Can't believe this chapter has taken me so long to write - I have so many ideas but it's just getting to those points in the story that is the tough part!

I prefer to use wrestlers ring names, even though I'm going to be writing the storyline as non-kayfabe. It probably won't fit the timeline completely, I'm thinking that this story has begun while the Shield are still together, but this may change - let me know what you think!

Please please review - I will love you forever :)

Chapter 2 - Alone Together - Fall out Boy

The pair swung around quickly and Rachael's mouth flung open. Seth stood there, looking every bit as handsome as he had done last night, apart from now his hair was in a bun and his thick rimmed glasses framed his face.

"What…why?" Rachael was dumbfounded, Seth had been kind to her the two times they had met, and after last night she would class Seth as a good friend, but in reality they were virtual strangers. Why would he fork out hundreds of dollars so she could go to America, why would he care about her life and the things she had talked to him about?

"You need a break Rachael, and I thought maybe I could help give you that break." He shrugged looking at anywhere but her "It seemed like a good idea when I had woken up this morning, I'm sorry if-" Seth was cut off by Rachael embracing him in a hug. His arms curled around her waist and hugged her close and he took in her vanilla scent that radiated from her blonde hair.

"Thank you" She said giving him a peck on the cheek. She leant closer to his ear, whispering so only he could hear "Thank you, I really need this". Seth's heart swelled at the closeness, he was glad his last minute plan wasn't as stupid as he had first thought, and that she didn't think he was some weirdo trying to take advantage.

"So let me get this straight-" Paige interrupted their embrace, snapping Seth from the thoughts of how good she smelt, and how she seemed to mould perfectly to his body

"You're coming to America, you're leaving your job, your family, your friends and you're coming to America?" It hadn't really entered Rachael's mind that Paige wouldn't want her there, that she might be so happy on the road with her new friends, living her own dream, that she didn't want her old life following her about. She felt increasingly awkward as Paige's face remained unreadable.

That was until a load shriek erupted from the dark haired girl's mouth, causing everyone to turn and look at the three of them.

"This is going to be amazing!" She said jumping on her, Seth laughed as she watched Rachael struggle under her friends weight. "AMAZING! We're going to travel America together and we're going to do crazy shit Rachi, just like old times" She giggled swinging her friend around. The pair were distracted by a female voice coming over the tanoy to tell the passengers that their plane was boarding.

Rachael wasn't traveling with the wrestlers, she was somewhere near the back of the plane – presumably because only the shit seats were left when Seth booked, but she wasn't going to let that get her down. She had just over eight hours to think about what she wanted to accomplish in America, to get her head straight and figure out just what the hell she thought she was doing uping and leaving her life in the UK.

She watched as the wrestlers boarded the plane one by one, time running out to change her mind and turn around. Only she couldn't think of one good reason that was keeping her here. Her eyes locked with the dirty blonde that she had talked to outside the club and he sent her a sleazy smirk before sitting down next to his team members and getting ready for the journey. There was something about Dean that made her body burn in desire, she hadn't been near him for long but she already knew from last night that he prided himself on being a ladies man, that he probably didn't give a shit about anyone apart from the two men he was currently sat next to, and that he would probably be amazing in bed. Rachael gulped, ridding the thoughts from her head. She didn't plan on going to America to jump into bed with a lunatic, no, no matter how good that plan sounded, that wasn't why she was taking this journey.

She looked at her phone and saw missed calls from her office, she was late for work. Smirking she thought of all the messages she could send her boss and the many ways she could tell him to shove his job, but she settled with the predictable but nevertheless concise message of "I'm not coming in today. I quit", turning her phone off so it wouldn't bother her until she was across the Pacific and safely in American territory.

"I like Pussy as much as the next guy Seth, but draggin' a piece of ass half way across the world so you can get in her pants is overkill even by your standards." The news of Seth bringing Paige's best friend on the road had already spread through the wrestlers. Dean had figured it out as soon as she threw her arms around him and placed a kiss square on his cheek, he was definitely acting on edge the whole way to the airport and now he knew why.

"If anything I'm disappointed you didn't fuck her last night, now you have to drag her along with us and pine like a puppy dog." Dean wasn't one to hold his tongue, and he didn't care who he offended by it.

"I know it's hard for you to comprehend, Dean" Seth started in the same sarcastic tone his friend had given him "But we're not all after women for one thing, we don't all use people for sex" Dean scoffed at him and put his earphones in, pulling his cap low over his eyes. As far as he was concerned this conversation was over. Yeah she was hot, and yeah one day he might entertain the thought of showing her a good time whether Seth liked her or not, but he didn't need to spend the whole flight listening to his friend deny his obvious feelings.

Paige poked her head through the gap in the chair in front of Seth and grinned widely at him. At least someone was glad that Seth had bought Rachael that ticket.

"I just wanted to say thanks" Paige said in her awkward style Seth had grown accustomed to. "Rachael needed a change – I just wish that I had seen that as much as you had"

"It's cool," Seth shrugged at her, fiddling with the wire of his headphones that he had got out of his bag "She's a cool chick, it'll be great to get to know her"

"Do you like her" Paige's eyebrows wiggled as she said the question, her voice too loud for Seth's liking. It wasn't going to help his case if half the roaster thought that he wanted her.

"God, you're as bad as Ambrose" He rolled his eyes, "I connect with her ya'know? She's had a rough time and I know how shit that can be, plus she's pretty darn awesome but I don't want to get in her pants, no" Paige looked at him suspiciously but she seemed to buy the answer and when she turned around he felt himself let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

He wriggled in his seat, settling down for the journey across the ocean back to his home land. He felt a gaze on him and looked up to see Roman staring at him, a look on his face that let him know he couldn't hide his feelings from him. Without another word Roman put his headphones in and joined Dean in the land of sleep.

The truth was that Rachael was gorgeous, and better still he'd never met a girl that got him like she did. Especially now he was in the WWE. Sure, he could follow in Dean's footsteps and get with a girl in every city, but he wasn't like that. He was a true romantic at heart, and yes the odd casual fuck was great, but in the long term he wanted the connection that came with a relationship.

The trouble was Rachael was far too fucked up to be in any sort of relationship right now. Seth had noticed the tell-tale signs of coming out of her shell after a drink or two. It had only dawned on him that maybe she used alcohol as a comfort blanket last night when he saw how anxious she was before the spirits hit her system.

She didn't deserve to be rushed into a relationship, least of all by someone that travelled across the world and never had a day off. No, he'd settle for friendship and getting to know this extraordinary creature first.

Rachael was glad that her hangover had left her before they made the descent into JFK airport. She brimmed with anticipation as the pilot's voice filled the cabin. Telling her that it was sunny in New York, and wishing everybody a safe onward journey.

She'd wanted to visit New York since she was a teenager and had watched Sex and the City back to back in her bedroom with Paige and her other friends. Once she had researched America some more she'd decided that one day she'd take a trip across America, driving from State to State and getting into trouble with her friends and countless men along the way.

Once she had started wrestling her dream of an American road trip had turned into the dream of travelling with work, travelling with the WWE. It made her so excited that she could potentially be living that dream out finally, it might not have been how she had originally planned on doing it, but two out of three ain't bad and all that.

The wheels touched down and she watched as all the wrestlers grabbed their stuff and one by one left the plane. She watched as Paige scoured the plane for her, grinning widely at her again as their eyes locked.

"Come on bitch, there's a pint with your name on it back at the hotel" Rachael felt herself turn red as the remaining passengers turned to look at the British native shouting down the length of the plane, following her gaze to who she was shouting at. Rachael ducked her head and grabbed her things, trying not to think of the eyes on her. She scuttered along the now empty back of the plane up to Paige.

"Do you have to be so uncouth?" Rachael rose an eyebrow at her friend.

"Fuck yeah I do, fuck 'em if they don't like it" She shrugged. She missed having that care free attitude – but she had resolved on the plane journey over here that America would see the return of the old Rachael.

"So, I kinda haven't really figured out where I'm going to stay, if you wanna help me that would be cool" Rachael shrugged as the British girls waited in line at Passport control, most of the other wrestlers breezing through.

"It's cool chica, you can stay with me tonight, we'll see if we can upgrade my room and then you can travel with me til you figure it out. This is going to be so friggin cool!" She jumped up and down on the spot clapping her hands and earning even more stares.

Rachael noticed how a few people had got cameras out or were taking pictures on their phones as the travellers looked around star struck at the wrestlers who had come to town.

"Oh god, I can't believe I've quit my job" The blonde said resting her head on her friends shoulder. "What have I done?" She joked

"What have you done? You're starting a new chapter and I'm gunna be right here next to you loving every minute of it Babbeh" She said in true Dusty Rhodes fashion. "And talking of jobs, I have just the job in mind" She grinned at her, disappearing up to the Passport control booth and continuing through to get her luggage.

It had taken Rachael ages to get through Passport Control, they had wanted to speak to her in depth about her plans as she had no return ticket booked. Rachael had had to convince them that she was going to get a Visa sorted if she would start working and that she wouldn't disappear into the system.

Now she was brimming with anticipation as the yellow cab hurtled toward Manhattan, the tall buildings crowding the skyline in front of her. She unwound her window and leant her head out shouting at the top of her lungs as they drove over the famous river to reach their destination. The taxi driver looked oddly at them through his rear view mirror but for once she didn't care if he was judging her.

"I'm in AMERICA" Rachael screamed, making people jump on the sidewalk as they sped by.

"You're crazy!" Paige laughed pulling her in before they got pulled over by the police or something equally as awful.

"I may be crazy – but I'm fucking crazy and in New York" She laughed falling back into the soft leather of the taxi. She'd have to owe Seth beers for the rest of his life for this.

Rachael's eyes were like jam jars as she got out of the cab, the streets were noisy and the tall buildings made it feel extremely claustrophobic but it was as she had always imagined. All she needed was a cosmopolitan and she'd feel like the 5th member of the Sex and the City gang. Paige had to drag her into the hotel to get her away from the crowd of fans that had turned up, word always got around quickly as soon as the first wrestlers started arriving.

The hotel was just as amazing as the one she had frequented back in England, it suddenly made her think back to the morning and she almost had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming all the changes that had happened in just one day.

Paige had managed to get her room upgraded so Rachael didn't have to endure the floor, no matter how plush the carpet looked. It turned out all she needed to do was flash her pearly whites at the young guy behind the desk and take a selfie and he was putty in her hands. Her status definitely had its perks.

Rachael sat in the hotel bar, a beer half drunk in front of her watching the American people and tourists come and go. She recognised more people from the plane, some she knew as superstars and others she assumed were crew as they chatted to each other sharing jokes and funny stories. She smiled warmly at them. She'd missed being with a group of people like that. She hadn't had that sort of friendship circle since she her wrestling days. In fact she could probably count her friends on one hand these days. She was brought out of her day dream by a loud noise as something was thrown on the table in front of her.

"What's this?" Rachael asked looking over the document that Paige had just put in front of her, with suspicion. She moved her beer out of the way and started reading. It was still hot from the printer.

"I got the guys at reception to print it. It's that job I was talking about. You'd be perfect for it, and I can put in a good word with management, and you'd mostly be travelling with me" Paige grinned "That's the deal breaker I know" She winked. Rachael read over the document, frowning and nodding at different points.

Paige explained, "It's for WWE Community. It's this initiative where they get us wrestlers out and about in schools, hospitals you name it we probably go there. You'd basically be ferrying us guys around, making sure we get to our appearances on time, scheduling us in places. Yadda yadda yadda – long story short, you've got all the qualifications and you know how to handle awkward wrestlers"

"This looks awesome, you really think I could do it?"

"Right, Rach, what did you say to me about turning over a new leaf? What was the whole point of you coming over here?" She said losing her cool with her friend.

"To start again, to get my confidence back?" She searched for the right answer.

"Bingo, so yes, I think you're good enough and you need to believe it to. Management will see right through you if you don't." She thought about it for a minute, thinking of the many outcomes: failing, being a laughing stock, getting the job and being shit at it. Not once did it cross her mind that she would thrive and be amazing at it and she felt herself angry at the lack of belief. She came to America to be the old Rachael and she was already falling into bad habits.

"Ok, let's do it" She grinned excited. "Let's try and get a job"

"I'm glad you said that, because you have an interview tomorrow morning." Paige laughed at her friends frown.

"Gee thanks for letting me know" She rolled her eyes, she should've known her friend would do something like this to kick her ass into gear. The raven haired girl grabbed her pint and started drinking it. "What are you doing bitch?" Rachael asked watching her down the drink.

"You've got an interview tomorrow, you can't drink on a school night"

"Yes Mum" she mock saluted her watching the brown liquid disappear down her friend's throat.

Rachael had gone to bed uncharacteristically early that night on Paige's request. It helped that the next day was Monday Night Raw and everybody else had had the same idea after a long day of travelling. She'd even got up early to prep for the interview and pick out a killer corporate outfit in order to kick ass. Her night of baptism in America would have to wait, and hopefully they'd have another reason to celebrate after her interview.

Paige's foot tapped against the cold metal of the chair in front of her. Rachael had been in there for over an hour. Interviews for staff never took that long. She hoped to God that Rachael got the job – she would never let on but she didn't know what the next step would be for her if she didn't get it, it would be very hard to travel along with her on the road with no income.

"Thanks very much, I'll wait for you to submit my papers and then apply for my visa." She smiled widely at James, the Executive in charge of WWE Community who had just given her an hour long grilling. Paige watched them shake hands and talk about small details of her work permit application and when her official employment would start. James returned to his office, closing the door behind him and Rachael was left scanning the arena corridor, her face broke out in an even wider grin when she saw Paige, exactly where she had left her before she went in.

"Well?" Paige said standing up. She still had her street clothes on, she had no need to practice as she was only accompanying someone to the ring that night.

"Well, it's all dependent on my work permit being accepted but…" She drew her words out making Paige hang off each one.

"But? Jesus, leave a girl waiting"

"But, the job is mine" She grinned and Paige instantly picked her up twirling her around and screaming.

"I told you that you could do it, all you needed was a little faith" she punched her arm, Rachael selling the faux punch.

"I know, I know, listen to Paige blablabla. Looks like we'll be hanging out a lot more – a lot of the job is on the road working out in communities and co-ordinating everything. It's going to be awesome" She hadn't been so happy in as long as she could remember, well as happy as she had been sober.

Three figures caught her attention among the hustle and bustle of the stage crew running around to prep things. Rachael looked to the mass of blonde and black hair that was approaching. Their eyes connected and his toothy smile was exposed. She wanted to tell him the good news and hope that he was as happy as she was.

"You look mighty happy" Seth noted, giving her a hug. The three stable members came to a halt and surrounded her, the niggling thoughts in her head played out some deep seedy fantasy instantly but she put it to the back of her mind, trying not to get carried away.

"You'll be seeing a lot more of me, I just landed myself a job with the WWE" The pride radiated off of her and was infectious, Seth brought her in for a hug again.

"That's friggin awesome,-"

"You mean you're wrestling?" Dean's gravelly voice spoke up and she looked directly at him, his eyes boring into her, the nudge that Seth gave him wasn't missed by her, no matter how discreet he tried to be.

"No, no wrestling" She spoke to him in slow words. The idea of her ever getting back in the ring was foreign to her, she'd never even entertained it and here he was making her think things she wasn't ready to. She shook her head at him and turned back to Seth. "I'm going to be your WWE Community co-ordinator" she explained much happier with how that felt in her mind.

"You mean you get to ferry all our ignorant asses back and forth?" Roman joked

"You betcha I do, don't think I won't put you in your place if you step out of line on my watch though" She winked at him.

"We'll be on our best behaviour" Seth promised his hand on his heart mockingly.

"Mmm, I'll believe that when I see it, anyway I'll let you get on – I'm sure you guys have some practicing to do – have a good match tonight guys" She moved to the side letting them get on with their day.

"See you around darling, make sure you watch our match" Seth requested, the three of them walking off down the corridor as Rachael watched their muscley figures retreat. She was about to turn back to Paige but he shouted out to her.

"We're all going out tonight, you fancy coming? We can celebrate!" He asked expectantly

"Sure thing Handsome, I'll catch you later" She smiled, she'd landed a job and she had a damn good night ahead of her. So far, America hadn't let her down, and if she had her way this would only be the beginning.

Please review :)