Author Note: I want to thank everyone who has given this story a chance. This story is pretty different than my last one so its been challenging in that aspect. I'd like to thank wwemicky, CarolReigns, Imagineer1392, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess and Y2JJerichoHolic4Life for the reviews. I'd also like to thank psion53, KP817, LoveElissa, and Y2JJerichoHolic4Life for becoming followers.

Chapter 11: Inner Shell

Dean stood at the steps of the home that had once been Adalynn's. Yellow police tape was wrapped around the trees surrounding the house, blocking entrance to the abandoned structure. He cared less about the flimsy barricade and stepped underneath it. He was bound and determined to find answers as to what happened. "I've been gone for a year, where the hell are you?" He whispered to himself.

Pushing the door open, the smell of dead animal waved under his nose. It was obvious that there were creatures making their homes inside the house now that there were no occupants to prevent it. Something happened inside the kitchen; but he couldn't tell exactly what it was. His shoes crushed debris and crisp leaves that had made their way inside.

The next room he wanted to see was Adalynn's. The door had fallen off the hinges, leaving everything bare to his eyes. Her favorite stuffed giraffe that her father had given her at age six was still placed neatly on her bed. Lifting the toy into his hands, he held it close hoping that it would give him some sort of comfort. Her clothes were gone from the closet and her journal was gone from the desk in the corner. The only thing he could come up with was that she had left in a hurry and it wasn't a planned travel.

"Where did you go?" He murmured feeling completely defeated.

He wanted to take her away from all the chaos and from the life she had been living; but now that she was nowhere to be found, he felt like he had failed her. Running a hand through his hair, he shifted his feet to see a piece of elegant paper crumpled into a ball on the floor near her desk. Bending down, his fingers picked up the discarded paper. Adalynn's handwriting was clearly displayed on the lines. Unfolding the paper, he read the words aloud.

"July 28th, 2004

Today I came home from work to find that my mom had taken all my money that I had stashed away for my bus ticket out of the this hell. I don't know how much more of this I can take. She has done nothing for me and I don't understand why I deserve to be treated this way. I miss my dad more than words could ever express. I wish I knew where he was in this world.

July 29th, 2004

She beat me again. This time is was because I didn't have any money to give her. The bruises are getting harder and harder to hide at work. People are starting to ask questions. Dean, I wish I knew where you were. I miss you so much.

July 30th, 2004

Dean's been gone for almost two weeks now. I haven't heard a single word from him. His mom hasn't either. I wonder if it's wrong of me to wish that he never left. I wonder if he thinks about me at all. Did he even give a damn about me? I'm starting to regret not ever saying exactly how I felt about him, because just maybe he would have stayed."

Dean felt the burning of tears in his eyes. He had no idea just how hard her life really was, because she didn't really ever talk about her home life to him. Walking out of the house with the stuffed toy in hand, he quickly got into his car and drove down the road. His only thoughts were of finding Adalynn and making things right with her.

Dean sat straight up in the chair he had been sleeping in. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face and dripped down from his chin onto his hands. It had been a long time since he thought of that day. There had been so many emotions flowing through him. It had also been the day that he had figured out just how much Adalynn meant to him.

He turned to see that she was still sleeping soundly in bed. Reaching for his phone, he saw that it was 7:30 in the morning. Standing up, he stretched out a little before walking closer to the sleeping woman. Her hair was slightly in her face, laying perfectly along her jawline. He reached out and moved it away. "I wish that I had found you all those years ago. I doubt that you'd be this tormented if I had. I'm so sorry." He whispered before walking away.

Stepping out of the room, he quietly closed the door so as not to wake her up. Thinking back on the memory he had just relived in his dream, made him rethink everything he had done up until the current point in his life. He questioned everything. Was it necessary to leave when he did? Could he have taken her with him?

Adalynn awoke to an empty room. It had been the first night in a long time that she felt refreshed after sleeping. There was no nightmares to speak of and for that she was grateful. Sliding her legs to the side of the bed, she reached over for her phone to check the time. "8:30! Wow, I actually slept longer than four hours." She told herself with a slight laugh hinted in her voice.

Her fingers slowly made their way to her lips, remembering the kisses she had shared with Dean no more than twelve hours prior. Sitting up, she remembered falling asleep with him still in the room. She looked around and saw no sign of him, which disappointed her. Somehow over the last few weeks he had managed to break down several of her walls. The walls she used to protect herself from getting hurt.

Finally standing up, she walked across the room towards her bag. She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a light blue strapless top with an attached belt around the midsection. Stripping out of the day before's clothes, she quickly dressed into the clothing she had picked out adding a pair of heeled sandals to complete the outfit.

Looking into the mirror in the bathroom, she immediately brushed her dark locks and thought about adding some color to her same old dull hair. That was something she definitely wanted to ask creative about when she got to work on Monday. As of now, they have been keeping off non-televised events; but eventually that would stop and she'd be full time. The sound of her phone ringing, alerted her to the reality that the police would be wanting her to make a full statement at the station.

"Hello?"

"Adalynn Michaels?" A warm male voice asked.

"Yes..."

"This is Roger Malcom of the Orlando Police Department. We understand that you were involved in a domestic dispute last night at a local club, is that right?"

"Yes...I'm aware that I need to come down to make a full statement."

"Great, when should we expect you?"

"Within the hour."

"Great! See you then."

She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. It didn't really matter to her. All she cared about was helping that woman get away from a dangerous situation. One she knew first hand would get worse if not extinguished right away. Adalynn zipped up her bag and began pulling it behind her as she walked out of the room.

When the door was locked, she turned to look up from the floor only to see Renee walking in her direction. She mentally rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with the jealousy in that moment. There were more important things to take care than that. "Just keep walking. Maybe she won't see you." She mentally told herself.

There were no words exchanged, just a look of hatred radiating from Renee's eyes. Hatred for her. Ignoring it, she continued on towards the elevator that would take her down to the lobby. Once she got down to the lobby, Natalya was waiting for her by the exit. Adalynn smiled upon seeing her best friend. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me." She apologized.

"Don't apologize. You did a good thing. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, I got to go down to the station to make a full statement."

"I see, well I'm doing live events this week so we won't get to travel together. Will you be okay by yourself?"

Adalynn appreciated her concern; but it wasn't necessary. She had been doing things on her own pretty much her own life. All she could do was smile and nod her head. Nattie wrapped a comforting arm around her as they walked out towards the parking garage. A replay of the previous night flashed through her mind. Looking down to the ground, she felt the sorrow fill back up to the surface. There was a part of her heart that been empty for so long and now the Dean was there, she was afraid of what the feeling of being complete would feel like.

"What's wrong?" Natalya asked just as they got to Adalynn's rental.

"It's nothing."

"Addy? Come on, I know when you're lying."

She let out a sigh and proceeded to turn around and face her friend. Natalya could see the fear in Adalynn's eyes. There was something she was afraid of and her money was set on what happened the night before. She could imagine what memories were brought back up when seeing the man hit his girlfriend in public.

"Dean kissed me last night."

That was not what she expect the answer to be. Natalya blinked her eyes several times trying to grasp what her friend was telling her. After coming to terms with it, she tried to understand why she didn't tell her about it in the first place. "Addy, that's great. That means he feels for you just as much as you do for him." She commented.

"I just don't think it's a good idea to cross that friendship line. What if something happens between us and I loose him forever? Not only that, Renee is out for revenge."

"Screw Renee! She just pissed that she can't have him. He wants you and from the way he acts, he always has."

Adalynn opened the driver's side door, not wanting to hear anything else about it. Natalya hand came to rest on the cool metal of the frame. "Give him a chance. You have history and the connection I see between you is beautiful. The raw emotions flowing from both of you is electric." She stated with a smile and slight twinkle to her eyes.

"It's a lot to think about; but I'm not pushing him away. He's always going to be a part of me no matter what happens."

"Fair enough."

"I'll call you later. I really need to get going."

"Be safe."

She nodded and closed the door. Placing the key in the ignition, she started the car and started her trip to the police station. There were a hundred different things trying to play dominance in her head. The first thing she wanted to accomplish was getting that woman away from an abusive man and then she'd deal with the rest as they came about.

Dean finished packing his things up and left the hotel in a hurry to catch a cab to the airport. He was disappointed to learn that Adalynn was still being kept off non-televised events. He was hoping that he'd get to talk to her once more before their scripted relationship continued on Raw. Just knowing how she thought, he was worried that she'd cower back into the shell she felt saver in. Telling him about what her mother did exhausted her. The inner demons were still there, torturing her, making her fear the things he could give her.

"I swear that I'm not going to just walk away this time." He whispered as he rode in the back of the cab towards the airport that would take him to his next destination.