Chapter 6 – Gotta Stay High

January 12th – New Orleans

Roman had officially been back on the road with WWE for 4 weeks. It was still two weeks until the Royal Rumble. Lizette was on her 7th week of chemo and had never felt so tired in her life. She thought at one point she should take some time off, but she needed something to do to keep her mind busy or she'd spend her entire time at home thinking of nothing but the cancer.

Almost everyone had decided to leave after Monday Night Raw and drive to Baton Rouge for Smackdown taping; sometimes it was just easier and saved time and gave them more time to sleep in the next day. Smackdown was a little easier since it was pre-taped.

Lizette groaned when Jillian demanded her to ride with her and Dean. She knew Roman would be in the damn SUV as well. Amora left after her match, apparently she was headed home to Florida so she could see Baron; they hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks because of a scheduling conflict between the main roster and NXT.

Lizette couldn't hate on her friend for wanting to be with her man. Lizette wanted to be with her man but that wasn't going to happen. Maybe she was being stubborn about not speaking to Roman, but at this point he deserved to feel the same way she'd felt.

Now she was going to have to be in the same damn car with him. At least she had an ally in Jillian. She wasn't afraid to speak up and yell at the guys. Lizette had seen her personally put Seth Rollins in his place when he grabbed a handful of her ass one night after Raw. He thought he was being smart and she showed him EXACTLY how smart she thought he really was.

Lizette was pretty sure his testicles STILL hadn't dislodged from his chest cavity where she had kicked them.

She sighed softly as she was sitting in the locker room and had changed into her jeans and a t-shirt. If she was getting in the car for traveling; she was going comfortable. She loved Jillian to bits, she'd actually made Dean go out and buy a pillow and a blanket, plus a small suitcase to put it in for Lizette just so she'd be comfortable enough to travel.

Lizette was happy that Dean and Jillian had gotten closer. Anyone who knew Dean knew his life story. He didn't grow up in a normal family. He was definitely wired differently. He usually never had a girlfriend, but he dated…alot. They'd been on numerous dates and were now getting closer and closer and Lizette could tell they were happy.

She knew Jillian had her reservations because of Deans playboy status from the Indy's to FCW to NXT and then to the main roster at WWE. But she had soon found out when he was 'dating' someone he was fiercely loyal to that person as long as that person was just as invested to him.

She finally got her sneakers tied as she stood and pulled on her black zip up hoodie. She tucked everything back into her suitcase before she zipped it up and pulled the handle up and walked out towards the parking lot at the back of the arena. She pushed the back door open dragging her suitcase behind her. Once the door closed she looked up and watched as Roman stepped out from behind the SUV. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked up to the Chevy Tahoe.

"Here, I'll load your suitcase." Roman stated as he held out his hand.

Lizette wasn't going to argue so she handed over the handle to her suitcase and watched as he placed it in the back of the SUV. "Thank you." She stated softly and watched as he walked over and opened the door knowing she would sit behind Jillian. Roman wasn't anything if he wasn't a gentleman. She just nodded as she hopped up into the SUV. Roman closed the door and walked around getting in on the other side behind Dean.

Dean pulled out onto the freeway towards Baton Rouge as Jillian put on some quiet music on to relax everyone. Jillian was filing her nails down and could feel Dean's hand on the inside of her thigh he would squeeze it every once in a while and smirk when she would crack a smile and then poke him in the arm with her metal fingernail file.

Lizette looked over at Roman he was quiet, she figured he would try to get her to talk; apparently he had been telling the truth when he said he wasn't going to pressure her to talk to him. She sighed heavily as she kicked her sneakers off and folded her legs Indian style.

Lizette cleared her throat and she watched as Roman's grey eyes looked over at her. "You left at your Georgia Tech crap at my place. But your hoodie has been keeping me warm." Technically it was keeping her warm during Chemo but she would leave that part out.

"I knew I left it somewhere; I just couldn't remember where." Roman stated. He watched as she yawned several times and took note of the dark circles under her eyes. He knew she wasn't getting much sleep and when they had busy schedules close to PPV's she got even less sleep. "Why don't you lay back you look like you could use the sleep sweet-" He stopped himself from using a term of endearment. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll wake you when we get there."

Roman watched as she nodded and moved around to get comfortable. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out; he could tell by her soft breathing from the many nights they shared a bed and their lives. Jesus Christ he was such an idiot to throw her away. The blanket was across her lap but she looked cold, he grabbed his black 'Roman Reigns' zip up hoodie and draped it across her arms and shoulders.

His grey eyes just kept watching her as she slept. He did it often when they were still together. He didn't give a shit if ever got sleep he was always more concerned with her sleeping patterns, but she was equally worried about his as well. That was probably why they complimented each other so well.

"Penny for your thoughts Ro?" Jillian asked softly when she noticed the big man was sitting with his head in his hands.

Roman looked at Jillian and then his eyes connected with Dean's in the rearview mirror. Grey eyes went back to Jillian. "I fucked up. I keep going over everything in my head that happened the morning after my surgery. I thought I was making the right decision. Hell three seconds after she left I knew I made the wrong decision. But then I couldn't make myself go back on it. Once you make that kind of decision you stick to it you don't half ass it."

Roman pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to get his head wrapped around the woman he threw out of his life sitting next to him. "I really have a monumental amount of ass kissing to do when she finally lets me speak to her."

Jillian nodded. "You're lucky dudes are allowed one giant fuck up in life because you sure used yours up in that 3 months stint of silence. You'll never understand until you guys finally have your talk, but once you do you will get it. The message will be loud and clear."

Roman nodded as he leaned back. He continued to watch Lizette sleep.

He couldn't NOT watch her.

Like he was there to protect her while she slept.

Jillian had spent a couple of hours in the hotel gym once they reached Baton Rouge. When she finished up she headed up to her hotel room that she had been sharing with Dean the last week. They had finally decided after all the cat and mousing around it was time to give it a real shot.

They were officially dating, but didn't label each other. Apparently it was a phobia Dean had about labeling each other boyfriend or girlfriend. They were grown adults not a couple of high schoolers going steady. She could see his point of view so she'd agreed to it. Then they agreed to start rooming together because they really did enjoy much of the same things. Neither were morning people until after the first 3 cups of coffee and both were night owls when there were good movies on. They both loved to hit the gym as a way to let loose and they both enjoyed rock/mountain climbing.

Jillian walked into the hotel and it was silent.

Completely silent.

This was strange.

Dean always had the TV going watching some program or a sports game; silence was something new.

"Dean…"

"Dean…"

Jillian got no response. She toed off her sneakers before pulling off her socks and grabbed the hotel dirty clothes plastic bag. She pulled the blue racerback tank top and sports bra off along with her shorts and panties and discarded all sweaty garments into the bag. She slipped on the soft cotton hotel robe. She was going to enjoy a nice long warm bubble bath and let her over worked muscles soak in the warmth. She loved bubble baths after her work outs.

"Dean?" Jillian called out his name once more. She shook her head and checked her phone…no messages indicating he wouldn't be in the room or letting her know he was going to go get a beer in the hotel bar with Roman which was how they usually wound down after any events.

"Babe…" A gravelly voice stated from across the room.

Jillian looked up and smiled as she watched Dean walked in from the balcony with a towel wrapped around his waist. "You were out on the balcony in nothing but a towel? Jesus Christ Dean are you trying to give everyone a free show?" She stated in a shocked tone.

"Of course…" Dean smirked as he leaned down and softly kissed her left cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in. You ready for your bubble bath?"

Jillian lifted a dark eyebrow at Dean. "What do you mean?"

Dean chuckled. "You always take a bubble bath after your gym sessions."

Jillian smirked. "And how exactly do you know that?"

Dean held out his hand as he watched her place her small hand in his and let his fingers wrap around hers before he tugged on her hand gently. "I pay attention. You may not think that I don't – but I do." He gently pulled her into the bathroom.

A gasp seeped from her lips before she could stop it. The entire bathroom was bathed in candle light. The huge three person sized bathtub was filled with warm water and gardenia scented bubbles. Jillian's favorite scent and somehow she knew that Dean knew that. She always carried a bottle of the scented bubble bath with her on the road.

"Yea I guess you do." Jillian smiled as she pushed up on her toes and kissed his scruffy jaw. "Join me?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

"I'm not sitting on the balcony smoking in a towel for no reason woman. Get your cute ass naked and get in that tub." Dean announced as he brought the palm of his hand down on Jillian's ass. The cracking sound the slap made echoed through the bathroom.

Jillian jumped slightly but allowed Dean to untie her robe and let it slip from her body as she watched his towel disappear. He stepped into the tub first and took her hand as he guided her in carefully. They both sat down at opposite ends of the tub as Dean began to massage her feet and legs. Her satisfied moans filled the bathroom.

"Oh yea…One more thing." Dean leaned over the tub as he opened a cooler and pulled out two longneck bottles of beer and twisted the top off and handed one to Jillian.

"I love it when you think of everything." Jillian stated before she felt his thumb rub into the arch of her foot and her moaning continued.

They hadn't gotten around to having actual sex yet, but they were definitely playing a little more often. It wouldn't be long; but they wouldn't rush it either.

There was no reason to rush.

An incessant knocking woke Lizette up on Thursday morning; the day after her Chemotherapy. She was tired and sluggish and it was her day to recoup, but apparently the person banging down her door was extremely un-aware of it. No one had to be on the road for hour shows until Saturday so they all got an extra day off. She was welcoming the extra day with open arms.

Or at least she was until she'd been woken up.

With a groan she flipped the covers off her and stalked to the front door. She flipped the lock and pulled the door open to see two familiar smiling faces staring back at her. "Amora, what are you two doing here? I thought you were with Baron and Paige aren't you usually off running wild with Rosa and Alicia?"

She watched as both of the WWE Diva's smirked, snickered and giggled before each kissed her cheeks and walked into her apartment uninvited. "Come right in please." She closed the door and followed the two Divas as they made their way into the living room.

Paige plopped down in the plush chair as Amora took up the end of the couch as they both knew the corner of the L shaped couch was Lizette's permanent place with her extra phone charger plugged in the wall with the cord weaved through the cushions, an extra big pillow and a huge plush blanket. Lizette walked over as she sat down. "Okay once again what are you two doing here?" She asked as she yawned while covering up with her blanket.

Amora shrugged her shoulders. "I lied. I was sort of looking for something and Baron helped me locate it. It's actually…Well it's something for you."

Lizette lifted an eyebrow at her bestie. "Something for me? And pray tell what is it? And what does it have to do with Miss Anti Diva?"

Paige smirked. "Hey, I was helping find the item in question, and I wanted to be here when she gave it to you." She stated in her thick English accent.

"Okay you two what the hell is going on?" Lizette asked with a groan.

Amora smirked as she leaned forward and opened her purse and pulled out something square and wrapped in tin foil. "We got these for you."

Lizette cocked her head the side as she took the tin foil wrapped present. "And you wrapped it so fashionably." Lizette's eyes looked down at the tin foil as she carefully un-wrapped it because between Amora and Paige she knew it really could've been anything. "You got me brownies?" She asked with a quizzical look on her face.

Amora chuckled softly. "Those aren't just regular brownies." She smiled widely as her eyebrows rose to her hair line practically. "They are…ummm…ya know – pot brownies."

Lizette's eyes shot open. "Pot Brownies? Are you out of your ever loving mind? Do you not remember who we work for? We get piss tested at least once a month and we are pretty much due since the PPV is coming up soon."

Paige laughed. "See, we knew you'd worry so we sort of cleared it with Steph first."

Lizette rubbed her temples. "You guys got permission from Stephanie McMahon for me to eat pot brownies? Oh my God you two. She's going to think I'm some kind of hippie grass smoking pothead."

Paige chuckled louder. "Oh my bloody God woman, Stephanie knows because of the chemo that you aren't eating like you're supposed to and she's worried about your weight loss already. So eat the damn brownies, get the munchies, eat some good food and gain your weight back."

Amora nodded. "Yea what she said. C'mon we'll try some with you. Stephanie said we aren't due for the drug tests for another week or so. THC will only stay in your system 1-3 days since were first time users and it's not like were smoking a bong. It's pot brownies for fuck sakes."

Paige sighed heavily as she sat up. "Think of it this way…If you eat enough maybe it will kill all your brain cells that make you remember Roman."

Lizette Scoffed. "Highly Unlikely…" She chewed on her bottom lip as she handed Paige and Amora a brownie. The trio looked at each other before gently taping their pot filled chocolaty goodness together.

"Cheers…" They all stated before biting into their individual brownies.

This was going to be an interesting experiment.

Roman walked into his parent's house Thursday afternoon. They had invited him over for lunch. He could hear voices in the kitchen and started to call out to them when he stopped mid-stride.

"How's Lizette doing?" Patricia asked Vanessa.

"About as good as any girl who is going through cancer right now can." Vanessa shook her head. "She misses Roman so much. But I can fully understand why she's not talking with him yet. After the way he treated her, she's got every right to pretend he doesn't exist; even though we both know it's probably the worst thing she can be putting herself through right now." She sighed softly. "We can't exactly force her to talk to him. She's just hurting so much. My little brother made a big mess of things."

Patricia frowned as she continued to make big roast beef sandwiches. "When is she going to tell him?" She asked curiously.

Vanessa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"And when exactly we're you going to tell me?"

Vanessa's eyes shot open at the sound of her baby brother's voice filling the kitchen. She turned slowly to see the stormy grey eyes of her brother looking back at her.

"Roman…"