The day they were finally going to go get Bully Ray out of their lives was organized chaos. His Aunt had demanded Spud's presence the moment they arrived at the arena and he'd had to tamp down the possessive instinct demanding he keep his bonded by his side. Scowling he finished taping his wrists, blocking out the inane chatter from the team mates he was foisted with his attention was captured by the opening door, eyes narrowing at the exhaustion fairly bleeding from Spud's slim frame. "Alright everyone out," standing abruptly Ethan ushered his crew out, ignoring all the protesting grumbles. Curling his fingers around Spud's wrist he halted his retreat, "not you tiger." Stroking across the pulse racing under his fingers he had the smaller man pressed up against the door the moment it closed.

"Sir," swallowing thickly Spud groaned at the insistent pair of lips trailing down his neck. Linking his arms around Ethan's neck he relaxed into the strong body pressing into him, "I've missed you too Ethan."

Huffing Ethan kissed the ridiculously adorable smirk off Spud's face, sucking his lower lip into his mouth as light fingers curled into the hair on the nape of his neck, "I was starting to think Aunt D planned on keeping you with her all night," tugging Spud's bowtie off and undoing the first few buttons he touched the tip of his index finger to the mark he'd left last night, grin turning more than a little predatory at the other man's whimper.

"She was just worried, wanted to go over all the details," breathless, voice dissolving into a groan as sharp fangs dragged teasingly down his neck Spud dug his fingers into Ethan's strong shoulders. Desperately trying to pull the bigger man closer he grumbled when Ethan abruptly pulled away, stupidly attractive smirk firmly in place, "you're such a bloody tease." Scowling he straightened his jacket and fumbled to catch the duffle bag the other man tossed his way.

"And you have seven minutes to change before our match," as ever he was amused by the British curses Spud let slip. Snagged his arm as he hurried to the dressing room Ethan lowered his voice, "don't worry baby I'll finish what I started later tonight." Releasing his grip he forced himself to concentrate on the upcoming match and not the way his bonded's heart raced.

Unfortunately the two newest members of Team Dixie instantly proved themselves useless, falling prey to Dreamer's experience and Devon's viciousness they spent more time outside the ring then inside. And as much as he tried to make up for their shortcomings Ethan struggled to maintain the balance of restraining his strength and his almost desperate need to win. It was Spud taking a stiff blow to the head from Devon, the smaller man dropping with barely a sound that had his attention faltering for a second, turning back to eat a chair from Bully he swore, blood filling his mouth from almost biting through his tongue.

"I let Devon in on your little secret," slamming Carter's head on the mat Bully easily avoided the taller man's attempt to kick him. Laughing maliciously he bent low so the dazed man could hear him. "Spud is your weakness Ethan, one you should never have revealed." Leaving Carter slumped in a pile he turned his attention to the last standing member of Team Dixie, hefting his faithful chair to end this fiasco. Nothing made him happier than foiling Dixie's plans.

Swearing Ethan was forced to take a vital second to force his fangs to retract, Bully's words had his other half clawing to break free and rip the other man apart for daring to use his bonded against him. By the time he was under control it was too late, the bell rang singling the end of the match and the end of their chance to have Bully fired and out of the company.

Rolling out of the ring and only just noticing his Aunt had come out Ethan forgot his own rage at seeing how close to the edge she truly was, red flooding her eyes as her normally impeccable control cracked. Racing to her side he gripped her arm and attempted to drag her up the ramp, grunting as she fought him he barely had time to throw an agonized look in Spud's direction, relieved for once to see Rhyno by his side before he was using all his strength to hurry her through the halls and into the privacy of her office.

Letting go and stepping back he patiently let her rant and rave for a good ten minutes, holding back a wince when she started breaking furniture before she finally took a deep breath and regained control. Once she started making plans Ethan bit his tongue and kept his opinion firmly to himself at the demand he gather the team in the ring for a meeting, murmuring only his agreement he would have said anything to keep her calm. Escaping long enough to shower and change, disappointed not to find Spud in their locker room he sent a text to alert him to be down in the ring in half an hour, cursing whatever luck was keeping them apart.

Even hurrying he was the last to arrive, climbing into the ring Ethan immediately zeroed in on Spud's pale face, missing his Aunt's opening statement as he dipped deep into the bond to reassure himself Spud was okay. Crossing to the smaller man's side the tension in his muscles eased when Spud subtly leaned into him, relief so clear in those gorgeous blue eyes it was all he could do not to kiss him then and there. The crowds booing increased to a skull pounding level when his Aunt fired the two new members and he contented himself with simply resting a hand on Spud's arm.

Frowning his grip abruptly tightened when his Aunt quickly shifted gears from the two fired men to blaming Spud as well. Dismay streaked through the bond as Spud looked up at him with such hurt and for the first time Ethan found his protective instincts warring with family loyalty. Not knowing what else to do he grasped the smaller man's wrist and tugged him securely to his side, sending all the reassurance he could through the bond. Worried at the fine tremors shaking the other man's slim frame he had a moment to wonder if he'd missed something from the match, so distracted he was a fraction too slow to react when Bully made a reappearance. Resisting the urge to swear he was turning to look at his Aunt when pain exploded across the back of his head. Dazed he fell to his knees, barely feeling the kick to the ribs or the cruel hands that shoved out of the ring all he was aware of was his bonded crying out in protest.

Blinking he struggled to focus on the chaos around him, the two fired members had abandoned them completely, Rhyno was surrounded and Spud was on the outside trying to usher his Aunt up the ramp to safety. Breathing out shakily he had to close his eyes and reopen them to be sure he really was seeing the entire roster appearing to block the exit. Whatever he'd been hit with had done enough damage that even with his increased healing factor his head still throbbed angrily, making him sure he had to be dreaming when Spud appeared to collapse, leaving his Aunt exposed and vulnerable. Bond throbbing angrily he struggled to climb to his feet, desperate to make it to both his loved ones he cursed and slammed his fist against the mat when he collapsed under a renewed surge of dizziness.

Watching helplessly while Bully prepared to drive his Aunt through a table had all the qualities of the horror movies Spud loved to make him watch. The sickening realization he was too far away, and far too slow to help combined with the growing dread that his sweet Aunt D wouldn't let herself fight back. Closing his eyes the sound of breaking wood forced him to look again, twisted amongst the debris his Aunt was so absolutely still he knew right away she'd been injured, the smell of blood hitting him a second later.

Through sheer determination he finally made it to his feet and rolled into the ring, gesturing and yelling frantically to the paramedics in the back he chased Bully away and dropped to his knees by her side, catching sight of Rhyno standing guard in the corner.

"Aunt D?" touching her shoulder Ethan squeezed lightly, forcing a smile as her eyes fluttered open, "the paramedics are going to take you to the hospital." He was quick to reassure as she opened her mouth to object, even clearly in pain he was encouraged her first thought was protecting their secret, "you don't need to worry about a thing, I'll call Serg and have him meet you there, he'll make sure the attending Doctor is family."

Stepping back as the paramedics rushed in the ring Ethan watched as they loaded her carefully on the stretcher, nails cutting bloody grooves in his palms at her muffled whimpers of pain.

"Sir?" Breath rushing out Ethan twisted around to stare at Spud when a hand lightly touched his arm. The smaller man's blue eyes stood out starkly in his pale face and for a heart stopping moment he was torn between the dueling urges to bury himself in Spud's arms and rip his throat out for allowing this to happen.

Shaking under the rage pounding against the bond Spud desperately clutched Ethan's arm tighter, "Sir, please I'm so sorry." The look of disappointment in Ethan's eyes would stay with him forever, if only he could think past the pounding in his head he might be able to think of something to say to salvage this situation, to explain how awful he'd been feeling since the earlier match. The dizziness and nausea made him suspect a concussion but Mrs. Carter's mood after they'd lost had made him hesitant to say anything. When Ethan only sighed heavily, grabbing him by the elbow in a harsh grip that he was sure would leave bruises he followed obediently, pushing every negative emotion away to concentrate on being as useful as he could be.

The ride to the hospital was a nightmare, Ethan didn't speak a word and on reaching the emergency room he was banished to a waiting room with barely a glance while Ethan stayed to talk Serg. It had been heart wrenching to see the usually calm and composed man so upset.

Cradling his aching head Spud breathed through the nausea, not willing to move far enough to track down some aspirin in case anyone came looking for him. The more time passed the more certain he was the situation was serious, considering how much the Carter's tried to avoid exposure by going to any hospital. Unbidden the image of Ethan's bloody back sprang to mind, the way the wounds refused to close until the wood splinters had been removed.

Catching sight of Spud slumped uncomfortably, head buried in his hands Ethan approached slowly, pushing aside the slight flicker of anger. Even in the hideous hospital lighting Spud's blond hair gleamed invitingly and he sank his fingers into the soft locks, chuckling weakly as the other man jumped under his touch. "Time to go back to the hotel Spud."

"How's your Aunt?" Question bursting out Spud jumped to this feet, anxiously scanning Ethan's face. It was only his determination not to take attention away from Mrs. Carter that kept him from stumbling under the wave of dizziness sweeping over him.

Shoving his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking Ethan couldn't look Spud in the eyes, "she had to get a wood splinter removed from her back, it came dangerously close to puncturing her spine." Spud's horrified gasp softened the hard knot of anger in his stomach and he offered a faint smile at his bonded's troubled expression, "she's going to be fine, Serg is taking her home. She'll have to pretend to be seriously injured for a while so she's not happy about that, but there'll be no lasting effects."

"I'm so glad she'll be okay, is there anything I can do?" Falling into step behind Ethan Spud hurried to keep up with the bigger man's strides, such relief flooding through him that the other man's words hit him like a sledgehammer.

"I think you've done enough for now," tone coming out colder than intended and as much as he hated the way Spud faltered slightly Ethan couldn't bring himself to take them back. Anger still raged and fought between his loyalty to Aunt D and his desire to protect his bonded.

Wisely keeping silent Spud fought off the dread that things between him and Ethan would never be the same, all his earlier fears about this night coming home to roost. Some of the coldness eased when Ethan captured his hand in the car, fingers resting warm and reassuring on his wrist. The drive back to their hotel was otherwise silent, giving the throbbing pain in his head the chance to ease.

Breathing deeply of his bonded's scent and allowing it to calm his roiling emotions Ethan squeezed Spud's thin wrist, tugging him out of the car when it pulled up in front of their hotel, "let's grab a quick meal and hit the sack, this night has been exhausting."

"Yes Sir," blinking away the sting of tears at the pain from the bright lights Spud leaned into Ethan's side, smiling briefly when a light kiss was pressed to his temple. "Why don't you go get a shower, I'll get us some food from the deli here."

Hesitating only for a second Ethan nodded, "thank you tiger." In truth he needed a moment away from the smaller man, logically he knew what happened to Aunt D wasn't Spud's fault but there was still a small, cold knot in his stomach he couldn't shake.

By the time the water ran cold he was feeling better, enough to feel a pang of guilt at the despondent way Spud was hunched in on himself, clearly waiting for him before eating. Touching the other man on the shoulder he summoned a smile, "ready to eat?"

"Yes Sir," uncurling a fraction Spud handed over a wrapped sandwich, digging into his own as Ethan sat beside him. It didn't take long to finish the simple meal and he busied himself tidying up while Ethan took out his phone, surreptitiously watching his expression it eased the tight knot of fear to see the relief on his face. Shoving his hands in his pockets, fingers tightly clenched he hesitantly stood in front of Ethan, "good news Sir?"

Tucking his phone away Ethan leaned forward, sighing he slipped his hands under Spud's shirt and tugged the smaller man closer, "Serg has arranged Aunt D's flight back home and my parents offered to take care of the kids for a few days. It might be best to hang out in New York for the next week, give them time to themselves." Nuzzling into the slight curve of Spud's stomach he let his eyes close at the hum of agreement, almost falling asleep at the gentle scratches against his scalp. Sighing he finally pulled away, lips curling faintly at his bonded's tender smile, "let's go to bed, I don't know about you but I'm exhausted."

"Yes Sir," stepping back Spud frowned at the exhaustion in Ethan's dark eyes, unable to stop himself from pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering as a strong hand grasped the back of his neck.

"Stay with me tonight?" Turning his head a fraction Ethan spoke against Spud's mouth, tasting the faint hint of mint tea on the shuddery breath he let out. Smiling at his bonded's almost frantic nod he nipped his bottom lip, soothing the sting with his tongue.

Huffing in disappointment when Ethan pulled back Spud flushed at smug smirk the other man shot him. Rolling his eyes he accepted Ethan's hand and followed him into his room, catching the clothes tossed his way after a moment of rummaging. "I do have my own set of pajama's Sir."

Turning down the bed Ethan flicked his gaze up and down Spud's colourful paint splattered suit, "I like it when you wear my clothes tiger." His grin turned sharp and pleased at the way Spud's heart rate spiked at his confession, the bond flashing red hot for a second. Climbing into bed he crossed his arms behind his head and settled in to watch the show, waggling his eyebrows when Spud blushed bright red and awkwardly undid his bowtie.

"You're such a jerk," despite the complaint Spud forced his fingers to hold steady, hanging his shirt over the back of a chair and folding his dress pants neatly, the thin material of his boxers doing little to hide the effect Ethan's intense regard had on him. Picking up the night clothes he was embarrassed by the high-pitched squeak that escaped when warm fingers curled around his wrist and pulled him onto the bed, not even seeing the bigger man move.

Pinning the smaller man to the bed Ethan ran his nose along the length of his neck, breathing in his bonded's scent, "then again I think I like it better when you're wearing nothing." Growling, eyes flashing red at the absolutely sinful way Spud arched into him he gave into the bond's urging to claim what was his, biting deeply he ripped off the smaller man's boxers, stroking firmly to his bond's ragged groan. With Spud wonderfully hard in his grip, all breathless pleas and hands that slid under his shirt to dig into his skin he couldn't stop himself from drinking until the smaller man's heartbeat started to slow. Through the waves of pleasure he cursed his greed when Spud grew soft in his hand, blood loss wining despite his best efforts.

"Don't stop," slurring and ignoring the way his vision wavered Spud gripped Ethan's arms tightly, unwillingly to give up any second of the other man's hands on his skin. Pouting when Ethan let go despite his objection he nonetheless relaxed into the strong grip on his jaw, breath catching at the teasing nip to his bottom lip he eagerly opened his mouth to Ethan's kiss, not at all put off at the faint taste of copper. In fact, if anything the unsteady thump of his heart leap at the evidence of his blood keeping Ethan strong and healthy.

Growling at the way Spud's lips parted so sweetly for him Ethan licked into his mouth, dominating the kiss until his bonded was left breathless and barely consciousness. Panting it took every ounce of his self-control to roll to his side and not push for more, but with Spud's heart beating worryingly slow he knew he'd taken too much. "Shh," gathering Spud close he soothed his unhappy grumble, stroking across too cool skin he flicked the comforter over them, "just sleep."

Ignoring the angry throb of his erection Ethan sighed as the bond settled into a low purr of contentment, closing his eyes he willed himself to follow Spud into sleep. The horrible memory of Aunt D's injury played through his mind, a small kernel of resentment at the man he was cradling growing slowly but surely.