After Shine [despues de brillar]

Danika

At three weeks after Ángel was born Danika loaded all the kids (and the two dogs) into the Lincoln along with some travel bags and made the three hour drive north to Jacksonville - technically Buddy lived there (Aalyah halfway did) and it was where AEW's Nightmare Factory trained and churned out wrestlers with dreams of being on RAW and SmackDown cards. She dropped the dogs off with Aalyah and headed for the gym. With Ángel in his car seat asleep, Nico and Rosa holding Lainey's hands and following behind her, she marched into the gym. She was tired of hearing her name on Monday Night RAW, all the hints but no one coming out to say that she was Priest's girlfriend, as it was he wanted to keep them private, so for now she'd keep them underwraps to the best of her ability.

Buddy sighted her right away, eyes going wide as she headed straight for Chris Jericho. He hurried out of the ring he was working out in to fall in step next to her. "Didn't you just have a baby?" He blinked rapidly.

"Hi Buddy, good to see you too. I hear you have a guest house with my name on it." She dismissed him.

She reached Jericho's side, the man looked her up and down, clearly unamused by her appearance, but she knew better, he'd had to have known she was going to show up eventually, she was no longer working for anyone but him and the AEW, although that contract was going to run out eventually, and then they both sort of expected her to end up on the WWE's payroll. "I thought you went to Konnan after your last pregnancy and Impact to get back in shape." Jericho didn't do much other than peek at the baby boy, "What's in it for me," he asked as he ruffled Lainey's hair.

Danika turned to look at Buddy, "Get lost."

"Fine, let me know when you need a house key." With that he walked away and Danika waited for Jericho to invite her into his office, he did so with a sweep of his arm.

"That was rude since he sort of is your brother in law." The legend offered as he pulled chairs around in his office so she and the kids could sit comfortably. "Danika Mysterio, get to talking."

"The Mysterio family is currently in shambles. I'm sure you've noticed. Going to Konnan and Impact would be supporting Rey's background, and there is no way I am flying all the way to New York to work with Cage again." She offered, "I obviously can't just work out anywhere I trust you guys... wrestlers as fucked up as that is. I know you won't hurt me."

"What do I get out of it?" He asked again.

Danika noticed how Lainey sort of squirmed away from the imposing man. She handed her phone to her oldest then met his gaze. "Bragging rights. Plus I can bring some more followers to the gym with my influencer post. And I'll make you Ángel's official godfather. I'm already contracted to you guys thanks to the thing I signed with Cody in the beginning."

Chris watched her for a long moment. "You can use the gym and you can bring me followers. I might have you valet Buddy some."

Danika nodded her head, "And the kids?"

A smile pulled at Chris Jericho's face, "I'll watch this one." With that he was up and out of his chair unfastening Ángel, and cradling the baby boy to his chest. "You're almost brother can watch the others."

"He is never going to be my brother. I'm not marrying Dominik." She growled. "Although I guess if he puts a ring on Aalyah's finger he's going to be my brother-in-law legally." She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation, Chris Jericho had this irritating ability to be right all the time in some fashion.

"I heard you and Damian Priest were hanging out." Oh, the man was fishing for a good story.

"I was on the road with the whole RAW roster for a while, I hung out with them all." She rolled her eyes, "Also I need you to not mention this to anyone who might care in the wrestling world. Now how about that exercise you promised..."

"Luis is a good man, Danika." He offered, "Has a taste for pretty blondes who look like sports illustrated models or African American women with a touch of Asian in them, very specific taste he has." Chris studied her as he rocked Ángel, "You aren't the normal, I wanna make sure you're not just another conquest of his, I promise I'm just looking out for you."

"He's been a perfect gentleman." She conceded.

Chris studied her for a moment, "You're in love with him." She just stared back at him, "It's a dangerous thing, to fall in love with a man whose alter ego is a wrestler, especially one who has a panache for rock and roll, sex, and alcohol. You're not the type to give your heart away easily, once the Mysterio's brought you in, Rey named me as you're godfather, so as you're godfather, I just want to remind you, this business, it's good at two things: killing it's talent and paying divorce lawyers."

Danika bit her lip, "Thank you Uncle Chris, your sage wisdom is always welcome."

"And yet you never listen to it." He bounced Ángel in his arms, "Come on, Buddy is probably dying to text your Mother and tell her all about our secret meetings, don't worry, I won't let him." As they exited the office he let out a shrill whistle, "Buddy, I want you on babysitting duty, take Miss Lainey, Miss Rosa, and Mister Nico to the kid friendly ring and let them pound away their energy, and do not tell anyone they are here." Buddy squirmed but did as he was asked, "Saraya, Hook get over here."

Danika watched as the former WWE Superstar Paige, now billed by her actual name Saraya, moved across the room to stand next to Chris, trailed by a man she knew was her age and called Handsome Devil more than anything else, he was to a point too, not her type by any means, but one hell of a wrestler, Hook came to stand on the other side of Chris looking Danika up and down, "If she wants to wrestle there is a lot wrong already."

"Whoa, mate, don't you know who that is?" Saraya slapped his shoulder, hard, "That's Rey Mysterio's adopted daughter, Danika, right?" Danika nodded her head, "Pleasure to meet another legacy sort of."

"Nice to meet you as well, Saraya, I was a bit obsessed with you when you were Paige, it's probably how Rhea Ripley ended up my best friend." She said with a shrug, "I apparently wanna be friends with all the scary women." She glanced at Chris, who shrugged, "Right, so, I'm here to ask a favor, I just had a baby - that's Ángel Gutiérrez." Now Hook got it, his eyes went wide, "Uh, Buddy has Nico, Rosa, and Lainey Gutiérrez with him on the kid sized trampoline rings." She pointed them out, "I uh, I'd like to promote AEW sort of."

"She wants help getting back in shape following Ángel and has promised to do her brand of influencing about the gym, so if she wants you in TikToks, Instagram post, or hell anything you'll do it." He looked at them harshly, "Tell the locker rooms, if you wanna do a cooking show with her, you should probably work that out soon, because she's only going to be with us for about three or four weeks? Then you'll head off back to tour with the RAW crew."

"Yup, that's the plan, between Halloween and Thanksgiving I'd like to be back in shape and back on the road."

Hook leaned into her space, "Can you introduce me to your father?"

"Sure." She said with a shrug, "Can you teach me how to hit with my whole body weight?"

He gazed at her for a long moment, "Yeah, ok."

Saraya grinned all dark and twisted, before she rocked forward on her toes, "I hear the rumors about you from the few superstars I'm still friends with in the WWE locker rooms, they talk about your relationship with Punishment Martinez like it's the best thing in the world." Hook raised his eyebrows - apparently these lovely creatures knew of Luis at least. Chris to his credit seemed poised to listen in.

Danika rolled her eyes, "I'd hate to hear what they have to say about me and Dominik, then." She mused.

"Damn she's good." Saraya hissed, "I'll get it out of you, don't you worry."

Danika snorted with laughter, "I am not sure what exactly you're going to get but ok, beeb."

Hook had a sharp grin, as he tossed his arm around Danika's shoulders, "Let's see what you've got, cutie."