"It's not a championship match," Ricardo says lowly to Mike a little before the event starts. The Awesome One looks shocked, then a little aggravated. "It was supposed to be, but they've changed the card around and I'm competing against someone else in a regular match..." Spotting the look on his friends' faces as the news spreads, he shakes his head, smiling faintly. "It's ok, mi amigos. I would've liked to compete for a title, but I know my opponent and we have had good matches in the past... I'm eager for the challenge."
Paige hugs him, pulling away with a faint smile. "I'm sure you'll do well, Ricardo." Sofia echoes her sentiments with a hug of her own, patting his face before she steps away so Alberto can approach him.
"It's ridiculous to promise you one thing and give you another in the end, but I'm proud of how you're handling it, mi hermano," he tells him lowly.
Ricardo shrugs, his smile slipping slightly in the face of Alberto's earnestness. "Truth be told, I don't blame them- I've only been back in the indies for a couple of months. I'm not quite at championship caliber yet..."
Alberto rolls his eyes and grips Ricardo's jaw, searching his eyes. "You've always been championship caliber, Ricardo. Why else would I have said that we were both Heavyweight Champions when I won the belt, hm? Because without you by my side, I never would've achieved that honor. It is the truth," he insists when Ricardo opens his mouth, as if to argue. "It has been almost two years by now, you're still going to argue with me?" Chuckling softly, he shakes his head at his best friend. "Just accept the truth, mi amigo. You are always a champion to me, no matter how many places are too blind to give you the opportunity you deserve."
His eyes bright with unshed tears, finally Ricardo nods and sighs as Alberto hugs him, blocking the others from view until Ricardo's regained control of himself.
With all of his friends and fellow California natives watching a few hours later, Ricardo wins the match... but his real victory lies in the echoing memories of Alberto's words which had helped him fight through all of the painful moves dished out by his opponent until he could finally find the combination to defeat him.
Although most of the group have to fly out for Hell in a Cell early the next day, Ricardo, Sofia and Alberto remain in Califonria. Ricardo has agreed to do a zombie walk event and, as Sofia painstakingly helps him with his makeup, turning his skin pale and his eyes dark, his lips ghastly, Alberto watches with an amused look on his tanned face. "So we are really staying here til Wednesday?"
Ricardo's eyes glance towards him as he doesn't dare to move his face and ruin Sofia's careful work. "Si, if you're fine with that, El Patron. I felt it only fair that I hang around to see Morrison's match on Lucha Underground... but if you need to get back to Florida, I understand. You are going to Japan this weekend, after all."
"Si, but I believe I can make it all work out fine. No worries. I'm curious about Lucha Underground myself, getting to see the first night of it live should be interesting." Alberto beams at the housekeeper as she finally finishes and steps back to examine her handiwork, pleased with it. "We'll make you an indy fan yet, Sofia."
She smiles at him before motioning to Ricardo. "How does it look, senor?"
Alberto examines him for a long moment before grinning. "The makeup artists on The Walking Dead would be envious, Sofia." As she flushes, Ricardo looks in the mirror and finds he has to agree with him.
-x
Once they get back to Morrison's apartment that evening, Ricardo accesses the WWE Network and sits with Sofia, the two of them watching Hell in a Cell, waiting to catch sight of Miz or Paige. Alex is seen a lot between certain matches, talking on the panel, then MizdowTV starts and Ricardo laughs, shaking his head helplessly at Mizdow miming everything Miz does and says. All fun comes to an end, however, when Sheamus interrupts... and kicks the camera. It brings back memories of years gone by, when he'd been injured and doing depositions for Alberto's trial's benefit and that had been Sheamus' response to show a demonstration to the lawyers and the mediator. He shudders, Sofia immediately turning to look at him, but he forces a smile, trying not to lose it in front of her. He's far beyond Sheamus now, the two of them not even working in the same company, but it still eats at him sometimes, the memory of all of the health issues he sustained during that time period and how sometimes, especially after certain matches, his neck still aches.
Even so, when Alberto gets up and joins them, settling in next to Ricardo and wrapping an arm securely around him, he calms down a little bit, looking over at him. His former employer is smiling sympathetically at him and Ricardo nods, a silent way of saying that he's ok, so Alberto relaxes a little, but remains where he is, watching the show with them. It makes it a little easier to watch Paige lose the match, then her control as she slaps Alicia brutally afterwards, leaving her crying and confused at ringside. Miz's loss rankles on a different level, Sheamus' destruction of the camera being aired again as Alberto searches Ricardo's face. He handles it better this time, for what it's worth, but Sofia still looks worried as she glances over at him. "I'm fine," he promises, relieved when the verbalization of it actually seems to comfort them.
After spending a couple of days on the beach and showing his old California haunts to Sofia and Alberto, the others return- John from Canada and the rest from Texas just in time for Lucha Underground. Ricardo hasn't had the time or opportunity to just sit and enjoy wrestling in a long time so this kind of thing is nice, sitting in a line with his friends in the back of the section, watching until John's match comes up. He competes in the main event against a man known as Prince Puma and, after a hard fought contest, successfully defeats him. Most of them clap and cheer him but Miz, of course, outdoes them all by whistling loudly for his former tag partner, undisturbed when Alberto glares up him, a bit embarassed by the attention he's bringing their way.
With Thursday comes the need to go home, face reality once more, as Alberto flies out to Japan and the rest of them prepare for Smackdown and whatever Halloween hijinxs it would bring their way. Ricardo's just glad to finally have some time alone with Paige, searching her face as she rests in his arms during the drive back to Alberto's from the airport, Sofia seeming content to drive along the Florida streets once more as they sit in the backseat. "Are you ok?" he asks her lowly. "I'm sorry I've been too busy to really talk to you, but..."
"It's fine," she says, her lips saying what her eyes prove is false. "I'm fine, Ricardo. It's just been a long week." She sits up and straddles him, stroking his hair and marveling at how long it's getting. "You try being booked into Total Divas and then lose your chance at your title again because of your best friend Alicia all in the same week..." She leans in close to him and presses a soft, tantalizing kiss to the side of his mouth. "I've never been better..."
He stares at her doubtfully as she pulls back and smiles at him. "Paige..."
"I promise," she tells him, resting her fingers on his lips. "You know what I want to do?" When he shakes his head against her lips, she grins. "I want to try on my Halloween costume for you when we're home."
He swallows and nods, unable to shake off the feeling that she's not right, and they do need to talk about it... but he doesn't want to make her feel any worse right now, so he embraces the distraction she's dangling in front of him. "Alright," he says softly. "I'd like that too."
The grin she graces him with, sincere and beautiful despite everything she's done lately, makes the concession worth it. He hopes.
