Friday went by in a blur for Dean Ambrose. He got his new phone and immediately texted Alexa, letting her know she was the recipient of the first text of his new phone. They spent the day flirting via text, and Dean was DYING to see her, but Friday evenings during football were about preparation for his team and coaching staff. They spent friday night at a nice hotel downtown, watching film as a group and going over position assignments. Ambrose had been pulled aside by his position coach, Arn Anderson, and told him Coach Layfield wanted to see him first thing the next morning. And that's why, at 8:47 AM on the day of a 1 PM kickoff, Dean Ambrose found himself sitting in a horribly uncomfortable chair outside the coaches' office. Finally, Ambrose was summoned into the giant office and took a seat in another, more comfortable seat.

John Layfield, longtime coach of the Stamford Titans, was beginning to contemplate life after college football. His program, long a staple atop college football, had fallen on some tougher times recently, as the appeal of a smaller school with top tier academics and an elite sports program wasn't what it had been in years past. He had some reason for hope this year. An influx of talented freshmen, the likes of Jason Jordan, Roman Reigns, Chad Gable, Baron Corbin, and Braun Strowman, to go along with some returning leaders like Ettore "Big E" Langston, Kofi Kingston, Bray Wyatt, and Bobby Roode, gave him a roster more talented than he'd been in some time. And therein lay the problem: Dean Ambrose had flat out outplayed every one of his returning players at linebacker. Curt Hawkins was the starter at middle linebacker, where Dean had been practicing, and Dean had clearly won the job, but Curt was well liked by his teammates, and a team captain, and so Layfield was in a very tough spot. He'd already heard some grumblings within the locker room when Roman Reigns walked onto campus and pretty much yanked a defensive line job from entrenched upperclassman Mojo Rawley. Mojo quit the team in frustration and several other seniors thought about joining him. Layfield had won the locker room back, but it hadn't been easy, and if he started Ambrose, a non-scholarship freshman, over Hawkins, he could face a full-on revolt from his players.

He nodded at Ambrose, acknowledging his presence for the first time, drew a breath, and began. "Dean, I want you to know how impressed I've been with your effort level since you got here. You have exceeded the expectations we have here at Stamford for walk-ons, and if I'm being honest, you are our best option at middle linebacker. But we're coming off a tough season, and I cannot afford a mutiny in the locker room. You boys have come here and upset the apple cart, and I respect that, but I can't make all the changes I need to all at once. At the same time, if I don't play the best option, I'm gonna get fired. So, here's what I'm gonna do. Curt is gonna start and play the first two series at middle linebacker. You're gonna play the next two. After that, the better player is gonna play. That way I can look the seniors in the eye and tell them I gave Curt a chance. That ok with you?"

Dean wasn't expecting the coach to ask him for his opinion, and quickly searched his brain for an answer. "Yeah, coach, that's cool. Whatever you need."

Coach Layfield nodded. "Roman told me you're a loyal guy. I hope this thing works out. You should be proud of yourself. You made this a tough decision."

With that, Layfield stood and offered Ambrose his hand. Dean also rose, shook his coach's hand, and began to leave. As he turned, Layfield spoke one more time. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Prove me right."

Dean nodded, then opened the office door and headed down to the locker room to begin the process of preparing for his first college action.


Stamford U's team really did look good this year. Its' offensive line was anchored by senior center Bray Wyatt. On either side of him were Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Both now juniors, they'd been starters the last half of last season with good results. At left tackle was Luke Gallows. Luke may have been the best player on the team, possessing both the elite size and advanced footwork needed for that position. At right tackle, freshman Braun Strowman showed up to campus at 6'7, 345 and shoved anyone else interested in the job out of the way with brute force and "barroom brawler" mentality. Next to him was the only other true freshman starter on offense. Jason Jordan had been recruited specifically to replace the departing Jack Swagger at tight end, and clearly looked like he'd be not only a replacement, but an upgrade.

The strength of this team was it's running backs. Sophomore Apollo Crews and junior Xavier Woods rotated carries, giving opposing teams nightmares at being run over by Crews and flown past by Woods. Leading the way was the aforementioned Langston, who used his tremendous speed and strength at fullback to clear the way for Crews and Woods. Receiver was more of a mixed bag, due to how much emphasis SU placed on their defense and running game. Tye Dillinger did good work at receiver, and Woods split out at WR a good bit when he wasn't a running back, but it was a work in progress at that position, and could end up being a huge weakness.

Defensively, Layfield had a pretty good group. Reigns was the only new starter on the defensive line. Titus O'Neil, Alexander Rusev, and Brodus Clay were returners from last year, and they were a group that looked to make serious waves. Behind them were the linebackers. Curt Hawkins was a senior and a team captain, but his hold on the position was tenuous at best. Next to him were Bobby Roode and Mike Kanellis, who were both very solid players, but not spectacular. The linebacking corps was thirsty for fresh blood, and Dean Ambrose was itching to take a job from one of them. The secondary consisted of Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin at corner, and Alex Riley and Tyler Breeze at safety. The secondary was one of the best units on the team, and they were looking forward to making plays.

The team's quarterback was also it's face, and the favorite of its fanbase. Randy Orton, a fifth year senior out of St. Louis, was everything a coach could want in a cornerstone player. In fact, coach Layfield often told local press that if he "could build the perfect quarterback from scratch, it would look like Randy Orton." Randy had a strong arm, top level accuracy, perfect footwork, and the leadership ability only a fifth year senior can bring to the table. It was his team, and he knew it.

All of which is why Coach Layfield was so optimistic that this year would mark the start of a return to prominence. They'd always been a power in their conference, but coach Layfield had aspirations of one more Div. 1AA National Championship before he retired.

Seth Rollins, on the other hand, didn't figure to be involved in much today. He hadn't been told that he was "redshirting", a practice where a player would get an extra year of eligibility at the end of his college career, but would miss his first year, but he wasn't starting anywhere on the field for the game either. He hadn't even gotten to stay with the team at the hotel the night before. He'd been told only to dress for the game. As a result, he'd simply decided to enjoy the atmosphere and the moment, and let the cards fall how they fall.

Despite the recent falloff in SU's championship pursuits, the game day experience in Stamford was still second to none. The stadium, "The Vincent Kennedy McMahon Memorial Coliseum," or, as students and fans knew it, "the Vinnie Mac," was located just to the east of the middle of campus, in an area surrounded by dorms and classroom buildings, and as a result it boasted "one of the most intimate experiences in college football." As the kickoff drew close, Dean, Roman, and Seth followed their team out of the locker room and into the tunnel they would run out of, led onto the field by a select group of senior students voted by their peers as "most spirited," dressed in Roman Soldier garb in an act known as the "Titan Trot." The whole stadium would come alive and cheer loudly for their beloved team.

Even Bayley's recent emotional conflict wouldn't stop her from enjoying the first kickoff of the year. She needed the stress release, and she was looking forward to seeing some of her friends in the student section that she hadn't seen since school started. She hadn't realized how completely her life had been consumed by her new roomie and his two friends this year, and the best thing for her right now was to be around people who weren't Seth Rollins.

"Besides," she thought to herself, "I'm a 'bleacher creature' this year."

The "Bleacher Creatures" were a select group of students who were noted for their high attendance and spirit at athletic events. There were only 100 spots available in the special seating section, and Bayley had gotten the email last week that she was one of the lucky ones. She'd gone all out for this first game, buying crimson t-shirts to tear up and make into armbands with tassels to match her Titans gear, and gold face paint to match their helmets. Now, she'd be taking her spot right behind the goalposts in the famous "south stands", the bleachers in front of the end zone where the legendary touchdown scored by Ivan Putski in 1967 delivered SU its 3rd of 8 1AA National Championships. Putski, known as the "Polish Hammer", would go on to be enshrined with a plaque inside "The Vinnie Mac", and his name would be spoken to this day in hushed tones by students and fans.

Bayley made the quick walk from her dorm to the stadium, stopping whenever she saw someone she knew to give them a hug, and made her way into her section with throngs of fans milling in and around the iconic old iron landmark. She looked around her seat and saw lots of people she knew. There was Bo Dallas, the goofy kid from her psych class last spring, Alicia Fox, the gorgeous former cheerleader who now was focusing strictly on her studies. There was Johnny Curtis, the mildly awkward but rather handsome shooting guard from the basketball team. And then there were the two girls she'd met at the lake party with the wild colored hair. She knew the orange-headed one's name. Becky. The other one escaped her. Their faces lit up in vague recognition as they began moving towards her.

"Hey, you're Seth's roomie, yeah?"

Bayley nodded and smiled. "Yeah, Bayley. I remember you guys from the lake party. You guys doing Creatures this season?"

Becky nodded in reply. "I am. Sasha here is tagging along because my shiteheel friend Finn is either too drunk or too hung over to be here. I gave her his ticket."

Bayley extended her arms out to Becky, then to Sasha in kind. "You guys stay with me. It's better than just standing with some of these idiots..."

The word "idiots" had JUST left Bayley's mouth when she saw from the corner of her peripheral vision the platinum blonde head that belonged to Dana Brooke. Dana was there, in another cut up t-shirt, this time an SU TITANS babydoll tee with similar "alterations" to the one she'd worn thursday, and with another blonde girl and a guy with an impressive spray tan and spiked hair. She hung her head and scooted back, trying to put Becky between her and Dana's sight line, but it was too late.

"OHMIGOSH! Hi Bayley!"

"Shit..." Bayley swore to herself. "She thinks we're friends. And now I owe myself a dollar."

Still, Bayley owed it to her buddy, Seth, to be civil. So, she faked a smile and replied: "Hi, Dana. How are you?"

Dana then launched into a minutes-long diatribe about her entire week, forgetting (apparently) that she'd done the same thursday night upon meeting Bayley for the first time. Sasha and Becky simply observed in wide-eyed wonder as Dana continued without pause for several more minutes. Then she stopped and remembered she hadn't come alone.

"Oh, where are my manners? These are my friends Emma Dashwood and Zack Ryder." She pointed toward each in turn, and Bayley hugged each of them as she'd grown accustomed to with new people.

Then, for the first time she could remember, she forced herself to hug someone she didn't want to. She embraced Dana, although she let go sooner than she ordinarily might've, and began conversing with Sasha and Becky while Dana and Emma talked excitedly about seeing the guys run onto the field for the first time. Bayley could somehow sense someone's gaze on her, and when she glanced in Dana's direction, she could tell that Zack was trying to check her out without being obvious.

"He's cute," Bayley thought to herself. He didn't appear to be there with Emma. In fact, he looked like he was trying to keep his distance. "I'll have to ask Dana about that. Which means I have to talk to Dana. Damn." Bayley continued internally, noting that she now owed herself two dollars.

She heard the crowd noise begin to escalate as the BEASTIE BOY'S "Sabotage" played over the stadium PA as the students dressed as Titans and the SU cheerleaders ran onto the field, hands motioning for the crowd to get louder, and then she saw the first of the players run through a giant paper sign that said "TITANS TIME IS NOW" in giant crimson letters.

Dean Ambrose took the field with his teammates and felt the rush of exhilaration that only sports can provide. He looked over at Roman, who was getting some last minute instructions from Coach Simmons, his defensive line coach and defensive coordinator for the Titans. He was proud of his friend for winning a job, but there was a small part of Dean that wanted to outplay him. He peered into the stands, shielding his eyes from the sun, and saw about 18 samoans he recognized as Roman's family standing and clapping for him.

"It's still weird to think of them as my family," Dean observed.

Then he looked over to the sideline where the Titan cheerleaders were making their way over to their assigned area. He could see the tiny form of Alexa Bliss staring directly back at him. She smiled, pointed at him, and blew him a kiss. Dean got a mischievous smile on his face, then pretended to catch the blown kiss and stick it down the front of his pants. Alexa chuckled, then rolled her eyes and gave Dean the middle finger. Dean shook his head and jogged over to where the rest of his team was gathering.

SU's opponent that day, Turner College and State University, was a team SU regularly had it's way with for many years. Recently, however, an influx of money and other resources had helped the school catch up to SU. In fact, Turner was currently nursing a 4 game winning streak over Stamford, a fact that was often brought up by fans and alumni when discussing Coach Layfield's job status. Their team was big, fast, and talented, and coached by former SU assistant Eric Bischoff. Bischoff was everything Layfield wasn't; a slick salesman who charmed parents into sending their kids to Turner to play football. He'd recently signed several kids away from SU, and their star quarterback was Ted DiBiase Jr, a former SU Titan and son of a Titan alumni. Ted had asked for his transfer when it was apparent he wouldn't get to play ahead of Randy Orton, and he'd set several conference records last year as the starter for the TCSU Wildcats. This was going to be a very tough, very hard-hitting game that the Titans were going to have to play perfectly to win.


The game didn't get off to the best of starts for the young Titans. TCSU won the coin toss, and elected to receive the ball first. They'd then immediately connected on a deep pass that set them up in Titan field territory. Dean tried to ignore that it was Curt Hawkins who'd been beaten on the play by Wildcat receiver Cody Rhodes. TCSU scored 4 plays later on a short run by bruising Wildcat running back Bobby Lashley. Lashley was a huge, fast ball carrier that every school in the country wanted, and he'd chosen TCSU mostly because they'd (allegedly) given his mom a job in the admissions office. Then, SU compounded the trouble when Randy Orton threw a rare interception after Titans receiver Tye Dillinger ran the wrong way on a pass route. On the ensuing Wildcat possession, Hawkins was picked on again by the Wildcats offense, and only a shoestring tackle by Bobby Roode kept the Wildcats out of the endzone again. They settled for a field goal, and the first quarter ended with the Titans down 10-0.

Coach Layfield was seething. He'd watched as the senior leaders on his team were beaten again and again by this Wildcat team, and deep down he wanted to bench everyone. "Maybe Hawkins getting benched will send a message to everyone," he thought to himself.

To make his day even worse, on the ensuing kickoff, kick returner and slot receiver Adrian Neville was hit directly on his knee by an opposing player and went down in a crumple. "Shit," he thought to himself. Neville was a dynamic special teams player and good 3rd down receiver. Layfield looked over at his young special teams coach, Corey Graves. Graves had been a Titan receiver until concussions ended his career early. Now he was one of the youngest assistant coaches in the league. "Graves!" Layfield yelled, trying to coordinate too many things at once.

"Yeah?" Graves answered, letting his boss know he'd heard him.

"Who's that fast kid? The skinny one with the weird hair?"

"Rollins?" Graves inquired.

"Yeah, him. Let him field the next one. AND SOMEONE MAKE SURE AMBROSE IS OUT THERE THIS SERIES!"

With that, Layfield sent his defense on the field. A defense that now included Dean Ambrose. Bayley saw Ambrose take the field and cheered a little louder for her friend.

Dana looked at her and smiled. "You really love those guys, don't you?"

Bayley nodded. "Yeah, I've only known them a few days, but they've been SO nice to me. You know Dean cooked breakfast the other day? I didn't even ask. He just did it."

Dana looked at her quizzically. "I wouldn't think he'd be the type that was even up for breakfast. He looks like he sleeps under a bridge."

Bayley cringed slightly. Dana couldn't have known why looking homeless would be a sensitive topic for Ambrose or his circle of friends, but Bayley felt a twinge again at thinking about what Dean had been through. She had no desire to retell Dean's story to Dana, so instead she just said "yeah. He's pretty rough around the edges, but he's a good friend."

Dana nodded, then the two girls turned back toward the action.

As Dean ran out on the field, he was stopped and grabbed by Coach Layfield. "Son," Layfield began, "I'm taking a huge chance on you. Prove me right." And now Dean was awash with adrenaline and butterflies. His first play he'd been fooled by the offense's attempt to disguise the path of the ball carrier and gotten blocked out of the play. Determined not to make the same mistake twice, he'd gotten a much better angle on the second play, but slipped when the ball carrier "cut back" towards the middle of the field. Dean was able to stick his hand out as he slipped and trip up the ball carrier, and then the 40,000 that occupied "the Vinnie Mac" "oooooohed" in unison as Roman Reigns flew in from out of nowhere to smash the ball carrier for a loss of yards. On third down, Dean was sent to blitz the quarterback, and the determined Ambrose slipped between two blockers and was able to "sack" the quarterback before he could throw the ball. He jumped into Reigns' arms as he celebrated, but it was worth noting that only a handful of his Titans teammates celebrated with them. As he tried to run off the field, Layfield was motioning him to stay. "Shit," he thought, "Hawkins must have been on punt return team, too." Dean hadn't been prepared for this possibility, but he knew from high school what basically to do on the "punt return team." Most of the starting Titans defense actually stayed on the field, and Bobby Roode pointed at him where to line up and who to cover.

Being a blocker on the punt return team, as Dean was, was not an easy task. You have to "jam" the player across from you so to impede his path to tackling the returner, then run downfield with him, then try to block him or someone else once the returner catches the ball. It requires skill and patience, and Ambrose hadn't done it in a while, but he got a good "jam" on the player across from him and then released him when he heard the "thump" sound that results when a player punts the ball. He ran as hard as he could towards his friend Seth, who was waiting for the ball to plummet into his awaiting hands, then turned when he saw Seth catch the ball. He looked for someone to block, then heard the roar of the home crowd. Seth had apparently made the first tackler miss him, and was running in the open field.

This was the first time the three friends had ever been on the field together in college, and Dean wanted to make a good block so his friend could make a good impression. There was a defender in Rollins' path, but a bone-crunching block by Reigns cleared him, Dean managed to get a shoulder pad onto the next defender in Seth's way, clearing him to run even further. Seth was unable to score on the play, but was tackled close enough to the end zone that scoring was a high possibility. The crowd roared again as Reigns and Ambrose waited for their friend on the sidelines. Seth smiled and pointed up into the stands in the general direction of Dana and Bayley. Both were jumping up and down and cheering, and each pretended Seth was pointing only at them.

SU was able to pound the ball into the end zone with Apollo Crews, cutting the TCSU lead to 3, then Reigns got a key sack on 3rd down the following series. Seth wasn't able to return the punt as far this time, and the SU offense continued to move the ball, but stall when they crossed midfield. The Titans punted, pinning the TCSU offense deep in their own territory. Ambrose was sent back onto the field, even though it was Curt's turn in the rotation, and Curt vocalized his dissatisfaction with the decision to all within earshot. Reigns and Ambrose ignored him and ran onto the field, eager to make a difference.

Their opportunity came almost immediately. On the second play, DiBiase Jr dropped back to pass the ball, and when he released, Roman got his hands up, as all defensive linemen are taught. He was able to get just a bit of his hand on the ball, deflecting it into the air. Ambrose, seeing the play happen as it developed, ran under the tipped pass and snatched it from the air, then ran the few yards into the end zone for an interception and a defensive score. The SU crowd went absolutely insane as Ambrose basked in the adulation of students and fans alike. Dean ran off the field briefly, knowing the defense was going right back on the field, with the score meaning SU would be kicking off, but he managed to sneak to the part of the sideline where the cheerleaders were firing up the home crowd. He snuck over to Alexa, who jumped up and threw her arms around Dean's neck.

"That was so great, babe."

Dean nodded. "I know."

Alexa laughed and jumped down. "And of course you ruined it. Go get 'em, Ambrose."

Dean jogged back over to where Coach Simmons was giving his defense some last minute instructions and grabbed a water bottle. He drank several swallows, then poured the rest on his head to cool him off. His unruly hair quickly absorbed the extra moisture, and Dean took the field with his team.


The game quickly simmered to a stalemate, and the two teams jogged to the locker rooms with SU jumping up and down with the lead.

All would not be well for long, however. Curt Hawkins was beyond upset at his benching after just a few plays, and he loudly protested to coach Anderson that he was the starter and shouldn't be benched for a "walk on scrub like him (Ambrose.)"

When Coach Layfield heard those words, he turned in irritation towards Hawkins and yelled: "That 'walk on scrub' just took your job. Now take your pads off and hit the shower; You're done until I say otherwise."

With that, Hawkins slammed his helmet into his locker, grabbed his warmup gear, and headed for the showers.

Ambrose was on cloud nine. He'd come to SU with nothing more than the hopes of one day contributing to the team. Now, after 14 practices, he'd become a starter. His buddy Roman was dominating the players across from him, and Seth had made his presence felt with a BIG special teams play. He listened intently while Coach Layfield congratulated his players on a good half, then reminded them that they had another half of football to play. As halftime drew to a close, the players stood to their feet, grabbed their helmets, and went back out onto the field. As Ambrose walked by Coach Anderson, Anderson pulled him to the side.

"Hey son, that was a great play."

"Thanks, coach."

"If I see you go near that bubble-butt cheerleader again before the game's over I'ma kick your ass all over Stamford in practice on Monday. If you don't give me all your focus I will make you run stadium stairs until you spontaneously combust. Is that clear?"

Dean nodded, having to give 100% of his effort to not smile. "Crystal, sir."

"Ok. First defense is you now. And we're gonna get you on an athletic scholarship as soon as one opens up. I get the feeling that might not take long," Anderson mused, nodding towards the shower where Hawkins was still fuming and swearing. "I'm proud of you. Now finish this strong."

With that, Anderson released his hold on Dean's jersey and Dean hurried to catch his team before he ran out onto the field.


Charlotte Flair sometimes wished he was a normal student, rather than the daughter of one of the school's largest boosters. She could see the "Bleacher Creatures" from the luxury box she was watching the game from, and they looked like they were having a ball. Her father insisted that she join him in their suite for this game, saying that he wanted her to network with well connected alumni so she could build her job prospects, but all Charlotte really wanted was to be in the stands screaming her head off for Roman and the rest of the team. She'd let out a brief "whoo" when Roman blistered Bobby Lashley on that running play, but other than that, she'd stoically watched the tense game while friends of her fathers and influential alumni milled around, hoping for a minute to glad-hand with her father.

"Next game I'll be down there, and I don't give a shit what the old man says." She said, quietly and to no one in particular. The attention of the room shifted briefly to the field as the marching band reached a crescendo, then suddenly stopped as the TCSU kickoff team kicked to Rollins and the SU return team.

Seth started one way, then cut back to his left as his blockers began to clear a path for him. The crowd roared again as he returned the ball from the end zone to almost the 40 yard line. Layfield smacked him atop his helmeted head as he ran off the field, and Reigns and Ambrose mobbed their buddy. This time, Bobby Roode and Brodus Clay stood with them to greet him.

The SU offense got close again, but a missed block by the freshman Braun Strowman led to a sack of Randy Orton and the Titans had to settle for 3 points. It wasn't so much that Strowman missed the block. He'd actually thrown a linebacker about five yards back from where'd been. He'd just missed his assignment and let a closer player go by. Kicker Santino Marella managed to make the long field goal, but a 17-10 lead wasn't NEARLY as secure as 21-10 would've been.

Following the SU kickoff, Ambrose ran back out onto the field with his teammates. As they broke the huddle, he felt Tyler Breeze swat him on his backside and quickly say "go get 'em, Ambrose." As Breeze was one of Hawkins' closest friends on the team, the fact that he'd done that made Dean smile slightly.

Reigns made the play on first down. Then, a long pass connected from DiBiase to receiver Elijah Burke, and the Titans were forced to regroup on the fly. Ted DiBiase was known for his ability to get his team down the field quickly, not allowing the defense time to catch their breath or sub players in and out, and today was no exception. Ted completed two more passes, one into the zone Ambrose would've been in had the player he was covering not run him out of the zone. The Titans defense tightened, and got the offense into a 3rd down situation. 3rd down is usually the last chance the offense has to get a new possession without punting, since standard procedure is to punt on 4th down. DiBiase quickly dropped back, then released the ball. Ambrose saw it was to the player he was covering and was just able to get a hand on the ball before it reached the Wildcats player. The ball bounced off his hand and landed harmlessly on the turf. As the Wildcats sent their "punt" unit onto the field, Ambrose noticed something. Ordinarily, a team will line up several quality blockers in front of the punter to insure that no one gets to the punt and blocks it. On every other Wildcats punt, it had been #45, Ethan Carter. On this play, it was the aforementioned Cody Rhodes, leading Ambrose to yell "watch the fake! watch the fake!" Sure enough, as the snapper sent the ball into the path of the punter, Rhodes grabbed it out of the air and ran for the first down line. Ambrose, having noticed the personnel change, was able to scrape off his blocker, spin away from a second blocker and tackle Rhodes short of the line to gain. The crowd exploded again as Ambrose came up pumping his fist and yelling in exuberance. Bayley, Dana, Becky, and Sasha all jumped up and down and hugged each other, Bayley forgetting for the moment that she despised Dana and simply getting caught up in the emotion in the stadium. The Titans offense took over the ball, as infused with enthusiasm as the crowd was.


Football is a game of intense strategy and tactics. A common tactic when a team has the lead in the 2nd half is to run the ball, running the clock out and forcing the other team to do things they're not comfortable doing. SU used their running plays to run out a lot of clock, and TCSU was growing desperate. Their defense got SU into a 3rd down and short situation. Conventional wisdom here says that you run the ball and get another first down, and earn another opportunity to run more clock. SU offensive coordinator Jim Ross knew this, and so he called a play where it looked like they were going to run the ball with Apollo Crews for the first down, but Orton faked the handoff and threw it to Xavier Woods, who'd lined up and pretended to block with everyone else, then quickly accelerated to the side of the field the rest of the team was pretending to run away from. Woods strode under the ball, caught it without breaking his pace, and jogged into the end zone. The SU score made it 24-10, after Marella kicked the extra point, and the game was effectively in the hands of the Titans.


As the crowd began to calm down, Bayley swallowed hard and got Dana's attention. Dana, to her part, and no idea how Bayley felt about Seth (or her) and was receptive to her munitions. "Dana?" Bayley began, cautiously.

"Yeah Bayley, what's up?"

"What's Zack's story? Is he with that Emma girl?"

Dana chuckled, then moved closer to Bayley so no one around would hear.

"Ha. No. They live in the same dorms I do. We all applied to be 'Creatures' last year, and they were together then, but they broke up before the season started. Our seats are together, so now I come with them to keep the peace. But no, they are not together. At all."

Bayley nodded. Dana continued "He is cute, though, isn't he? He runs cross country, too. He's pretty fast. Placed top ten in the conference last year. He's really nice. I'll introduce you if you want."

Bayley blushed. "Maybe after the game," she said shyly.

Dana looked at her, puzzled. "Ok. Whatever you want."

The two once again turned their attention to the field, where the SU defense was smothering the last attempts of DiBiase and the TCSU offense to mount an offensive drive. Ambrose and Reigns each made tackles, and the clock eventually ran out without either team scoring again. As the clock expired, marking the end of the game, another SU tradition began to take shape; the students and alumni would hop the rails separating the playing field from the bleachers and mill around, mingling with the players. The older alumni and boosters would congratulate players while students celebrated. Dean immediately found Alexa, who pulled his head down to her level by pulling him by his collar and planted a big kiss directly on his lips. She grinned at him, keeping his face close to hers. "I'm so, so proud of you," she intimated, speaking so softly that he was the only one who could hear. "I want to see you later. After you've showered, of course. Take me to Spicolli's for dinner. Just us. Please?"

She looked up at him with the same gorgeous doe eyes that had melted him into putty thursday night when she'd asked him to dance with her. He nodded, slowly, not wanting to let her go. "Sure. It's what...3?" He glanced up at the giant digital clock that hung next to the Coca Cola advertisement. It read 3:07. "Yeah," he continued, "I could go for spaghetti. Do I have to come to your door again?" He asked, winking at her.

"No. Meet me in front of Poffo. 7 pm. I have a car. You drive. Carefully." She asserted this part having heard about Dean's sketchy driving record.

"It's a date," Dean said, his insides surprisingly shaky after having just played an entire game. "I'll see you then..."

At almost exactly that same time, Roman Reigns was greeting his family. His father, Sika, and his mother, Patricia, brought about 10 other relatives to their son's first game, and they all glowed with pride at how well Roman had played. He'd just bid them goodbye, telling them he'd see them at dinner, when he was approached by a white-haired man in his 60's, adorned in a suit that probably cost more than Reigns' tuition that year.

"Young man," the old man initiated, "I wanted to tell you that was some fine playing today. I am excited to see what you're going to do here."

Roman smiled, trying his best to be gracious despite his fatigue. "Thank you, sir." As he waited for the man to either speak or walk away, he saw his blonde mystery woman appear behind the older booster. "Dad," she began, "please don't bother Roman with your tales from 30 years ago. I'm sure he's exhausted."

As soon as she said this, the man turned back to Roman as though he hadn't heard. "My name is Ric. Ric Flair. This is my daughter Charlotte."

Playing along, Roman extended his hand to the young blonde woman. "It's lovely to meet you, Charlotte." He emphasized the girl's name when he spoke in a way that would only be perceived by the two of them.

"Look, kid, you played your guts out today. We needed that win over those guys, and you and your buddy delivered." Ric continued his long spiel as Roman pretended to listen attentively. He caught the eyes of his blonde amazon, who discretely mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to him. He simply winked. He threw up a hand gently to interrupt the older man.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I've GOT to go in to take a shower. My family is taking me out for dinner tonight. 7 o clock. Spicolli's. It would be my honor if your daughter and yourself would join us."

Before Charlotte could intervene, Ric heartily agreed. "Son, it'll be a pleasure."

With that, Ric ushered his daughter away to schmooze with some of the other big money boosters.

Across the field, Bayley was beginning the first conversation she'd had with a male that wasn't either Dean, Seth, or Roman of that entire year. Dana had summoned Zack over while she and Bayley were talking to Seth, and now she found herself alone with the handsome runner.

"...yeah, so I run, go to class, and party. What about you?"

Bayley wasn't sure how to react. People didn't often ask her about herself. She was so used to playing the concerned friend that she very rarely got to talk about herself.

"Well, I go to class, work out, and hang out with my friends. I was thinking of trying out for the women's lacrosse team they're forming this year, since I played in high school, but other than that I don't really do much."

The two continued their small talk for another minute before Seth came over to the small group and interrupted.

"Hey guys, Roman just told me his family is going to Spicolli's tonight. We're all invited. Any takers?"

Zack looked over at Bayley and shrugged. "You wanna go?"

Bayley thought for a second. On the one hand, she wasn't sure she wanted to watch Seth be openly affectionate with Dana again. On the other hand, Zack was cute, and maybe some time with a new boy was just what she needed.

"Sure," she responded. "But let me go home and clean up first."

"No problem," Zack affirmed. "We'll all meet there at seven."

Bayley smiled and nodded. A date with a boy could make Seth jealous at the very least, and maybe, just maybe, this Zack guy was a quality human being.


The rest of the afternoon went by MUCH too slowly for Dean Ambrose. He showered, then resumed texting with Alexa. He managed a quick nap before heading to take the short walk from Sammartino Hall to Poffo to meet Alexa at 7. He'd heard Roman speaking to someone in his family about their dinner plans, but it didn't occur to him that they might all be heading the same place. Dean threw on a clean t-shirt, then another shirt, then his light grey hoodie that he wore when the weather wasn't quite as cold. He made the quick jaunt over to Poffo, taking the shortcut where you had to hop a retaining wall and duck behind a hedgerow, but it was better than taking the long way. He cleared the wall and walked into the clearing in front of the street that wound through campus, forgoing the crosswalk at the other end of the sidewalk and finally crossing over to Poffo.

He squinted for a minute, then found Alexa. If she'd been a goddess on thursday with her flashier clothes, she was simply exquisite when dressing down. She wore a simple white baseball t-shirt with grey sleeves and dark jeans. Instead of pigtails, as she'd worn for the game, her hair was simply pulled back in a ponytail. She was leaning against the passenger door of a black Ford Ranger, which was about the last thing Dean had expected her to drive.

"Nice truck," he mused.

Alexa grinned. "Thanks. It's my dad's. He let me drive it up here to move in. He has my car. I may see if I can just trade him. You ready?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah."

She handed Dean the keys, then allowed him to open the door for her.


The ride to Spicolli's was quick, as it was just a few blocks from campus, but both Alexa and Dean got matching sinking feelings in their stomachs when they saw the intense and immense crowd outside the restaurant. "Shit." Dean exclaimed under his breath. "I bet the wait is epic."

Alexa shrugged. "My heart is set on pizza now. Let's just see."

Dean and Alexa walked hand in hand through the restaurants front door and into the lobby, where they received the news that it'd be 2 hours for a table. Just as they were considering whether or not to leave, Dean heard a booming voice call out his name.

"Dean! Back here!"

Dean craned his neck and looked towards the back of the restaurant. There, in a separate party room that Dean was certain must have been reserved hours in advance, was his samoan parents, Sika and Patricia, and another dozen or so of their extended family, along with Roman, Charlotte, some old guy, Seth, Bayley, and lots of other familiar faces. Dean looked down at Alexa. "I mean, it's better than waiting two hours."

She sighed. She'd REALLY wanted some quality time getting to know this mysterious boy she'd become so fond of so quickly, but she was hungry, and the sooner they ate, the sooner she could suggest to Dean they go back to her place, so she finally shrugged and acquiesced. "Sure. I'd love to meet the people that saved you."

Dean ushered her back to where Roman's brother Matt was calling them from. Dean was quickly overwhelmed by his adopted family showering him with praise over the way he'd played that day. His Samoan mom quickly asked him about "the pretty little blonde girl" and insisted that Dean and Alexa sit to the side of her that Roman wasn't sitting on. Patricia had missed doting on Dean, and Dean knew better than to try to resist. His Samoan dad, Sika, simply stood up, extended his hand, then pulled him in for a hug that Dean was pretty sure ended up rupturing some discs in his back. Dean scanned the table and saw at least 25-30 people he knew, either from back home or from his eventful first week on campus. Dean looked at Sika. "What, did you guys reserve for 40 or something?"

Sika nodded. "Yes. We figured between old family and new friends, we could fill the room. And it looks like we have."

Dean nodded and smiled. That statement, in a nutshell, summarized the mindset he'd seen during his time in the Reigns household. Give everything you have to those who need anything you can give. Dean waved to Seth, who he noticed was sitting next to Dana, and Bayley, who was sitting next to a guy Dean had seen around, but hadn't met yet.

Finally, everyone was seated and the somewhat scared-looking servers came to take their orders. Dean watched with great amusement as Roman, usually so confident and gregarious, made anxious small talk with Charlotte's father. Charlotte, to her end, looked like she would fall over from embarrassment at any moment from the stories her father was telling. Dean's samoan "cousin" Rikishi, and his sons Jimmy and John, were also highlights, as Rikishi was an engaging and charismatic storyteller, and his sons LOVED to fill in any gaps left out either by accident or to spare Rikishi from embarrassment. Alexa loved watching Dean in this element. Dean's grin had not narrowed a bit since he'd sat down, even when Patricia tried in vain to fix his hair for him. Alexa MIGHT have egged that particular act on more than she should have, but she loved seeing the ordinarily brash and untamable Dean Ambrose reduced to blushing and fidgeting while asking his adopted mom to stop.

At the other end of the table, Bayley and Zack were in an animated discussion over Disney movies, as well as the theme parks. Zack's family went to Disney World at LEAST once a year, and Bayley listened in rapt attention as Zack regaled her with tales of what he'd seen the last time he was there. Seth just watched her and smiled. He was happy that Bayley was getting to know a good guy, but somewhere way deep down, in a place he didn't want to talk about, he felt a small twinge of jealousy that someone else was getting Bayley's undivided attention.

"This is what you wanted, moron," Seth admonished himself. "Bayley's a sweet kid and she deserves this." Seth tried his best to shove down the conflicting emotions, and it helped when their server told him it was his turn to order.

Having placed their orders, Dean and Alexa were now facing a line of questions from Dean's family. He'd told them he'd met her at a fraternity party, leaving out the detail about him stealing beer from her and then kissing her as he was running away from a half dozen upperclassmen. Roman told the part about Dean getting Seth and Bayley out of there, but was tactful in what he included and didn't. Alexa was masterful in her interactions with Sika and Patricia, talking about her family's church background in Ohio and how she'd come to SU to major in education. There was one serious moment of embarrassment for Dean. When Patricia again admonished Dean about the lack of color in his wardrobe, Roman pulled out his phone and showed his mom an instagrammed picture of Dean in the pink golf shirt from thursday. Dean turned a much brighter shade of pink than the shirt had been, then discretely gave Roman the finger while pretending to wipe his eye.


Things settled down once everyone's food came. Dean's eyes grew wide when a massive steaming plate of chicken parmesan was plopped right in front of him, and Alexa squealed in delight when she got her giant slice of pizza. Roman rubbed his hands together when he was given his entree of lasagna, and Charlotte smiled when the server delivered her giant salad with breaded chicken. Sika blessed the food, which everyone bowed their head for, and the family dug in. Seth, an atheist, rolled his eyes to himself when Sika asked everyone to bow, but being more afraid of Roman's dad than he was strong in his convictions, he'd willingly participated. Dean couldn't resist poking fun at his adopted brother.

"Hey Matt, I think the table's gonna collapse under that plate, bro." Matt had ordered one of those "tours of Italy" specials where you got slightly smaller portion of 4 different entrees, rather than one entree. Matt glared down at him.

"No, this table's gonna collapse when I put you through it."

Dean clammed up and focused on his food as though it was suddenly the most interesting that had ever happened to him. Roman chuckled. Dean would have no idea, because Matt had never told him, but Matt had been as vocal a supporter of Sika bringing Dean into their house as anyone, and Matt had been one of the ones to go "visit" Dean's mom's boyfriend that fateful day. But Matt felt it was his job to keep Dean in line, as both Sika and Patricia were softies when it came to dealing with their adopted son, and so he maintained a hardline persona when Dean was around.

The table was remarkably quiet for the first few minutes after the food came. Alexa quickly finished her first slice of pizza and ordered a second. Patricia approved, saying she was "too thin" and needed to get "some meat on her bones." At this, both Dean and Roman groaned, telling their mom that she was out of line and that Alexa's weight was her own business. Inwardly, Alexa tensed, being the only one at the table that knew of her struggles with eating disorders throughout high school. The inner freedom to eat when she was hungry was something she'd worked very hard for, and while she knew Patricia meant well, she didn't like when anyone commented on her appetite, one way or the other.

Roman had his own issues. Primarily, that Ric Flair loved the sound of his own voice. He loved to tell stories of his days at SU, his brief NFL career, and his business ventures. Charlotte would've slit her father's throat for 5 minutes of silence to talk to Roman, but it wasn't to be. Instead, whenever her dad started in on another story, she just gave Roman a look that said "thank you for being cool. I'll make it up to you later." Roman didn't know it then, but his mother was picking up on the almost imperceptibly slight signals Charlotte was sending Roman. At one point, Roman called Bayley down to meet his parents, calling her "his new best friend" and "the finest skee ball player i've ever been around." Bayley earned points with his mom by giving her a huge hug, and points with his dad by knowing how many tackles Roman and Dean had that day. She got the "family seal of approval," then went back to resume her conversations with her new possible romantic interest.

The most entertaining part of the meal was the end. When Sika told the server it'd be all on one check, Ric Flair threw a giant protest, saying he couldn't let anyone pay his way when he'd been as lucky as he'd been. Finally, the two men agreed to split the massive bill, on the condition that next time they were in town that Ric be allowed to foot the bill. Charlotte simply hid her face in her hands as her dad made a grand gesture out of paying for half the table.

Zack leaned over to Bayley and expressed his excitement at the prospect of free food; "This is awesome. Here I was gonna pay for your pizza and mine, and now I get two free dinners." He winked at her, letting her know he was kidding, at least about being excited at not having to pay, but it still caught Bayley off guard. Her inner monologue quickly reached overdrive.

"Wait, if he wants to pay for me, that means it's a date, right? If it's a date, that means he likes me at least a little. But what about Seth? Does he like me? Do I like him? Do I like me? Shit, I'm doing it again. Breathe, Bayley. Relax. Don't overthink. Just be nice."

Bayley gave a small smile and finally answered Zack. "If I'd known you were gonna pay, I'd have ordered a lot more." She winked in return at him, letting him know she was kidding, but Zack laughed and high fived her.

Sika and Patricia were in no hurry to leave their children, both biological and adopted. Alexa listened with rapt attention as Sika told story after story about what an adjustment it had been for them to have a white child in a part of florida where most people hadn't seen one samoan, much less dozens. He joked about how a grocery teller had once told Dean that if he were being held captive, she would help him. She smiled when she heard Patricia talk about how proud she was of how much better Dean's grades had gotten once he moved in with them. But mostly, she enjoyed being in the company of people who thought of Dean as highly as she did. At one point, she discretely slid a hand onto Dean's thigh, patting him. He slid his arm around the back of her chair, without really thinking about it, in that reflexive way some people do with people they care about, and listened as Roman talked about Dean's first birthday party with Sika and Patricia. They'd given him a traditional Samoan party, complete with roast pig and huge family gathering. After several hours of partying, someone noticed that Dean and Roman had disappeared. They eventually found the two boys playing playstation video football in Roman's room. Dean chuckled at that one.


Finally, it was time for the Reigns family, all however many of them, to go home. They had a flight to catch the next morning. Patricia reached for another hug from both Roman and Dean, and Sika again told each young man how proud he was of them. Patricia hugged Alexa and told her again how beautiful she thought Alexa was and how amazing her hair was. She even told Bayley how much she'd enjoyed talking to her. Seth got his handshake from Sika and his hug from Patricia, and promised them he'd visit his own family soon. They all spilled out into the sidewalk together, Dean saying one final goodbye to his Samoan family, even getting a reluctant fist bump from brother Matt, and Dean and Alexa took a leisurely walk back to her truck.

She took his hand, first in her own, then she pulled his arm over her shoulders and leaned in close to him. "Come back to my room with me. Nia's gone for the weekend. I want to spend some time with you. Just you."

Dean grinned. "Absolutely." Not remembering the first time they were intimate, Dean was seriously hoping for a repeat opportunity, wanting to cherish every moment this time around with his pint-size companion.

As Roman was bidding Ric and Charlotte Flair goodbye, he secretly hoped for a chance to slip Charlotte a word or his number or something. After receiving another brisk handshake from her dad, Charlotte reached out her arms for a hug. As he hugged her, he felt one of her arms slide quickly down to his hip, and noticed something thin go into his left pocket. She broke the hug, then pulled her dad away from the crowd. As soon as they were out of eyeshot, he pulled the object from his pocket. It was a folded napkin, with writing on it.

Roman, now you have my name. Here's my number. What you do with either is up to you.

Waiting for your call, Charlotte.

Roman smiled and nodded softly, then folded the napkin back up and stuck it in his pocket, hoping against hope that no one from his family saw either her action or his response.


The ride back to Alexa's dorm was less than 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to both participants. Finally, Dean parallel parked his date's truck into a spot in front of Poffo Hall, then walked her back to her dorm, as he'd done before. This time, however, she pulled him through the doorway by his lapels, kissing him as she closed the door behind him. The two managed to find their way to the sofa without losing eye contact with one another, and Alexa pushed him lightly into a seated position on the sofa. She then stood in front of him, biting her lip and thinking about all the things she wanted to do with and to her scruffy new love interest. She swung one leg over his lap, straddling him. The two locked lips again, this time more passionately and intensely. Dean felt her hands run up and down his chest, his heart skipping a beat when her hands moved towards his belt. After several minutes, he moved his hands along her tiny waistline, then grabbed cloth and pulled her t-shirt over her head. He stopped kissing her momentarily, taking a beat to take in visually the image of perfection sitting in his lap. She kissed him again, her tongue probing his. As he went to unstrap her white lace bra, she grabbed his hand and slid it back to her waist.

"Dean," she began, breathlessly, "not tonight."

Dean grunted in frustration. "Why not?"

She swallowed hard, knowing the hardest part of her evening was yet to come. "Monday night, when I came to your room, you were just a means to an end. You kissed me, and it was electric, but I really just wanted to get my rocks off. You're handsome and rugged and I knew I would enjoy it. But then when you tracked me down at practice and agreed to take me out to try to impress me, and then when you took me out and actually DID impress me...it's just...I really like you. Like a lot. A lot a lot. And I want our next time to be really special. Because the longer this goes, the more I think you might be really special. And I don't want to look back at the beginning of this and think you were just a one night stand that turned into a weeklong fling. I'm so, so sorry."

With that, she began to swing off him. Dean stopped her before she moved away completely, pulling her back onto his lap, but this time with both of her legs on the same side of his waist. She slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Alexa," he began, thoughtfully, "I really want to have sex with you again. I do." She smirked at his earnest bluntness. "But at this point, I'm willing to do this at your pace. I've never met anyone like you. Want to know how I know?" He raised his eyebrows as she nodded shyly, being almost afraid to receive more words of affirmation from him. "I'm not sick of you yet. We spent the whole afternoon together, and all I want to do is ask you what you're doing tomorrow so we can make plans. This shit has never happened to me before. I have no idea where this goes, but I know I've never liked a girl enough to NOT try to talk her into having sex with me, so if that's what you need, I'm ok with it."

Alexa sighed in relief, then pulled Dean's head close to her.

"Uh, Alexa?"

Alexa's eyes opened. "Yes?"

"It's REALLY not fair to rub my face in your tits after you told me what you just did."

Alexa laughed, loud and long, then dismounted Dean and threw on an SU hoodie. She grabbed the remote and scooted close to the object of her affections. "Now, just because I can't have sex with you again yet, doesn't mean I want you to leave. Please stay with me."

Dean nodded. At that moment, he would have done absolutely anything for the tiny girl sitting next to him that he was rapidly falling for. Dean knew he was completely, irrevocably, completely screwed. And in that moment, he was ok with that...