Fist hit canvas with a satisfying thwack. More of the same followed as Ceridwen pummeled the punch bag, furious. Dean, Roman and Seth looked on as their friend worked out her temper on the unfortunate piece of equipment, looks of worry etched on all their faces at the amount of tape she sported.

"I thought she wasn't fit to compete?" Seth said finally, after a few moments of what could only be described as horrified silence.

"She wasn't. Apparently Doc Amaan threw and absolute fit at being told to make her ring ready for tonight. I heard it echo down the corridor." Roman replied, shaking his head. "I'd bet my last dollar Vince is behind this."

"You think he's pissed off his plan was fucked up by her winning?" Dean asked as the punches began to decrease.

"Yeah, I'd say he was pretty pissed off." The voice came from behind them, and the three turned to see Undertaker and Hunter. "I guess Ceridwen confided in you all huh?"

"Just before Mania." Roman filled in. "What's the damage this time?"

"If I don't compete, Undertaker loses his job. And gets permanently barred from a hall of fame slot." The men turned to see Ceridwen throw one last punch at the bag, before watching it swing and return to her. She stopped it before it hit her too hard, and stood there, looking at it.

"We will figure out something," Undertaker reassured. Ceridwen shook her head.

"There's nothing to figure out. I can't have your career going down the drain because of me. I won't let it happen." She walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, putting her head in her hands.

"There has to be some kind of loophole, something we can do. You can't fight in this condition." Seth said, going to sit next to her.

"I have to." Was all she said before bursting in to tears. It alarmed Seth somewhat, he wasn't used to her being even remotely emotional. He beckoned Dean over and swapped places with him, leaving Dean to soothe her as he went over to his colleagues, and they discussed what to do. How could they even get out of this one? Even the Doc had complied with Vince, terrified he'd lose his job. After all, this was Vince they were talking about. If he wanted you out of a job, he didn't need to pull many strings to achieve it.

And as the day wore on, it got worse. One of the higher level production managers had come running to Hunter to say he'd been told to make sure Vince's limo was caught on camera arriving. Ceridwen knew she was done for. He'd come to see to it personally that she fought, which meant this was going to end her career. Hunter and Steph had spent the afternoon in their office, going over every possible idea they could think of to get Ceridwen off the hook. Ceridwen had spent it with Dean, ad roman, Seth and Undertaker also tried to figure out something. By the time showtime arrived, no one was much closer to getting her out of the mess. Until a surprising appearance by Doc Amaan barely minutes before showtime.

"I hope I'm not too late…" He said as he burst in the door.

"What's the matter?" asked Steph as Ceridwen put her head in her hands.

"Listen, I've been thinking, and thinking. And I think I've got it. Can you get your hands on a copy of Ceridwen's contract? And the Wellness Policy she would have agreed to?" He asked, closing the door as he got his breath back.

"I can…go on Doc, what are you thinking?"

"Well, I'm thinking that the fact Vince is forcing Ceridwen to compete…it's a direct violation of the Wellness Policy and the section of her contract referring to fitness to compete. Which, knowing Vince he's had all performers contracts made watertight…"

"So even Dad can't break it…which if he tried, would result in Ceridwen getting a huge pay out…" Steph began with a sudden realization.

"And where else would hit Vince worse than the wallet? And he'd have to explain this to the board of directors too…this would really, really damage him." Hunter added.

"It's going to be enough to buy you the week to recover. I can't say you won't be fit by next week, because I do think you will be. But it's going to give you some time." Doc Amaan looked over at Ceridwen who was beaming.

"And a week just might be enough time to plan our next move."

Vince's reaction was almost amusing, if she hadn't been in the firing line. Ceridwen watched as Hunter calmly pointed out the sections of the contract that clearly outlined both parties responsibilities towards performer wellness, and the fact that if Vince was to make Ceridwen compete, he would be violating the contract and the wellness policy he'd worked so hard to make water tight. And from the look and varying shades of red on his face, Vince knew it.

"The Doc says we're looking at one to two weeks recovery time, two being the most likely." Hunter added.

"Shame really, I was so looking forwards to fighting. But I wouldn't want to break my own contract." Ceridwen said as the man looked over at her.

"No, no, we can't have that, can we? So let's set our sights on a re-match at the next pay per view. That will give you plenty of time to be fighting fit, won't it?" He replied carefully. It was clear Vince had been outgunned here, and the fact was he knew it. And he knew that everyone there knew it too. As he left them to do his customary walk around and see the other superstars, those left behind breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"You do realise the next pay per view is Extreme Rules, right?" Steph asked as Ceridwen wiped her brow, unsure where the sweat had suddenly come from.

"I've been through a hell in a Cell, at Wrestlemania, with The Undertaker. I can handle Extreme Rules." Ceridwen replied. As far as she was concerned, she could handle anything after what she and Undertaker had put each other through.

Dean watched as she filmed her on screen section. Roman and Seth were with him, none too content to leave their friend by herself if Vince was still in the building. They didn't know what he was planning, but they would bet he was planning something.

"Have you told her yet?" asked Seth.

"Dude, we're one day out of Wrestlemania, cut me some slack." Dean replied, a little shake of the head at his friends words.

"You don't know how, do you?" Another shake of the head from Dean indicated that no, he didn't.

"If I don't tell her soon, it's going to kill me. But how can I tell her…when I don't know how to tell her?" He asked his friends, turning to face them and revealing the anguished look on his face.

"I can see how just blurting out "I'm head over heels in love with you" might be a bit of a step outside your comfort zone." Roman said, getting an elbow in the ribs from Seth for his troubles. "what? I was being serious!"

"That would be a first." Dean remarked, turning back to see Ceridwen was finished filming and was walking their way. She smiled as she caught sight of them, and walked over, stopping next to Dean.

"Hey guys. I just wanted to say again, thanks for having my back through this." She said, her voice low so it couldn't be heard by anyone outside the four of them.

"you know we have your back any time, Ceri. You just have to say so." Seth said with a smile. "Oh, by the way, Dean's gonna give you a ride back to the hotel, Roman and I have to sort something else out here." Ceridwen didn't see Dean's eyes go wide and his face resembled someone caught in care headlights momentarily.

"Thanks Dean, I appreciate it." She said, turning to blast him with her smile. He shrugged his shoulders and told her anytime, trying to play it off as no big deal.

Problem was, it was a very big deal. To the point that the car ride back to the hotel was silent. As they pulled in to the car park, Ceridwen broke first.

"Dean…I…is everything ok?" She asked, though she didn't have to be a genius to realise that no, everything was most certainly not ok.

"I um, well, I" His speech faltered before being resumed with him cursing.

"You have something you want to tell me?" Ceridwen asked. He nodded, his eyes focusing with all his might on the steering wheel. "What is it?"

"Iloveyou," He blurted, finally tearing his eyes away from the wheel and looking at her. "I love you. I do, I mean it," he said, looking at the surprise on her face. "I am head over heels for you, I always have been. I just…I was an idiot, a fool to think I could even stand aside and," He found himself abruptly cut off as Ceridwen pulled him towards her, and planted a kiss on his lips.

"And I love you, you bloody idiot." She said as she pulled away.

"You…you do?"

"Goddamn it, Dean Ambrose, if you didn't know this before, you do now. You think I could just walk away that easily and pretend I felt nothing, especially after that night together? You're an idiot. I have been waiting for you to tell me how you felt. I just didn't want to push it and end up with you rejecting me…again." She looked down at her hands as she spoke.

"Seems to me like we've both been idiots." He said, catching her eye as she looked back up. Both smiled awkwardly. "Maybe we should go and talk about this inside?"

As they walked in the hotel lobby, Ceridwen found herself called over by The Undertaker.

"He doesn't look too happy." Dean said quietly.

"No one over there does." Ceridwen said as she and Dean approached. Storm clouds could have gathered in the area Steph, Hunter, Undertaker, Seth and Roman were gathered.

"I guess talking will have to wait for now." Dean muttered, not sure he wanted to out himself and Ceridwen's relationship just yet. Ceridwen nodded her agreement as Undertaker gestured to the seats nearby. Roman went to get drinks and there was an uneasy silence before Hunter spoke.

"Well…it looks like Vince put his next card in to play." Hunter said delicately as Roman returned and handed out beverages.

"I don't like the way you're saying that, Hunter." Ceridwen replied before sipping her drink.

"Well…look, it's not good. I'm not gonna lie." He looked uneasily from Ceridwen to the others and settled on Dean.

"How 'not good' are we talking Hunter as Ceridwen sat up a little straighter. She had noticed the way his eyes rested on Dean. Without thinking she reached for Dean's hand.

"Vince wants the Extreme Rules match to be a fatal five-way. Undertaker, You, Roman, Seth…and Dean." Steph said gently. The glances from her friends told her they were feeling the same way. "If Roman, Dean and Seth don't compete, they lose their contracts."

"Surely he can't do that?" asked Dean scowling.

"He can. Dad is anything but stupid about contracts. And he will find a way to terminate them if it pleases him." She replied quietly, holding her drink with both hands and looking down in the glass as if the answers would materialize in its contents.

"He must have picked up that you three were close somehow. Not that it took much after Wrestlemania. But he knows you are close. Though I'm not sure he is aware just how close." Undertaker spoke, shaking his head. "But this is your move, Ceridwen. Not mine. Not Hunters, Steph's. Yours."

"What about you guys?" Ceridwen asked, turning to Seth and Roman.

"We can find work elsewhere. We've made a big enough impact that anyone would hire us in seconds once they know we're free from the WWE. But we're worried about you." Roman spoke for the first time since they had sat down.

"Roman's right, Ceri." Dean said, making Ceridwen look at him in surprise. "You've been Hunter and Steph's star. The one they decided to push to help them get their goal."

"And it failed miserably." Hunter said irritably before tipping back his drink to his lips.

"And once word gets out that Vince hates you, you won't get work so easily. If people think Vince hates you, people will think it's for good reason. Your career would be over." Steph added to her husbands words.

"I don't want to hurt you." Dean continued. "God knows I don't. But if it's what keeps your career alive, then I'll face you at Extreme Rules. But only if that's what you want." Ceridwen looked at him and then at her friends. She didn't know what to do. Could she even put them in the position Vince was forcing them in to? To fight against her in a no DQ match? For the one she loved to have to beat her down with a kendo stick, a chair? To put her through a table? She needed time to think. To form a plan. Her thoughts were broken by Hunter talking to her.

"Sleep on it. Think about it. We've asked a lot of you in the past Ceridwen, I know that, you know that. We're only going forwards if there's an agreement from you."

"What about our agreement?" Ceridwen asked.

"Consider it dissolved. I don't think we're ever going to get Hunter in Dad's good graces. No matter how hard we try." Steph said as she put a hand on her husbands knee.

Dean lay next to her, sound asleep. Ceridwen could not sleep. Gently, she got out of the bed and walked over to the window, leaning her shoulder against the wall. She stood there watching the odd cloud pass across the moon, obscuring it from view. It occurred to her now that Vince's ire was now directed at her, not Hunter. She had thwarted his plans at Wrestlemania. A match she had undeniably been meant to lose. Which was the whole gambit of inserting The Undertaker. Her idol. How crushing a blow to her and to Hunter and Steph if she had been beat by him. But no, she had beaten him. Though privately she thought it was pretty clear he'd thrown the match. And so Vince was forced to even more desperate means. He tried to take her idol down. He knew it would hurt. And now he was endangering her friends. And not that he knew it, the one she loved. At least, she hoped he didn't know. Steph's words came back to her, ringing her mind like the halo of white around the clouds that passed the moon. If it became common knowledge Vince hated her, she would never work in the business again. Yet she couldn't allow them to lose their contracts over something that really, wasn't to do with them in the first place.

"Ceri?" Dean's drowsy voice floated to her as she stood in thought. "You ok?"

"Yeah..yeah I'm alright. Just thinking." She replied. There was movement behind her, and the sound of footsteps on the carpet as he came over. An arm snaked around her waist.

"About Extreme Rules?" He asked with a yawn.

"Yeah." She leant back on him a little as he embraced her from behind fully.

"What are you thinking of doing?"

"I'm going to fight."

Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and apologies for the delay. Life got in the way. Enjoy! Zelks xx