Flames

Full Circle, part 1

"Two pay-per-view losses in a row." Becky's grimace was part disappointment, but mostly due to her separated shoulder. The injury had happened relatively early in the match, but she had been determined to give her feud with Bianca a proper finale. When Seth adjusted the ice bag on her shoulder, Becky turned and kissed his hand. "Looks like I'll be taking another title from you." Liv was the right choice to win Money in the Bank and Bianca deserved this SummerSlam victory, so Becky wasn't really mad about either loss, but it still felt like her momentum was slowing down.

Seth leaned down and kissed her. "Don't even think about it." His smile was warm enough, but she recognized the genuine worry in his eyes. The only time she had seen it stronger was when she was in labour and steadfastly refusing drugs. "Besides, now that Hunter and Steph are in charge, things will change, I'm sure."

Becky nodded silently, glancing over at the doctor who was checking her x-ray. Vince had stepped down not even two weeks ago, and there were already big changes in the works; the return of Bayley, re-signing of Dakota Kai, and call-up for Io Shirai—Iyo Sky would take some getting used to—were clear signs of that. "We'll see. I'm just glad Bianca got a good moment. I know some people were angling for a reverse squash, but...."

Shaking his head, Seth sat down beside her. "Nah. Lazy storytelling. Bookending with the handshakes was way better. Closure and all that." He kissed her again before adding, "How's the pain?"

"It's there." Becky was trying to keep her breathing even, but waiting for the doctor's prognosis was nerve-wracking. "At least it's not my baby arm, right?" Then she glanced at the door. "Speaking of, where is she?" She wasn't particularly worried about Roux—there was no way she would be able to leave the backstage area without someone noticing—but she didn't want her daughter to overhear any dire news either.

"Bayley invoked auntie privileges," Seth replied. Glancing over at the doctor, he asked, "If it's going to take a while, could we wait outside?"

The doctor nodded absently. "Go ahead. I want to make some calls to the hospital. It should be about ten minutes."

As soon as Seth opened the door, they heard a wild giggle. "YANKA!"

"No! No Yanka!" Bayley's attempt at sternness was marred by her laughter, though. "What about Auntie Bayley? And Auntie Kota and Auntie Iyo? We just came back!"

"YANKA WON!" Roux crowed, squirming free from her auntie when she saw her parents. She slowed down when she saw Becky's arm in a sling, however. "Mama owie?"

Becky nodded sombrely. "Mama has an owie." She crouched down and kissed her daughter's cheek. "But Auntie Bayley can—"

Roux shook her head vigorously, making her already messy hair fly every which way. "Yanka!"

Luckily, Bianca just turned around the corner. "Did I just hear my Roux Roux calling me out?" She caught Roux easily when the little girl ran at her and she swept her around in a circle. "I remember your mama saying you were the only lady who had a chance of taking her title. Are you coming for me now? Trying to be the youngest women's champion in history?"

Becky laughed. "Well, I mean, I was technically pregnant when I defended against Shayna, so...." She shrugged with her good arm, but it only reinforced how difficult the next few months were going to be. All the little movements she took for granted were going to require careful thought and consideration.

"You two were co-champions. Like Lay-Cool," Bayley declared. While Roux was busy playing with Bianca's braid, Bayley reached over and tickled her niece's belly.

In return, Roux swatted her with Bianca's braid, but Bianca quickly took it out of her hands. "Now, now, Miss Roux, we don't hit people with the braid unless we're at work. Right?" When Roux nodded, Bianca continued. "That's right. And we're not at work, so what do you say to Auntie Bayley?"

Roux kissed her palm and pressed it to the spot on Bayley's arm that she had hit with the braid. "No owie," she declared. Then her eyes went wide and she gestured wildly at her mother. "I no owie you?"

"Oh, sweetheart." Becky sighed and kissed her daughter's head. "It's a little more complicated than that." It didn't stop Roux from kissing Becky's injured arm, though. "But thank you. You always make me feel better."

Seth started to sling an arm around her shoulders out of habit, but caught himself just in time and looped it around her waist instead. "Would someone mind watching Roux for a bit?" Gesturing at the door to the doctor's office, he added, "We should probably get back in there soon to hear the verdict."

He didn't need to say any more. They'd always known they were fortunate that they were able to bring their daughter on the road with them, but the way the locker room embraced Roux's presence was a true gift. If they had to do promos or go to Medical, there was always someone who was happy to play with Roux and keep her busy. This time, Bianca, Bayley, Dakota, and Iyo all nodded. "I'm sure Miss Roux has a new dance to teach us." With her free arm, Bianca hugged Becky gently. "Good luck. I hope the news isn't too bad. Fill me in later?"

"Of course." Becky returned the hug as best she could. "Thanks for the match. That was incredible." She tried not to wonder how things would have gone if Hunter weren't in charge. Vince had been in favour of keeping her heel, but thankfully Hunter saw a different path. How things would progress now thanks to her shoulder was anyone's guess, but she had faith in Hunter's long-term vision. "Bayley, Iyo, Dakota—it's great to have all of you back." Pointing to her injured arm, she added, "I might not be able to mix it up with you any time soon, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."

"Same here." Dakota darted forward and gave her a gentle hug. "Speedy healing, yeah?"

"Here's hoping." Becky's smile might have been lopsided, but she couldn't have been happier to see the women's roster get so much stronger in just one night. This was the kind of growth she had been hoping would happen when she was on maternity leave, but it hadn't really come to pass. Maybe now. Maybe with Hunter and Steph in charge....

Iyo followed suit before stepping aside for Bayley, who gave her Four Horsewomen sister a stern look before hugging her. "We gotta stop doing this, Becks. Seems like one of us is always away when the other gets hot."

Becky kissed her cheek. "Well, that just means you have to keep it going until I get back. I'm sure the three of you will be tearing the place down while I'm gone." When Seth gently nudged her towards the door, she sighed. "Okay, okay. Time to hear the verdict. Pray for me, lads." When Roux pressed her hands together in the prayer position, Becky laughed. "And I'll pray that you can follow her dance moves better than I can."

"They can be... something," Seth agreed. He left Becky by the door to kiss Roux goodbye. "Mama and Dada won't be long. Have fun with your aunties and be good, okay?"

"Love you, Mama!" Roux called out as Bianca turned and started heading down the corridor. Bayley, Iyo, and Dakota all waved before following, and Roux's happy chatter rang out loud and clear.

As soon as her friends and her daughter were out of sight, Becky let out a long, shaky breath and leaned against Seth for a moment. She hadn't wanted to upset Roux, but the pain in her shoulder was spiking. "If I have to stay in the hospital overnight...." A sudden jolt of pain made it hard to finish. She had spent nights away from Roux, of course, but it had always been under happier circumstances; for Roux, staying with her grandmother or a family friend was just an extra long play date.

"Don't worry until there's something to worry about." Seth tilted her chin up and kissed her. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. Hopefully it's just a separated shoulder and we'll get Joshy to set you up with a program. I'll text him as soon as we hear what the doctor says." He pulled her in close and stroked her back while she steadied her breathing. "We've got this," he assured her, kissing the top of her head. "This isn't like your concussion, okay? I'm here and I'm staying no matter what. Roux's in good hands and I'll keep the girls updated. We'll make this work."

Becky hadn't even been thinking of Nia's punch, but some of the fear and panic from that night buzzed in her head until Seth kissed her again. What a difference it made to know there was someone by her side without question. Bayley, Sasha, and Natalya had gone with her to the hospital that night, but she knew Seth would do whatever it took to make sure she was okay while watching also out for their daughter. Having that pressure off her meant she could focus on her injury and how to overcome it. "We'll make this work," she echoed, feeling more confident as she reached for the door. She had been pregnant during a pandemic, after all; a little bit of rehabbing would be a piece of cake after that.