Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Sixteen

As they'd done prior to the match, the Shield left the room to let her change in private once again, the woman pulling off her wrestling gear and putting on her street clothes as quickly as she could so she could let them back into their makeshift locker room. Afterwards, they'd watched the rest of the show, Eve trying to find a way to bring up the switch that had been made - her teaming with Seth instead of with Dean Ambrose - but unable to really find the words to do so. Yes, Rollins had told her that the change had been made because Dean thought she'd be more comfortable teaming with him, but she didn't know for sure when the change had been made... Though she suspected it was when the others had come back after she'd changed into her wrestling gear. Ambrose and Reigns had knocked when they'd returned, and instead of immediately coming inside, Rollins had ended up stepping outside into the hallway... But why they hadn't told her then...

Shaking her head, Eve gathered up her gear, preparing to head out to her car now that the show was over... The diva jerking in surprise when someone reached out and took her bag from her. Turning her head, she saw Roman Reigns standing there.

"What...?"

"I'll carry your stuff for you. Make sure you get out of here okay," the big man told her. "The Shield's got some enemies, and we made it clear that you're part of us tonight. So we're gonna watch your back." He put the strap of her bag on his shoulder. "You ready?"

She nodded. "I'm ready... But even if you're walking me to my car, I can still carry my own stuff," she told him, and he gave her a smile... Surprising her a bit by how nice it made him look. Mostly she'd just seen him as big and intimidating.

"I don't exactly get much of a chance to be a gentleman around here. So let me carry your stuff, okay?" he told her and, after a moment, Eve nodded her head, allowing him to keep his grip on her bag, though she was the one to take her title belt from the table that it was on. Roman turned to the others. "I'm going to walk Eve to her car, then I'll come back. Okay?"

Ambrose nodded. "We'll be here," he said, then turned his attention to Eve. "We'll see you at SmackDown," he told her, and Eve nodded, then frowned slightly.

"Technically, I'm still Booker T's assistant over there-"

"We won't keep you from doing your job. But we'll be there anyway. If you have a match, at least one of us will be at ringside for it. Well, as long as we aren't banned or something."

"Okay... I'll see you guys then," she said, briefly meeting Dean's eyes before looking over at Seth, who smiled and nodded at her, actually lifting a hand in a wave as she and Roman left the room. Flicking a look his way, Eve cleared her throat. "So, uh... Is this part of your new job or something now that you guys are stuck with me? Making sure I get to and from my car safely?" she asked. After all, he'd been the one to come to find her and walk her to the locker room when she'd first arrived as well.

Reigns smiled again, the man shaking his head. "Not really. I mean, we're going to make sure that you get where you're going safely. That's just the way it is. But it may not be me that meets up with you next time. Could be Seth, could be Dean. Probably Seth if it isn't me," the man said, and Eve shot a look at him, adjusting her grip on her title belt, not sure if she should say anything to him... But he'd been nice enough to her so far, and if he was still more intimidating to her than Rollins was, he wasn't as intimidating as Ambrose somehow managed to be...

"Why did Ambrose make the switch tonight? Having Seth be the one to team up with me?" she wanted to know, and Reigns was quiet for a moment before replying.

"It's nothing against you. He just didn't think you'd feel as comfortable with him as the guy on the ring apron waiting for the tag. And the fact that you called Seth by his first name and Dean by his last name just now is a sign that he was right."

"But-"

"He figured you had a better chance of working as a team and actually winning the match if Seth was who you were teaming up with."

"Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't any of you tell me? Instead, I found out in the ring," she said, shooting a look at the man, and Reigns sighed.

"Would you have argued? If he'd told you he thought you'd be more comfortable with Seth as your partner? Would you have tried to protest that he was wrong... Even though we all know he was right?" he asked, and this time, it was Eve's turn to sigh.

"I... I don't know. I just..."

"Dean's not going to hurt you, Eve. Nor is he going to let you get hurt. Same goes for me and Seth. Teddy Long thought he'd come up with a foolproof plan to ruin your career or something when he put you with us, but all he did was prove himself a fool instead. This was just the first night. You'll be more comfortable around all of us before too long," the man said as they made their way to the parking garage, Reigns shooting her a questioning look... Eve gesturing to where she was parked, the diva stopping short when she saw that someone was standing next to her rental car, seemingly waiting for her.

Kaitlyn.

Reigns shot her a look. "Want me to scare her off?" he asked, and it took Eve a moment to realize that when Roman had come to find her earlier, Kaitlyn had already headed off, so he hadn't seen the two of them together... Nor did he know that the two of them had sort of buried the hatchet. Of course, like most of the rest of the company, he (and the rest of the Shield) didn't know that Eve hadn't been the one to orchestrated the attack on Kaitlyn back at Night of Champions. Kaitlyn, however, did know that, and Eve was pretty sure that the younger woman didn't mean her any harm.

"I can handle it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Thanks for walking me out here, though," Eve said, turning and holding out her hand for her bag, Reigns eyeing her for a moment before handing it over to her. "I'll see you at SmackDown, Roman."

"See you then," he replied, glancing over at Kaitlyn again before turning and heading back inside... Eve staying where she was for a moment, then taking a deep breath and walking toward where the other woman stood waiting for her.