Split

Demi Bennett

After the show ends, Emma gathers her things from the locker room and makes her way to the guys outside.

"Hey! You're still coming?" Damian smiles at her.

"Of course." She replies with a smile. "Where's Rhea?"

"Miss her already?" Dom smiles.

Finn rolls his eyes and replies, "she's meeting us there. She's getting changed. Wanna walk with us?"

Emma thinks for a minute then shakes her head.

"Actually I'll meet you guys there too. There's something I need to do."

Dom and Finn shrug and start to walk away. Damian sees right through her and looks at her with concern in his eyes.

"You really need to just let it go, love. She's not...she's.." he stumbles.

"Complicated. I know. I'll be careful. Okay?" Emma says with a smile.

Damian sighs and nods before turning and jogging to catch up with the other two. Emma walks back inside, her smile dropping as she makes her way to Rhea's dressing room. She opens the door, not bothering to knock, and finds Rhea in the middle of pulling her shorts on.

She looks up in surprise. Her face is wiped clean and she's smiling again.

"Enjoying the view?" She asks, giggling as she pulls her shorts up.

Emma frowns, making Rhea tilt her head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong? One minute you hate me. The next minute you're smiling and inviting me to eat with you. Then you hate me again and now you're smiling. This is so confusing! Do you hate me or not?" Emma rants.

Rhea stares back in silence. Her face twitching slightly as she fights whatever feelings arise that turn her gaze cold. Dark. Hateful. Her face softens and she sits on the couch, running her fingers through her hair.

"It's...complicated..I don't think I can tell you." Rhea says quietly.

She's scared. Worried. Two things Emma never thought she would see from her.

"Why can't you?" Emma asks quietly.

Rhea looks up at her, that look in her eyes flashing again.

"She doesn't want me to."

Emma is taken aback. She looks around the room then back at Rhea and raises an eyebrow.

"Who doesn't want you to?"

"Rhea." She replies in a whisper.

Now Emma really is confused. She folds her arms across her chest and frowns.

"Are you messing with me Rhea?" She asks.

Rhea shakes her head.

"I'm not Rhea."

"Of course you're Rhea who else would you be?" Emma retorts.

She's growing frustrated at the dance around whatever it is she's trying to tell her.

"Emma.." She whispers and runs her fingers through her hair again.

"Just tell me Rhea."

"I'm not Rhea!" Her voice grows louder but it's out of sadness.

"Then who are you?"

"Demi." She whispers.

Emma sighs and shakes her head. She knew Rhea's real name was Demi. She knows most of the wrestler's real names. What she doesn't understand is why this is so important to her.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Demi. What is it you can't tell me? Who wants you to keep it quiet?" Emma tries again.

"Rhea wants me to keep it from you. She...she doesn't trust you." Demi says.

"I don't understand."

Demi rubs her temples before looking back up at Emma. She's fighting with herself internally. It's clear as day on her face. The constant change in expression. The opening and closing of her mouth.

Finally she chokes out her words, struggling with them.

"When I'm working..when I'm here and in gear and in makeup..I'm Rhea Ripley. Badass. Confident. A menace. Brutality. But when that stops? When the makeup and gear come off? I'm Demi Bennett. Two different people. Two different personalities. One fucking body and I can't control what Rhea does or says. I'm not her and she's not me."

Emma finds herself sitting across from Demi in the vanity chair. She looks at her face, studying her for any clues of it being a joke, but there's nothing but sadness and fear. The fear that Emma will tell her secret. Or worse, mock her for it.

"You don't believe me." Demi says and stands, going towards the backpack on the floor by the door.

Emma reaches out and grabs her wrist gently. Demi stops and looks down at the floor.

"I believe you." She says and stands, turning to face her.

She slips her hand down to Demi's and holds it gently, looking in her eyes as she does. The anger flashes in them again, and she recognizes now why it keeps happening. It's Rhea. Fighting to come out. Fighting against Demi.

"I want to get to know you. You, Demi." Emma whispers.

Demi bites her lip and shakes her head, "She won't want that."

"I don't care what she wants. What do you want?"

A sigh escapes her mouth as she continues shaking her head. She's fighting. Trying so hard to allow herself to say what she wants to. Emma takes her other hand in her own and squeezes them both.

"Focus on me. What do you want Demi?"

"I want to get to know you." She replies.

Emma smiles, raises Demi's hands to her mouth and kisses the back of each of them. Demi laughs a little and a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Emma asks.

"Nobody knows besides the guys and Triple H. I've been scared to tell anyone because I didn't know how they'd respond." Demi replies.

"Well you don't have to worry about me anymore. I don't scare easy so if Rhea wants me gone she's shit out of luck." Emma smiles.

"We better meet the boys before they start getting antsy." Demi smiles back, wiping the tear from her face.

Emma nods and lets go of her, following her out of the dressing room and to the restaurant they're meeting the guys at. Finn, Damian and Dom are all gathered around a table in the bar area, chatting while Dom plays $1 games on the table's entertainment tablet.

Demi laughs at him and shakes her head, ruffling his hair as she walks over. Emma sits next to her and looks over at Damian who is looking back at her with concern. She gives him a smile and a reassuring nod, letting him know she knows everything now. He hesitates, but smiles and subtly raises his glass at her.

He never expected Demi to tell her the truth. Or, he never expected Rhea to allow it. What he doesn't know, is Emma has a fight in her. Persistence. She doesn't back down from a fight. Especially when she knows what she wants. Who she wants.