Hall of Fame is great. Long, but great. After a tiring week of charity events, meet'n'greets with fans, and everything else going on, it's nice just to sit for awhile and listen, resting her head on Ricardo's shoulder whenever she finds it hard to keep her eyes open. Which does happen a couple of times, she's been running herself ragged to make everything leading up to Wrestlemania work. Ricardo's lips are warm against her forehead and she stirs, thinking that Sofia is probably sitting somewhere with Alberto, hoping that the League of Nations haven't bothered her too badly.

From here, she can see Mike. Sitting with Maryse. Which still makes no sense, he had been hanging out with the woman a lot the past few days, and Paige can only imagine what's going on that he would do such a thing while AJ is back at home in LA with the baby, watching this on the network. She considers confronting him but then Michael Hayes rushes by, singing, and she loses track of her thoughts, laughing and clapping with everyone else.

Afterwards, they go to some afterparty thing, all of them mingling, Ricardo catching up with some of the guys that he hasn't seen in too long. Paige stays nearby but ventures towards Mike and Maryse, staring her down warningly until Mike spots her and excuses himself from the conversation he was trying to involve himself in with Dolph, Ambrose and Big Show discussing the movies they'd been in the last few years. He grips her arm and drags her to a quiet part of the room, relieved when she only gives a token struggle.

"What are you doing?!" she snaps once they're alone, careful to keep her voice down because, music or no music, it's still a good setting to be overheard and she has a feeling this is going to be one of those things that Mike would rather no one know about. "AJ loves you, and you're- what? Stepping out on her for real with Maryse this time? When are you going to learn?"

"AJ knows!" Mike snaps back. "Maryse came to us, she's having some money trouble... she wants a foot back into the company and I'm the only one she trusts enough to help her do that. I would never hurt AJ by cheating on her, especially when our baby is barely two months old. How little do you have faith in me, Paige?"

She sighs. Shrugs her shoulders listlessly. "I have faith in you, I just don't want to see AJ hurt ever again. Maryse and you have already done things to her that nearly shattered her..."

"I am well aware," he says tensely. "I was there. And it helped me to see I could never do that to her, not again, not in any fashion. I love her too much, I can't breathe when I think about her hurting. This is just going to last long enough to get Maryse back into the company, and then we'll go our separate ways. It'll be fine."

"I'm holding you to that," Paige says lowly, turning to walk off. Find Ricardo. Try to relax before they need to go back to the house, relax. Tomorrow's Wrestlemania and she can't be any less than at her best.

-x

"I need to talk to you all," Brie says, startling Paige as she finishes pulling her shoes on. Running her hands through her black hair, she joins the other divas and tries to ignore Eva Marie, focusing on Brie. "I know there've been rumors online, and no one knows for sure, but I'm confirming it right here, for all of your benefits. This is going to be my last match for now, maybe for ever. Daniel has been going through a rough patch and I want to be there for him. I want to be a mother. So I'm retiring."

Paige's mouth twists but she joins in on the group hug, squeezing Brie. "We'll make this match a success for you, I promise," she says, Brie's words echoing in her mind. It thankfully is true, the five of them work together to defeat the other five, and then lift Brie in a celebratory huddle in the middle of the ring.

Paige then sits back once backstage and stares at the screen, trying to figure out where in the crowd Ricardo and Sofia might be sitting. I would've been happy to get you better seats, she texts during a brief lull in the action for a recap leading into Dean vs Brock. Ricardo doesn't rush to answer and she smiles, resting her face on her outstretched arm, knowing that he's probably glad to be in lower bowl with Sofia and not anywhere closer. He wasn't looking for attention or to cause trouble, just wanted to try going back to not feeling awkward or unwelcome as a wrestling fan, because there are very few as dedicated as he is to the business, no matter how often it kicks him around, chews him up and spits him out.

Painful thoughts flutter around her mind, Brie's and AJ's, and Rosa's, and so many different people's. She groans, starting to drift off, this coming week's Total Divas fresh on her mind. Now that Bradley and Kevin both are gone, something new is coming up to test her and Ricardo and she frets over it sleepily, the memories coming back with a vengeance. Total Divas had been filmed around the time where she was struggling to juggle both Rosa and AJ's baby showers and it had caused her to melt down.

Fingers clasping against the bench she's sprawled on, she bites her lip and tries to think about how best to explain to Ricardo everything that she confesses in the upcoming episode. Why she'd never told him before, how she could possibly brush such a pivotal part of her young life off and pretend like it'd never happened. Not that Kevin or Bradley had ever been told, either, of course, but she had never loved them like she loves Ricardo, so the circumstances can't be compared. She moans faintly, rolling her head against the hard wood, and then stills when soft fingers start parting her hair.

It's Alicia, evident by the soft voice overhead. "Are you ok?"

"No," Paige mumbles, lunging up and suddenly hugging Alicia hard. "Just... hold me for a few minutes, please?" Alicia, shocked, nods, squeezing her tightly. "Thank you." They sit like that for long, quiet, reflective moments and, when Paige pulls away, wipes at her wet face. "Ricardo's going to learn this week... something that I've only told my mum. It could change everything, it could... ruin everything..." She shudders and struggles to breathe at the thought of losing Ricardo permanently because of her own body's limitations and sobs harder, Alicia tucking her in for an even longer, careful hug.

Finally they break apart and Alicia wipes at Paige's tears, leaning in and kissing her cheeks. "You're my sister, you know that, right? Even when I'm pissed at you." Her hands are warm, her eyes are soft and sensitive and Paige nods, relieved and grateful for the affection... but right now, all she wants and needs is Ricardo.

Once Wrestlemania finally ends a couple of torturous hours later, the group of them agree to skip the after Mania party and just go back to the house. They sit around the kitchen, picking at whatever Sofia whips up- sandwiches with varying kinds of deli meat and condiments, a vegetable plate and some of her homemade dip which is delicious and a mystery as no one's gotten the recipe for it no matter how they begged or pleaded.

Paige can only handle so much of the ruminating over wins or losses, drowning in the thoughts of life and death. How she waits until Ricardo downs a couple of sandwiches and a handful of the vegetables, she isn't sure, but as soon as he looks like he's had his fill, she finds his hand and tries to pull him up. Startled grey eyes rest on her and she smiles, hoping that he won't worry, but... "Are you alright, mi fuerza? I don't think you've touched any food," he says, leaning towards her.

She meets him halfway and kisses him, lips and tongue promising something special, and he immediately sits up straight, lips parting in understanding and curiosity. She breathes a little easier as he pulls up and collects his phone. "Well, guys, muchas gracias for allowing me to tag along on your WRestlemania weekend, but Paige and I are sleepy so I think we're going to head to bed." He kisses Sofia on the cheek on his way past but only affords a quick wave to the others, allowing Paige to lead him to their room.

There's no preamble, she pushes him onto the bed after the door clicks shut, heart pounding in her ears, and joins him a moment later, tossing her shirt over her shoulder. His hands fit on her hips like they've always belonged there- which they do, she thinks stubbornly- and she straddles him, staring into his confused, slightly worried face. She shifts and his expression changes, grows more fixed, and she smirks, leaning over. One button after the other and soon the remnants of her makeup is staining his skin, leaving his exhales shaky, his inhales rough. "Paige," he tries, reaching up to slow her down, give him a minute to formulate a question- but her lips press against his, her fingers are playing with his clothes again and he can't make the words move past his throat any longer, the heat between them making it hard to formulate thoughts as well.

She does move, which makes his eyes flutter closed, to lean against his side and whisper into his ear, "No questions. No comments... just..." His attempts to meet her and the moaned acceptance of this makes her grin as she nuzzles into him, kisses his jaw and throat, finding his wrists and pinning them to the bed. He could easily get free if he'd wanted to, but he's never tried to before. She's pretty sure she loves him just a little more for it, and she does her best to prove it to him that night.

-x

Paige's mind is far away the next night as well. Which is just as well, she doesn't have a match, forced to stand in the ring and watch as Charlotte talks herself up as Woman's champion. The group of them grow exasperated with her and eventually leave Natalya behind to lecture the egotistical woman. She wants to leave, she can't stand being in this arena a moment longer, it makes her itchy and feel disgusting. Alicia's eyes are on her and she knows that most of the others know, she hadn't been able to keep the emotions off of her face in the ring so there's absolutely no chance of her doing it back here.

Thankfully she gets the all-clear to leave when she mentions to an agent that she's not feeling well so she goes back to the house. She crawls into bed with a dozing Ricardo and considers recreating last night, but she doesn't feel that same desperation itching in her veins. The certainty that he won't understand is muted now, if not gone entirely. Because it's Ricardo, and he's forgiven her for so many stupid things that she's done. This... She sits up and lightly traces his face with gentle fingers, smiling when he sleeps through her affectionate touch. "I'm sorry I doubted you, love," she breathes.

Curling up next to him, she falls asleep once he wraps an arm around her, pressing her closer and this is how they wake up the next morning, tangled together. Lazy and sluggish after so many busy days, such a heavily wrestling-filled weekend. She smiles sleepily and kisses him slowly, gently, and sighs as his hands brush down her back, holding her in place. "I'm not sure what's been going on with you," he tells her softly, his fingers digging into her hips lightly. "But you know I'm here for you, right? No matter what. Whether it's problems with your career, or your family, or-"

She stares into his eyes, not sure why exactly she'd kept this painful, humbling truth from him for so long, but his hands are warm on her skin, and his eyes are gentle and fixed, and finally she finds the words. Explains to him everything she was forced to relive on the episode of Total Divas that will be airing tonight, watching as his face falls and tears fill his eyes. This makes her cry too and they mourn together, breaths mingling as he whispers sympathy and love into her skin, his warmth surrounding her as he lightly presses her into the pillows. "I'm so sorry you were alone with this for so long," he breathes into her ribs, nuzzling and kissing as she exhales and inhales through her tears. "I'm sorry you didn't feel safe enough to tell me."

The words register slowly, the slick, warm attention he's paying her muddling her thoughts, easing the years-deep agony she'd been in. Once they do, though, her reaction is immediate, her nails digging into his jaw as she grips his face and forces him to look at her. "I wasn't alone," she insists. "I did feel safe with you, I always do, I just... didn't want to see this look in your eye," she explains. "It was my loss, I dealt with it, I moved on. I signed with WWE, I met the most incredible man ever, and... things are better." She releases a blustery breath. "I do think about what could've been, or what might be in the future, but that's just because I don't want to disappoint you." Her voice cracks, fresh tears filling her eyes. "I know how important kids are to you, Ricardo, but if I can't..."

He shakes his head, not minding when her nails scrape against his skin, leaving red welts in a couple of places. "Families come from all sorts of places, all sorts of ways. There's always adoption, you know I've always said-" She's crying anew, and the kiss she offers him is wet and a little shaky, but it's perfect, it fits this moment, and he presses her close once more, their shared body heat leaving them hazy and lost in each other, his fingers tracing the scars that he's never really noticed before, barely obvious after all of this time.

She whimpers as he presses his face to her stomach, softly kissing the scars, along the expanse of soft, untanned skin. Another reason to not visit tanning beds or attempt to sit on the beach for hours, keeping her natural skin tone had left the scars almost invisible, easy to cover with makeup when she'd need to, kept people from noticing and asking questions that were none of their business. He explores around her belly button, her toes curling into the bedding while her body shivers under him.

"Ricardo, please-" she pleads, immediately falling silent on a strangled gasp. "Oh bloody hell," she moans out, running her fingers along his scalp until she finds the tight ponytail he has at the base of his neck, tugging the hair tie out and tangling her fingers between the long strands of his now loose hair. She doesn't want to hurt him, of course, she just needs something to hold onto, to ground her. She feels him smirk and shakes her head, biting her lip as she forces herself to relax, accept what he's so clearly offering her. A future, despite all of her mistakes, all of her secrets. Everything that she's done, the things that she may not be able to do. "You cheeky bugger," she breathes out raggedly.

When he shifts back up until they're level with each other once more, his eyes are soft, gleaming with fierce protectiveness and love and she sighs, hugging him close. Watching Total Divas back tonight will be hard, but being with him, holding his hand, kissing him softly, feeling his steady, supportive strength next to her will make it all so much easier. She kisses the sensitive spot where his shoulder meets his neck and smiles as he exhales. "I love you," she whispers into his ear.

"I love you too," he says easily, and she's relieved to find that nothing's changed- she still feels a rush of warmth when he says it, her cheeks softly reddening... her toes curling into the sheets at how he sounds when he says it, the solid focus in his gaze.

"Say it again," she whispers. When he presses closer and whispers it into her ear, soft and gentle and so very painfully sincere, she closes her eyes and absorbs the moment, wrapping her arms around his neck and sighing. "Again." He kisses her cheek and murmurs it once more and she nods, pressing her forehead to his, so many pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place for her. "Do you have the ring?"

He flounders. Frowns. Disentangles himself from her enough to reach into his discarded jeans, pulling out the box that had been lurking in the bottom of Alberto's safe for months by now. "Yes?" he asks softly, uncertainly. She chuckles, kissing him, and he struggles to explain, "I just thought... maybe if I found a way to ask... it... wouldn't hurt to try, would it? Wrestlemania week and all..."

Her smile is soft, loving. "No, it definitely wouldn't," she agrees, knowing as soon as she sees his eyes widen that the point was made, he's realized. When he pulls away, she's left alone in the sheets, watching him. She feels stripped bare, comfortable in the knowledge that he now knows everything, can see every inch of her soul finally, and realizes. No other relationship had felt right, even the past with Ricardo had been tainted by this awful secret she'd kept to herself for so very long. Had kept her from committing, had made it easy for her to fake relationships on Total Divas, to push him away to India and everything else in between.

He's nervous, that's clear, wanting to word this so perfectly that she could never say no to him again. She waits patiently, smiling at him, as he sinks down onto one knee at the side of the bed and stares up at her. "You're so beautiful," he breathes out in awe.

Her smile grows. "Always a good start," she says fondly.

He flushes, clears his throat. "I don't feel like I deserve you most times," he says slowly. "You're beautiful, you're intelligent, you have such an incredible soul, with such a promising future in front of you... and I'm just... Ricardo." His smile grows wistful and her heart hurts as she looks at him, hating how low his self-esteem is even now. "But you love me, you've waited for me... you've chosen me. I can tell when you touch me, when you breathe out my name in that way that makes everything else unimportant. I can't let doubts and fear rule our relationship anymore, you deserve better... I deserve better. We deserve better. We deserve this." His eyes are misty, lips twitching up in disbelief that, after all of this time, they're finally here. He's finally saying the words. "Paige, mi fuerza, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Somewhere deep inside, she'd known the answer from the moment she first saw the ring. "Yes, of course I will," she whispers, eyes locked on her finger as the ring is finally slid onto it. Ricardo surges up to kiss her and she sighs, meeting him halfway. He supports her as she wraps around him, sinks into him, the ring band cool against his neck.

Everything is, finally, right.