By Thursday, Mike is feeling a little jittery. He's not used to time off, always doing something- flying here or there for tapings, doing media events, autograph signings, filming movies or other guest spots in shows. The past few days have been the longest amount of time he had off in he's not sure how long. Not that that's a bad thing, he's glad for whatever time he gets with AJ, aware that soon enough she'll be in the uncomfortable part of her pregnancy where she can barely sleep because any way she lays will be awkward for them both.

Which also means now is the perfect time to go traveling. He rolls over and lays his head on AJ's shoulder, watching her sleep for a few moments before leaning in to kiss her. She moans and presses back, eyes fluttering as he hugs her. "Hey, sweetheart," he murmurs against her lips. She keens and presses against him, uninterested in waking up yet. "Sweetheart." He rubs up and down her back soothingly as she shakes her head against his chest. "Sweetheart..."

"No, stop," she mumbles. "I wanna stay here forever, and just sleep." He pulls back and kisses her eyelids, her nose, lips and forehead. "You're mean," she pouts sleepily, clinging to his shirt. "Stop waking me up... sleep's good for the baby and I."

"Ok, now you're just guilt tripping me." He pouts back at her when she peeks an eye open.

"Is it working?" She squeaks when he wraps his arms around her and gently settles her onto his lap. "What the-" She straddles him, a perplexed look on her sleepy face, and he grins, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Mike, why-"

"Live events this weekend," he tells her softly. "They're in Ohio. What do you say you come with, and we can see grandma and grandpa? Hmm?" AJ blinks a few times, slowly waking up and he smiles at her. "Since we haven't told them yet, now seems like the best time to do so. Hopefully mom won't be too fussy that we told our friends first..."

AJ laughs, then looks a little nervous. "Do you think they'll be offended that we waited so long?"

His hands smooth up and down her back. "No, sweetheart. I don't think so. They'll understand that we didn't want to tell them over the phone and that we've both just been too busy to come see them. Don't worry." He leans up and kisses her softly, feeling her hands flutter against his chest. He grins and deepens the kiss, cupping the back of her legs to hold her closer as he settles back against the pillows and she takes control, moaning out his name softly.

They're both sleepy and disinterested in moving when Mike notices the clock. Realizes what the time that has passed meant. "Ricardo's gone for India," he says faintly, feeling as she shifts, glances at the clock and then lays her head back upon his shoulder. "I'm gonna miss him." He strokes her hair and listens to her breathing.

"I know you will," she sighs. "He's a good friend to you. Even I'm a little sad that he won't be here to meet our baby for a few months. He's really good with his niece and nephew."

"Yeah," Mike whispers, kissing the top of her head. "Khali's school..." He scoffs a little. "He better take good care of him over there. It feels weird not being able to keep an eye on him myself. I know I was never really close enough to Florida to help him right away if he needed it, but... it was still a far deal better than when he's clear over in India, you know?" She sits up unexpectedly and analyzes his face with a small smile. "Wha- what is it?"

"Just thinking," she says, tracing the ridges of his eyebrows with soft fingers, moving down to his nose, his lips, his jaw, up along his cheeks towards his temples. "Of what an amazing, loving, protective father you're going to be. The baby and I are so lucky..." She closes her eyes and sinks back into his warmth, releasing a soft sigh as his hands brace her, guide her. "I love you so much."

He hums, his fingers pressed against her flesh. "I love you more," he breathes into her off of a sigh.

-x

Parma, Ohio hasn't changed much. It's something that Mike marvels at every time he goes to it, how much he's changed while his hometown remains the same. AJ likes it, at any rate, always wide eyed and amused by its charm and the people there. "Did you ever think about raising kids here?" she asks as they walk hand in hand through the residential area where his mom now lives. They'd asked the taxi to drop them off up the road so they could surprise her, Mike carrying their luggage in one hand.

"I did, maybe, when I was in college," he says slowly. "But I knew deep inside this wasn't the life I wanted. I had always dreamed of going to Hollywood, being a wrestler, something loftier than just helping out at my dad's business for the rest of my life." He kisses her hand and follows her up his mom's driveway, humming a little as she skips along the path up to the patio. "If I hadn't have done that, we might not be here right now... it's a weird thought, huh?" He draws her back towards him and she sighs, curling her arms around his neck as he rests his forehead against hers and stares into her eyes with a thoughtful smile.

"I like to think that even if you hadn't, I would've spotted an impeccably dressed man in the front row at one of the events in Cleveland and knew immediately that he was the one," she says softly.

"Oh yeah? Wouldn't that have made me a ring rat?" he asks with a smug grin. She tilts her head and ponders it before shaking her head. "No? Why not?"

"Because you wouldn't have come up to me with the intention of sleeping with me for five seconds of fame..." She grazes her nails down his chest. "I would've come up to you after I won my match decisively and given you my phone number and we would've talked, gotten to know each other... dated a few times, then fell in love and I'd have come out to Ohio to be with you, and we would've gotten married and had babies and... really, except for the fact that I'd have sandwiches whenever I wanted them, not much would've changed."

He pouts at her, despite his eyes shining at her story. "You have sandwiches whenever you want them already, sweetheart."

She's just nodded, about to respond, when the front door is pulled open and there Miz's mom stands, her eyes wide. "I thought we weren't going to see you until the event tonight! Oh, you've brought AJ! Come in, come in!" She ushers them in and takes the luggage before finding a place for it, taking AJ's hand and folding it in the crook of her own arm, chattering excitedly about this and that.

Mike falls back and lets the women have their moment, so relieved that his mom genuinely loves AJ. He hadn't been sure, their wedding had been so sudden and with none of their family members invited, but whatever uncertainties she might've harbored towards the woman had been vanquished as soon as he'd put that ring on her finger. Finally his mom releases AJ, as if remembering that her son's there too, and throws her arms around him. "I've missed you, mom," he says into her soft hair.

She laughs and swats at him before wiping at her eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it, Mikey. I haven't seen you in months."

He ducks his head and nods. "Things have been busy, Mom. I'll try to do better."

She shakes her head and cups his face, searching his eyes. "You're happy, right?" He nods and she smiles. "That's all I need to know then." She kisses his cheeks before turning back to AJ. "Come, come, we'll surprise George. I'll have him deliver sandwiches and then force him to stay for awhile so we can catch up."

While she places the call, Mike and AJ lock eyes and he nods, her lips lifting into a nervous smile. He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her, careful not to let the cat out of the bag early by showing too much attention to her stomach, which they'd minimalized how she was beginning to show by having her wear one of his large merch shirts and some of the maternity pants that Foxy had helped her pick out weeks ago. He hovers near her as she hoists herself up on a barstool, clearly considering getting her a chair, but she shakes her head quietly, not wanting to raise suspicions.

The three of them talk about WWE, and AJ's retirement, her book and Alex and Alicia's wedding until finally they hear a car pull up and Mike's dad starts banging on the door. "Barbara! Why couldn't you come out and get these yourself? Why'd I have to-" He lets himself in, as usual, and his rant fades away as soon as he spots his son and daughter in law. "Oh... Michael, you're here. Hello, AJ," he says, putting the bag of sandwiches down. "That explains why you ordered so much."

"Yes," Miz's mom says simply. "They surprised me and I figured we could have a meal like a family since we both get to see him so rarely."

"Hi, Dad," Mike says, getting up and giving him a quick hug. George turns to AJ and hugs her in turn but it's another simple, brisk hug that she barely gets to feel before he's gone, set to distribute the sandwiches. He knows Barbara's tastes, and Mike's, so he figures the strange part of the order to be AJ's. "Italian, turkey, and cheesesteak," he says, passing them over.

The four of them eat mostly in silence, AJ's eyes widening upon the first taste of her sub. She'd only had a couple of opportunities to have her father-in-law's wares, though Mike had made decent recreations of them at home, but it tastes even better than usual right now. For obvious reasons, she finishes eating before the others, looking mortified when Barbara starts eyeing her between bites. Mike strokes her knuckles, trying to calm her down, before he finishes his own sub. "Mom, dad, we have some news." He smirks when his mom gets this "Aha" look on her face, but she keeps it to herself, putting her sub down to listen intently. George, not catching on quite as quickly, does the same and they turn to stare at the couple. "Do you want to say it, sweetheart?" he asks, but she's still mortified, shaking her head desperately, so he nods and takes her hand, lifting it and kissing it once more, trying to calm her.

Facing his parents once more, he swallows and grins anxiously. "Well, um. We wanted to tell you both sooner, but the time was never right, I could never get time off to come home and she was busy too, and... well..." His fingers brush circles in her knuckles as she breathes in deeply, waiting for him to say, for his parents to react. "In about five months, you're going to be grandparents."

The silence is so deep that Mike can hear the wind rustling through the trees outside. Before he and AJ could really fret, Barbara gasps as tears fill her eyes and pour down her face, the woman immediately hopping down from the stool. "Silly girl, why are you up there!? You need something comfortable and with back support! I'll get you a real chair," she exclaims, rushing off. She comes back with a soft padded chair and Mike helps her drag it into place, holding his hands out to help AJ down from the stool. "You should've said something right away, I would've done this to begin with! If something had happened..."

"She's fine, mom," Mike tells her soothingly. When Barbara swats at him, he recoils. "Mom!"

"You need to be more careful with her!" she chides him, George finally interceding and stepping between them.

"Congratulations, Michael," he says and, although he sounds calm, Mike is surprised to find that his eyes are wet with unshed tears. This time their hug is more lengthy and he pats Mike on the back a few times before turning to AJ, hugging her warmly as well. "I'm happy for you both." He steps back and turns towards the bags still on the counter, not-so-discreetly wiping at his eyes. "Good thing I brought some extra things that you didn't order."

"What'd you bring?" Barbara asks, voice still choked with tears as she hugs AJ with one arm, the other wrapped around Mike.

He merely smiles and pulls out individual dessert packages, handing them out. AJ gapes down at the strawberry cheesecake in her hands, eyes widening. "How did you know I was craving cheesecake?!"

Mike laughs and kisses the top of her head, offering her his chocolate cheesecake. She shakes her head, already feeling around for a fork to dig into what she already has. They join her and all resume eating while the ladies discuss the pregnancy, Barbara recalling bits of her own pregnancy with fond laughter after AJ gives her a copy of the first sonogram. By the time all of the cheesecake is gone, Mike has to leave to prepare for the live event that his mom will be at, his dad needing to return to the sandwich shop to handle the early evening rush.

He kisses his wife, hugs his mom, and heads for the door. Hesitates in the doorway, however, listening when AJ starts to talk. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Mizanin. I've been a little scared about everything, but hearing your stories helped to calm me down... Thank you."

Mike crosses his arms, waiting for the expected response, and sure enough... "AJ, what have I told you about the "Mrs. Mizanin" thing?" She sounds a mixture of scolding, amused and sad, which was a combination that always haunted Mike and he cringes, aware of how AJ will probably feel in the face of his mom's varied emotions.

"Right. Barbara. I'm sorry." AJ sounds close to tears all of a sudden and Mike considers sneaking back in to sooth her, but when he peeks around the corner, his mom is hugging her warmly, stroking her hair. "It's just hormones," she laughs awkwardly, wiping her eyes. "I'm ok. Really."

"Of course you are." Barbara smiles up at her. "Don't worry about it." She runs her fingers through AJ's soft brown hair for a few moments. "I'm so happy you're giving my son the family I've always wanted for him... this little one is going to be so loved and cherished."

Mike smiles at the two best women in his life before turning and heading out for the arena. He has a match against Jack Swagger and he thinks it's going to be some nothing match, but he looks over to find his mom and AJ sitting side by side, fans whispering and pointing towards his wife, and it distracts him, leaves him feeling uncomfortable. She hadn't been at an event in any shape or form since Wrestlemania, and he's not sure how safe she really is in the front row like this. In the end, this distraction is enough for Swagger to trap him in his standard submission hold and he gasps, staring up at the lights overhead.

It's mortifying, especially since he'd been off for a week, and his mom's heavy stare is on his back as he struggles up to his feet, limping a little thanks to Swagger's anklelock. She and AJ do look really concerned for him so he stumbles over to them and hugs AJ first, whispering, "I'm ok. I tapped before he did any damage." She nods and he turns to his mother, hugging her too. "Sorry I lost, I wanted to do better..."

"It's ok, Mikey," she tells him softly. "Take care of yourself backstage, we'll see you soon."

He nods and smiles at her before winking over at AJ and leaving up the ramp, relieved when he finally sits down to rest his ankle before he gets dressed and prepares to leave. After the event, they end up at Mr. Hero's, arriving just before George closes the shop down. He serves them quickly with more subs and cheesecake, finishing up the other customers before joining them. "How did the show go tonight?"

"I lost against Swagger but it was fine," Mike says once he's swallowed some lunchmeat and vegetables. "I think... Mom, AJ? What'd you think?"

"It was fine," they say at the same time, George and Mike exchanging a wary glance as they giggle. Once they finish eating, AJ gets sleepy and Mike has to guide her to the car, relieved that the drive home is mostly a straight shot as she lays in his lap and falls asleep. Once they arrive, he carries her inside and lays her down in his old bedroom, kissing her mouth and stroking her hair. "I love you," he whispers to her before kicking his shoes off and laying next to her, wrapping an arm around her. As much as he loves California, he's always been easily relaxed in Ohio and he's asleep within minutes.

The next morning, AJ heads back to the airport to fly home to California after hugging his mom, and kissing Mike. "I'll see you at home Tuesday," she tells him with a soft smile, walking through the gate and out of sight while he and Barbara watch.

Mike's farewell with his mom is a little easier, the two of them quickly hug and Barbara kisses him on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you," she whispers to him. "You're going to be such an amazing father. I can't wait to see it." She cups his face and smiles up at him before patting his cheek. "Have a safe trip, Mikey. I'll call you soon."

"Thanks, mom. Bye." He smiles down at her before walking back to the car and driving off for the next event. He loses to Swagger again but this time it stings a little less- his distraction stems from his ankle still being tender from the night before, leaving him open to attack.

He's still limping a bit when he arrives in New York for Raw, and Paige raises her eyebrows at him when they meet up outside of the airport. "What happened to you?"

"Ankle lock," he says dismissively, throwing his bag into the trunk and leaning against the car, staring at her. "So... how are you? I saw Ricardo arrived safely in India."

She nods. "Yes, he did. We talked briefly yesterday, he seems to be really happy." But she looks miserable, pale and more than a little exhausted.

He steps forward and wraps an arm around her. "I'm sorry." Squeezing her shoulder, he tries to appear comforting in the face of her misery. "At least he has wifi, so we'll hear from him sometimes... and it sounds like the people over there are being decent to him too so that's one less thing to worry about."

"I know," she sighs sadly. "I just... I miss him so much." Tears well up in her dark eyes, as she begins shaking against him. "I'm sorry, can you just... hold me for a minute?" Mike nods, wrapping his arms around her as she sobs into his neck. They stand quietly for a few minutes, ignoring everyone coming and going, until she finally pulls away and wipes at her face. "Can I show you something?" Her voice is gravely, thick with tears, but he nods and she pulls out her phone, running through pictures until she finds what she's looking for and holds it out to him. He stares at the picture of a ring on the screen before looking up at her. "Ricardo... asked my parents if he could marry me... but Total Divas convinced him neither of us are ready for it... so we're going to wait, but that ring... it's there, and I think... I could see myself marrying him. I could never picture that with Bradley or Kevin, or anyone else..." She looks up at Mike desperately. "Is that weird?"

"No," he says slowly. "I could imagine AJ and I together for the rest of our lives long before she broke up with Ziggler. I just never thought it was possible." He wipes her face with one of the kleenexes he's started to keep on hand since AJ's hormones became even more intense. "At least with you and Ricardo, you know there's a really good chance that it'll happen."

"I hope so," she sighs brokenly. Mike hugs her for a moment longer before guiding her into the arena, where they learn that he's been scheduled another MizTV with Becky and Charlotte to discuss what's happened the last couple of weeks. "Oh, bloody lovely," Paige sighs. "Guess I'll see you out there then."

"Yep, see ya." Mike shakes his head, going to the locker room to prepare. This edition of MizTV goes even worse than the last few he'd hosted, Becky and Charlotte quickly taking it over to insult him. He tolerates as much of it as he can until the Bellas and Alicia comes out, so he just leaves to let them argue amongst themselves. He passes by Paige in the hallway and smirks at her as she heads out to confront the other five divas as well.

This devolves into a brawl, then a six woman tag match with Natalya getting involved when Paige tries to bail, and by the end of it, Miz is confused but more eager just to go back to the hotel and rest his ankle. They'll be leaving in the morning so he'll have a little bit of time with his wife, which is the only thing on his mind as they walk to the car. Paige leans against the headrest of the car seat and peers over at Mike. "You're really lucky, you know?"

"How so?" he asks, barely observing what she's saying.

"You get to home to AJ... me, I'll be lucky to have a facetime session with Ricardo a couple of hours before bed..." She sighs and turns to look out of the window sadly.

Mike glances over at her worriedly but ultimately keeps his thoughts to himself, deciding that sleep would help her more than cheap platitudes right now. All they can do is wait until Ricardo returns and everything is nearly normal once more...