Here it is, guys. The final chapter. Thank you all so very, very much for sticking with me. This is kind of the first big writing project I've started and finished in a very, very hard year and a half, and the support means the world. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all so very much.

Chapter 37:

WrestleMania

"Holy shit. This is incredible."

Dressed in a sleek sleeveless black dress with a sweetheart neckline that exposed a fair amount of cleavage, Jory stood alone in the middle of the eighty-yard ramp. She studied the giant WrestleMania set in front of her with awestruck eyes. The theme for the event was "The Ultimate Thrill Ride"; the backdrop was designed like the Universal Studios logo with lit-up roller-coasters moving around the giant orb in the middle. It was a cool sight in the daytime, and Jory knew when the sun set and the darkness took over that the set would look spectacular. Off the top of her head, she couldn't recall a WrestleMania set that had ever been so vibrant and colorful.

In a matter of hours, in the gear she made special for the night, Jory would walk down the ramp, go to the ring, and have the match of her career. She looked down at the scar that ran along her forearm, one of the many prices she'd been forced to pay on her journey to WrestleMania. It was a constant reminder of what she had allowed herself to become, and the consequences she had to face to fully escape her past.

WrestleMania 33 promised to be the biggest night of her career on a number of levels. Along with new gear, she was debuting a new look. She'd gone and had her hair done, and had dark purple added to the under layer. New gear. New music. On this night, Princess of the Authority Jordana Moody was officially dead and buried. The Jordana Moody that drifted and struggled to find herself in the aftermath was with her. In the ashes, something beautiful was about to rise and she knew that whatever happened on this night, for better or for worse, she would make the most of it.

Her match was set to be the first of The Authority fights; Seth and Hunter's unsanctioned street fight was going to be later in the evening. She was worried about the shape of Seth's knee, but he was keeping mum on the subject entirely. If he was in a bad way, he wasn't saying a word about it to anyone. Jory's only wish for the evening was that the two of them made it out in one piece, with enough energy to have a shower and a pint of ice cream.

This was their big shot, and she knew it was their last shot to make Hunter and Stephanie pay for every indignity that they had suffered. If they failed, there was no telling what they were going to walk into in twenty-four hours on Raw, if they would even have jobs by the end of the night. Jory knew the stakes were high and the pressure was on; she had to make this count.

Quickly fixing her ponytail, she turned so her back was to the set. Pulling her cell phone out of her bra, she started a live-stream on her Instagram account. Turning her head, she looked back at the sign and smiled; internally, she was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the show. "This is crazy, guys. WrestleMania!" Looking back at the camera, she took a deep breath. "It's the biggest match of my career tonight. After all of this time, after everything I've been through, I'm finally going to get my hands on Stephanie McMahon and make her pay for everything she's done. And I know, if there's anything I've learned in my career, it's that the dumbest thing I can do is count out someone like Stephanie McMahon. She's resourceful; it's what she's built her career on. But I am making a promise tonight...if I don't walk out of this show on my own two feet tonight..then she's not, either."

"Hey. There's the Woman of the Hour."

Jory looked up at Renee standing in front of her, armed with two Styrofoam cups of coffee. She was dressed in a black sleeveless dress that shimmered, the sleeve on the left side equipped with a giant black ruffle. Her hair was pulled back from her face. There was still time before the kick-off show began, where three matches were set to take place during the seven-hour show. She looked down at Jory, who was getting her hair rolled up in curlers to get a wave for the show. "No pressure," Jory quipped dryly. "Tell me that second coffee is for me and not your husband."

"It's all yours, babe. It's why I'm here." She handed Jory the cup in her left hand and sat down beside her on the chair. They were quiet for a few moments. "You look nervous."

"I am so fucking nervous," Jory blurted. She sipped from the cup.

"You seen Seth at all?"

"Not since we got here. Hayes needed to see him, and I think he wanted to get his knee looked at before the match." She sighed. "I have no idea if he's a hundred percent. He's not saying a word about it. What do you make of it?"

"Based on the Seth Rollins I know? It tells me that he's got a plan and that you shouldn't worry," Renee assured her. "Besides, you've got enough on your plate tonight."

"Hey. Good luck out there tonight."

Turning their heads, Jory and Renee spotted newly minted WWE Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Angle standing behind them, dressed in a black suit, one of his daughters on his hip. Jory shot a look of surprise at a grinning Renee before she returned her gaze to the Olympic gold medallist.

"Thank you so much. That means a lot coming from someone like you," Jory told him honestly. Kurt was considered by everyone he came across to be one of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. There wasn't a single person backstage who wasn't excited about the announcement that Kurt was going into the Hall of Fame; Jory was happy to once again see him underneath the WWE umbrella. She'd grown up watching him; he had always been one of her favorites. "Congratulations on your induction last night. So deserved." He rounded the chair so he could face her, extending a hand for her to shake. "I wanted to stop by and introduce myself last night, but you were so busy. I didn't want to bother you."

"It's all good. I'm actually glad I caught you back here before your match. I've been seeing the things you've been doing recently, and I just wanted to say that I'm a huge fan. So is Sophia here."

"Wow." It was all she could say. Sophia stared at Jory with wide eyes, biting her nails.

"You look so pretty," Sophia blurted before burrowing her head into her father's chest. Jory smiled.

"Thank you. Renee and I need to go get our makeup and nails done. Do you want to get your nails done? You can come with us," Jory offered. Sophia looked at her father with wide eyes. Kurt grinned back at her.

"If you want to go with the girls, you can," he told her. She nodded, and Kurt put her down.

"You ladies have fun. I'll let Giovanna know she's with you guys. Good luck tonight, Jordana. You got this."

"Thank you so much, Kurt." Renee and Jory stood, Sophia reaching out to grab both their hands. They began the walk down the hallway towards the makeup area, only a few feet ahead.

"So...I got a scoop," Renee announced, looking over her shoulder to make sure Kurt was out of earshot. Sophia let go of their hands and made a beeline for the first empty chair she saw. Jory couldn't help but laugh.

"What's your scoop?"

"The new boss is a huge fan of yours," Renee told her, nudging her with a shoulder.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not seriously this dense," Renee told her with a laugh. "Mick's replacement – it's Kurt." Jory's eyes widened. "I overheard Hunter saying that they were finalizing the paperwork tonight. They're going to announce it tomorrow night on Raw. He's going to take over as General Manager, and he's going to work under Stephanie."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. You should know by now that I've got ears everywhere, honey." Renee smiled. "And it sounds like you've got an in with the new boss." They sat down in their chairs. "I can't wait to see this gear you had made."

"I'm so nervous."

"I know. But you're going to kill this, and you're gonna look like a bad bitch doing it. And after – you and I are going to go to the after-party and have a big glass of wine."

"Hey, babe."

Renee looked up to see Dean take his place between the chairs, his arms stretched out along the backs. He leaned down to give Renee a kiss on the top of her head. Later on in the night, during the kickoff, Dean was set to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Baron Corbin. He was dressed in a black tank top and blue jeans; he had yet to tape up his wrists and put on his title. Jory never could tell if he had gear he changed into, or if he wrestled in what he wore to the arena.

"Good luck out there tonight," Jory offered. Dean pulled away from his wife, his gaze falling on the brunette. She tensed underneath his gaze. It amused him to no end that she was so nervous around him.

They stared at each other, Dean and Jory, with Renee watching the two of them to see what he was going to say. Dean could be incredibly stubborn, especially when his pride was wounded. Renee was far more forgiving than he was, and while he kept quiet now about her friendship with Jory, in the days after being betrayed, Dean had been her most vocal critic, incredulous that Renee would even consider being her friend.

"Kick her fucking ass tonight, Jory. Do that for me, all right?" He reached out and mussed her hair as best he could with the curlers.

"I'm going to give it everything I've got."

"Good stuff." He flashed her a thumbs up. Bidding the women farewell, he left. Jory watched him leave, eyes narrowed in confusion. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner. She looked at Renee, who shrugged.

"And here you think he hates you," Renee teased.

"I'm not out here saying he likes me." Before Renee could respond, Sophia asked them loudly what color they liked. They all agreed on gold; she wanted to match Jory.

"Style and grace, I'm never gonna be done, lean on in, and welcome to the queendom. The queendom, where the kings bow down..."

Stephanie McMahon walked through the black curtains, a vision in leather and lace. More than seventy-thousand people jeered at her appearance. Her hair was curled and flared out, reminiscent of her days as a rebellious trust fund princess, her eyes done in thick black makeup. She stood in the middle of the stage, arms raised high, a wide grin on her nude glossy lips. She'd learned long ago that the crowd feared her, feared to see a woman in control of her destiny. They didn't have to like her, but she commanded respect. Their reaction was reserved for the most diabolical of villains, and Stephanie had found peace in their hate so many years ago.

She walked down the ramp with a confident swagger, her shoulders back, head held high. She motioned for the crowd to keep raining abuse on her. Cool, calm, and collected was the mood of the day. Nikki Bella couldn't get the job done. Alexa Bliss couldn't get the job done. She'd been forced into this situation, but it was going to end with her standing over Jordana's prone body. There was no part of her being that entertained the thought of losing; Jordana was inferior in every way – it was why she had been thrown out of The Authority, after all.

Stephanie had caught wind earlier that Jordana was beside herself, riddled with anxiety and doubting herself. She's afraid of me, Stephanie had thought to herself arrogantly. It had been a major inconvenience, the underhanded stunt that Mick had pulled, but once she learned of the match, she was in the gym with Hunter every night, sacrificing hours of sleep to be ready for this night.

Climbing into the ring, Stephanie paced back and forth on the canvas, a smirk pulling at the left corner of her mouth. Sure, Jordana may have gotten the drop on her by getting the match, by getting everything she ever wanted in her shiny new deal with Mick, but Stephanie was going to be damned if Jordana Moody got the last laugh.

Daniel Bryan found the lovers together, dressed in their ring gears, talking to each other with stoic expressions on their faces. Now that he was retired, WrestleMania was the worst day of the calendar year for him. It was the biggest event of the year, with the biggest crowds; having to stand on the sidelines with the knowledge that he would never again get the chance to compete again killed him in ways he had never fathomed at the time of his retirement.

He approached Seth and Jory. Over the loudspeakers, he could hear Stephanie's music, and he knew that it was only a matter of minutes before Jory walked through the curtains. He could see it on her face; she felt the weight of the match. There was a lot riding on it; she'd sacrificed a fresh start on SmackDown for this.

Looking over Seth's shoulder, Jory saw Daniel approach. Her lips pulled into a tight smile. "Hey," she greeted. Seth turned, bumping fists with Daniel.

"Good luck out there tonight. Both of you. I just want you both to know that I'm living vicariously through you two tonight." Jory flashed him a sad smile; she couldn't imagine how hard nights like these had to be for a man who gave everything to live the dream, who fought and clawed and scratched to reach the top, just to have it ripped away from him in the blink of an eye.

Daniel took in Jory's gear, the rhinestone studded black and gold bodysuit with the rhinestone gold bra peeking out from underneath. The jacket she wore zipped underneath her bust, the train gathered around her ankles, her hair perfectly styled underneath the black and gold hood. Her knee high boots were studded and gold striped like her gear.

"Maybe you can help, man. I'm telling Jory she's got this, but she's not listening to me," Seth told him.

"If anyone can do this, Jory, it's you," Daniel assured her. "You are going to go out there, and you are going to make her pay for every ounce of pain and suffering she has caused everyone she has ever come across. You are going to make her sorry that she crossed you, and you are going to make her feel stupid for replacing you."

"Thanks," she told him sheepishly.

"I know I speak for myself, but I think I speak for Shane here, too, when I say make. Her. Pay."

"Before I go out there...I kind of wanted to ask for something..."

"Shoot."

"With everything she's done to you and Brie...would you mind if I hit her with some Yes kicks tonight?"

Bryan grinned. "Jory, I would be honored if you kicked her fucking head off."

Stephanie's music faded. Jory took a deep breath. Seth put a hand on her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "It's showtime, babe. You've got this."

Bryan gave her a hug. "This is from Brie. She's watching at home." When he pulled back, she flashed the men a quick, tense smile before she turned and disappeared up the steps, passing through the black curtains. Giving Bryan a pat on the arm, Seth left the SmackDown General Manager, his only objective to find an interview monitor where he could see her match. He didn't want to miss a moment.

"Stuck us in boxes, that's where you want us. Cardboard is boring, we brought our matches. Stuck us in boxes, that's where you want us. Cardboard is boring – look how it burns."

A wall of fire shot up along the stage. Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest, watching the show at the top of the stage with a bemused expression on her face. The crowd was roaring now, the volume growing louder when the fire lowered to reveal Jory in a crouched superhero pose at the top of the stage.

Rising, Jory pulled her hood back and stood at the top of the ramp for a moment, taking in the moment. She'd never seen so many people in her life. Eighty yards ahead, Stephanie looked composed, like Jory Moody was nothing and nobody. Her nerves wanted to get the best of her, but she put her best game face on before she descended the ramp, her jacket billowing out behind her. Stephanie crouched, beckoning Jory to come and get her. But Jory refused to run; the last thing she wanted to do was wear herself out before she even got in the ring. It was exactly what Stephanie wanted, and Jory refused to give her anything.

Getting into the ring, Jory took her place across the ring from Stephanie, referee Charles Robinson standing between the two of them. Jory unzipped her robe and took it off.

It was too late for Jory to realize that she had made a mistake; the second her back was turned to pass her robe off to the guy at ringside, Stephanie was on her, shoving her against the ropes and choking her on the middle rope. The whole time she choked Jory, Stephanie screamed like a woman possessed. "You wanted a piece of me? You want a piece of me? You're going to get the whole damn thing!"

"Back it up, Stephanie. Don't make me count," Charles admonished. "One, two, three, four..."

Stephanie backed away, arms raised. Jory hit the canvas, sputtering and coughing. It was not the start that she had envisioned for the match, but perhaps she should have known.

Gripping the bottom rope, Jory tried to push herself up. Stephanie stomped towards her, grabbing her by the hair. Pulling Jory to her feet, Stephanie swung her across the ring by her hair, Jory hitting the canvas face first. Thinking as quick as she could, Jory rolled out of the ring, hitting the mat outside. It was her hope to get a few moments to catch her breath. Above her, she could hear Charles telling Stephanie to stay in the ring, but Jory knew better – Stephanie was just going to leave the ring on the other side.

She saw Stephanie approaching and tried to slip away so she could find her footing. Stephanie grabbed her ankle, but Jory struggled, bringing her legs up to her chest before shoving forward with all her strength, sending the Billion Dollar Princess tumbling to the mat. Jory propped herself up and began moving back towards the steps. Stephanie was sitting, legs outstretched, an expression of shock on her face that Jory had knocked her on her butt in front of seventy-thousand people.

Stephanie stood, approaching Jory with an ominous look in her blue eyes. "Get over here, you little bitch!"

Grabbing Jory by the hair, she tried to slam Jory's face into the steel steps. She quickly braced her arms on the step before she elbowed Stephanie in the stomach twice to break the hold in her hair. Instead of shoving Stephanie's face into the step, Jory surprised everyone by taking Stephanie down by both legs, landing on top of her boss in a heap, hitting her with all the fury that had built up inside of her for months. Stephanie had no choice but to try and cover her face while Jory swung with precision, catching Stephanie everywhere from her face to her neck to her ribs.

"Jordana, get off her! Get it back in the ring!" Charles bellowed from his spot inside the ring. With an aggravated grunt – and one hard punch to the ribs – Jory got off Stephanie and slid back into the ring. "That's..."

Jory slid back out, forcing Charles to restart his count.

Grabbing Stephanie by the hair, she forced the Raw Commissioner to her feet. "This is for Brie."

Bam! Stephanie's face bounced off the apron.

"And this one? This one is for Seth."

Her face bounced off the apron again.

"And this one, you ask? This one's for Daniel Bryan."

Once again, Stephanie's face bounced off the apron.

"And this one? This one is all mine..."

Before she could bounce Stephanie's face off the apron one final time, Stephanie surprised her by pivoting, locking around Jory's midsection like a football player making a tackle. Running as fast as she could, forcing Jory backward, Jory felt a bolt of pain shoot up her spine as her back met the edge of the commentary table. Both women spilled to the ground in messy heaps.

Stephanie lay on the padding outside the ring, trying to catch her breath. Sitting up, she saw Jory laid out on the ground, holding her spine with a hand. With a satisfied smirk, Stephanie crawled to the apron and pulled herself up, rolling underneath the bottom rope. Charles was counting Jory out. Stephanie didn't care how she got the win; all that mattered was that she left WrestleMania with a victory.

From her spot, she heard Charles. "Five...six..."

She knew she had to move, and she had to move fast, in spite of the pain. No part of her wanted to think about a loss in this situation; a count-out loss felt like an immense let down after she had fought so hard to get this spot. Rolling, Jory made her way towards the ring. "Seven, eight..."

Stephanie's dreams of a count out victory went up in smoke when Jory rolled into the ring on nine and a half. She was on Jory, slapping her over and over again. "I have had enough of you!" Stephanie screamed. Getting a good amount of hair in her fists, Stephanie began slamming Jory's head over and over on the canvas. "Just stay down!"

Jory was dazed by the time Stephanie let go of her, sliding over her body to cover her for a one count. Jory got her shoulder up as quick as she could, making it clear to everyone that Stephanie still had a lot of work to do if she thought the match was going to go in her favor.

Stephanie pulled Jory up by the hair and whipped her into the corner. Making a run for her, Jory met her with a hard forearm to the face that dropped the McMahon heir to the canvas. Holding onto the top rope for support, Jory brushed her hair out of her face with her free hand and took a moment to catch her breath. Stephanie was holding her face on the canvas, her face covered by her brown hair.

Jory looked around the ring, thinking about her next move. The crowd was wild around her, everyone ecstatic with the sight of Stephanie finally receiving her day of reckoning. Stepping over Stephanie – giving her a kick in the ribs for good measure – Jory moved to the middle of the ring, crouching, preparing herself for Bad Mood Rising.

Stephanie was stirring now, propped up with her hands. Jory ran at her, but Stephanie had her scouted, rolling out of the ring quickly. Jory kicked the turnbuckle, a bolt of pain shooting up from her ankle to her knee. With a cry, Jory hit the canvas. "Damn it!"

Sitting, she held onto her ankle, sucking in a painful breath. Stephanie took that moment to run behind her, grabbing her by the head and slamming her face into Jory's knee. Falling back to the canvas, Jory looked up at the lights. Stephanie covered her quickly, this time earning a two count for her efforts. Sitting beside Jory's body, Stephanie slammed her hands down on the canvas in frustration. It's time to end this, she thought to herself bitterly.

Standing, she grabbed Jory by the hair, bringing her head between her legs to set her up for the Pedigree. Jory's ankle screamed in agony. Stephanie hooked her arms, but Jory struggled, throwing Stephanie over her shoulder. She buckled to a knee, but righted herself, careful not to put a lot of weight on her foot. Turning, she saw Stephanie kneeling, her torso exposed. With a slight pivot, Jory kicked Stephanie with her good leg. The crowd quickly realized what she was doing and rained them down with "Yes" chants. Jory reared back and hit Stephanie with the Bad Mood Rising, howling as she landed, clutching her bad leg.

Crawling, Jory draped an arm over Stephanie, a makeshift cover while she tried to move more of her body weight onto the youngest McMahon. Stephanie, to the surprise of everyone, got her shoulder up at two and three-quarters. Jory huffed. She knew what she was going to have to do, and with the way her ankle felt, she knew it was going to suck.

Stephanie was stirring on the canvas now. Rolling Stephanie onto her stomach, Jory used Stephanie's body to help herself stand. She reached for Stephanie's legs. Suddenly alert, Jory felt Stephanie struggle against her, but Jory kept herself composed and focused, tangling up Stephanie's legs in her own before bending backward to catch Stephanie in the Mood Ring.

"I'm sorry!" Stephanie cried out as Jory bent backward. "Jordana, I'm sorry!"

"You could be sorrier," Jory told her as she locked in the hold. Jory's ankle was in agony, but she promised herself that she would take herself out if it meant Stephanie got a taste of her own medicine. "Tap! Tap, you bitch!" Jory shouted.

Seeing no way out, Stephanie tapped rapidly. Even though she wanted to keep the hold in, to teach her a bit more of a lesson, Jory let herself buckle down on Stephanie before rolling off, happy to have the weight off her ankle. Her new music blared through the arena. Stephanie had already rolled to the edge of the ring and was being looked at by the staff. Jory could barely see her, thanks to the tears in her eyes.

It had been a long road. All the struggles, all the slings and arrows, and self-doubt...in the end, it had been worth it. Jory knew that her struggles defined her in only the best of ways. She rested against the bottom rope, holding onto her ankle, rolling it. While it hurt, she knew it wasn't broken.

"You okay, Jordana?" Charles asked her. Looking up at him, Jory thought about that night at SummerSlam almost three years before, the lowest night of her career, when everything had come crashing down on Stephanie's command. Through her tears, she smiled.

"I'm fine, Charles. Thank you."

Despite the pain in her ankle, Jory insisted on walking up the ramp by herself, refusing to give anyone in the crowd the slightest indication that she was less than a hundred percent. She walked up the ramp, taking a second on the stage to stare out at the crowd one last time before she walked through the curtain that took her into Gorilla. When she walked through she was greeted with applause and words of encouragement. She slapped hands with Michael Hayes as she walked through the curtain that led to the backstage area.

When she stepped through, she found Seth, Nia, Renee, and Dean waiting for her. Jory was still undecided about the white and gold color scheme Seth had chosen for his gear. They offered her a round of applause. She couldn't help but blush and laugh. Noticing right away that getting down the steps was a chore, Seth reached out to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her down to the floor.

"I thought you broke your foot," Renee told her.

"It's not broken, but it hurts like a mother," Jory confessed. "It's nothing some ice and rest won't fix, but I'm probably not going to make it out with you later, Seth. You might have to swing for the fences on your own."

"Don't even worry about me – you take care of yourself. I can handle my business just fine," he assured her. The two of them expected Dean to pipe in with some snide comment but were surprised when he remained silent.

"We should get you to the trainer," Renee told her. She nodded.

"I'll try and make it out there tonight," she promised him. Seth shook his head.

"Take care of yourself first." Seth handed Jory off to the ladies, and the trio walked away. Dean and Seth stood beside each other in silence, watching them until they disappeared down the corridor.

The tension between them was thick. Seth wondered how long Dean was going to hold on to the past, if there would ever be a day when the three of them would ever be comfortable with each other again. It had been a long and crazy road to get to this point, and he found the success wasn't as sweet without his brothers. He wished he could have seen it back then; The Shield were a brotherhood. They were a family. And he'd let his greed and his ambition get in the way of all of it. But, like Jory, he wasn't at all surprised to find that forgiveness wasn't as forthcoming when the grass was revealed to be dry on the other side.

"You think Steph's making it out to ringside tonight?" Dean asked.

"It's a possibility. It's rare you see one without the other these days," Seth said with a sigh.

"You got this tonight?" Dean asked. "Now's the time to clear the rocks out of your head."

"You don't have to worry about me, man – I know what I gotta do."

Dean scoffed. "I'm not worried about you. Haven't been since you swung the chair."

"Dude..."

"Just saying. It's bigger than you. You're aiming for the crown tonight – never mind what happens to you when you miss, but what's gonna happen to Jory?" Dean shrugged. "We've done this before. We've been down this road. You and me. The two of us with Hunter. We know what he's capable of. But you became his boy. If anyone knows how he works, it should be you. So don't fuck it up." With a hard clap of the hand on the middle of his back, Dean offered him a shrug. "Later, dude."

Seth watched him walk away, confused. Maybe I haven't ruined everything after all.

Seth stood in the middle of the ring, jaw dropped and eyes wide. Against the ropes, Hunter was beside himself, hands on his head, staring down at his wife, who had just been knocked through a table...by him. By her own husband. In his shock, Seth found himself laughing internally; it wasn't going to be a pretty night when Stephanie was up and about. He could already hear her deep voice screaming at Hunter; it rang in his ears like it had so many nights when they were a team. When he thought they had been his friends.

Hunter turned, his expression of disbelief morphed into a look of blinding rage. He ran at Seth. Using Hunter's anger against him, Seth was able to lock in the Pedigree and pin Hunter for the three count.

He had been a little surprised to find Stephanie come out to the ring with Hunter, the two of them on a motorcycle together, Stephanie changed into biker chic fashion. He'd wished Jory had been out to equalize, but he knew that she was in a great deal of pain, probably more than she was letting on.

Resting back on his haunches, Seth took a moment to catch his breath. The last year of his life had been completely insane; if someone had told him last year that he would be facing Hunter, the man who had taken a chance on him and given him everything he could have ever wanted, at WrestleMania in an unsanctioned street fight, he would have laughed in that person's face. He would have thought it crazy that he would re-injure his knee with WrestleMania so close, and somehow still make it back in time.

Rolling out of the ring, Seth only had one thing in mind. He was going to go find Jory. There was going to be an after-party, where everyone could relax before the grind continued the following night, but he knew that Jory had better plans, and he could almost guarantee the plan meant ice cream.

The roles were reversed now. Jory stood at the foot of the steps, her boots off, her ankle wrapped with a tensor bandage. The first thing he noticed was her smile; it was the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face. After everything she had been through, the sight of it made his heart expand.

He was down the steps in a flash, wrapping his arms around her waist and raising her, spinning her around. "We did it!" he told her. He put her down gingerly and embraced her. After everything they had been through together, he realized that he never wanted to let her go.

She pulled back. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before their lips connected.

"Get a room, you two!"

They turned to see Dean and Roman standing behind them. Seth smiled. "To what do I owe this?"

"Don't look at me – this guy over here wanted to congratulate you," Dean said with a shrug. Roman held out his fist. Seth bumped it. His eyes shot over to Dean, who put his hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me – I don't bump fists with scumbags."

"Still, man?"

"What, you think things are cool because you think we had a moment earlier?" Dean asked. Seth shook his head, unable to stop the smile. Dean was confused now.

"Never change, Ambrose." He looked at the woman under his arm. "If you'll excuse us, I'm going to get cleaned up and get this one off her foot."

"You coming to the after-party?" Roman asked. Seth shrugged.

"We're going to make an appearance," Jory jumped in. "Renee wouldn't let me skip it. But after that, I think we've got plans."

"Gross," Dean said, grimacing. Roman had to bite back a laugh at the expression on Jory's face.

"Wow. For your information, we're going back to the hotel to eat ice cream. Like we do after every crazy night." She grimaced. "Please don't think of us like that. I have a hard enough time looking you in the eye."

Seth and Roman broke into a fit of laughter. Dean threw up his hands, murmuring something under his breath as he walked down the hallway, jamming his hands in his pockets. Roman bumped fists with Seth once again. Later on in the night, Roman had a match against the Undertaker, and they both knew it was going to be a huge match, set to go on last. "She's...this one's a keeper," Roman laughed. "I'll see you guys later."

"Good luck out there tonight," she offered. Seth nodded.

"Thanks." Turning, Roman made his way down the hall. "Deano, wait up!"

They watched Roman meet up with Dean before they disappeared. Jory rested her head against Seth's chest. "So...the day is saved. Hunter and Stephanie have been defeated. What happens now?" she asked.

"I don't know. But I think, for now, I'm okay with that," he told her, pulling her close. "We'll cross that bridge tomorrow night on Raw."