Hello, lovely readers!

This is part 2 of Dean and Holly's few days together. It's the longest chapter of the story so far so I hope you all like and enjoy it. I've taken some creative license with Dean and Holly's back stories, so sorry if Dean's isn't exactly true to life. It's just the way I wanted it for this story. Enjoy!

Raquel the writer – Thank you!

Dutchangel1979 – Yes! We all need hot chocolate now. And for Dean to get covered in it!

Rileyjade – They are. They're the cutest

Tantoune – Thank you. If you liked the last chapter then I'm more than sure that you'll enjoy this one.

Wolviegurl – Thank you for the review

Beautifultragedyxxx – I think she's in denial. I think she obviously likes him but is kidding herself about it. They have a connection and that's becoming much clearer as the story goes on. And I loved how something so simple could be so steamy. Glad you liked it.

Crazy-wild-and-free – I think once you've read it, this one may be your new favourite ;) It's a good idea about teaching her to fight. I have so much planned for when Sheamus does eventually return. And I completely agree with you. I would not have been as timid as Holly is being around him. I'd have jumped the lunatic's bones! Thank you for the continued support and enjoy the chapter. I'm sure you will

This chapter is named after 'Secret Garden' by Bruce Springsteen.

Holly Helmsley's Point Of View

Dean was already up and about when I came down the next morning. He was fully dressed, going in and out of the house, and I had to wonder if this was all prep for the surprise he'd told me he had in store for me today. I entered the kitchen and switched on the coffee machine, the whirring noise of it alerting him to my presence. He turned, smiling at me.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he said, closing the back door. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd be up.

"This is a recovery break, Dean," I said as I grabbed a mug from a cupboard. "I need every minute of sleep I can get."

"Well it's given me time to prepare for our day anyway, so I don't mind."

"How did you sleep?" I asked, putting my mug under the coffee machine and allowing it to fill up with the warm liquid.

"Like a fucking baby," he said brightly. "Best night's sleep I've ever had. I need to ask your brother where he got that bed from because I seriously need one shipped over to my apartment in Vegas."

I laughed as I took the mug away from the machine, relishing in the warmth it gave my hands. "I told you, Hunter only has the best." I lifted it to my lips, sipping on it gently.

"Well I need the number of the shop. I need one of those bad boys in my life," he said.

We walked into the living room and switched on the TV, watching morning television as I drank my coffee.

"So what's this surprise you have planned for today?" I asked curiously.

I was beyond curious. It had been on my mind all night and all morning, my head desperate to know what Dean had planned. It wasn't often I got surprises and I knew it wasn't often he prepared them, so curiosity was certainly getting the better of me.

"Ah, you see that's the thing about surprises," he said. "You aren't supposed to reveal them. So my lips are sealed."

My eyes narrowed, looking at him skeptically.

"Is it a bad thing?"

"Nope," he said. "In fact it's something I know you'll enjoy." He looked out the window. "And the sun is shining which is a bonus. It's quite warm out too considering it's November, so we've got a good day for it."

"So it's outdoors?" I asked.

"Stop trying to get answers out of me, Holly," he said. "Just live in the moment. Good things come to those who wait."

"Fine," I said, sipping my drink again.

"Now hurry up and drink your coffee," he ordered. "Go get dressed and meet me at the front door in 15 minutes."

"Yes, sir," I said in amusement, quickly downing my coffee, eager to get the day started.

xXx

We walked casually together down the street, my hands in my pockets as Dean led us to an unknown location. Unknown to me anyway, he seemed to know exactly where he was going. However this confused me. Dean wasn't from Connecticut and he certainly didn't live here, so I had to wonder how he knew where he was going. So I asked him.

"You seem to know your way around considering you aren't from here," I commented.

"A little invention called Google Maps, Holly," he explained, walking quickly and eagerly, wanting to reach our destination as quickly as possible. "Brilliant thing."

I nodded in understanding, his sense of direction now making sense. It certainly explained how he knew his way around, but also told me that this surprise was well planned and not spontaneous. It made me flush, happy that he'd put this much effort into entertaining me and making me happy.

I looked up at him, grateful not only for his presence, but for his enthusiasm and his need to do something for me.

Dean's eyes were alight with excitement, his cheery attitude clearly showing through. He was acting like a child in a candy shop, his eagerness bright and fierce, and I could tell he was as excited for this as I was. I liked to see him like this, just free and happy. He was always so tied down by WWE or the lunatic that he never really got to be himself. He never let the true Dean shine through, so to watch him acting the way he was was something that made me feel on top of the world.

He thankfully slowed a little and walked at my pace so that I could keep up with him but I still struggled to keep up. The wind blew through my hair and whizzed past my face as we seemed to leave the street and enter into a nature reserve just off of Hunter's estate, the forest thick with trees and ripe with plants. It was so crowded and vast that I feared we would easily be lost in it with no hope of any way out. Realizing that my pace was too slow, Dean sighed.

"You're too slow, I need to carry you," he said.

I blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

But he didn't reply to me, instead he swung me onto his back mid-walk. I let out a surprised yelp, the movement taking my breath away and causing my heart to pound in my chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck as his arms held my legs to him, carrying me piggy-back style. The adrenaline that flooded through my veins was phenomenal and I could not keep my excitable grin from my face.

He walked and he walked and he walked, never slowing once, never letting me go. He dodged trees, leapt over fallen logs and ducked under low branches. It was crazy to see what his wrestling skills and strength were able to let him do. He was a very fit man with great stamina and power, so he was able to nimbly carry me over any obstacle... and it was something rather incredible to experience. For someone to be able to do what he was doing was enough to make anyone gasp in anticipation.

We eventually slowed down to a casual walking pace, Dean finally setting me down on my feet again, my head coming down from its high. We continued on our journey through the forest until Dean stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Wait," he smiled. "Close your eyes and I'll lead you."

"Why? What's going on?" I asked inquisitively.

"Just trust me," he said with a knowing smirk.

I did as I was told, hesitantly closing my eyes and allowing Dean to lead the way. He held my hands in his, guiding me along until I was told to stop. Nervously, I took the final step forward. When he was ready, he spoke.

"Okay, open your eyes," Dean said, and I could sense the glee in his voice.

I did as I was told… but I was not prepared for what I would see. I gasped at the sight before me and could not tare my eyes from it.

A meadow was set out before me, the most gorgeous meadow that my eyes had ever seen in all my life. Tall and green trees surrounded it, fencing us in and keeping us safe. The ground was carpeted with soft grass and the most beautiful wild flowers of all shapes and colours. A light breeze flew by us, rustling my hair and waking me up from the trance the meadow had put me in. The whole scene was like something from a fairytale, a vision of perfection, of delight, of pure and utter beauty.

Wow…

"What is this place?" I whispered, my eyes taking in every last inch.

"It's a meadow," he replied, moving to stand beside me. "I thought it'd be a nice and secluded place for you to relax."

"How did you find this place?" I asked, my eyes taking in everything the meadow offered me.

"I got bored on the flight here so I did a little bit of web browsing," he explained. "This nature reserve is one of the highest tourist attractions around here. So I checked it out before I came to the house yesterday."

My head darted to look at him. "You came here first?"

"I had to make sure it was good enough to take you to," he shrugged. "And it was."

"It's… it's… wow," I managed to get out.

I could sense the grin on Dean's face, the joy radiating from him. "That's not all."

And then his fingers pointed further into the meadow, my eyes widening as I saw a blanket on the grass, a basket sitting upon it, a picnic set out, ready for us to devour.

Oh my…

It was perfect. "How did you…"

I was totally flabbergasted.

"I spoke to Sasha," he explained. "She said you like this kind of shit. And after what Sheamus put you through, I figured you deserved something that would put a smile back on your face."

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I felt the sudden need to cry, but not with tears of sadness. I suddenly became overwhelmed with happiness and joy, unable to comprehend the effort he'd gone to set all this up. It explained why he was up so early and was in and out of the house this morning. He was preparing all this… just for me.

"All this for me?" I asked.

"Like I said last night, it's no fun when you aren't around," he told me. "I like saving you so consider this another form of rescue."

I grinned… a wide and toothy grin… a wide and toothy grin that seemed to be permanently tattooed to my face. This was unreal. He wanted to share this place with me, this special place that was beyond anything I'd ever dreamed, all to make me happy. I honestly couldn't believe it, and I couldn't believe him.

This was a side I'd never seen of Dean, a side I hadn't even known about. And a small part of me had to wonder if he knew about this side of him too. It was hands down, the most sweetest, kindest, loving gesture anyone had ever given me in all my life. I was honestly stunned

Sensing my blissful attitude, Dean took my hand and led me further into the meadow, beyond the trees and deep into the wild flowers. They smelt wonderful, my mood getting better by the second. We reached the middle of the meadow and sat down upon the soft blanket, my eyes taking in all the delicious delights he'd prepared for us. He'd really gone all out with this.

"This is… amazing," I said to him.

"So the surprise was a success?" he asked, pulling a bottle of wine out of the basket. He handed me a cup and began to pour.

"A complete success," I grinned. "Cheers," I said as we clinked our cups together, taking a drink.

The food he'd prepared was absolutely delicious. Sandwiches, pasta, cake, cookies. I wasn't sure how much was handmade or store bought, but it didn't matter. It was the thought behind it that counted, and Dean had clearly put a lot of thought into this. I knew I'd have to thank Sasha later on for leading him in the right direction about what I liked. I loved picnics, the outdoors, nature… And to know that Dean had taken all that onboard and created such a wonderful day for us was beyond heart-warming.

I watched him as he ate, smiling at the clearly joyful smile on his face. I'd seen him carefree before, but never this carefree. He looked so young, so handsome, like a man who didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders even though deep within I knew he did.

He had a vile past, a darkness within him that came out when it needed to. Dean was a man with issues, with problems, a man who hadn't lived a life that was all sunshine and lollypops.

But now, sitting here with him in this meadow, the sun shining down on his face, none of that was important. It was a time for him to be normal, to forget about the demons that lay within his mind. Even though this was a surprise for me, it was benefiting him too. It was allowing him a freedom, a chance to forget, a chance to be a normal guy before we returned to work and it all began again.

And this made me happiest most of all, the fact that this wasn't for me, this was a chance for him to get away from it all and be happy

He quickly noticed me watching him, his blue eyes staring back at me.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Just happy."

"Oh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, placing a piece of cake in his mouth. "And why's that?"

"Just am," I replied. "It's been a while since I've been this genuinely content."

"Good," he said with a wink. "My plan worked then."

"It was a good plan," I said. "One of your best."

He stretched his arms out, lying back on the blanket, his arms behind his head as he stared up at the clouds in the bright blue sky. "I knew you'd like it."

I followed suit, lying down beside him, staring up at the white puffy clouds, sighing blissfully. We lay in silence and relaxation, the only noise being of the insects in the grass and the birds tweeting in the trees. If I wasn't in such wonderful company I could have closed my eyes and fallen asleep, but I was having far too much fun to simply sleep the day away. So instead I watched as the clouds formed shapes in the sky, a smile slithering onto my lips.

"That one looks like a butterfly," I said, pointing upwards.

"What does?" he asked, turning his head to look at me.

"That cloud," I said. "Look."

He did, turning his head to look back up at the sky, laughing when he saw the shape. "The one beside it looks like a fish."

I giggled, agreeing with him. "And that one there looks like a flower." I pointed indicating to him the new cloud.

"And that one looks like me hitting Orton in the back with a chair," he smiled teasingly.

I looked over at him, rolling my eyes. "No need for that. Today is a nice day, Dean. Nothing bad will be said, especially about Randy."

He gave me a shameless smirk. "Okay, nothing bad." And even though he no doubt wanted to make take a cheap shot at Randy, he didn't say another nasty word about him after that. "So talk to me then," he said, changing the subject. "Tell me about Holly."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You know about me," I said. "There's not a lot to tell."

"No, I know about Holly Heather Helmsley, sister of Triple H and Co-Director of Operations," he said, rolling onto his side to face me, propping his body up on his elbow. "Tell me about Holly, the girl from New Hampshire. What was it like growing up?"

I looked up at his, his blue eyes sparkling with interest. "I had a good childhood, a normal childhood. I had a mum and dad who loved me and the best big brother in the world."

"What was it like growing up having Hunter as a brother?" he asked.

"Well he was considerably older than me," I explained. "I was kind of an accident my parents weren't expecting, so Hunter was 21 when I was born. But he was insanely protective from the start, always looking out for me and taking the best care of me. He was wonderful. I was 13 when he married Steph, so then I gained a big sister too, both of them as caring as ever."

"Sounds nice," he commented.

"It was," I said, smiling to myself. "I know he pulled some nasty shit with me regarding the Sheamus stuff, but overall, Hunter has been an amazing big brother. I wouldn't change him for the world."

"I see that," he said. "How he was around you after Sheamus attacked, how tentative he was and how he arranged your recovery. He's a good guy."

"The best guy," I said happily, looking up at Dean. "What about you? What was your childhood like?"

He let out an amused breath, lying on his back again, staring back up to the clouds. "You don't want to know about mine, kid."

"Try me," I said, propping myself up on my elbow, the two of us essentially swopping positions.

He looked up at me questioningly, my lips offering him a warm encouraging smile. Thankfully, this was enough to allow him to continue.

"I didn't have the plush upbringing you had," he said. "I never knew my dad and my mom was just some stupid bitch who cared more about her next fix rather than her own kid. I grew up in public housing, constantly moving from one place to the next when mom couldn't afford the rent because she had to pay someone their crack money."

I listened to him closely, never interrupting once. Dean was opening up and I didn't want anything I said to stop him.

"I practically raised myself until I discovered wrestling." Suddenly his face changed, turning from something cold and harsh to something warm and bright. Wrestling clearly had a positive effect on him. "I'd watch it on TV or video as a kid before I took myself to a wrestling school at age 16. It gave me an escape, a place to go and direct my anger that was safe. I loved it from the second I stepped into that ring and I haven't looked back since."

"It saved you," I quietly commented.

He looked up at me, a smile playing on his lips. "You could say that. And you know the rest of the story. I wrestled my way up until I met Seth and Roman and entered WWE."

"I'm glad you found those two," I said as I lay back down.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face me, his hands moving to idly play with my long blonde hair.

"Because you need them," I said. "From what you said, you didn't have much of a family. So I'm glad you found Seth and Roman. They keep you grounded and loved."

"They're my best friends," he said as he wrapped a few strands of my hair around his fingers. "Roman is my big brother, Seth is my little brother... They are my family now."

"And me," I quickly added.

He let my hair go and looked down at me with a puzzled yet amused look. "You are?"

"Come on, Dean," I said, laughing lightly. "We can't go through a mugging together and not say we're bonded for life, can we?"

He let out a chuckle, the gleeful and childish noise like music to my ears. "You're right, I guess we can't."

He smiled at me, a smile that could take anybody's breath away. I sighed… content… happy… joyful. I could stay in this meadow forever if it were possible… just me and him... This had been, without a doubt, one of the most fun and fantastic days of my life.

"So consider me family, alright?"

He nodded. "Alright. Family."

We lay in silence then, basking in the beauty of the meadow. He lay facing me, continuing to play with my hair as I looked up at the sky, counting the birds as they flew by, watching the clouds pass over us as the sun reached its full height in the sky. Time passed us by, the solitude of the meadow wrapping us up in our own little bubble.

"It's not often I get to relax like this," I said, rolling my head to face him, but was surprised by what I saw.

His eyes were closed and he was stock still, like a statue or a dead body. His nostrils flared a little as he breathes in an out and I had to wonder if he'd fallen asleep.

All I knew was that it gave me the opportunity to look at Dean, as in truly look at him, and I wasn't going to pass the chance up. I'd looked at Dean before, sure I had, but never this close or in such detail. And with his face a mere few inches from my own, I would never have a better chance to do it as I had now. My eyes roamed every inch of his face, taking the sight in and committing it to memory.

I saw how prominent his cheek bones were, how straight his nose was, how clear and pale his skin seemed. No matter how cheesy or cliché it sounded, the lunatic really was a vision of perfection, and I could totally understand the obsession the fan-girls had with him. No man would ever be able to look as handsome or as beautiful as he did, and he wasn't even trying. His brown hair was in its usual disarray upon his head, and his eyelashes created shadows across his skin, giving it a little definition. The stubble on his face gave him a rugged manly look, the sun illuminating his face in the most beautiful way.

God, I really must be the luckiest person on the planet being this close to him…

Gently, I lifted my hand up to his hair, running my fingers through the soft strands, loving how they felt across my skin. Like whispers of silk. I slowly pulled my hand away, afraid to wake him up. My eyes looked at his closed eyelids, his nose, his cheeks… and then his lips. They were so pink and perfect, just the right shape and size, the bottom lip a little bigger than the top.

Jeez, I wonder how many women have felt those lips on them. Kissing them, touching them, caressing them…

I stopped my thoughts mid-sentence, not wanting to even think about such a thing. The man was stunning, he'd no doubt been able to get any woman he ever wanted. I didn't want to muse on what he had done with them or they with him. But the more I looked at the lips, the more I wanted to feel them. It did not even matter that I couldn't feel them upon my own, I just wanted to touch them. Again, I cautiously lifted my hand, this time ghosting my fingers across the soft pink skin, feeling the softness of his lips upon my finger-tips…

And then his eyes opened.

They looked straight at me, his blue orbs meeting my brown ones as panic set in. I gasped as I quickly pulled my hand away, but Dean grabbed it before I could do such a thing. I began to panic even more. Oh god, had I done something wrong? Did he not like my touch? Did he want to know what the hell I was doing? Did he want to know why the stupid freak in front of him couldn't stop running her fingers over every body part she could find? His grip was so tight, his eyes so accusing. He was mad. Lord, he was mad at me.

I was about to apologize for my behavior, when he suddenly lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it, letting his lips linger on the skin before gently pulling away. My eyes widened, not only in shock, but in anticipation. The atmosphere in the meadow had suddenly changed. Whereas before it was warm and friendly, it was now red hot and electrifying. His blue orbs bore into mine, hypnotizing me and drawing me in like nothing ever had before. I was trapped in them, locked in them, held in them, and I had no way of escape. But did I want to escape?

No, I didn't.

"Holly..." he softly whispered, lust lingering in his tone as his eyes finally left mine, only to look down upon my own lips.

Did… Did he want to… kiss me?

Why else would a boy look at a girl's lips unless he wanted to kiss them? I swallowed. Hard. Goosebumps rose across my skin as my heartbeat picked up, pounding so fast it felt as if I was running a marathon. But why would he want to kiss me? He could have any girl in the world. He had his pick of anybody, so why would he choose me over the other billions of girls on the planet? He was so close, just one push forward and our mouths would connect. That was all it would take. One of us had to do it, but the question was, which one?

The answer? I soon got it as Dean began to slow move his head down towards mine.

Jesus…

I instinctively closed my eyes, just as he did, waiting for the kiss to come…

Sadly, my cell-phone began to ring before anything could happen.

Our eyes quickly shot open as the ringing phone sounded throughout the meadow, both Dean and I returning back to reality.

"Fuck," murmured Dean and he pulled back as I shot up, searching through my bag until I found it. I answered it, lifting it to my ear, my heart pounding like a drum.

"H-Hello?" I said, my voice shaky, hoping whoever was on the other end could not sense the nerves in my voice.

"Hey, Holly," came Hunter's voice. "Just thought I'd give you a call and check in on you."

Worst timing ever, Hunter!

"Erm, yeah, I'm good," I said, placing my hair behind my ears. "Feeling much better."

"How have the meds been working?" he asked.

"They've been great," I said, turning to look at Dean. He had sat up, his eyes focused on the ground below him, his hands running roughly through his hair. "They've worked wonders. I'll definitely be good to come into work on Monday."

"Great," Hunter said. "I've got you a flight booked for Monday morning so you can come right to the arena."

"Thanks," I said as I noticed Dean look up into the sky, my eyes following suit. We noticed big black rainclouds rolling in and we knew it could pour it down at any second. Whether Hunter's phone-call had interrupted us or not, this little picnic was over. "I'm in the middle of eating lunch so I'll call you later on."

"Sounds good. Get some rest and I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you too," I said before hanging up, quickly shoving my phone back into my back.

"It's about to piss it down any second," Dean said. "We need to pack this stuff up."

"Sure," I said, neither of us looking at each other as we filled the basket back up, both of us knowing having no clue what the hell had just transpired between us.

xXx

We thankfully made it home before the rain hit, both of us managing to stay dry. The almost kiss wasn't mentioned at all, and I knew it was because neither of us knew what to make of it. The urge had been so unexpected, the moment so spontaneous and impulsive that myself nor Dean could comprehend what we'd almost done.

We'd almost fucking kissed for Christ's sake! My lips had almost touched his and his had almost touched mine. I didn't know if it was the wonderfulness of the day, the beauty of the meadow, or the closeness we'd felt after opening up to each other, but we'd been brought together in that moment, and the urge had filled both of us. And had Hunter's phone-call not happened, we both knew what would have happened between us.

I had made dinner and we watched a film together on the evening, but we never got as close and cosy as we did in the meadow, both of us consciously making an effort to avoid it. We were both confused, both embarrassed and I knew we were scared of what could actually happen if we let it.

So once the film ended, we quickly said goodnight to each other, heading to our respective bedrooms, closing the doors and turning in for the night. I just needed sleep, I just needed rest, I just needed to get my head into check because my head was going at a thousand miles an hour.

We'd need to talk about it, of that I was certain. I couldn't leave this awkwardness between us and I had to make sure he was alright. Dean didn't get close to people and I knew we were about to get intimate in that meadow. I had to assure him, I had to let him know everything was aright between us. But for now we both needed sleep before we could approach the subject tomorrow with a clean and fresh mind.

Sleep must have come to me, because at some point that night, a dream hit me, sending me to another world altogether…

It was night time. The rain was pouring outside and I was in a house… a familiar house… Hunter's house… curled up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. The fire, although helping, was not enough to warm me fully of the cold temperature that surrounded me. I shivered a little and continued sipping on my drink.

Suddenly, a blanket was draped around my shoulders, keeping me warm and protected in the house. I was not sure where it had come from or why I suddenly had it, but I wrapped it around myself that little bit more, covering all of my exposed skin, the softness of it feeling delightful. I felt warmer already and was grateful for its appearance. I finished my drink and put the mug down.

That's when I felt someone behind me, a presence that I had suddenly sensed. The person, who I assumed gave me the blanket, sat down on the floor behind me and pulled me back until I was resting against their chest, my head laying across their shoulder. The person was surprisingly comfy and their arms trapped me in a warm and protective cage, a cage that I felt no need to escape from. A wonderful scent filled my nose, the smell of vanilla and cinnamon whirling through the air around me. A musky scent was also added into the mix and I could tell from it that the person was male

All of a sudden, the man carefully brushed my hair to the side and began to ghost his lips over the back of my neck, causing a delicious shiver to run all over my body before he kissed behind my ear and finally my cheek. My blush appeared full force at the feel of his lips on my skin and I had to admit that as I closed my eyes in contentment, I was pretty comfy where I was, enjoying the caresses that this man was giving me.

Goosebumps appeared wherever his lips fell, my stomach housing thousands of butterflies as his tender kisses became hot and scorching. An arousal began to stir in my panties as his hands slipped under my top and ran over my body, his fingers tracing across my stomach, running up my rib-cage and stroking the underside of my breasts. I let out a gentle moan.

"Holly…" the man whispered into my ear and my eyes suddenly shot open in shock.

I suddenly woke up and sat bolt upright, panting heavily, clutching my chest where my thundering heart lay. The dream… the man… the caresses. It was… Dean. I had been dreaming of Dean, I would know his voice anywhere.

What the hell does that mean?

I had absolutely no idea, but I wasn't sure what to make of it. Dean and I were together and it felt… good. It shouldn't feel good, it shouldn't. He was my friend, he was a work colleague, he was a fucking lunatic, not someone who I set up home with and live a happily ever after with. This had to be because of what happened in the meadow. It had to be. My mind was just running wild with thoughts and feelings and… lust.

It was just a dream, it was just a dream, it was just a dream

I chanted the words in my head as I lay back down and fell back asleep again. After all, what were dreams? They meant nothing… didn't they?

Again, a huge thanks to Raquel the writer, dutchangel1979, rileyjade, Tantoune, wolviegurl, beautifultragedyxxx and crazy-wild-and-free or their kind words about the last chapter.