So, this is just another random story that popped into my head. I'm not really that happy with how this turned out. I don't know it just isn't exactly how I pictured it in my head. I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. This takes place after AJ and Paige's match from Raw.
I apologize for any and all grammatical errors or problems with my characterization of these characters.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the storyline.
Paige felt like her world was crumbling around her. She had just lost her Divas Championship to AJ Lee. How could I be so stupid?, she angrily thought as she cried harder. She knew that it was trap. It was the exact same scenario that had happened when she had come out to congratulate AJ on the Raw after WrestleMania. She sobbed into her hands. This hurt her so much more than when JBL had stripped her of the NXT Women's Championship. It was one thing to have your title stripped from you for a viable reason, but to have your arrogance be the one to beat you is what killed her. Losing her title in a match against the woman who she had beaten to get it was breaking the young Divas heart.
"What are you going to do about it?" Paige froze at the familiar voice. Slowly, Paige turned to see Dean Ambrose standing in the doorway.
"What do you want, Ambrose?" Paige asked as she tried to hide her tears from him.
"I want to know what you're going to do," he repeated himself. Paige looked back at him confusion clear on her face.
"What the hell are you on about?" Paige angrily barked at him.
"To get your title back," Ambrose elaborated, "What are you going to do to get your title back from AJ?" Paige continued to stare at Ambrose in confusion. When Paige had been with Seth, she and Ambrose hadn't conversed much. They were cordial to each other, but they never went out of their way to hang out. So to see him standing in the Divas locker room doorway seemingly concerned with her pain was very foreign to Paige.
"Why do you care?" Paige wondered as she got up from the bench she had been sitting on and made her way to the sink that was in the back of the room so that she could clean her face. She was sure she looked like hell.
"Because I have a problem with the Authority, and Rollins, and I think you could use my help," Ambrose explained with a shrug as he made his way further into the room.
"The Authority?" Paige turned to him confused, "What do they have to do with this?"
"Oh come on," Ambrose started with a chuckle, "I never pegged you for being on the slow side."
"Out with it," Paige cried growing frustrated with Ambrose's mindless babbling.
"You lost your title because of the Authority," Ambrose explained. Paige stood there not fully comprehending his words.
"No," she denied, "No, they didn't. Why, no, how in the hell did the Authority cost me my title?"
"Who do you think got AJ to come back?" Ambrose asked.
"So, what you're saying that Stephanie and Triple H convinced AJ to come back early from her time off to take the title back and screw me in the process?" Paige questioned incredulously.
"Yes and no," Ambrose answered.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she barked annoyed.
"That 'yes' they got her back for that specific reason, but 'no' it wasn't their idea," he explained.
"Than, whose idea was it?" Paige questioned him.
"Rollins," Ambrose answered. Paige shook her head not wanting to believe his words. Sure, she and Seth had broken up after his betrayal and they hadn't spoken since then. She knew that the man she used to know and love was gone forever the moment that he hit Roman in the back with that chair, but the thought of him having anything to do with her losing her title gutted her.
"He wouldn't," Paige practically begged feeling the tears start to return to her eyes.
"You don't know that he didn't," Ambrose argued, "You don't know him anymore, Paige. He's not the man we thought he was."
"Even if that's true, that doesn't explain why Stephanie and Triple H would do this to me. They have faith in me. If they didn't, they never would have brought me up from NXT," Paige countered.
"Sure, you have a point, but you haven't had the same reaction up here on the main roster that you did down in NXT," Ambrose pointed out as he got closer to the fragile woman, "They were hoping you'd be as big with fans as AJ and you're not." Paige felt herself become consumed with anger at his words. Sure, it hadn't been an easy transition from NXT to the main roster, but Paige had expected that and felt that she was gaining the respect of the main roster fans. So for Ambrose to stand there and imply that she wasn't on the same level as AJ Lee really pissed her off.
"I don't know what the fuck you want Ambrose, but you better make yourself clear before I knock your teeth down your throat," she threatened as she clenched her fist. Dean smiled at her threat. He had forgotten how easily riled up the raven haired woman could get and he liked it. It amused him to see her so angry.
"I'm proposing a deal," he explained with a nonchalant shrug.
"A deal?" Paige questioned, "What kind of deal?"
"The kind of deal where we'll have each other's backs," he told her as he leaned against the nearest wall.
"Have each other's backs? I thought that's what Roman was for?" Paige was growing more annoyed and confused the more she stood there talking to Dean.
"Roman has his own shit to worry about. I need someone like you," Dean explained.
"Why me? Why can't you ask Emma, or some other Diva?" Paige inquired exasperated.
"Emma won't be able to help me. It has to be you," Dean proclaimed. Paige stared at him suspiciously before the realization dawned on her face of what he really wanted.
"You need me to get to Seth," Paige guessed as she watched Dean carefully.
"Not just that," Dean confessed. Paige scoffed at his words.
"Oh, of course, this has all been about you and what you want. It has nothing to do with me. You don't give a fuck about me. You don't care about me getting back my title, do you?" Paige accused angrily. She wasn't sure who she was angrier with, herself for actually being sucked into his lunacy or him for trying to use her for his own gain.
"Actually, I do care about you getting that ugly ass butterfly belt back. AJ had her time as Divas Champion and they screwed you out of your time. We can help each other and you know it," Dean argued, "Sure, I also think you could help me with Seth, but that's not what this is all about."
"What is it about then?" Paige wondered.
"It's about proving to the Authority that they bet on the wrong people. We need to show them that if they want this company to continue being a success they should be supporting you and me, not Seth and AJ," Dean expressed with such conviction that Paige started to buy into what he was saying. She did want all those things. She wanted to be the Diva that the fans adored and respected. She wanted little girls to look up to her and inspire them to follow their dreams no matter what they were. She wanted it all, but she just didn't know if she could trust Dean. She had already been screwed over by one member of the Shield and she was hesitant to trust another.
"Let me think about it," Paige finally requested as she combed her fingers through her hair.
"No problem," Dean said as he started to leave the locker room, "You still know how to reach me, right?" Paige nodded her head at his question. Without another word Dean walked out of the room leaving Paige unsure of what to do.
OoOoOoOo
Paige had had a restless night and being at work to tape Smackdown should have made her feel better, but it didn't. It had been so weird for her when she had been packing up her stuff to not have the title with her. She felt like she was missing a part of herself without the title. She had thought a lot about Dean's proposition. A big part of her wanted to agree to his deal, but she was still wary of him. She also still didn't want to believe that Seth had had anything to do with her losing her title.
As she was making her way through the arena she stopped in her tracks when she saw Seth standing not that far ahead of her talking to AJ. Paige didn't know what to do. She had planned on talking to Seth about what Ambrose had claimed, but standing there watching how easily he conversed with AJ made her feel uneasy. She was about to turn around and head a different way to the locker room when Seth caught her eye. Before she could think or do anything Seth had excused himself from AJ, who just skipped away like she didn't have a care in the world, and made his way over to Paige, who looked like a deer caught in the head lights.
"I know I'm sexy, but I think gawking at me could constitute as stalking," he joked with a cocky grin on his face. There had been a time when Paige would have just rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt at a joke and would have retorted with her own sarcastic response, but they didn't have that relationship anymore.
"Did you have anything to do with me losing the Divas Championship?" Paige blurted out not wanting to waste her time. Seth stared at her for a second in shock before that cocky grin returned to his face.
"You've been spending time with Ambrose," he noted.
"What makes you think that?" she asked him curiously.
"Because only Ambrose would suggest that," Seth explained.
"Is it true?" Paige asked. They stood there in silence. Paige grew more fearful with every passing second.
"Yeah, it's true," Seth responded. Paige stared at him not sure she had heard him right. She didn't know what to say at first and it didn't help that he looked slightly guilty, only slightly though. She at first felt like bursting into tears, but pushed the sadness aside and embraced the rage that was awaking within her.
"What?" Paige hissed as she tried to keep her anger under control.
"I just let Steph and Hunter know that I thought they should get in touch with AJ to see when she'd be ready to come and get her title back," he explained as if it wasn't that big of a deal, "It was nothing personal Paige. I was just doing what I thought was best for business." Paige stood there in shock at his admission and before she could stop herself she punched him in the face. He obviously wasn't prepared for her strike because the force of her punch knocked him a couple of steps back.
"You backstabbing prick!" Paige screeched enraged. She quickly turned away from him and made her way to the locker room before she did anything else.
OoOoOoOo
Paige was sitting in the empty Divas locker room trying to calm herself down. She felt like breaking every single thing in the room, but she also felt like sobbing her eyes out. She couldn't believe that he would do this to her. After everything they had been through. She knew that he had changed, but she had had a small hope that the man she fell in love with was still in there. Her finding out that he had played a part in AJ coming back and winning the title from her hurt her more than she wanted to admit. Paige rested her face in her hands and tried to focus on what she had to do tonight.
"Did he admit it?" Paige didn't even have to raise her head to know who had asked the question.
"Yeah, he did," Paige said as she looked up at Ambrose who was once again standing in the locker room doorway.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Ambrose asked. Paige clenched her eyes shut and took a second to collect herself. She really hoped she wasn't making the wrong decision. She stood up and turned to face Ambrose.
"I'm going to teach him and everyone else not to fuck with me," Paige growled as stood face to face with Ambrose.
"That's what I like to hear. So, we'll watch each other's backs, right?" Dean smirked down at the fiery former Divas Champion, "Do we have a deal?" Paige looked down at his outstretched hand still wondering if she was making the right decision.
"Deal," Paige said as she shook his hand. An amused smirk graced Ambrose's face and without another word he left Paige alone. Paige turned back towards her stuff and started to get ready for the night. The whole time she kept debating about her decision to align herself with Ambrose. With an uncertain sigh, Paige zipped up her jacket and started to make her way to the ring. She may still be unsure about this, but she had to admit that it did make her feel better to know that there was someone looking out for her and watching her back.
So, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and give me your feedback on this and tell me what you think I'm doing well or what needs improved on.
~Brittany~
