Chapter 13:

Hell in a Cell

Jory arrived alone to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, for Hell in a Cell. The nervousness she felt left her a shaking mess behind the steering wheel of her rental car. In a matter of hours, she would be standing across the ring from Raw Women's Champion Sasha Banks, and there was a fifty-fifty chance that she would be walking out of the event with the championship. Since becoming the number one contender it was all she could think about. Defeating Stephanie on her father's grand stage had been icing on the cake; going on to win the championship would only be the cherry on top.

She parked the car but made no immediate effort to get out or kill the ignition. Once again, she was traveling alone because Seth had blown up their travel arrangements at the last possible minute. With his upcoming match against Eric Young, he'd chosen to meet up with Dean and Roman to strategize. He promised that he'd hook up with her at the arena, but Jory didn't see how that was possible; if he was too busy to see her outside of work, what made him think it would be any calmer at work? She couldn't help but think once again that he was telling her all the things she wanted to hear.

They were going down in flames. It wasn't getting better; it seemed to only get worse. His insistence that she apologize to Dean Ambrose left her deeply offended and hurt. He was insistent that Dean meant no harm, that she'd flown off the handle, but she'd told him in no uncertain terms that Hell would freeze over before she gave him an apology. He insinuates that I'm some kind of whore and I'm the one who has to apologize? Boyfriend of the Year material right there, Jory. You really picked a winner, she thought to herself derisively. I guess the old adage is true - bros before hos.

Shaking her head, Jory looked at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Bitch, you better focus," she told herself sternly. "You did not come this far to fall on your face at the finish line. Get it together."

Killing the ignition, cutting off the Hoobastank song on the radio, Jory got out of the car. There were handfuls of people gathered on both sides of the barricades. Some cheered for her, some were firmly on Team Sasha Banks. Some shouted words of encouragement, others told her they wanted Sasha to mop the canvas with her. Jory greeted them with smiles as she rounded the car, grabbing her suitcase from the trunk. She stopped for selfies and sign autographs, accepting people's kind words before she walked into the arena.

This was a big night for her, the biggest night of her career so far. Since the days of the Divas division had died, Jory had found herself floundering in the "Women's Evolution". This was her chance to find a good spot in the door and kick it in. She'd had brand new gear made. She'd upped her workouts, readjusted her diet, and even hit up her local wrestling school to practice new moves to add to her arsenal. She was doing everything she needed to succeed, all while confronting the ugly truth that some would dismiss her victory as a benefit of her friendship with Baron.

All she wanted to do was prove that she was a Hall of Fame worthy competitor. She wanted to prove that she could succeed on her own, but it felt like there was always some kind of outside force messing with her, undermining her attempts. At the end of the day, she wanted to have the kind of career that Trish Stratus had, that Lita and Victoria and Molly had. Jordana Moody wanted the kind of career that would inspire the next generation of girls to put on a pair of boots, the way that the girls before her had done for her.

She thought about the developing situation with Baron, and she sighed as she walked into the arena. Absolute power was corrupting Baron absolutely, and he was getting to the point where nobody could tell him anything. He had fallen down the rabbit hole quickly, becoming Stephanie's prized pupil, right down to the language he used. Baron was always throwing barbs at her about Seth, while Seth was doing the same thing with her. With Baron, she could at least understand that Seth being jealous and belligerent had led to the situation, but with Seth, it felt like it was punishment for finding friends without him. But she couldn't wait around for him to notice her. She had a right to live her life while he was doing the same. But the suspicion that was circling her was draining her in ways she hadn't foreseen.

The worst part was that she was uncomfortable around Baron now. He relished his newfound power to destroy the lives of his colleagues, and currently, he'd been taking out his fury on Finn Balor, one of the most laid-back and well-loved men on the roster. But Finn wasn't going to allow Baron Corbin to push him around, and Jory couldn't say that Finn was in the wrong for that. Baron went looking for the fight; whatever happened afterward was of his own design.

As she walked down the hall, towards the women's locker room where she could drop off her bags, Jory realized that she was exhausted. She was tired of the political backstabbing and power plays. She was tired of being overworked but overlooked, by those she loved and those who signed her paychecks. Thinking about it, she realized it had been a long time since she'd had a vacation. She thought about broaching the subject with Baron; it seemed like a good idea to take a few weeks off, preferably before everything blew up in her face.

Baron leaned against the wall of the makeup area and watched Lindy Sue apply eye-shadow to Jory's lids. Her gear was brand new, in two pieces instead of her usual bodysuit. It was made of black vinyl, with violet and teal accents with crystal studding. The top was halter style with a deep, plunging square neckline that revealed a fair amount of the crystal bra she wore underneath. The crystals shimmered underneath the lights. Fishnet stockings, knee pads, and boots completed her look. Her hair was already done, the dark brown curls framing her face in beautiful waves.

It occurred to Baron that she looked ready for her match against Sasha Banks. As the acting General Manager, Baron couldn't come out and throw his support behind a specific opponent, but he was sure it was wrestling's worst kept secret that he was pulling for Jory. Stephanie had been right about her; despite everything they'd been through, Jory was a tenacious talent, someone he definitely wanted on his side. It wasn't a secret that things had been turbulent for her for a while, but he was sure once things finally came to a head with her and Seth that she would get back on track.

Lindy Sue noticed Baron, and she stopped what she was doing. Jory opened her eyes to find Baron, and it struck him that she didn't look all that happy to see him. He brushed it off quickly as nerves; this was the biggest match she'd had since WrestleMania, and he knew she had to be feeling the pressure in the worst way.

"Hi, Baron," Lindy Sue greeted. Jory tacked a smile on her face. Baron adjusted the sleeve on his purple button-down shirt, flashing both women a smile as he pushed himself off the wall.

"What's up?" Jory asked.

"Not too much. Just getting everything in order for the show tonight. Do you have a minute to talk?" Baron asked. Jory shrugged.

"I'm not going anywhere - Lindy's not quite done yet," Jory told him. "Does it need to be in private?"

"Not at all," he told her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he rocked on his heels. "You know we've got Super Show Down coming up in Melbourne, right?"

She nodded. Jory wasn't on the card, but WWE was rolling out the red carpet for the event. She'd never been to Australia before, so she was disappointed she wasn't going. The furthest her travels had taken her to was Japan. It was her hope to one day wrestle on every continent.

"I know that it's kind of last minute, but win or lose tonight, I'd like you to come down and do some ambassador work with me," Baron told her. "There are a few functions I have to attend, some black-tie stuff that is so not my scene, and I think I'd feel better having you there."

"Baron..."

"If you need to run it by Seth and get him to sign off on it, that's fine. I understand..." Baron trailed off when he saw the fire flare up in her eyes at the mention of Seth's name. She snorted.

"I'm my own woman, Baron, and this is my career," she reminded him pointedly. He nodded. "I'll be in Melbourne. I'll book everything when I'm done here."

"Great." Baron clapped his hands together. "I mean it - black-tie. Make sure you bring something formal."

"Thanks for the head's up." Baron nodded.

"Good luck out there tonight. You've got this." He moved past the chair, stopping for a moment when he was beside her. "Alexa's already called the winner."

"Good to know." They bumped fists and Baron left her. Silent in her chair, Jory's stomach rolled with uneasiness. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something didn't feel right about this arrangement. The ominous feeling settled on her bones like a coat of slime, but she did the best she could to push it out of her head, falling into conversation with Lindy Sue about new eye shadow palettes she wanted to try.

Underneath the west wing stairwell of the arena, Seth was leaned against the wall closest to the stairs with Roman, the two men watching Dean wrap his hands in white tape. He was dressed for battle, in a black muscle shirt underneath a grey sleeveless hoodie that was unzipped and blue jeans. Seth and Roman were already dressed in their wrestling gear, Seth and Roman's dry hair tied back away from their faces in buns that rested at the nape of their necks. They watched Dean quietly, the silence thick in the air between the trio.

Seth could see the Intercontinental Championship at the finish line. All he had to do was reach out and take what was his. Failure was not an option here. While it was no secret that Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain were going to be standing at Eric's side, Seth felt more than confident with just Dean in his corner. Dean Ambrose was a wildcard; Dean's brand of unpredictability could easily trump Sanity's brand of chaos when it counted, every day of the week. Seth was willing to stake everything on that belief, and in the matter of a few hours, it was what he would be doing.

For a moment he thought about Jory, who had the biggest match of her career later on in the evening against Sasha Banks. He promised her that he'd track her down when she got to the arena, but he was pretty sure it was going to have to wait until after their matches were over. There was a brief thought in his head to text her good luck, but she was still upset with him over the whole thing with Dean.

He firmly believed her reaction had been excessive; after all, Dean had been joking. There was no need to fly off the handle. But she had, and when he'd broached apologizing, she'd made it clear it wasn't going to happen. Dean didn't care, but Seth didn't think it was right. Ever since he'd suggested she apologize, every text message he'd sent her had been met with short, one word replies.

What kind of messages do you think Baron sends her? What do you think she tells him? The thought invaded Seth's head sharply, and he clenched his jaw. Baron had effectively driven a wedge between them, and he had no idea how to right the ship when she was so determined to stay friends with the sycophant. Seth believed Jory was a smart woman, but she was acting incredibly stupid with Baron. He knew calling her out on it would only make things worse than they already were. He was doing his best to stay out of it and let her learn the lesson for herself, but he wanted to intervene so bad.

"Earth to Rollins? Bro, wake the fuck up."

"Huh?" Seth blinked, his focus snapping to Dean, who shook his head. He threw the cardboard in his hand to the left, not looking where it landed. The annoyance was written all over Dean's face. Seth could see the irritation shining in Dean's blue eyes.

"Focus. Jesus fucking..." Dean shook his head. "I can't believe you, man. You've changed."

"What?" Seth shook his head, his expression growing dark. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the old Seth Rollins would never let a bitch invade his headspace like this. You got a match tonight - pay attention."

"Dude, don't call her a bitch. That's not cool," Roman chimed in. Dean shot him a look and Roman put his hands up, shaking his head. "Sorry, Deano, but if you wouldn't like us talking about Renee that way, you gotta show Seth's woman the same respect."

"You should be worrying about Strowman tonight, bro, not my choice of words," Dean told him pointedly. Roman smirked.

"Oh, don't you worry about Strowman. I got one for him," Roman assured Dean, raising his fist.

"Good." Dean turned his attention to Seth. Reaching out, he shoved him. Seth staggered back, surprised. "You need to get your head in the fucking game, or EY and his boys are going to fuck your shit up tonight." He shook his head in what Seth registered as disgust. "Deal with the pussy problems later. Right now's the time to focus or those guys are going to run over you again, and I don't know about you, but I don't wanna hear it if you lose tonight." Dean backed away from Seth. "I'm gonna get something to eat. See you out there. Get it together."

Before Seth and Roman could say anything, Dean was gone, through the door. They watched the heavy steel shut behind him in silence, Roman breaking the silence with a sigh when the door clicked shut behind Dean.

"He's different now," Roman observed. Seth looked over at him.

"You're noticing that, too, huh?"

For the first time since Dean's return, Seth found himself wondering just how trustworthy Dean Ambrose was. The Shield was a brotherhood; Seth loved Roman and Dean like they were blood brothers. The idea of losing them again hit him like a boot in the chest, knocking him breathless momentarily. But it was clear there was something bubbling just beneath Dean's surface, something that was threatening to explode at some point. Who he planned on directing that bile at was the mystery.

Dean Ambrose wasn't the same man he'd been when he'd gone down with his injury, and everyone could see it. The new Dean Ambrose was someone Seth and Roman didn't recognize, a far more reactive and agitated man. He was more aloof, more defensive and quicker to anger. The word "lunatic", once used to sell his merchandise, had now become his berserk button, the word he hated to hear the most.

"He'll come around," Roman assured Seth. "But he's right. You gotta get your head in the game. Young and his boys aren't coming to play - they're coming to win."

Seth nodded. "I'm reading you - and him - loud and clear."

"Don't forget it." Roman shook his head. He looked at the door Dean had disappeared through and sighed. "We'll get a cold one in him at the end of the night and he'll be good as new. Beer always says what words can't with that guy."

Jory walked through the curtains with sagged shoulders and hot tears burning behind her eyelids. She could hear Sasha's music blaring on the other side of the curtains. In her mind, she could see the celebration Sasha was having in the ring. She could picture the violet-haired competitor standing on the second rope in the corner, holding the title high over her head, slapping the front plate possessively.

It had been a hard-fought match, maybe the hardest fight Jory had ever given an opponent. Both women had given it everything they had, but at the end of it all, Sasha had wanted it just a little bit more. Sasha had something to prove; it was the first time in her illustrious career on the main roster that she'd been able to successfully retain her title in a defense. She could win them no problem, and she was racking up championships like a Hall of Fame talent, but keeping it around her waist had proven to be her Achilles heel. But tonight, at Jory's expense, Sasha had done it, and in twenty-four hours she'd be walking into Raw with the Women's Championship around her waist.

Jory had lost; having to accept that nobody was responsible for this but her left her feeling a mixture of anger and depression. Quietly she'd accepted the handshakes and kind words from the producers and agents and even Vince McMahon himself. Everyone had been happy with the match, but all Jory could see was her failure. Their happiness did little to soothe her fractured ego.

Stepping through the black curtain, she wasn't at all surprised to find that Seth wasn't there waiting for her, but it was just an extra kick in a night full of lows.

Baron was there, however, armed with a smile and a sandwich bag full of ice. "Hey. I saw you fell kinda hard during the home stretch there, so I thought you could use this," he greeted. She offered him a tight smile, taking the ice pack from him and placing it on the back of her burning neck, wincing as the cold made contact with her sweaty flesh.

"Thanks."

"I want you to head to the trainer's room and get yourself looked at. Just in case," he told her. "That was a really bad spill."

"I will before the night is over," she promised softly. "Right now, though...I think I just need to be alone for a bit."

Baron studied her, really looked her over, and he nodded. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I get it. For the record, it could have gone either way out there. This doesn't define you. You aren't weak. You'll bounce back like you always do."

She nodded. It was hard to ignore the feeling that the words coming out of his mouth should have been coming from Seth. "Thank you, Baron."

"Do what you need to do, but get yourself looked after. If you don't, I won't be able to clear you for Raw tomorrow night." She nodded.

"Do I need to bring you a doctor's note?" she asked. Baron snorted.

"I can talk to him, smart-ass," he told her, nudging her with his shoulder. She pursed her lips together, forcing her lips to curve in a smile that felt crooked and broken. Still holding the ice on the back of her neck she took a step back, examining Baron before she turned and walked away. Baron watched her leave before he went to find Seth Rollins. Talking to Jory had given him an idea, a great idea about his upcoming match with Eric Young.

"Heeey, Bayley!"

Unscrewing the cap on her water bottle, Bayley turned, sipping her water as her eyes fell on Seth's approaching figure. It was hard for The Kingslayer to be in a terrible mood; for once, Baron's attempt to stack the deck against him had led to great things. It had led to Seth emerging victorious and reclaiming the Intercontinental Championship. Bayley couldn't help but grin at the swagger in his step. His smile was bright enough to light the arena. Replacing the cap on her water bottle, Bayley moved quick, launching herself into Seth's arms. "Hey! You did it! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," he said with a laugh. They were quiet for a moment. "Has anyone ever told you that you give the best hugs?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, duh. That's kind of my thing," she reminded him. He tightened his embrace momentarily before pulling away from her. She wasn't wrestling on the card, so Bayley was dressed in a burgundy dress and a black blazer, her brown hair out of its trademark side ponytail. "I'm a hugger, remember?" They shared a laugh. Seth reached past her and grabbed a bottle of water for himself.

"Have you seen Jory around? I haven't been able to meet up with her since I got here," he lamented. Seth's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the light fade from Bayley's smile. He felt a lump form in his chest, a hard and rigid feeling that was hard to swallow. "Is she okay?"

"No...well, yeah. I mean, she's not headed to the hospital or anything, but..." Bayley trailed off, something inside her brain clicking. Seth could almost hear the wheels turning inside her head. "You didn't see her match with Sasha?"

"I missed it," Seth confessed. "I was going over everything with the guys. What happened?"

"She lost."

"Shit." That was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"Yeah. She's pretty devastated," Bayley told him. "I haven't seen her since she went out of the match. I think she's making herself scarce. I have no idea where she could be. I wish I had an answer for you, but I got nothing."

"It's all good," Seth assured her with a sigh. "I have a feeling I know where she is if she isn't with the trainer. Thanks, Bayley."

"No problem. She could probably use you right now." Seth nodded.

"Thanks."

"Congratulations again. Give Jory a hug for me."

"Will do." Seth gave Bayley a slight touch on the shoulder as he moved past her, making his way towards the back area of the arena. Bayley watched him go, sipping her water. Nights like this had her hating the fact that she was friends with both the champion and challenger. While she wanted to cajole and comfort Jory, she knew that Sasha was expecting her to go out and celebrate with her and the guys. "The Boss" wasn't just a persona when it came to Sasha Banks; it was a mindset, a way of life. In the ring and out of it, she commanded respect, something she'd seen and admired growing up with her famous cousin. She took all those lessons and brought them to pro wrestling. As a result, Bayley always had a hard time saying no to Sasha. With "The Boss" successfully retaining her title for the first time, Bayley knew there was no way she wasn't spending the night out with her friend. She just wished there was something she could do to make Jory feel better.

Seth found Jory sitting alone in the underground parking garage, still dressed in her brand-new ring gear. She sat on a black and silver trunk, her legs crooked so her entire body fit on the surface. He noticed she was holding an ice pack to the back of her neck. She sat with her back to him, staring out at the cars, ambulances, and production trucks. Jory was oblivious to his presence behind her, lost so deep in thought, her mind going over every single mistake she'd made earlier in the night in her match against Sasha.

From where he stood, he could feel the disappointment and devastation radiating from her. He didn't have to talk to her to know that she was gutted by the loss; she'd been putting everything she had into this match. Ever since Mick Foley defied Stephanie and gave Jory a chance to shine, she'd been putting an extreme amount of pressure on herself to succeed, to prove that she could climb to the top of the mountain without Hunter and Stephanie throwing their weight behind her. The fear of failure was her greatest motivator; now, on the other side of the match, she had to accept that she'd come up short, that on this night her best hadn't been good enough. Seth had been there before; it was a terrible feeling. Defeating Stephanie was in the rear-view mirror now; while it was an important part of Jory's redemption arc, they both knew that she couldn't ride on that wave forever.

Since leaving The Authority, Seth's personal and professional life had ignited in ways he'd never imagined. It left him grateful every day. Ever since leaving The Shield, it seemed like every decision he made was the right one, even The Authority. It was hard to argue his time as the face of the company had been a waste; even on the other side of it, he was still managing to land on his feet. While he felt terrible that Jory was constantly running headfirst into disappointment, he couldn't be there for her the way that she needed. It was the risk they ran being together; he had his own career to focus on, and at the moment it was thriving too much for him to step back and guide her to the top with him. He wanted to feel guilty; he did want Jory to thrive as much as he was, but he understood the nature of the business. It could be cold and cruel, and often there wasn't a happy ending. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

Turning her head, she released a sigh as Seth approached. He took his place beside the trunk, but they didn't make a move on each other. At that moment, Jory realized that Seth Rollins was the last person she wanted to see; the fact that he was beaming with the Intercontinental Championship over his shoulder only succeeded in making her feel worse.

"Hey."

"Hey." There was no sign of life behind her words. Her lips were pursed in a thin line. All she wanted to do was finish out the show, hop in her car, make it to the next town, and crawl under the hotel blankets and hide until she had to report to Raw the following afternoon. Her eyes fell on the title and Seth watched her lips quirk up in a slight smile. "Congrats."

"Thanks." His smile grew wider. "I don't know what I would have done without Ambrose tonight. That guy really came through in the clutch."

"That's great," she murmured. She turned her attention back to the parking space. It was Seth's turn to sigh.

"I'm sorry about your night, Jory," he offered. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She let out a sound that resembled an agitated sigh as his skin made contact with hers.

"Whatever. There's always next time, right?"

"Right." Both of them knew that there was very little truth to her statement. Jory's loss had effectively thrown her to the back of the line. Once again she was going to have to scratch and claw her way back into the championship picture. Now, Alexa Bliss got to leapfrog over her to the front of the line. It would be Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss for the Women's title at the super-card in Australia in a few weeks. Maybe the truth is that I'm just not cut out for this business. Maybe Stephanie and Hunter have been right about me all along, she thought glumly. Maybe I can't succeed without them. The thought hit her quickly, without warning, and the thought of giving it all up and accepting their evaluation of her left her disoriented.

It was hard to ignore the feeling she was becoming increasingly unhappy with her position, with the way her life and her relationships were going. What bothered her the most about her current situation was how helpless she seemed to be when it came to pulling herself out of the downward spiral.

Seth leaned against the trunk. "I don't know about you, but I think we got some ice cream and American Horror Story in our futures tonight," he told her. It was his hope that he could make her feel better by offering her their tried and true way of coping with stressful nights. His smile faltered when her face crinkled.

"You don't want that. Go celebrate."

He blinked. "What are you talking about? Of course, I want that. When the show's over, we can head to the next town together, arm up on ice cream...some of my best worst nights have been with you," he blurted. She looked at him, and he found himself staring into her eyes. The exhaustion and sadness were obvious, given the events of her evening, but there was something else in her mint orbs that he couldn't place. "Jory..."

The ringer on his phone cut him off mid-sentence, and the two of them sighed with irritation at the interruption. Looking down at the ice pack in her hands, Seth turned his attention to his phone, his eyes scanning the alert. He snorted with disgust. "Yeah, I should have fucking known."

"What?"

"Eric went to your boy and invoked his rematch." The mention of Baron being "her boy" made her stare turn into a glare. If she'd even been entertaining the idea of spending the night licking her wounds with Seth, it was gone. Anger ebbed in her veins; "her boy". Dean making comments. The fact that she constantly felt like she was on trial for her friendship with Baron made her feel like Seth didn't trust her. Had Dean put these ideas in his head, or was it a collaborative effort with the locker room? She wasn't sure, but she hated this attitude that everything she had was a result of Baron.

Instead of speaking, she remained silent, her jaw clenched. The last thing she wanted to do was end her night by having the mother of all arguments with Seth backstage. "It looks like he's signed off on the match, but it won't be until the show in Melbourne."

"Ah."

"It's too bad you aren't going. I was hoping we could do some sightseeing together. I know you've never been to Australia..."

"I guess we could. I just have to look at my schedule." Seth shot her a look. "I found out tonight I'm going down there to do some ambassador work.

"Jory..."

"Yo!"

They turned their attention to Roman, who approached them quickly. His match was the last on the card, and it was coming up in the next twenty minutes or so. For a guy facing the pressure of closing out the match card, Roman appeared incredibly relaxed. As he got closer, his movements became slower, and Jory realized that he could sense the tension between her and Seth. His movements were very self-aware, very deliberate.

"Hey, bro," Seth greeted.

"Hey, Seth. Jory, great job out there tonight - you really brought it," Roman told her. She offered him a sad smile. "There's always next time, right?"

"Right." Just like that, their exchange was over. Roman turned his attention to Seth, and his smile grew wide. "Congratulations on the win out there tonight, man. You got any plans after the show? Because I'm thinking we should totally go out and do it up."

I'm right here, Jory thought glumly.

"Actually, Jory and I..."

"He doesn't. He has no plans."

Seth's head whipped to Jory, his eyes widening slightly. He watched her as she got off the trunk and grabbed her ice pack, sticking it on the back of her neck. "He's all yours."

"Jory..."

"Have fun in the winner's circle," she told him. The venom in her voice hit Seth in the chest, a direct hit that made him wince, but before he could say anything else, Jory was walking out of his line of sight. It was only moments before she was gone.

She didn't turn back to look at him once.