Ride Along

Sasha dragged her suitcase out to the arena's parking lot where she found Seth already loading his bags in the back of the rented Expedition they'd be riding that evening. He was dressed down in a pair of dark sweatpants, a Black and Brave hoodie, and he wore a Black and Brave cap backwards—his usual attire during long drives, especially when he was the designated driver.

It was the Monday after Summerslam, and shows after pay-per-views were always extra exhausting. Dressed in leggings and a Boss n' Hug Connection sweatshirt, Sasha sighed in relief that she wouldn't be the one driving tonight. It would be a two-hour drive to Hartford from Brooklyn, since both were booked for a couple of house shows and signings, before flying to their respective homes on Thursday. She adjusted her glasses and walked up to Seth, handing him her bags.

"Hey," he nodded to her, taking the bags and loading them in the car as well. "This everything?"

"Yup, that's everything. Thanks."

"Bayley riding?"

"Nah, she got a few days off. She's flying home tonight, so it's just us."

"Cool," Seth shut the door close. "You hungry?"

"Yeah, it'll be a long ride, right? Can we go grab something to eat?"

"Sure, but it's your treat this time," Seth grinned.

Sasha playfully rolled her eyes. "Fine."

It was hard to remember when they had started traveling together, but somewhere between Seth driving for Dean and Roman, and then riding with Cesaro, Sasha and Bayley had always been in and out of those rides. It wasn't until they started doing Crossfit together that it made sense to just drive to and from towns together, and this loop had been no different. It had been customary for Seth to drive, for Sasha to ride shotgun, and for Bayley to fall asleep in the back. Sometimes, they took turns driving but it would always end with Seth navigating Sasha through the roads and streets, which at times, turned into playful bickering.

Their rides were always a convenient arrangement. It felt nice to constantly have someone to talk to and have coffee with, especially on lonely nights when they were missing home. From the moment they met in NXT, Seth had developed a soft spot for Sasha. He wasn't too sure if it was because of the age gap, the fact that she was on her own with no family or doting boyfriend to support her, or if it was because he knew she deserved more than what she was getting. It was different with Bayley—sure, as much as Bayley loved wrestling, she loved being with her fiancé and family more. Sasha had nothing but wrestling and the WWE going for her, and Seth understood exactly that dedication—it was why he chose to be solitary, too.

After a lengthy debate between Wendy's and White Castle, Sasha won in their little rock-paper-scissors game, and ended with Seth driving them through White Castle. "Great match tonight," she commented while opening the paper bag with her Double Cheese Slider Combo. "That inverted superplex was pretty awesome."

"Thanks," Seth chuckled. "It feels good to be champ again."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Sasha sighed, suddenly remembering her current placement in the roster.

"Hey," Seth looked at her sympathetically, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, you didn't make it to the card tonight."

"Yeah, well. What can you do, right?"

"Hang in there. You'll be alright."

"I sure hope so," Sasha shrugged, and looked out the window into the dark of the night. She tried not to show how bummed she was with her placement in the card, and not getting any spots at all at the biggest event of the summer. Her losing streak on RAW wasn't helping either, so it was difficult for her to accept how she went from the hottest thing in 2016 to barely getting any air time at all.

"Hey," Seth joked. "If all else fails, I still stand by you being the first female member to join the Shield."

Sasha laughed out loud. "Sure, Seth."

All of a sudden, they both jerked forward as they felt a vehicle, a large black van, hit them from behind. "What the fuck!" Seth cursed. "Oh my god!" Sasha yelled.

The impact wasn't as strong, but it was definitely enough to have given their bumper a huge dent. Slowing their vehicle down and carefully swerving to the side, Seth watched from the rearview mirror as the van followed them as well.

"What was that? What happened?" Sasha asked as Seth unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door.

"Stay here. I'll go check on it."

Sasha pulled out her phone and was ready to dial 911 for emergency assistance just in case, but she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the back. She glanced at the rearview mirror and found three large men in white masks stuffing a sack around Seth's head while struggling to hold him down. "Oh my god!" she screamed. In her panic, Sasha reached for the controls on the driver's seat to lock herself in, but had forgotten to unbuckle her seatbelt. It had all happened so fast—one moment, she was making a move to lock the doors and the next, she heard her side of the door open, and she kicked whoever had grabbed her arm to try and escape, but they were quick in taking her as well. They stuffed a sack around her head, making her drop her phone in the process, and carried her quickly towards the van. She felt herself being thrown inside, as she landed with a thud on a familiar, warm chest.

"Seth?!" she yelled, making a move to remove the sack from her head, and adjusting her eyes to the darkness.

"Sasha!" Seth exclaimed, grabbing her on instinct and giving her a tight hug. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking around the tiny van. It was dimly lit, with only a mini light bulb hanging from a corner, near the heavily bolted door. There were no windows, and the stench of an old and damp pile of cloth filled their noses, making the situation more real than it was. "What's happening, Seth?" Sasha asked, still bewildered. "What's happening?" she asked again, eyes wild and filling with tears from what had just transpired.

"I think we're being kidnapped."