Sometimes it's More Fun to Fight (wwe, 18+)

[starlight]

Of course she wasn’t sleeping, she’d hardly slept a wink in weeks - too worried about everyone else to enjoy some shut eye. She heard footsteps, that were heavy enough to belong to only one person in the household. Letting go of her make shift pillow-person, she turned to face him, slowly opening her eyes. He wanted to talk, now. Those words were hardly what she wanted to hear. Elisha propped herself up somewhat, and moved some hair out of her face, beginning to listen to him. Was she in the mood to hear this? Not really, but there wasn’t exactly a good time to have it. Swallowing, she took a deep breath, and listened, what more could she do? This wasn’t exactly the place to have an argument, but she needed to say how she felt, no she wasn’t okay, she hated being alone at the best of times and now she had lost her best friend and her boyfriend from the road in one night. “ I know.” She said quietly, “ But…” She paused, thinking of how she was going to say it without breaking down, but she was so tired, so worn down, so sick of putting up a wall that the tears just began to flow. “ But I have no one, John. I’ll be on the road and have no one. How can I not think that you’ll find someone else when I’m not around. Why wouldn’t I? You’ve let me go once, I’m so scared that you’ll find someone better while I’m on the road and forget about me.” She’d forgiven, but she had certainly not forgotten.

She wiped her own tears away, and took a deep breath. “ I’m sorry.” She said quietly, rubbing her eyes before she kept them down. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her like this, with her insecurities laid out for him to see. She wanted him to think she’d be okay, that she was strong enough to do this while he recovered, if he was busy worrying about her he couldn’t focus on his recovery, which meant it would take him even longer to get back to the road. “ I am petrified John - Trish left the division in my hands, you’re going to be here for god knows how long, and I’m scared I’m going to let everyone down.” She’d been trying so hard to be the best champion, the best girlfriend, the best wrestler that she was beginning to crumble under all the pressure. All she wanted was for him to hold her, tell her it was going to be okay - that he was going to be okay, they were going to be okay. All of it. Right now, she felt like her whole world was in pieces.

“ You don’t need to be hearing this. It’s the last thing you need right now.” She mumbled, pulling her knees close to her. It was getting used to being alone that was the hardest part. Even when her and John were separate she had Trish. But now, she didn’t even have that. Finally she was alone in this big, wide world of the WWE and she didn’t like it one bit. Without her support system she couldn’t be at her best, without John something felt like it was missing.

*

He was hardly surprised by her response. He didn’t exactly expect it to be sunshines and rainbows, Mika certainly wasn’t that type of girl. “ You know what else is earned? Respect, and whilst you might not want anyones here - you’ll need it!” He called after her with a shake of his head. Mika might have thought that she didn’t need anyone in this business, but she was wrong. Being a lone wolf didn’t get you far. He might have been a little different, a little unconventional but he respected the business, the locker room heads and his division. He didn’t have to like them, he didn’t have to be friends with them, he just had to show them some respect. After all, in this business you had a short shelf life if you pissed off the wrong people, and if you didn’t make them any money your shelf life was even shorter. Hello, future endeavours.

He placed his headphones back into his ears and continued down the corridor, minding his own business. Mika was right, he did have his own match to prepare for. Hell, he’d been preparing for it all day. He watched videos, studying his opponent, trained just as hard as he would any other day and settled into the arena. He liked to know his surroundings and be comfortable in the arena. If he was going to be in this business a long time he needed to get used to being in these places. The indie circuit was nothing like this - you were lucky to get a space in a locker room let alone a whole locker to yourself. He was going to work his ass off to get his own locker room. He’d get to the top, no matter what it took.

[Yunalesca]

He hadn’t realized he had been holding a breath after he spoke, but it weighed heavily on him until she spoke, air slowly filtering out from him as he could already see the cracks forming. It was only in this moment that he realized, once again, how selfish he had been through this. He had taken steps to comfort her in this process though he had been heavily preoccupied with what his timeline would be to return. He hadn’t thought of ‘if’ since the accident had occurred as he didn’t need that negativity hindering his recovery, but every wrestler felt an inkling of doubt at first. He would persevere, but it appeared Elisha did not feel as strong about this as he did. It was obvious he had always looked at her as the most stable rock in his life, she had grown up in this business, but she was a woman at the end of the day and she did have her needs as he did. She had lost a lot in the past few weeks and he hadn’t taken that into consideration when he had gone into surgery.

As she continued to lay her fears out before him like she never had before, he found himself shifting on the bed once more so he could turn himself enough to pull her into him. He wasn’t so sure if she wanted to be touched right now, but he was going to hold her whether she liked it or not; she could easily pull away with only one functioning arm, but he was hoping she wouldn’t. He let her fold into him for a moment, let her feel his presence envelope her before he dared to speak. It was these little moments he appreciated most and was sure to miss more than anything else. “Being alone is incredibly hard, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to be looking at or for anyone else, you’re all I will be able to think about. I’m going to worry about you. You think I don’t hold some fear you might meet someone out there while I’m gone? There’s so many young studs coming up I don’t know how I’ll stack up,” he tried for a light joke to try and dispel some of the floating tension. He could understand why she felt this way, it was a scary world out there to try and navigate on her own, but she had gotten this far on her own grit hadn’t she? “I know it’s going to be harder than anything, but you didn’t come into this business with friends, you made them along the way. Just stop holding such expectations for yourself. I’m sure when Trish left she didn’t have these expectations of you trying to kill yourself to be this wrestling goddess. She left knowing you were ready and could handle the pressure you would feel, she doesn’t expect or want you to be the next her. She wants you to be you, the person that got her fans on her own. I didn’t date you because you knew Trish or were Shawn’s daughter, I liked -you-.” He concluded, hoping his point was being driven home. It was normal to be afraid, but champions embraced it and moved forward, he couldn’t see her giving up now.

She heard him yell after her as she walked away from him, though she didn’t waste the effort to actually hear what he said. Instead she waved her hand up in the air back to him, a further dismissal of him. His voice held an angry edge to it and she smirked in response, unable to help herself as she moved down the corridor to hide herself away amongst the storage boxes. She figured he was just pissed she had wrote him off so easily; he looked like a man who didn’t take well to not being adored. He was an attractive man, she would give him that, but she didn’t waste her time with such endeavors. So many girls in the football league had used their ‘fame’ and looks to snag whatever man they wanted, but their performance had suffered eventually. She had a feeling people were believing she didn’t have respect for the business because of her attitude, but that wasn’t the truth. She was new to this circuit but she still knew to hold respect for the profession, it wasn’t entirely too different from her previous work. She just held an attitude to keep people at arm's length, to keep the distractions out and to show people she wasn’t here to waste time. She wasn’t a girl who slept her way to the top, she did it by physical and mental strength. There too many women traipsing around the back using their bodies to get them somewhere, she didn’t want to be so cookie cutter.

She was sure her shitty attitude was going to piss people off, seemed to have already as a matter of fact, but eventually they would see what she was getting at. She wanted to dominate the division and had a feeling it would be relatively easy. If it made some worthy competitors in the process she would accept the thanks from the company. She brushed the thoughts from her mind now, however, as she had to get herself mentally ready for her upcoming match. It may be just a house show, but to her it was no reason to not make an impact. She had turned some heads during the battle royal, but she hadn’t made her point just yet. She might have to decimate quite a few of the divas to make people understand her purpose, but she would hardly call that a loss.

The poor girl that had been chosen as her competitor didn’t know what was coming as she bounced around the ring, taking on the persona of being tough even though she wasn’t. Mika couldn’t remember her name, she was just another blonde who stood in her way. It was obvious the girl had not been paying attention to the Russian when they had momentarily crossed paths in the battle royal before as she made attempts to overpower her opponent. Her fun loving personality was quickly beaten from her and Mika had finally had enough when the girl tried to hip toss her and being unable to budge the redhead. She shut the girl down quickly with yet another submission hold, the blonde screaming and tapping the mat furiously to get herself out of the painful situation. Even as the bell rang, Mika held until the referee was grabbing her to remove her from the other woman. With great reluctance she did so, expression dark as she rolled from the ring and returned to the back without showboating. She could hear boos amongst the crowd for her aggressive behavior, but it hardly bothered her. She was getting the job done and any reaction was better than no reaction.

As she slipped behind the curtain she noted who was up next, a feat considering she rarely took focus off the path before her. Considering their earlier encounter, however, it wasn’t all too surprising she noticed Rollins. “How’s that for your respect?” She sneered before she was gone. She didn’t get involved in other people’s politics, but he had irked her. That was why she had been avoiding people, she didn’t want to get dragged into their drama as she had enough on her plate as it was. Poking the bear before his match was just too much to resist this time.

[starlight]

It was the familiarity and comfort of the nook he had created for her that made her calm down. Speaking about her feelings had never been something she was particularly good at. It wasn't something she did. Growing up she was taught to swallow it. It was easier to deal with loss, anger, guilt and sadness if you did it alone. Slowly she was learning that wasn't such the case when you were in a relationship. To be stronger, and better than ever you had to trust the other person with everything you had. Even as something as precious as your own emotions. She let out a soft chuckle when John tried to make a light joke, “Oh please. No one would come near me with a ten foot pole.” He certainly had nothing to worry about, he was her everything, she’d already dropped everything to be by his side through the surgery. It was too bad that she wouldn't be around for the recovery – god she just prayed he’d beat the odds and be back sooner than everyone expected. She took another deep breath and finally pulled away from the nook, wiping away a few stray tears. “I’m sorry.” She repeated again, trying to regain her composure, she didn't want to burden him with her feeling, it felt selfish and that was the last thing she wanted.

*

It had been well over a month since she’d been in Mass. So much for allowing her schedule to let her get back to see John. It had been the longest month of Elisha’s life – she’d resorted to sending John selfies of her day with funny captions, and calling on the phone at least once a day. It was his voice she wanted to be the last thing she heard before she went to sleep every night in the empty hotel rooms. While that had been going on, Elisha had been working her butt off in matches, although she’d not defended her title since the PPV. Branding had decided the belt was making them a lot of money around her waist and it needed to stay there for as long as possible. But that didn't mean Elisha hadn't been paying attention, she’d watched Mika decimate half of the division with ease. There was no doubt what she was after – and she’d do just about anything to get it.

Elisha had been walking the halls, minding her own business, checking the card – mainly keeping out of people's way. Of course she’d heard the nasty rumours and locker room talk – it hurt and she was getting close to the end of her tether. A match against Paige would be good to get some anger out. It had been an early scheduled match for RAW, the people were chanting, cheering and ready to go. Elisha had stepped out to the usual roar – it was getting louder each week, she understood how people thrived off it. A kiss was blown to the camera – for John (wasn't she just adorable?) and she set up in the middle of the ring waiting for her opponent. She didn't know much about Paige, she had to admit and the match started as usual with both girls trying to feel each other out.

Within the first few moments something changed – used to a little smack talking and ribbing usually Elisha just pushed past it. But not this time, Paige had crossed a line and was about to find out that Elisha was more than just a pretty face. It wasn't often this side came out, the one that showed no mercy and gave zero fucks. Her sole purpose was to inflict pain on Paige – Elisha had heard enough about how she only made it for her last name, that she was only champion because of John and don't forget that John was only with her because of her connections to the bosses. That was it. She barely let Paige get a punch in. She slammed the girl’s face into the turnbuckle, pulled out an extension or two and finally, the nail in the coffin was breaking the Diva’s nose with her finisher. That was real blood pouring out of Paige’s face. Even though the crowd cheered, Elisha made it up the ramp and out to her locker room silently. She needed to get out of that arena and back to the hotel room quick.

*

She thought that was respect? Seth had to laugh to himself if she thought she was getting under his skin. He understood where she was coming from and what she wanted to achieve but he just thought there was a better way to go about it that didn't piss off every single member of the locker room. He was beginning to learn that the roster was like one big family. You had your locker room leaders and then everyone else kind of fell into their own role. It was a bit of chaos at the moment with Cena out. Sure, he didn't keep everyone in line per say, but he had a presence that was respected. No one questioned his methods unless it was a veteran. He watched the poor blonde move past them, perhaps she was just thankful that she wasn't on her way to the emergency room, there was no doubt in his mind that Mika was a force to be reckoned with.

His match was nothing fancy, they hadn’t been for weeks, however he continued to work his ass off in the hopes that he’d get his own storyline. He loved the guys in The Shield but at some point he wanted to break out on his own, he wanted his own character, his own persona, his own entrance music – sharing was never exactly his thing. Raw had started and he was moving down the corridor to recheck the card when Elisha stormed last him. He got out of her way quick smart, not that he knew her at all but from what he’d seen and heard she was meant to be rainbows and butterflies. He watched the blonde move with haste up the hall and his mind wandered to the new Russian. Would Mika be screwed out of a championship? After all there was more than just talent that was important in this place. You had to be marketable, you had to make the company money – he had a feeling that Mika was going to learn the hard way her strength and talent wasn't enough.

His eyes went back to scanning the card, just in case it had changed. You could never be too sure with this place. He mumbled a few things to himself before he started up the corridor back towards the locker room. Working with two other guys certainly had its challenges and putting together a strategy for a match was one of them. The three of them were very different wrestlers and not everyone saw the benefits in the others style. There was no doubt that they all wanted to break free and make it on their own, but who was going to get pushed first was the real question.

[Yunalesca]

Sitting at home had already begun to get old, especially since he wasn’t even cleared to begin trying to get back to the gym yet. There was still too much healing that had to be done before he would be able to do anything strenuous and unfortunately he had to listen or else he may never be back to where he had been before the injury. Regardless, it didn’t stop him from watching the televised show just to see Elisha and get an idea of where the company was heading in his absence. His parents didn’t fully agree with the decision, but they weren’t about to wrestle the remote from him either.

Seeing how his girlfriend seemed to have snapped in her match with Paige made him draw for his phone immediately. This side he had witnessed slightly when they had broken up before so he couldn’t say it was a surprise to see, but watching her bring it out on screen was something else entirely. He couldn’t get on a plane to be with her, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try calling her to be there for her in some respect. Whether she would pick up or not was the question now.

Time passed relatively quickly for Mika as she adjusted to this new way of life on the road, she couldn’t say she had ever traveled quite so much while playing football. She wasn’t consistently booked on televised shows as it seemed that creative was still waiting for something. Not much feedback had been given to her as though they knew she wouldn’t take it if it was offered anyway. She felt like they were waiting for her to do something, to spark an idea or character that they could turn into money. She knew most of the new roster was working hard to keep a character interesting and sellable, but Mika was an upfront person; she was going to be herself and it would have to do. She was reminded of what Seth had said to her in the weeks prior after their second run in, but it was something she had brushed off purposefully. She was not the type to conform to the norm, she would garner respect in her own way. If corporate had wanted to mold her to their liking they were wasting their time. SHe felt she had been given the contract as a wager on something new, cut from a different cloth as the rest. They had to know what they were getting themselves into when they brought her on board.

So while most would complain about being booked on house shows she did not, all of it was an opportunity to establish herself. And she had yet to see Seth since their prior run in which, she hated to admit, was a relief. Something about him had got under her skin even though it didn’t show as she went about her business. She wanted attention, but his attention wasn’t the kind she had been looking for. She especially wasn’t seeking a lecture from someone she could barely consider her senior. She may be new to the wrestling world, but she had spent her share of time in locker rooms, and mostly with women, so she didn’t need the pep talk.

After a string of house shows she was finally brought back to RAW, or at least requested to be in the back during the show should they find something for her. The communication had been vague which led her to believe they weren’t sure yet. So there she was, backstage in street gear that could almost pass for ring gear as she had an edgy style that seemed to be lifted straight from Trash and Vaudeville or some other crossover punk/goth store. She was tuned in to what caught the eye and garnering attention seemed to be how she’d get her way around the locker room, though her power had been doing a fair amount of the job.

Instead of checking the card first she found a secluded area away from the locker rooms to store her things, (she still didn’t trust the others to leave her bag alone), Once she found such a place she returned to the hallway where the card was posted, fighting to keep a scowl from her face when she saw a wrestler already standing before it, knowing exactly who it was thanks to the standout hair he donned. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her falter out of the corner of his eye, so she pushed aside her distaste and continued for the card. She stopped somewhat near to him to be able to skim it quickly, but she was still mindful of the space between, making sure it was noticeable to him. She didn’t want to begin sending the wrong idea out to him. “How’s that whole ‘respect’ thing going for you?” She couldn’t help herself as she saw the card was still only half written and neither of their names were on it. One of her many bad habits was poking at those who made themselves easy targets. She hadn’t come here to make friends, it was quite obvious.

[starlight]

Elisha hadn’t moved so quickly out of the arena in months. It was the last place she wanted to be, surrounded by people who didn’t respect her or take her seriously. She tossed her bag over her shoulder and got into the chauffeured car. It was probably a good thing that she didn’t drive, there was no doubt she would have caused an accident. Sitting back against the car seat, the blonde ran a hand through her hair and exhaled deeply. This was not how she had thought the night would end, but quite frankly she didn’t care. She hadn’t snapped like this in a long time, even when John and her had parted ways she hadn’t snapped like this. Usually Elisha tried to keep herself well put together, like nothing was wrong but this time she couldn’t bury those feelings. The rumours, and the nasty comments were enough to send her over the edge at this point.

She stared at her phone whilst it rang, internally arguing with herself as to whether or not she should answer it. If she didn’t, he was bound to keep calling. Picking up on the last ring, she held the phone to her ear and forced a smile on her face. “ Hey Babe!” She said happily. Of course he’d seen the show, of course he knew what happened but she’d pretend like everything was okay. It had to be okay. There was no way around this. He was in West Newbury and she was on the road. He was healing, and she was dealing with the nasty rumours getting worse and worse. He didn’t have to defend the state of their relationship every day, she did.

“ How’re you feeling today?” If she asked about him, took the focus away on what just happened she wouldn’t have to talk about it. It’s not like she expected him to understand, and it wasn’t like he could fix it. Yes, she missed him dearly - she missed everything about having him there, but he couldn’t exactly jump on a plane and be there. Going into this they both knew it was going to be difficult, but all Elisha wanted was to fall asleep in her safe place.

*

“ Going much better than your approach.” He countered keeping his eyes on the card infront of them. He knew he wasn’t on there, he didn’t expect to be but he knew that the locker room were saying good things about them. Plus, he’d been requested to be out the back at RAW, he was sure they had something for him. He rose a brow at Mika slightly and then looked at the card again. “ I’m sure keeping your stuff over in that corner is completely safe.” He said taking a step back with a smirk. “ You know, there’s standing out for your ability, and then there’s realising that you’re part of something.” The locker room was a family and if she didn’t want to gel with ‘ the family’ then it was going to be a short and sweet stay for Mika in the WWE.

“ Maybe you should go get your hair done or something.” He said with a snicker, taking a few steps down the corridor. “ That’s what all you Diva’s like to do right.” He was pushing her buttons, and he was doing it deliberately. Two could most definitely play at that game. She wanted to push his buttons, well he was going to fire right back. It was only friendly fire, but he was sure she would take it completely wrong.

[Yunalesca]

Even though they were speaking through a phone and not face to face, John could tell she was faking a smile to make her voice sound more cheery than what she was feeling. He had seen what had happened and wished he could be there to comfort her now. He had been in that dark place before; there were undoubtedly rumors swirling of them going their seperate ways or how they were falling out of favor. The road was hard enough to deal with on your own, but throwing a title and a missing significant other on top of that broke everyone down at some point. He wanted to express sympathy, to say he knew what she was going through and that she would overcome it, but he didn't know that it would be well received. He had heard that talk before and it had made it worse, not better. He could pine for the opportunity to be there with her, but it would do him no good. He couldn't safely travel yet and he could put his career at risk if he moved too fast.

She redirected the conversation before he could try and venture into the comforting territory, however. He was mildly relieved by this as he hadn't thought of the best way to navigate her clear discomfort. Turning the conversation to his healing, however, was not the best alternative. It just reminded him of his vulnerability and how he couldn't be with her now. "I'm cleared to start cardio again tomorrow, but no body slamming Big Show for a while yet," he joked softly, an attempt to bring the mood lighter. He could still feel the unease hanging over the conversation like a cloud, which urged him to try and bring her mood around.

"Hey, you scheduled for anything this weekend? I think you should come out here. Mom's begging to cook a Texan style steak for you," he offered to her. He didn't know if she were scheduled for anything, though odds were she was. When you were a champion you were always in demand. Asking for a day off was always out of the question, but maybe they would be in luck for once.

Her eyes flicked sideways at him as she let a sardonic smile pull at her mouth, feeling the irritation roll off him at her intrusion. She wasn't sure why she felt pleasure in mocking him, maybe it had something to do with having worked around him in NXT or maybe she was just an asshole; she couldn't say she knew the answer. He wasn't one to take her smart remarks lightly, however. He was leaving her behind and couldn't help himself in the process. Get her hair done? Subconsciously she pulled a the tips of her hair, knowing it wasn't the desired look that creative wanted. They had seen something in her, however, or she wouldn't be here.

"I was told the chair was saved for you, looks like you need some more bleach there." She retorted. If anyone needed to be in the stylists chair, it was him. Blonde didn't like to hold in black hair. She glanced at the card once more before turning away. She would bide her time, she would get her respect when it was time.

[starlight]

It was rare to get a day off, especially a weekend - but someone at the top had noticed that she needed a break. It was enough to get to West Newbury, spend some time with John and his family, and get back to another arena. A whole forty eight hours away from the road. “ Well, you can break the news to your Mom that I’m only eating chicken.” Elisha said with a soft chuckle on the phone. Her diet had changed, and she’d dropped some weight, appearing leaner. Her stressing didn’t help either. A new diet, extra training and stress - she really did need the rest. The idea of a sleep in seemed so out of reach. The weekend could not come quick enough. “ I can get a flight that arrives Friday night.” She informed him. Elisha didn’t want to talk about what had happened, especially over the phone. “ Alright, well, I’m going to put myself to bed.” She said as she walked into her hotel room, having avoided the crowds via a back door. “ I’ll call tomorrow, and I’ll see you on Friday.”

It was a week of house shows, appearances and interviews. Getting on the plane on Friday had been amazing, she’d been excited for most of the day just because she was seeing John instead of speaking to him on the phone.Her excitement levels would usually have kept her awake on the plane, but her exhaustion won out and she spent most of the plane trip fast asleep. Just because it was late, didn’t mean she looked a mess. No one would know that she had slept for six hours on the plane. Elisha was a champion she was expected to look polished all the time. She stepped off the plane looking fresh, heels clicking along the tiled floor as her bag rolled behind her. Stepping through to the arrivals, her eyes darted around looking for John, her grin widening as she saw him, she smiled happily and walked over to him, slipping her arms around him and leaning up to kiss him. “ You have no idea how happy I am so see you.” She whispered, kissing him. All the worry, the stress, it seemed to disappear as she felt John’s arms around her.

*

Seth let out a laugh, throwing his head back slightly. “ Ouch, attacking my appearance. How Divalicious.” He joked, keeping his eyes on the card. He knew she didn’t like being compared to the other divas, hell, she had more talent than most - that he would admit. But at some point she was going to have to give in. If she wanted to be champ. If she wanted to make it in this business then she was going to have to compromise at some point. He had. He had been like her when he first arrived at the company. A know it all, who thought that they could walk in, change the industry to what they wanted and get their way. John Cena and Triple H had quickly put him in his place. It was like Cena was the good cop, and Paul was definitely the bad cop.

“ Enjoy your night beautiful.” He chimed, walking away from the card. “ Don’t decimate too many blondes, they need them.” He winked, beginning to head down the corridor. He enjoyed their bickering and banter. It kept him occupied while he waited to get on the card. He’d had a large number of house shows to see how the crowd reacted. He’d been told it wouldn’t be too long now.

[Yunalesca]

Waiting those 5 days to see her had been torture, but his mother had reminded him continually that soon she would be there and not to push himself too hard at the gym as a way of distraction. He had always been one to push his limits while recovering, but he had to listen to that little voice in his head more often. If he overdid it he would spend more time away from Elisha and he didn't think he could handle another six months. He was determined to be cleared in the next handful of months. He knew the road without him was wearing her down. Both of them were eager to have him back, he just had to be mindful of what his body was telling him.

When she stepped off that plane and was past security, however, he couldn't stop himself. She kissed him right off the bat and he lifted her off the ground as his good arm wrapped around her, hugging her to him and deepening the kiss as much as he could without getting the PDA police called on them. "I've missed you," he whispered to her ear as he set her back down, then took her bag from her with his surgically repaired arm. It was feeling much better since he'd been able to get back to the gym, but he was still a little cautious with it. He was just happy to have been out of that sling. It had been a pain to sleep with his arm locked locked against his torso as he was a side sleeper, used to having Elisha curled into him with his arm holding her close.

"Let's go before they call you back on that plane," he said jokingly, leading her from the lobby to his SUV parked out front. His parents were eager to see her again, but none so eager as himself. Having her close to him again made him feel like everything was going to work out just fine.

She had been making confident steps away from him when she heard his voice once more. She had every intention of ignoring whatever comment he had to throw at her as she wasn't about to get drawn into more conversation with him, but what he had to say almost made her stumble. Her feet halted briefly as she flushed once what he said registered in her mind. 'Beautiful'? Irritation rose from within her, irritation with her reaction and with what he said. She was used to men saying that to her, she'd been playing football in a bikini for years, but hearing it from him was something different. She swallowed the growl that wanted to come from her throat and made herself continue down the hallway once more. She didn't want to know if he noticed her pausing, giving him more ammo was never her intention.

As usual she was trying to keep to herself and go relatively unnoticed by others as she made for catering to get some water, but when she entered she saw the Bella twins standing right in her path. She had been decimating the women's division on house shows and knew many of the Divas weren't happy they were being shown up by a newcomer so she had half a mind to slip back out before getting noticed, but she wasn't about to appear intimidated so she instead made for the fruit on a separate table. The two were deep in conversation about the current women's champion and Mika almost shook her head at their comments. She might be a bitch but she made her points in the ring, not behind a competitors back.

"If it isn't the new girl, what was your name again? I haven't heard it on a televised event yet," Brie commented in the redheads direction and she took a breath to steady her temper. Getting into a fight backstage was not something she wanted to be doing. Nothing was ever accomplished that way. She chose to ignore them and grabbed an orange. "Hey, I said 'what's your name'." Nikki now demanded, grabbing Mika's arm.

The redhead looked at her with jaw set, barely noticing the camera crew now approaching them. This was not how she wanted her night to go, but it was going to make for good tv, right? "Mika, I was the one who eliminated your sister. Or don't you remember?" She snapped, eyes giving a dangerous warning but Nikki still wouldn't let her arm go. "I'd suggest you let me go,"

"I'm going to teach you a lesson you little immigrant," Brie growled and the redhead couldn't contain herself anymore. She wasn't an immigrant no matter what her accent portrayed. She was tired of her family being looked down upon for their heritage and she wouldn't have it insulted. The orange in her other hand was smashed into Brie's face, fruit splattering across her as she went down. Mika was already focusing on her twin, pulling her toward herself to set her balance off before shoving her back over the catering table. Water bottles and juice bowl went everywhere before a screech erupted from Brie at the feel of sticky orange smothered over her makeup perfected face.

Feeling her point made, she turned to leave, but one of the girls grabbed hold of her and wouldn't let her leave. "You Russian whore!" Nikki yelled now, covered in fruit punch from head to toe as she tried escaping from the mess. Mika wanted out of this before it got any worse, but the twins weren't about to let her escape so she turned to fight, clotheslining Nikki back into the other standing table as Brie was emerging from the other mess. Brie speared into Mika as she turned from Nikki, both of them collapsing into the tables and folding chairs behind them. The sticky punch smeared onto Mika now and she managed to cover up from the Bella's blows before she was able to use her powerful legs to throw her over and onto her back. Her hatred was consuming her and instead of walking away she rolled over onto the Bella twin and began choking her out, cursing at her in Russian before she felt hands pulling her off the gasping Brie. She elbowed the unknown person in the face and reached for the Bella again, but was caught up before she could do so, being lifted into the air as she screamed bloody murder. "Don't you dare insult my heritage blyad!" She swore in Russian as whomever was pushing her out the door. She heard one of them yelling she wanted Mika in the ring tonight, but barely paid any mind as all she could think about was being called an immigrant with such disdain. Very little bothered her in the way of words, but she had just betrayed her weakness.

[starlight]

There was no doubt about it. She had missed him. He was a voice of reason for her, someone who knew her outside and in. Sure, she couldn’t discuss everything with him. That had been what Trish had done – she’d been a confidant, best friend, advice-giver, a woman of wise words. Losing Trish on the road had left a big empty hole, and not having John had made it even more difficult. He understood her, he could read her like a book for the most part and knew when she was struggling. The past six weeks had been a struggle, phone calls just didn’t cut it sometimes. Contact with the person you love and need was sometimes the best therapy. No one had fought her on giving her a couple of days off, everyone had seen her snap in the ring and knew it was best to give the Texan a break.

Elisha pulled herself into the passenger seat and relaxed back, her hand instantly reaching for John’s as they drove off. It would be nice to see his parents, and no doubt his brothers and their respective partners, but mainly she was there to see John. His recovery can’t have been easy on him, and she knew how he got when it came to being away from the road. As much as West Newbury was home, so was the road. The last thing she wanted was for him to push himself too hard and miss out on more time away. She wasn’t sure how either of them would cope with that. This was hard enough.

Her phone buzzed about an update on the show – more so the backstage brawl between Mika and The Bellas, and she chose to ignore it. The Bella Twins had been two leading the attack on Elisha. Some of the newer Diva’s playing into their web of lies. It was hell, that locker room was absolute hell and it was getting harder and harder not to take their faces off every time she saw them. She needed to make the next couple of days about them, try and ignore for the most part what was going on in the ring. She could catch up on that, but she couldn’t really catch up on time with John.

While John was away, she’d been working on her own strength, getting leaner and stronger. A new diet, a new training plan, she’d been wanting to fill him in so he didn’t think there was a problem. So he knew she was looking after herself. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time in the business a Diva had dropped weight for other reasons. Plus, if she was turning down a Texan-style steak it needed to be for a good reason. Mika was decimating the division and Elisha needed to be ready, she might not have had the power and strength, but she certainly had speed and agility on her side. On the other side, she’d been doing more training, working harder, taking harder falls – they’d been putting her through the ringer. She’d been trying to stay away from painkillers what with her family history.

Her heart was beating fast from the excitement of seeing John, she smiled over at him, just watching him for a moment. “How are you?” She asked him curiously. Whilst they spoke every day, and probably asked exactly the same question every time, you couldn’t lie when the person was infront of you. Elisha had been telling John that she was fine for weeks, that she wasn’t struggling because she hadn’t wanted him to worry, she had wanted him to focus on his recovery. The last thing she wanted to burden him with was her insecurities and her worries. He’d probably heard what people were saying on the road, he hadn’t completely switched off – but he didn’t have to face it every day.
*
Seth had been relaxing in the locker room when he heard the shrill screams of females down the hall in catering. What could possibly be going on? Their Champion wasn’t here, what could they possibly be arguing about? Who could possibly be arguing? After all, it was their chance to prove that the Women’s division was more than just a pretty blonde with Daddy’s last name. He hadn’t spoken to Elisha, he’d seen her around the halls, talking to those in the locker room that he wasn’t privileged to speak to yet people like Triple H, Undertaker, Ric Flair – the greats that everyone had grown up idolising, she pretty much was babysat by all of them.

Frowning, he walked out the corridor and watched as filming crew and others ran down to catering. What could be causing this much ruckus? Of course he followed, being the nosey kind of person that he was. He liked to know what was going on in the locker room. Even if he wasn’t a big player yet, he knew how important it was to know what was going on. He saw a flash of pinky-red hair and groaned. Of course, he should have known. None of the Diva’s were fans of her. They all thought that she was stepping on toes. He felt for her. She was just trying to make it in this business like everyone else.

He helped the roadie pull her away from them and sighed, he like everyone else in the locker room had seen it. She’d shown everyone her weakness, now they knew how to get to her mind. Everyone knew what The Women’s Champion’s was, and now the hottest contender for it had just shown everyone.

“ Hey, think of it this way. At least you get a match tonight.” He said to her as he let go and began walking ahead of her. “ Just simmer down and you’ll be fine. You just showed them how to get the better of you.” He winked as he moved into the locker room once again.

[Yunalesca]

Getting her to the car had been a swifter task than he had thought it would be. Though he had come to the airport without being noticed he knew news traveled fast and many people in the area liked to see Newbury’s favorite son. It probably helped that not many people would expect his girlfriend to be flying in considering she was a Champion and they rarely got enough time off to have such a trip. Regardless, once they were in the car they returned to that ease like it had been before, her hand on his as he drove, and for a time, an easy silence. He was just glad to have her close again, no conversation necessary.

“Making this all about me, huh? You know my mom’s going to want to hear all about the road when you get there, right?” He joked lightly with a sideways glance. She had been steering the conversation towards him for some time now, a sure sign she was feeling the pressures of the road. He didn’t mind, but knew he might have to press her to open up soon before she was no longer mentally in the game. Talking about it with someone who understood would be the best thing she could do for herself.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Stitches are out and I was able to start lifting again…light duty of course. Though the doc didn’t say anything about wrestling with my girlfriend,” he said with a smirk, double entendre blatantly obvious. Things had been going slow for them as they reconnected, but he wouldn’t say no if she climbed on top of him and asked him to have her. Sometimes it was the best way to let the cares of the road slip away and both of them would be happy to oblige that he was sure. He wasn’t about to push it, however. That was going to be her call.

“If you feel uncomfortable about something at the table, you don’t have to talk about it. My parents understand that by now.” He offered to her gently, ensuring she understood she wasn’t obligated to anything while visiting. He was sure she knew that already though.

She was angry and more than a little upset, once again with herself and the Bella’s for calling her an immigrant like it made her a lesser person. She had been dealing with that kind of discrimination for most of her life and one would think by now she would have a tougher skin in opposition of it, but clearly it still bothered her. She had never wanted anyone to realize what would bother her, had made a point to seem impermeable to insults, but all that work had swiftly gone out the window. And seeing now that Seth had helped pull her away from the scene was not helping her temper. He irritated her and knowing he had been witness to that first hand only made her mood turn even fouler. Of course now would be the opportune time for him to take a potshot, wouldn’t it?

“Fuck off, I never asked for your opinion.” She wanted to yell but it barely came out as she was being strangled by more emotions than her mind could comprehend. She knew she had messed up and didn’t need him pointing it out. If he hadn’t already managed to slip away from her she might have taken a swing at him. He was right in the fact she at least had earned herself a match, but this was not how she had wanted to make the card. She had wanted it to be on her terms, wanted to have actually earned it and not because a spoiled brat was demanding it. She would show the Bella (whichever one) what she was made of, but she wouldn’t necessarily be happy about it.

*

By the time her match had come up she had washed away the mess from her skin and donned simple ring gear, leather leggings and a tight crop top to match. It was simple and not very flashy, but her hair was enough to make her stand out visually she felt. She didn’t like to waste time focusing on ring attire when she had to be thinking about her opponent, or in her case, opponents. It was booked as a 1v1 with Brie Bella, but Mika wasn’t stupid. She was relatively new to the business but she had seen plenty of shows to know they girls worked together and often tried to confuse the referee or opponent on who they were actually wrestling. She had no intentions of letting them pull the wool over her eyes.

When her match had begun it was obvious that the Russian was far stronger and more technical than the Bella, but the competitor was also a little quicker and was good at slipping out of holds before they could be locked in. Annoying, but Mika wouldn’t let her emotions get the best of her again. She had snapped once this night already and doing so again would likely cost the match. When the Bella’s tried to switch is up on her, she spotted it quickly and managed to incapacitate Nikki before rolling out of the ring and searching under the apron for her real opponent. She emerged before the 10 count with a shrieking Brie, angry she had been found out and their trick hadn’t worked on the newcomer. It seemed like the match would be over, but Nikki came to and interrupted, not caring that it technically cost her twin the match. The bell rang furiously as the girls tried to gang up on the stronger competitor who was now growing tired from fighting them both off during the match. Mika had always pictured herself as a heel due to her bad attitude, but the crowd seemed to be getting behind her now as she was unfairly outnumbered. She did her best, but in the end she couldn’t shake her fatigue and took a blow to the head that managed to knock her cold for a minute or two. When she came back around there was a referee in her face asking if she needed a stretcher. “No,” she managed before the taste of blood was coating her tongue. The kick to her face had deeply cut her lip, though the puffy skin around her left eye was going to be far more dramatic looking in the coming hours when it would turn color. Knowing this she shirked off the help the referee was offering as she felt she wasn’t injured, she didn’t need to be helped to the back.

[starlight]

Getting questions from his mother about the road didn’t worry her too much. She had a feeling that it would be questions any concerned mother would ask - hoping that she was looking after herself more than anything. “ I know she is.” Elisha said, a soft giggle in her voice. “ I mean, I’m happy for her to come with me, but I can’t guarantee I’ll look good in Spandex if she keeps feeding me Texan-style food.” Elisha said to lighten up the mood a little. He was right, she was keeping the subject on him and away from her. She didn’t want the first thing they talked about to be how much she was struggling and losing it. That was for later, she wanted to be settled a little before she bought all that up. It would take some prying but it was bubbling just under the surface, ready to pounce. It almost wasn’t fair on John, he had no idea what was coming, but it was a big can of worms he was going to open, full of insecurities and fear.

“ I’d say your girlfriend is light duty.” She returned his playfulness with a grin. The last thing she was going to do was reject the idea of doing that with him. They hadn’t since before they broke up. John had wanted to take it slow, like a gentleman and Elisha had been on that train ever since. The world’s slowest train. Sex wasn’t everything in a relationship, she didn’t fall in love with John because of his bedroom skills. But feeling that connection with him, feeling that close and intimate with someone? There was nothing like it, and she missed it. She missed it a lot. Plus, she had a feeling it would break a lot of her frustration and relax her. Wasn’t that what this trip was for? Relaxing? “ But you know, your bed squeaks.” Elisha reminded him, laughing of course. She’d missed laughing with him, and having a joke. It’d been quite a while since she smiled like this.

They arrived at his parents place and she smiled, leaning over to kiss him once more. “ I can smell dinner from out here.” She teased, getting out the car and moving to grab her bag. She was used to doing things herself now. Not that John had done everything for her, but she had forgotten how he liked to treat her like a Princess. She moved into the house, placing her bag by the door and moving in to the kitchen with a smile. “ I hear there’s some chicken with my name on it!” She said with a wide grin, happily accepting hugs from every family member. The house felt warm and loving, she always felt welcomed.

Sure enough, there was a large spread of food - food that Elisha shouldn’t have been eating. Usually she would have jumped at the chance to eat the spread, but things were so rough and she was trying so hard to stay at the top that the voice in the back of her head told her that moderation was key. “ Looks delicious.” She noted, sitting at the table and taking a plate, beginning at the vegetables and chicken. The last thing she wanted to do was offend John’s Mom, the woman had been so nice to do this for her. “ So how has the patient been?” She asked everyone with a smile “ Apart from completely unbearable?” She teased, taking a mouthful of green beans.

*

Seth had sat down to watch the match. After the scuffle that had ensued out the back, everyone had their eyes on a monitor. He’d found himself a spot near the entrance, onto of a storage box with a great view of one of the monitors televising the match. Whilst he liked everyone in the locker room, they weren’t his friends. He liked to be alone sometimes, and he liked to enjoy his viewing in piece without people commenting on how good the piece of ass was. Gone were the days that most the males respected the female division. Now that corporate were marketing hair and boobs over talent, the newer male wrestlers had tunnel vision. Some of the things Seth heard in the locker room made him sick. They all had to work together, essentially they were one big team trying to keep the WWE on top.

He frowned at the screen as he saw her blow to the face, as she went down. It looked like it hurt, and it looked like it was something she wouldn’t want to talk about. He’d be sure to stay out of her way that was for sure. He just hoped she took herself to the medic. If she wasn’t cleared for the next night, or even the next Raw she was going to be in for a shock. They never let anyone who wasn’t medically cleared into the ring. It was only Friday, and it was only Smackdown, but he had a feeling that Mika would be making an appearance on RAW when the Women’s Champ decided to come back from her mini-holiday.

[Yunalesca]

Dinner with his parents was entertaining, but he had kept half of his attention focused on how Elisha was eating. He couldn't overlook how little she was putting on her plate even though he knew she loved bbq and starches. It was obvious he had missed out on a lot in their time apart. She had felt even smaller in his arms and though he knew she was healthy, he couldn't help but be concerned. She came from a line of slim and quick wrestlers so it shouldn't be shocking to him, but he also knew who her competitors were; some of them could break a girl like her in half if they got their hands on her long enough. Still, he didn't feel it'd be right for him to say something so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Once their meal was finished he was able to pull Elisha away to have her to himself for a while. He carried her bag up the stairs to his room amidst protests she could handle it. He felt like he needed to do something as he hadn't been able to be there for her all this time. He probably would have carried her up as well if he could, but he knew she'd protest. "You ready for bed or were you able to get some sleep on the plane?" He genuinely asked. It had been difficult for him to sleep the last few nights as the anticipation of her arrival got to him.

She had no intention of being stopped for an interview or, even worse, run into someone who would mock her for her attitude. She was in a bad mood and everything ached from the exertion, but at least she felt she had learned from her mistakes. She had briefly outsmarted the Bella's, but she could never depend on an opponent giving her a fair shot at winning. People would lie, cheat, and steal their way through the company. She had a problem with giving people respect when they hadn't shown her a reason they had earned it and that was going to be all the more difficult now. At least she had played by the rules and used her strength to fend off two women, she had morality despite what everyone seemed to think. It was always tempting to turn her back on that one point about herself, but she continued to stick by it. She didn't want to prove people right, didn't want them to say 'I told you so' when it came to a perceived notion about her. She wasn't an 'immigrant' and she had fought for everything she achieved. She was humble in not yelling that at people when they clearly deserved to hear it.

Waste of breath she thought as she chose to skip the ramp and slipped backstage via the floor instead. There were people in the gorilla position and she wanted to avoid everyone right now. She had tasted her own blood and she did not care for it. The best thing she could do for herself now would be to change and find a hole in the wall pub. Somewhere she might not be recognized and people weren't about to ask questions about her oncoming black eye. Superstars were given the VIP treatment when they spent time in the nicer bars; she didn't want that and she never had. Dressing fancy, using a name, and screaming 'look at me' were not her style.

Once the show ended she had changed into simple clothing and cleaned her face up, the cut to her lip already on the mend. She had been forced to see a physician who luckily cleared her as she wasn't about to be held for observation for a kick to the head. She could name the times she had been forced to see a physician on one hand from her time in the football league and there were times she felt that had been more dangerous.

She left the arena out a back door and hailed a cab down the street, asking the driver to take her to a local Irish pub. They were dark and if they got rowdy she would go relatively unnoticed, just what she wanted. Rather than an aspirin she was prescribing herself a vodka for the headache.

[starlight]

John’s Mom had put on a fantastic spread, it was like eating at home. Just like her Mom had made for when Shawn had come home for a few days. Food like this always made her feel warm and cosy. It reminded her how happy and excited she used to feel when Shawn came home after a long stint on the road. That was until she became old enough to resent him for it. She protested as John carried her bag up the stairs, and she followed him to his room. She had to admit she always felt very welcomed in the Cena household. Maybe it was how much love they all showed to one another, it was pretty different to her house that was for sure. Sure, her mother tried hard to keep it peaceful and full of serenity but with two much younger siblings it wasn’t easy.

Elisha perched herself on the edge of the bed and shook her head, “ I slept on the plane.” These days she’d sleep wherever she could get it. “ So I’m all yours.” She told him with a small grin. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep after not seeing him for six weeks. Elisha watched him for a moment an eyebrow raised. “ What’s on your mind?” She could tell it was something, this was the time where they needed to talk about things, what was bothering them, what was keeping them up at night. Phone calls were one thing, but being face to face gave them the opportunity to talk about things without hanging up and forgetting they ever happened.

If he wanted to talk to her about something that was concerning him, now was the time. She’d opened the door, and didn’t plan on turning it back on him. She knew he’d noticed her always asking about how he was and not elaborating on herself. She couldn’t do that forever, now was as good as time as any to start talking.

*

Superstars didn’t invite him out for drinks in VIP sections or bars. He was left on his own at the end of the night when he began to pack up his bag. He threw it into the back of his truck and began to drive around looking for somewhere quiet. He just wanted to enjoy a drink or two and then head off to sleep at the shitty hotel they’d been put up at. See, unlike the expensive superstars who got to sleep on five star mattresses, Seth and the other up and comers were put into a hotel and forgotten about. He knew his time would come but it didn’t make it any easier.

He walked into the reasonably quiet Irish pub and ordered himself a beer before he took it to a corner near the window and set up, enjoying watching the people walk by. Sure, he still had a long way to go, but he was on his way and he had to keep himself positive otherwise this was going to end with him going home with his tail between his legs back to some menial job that he hated. He had to stick in there, keep going. People were beginning to notice his talent and that was what mattered the most.

[Yunalesca]

John had been wanting to talk to her a little more seriously about how she was handling the road with their being apart, but he wasn’t one to press the issue as he was never really a fan of someone prying. Most superstars were that way and he was sure Elisha was no different. Hearing her bring it up made him realize she was honed in on his attention to her. He smirked a little at her offer to discuss the matter before sitting next to her and, out of habit, pulling her to him. This he had missed.

“Just a little worried about you, it’s hard to miss how much you weren’t eating tonight.” He started, running his hand across her ribs. She wasn’t bony like some of the women, but he had been used to her size that this was almost a shock to him. He hadn’t wanted to say anything as he was sure he wasn’t in the shape he had been before he’d had surgery. He hoped she saw it as concern and not as picking on her figure. He’d love her either way but he could be worried all the same.

"Would it help if I joined you on the road...no wrestling, just travelling?" He asked her, trying to think of a way to make it easier for her out there. He wouldn't be able to even enter the arena he was sure but he was getting restless being at home. He loved his parents but much longer and he'd have to buy a house, 18 years had been enough the first time.

 

When she stepped into the pub she had to pause at first, assess the lack of noise. She wasn't particularly keen on a rowdy joint, but too quiet and she might affect attention from the wrong people. The wrong people being anyone, she didn't come here for conversation. Escaping into a drink wasn't exactly productive, but it allowed her to think, to open her mind. She had to think of her next move and evaluate how to get further without sacrificing who she was. She knew she wasn't the cookie cutter personality and figure that was moved up to the big leagues, but something had caught someone's attention. What that was exactly she wasn't sure yet and maybe that was what bothered her. Maybe that's what bothered her competitors.

 

“Ketel One with a splash of Grenadine on the rocks. Double.” She requested of the bartender. Either they were used to rough looking people or she hadn't developed a black eye yet as they barely gave her a second glance before going off to make her drink. She made a point not to glance around as she waited, keeping from leaving an opening for someone to talk to her. Once she had her drink and turned around, however, she noticed something unmistakable. Two tone hair hiding himself in a corner. What are the odds she thought with irritation before making her way toward him rather uncharacteristically.  She had come here to avoid everyone and now she was engaging the one person who seemed to push her buttons the most; she hadn’t even had a drink yet.

“You following me or does the universe have some grand plan,” she commented a little dryly as she set her drink on the table and looked him in the eye. She didn’t know what she was doing, usually she worked to avoid this man. 

[starlight]

Elisha leaned against him, her head resting on his chest with a sigh. “ They gave me a new training plan and diet.” She explained to him. She’d never been big, or even curvy, everything had been in its right place. “ They want me leaner. Apparently I’m building lean muscle.” Elisha explained to him. Sure, she was lifting more, getting a little more power but at what cost? “I liked my old eating plan of eat whatever and train hard. I feel like that was working really well for me.” Elisha tried to break the seriousness of it with a joke, but it was true. She had never had to think about what she was eating, she had always just trained her ass off the next day. Since she’d become champion there had been new training regimes and eating plans. She wasn’t in the little league anymore.

“ I’m stressed to the max.” Elisha admitted to him. “ I barely sleep a whole night without waking up a few times.” This was coming from the girl who used to sleep through anything, even John snoring. “ I’m dealing with all those bitches in the locker room, and I just.” She took a tired breath, keeping herself close to him. “ I miss you, and I thought I’d be okay on my own. I mean, I have other people, but it’s just different.” Elisha had chosen to omit the part about her being worried about him more than anything else. She figured that was obvious by the fact that she never stopped asking him if he was okay.

“ Wont that kill you?” Although he’d be back on the road with his trainers, and doctors - not being able to wrestle in the ring was sure to kill him. “ I mean, I don’t want you to come on the road with me if you’ll be unhappy. If you’re happy here, then stay….” Of course she wanted him on the road. She hated the fact that he was here and she was anywhere but. “ Is it because your parents are driving you crazy?” There was a brief pause as she lifted her head so she was looking at him. “ At least if you come on the road you might get laid?”

*

He hadn’t expected anyone to be at the pub. Or anyone to recognise him. He was practically a nobody. So when he heard a familiar voice, he looked across at her in the booth with a raised eyebrow. “ I was just looking for somewhere quiet to enjoy a drink.” Seth explained to her simply. There was no sarcasm in his voice, or any kind of malice. He didn’t dislike Mika. He thought she was pretty cool, the idea of having a woman with as much power as her in the division was exciting. Perhaps he just hadn’t explained that to her well enough. He hadn’t been trying to school her, he had been trying to help her. To be an ally. Everyone needed them in this business. Why couldn’t the new kids stick together and get along? It seemed easy enough for everyone else to do.

“ How’s your eye coming along?” He asked, tilting his head to the side so he could take a better look at it. He pulled a pained face at her, “ When you get back to the hotel, just make sure you put some ice on it before you go to bed. It should help with the swelling a little bit.” He explained to her. Hoping she didn’t take it the wrong way. He was just trying to be helpful.

[Yunalesca]

It seemed she had only needed a little encouragement to open up to him as it all seemed to be tumbling out now, everything that had been piling up and trying to bring her down since his accident in the ring. His brows furrowed as he didn’t like to hear how upset she was, but he didn’t stop her as it felt she needed to get this out. He had his doubts she had talked to anyone about this as her confidant had retired shortly before he had been injured, phone calls were hard to make in different time zones. Without interrupting her he pulled her a little closer and lay back on his bed, making her come with him as she spoke and he listened. He had felt all of this before when he had gone to that dark place which had caused their break up. Being a champion and the face of a division was not easy. He understood why so many had turned to drugs or alcohol to cope, luckily himself and Elisha had learned to use it as fuel in the gym. That would only last so long however, you mentally broke down after a time.



“If we’re being honest, it wouldn’t be easy, but it beats staying around here. I have everything I need, but I might mend faster if I was out there actually seeing what I would be coming back to,” he paused and smiled though she couldn’t see it from her angle. “And I’m sure my parents are wondering if the bird has come back to the nest for good.” It was a joke and he knew his parents would love to have him for as long as needed but he also knew they had built a new life once their sons had moved away from home. They weren’t going to tell him that, but it was true. He had built his own life away from this home so it would only seem logical they had acquired a new way of living without restrictions. “I’d have to fly back for regular appointments, but I think it would be better for both of us to be near eachother again…and having sex again would be nice.” He ended with a grin as she had brought it up in the first place. He loved her company in general, but he was sure they both missed the fire in the bedroom. They hadn’t been at it long before things had gone bad so he couldn’t say they had quite perfected it just yet.

He steered his mind from that, however, as now did not feel like the time. “Lay here for a bit and I’ll draw you a bath, I think I remember how you like it,” he offered with a kiss to her head before disentangling himself and making for the bathroom. He wanted to share it with her but the tub would definitely not fit him and definitely would not fit them both. He vowed to make this night relaxing and comfortable for her, he would take her out tomorrow for other activities.

He lacked the usual snip in his voice which made her raise her brow before taking a short drag on her drink. The taste was bitter, but familiar to her. She wasn’t dependent on the substance but it did help her to relax which was something she felt she needed right now. Her heart wasn’t hammering in her chest but it was beating a little faster, likely as she anticipated to argue with him. He didn’t seem to have the heart for it at the moment but her guard was constantly up. It would seem neither of them really had any friends at the moment, but this wasn’t her attempt at turning him into on either. Maybe she was sitting across from him out of boredom; she didn’t really know.



When he commented on her eye she subconsciously turned that part of her face away from him and took another pull on her drink. She didn’t like people talking about her appearance, she also didn’t like people feigning concern for her. “It’ll be fine,” she said with little emotion as she questioned once again why she was sitting here. As she drank she had a flashback to him helping pull her off the Bella and she hid a grimace. “Thank you for getting me away from Nikki earlier…” she said almost inaudibly. She might have done irreparable damage to the girl if she’d been allowed to continue, she was mature enough to recognize that. She didn’t want to thank him, but she had been brought up properly despite what people saw of her.



“You think I have a bad attitude and am going about this the wrong way, don’t you?” She said relatively out of the blue, maybe to change the subject or possibly because it was bothering her. She knew what people thought of her, but she wasn’t a traditionalist, she made her way by fighting and remaining who she was. “That’s the problem with people, assumptions without really knowing who they are judging, I mean -really- knowing them.” She concluded like it was something she had needed to get off her chest. She always put off this vibe like she didn’t care what people thought, but no human could truly be that way. People judging her for her name, her heritage, was what had made her the person she was. Angry, solitary, tough. She wasn’t looking to him to have a shoulder to cry on because she didn’t cry, but there were times a person had to say what was on their mind.

[starlight]

It was nice to feel so close to him again, nice to feel the warmth of his body against hers, nice to feel safe in his arms. She hadn’t felt like this in weeks, months. Comfortable enough to just tell him her worries, her concerns and what was eating at her. She could have lay there forever, even if it was just in silence. It’s not like she was going to stop him, if he felt like going out on the road was better for him than staying at home she wouldn’t talk him out of it. Without having him on the road she had struggled, it was supposed to get easier but it wasn’t. Every day was an uphill battle to stay sane. He untangled himself from her and she lay there a few minutes, processing everything that she’d just said, what John had offered – he was right, his parents probably had enough of him, no one wanted their son living with them after having no kids for years.

She sat up and moved to lean in the doorframe of the bathroom, watching him with a soft smile. How had she gotten so lucky? Sure, they’d definetly had their ups and downs, but when she needed him it mattered the most. People may have doubted their relationship, said they were never going to last and a few months ago Elisha would have agreed with them. But here they were a few months down the track with the dark days behind them. No doubt there would be more, but hopefully the worst of it was behind them.

A bath sounded amazing, the idea of being able to relax knowing that she had no where to be the next day. For once it was nice to not have to go anywhere. She pulled off her clothes and moved into the warm bath, letting out a sigh of relief and pleasure as the warm water surrounded her sore muscles. John had no idea how much she needed this. Her wet hand reached out to take his, smiling softly. “ Don’t think you get out of talking to me, I’m here for the next thirty six hours, you’re not getting rid of me just yet.” She teased, playfully pulling him towards her and kissing him.

*

He hadn’t expected her to continue talking to him. From what he understood from the way she was acting he was the last person on Earth she would want to talk to. “ Yeah well, I hate to think what might have happened to her if I hadn’t.” He teased. Everyone got angry, everyone let it get the better of them sometimes. It was unfortunate she had just shown all the Diva’s her weakness. He doubted Elisha would use it against her, but the others would to take her contender spot. “ I’d say thankgod for shutting them up, but we both know it’s only added fuel to the fire.” He said with a frown. Those women would stop at nothing. They were a nasty bunch of women, it was pretty disgusting what they would do to reach to the top.

“ I don’t think it’s all bad. But I think you walk around like you’ve got a chip on your shoulder and something to prove.” He explained to her. “ I mean, we all have something to prove, we’re all in the same boat.” He reminded her, it was better to have friends than enemies back there. “ And it’s not assuming, if that’s what you put out there.” He pointed out, taking another drink of his beer. She might have had completely different intentions, but the way she was coming across wasn’t that at all. He knew she wasn’t opening up to him, people like her didn’t, they preferred to be alone. But maybe she was trying to clear the air. They were in a business where it mattered who they knew, not what they knew. It was sad but true. They could be the best wrestler in the world, but push the wrong buttons and it was ‘good luck in your future endeavours.’

“ I’m not saying be different, after all, we’ve all got to be who we are. Just don’t let your talent go to waste because you pissed off the wrong person.”

[Yunalesca]

It seemed she wanted to torture him by not letting him leave her in peace, having him sit beside her as she soaked in a bath he couldn't join her in. Not everything was sexual between them but after having been apart for this long he sure missed the feel of her skin against his. He could contain himself, however, he wasn't an animal. She meant more to him than just sex. He had worked hard to make sure she knew that especially since they had broken up once before. He wasn't about to lose her again and had taken Trish's words to heart.

“Have you heard from Trish at all? I'm sure she could help with being out there alone, she had that boyfriend for so long…” he trailed off as he realized he didn't really want to bring up the hard times he was sure his girlfriend had gone through without him. “I intend to be there with you now, so I guess that doesn't matter as much.” He remarked as an afterthought.

“I guess the better question is just how pissed your dad still is,” he offered with a small smile. He wouldn't let it determine if he would come on the road with her, but it would determine if he dared show himself backstage yet. Regardless of how the McMahons may feel about him they would want to keep his return a tight secret and not risk locked room talk. They didn't see eye to eye but he was a cash cow and would get a pop whether it be good or bad. He had no intentions of being Triple H and returning weeks early, but he was hopeful it would be sooner than currently anticipated. He didn't want to wait 5 more months.

She was forced to listen to him as she wasn't about to get up and walk out on him in the middle of it. She may show a rotten attitude but she wasn't disrespectful by nature. Of course she didn't really like to hear what he had to say either, but she at least let him say it as she began getting to the bottom of her drink. She had come here to find some sort of center, some peace to think over her next moves, but since talking to him she found she was getting irritated. He hadn't said anything too over the top to make her so, but his mere presence had seemed to have that effect anyway. It again made her wonder why she was participating in this.

“That's a wonderful analysis, but I fail to see where this experience of yours comes from. I get it, I understand your approach is the safer road, but I'm not the type to hide my time. Not knowing what tomorrow will bring reminds you to seize the moments you have. I never earned anything by sitting around and waiting for someone to notice me. There's thousands of people that want to do what we do and they will take your spot if you don't prove something. That's what I believe and that's what I am going to keep doing.” She concluded a little dramatically, pulling the glass to her lips and finishing off the burning vodka. The glass hit the table with a sort of finality before she was standing up. “Enjoy your evening.”

She walked away from him them, exiting the pub and walking down the street a ways before making to hail a cab. She Didn't feel that conversation was going to go much farther and she didn't want to dissolve into a barrage of masked insults. She was sure they could both handle their liquor, but it had a way of sneaking into your speech even when you are seasoned. She didn't want friends but she didn't particularly want enemies either.

She should've never spoke to him but she couldn't do anything about it now. Tomorrow was a new day, one more day to prove her point.

[starlight]

Elisha knew exactly what she was doing by asking him to stay in the bathroom. It’d been months since they’d done anything physical. They had been rebuilding their relationship emotionally but physically it hadn’t really gone anywhere. “ I’ve called her a couple of times but I don’t really want to bother her too much. She’s trying to start a new life.” She explained to him, lying back in the water and letting the bubbles surround her. She just needed to relax, it couldn’t be that hard right? Elisha took a deep breath and looked over at him, “ On a scale of one to ten, I’d say he’s still at about an eleven.” Elisha wouldn’t lie to John about it, her father held grudges and it took a lot for him to give someone a second chance, she knew he would come around – it would just take a while.

“ People will see you travelling with me.” She pointed out, the last thing she needed was building stressful situations about trying to not be spotted with him. “ But I mean, have a chat to Paul and Steph, I’m sure they’d be happy to have you back on the road with us.” Whilst John might have had his issues with most of the McMahon’s, for Elisha Paul and Steph were family.

“Pass me a towel please?” She asked him with a small grin leaning forward somewhat. The water was getting cold and she would have preferred to be in her pyjamas or under the covers of the bed. She knew exactly what she was doing and how much he was going to struggle. It’d been months, and she knew what she wanted. The last time she was in this bathroom…..it was probably a good thing that his parents hadn’t been home.

*

He rose a brow at her, and smirked into his beer. It appeared that anyone who had a different opinion to Mika was wrong. She didn’t deal with people being on a different wave length to her. It clearly got under her skin and she took it as a personal attack. Whilst she might not have liked his approach, he wasn’t ruffling feathers and he didn’t have half the locker room wanting to rip his hair out. The upcoming storyline he had was amazing and had the opportunity to launch him. He was excited, he’d done it all without having a chip on his shoulder.

He watched her leave with a chuckle, not even bothering to say anything. She might have thought that her power and talent was going to get her to the top, but she had so clearly forgotten who the Champion was. Being champ wasn’t about how good you were, it was about how much money you’d make the company. Men wanted to be with Elisha and women wanted to look like her. Mike might have been climbing fast, but she would come to a complete halt soon enough.

[Yunalesca]

He considered what she said for a moment, distracted from her at last, before he was brought back by her asking for a towel. He bit his lip slightly as though it would quell the feelings welling up inside as he turned away and handed a towel back to her. “I appreciate the gesture of asking, but you know I would come with you whether they approved or not. Their approval just means I might be able to be backstage some nights,” he offered, unable to stop himself from catching a peek at her. It’d been a while since he had been able to do that and he would be savoring every moment of his time with her. “I’m not always one to play by the rules, you know.” He said, pulling her against him so she couldn’t go anywhere just yet.

He let himself kiss her then, tilting his head down just enough to kiss her lightly before he made himself stop. He knew she wouldn’t object to trying sex again, but he didn’t really want to be doing that with his parents in the house. They could be quiet, but there was hardly any fun in that. Besides, he wanted the first time (again) to be as boisterous as they could handle. That and he had a day planned for them tomorrow which would require a relatively early start. “I know it’s difficult to ask from you, but stop the teasing just for tonight.” He said with a smile that conveyed he wanted her but he wanted just to hold her even more. The timing wasn’t right yet and he had been pretty good at timing since they had started dating.

After having been double teamed and momentarily incapacitated, though she had been cleared to work, the team in charge of the talent’s well being had given her some time off to properly recuperate. Or some nonsense along those lines she felt. She was sure it wasn't to teach her a lesson as she didn't think she had done anything wrong. She had been the one attacked and insulted while minding her own business. Regardless she could just see what's his name's face smirking with one of those 'told you so’ expressions. She was bothered that she even thought of him, but it still happened. He had wormed his way into her life somehow, at least her thoughts. Even though it was fleeting it was still bothersome as she was in the gym and his smug expression filled her head. It was motivation to push herself however. She had it in her head now to prove him wrong above all else.

When she finally returned the following week she was more focused than ever. She entered the arena in tight acid washed jeans and leather jacket, carrying a small bag and helmet under her arm. Her boots clicked on the pavement with statement as she walked past the card, not bothering to look at the moment. She knew it wasn't finished yet since she was incredibly early and she didn't want a repeat of the last time she had dared stop to look at it. Avoiding Seth was a priority amongst other priorities anymore. He had managed to get under her skin and taking time to talk to him last week had certainly not helped matters. That had been her own decision to do that but it didn’t mean she wasn’t irritated all the same. Yes she walked around with a chip on her shoulder but at least she didn’t pretend like the business owed her something like so many of the fakes walking around the locker room. She knew better, that was why she insisted on grabbing the bull by the horns.

“Need help with that?” She questioned a referee as he was working to get the ropes up around the ring for the nights show. She had dropped her bag and helmet off on the ramp when she noticed Chad Patton was alone while setting up. Usually every referee and crew member was helping in the process but it appeared they had better things to do at the moment. Her voice had seemed to catch him by surprise, but the sight of her seemed to be an even bigger one. She had made an impression it would seem.

“You know what you’re doing?” He questioned and she smiled as she picked up a screwdriver.

“No, but I’m a fast learner.”

[starlight]

“ If I was teasing you, I would have walked across the bathroom dripping wet and naked.” She whispered as she leant up onto her tip toes and kissed him, offering a playful smile. Of course, that wasn’t the case and she had been doing her best to get a rise out of him. It was nice to know that he wanted her, that he wanted to look at her - after being alone on the road for a while it was hard to remember. It felt like forever since he had looked at her like that, since he’d smiled at her like that. It was as if it was before they’d even broke up. Things had been so crazy, she couldn’t remember being this close to him. “ I’ll try, but I make no promises.” She giggled, stepping out of his grip and sauntering out of the bathroom to change into some pyjamas. If she was completely honest, just falling asleep next to him was enough for her. She had missed her little nook, where she fit perfectly against him like a puzzle piece.

Pulling her pyjamas on, she took a deep breath and sighed. “ I know, you’re a little rule breaker at heart. But will you please just have the conversation with them. It’s just a phone call.” She was already dealing with so many politics backstage, she didn’t need this to blow back on her, like she knew it would. The last thing she needed was having the Corporation on her back, she’d been so good at dotting her ‘i’s’ and crossing her ’t’s’ that she didn’t want to screw it up now. It was better to have them as friends than enemies.

Elisha pulled back the bed covers and smiled over at him, grabbing out a magazine to read from her handbag. She hadn’t had time to relax in what felt like months. “ So what are we doing tomorrow?” She asked him rather curious about what he had planned for them. “ Because you know, I need to know what outfit will be practical.” Elisha laughed. She was sure that whatever he had planned for the day would be perfect.

*

Seth had rolled into the arena pretty early after his meeting with creative. His storyline was about to get a run and he couldn’t wait. Him and two other guys were about to be part of the main storyline on RAW. He couldn’t have asked for more. All those years of being a jobber, getting beat up for cash, paying his dues - it felt like it was all coming to fruition. Good things came to those who worked and he had worked his ass off. He was so pumped he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he moved down the ramp and grabbed one of the screw drivers and moved to the opposite turnbuckle Mika was working on. He hadn’t even noticed her as he started working. He spent every Monday night helping the refs prep the ring, he figured it was the least he could do for them. They worked their asses off as much as any of the roster.

Nothing would ruin the mood he was in. Knowing that this was going to kickstart his career like it had so many before him - he would be on TV screens worldwide and there would be kids who aspired to be him. He remembered watching wrestlers like Shawn Michaels when he was a kid and now look where he was. He got the privilege to walk the halls with The Heartbreak Kid (well, only on Monday Nights.) He tightened up one of the screws and took in the view of the empty arena. Within a few hours this place would be full of screaming fans. His adrenaline was already pumping.

[Yunalesca]

He didn't want to make the phone call, but she asked him and he felt the need to oblige her. He didn't have a bad relationship with Hunter or Steph, but her father had tried to make an example of him once upon a time and he had faced Hunter on occasion. To say he wasn't always confident in them holding his career in their hands was an understatement. Luckily he made them money and people seemed to generally like him still. He would ask but he didn't expect to get an answer he liked. He still intended to be back on the road with her no matter what they said and he figured they might consider that.

He climbed into bed with her after slipping out of his clothes and into a pair of pajama pants, being a little more appropriate than just in his boxers. He wanted to keep the night casual. Tomorrow could prove different, but thatwould be then. When she asked about the following days plan he smiled slyly. He wasn't one to give everything away but he knew how she was about wardrobe. She was a tomboy but she liked to be dressed up too. He remembered that and chose to plan around that. "Well, first thing, we will go on a run around the city. We can come back here where we can change and freshen up before getting breakfast. Go see some sights. Have a nice dinner." That was as much as he would give her, but it was enough for her to prepare her wardrobe at least. It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a surprise.

Mika had been so focused on getting the turnbuckles in correctly the first time she never noticed Seth had come down and begun assisting as well. It had never crossed her mind he might be there so it was hard for her to take her eyes off her task to look for him. Not that she would do that anyway. Yes she liked a heads up so she could avoid him but she never stooped to actively looking for him. Giving off the wrong vibes was the last thing she needed. She did not like him and didn't want him to start believing she was into him. He was currently a pest but if he got that in his head who knew what would happen.

She did notice him, however, when they both moved to the same turnbuckle and practically ran into eachother. She looked up from the ring post and recognized him, stepping back somewhat and her jaw setting in irritation. He had never done anything personal to her, but she felt personally violated when he was around. He had gotten under her skin and he probably knew it. "I suppose you can handle this all on your own. You've got all the tools you need and you know how to use them, right?" She remarked in disdain before setting her screwdriver on the mat and walking away from him. Most of the work was done now, anyway. She wouldn't start her night back working alongside him even if he managed to keep his mouth shut.

When she returned to the back she couldn't help but peer at the card and saw what was in store for her. She licked her lips before biting her lower lip in irritation. She wasn't here for drama, but it appeared last week had sold real well despite her trying to stay out of it all. 

Divas 4-Way Matchup
Brie Bella v. Nikki Bella v. Summer Rae v. Mika

It didn't bode well for her at all, but when had the odds ever been in her favor? It was three women who didn't like her and would ultimately try to prove something in taking her out. She was powerful regardless of how they felt about her and she was the one to beat to gain the attention of the Champion. So be it she thought before turning away.

[starlight]

“ Sounds like a good plan to me.” She agreed with a small smile – whatever he had planned for their day would be nice. As long as she got to spend time with him she really didn’t care what they got up to. As long as she got a few hours to watch RAW – well, just the Diva match then she didn’t mind. She had a feeling he’d understand. With the new addition Mika threatening to be number one contender she really needed to pay attention. Elisha hadn’t crossed paths with her in or out of the ring, but she’d heard the whispers. The woman was tall, strong and powerful, quite the opposite to what Elisha was – she was quick and agile, strength was her downfall. She’d been trying to lift more, gain more power, introduce a few more moves – but it still didn’t feel right. If Elisha planned on beating Mika (and she did) she would have to use all her ring smarts and everything she knew.

It was the best sleep she’d had in weeks, not waking up once in the night. She was sure she kicked and wriggled around all night as she woke up not where she started at all. She’d practically kicked John to the side of the bed in her sleep. Sleeping by herself had gotten her into bad habits – or more so worse habits than before. Hearing the alarm go off, she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, it wasn’t early by any means but she hadn’t wanted to wake up just yet. “ What’re you doing all the way over there?” She asked, glancing around as she was practically in the middle of the bed.

She rolled out of bed and looked around the room, taking a deep breath, and beginning to search for her running gear. It was probably down the bottom. She grabbed out some bright pink running shorts and a black crop, disappearing into the bathroom to change, appearing with a high ponytail and a refreshed face. “ Ready?” She asked him, pulling on her trainers. It’d be nice to get out and have a run outside, she was sick of tredmills and gyms.

*
Seth had been in too much of a good mood to even notice Mika. She wasn’t exactly on his radar and he didn’t deliberately seek her out, and he didn’t particularly want her company. Her attitude was pretty negative, and when he was feeling such a high he didn’t need someone who was pretty ungrateful for the shots she’d been given bringing him down. He had been moving to another turnbuckle when he saw her, stepping back slightly and smirking. “ I’m sure you’d like to find out just how good I am at using my tools.” He said back to her with a chuckle, moving on forward to the turnbuckle, sitting down to begin fixing it up. She could be malicious all she wanted, it wasn’t bringing him down from this high.

After he’d finished helping with the ring he headed backstage to warm up and get ready. He walked past the card to double check his name was up there and smiled to himself as he continued. He didn’t pay Mika any attention as he moved past her, the look of disdain on her face at the card clearly said enough. She obviously wasn’t happy with getting a spot on RAW. What did she expect? To head straight to headlining a PPV – it’d taken Trish Stratus years to get there. He was beginning to think that nothing would please the red head.

[Yunalesca]

In the time they'd been apart, John had forgot how much of a restless sleeper his girlfriend was and even though he'd wrapped himself around her to try and stop her from kicking him, he was unsuccessful. Eventually he moved away from her and it was an effort to not fall off the bed. When she finally woke up in the morning he was not nearly as rested as her and was regretting his decision for morning cardio. He didn't sleep in much these days, but he wished she would have if only to get a few more minutes. It would not happen, however, so he didn't dream further about it. "You practically did Sweet Chin Music in your sleep little Princess," he smirked at her before burying his head in the pillow for a moment as she got up. He was tired but couldn't waste a moment with her.

While she got around he found himself struggling to get up, but he eventually did. He dragged his running clothes closer to him, having been set out next to bed the night before as he had mildly anticipated the morning being a struggle for him. He was tying his shoes up when she returned, ready to go 
as usual. "Always ready, never stop never quit, remember?" He offered before gaining his feet and leading them down the stairs. He had been making himself run north of 3 miles lately to get his stamina back to where it needed to be, but he wasn't sure he would take her that far. He knew she was quick but he didn't want to tire her too much before the day even officially began.

"Try and keep up," he winked at her before stepping out of the house and starting at an average pace. She could out sprint him he was sure, but he went for distance and had to store that energy along the way to make it all the way around his route.

She felt him pass by her and it was more disturbing than him actually talking to her. The fact that she had allowed herself to be trained to sense him made her sick inside. It was not something she would ever admit to him but it upset her none the less. Their paths should have crossed and nothing more should have happened from there, but somehow they kept encountering each other and she couldn’t help but react. She should be focusing on what lay ahead of her and she was being concerned with his movements. She sighed irritably and turned away with her bag on her shoulder and making for a stall she could lock to be away from the other divas should they arrive early. She knew alienating herself was not a good idea, but she didn’t like to take chances with a hit out on her. It wasn’t confirmed, but the Bella’s had not taken a liking to her and would likely rile the locker room to come after her. All she had was her health at the moment and she wouldn’t have that if she weren’t careful.



Until creative decided where they would go with her look, and what she would let them do with her, she was still pulling from her own bag of gear. She felt like she was channeling Black Widow with the leather vest and ombre’d blue to black tights, but it was more comfortable than rolling around in another catsuit. This had been designed and manufactured on the fly after her first appearance and it made her feel good so she chose it today. It wasn’t special by any means, but it showed more personality than her previous getups. She didn’t know what would be in store for her if she stuck around, she just hoped they didn't try to recreate something with her. She had an attitude that could be taken down the road to Victoria or Ashley, but she wasn't them; she was something new and didn't want to be modeled after someone else.

Until the show would start she did her best to not be found considering how it had gone for her last time she had allowed herself to walk around like an average employee. She perched herself in the gorilla position on the equipment boxes, off to the side behind a tech station so she could watch the show and not be bothered, choosing to watch the others wrestle before herself. Seth kept telling her to earn her spot around her, to give respect. He urged her to watch the 'professionals' work so she was doing so with great skepticism. She may be new to this world but she knew about hard work and getting to the top being a professional.

[starlight]

She never slept soundly – well, she did but she was restless. Moving from one side of the bed to the other, kicking her legs out. It was only since she’d been on the road – stress came out in many different ways, Elisha’s was her sleep pattern. “ Just keeping you on your toes.” She said in response to him. Sure, she felt a little bad for affecting his sleep, but he should have remembered. Maybe tonight she’d feel more settled, but she doubted it. Cardio was her thing, she spent hours each day on a tredmill keeping her cardio fitness high. She trained in the gym twice a day, cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon. If it wasn’t her profession she’d be a gym junkie – actually if she wasn’t wrestling she had no idea what she’d be doing.

She followed him down the stairs and out onto the street, she figured he had a route in mind so she’d just follow. The morning was sunny but cool and crisp. Perfect for running. “ Oh please, I can keep up with you any day of the week.” She giggled as their feet pounded the sidewalk. It’d been a while since she’d had the opportunity to get out and enjoy the sunshine, the only tan she got these days was from a spray bottle. She kept pace with him, falling in step quite easily. Running was all about rhythm, she found it relaxing but there were so many people she had come across that really hated it.

“ Looking a little puffed there.” Elisha noted as they ran, smiling softly over at him. “ Out of practice?” There was no denying he’d been training, it wasn’t like John to just sit on the couch and do nothing, no doubt he was itching to begin lifting again. Maybe he could teach her a few things. She’d be sure to ask, it was something he enjoyed doing outside of training, Elisha could get on board with it. “ If you come back to the road, you can help me in the gym.” She grinned over at him, “ You know, if you want.” She hadn’t ever asked for help, and this was kind of a roundabout way of asking. The team she currently had was great, there was no denying it, but they were more concerned with her keeping the gold than her well being.

*

The last thing on his mind was Mika. He had spent enough time and energy trying to befriend her, trying to make her feel welcome. Apparently she didn’t like being befriended. Maybe he could have gone about it differently, but she was someone that liked to push people away. Now was time to focus on him. RAW started and he could feel his nerves running through is veins, his pulse was pounding in his neck and he could barely stand still. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing. It could carry you to the end of a match when you were down and out, and make the aches and pains disappear for just a little while. He was sure that was what had gotten Triple H through the end of the match where he did his quad. There had been some amazing matches, some amazing sights and that was definetly one of them. No one knew how he carried on through that injury.

He moved through the corridor with the other guys, finally breaking away to take another exit. They weren’t coming down a ramp. No way, they were going to make a grand entrance and really mess some shit up. Seth wanted to be remembered as a driving force of the New Era. There was the Attitude Era and the PG Era but now there was a New Era and Seth planned on being remembered as one of the best. He wanted kids to look up to him, to be him. Everyone was sick of the PG Era and things were changing, he wondered how Cena would go when he returned. Would he be the poster boy once again, or were they all going to see the Chain Gang Soldier once again?