Wednesday morning, Austin, Texas

3rd Person POV

Lexi wakes up and finds herself in bed alone. She begrudgingly gets out of bed and wanders around the house known as Castle Deadman, looking for any sign of Caleb. She eventually finds herself in the kitchen, which is currently occupied by Michelle.

Michelle: Hey, hun. The big guy went with his brothers and their dad to our ring. Before he left, he made you some coffee. It's over there on the counter.

Michelle points over her shoulder, smiling at Lexi while talking to her. Lexi shuffles over to the cup and takes a sip from it.

Lexi: Thank you for letting us stay here last night.

Michelle: It was no problem, Lexi. I was about to go see what they're doing in the ring, care to join me?

Lexi nods her head and walks with Michelle. As they walk, Lexi tells her about what's going on between her, Caleb, and Gionna, and about how she found out Caleb is "M". After walking for a moment, Lexi follows Michelle into a wooden building. Inside the building, there are two guys in the ring, while everyone else is standing around outside of the ring. She instantly recognizes the guys in the ring as Isaiah and Wade. While watching them practice, she hears a familiar voice shout over everyone else's.

Caleb: Come on, Isaiah! Hit the WMD and follow up with the Spinebuster!

She makes her way over to him, keeping an eye on the match as she does. Lexi sees Wade run at Isaiah, only to be met with a right hand to the jaw. Before he has a chance to go down, Isaiah places his hand on Wade's chest and hits a One-armed Spinebuster.

Lexi: Damn!

Caleb looks over at her and smirks, before wrapping his arms around her.

Caleb: Mornin', darlin'. (Looking back to Isaiah) He's got one helluva Spinebuster. His WMD doesn't tickle either. (To Isaiah) Vengeful Claymore for the finish!

Isaiah looks at his brother and nods. Then, he walks over to the corner, headbutts the top turnbuckle a couple times, stops his foot once, and turns around to face Wade. Once Wade is on his feet, Isaiah launches himself at him and connects with a huge Claymore.

Lexi: What's with the stuff in the corner?

Caleb: What? Him headbutting the turnbuckle?

Lexi: Yeah.

Caleb: It's part of the Family of Destruction thing. Isaiah is gonna be revealed to be Kane's other son. Instead of getting all the supernatural stuff, he's gonna get Kane's mental instability.

Lexi: Cool. This is going to be like a wrestling horror movie.

Caleb: That's what we're aiming for.

Lexi: Gionna's going to love being part of it.

Caleb: I hope so. How do you feel about it?

Lexi: Nervous and excited.

Caleb: I'm glad y'all are gonna be involved with this. Hey, isn't the Mizanin party today?

Lexi: Yeah, but it's a twenty-hour drive there.

Jason, walking over to them: Who said anything about driving?

Lexi: It's too late to buy tickets for a flight there.

Jason: I'll make a call. This flight won't cost you anything.

Caleb: You're cashing in your favor now?

Jason, nodding: Yeah. I got invited too and completely forgot about it. Plus SmackDown is gonna be somewhere near their house. The question is: which you is Lexi taking to the party? If they see you with your long hair and new build, they might get suspicious. If you show up wearing your mask, it could impact your mystique.

Caleb: It's your call, Lex. I'm fine with either one.

Lexi: I think I've spent enough time with "M". I want to show off my new man.

Caleb: That's fine, but I'm not dressing all fancy.

Lexi, smiling: We'll see.

Caleb: Aw dammit.

Timeskip

A black limo pulls up outside of Castle MarMiz. The door opens and the former Goddess of WWE, the War Goddess, America's Greatest Badass, and the Emperor of Darkness climb out.

(A/N: Jason is wearing this, minus the sunglasses.)

(A/N: This is what Caleb is wearing.)

The group make their way to the front door, where they are welcomed by Maryse and Mike.

Maryse: You two look stunning.

Lexi and Adrienne both thank her and compliment her as well. While they talk, Mike points out one key detail Maryse overlooked.

Mike: They got you two to dress up, huh?

Caleb: What gave it away?

Mike, smiling: It's not that bad. I mean, we look...

He pauses. Caleb and Jason smile and pause with him.

Mike, Jason, and Caleb: AWWWESOME!!

Their outburst gains the attention of the women, who shake their heads with smiles on their faces.

Maryse: This might've been a bad idea.

Lexi and Adrienne nod their heads and laugh in agreement. Meanwhile, Mike catches up with his old friend.

Mike: I noticed you grew your hair out.

Caleb: Yeah, it's part of a new project I've been working on.

Mike: Oh. What's the project?

Caleb: Sorry, Mike. I was told to keep it a secret from as many people as possible.

Mike: Say no more. I understand how show business is. Just know, I'm not going to stop until I find out what it is.

Jason: You won't have to wait too terribly long to find out what he's been up to.

Mike: How long?

Caleb: Less than two months.

Mike: Two months!? Does Lexi know?

Lexi: Does Lexi know what?

Caleb: About the secret project I've been working on.

Lexi: Of course, I know about it. Ever since he's come back, Caleb has been nothing but honest with me.

Caleb wrapped his arm around Lexi's shoulders as soon as she joined the conversation. Her arms wrapped around his body while she spoke. Now, her head is resting against his torso.

Mike: You two look great together.

Maryse, joining the conversation: What about Gionna?

Lexi: I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I need to talk to her about it the next time I see her.

Mike: Y'know we don't have to stand out here all night, right? Let's get inside.

The group follows the A-Lister and the French Canadian inside the house. As they walk inside, they see a few people they recognize: Mike's parents, Maryse's mother Marjo, everyone's favorite Showoff Dolph Ziggler, and a couple others. The Showoff sees the group walk in and makes his way over to them,, complimenting everyone until he gets to Caleb. His face turns into one of confusion as he looks up at the large man.

Dolph:...Did you get taller?

Caleb, smirking: It's nice to see you too, man.

Dolph: Where'd you run off to? We missed you.

Caleb: How much have you had to drink?

Dolph: Not too much. Like a glass or something.

Caleb: Okay. Just makin' sure it wasn't the alcohol talking. To answer your question, I stayed with my uncles.

Dolph: Which one? Edge, Sting, or 'Taker?

Lexi: Did everyone know about his uncles except me?

Dolph: I don't think so. I mean, everyone knows about how close he is with 'Taker and Edge, but he's kept the Sting one quiet.

Caleb: I didn't want people to treat me differently because he's my uncle.

Mike: We only found out at Survivor Series when Sting made his debut. I'd known him for ten years at that point.

Lexi: I'm sure you two got along great.

Mike: Not at first.

Caleb: He was a reality star. You know how I feel about most forms of reality TV.

Mike: Do you watch Miz & Mrs?

Caleb: Yeah, but that's not the point. The point was I thought you were a little spoiled.

Dolph: What changed your mind about him?

Caleb: After he messed up on live TV, he was backstage beating himself up about it. I happened to be within earshot of it and told him that all the greats have messed up too. He asked how I knew that and I told him that I was there when they did.

Mike: I remember that night. You convinced me that 'Taker and Edge were related.

Lexi: How'd you do that?

Caleb: I didn't do it on purpose. He asked me and Jason who we were and I told him we were Undertaker's sons. He didn't believe us, but then Kane walked over to us and told us dad was looking for us.

Jason: Then Edge walked by, said "hey nephews", and kept walking.

Maryse: You thought Undertaker and Edge were related?

Mike: By marriage or something! I didn't think Edge was his little brother. At least I wasn't hitting on him while he was a teenager!

Lexi, laughing: What!?

Maryse: It was a game Trish taught us! She told us that when we see Caleb, we had to flirt with him a little to build up his confidence.

Lexi: Did it work?

Caleb: Lex, do you remember why I first talked to you?

Lexi: Because I talked to you first while you were doing push-ups.

Caleb: Now go back to the first part.

Lexi: Because I talked to you first?

Caleb: Bingo. I can talk to people, but I can't start a conversation with them unless I'm comfortable around them. It did make me more comfortable around women and it taught me a lot.

Lexi: I'm glad it at least made you more comfortable around girls. How often did they flirt with you?

Caleb: Thanks to Uncle Edge, all the time.

Lexi: One the bright side: you had all the girls people wish would just look at them complimenting you.

Caleb: Yeah, I know, but it definitely makes your teenage years interesting.

Jason, staring at the floor: Yeah...those were rough times. I think you got it worse than any of the rest of us did.

Lexi: Why's that?

Caleb: Because Aunt Torrie and Aunt Stacy started that stuff before they came to WWE. They would make jokes, saying that the WCW/ECW vs WWF war was over me.

Jason: There's several pictures of him with all the girls around him.

Dolph, laughing: That's awesome.

Caleb: Yes, it's real funny. Is this party for me or Mike and Maryse?

Mike: Alright, we'll leave you two alone. If things are too awkward-.

Caleb: We'll handle it.

Mike nods, knowing not to push it any further. Once he leaves, Lexi and Caleb make their way into the party with their arms linked. Lexi smiles up at him, causing him to smile too. Just when they started to get comfortable though, the reason Lexi didn't  want to be there walks over to them.

Ryan: Hi, Lexi.

Caleb, whispering to Lexi: You alright? If you're not ready to talk to him, we don't have to.

Lexi, whispering back: No time like the present, right?

Caleb, smiling: That's my girl.

Lexi, looking up: Hi, Ryan. How've you been?

Ryan: Pretty good. How about you?

Lexi: Well, now that this big dummy is back in my life, I'm doing just fine.

Ryan: That's great. I'm happy for you, Lex.

Lexi and Ryan stand there awkwardly, neither one knowing what to say. Caleb takes it upon himself to break the tension by doing what he does best.

Caleb: You guys suck at this.

Lexi and Ryan: What?

Caleb: This whole situation is awkward because you guys suck at talking to each other. When you run into someone at a party you've got issues with, you're supposed to have a few drinks together, have a little too much, say stuff you'll probably regret, and apologize while trying to hide the inevitable hangover.

Lexi: How often have you had to do this?

Caleb: Not very many anymore, but that's how I solve issues with the Krew. It's either we do that or  bare-knuckle boxing, but for Ryan's benefit, I suggested the second most fun one.

Lexi: I don't see how either are fun.

Caleb: Bare-knuckle boxing allows both of you to deal with your issues while everyone who's tired of hearing about it gets a free show. And the getting drunk one is fun because drunk people are really fuckin' funny to talk to.

Ryan: What makes you say that?

Caleb: I've been around, I've seen things. One of those things is the funniest shit ever: a drunk Alexis Kaufman trying to explain the Toy Story movies from memory.

Caleb and Ryan laugh. Meanwhile, Lexi stands there confused by what Caleb said.

Lexi: That never happened.

Caleb: It happened twice actually.

Ryan: Three times.

Caleb: Ah damn. I missed a drunken Disney rant?

Ryan: Unfortunately, yes.

Lexi: What is going on!?

Caleb: We're talking about a common experience.

Lexi: Me getting drunk isn't an "experience".

Caleb: You only think that because you don't remember what you're like when you drink too much. It's like watching the same movie.

Ryan: And it gets better every time you watch it.

Caleb: Exactly. You spend half-an-hour feeling bad for Buzz, then an hour of being pissed at Woody for being a "bad, bad toy", and finally, two hours crying about Toy Story 3.

Lexi: Dammit. I was really hoping you guys didn't remember my drunk rants. That's why I don't drink as much.

Caleb stops when she says that. His eyes go blank and emotionless once again.

Ryan, not seeing it: I wouldn't drink a lot after that either.

He and Lexi share a good laugh. When they notice Caleb didn't laugh, they both look up at him.

Ryan: Is he okay?

Lexi grabs his arms and tries to gently shake him out of it.

Lexi: Caleb? Caleb, answer me.

Nothing seems to be working. Caleb stands there, looking blankly at the wall. The small smile he once had on his face is erased as his eyes begin to tear up.

Lexi: Oh God...this is bad. Go get Jason. Now!

Caleb, quietly: I'm happy for you, Lex...but you need to slow down.

Lexi: What?

Caleb: You've had too much...

Jason runs over with Adrienne and Ryan not far behind him. He takes one look at his friend and realizes what the problem is.

Jason: What did you guys say?

Ryan: What?

Jason: Don't what me, tell me what you said!

Ryan: We were just talking about Lexi's drunk Disney rants.

Adrienne: Man, those are the best.

Jason: Let's reminisce the good times later. Tell me what the hell y'all said!

Lexi: They talked about my rants and I said "that's why I don't drink as much". Why? What's going on?

Jason: He's remembering. Caleb's always had a vivid imagination. It's not always a good thing though. He's been through a lot and he's got more demons than any other motherfucker I know, myself included.

Lexi, panicked: What's going on? How do we help him!?

Jason: Shhhh. Calm down. He's trapped in his own mind and you panicking isn't gonna help. You've helped him get through his PTSD episodes, right?

Lexi: Yeah. Normally, I just have to touch him and he calms down.

Jason: What'd you do when that didn't work?

Lexi: I just talked to him.

Jason: Okay, that's exactly what you're gonna do, but first, we're gonna get him outta here.

Jason walks over to Caleb and puts his arm around his shoulders. Together, he and Lexi start moving Caleb through the party. Not knowing what to do, Ryan follows them carefully.

Jason, to Ryan: You gonna stand there, pretty boy, or are you gonna get the damn door!?

This causes the musician to jump and run to the door. He opens it as fast as he can, breathing heavier than he was earlier out of fear. As they pass through the doorway, Ryan speaks to himself, but Jason caught it.

Ryan, nodding toward Caleb: And I thought he was the scary one.

Jason, walking outside: He is!

The two manage to get Caleb outside. Now all they have to do is calm the large man down.

Jason: Alright, you're the expert on calming him down. Do what you need to do.

The former Goddess of WWE nods and slowly walks up to Caleb. She places one hand on his torso and another on his arm. As her hands touch him, he tenses up, but then relaxes. She gets her breathing under control, then talks to the big man.

Lexi: Caleb? Can you hear me, babe?

Her voice is shaky, but still audible. Jason stares on with a worried look on his face, which Adrienne notices. She grabs his hand and assures him that Lexi knows what she's doing.

Caleb: Lex...I'm sorry.

Lexi: Sorry? Sorry for what, sweetie?

Caleb: I shouldn't have left you alone.

Lexi: It's okay, Jughead. Why did you leave?

Caleb: To clear my head.

Lexi: It's okay. We already talked about it, right?

Caleb: You yelled at me...and slapped me.

Lexi: I'm sorry, babe.

Caleb: It wasn't your fault. You were drunk. You drank more than you normally do when you get drunk.

Lexi: I'm glad you're not mad. But why are you sorry?

Caleb: Those guys...they didn't care about you. They didn't love you.

Lexi: What guys?

Caleb: The guys at the bar. They weren't buying you drinks because they loved you more than I do.

Lexi: What are you talking about?

Adrienne: He's talking about the night you got drafted to SmackDown. We all went out for drinks and you had too much. Some guys tried to have their way with you, Caleb caught them and stopped what they were doing, but you were drunk and wanted more drinks, so-.

Lexi, with sorrow in her voice: I defended what those guys and told Caleb he didn't love me anymore. Oh God. I didn't mean it.

Adrienne: I know, and so does he.

Jason: That was 2016, right?

Lexi: Yeah, why?

Jason: That was what he was talking about.

Lexi: What was?

Jason: Every night, he would mumble that he was sorry and that he didn't hate you. We thought he was praying, but I heard him say your name. I asked him about it in the mornings, but he wouldn't talk about it. Look, none of this is your fault. He's got more stuff buried than a graveyard. He got lost in his memory. Bring him home.

Lexi nods, but isn't quite sure what to do. After mumbling "what would Caleb do" under her breath, she grabs his tie and pulls him down into a passionate kiss. After a few seconds, she feels Caleb respond to her actions by kissing her back and wrapping his arms around her back. Her arms snake around his neck as the kiss deepens.

Jason: Alright, lovebirds. Break it up.

Caleb responds by shooting him a bird, not breaking the kiss at all. After a few seconds, they part to breathe. While they catch their breath, they rest their foreheads together.

Lexi: I don't hate you. I don't care what drunk me said. Thank you so much for everything. I love you, Caleb. And don't you dare quote Han Solo.

Caleb, smiling: I love you too, Lex. I always have and I always will.

Lexi: Good. No more secrets, okay? Don't bury your past. Let me help you. I promise I'll always be here for you and I'm sure if you ask Gionna, she'd say the same thing.

Caleb: No more secrets, no more running, no more burying. I promise. Just don't pressure me to tell you anything.

Lexi: I won't. If you feel like you need to tell me something, then tell me.

Caleb: Okay. I do have something.

Lexi: What is it?

Caleb: I'm still leaning down and it's hurting my back.

Lexi, teasingly: You're gonna let a little back pain get the way of kissing me again?

Caleb surprises her by tightening his grip around her and standing up straight, pulling her up off the ground.

Lexi: Stupid loopholes.

Caleb: They're so useful though.

Lexi shakes her head while smiling and kisses him again. This kiss doesn't last as long as the last one, but it is still filled with just as much emotion. They separate and he puts Lexi down gently. Thinking it'd be better for him to be away from a large group of people right now, Lexi, Adrienne, Jason, and Caleb all go inside and tell everyone goodbye. Caleb told Ryan that he did nothing wrong and that he needs to learn how to avoid awkward conversations. Jason was forced to apologized for yelling at him by Adrienne.

After their goodbyes were said, they all pack back into the limo and head to the hotel WWE paid for the SmackDown superstars to stay in for this week. Before they get there, Caleb reaches into his bag and pulls out a hoodie, and his face cover.

Lexi: Whatcha doin'?

Caleb: Nobody can know that Caleb Winters is back.

Lexi: Got it.

By the time they reach the hotel, Caleb is once again hidden beneath the "M" persona. The four get out of the limo and grab their bags, then head inside. They check in and go straight to their rooms. Lexi and Caleb part ways with Jason and Adrienne and go into Lexi's room. Once there, they put their stuff down, do their nightly routines, and go to the bedroom.

Lexi: You look nice.

Caleb: Nice to know I can impress you by wearing black shorts and no shirt.

Lexi laughs before going back to her phone.

Caleb: You look nice too.

Lexi: How nice?

Caleb: Absolutely perfect.

Lexi: You're real sweat. You don't mind sleeping in the same bed, right?

Caleb: Lex, we've slept on the couch together for two nights in a row and we've slept on the floor together. A bed will be a welcome change.

Lexi: I know, but this'll be the first time since we became what we are.

Caleb: What exactly are we?

Lexi: I don't know. Boyfriend and girlfriend?

Caleb: As long as I get to be the boyfriend, I'm good with it. What about Gionna?

Lexi: I don't know, we'll share you or something. For now, it's our time. And I want to spend that time watching TV with you in this bed with me.

Caleb: Yes, dear.

He climbs into the bed next to her and hold her close to him. Once they're comfortable, they watch Disney movies until they eventually fall asleep.

A/N: Thank y'all for reading. I know this chapter was a little bit more serious than the others, but hopefully it served its purpose. Again, thank y'all so much for reading. I love all y'all and I'll talk to y'all next time.