a/n: Wow, it's been over six years and I apologize for the very late chapter. Life has been pretty busy with work and personal things but I always did want to finish this story. The original plans for this final chapter were sadly lost but I think this should wrap up the story nicely. This is the final chapter of Revival and I hope you enjoy it! :)
Reclaim.
April 2, 2017
The energy backstage was palpable. The buzz of anticipation was constant, the sound of distant cheering radiating through the walls, and the quick footsteps of crew members setting up the final touches before the biggest show of the year officially began. I adjusted the straps of my ring gear, every muscle in my body tense with a mix of excitement and anxiety. It had been a long journey—one that had tested me physically, mentally, and emotionally. And now, the night was finally here. WrestleMania 33.
Over a year ago, I had been sidelined by an injury that seemed like it might be career ending. The pain of my knee injury had been unbearable, and I had questioned if I would ever return to the ring. But now, here I was, moments away from stepping into the ring at the biggest event in sports entertainment, ready to show the world just how far I had come.
As I paced around in the small dressing room, checking my gear for what I'm sure was the hundredth time, I thought about everything that had led me to this moment: the recovery, the struggles, the doubts, and the victories. But most of all, I thought about her—Danielle.
The past year had been transformative. Not just for me as a wrestler, but for me as a person and us as a couple. Danielle had been there every step of the way, from my first steps after surgery to the emotional fallout of our relationship, miscarriage and the hard-fought path toward reconciliation. After months of uncertainty, we had found our way back to each other—stronger, more connected, more certain of our future.
Tonight, as I prepared to enter the ring, it wasn't just the roar of the crowd that stirred my blood—it was the thought of her and the life we were going to build together.
The door to the dressing room creaked open, and I looked over to find Danielle walking in, smiling softly as she made her way to me. Immediately, I felt a rush of warmth flood over me. The chaos of the evening could not touch her quiet, steady presence.
"Hey," she said, her voice calm, but with an edge of excitement that matched my own.
"Hey," I answered, unable to hide the smile tugging at my lips. She was everything to me. A year ago, we had been uncertain about where our relationship stood. Now, we were solid. We had weathered too much together to doubt the strength of our bond. "You good?"
"Mhm." She answered with a nod as she leaned against the doorway, eyes on me as I continued to adjust my gear. "I forget how much energy Renee has at these events and that's without any type of coffee or sugar."
I couldn't help but chuckle as I believed her, Renee definitely had high energy and knew she was running around all over the stadium, keeping busy and tiring out Danielle.
"Well at least you were able to get away now and can chill out and watch the show for the rest of the night."
Danielle nodded, "Especially the next match with some hot guy named Seth Rollins." She said which caused me to let out a small smirk.
"Hm, you're right. I am very hot." I joked, flexing my bicep for her.
Danielle let out a small giggle and rolled her eyes playfully, "Leave it to me to give you an ego boost, when your ego is already at an all-time high." Danielle said before giving me a small smile and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind, "I wanted to check on you. You ready for this?"
I turned around to face her, pulling her in for a hug and letting out a sigh as I breathed in her scent. I didn't say anything at first. Words were difficult to come by in moments like these, when everything felt so…right.
Then, she pulled back slightly, looking up at me, worry etched on her face. "Seth?" she asked, placing her left hand on the side of left cheek.
"I'm good." I nodded, my gaze looking down at her before I grabbed her left hand, kissed her palm and held it in mine to my chest. "A little nervous but that comes with the territory."
"You're going to crush it out there," she said, her voice full of confidence. "I've seen everything you've gone through, Seth. You've come so far; this is your moment. You're ready."
Smiling at her words, I kissed her forehead. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I don't think I'd even be here tonight without you."
Danielle's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "You'd be here, trust me. You always fight for what matters."
We stood there for a moment, embraced in one another; the calm before the storm. And though the crowd outside was growing louder, in that moment, it felt like everything was still.
I took her hand, lifting it from my chest to my lips for a soft kiss. The gesture was simple, but there was so much weight behind it—so much love, so much history.
Danielle met my eyes, her expression softening. "You know, we've been through a lot this past year. But I'm more certain than ever that this is where we're supposed to be."
My gaze softened and I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know. You and me, we're unstoppable."
There was a knowing look in her eyes—a connection between us that needed no words. She gently placed my hand over her stomach, covering mine with hers and for a moment, we simply stood there, taking it all in.
"I can't believe we're about to be parents in six months," I said, voice thick with emotion.
Danielle's smile deepened, her eyes glistening with joy. "I can. We've built this together. And now we get to build something even more beautiful."
She always knew what to say and I kissed her again, this time with more urgency, a promise of what was to come—a promise of our future.
A knock on the door was heard, a crew member informing us that it was time for me to head out, "Looks like it's time. We should head over to gorilla." I told her as we started to pull apart from one another.
Danielle nodded, but before she could let go of me, she held onto my hand. "Seth, no matter what happens tonight, just know that I'm so proud of you. We're so proud of you and can't wait for everything that's next for us."
I squeezed her hand in appreciation, my heart swelling with gratitude, love and adoration at the woman in front of me. "I'm ready, Dani. For this, for us, for everything."
Flashback
It had been one of the most emotional nights of my career; the night I finally came back.
After months of excruciating rehab, I had finally returned to the ring at Extreme Rules. The crowd's energy had been overwhelming, the cheers deafening. But what had meant even more to me was seeing Danielle in the front row, her eyes locked on me as I stood in the ring.
It had been months since our breakup, since the loss we'd both suffered, since we reconnected and neither of us had really known where things would go. But in that moment, standing in the ring—facing the crowd, feeling the rush of adrenaline—I had locked eyes with her, and something clicked.
The moment the show went off the air, I made his way backstage, wanting nothing more than to see her as soon as I went through the curtain and sure enough, there she was; smiling with tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she waited for me.
No words needed to be exchanged as I walked straight to her and she stepped forward, then, without hesitation, she had kissed me.
It was a soft kiss at first, tentative, like we were both afraid to make the wrong move. But soon, she deepened the kiss and I felt the weight of our past, our loss, our pain—and the possibility of a new beginning.
It hadn't been long after Extreme Rules that Danielle had moved in with me. Our lives had changed so much in a short amount of time, but we had made it work. Slowly, we built. Our connection had deepened, the trust growing back in the places where it had once been shattered.
We had spent quiet evenings together, talking, laughing, and just being there for each other. She had been there through the long nights of rehab, offering a hand to hold and a voice of reason when doubt crept in. And slowly, but surely, I'd healed—not just physically, but emotionally.
She had moved in that fall, my home, our home, filled once again with the familiar hum of daily life.
And now, here we were, a year later.
Giving Danielle one last look before turning toward the entrance to the stage, I could feel the energy of the crowd beyond the curtain. It was time.
My heart beat faster—not from nerves, but from the overwhelming sense of purpose that filled me. This wasn't just about wrestling anymore. It was about everything that was waiting for me on the other side of this night: the future I was building with Danielle, the family we were about to start. A future that was as bright as the lights of the WrestleMania set.
With one final glance at Danielle, I gave her a quick, reassuring smile. Then, with everything inside me, I focused on the match ahead and stepped out into the spotlight.
Danielle watched me go, her hand resting gently on her belly. Her smile was full of love and pride, knowing that whatever happened tonight, this was just the beginning. A new chapter had started, and it was more than she could have ever imagined.
And in that moment, as the crowd erupted in cheers and the arena lights shone down on me, I knew I wasn't just stepping into the ring. I was reclaiming my life. My past. My future. And everything that had once seemed out of reach was now within my grasp.
a/n: And that will do it for Revival! As mentioned, this was meant to be a short story and I am so glad I could finally finish this. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed this story! I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed and hopefully I can come back with some more stories in the near future! Take care! :)