*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
DEAN's POINT OF VIEW:
After a late but enjoyable night with my beautiful wife my ass is dragging as I arrive at the radio station for an early morning interview. I hate early mornings and early morning appearances. I feel like I always show up so tired and you can hear it in my voice. I throw back some of my mountain dew as I put the car in park. "This is going to be fun," I say to Ana with sleep filling my voice. "It's so early in the morning."
"It's 6:30," she says, "that's not that early."
"When you and I spend all night together and not going to bed till 4 in the morning and I wake up at 5 to make myself look presentable it is early," I say with a smile, "but don't think I didn't enjoy last night. Remind me to thank your dad later when we pick Natalia up."
"I will," she says with a smile as I kiss her lips softly. "Love you, Jon."
"I love you too," I say with a smile as I open my car door as she does the same. I take her hand into mine as we walk into the radio station with our hands intertwined together.
As we walk into the station we are greeted by the two hosts of the show. "Hey, Dean, I'm Ryan. Glad you could come on the show today."
"Thanks for having me," I say as I shake his hand. "And this is my fiancée Ana," I say.
"Nice to meet you," says Ana with a smile as she shakes his hand.
"Nice to meet you too," he says smiling back at her.
"And I'm Donnell," says the other host as we shake hands before he shakes hands with Ana. "Whenever you're ready we can get you hooked up on a mic and then get started when the show comes back on the air.
"All right," I say still with sleep in my voice. "Sorry it was a late night last night."
"I imagine," says Donnell with a smile. "You have a busy schedule."
"Yeah," I say before I kiss Ana. "I'll see you after the radio show. Thanks for waiting for me."
"Okay," she says with a smile. "Have fun," she says before she takes a seat on the couch in the radio station and pulls her cellphone out of her purse as I walk with Ryan and Donnell to the studio. I'm probably going to be asked the same questions that I'm always asked. It gets old after a while but Vince likes when we make these appearances so I gotta do it.
Once we get into the studio they get me hooked up to a mic as the music plays on the radio. They give us the signal that we are going on the air. "Welcome back to the Cincinnati Morning Rush Ryan and I are here with WWE superstar Dean Ambrose," says Donnell into the mic. "Welcome to the show Dean."
"Thank-you," I say in my raspy voice. "Thanks for having me."
"No problem," says Donnell. "You're the hometown boy around here, you grew up in Cincinnati right?"
"Born and raised," I say, "I grew up in the East End of Cincinnati. It wasn't the best neighborhood but it was a place to live."
"How does it feel to come back to your hometown as a celebrity? Do you feel special or any different coming back home?"
"Um, not really. I don't really consider myself a celebrity. I'm only known to wrestling fans so I'm not really a celebrity in my eyes. Like if I am in a crowd of wrestling fans then I am a celebrity but let's say if I'm at my daughter's dance recital like I was over the weekend no one knows me because they don't watch the product. I am a wrestling celebrity," I say, "it's different."
"Gotcha," says Donnell, "but do you feel special coming back here to your hometown?"
"I feel like anyone else would. I mean I think it's cool that I have some fans here that will cheer me on and get excited that I am back in town. I don't come back often."
"Let's get down to it," says Ryan, "this week you lost the championship to your best friend at Money In The Bank, how did it feel to lose the championship after you tore your body apart in that match?"
"I'm happy for Roman of course I'm going after him for the championship but I'm happy for him. He deserves that belt as much as I do."
"You were doing some crazy stunts in that match do you ever get nervous about making such high risk maneuvers?"
"I don't really think about it," I say, "I mean if I think about it I might hesitate but I don't really think about it. I have been taking high risks my whole life just in a different way."
"Do you ever get worried when they tell you that you're going to be in a ladder match?"
"No, not at all," I say, "I'm kind of an extreme type of guy. I like all that stuff. I like jumping off ladders and being slammed through ladders. I am pretty extreme. I like to get into the crazy stuff. If I could bring back barbed wire in a match I would. I built my wrestling career on being extreme what I do in WWE is like a virgin martini compared to what I did before I got into the company. I wouldn't say I get worried but my fiancée is a nervous wreck when I get into these extreme matches. You would think she would be used to it after 10 years," I say, "but she still holds her breath with each risk that I take."
"So your fiancée is pretty supportive of your career?"
"Oh yeah, since day one she has been supportive. She was by my side when I started training and she would bring our daughter to my shows sometimes if she was in town. I mean she's been my biggest support system since I started. I made a lot of sacrifices for this business like we are just now moving in together after being apart for 10 years."
"So you two lived apart for 10 years? How did that work?"
"It was tough," I say, "but we managed. She went to school in New York on scholarship I couldn't ask her to give that up for me so she moved to New York and I stayed here in Cincinnati then I was all over the place trying to get my foot into the business. I missed so much of my daughter's life because of being all over the place. I probably only saw Ana and my daughter a couple times a year."
"Okay," he says, "I saw a video on Twitter last night that you posted that has gone pretty viral. You're a guy that doesn't like social media right?"
"Oh no I hate social media. I hate everything with the internet. I try to stay away from it as much as I can. I think that people are so dependent on it these days. And the thing with social media is there are too many people out there with opinions that I don't care about. I just stay away from it because I don't care. People can hate me, love me whatever it doesn't matter to me."
"I agree with the whole internet and people being dependent on it. I'm just curious about this video though you reached out to social media to talk to your fans about respecting your family. What is that all about? Do you find it hard to keep your family out of the public eye?"
"Well, my fiancée is famous in her own way," I say, "she wrote for a magazine so people know her from there but yeah at times it is pretty hard to keep my daughter and Ana out of the public eye. I mean we let people into our lives to an extent but there are some things we keep private. Fame is a hard thing to deal with. You pretty much lose every ounce of privacy you have. This video was to tell the fans to respect my family. The other night after the pay per view while I'm being attended to in the back my fiancée was verbally attacked by a fan and then attacked by a fan. She had beer thrown on her and some got into my daughter's eye and the ice scratched her cornea so it was upsetting for me as a father. I mean they are my fans but are so quick to disrespect my family which disrespects me in a way. I just want them to realize that neither Ana nor my daughter asked to be in the spotlight they are just there. I want them to respect them and give them the common courtesy they deserve. I love them both very much and I don't like to see anyone hurt them."
"You're protective of them," says Donnell.
"Yeah," I say. "They are the only family I really have so I have to keep them close to me."
"All right so you also announced that you're having a baby with your fiancée?"
"Yes," I say, "we are having our second child in January. We are both extremely happy about it."
"Do you find it hard to be a father while being on the road so much?"
"It is difficult to travel 300 days a year but now I will be home more often. I get two days to be home with them and when I am home I take over the father duties. I like to spend time with both of my girls because I don't see them as much. It sucks that I miss a lot of school functions but I have never missed a dance recital. I will never. It's something that she loves to do and I will support her in that. She comes to support me when I'm in town or like now she's with me but she's supporting me in something I love so I owe her the same respect. I love being a father."
"You were a young father weren't you? Did that influence you to become a wrestler?"
"Yes I was 17 when I became a father. I fell into some trouble though and I missed some of the beginning of her life but after I did what I needed to do I stepped up and became a good father. I always wanted to be a wrestler but after becoming a father I was pushed to actually work harder to get there. I didn't want some 9-5 job that barely put food on the table. I wanted a job that my daughter could get the best of what she needed and would never want for anything. I wanted to be able to give her opportunities. Wrestling allows me to do that for her. It was a struggle getting here but we made it."
"And you have been with your fiancée for a long time too haven't you?"
"11 years," I say. "I love her. I love her a lot. We've been through a lot."
"I understand," he says. "Do you ever have problems with the fan girls or the women that throw themselves at you? You're not a bad looking guy so I'm sure you have a few ladies throwing themselves at you."
I let out a laugh and say, "I do have fan girls and I do have ladies that try hard to get me to take them back to my hotel room never have I and never would I. I have one woman that I love and that I want to be with and that's my fiancée."
"But being on the road don't you face temptation of cheating on her?"
"Of course the temptation is there," I say, "but it doesn't mean I have to give in to it. I just decline them and tell them that I have a fiancée at home that I love. It's that simple."
"Have you ever had an encounter with a crazy fan?"
"Not that I can think of right now," I say, "I mean fans in general can be a little crazy but personally I don't think I have really encountered a crazy fan. Hell, I am crazy myself," I say as we laugh. "But no not that I can recall have I ever dealt with a crazy fans. Some of these guys get stalked by some of these fans but I can't say that I have any stalkers. That's a good thing though I don't know how my fiancée would feel about that."
"Stalkers aren't cool," says Ryan, "so what's next for you, we're running out of time. Now that you lost the championship what's next for Dean Ambrose?"
"Um, I know Roman and I have some work to do in the coming months but I don't know what is after that but I do know that in January I will be taking some time off to be at home with my baby and my fiancée as well as my oldest daughter. I can't really say what's next for me but my work with Roman. I'm really looking forward to it though because Roman and I never work like this. Up until now everyone has seen this brotherhood we have formed. This is something new I think we'll keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Seth and I could tear down an arena but Roman and I you haven't even seen anything yet. I'm looking forward to it."
"I'm actually looking forward to this too," says Ryan, "like you said we've only really seen your brotherhood with him so this should be interesting."
"I'm sure it will be," I say with a smile.
"So after wrestling, when this is all said and done and you've done your last match, what's next for you? What do you want to do after this?" he asks.
"I've been thinking about this for a while but I think that when I'm done with the ring and I'm ready to hang my boots up I think that I want to open my own wrestling school in New York I might even do that before I retire but I think I want to do that and train wrestlers. I also want to be a father and spend time with my fiancée."
"Sounds like a good plan," he says. "Well, we're out of time today. Thank-you for coming to Cincinnati Morning Rush, we hope to have you back again."
"Thanks for having me," I say before we go off the air. I'm just glad it's over. I sign a couple autographs and take pictures with Ryan and Donnell before I meet up with Ana so that we can go to her dad's house to pick up Natalia before we drive to Columbus for Smackdown.
ANA's POINT OF VIEW:
After Dean's interview with the radio station I was starving so he took me out for breakfast at one of my favorite places in Cincinnati that we used to always come to when we were younger. It's still as good as I remember it to be. Of course there are some wrestling fans in the house but they politely wait till we are done eating before asking Dean for his autograph and for a picture. It's not as bad as it usually is besides I like to see him interact with the kids because he was one of those kids once. I have never seen him turn down a kid for an autograph or a picture. He is just sweet like that.
On the way back to my dad's house we stop to get gas at a gas station a few blocks away. I stand outside the car with Dean as he pumps the gas. "You know you're really cute when you're with your child fans," I say.
"What can I say?" he asks with a smile. "I love kids. I told you before I want a bunch of kids but I'll respect that you only want one more."
"Why so many kids?" I ask.
"Because I love kids but I would have to retire first so it is probably better that this one be our last."
"You are an excellent father and you're really good with kids maybe I'd be willing to give you one more after this besides we're only 28 years old," I say. "There's plenty of time for that."
"Unless we wait another 10 years," he says.
"I'll give it 3 years," I say. "All right?"
"All right," he says with a smile. "So did you listen to the radio show at all?"
"I heard bits and pieces," I say. "I heard him ask about the women that throw themselves at you."
"And?"
"I liked your answer," I say, "you were never tempted to cheat on me?"
"The temptation is there, Ana, but I would never do that to you. I respect you way too much to cheat on you. Besides no one else is willing to deal with my bullshit like you, those women just want me for my money or because I am a wrestler. If they had known me 10 or 11 years ago they wouldn't have looked at me twice but you, Ana, you fell in love with me. I will never understand why. What did you see in me?"
"Everything that no one else did," I say with a smile. "You were sexy, smart and you were good people just didn't see that about you. They never took the time to find out either. The moment you told me how much of an asshole Shawn was I was hooked, I'm glad I chose you."
"I'm glad you chose me also," he says with a smile as he wraps his free arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. "If you didn't look at all that we would be missing. Life wouldn't be the same for us."
"No it wouldn't," I say with a smile. "I love you, Jon."
"I love you too," he says with a soft smile as he kisses my lips softly before the pump stops and he breaks the kiss. He pulls the pump out and puts it back into its place before closing up the gas cap.
"I'll go pay," I say with a smile.
"Okay," he says as he pulls his wallet out. He hands me his debit card with a smile. I take it from him. "I have to go piss," he says.
"So classy, Jon," I say with a smile.
"You love it when I talk like that," he says.
"I'm used to it," I say with a smile. "I love how crass you can be," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly. "Do you want anything? I think I'm going to get a bag of chips."
"A bag of chips?" he asks as we walk to the store. "Didn't you just eat?"
"I'm pregnant," I say. "Eating is what I do."
"Right," he says with a smile. "Can you get me a couple mountain dews and a bag of BBQ chips to eat on the way to Columbus And some spearmint gum?"
"Yeah," I say with a smile before I walk into the store while he goes to the bathroom.
There is a guy standing at the counter that creeps me out immediately. He looks at me as I make my way to the cooler to pull out a couple mountain dews for Dean before I go to the chips and he keeps watching me with his blue eyes. I feel him watching me as I pick up a bag of BBQ chips for Dean and I grab myself a pack of Funyons and salt and vinegar chips. I make my way to the counter as he smiles at me. He looks rough. His greasy hair is falling down into his eyes, his blue eyes are blood shot and his teeth are rotting just a little bit and his has scruff on his face. "Hello," he says with a smile but I have heard the voice before and I can't place it. "How are you today?"
"I'm okay," I say, "I'm paying for gas at pump 2 as well."
"Okay," he says as he enters it into the register. "You don't remember me?" he asks.
"Should I?" I ask.
"Anastasia after all these years I'm shocked that you don't remember me."
"Yeah I have no idea who you are," I say. "How much do I owe you?"
"It's on the house," he says with a smile.
"No," I say as I hand him Dean's debit card. "Just run that through. I don't need anything for free."
"Ana, you really don't remember me?" he asks as he hands back the card.
"No," I say.
"It's Shawn," he says with a smile. "Remember your high school boyfriend?"
"Shawn? Wow, I didn't even recognize you," I say. "How have you been?"
"Okay," he says, "I just got this job. My dad's business went under and was bought out so here I am. I have three kids to support."
"I heard about that. That must suck," I say.
"So what brings you back to Cincinnati?" he asks. "You never come back here."
"I have no reason to come here," I say. "I like New York."
"That's good," he says as Dean walks into the store probably to see what's taking me so long. "Dean!" he says
"Um hi," says Dean as he walks over to the counter with me. "Are you almost ready we have to get going," he says.
"Yeah," I say, "Dean, look it's Shawn."
"Shawn?" he asks as he looks at him and then at me as if he can't place him. "Doesn't ring a bell."
"You know my high school boyfriend," I say with a smile.
"Oh that Shawn," says Dean as he smiles at me trying to hold back a laugh. His dimples are extra large and I know he is about to bust out laughing. I can't say that I blame him. It's a shame what Shawn turned into. The roles are reversed. "How are you doing, Man?" he asks as he wraps his arm around my waist as he stands with me.
"I'm good. Just getting back up on my feet," he says, "what about you?"
"Pretty good. I've been wrestling for the last 10 years. I am in the WWE," he says.
"That's cool," he says, "so you two are still together?"
"We're getting married," I say showing him my ring.
"Well, fuck," he says with a smile. "Congratulations! When is the big day?"
"June 18 of next year," says Dean making me smile because we set a wedding date last night.
"Very cool," he says with a smile. "So how is your daughter?"
"Fantastic," I say with a smile as Dean strokes my hip with his thumb as Shawn puts our stuff in a bag. "How are your kids? How old are they?"
"My kids are good. They live with their mom," he says, "I get them on the weekends. You remember Aurora don't you?"
"Of course," I say, "I remember her well. How is she doing?"
"I don't know she's my ex-wife. We don't' talk much she drops the kids off and picks them up."
"I see," I say. "What's she up to though?"
"She is actually working at the grocery store down the street," he says.
"Oh," I say, "that's cool."
"How long are you two going to be in town for? WE should set up a playdate."
"Yeah," says Dean, "we're actually on our way to Ana's dad's to pick up our daughter and then we're heading to Columbus for a show then we're heading back to New York. We just bought a house in Connecticut so we have some work to do there and some packing to do. Ana, baby," he says, "we should get going."
"Yeah," I say as I take the bag from Shawn. "Thanks. Have a good day," I say as I hand Dean his card before taking his hand into mine.
"You too," he says with a smile. "Are you two going to the 10 year high school reunion in August?" he asks.
"We weren't planning on it," says Dean. "I'm too busy with my job and everything. I don't think we'll make it."
"It would be awesome if you two did. We could catch up."
"We'll think about it," says Dean. "Have a good day," he says before we walk out of the gas station. "What the fuck happened in there?"
"Jon, I don't know but I think it was karma."
"Damn right it was karma," he says with a smile as we make our way to the car.
"He really let himself go," I say as we get into the car. "Wow."
"I know I barely recognized him. I feel bad for the guy," he says as he starts the car.
"Jon, I think we should go to the 10 year high school reunion."
"Why would you want to go to that for?"
"I don't know just to see everyone and see how they turned out. It sounds like fun."
"I'm not interested in it. I hated half these people when I went to school. I don't want to see them 10 years later."
"You don't want to see how everyone turned out. What if everyone that gave you a hard time turned out like Shawn? Don't you want them to see how successful you are?"
"Ana, I hate this God forsaken town and I hate that school. I don't want to go to some 10 year reunion with people that made my life a living hell in high school. I don't want to do it and I'm not."
"Not even if your beautiful, smart and pregnant wife wants to go?"
"You're not going to let it go are you?"
"In your famous word; Nope," I say. "Please."
"Find out when it is and I'll think about it."
"Thank-you so much," I say with a smile.
"I didn't say yes," he says.
"Oh but you will," I say.
"You don't know that," he says.
"Yes I do because if you do this for me I'll do whatever you want me to do for you," I say with a smile.
"Anything?"
"Anything," I say with a smile.
"Deal," he says. "You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"That Shawn always said I would be pumping gas at the gas station for people like him, had I known he was in there I would have had him pump my gas for me," he says, "karma is a bitch."
"Yes it is," I say with a smile before I take his hand into mine and intertwine our fingers as he drives to my dad's house to pick up Natalia. I love this man so much and I'm glad that it was him that I ended up with because if not I would probably still be stuck here in Cincinnati working at some job that I hate. And I wouldn't be as happy with anyone else as I am with him.
*A/N: What did you think about Dean's interview? What did you think about his answer to the women throwing themselves at him but turning them away because he only wants Ana? Do you think the interview went well? What did you think about Ana and Dean running into Shawn? Were you expecting Shawn to turn out the way he did? Do you think it was karma for all the hate he had for Dean in high school? What did you think of Shawn trying to catch up with them? Why does he want to be friends now? What do you think about Ana and Dean going to their 10 year high school reunion? Do you think they will actually go? Why do you think Dean and Ana hate going back to Cincinnati so much? Please review and thank-you for reading.