2 Weeks later
"You ok Kat?"
She looks up at her dad. "Yea why?"
"You just have been acting a little off for the last week or so."
"How?"
"Well you are always around us, been more quite then normal…and I don't think you have been on your computer once. Just surprised that I haven't once seen you try to talk to Adam."
Her head lowered faintly at the name. "It's nothing pop…just thinking & studying. Nothing to worry about."
"If you're sure. Lets go." Nodding she got up grabbing her bag & cane heading for the arena.
That night after the matches they were heading for the parking lot when Katherine caught sight of Adam & Amy again. A shake of her head just watching them. Mark stopped when he noticed Katherine was not by his side. Backtracking some he saw her looking down a now empty hall. What caught him even more was the slowly smoking trashcan near by.
"KAT!" She jumped slightly turning, seeing the can now herself she went to take a step back almost stumbling. Luckily she stumbles into a pair of arms that stopped her fall. She looked up into a stunning rich pair of brown eyes framed by a head of blackish hair.
"Careful there." He had a faint drawl to him. A staffer near by had already gotten a fire extinguisher & was dousing the smoldering can. "You ok?"
"Yea fine." she smoothed her outfit as her dad walked up.
"Kat…what happened."
"Don't know…something just distracted me I guess. I didn't see anything else."
"Ok as long as you are ok. I see you finally met Matt." Matt? It couldn't be that Matt…could it? "Hey Matt didn't know they let you off injury yet."
"Well they didn't yet. You know cabin fever? I just like wandering backstage till I can hit the ring again. Plus I wanted to check on Ames. You seen her by any chance." Katherine faintly closed her eyes then a deep breath a faint look from her dad before he addressed Matt.
"No, Hun you?"
"Wh…oh…um…no."
"Ok thanks both of you…Catch you around…Kat." Matt turned heading off.
Mark & Kat began heading for the car again. "What that about hun?"
"What?"
"The stall back there what distracted you & what didn't you tell Matt."
"I think I saw something, but I must have been mistaken. That's all."
"Care to share?"
"No"
"Ok"
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~*~Flashback/ Dream~*~
A young Katherine is standing by the window looking out.
"Hey get away from there."
"Why?"
"Cause I said so."
"But I am waiting."
"You dare talk back to me you ingrate." She is grabbed by the shoulder & pulled away to be tossed on the sofa. Tearful eyes look up at the woman. "Cut those tears, who the hell would be coming for you."
"Daddy…" Her mother just laughed. "It no funny he say he come for me…it my birthday."
"Yea…so what don't remind me. You already got your gift…" The young girl looked down at the baby doll in her arms. "And he isn't coming."
"Yes he is." Next she knew was the sting of a hand across her face. Tears streamed her cheeks.
"No he isn't you brat…He's dead." The girls head looked up.
"LIAR! You Lie…Daddy is coming." Her mother just laughed as she showed her a news clipping. Katherine couldn't read it but her mom was all too glad to inform her of the horrible accident involving her dad. "NO NO…I HATE YOU…YOU MADE HIM LEAVE!" Next thing that happened scared them both. The cloth of the baby doll busted into flames. The flames caused Katherine to drop the doll & jump up & the mother away from her. She watched as the sofa was next to catch flames. Grabbing an extinguisher her mother put the flames out while looking at her in disbelief. Parts of her wanted to believe what she saw was brought on by her drug induced state but the charred remains of the sofa told a different story.
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Katherine was awoken by the frantic pounding on her door & then the stifling smoke that was filling her room only faintly pushed down by the sprinklers water. Coughing as she tried to get up from the bed her room was engulfed by flames. Looking around she was wondering how she would get out when almost on cue the flames began to die down more so in a path leading for the door. As she began to open the door Mark grabbed her from the other side & helped her make her way out of the room. Once in the hall he picked her up carrying her since she was asleep she didn't have her brace on or her cane. Mark didn't know if he had ever seen her this scared before…but then a flash back of that night she fell. When they got outside he met up with some of the others.
"You ok Kat?" She faintly nodded her face smudged with soot. "Maybe the medics should check you out?" She shook her head. "You sure it looked like you could of inhaled a lot of smoke." She just nodded. "Ok Hun." Few minutes later Bischoff who was on an upper floor went around checking on people & what they knew. Mark did have to admit to him about the smoke that came from Katherine's room but that neither knew what caused it to start. He used the excuse that she must be in shock some cause she wasn't talking to anyone.
Everyone was moved to another hotel nearby. In the morning Some people were going to be allowed back to gather belongings. Mark & Katherine were already in the new room the whole time she didn't looks at him. "Kat?"
"Yea?"
"What's wrong?"
"I don't think I should be here?"
"Why I thought you liked it here?"
"I do…it is just everything…"
"It's not your fault."
"Maybe."
"Why would it be?"
"I don't know."
"Ok hun I understand…we will set you to head back after we see what could be saved from the room." She faintly nodded & stretched out on the couch a faint cringe at the memory. "What's wrong?"
"Just my legs." Mark cursed cause everything was left including her medication.
"Try to relax here, I'll grab you a blanket." getting up he walked into the bedroom grabbing the top blanket off & one of the pillows walking it back out to her & carefully covering it. She closed her eyes to try to sleep but couldn't in fear the dream would return.
The next morning about 9 there was a knock on the door. Mark & Kat were already up eating breakfast. Opening it a bellhop rolled in a cart with Mark's bags & luckily Kat's make-up case that also had her medications in it. After he left she noticed her brace, cane & clothing was not returned. Looking down Mark tried to tell her it was ok. He would contract her doctor in Texas & have him reorder them & they would figure out something for clothing to at least get her back home.
About an hour later there was another knock on the door. It was two men in suits asking to speak to Ms. Delacroix. Mark allowed them in Kat had a bad feeling but looked at them.
"You Ms. Katherine Delacroix?"
"Yes please sit & pardon my not getting up."
"That if fine miss what can you tell us bout last night?"
"Nothing except I woke up to fire in my room, Lucky that I could even get out. That & sadly lost almost everything I had packed."
"Anything on value?"
"You know the normal, clothing, jewelry, music…DAMN…" Sighs "my laptop, oh & also the reason why I am not standing. leg brace & a cane."
"We are sorry. Any clue how the fire started?"
"No…I told you I woke up to find my room in that state."
"So you left nothing burning before you went to bed? No candles, or cigarettes?"
"No…I told you I don't know how."
"Ok sorry only checking as oddly the fire mainly stayed to your room even after you left it. A few room around you got smoke damaged but that is all."
"Well good for them. That still doesn't help all the stuff I lost."
"We know Miss…we will try to reimburse you for what ever we can." Standing they shake her hand before leaving.
Mark sat down after pulling a small book from his bag. Reaching the phone he began making a few phone calls to get Katherine set for her trip home. He hated the feeling that the hotel & fire department thought she had something do to with the fire last night & even hated more that they were placing doubt into his mind. First the trashcan & now her hotel room.