Mike struggles to hold it together after losing to The Fiend, and everything that went wrong on Smackdown. He smiles around AJ and the kids, tries to focus on Miz and Mrs filming, and even some promotional work for a show resembling Wipeout that he's hosting on the USA Network soon. But no matter what he does, how cheerful he tries to act, nothing feels right. Everything's empty and vague, and Mike realizes after a weak attempt at conversation with Ricardo and Alicia that he misses John.
He'll be back soon, he reminds himself. It won't be like this forever. But even that does nothing to console him, just leaves him picking at his cuticles while he stares up at the sky overhead, Sara's soft babbling as she plays nearby the only thing able to break through his funk. He looks down at his daughter and hoists her up into his arms, hugging her close. "I'm glad he didn't target you," he murmurs into her soft hair, rocking her lightly. "I feel awful that Monroe went through all of that, but I'd do anything to protect you from being scared like that, baby girl."
Sara blinks up at him and buries her face into his chest with a smile on her face. "Daddy," she babbles and he squeezes her for a few more precious seconds before putting her back down on the grass so she can continue playing unhindered by his glum mood.
AJ comes out after a few moments and settles in behind him, steady touch warm against his shoulders. "You doing alright, husband?" she whispers, lips gentle against his jaw as he leans into her.
"Yeah, I'm ok," he murmurs, finding her hand and interlacing their fingers. "Sorry I let everyone down against The Fiend though."
AJ grips his jaw and turns him towards her, a dark look in her eyes. "Husband, you let no one down, alright? You fought hard, we all saw it." Her voice fades away and, when she speaks again, she's shaky and her eyes are bright. "When he was standing over you with that mallet... I..." She shakes her head, bites her lip. "Mike, I still remember finding you against the chain link fence with LIAR written over your chest, unconscious. This is not the first time Bray Wyatt has tried to take you from me." She searches his eyes. "I sincerely hope it's the last time, though."
He exhales, realizing anew just what all of this has done to AJ. "I hope so too, sweetheart. I hope so too." He wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head as she breathes him in. "I will do my best to stay safe, no matter what happens on Smackdown."
"You'd better," she mumbles into his shirt, clinging anxiously to him.
In the end, Smackdown is a nonevent. For a moment, Mike thinks it's just going to be him and Daniel because Corbin drops out, but by the end of the night, the match is back to what it was originally as a triple threat and of course Corbin's followers intervene, try to get the outcome they desire, but nothing comes of it- in the end, it's Daniel tapping Mike out and he stares up at the lights, a weird mix of relief and disappointment pulsing in his veins. He had wanted one last opportunity at The Fiend to get revenge for his family, but he knows that it's not fair to AJ or his children or Maryse and Heath's family to put them through another month of this.
He rolls painfully out of the ring, trying to stretch his shoulders and listening to Bray's message for Daniel. It's bitter and makes him feel weak and pathetic but he still can't help thinking, At least it wasn't me.