11/2/04...

"I just don't get why this guy my brother works with doesn't seem to like me." Amanda responded as they walked on home, both worn down from the long day.

"Well you did hit him with a steel chair during the summer, Mandy." Sachael replied.

"It was part of the show, I didn't mean to hurt him." Amanda responded, the girls laughing and Sachael throwing her right arm around the shorter teen.

"Maybe he's just feeling a little humiliated that someone short kicked his ass, Mandy… he sounds like he holds a grudge over that. Or maybe you just need to get to know Luther better. You might end up working with him one day." Sachael replied.

Amanda was about to respond when both girls heard tires screeching loudly and Sachael threw Amanda out of the way to protect her.

Amanda's left leg was trapped between the car tire and building and Sachael was pinned down… but she saw the tears start to run down her friend's face.

"I… I can't feel my leg… Sache… are you okay?" Amanda responded, unable to see properly because of the freshly fallen snow obscuring her vision.

"I'm okay… we're gonna get out of here, little sis." Sachael replied, before she looked ahead to where the hillside road looked out across the glowing city. "It's… quite a view."

"B… Best seats in the house." Amanda responded, thinking for a moment. "Well… far from the best ones actually."

Sachael laughed slightly at that, stopping as she glanced down and saw what she was glad Amanda couldn't. "Yeah, true. You know… I've always wanted wings." She responded, which caught Amanda's attention.

"Wanted wings?" Amanda questioned as she blinked to clear her eyesight.

"I think you'll understand at some point, kiddo… take care of them for me." Sachael replied, closing her eyes midway. "I'm… proud of you… well done, mate."

Amanda's instinct was to call out for help… and the next few hours were blurred to her.

She woke up in a room and saw John, who pulled her into his arms… and she knew that Sachael was gone.

She looked to see George, who's light hazel eyes were reddened and Amanda and John let go before she and George hugged.

"I am so sorry." Amanda responded as they looked at each other.

"It's not your fault, Mandy." George replied.

John decided to let the two teens be by themselves… they needed each other now more than ever…

Present time, 11/19/15, NXT Taping set to air 11/25/15…

"Look me in the eyes, Joe! Look me in the eyes!" Finn responded angrily as Samoa Joe signed the contract and left. "You're a coward, Joe, you're a coward!" He replied as Amanda held him back to keep him calm.

"Without saying a word, Samoa Joe just spoke volumes." Corey replied.

It was all scripted but that didn't stop the suffocating tension Amanda felt as Finn held her close to him with his right arm around her back and held up the NXT Championship after they left the ring.

'Brace yourself.' Finn mouthed to the brunette he was holding close.

'I'm ready.' Amanda mouthed before they were both ambushed and a fistfight broke out between Finn and Joe that ended up in the ring as Amanda managed to pull herself up and run to the ring.

But Amanda lost all train of thought as she reached the ring and saw that Joe had Finn trapped in the Coquina Clutch and he was yelling at her… and foregoing the scripted screaming as her eyes narrowed, Amanda grabbed the cattle prod under the ring.

Joe yelled out as the shocks hit his left leg and he let go of Finn, who had pulled himself up with the help of the ropes and had to pull Amanda back.

She dropped the cattle prod and Joe was completely bewildered as to why his friend had zapped him.

Once the three were in the backstage area, Joe headed to the trainer's office to go get fixed up and Finn saw that Amanda was still frenzied.

"Hey… just take a while to recollect yourself, okay, Darlin'?" Finn responded as he lightly rubbed Amanda's back.

"I just flipped out on Joe…" Amanda replied quietly.

"I noticed something earlier, something that he had either said or mouthed to you… he knows about what happened to Sachael, doesn't he?" Finn responded.

"I don't know which idiot put it in the script but I can tell Joe was uncomfortable with saying it… problem is, you're the only one I've told about the accident so why did he say "That driver took the wrong life, it should've been you."..." Amanda responded before it hit her. "You know, just when I thought that Alexa couldn't be any more of a bitch, she has to go and listen in on something personal?! Then tell someone about it and not have the damn nerve to say it herself?!" She replied angrily, attempting to stand up but Finn stopped her by wrapping his arms around her waist.

"She's trying to make you break, just like Seth is… you can't give her what she wants." Finn responded.

"Ohh, it ain't gonna be what she wants, it's gonna be what she has coming to her!" Amanda growled as she tried to get free but Finn held on tighter to her and turned her to him.

"Alexa doesn't know what it's like to have her life shattered… she walks through life as a sheltered kid thinking she's better, tougher and stronger than everyone else. Real strength… is in those who walk through hell and remain standing afterwards. That's you, Mandy, you have more strength and toughness than that little girl ever will." Finn replied as they looked at each other, her arms around his back and his arms around her back… and remained unaware that Alexa had been eavesdropping.

She knew that her plan had fallen apart because Finn was keeping Amanda calm… and that angered Alexa.

And so Alexa walked over and pulled them apart, Amanda getting out of the younger woman's grip.

"Always finding comfort even when you're in the wrong, huh?!" Alexa growled.

"What now?! Haven't you done enough, do you get some sort of sick thrill out of hurting others because you can't feel pain yourself?!" Amanda snapped at Alexa as Finn held Amanda back.

"Alexa, what did she do that was so bad for you to use the storyline to bring back part of her past?! Do you have any human decency at all?!" Finn responded, Alexa glaring at him.

"She doesn't. Or she wouldn't have done what she did." Amanda replied before she backhanded Alexa, who yelled out from the pain. "That was a big fucking mistake, bitch! You cross me again, I won't be so merciful!" She growled before she and Finn left, his right hand resting on her back.

Alexa was shaken worse than she had ever been.

And now she was regretting her actions.