Hullo everyone! Here we have another chapter of A Shot In The Dark, the chapter is probably a smidgen long, but hey, it is what it is:D I only own Shay. Thank you all who reviewed or story alert/favorited this story, it means a lot to me:D Please read, review, and enjoy:D


Shay felt another hand on her arm.

Flinching, she turned and saw the man put his hands up in defense. "Sorry."

"I-It's fine. You shouldn't be apologizing."

"Are you okay?"

"F-fine. Thanks." She smiled softly, gently rubbing her wrist. What Nick had said echoed in her mind. "A-and I'm sorry for running into you earlier."

He shrugged. "Eh, it's alrigh'. I'll see you later." He smiled. "Shay, right?"

"Yes." Shay shook his hand. "And you're Sheamus."

"Righ' yeh are." Sheamus ran a hand through his hair. Silence fell between the two and Shay appreciated that there was no need to talk. Sheamus gave her space, standing across from her and a few inches away. After a few moments, Shay waved and began to walk away. The incident with Nick had zapped the energy in her and all she wanted to do was get back to the hotel and sleep. That, and she had been up since four that morning.

She was pretty sure, and quick to deny, that her recent sleeping problems stemmed from the car accident. Lately she had been getting up a lot earlier than she'd wanted, and struggling to fall asleep. Jay had bugged her to see the doctor, but she refused.

Jay.

Shay frowned and closed her eyes. He had been worried about her, Adam and Chris were the same. Jay was worried enough for the three of them, and maybe they had told him to be extra aware. She didn't want him to completely back off, she just wanted him to step down a little. He was just as stressed as she was, and following her around like a watchdog was only adding to the weight on his shoulders.

"Would yeh like to have a seat?" Sheamus asked, and her attention snapped to him.

"Huh?"

"A seat?" He gestured to a table and she shook her head.

"I-I have to go. I'm sorry. I have a... a meeting with Vince tomorrow morning." She stifled a yawn and blinked away the dots of black that spotted her vision.

"Are yeh' sure yer alrigh'?"

Shay looked up at him. "I'm just tired."

"Do yeh nee' a ride?"

"N-no, Jay was supposed to drive me." Shay looked over her shoulder and saw Jay at the table with Chris. She was certain that neither of them wanted to endure a car with each other.

"Tha' was a contradiction." He gave her a small smile. "Le' me drive yeh." He proposed as he followed her outside. The cool air hit her in the face and Shay took in a deep breath. The fog in her head lifted slightly and she yawned again. Stars littered the dark blue sky and the moon cast a glow on the parking lot. Sheamus followed close behind her and she could feel him looming over her. "Yeh never answered me."

"What?"

"Woul' yeh like me to drive yeh to the hotel?" He repeated and Shay could detect a subtle hint of concern in his posture and voice. "I can tell, yer in no condition to drive."

"I'm f-fine." She lied, losing her footing and bracing herself against a car. "S-still a klutz, but fine."

"I won' let you drive."

"And I'm sure you're going to stand here and wait, right?" Shay replied, leaning against the trunk. It was the one Jay had driven earlier, technically it was her ride. "W-what do you care, anyway?"

"Does it matter why I care?" He shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

She paused and, choosing not to answer him, went over and pulled on a door handle. When it didn't budge, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Shay dug in her pockets, pulling out a silver key attached to a keychain. She tried to open the door again, but failed. Looking back at Sheamus, she cleared her throat. "C-can I still take you up on your offer?"

"The ride? Yeah." He nodded. "Tha's for the trunk." He nodded again towards the key.

"H-how do you know?"

"If I doesn't open the door, it probably opens the trunk." Her eyebrow rose as she moved back to the trunk. As he predicted, the trunk sprung open. Reaching in, she grabbed two bags and slammed it shut again. Locking it again, she turned back towards the redhead in front of her. "Ready?" When Shay nodded, he showed her to his car. "Jus' leave the bags by the trunk. I'll get 'em. Make yerself comfortable." Sheamus opened the passenger side door and waited until she got in before shutting it.

Shay rubbed her face, and rested her head on the headrest. Pulling the seat belt across her chest, she surveyed the interior. It was small, with a sleek leather upholstery. Instantly she knew it was an expensive rental. Her fingers ran along the windowsill and her eyes fell on the radio. Fleetingly, she wondered what kind of music he listened to.

The driver's side door opened and Sheamus seated himself inside. Shutting the door, he buckled himself in and turned the key in the ignition. "Sh-Sheamus?"

"Yes?"

"T-thank you."

"Any time."

For a while, they drove in silence. Shay stared out the window, watching buildings and trees melt and fade into one another as they passed. "I-I took this offer for two reasons, you know." She said softly.

"An'? Wha' were the reasons?"

"Because I didn't have another ride, and to avoid an uncomfortable silence with Jay." She informed him and he chuckled.

"I didn' think yeh were much of a talker."

"I'm not."

"Yer jus' full o' contradictions, aren' yeh?" He didn't look at her as he grinned and shook his head. "So, yeh said yeh had a meetin' tomorrow?"

"Um, yeah." Shay rested her cheek in her palm, her arm propped on the windowsill. "I r-return to Smackdown next week."

"Oh really? Great. Welcome back. It'll be good to have yeh aroun'. Will yeh miss Raw, any?"

"Loads." She murmured sarcastically. "P-probably not. I haven't been there in f-forever, and I'm ready for a change."

"What kind o' change?" He inquired and Shay shrugged. She twisted the ends of her hair between her fingers as her other hand played a nervous rhythm on her knee. The change she wanted was something she couldn't put an exact pinpoint on.

"I just want to be myself. These l-last few times I've been a valet, and I hated it. I-I hate not being able to do what I love to the fullest. J-John, John was better than the Hart Dynasty. I don't want to be connected to my family, at least n-not in the ring. I don't want to be like every Diva in the business. And I don't want to be just another Hart. I-I'm just hoping Vince will give me that this time." She didn't realize she had started to ramble and stopped talking. "S-Sorry."

"It's alrigh'. Go on."

"If I am paired with someone, I want to have good chemistry and equality. I-I'd like to feel like a teammate, not the one who leads them to the ring. I've valeted enough, and I don't want those two-minute-long matches that mean absolutely nothing. You're getting b-bored, aren't you?"

"Me?" Sheamus asked, "Nah. Not bored. What happened earlier?"

"B-between Nick and me? Or Jay?"

"Whichever yeh feel like answerin."

Shay's shoulders tensed. She had feared he would ask what the issue was between Nick and her, A thought crossed her mind on what might have happened had Sheamus not intervened. "Probably nothing." She murmured to herself.

"Wha?"

"Oh, nothing. It was nothing."

"Tha's not true. He was freakin yeh out." He sighed. "Yeh don' trust me, an' I don' blame yeh."

Shay wasn't going to lie. He was right. She didn't trust him. Trust wasn't something she gave away often. It was sacred to her, and she had grown protective of it. The man beside her was a stranger, someone she couldn't tell her secrets to. Inwardly, she scoffed. Everyone knew what happened between John and her. It wasn't something that could be kept quiet. It was partially the reason behind her move to Smackdown. Vince didn't want the two of them around one another. Jay was ecstatic when she told him this. On Smackdown, he could keep an eye on her, and she was out of the way of both Nick and John. 'Two birds, one stone.' He had said.

Doubt became second nature to her. Her trust and faith in the people around her faded until she had become secluded. A while ago she realized that people didn't want to understand her, or her situations. She didn't trust easily and she cherished the trust people had in her. John lost his trust in her and subsequently, they fell apart.

"You're right." Shay nodded. "I don't trust you. And you don't trust me either."

"I'll trust yeh when yeh trust me."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Y-you'll be waiting for quite some time."

Sheamus turned into the hotel parking lot and found a vacant spot. He pocketed his keys and strummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Shay's hand reached for the door handle. It didn't budge. Heated anxiety shuddered through her and she tried opening the door again.

"They call it a lock for a reason."

"W-Why'd you lock me in?"

"I'm locked in too."

"Yes." She nodded, an unusual feeling settling in her. Impatience. Anger. This was far from where she wanted to be. "You have the keys, though." Deciding that her constant efforts on the door weren't going to help, Shay sighed and sat back in her seat. "C-Can you please let me out?"

"Yeh'd prefer havin' Jay or Chris, wouldn't yeh? O'er me. Wha' ever did happen between yeh an' John?"

Shay let out a chortle. "You mean you haven't heard?" Sarcasm dripped from her words. "We broke up." She could've sworn she saw him roll his eyes with a smile.

"I know tha'. Why?"

"That really isn't your business, is it?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. Shay shook her head. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not this snappy all the time." The satisfied smirk that spread across his face made her want to smack him.

"Moody, tha's fine."

"I... i-it's not... I'm not moody." She said. It was true, something about the man beside her unsettled her. He was the polar opposite than what she expected. He wasn't intent on figuring her out, deciphering her like a new puzzle on the newspaper. He was quick and prodding, only backing off once the line had been crossed. To her, it was an edgier game of Twenty-Questions, most of which she had left unanswered. "Stubborn, yes. M-Moody, no."

Sheamus shook his head and ran a hand over his hairline beard. Her perception of him had completely changed since the beginning of the night. How the conversation went from the forced conversation between acquaintances to subtle hostility was beyond her. Had she known this would be the aftermath of the car ride, she'd have hailed a cab. This, however; probably paled in comparison to how the ride with Jay would've been. She could see it now, both staring out the window as a stifling silence suffocated them.

"Yeh were very... timid at the bar. Fast forward, you're snappy."

"S-something about you just, irritates me, I guess." Shay shrugged and watched as Sheamus dug around in his pockets. She couldn't deny that he was right, she had become snappy since driving with him. Something about him, something she couldn't put her finger on, annoyed her.

"Admit it, you're pissed at me."

"N-no."

"A contradiction an' a liar. I believe we've hit the jackpot, Ms. Hart."

Shay's eyebrows knit together and the unsettled feeling grew. She involuntarily twitched at being addressed by her surname. It wasn't something she was used to hearing often.

"Mr. Farrelly," she began, watching his shoulders tense. A soft smirk played at the corner of her lips, "would you please release me from the conf-confines of your vehicle?" Mentally, she cursed herself and hoped the stutter didn't matter to him. She could see frustration in his face.

"Doors are unlocked." The light-hearted coyness in his voice had dissipated. Sheamus cleared his throat and nodded towards her door. Her hand slowly clasped the handle and pulled. As he had said, the doors were unlocked. Shay stepped out and was about to shut the door when she hesitated. Peering into the vehicle, she waved.

"T-thank you, Mr. Shea—"

"Stephen." Sheamus stated. "It's Stephen."

"Alright." Shay nodded. "Thank you, Stephen." She shut the door and walked down the sidewalk. Shay sent a glance over her shoulder and saw that Stephen hadn't moved, or made a notion to leave the vehicle. Shrugging it off, she quickly made her way into the lobby. Relief flooded her and her mind buzzed. Fatigue still plagued her and she yawned. The first thing she was doing when she got into the hotel room was sleep. Or try to. It seemed that regardless of how tired she was, sleep wouldn't come.

She went down a hallway towards the elevators. The beige walls blurred by her and the impersonal paintings reminded her just how far from home she actually was. "In a few weeks we'll be in Calgary." She murmured to herself, her fingertips brushing against the wall. Had it not been for a logo change and slight color alterations, this could've been a hotel they stayed at before. They all looked the same to her now. Neutral walls, paintings of landscapes and flowers dotting the walls, plush floral carpeting beneath her feet; yeah, they were practically the same.

Moments later, she found the elevator and called for it. The metal doors slid open and she quickly got inside and pressed the button for her floor. Annoying elevator music swirled in the air and her eyes honed in on the floor-meter. She watched as it climbed, stopping every once in a while to let more people get on. They looked at her briefly before looking around. Shay paid no attention to them and when the doors opened on her floor, she wasted no time getting into the hallway.

Shay found her room and turned the door handle. "Stupid, Jay has the keys." She groaned and leant her back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. Her eyelids felt heavy and a weight was strung across her shoulders. "He shouldn't be long." She reasoned. "I'll wait for him." Shay nodded, wincing when she realized she had been talking out loud to herself. Her eyes flickered down the hall, making sure no one had heard her. She yawned again, not bothering to try and suppress it. Time seemed to slow and the sounds faded to a low buzz.

A hand shook her awake, followed by a loud whisper. "Shay." The man put a hand on her shoulder and shook it again. "Sleepy head, wake up. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Shay sat up, eyes still clouded with sleep. She rubbed them and stretched her arms. "Jay?" Her hands went to her sides and she surveyed the scene around her. Dark green comforter bundled around her waist and across from her a TV set played the local news.

He smiled. "Hey, welcome back to the land of the living."

"Hi." She waved at him with a small laugh. "I was in the hallway last night..."

"And you fell asleep in the hallway. I found you there, slumped against the wall beside the door. Trust me, it took a lot of multitasking to open the door, carry my stuff, and carry you in here." Jay chuckled, his smile fading. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't worry about it." She shook her head, a fury of blond curls tumbled over her shoulders. "It's fine."

"I crossed a line."

"You're just worried, it's natural." Shay sighed and swung the comforter off of her. "What time is it?"

"Six."

"What time did you find me?"

"Eleven-thirty." Jay replied, pulling a shirt and pants out of his bag. "I know you've been having sleeping issues lately, so I didn't wake you up." Shay nodded, looking up at him. Sunlight caught on his hair, making it seem two tones brighter and blonder. His mouth opened, but she didn't hear anything.

He snapped his fingers and she startled. "S-sorry."

Jay's eyebrows rose. "You were staring."

"I was not." She stated, standing up and straightening her shirt. Her shirt, the same one she wore yesterday. Her eyes searched the floor and she groaned. "My bag."

"Your what?"
"My bag, I must've left it with Sheamus."

"Sheamus?" He laughed. "Why would it be with him?"

"He gave me a ride last night and I left in a hurry. I was tired, I wasn't thinking." She explained, unable to hide the drone in her voice. Shay hoped Jay wouldn't argue with her over it, especially since they had just gotten over an argument. "Do you know his room number?"

Jay laughed. "314."

She stared at him questionably. "You're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad? You got here safely." He laughed again. "I'm sorry, I just think it's funny. You walking over to his room and asking for your clothes. Ah, if only I could see it. You should get going, you have a meeting at nine." Jay reminded her as he made his way to the bathroom. "I'll catch you later, Shay."

"How a-am I supposed to get there?" Shay asked, hands planted firmly on her hips. "Jay?" When he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and left the hotel room. Standing in the hall again, she sighed and pinched her nose. The last thing she wanted to do was see Stephen again so soon. She rolled her shoulders and sighed. "Best get it over with."

How she even forgot her bags was beyond her. Shay walked down the hall, back towards the elevator. Five minutes of searching later, she found herself outside of room 314. Sucking in a breath, she went through what she was going to say in her mind. "Just ask for your damn bags, Shay." She whispered under her breath as she knocked on the door.

A faint voice called from inside, "Hold on!" She waited for a minute or so until the door opened and there stood Stephen. Shirtless. He held the door open with one hand, the other braced against the door frame. A towel was wrapped around his waist and his hair was messy. Faint annoyance glimmered in his blue eyes until he saw her. As his eyes fell on her, a smirk broadened across his face. "Yeh really gotta stop doin' things in the heat o' the moment."

"C-Can I have, um... you have my bags." She stated, mentally cursing herself for staring. Rivulets of water raced down his body, making his skin glisten beneath the light. He looked over his shoulder and nodded before turning back to her.

"That I do."

"Can I have them?" Shay asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. A scarlet blush blossomed on her cheeks and her hands fiddled with her shirt again. "They are m-mine." She rushed through the words, speaking faster than she normally would have.

"I assumed they were. Seein' as they have yer name on em."

"Can you stop being a-a..."

"Smartass?" He finished, a smile evident under his moustache. Stephen's eyes followed hers and his smile, if possible, got bigger. "See somethin' yeh like?"

"What?" She asked, snapping her attention back to his face. It was the second time she had been caught staring, she realized. Her mind had wandered while her gaze stayed. "No."

"So yeh jus' stare at things yeh don't like?"

She chose not to answer him and walked forward, thinking he'd drop his arm to let her pass. He didn't. Walking straight into his arm, she let out a gasp and her hand went to her chest. Shay hissed a breath and winced. "Ow." She gave her best glare at him when he chuckled. "Don't laugh."

"Yeh could'a asked."

"It hadn't occurred to me at the time." She mumbled under her breath and quickly ducked under his arm and into his room. The curtains were open and rays of sunlight hit the single bed. "C-can I come in?" Shay smiled sweetly at him as he shut the door and waved her off.

"Does anythin' occur to yeh?" He asked. Again, she didn't answer and grabbed the handle of her bag. Stephen turned to face her. "Yer jus' gonna leave?"

"I only came for my bags."

"Yeh know, you're not actin' how I remember yeh."

"What d-do you mean?" Her eyebrow rose and she sat on the edge of the bed. She was curious, how had he remembered her? They were on Raw together, but they never talked or interacted in any way. What was there to remember?

"Yeh were quiet, yeh didn' speak to anyone aside from yer group of friends. Yeh were softspoken. Now." He let our a dry laugh, "now yeh kinda, I dunno, yer jus' different. More sure of yerself, in a way." Stephen shrugged and grabbed clothing from his bag. "Need anythin' else?"

"N-no." Shay shook her head, biting back what she wanted to say. She stood and walked to the door. Her hand hesitated on the handle and she turned back. Stephen had gone into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. A soft sigh passed her lips and she left his room.

Two hours later, Shay found herself sitting across from Vince McMahon. He shook her hand and sat down, pushing his glasses up his nose. "So," he began and cleared his throat, "welcome back, Shay."

"T-Thank you, sir."

"Now, there are a few things I need to go over with you before you can start. For one, you're getting new music, new entrance video, new storyline, new everything." He gave her a slight reassuring smile as he rummaged through a stack of papers. "You're physically cleared, but what about mentally?"

"M-mentally, sir?" She asked. The only problem she had was stress, and slight insomnia. Those didn't really distort her actual day.

"You've been through trauma, Ms. Hart. I just want to make sure you have a clear head on your shoulders." Vince explained. "Especially with regards to your storyline."

"What about it?" Shay said, a slight wave of worry coming over her. The way he was easing into it was troubling, he always told you flat out what the issue was. In the back of her mind, she noted the door opening and shutting. Vince sent a fleeting glance to the new entrant and motioned towards the chair beside her. Shay didn't pay attention to the person, she was more focused on the contract sitting on Vince's desk.

"You're in a team."

"And? I-I have no problem with that. As long as it's a fair..."

"Don't worry about that. We have your entrance music picked out, you confirmed it earlier, correct?" He paused, allowing her to nod before he continued. "Alright, I think we covered everything. Your new storyline is a bit of everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes, there'll be romance, and you'll be going for the title, eventually, should things work out. Welcome back to Smackdown, Shay." He smiled, pushing the contract towards her as well as a pen. "Oh and before I forget, meet your tag team partner."

Shay looked up from where she was reading. He had gestured to the seat beside her and her eyebrow rose. Pivoting in her seat, she dropped the pen she was holding. She saw her tag-team partner. All six-feet six-inches of him, topped with spiky red hair and an arrogant smirk. Briefly she wondered if he had known about this beforehand. By the look on his face, he did.

"Is there a problem?" Vince inquired in his 'there better not be a problem' tone and she shook her head.

"No, sir." She replied, finishing the contract. "Do you have a problem, Mr. Farrelly?"

Stephen smiled, "No, not at all."