CHAPTER 13

Shooter's Pub and Grill was quite busy on many a Saturday night. Tonight was no different. The place was packed. The food smelled delicious. The band was playing covers of different rock songs. Tonight was going to be another good night for a certain group of 4.

Dean, Kayla, Seth, and Shannon were sitting around a table just laughing and talking it up, eating on burgers and drinking up sodas and beers. They were drifting back into the past talking about school, parties, going to the movies. So many wonderful memories that Club DKS had made prior to Dean moving away.

The leader of the rock cover group announced that they were going to take a 30 minute break and they hoped everyone was enjoying their evening. Seth looked at the drummer and recognized him immediately.

"Well, well, well." Seth turned to Dean. "I thought the lead singer sounded familiar. Jake Myers on the microphone, Steve Cash on the keyboards. Roman Reigns on the drums. It's our old garage band The Shield."

Dean turned to look at the stage. "Well, I'll be a son of a gun. It is The Shield. Who's playing the bass guitar and the electric guitar?"

"No idea. We should go say hello."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Go ahead, guys," Shannon said. "Kayla and I will be fine here by ourselves. We'll just be talking girly stuff."

"You sure?" Seth asked.

"Yeah," Kayla chimed in. "Go on. We'll be fine."

Dean and Seth rose from their seats and departed from the table, leaving the girls talking amongst themselves. They found Roman sitting on the side stage steps drinking from a bottle of water.

"Hey, Roman! What's up?"

Roman turned to his left to see who had addressed him and smiled as he stood to his feet. "No way! Seth Rollins! Good to see you, man."

"Likewise," Seth answered as they two buddies embraced.

"It's been a while," Roman stated as he pulled back. "And who's your friend?"

"You remember Dean Ambrose, don't you?"

"What?" Roman looked again. "Dean Ambrose? Is that you?"

"Hello, Roman. It's been too long."

Roman gave a friendly hug to his former bandmate, slapping him on the back. He then held him out arms length. "Look at you. I hardly recognized you, Dean. Last time I saw you, you had long hair and...you put on some muscle too from the looks of it. A bit of scruff to the baby face. Still the same dimples and blue eyes."

"You look great yourself, Roman."

"What brings you back to Boston?"

"I moved back."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I missed Boston. Missed my friends. I just wanted to come home."

"Well, welcome home, brother."

"Thanks. So I see the band is still together with some new recruits."

"Oh yeah. Brad Hayes on bass and Alan Witt on electric guitar. I'll have to introduce you guys to them. They took over bass and guitar duties after you moved, Dean, and Seth respectfully left the band after that."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah," Seth answered. "It wasn't the same without you, Dean. I tried to keep going for another month or so, but..." Seth finished his sentence with a shrug.

"Wow. I'm sorry, guys. I really am. I don't know what else to say."

"Hey." Roman interrupted. "All water under the bridge. How about you guys come with me and say 'Hello' to the rest of the guys?"

-"I'm thinking on getting a hair cut next week," Kayla stated. "What do you think? Something a little shorter than now, but where it could still frame my face. Would you go get one with me?"

"I don't see why not. And, if you're up for it, we could also go get our nails done, maybe a massage? Shopping?"

"Ooooh...a girls weekend. When's the last time we did anything like that?"

"Not sure, but it's long overdue." Shannon looked over Kayla's left shoulder. "Looks like the band is coming back to the stage."

Kayla and Shannon watched as the band known as The Shield returned to the stage to play some more music. Jake on the microphone, Steve on keyboards, Roman on the drums and...did their eyes deceive them?

"Huh?" Shannon said.

"What?" Kayla added.

Jake, Steve, Roman...Seth on bass and Dean on guitar?

Kayla turned her attention back to Shannon. "Can you believe this?"

"No way."

Kayla and Shannon rose from their table and rushed over to the stage where a Shield reunion was about to begin.