The Lunatic and The Wolf
A/N: I'm trying to keep to two chapters a week, like the show lol, but right now is a bit hectic due to just having moved into a new house. I'm living out of boxes atm b/c my ankles hurt too badly to unpack anymore of my shit lol. I do have Dean's symbol on the wall next to my desk though so it's not all bad lol. Hopefully ya'll like this chapter.
Rossi's Lil Devil: Thanks…there's plenty more.
Emilee (Guest): Thanks. I've always thought Wolf Pack fit better than Shield. Of course she's the alpha lol, somebody has to keep these guys in line. I know, that kid had me in tears without saying a word. The words I had the kid were said to me by a kid I met last year who is a huge Cena fan for those reasons. There will be more Owens and Marissa interaction in this one, and more of why she hates him so much…aside from the obvious lol. I see J&J as the support team for the pack, making sure everyone is alright and nothing is out of place. Hope you like this chapter just as much.
flowersNfreaks: I imagine being landed on by a guy that much bigger than you would be very painful…and Roman is a Samoan God my friend. The man is just awesome…but Dean is still my favorite lol.
Sitalia: Thank you. I'm glad you like it so much.
Chapter 11
The next morning when Marissa woke up she was greeted with the sight of Dean holding a steaming cup of mint tea for her. She smiled softly at him as he set it on the nightstand and helped her sit up so she could drink it.
"Thank you Dean. How did you know mint is my favorite?"
"I may have made a phone call to your brother and convinced him to bring some over here…"
"Dean…it's like…5 in the morning…what time did you call him?"
"…umm…it may have been around 3…ish…maybe…"
"Oh good Lord…I'm surprised he didn't kill you. I'm usually the only one that can get away with waking him up that early."
"It probably helped that it was something for you."
Probably. Thank you Dean. This was very sweet of you."
Dean just waved her off as they left her room and headed into the small kitchen where J&J were working in perfect harmony to make eggs and pancakes with bacon. The smell soon dragged Roman and Seth out of Roman's room, Seth cracking a yawn so wide that Marissa was surprised it didn't break his jaw. Roman snorted softly and ruffled the younger male's hair before gently pushing him into a chair and putting a cup of coffee in front of him. The group quickly fell into a harmonious routine and just flowed around each other as they did what needed to be done.
"Hey guys…what do ya'll think about adding another female?"
"To what?"
"To our pack Seth…good Lord, man wake up."
"I'm trying to Sweetheart…that's what the coffee is for."
Marissa rolled her eyes and looked at Dean and Roman, and then at J&J.
"What do ya'll think?"
"Depends on who she is Darlin'. I'm not gonna let any weak little skanks into this pack…no matter how much I love you."
"I might have worded it a bit better but Dean got the gist of it Baby Girl."
J&J just shrugged at her and said they'd go along with whatever the rest of the group wanted to do. They ended up having an hour long discussion about it until finally making a decicion.
Later on…
Smackdown kicked off with Seth heading to the ring on his own, sans the Authority. He picked up a metal chair and went into the ring before speaking to the crowd who had mixed reactions to his appearance.
"A year ago to the day…I took a steel chair…not unlike this one…and I single-handedly dismantled the Shield. The one question I get asked more than any other is 'Why?', 'Why did you do it Seth?' I'll tell you why…and I'll tell you the real reason…not the crap the Authority has made me say all this time. I did it to protect my brothers from the Authority. Hunter and Stephanie threatened to fire Dean and Roman if I didn't turn on them and join the Authority. I admit I should have told them what was happening but I panicked…and I will freely admit that. I thought it would be better to have them still be here and hate me, than be gone for good. Maybe that was the wrong way to do it but I felt I had no other option. However…I still believe that I am the best Champion…but something is missing here. I am a Champion…with no Championship around my waist. I don't need J&J Security, I don't need Kane, I don't need The Big Show, I don't need Stephanie McMahon, and I do Not need Triple H. I can beat Dean Ambrose all by myself just like I did before. At Money in the Bank my Championship will be hanging above this ring and I will destroy Dean Ambrose to get it if I have to…"
The sound of snapping fingers filled the arena and a rich gravelly voice started calling out to Seth, taunting him from the Titantron as the face of Dean Ambrose filled the screen with a lazy smirk on his lips. He goaded Seth, taunted him, but his eyes held a hint of affection that made Seth have to fight back the urge to smile at his brother.
"Seth…up here. I'm happy to have you back…little brother…but make no mistake…I am still very angry about what happened at Elimination Chamber. You stand out there and call yourself the World Heavyweight Champion when I beat you in the center of that ring and the whole world saw it. You talk about doing things all by yourself, Seth? You've never done anything all by yourself. Even before going through the airport you'd ask one of us to help you carry your damn bags. Christ you carry more luggage than Marissa man…and she's a woman. She's the only woman I know that can cram her entire life into two carry-on bags. Now, we all know that the Authority will do everything in their power to make sure that this title never ends up being mine. You know that, and that's helped you sleep at night…and that's made you soft…and that's made you weak. You know what I've been doing for the last year, little brother? Surviving. I've had to grow eyes in the back of my head living in this world the Authority has created. Every time I step in the ring I'm on the Endangered Species list…and that's made ME stronger…stronger every day that I scrape and I claw…every day for a year I got stronger…and finally I reached the top of the mountain at Elimination Chamber. You know how high the top of the mountain is, and you know that to reach it you can't be afraid to fall off…and I ain't never been afraid. So that's why we're gonna do this one more time. This time…in a ladder match. No excuses…win, lose, or draw. You wanna get it? You gotta climb the ladder and take it. I am the real rightful WWE World Heavyweight Champion. At Money in the Bank I'm walking in with this…and I'm walking out with this…or I'm gonna die trying."
When Dean talked about growing stronger he held out a hand to the side of the screen and Marissa placed her hand in his to join him on screen. She remained silent until he finished speaking, a soft smile on her face even though her free arm held her ribs gently.
"Seth…sweetheart…you know the title should be Dean's right now. You pushed the referee into Dean's path, knowing what would happen when the referee regained consciousness. That was low Seth...you're better than that…at least you used to be. I know you want to keep the title, but Seth, cheating to keep it is no way to be a worthy Champion. A worthy Champion fights an honest fight Seth. No help, no cheating, no tricks. When you told me what the Authority had done to make you turn…I felt sorry for you for the first time. If you can win at Money in the Bank…all on your own with no help or cheating…then you will earn my respect…and that of the WWE Universe."
When the Titantron went dark again Seth was left standing in the ring looking torn and confused. He knew Marissa was right but he hated the thought of not being the Champion anymore. He left the ring and headed backstage as the next match was set to start. Marissa and Dean had already left the backroom they'd filmed in and ran into Paige in the hallway.
"Hey Luvie…how are you feeling? Still hurts a lot?"
"A bit. I'm supposed to stay out of the ring for the rest of this week at least…maybe next week too. It really sucks."
"I'm headed out to talk to Renee about the Bellas. You want to join me Luvie?"
"Is the sky blue? What the hell kind of question is that?"
Dean chuckled at his girl's excitement and headed off to find Roman and Seth to watch. He had a feeling this would be good. When Renee announced Paige she was surprised to see Marissa walk out with her, but she decided to just roll with it and continued on to announce Marissa as well.
"Before we start I just wanted to ask you Marissa…How are you feeling after Monday night?"
"I'm sore Renee, I won't sugar coat it. Having Mark Henry land on your ribs is extremely painful even for the men. I'm lucky I only have bruised ribs so it'll only take another week or so to heal up fully."
"Has the newly formed Wolf Pack been helping you out?"
"Of course Renee. The guys have been very helpful. In fact, this morning Dean woke my brother up at 3AM to find out what my favorite kind of tea is. I was honestly surprised Randy didn't kill him."
"That is so sweet…dangerous…but sweet. Paige? How are you feeling after Monday Night's match?"
"How am I feeling?"
Paige let loose for a bit on the Bella twins but it was one thing in particular that set Marissa off with her.
"Their whole life is consumed with being on magazine covers, walking the red carpets, living that celebrity lifestyle. My whole life, and Marissa's whole life, is consumed with what happens in that ring. I pride myself on always remaining different and myself. I've never given in to the notion, 'if you can't beat em join em'. I lean towards, 'if you don't like the world that you live in…you have the power to change it'. So, I guess I'm gonna have to change it."
"But she won't be doing it alone…not anymore. If Nikki can have her little sidekick to help her cheat in order to remain champion…then Paige will have me in her corner. I am the daughter of Cowboy Bob Orton, and the sister of The Viper Randy Orton. I am the leader of the Wolf Pack, and the girlfriend of The Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose. There are only three women in the entire Diva's division worth fighting right now…Paige, Natalya, and Naomi. I may not like Naomi but she is good at what she does."
"Don't forget to include yourself on that list Luvie…which means there are four worthy Divas. Marissa and I are friends, and we have been for years now. We met when I was down in developmental and she came down to help train some of us. We hit it off almost immediately and bonded over good tea and even better books. We're like sisters in my eyes."
"I couldn't agree more Paige…in fact, I have an offer for you. I already talked it over with my guys and they agree with me. We'd like you to join the Wolf Pack."
"Absolutely Luvie. I'd love to join you guys."
The crowd roared with approval as both women waved to them and then went backstage. They immediately joined the guys in the Wolf Pack's extra-large locker room where the 5 male members were waiting for them. Dean lifted Marissa up into a massive hug while Seth went over to Paige, stammering out a welcome while blushing bright red. Marissa slapped a hand over Dean's mouth before he could tease his poor little brother.
"Not one word Dean…you tease him about it and you will not be sleeping in my bed for the next week…got it?"
Dean's teeth snapped shut and he pouted at her. She in turn ignored his pout and flipped the TV on in time to watch Luke Harper and Eric Rowan start talking. Marissa still found those two to be highly creepy on their own, let alone together.
"Dean? Is it just me or does it sound like they're calling out Bray Wyatt?"
"It's not just you Darlin'…they are definitely calling him out. Not their brightest idea ever."
Dean, Roman, and Seth started talking about Wyatt and his former family members but Dean whipped back around when Marissa growled at the screen. Seeing Owens entering the ring Dean shook his head, but it was Seth who spoke up.
"Marissa...why do you hate that guy so much?"
"For the same reason most of the WWE Universe has hated you for the last year Seth. Owens and Sami Zayn were best friends, they were like brothers…and Owens betrayed Sami. He stabbed him in the back when Sami finally achieved his dream. After he almost destroyed Sami in the ring it was ME that Sami ran to. It was ME he turned to when his best friend tried to end his career. I had to nurse one of my closest friends back to health while the other gloated about what he'd done to him. I hope Zack kicks his arrogant ass all the way back to NXT."
Seth just blinked at her a few times and shared a glance with a concerned Dean. Dean wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side.
"I didn't know it was quite that bad Darlin'."
Seth was almost sorry he'd asked. He thought back to what he'd been forced to do to his brothers and cringed. That was probably how Roman had felt when he'd gone after Dean and injured him.
"DAMN!"
All 5 men plus Paige jumped when Marissa cursed loudly and then tore out of the room. Dean cursed next and followed her as she raced down the hallway. He caught up to her as she walked past Owens, glaring angrily at him as Zack Ryder limped his way back stage. She went to his side and helped support him, still glaring at Owens who had backed away from her slightly which Dean thought was a smart move knowing her temper.
"Darlin'? Need some help?"
"If you don't mind…"
"Not at all darlin'."
Dean took over helping Zack get to the Trainer's room. Marissa went to follow but Owens blocked her path, earning himself a harsh glare from her. She didn't realize a camera had moved in to show their interaction, but Owens did and he wasn't happy about it.
"What the hell do you want Owens?"
"I just want to talk…without violence."
"Make it quick. I have to accompany a member of my pack to the ring soon."
"Look…I know you hate me for what I did to Sami, but it had to be done."
"Oh really? Why? What reason could you possibly have for betraying your best friend? He stood by you no matter what happened…and you repaid him by turning on him and trying to end his career?"
"He was always the one shining in the light. He was in the spotlight and I was in his shadow. Well…not anymore. I took the spotlight from him and now I'm at the top of the food chain."
"No…you're at the top of the NXT food chain…but not the WWE Food Chain. You have a long way to go before you get there. Personally…I hope it never happens because with your attitude…you'd make a horrible Champion."
Marissa pushed past him and started walking down the hallway only to have him grab her by the wrist and yank her back into his chest. She hissed at him and kicked his leg but he refused to let go of her.
"The other thing Sami had that I didn't was you. He had your loyal friendship and you were always tending to him and babying him, but me? I was left on the sidelines to fend for myself. You never noticed me before…now you see me."
Owens grabbed her jaw and tried to pull her in for a kiss but a hard blow to the back of his head sent him to the floor. A strong pair of muscular arms wrapped around Marissa and pulled her close. Dean had come back around the corner and heard Owens' words before he tried to kiss Marissa, and Dean saw red immediately. He glared down at Owens as the man rolled over, holding the back of his head.
"You ever try anything like that again Owens...and I will destroy you. The rest of our Wolf Pack will be right behind me to tear you apart when I get done with you. Marissa…go with Roman to lead him out to the ring, I'll handle this guy."
"Try not to commit homicide love. I'll see you after Roman's match."
Marissa gave Dean a sweet kiss before heading up to their entrance spot to meet up with Roman. Dean watched her leave and then rounded on Owens again, Seth moving in to help Dean pin the guy to the wall. Both men were growling in his face and threatening him with bodily harm. Ziggler walked past them, heading for the ring and giving them an odd look. Marissa met up with Roman who immediately wrapped her in a hug upon seeing the look on her face.
"What happened Baby Girl? Whose ass do I have to kick?"
"Owens tried to kiss me. Dean stopped him and is probably kicking his ass right now."
Roman's deep growl made Marissa pull back a bit to look up at him and smile. The large male hugged her tight again as the start of their music hit. He took her hand in his gently and lead her through the door and out into the crowd. She pasted on a bright smile for the fans as they walked down the steps, flipping over the barricade and continuing into the ring. When the spotlight hit Sheamus it made the pale man practically glow and Marissa shielded her eyes for a moment. Sheamus gave her a long look as he stepped into the ring, Roman stepping between them as Marissa rolled out of the ring and sat down by the commentators. She'd promised Roman that she wouldn't interfere in this match and, despite how hard it would be, she planned to hold to that promise. She stayed out of it until Kane came out and kicked Roman, earning Sheamus a win by DQ. Sheamus laid Roman out and then Kane Chokeslammed Sheamus.
"The final participant in the Money in the Bank ladder match…is me."
Kane's announcement stunned Marissa enough that she didn't immediately react to Kane's Chokeslam on Roman. When she saw the smug smirk on the man's face she slid into the ring, ignoring J&J who tried to pull her back out and missed. She stood toe-to-toe with the 7 foot monster, her small 5 foot height not being remotely intimidating to him.
"Back off Kane. You've done enough damage for one week. Leave him the hell alone…all of you."
"Or what Marissa? Hmm? What exactly can you do right now? Oh that's right…nothing. You're not allowed to do anything while your ribs heal."
Marissa gave him a sickeningly sweet smile before nailing him right between the legs with a hard kick that dropped him to the mat. She grabbed his microphone and spoke first to the audience and then to Kane himself.
"I'd like to apologize to the men in the audience for having to watch that, but I'm not sorry I did it. Kane? You're going to learn one of these days that just because I'm smaller than guys like you…doesn't mean that I can't take ya'll down in my own way. Leave my pack alone or I'll do a lot worse than that."
She dropped the microphone and helped Roman stand up, J&J coming over, one in front and one behind, to guard them as they made their way backstage. Dean and Seth met them at the curtain and each took one side of Roman to support his weight as they made their way down the hallway and into the Trainer's room to get his ribs re-checked. Once he was given an X-ray and some pain medication he was released to the pack. They all piled into the SUV and went back to their hotel, getting Roman into bed first so he could let his ribs rest. It didn't take long before everyone was in bed and off to Dreamland. Once again J&J were the last to sleep after checking on the rest of the pack first. Dean had curled himself around Marissa, guarding her from any perceived threat…and Seth had once again fallen asleep on Roman's arm after tending to the larger male's injuries. J&J were both just happy to have been allowed to be a part of a group that has such obvious love for each other.