A/N: This story idea won't leave me alone… so here we go.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the WWE or the characters from the WWE…

Heartbeat

Chapter One: Summer Memories

Stephanie McMahon minimized the screen on her computer and leaned back in her seat with a sigh. A knock at her office door caught her attention and she smiled in greeting as her husband, Paul, walked in clutching a few envelopes.

"Everything okay, Steph?" asked Paul.

"The Diva's division is just continuing to cop a lot of heat. We've brought Paige up and Charlotte will be up soon but they want something more… someone who can capture their attention and enthral them into the match… someone who will do the unexpected, say the unexpected… someone-"

"Like Dean Ambrose? Only in female form?"

Stephanie's eyes lit up as she looked at her husband in agreement, "Yes!"

"Do we have anyone in developmental that could pull that off?"

Stephanie sighed and shook her head, "No… they have talent but they don't have the 'it' factor we need."

Paul gave a nod, "Leave it with me."

Jonathon Good zipped his bag closed and left the locker room. He had just finished a training session at the NXT facility and was heading to the hotel before flying out to the next live event the next morning. As he pushed the exit door open he heard his name being called out and stopped to see who wanted him. A frown of confusion crossed his face as Paul jogged over to him.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left," said Paul as he led Jon over to a bench seat, "Listen, Stephanie and I are looking for new talent. We need a Diva and we need someone… someone who could be the female version of Dean Ambrose."

"Okay," frowned Jon, "And you want me to suggest someone?"

"Well yeah. I'm sure you have met a few divas back in your indy days. Listen, just rack your brains and let me know tomorrow."

Jon gave a nod and Paul patted him on the back before leaving. Jon stood up, readjusted his bag and headed for his car.

Across the ocean down in the southern hemisphere Nina Clare was climbing out of bed to get ready for work. She stretched up her arms and gave a groan as her bedside light told her it was two past six in the morning. With a little sigh the long haired brunette walked to her bathroom and set about her morning routine.

Within fifteen minutes she grabbed her lunch from the fridge, her keys from the kitchen counter and exited her unit to her waiting blue Toyota camry. The drive to her work was a quick one thanks to the early hour and she pulled into the car park, giving a wave to her co-worker as she exited her car.

"Got to love a warm summer's day," greeted Nina as she walked over to the café shops door.

"At least we have air-con, right?" replied Reece as he unlocked the door and let them in to begin setting up and switching on the coffee machine's and dishwasher.

"Today is the type of day I wish I was fifteen again and spending my summer break in Cincinnati with my Aunt and cousins. I remember visiting the park near her house and we would have these wicked snowball fights. I always won thanks to a friend I had there."

"A friend?"

Nina smiled as she thought of her old friend. They had first met when she was thirteen and he was fifteen. Every year after that, without fail, they would catch up and spend nearly every day with each other. It continued that way until when Nina went back for her last visit at the age of twenty. He never showed up that year and didn't contact her to let her know. After that, Nina never went back.

"Yeah… well he was a friend," sighed Nina as she switched lights on, pulled her apron on and set about fixing up the table and chairs.

Nina pushed open the gyms door and high fived the first person who she saw.

"Here is our little fire cracker!" greeted Jacob, her best friend and trainer, "Warm up, buttercup. I don't plan on going easy on you!"

Nina rolled her blue eyes and grinned before she set about stretching her muscles out. After a good stretch session, Nina jogged on the spot then climbed up into the ring. Jacob climbed in after her as other on lookers gathered about the ring.

"Go Nina!" shouted Susie, Jacob's wife, "Hand his ass to him girl!"

Jacob grinned at Nina before quickly moving to get her into a headlock. Nina dodged and grabbed Jacob around the middle from behind and using his weight against him, threw him backwards with a suplex. Nina rolled and quickly stood, running to the ropes and bouncing off it, only to have Jacob catching her. Nina wriggled, sliding down Jacob's back and pulled at his legs to force him into a roll up pin. Jacob forced the roll up her way, but Nina pushed back and stood up. She turned to face Jacob, panting heavily. Jacob shot her a grin and Nina tilted her head to the side, trying to calculate what his next move would be. Jacob ran at Nina and Nina ducked down, quickly jumped up, slamming her feet into Jacob's chest. Nina landed with a crouch and looked to see Jacob in the corner of the ring. Nina ran to the opposite side, then ran at Jacob, slamming her body against his. Nina bounced back, yanking Jacob by his arm and swinging him to the centre of the ring.

Jacob stood up right and looked at Nina, "Bring it, Ni-Ni!"

Nina ran at Jacob to be met with a hard clothesline, which slammed her backwards onto the canvas. Nina gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. She saw Jacob run to climb to the top of the turn buckle and next thing she knew he was jumping to land a frog splash. Nina pulled her legs up, minimizing his impact and knocked him off of her. Nina stood, ran to the ropes, bounced off of it doing a perfect back somersault and landing on Jacob to win with a pin.

"Your winner, Nina!" announced the ref, Jacob's father Ewan.

"Boo yah!" yelled Nina with a laugh as Jacob slowly sat up.

"You need to go pro!" cried Susie, "I am so putting that on YouTube!"

Jon sat at the airport with Joe beside him. Joe was scrolling through his phone as Jon flicked through a sports magazine.

"Man, have you seen how big this Crossfit craze has gotten? Colby sure picked the best investment," commented Jon as he saw another article about the workout trend.

"Yeah," answered Joe slowly as he clicked on a video his cousin, Joshua had shared on his Facebook, "Check this chick out, man. She has some wicked moves and talent."

Jon sighed and looked at the video. He had to admit the female sure hit some good moves and could take a hard hit.

"Your winner, Nina!"

The video zoomed in on the woman's face and Jon grabbed Joe's phone in surprise, hitting the pause to stop on the females face.

"No way," whispered Jon as Joe looked at him in surprise, "How do you find out who shared the video?"

"Why?"

"I know her."

Joe took his phone back from Jon and clicked a few buttons, "Uploaded by Gregory Wrestling… they're situated in Australia."

Jon pulled pen and paper from his bag and wrote it down, along with Nina's name, "Sweet. Thanks man."

"I haven't seen her in years. I don't know where she lives but I remember she was just as crazy about wrestling as I was," explained Jon, "Umm, there is a video on that YouTube thing… here. Gregory Wrestling."

Paul walked over to his laptop and typed the details into the search section and Jon quickly pointed to the video. Paul gestured for Stephanie to walk over and the pair of them watched the match, murmuring to each other as Jon stood by quietly.

"She is good. Tell us more about her," instructed Stephanie.

Jon rubbed a hand over his hair and thought back to when he had last seen Nina, "She had a lot of spunk. Very quick witted and her passion was to wrestle. I remember we would practise moves with each other, go to the nearby sports centre and be there for hours watching people wrestle, joining in on the training… we were really close."

"And you lost contact?" asked Paul.

"Yeah."

Stephanie and Paul nodded and glanced at each other.

"Tonight on Smackdown you are going to sustain an injury at the hands of Seth Rollins. The storyline will be that the injury means you are not cleared to wrestle for a few weeks. Really, we are sending you to Australia to find Nina and convince her to join us and become part of the WWE."

Jon looked at Paul and Stephanie in turn, unsure if he had heard correctly.

"Yes, Jon, we are serious," said Stephanie.

"Okay," nodded Jon slowly, "I'll go organise my flight and yeah."

Jon backed out of the make shift office and headed down a corridor towards where the locker rooms would be.

"Jon! Jon!"

Jon stopped and looked behind him to see Renee hurrying after him. He greeted her with a smile as she fell into step beside him. Renee was Jon's best friend, despite the rumours constantly circling around and claiming otherwise.

"So what did the bosses want?" asked Renee curiously.

"I have to travel to Australia to try and recruit an old friend," answered Jon, "Have I told you about Nina?"

Renee nodded, "You usually mention her around Christmas time."

Jon chuckled a little and gave a nod.

"Is Nina the one you have to recruit?"

Jon nodded again as they reached the locker room door, "Yeah. I'd better go get ready."

Renee smiled and nodded before heading to prepare for her interview segments.

Friday night found Nina seated on her lounge with a bowl of spaghetti bolognese. She picked up her remote from beside her and hit the play button on the recorded Smackdown episode from that afternoon.

Nina gave a sigh as Paul Heyman came out to cut a promo about Brock Lesnar and the upcoming Wrestlemania. She knew the guy was good at promos but she found his ran on too long at times. Nina fast-forwarded through to the first match between The Uso's and Gold and Stardust.

Smackdown continued with Nina texting Jacob throughout it, taunting him with what she knew. He would still be at the gym training some rookies till nearly midnight.

"And it's time for the main event, announced on Twitter by Triple H this afternoon. A No Holds Barred match between Mr Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins and the Lunatic Fringe, Dean Ambrose!"

Nina sucked in a breath as Dean Ambrose's music hit. She always found it unnerving to see someone she was close to on her television. Nina stood and took her bowl to the kitchen to rinse and grabbed a bottle of water and returned to the lounge room to see the match begin.

It was brutal.

Seth nor Dean were holding back from laying into the other. Nina winced as Seth slammed Dean onto the steps. She cringed as Seth then dragged Dean over to the announcers table and threw him atop it with help from J and J security. Seth then stood on the barrier before launching off it and hitting Dean with the curb stomp.

"Ouch," muttered Nina.

Nina sighed as Dean was moved to the ring and Seth easily won the match. Nina rubbed her forward and went to press stop on the recording before halting. Kane came out, along with Triple H and Nina gasped as all of them laid into Dean, with the crowd booing and Michael Cole and King commentating in disgust at the show.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. You stand against The Authority, you pay the price. That is what is best for business!" spoke Triple H before he threw the microphone down in the ring and his music hit, signalling the end of the episode.

Nina pressed stop and deleted the episode before moving onto watching Arrow, "Sucks to be Dean Ambrose."

Trudie Clare hummed softly as she walked from one side of the kitchen to the other and placed the pork roast into the oven. She loved Sunday's. It was the one day of the week her family would be in the one house at the same time. She exited the kitchen and headed to her sewing room to set about finishing hemming her eldest son's work pants. As she sat in the chair her doorbell sounded. Knowing her husband, Frank, would be out the back in his shed tinkering away at his car, she stood up and headed to the front hall.

Trudie peered through the peephole and frown upon seeing someone with a black cap and aviator sunglasses on. Trudie opened the door and peered at the man.

"Yes?" asked Trudie.

The man looked up and grinned at her, "Hello Mrs Clare."

"Jon? Jonathon Good? Jonny?"

"The one and only."

Trudie let out a laugh and opened the screen door to hug Jon, "Well, isn't this just out of blue! What on earth are you doing in the land Down Under?"

"I came to see Nina. I had to do a lot of research to track you guys down. I'm really glad your sister hasn't moved house, Mrs Clare. It made the research easier."

Trudie chuckled and gestured for Jon to head inside to her much cooler and air conditioned house, "You make yourself at home. I'm sure Frank will be happy to see you!"

Jon smiled at Trudie as she hurried away. He placed his suitcase and duffle bag to the side of the door and looked up at the walls, lined with family photos. Spotting one of Nina was quite simple. She stood between her brother's with a smile on her face, her long brown hair up in a messy ponytail. Other images showed her posing in amusing manners or caught in the middle of different activities. One at the end of the wall really made him stop. It was from a few years ago, a Christmas one from Cincinnati. She was sitting by the window, looking out it with a forlorn expression. Jon turned away as Trudie bustled back in with Frank.

"Well, my wife hasn't lost the plot! Hello Jon!"

"Mr Clare," greeted Jon, shaking his hand, "Great to see you."

"Yes! And you achieved your dreams, huh? Big time wrestling star!"

Jon nodded as he followed the older adults into the living room.

"Sit, sit!" said Frank as Trudie hurried out to organise a tray of drinks and snacks, "This weather must be a shock to your system. Leaving behind a cold winter and entering an Aussie summer."

"Heat beats the cold any day," replied Jon, "Your house is just as nice as Nina described it."

"Ah, it's the people that make it a home. So, are you on a break?"

"No-" started Jon before the sound of running feet on the front veranda sounded.

"That's Danny. You remember Danny?"

"Yeah, yeah, Ni's big brother."

"Danny run's his own building company now. He's been married for seven years and has two boys. Elijah and Kai."

"Knock, knock!" came the voice Jon recognised as Danny.

"In the lounge room!" shouted Frank as the sound of the door opening happened.

"Pop!" came two young boy voices as Frank was suddenly engulfed in the hug of two curly haired boys.

"Well call me stunned! Jon bloody Good!" spoke Danny from the doorway.

Jon stood up and shook hands with the tall, lean man in the door way, "Hey Danny."

"How are ya?" asked Danny, "Does Nina know you're here?"

"No."

Danny laughed and slapped Jon on the back in amusement, "Mate, she is gonna freak when she see's you. Oh, yeah. This is my wife, Kylie. Kylie, this is Jon. We met over in America a fair few years ago. I always thought him and Nina would wind up together."

"Oh Danny, must you embarrass the poor boy," tutted Trudie as she brought in the tray of drinks and snacks, "Help yourself, Jon. Danny – be nice."

Jon chuckled along with Kylie as Danny looked at his mother and muttered he was too old to be told off.

Jon helped himself to a cold glass of orange juice and a lamington. He and Danny chatted, catching up over the years until the sound of another car pulling up sounded. Kylie peered out the window as the person walked up the pathway.

"Hey!" came the voice of the youngest of Trudie and Frank – Michael.

The sandy blonde haired, male walked in, grinning at everyone as his nephews tackled him for a hug.

"Hey little fellas! You boys been giving Pop a hard time?"

"Jon is here," said Elijah, "Daddy is excited to see him but I don't know him."

Michael looked at Elijah in confusion before looking up at Danny to spot the wrestler standing near his brother, "Struth! Jon bloody Good!"

"Ha! I said the same thing!" laughed Danny as Michael came over and shook hands with Jon.

Where R U?

Nina shook her head at her brother Danny's text as he finished braiding her wet hair before she typed back a response saying she was at home.

U need 2 get here quick!

Nina frowned at the reply and left the bathroom. She grabbed her bag, slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed her keys before slamming and locking the door shut behind her. She texted her brother back saying she would be there in ten minutes.

In no time flat, Nina pulled up outside her parents white bricked house. She headed up the black pebble pathway and ran up the steps to the veranda. Kicking off her shoes, Nina pulled the door open and walked in.

"Alright Dan. What's with all the bloody text messages?" said Nina as she walked into the lounge room waving her phone.

She was met with silence as she slowly looked around the living room. Her father was in his chair with Kai on his lap. The next lounge over saw Kylie, Danny with Elijah and Michael. Her mother was in the other recliner and standing by the window stood someone Nina had to do a double take of.

"J-Jon?" gasped Nina looking at him disbelievingly.

"Hey Ni-Ni," replied Jon with a warm smile.

"Holy shit!"

Nina fell back two steps, a hand flying over her mouth in surprise, stealing a quick apologetic glance to Kylie before she looked at Jon and hurried out the front door.

"Well," said Danny with a slow nod, "That confirms it."

"Go speak to her," urged Trudie to Jon.

Jon gave a slow nod and walked out of the living room and out the front door. He spotted Nina pacing in front of the garden bed as he slowly made his way over to her.

"Nina?"

Nina turned and looked at him, her blue eyes wide, "What are you doing here, Jon?"

"I came to see you."

"What? After seven years of silence?" cried Nina, "Mid-life crisis or something?"

"Yeah, I was a dick, I know."

Nina laughed coldly, "Do you remember what you said to me the day before I had to come back home the last time we saw each other?"

Jon sighed. He remembered. He remembered it extremely well because that was the day he fell in love with Nina Clare.

30TH December 2007

Nina and Jon stood outside her Aunt's house, snow floating down to the ground around them. Nina was set to leave with her family back for Australia that afternoon and Jon wanted to get in as much time as he could with the young woman he had practically grown up with.

"What time is your flight?" asked Jon softly.

Nina sighed and brushed snow from her cheek, "Like I have told you since the day I got here – five o'clock sharp."

Jon smiled in response at the sound of her irritation. Nina caught him smiling and poked him in the ribs in retaliation. That was all it took for Jon to grab her around the middle and attempt to lift her up. Nina threw her weight back and slipped from his grasp and dashing across the front yard. Jon caught her quickly and tackled her down to the ground of snow.

"Jon!" cried Nina as he tickled her mercilessly, "Stop! Stop!"

"Tell me I am awesome!"

"You are awesome!"

"Tell me you'll miss me!"

"I will miss you!" said Nina, her laughter stopping as she looked up at Jon straddling her, "I always miss you."

Jon looked down at Nina, taking in her flushed cheeks, red lips and messy, damp hair. In that moment she looked absolutely perfect, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"I will never stop missing you," said Jon, "I will never miss a Christmas with you. No matter what."

"No matter what," said Nina echoing his thoughts, "So what are you doing here, Jon?"

Jon looked at Nina, her cheeks flushed, her lips red and her hair damp. It was almost déjà vu, expect Nina was furious with him, "WWE want you."

A/N: Well, what do you think?