"Mike's still not talking to me," Alex shares lowly. Ricardo peeks over at him before looking back at the TV, where Smackdown is droning on, Alicia vs Natalya just ending with the disappointing conclusion of Cameron laying them both out afterwards. "I know I screwed up, but AJ's always been so... her. He's taking it too personally. Hell, he's said worse things about her in the past..."
Ricardo sits quietly for a minute, thinking. How she had helped him on Wrestlemania weekend, making pancakes for his impromptu breakfast plans with his and Paige's mothers... how quickly his own opinion had swayed on her. Yes, it doesn't change the years they'd worked together and she'd tormented him, especially during her time as General Manager, but since marrying Mike, she'd slowly stabilized. Been more tolerable. At least in his opinion. Why it's not the same for Alex, especially when his fiancee is best friends with AJ, he's not sure. But he's not about to judge so he hears Alex out, both men distracted when Paige and Naomi come out for a tag team match against the Bellas.
For a few minutes, the tension has lulled, but Ricardo feels the urge to say something anyway. "Just give him time. This is still raw for Mike, no one was expecting her to retire so suddenly. Keep the insults to Kevin Owens, this'll pass... you guys'll probably be good again in time for the wedding." He hesitates for a moment and then grins. "Which is when, again?"
Alex groans and throws his head back against the couch. "We don't have a date, you know that."
Ricardo smirks. "Alright, just double checking." He laughs when Alex nudges him. "But seriously, amigo, I'm always here. And I'm more open to venting about her than Mike would be, so... give me a call or something instead of going right for a thoughtless tweet, alright?"
Alex nods. "Thanks, man." He claps Ricardo on the shoulder and they grin at each other.
The weekend passes quietly, Ricardo training and watching Alberto leave once more for his various obligations, and come Monday, he heads off to the dojo after double checking that Raw is scheduled to record on the DVR. He's interested in seeing the response Paige gets from her home crowd, and to see how she does in the #1 contendership divas battle royal that a number of the women had convinced Kane to book the week prior.
The dojo's anniversary show is coming up and everyone is determined to prove their worth to be on the card, so there's intense practice going on when Ricardo ducks out of the ring, needing a drink of water and to catch his breath. With the repetitive sounds of flesh hitting the mat behind him, he finds his phone and scrolls through texts when his phone starts to ring in his hand. He blinks, startled as it vibrates in his palm, and answers as soon as he realizes it's Sofia. "Hola? Sofia, is everything ok?"
She doesn't say anything for a moment and he's starting to fear for her when... "Ricardo, mi hijo, it's Paige."
Time stops. He listens to her voice, the words not really registering, as he blindly walks out of the room and down the hallway. He absentmindedly grabs his bag and heads for the door, already at the car when she stops talking. "I'll be home shortly," he says blankly, staring out of the windshield as he hangs up and starts the car up. He doesn't remember most of the drive, knowing that Alberto would kill him for driving when he's this worried and out of it, but it's already done. She opens the door for him and he stares at her for a long, painful moment.
"There are no updates, she's being evaluated," Sofia says, gripping his arm and leading him back into the living room. She pushes him onto the couch and directs his attention to a bottle of water on the table in front of him but he doesn't move, staring at the TV as Raw rolls on. Match after match after match until finally they announce that she appears to be suffering from internal injuries. Nothing more is said, Raw moves on again and Ricardo grits his teeth as the only thing he cares about is left behind for the next story, the next match, the next whatever. Sofia rubs his wrists and tries to keep him calm but he doesn't say a word. Hours pass and she's about to nod off, her head coming to rest on Ricardo's shoulder, when he moves abruptly.
She sits up and looks around just to realize that his phone's ringing. He holds it against his ear hard enough that it almost looks painful. "Mike? Are you with Paige? What's going on?" He's cut off abruptly when-
"Love?"
He sinks back into the couch cushions and buries his face in his free hand. "Paige, what's going on? Are you ok?"
Her voice is weak, he hates being unable to do anything but sit here in Florida and listen to her, unable to hold her hand, look in her eyes and make sure she's comfortable and doing alright. "I have some internal injuries, love. They're flying me home... and the trainer, Jason, he's coming with me to make sure the flight goes ok."
"Do you know the flight information? I'll come pick you up," he says quietly.
She pauses for a moment and then, "Mike knows the information. I'll have him text it to you, love. I'm sorry, I'm just so tired right now."
"It's ok," he breathes, his heart aching for her. "Can you give the phone to Mike for a minute?"
"Sure... he wants to talk to you," she says faintly, and the next thing Ricardo knows is he's hearing Mike's voice.
"Ricardo? She's doing ok, man. I wouldn't let her leave otherwise, no matter what WWE books." He chuckles wearily. "AJ would kill me if I let something happen to her English muffin, after all. Jason talked things out with the doctor at the hospital that examined her... do you want to talk to him too?"
Ricardo hesitates, considering this, but glances down at Sofia before choosing to trust Mike. "No, it's ok. I believe you. I know you wouldn't purposely allow anything to happen to her. Gracias for taking care of her when I can't, Mike."
"Anytime, man." He returns the phone to Paige but she's sleepy and Ricardo can't think of much to say, so they just sit for awhile and listen to each other breathe until Ricardo decides to let her go so she can rest before her flight.
"I love you, mi fuerza," he says softly.
"I love you too," she murmurs.
They hang up and he looks down when the screen lights up a few minutes later with arrival details for Paige's flight. It's scheduled for late morning and he nods, leaning closer to Sofia, who's fallen into a light doze. "Go to sleep, Sofia," he whispers to her. "I'll wake you before I leave to get her."
She stirs and looks up at him, cupping his face with an uncoordinated hand. "Are you going to go to bed as well?" He doesn't say anything and she tsks up at him, lightly kissing his cheek. "Try not to exhaust yourself too much, mi hijo. I can drive if you need me to..."
"We'll see," he promises her. "Good night, Sofia."
"Good night," she says reluctantly, getting up and padding off to her bed.
He sits and stares until the sun is well up, then goes to shower and change clothes, realizing then that he'd left some things at the dojo. "I'll deal with it later," he decides. After said shower and change of clothes, he feels better, more awake. Coffee helps more and by the time he goes to wake Sofia up, it's almost time. He carefully refuses her offer to drive, requesting her to stay and make a simple, easy breakfast just in case Paige is willing to put down some food when she arrives.
"Of course," she agrees. "Be careful, mi hijo."
"I'll be back soon," he tells her. The drive to the airport is quiet and, unlike the night before, he's highly focused while he goes from street to street. He parks hurriedly and rushes into the airport, scanning the crowd for his girlfriend until he spots her, her body wrapped up in a thick black hoodie, Jason by her side. She looks sickly pale and weak, her fingers barely containing the strength to squeeze his arm when she touches him. Her skin is chilled under his when he reaches up and wraps his fingers around her hand, worrying him more. She leans into him as he wraps an arm around her and guide her to the car. Jason helps him settle her in the backseat and then takes his leave, needing to figure out his flight back to Europe for the last bit of the tour.
She's barely awake long enough for him to get back behind the wheel and is still fast asleep when he pulls up to the house, pulling to a careful stop and getting out, leaning in to the backseat to pick her up and hoist her out of the car, carrying her back to the house. Sofia holds the door open for him, watching closely as he carries Paige back to the bedrooms and settles her in their bed, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She stirs and moans and he looks up at Sofia. "Lo siento, breakfast won't be needed. I'm going to stay with her."
Sofia nods, pats his arm, tsks over Paige for a moment, and then leaves. Ricardo waits until the door's shut decidedly behind her before sinking inot bed next to Paige and wrapping an arm gently around her, careful to avoid where Jason and Mike had said the worst of her injuries were. "You're going to be ok," he promises her. "I'll take care of you."
The next week or so maps itself out before him- doctor appointments, worry-fueled insomnia, listening to Paige trying to fend of WWE higher ups when they keep interrupting her much needed rest for updates on her condition... and then the worst part of it all. Paige flying to Vancouver to film Santa's Little Helpers with Mike. Again, Mike will watch out for her, keep her safe, but it just won't be enough for Ricardo.
He leans down and lightly kisses her lips, staring into her face with an expression drowning in affection for her. "Now how do I get to come with you for awhile without seeming too pushy or hyperactively worried?" He falls asleep, laying as close to Paige as he dares, while still pondering a fix to his latest dilemma.
