Learning Curves

thirteen.

I need to preface this chapter by saying thank you all for sticking by me while I struggled with this chapter. I got a lot of flack from people, who didn't like the way they thought this story was going, without giving me the chance to tell it myself. I may not know the complete endgame of this fiction, but I would hope that you would stay with me, and ride this coaster of chaos with me.

xxx

BARON learned early in life that a person's body language spoke volumes over whatever came out of their mouths, that being said, he was screaming in silence that evening, leaning against the hood of his car, waiting for Audrey to catch up to him. He'd stormed off not long after she'd reached the ramp, ignoring Alexa's calls for him to come back. His ears rang with the cheers of the audience, no doubt confused to see her, but glad that someone was coming to Bayley's aid. Baron didn't need to hear what she was going to say, he already knew what was to come.

Audrey stepped outside carefully, eyeing Baron with a shyness she hadn't felt around him since they'd met, but for a much different reason now. She knew she'd done Baron wrong, someone who loved and cared about her, and she'd gone against his advice, and challenged Devin to a match. He'd be angry with her, Audrey didn't doubt it for a second, but she only hoped he'd be able to control it long enough to listen to her, maybe see why she felt like it was something she had to do.

"I thought you might have already left."

"Thought about it, honestly. " His voice was low and steady, and for some reason, that scared Audrey more. She was steeling herself for him to start yelling at her, but there was no real way for her to prep for this darker side of him, the "wolf" side that she'd watched him use on many of his opponents in the ring.

"Baron, listen."

"Why, you didn't?" Audrey stopped in her tracks, right there in the middle of the parking lot. A car could have hit her right then, and she doubted she would have even felt it. Her hands jammed in her pockets, she stared at him through the wisps of hair that fell out of the ponytail she'd tied her hair in a few minutes earlier.

"I know, I didn't. And I'm sorry. But I had a reason." His chuckle in response was far from lighthearted.

"Oh I bet. I mean, I'm all for getting revenge, but-"

"Revenge? Is that why you think I went out there tonight? Just to get revenge on Devin?"

"Of course you did. Yeah, Bayley's your friend, but you could have let someone like Alexa, or Carmella go and help her. It had to be you."

"You're damned right, it had to be me!" Baron was actually startled, Audrey had never raised her voice around him, much less directing it at him.

"Devin and I are in the middle of a war, but it was a war of words. She thought she could break me by saying all these ludicrous things, and yeah, it almost worked, but its still just words. That all changed tonight, when she walked out to that ring, following Sasha and Becky like their little puppy dog."

"Babe."

"NO! You've been standing there all mad because you thought something, well I get to stand here, and tell you you're wrong!" Straightening her stance, Audrey crossed her arms in front of her chest, mimicking Baron.

"Do you know where Bayley was before she was jumped? I asked her. She was backstage, in the cafeteria. The same cafeteria I was in, the same backstage that I was in. Becky and Sasha have no use for words. You can't just talk something out with them. And now, Devin's joined them in their little quest to make women who get in their way pay for it. How easy would it have been for them to grab me instead of Bayley? How do I know they weren't planning on doing the same thing to me later on? I had to go out there tonight, Baron. I had to get to Devin before she got to me again."

The more frustrated Audrey got, the more Baron softened. He hadn't even thought of it that way, he hadn't even thought about anything but himself.

Audrey sniffled, Baron stepping forward to hug her, but she backed away.

"You- you didn't trust me. You thought I just went out there to shut Devin up? Is that all you think of me?"

"Auddy, no. Of course not."

"Then why get so angry? Why stomp away, why glare me down?"

"Because, Audrey, if you haven't noticed, I love you. And part of me loving you means I want to protect you. I want to protect you from assholes like Dean Ambrose. Protect you from apes like Bull Dempsey. That also means I want to protect you from yourself. I saw how bad Devin hurt you. I know how much the want to get revenge on someone can eat at you, and make you do crazy things." Audrey stood her ground, even with Baron stalking closer, suddenly towering beside her, his eyes gleaning with a mixture of rage and love.

"Remember what you told me that night at Takeover? 'I don't want you to get hurt.' Why can't you think I wouldn't want that for you too? I've been working for over three years, training almost every day, with a background in football and boxing, and still get my ass kicked. When you said you were thinking about challenging Devin, honey, I know you could kick her ass, but maybe I'm selfish about this, maybe I'm too macho about this, but I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I don't think I could really handle hearing you cry out in pain. I don't want you to feel the way I've felt after some of my matches. I want to protect you from that."

Though she fought them with all her might, tears were stinging Audrey's eyes, trying to wipe them away before Baron could see. She hated the fact she cried whenever she was mad. There was no way she was going to seem tough, and be able to stand up to Devin if she couldn't even handle one argument with her boyfriend.

Baron knew what she was trying to do, trying to hide his smile, letting her do it. As stubborn as she could be, he loved her for it. Audrey was tougher than she knew, but that wasn't something he could tell her, she had to find that out on her own. As much as he wanted to dry her tears, hold her close and kiss away her fears, he waited, trying to let her sort through her emotions.

Silently, Audrey reached over, lacing her fingers with his. They didn't need to speak, and frankly, neither of them really even knowing what to say, until she hesitantly looked up at him.

"You think I could take her though, yeah?" That little devilish grin made Baron laugh, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Uh hello. Have you met you, lately? I'm pretty sure you can do anything you set your mind to. Besides, Devin's already been learning a few moves, so you can plan for her attack. You though, you're the wildcard. Well. One of them."

"One?"

"Yeah. You see, you still have to get past Regal. Your match isn't official until he signs off on it." Hearing that, Audrey gulped, her nerves finally kicking in. She wasn't scared of Devin Taylor. William Regal was a whole 'nother ballgame.

xxx

This chapter may be edited on the grounds I'm still not 100% happy with it, but decided that you guys deserved something after I've neglected it for so long. Comments, concerns, and likes are appreciated :D