9/23/13, WWE Raw…

Amanda didn't notice them until Seth and Dean were struck, the 23 year old attempting to help her Shield teammates but was dropkicked spine first against the barricade before she could… in her blurred vision, she wasn't sure who it was until she was slapped across the face and pulled by her hair, her hazel eyes forced to look in the furious blue ones of Cody.

"Nothing to regret, bitch?! You're in the wrong role! And they're gonna screw you over like you did to me and Dustin!" Cody yelled as he slammed Amanda's head against the barricade when she fought back.

Seth turned livid and ran right at Cody, tackling him and repeatedly hitting him until Cody and Dustin were pulled away by security and Seth crouched down to Amanda… being as careful as he could with the youngest Shield member, he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" Amanda hissed angrily, shoving Seth away before Roman pulled himself up and walked over.

"Don't stand up, kiddo." Roman whispered, putting his right arm around her shoulders and the left under her knees. He lifted the tiny brunette up, Seth and Dean walking to her after pulling themselves up.

Being as careful as they could, the three made sure that Amanda was taken backstage and to the trainer's office… the X-rays and MRIs revealed that nothing was broken, no internal bleeding and there was no concussion but that she was bruised badly.

Thinking quickly, Roman grabbed a copy of the script and saw that Amanda was only to be shoved to her knees… and Roman turned furious.

"Look at this…" Roman muttered, showing the script to Dean as the United States Champion brushed Amanda's hair back with his left hand and held her right one in his own.

"He's in for it, isn't he?" Amanda asked quietly.

"He almost snapped your neck and spine, damn right he is." Roman whispered, kissing Amanda on her forehead.

Amanda wasn't far from wanting revenge herself… but she had a feeling this was a set up.

A set up within the group itself…

Present time, 11/9/13, Osaka, Japan, Devitt's perspective…

"Well boys… hell of a night." I said after pouring a few glasses of Awamori for us… it's been crazy over here but fun.

"Yes it was… but I really think you should slow down on the liquor." Nick responded before taking Karl's glass from him.

"Hey, I am… I mean I can stay… in control!" Karl protested… damn, gonna be that kind of night.

I remember that I forgot something and head back outside without drinking the liquor… it's barely into November but strangely freezing and raining.

It's as I reach the rental car in the parking lot that I see a small woman run into the street, blinded by the rain with a man a bit older chasing her… I barely have time to call out to her before she turns around and right into the path of an oncoming car, which slams into her tiny body and sends her flying over the windshield and onto the ground.

Third person perspective…

The car drove on into the night, leaving Amanda unconscious in the street as Devitt ran to her and crouched down… checking for a pulse, he found one and then turned to see Luke, who called 119 and told the dispatcher what had happened as the man across the street took off when Tama and Fale reached the others.

"Hey, get back here!" Tama yelled, him and his cousin proceeding to chase after the person fleeing from the accident scene.

"Damn it…" Luke said quietly, recognising the face marred by wounds.

"You know her?" Devitt asked, Luke nodding.

"Haven't seen her for a long time but that's Mandy…" Luke responded before hearing the ambulance sirens and then seeing Tama and Fale.

"Fucker disappeared... right into the city, couldn't keep up… with him." Tama replied as he caught his breath.

Devitt turned back to Amanda, who was still unconscious… already, bruises had formed and he pulled his jacket off and put it over her to try to prevent her freezing to death.

Nick and Matt had dragged a drunken Karl out of the restaurant when they saw the ambulance speed past them… Karl stopped joking around then, turning serious like his friends as they carefully approached the accident site.

"No…" Nick said, immediately recognising Amanda as she was braced and strapped onto the backboard before she was placed onto the stretcher.

"Let's follow them." Matt responded before they got to the car, equally as horrified.

Osaka City University Hospital was chaotic, filled with drunken fans who had gotten into fights during or after the pay per view… Devitt's attention remained on the brunette in the bed however, hooked up to a blood pressure machine, IV and heavily medicated, bruises and scrapes on nearly her entire upper body and back and neck braced.

The quiet was deafening as the hours dragged… until her eyes opened and she saw him.

"Try to stay still… they just took the braces off of your back and neck, there's no spinal damage." Devitt responded as Amanda was realising where she was.

"What happened?" Amanda asked, her voice croaky from going so long without talking… but the talking aggravated the pain in her upper body.

"The driver didn't stop… I don't know if they were drunk or didn't see you but the car hit you. If it weren't for Luke recognising you, we wouldn't have been able to get in touch with your brother… he's gonna try to catch the next flight out but they've been delayed." Devitt explained, his left hand resting on Amanda's right one.

"Manchester was caught right in the path of a snowstorm… I'd be on tour right now but I asked for a few days off. Some of my co-workers and I have been fighting so I wanted to get away from them for a bit." Amanda said.

"One of them is a bit older than you, half black, half blonde hair, about 6'1"?" Devitt asked.

"Seth… we haven't been as friendly to each other lately. He's turned… damn possessive, won't let me near any of the other guys for too long…" Amanda explained before she brushed her tears away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be acting like this…" She said before his arms carefully wrapped around her, Amanda returning the embrace as Devitt noticed some bruises that were about a week old on Amanda's right wrist.

"You didn't do anything wrong, it's not your fault that he turned abusive towards you… anyone who's gonna act like that isn't worth keeping around." Devitt replied as they looked at each other.

They had only just met but already, he wouldn't leave her side.