Author Note: Thank you for all the positive responses once again. A special thanks goes to rkosgirl1, calwitch and Leasha Ambrose for the wonderful reviews. Another special thanks goes to Mrs. Zacchara for becoming a follower to this story. I'm going to be introducing a family member of Savannah's in this chapter and it's going to be quite informative, hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Chapter 20: Separated

Seth

It was five in the morning and I was packing up the last remaining items I was going to need for the trip to Newark, New Jersey. Extreme Rules was tomorrow night and I had already procrastinated long enough in getting there. Despite knowing it was going to be my return to TV, I wasn't quite ready to leave Savannah just yet. It's been well over a month since we become an official couple; but to be honest nothing felt any different. She was still the best part of life. Once she had been cleared to get into the ring from the mild concussion she had sustained after the Hall of Fame Ceremony, she busted her ass. Learning all she could soak up from anyone willing to show her a thing or two. That included myself.

However today was going to be a different story. Today was going to be the first day without my coaching and the first day with a new trainer, which happened to be her sister. Amelia Kelly. That woman was born to be a Drill Sargent. Although, she had a softer side outside of work...when she was in her zone, nothing stopped her from getting what she wanted accomplished.

Amelia was not going to go easy on Savannah just because they were related, that was not how things rolled with her. Looking back at the bed, in the hotel room I had spent a good portion of time in, I smiled at a sleeping Savannah. She was absolutely breathtaking and it still hasn't hit me that she was mine. The barriers had been broken down and all I could see was us together. Did that sound mushy? Probably. Did I care? Hell no.

Walking back over to the edge of the bed, I sat down. She took a sharp intake of breath before rolling over, facing me. Her eyes remained closed with several strands of her hair across her face. Reaching out, I moved the hair away as she leaned into my touch. "Seth..." She whispered still half asleep.

"I've got to get going." I told her softly placing my lips on her temple.

"Not fair...I want to go with you..."

"I know. Soon...you will be soon."

I honestly didn't know for sure how long it was going to take for her to get back on the road. Hunter told her a month or so; but things got pushed back once again. There were plans in the works. Or so he said anyway. I knew she was frustrated with how slow things were progressing and our time together was coming to an end. In the long run, it would probably do us both some good. She could focus more clearly on her training and I could get back to what I loved to do.

"Text me when you land, please..." She pleaded kissing the palm of my hand.

"You know that I will..."

She snuggled her head back into the pillow, holding onto my hand for comfort. Leaning down, I found her lips and took control of them. She sighed into the kiss, drawing me in closer. The seconds were ticking away the longer I was captured by her addicting lips. Reluctantly, I pulled away much to her protest. "I have to go." I said giving her one last kiss before standing back up.

"Stay safe..."

"Always."

I lifted my bag off the floor and proceeded out the door, allowing it to close behind me. Stepping out of the elevator, I checked out and specially told them not to clean the room until Savannah had left. No point in waking her up completely when she didn't need to be a performance center for another couple hours.

It felt weird leaving her behind. We've pretty much done everything together since she got down the Florida back in March. It was now May and it still surprised me how things have changed since then. I never thought I'd have her back in my life let alone have her as my girlfriend. That word alone felt foreign.

The drive to the airport was spent listening to music and thinking about the past few months. Despite how much I've grown to hate both Roman and Dean since the split of The Shield, I've found myself on civil terms with Dean. He not only kept Savannah safe after her collision with the wall, that unfortunately gave her a concussion; but he also encouraged her to do what she wanted to do, never letting what others thought bother her. I owed him for that.

Roman on the other hand pretty much kept to himself. He's never said a word to Savannah since Wrestlemania. I think deep down it really hurt her feelings to know that he wants nothing to do with anyone. He was the mirror image of Baron Corbin, a Lone Wolf. His intensity in the ring increased and that definitely showed during his first match with AJ Styles. He took everything the veteran gave him and then some. I had to think that maybe that was because of how things ended up for him behind the scenes.

My mind wandered to Savannah once again. It came as no surprise that I would think about her the second I sat down on the plane. I was used to her sitting next to me and she wasn't there. The only thing I had was the picture of her standing in front of one of the many fountains in Atlanta Georgia's Botanical Garden, that now occupied the background on my phone.

This was definitely going to be a test. I've gone the last two months seeing her every single day and now I was back on the road, away from the comfort she brought me. I'm sure there would be a ton of questions for me once I made it to Newark. I knew for a fact Becky and Sasha would drill me for information about what's been happening with their best friend. Krys on the other hand has sort distanced herself from the group. I wasn't entirely sure why or if something happened to upset her, all I knew was that she wasn't around as much.

"Anything to drink, sir?" One of the attendants asked pushing a cart down the aisle.

"No thanks." I answered briefly making eye contact.

"Let me know if you need anything."

She winked at me before continuing on. Letting out a short sigh, I missed Savannah already. If she was here, that attendant wouldn't have even attempted to flirt with me. I used to enjoy the attention; but now, not so much. The only attention I wanted was from Savannah herself.

Savannah

Stepping out of Seth's hotel room, the cleaning lady was already in the hall awaiting her chance to tend to the room. I handed her a twenty just for allowing me to sleep a little longer. She smiled and told me to have a wonderful day. It's funny, because I probably made her day by giving her that twenty dollar bill.

Sure today was going to be lonely without Seth; but it was a good chance to really learn new things without him as a distraction. Every time he stood opposite me in the ring in nothing but his workout shorts, I got flustered. His body was perfect and it increased the desire within me every time I saw him without a shirt.

He also took it easy on me. Our lockups were sloppy, because he was afraid to hurt me or do something wrong that would hurt me. That wasn't my idea of training. I needed someone that wouldn't hesitate and that someone was my sister Amelia. She was picky and didn't give an inch when it came to technique.

Looking down at my phone, the time read 8:30 which meant I had a half hour to get to the Performance Center. Unlocking the doors to my rental, I tossed my bag onto the passenger seat and slid inside. Quickly stopping at Becky's place to change my clothes, I was finally on my way to a new day. The song playing the radio made me sing along and I got several odd looks from passing drivers. I didn't really give a damn what they thought anyway. The words were still coming out of my mouth.

Pulling into the parking garage at the Performance Center, I snagged my bag from the front seat and walked inside. Bayley usually gave me a hug when I walked in, if she was there; but today most of the talent was out on the road for shows up north. Nothing about today was going to be normal; but I had to suck it up and deal, that was the only way I was going to be able to get through the day unscathed.

"Good morning, Savannah." A warm female voice greeted.

I turned to see my sister standing in the middle of the ring with her hand on her hip. Her semi-long dark brown hair was pulled up onto a ponytail and her eyes were still the bright blue I've always known them to be. The look on her face told me what she was really thinking though. She was annoyed. Probably because I hadn't been there fifteen minute early. Sorry to say; but I wanted to stay in bed to soak up Seth's scent as much as I could. Sue me. "Morning, Lia." I replied using the short version of her name.

"How about you just get warmed up so I can get started." She grumbled.

Great, she was in a mood already. I really didn't talk much to her and when we did, it always seemed to end in an argument. She never agreed with anything I did. After the passing of our brother a few years ago, our relationship got even rockier. Jayden and I shared the same eyes, while Amelia had the subtle blue color. So when she looked at me, she could see Jayden. It tore her apart to think about him; but she wasn't the only one.

Turning away from her piercing stare, I sat my bag down on the nearest corner bench. Leaning forward, I began to stretch out. I could still feel her eyes on my back. This going to be an awkward day to say the least. Standing upright, my feet carried me into the ring so I could stand before my younger sister. Not that anyone would really know, we were only eighteen months apart in age.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Absolutely." I answered holding my arms up in position to lock up with her.

A coy smile appeared on her lips, quickly locking up with me in the center of the ring. Tossing my arms away, she curled her elbow around my neck. I pushed into her back with enough force to send her into the ropes only for her to counter with her shoulder into my own, knocking me down onto the mat. Kicking myself up to stand on my feet, I eyed her with an intense desire to get better.

"Okay...not bad." She complimented circling me a few seconds before trying to lock up thing again.

We did the same sequence a second time and then a third. Each time was better than the one before. I fell into a groove and executed several different moves much to her approval. She was pleased with my willingness to learn and test new waters. After two and a half hours straight, she told me to take a break. I happily accepted with a want to check my phone for any missed calls or text messages.

Jumping down from the ring, I walked across to where my bag lay and saw my phone was flashing its familiar blue color. That brought a smile to my face instantly. Holding my phone in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, I sat down to rest my aching legs. The cold fluid rushed down my throat, soothing the dryness that was forming from panting for breath.

"I landed in New Jersey. I miss you already." Seth's message read.

"I miss you to. Amelia is kicking my ass." I replied and hit the send button.

Tucking it back into my bag, I tilted the bottle of water to my lips again. Amelia sat down next to me facing the ring. It was hard for me to talk to her on a sibling basis and I think she knew that, because she never forced a conversation. She simply sat down next to me waiting. "You are doing really well." She complimented breaking the awkward silence between us.

"Thank you."

"Why the sudden change in determination?"

Shifting my head to actually look at her directly, I found myself staring into her eyes. That was a question I never thought she'd ask. Did I really want to get into detail as to why I wanted things to be different? Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell her why. "When I debuted on the main roster, I was a dominating force within the Women's Division. Just like Seth, Roman and Dean were the dominating faction within the Men's Division. After being a part of The Shield, I was slowly reduced to just a valet. It wasn't something I wanted; but I couldn't fight against it. The decision had been made, I simply didn't have the look of a champion."

"The Shield has been broken up for two years now, why the change now?"

Amelia looked at me, totally invested in what I had to say. The look on her face softened to that of a sibling's love for another. It was a rarity to say the least and I wasn't about to let it pass me by, because deep down I missed her. There were so many times in the past where I wanted my sister's advice and couldn't have it. "Hunter finally sent me down here to have all these changes done; but I think it was because he knew that I was going to quit."

"Or maybe someone spoke on your behalf."

"Perhaps..."

I wasn't too keen on believing that someone would speak on my behalf. Taking another drink of my water, I stood up ready to get back in the ring to learn more. Amelia followed suit and we spent the next four hours drilling more techniques until she approved of them. It wasn't until it was all over for the day did she approach me with an unreadable look on her face.

"What's up?" I asked wiping my face away from the sweat.

"I'm really sorry that I haven't been there for you." She apologized.

The apology itself shook me to the very core. I never expected it, nor was I sure that it was really happening. Maybe it was a dream and I'm still in bed in Seth's arms. She reached out taking my hands into her own and that's when I knew that it was very real. "I haven't been very fair to you and after Jayden died...I just couldn't..."

"I know. You don't need to explain anything to me."

"It doesn't make everything okay. You know...you aren't the same person I remember."

"A lot has changed."

"So I've seen."

For the first time, she sincerely smiled at me. Did this apology mean everything was pushed under the bridge? No; but it was a start. There was a lot she had to atone for and training me to be the best I can possibly be was a good way to help with that.

Seth

As I expected, Becky and Sasha were instantly drawn to me for the newest details of Savannah's training. I told them what I could; but as of that moment, I didn't know anything else. She was in Amelia's hands now. I worried about how things were going. They rarely spoke on good terms. Even the night we all went out with her in New York, it was still filled with tension. The only eye contact she made was with us.

I sat down in my hotel room, finally away from everyone. I finally had the peace and quiet I wanted. The only problem was that Savannah was not there to share it with me. Not knowing what she was doing or how she was fairing was driving me crazy the longer I sat there staring at the TV watching some random TV show that I wasn't familiar with.

Lifting up on the hem of my shirt, I tossed it onto the top of my bag and that's when a loud knock came across the door. Groaning out of annoyance, I shifted to stand up and walk towards the noise. Opening the door, Hunter stood on the other side still dressed in a business suit. There was a questionable look on his face that worried me. I wondered why he would come to me personally at practically ten at night.

"Hunter? What's going on?" I asked stepping aside to allow him inside.

He said nothing at first, just walked passed me. I reached for the remote to turn the volume down on the TV. There was definitely something up for him to be here. Hunter finally turned around to face me. "Are you sure that you are one hundred percent ready?" He asked.

"My doctors already told you that I'm fine. I know that I'm fine." I replied understanding where his concern was coming from. The doctors initially told me that it was going be a nine month recovery time; but I was back in seven.

"I'm just checking. Tomorrow night is going to change some things and when Savannah is ready she will bring a new era to the Women's Division."

"There are plenty of women that are extremely talented. What makes Savannah special now? Since you and Stephanie decided years ago that she wasn't what you wanted."

Hunter fell silent for the first time since the conversation started. I supposed that I struck a nerve; but it had to be said. They decided years ago that she didn't have the look of a champion and reduced her down to just The Shield's valet. It was not what she wanted and it was not what we wanted as a group either. We all wanted to hold gold together and that included her. "I know that she's been the item in your eye for years now and your defense of her is justified...we really didn't think she had what it took to be a champion. Things have changed since I've watched her training videos."

"What do you plan to do with her once she's back?"

"She will be what you've always believed her to be...a champion."

I felt a swell of happiness deep within; but I also knew that things could change in a blink of an eye. There was no point in telling her anything, because at this point...it was just speculation and words. Actions spoke louder than that. Hunter moved towards the door and then stopped to look back at me again. "Just some advice from a friend and not your boss...don't let her go. I know how much you care for her...I've seen it for quite some time now."

"I don't plan on it."

"Have a good night, Seth."

He walked out the door, letting it shut behind him. Once again, I was alone with my thoughts. It was weird for Hunter to have just shown up to tell me something that could have easily waited until tomorrow to say. Sitting back down, I reached for my phone and found Savannah's name under my favorite contact list. My index finger pushed the call button and it started to ring. After four rings, she finally greeted me warmly.

"Hey beautiful...what are you doing?" I responded.

"Sitting in my room watching a movie." She replied softly.

"Do I have to ask what you're watching?"

A soft giggle escaped her mouth. She was currently into the Harry Potter movies again. Not that that was a bad thing; but lately that's all she's been wanting to watch. The only question was, which one was it? "Probably not." She answered with another soft laugh.

"Let me guess...Goblet of Fire?"

"Wow...you're good."

"I do know what my girl loves to watch."

She was silent a moment, probably taking in what I said. Even after making things official, she still blushed over compliments like that. It was like she never heard things like it before, which I doubted. Roman fussed over her all the time. By this time, she had yawned twice and I heard her turn the TV off in the background. "How was your training with Amelia today?" I asked out of curiosity.

"It went pretty well actually. She didn't drill me as much as I was expecting."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Depends on how you look at it. The point was for her to drill me to get even better."

"You are getting better, trust me."

I figured telling her that Hunter was watching her training videos would be a bad idea. That would only make her more nervous. So I opted for a subtle approach, encouragement. There wasn't much I could do from where I was; but my words could still be motivation. "I miss you..." She said softly, hearing the shuffling of her head snuggling into the pillow.

"I miss you to, princess. Don't worry, it won't be long and I'll be seeing you again."

"You don't know that. I could be stuck down here for another month."

"Even if that's the case...I'll find time to come see you."

That wasn't even a lie. If they did keep her down there another month, I would find time to fly down there to see her. I was already going crazy without her and it's only been a day. There was no way in hell I could go a whole month without seeing her. Getting up from the couch, I moved to the bed. Stripping my jeans off, I climbed into the bed in just my underwear. Usually this was when I'd feel her warm body up against my back. Tonight there was nothing but emptiness. "Seth, I'm exhausted. I'll talk to you in the morning." She said trying to hide another yawn.

"Goodnight Savannah."

"Night."

Hearing the click to end the call, I laid the device on the nightstand beside me. Rolling over to face the empty side of the bed that would normally have her occupying, I sighed softly before allowing my eyes to close. I guess I never realized just how much I loved her until she wasn't there...maybe it was coming to that time that I told her.