Bella and the Ninja
Summary: Nikki Bella has been suffering at the merciless hands of Stephanie McMahon and The Authority for weeks. Seth Rollins knows the feeling and offers to help her, but even with The Shield on her side, Nikki worries that The Billion Dollar Princess will be the end of her. Lucky for her, the architect of The Shield doesn't plan on letting that happen.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It sucks.
A/N: A fair warning to John Cena haters, if you're looking for any Cena-bashing, look elsewhere. I have nothing against him and I don't plan on beating up on him at all, so be nice. Also, I'm clearly fudging the timeline a bit and The Shield didn't break up. Oh, one more thing: There will be sexy times ahead. If that's not your thing, you have been warned.
(-)
Contrary to popular belief, or perhaps popular desire, Nikki Bella's relationship with John Cena did not end in a burning blow-out akin to a nuclear holocaust. The two of them had just come to realize that, as much as they cared for each other, they didn't love each other anymore. When Nikki pointed it out, John simply sat back in his chair for a moment and mulled it over, "Well, damn…" He had responded. Nikki wasn't disappointed or annoyed by his reaction; it was essentially the same way she had reacted when she figured it out.
In all honesty, it had been a long time coming. They rarely spoke and it was never a comfortable silence, they barely bothered trying to find time to spend together, and even the sex had long since fizzled out both in satisfaction and frequency. Nikki had always known that they wanted different things in life, but she had hoped that they would work something out. No dice, but she wasn't as disappointed as she expected be.
Nikki wanted stability. She was very career focused, but eventually she wanted to settle down and try for a family. John wasn't the 'settling down' type. She was fairly certain that he had been faithful to her but his eye wandered quite a bit and she knew that, if let loose, he would be after any woman he could get his hands on. He was a huge manwhore, but she didn't judge him for it. He had never claimed to be anything but and he was a decent guy, so she couldn't fault him.
It ended with literally nothing more than a kiss on the cheek, a hug, and an affirmation that they would remain friends. She wasn't sure why everyone believed or wanted to believe that they exploded, but she didn't want to dwell on it too much. In fact, she didn't want to dwell too much on anything really. She was too busy trying to prepare for this damn match that Stephanie McMahon forced her in. Yet another fucking handicap match… Nikki Bella verses Alicia Fox, Layla, and Rosa Mendes. God damn it.
Nikki took a deep breath and she made her way through the back halls of the arena, headed towards the match that she would try with all her might to win. John had offered to have her back in case The Authority tried something, but Nikki turned him down. She knew that they wouldn't attack her personally and John wouldn't raise a hand to any of the Diva's, so there was no point.
The trip to the ring was a blur. She couldn't really focus on anything until she was standing in the center of the ring and Alicia Fox's music blared through the arena. Damn it, Nicole… Focus! she berated herself. There was no way she could hope to win if she was one hundred percent with it. Alicia came from behind the curtain with Layla and Rosa right behind and Nikki had to force the bile down in her throat. Those three made her sick; she had never met three bigger brownnosers in her life. In recent weeks they had been swarming around The Authority like flies around a pile of horse shit, trying to gain their favor and reap any benefits they could from being willing lackeys. Nikki was also pretty sure that Alicia was sleeping with Kane or, at the very least, blowing him in Stephanie's office.
Nikki scowled as the referee, Scott, tried to shoo two of the women from the ring. All three were looking at her as if they were starving hyenas and she was a prized steak. None of them seemed to want to leave the ring so that the match could start. Eventually, though, Layla and Alicia left, leaving Nikki to start out with Rosa.
Or, at least, that's what she thought.
The moment she and Rosa locked arms, Layla and Alicia shot back in the ring and dragged Nikki away by her hair, throwing her down into the mat. Nikki tried to shield herself from their stomping feet, but they were relentless. Scott tried to call the three wildcats off, but Nikki knew that it was no use. Stephanie had probably instructed them to continue their onslaught until they felt that Nikki had received the message.
Eventually, Scott had no choice but to stop the match. Nikki vaguely heard the bell ring and Justin Roberts announce, "The winner of this match, Nikki Bella!" Nikki didn't feel much like a winner, mostly because she was still being stomped on. She tried to reach a hand out to grab the nearest foot to her face, but she only succeeded in getting kicked in the arm.
In the end it took multiple referees and backstage officials to pull the girls off of Nikki. She couldn't move. All she could do was lay there until several officials that she didn't fully recognize at the moment pulled her to her feet and assisted her backstage to the medic. She sat stoically as the medic shined his small flashlight into her eyes and checked her over. She inhaled and exhaled, lifted her limbs, and answered his questions as instructed, but her body was completely on autopilot.
"You're going to be sore for a couple of days, but you're in the clear," He told her, "Just take it easy, if you can."
"If I can…" Nikki replied, sighing tiredly, "Thanks, Doc."
He, like the majority of the people employed by the WWE, was very sympathetic to Nikki. She didn't deserve Stephanie's treatment of her. Also like the majority of people employed by the WWE, however, he was an admitted coward who was too scared to speak up for fear of ending up like Brad Maddox. Taking a deep breath, he mustered what little courage he had in his pathetic little body and said, "I'm ordering five days of rest for you. Light workouts and training are permissible if you're feeling up to it, but no earlier than the third day." Was five days excessive? Yes, but it ever so slightly eased the guilt in his soul.
"Five days?" Nikki asked, baffled.
"Five days," He replied calmly, forcing himself to stay resolute. He refused to falter; she needed this, she deserved it, and fuck The Authority if they said any different. His opinion as a medical official held a lot of weight and if they tried to force Nikki back into the ring before he said she was ready, they would catch some serious flack from the upper rung of WWE Corporate. The rest of the medical team would back him up, as well, if the Authority forced any of them to give Nikki a physical in order to bring her back sooner. They felt just as guilty as he did, "And the rest of the night. Go back to your hotel, Nikki, and get some rest. Start your five days tomorrow."
"Thanks…" Nikki said hesitantly. She was incredibly grateful, but also incredibly confused. Don't question it, Nicole; just get the hell out of here! She berated herself. With a gentle smile, Nikki stood up from the examination table and left. Despite her aching body, Nikki returned to the Diva's locker room as quickly as she could and changed. She didn't bother to shower; that could be done when she was safe in her hotel room.
The locker room was mercifully empty, except for Nattie and Paige. Nattie gave Nikki a quick hug before running off to her match against AJ. She had rarely spoken to Paige, but that wasn't shocking given that Paige rarely spoke to anyone besides Emma. Though, Nikki had noted that she was quite chatty with Bayley as well, when the excitable NXT Diva managed to visit. While Paige seemed nice enough, it still shocked Nikki that she could be so seemingly close to two exuberant personalities like Emma and Bayley.
"Nikki?" Nikki turned towards Paige, wide-eyed. Paige was talking to her? "Look… What The Authority is doing to you… It's absolutely wretched. I know we don't know each other very well, but… If you want partner for one of those stupid matches, let me know." Paige was visibly uncomfortable under Nikki's shocked, silent, blinking gaze, "Right…" Paige said, "Have a good night."
"Wait!" Nikki called out before Paige managed to leave the locker room entirely, "I'm sorry. I'm out of it. Thank you, Paige. I appreciate the thought."
"You're welcome." Paige replied, much more comfortable now, "See you later."
Nikki waved as Paige left, sighing and running her hand through her hair. Paige wasn't the first person to offer help. Naomi, Nattie, and Emma had done so as well. Every time, she replied the same. Thank you. I appreciate the thought. And, while she was sincere, Nikki would unlikely take any of them up on it. She didn't want to put any of them in The Authority's sightlines. She would never forgive herself if her friends got hurt because of her.
Groaning, Nikki grabbed her bag and bolted from the locker room before anyone else came in. She was almost home free. All she had to do was make it to the parking lot and grab a cab and she would be safe. Turning a corner to the last stretch of hallway leading to the parking lot, Nikki's breath was knocked out of her when she collided with a very solid object. A very solid human, to be precise.
"Shit," The voice attached to the body said, "Nikki, are you okay?"
"Great job, Rollins," Another voice –Dean Ambrose's, Nikki was able to determine through her haze- admonished, "You nearly knocked her into a wall."
"I did not!" The first voice replied, clearly annoyed.
"Nope," Nikki said, finally catching her breath, "That's all on me, actually. My bad." Looking up, she locked eyes with a clearly worried Seth Rollins, "Um… Sorry…"
"You alright?" Roman Reigns cut in before Seth could respond, "That was a pretty brutal match you had. If, you know, you could call it a match."
Nikki chuckled bitterly, "I'm alive, so that's something. Medical gave me a few days off to recuperate and sent me away for the night."
"Are you headed back to the hotel?" Seth asked. Nikki nodded, "You can bum a ride with us if you want. We're headed back there too."
"Don't you have to be here until the end of the night?" Nikki asked. The three members of The Shield shook their heads, "And you're going back to the hotel? I figured you boys would want to get your party on." She smirked.
"There's always time to party, baby girl," Roman replied with a seductive smirk… But… Nikki was pretty sure he didn't know he was being seductive. In fact, that was just his face. Intentionally or not, Roman Reigns turned most people into turned-on piles of mush, "But for now, we're headed back and you're welcome to come with us."
Nikki bit her lip. She didn't want to impose, but she really didn't want to have to deal with finding and paying for a cab. Finally, with a small smile, she replied, "Sounds great. Thanks, guys."
(-)
Her two glorious workout-and-training-free days were coming to a close and Nikki hadn't felt so relaxed in ages. She would be slowly getting back into the swing of things the next day, but until then she was content enjoying a glass of wine and a bubble bath in the privacy of her hotel room. She had several visitors over the last two days, but she had mostly been alone. It wasn't surprising. Everyone still had workouts and training and house shows; it was nice to get away from the craziness that was working for the WWE for a while. Surprisingly, she hadn't even heard from Stephanie McMahon. Good. The Billion Dollar Bitch's raspy voice was the last thing she needed to hear.
Finishing her glass of wine, Nikki ascended from the bubbles and began draining the tub. Rinsing away the bubbles that had stuck to the inside of the tub and her body, she thought hard about the past two days. Three people she'd seen a ridiculous amount of given their crazy schedules were Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. They'd come to check on her several times and offered to take her to lunch once. It was very strange. Even after they turned on The Authority, she didn't associate with them much. No one did. They mostly stuck to themselves.
She'd mentioned their kindness to Brie and Daniel when she Skyped with them earlier that night and it was very clear that Daniel was not happy with the situation. She didn't blame him; The Shield had roughed him up quite a bit under The Authorities orders. Brie probably had just as many reservations as her husband, but was better at hiding them. And maybe they were right. Maybe she shouldn't trust The Shield, but she did and if it came back to bite her in the ass... Well, things couldn't get much worse than they already were, so she didn't have anything to worry about anyway.
Bringing her attention back to the present, Nikki toweled off, put on a clean bra and pair of panties, and wrapped herself in one of the hotel's ridiculously soft cotton bathrobes. She could definitely get used to this not-getting-attacked-every-night-of-the-week thing. As much as she hated to admit it, Nikki was close to throwing in the towel. She loved wrestling, but that could only keep her around for so long. Honestly, that wasn't even why she stuck around anymore. She had to be there for Brie. Someone had to stick up for her sister and if she left, no one would.
Groaning, Nikki collapsed onto the hotel bed and curled into a ball. All she wanted to do was fall asleep and forget about everything for a while. Apparently the universe had other ideas, however, because as soon as she closed her eyes, a knock on the door sounded through the room, "Motherfu…" Nikki whimpered as she forced herself off of the bed and to the door.
Sending a death glare through the peephole, Nikki was ready to shred whoever was on the other side of the door to pieces. To her surprise, however, it was none other than Seth Rollins, "The fuck?" Nikki asked under her breath as she unlatched the lock and opened the door, "Rollins? What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to check and see how you were."
Nikki smirked, "Rollins… You, Reigns, and Ambrose have checked up on me, like, four thousand times since Raw. That was two days ago."
Seth chuckled, "Okay… Maybe we've gone a little bit overboard."
"You think?" Nikki asked with a good-natured smile.
"And…" Seth continued, clearly wondering if he should be, "Admittedly, it is mostly my fault."
"What do you mean?" Nikki asked, awkwardly confused.
Seth sighed and ran his hand through his two-toned hair, "Look, Nikki… Can I come in? This isn't something I really want to talk about in public." Utterly mystified, with her eyebrows damn near passed her hairline, Nikki nodded. Seth look incredibly relieved as she allowed him passed her.
As Seth paced, Nikki found herself getting anxious, "Rollins, what the hell is this about?"
"Look," Seth said, "Roman and Dean… They wanted to make sure you were okay, but all the visits, lunch… That was my idea."
"Why?" Nikki asked.
"Because I get what you're going through," Seth said, not entirely sure how to explain, "I know what it's like to have The Authority jerk you around."
"Of course you do," Nikki agreed, "All three of you do. Daniel does. A lot of people know how awful The Authority can be when they decide they don't like you."
Seth shook his head, "It's different…" Nikki opened her mouth to speak, but Seth stopped her, "Just… Promise me, Nikki. Don't let them turn you against Brie. Don't blame her for everything that's happening."
It took a moment for Nikki to stop sputtering long enough to form a coherent sentence, but when she finally managed it, she was outraged, "WHAT?! I would never let them come between me and my sister. There is no way in hell I would blame her for what they're doing."
"You say that and I know you mean it," Seth acquiesced, "but they have this way of getting into your head. Making you think things you normally wouldn't; questioning things that you would never question…" He trailed off.
Nikki stared at him for a moment, taking in his frazzled express, his ragged breathing, and the terrified look in his eye, "You sound like you know from experience." Seth didn't need to reply. The visible gulp in his throat said enough, "What did they say to you? What did they want you to do?"
Seth took a deep breath, "They wanted me to turn on Roman and Dean. They wanted me to join The Authority." He clutched his head in his hands, "From the time we walked away from them, they were after me. Telling me I could be the best and that The Shield was holding me back. I kept saying no, but they just kept coming. They saw me as the weak link in The Shield; the one that would break easiest. Do you know what that does to someone, Nikki?" He asked frenzied, "Do you know what it does to you when you realize that the people you hate think you're the weak link? You're the one most likely to turn on the people you care about more than anything?" Nikki tried to shake her head 'no', but it came out more as a shutter, "And they were getting to me. Whenever tensions got high or a plan went wrong, I would think that… And all the things they offered…"
Seth was stuck in his own head and Nikki could see the self-loathing in his eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently in support. He seemed to calm down ever so slightly at the contact, "What did they offer you?" She asked.
"Money in the Bank," Seth replied stoically, "A guaranteed chance to be at the very top of the WWE. The thing I've worked towards for more than a decade…"
"It's an enticing offer," Nikki responded, hoping she sounded as understanding as she was trying to be. Most WWE superstars would kill for Money in the Bank; she didn't want to hold something he didn't do against him, "What changed your mind?"
Seth swallowed hard, "I was… Uh… Dean and I were spending a couple of days with Roman at his place. He has a kid, you know."
Nikki nodded, "I saw that ridiculously cute PSA."
A singular laugh escaped Seth's throat, "Yeah… Jojo's pretty awesome." He smiled at the thought, but Nikki couldn't help but think she saw a gleam of envy in his eyes, "Anyway…" He tried to shake the thought from his head, "Rom had a couple of family things to handle, or… I think they were family things… I didn't really ask. Anyway, he asked me and Dean to watch Jojo…"
"Dean Ambrose watching a child?" Nikki asked in mock-horror.
"I was there too!" Seth joked back.
"Even worse!"
Seth's eyes became slits as he glared at her. Nikki merely smiled sweetly until he rolled his eyes and shook his head. She was funny; he liked it, "Anyway, Dean and I were watching Jojo and somewhere in between playing doctor and Jojo forcing Dean to wear a pink, sequined feather boa," Nikki snorted at the mental image, "Yeah… It was pretty great. But, somewhere in there, I realized that it wasn't just Dean and Roman I would be losing. I would lose literally everything I've gained in the past few years. A guaranteed title shot just isn't worth it. I'll get there eventually, but I'll do it with my family beside me."
"That's really, really awesome of you, Seth." She said, neither of them missing the fact that it was the first time she'd ever used his first name while addressing him.
Shrugging, Seth continued, "That's why, after we took Batista out of commission, I got the worst of the matches they kept putting us in." Nikki gaped. She knew that The Authority were bitter about losing Batista. The Shield had given him quite the knee injury and, after deciding that The Authority and Evolution weren't worth it, he had hung up his boots and left for good. After that, The Authority forced The Shield into brutal matches. Ladder matches, falls count anywhere, stretcher matches, cage matches, handicap matches, lumberjack matches… Anything that they could vindictively think of, with the one stipulation being every match involved only one member of The Shield at a time and the others were banned from ringside. Now that she thought about it, Seth was right. He had gotten the worst of it. Dean and Roman had it bad, but Seth had been bloodied after every match. Nikki didn't know how she hadn't seen it before.
"God… That's… indescribably awful… Thank you for telling me all of this."
Seth nodded, "Please don't let Roman or Dean know. I told them from the beginning that The Authority was hounding me, and obviously they knew that I was getting roughed up the most, but they don't know why they targeted me or that I started to think…"
"Your secret is safe with me." Nikki assured him. He smiled thankfully at her, his eyes damn near glowing with relief; it was only then that they realized how close they had become. Their breaths caught in their throats as their eyes locked. Has he always been this gorgeous? Nikki somehow asked herself through her transfixed state.
Without hesitation, Seth leaned over and gently placed his lips on hers. Nikki didn't protest. The thought never even entered her mind. She was acutely aware of the way Seth wrapped his arms around and deepened the kiss. She reciprocated and wound her arms around his shoulders, her hands gripping tightly around the rippling muscles. The moan that escaped his mouth and the way his hands roamed down her body damn near took her over the edge on their own. Her brain was fuzzy and she couldn't see straight. When was the last time she'd been this turned on?
If she really cared to think about it, which she didn't because the way that Seth was gripping her thighs and the fact that he somehow now had her against a wall and was kissing her neck were much more important, Nikki would have openly admitted that it was within the first three months of her relationship with John. Despite being together for a while, they had begun to lose the spark quite early.
Oh god… Nikki's brain screamed as Seth's hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her legs up around his waist. She moaned as he kissed into her ample cleavage, "Seth…" She practically whimpered, "Holy fuck…" He covered her mouth with his and carried her to the bed. Laying her down gently, he tugged lightly on the belt of the robe. The loose knot she had tied in it came undone and the fabric fell open to reveal her simple, black undergarments.
As simple as they were, the sight of them caused the burning embers of desire in the pit of his stomach to explode into a full blown flame, "Nikki…" He groaned, pained by his yearning for her. Nikki could hardly believe a person could say her name with such passion.
Quick as a flash, Seth had removed his shirt and Nikki was face to chest with his perfect torso. Of its own accord, her body shuttered at the sight. It wasn't as if she had never seen him without a shirt on, but never this close and certainly never in this situation. She had never fully appreciated the sculpt of his abs or the perfect proportion of his pectorals. Without thinking, Nikki leaned up and kissed his lips while her fingers drew lustful circles over every inch of his torso that she could reach.
Seth's fingers slid downwards to cup her through the thin fabric of her panties. The cocky side of him took great pride in the wetness he felt. Of course, he wasn't fairing any differently. His pants were uncomfortably tight as his dick begged for escape. The affect that this woman had on him was extreme; the result of many nights rubbing it out to her photo shoots and matches. Very little turned him on like seeing Nikki finish off an opponent with a Bella Buster or a Nikki Rack Attack. Did he have the hots for Nikki Bella? Absolutely, but who wouldn't? Just look at her! She's fucking gorgeous! His brain often shouted at him.
As Nikki kissed him, Seth made quick work of the rest of their clothes. Nikki moaned as he pressed his naked body against hers, holding her close as he shifted them under the premium comforter into the ostentatiously high tread count Egyptian cotton sheets. His fingers moved back to her now-bare nether region, gently massaging the soft folds back and forth. A guttural moan caught in Nikki's throat as one of his large fingers slipped carefully inside of her and beckoned her with come hither motions. Nikki's nails clamped down of their own accord onto his shoulder blades. Seth hissed in pain, but quickly covered it up. He didn't want to pull Nikki out of her pleasure-induced trance. He could handle a little unexpected pain. The prospect of having Nikki was more than enticing enough to get him through it.
"You're so… fucking… amazing," Seth panted as he extracted his fingers and slid fully on top of her. Nikki couldn't make herself reply as Seth lifted one of her legs and hitched it over his hip. He kissed her deeply, his tongue invading her mouth, as he entered her with one quick stroke. A gasp escaped would have escaped her mouth as he circled his hips, if it weren't for the fact that his tongue was still occupying it.
Nikki wrapped her arms around him as he increased his speed. His trusts were deep and hard, full of passion and lust. It was as if he knew exactly what to do, which of her buttons to push and when. How did he know that? It didn't matter how. All she could focus on was the shockwaves of pleasure that radiated all over her and the devilish intentions he was huskily whispering in her ear.
"You like that?" He breathed, "Tell me you like it, baby." He took her heated gasps and clenching hands as a positive, though he would be lying if he said he wasn't moderately disappointed in her lack of actual speech, "Tell me what you want." He urged. It took a moment for Nikki to get her head about her enough to comply. She softly murmured in his ear all manner of dirty things that sent his blood boiling. But, as with her medical inspection those short days ago, she was on autopilot. She didn't fully understand what she was saying; all she could focus on was Seth as he followed her instructions and brought her to her tipping point. At last, with two deep strokes, Nikki's body convulsed and she screamed in release.
Seth quickly followed and had to force himself to stay up so that he didn't collapse directly on top of her. Rolling off, Seth stared bleary eyed at Nikki for a few moments. She was breathing heavily and her eyelids were fluttering. After several seconds, they closed. Seth wasn't sure what to make of that; had she enjoyed herself and was fatigued from the exertion? Had she not and was feigning sleep to avoid the subject? He, personally, was too exhausted to think too much on it. Pressing a quick kiss to her temple, Seth laid his head down next to hers and closed his own eyes. Within minutes, he too was asleep, completely lost to the world.