A/N: This, my friends, is why you always back up your chapters. You'd think after all the time I spent writing both here and back in school, I'd learn that much by now...
This is a re-written chapter that my dumb ass deleted by accident. It will be basically the same as I wrote prior, so if you've already read this, carry on and go to the next-and don't forget to review.
You may also notice I changed the audience rating from T to M. I hope this doesn't lose any fanship; this is only to protect my own ass in case the direction of the story ends up a little heavier.
"AJ and Paige, go," the backstage technician waved the women forward, holding his headset closer to his ears so that he could hear his next command over the boom of AJ's theme song. Taking a deep breath, Paige squeezed AJ's hands, pushed the curtains aside, and mentally began to prepare for their match against Team Bella.
They looked like the couple of kid-dults they really were, two grown women skipping down to the ring. Paige did the little side step to the beat, AJ followed suit, her hands tucked behind her back. They both sported Paige's new "This is My House" t-shirt, with matching cut-outs to make them a little more interesting. AJ had a knack for cutting and weaving her shirts that she wore in the ring; she was a regular Martha Stewart as far as her craftiness with the scissors was concerned.
Although they were heels in this competition, the shock from AJ's return still hadn't worn off with many of the fans. They still got a warm welcome, with AJ skipping once more around the ring while her partner climbed up on the apron, her signature banshee scream getting a nice pop yet again from the audience.
AJ sat up on the ropes like she normally would, Paige next to her, pointing at some guy's sign in the audience in an appreciative manner. She turned, clapping AJ on the shoulder.
"You ready?" she asked when the camera began to peel away from them.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"You can look, but you can't touch..."
Alicia Fox, Brie, and Nikki tore out of the curtain, evil and arrogant smiles on each of their faces. AJ shot a look to the raven-haired diva, rolling her eyes as Nikki and Brie swiveled their hips to their music. The audience cheered for them, too; they were clearly very popular among the WWE Universe. AJ found herself wondering who in the hell thought it was a good idea for Alicia to wear a tutu down to the ring-she looked like a moron. Whoever it was ought to be fired. Not that Brie's ring gear was any better today; her cut-up black tights had holes so close to her lady parts that if she moved wrong, the whole world might see little Bella.
As the trio neared the ring, AJ noted that Nikki Bella sported ridiculously high Nike heels. They looked terrible. What was the point of wearing basketball shoes with heels, anyways? They matched her black and red Bella attire, so it was safe to assume they were specifically made for her. After all, she had a knack for all things expensive. It was also a good indication, however, that any involvement she had in their match would be kept to a minimum, as the teetering on her stilts wouldn't do her any good against AJ's Chucks.
Still looking smug, Nikki Bella called for the microphone, and AJ couldn't help but cringe. Sure, Nikki had improved significantly with her in-ring abilities, but for the most part, that was it. Her last huge storyline, against Brie, was horrible and painful to watch, the acting atrocious and the story just simply unbelievable in and of itself. It set their characters back, in AJ's opinion.
I don't remember a promo being scheduled. Must've missed it.
"How cute, Brie. The anti-diva, past and present-" she made quotations in the air with her free hand-"Adorable that you two even found each other again. Even after crazy little AJ here chose to leave this company, her career, and even you, Paige. Possibly the only friend she had behind. You're so forgiving, kudos to you," she gave faux enthusiasm. "And all for what, exactly? A dirty, nasty city like Chicago!"
Did she really just say that? Boos emerged from the audience and, much to the dismay of pretty much everyone, a small section up in the balcony area broke out into "CM PUNK" chants. AJ shook her head, trying to block out the memories she had with her former husband in this very ring. Knowing that any mention of the former superstar's hometown might break into such chants, there was no way in hell this little stunt they were pulling was cleared by the creative team.
Alicia clapped wildly for her, peering down her nose in a way; acting like she was actually better than any of them. Brie tapped her sister's shoulder, and Nikki obliged, handing her sister the microphone as the chants began to quiet down. AJ, however, was seething; and she didn't even feel when her friend rubbed her shoulder, trying to get her to relax. She hadn't even realized she'd stood up, ready to bash some faces in.
"And we can all see how that turned out," she said simply, her words dripping with venom. Another crowd reaction-this time, gasps-as AJ couldn't take it anymore. Leaping between the ropes, she flew out of the ring, praying that they wouldn't move. Praying that she'd hit all of them.
Her tiny body took out all three women, who were stunned that she came flying at them. Nikki was on her ass, struggling to get up in her dumb heels. Foxy took the grunt of her aerial attack, crawling to their side of the ring. AJ tossed Brie into the ring by her hair, sliding in and preparing to make her pay for even bringing up Phil in the slightest.
Gaining offense quickly, she had her backed up against her own ringpost, varying different kick combos against her abdomen. She tried to push AJ out of the way to catch a breath, but she kept coming back for more, intending to leave some bruises. Brie pushed her back once again, this time, AJ gave her a nasty bulldog. She must've caught part of her face with her fingernail, a red line emerging from the bottom of her nose to her cheek. She set her up for a Shining Wizard, but instead, was blindly tagged by Paige.
"You really need to calm down, love," she whispered as a shocked look crossed AJ's face. She could've had this done and over with in less than a minute! "Before you hurt her for real," she said quietly, as AJ found her spot on the apron.
She could vaguely hear the announce team behind her, JBL making excuses for Team Bella's ad-lib, trying to cover-up the fact that it shouldn't have even happened to the viewers at home.
Those bitches.
"Hey, ladies, good work out there. Great match," Big E stood beside the curtain, waiting for the commercial break to end so he could get to perform his match. He hadn't spoken much to AJ since their own little stable broke up, and though as far as she knew there was no legitimate reason, it was still kind of sad. The days she spent with E and Ziggler were always fun, the three of them shooting up to the main card quickly with their antics. But, she supposed, he had moved in a good direction anyways. His new faction, the New Day, seemed to make a nice impact on the crowd, were fun to watch, and held tag team gold.
"Thank you, darling!" Paige sung, giving him a quick hug. For whatever reason, she'd taken an immediate liking to E, often teasing him for his bodybuilding stature but very short height. "Here's hoping we made you proud!"
Their mini celebration was short-lived as Brie and Nikki stomped up to the pair, red as their own gear. Brie's scratch had worsened, and AJ felt really badly for it. Normally, she was much more careful...but, she was in the heat of the moment, grabbing for hair...
"What the hell was that out there?" Brie demanded to know, pointing to her own face. "AJ, seriously? You know that I have to do a s hoot for E! Online tomorrow, right?"
"No, I didn't. I'm really sorry...it was an accident," she remained flat in tone, hoping she sounded as sincere as she felt. Even though she thought the Total Divas show was a joke, it had really opened doors for the women in it. They were already talking about a possible spin-off for the Bella Twins, and of course they deserved just that.
"Of all people, you should know better," Nikki stated, her attitude very salty towards the smaller woman.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"Wait a second, wait a second," Paige walked over from shooting the shit with E. "Nikki, Brie. I love you ladies greatly, but don't come flying off the handle at AJ. What in the world was with that little promo? There's no way Stephanie approved that. And it's so not cool to bring up AJ's personal life."
Brie rolled her eyes as her sister scoffed. They looked like snotty teenagers, and AJ remembered why she was so angry with them to begin with.
"Whatever, Paige. AJ Lee and CM Punk are trending right now on Twitter. Why hide it? We just decided to make things more interesting," Brie replied, still holding a bitchy tone.
"That wasn't your decision to make," Paige remained calm, but fire was burning in her eyes, which were hooded heavily with her dark eye make-up. She looked ready to brawl all over again.
"Fine, we're sorry," Nikki offered, sensing the hostility in the air. They'd started to draw an audience, and AJ began to feel very uncomfortable. "We just thought you were over it. Why else would you be here?"
"So she can get over it, you numbskull!" Paige raked her hand through her hair, her temper beginning to rise.
Nikki took offense to that. "Um, speaking of numbskulls, you know what else wasn't planned? You, AJ, leaping through the ropes and trying to take out all of us. Talk about a surprise! You could've seriously been injured. Talk about letting your emotions get the best of you."
"I was taking my chance on that one of you could catch," AJ said quietly, not able to look the woman in the eye anymore. Why was she acting like such a wuss when it came to Nikki Bella? And why was she allowing Paige to fight her battle for her?
Nikki clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "You're really lucky that all three of us did. Because pulling stunts like that, you could end up breaking your neck. And you know what breaking your neck can do? Kill you, or kill your career. Just ask your little hero, Lita-"
And at that, AJ saw red. Literally. The next thing she knew, her right hand was numb, and Nikki Bella was on the concrete floor, holding her face. Her sister, kneeling beside her, had a horrified look on her face. The faces of everyone around them, superstars and divas alike, all watched with shocked expressions. It took a moment for her, but AJ realized she'd actually lashed out at the former Divas champion. Her hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes meeting Paige's.
"I'm so sorry," she said from behind her mouth. "I don't know what happened-I didn't mean-" she began to walk backwards, and ran straight into a brick wall.
No, not a brick wall. Just Brian James, better known to the WWE fans as Road Dogg.
"You," he pointed at the brunette. "Come with me."
He motioned for the crowd around them to move along, and AJ felt much like she'd just gotten caught fighting on the playground. Memories of her scrappy teenage years emerged.
On their way down the hallway, AJ tried to come up with a backup plan. Knowing that WWE had pretty strict no-violence guidelines, it was a safe bet that once they'd gotten to Stephanie McMahon's office, she was going to be let go. She could work for Ring of Honor? No, Maria worked there. TNA? Surely, one of Punk's other ex-girlfriends was there, as well. It was certain she wouldn't be welcomed with open arms at either one of those establishments; besides, she'd heard that TNA was doing worse financially than the WWE.
What was she going to do after tonight? She had nowhere left...Chicago was out of the question...
Their journey felt like an eternity, twisting and turning down every hallway until they got to Stephanie's makeshift office in the depths of the arena's basement.
"Sit down," he popped open a metal chair, motioning towards the unforgiving object. She did, the coolness shocking her instantly as it licked at her toned legs that her denim shorts didn't cover. She felt chilled, and wished she had a sweatshirt or something.
"Stephanie will be with you when she's ready," Brian offered. He left without another word, not saying either a positive or negative remark that might be deductive of AJ's fate.
She looked for a clock, but didn't find one. She counted the tiles on the ceiling from where she was seated. 64. Maybe Stephanie wasn't even in there. Or, maybe she was making numerous calls to the headquarters, trying to get some advice on how to handle the whole situation...yes, that was probably it...
"Kind of feels like you're waiting at the principal's office," a smooth voice jerked her head up, and she met eyes with current WWE champion, Seth Rollins. He popped open a nearby metal chair of his own, taking a seat right next to AJ.
She uncomfortable crossed and un-crossed her legs, still wearing her wrestling boots. The last time she'd spoken to Rollins was beyond terrible. She was a real asshole to him, even though he was just trying to help. She was caught up in her own problems, very sad at the time, and ached to be left alone. And instead of just telling them that, she put him in his place, making him feel badly about his own life choices.
But when it came down to it, she just didn't, and couldn't, trust him.
"Yeah...sort of," she agreed, hating how childish she sounded. She felt like she was ready to cry, and probably looked that way, too.
"If my opinion means anything, and it doesn't, I say good for you to throwing a punch her way. Keep her quiet for awhile," Seth offered, stretching out lazily against the chair. He wore his own ring gear, which meant it wasn't the end of the show yet: he was main-eventing tonight.
"I'm going to get fired," she said quietly, but with enough oomph to make it a statement of fact.
"I doubt it, AJ. Seriously. I would've done the same thing if someone aired my dirty laundry in front of the world. They deserved that. I'd go in an tell Stephanie exactly what happened. Maybe grovel a little bit."
There were plenty of eyes watching the debacle unfold, but I really don't remember Seth's, AJ thought to herself. I don't think he was there.
"Hasn't your dirty laundry been aired in front of the world? Or, lack of laundry, I should say?" she replied boldly, wondering why he was even being nice to her at all. She'd decided that he was mocking her. Since Seth was a member of that little Authority group, he probably already knew that by the end of the night, she'd be packing her bags.
Yes, he was mocking her.
But, he snapped his fingers as though she'd just made the smartest statement in the world. "Yes, everyone knows by business, but only because of the world wide web. None of my co-workers have the audacity to humiliate me in my only sanctuary-the ring. Because they have class. And clearly, Brie and Nikki don't. That was not cool."
Finally, the office door swung open, a frazzled Stephanie McMahon standing in the doorway. She wore a black mini-dress and tall, black ankle booties. Her hair was pulled up in a sleek bun, and AJ had to admire the bicep muscle that woman was putting on. She looked better than ever, healthy, and if it weren't for the concern on her face, she was probably very happy.
"Come on in, AJ," she sighed, her eyes looking down at the smaller woman. AJ got up quickly, almost too quickly. Her thighs stuck to that chair for a minute, and it sort of hurt.
"Good luck, sweetcheeks," Seth called, and she shot him a glare. He was such a pig. He gave her a wink as she followed Stephanie in, and she opted to ignore him. She probably would never see him again, anyways.
"You can be seated," Stephanie motioned to the cushy office chair opposite of her own, her voice even and not giving any edge to it. AJ didn't know what to expect from her.
Stephanie stood as AJ plopped down, folding her hands on the wood of Stephanie's desk. She looked at the photograph she'd propped up in a simple silver frame: her daughters, clad in white t-shirts and blue jeans. Other than that picture, there was nothing to keep AJ's fate off from her mind. Stephanie paced a little bit, unwilling to sit across from her and let her know what in the hell was going on. The air was growing thick in tension, and AJ was sure she would get a heart attack just worrying about her status with the company.
"So, April...you already know why you're here," Stephanie sniffed. It seemed like it had been hours since she'd spoken; the air thick with anticipation.
"Grovel a little," Seth's bitch-ass voice rang in AJ's ears. What did she have to lose?
AJ nodded to the statement. "I know I acted like an idiot. I don't know why I flipped out...it's like I wasn't even me. When they'd started ripping on me during the promo..."
"That," Stephanie finally sat down, opposite of her, "Was not approved in the slightest by my team. I would never put anyone in an uncomfortable situtation if they didn't want to be," Stephanie held her gaze, and AJ knew that she was being very serious. She had no idea Nikki and Brie would go off-script.
"I didn't think you guys would approve something like that," AJ said quickly. "I know it's big news right now, but you guys have respected mine and Phil's privacy for pretty much as long as I can remember."
Stephanie glanced down at AJ's hand, motioning towards her missing wedding ring. "Not everything needs to be explained, AJ. I know you're going through a lot right now. I've read the article, and I'm really sorry that you're going though all of this. As young as you are, it's really too bad..."
Article? What article?
"But, of course, as you know, we have a zero-tolerance policy for backstage scuffles," Stephanie stated. "You really ought to be dismissed for your actions tonight, lashing out at Nikki Bella like that-"
"Oh, Stephanie, you and I both know that I wouldn't have done anything like that if it weren't for those two blabbing about all of my problems," AJ stood up for herself, much to the surprise of her boss. "I do feel badly for how I acted," she mellowed a little. "I don't know what happened. It was weird. As soon as Nikki mentioned...that name...I just lost it. I wasn't thinking," she looked away from Stephanie, quickly wiping the little tear that was forming in her tear duct. How embarrassing.
She mentally scolded herself for allowing herself to show raw emotion during this moment with Stephanie, wishing she had the strength to act like nothing happened and that nothing was wrong.
"I know," Stephanie replied. "AJ, you're not going to get let go tonight," she said finally, the tension suddenly shifting in the room. AJ's eyes shot back, a questioning look in her eyes. "But please note, we certainly do not condone the violence you exhibited. Your circumstances are a little bit different."
"Really?" she asked meekly. "I...really appreciate it, I mean. I don't know where else I'd be, if it weren't for here."
Stephanie seemed to be gathering up composure. That could only mean one other thing.
"How much do I owe for the fine?" AJ asked, assuming that was where this conversation was heading.
"You won't be paying a fine, either," Stephanie waved her hand in the air, now wearing an apologetic look. AJ didn't know what to make of that look.
"Our champion, Seth Rollins, let Pat Patterson know what had happened backstage immediately. And, as you can imagine, being one of our top stars, his word is valued greatly. Therefore, we officials believe what he said. You've got a guardian angel watching out for you, April."
My knight in shining armor, AJ thought bitterly, though she knew she should be more appreciative.
"I don't understand, then," she replied, fiddling with the hem of her shorts. Paige had been punished for screwing up previously, not getting championship shots and having even worse luck in the ring. It was safe to assume something terrible was heading AJ's way.
Stephanie was silent for a moment, and AJ knew she was choosing her words carefully.
"We've discussed your punishment. You can keep your job. You don't need to pay a fine. But you're an established diva...so, we'd like you...to lose to Eva Marie," Stephanie finally spit it out, refusing to make eye contact as she asked AJ for this weird request.
"No. No, nope, no way. Not happening," AJ responded, recalling the "All Red Everything" diva in her most recent match on NXT. She sucked at the highest level of suckery, and that was saying something. For as much as that girl trained, she was still terrible, and a huge blow to AJ to even request that she'd lose to her. For a split second, she almost wished that Stephanie had just canned her.
"Nobody would ever believe that that pile of crap could win against me," she replied, still shutting down the idea.
"It doesn't have to be a clean loss!" Stephanie countered, her eyes pleading now. "I've got my arms behind my back here. According to Rollins, you didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Just what anyone else would do in the same situation...but I can't let you go unpunished."
"Give me a fine, then," AJ remarked, feeling her anger rise.
"Please, AJ. Train with her for a month, lose to her during the next Pay-Per-View...I'll even have it written in that Brie interferes, costing you the win," Stephanie wasn't asking anymore; this was a demand.
AJ tossed the possibilities around in her mind. Eva Marie couldn't hold a candle to any of the women on the current roster, which made sense as to why she'd win against someone who was already established like herself. She didn't understand in the slightest why the management wanted to jam the redhead down everyone's throat. There were so many more women-Bayley, Dana, and Alexa Bliss even, just to name a few-who were better than Eva. All she had was a pretty face, a lot of money, and a good trainer.
"Why Eva?"
Stephanie considered the question, not answering straight away. "She's not my number one choice, either," she finally admitted. "But she's been paying the price. Literally. Just work with her for a little while. Teach her a thing or two."
"If Brian Kendrick hasn't gotten through to her, what makes you think that I will?"
Stephanie tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails on the oak of her desk. "Because you're AJ," she replied. "A legend in the making. I think if she listens to anyone's advice, it might be yours."
Considering this again in her brain, AJ felt herself giving in to the pressure. "Fine. But this won't be a clean win, and won't guarantee her a title shot," she offered.
"You're in no position to make a proposition, but yet, I agree. She won't be in the title picture right now. Just please, help us put her over a little, and you can get away with a slap on the wrist."
"Fine," AJ finally agreed, exasperated. As if she had another choice...she should feel lucky, but in reality she was feeling like a sell-out.
Maybe Rollins was still out there. He knew all about selling out to the authority...
"Thank you," Stephanie said finally, rising from her seat. "Oh, and if it's any consolation to you, we do plan on fining Brie Bella for her outburst on air."
"Thank you," AJ replied back, feeling just barely better about how much of a shit-storm she'd just steered clear from.
Motioning toward the plywood door, AJ realized that their little meeting was over. Stephanie held the door open for her, and AJ expected to see that worm, Seth, to be waiting outside, awaiting Stephanie for whatever discipline she'd throw his way.
But he wasn't there; two empty chairs staring at her.
"Something wrong?" Stephanie questioned, noticing the confused look crossing AJ's face.
"Seth...didn't he need to see you next?"
Now, it was the billionaire's turn to look confused. "No, of course not. I got the information I needed from him already. Why would he?"
"No reason," AJ covered her ass quickly, now unsure of if she'd dreamed up Seth's presence just awhile ago. Was she really such a nutjob lately?
Hightailing it out of there, she sighed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to like the consequence in the least, but she had a home yet in the WWE.
It was the right thing to do, Seth reminded himself as he began to do his stretches for the evening. Very soon, he'd be fighting his own battle against the demon, Kane. For the last half an hour or so, he'd inserted himself into the stupid-ass diva drama between The Bellas and AJ Lee. Even though he wasn't there and had only seen and heard bits and pieces of the truth, he still stood up for the returning diva.
Not only did he despise the twins, he really didn't want the divas division to lose someone who had actual talent. Like him, AJ had been put under a magnifying glass. He identified with her in a way, feeling badly for her and all of the troubles she'd been going through. He'd seen the article that was all over the web; everyone had. By God's grace, he'd been given a second chance. She deserved one, too.
Call it his charity work for the year.
Beginning to do squats, the door slammed open, revealing Kevin Owens in an excited panic.
"Dude, you missed it," he said hurriedly, ignoring Seth in the middle of his pre-match routine. "AJ and the Bellas. Showdown. She socked big boobs in the face!"
"'Bout time someone did," Seth replied, positioning his left foot up against a locker and touching his toes. Though his attitude reflected his indifference, he really was happy for the Black Widow. Since she'd returned, she was literally floating backstage: she didn't talk to anyone, nobody talked to her. Once someone put pressure on her for her return, she made a statement.
And maybe punching Nikki Bella in the face wasn't a statement that would gain brownie points, but he still found it entertaining.
"Yeah, but you know how they are about backstage fighting. Shit, they've let people go just for saying the wrong thing behind the scenes. Do you think AJ'll get fired? Even right after her big return?"
"Hope so," Seth replied dully, showing no interest in this conversation. He definitely didn't want to let on that he was the main player behind AJ's immunity. The last thing he wanted was to tell the truth. As far as Owens was concerned, Seth could care less about the divas division. Not to mention, if he mentioned that he had any involvement, Kevin would probably bring that to Cesaro. And while for the most part, Kevin was trustworthy, Antonio talked to a lot of people. The rumor mill would churn, and everyone would believe that he'd saved AJ from termination because he actually gave a shit about her.
And the last thing Seth Rollins needed was to be tied into some backstage love story with crazy fucking AJ. If Zahra or Leighla caught wind of that, he'd be castrated via social media in a heartbeat.
"You hope she gets fired!?" Kevin Owens replied, appalled. "Come on. Nobody could feasibly replace AJ." Kevin seemed like a little kid, and Seth could feel himself growing more annoyed as he kept talking.
Seth shrugged, now working on his shoulders. "I guess. But she kind of acts like she's better than everyone else. They survived without her before, they could do it again. Besides, she came back acting like the WWE owes her something." Seth knew none of his arguments were valid, but he made it his personal mission to sound like he meant every word.
Owens scoffed. "You mean, just like you?"
Seth halted his work out, catching his friend's stare. "No, not like me," Seth replied coldly, hating the comparison.
"You do the exact same thing. You have a few friends. You plug through life, pretending you don't give a shit about anyone else. You work, you sleep, and you're in the gym. You two are two peas in a pod. The only person you look out for, Seth, is yourself."
Seth shrugged. "Yeah, because people are disappointing, and they suck," he replied, beginning to get annoyed with his friend. "Now, can we move on?"
Kevin shook his head, defeated. "You really are an asshole," he responded.
"Yeah, and why'd you come in here again? To gossip about the divas? What is this, high school gym class. Move along, man. Because if I remember correctly, I have a pretty big match against the Big Red Machine. And the last thing I need to concern myself with is this stupid shit, packaged with tits and ass. No thank you. Go find something to do, man. I've gotta finish my stretches."
Throwing his hands up in anger, Kevin left his friend alone in the locker room.
Catching a glimpse of Naomi bouncing out to the ring with her husband on the tiny television monitor, his thought process was confirmed: saving AJ's career was the right move.