So, I meant for this chapter to be posted at the same time as the last one, but that didn't happen because of... reasons. Sorry, everyone!

"Well, when I got back to the hotel—" Seth began.

"Wait a minute," Dean interrupted. "Who did you end up riding with?"

"What?" Seth asked, confused.

"We had the rental car, so who did you ride back to the hotel with?" Dean elaborated.

"Dean, is this really important?" Roman cut in.

"I'm just curious," Dean said defensively.

"I caught a ride with Cesaro," Seth answered.

"Cesaro? What was he still doing at the arena?" Dean asked.

"Dean, that's enough," Roman said firmly. "Let Seth finish his story."

"Fine, fine," Dean muttered.

Seth waited a beat to see if Dean was truly finished and then continued. "So Cesaro dropped me off, and I walked up to our room. As I got close I could hear yelling."

"For the last time, Dean, stay out of my stuff!" Roman yelled.

"What the hell is your problem?" Dean yelled back. "It was just a t-shirt. It's not like I went through your whole bag."

"I don't care if it was just a t-shirt! I've told you before. I don't want you messing with my stuff!"

Seth stood uncertainly at the door. He opened it partially but didn't walk in. He didn't really want to play referee for yet another Roman and Dean confrontation, but he really needed to talk to them. Maybe if he just waited, they would burn themselves out?

"I don't know why you're getting so riled up," Dean continued heatedly. "Seth takes your stuff all the time, and you never yell at him."

"Well, if I let Seth jump off a bridge, would you do it too?" Roman replied sarcastically.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how that saying works."

Roman huffed in exasperation. "Just stay out of my stuff," he ordered in a low, deadly voice.

"Oh, I'll stay out of your stuff," Dean replied. "In fact, I'll do you one better, I'll stay out of your life!" Seth heard a muffled noise that was probably Dean throwing the disputed t-shirt at Roman.

"You do that," Roman said, his voice still icy. "I'll even make it easy for you. I'm leaving!" Seth could hear more muffled noises coming from the hotel room.

"Leave then! See if I care. In fact, why don't you just stay gone while you're at it! You already think you're better than us," Dean yelled as the hotel door jerked open and Roman appeared in the threshold, bags in hand.

Seth backed away, slightly startled. "Hey man. Looks like I've walked in on a bit of an argument. How about we all go sit down and work this through?"

"Leave me alone, Seth. I'm done working things through," Roman said stubbornly. "I'm getting my own hotel room."

"Alright. That's cool. We can work it out once you've had a chance to cool off, then," Seth responded uncertainly.

"Whatever," Roman muttered as he stalked off toward the lobby.

Seth watched him go for a few seconds then turned to finally enter his room.

"What happened, man?" Seth asked Dean as he sat his bags down at the foot of his bed.

"Don't start with me!" Dean snapped angrily.

"What? I—"

"Just don't start! I know how this goes. You're gonna try to get me to calm down and go apologize to Roman. Well, it isn't going to work! I'm sick and tired of this bullshit!"

"Okay, then. How about we—"

"No, Seth," Dean interrupted, pacing as he talked. "Whatever you're gonna say, just no. I don't need you to try to help me, or fix me, or calm me down. In fact, I don't need you at all. The only thing I need is some space. I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Seth asked weakly.

"Out." And he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Dean came back later that night, but you never did," Seth finished looking at Roman. "You started rooming and driving by yourself. We were together at work, of course, but there just didn't seem to be a good time to talk to you both after that."

Roman squirmed a little and looked at the floor. "I guess I can see how all that would contribute to your paranoia."

"Oh, come on! We used to fight like that all the time," Dean exclaimed.

Neither Seth nor Roman responded. They just turned toward Dean and stared.

"Which I guess didn't really help matters either," Dean finally conceded reluctantly.

"You know, I didn't actually stop rooming with you guys because of the fight," Roman admitted quietly. "It was just a convenient excuse. I was having some marital problems at that time that I didn't want to deal with in front of an audience. I should have told you what was really going on."

"Oh," Seth said, his skin turning slightly gray as he soaked in this new information. "Damn, I wish I'd known that. I mean, I understand, but I thought you… Well, you know what I thought. Anyway, I was just trying to make it clear why I never told you guys about how my meeting with Stephanie went. But it doesn't really matter because I didn't leave because of the fight. I mean, it didn't help after everything Stephanie said to me, but it wasn't ultimately the reason I left. I left because of the text."

"You keep going on and on about this mysterious text!" Dean said, his voice getting louder with irritation. "Just tell us about it already!"

"I don't know why you keep putting up this facade like you don't know what I'm talking about. I mean, I'm over it now, but it would be nice if you would at least acknowledge the truth," Seth said, irritation creeping into his voice as well. "But whatever, man, I'm getting to it now. So, it was the afternoon after Payback. I was in the hotel. Roman, you weren't there obviously, because you were staying in another room. Dean, you had gone out too. I think to get some food or something. I stayed in because I wanted to get in a quick workout before the show. I was just about to leave when I heard your phone buzz."

Seth looked at Dean's phone irritably. He simply couldn't understand how Dean always managed to leave it behind. Did he do it on purpose? Seth thought about just ignoring the text but decided to check it just in case it was something important.

He picked up the phone. It was just a text from Roman saying that he was at the store and wanting to know if Dean needed anything. Seth wasn't bothered that Roman hadn't texted to ask him as well. Ever since the Great Toothpaste Incident of 2012, Roman didn't shop for Seth anymore. It had happened soon after they had all gotten together. Roman had asked them both if they needed anything before he went shopping, and Seth had asked for a very specific kind of toothpaste. Roman had gotten the wrong kind, and Seth had complained about it nonstop for a week. In the end, Roman got so fed up with Seth's complaining that he vowed to never shop for him again. It was a promise that he had kept.

Though he was in a hurry, Seth decided to answer Roman before he left. Dean had been complaining about being out of Dr. Pepper. Just as he finished the text and was about to put the phone down, he noticed the name underneath Roman's on the Messages screen. What is Dean texting Hunter about? he wondered. He knew he shouldn't look, but his curiosity got the best of him. He touched Hunter's name and read the words on the screen.

"Son of a bitch."

"I read your text, Dean. You left your phone in the hotel, and I read it. The one you wrote to Hunter the same day I supposedly betrayed you? Remember now?" Seth asked pointedly.

"No!" Dean said angrily.

"Get to the point, Seth," Roman ordered. "What did the text say?"

"It said that he was sick of the Shield and was going to leave soon!" Seth answered. "So I made the executive decision to leave first. I should have talked to you first Roman, but at that time I believed you already had one foot out the door. I was angry. The Shield was going to end, and I couldn't stop it. So I decided to gain back some control in the only way I could. If I couldn't prevent the Shield from self-destructing, then I was going to destroy it myself. I had no intention of becoming collateral damage."

Dean stood up and pushed his chair back noisily. "I never sent a text like that! I don't even have Triple H's phone number!"

"I saw it," Seth countered.

"We should be able to settle this easily enough," Roman interrupted. "Dean, I think I already know the answer, but do you ever delete your text messages?"

"You can delete text messages?"

"Let me see you phone," Roman demanded.

"It's a miracle. He actually has it with him for once," Seth mumbled as Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Roman.

Roman quickly entered Dean's code and touched the Messages icon. "The message was sent to Hunter?" he asked Seth.

"Yes," Seth verified, " on June 2, 2014."

Roman did a quick search and found what he was looking for almost immediately. He scanned the message, scowled, and held up the phone so that everyone could see the words written on the screen:

Dean: I'm sick of this trio bullshit. I can't wait to be alone.
Hunter: When are you leaving?
Dean: Soon.

Yes, yes, I know. Another cliffhanger. I'm sorry. But in my defense, the last chapter wouldn't have seemed nearly as cliffhangery if this chapter had been posted at the same time as I intended. Also, resolutions are coming in the next chapter. I promise. Scout's honor.