A/N: Alright. First off, I hope your expectations have been met & that things haven't been creeping along (not my normal pace). However, the foundation needed to be built, the stage is set, and relationships/connections have been formed. Now, it's time to shake things up and it's gonna change fast. So let's get this thing underway, shall we?

CHAPTER 17

~Back 2 Reality~

It is March fourth, and it is that time of year for a Jersey Shore Reunion. Everyone is in make up and is ready to get it over with. Even Mike. No one questioned him about anything and he acted just like himself for the most part. They figured if he wanted to talk about it he would have.

The first half of the show is hard when Mike and Nicole get into it over Mike snitching on Nicole to Jionni. No one really knows whom to believe but they feel that Mike has caused so much trouble over the past three years that it really doesn't matter.

Nicole won't admit to anything Mike says and she has already expressed that they can never be friends right now, so it is mainly Mike dealing with the house when they say that he has done something to all of them at one point or another. So, just like Nicole has said her piece and moved on, they feel Mike should just man-up, apologize, and make a clean slate.

Mike disagrees and ends up walking out. Everyone knows it's for attention but Jenni is the one to bring him back in, moving on.

Things get more interesting when Vinny gets grilled. It isn't a bad thing, but it is a totally different lifestyle choice on screen than what is the truth now. Pauly is now up on stage with him and he jokes about what happened when he made the decision to get Vinny back. Looking back at the situation then, there was no way they would think they'd be laughing about it now.

When shown his first time back in the house with the Lesbian twins, Vinny shakes his head. It is so funny now for more than just that reason and Ron jokes about it but it's all in good fun.

The last half of the Reunion is all about relationship talk. Jenni talks about her and Roger and surprise-surprise, everyone learns that Ronnie and Sam are not together at the moment. Of course you wouldn't have known it at Deena's house. It is just the start to them reuniting from then to the reunion now.

This whole time Deena and Pauly have been close to each other. Deena has been sitting next to him and she was brought up on the couch when Vinny and Pauly were on the stage and they walked off back to sitting where they were together. Nothing really hints to anything like the Season 4 reunion but when does anything go smoothly when dealing with Jersey Shore.

In the last clips …Pauly's confessional is shown. Pauly still doesn't get it, but Nicole sees it written all over Deena's face. She is so embarrassed. In fact, no one really pays it any attention. So when the show ends, Deena is the first to walk off the set.

Nicole goes after her.

Nicole, "Dee'! (Now close to her) Are you okay?"

Deena plays it off, "I'm fine. I'm just goin to call my Mom."

Nicole knows better. Well, since she and Mike had it out everyone should get everything that has ever bothered them out today. She goes to find Pauly.

Pauly is talking to Vinny and Ronnie when Nicole walks up to him.

"Pauly can I steal you for a minute?"

Pauly, "Sure Snooks."

They go off to the side and Pauly starts.

Pauly, "Everything okay? You didn't let Mike bother you again did you? I thought you were going to go all spider monkey on him again like in the house."

Nicole and Pauly laugh together and Nicole gets serious.

Nicole, "Mike can go to hell but I think you should talk to Deena right now."

Pauly looks at her, "Why? What's wrong?"

Nicole almost regrets saying anything now but it's all out of love, she's honestly not trying to start anything.

Nicole, "…I think she left the set upset. Go talk to her."

Pauly doesn't hesitate. He immediately goes to find Deena.

Pauly finds her in one of the empty rooms on the set behind the stage. She is sitting down and he sits next to her.

Pauly, "What are you doin back here? Everything okay?"

Deena, without even answering, "How'd you even know I was here?"

Pauly responds, "Nicole. She told me you were upset about something. Talk to me."

Deena inwardly sighs. She could kill Nicole sometimes. She really just wants to be left alone in this moment.

Deena, "I'm good. I just had to call Mom to check on 'Leena."

Pauly, "Is she okay?"

Deena starts to get irritated, "She's fine. She's been fed and she's taking a nap right now."

They sit there for a moment and then Pauly speaks again.

Pauly, "Is it something I did?"

For some reason something snaps in Deena and she can no longer hold the trigger.

Deena, "Really…You're going to sit there, watch that, and ask me if there is something you did…"

Pauly looks around as if she is not talking to him and he replies.

"Huh? Watch what?"

Deena, "I'm going to let you figure it out."

Deena gets up and Pauly speaks up.

"Deena don't walk away. Tell me what you're talkin about?"

Deena spins around, "The confessional Pauly!"

Pauly's face is confused, "What?!"

The more Deena stares at him, the sooner it makes sense. Pauly rolls his eyes.

Pauly, "Are you kidding me Deena? After all the shit that is done in the House, you let that bother you?"

Deena, "That was and still is humiliating to me. I almost forgot how much so until we were in front of everyone now and that was played over for me to hear."

Pauly, "So I said some things about what happened between us. What does it mean now?"

Deena, "It's what you said and how you said it…(repeating some of it) I woke up to find a DTF chick in my bed, and the next thing I know, Deena's there… Holy shit…Pauly D problems!"

Pauly shakes his head as Deena continues.

Deena, "…and then for you to say I'm a bad time? You fuckin wanted to fuck me! I had no intentions of sleepin with you that night!"

Pauly, "Lower your voice."

Deena, "No! If you had something to prove to yourself, then you should have fucked Vinny and you two could have worked that out on the couch today!"

Pauly responds, "That's not fair."

Deena loses it, "Oh so it's fair to use me and think nothing more about it to drag my name through the dirt?! Everyone thinks I'm a slut because of shit like this and it's so not true!"

Pauly just listens. Nothing he says is going to help at this point, he just wishes she would stop yelling and they could talk about this.

Deena continues, "When I was asked, if seeing Jenni and Roger makes me want to have a boyfriend, yes it does because I'm always looking for love…but I'm always the one to get messed around on! That's my problem, I always get guys like you to fall in love with!"

There's always been built up sexual tension between them but them sleeping together shouldn't have happened the way it happened, if it was going to happen. That's always been a mantra of Pauly's, well…since it happened.

Pauly finally responds, "…and I love you too Deena."

Deena, "Cut the crap alright…I don't want to hear anything that's not going to be true to how you feel."

Okay forget it, Pauly will just finally speak how he's always felt then.

"I would never take it back."

Deena, "That not how I saw it on that screen. I'll never forget seeing it for the first time."

Pauly is about to speak again but Deena cuts him off.

Deena, "…and you know how I know how come you're sayin that now? 'Cuz we have a daughter out of it. You regretted it then, so just admit it. Like Mike needed to clear the air, you need to do the same thing. The only thing is, I don't like my dirty laundry aired so I'm glad we're having this talk right now."

There are so many things Pauly could say to retaliate but he cares about Deena and he doesn't want to fight with anyone.

Pauly responds, "Have you even watched the entire Season 5 episodes? My confessional was on the Bonus Clips."

Deena, "No I haven't. After that, why would I?"

Pauly calmly explains, "Well if you did, then you would have known that I said I wouldn't take it back before we even had our daughter, or even knowing we would be having a baby for that matter…"

Deena doesn't know how to react to that. She's gotten so far ahead of herself and so upset that her mind is tricking her into thinking Pauly's still not telling the truth.

Deena, "Well I'm going home. You can just find your own way and another place to sleep tonight."

Before Deena can storm off Pauly blurts out.

"I'm leaving tomorrow anyway."