Hello, lovely readers!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Mine was fantastic, I had such a lovely time with my boyfriend, friends and family. My boyfriend got me a Sasha Banks t-shirt and a signed picture of Roman Reigns among my other presents. So I was a very happy girl on Christmas morning. But now we're back and ready to continue on with this story.

Raquel the writer – Thank you

Guest – I tried to make it as hot as I could without any real interactions. I'm glad it came across well.

KairiAnneYukari21 – I agree. No way in hell would I have turned that man down!

Ambrose-kohli-girl – Welcome to the story! Glad you're enjoying it

Rileyjade – I agree, and I think he would have had Holly not said no. but she knew she needed to get away.

JayDanvers – Aww thank you! It's one of my favourite chapters

Unknowndiva – Thank you! That's so lovely of you to say! Phones are definitely the bane of their lives lol

Angelsdee327 – I agree. There is no way in hell I would turn Dean Ambrose down. I could not have said no to him… especially in a towel

Tantoune – The chemistry is definitely building, lord knows how bad it will be when they finally do give into their feelings!

Dutchangel1979 – I agree! Holly is one lucky lady for getting to see that man in the buff.

AKABlossom – He's finally taken the lead… Shame Holly had to be a cock-block and say no lol

LovelyMellow – Slow burns are my favourite too. I love building up the chemistry and the sexual tension so that when they finally do get togther its amazing and well deserved.

Beautifultragedyxxx – If you want him back at work, you will like this chapter

Guest – Dolly! I love it! I hadn't thought of a ship name for them but this one certainly works

Guest – Here is the update!

This chapter is named after 'Reunite' by Isbells.

Holly Helmsley's Point Of View

Three weeks later…

I exited the coffee shop, cup in hand, the hot liquid inside keeping my hands warm against the late autumnal weather that blew outside. I rushed through the parking lot to my car and got inside, shivering a little as the warm air inside the vehicle hit me. It was a drastic change from the chilly temperatures outside and I was grateful I'd decided to leave the heating on whilst I fetched my usual pre-show coffee.

I took a sip of the delicious beverage before placing it sturdily in the car's cup-holder and switching on the engine. I reversed the car out of the parking spot and headed down the road to the arena.

The traffic wasn't too bad for the time of day so the drive was pretty smooth. I knew I'd end up arriving fairly early, and, even though it was a rarity, this was normally something I was happy to do. But as of late I wasn't exactly enthusiastic for turning up to work before I needed too.

Normally I couldn't wait to greet everyone and meet up with friends and family, but lately that hadn't exactly been top of my list. I'd usually see Hunter and Steph and spend time with my big brother and sister-in-law, but both were insanely busy with work and scheduling, especially with having certain talent away on injury. They were working over time to make the show the best it could be and had very little free time these days.

Next on my list to visit would be Sasha and Paige, but I usually only saw them for a few fleeting minutes before they'd have to disappear for either training purposes or because they had a fight to prep for. They were bust ladies and could rarely spend long with me before the show.

Randy was always someone I visited, and I usually couldn't wait to hang out with my best friend before Raw, but ever since his little admission, things had been different. We had tried our best to get things back to normal, and as good as our efforts had been, there was always that niggling voice in the back of my head telling me he liked me, he potentially loved me, he always wanted more from me. So as normal as we tried to make things, our friendship wasn't as it had once been.

Then, of course, there was Dean. The same Dean who should have already returned to work but hadn't due to doctor's orders. The original time span for his return had only been a fortnight, but it had now turned into four long weeks, three of which I had not seen him. The doctors were being cautious, wanting to keep Dean out for a little longer in order to allow him to train and make sure his back was fully recovered and able to take the strain full time wrestling would have on it.

Whilst this was good for Dean, it was taking its toll in other places. It took its toll on The Shield as they had been a man down for weeks now. It took its toll on WWE in general as it and the fans were missing out on a fucking good wrestler and talent whilst he was gone.

And it was taking its toll on me too.

I missed him, it was as plain and as simple as that. I missed his goofiness, I missed his jokes, I missed his attentiveness… Hell, I even missed when he became the fucking lunatic! It just wasn't the same without Dean around. It felt cold, lonely, like there was a massive hole where he should be standing. I could see it in Roman and Seth too, neither of them feeling right without their brother at their side. They'd visited him plenty of times in the time he'd been away, but they still missed him like crazy.

But at least they'd visited, at least they'd seen him, at least they'd witnessed Dean with their own eyes in the last few weeks. I hadn't seen him since my trip to Vegas and it was sort of giving me anxiety. Not only because I missed my friend but because of what had happened when I last saw him and how we'd left things.

His hands touching me, his eyes watching me, his lips caressing me, his body needing me…

The whole scene had played out in my mind thousands of times since it had happened, my perception of it changing every time I thought about it.

We were friends goofing around… We were simply living in the moment… There was an obvious sexual tension that we were giving into… It meant nothing… It meant everything…

Every meaning and idea behind what had happened between us had been assessed, measured and weighed up until I'd come up with a suitable explanation.

I simply thought of us as two people caught up in a moment. The sort of moment that if the circumstances are right and there's a certain feeling in the air, it's very easy to give in to any inhibitions and do something you wouldn't usually do. And in our case it was kiss each other and fuck long into the night!

I knew deep down in the recesses of my mind, that there was more to it than that. I knew there were underlying feelings, I knew we had a chemistry and a way of being around each other that worked, but I couldn't even consider it, not yet anyway. I was already dealing with Randy and everything he was feeling; the last thing I wanted was to drag another guy into my life like that.

If something happened naturally then I would let it, but it wasn't something I wanted to actively pursue at the current moment. If Dean took it upon himself to be with me, then he could, but I wasn't taking charge. I needed to sort my head out first and I needed to sort things with Randy too.

I shook my head as I continued to drive.

I wasn't even sure if Dean saw me in that way anyway! We'd messaged each other during his time away but I hadn't visited again and he hadn't invited me to visit either. It was things like this that led me to believe my theory was indeed true – we were simply caught up in a moment.

I wasn't sure, and it wasn't something I wanted to focus on. I did enough of that anyway. I wasn't even sure when he was due to return to work. So until I had some information, it wasn't worth worrying over or focusing on. I just focused on him as my friend, my buddy, my pal who I missed like crazy and wanted back as soon as possible.

I pulled into the arena and parked my car up, taking my coffee in my hand and sipping it as I walked to the entrance. I flashed security my pass and I was allowed access, walking through the many corridors backstage. I knew I was early so I headed to the canteen before going to my brother's office. I grabbed some food, seeing Tamina and Naomi in there. I sat with them, the three of us chatting away for ages, all the hard work I'd put into being early going totally to waste as I realised I'd been there longer than I'd originally intended.

I was late for my pre-show meeting so I quickly bid them farewell and rushed as fast as I could to Hunter's office.

I hoped I wasn't too long behind schedule, I hoped my brother wouldn't be mad. I looked at my watch, knowing he'd probably already begun the meeting. I didn't have time to look at my phone to check for missed calls, I just wanted to get there as soon as possible.

I reached the door, bursting through it, several pairs of eyes looking at me as I made my arrival. Hunter was midway through talking when he was silenced as he looked at me.

"There you are. Better late than never, I suppose," he said. "Where have you been?"

"I got a little distracted," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I didn't-"

And then my sentence stopped, my mouth freezing, my voice cutting off as I looked at the people in the room with me. There were the usual suspects – Steph, Kane, Randy, J&J, Roman, Seth.

But there, standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall, his arms folded and a huge smug grin on his face, stood Dean.

He's here… He's actually here…

I looked at him, blinking a few times, my heart caught in my throat, unsure of what to say or do… Well, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to run to him, hug him, never let him go. But I couldn't exactly explain that sort of behavior to Hunter and it wasn't a reaction I wanted to explain to Randy. So I cooled that idea off.

But what I could not stop was the grin that slid onto my lips. I could stop the warm and fuzzy feeling that filled my stomach. I couldn't stop the pure excitement that filled my body as I looked at my friend.

He looked good, he looked his usual, cocky, cheeky self as he returned my gaze. I assumed I was giving him the surprised reaction he wanted, a light chuckle leaving his lips as I looked at him.

"You're back…" I murmured, trying to seem nonchalant to the rest of the room. I was practically bouncing on my feet so I highly doubted I was giving off the impression I wanted. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed him until I saw him standing there in the flesh.

"He certainly is," smirked Hunter, my head whipping round to look at my brother. "We finally have a united Shield."

"Uh, good," I shrugged casually, taking a seat beside Kane. "I'm glad."

I had my back to Dean now, but I couldn't resist biting my lip in anticipation. He was back! He was actually back! The sneaky bastard hadn't told me, but it was one hell of a surprise. I took deep breaths, acting normal as Hunter continued speaking.

What he said, I didn't really know. I wasn't particularly listening. I was far too eager to get out of here and see my friend to give two shits what my brother was saying about the show. He spoke to me directly a few times, asking me if certain things were alright. I just nodded, agreeing to whatever he said, my body constantly on the edge of my seat, impatiently waiting to leave.

When the meeting finally did end and everyone filed out of the room, I stood back, watching my friend closely. Hunter and Steph left first, closely followed by Kane, J&J then Randy until only The Shield and I remained. The three of them began to leave until I spoke up.

"And where do you think you're going?" I asked with folded arms, Dean quickly turning around to look at me. He quickly murmured something to his brothers, the two of them leaving until it was only Dean and I left.

No sooner had the door closed behind Seth and Roman did I launch myself at Dean, throwing my arms around his neck tightly. He easily caught me, his arms around my waist, holding me close, my head against his chest.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he muttered as he buried his face in my hair, his arms tightening around me. He squeezed me, not to the point where I hurt, but I thought he'd never let me go. I rubbed his back, feeling him, assessing whether he was real or not.

But I could feel the muscles of his body, I could feel the soft hair on top of his head, I could hear his heart beating as I rested my head on his chest. It was definitely him and he was certainly real.

He was back where he belonged. He was back with me.

I pulled back to look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" I accused.

"And miss the fucking look on your face when you spotted me? No thanks, Kid. This was a totally more fun way to do this," he replied.

I shook my head in amusement. "You're a dick sometimes. You know that?"

"But you wouldn't have me any other way," he said with a wink, my face blushing.

"No I wouldn't," I replied before resting my head on his chest again, my eyes closing as I let the moment sink in. "I've really missed you."

I felt his hands stroke my blonde hair as it hung down my back, his big strong arms tightening around my small body as he pressed me too him. His chin lay atop of my head, his warmth a soft comfort to me as I smiled. I sighed in contentment, I couldn't help it. It had been a while since I'd seen this guy, and I wanted to make the most of this. I wanted to make the most of him.

"I've missed you too," he whispered as I felt his lips graze my forehead. "I guess you don't realise how important a person is to you until they've been gone for a while, huh?"

I moved to look up at him. "What do you mean?"

He looked down at me, thinking to himself before he shook his head. "Nothing… just… I'd glad I'm back."

I thought nothing more of his words, far too busy being in his company to question what he had said.

"How's your back?" I asked.

"Good," he said, standing up straight. "The doctor says I'm perfectly good to get back in the ring and fuck shit up."

I raised an eyebrow. "The doctor actually said that?"

"Well I added the last part, but he says I'm fighting fit."

I smiled. "Good to hear."

I gazed into his big blue eyes, having truly missed seeing them over the last few weeks. Work really hadn't been the same without him, and I could honestly and truly say everything seemed a lot brighter now he was back. I felt better, I felt optimistic and happy, like nothing could go wrong or upset me.

Having Dean here sort of made the world better.

And then I did something I didn't expect, an involuntary reaction that I could not stop my body from performing. I slowly raised my hand, cupping his cheek, running my thumb along the stubble on his face. Dean closed his eyes, leaning into my touch, a soft and gentle sigh leaving his pink lips.

"Don't leave again… please," I told him.

"I won't," he replied. "I'm not going anywhere now."

He opened his eyes and gave me his best smile before a knock on the door caused us to break our eye contact.

"Dean," came Roman's voice. "We're needed upstairs. Our match is in ten minutes."

"Coming!" Dean called back before he looked back at me. "Listen, we'll catch up later, okay? You, me and the boys can go for food after the show. What do you say?"

"Sounds great," I grinned. "I'll be there."

And with that he left the room, heading to his fight, the smile unable to leave my lips knowing he was finally back where he belonged.

xXx

The Shield's match went without a hitch, the fans happy with Dean's return, everyone glad to see the lunatic had finally made his welcome return to the ring. I was rather pleased myself, watching as he threw his body about, his whole form fully fighting fit, moving like he hadn't even been away. That's what I admired about Dean; even if I didn't admire him as a friend, I had to admire his wrestling abilities. The guy was amazing in the ring, truly a sight to behold.

I sat in the back, watching the rest of the show, the sudden urge for a drink taking me. So I stood and made my way to the canteen.

I couldn't stop smiling, the grin refusing to wipe itself from my face. Everything just seemed to be going… right. Dean was back, the show was going fantastic, and I felt on top of the world. This was what I wanted, and I knew this was what I had missed in the last few weeks. I felt complete now, I felt joyful, blissful, content. I was optimistic and positive for the first time in a long time.

I turned a corner of the many corridors of the arena, greeting Superstars and Divas, talking to a few on my way to the canteen.

And then I saw…

Oh lord…

I froze and gasped, my eyes widening and my heart thumping at the sight before me.

I had to blink a few times in order to make sure what I was seeing was real, but the picture never changed. The person I was seeing was there, he was really there. He stood at the other end of the corridor, a glass of water in hand. He was dressed smartly in jeans and a t-shirt, and was deep in conversation with a few Superstars, all of them laughing at what he had to say.

But what the hell was he doing here in the first place? He shouldn't be here, especially not anywhere near me. It was like my worst nightmare becoming a reality, here of all places. Why did he have to show up when I was finally feeling positive again?

My breathing accelerated until I was practically panting, panic fully setting in and taking over my entire being.

What was he doing here? Why was he here? What did he want?

Standing on the other side of the corridor was none other than Sheamus.

Almost suddenly, I felt my legs give way underneath me as my fear overtook my horrified and terrified body. I was frightened, I was scared, I was downright petrified. He had to be here for a reason, and I realised that it was about now that his suspension would be up.

Had he returned to work? Was he now here for good?

My legs gave way… but I did not hit the floor. A pair of warm muscley arms instantly wrapped around my body before that could happen. I turned my head to see Dean had caught me, holding me tightly against his chest as my head fell weakly against his shoulder. How my friend had found me, I didn't know, and in that moment I honestly didn't care. He was here and that's all that mattered. My trembling body began to shake in his arms as he pulled me even closer, pressing my back to his chest, my eyes refusing to leave the man in front of me, the man who attacked me, attacked my friends, and no doubt wanted revenge for the fact I was the reason behind his suspension and his loss of the Money In The Bank briefcase.

"Holly," Dean whispered into my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin as his cheek rested against my temple. It sent a shiver up my spine. "It's okay. It's gonna be fine. You need to calm down." His voice was level, easing me and calming the tension in my body.

"H-He's here," I stuttered, my fear making words hard to form. "He's h-h-here. Why is he here?"

"I don't know, Holly," he whispered softly. "But he won't touch you. I swear. Not while I'm here."

"He shouldn't be here," I whimpered. "Why is he here? What does he want?" I could feel the tears building in my eyes.

"I'm not sure," Dean told me, his arms tightening around me a little more, protecting me and making me feel a little easier. One of his hands found mine, our fingers lacing comfortably together. "But we need to get you out of his sight. If he sees you or any of us for that matter, I'm not sure what he will do. Do you think you can stand?"

I wriggled my toes a little, finding that the strength had returned finally to my legs. "Yes," I nodded.

"I'm going to lead us to my locker room, okay? At least he won't see us in there. And he's too preoccupied with his friends to see us now. I need you to stand and I need you to walk. Can you do that for me?"

"I… I don't know," I said, my voice whimpering, my body frightened. "I'm scared, Dean."

"I know you are," he said, his tone reassuring. "But I won't let him touch you." His hand gently squeezed mine. "I let him hurt you once and I promised myself I'd never let him do it again. You have to trust me. Do you trust me, Holly?"

"Y-Yes," I said. And I did trust him.

"Then trust me when I tell you there is nothing to be afraid of. I have you and I'm not letting you go. He won't hurt you." I felt him rub his nose along my head until he placed a soft kind kiss on my temple. "I'll ask you again. Can you stand and walk for me?"

"Alright," I agreed as he cautiously let me go but kept my trembling hand in his. He looked at me, his blue eyes sparkling, showing me I had nothing to worry about as long as he was present. Once he knew I was stable on my feet, he slowly walked us to his locker room, my thoughts a complete muddle in my head.

Had Hunter warned me about him in the meeting earlier when I hadn't been listening?

Did Hunter even know he was here at all?

Was Sheamus supposed to be here in the first place?

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter.

Sheamus was here, he'd made his return, and I knew I was screwed.

Again, a huge thanks to Raquel the writer, KairiAnneYukari21, ambrose-kohli-girl, rileyjade, JayDanvers, unknowndiva, angelsdee327, Tantoune, dutchangel1979, AKABlossom, Lovelymellow, beautifultragedyxxx and my 3 guest reviewers for their kind words about the last chapter.