Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING OTHER THEN ALYSSA. NOT WWE OR THE SHIELD.
Chapter 3:
I fell right asleep as soon as I shut my laptop off and set my alarm from 6am. I woke up when my alarm went off and got up, even though I wish I could hit my snooze button a few times of maybe 100. I climb out of bed and go right for the little kitchenette that I had in the room. I brew myself a cup of coffee before inhaling my first cup and heading for the bathroom.
I take a quick shower and get dressed ( www DOT polyvore DOT com/ cgi /set ?id = 181080866) before drying and tossling my hair a bit and finish my makeup. As I finished packing up the last of my bathroom products, there was a knock on my door. I noticed it was almost 7:30 and we had agreed to leave at that time so we made it to the airport with enough time. I set my stuff down and walk to the door. I open it to see Dean looking like he just crawled out of bed, Roman with a huge to go travel cup in his hand, I assumed was filled with coffee, and Seth with a smile on his face. "Why are you so cheery this morning, it's practically the middle of the night!" I laugh as I let them all in and shut the door behind them. Dean walks to my bed and sits down, then falls back and lays down. Roman sits next to him and laughs with me.
"He is up this early almost every morning. He goes to crossfit and it done by the latest 9." Roman answers. "Sometimes if he hates us enough, he will wake us up and make us go with him. So you may want to watch for that since you will be traveling with us now."
I roll my eyes and shove Seth's shoulder as I walk to my suitcase and finish putting my clothes away. "You ever wake me before 8, I will hurt you."
"We will see about that" he says, coming around me and sitting on the other side of my suitcase, smirking at me. I couldn't help but smile back.
"If you both are done flirting, we have a plane to catch." Dean says, still laying down on the bed. I pack the last of my stuff and we head for the airport.
"Alyssa? Alyssa? Sweetheart time to wake up." I heard as I slowly open my eyes. I must have fallen asleep before we even took off. I had Roman on one side of me and Seth on the other with Dean behind me.
"Baby girl, we landed." I heard Roman and Seth both try to wake me.
"Already?" Wow I did sleep the whole flight. We all get up and Seth grabs my bags for me. I walk off the plane with the guys and we grab our luggage while Roman looks out for his family. I'm grabbing my bag when I hear "DADDY!" I turn and a little girl, no older than 4 running in our direction. She jumps up and he catches her with ease. They embrace and another person walks over, it must be his fiancée. Roman releases his daughter and hugs her. "Uncle Seth, Uncle Dean!" She wiggles out of Roman's grasp and runs over to the both of them. She gives them both tight hugs when they both held her. Seth moved over to me and puts a hand gently around my waist before whispering in my ear "That's Roman's daughter, Joelle, but call her Jojo." And then he looks over at Roman, who had his fiancée in a sweet embrace "And that is his fiancée Galina."
"Uncle Dean, who's that?" I hear, looking back over at Jojo.
Dean looks at me then back at her "That is our new friend, Alyssa."
She looks to me and Seth and then looks back at Dean "Is she Uncle Seth's girlfriend?" She tries to whisper, but she isn't that quiet.
Seth and I look at each other and turn red. He lets go of my waist and turns away, grabbing his luggage. Dean smirks and sets Jojo down on her feet, where she scampers back to her parents, who separate. Galina looks up from her and over to me. "You must be Alyssa, Roman's told me about you, how you're the new member of the shield." She walks to me and hugs me.
"All good I hope, and yeah hopefully. If the higher ups liked the match and the response it gets when it airs." I say, returning the hug.
"Oh of course all good, and with how Roman told me the match went, you have nothing to worry about." We release the hug and she wraps her arm around Romans waist as we all start walking. Roman carries his luggage while Dean holds Jojo again and carries his luggage. Seth and I walk side by side but try to avoid eye contact. "So have you ever been to Florida before?" Galina asked as we exit the airport and climb in their Tahoe.
After we get settled and start driving I answer, "Yeah, I came here about a year ago with Jeff for some training thing he was doing. But it wasn't Pensacola, I think we were in Orlando, maybe."
She turns to me and stares for a minute "Jeff? As in Jeff Hardy?"
I look at her surprised "Yeah, Jeff Hardy." I strongly recall Roman saying she didn't really know about wrestling at all, even when she started dating him.
She seems to notice my surprise too "I only know of him, I've heard Roman's dad and Rikishi, Jimmy and Jey's dad, mention him since Rikishi worked with him back when he started out. And Seth since he's a huge fan of him." She smirks at him as he rolls his eyes at her.
We arrive about 15 minutes later at Roman's house. We grab our luggage and I follow them into the decent sized home. "Welcome to my home away from the smelly bus." Roman says, standing next to me as I walk in. I see Seth and Dean run up the stairs and then hear 2 doors slam and they run back down and into the kitchen, where Galina had walked to only a few seconds ago to prepare lunch. Jojo walked into the living room and started playing with her doll house. "And as you can tell they practically live here while we are in Florida, and Dean sometimes does on our days off." I look confused at him before he shakes his head "Long story, trust me. Here I'll show you where your room is, the guys have their 'own rooms' as they like to say." He sets his bags down in his room and then I follow him back down the opposite hallway. He opens another door and leads me in "This can be your room, it's the other spare room. No one's ever slept in this room, except maybe Jimmy and Jey during their drunken nights." I look hesitantly, "It's fine I promise. I leave you to get settled. I'm going to go get the guys out of the kitchen to leave Galina alone about lunch. And dinner." We laugh as he lightly pats my arm and walks out, closing the door behind him.
I sit on the bed and just look around. It kind of reminds me of Jeff's house, only Jeff's is a little wilder and brick. I take my phone out and open Jeff's contact. I didn't realize how much I missed home. I am broken out of my thoughts with the door opening, it's Jojo. "Hi, Daddy wanted me to let you know lunch was ready."
I smile and stand up and walk to her "Want to lead the way to where they are?" She nods and we walk downstairs and she leads my outside, where everyone is sitting on the patio near the beautiful pool. "Wow..."
"Oh Alyssa, I hope you don't mind grilled cheese and salad. I didn't want to make anything to heavy since I'm going to start dinner soon." Galina says as I take a seat in between Seth and Galina.
"Oh yeah it's fine, thank you." I take a spoon full of salad and one sandwich. I eat quietly. I feel a hand on my thigh, I look up and Seth's looking at me with a look of concern on his face as I finish my food.
"Are you alright Alyssa?" He asks, with all of them looking at me, except Jojo, who was playing with her dolls.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I stand and take my paper plate and throw it out with them watching me concerned "Jetlag, I'm going to take a nap. Thank you for lunch Galina." She nods, with that look still on her face. I walk inside and back to my room where I lay down and take my phone out of call Jeff.
"Hello, Jeff speaking." He answers, causing tears to form.
"Hey Nero."
"Hey sweetheart! How's life on the road? Where are you now?" He asked, excited to hear from me.
"It's good, we are in Pensacola right now visiting Roman's family and then Friday we are heading out to the great state of North Carolina."
"You're coming here?! Where?" He says, excited.
"Well Raw is going to be in Raleigh on Monday night and I was hoping you and the family would come out. Bring Josh (Her 4 year old brother) so he can play with Ruby and they can both meet Roman's daughter Joelle."
"I don't know baby, you know how me and that company butt heads because of my past drug problem."
"Please Jeff..." The tears threatening to fall. "I miss you guys. I miss my family."
"Okay baby girl let me talk to Matt, Shannon, and Beth alright. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know. When will you be here?"
"We are all flying in on Friday. Late morning or early afternoon." Letting the tears fall.
"Alright, I love you alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I love you too Nero." We hang up and I hear my door open. I look over and see Seth walking in.
"Hey." He says quietly, closing the door behind him.
I sit up and wipe the tears from my eyes "Hey."
He sat down next to me on the edge while I sat cross-legged on the bed "Are you okay?"
I nod and give him and half hearted smile "Yeah just miss home. I miss Jeff and Ruby, and Beth, my baby brother Josh, Gil, Matt, Reby... Just miss them all so much." I feel the tears again, but try to not let them fall.
Seth gives me a small smile and pats my knee "Don't worry Aly, you're going to be home in a few days. They miss you just as much I can put money on that." I put my head on his shoulder and let a few tears fall onto his shirt. He lifted my chin and I looked at him as he wiped the tears off my cheeks.
"I'm sorry I am being such a downer. We should be having fun and I should be getting to know everyone. Not crying in Roman's guest room."
"He completely understands. He isn't mad about it. Everyone reacts differently to being away from home. You miss your family, no one is going to be mad about that, especially Roman. He misses Jojo and Galina so much when he is gone it's insane, but he does it because he wants Jojo to have a great life and not ever have to worry. Dean doesn't have a family back in Cincinnati but he still gets it and doesn't blame you. You do it because this makes you happy and obviously they understand that, because they did it too for the last 12 years, maybe more." He kisses my forehead lightly before standing up and heading for the door. "Take a nap sweetheart and I'll come wake you up when dinners ready. Just remember, it gets so much easier." He walks out of the room and leaves me to wallow in the silence and let his words sink in. He is right, and I know that but it still hurts being away from everyone. It will get easier, I repeat to myself as my eyes slide shut and I fall into a deep sleep.
I wake up to whispers coming from behind me "Okay Jojo, ready. One, two, three!" I feel a body jump next to me and turn my head to see Jojo's smiling face and Seth standing behind her.
"Wakey sleepy head!" She says, getting off the bed and running to Seth, for him to pick her up. "Did I do a good job?"
"You did an amazing job!" He high fives the little girl as she shimmy's down from his hold and runs out of the room. "She wanted to help wake you up."
I sit up and rub my eyes "It's alright. What time is it?"
"It's almost 7. Galina is just finishing dinner. She made lasagna and green beans with a small side of potatoes, fresh potatoes straight from mama Anoa'i's garden. The best potatoes ever." He holds his hand out and helps me stand.
"Alright, let me go redo myself then I'll be right down." He nods and heads out of the room, leaving me to myself.
About 10 minutes later I head downstairs and follow the noise to the dining room, where Dean and Seth are playing a quick game of Uno with Jojo, while Roman and Galina finish up dinner. I walk around them and into the kitchen, seeing Roman taking the lasagna out of the oven and Galina finishing putting the green beans into bowls. Galina notices me first as she looks up from the bowl. "Hey are you okay? I could tell you were upset earlier." She walks around the counter and hugs me as Roman turns and notices me for the first time since I walked in.
"Yeah I'm fine, moment of weakness. I was just missing home and I had talked to Jeff on the phone which only made my homesickness worse. I'm fine now, Seth talked to me and calmed me down." Galina shared a quick look with Roman, which I noticed but didn't comment on. "So do you need any help with anything? I could start bringing stuff out or set the table for you."
"Oh no you are fine. Jojo likes to set the table once everyone is sitting and Roman can help me carry stuff out, there isn't a lot. Go take a seat." She smiles at me and Roman does too. I walk back to the room and see them putting the game away, Seth with a sour look on his face and Dean and Jojo with big smiles.
"Did you lose?" I ask jokingly, turning to him as I take a seat next to him.
"They teamed up on me, which you aren't even supposed to do in Uno." He jokingly stuck his tongue out at Dean, who did the same in return.
"Okay children, enough fighting. Jojo, go get the plates and forks from mommy baby girl." Roman said, walking into the room.
"Okay daddy." Jojo says, running into the kitchen. Dean runs off to use the bathroom before dinner when Seth stands up and heads for the dining room with me.
"So are you feeling better now?" He asks, taking the seat next to mine.
"Yeah I'm better now. I miss them but they understand I know they do."
Jojo starts setting the table and Dean rejoins us, taking the seat across from Seth, next to Jojo. With Roman and Galina sitting at the ends of the table. We got our plates and started eating, making small conversation about their adventures on the road, meeting me, the match we had and the random stupid stuff they do traveling together.
"Why were you so sad earlier Alyssa?" Jojo asked me, I know she was only a curious little girl so it didn't upset me again.
"I just miss my family, that's all Jojo."
"You'll see they Friday right? Roman mentioned us flying out for Monday night Raw and we would be heading for North Carolina Friday morning." Galina commented.
"Yeah we will see them then for sure, but they may not come to the show Monday night in Raleigh."
"Why?" Dean and Seth asked, while Roman looked at me curiously.
"Jeff doesn't think they will be very welcoming to us because of his past drug addiction while he was with the company. They definitely butted heads a lot before his final departure because of that and then his arrest after his release."
"Arrest? I've never heard of an arrest." Dean said.
"He was arrested after his release of drug possession. It was before he had Ruby, he was pretty messed up but when Beth found out she was pregnant and they were having a baby he cleaned right up. Rehab and substance abuse counseling. It helped a lot." We finished eating, still making small conversation here and there.
We finished eating and Jojo took the guys back to the living room for another game before she had to go to bed soon. I headed Galina carry the plates and food back to the kitchen and helped her start cleaning up. "I love when they are all here, there is never any leftovers." She laughed, I laugh with her since that is true.
"Do they come here a lot?" I asked, as I started washing the dishes. Galina was standing next to me drying and putting them away since I don't know where they go.
"Dean and Seth?" I nod "Yeah usually. Seth with sometimes go home on their days off but if they don't have more than 2 days then he will come here. Dean is usually here on all the days off. It's not often he'll go home."
"Doesn't he miss his family? If he never goes home."
"He lives alone in a small apartment right outside the strip of Las Vegas. If anyone's going to tell you why he doesn't go home, it should be him but let's just say his childhood wasn't the best." I agree with her and we continue making small talk.
Eventually Roman and Galina put Jojo to bed we come downstairs to hang out for a bit. Around 10:30 Roman and Galina head to bed, Roman exhausted from the travel. We follow suit, all heading to our respective rooms for a night of rest and rejuvenation.
I wake up the next morning at around 5am. I check my phone and decide to go for a run, since I've always loved the coolness of a early Florida morning. I get up and throw my long hair into a high ponytail and changed into some running clothes.
( www DOT polyvore DOT com /cgi /set ?id =184969149) I walk out of the room quietly so I don't disturb anyone and head downstairs. As I walk into the kitchen to drink a quick cup of water, I walk right into the hard chest of someone. I jump back in surprise and look up into the brown eyes of Seth Rollins. "Hey you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry I wasn't expecting anyone to be awake right now." He moves to the side and allows me to enter the kitchen. I grab a glass and fill it with water before turning to Seth, who was standing on the other side of the breakfast bar. "So what are you doing awake right now Mr. Rollins?"
"I usually get up this earlier, I either go to the gym or do a quick workout. What about you Ms. Michaels."
"I'm about to go for a run, want to join me?" As I finish my water and put the glass in the sink.
"Sure, let me change fast. I'll be right down." He heads upstairs and gets changed before joining me a few moments later. "Ready to go?" He nods and grab his phone off the counter and follows me quietly out the door.
We run for about an hour before we stop to catch our breath. "Alright, I think I'm done." I laugh at how he doesn't even seem bothered by the amount we have run.
"That's fine, might hit the gym later with the guys anyways. Want to go get breakfast? I know a nice diner the guys and I go to when we are here."
"I might be interested." As I start to follow him to the diner.
We get to a little hole in the wall diner, that I wouldn't have even noticed probably driving down the road. We walk in and Seth leads me to a booth at corner of the diner. We scan the menu and I start to figure out what I want. A few minutes later the waitress comes and takes our order. "So what do you think?"
I look around the diner, that kind of has a malt shop feeling to it. "I love it." Smiling while looking around at all the records on the walls and the jukebox in the corner, that unfortunately didn't work anymore.
"Yeah I love this spot, and the food is fantastic. It's run by one of Roman's aunts, that's how we found it. His parents brought us when we first started traveling together." We made small talk, about lives back home and our families until our food arrived, which only took about 15 minutes. We began eating and talking again. "So what's life like back home for Alyssa Michaels?"
"Kind of typical I guess. I live in a house with my dad and his new wife and their son, my little brother Josh, but I mainly stay at Jeff's house while I'm home. It's a lot better than being at my dad's."
He takes a bite of his chicken salad "Why is that?"
"They don't really approve of my career choice. He thinks I should be doing something 'better' with my life, like a doctor or a lawyer or a manager somewhere. We just fight constantly so I think it's better for Josh to not be around that so I pick him up and spend time with him while I'm in town but I don't spend a lot of time there."
"What about your mom? Does she like the wrestling thing?"
I frown a little but smile at him "She loved it. She took me to all Jeff's shows when he was wrestling for WWE after I started really showing an interest in it. I wish she was here to see me actually make it." Seth stops eating and looks at me sadly as I continue. "She died when I was 16 of breast cancer."
"Alyssa, I'm so sorry I didn't know or I wouldn't have asked..." I wave my hand at him.
"Don't worry about it Seth, I wouldn't expect you to know that. It's fine." I smile at him as we continue eating and talking about everything, like how we grew up and how we got into wrestling. After about an hour, we left and headed back to Romans. We walked in the door and saw Dean sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Hey Dean, where is everyone?"
"Galina had to run to the store, and Roman and Jojo are in the backyard playing."
Seth and I walked past him and headed in the backyard where Roman and Galina were playing soccer. We sat down and watched them for a bit before Jojo ran up to us "Uncle Seth! I want you and Uncle Dean to play with me!" Just as Dean walked into the yard. Roman came and sat down while Seth and Dean ran out to the yard with Jojo.
Galina returned around noon so after I quickly showered and changed, ( www DOTpolyvoreDOT com/ cgi/ set? id= 186562748), I went to help her bring in groceries and prepare lunch. As we were cutting chicken and vegetables for chicken wraps, I stopped and looked out the window at Seth playing soccer with Roman, Dean and Jojo. I smiled, watching him laugh and get tackled by Dean as they started play wrestling in the yard with Jojo jumping on them, getting involved and Roman just laughing at them. "You like him don't you?" I snap out of my trance and look at Galina, standing next to me, with a knowing smirk on her face.
"What? Who?" I start cutting the vegetables again, like it didn't just happen.
"Oh girl please, you don't have to hide it, Seth is hot and you can't find a nicer guy in WWE, well one that's not taken." We laugh.
"I barely know him though, I really can't like him."
"Well you're going to be working with them so you will have everyday to get to know him. Believe me, Seth is a great guy." I smile as we drop the conversation and continue cooking. I look up at him again and while I watching, He looks at me and catches me, making me look away and blush.
After we all eat lunch, I stand to help Galina clean up when Jojo runs up to me. "Lyssa, will you come play with me?"
"Of course, let me help your momma and I'll be right out."
"I got it Aly, you helped make lunch I can help Lina clean it." Roman says, shooing me out to the living room, where Jojo just ran too. I follow her and we play dolls for about an hour when everyone comes to the living room and starts watching TV and just chatting. The phone rings and Roman answers it, "Hello? Oh hey mama how are you? Yeah were home until tomorrow before we fly out to North Carolina. Okay, what time? Alright, we will be there. Alright I love you too, bye."
"What did mama want?"Lina asked, sitting next to Roman on the couch.
"She wants us over for dinner around 6."
"Alright, come on Jojo baby, we have to shower and get ready to go see Nana and Papa since it's already a little after 3." Jojo stands and runs upstairs, Lina following closely behind.
"She wants to see you both too and you know how she is." The 3 of them stand and head to their rooms to start getting ready for dinner. I go to my room and grab my kindle, and go out to the back patio with a cup of lemonade and start reading. About an hour and a half later, around 5, I feel someone sit next to me so I finish my paragraph and look up to see Seth sitting at the end of my lawn chair. "What are you doing?" he asks me, taking my kindle of my hands.
"I'm doing cartwheels and knitting a sweater, what does it look like?"I smile at him.
"Why aren't you ready?"
"I don't want to intrude, I'll just stay here, make something small and just relax." I tell him, sipping at my drink.
"His mother will kick all of our asses if she finds out we left you here alone, and she would want to meet you. Come on, you are not intruding. You are a member of the shield now so you are a part of this family. Now let's go get ready, we leave in a half hour." He takes me hand and stands me up, making me go get ready for dinner. ( www DOTpolyvoreDOT com/ cgi/ set? id= 186570949) I walk down the stairs at a little after 530, where everyone is waiting while Lina finishes getting Jojo ready. "Damn girl!" I hear Dean say as Roman and Seth turn and look at me. "You know it's just dinner at Roman's parents right?"
Seth just stares at me "You look beautiful Alyssa, but you didn't have to dress up." Roman says.
"It's fine, if I'm meeting your family I should look presentable." I smile. Roman and Dean start talking again, leaving Seth and I. "Hello? Say something, please." I look down and blush as Lina and Jojo come downstairs and we head out, but as we are walking out to Roman's Tahoe, Seth wraps hand around my waist and whispers in my ear.
"There are no words to describe how amazing you look."
