Sorry for the long wait between chapters, there's just been some shit going on in my life that I needed to sort out (nothing too serious, don't worry) , so I hope you can forgive me! Thanks to all of you for sticking with this story, despite the fact that I'm really a bitch with updating, especially recently,many I know my writing's not all that great.

Also, I now have more than a hundred reviews, which is actually unbelievable! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, because you have absolutely no idea how much it means to me! I was literally jumping around my room screaming, because this shit is unbelievable! I honestly wasn't sure if anyone would even like this story when I posted the first chapter, and knowing that all you guys do really makes me so happy! 3

In reply to the reviews:

LeCrazz: thank you so so much, you are actually the cutest! I love you! Xo

Cmpunkfan980: thank you, you're actually amazing, I love you! Xo

Lydia Ambrose: here's an update, ily!

Guest: thank you, here's an update! ily!

AddictedFanfiction: you literally made my day, you're the cutest! I just freaking love it when people get all involved in the story, it's too cute! Eventually, Seth will probably be able to forgive Phil, and hopefully Dean and Roman as well, but I'm not too sure at the moment of exactly how I'm going to play this out, because with Dean responsible for John's death, and what happens with Roman in this chapter, it will put more cracks in an already strained friendship. I'm so glad you're enjoying this story, you're perfect, and I love you!

MegChambersLt: Okay, first off, you're perfect, and I love you! Secondly, I gave you a little tiny Aj/Punk interaction at the end of this chapter, since it's chapter twenty, and I reached a hundred reviews, and I think all of you really deserve it considering I've kind of been a bitch to you guys lately. And the fact that you genuinely like what I'm doing makes me want to like find you and hug you, because you're so fucking cute, I love you!

Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed & reviewed! You have no idea how much it makes me smile to think people actually like this story! I love you all! 3

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Ciara x

Roman Reigns just stood there for a couple of moments, unsure of what to do. He knew he should help Jeff; hell, he wanted to help Jeff, but something was keeping him from taking those final steps towards him.

He knew any chance of regaining a friendship with Seth would be gone if he found out that Roman was helping the other side. He'd be a traitor for sure, and none of them would ever talk to him again. Well, maybe Dean would. Since technically he was a traitor too.

But Jeff was just lying there in a puddle of his own puke, and he probably had been for a few days. There was obvious bruises covering his arms and face, and with a sickening shiver down his spine, Roman realised this was probably Phil's doing. Roman could vaguely remember him mentioning hiring people to attack the others, but he'd never thought much of it until now.

And what had Jeff ever even done to deserve this? Just because he was related to Matt? It was just like Aj all over again. The chances of Seth forgiving him were so low that he really had nothing to lose. And not helping Jeff was literally taking orders from Phil, not doing something just because Phil didn't want him to.

He wanted to help Jeff. He needed to help Jeff; needed to prove to himself and Phil that he was more than just a stupid pawn in his game; needed to show that he wasn't on anyone's team except his own.

He was going to help Jeff.

He made his way towards Jeff, trying to breath through his mouth, but the smell still managed to infuse his nostrils, making him feel sick to the stomach. He shook Jeff lightly, and Jeff mumbled something incomprehensible. "C'mon, Jeff," he muttered, and slowly, without opening his eyes, Jeff managed to climb to his feet, clinging onto Roman's outstretched arm tightly.

The horrible smell of stale alcohol was clearly pronounced in Jeff's breath, and it took every ounce of strength Roman had not to drop him right there and then. But he struggled on, practically dragging Jeff back towards his apartment. Jeff kept mumbling every so often, muttering about random shit that Roman wasn't going to even try to understand. It didn't appear to him that Jeff had even realised who he was yet, and he kind of worried about what he'd do when he did.

Shaking his head in a useless attempt to clear it, and to try and rid his brain of the intoxicating smell of beer, he carried on along the pavement, the street lamps providing dim pools of light. There was nobody on the streets, but even if there had been, Roman wouldn't have been worried. A guy helping his drunk friend home wasn't exactly a rare thing to see in Chicago. Except Jeff was most definitely, one hundred percent, not his friend.

He hadn't walked for long when he found Jeff, but the journey back seemed to take forever. Finally he turned the corner to his apartment block. It took him a second to realise the person outside was Dean.

He reached Dean quickly, and a sharp kick to the side awoke the younger guy. "'The fuck? Leave me alone," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Calm down, it's just me," Roman said, as Dean started to clamber to his feet.

"Who's that?" He asked, with a sceptical glance towards Jeff's limp body.

"It's, um, Jeff,"

"You don't understand, Randy, they were there in my apartment, and they were going to fucking kill me," Matt said, sitting down in Randy's kitchen. "I didn't notice 'cos I was upset, but the lock on the door was broke, and I just went straight to my room, but then I heard voices, so I pretended I had a gun and they ran,"

"So they just broke into your apartment?" Randy asked, making himself a cup of coffee. It was like half four in the morning, but since Matt had come over he'd given up on getting any sleep.

"Yes," Matt said, sounding exasperated. "How many times to I have to tell you?"

"Well, we know where they are," Randy said, ignoring Matt."I say we go there tonight, like we planned,"

Matt nodded. "Right, so Seth's gone back, so him and Phil will more than likely be there, but the others probably won't,"

"Yeah," Randy took a sip of his coffee. "Does Seth still have a gun?"

Matt sighed loudly. "I dunno, I mean, if it's just them two against us four we can take them, but if Seth's got a gun, then we're kind of fucked. At least one of us is dead,"

They both jumped at a sound coming from the bedroom, and then sighed in relief when they saw it was just Kelly, coming out to the kitchen. "God, you guys talk so fucking loud," she said, taking a drink from Randy's coffee, "seriously, you need to learn how to whisper,"

"We're just making a plan," Matt informed her, as she sat up on the counter top.

"I know, I could hear every single fucking thing you guys were saying," she said, flashing her million dollar smile to let them know she wasn't seriously pissed. "But you guys don't need to worry about Seth. Phil obviously doesn't want him shooting you," -she gestured towards Matt, -"and if he doesn't want him shooting you, then he definitely won't want him shooting anyone else,"

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, after a couple of seconds.

"Well, he kind of fucking hates you, ya know, since you killed his brother-"

"You know it wasn't really me behind it, it was-"

"Yeah, whatever," she said simply, brushing him off. "He still thinks you killed John, and, well, technically you did, but it doesn't matter." She added hastily, after seeing the look on Matt's face. "So, anyway, if he stopped Seth from killing you, a guy he hates more than anyone in the world and would love to see dead, he obviously doesn't want Seth killing anyone."

"But why wouldn't he want Seth to kill anyone?" Randy said, and Kelly couldn't stop herself from laughing at the look of complete confusion on his face.

"Maybe because, although you guys constantly try to persuade yourselves, he actually is a human being that has feelings, and he does actually want to take care of his brother. Christ, you've both seen how pissed he is over the other one, chances are he cares about this one too,"

"I still don't get why he'd stop him from killing Matt," Randy said once again, and Kelly just sighed.

"I'm gonna put your absolute stupidity down to the fact that it's early and you haven't had much sleep, and just pray that you'll understand in the morning," she said, standing up on tip toes and kissing Randy on the forehead. "Now, I'm going back to bed, and I'm hoping that the two of you will as well, so that I might be able to get some sleep, but if you wanna stay up, then whatever. Just talk quiet,"

"I only got up in the first place to tell you guys to shut up, and I also figured you could use a girl's view on things, since despite your many many talents, both of you seem to have an incredibly hard time understanding feelings and shit," she walked out of the kitchen and back into hers and Randy's bedroom.

"Night, Matt," she called back. "Night, Randy,"

"Night, Kel',"

Phil sighed into his coffee. He had forced Seth to go to bed, and now he was greeted with a pretty much endless stream of screaming and muttering coming from Seth's room. They were slightly muffled by the door, but only slightly. He felt bad for Aj, who was no doubt having a hard time sleeping due to the fact that her room was next to Seth's.

Fuck. There he went again, with these thoughts for Aj. Thoughts that weren't absolute hatred, thoughts he shouldn't be having. He shouldn't care whether she found it hard to sleep, he should rejoice in her pain.

"You can't sleep either?" He was brought out of his thoughts by the very woman he'd been thinking about.

"Kinda hard to, ya know, with Seth," he said, and she nodded. "Sorry," he added, and then winced immediately afterwards.

She shot him a weird look. "For what?"

"Everything. I mean, ya know, you're actually kind of not as bad as I thought you were gonna be, and, well, you're not really like Matt, and, uh, yeah," he finished, admittedly quite lamely.

"Well, okay," she replied awkwardly; he'd never seen her look so confused. "But, um, I'm not going to forgive you or anything, just so you know,"

"I know," the two of them settled into silence again.

"You should probably apologise to Seth,"

"What?"

"Well, we were talking for a while before you guys showed up, and-"

"Did he say anything about me?"

"That he hated you," Watching the last bit of hope draining from Phil's face didn't give her the satisfaction she'd hoped it would; she just kind of felt bad for the guy.

"Oh, well, thanks for telling me, Aj," his voice was only half sarcastic.

"Have you ever apologised to him?" She asked, and he glanced up at her for the first time, the brown meeting the hazel.

"Um, no, I don't think so,"

"Well, I guess you know where to start with making it up to him," she said, walking back to her room. She honestly couldn't remember why she left it in the first place.

"Thanks, Aj," he muttered, barely audible with Seth's screams ringing throughout the apartment.

But she heard it, nonetheless.

And it made her smile.