A/N: I dedicate this chapter to my friend Rory. Happy Birthday.

Thanks to all who reviewed. You know who you are. You motivated me to kick writer block's ass lol, so thanks for that lol.

Anyway I hope you like it, and you too birthday girl. I tried my best lol.

Happy reading.


Chapter Four

Six days later

The night of one of the biggest pay per views of all had finally arrived. The loud cheers from the fans were like thunder roaring in the night sky as the pyro display exploded to start off the Royal Rumble.

Smiling to herself, Ashley still had her eyes locked on the television screen as Lilian Garcia announced the first match of the evening. The show had just started and she couldn't be more excited. She turned to her best friend, who looked just as happy as she was.

"It's starting!" they squealed in unison before bouncing up and down on the floor.

"Can you believe that it's finally here?" Ashley asked with a grin.

"I know. One of the greatest pay per views of all time!" Maria giggled.

"Hey girls," said Mickie, getting in between them. She had one arm over Ashley's shoulder and the other arm over Maria's. "This is going to be exciting huh?"

"Definitely!" said Maria.

"And my baby's going to defend his title tonight," said Ashley with a smile. "I'm so looking forward to it!"

"Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be?" Mickie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Hey!" Ashley laughed.

"Hey hey girls!" a friendly diva greeted them with a smile. Ashley smiled as she hugged Michelle McCool.

"Hey, long time no see!" said Ashley.

"Yeah it is. How's everyone doing?"

"We're going great thanks."

"Awesome. So you guys are coming to my pool party next week Saturday right?"

"Of course we are!" said Mickie. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Yay!" Michelle grinned. "Well good to hear 'cause I've got a long list of people I've invited and just wanted to be sure that you are indeed coming."

"Well we've confirmed that we are," Maria said with a smile.

"Good good," Michelle let out a sigh of relief and ticked off the names on her clipboard. "Thanks girls."

"No problem," said Ashley. "Oh you should tick off Adam's name 'cause he'll be there as well."

"Aw cool."

"So who do you have on the list so far?" Mickie asked as Michelle made a small tick on the box besides Adam's name.

"Well I got three guys," said Michelle. "Jeff, Matt and Jamie."

"Jamie?!" The three Raw divas exchanged looks and then stared back at the tall blonde.

"Yes as in Jamie Noble."

"Wow." Being shocked was just an understatement. Never did Ashley expected his name to appear on the list, which, strangely to her as she looked at the list, he was.

"Um. . .is this the Michelle McCool I know?" she asked.

Michelle chuckled. "Yes Ash. I just realized that he's not as bad as I thought."

"Aw she likes him!" Maria said with a smirk.

"Well not like like him if you know what I mean. We're only friends, that's it."

"Uh huh, sure." Mickie smirked.

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Anyways I'm off now. Thanks for your time and catch you guys later."

As soon as Michelle left the women's locker room, the dirty blonde turned to her friends.

"I think I'll go and hang out with the world heavyweight champion for a while." Ashley smirked.

Maria giggled. "Okay then. See you later."

Ashley made a wink before leaving. As she walked, people rushed past her as the event progressed. After searching the name plates of the locker room doors, she finally found the right one she was looking for. The voice responded to her knock and a smile stretched out across her face as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

XxxX

His reflection was gazing at him as he looked through the window. There was only one thought that was stuck on his mind right now.

Tonight is the night when he was going to return to make his return to the ring.

Two and a half months was long enough for him to be out of action. He wanted to come back. He needed to come back. It would tear him if he had to be away from something he had a great passion for.

But there he was, in his hotel room, in Madison Square Garden. The arena was just around the corner so he wouldn't have to worry about being late.

But then his mind went onto something else.

He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his black wallet. He opened it and on one side was a small photo of a woman. She had long dirty blonde hair and wearing a cute smile on her face. He looked at it for a moment.

He had no idea why he still had it since after the breakup. Was he stupid to have it kept there?

Or maybe he was simply a fool to think that he could win Ashley back?

That was one time he thought that. But now?

Gazing upon the photo seemed to be too much for him and all John could do was to breathe out a sigh.

XxxX

"Oh my god! They did it! They did it!"

The tag team match was finally over and as the winners were being announced, Ashley was grinning from ear to ear.

"Here are your winners and the new world tag team champions, Brian Kendrick and Paul London!"

"Oh my god, yes! They defeated Cade and Murdoch. Finally! They got the titles! Finally! You have any idea how long they've been waiting to get a chance at this?! Do you have any idea at all? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?"

"Geez Ash calm down," Adam said, trying to hold down his laughter from bursting because of Ashley's hyper mood. She was talking super quick.

"Aw I'm so happy for them, you know being the ex manager that I am," Ashley chuckled. "I really have to see them and congratulate them, seriously!"

"You can go and see them if you like."

"No it's okay I'll see them later. Right now I have to stay and wish the world heavyweight champ good luck before he goes."

"Hmm…not something I'll complain about," Adam said with a smirk. Ashley laughed as she leant forward to kiss him.

"And now I have to leave cause your match will be on soon," Ashley said.

"Yeah you're a big distraction to me, you're right to do that."

"Hey!" Ashley protested with a slap on the chest. "You have to get ready!"

"I know, I know." Adam chuckled. He walked Ashley out to the door. "See you later." He said as she stepped out of the door.

"See you later Champ," Ashley leant on her tip toes to kiss him. "Love you."

"Love you too."

After one last kiss, Adam smiled at her before closing the door. A smile was still on her face as she giggled to herself.

"Aw that was so sweet. Not. By just looking at you two, it makes me want to vomit right on the spot. Ew."

Ashley's smile instantly faded and was replaced with a frown on her face. She was annoying of hearing her voice, let alone possibly meeting her face to face. But it was to happen and unfortunately for Ashley, she had to deal with it.

She turned to face a woman with voluminous blonde hair and wearing a pink floral tube dress with a matching bow tied around her waist and white stilettos. She had her hands placed firmly on her waist. She was looking at her in an apparent disgusted look.

She was a Smackdown diva. Ashley had known her since she used to be on Smackdown herself. But one thing for sure was that they were never the best of friends.

Ashley scoffed and shook her head when she saw her. "Well. Well. Well. Long time no see huh Torrie?"

"Yeah it has been. Oh wait a minute. Do I remember you? Hm, you don't look so familiar to me...oh I remember now. You're that trash that had been thrown out from Smackdown a year ago. Funny enough that I could recall that memory since you had been the very last thing on my mind since you left."

"Well this is the best thing I've ever heard all day," said Ashley with a roll of the eyes. "I believe that you've got something to bash about me? Knowing you, you always got something cooking up in that pretty head of yours. Am I right?"

"Psh. Yeah, like I would have the time to waste my breath to do that now. Puh-lease. I have a very important meeting to attend to with Mr. McMahon."

"Looking like this?" Ashley asked, laughing and pointing to what Torrie's tube dress. "More like seducing him."

Torrie looked down at her outfit and faced Ashley once more, with her green eyes glaring fiercely at her.

"I'm looking at my best okay? She scoffed. "Like you know anything about fashion." She made quick glances to examine the shorter diva wearing a pink and black mini skirt, a black top, black and pink stripped sweatbands, fishnet stockings and combat boots. "From what I'm looking at right now, you don't know a zip."

Ashley walked up to her, her blue eyes now blazing with anger, were fixed upon Torrie Wilson. "You think you're all that, do you?"

"I am already all that, thank you very much," Torrie replied confidently. "I've been admired, do you know that? There are loads of guys who want me and plenty of girls who wanted to be just like me."

"Huh. I don't know about the guys but girls? Sounds like the world would be pretty fucked up. For sure."

"Don't be too sure about that," said Torrie with a smirk. "So I see that you've been with your boyfriend, maybe for some time?"

"Not that it's any of your business but yeah I was. I enjoyed spending time with him."

"Oh really?" Torrie questioned. "I still don't get what he sees about you that I don't see. Either he's crazy or he's just blind."

"Well he seems perfectly fine with me actually," Now it was Ashley's turn to smirk. "And it's going to stay that way for a long, long, long, long…time."

Torrie made a shudder, out of plain disgust. "What a pity. He's really missing out on the good stuff."

"Like what may I ask?"

"Like. . .hanging out with moi."

Ashley looked at her in mere disbelief. "I'm sorry. Did I just hear wrong. You?"

Torrie chuckled as she flipped her hair like she was a queen. "That's right sweetheart. I've got the looks, the body…I've got so much to offer that he couldn't dare to resist me for a second."

"Well you could try all you want but your seductive ways wouldn't work. If he were a magnet, you'll be repelled while, I, will be the only one attracted and no one else."

She smirked at the diva, who simply rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Anyway I have to go now or I'll be late 'cause of you. So do me a favor and get your ugly face of my way."

Ashley said nothing then faked a smile for her. "With pleasure."

She stepped aside and Torrie simply strutted away like she owned the corridors, making echoes from the sound of her heels knocking on the floor, at every step she took. Ashley watched her until she disappeared from her sight. She shook her head and went on her way to the women's locker.

XxxX

Pressing her fingers on the tiny buttons on her cell phone, Maria was in the middle of making a text message. She didn't want to, but she couldn't resist herself to not do it. She just had to send it.

"What ya doing?"

She felt a jolt in her chest when Mickie was coming toward her. Maria closed the flip hastily and hid it in her pocket of her jeans.

"Nothing!" said Maria.

Mickie raised a brow. "No you were doing something. I just saw you."

"I wasn't doing anything."

"Yeah sure you weren't. So you have been pressing the keys on your phone for no reason at all?"

"Oh. I was…playing a game."

"Which one?" Mickie asked as she pushed a big crunchy pretzel into her mouth and munching it down.

"Tetris." That was all Maria could think of.

"Oh I love that game! I didn't know you have that. Can I play?"

If only Maria had that game. Maybe her lies would turn out easy….

"Well I…"

Before she could think of anything to say, the door had been pushed opened suddenly and harshly. That made her and Mickie jumped and they both turned to Ashley, muttering words under her breath.

"Geez Ash, you nearly got me choking!" Mickie exclaimed.

"Sorry. I just had an encounter with a diva. And you won't believe who it is."

"Melina?" Maria asked.

"No. Much worse than her. It's Torrie Wilson."

Maria and Mickie exchanged looks at each other, both turning to Ashley. "Torrie Wilson?"

"Yeah, her."

"What happened?" Maria asked, tapping her hang on the space between her and Mickie. Ashley took her seat in the middle and began to tell them about her encounter with the Smackdown diva.

"Not much," said Ashley. "All I can say is that she was being her bitchy self. You know what I'm talking about."

"With the 'I'm all that' attitude?" Mickie questioned.

"Exactly," Ashley confirmed. "And she thinks that she is when she said so from her own mouth. Can you believe that? Oh and wait 'til you hear this part. She even thinks that my boyfriend should have chosen her instead of me. Pathetic, isn't it?"

"Very," said Maria with a roll of the eyes. "Don't worry about her okay? Obviously she isn't worth your time."

"You got that right."

"Damn that girl hasn't changed her ways, has she?" Mickie made a laugh.

"Apparently not." Ashley rolled her eyes. "So anyway I don't want to talk about you-know-who anymore. Let's see that's on the TV shall we?"

Turning her focus onto the television screen, Ashley saw a match that was now in progress. A singles match between CM Punk and John Morrison for the ECW championship. Her thoughts on her rival had been blocked from her mind as she looked on.

XxxX

Minutes had flown by. Adam retained the title after defeating Batista in the title match and Ashley couldn't be happier about the results.

Soon the last event of the evening had finally arrived.

"This is it!" said Mickie.

"The Royal Rumble!" Maria grinned.

Ashley giggled. "Yep!"

"The following contest is the Over the Top Rope Battle Royal!"

The crowd's reaction was anything but ordinary. This was the biggest and most important of the event. This was the event that they were definitely looking forward to.

"Here are the rules of this match. The superstars who drew number one and number two will start off and at every one minute, the new entrant will enter the ring. The first superstar to be remain standing after the twenty nine other superstars have been eliminated will be announced the winner and will get a chance at a championship match of his choice at Wrestlemania 24!"

"Who do you think is going to win?" Ashley asked, nudging Maria.

Maria shrugged. "I don't know…maybe Jeff I guess."

"Okay. Good choice. Mickie, how about you?"

"Hm, I'm thinking maybe Shawn."

"Yeah he's awesome too."

"What about you Ash?" Maria asked. "Who do you think?"

Ashley thought a moment and then smiled. "I can't decide!"

"Well we'll find out who'll win anyway," Mickie grinned.

"Yeah," Ashley said with a smile. They turned to the television once more in time for Lillian to announce the first entrant.

"Ohh the Undertaker!" said Ashley. "He's a really good wrestler but he's creepy."

"I know," said Mickie with a laugh as they watched him walk slowly like a robot in the blue light and misty smoke. Soon after he got into the ring, the attention was turned to the titantron as it turned blue and then instantly, the number '5' appeared on the screen.

"No freaking way!" Mickie just jumped from the bench the minute she saw the countdown. Then the fireworks burst from above and then one final blast of the fireworks went off before the music starts.

Come on! You know I got ya. Yeah. One. Breaks the walls!

"Unbelievable! Chris is number two! Chris is number two!"

Her squeals went off at a high pitch as she jumped up and down the floor. She caught a glance at the two women who were looking at her strangely. Once she had noticed this, Mickie sat back down.

"Uh I mean…oh Chris is number two?" Mickie questioned calmly. "That's cool."

Indeed he was. As he did his usual pose at the ramp, he turned around to face the world. Chris Jericho was entrant number two for the Royal Rumble tournament. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he walked confidently to the ring.

Once he entered in the ring, his smile faded a little though as The Undertaker was staring dead cold at him from the corner. The bell soon signaled the start of the match and the two men locked in. Chris nearly got eliminated but he somehow got out of that predicament as he punched The Undertaker with right hands.

"Come on Chris!" Mickie shouted at the screen. "Yeah, give him a kick too!"

"Wow you sure are getting hyper," said Ashley with a laugh.

"Maybe it's the pretzels cause she was eating them just now," Maria chuckled.

"Nope, actually I promised him I would cheer him on."

"Aw how sweet," said Ashley. "Oh wait the timer's on."

As the countdown to the new entrant came on, the crowd counted down along with the timer.

9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1!

The alarm went off.

And the sound of someone spitting was heard from the speakers.

I spit in the face of people who don't want to be cool.

"Carlito," the divas said in unison. It was clearly known now that the Caribbean superstar was indeed entrant number three of the tournament. He stood by the turnbuckle as two competitors stared back at him. Carlito's eyes widen when the Undertaker was going for him. He begged him for mercy but the Undertaker was never a person to be asked for mercy. Luckily for him, Chris hit the tall man from behind and soon as strange as it had appeared since they were rivals, the Raw superstars ended up in a double team. But it ended it briefly as the Smackdown superstar fought through the pain and, to surprise the whole arena, delivered a powerful double chokeslam.

"Ohh that doesn't look good," said Maria.

"Aw poor Chris," said Mickie. "He should make it through that right?"

"I'm sure of it," said Maria.

"Yeah me too," said Ashley. So far the tournament went off to an interesting start.

XxxX

The three brands were now colliding in one ring. Forty minutes had past and there was no doubt when someone meant that it is indeed 'every man for himself.'

Whether you are a best friend to a superstar or not, the rules still remain. The chance to be part of the main event at Wrestlemania was hanging in the balance. So you would do whatever it takes to get it.

And that was the main goal in each and every mind of the superstars that were now giving everything they had in the squared circle. Mickie was disappointed that Chris got eliminated from the tournament after he lasted there for nearly twenty-two minutes.

"Well at least he made a great effort," Maria said to cheer her up.

"Yeah he did, didn't he?" Mickie made a small smile.

"Of course," Ashley agreed and smiled. "He did well."

The countdown of the timer on the larger screen was made again and the crowd as usual, shouted along to it. Then the alarm went off and instantly the number '29' appeared beside smaller screen beside the titantron.

It's time to play the game!

"It's Hunter," said Ashley, surprised to see him appeared on the ramp. "I thought he's going to be the last one."

"So did I," said Mickie.

"Me too…" Maria trailed off. "But wait…who got eliminated so far?"

Ashley used her fingers to recall the names. "Let's see…it's Santino, The Miz, John Morrison, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Kofi Kingston, The Great Khali, Chris…aw Cody just got eliminated. Yeah where was I?"

"You stopped at Chris."

"Oh right. Um…Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore…"

"Oh my god Hunter just eliminated Big Daddy V!" Mickie exclaimed. "Did you see that?!"

"Whoa!" said Maria. "Amazing."

"You're telling me," said Mickie. "He's like Superman or something."

"Well you know that he had an injury so he couldn't be in the tournament last year, remember?" Ashley pointed out.

"Oh yeah…so true," Maria agreed. "He missed his chance to be part of Wrestlemania last year. He can't back down on this chance now."

Ashley nodded with agreement. Hunter also eliminated Mick Foley seconds after. Then he turned his attention to his formal rival 'the Samoan Bulldozer' Umaga. Hunter wasn't afraid of anyone and he made it clear when he took down the superstar. Hunter executed the pedigree on Umaga.

"The timer's on again," Maria said excitedly.

"I wonder who is going to the last entrant…" said Mickie.

Ashley wondered the same and smiled. "Who knows. I'll let this random guy surprise me."

As the six eyes now fixed onto the timer, countdown was close to ending…

5...4…

Twenty nine men already stepped into the ring. Now for the last entrant to appear.

3…2…

The superstar who would be number 30 of the Royal Rumble tournament.

1…

The alarm went off. Ashley leant down a closer in anticipation. So did Maria and Mickie.

There was silence for about two seconds at least.

Suddenly Ashley found her heart throbbing madly in her chest. Her jaw dropped to the floor instantly.

"Oh my god…" Maria trailed off, speechless of what to say next.

"No way…" Mickie's eyes were wide with shock.

Ashley hadn't said a word. Just then a dark figure was coming onto the entrance….

XxxX

Lifting his head up to reveal his face to the world, he held a big smile on his face. The screams around him felt powerful. He felt like he was at the top of the world now. Being his hyped self, he made his presence known. He stopped to look at Hunter, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. He couldn't help but to smirk at his expression.

As shocking as it was to everyone in the arena, the last entrant of the Royal Rumble was none other than…

John Cena.

A/N: Phew, I got the chapter done as promised and on time for your birthday too, birthday girl! Yay, lol.

So now you know who's the mystery diva is, hehe. Yes it's a long chapter, I know. I hope it's worth it. I had fun writing it anyway.

Review and thank you.