A/N- I think the chapters in this story are winding down. Not too many more to go. Unless I think of a few twists, but lately I have had zero ideas. No conversation in this one, sorry.

Caylin woke up startled. Her phone was laying on the table next to her and was blasting. Glancing at the clock she saw it was only three in the morning. Who would be calling her this early? Quickly silencing the phone before it woke Chris up, Caylin sat up and threw the covers off of herself. She didn't recognize the number, but the area code was familiar.

Home.

"Hello?" Her voice was soft and quiet.

"Caylin?" She wasn't sure if it was a question or a comment.

"Melanie?" Caylin was suddenly wide awake.

"Look, I know it's been awhile..."

"Five years." Caylin cut in, trying not to sound angry.

"Dad died, Cay. Yesterday. He had a heart attack." Melanie got right to the point, knowing Caylin was about ready to hang up on her. Caylin remained silent. There were so many emotions going through her right now, but sorrow wasn't one of them.

"It'd be nice if you would fly in as soon as possible. The funeral is tomorrow. Mom said you can stay here." The next sound Caylin heard was the dial-tone, but it didn't even register to her.

Her dad was dead.

That was the only thought going through her head. When the situation finally sank in, Caylin flipped on a small light and began packing her things. She had four days off, and that would be plenty of time to take care of things back home. She hadn't been back there in over five years. She had a falling out with her father over her wrestling aspirations. She left one day and never looked back. No one tried to contact her since, probably due to the orders that Daniel, her father, made.

"Caylin, what are you doing? It's still really early." Chris's tired voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I need to go home for a few days."

"Why are you going back to Michigan at three in the morning?" Chris asked, sitting up in the bed a little.

"I'm not. I'm going to Connecticut."

"I thought you lived near Detroit?"

"I do. Listen, Chris, my dad died and I need to go back home. His home." He could tell she was struggling to keep her voice strong.

"Let me come with you." Chris got off the bed and walked to his bag.

"No, no. We have four days off, I'll be back by then." She had her back turned away from him, but he could see her shaking. He hesitated for a moment; he didn't even know she was close to her dad. He has been traveling with her for months, and she never visited, and as far as he knew, they never talked.

"Caylin, I'm coming with you. You need some..." He stopped when she turned around and glared at him, a few stray tears lingering in her eyes.

"Don't Chris, don't. I don't need anyone. I haven't needed anyone in five years, and I am not about to start needing someone now. I am fine. I'll be fine." The moment her gaze met his, she broke down. She fell forward and he caught her, sitting them both down on the bed. He didn't say anything, he just let her cry. That was probably the best medicine for her right now.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there, with his arms around her, her head on his chest, the tears flowing. It took a while, but her body stopped shaking, and her sobs turned into silent tears. He could feel them soaking his shirt, but he didn't care, at all. He had never seen her like this; so vulnerable, so emotional. Caylin always kept her feelings hid, and never let anything get to her.

"Let me come with you, Caylin. No one here has to know." He whispered, his head resting on hers.

"Okay." Chris smiled a little, glad she was letting him go with her.

The airplane trip was quiet. Rather she was sleeping or awake, Caylin was silent. Chris didn't try to start any conversation with her. He knew what it was like to lose a parent. He lost his dad, and it wasn't an easy thing to get through. What Caylin was going through had to be slightly worse, though. She hadn't even talked to her dad in five years; but prior to that, they were very close.

He looked down at her, and knew she was fast asleep. Her head was resting against his shoulder, but she was restless. The plane had landed, and it was time to wake her up. On any normal day, waking Caylin up was like throwing sticks at the Devil. He didn't want to imagine what it would be like when she was feeling like this.

"Hey, wake up. We're here." Chris nudged her shoulder, and she stirred. She was up.

"Thanks." She didn't say anything else. She stood up and together they exited the plane.

"So where exactly does your mom live?"

"About thirty miles outside of Hartford. We need to get a cab."

"I reserved us a car while you were sleeping. We are good to go." She gave him a small smile, but she didn't say anything.

"It's only about a twenty minute drive." Caylin informed him once they got the car. She headed for the driver's side.

"No, I'll drive. You just tell me which way to go."

"I'm not helpless, Jericho." She mumbled as she walked to the other side of the car. She told him which way to go, and he found that it was rather simple. They had to go through towns he traveled through before because of wrestling.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I guess I owe you that much."

"Tell me what happened between you and your dad."

"Nothing really. He didn't approve of me wanting to wrestle. He said if I left and went to OVW, he would disown me. I went and he disowned. Simple as that." She sounded bitter, but on top of the bitterness was sadness.

"How close were you before that happened?"

"We talked everyday. We did one thing together a week. We had special birthday presents for each other every year. That's why Melanie hates me. I was always 'daddies little girl', not her." Chris simply nodded. He didn't even know she had a sister.

"Don't hold it against him, Caylin. It's not everyday someone wants to go and be a wrestler. He probably wanted you to have a good job and make a good life for yourself."

"I did!"

"He didn't know you were going to. He wanted what was best for his daughter. I'd be the same way."

"Why are you defending him? You don't even know him." She looked at Chris with disbelief. Was he really taking sides?

"I'm not defending him. I'm just saying I know where he is coming from. My parents were the same way when I told them I wanted to wrestle. It broke my mother's heart, and my dad didn't talk to me for weeks."

"A few weeks isn't five years Chris. Look, it's fine. Nothing can change what happened. He's gone." Chris reached across the car and took her hand, gently rubbing the pad of this thumb over the back of her hand. It seemed to calm her down.

"Take a left on Spruce." Caylin spoke up, nearly ten minutes later. Chris did as he was told, and the first thing he saw was a huge white house.

"That's your house?" Chris asked, his mouth hanging wide open.

"No, it's their house. It hasn't been my house in a long, long time." Chris didn't respond as he parked the car. He watched as two women walked out the front door of the house. They held a striking resemblance to Caylin. Chris followed her lead by stepping out of the car.

"Caylin. Hi." Chris stood behind Caylin who stayed a good ten feet away from the other women.

"Melanie. Hi." Melanie scowled, but didn't say anything else.

"Caylin, how are you." The older woman beside Melanie spoke up. She had on dark sunglasses and her clothes were wrinkled.

"Hello, mother." Her voice was cold; Chris never heard her like this.

"And who is this? A man I see. I never thought I'd see the day you settled down. Tell, me who this." Melanie eyes Chris up and down, practically molesting him with her eyes. Normally, he'd be an arrogant jerk and point it out, but not right now.

"He's not.." Caylin started, ready to tell her family that they were right, when she was cut off.

"I'm Chris, Caylin's boyfriend. I'm sorry to hear about your father." Caylin looked at the man standing beside her. Since when could he be so nice?

"Such a gentleman. Where did she buy you from?" Melanie didn't seem too upset over the recent death of her father, he noticed.

"I didn't buy him, Melanie. Just drop it." Caylin snapped.

"You two can stay in your old room. Dinner is in an hour." Her mother simply turned around and walked back in the house, Melanie right behind her. Chris grabbed their bags and waited until Caylin decided she was ready to enter the house.

"Caylin, not to sound mean, but your mother and sister don't seem too.....heartbroken." Chris shared his thoughts as they sat down on Caylin's old bed. The room was huge, with baby blue walls. It was decorated in fancy ornaments and was spotless.

"Yeah, well, the first thing you're going to learn is that they are bitches. I never got along with my mother or my my sister. They are cold hearted people."

"I couldn't tell."

"Chris?" They were both laying on the bed, which was smaller than the ones they were used to, so their bodies were touching.

"Yeah?" He turned his head to face her.

"Why did you tell them you were my boyfriend? All they are going to do now is criticize everything you do and day."

"I'd rather them criticize me than you." She didn't know what to say at first.

"But I'm used to it."

"You don't deserve that kind of treatment. You're better than that, rather they think so or not." He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"Why aren't you this nice to me all the time? I might like you more if you did." Caylin joked, giving a small laugh.

"I don't want to spoil you." It grew quiet for a while, both of them just enjoying the silence. Caylin was still taking everything in. It felt odd to be back in this house, especially without her father around. She never had to put up with her mother and sister without him. He was always on her side, until it came to wrestling. She was sure that the only thing keeping her together right now was the man laying beside her.

And that scared her.