A/N: This chapter is filler. I may have done more with it, but in the middle of writing it, the news that Chyna passed away hit so I didn't feel like doing much more. RIP, Chyna, and I hope you find some peace now.
Smackdown is rough. He has to stand next to Maryse as she introduces MizTV, the words sour on his tongue as he speaks. The fact that it's the show AJ had given him being defiled by this sham of an act they have going on leaves him almost relieved when Zack Ryder interrupts, insulting him and Maryse for good measure before challenging him for the Intercontinental title. He grimaces, having glanced at the match board before coming out here. Feigns to accept the match just to alert Zack that he has a match already scheduled against Baron Corbin. Watches as Zack's face falls, then sets in determined annoyance.
Mike laughs at him, Maryse's equal response a faint buzz in his ears before they loop arms and walk backstage as flauntingly as possible. He watches the match on the nearest screen, knowing how it's going to end- or at least he thinks he does, releasing a breath when Dolph Ziggler all but barrels him over while rushing for the ring to get his hands on Baron and rescuing Zack from the post-match beatdown, rolling out of the ring once Baron is far enough away to lean down and check on Zack, cupping his face and examining him.
It's not Mike's first UK tour without AJ, it won't be his last. But still, he feels awful. She's barely talking to him, only telling him what she feels he deserves to know about Sara Louisa- how she's holding her own head up for bits of time now and again, how she responds to the soft music from the baby channel that AJ had found on the TV, how she had cried when her first rounds of immunizations had been injected into her and how AJ had wanted to cry too, just for her to be a content, quiet baby once more within five minutes.
He hates missing all of these milestones, wanting to see every second of his little girl's life, and comfort AJ through all of the problems, but with everything going on, he's pretty sure AJ is relieved for the break, to have this bit of time with their daughter alone, to wrap her mind around what's been going on, his decision to help Maryse. He tries to accept everything AJ says and does until her last few words finally register with him. "Wait, what?"
"Sara is too big for the bassinett," she says bluntly. "I'm moving her into the crib, and you can have the main bed back because I'll be sleeping in the nursery."
It feels like a sieve is closing around his chest and he can barely breathe, sitting down heavily and grasping at the table across from him. "AJ... you don't have to do that," he finally chokes out. "I'm fine in there, you should keep the bed-"
"I don't want it," she says coolly, making him stop short. "You take the bed, you're wrestling multiple days a week. I'll be fine in our daughter's bedroom."
He swallows hard, staring down at his hands. "AJ, please," he says after a few moments of painful silence. "Is there anything I can do to fix this?"
Her silence is telling. The baby starts to fuss in the background and AJ hesitates only a second. "I need to go."
Mike listens as the phone clicks, ending their call sufficiently, before leaning forward and resting his head in his hands, miserable and lost and unable to do anything about it while in the UK... not that he thinks being in the States would help the situation any anyway. "Dammit," he sighs, before heading to the ring. What he thought was going to be a talking segment turns into an eight man tag match, him with the League of Nations vs Cesaro and The New Day. Mike shares a brisk nod with Alberto, who also has drama happening- something hush hush going on with Ricardo, Mike isn't sure what at the moment, but vows to find out once he has some things figured out in his own orbit.
They lose, they head backstage, and Mike ponders trying to call AJ, but the timezone gives him pause. Finally he just leaves it, thinking AJ is probably either feeding Sara, or trying to get her to nap, or whatever else that would leave her even less inclined to talk to him. He settles for staring at his phone, where there's a relatively recent picture of Sara being held by AJ. "I love you both," he whispers to the screen, running a finger over the slightly grainy image.