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Chapter 35

"You start Thursday so have everything sorted by then and meet us in Dallas," Stephanie said taking the papers that Scarlett had just signed. Capping the pen, Scarlett stood up and shook Stephanie's hand across the breakfast table they'd discussed the final terms and had her contract signed over breakfast.

"Thank you," Scarlett said for what had to be the hundredth time that morning. Stephanie responded by smiling at her kindly and departing. She turned just as Dean materialized next to her and threw her arms around him.

"If this is a dream then I don't ever want to wake up," she said tightening her hold on him. His arms wrapped around her waist and she felt his lips press against the top of her head.

"It's not that I don't like it when you shower me with your affection but I do happen to know that you aren't comfortable with people staring," Dean said. Scarlett quickly stepped away from him and ran her gaze around the breakfast area. Sure enough, several heads were turned their way with curious eyes glittering at them. Scarlett felt her face warm up underneath her scarf and turned her attention back to Dean.

"When do you start?" He asked.

"Monday."

She went silent as she contemplated what she was to do up until then before opening her mouth.

"I'm coming with you to your B&B to help you clear out," Dean said without waiting for her to speak. Her mouth shut and she looked at him in confusion.

"What?" She asked.

"You're going to put your place up for sale aren't you? So I'll help you clear some stuff out," Dean responded. Scarlett looked at him in bewilderment.

"Dean, I am going to put it up on sale but not right now. Where am I supposed to live if I sell it?" She asked.

"With me," he said. Her bewilderment turned into proper shock and she could do nothing but gawk at him.

"You're rusty in asking a girl to move in with you, Ambrose," Seth's voice said as his arm slung around her shoulder and he sent Dean a smirk. Roman chuckled as he stood in the spot next to her.

"I'm not asking her to move in with me. I'm just saying she can crash with me until she finds a place," Dean said coolly. Scarlett let out a relieved breath that earned a look from Dean and Seth.

"Well, here's what. Since Dean seems to get you to himself more than we do, we're going to take you down to your B&B while Deano here acts like a good boy and does the live events," Roman said. Dean's glare was cold and hard; it surprised her how Roman hadn't managed to flinch but then she realized the man was excellent at not letting much bother him.

"Yep. We've already talked to Hunter and he's agreed to let Roman and I to take the rest of the week off as we help Scarlett since she's the new employee," Seth said, his grin was positively evil.

"You little-."

"Dean," Scarlett said stepping forward and placing her hands against his chest as Dean made a move towards Seth. She could feel his body shaking with anger and Scarlett pressed her hands further against his chest.

"They're right. The audience loves seeing you in action and I…," she trailed off as she looked away from him and bit her lip under her scarf. Dean's angry gaze shifted and landed on her, softening ever so slightly.

"You what?"

"You and I both know you won't let me get any work done," she said simply. Seth and Roman doubled over from the laughter and even Scarlett couldn't help the quirk of her lips at the stunned expression that came over Dean's face. The anger dissipated for she could feel his muscles relax immediately under her hands.

"Oh I see how it is," he said before a stony expression came over his face and he glared at the ground next to her. Scarlett tapped her fingers against his chest to get his attention and once she had it, she cocked her head to the side.

"You'll see me every day from Monday onwards, remember?" She asked. He only grunted in response and Scarlett let out a small chuckle.

"Can't I come and help on the weekend?" Dean asked.

"You'll be in Salt Lake City on Friday and going back all the way to Chicago then back to Vegas is pointless. We'll get everything sorted and have her back by Sunday," Roman said shaking his head. Roman definitely had a point. Salt Lake City was much closer to Las Vegas than it was to Chicago. Dean sent her a look that clearly told her he wasn't liking the arrangement and the only thing she could do was heave a sigh.

"If we head back now we'll be able to get there by late afternoon," Roman said checking his watch. Scarlett nodded and took a step back but only found herself being dragged back and Dean's muscular arms wrapping around her as his chin came to rest on her shoulder.

"I don't like being away from you," he mumbled. Scarlett had a strong feeling that she wasn't supposed to hear that so she settled for hugging him back and giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry, Dean. We'll take good care of her," Seth said. Dean pulled back from her and sent one final glare towards Seth before he kissed her forehead.

"Keep me informed about everything," he said gently before he departed.

"Sap," Seth snorted.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Scarlett warned gently. The three headed up to their rooms and Roman told her to bring her stuff down to the lobby where they would be waiting for her.

Due to the meagre amount of things she'd packed, it didn't take long for her to get everything together and fifteen minutes later Scarlett was waiting for the other two with Vitani in her arms. Her familiar had downright refused to go in the cat carrier and was in an extra cranky mood.

"Would you cut that out?" Scarlett admonished as Vitani hissed and rolled around her arms.

"What's got her so agitated?" Dean's voice caused her to jump and he sent her an apologetic look before wrapping an arm around her waist and peering over at Vitani.

"I don't know. She's never been like this," Scarlett said shaking her head. Dean reached forward and plucked Vitani out of Scarlett's arms.

"What's wrong, puffball?" He asked. Scarlett couldn't help but stare at him as he spoke to her cat. There had been many times that Scarlett had been at the receiving end of his affections since they'd dived into this thing. But seeing him showing the same affection for her cat made her heart melt. Even before anything had ever happened between the two of them, Scarlett had found Dean's relationship with Vitani heartwarming, and her cat definitely liked the man. Vitani had never been that comfortable with Phil either.

A sour taste came into her mouth as she remembered Phil and she couldn't resist looking around for the man in question. When she didn't spot him anywhere, Scarlett let out a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Dean.

"Would you look at that," Scarlett mumbled in surprise as she found Vitani curled in Dean's arms with her eyes shut and beginning to snooze.

"She just wants my attention, just like her mom," Dean said, grinning at her. Scarlett chuckled and thanked God he couldn't see her face, otherwise the blush would've given away just how new she was to hear teasing remarks from him.

"Why don't you leave her here with me?" Dean suggested. The laughter was sucked right out of her and she looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Yeah. The constant travelling is no doubt bothering her. Leave her with me. I'll leave tomorrow morning and take her with me to Oklahoma City then back home to Vegas/ It's familiar to her," Dean told her. Scarlett hesitated as she glanced at a snoozing Vitani.

She'd never gone anywhere without Vitani. Her cat was her biggest crutch throughout life and Scarlett didn't know if she would be able to leave her just like that. Vitani had been with her through the harshest of times and Scarlett was used to her presence. It was comforting. Leaving her would mean that Scarlett wouldn't have that comfort she was used to.

"I know what she means to you, but sweetheart, animals aren't as good as humans in adjusting to the travelling," Dean said to her soothingly. Still unsure, Scarlett looked at the cat carrier then at Vitani. Heaving a sigh she begrudgingly agreed.

"Okay, fine. But p-."

"You're leaving her in my care. Don't worry about anything. Just leave her stuff with me, I'll handle the rest," he said reassuringly. Scarlett pushed the bag she kept Vitani's stuff in towards him and Dean nodded. Scarlett leaned forward and hugged Vitani.

"I'll miss you," she said softly before pulling back and looking at Dean.

"Wonder when the day will come when you get so upset at seeing me go off for a couple of days," Dean mused. She couldn't help the snort of laughter and he grinned widely in response.

~oOo~

As promised, Seth and Roman did take the utmost care of her…by making her laugh until her sides ached. The entire ride they kept sharing stories of all the crazy fan encounters they'd had in the past couple of years and Scarlett couldn't figure out which one would get the award of "Epic Fan Encounter".

"You should've seen the look on her face when I told her Roman was like my brother," Seth said as he told her about a fan that thought him and Roman were dating and kept crying because of how good they looked together.

Wiping away the tears from her laughter, Scarlett leaned back against the seat and took several breaths to calm herself.

"Alright, we're stopping at the gas station here," Roman said as he took the exit towards a gas station. Scarlett waited until he'd pulled into it before climbing out of the car and heading towards the washroom. On her way, she bumped into someone that caused her to go crashing to the ground.

"I'm so sorry about that, Miss," the man said as he held out his hand to her to help her up. Accepting it, Scarlett stood up and brushed herself off before turning her attention to the man. His jet black hair was pushed towards the left while the right side of his hair was shaved off, his face sported a chin curtain and kind dark brown eyes.

"It's alright," she replied. He bowed at her before saluting and walking off to his car. Scarlett smiled at his retreating back before she continued on towards the bathroom and finished her business quickly. On her way back she wandered into the store and found Seth as he looked through the chips. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"Any favorites?" He asked. Scarlett looked through the flavors that were on sale and reached forward to grab the Sour Cream and Onion off the shelf.

"Good choice," Seth grinned before tugging her along towards the cashier. Paying for their purchase, they returned to the car just as Roman finished filling up the tank.

"We're not too far from your place," Roman informed her as they climbed into the truck once Roman returned from paying for the gas. Seth had insisted that she sit in the front since he wanted to take a nap and she agreed. Once Seth's breathing evened out, she turned her attention to Roman as he sped along the freeway.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked. Roman glanced at her before giving her a quick nod.

"What was Dean's relationship with Renee like?" She inquired. Esme's comment about the previous woman in Dean's life and Phil's words of Dean wanting to marry Renee had built a home in her mind. No matter how hard she'd tried to push them out of her head, they'd only returned and were constantly bothering her.

"I don't think it's my pla-."

"He's already told me about what that relationship entailed, Rome. I want to know how it affected him from you," Scarlett cut across him. No one would give a better description of what Dean was like than someone who knew Dean before and after Renee and considered him a brother. Roman almost gave her a wary look but it morphed into one of determination.

"Dean…he's gone through some tough shit," Roman began. Scarlett waited patiently, but when he didn't speak further and his grip on the wheel tightened, she reached over and placed a soothing hand on his forearm.

"That would make the two of us," she whispered softly. Roman glanced at her before his grip loosened.

"He was normal. I got my brother back, my best friend was back. When Renee and him started seeing each other, things got better. He was normal," Roman said.

"You keep using that word. Rome, how bad were things with Dean?" She asked.

"Pretty bad," the voice didn't belong to Roman and she glanced back to see Seth's gaze on her. The anger she saw surprised her for it was anger directed right at her. They stared at each other for seconds that seemed to stretch to infinity and he didn't break contact as he sat up.

"Things were bad and that's all we're going to say on that subject. You want to know more, you haven't earned that privilege yet," Seth growled at her. The words hurt and she could only swallow before turning to face up ahead. Seth's anger was foreign. Very foreign.

It's been so long, I know. Fate decided to be cruel to me and I ended up taking a tumble down the steps that resulted in a concussion and a sprained ankle. Which basically meant I became bed ridden for two weeks and was told not to strain myself whatsoever. Today I finally feel good enough to use my laptop and phone longer than 3 hours without the need to hurl and I am updating this without further delay. Sorry for not being able to get back to the Reviews for the previous chapter but I promise I've read and loved every one of them. Do leave a review because I love to read your thoughts. Cheers!

- K.