Back to Basics 2: Encontrar Una Manera chapter 21
The last thing Alberto expects, even after everything that had happened the last week, is to see Ricardo again so soon. He'd thought perhaps, after he recovered fully from his concussion and returned to WWE, they'd see each other then, continue their conversations there, so when he opens the door to find the former ring announcer standing once more on his porch, he swallows harshly and reaches out for him instinctively. "Eh, mi amigo? Is everything alright?"
"Ah, eh, si, I think so," he says hesitantly, peering up at his former employer with large eyes.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Alberto wonders, frowning slightly as he quietly steps back, inviting Ricardo in. His frown grows when the younger man shakes his head.
"I'm not here for long, Alberto. I- I just, well. Mike is having a Christmas get together at his house this week, and I... I asked him something and he agreed so I suppose there is something you can do for me- I, I need a yes or no answer..."
"For what, Ricardo?"
The former ring announcer swallows, sighing. "Ah, well, Mike agreed that I could invite you, Sofia and Memo... If you want to come, that... well, that'd be alright," he says nervously, his hands pressed tightly together as he waits for an answer. When Alberto hesitates, staring at him as he remembers just how quiet and terrible Thanksgiving was without his best friend, he shakes his head, misunderstanding the look on his face. "It's ok, never mind. I understand." He's just turned to leave when Alberto reaches out for him, just snagging his jacket.
"Mi amigo, wait a moment." When Ricardo turns back to him, he smiles brightly. "We would love to come." A pure, honest grin crosses his face and Alberto absorbs the moment, relieved to see some happiness from his friend.
It makes it all worth it as he discusses it with Sofia and Memo, convincing them both- Sofia being an easy sell, his brother not so much- to make the trip with him across the country to California, just to realize it means he'd have to spend days at Miz's house, surrounded by people he either doesn't get along well with or doesn't know. But to spend the holidays with Ricardo would be worth it, he thinks, not willing to give up the opportunity just for such a pathetic reason. He'd missed too much time with his best friend as it is.
So they go. That Tuesday, he finds himself in Mike's house, working on stockings, of all things, with all of them. Once they're done with that, he takes in all of the decorations as Ricardo takes them on the tour of the house, Sofia and Memo on either side of him. "Since Mike's not here that often, most of the rooms are kept empty or as guest rooms for whenever he decides to do something like this," he explains with a faint smile as Memo looks around in perplexed fascination. "Which came in handy today, clearly. Anyway, most of us are going to have to share rooms, but Memo, since this is your first time with all of us, he thought maybe you'd like to have a room to yourself. He figured you'd like to have a quiet place to go if everything became just a bit overwhelming." He smiles at Del Rio's younger brother, opening the door at the end of the hallway for him. "This is yours."
"Gracias," he says quietly, carrying his luggage inside. "Buenas Noches."
"Buenas noches," the other three echo, Ricardo turning to Sofia once he shuts his door behind him. "I hope you don't mind, but Mike thought perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing with Tamina. She doesn't talk much, and I expect if anyone can handle her, it'll be you, Sofia."
Sofia nods with a small smile. "It sounds fine, Se-.. Ricardo," she catches herself, coughing in some embarrassment. He merely smiles at her as he leads her back to the room Mike had selected for her and AJ's enforcer, who is already sitting on one of the beds, quietly reading. She glances up for a moment before returning to the book, Sofia softly releasing a breath as she sets her bag at the end of her bed. Ricardo watches from the doorway for a moment before she notices him. "We'll be fine," she reassures him, hugging him softly. "Buenas Noches, Ricardo."
"Ok. Buenas Noches, Sofia. See you in the morning."
"Si," she nods, beaming at him as he leaves, shutting the door behind him.
He and Alberto stare at each other for a long moment before he coughs, leading the way to the bedroom across and one down from Memo's, slowly opening the door. "Mike asked me before he decided on the sleeping arrangements... and I agreed, so if it's alright with you, I suppose we're going to be sharing a room for a few days."
Alberto gapes at him, thoroughly floored that, after everything, Ricardo would agree to such things. "Si, mi amigo, that's- that's fine with me," he nods, glancing at the other two rooms. On one side is Mike's, and on the other is where Morrison and Alex will be, the Mexican aristocrat having no doubt that Alex and Mike both will be listening intently for any strange sound coming from their room, just in case.
After taking turns in the bathroom, they settle in to sleep so Navidad will truly start all the faster, Alberto turned to face his best friend. He's half-dozing when Ricardo's voice revives him briefly. "I'm happy you're here."
He grins. "Me too, mi amigo."
Sofia takes over the kitchen early on the next day, ignoring Miz's continued claims- growing more and more whiny each time he states it- that she's a guest, quickly whipping breakfast together while those awake relax in the living room, trying not to look too closely at the odd shapes now filling their stockings that line Mike's mantel. Alberto hasn't felt this happy in a long, long time- in the presence of both his brother and best friend for the first time in months. Considering how he had expected the holidays to go since WWE had released Memo and he had turned his back on Ricardo, he had been dreading today with almost every fiber in his being... but now he finds he's enjoying every moment of it, resting a hand on Ricardo's shoulder as they discuss Puerto Rican wrestling, causing him to tense up briefly before he relaxes and resumes focusing on what Memo is saying, a small smile on his face.
Alex stumbles out last, looking sleepy and young, Mike smirking at him as he brushes his fingers through AJ's hair, the girl only getting out of bed five minutes earlier when she'd smelled Sofia's sausage scramble. "Took you long enough, kid," he tells him genially. "Thought I'd have to poke you with a stick if you kept us waiting much longer."
He yawns and shrugs and looks all around undisturbed at the prospect as he sits down next to Ricardo. "Maybe if the beds here weren't so comfortable..."
Mike laughs. "Fine, I'll work on fixing that problem before you come here again."
"Don't you dare," he warns him, eyes flashing teasingly.
"Do I have to separate you two?" Morrison asks as he enters the living room, a bottle of coconut water in hand to rehydrate after a long run on the beach in the early morning hours.
"Please do," Del Rio mumbles, noticing out of the corner of his eye as Ricardo smirks a little.
Before anything else could be said, Sofia enters with platters of food, more than enough for the nine of them, and those new to her skills in the kitchen all gape, impressed, at the spread laid out before them on a table clearly set out for this very purpose. She flushes at their reaction and clears her throat. "Ah, por favor... dig in."
Ricardo smiles at her as he breaks the fugue the others are in, leaning forward to scoop some of the sausage scramble up, filling the rest of his plate with a couple of pancakes, spreading fresh fruit on it before he grabs a slice of toast and sits back to enjoy the meal, missing Sofia's cooking so badly he can't even find words to describe it. Thankfully, as with the paint the night before, they all remain on their best behavior, though it's clear most of them just want to have first grab at everything, the food looking and smelling so delicious. Once they all have their meals, and are comfortably sitting with no severe bloodshed, Alberto says a quick grace in Spanish and they all begin to eat quietly.
Sofia barely sits still long enough to finish her own meal before starting to bustle around again, collecting plates and taking them back to Miz's kitchen, Del Rio smirking as the man grows less and less pleased with his housekeeper not listening to his urges for her to take it easy. When she doesn't return and it's clear she's begun preparing the ham and side dishes for the evening, Alberto sits back and watches as Mike, distracted through the duration of his conversation about American sports with Alex and Ricardo, finally stands up and glances around the room, eventually clearing his throat as his eyes fall on his girlfriend's enforcer. "Hey, Tamina, come with me a quick sec."
Del Rio gives it a couple of seconds before excusing himself and wandering into the kitchen, his lips twitching upwards as Sofia and Tamina seem to be having a staring contest, Mike growing more and more frustrated the longer than it draws on. Finally Del Rio clears his throat. "Sofia, is everything prepared and cooking right now that needs to be?"
She immediately turns from Tamina and stares at her employer. "Si, Senor."
He nods, unsurprised. "Then come join us once more, por favor. Relax for awhile, we are Miz's guests, after all."
She glances over at the other man and flushes, not wanting to offend him. "Si, senor," she murmurs, making her way back to the living room, Alberto following closely behind her with a small smirk.
After a little over an hour has passed, the group of them comfortable and lazily talking over the soft drone of a ridiculous holiday movie that they had found on TV, Mike stands up and claps his hands to get everyone's attention. "What do you say we open gifts now?" A chorus of yesses greet him and he grins. "I know some of you..." His eyes fall on Del Rio, who merely stares back at him. "... probably thought the whole stocking thing last night was a bit weird, but it has a pretty simple explanation. With most of us traveling here by plane, I figured smaller gifts would be easier for us all to carry when we have to fly out again." As realization dawns upon some of their faces, he smiles. "So go get your stockings, guys, and let's get this party started."
Once each of them have theirs and are sitting with them in their laps, waiting to begin, Mike thinks briefly before pointing to Memo who hesitates for a moment before reaching into his, eyes widening as he pulls out a well-wrapped container of cookies, not even that enough to keep him from being able to guess what it is as familiar smells waft out towards him. No one has to ask as he looks at Sofia and grins at her. "Gracias, these are my favorites."
It's clear Sofia had been the last one to divvy her gifts out as they all find different baked goods from her at the top of their stockings, the housekeeper flushing with each appreciative comment and compliment given to her. When she reaches in for her first gift, she finds a bottle of nail polish and looks up at Ricardo, who looks sheepish. "You told me you liked that shade, but couldn't find it easily. I found it while stuck in Washington a few weeks ago and thought of you."
She beams and hugs him. "Gracias, S- Ricardo. It's perfect."
He smiles at her before they turn their attention back to the others pulling their gifts out, Ricardo's turn coming up quickly once more. When he reaches in once more, he stops short as he catches sight of the gift card he'd drawn out of it. "No way," he mutters. "This... this gift card could cover two new pairs of wrestling boots." He looks around the room until he notices the look on Mike's face, easily giving him away. "Mike... this is too much," he says weakly, unsurprised when his friend waves it off.
"Just remember to thank us little people when you make it big, alright?" he smirks, enjoying himself even more when Ricardo flushes. His generous present is quickly forgotten when Sofia's next gift ends up being a copy of Christmas Bounty, no one even having to guess at its origins. "What?!" Mike exclaims over the badly stifled laughter. "It's a good movie! I thought she'd enjoy it!"
Once everyone had calmed down and they continue on until Alberto freezes when it's his turn and he immediately recognizes what's in his by shape alone, softly laughing as he draws it out and gets a good look at the Star Wars Angry Bird plushie sitting in his palm. "Ay, mi amigo," he says, realizing the relevance of such a gift. "Gracias."
Ricardo nods subtly, still looking uncertain over the whole situation, but a bit bolstered by his reaction. "De nada."
Tamina's next gift brings the room to another abrupt halt as she stares down at it, quiet and sober, showing no sign whether she lies it or not. Finally she looks up and faces AJ. "Thank you," she whispers, immediately clasping the Sisters pendant around her neck. AJ's grin only grows.
It slips, however, when AJ reaches in and pulls out a piece of jewelry herself, Mike watching on expectantly as she examines the delicate bracelet with a spider's web and a butterfly charm separated by a circular charm with a blue stone on one side and a green stone on the other. When she looks up, Mike leans closer and rests his head on her shoulder, examining the jewelry thoughtfully. "Do you like it?" She still looks quizzical so he rests a finger on the circle, guessing that the other two are self-explanatory. "These are our birthstones," he explains. "And it's a circle because circles have no end." Their eyes lock and AJ swallows, leaning forward to kiss him.
While they carry on, the others continue tugging out a couple of gifts until it's Mike's turn once more. Alberto's rough throat clearing snaps them out of it and he strokes AJ's face before reaching into the stocking and pulling out a plaque covered in seashells of various sizes and shapes. He's confused by it for a moment until Ricardo speaks up, pointedly keeping his eyes from Alberto as he speaks, overwhelmed by the memories of that period of time. "It's... a bit cheesy, I guess, but they're the seashells we all collected during the Summerslam beach party, remember? I thought you could hang it somewhere, if you wanted."
Mike nods, running a finger along the various shells. "I'd be honored to, man, thank you."
The rest of the gift exchange goes well enough, though there are a couple of awkward moments when Memo and Alberto end up trading plane tickets- Memo giving Alberto tickets to Puerto Rico and Alberto giving him tickets to Florida, both brothers laughing when they realize what they've done- and when the final thing in Alberto's stocking ends up being a simple piece of coal, everyone's eyes shift over to Mike, who tries and fails to look innocent. Ricardo's lips twitch slightly but he says nothing, opting to not put himself in the middle of that.
Mike ends up enduring a similar moment himself as he finds a note at the very bottom of his, Alberto's telltale scrawl covering the small slip of paper, thanking him for all he had done the last few months for Ricardo. He looks slightly guilty but as he'd pressed the note into his jeans pocket, Del Rio had quietly placed the piece of coal along with the rest of his gifts, not wanting to misplace it, planning on keeping it as a reminder of the last few months and what his actions had caused- not that he needs much reminder of it all, but he can't help but think that to have a physical representation of his misdeeds would ultimately be good for him, keep him from falling back into the same horrible cycles, especially where Ricardo is concerned.
Ricardo's final gift leaves him flushing anew, holding a few rolls of wrist tape close to him. Alberto doesn't seem all that pleased as he gazes over at Mike briefly but he quickly shakes it off, grinning at his best friend. "It isn't much, mi amigo, but I have no doubt that you will need plenty of that in the upcoming year."
"Gracias," the former ring announcer nods, staring at it and the gift card he'd gotten- and everything else- with a wide smile while the others examine their hauls from this get together as well, all of them looking fairly happy with what they'd gotten. Sofia examines a soothing sounds CD Morrison had bought her while Miz works at clipping the gingerbread AJ ornament she had given him onto his luggage, already wearing the Merry Grinchmas shirt she had included with it. Ultimately they all look relieved to have the year's gifts done, all of them sitting and lounging for a few minutes before Sofia excuses herself and goes to kitchen, determined to finish preparing the meal.
Mike looks like he's about to get up and shoo her out once more but Alberto waves him off. "Let her carry on as she likes. She won't ruin your kitchen. And yes, she's aware of what the word "guest" means, and she doesn't really care. He smirks when Mike rolls his eyes at him, their discussion getting cut off by two separate beeps from a phone, Alberto pulling his phone out and reading it aloud as Ricardo does the same. "The trainer finally wants to see me again, and perhaps I will be cleared to compete at Madison Square Garden," he supposes, smiling slightly.
"Me too," Ricardo mutters, looking dazed down at his phone. "Something's going on with Slater, 3MB needs a third member and... they want me to tag team with McIntyre and Mahal." He looks guardedly optimistic but Alberto is frowning darkly.
"This is awfully abrupt, don't you think, Ricardo?" Mike speaks up and ADR has never been so relieved to hear him, he's so thrown by all of this. Just a little over a year ago, 3MB had attacked Ricardo and if Del Rio hadn't noticed in time, well...
"Maybe, but I want to do it! It's... it's just been a long time since I was given a true opportunity. Who knows, maybe they'll let me to join the band permanently if things go ok." His joy is infectous and ultimately Mike drops it, a glance passing between Alberto and Mike as he nods simply, determined to keep an eye on Ricardo.
After some more of Sofia's fantastic cooking, varied discussions held between all nine of them, and a decent enough night's sleep, they're back on the road, both men on the same flight to New York for the event later that night. Upon arriving at the arena, Alberto pats Ricardo's shoulder and tries to smile. "You sure you're ready for this tonight?"
"Si, of course," he nods. "It should be kind of fun, I imagine, unless the lack of Heath has affected them..."
His voice drifts away as a tech runs up with reindeer antlers and a red nose, Ricardo gingerly taking it from him. "Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal told me to tell you to wear this and come meet them, it's almost time for your match."
"Uh... thanks?" he calls out after the frazzled man. He swallows and glances back at his former employer, whose dark eyes are on the reindeer gear. "As I said... kind of fun..." He sighs and pushes the antlers onto his head, trying to adjust them and only succeeding at making them even more crooked until Alberto bats his hands away and adjusts the thing until it sits perfectly on his black hair. "Gracias."
"De nada," Alberto smiles faintly, watching as Ricardo performs a couple of stretches. "Good luck out there, amigo," he says before leaving to contest his own match against Rey Mysterio. To his disgust, he loses- and Ricardo isn't waiting for him, probably with his new tag partners. Alberto sighs and watches from a small monitor as the show carries on, having no choice but to grin when his best friend arrives in that reindeer get-up, looking truly happy to be competing in Madison Square Garden, which is a good many of their dreams just to do that very thing. But their loses continue as Ricardo gets pinned by El Torito, dizzy and off-balanced after the bull had spun him around quickly before slamming him into the mat.
It's a very dizzy, unsteady Ricardo that joins him a few moment later and Alberto guides him over to a bench, helping him to sit long enough to regain his bearings. "I'm sorry, Ricardo, that you lost," he tells him quietly.
The dark eyes that peer back at him are deep and sober. "I'm sorry you lost too, Alberto." They continue staring at each other for long moments. "But ... I'm glad you're here."
Alberto's eyes widen. "I'm glad you're here too, mi amigo." He smiles.
"Ah, eh, si, I think so," he says hesitantly, peering up at his former employer with large eyes.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Alberto wonders, frowning slightly as he quietly steps back, inviting Ricardo in. His frown grows when the younger man shakes his head.
"I'm not here for long, Alberto. I- I just, well. Mike is having a Christmas get together at his house this week, and I... I asked him something and he agreed so I suppose there is something you can do for me- I, I need a yes or no answer..."
"For what, Ricardo?"
The former ring announcer swallows, sighing. "Ah, well, Mike agreed that I could invite you, Sofia and Memo... If you want to come, that... well, that'd be alright," he says nervously, his hands pressed tightly together as he waits for an answer. When Alberto hesitates, staring at him as he remembers just how quiet and terrible Thanksgiving was without his best friend, he shakes his head, misunderstanding the look on his face. "It's ok, never mind. I understand." He's just turned to leave when Alberto reaches out for him, just snagging his jacket.
"Mi amigo, wait a moment." When Ricardo turns back to him, he smiles brightly. "We would love to come." A pure, honest grin crosses his face and Alberto absorbs the moment, relieved to see some happiness from his friend.
It makes it all worth it as he discusses it with Sofia and Memo, convincing them both- Sofia being an easy sell, his brother not so much- to make the trip with him across the country to California, just to realize it means he'd have to spend days at Miz's house, surrounded by people he either doesn't get along well with or doesn't know. But to spend the holidays with Ricardo would be worth it, he thinks, not willing to give up the opportunity just for such a pathetic reason. He'd missed too much time with his best friend as it is.
So they go. That Tuesday, he finds himself in Mike's house, working on stockings, of all things, with all of them. Once they're done with that, he takes in all of the decorations as Ricardo takes them on the tour of the house, Sofia and Memo on either side of him. "Since Mike's not here that often, most of the rooms are kept empty or as guest rooms for whenever he decides to do something like this," he explains with a faint smile as Memo looks around in perplexed fascination. "Which came in handy today, clearly. Anyway, most of us are going to have to share rooms, but Memo, since this is your first time with all of us, he thought maybe you'd like to have a room to yourself. He figured you'd like to have a quiet place to go if everything became just a bit overwhelming." He smiles at Del Rio's younger brother, opening the door at the end of the hallway for him. "This is yours."
"Gracias," he says quietly, carrying his luggage inside. "Buenas Noches."
"Buenas noches," the other three echo, Ricardo turning to Sofia once he shuts his door behind him. "I hope you don't mind, but Mike thought perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing with Tamina. She doesn't talk much, and I expect if anyone can handle her, it'll be you, Sofia."
Sofia nods with a small smile. "It sounds fine, Se-.. Ricardo," she catches herself, coughing in some embarrassment. He merely smiles at her as he leads her back to the room Mike had selected for her and AJ's enforcer, who is already sitting on one of the beds, quietly reading. She glances up for a moment before returning to the book, Sofia softly releasing a breath as she sets her bag at the end of her bed. Ricardo watches from the doorway for a moment before she notices him. "We'll be fine," she reassures him, hugging him softly. "Buenas Noches, Ricardo."
"Ok. Buenas Noches, Sofia. See you in the morning."
"Si," she nods, beaming at him as he leaves, shutting the door behind him.
He and Alberto stare at each other for a long moment before he coughs, leading the way to the bedroom across and one down from Memo's, slowly opening the door. "Mike asked me before he decided on the sleeping arrangements... and I agreed, so if it's alright with you, I suppose we're going to be sharing a room for a few days."
Alberto gapes at him, thoroughly floored that, after everything, Ricardo would agree to such things. "Si, mi amigo, that's- that's fine with me," he nods, glancing at the other two rooms. On one side is Mike's, and on the other is where Morrison and Alex will be, the Mexican aristocrat having no doubt that Alex and Mike both will be listening intently for any strange sound coming from their room, just in case.
After taking turns in the bathroom, they settle in to sleep so Navidad will truly start all the faster, Alberto turned to face his best friend. He's half-dozing when Ricardo's voice revives him briefly. "I'm happy you're here."
He grins. "Me too, mi amigo."
Sofia takes over the kitchen early on the next day, ignoring Miz's continued claims- growing more and more whiny each time he states it- that she's a guest, quickly whipping breakfast together while those awake relax in the living room, trying not to look too closely at the odd shapes now filling their stockings that line Mike's mantel. Alberto hasn't felt this happy in a long, long time- in the presence of both his brother and best friend for the first time in months. Considering how he had expected the holidays to go since WWE had released Memo and he had turned his back on Ricardo, he had been dreading today with almost every fiber in his being... but now he finds he's enjoying every moment of it, resting a hand on Ricardo's shoulder as they discuss Puerto Rican wrestling, causing him to tense up briefly before he relaxes and resumes focusing on what Memo is saying, a small smile on his face.
Alex stumbles out last, looking sleepy and young, Mike smirking at him as he brushes his fingers through AJ's hair, the girl only getting out of bed five minutes earlier when she'd smelled Sofia's sausage scramble. "Took you long enough, kid," he tells him genially. "Thought I'd have to poke you with a stick if you kept us waiting much longer."
He yawns and shrugs and looks all around undisturbed at the prospect as he sits down next to Ricardo. "Maybe if the beds here weren't so comfortable..."
Mike laughs. "Fine, I'll work on fixing that problem before you come here again."
"Don't you dare," he warns him, eyes flashing teasingly.
"Do I have to separate you two?" Morrison asks as he enters the living room, a bottle of coconut water in hand to rehydrate after a long run on the beach in the early morning hours.
"Please do," Del Rio mumbles, noticing out of the corner of his eye as Ricardo smirks a little.
Before anything else could be said, Sofia enters with platters of food, more than enough for the nine of them, and those new to her skills in the kitchen all gape, impressed, at the spread laid out before them on a table clearly set out for this very purpose. She flushes at their reaction and clears her throat. "Ah, por favor... dig in."
Ricardo smiles at her as he breaks the fugue the others are in, leaning forward to scoop some of the sausage scramble up, filling the rest of his plate with a couple of pancakes, spreading fresh fruit on it before he grabs a slice of toast and sits back to enjoy the meal, missing Sofia's cooking so badly he can't even find words to describe it. Thankfully, as with the paint the night before, they all remain on their best behavior, though it's clear most of them just want to have first grab at everything, the food looking and smelling so delicious. Once they all have their meals, and are comfortably sitting with no severe bloodshed, Alberto says a quick grace in Spanish and they all begin to eat quietly.
Sofia barely sits still long enough to finish her own meal before starting to bustle around again, collecting plates and taking them back to Miz's kitchen, Del Rio smirking as the man grows less and less pleased with his housekeeper not listening to his urges for her to take it easy. When she doesn't return and it's clear she's begun preparing the ham and side dishes for the evening, Alberto sits back and watches as Mike, distracted through the duration of his conversation about American sports with Alex and Ricardo, finally stands up and glances around the room, eventually clearing his throat as his eyes fall on his girlfriend's enforcer. "Hey, Tamina, come with me a quick sec."
Del Rio gives it a couple of seconds before excusing himself and wandering into the kitchen, his lips twitching upwards as Sofia and Tamina seem to be having a staring contest, Mike growing more and more frustrated the longer than it draws on. Finally Del Rio clears his throat. "Sofia, is everything prepared and cooking right now that needs to be?"
She immediately turns from Tamina and stares at her employer. "Si, Senor."
He nods, unsurprised. "Then come join us once more, por favor. Relax for awhile, we are Miz's guests, after all."
She glances over at the other man and flushes, not wanting to offend him. "Si, senor," she murmurs, making her way back to the living room, Alberto following closely behind her with a small smirk.
After a little over an hour has passed, the group of them comfortable and lazily talking over the soft drone of a ridiculous holiday movie that they had found on TV, Mike stands up and claps his hands to get everyone's attention. "What do you say we open gifts now?" A chorus of yesses greet him and he grins. "I know some of you..." His eyes fall on Del Rio, who merely stares back at him. "... probably thought the whole stocking thing last night was a bit weird, but it has a pretty simple explanation. With most of us traveling here by plane, I figured smaller gifts would be easier for us all to carry when we have to fly out again." As realization dawns upon some of their faces, he smiles. "So go get your stockings, guys, and let's get this party started."
Once each of them have theirs and are sitting with them in their laps, waiting to begin, Mike thinks briefly before pointing to Memo who hesitates for a moment before reaching into his, eyes widening as he pulls out a well-wrapped container of cookies, not even that enough to keep him from being able to guess what it is as familiar smells waft out towards him. No one has to ask as he looks at Sofia and grins at her. "Gracias, these are my favorites."
It's clear Sofia had been the last one to divvy her gifts out as they all find different baked goods from her at the top of their stockings, the housekeeper flushing with each appreciative comment and compliment given to her. When she reaches in for her first gift, she finds a bottle of nail polish and looks up at Ricardo, who looks sheepish. "You told me you liked that shade, but couldn't find it easily. I found it while stuck in Washington a few weeks ago and thought of you."
She beams and hugs him. "Gracias, S- Ricardo. It's perfect."
He smiles at her before they turn their attention back to the others pulling their gifts out, Ricardo's turn coming up quickly once more. When he reaches in once more, he stops short as he catches sight of the gift card he'd drawn out of it. "No way," he mutters. "This... this gift card could cover two new pairs of wrestling boots." He looks around the room until he notices the look on Mike's face, easily giving him away. "Mike... this is too much," he says weakly, unsurprised when his friend waves it off.
"Just remember to thank us little people when you make it big, alright?" he smirks, enjoying himself even more when Ricardo flushes. His generous present is quickly forgotten when Sofia's next gift ends up being a copy of Christmas Bounty, no one even having to guess at its origins. "What?!" Mike exclaims over the badly stifled laughter. "It's a good movie! I thought she'd enjoy it!"
Once everyone had calmed down and they continue on until Alberto freezes when it's his turn and he immediately recognizes what's in his by shape alone, softly laughing as he draws it out and gets a good look at the Star Wars Angry Bird plushie sitting in his palm. "Ay, mi amigo," he says, realizing the relevance of such a gift. "Gracias."
Ricardo nods subtly, still looking uncertain over the whole situation, but a bit bolstered by his reaction. "De nada."
Tamina's next gift brings the room to another abrupt halt as she stares down at it, quiet and sober, showing no sign whether she lies it or not. Finally she looks up and faces AJ. "Thank you," she whispers, immediately clasping the Sisters pendant around her neck. AJ's grin only grows.
It slips, however, when AJ reaches in and pulls out a piece of jewelry herself, Mike watching on expectantly as she examines the delicate bracelet with a spider's web and a butterfly charm separated by a circular charm with a blue stone on one side and a green stone on the other. When she looks up, Mike leans closer and rests his head on her shoulder, examining the jewelry thoughtfully. "Do you like it?" She still looks quizzical so he rests a finger on the circle, guessing that the other two are self-explanatory. "These are our birthstones," he explains. "And it's a circle because circles have no end." Their eyes lock and AJ swallows, leaning forward to kiss him.
While they carry on, the others continue tugging out a couple of gifts until it's Mike's turn once more. Alberto's rough throat clearing snaps them out of it and he strokes AJ's face before reaching into the stocking and pulling out a plaque covered in seashells of various sizes and shapes. He's confused by it for a moment until Ricardo speaks up, pointedly keeping his eyes from Alberto as he speaks, overwhelmed by the memories of that period of time. "It's... a bit cheesy, I guess, but they're the seashells we all collected during the Summerslam beach party, remember? I thought you could hang it somewhere, if you wanted."
Mike nods, running a finger along the various shells. "I'd be honored to, man, thank you."
The rest of the gift exchange goes well enough, though there are a couple of awkward moments when Memo and Alberto end up trading plane tickets- Memo giving Alberto tickets to Puerto Rico and Alberto giving him tickets to Florida, both brothers laughing when they realize what they've done- and when the final thing in Alberto's stocking ends up being a simple piece of coal, everyone's eyes shift over to Mike, who tries and fails to look innocent. Ricardo's lips twitch slightly but he says nothing, opting to not put himself in the middle of that.
Mike ends up enduring a similar moment himself as he finds a note at the very bottom of his, Alberto's telltale scrawl covering the small slip of paper, thanking him for all he had done the last few months for Ricardo. He looks slightly guilty but as he'd pressed the note into his jeans pocket, Del Rio had quietly placed the piece of coal along with the rest of his gifts, not wanting to misplace it, planning on keeping it as a reminder of the last few months and what his actions had caused- not that he needs much reminder of it all, but he can't help but think that to have a physical representation of his misdeeds would ultimately be good for him, keep him from falling back into the same horrible cycles, especially where Ricardo is concerned.
Ricardo's final gift leaves him flushing anew, holding a few rolls of wrist tape close to him. Alberto doesn't seem all that pleased as he gazes over at Mike briefly but he quickly shakes it off, grinning at his best friend. "It isn't much, mi amigo, but I have no doubt that you will need plenty of that in the upcoming year."
"Gracias," the former ring announcer nods, staring at it and the gift card he'd gotten- and everything else- with a wide smile while the others examine their hauls from this get together as well, all of them looking fairly happy with what they'd gotten. Sofia examines a soothing sounds CD Morrison had bought her while Miz works at clipping the gingerbread AJ ornament she had given him onto his luggage, already wearing the Merry Grinchmas shirt she had included with it. Ultimately they all look relieved to have the year's gifts done, all of them sitting and lounging for a few minutes before Sofia excuses herself and goes to kitchen, determined to finish preparing the meal.
Mike looks like he's about to get up and shoo her out once more but Alberto waves him off. "Let her carry on as she likes. She won't ruin your kitchen. And yes, she's aware of what the word "guest" means, and she doesn't really care. He smirks when Mike rolls his eyes at him, their discussion getting cut off by two separate beeps from a phone, Alberto pulling his phone out and reading it aloud as Ricardo does the same. "The trainer finally wants to see me again, and perhaps I will be cleared to compete at Madison Square Garden," he supposes, smiling slightly.
"Me too," Ricardo mutters, looking dazed down at his phone. "Something's going on with Slater, 3MB needs a third member and... they want me to tag team with McIntyre and Mahal." He looks guardedly optimistic but Alberto is frowning darkly.
"This is awfully abrupt, don't you think, Ricardo?" Mike speaks up and ADR has never been so relieved to hear him, he's so thrown by all of this. Just a little over a year ago, 3MB had attacked Ricardo and if Del Rio hadn't noticed in time, well...
"Maybe, but I want to do it! It's... it's just been a long time since I was given a true opportunity. Who knows, maybe they'll let me to join the band permanently if things go ok." His joy is infectous and ultimately Mike drops it, a glance passing between Alberto and Mike as he nods simply, determined to keep an eye on Ricardo.
After some more of Sofia's fantastic cooking, varied discussions held between all nine of them, and a decent enough night's sleep, they're back on the road, both men on the same flight to New York for the event later that night. Upon arriving at the arena, Alberto pats Ricardo's shoulder and tries to smile. "You sure you're ready for this tonight?"
"Si, of course," he nods. "It should be kind of fun, I imagine, unless the lack of Heath has affected them..."
His voice drifts away as a tech runs up with reindeer antlers and a red nose, Ricardo gingerly taking it from him. "Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal told me to tell you to wear this and come meet them, it's almost time for your match."
"Uh... thanks?" he calls out after the frazzled man. He swallows and glances back at his former employer, whose dark eyes are on the reindeer gear. "As I said... kind of fun..." He sighs and pushes the antlers onto his head, trying to adjust them and only succeeding at making them even more crooked until Alberto bats his hands away and adjusts the thing until it sits perfectly on his black hair. "Gracias."
"De nada," Alberto smiles faintly, watching as Ricardo performs a couple of stretches. "Good luck out there, amigo," he says before leaving to contest his own match against Rey Mysterio. To his disgust, he loses- and Ricardo isn't waiting for him, probably with his new tag partners. Alberto sighs and watches from a small monitor as the show carries on, having no choice but to grin when his best friend arrives in that reindeer get-up, looking truly happy to be competing in Madison Square Garden, which is a good many of their dreams just to do that very thing. But their loses continue as Ricardo gets pinned by El Torito, dizzy and off-balanced after the bull had spun him around quickly before slamming him into the mat.
It's a very dizzy, unsteady Ricardo that joins him a few moment later and Alberto guides him over to a bench, helping him to sit long enough to regain his bearings. "I'm sorry, Ricardo, that you lost," he tells him quietly.
The dark eyes that peer back at him are deep and sober. "I'm sorry you lost too, Alberto." They continue staring at each other for long moments. "But ... I'm glad you're here."
Alberto's eyes widen. "I'm glad you're here too, mi amigo." He smiles.