Rainbow Edge
A/N: First off I just wanted to give a sympathetic and supportive shout-out to anyone in the Florida Panhandle right now. I'm in Middle Georgia so we didn't get hit nearly as bad as ya'll did but even 85mph winds caused a lot of damage. I used to live in SWFL and it got pretty bad there a few times so I feel your pain my friends. I twisted my ankle Friday working on cleaning up after the storm and it's STILL killing me if I don't keep it propped up and iced every hour or so. I don't have a laptop so trying to write in between bouts of elevate/ice is difficult at best.
Secondly, I love what they're doing with Dean's character atm. While he was out he nearly died from a MRSA infection…which is a nasty infection that resists most antibiotics. I've come close to dying myself on 3 different occasions and I know from personal experience that nearly dying can drastically alter the way you think/act/feel about everything around you. For me it made me focus very hard on my immediate family, my mom and grandma. For others it can make them focus on accomplishing whatever goals/dreams they have always had…and for some it just makes them decide to not put up with anyone's crap anymore and do whatever they want to do. I'm enjoying that the WWE writers seem to be exploring this with Dean's character and I can't wait to see where it goes.
Thirdly, to the anonymous Guest who decided to try and leave a rude comment insulting my writing, calling it terrible and juvenile, without having the decency to actually login…1 – You need to look-up the definition of constructive criticism, and 2 – if you can't be mature enough to PM me with whatever issue you have against my story then I see no reason to actually allow others to see your "Juvenile" comments. Had I actually been an insecure "starstruck 13 year old" writing this, your comments might have killed that child's dream of writing. Learn to think before you start hurling insults instead of helpful suggestions.
Fourthly, to my loyal readers…I apologize for that rant but I get very angry when someone leaves an anonymous review full of insults and no helpful advice on how to fix what they think is wrong. Its crap like that…that causes young writers on this site to give up on their dreams and stop writing…and that's just wrong. If you don't like what someone wrote either don't read it and move on…or leave a helpful comment stating what you didn't like and how they might be able to fix it…but do NOT insult the writer or their work simply because you didn't enjoy it. I've seen crap like that ruin too many young writers and it pisses me off faster than anything else can.
Lastly, I'm trying something a bit different in this fic with Dialogue…if it's just a couple of people talking and you can easily tell who they are I'm doing normal dialogue…but if it's multiple people I'm putting names at the start of the quotations to make it easier to tell…hopefully it works out but if you don't like it let me know.
Vampirezdarkgurl: Yeah…Raw's been an emotional roller coaster for Shield fans the last few weeks…and it's still going darn it lol.
DarkDragonessFlies: *hugs* I have a younger half-brother who barely acknowledges my existence so I kind of feel ya…kind of.
Sitalia: That after-show scene had me in tears too hun. I'm glad you're enjoying my story.
Anonymous Guest (the nice one): I agree. I would love to see him as a heel without all the PG crap so he could just go full Moxley on the WWE. Moxley was an amazing heel, and the roster wouldn't even know what hit em lol.
Chapter 11 – Cracks, Repairs, and Iris Snaps
Before Dean had left because of his injury he'd been a bit crazy, yes, but he had also been loud-mouthed, mischievous, and often hilarious. When he came back he was…different. He didn't joke around as much, he didn't talk as much, he didn't pull pranks and tricks anymore…he was more focused, more aggressive, less reckless, and a lot quieter. At first Roman and Seth had enjoyed this new version of Dean but now they were learning that they didn't know this version the way they knew him before.
Nearly dying in a hospital bed has a way of changing the way a person sees the world around them, and how they feel about the direction their life is going in. Clearly Dean had had such a moment as he recovered from his own brush with mortality and it had changed something in him.
Dean, for his part, was extremely grateful to have Iris at his side. Her willingness to support him no matter what he did was a big help while he was figuring things out and deciding what he needed to do. He was positive that if he hadn't met her and let himself fall in love with her…that he would probably have done something stupid and reckless by now that would have gotten him into a lot of trouble with someone or other.
Now they were in Philadelphia for Monday Night Raw watching the "Dogs of war" run their mouths in the ring. Well…Seth and Roman were but Dean and Iris were nowhere to be found just yet. Roman and Seth were a bit worried but they refused to let it show because any weakness could be used to tear you to pieces.
Dolph, "You are looking at the greatest three man group in wwe history."
Drew, "And you know what? We didn't need a catchy nickname, or matching tactical vests to prove it either."
Braun, "We proved it last week against the Shield…and we'll prove it anytime, anyplace, against anyone."
Dolph, "Hey Hey, just in case you forgot, I mean…we didn't but…if you did…check this out."
A video package is shown from the previous week where Dean lost to Drew and then walked out, and it even includes the after-show interview clip where Dean speaks of maybe not fitting in anywhere anymore.
Drew, "I hate to say, I told you so…but I told you so. We didn't just beat the Shield last week…we broke the Shield. I can only imagine where that Lunatic's mind's at right now trying to figure out where he fits into that selfish agenda known as the Shield. That's right…that's right…Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins they're the only ones that ever benefitted from that relationship. They had no use for Dean. We have been telling you the truth for weeks now, and finally you all have opened your eyes…finally Dean Ambrose's eyes have been pried open…and finally the Shield have been shattered."
Braun, "And at this rate the Shield's not gonna be around to watch Roman's back when I slay the Beast and dismantle the Big Dog all on my way to becoming Universal Champion at Crown Jewel."
Drew, "Speaking of Crown Jewel, we have the WWE World Cup. Tonight after I beat Seth Rollins in my qualifying match I advance to the next round, mow through the competition, and I prove to every single person around here, I am the absolute best in this world."
Dolph, "Whoa there, easy, easy Drew…you're great but I also have a qualifying match this evening with the Lunatic Dean Ambrose…and after I win, I mean…maybe we might…go head to head in the finals."
Drew, "And that would be a shame…because as good as you are Dolph…and you are absolutely fantastic…buddy, you're no Drew McIntyre."
Dolph, "I…I tend to agree a little bit there…I mean I am the most consistent superstar in WWE history, check the dates, it's no big deal, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it…we'll get to it…we're on our way to that."
Braun, "As good as both of you are…at WWE crown jewel…Lesnar and Roman are both…gonna get these hands."
Roman and Seth walk onto the stage without Dean, something that causes the three men in the ring to look exceedingly smug.
Seth, "Gentlemen I've got some bad news for you…the Shield…we're not shattered…we're not broken…the Shield…is alive…and…well. We're back there listening to you guys yap on and on and on about who the best in the world is…oh man…I got news for you Drew…news for you Dolph…Drew, when I beat you tonight in our qualifying match…I'm gonna prove to you what the rest of the world already knows…Seth Rollins…is the best…in the world."
Dolph, "Wow what a great speech…ladies and gentlemen…two thirds of the shield...but…where's your brother…your brother Dean Ambrose? I know you two ego maniacs don't really care where he is…and he shoved ya and walked off…and he finally opened his eyes to the things we've been saying for weeks and months and everybody in this arena knows…that's no big deal. I know you don't care that he's here…I don't care if he shows up either, I'll take a forfeit when I advance to the finals…"
Seth, "Ah shut up, shut up Dolph…you're not taking a forfeit…Look I know you guys don't know Dean all that well, but we know him real well and he runs on Ambrose time…which means he shows up when he wants to show up, does what HE wants to do…the bottom line is…Ambrose always shows up."
Roman, "The funny part is…you're worried about Dean…when you should be worried about these titles. Let me take that back…Dolph and Drew, you're never getting close to these titles and Braun…at crown jewel well…after that you're goin to the back of the line."
Seth, "Ya know…I've always liked Philadelphia. You know why I've always liked Philadelphia? Yes, the cheesesteaks are fantastic…but I love Philly cuz Philly's a fightin town! McIntyre…since you're out here, and I'm out here…I say we have our qualifying match right here, right now!"
Dean and Iris finally show up backstage as Roman gets back behind the curtain, both of them watching the screen as their friend Renee on commentary mentions how hard it is to find Dean during the day and how he needs a GPS on him.
"That's not the worst idea Dean…"
"Don't even think about it Princess…"
"Oops…I brought out Moxley."
Drew pulls up the apron cover to expose the steel girders underneath, intending to drive Seth's face into it, but Seth evades this. Dolph comes down and distracts Seth while Drew slides under the ring and then yanks Seth's shoulder into the steel. Later in the match Seth runs to the ropes to set up for his curb stomp but Dolph pulls the top rope down so Seth flies over it and out onto the ground. Dean's music plays so Dolph faces the ramp but it's Mox who ambushes him from behind. Drew takes Mox down but Seth lands his curb stomp on Drew to take him out. Seth barely makes it back into the ring to beat the count but Drew doesn't and is counted out making Seth the winner. Dean takes over again and rolls into the ring looking down at Drew and Dolph, almost daring them to try anything else, as Seth struggles to his feet behind him with Iris helping him. The two men share a hug, pulling Iris into the middle of it, and Seth asks Dean what the hell took him so long. Dean's response makes Seth laugh and Iris blush before the three of them leave the ring together and head backstage where Roman is waiting for them.
The Shield is backstage walking along a corridor together, not realizing a camera is watching them as Seth says something and Dean takes it…badly.
Seth, "Don't worry about it man, I knew he'd show up. He's on Lunatic time and all that but he always shows up on Lunatic time man. That's good, Island time, lunatic time…"
Dean, "What'd you call me?"
Seth, "I didn't call you nuthin man…"
Dean, "Lunatic…really?"
Seth, "You know I didn't mean it like that…"
Iris, "Dean…love…he didn't…"
Dean, "That's all I am to you guys right? I'm just good for a few laughs right? I'm a real riot…until you guys need bailin out…"
Seth, "That's not what I meant…"
Dean, "I know what you meant…I got my own mess to worry about."
Seth, "It's not like that."
Iris, "Dean…?"
Seth and Roman both look extremely confused as Dean walks away from them once again, but Iris is torn. When she tries to follow Dean she can't quite keep up with his longer legs and ends up getting herself lost in the building.
On screen a new video package showing the return of DX announcement by triple H and Shawn the previous week is shown…and then a darkened hallway leads to the boiler room of the arena where Taker and Kane walk out of the steamy shadows. The two talk about how DX was reunited on a bed of lies, how Shawn stayed away out of fear and not respect…and how Triple H may have won a battle in Australia but he started a war that would end at Crown Jewel. Taker finishes by telling them to Rest in Peace and rolls his eyes back before the camera fades to black.
Taker notices Iris wandering around alone and calls out to her, guiding her through the steam-filled room with his voice alone. She looks so relieved that he just pulls her into a hug.
"What happened Little Edge? Why are you alone around here? That isn't safe."
"I know…Seth said something and Dean got mad at him and stormed off…I tried to follow but my legs aren't long enough."
"Well…you are pretty small half-pint."
"I can still drop you to your knees Kane."
"There's that little fireball I've missed. Be careful out there half-pint."
The two men lead Iris back to the main area where Dean is pacing like a caged beast until he sees her and pulls her into a tight hug.
"Didn't realize you were tryin to follow me Darlin. Woulda slowed down if I had."
"I'm fine Deam…I ran into a couple of old friends. You ready for your match?"
"Yeah…you comin with me Darlin?"
"Don't I always?"
Dean and Iris head out onto the stage together to his music where he spins her around and pulls her into a kiss as the fans scream. Once they're in the ring Dolph comes out next and Iris leaves the ring as the two men start going back and forth. Dean climbs to the top rope but Dolph climbs up after him and pulls him off to slam him into the mat hard but seems to hurt his own knee in the process which Iris makes sure Dean is aware of by whispering it in his ear when he gets close enough. When Dolph goes for a super kick Dean grabs his legs and slingshots him into the post where he just hangs for a bit while Iris stands underneath where his head is hanging and waves at him with a big grin on her face, which causes Dean to laugh at her and wonder if he might be a bit of a bad influence on her. Dean unloads one vicious move after another on Dolph until finally locking him into a submission hold only to have him grab the bottom rope to force a break. Dean nearly pins Dolph but he kicks out at the last second so Dean goes to the top rope again but Dolph follows, again, only to be thrown off and land on his injured knee. While the Referee is distracted by Dolph Drew comes out and gets onto the apron to attack Dean so Seth comes out and yanks Drew off the apron. Dean is still perched on the top rope as he looks between Dolph in the ring, and Seth fighting Drew near his feet outside the ring…torn between what to do. When Drew grabs Iris and puts her between Seth and himself as a human shield Dean chooses to drop an elbow on Drew to save her. Seth tries to help Dean to his feet only to get shoved back onto his ass, though Dean seemed to be unaware that it was Seth in Iris's opinion. While Iris is trying to make Seth realize that Dean probably thought he was Drew, Dean rolls back into the ring only to run face first into a super kick by Dolph who then pins him for the win.
Drew helps Dolph out of the ring and up the ramp while Dean is lying in the ring looking pretty devastated. Iris slides in and crawls over to sit on her knees next to Dean, rubbing his shoulders to try and help him while Seth slowly climbs into the ring and stands over Dean with his hands on his hips. When Dean gets up Seth gets in his face a bit and asks him what his problem is…this doesn't go over well and Dean shoves past him to leave the ring, wrapping an arm around Iris to pull her along with him. As Dean goes up the ramp with Iris Seth rolls out of the ring and storms up after him, starting a shoving and shouting match between the two until Roman shoves his way between them and tries to calm them both down. When Corbin comes out and faces the trio they all move Iris behind them in unison and she huffs at them for it.
"Come on guys, are you still having problems? Look, the last thing I want is the Shield to dissolve on my watch. So you know what…I'm gonna give you guys a chance to fix your problems and redeem yourselves in a rematch from last week. It'll be the Shield versus Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, and Braun Strowman tonight."
Corbin looks so smug and proud of himself while the boys look decidedly unimpressed. Dean says "I'm Done" and walks backstage alone while Seth and Roman give Corbin looks that could kill. Iris is standing behind Seth and Roman looking horribly lost and confused until Seth notices and pulls her into a hug before leading her backstage with Roman right behind them.
"It'll be alright Iris. We fight all the time…and we make up later…"
"He doesn't usually leave me behind when there's a perceived threat around Seth."
Roman gives Seth a look that tells him to stay with her, receiving a nod in response, before he goes off looking for Dean to find out what the hell is going on in his damn head.
While Roman is looking for Dean Seth gets Iris to watch Finn Balor with Bayley versus Jinder Mahal with Alicia Fox and the Singh brothers. The second Singh brother having finally returned from his injury. Finn hits the coup-de-gra for the win and Iris starts to cheer but then Bobby Lashley and his little sidekick mouthpiece come out and interrupt before Finn and Bayley can even celebrate the win. Lio Rush starts running his mouth singing Bobby's praises and annoying the universe. Iris giggles when one of the commenters calls Lio Rush the human Canker sore and tells Seth it seems pretty fitting which has him laughing too.
"We all know Lashley is going to beat Tyler….Tyler's nice and all but he doesn't have the strength or the stamina needed to go against someone who is built like a damn tank."
"Yeah…he's gonna get his ass handed to him right about…now."
Iris and Seth both winced as Seth called it and Tyler Breeze was pinned after a rather short match against Bobby Lashley.
After Lashley leaves Trish Stratus and Lita go out to the ring together while Iris starts growling in the back of her throat. Seth keeps one hand firmly around Iris's shoulders to make sure she stays put as he realizes she is not going to be calm after seeing Lita anytime soon. Lita starts talking but is quickly interrupted by Alexa and her buddy Mickie James as they came out to trash talk the two Hall of Famers. This is probably the only time Iris has ever been happy to see Alexa Bliss. When Trish and Lita challenge them Alexa and Mickie tuck tail and run away as always…but Iris has decided she's not willing to sit back and let Lita have the spotlight without a challenge…and Seth loses his grip when she pinches his fingers hard and then takes off running through the curtain and down the ramp before launching herself at Lita. Trish tries to gently pull Iris off but Iris is unloading years of pent up anger and hurt and refuses to be moved.
A pair of strong, muscular arms wrap around Iris's middle and pull her back, still kicking and screaming at Lita, but when she sees who pulled her back she turns on him instead. The slap she delivers to Drew McIntyre is loud enough that the entire arena could hear it and most of them expected him to attack her but instead he just gently wrapped his hands around her wrists and turned her so that her back was against his chest with her arms crossed over her own chest while he held her still. Before Trish could get Lita out of the ring Corbin came out and set a new match to start right then…Lita versus Iris in a falls count anywhere match.
"And Miss Iris…I hope that you can accept this match as a peace offering between us."
The twisted little smirk on Iris's face has Trish backing out of the ring and heading up the ramp, dragging Drew along with her when he hesitates to leave. Once they get backstage Drew is face to face with a very angry Dean Ambrose who is up in Drew's face the second he's in view.
"The hell you think you're doin going out there and touchin my girl McIntyre? Huh?! You tryin to piss me off? You want me to kick your ass?"
"Dean…come on man settle down Uce."
"Fuck off Roman. He touches my Princess again Imma kick his ass into the next fuckin century!"
Drew just held up his hands in the most non-threatening way he could manage while Roman and Seth tried to calm down who they had now realized was Moxley and not Dean.
"Easy Dean…I wasn't tryin ta hurt her. I was tryin ta keep her from getting herself fired for attackin a hall o famer."
"Are you kiddin me? They wouldn't fire her…and definitely not over that. Are you stupid or somethin? She's Edge's little sister McIntyre…and after what Iris said that bitch did to her back when she was datin Edge…she deserves whatever my Princess decides to dish out to her."
Drew looked confused but Mox's words had the effect of making Roman and Seth glare at Lita through the nearest TV screen as she looked to be trying to reason with a very fired-up Iris. Mox was loving this vicious side of his little Princess, seeing her pissed off and riled up like that was making him want to drag her off into a dark corner somewhere.
Back in the ring Iris had clearly had enough of Lita's evasion tactics and just grabbed her by the hair to slam her face into the mat several times. She pulled every hard and painful move she'd ever been taught by her brother, Christian, Trish, Dean, Seth, Roman, even Taker who had taught her his tombstone pile-driver. It was Dean's Dirty Deeds that she used up on the steel stage to pin Lita for the win…but she clearly wasn't done yet as she continued to throw Lita into anything and everything nearby that could possibly cause pain. Lita eventually managed to make a break for the backstage area thinking she'd be safe there, and she was but only because Mox wrapped Iris in a hug and held her close to his chest while she seethed and tried to squirm free to go back at Lita again.
"Easy Princess…I need ya to calm down now cuz we gotta get ready for the main event tonight, alright? Can ya do that for me Princess?"
"I want to tear her hair out by the roots."
"I know ya do Princess…another time…calm down now."
Once she had settled a bit the match between AOP and what was supposedly Kurt Angle in the Conquistador costume was able to take place with Corbin watching from the stage until the golden suit was unmasked and proven to not be Kurt Angle…and Kurt attacked Corbin from behind.
The Riott Squad's Ruby Riott was up next against Natalya with Bayley and Sasha Banks in her corner. Natalya won by DQ after the Riott Squad interfered but they get their butts kicked yet again and were sent to the back hurting once more…and seething over yet another loss.
Dean and Roman are shown to the fans standing backstage together in their Shield gear with Roman talking to a clearly agitated Dean though the words can't be heard by the camera. Iris is sitting on a nearby equipment crate with her knees pulled up to her chest and staring at the wall in front of her…clearly still agitated from earlier and that agitation seemed to be fueling Dean's mood.
As the screen cuts off the Dogs of War head out to the ring together, seemingly on the same page for the moment. Then the shield comes down the stairs through the fans and the boys stalk to the front of the ring where they pause as Roman says something to Dean and Seth before they all climb up into the ring. Dean hops out and Roman nods agreement for Seth to start the match…meanwhile Braun is yelling at Dolph to start the match and show him something.
Seth and Dean quickly prove to be back on the same wavelength as Seth slams Dolph into the mat, tags Dean in, Dean does a knee-slide clothesline, Seth pulls an elbow drop and then Dean does the same before going for a pin. Dean tags Seth and they do a double clothesline on Dolph, then go after his knee. Seth goes after the knee a second time as Dean goes to leave the ring only to have Dolph kick him back into Dean who gets in Seth's face as Mox takes over and the two nearly start going at it but Roman tags himself in and stands between them both. Roman tries to calm them both down and Braun runs into them, knocking Seth and Mox clear out of the ring and sending Roman right into a move by Dolph who goes for the pin only to have Roman kick out.
Drew gets tagged in and takes control of Roman for a bit but Roman starts to rally only to get a kick in the chest from Dolph after he tags in…Dean is back in charge and nearly climbing over the top rope to try and get at Dolph but the Ref notices and backs him off. Braun and Drew start having a tag off as they tag themselves in over and over to try and outdo each other, and not in a friendly manner either. Braun tries to run at Roman in the corner but Roman gives him a boot to the face, then tries to lift him up but can't manage it. Braun runs at him again and he moves so Braun slams into the post shoulder first, this time Roman gets him up and then pulls a Samoan drop…barely.
Iris is in the corner by Dean's feet shouting encouragement at Roman to get him to make the tag but Dolph and Drew, cheating as always, run through the ring to knock Seth and Dean off before running back to their side of the ring. Iris nearly launches herself into the ring to go after them but Dean's firm grip on her ankle roots her in place as he uses her to help himself back up while Seth uses the steel steps to do the same.
Dolph tags himself in then tags Drew in as they both go after Roman. The two hit the Zig-Zag and Claymore Kick combo and Drew goes for the pin only to have Seth and Dean slide back in and break it up with Iris cheering from their corner. Drew climbs to the top of the corner to jump down on Roman but jumps into a massive uppercut that gives Roman time to tag in Seth. Seth uses the top rope as a Launchpad to land on Drew then points at Dean, doing a ninja roll into their corner to tag him in and making Iris giggle at his antics. The two of them pull three double clotheslines on Drew, the third sending him out of the ring entirely. Braun comes in after them only to get sent out through the ropes on the other side of the ring. They suicide dive out to take down Drew and Dolph then roll Drew back into the ring. They realize Braun is still on his feet and go for a suicide dive on him only to get caught by their throats, but Roman flies off the steps and delivers a superman punch to free them. Dean climbs the corner to launch at Drew but lands right into a kick to his stomach and Drew tries to pin him but Dean reverses it into a Jack-knife pin only to have Dolph break it up. Seth comes in and throws Dolph out but Drew grabs Seth by the hair so Seth kicks him in the face. Dean grabs Drew and pulls him into a Dirty Deeds and goes for the pin but Dolph throws Seth into Dean to break it which makes Iris wince because she knows Dean will not be happy about it.
Dean and Seth get into it yet again and Dolph shoves Dean into Seth then pulls a Zig-Zag on Dean to try and get the pin but Dean kicks out at the last second. Dolph and Drew start to go for their dual move on Dean while Iris screams at them but Roman superman punches each of them. Braun grabs Roman and tries to slam him but Roman wiggles free and Braun slams his shoulder hard into the post, and then Drew goes after Roman but Roman moves so Drew slams into Braun and sends him out of the ring. Roman spears Drew and Dolph tries to Zig-Zag Roman from behind only to get thrown off into the waiting arms of Seth and Dean who set him up for a triple power-bomb…which they hit perfectly and Dean pins Dolph for the win.
Seth and Dean both hit their knees for a breather as Roman pats Seth's Shoulder and then rubs Dean's head, who then stands up to hug Roman. Seth rolls out first followed by Dean and then Roman while Iris jumps onto Dean's back, his arms automatically coming up to hold her legs in place while her arms hug his neck and Seth chuckles at how much he indulges her. Dean is clearly still fired up as they head up the ramp with Seth laughing at his antics before rubbing his head affectionately like Roman had done before. Roman hands Seth his title as they reach the top of the ramp and Dean turns around while Iris points back at the ring so they stop up on the stage to see Strowman climbing into the ring. They watch as he power slams Dolph into the mat hard after pulling him up by his hair and yelling at him for screwing up only to turn around into a hard Claymore kick by Drew who then rolls out of the ring and up the ramp as the Shield heads backstage. Braun is clearly reeling and off balance from the Claymore kick and Drew looks as though he knows exactly what he did and honestly does NOT care one little bit.
Iris stays on Dean's back until they get to their rental for the week and then climbs onto his lap once he's in his seat…not that he was complaining mind you. Seth and Roman just chuckle as they climb into the front seats of the SUV with Roman driving as usual, watching the two love birds flirting in the back seat.
"You two feel better now that you got some of that anger outta your systems?"
"I'm not angry Roman…I'm pissed off and I've been holding it in for a long damn time. I am NOT sorry I attacked that backstabbing Bi…"
Dean's hand covered Iris's mouth before she could finish and Seth snorted at the two of them before speaking directly to Dean.
"Dean? You ok now? I mean…are WE ok now?"
"We're good Seth…we're always good. I get heated and fired up and I've got a temper…you know that. You and I always fight…its how we are man…but in the end we're still brothers and I'm still gonna have your back alright?"
"Same man…Brother to the end right?"
"Right."
"Finally…"
The last statement was made by Roman who was clearly not enjoying playing the role of monkey in the middle while trying to keep those two from turning on each other. Iris bit Dean's hand and he let go of her mouth while giving her an incredulous look.
"She bit me…Oh that was a bad idea Princess…"
Dean switched to Mox partway through his sentence but iris was clearly not in the mood to deal with any of it at that point…clearly still very agitated and angry. As soon as the vehicle was in park she had her bag in hand and was heading inside the hotel…but she didn't go to the desk which had Mox narrowing his eyes at her backside.
"Princess…where do you think you're going?"
"Elsewhere. I am in no mood to deal with your shit tonight so I'm going to stay with one of the girls tonight."
"Like hell you are Princess."
Mox grabbed the room key from the stunned clerk before throwing Iris over his shoulder and carrying her, kicked and cursing, all the way to their room. Roman and Seth trailed behind and tried to explain to people they passed by that no he was not kidnapping her and they were actually dating and this was perfectly normal for these two…they weren't sure if they all bought it but at least no one called the police that night.
Once they were in the room Mox closed and locked the door then shoved the heavy dresser in front of it before tossing Iris onto the bed. Before she could roll off of it he jumped on top of her and pinned her down with his body weight while she struggled and cursed at him.
"That's it Princess…let it all out…come on now…fight me Princess…get it out of your system before it eats you alive."
Iris kicked and clawed and bit at him but he never budged, he just held her there until she finally wore herself out and the fight just drained out of her. She let her head fall back against the pillows, panting for breath as the rage that had been churning inside of her turned to tears as the hurt that had been buried underneath that anger finally came to the surface. Mox sat back and let Jon take over since he was better at dealing with the emotional female stuff. Jon rolled his eyes at Mox but pulled Iris into his arms and let her cry against his chest, rubbing her back and whispering soothing things into her ear until she finally calmed back down. When he looked at her he realized she'd cried herself to sleep so he carefully changed her into her night gown and tucked her into the bed before slipping off to the bathroom to get a wet cloth to gently clean her face. He then slid into the bed behind her and pulled her against his chest into her favorite position so she would sleep peacefully with him watching over her.
Somewhere in the early hours of the morning Iris started lashing out in her sleep, screaming and hitting, so Dean had to take over and hold her down until he could get her to wake up and realize she was fighting him and not whoever was in her nightmare. When she finally realized what was real and what wasn't she all-but threw herself into Dean's arms and was crying again.
"What happened Darlin? What was the nightmare about?"
"HER! That…that backstabbing nitgh…I relived that god-awful night…but this time I could see her…but I was still too weak to fight her off…to protect myself…and I could hear you calling my name but I couldn't scream…"
"Oh you were screamin Darlin…trust me on that one…maybe not in your dream but in reality…pretty sure someone's callin the cops as we speak."
The phone next to the bed rang so Dean carefully reached over to answer it as Roman and Seth tripped over each other coming through the joint door and made Iris giggle at their messed up hair.
"Ah…no…sorry about that miss. My girlfriend had a really bad nightmare about something in her past. We're ok now though, as you can hear my brothers have managed to get her laughing again. Thank you for checking miss."
After Dean hung up the phone he started laughing so Seth asked him what the hell that had been about…his answer had Iris ducking her head to hide her flushed cheeks.
"Apparently her screaming woke some of our neighbors in the hotel and they called the front desk to ask them if someone was being murdered in our room."
Roman and Seth were nearly dying from laughter while Iris tried to hide behind her hair, only Dean wasn't having that and used his hand to tilt her head up by her chin.
"No hidin Darlin…you have nothing to be ashamed of. Yeah we find it amusing that someone thought you were being killed in here…but you went through something really bad and you have scars from it. Not all scars are visible on the surface Darlin. You're a warrior…my warrior."
"Damn Dean…that was…amazingly sweet man."
"Fuck off Seth."
"Well it was nice while it lasted…"
"I said…fuck…off…Seth."
Seth's hyena cackles could be heard as he went back to bed, Roman following while shaking his head at how childish his brothers could be sometimes. Once they left Dean managed to get Iris back to sleep and she remained peaceful the rest of that time.
A/N: The hotel incident is something that actually happened to a friend of mine who has PTSD from his military service, only his was a bit more dramatic. He was staying in a hotel last year while visiting family and some idiot thought that 3am on Columbus Day was a great time to set off fireworks in the parking lot…needless to say it triggered my friend's PTSD and he had a flashback. By the time it was over the cops had been called but thankfully the officer that responded first realized what was happening and shooed the rest out while lowering his weapon and stated his former rank while showing that he was an ally not an enemy. That officer managed to talk my friend back to reality and helped him calm down in the aftermath…they also fined the parking lot bozo for violating the noise ordinance. Not all officers respond with violence to everything and most are actually great people…it's just the handful of bad ones that get overexposed in the media that make the rest look bad.
I actually love Lita but Iris…Iris does not lol. Hope ya'll enjoyed this installment. WWE keeps putting me through the emotional wringer every week man and it's got to stop now. My boys are fighting then making up, then fighting, then making up…sheesh…ya'll are killing me over here man.
