Sometimes Mike's never sure what's going to come along for him personally or professionally, especially during Miz and Mrs filming. Sometimes it's nothing more than a party that goes a little later than it has any reason to where his father and Marjo make things weird and louder than they need to be- which if Mike is saying that, you know it's bad. Sometimes it's medical procedures that are kind of personal and a whole lot delicate that end up being talked about and shown a little too much of, maybe.
And sometimes he ends up getting placed in a mixed tag match with his wife against Edge and Beth Phoenix. Which is where he's at right now. And it's fine, he thinks they'd do alright- except that Maryse keeps leaving. He keeps turning to address her to find the space behind him empty, his having no choice but to turn tail and leave too, embarrassed and worried. "Maryse," he calls out, finally spotting her storming towards the garage with her luggage. "Hey, wait, really, we need to talk about this."
He's painfully conscientious of the cameras following him, some WWE's, most Miz and Mrs' so he tries to keep the act up, but damn, he wants to take her by the shoulders and remind her that AJ would not be giving him this kind of trouble right now, even with her neck issues. She'd never leave him high and dry- not once, much less multiple times.
It's not until she turns to glower at him that he recoils a little. Her eyes are red, and wet, and he realizes her chest is hitching with each breath. "I don't want this!" she cries, throwing her free hand up. "I... I haven't wrestled in years, I'm..." She gasps. "I'm a mother, I have little girls who depend on me, I... I..." She struggles, looking back at the cameras filming every second, catching every word. "I have a husband," she chokes. "Who supposedly loves me but will drag me into these situations and I'm supposed to be ok with it! We've seen what Beth Phoenix and Edge both are capable of- what if she hurts me? What am I supposed to do then? My little girls shouldn't have to witness that, shouldn't need to be scared at the thought of mama coming home in pain because you couldn't handle your business the first time!"
Mike swallows, listening to her. Aching. He knows when he speaks, he tends to lean toward bombast type monologues, but her voice is still echoing around the halls, and he grits his teeth, keeping his words slow and calm. "Listen, Maryse. I know this is rough, I know you were kind of thrown into this, hell, so was I. I'd keep you out of the ring forever if I could, but we both know unfortunately that's not how these things work. All I can promise you is I will be by your side through all of it, and I will do my best to get you back to your girls in one piece. But you need to stop leaving me."
She stares at him, tears glistening in her eyes, jaw twitching with the tension coiling within her. Finally she softens a little, exhaling shakily. "I'll try," she tells him faintly. "I make no promises. But I... I will do my best."
"That's all I can ask of you," Mike tells her, taking a few steps forward to wrap his arms around her. She melts into his embrace and he sighs faintly, tilting his face to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Thank you, Maryse."
She doesn't say anything and he exhales, troubled. He still has doubts how this will go, but the Rumble is right around the corner, and it's clear Pearce nor Sonya will budge on this, so all they really can do is fight as hard as they can, and hope for the best.