There was an afterparty for the wrestlers at a nearby hotel, but Seth wanted to avoid it. He didn't wish to speak to anyone right away, though several wrestlers—Dolph Ziggler included—had taken the time to at least let him know they were glad he was alright.

It felt nice to be cared about for once by his fellow fighters.

But he and Dean needed medical attention. Seth was more sick of hospitals than he'd ever been of hotel rooms. At this point he'd gladly take two whole weeks in one single hotel room than have to stay at another hospital. He hoped this stopover wouldn't be a long one, and the very last one for a long time.

It was time for a well-deserved vacation.

He called up Roman initially to let him know where they were. The hospital kept them late into the night. Seth received a brace and a sling for one arm, and a cast on his other arm. Dean was lucky enough to only require a cast for his knee. According to the professional medical staff, it would take a good six to eight weeks for both of them to recover.

In any other circumstances, Seth would have been training to get out of these casts as soon as physically possible. But right now, he just wanted to rest. This served as sort of a doctor's note for the company. He'd get his time off.

As would Dean.

They deserved it more than anybody.

It was around three-thirty in the morning when Dean and Seth were cleared to leave, but Seth realized with a disappointed huff that it was too late to go anywhere else, so an overnight stay was really his only option.

Roman was two hours behind Seth and Dean's time, and upon texting him, Seth realized he was still awake. Seth asked Roman if he'd like to FaceTime as a delightful little surprise for Dean's sake.

The video call went through. Seth loved how bright Dean's face lit up as Roman filled up the entire screen of Seth's phone.

"Hi, baby!" Dean squealed, clearly uncaring in how his voice sounded. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "He's awake, Ro…I know you already know that, but he's awake…" Dean leaned against Seth's shoulder, the one not encased in a sling.

Roman grinned. "That he is." With a shake of his head he mentioned, "Oh my God, it's so good to see you guys together like this."

"Soon enough, it'll be the three of us together again. Ugh, I can't wait."

"Can you leave the hospital yet?" Seth asked.

Roman rolled his eyes. "It's a complicated situation. I feel great, but my back refuses to let me walk any further than halfway down the corridor outside my room. A mind versus matter ordeal. It's frustrating."

"Then we'll catch a flight out in the morning and head back your way," Seth said.

"Yeah, I don't care how long it takes," Dean said. "I just want to be back with you."

"Me too. I really miss you. Both of you."

"When was the last time we were all in the same room together?" Seth inquired.

"Well, technically the day Ro and I left for Oregon. Of course, you were still checked out," Dean said.

"So it was in the car…" Seth said, his mind drawing back to the darkness. It hurt to think on that time so much. He blinked, and it was gone.

"When we were talking about going on vacation. That's still the plan, right?"

"Hell yeah," Roman said. "As soon as I can walk again, you pick the place, and we'll go anywhere in the world."

"Deal." Dean's mouth stretched into a yawn.

"You need your sleep, guys. I'll let you go."

Dean frowned, but Roman assured him, "Sooner you go to sleep, sooner I get to see you again."

"Yeah, okay," Dean mumbled.

"Oh, by the way, congrats on being a friggin' three-time champion in a single evening. I'm impressed."

"Boy, I'll say," Seth agreed.

Dean beamed. His dimples were pinch-worthy. "Thank you. Dunno what I'm gonna do with three belts, especially when two of them are supposed to be yours."

"We'll figure something out later," Roman said. "Let's not think about work right now."

"Or for a while," Seth recommended.

"Good night, guys. I'll see you whenever tomorrow."

"'Night, Roman."

"Good night, Ro. I love you."

"I love you too, Dean. More than anything in the world."

The call disconnected. Seth counted it a miracle the reception had been good enough to hold a call for that long. The stars were shining on them. At last the world was turning in favor of their needs.

"Guess I better get back to my room before the nurse trips out," Seth said, shifting to get off the bed.

"Seth?" Dean asked.

"What's up?"

"Could you…" Dean swallowed, as though debating whether or not to say what was hiding behind his lips. "Could you stay here with me tonight? It's just that, I just got you back and I don't want to—"

"Of course I can."

Dean had a certain mien to him now, one that Seth had never seen about him before. Vulnerability. Helplessness. Perhaps fear? Dean Ambrose was a wild and crazy kid. A relentless fighter. A powerhouse, a madhouse. But here, Seth was viewing him in a new light, a dimmer light, but one he could sense after knowing Dean for many years, watching over him, loving him…

"Want me to take this chair?" Seth asked, waving towards a seat in the corner. "Or…?"

Dean held out his arms. Seth lowered onto the bed again and wrapped him in a one-armed hug. He didn't realize how much he'd missed this, missed Dean, until now…how good it felt to hold him, touch him, feel him like this as though it wasn't wrong on any degree…

How he thought this would be easy was an enigma.

"I missed you so much," Dean whispered in his ear. He pressed his face into Seth's shoulder. The hospital gown was immediately wet where Dean was. Tears seeped through his eyelids onto the material.

"I missed you too, Dean." Seth drew out of the hug. It was the single hardest thing he'd ever done in his life, against every single match he'd ever taken part in. "I'll take the chair." Dean was emotionally compromised. Whatever he felt right now was triggered by loneliness, by that vulnerability, put him out of whatever right mind the Lunatic usually sustained. If Seth did anything to take advantage of Dean in that state, he'd be a real bastard. And Dean—Roman—they'd never forgive him.

He'd gone to hell and back to get their trust. He didn't want to blow it.

Seth tucked Dean into the bed, then planted a tender kiss on Dean's forehead. Means nothing, he lied to himself. He grabbed himself a blanket from a cabinet, then tucked himself into the chair. It wasn't comfortable. He much preferred the cramped bed, snuggled up against Dean.

But it couldn't happen.

Maybe pre-coma. When the world was just as reckless as he was. But now, he had to work on making a change.

He was done making sacrifices for his own gain.

Now it was time for a self-oblation.

He had to turn around completely, cover his head with the blanket, when Dean shifted and the entirety of beneath his hip was exposed under the thin hospital gown. Seth's heart hammered and a lump swelled in his throat.

"Good night, Seth," Dean said. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too, Dean," Seth said, squeezing his eyes shut. Never again would he pray to go to sleep and never wake up. Been there, done that. "Me too. You have no idea."

Dean hated crutches after one use.

He and Seth checked out of the hospital in the morning and drove to the airport. It was a bitch just getting from the rental car to the terminal. Hurt like hell. He was lucky to have Seth, who allowed Dean to use him as a much more comfortable crutch when Dean so badly wanted to hurled his metal mobility aids across the airport in a seemingly-terroristic deed. He hated feeling so useless, like he needed anyone for anything.

"How long did the doc say to be on these things?" Dean asked, getting situated. Seth let him have the window seat.

"Four to six weeks before a checkup," Seth said, wincing. "I'm sorry. It sucks, I know, but you'll be alright."

The flight was average. Dean was feeling too restless to sleep, so he stared out the window, at the billowy clouds the plane sliced through, thinking of his three belts. A three-time champion in a single evening: Dean Ambrose! He felt like a superhero. Obviously he couldn't hang onto those titles forever. He didn't deserve all three. Seth and Roman needed theirs. They'd worked hard, too. And he figured the company would find some way to confiscate them from the Lunatic. Some policy they happened to forget about, or another lame excuse to rid Dean of the three belts. All was well, though. He wondered how to get them to Seth and Roman, how they could "earn" the respective championships.

Getting off the plane was worse than the battle to get on. Getting pushed by rude folks who couldn't wait patiently for the line to trudge along. Stranded behind others who didn't seem to know how overhead compartments worked, or their own two legs. Dean hadn't felt this bitter in a long time. He just wanted a nap. He wanted the pain in his leg gone without the aid of medicine.

But he had Seth. Thank goodness for that. At one point Dean nearly tripped over his own crutch, and Seth held onto his arm to prevent the fall. Seth didn't let go until after they'd finally broken free of the mob.

"Have a wonderful day, and thanks for flying with us," the pilot said.

Suck it, Dean thought.

"You okay?" Seth asked in the jet bridge.

"Hanging in there," Dean groaned. Feeling this helpless was perhaps the worst endurance. Physical pain, he'd take any day over unavailing endeavors.

"I think things are about to get better," Seth said.

Dean was about to ask him what he meant when they stepped into the airport and caught a face in the crowd.

Roman Reigns.

Roman was waiting for them in the designated area. His back was secured by a thick brace, but he was standing. He was there, there waiting for Seth, waiting for Dean, smiling proudly at his beloved.

"Roman!" Dean cried. He moved quicker than his crutches, practically abandoning them as he hobbled towards Roman in a rush. Roman unfurled his brawny arms and enveloped Dean in a tight and overdue embrace.

"I missed you so much," Dean said, voice muffled as he pressed tight into Roman.

"I missed you too, Dean," Roman said. He kissed Dean's hair, then drew from the embrace to sink a kiss on his love's lips.

Seth let them have their moment. I'm happy for them. Look how happy they are. He was smiling, a surprise to his own.

Roman looked to Seth next. It was the first time they'd seen each other in person, alive and well.

"Fancy meeting you here," Seth said.

Dean gasped as he realized Seth and Roman had planned this surprise out. For Dean. Seth knew Roman would be here. Of course Roman had known from Seth which flight was theirs, where to wait. What a surprise.

What a family.

Roman took Seth in a hold of his own. The brothers held each other, smiling, laughing, and inevitably fighting tears. Seth gently patted Roman's back, far above the area still on the road to a full recovery.

"Hey, buddy," Roman said, touching Seth's hair.

"Hey, Ro," Seth said. God, he'd missed him.

Dean limped towards his family, his friends, his everything. "Together again," he said. "'Bout fucking time."

Roman laughed, and opened his arms once more to take both of them in a hug. All three embraced, and onlookers stared. Some admired the moment. Most had no idea what the hell the three had been through. But the crowd did not exist to the members of Shield 2.0. All that existed in their world was each other.

Shield 2.0.

Unstoppable.

Indestructible.