A/N: So has anyone else noticed how touchy-feely The Shield are with each other? Seems like Seth's always getting his hair ruffled and Dean and Roman love to hug on necks. It's freakin' adorable and inspired a little bit in this chapter. I just couldn't resist. :)

Also, I want to thank everyone that has commented, followed or favorited this story so far. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long. Life, and Wade Barrett, have been distracting me. I promise the next chapter will come quicker.

Chapter 2

"... and then he said he had more charisma in his little toes than I have in my whole body."

"No!" A.J. gasped in fascinated horror. She, Tally and Roman were sat at one of the tables catering had set up, picking over the last of their lunches. Roman was recounting the prior night's event, complete with hand gestures that had already overturned one bottle of water. "Then what did you do?"

"I held him down on the pool table and stole his shoes."

Tally rolled her eyes at Roman as A.J. collapsed against her in a fit of giggles. She'd heard him tell at least three different versions of how he came into possession of Seth's shoes the night before and each had been more ridiculous than the last. Roman had given her no hint of which was the truth; only showing up at the car that morning for the ride to the arena with a grocery bag containing the ratty sneakers. He'd given them back to Seth with a quiet word and a bro hug and, apparently, all had been smoothed over between the two friends.

They still had no clue what had become of Seth's coat, though.

The man in question chose that moment to join them at their table, sitting at Tally's other side and dropping his head onto the table with a whimper.

"How you feeling?" Tally asked, gently ruffling Seth's two-toned hair.

"Like I got bad touched by a six-foot four Samoan."

"You should be so lucky," Roman scoffed. "I'd have rocked your world."

A.J. slapped her hands over her ears. "Stop, stop! I'm gonna get a picture."

"As if you don't totally slash them in your head, A.J.," Tally accused her friend. "Just the other day you were squeeing over how touchy-feely they are during their matches."

"What the hell does 'squeeing' mean?" Seth asked Roman, who only shrugged. Dean, just arriving at the table, answered the question as he sat beside Roman.

"It means to squeal with glee, combining the two words. Squee," he said before making a face at Tally. "Jesus fuckin' Christ, I should literally be shot for knowing that. Has anyone seen my balls?"

"Right here baby," she replied, patting the front pocket of her jeans. "Where've you been all afternoon?"

"Going over the changes Roman and I made to the match tonight with Ryback and Hell No."

"What changes?" Seth whined from his pitiful heap. "We never talked about any changes."

"No, you didn't because you were busy sleeping off your hangover. You snooze, you lose. Roman and I decided you're going to take the ladder dive tonight."

"Oh, you fuckers."

Dean grinned evilly. "Welcome to payback, Rollins."

The abandoned office was at the end of a roped off hallway, on the opposite end of the building from where WWE had set up camp for the pay-per-view. Dean had discovered it during his ritual jog around the arena, deciding it was perfect for his plans for Tally.

"I think I have rug burn on my ass, Dean."

"Pull up your skirt and let me check."

Tally glared at Dean in the mirror of the office's private bathroom as she re-applying her makeup. "Pulling up my skirt is what got me into trouble in the first place. You're such an animal. You could have at least found a place with a desk or a couch if you weren't gonna let me be on top."

Dean chuckled as walked up behind Tally, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her back against him despite her complaints, grinding himself against her.

"You can't seriously want to go again."

"Can too," Dean said, kissing her neck. "But I need to save my aggression for the match."

Dean felt Tally tense against him and let go of her with a sigh.

"Tally —"

Despite being a third-generation wrestler herself, Tally always got jumpy whenever he was about to go into a match. So much so that Dean had almost lost all his own anticipatory nervousness since he'd been with her. Or maybe it was because he had other ways of working it out beforehand now.

"Will you keep an eye on Seth?"

Dean blinked.

Apparently it wasn't him she was worried about tonight.

"Why's this got you so het up? We've all wrestled fucked up at one time or another."

"It's not that, Dean." Tally tossed her eye-liner into her purse. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how weird he's been lately."

"It's Seth. He's always been fuckin' weird. Surely you've noticed the hair?"

The flat look she gave him had Dean throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on him as much I can."

Which they both knew wasn't very much but Dean's promise appeased Tally enough that she smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, baby."

"Where will you be tonight?"

Tally shrugged. "I've got nothing going on. I think I'll just watch from Punk's box. See ya at the after-party?"

"Count on it."

"Ow!"

"Does it hurt?"

Seth gave Tally an incredulous look. "Only when you poke it, dumbass."

She quickly drew her fingers away from the tender spot on his head from where he'd hit it when Ryback had tossed him off a ladder onto a stack of tables. Sure it had rung his bell a little, and left a smart little knot, but he'd been hurt worse. It didn't warrant Tally hovering over him like this.

"Sorry. I was just checking."

"I'm fine," Seth said. He took a swig of his beer, steadfastly ignoring the continued look of concern on Tally's face. She could always see right through him and it was unnerving at the best of times. This was not one of those times.

As if on cue, Dean and Roman walked into the hotel suite Vince had commandeered for the post-TLC party. Spotting them, Dean grinned that crazy-ass grin of his and Seth felt his heart leap into his throat as the man stalked toward them.

"Justice has been served," Dean crowed triumphantly as he scooped a squealing Tally into his arms and hefted her over his shoulder, slapping her ass as he smiled at Seth. "And now somebody's gonna get pregnant."

Turning around, the older man walked toward the door while Tally giggled helplessly, stretching her arms out plaintively to Seth and Roman, who'd taken her vacated seat on the couch next to Seth.

"Help me," she pleaded.

"Help you what?" Seth asked. "Get pregnant?"

"She'd eat you alive, baby boy!"

Dean's words echoed in Seth's ears. It wasn't a pleasant sound.