Sheamus stood at the Gorilla, loosening up and mentally preparing for his match on Raw that following Monday night. The Irishman closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, psyching himself up for what was to come.
As he opened his eyes he locked in on someone at the end of the corridor and everything seemed to stop.
Ali approached him and his eyes instantly raked over her. Her hair was down, curls falling free. She was wearing one of his shirts but it had been given a make-over. Now form fitting and knotted at the waist, revealing her flat stomach. The shoulders had also been removed, making it off-the-shoulder, as was her preferred style. The look was coupled with a pair of dark, boot-cut jeans and black boots.
"Ready to go?" she asked as she reached him and took his hand.
He looked down at her tenderly, giving her hand a squeeze, "Yer not goin' out there wit' me tonight, sweetness."
"I'm not?" Ali was surprised, "But why? I always go down to ringside with you."
"Not this time." he reached out and gently cupped her cheek, smiling as Ali's eyes involuntarily closed and she leaned into his touch, "Ah'm goin' up against Justin Gabriel and that means that the Nexus will be about. Ah'm not goin' to risk anythin' happenin' to you."
Ali opened her eyes and nodded, "All right. Just be careful out there."
He smirked down at her, "Where's the fun in that?"
She scoffed and pulled away, "Ha ha, Irishman. You're not funny."
He stuck his bottom lip out in a picture perfect pout and the assistant couldn't help but laugh. She reached up and gave him a hug, whispering in his ear, "I'll be right here waiting, my laoch."
She followed it up by slowly tracing the 'o' in LaOch on the front of his tights with her finger.
As she pulled back she noticed his eyes had begun to darken. He all but groaned as he stared down at her.
"Don' say or do things like that to me before Ah have a match, lass." he chastised as he adjusted himself, "Ah can' go out there wit' a hard-on."
Ali threw back her head and laughed, the Irishman chuckling, as well.
Her laugher faded away, the severity of the situation hitting her.
"Watch your back." she told him.
His smile died on his lips and he nodded. He knew that it wasn't just Gabriel he was going up against. The Nexus wouldn't have any qualms about getting involved if it looked like the South African was in trouble.
He reached out, running his hand through her hair before turning and heading to the ring. With each step he took he grew more and more serious; psyching himself up for the match to come.
As he stepped out onto the ramp he was surprised to see Gabriel in the ring along. Not even his tag team partner, Heath Slater, was around.
Though the thought made him uneasy, he pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on the task at hand.
He stepped into the ring, eyes locked on his competitor. The high flyer was smirking at him, like he knew something the Celtic Warrior didn't.
Sheamus did a quick sweep of the arena, but there wasn't a black and gold armband to be seen. The Nexus had decided to make themselves uncharacteristically scarce. And while it unnerved him a little, he pushed it away for now and focused on Gabriel.
The bell soon sounded and the two wrestlers began to circle one another, each looking for an opening. Soon they locked up before Sheamus, with a bellow, easily tossed the smaller man across the ring and into the ropes.
Justin's arm latched around the top rope to keep him upright. He looked over at the Irishman with worry, unsure of what to do next.
His eyes began to narrow and he took a few steps forward, pointing a finger at Sheamus. The taller man took a swipe at it as he glowered.
Soon they were locking up again, Sheamus getting Justin into a headlock. He cranked it, adding more pressure and the other man flailed a little.
Another bellow from the Irishman and he tossed the South African over his hip and onto the mat. Justin hit it with a groan but climbed to his feet and leaned back in the corner, uneasiness in his brown eyes as they focused in on the lager man.
Sheamus was practically smirking at him, crooking his finger and telling him to come on.
Justin took a breath and straightened, getting out of the corner. He began to circle the other man until he slipped under Sheamus arm, coming around behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. He tightened the hold, arms squeezing.
The Irishman grunted, his hands locking on the other man's wrists in a bid to get him to loosen his hold. When that didn't appear to work he instead slammed his elbow into the other man's face.
Justin immediately released his hold, again falling back into the ropes. He had little time to react, though, as Sheamus grabbed his arm and twisted it. He did it again, smiling evilly as the smaller man cried out in pain.
The Celtic Warrior gripped his hair and slammed him back down onto the canvas. The smaller man instantly did a kip up, getting back to his feet. Sheamus simply grabbed his hair and tossed him back down again. And again the other man got to his feet.
This time, though, he managed to reverse the hold. Now it was Sheamus' arm in a painful grasp.
The Irishman let out a yell of agony as Justin took him to the ground, pain shooting up and down his arm. He clenched and unclenched his other hand, teeth grit as he tried to fight through it.
Somehow he managed to get to his feet and, eyes burning on Justin's face, he sent a crashing blow to the other man's jaw. Gabriel instantly released his hold, stagger back. Roaring, the Celtic Warrior hammered a vicious blow onto his back, causing Justin to go to the canvas.
The Irishman started to advance, keeping a wary eye on the ramp just incase the Nexus decided to make an appearance. Surprisingly, they were still nowhere to be seen.
He turned his attention back to his fallen competitor, stomping on his hand when the smaller man tried to rise. Justin yelled, instantly falling back onto the canvas.
Sheamus was on him in an instantly, yanking him to his feet before wrenching his arm. Justin roared in pain, struggling to get out of the hold. When that didn't work he jumped up, slamming his forearm against the larger man's face. The Irishman staggered back a step, but keep his grip.
The Nexus member tried it again and again, eventually herding the redheaded man into a corner. From there he managed to use his opponent's weight against him, flipping him over.
Sheamus hit the canvas and rolled, eventually getting to his feet in the opposite corner. He looked at the smaller man carefully, almost as though he had a newfound respect for him.
The Irishman remained in the corner for a few moments, catching his breath and trying to think of a new strategy. Knowing that he couldn't stay there for long, he cautiously made his way back to the center of the ring.
The two men circled one another before going for a lockup. Justin again went for Sheamus' arm, but the larger man hammered him in the back with a clubbing blow, knocking the South African to the mat. He followed it up with a vicious stomp to his ankle as the Nexus member tried to get to his feet.
The redheaded man picked him up by his hair, driving a blow to his jaw that knocked him back into the ropes. Grabbing his arm, he sent him launching across the ring. As Justin came bouncing back the Irishman went for a clothesline.
Justin managed to just duck under it, coming back. Sheamus picked him up, meaning to bodyslam him when the Nexus member twisted his body around like a pretzel, getting out of the hold and onto the mat. He followed it up with a dropkick, knocking Sheamus out of the ring and onto the floor below.
The Irishman landed surprisingly on his feet, but he was still staggered from the blow. He took a moment before starting to climb back in.
But as he was doing so, he saw Gabriel launching himself across the ring, planning to hit him with a baseball slide. Sheamus moved out of the way just in time and Justin in the ground. As he turned around he was leveled by a nasty clothesline from the Celtic Warrior.
Sheamus glowered down at the fallen man for a moment, arms raised in the air in triumph. But he didn't gloat long, knowing he needed to end this soon. He grabbed the smaller man, rolling him back into the ring. As he followed him in he went for the pin.
One! Two!
Somehow the other man managed to kick out before the ref could count 'three'! Sheamus was surprised but didn't allow himself to get frustrated. He simply picked him up and gave him a brutal Suplex.
He again went for the pin. One! Two!
And again, somehow, Gabriel managed to kick out before the ref could get to three.
Sheamus began to feel his temper rise and as Justin managed to sit up the Irishman got behind him and put him in a headlock.
The smaller man thrashed about, trying desperately to get out of the hold. Sheamus only tightened the pressure, watching on with devious glee as the other man continued to struggle.
Somehow Justin managed to get to a vertical base, throwing punches into the Irishman's gut. Sheamus had no choice but to relinquish his hold, reeling back a few steps.
The South African nailed him with a knee to the jaw and Sheamus saw stars. He started to lurch when Gabriel went for a kick to his gut.
Sheamus moved back just in time, shaking off the cobwebs as he leveled the smaller man with a blow of his own. He then whipped him into the corner with unrelenting force, causing the Nexus member to hit the canvas.
The Celtic Warrior bellowed as he dropped a ferocious knee onto the other man's back. He promptly rolled him over, again going for the pin.
But Justin still managed to find the strength to kick out.
Sheamus sat up, beating his fist against the canvas as he fought to control his temper. With his blood boiling, he put him in another headlock, increasing the pressure. By some means Justin was able to stand up. But, still holding on, the Irishman just slammed him back down onto the mat. He followed it up with another pin attempt.
One! Two!
And the South African kicked out again!
The two men climbed to their feet, Sheamus instantly going for another Suplex. But as he started to lift the smaller man up Justin managed to knee him in the chin. The Irishman released his hold, Justin landing on his feet. He backed up into a corner, trying to catch his breath.
Sheamus shook his head, trying to clear the fog. It was then that he noticed the other man. With a bellow, he went for him, meaning to drive his shoulder into the other man's gut. But at the last second Justin, braced on the top ropes, jumped up and kicked the larger man full in the face. Sheamus staggered back, scrubbing his hand over his face and shaking his head.
The Nexus member looked at him with a smirk. Feeling confident, he climbed out onto the apron. He steadied himself before suddenly jumping up onto the top rope and launching himself towards the Celtic Warrior.
Sheamus lowered his hand, noticing that the other man was barreling towards him. Instinct immediately kicked in and, just as Gabriel was about to land, Sheamus leveled him with a Brogue Kick.
The crowd went nuts, cheering and some of them even starting to chant his name as the redheaded man jumped on his opponent and went for the pin.
One! Two! Three!
Sheamus jumped to his feet, beating his fist against his chest and bellowing as the bell sounded and his entrance music began to play.
The ref raised his hand and he grinned, letting the cheers wash over him. He was surprised by how much he liked it. How much hearing the fans chant his name actually started to warm his heart.
Shaking his head at the revelation, he climbed out of the ring and started back up the ramp, the grin still full on his lips.
As he slipped past the curtain Ali was instantly on him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"You were amazing!" she cheered against his chest.
Sheamus chuckled at her antics, grasping her by the waist and raising her up to give her a long kiss.
"Ah'm always amazin'." he murmured to her seconds before his lips claimed hers.
"Yeah, yeah." Ali sighed against his mouth, but she allowed him to deepen the embrace.
They continued for a few more minutes until they were forced to part and feed their air starved lungs.
"Come on." Sheamus told her as he sat her down and took her hand, leading her through the backstage area, "Ah feel like a shower and then watchin' the rest of the show wit' me woman on me lap."
Ali threw back her head and laughed, causing Sheamus to chuckle.
They rounded a corner, making their way past crew and wrestlers alike. But nether took any notice, the pair only focused on each other.
Sheamus was just thinking about getting her locked away in his locker room when the world suddenly erupted. The next thing he knew, Ali was being ripped away from him and he was being pummeled with a multitude of hands and feet.
Pain and rage, along with a stark fear over what might be happening to Alina, overcame the Celtic Warrior and he tried to fight back as best he could. Roaring, he returned the blows with punches and kicks of his own.
He battled through the mêlée, finally getting a look at just who he was fighting. Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, David Otunga and a slightly wounded Justin Gabriel had surrounded him, taking any opening they could find.
Sheamus could hear Ali begging for them to stop and that only made him fight harder. He turned his attention to Gabriel, first, knowing that he would be the easiest one to fell.
Ali watched the assault in horror, hand clutching at her aching upper arm where Barrett had roughly grabbed it and yanked her out of the way. She could see Sheamus was fighting tooth-and-nail, but against four men it wouldn't be much longer before he couldn't hold his own.
She had to stop this somehow. Her head was screaming for her to go get John but she didn't want to leave Sheamus' side. Not for a second when anything could happen.
She looked around, taking in the way the crew and some of the wrestlers were standing around, watching. She felt her anger begin to rise over the fact that they weren't going to do anything.
"Help him!" she cried to them, but they only looked away in discomfort or guilt.
Ali turned back to the fray, watching as Sheamus dropped Justin Gabriel before going after David Otunga. He took a particularly brutal punch to the stomach, knocking the pale man back a few steps.
The assistant look around with wild eyes, trying to find something, anything, to use again the pack of jackals. Unfortunately there was nothing she could find.
She spun back around, watching as Wade started to advance on Sheamus, who was still trading blows with Otunga and Slater. The British wrestler was smiling deviously, winding up his elbow as he prepared to level the other man with it.
"No." Ali gasped and, without thinking, she rushed over and grabbed his arm to try and stop him.
Wade felt someone clamp onto his arm and he quickly wheeled around, driving his elbow into the figure's face. He paused, horrified, as he realized it wasn't another wrestler trying to stop him but Ali.
He watched in alarm as the young woman recoiled back, knocked out on her feet. She fell over a low equipment case and landed on a series of metal pipes that were laying on the ground. She was at once still.
An almost animalist roar sounded from behind him and the Nexus leader spun around with wide eyes.
Sheamus had seen what had happened and he was now glaring at the British wrestler with so much hate that it actually made the other man's blood run cold. The Irishman was breathing heavily, teeth clenched and face red with rage.
"Nexus, come on!" Wade ordered as he hurried off, his lackeys quick to follow.
The Celtic Warrior forgot them instantly, racing to where Ali still laid.
"Ahlina!" he bellowed in fear and fury, kneeling beside the unconscious woman and holding her tightly to his chest.
Ali's head fell back, the young woman still unmoving. There was already a nasty bruise forming on her temple from where Wade had hit her.
Sheamus' hand shook as he cupped her cheek, his voice trembling with pent-up emotions as he called hoarsely to her, "Ahlina! Answer me! Answer me, sweetness! Ahlina!"
The pounding of feet filled the otherwise stunned silent corridor and crew and wrestlers quickly moved out of the way, allowing John and some EMTs through. Eve was bringing up the rear and as soon as she saw Ali she came to a screeching halt, her hands flying to her open mouth.
"What happened?" John demanded, the former champion immediately angry.
"The Nexus jumped Sheamus." Kelly Kelly spoke up, "Ali tried to stop them and Wade hit her. She went flying over that equipment case and then the Nexus took off."
"Bastards." John snarled.
The EMTs knelt beside Sheamus and started to reach for Ali when the Irishman suddenly yanked the assistant tightly to his chest and growled, "Stay the feck away from her!"
The two men exchanged nervous glanced before once again going for her.
"Ah said don' touch her!" Sheamus bellowed, his hold on the young woman tightening.
"John." Eve placed a hand on his arm, her eyes locked on the Irishman and assistant.
John took a deep breath, trying to analyze the situation. Sheamus was on the edge right now, both from the attack at the hands of the Nexus and Ali's injury. He had to play this cool or there was no telling what the other man would do.
"Sheamus." he called out with a calm that surprised even him.
Sheamus' wild eyes flew to John's face, the Irishman drawling Ali closer to his chest. She still wasn't moving and that worried the former WWE champion considerably.
The Celtic Warrior glared up at the other man, his teeth bared. He didn't care if he was acting irrationally. Ali was hurt and everything in him was screaming for him to protect her.
John took careful steps towards him and knelt down, meeting his dark gaze.
"You're scared for her, I get that." Cena told him, "Hell, I'm scared for her, too. But you've got to let these guys take care of her. They can help her more than you can right now. And I know you know that."
Sheamus looked down at Ali. She looked so pale. It made the bruise on her forehead a stark contrast.
Alina. He squeezed his eyes shut painfully. How could anyone harm a hair on her head? Alina who was sweet and good and kind. Who was only trying to help him.
Sheamus leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her temple, careful to avoid her bruise. He opened his eyes, the blue depths filled with despair and rage, and he reluctantly handed her off to John.
Cena quickly laid her down and the EMTs got to work taking care of her. As he turned back to larger man he found that he had surged to his feet and was now pacing the corridor, hands gripped tightly on his red spikes, face tense.
John stood up and walked over to him, feeling an unknown need to comfort him.
"She'll be all right." he tried to assure him.
Sheamus looked at him with a cold smirk, "Ya think so, fella? You didn' see the way that bastard hit her. You didn' see the way she fell over that case and hit those pipes."
He leaned in closer and growled, "You don' know shite."
John, knowing that there was no point in trying to talk to the other man, waved him off and turned his attention back to the EMTs. They had Ali in a neck brace and loaded onto a gurney and were starting to wheel her off in the direction of the waiting ambulance.
Sheamus started to go past him, to go with them, when John reached out and took hold of his arm. The Irishman spun around, yanking his arm out of the other man's hold..
"Hold on." John raised his hands in mock surrender, "I know you want to go with them but don't you think you should change first?"
Sheamus looked down at his ring gear for a second before turning back to John and muttering, "Ah don' care how Ah look."
"Yeah, well they won't let you in to see her looking like that." John stated, "So why don't you get changed and I'll go with Ali."
Sheamus was about to protest when Eve came forward, "You know he's right, Sheamus. Please, just hurry and get dressed. I'll drive us to the hospital."
Sheamus looked back and forth between them, contemplating. At long last he nodded reluctantly and John clapped him on the back before turning and hurrying after the medics.
"Ah'll be five minutes at the most." Sheamus told Eve, who nodded.
And with that the Irishman turned and hurried to his locker room, his mind and heart with the young woman who was being whisked away from him.
.
.
.
.
.
Sheamus paced back and forth across the waiting room like a caged animal, the Irishman growing agitated with each step.
All he could see was Alina laid out on the ground, pale and unmoving. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake that image.
John and Eve watched him, the pair becoming unnerved as he paced back and forth in front of them.
"Sheamus, maybe you should sit down." Eve gently suggested.
"Yeah," John agreed, waving a hand at him, "Pacing isn't going to make us find out anything any quicker."
"Ah don' want to sit down." the Irishman muttered as he continued to stalk.
The truth was, if he didn't do this he would storm through those doors marked 'Personnel Only' and demand to know what was going on.
"Look, Ali was awake when they loaded her into the ambulance." John tried to reassure him, "That's a good sign that she'll be fine. They just need to check her out."
It was clear that his words were falling on death ears, though. Sheamus just continued to pace back and forth. It was almost like he was stuck inside his own head. John had never seen anyone look so lost before.
"This is all my fault." the Celtic Warrior muttered to nobody in particular, "Ah let this happen to her."
John and Eve exchanged looks, both surprised. It was jarring for Sheamus to take the blame for anything, especially something that was so clearly not his fault.
"Don't do this to yourself, man." John told him, sincere, "There was nothing you could have done."
Sheamus turned, scoffing at him in disbelief.
At that moment a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and big blue eyes, dressed in scrubs, entered the room. She looked around, her eyes widening slightly as she spied Sheamus. He did look a formidable sight what with his vast height and build and current sour expression.
She turned to John and Eve, thinking it best to approach them instead.
"Are you here with Alina Broderick?" she questioned them hopefully.
"Is she all right, lass?" Sheamus instantly came forward and demanded.
The doctor looked up at him, clearly intimidated.
She forced that down, though, nodding and offering a hopeful smile, "She's awake and responsive. She, um, she's suffered a low grade concussion along with a few contusions on her back and shoulder from where she fell. But she'll be okay. All she needs is rest. We-we're going to keep her overnight for observations, but other than that, she'll be free to go in the morning."
"Thank you." John breathed a sigh of relief and shook the doctor's hand.
Sheamus turned away, scrubbing a hand over his face and thanking the fates that she was going to be all right. Though no thanks to him.
"Can we see her?" Eve asked.
"I don't see why not." the doctor gave her a warm smile, "But one at a time and only for a few minutes each."
"That's fine." John assured her, "Thank you."
He turned to Sheamus and offered, "You want to go first?"
Sheamus blinked, coming out of his thoughts. He wanted to go see her, yes. He wanted, needed, to assure himself that she truly was all right. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He felt too guilty.
"You can go ahead." he stated, "Ah'm sure she'd like to see you right now, fella."
"She'd like to see you, too." John volunteered.
But Sheamus simply motioned for him to go on. John gave him a look but turned and followed the doctor out of the room.
Once he was gone the Celtic Warrior found himself sinking into a nearby chair. He hunched over, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
Eve looked down at him in surprise. She had always thought that Sheamus as so strong, so untouchable. So to see him so clearly affected by another person. . .it was shocking really.
She slipped into the chair beside him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, "You heard the doctor, Sheamus. Ali's going to be just fine."
"No thanks to me." she heard him mutter.
"It's not your fault." the Diva tried to make him see reason, "If you want to blame anyone blame the Nexus. They're the ones who attacked you. Wade's the one who hurt Ali. There was no way you could have stopped them."
Sheamus raised his head and looked at her, the wrestler giving her a self-loathing smirk.
She was wrong. He was to blame. Him and his damned pride and arrogance. He should have known the Nexus would try something. He should have sent Ali away. But no. No, he assumed the great Celtic Warrior could handle all comers. And it was that conceit that had gotten an innocent woman hurt tonight.
John stepped back into the room a short time later. His eyes landed on the redhead and he nodded, "Ali's asking for you."
Sheamus paused, unsure of what to do. While he wanted more than anything to see with his own eyes that she was all right, there was that other part of him that said he should leave. That he had done nothing but help cause harm to her.
"Go on, Sheamus." Eve gently pressed him, "She wants to see you."
The Irishman closed his eyes and collected himself. Sighing, he rose to his feet and made his way out of the room and down the hall. As he walked he felt his chest grow heavier. Felt the weight on his shoulders bearing down just a little bit more.
He reached her room and drew to a stop, hand frozen on the doorknob.
Come on, fella, he told himself, Open the door and get in there. She was callin' for you, after all. Don' disappoint her anymore than you all ready have.
He gripped the doorknob tightly and eased it open, his eyes immediately going to small woman in the bed. Just one look at her and he felt his gut clench.
She still looked pale, the purple/blue bruise standing out on her forehead. She was wearing a hospital gown that emphasized just how small she was. She was laying there back against the white sheets, looking at him with a faint, though sweet, smile that made him all but groan.
Jaysus, she actually looked happy to see him! How could she after what he let happen to her?
"Hi." she murmured, reaching out a hand to him.
Sheamus approached her cautiously, the Irishman slowly sinking onto the chair beside her bed. He couldn't bring himself to take her offered hand, though he was unable to stop himself from running his fingers through her hair.
Almost instantaneously Ali's eyes began to flutter and close.
"You're going to put me to sleep if you keep that up." she gave him a small smile.
"How are you feelin'?" he asked as he studied her face.
"Tired." Ali admitted, "And a little headachy. And my back hurts a little. But Dr. Brady said I'd be all right in a few days."
She reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. He looked so sad that she had to reach out and touch him, comfort him in some way.
Sheamus couldn't met her eyes, instead choosing to stare down at their joined hands as he said in a pain-filled voice, "Ah'm sorry you were hurt."
Ali looked at him tenderly, "Oh, Sheamus, it's not your fault."
He didn't respond to that, only continued to stare at her hand, his thumb rubbing back and forth against it.
But it was his fault. He knew it. Knew it with as much certainty as he knew his own name.
"You should get some rest." he instead told her, finally daring to meet her gaze.
"Well I am tired." Ali's eyes slowly began to close, "Besides, I should get as much sleep as I can before they come in and wake me up."
"Rest." the Celtic Warrior murmured as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. His eyes painfully squeezed shut as he kept his lips pressed to her skin.
He heard her breathing grow deep and even and he knew that she was at last asleep. It was only then that he opened his eyes and studied her.
She might not have blamed him but he blamed himself. What happened to her tonight had finally opened his eyes. Made him realize that he couldn't be selfish anymore. He had to let her go. He couldn't let her get hurt again. Not because of him.
And it wasn't just the physical pain, though he would always blame himself for that. What he was doing now by being with her without being able to give her what she truly deserved, a man who could love her, wasn't fair to her. She deserved more. Better. Certainly better than the likes of him. She deserved a man who could love her. Love her the way she deserved to be loved, with everything he had in him.
He felt a pain go through his heart. But how was he going to be able to let her go? How could he go on, not being able to see those beautiful blue-green eyes of hers every day. Not being able to see that sweet smile. Not being able to hear that infectious, deep belly laugh of hers. Spending the nights laying with her in bed, talking to her. Feeling that soft, giving body of hers next to his own.
That's all it is, lad, he told himself, growing resolved with his decision, Just a bond of the flesh. She was a great ride, sure, but nothing more. You can let her go. You have to.
He slowly released her hand and stood, eyes locked on her sleeping face. He backed away from her and made his way to the door, turning to take hold of the doorknob. He opened the door and started to leave when he found himself pausing and looking back at her. He couldn't help himself, really.
With pain filled eyes he gave her one last look then turned and left the room.
.
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.
.
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Ali made her way through the hotel hallway that fallowing Monday morning. She had spent the past week back in Portland, recuperating.
John had visited her, staying with her instead of going home on his days off. She knew how precious and rare his free time was and the fact that he would spend it with her meant a great deal to her. He really was her best friend.
Eve had even managed to fly up on Saturday. And while Ali knew her friend wanted to visit her, she couldn't help but think that John being there helped influence the Diva's decision.
And then there was Gail, who had called her everyday, wanting to see how she was doing.
The assistant began to frown as she approached the door at the end of the hall.
Her friends had gone out of their way to check on her but not the man she loved.
Sheamus hadn't visited her once in Portland. And in the week that she had been laid up he had only called her twice. Once on Tuesday and again on Saturday.
She thought back on those calls. They had been short, only about ten minutes each. And he hadn't said much aside from his initial asking of how she was doing. In fact, Ali had found herself doing most of the talking.
As she reached the door she paused, hand poised to knock. She slowly lowered it and leaned back against the wall, thoughtful.
She knew he felt badly over what had happened, no matter how misguided those thoughts were. But it wasn't his fault she had become a casualty of Nexus' attack on him. And she planned to tell him just that.
She only hoped he would listen to her.
Ali straightened with a sigh, mentally preparing herself. He was quite stubborn and she knew this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.
The assistant knocked and was immediately answered with a gruff voice calling out, "What?"
She couldn't help but smirk at that. Well at least he hadn't lost his charm.
She didn't answer him, instead choosing to knock again. If he wanted to know who it was he'd just have to answer the door and find out.
She heard thudding footsteps and she couldn't help but grin at that. He didn't sound too happy about being interrupted so early in the morning.
"Ya better have a good reason to-" he started to grumble as he opened the door. But then he got one look at her and the words died on his lips.
"I'd say I'm a pretty good reason." Ali grinned up at him, slipping under his arm and walking into the room.
She turned to him and beamed, "Surprise."
He was slow to close the door and even then he didn't turn to face her right away. Ali began to frown and took a deep breath. She knew where this was headed, but she was willing to face it head on. Especially if it ended like their last hotel room encounter.
Sheamus closed his eyes and fought to keep control of his emotions. He could do this. He just needed to remain detached, cool. He smirked inwardly at that. Him detached and cool? Yeah right.
When he turned to face her he somehow managed to keep his features blank. He leaned back against the door and nodded, voice aloof, "Ah'm glad to see yer doin' all right, lass, but Ah need to get goin'. Ah have a lot to do before Raw tonight."
Ali sighed. So this was how he was going to play it. Fine, she was just going to have to call his bluff again.
"So you're just going to push me away again? Pretend like there's nothing between us?" the assistant scoffed, "Really, Sheamus, I thought we were past this."
The Irishman straightened and exhaled, as though bored, "Ah didn' want to do it this way, but you refuse to take the hint."
He made his way over to her, a smirk beginning to tug at his lips, "It was fun while it lasted, but the fact is Ah'm just not interested anymore."
Ali blinked at him, "You're lying."
"Ah'm not." Sheamus went on casually even as the pain in his chest increased, "Don' get me wrong, you were. . .enthusiastic, lass. But enthusiasm only goes so far. Ah need a woman wit' a bit more experience."
Ali felt tears begin to prick at her eyes at the digs that hit a little too close to home. Why was he doing this? Why was he saying these things to her?
"Stop it." she snapped, growing upset, "Stop trying to push me away. I don't know if this is because you feel guilty over what happened to me or what, but you need to stop."
Sheamus saw her tears and everything inside of him screamed for him to reach out and take her in his arms, kiss those tears away. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and made himself grin down at her.
"Do you want to know the truth?" he went on, chuckling darkly, "All of this was just a way to get at Cena. And you. Ah was just usin' you. Ah did everythin' Ah could to get you into me bed and it worked. You actually fell for it. The fact that you fell in love wit' me, well that was just a bonus."
The tears spilled down her cheeks as she stared up at him in mute horror. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't saying these words to her now. This had to be a nightmare. A horrible nightmare that she would wake up from in a second.
"No." she whispered, shaking her head, "No, you're lying. You're just trying to push me away."
"Ah'm afraid not. The truth is, Ah'm growin' bored wit' all of this and Ah think it's time Ah moved on." he added as his grin grew, "Ahli."
Ali. How was it that her own nickname could sound so wrong coming from his lips?
"You're lying." Ali began to cry, her heart breaking, "Stop lying!"
Wounded and humiliated, she began to beat her hands against his chest, sobs wracking her body.
"You're just trying to push me away because you're scared!" she wept as she continued to pound her fists against his chest, "You're just a coward! A coward!"
Sheamus let her hit him, because he deserved it, until he heard her call him a coward. That one word sparked his famous temper because nobody called him a coward.
But it also infuriated him because, that at that moment, he really was one. And that hurt and angered him more than he wanted to admit.
He grabbed her wrists and she struggled against him.
"Let me go!" she cried, tears of pain and rage rushing down her cheeks, "Let me go, you coward!"
At that moment Sheamus saw red. He released her wrists but grabbed her waist, hoisting her up into his arms. He had her up against the nearby wall in seconds, his mouth ravaging hers. His grip was raw as he held her tightly to him, his tongue thrusting into her mouth.
Ali, too, was filled with anger as she fisted his shirt, meeting his painful kiss with one of her own.
The lust hit him as quickly and powerfully as the fury and he pulled back, harsh breaths escaping him. He glared at her and discovered the same hunger in her own eyes. That was all he needed to see.
He sat her down but didn't release her, tearing at the zipper of her jeans before yanking both them and her panties down and off of her body. Soon his own fly was undone, his length springing forth.
When he picked her back up he thrust forcefully into her, pressing both of them against the wall. From there he surged in and out of her, gripping her thighs tightly. His rough pants filling her ear from where his face was pressed into her neck.
Ali found herself clawing at his back, trying to pull him closer to her. Almost as though she wanted to absorb him into her skin. She tightened her thighs around him, her legs practically squeezing him like a python.
It didn't take long until she felt the pressure in her center growing more and more taunt. A few more thrusts and she was falling over the edge, moaning at the sensations that washed over her.
Sheamus heard her cries, felt her shatter around him, and then his own climax hit him hard. He groaned, surging into her a few more times before collapsing against her, the wall now supporting both of them.
Their harsh rasps filled the otherwise silent room as they came down from their explosive high. All the times before had never been that unstable, never filled with such wrath, and it left them both stunned by the intensity of it.
Sheamus cursed himself for letting it happen but he knew that he wouldn't have been able to stop it. Not even if he had wanted to. And he hadn't wanted to.
It wasn't long before he sat her down and backed way, all the while shaking. He struggled to control his racing heartbeat and emotions as he tucked himself back in and zipped his fly. He turned and forced himself to collect his bags, all the while avoiding her gaze.
"That didn' mean anythin'." he lied before stalking out of the room.
Ali was left there, leaning against the wall in a sort of daze. She slowly began to come back, blinking. Almost on autopilot, she straightened, collected her clothes and made her way into the bathroom, cleaning herself up and redressing.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she fixed her hair. The woman staring back at her had an expression that rivaled that of a china doll's. Blank. Emotionless.
Once she was sure she looked all right she made her way out of the room and towards John's room. She had things to do. She had to look over John's schedule, get his day's events squared away. And knowing him, there would be a lot to do.
She reached his door shortly and knocked. She heard movement inside the room and soon the door opened, the former WWE champion standing in front of her.
"Ali?" he was surprised to see her, stepping back to let her enter, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I thought you'd be with Sheamus."
"Um, no." she offered a weak laugh and cleared her throat, "No, Sheamus and I are no longer seeing one another. His loss, of course. So, um, congratulations. You have the best assistant in the world back, you lucky guy."
John closed the door and looked at her back, a frown forming on his lips. That son-of-a-bitch. . .He should have known something like this was going to happen.
"I'm sorry." he told her as he approached, reaching out to touch her shoulder.
She quickly pulled away and shook her head, the young woman trying to appear nonchalant, "It happens. There's nothing I can really do about it."
John wasn't buying her act for a second. He knew she had to be hurting because he knew how much she cared about the guy. As imprudent as it might be.
He grasped her shoulders and forced her to turn around. What looked back at him broke his heart. She tried to smile, but it wavered. And her eyes were red as she fought not to cry.
"Ali." John sighed as he reached out and cupped her cheek.
That was all it took. Just that one little touch and the dam crumbled.
"Oh, John." the assistant's body began to shake as she burst into pain-filled sobs, "What am I going to do?"
His arms instantly came around her and he held her tightly to him as she broke down in grief.
