Reckless Abandon

For the first time in a long while, Carly Caden ran away.

She took a taxi back to the hotel, shoved all her things into her suitcase, and caught the next flight home. It was the pale moments before the dawn when she got back to her small, silent apartment. And it was only then that she let herself cry again.

Thin slivers of ashy grey sky were visible through the blinds. Carly didn't bother turning on the lights. She just went into her room and curled up on her bed. She'd spent the whole night running away from a bridge she'd burned, and she was so tired.

Everything was wrong. She singlehandedly destroyed the best friendship she'd ever had. She broke her promise to Roman. She lied to Dean. Worse, she knew she was lying to him the whole time. She just didn't want to believe it. After everything Dean and Roman had done for her, this is how she repaid them? By shattering their already broken trust.

That's all she was really good at, wasn't it? Messing things up for people who were nice to her. Doesn't matter if they were just using her, like the Authority or Seth had been. It was still true. She was an albatross.

Carly slept as much as she was able to. At least when she was asleep, she could forget what had happened. Somehow, it became Wednesday. It took Carly hours to convince herself to get up. It just didn't seem like it was worth it.

She didn't belong in the WWE. She never had. She wasn't athletic like the wrestlers, or shrewd and business-minded like the corporate employees, or skilled like the technicians. She had no business being there.

Sure, she'd loved it. She loved all the friends she'd made. But what had she accomplished? Nothing. Everything she'd done had only served to make chaos and trouble for everyone involved. She hadn't done anything. She hadn't made anything better for anyone. Nothing she did had ever been enough.

Carly was tired, and maybe… Maybe it was time for her to move on.

She found an empty cardboard box, and she began to fill it. The Shield-blue dress, which she knew she'd never have the heart to wear again. Roman's sweatshirt, that he'd let her hang onto. It's not like she'd have an opportunity to give it back to him. The kendo stick sheath – a gift from Natalya. There wouldn't be a need for swords and thrilling heroics anymore. Carly wasn't any good at that sort of thing, anyway.

The patch she'd torn off of Seth's vest that night. It felt like years ago, now. The hair-tie Seth had given her before her match against Paige. She'd never used it. The plush fox the Shield bought for her at that wonderful day they'd spent at the zoo. Carly hugged the little fox tightly for a moment before setting it in the box, a dull ache settling her chest as she did.

Her own official t-shirt. The idealistic design of it seemed to mock her. Her ring gear – begged, borrowed, and possibly stolen for her. If Seth's betrayal of the Shield felt like years ago, the day she turned on the Authority felt like it had happened in another life time. Finally, Dean's sleeveless hoodie and his old Shield vest. She folded them gently, placing them in the box with the sudden piercing understanding that she would never see him again.

It was just as well. She'd just made things worse for him, and for Roman, too. They'd be fine without her. Carly shoved the box in the back of a closet and hoped she'd forget about it soon.

She'd left her phone on silent, but she couldn't keep herself from checking it from time to time. One missed call. Carly knew she shouldn't listen to the message. It was a bad idea. But against her better judgment, she went to her voicemail, closing her eyes as she listened to Dolph's voice.

"Hey, Carly. It's me again. Look, I know I'm not your mother, or whatever, but I'm starting to get kinda worried here. Please, would you just answer your phone? Just long enough to tell me to leave you alone. And if that's what you want me to do, I will. I just… I can't shake this stupid feeling that you're dead in a ditch somewhere and it'd really, really be a weight off my mind to know that you're alright."

Dolph sighed and then was silent for a few seconds.

"I'll call again in a little while," he finished.

Carly sat on the couch and waited, spending the next hour trying to think of what she'd say when her phone rang again.

"Hello," was all she managed.

"Oh, thank God!" Dolph blurted out, "Are you alright? Where are you? What happened? I tried to ask Dean and Roman, but they wouldn't… Carly, what's going on?"

"I…" Carly swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice, "I messed up, Dolph. And I don't think there's any way I can fix it."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

His tone was gentler now, resolute and sincere. Carly wished there was some way Dolph could help.

"No, there isn't," she said.

"Look," Dolph said after a brief pause, "One of your contacts called me when they couldn't reach you. Dean's got a match against Rollins on Friday, but somebody let slip that the Authority's planning to make an example of Dean somehow. What do you want us to do about it?"

Carly was silent for a moment. She had no ideas, no plans. That empty, hollow feeling that had haunted her for weeks had now taken control. Dean was in danger. She should be worried. But she couldn't summon up the energy to feel anything.

"I don't know," she said, "I… I'll get back to you, alright?"

"Alright," Dolph said hesitantly, "Carly, you never answered my question. Are you okay? I mean, really, are you okay?"

It was just one more lie, wasn't it? It's not like this was the first she'd told.

"I'll be fine," she said, "But thank you, Dolph. I have to go."

Dolph bid her goodbye, but the way he said it sounded like the last thing in the world he wanted was to hang up the phone.

Carly had to think of something, some excuse as to why she was going to resign. As soon as she came up with one, then she'd give her notice. She'd tell Mr. McMahon how truly grateful she was for the opportunity, and how she'd always remember her time with the WWE as one of the greatest experiences of her life, but that it was time for her to move on.

xXx

Somehow, it became Thursday. Carly finally forced herself to drive to the grocery store. If she was going to be living in this apartment full-time, she'd have to stock her kitchen a little better.

Carly turned up the radio to drown out her thoughts as she drove. It was set to the local oldies station. She tapped her hand against the steering wheel to the rhythm of the familiar song. It was halfway through the first verse before she started listening to the lyrics and realized just which song it was:

"I've been stranded in the combat zone. I walked through Bedford-Stuy alone, even rode my motorcycle in the rain. And you told me not to drive, but I made it home alive, so you said that only proves that I'm insane…"

The memory hit her like a steel chair. It'd been the Monday after she'd taken a stand against Triple H, when Stephanie put her in a handicap match with Seth's career on the line. The Shield, 'til then her enemies, pulled her aside and offered to help however they could.

And Dean, irrepressible and half-sincere, wrapped his arms around her and promised that they'd keep her safe from the Authority, insisting that he was just trying to make her feel loved. Grinning, he'd burst out singing this song, getting Carly to sing the chorus with him to make her smile.

Something started burning in Carly's chest as she thought about it. After all that, after everything she and the Shield had been through together, she was just going to up and walk away?

No. She wouldn't. She couldn't. Dean was in danger, and it was probably her fault. What was she doing here at home? She should be there, ready to help.

In that instant, Carly decided. There wasn't going to be any moving on for her until she finished what she started. She was going to protect Dean if it was the last thing she did.

She wronged them. Maybe there was no way she could make it right, but Carly would be damned if she didn't try.

Carly pulled a dangerously sharp U-turn and floored it. She had to get back to her apartment, had to pack, had to get on the next flight out of here. Oh, and she had to call Dolph back and let him know she'd take care of it.

No way in hell that running away was going to be her last act in the WWE. She was going to make one last stand – for Dean, for Roman, for Dolph and Natalya and all of her friends, and for herself.

"Turn out the light. Don't try to save me. You may be wrong, for all I know, but you may be right."

xXx

Carly slipped into the arena very early in the day, when the only people around were the busily working roadies and technicians. This plan was going to involve a lot of set-up for potentially no payoff, so she didn't want to leave anything to chance. She located one of the senior techs. His name was Mike and, as Carly understood it, he was the one to go to when you required technical difficulties.

"Can I help you with something?" said Mike, pulling his headset down around his neck.

"I need a favor," said Carly.

"What's that?" he asked.

Carly reached into her pocket and subtly passed Mike a one-hundred dollar bill.

"It's pretty big," she said, then handed him a second one, "And it has to be absolutely secret."

"You have my full attention," said Mike as he pocketed the money.

Carly had no idea how Mike managed to swing it. However, an hour later there was a small monitor and a headset rigged up underneath the ring, surrounded by some spare black drapes so it couldn't be seen even if someone were to look under the ring for a table or something.

"And remember," Carly instructed, "On my signal, cut the lights. About five seconds is all I'll need."

"Sometime during Ambrose's match you said?" said Mike, "You've got it. It looks like the wrestlers and the higher-ups will be here soon. You'd better get into position now."

Carly thanked him, and Mike smiled and shook his head, muttering something about having been paid less to do sketchier. When she was certain nobody was looking, Carly crawled under the ring. Settling herself into her cordoned-off hideout, she checked the time. Still three hours until the broadcast. Carly curled up on the floor to wait.

Dean and Roman had said that they didn't want to see her again. Well, they weren't going to. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to be there just in case something went wrong, and something was definitely going to go wrong. After all the havoc they'd caused for Triple H, Dean was just handed a rematch against Seth on a silver platter? It was a trick. Dean was walking into a trap and he knew it. He just didn't care. All he wanted was another chance to take out his aggression on Seth, and hang the consequences.

If Roman hadn't been banned from ringside for the match, Carly would not have come. But he had been. She'd let them both down once, and maybe they never wanted anything to do with her again. Fine. Maybe she deserved that. When she thought about that pained look in Dean's eyes, Carly's heart ached a little.

She hugged her knees close to her chest. She would make it up to him, and to Roman. She may not be very useful, but there was one thing she was very good at being: a human shield. She'd made a promise to Roman, hadn't she? Help him keep Dean safe. And even if Roman never spoke to her again, she was going to keep that promise.

Carly didn't realize she had dozed off until she was startled awake by the pre-show announcement forbidding video recording of the event. She gingerly stretched her stiffened joints. The floor of the arena was definitely not ideal for sleeping. She should've slipped Mike an extra fifty in exchange for some pillows or something. At least the Smackdown broadcast was only two hours. She wouldn't have as long to wait.

Things are stunningly loud under the ring during a match. Carly was almost worried that the whole thing was going to collapse on top of her. Although, the sound of Adam Rose prancing around above her head was pretty entertaining. Aside from one close call when Cesaro fished around under the ring for a kendo stick, Carly was not at all worried about being discovered. Sooner than Carly thought, they were announcing the main event. Carly pulled on the headset. It was showtime.

Dean was announced first, and then Seth. It was still bizarre to see Seth enter to that forgettable music, sans tactical blacks, sans gloves. It felt wrong. Carly's eyes were glued to the monitor as the bell rang.

Dean was erratic, more so than usual. He was hesitating. Carly guessed that doubt about Seth's true motives had taken root in Dean's mind. His moves were unfocused and indecisive. Seth, of course, capitalized on that. He unloaded all the punishment he could muster on Dean, and it took all of Carly's willpower not to interfere right then and there.

For a few glorious moments, it looked like Dean was gaining momentum, but a cheap-shot and a low blow (unseen by the referee) from Seth brought Dean to his hands and knees. Seth rebounded off the ropes and a brutal curbstomp made short work of Dean Ambrose. One, two, three, and it was all over.

Of course, it wasn't really over. The music that played as the bell rang was not Seth's. It was Triple H's. Seth slammed Dean's head into the mat a few more times for good measure, dragging him into the corner. Then, like a good little puppet, Seth jumped out of the ring to make way for Triple H. Dean lay on the ground without enough strength to even prop himself up on the ropes. Triple H advanced on him, a malevolent grin spreading across his face as he ran his fingers over the sledgehammer.

"Now," Carly ordered.

She instantly pulled the headset off and scrambled out of the hideout, reaching the ring-skirt just as the arena went dark. Carly knew she didn't have much time. She pulled herself into the ring, stepping in between Triple H and the fallen Dean Ambrose. Not a moment too soon, the lights came back up. In the back of her mind, Carly couldn't help but be pleased with the shocked approval voiced by the audience. Triple H, on the other hand, glowered at her.

"Every time I look up, you're standing in my way," he said.

Carly felt Dean's hand close weakly around her ankle.

"Carly, no…" he groaned.

Carly ignored him, never averting her eyes from Triple H.

"I won't be in your way anymore if you turn around and leave," she said.

"You're going to get out of this ring, right now," Triple H said, lowering his chin threateningly, "Or I will not be held responsible for what happens to you."

"Then hit me," Carly said defiantly, "Go on, do it! Let everybody here see what kind of man you really are."

"Oh, Carly," said Triple H with a low laugh, "You know I couldn't care less what these people think of me. You've been a thorn in my side for far too long now. I can't say that I won't enjoy this."

The sledgehammer caught Carly square in the solar plexus, knocking the breath from her. She doubled over, gasping for air. She looked up just in time to see Triple H pulling back the hammer for another swing, this one aimed at her head.

xXx

"Oh my God… Ladies and gentlemen, we've just witnessed a truly, shockingly brutal action on the part of Triple H. Carly… she must have been knocked unconscious. She hasn't moved since she was violently struck down by Triple H."

"She did put herself in the line of fire-"

"If you're implying that that young lady deserved to be hit in the head with a sledgehammer, I really don't know what to say to you anymore. I just hope she'll be alright."

xXx

Whatever her back was pressed up against was unyielding and uncomfortable, and whatever was on the other side of her eyelids was far too bright, but that was nothing compared to the aching and pounding in her skull. Carly breathed out a dull groan.

She only became aware that her left hand was enveloped by a pair of large hands when their grip tightened slightly in response to her stirring. Somebody called her name. Carly opened her eyes to see Roman Reigns leaning over her.

"You with me, Carly?" asked Roman in a low voice.

"As much as can be expected, considering," said Carly.

She blinked a few times, wincing against the bright lights of the trainers' room. Roman exhaled a sharp, tremulous breath, making a sound that fell somewhere between a sigh of relief and an incredulous laugh.

"You have more lives than a cat," he said.

"And a remarkably thick skull," Carly said, smiling faintly.

"You can say that again," Roman muttered, fighting back a smile himself.

He no longer wore the cold, stone-faced expression he had turned on Carly before running after Dean. Instead, his grey eyes looked down at her with his usual brotherly concern.

"Were you able to stop Triple H?" asked Carly.

"Yeah. I ran out there just in time to see him drop you. He didn't land a single hit on Dean, don't worry. Wait a minute," Roman said suddenly, realization dawning on his face, "That's what you were doing out there, isn't it? You were trying to buy me time so I could save Dean."

"Precisely," Carly said, then added lightly, "Of course, I would've preferred it if you'd been a little quicker."

Roman's jaw tensed and he glanced away, and Carly instantly regretted what she'd said. Wrong time to try lightening the mood, apparently.

"Roman, I didn't mean it like that," she said.

She gripped his hand reassuringly. When Roman's gaze met hers again, he looked distinctly troubled.

"I know," he said, "But I should've been faster. I should've been able to save you, too."

"Don't you dare beat yourself up about this," Carly said firmly, "Everything turned out alright, didn't it? Besides, I owed it to you and Dean, after… after everything. I'm so sorry, Roman. I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I'm sorry that I broke my promise. I hurt Dean, and I hurt you, too. Please, can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can," said Roman without hesitation, "You didn't know. You couldn't have known. And I know you'd never intentionally do anything to hurt either of us. The question is, can you forgive me? For shutting you out like that. It's just… with everything that happened, me and Dean are a little sore still. We both needed time to cool off. But we never should've walked out on you like that. I liked to think I was a better person than that, but-"

"We're both better than what happened," she said, "And that's why it won't happen again. I promise."

"I promise, too," said Roman. He shook his head incredulously, a faint smile on his lips, "You know, Carly, I already had my hands full trying to keep Dean out of trouble. You're just as bad as he is. Always pulling stupid, dangerous stunts."

"Stupid, dangerous, and effective," said Carly.

"You're just lucky you got somebody like me looking out for you," Roman chided.

"I know I am," Carly said as he helped her ease herself to a sitting position, "Thank you, Roman. I mean it."

"I know you do," said Roman, smiling at her.

Carly would never forget how Roman Reigns had reached out to her, offering his protection in thanks for how she had helped his brother. That kindness, the friendship that Roman had been the first to offer, hadn't wavered for an instant. They called him a juggernaut, a powerhouse, an unstoppable force, the golden boy. But above all else, Carly knew that Roman Reigns was a good man.

"Is Dean alright?" asked Carly.

"He'll be fine," said Roman, "The medics are looking at him now. He wouldn't let them touch him until he was sure you were alright. I mean, don't tell him I told you this, but Dean was, uh… He was more than a little upset, seeing you get hurt like that."

Carly's heart lurched a little. If he was that concerned, maybe it meant that Dean had forgiven her. With the same smile that had once erased her fear of him, Roman helped Carly down from the table. Standing restarted the pounding in her skull and triggered a head rush that momentarily clouded her sight. She held onto Roman's arms as she waited for it to pass.

When her vision cleared, Carly saw that Dean had appeared in the doorway. She watched him anxiously. Roman had forgiven her easily, but Dean might not be so readily convinced. In three long, quick strides, he was standing in front of her. Dean reached out (on impulse, it seemed) to touch Carly's forehead, fingertips gently brushing against the place the sledgehammer had struck.

Dean's eyes searched her face with an intense scrutiny that took Carly by surprise. He looked almost frightened, almost relieved, almost angry, and entirely at a loss for words. Anything that rendered Dean Ambrose speechless was serious business.

"Dean, I-" Carly began.

Dean suddenly pulled Carly into a close embrace, holding her tightly to his chest. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, and then rested his chin there. Carly didn't know what to think. This was so very different from Dean's usual playful hugs. He did not let go. He even seemed to wrap his warm arms more securely around her. This was strange, but strangely nice. Carly put her arms around his waist, returning the embrace.

"Don't scare me like that," Dean said at length, "Just… just don't, alright?"

"Alright," Carly said softly, "Dean, I'm sorry."

"Yeah," said Dean, "Yeah, I'm sorry, too."

"I'm sorry to break this up," said Roman.

Dean and Carly pulled apart at the sound of his voice. Roman had just closed the door, and was crossing the room back over to them.

"But we've got decisions to make, and we don't have a lot of time," he went on, "Those medics are gonna be back her any second. If Carly's right, then whatever Seth's endgame is, it doesn't involve fighting us. So, what are we gonna do?"

"Let's just give it a week. A broadcast, even," said Carly, "Let them think they scared us and we ran off to lick our wounds. If Seth is up to something, knowing that he'll have a night free from interference will give him the perfect opportunity to put it in motion."

Roman nodded. Dean gritted his teeth, reaching one hand up to rub the back of his neck. The idea of Seth running amuck in his yard with no one to stop him clearly didn't sit well with Dean.

"I don't like it," he said reluctantly, "But then again, how much worse can things get in one night? One problem, though. This is Seth we're talking about. If we just up and disappear, why would he believe we aren't up to something?"

"Because Carly's going to be taken to the hospital with what might be a very serious head injury," said Roman.

"I am?" Carly asked blankly.

"For all anybody outside this room knows, that's what happened," said Roman, "That was a nasty hit you took. I mean, it looked bad."

"It kinda did," said Dean, "If I hadn't been close enough to tell that you were still breathing, I would've thought you were dead."

There was that anxious look in his eyes again. A bit of guilt settled in Carly's stomach as she realized how much she must've made them worry.

"That puts me out of commission," said Carly, "But what about you two? What's stopping you from coming in on Friday?"

"Well, you saw the beating Dean took," said Roman, "If he's seen getting into an ambulance, people are gonna assume that he got hurt, too. But we gotta make it look convincing. Dean, you limp around looking all hurt and pathetic. Give 'em those puppy-dog eyes."

"Like this?" said Dean.

Dean's posture immediately altered. He held one arm protectively across his ribs and shifted his weight so it looked like he was favoring one leg. He hung his head a little, feigning a pained expression and blinking slowly as though he were exhausted. Carly caught herself almost pitying him, even though she knew he was putting it on.

"Just like that," said Roman, grinning, "Now Carly, you get the easy part. You just have to pretend to be unconscious until you get to the hospital."

"I think I can manage that," said Carly.

"Good," said Roman, "Let's get you laying back down. The medics could be back any time."

Carly hadn't even noticed she'd been laying on a backboard until Roman lifted her onto the table and, by extension, it. Roman's hand supported the back of her head as he gently helped Carly ease into a laying position. She winced as the dizziness and the pounding in her skull returned, protesting the change in orientation. Roman smiled sympathetically at her.

"Close your eyes," Dean ordered, "I think I hear somebody coming."

"Alright," Roman said hurriedly, "Time to put on a show. Just follow my lead, Dean. And play nice with the hospital staff, alright? We'll need them on our side."

Carly winked up at them before shutting her eyes. She had to admit, she was impressed. In the Shield's team dynamic, Roman hadn't really ever been the strategy guy. But he'd hit on a very good plan. A few seconds later, Carly heard the door open.

"Has there been any change?" one of the medics asked.

"She came around for a minute," said Roman, "But she was all confused, and now she's out again."

"Hey, doc, is she gonna be alright?" Dean said worriedly.

"Well, there's a good chance that it's only a concussion. But even a concussion is considered head trauma," the medic answered in the sort of careful tone doctors use in an attempt to keep people from worrying, "And given that her condition hasn't improved, there is a chance that it could be something more serious."

"How much more serious?" said Dean, a note of panic entering his voice, "She's gonna wake up, right?"

"Take it easy, Dean," said Roman.

His voice was low and reassuring. As far as the medics knew, Roman was just trying to keep Dean from worrying. But Carly knew that he was also trying to keep Dean from over-acting.

"We won't know anything for sure until they examine her at the hospital," said the medic, "Would you bring that gurney over here, please?"

Carly nearly flinched as she felt the medics start to work on strapping her to the backboard. This was a bit of a strange experience for her. The only other time she'd been taken to a hospital, she'd been unconscious for most of it. She was grateful that this time involved less broken bones.

"You're taking her to the hospital?" asked Roman.

"Yes," said the medic, "And I think Dean had better come along as well, just to be on the safe side."

Pretending to be unconscious and not reacting to people touching her was a lot more difficult than Carly thought it'd be. She managed not to tense up as they lifted the backboard onto the gurney, though. So far, so good.

"I'll go get our stuff," said Roman, "And then I'll drive over and meet you there, alright, Dean? You behave yourself."

"Right," said Dean.

Dean didn't say anything else as the medics brought Carly to the ambulance. But Carly listened to the other voices in the halls, bits of conversation and worried voices she recognized. That was good. The more people that saw this, the more credibility the deception would have. If Seth had a move to make, and Carly dearly hoped he did, Monday would be his perfect opportunity.

Soon, Carly heard the ambulance doors slamming shut, and they were on their way. Per Roman's orders, she still had to keep up the act of being unconscious until they reached the hospital. Carly suddenly felt a warm, strong hand on top of her own, and she knew it was Dean's.

"You stay with me, okay?" he said softly, "You gotta stay with me. 'Cause I couldn't live with myself anything happened to you and… and it was my fault, y'know?"

Perhaps she hadn't given Dean enough credit. He didn't have to play it up this much for just the EMT's. He was actually a really good actor. Unless…

Unless he wasn't acting at all. He was speaking quietly enough that Carly might've been the only one to hear him. Her heart gave that funny little lurch again. Now soft lips pressed a kiss against her forehead, and Dean's voice murmured into her hair.

"I've got you, Carly. You're gonna be okay. I've got you."

There was no reason for him to do that, no reason for him to be that close. None at all, unless…

No. That was one too many unlesses for the moment. She had to focus. Both of them did. It was a good thing that she was still pretending to be out, and that the restraints on the stretcher kept her arms strapped down. Otherwise, she might've done something stupid like reach out to stop Dean from pulling away. She felt oddly cold now that his touch had been withdrawn.

Just to be on the safe side, Carly kept up the act while she and Dean went through the initial triage processing at the hospital. Dean turned on the charm full bore, tugging at the hospital staff's heartstrings with the story of what had happened, begging them not to give out any details of Carly's condition, since it clearly wouldn't be safe for her. Luckily for them, the staff was rather sympathetic, and promised that no information would be released for any reason.

Also luckily, the ER was all but empty that evening, so both of them could be taken care of right away. Carly knew it was all an act, but Dean was still acting too well with how worried he sounded when he talked about what had happened to her. She didn't know how long she'd be stuck here, and if they'd even let him see her when they were finished checking him over. As they were both being taken to separate exam rooms, Carly opened her eyes. It was just to let him know that she was still alright, that's all.

"Dean," she said.

She reached her hand towards the direction she'd last heard his voice in. Dean shouted her name and broke away from the nurse that was tending to him, running over to seize Carly's hand.

Everything was a jumble of voices for a moment. The nurses were ignored entirely as Carly sat up as much as the restraints would allow. She and Dean were talking over each other, trying reassure one another that everything was alright. It took repeated orders to 'lie still, Miss Caden,' and to 'please calm down, Mr. Ambrose,' before Dean let them pull him away. But Carly was glad she'd decided to drop the act when she did, if only because it meant she got to see that smile on Dean's face.

Now came the unfortunate drawback of Roman's cunning plan. The doctors were baffled as to how Carly could've been unconscious for that long but didn't appear to have suffered so much as a concussion. They checked her over and asked a lot of questions (all of which she answered honestly, except the ones about the amount of time she'd been out), eventually sending her off to get a CT scan, saying she'd have to stay a few hours for observation in case her condition worsened. This was every bit as un-fun as it sounded, and Carly was just thrilled about the situation.

At least the scan itself didn't take too long. They settled Carly into a bed in a private room to wait for the results, hooking her up to a machine that monitored her vital signs, just in case. It was at that point that Carly had one hell of a time trying to explain away the faint but still suspicious injuries to her back and wrists. None of the staff were pro-wrestling fans, unfortunately. Carly ultimately had to pull up a YouTube clip of the incident on her phone and watched the doctor's horrified expression at the realization that, yes, this was what Carly did for a living.

"Excuse me," said a nurse, poking his head through the door, "Mr. Ambrose, the man she came in with, is asking if he can come in."

The doctor looked questioningly at Carly. She nodded eagerly and immediately regretted the action because God damn it, that made her head hurt. At the doctor's okay, the nurse stepped aside to let Dean into the room.

He looked like he'd recovered from the beating he took. Of course, he was still favoring one shoulder a bit, but at least it hadn't been hurt worse.

"How's she doing, doc?" Dean asked hurriedly, "Is she gonna be alright?"

"We're still waiting on the results from the CT scan," said the doctor, "And we'd like to keep her for observation for the next couple hours, just to be on the safe side. You're welcome to stay with her."

Carly hadn't realized how accustomed she'd grown to Dean's… well, how accustomed she'd grown to Dean, until she had to smother an amused smile at the perplexed look on the doctor's face at the way Dean fervently shook her hand as he thanked her.

"Oh, a friend of ours is going to be here in a little while," said Dean, "Is it alright if he stays with us, too?"

"That's alright," said the doctor, "Can you tell me what he looks like, so we can make sure the receptionist only lets the right person through?"

"He's a big Samoan guy," said Dean, "Good looking, long hair, tattoos all down his arm. Pretty unmistakable."

The doctor blinked. Then she raised her eyebrows and shrugged slightly, as if giving in and accepting that this was just going to be a weird night for her.

There was silence for a moment after the doctor left. Dean looked a little uncomfortable, now that there was nobody left to pretend for. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders, his gaze wandering around the room and only darting back to Carly for a split second at a time.

"Never liked hospitals," Dean said finally, wrinkling his nose, "Don't like being at the mercy of some doctor and having to let them poke and prod at you and stuff."

"I know what you mean," said Carly.

She wasn't too happy about the fact that she had to wear a hospital gown instead of her own clothes. It made her feel weirdly vulnerable. Silence settled over the room for a few moments more. Dean rubbed a hand against his collarbone absently. Carly could see that his injured shoulder had been re-bandaged. Hopefully it hadn't gotten hurt any worse after Dean's match earlier.

"How's your head?" he said.

"Feels like I'm being attacked by a drumline," she said, "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I- No," Dean broke off and shook his head, "I'm not. I'm not fine."

"What's wrong?" asked Carly, "Are you hurt?"

"No, that's not what I-"

Dean pursed his lips and looked away for a second. Then he took a deep breath and quickly sat down on the edge of the bed. In his agitation, Dean was hardly able to keep still.

"You're insane, you know that? Certifiable," he said emphatically, "What you did was reckless, and melodramatic, and… and stupid."

That almost-angry expression clouded Dean's face again. Carly looked down. He was right, and she knew it. She also knew she deserved whatever lecturing he was about to throw at her.

"I know it was," she said.

"But so was everything I did on Monday," said Dean.

The sudden shift in Dean's tone made Carly look back up at him. His voice was softer, regretful. None of them had handled that situation well. But Carly had been the one to start it, whether she meant to or not, and even if she couldn't fix it, she at least owed Dean some sort of explanation.

"I was wrong to keep things from you," she said, "A lie of omission is still a lie. I'm sorry. It never occurred to me that Seth hadn't told you he was planning something. I never thought- And then after it happened, after what Seth did, I didn't… I couldn't…"

"I know that now," he said, "Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I knew it on Monday, too."

Dean raked a hand through his hair, and Carly thought she understood. He wasn't just angry that Carly had done something dangerous. He was angry at himself.

"I was just so…" he faltered, "After everything we'd done? None of it meant a thing. We lost. I… I failed. I lost to him. It burned me up just thinking about it. I wanted somebody to blame for everything. And there you were, and it was so damn easy to make you pay for his sins."

"Dean-"

Carly started to push herself upright, but Dean reached out and stopped her, putting his hand against her stomach.

"Don't sit up," he said.

"I'm alright," she said, "I'm not hurt that bad."

"But you could've been," said Dean, "And if you were, it would've all been my fault. Don't say it. I know what you're gonna say. I know it was Triple H who swung that hammer, and it was your decision to do what you did. But I was the one who drove you to it. I as good as put you in a hospital, and I don't know if I can forgive myself for that."

Dean's eyes were so miserable, it made Carly's chest ache just looking at him.

"I forgive you," she said, "If you forgive me, too."

Dean exhaled sharply, like the beginning of a laugh got stuck in his throat. A faint smile pulled at his mouth as he looked down at Carly. It was at that moment that Carly realized that Dean's hand was still resting on her stomach.

And for some unknown reason, that realization made Carly's heart start beating strangely fast. The question of why was quickly buried under the desperate hope that Dean wouldn't notice. Wait. What was she so worried about? There's no way he could -

Dean's gaze shifted to the monitor beside Carly's bed. Damn it.

A concerned expression passed over Dean's face, and Carly knew that stupid machine had betrayed her. She had to say something, anything to distract him, but panic stalled out her brain. She had the awful certainty that she looked as nervous as she suddenly felt.

Dean glanced between her and the monitor, and then at his hand. His face went blank for a second. Carly's heart lurched as she saw the instant something clicked behind his eyes. Dean opened his mouth to speak and -

A knock at the door made them both jump. Dean turned to look, nonchalantly removing his hand. Carly inwardly sighed in relief. Thank goodness for the timely arrival of Roman Reigns.

"You two keeping out of trouble?" asked Roman.

"Yeah, and it's dull as dishwater," said Dean.

"Good."

Roman grinned and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"How are you feeling, princess?" he said.

"Just fantastic," Carly said drily, "How are things back at the ranch?"

"Tense," said Roman, "Even the Authority and their goons seem to realize they might've gone too far this time."

"No kidding," Dean muttered, "What about our guys?"

"They're worried about Carly," said Roman, "Dolph in particular. I talked to him while I was grabbing all our stuff. Told him to tell everyone else to keep their heads down and stay safe. Don't start anything, just defend yourselves if you have to. I felt kinda bad about keeping him in the dark, but the less people that know about this plan, the better."

"Good," said Carly, "I don't want anybody else getting hurt."

"By the way," said Roman, "Dolph seemed to think it was his fault that you pulled that crazy stunt. Care to explain why?"

"Everybody's lining up to blame themselves for the fact that I'm a moron," she said.

Carly told them about how Dolph had called her after she vanished, and how he'd let her know that Dean was in trouble. From there, it was just a matter of taking things into her own hands. Guilt crept into Dean and Roman's expressions as Carly mentioned how she figured just trying to talk to both of them wouldn't do any good.

"We knew we messed up," Roman said quietly, "We were gonna call you ourselves, try to mend fences somehow. We just couldn't figure out what to say."

"It's alright," said Carly, "Everything-"

"If you say that everything turned out alright in the end…" Dean said warningly.

"Um… everything could've gone a lot worse?" Carly suggested.

Dean rolled his eyes, but shrugged in agreement.

"Another thing," said Roman, "You still have to explain exactly what kinda quantum leap in logic led you to think that Seth is still on our side."

"Well, it started with something me and him talked about after Extreme Rules," she said, "About stopping the Authority, and how it's an unwinnable situation unless we do something to change the rules."

"Betraying us and siding with the Authority is changing the rules?" said Dean, nonplussed.

"That's still kind of a stretch," said Roman.

"It's not the only thing," said Carly, "Remember last week when they tried to screw you out of your qualifying match? That put us in a no-win scenario. What did I do about it?"

"You punched me in the face," Roman said drily.

In spite of himself, Dean snorted amusedly.

"I mean less specifically than that," said Carly, "I went off on my own, kept you guys in the dark, worked outside the rules. It didn't matter if I had to hurt somebody I cared about temporarily, as long as it meant that it helped us all in the long run. Sacrifice a little bit of honor for the sake of the mission, for the greater good. That's what I did in the face of a no-win scenario. What if Seth did the same thing?"

"Okay, but then what's he up to?" said Dean, "I don't like not knowing what's going on under that two-toned hair, y'know. It bothers me. And if you're right, he's gotta have a plan besides self-promotion."

"That I don't know," Carly furrowed her brows.

"Then why do you think he has one?" said Roman, "I'm not doubting you, but you gotta admit, everything could just be a coincidence."

"That's what I thought, too," said Carly, "Until I talked to him on Monday. You know what Seth always said about what to do when the Authority makes a statement."

"Listen to their exact words," said Roman.

"Right," she said, "Seth used the exact words I'd said to him, about believing in him no matter what. And if he was gonna bring that up at all, I expected him to mock me about it. I mean, when he talks, he's such a…"

"Vindictive bastard," Dean filled in.

"Okay, yeah. That," said Carly, "But he didn't mock me, really. Nobody else could've known about that conversation. It felt like he was trying to send me a message, something only I'd have a chance of understanding."

"What message?" said Dean.

"That he really is still on our side," she said, "That he's up to something, and that he needs us to give him enough space to put his plan into action."

Dean and Roman glanced at each other. This had to be hard for them to accept. They'd thought they knew who Seth Rollins was, only to find out they were wrong in a brutal manner. Then they'd thought they finally saw him for what he really was. But now, if Carly was right, it meant that they were right back to not knowing a thing about the man they'd called their brother.

"I could be wrong about all of this," said Carly, "But if there's a chance that I'm not…"

"Then we gotta step back and see what happens," said Dean.

"If it means taking down the Authority," said Roman, "And I mean once and for all, then that's what we'll do."

"And if I'm wrong, then we go right back on the offensive," said Carly, "And we do whatever it takes. If… if that's still what you want to do."

Carly trailed off hesitantly. At the end of the day, it was their careers that mattered, their dream. Dean and Roman weren't here to fight her battles. She was there to help them in any way she could.

"You know me, princess," Dean grinned, "If there's a fight to be had, I'm there. Especially if it involves dealing out some good old-fashioned vigilante justice."

"And I've got your back every step of the way, uce," said Roman, "I don't know what this whole fiasco is gonna mean for all of us, especially in regards to Seth. But we'll figure it out. Whatever happens, we're gonna handle it together."

Another sudden knock at the door ruined what was shaping up to be a very heartfelt moment. A nurse stuck her head into the room.

"Excuse me," she said, "It seems that your employer sent someone over here to get information on Miss Caden and Mr. Ambrose's condition. Of course we honored your request and refused to tell him anything, but he's refusing to leave. Would you like us to have security throw him out?"

Roman stood up before anybody else could speak.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," he said politely, "Let me handle this."

He straightened himself up to his full height, squared his shoulders, and lowered his chin. The nurse eyed him apprehensively as he stalked out the door. Carly couldn't blame her. When Roman wanted to look intimidating, he didn't do it by halves.

The resulting confrontation between Roman and the representative nearly rattled the windows. Carly almost felt sorry for the hapless employee. Roman roared him down, threatening him and Hunter and anyone else who harassed them again. He even managed to work in a few good clichés to drive the point home, asking if the Authority was "satisfied now", and "haven't they done enough?" while also dropping vague hints that would lead any listener to believe that Carly was in far worse shape than she actually was.

"You know everybody's gonna think I'm dead, right?" Carly said, as Roman re-entered the room.

"Good," Roman grinned, "Because everybody knows nothing short of a near-death experience is gonna keep us away for long."

"True," Carly had to admit.

"That's great and all," said Dean, "But can we get out of here now? I'm bored."

Roman rolled his eyes at the childishly plaintive tone Dean's voice had taken on.

"Yeah, this has kinda started to suck," said Carly.

"Soon," said Roman, patting Carly's arm.

The results of the CT scan didn't show any sign of injury, further confusing the doctors. But they had to admit that Carly seemed to be alright, so they only asked that she stay another hour just to be certain.

As the three of them sat and talked, Dean kept managing to brush his hand against Carly's "by accident." And every time he did, Carly saw him cast a curious glance at the monitor displaying her pulse. At one point, he even insisted that there was a piece of fuzz in her hair, telling her that she kept missing it when she tried to brush it away and that she should just let him get it.

Carly knew exactly what he was doing. It was almost scientific of him, really, trying to see if correlation was indeed causation. Dean Ambrose may be stunningly oblivious about a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid.

Carly, on the other hand, was outstandingly stupid. A world-class idiot. She had the impending sense of doom that came with the realization that a lot of things that hadn't made much sense to her were starting to fall into place.

Carly kicked that thought to the back of her mind. There were more important things to worry about now.

Finally, late enough at night that it could be called early morning, they left the hospital. Roman had already picked up his and Dean's things and checked them out of their hotel. To keep up the illusion that Carly was badly hurt, she and Dean were going to wait in the car while Roman tried to convince the staff at Carly's hotel to let him check out on her behalf.

Carly was laying down in the back seat to keep herself as invisible as possible. Dean had turned strangely quiet. In the rear-view mirror, Carly could see him staring off into space, occasionally rubbing his hand across his mouth, a pensive look in his eyes.

"Dean?" she said quietly.

"Hmm?" Dean shifted to look back at her, "What's up?"

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I… Yeah, I'm fine," he said with an unconvincing smile, "Just got a lot on my mind."

"Seth," said Carly.

Dean nodded and looked down. Even in the dim light, Carly could see that the look on his face was an echo of the hurt and confusion she'd seen there the week following Seth's betrayal.

"Even if it was all an act," said Dean, "Even if he's still the guy that I called my brother, he… he can't still be, y'know? I mean, now we've seen what he's capable of turning himself into. I never really knew him at all. I loved him, and then I hated him, and now? I don't know how to think of him anymore."

Carly had no answers for him, because the same questions were pressing on her mind. She had no idea what this meant for all of them. But at the same time, now that she was no longer sure if she should hate him anymore, Carly realized that she still missed him. She missed Seth. Everything was out of balance without him, and the empty space he used to occupy felt more glaring than ever. She missed Seth more than she'd been willing to admit, and she was certain that Dean and Roman did, too.

Carly didn't know what to say, so she just reached out and took Dean's hand for a moment. He smiled ruefully back at her. He didn't need answers. He just needed someone to hear the questions.

Roman came out of the hotel carrying Carly's suitcase. He stowed it in the trunk and then got behind the wheel.

"Lucky for me, the girl working at the front desk was a fan," he said, "Now, let's head home. We'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here."

Exhausted, Carly closed her eyes. She listened to the sound of the engine, the rushing sound of the cars they passed, the song playing quietly on the radio. It was one she'd heard in another life, one she'd danced to with Seth.

Seth. Carly felt a desperate hope (one that she thought had died out weeks ago) that it had all been a dream, or a trick. She hoped she was right about him. More than anything, she hoped that Seth Rollins was the good-hearted man that she had believed in.

(Note: Thank you to the lovely people who left reviews!)