"I don't even get why she's here. I mean, isn't she like, forty?" The petty comments coming from the Diva's locker-room were passing the pink lips of one Summer Rae. Apparently, she wasn't all too happy about somebody returning to the ring. "How is it fair that she gets to come back and steal my spotlight?" She huffed, slumping back against the wall, folding her arms like a small child having a tantrum.
"I like that she's back. She's a nice girl, Summer. You should give her a chance." Said the more experienced Layla, before then raising her eyebrows and looking towards the girl with a somewhat stern expression. "Besides, what's wrong with forty?"
At that point, Summer looked exceptionally sheepish, as she knew Layla was somewhat older than the rookie Divas like herself. She'd dug a hole for herself here, and she wanted to get out of it before she got another Diva to dislike her. "Nothing. But you're actually good in the ring. What has she ever done?"
"Summer, she's trained hard since she left, and now she's back, I suggest you give her some respect. It takes a lot of courage to walk back into this locker-room after being away for seven years. If you keep acting like this, you'll be out of here in no time." Layla said, before turning on her heel and leaving the locker-room.
Taking a deep breath, Summer thought for a moment. She knew that Layla was right, but that didn't matter. The point was, Ashley was coming back, and that meant more Divas like herself simply wouldn't get any time on the air. It wasn't fair. She'd been gone for seven years, and all of a sudden she's back, and will probably be getting more TV time than Summer could even dream of right now.
Just then, the locker-room door swung open and in walked the woman in question. Summer straightened herself up, looking at the older, newly trained Diva and attempted some kind of smile.
"Oh, hey there." Ashley said with a smile, wheeling her suitcase across the room and leaving it there, before approaching Summer and extending her hand out towards her. "I'm Ashley. Summer, right?"
Summer was somewhat surprised by Ashley's friendly manner. That didn't change a thing, though. Summer stood up, and ignored Ashley's hand, ultimately causing the elder Diva to retract her hand. "Yes. I suggest you remember my name, too. Lord knows I'll be here a lot longer than you." She stated, a small smirk on her face as she brushed her hair over her shoulder.
"Nikki told me you might be a bit catty with me." Ashley said, a smile still sitting on her lips as she rested her hands on her hips. "I don't know what beef you think you have with me, but if I were you, I'd drop it. You haven't got the best reputation in the back, and you don't want more people finding reason to dislike you."
Summer narrowed her eyes, and raised her hands to her hips as well. "Who do you think you are? Walking in here, as if you know everything. This return will probably last as long as the last time you came back, after your failed attempt at Survivor China. Congrats on being voted off first, by the way." Summer's expression was amused, and Ashley knew she was being purposefully bitchy, but she didn't take it to heart. She never did in this place. She knew exactly what to expect when she'd signed her contract.
"If you think you're upsetting me, you're not. Sweetheart, you're good in the ring, I've seen your matches. But don't ruin your career by making enemies of all your co-workers." She said, before then tending to her stuff, and gathering the things she needed for her return tonight.
"Why would I take advice from a washed-up has-been? Get back to me when you can string a match together, hm?" Summer smirked, and sauntered out of the locker-room, leaving Ashley to quietly chuckle to herself.
A little while later, Ashley was dressed in her usual ring attire, the kind of thing she used to wear all the time back in the day. It was nice to break out some of the old outfits, and actually wear them in the ring. She was stood by the curtain, and had been chatting a little bit with the Bella Twins. Nikki had just been out there, on commentary while Brie took on Naomi. It was a great match, and Ashley loved seeing her friends in action. However, she was about to make her big return, and was due to shoot a promo in the ring, so the girls left her to it.
After a moment of total silence after the commercial break, Ashley's music kicked in. The fans were confused, but started to cheer. They'd not seen this woman in seven years, and here she was, about to make her big return to Monday Night RAW.
"Wait, wait, is that Ashley's music?" Michael Cole turned towards JBL on commentary, a bewildered look on his face.
"Sure sounds like it. She hasn't been in action for a number of years now. What do you think she's doing here?" He asked in return.
"Only one way to find out." Cole retorted, before the cameras zoomed in onto the stage.
At the right cue, Ashley ran out onto the stage, confirming all the fans' thoughts about the music and stopped in the centre of the stage, right in front of the ramp. She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, and raised her hands with that signature devil horns pose she was known for. She would then race down the ramp, meeting the hands of various fans on her way down there. The adrenaline was pumping through her, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face. They'd actually missed her, and it gave her the biggest tug on her heart-strings.
Once she was in the ring, and Lillian Garcia handed her a microphone, after a massive hug, Ashley stood and awaited the music and the crowd to die down so she could speak. Once the arena was quieter, she raised the microphone to her lips.
"Well, hello to you to!" She said, being greeted by more cheers, and laughing a little bit at the reaction. "Man, I have missed you guys so much. You have no idea how difficult it has been to be away from all of this. But, I'm back now, and I'm staying." She explained, a big grin on her face. "Now, I know a lot of people won't like this. I know a few girls in the back don't agree with my return, and quite frankly I understand some of their views. I'm not here to take anybodies spotlight. But, what I won't tolerate is being told I'm, I don't know, washed up?" She said, shrugging her shoulders a little and taking a moment to pause, so the fans could let it sink in a bit.
"Or that I'm a has-been." She added, shaking her head. "I had a little bit of a disagreement backstage earlier, and after speaking to the Authority I have been granted a match on this coming SmackDown." Ashley raised her spare hand, a grin on her face. The fans of course cheered along to that. She was excited to be able to wrestle again, and show off what she'd learned over the years.
"So, Summer Rae..." She stated, enunciating the Divas name as she turned towards the camera, speaking directly to it. "I will see you on SmackDown, and you better bring your A game. I might be a bit older than you, but after seven years of hard work and training, I can wrestle circles around your ass." After that, she dropped the microphone and walked across the ring, slipping through the ropes.
"Wow, some strong words from Ashley there, Booker!" Cole said, turning his attention to his other broadcast partner.
"Well, you know Cole, Ashley's never been one to sugarcoat. Looks like she hasn't changed a bit." He said, nodding his head before JBL chimed in.
"Who does she think she is? Summer Rae is a movie star for crying out loud! She can't just call her out like that!"
"Looks like she has, JBL. And we'll be seeing Ashley back in action on SmackDown this week. Next up, we have our tag team match of the evening." From there, The Uso's began making their entrance, and the show carried on.
In the back however, Ashley was making her way to the locker-room when she was cornered by Nikki Bella, a good friend of hers she'd met years ago.
"Did you really just call Summer out?" Nikki asked, though clearly it was a rhetorical question, and a smirk lay on her ruby red lips. "She's going to be livid when she sees you, you know. Nobody told her Stephanie had made that match. Your promo was the first she heard of it."
"That's what I wanted. If she thinks coming into the locker-room and kicking up a fuss was going to sit with me, she's wrong. Maybe she'll learn, but I'm hoping not, because I'm really looking forward to kicking her ass next week." The blonde said with a big smile on her face, causing Nikki to laugh a little as the two women made their way to the locker-rooms together.
Within a few moments Brie joined them and suggested that Ashley join them and a few other girls out for drinks after the show. It would give Ashley some time with old friends, and give her the chance to get to know some of the newer women on the roster. She was definitely up for it, especially when she heard they were going to one of her favourite bars. Ashley wasn't a massive drinker, but when she did she liked to go to decent places, usually with live music.
So, thankfully the girls had arranged something specifically suited to her preferences as a way to celebrate her return.
"I'll meet you guys there. I wanna head back to the hotel room first, find something a little nicer to wear." She said, a smile on her face as the twins nodded their heads and disappeared from the locker-room. The show wasn't over yet, so nobody was leaving the arena until it was. But, Ashley wanted a little alone time anyway, just to take in the fact that she was really back.
The fans had truly welcomed her with open arms, and she couldn't have asked for more. Now, she had a match planned for tomorrow night's SmackDown taping, and there was a chance this could turn into a decent feud. Veteran verses rookie. A tale as old as time, but with a slight twist. It wasn't often that the rookie was as disrespectful and rude as Summer Rae was earlier tonight, and given that the two were almost direct opposites also added another aspect to this rivalry.
Whatever would happen, though, would go down in the history books forever. Ashley wanted to make damn sure that she was the victor in that story.
