Chapter 1

"Your son got in trouble at school again," Steffi signed at Brian, clearly annoyed.

He sighed. "Is it what I think it is? And why aren't your hearing aids in?"

"Batteries need changed. Don't get off the subject. Heath was fighting at school again and using your filthy language."

"Right, when Heath gets in trouble he's my son using my dirty language. Any other time, he's our son."

"He's your son because he's also been using your wrestling skills again on those boys. Consider all of us lucky that no one was seriously hurt and charges weren't filed against Heath."

Brian sighed, not believing his ears. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs. I've grounded him for two weeks."

Brian nodded, heading over to the bottom of the stairs, bellowing. "Heath Christian, front and center!"

"Hey, Dad," thirteen year old Heath called back.

"Don't 'hey Dad' me. Get your ass down here."

"Mom said I was grounded."

"You still are," Brian replied. "Come here."

"Are you going to whoop me?"

"No, Heath, I'm not going to 'whoop' you. You and I need to talk, though."

Heath came down, looking at his father sheepishly. "Mom still mad?"

"Just a little bit. Come on, let's go in the den before she sees you and decides it's a good idea to eat her young."

Heath flopped on a chair in the den, but before he could say anything, Brian cut him off. "You want to tell me why you were fighting this time?"

"What was I supposed to do, just stand there and let people stuff me in a locker? No way!"

"Defending yourself is one thing, Heath, but using wrestling moves is where I draw the line. Your mother and I have discussed that how many times with you?"

Heath shrugged. "You do it all the time and no one gets hurt bad."

"I also trained and busted my ass for years to do what I do," Brian reminded him. "Boy, haven't you paid one iota of attention to those 'Don't Try This At Home' spots on TV during our shows? Those aren't aired for one's own health; they're put there to warn kids like you not to do that kind of stuff because though we are trained, someone can still get a bad injury. Kids imitating it, not knowing what they're doing, could end things much worse. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

Heath nodded. "Yes, sir."

"All right. I don't want any more complaints from your mother or from school that you're doing that shit on people. You need to knock off the fighting before you land into serious trouble."

"I got to fight sometimes," Heath protested. "People think it's fun to pick on short kids."

Brian sighed, recalling himself at Heath's age. "You know, you can put that to work in a constructive way"

Heath cocked his head to one side. "How?"

"Put your energy trying to kill everyone else into the wrestling team at school."

"Um, Dad? In case you didn't notice, I'm short. I'm five four. And skinny."

Brian gave him a look. "And the problem is? Look, I've been five eight forever. I'm not exceptionally huge either, kid. But I've been there, rocked that, and happen to be here to tell about it. I'm just a short guy too, with a wonderful woman in your mother, you and your sister, some charisma and I also had a dream from the time I was in first grade. I'm living my dream. Even to this day, just want to take it to its highest and milk it of all it's potential. Point is, Heath, if I can overcome the odds, so can you."

"Okay, if you say so," Heath replied.

"Go talk to the coach tomorrow about trying out," Brian encouraged.

"He'll probably laugh at me like everyone else does. He'll say I'm a little 'pretty boy' or some dumb stuff."

"Let him laugh. People laughed at me too, boy, and look where I am today. As for 'pretty boy', it isn't your fault you got your good looks from your mother." He ruffled Heath's dark hair reassuringly, making Heath laugh.

"Okay, I'll try out," he finally said. "Could you do me a favor, though?"

"I'll sign the papers if that is what you were going to ask," Brian nodded.

"Yeah, okay, but I was really wondering if you could talk to Mom and get a week off my grounding."

Brian nodded again. "We'll see. Now go do your homework."

Meanwhile:

Audrey studied the fashion magazine, then gazed in the mirror, making a face. Though barely five feet tall, she was her own brand of pretty with blue-green eyes and the curly blond hair her father had (and Audrey cursed at every turn when she tried to do her hair) as well as her mother's full hips and breasts. At sixteen, Audrey was still feeling insecure.

Whereas Heath had been an outgoing spitfire like Brian and gotten into more than his share of scraps at school, Audrey had been as shy as Steffi, often slinking off to the nearest corner when the opportunity arose.

It didn't help when, despite their parents' chiding, Heath would tease his sister about being curvy, christening her Audi Ass. What was even worse that the junior dance was coming up, and Audrey was dateless yet again.

Her father had tried to cheer her up, saying guys didn't know a good thing when they saw it sometimes, and even how he, the skinny, acne covered kid, often sat in the back of the cafeteria by himself when he was her age. He didn't go to any dances either; he hadn't even had his first girl until he was twenty.

"And there's your mom," he added. "She never even went on a date until your godfather Dallas introduced us. Some people are late bloomers, Audi. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. You're a beautiful girl; just like I tell your mother all the time, even if life throws you some curve balls, work through it and love you for you."

"Easy for you to say," Audrey had replied. "Guys have it a lot better. Girls still check you out, for heaven's sake."

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to miss my ass, even after all these years."

"Dad, come on, this isn't time for joking."

"Who said anything about joking? Audi, there's someone for everyone out there. You're sixteen; you have the rest of your life. So you don't have a date for a dance this time around, it isn't the end of the world. You have so many other good qualities and someday, when you aren't looking, someone's going to come around and appreciate Audi for who and what she is, not how she should be."

Audrey managed a small smile. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I shouldn't obsess over dumb things. Thanks, Dad."

"Hey, nice to know your old man's still good for something," he grinned as Audrey headed to the kitchen.

"Hey, Audi Ass," Heath chortled. "First you complain no one will take you to some dumb dance, and then you got your head in the fridge. No wonder no one will take you, little piggy."

Audrey gave her brother a dirty look. "I will have you know I was getting a soda, and that's Audrey to you," she snapped.

"As for your smart remarks," she added, knowing height was a sore spot with Heath, "I may be fat, but you aren't going to get much taller, and I can diet."

"Audrey Barbara!" Steffi called.

"There, Mom has her hearing aids in now. Sucks to be you, Audi Ass."

"Heath Christian," Steffi said that time. "Honestly, do you two have to go at each other like that all the time?"

"He's the one who started it saying I'm fat," Audrey said.

"Hobbit," Heath said.

"Midget," Audrey fired back.

"Enough," Brian said sternly. "Can you two go at least a whole day without going back and forth?"

"Maybe," Audrey nodded, "but Heath would have to be this tall."

"Dad!" Heath whined.

"Enough, young lady," Brian warned. "Both of you, back upstairs to finish homework, and I don't want to hear any more drama the rest of the night. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused before slinking toward the stairs.

"Jesus," Brian groaned. "Times like this make me question why I wanted kids in the first place."