Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Thirty-Five

"You don't have a match tonight. The divas' match is the Funkadactyls against Aksana and Alicia," Dean Ambrose told Eve as she and Seth Rollins walked into the room. "However, it's already being advertised that you have a match on SmackDown. This time it's you and Roman teaming up against Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee," the man said, and Eve arched a brow.

"Did they challenge us again?" she wanted to know, and Ambrose shrugged.

"Best I can tell. I'm thinking they probably didn't want Roman to be the one you were teamed up with, though. Mixed tag again. Big E at ringside, so Seth and I will be there, too. Can't help but think they might have something up their sleeve."

"Probably figure that Big E can take us out at ringside... Cause a distraction so they can win this time around," Seth said. "I mean... So far they're oh-for-two against us. They'll probably try something new to mix things up this time."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Eve said, shaking her head as she dropped her title on top of her bags. She arched a brow as she looked at the men. "So what's on the agenda for you guys tonight?" she asked, though she figured she knew at least part of it... She'd heard nothing to indicate that Dean wasn't going to get the match he requested (or, more accurately, *demanded*) against Zack Ryder. That didn't necessarily mean that Seth and Roman didn't have something as well. Of course, before she'd been assigned to manage them, the only match the Shield had taken part in had been at the TLC pay-per-view, so maybe it was a little much to think that there would be more than one match involving them tonight.

"Dean's got his match. Other than that? Seth and I just have to find some trouble to get ourselves into," Roman stated, rising to his feet, and Eve arched a brow as she looked at him.

"Are you going to go and find that trouble now?" she wanted to know, and he grinned.

"Actually, I'm going for some water," he said, and Seth headed for the door as well, glancing back at her and Dean.

"We'll bring back enough for all four of us," the man said, opening the door and stepping out into the hallway, Roman heading out with him... Leaving Eve alone with Dean. For some reason, Eve got the feeling that this was somehow deliberate. That maybe Dean wanted to talk to just her, and Seth and Roman were giving him the chance to do so.

Or maybe she was just paranoid.

Ambrose cleared his throat then, the man resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward in his chair, his eyes on her. "Seems to me that you have a bit of a decision to make," the man told her, and Eve frowned as she looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... You need to decide whether you're walking out with me tonight or not. When I have my match against Ryder. I understand if you don't want to be out there," Dean said, his gaze flicking briefly to her arm. She still had her jacket on, so he couldn't see the bruise that she still had from Ryder's grip the other night, but they both knew it was still there, just hidden from view.

"I'm not afraid of Zack Ryder," Eve told him, meeting his eyes, and he nodded slightly.

"I never said you were. But you need to know something about tonight," Ambrose told her, shifting in his seat, the wrestler stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back in his chair, his gaze still focused on her. "When they gave me the match I wanted, Zack Ryder was understandably upset about it." Ambrose gave a wicked smile then, then shook his head. "When he realized that he couldn't weasel his way out of it, Ryder decided to ask for some... concessions."

"Like what?" Eve asked, not sure she wanted to hear this, but Ambrose shook his head.

"Probably not whatever you're thinking."

"I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm just guessing that, whatever he asked for, I'm not going to like it."

"You're probably not. He wanted Seth and Roman banned from ringside... Had some long spiel about how they'd interfere or whatever. Which isn't even true. They wouldn't interfere in the match because they know I can take care of things myself and they wouldn't want me to get disqualified. I mean... Please. Me losing to Zack Ryder, even by DQ? I wouldn't be able to show my face for weeks," the man said, and Eve had to fight a smile at his words. Clearly, he didn't think too highly of Zack's abilities. Of course, over the past year, Zack hadn't had very many matches, and Eve wasn't sure if he'd won any of them.

Ambrose shrugged, the man continuing to speak. "Of course, after I beat the hell out of him, there would have been a pretty good likelihood that Seth and Roman would have joined in a post-match beat-down and possibly powerbombed him through something... like maybe a table... So he's not altogether wrong for his fear. Of course, they're only banned for the match, so once it's over, all bets are off anyway. But only Seth and Roman are banned for the match. You're not. Which means that you have a decision to make. You need to decide whether you're going to be at ringside for my match, or whether you're going to stay in the back with Seth and Roman," he told her, and Eve had the distinct feeling that he thought she was going to choose to stay in the back.

The diva pressed her lips together, not sure what to say, though the only thing that was really giving her pause was the entrance to the ring area. The Shield made their way to the ring by going through the crowd, which wasn't a big deal when it was all of them heading that way. With Seth, Roman, and Dean all around her - and with Roman giving everyone murderous glares - no one had tried to touch her so far. If she just went down to the ring with Dean... Well, there were no guarantees there. Too much to drink made some fans a little too brave, and they could easily try to cop a feel if she was only out there with Dean. Wouldn't be his fault; it just spoke to the stupidity of some of the fans. She didn't want Ambrose to get into a fight in the stands before he even set foot in the ring, and if someone tried something with her... Well, he was fighting Zack Ryder for having the audacity to say things about her; she didn't think things would be pretty if a fan tried to grab her ass or something.

"Your silence speaks volumes," Ambrose said, and Eve arched a brow at him.

"What if I come down the ramp instead of from the crowd?" she asked, and after a moment of confusion, his expression cleared, the man obviously figuring out that her concern wasn't about being at ringside just for him, that it was instead about the behavior of the fans.

"That wouldn't bother me at all," he told her, and Eve got the feeling that he was somehow pleased by the idea that she was still choosing to be at ringside for him.

"Okay, then. I'll walk down the ramp, and I'll be there at ringside for your match. You just better make sure you win," she said, and Ambrose smiled.

"I think I can handle that."