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 18

"I saw what happened and I was on my way to teach those bitches a lesson but Randy got in my way. By the time I got through with him, you were gone," AJ told her as they made their way to her room.

"Don't worry about it," Scarlett responded.

"Scarlett, don't let those girls bully you like that. They think they have the trump card against you but in reality you are so much better than them," AJ said to her.

"AJ, what's the deal with Summer and Renee's obsession with Dean?" Scarlett asked after a few moments of silence. The shorter woman fell silent and looked uncomfortable as she searched for the answer.

"Nevermind," Scarlett said quickly.

"It's not my place to say, Scarlett," AJ said to her apologetically and Scarlett pushed away the negative thoughts that were forming in her head.

"Here we are!" AJ said throwing open the door to her room. Scarlett walked in to find Nattie and Paige sitting on the bed chatting away. The two got to their feet upon her arrival and Paige came over to give her a hug before chuckling.

"You my Coffee Bean, should get cleaned up," Paige said. Scarlett couldn't help the giggle as Paige scrunched up her nose from the smell of the coffee.

"I don't think we met properly earlier. I'm Natalya, you can call me Nattie," Nattie said as she smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you for earlier," Scarlett told her sincerely and Nattie's smiled brightened further.

"AJ, there's no way any of your clothes are going to fit her," Paige said leaning back and taking a look at Scarlett.

"Well that's why you two are here!" AJ chirped.

"Well she's more of Paige's built but I doubt Paige has anything but black in her luggage," Nattie said laughing. Paige stuck her tongue out at Nattie and went to her suitcase to rummage through for some clothes.

"These will look good!" Paige said holding up a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Seriously?" Nattie asked rolling her eyes. She bent down to pick up something from the pile of clothes next to where she was sitting on the bed earlier and held up a cream colored full sleeve sheer cover up and a black tank top. The pattern on the cover up was crocheted and the tank top paired with it would make it pop once worn.

"This paired with those black jeans will be perfect," Nattie said smiling. Paige and AJ looked at each other then laughed.

"Nattie's our residential stylist," AJ told Scarlett amidst the laughter and Scarlett couldn't help but laugh as well at the grin on Nattie's face.

"Go on. We'll be here," Nattie said handing the clothes to Scarlett and gently nudging her towards the bathroom. Scarlett made her way into the bathroom and locked the door before peeling the stained clothes off her body. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water do its magic, the stress and tension fading as the water ran down her body and into the drain. Scarlett shampooed her hair and scrubbed down her body with some delicious smelling soap to rid herself of the scent of coffee before shutting the water off and wrapping a towel around her body. She used a second towel to towel dry her hair and caught herself humming a tune, a small smile playing at her lips. Once dressed in the fresh and clean clothes, Scarlett stopped to look at herself in the mirror.

It was the first time in five years that Scarlett had worn anything so form fitting. The black jeans hugged her in the right places, bringing out the curves that she didn't even know she still had. The cover up and the tank top accentuated her slim figure with the lace doing an excellent job at masking her scars. Scarlett stared at herself and slowly, ever so slowly, did a smile illuminate her face. She looked good.

The joy was short lived for her eyes caught the reflection of her face in the mirror and her smile was wiped clean off her face. She could hide her body, but what about her face? Scarlett looked around the bathroom for a scarf and when she didn't find one she swallowed tightly.

"AJ?" She called out.

"Everything okay?" AJ's voice came from the other side of the door.

"I…I need…I don't have a scarf," Scarlett said, trying to find the right words. There was a few seconds of silence before a knock came on the bathroom door.

"Scarlett, it's Nattie. Why don't you come on out? There's no one here but us," Nattie said gently. Scarlett bit her lip and took a few steps back from the door, staring at the handle.

"I know we might be asking a lot, but it's okay. We're your friends," Nattie continued.

Scarlett pursed her lips and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Where there was happiness written on it earlier, right now there was a look of panic and fear etched clearly onto her face.

It's not life that's rejecting you, Scar. It's you that's rejecting life. Dean's words rang out in her head from the night before and Scarlett shut her eyes.

You're used to rejection because you reject everything good that happens to you.

Scarlett grabbed her head and shut her eyes tightly.

Then this is your chance to choose whether you want to lose us or not.

Scarlett's eyes snapped open. She pulled herself to her full height and took a deep breath, taking steps forward towards the door, reaching for the handle. Her fingers curled around the metal handle and she took one final deep breath before turning the door and opening it, not giving her mind to second guess her decision.

"Oh my god," Nattie said as AJ and Paige gasped. That cold hand of fear squeezed her heart tightly and Scarlett momentarily forgot how to breathe as she looked at their faces. However; the rational part of her mind picked up and shoved that fear away and let calmness replace it in order for her to read their reactions properly. It was only then did she realize why she needed the calm to understand them. They weren't staring at her in disgust. They were staring at her in awe.

"You look stunning," AJ whispered. Hearing the girl who was normally very loud whisper like that caused something to go off in Scarlett's head and her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh honey," Nattie cooed enveloping Scarlett in a hug as she broke down. AJ and Paige wrapped their arms around the duo and the four of them hugged each other, pouring out all the love and affection they held for Scarlett into the hug.

It was a few minutes before they pulled away and Scarlett was sniffing lightly as she wiped tears from her face. She couldn't find the words to describe the moment. There was no judgment in their eyes, no disgust. They looked at her as if she was one of them. It was overwhelming but Scarlett didn't want the feeling to end. It made her feel normal.

"Okay this is getting too emotional," AJ said twisting her face and waving in the air in front of her as if swatting all the emotions away. Seeing this and the affection they held towards her, Scarlett began to laugh as the others joined in as well.

"What?" AJ asked clueless.

"Come on. Let's get some make up done," Nattie said.

"I'm going to be wearing a scarf. Why do I need make-up?" Scarlett asked, feeling comfort beginning to edge into the atmosphere.

"You'll be wearing a scarf but not covering your eyes and woman you have some ridiculously gorgeous eyes," Paige said cocking her head to the side.

"I'm only going to bring out those eyes of yours," Nattie said. She sat Scarlett down on the bed and pulled out some of her make up stuff as AJ and Paige began to talk.

"Nattie," Scarlett said unsurely, grabbing Nattie's hand when went ahead to apply a primer. Nattie looked down at her and then shook her head, smiling brightly at her.

"Stop worrying," she told her as she began to do her eyes make up. Scarlett was surprised at how at ease Nattie was when it came to touching her scarred skin. The woman seemed to not even notice as she did her thing, laughing and joking along with AJ and Paige. This was something she definitely never had a chance to feel. Scarlett only ever had one "friend", Melanie Ramsey, who she never kept contact with shortly after joining Pearl Magazine. They had known each other and stuck together back when they were in High School but after that, the two drifted apart. It was at that moment as Nattie blended her eye shadow and Scarlett thought about her life did she realize that throughout her entire life, she had never had any friends.

"Yoohoo, Scarlett? Where are you lost?" AJ's voice broke through her musings and Scarlett blinked to regain her composure and turned her attention to the girls in the room.

"I'm here," she replied softly.

"Aaand, I'm done!" Nattie said. AJ and Paige scrambled to stand around her as Nattie handed her the mirror to take a look at herself. There was a sharp intake of breath from Scarlett when her gaze first fell on herself in the mirror.

"Well done, Nattie," AJ said, sounding impressed. Scarlett was still staring at herself in the mirror. Nattie had been true to her words and had accentuated her eyes beautifully with black eyeliner with hues of peach and golden on her lids. It complimented her outfit perfectly and Scarlett felt a boost of confidence as she blinked, her lashes kissing the apples of her cheeks just so lightly. Scarlett got onto her feet and hugged Nattie tightly, surprising the other woman before she returned the gesture.

"Thank you," Scarlett said softly.

"Don't thank me. I just enhanced your beauty with some products. Don't underestimate yourself, Scarlett," Nattie told her in her ear, hugging her tighter. The two broke apart and Scarlett turned to the other two.

"I don't even have words to describe what I'm feeling right now," Scarlett said to them. AJ smiled at her brightly and Scarlett held out her hand for the black lace scarf that she was holding. AJ hesitated to hand it to her but eventually she gave it to Scarlett.

"Baby steps," Paige whispered to AJ as Scarlett tied the scarf around her face, leaving her eyes uncovered. The two women and Nattie shared a knowing smile as Scarlett looked at herself one final time. There was a knock on the door that had them all turning their heads towards the door. AJ was the one that strolled over to the door and opened it up a crack.

"Is Scarlett with you?" The thick Russian accent was one that Scarlett didn't know and she craned her head to see who it was. AJ nodded and opened the door to reveal a tall blonde dressed sharply in a fitted black dress and brown suede thigh-high boots.

"Scarlett, this is Lana," Paige said giving half a wave to the blonde as she entered the room.

"My name is Lana Sinyukova," the Russian replied stiffly. While the woman wasn't looking at her with disdain, there was a certain air of superiority that seemed to surround her.

"Dean Ambrose wanted me to tell you that he is waiting for your downstairs at the coffee shop," Lana continued. The edge of her mouth quirked up in a stiff smile and Scarlett shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry if he troubled you," Scarlett said, biting her lower lip. Lana waved off her apology with a French manicured hand and placed a hand on her hip.

"It was not him who approached me. It was I who approached him," she told her. "You are ten times the woman they can only hope to be."

Scarlett stared at Lana dumbfounded before running her eyes up and down to survey the Russian. She was a gorgeous woman and Scarlett couldn't place whether she was one to be trusted or to be wary of.

"Now excuse me, I must be off. My fiancé is expecting me," she said before she turned on her heel, throwing her mane of golden hair over her shoulder, and strutted back out the door.

"Don't misunderstand her. She means well," Nattie said.

"Lana isn't the most social person you'll meet and she's one tough woman. She wears heels and tight suits but when she wants to fight, she'll fight like there's no tomorrow," AJ added when she noticed the caution in Scarlett's eyes. Scarlett looked down at her hands, surveying her fingers, before pulling on her worn gloves.

"You don't need gloves," Paige said, snatching the gloves off her. Scarlett looked up at her in shock then back down at her bare hands. There was a scar that ran from her wrist straight down to her middle finger on the back of her left hand while her right hand had somehow remained unblemished.

"I just…I don't feel comfortable," Scarlett said, her hands balling into fists.

"Do you really need both the gloves?" Paige asked, biting her lip and prompting Scarlett to look down at her hands once more.

"Because why don't you just wear this on one hand? I mean it matches with this outfit and basically anything you'll wear after," Paige said, sliding a fingerless fishnet glove on her left hand. Scarlett's eyes widened and she looked down at her hands. This was too much of a change in one day.

"You're dressing me up, but how am I supposed to return all this to you?" Scarlett asked as Nattie shoved a pair of off-white pumps into her hands.

"Simple: you don't. Keep the outfit. Besides, it suits you," Nattie said. Scarlett frowned and looked down at herself.

"I can't keep this. I'm already in debt with the guys, how am I ever going to repay you?" Scarlett said looking up at Nattie.

"No, Scarlett. We're not doing this because we want something in return. We care about you and you're our friend," Nattie told her firmly. Scarlett wanted to argue, but hearing her tone and the hard looks on both Paige and AJ's faces, she chose to stay silent and wear the shoes. Their help and kindness would not be forgotten.

"Perfect!" Paige said as she clapped her hands and gave her a thumbs up.

"I don't know about you three, but I really really really could do with some coffee," AJ said, her brows knitting together. Paige and Nattie rolled their eyes and Scarlett couldn't help the smile.

The walk down to the coffee shop was shorter than when she had gone upstairs and it was mostly filled with the three girls discussing their wrestling and tours. Scarlett was listening intently as they talked about a particular European tour that they would be going on soon. They chatted excitedly about it while Scarlett imagined what cities in Europe must be like with a sense of longing.

"Took you lo…"

Scarlett looked down at her feet, warmth spreading across her cheeks when Dean's gaze fixed on her, his words dying on his lips. Giddiness was bubbling inside of her and she shuffled her feet as she walked towards where he was standing, daring to look up at him to see his face as they got closer. His blue eyes were unusually bright and resembled sapphires as they stayed locked on her. Scarlett bit her lip and looked down at her feet.

I'm too overdressed. He definitely thinks I look funny. Why in the world did I let the girls talk me into wearing this? Scarlett's mind was screaming at her and with every thought, giddiness was slowly morphing into horror. A lump formed in her throat and Scarlett gulped, not wanting to see him burst out into laughter at her.

Why the does it even matter what he thinks, Scarlett? It's not like he cares for you. There it was again. That part of her mind that seemed to speak up whenever she was around him.

Look at the girls who throw themselves at him and look at yourself. Damn that voice in her head.

~oOo~

He was a man. He was bound to notice her body at some point and Dean realized that that some point, was right now as she was walking towards him. Her body had been hidden in loose shirts and old jeans before and Dean never gave it too much thought. But seeing her dressed in the clothes that seemed to be specifically made for her, Dean couldn't help his eyes from wandering. She came to a halt in front of him and Nattie said something that he didn't catch before she left with AJ and Paige.

"Scar?" He said softly. Her gaze flicked up to him and Dean felt his heart skip a beat. He had been so absorbed in taking in her body that he hadn't even paid attention to her eyes. The chocolate pools, defined by the dark eyeliner, seemed to draw him in and Dean had to do everything in him to not get lost in them.

Get a grip on yourself, you fool.

"We've got three hours to kill before we leave for the airport," Dean said after clearing his throat. Her gaze snapped up to him and she stared at him blankly for a few seconds before nodding.

"Okay," she replied. "What are we going to do in those three hours?"

"Spend it with us, of course," Seth said as him and Roman made their way to them. A flicker of annoyance passed over Dean when he noted the way his best friends' eyes roamed over Scarlett. He took a step closer to Scarlett, his hand slithering out to rest at its usual place at the small of her back. She looked at him, blinking at seeing him so close to her suddenly before she returned her attention back to Seth and Roman.

"Dean's stealing you off to Vegas with him and we won't see you for another two weeks. I think we deserve to spend time together," Seth said shrugging.

Scarlett opened her mouth to tell them that she wouldn't be back in two weeks but seeing the hope on Seth's face and the way Roman was smiling at her, she couldn't find it in her heart to tell them anything. Instead, she opted to stay silent and let them lead her out the hotel.

"We're heading to the airport same time as you guys for Wichita," Roman told Scarlett, fixing his sunglasses to sit snuggly on the bridge of his nose as they walked the streets. Seth and Dean had opted to wear baseball caps and Scarlett was inwardly praying that they didn't run into fans. The streets weren't too overly crowded and that gave her some hope. She would have nowhere to escape and she didn't want to burden the men that accompanied her if they did happen to run into fans. Eventually, Roman wandered ahead with Seth while Dean remained in step beside her.

Avoiding it as much as she could, Scarlett couldn't help her eyes from looking at the displays in the windows of the shops. It had been ages since she had been shopping and while she knew she was on a budget, window shopping was entirely cost effective. Her gaze slid from window to window, stopping occasionally on an item she liked before continuing to roam ahead.

"You're welcome to buy anything. We have a lot of time on hand," Dean whispered into her ear. Scarlett made a face and shook her head, glancing at him.

"I have everything I need," she said shrugging as they continued to walk. Scarlett took her mind off the windows and glanced at her companion, studying him surreptitiously. He'd stuffed his hands in his pockets and was looking around the streets with a somewhat bored expression on his face. Every once in a while he would break into a song under his breath and Scarlett would have to tear her gaze away from his face to focus on something else. Even though he was extremely easy on the eyes, Scarlett didn't want to stare at him shamelessly.

"Oh!" Scarlett gasped when her foot caught on a crack and she lost her balance. Her eyes widened a fraction before they shut tightly, awaiting impact. Only, the impact never came. Instead, strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled up against something hard. Her eyes shot up and she came face to face with the crook of Dean's neck, she swallowed and tilted her head, looking up at him. He was smirking at her as his eyes danced with mischief. Scarlett looked down at her hands that had found their way to his biceps and were gripping him. She loosened her hold and looked back up at him. He was so close to her. This was the second time she had been this close to Dean, and that too in the same day.

But why did both times feel incredibly perfect? Why did she not want to leave the cocoon of his arms? What was the message her heart kept trying to tell her but her brain kept subduing?

Scarlett immediately took a step back from him, his hands loosening their grip and eventually falling back to his sides.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"If you'd spent more time watching where you were going instead of watching me then there would be no need to say sorry and be so awkward about it," he replied. Scarlett's eyes widened and her face heated up from mortification at being caught.

"I…you…no…I mean…" Scarlett feebly and unsuccessfully tried to look for an excuse as his smirk widened.

"Why the hold up?" Roman asked, retracing his steps back to where they were standing. Scarlett took a deep breath of relief and all but flew towards Roman, letting his arm pull her into his side while he raised an eyebrow at Dean.

"Where's Seth?" She asked, not looking at Dean from the sheer embarrassment she was feeling.

"Up ahead. He's ogling a wristwatch. Wants your input," Roman replied as they began walking again. Scarlett refused to let go of him knowing that Dean would seize the moment. But amidst her panic, she hadn't noticed Dean's reaction at all.

The beast that seemed to live within Dean Ambrose had let out a roar at seeing one of his best friends pull Scarlett to him like that. The smirk had been wiped clean off his face and replaced with a menacing scowl, one that Roman had noticed. He trudged after them, glaring holes into the arm that was wrapped around Scarlett's shoulder. They entered one of the stores and headed to where Seth was trying on a wristwatch.

"What do you think?" Seth asked Scarlett, holding out his wrist. She moved from Roman's grasp towards him to survey it closely and Dean took the chance to shuffle into the spot next to Roman.

"The fuck are you playing at?" He hissed at him. The Samoan glanced at him and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the unleashed fury dancing in Dean's eyes.

"What?"

"Holding her like that. Why the fuck do you have to keep touching her like that?" Dean asked. His anger doubled when he saw amusement flicker in Roman's eyes and he clenched his jaw tightly.

"I'll wait outside," he said gruffly before stalking out the store. Scarlett's attention immediately shifted from Seth to Dean's retreating back and she looked between Roman and Seth.

"You guys carry on, I'll hang out with Dean out there," Roman said before following Dean. Scarlett's hands dropped from Seth's wrist and a frown adorned her lips as she stared through the glass windows where she saw Roman join Dean, who was pacing back and forth outside.

"Those two are the worst when it comes to shopping," Seth grumbled, staring intently at the watch around his wrist. Scarlett looked from him then to the two men outside.

"Seth?"

"Hmm?"

"I like the watch, you should buy it," she told him, her eyes never straying from the men outside.

"If you like it then so shall it be. We'll take it!" He said happily to the salesman.

"I'll wait for you outside," she told him before making her way out the store.

~oOo~

"You're getting possessive, you know that?" Roman asked.

"And you're an asshole," Dean fired back. Roman raised his eyebrow at him and Dean stopped pacing to glare at him hard.

"Hurling insults at me isn't going to deter the fact that you are getting possessive, Deano," Roman said.

"You're a fucking asshole," was the response he got. Roman rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Who are you trying to fool? You want her in front of your eyes constantly, you're the most relaxed when she's around you than I have ever seen you be, and you refuse to let anyone call her "Scar" except yourself. Admit it Dean, you're getting attached," Roman told him.

"I'm not. I just don't think she'll appreciate you touching her like that," Dean growled.

"And that is why she chose to come to me rather than come to you," Roman said, intending it as a joke. But when he noticed Dean freeze, his face going blank, Roman let out a silent curse. For the first time, Roman felt as if he was the world's biggest idiot. His best friend was subconsciously screaming at him that he wanted Scarlett's attention all to himself and Roman had bluntly told him that she preferred his best friend over him. Roman ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Dean, that's not what I meant," Roman said, his voice turning firm. Dean's face darkened and he pulled his cap lower as his fists clenched by his side.

"I know exactly what you meant," Dean said.

"What did he mean?"

The two men tensed when her voice interrupted them both. She was standing behind them, her hands crossed in front of her chest.

"Seth buying the watch?" Roman asked.

"He's paying for it. Dean, let's start walking?" She asked. The way she was looking at him was different and Dean narrowed his eyes. Her eyes void of any emotion and her tone wasn't too firm nor too light.

"Yeah," he said heading towards her.

"For a second I thought you would've said no," she told him after a few moments of silence. Roman had hung back to wait for Seth whilst they headed further down the road. Her voice was back to its normal tone and Dean wondered if he'd read too deep unnecessarily.

"Why would I say no?" He asked.

"Seth mentioned you didn't like shopping so I thought you'd had it for the day," she said. Dean shrugged but didn't say much and they continued to walk in silence. He'd glance at her every now and then, finding her immersed in the products on the opposite sides of the glass windows.

"Uff!"

"Watch it," he snapped at the man he'd bumped into. The man gave him a thumbs up before continuing to walk.

"If you'd spent more time watching where you were going instead of watching me then there would be no need to get angry at the man," she said to him. Even with the anger that seemed to be settling in the pit of his stomach and Roman's words ringing in his ears, Dean couldn't help the grin that quirked his lips as his blue eyes found her chocolate pools, which were sparkling and filled with mirth.

Shoot me. I know. Took way too long to update this. I promise I never forgot about this story or you lovely people that take your time to support my writing and me. I just wasn't in the right state of mind to write. In the first week of May, I lost my best friend to the worst enemy to humans: drugs. Life took a turn for the worst all of a sudden and I just had to get away and sort myself out as well as my head. After the funeral, I took off to our old cottage near the lake and spent time with nature. I had no internet and my phone was only in use to tell my family of my wellbeing. Fresh air, walks along the lake, camping out, it all helped a bunch to get me to be at one with the pain of losing her. I came back a couple of days ago and turned to what I knew would help me heal now that I'm back home: writing. Time heals all wounds and I'm counting on it to heal this one as well. Once again, I apologize profusely for disappearing. I'm sorry I won't be able to reply to your reviews from the last update but know that I've read them and have truly appreciated each and every one of them. Thank you for all the support and I promise to update the next part soon.

Take care.

- K.

RIP Lizette