As Roman Reigns stands not so patiently near the Car Rentals Counters of the New Orleans Airport, he reflects on what had been the longest two days of his life. It had started when he had gone to Dean's lockeroom Tuesday night, with the hope of mending the awkward rift that had formed between them. He'd had a whole speech prepared about how he had been wrong, how forcing Dean to make a choice between himself and Bray had been wrong and about how sorry he was for it. If anything Roman had realized that like it or not, Dean needed both himself and Bray to function. They both helped the smaller man in ways that the other couldn't. It was beyond frustrating for all three of them, but it was the way it had to be. Roman had wanted to be understanding of it. He had wanted to show his support of Dean's residual friendship with Bray.

Unfortunately for Roman, that plan had gone straight to hell. When he had finally gotten the chance to stop by, he had been met with the unhappy news that Dean was gone. At first, Roman had taken it at face value. Why shouldn't he? There was no real threat anymore, Bray was gone; or at least he had thought Bray was gone. It hadn't been until Roman had found Dean's bag haphazardly shoved into the trunk of his rental car that he began to worry. Since then, all Roman could keep thinking was that he should have known better. Believing this was all over had been a mistake. Trusting Bray had been a mistake. Leaving Dean on his own had been a mistake. How many times had Bray played opossum to get what he wanted? Obviously this latest stunt wasn't any different. The only difficult part of it was that rather than taking Dean back to a hotel, it seemed that Bray had taken Dean home. That on its own had been a chilling thought. What had made it worse was the Roman had no idea where Bray's home was; at least he hadn't, until he found Carrano's assistant's phone in the bottom of Dean's bag.

Roman glanced up at the clock, slowly shaking his head. "Fucking come on." He pulled the phone out of his pocket, checking the reservation for the billionth time. "I know you're here." He looked back at the crowd of people. "So how about you just show up already." The person he was waiting for didn't comply. If anything the crowd seemed to get thicker, limiting his view. "Fuck." Of course this was going to be difficult. Everything concerning Bray was difficult.

He easily moved nearer to the counters to wait, momentarily taking his eyes off the crowd. He had wanted to be inconspicuous about this. He had been hoping to catch her and pull her off to the side so they could do this quietly. It would be easier if they could do this quietly. The last thing he wanted was to come all this way, only to lose her while he was forced to sign an autograph. Unluckily for him, he almost did lose her. Roman had been settling into his new spot when he just happened to look up at just the right moment. "There you are." The plain clothes had thrown him. He hadn't been expecting them. He was so used to the business attire she always wore, that the jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt were a perfect disguise for her. The only thing that had given her away that her hair was up in a bun.

They must've spotted each other at the same time, because he hadn't seen her a minute when she stopped dead in her tracks. She was a ways away, but he could still see the confusion that was written all over her face as she stared back at him. The confusion only grew as she quickly walked over to him, pausing just shy of where he was standing.
"What are you doing here?" Roman raised an eyebrow to that. It was more of an accusation that an actual question. "Don't you have appearances or something?" He didn't, not this week anyway. He had gotten the lucky break of Bray taking Dean on his one off week.
"Hello to you too. We need to talk." She gave him an annoyed glare.
"You could've called." The eyebrow went up further. He wondered how she expected him to do that, seeing as he had her phone in his pocket. He almost asked that, but he thought better of it. He wasn't ready to play that card just yet.
"This needs to be done face to face."
"So you came all the way here to talk to me?" He nodded, giving her a sly little grin. That seemed to annoy her further. "I don't have time to talk. I'm already behind schedule and someone's expecting me. If you want to talk, then make an appointment…."
"I think it's going to be real difficult for me to make an appointment seeing as you don't have this." He pulled her phone out of his pocket, holding it up to her. The sight of it instantly silenced her. "And as for you being expected, well I'm sure Bray can wait his turn." He leaned in smirking at her. "I got here first."
"Where did you get that?" She easily pointed at her phone.
"Oh this?" He looked at the phone, drawing it out for a minute or two before he answered. "Funny thing about this. I went to apologize to Dean after the show the other night, and wouldn't you know it he was gone already. But he left this." He flipped the phone over, easily unlocking it with one swipe. "Just so you know, he took your password off." Roman missed the horror that was written all over her face. "By the way..." He continued to look through the phone, smiling when he found what he was looking for. "Before we do this." He turned the phone out so she could see it again, grinning from ear to ear at her vexed look. "Has any one told you that you look pretty sweet in a bikini?" She quickly went for the phone, but he easily pulled it away, tucking into his back pocket. "Hey now. None of that."
"You….ASSHOLE! Give that back!" He held up his hand, giving her a semi stern look.
"I think you've got that bun of yours wound just a little too tight. Where are your manners Evangeline...or should I call you…what is it Bray calls you?" He sarcastically thought about for a minute or so; infuriating her further. "What was it? Cologne…Columbia…Columbus…" He turned his hand in a mock gesture as he pretended to remember. "Oh wait I know….." He smacked his forehead. "Colombe. He calls you Colombe."

In response, she simply crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him with every ounce of contempt that she had in her. The stance and the glare did little to deter him from continuing on. He knew he wasn't doing himself any favors with her in the long run. After this was over, they all had to go back to work together. He was still going to have to see her on a regular basis. But asking her to help him, after he had figured out she was Bray's spy, just seemed to grate on him. "See, I thought it was a little odd. So I looked it up." He smiled at her again. "According to Google it means dove." Somehow the glare got harder.
"Are you done?" Her tone was like acid.
"Why does he call you dove….Angie?" She rolled her eyes, sucking in her cheeks slightly.
"Don't call me that."
"What Angie? You don't like being called Angie? I thought that was your name… Angie."
"Call me Angie one more fucking time and I will make sure that you go back home a few appendages short." He laughed. Part of him actually wanted to see her try.
"Aw see, I don't think Mark would like that very much." He leaned in again. "He's already going to be super pissed about you lying about…well everything. Threatening talent though…." He clucked his tongue while he shook his head. "That'll probably get you fired." Her arms fell away from her body, her apparent frustration with him finally boiling to the surface.
"Holy…What do you want Roman?!" She stamped her foot for some kind of emphasis.

He didn't answer her, not at first. He had to think about it for a moment. "I mean it Roman. I need to go. Just tell me what you fucking want." He wasn't ready to force her to take him to Bray. Odds were she wouldn't. He needed to get her to back down a little before he dropped that bomb on her.
"I want you to tell me the truth about why you're really here." She gave him an unreadable look, taking a step back from him.
"It's none of your damn business why I'm here." He rolled his eyes.
"Riiiiiiiiiight personal." Did air quotes around the word. "You're going to feed me that same lame ass excuse that you feed Carrano, aren't you?" He paused. "It was your Aunt right? Something about her being sick….or dead." He shrugged. "All I know is Mark sent a nice text this morning, telling you he hopes she gets well." She rolled her eyes again. "Oh and him letting you put your travel on the company? Nice perk."
"You know what? Fuck you." She squared her shoulders, crossing her arms back over her chest. "I'm not telling you anything. I don't have to tell you anything, because I don't answer to you."
"Today you do." She gave him a slightly disgusted look. "See I've been through your phone. I know you've been in contact with Bray in the last few days. I know Bray has Dean." He leaned slightly. "And I know you're here to see Bray. So let's cut the crap." She gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Fine by me."
"You have no life outside of your job. It's going to really suck for you if I call Carrano and tell him what's really been going on."
"Because you are obviously an authority on this situation."
"I am. You lied to Mark about it. He doesn't know Dean's been kidnapped. He just thinks he's sick." Her face went through about six expressions, before it finally settled on stunned.
"Kidnapped?! Who the fuck said he was kidnapped?!"
"Why else would Dean be here? Bray took him Tuesday night and then he called you telling you to cover for both of them." Her arms fell away from her body as she expressed her frustration.
"Oh my god." She pressed her fingers into her temples. "You. Fucking. IDIOT!" Roman was taken aback by that. He had been expecting her to confess that he was right, or at least stand down slightly. But neither happened. Instead she looked ready to rip his throat out with a spoon. "Dean hasn't been kidnapped and Bray is not holding him hostage. He left Tuesday night, and showed up at Bray's sometime Wednesday. ON HIS OWN."
"Is that what Bray told you?"
"Yes."
"And you believed him?"
"YES." She stepped closer to him, lowering her voice slightly. "He called me in a panic Wednesday night. He said Dean had been found near the house and he was in a bad way. He didn't know what to do, so he asked me to help. I told the company he was sick, because he was."
"And you're hear now…."
"To make sure Dean and Bray both go back to work Monday. Look…" She ran her hands over her face, letting them fall back to her side when she was done. "I get you think Dean's in trouble. Both he and Bray don't have the best track record when it comes to this sort of thing; but you need to stand down. You showing up is only going to make this worse for everyone. Just….go home or at the very least…go to a hotel here in the city. I'll make sure Dean calls you once we're out of there." He shook his head, not liking that suggestion one bit. He wasn't about sit idly by and wait on her to screw him over.
"No. Not only no, but hell no. You're in on this. For all I know you told him where Dean was going to be." She gave him an incredulous look.
"Really? Did you just listen to anything I just told you?"
"Yea and I don't believe one fucking word of it." The look got worse. "So here's what we're going to do about it. You're going to take me out there." Her face went from one of disbelief to utter shock.
"Are…you high?! I'm not taking you out there."
"Oh I think you are." Her hands came up over her hair, tightening around her bun.
"And why would I do that, hmmm? Do I look like I want to die today?" Her hands fell away again. "Because you realize that's what's going to happen when we both show up, don't you? Bray's going to think I fucked him over and he's going to have us killed where we stand." It was Roman's turn to be skeptical.
"I think you're being a tad over dramatic." She shook her head no. "You're going to take me out there to keep me quiet. Do this and I'll forget you were ever apart of it. I'll keep my focus on Bray. Refuse and I let it slip to everyone what you've really been up too. I may even pass that bikini picture around too." He shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. But even if I don't, how long do you think it's going to take them to fire your ass for the other stuff?" She shook her head no again, wilting slightly.
"You….you can't do this."
"Oh I can." He gave her a smirk. "What do you say Ann…" One glace made him think better of what he was about to say. "Evangeline. Are you going to help or do I need to give you a ride to the unemployment office?"

She stood there glaring at him for a moment. He had her stuck between a rock and a hard place. Realistically, she could afford to lose her job. It would be difficult, but it wouldn't be anything she hadn't faced before. She had enough saved to be alright for a while. What worried her were the rumors he was threatening to start. They were the kind of thing that would follow her everywhere she went, especially in the small sphere that was the executive level. They would mark her as incompetent and untrustworthy. Not the ideal words one wanted to be associated with when they were looking for a new job.
"Fuck….Fine. I'll take you out there." He smiled at her. "But once we get there we're done. Anything that happens after that is on you." He threw up his hands.
"Finally. Was that really so damn hard?" She gave him a contemptuous smile.
"Yes it was, it really was. But since we've come to an agreement, maybe you can give me my phone back." She held out her hand, expecting him to hand it over.
"Why? So you can call and warn him?"
"So I can call and tell him that I'm here. I didn't have a flight when I talked to him last. I just told him I would let him know I was here." She gestured at the area around her. "But it probably won't hurt to tell him you're here either. He might not be so upset about it if he knows." She absently scratched her forehead. "Hell he may just meet us at the front gate with Dean." Roman shook his head not liking the sound of that.
"Not uh. No phone until we get there." She closed her eyes, grinding her teeth slightly. "Everything else I'm fine with." She opened her eyes slightly, keeping them narrowed so she could shoot an irritated glare at him.
"I really hope someone kicks the sense god gave you, into you when we get there."
"Nice. Are we going to go or are you just going to glower at me all morning?" She gestured to something behind him, probably the door, indicating they could go.

Roman nodded, easily stepping out of her way so she could move along with him in tow. She darted away from him, putting a healthy distance between him and her. He imagined the distance was needed, for both of their sakes. The car ride was already going to be awkward enough, without him pissing her off even further; not that he really cared. In his mind she could get over it. He was along for the ride, whether she whether she liked it or not.