This is just a one-shot with a possibility of becoming more. I was super bored one day, and somewhat stuck with where I wanted to go on SMHTL and another story I'm currently writing (I'll totally get the summary out to you for that one in a few days and let you know what's up). Honestly, I could definitely write more with this, but it's up to you readers if you like it enough to tell me to keep it going then lemme know. Although, I won't promise immediate responses and new chapters on a daily basis, I will throw one at you whenever I can. If you'd like it.
Um, general disclaimer, I do not own, blah, blah, blah, I wish I did, blah, blah, blah. I'm not sure why, but my Sheamus muse was totally going out of control with this story, probably because he was on my TV as I was thinking about writing this story. Oh and this is my first Sheamus story too. I've had a little bit of him here and there in other stories (or maybe that's the one I'm writing but isn't posted, I don't know I can't keep stuff straight) but, yeah. Here it is.

Addison was wiped out. She'd worked her first job all day, then came to the bar to work and was just ready to go home. The blonde sighed when a large group walked through the front door and looked over to her friend, Mikayla. They were the only two working that night, other than the owner, and now with this sudden rush there was no hope of getting out early.

After a silent discussion, Addy and Mika decided to double team the group. It would mean fewer tips for both of them but this way they both earned something. Together, they walked up to the table and handed out menus, just in case they were hungry. If Addison hadn't been paying attention when these people were walking in, she definitely was now, though, she was trying hard to not let it show. She had stopped watching them the year she turned 20, late in the year. Everyone had told her that it was stupid of her to watch it, especially her dad. He was the biggest person to belittle her about anything and everything.

She cleared her throat, and her mind not wanting to think about her family, "Hi, Mikayla and I are going to be popping in and out on you tonight. Is there anything we can get you to drink while you browse the menu?"

They fired off drinks, almost all at one time, and for once she was glad that she was used to listening to many people speak at one time. At one point in time, it had been second nature to her and she used the skill frequently now in her job as a bartender. After jotting down small reminders for herself, that she was sure Mika was doing as well, the two girls started off back towards the bar.

"Wait, you never told us your name," one man called out, Addison vaguely remembered his character being some kind of 'awesome'.

"It's Addison."

XXX

The night had been too long. The whole day had been too long. Addison smiled as Mika offered up for last call. It was late, almost too late. She was sure that if she still lived at home she would have been breaking curfew. Addy had to laugh silently at the thought of being nearly thirty years old and still having a curfew. Oh the joys of having the kind of parents she had growing up. It wasn't a sheltered life as much as it was stifling. There were so many times were she felt like she where suffocating due to her parents' neediness.

She wiped down the bar, that smile never leaving her face. It had been so long since she was genuinely happy. Addison was quite proud of the fact that she hadn't given off her nervousness around the large professional athletes and world-wide celebrities. She hadn't even told Mika, who no doubt would have screamed out loud at the thought of someone famous stopping in at their little off-the-road Tampa area bar. So lost in her own world, thinking of the times she'd spent locked in her bedroom with her computer watching these men and women wrestle, she didn't realize two of the men had stepped in front of her. She was just remembering the part where her mom would laugh at her and her dad would tell her how fake and stupid and ludicrous the whole thing was, how stupid the people were, when one of the men cleared their throat.

"Addison was it?" he asked, and she noted that he had a slight accent to his voice.

Addy whipped her head up to look at the tall man in front of her, nodding slightly. It'd been such a long time, nearly ten years, but surely she hadn't forgotten what the name of the man with the fiery red hair was. She remembered something about mayonnaise, but that didn't seem to be a suitable name for a man. Then again, even if she had remembered, who ever said it was really his name? He could have wrestled under a false name; she'd known that many of them were prone to do that. It was less personal that way.

"We just wanted to thank ya, for being so patient with us tonight. It's never easy when we all get together like this and I'm sure we could probably make it at least a little bit easier, but ya and your friend were very kind with us," the man said, "I'm Stephen Farrelly, but me friends all call me Ste."

"Addison Taylor, or Addy," she replied quietly, "And please, it's nothing I'm not used to. I grew up in a rather large family, what happened tonight was nothing to what family gatherings used to be."

Stephen nodded, finding it odd the way she spoke in past tense when she talked about her family. Though to his credit, he pretending not to notice, "Well, I'm glad to find we weren't too much of a bother to you. I was worried when we first walked in, hoped there were less occupants and more bar maids."

"No bother at all, I promise," Addison assured him, "And there are only three of us, unfortunately our third is out on maternity leave right now. So Mika and I are picking up all of her shifts on top of our own. It's not bad, though," she added when she saw the shock on his face, "we eased into it as she progressed into her pregnancy. It's not too safe to have a pregnant woman working behind a bar."

He nodded again and opened his mouth to speak when his friend awkwardly made his presence known. Addy and Ste both turned their attention to him slightly embarrassed that they'd forgotten he was still standing there. "I'm Stu. My friends call me Stu. And if we don't get out there, Mike is going to leave without us."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you. It was nice to meet you both, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night," Addison told them with a smile, effectively dismissing them both. She discretely watched the two men walk away and shook her head when she saw Stephen give Stu a healthy slap to the back of his head.

Mika met Addison at the door, after triple checking everything to make sure the place was ready for the next day, with a smirk on her face. "They were cute."

"Which one?" Addison asked, playing dumb, "There were a few 'cute' ones."

"The two who came up to you at the bar," Mika told her in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"They weren't interested. They just wanted to thank us for our patience. I basically told him that we were doing our job and sent him on his way," Addy replied shaking her head as they exited the bar, locking the door behind them.

"The time they stood there for was a much longer conversation that a quick 'I did my job. Now go home' sentiment, Addy. And the way the one was looking at you, I wouldn't be surprised if he stopped in here again, just to see you," Mika nodded, as if that was the end of the conversation.

"Mikayla," Addison said, making sure to annunciate every syllable, "Neither man was interested in me. Neither man is going to be back in our dinky little bar to see me. I learned a long time ago that life just doesn't work that way. I'm sorry to burst your hopeless romantic bubble, but it's not going to happen."

XXX

The blonde had groaned the next morning, waking up had never been her strong suit, and after a night like she'd had it was no wonder. But, she had to do it. She had to get up for work, her proverbial nine to five. She had to prove them all wrong, she was doing just fine on her own. No, it hadn't been easy but there was never one moment that she actually considered going back. Not after everything that had happened, not after the things they had said. They didn't just doubt her getting a job; they doubted she'd make it through college without their help. They doubted she'd do anything without them. So she did, she left and now she was alone, with nothing and no one to fall back on.

The loneliness was worth it though, when she walked through the doors and saw the smiles on the faces of the children she worked with. The fact that she was in debt up to her hairline seemed to disappear from her mind as she taught her class full of special needs kids. It was her calling, so to speak. She'd known that she wanted to teach ever since she was a young girl, but she'd had a hard time figuring out what subject she wanted to give the most attention to. It took a young boy, who was Autistic, in her church's Wednesday night classes to lead her to special needs, and all through the psychology classes and the other specifications needed for her double major Addison knew she was doing the right thing.

"Miss Addison," one student called her over to his table, "Is this the right way to do multiplication?"

Addison looked over the boy's work and grinned proudly, "Very good, Jeremy! You've been working extra hard, I can tell."

"I hate math!" another student lashed out, nearly violent.

"No, Kassie. You just don't understand it yet. Maybe Jeremy can help you. He was having a problem understanding multiplication last week, he might have the right touch," Addison calmed the girl down, before she had a fit.

One of the helpers in the class, Jake, stood in the middle of the room and called attention to the six high school aged special needs students, "Now remember, we have special guests coming in this afternoon. Miss Hope and I wrote a letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, on Miss Addison's behalf, and we asked if they could have some of your favorite people come here to visit you and see what a great job you and Miss Addison have done this year. When they heard about the low funding we have and how Miss Addison often splurges on you all out of her own pocket, because you all are so spoiled, they immediately agreed! So, please be on your best behaviors today, we don't want anyone missing out!"

"Miss Addison, who is coming?" Samantha asked with wide brown eyes.

"I don't know. I didn't even know that Mr. Jake and Miss Hope did this," Addison was quite speechless as she turned to her co-workers and friends, "You guys really didn't have to do this. I mean, I'm glad you did, for the kids, but you didn't have to mention me. Who did you get?"

"If we tell you it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" Hope teased with a grin on her face, "You'll just have to wait and see with the rest of them. Don't worry, we've already cleared it with their parents and we are going on a parent escorted field trip tonight."

"Guys, I can't, I have to work," Addison frowned; there was no way she could switch her shift this late in the day. Mika wouldn't be able to cancel anything she had going on and she wouldn't be able to just not show-

"We've already taken care of that as well," Jake explained, "We called your boss. He's a nice guy, seems he thinks you work too much."

This really did render her speechless. It was almost like they were treating her as a family should, but that was impossible. They were not family. And if anyone asked, Addison just didn't speak to hers anymore. There was no explanation, people didn't need to know. No one needed to know. Though it was funny, she had an uncle who was living in Florida the last she heard. She thanked God that Florida was a large state, and prayed she never ran into him. Everyone had figured she'd run off to Texas, it had been her dream for as long as she could remember. But, Texas hadn't worked out as planned, so Florida had been her next stop. And she'd been there four years now, with no sight of leaving in the near future.

XXX

All six students, though Addison had no doubt in her mind they would, made it to the afternoon without any hitch. They were all well-behaved kids, despite their disabilities, and they all worked hard to overcome whatever held them back. And as they sat in the large gymnasium of the school, they felt privileged that just the six of them got to meet with whoever was sent over by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Usually, it was them getting shut in a room while the rest of the school got special attention, but now it was all for them. Addison shared their excitement, her eyes gleaming with pride that her 'kids' had earned something so honorable.

A hand covered her mouth as six men and women walked through the large doors and onto the stage, her students cheering, some even in shock. The one that stood out most to her was the man standing in the middle with fiery red hair. Addison had to sit down; it was almost too much for her to comprehend. Every single person who was on stage had been in the bar the night before and she sent a worried look towards Jake. The two walked away from the kids, not wanting them to sense their teachers' sudden tension, before Addison had some kind of anxiety attack. Jake had witnessed one before; thankfully it was after the students had gone home, though.

"What's wrong, Addy?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Addison ran a hand over her face in an attempt to calm herself, "They were in my bar last night. I waited on them, every single one of them. What if they say something?"

"They won't say anything. I'm sure they didn't even pay attention to you last night," Jake said, "It'll be okay. If they do recognize you, we'll just ask them to keep quiet before they spill to the kids."

The blonde nodded and let Jake lead her back over to where the WWE Superstars and Divas were shaking hands and hugging some of their biggest fans. Addison watched silently, trying to keep her emotions in check as she saw the bright smiles on the faces of the people who mean the most to her. It meant everything to her just to see them happy and succeed in life. She was so lost in that thought; she didn't notice anyone walking up to her until a large hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Sorry lass, I didn't mean to scare ya," Stephen said, taking his hand off her shoulder, "I just wanted to say that, me friends and I got to read the letter that was sent in, and it sounds like ya've done a real good job with these kids. It's not often ya hear of teachers using their own money for fieldtrips and what not, it's real admirable of ya."

"Thank you, but these kids definitely deserve it. They're great kids and they are insanely smart. They just needed someone to give them a chance, they needed someone to just tell that they are enough, disability and all," Addison told him.

"You're awfully humble," Stephen commented.

"The kids are probably wondering why I'm hogging all of their time with you. You should get back, you're one of their favorites," Addison said, shooing him away.

"And you are incredibly selfless, Addison Taylor," he said.

"Mmmm," she disagreed with a shake of her head, "I've already met you, it's their turn now."

XXX

She'd been relieved when they'd all left, especially when Jake informed her that Stephen had been asking after her. Addison had hidden, she'd be the first to admit it, and he seemed to just gravitate to her. It was unnerving, and it confused her. She didn't want to be known, she didn't want to be asked after, she just wanted to do what she'd been doing for the last 29 years. She was used to being forgotten about; it was kind of her thing. Addison, even amongst her family and friends, was the one who was easily forgotten, or simply ignored.

Her chest tightened, slightly, when Hope told her where they were going. A fieldtrip of sorts, with the families of all six students and Hope and Jake's significant others, to the SmackDown taping. They were going to a show, where they would see those people again. If Addison had been looking at the big picture, she probably would have been more annoyed at the fact that she was the only person she knew without someone who truly cared about her. She had been taking care of herself for so many years, it was like second nature, but it was times like these that Addison took into account how it would feel to have someone to look after her.

She was surrounded by the smiling faces of the parents of her students, twelve happy couples. Six happy families. Jake and his wife, Lacy, had sat down a little ways away from her seat, but not before telling her their good news. A baby, a new start to their small family. Hope and her husband, Greg, along with their two sons were sporting their new WWE merchandise and leaning along the barricade, admiring the large ring that stood in front of them. It dawned on Addison, so suddenly, that she really had no one. Such a large place to be feeling so small and she had the need to get away from it all.

Jake called her name and pointed towards the row, the closest one that lead towards an exit. She nodded, thinking that if she remembered this later, she would have to thank him. But when she got out in the halls of the large arena, it didn't feel any better. They were packed and Addison looked to her left and right, searching for the large red exit sign. She didn't see one but turned left blindly walking wherever it would take her, faces were a blur as were signs. Until she saw the one she was seeking and the door that was under it.

Addison burst through the door, gasping for air she hadn't realized she'd lost. She leaned back against the building, taking in her surroundings as she realized she was in a parking garage. It had been so long since she'd gotten that feeling; it was a feeling of such unimportance and worthlessness in life that Addison's brain could hardly wrap around it. Then again, she also hadn't thought about her family in a long time, though lately it was always at the forefront of her mind. Just on the tip of her tongue, waiting for one of them to prove that they really did care about her.

"Addison?" a voice called from a few cars away from the spot Addison had picked to calm herself, just as her phone rang.

She chose the phone, not wanting to deal with anyone face-to-face at the moment. Though as soon as she answered it she wished she hadn't.

"Aunt Addy, I thought you said you'd come home," the voice spoke as soon as she'd brought the phone to her ear, not giving her anytime to respond, "I need you here."

"Macy, I can't just go home," she told her 15 year old niece, "I have a job. How did you get my number anyway?"

"Remember when my mom made that sheet of numbers and put it on the fridge? Well, she never took it down. I just took a chance and hoped you'd have the same number," Macy explained, "Please come home. Just for the weekend? Or just for me? You told us you'd never leave us, but you did. You left us and you didn't call or write or anything. Aunt Addy, you didn't even say goodbye."

"Mace, a lot of stuff happened; you were too young to understand. I can't just go back. Not now-"

"When? Will there ever be a good enough time to come home? We miss you, Mark and Dan and George and Tyson and Me and Ashley and Ryan, we miss you every day. Don't you ever miss us?"

"Of course I miss you, Macy. My leaving had nothing to do with you or your brothers and sister. It had nothing to do with Evan or Nicole either. It was between me and my parents and my siblings. I'm sorry that you and your brothers and sister and cousins got caught in the middle of it, but it was inevitable. One day, when you're older I'll explain it to you, but right now you are fifteen years old and there is still happiness in your family," Addison said before hanging up the phone.

"What happened?"

Addison looked up into the soft eyes of the Irishman she'd been running into so many times. She closed her eyes before she panicked and said, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I saw ya run out here. Ya looked scared. And, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard a one-sided version of your conversation just now. So why can't ya go home?" Stephen asked.

"I have nothing to go home to," Addison answered quickly, "My life is here, in Tampa. That isn't home anymore; it really wasn't home then, either."

"From what I heard, there is a fifteen year old to go home to," Stephen said lightly.

"There's nothing to go home to," she repeated.

"What happened in there?" he asked, gesturing to the building behind her, "What scared ya so badly?"

Addison turned her head, looking at the building, before answering, "There are just a lot of people in there. I prefer to be alone, or in a less crowded area. I'll be fine; I just was prepared for so many people."

"You can't get back in that door without a pass. It's the workers entrance," Stephen told her.

"Then I guess I'm not getting back in," Addison snapped, "Why are you out here? What do you want?"

"I forgot me phone in me rental. I came back out to get it and then I saw ya standing here. Ya looked a bit weather shocked and I didn't feel right just leaving ya here," Stephen explained, "And I can get ya back in, I have a pass. Technically, I'm a worker."

"I don't think I'm ready yet," Addison admitted in a whisper.

"Come to me locker room with me. There's only a few of us in there and we've got a bathroom, they'll just have to deal with changing in it instead of in the wide open. I'd much prefer that anyway," Stephen offered, his last sentence making Addison laugh. "What do ya say Addy? Maybe ya can help me understand ya a little bit more. Or ya can tell me about those kids we met today."

She looked up into his eyes, staring down at her full of guidance and agreed with a slight nod of her head.