"You find your people,
you find your person
and you lean on them."
●GREY'S ANATOMY ●

■■■

ROYAL RUMBLE 2015

"Well if it ain't the two winning ladies!" I heard Dean and glanced back, seeing the twins walking our way after they had been victorious against Paige and Natalya.

"Well what do you expect from the best diva in the business?" Nikki rolled her eyes.

"You mean Divas!" Brie pushed her, sending a glare her way.

"Diva!" Nicole pushed back making me shake my head with a smile.

While months before one could question whether it would turn into an actual brawl. Now as they were reunited, the twins were better than ever, so I knew this was one of their sister moments that amused my brotha and I. It probably caused concern for others passing by who perhaps thought it was a Bella feud all over again.

"Divas!" Both of their voices and Dean patting my back caused me to pay attention again.

"Here we go again" Dean chuckled as they were soon rolling around on the floor, one trying to get the other into a hold.

"I don't mind. I missed this" I smiled and he smirked knowing the nearly three months I had been away had been spent well with my little girl. But of course caused me to get a different kind of homesick once Galina picked her up.

Telling Jon and my uces about ending it was a bit tough, not because they would hold any judgement but mostly because I had been some sort of inspiration to them all. Being with someone for over ten years, especially within the business was I guess. But Joe Anoa'i was nothing to be admired in the end because he too fell victim to the wrestler curse. In the end I had been happy I told them and well my family was a bit unhappy about it, but they soon saw it the way Galina and I saw it.

We were happier on our own but nothing would change for Joelle.

"Joe!" Nicole squealed.

Brie had her in a headlock as they somehow got to their feet.

"Here we go" Jon rolled his eyes as I hopped off the crate.

"Supermaaaaaaan!" I called out and ran to "spear" them which of course led to Brie being pulled away by Dean and me tackling Nicole. Wrapping my arm around her curves to make sure she didn't land on the surface.

"Is that how you save the day?" She laughed as she stared up at me with my body draping hers.

I sighed as she was truly beautiful, maybe the pact to never be alone had never been simply to have a friend who would always be by your side. I had Jon and my uces, maybe it was just me wanting someone close that I knew could be nothing more but needing her.

"Joe.." She whispered and I remember where we were and the position. Most importantly, she was my best friend and madly in love with Prince Charming.

"Most of the time" I chuckled a bit and moved up to my feet and helped her up as well. She dusted herself off and normally I would end up helping her but with me seeing Nicole differently...

I couldn't trust myself with how I would feel touching her in places that had just been a way of meaningless fun before.

"How did your ass get dusty, Joe?" She giggled and I felt her pat it before giving it a playful squeeze, making me narrow my eyes.

"Don't be jealous of that Samoan behind baby girl"

"Ew to baby girl, but I am. I mean I am a Latina but ain't no JLO" She displayed the twirl her and Brie usually did before making their way down the ramp.

"You don't need to be, the Bella booty is pretty fine on its own" I shrugged focusing on her brown eyes instead of her amazing body that I didn't really pay attention to before either.

"Checking me out Joe, shame on you!" She gasped and I rolled my eyes and glanced away, feeling the slight guilt fill me.

"Where did the couple go?" I sighed even though they weren't, but I needed to get the weird feelings out of my head that I had been having in the last couple weeks.

"Probably getting it on somewhere." She replied and hopped onto the crate I had occupied before.

"Are you ready?"

I smiled as we were about an hour away from the match that the PPV was all about.

"Always ready baby girl, one step closer to ruling beside you"

She narrowed her eyes at me in response to my words which led to me smirking. I moved over to her and leaned back against the crate.

"You are already ruling beside me. The Bella and Roman Empire" She giggled as she nudged me with her shoulder and I decided it best just to stare ahead.

"Mmmm don't be trying to steal my people now. They're loyal" I laughed and tied my hair up.

"Well that's good. I see Dwayne is here tonight, I guess its good you have someone other than your usual cousins here."

I sighed knowing Jey was off with Joseann somewhere due to them hitting it up recently while Jimmy was most likely hanging out with Dwayne if he wasn't with us.

"Yeah having The Rock here to support me is not laying on the pressure at all, Nicole" I shook my head and she sighed.

I felt her fingers tracing over my freshly shaved cheek but I didn't bother looking at her. Besides me seeing my best friend in a new light, I also knew once I looked into those eyes she would give me the knowing look of seeing the nerves fill me.

"Last year you eliminated the most people in that ring. You didn't win but you made sure that they remembered you, you made sure they knew Roman Reigns wasn't a man to be messed with. And this year I believe that you could be the one man standing at the end."

I always believed her words.

We believed in each other, Brie and Jon had been our support systems before we became closer, due to that we liked having each other's thoughts. We liked to believe because it wasn't influenced by the sibling bond it was better but I guess it was influenced by something else.

Something unexplainable, other than simply needing each other constantly.

"I could. They want me to win, the support is rolling in but you know me. My family is at the edge of their seats at home, if I fuck this shit up? I'll be letting them down."

I'd be letting you down.

"Just because you are a single representative for your family doesn't mean you have to be perfect Joe. You have already built a legacy with The Shield"

I rolled my eyes as The Shield days weren't something I liked to reminisce on and she knew it.

Especially since Seth was now part of the gang again. I got that people forgave and forgot, I just needed more time with Seth not really being a priority in my life. I had dealt with a lot in my time out, had to adjust and help my daughter adjust and with Nicole not knowing about any of it? It led to me being drained with no voice of hers to help me through it.

"I'm sorry. But either way, if you are eliminated first you'll still be number one in that ring and I will be waiting here for you after you do the walk up that ramp."

She sighed and I briefly glanced at her as she stared ahead as well.

"I know having Galina and Jojo here would have been better but you have the bitch barbie with you. Might not be the best but I'm here"

I smiled a bit but knew I still had to tell her about Galina and I being over. It was simply one of those things where the right time was never there.

With my return, our fight due to John, which resulted in silence between us for about a week and well a month later I didn't know how to say it. Because once I said it, not only would she see me differently, maybe lose some respect for me as a family man.

Not only that? But there was a chance I could lose her due to her boyfriend feeling threatened by me which he made clear once I returned. And once he saw I had no one waiting for me at home, Nicole would be pulled away without realizing it because she loved him. I saw it that night and I couldn't imagine my life without her. Without her subtle playful flirting, her forcing Dean and I into suits for fancy dinners while John was on a different tour. Her snarky comments while watching shows until all hours of the morning when we had to be at work.

Just Nicole.

"The bitch barbie is always the best." I answered.

She kissed my cheek briefly, not having questioned my lack of eye contact.

"So I'm thinking we should set up a whole photoshoot for when I win at Mania" I winked to get us out of the scenarios of my night and she giggled.

"And if I win tonight?" I heard John and glanced past her.

She hopped down and hugged him and his arm draped over her and I sighed.

"Well then let the best man win at the grandest stage of them all?" I shrugged.

"I was thinking more along the lines of whose corner she's going to be in" He chuckled as Dean and Brie appeared again..

"The obvious one" She shrugged and she briefly glanced at me and then John, kissing his cheek. But of course he kissed into her neck making her laugh.

Dean cleared his throat, "We need to go warm up man"

"But the match is at the end?" I frowned knowing John had his match next so he would be leaving.

"We need to go"

I sighed and kissed Brie's cheek and gave a nod to Nena.

"What's up?" I ruffled his hair and he elbowed me before sitting back on the bench.

"You fought with Mr Wrestler Millionaire last month and now she clearly just admitted that she wants you over John. His going to get more ideas.." He shrugged with a smirk and I glared at him not needing this when I had the match that could set my course for the year weighing on me.

"One, don't read into things like that, we are just friends. I don't need another Jon seeing things and two, frankly I don't give a fuck what John Cena thinks brotha. He decided to be petty last year over me stealing his shine. If he has a problem he can fucking tell me" I shrugged and Dean chuckled.

Nicole and I had a bit of a disagreement the night after my return thanks to John being upset that I chose to return by coming to his rescue at TLC. He didn't like the fact that his win over Seth was due to my help when Seth had Authority doing the same. So when Nicole showed up, things got heated, but that's a story for another day...

"Well I'm glad you ain't lacking any aggression for the match." He sighed getting to where the focus was meant to be.

"I need somewhere to get rid of it, might as well be out there." I shrugged pacing up and down as he watched.

"So when exactly are you telling the twins about you and Galina splitting?"

I turned to him bringing up another thing I didn't want to discuss.

"Why do they need to know?"

"Seriously? They will fucking castrate you brotha!"

I sighed.

"I don't want Nicole to have a different view of me. You don't see the look in her eyes when she brings up my future wife and my little girl. How proud she is that I'm able to hold my engagement together and now I'm just like Johnny boy."

He laughed out before shaking his head, "Except you weren't married and who cares about him. They're our friends and yes maybe you need to step back a bit because you happen to be pretty good looking and he feels threatened..."

"Someone have a crush on me?" I wiggled my eyebrows not feeling like getting into Mr Perfect.

"Since the first day I laid eyes on you brotha! The way you flip that hair just hits me right here" He pat the front of his jeans.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a bottle of water watching as Seth walked out for the Triple Threat Championship match.

***

I sighed as the boos deafened me, it was definitely not what I had in mind. I heard the crowd turn once Bryan was eliminated but they had been behind me ever since my return rooting for me.

They wouldn't simply turn on me. Bryan had the underdog movement behind him but I thought I had it too. I might have been the tough guy from the Shield but I had yet to be as successful. The only championship I held was with the one who betrayed me years before, Seth, while my brotha and him had both gone on to win others.

I tried to listen to some cheer as my cousin pulled me into a hug but there was none.

I nodded before he let me go and raised my hand but not even he could get me the reaction we had thought.

This was the push I wanted, my family wanted but that wasn't working with them. Nicole and I had been discussing a win but we certainly didn't prepare for this.

I guess I should have been grateful that my little girl wasn't in the crowd as that would have broken my heart even more. She would be at Wrestlemania though, where I would be headlining so I wasn't sure what would happen then.

I soon saw my brotha enter the ring and I smiled. I guess maybe the entire audience was hating me but my brotha was out there.

"Ignore this shit bro!" He screamed as we smashed our heads together and I smiled despite the blood dripping my face.

Nicole had faith in me and I was the last man standing, despite Dwayne coming out. I hadn't won with his help as those goons had already been eliminated. So why were they so mad at me for winning?

I saw her as soon as I left the gorilla after dealing with Vince. He wasn't too happy about the reaction but he didn't show it either.

I guess he could tell I was disappointed, my cousin and I got stopped by Renee and my cousin helped give me a boost and knowing that Nicole would be there once I got done urged me on as well.

"Don't worry about them uce okay?" I nodded and walked on knowing I would be seeing him next weekend with the family.

"Shouldn't you be with John?" I breath even though I was happy. John hadn't won the championship so he couldn't have been too happy.  

"I probably should but I made a promise to be waiting here and that was a tough crowd hey?" She smiled and I chuckled as I pulled her into a hug and lift her into my arms.

"You're on the road to Wrestlemania with me by your side Joe. Fuck them they ain't loyal, okay maybe just not the ones in this arena. But I always am, I know who deserves it and who doesn't. And you do, hopefully they will realize that soon."

I simply tightened my hold around her and then set her down.

"Come on Samoan. Let's go get you cleaned up, you don't want blood ruining us getting sick on donuts. Galina will kill me if I don't take care of her man" She winked and hooked me in as we took a slow walk down the hall.

No she wouldn't...

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