"Alright…. yeah, yeah, I'll think it over… no, I've got some stuff to sort out that's all… okay… talk to you soon Dan." Dakota said before hanging up. She let out a loud sigh before grabbing her packet of cigarettes and leaving the hotel.
She had just been called up to Raw from NXT… and now there was talk of the impending draft lottery in July and Hunter wanting her on SmackDown. But being that it was March, she still had time to think over her decision.
She hadn't been out long before she decided to head to the arena that SmackDown was being taped at, stopping the rental car and getting out. Walking into the arena, she found Dean.
"Hey, little lady." Dean greeted as the two hugged.
"You've seen Mandy around-" Dakota asked, cut off by silver confetti being blown in her face. "Damn it, Cody, what the hell?!" She responded.
"Sorry… kind of drawing close to the end of my run as Stardust." Cody replied. "Phew! You still smell like smokes. How many did you smoke? The whole packet?"
"None of your business! And any idea who's taking over? This storyline involves me too." Dakota retorted.
"There's another thing… she is someone we all know… but that's all that I know." Cody answered.
"This better work. Now where's Mandy?" Dakota replied.
"Lying down in the locker room, washcloth on her head." Cody answered.
"Migraine again?" Dean asked.
"Yep." Cody said, Dakota and Dean going to find her.
Amanda was trying to relax as best as she could, Finn lightly rubbing her legs as they were resting on his lap and the Excedrin that Amanda had taken having not done much to help her pounding head.
"Two days this time around, right?" Finn asked quietly, Amanda nodding.
"Excedrin should've helped… it used to." Amanda muttered, feeling her body being lifted up before she felt Finn's arms around her and the two stretched out. "What are you…" She started to ask, trailing off when she felt his fingers run through her hair and massage her head… she lowered her arms, feeling the tension disappearing from them and nuzzling her head into Finn's left shoulder.
"You're stressed out…" Finn whispered.
"This Stardust storyline, just thinking about it makes my head hurt… remember that meeting that we all had with the creative about it last week? I felt like my head was gonna explode when they brought up the idea of two people playing Stardust at the same time and it disintegrated from there… still can't believe that Sasha threw a chair during that brawl. Poor Ace." Amanda explained, remembering how Aestrid ended up with a concussion.
"She'll be okay… but Sasha didn't need to throw that chair." Finn said as he rested his right hand on her left hip.
"She's lucky she's not in the hospital with how livid Dakota was… that was damn scary." Amanda replied as she set the washcloth aside… and Amanda hoped that Dakota wouldn't lose it if she were drafted to SmackDown in July.
Out in the ring later, Amanda was on Dean's lap and stood up as Kevin walked out there, Dean pulling the tiny brunette back onto his lap as Kevin ranted about not having a credible contender for the Intercontinental Championship.
"Well Kevin… maybe you could be nicer to people. Or maybe you could be more proactive, you know, go out there and make some challenges. But let me give you a piece of advice, if you're ever gonna challenge Brock Lesnar, wear a helmet." Dean replied, his left arm wrapped protectively around Amanda's back.
"He's gonna need more than a helmet, Dean." Amanda said casually, trying to pretend she still wasn't aching as the effects left from Finn massaging her head were wearing off slightly… still staying in character, Kevin shifted his attention from Dean to Amanda.
"You and your Shield brother are actually trying to give me advice… I don't need advice from either of you because you both are what's wrong with this company." Kevin responded after he got in the ring.
"Us? What did my Shield sister do that's so wrong? I've been keeping an eye on her as best as one can, she's an adult… and she hasn't broken any laws or crossed any boundaries, right, kiddo?" Dean asked, the last part as a joke to Amanda and the brunette smiling for a few seconds… but the smile turned to a cringe and Dean saw her rub the side of her head.
"Uh oh… that's not a good sign." Dianne said quietly before Enzo saw Finn take off towards the curtain.
"Finn, where you going in such a hurry?" Shane asked, stopping the younger man.
"He's gonna aim right for Mandy's head if I don't stop him!" Finn explained, running off and out to the ring at the exact moment that Kevin shoved Amanda and she couldn't get her hands up fast enough to shield her head… Dean reacted with anger and slammed the chair into Kevin as Finn helped Amanda sit up.
"Hey Kev… anyone ever tell you not to put your hands on a lady?! Now apologize!" Dean yelled, yanking Kevin up to his feet after handing a towel to Finn that the doctor had handed to Dean.
"Blood…" Amanda said, instinctively knowing the reason for the towel as she had seen countless wrestlers get busted open over the years and had been busted open herself repeatedly.
"I'm fine, Darlin', and so are you. A bit of bleeding is nothing to worry about." Finn responded as he lightly pressed the towel to the wound.
"Can I kill him next time?" Amanda asked, knowing her head had hit the leg of the chair.
"Let me hurt him first." Finn whispered before Dean dragged Kevin onto his knees.
"Oh, no apologies, huh?! That little lady nearly died from seizures two years ago, I don't want her head getting struck anymore!" Dean yelled.
"Yeah, Dean might save us the trouble…" Amanda said quietly as Finn helped her up and out of the ring to where Shane was… and Shane hissing slightly when he saw the blood on Amanda's tank top.
Shane had seen and suffered countless injuries over his years in the business but with Amanda, he always worried more.