A/N: I have a ko-fi page now! If you want to help me stay caffeinated to keep the words flowing, my account name over there is corneroffandom. Thank you! Either way, enjoy the chapter.

"Wait," Mike says. "You did... what?"

John sighs. "I was practicing parkour. There was oil on the floor, and I just... slipped on it, and dislocated my elbow." John had taken great care to be healthy and happy in his career since the neck injury that had taken him out of competition for so long all of those years ago, and he'd mostly succeeded... until now.

"Well, I mean, that sucks," Mike says once he realizes it's been a few moments and he hasn't said anything. "You're going to be ok, right?"

"Yeah," John says. "I just have to be careful now that it's been popped back into place, and make sure I don't fall again. It should heal fine, with time."

Mike breathes a little easier hearing this. "Well, if you need anything, you call me. I'll do what I can to help you when I'm home." AJ shifts against him, poking him, and he smiles at her. "AJ will too, she says. Says she still owes you one from helping when she was in labor."

"Eh, she doesn't owe me anything, neither do you. It's what friends do, right?" John pauses. "But it would help Taya relax if someone was nearby if I needed anything."

"Exactly!" Mike says. "Any time you need anything, John. We're here. Don't forget that."

"I won't. Anyway, I have a photo shoot to prepare for so I have to go."

"You're doing a photoshoot with a busted arm?" Mike shakes his head. "You are a ridiculous man." He laughs. "Talk to you later then."

"Yep. Bye."

Mike rolls his eyes as soon as the phone clicks, kissing AJ on the side of the head as she squeezes him. "I swear. This is why I never got into parkour."

She laughs at him, lightly poking his abs. "Sure, Mike. That's why." She sits up and kisses him as he makes offended noises at her. "But I'm glad you didn't, considering. I prefer you in one piece."

"So do I," he admits with a laugh, tangling his fingers in her hair and drawing her in for another kiss.

Tuesday comes quicker than he'd like, Mike flying out to Florida, doing some media and then when it's time, he goes to where his trailer from Miz and Mrs is parked waiting for him. He settles into the carefully designed area and faces the cameras that will film him for Smackdown. Byron Saxton had requested an interview after he'd agreed to face Daniel at Summerslam and he'd granted it, spending the entire time talking over the man, insulting him, Daniel Bryan, and whatever else he can think of. It's going ok until he hears a commotion at the door, his security running to check on it.

Mike's not sure what's happened when he gets jumped, Daniel appearing out of nowhere and beating him up, his security up, everyone. It's instinctual, Mike reaching out and grabbing the only thing really still standing. He slams a huge vase down on Daniel's upper back, downing him, and staggers away to relative safety. Florida is hot and humid, but it feels much better than getting beat up further by Daniel, so he runs to his car and quickly peels away, relieved to find a relatively safe place a few blocks away where he can sit and catch his breath for a minute. His face and body are kind of sore, but all in all, he thinks he's better off than Daniel right now. "Shit," he mumbles, digging knuckles into his eyes. He hadn't wanted to wrestle Daniel but he also knows the only way to shut him up, prove all of his haters wrong, would be to see this thing through to a conclusion at Summerslam, beat Daniel and move on with his career.

It's the only thing that makes sense.

-x

He goes home the next day and sighs, relieved to get out of the car and walk towards his house. His smile turns uncertain when AJ greets him at the door, poking him in the chest with a stern look on her face. "Sweetheart, what's up?"

She rolls her eyes and holds something out to him. "What exactly is this, Mike?"

He takes the jar from her and stares at it, confused. "Peanut butter?"

"The namebrand, Mike," she says patiently.

He frowns. "Jif peanut butter."

She takes that from him and hands him a flyer. "This?"

"Jiffy Lube," he says, suspecting he knows what she's getting at. Especially after the response he'd gotten on social media. "Sweetheart..."

"So if JIF is peanut butter and car oil, Graphics Interchange Format is...?"

Mike shakes his head, an affectionate smirk crossing his face. AJ's cute when she's annoyed with me, he thinks. "Ji-"

"Husband," she says warningly.

He laughs. "GIF," he says with a shrug, not wanting to argue with her over something like this.

"Damn straight," she says, tapping him on the nose, lips twitching upwards into an amused smile. "We say GIF in this house. We're civilized, after all."

"Sometimes," he laughs, relieved when she steps back and lets him inside. Sara stares up at him from the living room doorway and he breezes over to her, hoisting her up. "Now, Ms. Sara Lou, is there anything you need to have a talk with me over too? Or are we good?" She kicks her feet lightly and presses her face into his chest, Mike smiling. "Yeah, I missed you too, baby girl," he says softly, kissing the back of her head.

AJ smiles at him and walks over, brushing a hand down their daughter's back, glancing up at Mike through her eyelashes. "I also missed you."

"I missed you too," he says, leaning in to kiss her. "Even if you can't pronounce words right." She gasps and swats him and he laughs, drawing her back in and kissing her again, perfectly happy to put Daniel out of his head while surrounded by his girls.