(A/N: to set the mood, listen to the music above while reading!)

After an episode of SmackDown had finally come to a close, Joe didn't have to work for the next week due to his schedule with the WWE; but instead of wanting to travel back to his gigantic penthouse in Pensacola, Florida, he insisted on heading back to the city that never slept, Los Angeles, as he went on the search to finally meet with Jasmine once more.

Despite the late hours of the night, Joe knew that the strip club in Los Angeles would still be open, its neon lights beckoning like a beacon in the night. Ignoring the fatigue that threatened to weigh him down after a long day of wrestling, he headed out into the cool Los Angeles evening, the anticipation of what lay ahead driving him forward as he wasn't far away.

As he arrived at the club, Joe felt a surge of excitement course through him. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the familiar sights and sounds of the dimly lit establishment, the air was thick with the scent of nothing but perfume and cigarette smoke. With a quick scan of the room, he searched for any sign of Jasmine, his heart pounding in anticipation.

"...Jasmine?" He said underneath his breath, glancing around the building in hopes of seeing her, but to no avail.

But to his surprise, she still wasn't anywhere in sight after searching for ten more minutes. The familiar sights and sounds of the club surrounded him, but amidst the dancers and the patrons, there was no trace of the one woman who had captured his attention and his imagination.

Joe then walked over towards a nearby bartender in hopes of finding out if Jasmine was working tonight or not. He was growing concerned, with also needing answers as his worries continued to grow once more.

"Excuse me, sir." Joe says, "Do you happen to know where a woman named Jasmine could be? She works here as a stripper?"

He shook his head, "Ah, I'm sorry. If you're looking for her in particular for a dance, she isn't here tonight. If anything, she was here earlier tonight and she ran out without a reasoning. Why? We don't know."

Joe looked at the bartender with disappointment written all over his face, "Thanks."

After leaving the strip club, Joe was on the search for Jasmine, the very woman that attracted him from afar not too long ago. He was disappointed and frustrated at the thought of Jasmine not being at the same place that they first met in. He felt as if she were the one that got away within the slip of his fingers.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He sighed, talking underneath his breath to himself, feeling nothing but utter despair in his tone of voice.

A sense of disappointment washed over Joe as he realized that his quest to find Jasmine had come up empty-handed. Despite his determination and his unwavering belief that fate would lead him back to her, it seemed that she had slipped through his fingers once again. Should he continue searching, scouring every corner of the club in the hopes of finding her? Or should he accept defeat and resign himself to the possibility that their paths might never cross again?

However, Jasmine had ignited something within him, a spark of hope and longing that he simply couldn't ignore. He made a silent vow to continue his search, knowing that somewhere out there, Jasmine was waiting for him, just beyond his reach.

While he left from the strip club, his long hair flowed through the winds of the cold, night air of Los Angeles as he was on the search for Jasmine and her whereabouts. For a woman that he barely even knew, he somehow felt like he knew her from somewhere from his past. But where?

Joe continued to walk down the streets of the city that never sleeps, pondering on whether or not he was going to ever find her again. Just before thing started looking bleak, he heard a woman sobbing towards a nearby alleyway, almost close to a few houses. Sadly, he stumbled upon a heartbreaking sight. There, huddled in a secluded corner, he found Jasmine, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs and tears rolling down her cheeks and her back was against the wall of a building.

Instantly, concern flooded through Joe as he approached her with caution, his heart aching at the sight of her distress. As Joe sat beside Jasmine in the dark alleyway, he could feel the weight of her sadness in the air. The distant rumble of thunder mirrored the turmoil in her heart. Without uttering a word, he placed a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder, offering silent support.

For a moment, Jasmine flinched at his touch, her instincts conditioned by years of mistreatment. But something in Joe's presence felt different, safe and genuine. Slowly, she allowed herself to lean into his comforting touch, seeking comfort in his warmth. She looked up to seeing the same man with whom refused a dance awhile back. He was a man of his word. He looked down at her with a look of concern written inside of his darkened-brown eyes.

"Joe, it's you..." She says in a soft tone, "You came back."

Joe's voice began to deepen, "I made a promise to you that I swore to keep. And you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. But I want you to know that I'm here for you, Jasmine. Whatever you're going through, you don't have to face it alone."

Jasmine glanced at him through tear-streaked eyes, a mix of surprise and gratitude flickering in her gaze. Despite the darkness that surrounded them, Joe's kindness seemed to illuminate a glimmer of hope within her battered soul.

"I...I don't know if I can tell you anything, Joe." She sniffled, "I barely know you, and..."

Joe interrupted as he pressed his finger softly against her plumped lips, "Shh, It's okay, really. Take your time and I will never rush you into telling me anything."

In that moment, Jasmine realized that she wasn't alone anymore. With Joe by her side, she felt a glimmer of courage stirring within her battered heart; a tiny spark of defiance against the darkness that had consumed her for far too long. And as the storm raged on, she found solace in the simple comfort of his presence, silently grateful for the unexpected ray of light that had found its way into her life.

As the thunder in the clouds began to rumble and the rain began to fall in earnest, Joe instinctively rose to his feet, offering Jasmine a hand up from the damp pavement, "Let's get you out of this rain, baby," he suggested gently, his voice barely audible over the roar of the thunder.

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, torn between the safety Joe offered and the fear of what awaited her back at home. But the warmth of his hand in hers, the genuine concern in his eyes, was enough to convince her to take a chance. She looked into his eyes and replied with a nod.

With Joe's steady presence beside her, Jasmine navigated the darkened streets with Joe's fingers intertwined with hers, the rain-soaked alleyways a somber backdrop to their silent journey. Despite the storm raging around them as they rushed down to her house to escape the pouring rain, there was a sense of calm in Joe's company—a brief respite from the chaos of her life to which he knew nothing about.

But as they approached Jasmine's apartment just a few minutes later, a sense of nervousness settled over her like a heavy cloak. She paused hesitantly at the entrance, her heart pounding in her chest as she dreaded what laid beyond the door.

Joe, oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows, squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Hey, we're almost there," he murmured, his voice a beacon of reassurance in the darkness. "You're safe now, Jasmine. I won't let anything happen to you."

With a shaky breath, Jasmine nodded, steeling herself for what was to come. But as they stepped inside, his worst fears about her were realized in an instant as he realized her trembling...

"Jasmine..."