Ripley & Me

The Creature Lives Up To His Name.

(A/N: This chapter is a time skip that happens a couple weeks before Rhea's NXT Women's Championship match against Shayna Baszler. But also includes said title match. Hope you enjoy.)

Over the next month or two, Rhea and I tore up the competition. Of course I won a spot on the NXT Survivor Series team as did Rhea. But at NXT Takeover: War Games. Only Rhea participated in the event as captain of Team Ripley which didn't bother me as I was proud of her.

After a victorious showing at Survivor Series by NXT Women's Survivor Series team, things went back to normal as I was preparing for a push with Keith Lee for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Of course Rhea and I spent Thanksgiving together as we had nowhere to go to celebrate the holiday, however we both tried our best to make the Thanksgiving holiday special.
The following Tuesday was the one Shayna, Jessamyn and Marina would never forget.

Performance Center, Dec. 3, 2019. Orlando, Florida.
Rhea and I were at the Performance Center getting some last minute practice and workouts in. Survivor Series happened a week and a half ago. Rhea and I were getting her ready for her title shot at the NXT Women's Championship on the eighteenth. And I was proud of her for pestering the Champion so much that it was inevitable for her to get the shot she deserves. But as we were leaving the PC. I patted my jacket pocket and said, "Oh I think I left my keys back in the locker room. I'll be right back."
"Okay, hurry though." She grinned as I hurried back into the PC and grabbed my keys as they were hanging on a hook in the locker I used. When I was near the door to leave the PC again, I saw Shayna, Jessamyn, and Marina beating up Rhea who was down. Shayna and her cronies got in their car and tried to drive off only the car wouldn't go forward. Jessamyn looked out the back window and saw me and the look on my face was less than friendly.
"Uhh, Shayna. You may want to take your foot off the gas. Because if you don't your just going to make him madder."
Shayna looked in her rearview and noticed me. She immediately took her foot off the gas, making the back wheels stop moving. I set the back end down on the ground and walked to the front and with one well placed fist hammered the hood once and the engine stalled. Shayna, Jessamyn and Marina were freaking the fuck out. I looked to Rhea who was starting to move around. I looked back at Shayna and company. Then reached under the driver's side door and power lifted the car over onto its roof. I approached Rhea and helped her up. She smiled as she looked at me.
"You alright, Rhea?" I asked. She nodded. And I helped her to our car and she buckled up and I was about to get in myself.
Until Shayna yelled, "You better hope that freak is by your side tomorrow night Rhea. Cause you won't be able to walk out of Full Sail arena after I get done with you."
I slammed the driver's side door and approached the car that Shayna, Jessamyn and Marina were trapped in. And gripped the top of her window which had some broken glass in it and folded her door in half and ripped it off and tossed it aside. Got on my knees and said, "You listen to me very carefully. You do anything to hurt Rhea before your title match against her. I'll bend and twist you so much a pretzel will look good. Now I may be a freak, I may be able to lift 500+ lbs. But if you ever jump or attack Rhea again before the title match she has with you. You and I are gonna go for a ride and I'll show you parts of Orlando you've never seen before. You get me." She nodded. "That goes for all of you."
I got up and walked back to my car, got in started the car and drove off leaving the wreck and its owner and friends, right where they were.

When we got to our apartment, I parked in the parking lot of our apartment building, and got out and helped Rhea out of the car and into our home. I helped her up the stairs to her room.
I sat her gently on the bed and she smiled at me as I helped her take off her shirt leaving her in her sports bra and helped her into bed. She seethed as I gently moved her legs onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her. I then went to her bathroom and got her some water and some ibuprofen for the pain. I returned to her side and she sat up and gave her the water and the ibuprofen. She took them and drank the water and handed me back the glass. "Thank you." She grinned.
"No problem, Demi." I smiled as she adjusted herself further down the bed and laid down, her head resting on her pillow and she pulled the blanket back over her body. "Now you get some rest. Okay. You need to be at your best or at least 70-80% tomorrow night." I said as she swatted my arm with a giggle.
"What happened to Shayna and company?" She asked.
"I caught up to them and told them that if they were to attack you again, they'd live to regret it." I told her.
"And they believed you I trust." She slid her right hand over mine and gently squeezed it.
"Yes. I mean would you believe me?" I asked.
"Well when I initially met you in NXT UK. I would have said no. But after I saw you rip the locker room door off its hinges with your bare hands. I would say yes."
"Alright then. Well, goodnight and sleep well Demi."
"You too, Daniel." She smiled as I headed to my room.