Cody, the Sacrificial Lamb

Their tour throughout Italy had come to a wonderful conclusion as they left the beautiful land of vineyards and islands with a heavy heart. Some carried souvenirs in their luggage, in their minds, in their cameras, or in the case of Stephen, their face. Samantha had met with her newest group to take care of like a mama bear and she would take the bull by the horns to make sure nothing else went horribly wrong. Of course, she could safeguard all dangers and prepare for common scenarios but when the higher ups told you that there needed to be a few budget cuts here and there- it was her team that had suffered, as always. Sometimes, Samantha truly wondered if bad luck was hot on her heels because it had such a tight hold on the poor woman.

This time, she'd been well-informed that their hotel in France would be near the airport but would only provide the basic commodities of cable, Wi-Fi, and a complimentary breakfast. The nice upside was a pool that they could all enjoy on their stay there. Samantha didn't fret because the wrestlers didn't seem to mind but what the company forgot to mention was a single tiny fact they embellished that bit them all in the butt when they arrived to check-in from the airport.

Samantha just knew she'd face all of their complaints when they met up in ten minutes down in the pool area, which was actually quite nice and spacious as advertised. After their issues in Italy, she knew Mike, Stephen, Nattie, TJ, Randy, and Ted would be soaking until they wrinkled like old leather. Her newest addition for the France trip brought Chris Everidge and Cody Runnels into their group and they'd have to have strong willpower to survive what the others had. Hopefully, that cold refreshing pool would even out the horrible facts about the hotel but she didn't hold her breath on it.

When she arrived at the pool, she found her group for the week either eating like ravenous rabbits after the jet lag or relaxing by the poolside to ward off the heat. None sported swimwear so she hoped the pool hadn't been shut down for decontamination or a poor soul had drowned just a few minutes ago. She almost felt a little underdressed as she'd decided to step out in jean shorts and a simple violet t-shirt while everyone else dressed casually in brand name clothing. As always, Stephen made her feel the worst with her state of dress because she'd yet to find him wearing regular blue jeans on an average day as he wore a gray dress shirt and beige pants. Man, his parents had taught him extremely well to dress his best in any situation. Why. . .why did she decide to wear flip-flops?

Quickly overcoming her lack of a decent wardrobe at the moment, Samantha smiled widely to fit the scary plastic smile of a Disney parade dancer to cheer up the group as they lounged around. Ted sat in poolside chair as he snacked on a bag of potato chips, lounging in simple black jeans and a blue shirt that spelled laidback for the young man. She was already fearful to hear the answer from her group, whose attention turned to her with shrewd perception that didn't help her case, but sucked down her hesitance by asking calmly, "So, how are the rooms?"

Chris Everidge wasn't amused since he expected his temporary quarters to be livable without hazardous moments and crossed his arms over his broad chest to point out sharply, "Parts of the ceiling fell on me, Samantha. Fell. On. Me."

"There's a leak in mine" Mike stated simply since he'd noticed it within minutes of fixing his luggage on a corner when it dripped down his left shoulder and hoped it wasn't from the bathroom pipes. A quick shower and a change of clothes had fixed it but the issue wasn't too much of a concern since he placed a small bowl under the drip to collect the water. He fiddled with his phone as he searched for events in their current city that struck his interest and waved his hand to dismiss the problem from Samantha's troubled mind, "No biggie though, there's no sign of flooding."

Nattie raised her hand from her seat on the floor, her bare legs splashing in the water to cool off, and she added in, "Mine-"

Her voice was cut off as the sound of a plane's engine deafened every sound around them and the earth trembled lightly with the incoming plane. Everyone covered their ears to mute the piercing loud noise and Samantha knew there was nothing she could do about that one since the airport was right next to the hotel, which hadn't soundproofed itself. When the noise faded away into peaceful silence, Nattie took away her hands and stated flatly as she cocked her head in the direction of the airport, "Yeah, that."

"I can't hear from my left ear anymore" Ted whimpered woefully since his room was on the eastern side that faced the airport so he'd been hearing arrivals every fifteen minutes. Sure, he had a pair of earplugs but he'd need some noise canceling headphones to mute half of the sound when nighttime arrived and hoped he could manage to sleep.

Samantha sighed miserably to their awful luck since their last two hotels had been lovely and decided to break the news she'd been given weeks ago, "I want you to know that I tried but with the company trying to cut out excess spending in its budget, it's our week to suffer this time and we'll have to brave an ugly hotel once in a while. We have to make the best out of what we have, even if we have to lose half our hearing in the process."

Chris refused to stay in such a place because he expected to become deaf at the wise age of eighty-five (not earlier) and shook his head, reaching for his wallet as he declared in protest, "No way, I'll pay out of my own pocket to-"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Everidge, but your current contract prohibits that as you leaving this establishment would make you a liability to the company- even though you'd be much safer out there" Samantha explained regretfully with a dull tone at the end as she reminded them about their contractual agreements, hating to sound like corporate worker. She understood their reluctance to stay, she didn't want to bear the loud noises either and sighed softly to console, "I understand your irritation but we will have to bear it for tonight. If it was up to me, we'd be in a soundproof hotel but I'm a baby tadpole in the career ladder of this company."

"Is there anything to look forward to here?" Mike asked tiredly with a frown, hoping to find a good side to the place as he gazed at the architecture of the building. Well, they did provide nice shading in the pool area and he'd yet to hear about a complaint on the chlorine. He'd take a swim or two after he returned from touring the area in his rental car, privately rented this time, because the temperature was not getting any lower in their travels. The season was an extremely hot one this year, rivaling the historical records.

"All you can eat buffet and salad bar" Randy suggested with a casual shrug since he'd visited the place after a workout and had restrained himself on pigging out on the sweet desserts strategically placed in a glass container. How was it not supposed to attract his sweet tooth? The only thing he'd scrutinize with a meticulous eye would be his meat (medium rare, of course) but other than that, he could eat just about anything that was offered to him. He knew several of his traveling companions were keen of such various buffet offerings that they could pile on without the extra pay and added in helpfully to boost their morale, "I'm not a picky eater and hey, it's all you can eat."

"Sweet" Cody and Ted grinned with delight to each other about what dishes awaited them inside to please their palate and hoped meat was in one of the offerings. Samantha eyed the two suspiciously and reminded herself to keep the Pepto-Bismol on her nightstand in case either ended up in horrible gastrointestinal distress later on. Of course, she'd been handed the mischievous twosome for this trip and hoped they wouldn't end up with bloody gashes if they decided to go mountain biking in the mountainous area to the south.

Samantha dug through her handy tote until she reached the bottom and pulled out three sealed packets of earplugs, handing them out to the closest three. Ted quickly snatched the first with a grateful 'yes!' while the latter went to Chris and Randy, who handed his to Natalya since he always carried a spare of earplugs during plane trips. Being wary of flying at high altitudes that could end tragically with a single mistake, he prepared himself by dulling all of his senses and packed the items to do so- except nose plugs, he'd keep everyone awake with his bear-like snoring. She closed her purse quickly since she had work related tasks to take care of as the others would go out to tour or have fun at other events, raising her right index finger to promise the others, "I'll find more to deafen the sounds so don't worry, leave it to this beaver."

"Yer a beaver?" Stephen asked quizzically with a baffled expression since the old show was probably lost to him because she'd certainly never watched Irish shows. It was hard not to love the guy (the WWE universe certainly did) and his inquisitive questions always left her smiling when she was drowning in a sea of paperwork or work updates.

"Oh, you sweet man" she sighed softly with a small smile since her spirit had taken a beating since walking into the hotel lobby but that cheered her right up. Sometimes, the simplest of words could bring delight a worried heart and it boosted her resolve to believe that there would be an upside to their stay at this particular hotel. When life gave you lemons, make lemonade, right?

Ted, who had stuffed the yellow ear plugs into his ears to deafen his surroundings, snapped his fingers towards the two and called loudly to ask, "Did you just tell him to 'eat ham'?"

That also helped tremendously.

Samantha entered her hotel room with a tired sluggish gait after finishing a beautiful night tour with Mike, exploring her first French city with the giddiness of a toddler on Christmas. For once since arriving in the city of Lyon, she experienced a peace of mind when no trouble arose as the beautiful sights with their dazzling lights and people brought the exotic intrigue that all travelers looked for to broaden their horizons. Her night was almost perfect as she changed into her nightgown to head to sleep, twirling like a ballerina as she remembered the sweet music the tour bus had passed by as they headed back to the airport area. Her feet ached at the heel after hours of walking since the tour had been both on foot and bus but worth every minute of it; she'd taken great pictures to bring back as souvenirs. Grabbing her toiletry bag off the bed to set up her bathroom for the night, she opened the door to her left and shrieked in terror immediately.

A bat was flying in her bathroom.

The dark brown furry creature flapped its wings as it hovered in the center of the ceiling, the sound of its flying terrifying her more than the sight itself. Closing the door shut, she held her right hand over the doorknob as an extra measure to keep it out and couldn't believe the sight she'd witnessed. How had a bat gotten in there? She highly doubted this was one of Ted's pranks because there was no way he'd borrowed a bat just for this. That and most of his pranks were centered on the guys, never the women.

Quickly, she ran to the phone on her nightstand to call the lobby to check whether anyone could remove it from her bathroom without harming the poor creature. Just as she hadn't believed the sight, the front desk told her she'd had too much to drink and lie down for the night. Really, that was their assumption? Inebriation? With an exasperated sigh to her rotten luck at this late hour of the night, she marched right up to the door and wondered whether letting it free as she opened her windows would help. It sounded logical enough in her mind but her brain quickly poked her in rebound to point out that she had no protective gear in case it decided to spring down on her and accidentally bite her out of fear.

She concluded that it would be safer for the little critter to stay in there until she could find help and if the hotel would do nothing, she would take photos to prove it. There was no way housekeeping could avoid seeing a creature like this, unless it had meticulously hidden somewhere, and would demand a discount because bats were pretty much out of the ordinary. Samantha snapped a few shots as the door opened a few inches to fit her wrist through for angling and quickly retreated after four decent pictures. If the hotel refused to believe her tomorrow morning, she'd take them right to it to prove its existence.

Her only hope for aid lay with the help of her friends and with Nattie being the closest, Samantha headed for the door with shaking hands as she twisted the golden tone door handle to open it. The hallways were deserted at that hour so her current state of dress wouldn't be drawing an eye as Samantha scurried down the passage with only her sleeping gown. In her right hand, she held both her room card and Nattie's as the two women swapped an extra card for any sudden emergencies that could arise. Her friend's door was next to hers on the left side of the hall and her hear beat in anticipation for aid to get rid of the bat. Would Nattie even believe her ridiculous claim?

Sliding the hotel room card into the slot for clearance, the green dot lit up to grant her passage and Samantha entered the dark hotel room to search for her friend with frantic footsteps. Hopefully, this would not be one of Nattie's smexy times with TJ since the two often shared one room to save money. She didn't want to add further mortification to her night and hissed her friend's name in the dark to call her attention or wake her. Only the filtering moonlight from the patio door's curtains entered the room to illuminate the inhabitants inside the large bed. Receiving nothing in return, she crept towards the bed and the moonlight outlined a single form sleeping within it. Well, at least she wasn't popping into something indecent.

Quickly, she latched onto the slumbering body for a helping hand and shook them awake with an urgent whisper, "Nattie? Nattie, sweetie, you have to help me-"

An incoherent groggy mumble that was definitely not Nattie's cheerful voice echoed in the dark and she yelped with horror to what she'd stepped into. She'd slipped into the right room but further grumbles told her this was not Nattie because first of all, her voice was low-pitched and secondly, she was a woman! Questions rampaged through her mind on the whereabouts of her dear friend and her eyes widened into the size of dinner plates when the unknown body sat up in the bed with a lethargic groan.

Why are you still in here?, her mind screeched to get her butt moving towards the door but she was frozen in place like a deer in headlights. He could be a murderer or burglar! You have to find Nattie!

The size of the person was daunting as they surpassed her height by merely sitting and she squeaked frightfully into her hands, "Oh no, Nattie transformed into Sasquatch."

The person snapped to attention towards the sound of her voice since she was the intruder in their book and she jumped back immediately, cursing the slip of the tongue as she crashed against the night table. D'oh, why couldn't she have better bearings on her surroundings? The sound of her elbow striking the wood made enough of a noise to wipe the sleep from the inhabitant's mind and she held her throbbing left elbow to massage the pain while backing away slowly. She hoped that the darkness would hide her presence but the filtering moonlight was her downfall as her silhouette was easily spotted by the room guest. Instantly, the person was on alert to the trespasser and climbed out of bed with demanding authority, "Who are yah? Get outta mah room!"

The accented voice was incredibly familiar as it struck the cuckoo birds swirling around her mind with bullets but when had Stephen switched rooms with her friend? No wonder she was afraid of the towering man in the darkness! She tried to find a light to clear up the entire misunderstanding but to Stephen, it appeared as the faceless and mute intruder was ready to make off with his wallet. That was a big no-no in his mind because he worked like any decent person to earn his money. Throwing the blankets at the trespasser to thwart their escape, he was going to make them regret their reckless decision to break into his room and leapt forward to tackle them into the ground.

Of course, this was the perfect time for a plane to land at the nearby airport and the building was engulfed in shrieking engines as the floor trembled lightly under their feet. This brought a pause in Stephen's plans as his balance skewed slightly and Samantha took advantage of it as she headed for the door, screaming at the man but the deafening turbines of the plane muffled all sound. The Irishman, however, wasn't allowing the 'intruder' to leave and surprised her with his agility as he prevented any sudden escapes to the door- leaving poor Samantha trapped inside. Throughout the deafening landing, Stephen chased a panicked Samantha as she faced the mighty Goliath in a hotel room while wearing only a nightgown for protection. All she could do was outlast him in their frantic chase inside the prison she'd found herself in until she could use her voice, feeling much like a tiny mouse running from a hungry cat.

When the plane noise receded, a panicky voice erupted from the shadows and halted Stephen's ensuing charge since he'd been determined to pin down the robber. However, he recognized the person immediately when he heard the nervous feminine voice plead, "Stephen, it's me! I can't find the light."

If he had the facial movements of a cartoon character, he would've face palmed onto the floor to the odds of this sudden predicament as he turned on the lamp nearby to bathe the room in dim lighting. Normally, he was a calm easygoing fella but when somebody was in his room, woman or not, there were questions to be answered. He didn't authorize for her to be inside and although she was a sweet woman, he wasn't about to be deceived in case she'd come here with ill intentions. Crossing his arms to show he meant business, he looked her square in the eye (well, as much as he could in the dimly lit room) as she wrung the skirt of her sleepwear with nervous fingers and asked firmly, "Sam, what're yah doin' in here?"

Her voice trembled for a moment since she'd never meant to bother him in the first place but regained an even tone to explain, "I-I was looking for Nattie, this was her room-"

"We switched rooms" he informed to correct her on Nattie's new room and watched her shoulders slump to the new information, assuming that she didn't know.

"Oh" she murmured embarrassedly for her current predicament and placed a hand on her forehead for waking the poor man at this hour. What must he think of her? What could she say to apologize after disrupting his sleep?

He found his answer to her unannounced arrival rather quickly since Nattie switched with his room due to the bigger bathroom but failed to explain the rumbling engines of planes on her side of the building were loudest. For some reason, whenever Nattie was involved in trading items or spots with him, Samantha wasn't far away but that was another mystery. He fiddled with the lamp on the night table to bathe the room in decent lighting since squinting to see her features was starting to hurt his vision. He found that Samantha had managed to find herself in the doorway of the open bathroom as she tried to flee the scene, holding onto his blankets for protection. He wouldn't be lying if he said the long sapphire nightgown hugging her slim pear-shaped form wasn't eye catching but he pulled himself free of such bad thoughts. They were friends and he was loyal to the current person in his life, silently thanking her when she wrapped the blanket over herself to hide her figure or ward off the cold, he couldn't tell.

Samantha, in a similar situation, tried not to glance at the redhead that wore only boxer shorts because her cheeks would match his hair in hue if they wandered. She took a sudden fascination with the floor as she explained her reason for being there with a sheepish tone, "I'm very sorry for intruding like this but I wanted Nattie's help since there's a, um, bat in my bathroom-"

"Did Ah hear correctly? Yah said a bat?" he asked skeptically to her flabbergasting words, trying not to sound too incredulous and watched her shoulders slump dejectedly. Great, not even he believed her. She must've been in the low statistics of having to share a bathroom with a nocturnal mammal and here she'd believed roaches or spiders would be the worst critters she'd face.

"It sounds insane, I know, but the hotel didn't believe me" she sighed miserably and looked towards the inside of his bathroom, completely void of any bats that threatened to jump out at him. Time was ticking away in the silence of night and if she needed help, she had to act quickly because dawdling with a half-naked attractive man- although alluring- would not help matters. Eager for any kind of help, she brushed her fingers through her curled hair in an attempt to calm her nerves and asked politely with a small smile, "Do you happen to have anything big enough to catch a bat? I don't want to kill it."

"Are yah sure it's a bat? It could be, um, a large fly or another bug?" Stephen tried to suggest plausible theories to her infestation since it was the dead of night and her vision could've perceived it as something entirely different. Samantha, however, was not budging because she'd witnessed it firsthand. There was absolutely no way that furry winged creature was anywhere near the small size of a bug or even a plump carpenter's bee size.

"I'm too tired to argue about its validity, could you tell me where Nattie's room is?" she asked softly with exhaustion as she wiped one blurry eye, stifling down a yawn threatening to surface on her lips. Her energy had dwindled down to nothing after her night out, not to mention her frantic running, but wanted that bat out of her room so she could sleep soundly.

"3rd floor, room 304" he answered helpfully to clue her in on the search and she nodded in thanks before setting off, apologizing once more for disrupting his sleep as she returned the blanket she'd grabbed. It truly wasn't something she would've done to the poor man if Nattie hadn't been inside because everybody deserved their privacy and a decent night's sleep. Stephen blinked with curiosity as he realized she wore no shoes whatsoever, simply her sleepwear and wondered if she was cold as he caught sight of fuchsia nail polish on her toes. He couldn't help but notice the deep neckline of her gown and the curve hugging satin, pointing out a last tidbit of help like the gentleman he was, "Yer without a robe, Sam."

"At this dead hour, it doesn't matter but thank you for the suggestion" she thanked sleepily with a tired groan and left his room without another word, quietly closing the door behind her. If she didn't find Nattie in that room and another person posing as her silhouette, Samantha would call it quits. He heard her footsteps fade in the direction towards the elevator off to the right and his conscience prodded him to check out the bat situation. Samantha had pulled him out of his sleep with her frantic shifting so he could only imagine that what she saw wasn't tiny at all but maybe she had misinterpreted the size of the critter. His exhausted part of the mind told him the women would be fine and they didn't need a knight in shining armor at this late hour while the curious part wanted to verify whether the creature was real. He'd never heard of a bat actually living inside a hotel bathroom until tonight, it would be an interesting sight to behold.

He returned to the warm comfort of his bed after that false robbery but kept his ears open for any footsteps that would yield the results of Samantha's search. Her strides were easily deciphered among the others as she walked quickly with little space to spare because the poor thing was always in a hurry to fix something. Whenever she wore her long hair in a ponytail, it brought an instant smile to his face because her hair always struck the air rapidly in the same fashion as her steps. The entire hallway was silent as the planes decided to give them a twenty-minute break from blasting their eardrums and ten minutes later, a set of footsteps scurried down the hall with the haste of a fleeing squirrel. He heard a door shut near his room seconds later and the footsteps ceased immediately after.

It seemed her search was in vain.

A rational person would have stayed in bed and slept out the exhaustion out of his body but Vivian's plight stuck with him. The poor woman did everything to keep them comfortable and when she needed help, there was none. He felt bad about that, especially since he'd almost tackled her to the floor, and regrettably rolled out of his comfortable bed to sit up with a tired yawn fit for a lion basking under the sun. His navy robe lay at the end of the bed and he grabbed it with a lazy hand to put it on since heading over there in nothing but boxers would give anyone the wrong impression at that hour of the night.

When he knocked on her door, Samantha answered it with a breathless pant while wearing black sunglasses and holding a plastic wastebasket in her hands. He was truly skeptical about the bat but curiosity won over with her current getup, glad she'd donned a plush robe this time, and greeted politely, "Night, Sam. Did yah find Nattie?"

"Oh, no, she was asleep" Samantha answered sullenly as her friend failed to answer the door to her repeated knocking and didn't want to inconvenience her at such an hour. Besides, if she could survive her recent misadventures, a bat was nothing to fear . . . or so she told herself. Scuttling back into her room on bare feet, she fiddled through open suitcases lying on the floor as she tried to find anything of help. She dropped the wastebasket on the floor as Stephen followed her inside with cautious steps in case she'd unleashed the critter and heard her mumble lowly, "I thought I packed Raid, Cody hates spiders and Mike hates roaches."

Stephen decided to end the problem quickly so the poor woman could sleep and walked to the closed bathroom while she was preoccupied, wrapping his hand around the knob. Time slowed for Samantha when she heard the doorknob jiggling open, the warning leaving her lips too late as she watched Stephen enter the bathroom . . . only for time to return to normal when he leapt from the bathroom. He slammed the door shut with a hard pull as astonishment was etched onto his smooth face, his blue eyes wide open to the sight he'd witnessed inside and stated with a dazed voice, "There's a, um, there's a bat inside and he's a big one."

"So much for the fat fly theory" she preened gently about his first assumption on the creature dwelling inside because it certainly wasn't harmless. She'd no idea what identification that bat was and even if it had been a fruit bat, she'd still be unnerved with having it there. Stephen kept his hand on the knob as a safety precaution, wary about the animal he'd just witnessed since they dwelled outside of a cave or zoo setting only. She found a decent item for help and ran over to the baffled man, handing him a can of hairspray and piped up optimistically with her crackpot idea, "Maybe you can freeze his wings."

Stephen couldn't believe his new task because he'd expected to swat a small bug or capture a rat to throw outside, not wrangle with a mammal. Samantha smiled encouragingly since he was the only one who could help and his conscience bit him since she was nothing but kind, sheepishly remembering being asked on a date. He'd never really thought she'd view him in that manner but it was a nice boost to his image, treating her with nothing but friendliness in return to show no hard feelings. Either way, it was time to be a hero. He entered the bathroom of doom once more to spray every inch of the place with spray, waving his right arm erratically until he couldn't breathe and every inch of it was bathed in a fine mist. The bat, however, was a different story as it leapt from its corner of refuge towards him with an enraged screech and he escaped quickly, jumping back towards the bedroom. Slamming the door shut with his other hand, he leaned against it with relief that he wasn't face-to-face with it anymore and informed her breathlessly, "Ah think he's even madder now."

"Oh dear . . . maybe he'll freeze over time" she sighed hopelessly since she'd never heard of a frozen bat by hairspray but there was a first for everything, right? He placed the can on the night table next to the bathroom door as they allowed their plan to work for the night and she removed the dark sunglasses, her gray eyes glancing at him sheepishly as she chuckled softly, "Great way to spend a night in France. Nothing says adventure like subduing a furious bat."

"Yah could always look on the bright side, life is an adventure, right?" he offered to boost her morale on the stubborn roommate, whose wings had hopefully frozen partially to prevent it from attacking again. Samantha's halfhearted reply was drowned out as another plane arrived to land at the airport, causing the two to cover their ears to dull some of the earsplitting noise. They were glad that tonight would be their only night as she managed to fix the issue by finding a quaint motel that had last minute openings to fill. Of course, they'd have to share rooms but they all jumped at the chance to be rid of the noise.

Samantha looked to her mattress for a preventative idea because she didn't trust the door to keep the creature at bay and ripped off the covers to throw them onto a chair for the time being. She pulled the large queen size mattress off the bed with her hands, grunting the entire way as she hauled it towards the closed bathroom. Stephen simply watched her place it over the doorway, her hands aligning each corner against the door to make sure nothing would exit from there as she wedged it tightly to prevent any daring escapes. There was no way the bat would venture into her room now and panted tiredly as she crossed her arms to assess her handiwork, nodding off with satisfaction and remarked, "It's not the greatest idea but safe."

"Where will yah sleep?" he asked with confusion since her room was barren in comparison to his and everybody else's. Quite honestly, he was certain it was the smallest as it lacked furnishings like tables and couches so using the latter option as a substitute bed wouldn't be possible.

"Don't worry, I'll build a fort out of the blankets by draping them over the night tables" Samantha piped up optimistically with a dismissive wave of the hand as she gathered the scattered blankets from her empty bed to create her sleeping fort. She'd done this plenty of times during childhood when her brothers wanted to play 'attack the fort' and being the only girl, she'd had enough practice to last a lifetime. That, and educational television shows. Folding the blankets into neat squares to make sure she had plenty to make her indoor tent, she admitted with a proud smile as she added in, "Watching the Discovery channel also comes in handy."

He smiled faintly to her hopeful optimism since most clients in a hotel would be demanding service in the lobby but if there was one thing Samantha was, it was patient. Nonetheless, he wasn't certain about leaving her alone with a bat inside the bathroom that could have rabies and it unsettled his stomach as he watched her yank one night table away from the bed. Being the kind person that he was, he offered his own help as he fought back a yawn and proposed helpfully, "Sam, if yah need a place to sleep, Ah can take the couch-"

"No, Stephen, that would be very intrusive of me" she refused immediately to the idea since she wasn't about to tear away the man's bed for herself and would be just fine in her homemade tent. This was just a bump in the road and she would ride it out until morning when she could bring hotel personnel to look at the bat they refused to believe.

A knock on Samantha's door ceased their conversation and she dropped the night table back on its upright position, hoping that she hadn't awoken any people with the ruckus over the bat. She opened it with a friendly smile to find Mike gazing back at her with a bad case of bed hair, his robe completely messy as he'd thrown it on in haste, and he sighed tiredly, "Sam, it's two in the morning. I can hear you down in my room so I hope there's a good reason for this."

"There's a bat in the bathroom" Stephen and Samantha informed in unison, pointing towards the mattress covered door of the bathroom as evidence. Mike's mouth popped open for a brief second as his mind had a tough time believing it but if two verified it, why not? The fact that all of Samantha's suitcases were open with their contents piling out and the room was a mess with furniture moved all over the place, it added validity to their claim.

"Of course, it couldn't have been something normal like a mouse" Mike sighed aloud but it transformed into a yawn as his energy had been depleted from his outing with Samantha. Truly, only the strangest occurrences happened around her but he wouldn't leave her to suffer a bat on her own. Snapping his fingers, he fought back another yawn as he tried not to fall asleep on his feet and told her quickly, "All right, kiddo, in my room. I'll take the couch and your blankets for warmth."

Stephen was taken aback when she agreed without hesitation since he'd offered first and she explained easily with a modest smile, "He's my big brother figure so there's a lot of trust here. If anything, I'm his wing woman at bars. You won't believe how many women actually think we're siblings, it's quite endearing."

Samantha grabbed her folded bundle of blankets and her toiletry bag with gratuity that she wouldn't have to spend the night with her bat of a roommate. Mike eyed the redhead suspiciously since he'd heard all about Samantha's romantic inquiry when Stephen told Randy during an early night at a bar back in their last stop while he'd idly sat with a curious ear. Leave it to poor Samantha to fall for a man that's not single; it was like watching the first season of The Office! He would not stand for seeing his friend's little heart crushed further by keeping the two together for more time than they needed to be and stated simply, "I'll take it from here, Farrelly, but thanks for the help."

"Have a good night, Sam" Stephen told her with a warm smile since the situation was under control and she returned it kindly for his help, thanking him as she carried her items. He'd come to help out of the goodwill in his heart and she wouldn't forget that. He left the room quietly to return to his comfortable bed free of bats and Samantha watched her handy helper leave with a fond smile since she hadn't expected to have his help at all. Life was indeed full of curious mysteries.

"Don't go all big brother on me, I scored you a pretty little number tonight" Samantha chided gently with a cheeky grin to lighten his protectiveness since she could guard her heart against falling deeper into its adoration pool for the redhead. She turned off the lights in the room before closing the door behind them for the night, making the shortest room transfer by entering the open door across the hall down two doors from hers and stated confidently, "I like Stephen as a friend, Mike, and he's really nice. He's not riddled with cooties or about to sic his girlfriend on me for being attracted to him. I'm a grown woman, I have a tough heart like the tin man."

"TV rots your brain, Sammy- he lacked a heart" he pointed out matter-of-factly with another yawn, turning on the lights since he'd gotten out of bed after the massive plane that had recently landed. He grabbed the folded blankets from her arms and headed for the black couch located against the two windows overseeing the nearby airport, its bright lights casting a glow against the closed curtains.

"You're on TV. . .and he got it in the end" she stated flatly about the film character as she fluffed her pillow and kicked off her slippers to slip into the bed, yawning softly into her hands with relief. She didn't bother removing her robe as the room was cool at night, fiddling with her pockets as she fetched for her earplugs to ward away the terrible noise of planes.

Mike blew a raspberry from his spot as he rolled himself into a cocoon of blankets and reasoned sluggishly, "That's totally different. Now, let's get some shut eye."

Immediately after breakfast, Mike and Samantha headed upstairs to get rid of the bat after making sure her room rate was deducted for housing wildlife. A picture would also help in proving her claims in case they decided to back out at the last minute because receiving a discount for the room would make space in their much needed budget. Who would've thought a bat would hinder and help her at the same time? The universe was a disturbing paradox of mysteries.

Samantha had driven early in the morning to the nearest store to buy gloves, shower caps, goggles, and aprons to make sure she could free the bat without causing harm to either party. The poor bat didn't deserve to be traumatized for becoming trapped in a bathroom of all places but she wouldn't risk rabies either. Mike had stared at her with a flabbergasted expression when she'd popped out of her room in full bat-proof gear that resembled a hypochondriac's dream as each inch of skin was covered by her purchases and long-sleeved clothing that covered her from the neck down.

"You look like a Ghostbuster reject" Mike guffawed to her ridiculous outfit as she held a wooden broom in one hand and a small towel in the other for the upcoming task. His laughter ceased when minutes later, he donned the same outrageous getup and groaned miserably to his appearance because catching a bat hadn't been on his to-do list for that week. On the other hand, he couldn't let his friend handle it all herself because another pair of hands would help eliminate the unwelcome room guest at a faster pace.

Ted passed by the two as he'd been heading out with Cody to explore the hiking trails south at the mountains but did a double take when he spotted the strangely dressed duo. Had he accidentally stepped into a low-budget film where the two pretended to be space wanderers? He laughed giddily at the two as he pointed to their strange cleaning personnel getups, leaning against the open doorway of Samantha's room and teased with smirk, "You two look like spacemen from an old 60s movie."

"If you even try and record this for YouTube, I'll-" Mike warned quickly because he didn't want to be the next laughing stock of the internet since the company was making videos on just about anything to boost the ratings. He loved working for the company but if it meant being bitten by a bat and risking rabies, he'd call it quits. This was a wrestling show, not Jackass.

"It can't be worse than when he records you guys sleeping and pokes your noses" Samantha pointed out with a witty smile that was hidden behind the breathing mask she'd put on for extra safety. She could see how her outfit could be mistaken for a shoddy space suit and approached the bathroom door with calculating steps to begin the job.

Mike, however, stood in the bedroom's doorway as he mulled over what she'd said and demanded sharply from the blond, "Wait, you watch me while I sleep? That's creepy and disturbing, not to mention super gross."

"Talk about an ego stroke, Mizanin, I only do it for the ensuing hilarity to entertain the masses of fans" the blond retorted dryly with an upraised chin because he was a playful soul and wouldn't stop anytime soon. Samantha didn't mind it either as she encouraged his mischievous ways, except when he decided to go to the extreme. John Cena still didn't know how he'd managed to turn a laundry load of his shirts a disastrous neon lime green that hurt everyone's eyes and had to be shredded into cleaning rags instead.

Natalya and TJ strolled down the hallway as they planned a day out for themselves before the show later on that night, carrying a basket for a private picnic. Both were dressed in comfortable summer clothing with Natalya wearing a floral print dress that had her boyfriend's eyes glued to her figure. She stopped when she noticed Ted's bystander posture in front of Samantha's room and hoped he hadn't pranked the poor woman by putting peroxide in her shampoo bottle. TJ eyed the blond with a suspicious gaze because he certainly held the posture of a troublesome imp and questioned, "You didn't embarrass Sam when she was changing, did you?"

Ted turned around immediately and placed his right palm over his heart to declare with feigned indignation, "Why, sir, you sully my pride! A man would never do such to a fair lady!"

"Have you been watching 'Game of Thrones' reruns?" Natalya asked quizzically as the show had a few fans in their group, Ted included. He merely shrugged with a grin since adding an Olde English accent gave him a vintage flair of humor while Mike shook his head pitifully from his spot. The other two noticed the strange outfit since he looked ready to eradicate stubborn bathroom bacteria and she drawled slowly with hesitance, "Should I even ask about this?"

Ted scooted behind the doorway to press against the wall because he certainly wasn't about to get bitten by a bat and told his wrestling companion, "I think you should head over before she opens the door, I'll close this one."

Mike quickly ran over to Samantha, who pried the bathroom door open to wrestle with the defiant bat that had made a temporary home in there. The windows had been fully opened to make sure there were plenty of exit points for the little guy and the newfound freedom of large space attracted the nocturnal mammal, especially when light bathed the entire area. It needed to find shelter in a cool and shady place fast, gliding into the room as it tried to escape with its echolocation.

Unfortunately, Ted was a little too slow at closing the door as he greeted two of his other colleagues who happened to stroll by and the dimmer lighting in the hallway nabbed the little critter's interest. Stephen's hair spraying from last night had done nothing to thwart its flying skills as its wings flapped without a problem. Mike and Samantha ran towards the closing doorway with their brooms in an effort to keep it in this time, disbelieving to the horrible irony, but the bat gracefully escaped their swats. Ted could only yelp when the brown bat zoomed over his head, dexterously squeezing through the small space he'd left before fully closing the door and cursed his luck. Samantha and Mike threw a few particular words his way as well from the other side while prying open the door.

Randy was the first to exclaim as the small creature burst into the hallway with flapping wings, causing him to cover his head with his hands and jumped back with disbelief on his features, "What the hell- is that a bat?"

Stephen quickly ducked before the bat decided to land on him and felt the sudden urge to wipe his eyes when he spotted two people in aprons, masks, and shower caps as they held brooms. He met their gazes and instantly recognized them by the color of their eyes, leading him to question swiftly, "Samantha, why didn't yah close the door?"

"That was me. . .sorry" Ted answered his question with an sheepish apologetic shake of the shoulders and puppy eye expression that led Stephen to sigh with dismay. Everything that Dibiase touched eventually unraveled into chaos.

The bat flew wildly through the hall as everyone hit the floor, Natalya screaming at the two to get rid of it while she and TJ scrambled away to prevent being bitten. TJ quickly wrapped their picnic blanket over their heads to provide a shield of protection as they headed away to the elevators to get the heck out of there. Stephen's tall height managed to sway the creature to move towards the elevator and emergency stairs as he grabbed Samantha's broom to shoo away the bat. He, Mike, and Samantha gave chase to the bat to be free of it while Randy and Ted decided to use Samantha's room as a sanctuary until the all clear was given. TJ's and Nattie's eyes widened with horror as the creature flapped its way towards them, the couple shouting for it to go away as they decided to run towards the nearest fire exit. Just as the bat entered their vicinity, the elevator doors opened to reveal Cody Runnels as he nibbled on a fat hot sandwich for breakfast that he'd bought from a nice deli nearby. He screamed frantically when the bat entered the elevator with him as the darker area beckoned its natural instinct and Stephen made the tough decision of pressing the lowest button on the keypad to be rid of the creature.

It would now be the problem of the lobby, further cementing their claims on the mysterious bat.

Cody desperately tried to make it to the other side where Stephen was but it was too late, the doors were closing and Stephen regrettably shoved him back in to seal the bat away. It was a sacrifice that he would take the blame for, his shoulders sagging with guilt (and a little shame) because he knew the poor guy would yell their ears off for doing that to him. After all, who would dare lock you in an elevator with a loose bat? Everyone could hear Cody's wails for aid as the elevator descended and they struggled between mournful silence and laughing- the latter on Ted's part.

"Stephen, I'm buyin' ya lunch" Samantha offered chirpily with a small smile of humor because his helping hand definitely won the battle for them, especially when it escaped from their clutches. She ripped off the shower cap and mask, her gray eyes appearing comically huge in the rubber goggles as her smile widened with joy that she'd reclaimed her bedroom, "You're our conquering hero so thank you for helping."

Ted pointed towards the closed elevator doors where their companion had been sealed away with the furry menace and asked curiously, "So, um, what about Cody? I can't imagine anyone being happy being trapped with a bat."

"Ah'll buy him lunch or somethin', the poor fella deserves it" Stephen replied earnestly with a sheepish smile since his actions were done to protect the majority of their group. It was a tough call but he'd freed their level, not to mention Samantha's room, of the bat and would grant Runnels a favor for doing that to him. If the shoe had been on the other foot, he'd be bristling himself for having to be locked in with a bat. The adrenaline ride was over and deemed it clear for everyone to wander, ushering the small crowd of their companions away with his hands as he assured, "Carry on, people, the worst is over."

Nattie decided to take the stairs with TJ rather than the elevator because she wasn't about to gamble on the odds that the bat had been released in the lower levels. If it was, she could only hope they wouldn't encounter it again as they left the building.

"Man, there's always something going on when you're around, Sam" Ted joked good-naturedly and clasped the woman's shoulder as she smiled sheepishly for her strange luck in life. Well, at least they couldn't say she was a boring traveling companion when even wildlife brought adventure to her.

A/N: Only a cute but frightening bat could infiltrate a bathroom. We'll have the group continue their tour of France elsewhere as Ted and Cody lead a group to the scariest catacombs located there and initiates a ghost hunt that leaves his group stuck in a hole.

Xthefirestillburns: Thanks for enjoying my tale, I haven't had the time to review your story just yet but I did read the first two chapters before finals week. I love the alternate reality twist that doesn't place him in wrestling, he makes one hot psychologist I'd love to hear endless lectures from. Keep writing to your heart's content!

Skywhisper: I'm glad to have made you laugh. ^_^

Rikki18: We'll keep exploring the nonexistent romance between the two because this is a romance genre tale, aside from the humor. Stephen and Samantha will learn just how much they have in common as time progresses and with their adventures, bonds are easily formed.

Next Time: Ted & Cody, Ghostbusters

"Look! I found a souvenir" Ted declared happily as he beamed with joy, horrifying everyone else when he held up the remnants of a hand as the tiny phalanges dangled in midair. Samantha felt faint immediately at knowing a real person's hand was in Ted's, wondering how he couldn't differentiate true bones from false replicas.

Phil quickly stomped over to wrench it from his hands, keeping it out of sight as their group huddled against a wall decorated with femurs, tibias, and humerus bones. The dark-haired wrestler shuddered at holding human remains in his hands and hissed lowly with indignation, "That's not a souvenir, you dolt! Do you see a souvenir shop around here?"

Realization dawned on Ted's face, his eyes shifting between the dusty bone he found and the fake that dangled off of Cody's backpack. . .the one he believed had fallen off and could claim as his own.

"Ew. . .you keep it" Ted frowned with disgust as he winced, an uncomfortable shiver running down his spine for holding human remains. Those were the last things he'd expected to find in a place that was supposed to house human remains securely as a museum. Again, he could just be naturally craftier than a normal person. He would not be touching anything else from now on because he didn't want to disturb or desecrate a human being that had died ages ago. Phil tried to force the bones back into his hands because he didn't want to hold it either, both wrestlers playing hot potato as he protested shrewdly, "No, you put it back! I can't-"

A couple of passerby's halted their quarrel as it increased in volume, drawing curious stares from the other tourists and Phil hid the bones behind his back to cover up Ted's crime. He certainly wasn't about to be named an accomplice, especially in a foreign country that would bar him from ever posting bail without his embassy's clearance. Phil plastered a photogenic smile to convince the crowd of innocence as they passed by to gaze at the bone ridden walls, piping up to their camerawoman, "Hey, Samantha, take a picture for me, will ya?"

She played the part with a nervous smile as their true intentions were hidden from other tourists, ushering Cody and Paul to stand alongside him to cover up the crime completely. When they were alone in the passageway as the tour headed onwards to the next site, Phil shoved the hand into Ted's and pushed him towards the corridor he'd entered from. They sent him by himself to teach him a lesson on how pranking could go awry and Ted's disheartened voice echoed through the corridor, "Oh man, I'm so gonna be haunted for this. Please don't, I never meant any harm, I only wanted to create memories through horror."

Thanks for reading my story, I truly appreciate it, and please, leave a review.