The Princes of the Universe

Chapter 7 - Desperate Measures

Desperate Times...

Veronica sat next to her dad. She heard that Dean revealed that he was Jonathan Moxley to Roman and Seth. For Veronica, this was big. Dean knew who he was, and he embraced it. Yet, she was confused, because she didn't know everything about Jonathan and Grace. How was everything connected? How was she involved? She braced herself for what she was about to know.

"Ronni, you OK?" Duncan asked.

"Dad, you have to tell me everything. Who is Jonathan Moxley?" Veronica asked.

"He was a powerful immortal like Duncan. His past before he was a Union soldier is unknown. He was a graduate of West Point, came from a fairly wealthy family, but as far as we know, he doesn't have much of a history." Joe said.

"What about Grace?" Veronica asked.

"Grace was the love of his life. He had many other suitors, but Grace had his heart. From the moment he saw her, he knew that he must protect her. Jonathan hated slavery, and he wanted to end it. He was an abolitionist. When they left New Orleans, they secretly got married. No one knew that Jonathan and Grace got married. They planned to live a quiet life, but someone changed that..." Joe said.

"Paul Levesque. I know the story, but why isn't he as powerful as Jonathan?" Veronica asked.

"Because Grace placed a protection spell over Jonathan. His power would never be fully Paul's..." Joe said.

"Wait. Did you just say that Grace placed a protection spell?" Veronica asked.

"Yes. Jonathan violated the rules by telling Grace he was an Immortal. So Grace sought out a Voodoo priestess, who performed the spell. She wanted to make sure that Jonathan was protected." Joe said.

"Ronni, Grace made sure that Jonathan's death was not in vain. Because even though he was The One, he ensured that Connor and I would continue the fight that we have waged for so long. When I faced "The Source", I saw Jonathan in my vision. I saw Roman and Seth. I saw you. They are the ones who will bring balance. You are the one who will ensure the future of all Immortals." Duncan said.

Veronica looked at Duncan. She realized that it wasn't coincidence that Duncan adopted her. It wasn't coincidence that Roman, Seth, and Dean were in their lives. Now it was time to focus on the battle ahead, and let Dean be who he was destined to be.

Night of the Hall of Fame Ceremony

"Ronni, hurry up. Dean will be here any minute." Duncan yelled at Veronica.

Veronica looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a black sleeveless gown that hugged her curves well. It was the first time she would be seen with Dean in public. She was pretty nervous, but she looked good. She walked out of the bathroom and looked at Duncan.

"How do I look?" Veronica asked.

"Wow, you look amazing. I feel like you're going to the prom. Dean is gonna love it." Duncan said.

"Thanks, Dad." Veronica said.

Dean looked at himself in the mirror by the elevator. He was never a fan of suits, but this was an important night for the WWE. He had to make an impression for the fans and Veronica.

It was a simple suit. White shirt, blue silk tie with a pattern, blue pants and jacket. His hair was curly and not slicked back like he normally wears it. This was a different Dean Ambrose, and he hoped Veronica liked it.

Dean knocked on the door of Duncan's suite. For once in his life, Dean was nervous.

"He's here. You ready, Ronni?" Duncan said as he approached the door.

"I'm ready." Veronica said.

Duncan opened the door, and Dean walked in. He stood in amazement as his eyes fell on Veronica.

"Whoa! You look amazing. The guys are gonna freak when they see you." Dean said.

"Thank you. You look very handsome. I'm not used to seeing you like this." Veronica said.

"Well, the last time I wore a suit, I looked even better than this." Dean said.

"You both look great. Now, go and have a good time. Enjoy the ceremony." Duncan said.

"Shall we?" Dean said as he held his arm out for Veronica.

"Yes, let's go." Veronica said as she took arm.

Duncan watched as his daughter and Dean made their way out the door. This was one night he wouldn't have to worry about his daughter.

After the Hall of Fame Ceremony

Dean and Veronica headed to Jackson Square. They wanted some alone time. It's been awhile since they had any, and they needed a break from everything.

They found a bench and sat down. Veronica was happy. She looked over at Dean, who ironically, was staring at her.

"That was one amazing ceremony. All those stories and memories. What have I been missing?" Veronica asked Dean.

"Entertainment, Ronni. Pure entertainment. Those women and men put their bodies on the line so that people like me could carry on their legacy." Dean said.

"Have you ever thought of what you could have done if there wasn't wrestling?" Veronica asked.

"Not really. Before I knew I was an immortal, I lived a pretty tough life. Wrestling was an escape for me. I knew I wasn't gonna be a doctor or lawyer. It would've been nice, but I wanted to wrestle. I dropped out of high school to wrestle. Now, here I am. What about you? What did you want to be?" Dean said.

"I wanted to be on Broadway. I wanted to be a singer and dancer on Broadway. I had a friend who would sneak me into shows. She had a way of doing that. I would sit there and dream of being on that stage just singing and dancing, but I knew I couldn't." Veronica said.

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. Scared, I guess. Nervous, mainly." Veronica said.

Dean pulled out his phone. He found his music player and searched a song. He found the perfect song and pressed play.

"Elaborate Lives from 'AIDA'. That was the one show I actually paid to see." Veronica said.

"Dance with me." Dean said getting up.

"What?" Veronica said.

"Dance with me. I want to dance with you." Dean said.

Veronica smiled as she got up and wrapped her arms around Dean's neck. She looked into his steely blue eyes and felt safe. Dean grabbed her waist and pulled her close. The music played softly as they swayed back and forth.

"I love you, Veronica." Dean whispered.

Veronica raised her head to look at Dean. Before she could speak, Dean kissed her passionately. This time there was no Jonathan and Grace. Just Dean and Veronica. The world didn't matter. The Gathering didn't matter. What mattered was this moment at this time.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Paul said as he and Randy watched Dean and Veronica.

"What are you thinking, Paul?" Randy asked.

"Veronica is the only weakness Dean has, and she's the key to all of this. If I take Veronica and challenge Dean, he would have no choice but to face me. No one will be able to save Dean. Not even Duncan. I will have Dean's head, but we have Wrestlemania to worry about. Tomorrow, we dominate the wrestling world. Then we take over the Immortal world." Paul said as he and Randy walked away.

Dean and Veronica arrived back at the hotel. The night couldn't have been more perfect. Tomorrow, he would be all business. It's Wrestlemania Sunday.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Veronica asked as they got on the elevator.

"Yeah, I am. Tomorrow is going to be amazing. Last year, we were just three guys that everyone hated. Now, everyone loves us. I am quite excited, but for the rest of the night, I want you in my arms." Dean said.

"Amazingly, I am OK with that. I love you, Dean Ambrose." Veronica said.

"And I love you, Veronica Macleod." Dean said.