[Dan Ryan walks through the halls of the Resch Center on the way to his temporary office for the evening. With his cell phone pressed to his ear, Ryan scowls as whomever he's trying to reach has let the call go directly to voicemail, which results in him slamming the phone's top down upon the keypad and shoving it back into its holder. Nearby arena workers quickly move off to the side to let the Boss, in his agitated state, pass by unhindered. Turning down the hallway where his destination lies, Dan discovers the door to his office is ajar. He stops in front of the threshold and, very slowly, pushes it open all the way to find a figure with a head of curly hair sitting in front of the desk, waiting. ]

Ryan: Having trouble answering your phone, I see.

[Dan enters his office and walks around to take his seat behind the desk, noting that Lindsay Troy(-Windham)'s angry eyes never leave his. Her cell phone remains clutched in her hand. ]

Troy: I haven't exactly been feeling quite talkative lately, you see.

Ryan: And yet, here you are. In my office. Staring.

[Troy continues to stare. Ryan finally sits down and stares back for a few moments. Neither says a word.]

Ryan: OK, I get it. It's a staring contest. I must warn you, I won the Texas State Fair blue ribbon five years running.

Troy: Another one of your accolades I'm sure you're proud of, along with running a successful wrestling company whose World Champion got married off in a druggy haze on its last pay-per-view.

[Lindsay brings her legs up onto the chair in an Indian-style position and lets her phone fall into her lap.]

Troy: Why'd you let him back in, Dan?

Ryan: I didn't let him back in, Lindz. His contract was good this whole time.

Troy (eyes narrowing): What are you talking about?

Ryan: He never actually filed retirement papers. His contract was never terminated.

[There's a deathly long pause while Troy(-Windham) stewed silently in the chair, her nails making deep indentations in the leather. If she was a bomb, the timer would be ticking ever closer to 0:00.]

Troy (trying extremely hard to remain calm): So this is it, then? You're going to sit here, nonchalant, without a care or a thought as to what happened and I have to live with the aftermath that the decision to hire him brought on?

Ryan (a confused look on his face): Have to live with the aftermath? Excuse me, Lindsay but the last time I checked - being a target and the ultimate homing point for drama and attempts to take you out come with the territory when you have the phrase World Champion attached to your name. Instead of bitching to me, why not do something about it? I hired him because the drama is good for business and it continues to be. I don't get involved in ring issues unless I absolutely have to. What? Are you saying Troy Windham is more than you can handle?

Troy: This isn't about "drama" anymore, Dan. This certainly isn't the same thing as you putting Marcus in a dress, or stringing Frankie Scott along on a string or letting Irishred play the "rebel." This may pop the Nielsen ratings for you and it may be "good for business", but did you even stop to think...I mean, really think just what Windham's done? August may have gotten his priesthood through one of those on-line ordinations, but now Windham could make a claim to everything I have and everything Alaina has. And do you think he won't? Do you really think that his ego wouldn't let him at least try?

You know as well as I do just where this is going to end up, and when the time comes I'll handle it just like I handled the main event at Unleashed. But because of YOUR hire and YOUR need to screw with all of us just a little, what I will ultimately do to Windham is vindication that Marcus, Frankie and Red can only dream of.

Ryan: Don't worry about everything you or everything Alaina has. I'll take care of that. As for handling it, I would suggest you stop talking about it - and do it.

[Sensing an upcoming roundabout argument, she merely bites her tongue, takes her phone to hand once more and stands up from her seat. Her eyes lift to meet Ryan's once more.]

Troy: I'd like to think that you know, better than anyone, what happens when my personal life is trifled with.

[With a spin of her body, Troy(-Windham) exits the room, shutting the door forcefully behind her. Ryan looks off to the side as one of the office's pictures comes crashing to the floor and nods his head.

Ryan: That I do...

[Troy leaves the room, and a moment later, a knock is heard at the door, and it then opens � showing Steven Shane and Frankie Scott waiting outside.]

Ryan: Fellas, thanks for coming before the show got started. I wanted to have a word with the two of you.

[The two walk in, continuing to stand.]

Scott: [glancing at Shane] Sure thing.

Shane: Yeah, what’s up?

Ryan: I wanted to touch base on what happened at Unleashed. I do appreciate the gesture, but I by no means intend to start some sort of stable here. I appreciate what you two did, but I didn’t ask for it. You’re under no obligations to me here other than what I signed you for.

Shane: Just protecting my paycheck, man. That’s all. You gave Kenny and I a shot at finishing our story here on our terms and I appreciate that. Besides, it ain’t like Red and I are the best of buddies.

[Ryan nods.]

Scott: Yeah, and you coulda been a real dick when I came on board, Dan. You and I both know that. I appreciate the shot at getting back in this game. I’m not letting that dickhead ruin it for any of us.

Ryan: [Nodding] Understood, guys. Well, I do appreciate it let me say again, so thanks.

[Ryan stands and shakes the hand of both men, and they turn and walk out leaving Ryan alone in his office where he looks down at a piece of paper on his desk and stares; a grin slowly coming across his face.]