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Top Wife Guy, part 2

"Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god." AJ fluttered her hands as she walked around the locker room she and Becky were sharing. "I don't remember being this nervous before a match. It's not you!" She turned to Becky quickly and shook her head. "It's not you. You and Seth have been great. Thank you for the help and your patience and for Roux's drawing. It's the best! And Larry loves the pendant she made for his collar and—" She stopped to take a deep breath. "Okay. I'm just freaking myself out, aren't I?"

Becky patted her shoulder. She remembered those nerves, those worries. She still got them from time to time, but spending more time as a heel had given her a strange sense of confidence, even if it was the 'fake it 'til you make it' kind. "It's going to be fine. Everyone's cheering for you."

"I'm not sure that makes it better." AJ flopped down in a chair with a grimace and tugged at her hair. "I don't want to let anyone down. Fans have been so sweet for so long, and you and Seth have been helping me all week...."

"Because we want to," Becky interjected gently. "Because we like you. Because we want to help and we know you appreciate it."

"I know, I know, but... I don't want to disappoint anyone." AJ sighed. "I didn't realize my return would be such A Thing, you know? I mean, I know I joke about my wrestling daughters and all that, but now that I'm back, just seeing all the reactions and the posts...."

"People like you," Becky said softly, sitting down beside her opponent. They were close in age, but their paths had never really crossed before and she wished they had. How different her perspective on wrestling could have been if she would have had a friend like AJ. "You mean a lot to so many people. I think most of us are just happy to see you back. No one's going to be disappointed. This is something most of us never thought we'd never get to see. Hell, I certainly never thought I'd get to face you. Now so many people are realizing their dream match could actually still happen."

AJ covered her face with her hands. "It just feels like so much pressure."

"Just be yourself. I know it sounds corny," Becky allowed, "but that's what made the fans love you in the first place. In a landscape full of bikinis and dancing, you were something different. You gave so many people a glimpse of what the women's division could be. You're going to be great. We'll all be out there, looking out for each other. It'll be great."

"I'm sure Hunter is getting Mixed Tag Titles forged as we speak," AJ laughed.

And if he is, he'll find a way for Charlotte to win them first, Becky thought. Hunter's booking hadn't been great lately, or at least not in her favour, and she was trying to not let it get to her. She was getting AJ Lee's long-awaited return match, after all, and that was an accolade coveted by most of the women's locker room. Being the second woman to hold the Women's Intercontinental Title was an honour as well. "You never know," she said at last. "If our match goes well and people like the concept, then...." She trailed off with a shrug. Sometimes the company surprised her with its choices, and at least that would be a pleasant one. "Having a full set of tag team titles on the wall at Black & Brave would definitely add to the ambience."

"A wall, you say?" AJ gazed off into the distance. "We have walls at home. Several, in fact. I'm sure one of them would fit a few belts perfectly."

Becky shook her head and laughed. "You have the Divas butterfly belt. What other title could you possibly want?" She casually draped the hoodie she borrowed from Seth over her Intercontinental Title. "All the current ones are so poorly designed. You've been on Twitter. The fans are always saying they look like toys...."

"I collect toys too," AJ grinned. After she and Becky shared another laugh, she took a deep breath. "I can do this," she said at last, her voice equal parts amazed and assured.

"You can," Becky agreed. "You absolutely can. And you will. And the crowd is going to lose it when they hear your music. It'll be amazing. Just harness that energy."

"All good words," AJ replied. "Now I just have to make myself believe them. And that's nothing against you, Becks. Becky?" She paused. "Rebecca makes it sound like I'm going to scold you."

"Becks or Becky is good," Becky said easily. "I'm trying to save Rebecca for movies and stuff with Roux. Then I know I have to act responsible."

"Responsible?" Seth's incredulous voice made AJ burst out laughing as he knocked and stepped inside. "Is this the same woman who was almost convinced by our five-year-old daughter to convert our garage into a ball pit?"

Becky cleared her throat. "She's not five yet. She's four and almost... ten months? And don't act like you wouldn't be the first one diving in there."

"And it would be good exercise, right? Resistance or something like that?" AJ nudged Becky with her elbow. "I should go find my husband and make sure he hasn't drank my coffee. We'll catch up with you before the match?" When Becky nodded, AJ leaned in, gave her a half hug, and whispered, "Thanks for everything. I appreciate it."

"Any time." Becky hugged her back, slightly surprised, and watched as AJ hurried off.

Seth stayed quiet for a moment. "Did I interrupt something? I just wanted to check on you because of the lift and everything, but I could have come back later...."

"It's okay. We'll see them again before we go out. I think she just has first-match-back jitters," Becky replied. "Can't blame her for that. It's a new PLE, new platform, and we're supposed to be the showpiece. That's a lot of pressure for her first match in so many years."

After kissing her forehead, Seth drew her to his chest. "And it's a lot of pressure for you too, because you'll have to help her through it. And there's the lift...."

The lift. Becky tried to ignore it the first time Seth had brought it up, but she knew there was no getting around it. They were supposed to have a grandiose heel entrance, and apparently someone decided that would include a slowly descending platform that would start off with them almost being level with the lighting rigs. "I know. Trust me," she said grimly, "I know." She didn't like heights at all, and climbing to the top of a War Games cage three years ago was still terrifyingly fresh in her mind. This time she would be standing on a platform that was nice and wide and her husband would be beside her, but that didn't make the height any less daunting. "And I can't hold your hand, because we're cool heels and cool heels don't do that."

Seth chuckled. "You can hold my hand now." He stepped back just enough to grab one of her hands and squeeze it. "And we can change the lift. The fans haven't seen it, so if it doesn't get used, no big deal."

"Easy for you to say." Becky gripped his hand a bit tighter. "It'll be fine. I'll be fine. You'll be there with me and we're doing a trial run, right?"

"Yeah. That's part of why I came to find you. I also didn't want you freaking yourself out. Between you and AJ," Seth said, "I thought you two might create some sort of anxiety vortex." He tilted her chin up and kissed her. "Want to go see Roux before our practice run?"

Becky considered it for a moment, but shook her head. A hug from her daughter was always welcome, but she didn't want Roux to pick up on any of her worry. "I'll save that as my treat for getting it done," she decided, squaring her shoulders.

"Then let's go." Seth held her hand all the way to the stage and even offered it when they were on the platform, but Becky didn't want to rely on it now and not have it later. She was sure her knees were shaking so badly that the ring crew must have noticed, but she made it all the way up and then down—first through the trial run and then the real thing, which was made somehow both easier and scarier with her fancy ring robe. She made it down the aisle and into the ring and all the way through the match. It wasn't her smoothest match ever, but the crowd's energy for AJ buoyed them all. The best feeling of the night wasn't conquering her fear of heights, though, or even helping an icon return to the ring. It was being able to go back to the bus and hug her daughter, who was oblivious to almost all of it, and yet somehow put it all in perspective.