(Hi everyone! Apologies for the big gap between postings, I didn't have much muse for a while, but I'm finally back on track. Hopefully you enjoy the next chapter of Seth's story!)

Days followed without news.

He found an aptitude for organising the others – ensuring that production teams were prepared and on schedule, checking in with the locker rooms to assess the morale, helping where he could to keep the peace. There was hate in the air. Those loyal to the Authority didn't want Seth anywhere near any position of command and yet they had little choice. Vince had spoken. There was a great deal of paperwork which Seth didn't have taste for, a level of bureaucracy that he wanted to shave down as much as possible. Paige and Roman were appointed unofficial spokespeople for him whilst he buried his head in the three hundred emails arriving every hour.

The one consistent was Bren. That little dog stayed by his side faithfully. She chewed on toys, occasionally wanted to be made a fuss of, but the rest of the time, quietly stayed in the dog bed Paige had bought her (a small black one covered in skulls, because of course it was). Attached to her collar was a small tartan bow that looked like it had been handmade and had appeared when they went to pick her up after the show. Luke's last gift to his beloved dog. It kind of hurt, knowing that the big man missed her, but Seth was determined to take care of her. She was soft to the touch, well looked after despite the shambles of the Wyatt compound. Seth's time as a captive there had been brief but he dreaded the idea of Dean being there. Dean was strong, he was capable, but his heart was fragile; easily broken. Wyatt was a wizard with words, he could twist even a stalwart mind round his crooked finger.

It was Wednesday night.

The room Seth found himself in was just a disused office in the First Niagara Center. Nothing about it was homely – the only thing that marked it as his was Bren's bed, his cane and that crown he refused to get rid of. It hung on coat hook that was mounted on the back of the door. He had a blazer jacket on, but refused to wear a full suit, instead opting for his wrestling gear. He was slowly getting his strength back in his leg. Every morning he was ensuring to rehab it, stretching, gentle exercise. It would get there. He moved in his chair now, raising that leg up and down carefully from the floor. As he did, Bren suddenly sat up in her bed, tail waggling, eyes on the door, a little whine escaping.

'What's up girl?' Seth asked, reaching for his cane out of habit, just in case.

The door swung open. A rather tired, but smiling Sami Zayn lurked in the doorframe, his shoulder up against the wood, a tin of pineapple in one hand, a fork in the other. He looked far too pleased with himself and Seth knew that his friend had been up to some kind of mischief.

'Mr Zayn, to what do I owe the pleasure?' he asked, releasing the cane.

Bren was up from her bed, nosing at Sami's leg. Obediently, he placed the fork in the tin and reaching down to pet her head. She licked his fingers affectionately.

'Your dog has good taste,'

'She's an excellent detector for bad intention,' Seth mused. He put closed the laptop that he'd been staring at for the past three hours, thankful for the rest. His eyes, even behind his new glasses were beginning to smart. 'How you been Sami?'

'Not so bad…hiding, at the moment. He may be in a hospital bed, but Triple H is out for my neck for counting that pin,' he gripped the fork in his hand and looked down into his pineapple tin in thought. 'Had goons waiting at my hotel room. Had to sleep on Ziggler's floor past few nights.'

'You're kidding?'

Sami shook his head, his characteristic cap perched neatly on top of his ginger hair, 'We're all marked. They won't dare go up against the Women's locker room, they travel in groups and have it out for the Authority, but we've got too many still loyal in the men's and we tend to keep to ourselves. Easy targets. Apparently, they want to break my legs,' he slowly took a chunk of pineapple from the tin and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. 'I'm rather fond of them and rather dislike the idea of someone taking a baseball bat to my kneecaps, as you can imagine.'

'I can,' Seth rubbed his temples slowly, 'do you want me to assign you some security?'

Sami pushed himself off the doorframe and came into the office, closing the door quietly behind him.

'Nah, Triple H would just pay them off. But Seth, that's not why I'm here.'

'Oh?'

Sami made to pull out the small chair that was placed opposite Seth, on the other side of his desk, 'May I?'

'By all means,'

Sami sat down and placed his pineapple tin and fork on the desk. Bren, seemingly still wanting attention from the newcomer, moved to his side and waited patiently for additional head scratches. Sami complied, but a little more half heartedly than before. He took his time, leaning back, his hand on his chin, as if not quite sure how to proceed. Then, with a heavy sigh, he leaned forward and lent on the desk, his fingers laced together. He still looked a mess, one black eye that was slowly going down and a nasty scratch on his neck that was only just starting to heal. Seth's heart went out to him, it really did. He knew how it felt.

'Look, Seth. Don't take this the wrong way. We're thrilled that you're in a position like this, we really are. Hell, it makes us feel a lot safer. But how much power do you think Vince is really going to allow you? Do you honestly think that this is permanent? Without a catch?' he rubbed his chin with a thumb, 'As soon as Triple H has recovered, he'll be hunting all of us down with hatchet in hand and a bad taste in his mouth, nothing will protect you from that. Vince certainly won't.'

Seth couldn't disagree. He'd had the same thought cross his mind – several times. He'd analysed a hundred ways that scenario played out too, but every single one had ended in disaster. Triple H was many things and one of them was how bloody minded he was. He was stubborn and when he found himself on a track, particularly when guided by hate, he was a juggernaut. Dean had taken down a giant. But when that giant came a calling, Seth wasn't sure he could tear off the head.

'I know…and you're right,' Seth shrugged and pushed his chair back, heaving himself up from his desk and grabbing his cane. He started to make his way round to where Sami sat and when there, he leaned back against the wood, his hands resting atop of that cane, eyes on his friend. 'I want to try and make the most of the position I've found myself in, even if it doesn't last. If I can look after the people who matter and the wrestlers who work hard and love what they do, even for just a few weeks, I'm going to do it. When this all comes tumbling down, I know it's going to be me swinging from the rafters. I just hope that before it happens…I can make a proper, maybe lasting difference, you know?'

Sami nodded slowly and reached out a hand, placing it on top of Seth's. He patted it carefully. 'You're a good man Seth. I almost feel bad for hating your ass so long.'

That drew a laugh, 'Yeah well, I think I kind of deserved it.'

'So, what plans do you have for tomorrow night?'

'Well,' Seth glance down at his feet, he wasn't wearing any shoes, he just had his socks on, 'Sheamus has the money in the bank briefcase and we can't have that, after all, he only won because everyone else was too beaten up to really compete. So…I was thinking we could have a tournament. What's Sheamus going to do? Refuse?' he grinned to himself, 'After all, I'm pretty sure that the celtic warrior never refuses a fight.'

Sami leaned back in his chair, 'And who do you have in mind to compete?'

'All the people who got screwed over. Providing that they're cleared to take part, of course.'

Sami raised his eyebrows, 'And would I, perchance, be one of those considered?'

'Only if you teach me how to skank,'

Sami cackled with joy and clapped loudly, causing Bren to jump. She dashed back to her bed and settled down, wearily eyeing the man in the chair. Sami leapt up with such vigour it was hard to imagine that only weeks before he'd been beaten down so badly, so often that there had been a worry he might never recover.

'I'm not sure how you'll manage with that leg of yours,' Sami said, glancing down at Seth's dodgy knee, 'but there's nothing really to it. Just takes a bit of rhythm,' he started to bob on his toes, 'a bit of fire,' he began to raise his leg, kicking out before placing it back again, hopping onto the other and kicking out again, 'and a whole lot of energy,'

Seth watching him skank around the room to an imaginary beat, twisting and turning as he went.

'Yeah I don't know if I can do that,'

'Why not give it a go?'

Seth raised his eyebrows but nodded. He carefully put his cane aside and pushed himself up from the side of the desk. His knee complained a little, but he managed to stand without incident. Sami came to a stop in front of him and reached out, taking both of Seth's hands in his own.

'Ok, now bob on your toes until you find a rhythm you feel comfortable with,'

Slowly, Seth started to raise up from the balls of his feet, onto his toes, then gently back again. He wobbled a little, but then, after a few shaky repetitions, he started to get the hang of it. With Sami for support, he began to gain confidence until he was able to do it without stopping or going off balance.

'Awesome, now, think you can do a kick?'

That might have been asking a bit too much, but as Sami let go to hold Seth's right arm and Seth attempted to flick out his good leg, Bren began to growl. Suddenly, the door slammed open –

'Rollins!'

The dancing suddenly stopped and without a word, Sami moved in front of Seth defensively.

'Back off Owens,'

'I'm not here for you, I'm here for that son of a bitch,' Owens viciously pointed at Seth, who peered over Sami's shoulder. 'Now move out of the way, so I can snap his neck.'

But Sami didn't move an inch. His glare was fixed and his frame defiant. A human shield. Owens didn't repeat himself. He lunged.

So did Bren.

The small dog's sharp teeth sank into Owens' ankle and the big man roared in agony. He near landed head-first into Sami's chest before the man scooped himself and Seth out of the way. Owens' forehead cracked the edge of the desk. He howled and hit the floor. Bren continued to savage and shake her head side to side, tearing into the other man's boot, right into the skin and tendon. Owens continued to scream.

'Should we stop her?' Seth asked.

Sami, who seemed to be enjoying himself far too much, only nodded after Bren drew blood. 'Yeah, probably,'

The two of them stood and watched a little longer before Sami sighed and swept in, gathering the dog up in his arms, hushing her gently and stroking her neck and head until she calmed down and gave him a lick. 'There's a good girl, you're such a good girl, yes you are. Uncle Sami is going to get you all the treats.'

Owens grasped at the desk leg, trying to get up. The desk jolted and the tin of pineapple, which had been precariously perched on the edge, tipped over and off, falling all over Owens' head.

Seth grabbed his cane and laptop, and with Sami, quickly shuffled out of the room, closing the door quickly on Owens outrage.

'Well, that happened,'

Sami though was overjoyed and couldn't stop telling Bren what a good girl she was. As they made their way down the corridor, Seth's cane went click, click, click on the floor. But soon it wasn't the only noise, as his phone started to vibrate. He frowned and reached into his pocket, pulling out. He didn't recognise the number and had to stop so that Sami's cooing didn't carry over onto the call.

'Hello?'

'Seth?'

'Dean?' he nearly shouted it, before hushing himself and cupping his hand around the phone, like it might somehow bring him closer to his brother, 'Dean are you alright?'

'Ah'm ok honey,'

He didn't sound so sure.

'Dean, you did good, but now you can come home buddy. We miss you; we want you back and safe with us Ok? Come to Buffalo, we're all here.'

'Ah…ah can't Seth,'

He felt his heart sink, 'Why Dean? Are they holding you there? We'll come for you. We'll break you out, we'll -,'

'Seth, ah gotta stay with them. If ah don', then they gonna go after baby girl. Can' have that. If ah stay, then Wyatt's happy. Then, he won' go after Paige.'

'Paige is safe Dean. Please – don't do this,'

'S'ok brother. Ah'm alright,'

'But for how long Dean?' Seth was beginning to panic. 'How long before -,'

'Ah'll keep you all safe. Ah promise. Don' worry abou' me. K?'

There was a horrific howling noise, 'Dean? Dean?'

He could hear voices, shouting, 'Seth, I love you.'

'DEAN?'

But the line went dead. 'DEAN?'

Seth threw the phone to the floor in paralysing rage. 'No!' the cane was next, thrown at the wall. 'No,' Seth fell to his knees and knew, knew that without a doubt, Dean was done for. The pain in his leg was nothing. Nothing. Because he knew what Wyatt would do. He knew that he'd use fear and he'd use pretty words, wicked words to twist Dean. To make him obedient. He'd tell him that to keep Paige from harm, he'd have to do what he said.

And Dean would. Because Dean loved too much.

'Seth?'

Sami was next to him now, one hand on his shoulder, 'Seth?'

'We've lost Dean, Sami. I don't know what to do,' he whispered, 'he did something, something so frustratingly stupid, to keep us safe and now…now I don't know if he'll ever come back.'