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Chapter 36

When Scarlett opened the door, Seth brushed past her and headed up the stairs. A few seconds later a door slammed shut and Scarlett flinched as the sound rung around the house.

"Here's your bag," Roman said handing her the bag he'd carried in from the car. She thanked him before stepping into her house and heading straight down the hallway to her room. Placing her bag in the corner of the room, Scarlett quickly changed into a more comfortable pair of sweatpants and a loose full sleeve shirt before heading out again. She made her way up the stairs and knocked on Seth's door quietly.

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, she found him rummaging through his bag. Scarlett shuffled forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're upset with me right now, Seth. But at least tell me what I said that was so wrong," she asked him gently. He was tense under her finger tips and Scarlett sighed before taking a step back, removing her hand from his shoulder.

"I'm not mad at you," he said after a few seconds of silence. Resisting the urge to raise her eyebrow, Scarlett told him she didn't believe him.

"I'm not. Really. Scarlett, Dean's gone through a hard time and he's finally gotten someone that he seems to feel so strongly for. The things he did…what happened in his life, I know it will affect your relationship with him," Seth said, a look of exasperation clear on his face as he turned to face her, holding her shoulders in both of his hands. As Scarlett pondered his words, it became very obvious what exactly Seth was saying.

"Seth. I don't think I would ever be able to live with myself if I ever hurt Dean," she said quietly. She was treading in unchartered waters with Seth. He'd always been the sweet one with a golden heart that she had come to adore. If it hadn't been for Seth's meddling in Vegas, Dean and her wouldn't have gotten to where they were now. To see him closing up and pulling away from her left her at unnamed crossroads.

Silence settled over them. Seth fiddled around with his phone he was holding while Scarlett got caught up in her thoughts, trying to figure out how to sort this out. Roman could be heard shuffling around in his room next door thanks to the thin walls and a grunt of approval sounded before soft music began to play. A door slammed and the water began to run.

"I shouldn't have said what I said in the car," Seth mumbled after a while. His voice broke her train of thought and she looked at him to find his gaze trained on her.

"When I woke up, you were asking about how bad things were with Dean and I was reminded of all the times Ren-ah-others had tried to do the same," he continued. Scarlett took note of the little slip he tried to cover up but said nothing.

"It always starts with people asking about how bad things got then they'd go and try to offer Dean their sympathy not realizing that doing so only pisses him off even more. I worry because I don't want Dean to go back to the way he was," he said, his voice growing smaller as he concluded his thought, sinking onto the edge of his bed.

"Alcohol, sex, anger. They became a staple for him. He isolated himself from all of us. He was here, but he wasn't really here. He's my brother, Scarlett, and seeing him like that…" Seth trailed off and Scarlett's body moved on its own accord. She stepped forward and his knees parted to allow her to slide between them; his arms going around her waist as hers wrapped around his head and shoulders. She cradled him against herself, letting him draw the strength from her to pull himself out of the dark pit his mind was pulling him in to.

"But you were right, Seth. I got too ahead of myself and went knocking on doors that not even I'm sure I should be knocking on right now," Scarlett said gently. He burrowed his head further into her stomach and tightened his hold on her. The room went silent again and it was then she realized the water had stopped running. A moment later she felt a warm body press against her back. Looking over her shoulder she found Roman's soft gaze watching her.

"Like I said, Dean's gone through some tough shit," Roman said.

Her heart was aching. How long she stood there with her arms wrapped around Seth's shoulder and Roman holding onto her from the back she didn't know. All she could feel was the gut twisting pain in her heart as if someone was squeezing and pulling at it. She wanted Dean with her. Seth and Roman's reactions hadn't quelled her curiosity but rather spiked her worry for him.

At this point in time, Scarlett wanted nothing more than to have Dean with her. Her phone began to buzz in her pocket and Seth and Roman pulled away from her so she could fish it out to answer.

"Scar?"

"Say it again," she said into the receiver, walking out of Seth's room and heading down the stairs.

"Scar?" Dean's voice was filled with confusion but Scarlett's heart thumped wildly with relief. It was soothed just by hearing his deep gravelly rasp and as his voice washed over her, Scarlett let herself get lost into that little spark of joy.

"Are you okay?" He asked, a hint of worry lacing his voice when she didn't answer.

"I miss you," she blurted then bit her tongue. Was she allowed to say that to him?

"Say the word and I'll head straight for the car," he responded, no trace of disappointment or anger towards her. If anything, his voice had gotten deeper and he almost sounded as if he was pleading for her to ask him to come to her. But there was still a rational part of her brain that was slowly waking from its slumber and butting in.

"You have work to do and if what I've gathered is correct, then I don't think the company needs all three of their biggest draws on holidays right now," she said as her heart's protests slowly ebbed away. There was silence from his end and she had to double check if he was still connected.

"Dean?"

"I'm here. I just…I feel selfish," he told her. Selfish?

"Selfish?" She voiced her thoughts.

"I need to have you in sight wherever I go. Vitani's here but you're not and it just seems wrong," Dean said. Scarlett walked through the kitchen doors and got a pot of coffee started. She had no idea how to respond to his words because she knew exactly what he meant. The need to see him and feel him with her was mutual. So she focused on something else that he said.

"Vitani giving you trouble?" She asked. It still felt weird to not have Vitani around, almost as if she was missing a part of herself. Vitani had become a rock in Scarlett's life, holding her down and keeping her sane. She'd been with her from the moment Scarlett had adopted her before leaving the city five years ago. The only one that had been witness to the torture the night put her through and the pain that her fresh wounds tore her body with.

The pain.

She'd never forget that pain as she recovered. The months and months of unwrapping, scrubbing, wrapping up the wounds so they wouldn't get infected. Every time it felt as if someone had taken shards of glass and rubbed them mercilessly against her skin.

Dean was saying something and it took a lot of work to stop her mind from travelling down that road and focus on him. She let his gravelly rasp be the guide out of the dark tunnel and allowed herself to be pulled back to where she was standing in her kitchen; Seth and Roman upstairs and Dean on the phone with her.

"-that's only if you want to live there but you can choose," he finished saying.

"Choose?" Scarlett asked.

"Yeah. I mean there are some really nice apartments in Vegas or a house if you want but if you want to be in Chicago or another city we can look at places there too," he offered. That reminded her of the real reason she was here. She'd have to go into the city tomorrow and talk to a real estate agent to put an offer for the place. Scarlett hadn't given a thought to where she would live after she sold this place off and now as Dean spoke to her that began to worry her.

"You still have time to choose so think on it," Dean told her. There was one thing for sure, if she had this opportunity then she wouldn't be living in Chicago. There were too many bad memories in the city she was born in but if life was giving her a chance to move away, she'd take it.

"Not Chicago. Definitely not Chicago or anywhere in Illinois," Scarlett said.

"Oh good. That's one state down and only forty-nine more states for you to decide from," he said. Scarlett chuckled and took the coffee off the burner, pouring it into the mugs she'd taken out and placed on the counter top.

"Seth! Rome! Coffee's ready if you want some!" She called. She heard the thunder of footsteps and a moment later the two men strolled through the kitchen door, snagging a cup each off the counter.

"They treating you well?" Dean asked.

"What do you think?" Scarlett asked in return. Roman was the one that tugged the phone out of her grasp and put it on speaker. Grabbing her own mug, Scarlett took a seat at the island.

"Don't worry, Deano. We're keeping Scarlett very satisfied," Roman said, his grey eyes sparking mischievously.

"Yep. You'll hear no complaints from her when we return," Seth added, his eyes mirroring Romans. Scarlett narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Dean's change in tone only made her more curious.

"It means that you're never going to want to leave her alone and unprotected with us ever again. Double the work for you to get us out of her system," Seth said. Dean's growl made realization dawn on her and Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise.

"If you touch her-."

"Oh we already did. She was, how should I put it, pressed between us upstairs," Roman said, his grin downright evil.

"That's it. I'm dr-."

"Enough you two, Dean calm down," Scarlett said, her face was hot and she knew exactly what Seth and Roman were trying to say.

"Scar, if they touch you-."

"They touch me just fine, Dean," Scarlett slapped her forehead when Seth and Roman howled with laughter while Dean growled.

"I meant they're not being inappropriate. You need to calm down, okay?" She said.

"I am calm!" Dean snapped. Scarlett heaved a sigh before shaking her head.

"Fine. Also, I'm not moving to Florida or California," Scarlett said, knowing that it was the only way she would be able to steer the direction of their conversation.

"What? Why not Florida?" Roman asked, surprised.

"Beaches aren't my thing," she responded.

"Iowa is nice," Seth said, the little hopeful look that he gave her made her chuckle and she shook her head.

"I'll come visit, I promise," she told him. He grinned at her and returned to his coffee.

"I was thinking Ohio or maybe even North Carolina," she pondered. A hush fell over them and Scarlett looked at Seth and Roman as they stared at her. Dean was silent on the line too and once again Scarlett had to check if the call was still connected.

"Not Ohio," Dean said. The flat tone piqued her curiosity and she looked at the two men sitting across from her.

"Ohio's nice though. I've been to Colombus and Cleveland. Or maybe even Cincinnati, it's not too far from Lou-."

"You're not moving to Ohio, Scarlett," Dean said sharply. Scarlett? Perplexed at his sudden outburst and the fact he hadn't called her "Scar", she stared at her phone.

"Especially not Cincinnati," he ended.

"Dean, I d-." Scarlett fell silent as she remembered. Cincinnati, Ohio was Dean Ambrose's hometown and if she was reading this right then he wanted as far away from Cincinnati as she wanted from Chicago. That only brought forth the questions that she'd tucked away moments ago.

What had happened with Dean?

~oOo~

Dean knew he was being harsh and demanding when he had no right to be. But if she moved to Cincinnati or anywhere in Ohio, things would get ugly. He'd moved away because he didn't want to go back to the city that made life a living hell for him. When the company made him go to Ohio or have a show in Cincinnati, Dean had always made sure he was out of there the moment his matches ended.

"I should make dinner and then get some sleep. Can one of you take me to Rivers Real Estate tomorrow?" Scarlett's voice interrupted his thoughts and Dean focused on her.

"Yeah, I can take you," Seth told her.

"I'll call you later," Dean said and after he'd told Scarlett that he would message her later once she was done with work, he ended the call. Rubbing his temples, Dean leaned his head back against the back of the chair he was sitting on in his hotel room. A knock sounded at his door and he dragged himself to the door to open it. Punk stood on the other side with a grin on his face.

"You look like you need a drink," Punk said. Dean grinned in response before grabbing his room key and following Punk out the door.

An hour and half later they were seated at the bar couple of blocks away from the hotel. Dean had stuck to beer while Punk knocked down a couple of shots. They chatted idly the entire time and said their helloes to the other wrestlers that had decided to come down the bar for a night out.

"So, you and that Scarlett huh?" Punk asked. Dean nodded before taking a swig from the mug.

"Yeah. It's new but she's special," Dean told him. Punk nodded before ordering himself a beer as well.

"New? How long has this been going on?"

"Two days now. I met her way back in December when we got stranded in a snowstorm then the second time we met her was at Payback," Dean said. Punk nodded and popped a peanut into his mouth from the bowl that was sitting in between them.

"It's weird man. Never took you for the type to go for her," Punk said. Dean glanced at him questioningly.

"I mean, come on. Dean Ambrose, the man who's an instant hit with the ladies and not to mention Renee's ex and Summer's newest obsession," Punk said laughing. Dean didn't see the humor in it and straightened to look at Punk.

"What are you getting at?"

"Dean, you can't be serious about her. I mean nobody even knows what she looks like under that scarf of hers. What if she's an ugly who-."

"I wouldn't finish that sentence," Dean's voice had gone deadly and his grip on his mug tightened. If Punk finished that sentence, Dean would forget that the man was AJ's husband and a good friend of his.

"Meant no offence but how can you date a girl when you don't even know what she looks like?"

"I know what she looks like and I know that she wants me by her just as much as I want her by my side," Dean snapped. Punk's eyes widened as he stared at him in surprise.

"She took off her scarf for you?" Punk asked in a small voice. Dean's eyes narrowed and he nodded his head. He saw something pass through Punk's eyes but couldn't put a finger on it.

"You saw her without her scarf? What does she look like?" Punk asked breathlessly. Dean jerked back and stared at Punk.

"Why are you so interested in what she looks like?" Dean asked. This was getting a bit weird, Dean thought as he stared at the man sitting next to him. Punk shook his head and then cleared his throat, almost as if he was collecting himself.

"I'm not. I'm curious about her looks, she never takes her scarf off," Punk said. Dean turned on his barstool so his whole body was facing Punk.

"Never takes her scarf off? Punk, how do you know that?" Dean asked.

"I just assumed she didn't if she shows up in public with a scarf covering her entire face. Does she not wear a scarf always? Or am I just making a wrong assumption here?" Punk asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. Dean felt something was off but he chose to ignore it and shrugged it off. Maybe he was reading too much into it.

"Yeah. She wears a scarf everywhere," Dean said nodding and returning to his beer.

"Well, as long as you're happy. Just don't let Renee get a hold of her. Or even Summer for that matter," Punk said, swallowing down a gulp of beer.

"They won't."

"Speaking of, have you told Scarlett about Renee? Especially since Renee and you seemed to have a very serious thing going on," Punk said. Dean shook his head quickly.

"There was never anything serious with Renee and me. It was always casual and Scarlett knows that. I told her when she was in Vegas with me," Dean said.

"She was in Vegas with you?" Punk's voice was hard and he almost sounded as if he was growling but when Dean looked at him, Punk was popping another peanut into his mouth.

"For a couple of days yeah," he answered. Dean finished up his beer before reaching for his wallet.

"Nah, I got this one," Punk said stopping him.

"No, I ca-."

"Don't worry about it, man. I'm glad you've found your happiness with Scarlett," Punk said smiling at him and tipping his glass towards him. Dean grinned at Punk and clapped him on the back.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow," Dean said.

"Say 'Hi' to Scarlett from me next time you talk to her," Phil said to him as he began to make his way towards the door. He missed the way Punk's gaze followed him out and instead reached for his cellphone. He sent a quick text to Scarlett asking her if it was a good time to call and when he got no response, he sent another, and another, and another. Five texts later, Dean was beginning to worry so he searched up Roman's name on his phone and sent him a message. A couple of minutes later, his phone buzzed and Dean opened it up to see a picture of Scarlett sound asleep.

Her head was resting against a sleeping Seth's shoulder, her legs curled on the couch below her with a blanket thrown over them both. Seth was holding onto a bowl of popcorn that was tilted and was stretched out with his head against the back of the couch. Dean couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked at the picture.

Shutting the door behind him once he reached his room, Dean quickly changed into a pair of sweats before climbing into bed and opening the picture again. Ignoring Seth, he focused on Scarlett and let himself soak her in. Dean didn't know why it made him feel so calm. Just seeing her, he felt the anger, the tension, and the worry fade away. She relaxed him. It was that simple.

Placing his phone on the table next to him, Dean rolled over and shut his eyes. The image of her sleeping projected into his mind's eye and with a soft smile, he welcomed sleep.

So what happened in Dean's life? And did Punk have an ulterior motive to inviting Dean to drinks? Is he genuinely happy for Dean and Scarlett? Where will Scarlett choose to move to? So many questions right?

Review please.

- K.