ATM: Seth and the God Girls – The Bloodline Wars
Bayley rallies the God Girls when Seth tries to pull Sasha out of deep waters with the McMahon family and Bray Wyatt on his own and Roman Reigns files for custody of Abiyah Rollins.
Chapter Fourteen – McBoss Inc
The Stamford Dinner, Stamford, Connecticut
Stephanie McMahon Hardy rested against her husband Jeff Hardy as Sasha and Shane McMahon talked to them from the other side of the booth at the Stamford Diner. As discussed with their daughter Beth, the Hardys had planned to go home, well, to Roman's home to relax and rejuvenate their marriage. But Stephanie's mind now turned to how things were going with her family in general. While she definitely felt the hostility coming towards Sasha from the DX family, she was starting to see so much of herself in the ground-breaking former Women's Champion. It was hard to sit on the sidelines when there was so much going on at the frontlines, but she promised her daughter that she wouldn't get in her way. Still, she was enjoying the afternoon talk with the Boss and her annoying brother Shane. It felt right, just like how a family should feel when they spent time together.
"This is nice," Stephanie said and Shane and Sasha looked at her with smiles on their faces.
"What's nice?" Shane asked taking a sip of his mango smoothie.
"This, us, all spending time together talking about the business that we love. I feel good right now," Stephanie said and Jeff looked down at her noticing that she was smiling. He noticed that Steph had certainly relaxed more in the last hour than how she was when Beth was in the Stamford Diner with them.
"This is how is should be Steph," Shane McMahon said. "After all, we are all family and this is our business. We should be happy when we're all in the same room. This is what I want, I want us all to be together running this business,"
Sasha nodded and Jeff and Steph exchanged glances before leaning forward to speak. Their words were cut off but the return of Beth Hardy and she wasn't alone. The current CEO of the WWE was accompanied by Seth Rollins, the Hurt Business, Finn Balor, Kenny Omega and AJ Styles.
Beth gasped when she saw her parents still sitting in the diner booth, "What are you guys still doing here?! You should be on your way back to Pensacola by now!" she said annoyed as the Hurt Business greeted Shane McMahon and Seth leaning over to kiss Sasha.
"Shane and Sasha are in town and we were just catching up. Beth, despite what you think, we are not keeping tabs on you. I was just telling your uncle how great it felt to be in the same space as him for once. It feels like family," Stephanie said and Beth felt moved at the tone of her mother's voice, she was clearly moved by her conversation with her uncle Shane and Sasha Rollins.
"Okay Mom, I'll let you off but please will you get out of here? I have business to conduct with these wonderful Superstars," Beth said and Stephanie looked over at Shane.
"And your uncle Shane and Sasha too?" she asked implicitly and Beth folded her arms annoyed.
"Mom," she said with a look of disapproval, "I'm glad you're having a great time in Stamford with your brother and niece, but now it is time for you to go back to Pensacola and chill,"
"Man you sure are eager to get rid of us," Jeff said raising his eyebrow suspiciously and Stephanie slunk out of the booth taking Jeff by the hand.
"I think we've outstayed our welcome, let's go eat some top level Samoan food," Stephanie said and she hugged Sasha and Shane before reaching around to hug her very executive daughter. "I'm so proud of you Elizabeth but please, call me if it all starts to get a little crazy,"
"Mom please stop, I'm not your baby girl anymore. I can run this company without you looking over my shoulder," Beth said with certainty and her mother looked directly into her eyes with just as much certainty.
"You will always be my baby girl," she said firmly and gave Beth another proud smile before Jeff hugged Beth and they headed for the exit, leaving Beth to her business meeting.
As they left the diner, Stephanie wiped some tears from her face as she headed to the curb to call a cab. Jeff checked on her as her maternal instincts came into full view.
"Are you okay Steph?" Jeff asked his wife concerned.
"No, something's telling me not to leave. Can we go to the Sheraton?" Stephanie said and Jeff's eyes widened with surprise.
"Steph, you just told Beth you weren't going to keep tabs on her, now you're saying you wanna stay here overnight. What if she finds out? It could cause a rift between you guys," Jeff said and Stephanie took a deep breath before nodding in agreement with Jeff.
"I know you're right, she has to know I trust her and I do, I'm just so worried she's in over her head. I love my brother but I don't trust his intentions and I really wanna know what she's up to with Finn Balor and Seth Rollins," Stephanie said and Jeff looked into her eyes warmly.
"You're too close to this Steph and if you get any closer, you'll be overstepping. We need to leave now before you get any further involved, okay? Beth's doing her best to run the WWE, now let's show that we support her by not interfering in how she runs things," Jeff said and Stephanie hugged him lovingly.
"You're right, let's go," she said and they got into an Uber and headed to the airport away from all the drama, unlike DX who were on their way to Stamford from Greenwich, with nothing but drama on their agenda.
Shawn and Hunter got out of the DX machine and looked up at WWE HQ hoping to catch ten minutes with the CEO to talk about the creative plans for SummerSlam and beyond.
"You think she'll take a meeting with us?" Shawn asked Hunter.
"She won't have a choice," Hunter said and Shawn nodded.
"Okay, let's step in," he said and Hunter pulled him back, "What's up?"
"I'm hungry, let's go check out the menu at the Stamford Diner. I heard business really picked up since that awesome PR job Beth Hardy did after the Bray Wyatt nonsense ended," Hunter said and Shawn looked at him like he was crazy.
"How could you possibly be hungry after all those pancakes?" Shawn asked in disbelief.
"Alexa ate most of them," Hunter replied and Shawn laughed before DX headed to the Stamford diner, hoping to eat but not realising that food wouldn't be the only thing on the menu. There was about to be plenty of drama as-well.