A/N: A quick thank you to the guest reviewer. I'm glad you like BtB so much, but since you enjoy the Paige/AJ storyline so much, I wanted to make sure you knew that BtB has a spin-off known as Encontrar una Manera, and there are parts of the Paige/Ricardo storyline that happens over there that I only brush over in BtB. I would give the link but FFN strips that too, so just go to my profile to look for it if you're interested!
In other news, Back to Basics is turning 4 years old on Friday! My baby fic is growing up soooo fast. Haha. Anyway, I have a bonus story that will be uploaded alongside this chapter, and there will be another uploaded on the 25th for its birthday. So happy birthday, BtB! Here's to many more.
Main Event had been crappy on a singles competition level for Mike. Smackdown proved to be just as bad in tag team competition. He finds himself teaming with Fandango- a fact that leaves him gritting his teeth in annoyance, the man is just so grating even on a good day, and this one isn't, really, a desperate need to gain some traction leading into Battleground wearing away at Mike- against Ziggler and Sheamus. Their team loses, thanks to Fandango not being where he should be to help, of course, and he heads backstage to sit with Ricardo and watch while AJ has much better success in her tag match with Paige against Layla and Summer Rae, sneaking a tag in and winning it while Paige stares on incredulously. This leaves Ricardo and Mike tense but when AJ requests a handshake, Paige takes it a step further and hugs her instead, so Mike relaxes... though the entire situation still leaves him uneasy as he goes out to greet his wife in the hallway, Ricardo not far behind for Paige.
AJ tsks over him and kisses him gently, smiling. "The Moneymaker still looks fine, no matter what," she tells him softly and he sighs, holding her close and burying his face in her hair as she wraps her arms around him and strokes his shoulders. "It'll be ok, Mike." He nods grimly before leading her back down the hall towards her locker room, wanting nothing more than to grab their things and leave so they both can try to relax before the upcoming PPV. He has a weird feeling about it, and he's unable to tell if it's good or bad...
The one positive of the events being in Florida this week is no hotels. Alberto's home is open and waiting for all of them, so once they travel from North Carolina to Tampa, it's just a short drive to the fancy area where he lives. It's early morning and they're all tired but relieved to be there, especially when Sofia greets them quietly before directing them to the various guest rooms, the exhaustion visible on all of their faces from the limited amount of sleep they'd gotten the night before. Mike and AJ are glad to take their leave from the others and settle in their room, next to Ricardo's. They can hear him and Paige talking quietly through the wall, but it barely registers with either of them as they settle into bed, Mike's arms wrapped around her as she snuggles closer to him. He sighs into her hair and gently kisses her. "I need to talk to Ricardo when we get up," he whispers to her.
"Why?" she breathes out, already half asleep.
"I just get the feeling something's going on with him... He doesn't seem like himself... He's too quiet, subdued. I just want to make sure he's ok."
"But for now," she murmurs. "Sleep."
"Yeah," he agrees, eyes fluttering shut. "Sleep."
However, once he awakes, the pre-PPV bustle of working out, eating, spending some time with his equally as anxious bride leaves him so busy that he forgets to talk to Ricardo entirely until it's late Sunday and time's run out. The ring announcer is in place for commentary and Mike can only imagine how he feels while he stands backstage, ready and waiting for the Intercontinental title battle royal, when AJ's match against Paige starts. It's unbearable to watch at points, Mike worrying his lip with his teeth, the sunglasses she'd given him held in one fist, and he wonders how close he's come to breaking them himself when AJ finally retains the title in a hard fought victory with a Shining Wizard. He quickly puts the glasses down as his wife rushes backstage to her locker room and runs into his arm, laughing happily as he spins her around and kisses her. "Congratulations, sweetheart," he whispers to her.
She laughs and kisses him again and again, her title pressed against him, and he wonders what it would be like to share success with her, for the two of them to both be champion. His grip on her tightens and she nuzzles into him. "Now it's almost your turn," she hums against his lips before pushing him onto the couch and straddling him, her fingers trailing under his jacket teasingly. "But first," she whispers, "I think I need to properly motivate you." Her kisses are like fire against him as he nods, digging his fingers into her hair and pulling her closer.
When the match finally does start, he has a gameplan. There are nineteen other men and they'll be targetting him, his face, everything and anything to eliminate him and that can't happen. He doesn't want to disappoint AJ, he doesn't want to disappoint himself... so he does the only sensible thing. Falls out from under the bottom rope and rolls under the ring, content to hide there and wait, listening in the dark as person after person is eliminated. Keeps count... and once the eighteenth man is gone- Sheamus, conveniently enough- he reappears and throws Dolph out, laughing uproariously as the Intercontinental title is handed to him. He doesn't mind the boos, he doesn't mind the glare from Dolph, he doesn't care about anything. All that matters is that he's champion, his wife is champion, and life is feeling pretty damn sweet right now.
When he arrives backstage, she's there, waiting for him with her title belt and she laughs, their titles clacking together as she hugs him ecstatically. "I guess I was just the good luck charm you needed, huh?"
"Hell yeah," he mutters to her, lightly kissing her. "Always, sweetheart." She beams against him and he strokes her side, tickling her and causing her to gasp and giggle, trying to squirm away from him but failing as he presses her closer with his other hand. "But you know, we have one little problem now." She frowns as his fingers still against her skin, shaking her head. "We now have two personal locker rooms between us... the Intercontinental champion room, and yours." He rests his finger against her nose, and smirks at her. "Whatever should we do with them all? Have a main locker room, and a vacation locker room?"
She laughs at him, rolling her eyes affectionately. "You are ridiculous, Mike. But it all sounds so posh, I think I like it." She smirks back at him. "But for now, I think I know what we need to do with that new locker room of yours."
"Oh yeah?" He watches her closely as she takes his hand and leads him back to his room, all of their worries far away for now. The fact that no one in their group may be overly pleased with their being champion will be something they'll have to face eventually, but not right this minute.
The next morning, he wakes up and watches AJ sleep for awhile. Their titles are glinting side by side on a table across from the bed and he smiles, barely able to contain himself. He nuzzles into his wife and thinks for a minute before realizing something... If they're back in Florida, then that means... Aha. Finding his phone, he texts a number that he'd put into it after their wedding. Hey, do you have some free time today? There's someone here who'd like to see you while in town. The answer that comes a few minutes later is afirmative and makes him grin even wider as he mouths AJ's bare shoulder, trails his lips up her neck and jaw until he reaches her mouth, pressing soft kisses there until she stirs and sighs into his mouth, this encouraging him more than anything to kiss her deeply, knowing the exact moment that she's completely awake and responding by resting their hands palm to palm and lacing his fingers with hers, pressing them into the pillow. "Good morning," he breathes, searching her face as she opens her eyes, dark and heady.
"Good morning," she whispers back, sighing as he settles back into kissing, falling into a rhythm as she wraps her legs around him and holds him close.
"I have a surprise for you."
She shakes her head, growing frustrated with him constantly moving away from her to talk. "Later," she grumbles, halfheartedly trying to free her hands from his so she could gain some control of this early morning wake up call, but quickly gives up the fight as he concedes as well.
By the time they leave the bedroom, everyone else is awake, Sofia, Alex and Alicia in the kitchen. Mike can see Alberto on the patio, raising his eyebrow curiously. "What, is he still pissy from last night? I can't help that I'm just better than he is." The look that Sofia throws him makes him stop short. "Sorry. Just sayin'..."
Alex laughs as he sits down across from him, AJ across from Alicia. "Better watch it, Mike, she might tamper with your food."
"Sofia wouldn't that... would she? Ugh, I wish Ricardo had stayed, he'd be able to answer that..." He winces, wondering if Alberto would know- if the housekeeper had ever been inclined to do something like that, he suspects it might've been after Ricardo's suspension last year.
"That's part of the reason he's out there, I think." Alex frowns. "Ricardo's been acting weird lately too..."
"He hasn't told you anything?" Mike wonders, the realization that he'd completely forgotten to get to the bottom of all of this weighing on him anew. "Crap..." He leans over and kisses AJ before heading out to the patio to confront the Mexican aristocrat. "Alright, what the hell did you do now?"
Alberto glares at him, nudging a cup of coffee around on the white table. "Whatever do you mean, Miz?"
"Ricardo. Why is he sad, and why are you guilty?"
The older man rolls his eyes. "Always need your nose in everybody else's business, don't you, Miz?" he asks derisively.
"When it's Ricardo, considering your track record with him, hell yes I do. Now talk."
"I hate you, Miz."
"I don't care, talk." They glare each other down but Mike doesn't budge, even sits on the chair opposite Alberto and crosses his arms over his chest, waiting. Eventually Del Rio breaks, probably realizing that Mike's not leaving until he does, and tells him everything. About how he had reacted to Ricardo's tweets about if the fans want them to work together, how he mishandled the entire situation, hurt Ricardo's feelings when he told him bluntly that he didn't want to work alongside him again. To his credit, Mike listens to the entire thing without one interruption, though his expression darkens with each uttered word. Alberto's been quiet for almost five minutes when Mike licks his lips and speaks. "You are the stupidest asshole I've ever met. I mean, God, you make me look like the most considerate person in the world sometimes."
And dammit all, Alberto just takes it, staring at his hands. There's a strange look of defeat in his eyes that reminds Mike of their bar fight almost a year ago. "I know I screwed up, Miz. It's what I do, si? I mess up again and again and again and somehow he always finds it in him to forgive me. I just have to wonder... why he still does. Out of loyalty? Our shared Mexican heritage? Because I am just something familiar?" He scrubs at his eyes and sighs.
"You know, I did a lot of messed up crap to John in the day." Mike twirls his finger against the table thoughtfully. "A lot of times I thought he wouldn't... shouldn't forgive me, but he did. And eventually I realized it's because through thick and thin, somewhere along the lines we became more than just friends or even tag partners, we were brothers. No matter what we do or say to each other, we eventually find forgiveness and carry on like nothing happened. It's probably the same with you and Ricardo."
"I suppose," he mumbles. "Mi hermano."
Mike nods and watches him for a moment longer before getting up and returning to the kitchen, leaning over to kiss AJ on the forehead. "Ready to go see your surprise, sweetheart?" As she nods eagerly and takes his hand, he chuckles. "I can't wait to see your face." He nuzzles into her and trails his hand down her stomach as she swallows and kisses him on the way to the car. It's kind of a long drive but it's worth it when he stops outside of the arena Raw will be held at, watching her get out and look around. He knows the exact moment she's spotted her surprise as she squeals loud enough to be heard a state away, at least. When he slams the door behind him and turns to look, he finds her wrapped joyfully around another person, who's clinging just as happily to her. He clears his throat upon approaching them and smirks. "Should I be jealous?"
Kaitlyn rolls her eyes over her best friend's head. "Yes, Mike, I'm going to take her and leave right now and you'll never see her again." AJ huffs a laugh against her throat and Kaitlyn smiles. "See, I make her laugh, she'll be happier with me than you."
"Haha," Mike says drily, adjusting his title when it tries to slip from his shoulder.
"I see the newlyweds have matching rings and title belts," Kaitlyn says, looking a little relieved when AJ's deathgrip on her slackens, the divas champion finally hopping back onto the ground to curl herself into Mike's side once more. "Congrats, guys."
"Thanks," they say at the same time, glancing at each other with grins.
"Oh God, I see the sappy honeymoon stuff hasn't ended yet."
"I believe we've decided our entire life is going to be a honeymoon," AJ says thoughtfully, tapping her fingernail against her lips.
"Way, WAY too much information, good God," Kaitlyn laughs, leaning in to hug Mike, to his surprise. "I can tell you're making her really happy. Thank you," she tells him softly before pulling away. He nods at her, a little speechless and a lot unsure what to say. "Come on, chickbuster, let's go get caught up," she urges, taking AJ by the hand and dragging her away for just that.
Mike watches them with a smile as AJ turns and catches his eye, mouthing a quick, "Thank you," before she's pulled out of sight entirely. He doesn't see her again until it's time to head inside for Raw, Kaitlyn and her hugging long and tight until AJ finally realizes that they need to go, the women wiping each other's faces with sheepish laughter. "You call me," AJ tells her, sniffing and shaking her finger at her. "If you don't, we're going to have to come back down here and hunt you down."
"Well, I wouldn't want that," Kaitlyn says. "Yes, I promise I'll call you as often as I can. Alright?" They hug again and AJ reluctantly pulls away from her maid of honor, returning to Mike's side.
He squeezes her hand gently, leading her away to the entrance. "Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah." She leans against him as they walk inside, sighing softly. "It was really good to see her. Thank you for the surprise."
"You're welcome, sweetheart." He leans in and kisses her gently before they separate to look at the match board. Both release groans at the same time. He has a match against Ziggler, and she has a match with Paige against Emma and Natalya. "Well, this isn't how I saw tonight going," Mike mumbles.
"Me neither," AJ sighs. "Oh well, it'll be alright I guess. Now... which locker room, yours or mine?"
He laughs and shakes his head, lifting her hand to press a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Go ahead," he tells her. "I have to send a quick text. I'll meet you at yours in a couple minutes, alright?"
"Alright," she says, frowning curiously as he lets her go and fishes his phone out of his pocket. She only turns back a couple of times to look at him as she leaves, wondering what he's up to now.
He types quickly, knowing that she won't be patient for long. To ADR: Match board has nothing listed for you tonight. If you want to fix things with Ricardo, I'd not push things so maybe just stay at home. I'm sure you'll have a match on Superstars. He can't help the dig, not that thrilled with Alberto- he had lectured Alex not that long ago to take it easy on Ricardo leading up to August, but had failed at it barely a week later himself. Either way, if he should listen, it's less drama to worry about, hopefully, so he makes his way back to AJ's locker room and greets her with a kiss.
"What were you doing?" she asks, eyes fluttering as he trails his hand down her jaw.
"I just wanted to text Del Rio and get him to give Ricardo space. We'll see if it works." Before his match against Dolph, he doesn't receive a response but Alberto doesn't come to the arena either, so he figures that he'd actually listened, so when his match time arrives, he squeezes AJ's hand, puts the sunglasses she'd given him on and makes his way to ringside. It's a hard fought match and he thinks he has it a few times, until he slams into the turnbuckle post and feels sharp pain up his thigh, collapsing immediately. It's a fight after that to even walk without grimacing in pain. Between trying to protect his leg and face, he ends up losing not long afterwards, staring up at the lights in disgust before rolling out quickly, not wanting to leave himself vulnerable. He collects his title, grabs his sunglasses and, after being announced still Intercontinental champion, stumbles up the ramp, gasping in pain as the uneven surface does nothing for his legs.
AJ is waiting and she tries to support him, staring up at him worriedly as he breathes heavily. "I'm sorry, Mike- my match is next, I can't... I can't help you but..." She looks around. "Ricardo, hey!"
The ring announcer is nearby, talking lowly to Paige, but at her voice, he quickly turns and, spotting Mike, rushes over. "What happened?" he asks, looping Mike's other arm over his shoulder.
"Hit my leg against the turnbuckle post earlier." Ricardo makes a sympathetic face and Mike squeezes his shoulder thankfully. "Can you help me to AJ's locker room, man? I don't think I need the trainer, but-"
"Mike, go to the trainer's," AJ tells him tensely, her fingers digging into her divas title worriedly.
"No, sweetheart, I will after your match. I'm gonna watch it in your locker room, see how well you do." He strokes her hair with his free hand and smiles. "Just focus on that, I'll be fine. Ricardo will take good care of me." He looks up and catches Paige's eyes. "You take good care of her."
Paige nods. "Of course I will."
It's afterwards, when he and Ricardo are in the locker room, watching, and AJ and Paige win... that both men start to ponder her words, the tone of her voice, the look in her eyes. The victorious divas shake hands, AJ turns to leave and... Paige strikes, grabbing her hair, whiplashing her brutally to the ring. Throwing her into the barricade wall, into the turnbuckle post, over the commentary table where she lays, limp and motionless as the camera pans on her and the commentators demand information about her wellbeing. Everything else ceases to matter, Mike's aches and pain are meaningless as he crashes out of the locker room and races for the gorilla position, rushing past Paige too fast to even fully register her or allow his anger to supercede everything else. He's around at the table before he even realizes it and pushes the referees and trainers away, all but screaming at them as he slips past the chairs and kneels down by his wife, resting his hand on her face. "Sweetheart? AJ? Look at me..." Her eyes are fluttering and she instinctively reaches out for him, but she doesn't answer, she doesn't open her eyes. His heart sinks and he ignores everyone as he carefully, gently scoops her up and carries her out of the arena, not minding the rumble of whispers and wide eyed fans on either side of the ramp as he leads her back to the trainer's office.
The trainer, to his credit, is there already, waiting for them, and as soon as Mike sets her down on the cot, he begins to examine her. Mike struggles not to hyperventilate, not to cry, as she lays there, pale and quiet and so young looking. Yes, she had been beat up and beat down before, but never like that, never to this extent. When she finally wakes up half-way through the exam, he does cry then, pressing his forehead gently to hers and kissing her. "It's going to be ok, sweetheart, you're going to be just fine." They stay close to each other while the trainer finishes the examination, looking none too please but yet not dire either. "What's wrong with her?"
The trainer stares at him for a minute before beginning to speak. "She's going to be sore for awhile, and she might have a mild case of whiplash... we'll keep an eye on her for the next couple of weeks... but right now, I think she'll be ok. Bumps and bruises, and of course if she senses anything off, call me or go to the ER ASAP."
"Of course." Mike takes the painkillers he quietly offers them and then turns to her once more. "Let's go home, sweetheart." She nods wearily and he gently picks her up once more, ignoring the twinge of discomfort his leg provides him with each step as he walks her back to their car. Their things are there already, and he thinks it had to have been Ricardo, maybe Alicia. He settles her in the backseat and brushes her hair out of her eyes, smiling sadly at her. "I'm leaving it up to you, but do you want to go home to California? Or do you want to stay here until after Smackdown? I'm sure Sofia would be happy to take care of you if you do."
AJ blinks sleepily and grips his hand. "I wanna stay here with you," she breathes out, exhausted and tense with pain.
He nods, those damnable tears welling up in his eyes again. "Then that's what we'll do, sweetheart." He tenderly kisses her forehead and lays her title belt gently in her arms. "Get some rest, it's a long enough drive to Alberto's." She nods and settles into the cushions with a faint sigh, Mike stepping away from the car after shutting the passenger's side door and standing out in the dark parking lot before picking up a nearby tire iron that someone had abandoned for whatever reason and slams it into the brick wall separating the parking lot from the sidewalk, again and again and again as the vibrations echo up his hand into his arm. Finally unable to hold onto it any longer, he throws it into the distance and returns to the car, not wanting to worry AJ. He stares at her still sleeping form before turning back to the wheel and turning the key in the ignition. "I love you, sweetheart," he murmurs, backing the car up and peeling off into the night.