Thanks guys for your continued reviews, still plenty more to come on this little ride.

Moxley Gal1, Haha! Oh, I never thought of that! Still, the notebook hasn't been forgotten!

Psion53, Protective Dean gets to make another outing in this one (yay!)

Missabbylynn, Obsession is good (at least in this case!) I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

Labinnacslove, I really enjoyed writing that last chapter. Sweet Dean is so much fun to pen!

MizHyde, The secret was too good to last - they had to be found out!

Skovko, Yes, yes she is!

ThatGirl54, Aww, hopefully they won't be the only fuzzy feelings you get from the two of them before we're done!

Onwards we go!

Welcome To The Jungle

"I can't believe you're dating a wrestler," Kelly gasped across the line for the fourth time in a row, "An actual, genuine, oiled-up sex god. Is it okay if I kind of hate you for a while?"

"Totally fine," I responded smugly, turning a corridor in the back of the arena and stopping to lean up against a stack of crates, "In fact I'd actually be hurt if you didn't. You know, what with him being a sex god and all. Should I be weirded out by your obsession with my boyfriend? It really feels like on some level I should."

Mostly however my brain was preoccupied with screaming at calling him my boyfriend at all.

It wasn't a term we'd talked about exactly but since we'd been inseparable for the last couple of days it had kind of become obvious to us both that we were dating and already the relationship had moved pretty fast. Almost from the moment Seth and Roman had discovered us, Dean and I had started sharing a room. Except for at work we were together the whole day and when we weren't dining out, with the guys or sight-seeing we were pretty busy with good old sexy time.

Sexy Time by the way was definitely my term – Dean said it was worse than doing the deed.

"So Seth and Roman were really okay with it?"

I nodded,

"Uh huh, they were totally fine. I mean, how could they not be? It's Seth and Roman. They're just freakin' awesome all around. But yeah, there's not been any weirdness whatsoever. Actually they told us they already knew."

Kelly heaved a sigh,

"That doesn't surprise me. Even I could tell you two were mad about each other and I haven't been there. They would've had to be blind."

"It wasn't that obvious."

"Excuse me? It so was."

"Well it can't be because no one else here suspects it."

That was true. If they had I'd have known. If only because Stephanie and Hunter would have known too and probably been on the warpath as a result. It was kind of a balancing act being at work together – trying to steal moments, or a glance or a touch – while at the same time trying to act cold and unemotional. Actually, it was also kind of hot come to think of it, as our last few hotel rooms could easily attest.

"So how has it been after the big revelation?" Kelly continued, blissfully unaware, "Are people treating you differently now they know you're the big bad boss' precious kid?"

"You know what? Not really – I mean – maybe at first, but they seem to be over that and having Matty helped. The last two nights he's been on permanent stink eye patrol and if anyone so much as looks at me sideways then he's right there bitching and wow is he loud."

I wasn't kidding about that either – the loud part or the fact that he'd helped. When I had followed The Shield into the House Show on the Friday, I had received more than my fair share of uncertain looks. The last time the backstage crew had seen me, I'd just been a runner. Now Hunter was my dad. Honestly, I probably would have turned and walked straight out again but then Matty had strutted over and given me a hug.

"Honey," he had whispered into my ear sweetly, "As far as I'm concerned, you're still just Lauren and I still love you. I've got your back."

After that all of the tension had ebbed away again and I had happily gotten back to the job I'd grown to love. Kelly however wasn't quite so enthused by it and especially not with Matt's part in my cute redemption tale,

"Well don't go forgetting who your life-long best friend is,"

"Aww, are you jealous?"

"Of course I am," she moaned, "There you are off living the high life, making new friends and having sex with Mr Arm Porn and here I am with swollen ankles and a husband who won't so much as touch me. Ugh. I swear I can't wait for this pregnancy to end. I want this thing out of me. I'm considering a C-section, no, I'm deadly serious. I'm dying of lack of sex."

I rolled my eyes – she always had been dramatic – but luckily I knew how to handle her decline,

"Yeah, but think about what you'll have when it's over. A tiny little bundle of joy. Not to mention a proud Auntie Lauren to see to her godchild's every last whim."

"You really want to be the godmother don't you?"

"Absolutely. I think I've made that clear."

"I'll swap you the role for a night with your boyfriend."

I wrinkled my nose,

"Okay, that's weird."

The sound of someone coughing semi-awkwardly made me turn round into the corridor with a frown. One of the guys from the production crew was in front of me, with a headset, a clipboard and an apologetic look. Always a totally winning combination and I gazed back uncertainly,

"Uh, excuse me, Lauren Hope? Stephanie needs you right away in gorilla."

I blinked at him in bafflement,

"I – she does?"

"Does what?" Kelly barked, sensing something was happening, "Do I need to turn the TV on? Brent. Come here quickly – get me the remote. No I don't know where it is. You had it last."

Clapping a hand across the speaker of my cell phone, I smiled at the headset guy – I didn't know his name – and tried my best notto look completely flustered.

"Yep, okay, be there in a sec."

In the background Kelly was still barking at Brent and holy cow had her hormones gone wild.

"For god sakes I don't know where you put it – can't you do anything? No remote, no oral – ,"

"Kelly," I offered, breaking through her ranting, "I'll call you back later. I've got to go, alright? Don't kill Brent and stop your stressing. Think about the baby."

"Fine."

"Love you, bye."

I was gabbling the farewell even as I was walking and ended it as gorilla loomed up into sight. Stephanie was sitting in a chair behind the curtain and on seeing me she instantly sat up and smiled. For that night's tapings Hunter was absent – with Stephanie's father handling business in New York – and although I was a little bit bummed about not seeing him, my relationship with my stepmother had definitely grown.

"Lauren," she beamed, holding her hand out and giving me a squeeze as I came alongside, "Thank god. We've got ourselves a real problem."

"A problem?" I blinked, "Uh, what kind?"

"Ziggler was supposed to go out and do a promo, but he's twisted his ankle and apparently can't walk. There's a segment coming up with nothing to fill it and I'm kind of running out of ideas."

"Oh – wow – okay, how can I help?"

She squeezed my hand again and smiled at me winningly,

"See, I knew you would go for this Lauren. You're totally amazing."

"Um, right, go for what?"

The moment she chose not to answer me directly was the point I realized I was in seriously deep shit and that was a feeling that subsequently trebled when she pushed a microphone into my hand.

"Michael is going to take the interview – Michael Cole, the announcer, you know him, right? We'll set up two chairs in the middle of the ring and then just go through some questions. They'll be easy, it's fine. Where you're from and how you're finding it, what your impressions are, that sort of thing."

I shook my head, still struggling with the first bit,

"I – I'm sorry, interview? Out there?"

"Lauren," Stephanie answered, putting hands on my elbows. I blinked at her dazedly, feeling shell-shocked and she shook me a little until I focused back on her, "You're going to be absolutely fine, alright? You're Hunter's daughter – you've got this in you. Now obviously I can't exactly force you to go out there but if you can then this company will owe you a lot. So will I. Can you do this for me?"

I wasn't entirely sure why I nodded – or even if I actually did – but the next thing I knew Steph was back to beaming broadly and hustling me towards the curtain.

Oh god.

"No, I can't – ,"

"Now Michael is under strict instructions not to ask anything you wouldn't want to say, so that means nothing personal or political. Like I said, it's just going to be simple and sweet. Do you need hair and make-up? Oh no, I mean, look at you – you're already practically perfect as it is. Now obviously we don't have any music set up for you, so we're just going to send you out with mine. When it starts, head down the ramp and Michael will be waiting. Don't panic, take a deep breath and most importantly be yourself."

The whole time she'd been talking she'd been shuffling me forwards as headset guy checked his watch and counted us down.

"Five, four, three, two, one – ,"

Honestly I mostly still thought I was dreaming. It wasn't real. I mean, how could it be? I was only a runner. She wouldn't ask me to do this. No way would I have to go out there and speak. It was crazy – crazy – and I simply couldn't do it. Was this all some really late April's Fool thing?

"Steph – ," I started, but then the music blasted and she shunted me forwards and yelled commandingly in my ear,

"Go."

As a result my first solo entry to the universe took the form of a haphazard lurch and as seven thousand fans reacted to my arrival I stood in the unforgiving lights and stared. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Around me the crowd who had started off booing – assuming from the music that I was going to be Steph – stuttered into uncertain silence and there was a strange sort of stand-off as I tried to catch my breath. No way could I turn and bolt back into gorilla, it would have been more than my paltry life was worth but I wasn't so sure I could move forwards either and so in the end I just sort of hovered for a bit.

As a voice hissed move at me from somewhere behind the curtains, down in the ring I saw Michael Cole stand up. That was my target – he could take the heat off me – and so shakily I half-wobbled, half-sprinted down the ramp. As in, really shakily, I almost crumbled and I doubted I could have looked more awkward if I'd tried. I didn't make eye contact, I didn't look around me and oddly my sheer terror seemed to make the crowd less harsh.

"Get 'em out gorgeous,"

Well, I mean, it could have been worse.

By the time I got to ringside, Michael had moved forward and was pushing down the ropes to let me swing inside. I mounted the steps with my knees badly knocking and clung to the corner post like I owed it my life. As I ducked down low and stepped onto the matting, Michael leant in and caught my hand, giving it a sweet little squeeze of reassurance as he lead me over and got me settled in a chair. My heart was pounded so close against my ribcage that I was worried about it fracturing bones. I could hear it in my ears and I could feel it in my fingertips and my every last sense was trying to work out why I was there. How did I get myself into these situations?

"Lauren," Michael started and I visibly startled but managed not to scream, so that was a plus, "It's good to have you out here this evening."

I nodded and brought my microphone up meekly,

"Uh, hi – I mean – thanks for having me."

I winced as my voice seemed to boom out around me and from across the ring Michael offered me a smile. It seemed to say you're doing fine kid and while we both knew it was a total shame-faced untruth, I appreciated the fact that he cared enough to try.

"Did you expect to be out here tonight?"

"Um, not really. I – I mean, five minutes ago I was talking with my friend and now suddenly I'm out here in front of all these people."

Around us the crowd had fallen desperately silent and I was filled with a sudden urge to get them on side. My father and stepmother might have been bad – and okay, apparently so was my boyfriend – but I was a born and raised genuine people pleaser and in the moment I needed them to like me so bad. Sadly, the only way I knew how to do that was to bring out the big guns.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet chitchat.

"My friend is called Kelly by the way," I waved awkwardly, hoping that I had chosen the relevant cameraman, "She's probably watching. She's – like – really pregnant so she's kind of not moving far from her couch. Plus she's recently become a big fan of wrestling, not because of me, she just mostly likes the arm porn."

As Michael Cole blinked at me in startled bewilderment, I was rewarded with a ripple of amusement from the crowd and it made me settle – just a little – rather than want to break down and cry.

"So we know that you're the daughter of Hunter Hearst Helmsley," Michael ploughed on valiantly, "But other than that, we don't know much about you. What can you tell the WWE Universe about the sort of person Lauren Helmsley is?"

I blinked at him startled.

Lauren Helmsley?

Did I have a ring-name? Whose call was that?

"Uh, I – I don't know. I mean, I'm actually kind of boring – just a regular small town girl. I didn't leave the country until I was fifteen and that was only because we got lost this one time and accidentally drove across the border into Canada, so really I'm not sure – I mean – does that count?"

Again the crowd chuckled and Michael smiled warmly,

"I'm sure it does, but now back to this, how are you finding being involved in the business?"

"Well, it's still all kind of new to me and If I'm honest I don't think I'll ever get over seeing guys walking around in those teeny, tiny shorts – another reason my friend watches by the way – ,"

That brought not only a ripple but real laughter and Michael raised a brow,

"We're learning a lot about this friend."

I blushed and tried to get back to the question,

"I mean, but other than that's it's been – it's been interesting and although I didn't think I'd be doing this part – not that I don't love talking to you obviously – I think I'm kind of starting to get used to it. You know, aside from the whole men-in-tiny-trunks thing."

The more I spoke the more I relaxed into it and while I could never say I felt fully calm, the positive reaction of the crowd had lifted me and I actually started to enjoy my star turn.

"Now what about your relationship with your father Hunter? When it comes to the business we all know he can be ruthless but is that a side of him you ever see?"

I paused as the questions became a little more loaded and tried to imagine what the company line might be. Since I didn't know I just had to go for it and try to answer as tactfully as I could,

"Um, I mean that's also kind of new to me. I don't really know him all that well. But I do know he really cares about the business and I guess that's understandable since it's his life. He's never been hard on me though – the opposite – actually he's always been kind of sweet. Maybe I'm not supposed to say that. Should I change it and tell you he's really big and mean? I guess he will be when he hears that answer."

Again I could the hear the crowd start to snicker and I took a deep breath in. It was going okay. So maybe my answers weren't the most polished but at the same time I wasn't being booed out of the place. In fact I was ready for Michael's next question, only his follow-up query never quite came. As I looked up at him, his smile quickly faded and then suddenly the audience was riled again. Before I could even look over my shoulder, Michael bolted upright and away from his chair. With his free hand he beckoned me over towards him and I followed with a frown, my heart beating hard. The next thing I knew, the seats were flung past me and I gasped in surprise and spun on my heel.

Huh?

Two tall men were in the ring watching me and I didn't have a clue who either of them were. One of them – the younger of the two it looked like – was chiselled and glaring beneath short spiky hair. The other one however was wearing full lycra with a gaudily painted black and gold daubed face. The whites of his eyes stood out like beacons and I shivered instinctively at the coldness I could see.

Turning towards Michael for moral support – or answers, or protection or really anything at all – I was startled to find him scrambling ringside and I moved automatically to follow him out. The mat bounced beneath me heavily in response to it and then suddenly the younger man was stood in my way. He did not look friendly and I swallowed and backed up a step, colliding with the chest of his lycra-wearing friend. He leered down at me and his face made me whimper.

Who the hell were they? What did they want?

"We wish we didn't have to do this kid," lycra-guy murmured, half-drowned out by the crowd. As he stepped in closer I tried to back him up again, placing my palms against his broad chest. It was pretty much like trying to push through a wall though and I was helpless to do anything but retreat another a step, "You see, we've got a little message for your father – want to know what that message is?"

I shook my head at them helplessly,

"No, please – ,"

The younger man bumped into me hard from behind again, effectively trapping me directly in between and I hunched my posture and braced myself a little as I slowly started to fear the worst,

"Our message is if the boss wants to mess with our family, then we have no option but to mess with his. Sorry kid, this is how it has to be."

As the painted guy reached out and snatched up my wrist, my stomach flipped over and I yelped in pure fear. The noise was instantly drowned out by the crowd again who had been booing what was happening but were starting to cheer.

"Whoo," I heard a guy across the barricade bellow before starting to chant out, "Shield, shield,"

Other voices joined in around him, whooping and calling,

"Believe in The Shield,"

I heard the shouts in a muffled haze of noises and for a minute I couldn't work out if they were even real, but then the painted man moved aside in front of me and my heart exploded.

Dean was here.

He was stalking – well actually sprinting – to ringside and his face was dark with an intent that made me quake. Roman and Seth were only paces behind him and I could feel my assailants stiffen at the sight. It felt like there was going to be an unholy battle and I was caught in the middle.

Yeah, not great.

Taking my chances I suddenly bolted and the mat bounced as the painted man tried to haul me back. Luckily however, I moved a lot faster and managed to reach the ropes at the same time as Dean. He hopped up onto the apron and grabbed me two-handed, practically manhandling me out through the gap. I was shaking as my fingers curled in around his biceps but he jumped back down and beckoned me urgently,

"Come on,"

Reaching up he planted his hands on my hip bones and then lifted me down in a single swift turn. Once my feet were earthbound he pulled me quickly into him, making it look like I'd taken a fall. Instead it was simply an excuse to lean close to me and paw my hair worriedly,

"Lauren, you okay?"

I nodded and lifted my head from his shoulder just in time to see the young guy bounce chest first off the ropes. His face was furious and puce with pure emotion and yet I still didn't have the first idea who he was.

"You think you can mess with my family?" he bellowed, "Nobody messes with the Rhodes."

Seth stamped up to stand underneath him, pointing angrily up with his gloves,

"What the hell's wrong with you, huh? Picking on a woman? Why don't you try taking one of us on? What's wrong? Someone who fights back not your type man?"

Rolling his eyes a little, Roman pulled him back again, following as Dean led me backwards up the ramp. I was clinging to his vest like a desperate sucker fish and although for the cameras he glared at my assailants, he was also murmuring words that only I could hear,

"You alright Princess? Hey, I've got you – easy Lauren, it's okay, you're safe."

With the crowd still braying and hollering around us and security swarming the ring en masse, we edged through the curtain back into gorilla where Stephanie was waiting wide-eyed and open-armed.

"Oh my goodness, Lauren," she gasped, pulling me from Dean and into a hug, "How awful. I don't know how they got in here. Did they hurt you? That was close sweetie. You had me scared."

I extracted myself from her sweater with difficulty, bravely attempting to shake my head,

"N-no, it's okay, I'm not hurt,"

"Lauren, honey, you have to believe me, I had no idea that was going to happen – ,"

"Yeah right,"

We were interrupted by a wry snort from Dean and as the mood swiftly turned from worried to rigid I felt Stephanie tense up bodily,

"Excuse me?"

Technically it should have struck fear into his heart – it certainly struck fear into everyone else's – but Dean was working on fury as well and he was not about to be appeased.

"You might not have known that those two were gonna show up, but you must have known somethin' was gonna go down. Everyone here's got beef with your husband and you send his daughter into the ring? All on her own – without any backup. You realize what those bastards were goin' to do to her?"

Stephanie stayed quiet but an eyelid flickered and on seeing it Seth shot forward and grabbed Dean by the arm,

"Whoa, whoa, Ambrose, calm down, huh?"

Stephanie eyed him steady and unblinking. In a former life she had probably been a cobra or some sort of big cat or possibly a shark.

"That's right Dean, do what Rollins tell you because I warn you if you ever talk to me like that again then it won't just be The Rhodes out of this company, it will be you as well – all of you – that clear?"

Dean's tongue flashed out and skirted his lips in a sure fire sign that he was angry as hell. For a second I thought he was going to reply to her – or even worse, flip her the bird – but in the end he offered her a wry little smile and nodded slowly.

"Oh, it's clear."

I remained quiet, my head almost whirring as I repeated his accusation like I had it on a loop.

Had Stephanie known that something would go wrong tonight? It didn't seem likely but then what part of it did? Suddenly I realized why Dean had tried to ban me from joining the company back when we'd first met. It was nuts, it was crazy, at times it was psychotic.

I was ambling through a very dangerous world.

Okay, okay, I know, I know. The Rhodes are supposed to be the good guys. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I just always saw them as really intense and sinister during this period. So, in it went!

Until next time...