Disclaimer: I do not own the characters affiliated with WWE, I do own Nicole Michael's however. This story is completely AU! This is my first fic so be gentle, reviews are welcomed!
Nicole felt the sun beat down on her bare shoulders, and the stares, something she was used to. Everyone would watch the Michaels girls when they entered a room; beautiful, intelligent, and the daughters of the most influential and wealthy man in town. They were royalty; however, it was no secret of the dark side of their family.
Their father was not only the most profound lawyer but the most dangerous man who ever walked the streets of Newport, Rhode Island. Shawn Michaels was the head of the most influential mafia families in Rhode Island history. He was also the most eligible bachelor at age 41.
Maria, 24, was the oldest daughter. Tall, leggy, brunette, she was the more striking of the two daughters. Nicole, 20 was short, blonde, and took after her father. Their mother, Tanja, had been Shawn's high school sweetheart, and had left once Nicole was born, thanks to Shawn's mother's constant bullying. Torrie Michaels was a mafia wife, and brought up her granddaughters.
Nicole had a turbulent relationship with her father and grandmother. She had been given the best in life, designer clothes, and elite private schools. Not that she wasn't grateful, but there was more to life than money, and things bought with money, something the people of Newport couldn't see, more to the point her grandmother couldn't see.
She had always longed for a life with freedom. Once she had graduated from high school she studied Political and Economic France at The Sorbonne, in Paris for a year, and spent another year travelling around Europe.
When she returned home, she was less than welcome. Her grandmother forbade her to live with her family, and Nicole was forced to find somewhere to live and work.
Today, however, she was allowed back to play happy families at her father's annual charity event. Looking around she saw the faces of people she'd known since she was a child. Things in Newport never really changed. This façade her grandmother insisted on them portraying was tearing Nicole up; they were lying, pretending that everything was ok, when in fact it wasn't.
Sitting beside her sister while lunch was served, the atmosphere was colder than winter. Her father sat opposite her, having not spoken a word to her all day, listening to his mother chatter about the council meeting.
"He'll get over it," Maria whispered into her sister's ear.
"I hope so," Nicole whispered back. "Wicked bitch of the west I could care less about."
Maria laughed. "Dad's going to talk to you, I promise. How's the job hunting going?"
"Pretty poorly, unfortunately dad's influence is giving me no hope. No one's willing to forgive me for what I did."
"There's a new CD shop that's opened, these two southern guys, very cute, you should try there."
"Yeah," Nicole replied half-heartedly and took a sip of her champagne.
"John's been asking about you, he can't believe how beautiful you've gotten."
Nicole burst out laughing. "John? As in Cena? As in the boy who used to make my life a living hell?"
"Yes."
"The ten year old boy who cut my hair when it was in a ponytail?"
"Yes. He hasn't seen you since you were fifteen."
"That's because grandma banned him from coming near me."
"Well, he started working for after you left."
"The lawyering dad or the cutting off people's hands dad?"
Maria glared at her sister. "Shush, you know better than to talk about this. Anyway, back to John."
"Discussion is over."
"Too late he's coming over."
Nicole groaned and watched as John, a now devilishly handsome 24 year old walk to her father and whispered something into his ear.
"Come here Nicole," her dad called out to her.
She sighed getting up from her seat and made her way over to her father, trying not to let the heels of her Prada pumps sink into the grass. Why must he insist on having these stupid, boring ass charity events in our backyard, on the grass? Does he know how impossible it is to walk in heels on this damn grass?
"Nicole, sweetie, you remember John right?" Her father said standing up.
"Sure I do, the last time I saw you you pushed me off a horse," she said shaking his hand.
"Nicole," her father growled in a warning tone.
"It's ok, Shawn," John said taking Nicole's hand and kissing it gently. "I was a rude little brat to your daughter and I'm sorry. You look amazing, Nicole, Europe must have been good for you."
"It was nice, thankyou." Don't let him see you blush. He works for dad, you know what that means. "You don't look too bad yourself."
"See now that wasn't so hard," Shawn said stroking his daughter's shoulder. "John, why don't you go take Nicole to meet the boys. No funny business, you understand."
"Of course, sir," John said and held out his arm for Nicole, who looked to Maria, who was laughing at her. Nicole allowed John to link arms with her and led her to a group of three attractive men who stood by the feature stone water fountain.
"Boys," John said and the group turned around, "this is Nicole, Shawn's girl."
"You're the one who pissed the old bag off by escaping to Paris," a tall man with golden blonde hair and green eyes who looked to be 28 years old.
"I don't remember you guys, are you new?"
"Yeah we're new; we came after you'd left. Your dad went a little crazy after you left, fired everyone, but your grandma talked him around, and we were hired."
Nicole felt her heart tear with guilt. When she'd left her father didn't talk to her for three months and the last year of her trip; and her grandmother still didn't talk to her. Maria was the only one to talk to her while she was away, she'd even come and stayed, but Maria told her everything that had happened.
"I heard," Nicole said, her cheeks burning.
"I'm Adam Copeland," he said taking her hand and kissing it. "Another beautiful Michaels' daughter to honour and defend."
"Charmed," she said removing her hand. I hope they're not all that sleazy, he's cute, but definitely not my type. She turned to the other guys, they were definitely cute.
"Randy Orton, nice to meet you," the tall dark haired, blue eyed hunk said shaking her hand. "This is Dave Batista."
He took her breath away. He was tall, had muscles that water could spend hours clinging to for dear life. He was dark and dangerous, and she could lose herself in her his eyes.
"Hi," she replied shakily as he took her hands in his and placed a gentle kiss.
"Pleasure," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Nicole could see why her father had hired him; he was gorgeous and could probably get out of a situation with just the smallest smirk.
Adam watched with great distaste. No Dave, she's mine, and nothing is going to stand in the way of me winning her over. She's my ticket to running this gig, and not even you will stop me.
"So do you work in dad's law firm or are you loan-sharking, finger-breaking, life-ruining friends?" Nicole asked turning to Adam.
"You do not agree with your father's line of work?" Adam asked. Oh yes, you're a fireball. I'm going to enjoy breaking you.
"No, I don't. You don't see the shit you leave behind. You go in do your job, and don't even think twice about the damage you cause those poor families."
"We lend them money so they can live their lives."
"And when they can't pay you back, you bash it out of them. You don't see the destruction you leave behind."
"Oh, get off your high horse. Why should you care? You have everything here. Look at you wearing your Prada pumps and Chanel dress; I'm guessing they're from this season. I bet you have several Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags and a closet full of designer clothes and couture. I bet you went to a really elite private school and your graduation gift was a top of the line BMW. Are you living on the streets? Can your parents afford to send you to school and feed you? Yes. Those people can't, they need us."
"You think that's all that matters? You think the money, clothes, cars are important?" He was starting to make her blood boil, and he was clearly enjoying it. "I don't have everything. My father doesn't talk to me, my grandmother hates me."
"Nicole, maybe we should go and get a drink," John said placing his hand on her arm to lead her away.
"No, I'm not going to have this arsehole think I'm some spoilt little rich girl who likes to make her family's life miserable." She turned to Adam again and moved a little closer. "You don't know me, so you sure as hell can't judge me."
She turned around and stormed off towards the pool.
"Nice work there arsehole," John snapped. "If Shawn finds out you're giving his daughter shit he'll kill you."
"And he won't, because you won't tell him," Adam said and John stormed off after Nicole.
"Nicole, wait up," John called.
Nicole stopped by the pool, kicking the ground angrily with her pumps. Who the hell does that bastard think he is?
"Nicole, are you ok?" She turned around to see John. "I'm sorry he said those things, he's not the most subtle of people."
Nicole snorted, hugging her body tightly with her arms and looked to the ground. "He doesn't know me; he doesn't know why I left. He hasn't seen the things I've seen."
"Our job isn't like that."
"It's exactly like that," she said shaking her head and walked away.
"Nicole, where are you going?" her father called to her.
"Home," she said turning to him, tears fighting to come through. "I'm not feeling so well."
"Call me later," he said kissing her on the cheek, and watched sadly as she ran to the house.
There was nothing more Shawn Michaels wanted than to be able to hold his baby daughter in his arms. He knew she didn't agree with his job, and this had fuelled her decision to leave. When she came back she had asked to be let back in the family, his mother had wanted the family to having nothing to do with her anymore. She was his daughter though, but he couldn't get too close to her until she begged for forgiveness and learnt to accept what his job entailed. That is how things were done in their world.