Hello... Sorry it's been a while. Work has been off-the-chart crazy and I've been suffering from a little writer's block along side. But I'm getting there.

So this is something slightly different. It's still the same old characters that we all know and love, but it's a six-for-one kinda deal i.e. an update from each character over the course of the next few weeks. All the events take place over Wrestlemania week and whilst each pairing will have their own story, there are some over-arching plots running through each update as well. I haven't finished writing each chapter, but I have a plan (which is always good).

So essentially, there is something for everyone. Whether you're a fan of all three couples or have your favourites, it's probably best to read each one as everyone will be popping up in each other's chapters and you might only find out certain things about your faves, by reading chapters about the others... I hope that makes sense?!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing apart from my lovely OCs who see me through thick and thin along with their relevant muses

WARNING: Language, smut, the usual

NOTE: Big chunks of italics = flashbacks. Various lyrics may appear throughout but I will credit them as and when.

Enjoy x

Take Me There Part 1

Lex's POV

Pushing back the shower curtain, I step tentatively out of the bath and reach for a towel. The room is steamy thanks to my hotter than necessary shower, the mirror above the vanity completely clouded. With the towel wrapped securely around me, I reach forward and wipe my hand across the mirror until I can see my own face staring out. My hair clings to my throat, my shoulders, my chest as I adjust the towel once again.

I take a step towards the doorway and listen carefully. Roman's soft snores drift through the air and I find myself torn between giggling and crying. Not only do Ella's eyes remind me of him, but also the soft noises she makes as she sleeps. It can be jarring, to wake in the middle of the night and feel the bed empty next to me, but to hear those sounds floating through the baby monitor. It's even stranger to fall asleep with a solid body wrapped around me and hear the same snores muffled in my hair.

I miss her. It's been less than 24 hours since I kissed her goodbye and struggled to hold it together as Patricia whispered in Ella's ear as she tugged up her chubby little arm to wave. It's silly really. It's not the first time I've left her with her grandparents. There has been the occasional errand that I've need to run and taken up their offer to babysit for a few hours. There was the entire day where I had to meet with my now former employer to discuss my decision to take an extended break from my career. And then of course, the numerous dates that Roman has insisted on taking me on over the last few months in order to re-kindle what it means to be us. But it doesn't get easier. She used to cry at first and somehow, that made me feel better. It was almost comforting to know that she would miss me as much as I would miss her. Yet over time, the crying petered out into almost indifference. She just gives me a look, almost accepting that she's being left in the loving arms of her doting grandparents and that I'll be back in a few hours, like it's no big deal.

Only it's still a big deal to me. Her indifference makes it worse; it's like she's come to accept that this is how it is sometimes and that acceptance makes me feel awful. When I arrive to take her home, I relish in the way she nestles into my arms, her little hands inadvertently clutching at my hair as I close my eyes and try not to burst. It's overwhelming how much love I feel towards her. It's wonderful and exhilarating, but also painful and exhausting. My whole life purely revolves around Ella now and whilst I am more than happy with that fact, it makes me wonder what filled my life before she arrived.

And then Roman comes home and I remember. Our days together, when it was just the two of us, were usually spent in a lazy, lust-filled haze. Even after we were married, there was always that fire between us. We'd run errands, go for lunch or dinner but there was always that sense of eagerness to get back behind closed doors and show each other exactly how much we'd missed the other. After Ella arrived, I knew that things would be different. Our focus changed, pinpointed on our daughter rather than each other. For a while it felt like that was all there was – Ella. She clung to me, refusing to accept anyone other than me and I was constantly on the verge of tears. It was draining with no let up in sight.

I felt lonely. I feel like an idiot for saying that. I chose to start a family with a man who spends more time away on the road than he does at home – what did I expect? But when he was home, I couldn't get that closeness that I wanted. Ella refused to let Roman get near me before she started screaming. The touches between us were brief and fleeting and nowhere near enough. Our kisses were chaste, our hugs even more so.

It was a relief when Ella gradually started to accept that Roman was a permanent fixture in her life. I felt like I could breathe again and it made my heart pound to see her asleep on Roman's chest or in his arms. I always knew he would make a great father, but to see it play out in front me is something else. It makes me love him even more. Watching the two of them interact is spellbinding. Sometimes, I deliberately keep my distance just so I can observe how enamored they are with each other, blushing whenever he spots me, a wide grin spreading across his face as he whispers something to Ella that I never quite catch. Not at first anyway.

"You two keeping secrets?" I chuckle as I approach the couch.

"It ain't a secret, is it?" Roman says to Ella, who laughs as if on cue.

"What is?" I pester as I drop onto the couch and feel his arm slip around my shoulders.

"We were just agreeing on something," he murmurs.

"Agreeing on what?" I reach out and stroke my finger along Ella's cheek, smiling as her eyes meet mine and she lets out another chuckle.

"On how beautiful you are."

"Ro..."

"Or was it stunning, Pumpkin? We were torn between the two, right? Because Ella reckons you're beautiful, whilst I'm veering toward stunning."

I can feel my cheeks redden as my head rocks against Roman's shoulder. His fingers slide through my hair, his lips pressing against my forehead. "Definitely stunning," he murmurs.

He wouldn't just tell me like that though. That was just the beginning. He'd whisper it to me all the time, text me just to tell me the exact same thing, reach out and stop me in my tracks just to tell me how stunning I was. It was as if he knew I felt the opposite and was determined to change my mind. I had always accepted that my body was not going to spring straight back into shape. I knew it would take time and I know that maybe it will never be the same as it once was. I had made sure to warn Roman of this, but he told me in no uncertain terms that he was not that naive. Instead, he told me how much he'd love every additional curve, line, mark and blemish. And sure, there were still times where I wanted to shield myself away from his gaze and his touch, especially early on, but he never once made me feel pressured or uncomfortable. In fact, the hungry look in his eye only seemed to grow. His kisses became longer, more sultry, more teasing. His hands started to explore, reacquainting themselves with my body, adjusting to the way I now fitted into them. And I relished in his exploration. I felt less alone. I felt like me again. I almost started to feel sexy, even though when I looked in the mirror, I could still see the extra weight around my thighs, my ass, the softness still apparent in my stomach, the stretch marks still prominent on my skin. But in his arms, I started to forget how I looked and focused more on how I felt.

I replace the towel with one of the hotel robes, tying it loosely around my waist whilst I set about brushing out my wet hair. As I lean towards the mirror, I notice how freely my breasts move and I straighten quickly to tighten the robe in order to secure them. They've never been particularly big, yet during pregnancy they swelled beyond belief and despite no longer breastfeeding after almost five months, they show no signs of retreating back to their original size and shape. And once again, Roman can only show me his delight in how they look and feel in his hands. Although I can hardly blame him for that. But for me, it's just another part of my body that I'm still adjusting to seeing differently. Pregnancy really is the ultimate mind-fuck.

There's a muffled cough beyond the bathroom door, followed by a low groan as I loosely braid my damp hair over one shoulder.

"Lex?" Roman's voice is thick with sleep, but it still sends an unexpected shiver down my spine.

"I'm in here," I call back out as I twist a hair-tie around the base of the braid.

A rustle of sheets, another groan that segues into a yawn. The bathroom door slowly opens wide and out of the corner of my eye, I catch the sight of skin and ink. My eyes dart up to the mirror and my cheeks instantly flush as I drink in the sight of him.

"Morning," he smirks, leaning against the doorframe. His hand drifts over his chest, chasing an itch that conveniently sinks south and I can't help but follow his movements. He chuckles softly and my eyes dart back up to his face.

I clear my throat nervously. "Did you sleep okay?"

"I guess. You?"

I shrug. "Not really." He nods slowly and I instantly feel my guilt increase. "Sorry," I mutter.

He steps towards me, his arms sliding around my waist a second later. "You don't have to apologise. I understand, Lex. You know that I do."

I nod, taking a shaky breath as he tugs me back me into his embrace. "I know, but–"

He shakes his head. "No buts. It's natural to miss her, Lex. She's part of you, part of us."

"I know. But–"

"No–"

"These few days are about us," I forge ahead. "And I just… I just feel like I've spent most of the time missing Ella rather than appreciating the time with you."

He smiles softly over my shoulder. "We've only been together for less than 12 hours, Lex. We've still got plenty more time for us."

"Yeah?"

"Well, until I'm dragged away for media this afternoon. And again tomorrow..."

I pout. "Now who's making me feel guilty?"

He softens. "I'm not. We've got tonight. And tomorrow morning. And tomorrow night. And even though Ella will be coming out with my folks on Friday, we've still got Saturday night together..."

He releases one hand from my waist, bringing it up to tug back the neck of the robe. I shiver as I feel his fingers slide over my skin and he grins.

"What I'm saying," he murmurs, slowly edging the back of the robe further away from my neck and shoulders. "Is that we have plenty of time for us."

I let out a small moan as both his hands spread across my shoulders, his thumbs moving in slow, firm circles at the base of my neck. My head drops forward, my hands gripping the vanity as Roman's fingers continue to work across my shoulders and neck. I suck in a breath as I feel him press his body against me, his lips working their way down my exposed upper back. His hands slip along my arms, slowly tugging my robe further down.

"Plenty of time," he murmurs against my skin as he works his way back up and softly nips at my ear lobe. "Lexi..."

My eyes flicker open to meet his in the mirror and my breath catches in my throat when I see the lustful hunger in them. Of all the ways I envisioned this happening, against a bathroom vanity was definitely not one of them, but somehow… It feels perfect. It feels like us.

Roman nuzzles at my neck, my cheek and I oblige, twisting my head, my mouth meeting his in an instant. It's soft at first, tentative from both us as we find the right pace. But slowly, the intensity increases, the pace more fevered and desperate as he turns me in his arms and lifts me effortlessly onto the vanity. I'm less aware of the clatter of toiletries, more of how comforting it is to feel him between my legs, one hand cupping the back of my head as the other slips between us and starts to tug at the knot of my robe.

Self-consciousness flares inside of me and my hand slips to his, stilling his fingers as I pull back to catch my breath.

"Ro..."

He presses his forehead against mine, panting heavily. His hand slips away from the robe, grabbing mine and tugging it further south. I bite my lip as I feel him press my palm against the thick outline of his dick through his boxers.

"All you," he murmurs. "That's what you do to me, Lexi. Always have. Always will."

He curses under his breath as he nudges my hand along his length and I remember all the other times I've made him curse like that, how I've made him beg to quit teasing, how I've listened to his desperate moans and groans and the all-too-often growl. I remember how good it made me feel too, how empowered I felt to have that effect on him. Even now, despite my sudden shyness, I feel a twinge of satisfaction that I still have that effect on him.

"Ro..." I breathe against his cheek.

His eyes flicker open and he holds my gaze steadily as I stroke him of my own accord, my pace slow and languid. "You set the pace," he breathes. "I'll go as fast or as slow as you want."

"Slow is good," I whisper. "I just..."

"I made a promise, remember? I said I was going to worship every single part of you. Every beautiful inch. And we both know that I never break a promise."

I let out a giggle despite of myself and he smiles encouragingly. His hand slips to my leg, easing up the robe so that his fingers can glide over the inside of my thigh. It's fleeting, a brief moment of tension and then… A familiar heat sparks between my legs. I gasp, mostly out of surprise but there's no denying the way his fingers still make me feel. Their touch is slow, almost innocent but I remember all to well the levels of pleasure they bring.

His hand slips away, moving over the robe this time, back up to my hip, my waist, tickling gently at my ribs before cupping my breast. He groans against my mouth, the vibrations rippling through me as he captures my lips once more. His thumb flicks across my nipple, the friction even more intense from the material of the robe. My back automatically arches against him and he groans again, encouraged by my response. His mouth slips from my mine, sliding down to my neck where he immediately seeks out the spot that he knows is my weakness. I hiss, my body tightening as pleasure zips through me and he lets out a devious chuckle.

Cool air hits my breasts, the robe down by my elbows. Roman's mouth is sinking further south, his hand now on my bare breast, his fingers tugging slowly at my nipple. My eyes drift closed, my back arching once again as I feel his lips on the soft flesh. My hand is still slow on his dick, the other gripping the vanity as his tongue flicks across my hard nipple.

"Shit..."

His mouth closes around the tip, his tongue soft and wet. I'm suddenly aware that I'm trembling, my legs tight around his thick thighs as he continues to suck and swirl his devilish tongue over my breast. He slowly draws back, tugging softly at my nipple until it slips from his mouth with a pop. His hand gropes at my breast once again, his thumb and finger continuing to tease as he turns his attention to my other breast.

A sharp trill drifts through the air, followed by a dull vibration as my phone buzzes along the bedside table.

"Ignore it," Roman murmurs.

I nod, my hand picking up pace on his dick, thoughts purely devoted to how good his mouth feels on me, to how much I want to slip my hand inside his boxers.

My phone goes silent and I can feel Roman pick up the pace as he flicks his tongue back and forth across my nipple before he gently scrapes his teeth along its length, making me cry out.

A duller ring tone breaks through the sound of heavy breathing. And my lust-filled mind.

"Ro," I mumble, my hand reaching to cup the back of his head. "Your phone..."

"They'll call back," he groans as he makes his way back up to my neck.

"Ro… What if..."

He pauses, the tip of his tongue on my skin.

"What if it's Ella..." I let the words hang in the air.

"Shit..." He pulls back with a resigned sigh. His hand cups my cheek as he leans down. "This isn't over."

I giggle, my cheeks flushing as I reach down to tug my robe back up over my shoulders. "Is that right?"

He groans, his lips pressing against mine. "Definitely."

The dull ring tone starts up again and I nudge him away softly. "The phone, Ro..."

"I know, I know," he grumbles as he pulls away completely and makes his way back out into the bedroom.

I ease myself down from the vanity and follow him. I watch as he snatches up the phone from the bedside table with a frown.

"Ella's fine," he mutters as he swipes at the screen before raising it to his ear. "What's up, Seth?"

He shakes his head as I bite back a chuckle, reaching out and tugging me against him. Pressing the phone against his shoulder, he leans down and nips at my ear lobe. "Definitely not over."

Roman's hand casually brushes casually against my leg under the table, making me almost choke on a mouthful of water. I throw him a sideways look, but he's too preoccupied in his conversation with Dean to notice. I shift in my seat as his fingers creep over my thigh, their intent in complete contrast to the nonchalant expression arranged on his face.

"Sorry about that," Becca says as she takes her seat opposite me. "Vacation doesn't seem to be a word that anyone in the office has heard of."

"No worries," I smile back. "That bad huh?"

"You could say that..." she pauses and shakes her head. "Nope, I'm on vacation, I've got five glorious days with you guys and I'm going to hide my work cell in the room safe at the earliest opportunity." Plucking up the menu, she flips it over to the eye up the drinks. "Would you judge me if I started early?"

I chuckle. "Sounds like you need it."

She nods. "Oh yes. Also, I think the more liquored up I can be, the better."

I eye her curiously. "Why?"

"Sunday," she looks up. "Is it normal to feel this nervous?"

"Of course," I smile softly. "Have I ever told you what happened at my first Wrestlemania with Roman?" Becca shakes her head. "I was completely on edge and to be honest, so was Ro. To the point where we had a massive fight and I left."

"You left?"

"Well, I got as far as security before common sense kicked in. Look, the point is, don't let the nerves spoil it. And hey, Shiv and I'll be there with you." I reach out and squeeze her hand. "You'll be fine."

I watch as she chews her lip. "I guess. I just can't stop thinking about it." Her voice is almost a whisper, a quick sideways glance at Dean, who is still deeply immersed in conversation with Roman, telling me all that I need to know. "He's just so calm and it just makes it worse."

"Maybe you should–" I start up, but she shakes her head.

"No. I can't. I don't want him to worry about me worrying about him."

I squeeze her hand again. "I get it, I really do. But there's nothing worse than keeping that bottled up. Just tell him."

She nods and gives me a weak smile, before her gaze lifts to behind me. "Hey, what took you so long?"

I twist in my seat to see Siobhan and Seth approaching the table, the latter's arm curled around the former's shoulders. Her head rocks against his shoulder and I swear I see her swallow nervously as she nods at whatever Seth is murmuring against her temple. She slips from his grasp, heading towards us, bending down to hug me and press a kiss to my cheek before doing the same to Becca.

"We got caught in traffic," Siobhan explains as she exchanges hugs with Roman and Dean as well.

"If only we'd thought of the same excuse," Roman murmurs to me and I feel my cheeks flush. I pinch his side in retaliation and he lets out a rumbling chuckle, his own hand sliding over my thigh again.

Seth's hand brushes over my shoulder and I glance up, raising an eyebrow as I take in his darker than usual skin. "Hey stranger, rehab seems to be treating you well."

He chuckles and I swear his cheeks redden ever so slightly. "I could say the same about motherhood and you. How's Ella?"

"Hopefully behaving for her grandparents. They're bringing her out here Friday and she is way overdue a cuddle with her Uncle Seth."

"Watch the hair though, bro," Roman chimes in. "She's weeks away from trying to scalp us."

Seth laughs as he makes his way around the table to sit next to Siobhan and I smile as I watch her shift her chair closer to his.

"So, what was with all the calls this morning?" Dean pipes up. "Kinda reminds me when these two," he jabs his thumb towards me and Roman, "got us all together to announce the big news."

Siobhan's gaze immediately drops to the table, whilst Seth coughs nervously.

"Oh shit," Dean murmurs. "Dude..."

"You're pregnant?" Becca asks, her head turned towards Siobhan in surprise.

Siobhan looks back up, meeting my eye for a brief second before she looks away. "No," she says with a small smile. "I'm not pregnant."

"Engaged?" Roman offers.

Seth's arm slips around Siobhan's shoulders. "Kind of," he replies with a grin.

"Kind of?" Dean queries. "You either are or you aren't."

I watch as Seth's hand squeezes Siobhan's shoulder, the way she looks up at him, the look of complete and utter adoration on her face so pure and obvious. It's a look I've seen her give him a thousand times before but this time… This time it looks different. Her own hand reaches for her neck, her fingers slipping around a chain that disappears into her shirt. And then her fingers climb to rub at her cheek, her nose and I see something small, petite, almost invisible on her ring finger.

"You got married."

Silence. I can feel all five pairs of eyes on me, the words hanging in the air as I blink and Siobhan's face comes into focus. She holds my gaze steadily, her mouth slightly open as if about to reply but unable to find the right words. And despite the fact that three words just fell out of my own mouth, my mind is empty as to what to say next.

Becca is the first to speak. "When? How?"

"It's a long story," Seth starts.

"You can't just drop something like that and expect to get away with the short version," Becca retorts with a chuckle. "From the beginning, please."

Siobhan doesn't look away as Seth starts to recount their time back in Alabama. I frown as I let that fact sink in and I barely notice the way that Siobhan's face starts to crumple. Alabama was almost six months ago. I remember Siobhan coming to see me, chatting about Seth, Ella and life in general, watching her hold Ella at only a few weeks old, pushing a thank you bottle of wine into Siobhan's protesting hands with a promise of more, much more, whatever she needed, whenever she needed. After everything she did for me in those final weeks before I gave birth, she deserved so much more and yet…

"You okay?" Roman murmurs, his hand squeezing my thigh softly.

"I'm fine."

"Lex–"

"I need the restroom."

My chair scrapes loudly, Seth's voice faltering as I stand and finally turn away from Siobhan's gaze. Roman's hand slips against mine but I move away before he can pull me back. I weave through the tables on auto-pilot, ignoring the call of name once again.

The restroom door bangs loudly against the wall, the cubicle door rattling as I fumble with the lock. I lean against it, letting the sudden silence wash over me as I will myself not to cry as I struggle to understand why I'm not sat at the table, offering my congratulations. I don't understand why.

Why I'm feeling…. Empty, upset, disappointed.

Why my best friend decided to not tell me herself about Alabama and the events that followed.

Guilt curls around my gut, clenching hard as I wonder. Was I that preoccupied with my own life, with Ella, that she felt that she couldn't tell me? Did she feel like I wouldn't have time to congratulate her, to celebrate with her, to help her plan whatever she needed, just like she did with me? Am I that bad a friend?

And then as quickly as the guilt took control, so does the anger. Secrecy, deception, lying all invade my mind and I squeeze my eyes shut as I try to control it and fail miserably. My fist bangs back against the cubicle door, the angry vibrations reverberating through my body and around the room.

"Lex?"

I freeze as I hear Siobhan's tentative voice.

"Lex… I… Fuck..." she sighs. I listen as she crosses the floor and into one of the cubicles. There's a brief rustle of paper before she blows her nose and sniffs.

"Shit, Lex. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, that I didn't tell you about Alabama and everything else. I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone sooner… I don't even know why I decided to keep it from everyone. Seth… He wanted to tell everyone and I convinced him not to. It seemed like such a great idea at the time." She scrapes her foot over the floor with another sigh. "But I guess it was pretty stupid really. Selfish too."

Another sniff, another rustle for more paper.

"Stupidly selfish," she mutters. "Like I've been countless times before. I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it all. I wanted small and I knew that the more people we told, the bigger it would get and I couldn't cope with that. And Seth… God," she draws a shaky breath. "I have no idea how I got this lucky. He just wanted to make me happy, Lex. He told me that I had compromised so much for him, that he was willing to compromise on this. He didn't breathe a word to anyone, Lex, even though I know he wanted to scream it from the rooftops. And all because I was too damn selfish."

"I wouldn't have told anyone if you'd asked me not to." I slide back the latch and open the cubicle door. Siobhan is leaning against the sinks, her eyes red, crumpled tissues in her fist.

"I know," she sniffs, fumbling with the tissues. "I was just being a selfish bitch. Like always."

I take a step forward. "You're not a selfish bitch, Shiv."

She chuckles bitterly. "My Mom would beg to differ."

"Shiv…"

"She hasn't spoken to me since we told her last week. My Dad's fine with it, although I think that's because he didn't have to fork out a penny for any of it."

"And Seth's parents?"

"Happy for us," she flashes me a weak smile. "I mean, they were surprised, but overall they were really good about it and they understood."

"I don't… I don't know if I understand," I say hesitantly. "I mean, I get that you wanted to keep it small, but when have you ever other people's opinions stop you from doing what you want?"

Siobhan shakes her head, her gaze dropping to her feet. "It's… It's stupid."

"I'm not going to judge you, Shiv," I bite my lip. "I'm just surprised. I think everyone sat at that table is surprised. But I want to understand why you didn't want to tell anyone. And it's me, Shiv. I'm not buying that you just didn't want to tell your family because you knew it would get out of hand. You've done plenty of things against their will and never batted an eyelid so I know that's not the real reason you decided to keep this a secret."

She wipes her fingers under eyes, catching tears that are starting to spill again. Closing the gap between us, guilt once again claws at me.

"You remember what it was like..." she murmurs. "When Seth and I first started dating. It was horrible. I mean, I always knew that it would come with the territory, but still..."

"I remember,"I nod. "But I also remember telling you that it would be worth it. And it was, I mean, it is. Right?"

"Right." She pauses. "But it never really goes away does it? I mean, there's always someone murmuring. And no matter how much you try to block it out, it can still… It can still get to you."

Realisation slowly dawns on me. "Oh, Shiv…"

Her foot kicks back against the sink unit and she sniffs almost violently. "Stupid, right? I mean, I'm in my thirties and I'm letting myself get cut up over what some teenage fangirl thinks of my relationship. It's pathetic, I know."

"It's not," I quickly cut in. "Trust me, it's not."

"It is when that stops you telling your nearest and dearest about getting engaged, stops you from letting your fiancé buy you a ring, stops you from even getting wedding rings, stops you from even taking one photo of you and your husband on your wedding day because what if your phone or his gets hacked and it ends up on fucking TMZ."

Her confession echoes around the bathroom and I stare at her, stunned. She wipes at her eyes again, her foot tapping against the unit as she shakes her head and scoffs quietly. "Tell me again that it's not pathetic."

I swallow hard. "I didn't realise it was that bad."

"It wasn't for a while. And then Seth got injured and I ended up in the shot of that stupid video they got him to do for the website and it all just… It just started up again."

"And Seth?"

"He knows that's why I wanted to keep it low-key. Like I said," she gives me another weak smile. "He just wanted to make sure I was happy."

"And are you?"

Her smile widens, her eyes shining. "I am."

"Then that's all that matters." I reach out and pull her into my arms. "I'm happy for you," I whisper as she sniffs against my shoulder. "I know I have a funny way of showing it, but you know that I just want you to be happy, just like Seth does."

"I wanted to tell you," she murmurs, her voice muffled against me. "I was so close to texting you just before, but I just..."

"It's okay," I reassure, pulling back so I can look at her. "I'm not angry at you, I just wanted to understand. And I do, Shiv, I really do. I just wish you'd told me sooner that you were being subjected to all that bullshit again. You don't have to go through that on your own; Becca and I both know what it's like. You're not alone."

"I know. But you have Ella and–"

"That doesn't mean I can't be there for my best friend. You can always call me, you know that."

"I know," she nods slowly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't said what I said in the way that I said it. I shouldn't have walked away like I did. It wasn't fair on you or Seth. It was a stupid thing to do and I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she smiles. "At least you didn't jump to Ambrose's original conclusion."

"Don't worry, I've dealt with that," a voice pipes up and we both look over to see Becca's head poking through the restroom door. "You two made up?"

Siobhan nods. "Yeah. Look, Becca, I'm sorry I didn't tell you either."

But Becca just shakes her head as she pushes the door open wider. "You don't need to apologise to anyone. You did what felt right at the time and from what Seth has just finished telling us, it sounded pretty awesome."

Siobhan grins shyly. "I guess it kind of was."

"Hey," I chuckle. "I haven't heard any of the details, so spill. He said it happened in Alabama?"

"It's a–"

"Long story," I nod with a grin. "But I've got time. Becca?"

Becca nods, coming further into the bathroom. "Hell yeah. I've heard Seth's version, so now I want yours."

"I dunno," Siobhan begins. "He does tell it pretty well."

"Sure, but we want the details, don't we, Lex?" Becca nudges me gently. "The dress… The ring..."

"The ring?" I ask with a frown. "You said that you didn't do any rings."

"Not at first," Siobhan admits, her hand automatically reaching for the chain around her neck. "Look, do you want the story from the beginning or not?"

I cast a sideways look at Becca, who winks back at me. "No, definitely start with the ring."

Siobhan rolls her eyes. "But it's kind of the final part of the whole saga."

"Fine, fine… But can't you at least show us?" Becca persists. "I want to know why it's not sitting in pride of place on your finger instead of on a chain around your neck."

"I do wear it," Siobhan grumbles. "I just wanted to tell you all first, rather than show up and have you all jump to conclusions before we could even begin to explain."

"C'mon," I whine playfully. "The anticipation is killing me!"

"Now I can see where Ella gets her impatience from…." Siobhan mutters as she fingers the chain once again before slowly drawing it out of her shirt. I'm about to respond when the ring flashes up at us.

"Holy crap..." I hear Becca murmur.

"Shiv… It's beautiful," I say as I reach out and pluck the ring from her grasp, twisting it in the light. "A ring like that definitely deserves more than being stuffed in your bra."

"I agree," Becca says as I let her take the ring. "And he chose it himself?"

Siobhan nods. "He said he bought it ages ago. He had," she grins to herself. "He had a whole plan on how he was going to do it, but then the injury happened and it… Well, it was different."

"How so?" I ask as I watch her slip the ring from the chain and slide it firmly onto her finger.

She chuckles. "Where did Seth start?" she asks Becca.

"The hotel room… Why?"

Siobhan laughs as she shakes his head. "Okay, don't tell him that I told you both what happened before that."

"Promise, now out with it," I pester.

"Well, I spent all the time he was in surgery at the hospital. I just wanted to be there when he came round. And it's funny, because he kept telling me I should go back to the hotel room and he'd get the staff to call me when he was out and awake. But I was like, nope, I'm staying right here just in case. So the surgeon comes to tell me that Seth's awake and asking to see me, only when I get to him, he's only really half-awake and pumped full of pain medication. And it just… It just kind of slipped out."

"Hang on," I frown. "He was high as a kite when he asked you to marry him?"

Siobhan giggles. "Yup."

"And you said?"

"Well, I knew he didn't know what he was saying. And when he woke up later, he never mentioned it, it was like he couldn't even remember talking to me when he first woke up. So I decided not to say anything. And I thought I was doing a pretty good job of keeping it to myself, but obviously not. And that's when the hotel room happened."

"Which involved…?" I prompt.

"He told me he wanted to know what was going on. I mean, he thought that I was having doubts about sticking around whilst he went through rehab, when really..." she smiles shyly, "I was really wondering what it would have been like if he had remember what he'd asked me. And he honestly doesn't remember a thing about what he said in hospital, which might be why he leaves that out of his version of events."

"Or to save face," Becca chuckles.

"True," Siobhan concedes. "But I told him that he said what he said and then one thing lead to another and he was asking–"

"No..." Becca interrupts. "You can't say he left out the hospital part and then you leave out what he told you."

Siobhan exhales slowly. "But that's not what–"

"I know, but it's cute." Becca turns to me. "Seriously, it's adorable."

"Fine," Siobhan groans. "He told me how he would have proposed. He was going to pick a day when he was home before me, fill the apartment with candles and dress up all smart. He said he had a whole speech planned too."

"A whole speech?" I raise an eyebrow. "Did he tell you this speech?"

She nods, her cheeks flushing. "It's kinda corny."

"Go on."

"It was about Vegas. How I told him to screw sensible, how I teased him about quitting whilst he was ahead and how he regretted doing just that in Vegas and the night that we first met. And then," she smiles widely. "He was going to get down on one knee with the ring and tell me that this time he was all in."

"Shiv…" I murmur. "That sounds amazing."

"Yeah, but don't get too caught up in that story, because it didn't actually happen like that. What did happen is that he told me that story and I just said yes."

"Even though he hadn't actually asked you?"

"Well," she chuckles. "He kind of already had."

"But he doesn't remember that bit."

"Yes, I know that," she rolls her eyes at me. "But he did ask me in his story."

"And the wedding?"

"What about it?"

"When, where..." I prompt.

"End of January," she says after a brief hesitation. "We just went to the courthouse. Asked two strangers to be our witnesses."

There's a moment of silence as she holds my gaze, her chin starting to shake. "Lex..."

"It sounds perfect," I tell her. "All of it. It sounds wonderful."

"I wore a dress," she murmurs. "White lace… But like I said, I don't have any photos of it."

"I have no doubt that you looked absolutely stunning."

She blushes. "Seth keeps telling me that I did."

"Then it's obviously the truth."

"What about the..." Becca taps her own finger.

"The tattoos?" Siobhan's own fingers brush over the ring, tugging it loose so she can show us the symbol engraved on her skin. "My idea, but it suits Seth as well. I mean, sure it was partly to do with keeping it all low-key, but he can't wear a ring all the time and I knew he'd be distraught if he lost it."

I nod. "Ro gets paranoid about it too. The tattoo is a cool idea though. Who picked the design?"

"Seth. He organised it all. Found an artist that wouldn't ink and tell." She traces the infinity symbol slowly. "And he organised the honeymoon too."

Becca giggles. "He is seriously putting Roman and Dean to shame with that."

"Why, where did you go? And please tell me you at least have some photos from that." I ask, watching as a wide grin spreads across Siobhan's face.

"St Lucia… And yes, you'll be pleased to know that I have photos to show you. The view was just mind-blowing," she sighs dreamily. "It was heaven." She pauses. "But we're skipping ahead."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"We… We kind of had a first dance."

"Where?"

"In our apartment," she grins.

"And what do you mean by kind of..." Becca says curiously.

"You really need me to spell it out for you?" Siobhan arches an eyebrow, as Becca and I start to laugh.

"Shiv, really? You couldn't keep your hands under control for the length of a song?"

"Me?" she pouts. "Tell Seth that. He was the one who..." She shakes her head. "It was him. All him."

"Yeah, we believe you," Becca chuckles. "But I don't think either of us are in a position to judge."

"Speak for yourself," I grin, rolling my eyes as Becca and Siobhan let out noises of disbelief. "Fine, fine. I'm as bad as you both. Probably even worse."

"One word: Vegas," Siobhan laughs.

"What? A little grind on the dance floor isn't exactly scandalous."

"I wasn't referring to that and you know it," she grins slyly.

I can feel my cheeks redden as Becca nudges me. "What happened afterwards?"

"It's not important," I pout. "And anyway, how did this all turn to me? We should get back out there and get celebrating."

Siobhan waves me away. "No, it's cool. We weren't looking to do that, we just wanted to tell you all."

"I think it's too late for that," Becca tells her. "Dean's already suggested that we should go out to celebrate tonight after they're all done with media events."

"No, seriously..." Siobhan starts.

"But then Roman joked that they owed Seth a bachelor party instead," Becca continues. "So now..."

"Oh god," Siobhan groans before she catches my eye. "Lex..."

I grin. "C'mon Shiv, if he's getting a post-wedding bachelor party, then we are definitely throwing you a post-wedding bachelorette party."

"Seriously, don't you think it's–"

"A great idea?" Becca laughs. "Oh c'mon, we'll just go out and have a few drinks. Dress up, have a good time."

"And the guys?"

Becca shrugs. "Why don't we go find out?"

"You okay?" Roman asks me as I re-take my seat, his arm sliding around my shoulders as he presses a kiss to my head.

"Yeah," I smile and then look over at Seth. "Sorry about that, Seth. It really is amazing news, congratulations. Shiv told me everything and it sounded perfect. I'm over the moon for you both."

He grins as Siobhan's hand slides over his on the table. "Thanks, Lex. I guess Siobhan already explained why, but we didn't do it to deliberately keep you all in the dark. It would have been great to have you all with us, but–"

I cut him off with a shake of my head. "It's cool, I understand. I mean, we all understand, right?" I glance around the table to see the everyone nodding. "Although I hear that someone is a little pissed he didn't get to throw you a bachelor party," I nudge Roman with a grin.

"Hey, I was joking. Ambrose is the one who took the whole thing a little too seriously," he defends.

"You guys are as bad as each other," Siobhan comments. "Your wife is trying to convince me to have a post-wedding bachelorette party."

I scowl across the table as Roman chuckles. "Oh, is she now?"

"I thought it might be nice to return the favour, seen as Shiv did an outstanding job with mine. And Becca's on board too, right?" I look over and see her nod animatedly. "We're not talking the whole 'one last fling before the ring', just a few drinks at a bar or club."

"Yeah, we'll bring her back safe and sound," Becca grins with a wink.

"Likewise," chimes in Dean, before he turns back to Seth. "C'mon, dude. A few beers is all we're asking, right?"

"Right," Roman agrees. "We can just go to the hotel bar if you want."

"The hotel bar?" Dean groans. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously?" I chuckle. "You can do better than that, Ro."

"Exactly," Dean nods, before he starts reeling off a list of bars in the area to which Seth raises a number of objections.

"Any ideas for us?" I ask Becca. "I'm relying on your city-hopping knowledge."

She grins. "I have a few ideas. Depends on what Shiv wants to do."

"Huh?" Shiv turns away from Seth and Dean. "You promise that this just a few drinks at a bar or club?"

"Bridal veil is fully optional," I promise. "We can invite some of the girls from the roster if you want?"

Siobhan shakes her head. "Just us is fine. Lex, please, you promise me–"

"I swear. No dares, no strippers–" I pause and cast a look over at the guys. "That goes for you too," I grin.

"What does?" Dean frowns.

"No strippers," Siobhan tells him.

"Aw, Shiv, that's the best bit," he scowls, throwing Becca and me a quick wink as Siobhan's frown deepens. "Hey, I'm kidding!"

"You better be," she replies, narrowing her eyes. "Otherwise Sunday will seem a dream in comparison to my wrath."

Dean holds his hands up in surrender. "Trust me, I'm not going to risk it," he grins. "A few beers," he says. "That's all."

Siobhan's gaze falls back to me. "A few drinks, a little dance…" I reiterate. "That's all."

A/N: I hope to be back with Roman in a few days time... Until then x