A/N – This idea has been stuck in my head and just won't go away, no matter how much I try. For the purposes of this fic, everything that will happen within the story has already happened on the shows Smackdown! and RAW, but this is under a totally different time frame, with little twists thrown in there too.
Feedback and reviews are a bonus, not begged for. Flames welcomed, if they're going to help me.
"I can't believe I lost. I had that match won! I can't believe this!" A crestfallen figure collapsed on the couch beside Billy Kidman and his wife Torrie Wilson.
"Dude." Billy laughed. "I can't believe you and Benoit made Heyman eat soap."
Shooting them both a dirty look, Torrie grabbed the remote and turned the television up louder. "I can't believe you're both still talking while I'm clearly trying to watch this!"
Billy and John rolled their eyes, snickering to each other. "Tor, what are you watching?"
"This stupid 2004 Diva Search," she pouted. "I can't believe they let any old girl walk off the street and work here now!"
"Sweetie," Billy began. "I hate to break it to you, but isn't that how you got hired at WCW?"
"Well ... yeah ... but ... that's different!" She huffed.
"Of course it is Tor," John laughed, raising an eyebrow at two of his best friends in the company. "Just tell me ... how exactly is it different again?" Billy snorted, causing his wife to whack him over the head with a cushion.
"Hey, what was that for?" He asked innocently. Torrie glared at him as he casually stretched, putting an arm around her. Pulling her closer, he grabbed the remote and turned it down slightly. "Torrie, you have nothing to worry about. There is no way that anyone the WWE hires would be even in your league," he said seriously.
"But look at them!" she protested. "Parading around in their swanky barely-there clothes! What if the winner ends up on Smackdown! What if they send her here and they expect me to job for her?"
"Wilson, why are you so worried?" John asked, eyes closed. His head was pounding, he'd had it with Heyman and Smackdown, his personal life was a mess and he wasn't exactly getting any younger .. what did he have to show for his 26 years? Right now, absolutely nothing. "They're barely even legal. Total jail bait ... Vince wouldn't hire anyone he doesn't have a chance with."
"Hey! I resent that!" She shot back. "What are you trying to say?"
"That these girls are simply intended as eye candy." John retorted.
"Excuse me! We are not used as eye candy! A Diva is a classy position to hold! We entertain, play an active role backstage on the shows and we even wrestle! We are not eye candy John."
John sighed. "On your first day here, what did you do?"
"Well ..." Torrie said slowly, trying to remember. "I had to seduce Vince ..."
"Game, set, match!" John crowed, slapping his hands on his knees. "See what I mean?"
"That was uncalled for," Billy interrupted before Torrie had a chance to get a shot in. He placed a hand over her mouth to stop her from returning fire and glanced at John. "Anyone he doesn't have a chance with Cena?" Billy said slyly, a twinkle in his eye. "I seem to recall him hiring you ... are you saying he has a chance? I didn't know you swung that way ... "
John groaned loudly. "Cute Billy. Real Cute."
The Cruiserweight Champion shrugged his shoulders. "I thought so."
"Ssh!" Torrie hissed excitedly. "They're about to vote another one off!"
"Isn't this a repeat?" John asked. "Torrie, was this on last night?"
"How would you know, watching it were you?" Billy teased.
"No!" John shot back defensively. "I caught the main event on RAW and this was on before it." Billy and John turned to the screen as Torrie turned up the volume. Johnathon Coachman was strutting around the ring before the nine remaining Diva Search contestants, about to eliminate somebody.
"Nine beautiful women in the ring before me, Ladies and Gentlemen. Unfortunately, only one will survive to be the winner of the 2004 Diva Search! Who will go home tonight? Will it be ... Michelle?"
Coach stood behind the girls hoping to gain some reaction from the live audience. To his dismay, the fans really weren't that interested. However, a certain Smackdown! Superstar was suddenly captivated by the women on screen. Torrie and Billy looked on in amusement as John leaned forward in his seat, closer to the television.
Coach grimaced, obviously dying out there before a lifeless crowd. Never the less, he continued. "Will it be ... Tracie?"
Nothing from the crowd as John stared intently at the screen. "John?" Torrie looked at her friend curiously. "Are you alright there?" There was no response as John was still transfixed by the television. "John?"
"Huh?" John glanced up as he snapped out of his reverie. "Did you say something Torrie?"
She elbowed her husband, holding back giggles as John automatically turned his attention back to the Diva Search without waiting for an answer.
"The WWE fans have spoken. I'm sorry girls, but the Diva Search Contestant with the least amount of votes is ... Camille."
The trio watched as Camille stopped to blow kisses for the camera before hugging her fellow contestants and stepping out of the ring. As the camera panned over the other girls to catch her exit up the ramp, John blurted "Wait, Torrie, go back!"
Torrie rewound the tape to the point where John yelled out. "Stop! Who is that girl?"
Smackdown!'s favorite Diva paused the tape, and John launching himself out of his seat to kneel before the television.
"Which one?" Billy frowned. "The red head?"
"No, not the read head! The brunette!" Pointing a finger at a slim girl on screen, John turned to Torrie. "You have to know who she is, I know you girls keep score on this sort of thing."
"Do not!" She turned red, trying to ignore the looks the guys were giving her. "Okay, okay so maybe we do. We have to keep an eye on the competition, don't we?" Reaching into her bag before her on the floor, she pulled out a tattered book, full of names and facts. Skimming through the pages, she stopped at the K's. "Hemme, Giovanni ... Kanellis. Maria Kanellis."
"Maria, hey?" Billy said thoughtfully, tapping a finger on his chin. "Your mystery girls got a name John."
"She's got quite the list of credentials too," Torrie reported sullenly. "Maria is a veteran of Hawaiian Tropic, she won the Miss Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals 2003 Beauty Pageant, and is of Greek origin," she recited. "Gee, you really pick the smart ones don't you John?" she continued sarcastically. "Maria has a younger sister who is still in school, and a brother who serves in the armed forces. She also majored in fashion at Northern Illinois University."
"She's gorgeous," John confessed. "I wonder if she has a boyfriend." His eyes followed the young woman as she walked across the ring and slipped between the ropes. She was the epitome of sexy, and she looked like she knew it. He stared as the camera followed her hips, enchanted by the way they swung with every step, his tongue unconsciously poking out of his mouth to lick his lips. She tripped walking up the ramp, an embarrassed smile dancing over her features as Christy Hemme saved her from falling.
"What, you don't think I have that in my little book too?" Torrie sniped.
"The other girls probably would," John counted, turning to the pair. "But not you. You don't have to worry about them stealing any boyfriends aka Smackdown! wrestlers out from underneath your nose and you know it."
"That's right." Billy confirmed. "I'm not going anywhere." Torrie smiled, and Billy captured her lips with his. John moaned, turning away from the public display of affection. His engagement had broken up ages ago, but it still stung him to watch those two going at it. He was lonely, and craving someone to care about.
"Guysss. Get a room."
Billy looked up for all of five seconds. "Dude. The name plate on the door says Kidman and Wilson. This IS our room."
John grumbled, climbing to his feet. "Alright, alright, I'm going." Neither acknowledged him as he stormed out of the room and down the hall. His life sucked. Simple as that. Sighing, he touched his head against the cool of a metal pylon. There was something about that Diva Search girl. Maria .. she seemed different from the others. Sure, he'd seen her for all of about ten seconds, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that made him want to know more. A beauty pageant winner hey? He could definitely see how ..
He leaned backwards, before slamming his hand into the pylon, clearly frustrated. Oh, what was the point? She was just some random girl on RAW. He was on Smackdown!. Regardless of how intriguing she was, he was stuck here. Shaking his head, he strolled off down the hall. Moments later, he'd forgotten all about the petite diva search contestant who had briefly haunted his thoughts.
Or had he?