A/N: Sorry for the re-upload but I just wasn't satisfied with this chapter so I tweaked it a tad and added a wee bit.
Also I've changed my Pen Name from Roxxi Dynamite to IrishPeaMia.

Disclaimer: The names and brands that you recognise belong to their respective owners. I am not affiliated with the WWE, nor any other company. This story is purely a work of fiction based on ideas from my wee brain. I am not being paid for this story, I simply write for my own entertainment.

The song is Perfect by Simple Plan.

Chapter 35: The Glass Ceiling.

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"...Hey dad look at me
Think back and talk to me
Did I grow up according to plan?..."

.

Everything after the match became a blur, leaving the ring, climbing the ramp, going backstage. I vaguely remember smiling faces and pats on the back, a 'well done' here and a 'congratulations' there but it was as if my head was in the clouds. I've heard the expression used countless times, a great deal of the time by my father referring to me, but I never realised how literal that phrase could actually be. It wasn't until my head rejoined the rest of my body that I realised I was alone in the locker room, sitting on a bench and staring at the prize in my lap. The Divas title. My Divas title.

Even saying the words felt so surreal.

It was always something I wanted since I was a kid, when I would wrestle the giant Teddy Bears dad would bring me home from his travels. I'd always be the underdog in my pretend matches, the little nobody that everyone overlooked, the girl that the giant Teddy would pick on and tease relentlessly, and that everybody was certain would not be able to defeat the great Teddy. In my mind I came up with such detail, weeks of promos between myself and the bear that would ultimately lead to a match in which the undefeated Teddy would put his championship on the line against the weak little girl. And of course big Ted would dominate the match, trash talking the underdog throughout, until that moment, the moment that the underdog had been waiting for. Big Ted had underestimated the girl from the start and that was his big mistake. So when he took his time show boating, the girl seized the moment and utilised his ego for her own gain, outsmarting the giant and winning both the match and the championship. See, big Teddy had been so cocky in his belief that he was the best, that he dangled his championship in front of the girl to be cruel.

Like when my brother Ted got his growth spurt and would dangle gummy worms above my head, just out of reach of me and my sweet tooth.

It's really not a coincidence that I called the bully bear Teddy.

But even back then I knew that I wanted to be the best. And not in the way that my brothers did. When they played they argued over who was the champion before they even started. I knew that in order to be the best, I had to beat the best. I knew that nothing was ever going to be handed to me, that if I wanted something I would have to work my ass off for it, that I had to deserve it.

Probably not the sort of thing you would think the child of a wealthy man would be thinking.

People assume that since I grew up well off that I'm a pampered little princess, used to getting my own way and indulged on my every whim, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. My father grew up in a generation when men had a more important role than women. And naturally in the wrestling world of that time, that was the same.

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"...And do you think I'm wasting my time doing things I wanna do?
But it hurts when you disapprove all along..."

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When I was growing up I saw my father encouraging my brothers into the ring, proud that they wanted to follow in his footsteps. I, on the other hand, was given dolls and tea sets and other stereotypical girly things. I'd watch my brothers play wrestle each other and their friends, and eventually step foot in an actual ring and do it for real. And all the time I had a spark of jealousy that they got to spend so much time with my father doing something that I saw as looking rather fun. When I'd ask to join in I was told that it was boy stuff, that it was much to rough for little girls. So I'd go to my room and have these secret matches with my bears, and in my mind I was proving to my father, and to myself that I wasn't just the weak little girl, that I was a champion in the making.

As I got older and my rebellious nature took over I started skipping gymnastics practice to try my hand at wrestling people who weren't full of stuffing. Of course it eventually got back to Ted who in turn told my father, and the cat was officially out of the bag. It took a lot of convincing to get my father to allow me to continue, and of course he still thought it was a passing fancy but I stuck with it, worked my ass off and 13 months later he finally admitted that he was wrong. His admittance came in the form of inviting me to tag along with him and my brothers to the gym they trained at. I got the chance to train with them and show what I had learned. Afterwards he told me that I had good technical skills but my balance needed work. I took that as a pat on the back. Since then he has been as supportive to me as to my brothers, well, more or less. He won't ever see my achievements in this business on the same level as Ted's, and maybe deep down he does think I'll grow out of it, settle down and pop out a couple of kids. But he accepted that this was where I wanted to take my life, even though he thought otherwise, he accepted my decision. My father may not like to admit when he is wrong but at least he was able to show it then.

I never asked for favours from my father, or use of his connections, I wanted to work on my own merits. People call me proud, but it's not as noble as that. I was always scared that if I was given a position because of my last name that I wouldn't have earned it and therefore would probably not be good enough. Then I would not only look incompetent and every inch the spoiled little rich girl, but I would also disgrace my family. That's why when I finally got working for WWE I was terrified, but also determined that I would not let anyone give me a handout. I started in developmental, and worked as hard as I could, and even turned down offers to compete in dark matches on RAW and Smackdown. Even though I thought I could do it, one tiny shred of doubt was enough to hold me back until I was utterly certain. With The Legacy storyline part of me was thrilled that I was getting better matches and moving up the card, but that old self doubt was still there in the back of my mind. I never truly felt like I belonged, after all I was only chosen because I was Ted's sister. I told myself that it was semantics and that I could have easily been in the running without the surname. But the doubt never left, and with Randy showing an interest I began to think he might have made it possible just to get into my pants. And if that was true then I was no better than the women that I despised.

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"...And now I try hard to make it
I just wanna make you proud..."

.

But now, sitting on my own, away from all the hubbub and chatter, with that prize in my hands, that prize that was once to far out of my reach, I'm not quite sure what to do. I've spent my whole life reaching for the unattainable, fighting my way towards it, proving that I was good enough to have it, and once I reached my goal a new one would replace it. But now... Now I had the Divas title in my hands, I was the champion. Where did I go from here? Was there any higher I could climb?

I felt stunted. Lost. I've always had a focus, something to drive me and keep my mind occupied, but I had achieved my goal... and there was nothing beyond it. For a female in the WWE this was it, the ceiling if you will. The one and only championship to fight for and now I had it. Sure I would have to defend it, and that is of course important, but- Now that I've held it once, if I do lose it then regaining it isn't so unattainable.

Being a female wrestler sucks.

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A knock at the door startled me out of my thinking. I smiled as I saw the blonde hair of Chris Jericho a moment later entering.

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"Hey." I greeted.

"Hey, nice gold."

"Actually, it's silver. With a big pink butterfly."

"You know what I mean. Congratulations, that was some good work out there."

"Thanks. It still seems like a dream." I smiled softly.

"Well, get used to it. It's all up from here, girl."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Um... I don't know. Uh... more media, promos, better matches, you know."

"Yeah." I sighed.

Jericho sat down on the bench beside me with a frown.

"Oh no, I know that look. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said shaking my head slightly.

"I thought you'd be on top of the world. I actually thought I'd have to bring some ice when I came in here as you'd be bouncing off the walls. But you're not. So spill."

"It's just..." I sighed. "I feel stagnated. I know, it's stupid."

"Stagnated? In what way?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"In the way that I don't know where I go from here. I've always had a goal, something to work towards, and when that's done there's always been a new goal. But now, with this... I just..." I took a deep breath. "I don't want to sound ungrateful but... What do I aim for now? This is the highest I can go in the Diva division. I feel uneasy not knowing what I'm going to do next."

He smiled and bumped shoulders with me.

"Ambitious much?" He laughed. "I get it."

"I know I should be delighted right now, and just be happy with what I've got but-"

"But you want more."

"Yes." I said softly, almost ashamed.

"I understand. It's called drive. It's what makes a person successful, you set your sights on something and you don't stop until you've got it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. That drive is what everyone needs in this business. It's what separates the weak from the strong. You'll find a new goal."

I stood up.

"But that's the point. There isn't anything left for me to reach for. I've worked my ass off for years, listened to people call me pampered behind my back, thinking I only got where I am because of my last name, I've lost friendships, ruined relationships because I was so determined to prove myself and now I'm here it's like the rest of the ladder has been cut off. I'm stuck."

"You're not stuck, you're just... taking a breather."

"A breather from what? Now I've got the title the only way to go is back down, drop the title."

"But you can always get it back."

"Yeah and that'll put me right back here again. Stuck at the top rung of the ladder."

"Being at the top though, that's not so bad."

"Maybe for some, but not for me. I don't like the uncertainty of it. It's easy to fall or be pushed when you're a sitting target."

"So... what can you do about it?" Jericho asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There's nothing I can do. And all because I've got a pair of tits." I said, unconsciously raising my hands to my chest.

Jericho tried to suppress a smile, but I barely noticed. I was on a rant.

"You know, if I was a man there'd be plenty of gold to go after. Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team, World Heavyweight and WWE titles. Plus there's Money in the Bank, Elimination Chamber matches, the Royal Rumble and even the Undertaker's streak to have a crack at breaking. This business is so sexist. Just because some people think women are delicate little flowers, dainty and easy to crush, doesn't make it true. I can give as good as I get. And I know plenty of tough women. And because of this archaic thinking I'm 23 years old and I've now hit the proverbial glass ceiling of my career." I fumed.

"Well you know what you need to do then." Jericho spoke as he stood in front of me.

I quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Break through the glass ceiling." He smirked.

A/N: I'm thinking of ending this story early, maybe in the next 5 chapters. I get the feeling I've maybe lost my way with it, or it's gotten boring. I think people are tuning in, getting bored and tuning out. Probably due in big part to my absences. I don't know. But either way, I think this story may have run it's course. But before I do anything I'll wait to hear what you guys have to say. I've the next chapter written already so I'll get it up in the next week or so.

Thanks for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Mia :)