Canary and the Coal Mine

Dean Ambrose was smirking at me.

Bryan and Brie were still gathering their bags from the trunk, and with Roman and Seth doing the same across the parking lot, it was nearly like Dean and I were alone. He was leaning against their rental car, arms casually crossed over his chest. Even in just jeans and a black hoodie, he looked like a force to be reckoned with.

When he noticed I’d caught his gaze, the smirk increased. He flicked his brows up at me, swiping a tongue across his bottom lip as he mouthed, “Hey”. My own brows shot up; he shoved off the car with his shoulders and threw me a wink. Though he backed up to Roman and Seth to grab his things, his eyes never left mine.

Maybe I should have been scared of the men across from me; everyone else sure seemed to be. But to me, they weren’t a new, intimidating enemy. Hell, I’d known Dean Ambrose before he started at NXT. I’d known him as the crazy, ruthless Mox that ran CZW. The man that made all the ‘tough guys’ in the indies rethink getting in the ring when he was waiting for him.

I’d been intrigued by Jon Moxley all those years ago, and I was intrigued by him now. There wasn’t any fear, any hesitation from me towards them. I wanted more. I wanted them in the ring, wanted to be the one in the opposite corner, gearing up for a fight.

I was diving into deep waters without a life jacket. Sink or swim, so to speak, and I wasn’t one for drowning. The brief encounter I’d had with them on Monday had left me with a craving; an itch I couldn’t scratch. And now Dean stood just a couple dozen feet away, all but inviting me over.

“I’m not a pack mule, you know,” Bryan griped from behind me, startling me from my thoughts as the hatch door slammed shut. I turned to see him slumped against the back of the SUV, all our bags hanging from his arms. I reached back and patted his shoulder.

“’Course not. You’re a pack goat.”

Brie actually snorted at the expression on Bryan’s face. As he went to playfully argue with his girlfriend, I turned away, ready to confront Dean and the boys. As much as Bryan would kill me, I couldn’t resist anymore.

The parking lot was empty.

My heart actually dropped, and the breath I’d been holding in anticipation left me in a sharp huff. My eyes swept over the entire garage, but I didn’t see any of them. Somehow, they’d already gotten inside.

Dejectedly, I reached back and took my bag from Bryan, following him and Brie towards the back door of the arena. Again, I looked around, hoping to find at least one of them, but it seemed my terrible luck was still hanging around; we were alone.

It looked like my confrontation with the Shield would have to wait.

---

“How’s your back?” I asked Bryan later that night, hopping over the couch and landing on the cushion next to him. He groaned in pain, glaring at me for jostling him. His match with Big Show hadn’t gone as he’d hoped. “That great, I see.”

“Don’t you have a match to worry about?” he grumbled, shoving me aside to grab the remote and turn up the TV. I glanced up to watch Damien Sandow and Kofi Kingston throw each other around for a moment as I shrugged.

“Nope. Nothing till Monday. So I’m free to bother you the whole night.”

And that was exactly what I planned to do. All night, I’d been itching for the encounter I hadn’t gotten earlier. The only thing that had kept my mind off those boys had been John and Nikki. And now with the two of them gone for a date night, my mind had been solely on Dean, Roman, and Seth.

Okay, okay. Mostly Dean. The way he’d been looking at me, challenging me to make a move against him. The wink that had caught me off guard, but had been replayed in my mind dozens of times. And, okay, being perfectly honest, the almost sinful way his hoodie had hugged his muscled arms…

I was slowly driving myself crazy, so it was only fair I did the same to Bryan.

“I must be the luckiest guy on earth, then,” he groaned, stretching out on the couch and propping his feet up onto my lap. “Where’s everyone else?”

“John took Nikki out to dinner,” I said, and Bryan made a face of surprise.

“Oh yeah? And how’s that going?”

“What do I look like, a nanny cam?” I shot back; Bryan gave me a knowing look; okay, good point. Of course I knew. “She sent me six heart-eye emojis with that last text, so I’m gonna say it’s goin’ pretty good.” I made a face. “And John Cena is a kinky bastard.”

“I really don’t want the details,” he assured me as I went to ramble on. “What about Brie?”

“Oh yeah. She was leaving with Big Show. Something about passionate, wild sex in the back of his bus. He was gonna show her his knockout punch –”

Bryan busted out laughing so hard he actually had to hold his tender ribs in place as he wheezed for breath. He dropped his head back on the couch and made a face as he giggled out,

“God, can you imagine that?”

“I really don’t want to,” I laughed, shoving his face away as he rolled his head to wiggle his brows at me. Big Show and Brie Bella… oh god, that was a sight to think about.

“Like, how would that even work?” he continued, making another face. “One thrust and she’d be, like, snapped in half! Talk about a spear –“

“Ew, stop it,” I laughed, making a face as that image popped into my head. Bryan laughed harder, throwing out,

“Can you picture doggy style?” I groaned and shoved his legs off me too, getting up. “Yeah, you can see it now, can’t you? Big Show, weighing in at 500 pounds,” he mock-announced. “All of that man just going at it. Just think of the carnage –“

“Okay, you win!” I cried, clapping my hands over my ears and backing away. That plan had definitely backfired. “You’re not supposed to enjoy picturing your girlfriend with a behemoth, you sick freak!”

“Uh, what?” Brie asked warily, stepping around me as she came into the locker room, giving me a concerned look; Bryan was collapsed on his side, in tears, giggling wildly. “Did I miss something?”

“Go ask the pervert on the couch. I’m done with this conversation!”

Brie stared after me as I backed down the hallway, still making a face. As soon as I was out of her sight, I turned and immediately set off to do what I’d been contemplating all night. I was going to find Dean and the boys.

Again, I replayed the wink. His vivid, blue eyes glinting as he held my gaze. The surprisingly appealing lick of his lips; I’d never thought a tongue could be attractive, but I’d been undeniably wrong. The half-chuckle he’d given me as I raised my brows. The illegally tight hoodie and jeans that he shouldn’t be allowed to wear in public –

Again, I collided with Damien Sandow.

His entire face scrunched up in disgust and he grabbed my shoulders daintily, forcing me out of his way before wiping his hands urgently on his robe. Hey, I was clean!

“Get out of the way, you ignoramus. I shouldn’t have to deal with the common public after such a travesty.”

“I thought you fought like a champion, your majesty,” I said dramatically, bending into a low bow and sweeping my arm out in front. When I peeked up at him, I saw his scowl had deepened. There was an agitated tick in his jaw as he took a deep breath and blew it out roughly.

“The longer you are in my presence, the more my IQ drops.”

“Yeesh. Try to give you a compliment, and you just insist on breaking my heart,” I said in mock-hurt, clutching at my chest as I righted myself. His eye-rolling abilities were certainly impressive tonight. “Hey, Dames. Can you do me a favor?”

He squinted his eyes at me; I gave a cheeky grin.

“Can you picture the Big Show having white-hot sex with a sixty-year-old prostitute?”

The look of horrified disgust that exploded over his face sent me into a fit of laughter. He backed away from me, clutching at his chest, looking as if I’d just slapped him.

“You absolute cretin!” he howled as I hurried down the hall. “How dare you say something so vulgar –“

His voice faded out, but the look of utter terror on his face stayed with me as I wove through backstage, resuming my hunt for Dean and the others. Though, this time, I realized I should probably pay more attention to my surroundings than the image of Dean’s arms threatening to break out of his sleeves –

As I passed by the locker rooms, a familiar head poked out and caught my attention.

“Hey, trouble,” Randy teased, moving to lean in the doorway. I grinned up and him as I paused my absent wandering, jamming my hands into my pockets. “You busy?”

“Not really. Flirting with Sandow and spicing up Bryan’s sex life.” Randy made a face and I laughed. “What’s up?”

He shook the questioning look off his face and let a smile take over instead. “I’ve got a match against Ziggler, and I wanted to see if you’d be up to valet. Y’know, crowd loves you and I figure it keeps you outta trouble.” He cracked a full smile at me. “Might be fun.”

A huge grin spread across my face, and Randy matched it. Valeting with a huge superstar like The Viper was a rare opportunity. Come to think of it, he hadn’t had a valet in a couple years. This was a huge opportunity, and just another show of how supportive Randy was of my breakout here.

“You sure?” I asked; Randy had shoved off the wall, and he draped an arm over my shoulder to pull me with him. Ziggler’s music was just beginning to fade out as we reached gorilla position. “Wait, like right now?!

“Of course. Gotta have my good luck charm, right?” he laughed; my hunt for Dean would have to wait. Randy nudged me playfully as his music hit. “Let’s go.”

Walking out with Randy Orton was an exhilarating experience. The crowd was on their feet, screaming wildly as he led us onto the stage. He paused for a moment, letting me reach his side as Lillian announced,

“From St. Louis, Missouri… weighing in at 245lbs… Randy Orton!... Being accompanied tonight by Jamie Lawless!”

Randy smirked down at me, enjoying the excitement on my face as he led us down the ramp. I walked just a step behind him, glancing around at the fans cheering us on. Next week, they’d just be cheering for me, and I could only hope it was as electrifying as this moment was right now.

We reached the ring, and Randy locked eyes with Ziggler as he climbed the steps. When he reached the apron, he glanced at me and sat on the middle rope, holding it open for me. I stepped into the ring first, squaring up with Ziggler as Randy climbed in, doing the same.

As Randy paced towards his corner, I got between him and Ziggler, making sure Randy’s entrance wouldn’t be interrupted. The two of us had a stare-down as Randy struck his pose, and then climbed down as the lights turned on, coming up behind me and sneering at Ziggler, making sure he backed off.

“Hey,” he murmured, catching my arm before I could get out of the ring. I raised my brow in question as I turned to face him. “You keep yourself safe, okay? Ziggler tries anything, someone comes out, you worry about you. Got it?”

“Got it,” I promised; he smiled, and then held the ropes for me again. I climbed out and then hopped backwards off the apron, beginning my walk around the ring as the bell rang.

---

It was one hell of a match. For as obnoxious as Ziggler was, he brought a vicious fight. More than once I’d actually panicked that he’d get the pin on Randy, but the Viper had broken out and was now on top. He’d just dropped Ziggler hard from the middle rope, and was turning to the crowd to get fired up.

I cheered along with them, taking over and encouraging them to shout as Randy turned and dropped to his knees, ready to strike. Just as Ziggler got up, Randy lunged for an RKO.

Ziggler dropped so fast Randy didn’t have time to react; he looped an arm around Randy’s leg and ripped him down, rolling him back onto his shoulders. He got the three count before Randy even realized what was happening.

My jaw dropped, and I grabbed at my hair, staring in disbelief. Half the crowd erupted into cheers, the others boo’d wildly as Ziggler hopped up and rolled out of the ring. He came out right beside me, and as he stumbled to lean against the barricade, his eyes swept over me.

A smirk came onto his face and when his eyes trailed back up to mine, he winked. He definitely had nothing on Dean's wink, that was for sure. Giving a repulsed scowl, I took a step back as Ziggler reached out to rest a hand on me. I swatted it down and held a finger to him in warning.

“Touch me and I drop you,” I growled as he reached again. His fingers brushed over my arm and he gave another wink, immediately jumping back as I lunged for him. As he skittered his way up the ramp, I made to follow when I caught sight of something black rolling into the ring.

Oh shit!

Ambrose and the boys? No time to tell; I shouted a warning to Randy and jammed my finger back. He only took a moment to line himself up with his attacker before he dropped them in a hard RKO.

Relief took over; it was just Ricardo. And that meant…

I caught movement behind them. Without hesitation I dove into the ring, rolling in and then up onto my feet, coming face to face with Del Rio and stopping him dead in his tracks as he went to capitalize on the distraction his announcer had made.

He was standing halfway in the ring, staring me down, weighing the consequences. Randy came to my side, beckoning him forward, willing him to try something else. For just one more moment, Del Rio truly deliberated climbing in with us. But when Randy and I shifted forward as one, ready for the fight, he shook his head and dropped back off the apron.

The crowd erupted again, and Randy and I both tensed for half a second. That was the first thing Bryan had taught me; listen for their reactions. It was the best way to watch out for sneak attacks, low blows, game changing appearances…

So when we saw John Cena tackle Ziggler from behind and get him into a choke hold at the top of the ramp, we both actually relaxed, and I let out a laugh. I hadn’t gotten my hit on Ziggler, but John was making up for it. He didn’t let go until the refs physically removed him, and even then he lunged back and went at it one more time until Ziggler pulled free and ran off.

Chuckling, Randy moved forward and sat on the rope, giving me room to climb onto the apron. We hopped off the ring together, and I followed him backstage. When I spotted John, I turned to Randy and nudged his arm.

“Thanks for letting me come out with you,” I said, and Randy grinned. “That was a lot of fun.

“It was. But I do have a question,” he said, and I raised my brows at him. “Didn’t I tell you to take care of yourself if anyone came out? Jumping in front of Del Rio doesn’t seem like being cautious.”

With a shrug, I smiled and jammed my hands back in my pockets.

“Well, he would’ve jumped you if I’d just stayed back. I’m not a diva valet. If my wrestler’s in trouble, I’m gonna do something about it.”

“Your wrestler, huh?” he mused, and I felt my face heat up as he laughed.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I mumbled, but Randy just roped me into another hug as he ruffled my hair. As we pulled apart, he playfully shoved me towards John.

“You go keep yourself outta trouble, okay?” he teased lightly, giving me a departing wink. “I’ll find you on Monday.”

Giving Randy a wave, I turned and jogged over to come up beside John, falling into step with him as we made towards the locker room. He gave me a grin as I looked up at him.

“You liked that?” he chuckled. We both glanced over to where Ziggler was hopping by, escorted by a flock of medics. He shot John a cold look, but didn’t stop his retreat.

“Loved it,” I laughed, and then nudged his side pointedly. “I thought you and Nikki left, though.” If their date had gone bad, I’d need to prepare to face my best friend, whatever state she was in.

“Yeah, well, Dolph felt the need to start tweeting insults to Nicole. Figured if I wasn’t there he could get away with it. So I came to put him in his place.”

“Awe, John Cena,” I teased, nudging his arm with my elbow as relief hit me; she wouldn’t be heartbroken! “Such a romantic at heart.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he chuckled, ducking his head; I didn’t miss the blush on his face and grinned. Nikki would love to hear about that. “Besides, I caught that look he gave you after the match.” He paused, and when he looked up, there was a hint of concern in his eyes. “What were you doing, valeting for Orton?”

I shrugged, dropping my gaze back to my sneakers. Okay, so usually when a diva valeted with a wrestler, it was a romantic kinda thing. The doting girlfriend supporting her man. I cringed internally when I remembered I’d just called Randy my wrestler.

“He asked me to come out,” I explained; admittedly, I hadn’t been making a very good case for myself the last couple days. It was no wonder none of them believed we were just friends. And with Nikki practically marrying me to Randy already… “He said the crowd loved me and it would be fun.”

“Nicole said she saw him kiss you –“

“Kiss my cheek,” I corrected; jeeze, that girl. “I do that with Nikki all the time. And Brie. And Bryan, and hell if you want one, you can have one too.”

“I’m just saying, she and Brie –“

“So you mean Brie.”

“Yes, Brie. She’s worried about you and Nicole isn’t helping things.”

“She’s just being an overprotective mom,” I scoffed, waving my hand dismissively.

“She has a good reason. Orton’s not the most upstanding citizen. There’re reasons I don’t like him, and a kid like you doesn’t need to get mixed up in Orton’s way of life.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning up at him as we both came to a stop outside the locker room. John’s face had pulled into a surprisingly serious, dark expression. I mean, it wasn’t like Randy was a serial killer. Right? Anything else, I was sure I could handle. I wasn’t a little kid. Well, okay, maybe compared to John and the others… I didn’t turn twenty until March. So I was still technically a teenager, and the youngest person on the roster. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t pick my own friends.

“If you’re not getting mixed up with him, I won’t go into it. Just remember, if you ever need anything, you always have us to turn to. Okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” I said slowly, still frowning up at him. But instead of any further explanation, John just gave me a warm smile and rested a hand on my back to steer me into the locker room.

Dean Ambrose was smirking at me.

I was so surprised to see him I jarred to a halt, making John bump into me. He was sitting on one of the equipment crates, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped and hanging between his legs. When he saw he had my attention, he leaned forward just a bit and flicked his brows up in greeting.

Again, it felt like we were the only two that existed right now. Even as John stepped around me, and the crew members crisscrossed the hall between us, Dean never took his eyes off me.

His smirk curled even tighter than it had earlier – dangerously close to a smile at this point – and I felt myself heat up under his stare. I broke our intense standoff to take in his change of clothes. He was in a pair of black cargo pants and a tight black t-shirt, with a tactical vest over top. If I’d been drooling over his arms before…

He caught me staring, and purposefully shifted his arms to cross over his chest; I unashamedly followed the movements, and then flicked my eyes back to his. He gave me another swift wink before he hopped off the crate, turning on his heel and heading down the other way.

“Earth to Jamie,” Nikki exclaimed, standing just inches from me; I nearly jumped out of my skin as I spun to face her. She, Brie, and the boys were all giving me bemused looks as I fought to get the blush off my face.

“What?” I tried, my voice traitorously an octave higher than I wanted. Immediately, Nikki dove around the corner, looking for the source of my flustered state. My head whipped around too, and relief washed over me; Dean was nowhere to be seen.

“So who’s pants were you trying to get in?” she sing-songed, taking my hand and pulling me into the locker room.

“Nicole!” Brie chastised at the same moment I answered on instinct,

“Damien Sandow!” Wait… what? That’s not what I’d meant! The looks of bemusement turned to one of mild alarm and concern. Well, shit, just go with it. “He wants me. The sexual tension is driving us crazy.”

“You are sick and need help,” Bryan announced, shaking his head in disgust as the others rolled their eyes at me.

As we packed our things up, the others teasing me over Damien Sandow, my mind went back to Dean. Back to his smirk, and his unreal ability to rock a tactical vest and still show off his surprisingly nice physique.

Another blush instantly came to my face at the thought of his near-smile, and the others immediately went off into another round of jeering.

What would they say if they knew it was Dean Ambrose on my mind?

---

“And then he was like ‘if he sends you another threat, I’ll handle it myself’,” Nikki swooned, falling back on the bed and landing across my lap, hands clasped over her heart. I grinned down at her, thrilled to see my best friend so happy. “Ohmygosh, Jellybean. It was like, the sweetest thing ever.”

“Wanna hear something else?” I hinted, and then told her about John’s blushing earlier. She actually squealed, covering her face with her hands. We laid like that for a while, me propped up against the headboard, with Nikki across my lap, mumbling details about her date and squealing every so often. After I’d braided and unbraided her hair twice, Nikki finally dropped her hands and looked up at me.

“I really like him, Jamie,” she said softly, the emotions clear on her face. It had been a while since she’d dated anyone. Her last boyfriend had broken up with her after she caught him cheating, and she’d been scared about starting another relationship.

But John had completely swept her off her feet. And after seeing how passionate he was about her, and the smile it gave my best friend, I was definitely on the Cena bandwagon. I’d been hesitant at first, but if he made her this happy, then hell. Why not?

“I think you have a good guy there,” I promised, and she smiled even wider. “Hey, question.”

“Answer,” she said, finally rolling off me to sit cross-legged, with her knees on top of mine.

“John told me I didn’t need to get ‘mixed up in Orton’s way of life’,” I began. “He didn’t say what it meant. Do you have any idea?”

Nikki’s face fell serious now, and it actually unsettled me. Usually she’d laugh something like this off, say he was being dramatic. But now she actually looked worried, and I didn’t like the feeling that came over me.

“He’s got a bad reputation with relationships,” she started, frowning a bit more. “Apparently, like, he got caught cheating on his wife a few years back. Like, with a lot of different girls.”

“Seriously?” I scoffed; that’s what John had his panties in a bunch about?! “You guys made it seem like he was some cult leader that was gonna use me for a sacrifice or something!”

“Like being a womanizer is any better!” she argued, and my face fell into a look of unamused disbelief.

“It worries me that you think those are actually comparable –”

“The point is,” she cut in, scowling at me. “He’s got a rep for being kind of a heartless dick. And like, dating all those girls at once and still not stopping even after his wife left him. You know? Plus, I heard from Kaitlyn all the weird shit he was into, and –“

“Nicole, those are just rumors,” I argued immediately. “The Randy I know isn’t anything like that. Divas gossip all the time. That’s pretty much all I ever get from you and Brie. If it’s being spread around the locker room, I doubt it’s true.”

“Whether it’s completely true or not, it’s like, still showing he’s got a reputation for being a bad guy,” she pointed out, and I rolled my eyes. “Like, you don’t hear that about John, or Bryan –“

“No, because they have their own rumors. John, apparently, is sneaking around with AJ –“ she made a face at that, “– and Bryan supposedly molests barnyard animals. Obviously, neither of those things are true. So why would the rumors about Randy be true?”

“We’re just saying to be careful, Jellybean,” she sighed, giving me her patented scowl as I rolled my eyes again. “Like, really. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“It’s not even like that with Randy, though. Like, he’s not into me at all, and even if he was –“

“How do you know he’s not?” she challenged, raising a brow. I scoffed and motioned to myself.

“I’m sorry, have you seen me compared to you? Or Brie, or Eva Marie? I’m not the kind of girl someone like Randy would go after.”

“Excuse me, bitch, you’re hot,” she informed me, and again I felt my face flush, pushing her back as she went to hug me. “You are! Don’t get like that – you’re like, super gorgeous, and I’m sure Randy wouldn’t pass on the chance to get in those granny panties of yours!”

“They’re boy shorts, you asshole!” I laughed, swatting at her hand as she reached to tug my pajama pants down. “Not all of us like wearing dental floss up the ass!”

“Well maybe Randy likes grandma shorts! I bet if you showed him, he wouldn’t say no –“

“Jesus, Nicole! I dare you to say that to Brie!”

“She’s more protective of you than she is of me,” Nicole laughed, making a face. “She’d kill me. You know what? The first thing she asked was why I wasn’t already staying with John in his bus. Can you believe her?”

“No!” I gasped, miming disbelief. “I mean, it’s obvious. You’re waiting for your order of hot pink dildos to come in, duh. I mean, where’s the fun without some floppy, colored dicks to throw around, am I right?”

“Oh my god, you’re such a bitch!”

“I’m sorry, you’re right,” I teased, giving her a cheeky grin. “You got the ones in luscious lavender, didn’t you? You know what, I’ll just text John and ask –“

Nikki let out a squeal, tackling me off the bed as I went to grab my phone. Eventually we both ended up in our own separate beds, bidding each other goodnight before Nikki snapped off the bedside light. She was out almost instantly, snoring before I’d even begun to doze off.

Dean’s wink was the last thing I saw before I finally fell asleep.