AN: In light of recent events, something uplifting.
Lisa looked all over the hotel trying to find Dean. She hadn't seen him in a few days since the pool incident, and wondered how he was doing. Lisa walked around the hotel for hours looking, until finally, she found him.
Dean was in the hotel gym, of all places, looking down at the floor with a despondent expression as his fingers, that had been busily tapping his collarbone, fell away as if they too lacked the energy to continue pretending. Dean sighed down at the floor, still not noticing Lisa's prescence.
Lisa's heart broke as she saw Dean sitting there so sad. She walked over slowly, as if she was approaching a wounded animal.
As soon as Dean saw Lisa coming, he lookied back down at the floor, his shoulders dropping as if they carried the weight of the world.
Lisa kneeled before Dean and cradled his face in her hands, already having some idea of what had Dean so upset. Lisa reassured Dean that everything would be alright, and that he shouldn't feel guilty over it.
Lisa wanted to ease Dean's guilt-ridden mind, but she knew she couldn't break the confidence Seth had trusted her with.
Just hours ago, Seth made Lisa swear she wouldn't tell. But surely this didn't apply to Dean, who looked more sad than Lisa had ever seen him?
Surely that didn't apply.
Seth had not been able to get in touch with either of his fellow shieldmates after that fateful Raw. Even he said so himself,
"If I could tell them, I would."
So maybe it wasn't really telling.
In the midst of her inner turmoil, Lisa had been halfheartedly saying, "It's going to be okay" to Dean over and over. Dean thought this meant even she didn't believe things would be okay between the three of them, and Dean broke down crying, sure that the days of the Shield were over.
Lisa couldn't help it. She sighed and told Dean the true plan.
The plan Seth had been too afraid to tell them before, and too scorned to tell them afterward.
He would infiltrate Evolution from the inside, and bring it to its knees. Forever.
When Lisa finished explaining the plan to Dean, he looked a bit reluctant to believe her.
"Dean," Lisa pulled Dean closer to her and said,
"The symbol of excellence isn't anything physical. It's the hope written in your hearts. If you let adversity steal your hope, if you let dissapointment break your heart, then your fight has already been lost."
Dean still seemed reluctant to believe her.
"In all the years you've been in the ring, I've seen you lose hair to tangled barbed wire. I've seen you loose blood to a giant wielding a chainsaw, but never in your life or mine have I ever seen you lose hope, Dean. Don't you dare start now."
Dean chuckled. "Everyone knows the chainsaw wasn't real."
"It made you smile, though, didn't it?" Lisa asked, grinning.
"Yeah." Dean admitted with a grin, his dimples popping out. "You know what else makes me smile?"
"Chicken wings?" Lisa asked with a roll of her eyes as she stood up.
"Well, i was gonna say you do, but since you ruined my hallmark moment,and everything: Yeah, Lisa, Chicken wings." Dean responded sarchastically, tossing an arm around Lisa's shoulder.
"There's hope for you yet, Dean." LIsa chuckled softly as they walked towards the door.
"Then the fight's won." Dean said as he opened the door.
"Don't tell anyone I cried."
It was one secret Lisa was happy to keep.