I wake up with a jump the next morning. I look around my room slowly, breathing a sigh of relief when I realise I'm alone. I check my phone and frown, a text from Seth. "Is it really Seth though?" I wonder out loud. "Torrie" I read. "I'm so sorry for the way I acted at the beach. And then the complete turnaround I did when we got to yours. See, being with you is all I want. I know what I said, but it's not true. I want you. I need you. I can't do just friends. Please answer." I drop the phone onto the bed in shock. "He's more Jekyll and Hyde than papa" I whisper to junior, rubbing my stomach. There's a bang at my door and I freeze. It opens and Randy peeks his head around, along with a breakfast tray. "Hey princess" he says smiling. "Thought I'd spoil you today after running out on you yesterday. Plus Seth told me what happened with you two. I can't believe Dean threatened him..." "Dean what?" I ask quietly. "Uh oh" Randy says setting the tray down and sitting down next to me. "Tell me you already knew?" "Knew what Randal?" I ask, and he knows I'm annoyed. "Dean" he says. "He threatened Seth that if you two got together he'd make his life a living hell. Seth called me last night after Dean went out. He told me about the kiss at the beach, and how good it felt. And then on the drive home he started thinking more and more about what Dean said and he let that influence him. As if we'd let Dean do anything to you two!" "Dean went out?" I whisper. Randy nods. "Yeah" he says. "Just grabbed his coat and ran out apparently." "He came here" I whisper, looking at him. "He sent me a text from Colby's phone so I thought it was him. I unlocked the door and only knew it was him when he walked in my room." "Are you ok?" he asks straight away. "Did he hurt you?" "Only emotionally" I admit. "I'm ok. But I can't believe he'd do that to Colby!" Randy nods. My phone rings before he speaks. Seth. Randy quietly gets up and walks out as I answer.
"Hi" I say quietly. "Oh Torrie I'm so sorry" he whispers straight away. "I'm so sorry I lied to you. Being with you is all I've wanted since Vegas. But I put it to the back of my mind, I mean, you were with Dean, and marrying Dean, and then married to Dean. But you're not now, and I can't believe I was so fucking stupid!" "Randy told me what he did" I say quickly. "Colby, he came here last night. He text me from your phone so I thought it was you." "Fuck!" he yells. I hear Roman in the background. Seth covers the phone and tells him what's happened. "We're on our way Tor" he says suddenly before hanging up. I get up and get dressed quickly, carrying the breakfast tray into the kitchen and dumping it on the table. "I was being good" Randy says sadly. I run to him and hug him. "I know" I whisper, kissing him softly. "And thank you, but Joe and Colby are on their way here." I pick up a piece of toast and start eating it, which makes him smile. I open the back door and step out onto the balcony, leaning over the railing and looking over at the ocean in the distance. Randy chose our apartment well. I love this view. He steps out behind me and wraps his arms around me. I smile and lean into him. "You really ok?" he whispers. I nod. Roman and Seth walk out to us and we move quickly. Seth rushes over to me and grabs me tightly. "Did he hurt you?" he asks. I shake my head. "He wanted to talk" I say. "I guess I fell asleep, when I woke up he was gone." Roman nodded. "He got in about midnight" he says. "Went straight to bed. Well, peanuts room anyway." "You still staying there with him?" I ask. "Even though Renee is there?" Roman nods. "She's not gonna stop him self destructing Tor" he says softly. "She stays out of his way. It really is only because of the shows being here that she's here. He doesn't even want her there." I shake my head. "He made his bed Joe" I say. "He can bloody well lie in it as far as I'm concerned." "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" Seth asks quietly. I shake my head. "I'm fine" I say hugging him. "Told him a few home truths, cried a bit, well, a lot actually, but I'm good. I just can't believe he'd threaten you." "Guys" Randy says. "We need to get going. It's time to head to the arena." Roman nods while Seth looks at me. "Come with us?" he whispers. "Please?" I look at Randy and he nods almost imperceptibly. "Ok" I say. "Just let me get changed." They nod and I make my way to my room. I turn halfway there and see Seth following me. "I'm not leaving you alone again Tor" he warns. I nod and hold my hand out, he takes it and I take him to my room.
Its about an hour later and we're in the car on our way to the arena. Seth has hold of my hand. We're in the back of the car, Roman is driving and Randy has shotgun. Seth keeps shooting me meaningful glances and I smile at him. "I'm fine Colby" I say. He shakes his head. "You're not" he says. "I have hold of your hand Torrie, I can feel it getting sweatier by the second. There's nothing to worry about. He's not gonna know you're there. You're sharing Randy's locker room. You need to see Hunter first, I think he has a proposition for you." I frown but nod as the car pulls into a space at the arena. I get out and run in quickly before the fans spot me and yell my name. Hunter is waiting at the door. "This way" he says and leads me to his office.
I nearly fall over the camera guy as I walk from Hunter's office an hour later. I sneakily make my way to Randy's locker room and walk in without knocking. He looks up at me and smiles as I sit next to him. "All ok?" he asks. I nod and smirk. "Peachy" I say, watching the match that's going on on the monitor. "Five minutes Torrie" a runner says, knocking the door. Randy frowns. "Been a while since I've heard that" I say smiling and standing up. I check my dress in the mirror, and quickly touch up my makeup. Hunter's music hits and he and Stephanie make their way to the ring. He starts a promo about how he and Stephanie are going to be away for a few weeks, and how he needs to make sure that business will be taken care of in their absence. He's interrupted by Vickie Guerrero and I cringe, her voice goes through me. "See you in a little while" I say, kissing him before heading to the gorilla position. Brad winks at me before he goes down to the ring and pleads his case. Then, the bit I'm not expecting happens. The Shields music hits and I watch on the monitor as they walk through the crowd to the ring. Hunter smiles as they get in the ring.
"Guys" he says smiling. "I'm glad you could make it. I wanted you to hear it from me who you're going to be taking orders from for the next few weeks. I've decided to appoint a new General Manager for Raw and Smackdown. A manager who I consider to be extremely competent, extremely capable, and one who knows exactly what's best for business. Now boys, I want you to ensure that whatever my new General Manager says should happen, does happen." The guys nod as Vickie and Brad point at themselves and bicker. Hunter shakes his head and looks at Vickie. "So" he says smiling at her. "I give you, the new General Manager of Raw and Smackdown..." He turns to Brad and Vickie's face drops. I smirk to myself as I'm handed a microphone. Hunter turns to the entrance ramp. "Torrie Ambrose!" he yells. My music starts and I walk out.
The fans screams are deafening, and Dean's face is a picture. He looks at Hunter and shakes his head. "Are you serious?" he asks, taking Hunter's microphone. "I didn't take orders from her when we were married, what makes you think I'm gonna start now?" I chuckle into the microphone. "Oh dear, Ambrose" I say. "You will follow instructions, you will take orders, and you will do it all with a smile on your face." "Or?" he sneers, looking at me. "Or" I say climbing into the ring. "You will be fired!" "You can't do that" he splutters. Hunter takes the microphone from me. "Oh but Dean" he says smiling. "She can. Because firing superstars who can't follow instructions is what's best for business." His music hits and he leaves the ring with Stephanie. "So" I say looking at Dean. "Let's give this a practice run shall we? You have a match tonight. A two out of three falls match. And your opponent..." I didn't get any further than that before the Big Shown music started. The crowd popped like mad. I smirk at him. "Good luck" I whisper before getting out of the ring.