AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the anonymous reviewer who requested a Keith POV, there is one in this chapter! I hope you enjoy it.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CORRI

Two days post-concussion, Corri drove back to Florida. Cayla had insisted on taking the ride back with her in case she had any medical issues, but she was doing much better. Corri headed straight to work, and Cayla tagged along. This was their favorite time of year; NXT Bootcamp. Corri loved seeing indy stars trying to make their mark on WWE. When it was over, she'd be responsible for deciding who got to stay and who had to leave. Paul always helped her make the choices, but after all this time, he trusted Corri to do most of the work.

"Remember, no getting in the ring until next week," Paul said before she had even settled in. Cayla looked happy he'd said it so she didn't have to.

"I know, I know," Corri said. "Fucking Harper..."

They stood in front of the group of hopefuls. Some looked terrified. Others looked arrogant and entitled. Those were the ones Corri liked telling to go home. They needed to be knocked down a few pegs. One girl was nervously biting her nails. A boy who looked barely legal was visibly trembling.

Paul gave an inspiring speech about how great this opportunity was and how much he looked forward to seeing what these kids could do. Then, he introduced Corri. The nerves of the potentials got worse as they realized who she was.

"Holy shit!" The nail-biter screamed out before covering her mouth.

Corri laughed. Paul sternly said, "That's not PG," but he was trying to hide a smile.

"Welcome to my playground, Kiddies," Corri said. "I hope you're prepared for one hell of a week... Now, get in the ring and show me why you're special."

The young wrestlers broke out every trick they could think of. It was a good group. "We can only take two guys and one girl right now," Paul whispered.

"Not an easy choice," Cayla said. "They're all looking pretty good right now."

"They'll show us who's best eventually," Corri said. "Most people can't handle boot camp."

One of the girls tripped over another. The two immediately got into a fight. "See?" Corri asked. "The weak ones always crack under the pressure."

The trembling kid surprised Corri by breaking the girls up. She called him over to her. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Jordan Wringler," he replied nervously. "But everyone calls me Jordy."

"Nice to meet you, Jordy. You know me and Paul, and this is my sister Cayla. How long have you been wrestling?"

"Unofficially, my whole life," he replied. "I started training three years ago when I was seventeen. I've worked all over..." He looked terribly starstruck. "My only dream in this life is to be a WWE Superstar."

"I'm sure you'll achieve that one day," Cayla said kindly.

"Hopefully soon," Jordy said enthusiastically.

Corri liked the kid. His passion was clear and he was the only one who'd bothered to break up the girls. Still, that didn't mean he was right for WWE. She'd need to see more to know for sure.

"Get back out there. I'll be having you guys do more focused exercises soon. Good luck," Corri said.

"Thanks!" He said with a grin before doing what she said.

"They're all so adorable at this stage," Corri said with a laugh. She turned her attention back to watching them, hoping it would be an easy choice.

NICKY

Nicky had gone back and forth about doing what he wanted to do, but he saw no other choice. Molly wouldn't stop raving about how great Keith had been in the karaoke performance. He'd never seen her so focused on something before. He had to do something to top his brother or he was going to lose her.

He spotted Lucas sitting on a bench in the locker room. After looking around to make sure they were alone, Nicky approached him.

"Hey, Lucas... Can we talk?" He asked nervously.

Lucas smiled at him and it put Nicky's nerves at ease. "Sure, Nicky. What's up?" He asked.

"I... um... Look, what you guys did for Ginny was awesome."

"Thanks! It was fun."

"Did you... I mean... Did you guys leave me out for a reason?"

Lucas looked confused. "Keith said this wasn't really your thing," he said. "I'm sorry, Nicky! I didn't mean for you to feel excluded."

"So it wasn't just that you didn't need the back-up Orton?"

Lucas laughed, but not unkindly. "Do you really think that? Nicky, you're not the backup. You guys are both great. I was just under the impression you weren't a singer. Or a dancer."

"I'm not... I mean... I've never tried. That's actually why I'm here."

Lucas studied him. "Okay, I'm intrigued. What's up?"

"I... That is... Could you... Will you teach me to dance like that?" Nicky blushed as he got the question out. This was embarrassing.

Lucas grinned like a kid on Christmas. "Yeah! Yeah, that would be great," he said. "We'll have fun."

"Really?"

"Definitely. When do you want to start?"

"As soon as possible. I'm sort of in a hurry."

Lucas nodded knowingly. "Who's the lucky girl?" He asked.

"What?"

"Come on, Nicky. A guy learning to dance on a timeline only happens for one reason. You're trying to impress a girl"

"It's Molly," Nicky admitted softly. "I... I think I'm in love with her, but she only has eyes for Keith, who's dating Claire... It's like something written by Shakespeare! I'm living A Midsummer Night's Dream... And my chances aren't so good."

Lucas grinned again. "I can't resist a good romance. I'm in."

"Really?" Nicky was stunned it had been that easy.

"Yep. Fear not, Young Nick! The fair Molly's heart shall belong to thee yet!"

Suddenly, hearing it from Lucas, Nicky believed he might actually stand a chance against his brother for once.

KEITH

Making out with Claire wasn't an unpleasant experience by any means, but today, Keith couldn't seem to focus on the activity. His heart just wasn't in it.

He pulled away gently and said, "How about lunch?"

Claire looked at him with the full power of her flirtiest eyes and said, "I was thinking about putting something else in my-"

"Claire…" He laughed. That girl wasn't exactly subtle. She also had a one-track mind, which was fine sometimes, but there were moments when Keith desperately wanted more from his relationship. "Seriously, I'm starving."

"You're always starving," she teased. "Such an appetite for delicious things…"

Why was everything a double entendre with this girl? Keith took a deep breath and tried again. "Come on, I'll pay."

"Baby, you know I can't eat like you can. I have to watch my figure if I want to make it on the main roster. My time here is limited to house shows right now, but I know I can earn my spot if I work hard enough."

"You're nuts. You're beautiful, Claire. Stop acting like you're even remotely fat, okay? Because you're not."

She pouted at him. "Keith, you don't get how hard I have to work to look this good."

"You can't starve yourself. We've talked about that. I can't…" He sighed. "I can't be with someone who doesn't eat, okay?"

"I do eat."

"Rabbit food. In extremely tiny portions."

"Not everyone can pig out and look as good as you do."

Keith pulled her into his lap for a hug. Claire seemed to take this as an invitation to start grinding against him. The girl knew what she was doing, but he refused to be distracted.

"Claire, I just want to go out and actually do something, okay?"

"As opposed to doing each other?" She sighed like he was asking too much of her, but got out of his lap and said, "Fine. Where do you want to go?"

Keith was relieved she'd caved. He quickly suggested a local restaurant and they headed there. Claire even made an effort to eat more than usual, which Keith appreciated.

Afterward, Claire helped him get ready for work. She warmed up with him, helped him get his hair and ring gear perfect, and then kissed him passionately for luck.

"I love you, Baby," she said.

Every time she said that, it shocked him. Most people waited until they were dating for a long time before they dropped that bomb, but not Claire. She'd professed her love for him almost immediately. Keith had yet to say it back. He couldn't say those words if he didn't mean them, and as much as he liked spending time with Claire and messing around with her, and even though he definitely cared about her, he just wasn't sure if this was actually love.

He kissed her again instead, a response Claire never seemed to mind. He went out for his match. He was wrestling Bray Wyatt, of all people, and he was nervous about it. Windham Rotunda was a true professional when it came to working matches, but he rarely dropped his character. In fact, Keith had only seen him out of character once, and it was on a day when his brother Taylor, or Bo Dallas, had hurt himself in the ring and he'd rushed to his side. Because of this, even though his brain knew Windham was the real person and not Bray Wyatt, he always saw him as Bray, and he creeped him out. They'd never had a match until now. In fact, he'd mostly avoided him.

The match started off well. Bray came out and did his creepy promo for the night. Keith interrupted him and cut his own promo. He'd never gone up on the mic against anyone so intimidating before, but he faked confidence and worked through it.

"You think you're some kind of God, Bray Wyatt?" He asked. "Well, guess what? My father was the legend killer, and that's impressive… But I'm the Legend Destroyer. There won't be anything left for people to say about you when I'm done with you!" With that, he dropped the mic and ran into the ring. He immediately attacked Bray, who recovered quickly and hit him with some of his own moves.

Just don't let him kiss you and you'll be fine, he told himself with an internal laugh.

The match went longer than he had expected. Bray wasn't making it easy for him. In the end, however, just as Bray was about to hit Sister Abigail's Kiss, Keith escaped. He then countered with an RKO. Bray hit the mat hard and Keith got the pin.

When he got backstage, adrenaline flowed through him. He'd beaten someone who scared the crap out of him when he was a kid. Not only had he held his own in the ring with this legend, he'd gotten over with a crowd who loved Bray and hadn't been on Keith's side at the start of the match. He was on top of the world when Claire flung her arms around him.

"That was amazing!" She said. "I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you, Baby! I love you!"

Somehow, those words seemed so genuine, they touched something in him. As she looked into his eyes adoringly, Keith couldn't help but get caught up in the moment. "I love you, too," he said.

Claire looked ecstatic as she realized what he'd said. She kissed him hard and promised to do some very not-PG rated things to him later that night. The joy on her face told him he'd made the right choice. She was loyal and stood by his side constantly, doing whatever she could to support him. She was funny, pretty, and talented, and he enjoyed their time together. Best of all, she loved him. Why had he been so hell-bent on denying her the same?

SARAYA

This was the first show she'd worked since losing her mum. Saraya tried very hard to keep her emotions in line as she stepped into the ring. She had a smile on her face and was ready to make her mum proud. She didn't feel as sad as she realized her mum would be watching this match. The time for grieving was over, and it was time for Saraya to go back to kicking ass.

Her poor opponent hadn't expected such a wild match, but Saraya was too excited to be getting back into things. The familiar rush of the crowd chanting her name, the ache in her muscles as she hit the mat and the posts and even a barricade, the feeling of joy as she put on what she knew was one of her best matches ever… Nothing beat that. Saraya was home, and damn was it about bloody time!

After the match, she pulled out her phone to call her wife. Hearing Cayla's voice added to her feeling of euphoria. She was in such good spirits, she went to the nearest pub and bought everyone a round. She'd have been worried she was becoming manic, but honestly, it was just such a relief to be able to escape from the grief that had been crushing her soul. She knew now, for certain, that life would go on, and she was finally okay with that fact.

DEAN

Every so often, Dean would get the unusual sense that trouble was coming. It was something he'd developed while living on the streets. More than once, this had saved his life. He hadn't felt it in a while, and he was startled when he realized it was acting up.

"What's wrong, Dean?" Colby asked him, sensing the change in his mood as he looked up from the comic book he was reading.

"I don't know… I just feel like something's… off," Dean said.

"Your Spidey Sense is tingling!" Colby declared.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm not a fucking superhero, Colby. It's just… I dunno, man. Something's coming."

Colby turned serious. "Anything I can do?"

"Probably not…"

"What triggered the feeling?"

"No clue… I was talking to Corri a little while ago, and it just hit."

"Well, what were you talking about?"

"Bootcamp."

"Maybe someone really awful's going to get through somehow and ruin NXT."

"I doubt that. Corri has an eye for talent."

"So then, what's your idea?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just fucking nuts. I mean, the unstable thing's not just a gimmick."

"Your instincts have always been strong."

"I guess something about the way she described the prospects… I don't know. It didn't sit right. I just feel like there's trouble in that group, and not the good kind."

"Let's hope you're wrong… But if you're right, maybe you should warn her?"

"Warn her of what, exactly? Possible trouble that's probably just in my head? Forget it. I'm just neurotic. It's fine." He wished he was as sure as he sounded. Colby didn't look convinced, either.

TRIXIE

Trixie and Brandon were walking back to the hotel when a car pulled up beside them. Nikki jumped out and Trixie knew she was in trouble.

"Brandon! What the hell is this I hear about you dating that?" Nikki demanded.

That seemed a bit rude to Trixie. She looked at Brandon helplessly. "Her name is Trixie, Aunt Nicole, and yes, she's my girlfriend," Brandon said steadily. He looked just as nervous as Trixie felt.

"Unacceptable! You're better than that," Nikki insisted. "In fact, I forbid it, Brandon! No son of mine is going to date Cayla Casey's daughter!"

"Aunt Nicole… I love you, but you're not my mother."

Nikki looked hurt. "I carried you in my womb for nine months, Brandon! I'm just as much your mother as Brie is!"

It's probably not a good idea to point out to her that a pregnancy is actually ten months, right? Trixie wondered to herself.

"You don't have a say in this. I'm sorry," Brandon said.

"You can't date her! She's a dyke!" Nikki declared.

"Aunt Nicole!" Brandon shouted in disgust. "That word is not okay to use, and that's not true!"

"It's not her fault, Brandon. It's in her genes. Ask her! Ask her about her conception! Her dyke mother couldn't even carry a straight man's sperm. Her body rejected it! She lost two babies before this one was born, and you know what was different about her? Her father was gay! Cayla was so gay, she couldn't make a baby with a straight man!"

Brandon started to yell at Nikki, but Trixie stood frozen in confusion. Was it true? Did Nikki actually know who her father was?

"Listen, you psycho skank bitch!" Molly shouted. Trixie hadn't even realized her best friend had shown up. "You need to back the fuck off of her or I'll make you wish you had."

"Oh, are you two lezzies together? Yeah, that makes sense," Nikki said.

"First off, I'm fucking bisexual, so screw you and your homophobia! Second, you're just jealous because you wish I'd fuck you but I don't want to catch anything! Third, I said to shut the fuck up!"

It was only when Trixie noticed the fork in Molly's hand that she found her ability to speak. "What do you mean?" She demanded of Nikki, effectively stopping Molly from stabbing Nikki with the fork.

"Excuse me?" Nikki asked.

"About my father? What do you mean about him being gay? How do you even know who he is? My moms never told anyone."

Nikki looked a little too pleased with herself. "Oh, you poor girl… I guess everyone's been lying to you. When my sister was trying to get pregnant, she had the same doctor as your mother. And while I was carrying my Brandon, I saw her pretty often as she tried and failed… And when I went back for follow-ups after I had him, she was still trying. They went through so much trying to have a baby… And finally, they brought him in. You know, a girl needs her father, even if he's gay, but I guess he didn't want to admit the truth… Maybe he just didn't want you."

"Enough, bitch!" Molly said again, aiming the fork toward Nikki. "Tell her what she wants to know or shut the fuck up and leave!"

"Your father could have been here for you, Trixie," Nikki said with more fake sympathy. "He's been so close… It's obvious, isn't it? Your dad is Darren Young."

Trixie felt her head spinning as her entire world shattered. Her father… The man she'd never thought she needed but might have liked to know… had been in her life since the day she was born but had never told her the truth!

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. "You're lying," she whispered.

"Am I?" Nikki asked. "Ask your dyke mothers."

Trixie didn't know what to do. She heard Brandon calling after her as she ran as fast as she could away from them. She also heard Nikki yelp as Molly most likely stabbed her with her fork. She'd expect nothing less from Molly, who had probably also kept Brandon from running after her. It was for the best. Trixie needed to think, and she couldn't process all of this with them there.