— Ring of Honor | 2003 | 14 Years Earlier —

I fixed up my little outfit I had picked out for myself today for Ring of Honor's show tonight. I was the manger of Paul London as we were currently going by the gimmick of being siblings — which we weren't in real life, of course. Like how Kane and The Undertaker aren't really brothers in real life. So, Paul and I are just two people with the same ring last name. His hair is black and mine is, too, so it does make it look like we're related in a way.

"Hey, Eliza, you ready?" Paul had came up to me and asked, using my ring name. I nodded with a grin and followed him to the curtains to come out of for our entrance.

He was going to face two guys tonight in a triple-threat. Whoever wins, gets the chance to compete for the ROH Championship later tonight. He was facing Low Ki and a newcomer that I hadn't actually got to properly meet yet since he just started the last of last year, after all.

Paul's theme began playing and we quickly made our way out. He stopped to pose at the top of the stage and I did, too, behind him. I followed him down to the ring until he slid inside and I remained outside of the ring and out of harm's way as well.

His two other opponents were already inside of the ring when I seen Low Ki standing in one corner and in another was the newcomer. I believe that his name is AJ. Uh... AJ Styles. He was sure a sight for soar eyes because of how beyond damn handsome he was, after all. He was like a new character in a book to me.

The whole time, I was out there to show my support for Paul and to cheer him on. But instead, I was just staring at AJ and how the sweat carefully glazed down his body. At one point, he caught me staring and I had to look away to avoid suspicion. I even had to check my mouth to see if I was drooling, too. I wasn't, thank God.

Later, Paul ended up winning the tournament, but didn't win the title later. However, backstage after this match here, I formally introduced myself to AJ in person without staring and drool.

"Nice to meet you," he said to me with a genuine smile. "So, are you and Paul really siblings?"

I giggled and shook my head. "No, not siblings. If we were, we would be fighting EACH OTHER in that ring."

He let out a chuckle and shook his head. He then said, "Well, good. You're WAY prettier than him, anyway." His words instantly killed me before he had to take off to shower and change. I never did forget his words, though.

Paul ended up departing from Ring of Honor eventually and going off to WWE before I could, but I didn't accept it when he asked me if I wanted to go with him. He could somehow convince Vince McMahon to hire me, too, but I declined. That's when AJ showed up and said he would take me under his wing. I've been glued to him ever since then.

• • •

— Present Day, The Day After —

As soon as AJ and I got to the Houston, Texas, arena the next evening for SmackDown's taping, we learned the news that they're actually going to start off SmackDown with Roman Reigns talking (as usual) and then, AJ and I will pop in for a visit.

Since we were on so early, we had to hurry to get ready and prepared. He went to his locker room as I departed towards mine. I rolled into the women's locker room section of this arena and seen a lot of the Divas was already in here getting ready for their night.

I sat my suitcase in the corner, basically, away from everybody else's. It wasn't because I didn't like all of them – I do – but I wasn't really apart of their precious Divas Revolution. With Charlotte being the newest Women's Champion as of this past WrestleMania, she's the leader of this little wolf pack while we're all running up her coat tails waiting for our chance to shine.

I set up my suitcase on the bench and unzipped it, revealing all that I have packed. I had a special department in here just for my ring gear. I had no time to sit around, I had to hurry and get changed. I chose a different outfit to wear, but within my limits, of course.

I started to gather my things together in my arms when Natalya, a former Divas Champion, walked up to me with a smile. She was already in her ring gear for tonight. "Hey, Britt," she greeted me, holding her phone.

"Hey, Nattie," I flat-lined grinned at her. It wasn't because I didn't like her because – like I said – I do like them all, especially sweet Nattie. It's just that I should hurry to get ready, that's all. "What's up?"

"I wanted to know if you would like to take a selfie with me," she suggested, which she smiled with. I gritted my teeth together, thinking it over. It was just a little uncommon with me being asked to take a selfie. "If you don't want to, that's fine."

"No, no," I waved it away. "Let's go ahead and do it before I go changed."

"Okay!" Nattie squeaked out and lifted up her phone high enough to get us both in it. She draped her arm over my back and we took a quick selfie. "Thanks, Britt. I'll tag you!"

I just giggled and rolled my eyes, dismissing myself going towards the bathroom to change away from everyone else. I went ahead and changed into my new chosen outfit.

After getting my outfit on, I exited and placed my other clothes I was wearing into my suitcase. Then, I exited the locker room and made my way to where I can get my hair and make-up fixed at properly.

I seen that Charlotte's hair was being fixed on, but the other chair was free. So, I passed by and took a seat. The lady asked me what I wanted done and I just tell her to straighten it out for me and to give me smokey eyes also.

Then, I was faced by Charlotte while she sat in the other chair. "Hey, Britt," she greeted me with a smile – just like how Nattie did before.

"Hey, how's it going, champ?" I asked of her as I took out my phone to see I had a notification on both Twitter and Instagram because of the selfie Nattie and I just took a few minutes ago. I liked it on Instagram while on Twitter, however, I liked and retweeted it. I added the note on Twitter: "Cute!! (;"

"Not much," Charlotte finally answered me and draped her title over her shoulder. "Just going to do commentary tonight with my dad during Nattie and Summer's match."

I nodded, not looking up at her anymore and just at my phone, and said, "Cool. How's it like being champ?"

"Good," she replied and I can practically feel her smile. "What about you? How's it like working with AJ again?"

That's when I looked up at her and an easy smile came across my face. "Awesome, actually," I told her while I felt the lady straightened out each piece of hair in back. "My most favorite times in wrestling take place when I'm working with AJ."

"I heard my name," his southern accent came into view. He appeared next to my chair and propped himself a against it, too; although, he picked up his free hand to wave. "Hey, Charlotte."

She picked up her hand as well towards him with a smile and said, "Hey, AJ. How you doing?"

He nodded and replied in his smooth southern accent, "Can't complain. Yourself?" Can't complain, eh? Instead of really answering, all she did was point right at her championship and AJ got the answer he was seeking. He turned towards me and quietly asked, "Hey, could I speak to you privately real quick? I mean, well... When you get done with your hair and everything. I prefer before we go out to the ring. Please?"

I heard so much pleading in his tone and in his facial expression. What the hell? So, then, I nodded and squeaked out, "Sure, but what's going on? You alright?"

He nodded, but didn't even show a sign of happiness or that he was – in fact – alright. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't work yourself up, alright?" I sighed, but ended up nodding to understand. "Just come find me in my locker room when you're done, okay?"

I nodded, once again, and mutter out an alright before he disappeared down the hallway going towards his locker room. I laid back in the movie set type chair and let the lady finish me up.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, I've been set free from the chair and am currently heading towards AJ's locker room to find him. I see his name on a simple piece of copy paper taped on a door, so I start to knock quietly like I may disturb him inside.

A beat later, the door opened and his figure appeared. He allowed me access to the inside and I walked on in. I stood there, totally unaware what to do, and he directed me towards the couch by the window. I took a seat and waited for him to do so, too.

When he sat down next to me, he took a deep breath and tried to relax. What's his problem? "So, Britt, I talked to Shane before I came to find you earlier," he began to confess something to me, "and he said that he likes us two together on-screen because – not only did we back in the day – he likes us now more than ever."

Oh... That doesn't sound like bad news at all. I've been sweating bullets this past fifteen minutes just for this? It sounds like good news more than anything, honestly. "That's a good thing. Right?"

Right when he nodded, he had to sweep back his hair out of his eyes. "Well, yeah, of course it is, Britt," he confirmed, which made me grin a little bit. "Only thing, though, is that he wants something more from us."

What? What the bloody hell is AJ – or Shane, for that matter – getting at here? I squinted my eyebrows together in confusion and AJ noticed this, of course. What he didn't notice or even see was the knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

"What does that even mean? What else does he possibly expect from us? And why couldn't he had talked to me, too, when he told you this?" There was so many questions I had, to which I don't even think AJ can answer. But maybe he can help clear things up, though.

"I told him that it would be best if I talked to you first about this," his sweet southern accent echoed through my skull like I was at a head-banging concert. It wasn't that he was loud, but each word that kept creeping their way out of his mouth made me wonder more and more. His eyes met mine and my heart began to take its toll. "He wants us to..."

He stopped talking altogether like his body had shut down on him, so I tried to find his eyes again. "What is it, AJ? It can't be that bad, y'know?" I tried convincing him and that's when our eyes met again in all business.

"He wants us to be this on-screen power couple," AJ finally admitted, to which the words fell right out of his mouth like it was nothing he could do to stop them. I couldn't find the words and I don't even know if he could. Then again, he's AJ Styles, after all. "He said that since we haven't ever showed that we were anything but best friends and tag-team partners, that we should start now. He said it would definitely be something different."

"I think that would be an understatement," I squeaked out and gulped afterwards. It was like gulping down venom from a poisonous snake or even acid, for that matter. Then again, the texture was sweet like sour gummy worms or something.

I had always wanted this. I had always dreamed of having this with him. I had always dreamt of just having him all to myself, but for it to start on live television and in front of the world felt wrong to me. I just wanted it to happen behind closed doors mostly. And that's why it was a poisonous taste, really.

"Yeah, you're telling me," AJ breathed out, like he really needed to. Maybe he did and maybe I should already, too. He relaxed a little more now that it was all out and in the open as he laid back a bit. "I just thought that I should've been the one to tell you first, so you wouldn't blow up on Shane. At least it would be on me, if anything."

I wanted to ask him why I would blow up, period, but I kept it to myself because I knew that it would reveal too much. I wanted to play this cool and easy, if anything at all. So, then, I just shrugged and smiled to hide it. "Well, is this set in stone or what now?"

He had to use up a few seconds to think about it. "It's...," he paused and found my eyes to connect them to his. "It's basically set in stone, yeah. He said that we need to definitely start next week, if anything."

"So... What is it he wants us to do exactly?" It felt more weird asking him out loud than it does imagining all the many scenes and scenarios in my head over and over again. I had always pictured that AJ and I would end up running off in the sunset together, but not really like this, though.

AJ shrugged, but I could tell he was kind of nervous about answering me, though. "Well, just, uh... Stuff," he muttered out, which didn't answer anything at all. He coughed and gulped, feeling the tension more than ever now. "Whatever on-screen power couples do, I guess. Whatever Edge and Lita did, maybe? I don't know."

Oh, God. Those two were the hottest power couple ever and that's not to mention Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee years back, too. What Edge and Lita did aren't even PG these days. Nevertheless, I knew what AJ meant.

"So, he wants this power couple, huh?" I questioned him and he nodded in response. An evil grin crept upon my face and it seemed to frighten AJ a little bit, but he shouldn't worry too much. "Then, he's going to get one. He'll get the best damn one ever! Well, other than Edge and Lita, of course."

With that, AJ actually finally cracked a smile and the warmth returned to his cold and hardened face. I think it was all just because he knew I understood and that's all that mattered to him, really, as he was all that mattered to me, though.