AUTHOR NOTE: Thank you to those who keep reading my works! This is a slight AU, my attempt to write something using the current and previous storylines for wrestlers involved. It's a first! Enjoy! Zelks xx
WWE RAW, 16/12/13 Dallas, Texas. 1 day after TLC Pay Per View:
The truth of the matter was, it hurt. His ribs still ached from the previous night, despite the OK he'd been given by medical. After every spear he'd seen Roman deliver, Dean Ambrose had assumed the guys were acting up. It couldn't hurt that much, could it? But now he was faced with the reality that yes, it did hurt. It hurt like hell. Why had he been crazy enough to volunteer to be hit with that? Oh wait, it's because he was Dean Ambrose. Next time, he decided, Seth was getting the brunt of one of those bastards. Dean had his bag over his shoulder and was heading to his car after the show. A good night's rest would make him feel better, before he headed to the next show. He wasn't really paying much attention to his surroundings, so when someone up ahead came haring out of a corridor from the direction of the Diva locker room, he startled a little and looked up. It was a Diva alright, but not one he thought he knew. It took Dean a moment to think of why her face looked familiar, as she accidentally dropped her bag and several things spilled out, he remembered. This was the new girl, the one who had been debuting. He'd seen her earlier that evening looking pretty pale, as the time for the Diva match got closer, but hadn't really paid much attention. After all, nervous new members to the roster were often best left on their own. Sometimes, they vomited. Looking her up and down, he took in the black hair with blood red streaks, the toned physique, the fact that she was clearly a woman who could handle herself. He couldn't however, remember her name at that point in time.
"Oh bollocks!" she cursed, dropping to her knees and frantically grabbing everything that had spilled from the bag. Noting the accent wasn't American, Dean stopped and bent down to grab a can of deodorant that had rolled away, his ribs protesting as he did so. He ignored the pain and grabbed a roll of grip tape that had escaped also, before walking over to where she crouched, shoving things hurriedly back in the bag.
"You dropped these too," he said, getting down on his knees next to her, and handing them back.
"Thank you...thanks very much," she managed. Stuffing them in the bag, she grabbed a purse that had fallen out, and Dean smiled to see it was emblazoned with the Undertaker logo as she hurriedly stuffed it back inside. The zip suddenly gave out, extracting another curse from the woman as both she and Dean stopped her things from going everywhere.
"Slow down, sweetheart, what's the rush?" he asked.
"Summer said she would give me a ride to the next venue if I was quick enough...except she left without me and I was hoping she would be in the car park still..." She paused as Dean made a strange sound trying to strangle his laughter, and looked up. "She was never going to give me a ride, was she?" she asked. Dean's light blue eyes looked in to eyes remarkably similar to his own, but they were tinged with sadness. Dean knew what she was thinking, why would Summer do that? And after her debut too? He shook his head gently.
"'Fraid not, sweetheart. The only person Summer thinks about is Summer. In front of, and behind the cameras." He replied. "Tell you what, how about you catch a lift back with me?" He replied, a hand darting out and snatching up the grip tape as it once again tried to make a getaway.
"You sure? Last thing you want is the new girl hanging off your arm, right?" She asked, brushing the red and black strands of hair from her face. Dean held up the grip tape.
"Well, someone needs to keep the grip tape from escaping." He gave her a grin, and held out a hand. "Dean Ambrose." The woman took it in her own and shook it.
"Ceridwen Blackheart. AKA Infurnia. But you can call me Ceri." She said, before letting go and grabbing an escaping towel as it fell from the bag.
As Dean drove them back, he took a moment to find out about this new girl. She was only two months older than him, which surprised him as he felt she looked a lot younger. She came from Portsmouth, in England. Not New Hampshire, as he'd initially thought when she mentioned the town. And like him, wrestling was her life. She'd worked since she was a teen to get to the level she was at now.
"Thanks for the ride, Dean...I appreciate it." She said, as they parked up in the hotel.
"Hey, any time. You got a ride to the next venue?" he asked. As she opened up her mouth to say yes she did, Dean saw the realization in her eyes. "Summer was your ride, huh? Well, you make sure you're in the lobby for eight tomorrow, and you can join me again if you like."
"You sure you wanna keep the new girl hanging on your arm?" She laughed.
"Well, it does do me well to have a hot chick on my arm, but I'm not quite the player people think I am. Seriously though. 8 am, and you got yourself a ride." Dean replied.
"You're on." Ceridwen said, as she reached for the door, holding everything together. "See you in the AM, Dean."
"You too, Ceridwen. Oh, and by the way," he said as she got out, making her stop and lean down to see him as he spoke, "You need anything, anything at all, you let me know. It's always good to have a friend on the roster. You got one in me, Infurnia." He said, using her ring name instead, getting a red tinge in her cheeks, and a muffled "Thanks Dean" in response. He got out himself, and lent on the roof of the car as he watched her head in to the hotel. He told himself to have words with Steph about Summer's behavior to the new girl the following day, and smiled to himself. He liked this girl, she seemed fun. And 4 hours driving with someone new would sure as hell beat driving alone.
The following morning, Dean stood waiting in reception. Dead on 8am, there she was, her things in a carrier bag instead of the now useless rucksack. Dean shook his head. That would never do. She walked over to reception, checked out, and turned to see him walking over.
"Glad you made it." He said with a smile. She looks exhausted, he thought to himself as she smiled weakly.
"I made it, my backpack did not." She said, gesturing to the plastic carrier bag that held all her things.
"First things first. I know a local Walmart, we get you a new bag, and something to wake you up." He said with authority.
"Sir yes..." she yawned, covering her mouth, "Sir. I need a cup of tea and pronto." She smiled.
One cup of tea and a brand new bag later, they were on the road again. Ceridwen decided that she rather liked Dean. He hadn't treated her with distain like Summer, he'd been quite nice to her, and he didn't have to give her a lift, he'd just offered. Privately she wondered if he'd have let her refuse if she said no. The ride was filled with talking about their pasts, their wrestling histories, and by the time they reached San Antonio, Ceridwen felt like she'd known Dean all her life. So, when they got in to the arena, it was with a hi-five they parted, and a "Don't break any bones on your second night, ok?" from Dean. Ceridwen had nodded, and went off to the Diva locker room.
She came in with a smile on her face, greeting the women in the locker room with a happy hello.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you got laid last night," laughed Natalya. "But I don't know you well enough to know what the "Just got laid" look is on you." The locker room laughed with Ceridwen.
"It's my Smackdown debut. Why shouldn't I be happy?" Ceridwen replied, before setting down the rucksack Dean had insisted on getting her on the bench, and pulling open the zip to get her ring gear out.
"Well, if I had Dean Ambrose give me a ride in I'd be pretty happy too," said Alicia, as she tied her laces.
"He was just lending me a hand that's all...why would he want a newbie hanging on his arm?" Ceridwen laughed, catching an escaping sock as it fell towards the floor.
"A quick fuck, why else?" Naomi called from the cubicle at the other end, generating more laughter. There was general chatter as the women changed, and Ceridwen had just finished when Summer walked in on her phone.
"Like, I know right? I told her I'd give her a ride too, I mean puh-lease, like I want to be seen with a newbie!" she said as she dumped down the bag she was carrying. She turned to take her coat off, and clocked Ceridwen stood there in her ring gear. Ceridwen promptly marched over, took the phone from Summer, and held it to her ear.
"So, yah, she totally didn't give me a lift, and I'm like, why should I be surprised? Besides, I got a lift from Dean Ambrose, you know, from The Shield? And he's like, super hot, so it was a thousand times better than riding with some fake ass Barbie wannabe anyways!" she said, mocking Summer Rae, before hanging up the phone, and taking Summer's hand, put the phone in it. "By the way, your fake tan is streaking, Tango." She added with a smile, before turning, grabbing her bag and shoving it in to her locker in the silence that followed, and walking out.
It was now half an hour before Ceridwen was due to go out. AJ Lee had wished her luck, and congratulated her on her put down of Summer Rae. Ceridwen looked herself up and down in make-up, before she got ready to go to the gorilla. Her ring gear was a cross between John Cena and Lita. Black jean shorts, along with the kind of crop tops that Lita had worn, under a blood red mesh top. Black trainers on her feet. And as a final touch, red contact lenses. She had put them in, and had just finished putting on some red eye shadow and black eyeliner, when she suddenly remembered she hadn't pocketed her grip tape. As soon as she was done, she darted back to the girls locker room, tearing the door open and almost hitting Naomi in her haste.
"Slow down, girlfriend!" she exclaimed, as Ceridwen opened her locker and rifled through her bag. There was muttering punctuated by curses as she checked every pocket. Nothing. The tape wasn't there.
"Damn it!" she yelled aloud.
"What's up?" asked Cameron
"No grip tape. I need grip tape to help me keep my holds," she said, shoving her bag back in her locker, before sitting back on the locker room bench, her back against the lockers, and running a hand through her hair.
"Why don't you ask one of the guys?" asked Naomi.
"Of course!" She smiled. Why didn't she think of it before? "Thanks Naomi!" Ceridwen was on her feet again in seconds, once again haring out the door.
"Were we that excitable when we first came up to main roster?" asked Cameron.
"I don't know." Laughed Naomi as they went out the door themselves.
Ceridwen ran like a woman possessed towards the guys locker rooms, even jumping over an equipment box or two that were in the way. She got to the door and hammered on it hard.
"Alright, I'm coming!" yelled a voice, and Ceridwen found the door being opened by Kane. She took two steps back out of choke hold reach. "Oh. It's the new girl. What do you want, sweetheart?"
"D...Dean." she stammered, her heart in her mouth. Kane laughed.
"I'll tell him he's very much desired." He replied, before turning to the locker room. "Ambrose! You're wanted, very much so by the look of this pretty young thing's face," He said, before smiling at Ceridwen and walking back in to the locker room. She took a breath and tried to will her heart back to its normal place. The locker room door opened again and there stood Dean, stripped down to his jeans.
"Ceri, if I'd have known it was you I'd have invited you in," he smiled. Ceridwen laughed with relief. "What's up?"
"I know you said if I needed anything to ask, and I didn't want to bug you too soon..."
"What do you need, Fireball?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Grip tape." She said, ignoring the nickname he'd given her. "I think I left it in the old bag and I'm due on in less than half an hour."
"I see. ROMAN! THROW ME THAT GRIP TAPE!" he yelled, making her jump. Dean then held up a hand and caught it easily, before throwing it up gently for her to catch.
"Lifesaver." Ceridwen beamed, as she quickly wrapped her hands in front of him.
"Don't mention it. I told you I got your back. I heard about what you said to Summer earlier, that was brilliant, by the way. You must have told her good, she was real pissed earlier. You'll have to come out with Seth, Rome and me one evening, Fireball, will be nice to see what you're like away from work," he said, but was cut off by Ceridwen throwing the tape back to him.
"Thanks Dean, I gotta run. Friday sounds good." She called as she began to dart up the corridor, seconds before Roman got to the door. The two men watched as she vaulted an equipment box that was in her way.
"Who was that?" asked Roman.
"New girl." Dean replied with a half grin.
"New girl huh? And you're best buddies with her already?" Roman said with a raised eyebrow. Dean caught it, and shook his head in the negative.
"Nah. Just helping her out. You remember what it was like being new on the roster, Punk was a great guy towards us. Everyone should have someone like that, guy or girl. You can meet her for yourself on Friday."
"Don't you go falling, Ambrose," Roman joked, before heading back inside.
"Who, me? I don't fall, Rome, you know that," he said, looking at the grip tape, and throwing it up and catching it in his hand before heading back in the locker room.