So, I think it's time for a nice quiet chapter where everybody sits down and has a nice cup of tea. No just kidding, this one's pretty manic! Gotta ramp things up as we climb towards the end!

Skovko, I agree that Hunter would never leave Stephanie, but we're not quite done with those two yet! And yes, you can definitely have a chocolate cookie, one of those big doughy ones (great, I'm hungry now!)

Labinnacslove, Not to worry, there's more Dean and Lauren, turns out I wasn't able to completely give them up!

Debwood-1999, He called her something else when I started this story and it morphed into that because it fit with the song. I could just imagine him singing it really eerily and so I went back and changed it to up the Wyatt chills!

Wrestlechic1, Randy might pop up in another story, so he was there to sow the seeds (saying nothing more). Funny that you should mention the Wyatts, because here they are again!

Psion53, Stephanie's mood swings tire me out and I wrote them! We've still got a couple more of them to come as well (this chapter included). She's a typical McMahon!

Raze Olympus, Haha, so I think we know whose side you're on! Still got some miles left on Stephanie in this story though, so you'll have to put up with her a little bit more.

Kayla English, In this story almost anything can happen, it's not over until it's over (that's neither yes or no!)

Mandy, Don't worry, there's more of these two already in the pipeline and I'm also writing another Dean story as well. Kind of in a real writing groove at the moment. So many ideas, not enough time to type!

IcePrincess1987, Don't worry, I promise I won't leave you disappointed (big promise but I think I can deliver on it...I hope!)

MizHyde, When is anything really over with the McMahons? They're kind of like the bubonic plague of wrestling, they never really go away! No, I'm only kidding, you know I love them really (well, some more than others on which point we both agree!)

I think the title says it all on this one...

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

The next night at Smackdown the mood was sombre, which was fine by me because it summed me up as well.

The entire day had been difficult for me and although Dean had done his best to pick me up, there was still no getting over what had happened.

My father had been hit by a car driven by the crazy cult leader who was stalking me and not only had I seen it happen, I'd had to wait for him to pull through the surgery as well. As if all that hadn't been enough however, I had then divorced myself from my family and so the day was spent, sort of, I guess mourning Hunter. I mean, he was still living but our relationship wasn't and although I fully stood by my decision, it didn't make it easier.

In fact it was hell.

The only thing that made it better was knowing that Stephanie would be absent for once and given the enormity of what they'd done to Hunter, it was likely the Wyatts would be as well.

When you decide who you want in your life, come and find me.

The words whirred round and round in my head and I just couldn't shake them no matter what I tried. I needed work to keep me sane but whereas before I had been terrified at being ringside, tonight I could hardly wait for it to start. Anything – anything – to stop me mulling it over and constantly thinking too damn hard.

We were five minutes from show time when Matty turned up and we greeted each other with a bone-crushing hug,

"Are you okay? Duh. What a stupid question. Your dad had surgery. Of course you're not."

I shrugged a little and scratched my arm absently and Dean reached over to make me stop,

"Uh, I mean, it's all kinda broken but I'm still here, I guess that's something right?"

"Damn straight Baby Girl," Roman put in deeply, using a bottle to dampen his hair. Honestly, it was kind of impressive that Matt was in their locker room without freaking out but as it turned out it wasn't for a catch-up that he had taken the trouble of walking so far out.

"Listen sweetie," he took my hands tightly, "I've just had word that Stephanie's showed up."

My mouth dropped open in astonishment,

"What? But – but what about Hunter? Why is she here?"

Shunting Matt aside with his shoulder, Dean stepped in to take his place, cupping my cheeks with his taped up palms and gently stroking my skin with his thumbs.

"Princess, it's fine. We talked about this. You knew you would have to face her sometime."

"But I thought it would be next week or next month or – you know – maybe next year."

"Well," Seth shrugged, "Then think about it this way. Better to get this whole thing over and done with. Like ripping off a band-aid. You gotta do it nice and fast."

I took a deep breath and nodded my head, rocking it up and down in Dean's hands. It certainly helped that the guys were there with me and it helped even more that I knew they had my back. They might have been Authority minions but when it came right down to it they were my guard dogs and I smiled somewhat weakly,

"Yeah, you're right."

After giving Matty one last hug we set off to make the usual ring entrance and although the fans crowded round us again and shouted and took a million photos, I wasn't as scared as I had been before and the knowledge helped my shaken confidence. Going down to the ring was actually almost fun and although the guys kept tightly around me, I even slapped the hands of a couple of kids and watching their smiles widen lit me right up.

Maybe the whole wrestling thing really had been passed down. Well, okay, maybe not the actual wrestling but the showmanship if nothing else.

In fact it was all going stupidly well and since The Shield had come down first, I actually climbed up into the ring after them and stood to one side as they played up to the crowd. Then their music died and they took a step backwards, waiting for their unfortunate opponents to show up.

In total they waited for almost thirty seconds, but nothing happened and then suddenly, the whole place went black.

Shit.

"Lauren?" I heard Dean instantly call out but as I opened my mouth to sound my way towards him a hand wrapped tightly around my throat, "Lauren? Talk to me."

My heart near exploded and it felt like my insides physically jolted before swiftly turning into ice. I knew the hand that was curled in around me and I shuddered as I was pulled back into the belly as well.

Bray.

"Easy Little Bird," he grumbled as I whimpered, a tear already streaking down my face, "You knew this was coming. You shouldn't have come out here. The time has come to make your little boyfriend pay."

My stomach tightened on instinct.

Dean.

Swinging my arm back, I tried to hit him but only found myself in greater pain as he caught it easily and twisted it behind me whilst tightening his hold around my throat. My free hand came up to try and pry his fingers off and I let out a pathetic sounding, involuntary yelp.

"Lauren?"

"De – ," I broke off coughing and at that exact moment the lights came back on.

His face almost made me break down even more and if I hadn't been so busy struggling for oxygen then I might have even done it. Dean looked crushed, devastated that he hadn't been able to protect me but burning with fury at the same time. Harper and Rowan stood on either side of me and Roman and Seth glared over as well. It was a good old-fashioned wrestling stare-down and I was in the middle, being used as a pawn.

"Let her go Wyatt," Dean spat fiercely, unable to stop from stomping in close but freezing as Bray wrenched my arm up further and made me cry out, "You're fuckin' hurtin' her. You wanna take someone on, huh? Take me. Leave her out of this. You've fuckin' done enough."

Bray chuckled eerily and made me shudder as his hot unpleasant breath tickled past my ear,

"You think so do you Dean? I've done enough? Let me tell you boy, I'm just getting started."

Seth twitched angrily,

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Want?" Bray blinked, as if the idea was a novelty, "I want Mockingbird to be one of us."

Dean shook his head,

"No way, not happenin' because she'd never fuckin' do it and we'd never let her. So there goes that plan."

Bray's fingers tremored around my throat and I tried to claw them off to no avail. My eyes stayed on Dean's and he gazed back at me calmly, trying to reassure me as best as he could.

"I don't think you understand what's happening here Dean," Bray continued with another rough laugh. I was glad at least one of us was finding things funny, "This isn't her choice and it's not about The Shield. This little choice is all on you. See, what I want is a winner takes all match and the prize is going to be our little Mockingbird here."

As my heart seized up in abject fear, Dean frowned and offered up a condescending snort,

"Why the hell would I agree to that?"

"Because if you don't then – ,"

Suddenly Bray yanked up my arm and I let out a tortured-sounding cry as every last part of my limb complained bitterly. No sooner was the noise released however, than Bray tightened his grip around my throat and squeezed the breath out of me until I essentially couldn't breathe.

"You motherfuckin' – ,"

Dean stepped forwards, his face taut with fury but Bray merely tightened his grip again and I coughed as I drew in a tiny little mouse breath, unable to hide the panic from my face. I whimpered again – I just wanted out of this – and hearing it Bray smirked and bared his teeth at Dean,

"So what's it gonna be boy? She can't hold out much longer."

Dean glared dangerously,

"I'll come over there and kick your ass. It's three on three Bray, I like those odds."

He stepped in and Bray pulled my arm a little tighter but I could barely react because I didn't have the breath. As Seth and Roman moved in alongside him and Harper and Rowan tensed to intercept we were suddenly all startled by a blast of theme music and above a heavy backbeat, out came –

Stephanie McMahon.

Uh oh.

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse.

"Wyatt," she snapped in no nonsense tones, her shrill voice drowning out the boos of the crowd, "In the past few weeks you have waged a campaign of terror, starting with setting fire to my car. Then last night you tried to kill my husband and you were warned what would happen if you showed up here tonight. Now you're hurting my defenceless stepdaughter. You have messed with my family too many times."

As she spoke a slew of security swarmed around her, flooding down the ramp way and circling the ring. Far from being put off however, Bray merely chuckled and further pulled my arm and the yell I let out could be heard from the titantron.

"Give me my match," Bray bellowed beside my ear and he didn't need a microphone to make his point, "Winner takes all. I want my match."

He shook me as he spoke and more tears started falling. I honestly didn't know how much longer I could last and as the situation grew ever more deadly, I heard Stephanie hurrying to offer a reply.

It was the very last thing I wanted to hear.

"Alright Bray. Please just – don't hurt her. I'll give you your match. Sunday night. It's Bray Wyatt versus Dean Ambrose. The winner gets Lauren."

As the crowd erupted in a chorus of elation, I gasped – or actually, I choked – in genuine fear. What the hell had she done to me? Did she hate me that much she was prepared to sell me out? Glancing across at Dean, I drank in his expression and it didn't seem a whole lot different from mine. No way in hell would he have agreed to that match up, but now he didn't have a choice. He was equal parts furious, concerned and disbelieving. He also wanted to rip Bray apart. Right there, right then. Pay per view event be damned. As the security guards closed in tighter at ringside, Bray leant in to whisper in my ear.

"See you Sunday Mockingbird and don't worry, I'll take good care of you once you belong to me."

Then, as Dean stepped purposefully forward, all the lights went off again.

"Lauren – ,"

I heard Dean bark but couldn't respond to him, as the big hand quickly unravelled from my throat and allowed me to slither down onto the mat again, crying and gasping all at once. My arm was throbbing as it flopped down by my side but I was alive and what was more, it seemed like Bray had gone. When the lights came back on, the Wyatts had vanished and I could finally breathe in more ways than one.

As everyone adjusted to the sudden shift in brightness the mat bounced violently and Dean wrapped me in his arms. He was talking at a million miles an hour and his voice sounded rougher than it usually was but I melted into him all the same, feeling my cheek scrape against his stubbled chin.

"Fuck. You okay? I shoulda fuckin' killed him. Baby? Lauren look at me. You hurt?"

I couldn't answer, I was too busy crying which irritated my poor bruised throat. As I was suddenly gripped by a spasm of coughing, Dean pushed me back and lifted my chin, running his fingers over Bray's handprints and gritting his teeth whenever I winced. Evidently having seen enough, he pulled me back towards him again and stroked his hand across my hair while at the same time rubbing gentle circles round my back,

"I'm sorry baby. I'll fuckin' kill him. I promise you that bastard is dead."

"B-but – ," my voice came out scratchy, like I'd sung in the shower for an hour too long, "But what about Sunday? What if he wins and – ,"

"Sssh," Dean pulled me close again, grumbling against my hair, "Not gonna fuckin' happen."

As Roman and Seth shuffled into my line of vision, Dean rose to his feet and helped me up with him. One of his hands was on my injured arm and I let out a whine as my shoulder protested which instantly made the others stiffen in alarm.

"Baby Girl?" Roman frowned, "Is it your arm?"

"Of course it is, man," Seth replied hotly, positively rattling he was so amped up, "Wyatt damn near twisted it right off her. He would have broken it if he'd been given the chance."

Dean stayed quiet but started probing my shoulder, working the socket with big warm thumbs. I let him do it, wincing occasionally but generally just enjoying his comforting touch. I didn't even realize I was crying again until a tear dripped off my jaw and onto my neck and seeing me jump at it, Dean let out a sigh and steered me towards the ropes,

"I'm takin' you home."

"Vegas?" I sniffled quietly and despite the situation – and the pain and the worry and the god damn match – the smile he gave me made my heart flutter as I realized that I had referred to his place as home.

"Yeah," he murmured, taking my bad arm and supporting it gently as he guided me back out. Seth was there to lower the ropes down and Roman placed his broad hands either side of my hips, easing me out and letting Dean take over as he swept me off the apron and lead me slowly up the ramp, "But first we're gettin' someone to look at that shoulder and then I plan on fuckin' murderin' your stepmother."

He wasn't kidding about that either because the second we limped our way into gorilla, I could feel him tense as he looked around for her. Wisely the backstage crew skittered from our path although Matt came up carefully, holding out an ice pack which Dean took from him and guided to my neck. I hissed a little at the dual pain and chilliness but it didn't take long for it to start feeling good.

"Where is she?" Dean snapped and Matt leant in closer,

"Her office but be careful, she's taken some guards."

"Don't you worry about them," Roman grunted, "I ain't had the chance to break heads tonight. 'Bout time I got started."

Seth snorted,

"Damn straight man."

With all-out war seemingly declared on my stepmother, Dean steered me carefully into the halls of the arena, caught between outright homicidal fury and trying to look after me and keep me from more harm. The closer we got to Stephanie's office, the more the former started to win and as two suited goons loomed up before the doorway, he let go of me and stepped straight up to them alone. Seth and Roman brushed past me seconds later and I stood in a daze as I watched them go to work.

Bang.

Bop.

Pow.

In many ways it was like watching an old movie and it worried me how little the violence freaked me out. Maybe I was numbed from having been half-strangled or maybe I was slowly getting hardened to their world. Either way it lasted only seconds and was over when Roman threw a guard into the door. The force of his body made the handle snap and the door exploded open and hammered up against the wall. It sounded like a bomb had gone off and even from outside I heard the sudden bark of alarm.

Stephanie.

That was it.

She was in there and needing to know little else beyond that fact, Dean stormed in swiftly followed by Roman and it was left down to Seth to steer me in behind.

"Come on Lauren, it's gonna be okay."

I nodded at him haltingly.

"Uh huh, I – I know."

Once we got inside it was standing room only and by the time I found a space against the wall, Dean was already expressing his viewpoint. By which I mean he was yelling in her face,

"What the hell is your fuckin' problem? Do you really hate her that fuckin' much that you would agree to this shit? Do you even realize what you've done?"

For her part Stephanie stared back at him coolly and I couldn't help but almost admire what were obviously balls of solid rock. Then someone shifted across in one corner and as Roman rocked a little I spotted Randy Orton there. God the guy was like a simpering little lapdog. Never too far from the good graces of the boss. He was smirking again – I guessed that was his default – and I couldn't help but turn up my lips. For whatever reason, I just didn't like him and I didn't like that fact that he was there at all.

"Remember who you're talking to Dean," Stephanie's voice broke in across my musings, earning her a disparaging little snort,

"You? You're Lauren's evil stepmother, who just fuckin' gambled her life away."

"Potentially," Stephanie retorted, "But only if you don't win. Besides, you can come in here shouting and screaming but the truth is I'm the one who just saved her. Wyatt was choking her. The reason she's still breathing is because I made that deal. I didn't expect any thanks by the way. I did it because I'm in the habit of protecting my family."

There was a beat as we all drank that bullshit in and I even managed a disbelieving laugh although it quickly descended into a further bout of coughing and Seth turned to give me a helpful rub on the back,

"Protectin' your family?" Dean spat out, "After everythin' you've done to her? Last week she was just the outcome of Hunter's one-night-stand and last night you tried to kick her outta the hospital. You really expect me to fuckin' believe that you've changed your opinion in twenty-four hours. What? Now you think she's one of you?"

Stephanie's eyes flickered over to me quickly and seemed to soften on seeing me, standing sadly with my ice pack. I'd thought she was difficult to work out before but now we were entering new realms of confusion.

What the hell did she actually want?

"You may find this hard to believe," she answered, "But just because I haven't been – how shall I put this – the most welcoming when it comes to Lauren, it doesn't mean I like seeing her being attacked. You might hate me for it but I did what I had to do. I made that match because I wanted Bray to stop. But if you don't think you can win – ,"

Dean growled,

"I can win it. You don't have to worry about that."

"Well then," Stephanie spread her hands across the table, "I don't see the problem here."

"The problem is you stickin' your nose in our business. You're not her family. You lost that fuckin' right. From now on – where my girlfriend is concerned – you stay the hell away. The whole fuckin' lot of ya."

As Randy stepped in closer and Stephanie took a breath, the atmosphere turned several shades darker. I loved the fact that Dean was sticking up for me and in the moment I had never felt so loved but at the same time he was placing them in a difficult position and I had little to no idea how things were going to work out. What if she fired him? Fired The Shield? What were they supposed to do then? My heart pounded fiercely, but then finally Steph nodded and shrugged, off-hand,

"If that's what you want."

"It is," Dean snapped, quickly spinning away from her and crossing over to wrap a guiding arm around my waist. With one hand still pressing the ice pack to my neckline, it was left to Dean to gentle cradle my throbbing arm, although as Seth and Roman fell-in behind us, Stephanie called out and I stiffened in alarm. Weirdly however, it didn't sound spiteful, her tone was soft and genuine?

What now?

"Lauren? Have someone look at that shoulder."

I blinked back at her and she smiled a little, which surprised me more than everything else.

"Come on," Dean murmured and we stepped from the office.

I swear I just could not figure her out.

So, thoughts on Stephanie? Which way are we going with her? Is she the devil incarnate or is she going to turn good? Also, what's going to happen with big bad Bray? Only five more chapters left until we're done!