Hey guys, this will be the last update before school lets out, because this upcoming week will be entirely too hectic for me to get any sort of writing done. But hey, at least I updated now. :) I only own Shay, and I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I love you all. XD Thank you, and enjoy. :D

Please leave a review.

Love,

Kiwi

"Hey, Shay!" AJ grinned, skipping up to the blond on the equipment box. "Would you look at that, they gave you pants!" The brunette patted Shay's denim-clad knee.

"Yeah," Shay laughed. "I-I haven't actually changed yet," she said, fiddling with her bracelet. "I think I'm just going to not wear it."

"Really?" AJ seemed surprised. "You pull them off though. You're hot, Shay, in a totally festive, non-lesbian manner, and I think you should just accept it and move on." AJ shrugged, sitting next to Shay. "Why not?" AJ paused, "I-I mean, why aren't you wearing the dress."

"I hate the color they chose, and I-I just...no. And, I'm kinda feeling a little lazy," she said, shaking her head as she looked down at herself. "Besides, they want me comfortable... this is comfortable."

AJ just nodded, "I get to wear pants at PPVs." The brunette stuck her tongue out at the blonde, who playfully shoved her. "Hey look, it's the Nerd Herd." Shay looked up to where AJ was pointing, and nearly busted out laughing as Chris, Punk, and Bryan walked up. Their eyebrows rose as they looked at the shaking blonde.

Shay regained her composure, "Um...sorry. I-I, um...hi." She felt her cheeks grow hot, and she buried her face in her hands. "S-so, how's it going?"

"Pretty good," Punk laughed, "What's so funny?"

"N-Nothing, I-I just thought of something... and yeah," She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and she dug it out, glancing at the screen.

New Text ~ Nick

Cursing in her mind, she dragged a hand through her hair and pulled a smile to her face. Clicking to open it, she quickly read it. Locker room—30 minutes. She sighed, shaking her head at her phone and returning it to her pocket. Maybe, if she arrived early, it'd be over with faster. What would Nick want with her anyway?

Her mind flashed back to the incident a few weeks ago, and she suddenly felt sick. What would be the consequences of not going? The last time she didn't do what he had asked, he struck her, and that had been a misunderstanding. What would it be now, now that it was open defiance, and she had nowhere to hide? She glanced down at her trembling hand, and she gripped her wrist in efforts to settle herself. Sliding off the box, Shay tucked her arms behind her. "I-I should... I should go," she cleared her throat.

She tried to evade them, but Chris's eyes followed her like a hawk, "Where?"

"Um, I'm meeting a friend."

"All your friends are here," Chris pointed out, and she cast him a look. He shrugged, "It's true, for the most part."

"I-I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," Shay replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I-I'll see you all later." She gave a slight nod as she walked away, wishing she had at least told someone where she was actually going. Chris would've stopped her, and AJ would've given her a disapproving, almost fearful look, and possibly prevent her from going; landing her into a deeper mess with Nick. Shay walked until she saw the abnormally blond mass of hair heading in her direction.

He looked disapprovingly at her, as if inspecting her for any faults, and she felt her arms wrap around her tighter. Then, he smirked, an expression that seemed to suit him perfectly, as he linked arms with her, and led her into a nearby locker room. The area was desolate, there was still a couple of hours before the PPV, and he had made sure there wouldn't be anybody near. "Shay, Shay, Shay," he tsked, leaning towards her as he ran his fingers down her arm. "You came."

"What do you what?" She gritted her teeth, choking down the shudder that threatened her words. Nick moved closer to her.

"You know what I want," his lips grazed her neck, and she squirmed. "C'mon, Shay. It's either this, or your reputation." He gestured to himself, as if he were a showcase prize and she was a fortunate soul to have such an opportunity. "People already think you're petty... figuring out how low will only increase this little pity party you have going for you. Is that what you want," he whispered, his lips hovering at her ears. She swallowed her warbled sound that was threatening to spill from her throat, wondering where she had agreed to his arrangements. "I want you, Shay."

"You want a conquest...t-to prove that you didn't lose. You don't want me, a-and, quite frankly, your game is getting stale," she replied, reminding herself why she didn't want word of Dave and John leaking out. It would cause a mess, a horrendous mess that no one would allow her to clean up. Besides, people seemed quite content with the rumors Nick had circulated.

Nick smirked, "I think I liked you better when you didn't resist, Shay." He slipped a hand to her waist, tugging her closer to his body. Her hands grappled, clinging to his shoulder to stabilize herself. "This will hurt a lot less if you just submit."

Why was she even here? The question reverberated through her mind, landing on the conclusion that he had asked, and defiance of his demands led to far worse consequences than compliance. His lips landed on hers, and had it not been for his grip on her, she would've recoiled. She shouldn't have been afraid of him, after all this time.

But he had shown her, so many times before, that she was nothing more than a pawn to him; a plain little piece of a larger picture, something he could cast away at will, and still have complete control over. He told her to move, and she would obey. A pawn to a patriarch, and she just wanted to be free of him. After all this, he still had a tiny piece of her, one of the many shards she had lost along the way. One of the many shards she had set to retrieve, she decided.

"You told Stephen about Dave," Nick muttered, lips barely leaving hers. "I heard him in the locker room once. He was pretty pissed, from what I could understand."

Stephen. What would he think if he knew where she was now? Knowing she had submitted, crumbled again beneath pressure... she could only imagine his disgust. Giving in to Nick now meant retreating back to square one; letting him know the power he held. Power, she believed, didn't belong to him. She had come so far, so desperately close to the freedom she had desired from Nick, that being with him now was only proving his point. Letting him inside her mind was parasitic. Him, a bitter, tiny little parasite feeding upon a weak and brittle host. And letting him be the patriarch only proved her a pawn.

"L-Let go of me, Nick."

"No."

And so she pushed, bracing her hands against her chest and shoving him backwards. He slid back, almost tripping on the bench. Anger settled in his eyes, and he tried to mask it with amusement. "What are you doing?"

"I-I'm not...I'm not doing this, Nick." He charged at her, and she held her ground, barely flinching as he clenched his fist around her wrist.

"I will march straight to catering...," he began, and she shook her head.

"I don't care." The words left her mouth like wildfire, and she was nearly startled by it herself. His eyes widened—his expression faltering as he tried to regain his composure. How three tiny words had dented his shell was almost rewarding. She spun on her heels, hand reaching for the doorknob. "It's not worth it." She left the locker room, her arms instinctively wrapping around her stomach. She heard the door slam again, and the echo of footsteps behind her. He called out her name, and she pretended she didn't hear him.

As she had predicted, defying him would more than likely lead to a greater consequence, but, for some reason, she wasn't sure if she cared. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she smiled slightly.

New Text ~ Jay: Hey Snow Bird, uh, I'm sorry. I'm in catering with the guys. There's a seat waiting for you, should you choose to accept it.

She remembered the fight they had gotten into, and how they both had left it unresolved. He had soon gotten reinjured, and both felt it best to let the other cool off for a while. Shay replied, slipping her phone back into her pocket as Nick came up behind her. She could hear the buzz of catering, knowing that now it would be full of Superstars and Divas. If she could make it to her seat before Nick had the chance to say anything, he'd more than likely leave it alone. "A-And what do you plan on saying?" She asked.

"The truth."

"And to think I almost thought you forgot the definition," Shay said, shaking her head as she rounded a corner. There, far off at the end of the hall, was the opening to catering. Breaking out in a run would surely result in a face plant, and invoke the sense that something was wrong.

"He cheated on you," Nick whispered, smirking at the tension that sprung into her shoulders.

"I think you should mention what you did, Nick. Give them the whole story. People hate plot holes."

"And what, ruin my reputation? No."

"I-If that's what you wish." Shay sighed as they reached catering. She maneuvered her way through the tables, searching for where Jay was. She found him, his eyes meeting hers with a smile, and was on her way over. Then, she paused, glancing over her shoulder. Nick was no longer following her. No, his gaze bore into hers, a smirk casting across his face as he climbed onto a table. Randy, Cody, Alberto, and Ricardo had been enjoying a meal, until Nick had interrupted. He grabbed a cup and a spoon, clanking them together and calling for their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you, Shay Hart!" He gestured to her, and she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She looked back at Jay, the worried look that never seemed to leave his eye, and Stephen, whose hand tightened into a fist. Silence befell the area, and she felt the eyes resting on her in curiosity."

"C'mon, Nick. Her birthday was in February," John Cena laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Nick ignored him, "Shay Hart, daughter of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Cousin to Nattie, one in a legacy, but do any of you really know her? Aside from her pity crew?"

"Nick," Randy began, "get down."

"Just, let me finish. Trust me, it'll be worth your while. This pathetic excuse for a woman is far more fucked up than any of you will believe. Do you remember Dave, Shay? Of course you do, you're not stupid. She just got by on not saying anything."

Out of the corner of her eye, Shay say Jay move to get up. She raised a hand to stop him, and returned her attention to Nick. "How does it feel to know that you were gullible enough to believe his lies. How he always was sorry for every single time he put you back into place? All the small things you did that just pissed him off, and you were his outlet. The funny thing is, that people believed the bullshit stories you told them. Such a goddamn klutz that he could get away with the abuse. You didn't fall and fracture an ankle, he pushed you." Nick paused, letting his words sink in. "But people expect you to fall, and you deliver every single time. You inflicted worry on all your friends. But you were too afraid—too selfish to seek help until someone made you."

Shay spun around to see Stephen standing closely behind her. "S-Stephen. Just...sit down, alright?"

"Tha' lil' fu-"

"Stephen, I want to hear what he has to say," she relayed calmly, trying to hide the quaver in her voice. He stopped, contemplating, before he retreated. Shay gestured for Nick to continue, figuring that this was the best, and most graceful, way of leaving.

"You done? Anyone else want to interfere?" Nick ran a hand through his hair. Shay sighed as he continued, going on and on about Dave and how clueless everyone else was. She stood, pulling the mask she had carefully constructed over the years back over her face. She wouldn't let him see how this affected her, he didn't deserve the notion. She briefly noticed the people around her; shocked faces, some shaking heads in disbelief, and glares. Phil, she could tell from here, was glaring. "I'll say this once to get it off the plate, Shay never slept with Chris."

"We already knew that, asshole." Shay fought back the chuckle that rose in her throat, noting that she'd have to thank Nattie later.

Nick faltered for a moment, but quickly recovered the ground he'd lost. "Let's, uh... let's talk about John Hennigan. You all know John, right? Good guy? Or is he? Little Shay over here is a scarred, petty remnant. Let me tell you a story, it's beautiful, really. Shay is discharged from the hospital that Dave put her into, and she returns to the WWE. Then, she met John, and they fall in love. Aww," he cooed, "how sweet."

"N-Nick...," Shay began, casting her attention towards Stephen, "not this." He merely chuckled, shaking his head and muttering something about how indecisive she was.

"And what happens? Your world crashed down. You were always faithful; you could never cheat on a soul—but he thought you did. He misunderstood what happened. Chris told you he loved you, and you had to shoot him down because you just didn't feel the same way. John overheard, gasp, and he jumped to conclusions. Fast forward forty-five minutes, and you walked in on him and Michelle. Broken. Everything went downhill from there. The next day he called you, begged you to see him, and you went along. Bet you wish you hadn't, right? Considering what happens next." Nick took a breath, standing triumphantly, and ignoring the looks he was given. "He decided he wanted to go for a drive, and he crashed the car. And you almost didn't make it. And now, you're plagued with insomnia, nightmares when you do sleep, and you're more screwed up than ever. This place, Shay, is a pity party for you. You actually think these people give a rat's ass about you? Shay, you don't belong here."

Shay cringed as he spoke, shaking her head as he finished. "A-Are you done?" Her voice shook slightly, and she turned to face her friends. They didn't step in, the understood this was her battle to fight. Shay straightened her posture and headed straight towards Nick. "Y-You're forgetting something, Nick."

"And what's that?" He seemed confident, maybe too confident.

"Y-you're the bastard that started it all. You're the sad, sad little boy that got off on seeing me suffer. I-I would've never put you through this—berating you in front of your co-workers just to see you squirm," she said, swallowing the tears that were burning at her throat. She knew, without a doubt, that she'd break down soon, and that was something she couldn't afford right now. She felt that she should've been the one to tell them, had she believed it to be their business. It wasn't. They didn't need to know, and he had exploited her. She felt the eyes staring into her, the murmur of voices building questions that drowned her mind.

"Is it true?" Phil stood, hands on his hips, and she could finally see how visibly pissed he was.

"Yea—," Nick began, but was cut off by Punk.

"I asked her; I don't even want to look at you. Shay?" He asked again, softer this time. Shay whimpered, coughing as she made her way through the crowd. Their murmurs followed her, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Y-yeah," she stated. "It's true. N-now, if you don't mind, I have a PPV to get ready for." Shay left, ignoring the all too familiar Irish accent following her.

"Shay!" His fingers brushed her shoulder and she spun around, tears glistening her eyes. "I-I'm sorry."

"I told you it was him that messed up."

"Ah know, an', he cheated on yeh," Stephen murmured, scratching the back of his head.

Shay snorted, unable to stop the shudders from wracking her shoulders. "W-why do you s-s-sound so surprised?"

"Ah don' see why anyone would wanna cheat on yeh," Stephen stated as he shrugged his shoulders. "Speakin' o' which, Ah could go an' kill 'em fer yeh. Ah'm sure Ah wouldn' be the only one."

"No thanks," she chuckled. "Stephen?" Her tone withered, and she bit her lip. "Can we please not talk about this?"

"Later?"

"Yes," Shay said, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she shut her eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

"Yeh promise?"

"Yes," Shay replied, giving him the best smile she could muster. Shay knew he wasn't entirely convinced, but relished in the fact that he hadn't asked her if she was okay. Stephen smiled, putting an arm over her shoulders.

"Good, now, we have a match ta get ready for. An' Shay," he paused, and she pivoted to face him. He looked serious, and she realized just how seriously he must've taken all those things Nick said. "Yeh deserve so much better than any o' them."

"Because they're superheroes, right?"

"Because it's the truth," he stated, and she glanced away. She felt so heavy, like her back was laden with layer after layer of metal. At first she believed Nick running his mouth would be relieving, but she felt almost worse than she had before. She needed somewhere quiet and alone, and there, as they began walking towards the locker room, it came to her.

She needed to get away. She needed to go home.