Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Twenty-Seven

Eve stood up, her gaze on the monitor in the room that let them see what was happening in the arena. The match that was listed before the divas' tag was currently underway, which meant that she needed to get to the curtain area and make sure that Kaitlyn knew she wasn't backing out on her or something.

"I need to get to the curtain. My match is next," she said, and the three men exchanged a look, Seth then rising to his feet.

"I'll walk you there," he said, and Dean frowned.

"I know Kaitlyn's assigned to Team Hell No, and she's your partner, so they shouldn't try anything if they want to keep her happy, but who are your opponents assigned to?" the man asked, and it took Eve a moment to remember just who it was that Alicia Fox and Aksana were assigned to manage.

"Um... Alicia is assigned to Sheamus. Aksana has the Rhodes Scholars."

"None of whom are on this circuit of shows. Or so it appears from this match listing," Ambrose mused, and Eve shrugged.

"The live event tours are booked further in advance, so everyone can get their travel and hotel stuff figured out," the woman replied. "Since the decision to assign all the divas to manage somebody was made so recently, it's possible that a couple weeks from now it could end up that I'm at one set of shows and you're at another for a weekend."

"Yeah, well, if that happens, let's hope that our biggest problems are on the same set of shows as us and not you that weekend," Ambrose muttered, and Eve had to fight not to flinch at that because yeah... She did not want to think about what might happen if Ryback came after her at one of the shows and the Shield was in a completely different city because of live event schedules.

"I'll check the upcoming live event schedules when I get back to the hotel. As Booker T's assistant, I have access to who is scheduled for each event," Eve said. "But for now, I need to get to the curtain and meet Kaitlyn for our match."

Seth nodded, heading over to where she stood, watching as she grabbed her title belt and draped it over her shoulder. "Even if we know Sheamus and the Rhodes Scholars aren't here tonight and won't be around at ringside for Alicia and Aksana, I'm still walking you to the curtain at least."

"That's reasonable. You don't need to be out there for the match, though."

"I'll only come out there if it's necessary," he said, meeting her gaze and, after a moment, Eve nodded.

"Okay then," she said, glancing toward the mirror one last time to make sure she looked okay, then making a slight adjustment to the pink and gold ring gear that she was wearing before heading for the door, Seth walking alongside her. She shot a look at him as they made their way down the hall. "You know this isn't really necessary, don't you?"

"We're facing Ryback and the Usos later tonight. I don't picture the Usos as the type to go after a woman - it doesn't seem like their style - but I don't trust Ryback. And even if you are teaming with their manager tonight, I don't really trust Team Hell No, either."

"I don't, either. But they had a pretty nasty match against the Primetime Players earlier, so they're not really likely to be doing anything to bring you guys out there tonight. They have to know they aren't at their best."

"True enough," Seth replied, shrugging his shoulders. As they turned a corner, he lifted a hand to point, Eve noting that while he was already dressed in his ring gear, he hadn't put on the gloves he wrestled in just yet. "Looks like she's waiting for you."

Eve nodded slightly at that, the woman picking up her pace as she headed toward Kaitlyn, vaguely noting that Seth easily changed his pace to more or less match her quickened one, the man not letting her get more than a step or so ahead of him.

Kaitlyn sent a look toward the Shield member as Eve came to stand with her. "I was beginning to get worried you wouldn't show. Not that I thought you were abandoning me or anything, I just..." Her gaze slid toward Seth Rollins again, and Eve understood that the other woman had been worried that the Shield would somehow prevent her from taking the match. Clearly, despite the fact that Eve had made it clear that the Shield had treated her well so far, the younger woman wasn't quite ready to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Seth, apparently able to pick up on the things that Kaitlyn didn't say, arched a brow at the woman. "Eve's the divas' champion, and even if she wasn't, she's still a wrestler. Obviously we're aware that she's going to have matches. It's not up to us whether she accepts a match or not," the man said calmly, no real inflection in his voice, but Kaitlyn still flinched slightly... Maybe because of the lack of inflection, or maybe just because he was speaking to her at all and the Houston native was still more than a little afraid of the Shield as a whole. And since Seth was the least intimidating member of the group... It was probably a good thing that he was the one here with her now instead of Roman or Dean, because those two would have likely really freaked the other woman out.

Adjusting her grip on her title, Eve looked between the two, letting her gaze settle on Kaitlyn. "Seth's staying back here. He's not walking us out or anything. He's just keeping an eye out just in case... The guys are facing Ryback and the Usos tonight and they don't trust Ryback."

Kaitlyn nodded slightly. "Understandable," she said, looking like she wanted to say something more, but instead her attention was caught by something else... Or, rather, *someone* else. Their opponents for the night were making their way toward the curtain, and it was clear that they were more than a little surprised to see who was standing there with Kaitlyn. "Looks like someone isn't happy about who my partner for tonight is."

Eve shot a look over, noting that Aksana did indeed have a slightly panicked look on her face. "Well, considering the fact that she knows that we know the truth - that she attacked you and helped frame me - well... If you were in her shoes, would you want to be facing either of us?"

"Definitely not," Kaitlyn said, then smirked. "So, come on. Let's go out there and make all those things she's worried about right now... Actually come true."