Chapter 14 - Up In The Air

"Lizette Wyatt?"

"I'm her, how can I help you?" Lizette's afternoon off had been interrupted by a knock on her apartment door. She pushed the door open a little further and leaned against the door frame.

"Yes ma'am I have a delivery for you." The guy standing outside stated. "Can you sign here please?" He handed over a clipboard and a pen and he watched as she signed the sheet. "Step aside please ma'am." He watched as she handed over the clipboard and pen back to him as she pushed the door open further for him.

Lizette stepped aside and watched as the delivery man as he walked in with three beautiful vases full of bright red, purple and white roses. Her jade eyes widened as she watched the man place them on her kitchen counter before he turned to her and handed her a small card.

Lizette looked at the card and started to get him a tip for the delivery when he stopped her and advised her the tip had already been taken care of, then watched as he left; closing the door behind him once he stepped out the front door. She looked down at the little envelope as she opened it and pulled the little card out.

'I know it doesn't make up for everything but it's a start. I know how much you love to smell them, put some in every room and think of me. This is only the first step, I'll be in touch for the second.' -Roman

The man could be romantic when he wanted to and could be an absolute sweetheart. He knew that roses were her favorite. She pushed her nose into a red one and inhaled deeply. It wasn't going to make up for everything but it was a start. "In touch for the second step huh. Sometimes you are such a charmer Reigns." Lizette stated to no one.

Same day another knock on her front door.

Lizette looked at the time on her cell phone as the white numbers read 3:30 PM. She couldn't imagine who was at her door now; she wasn't expecting anyone. She walked over and opened the door as her eyes widened once again at a man standing in her door way holding a couple of brown groceries bags.

"Roman...What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

Roman smiled softly as he leaned down and softly brushed his lips against her left temple. "Second step babe."

Lizette stepped aside and watched as Amora and Paige walked into her apartment following Roman to the kitchen. Lizette followed. "What's all of this?"

Amora shook her head along with Paige as Paige walked over and slung her arm around Lizette's shoulders. "Ask ya big man Lizzy." Her English rich accent stated before she kissed Lizette's cheek.

Amora giggled softly. "Yea he's the one who called us."

Lizette's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "Seriously Ro, what's going on?"

Roman chuckled as he started unpacking the grocery bags. "I grabbed ya two favorite girls; there would've been a third but Jillian went to Vegas with Dean for the days off. Paige grabbed some pot brownies from her friends and I grabbed snacks for when the munchies hit; also got those fruity black cherry Mikes hard Lemonades for you and Paid and got some Reds Strawberry ale for Amora. Plus I raided my movie collection and dinner should be showing up in a few. I already gave Amora the money. Girls night is officially underway and officially on me."

Lizette's jade eyes softened as she willed herself not to cry until Roman left her apartment. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his torso and felt him wrap his long muscled arms around her body pulling her into himself even more. His hand cradled the back of her head as he leaned down and kissed the crown of her head. "Baby steps. We'll get back to where we belong, but it will be on your terms not mine. I had my shot and fucked it up. I'm fixing everything for you and only you." He watched as she stepped back slightly before he leaned down and once again brushed his lips across her forehead. "Have a good time. I'll see you when we get back on the road Friday."

Lizette nodded as she watched him nod to Amora and Paige before he left the same way he got in.

Paige groaned. "Lizzy if you don't marry that man I'm going to have to brainwash him into thinking he's been my boyfriend this whole time."

Lizette laughed. "I love that he's trying so hard."

Amora smiled softly. "He really is too. I thought he was just going to try and sweep his bullshit under the rug and I was going to have to dot his eye for him; imagine my surprise when he called and said HE was organizing a girls night for you and you didn't know?"

Lizette shook her head. "This is actually the second surprise I got today." She cocked her head to the side as Amora and Paige's eyes followed where she was hinting.

"Oh my fuckin God Lizzy!" Paige stated as she stood and looked at the roses in the vase on the hallway table. "These are beautiful; Roman did this?"

Lizzy nodded. "Yea, I got those this morning."

Amora looked around the kitchen, living room and ventured to the spare room and Lizette's room. "All of these? there's more than just a couple of dozen roses here Liz. How many did he get you?"

"Six dozen. He knows I like the smell of roses."

Paige shook her head. "Oh my gosh Lizzy, he really is trying ain't he?"

Lizette nodded as she watched Amora walk through the kitchen and picked up the card that came with the flowers. "He's working double time on you and your heart. He didn't even have to work this hard the first time he got you to go out with him."

"No - no he really didn't." Lizzy admitted. "But he is doing a damn fine job."

"A damn fine job indeed...do you know how much those roses cost?" Amora asked still completely astonished at it all. "Roses are never cheap."

"Not the ones Roman buys. The only people he shells out money too for good flowers are me, his mom and his sisters. I remember the first time I got roses from him. We were on the road and I finished my match and went back to the locker room and waiting for me was a vase full of all different color of roses. I think there was 4 or 5 of each color. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. The card was simple. 'Would you like to go to dinner?'. He's always been a man of few words but when he does speak it's because he has some input or really great opinion."

Amora shook her head as she smacked Lizette with a pillow from the left and Paige got her with one from the right. "Enough about Roman and his sweet ways. It's time to get our girls night on." Amora stated as she grabbed the drinks and Paige grabbed the junk food. Lizette walked over and popped a movie in as she joined the girls on her huge L shaped couch.

Lizette smiled as she relaxed into the cushions of the couch - if this was only step two; she couldn't imagine what else Roman had planned.

Lizette and Wade Barrett were backstage at the NXT taping with Amora. They had approximately 2 weeks until WrestleMania in California. Lizette was going to enjoy that it would be her last week without being sick before going back to chemo treatments every Wednesday and recovery every Thursday. She was going to enjoy this 30 days of chemo freedom. She noticed her hair was getting thicker and she'd been gaining a little weight here and there.

She hadn't realized until tonight that Roman had spent the last two weeks catering to her nearly every need. Step three included Roman sending her out with Amora, Jillian and Paige and treated them all to spa treatments with pedicures, manicures, facials; even waxing if they wanted; including head to toe massages. He was letting her know in no uncertain terms that he knew her friends mattered to her and he was willing to do whatever it took to make them just as happy as he was making her.

Lizette was pulled from her thoughts as she shimmed out of the dress she wore to the ring with Wade. She'd had her t-shirt on when someone knocked on the door. She walked over and peeked out and smiled when she saw Roman standing outside of the locker room. "C'mon in I was just changing out of my dress."

"I can wait out here." Roman stated.

Lizette chuckled at him. "It's nothing you haven't seen before Roman." She laughed as he chuckled at her reasoning as he walked into the locker room and closed the door behind himself.

Roman sat down and watched as she pulled her jean capri's on and fixed the cuffs that were just below her knees; had the cuff been mid-calf she wouldn't wear it - said it made her feel like she was waiting for the flood to come in. He hated to watch her tanned thighs disappear into the jean capri's, but he would keep his body and hormones in check. He still had a lot of making up to do before she could forgive him for anything.

Lizette sat down next to Roman on the bench. "So are you going to do it?" She asked softly with a smirk on her face.

Roman chuckled and her cute smirk. "Do what babygirl?" He questioned back.

"Are you going to take the title at WrestleMania?" Lizette asked curiously.

Roman smiled widely. "You'd be my biggest supporter next to mom and dad wouldn't you?" He smiled at her as she nodded. "I've got until 20 minutes before my match to decide. I've honesty been trying to do everything but that the last two weeks."

"I noticed; don't think I haven't noticed. I have to admit ever since the roses I was curious what other steps were being taken. You've definitely surprised me." Lizette admitted as she leaned her head against Roman's bicep.

"I'm trying baby; I'm trying." Roman smiled as he leaned over and buried his nose in the top of her head and inhaled the scent of gardenia's. He loved her shampoo and conditioner. He honestly missed when they were sit in the bathtub together and she would volunteer to wash his hair and he in turn would do the same for her. He missed the little things. Early morning talks after hours of love making.

Lizette smiled up as her jade orbs locked with the familiar grey she loved and adored. "Can you take me home?"

Roman nodded as he stood up and grabbed her backpack before he held his hand out and watched as she took it. He pulled her to her feet. "Do you want to stay for Baron's match with Amora or leave?"

"Eh let's stay. I like to watch Amora get excited when Baron does his promos and matches. I've not seen her truly this happy in years. We've both had our fair share of boyfriends growing up, but Baron makes her smile so hard her cheeks hurt." Lizette smiled up at Roman as she lifted her hand up and smoothed down his mustache and goatee. "The same effect you have on me."

"You mean had right?" Roman tried pointing out.

Lizette shook her head. "Nope, I mean have. You've always had that effect on me Roman, just because we're going through a rough patch right now doesn't mean we lost everything. I mean yes we are starting over from the beginning, but I never lost my love for you. I don't think I ever will either. And I can tell by what you've been doing these last two weeks and with the way you still look at me you've not lost your love for me either."

"That's never going to happen Liz. I was a fuckin idiot for the things I said and the way I behaved but I never stop loving you. I just thought I was doing what was best for you in the grand scheme of things." Roman stated truthfully. "I know now it was stupid and it was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. And if I have to pay for it and prove it for the rest of my life: I will."

"I know you will, but you won't have too." Liz smiled softly. "C'mon let's go find Amora." She wrapped her hand around the crook of his arm as they walked down the hall in search of her best friend.

Amora stood in the back near the gorilla position as she waited for them to announce Baron's match. She looked over at Roman and Lizette as he was leaning against the wall, Lizette was leaning against his front and he had his chin resting on the top of her head. She shook her head. She wasn't sure how Lizette hadn't forgiven him already. Between the girls nice, the roses that automatically showed up on her door step twice now and the spa package for her and her friends; Roman was pulling out all the stops.

Apparently Baron had been the one to give the big Samoan idiot all the ideas. She loved Baron even more for that. After long talks with her he learned that Roman and Lizette really belonged together but knew they had a long way to go to get back to where they had first been before his fuck up. Baron had NO problems helping out his former NXT buddy. He might have been coming into NXT as Roman and his Shield faction brothers were leaving but Roman never not answered his phone calls when Baron had a question about training and holds and anything else company related.

When Amora learned Roman had been the one to help Baron transition from football player to wrestler she could fully see why Lizette was so taken with him. Roman had gone through the exact same thing. He'd had enough of the NFL and CFL and could tell he wasn't going to have a future in football as much as he wanted so he too had to transition from one professional sport to the next; which was why he didn't have any problems helping Baron as much as he could. Yea Amora definitely saw what Lizette did in the Samoan Dynasty family member.

Amora was snapped out of her private thoughts as a chuckle echoed through the speakers of the arena. Her dark violet eyes snapped to the monitor in front of her as the black screen jerked to a snowy/staticy picture and then back to pitch black again.

"He screams and screams and pounds his head against the wall until wailing phantom fire trucks rage across his vision. Pain...pain is all he wants and hate - yes hate. We shall never forget and never forgive. And Never ever fear. Fear is for the enemy. Victims aren't we all."

The words rang through the speakers as an imagine was suddenly coming into focus on the monitor. Amora gasped as her eyes widened and her hands slapped over her mouth. The image on the monitor being televised to everyone in the arena and on the WWE Network was Baron laying face down in a pool of blood; she would have to assume it was his own blood. She couldn't even begin to figure out where he was until she saw his duffle bag sitting under the sink. He was in his own locker room bathroom.

Without wasting another second Amora, Lizette and Roman took off running towards his locker room; the medical team was already in there when they arrived. The red blood was a dark contrast to the all white bathroom. She suddenly spun around and threw her arms around Lizette who caught her and held her friend.

"Oh God, who could've done this?" Amora begged for an answer.

Lizette looked at Roman who was just as shocked as the two women. "I don't know sweetie...I just don't know."

Baron was scheduled to be in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania...And now? Now no one was sure what was going to happen.

Right now everything was up in the air.