A/N: Salutations all! Smackdown was amazing! Got a Roman Reigns shirt and an AJ Styles shirt. Though I did lose my mind when there was tension between Roman and Dean, and when Brock Lesnar came out and took my baes to Suplex City! On that note, I had a great time! XD Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I've had a horrible case of writer's block, which is why it took a lot longer for me to get this chapter out, so I apologize if it's not the best.

Oh, and one last thing, I decided to re-upload this chapter because I finally managed to find the video of Jimmy turning on Seth and decided to edit that part of the flashback.

wwetickler30 – I know, right?! I just wanna scream, "Wise up and tell him already, woman!" XD The thing about Valentina is that she's been in love with him for so long and she doesn't want to risk ruining their friendship if she tells him, even though it's quite obvious she's not the only one with these feelings.

abitoflightreading – Hahaha I don't blame you one bit. Dean and Valentina certainly have a very… interesting relationship, to say the least. I'm also glad you liked the club scene. When it comes to Valentina, the boys will always have her back no matter what. And damn, ya caught me *evil smile* You can definitely expect a Zahra Schreiber appearance in the future, and let's just say it won't be a pleasant one.

Lill2350 – Thank you! And leave it to Dean to ruin a romantic moment (for the billionth time) and push Valentina's buttons for the billionth time. Originally, I just intended for Seth and Valentina to share a rather intimate dance during the club scene, but after I slept on it and I decided to throw in some drama as well. Plus, it shows how protective the guys are over Valentina. They're like the big brothers she's always wanted (well, aside from Seth of course XD). And I'm sorry to hear that, hopefully they'll come next year.

Seth rollins babe – Thanks! :D

Chapter Ten – A Trip Down Memory Lane

"There I was again tonight

Forcing laughter, faking smiles

Same old tired lonely place

Walls of insincerity,

Shifting eyes and vacancy

Vanished when I saw your face

All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you

Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"

Across the room your silhouette

Starts to make its way to me

The playful conversation starts

Counter all your quick remarks

Like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you

All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go

I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you

The lingering question kept me up

2 AM, who do you love?

I wonder 'til I'm wide awake

And now I'm pacing back and forth

Wishing you were at my door

I'd open up and you would say, "Hey,

It was enchanting to meet you,

All I know is I was enchanted to meet you."

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go

I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

This night is flawless, don't you let it go

I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you." Enchanted by Taylor Swift

2008

Anxiously combing my fingers through my curly teased hair, I sucked in a breath and bit my lip. Tonight was Final Battle; ROH's last pay-per-view of the year as well as its biggest. After signing my contract with the company back in October, I'd had made my debut at the following pay-per-view, Rising Above, against Daizee Haze, to which I came out victorious. My opponent for tonight was Sara Del Rey, the one woman on the roster who I hadn't faced yet. Sara was the strongest woman on the roster. At Driven, she defeated Jessie McKay in 40 seconds in what was basically a squash match. But, after dropping the Shimmer Championship to MsChif at Rising Above, she was beyond furious. Now, almost a month later, she was still pissed about it and I didn't doubt for a second that she was gonna take that anger out on me.

This match wasn't gonna piece of cake, not with Sara being taller than me and twice my size. I knew who she was and what she was capable of, but I wasn't about to go to management and tell then to call off the match. I'd been given a golden opportunity. This was my chance to show everyone in that locker room (as well as all the fans and any haters) why I belonged here. Being only nineteen, most of them thought I was nothing more than "a pretty face that sucked off the right people to earn her spot."

I scowled as that comment replayed in my head. Most of the girls here didn't like me and the feeling was mutual. I got on with a couple of them, but that was about it.

I gingerly trailed my fingers over my attire one last time, making sure it looked decent and that I wouldn't endure a wardrobe malfunction. I wore a rhinestone black push-up bra with a purple lace bralette layering it, black boyshorts that read Bad Girl across the back in purple glitter lettering, black lycra chaps with a studded belt attached, over the knee combat boots, and black lace fingerless gloves.

"Excuse me, Valentina?" I turned my head to see one of the stage hands looking at me. "You're on in six."

Cracking my neck from side to side, I turned around and followed her down the corridor. Once we were at the gorilla she wished me good luck and went on her way. I took another deep breath as I stared at the curtain, my nerves kicking into overdrive as I heard the chorus of cheers and boos that came from the other side.

"Stunning ink. I don't think I've ever met a girl with as many gorgeous tattoos as you," a raspy voice murmured in my ear.

"I think you'll find I'm not like most girls," I replied, pivoting around. Standing before me was Tyler Black. He was notorious for being part of the most dominant stable in ROH: The Age Of The Fall. I'd seen him around a few times during my time here, but this was the first time we'd crossed paths. I could say I didn't find him immensely attractive, with his long dark hair, alluring warm brown eyes, and sculpted, tanned body, but then I'd be lying through my teeth.

"Is that so?" he inquired, a grin tugging at his lips as he offered me his hand. "As you know, around here I'm known as Tyler Black, but my real name's Seth. Seth Rollins."

"Valentina Monroe," I said, taking his hand and shaking it. "Get used to that name, puddin', cause' you're gonna be hearing it an awful lot around here."

"I'm counting on it," he chuckled. "Puddin', eh? I take it you're a DC fan?"

"You bet your ass I am!" I said excitedly. "Although as much as I love Harley Quinn, my favorite DC villainess is Poison Ivy."

"I'll keep that in mind, Miss Isley," he said teasingly. "So, what are you doing after the show? Maybe you and I could go get a drink? Maybe get to know each other more?"

"That sounds-"

"Hey! There you are, man! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

A man with black spiky hair with an orange streak in it came jogging towards Seth. It was his stable mate –and from what I'd heard, his best friend as well- Jimmy Jacobs.

Seth rolled his eyes. "The building's not the size of the Grand Canyon, Jimmy, so I'm sure you couldn't have looked that hard."

"Just wanted come up with a game plan for your number one contender match against Aries, dude! I know how bad you want to win it." Then he turned his head to look at me, and a lascivious smile crept onto his face. "Valentina Monroe, right? I don't think we've officially met, I'm Jimmy Jacobs."

"So I've heard" I quipped, fighting the temptation the roll my eyes as I held out my hand. "Pleasure."

He gently took my hand and planted a kiss on it. "Oh it can be, if you play your cards right."

"JIMMY!" Seth snapped, elbowing him in the ribs. "My apologies, Valentina. Jimmy has a tendency to be very…. outspoken."

"I can see that," I snickered, before tilting my head to the side and placing my hand on his chest. "And what about you? What makes you tick, Seth Rollins?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of my theme going off.

"Wake me up inside

(I can't wake up)

Wake me up inside

(Save me)

Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Give em' hell," he smirked, folding his arms.

"I plan to."

Eight minutes later I stumbled backstage holding my back and fighting to catch my breath. During the first half of the match, Sara powerbombed me, suplexed me, kicked the shit out of me, and spiked me with her finisher, the Royal Butterfly. When I kicked out at two and pushed myself up, she ran towards me, but inadvertently dove through the ropes when I moved out of the way. From there, I fought back with what little energy I had left and picked up the win with a bicycle kick, which was also my finisher that I named Sin City.

After getting looked at by a few doctors and being told to get plenty rest when I got home and load up on painkillers, I staggered into the locker room, flipped on the TV, and slumped down onto the bench. Seth's match was up next and I hadn't got a chance to wish him good luck, but I knew he was bound to win it regardless.

Fifteen minutes went by, and I when I wasn't frenziedly digging my nails into the bench, I was furiously dragging them through my hair, and I probably looked like a cavewoman for doing so. I couldn't help it though. Seth and Austin flat-out hated each other. Their rivalry had dated all the way back to July, when Austin and his partner, Jay Briscoe, had defeated Seth and Jimmy to with the Tag Team Championships. From there, it was basically Team Aires vs. The Age Of The Fall for months on end. The only thing Seth and Austin had in common was that they were both gunning for the ROH title.

Seth climbed to the top rope and was ready to hit a phoenix splash on Austin when Jimmy suddenly ran down the ramp. My brows furrowed in confusion as he started yelling for Seth not to do it. Seth ignored him and leapt off the turnbuckle, but Austin rolled out of the way.

As Seth agonizingly tried to get up, Aries countered with a kick to the head followed by a brainbuster. Then he hit the 450 splash and hooked Seth's leg for the three count.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to kick the TV over. I wanted to storm out there and nail Jimmy with a Sin City for costing Seth the match. I wanted to-

The sound of Seth and Jimmy arguing forced me to put my mental rant on pause. Jimmy kept screaming that Seth was supposed to be "the chosen one" and roughly shoved him. Seth shoved him back, hard enough to knock him over.

Oh shit….

Jimmy held his hands up in defense. "Don't give them the satisfaction! Stop, stop, stop! Don't give them the satisfaction! Remember last year? We were the tag team champions! Right here, last year, were the tag team champions, alright?" Jimmy tried to reason with him as he clambered to his feet. They had a heated stare-down for a good minute and then Jimmy held out his hand. Seth stared at it and blew out a sigh, before muttering an apology as well and shook his hand.

Then the unexpected happened….

"FUCKING TRAITOR!" I screamed as Jimmy hit Seth with a low-blow. All I could do was watch on in horror and disgust as Jimmy glared down at Seth and started screaming about how this was all Seth's fault and that he'd screwed him sprung to my eyes as he mercilessly locked Seth in a guillotine choke (aka his finisher, End Time). I was helplessly screaming for Jimmy to stop, but even if he heard me I doubt he would've.

And he didn't.

He rolled out of the ring, grabbing a steel chair and sliding it inside the ring. He positioned Seth's head in-between it and climbed to the top rope.

I couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't about to sit back and watch Jimmy put Seth in the ICU. Even though I just met Seth, I thought he was a sweetheart and I liked him a lot. He didn't deserve this.

By the time I'd pushed the curtain aside and sprinted down the ramp the damage had already been done. Austin was in the ring again and bashed Seth in the head with a steel chair and then he and Jimmy started punching him the head. All shots were enough to split Seth's head open. Blood trickled down his face as Jimmy reached into his pants and took out a towel - the same towel Seth didn't throw in for him at the Rising Above pay-per-view - and threw it on his head.

I rolled into the ring and sank to my knees in front of Seth's barely conscious form. I brushed some of his hair out of his face and shot Jimmy and Austin a glare as they hopped out of the ring and jeeringly waved at me before Jimmy blew me a kiss. Were they really fucking teaming up now?! After all the shit Austin put him through?!

I didn't know what the fuck had gotten into Jimmy or why he stabbed Seth in the back and formed an alliance with the biggest dickhead in the company, but that was something I'd get the answers to later on. Right now all I wanted was to get Seth some much needed medical attention before he passed out from blood loss.

Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, I gingerly helped him stand up. He didn't say a word the entire time as we walked up the ramp, but his face said it all. He looked so distraught, practically on the verge of tears, and my heart sank at the sight.

A handful of referees gathered around him when we were backstage and took him into the medical room. Since he more than likely needed staples in his head and wouldn't be out for a while, I headed back to the locker room for a shower. When that was done, I threw some clothes on and set my duffle bag down on the bench. Unzipping it, I scoured through it until I found a small notebook and a pen.

I'll be brutally honest here. I hardly ever invited guys back to my apartment unless I was really good friends with them and wanted to have a casual get together. But given tonight's circumstances, I was about to break that rule. Drawing in a breath, I opened the notebook, clicked the pen open, and scribbled my address down before tearing it out and folding it up.

"Seth! Seth, wait up!" I said, jogging up to him.

He turned around and sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, Valentina. I've had a rough night and I've got a long drive a head of me."

"It'll just take a second," I assured him as I dug through the pocket of my jeans. Pulling out the crumpled piece of paper, I took his hand and placed it in his palm. "I don't usually do this, but I really like talking to you and I was wondering if you'd like to come back to my place? Maybe have a couple beers to help get your mind off tonight? I live in Brooklyn, it's only twenty minutes from here. Look, just think it over, okay?"

He looked down at the paper and his lips curled into a small smile. "No need to. I'll be there."

"Great! I'll see you soon!"

Another thing I loved about Seth was that he was good on his word. When he arrived I'd already lit a few candles, took out some comfy blankets from the hallway closet and set them on the couch, laid some snacks out on the coffee table, and took the beers out on the fridge and set them next to the snacks.

"So tell me more about yourself," Seth said, taking a sip of his beer as he sat down on the sofa.

Plopping down next to him, I crossed my legs and took a swig of beer. "Well, I spent four years of my life in Las Vegas, but once my parents' divorce was finalized a couple months before my tenth birthday, my dad and I moved here. Everything about Vegas reminded him of my mother, so he wanted to start fresh and move back to Brooklyn, his hometown. As much as I love Vegas, Brooklyn is my home. It's also where my wrestling career kicked off. As a fifteenth birthday present, my dad found a wrestling school in the area and signed me up."

"What happened to your mom anyway?" he inquired. "If you don't mind my asking."

"She walked out on me when I was nine," I said quietly. "My dad found out she'd been cheating on him and I came home from school to see them having a screaming match about it. Next thing I know, my mom storms out of the house with her bags and she's already got a cab waiting for her. I begged her not to go, not to leave me, but she just shook her head and said that she had to do what's best for her and that I'd understand when I got older."

"Valentina, I'm so sorry…" He pulled me into a hug and stroked my hair.

"I-It's f-fine," I whispered into his shoulder. "What about you? Never did get your answer to my question at the arena."

"I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa," he said with proud grin. "I was probably about fourteen when I decided that it was what I wanted to do as a career. So I began training and doing Indie shows here and there for a few years. Then last year I signed a three-year contract with Ring Of Honor. And the rest, they say, is history."

Seth and I talked the whole night –or four a.m., if I'm being honest- until I dozed off in his arms. We chatted about our favorite Attitude Era rivalries, our favorite matches, our favorite Superstars and Divas, our tattoos, and how he got into CrossFit.

A loud yawn left my lips as I stretched my arms over my head and sat up, my gaze landing on the clock on the wall: 12:00. Normally I would've scolded myself for sleeping in, but seeing as I was exhausted after last night's events and the fact that our next show wasn't until the 16th, there was no need to beat myself up over it.

Rolling over, a folded piece of paper on the coffee table caught my attention. Quirking a brow, I opened it and read it.

Hello, Poison Ivy ;) Didn't want to wake you up since you were pretty tired. I found a CrossFit facility nearby (don't worry, I'm taking it easy today) and should be back soon and we'll go grab lunch. By the way, thanks for cheering me up last night. I owe ya one! ;D

My heart swelled with adoration as I read the last part. We'd just met and already we had a connection and wanted to spend more time together, and I was looking forward to every minute of it.

"Seth Rollins," I said with a cheerful sigh. "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Ah, Valentine's Day. The one day of the year that's a giant middle finger to anyone without a significant other. It also reminded me of how I'd been beating around the bush these past couple months. I still hadn't poured my heart out to Seth like I vowed to do. Whenever I contemplated doing it, that fear of rejection always hits me like a freight train.

That wasn't the only reason I hadn't gotten around to telling him though. These past two months had been nothing short of… rigorous. The New Year kicked off with Seth dropping the NXT Championship to Big E Langston, and he was devastated for the rest of the night when it occurred. Although the loss hit him hard, Dean, Roman, and I assured him that he was untouchable force on the main roster now and that he would have plenty of opportunities to be champion again.

Following that, we made sure the title stayed on Punk at all costs, and we'd been paid rather handsomely by Heyman for our services. When Seth came into my room and gave me an envelope from Paul Heyman filled with a wad of cash, I'll willingly admit that I felt somewhat dirty for accepting it. As if that wasn't bad enough, The Rock made his shocking return after a year away from the company and claimed he was going after Punk's title. They'd spent weeks brawling and trash talking each other before we'd had enough and decided to get involved, and by get involved I mean that the boys triple powerbombed Rock. Vince McMahon didn't take kindly to this, and despite Punk and Heyman trying to convince him that they had nothing to do with us attacking The Rock – which was a complete load of horseshit, by the way- and tried to prove it by bring up that we'd been too occupied with argue that we were currently occupied with our all-out war with Ryback, Sheamus, and Randy Orton. Vince wasn't buying any of it, and said that if we interfered in the WWE Title match at the Royal Rumble, then Punk would be stripped of the title.

We continued to try –big emphasis on "try" here- to ease Vince's suspicious. On the Smackdown prior to the Royal Rumble, Punk came up with a plan, which was that he'd call us out that night and say that he never asked for or wanted our help and that if we believed in justice, we'd stay out of his way.

Rock didn't believe that for a second, but that didn't stop us for agreeing to Punk's plan for the Royal Rumble. Halfway into his match against The Rock, we killed the lights and I hit Rock with Sin City before the boys triple powerbomed him. We thought Punk's plan was sure fire, until Michael Cole started yelling, "it's The Shield!"

We'd gotten out of dodge when the lights came on and Punk tried to act like he had nothing to do with it and pinned Rock, but then Vince came out and things went from bad to worse. Long story short, Rock had the match restarted and won the belt.

Punk was furious with us. He verbally tore us a new asshole for "fucking up his plan" and "that it was our fault he lost the title." He went on and on until I snapped and bitchslapped him, told him that I was done working for his spoiled ass, and shoved the cash-filled envelope in Heyman's hands before storming out. The boys came into my room that night and told me they had words with Punk after they left and said they'd severed ties with him, which I was thrilled to hear.

Now, we had Cena, Ryback, Sheamus and Natalya to deal with. They took it upon themselves to attack us last week as revenge for us taking out Brad Maddox. In our defense, he really had it coming for admitting to giving Vince the footage of Heyman grilling him and pointing out that, unlike Brad, we weren't greedy and when he paid us we didn't keep coming back for more, which then lead to all four of us giving Brad a beatdown to conclude the tape. Cena challenged us to a match at Elimination Chamber, which was now only three days away, and we accepted it.

Here I was, all cooped up in apartment in one of my Edge t-shirts that read Lewd, Crude, and Tattooed on the front and Not Your Damn Role Model on the back, black sweat pants with the Black Widow logo along the left leg, and Harley Quinn slipper boots, alone on Valentine's Day, about to watch an old episode of a pro-wrestling show that aired on MTV in 2007 called Wrestling Society. A giggle escaped my lips when Luna hopped up onto the couch and nestled beside me. Luna was a dark brown Pomeranian that I'd adopted from the local animal shelter right after Christmas. In addition, I adopted a stray cat with gray and white fur and bright blue eyes and named her Khaleesi.

Stroking her fur, I glanced down at the I Am Not Afraid. I Won't Burn Out In This Place. My Intention Is to Fade. And I Will. I Will lyric tattoo on my inner left forearm, an ode to one of my favorite songs by The Pretty Reckless: House on A Hill. This wasn't the only tattoo I'd gotten recently: the side of my right thigh now read Never was a girl with a wicked mind but everything looks better when the sun goes down with a small crescent moon hanging from the 'n' in down, the side of my left leg read And Lord I Pray For Calmer Seas with four X's below it and Don't Let The Water Drag You Down on the side of my right leg with four X's below it (these three also being tributes to The Pretty Reckless) and a rather alluring tattoo of Poison Ivy on my right thigh. My final tattoo was a teal and hot pink colored lotus that adorned the back of my right shoulder.

Stretching back, I picked up the carton of Half Baked flavored Ben & Jerry's ice cream and shoved a spoonful of it into my mouth before hitting 'play' on the remote.

"AGGGHHHH! JIMMY! WHERE WERE YOU OUT THERE TONIGHT?!"

"Bro, bro, relax! Dude, dude, I know we lost, but I got a plan." He picked up his guitar with a grin.

"…Is this a joke?!"

"No dude! Just tell me your feelings, we're gonna get em' all out. We're gonna put em' all out-"

"Jimmy! I'm sore! I'm angry! And…And I'm hurt!"

"Good, good, good! See, fear is the heart of love, and laced in the tears of defeat, will soar on the wings on the dove to victory."

"Jimmy! Do you not get it?! We lost tonight! WE lost! And the worst part? We lost to a bunch of hippies!"

"But that girl, dude! I could've found love! Look at the bigger picture, man." He strummed the guitar. "Isn't that nice, dude? Chill bro!"

Seth grabbed his guitar and stormed out. "UGH! I HATE THE 70s! BURN. IN. HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLL!"

"Let it out, bro! Just relax and let it out!"

As much as I tried to contain my laughter, I failed miserably the minute Seth yelled "BURN. IN. HELL!" in his screamo voice. Picking up the remote again, I hit the 'rewind' button followed by 'play'. I was only about ten seconds into the segment when my phone went off, prompting me to pause it.

Incoming Call:

Seth Rollins

Go into the back, it's only Skin City

Dancin' to the top, ya know it ain't (RIGHT RIGHT)

Glowin' in the dark, you're so pretty pretty

"You've reached the Killer Queen's Kingdom," I said sardonically after hitting Accept. "What can I do ya for?"

"For starters, you can get off your pretty little ass and let me in before I catch my death out here," he joked.

Wait, what?!

"You're a Midwestern boy, you should be used to the cold by now, Sethie," I quipped, setting the carton on the table and sitting up. "But seriously, Seth, you better not be fucking with me! Are you really here?!"

My apartment suddenly buzzed, nearly making me jump out of my skin. I hurried over to the intercom and pressed the button on it.

"Does that answer your question, sweetheart?"

Jesus, even over an intercom his voice still gave me shivers.

"Holy shit! You're not fucking with me after all!" I exclaimed excitedly. "Wait, I thought you said you were flying back home after that house show on Wednesday?"

"My flight got cancelled due to bad weather, so I made a change of plans. It actually worked out perfectly because now I get to spend Valentine's Day with my girl."

My heart fluttered at that, and I wasted no time in hitting the button that opened the lobby doors. I was thankful my complex had elevators because A) Seth wasn't one for packing light and B) my apartment was on the top floor.

A knock sounded on the door ten minutes later and I scuttled towards it and let him in. It was only noon but some of my neighbors had a habit of sleeping in, and I wanted to avoid a lecture from my landlord at all costs.

"Hey!" he greeted me and used his free arm to hug me as he walked in wheeling his suitcase behind him. Khalessi ran into the room and let out a soft meow before purring and rubbing up against his leg. He laughed and bent down to pet her. It was then that I noticed something sitting atop his suitcase: a small vase with a bouquet of red roses. He'd also tied the vase to the handle so it wouldn't fall off.

"And who might these be for?" I joked, bending over to sniff them, their sweet scent bringing a smile to my face.

"I was thinking of giving them to Summer actually," he joked, earning him a smack on the arm from me. "I'm kidding! They're for you. I know, I know, Valentine's Day isn't your favorite holiday, but maybe these will change your mind."

"It's a start," I replied mordantly, carefully detaching vase. "I'm gonna put these on my balcony table so Khalessi can't get to them. Plus they'll live longer this way."

When that was done, I returned to my living room to see Seth watching the segment between him and Jimmy.

He rubbed his temples before turning to me with an amused grin. "Care to explain this one, Vee?"

"What can I say? Your anger makes me very happy," I quipped, leaning against the wall. "If it's any consolation, I want to punch Jimmy in the face every time I watch it."

"That's comforting," he snorted, before his eyes landed on my Xbox 360. "What do you say to a game of Call of Duty?"

"I say you're on, and you better not let me get mauled by zombies again."

"I would never!"

"SETH! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, HURRY UP AND BOARD IT UP! THESE DEAD NAZI BITCHES ARE TRIPLE-TEAMING ME!" I yelled, vigorously jabbing the buttons on my controller.

"I'M TRYING! PIPE DOWN!" he shouted back, licking his lips in concentration. "I TOLD YOU TO BUY THE M14! WHY DIDN'T YOU BUY THE M14?!"

"I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POINTS!" I whined, pushing the loose strands of hair that'd fallen out of my ponytail out of my face. "YOU HAD ONE JOB: DON'T LET THE ZOMBIES IN!"

"Easier said than done," he chortled, cracking his neck. "Yes! I've finally got enough points to open the door!"

"Finally!" I said sarcastically.

Seth shot me the finger and went back to anxiously pressing buttons again. "Shit, they're coming down the stair- I stand corrected! They're coming in through the wall too!"

"Buy the damn MP40 then!"

"But is it really worth a thousand points?"

"It is if you want to avoid showing up to Raw with pink hair!"

"…. Roger that!"

Two hours went by before we decided to call it quits and opted to watch The Notebook. Well actually, we flipped a coin over it and Seth lost, much to his disappointment, but his mood changed when I promised him we could get caught up on Game of Thrones afterwards. I had a flight to New Orleans booked, as did Seth, but we didn't have to be to the airport until ten and we were both already packed. I had an interview with Fox Sports New Orleans tomorrow morning, but afterwards Seth and I planned on getting some sightseeing in before Elimination Chamber. It was just gonna be the two of us, so maybe, just maybe, this chance would give me the push I needed.

"You're bored! You're bored and you know it! You wouldn't be here if there wasn't something missing!"

"You arrogant son of a bitch!"

"Would you just stay with me?!"

"Stay with you?! What for?! Look at us, we're already fightin'!"

"Well that's what we do! We fight! You tell me when I'm being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass! Which you are, 99% of the time. I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings. You have like a 2 second rebound rate, then you're back doing the next pain-in-the-ass thing."

"So what?"

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now, what's it look like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that's what you really wanted. But don't you take the easy way out!"

"It gets me every single time!" I sobbed loudly, grabbing a handful of tissues nearby and dabbing my eyes.

Seth took a swig of his red wine and rolled his eyes. "Tell me again why I agreed to this?"

"Bite me! It's the best romance movie of all time!"

"Pretty sure Titanic would like to test that theory."

"Whatever you say," I retorted, picking my wine glass off the table and taking a sip. "Besides, if I remember correctly, the last time we watched Titanic I'm 99% sure I saw you tear up when Jack died."

"Nope, that was you. And you woke my neighbors up because you were crying so loud."

"Was not! You can't hide from the truth, Seth! I know for a fact that you've cried while watching a sad scene! Does Dobby's death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ring a bell?"

"Touché," he muttered before digging into his pocket and withdrew what appeared to be two tickets. "Remember how bummed out you were a few weeks ago went those Pretty Reckless tickets went on sale? As luck would have it, I've got an old friend that now works at the Madison Square Garden arena. When I was on the phone with him he hooked me up with two seats that'd gone on resale, and in return I got him front row seats to Raw. The show's on March 23rd and I booked us a suite at The Plaza Hotel for the night. I figure we'll check in, go to dinner and then head on over to the arena. What do you say?"

SETH JUST ASKED ME OUT! Is this really fucking happening?! Am I dreaming?! Am I in the Twilight Zone?! Right. Be cool. Let's see if he considers it a date or not.

"I don't know what to say," I breathed, taking one of the tickets as he held it out. "Other than, well…. Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Rollins? Should I dress all formal and shit? Or should I show up in sweats?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," he replied boldly. "For the record, you could show up wearing a potato sack and you'd still look sexy." He winked at me.

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks grow hot. "In that case, I'd love to go out with you, Seth."

"Perfect. I promise you, Vee, it'll be a night to remember."

The flight from Brooklyn to New Orleans was three and a half hours long, and Seth and I didn't arrive at the hotel until five in the morning, meaning I only got two hours of sleep because my interview was at nine. Thankfully there was a Starbucks across the street from the hotel so I took the opportunity to get as much caffeine in my system as possible.

For my interview, I selected a black Wheels & Dollbaby cardigan with DollBaby embroidered on the front and the original Dollbaby vintage logo printed on the back, black pants with leather paneling in the front, black heeled knee-high boots, gunmetal colored cross earrings with black and silver gems, and my Valentina necklace. My hair was in loose curls, my lips were lightly coated in nude lipstick, and my eyes were sultry and dark.

I saw down at the broadcast table across from Jennifer, the woman who was interviewing me, and took a sip of my water. The cameraman waved his finger at us, letting us know that we were now live.

"Welcome back! I'm Jennifer Hale and joining me at this time, she's known as the Killer Queen of WWE and also one-fourth of The Shield: Valentina Monroe!" She gave me a warm smile. "Valentina, thank you so much for joining us."

"You're welcome," I replied enthusiastically. "What's up New Orleans?!"

"So you're in town for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view this Sunday," she began. "What is your goal, ultimately, going into it?"

"Well, my goal is to take down Natalya and the rest of her team," I said matter-of-factly. "They're an injustice, and The Shield will not stand for it."

"I see," she said with a nod. "Talking of Natalya, the Divas division has not been the same since you made your debut, what inspired you to bring back such brutal matches?"

"It all started not long after we debuted at Survivor Series. When AJ and I were brawling in what was basically consider a street fight, all I could think -other than beating the crap out of her of course- was that this division was long overdue for a change, and that I wanted to be the one to speak up and make a change regardless of what everyone else thought. Women like Chyna, Lita, Victoria, and Mickie paved the way for women wrestlers. They made this division."

"Oh, absolutely," she replied earnestly. "I've noticed you're not afraid to take on the guys as well. You're the second Diva in history, the first being Lita, to be involved in a TLC match, how does that feel?"

"It's both surreal and phenomenal, Jennifer. If somebody had told me years ago that I'd be the second Diva in history to compete in a TLC match against not women, but men, I'd look at them like they'd grown a second head," I laughed.

"Since it's a new year, and everybody has their own resolutions, is winning the title yours?"

"Definitely. I can assure you that 2013 will be the year of Valentina Monroe. For now I'm biding my time, but I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win that championship."

"A little warning to all the Divas watching this," she teased. "But now I want to get into the juicer stuff, if that's okay with you?"

"Shoot."

"Alright, are you in a relationship with Seth Rollins?"

And this interview just got a lot more interesting….

"No," I replied with a giggle as I shook my head. "Actually, Seth and I have known each other for five years now, but he's my best friend. We're not dating. Sorry to all the fangirls out there, don't think I haven't seen all your tweets and what you post on tumblr."

"Well that's all the time we have. Thank you so much for joining me, Valentina."

"And thank you for having me. Tickets to Elimination Chamber are unfortunately sold out, but we'll be in Lafayette this Monday for Raw and tickets are still available so grab em' while you can!"

"Hey sweetheart, how'd it go?" Seth asked, embracing me in a hug. I texted him prior to the interview to let him know when it would be over so we could meet up afterwards and hang out, as promised.

I wrapped my arms around my neck and smirked. "I think it went well, and you'll be pleased to heat that if New Orleans didn't believe in The Shield before, they do now. And if there are still any non-believers out there, they'll come around on Sunday."

"You've got that right," he said cockily and slung an arm around my shoulders. "So I've Googled some cool spots in the area and I was thinking we could go to the Prytania Theatre first and then go for drinks at the Port Of Call."

"The Prytania Theatre? Sounds very snazzy," I remarked.

"It's definitely different than your average movie theatre from what I've researched," he replied as we got into the cab. "But I'm not gonna spoil anything. Trust me, you'll love it. It's right up your alley."

Any doubts I had about the Pytania Theatre were tossed out the window once we walked in. This place had a very Old Hollywood theme to it when it came to the atmosphere. To add to that theme, it also screened cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show and Some Like It Hot. Seth and I's movie of choice was Moulin Rouge.

We had fifteen minutes before the movie started and we were both pretty hungry so getting concessions was certainly a must.

When it was our turn, Seth glanced at the menu again before clearing his throat. "Yeah, I'd like a bottled water, a soda, and one large-sized gelato."

The woman nodded and Seth handed her his credit card. "Sure thing. That'll be fifteen dollars. You and your wife enjoy the movie."

"W-Wife?!" I sputtered, my whole face turning beet red. "N-No, I-I'm n-not h-his-"

"Come along, honey," Seth purred, handing me my soda before linking his free arm with mine. "Don't wanna miss the movie, it's our anniversary after all."

"Well bless you both for coming here!" the woman said ecstatically. "Enjoy the movie, and Happy Anniversary!"

"Remind me to kick your ass later," I grumbled, once Seth and I sat down.

He took a bite of the gelato and smiled. "Aww, don't be like that, Mrs. Rollins! You know, Valentina Rollins actually does have a nice ring to it."

"You're already asking me to marry you and we haven't even had our first date yet," I giggled and shook my head as I stole a bite of the gelato. "You are something else, Seth."

"You love it," he said cheekily, his gaze veering to my lips. "You got a little…"

"I know, I know," I laughed and reached for a napkin, but Seth grabbed my wrist.

"Allow me," he said softly, shifting his body to lean towards me. His hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb lovingly stroked my cheek for a moment before he inclined himself closer. I closed my eyes, wanting nothing more than to kiss him like my entire being depended on it.

If only déjà vu hadn't reared its ugly head again...

It's like speaking in tongues

To all of you now

When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?

How long until the tables turn?

When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?

Groaning, Seth kissed my forehead before irritably reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone. This was the third time we'd been interrupted and I couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. I quietly sipped my soda and wiped the inevitable tears that blurred my vision. The last thing I wanted was for Seth to see me cry and for this day to be ruined.

Seth ended the call and looked at me. "That was Dean. Apparently Sandra wants us to be at the arena a lot earlier on Sunday. Something about last minute fittings on our gear."

I nodded. "That's doable."

He wrapped his arm around me again as the previews began. As I turned my head to look at him, it dawned on me that in spite of the fact that we had been interrupted (AGAIN) and that I had tried to avoid telling him, I couldn't ignore what my heart wanted anymore. And what my heart wanted was him.

A/N: So after some careful consideration I decided to do a time skip. It'll still be a bit of a slow burn for our couple, but like I said, it'll be worth it! And, since I'm not the best at describing things, feel free to check out my Polyvore if you want to see all Valentina's outfits for this chapter, what Khaleesi and Luna look like, and her new tattoos. I've also changed a few of her other ones so feel free to check those out as well XD

References: "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship" is from Batman: The Animated Series.

Thanks again for reading and please review! ^_^