Title: Girl Next Door

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. I am,however, making millions of dollars off of it. Fistfuls of money. Oh yeah.

Chapter 3

Katie sat in the passenger seat as her father drove them to her football game. They'd spent the morning working on the truck, but Kane had not joined them. His father had returned home, and then Kane had come over to tell her he would be leaving for a week, in order to go meet a trainer. She'd wished him luck and made him promise to call her. He'd seemed reluctant to go and excited at the same time. She'd been excited for him, hoping and knowing he would impress anyone that gave him a chance. Kane had also introduced her to his father, but that had been awkward and Katie had a very low opinion of the man that had left Kane to practically fend for himself, so she tried to forget it had even happened. The man was nothing like his son. He was fat and his voice was high-pitched, and he scared her. Kane had kept their meeting short, and quickly taken her back home.

Now that he was out of the picture for a few days, it gave her time to bring up the subject to her father. Katie had never really talked to her parents about the guys she wanted to date. She hadn't been interested in one until she was sixteen, and it had only been as a date to the prom. Her dad had given him the typical 'take care of my daughter or else' speech, but after that, they'd let her go out with whomever she pleased.

Kane was different, though. She didn't know why, but he just was. She didn't want her father to dislike him because Katie was interested in him. She didn't want him to think he'd tried to take advantage of him being out of of town so much, either. She loved that Kane got along so well with her parents, and she wanted it to stay that way.

"Dad, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said. He glanced over at her.

"What is it, pumpkin?"

"What do you think about Kane?" she asked. Her father smiled a bit.

"Your mother tipped me off that you like him. I gotta say I'm surprised. Kane's not like the other boys you've brought home, but I think he's a good kid. He's been through a lot. I can't say I would have turned out as well as he has with the cards he's been dealt."

"I wanted you to know that I started things between us. He would never have taken advantage of you being gone. He's been really respectful."

"Just how long has this been going on?" her dad asked, seeming surprised that they were already together.

"Only a week or so. It was after the burglar incident."

"While he stayed at the house..."

"Nothing happened, Dad!" Her dad smiled, clearly amused.

"I trust you. But listen to me, Katie. Make sure you really like him, because I don't know how he'd handle a bad break-up if it came to that. He's an intense kid. What do you know about his plans for the future? I know you don't have to have a degree to be a good man and provide for a family, but he can't spend his whole life in that rotting house."

"His dad's a manager for wrestlers. I didn't know it, but he's actually on television a lot. Have you ever heard of the Undertaker?" she asked. She'd never watched wrestling before, but she'd started tuning in since learning it was what Kane wanted to do. Her father shook his head.

"He's pretty famous. Kane's dad travels with him to all the shows. He's taken Kane this week to meet a trainer." Her father was quiet, perhaps considering the new information.

"As long as he's got some goals, and he treats you right, I've got no problem with it. I like Kane. I can trust he'll take care of you." His only daughter smiled up at him, and as always, he remembered how cute she'd been as a little girl. She still was cute. She didn't have the pig-tails anymore, but she would always be his little girl.

"Thanks, daddy. I know Kane respects you a lot, so I didn't want your opinion of him to change. He asked me if he needed to talk to you, but I told him I wanted to do it."

"Well, you tell him we're still going to have a talk about it, but you have my blessing. I'm proud of you for not being one of those girls that's hung up on having one of those model television singer boys." Earl Vick was far from a model himself, and it sometimes surprised him his daughter had turned out so attractive. He liked that she was willing to look past Kane's scarring and his damaged voice. Her mother had been willing to take a chance on a guy that was less than Prom King and he was still grateful she'd done so nearly twenty-five years later.

He shifted gears in Katie's small car, and pulled into the parking lot of the stadium.

"So is this game going to be any good?" he asked. His daughter waved at the security guard and they were allowed in for free. She was already wearing her uniform, and the game's participants didn't have to pay for parking.

"Our team's doing okay. My coach says I should try out for a professional team. There are going to be some auditions in a few months."

"You should go, but I want you to finish your school. It's important to have something to fall back on."

"I know. I want to go for it, though. I hope Kane's in town and can come with me to the auditions. I don't want to go alone. I asked mom, but she can't take that many days off work." Lisa Vick was a secretary and her boss relied on her heavily.

"That sounds fine. You'll do good." They parked and got out, and Earl made a mental note to check the air in his daughter's tires, and drop her car off to be aligned. The steering wheel had been a bit shaky and it had been a little sticky shifting gears. "Katie, how fast have you been hitting the speed bumps in this car?"

"Not too fast, but they're all over campus and they're really high. I've been worried they're messing up my car."

"They might be throwing off your alignment. I'll get it checked." The father and daughter made their way into the small stadium and parted ways. Lisa showed up a little later with some fast food for dinner, and joined her husband in the stands.

When the family got back home later that night, the phone was ringing. Katie raced to answer it, and Lisa took the opportunity to ask about Kane. Her husband assured her he'd been understanding and accepting. Pleased, because Lisa had a soft-spot for the big kid, she pulled her husband off to the bedroom so Katie could talk with Kane on the phone in privacy.

"Hey, how's it going?" Katie asked.

"Good. I've got a trainer," Kane replied.

"That's great! I knew you could do it. Does this mean you're staying longer?" she asked.

"No, we aren't starting yet. I'm meeting the WWF manager and then I'm coming home. Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled against the phone, always touched when Kane worried about her.

"I'm fine. I talked to my dad about us tonight. He gave us his blessing. He said he trusts you to take care of me and I trust you, too. I miss you, though." Kane was silent for a few moments, and Katie knew her words had made an impact on him. When he spoke, his voice was especially hard to understand, but Katie caught the gist of it.

"I miss you, too. I'll be home soon."

"I know it bugs your throat to talk too much, so I'll let you go. Stay safe. I know you're going to impress the manager. He's going to love you. Bye, Kane," she said.

"Bye, Katie," he replied. Katie hung up the phone, smiling happily as she went into the kitchen for a late-night snack. She couldn't wait for Kane to get back home. She thought of the filthy house he'd be returning to and had an idea. What if she cleaned it up for him? She knew where the spare key was. She was already checking the mail, so she didn't think Kane would mind. She didn't like the idea of him being over there in a place that felt nothing like a home. Her mind made up about how she'd spend her Saturday, she finished up her snack and went to bed.

~*~

Kane was exhausted. He'd never done so much talking in his life. The constant presence of his father was difficult to adjust to, and he'd missed Katie horribly. He was glad he was on a plane home, and glad that his father was not coming back with him. He now had a contract with the WWF, and he'd been promised a match against his brother once his training was complete. Originally, his father was going to bring him to Tennessee to train, but Kane had insisted he train closer to home. Luckily, the trainer his father had originally wanted was fairly busy, and he'd been more than willing to pass Kane off to a friend of his back in Texas. Kane would need a vehicle, but the truck was almost running and he now had the money to pay Mr. Vick for it. The WWF had paid him in advance for the costs of his training and given him plenty. Vince McMahon was ecstatic over the potential money he'd make off of a feud between long-lost brothers. He'd sworn them to silence, wanting the first time Mark learned of his brother's existence to be in the ring. Kane and Paul couldn't be happier with the arrangements.

The pilot announced that they were landing. Kane couldn't wait to get off the plane and see Katie. His first big trip away from home and been pretty much what he expected—people had stared at him like he was a freak wherever he went. He'd asked Vince to order a costume for him that would cover most of his body. He hated feeling people's eyes on him.

Taking his black duffel bag from the overhead compartment, Kane exited the plane. Having no luggage other than his carry-on, he easily got through security and walked into the lobby. Katie was sitting in a chair flipping through a magazine, and Kane took a moment simply to stare at her and know that she was his girlfriend. It was almost impossible to believe.

He came up behind her hand tapped her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and then broke into a huge grin when she saw him. Ignoring the surprised looks of those around her, she used the chair as a stepping stool and happily through her arms around him in a big hug. All the stress of the previous week melted away, and Kane held her gently in his arms. With ease, he lifted her over the chair and set her down in front of him. The height difference between them was huge. He had to lean over to kiss her, and she had to stand on her toes.

"I missed you! I bet you're glad to be home!" she said. He nodded, a smile on his face. She took his hand and they walked to her car. She drove, because he didn't know how to drive a stick-shift. Paul had barely shown him the basics in an automatic, and he technically didn't have a license yet. He'd need to get one though.

"So did you like the trainer?" she asked. He nodded. "Does this mean you'll have to be up there permanently?" He could tell she'd been worried about it. He shook his head no, and gave her a reassuring smile. She looked relieved, and then worried all over again. "But you are going to get your training, right?" He nodded. "In Texas?" He nodded again. He didn't realize how careful she was to always ask yes or no questions until he'd spent a week with people that had no concern for how difficult it was for him to speak.

"Well, I've been busy while you were gone. I hope you don't get mad, but I think you'll like it," she said with a smile. His brows creased downwards, a silent question. What could she possibly have done that would make him mad?

They got into her car, Kane with some difficulty because of how little leg and head room it offered. The drive from the airport was quick, and soon they were in his driveway. He noticed immediately that the house looked different. The lawn had been mowed, and a lot of the junk that had been rusting in the backyard when Paul bought the house had been cleared away.

"My mom and I wanted to do something nice for you, and so we tidied up a bit while you were gone. No offense, but I think my mom's been itching to get her hands on your lawn since we moved in. She pulled up all the weeds like a madwoman on a mission." Kane was shocked. That they had put so much effort into such a disgusting project just to be nice to him was overwhelming.

His next thought was the dirty magazine in his room. Had she found it? It wasn't like he had many things, so he wasn't worried about her going through his stuff, but what if she found the magazine and was angry about it? He looked at her uneasily. Kane pulled out his box.

"I'm sorry about the mess and the..." he trailed off, not sure if he should admit to it or not. She glanced at him and grinned.

"My dad's got a subscription to Playboy. It's no big deal. I'd think you were weird if you didn't have something lying around." Kane took the key from the usual place above the door frame and opened the door. Unlike usual, instead of the smell of cat piss and god-knows-what-else, his house smelled vaguely like Katie's did—lemony and clean. He noticed some windows were propped open, probably to let the old house breathe some fresh air.

Kane marveled. The floors, once grimy, were now a whole different shade. The trash was gone and the tiny kitchen was scrubbed spotless. They'd even replaced the burned out light bulbs in the kitchen.

"I know it was kind of invading your privacy, but I wanted you to be comfortable when you got home after your trip, so I just did it. I'm sorry if I should have asked first."

Kane pressed his box to his throat, thought he didn't quite know what to say.

"Thank you. Nobody's ever taken care of me like this," he finally settled on saying. She blushed and smiled proudly.

"It was kind of fun, in a weird way. I mean, it was gross, but I was really excited to do it for you. I hoped it would be a big surprise. And my mom loves to clean. We turned on some music and made a day of it. I put some meals you can heat up in your fridge. Nothing as good as my mom's stuff, but I'm trying to learn how to cook so you get to be my test subject." Kane was completely overwhelmed. She'd even put flowers in the middle of his kitchen table. The house wasn't going to impress anyone, but it actually felt like a home for once.

The living room was neat and tidy, and some of the bigger stains were missing from the well-worn couch. The place didn't look so dark with the curtains pulled back to let natural light in, and the windows washed so that light could actually penetrate the glass. Kane continued walking through the house almost in awe, discovering that the bathroom was restocked and the grimy shower curtain had been replaced. There were even some new towels on the shelf and fresh bars of soap. Katie had put more effort in than she was letting on.

"I didn't spend a lot of money or anything. Most of it was just extra stuff we had at my house. We weren't going to use it anyway." Kane entered his room and set his bag down, amazed to actually see the tile floor without a layer of dust and dirt. His bed actually had sheets on it, and the blanket he'd used when he'd slept over at their house for a few nights. Kane decided there was no better time than the present to try it out. Smiling, he pulled Katie into the circle of his arms and kissed her, working his way backwards towards the bed. He'd missed her so much. While he'd been gone, he couldn't stop imagining scenarios of Katie with Daniel in his absence. The persistent images had tormented him until he'd finally just called her. Now he knew she'd been doing something special for him while he'd been away, and she really was all his. It hadn't just been a dream.

Their kissing ended slowly, and she sat in his lap gently stroking his brow, running her fingers through his hair. Her sweet smile turned wicked.

"My parents are going to see my grandmother this weekend. I'll have the house all to myself," she said. Kane smirked. She kissed him again, gently guiding his hand to run up her side and touch her breast. "It would be the perfect opportunity for us to...spend some time together," she purred in his ear. He wasn't surprised at what she was suggesting. He knew he was not her first boyfriend—she was far more experienced than he was. He felt his stomach tighten nervously. What if he couldn't please her?

"Hey, why the frown, big guy?" she asked concernedly, tracing his scowl with a soft fingertip. He pressed a light kiss to the digit and made an effort to smile. He considered telling her he'd never had sex before, but the admission was too embarrassing. Besides, he realized with no small amount of shame, all it took was one look at him and she probably already knew.

"Whatever is bothering you can't be that bad. I'm sure lunch will cheer you up. You hungry?" She stood, smiling brightly, tugging gently on his hand. He nodded and stood, and then followed her into the clean kitchen. His father wasn't going to believe it was the same house whenever he next returned. Kane could hardly believe it, either.

He took a seat at the card table that served as a place to eat his microwave meals and gas station burritos. This time, however, it was a home-cooked meal that sat in front of him. Across from him, Katie blew on a spoonful of soup to cool it and Kane wondered how his life was going to change after they were really together by all definitions of the word. As nervous as he was about the weekend to come, he wanted to see all of her healthy, beautiful skin bared to his eyes. What would she look like in the middle of sex? He imagined what his hand would look like fisted in her hair, her soft, silky hair and swallowed thickly.

Her laughter cut him out of his reverie.

"I've caught you checking me out before, but that was a pretty lusty stare you were giving me just now. I didn't know eating soup was such a turn-on." Kane blushed, quickly turning his eyes to his meal. She laughed again, but he knew she wasn't making fun of him. Katie would never make fun of him. Katie was a chain-smoking, green-eyed angel that looked sinfully good in a cheerleading uniform, but an angel nonetheless.

"I've got some homework to do after lunch. You want to work on the truck?" He nodded, grateful for the subject change, and forced himself to eat his meal without thinking about what was underneath Katie's clothing.

~*~

Kane wondered how it was possible for Earl Vick to suddenly seem so intimidating. He still towered a good foot over the man, and he knew he was in much better condition physically, but something about the look in Earl's eyes scared the shit out of him. It was a look that made him think sleeping with his daughter while he was gone over the weekend was playing with fire. Despite the height difference, Mr. Vick was looking down on him—that was perfectly clear.

Katie had popped out of the garage for a few moments for a smoke, leaving him alone with her father for the first time since they'd become a couple. Kane had continued working, not thinking anything of it, until Earl had tapped him on the shoulder.

"I like you, Kane. You're a good kid, and I trust you with Katie, but I'm gonna make myself real clear so there aren't any misunderstandings later. Katie is my little girl. She always will be. If you step out of line with her, I'll break every bone in your body. You understand me, son?"

Kane nodded, wide eyed. Almost instantly, Earl's demeanor changed. He was suddenly the friendly, laid-back man Kane had always pictured when he thought of Katie's father. He tossed a greasy, red rag over his shoulder and patted the truck.

"You've almost finished her up. Never thought I'd see the day she actually ran again. So, what's this I hear about you starting to train for some television show?" Earl asked. Kane, still recovering from Earl's scary personality change, nervously raised his voice box to his throat.

"I'm going to be a wrestler, sir. My trainer lives about an hour away. I want to pay you for the truck, so I can get to my training."

"You don't have to pay me, Kane. I already gave it to you. If you're going to be driving her though, you'll need a license. You're eighteen, aren't you? Katie will have to take you down to the DMV to take the test."

Kane knew from watching television that you had to take a test before you were given a license. He also knew from television that it never seemed to go well. On the other hand, it couldn't be too hard. Everybody drove.

"Take a test for what?" Katie asked, as she came back into the garage.

"For his license. I can give him some lessons as we give her a test drive."

"Oh! Wow, is she finally ready to drive?" Katie asked excitedly. Her father smiled and nodded.

"You ready to test her out, Kane?" he asked. Kane nodded, smiling as well. He started towards the passenger side, but Earl smirked and tossed him a shiny key. "No, she's your truck. You'll drive her first."

Kane grinned and excitedly got behind the wheel. Katie took the middle seat, pressed reassuringly against his side. Earl shut his door and nodded at him to start it up. Kane put the key in the ignition and turned it, worried for a moment until the engine turned over and the truck rattled to life.

"Alright, now hold down the brake and put her in reverse," Earl instructed, cranking the window down and leaning out of it. Unless Kane did something crazy, they'd have plenty of room to coast out of the driveway.

Kane did just fine, however, and the truck smoothly rolled out of the driveway and onto the road. With Earl giving him directions, Kane drove a few laps around the neighborhood and ended at the deserted parking lot of the old elementary school. Katie and Earl guided him into parking and turning, braking smoothly and accelerating.

"I think you've got it," Earl decided, as Kane pulled the truck into his own driveway at Earl's command. "Now I've just got to figure out what I'm gonna do with all that space in my garage," Earl said happily, glancing in the rear view mirror at his own home across the street.

"We should get a pool table," Katie suggested. Her father grinned.

"That's not a bad idea. I used to be a fair shot at pool," Earl boasted. Katie winked at Kane slyly and then addressed her father.

"You care to make a wager, then?" she asked. They all exited the truck, and Earl stared at Katie questioningly.

"What kind of a wager?" he asked suspiciously. Kane watched them banter, the daylight beginning to fade around them, and he realized he wanted to always be a part of their lives. The more time he spent with them, the less time he spent thinking about how angry he was. The thought had occurred to him that maybe all the unfair things that had happened to him in life were only to balance out the really wonderful things that were to come—dating Katie, becoming a son to her parents, and rising to stardom as a wrestler. He casually took Katie's hand, smiling fondly at the way she and her father teased each other. The stakes were high—Katie wanted a puppy. Dolly, she reasoned, was getting older, and she had clearly been considering the idea of a new pet for a long time.

"If we got a bigger dog, he would keep us safe while you were gone," she reasoned. Earl amused by what his daughter was trying to do, just nodded.

"I think Kane's got it covered when I'm out of town. We don't need another flea-bitten mongrel running around under foot," he protested. Katie pouted.

"Well, if you win the game then we won't get one. But if I win, I want another dog. Those are the stakes," she said with a girlish grin. Her father grinned, taking his hat off his head to scratch at his balding hair.

"Uh huh. We'll see. You'll have to win first."

"No, first you'll have to buy the pool table," Katie replied, leaning against Kane's side comfortably, like she belonged there.

"I've worked up a thirst. Let's go sit on the porch. Dinner won't be ready for awhile yet," Earl said, changing the subject away from bets and dogs. As Earl ambled back across the street, Katie smiled up at him.

"I took a class on how to play pool. I'm really good. He's going to let me have my puppy, just you watch," she boasted. Kane just smiled and shook his head, wondering if all daughters were so skillful at getting what they wanted from their fathers, or if Katie was just an exception.

The sun began to set as they settled into the chairs on Katie's porch, cold beers in hand. Kane had never had a beer before, but Earl had fetched one for both himself and Katie, and hadn't acted like it was a big deal to let them drink them.

"But, Daddy, we're not old enough," Katie protested, giggling. Her father snorted.

"Don't play innocent with me. I know what you get up to at those parties of yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Katie replied, laughing. It didn't escape either Kane or her father's notice that Katie popped the top off her beer expertly, like she'd been doing it for years. Her father grinned, as if he'd proven his point.

"You better be careful, though. You know I'll skin your hide if you do something stupid—and I don't care whether your sixteen or thirty-four."

"I know, Daddy. I'm always careful," she replied sweetly. The three of them lapsed into silence and Kane gave Katie's hand a gentle squeeze, smiling at her. A few lightening bugs emerged in the twilight, swaying and flickering through the rapidly cooling air. It had been a very good day.

Now that the truck was running, he'd get his license soon and he could start his training. Not to mention, Katie's parents were heading out of town the next morning. He knew Katie was planning something, but he had no idea what. His nerves hadn't faded away completely, but he was reassured by the knowledge that Katie would never make fun of him. He could trust her like he'd never trusted anyone before.