A/N: So I really hope you guys liked the last chapter, because I had fun doing it. Here's the next one, with a bit more of drama than the previous chapter. Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated.
I couldn't have done this without you twinny! Thank you so much. You too Kat! You girls are amazing! Love ya!
Thank you to Kat RoadKill, twinny, JamieluvsHHH, and Randy4ever for reviewing chapter one. I appreciate it!
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of World Wrestling Entertainment, or any of it's Superstars mentioned her.
Summary: Ashley Massaro quit the WWE one year ago. Her daughter was sick, and needed her. Now, she's ready to give it another try. Will she be okay with her surroundings? Or will the unexpected happen?
Previous chapter:
Let's expand the flames up high
Let's burn it to the ground
Let's light a fire tonight
John couldn't believe it. The one person he was dying to see was here. She was back . His best friend, Ashley Massaro was back. Unbeknownst to John though, she was bringing her past with her. She brought her daughter who had needed her that day one year ago when she quit. John had no idea how or why she was back, but hopefully he'd find out soon enough. If only he knew what made Ashley come back.
After a few seconds, he was enraged. That was the secret both Hunter and Dave had known. The one they had kept from him. They would both feel his wrath, but for now, he would just concentrate on the fact Ashley was back.
Hopefully he'd get to talk to Ashley soon, and try to straighten out this whole mess. He was confused about why Ashley hadn't tried to contact him and let him know that she was coming back, and a little bit hurt. Hadn't they been friends? So why would she tell Hunter and Dave before she told him?
Tears like Mine chapter 2
John ran to the nearest monitor, and stared at it.
Ashley came out, did her did her classic "rock and roll" sign with her hands, causing the fans to roar, and made her way down to the ring, beaming the whole time, and almost bouncing as she walked.
She blew kisses to the fans, and got inside the ring. All four nodded their heads when the referee asked if they were ready. He signaled for the bell to be rung.
The Paparazzi Princess, Melina, started off against Katie Lea Burchill. She skipped around gracefully, taunting the British woman. "Come on." she said, and smiled as Katie's temper got the better of her. She made a beeline for Melina, but Melina moved just in time, as Katie's shoulder hit the post. Katie yelled in pain, not having been able to avoid crashing into the corner's post. Melina did her normal high pitched scream, but this time, she toned it down, the satisfaction in her voice was noticeable. She backed up, not really paying attention to where she was heading. Unfortunately for her, she was going towards Jillian Hall's corner. A more than ready Jillian dropped Melina from the corner, and into the floor. Her face hitting the bottom of the ring. Melina rubbed the side of her jaw and scowled. She quickly got in the ring and clotheslined Katie. She smirked and tried to do the Charging 180° spinning facebuster, but Katie moved and tagged Jillian. Melina thought about tagging Ashley in, but she figured Jillian wouldn't hurt her, as it was Jillian after all. Jillian charged at her, and slipped quickly into a plunging position as if in a pool. Her legs hit Melina with full force. She once again fell outside the ring, and towards the announcing table. She growled like a wildcat, and leaped into the ring. She smirked at Jillian's back was to her. The perfect chance to strike.
She nailed a DDT on her, and tagged Ashley, who had no problem with whom her opponent was. She and Jillian had some beef when back in 2007 after Ashley had posed for Playboy. Before, that, both had gotten along, and teamed against Michelle McCool and Kristal Marshall. Then, Jillian had gotten jealous. She attacked Ashley because she had gotten chosen to work in Timabaland's video, and seriously hurt her. Now, Jillian would be the one to be the one to lose. Her daughter was watching, and she was not about to lose to Jillian of all people.
This, above everything else motivated her. She grabbed some of Jillian's blonde hair, and tossed her across the ramp's side of the ring. She smiled at the fans approval, but never turned her back on Jillian. She measured her up, and when Jillian turned around, she was met with one nasty crucifix by the Dirty Diva. 1-2-3, the bell rung, and Ashley had won for her team. Her return had been a successful one.
You better hold on tight
Cause I'm gonna love you nice
I'm gonna do it right
Let me light a fire in you tonight
My eyes have never seen someone who looks like you
I wonder if you dream of my hands loving you
Because I know I do every day and every night
And I know I'll lose control if I can't crush this appetite
Ashley got on the top rope, and raised her fist in victory. She blew a kiss to a little boy who was cheering her on. She hugged Melina, and together, they made up their way to the ramp, triumphant smiles on their faces.
No sooner than 10 seconds after she had come through the curtain, she heard her daughter yell, "Momma! You won!" Ashley looked around, and she saw Carrie run from Vince McMahon's office with Shane.
"Baby!" Ashley yelled, and opened her arms to receive her daughter.
Shane McMahon was right behind her, a grin on his face. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." Ashley said, a smile on her face now, as she hugged Shane with her one free arm because her daughter was in the other.
Some feet away…
Melina spotted John Cena staring, well, more like ogling as Ashley and Shane. She knew he probably wasn't too happy knowing others had known before him.
"Hey." She said as she came closer to him.
He, however, stayed quiet.
"You care about Ashley, right?" she asked.
He turned around to look at Melina, and then nodded.
"Great, then don't ruin this for her. This is her night back. When I talked to her on the phone, she would be excited about this. It wouldn't be fair of you to screw this moment up for her. So, I suggest you wait until later to get angry, or whatever you're planning to do. Because I'll be damned if you go and make a scene in front of Carrie, her daughter. Carrie, who did nothing wrong." Melina pressed.
John stood there silent. His head trying to make up any reason as to why Melina wasn't right, but it couldn't. He realized it wouldn't be fair to Ashley or her daughter, instead, he would wait until the right moment to talk to him.
"Fine." he agreed, and began to walk away from Melina, and towards the men's locker room.
In that same locker room…
(Dave's POV)
Dave Batista stood there, in his trunk, ready for him match. He had seen Ashley's match, and he was impressed. He smiled when he saw the New York native and his ex-girlfriend win. He wasn't very fond of Jillian, and pitied the fact Katie Lea Burchill had been teamed up with her.
"Dave." a fuming Katie Lea greeted.
"Katie. I saw the match. I'm sorry you lost." I sympathized.
"Don't. I didn't." she grinned.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I wasn't the one pinned. Plus, this is Ashley's return. I'm glad she won it. She deserves the win." Katie answered.
"Ha, you have a point." I smiled.
"So, I came and I was wondering if you had seen my boyfriend, Ken Kennedy?" Katie asked as Batista began to blank out.
She waved at him, and snapped her fingers which got his attention.
"Huh?" I asked.
She laughed. "Have you seen Ken?" she asked him again.
"Looking for me?" the blonde man asked.
She nodded, and went to kiss him, which got a groan in response from me.
Katie looked at him, and said, "You could always leave, you know."
Which, was a suggestion Dave Batista took.
Ashley and Carrie went to the women's locker room, where they found Kelly, Layla, and Beth Phoenix. Where, Ashley asked the girls if they could watch Carrie while she quickly changed of clothes. They happily agreed, liking Ashley's daughter, and wanting to get to know her. No sooner than she had stepped into the showers, and had put her clothes down, there was a knock at the women's locker room door.
Layla peeked her head out the door, and found Dave Batista outside.
"Dave, what are you doing here?
"Uh, I was looking for um.." Dave said quietly, so much that Layla was unable to hear whom he was looking for, but was able to guess.
"Ashley?" Layla finished.
"Yeah, I actually was." Dave said nervously.
"Um, she's in the shower, but if you want, I can tell her you stopped by, and that you wanted to talk to her." Layla suggested."No." Dave seemed appalled by the suggestion. "You know what? Just forget it. Don't tell her I was here, please."
"Uh, are you sure?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, please don't." Dave begged.
Layla sighed. "Fine."
"Thanks." Dave thanked.
Layla quietly closed the door behind her, praying Ashley wouldn't hear it.
"Who was that?" Beth asked Layla.
"Uh, it was Cody." Layla lied.
"Cody?" Beth asked, raising her eyebrow, however, this subject was making Layla uncomfortable, so she didn't further press it.
"Yeah." Layla said quietly and left.
Ashley came out of her shower, and saw Beth and Carrie playing Slide. Ashley laughed, startling the pair.
"Oh, hey Ash." Beth smiled.
"Hey. Um, I'm going to catering with Carrie, do you want anything?" Ashley asked.
"Momma, can I stay here?" Carrie asked.
"No, we don't want to bother Beth." Ashley told Carrie.
"Oh, its no problem." Beth insisted.
"Are you sure?" Ashley asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, go to catering." Beth said, and began to push Ashley out the door.
As she walked into catering, she saw Raw's Heavyweight Champion, Phil Brooks. He turned around at the sound of some feet.
He immediately left his half eaten brownie to hug Ashley.
"Ashley," he greeted with a huge smile on his face, as he closed his arms around the Dirty Diva. Ashley returned the hug and smiled. Punk pulled away from her and smiled again.
"I saw your match. You did an amazing job!" the Straight-Edge Superstar complimented. "I have to say, you didn't miss a beat out there in the ring. It's like you were never gone."
Ashley brushed back a piece of her short multi-colored hair and replied, "Thanks, Phil. I can't believe how much I missed being here. Now that I'm back, though, I plan on picking up right where I left off."
"And taking some names while you're at it?" he teased.
Ashley nodded and laughed at the champ's comment, shaking her head. "Exactly," she replied. "I want to prove to the other superstars and the fans that I am more than eye candy; that I can actually wrestle. That means I need to get a shot at the Women's Championship." Her expression grew serious. "But, I don't know if or when that will happen."
Punk patted Ashley's shoulder reassuringly. "Ashley, don't worry about what everyone else thinks. I know that you are not just eye candy. I've seen you go out there and kick butt." He popped another brownie in his mouth. "Those people who say that about you, they don't matter. They're just jealous of you."
Ashley laughed. "You know, whenever there's a problem or something, you're the one person I like to talk to. You make things seem more brighter with the positive attitude you have." Ashley told him.
Phil blushed. Many of the Superstars didn't know it, but he was actually very shy. He and Ashley had always gotten along because they shared similar interests, from music to movies. He considered Ashley someone he could trust and a very close friend.
Ashley always made him feel comfortable and he was glad that she was back. He tossed his head back and replied,
"Well, I'm glad that I can always cheer you up. And you know, it goes both ways. You always make things seem brighter for me as well, even when I'm not feeling so great."
Ashley felt a blush creep over her cheeks. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that Phil was flirting with her. But then again, he was hard to read sometimes. She had to be mistaken.
"Phil, are you flirting with me?" the Diva teased, lightly slapping Phil's chest. Phil turned a deep red shade and he looked away from Ashley, suddenly becoming very interested in the marble pattern on the floor. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Phil said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just meant that it's been really boring without you around here. Who else can I call up at 3:00 in the morning when I can't sleep?" His eyes met Ashley's. "But seriously, I wanted to tell you that you did great with your match tonight, and I hope I get to see more of you now that you're back." He scratched his head lightly. "Does anyone else know that you're back?"
"Um, actually, yes," Ashley replied, as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "Layla, who's with Carrie, Shane, Stephanie, Dave, and you. I'm not sure if anyone else knows yet. I haven't told them, anyway."
Punk's face grew serious as he asked, "What about John? Does he know that you're back?"
Suddenly, Ashley's eyes grew big. She cursed under her breath, having forgotten about not telling John. "I didn't want to tell anyone. The people that found out--it, it was by accident." Ashley admitted.
"Yes, it was. If something unexpected was to happen, and then perhaps the fans found out, and I couldn't come , I would feel bad. Just like I couldn't tell my friends I was going to come back. Anything could have happened. Carrie could have hated the idea of me coming back, or she could have gotten sick." she explained.
With that, he understood, and was amazed by Ashley's compassion and caring of people. "Well, I'm glad Carrie was okay with it. It means we have you . Speaking of Carrie, I heard she's a cutie. Do you think I can meet her?" Phil asked.
Ashley was about to reply to Phil's question when she saw the Queen of Chaos, also known as Katie Lea, approaching them. She smiled warily at the British woman because she really wasn't sure what to make of her. She'd heard from a few of the other girls that Katie could be quite frosty around people, and downright mean if she didn't like someone, so Ashley was kind of apprehensive about her.
Then again, Ashley figured that Katie had no reason to be rude to her, since she really didn't know her all that well. She put a smile on her face and waved as Katie stopped beside her, standing between Ashley and Phil.Ashley smiled back at the British woman and stuck her hand out in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Katie," she said.
Katie tossed her long, dark mane behind her shoulders and, in her British accent, congratulated Ashley on her match.
"Great job out there. I was very impressed with your work. Unlike Kelly Kelly and some of the other girls, you really gave it your all and was focused on doing the best you could."
Ashley was pleased. One of World Wrestling Entertainment's best girls thought she was good. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Ashley said sincerely.
Katie nodded her head. "Phil." She greeted the young man.
He was shocked. He had seen Katie around, but she had never talked to him before. "Um, uh, u-m h-hi Katie." he stuttered.
Ashley grinned at Phil's reaction. She'd never seen him so flustered over a girl before, but then again, Katie could be kind of intimidating.
"What's the matter, Phil?" Ashley asked teasingly. "Cat got your tongue?" She held back a laugh.
"I don't bite, you know," Katie said softly, her stern expression beginning to melt. "So, do you have a match tonight?" she asked, trying to make conversation with Phil.
"Um, uh," Phil sputtered, still clearly nervous. Normally, he didn't get nervous around women, but Katie Lea was a little different. For one thing, she was quite conniving at times, and Phil wasn't sure if she was trying to be nice to him or not, or if she was just teasing him. "I'm not sure," he replied cautiously.Katie laughed, a deep, breathy laugh. "You don't know if you have a match tonight or not? Were you not paying attention earlier when Shane went over the plan for tonight?"
Clearly, that comment embarrassed Phil, because he turned to Ashley and, with a wave, mumbled, "Bye, Ashley, talk to you later," and stormed off in a huff. Ashley thought she heard him mutter something about "stupid British women," as he left.
Katie was surprised by his sudden absence leave. "Did I do something" she asked Ashley.
Ashley hesitated. "No, he's just real shy sometimes." She explained.
"Oh, I thought it was me." Katie muttered.
Ashley smiled. "Nope, it was him. You made him nervous." she said quietly.
Ashley frowned. It's not that she didn't want to tell Katie, but discussing that, meant bringing up Carrie, whom she wanted to be safe, and not have people disliking her. "Um, well, I have a daughter, Carrie, and um, she was very sick a year ago, so I had to take care of her. She had to go to the hospital for about 3 months, and was under observation. It was horrible. Well, she got better, and I stayed with her for the rest of the 7 months. About a month ago, Shane contacted me and asked me if I thought I could come . I told him I had to talk to Carrie first. When I talked it over with her, she said I should come . The first thing I told Shane, was that I wouldn't do something that my daughter would see, and that it would be nasty. Like stripping or being an Exhibitionist." she explained.
Katie waited until Ashley was finished before speaking. "Wow," she replied. "I am so sorry, Ashley. I had no idea that you even had a daughter, or that she was sick. I don't have children, so I can't understand your situation completely, but I applaud your decision to step back from wrestling so that you could take proper and better care of her."
Ashley was surprised by Katie's reaction. She was afraid that the other woman would have judged her unfairly, or made some rude comments about her situation, but she hadn't, surprisingly. She seemed to respect Ashley, and that touched her heart.
Katie walked over to one of the benches and sat down, unlacing her boots. "From what I can tell, you are a very good mother who just wanted the best for her daughter. Don't let anyone tell you any different." She smiled. "And, we actually have something in common. I absolutely refuse to do anything pertaining to stripping, or even bra and panties matches. I'm here to wrestle, not impress the boys."
She nudged Ashley playfully. "It's nice to see that I'm not alone in feeling like that. Girls like us have to stick together, right?"
"And, from watching you out there in the ring, you have amazing skill," Katie tossed her boots to the side and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. "Your daughter must be very proud to have a mommy like you, who is so caring and concerned about her."
Ashley laughed. "Right, if not, we're turned into someone like Kelly. And, as I have a daughter, I'm not here to impress any man. Ugh, bra and panties are horrible. Trust me, I've done them, and I hate 'em too." Ashley shivered at the thought.
"I honestly don't think anyone would want to see me in my underwear," Katie replied, shrugging. "I look quite horrid in them, and besides, I wouldn't feel comfortable parading around in the ring like that. I'd feel...a bit too naked." She grinned at Ashley. "So, have any of the guys welcomed you back yet?"
"Um, besides Phil, no, no one has. Before my match, I did see Shane and Dave, but that's it. Phil's the only guy. Oh, wait, I saw Shane." she giggled, because she had forgotten.
"Shane?" Katie arched an eyebrow. "Is he really as nice as everyone says? Because I know that Stephanie can be quite mean, and I didn't know if it was a family trait." She tugged at a piece of hair. "I really haven't spoken to him that much, so I can't say. But Stephanie, well...let's just say we don't get along," the British woman replied.
Ashley laughed. "Ha, Stephanie's a witch, so I'm not surprised you don't like he. I know I sure don't. Shane, I am relieved to say, is nothing like his sister. He's kind and compassionate." Ashley smiled at Katie.
"Wow, that's hard to believe," Katie replied. "I will agree with you, Stephanie's downright rude at times. People think I'm rude and mean like my character, but really, I'm not. I'm very nice once you get to know me. Stephanie, on the other hand..." the brunette's voice trailed off. "I feel sorry for Shane. So, did he get things straightened out for you?"
"Yes, he did. I'm on contract now." Ashley smiled at the thought. "And, Carrie's okay with it, so that's really good. I came , and won. Then, the best part, was that it was against Jillian. And," she paused dramatically. "I beat her blonde horrible singing butt!"
Katie cringed. "And I'm glad you did." She shuddered at the thought of Jillian's voice. "She has a horrid singing voice. Hasn't anyone told her that before, or does she just not care?" Shrugging, she changed the subject.
"Who are you sharing a room with?" Katie asked curiously, not meaning to be nosy.
"No one." the blonde replied, and continued. "Because my return was supposed to be a surprise, I didn't tell anyone."
"I see," Katie replied. "I wasn't trying to be nosy, I was just wondering if you and Carrie had a place to stay. Because if not, I was going to tell you that you guys could always share a room with me. I don't mind at all," the other woman replied. "I just didn't know if you guys were sleeping in your car, or what. I hope I didn't offend you."
Ashley couldn't help but like this woman. Contrary to popular belief, she was nice and sweet. Sure, intimidating at first, but nice. "No, you didn't offend me. And, if you don't mind, I might just take you up on that offer." Ashley said sheepishly.
Katie thought for a second before replying. "No, I don't think so." She absent-mindedly brought a hand up to her mouth and began to bite her fingernails. "I know that Ken and some of the boys were going to go to a club after the show, and normally I would go, but I don't feel like it tonight."
Ashley nodded. "OK, thanks, Katie." She placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I really appreciate you being so nice and welcoming to me and my daughter." Ashley smiled, a bit nervously. "Um, well, I'll go ahead and let you go take your shower now, and I'll see you later tonight."
The British woman waved goodbye, and Ashley made her way out of the locker room.
Meanwhile, Ashley went towards the men locker room, hoping Phil was there. She knocked on the door, and waited for a response.
The door opened, and she saw Ted DiBiase Jr. grin at her."Ted DiBiase." he introduced himself, and stuck out his hand.
Um, hi," Ashley said, taking the younger man's hand. "I don't think I've seen you before...are you new?" She sized the younger man up. He was young, maybe around 26 or so, and fairly good-looking. Ashley couldn't recall seeing him on the roster before, but then again, it had been a while since she'd been there. Obviously things had changed. She noticed that the man had a championship belt over his shoulder, and a closer look told her that it was a Tag Team Championship belt.
"Well, kind of," the man replied. "So, I didn't catch your name...are YOU new around here?" The comment almost made Ashley laugh. Dibiase...the name sounded familiar. She put two and two together and concluded that he had to be the son of the legendary Ted Dibiase, also known as The Million Dollar Man. She shook her head. He was kind of cocky, but not in an annoying way.
"I'm Ashley Massaro," she replied. Gesturing to Ted's championship belt, she continued, "So, Tag Team champion, huh? Who's the other half of the team?"
Ted smirked and glanced over at his belt, then at Ashley, before replying, "The infamous Ashley Massaro. I've heard quite a lot about you, and from what I see, it seems to be true." Ashley wasn't quite sure what to make of that comment, but she let Ted continue. "I debuted a few months ago, and formed a tag team with Cody Rhodes. I'm sure you know who he is. And yes, in case you were wondering, my dad is the Million Dollar Man. Unlike my father, though, I don't have a price. I'm simply priceless." He pointed down at his entire body, and then back up at his face. "You weren't here when I debuted...were you released?"
Ashley was about to take offense to that comment, but she noticed that the younger man really hadn't meant anything by it.
Ashley smiled. "No, I left to take care of my daughter." she smirked at Ted's shocked face.
"Daughter?" Ted replied, the shock still evident on his face. "Whoa, wait a second. Did I miss something?"
"Yep, daughter." She confirmed. "Her name's Carrie Marie Massaro. Sorry bro kicked my butt to the curb when he found out. His choice was to have me abort, but I didn't want to. So, she's a Massaro, just like me."
Ted let out a low whistle. "Geez, I'm sorry about that." He cautiously laid a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "Really, I am. That guy sounds like a total jerk. You're better off without him, and so is your daughter. She doesn't deserve a dad like that." He frowned. "I can't believe he kicked you out just because you wouldn't abort your child." Ted shook his head. "Geez."
Ashley had stopped caring about her ex, Nathan Daniels, so it didn't bother her like it used to. Then, remembering the younger DiBiase's words, she began to laugh. "Geez, huh? Is that your favorite word or something?" She teased.
"Well, normally I'd throw around a curse word or two, but I don't want to use foul language in the presence of a lady," Ted smirked. "So how old is your daughter, anyway? She can't be too old...after all, you're not that much older than me."
Ted set his belt down on the bench and walked back over to Ashley. "So your ex-boyfriend hasn't tried to harass you, or follow you around or anything?" he asked, in a concerned tone. "Because if he does, there's plenty of guys here who I'm sure wouldn't mind kicking his ass if he tried anything."
"Nope, he hasn't tried to harass me, or follow me around. He has tried to see Carrie for some time now, but I haven't let him. If it's wrong, I could care less. He has no right to see her." she said coldly.
"It's not like he wanted to see her before--like I did." she added softly.
"I really don't blame you," the younger man replied. "Based on what you've told me, you wouldn't be wrong in never letting him see Carrie. After all, if he'd cared anything about her--or you--he never would have walked out like that." Ted looked over at Ashley and noticed that her expression was sad. "What's wrong, Ashley? Are you okay?" He moved closer to the woman and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Ashley nodded, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't Nathan that she was upset about, not really. It was the fact that her daughter had a father, but he refused to make the effort to see her.
"Yes, I'm okay." she lied, and put a fake smile on her face. "And, the reason for my visit was to see--" she tried saying before getting interrupted.
"To see me. Yeah, I know." he joked.
'Ha." she snorted.
"Actually, I was looking for Phil, you know, the World Heavyweight Champion." she glanced at Ted and his Tag Team title.
"Hey, wait a second," Ted interrupted her, as he patted his belt. "Are you saying that I'm not as talented, or as valued, as Phil just because I'm a Tag Team champion and not a World Heavyweight Champion?" His tone was teasing and Ashley couldn't help but laugh. She liked this guy.
"But actually, I haven't seen Phil." Ted gestured toward the small shower and said, "The last time I saw him, he was going to take a shower. Then I think he said something about going to catering and getting something to eat, but I'm not sure. Cody was talking, and once he gets started, he never shuts up." The young man ran a hand over his short hair and continued, "So maybe you should check there."
"Thanks, so catering then?" she asked.
"Yup." he said.
"If not, I suggest just wait until you bump into him or something." the young man suggested.
"All right, it was nice to meet you…Junior." she said with a smirk.
"Nice to meet you too, Ashley," Ted replied, smiling. But the smile disappeared from his face at the name Ashley called him. "Wait a second, you called me Junior? Well, just so you know, you are the only one who can call me that!"
Ashley waved once again before leaving the locker room and down the hallway to catering.
The thoughts of her previous encounters with Katie Lea, who actually was nicer than Ashley had expected, and Ted Dibiase, Jr. were still in Ashley's mind as she walked down the long hall. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and before long, she had reached the snack bar. Ashley mused over the choices in front of her and finally decided on some potato chips. She reached down into her pants and fished out three quarters, then slipped them in the small slot. A few seconds later, the chips popped out and Ashley reached down to pick them up. When she stood back up, there was Phil Brooks. He was holding a bag of M&M's and had a smile on his face.
"Gosh, Phil, you scared me." Ashley scolded, lightly slapping the World Heavyweight Champion's chest.
He laughed. "Sorry Ash. But then again, it's not like I was spying on you, or following you. So, no harm done. Or, am I wrong?" he asked.
She sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It could be worse. And, no, you're not wrong."
"You could have said something," Ashley replied. "Where have you been? I was just in the guys' locker room, looking for you."
"I was looking for you." he said with a smile. Phil studied Ashley's face before replying. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ashley replied, her tone soft as well. She could tell by the look on Phil's face that he didn't believe her. "I am, really," the blonde beauty insisted. "I was looking for you, and you were looking for me. It's kind of funny." She laughed. "Might I ask why you were looking for me?"
Punk shrugged. "You first. Why were you looking for me?"
"You wanted to meet Carrie." she said.
"Oh, that's right," Punk replied, a little bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I forgot. Of course I'd love to meet Carrie. Where is she?"
"She's with Layla. Where exactly, I'm not sure. But, they should be at the locker room." Ashley said as she began to walk towards the locker room.
Phil followed close behind Ashley as the duo approached the girls locker room. Ashley placed her hand on the doorknob and was about to open the door when Phil stopped her.
"Wait a second, don't you think we should knock?" Phil asked cautiously. Ashley just stared at him, so Punk rolled his eyes and continued. "I mean, the last time I did this, I ended up walking in on Jillian, and she was naked." He shuddered. "She started screaming at me, like she does every week, and I do not want that to happen again."
She pushed the door back and was relieved to see her daughter sitting on the floor with Layla, who was braiding her hair. Layla noticed Phil and Ashley standing there and smiled as she did the finishing touches on Carrie's hair. "There you go, sweetie," she replied, patting the small child on the back. "You look great." She nodded at Phil. "Hey, Ash. I was looking for you--well, Carrie was, anyway." The little girl ran over to her mom excitedly, and Ashley scooped the little girl up in her arms.
"Oh, baby." Ashley said softly.
"Where were you momma?" Carrie asked.
"I was looking for you," Ashley answered, stroking the little girl's hair. "I'm sorry if you got scared. I was trying to find you, and then I got caught up talking to Katie, and Ted." She kissed her daughter on the cheek. "But Momma's back now." She set the little girl down and pointed at Phil, who wasn't quite sure what to think of Carrie. "Carrie, I'd like you to meet someone. This is CM Punk, but you can call him Phil. He told me that he wanted to meet you." She smiled at Phil, who was now beaming from ear to ear.
Carrie shyly made her way over to the Straight-Edge Superstar.
"Hi." she greeted, twirling her hands.
"Hi sweetie. I'm Phil." he greeted, and extended his arms for the four year-old girl.
"Nice to meet you." she said as she made her way over to the young man.
"Awww." Layla and Ashley cooed in unison.
Phil blushed, but he didn't say anything. He wrapped his arms around the small girl, squeezing lightly before letting her go. He really did love children, and he hoped that he would be lucky enough to have some of his own one day.
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, as the little girl smiled at him. She giggled and the Straight-Edge Superstar cocked his head, asking, "What's so funny?" Carrie covered her mouth with her little hands and shrugged.
"You have rings in your lip, like Momma," she answered.
"Did they hurt?" She stuck out a finger and touched Punk's lip ring gently. He laughed and said,
"Only a little bit. Your momma and me, we're tough." He looked up at Ashley, who was still smiling.
"We sure are." Ashley winked at Phil.
"So, mommy?" Carrie broke the comfortable silence.
"Yes baby?" Ashley asked, raising her eyebrow at her daughter's mischievous smile.
"Can we go to get some M&M'?" the four year-old asked.
"We?" she questioned.
'Yes, Uncle Phil and I." Carrie said softly, looking at Phil's face as she said the last three words.
"Well, baby, I guess so," Ashley said. "That is, if it's okay with Phil." She raised a questioning eyebrow at Punk, trying to see his reaction.
The little girl's new nickname for Phil melted his heart and he was very flattered and happy that Carrie had taken up with him so well. A boyish smile came over his face and he felt his cheeks getting red.
"I'd love to, sweetie," he answered, again wrapping his arms around the little girl. "It's up to your mommy, though." He looked up at Ashley. "Is it okay, Ash?"
She smiled. "Yep, it sure is. Although I don't want you to have them all. It's not healthy baby. So, promise me you won't have too many." "I promise momma." Carrie said as she took out her pinky to do a pinky promise.
Ashley used her own pinky, and shook on it with Carrie. "All right then, ya'll can go." she said.
Phil smiled at her, and took the little girl by her hand, and made their way out.
As they left, Ashley began to look in her bag for her beloved iPod. She searched the interior part for a few seconds, and then felt as if someone was staring at her. She turned around, and sure enough, there was someone over there.
"John." she said nervously as she saw the former WWE Champion leaning on the door.
Without a word, he stepped inside the locker room.
"What are you doing here?" Ashley asked, tensing up as the former Champ took a seat on the bench next to her back.
"I could ask you the same question," John replied, his eyes on the floor. "Why didn't you say anything about coming back to the WWE?"
"What do you mean, that's what you wanted?" John asked, the anger evident in his voice. "You really expect me to believe that you didn't tell anyone you were coming back? I don't believe it, Ash."
He was very angry with Ashley for two reasons: one, he thought she was lying to him about not telling one single person she was going to return, and two, because it seemed like she didn't want to talk to him at all. John looked over at the woman sitting next to him, not sure of how she was going to react to what he had just said.
Ashley stayed quiet. "Yes, that's what I wanted. As for you believing it, well, do what you want. I'm not making you believe anything. You're free to have your opinion. And, no I didn't tell anyone I was coming back ."
John nodded slowly, trying to take all the information in. Maybe Ashley wasn't lying, but he still wasn't sure whether or not he believed her. And had this been something she'd suddenly decided? He was full of questions, all of which he was going to get the answers to before the night ended.
John could feel his heartbeat speeding up as he spoke, and it was all he could do to keep calm. He didn't like being kept in the dark, and Ashley's return had been just that. Friends didn't keep secrets from each other, or at least he didn't think so.
"I've been talking to Shane about coming back for about a month now." Ashley said simply.
"About a month," John repeated. "About a month?" His voice grew louder and he got up suddenly, walking over to the other side of the room and then beginning to pace back and forth. "Answer me this question, Ashley. Are we or are we not friends?"
"I don't know John. You tell me." she said, and began to look him in the eyes.
Ashley was starting to get worried. Never before, had she seen him this way. This pissed off actually.
John was hurt by Ashley's comment, but after the hurt went away, then the anger came. "What did you say?" he asked, in a dangerous tone. "Did you just tell me that you don't know if we're friends or not?" He got right up in Ashley's face, so close that their noses were almost touching. "If you really have to ask, then I guess we aren't friends at all. Maybe we never were, because friends don't keep secrets from each other!" he yelled the last word and Ashley cringed.
"I didn't keep any secrets from you." she said quietly.
"Um, yes you did," John said angrily, still right up in Ashley's face. "You've been thinking about coming back for a month now, and you didn't even have the decency to call me and let me know? Why would you do that, Ashley?"
He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You apparently wanted to keep it a secret, but you told Shane. You wouldn't tell me, for some reason that you won't say. So it's fine. I just don't like being lied to, is all."
"Shane is the company's executive producer. Plus, he was the one standing in for Mr. McMahon at the time." she reminded him."You're not listening to me, Ashley!" John yelled, and Ashley could see that he was frustrated. "Damn. Is there some reason you didn't want to tell me, or even some reason why you didn't cal me during your time away from here?"
"Some reason I didn't want to tell you?" she repeated. "Cena, how do you want me to explain to you I couldn't call you? If Shane hadn't talked me into coming back, I wouldn't have, okay. He said I should come back. I told him I would talk to Carrie first, and see what she thinks. I came back because she was okay with it, and wanted to see me wrestle. My number one priority isn't wrestling, it's my daughter I would have been just fine staying at home with her!" she said angrily.
"Yeah, and that's something else," John said, his voice still loud and angry. "Why did you keep the fact that you had a daughter from me? And don't tell me it was a secret. Melina knew, so obviously you had no problem with it being known. But you kept it from me." His eyes narrowed.
"Melina." she began. "Is my best friend. Honestly, I knew your initial reaction wouldn't have been a pleasant one. She's my daughter, and I want to protect her. I kept it from you because it wasn't, and still isn't any of your business. Your reaction is what kept me from it. I can see you right now. You're judging me. Probably making up an explanation in your head. Phil, Mel, Beth, Shane, Layla, Batista, Katie, Ted DiBiase Jr.-- they've all been okay with it, unlike you." she told him.
"Nice to know you think I'm a total jerk." John threw his hat across the room and balled his hands up into fists. He was really mad now.
John walked back over to Ashley, and got right back in her face again. "You know what I think?" he hissed, causing Ashley to jump back in surprise. "I think that you're nothing but a liar. You say that you didn't know you were coming back, but I think that's bullshit. You didn't have the nerve to tell me you were coming back because you thought that, for some reason, I didn't deserve to know."
He grabbed Ashley's arm. "You know what else? I think that us being friends was a one-sided thing. I should've known better than to try and be friends with someone like you. Girls like you only care about themselves, and I guess you thought you were too good to be my friend, but you didn't want to hurt my feelings, so you pretended." He rolled his eyes at Ashley. "Or did someone pay you to act like we were friends?"
Ashley winced at the grip John had on her arm. It really hurt, and besides that, his behavior was really beginning to scare her. She'd never seen John like this, and didn't realize he could be this dangerous.
"John, I never acted like your friend. And, no one paid me. That hurts John. I do care about you. Please stop. You're hurting me. Let go!" she tugged at his grip, but failed. She saw her arm, and tears began to form at her eyelids.
"Oh, am I hurting you?" John asked nastily, not loosening his grip one bit. "Poor Ashley. For once she's on the receiving end of pain, instead of dishing it out." His grip tightened. "Now you know how I feel. What I'm doing to you right now isn't even half of what you did to me."
"John, let go of me!" Ashley wailed. "Stop, please!" She pleaded for him to stop, but John simply ignored her. That bitch lied to you, he kept thinking. So you need to show her exactly how she made you feel.
John grabbed Ashley by the shoulders roughly, digging his fingers into her shoulder. "And who's going to make me let go of you?" He smirked. "You? Because no one else knows about what's happening right now. So go ahead and cry, it won't do you any good." Ashley was frightened now. John really had snapped. She looked around fearfully, searching for anyone that could help her get away from John.
"Who are you looking for?" John whispered into Ashley's ear.
"Like I told you, no one is in this arena. They left right after the show." John continued to speak into Ashley's ear. "So you can scream, you can cry, you can fight me all you want. But you're going to tell me why you lied to me, and you're going to do it now." Ashley struggled to get away, but John held her firmly. "Stop trying to get away from me, Ashley. There's no one you can run to."
"You're wrong. I'm here, kid." a new deep voice came from the shadows.
The person moved, and was revealed to be none other than Dave Batista.
"Let her go." Dave said just as dangerously.
"Or what ?" John replied calmly, not backing down from the bigger man at all. "You gonna make me, bro?"
He smirked. "And who are you anyway? Ashley's savior? Oh look, here comes the big, bad Batista to save the damsel in distress." John snorted. "Pathetic."
"Pathetic, me? You're hurting a woman. That's pathetic. Can't you pick on someone your own size? I'd be more than happy to beat you to pieces." "The Animal" growled.
"Is that so?" John cleared his throat. "Well, since you've made it your mission to stick your nose in where it don't belong, then why don't you just beat my ass right here, right now?" John threw his hands in the air. "Hell, I can even get a ref in here if you wanna do this." He looked over at Ashley. "And your girlfriend can watch." His expression grew serious. "But if you're gonna beat my ass, then you better do it right, because if you give me the opportunity, I will pummel you like you've never been pummeled before."
"Are you serious" Dave sneered. "I am bigger, stronger, and better than you will ever be Cena. As for you pummeling me, well, I highly doubt it. Now, like I said before, let her go. Or, you will face me, and my consequences." Dave warned.
John loosened his grip on Ashley, and pushed her away roughly. He looked up at Dave, who was seething with anger, and said, "You're not even worth my time, bro. You want Ashley, you can have her. I got better places to be."
"Yeah? Well, you'll be there once I'm done with you." Dave said as he grabbed the coming John Cena by his shirt, and slammed him against the wall roughtly. "Now, I want you to apologize to Ashley. Now!" Dave seethed, and tightened his own grip on the young man.
John tried to wiggle free of the bigger man's grip, but Dave wasn't going to let him go until he apologized. He rubbed a spot on his head, where it had hit the wall, and winced in pain. He looked over at Ashley, who was visibly upset and crying, and made an attempt to apologize.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Ashley," he said, as he looked over at Dave. "I guess what I said was out of line." John sighed and said to Dave, "There. You happy?"
"No! I want you to mean it. Do it again." Dave said. "You have 15 seconds. Starting now." Dave hurried.
John scrambled to find the words. If he made his apology sound at least halfway sincere, then maybe Dave would let him go. Deep down, there was probably a part of him that felt bad, but John's pride and ego were in control right now, and he really wasn't sorry. But he apologized anyway.
"Ashley, I really am sorry," John said, trying to sound sincere. "I had no right to yell at you and grab you and scare you like that. I hope you can accept my apology." He looked over at Dave, who was shooting him a dirty look. "I didn't mean to be a jerk."
This time, Ashley spoke up, but not before laughing. "Jerk, huh? What you acted wasn't jerk-like. It was more along the lines of an ass. I don't accept your apology. But, I unlike you do have compassionate feelings for others, regardless of my feelings towards them. Dave, you can let him go." he nodded to The Animal.
Dave didn't want to, but seeing Ashley's face, he relented. "Fine, but you touch Ashley again, and I will kill you." he warned.
"I won't," John said solemnly.
Dave pointed a finger in John's face, and said, "You're damn right you won't, at least you won't if you know what's good for you." He shoved John. "Get out of my sight, now."
You don't have to tell me twice, John thought to himself. He didn't need another beating. He looked at Dave and Ashley one final time, before scrambling hurriedly out of the locker room and into the arena, leaving Ashley and the Animal alone.
"Ashley. Are you okay? I'm sorry, wrong words. Did he touch you anywhere else?" he asked quietly, making his way over to the Dirty Diva, careful not to make her jumpy. From what it looked like to him, she was in shock.
He slowly placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder, trying not to scare her. Ashley just stood there, her face expressionless and her body tense. Dave gently pulled the Diva into his arms and smoothed her hair as he tried to calm the blonde woman down. He could feel her shaking and he rubbed her arms and whispered, "Shhh. It's okay, Ashley."
"He won't hurt you anymore. I'm here, okay? It's okay." he murmured quietly.
Ashley buried her head in the tall man's shoulder, and just let everything out. The stress of returning, worrying about Carrie, and John's actions all in one day had been just too much for her to handle, and she was tired of pretending like she was okay and could handle it. The tears started pouring down her cheeks, and before she knew it, she was sobbing. Ashley knew that she shouldn't be embarassing herself like this by crying on Batista's shoulder, because this wasn't his problem, but she couldn't help it. The tears continued to pour forth and her shoulders began shaking violently. The more she thought about what John had said and done to her, the more she cried, and she knew that she would be sick if she didn't stop crying soon.
Batista's emotions were present tonight. His anger having gotten the best of him earlier, but he hated what he had witnessed. Cena had picked on Ashley, and insulted her. Ashley, who had done nothing wrong. So, when the blonde woman began to cry, he comforted her to the best of his abilities. He held onto her, and rubbed her back. He held her tight to let her know he was right there, and was going to make sure she was okay. He let her cry on his shoulder, and was not bothered by it. He really detested John right now. Here, he had a beautiful strong woman cry because of John's stupidity. He had gotten pissed, and snapped. It was wrong. Now, poor Ashley was breaking into pieces. But, he vowed, John Cena was going to pay for what he had done. And, that was something he would personally see to.
