A/N: Um, hi. I'm going to be revamping All's Fair in Love and War and working on Another You (maybe Fortune Favours the Brave will see an update soon but, for now, I'm afraid it's on the back burner). But first I thought I'd post a little one shot I wrote last year and never posted here. Hope you like it.

Always You

It had been a novelty once, charming her in ways that no one could understand. Even Toni, who had as much experience with snow as Rhea, couldn't make sense of why the younger woman loved it as much as she did, running her fingers through the icy white coating on the top of their rental car, catching snowflakes in her hand, and staring up at the sky, eyes full of wonder. Snow had been magical for Rhea, something straight out of a fairytale, and she'd been desperate to share the magic with her younger sister. Now, however…

The blonde woman sniffed, pushing her knuckles into her eyes as hard as she could, as though that could stop the tears that had been threatening to fall since her mother had called. "We're so sorry, sweetheart," she'd said, for what felt like the hundredth time. "But the airline says it just wouldn't be safe to land. The earliest we can get to Florida now is the twenty-ninth and we were already cutting it tight with your dad's work… It's just… It's just not a good idea. We'd be spending more time travelling than we would with you." Her mother's words had winded her, and she'd had to make a hasty excuse to get her off the phone to re-compose herself.

The LED lights that backlit her television flashed from green to red in a stark contrast to the christmas tree which stood undecorated beside it. She had planned to sort out the lights and the baubles, to line stockings that she'd picked up for her family along the windowsill… She'd even bought that stupid eggnog stuff that Raquel had made her try their first year in Florida to make it 'authentic'. Tugging her knees closer to her chest, Rhea sighed, not wanting to look at all the Christmas paraphernalia that surrounded Barry on the floor, the terrier enjoying the rustle of the wrapping paper, bows and all of the other stupid things Rhea had been so excited about until her mother called.

She tried not to ruminate on the sadness, on the mess that 2021 had become, but every time there was even the slightest bit of happiness, every time she dared to think things could get better…It all came tumbling down around her. The annoying buzz of her phone snapped her from her thoughts which threatened to darken all too quickly, and she cast a quick glance towards it.

[MATT to The 3 Amigos] : In the spare room cause L went through my phone hope you two are having a better christmas eve than i am.

[MATT to The 3 Amigos] : PS think I left Zs ipad in FL so might be looking for a roommate soon

A wet laugh escaped her as she read the message. Of course Matt was having a terrible Christmas - chaos followed him around like a bad smell, though he rarely did anything to help himself. Picking up the phone, she quickly typed back a message,

[RHEA to The 3 Amigos] : Flight got cancelled, fam arent coming. Hope you make it up to Lisa. Merry Christmas, when it comes x

Phone thrown aside, she turned her attention back to the mess on the floor, her beloved puppy watching her with big sad eyes. "I know, baby. I know," she said, clapping her hands onto her leg to beckon him onto her lap. Her other pets were sick of her mood, sulking off to the bedroom to avoid her sniffling, but he had stayed. Admittedly, it was probably because he thought she had treats, but a win was a win when she was feeling so shitty. As the bull terrier scrabbled onto her lap, she pulled him tight, burying her nose into his short fur and letting the tears fall for the first time.

Christmas away from her family had never been easy, but when they'd first come to the States, she, Toni and Dakota had banded together, all knowing it would be impossible to fly home and back just for the holidays. They'd celebrated Christmas together, becoming their own little family with their own little traditions. But then Toni met Joe and Dakota met Shayna… As she pet Barry to stop him from whining, she knew there was a third part to that that she didn't want to think about… She had met Kevin.

All three of them had celebrated Christmas 2020 with their respective partners, FaceTiming not only their families back home, but each other. It had, given the circumstances, been a great Christmas. She'd worn an ugly Christmas sweater, she'd actually cooked the turkey - something she'd previously let Dakota do - and she'd thought that things could only get better, that Christmas 2021, when the COVID restrictions had been lifted and she was making enough money to ensure the whole family could visit, would be the best year yet. And yet here she was, with no one but a puppy with attachment issues for company.

Her phone continued to buzz behind her, though she made no attempt to check it, even when Barry catapulted from her arms, confused by her sudden neediness. She knew who it would be - Matt giving minutely updates of his fights with Lisa and Damian responding with photos featuring his gorgeous sisters, just trying to make Matt jealous. It was always them, really. The three of them against the world.

When she'd won her first main roster title at Wrestlemania, it had been Matt and Damian who waited for her behind the curtain, Damian holding storm-ravaged flowers and Matt waiting with open arms for a hug that almost definitely cracked something. She hadn't expected it - hadn't expected anyone to be there waiting for her. Kevin had told her he couldn't come, that he couldn't be around 'all of that' knowing he was struggling to make it in the industry, and her parents had been stuck in Adelaide thanks to travel restrictions. But Matt and Damian wouldn't dare let her celebrate alone.

When she'd lost the title - and, subsequently, been told why she'd been made to lose it - it had been Matt and Damian who had protested the loudest, with Matt swearing that Vince didn't know shit, that she was definitely fuckable and that if she would have him, marriage be damned, he would be 'all up in that'. Damian had taken a slightly more appropriate approach, talking in hushed whispers to Hunter and Shawn, and promising her that the best was yet to come.

When she and Kevin had broken up, it had been Matt and Damian who helped her move her things into the apartment she now called home. Matt had bought her the best security system he could find and Damian had even spent her first night in the apartment, laying on her couch under some threadbare blanket that she was sure she'd bought for Luna, just to make sure she wasn't alone.

But none of that mattered at Christmas. Christmas was about family, and they both had theirs. Even if Matt was in the spare room and Damian had to referee multiple fights between his sisters… They still got to be with their families. Pushing to her feet, Rhea switched off the lights, carefully stepping over the mess on the floor and heading to bed, despite it barely being ten o'clock. There was no point in staying awake to think about all the things that had led to her being alone, the fights with Kevin, moving her parents' flights to accommodate the Raw schedule, the multiple failed 'talking' stages with men who just left her feeling gross and unlovable… Pulling the curtains closed to avoid seeing the white snow flurries against the night sky, she curled up on her bed, wedging herself between dogs, and praying that sleep came soon.

She had always been an early riser, her need to work out when the gym was quiet meaning she often saw four am, but crying had exhausted her and Rhea slept on, her heavy curtains blocking out the bright, white glare from outdoors. Or at least she would have, had the door of her apartment not been shaken with the thump of a fist.

In Dragonball Z pyjamas, her blonde hair sticking out in all directions, she rubbed at her puffy eyes, not ready to deal with Mr King across the hall and his accusations that Barry and Luna were shitting on his doormat. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ready herself, but her bones screamed in protest. Had Matt's security system actually ever been properly installed, she would have yelled at Mr King through it, but as it was still sitting in a box in the kitchen, she had to deal with him face to face.

"You got this Ripley," she said, psyching herself up as the door rattled under another torrent of fists, causing her to jump. Hauling open the door, she yelled, "What?" But the word caught in her throat when the door opened properly and Mr King was nowhere to be seen. In his place, looking tired and dishevelled, stood Damian Priest. His eyes were obscured by his glasses, but she could see the dark circles forming, the way his baggy Dee Snider tshirt crumpled and wrinkled and the way his shoulders slumped in relief when he saw her.

"Do you not answer your phone?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly. Rhea's toes dug into the ragged carpet of her hallway, and she fought the urge to kick the dog bowls and puppy pads out of sight.

"No I was -" the Australian stopped herself with a shake of her head. "What are you doing here?" As far as she was aware, he was supposed to be in Atlanta, where the annual family party was taking place and yet, here he was, staring at her with an intensity that made her tug at the hem of her shirt the way she had whenever she was asked to read aloud at school.

"I didn't want you to be alone at Christmas."