A/N: Morning READERS! We are back at it again with another chapter of Making a Name for Yourself! I quite like this one. This is an off-screen chapter! ENJOY!

Also, rest in power Hana Kimura. You are missed dearly.

Chapter 25: Tea and Cherry Blossoms

February 21, 2008 - Los Angeles, California

Sheree sat in a small café in Los Angeles, staring down at her cup of Cranberry & Raspberry tea, lost in her thoughts.

It was a rainy, cold and wet afternoon, so Sheree was wearing a pair of jeans, a black Dragon Ball Z hoodie and a grey beanie. A black winter coat was hanging from the chair she sat in.

The week before No Way Out weekend, the RAW roster had done a double TV show taping in Austin, Texas, due to the fact that all three rosters would be flying abroad after the shows in Texas for the European tours.

For Sheree and the RAW roster in particular, after the double shows on the 4th, they toured Alaska on the 7th and South Korea on the 10th, all in the same week. Then they travelled to Tokyo for a two day show the next night on the 11th and 12th. Then they travelled to Hawaii for a show in Honolulu the next day, before traveling back to the US for a two-day house show in California on the 15th and 16th. Then travelled to Las Vegas for the No Way Out PPV the next night before going back to California for Monday Night Raw in Anaheim. Not to mention all the press that was done in between.

So she wasn't completely surprised when Stephanie somehow made a deal with Vince, getting him to offer to let the roster go on a small break for the rest of the week, with no house shows, or go on a press run across America. Sheree took the break offer, and stayed in Los Angeles with Melina, who also took the offer, but only for two days.

They weren't kidding when they said the Road to WrestleMania is the busiest time of the year.

But Sheree wasn't complaining. She loved the hustle. And the pressure never really bothered her. Jenna was worried she was going to become a workaholic like John, but Sheree reassured her that she knew when to relax when she needed to.

Sheree frowned as the reason why she had stayed in Los Angeles ran through her mind, nervousness gripping at her. The whole reason why she had stayed in Los Angeles was because she wanted to finally talk to a dear friend of hers, but had been holding off on it, wanting to give her friend some space as she had a feeling they were in a bad place right now.

However Jenna had made it clear that she would not let Sheree leave Los Angeles without speaking to her friend, and somehow managed to rope Melina into it. Sheree shook her head, a small smile on her face. She'll have to thank them for this at some point.

So after calling her friend, who was shocked to hear her voice, here she was, waiting in a small café. Sheree sipped her tea, closing her eyes, her nerves relaxing. The Boston brunette sat back, thinking back to her recent time in Japan where she had a similar talk with another old friend.

. . . .

[Flashback]

February 11, 2008 - Tokyo, Japan

Sheree sighed as she walked down the cold, busy streets of Tokyo, snow falling around her. She wore her black winter coat and black tights that was tucked into black knee-length heeled winter boots, her hands shoved into her coat pockets.

The first of two RAW house shows in Japan had just finished at the Ariake Coliseum, and Sheree was fully prepared to go straight back to the hotel, jump into her bed and sleep so that she would be well rested for the Budokan Hall show the next night.

But her sister had other ideas.

"Hell no!"

Jenna glared at Sheree, who's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, still wondering why the woman travelled with her on tour. Her twin wore a black hooded coat, jeans and a pair of black tall ugg boots.

"Don't think I don't know about you avoiding him when you came here last time!" the black-haired woman scolded her twin. "Go see him!"

"I can't see him now! It's late!" Sheree argued back.

Jenna shook her head. "I don't care! You're gonna talk to him now! If you don't you'll regret it, and I am in no mood to deal with sulky Sheree!"

Sheree's brow twitched again at this.

Jenna calmed down, a tad solemn. "You've kept our family ties to yourself for so long, even from your best friends. It was a shock to everyone on the roster when they found out Jane Huxley was our mother. Everyone else is bound to lose their minds if this gets out in a leak. You'll hate yourself if they hear from somebody else, and not from you, so please, go talk to him."

Jenna's eyes hardened. "I'm not letting you leave Tokyo until you do!"

Sheree bristled. "You can't do-"

"And when we get to Anaheim, I ain't letting you leave until you talk to B. I don't care if you think she would rather be left alone right now! She needs to see you!"

Sheree sighed. "You ain't letting this go huh..."

Jenna simply glared at her in response in a silent "NO!"

Kerry, who had been listening to the entire conversation with amusement, spoke up. "We'll get the boys to take your bags to the hotel. Go and see your friend Sheree."

Sheree sighed, before pulling out her phone. "Fine."

And that's how Sheree ended up here. Standing in the streets of Tokyo on a cold snowy winter night, staring at a large training facility.

The brunette Bostonian sighed. No turning back now.

She walked up the steps and reached the top just as the doors opened. A young Japanese man who appeared to be a few years younger than her, with short black hair and sharp eyes stepped out, wrapping a scarf around his neck.

"Um... excuse me... sorry to bother you. Is this the New Japan Dojo?" Sheree asked.

The young man gave the Bostonian a quizzical curious look.

"Hai, this is New Japan Dojo," the boy spoke, blushing faintly and rubbing the back of his head. "Gomen'nasi, my English not that good."

Sheree smiled kindly at him, making him feel at ease. "Don't worry about it!"

The blue-eyed brunette's smile stretched into a cheeky grin. "Do you know where I could find a small Irish lad, looks like a punk, has elf ears, calls himself a "Prince?"

The boy chuckled in amusement. "You are looking for Devitt. I can take you to him."

Sheree's smile brightened. "That would be great! Thank you!"

The two walked into the building and walked along the corridor that was mostly empty, with a few people here and there. Some stared, raising a brow at the duo, but they both ignored the stares.

"So are you apart of the New Japan roster?" Sheree asked.

"Hai," the boy replied. "But I debuted last year, so I am a rookie in training. A young lion. Plus..."

The young man's mood deflated a bit. "I am side-lined with injury..."

Sheree eyed the boy silently before smiling. "I wouldn't worry. You seem to be in good health. You'll be back in action in no time!"

The young man stared at the woman in surprise before smiling. "Arigato."

He then narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Your face is familiar... but I don't know why..."

Sheree chuckled. "I'm apart of the Divas roster in WWE. That's probably why people are staring."

The young boy's eyes widened slightly. "You're Sheree!"

The Bostonian laughed. "I didn't think I'd be so recognizable."

"You are popular with the women here in Japanese wrestling."

At this Sheree looked at the young boy in surprise. "Really?"

"Hai. You surprised them," the boy said honestly. "Your style is similar to theirs. I like your wrestling too. I am glad... you are in huge spot."

Sheree smiled brightly. "Thank you. I'm glad you're a fan. I hope you'll be cheering me on in a few days!"

"I will!" the young man said with a huge grin. A twinkle entered his eyes, which Sheree noticed, and for some reason, she was reminded of the talk she had with her father on the night of his birthday.

"Can I ask a personal question?" Sheree asked the boy.

He was confused but curious, so he nodded.

Sheree flushed slightly. "Do you have any goals that you wanna accomplish? Your ultimate number 1 goal. Something that will have a huge ever-lasting impact."

The boy contemplated her question, seemingly thinking hard. "That's a tough question to ask a Young Lion but..."

The young man looked up, lost in his thoughts. "I want to be... Shuyaku."

"Shuyaku?" Sheree questioned.

The boy smiled. "It means "Leading Role" or "Top Star."

There was a determined fire in his eyes that made Sheree stare in slight wonder as she listened to him talk, inspired by the fact that a rookie had such big and heavy aspirations for his future. He reminded him of herself when she was just starting out and had huge aspirations of her own.

"I want to be greatest of all time. I want to lead this company. I want to be next Ace."

The boy's smile widened, a curious look in his eye. "What about you?"

Sheree looked away, frowning. "Uh... I don't really know how to answer it."

"It is very heavy question," the boy agreed.

Sheree's brow creased. "Plus... whenever I think about it, I..."

"You want to be Shuyaku too, but you think it's impossible."

Sheree froze and stared at the young boy in shock, her blue eyes wide. The boy stared back at her with a frown, silently studying her.

He was right.

When her father asked that question, she knew the answer straight away. But in all honesty, she was afraid of that answer. Because she's heard so many women, her own friends, express their dreams and goals... goals that could change the course of women's wrestling for the better, and get laughed at or told to be more realistic.

So naturally, doubt plagued her and eventually she herself began to believe those words. That it was impossible. At times, she wondered if it was all even worth it. If she was just working towards a lost cause.

However... there was always a piece of her that rejected the doubt. That furiously rebelled against those thoughts. A part of her, so small, yet so loud, that at times it threatened to overwhelm her... A part of her that kept her dreams alive.

Sheree chuckled. "You got me all figured out huh..."

The boy smiled. "It's not hard to tell when someone cares a lot about what they do. You want the main event spots. But you're holding back."

Sheree stared at the boy with wide eyes, gulping slightly, her face paling.

His keen, sharp eyes seemed to drill into her. "Anybody could tell what it is you want to achieve just be watching you... at least... that's what Liger says."

The boy rubbed his head with a chuckle as Sheree stared at him flatly.

"Huh," she mumbled. Her eyes suddenly widened as she caught on to what the boy just said. "Wait! THE Jushin "Thunder" Liger watches my matches?!"

The boy chuckled at her reaction, nodding. "Hai, when he finds the time."

"You two seem to be getting along well."

Sheree jumped, eyes widening. The first thing she saw was a huge kilowatt smile.

"FERGAL!" The Irish-man before her laughed as Sheree leaped into his arms.

"I knew you were in town. But when I got your text I was surprised," the black-haired Irish-man commented, smiling down at the Bostonian. "It's been a long time kid!"

"Don't call me a kid! I'm only a few years younger than you!"

Fergal Devitt looked at the young lion that had been talking to Sheree, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks for looking after her kid. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

"Oi!"

The boy chuckled. "I had fun."

"Hold on!" Sheree called out as the boy began to leave, moving away from Fergal. "I forgot to ask for your name..."

The boy smiled brightly.

"Okada Kazuchika."

. . . .

After saying their farewells to Kazuchika, Sheree and Fergal left the New Japan Dojo and entered a small park.

Sheree stared up in wonder at the bright buds of the cherry blossoms that had begun to blossom.

"Hello! Earth to Sheree!"

Sheree jumped, then smiled sheepishly at the amused Irishman standing next to her. "Sorry... I've... always liked Cherry Blossoms."

Fergal chuckled. "I'll send you some if you want. Just say when."

"Thanks Fergal," Sheree replied with a soft smile.

The two found an empty table, brushing the snow off the benches before sitting down.

"You've being making some noise I hear..." Fergal commented, a smile of pride on his face. "Beating legends left and right. Your first PPV win. You've had an awesome start to the year."

"Yeah..." Sheree replied, blushing slightly at the compliments. "A bit overwhelmed though."

"I can imagine," Fergal said. "It's been awhile since a WWE Diva caught the people's attention."

Sheree raised a brow. "Okay Kaz- Ka..."

Fergal grinned as Sheree struggled to say Okada's name, making her blush a deep shade of red. "Okada said this too - Stop smiling at me like that! - I'm I really that popular?"

"You intrigue them. I lot of powerful people around here are watching you carefully," the Irish-man said, smirking as Sheree stared at him in confusion at that. "You ain't the only one though. You ladies are going mental in the E. Did the old guy finally cut the chains?"

"You could say that..." Sheree sighed. "It's been a very busy few weeks, so I just barely noticed the reactions. I haven't had time to properly savour the moment."

Fergal narrowed his eyes at that. It wasn't like Sheree to not be keenly aware of anything that involved her. From the moment he saw her, he knew something was up. She was tense and on edge. Like something was weighing heavily on her mind.

"What's on your mind kid?"

Sheree frowned, beginning to fidget with nervousness. "Uh..."

"Come on. Clearly there is something important you want to tell me. So what is it?"

The brunette sighed, before opening her mouth to speak...

and telling him everything...

. . . .

Present Day: February 21, 2008 - Los Angeles, California

Sheree sighed, taking another sip of her tea before looking through the window, thinking about Fergal, Japan, and the inevitable conversation she was about to have.

"You've always loved your tea huh Lass."

An instant wide smile appeared on Sheree's face, and she turned towards the source of the heavy low, but feminine Irish accent.

"Becks!"

The 22 year old from Boston hugged the Irish brunette, who smiled fondly and brightly at the sight of the woman.

"It's been a long time!" 21 year old Rebecca Quin exclaimed, clearly ecstatic to see her long-time friend. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Sheree smiled softly as they both took a seat, Rebecca sitting opposite her. "Same to you Becks!"

The young Irish woman smiled cheekily. "A lil elf said he saw you in Japan."

Sheree rolled her eyes. "Yeah. That did happen."

"Also... you're heading into your first WrestleMania, in your first championship match!" the Irish woman exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "That's so awesome! Proud of you girl!"

Sheree smiled. "You've been watching?"

"Of course I have! When my sister from another mother is fighting for the top prize in Women's Wrestling, I'm gonna watch! Why wouldn't I?"

Sheree frowned. "It's just... I heard you quit..."

Becky's smile became a tad tense, and she looked out the window, smiling sadly. "Yeah... after that injury I... I don't know... I don't really wanna talk about it."

Sheree looked down at her cup of tea, a sad smile of her own on her face. "I understand."

"Hey."

Sheree looked up to see Becky staring at her with a look of determination. "I'm so happy to see you going out there and kicking ass every single week. Don't let my problems stop you from chasing your dreams, okay?"

Sheree smiled at the Irish woman, grateful. "Alright."

"Okay that's enough bout me Lass," the brunette droned, rolling her eyes with amusement. "Fergal said you had something important to tell me, so lets hear it."

At this Sheree sighed, tapping her finger against her cup of tea.

"Um... To put it bluntly... I'm 2nd Generation..."

Becky raised a brow, surprised. "Okay... That's a shock. How long have you known this?"

Sheree fidgeted in her seat at this. "My whole life. My mother was the one who trained me..."

Becky stared at the woman for a long time. "Your mother..."

"Yeah, my mother..." Sheree muttered, before looking the stunned Irish woman in the eye. "Jane Huxley."

Silence reigned between the two as Becky stared at the woman with wide eyes, her mouth agape.

"Holy shit..." Becky whispered. "You ain't kidding ain't cha..."

Sheree shook her head.

"You're the daughter of THE Hellcat..." Becky sat back in her chair. "No wonder Fergal told me to bring some alcohol. Does Serena know?"

Sheree nodded wordlessly. "She was the only one I ever really spoke to about it."

Becky raised an eyebrow, making the silent realization that Serena had probably known for a while. "Huh."

"Sorry..." Sheree muttered. "I should have told you guys."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Becky responded. "I just... why did you keep this to yourself for so long? It... It can't be that serious for you to keep it from even your friends?"

"I didn't want it to define who I was," Sheree explained. "You know how people hold 2nd Generation wrestlers to a higher standard. And plus... she's my mom. Jane Huxley. I have big shoes to fill. I... don't what to be in her shadow... and I don't want people to think I didn't earn anything."

"I get it," Becky replied. "Jane Huxley... I don't even know where to begin when it comes to that woman. She's done so much. Your father too..."

Becky's eyes widened. "Shit! I just realised that David the Salamander is your dad!"

Sheree flushed, giggling at the woman's reaction. Becky smiled, happy to see that Sheree was beginning to relax. "Okay... now a question for you."

"Your mother told me that a Huxley women doesn't give a donkey's ass what anybody thinks of them, so.." Becky stared at Sheree seriously.

"What are you afraid of?"

Sheree stared at her long-time friend with wide eyes, the question nearly leaving her speechless, before looking down at her cup of tea.

"Sheree... we all have people who don't wanna see us succeed," the Irish-born woman said. "Who gives a damn what they think. You are Sheree-Louise Huxley. So what if you're 2nd generation. So what if your mother is one of the Big Five. You've earned the right to be in the spot you're in now."

"It's taken you two years to get this opportunity. Nine years if we count the time spent on the Indy scene. You've gotten this far without that stigma of "Oh... she's just successful because of who she's related to."

Sheree looked up with a tear in her eye as Becky reached over and patted her head, smiling brightly at the Bostonian.

"We walked the same path. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You're still the same Sheree I know. So hold your head high Sheree-Louise Huxley. Screw what people believe because they are wrong."

Sheree wiped her eyes, chuckling as Becky moved her hand away from her head. "You know, Fergal said the same thing. He said I was being silly."

"He was right!" Becky replied with a laugh.

"Thank you," Sheree said affectionately, for the first time since the Royal Rumble, smiling a real smile, feeling a heavy weight lifting off her shoulders. "Seriously... I don't know what I'd do without you, Serena or Fergal."

"The feelings mutual," Becky responded with a soft smile. "Seeing you has lifted my spirits."

Sheree's smile widened at that, also glad to have seen the spirited Irish woman.

"That's what friends are for."

CAMEOS! DID YOU LIKE THEM! ARE YOU SURPRISED?!

'Goodbye and Goodnight! BANG!'