, and then called Dixie, knowing he was probably going to be in for a tongue-lashing. When she answered, he could hear the annoyance in her voice. She told him that she was upset with him after they had already talked about him not flaunting their relationship to Colby. Jon apologized again, explaining that he was already on the phone when they got in. She sighed with exasperation, explaining that he should have just told her and hung up so they could talk about it later. She told him she wanted him to stop making everything harder than it already was, for all of them. They didn't stay on the phone long because she had to get ready for bed. Jon really regretted his lack of good judgment earlier and hated more that she was disappointed in him. She made him want to be a better man and so far, he hadn't shown that. After they said goodbye, he crawled into bed himself, but couldn't sleep. He had too much on his mind to rest.

The next night after their show, Colby went to the showers and called a taxi to take him to the airport without saying a word to anyone. As Jon promised, he video-called Dixie before the stroke of midnight. He told her he couldn't wait to see her and give her a real New Year's kiss.

He took the two-hour flight to Chicago and changed planes for the short trip to Moline, right across the Mississippi River from his hometown. It was close to 4 AM when he finally made it to their house. He shut off the alarm and quietly turned his key in the door. He left his luggage at the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to make a lot of noise and wake Dixie up. When he stepped off the staircase, he saw their bedroom door was open and she was asleep in their bed. He expected her to be staying in the guest room and not cuddled up with his pillow in their bed. His heart started beating faster as he looked at her gripping his pillow for dear life as she always did when he was gone. He took a deep breath and walked into their room. He quietly stripped down to his boxers and eased under the covers.

He lay there motionless, hoping she didn't wake up. When she didn't stir, he felt braver and scooted closer to her. He nervously reached out and touched her hip. She sighed pleasantly in her sleep so he curled his arm around her, rubbing her stomach. He spoke low against her shoulder, "I love you, Dixie. I am not giving up on us."

She exhaled, barely above a whisper, "I love you too, Colby." His chest tightened and he smiled against her soft skin, smelling her lotion. He loved hearing those words, afraid he would never hear them from her lips again. He let himself believe that all was not lost and he could make her want to come back to him. He didn't want to go to sleep; he just wanted to hold her there, not knowing what would happen once she woke up. He thought back to how they first met and how hard he had to try to get her to go on a date with him. "I didn't let you get away from me then, and I won't now."

He eventually couldn't hold his eyes open and fell asleep with his head propped on her shoulder since she had his pillow. When she woke up a couple of hours later, she saw a tan arm around her, rough fingers entwined with hers against her belly. Her heart started to pound and she glanced over her shoulder at the man sleeping soundly pressed against her body. She breathed out "Colby." She wanted to move away, but she always loved the feeling of his arms around her. He held her protectively and for a moment she could close her eyes and let things be as they were. She knew how much he was hurting, and she was hurting too. She knew it was wrong but she didn't care right then; she just wanted him close to her. She gently turned in his arms and gazed down at his face. He looked peaceful and gorgeous, the way his lips were turned up into a small smile. His hair was a mess and his curls were ruffled and fluffy around his head. She shakily reached out to him and brushed the locks back, tracing her finger down the side of his face then down his shoulder and arm.

His long eyelashes fluttered open and he saw her staring at him. "Colby, what are you doing in here?" she asked, not accusingly but with sadness in her voice.

"I got home late and I didn't want to sleep in the guest room. This is still my bed too, Dix." The last part came out harsher than he intended and she pulled her hand back from where it was resting on his forearm. He instantly regretted the tone he had with her when he saw the look on her face. She didn't have anything to say to that so she rolled over and jumped out of bed, running into the bathroom and locking the door. "Fuck!" Colby said through grated teeth. Dixie glared at herself in the mirror as the tears started to fall. She felt like all she had done since she got home was cry. She felt horribly for hurting him and nothing felt right anymore.

Colby sat up on the edge of the bed, cursing himself for setting him back when he thought he might have made progress with her. He was determined to do everything he could to make her stay with him. She finished up in the bathroom, washing her hands and her face and composing herself before coming out. She saw Colby stare up at her with his chocolate, puppy dog eyes and she ducked her head, unable to look at him. "Dixie, about what I said, I didn't…"

"Don't, Colby. I already told you, stop being nice to me. I don't deserve it. You don't need to apologize. You are right. I will stay in the guest room or at the hotel while you are home."

He stood up and stepped closer to her. He had to admit that it surprised him that she seemed angrier with herself than he was in that moment. He could see that she really was sorry for what she had done, and he wondered if she regretted leaving him. She backed away from him, flinching when he reached out to her. He frowned "Dixie, you know I could never harm you, no matter how upset or mad I am. And as far as staying in the guest room, you don't have to. I would rather you stay in here with me, where you belong." He lifted her chin, and lowered his lips to kiss her, but before he could, she shimmied out of his grasp.

She muttered dolefully, "I don't belong here anymore."

Colby took her arm and spun her against his body, wrapping his arms completely around her. She felt her heart beating wildly, sure that he could feel it pounding against his chest. She gazed up at him, the smoldering look he was giving her sending a shiver up her spine. He deepened his voice as he spoke, "this is still where you belong. You belong with me. I am not giving you up that easily. I won't concede that I lost without having had the chance to fight for you. So if Jon thinks he is going to take you away from me and me just surrender, he is mistaken. Consider this my declaration of war." He roughly pushed his lips against hers, one hand tangling in her hair and the other gripping her ass. He pulled her against his half-naked body as his tongue forced its way into her mouth, ravishing her. When he breathlessly pulled away, he bit her bottom lip. "May the best man win. And I intend to."