For the next few days, all was peaceful at the Finnegans home. Shay and Hope awoken to the sight of each other in the bed was a slightly awkward situation that left them speechless and blushing, much to Barry and Cassidy's amusement. But they managed to overcome the embarrassment and awkwardness. Over the several days, the pair grew rather close together while helping around the house as Hope got better. But around noon one sunny day while relaxing in the living room, a loud explosive sound broke the peaceful silence. "What the blazes is that?!" Barry exclaimed. Shay stood up and looked outside to see another gang member from the group before throwing something at the house. Growling at this, Shay looked back to them with his answer. "One those troublemaking gangsters from last time, most likely trying something to get attention." Shay said. Barry grunted at this answer. "And here I thought they've learned their lesson about coming here." "Seems this time I need to send a direct answer to them." Shay said about to head out the door, but Hope stopped him. "Shay you don't mean you're going to go out and pick a fight looking like that and not even dressed properly to say the least?" Hope asked him with a slight scolding in her tone. "Well, he isn't gonna leave this house alone if we don't give him an immediate lesson Hope, and..." Looking down at himself, he began to have second thoughts going out in his scruffy looking state and only a simple night shirt and night pants. With this realization he fell silent. Hope had to fight the urges to laugh at this expense, but also knew he was right. Knowing that the gangster won't leave them alone and may keep setting off firecrackers at the Finnegan's home. "Wait here, I have something that might help." Cassidy said out the blue and raced upstairs, but also gave Barry a look to which he nodded to her in response and left the room as well. Shay and Hope looked at each other confused to what's going on. Before either one could ask each other, Cassidy returned holding what appeared to be a folded bundle of clothes. "Hope's right, it won't do you good running around starkers." She said before handing him the clothes. "Here, try these on....They were our son's." Shay's eyes widened at this information, having the feeling her son had passed away some time ago. "Cassidy are you certain? This is far too much to have his clothes..." Shay began to say, but Cassidy cut him off. "It's perfectly alright Shay. After what you and Hope have done for us, it's only fair you deserve something. And he would want us to pass this on to someone we trust." Cassidy said with a smile. Shay could only nod his head silently, not wanting to deny her this kind act and request. Hope only watched, wondering about the Finnegan's late son and his fate and taken back at Cassidy's act. Soon, Barry returned with what appeared to be Shay's weapons and equipment wrapped in a blanket, including his sword and dagger, pistols, hidden blades, and silent rifle to name a few. "Well, I suppose if you're about to go looking for trouble, you'll be needing these." Barry said, giving them to Shay. "Thank you." Shay said with a grateful smile, truly amazed by their kindness. He then went upstairs to get changed.
After what seems like a while, with Hope and the Finnegans still in the living room waiting and ignoring the sound of firecrackers, they heard footsteps. Their eyes turning towards the steps, and what came in view, almost seemed like a whole new man. There stood Shay, in a tan shirt, black pants and shoes, and a black high-collared overcoat with red trims on the shoulder parts. Along with his new outfit, Shay sported a clean-shaven face with his hair styled slicked towards the back and held in a small pony tail with a red hair tie.
Cassidy could only smile and put her hands over her mouth. "Ah, don't you look a right gentleman?" She said, "Cass!" Barry whispered to her. The moment Hope laid eyes on Shay's new appearance, she was left speechless and her face blushed as red as it did when she was sick, maybe even redder. She looked away immediately to hide her blushing self, never once thinking this handsome gentleman was Shay Cormac. 'Wait, when did I even put the word "handsome" to describe Shay of all people?!' She thought to herself unsure of what Shay's new look had left in her head. But she also managed to notice some strange things about Shay's new outfit. There were cross designs on the shoulder parts of the coat, and the buckle on the chest strap also had a cross design. After some silence in letting them take in his new look, a question he forgot to ask for a while popped into his head. "Um, sorry if this seems sudden. But did either of us have a book when you picked us up?" Hope's attention turned to them, almost wanting to smack herself for not thinking about the manuscript after all this time, and this managed to help her control her blush and knock the thoughts of this handsome-looking Shay out. Shaking his head, Barry answered, "No, only those peculiar weapons. We have Hope's stored up for her as well." "Thank you both for everything. If you'll excuse me." Shay thanked them and began heading towards the door. As Shay was heading out, he and Hope unknowing thought the same thing: 'Then the manuscript is at the bottom of the Atlantic.'
The moment Shay stepped outside and faced glaring at the gang member throwing the firecrackers, the gangster suddenly recognized Shay's face. Panicking, he returned a glare at Shay. "You again! You'll regret this! The Finnegans and that girl are dead. Hear me? Dead!" He threatened, throwing a smoke bomb to the ground, hoping to hide his escape. But Shay's familiarity with smoke bombs already allowed him to avoid the smoked area, going around it. Seeing the gangster running up the walls. Shay did the same and took the chase to the rooftops. Spotting him at a distance on the next roof. "Putting your nose in other people's business ain't nice!" The gangster shouted at Shay while continuing to run away, hoping to lose Shay. However, a determined Shay was far from quitting the chase and he kept up. The gangster jumped down into the yard below, but Shay remained on the roofs, hoping to find the right time to cut him off. "You picked the wrong side!" but the gangster's words only flew emptily by Shay's ears. "You'll regret this, and so will the Finnegans and that woman!" Seeing the gang member trying to climb up to the roofs again, Shay used a tree to get to the other side. When the gangster made a left turn, Shay was right there in front of him, and then found himself tackled to the floor of the roof. Shay rose and held the man up roughly and glared threateningly at him, the gang member, remembering he injured the man who led the raid on the Finnegan's home, felt fear crawling through his senses. "Now what have you and your friends got against the Finnegans?" Shay asked him with a tone that left no room for argument. "I got no gripe! My boss sent me over." He answered his interrogator. "Ah? And where is he set up?" Not wanting to anger him, the gangster answered quickly. "You can't miss it! There's always black smoke rising from the courtyard of that building!" Nodding his head, Shay then pushed the man forward. "Now get out of my sight, and I don't want to be seeing you near me or the Finnegans again, got it?" Shay threatened. The man only nodded and jumped down and ran away from Shay's sight.
"Well, if I want to keep them safe. Seems I better pay the boss a visit and shut him and his gang down." Shay said to himself as he looked to see a distant cloud of black smoke far away. He then continued across the rooftops to reach his next objective.
AN: Chapter 6. Shay in his first set of Templar clothes, and next chapter I'll give Hope her new Templar outfit. I will search myself, but if you can give me ideas of what Hope's new outfit/appearance should look like, feel free to drop them in the comments and I'll take a look. Thanks, hope you enjoy, and I'll start working on the next chapter, which will be a Hope chapter. Until then readers, May The Force be With You.