A Nightmare (AJ/Ellie)

AJ had just gotten home from the hospital. No, he wasn't hurt. Ellie was fine. He had just come back from identifying two bodies that were pronounced dead as his own parents.

He had actually been on the phone with them recently and they were going to start talking and working things out. He was getting his guest room ready for them to stay with him. Everything was going to be fine.

But then apparently someone thought it was a good idea to text and drive and ran a red light and hit his parents' car, hard. They died as they reached the hospital emergency room.

AJ went straight to his bathroom and the first thing he did was vomit. He felt sick to his stomach. He wondered how he even vomited when he felt hollow...empty...even a little numb.

Ellie was supposed to be coming over to meet them. He figured he should call her and tell her not to come. He grabbed his phone and called her.

Ellie was about five minutes away from AJ's house and as she entered his town, she heard her phone ring. Seeing AJ's name appear, she answered.

"Hey. I'm about five minutes away."

"Oh...alright then...see you in a few." he said softly before just hanging up. He got up and headed downstairs to get the door for her. He felt so heavy walking down the stairs, or anywhere in his house.

She heard the way AJ sounded and well, it was different. Something was up. She finally made it to his house and reached the door, knocking and waiting patiently.

He got the door and smiled a little upon seeing her. "Hey...come on in." he said as he closed the door behind her.

"Um, change of plans."

She walked in and turned to look at him.

"Why? What happened?"

"I, um, just got back from the hospital..." he started but he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence...because if he said it...it was like it was really true.

She looks at him confused.

"I-is everything okay? Who was there?" she asked.

"My parents...got into...a wreck...on the way here...coming to see me..." he said softly, looking at the floor.

She noticed a hint of sadness in his tone and saw him look down to the floor. Immediately, she put the pieces together and gasped as she teared up herself.

"I'm so sorry Allen." she said as she started to walk up to him and hug him.

He was starting to hug her back but stopped. He gently took her arms and pushed her in front of him. "Look...I don't need any of your pity." he snapped. He just lost his parents...because they were coming to see him...he couldn't bear it if Ellie died because of him too.

"A-Allen..." she said in confusion and shock.

"I-I'm just trying to be here for you. Don't be like this. We can talk about it."

"I'm not being like anything...I don't need you to feel sorry for me...I don't need you to do anything for me. Hell, I don't need you anymore! I got what I wanted out of you, so why do you keep hanging around like a lost little puppy dog?" he said, insult after another.

As much as he hated himself for it, he wouldn't allow anyone else getting hurt or worse because of him.

She looked at him in utter shock and fought back the tears.

"I knew it! I knew it was too good to be true. Everytime something good finally happens in my life, it turns out to be a lie. Well you know what? Fine! Take your stupid bracelet and have a great life!" she yelled as she threw the bracelet at him and the tears streamed down her face, freely as she left his house and stormed off.

He took the bracelet and as soon as she left, he dropped it to the floor and his own tears started to flow as he went to his liquor cabinet. He grabbed full bottle of Jack Daniel's and started to drink it straight from the bottle. He really didn't want to remember this day.

He drank over half the bottle in one sitting and already things were spinning. He took another gulp and laughed bitterly.

"Way to go AJ...you fucked up your whole life...your parents died cuz they wanted to see you...then...you break the heart of the one woman you really loved...damn you're a genius." he laughed a little.

"Now why the hell did you do that?" he asked himself as he looked at the bracelet and then took another swig of the JD. "Oh that's right...because you love her...and...if she...if she died...because of you...like your parents did...then there'd be nothing...at least this way, she's alive and healthy..." he said, tears falling again as he took another long swig.

As soon as she stormed out of AJ's house, Ellie decided to pull over somewhere and just calm herself down. It really wasn't safe for her to be driving as she cried her heart out, so she pulled over at a small park that was around the area.

She had a lot of things running through her mind and couldn't help but feel the pain she felt right now. Whether or not he meant it, it still hurt to see the one you love in so much pain as well. She knew that he needed her right now, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Sighing, she hopped into her car again and drove back to his house. Hopefully, she could give it a try and see what happens. As she made it, she walked in and heard AJ.

Ellie couldn't help but to release a few tears of her own and she quickly wiped them away as she entered the living room and saw AJ there.

"Allen?"

He struggled to sit up straight. "Wh-what are you doing here?" he slurred, confused. Was he not a good enough actor?

She bit her lip as she looked at him and saw that clearly he was drunk.

"Look, I know you said that you didn't need me and I get that." she nods.

"But, I'm not going to listen to you for once. Clearly, you need me right now, at least to talk to me and clear your head a bit. You can kick me out later and I won't mind, but y-you just need some help to get everything off your chest."

"what's there to talk about?" he started. He said he didn't want to talk, but since he was drunk, of course he was going to.

"I'm an accomplice to murder...I helped kill my parents...they were coming to see me...and they died...looks like I was the death of my parents...maybe if I never was a wrestler...maybe I'd have a good relationship with them...and they'd at least still be here..." he said as he started to sob.

"Woah, Allen...." she said as she sat by him.

"It's not your fault. I know you don't want to believe that right now, but it's not. Accidents happen and unfortunately your parents were involved this time around. They had plenty of opportunities to work on their relationship with you and they never took it." she said shaking her head.

"You are not to blame, so don't blame yourself. It's only causing you more pain and suffering than you already have."

He continued to cry. "And then...if something...were to ever...happen to you...because of me...I'd never...never forgive myself..." he said through hitched breaths and sobs.

"Oh Allen..." she sighed as she hugged him.

"Nothing is ever going to happen to me because of you."

He hugged her tightly, almost afraid to let her go as he continued to cry.

She hugged him and ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to calm him down.

He cried for a good few minutes before calming down and wiping at his eyes.