Dean had been texting her for most of the morning. He was driving down with Roman, the two hour trip leaving him bored and irritable. And apart from him, she'd been ignoring everyones messages. There was only one call she was going to pick up on and that was Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He was the one that told her they would deal with it if she came down with the briefcase, so he was the one she was most likely to trust.

But Bobbi hadn't been the only one to win something golden last night. Roman, who had been involved in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match… he'd been the one to pull the golden and most prestigious title off the hook.

She'd not seen it, but the Samoan sent her an elated text message afterwards.

The phone hadn't even made a noise when Bobbi swiped to answer it.

"Hey," it was breathless and quiet, the woman standing to close herself in the connecting bathroom.

"Barbara Arlett!"

She hoped her gulp wasn't heard down the phone line. "Vince…"

"Don't worry, Bobbi, it's just the three of us here," Stephanie McMahon tried to say reassuringly.

"You and Vince and…"

"Hey, Bobbi."

"Right, Hunter." Part of her wanted to run and hide and stick her head into the ground somewhere. "Look, I don't even know what happened last night, but one minute Seth had his hands on it and the next I was on the ground with it—"

Hunter laughed. "It's alright, Bobbi. Originally, we did plan on Seth winning. But… this works. We can make this work really well, in fact, so you're not in trouble at all."

She breathed out a deep sigh of relief. "Okay, good. I took off as soon as the match was over so I didn't really get a chance to ask you about what's gonna happen tonight on RAW, but I had a few ideas if you want to hear them. And obviously you don't have to listen to them whatsoever if you don't like them…"

"Go ahead."

By the time Bobbi had finished explaining her ideas, there was the sound of knocking on the hotel room door. She stayed in the bathroom, waited for her friend to answer the door. Seriously— it was hard enough trying to keep on the down low, she didn't need people seeking her out in person to have a go at her.

Really, she hadn't done anything wrong. But the men would be upset because she was a female and the women would be upset because she was the first Diva to ever get it done, but… did they even consider her a Diva? Both Filipa and her had really never stepped into the ring with them for an actual feud. Not yet, anyway, and that wasn't about to change tonight. Gah, the backstage politics in this company made her head spin.

"Bobbi, your boyfriend's here!"

Would Dean be happy for her? Or would seeing her face elicit another kind of disappointment from him?

She ducked her head around the bathroom door and assessed the way Filipa was standing between them. But all the anxiety she was feeling vanished when she saw that dimpled and cute grin on Dean's face.

"Hey there, my Money In The Bank winner."

Bobbi launched herself past Filipa and into his arms with an excited little scream (it was still hard to believe that she'd won, but him saying it just made her feel like she was the sun).

—

RAW

June 30th, 2014

Hartford, Connecticut

For the past however long, it was The Authority who came out to introduce both the live audience and the watching audience to Monday Night RAW. Tonight, that was changing.

A recap of the previous night was shown— Dean injuring himself, Bobbi's smirk as she realised she'd won the golden briefcase (much to the chagrin of Seth Rollins and a masked Kane). And it showed the utter shock on Roman Reigns' face when he had won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Bobbi felt a shiver crawl down her spine when she heard Lilian say, "the winner and new WWE World Heavy Weight Champion— Roman Reigns!").

When that finished, there was a moment of silence. Then the sound of white noise and a Shield-esque interruption of the feed to the tron.

Bobbi's face was next.

It was obvious that she was trying to hide, but there was an empty hallway behind her that looked dangerous. "I'm gonna make this real quick— last night? I stepped in for Dean Ambrose when they told him that he couldn't compete," she said quickly, "But here's the thing— they didn't put me in there because they thought I could win. They didn't expect me to win! They thought that throwing a woman into the mix would mean that The Authority was guaranteed a victory! But have you met me? No. Don't you guys worry, though, because by the end of the night, this briefcase?" she tapped the golden lid, "it's gonna be safely in the hands of Dean Ambrose. And until then… The Authority will just have to deal with the knowledge that their investments lost last night— all of them."

"Here's some truth; I would give anything to put my fist through Triple H's face and through Stephanie McMahon's face." The silvery-haired women tilted her head, smirked. "So I'm putting out a challenge. At SummerSlam, I want to face Stephanie McMahon in a one on one match, winner takes all. And by 'winner takes all', what I really mean is that if I win? Stephanie McMahon is out of a job."

The darkened look in her eyes was almost murderous, but suddenly her mood shifted, arm raising to hold the Money In The Bank briefcase next to her head. "In the meantime, I'm going to make sure that Dean Ambrose keeps this nice and safe. Enjoy RAW, Hartford."

Bobbi threw a wink to the camera and thrust her hand into the lens.

—

The weird thing about being in a company where everything was kept hush-hush meant that everything was kept hush-hush and sometimes — much like when Seth turned on them — it meant that it was safer to never ask than to go looking for answers.

Like right now, for instance.

There had been a flash of wavy brown hair and thighs that looked like they were carved from stone and Bobbi didn't know anything about the woman returning, but Paige seemed oddly curious.

"Was that AJ?"

"You should go ask her."

Paige hummed and glanced around the gorilla and Bobbi noticed when her grip on the butterfly title whitened. "She must know that I'm doing an open defence tonight." She turned to Bobbi then with a wide smile, wriggled her eyebrows. "You gonna come out and accept it, Arlett? We'd put on a killer match."

She couldn't argue with that— she and Paige were made of the same cloth, the kind that liked to put on a wrestling match, not just wrestle. They wanted the crowd to care about every hit, every move.

"Nah," Bobbi finally said. "Think I'm gonna challenge Ro for that gold he's got."

"You've got the case for it."

The women smirked at each other.

A stagehand gave Paige the thumbs up and she raised her eyebrows once more, sucked in a deep breath. Then, at the sound of a bird and a heavy riff, the pale Brit was gone from sight.

When Bobbi turned around, the smaller AJ Lee was stretching against a wall, her perceptive brown eyes looking right into pale greens. AJ might have been a little crazy, but she wasn't stupid. And neither was Bobbi. Paige was holding an open challenge tonight for a shot at the Diva's title, much the same as AJ Lee had done after her defence at WrestleMania earlier in the year.

"Does Paige know?"

AJ tilted her head slowly. And pointedly ignored the question. "Sorry to hear about The Shield, Barbara."

"No, you're not," Bobbi said, the side of her mouth curving slowly.

"I mean, I would be if I were you. All those pretty boys off fighting their own battles now. Without you. Try not to feel like you've been left out to dry, okay, honey? I'm sure soon enough they'll realise how good you are." AJ's eyes widened considerably and she stepped away from the concrete wall, right up to Bobbi, and even though she was a couple inches shorter, they still stood eye to eye. "Maybe they'll even let you in a match with me. Imagine what a privilege that would be."

Bobbi still had that half smile, but her eyes were now dancing in icy amusement. "Imagine that."

"Good to see that you're still holding onto that briefcase, too— gotta stay relevant somehow, right? Anyways," the woman drew out, "time to go win my baby back. Toodle-loos."

And, because she could reach, AJ lifted her hand and patted the silvery-haired woman on the head like Bobbi wasn't inclined to rip her arm away from her body.

Even though she and AJ Lee had a mutual point of interest in Phil Brooks, Bobbi had never really gotten to know the shorter woman, hadn't even thought of being anything more than work acquaintances. But maybe something had shifted between them.

Just like she said, AJ had conned her way into the match and won the title back, becoming a three time Diva's Champion. Paige looked distraught and AJ looked like a kid on Christmas day, smiling with her head tilted down. But then Bobbi's feed of the arena cut and the TV was now filled with Triple H, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton.

She wasn't really listening, more watching with one eye at the people who were glaring at her as they walked past, but she got the general gist— a match at Battleground between Seth and Dean, a match at the pay-per-view between Roman and Randy. And then the main event for the night.

But her mind had stopped working when she heard Roman's name. Roman. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

A smile split across her cheeks.

She needed to go and congratulate the man.

—

It wasn't until Seth was in his match against Rob van Dam that Bobbi managed to push her way into the catering room and lock her eyes onto Roman Reigns. She expected him to be beaming at her, like he hadn't expected last night to go the way it did at all— him, the champion, her, the briefcase holder (however really, technically, Dean was the briefcase holder).

"Roman!"

At first, he didn't turn at the sound of her voice. He was haunched over, head resting on closed fists, and it was only when she called his name again that he finally turned to regard her. His pale eyes were puffy and red.

"Roman?" said Bobbi, her head tilted and a certain softness to her tone. "Have you been—"

"Hayfever."

"Bullshit."

The Samoan smirked at the tone of her voice and thumbed the side of his nose. "I haven't even had it a day."

"Had what?"

"The title."

Oh.

Bobbi sat on the chair opposite him, ducked to catch his eyes once more. He looked devastated. "They're taking it away from you already?"

He nodded.

"I haven't even had a chance to say congratulations…"

A small grin spread across his face at that and his eyes dipped to the golden case she was clutching. "I haven't had a chance to congratulate you, either. When did you and Trips concoct that plan?"

"Not like we planned it," Bobbi replied in a small voice. Not like she was trying to defend herself, just that— well, maybe she was. No one else seemed to accept what had happened during the pay per view and some were questioning Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, even Vince. "Dean got hurt and I knew the end and they just let me… do my thing, I guess. It just— Seth let go and I didn't."

Silence surrounded them. Roman's eyes were dropped back to the WWE World Heavyweight Title that was sitting on the table between them and he let go of a long sigh, dragged a hand down across his beard.

"Who're they giving it to?"

"Lesnar."

Bobbi tried not to blanch at the name, but Roman saw her shocked reaction and raised his shoulders, closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. "Dunno what they're thinking, Bob, got no fuckin' idea why they think this is better than me holding onto it."

He never swore— that's how she knew that this was really getting to him. "When?"

"SummerSlam. I retain against Orton, drop to Lesnar. I'd rather fuckin' drop to Orton."

"I know."

Bobbi opened her mouth again, ready to try and console him, but her eyes lifted at the sound of the crowd. Dean had interrupted the match between Seth and RVD, but he was out there without the briefcase and smiling like he knew exactly what Seth wanted to get his hands on. And by the time that little segment was over, Roman had dropped the topic and was fiddling with his phone, probably sending messages to his little girl.

This company had a way of fucking over the people who deserved the most, and that was something she knew even before Phil had left the company.

The following match was Sheamus and the Usos going up against the Wyatt Family, Filipa cutting a promo after their win on the lack of females worth fighting— something to explain her absence, probably, but at least now she was getting television time. (Really, Bobbi wasn't insulted about the 'lack of competition' on Filipa's end; they'd already had their feud and it was time to move on.)

"I gotta go get ready for the tag match," Roman said slowly as he stood, stretching out his back with a grunt.

Bobbi shifted her gaze from the TV to the Samoan. "Want some insurance? We both know that's not gonna end without a disqualification."

"If it's looking bad." The champion sent her a wink and walked off in the direction of the gorilla, leaving Bobbi sitting by herself in what was quickly becoming a hostile room.

More than a few of the superstars had left, but the ones that were left were staring at her like she was the enemy and it was making her skin crawl. She didn't need to go change— the faux leather joggers were in place, as were her thick boots and tank top, so she didn't have that as an excuse. Maybe she could go and find Dean.

"Hey."

Or maybe he would just find her. Bobbi let go of the breath she was holding and smiled at him as he took the seat his best friend had just vacated. Slowly, Bobbi laid the briefcase on the table and slid it over to him. "Guess this is yours, now."

"Guess so."

When he didn't look away from her, Bobbi let her eyes fall back to the screen. "Ro tell you they're giving the title to Lesnar?"

"Seriously?!" Apparently, Dean was just as shocked as she had been. "That mean that Heyman's back, too?"

"No idea. Don't really wanna stay in the same room long enough to find out."

"You're not a Paul Heyman girl?"

"You a Paul Heyman guy?"

He snorted at her. "Of course I am!"

"He's sleazy!"

"And one hell of a talker!"

"Which makes it worse! All he's gonna do is drone on and on about how Lesnar's the one in twenty-one and one, how he destroyed the streak, blah blah blah— same old shit."

Dean was staring at her like she'd grown a second head. "You know this is a deal breaker for me, right?"

"What, I'm a Paul Heyman girl or we're over?" Bobbi was smirking back at him with an eyebrow raised. "How long you reckon that's gonna last, stud? Think you can survive without the sex for that long?"

His pout gave away everything, and Bobbi found herself giving him a genuine smile before turning back to the screen broadcasting the tag match with Reigns and Cena going up against Orton and Kane. And just like she'd thought, halfway through the match, the Authority's theme resounded throughout the arena, Seth walking out behind the COO and his wife.

"Wanna go kick some Authority ass?"

"Is the sky blue?"

The two shared a look as Dean scooped the briefcase off the counter, and then his taped shoulder was slung around her waist like it belonged there.

But his shoulder wasn't fine. Just from the bags under his eyes, Bobbi knew that Dean's sleep had been restless and painful. Just like her, he didn't take pain medication unless it was absolutely necessary (their reasons were different, but they understood without having to ask).

It was Dean's new theme that they walked out to and the sound of the live audience when they realised who it was— it was deafening.

The side of her hair was tightly wound in three small braids, the rest loose in wavy curls, pale green eyes glinting with mischief and fire, and beside her, Dean was obnoxiously chewing his gum, arm still tight around her waist. And further down the ramp, Seth Rollins looked like his head was about to explode; the people who should have been buried were standing tall like the king and queen of the mountain.

Because that's what they were.

Together, they walked the length of the ramp until Hunter, Stephanie and Seth were on one side and she and Dean the other— and Roman's appreciative nod in their direction didn't got unnoticed, either.

"Hold this?"

Bobbi barely had time to wrap her fingers around the briefcase before Dean was sprinting off in the direction of Seth Rollins.

The audience was torn between watching their WWE World Heavyweight Champion or watching their Money in the Bank winner, the tron flicking between the two as quickly as it could to show the developments— Seth running into the crowd, Dean chasing him, Cena tagging Reigns into the match as Kane tagged in Orton, the flurry of heavy hits and heavier looks.

It took Bobbi a moment to realise that Stephanie had gotten her hands onto a microphone and was speaking to her. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Think because you got lucky last night that you can run around here and do whatever you want— but you can't. And that lunatic Ambrose won't always be around to protect you, either. You're gonna fall flat on your face, Arlett, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Stephanie raised her chin. "You wanna hit me? C'mon, then; hit me!"

Without really thinking, Bobbi chanced a look at where John Cena was recuperating just off the apron. "Cena!" He looked up at her just as she threw the briefcase at him, and then she was yelling out, "I'm comin' back for that, y'hear me?"

And then she was sauntering around the ring, green eyes ablaze as she stared at Stephanie McMahon. "You want me to hit you? You want me to hit you? Ruin that pretty li'l face of yours, huh?"

Granted, the woman stood her ground with her chin raised defiantly.

Time seemed to slow as Bobbi raised her arm, twisted her shoulders, hand clenched into a fist, but her movements were too predictable. Triple H caught her arm with a smug looking grin and Stephanie raised her own palm, slapped it against Bobbi's cheek so loudly the sound echoed around them.

And then time did stop. The audience was deathly quiet, the match in the ring on time out. The whole world was watching to see what Bobbi's reaction was going to be.

Slowly, she raised a hand to caress the tender flesh. And when she turned her head back around to stare at them through silvery hair, her eyes could have turned them to stone. Bobbi looked ready to pull them limb from limb without remorse.

"You wanna do this?" she slowly asked, "you wanna play this game? It's gonna end one of two ways. You walking away over my cold, dead body, or you losing your entire life's work. So come on— I've always wanted to look death in the eye; I've got nothing to lose."

Triple H still had a grip on her closed fist, but it was like he wasn't even there.

It was just Stephanie McMahon and Bobbi Arlett in this moment, and no one else. Steely blue on pale green, matching snarls.

"You want me at SummerSlam?" She pursed her lips, nodded, tilted her head just the slightest. "You got your match. But if I win— you work for us."

The corner of Bobbi's mouth tugged up, and so quickly even Stephanie flinched, she raised a leg and planted her foot in the centre of Hunter's torso, shoved him back with so much force he stumbled into the announce table.

"Oh, and by the way…"

Bobbi's head barely managed to turn back to Stephanie before a sharp pain exploded on the back of her head. The silvery haired woman flew forwards onto the ground, clutching at her head, her entire face pulling in pain. And as she glanced up, she almost couldn't believe her eyes. Almost.

Because, looking as smug as she'd ever been, golden skin and thighs carved of marble, AJ Lee stood next to Stephanie McMahon with her face full of glee, her fingers clutching at the butterfly title, the Diva's Championship obviously what she'd hit Bobbi with. She looked like she'd won the fucking lottery— winning her title back, knocking the wild card out and join forces with the Authority… the returning Diva had had the perfect night.

And while Bobbi had gotten her match with Stephanie at SummerSlam, she felt like she'd lost this battle.

okay, sorry doesn't even begin to cut it with the wait you guys have had for this chapter... but, while i've not been writing this, i finished uni, got a part time job, finished a book... yeah, i'm still really sorry. and i'm sorry about how shitty this chapter turned out, too. but AJ? gotta love some crazy, plotting AJ :)

to my beautiful reviewers quinzel harley, Raquel the writer, and labinnacslove, thank you so much for the support and i hope you guys are still reading this

much love xx

(please tell me you guys are still reading this?)