Set in Stone

Chapter 24

Boos filled the arena as Grace hit her signature pop-up powerbomb. The fans clearly feared that it was going to be enough for her to beat Sasha Banks, the Raw Women's Champion, clean, right in the middle of the ring. They were right.

Grace made a cover, happy to hear the boos raining down on her. After all, that was the intended reaction, despite the fact that she and Zelina, who was at ringside, had clearly been the babyfaces in the match. From the second The Stone Roses' music had played, Grace had been rejected by the crowd. The atmosphere in the arena was tangible. Everyone knew she was going to beat Sasha, and they were ready to take a shit on it when it happened.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

The booing got even louder as Grace got up to celebrate. Acting like a babyface while being booed and abused was harder thing to do than she had imagined. It was a contrary to everything she had learned and experienced throughout her career. Nonetheless, she smiled as the referee raised her hand in victory.

Sliding into the ring, Zelina came over to her and hugged her, another babyface thing to do, which most certainly would not have happened before Grace had taken time off for filming. Back then, they would have likely stood over Sasha, gloating in victory, or possibly even given her a further ass kicking. Now they were all about good sportsmanship, not that the reaction they were getting told that story.

"Seems to have gone well," Grace commented to Zelina.

"It does. They hate us already."

After posing for the hard camera, they left the ring. A camera walked backwards up the ramp in front of them, keeping them on-screen until Raw went to commercial.

"Grace, you suck!" a male fan yelled from one of the aisle seats.

She gave no indication of having heard him, but the taunt was music to her ears. No, I don't, she thought. In fact it's the opposite, because I have marks like you buying into what I'm doing already.

Making their way through the curtain, The Stone Roses were heralded by Lucy Thorne, who was sitting in her usual seat at the production desk.

"Yes, ladies! Great job! We've got them riled up already."

"Thanks," Grace smiled.

"Wait until the rumble. Tonight's reaction will seem like nothing in comparison," Zelina said.

Earlier, about an hour after the creative meeting with Lucy, Zelina had come to find Grace. She had apologised for how she had acted right after Grace had received the biggest news of her career, saying that talking with Seth had calmed her down.

Grace had responded by saying that all she had ever wanted, and still wanted, was for The Stone Roses to be one of the biggest acts in WWE. She had not asked for a singles push, and if it meant leaving Zelina behind, she didn't want one.

The exchange seemed to have pleased Zelina, who had been her usual self for the rest of the day. Grace hoped that the drama was behind them now, since she didn't doubt Thorne's word that the team would be kept together. Zelina was an underrated talent in the ring, and as a one time Women's Champion, she absolutely deserved to see more action.

As politeness always dictated, Sasha and Bayley were waiting for Grace and Zelina just outside Gorilla. Thanking an opponent for a match was the done thing in all wrestling promotions, including WWE.

"Good match. Thank you," Sasha said, exchanging a brief, perfunctory hug with Grace.

"Thanks, Sasha. I appreciate you putting me over clean." Sasha hadn't had much of say in it of course, but it was still a nice thing for Grace to say.