Disclaimer: Bautista?... Are you sure you don't wanna be mine? :-) WWE & Bautista...Not mine and I am not making any money.
Author's Note: WOW! Oct. 6, 2012 was Bautista's MMA Debut and it was AWESOME! Four minutes five seconds in, he won by TKO. He's upset because he wanted it to last longer… So glad I got to watch it!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Truth Sits Upon the Lips of a Dying Man
"Then why are you here. Why today?" I ask, tightening my hold on Ashley.
"I'm dying." Her father declares with a sad face and regret in his eyes. Ashley's small form tenses next to me and she steps back. I turn and pull her back to me. She shakes her head and claws at her throat. Immediately, my concern is Ashley and I pull her away from the group; away from prying eyes and straining ears.
"What's wrong, Lil Bit?" I ask; panic in my voice.
She swallows. "I need air."
Relief courses through me. She just needs air. She's okay. Thank God. "Do you want me to take you outside or is it okay if Cena does?" I ask. I want to go with her but I want to find out more about her father and what's killing him. I hope it's guilt, the stupid bastard.
"John can come with me. I'll be fine." She replies in a whisper and I nod. I kiss her forehead and she smiles. "I love you, Dave."
I smile in return. "I love you too, Baby Girl." I give her another kiss and she walks to Cena. She whispers in his ear and he nods. A few seconds later, they're out the door and Orton is blocking the door so her brothers can't follow.
"We just want to talk to her?" Kalvin tells Orton; trying again to open the door.
"You and your brothers are staying right here. I don't want you near Ashley unless I'm around."
They don't like it, but Orton's a lot bigger than them so they throw daggers at both Orton and myself and return to their father's side. I smile what can only be said is smug satisfaction. I'm in charge and they know it or at least they now realize it. Orton and I stand while the other four stay seated.
"You're dying?" I question.
Ken slowly nods. "I have what's called Metastatic brain cancer."
I nod. "What exactly is that?" I ask; curious.
"Metastatic brain cancer is a mass of cells or tumor that originates in another body organ—in my case, my lungs—and then spreads into the brain tissue. I'm in remission right now for lung cancer. I went through the proper treatment but it spread to my brain."
"And there's nothing they can do?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "I'm doing the chemotherapy, but it's not helping me unfortunately and it's inoperable."
"How long do you have?"
"Some have told me days, others have told me weeks and that was weeks ago."
Damn. "So not much longer?"
He nods. "I don't have a lot of time, but I want to make up for how I've treated my daughter before I pass."
I can't help but laugh. It's a cold cruel laugh, and receives the response I thought it would. They're glaring at me, but I can't help my response. "You think a few days or even a few weeks is going to make up for how you've treated Ashley. That's bullshit and down right fucking stupid as hell."
He shrugs. "Yes but she will see it my way."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because if she doesn't then she will lose her inheritance and she stands to lose quite a lot."
A loud gasp fills the room and our heads turn towards the door where Cena and Ashley are standing. Ashley is staring at her father like she can't believe it; her mouth dropped in surprise and her eyes are wide.
I sigh and shake my head. I wish she hadn't had heard that. I turn back towards Ken who is now standing and making his way towards Ashley. I step in front of him; blocking his way. He glares and I smile.
"Dad?" Ashley's voice is soft and unsure. She steps forward and stands next to me.
"Yes?" Ken returns; his voice hopeful.
She shakes her head. "Leave. I don't want your money. I don't want anything to do with you. I would rather live under a bridge than with you. So please leave and leave me alone." She tells him in a whisper soft voice before turning and walking away. She closes the bedroom door and soon after I hear the bathroom door close.
Ken takes a step towards the bedroom and I stop him. "You heard her. Leave."
He shakes his head. "I can't. I can't just give up my daughter."
I shake my own head. "This coming from you is just fucking hilarious."
He gets angry. His body tenses with it. "What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?" I ask and he shakes his head; confusion on his face. Rolling my eyes, I stalk to the couch and sit on the arm. "Sit the fuck down before you collapse." I practically yell. He throws me a dirty look, but sits down on the arm chair; his sons surrounding him.
"I need my daughter with me." He claims while choking.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because he wants her with him during his final days. Shouldn't that be enough?" Kalvin asks me while his father gets his choking under control.
"No it isn't. I think the only reason why you want Ashley with you is because you believe that if you mend the fences, then you won't die."
Four pair of eyes pop up to meet mine. "That makes no sense." Kaden replies.
I glance over at Orton and Cena who have taken up lounging against the walls on either side of the bedroom door. I wonder if they're aware, they're protecting Ashley by standing there. I nod. They probably do. Their bodies are tense and their faces are full of anger, annoyance, and hatred.
"It makes sense to your father." I reply in kind. What I say is true and I know it and her father knows it. His face is full of shock and confusion. He isn't sure how I knew that. I grin and fight the urge to laugh. Not really appropriate in this situation but funny none the less.
He shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about." He tells; his eyes narrow and full of hate.
I nod. "Playing dumb, huh? That's okay. I'll elaborate." I take a deep breath. "You've treated your daughter like shit since the day she was born. You rejected her when the nurse handed her to you. You turned your back on her from the beginning. Your best friend had to hire a nanny to look after your daughter because you refuse to have anything to do with an innocent baby."
He opens his mouth and I cut him off. "Shut up. I'm talking and you're gonna listen. Now where was I? Oh yea. You ignored her and every single one of her needs. You wouldn't even let her out of the house to go to school, or the grocery store, or hell even to play outside. You were ashamed of her for no reason. No wait, you weren't ashamed, you were pissed off and angry at yourself and maybe your wife. But instead of facing that anger, you took it out on an innocent child. For a year, you beat her when it stormed just because it reminded you of your late wife. How fucking stupid is that? Your own sons had to make sure Ashley had a lock on her door so you could no longer beat her because you almost KILLED HER! Your own DAUGHTER!" I take a deep breath and try to think straight. I'm letting my anger do the thinking so I need to calm down. Yeah right.
"Oh yeah and what the FUCK is it with you four and talking about Ashley the way you do? Thinking she's a slut and will do anything for money. I mean COME ON? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? When I first met her, she was so shy she couldn't even talk to strangers. And she still can't. It's just lately that she's able to talk to my friends and her co-workers. That girl in there is the sweetest, the most sensitive, caring and loving woman I have ever met. I thank God that she's mine every day."
I stand up and walk over to Ken and his sons. "How dare you? How dare you show your face here and ask that of Ashley. The only FUCKING REASON why you're here today is ease your conscience. You think that maybe just maybe God is punishing you for all those years of neglect that you showed Ashley. And if you make things right then what? That the cancer will miraculously disappear and you go on living your life the way you've always lived it? That's FUCKING BULLSHIT! God doesn't punish people by giving them uncurable diseases. You got cancer because fucking shit happens to good people and to bad people all the fucking time. And if coming here isn't bad enough, you go and dangle her inheritance over her head like it's a hunk of steak and she's a fucking wild animal."
I take a few steps closer and stare down at Ken. His face is pale and his breathing is coming in pants but quite frankly, I don't give a fucking shit. "Right now I don't even give a shit that you're dying. I want you to get up and get the fuck out of my hotel room. I want you to stay the fuck away from Ashley. From this day forward, she is no longer your daughter. She's my girlfriend and I'll do anything to protect her." I drop my tone of voice. "So understand this, if you come anywhere near her, I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever do again. Do I make myself clear?"
Ken slowly nods and stands up. I take several steps back; allowing him room. "Tell Ashley that I am truly sorry for the way I've treated her. If she ever needs me…"
I cut him off. "She won't need you. She has me and lots of other people who actually care about her."
He grimaces and nods. He motions for his sons to follow him. None of them say a word to me as they leave the room, walk down the hall and out of sight.
Two Weeks Later—
"He didn't deny it?" Vince asks me as we leave his office.
I shake my head. "Nope. He just walks out with his head down and his sons behind him."
Vince shrugs and shakes his head. "Damn. I never thought he would actually think that."
"Truth sits upon the lips of a dying man."
"Words have never been truer, Dave." He replies as we continue to walk towards my locker room.
The last two weeks have been quiet for Ashley and myself. We get on planes, fly to a city, land, go to the hotel, sleep for a few hours, work, back to the hotel, make love, sleep, hop on a plane and do it all over it again. If it wasn't for Ashley and her sweet, sexy, smiling face, I would have already have lost my mind. By the time we go through baggage claim and security, it seems hours have passed and we have barely have time to ourselves. For the first time, I'm tired of the traveling.
As Vince rambles on, my phone rings.
"Yea."
"Is this David Bautista?" A young man's voice asks.
"It is. Who is this?"
"My name is Derek Timbers and I'm Ken…"
Orton comes up to Vince and myself; laughing and everything the lawyer is saying, I can't hear. "Dude, she stole my Snickers. I had one bite and she took right it out of my hand. And she laughed as she did it. I swear, Dave , your little girlfriend is a candy bar thief."
I make a slashing sound with my hand and shush him. He quiets immediately. I return to the man on the phone. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I tried to get a hold of Ashley, but she isn't answering any of my calls or messages."
"Why are you trying to reach her?" I ask.
"Her father passed."
That's all I hear. He keeps talking about reading of wills and funerals and shit, but my mind is on Ashley and telling her. How the fuck do I tell her this? When the lawyer finishes talking, I tell him I'll tell Ashley and we'll be there for the reading of the will. The stupid fuck shit just had to have Ashley there to rub it in her face what she didn't get. The stupid son of a bitch. I hate the fucking prick.
I leave Vince and Orton behind; both of them asking me repeatedly what the hell is wrong. I shrug them off and enter my locker room. Ashley is on the sofa with Cena; a smile on her face and laughter in her eyes. She looks up at me and the smile disappears. I try to smile; to reassure her that everything is fine, but I can't. I can't force the smile to my face.
She swallows a huge gulp of air and stands up. "Dave, what's wrong?" She asks softly. Cena watches the interaction between us, but he never says a word.
I shake my head. "Baby, I don't know how to tell you this, but…"
She shakes her head and backs up. "Don't. Please don't."
I reach out to pull her into my arms and she backs away more. "I don't wanna hear it." She says; whisper soft.
I force the words out. "Lil Bit, your father died."
The noise that comes out of her throat is deep anguish. Tears stream down her face and she continues to shake her head. "He can't be. He just can't be." Her arms wrap around her middle and she curls into herself.
"I'm sorry, Baby. He died this morning."
She looks up at me and I'm shocked to see not only hurt, sadness, disappointment, but rage. She's pissed. She flies at me and I catch her in my arms. With every emotion in her little small body, she pummels me with her fists and kicks me with her legs. I just wrap my arms around her and let her hit me. She screams in agony and in pain and all I can do is hold her and cry with her.
Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.
