#tuf 18

Chapter 1: Sharing Secrets

Chapter 2: Scheming (TUF 18: finale edition part 1)

Chapter 3: Surprise (TUF 18: finale edition part 2)

Chapter 4: Facing the Facts (TUF 18: finale edition part 3)

Chapter 5: Small Comforts (TUF 18: finale edition part 4)

Chapter 6: Support (TUF 18: finale edition part 5)

Chapter 7: Safe With You (TUF 18: finale edition part 6)

"Hey, time to wake up." The sound of Dakota’s soft voice in her ear pulls Shayna out of her sleep. The hotel room is warm and humid, perfect for keeping her muscles warm and loose. It's actually Shayna's second time being woken up by Dakota today. The first time was a few hours ago when she woke her up to eat breakfast, before letting Shayna go back to sleep. But now, it's nearly 3:00 pm, and Shayna knows it's time to wake up.

She sits up and gives Dakota a hug, seeking the comfort of physical contact. "Should I get dressed before you do my hair?" she asks Dakota.

"Yes, I still have to finish up with Jess. But I wanted to make sure you were awake," Dakota says. "Do you want me to do your hair in the living area, or in here?"

"In here please," Shayna says. She's not quite ready to see other fighters yet.

Dakota gives her a reassuring squeeze. "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes. Try to remember to breathe." She presses a bottle of water into Shayna's hand, and then slips out of the room, leaving Shayna alone again.

She starts to get dressed. She pulls on the green and black shorts and sports bra, and stares at herself in the mirror. The last time she wore these clothes was on The Ultimate Fighter, when she lost to Julianna. Everyone had expected her to be the one who would win the whole thing, and she had come up short. She shakes her head, trying to get the memory out of her brain. This isn't the time to dwell on the past, not when she has a job to do tonight. She puts on her black and green Team Rousey t-shirt and black joggers. Then she puts on her black UFC sweatshirt, zipping it up, and then puts on her socks. She sits down on the floor, sips at her water, and focuses on her breathing.

A soft knock on the door pulls Shayna's focus back. "Come in," she says.

Dakota enters the room, closing the door behind her. "How are you feeling?" she asks, sitting down on the couch behind Shayna and beginning to brush her hair.

"I don't really know," Shayna says. "I'm just trying to not let myself get overwhelmed."

Dakota doesn't say anything, but gives Shayna's shoulder a squeeze as she starts to braid Shayna's hair into cornrows. There's another knock at the door, followed by Ronda poking her head in. "Can I join you two?" she asks. "I just want to give you a quick rundown of the night."

"Sure," Shayna replies. Ronda walks in and shuts the door behind her, sitting on the floor facing Shayna.

"You're fighting third on the main card," Ronda explains. "It's Raquel and Roxanne, then Jess and Peggy, and then you and Sarah."

Shayna starts to nod, but Dakota nudges her with her foot. "Don't move your head," she says, focusing on the braids she's trying to do.

"I'll be in the locker room with you until your fight, and then I'll be out there in your corner," Ronda continues. "But I'll have to head back to Chris as soon as your fight is done so I can be in his corner for his fight."

"You're not cornering for Jess?" Shayna asks, even though she's pretty sure she knows the answer.

"No," Ronda says, shaking her head. "I didn't want to have to chose between cornering for her or Peggy, so I'm not cornering for either. Miesha is doing the same for Raquel and Roxanne's fight."

"Makes sense," Shayna says. She feels Dakota’s hands leave her hair. "You done Dakota?" she asks.

"Not yet," Dakota says. "I still have half to do."

As Dakota begins another braid, Ronda continues talking to Shayna. "You and Jess will be in the same locker room. Peggy and Jessica are also sharing a locker room." Ronda turns her attention to Dakota. "You can go with Shayna and Jess as far as their locker room, but you won't be able to go in with them."

Dakota nods, and Shayna is relieved to hear that she'll be able to have Dakota with her a little longer. "Will I be able to see them after their fights?" Dakota asks.

"Yes, but not until after Shayna's fight is done," Ronda says. "But I'll make sure you can get back to see them after."

"Thanks," Dakota says. She ties off another braid. "Shayna, please drink your water," she says, noticing that the bottle of water she gave Shayna before leaving to finish Jessamyn's hair is still almost completely full.

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely," Shayna says, not missing the look that Ronda is giving her as she takes another sip of her water.

Ronda stands up from the ground. "I'm going to go chat with Jessica and Peggy. I'll see you in the locker room Shayna," she says, ducking out of the room.

Shayna and Dakota sit in silence as Dakota continues to braid. When she finishes the last one, Dakota slides down onto the floor next to Shayna. "Hey, you okay?" she asks. Shayna doesn't answer, just wraps an arm around Dakota’s shoulders and pulling her close. "Hey, look at me," Dakota says. Shayna turns to look her, and Dakota can see the fear in her brown eyes. "You can do this," Dakota says. "And just know that no matter what happens, I am so proud of you."

Shayna pulls Dakota into a hug. "Thank you," she says softly.

"I was wondering," Dakota begins, a little spark in her eyes. "How does one go about getting an MMA corner license?"

Shayna can't help but smile. "You really want to do that?" she asks. Dakota nods, and Shayna has to swallow to keep herself from tearing up. "I'll put you in touch with Josh. He'll help you through the process."

They sit in silence, Shayna drinking her water and Dakota not leaving her side, until there's another knock at the door and Jessamyn pokes her head into the room. She doesn't say anything, just nods. They stand up, and Dakota checks Shayna's bag one last time to make sure that she has everything she needs. Then they join Jess, Marina, and the rest of the coaches in the living room.

As they walk down the hallways of the hotel and make their way to the arena, Shayna keeps a tight grip on Dakota’s hand. She needs to feel the comfort of having Dakota by her side for as long as she possibly can. Nobody speaks, their footsteps echoing through the hallway, security flanking the group.

When they finally reach the locker room door, Dakota manages to pry her hand away from Shayna's long enough to give Jess a quick hug. "You got this," she says as she hugs her, and Jess smiles before heading into the locker room. The rest of the group follows, leaving Dakota and Shayna alone in the hallway, with only the security guards left. "Hey, you can do this," Dakota says to Shayna. "Anything that happened before this doesn't matter, and whatever comes next can wait. Be in the moment." Shayna nods, taking comfort in Dakota’s words. "And remember," Dakota adds. "Win or lose, you'll always be a champion in my mind."

Shayna pulls Dakota into a hug. "Thank you," she says. "I'll see you on the other side."

"See you soon," Dakota says, passing Shayna her bag before following the security guards down the hallway and up to the arena, into the area of seating reserved for the families and friends of the team Rousey fighters, and she's directed to a seat in the front row, just as the main card fights are about to begin.

She barely registers any of the first fight, only that Raquel wins by a unanimous decision. Then she hears the sound of Jessamyn's music and she focuses back on the cage. It's a good fight, both fighters giving everything they have for all three rounds. But Dakota is confident that it's going to be Jess who gets her hand raised at the end, and she's right. Jessamyn gets a unanimous decision victory over Peggy Morgan, and Dakota can't wait to congratulate her. But that can happen later. Right now, she needs to focus on Shayna's fight.

There's a few minutes between the fights. Then, the opening chords of Metallica's "The Four Horsemen" fill the arena, and Dakota turns to see Shayna walking in, Ronda and the rest of her coaches behind her. Dakota can't help but smile at how confident Shayna looks. When Shayna and Sarah meet in the center of the cage, before the fight has even begun, Dakota knows how it's going to go. She can feel it. The fighters touch gloves, then step back to their corners.

The fight is absolutely incredible. Both Shayna and Sarah are giving everything they have throughout the entirety of the first round, and when the round is over, Dakota can tell that any nerves Shayna had earlier are gone. This is where she's most comfortable. Both fighters are no strangers to going past the first round, and Dakota knows that Shayna has good stamina to make it through another round. She could make it through the whole 15 minutes if she wanted to. But as soon as the second round starts, Dakota can tell that the fight isn't getting that far. Shayna maintains control from the very beginning, taking Sarah down 30 seconds in and starts grappling with her. It doesn't take long before she gets Sarah's back and locks in a rear-naked choke, one that Dakota knows very well having been on the receiving end of it in training. And sure enough, Sarah taps out.

Dakota lets out a scream of joy, and Ronda turns around from where she has been watching from outside the cage. She smiles and gives Dakota a thumbs up, before entering the cage and throwing her arms around Shayna. She whispers something in her ear, before turning and quickly leaving the cage. "Come with me," she says to Dakota, who stands up and follows her. The two are met by security guards, who begin to lead them down a series of hallways. "I have to go get Chris ready to fight, and Shayna is going to have to be checked out by medical staff before she can come back to the locker room," Ronda explains. "I figured it was easier if you just left the arena with me. I'll bring you back to the locker room."

"Is she injured?" Dakota asks, suddenly concerned.

"No, it's just protocol," Ronda says, leading Dakota to a room. "I'll catch up with you guys later," she says, before heading down the hallway to another room and going inside.

Dakota knocks on the door, and it opens to reveal Jessamyn. "Hey!" she says, giving Dakota a hug before stepping aside to let her in.

"Nice job!" Dakota says. "It was a really good fight."

"Thanks," Jess says, tugging on a sweatshirt. "Where's Shayna?"

"Ronda said she has to be checked by the medical staff," Dakota says. "But she had to go get Chris ready so she just brought me back with her."

Jess nods. "She had a great fight," she remarks, and Dakota nods in agreement.

The two make small talk for a few minutes, until they hear a knock at the door and Shayna enters the room, where she is immediately greeted by Dakota jumping into her arms. "Well hello to you too," Shayna laughs.

"You were so good!" Dakota says.

"Thank you, for everything," Shayna says, hugging Dakota tightly.

"I'm so proud of you," Dakota says softly, her lips next to Shayna's ear.

Shayna sets Dakota back down and gives Jess a high-five. "Nice fight," she says.

"You too," Jess says. "I really thought she was going to pass out from that choke you had on her."

"She would have if she hadn't tapped out," Dakota says. "Believe me, I know."

"You never passed out when I practiced it on you in training," Shayna says. "You just came close."

Dakota wraps Shayna in another hug. "I'm glad I got to be here for this," she says.

"Me too," Shayna says.

They sit in the locker room for a while longer, watching the rest of the fights on the card. Then, security comes to escort them back up to their hotel suite, where Shayna and Jess both quickly shower and change. As they're in the bathroom getting ready to go out, Jess turns to Shayna. "Are you going to talk to her?" she asks quietly.

"Yes," Shayna says. "If I can get her alone." Jess nods, hoping that Shayna follows through.

Shayna, Jess, and Dakota meet up with Marina, and the four girls head out in search of food. Ronda is planning on meeting them later, but she has interviews to do. They find themselves in a crowded restaurant, and they manage to get a corner booth, where they immediately order appetizers. After a few minutes, Jess stands up. "I'm going to the bar," she says. "Marina, you coming?" She gives Marina a look, and Marina understands what she's trying to do.

"Yeah, I'll come," Marina says, standing up as well. "Be back in a few." They walk off, leaving Shayna and Dakota alone.

Shayna takes a deep breath. She might as well do this while she's sober, because once she starts drinking, she doesn't know what will happen. "Hey, so I was hoping I could talk to you about something," she says to Dakota.

Dakota turns to look at her and smiles shyly. "Sure, what's up?"

Well, no going back now. "I like you, Dakota." As soon as the words leave her mouth, Shayna feels a weight leave her shoulders. "I've liked you since the day I met you, and I kept coming up with excuses for why I didn't tell you, but the truth is that I didn't tell you because I was scared of losing you so soon after I met you. And if you don't feel the same way, I completely understand because you're way out of my league, and so we can just pretend this conversation never happened. But I just needed you to know."

Shayna's words hang in the air between them, and for a moment Dakota doesn't say anything. And then, she lets out a quiet laugh, and Shayna doesn't know what to make of this reaction. Dakota looks up at Shayna. "You think you're out of my league?" she asks. She laughs again, shaking her head. "Shayna, I've had a crush on you since you walked into that gym for the first time. But I thought there was no way that someone like you would be into someone like me."

Shayna slides closer to her. "Well good news. I am." She leans in and kisses Dakota, and for a moment it feels like the world around them has stopped. They pull away from each other and Shayna's brown eyes meet Dakota’s hazel ones. "So, can I take you out?" she asks.

Dakota smiles. "I'd love that," she says. Shayna pulls her back in for another kiss, a shorter one this time. Suddenly, her phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out to find a text from Jessamyn.

Jessamyn: let me know when it's safe to come back to the table ;)

Shayna rolls her eyes and is about to respond when two more texts from Jess come in, this time in the group chat with the two of them, Marina, and Ronda.

Jessamyn: Attachment: 1 image

Shayna opens it to find a picture of her and Dakota inches apart, clearly having just kissed. The angle that the picture was taken from shows enough of both of their faces to know that they're both smiling. For a moment, she considers flipping Jess off from across the room, but then she reads the second message and can't help but smile.

Jessamyn: how would y'all feel about a fifth roommate? :)

Dakota peaks over Shayna's shoulder at her phone screen. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag," she says.

"I'm gonna kill her," Shayna says, but she's smiling.

Dakota gives Shayna a quick kiss on the cheek. "No you won't," she says.

"Yeah, I know," Shayna says. She turns back to her phone and sends a response back to the group chat.

Shayna: slow down, Duke.

Shayna: and you can come back over. just don't be annoying.

Jessamyn: no promises.

Jess and Marina return to the table, and Jess slides Shayna a bottle of beer. "Consider it a peace offering," she says.

Shayna rolls her eyes, still smiling. "I'll consider it a temporary peace treaty," she says. "Seriously, you had to do that?"

"I'm your best friend, it's my job," Jess says.

Ronda joins them a little later, and the five of them spend hours eating and drinking and laughing. At one point, Shayna pulls Dakota onto her lap, and the rest of the girls tease her for being "soft," and Shayna is grateful for the dim lighting that hides her blush.

It's nearly one in the morning when Shayna and Dakota finally return to the hotel room. They get ready for bed and climb into bed, Shayna immediately wrapping her arms around Dakota. "Goodnight," Dakota says, giving Shayna a quick kiss before immediately falling asleep.

Shayna looks at the girl in her arms and smiles. She thinks back to the conversation she had with Jess on the show, when she was hopelessly pining after Dakota with no intention of ever telling her. Then she thinks about walking into the gym and seeing Dakota standing there. She thinks about how Dakota planned a whole trip to LA to come visit her, because she wanted to surprise her.

Fight Week, Friday

"Jess, guess what?" Shayna yells from the bathroom where she's once again sitting in the bathtub trying to sweat off the last pound and a half she needs to lose to make 135.

"What?" Jess calls back as Dakota stands behind her, straightening her long hair.

"Only one more hour until we can eat again!" Shayna calls, and Dakota can hear her smiling. Both Jess and Shayna woke up within two pounds of 135, and both have been counting down the hours until they can eat and drink.

Dakota finishes the last strand of Jessamyn's hair, and turns off the straightener. "You're good Jess," she says. Hearing the sound of the tub draining, she pokes her head into the bathroom. "How's it going?" she asks Shayna, who is currently drying herself off with a towel.

"I'm at exactly 135," Shayna reports.

"See, I told you that you would make it," Dakota says. "Now get changed so I can do your hair." She leaves, and Shayna gets changed for weigh-in. She pulls on her camo bikini that she's chosen for weigh-in. Then she puts on her gray tank top and her black joggers. She goes back into the living room of the hotel suite where Dakota is waiting and sits down in front of her. "Usual?" Dakota asks, and Shayna nods.

Dakota starts carefully undoing the braids in Shayna's hair. As she does, her hair falls in loose waves. Dakota carefully brushes Shayna's hair, keeping the waves in place, before tying it back into a ponytail. Then she ties Shayna's bandana into place. "Done?" Shayna asks, when she feels Dakota’s hands leave her hair.

"Yeah," Dakota says. "The waves probably aren't going to last all day, but they'll last through the weigh-in. Just don't brush your hair until after."

"Okay," Shayna says. "Besides, you're doing my hair again tomorrow, right?"

"Of course I am," Dakota says.

Ronda pokes her head into the room. "You guys ready?" she asks. Shayna and Jess both nod, and Ronda turns to Dakota. "Are you coming with?" she asks.

"Oh, I hadn't really thought about it," Dakota says.

Shayna turns to her. "You should come with me when I go out," she suggests, and Dakota can see in Shayna's eyes that she's not as confident as she's acting.

"Okay, so that settles that," Ronda says. She looks at her watch. "Let's go." Shayna and Jessamyn grab their things, and the group heads down to the weigh-in.

The weigh-in is easy, and fortunately for Shayna and Jess, it's over quickly. Dakota has never seen Shayna as happy as she is when she's finally able to drink water again. After the weigh-in, Shayna and Jess go back up to the hotel room to change back into regular clothes, before leaving to corner Marina's fight. Dakota stays in the hotel room, killing time until it's time for Marina's fight. At one point, her phone buzzes with a text from Jessamyn, and the message on the screen isn't exactly one that Dakota is thrilled to be getting.

Jessamyn: Shayna isn't acting like herself and it's concerning. has she said anything to you?

Dakota: no, but i can tell she's out of it today. do you need me to come down there?

Jessamyn: you won't be able to come down to the locker room. it's fine, just maybe talk to her after the fight?

Dakota: will do. let me know if anything happens.

Dakota turns off her phone and sighs. She can only hope that Shayna will be willing to talk to her later.

The fight passes in a blur. Marina submits her opponent less than a minute into the first round. After the fight, Dakota meets Shayna and Jess back in the hotel suite, where Jess leaves them alone in the bedroom and sits down in the living room with her journal.

"Can we talk?" Dakota asks, sitting down on the bed with Shayna.

Shayna immediately pulls Dakota close to her. "Sure, what's up?"

Dakota takes a deep breath. "Are you okay, Shayna?" she asks, looking up at her friend.

For a second, Shayna thinks about saying that she's okay. That she's just worn out from the weight cut. That everything is fine. But then she looks into Dakota’s eyes and sees the worry in them and she knows she can't lie to her. Dakota knows her well enough to see past it. "No, Dakota."

The words are quiet coming out of Shayna's mouth, but Dakota hears them, and she hugs Shayna tightly. "What's going on?" she asks.

Shayna lets out a shaky breath. "I don't think I can do this Dakota," she says. "I'm not good enough. She's so much stronger than me." Her voice breaks and she bites her lip to try and keep from crying.

"Hey, listen to me," Dakota says. "You can do this. You're one of the best fighters in the world. You've been doing this for longer than anyone else on this show."

"But I still lost," Shayna says, her voice small.

"I know," Dakota says. "And that sucks. But there's nothing you can do about it now. It happened, it's over, and now it's about moving forward."

Shayna looks up at Dakota. "I don't know how to do that," she says.

"By going out there and doing what you do best. Ignore what everyone else wants to see from you. Go be the queen of spades, and go show everyone the fighter that you really are." Dakota looks into Shayna's eyes. "You can do this, Shayna. You have so many people who believe in you."

"Tell that to the idiots on Twitter," Shayna mutters.

"The idiots on Twitter don't know what they're talking about," Dakota says. "You can do this. You're the queen of spades. You can do anything."

Shayna smiles weakly at Dakota. "Thank you," she says, hugging Dakota close to her chest.

Fight Week, Thursday

"You really don't have to be in here," Shayna says, shifting uncomfortably as sweat rolls down her back.

Dakota lets out a sigh. This is the third time they've had this conversation. "Shayna, I want to be in here," she says. She, Shayna, and Jessamyn have been in the sauna for over an hour now. Shayna and Jess are trying to work up a sweat in order to lose weight before the weigh-in tomorrow. It took almost half an hour for Dakota to convince Shayna that she couldn't skip the pre-fight press conference to go cut weight. Ronda is with Marina, getting her ready for her weigh-in, but she told Dakota to make sure Shayna and Jess don't overdo it in the sauna.

The timer on Shayna's watch beeps, and she and Jessamyn stand up, quickly exiting the sauna. Dakota follows, and they go over to the scale. Jessamyn checks her weight first, and comes in at 138 and a half. She nods, satisfied with the result. She'll cut another pound or so during training later today, and then will take baths to lose the last couple of pounds.

Shayna checks her weight next, and comes in at 139. "Not great, but it could be worse," she says, stepping off the scale. "I just have to cut my water now, rather than after training."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Dakota asks, concerned.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay," Shayna says. Both Jess and Shayna text their nutritionist an update on their weight, before heading to the gym at the hotel, where Ronda and Marina are sitting on the mats. Marina has a bottle of water in her hands, and she's clearly fighting the urge to down the entire bottle at once. "How'd it go?" Shayna asks.

"I made weight," Marina says casually, standing up from the ground. "And now I'm going to go get some food in my body. I'll come check on you guys in a bit," she says, waving goodbye to the group before leaving the gym. Dakota goes with her, heading up to her and Shayna's room to take a shower and leaving the fighters with their coaches.

Throughout their entire training session, it's clear that Shayna isn't at her strongest. The weight cut is taking its toll, but Shayna is a professional, and she knows how to make weight.

After training, Jessamyn takes the advice of the nutritionist and heads back to the sauna. But Shayna heads back up to the hotel room. In the bathroom, she strips down to just her sports bra and shorts, while Dakota fills up the bathtub with hot water. Once the tub is full, Shayna climbs inside and sits down. Dakota sits on the floor next to the tub, resting her hand on the ledge so Shayna can hold it.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, her voice calm and soft.

Shayna lets out a breath. "Not great," she admits. "No matter how many times I cut weight, it still sucks just as much every time."

"I know," Dakota says, giving her hand a squeeze. "But you're going to get through this. I know you will."

Shayna turns to look at Dakota, and despite how dehydrated she is, tears still come to her eyes. "But what if I can't?" she asks, her voice smaller than Dakota has ever heard it. "What if this is the time I can't get through it, Dakota?"

"Then we'll handle that if it happens," Dakota says, trying to reassure her friend. "But Shayna, you're going to get through this. You're the strongest person I know, and if anyone can do this, it's you."

Shayna doesn't have the energy to try to stop the tears from falling. "You don't know that," she says, feeling weaker than she's ever felt before.

"Yes, I do," Dakota says. She reaches up with the hand that isn't being held by Shayna's hand, and wipes away her tears. "I promise, you're going to make it. And I'll be with you, every step of the way. I'll always be there for you, Shay."

Shayna feels her cheeks flush at the nickname, and hopes Dakota just thinks it's from sweating. "How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?" she asks, giving Dakota’s hand a squeeze. Dakota looks down at the floor and smiles shyly. "Seriously Dakota, I don't know what I would do without you," Shayna says.

"You would be doing exactly what you're doing now," Dakota says. "Being the amazing fighter that you are. You don't need me to be able to do that."

"But I wouldn't have gotten through this camp. I wouldn't have ever tried out for the show. I wouldn't be making my UFC debut in two days," Shayna says, looking at Dakota. "You've made me a better fighter, Dakota. You don't give yourself enough credit, but you really have helped me so much more than you will ever know."

This time, Dakota is the one with tears in her eyes. "Shay-" she starts to say, but is cut off by the door to the bathroom opening.

Ronda pokes her head in. "How are you doing?" she asks Shayna.

"I'm fine, all things considered," Shayna says.

"Have you checked your weight recently?" Ronda asks.

Shayna shakes her head. "Not since before training," she says.

"Check it now," Ronda says. Dakota passes Shayna a towel and she climbs out of the bath and dries herself off before stepping onto the scale. It reads 137.5. "Alright, no more for you tonight," Ronda says, reaching over to drain the bathtub. Shayna opens her mouth to protest, but Ronda holds up a hand to stop her. "You'll probably sweat off another half pound to a pound tonight while you're sleeping. And then you'll cut the last little bit in the morning. But I don't want you to overdo it."

"Fine," Shayna sighs, knowing that arguing with Ronda is pointless. She turns to Dakota. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Okay," Dakota says, leaving her alone in the bathroom and going to change into her pajamas.

A few minutes later, Shayna returns, wrapped in a towel, her hair wet. She grabs her pajamas and then ducks back into the bathroom to change. When she comes back out, she smiles at the sight of Dakota and holds out her comb and a couple of rubber bands. A silent request, which Dakota immediately nods in agreement to. Shayna sits down on the floor in front of the couch that Dakota is sitting on, and Dakota begins to comb through Shayna's wet hair.

"You're doing so good," Dakota says as she begins to weave Shayna's black hair into two french braids. "I know how hard this camp has been for you, and I'm so proud of you for hanging in there."

Shayna feels heat rise to her cheeks, and she's glad that her back is to Dakota. "Thanks," she says softly, feeling the tension slowly leaving her shoulders as Dakota braids her hair. Since Shayna and Dakota first met, they've had a routine. Dakota always does Shayna's hair before weigh-ins and fights.

Dakota ties off the first braid and moves to the second. "Are you going to Marina's fight tomorrow?" she asks.

"Yeah, Jess and I are cornering her fight," Shayna says. "Do you want to come?"

"Sure," Dakota says, twisting her her fingers through Shayna's hair. "I'm really glad I was able to come visit you. Training hasn't been the same without you." She ties off the second braid and pats Shayna's shoulder to let her know she's good to get up.

Shayna stands up and pulls Dakota with her onto the bed, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "From what I've heard, you've been doing just fine without me," Shayna says. "You've been giving some of the best girls out there a run for their money," she says, her voice full of pride.

"I know. But it's not the same as having you with me," Dakota says. "But I wanted to make you proud, even though you weren't there."

Fight Week, Tuesday

"Shayna!" The sound of Dakota’s voice yelling in her ear forces Shayna to jolt awake.

"Was that necessary?" Shayna asks, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Dakota laughs, and Shayna's stomach fills with butterflies at the sound. "Unless you wanted to be woken up by Ronda tackling you, yes it was."

"Oh so you were being merciful then?" Shayna teases, sitting up in bed.

"Alright, get up and go eat breakfast," Dakota says. "I'll make sure you have all of your stuff packed and ready."

Shayna lets out a deep breath. "What would I do without you?" she asks, smiling up at Dakota. As she climbs out of bed and makes her way to the kitchen, she thinks back to her conversation with Jessamyn the previous week, before shaking her head and turning her focus back to the task at hand: having a dominant UFC debut on Saturday.

"Oh good, you're awake," Marina says, sliding Shayna a plate of food and Shayna can't help but smile. Even though Marina isn't able to eat as much as Shayna and Jess, with the weigh-ins for her fight only two days away, she's still making them breakfast.

"Good morning to you too," Shayna says, sitting down at the counter. Marina definitely isn't in the best mood this morning, but a weight cut will do that to you. Jessamyn joins them, and sits down next to Shayna.

Suddenly, Dakota pokes her head around the corner into the kitchen. "Shayna, where are your gloves?" she asks.

"I already packed them," Shayna says, digging into her breakfast.

"Well they're not in your bag," Dakota says. Shayna starts to get up from the counter, but Dakota holds up a hand to stop her. "No, you eat. I'll go find them. I'm better at finding your stuff than you are anyways," she says, teasing Shayna.

She disappears back around into Shayna's room, and Jessamyn gives Shayna a knowing look. Shayna shakes her head, but she can't hide her smile. "Don't start with me today," she warns Jess.

"I didn't say anything," Jessamyn says, but she and Marina exchange a knowing look.

Dakota appears back in the kitchen. "They were in your bag from training yesterday," she says. "So were your ankle sleeves, which I also figured you would want so I packed those for you."

"You're the best," Shayna says, pulling Dakota into a quick hug.

"Dakota, can you do this every fight? Because I've lost track of how many times Shayna's almost forgotten something," Marina jokes, setting down a plate of food for Dakota.

"It doesn't happen that often," Shayna insists, which makes Dakota laugh, and Shayna playfully smacks her shoulder.

Ronda pokes her head into the room. "We're leaving in 20 minutes," she says, before disappearing back into her room.

Dakota looks at the rest of the girls. "Is she okay?" she asks, clearly noticing that Ronda isn't acting like herself this morning.

Jess nods. "She's just stressed, she's got a lot on her shoulders right now," she explains. They finish eating, and Marina cleans up while the rest of the group finishes getting ready.

"Fair warning, it's going to be very hot in the car," Shayna says as she and Dakota grab their things. "We're going to have the heat pretty high because Marina is cutting weight."

"Okay," Dakota says, double checking her bag before zipping it up. She looks up at Shayna. "You ready?" she asks.

Shayna looks down at Dakota and smiles. "Yeah," she says. She pulls Dakota into a hug. "I'm really glad you're coming with us."

"Me too," Dakota says. Pulling away from the hug, she scans the room one last time. "We should get going," she says.

They head outside and pile into the car. Shayna, Jess, and Dakota are sitting in the back row of the SUV, and Shayna is currently refusing to not have some kind of physical contact with Dakota. This isn't new to Dakota. In the days leading up to a fight, Shayna tends to seek small forms of comfort and affection, and physical touch is always comforting to her. Currently, one of Shayna's hands is on top of Dakota’s, while the other one is holding her big bottle of water. She and Jess are both currently chugging water practically non-stop, while Marina is trying not to look at them. With Marina's weigh-in a day before Shayna and Jess, her weight cut schedule is ahead of theirs.

A long four and a half hours later, they finally pull into Vegas. Shayna and Jess climb out of the car and make a beeline for the nearest bathroom. Marina immediately goes to talk to the group's nutritionist, and Ronda pulls Dakota aside as they make their way into the hotel lobby. "Hey, I just wanted to say thank you," she says to Dakota.

"What for?" Dakota asks, confused.

Ronda smiles at her. "Having you here has been a really big help for Shayna. Even though she won't admit it, she's been more nervous about this fight than she's ever been. After what happened on the show..." Ronda trails off, but Dakota knows what she means. Ronda shakes her head, as if dismissing the topic of Shayna's fight with Julianna from her mind. "Anyways, she's really lucky to have you in her life," Ronda says.

Week 2, Thursday

As a rule, Shayna almost never cries. She just doesn't. But week 2 of fight camp is apparently an exception to the rules. It's the week when the exhaustion from "hard week," the anxiety of knowing fight night is coming up fast, and the dread of the impending weight cut all collide in an overwhelming mix of emotions.

But if there was ever a week for Dakota to surprise Shayna during camp, it's this week. She's been there, right by Shayna's side all week. She's coaxed Shayna out of bed in the morning when training is the last thing Shayna wants to do. She's held Shayna in her arms and whispered quiet words of comfort while Shayna cried for no apparent reason. She's made training something she looks forward to rather than dreads.

After their morning training session on Thursday, Shayna and Jessamyn decide to drive to the drugstore to pick up Advil, heat packs, and all the other fight week essentials. They invite Dakota to come with them, but she tells them that she has plans to meet a friend for lunch. Jess is secretly glad that it's just her and Shayna. Not because she has a problem with Dakota, but because she's been waiting for an opportunity to talk to Shayna. It's a conversation that is certainly overdue.

Jess waits until they're on the main road before glancing at Shayna. "So, are we just going to keep ignoring the obvious?" she asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shayna says, staring straight ahead as she drives, eyes hidden behind her aviators.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jessamyn says with a sigh. She's quiet for a moment, before turning to look at Shayna. "You know you can talk to me, right?" she asks.

Shayna nods, but doesn't say anything as she pulls into the parking lot. She turns off the car and unbuckles her seat belt, but doesn't move to get out of the car. She leans back, resting her head against the headrest of the seat and lets out a heavy sigh. "I just don't know what to do Jess," she admits.

"About Dakota?" Jess asks.

Shayna nods. "I just don't know if it's worth the risk," she explains. "I can't lose her, Jess. She's too important to me." Even though she's wearing sunglasses, Jess can see the fear in Shayna's eyes.

"How do you know you're going to lose her?" Jess asks.

Shayna sighs. "Because if I tell her how I feel about her, she's not going to want to be friends anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Jess prompts.

"Because friendships get awkward when one person likes the other one and those feelings aren't reciprocated," Shayna says.

Jess can't help but smile fondly at her best friend. Of course Shayna is oblivious to Dakota’s feelings towards her. Jessamyn doesn't expect anything different from her. "How do you know those feelings aren't reciprocated?" she asks.

At this, Shayna lifts the aviators off of her eyes, pushing them onto her head. "Because she's wildly out of my league, Jess. Have you seen her? She's just so..." Shayna trails off, blushing, and she turns to stare out the window.

"Okay first of all, you can just say she's hot," Jess teases, because she's Shayna's best friend and it's her job to tease sometimes. "But also," she says, getting more serious. "She's not out of your league. And I know you're not going to believe that but I at least need to say it so you can hear it, even if you think it's wrong."

Shayna rolls her eyes. "The point is, nothing good is going to come out of me telling her how I feel, so I'm just not going to do it," she says.

"But what if something good does come out of it?" Jess asks. "What if you tell her how you feel and she feels the same way?"

Shayna stays quiet, thinking over her friend's words. Despite her doubts that Dakota would ever feel the same way, she can't help but smile at the thought. She glances over at Jess, who currently has a very satisfied smirk on her face, and rolls her eyes. "Alright, lets just get what we came here for so we can get back to the gym," she says as she opens the door.

"You mean so you can get back to Dakota?" Jess teases as she climbs out of the car.

"Shut up," Shayna fires back, but she's smiling. "Besides, if I am going to tell her, it's not going to be until after the fight. I'm about to make my UFC debut, I can't be distracted right now."

Week 2, Monday

When her alarm goes off Monday morning, Jessamyn is already awake. She's been up for the past 15 minutes texting Dakota, confirming their plan for surprising Shayna. Jess climbs out of bed and quickly gets dressed. Her bag is already packed and ready to go, so she heads into the kitchen where Marina is making breakfast. "Morning Jess," she says, sliding a plate of food towards her.

"Good morning," Jess replies, sitting down at the counter.

"Everything ready?" Ronda asks. Jessamyn nods. "Perfect," Ronda says, passing Jess her car keys, so Jess can use her car to pick up Dakota.

After Jess finishes breakfast, she brushes her teeth and grabs her bag. As she's heading towards the front door, Shayna enters the kitchen. "You're leaving early," she remarks.

"I have to run a couple of errands before training," Jess says, giving the excuse she had planned.

"Okay, I'll see you at the gym then," Shayna says.

"See you there," Jess replies, before heading out to Ronda's car. As far as she can tell, Shayna doesn't suspect a thing. It takes less than 15 minutes to get to the address where Dakota is staying. She puts the car in park and climbs out to open the trunk.

A moment later, Dakota comes outside with her bags. "Hi there!" she says with a smile. "You must be Jessamyn."

"That's me," Jess says. "It's great to finally meet you in person." She helps Dakota put her bags in the trunk, and then they both get in the car. Before she starts driving, Jess sends Ronda a quick text.

Jessamyn: just picked Dakota up. we'll be at GFC in about 10 minutes.

Ronda replies less than 30 seconds later.

Ronda: sounds great. we'll leave here in 10.

As Jess starts to drive, she glances at Dakota. "We'll get there a few minutes before Shayna does," she says.

Dakota smiles. "I can't wait to see her," she says.

When they arrive at the gym, Jessamyn checks her phone to see two more texts from Ronda. One was sent seven minutes earlier, and the other had just been sent.

Ronda: Shayna is getting suspicious. Marina is stalling. I've never seen a person clean up from breakfast this slowly.

Ronda: Leaving now, be there in 5.

Jessamyn quickly texts Ronda to let her know that she and Dakota have arrived. Then she leads Dakota into the gym. "Welcome to Glendale Fighting Club," she says.

Dakota looks around wide-eyed. "Wow, this place is amazing," she says.

Jess looks at the time. "The girls will be here any minute," she says. As if on cue, she hears the familiar sound of Marina's car pulling up to GFC.

When Shayna first walks through the door of GFC, she thinks the exhaustion of camp is making her hallucinate. Because the girl leaning against the cage looks like Dakota, but that doesn't make sense, because Dakota is still in South Dakota. But then Shayna blinks, and the girl is still there. And then she smiles, and Shayna knows that she's not hallucinating. She would know that smile anywhere. She drops her bag and crosses the gym in an instant, throwing her arms around Dakota.

"I missed you so much," she says, her lips next to Dakota’s ear.

Dakota giggles, and Shayna's heart skips a beat. It's been so long since she heard that sound. "I missed you too," Dakota says.

When Shayna finally lets go of Dakota, she turns to see Jessamyn watching them, a very pleased smirk on her face. "Why do you look so smug?" Shayna asks, retrieving her bag from where she had dropped it.

Jess laughs. "I'm just glad you were surprised," she says.

Shayna doesn't quite understand at first. Then, it clicks in her brain. "You were in on this?" she asks.

"Dakota messaged me on Instagram and asked for help surprising you," Jess explains. "Why do you think I left so early today?"

Shayna shakes her head in disbelief. "You are unbelievable," she says, grinning. She wraps her arms around Dakota. "So how long do I get you back for?" she asks.

Dakota looks up at her with a smile. "I'm not going home until after the finale is done," she says. "Besides, I miss training with you."

"Speaking of training," Ronda chimes in. "As much as I hate to break up this reunion, all three of you," she looks pointedly at Shayna, Jess, and Marina, "have fights coming up."

Shayna turns to Dakota. "I hope you've been staying in shape," she remarks with a smirk. "Because I need a sparring partner."

Shayna has never had so much fun sparring during camp. It's always a nice change of pace to train with someone different; camp can get tedious when you're around the same people constantly for six weeks, even if those people are your best friends. But also, Shayna has always had fun training with Dakota. She's always willing to let Shayna practice anything on her, from striking to grappling to submissions.

"Have you considered MMA?" Ronda asks between rounds of sparring, as Shayna and Dakota catch their breath.

Shayna grins at this. Dakota shakes her head, but she's laughing. "Shayna has been trying to convince me to switch to MMA since I met her," she says.

"I never said anything about switching to MMA. I just said you could do MMA in addition to wrestling," Shayna says.

"Maybe one day I will," Dakota says. "But I'm happy with where I'm at in wrestling right now. And I have fun helping Shayna with her MMA training. I like that I can do both and not have to chose."

Dakota glances at Shayna, a shy smile on her face, before turning back to her bag and grabbing her water bottle. Ronda opens her mouth to say something, but before she can speak, the door to the back office opens and Jessamyn walks out. "Shayna, you're up," she says.

"Oh goody," Shayna says with a sarcastic eye roll. She gives Dakota’s shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I've gotta go meet with our nutritionist," she explains.

Dakota nods, and Shayna stands up and heads to the office as Jess comes to join Dakota, Ronda, and Marina on the gym floor. Dakota watches as Shayna walks away, and it's not until the office door closes behind her that Dakota realizes the others are watching her.

After a few moments of tense silence, Ronda finally speaks. "Alright, I'm curious," she says. "What's going on between you and Shayna?"

For a moment, Dakota is confused by Ronda's words. Suddenly it hits her, and she feels heat rise to her cheeks. "Oh no, nothing like that," she quickly says. "She's a great friend and training partner, but there's nothing like that happening with us."

Ronda raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Could've fooled me," she says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dakota asks, immediately feeling defensive.

Ronda notices the sudden shift in Dakota’s voice. "No no, I don't mean that in a bad way," she says in a rush. "I just mean that I've never seen Shayna this happy," Ronda says. "You bring out the best in her. Both as a fighter and as a person."

Dakota looks down at the ground, a small smile on her face. Suddenly, the door to the office opens and Shayna returns. "Dakota, you ready to get back to work?" she asks.

Week 3, Friday

Jessamyn drops onto her bed, absolutely exhausted. "Remind me again why I'm doing this?" she says out loud to no one in particular.

"Because you have a fight in less than three weeks!" Shayna yells from the living room.

Jessamyn can't help but laugh, and then immediately wince at the ache in her ribs. Fight camps are a necessary and important part of training, but that doesn't stop her from resenting the exhaustion. It doesn't help that it's week 3, which is "hard week." Weeks 6, 5, and 4 were all hard. But this is when she really starts feeling it. The past five days have taken a toll on her body, and she's clinging to the light at the end of the tunnel that is Sunday rest day. Only one more day, and then she can rest. Before she has to do it all over again come Monday, that is.

Even though it's early evening, she's seriously tempted to go to bed right now. She's just about to get up to go get something to eat when her phone buzzes with an Instagram message from a username she doesn't recognize. Curious, she goes to the profile of the sender. Immediately, she recognizes the girl in the profile picture. It's Dakota, Shayna's training partner and crush. Jess opens the message, wondering why Dakota would be messaging her instead of Shayna.

Dakota: hey! are you Jessamyn Duke? from The Ultimate Fighter?

Jessamyn: yes! you're friends with Shayna, right?

Dakota: yes, i am. actually, that's what i wanted to message you about.

Jessamyn: what's up?

Dakota: i want to come surprise Shayna in California. i know fight camps can be stressful for her, and i thought it would be nice for her to have a familiar face.

Dakota: plus, i'm close to the same height and size as Sarah Moras. i thought it would be helpful if she could train with someone similar in size to her opponent.

Jessamyn: that's a great idea! do you want to surprise her at the gym?

Dakota: that's what i was thinking! i'm flying to California on Sunday, and a friend is letting me stay with her that night.

Jessamyn: i can pick you up and bring you to the gym on Monday morning! and i'm sure you can stay with us while you're out here. how long are you planning on staying?

Dakota: i hadn't actually planned that far. i was planning on coming to the finale, but i don't know if i'm going back home first.

Jessamyn: why don't you just stay with us for the rest of camp? you can come with us to Vegas for the finale!

Dakota: that sounds great! thank you so much for helping me out with this.

Jessamyn: of course! it's going to be a great surprise for her.

As Jessamyn closes Instagram, she hears the shower turn on. Walking out into the living room, she sees Marina and Ronda. "Is Shayna taking a shower?" she asks, sitting down on the couch. Ronda nods. "Okay, good, because I need to tell you guys something. But you can't tell Shayna," she says. She tells them about the conversation that she and Shayna had back in the house, although she leaves out the part about Shayna having a crush on Dakota. Then she tells them about her conversation with Dakota, and the plan the two had come up with.

"She can definitely stay with us," Ronda says. "Shayna's going to love it."