Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and the plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 12

"How long is this going to take?" Seth asked, his fingers drumming impatiently against the top of the reception desk. They had reached their hotel in Des Moines half an hour ago and were still waiting for rooms.

"Just a couple of more minutes," the man said as he typed away on his computer.

"You've been saying that for the last thirty minutes!" Roman snapped at the man, who looked up at him and gulped before typing faster.

Scarlett was standing a few feet behind them; her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth underneath her scarf as she waited. She looked to her left when she felt something brush against her arm and found Dean standing next to her with a bored expression on his face.

"Let them handle it. Come on," he said to her. Shock paralyzed her momentarily before her eyes narrowed at Dean for his sudden change in behavior.

"Where?" She asked. Dean turned to her and the corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

"Come on," he said, his fingers going about her gloved wrist, tugging her gently. Scarlett allowed him to pull her and he let go of her hand when she begun to follow him. He led her to the coffee shop and pulled a chair for her at a table in a secluded corner. Scarlett took the seat and waited for him to sit down, scrutinizing his every move when he'd ordered himself a coffee.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me," she told him. His blue gaze turned to her and surveyed her in silence before he shook his head.

"Why would you think that?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I mean you haven't said anything to me since this morning and I thought you would but you didn't," Scarlett said quickly before she realized she was almost rambling. Dean was watching her with amusement and she folded her hands on the table in front of her, staring at them to avoid embarrassing herself even further. Although he was appearing utterly normal towards her, Scarlett knew he had been avoiding her. She let it go for now, storing away the information to ask him when the time was right.

"Where's your shirt?" He asked randomly after the waiter had placed his coffee in front of him.

"Which one?" She asked.

"The one you were wearing yesterday."

"It's in my duffel bag," she replied. Dean nodded and sipped his coffee.

"Wear it tonight," he said to her simply. Scarlett stared at him, something that she had found herself to be doing quite often whenever given the chance.

"You know, usually people are happy to attend RAW but you seem like you're not sure if this is best thing to do," he added after placing down his mug.

"Well people tend to have a more stable job while I run a small B&B off of highway 65 where every once in a while someone will stop by," she told him. He had caught on to her thoughts real well he had. Although she was here, Scarlett was constantly thinking of how much money she was losing every day spent away from home. Money that would keep her and Vitani fed. Her financial standing wasn't the best and Scarlett was acting on impulse more often since meeting these three, further bruising her wallet.

Dean was watching her as she thought and he understood her dilemma. Nothing in the world was free besides oxygen and not every job paid like his did. Dean knew what she must be going through having gone through it himself before he came to WWE. An unknown feeling flared within him and he felt himself desperately wanting to help her. Dean wanted to reach out and grasp her hand in his to comfort her and let her know that everything would be okay.

Scarlett noticed Dean's hand twitch and she looked up at him to find him looking at her with an unreadable expression. Her self consciousness kicked in and she reached up to fix her scarf.

"Don't worry, your scarf is fine," he told her. Gratitude filled within her and Scarlett felt her respect for this man heighten. Whenever she was with him, he made her forget that he couldn't see her face. He looked straight at her eyes as if he was staring into her soul and Scarlett found herself wondering if he really could see into her soul. Did he even realize she had a scarf tied all around her face?

"I know I'm not as understanding as Roman or entertaining as Seth bu-."

"You're amazing just the way you are," Scarlett said cutting across him before she clapped a hand to her mouth as embarrassment took a hold of her. His mouth snapped shut and Scarlett could see his ego swelling when he crossed his arms, leaned back, and cocked his head to the side with a smirk sliding onto his face.

"Really?" He asked, his eyes glittering. Scarlett felt her face burn with embarrassment and she opted to stare at the table on the other side of the room; wooden tables were incredibly fascinating.

"There you guys are, come on. We got the rooms," Seth said appearing next to their table as if he'd been teleported there and handing them their keys. Dean finished up his coffee and threw some bills on the table before standing up to join Scarlett and Seth. The trio walked back to the lobby where Roman was finishing taking pictures with a couple of his fans.

Dean felt rather than saw Scarlett move closer to him and he couldn't help but smile slightly. He glanced at her and sure enough, she was huddling closer to him as they approached the group. Understanding where her hesitancy was coming from, he placed a gentle hand on the small of her back and steered her away from the onslaught of people to the elevators.

"I really just want to be left alone," he lied when she looked at him. Her shoulders relaxed and Dean waited for the elevator doors to open before stepping in with her. Pressing the button for floor twelve, the doors slid shut as the elevator lurched into motion.

"How do you guys live with people fawning over you twenty-four seven?" She asked him.

"You get used to it eventually," he replied. The elevator pinged and the doors slid open.

Scarlett came to a stop in front of the door to her room and then looked at Dean.

"Yes, we always get rooms side by side," he said answering her unasked question. She slid the key through the reader and pushed open the door. The fresh scent of lavender and citrus met her nose as she stepped into the lavish room. Sighing contently after taking a deep breath, Scarlett looked around. A large comfy bed was placed in the middle of the room with mahogany side tables. There was a small table and two chairs placed in front of the large window overlooking the hotel's pool.

A knock came at her door, distracting her from her admiring session. She made her way to the door and opened it to find the bellboy with her bag and Vitani's cat carrier.

"Hope you enjoy your stay," he said after placing her things down and setting off out the door. Scarlett locked the door and opened Vitani's carrier to let her out. The cat padded around the room curiously before jumping onto the bed and settling down in between the fluffy cushions.

"This room is probably well over a hundred dollars. That's another month of supply cut from our budget," Scarlett said frowning as she calculated the amount of money she owed the three men. She was putting herself in debt and she had better pay it off soon before it piled up to a total she would never be able to pay. A knock came on her door again and this time it was the three in question that came striding in.

"We're heading down to the pool. A bunch of other Superstars and Divas are there already getting relaxed before RAW tonight," Seth said.

"You should come join us," Roman said smiling warmly. Now that was something she hadn't been expecting and Scarlett searched for an answer.

"You two go and be kids in the pool. Scar and I have some sight seeing to do," Dean said as Scarlett still searched for an answer.

"Sight seeing?" Roman asked Dean sharply. Even Seth seemed curious now and was watching Dean with keen interest.

"Yeah. It's her first time in Des Moines and I promised her I would take her out before the show tonight at the coffee shop earlier," Dean said shrugging, sending a glare towards Roman. Seth suddenly looked crestfallen and he looped his arms around Scarlett in a tight hug.

"I forgot it was your first time. Shit. It's my home state and I should be taking you around," he said pulling back from her with a frown on his face. Scarlett once again couldn't figure out what to say as she racked her brain to remember when Dean had promised to take her around Des Moines.

"No need. You guys enjoy the pool. Besides, pool's really aren't my thing so I'm the best one we've got to show her around," Dean said. There was some grumbling and mumbling before Seth and Roman left Dean and her alone.

"Shall we?" He asked. Scarlett crossed her arm and stared at him, a frown on her face.

"Okay, just what exactly is going on? When did we decide that we were going sight seeing?" She asked him.

"Right now. Come on," he said, but Scarlett didn't budge.

"You can either walk with me or I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and take you out. Either way, we're going," he said.

"What is it with you three and carrying me around?" She asked him, crossing her arms in front of his chest.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked sharply.

"Seth threatened me this morning that he would carry me to his car if I wasn't packed in half an hour," she said dryly, rolling her eyes. Dean felt a momentary pang of annoyance towards Seth but he pushed it away and motioned towards the door.

"Come on, we're wasting time," he said. Understanding that he wouldn't be swayed from his decision to go sight seeing, Scarlett picked up her small bag and made sure Vitani's food and water was set along with her litter before she headed out the door with Dean.

~oOo~

Scarlett was laughing as they walked along the pathway in one of the parks. Dean had been telling her about the time Roman had failed in jumping over the ring ropes in London and she had burst out into laughter imagining the big Samoan taking a tumble.

Dean on the other hand was enjoying making her laugh. Her eyes sparkled like bright stars in the night sky every time she laughed and he was happy listening to her laughing. It was oddly satisfying to see that shine and knowing he was the one that made them shine like that.

"I don't believe it. He seems so put together, he seriously managed to fall?" She asked once she'd calmed down only to burst into laughter again. Dean pulled out his phone and launched the browser. Finding a fan video of the moment captured, he held the phone out to her and she took it. She was silent for a few seconds and Dean waited, chuckling when she was overcome with peals of laughter when Roman took his fall over the ropes.

"That is hilarious," she said calming down so she could take a deep breath and wipe the tears of mirth from her eyes.

"Don't ever tell him I showed you this. He's pretty much forbidden us from ever speaking of it again ever since we made fun of him backstage," he added shaking his head.

The two made their way to a bench near the small pond and took a seat. Dean fixed the baseball cap he was wearing and took off his sunglasses, a small attempt to avoid running into fans during his peaceful walk with Scarlett. She was staring out at the water and Dean took a moment to study her while she was immersed in her thoughts.

Roman had been right to a certain extent. There was something about her that drew you in and he could see why Seth and Roman were protective of her. She looked to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders if her body language was anything to go by. He'd noticed it numerous times, the way she would subconsciously curl into herself when she was sitting, almost as if protecting herself from an unknown threat. It dawned on him that although they had spent so much time talking, he still didn't know anything about her.

"I still don't know anything about you," he said voicing his thoughts. She blinked slowly and turned her gaze to him and he wondered what had made her eyes sparkle now.

"I still don't know anything about you either," she replied cheekily. Dean couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"Fair enough," he said. "What do you want to know?"

He could feel her gaze on him as a short moment of silence fell over them.

"Do you like yoghurt?"

Out of all the questions he was bracing himself for, that one was definitely not in and Dean's head snapped to look at her.

"What?" He asked incredulously. Her brown eyes were staring at him innocently and Dean didn't know whether to laugh or to answer.

"Do you like yoghurt?" She repeated not knowing what it was that was causing Dean's eyes to fill with mirth.

"Are you serious right now?"

"You told me I could ask you anything," she said defensively. Dean shook his head as his lips quirked into his trademark smirk.

"Fine. Yes I like yoghurt," he responded.

"I do too. And I like it frozen too," she said before she motioned across the pond. He followed her gaze and found himself looking at the frozen yoghurt shop on the other side. He glanced at her and couldn't help but stand up when she looked at him with those big brown eyes of hers.

"Come on," he said and once again her eyes flashed with happiness and she stood up. The two walked around the park and crossed the road to get to the frozen yoghurt shop.

After ten minutes of Scarlett insisting she was going to pay for the cool delight, they were sitting at a table in the shop as they enjoyed their frozen yoghurt. She ate her cool treat by lifting the bottom end of her scarf and delivering a morsel into her mouth underneath, letting out happy sighs every time.

"I take it it's been a long time since you've had Fro-Yo," he said.

"Mhmm. Five years ago when my Mom and I-," she immediately broke off and this time Dean didn't hesitate. His hand reached out to take hers across the table and he grasped it firmly. He felt her draw his strength and when she looked at him again, he saw the familiar gratitude in her eyes.

"I had it a while ago and since then I haven't been into the city much to enjoy what it has to offer," she finished. The conversation was light, with Dean talking most of the time to tell her about all the stuff they got up to as wrestling Superstars. The whole time, his hand never left hers.

~oOo~

"We should ditch Roman and Seth more often," Scarlett told Dean through her laughter when they walked into the hotel.

"If you want me to yourself, you could just ask," he replied and although Scarlett chuckled, she had to look down at her feet as a slither of giddiness pass over her. They stepped into the elevator and Scarlett pulled on her glove when she felt it move from its position. She felt a small tug on her scarf and she looked at Dean before her eyes went wide and she slapped his hand away, taking several steps back from him.

"What are you doing?" She screeched, cold fear and anger running through her blood. Dean's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly shook his head.

"Scar, no. Your scarf was loose, I was trying to fix it," he said solemnly.

"You could've told me," she said to him sharply. Dean watched her in silence; her body was shaking, not with anger but with fear, while her eyes were flicking from him back to herself.

"Scar, I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do," he told her softly. Her lack of trust in him bothered him slightly and Dean tried to push it away but it only came back. Dean wasn't an idiot; he would never do anything against her wish. He knew she didn't want her scarf off her face and although he was curious to see what she looked like, he wanted her to trust him and initiate the first step.

Scarlett looked up at him when she finished fixing the scarf. Her heart was still thumping loudly in her chest and she wasn't angry as much as she was scared. The mere thought of him ever seeing her grotesque face was terrifying. She had had the best few hours of her life with him and if he ever saw what she looked like…no. No. He could never, would never, be able to stand her for a second if he ever…no. The elevator doors slid open and Scarlett rushed out, but she felt his fingers encircle her wrist and he stopped her. He moved around her so he was standing in front of her and looked straight into her eyes, his blue eyes piercing into hers.

"Scar," he said, a deep frown was settled onto his face and the way he was looking at her was too much for her. He had a look of the deepest sincerity and Scarlett, in that moment understood, that no matter what this man did, she could never stay upset with him for long.

"Will you wear the shirt tonight?" He asked her after a few moments in which they couldn't keep their gazes away from each other, the two of them still standing in the hallway in front of the elevator. His eyes never strayed from hers and no matter how hard she tried, Scarlett couldn't look away.

"Yes," was all she whispered.

In honor of Wrestlemania 32 (which ended about an hour ago), I give you a Dean-Scar filled update. Not going to say much on Wrestlemania because not sure if all of you have seen it, the only thing I will say is: Holy. Solid PPV, all them worked hard and put on a great show. Was highly entertained.

Hope you liked this update, I felt it was high time we got some alone time with Dean and Scar. :P

Toodles!

-K.

To Dawnie-7 - Tell me about it. Going to uni every morning, I probably curse 15 people or something. Some people really need to brush up their driving skills before buying a car. Seth definitely appears to be the more caring one and I was originally thinking of having it be Roman, but for some reason, my heart just said it should be Seth. Gosh effing darn, I miss the man so much. Can't wait for his return, I think I might just as well cry. LOL! Dean's clearly not as smooth as he thinks himself to be. Lol. Roman is there to knock some sense into people, either verbally or physically. Oooo, let me know what you thought about 'Mania! x

To Marina - All hail the mighty Roman, eh? Lol. Definitely, her lack of people skills shows up in this chapter too. But on the other hand, she spends her time with Dean and enjoys it. That's always brownie points! Haha, she's definitely getting a lot of love from you all as well as the boys, lol. Coming to Dean, well Dean's a tough nut to crack and he sometimes lets his anger get the best of him, landing himself in situations like this. Haha, you're amazing for dealing with this stuff I'm writing! Hope you enjoyed this update and thanks for the wishes for exams! x

To Seth Rollins Babe - Thanks for the luck for exams! I'll more than likely be needing it. I had a feeling you might enjoy that chapter, lol. Friends can help a lot and with what Scar has gone through, it's time she gets some real friends. Thanks for the love and support! x