Hello, lovely readers!
Hope you are all well and ready for another chapter. We saw the lunatic last chapter and his mad reaction to Sheamus. I absolutely love writing Dean as a mad man. It's so much fun and there something very attractive and hot about him like that. I can't deny it haha.
Debwood-1999 – Welcome to the story! Glad you're enjoying it so he certainly did. You never hurt a lady, especially one Dean Ambrose has an interest in lol
Raquel the writer – Happy New Year to you too.
Hollarious969 – Aww thank you. So lovely to hear when my readers are enjoying my work.
Irishblue69 – Yes he did. You don't mess with Dean Ambrose!
Ambrose-kohli-girl – They really do. And I love that you think they're goals. They're one of my fave couples to write for.
LadyShadows410 – So do I! And its so much fun to right lunatic Dean.
Tantoune – I think I would have too, but Holly knows the problems that could lead to for Dean. So she stopped it whilst she had chance.
Seth rollins babe – Thank you!
Calwitch – That okay lol. At least you're all caught up now. I loved the bathtub scene. I wanted something sexy and chemistry filled without anything actually happening. And Dean's timing was perfect. He always knows when to come to her aid. They are in a limbo, like both know they like each other but no one will make a major move. It'll all come in good time
Wolviegurl – Thank you!
Beautifultragedyxxx – I think Sheamus was just angry and wasn't thinking of the long term, only the short term. And Dean and Holly are getting closer and closer. It won't be long now until one of them makes a move.
Lola – Ooh, welcome to my little story. Glad you're enjoying it. and the Sheamus consequences will be coming soon.
Dutchangel1979 – Dean definitely is a keeper! The feelings will be coming out soon. Its really building now!
2112brittbritt – Aww thank you! It won't be long until they are. We all know its heading that way
This chapter is named after 'Now You Know' by Hilary Duff
Holly Helmsley's Point Of View
I winced in pain the next day as myself and The Shield made our way to the arena for Smackdown. It felt as if I'd been knocked out or gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, the pain was so bad. But all I'd done was take a sip of water and allow it to swallow down my throat. The entire action killed, my throat constricted and sore with every movement I took. If water was this bad, I dreaded to think what I'd be like when I swallowed food. I'd skipped breakfast that day in order not to find out.
I'd woken up that morning with an intense pain around my throat, the attack from Sheamus the night before really taking its toll on my body. He'd really done a number on me, my throat sore and stinging, a massive red hand-print still tattooed on my skin. It looked fucking awful and completely obvious. It was as clear as the nose on my face so I knew I needed some form of cover up so I could hide it from prying eyes. And whilst makeup worked somewhat, it didn't completely hide the bruise that was slowly forming. Thankfully it was late December and wearing a scarf was nothing out of the ordinary, so I'd popped one on, hiding the damage as best as I could.
I didn't want the world knowing what had gone on, and I knew Dean and Sheamus wouldn't either. Our little problem had been sorted out by Dean last night anyway, but my friend had still been insistent that I tell Hunter, and he'd made his opinion quite clear at the hotel last night.
He had been edgy and twitchy, so I'd made a call to Roman and Seth a few minutes after we arrived back into his room, his friends leaving the bar and quickly joining us. We had given them the lowdown on what happened, neither quite happy with Dean's reckless and violent behaviour, even though both understood his reasons. But the conversation we'd had the previous evening was not one of our best…
"Are you a fucking idiot?" Seth said last night as he paced up and down the room. "Do you know what could happen if he opens his mouth up to Hunter or Steph?"
"He won't say anything," Dean replied from his seat on the bed, bandaging up his rather red knuckles. "I made myself clear."
I watched them as Roman gently applied some soothing cream to the red mark on my neck, the pain subsiding a little.
"And what if he changes his mind? What if he decides to dump you in the shit and tell them you almost killed him?" Seth asked.
"If he tells his side of the story then I tell mine," Dean said. "If he tells Hunter I beat him up, I explain why I did it. Trust me, after the way I left him, Sheamus won't be piping up anytime soon. He was petrified, like he was about to piss himself or something."
Seth shook his head in annoyance. "You need to be more careful about what you do, Dean."
"What was I supposed to do?" Dean asked. "Just stand there and them him hurt her?"
"Of course not, but there are better ways of dealing with your problems," Seth replied. "You go too far sometimes."
A growl rumbled from Dean's chest. "He deserved every last fucking punch I gave his ugly-ass face."
"But Dean-"
"Look at her fucking neck," Dean quickly interjected, his hand and arm moving to point at me as Roman applied more cream. "Look at what he's done to her. Do you think he gave a shit when he had his hand around her throat? When he was squeezing it until she almost blacked out? When he had her dangling and fighting for breath?"
Seth sighed, his shoulders dropping as he gazed at my throat, instantly getting the point Dean was trying to make. "No… I guess he didn't."
"Then why should I give a shit about him?" Dean replied. "Why should I give him one ounce of passion or kindness or mercy when he didn't give any to Holly?"
Seth shook his head, his voice a lot softer. "Dean, I get why you did it. I just don't want any bad repercussions to come your way. Whatever happens to you, it effects us as well."
"I'll take whatever punishment I have to," Dean replied. "And I'd leave the cunt lying all bloody in that alleyway a thousand times over for all I care. I did what I had to do and I'd do it again."
"He promised not to say anything," I added, my voice a little hoarse and croaky. "He looked petrified, Seth. He won't say anything."
"But surely everyone will question him when he comes into work covered in cuts and bruises," said Seth.
"Well the guy better have a good fucking excuse," said Dean. "Because if he drags my name up once then I go straight to Hunter and tell him he almost strangled his little sister."
I winced at the words, never quite able to believe that last night had still happened.
"Maybe Holly needs to tell Hunter anyway," interjected Roman, all three of us looking at him.
I quickly shook my head. "No way, I'm not saying anything to anyone. Dean sorted it out last night and that's the end of it."
"They're going to notice the bruise on your throat," explained Roman. "And Sheamus will still be at work whether he keeps quiet or not. Surely if you tell your brother we can be rid of Sheamus once and for all. I can't see him wanting to keep the guy around if he knew the truth."
"Roman makes a point," said Seth. "Maybe you should tell Hunter."
I shook my head nervously, the idea of bringing this up with my brother a scary one. He'd hit the roof, he'd go insane, and whilst it would be amazing to be rid of Sheamus, there was that fear in the back of my head that Dean's name could be brought into it.
"I'll sleep on it…" I suggested.
And I had. I'd slept on it and thought about it and considered every option and outcome. And I was still considering them as the four of us entered the arena. I knew the right thing to do was to tell Hunter. It would ensure my safety, keep him in the loop, and would give him the perfect reason to finally be rid of Sheamus. But I couldn't help but worry for Dean. He had been warned once over his violent behaviour, and the very idea that he could be fired worried me.
That, and the fact that Sheamus could very easily go to the police over what happened if he wanted to. It fucking terrified me, and as much as I knew I needed to be safe, I couldn't let anything bad happen to my friend, especially after the length he'd gone to last night to save me.
But I found my legs automatically taking me to my brother's office, my instinct telling me to tell him, telling me that it was the right option, both for my safety and that of my friends. It wasn't safe to be around the Irishman anymore, and something needed to be done about him.
So as Seth and Roman headed to their locker room, Dean stopped me before he followed them.
"Do you promise me you're gonna tell your brother what happened?" he asked me. He knew I'd been wavering all morning.
"I don't know…" I sighed. "What if this comes back on you?"
"That doesn't matter," he replied. "Your safety is a priority. I'll deal with anything that happens to me. Just make sure Hunter knows what he did. I need to know you're gonna be safe."
I couldn't help but smile at his concern. "Are you always this caring?"
"Only to the people I like," I said with a smirk and a wink. "Let me know how it goes."
He stepped forward and gently pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"I will," I said, a light blush tingeing my cheeks.
And with that he left, so I headed to the office, entering the room without even knocking once I reached it.
I was surprised to find it empty accept for Randy who was seated on a sofa, flicking through a magazine.
I stopped in my tracks, surprised to see my friend there. "Oh! Randy! W-What are you doing here?"
The last person I needed here right now was Randy. If I was nervous about how Hunter would react, I was terrified to see what Randy would do. He'd go fucking crazy.
"I was waiting for your brother," he replied as he closed the magazine and put it down. "Needed to chat to him about a few things."
He stood up and approached me, encasing me in a warm and tender hug.
"Oh, right," I said once he'd let me go. I awkwardly placed a piece of hair behind my ear. "Is he not here yet?"
"I think he's running late," Randy said. "He sent out a group text letting us all know he was stuck in traffic."
"Oh… I haven't checked my phone today," I said.
This was not what I needed. I felt nervous enough as it was about this whole situation. I just wanted to get it out in the open and tell him and not have to linger on it for longer than I had too. So Hunter not being here really did not help my situation.
"Holly Helmsley not checking her phone," teased Randy. "Never thought I'd see the day."
I laughed awkwardly, my face going red. "Oh, uh, yeah… just, uh… been busy. Stuff to do and all that."
Randy folded his arms, looking at me skeptically, my face flushing redder and redder under his intense stare, my anxiety rising as my heart began to beat faster. Randy had known me for 12 years. He knew when things were wrong, when I wasn't myself, and I knew I wasn't doing the best job at hiding my worries right now.
"Holly… What's going on?" he asked.
"N-Nothing," I said, plastering a fake smile on my lips.
"Come on, I know when something's up. You aren't acting yourself."
"It's nothing," I tried.
"Holly…"
"Don't push me, Randy," I said, my voice coming out a little harsher than I intended.
"Don't push you?" he asked. "Something is obviously up then."
"It's nothing, I'm fine," I said, feeling very flustered and hot under Randy scrutiny. I slipped off my jacket to cool down, my scarf quickly following it, not realising what I'd done or what I'd revealed until the scarf lay on Hunter's desk.
"What the fuck!?" exclaimed Randy as his eyes widened.
I looked to him, my eyes following the path he was looking at, quickly realising what he had seen.
Shit.
I scrambled to put my scarf back on but it was too late. He'd seen the mark on my neck. I'd barely had time to pick it up before he grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. I accepted defeat, sighing as I allowed him to gaze at the quickly forming bruise. He didn't say anything, but his face said everything his mouth couldn't. He slowly loosened the grip he had on my wrist as he assessed the mark.
His eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in and out deeply, his jaw tense as he gritted his teeth. I cautiously raised my brown eyes to meet his blue ones, seeing an anger in them.
He gently raised his hand, lightly ghosting his finger tips over the red mark.
"Who did this?" he asked me calmly.
"I… I don't want to say anything until I've spoken to Hunter," I said.
"Was it Ambrose?" he asked me.
I rolled my eyes. "Of course it wasn't!" I said, looking at him in annoyance.
"Then who was it?" he asked, his voice a little sterner this time.
"Randy, I'm not saying until-"
"Damn it, Holly! Fucking tell me who the hell did this to you right now!" he yelled in frustration, my body jumping and jolting back at his sudden outburst.
"Sheamus," I quickly exclaimed, Randy looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. "It was Sheamus."
"Sheamus?" he asked in confusion. "How? When?"
"Last night," I began to explain, dropping onto the sofa. "I went to a bar last night with a few friends. I went out for some air and he cornered me. Thankfully Dean stopped him before any real damage could be done."
"That mark on your throat is more than real damage," he growled. "He actually did that to you?"
"Yes," I said.
"Where is he? I'm gonna fucking kill him," he growled, heading for the door.
I quickly grabbed his hand before he could go. "This is why I didn't want to say anything till Hunter got here. I knew you'd act like this. Besides, Dean made sure last night he wouldn't come for me again."
"Ambrose showed him in the ring when he Brogue Kicked you, but he still came back for more. I somehow don't think he'd gonna listen to that idiot," Randy said.
"When you see Sheamus, you'll see what I mean," I said, not wholly telling him how much Dean had beat up on the Irishman.
"But look what he's done to you," he said, softly stroking my neck. "Look at it."
"I know," I said sadly. "And that's why I need to talk to Hunter."
Randy stared at me, thinking to himself, not moving. I hated myself for giving the game away. This was the exact thing I wanted to avoid, and yet here I was, stuck right where I didn't want to be.
Finally, my friend shook his head. "No. I can't wait for Hunter. Tell him and let him deal with it by all means, but I can't stand back and do nothing."
He turned on his heel and threw the door open, leaving the room.
Fuck…
I quickly grabbed my scarf, wrapped it round my neck and hurried after him.
"Randy, get back here!" I yelled as I chased him down the corridor. His legs were a hell of a lot longer than mine so he was able to walk a hell of a lot faster. He marched around the arena whilst I had to keep up a light run in order to keep my pace up with this. "Randy, stop!"
This was the last fucking thing I needed! I'd gone through enough shit and enough people knew about what had happened last night. I'd been dubious about telling Hunter, so there was no way in hell I'd wanted Randy to know. He was reacting just like I knew he would and I did not want him causing a scene at work. Not only did it look unprofessional but it made people ask questions, and I did not need anybody else knowing about this.
He was thinking with his fists rather than his head, and whilst that worked last night for Dean, it was not needed right now. I needed him to be cool, calm and collected, and to fucking listen to what I was saying!
I managed to reach him, grabbing him by his arm. It slowed him a little, but he was still able to move.
"Where's his locker room?" he asked me as we walked.
"I don't know," I replied. "And even if I did I wouldn't tell you."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," I said, getting my breath back. "Because the last thing I want is a repeat of last night. I just want to talk to Hunter in private and explain everything calmly."
"Sheamus doesn't deserve to be spoken about calmly," Randy shouted. "He deserves my fist through his face!"
"Eugh, this is why I didn't want to tell you in the first place," I said, throwing my arms up in annoyance. "Because I knew you'd act just like this."
"And with good fucking reason," Randy shouted, a few people noticing our argument. Natalya popped her head out of her locker room as the New Day watched us from down the corridor. Bo Dallas and Stardust spotted us too. "I am pissed, Holly!"
"And I'm not?" I yelled. "This is my problem and I wanna deal with it in my way. I don't need you going in there with guns blazing!"
Finally The Shield opened their locker room door at the sound of the commotion, Dean quickly rushing to my side once he realised what was going on.
"What the hell is going on here?" he asked, his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowing as he looked Randy up and down.
I sighed. "Randy knows," I told him.
"I figured," Dean replied. "But what I can't figure is why you're raising your voice at her."
"I'm not raising my voice at her, I'm raising it at the situation," Randy argued.
"Funny," Dean said, standing in front of me with his arms folded. "Because from where I'm standing and from what I'm hearing, it's her that you're shouting at."
"I'm frustrated," Randy replied. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of my argument and out of my face, Ambrose."
Dean smirked at him, a cocky chuckle leaving his lips. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop shouting at a poor innocent girl who has been through enough shit without you adding to it."
Randy took a step forward until the two men were nose to nose.
"Guys," I said, trying to pry them apart. "Enough. This isn't the time or the place."
"No, if Orton wants a fight, he knows I'm more than happy to bring one to him," replied Dean. "He can start arguments but he knows I'm easily able to finish them."
Randy raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you fuck off and leave Holly and I too it."
"I'm sure you'd fucking love that," Dean replied. "Getting her all to yourself."
I groaned in frustration.
"Will you two fucking stop it!?" I said, but I knew my words weren't getting through to them.
How their anger at Sheamus had made them turn on each other, I'd never know. But Randy and Dean rarely needed a legitimate reason to start fighting. They'd hated each other from the first moment they met, and only needed the simplest of reasons to start an argument.
But this was fucking pathetic. They were acting like children and I was getting rather sick and tired of their constant stupid arguments over nothing. They needed to grow up and focus on what mattered.
"I'll stop when he stops," growled Dean, the two men in an intense stare off.
"This is ridiculous," I said, turning around and gasping when I saw the man in front of me.
"What the hell is going on here?" asked a very confused and annoyed Hunter, his eyes fixed on the two angry men before him.
My shoulders relaxed, a wave of relief hitting me. Not only could Hunter calm these two down and stop whatever fight was about to happen, but he was now here for me to explain everything that had happened.
Dean and Randy looked at Hunter before stepping away from each other, neither saying a word as they split up.
"You took your time," I said, trying to lighten the situation.
My brother continued to look between Dean and Randy. "Anyone care to explain this to me?" he asked.
"We should go to your office," I said. "There's something I need to tell you."
He looked down at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "Holly, what's going on?"
"You'll find out. There's a lot to talk about," I replied as the four of us walked to his office, my heart nervously in my throat…
Again, a huge thanks to Debwood-1999, Raquel the writer, Hollarious969, irishblue69, ambrose-kohli-girl, LadyShadows410, Tantoune, Seth Rollins babe, calwitch, wolviegurl, beautifultragedyxxx, Lola, dutchangel1979 and 2112brittbritt for their reviews of the last chapter.