A/N: For a while I thought it was Ron Simmons reviewing the last chapter with so many Damn's! LOL. Glad you all liked it. About time 'Jasha' got it on, if you asked me.

Big hugs to Bharm, justkimmy, broguekicking, too much drama 1225, clarembees, wwefanatic365, Tammy, CFierce116, Alexis Black-Reigns, princessreigns, ChelleLew, DeeMarie426, IRENELOVE83, Guest (hi Sasha!) benova13, Olivia Reigns, Shield316, nikki1335, China, AyannaCosta and Ortongirl1993. You guys have made this story wayyyy bigger than it was ever imagined to be, and I thank you.

"Mama, come on!"

"No, Ty. You're not going."

"But mom it's the biggest party in school!" exclaimed T.K. "I have to be there. Everyone expects me to be there."

Rolling her eyes, Sasha sifted through the mail piled on the kitchen table. "I'm sure they do, Mr. Basketball Star, but my answer is still no."

"What am I going to tell Chanel? It's her party and she personally invited me."

Ah, Chanel. The pretty, popular, shallow little floozy that her son was crushing on. Sasha didn't quite know what he saw in her. She knew she was cramping her son's style but she had her reasons. "She is friends with Lamar, isn't she? I'm guessing he's going to be there too?"

"Mama, don't do that. You've already told me to stay away from him-"

"Exactly. And I'm just making sure you do."

"I ain't gonna do nothin' with him. It's just a party mom, nothing's gonna happen. I don't drink or do any of that stuff. Come on," he whined, "Joe takes you out all the time so why can't I go out?"

At the mention of his name, the tension between them mounted as Sasha glared up at the teenager. "First of all, do not bring him into this. Second, I've never had a problem with you going out. I just don't like that Lamar will be there."

What did he have to do to make her say yes? "Mama, don't you trust me?" T.K. asked.

"I never said I don't trust you. I just don't trust this crowd. Lamar and co. They're not good for you, baby."

The teen wracked his brain, desperate to get her to see things his way. He couldn't not be at the party tonight. It would totally put a dent on his reputation. "Mama...nothing's going to happen," he promised. "I won't do anything you don't want me to do. If it makes you feel any better, you can call me. I'll come home whenever you want. I promise." He gave her those puppy dog eyes again, the ones that never failed him. To his surprise however, it didn't work this time, as Sasha crossed her arms, her expression unwavering. Letting out an exasperated growl, he said, "Come on Ma, you're being unfair! I'm seventeen, why are you treating me like a kid?"

"Because you are mykid," Sasha retorted, staring him down. "And I don't give a damn if you're a hundred years old. As long as you're living under my roof, it's my rules!"

T.K. scowled at her, thoroughly pissed. His mood for the whole day had just been ruined. "Whatever. Thanks for ruinin' my day." Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the apartment to catch the bus, not bothering to kiss his mother's cheek like he always did.

"Tyson!" she called, but he'd already slammed the door shut. "Dammit." Slumping back down in her seat, she massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming. She didn't mean to snap at T.K. but she was stressed. The bills were piling up. The rent was overdue and the electricity was going to be cut off soon. She was going to have to ask Reggie for more double shifts. Right now she would give anything for a vacation, somewhere far away from all her problems. Too bad she couldn't afford to go anywhere.

The sound of her phone ringing startled her. Seeing Joe's I.D. meant his plane must have landed. "Hey," she said, wondering if she sounded as tired as she felt. "How was your flight?"

"Long," Joe grumbled. "Got home an hour ago. Haven't moved from my bed since I climbed in."

"All part of the grind, handsome," she reminded him. The two of them had been "together" for a little over six weeks now, and another fortnight had gone by without seeing the other. She knew it was the nature of the beast that was his job, but she always felt like she barely had time to enjoy him before he zoomed off again. Sadly their first time in bed had been cut short because he had to travel the next morning, and for the first time since this thing started, Sasha truly believed she would never hear from him again. After all, he'd gotten what he wanted by sleeping with her, right? But when he sent a text telling her what he was up to and that he missed her, and followed it up by sending her flowers at her work, she was floored. She was slowly running out of excuses to doubt him. They were yet to label whatever this was, but maybe they didn't need to just yet. She figured the lack of pressure was what made things this relaxed between them. "I'll let you get some rest. Maybe we could meet up tomorrow, if you want."

"I was thinking, a little earlier than that," said Joe. "I know this is last-minute, but do you wanna come out with me tonight? My friend Trinity is having a little get-together and she insists we be there. She wants to meet you."

Sasha chuckled wryly. "Well isn't that ironic."

"What is?"

The mother of two sighed. "I just got into an argument with T.K. over some party he wants to go to. I told him no and he walked out on me."

"Why don't you want him to go?" asked Joe.

"It's not a very good crowd," she explained. "He's got a friend that dropped out of high school and became a...dealer." She might as well tell the truth. "He's probably going to be there too, apparently the party's a huge deal or something. I didn't say no to be mean. I'm just worried, ya know?"

A couple of seconds passed before Joe responded. "It's not my place to tell you what to do but I think you should trust him," he said. "He's going to make mistakes and is old enough to learn from them."

"In this neighborhood, making a mistake could get you badly hurt."

"I think he's smarter and more careful than that," said Joe. "Don't get me wrong, if you really feel he shouldn't go to this party, then don't let him. But personally, I think he should. And I'm not just saying that so you can come out with me tonight."

"Of course not," she chuckled. "How do you know what to say?"

"Nieces, nephews, remember? Plus I was once in T.K.'s shoes."

Sasha smiled. "Good point. What time's your party?"

"It starts at seven, but I could come pick you up at eight. That good?"

"Eight's good."

"Alright. See you then. And good luck with T.K." There was a teasing tone to his voice.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to need it." With that, Sasha went about her day, starting with the Grill. In the afternoon she got a text from T.K. apologizing for his outburst earlier in the morning. That was enough to turn her to mush, and she reluctantly granted him permission to attend Chanel's party, but only on the premise that he was home by eleven. His reply, inundated with thank yous, mwahs and I love yous, made her laugh but she felt very good that her baby was happy. Back at home, her outfit for her night out with Joe consisted of a green sleeveless tiered top and black leggings, accompanying the ensemble with black strappy sandals. Selfishly, she wished they were spending time alone instead of with random people she didn't know, but hopefully they would still find time for that later.

When Joe showed up at hers a little after eight, Sasha's mouth watered as she looked him over. "Hey," she stammered. Damn. He really should wear Polo shirts more often.

He was looking at her the same way. "Is it me or do you look hotter every time I see you?" he asked, winding his arms around her waist.

"I should be asking you the same thing, handsome," she said, but her words were cut off by his lips gently wrapping around hers, both sighing contentedly at the warm embrace. Finally.

Sasha was all Joe could think about since she left his bed two weeks ago. If the phone sex had driven him crazy, the real thing had nearly killed him. He'd tasted her, felt her, and it only made him want her more. "You know what?" he murmured, sneaking his hands down to her ass, "Maybe we should skip the party."

Laughing, Sasha swatted him away. "Down, boy. This was your idea so we're going. But who knows?" She leaned up to nibble his ear. "Maybe if the party goes well, we could have a party of our own later, big boy."

Growling under his breath, he kissed her again. "We better get going then."

Standing outside the house with Joe, Sasha came face to face with a pretty, dark-skinned girl with the most incredible body she'd ever seen. "Hey, Uce," she greeted. "Thought you'd be too tired to show up."

"I told you I would," Joe said, bringing an arm around Sasha's waist. "Trin, this is Sasha. Sasha, this is Trinity."

Trinity smiled widely at Sasha, pulling her into a hug that the older woman didn't expect. "Hi! I've heard so much about you."

The sentiment was mutual. According to Joe, Trinity was one of his best friends. Trinity led them inside the house, and Sasha couldn't help but give the younger woman a quick once over, envying her insanely gorgeous body wrapped up in a grey bodycon dress. To their right, a number of people were in the living room, sitting around talking and laughing. Sasha recognized most of them from WWE TV. Some turned their heads, curious gazes fixed on Sasha. She kept close to Joe as they followed Trinity into the kitchen, where a pair of freakishly identical twins stood talking. They had to be Jon and Josh, Joe's twin cousins that he always talked about. They each man-hugged Joe and gave Sasha a big hug before Trinity whisked her away. "So Sasha, how about we go have a little chat?"

"Hey, be careful now," Joe said to Trinity, who merely shooed him away. "Oh, relax ya big brute. It's just girl talk." She steered her away to the living room where she introduced her to everyone as Joe's friend. Thankfully. They settled down on a sofa, and the older woman noticed a few other ladies walk over. Trinity was bubbly and engaging and made Sasha feel at ease. Her Diva girlfriends weren't so bad either, at least not immediately.

"So Sasha, how did you and Joe meet?" the one she came to know as Ariane asked as she crossed her legs.

"At a grocery store," said Sasha. "We bumped into each other but went our separate ways. We met again later at the Bar I work at. He gave me his number, we went out, and it just went on from there."

"Aw, that's so cute," Victoria, known in WWE as Alicia Fox said, although she didn't sound very sincere to Sasha. "So you're like his girlfriend?"

At that moment Sasha caught sight of Joe watching her. She raised her drink at him, letting him know she was okay so far. "We haven't exactly put a label on it," she said.

"Well, you better hurry, girl," said Ariane, "There's a lot of girls waiting to snap him up. Especially when we're on the road as often as we are."

Though Sasha knew that already, it did nothing to quell the fears she already harbored. "How do you guys handle the long distance relationship thing?"

"It's difficult," said Trinity, "Jon and I were apart for a long time before I eventually joined the WWE. We saw each other only a couple of days in a month but we got through it. I think you and Joe will be fine. He really cares about you." She smiled at Sasha, which she returned.

Looking around the living room, Sasha noticed two women sitting a few feet away. One of them looked like a gallon of ketchup had been poured on her head. Sasha looked closely at the blonde beside her and realized where she'd seen her before. Perky supermodel from Joe's phone. Danielle. Danielle was staring openly at Joe as he sat talking with one of the twins. The redhead saw Sasha watching Danielle and nudged her, pointing at Sasha. Danielle met Sasha's eyes and the smile on her face was replaced by a look of disdain. Sasha felt her blood boil when the redhead whispered in her ear and the two burst out laughing. She looked away and forced herself to focus on what Trinity was saying.

"So your girl Sasha's pretty hot." A deep voice interrupted the conversation Joe and Josh Fatu were having. Ryan Reeves took a swig of his beer. "You hit that yet?"

Joe turned fully towards him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He and Ryan used to be close, but he stepped away when he realized the bigger man's penchant for shit stirring. "What's it to you?" he demanded.

The man known as Ryback smirked, revealing his crooked teeth. "You have, haven't you? Nice one, my man. Good to know you haven't lost your touch." He took a swig of his drink, oblivious to the glare the Samoan shot his way.

"Dude, don't be a dick," said Josh.

"I'm just sayin', man," Ryan said defensively. "Is it true she has kids? How the hell do you put up with that?"

"She does? That sucks." Aaron Haddad, whose ring name was Damien Sandow, decided to put in his two cents. He was another person Joe only tolerated for professional purposes. "Here you are, at her place, about to hit third base and those brats decide to show up and cock-block," he ranted. "I dated a mom once and never did it again. That shit was not fun."

"Shut up, man. Joe told me about her kids, they're cool," Josh said in defense of his cousin, but Joe wished the Uso twin hadn't said anything. Let the men stew in their ignorance.

Aaron chuckled snidely. "They're cool now," he retorted. "Wait till they stop being nice and start taking advantage of you because of who you are. Either that or they want to start calling you daddy. That's what happened with me and I hightailed it outta there." He raised his beer in a toast to Joe. "You're a better man than I am, Anoa'i. Good luck."

Josh frowned at his colleagues, shaking his head. "Man, y'all are assholes."

Joe stood up abruptly. "I'm going to get another drink," he murmured, walking away before he did something violent.

Sasha sat there listlessly, the novelty of meeting the WWE women having worn off a long time ago. They had reverted to gossiping and mindless drivel, and she was painfully reminded of how different she was from them. From their ages to their priorities, she felt out of place. It didn't help she was still getting dirty looks from the two harpies over in the corner. Joe seemed to be enjoying himself however, and though she didn't want to ruin his fun, she regretted coming to the party.

Trinity placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Sasha? Enjoying the party?"

"Yeah," she lied. "Could I use the restroom?"

Trinity gave her directions and she took off, craving privacy. She locked herself inside, looking in the mirror and taking several deep breaths. Give Joe fifteen more minutes, then you can ask to leave. Just fifteen.

She washed her hands and walked back out only to be stopped by two figures blocking her path. It was Danielle and her redheaded sidekick. Maybe they had finally garnered the balls to say what they'd been holding inside all night to her face. "Um, the bathroom's free now," she said.

The redhead crossed her arms. "We don't need the bathroom. We just wanted to introduce ourselves." She smiled. "I'm Natalie and I wrestle as Eva Marie. My friend over here is Danielle, also known as Summer Rae."

"Hi." That they expected that to mean something to her was cute and pitiful at the same time.

"So you're Joe's girlfriend," Natalie said, looking the mother of two up and down. "You're kinda cute. Not the type we thought he'd go for considering you're a little too old for him, but cute nonetheless."

Oh. This was how it was going to be, huh? "Anything else?"

Danielle looked around her, then leaned in closer, as if about to divulge a secret. "Look...I know we don't really know each other, but we felt the need to give you a little heads up about Joe. Because you're new and don't know him all that well and no one will have the guts to tell you. You see, Joe isn't exactly one for commitment, just in case you're looking to pin him down. He doesn't really date, because he prefers to sleep around, know what I mean? He's just not that kind of guy."

"He really isn't," said Natalie, her face awash with contrived sympathy. "Trust me, we know."

Yeah, Sasha could tell they knew. Spoken like true notches on a bedpost. She felt like she was in high school again.

"Yeah. Joe gets bored easily, and I don't think he'll be any different with you," Danielle continued, "I mean, his last girlfriend Andrea was younger and hotter than you and he still cheated on her."

Sasha's blood went cold.

"I know, right?" said Danielle. "It was quite sad, really. They were together for such a long time too. I mean, if he could do that to her, what chance have you really got? Sadly, Joe's too much of a sweetheart to tell you the truth, so we thought you had to know before you got hurt. Someone has to look out for you, you know?"

Sasha stood there, her hands on her hips. No doubt they were waiting for her to get in their faces and tear shit up, and boy did she want to. She wanted to reach out and rip the tracks right off their pretty little heads. Heck, years ago she would have done that and worse. She didn't get physical anymore but that never stopped her from tongue-lashing a bitch. "You said you're wrestlers, right?" she questioned, gesturing between them. "For WWE or another company? Because I watch the shows and I don't quite remember either of you. But thanks for introducing yourselves. I'll look out for y'all the next time I watch."

The look of anger on their faces was enough for her. Dazzling them with a sugary sweet smile, she left them standing there. Inside, however, she was seething. She wasn't spending another second here. She would thank Trinity for inviting her and be on her way. She didn't have time for this shit. If she wanted to interact with bitchy little girls she'd have hung out with Amber's friends. She was done and she wanted to go home.

She found Joe in the kitchen. "I don't feel well. I'm going home."

Joe dropped the bottle of beer he was holding. "Alright, I'll take you home."

But Sasha warded him off. She couldn't bear to be near him right now. Not only after what she'd just heard but she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Did he forget he was driving? "I'll find my way home," she said, a little too curtly. "You've had a bit to drink anyway, and I don't wanna get in the way of your partying."

Her words were like a punch to the gut. "Baby, what's wrong?"

She didn't look at him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Joe. Goodnight."

"Sash, wait!"

She ignored him, ducking out of his reach and slinking out of the house. She managed to call a cab to take her home. Sitting alone with nothing but her thoughts for company, Natalie and Danielle's words played in her head, two in particular sticking out:

Joe. Cheating.

The two women were being petty, no doubt, but why did she have a feeling there was some truth to their story? She should have asked Joe about it but she couldn't bring herself to. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, or maybe never. Her only concern right now was herself, and all she wanted was to return to the comfort and security of her home, where no one judged her or said spiteful things to her just because they could.

Uh oh. What are those two talking about? Is Sasha in the right or did she overreact? Top-to-bottoms, dearies!