Until I Met You

~aubree~
As I sat with Stephan in the green room watching Raina’s match I was proud of her, but I couldn’t let go of Jake’s warning. I hadn’t seen him since he came to the hotel and was worried that maybe Mike had found out he’d tried to help us. I was scared at every little thing that jumped around me. I wanted to see Matt, but he and Phil agreed that I should stay with Stephan so that there was no way he could get in trouble for helping us. He noticed how scared I was as Raina’s match began to come to a close. “Aubree, ya better be careful or ya’ll jump outta yer own skin.”
“I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s going to happen.”
“Ya’ve got me with ya Miss Aubree, nothin’s gunna happen to ya.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” I mumbled. I went back to watching Raina’s match, but just as she pinned Nattie I jumped up. Mike and his cronies were headed straight for her, and Eve had a steel chair. I took off for the ramp. I didn’t know how, but I knew I had to help her. But right before I got there I saw Phil and Matt standing just offstage. “What are you guys waiting for?!” I demanded. I realized I had said something wrong when I saw the look of Phil’s face. He was devastated.
“Mike says that if anyone goes out there Eve will hit Raina again.” Matt explained. I looked at the monitor helplessly.
“What do you want Miz?” Raina growled. Mike gave her his creepy little smile.
“Besides you? I want Mouse down here right now!” I felt my stomach drop. Matt saw the look on my face and started to reach for me, but I couldn’t leave her all alone. Not with that pack of wolves. I took off for the ramp.
“Aubree! That’s just what they want! Stop!” I heard Matt scream, but after all she’d gone through for me there was no way I could just leave her.
“Raina!” I screamed barreling down the ramp and sliding into the ring. Jesus, she looked terrible. I hugged her as best I could with her handcuffs.
“Mouse leave now.” She growled, but I felt a sharp pain in my head as Eve yanked me to my feet by my hair.
“Well that was easier than I thought.” Mike admitted. I knew everyone thought I was stupid, but they didn’t understand. If it weren’t for Raina I would have never been able to have a family again. I wouldn’t be able to hold the man I love more than anything on this earth, Matt. I would still just be a quiet, shy little makeup girl with no family. I had to save her.
Nick jumped up and took me from Eve, pinning my arms painfully behind my back with one hand and just holding one arm with the other. “Well Mousey,” Mike continued, “it looks like we caught you again. Only now we have both of you.” I felt so stupid. I should have thought of something better than this. I should have come out with a sledgehammer or something and hit Eve square in the face. I felt my eyes sting with tears as I realized I would never be able to hold Matt again. I saw Raina look at me, and then she looked at Mike.
“Miz.” She said. Oh no, I knew that voice, she had a plan to try to help me.
“Yes Raina?” Mike asked, slithering over to her.
“I have a proposition for you.” Oh my God. No, I wouldn’t let her do whatever she had planned. I wasn’t going to have to make her save me again.
“No Raina, don’t do anything, please!” I hollered, tears spilling over onto my cheeks. They both ignored me and Nick clamped his hand over my mouth.
“Shh Mousey.” He whispered into my ear. I felt sick as I saw Raina whispering to Mike. His smile just got bigger and bigger as she went on, until finally you could see every single one of his teeth. He leapt up and the crowd booed.
“Well ladies and gentlemen; it seems Raina has seen the light!” He declared as he hopped back into the ring. “Raina is going to join me. Dolph if you would.”
“Miz what are you talking about?” He asked. I looked at Raina, who was trying not to cry. What had she done?
“I’m talking about you releasing Mouse.” Mike said as if Nick should know that.
“What? Why would I do that?!” He hollered, gripping me even tighter.
“Because as I’ve just stated, if you were listening, Raina is joining us, therefore we don’t need Mouse!” I felt Nick become even tenser. He was squeezing me so hard that it was starting to hurt.
“Miz,” he growled, tossing me to Eve as he advanced towards Mike. “We had a deal. You got Raina, I got Mouse, and Eve got Zack. That was what we agreed on.” Eve realized that she was being screwed over too and tossed me out of the ring to Jake, who was watching their argument without blinking.
“That’s right! Why do we have to give up so you can get what you want?” Eve hissed. The audience was eating this up, not aware that it was a real fight.
“Because without me you two would still be running around in circles. We all know that I am the brains behind this.”
“Brains?!” Eve chuckled evilly. “My dog has more brains than you! Let’s beat up Zack to find out where Mouse is.” She said, imitating Mike. “It’s easy; we’ll steal his card, sneak into his room and presto! We’ve got Zack. But that didn’t work!” The audience gasped when they found out that they’d tried to hurt Matt.
“And it was your arrogance that made us lose Mouse in the first place!” Nick screamed. I suddenly felt hands lift off of me and turned around to see that Jake was unlocking Raina’s handcuffs.
“What are-” Raina started, but Jake signaled for her to be quiet. Nick, Eve, and Mike were so caught up in arguing that they didn’t even notice as Raina came loose and slipped out of the ring. We both looked at Jake and wanted to hug him, but he signaled for us to run. We turned around and booked it, not looking back as we heard Jake holler and jump into the ring, clothes lining both Mike and Nick. Eve went to grab the chair and that was all I saw before we were backstage again.
I felt Matt hug me and I gripped him back. “Let’s go.” He said. But before we could get anywhere John stood, with Otunga and a camera man, just smiling at us.
“Well well well. Miss Mouse, you’re in violation of your contract. Willingly running away from your responsibilities? Tsk Tsk.” He said with his snake smile.
“If you for one second think that we’re going to send her back out there-” Phil started.
“I don’t expect you to send her back out.” John said simply.
“Huh?” I squeaked.
“Well, your contract said that you would be an advisor to the team of Dolph, Jake, Miz, and Eve.” He pointed to the monitor, where all four of them were knocked out. Jake looked like he was the worst of the four, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. “Does that look like a team to you?”
“Does that mean..?” Matt asked, not wanting to get his hopes up.
“It means that Mouse is now a free agent and can advise whoever she chooses.” I just stood, awestruck, while Matt, and Raina celebrated, hugging me and cheering. But I wasn’t going to be tricked again.
“I-I want to change my contract then. And I want to be able to read it this time.” Phil smiled and patted me on the back.
“Done.” John promised. “I’ll have a new contract for you on Friday for Smack Down.” He stuck out his hand and I meekly shook it, but I couldn’t help a huge grin from spreading on my face. As John left the camera man followed him and I just held Raina, Matt, and Phil.
“Thank you guys.” I whispered, on the verge of tears. I couldn’t believe this, no more running, no more, hiding, I was free again.
“Well, I hate to be the pessimist, but you know that they’ll think of something else. You remember what Jake said, they won’t stop.” Matt warned. He held me closer to him. “I am not going to lose you ever again.”
“And you’re not going anywhere either.” Phil swore, slinging his arm around Raina and kissing her.
“Well, I have to go get ready for my match, and Aubree, may I ask you to be my advisor?” Matt said, kissing the top of my head.
“Well Mr. Cardona, I’ll have to see if I can squeeze you into my schedule.” We all chuckled as Matt and Phil went to get ready for their matches and Raina and I just smiled and hugged each other. But I felt curiosity get the better of me. “Raina.” I said, taking a step back as we walked to the divas locker room.
“Yes?”
“What did you tell Mike?”
“What do you mean?” She asked innocently.
“He was going to let me go, and he said something about you seeing the light, what did you say to him?” Raina let out a long sigh.
“I said that I would take your place, and that I would never run, never leave him.” I felt my blood run cold.
“You would have done that?” I asked.
“Of course. The way I see it, you’ve suffered enough; you deserve to be with the man who loves you.”
“And you haven’t suffered too Raina?!” I demanded. “You never even got to meet mom, you had to spend your whole life never getting to know her. You gave me a family again, but I couldn’t give you a family. And you got me Matt! You’ve already done so much for me!” Raina stood, a little stunned to say the least, at my outburst. But then she got this huge, warm smile on her face and hugged me.
“You got me Phil, and I can never thank you enough for that. You warned me about the kind of guy Mike was, you were willing to run out there, and probably never see Matt again if it meant you could help me.” She smiled at me. “And you gave me the best sister I could have ever asked for.” We both just stood there for a moment, then Raina patted me on the back and we started to walk again. “So, how was your little night with Matt?”
As I walked backstage waiting for Matt so we could leave for his match I saw Jake. I ran up to him and gave him a giant hug; words would never be able to express my thanks to him. He just patted my head and let out a long sigh.
“Thank you so much Jake.” I said as I pulled back, Matt walked over and reached out to shake his hand, but Jake just couldn’t smile. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Creative told me which title I’m going to win.” I started to smile, but then I thought about it, he didn’t have a tag team partner, so it couldn’t be for the tag team belts, so he’d either have to beat Phil or Matt. I felt my heart fall into my stomach.
“Which one?” Matt asked, clearly realizing the same thing. Jake just pointed to Matt’s belt and let out another long sigh. Matt didn’t look angry though. “After all you’ve done for us Jake? I think you’ve earned it. Besides, it’ll be fun to go one on one with you.” Jake smiled weakly.
“Except that Glenn is going to attack you tonight and you’re supposed to ‘hurt your back’ be forced to defend your title next week, lose it to me, and then be out for a few weeks.”
“When is Glenn coming?”
“Towards the end of the show. Aubree is supposed to go out with you, I’m sure John will be here any second to tell her, then when Dolph’s music is supposed to start, Kane’s will and you’ll run off into the back and Kane will attack you Matt.” John finished as he walked over to us. I reached out and held Matt’s hand. Glenn was our friend, so I really shouldn’t be worried but I still was.
Anything can go wrong in that ring.