After the conversation with Alberto, Ricardo's days drag. With everything going on, he had nearly forgotten his final obligation to England, he is booked for the television tapings with WAW this coming weekend, and then... and then. Well. He has dates in October in the States. Other than that... He closes his eyes and taps his fingers against the table, pushing some paperwork around that needs handled before the events these weekend. When not training, he makes himself as useful backstage as he can, helping the Knights out here and there.

Since that first bit of drama with Paige's brother, he hadn't had a problem. And he doesn't think much of that until the chair in front of him squeaks over the linoleum floor, Saraya sitting down and staring at him. "So," she says, her accent thick. When Ricardo stares up at her, she half-smiles at him and rests her hands on the table. "First of all, I want to thank you for all you've done helping us with WAW, the television reboot, and everything else. We're indebted to you, Ricardo." Her voice fades away slowly and she swallows, piercing eyes so similar to Paige's locked on him. "You are... a dear family friend, and I never want that to change. Perhaps in another time, you would've been my son in law. I would've liked that." She smiles sadly at him and takes the opportunity to grip his hand, squeezing his fingers motherly. "I am aware how my daughter has hurt you, between her time on Total Divas, and her actions while you were in India and afterwards. She confessed to me everything, and I am aware of how much she's hurt herself in all of this."

Ricardo starts to say something, then stops, his eyes squeezing shut as Saraya strokes his knuckles soothingly. "I can't... I can't talk about this," he says, feeling like he's drowning, suffocating in the memories he hasn't been forced to face like this since coming here. "Saraya, por favor-"

"Then please just listen, and I promise I won't mention it again," Saraya tells him calmly, her own accent thick and a little strangled. "It is not our business, mine or Ricky's or the boys'. I told Ricky Jr to let it alone, give you your dignity and your privacy. I do not blame you for giving him a bit of a walloping that day, he deserved it. My daughter, however... Paige has been through more than enough. And I know you have too, and your anger and pain are justifiable. But I feel the need to warn you that when Alberto and Memo come to WAW to wrestle this weekend, Paige will be flying out with them."

Ricardo pales even further, looking like he may throw up or pass out, or both, and Saraya grabs his forearm, squeezing it just painfully enough to bring awareness back into his dark eyes. "I... I..."

"I know," she soothes. "I am giving you advanced warning so you won't be startled if you run into her. But I beg you, if you do, be the consummate professional I know you are. Turn and find somewhere else to be. You both belong here but I have enough familial turmoil going on between Ricky and the boys to not want to deal with this too. Alright?" She cups Ricardo's hands and chuffs them gently, smiling sadly when he nods wearily. "That's my Ricardo. I promise you, everything will be alright."

When she gets up and leaves the table, he exhales again and again and shakes his head. "I don't know how."

Watching Alicia get manhandled by Nia Jax, laying there in the wreckage of the barricade wall surrounding the timekeeper's position in terribly obvious pain, and being unable to do anything for her while a sea is between them does absolutely nothing to ease Ricardo's wayward emotions and less so when she's in too much pain to talk to him afterwards, her cell phone going straight to voicemail. "I hope you're getting some sleep," he says softly. "And I wish I was there to hold you." Closing his eyes, he hangs up and stares blankly ahead, hating that he'd taken this trip at all. A good opportunity, yes, but... not truly worth everything it's costing him.

It's obvious when Paige, Del Rio and Memo land because there's a buzz in the building. The Knights are excited, the other wrestlers are excited... everyone's emotions are so far removed from Ricardo's that he feels like he's floating underwater, watching all of this proceed through the surface, hazy and impossible to understand. He avoids them successfully enough until the actual night of the first taping. He slips out to take pictures, watch some of the action, and he turns to come face to face with Alberto himself. He squeaks and tries to side step but Alberto doesn't move to assist him in making this easier, or anything else, simply standing there, their words from the phone call echoing back.

When Alberto reaches out, looking like he's about to hug Ricardo, the former ring announcer moves. "Excuse me, I have to check on something," he says quickly, brushing past Alberto and escaping down the hall.

He thinks it can't get much worse when he's turning the corner towards the locker rooms a good hour later and nearly runs right into someone. "Ay! Lo siento!" He grabs the person's arm without thinking and then actually looks, realizing he's stabilized Paige, keeping her from falling. She looks a little less muscular because of her injury, and she looks a little tired from the flight and jet lag, but her beauty still hits him like a punch to the solar plexus. "Oh," he chokes out, letting her go like she's burning him and steps back, fingers twisting in his long hair as he stares at her.

"Your hair is so long," she says, eyes wet and fixed as she looks him up and down. "I... I really like it, Ricardo. It's good to see you doing so well." Her smile is small, painful, and he grimaces, looking away. "I heard about you and Alicia."

"Don't," he groans. "Don't mention her, don't... don't talk to me at all, I have... I have a job to do and I can't make things worse for your mother." There's no argument there, Ricardo relieved as Paige just watches him when he turns sharply and storms off, his emotions fluctuating around inside of him like a hurricane. He escapes into an abandoned locker room, shuts the door and locks it, before hitting the side wall and sinking down, hugging his knees to his chest and sobbing hard until the pain and agony is nothing but a dull, simple roar in the back of his mind.

He has a match and he uses this pain, this anger to fuel him. Wins the match and heads backstage with a pleased smirk on his face. if Alberto or Paige are anywhere around, he doesn't see them.

Sitting at a bar later on, downing a couple of diet coke and rums, Ricardo exhales when Memo sits down next to him and orders his own too expensive, possibly watered down attempt at getting drunk here. Memo offers him little more than a smile and some quiet company and Ricardo takes it, clinking their glasses together before setting back in to drink his sorrows away.

Saturday somehow is worse. He doesn't see Alberto, Paige or Memo, but he knows they're there. He's in an elimination style match and he gets eliminated early on, which only raises his ire. Finds another locker room and starts dismantling it of the few things inside, kicking and throwing and gritting his teeth against the screams desperate to pour out of his trembling lips.

How he hears his phone beep through all of that, he's not sure but it leaves the last table in the room untouched as he turns to look and then, on a lark, picks the device up and stares at the unread text. It's from Alicia, and includes a picture of her in a soft blue, two piece wrestling gear that immediately makes his mouth drop open. Doctor cleared me, look who's ready to kick some butt!

He chuckles, warmth finally easing away some of the chill that's been trapped under his skin since Saraya had told him Paige would be here. I'm happy for you, take care of yourself out there.

I will, her response comes a moment later. Are you ok?

He makes a face, unsurprised that, even in a text, she's good at getting right to the heart of a matter, even with things he hadn't outright told her about. Like Paige and Alberto being here. I'll be better with I'm back with you.

Feeling's mutual, she sends back, a heart emoji punctuating the short, simple sentence.

He smiles for the first time all week and slowly begins to put the room back together.