Notes: This fic most likely won't be updated again before 10/26.

Joey Mercury returned to NXT after realizing he had forgotten his cellphone though he was sure he had put it in his jacket pocket. He unlocked the door to the Performance Center and locked it behind him before heading to his office. He turned on his light and found his phone lying in the middle of his desk. He turned it on and he saw there was a missed call from someone only labeled as DeMox who he called. It rang a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dean it's me. Sorry I missed your call. I left my cellphone in my office."

"You called me and then hung up." There was silence for a moment. "Someone used your phone to call me!"

"Why would someone take my phone to call you? I didn't have your name listed in my address book."

"Doesn't matter," Dean said. "I'm changing my number and not giving you the new one!"

"I'll just get it from Punk," Joey said and could almost feel Dean's glare through the phone. "What exactly would they do with your phone anyway?"

"I don't know," Dean admitted, "but I'm not taking any chances. You have no idea what they are capable of," he said before disconnecting.

Joey hung up wondering who had taken his phone and how they had gotten into his office. Was Dean in the right for being paranoid? Was he even being paranoid? He really hoped the answer to both of those questions was no.

Roman arrived at RAW ready for anything Stephanie threw at him. He had received a text from Seth saying that Dean might need another ankle surgery but that was something he had heard from someone else. Dean was refusing to talk to Seth as well.

He was pleased to see that Billy Kidman and Jamie Noble were not waiting for him this time. This didn't necessarily mean that Stephanie didn't have something planned for him.

He walked to his locker room and put his bag down. He was about to get dressed for the show when a Production Assistant came up to him and handed him an envelope before walking away.

Roman opened the envelope and found two pictures inside. The first was a picture of Seth with the Wyatts. The second was a picture of Dean with the previous Evolution group. There was a typed note read: Just remember. You can't protect them if you aren't there.

Roman crumpled up the note. This was Stephanie's newest strategy. She kept trying to remind him that he was supposed to be the protector of the Shield and he failed to protect Dean from the attacks and kidnapping and failed to protect Seth from being brainwashed by Bray Wyatt. As if he needed someone else to remind him of how much he had failed his brothers. He got ready for the show.

Would you just talk to them?

Dean stared at the text a week later. No he would not talk to them. He had been lucky enough to avoid having a conversation with Seth. He made a mental note not to give Punk or AJ his cellphone number either.

No. He responded.

But Dean and Roman need to talk to you.

Dean sighed. He could almost hear AJ's whine in her text. Punk didn't care if he ever contacted Roman or Seth again but his wife evidently did. Punk understood his need to distance himself from the WWE better than anyone. After all, he had quit the night after the 2014 Royal Rumble. Dean sent one more text before he turned his phone off.

No.

He got up and limped over to his refrigerator and opened the door to the freezer and filled a Ziploc bag full of ice. His ankle was really bothering him today. He wished he could say it was mental from the fear of needing another surgery but knew it wasn't.

There was a knock on the door and he wondered who could possibly be at his door. He limped over and looked through the peephole and looked through it before opening the door. He was not happy when he opened his front door and found Seth and Roman standing on the other side of it. His first instinct was to close the door in their faces but he hesitated.

"Can we come in," Roman asked, "we need to talk to you. It's something you should hear from us."

Dean looked over at Seth who had a worried look on his face. It was the same look he had on his face at the Performance Center before he carried him out of the building. He let them in.

"You might want to sit down." Roman suggested. Dean, always one to do the opposite of what he's told, chose to stand. "I got a call from our lawyer that said Triple H has been released from prison."

Dean sat down in a chair. "How is that even possible?" He could understand the Wyatts being released from prison and even Orton and Batista but the evidence had been solid and even Triple H's overpaid lawyers couldn't save him.

"Overcrowding in the prisons," Seth said. "Somehow the parole board decided Hunter wasn't a danger to society."

"They obviously didn't ask anyone in WWE," Dean said his hand going to rub his ankle. "I guess the only one of us in trouble is you Roman. Stephanie got rid of Seth and me."

Roman gave him a look. "Remember what Hunter was yelling when they dragged him away? He said he'd get us for this."

"I thought that was the point of having his stooges destroy my ankle and brainwashing Seth. I mean other than Stephanie taunting you every week. You seem fine Roman."

Roman glared at him. This wasn't exactly how he pictured his first real conversation in months with Dean going. "You think I'm fine in WWE," Roman demanded his voice dropping low. "Corey Graves has decided to go after me for what Seth pulled in Florida. Stephanie is determined to make me quit. I can't trust anyone in the locker room and this is the first conversation I've had with you in months."

Dean didn't say anything.

Seth finally spoke up. "Calm down Roman. Dean and I both know you haven't had an easy time in WWE." He turned to face Dean. "We need to stay united for when Hunter strikes. I know you are angry for everything that's happened, but it wasn't Roman or my faults."

"Dean I know some of what Evolution did and I wish I could have stopped them."

Dean didn't say anything. It appeared the window of conversation had slammed shut. The Shield was no longer united and that worried Roman.