A/N: First attempt at writing lyrics of a song into a chapter.
After Raw's commercial break...
"Where the hell are they? That was insane!" Val says as she and JJ laughed, Val hanging onto her backstage pass.
"Well they pulled one over on those three, that was fun to see." JJ says.
"This might not be…" Val says, seeing Seth bust the door down to Amanda's locker room as the cameraman followed him, Dean and Roman.
Amanda had only been on the floor for a few seconds to make it look like she really was hurt, Seth picking her up.
"Mandy, are you alright baby girl?!" Seth asks frantically, seeing Amanda's bandaged side.
"Yeah, just a bit dizzy." Amanda says, pretending that she was out of it.
"A bit dizzy?! Your side's bandaged so we know he stabbed you! Where is that demonic son of a bitch?!" Dean yells.
"Enough!" Amanda said loudly, Dean and Seth looking at each other and then to Roman, who was the next to speak.
"Mandy, you shouldn't go out there!" Roman says in a gentle tone.
"We should take her to a priest and get him to perform an exorcism!" Seth shouts.
"Eist suas!" Amanda yelled, startling the three. "I have a match against Sasha and Paige, I'm well enough to compete! Now go!" She says in a firm tone, the three leaving and Amanda closing the door.
"Are they gone, love?"
Amanda turned, seeing Finn had emerged from his hiding spot.
"Yeah they're gone. Damn, that riled them up." Amanda says quietly before going to get ready for her match, Finn gently grabbing her arm.
"Please be careful out there, Mandy." Finn says.
"I will." Amanda says before leaving.
Amanda Cena vs Sasha Banks vs Paige, Number one contenders match…
The match progressed smoothly, with Paige eventually crashing into the steel steps 5 ½ minutes into the match after Amanda jumped into the ring.
"Damn… sorry, Paige." Amanda whispered before running at Sasha and hitting her with the Slingblade.
"Might've been wrong about earlier, Mandy doesn't seem all that phased by what went down at the beginning of the show!" Corey says as Amanda executed the Coup De Grace and pinned Sasha for the win.
The bell rang, No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne playing as Amanda stood up and her hand was raised in victory.
She was honestly glad this was for the newly crafted Women's Championship as the Divas division was undergoing a renaissance... but having grown up in the Attitude Era, Amanda longed for those days sometimes.
Amanda left the ring… and as scripted, was pinned against the wall by Finn, who had a decent size advantage over her.
Her hazel eyes locked with his blue ones before they kissed roughly, blood trailing down Amanda's lower lip afterwards.
"That championship will be yours…" Finn says, his hands cupping Amanda's face and their foreheads an inch from each others. "But you're mine, my Demon Queen!" He growled in her left ear.
The camera stopped filming them and cut to an angry Paige, who was kicking the crates and Becky trying to calm her.
"It's bad enough that she gets a shot at the title but then before that, she's paired up with Balor! What in the hell is wrong with The Authority, letting those two around each other?" Paige yelled.
Becky knew it was scripted but she felt a bit insulted since Finn was like a brother to her.
"Paige, I don't think that Hunter and Steph have any involvement in this. Hell, Mandy wasn't acting like she was hurt, she wasn't guarding her side." Becky says.
At the same time, Seth stopped nearby, the wall blocking him from their eyesight.
"You think Mandy and Finn pulled a prank on Mandy's Shield brothers?" Paige asks.
"Probably to get back at them for their constant arguments. Who could blame her, fighting drives her nuts." Becky says.
Seth turned and left, now even more steamed than he was earlier.
At the hotel bar later, he walked in.
"Whiskey, please." Seth says after sitting down, the bartender pouring a glass of Jack Daniels and handing it to him. Seth drank it down fast before ordering another one, drinking the second one a bit slower as Need You Now by Lady Antebellum played from the radio.
Picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor
Reaching for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me, it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now
Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door
Wishin' you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time
It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now
Oh whoa
Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now
Oh baby, I need you now
Seth set the empty glass down after his fourth drink, feeling considerably intoxicated before paying the bartender and leaving.
He stumbled to the elevator, pressing the fourth floor button and the doors closed… leaning against the railing, the song replayed in his mind.
Or one part at least.
"And I wonder if I ever cross your mind… for me it happens all the time…" Seth sang softly.
He had nearly gone through with a marriage, cheated on Leighla and him and Zahra had broken up recently… the only constant presence in his life throughout that was Amanda, she had helped steady him onto his feet.
And now to him, it seemed like she was distancing herself and staying close to Finn.