Title: Eye of the Hurricane

Author: captainbartholomew

Disclaimer: I don't own WWE because trust me if I did AmbeReigns would not be on the verge of a breakup because they are my OTP when it comes to brotherhood. Well and AmbeRollins too!

Summary: "That was the thing about hurricanes though; they were unpredictable." Oneshot.

Blame/Fault: Naturally, I could blame caylendar since this is a tie in to her fic Déjà vu, but I wanted to do one final AmbeReigns brotherhood story before Sunday cause well it's pretty apparent what's gonna happen. I know, I know, this has been inevitable and people are sick of their brotherhood, but there is something truly special about chosen family in my opinion. I think as human creatures we yearn to be loved and accepted for who we are. There is also the same thought about family transcending a bloodline because we all have a best friend who is essentially your family, I know I do. And I see that with Dean and Roman. Anyways, I'll stop my rambling and let you read on…

*a/n i: This fic is part of the "Shattered That Dream" universe. The order for these fics goes: Atlas, Shattered That Dream, Fear of Being Forgotten, Déjà vu, and now Eye of the Hurricane. They are all stand-alone pieces, but still exist within the same realm so caylendar and I encourage you to read them!

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"Your daughter or your best friend, you can't keep them both. You have to lose one or the other."-Paul Heyman to Roman Reigns on Monday Night Raw 2/15/16.

He should have done it.

He knew he should have done it.

He just knew he should have done it, but alas he didn't have the heart to.

Maybe it was the sting of Seth's betrayal coming back and preventing him from hitting Dirty Deeds on Roman Reigns. Maybe it was the guilt eating and gnawing at him. If he would have done it, he would have permanently lost another brother, but he wasn't cold hearted and calculating like the traitorous weasel Seth Rollins; no, Dean Ambrose had a heart. Maybe having a heart was his weakness because he had finally let it grow soft. He didn't want to lose his big brother; Roman was the only family he had left, the only family he had really truly ever known.

But what kind of family was Dean Ambrose to Roman Reigns after all? Heyman had said it best while addressing Roman, the Samoan could either choose to keep their brotherhood intact or keep his promise to his daughter. Sure, Dean and Roman had known each other for a long time coming from FCW to forming the Shield to having their first tastes of championship gold up until this very moment where they were facing off against each other for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, yet again. However, in his opinion he was nothing compared to Roman's daughter.

Surely, Roman had to pick his daughter over Dean. Reigns couldn't refuse to pick someone he essentially helped in creating and ultimately brought into this world. What importance was Dean to Roman compared to his daughter who was the Samoan man's own flesh and blood?

So as Roman went in for the hug on Monday night, Dean knew it would be now or never as he tried to maneuver the large man into Dirty Deeds. Roman squirmed out of it though. Damn. The look of disbelief and horror on Roman's face shouldn't have surprised Dean, but it did. He kept his game face on and pointed at the WrestleMania sign while Roman tried to brush off the now awkward situation between the two of them. Ever since Monday night the the situation had been tense ever after Thursday night when Roman had speared him, things had not gotten any better. One could cut the tension between the two with a knife. Ambrose sensed The Authority loved every second of watching him and Roman finally begin to thrash against each other.

The days had passed and it was now the Sunday of Fastlane. Dean sat alone in his locker room taping up his wrists for the last time before going to war with his brother for the coveted number one contender spot. The two of them had done this dance once before, but this time something was different and it certainly wasn't the fact Brock Lesnar had now been thrown into the equation. For some reason, Dean didn't feel like he was standing on sturdy ground anymore, but the foundation and support beneath him was starting to crumble.

A hurricane was forming out in the ocean and it wasn't going to be little storm.

He'd take out whatever stood in his way tonight to get what he desired and if he had to take out Roman, then so be it. He'd force Lesnar down as if he had the strength of a ten other men helping him. He'd beat the so called Beast with a steel chair if he had to or nail the man with a low blow yet again. But that left the problem of Roman. His big brother couldn't avoid him forever. Dean wanted to protect Roman.

People were beginning to brace for the impact as they bunkered down and tried to take safety, but a person could only wait out the storm in the safety of their Fortress of Solitude for so long before venturing out into the dangerous waters.

If Dean came up with a plan, surely Roman would figure out a way to combat him. Isn't that what Super Man always did? Swoop in and save the day… every… damn… time…

How many times over the last two years had they played Superman for each other? Ever since Seth had betrayed them, it had pretty much become the norm. After everything this week, Dean knew deep down in his gut things were beginning to implode. He snorted remembering the conversation him and Roman had about that word. It seemed like eons ago, but it wasn't as far back as he thought.

Hurricanes didn't implode, oh no, they exploded with more power and intensity when they made contact with the land.

A firm knock on his locker room door broke Dean out of his thoughts. Without really even thinking, he beckoned for whoever was pounding the door to come in. To his surprise, Roman popped his head in as Dean frowned not knowing what his older brother was doing here; he should be prepping for their match. The Lunatic gulped a bit worried about what Roman was here for.

This was the calm before the storm.

"Can we talk?" questioned Roman as he towered over Dean. The Lunatic refused to make eye contact with him, instead choosing to focus on tightening the tape on his wrists more, "I'll take your silence as a yes."

Dean finally looked up making direct eye contact with Roman, "What's there to talk about? We both know how this is going to go. We've both fired our warning shots and together declared war on the Big Gorilla. Right now, we're brothers Roman, but when we step into the ring tonight we will become enemies. You hear me?"

"But…" Roman attempted to reason with as Dean shook his head trying to silence him, but failing, "Shouldn't we have a Plan B just in case something happens like an Authority ambush?"

Awkward silence erupted between the two of them at just the mention of the night of the betrayal.

The hurricane was making study landfall and opening up old scars in the land it was hitting, but also starting to make new ones.

"I… I don't think so," Dean stammered looking up at Roman, "We do what we've always done when we fight each other. Go all out and give each other hell. Just because Brock is there doesn't mean anything is different, you know?"

Roman nodded sagely knowing exactly what Dean meant. Slowly, Dean got up to stand beside Roman, it seemed he had finished taping his wrists and was ready to head to the guerilla position. For several seconds, they stood there in silence as if they were sizing each other up, but by now they knew each other quite well because they were brothers… for now they were still brothers.

"Promise me, something?" Roman said grabbing Dean by the shoulder and turning him around to face him, "This isn't going to be like June of 2014, right? Our brotherhood has what kept me going for so long. I don't care what Heyman said Monday choose you or my kid? I could never do that to either of you. You're both my family. After everything you and I have gone through together, I could never do that to you. We'll still be best friends, brothers, after this, right?"

Dean let out a deep breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, "Uce, I promised you back then I'd never betray you like that. I meant it then and I mean it now."

The Samoan man smiled down at the Lunatic Fringe as he extended his fist out. Hesitantly, Dean did the exact same before they locked each other in a quick hug.

"Good luck out there tonight, Uce," Roman stated as he headed for the door, "May the best man win."

"Beers on the number one contender after the show?" questioned Dean with a smirk referencing the last time they had this conversation back in November before their championship match.

"You know it," answered Roman as a giant grin encapsulated his face, "Don't go easy on me out there little brother, you got that?"

Dean nodded his understanding as Roman left the room to get in position for his own entrance.

Surely, their brotherhood would survive the storm.

No matter how long you were in the eye of the storm though, it was bound to move on forcing you out of the momentary safety zone you had. Blame it on Mother Nature for being a bitch. Blame it on anything really, but hurricanes didn't leave small puddles of destruction in their wake. No, they left rivers over flowing, downed trees, and collapsed buildings all over from where the storm had hit.

Human nature could be exactly like this too; reopening old wounds which were thought to be healed.

Did Dean dare do what he was considering?

Did he betray Roman's trust, after he had told his brother he wouldn't do such a thing like that to him?

Did he crave the number one contender spot so desperately he was willing to turn on his own brother?

Dean ran a hand throw his shaggy blonde hair as he flipped off the light in his locker room and began to make the march toward the guerilla. If he was going to do anything, he was going to beat the snot of Lesnar first, then give Roman all he had to earn the coveted WrestleMania main event spot.

If Dean was going to do anything, it was going to be a last minute split second brash decision and Roman would never see it coming.

That was the thing about hurricanes though; they were unpredictable.

The End

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