Chapter 1 – She's Back

Sapphire blue eyes stared straight ahead. She stretched her left arm across her chest and then the same with her right arm; then stretched both arms up over her head. She did a few squats to loosen up her thighs and calves. She looked over at the fulllengthmirror and checked her profile.

The black barely there shorts had front and back pockets and a black belt around it with the purple sleeveless half shirt and the back knee high wrestling boots completed the whole outfit. Her raven hair was full of bright purple streaks as it hung past her waist. She had black tape around her wrists. She looked once more in the mirror. She couldn't believe it had actually been a year since she'd been in the ring.

She was bound to have some ring rust, but not too much. Just because she hadn't wrestled didn't mean she let her body go to the whey side. She shook her head and heard as one of the production assistants knocked on her door. She looked over and saw Diana poke her head in.

"Aves it's time." Diana announced with a smile. "It's good to have you back."

Avery nodded. "It's good to be back. Thanks Diana." She exhaled slowly as she walked out of the dressing room and down to the gorilla pit. She stood behind the curtain and as the music cued up.

i was looking for a breath of life

for little touch of heavenly light

but all the choirs in my head sang no

~~~~

The sound of drums and a bass guitar thundered through the arena. Oh how she loved Florence and The Machine's 'Breathe of Life'.

to get a dream of life again

a little vision of the start and the end

but all the choirs in my head sang no

~~~~

Emerald eyes widened as she looked down at the platform. "Oh my God. She's back."

Dean Ambrose stood next to the blonde Shield valet. And noticed her eyes were suddenly trained on the figure whose entrance music was pumping through the speakers of the arena. Dean looked over and noticed both of the other two members of the shield Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns were looking at Evie as well. They all could tell who ever was standing on that platform had her attention – but good.

"Who is she?" Roman finally broke the silence and asked.

The emerald eyed blonde with the dark blue streaks in her hair finally looked back at the three members. "Avery Michaelson." Her eyes went back to the platform.

~~~~
but i needed one more touch

another taste of heavenly rush

and i believe i believe it so

but i needed one more touch

another taste of divine rush

and i believe i believe it so

~~~~

Avery couldn't help smiling when she heard the reaction from the fans. They really hadn't forgotten about her. The lights went out in the arena as she walked out on the platform and the wind machine below her turned on as it blew her hair all over and the fog machine kicked on slightly as a light turned on from below her.

whose side am i on? whose side am i?

whose side am i on? whose side am i?

~~~~

Dean looked back at Evie. "So who is Avery Michaelson?"

Evie looked up at Dean and could feel herself SWOON with his blue/grey eyes as he looked down at her intensely. "She was the WWE Diva for 525 days which blows Punks title reign out of the water. She was in high demand and then suddenly she disappeared one night after a taping. She's been gone for a year. If she told any of the higher ups where she was; they weren't talking."

They didn't miss the loudness of the fan pop when the lights kicked on to reveal the Diva on the platform.

Evie smiled. "God, listen to them. They really missed her."

and the fever began to spread

from my heart down to my legs

but the room was so quiet, oh oh oh oh

and although i wasn't losing my mind

it was a chorus so sublime

but the room was so quiet, oh oh oh oh

~~~~

Avery stood on the platform as the lights kicked on and if it was possible the fans got louder and she felt as if she was going to be blown from the platform. She kept a straight face as her smoky grey eyes looked from right and panned left watching as the face screamed and cheered before she panned back to the right. Her whole body was broke out with goose bumps.

Avery finally couldn't stand it anymore as she smiled. If it were even anymore possible the fans got another notch louder. Avery smiled got bigger. The tempo of the music suddenly burst and she ran down to the ring and slid in under the bottom rope and jumped to her feet and felt to the furthest corner and stood on the second rope just taking it all in.

i was looking for a breath of life

for little touch of heavenly light

but all the choirs in my head sang no

to get a dream of life again

a little vision of the start and the end

but all the choirs in my head sang no

~~~~

Evie looked at 'her boys' which she'd been fondly referring to them as when someone asked her about them. "Watch her, tell me if you see something you like."

Roman opened his mouth and was about to comment but decided to keep it to himself. The 6'3" 265 pound Samoan didn't say much but when he did people heard the words coming from his mouth and understood them. He even chuckled when Evie said he was built like a brick shithouse.

They knew their segment was after this match and as it was Roman was actually glad they spent their nights during Raw, Smackdown, Pay Pre-views and house shows in a saved sky box in the arenas, they didn't get bothered by fans because most of the time the windows were blacked out except for a section so it was easy to watch the matched before them and after them.

They watched as the resident female psycho of the WWE came skipping out. AJ was nothing is she wasn't a 100% annoying as shit. She was more bat shit crazy than the WWE fans knew about. Have the time in the ring she wasn't pretending and a few of the Divas had been hurt because of that crazy bitch. But WWE insisted she was good for ratings.

Smoky grey eyes watched as AJ's shorter body bounced and skipped around the ring like it was the thing to do.

AJ stopped when her eyes landed on the raven haired diva in the corner, she was sitting on the top turnbuckle with her legs crossed filing her nails. AJ growled under her breath as she stalked over and grabbed the nail file and threw it out of the ring.

The fans watched as Avery jumped off the turnbuckle and leaned down and got into AJ's face. Before anyone knew what was happening; the pint sized female slapped Avery and watched as Avery's face turned back slowly with a smirk on her lips. Avery couldn't stop the smirk that graced her face as she grabbed AJ on both sides of her head and head butted the little bitch and watched as she hit the matt hard. Avery played a little bit with AJ, before she finally grabbed her hair and pulled her backwards into a reverse DDT; driving the top of her skull into the mat and then covered her for the win.

Roman watched the match and couldn't believe a woman who had been missing for the ring for a year just wiped the ring with AJ. His arms crossed over his chest as his dark grey eyes watched her. He cringed every time Avery made physical contact with AJ. It looked brutal and painful. "And you said no one said anything about where she's been for a year? Maybe she had a baby or something."

Evie shook her head. "For someone who had a baby she looks awfully good in the ring." She looked at Roman skeptically. "I don't think it was a babybigman."

The Shield had been in the WWE for just about 6 months and Roman had never shown any interest in anyone in or around the company. Evie noticed the big man was quiet but when he spoke he had an authoritative voice, whatever he said you knew was the truth and could count on his word. This was the first time she'd noticed something that peaked his interest; since she'd started valeting for them. And she was willing to see what she could do for him.

Evie patted him on the shoulder. "I can try to ask around and find out. Maybe she talked to Kaitlyn. They were pretty close before she left. Kaitlyn won the belt from her before Avery disappeared." She reassured him and he nodded at her. It was going to be interesting to dig into someone's life that she barely knew, but for Roman; actually for any of the guys she'd do it. They'd established a trust bond. They trusted her because she helped them in the ring and they trusted and protected her from other idiots in the company.

The Shield definitely needed another female member.

Avery walked back to her dressing room and was getting an obscene amount of stares as she went. No one said anything to her but she already knew the rumor mill was flying. She combed a hand through her hair. She couldn't believe how good it felt to be in the ring again after a year. She had a little ring rust but for the most part she was still in great shape. She showered and got dressed before heading back to the hotel.