++ HOW IT ALL STARTED ++

Ava Levy took 3 deep breaths as she walked into the WWE headquarters double doors. She'd been summoned here by Paul Levesque, the COO of the WWE.. For almost 5 years now, she'd been a part of the TNA roster, but due to recent disagreements with one Dixie Carter, she'd been "let go".. Okay, in layman's terms, she'd been fired.. But in Ms. Carter's defense, she had pushed Dixie over the edge.

She had defied everything that was expected of the Knockouts normally, she was a round peg trying to be shoved into a square hole, she was volatile, she was violent when angry. She'd never told the bitch, however, she was perfect or something, and it hadn't been totally her fault that she'd wound up getting fired.

Dixie was the one who kept slamming every available door to Ava in Ava's face and laughing about it. And Ava was not an idiot.. If McMahon or Levesque wanted to negotiate a contract with her, they had an alterior motive.. Her father had after all, worked with them for a little while when Ava was younger and her mother, who'd been her father's manager until they married and she got pregnant with Ava, was staying home with Ava.

"Here goes nothin. But if that son of a bitch even remotely thinks he's gonna give me some romantic bullshit, he oughta know, I'm not even close to interested to being some personal sex slave to the roster's guys. I'm only here to fight." she muttered to herself as she walked into Paul's office, sat down at the seat across the desk from him.

"So.. We've heard your contract with TNA's void now.. And we actually think you've got a damn impressive future on the WWE roster as a Diva. I've got creative workin on a few things for you, even now.." Paul said as Ava held up her finger and then said calmly and quietly, "I do not do that valet bullshit."

"Everybody's gotta start somewhere."

"Yeah? Well the way I see it, Levesque, you want a fighter.. Or my name wouldn't have even come up.. You've seen my matches, yes?"

"I have, actually.. Shane, my brother in law, he's a fan, sort of.. He showed me, hounded me about signing you." Paul said as Ava nodded and then said calmly, "Then you know that I'm not romantic.. Hell, Levesque, I'm not even emotional.. I'm not good at selling that romantic kayfabe bullshit."

"We were thinking you could valet for the Shield... It'd fit you, I think? I mean your old boyfriend Seth is a member, I understand that you two dated when you were together on ROH?" Paul inquired as Ava laughed then stopped abruptly and shook her head as she leaned in and said with a smirk "And that little son of a bitch is exactly why I don't do romantic crap."

"How about Orton then?"

She shook her head and then said "Please.. I grew up with the guy back here while my daddy was on this roster.. I know just how cock sure Orton is.. I'm not gonna valet, Levesque, so if that's all you got for me then I guess I'm gonna walk."

She stood, pushed her chair back beneath the desk and Paul stopped her at the door when he said "Your gimmick.. It's a lot like another one of our Divas.. AJ?"

She turned and shook her head then said "Wrong, Levesque, old buddy.. She's pretending to be insane.. I'm actually legit insane. Or did you miss that memo?" with a light laugh as she turned, prepared to walk out of the office again. She didn't care about signing or not signing a WWE contract, hell, she'd have been okay with going back to wrestling in the armories, the gymnasiums, the auditoriums again.

And she'd been happy with TNA, yes, but she wasn't going to become anybody else for Dixie Carter's slim promises.

Otherwise, she never would have done things, on camera, breaking kayfabe and giving herself the heel turn she'd wanted for almost the entire 5 years she'd been on the TNA lineup, which in turn forced Dixie to fire her.

"Whatever.. Point is, Ava.. WWE would be a better choice. Now that you're a free agent again. You know that.. Here you'd get all the chances that you never got on TNA..."

She sat back down and against her better judgement, she signed the WWE contract...