Broken Handcuffs [III]

xxviv.

Leah woke up in a cold sweat. The nightmares were coming back to her harder than ever and it seemed like it was getting worse every time she tried to sleep. She knew she needed her strength for her return but this simply wasn't working. Phil knew of the dire situation Leah was carrying so he sometimes brought some of his MMA colleagues over. They'd clear the living room and make it a make-shift training area and they taught her various forms of self defense if the occasion ever arose. Gyms weren't an option for Leah since she could be spotted by just about anyone.

Leah's favorite had to be Joanna. Joanna Jędrzejczyk (don't ask her to pronounce it), was an incredible fighter and an even better champion, Leah saw that after she used Punk's UFC subscription to watch her past fights. Joanna was Polish so communication was very short but Leah understood just enough to know when to hit and when to move, something that pleased the fighter.

She wondered if Joanna was in Chicago now. It would be a long shot since fighters are traveling just as much as WWE Superstars but not as frequent as the latter. Leah groaned, it was hard getting back to sleep knowing the demons that were waiting for her back in the subconscious. She checked the time. 3 in the morning. She'd just went to bed at one.

"Fuck," She growled. What was she gonna do?
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AJ was back on the road and thus separated from Nicole again, this time her conscious in a much better place than the last. She hadn't heard from Leah although she didn't expect to, but the surprise call that night gave her something reminscient of hope.

Don't tell me I'm getting soft on her, AJ rolled her eyes at her internal musings.

"Hey!" Charlotte was dressed to the nines today, ready for some press with both AJ and Becky later on. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened at Survivor Series. I know it wasn't anything we were working on—"

"Look, it's fine. Seriously! I would've whacked Ronda around too if I wasn't so lost that night. It's seriously okay. Plus I got a title shot out of it, so I guess we both won." April had to look up at Charlotte, towards the lights that were casting a halo over her blonde hair and somehow amplifying her smile. Why were all of the women so attractive?

"I'm glad then! How's things with Nicole?"

It was April's turn to smile, "She's great! Stuck over there with Rousey but nothing to complain about. We're at a good place in our relationship, thanks for asking."

"I know you're probably one of the people that wouldn't know much about it but I have to ask anyway: do you have any clue where Leah went off to? She's been gone for months, some of us have been trying to reach her but it's just silence. Nao said her house was empty and had a for sale sign in the yard."

AJ shifts, fiddling her fingers and looking away from the sudden bright lights, "Um, I really wouldn't know, sorry."

Charlotte pouts, "I figured as much. Well, in the rare off-chance that you do hear from her, tell her the girls at Smackdown love her and Asuka's worried sick!" She makes her leave then, AJ sighing in relief.

Rare off-chance indeed, Charlotte.

After press runs and a meet and greet, AJ had a few hours to spare before she had to make it to the arena for a quick run through of spots for her live match tonight against Naomi. It was always fun being in the ring with the athletic woman. She decided to take a brief nap back at her hotel room.
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Back over on the red side, Nicole was locked into an intense battle with Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and Alexa Bliss.

"Draw four, red!"

"FUCK YOU!" Nikki fumes while the other women laughed, Nia sliding her four cards face down towards her to pick up. Nikki begrudgingly picked up the new cards, adding to her count of ten already. "How many of those cards do you have?" Alicia just cackled in response, hiding her hand from Nia's prying eyes.