Cheers for the comments on the latest chapters. About my inspirations: yes, of course, I include everything we got as little snippets or reports and interviews from Axxess. I also raided William Regal's Twitter. Then threw everything in the mix and added the Ambregal. It's always fun to play a bit with reality plus adding some depths into a story. And now we're another day forward to "WrestleMania". See what Dean and William did to kill their respective days. Enjoy!

The hot steaming water burnt beautifully on his sun tortured skin. Once again Dean Ambrose had been out in the desert for almost the whole day, this time with his mountain bike, hence for a much longer distance than yesterday. Now he enjoyed the shower that he more than deserved after such a hard but all around great trip.

Dean had always thought that the greatest reward of a hard and long mountain bike trip would be the view from the top of a mountain or this fast paced race downhill to come home again. But actually the one reward that was unbeatable had to be this very shower. He felt every little part of his body, every muscle, every sinew, every pore – this wonderful pain you only feel after a full body workout.

The view from the top of the Turtlehead Peak had been the reward for his eyes; the race downhill had been the reward for his heart; but this shower right now was the reward for his whole body. And while the hot water was pouring down his skin, time seemed to stand still.

For quite some time Dean was just standing in his shower cabin, eyes closed, head down, hands supported on the tiles in front of him. His big match at WrestleMania was just a few days away, so this was something really needed for him at the moment – clearing his mind from disturbing thoughts; feeling his muscles being alive.

Unfortunately – and that was indeed the ugly reverse side of the coin – he couldn't do this forever. The bad habit of water to wrinkle one human body's skin made it impossible to stay into this safe bubble for eternity. So, reality hit him hard when Dean finally stepped out of the shower cabin into a rather cold bathroom. Water had been just a little too hot, he thought and sighed deeply while he wrapped himself into a large, soft towel that still wasn't able to bring back the same amount of comfort that he had previously felt.

But this was the lazy part of the day, the last few lazy hours he was able to allow himself before he had to go to San Francisco for the WrestleMania circus. Just a few hours to relax. Just a few hours for himself. Just a few hours to maybe get his thoughts back that he somehow lost just a few minutes ago in the shower.

– – – –

Half an hour later Dean was sitting – or more like lying – in his hammock on the balcony of his apartment. His good friend Jack was standing right next to him on a little table. And his other friend Sunny was a little further away and just about to call it a day. Wouldn't take long for him to say goodbye at all to leave a more or less cold and dark environment. So, Dean raised his glass of whiskey to the sinking sun and took a mouthful.

For some reason he had also brought his cell phone out here but didn't have a look on it since he arrived back home. But then he remembered his rather strange conversation with William Regal yesterday, and of course himself almost begging for another chit-chat tonight. Well, it hadn't been begging for normal people. But for Dean himself it had felt that way. He wasn't even sure why he asked for it in the first place. But as strange as the conversation had been, he had enjoyed it.

What a difference really to the last time they'd met. What a difference. But then, it could run just the same. So Dean actually didn't want to make it as close as they had been. But still, he couldn't deny to himself that he missed the fucker. He always played with him. Dean wasn't sure if he did so because he just liked to play with him and he knew that he was dumb enough to fall for him every. Single. Time. Or if he really liked him – maybe a little too much – so he played with him, hurt Dean's feelings in the process and was still able to deny that he had all these feelings himself.

All of a sudden Dean's head was buzzing. Too many thoughts at a time. So he finally checked his phone.

Not very surprisingly he discovered three calls in absence. The first from around two hours ago – that probably was when Dean had just enjoyed his suicidal race downhill; then the second call – shortly after; and the last one just half an hour ago – when he had been standing inmidst the best reward of them all.

Was it fate that Dean hadn't heard even one of these calls?

Nonsense. That wasn't fate. Just accident. And Dean called himself stupid again because why did he overthought a simple phone call? At least he could ask him about advices for his WrestleMania match. Maybe he knew what outfit Luke Harper would wear, so he was finally able to pick a different one for himself.

And now he thought about a reason to call him back. Damn it! What was wrong with him?

That Humphrey monkey guy was a sorcerer for sure!

The very moment Humphrey made it back into Dean's mind, he took his friend Jack, downed the rest of it that was in the glass, and finally went back inside his apartment, closed the door to the balcony and threw himself on his bed.

Then he called William.

– – – –

"Um, yeah... hi... it's me, Dean," the young man said when William finally answered his call. He'd tried about three times before and almost got concerned.

Now he heard some laughter from the other side. Many people in the distance. Very much seemed like the fucker was at a party or something.

"Um... well, if I bother ya, I'll call later... or we just meet Saturday somehow..." Dean tried hard to hide his diappointment when everything was quiet again on the other side.

"I'm sorry, Dean, what did you just say? I couldn't hear you," William finally said something back. And Dean noticed that he was quite amused.

"I just... well, seems like you're busy. So, don't mind..." Dean repeated himself, ready to end the call before it even started. But William Regal didn't let that happen.

"Nonsense, dear boy. I promised you a call. So let's talk. How was your day?"

No question about the missed calls? Now Dean was sure that William was hiding something from him. So of course Dean didn't answer his question. Instead he felt a bit angry without actually knowing why. But he wasn't able to hide it when he came back at William with a rather childish reply.

"Looks like you're having some fun right now. So I'd just bothering ya for real. Mean, I had to call ya four times until you got your phone. I really..." Dean couldn't continue because now William had enough.

"Dean, what's wrong with you?" William now asked in a more serious voice. "I just told you that I like to talk. In fact, I also tried to call you before. You might have seen it on your phone as well. But I decided that I give you another hour to call me back. I have to admit that I was slightly concerned about you. So I watched a bit of "Spit the Dog" for distraction. I'm really glad that you called me back, Dean. So, tell me, what's wrong?"

A cold shiver made its way around Dean's body, so the young man finally wrapped himself into his warm blanket. He felt rather stupid once again but still didn't really know why. Because there had been something to William's speech that he just didn't get.

"What's 'Spit the Dog'?" he consequently just asked.

"It's a quite funny English comedy show from the eighties. It's a ventriloquist, Bob Carolgees, and his puppet dog who isn't that well mannered, you know?" William explained.

"Um... so 'Spit the Dog' is like hitting people on the head with that title about what they're getting to see?" Dean speculated and heard a light chuckle from the other side of the line.

"Exactly. You should watch it if you don't know it. It's really good. One of my favourite shows," William continued to speak in his amused sounding voice.

"So, you'd been watching this show when I called you? I mean, in your hotel room?" Dean asked again dispite already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I did. And now tell me something about your day. Have you been hiking again?" William now asked almost impatiently. But in fact he was curious.

And finally Dean gave in, also simply to forget about his own stupidity, thinking that William was at a party and kind of getting jealous about it. If he had thought about any longer, he would have found that he'd been jealous of a puppet dog. Fortunately enough for him, he already remembered his day in the mountains.

"No hiking today – mountain biking. Did the trail to the Turtlehead Peak in the Red Rocks. Actually, I left my car at the Visitor Center, then took the Scenic Drive, then the trail, the saddle was a little tricky, but the race back downhill has been great. You should do this, too. It's really a great trail. And you can walk, of course. The view from the peak is wonderful. Bit grouded sometimes – tourists, you know. But at the right time of year and day it's marvellous," Dean told enthusiastically.

"I can only imagine," William said when he had the chance again. "Humphrey told me as well. But you can only feel and see it yourself."

"Hey, that's not funny," Dean complained when he heard the name of the monkey but couldn't help but smile when he noticed William's chuckle from the other side.

"I'm sorry," William said smiling.

"No, don't," Dean replied. "Don't apologize. It actually is funny. I just..." Dean knew what to say. He basically felt all the words forming inside of his mouth. But all of a sudden all these words swirled around in his stomach and they didn't make sense anymore. Even worse his heart rate had increased enormously within the last couple of seconds and his mouth became dry.

"I just..." Dean tried again. Swallowed. And tried again. "I... I'll be in Sisco early morning tomorrow for the media. Fancy of meeting up maybe when I'm finished? Just a little hanging about before Mania?"

And William's answer came instantly.

"Well, I'd love to, Dean, but I already have a date with Robbie. We'll go on a boat tour and afterwards get some lunch and relaxing on the bay. I don't know when we'll be fed up enough about that. So, it probably will get late. But you'll have much to do with the media and certainly would be glad enough about some rest in the afternoon and evening. An old chap like me would just get on your nerve, wouldn't I?" William asked the younger man. But Dean wasn't properly listening anymore.

"Yeah, alright... whatever," he just said. "I mean, have fun. Ya know, I've got to sleep now. Early flight tomorrow. Cheers for the chat. See ya."

William was still able to wish Dean a save flight but then their conversation came to an abrupt end. It left William wondering what just went on. Now that he recalled their little conversation, he found that Dean had been acting strange all the way through. Like he actively wanted to misunderstand the other man. Somehow William thought that this wasn't just the usual nervous behaviour before WrestleMania. There had to be something else about it. And he planned to solve this mystery before Mania.

It was some kind of a challenge – a game. And William Regal always loved to play with Dean Ambrose.

That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed. And if you did, leave me some reward, please. Also if you didn't. Well, you know the treat. Cheers!