Chapter 17

Delilah was too busy getting ready for her match since it would be second on the card, currently doing stretches and her warmups. Simply going out and doing a match required a lot of preparation because muscles had to be warmed up. It helped her move quicker in the ring, along with her agility and power. The red skirt was off, leaving her in the bodysuit with the fishnets and she'd swapped her heels out for her black wrestling boots. A shadow fell over her and she looked up, somewhat surprised to see her ex-boyfriend staring back at her. They had dated for a couple months and she called it quits, wanting to focus solely on her career and, not to mention, he was in Japan at the time. Long distance did NOT work, especially when each person was in a different country.

"What do you want, Kenny?" She asked resignedly, continuing her stretching and wished he'd leave her alone.

"Hey, I had to come see my favorite woman." Kenny remarked with an easy grin, though his eyes were a bit guarded as they drank her in. She was gorgeous, always had been, and that bodysuit accented the delicious curves he knew lay beneath. "It's been a while, Lila, I figured…enough time had passed where we could at least be friends again." He had NOT been fine with her ending things between them. Japan was temporary and she hadn't been fine with him being across the world, but she also had known what dating in this business was like.

Lila…he was the only one who called her that and it always sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Kenny, however, being in Japan while she was in the states…it wasn't possible to keep a relationship going. "So, you want to be my friend and that's it?" Delilah heard that line before, her blood beginning to boil at the memory of Jon saying the same thing to her back in Cincinnati. Swallowing it down, she wouldn't take it out on Kenny as she rose back to her feet to face him, keeping her arms at her sides. "And I'm your favorite woman, eh? Sounds like a come-on line there, Omega."

"Could be, Callihan." He shot back, the grin never faltering. "A guy never knows where he stands with you." Even when she was saying no, Delilah sometimes teased, and he had learned quick that when she said no or we're done, she MEANT it. Delilah had PROCEED WITH CAUTION written all over her, which naturally made her practically irresistible to most red-blooded males. "We're both working for the same company, on the same continent this time." He pointed out quietly, seriousness taking over his face. "We could try again."

Her eyes lowered from him and Delilah took a tentative step back, shaking her head slowly. "We had our shot and it didn't work out, Kenny. I'm not one to repeat relationships."

After what happened with Jon last night, she was done with men for a while. For some reason, she didn't care if Sami disapproved of her relationship with Kenny, but that was because he wasn't Sami's best friend. He wasn't like a brother to Sami. Jon was WAY different and there were reasons why she couldn't be with him as opposed to Kenny, who had gotten pissed at her for ending their relationship because he wanted to wrestle in Japan.

"We can be friends though, I'd like that…" Oh boy, she did NOT like the dark look that came over his eyes.

Kenny wasn't amused. The reasons she had ended their relationship were no longer valid, so why wasn't she willing to try again now that basically all her unnamed conditions had been met? "Things are different now, Lila, and even you can't deny we were good together." When we're in the same country, he mentally amended, not moving to step closer because she wouldn't hesitate to knock his head off if she thought he was pushing it.

Though…maybe Delilah wouldn't, not tonight, not on the first night of AEW, well…her first night. Unless he laid hands on her, if she did anything, it'd be assault. He stepped further into the room, inhaling her scent and groaned. She was in the main women's locker room, not needing her own like some of the other stars in the company. Delilah was perfectly fine with changing and showering with the other women she worked with. A few of them she knew pretty well and had wrestled quite a few times throughout the Indies. This would be a lot of fun, if men would just leave her alone for more than three seconds and let her actually FOCUS on her upcoming match.

"I really don't have time for this right now. Can we talk about this later, please?" First Jon and now Kenny…sometimes, Delilah wished she was ugly, just so men would leave her the hell alone.

No, that would never happen. Delilah had admitted before that she used her looks and ENHANCED them, no less, such as the silver dye and contouring with makeup, to DRAW attention. She did it for her wrestling persona, but… people were people and it drew attention from more than just fans. Men especially.

"You won't bail on me, will you, Lila?" He asked, knowing her tricks because it wouldn't have been the first time. When she shook her head no, Kenny grinned. "Okay then."

"Omega…jus-T," Jon popped the T, his cold and calculating electric blues moving between the pair from his place in the open door. "Therookie, I was looking for."

After the night she had with Moxley, Delilah would ABSOLUTELY bail on Kenny and wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt doing it, raising a slow brow at Jon in the doorway. "Okay boys, this is the WOMEN'S dressing room and you both do not need to be in here. So, get out and have your meeting elsewhere." She ordered, shoving Kenny toward the door and right into Jon, grinning coldly, before slamming the door in their faces. "Assholes." She muttered, shaking her head and proceeded to keep warming up for her match.

What the hell did Jon want with Kenny anyway? And why did he call him a rookie? Kenny was far from a rookie and had been in the business for a while. More importantly, why did she even care? Jon had absolutely zero fucks to give about Delilah right now, he was on the clock and a shark about to devour this stupid little fish.

"Rookie?" Kenny snorted derisively, not appreciating the interruption. "Do you mind, sell out?" He purposefully accented that, letting Moxley know JUST what he thought of him. Going to WWE didn't mean anything these days; everyone knew the former powerhouse was nothing except a shell of itself. "I was busy with my woman."

The smile that spread across Jon's lips could be described as sickly amused and borderline feral. "Oh,re-eally?"

Delilah shut her eyes when she overheard that through the door, since they were JUST outside of it and groaned, yanking it open. "I am NOT your woman, Kenny! God!" She did NOT appreciate being called that because it wasn't the truth. Now Jon was staring daggers at her and she knew she'd have to explain herself, ignoring Kenny's narrowed eyes. "Kenny and I had a relationship a while ago and we split up because we were on different continents and I wanted to focus on my wrestling career. I still do." She shot that at Kenny for good measure, narrowing her own eyes at him. "I am NOBODY'S woman – I am my own woman and I refuse to be involved in whatever pissing contest you two have going on. Kenny, I am not interested in rekindling anything with you and there won't be any talking going on tonight after the show." He had ruined any chance with her by opening his mouth and lying through his teeth about her.

Jon folded his arms over his chest, cocking a brow. "Hate to break it to you, babe-"

"Don't call her that."

"But our pissing contest doesn't involve you." Well, on HIS end it didn't. "Me and the rook," He unfolded his arms, just to drape one around Kenny's neck and brought him thudding into his own body, smirking when Kenny growled. "Are going to have a work chat." He waved his free hand at her in a 'tootles' gesture before pulling Kenny down the hallway.

As soon as he was released from that very painful hold, his face beat red, Kenny was ready to beat the snot out of Moxley.

"Nuh uh." Cody was right there, not surprised they were already 'making friends'; he had known Jon wouldn't take the crap rookie talk well. "Save it, you two."

Jon was a dick and always had been. Some things truly would never change in this world. That was fine. She silently hoped Kenny got his backside handed to him after calling her 'his woman' to Jon, of all people. Not that Kenny knew what had transpired between her and Moxley the previous night because…he didn't. Nobody did. She was going to try to keep it that way unless Jon ran his mouth. Now, even though he was a dick, Delilah knew he wouldn't and was a private person at heart, for the most part. Finishing getting ready for her match, she watched as the event kicked off and smiled at how much BETTER the product was compared to watered down WWE.

Jon WAS a private person at heart and, even though she had ticked him off, he would never put her on the spot like that. He wouldn't air their laundry out in the open because it was nobody's business, but theirs, once she remembered all of it anyway. Hence the 'not about you' line. Though…Kenny had given him an extra reason – as if he needed one – to really make an explosive debut. For the most part, Jon had always been good about keeping personal and professional separate, at least in the WWE, where things of that nature didn't fly, blending the two. Snorting, he watched as Omega retreated, both men staring each other down.

Delilah had her match in the fatal four-way and it went well enough with Britt Baker walking away with the new AEW Women's championship. That was fine. Delilah didn't want to win it right out the gate and wanted to EARN her title shot. Not that Britt hadn't, she was a phenomenal athlete and they were friends; she was genuinely happy for her and hopefully, one day, it would be them one-on-one in the ring together for that AEW Women's title. Walking through the curtain, Kenny was right there since his match against Chris Jericho, for the coveted AEW World Heavyweight championship, was next and she glanced at him briefly before making her way to the women's locker room to shower.

Jon was further down the hall, ready and waiting patiently. He had caught her match and flashed her a grin when she drew close. "You were great out there, doll."

She had rocked that ring and he figured the only thing stopping her from walking out with that title had been…well, it was her debut and Delilah wasn't the kind who wanted to be 'pushed' out the gate. She wanted to earn it. A rare breed and way too noble when it came to the ring, which was not always a bad thing.

"You feel the rush?" She had gotten her fair share of cheers.

Despite what happened between them, the ONE thing they could always agree on was wrestling and how it felt being out there in that ring performing. "Yeah, my adrenaline is still pumping." Delilah beamed at him, her body glistening with sweat and her ponytail was slightly messed up from the match. Admitting this only to herself, Jon looked scrumptious in a pair of army camouflage cargo pants and an unbuttoned black shirt with the word MOX spray-painted on the back in orangish red color. He was ready for this. "Have fun out there tonight, Moxley. This is your comeback, what you've waited nearly 8 long years for, so don't hold anything back. Make the world and all those fans out there remember who you always have been. Make them forget Dean Ambrose ever existed. I'll be watching." Delilah would always be his fan, even if he was a jackass.

"Good, you can see the return of Mox!" He shook his head and waved as she continued down the hall. Since she wasn't watching, he cocked his head and eyeballed her, taking in the way her 'outfit' hugged those delectable curves, letting out a wolf whistle. "Sorry doll, but those fishnets…the bodysuit…I'm only human." He was laughing good-naturedly, even as she flipped him off. Only human, only male, and she looked delicious. Hearing the music cueing the next match, the main event, his eyes snapped forward, rolling his neck.

Game time.

Instead of taking a shower, Delilah sat down in the women's locker room in front of the monitor, with Britt and even Brandi, who had joined them to celebrate. Cody had already had his match against his brother, Dustin, so she was free for the rest of the night. They had popped some bubbly, toasted to a well done match, along with Britt winning the title and the women embraced.

"I still can't believe you're here. I had no doubt in my mind Brandi would hit you up for a contract. Hey, there's an afterparty tonight, are you going?" Britt asked excitedly, her own adrenaline still pumping and the high she felt out there hadn't gone away.

Booze was a BAD idea, especially after what happened last night. "Probably not…"

"Oh, come on, Del! You gotta go! It's a celebration for all of us FINALLY finding a home from the Indies!"

"I'm not really in the mood." Delilah didn't want to drink and afterparties usually had alcohol. "I'll think about it."

Britt had a feeling there was more than Delilah was letting on and decided not to push her while they both turned to look at the monitor, watching the match. "Oh man…"

Suddenly, JR's voice rang throughout the headset after the match was over with Chris Jericho winning the AEW world title. "Hey – HEY! WHAT THE HELL?!"

"JOOOONNN MOXLEY!" Excalibur, another announcer, roared through the headset as the fans started going ballistic at the sight of him.

No music or pyro, nothing.

Jon Moxley came stalking through the crowd with a purpose, swaggering as only he could and rolled right into the ring under the bottom rope, coming face to face with Chris Jericho. The electricity in the air was peaked off the charts as the fans blew horns from the crowd and Jon was pandering to them, his electric blues practically on fire. Just as Chris came towards him, shouting, Jon dropped him with a DDT. Then he rolled right up and jumped up on the ropes, breathing in every bit of this that he could and feeling alive for the first time in nearly 8 years. He was breathing fresh air for the first time since escaping prison and it was time to finally enjoy and love the sport that saved his life all those years ago.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

"Wow, listen to that crowd!"

Delilah was and couldn't wipe the smile off her face even if she wanted to.

Full blown Moxley at the moment, Jon was sitting somewhere on a backburner, twiddling his thumbs. Omega had to be CONVINCED, wasn't that what Rhodes had said? Moxley may have been dormant for past almost 8 years, but that just meant he was well rested and hungry. Really, really hungry and this jackass who insisted on calling him 'rookie' and 'sell out', looked delicious. Jon helped Omega to this feet, slowly, because he was unsteady from the fight he just had with Jericho. He tried to drop him just like Jericho, but Omega's adrenaline was still pumping through his veins and he sent both of them through the middle rope, landing on the outside of the ring.

They continued brawling through the fans, near the front of the staging, where a huge stack of casino chips was set up. Somehow, someway, both men wound up on top of those chips and Jon lifted Omega up, driving him crashing down to the stage below, smashing through it. Jon spread his arms out, the lighting behind him cutting a phenomenal photograph and silhouette and Jon dropped down, blowing a kiss at Omega, who lay dormant on the stage below.

"Holy shit!" Britt shrieked when that happened and could tell the man's eyes were manic.

"It was at that moment, The Cleaner, Kenny Omega, knew he FUCKED up." Delilah mocked in a low voice, making Britt laugh as they watched the scene before them with wide eyes. "Jesus, Kenny is gonna be really sore from that soaring trip!"

"Jesus…" Britt couldn't remember the last time she saw THIS much brutality in a segment and it made her surge with newfound love for professional wrestling.

With the show ended, Jon wasn't done yet and ordered a camera to follow him, wanting to cut his very first promo in AEW. It had been years since he had been able to unleash properly and Jon was not one to rehearse what he was going to say, at least not when he was 'Mox', that was all off the cuff with vague ideas of what he wanted to work in. It worked, for him, and by the way the people had responded to his debut, he knew he hadn't lost his touch at all.

Within the hour, it would be posted on YouTube for the entire world to see.

Chris, who was widely known and respected for his own promos throughout the wrestling world, was mentally applauding. THIS was what had been missing from the Ambrose character, the watered down Moxley. This fire, the maniacal, nonsensical, unfiltered off the cuff promo that only this man could deliver.