"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." -Helen Keller


Three Weeks Later…

Her knock was feather light but clear as day as Vince looked up from the papers he was going over to see Esmeralda walk in.

In the three weeks that Esmeralda had been working for him he noticed that her behavior around others clearly told him that she didn't trust in anyone, keeping her distance and never interacting unless she was spoke too. With the exception of him, Lisa, Shane, Stephanie, Paul, or the boys than she would relax, laugh, and joke around but anybody that wasn't part of the close-knit group she became a complete statue. He had spoken with Izabella's cousin Lisa who informed him that Esmeralda didn't have a pretty past and she bore the scars to show it causing his blood to turn cold at the thought of it. On her one arm which was covered in a Samoan tribal sleeve, hid some scars that she bore. From talking with Roman and Dwayne, they explained that her arm sleeve was a rare and unique design worn only by a long line of decedents from a royal Samoan tribe and the significance of her tattoo was that one of battle, loss, and victory. But they didn't question too much about it. But when they did ask about the tattoo and if anyone in her family was Samoan, she explained that it ran in her mother's family.

Esmeralda's soft voice pulled him out of his deep thoughts

"Vince?"

Vince shook his head and blinked, Esmeralda walked in and closed the door to stand in front of his desk

"Sorry sweetheart, have a seat" he said indicating to the leather chair. Esmeralda nodded and sat down.

"I need your help with something…I need you to oversee an interview, I'm having problems with one of my wrestlers not wanting to do any interviews…" he began, Esmeralda remained quiet as she listened to him intently. Esmeralda had blown him and the family out of the water with her amazing work. And even though his wife and daughter informed him how had of an idea it was. He was given no other choice.

"I need you to foresee Mark Calaway's interview…" he answered

Esmeralda's heart did a little flip, but it wasn't fear in her heart but joy and excitement which in all honesty confused her to no end. She hadn't seen him since the restaurant and to this point her mind kept wondering back to him and if she would ever see those bottled green eyes again.

Vince stared at her with worry as she stayed quietly contemplating.

There was no other wat to get Mark to go through an interview without scaring the crap out of the interviewer or screwing them if it were a woman. On one side Vince understood why Mark didn't want to do any interviews since he was out of a messy divorce with Michelle and he knew that the press would be on his ass about it. Like a group of Piranha on a big chunk of dangling meat. But it had already been a year and Vince needed him back on his feet, the fans missed him something terrible.
He knew that Esmeralda would be different, she wouldn't let Mark near her and Stephanie would be with her if Mark tried anything, she even threatened to cut his balls off if he so much as laid a hand on her. Vince held in a laugh at the memory of Stephanie making the threat.

"I see…it seems that he wants to avoid the press since his divorce is still quiet fresh…" Esmeralda said, Vince nodded

"I believe that you're the only one that can successfully get him through a good interview…Stephanie will be there with you" Vince said reassuring her

"Stephanie will be waiting for you at your office along with Ms. Kidd and her camera man shortly"

Esmeralda nodded

"Alright…I better make my way over" she said standing, Vince blinked as he stared at her for a moment looking worried

"I'm sorry for putting you in this position…" he began but Esmeralda shook and gave him a dimpled smile

"Don't worry Vince…I'll have the overview on your desk as soon as I am finished" she said heading for the door.

Stepping out of Vince's office Esmeralda slowly made her way toward hers, knowing that she would be seeing Mark again, in a way she was a nervous wreck and yet another she was excited to see him again.

Esmeralda got everything necessary; her heart beating painfully against her chest as she left her office.

"Hey beautiful"

Esmeralda turned to see Dean walking over and wrapping a powerful arm around her shoulders. Though she had her boys, Dean was her best friend.

It was when she first started that she had been a nervous wreck and being around others, especially such huge wrestlers didn't make it all that better, only worse but Dean caught her attention by introducing himself to her. She of course only gave a quiet hello and goodbye and didn't interact with him a lot and went on doing her job and yet he never once gave up; he always approached her and made conversation even though he did most of the talking, always managing to make her laugh and always coaxing her to watch his matches with his brothers. He would always ask her how he did, and she would always congratulate him. Most days he had her laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. They had become inseparable after that as if they were long lost siblings. Which brought an ache to her heart, Of course, in the short time Dean had known her, he had learned to see right through her somehow and he asked.

Three Earlier…

"Hey...I'm Dean Ambrose..."

Esmeralda turned to face a six-foot-tall giant, with short sandy brown hair and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen, he gave her a dashing smile. She remembered the name from when Lisa dropped off Mac and she immediately began gushing about The Authority. Esmeralda of coarse didn't have any idea what she was talking about till Mac began explaining to her that it was a wrestling team.

"Your new, here aren't you?" he continued, Esmeralda only nodded, turning away from him as she waited for Stephanie to take her to her new office at WWE headquarters where he had just entered

"New assistant...? Catering...?" he asked grabbing her attention again as she turned to him and shook her head, he paused for a second

"No... wait...new Diva?" he asked noticing that her physique was incredibly impressive. She looked like she worked seven days a week. Esmeralda shook her head and answered

"Editor Chief"

Dean looked at her surprised

"Wow...Editor Chief? you can't be no more than 19" he commented

"22" she answered somehow feeling comfortable around this man. He had a relaxed look to him, yet his handsome features held sarcasm and wit as if he could kill you with his amazing sarcastic comebacks or kill you laughing.

"Wow...that's the first...so are you into wrestling?" he continued the conversation, Esmeralda shook her head

"I've never seen wrestling much less know about the WWE...up until a few months ago...a friend of mine got my little sister into it and she's spoken non-stop about it" Esmeralda answered honestly

"You haven't seen a match? Not one?" Dean asked
Esmeralda shook her head

"I've...never really...had the time..." she answered, Dean could see that she was hiding something and that something was very unpleasant. So, he left it alone noticing how uncomfortable she was becoming.

"Well...allow me to be the first to introduce you to wrestling...come here" he said

Dean led her to where a huge poster of some of the wrestlers, a small black podium had a memoir of Andre the Giant and beside it a statue of him while to the far left had a portrait of him with different images of him and a marbled imprint of his hands.

Dean began explaining to her who Andre the Giant was and some of the wrestlers on the enormous banner. He had her laughing when he called some of them assholes, douches, or some other colorful name and then continued making fun of them.

" Esmeralda?"

Both turned to face Stephanie

"I see you've met one of our wrestlers...Dean"

"Stephy...how's it going?" Dean said sarcastically, Stephanie decided to ignore him

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting hon. Let me go ahead and take you to your office...Dean I'm sure you have your own business to attend too" Stephanie said turning to him as Esmeralda walked up to her

"Sure do...business in shoving my foot up someone's ass..." Dean said saluting them with two fingers, winking at Esmeralda who giggled

"See you later baby doll" he said as Esmeralda waved goodbye at him.

"Hey Dean"

"Want to watch us warm up?"

"Not now, I must oversee Mark's interview" she explained, Dean stopped in his tracks

"As in Mark Calaway...is he crazy!? I mean I know you've taken us out of hot water before...but...this is...well...baby doll we are talking about the Undertaker here...Deadman...Lord of Darkness" Dean said already objecting to it

"I'm Vince's last hope...I'll be fine Dean...Stephanie will be there...along with Ms. Kidd and her camera man" she explained

Dean clenched his jaw, nodding

"I got to head over and train with the guys…if you need anything you got me and the boys on speed diel and I'll be here in a heartbeat" he reassured giving her a kiss on her forehead before leaving her. Esmeralda smiled nodded