She ran wildly through the dark streets of the city. Her long, wavy, raven coloured hair, whipping around in the wind. Her emerald eyes bright with tears. The rain pelting down overhead. She turned around to see if he was still behind her. In that instant she looked back, she tripped and fell with a thud on the pavement, grazing her hands and knees.

She tried to get up, but someone grabbed her hair, and slammed her back onto the soaking wet pavement. She screamed, hoping that someone would hear her. No one did. No one ever does. She looked into the eyes of her attacker. It was him. He'd found her. The wicked smile on his face sent chills down her spine.

"Think you can get away from me that easy huh?"

She tried to suppress the new tears stinging in her eyes. She knew this time that there was no escape. He had her. And she didn't have the will to run anymore. She hung her head in defeat and stopped struggling against his grip.

"That's my girl." He said, the smile still imprinted on his face.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her to a car. He threw her in the backseat, and they drove away. She was on her way back to hell.

------------

Alexis awoke in a cold sweat. Shivering. Knocking at her door brought her out of her nightmare. She calmed herself as she got up, put on her robe, and walked to the door. She looked through the peep-hole. It was her landlord. Damn, I forgot to pay the rent yesterday. She thought as she opened the door.

"Mr Tarazin, I know. The rent. I was gonna drop it to you on my way to work later. I'm sorry."

"Alexis, you know I like my rent on time. Do you have it now?"

"Yeah I do. Come in, I'll just get it."

She rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the envelope with the rent money in it off the counter and walked back to the door.

Mr Tarazin left, happy to have his money. Lex went back into her bedroom, picked out some clothes, and went to have a shower.

An hour later she was out the door and on her way to work.

She worked part-time at a local bar serving drinks. It's not the nicest place, but its work. There was always some guy trying to hit on her, buy her drinks, or hassle her when she left for the night. It didn't bother her that much anymore. She had gotten used to it, and the bouncer would always be there if someone was giving her a hard time. Jay, he was a nice guy, one of the only real nice guys left in L.A.

Tonight was just like every other night. The bar was packed with regulars, and a few new faces. She didn't pay much attention to who they were, she was too busy.

"Hey sweetie, can I get a couple of beers?"

Lex looked at the man who was talking to her, she recognised him instantly. She stood there staring at him for a moment before she got the drinks.

She couldn't believe she missed it, she should have known they were going to be in town. That man was Rob Van Dam; he worked with her brother in the WWF. Lex and her brother, Tommy Dreamer, hadn't seen each other, or spoken to each other, for about 4 years.

She watched him every week, but he probably thought she was dead.

Lex told Shane, one of the other guys working that night, that she was going on her break. She had to get out of there; she couldn't let Tommy see her. Not now. Not like this.

It was too late.

As she was walking out the door someone grabbed her arm.

"Lex?" He looked into her eyes; he couldn't believe she was standing right in front of him, after all these years. He'd finally found his little sister.

"Hi Tommy."

That's all she could think to say. What do you say to someone who thought you were dead?

She could see the tears beginning to leak from his eyes. Lex did the only thing she could think to do; she hugged her big brother.

After Tommy told his friends he was leaving, and Lex told her manager she wasn't feeling well and going home, she took him to her apartment. The walk there was really quiet. Neither knew what to say to each other.

When they got inside, Lex went and got changed and Tommy got himself a glass of water. When she came out, Tommy looked at his sister. She'd changed a lot since the last time he saw her. Her hair was the same, long, dark and wavy, only now she had a few streaks of purple, green and white. Now she had tattoos and piercings, quite a few of them; but the clothes she wore were still the same style she wore when she was 18, a punk-goth style.

Lex noticed what he was doing; she was doing the same thing. Her brother hadn't changed much. He looked a little older, and a little more worn down. Probably from the years of wrestling and travelling.

Lex smiled at him, and gestured for him to sit down. They both sat on the couch looking at each other, not sure of how to start the conversation.

"What happened to you?" Tommy decided to get straight to the point. He wanted to know exactly what happened to her.

Lex could see the pain in his eyes. She couldn't look at him. She wanted to tell him everything she'd been through; why she left; where she's been. But she was so scared that he'd hate her because of it.

Tommy watched as Lex fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She looked so sad. He could tell that she was contemplating whether to tell him. It must be really bad if she doesn't want to tell him about it. They used to be so close. They were best friends, she would tell him everything. That's all he wanted; to have his little sister back, the way it was before.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling as she remembered the last 4 years. She looked over at Tommy, he could see the tears beginning to slowly run down her cheeks. He moved closer to her and held her hand in his.

Lex looked her brother straight in the eyes, "I've been so lost Tommy."

Tommy held Lex in his arms as she wept. She let out all the tears that had been building up inside her.

"It's ok sweetie." He said as he rubbed her back. It killed him to see her this upset, especially when he didn't know what had happened to make her this way.

Lex managed to calm herself down, and sat back up. She grabbed some tissues from the table in front of them.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just break down like that." She said with a sob. She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Tommy held her hand. "It's alright Lex. I just wish you would tell me what happened."

She looked at her hands, intertwined with his. She was ashamed of her past. But her worst fear has always been that her brother will be ashamed of her.

For the rest of the night they talked about everything that happened from when she left. They talked about Tommy, and his wrestling. Lex told him about what she'd been through, but not everything. She couldn't handle talking about everything in one night.

"I left, because I couldn't take mum and dad anymore. I know I wasn't the 'perfect daughter', and I couldn't be. They wouldn't accept me for who I am at all. I can understand them being pissed and disappointed about the drugs and drinking and all that, even though it wasn't much then. But they would yell at me and threaten to kick me out if I coloured my hair, or even wore a fucking band T-shirt. Dad started going off at me for any little thing. I bet they never told you that he hit me a few times."

Tommy looked at Lex with confusion; their father wouldn't ever hit a woman, especially not his own daughter. Would he?

Lex knew he'd never believe her.

"Just forget it. You won't believe me anyway." She said as she got up off the lounge.

"Wait, Lex. I do believe you. It's just... Dad...I would of never thought that he would…"

Tommy couldn't bring himself to say it. He just looked at her. When he saw the sadness in her eyes, he knew this wasn't the worst of what she'd been through.

Lex decided it was now or never, she was going to tell him. She sat back down next to him, and for the next two hours she recounted her life.

She told him about the fights with their parents; the 'friends' she used to hang around with; the drinking; the drugs; the boys she went out with, and the beatings from them; the heavy drug use, being addicted to cocaine and heroin. She told him everything, well nearly everything. She even told him about how one of the guys she was with for nearly a year, would repeatedly beat and rape her on nearly a daily basis.

It was all too much for Tommy to take. He couldn't listen to anymore. He stood up and started pacing around the room. Why did this have to happen to her? Why didn't she call him for help? He would have dropped everything to help her. He just couldn't understand.

"Why didn't you call me? I would have come and got you." He said, kneeling down in front of her.

"I didn't want you to be ashamed of me. I couldn't take it if you hated me."

"I could never hate you Alexis. I love you." Tommy said, and then pulled her into a hug.

Tommy stayed at Lex's that night. He didn't want to leave her again.

The next morning they decided to go out to get their favourite breakfast meal. Pancakes.

Lex completely covered her pancakes in syrup, they were soaked, and it formed a pool on the plate.

"Eww. That's so gross." Tommy said while giving Lex's plate a disgusted look and shook his head.

"Yummy." Lex said with a smile. It was still the same as when they were kids. She'd smother her food in whatever she could, and he'd give her horrible looks and make faces.

They ate their breakfast, and left the dinner, heading for Tommy's rental car. When they got in the car Tommy turned to Lex,

"You wanna come to the arena with me? Meet some of the guys. Hang out with your big bro?"

"Hmm… maybe… as long as you don't embarrass me" She said and giggled.

Tommy raised his right hand, "I swear."

They both started laughing. She missed this.

"Alright, let's go."