Seth stood even with his brothers in a line, to Roman's left with Dean on Roman's other side. Without looking at each other they took the same stance, arms at their sides like superheroes, hands clenched into shaking fists. Outside the ring, Stephanie and Triple H stood staring right back at them, Triple H with his legs spread and hands holding each other in front of him, Steph with her arms crossed.

It was deathly quiet for many moments.

Roman was the first to speak. "We won, Steph. Now about our conditions…"

An angry cry sounded behind him. Kane stood up and tried to lock Roman in a chokehold. Seth and Dean were ready to spring into action yet again when Stephanie barked, "KANE! Drop him. It's over."

Kane oh so unwillingly released Roman with a snarl. He walked towards his associates, shooting daggers at Reigns all the while. Roman rubbed his head, then reclaimed his stance.

"As we said," Roman stated. "The Shield is reunited, and back on the WWE. The Authority still runs the show, obviously, but there won't be anymore interference on your behalf. You and the rest of the heels will back down and leave us alone. And if you ever." He thrusted a pointer finger in her direction. "Mess with my family again, we will come after you. And we won't lose."

Steph pursed her lips. She looked completely traumatized at the fact her team had lost; not just lost, but lost without pinning a single Shield member and forcing them from the match.

"Understood," she said with a slow nod.

"Now can you get an ambulance over here? I need to take Dean back to the hospital."

Dean waved a hand. "I'm fine," he tried, but neither Roman nor Seth were convinced. Seth trailed to Dean's other side, and he and Roman each lifted one of Dean's legs into their hold, Dean's arms over both their shoulders, and carried him off the ring and across the arena towards the side door. Nobody tried to stop them.

It was dark and well below freezing outside. Dean asked, voice fading in and out, rising and lowering in pitch, "It's fucking cold."

"My jacket's in the car," Roman said. "You can wear it."

"W-where are we going?" He sounded drunk.

"We're taking you to the hospital."

"I do—don' wanna go t' hospital."

"You have to go, Dean. The doctors need to stitch you back up and treat your arm."

"I do—don' wan'."

"The hell's wrong with him?" Roman asked, looking to Seth.

"He's losing his mind. He's delirious," Seth explained. "Probably has a concussion. We have to keep him awake."

"You hear that, Dean?" They were near the car. Roman fumbled for his key. "Stay awake. Stay with us. We're going to the hospital."

"N-no."

"Yes, Dean."

Dean sighed dramatically. "A-are there—gon', gon' be—cute nurses?"

Roman chuckled. "Yeah, probably." He opened up the back door, and he and Seth gently lowered Dean onto the seat. It was better for him to ride in the back with Seth so Seth could tend to him.

Dean looked up at Roman and grinned. His eyes drooped with exhaustion. "I love you, Roman. I lo' you so muh'." He leaned forward and pressed a sloppy kiss against Roman's cheek. His condition was worsening, but Roman couldn't help but grin.

"I love you too, Dean. We're leaving now, okay?" Roman gently closed the door.

Seth swathed Dean's bare arms in Roman's big jacket. If he had a jacket, he would have handed it over to Dean in a heartbeat. But Roman probably wouldn't approve. He seemed like he might have been the jealous type. If not jealous, then very protective.

Roman stared up the car. "You good, Seth?"

"I'm good."

"How's your knee?"

"Hurts, but it should heal just fine on its own."

"Not freezing to death back there?"

Seth scoffed. He pushed hair from his face. "What's a little frostbite compared to the shit I just stood up against?" Roman's questions weren't annoying. Seth was glad he cared.

Roman laughed. "I like your attitude, brother."

The word nestled itself into Seth's mind, wrestled with his heart. Brother. Roman had reinstated the Shield tonight, the three of them. He wondered how long it would take for things to return to what they'd been before he'd betrayed Dean and Roman. Maybe the boys would have trouble trusting him at first—but he'd win them back over. Tonight sure helped in his favor. And he swore on everything he'd never let them down again.

Dean and Roman's newfound relationship would probably take more getting used to than the Shield's reformation. Seth couldn't lie. He thought the two were cute together. They made a great couple. Their chemistry made him envious, but he could be happy for them. Besides, they were his brothers. Even if Dean still meant a little more to him than Roman did.

He never did fully understand why that was.

Roman drove carefully through snow and ice to Penrose Hospital, a ten-minute drive that cost them at least half an hour because of the weather. Roman appreciated Seth wanting to help, but carrying Dean himself was a bit faster than the two serving as crutches for him. Plus he liked getting to carry Dean. It felt like the right thing to do.

The hospital was nearly deserted. Dean was rushed into emergency care. They weren't sure how long it would take, but neither of them really cared about the waiting time. Roman looked at Seth and said, "You sticking around?"

"Of course," Seth said. "I wanna be here when he gets out. Plus it's dark, cold, and you're my only ride."

Roman chuckled. God, was he tired. A nap on a couch sounded fantastic right now. The guest waiting area was empty except for an older gentleman asleep in a love seat across the room. Roman dropped onto a long orange couch and slumped into the corner.

Seth brought over two cups of coffee from the complimentary pot on a counter near two vending machines. He stretched the cup towards Roman. Though he would have rather slept away his fatigue rather than battle it with caffeine, he didn't think all the coffee in the world would keep him awake. He took the cup. "Thanks."

"Yeah." Seth took a chair across from the couch and sipped his drink.

Neither of them spoke for a long while. The only sound in the room was The Colbert Report playing on three separate TVs. Roman watched steam rise from his mug. He lifted the cup to his lips and sipped the liquid. The warmth sloshed down his throat and dropped into his stomach in sweet satisfaction.

"You think they'll really leave us alone?" Seth asked.

Roman scoffed. "If they're smart." He took another sip of coffee. It had cooled fast. "Knowing the kind of scum they are, probably not. But we'll be ready for them no matter what."

"Makes me wonder what the network will think of all this."

"Whatever the Authority tells them to think. They run the show, no matter how many producers claim control of everything. I bet you anything nobody around there will ever learn the truth. They'll just hear about the Shield reuniting and lose their minds. Fans'll go nuts. It's good for business, so the Authority shouldn't have a problem with it."

"You're right, they shouldn't. People will eat this up. This'll be a fun opportunity, as long as Kane doesn't bug us anymore."

"Oh, he's a fucking idiot if he does. I swear I'll end him if he comes anywhere near Dean again." Roman caught himself too late, and he stared down into his drink as a blush crept over his cheeks. "And you, and me, of course."

When Roman looked up again, Seth was grinning. He bounced his foot, the one attached to an uninjured leg. "Roman. From now on, we're cutting all the bullshit. I told you, I know how you feel about Dean. It's fine."

Roman shook his head. "If you know, then explain it to me. Every time I try to think about it, my head gets all fuzzy. It's like, I know how I feel, yet I have trouble admitting it, even to myself. I know that sounds kinda stupid."

"No," Seth said, in the most sincere way Roman had ever heard him speak. "It's not stupid, at all. It's being in love. And maybe you feel stupid when you're in love, but you also feel good and shy and silly and like you're walking on a freaking cloud. Is that how you feel?"

"To a T."

"There ya go." Seth drank his coffee.

Roman stared at the floor. "He's my world. I'd give anything for the guy, do anything for him. I hope that doesn't create any tension between us." He locked gazes with Seth again.

Seth waved the issue away. "Don't worry about it. You guys do your thing, and I'll get used to anything that might seem weird at first. And if you wanna keep it a secret from the network, I won't say a word to anyone."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it. But listen, that doesn't change the fact that the Authority can't mess with any of us. Whether they're dumb enough to come after you or Dean or me, they'll pay."

"You bet your ass they will. Nobody obliterates the Shield this time. Not ever again."

It was nice to hear.

Roman must have dozed off at some point, because in his next moment of awareness he felt a bit more refreshed and sunlight was streaming through the bay windows. He sat up, stretched and yawned. The waiting room had a few more guests now, and a morning news show had replaced Stephen Colbert on the TVs. Seth was gone. Roman stood up and cracked his neck. What time was it?

He strolled towards the doors separating the waiting area from a corridor. Seth appeared in the doorway, holding up two white cups. "Oh, you're up," he said. "Good. They're serving breakfast downstairs. Got you some juice." Seth handed him the cup.

Roman smiled. Seth seemed like an entirely different person now. He didn't think it was just an act, not at all. Seth held his trust again. "Thanks. Have you heard anything?"

"I talked to a nurse a few minutes ago. She said Dean's in recovery. We can see him in a little while."

"Good. Did she tell you what all they had to do?"

"Patched up his wounds on his feet, treated him for a dislocated shoulder, sewed up a couple of gashes. Nothing our boy hasn't endured in the past."

"He'll make it out okay."

"Yeah, he's a trooper."

Seth showed Roman the cafeteria downstairs. He poked at some bacon on a paper plate, but he hadn't had much of an appetite recently. He anxiously awaited the moment a nurse tracked them down and said Dean was awake and asking for them.

Dean was in a much better condition than the last time Roman walked into a hospital room and saw him on the bed. His arm was in a black cast fastened to a sling. His feet were wrapped in thick bandages. When Dean saw Roman and Seth, he shoved the sheets off his body and moved to get up, but the nurse shot him a warning look, and he grumbled as he rested in the bed again.

"I told him he has to stay off his feet for at least a week," the nurse said. "Healing might take up to five weeks. I strongly recommend taking it easy in that time. The easier you are on yourself, the faster you'll heal, okay, Mr. Ambrose?"

Dean stuck a thumb in the air. "Got it."

The nurse left them alone.

Roman and Seth sauntered to Dean's bedside. Dean grabbed Roman's hand and pulled him into an awkward but pleasant hug. Roman patted Dean's backside.

"Check it out, man, we're cast buddies!" he said. "No offense, Seth. Though to be fair, you're lucky you're not in this club."

"Hey, I'm just glad you're not worse off," Seth said.

Roman tousled Dean's hair. "How ya feeling?"

"Oh, swell. I could climb a mountain."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"Nah, I can't do much without the nurses breathing down my neck. But give me some time, and I will climb that mountain."

Roman laughed.

"Bet on it, Roman."

"I will." He kissed Dean's forehead. Dean grinned. He lifted himself, pushing into Roman's lips. Roman tasted Dean again and it was good. He was soft, sweet, strong, all at once. But Roman couldn't let the kiss last long in front of Seth. He was the first to break it and pull away.

"Sorry. Just been dying to do that again."

"Same here," Roman admitted.

Seth lingered behind Roman. "Well, if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna go grab a second helping of breakfast. Who knew hospital eggs were so good?"

Roman chuckled. "Alright, Seth."

When he was gone, Dean looked up at Roman and frowned. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"What? Why would you think that?"

Dean shrugged his good shoulder. "I wanted to protect you. Keep you from getting hurt again. But the Authority kinda ruined that plan."

Roman immediately grabbed Dean's hand. "Don't think for a moment you've ever let me down in your entire life. What happened was probably inevitable, but the point is, we won. We were together and we won. That's the way this life goes. You're…well, you're my strength, Dean. You're my shield."

"And you're mine." Dean smiled. "But I swear, dude, nothing like that is ever happening again. You fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us."

"That's the rule."

Dean leaned back further into his pillow. "Feels kinda weird being together again, huh?"

"Yeah. But it feels right."

"I'd know a thing or two about that."

Roman smiled.

"Don't ever let go, okay?" Dean asked.

"Never." He kissed Dean again.

"I love you, Dean Ambrose." Their fingers intertwined.

"I love you more, Roman Reigns." Their breath mixed.

"Impossible."

Three Months Later

Dean's recovery period had been hell. Learning to walk again was such a fucking humiliation, but with the aid of crutches and Seth and Roman, he finally mastered the basic human survival skill once more. Soon he was running again, working out at the gym, and—for the first time in three months tonight—fighting.

The Authority had fed a very broad story to the press and the WWE producers about emergency medical problems with all three "former" Shield members. Separate, of course, having nothing to do with each other. Fans didn't seem to buy it. The network completely ignored it. Other matches were raised higher than Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns as priorities. Theories and suggestions surfaced on the Internet about the Shield reuniting. What a coincidence that all three members had "emergencies" at the same time. Dean didn't doubt the intelligence of the WWE fanbase like the Authority did.

But it didn't matter now. The past was in the past, and Dean Ambrose was ready to face the future head-on. He waited backstage for the Shield's cue music. The audience was going to lose their shit over this one. He stood between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. He looked to Seth, who appeared just as ecstatic and anxious about this night as Dean was. He looked to Roman next, who looked cool, calm, collected, reserved in his usual manner. But Dean could read his mind looking at him, here and now. He was ready. Excited. Charged.

Roman turned his head, looked right back at Dean. Dean faced forward, embarrassed to have been caught staring. He felt Roman's hand catch his for just a moment. Roman tickled Dean's wrist, then drew his hand away. Dean grinned. This was good. So good. Perfect.

The music hit. "Sierra! Hotel! India! Echo! Lima! Delta! Shield."

The brothers began their walk.

The boys were back in town.