CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

SCOTTY

Long after Faye had been put on a plane with Conor and Danny Havoc to ensure she didn't cause any trouble before being admitted to the hospital in Florida, Scotty remained in shock. The woman he loved was sick, and there was nothing he could do for her. Molly had insisted he stay away from Faye until she was stable for his own safety, and Shane had firmly agreed with her. Scotty was stuck in New Jersey while Faye was probably terrified and very, very far away.

The next morning, he'd called his father, who picked up quickly. "Hey, Scott," he said cheerfully. "You're calling early."

"Dad..." Scotty took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" His father asked, immediately serious.

"It's Faye... Faye's in the hospital."

"Is she alright? Did she get hurt at the pay-per-view?"

"She's in the psych ward, Dad... They think... They think she's bipolar." His voice broke with emotion as tears threatened to fall. Scotty could be strong for anyone else, but he wasn't sure how to handle his own emotions. He was terrified. Bipolar disorder was scary, and he'd always worried that he or Toby would get it. They'd been very lucky to escape it, especially since it ran extremely high in his mother's family. Now the woman he loved had it instead. She hadn't been diagnosed yet, but Scotty knew she would be. He had to stop denying what was right in front of him.

"You guys are in Jersey, right?" His father asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah... Faye's back in Florida. Molly and Shane sent her to the same place Nicky was at after he tried to kill himself."

"I'm getting on the next flight out."

"Dad, you don't have to-"

"Of course I have to. You're my son and you need me."

"I'll be okay."

"Scotty, you don't have to go through this alone. In fact, you can't. It's too much."

"Toby's here."

"And if that were enough, you'd have gone to his room instead of calling me."

"I went to him last night. He stitched up my head."

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"It wasn't a big cut, just a little deep... Faye sort of threw her stiletto heels at my head..." He waited for his dad to flip out.

To Scotty's surprise, he chuckled instead. "After seeing your mother fling her shoes at my head for all those years, you didn't learn how to duck?" He paused. Turning serious again, he added, "I know how hard this is, Scott. I'm coming."

"Why are we talking about my going all Killer Chancla on you?" He heard his mom ask in the background.

"Faye flung shoes at our son's head," his father explained.

"Is she secretly Hispanic? I thought that was a Latina thing."

"April... They think she's bipolar."

There was silence for a second before his mother said, "Give me the phone." A moment later, she asked, "How are you holding up, Scotty?"

"I'm okay," he lied. "Just a little cut."

"Cut? How hard were you hit?"

"They were stilettos."

"Heels? That's harsh! At least I only used flats on your father... Sneakers or flip-flops." She sighed. "How is she?"

"I don't know. She's in Florida. I'm waiting for Brandi to call with an update."

"I'm getting on a plane."

"Mom, I'm fine."

"I know you are, Baby, and I see your dad booking a flight to you now... I'm going to Florida. Faye needs support, too."

"She's got her mother."

"I love Brandi. Really, I do... But she's not good with this sort of thing. She flips out. She barely handled taking care of poor Ginny after the attack that nearly killed her, and that was easier. Ginny was traumatized, but she was physically hurt. Brandi's good with playing nurse. She wrestled for years and she was married to a wrestler. As for the trauma, while it was bad, it was a rational reaction to a crazy situation. A good therapist and a shoulder to cry on were all Ginny needed... But bipolar's anything but rational. Brandi's going to be clueless about what to do. She might do more harm than good right now."

Scotty was amazed his mother cared so much about Faye's well-being. "Thanks, Mom," he said. "I'll feel better knowing you're there for her."

"No problem. Now take care of yourself, okay? Go spend some time with your brother until your dad gets there. You shouldn't be alone."

He knew she was right. "I love you guys," he said.

"We love you, too. Everything will be okay, Scotty. Just give Faye some time."

Once they hung up, Scotty scooped up Remus, who'd slept beside him the night before. The rabbit seemed to be wondering where Faye was. He had glared at him the night before when he'd returned to the room alone as if to declare, oh, it's just you.

"Come on, Remus," he said. "We're going to see Uncle Toby."

The rabbit's ear automatically went up at the mention of Toby. He apparently still didn't trust him not to violate him. He'd have to suck it up and deal. Scotty needed his brother.

NICKY

Lucas had taken him aside that morning and gently told him that Faye was being evaluated for bipolar disorder. Nicky's heart broke for her. He knew exactly what she was going through. After waiting several hours, he'd decided to call Brandi.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Brandi, hey... It's Nicky. I heard about Faye. Are you guys alright?" He knew this couldn't be easy for her, either.

"Oh, sweetie... Yeah, I'm alright. Faye's being observed, but the doctors are very confident... Well, she's cycling too fast for it to be anything but bipolar disorder."

"I'm so sorry, Brandi... I know how hard this must be for you."

"Your dad's here with me. That helps. Listen, sweetheart, I need to go. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay... Bye." He hung up.

A minute later, his phone rang. It was Brandi. Confused, he picked up. "Hello?" He said.

There was no immediate answer, but he could hear his father and Brandi talking. "I need help, Randy. I have no idea what to do with a kid who's bat-shit crazy! You've got Nicky. You must understand," Brandi said.

Nicky felt an ache in his chest. Brandi thought he was crazy. He had always feared everyone was saying it behind his back, but she was family. It hurt to hear it.

"My son is not crazy," his father said harshly. "He's sick. There's a difference. You need to learn it. Calling Faye crazy isn'y going to help at all."

"Faye's never been crazy before... She's my normal kid, the easy one… Less emotional than Ginny, always happy… She must have picked this up somewhere... Maybe she learned it from watching Nicky-"

"Brandi, shut your damn mouth before I forget you're Cody's widow and I RKO you." His father's tone was too flat. Nicky knew he was biting back rage. "If you say one more ignorant thing about my son, we are done."

"I didn't mean anything by it."

"Bull. You are looking to blame someone, but there's no one to blame. Bipolar disorder isn't contagious and it's not a learned behavior. It's genetic. Maybe take a look at yourself and your family history before you talk anymore shit." Nicky heard his father walk away. He hung up the phone before Brandi could realize she'd accidentally dialed him.

His heart was breaking. Brandi thought this was somehow his fault. He started crying and Lucas found him curled up on the couch a while later.

"Nicky? What's wrong?" Lucas asked in concern. Nicky shook his head, unable to respond. Lucas sat beside him, letting Nicky curl up with his head across his lap. He began stroking his hair. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" Lucas asked automatically.

"No," Nicky managed to reply. "This isn't the bipolar disorder. I'm just... hurting."

Lucas tensed, seemingly looking for any signs of injury. "Physically or emotionally?" He asked patiently.

"Emotionally... But I'm not going to hurt myself..." Softer, he added, "She already did that for me."

"Who did, honey?" Lucas asked, catching his words.

"Brandi..." Nicky shook his head, crying harder. He hated that this hurt so much, but it did.

"Wait, what happened?"

"She thinks I'm the reason Faye's sick!" He started crying harder. It embarrassed him, although he knew Lucas would never judge him.

"Nicky, you know that's not how it works," Lucas said soothingly.

"I know... But to know she thinks so little of me..." Nicky sighed. "She told my dad I'm... and this is a quote... 'bat-shit crazy.' She accidentally dialed me and I heard it all."

"Oh, honey..." Lucas knew how he felt about the word crazy. "What did your dad say?"

"He threatened to RKO her." Nicky cracked a slight smile at that.

Lucas laughed lightly. "That's the right answer," he said. He sighed. "Nicky, I'm so sorry she hurt you. She had no right."

"I shouldn't be so upset. It's true. I am crazy."

"No. You're sick, and you have it under control. She had no right to say that about you, especially not to your father. You trusted her. You have every right to feel betrayed."

Nicky knew he couldn't keep his pain in. That could lead him down a darker path. He let himself cry some more. When Riley showed up a little while later, she asked, "Who am I killing?"

"Just let it go, Riley. Please," Nicky said.

"You're hysterical because someone hurt you."

"I didn't tell you that."

"You didn't have to. I live with you guys most of the time. I know your illness is under control, so unless everything with Faye set you off-"

"Brandi upset him," Lucas explained.

"Want me to kick her ass? I could get away with it. I'm hormonal," Riley said in a way that left Nicky pretty sure she wasn't joking.

"It's tempting," Lucas said, surprising him.

It apparently surprised Riley, too. "What the hell did that bitch say to make you agree to violence as a solution?" She asked.

"She told my father I'm crazy... And that I made Faye crazy, too," Nicky said.

"She doesn't know crazy! Let me tell Molly. We can go after her together and show her what crazy really looks like!"

"Molly needs to know," Lucas agreed. "I don't want Brandi around Nicky right now."

"Guys, it's not that big of a deal," Nicky said.

"Your pain is a very big deal, Nicky," Lucas insisted. "Your health comes first."

"I'm okay. I'm just... I'm upset."

"You should be. She's a clueless bitch," Riley said. She hugged Nicky, pulling him out of his husband's arms and into her own.

"I'm calling Molly," Lucas said. Nicky hated to be at the center of so much drama, but he knew Lucas was right. Any contact with Brandi right now risked Nicky's mental health. He needed time to deal with this and figure out if he could trust her again.

SCOTTY

His father arrived at the hotel that afternoon. Scotty met him in the lobby. Molly was there, too. After allowing Scotty to greet his father, Molly said, "Hi, Phil..." She paused. "Look, I know you're here for Scotty, and I fully support that... But if you're going to be following WWE around for a bit, I need you to do something."

His father nodded. "Okay, I'll bite," he said. "What is it?"

Molly pulled out a legal document. "Sign this Code of Conduct."

"Excuse me?"

"It says you will not threaten to sue anyone, get in anyone's way, or cause any trouble while you're here."

"I think I'm offended," his father said. He looked the paperwork over anyway. "Fine. For Scotty, I'll sign it. Is that all?" Scotty was stunned it had been that easy. He'd expected his father to throw a fit.

"Pretty much. Do you need to be set up in a hotel room?"

"That would be nice. I'll pay-"

"We've got you covered. We'll pay for your flight home, too."

"You don't have to do that."

"You're here for your son. Someone needs to take care of Scotty. This is the least we can do."

Molly left after that. His father shook his head. "A Code of Conduct... Am I really that much of a douche when I'm around?"

"Unless it's for a funeral, kind of," Scotty admitted. "You're great, Dad, but your hatred of WWE makes you do stupid things sometimes."

Instead of getting angry, his father laughed. "I guess I need to work on that," he said. "Come on, Scott. I'm starving. Let me take you to dinner."

Scotty was about to answer when his phone rang. "It's Brandi," he said. He picked up. "Hey Brandi... How is she?"

"Bipolar," Brandi replied harshly. She sounded very upset. Scotty felt the ache in his chest returning. "Officially diagnosed an hour ago. It's early, but they have seen enough."

"Brandi, I'm so sorry..."

"Did you know?" Brandi demanded.

"What? No, of course I didn't know."

"You're engaged, Scotty! You grew up with a bipolar mother! How the hell didn't you see this? It's your fault she got this bad!"

"I... No, Brandi, I swear, I didn't know-" He felt like screaming. She was right. How had he missed the signs?

His father pulled the phone out of his hand. "Brandi, it's Phil. Listen to me very carefully. If you ever speak to my son like that again, I will fly to Florida just to slit your fucking throat so you'll shut up. Are we clear? And before you go placing blame on anyone, look in the fucking mirror, because mental illness runs in families! Don't call my son again." He hung up on her, cutting off the angry protest Scotty couldn't quite make out.

Molly had reappeared in the lobby and heard all of that. His father had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Did I already violate the Code of Conduct?" He asked.

Molly shook her head and applauded. "Not at all," she said. "Nice parenting. I'd have thrown in a few more F-bombs, but your point was clear."

"You're not mad?"

"Brandi made Nicky cry today. She's on my shit list, too. I'm trying to get her banned from WWE events."

"What about Ginny and Faye?" Scotty asked.

"Ginny doesn't get along with her mom anyway, and Faye isn't here. If she comes back, she can take time off to see her mommy just like anyone else. Nicky's mental health is my priority."

"If?" He caught the implication of her words.

"Scotty... She's over the edge. If she doesn't get it together... She can't come back. I have to protect everyone."

He nodded. "I know... But she will, Molly. I believe in her."

"I hope you're right."

"Are we still good for dinner?" His father asked.

"Yeah... Let's go," Scotty said. He needed a distraction, and food seemed like a good one.

MOLLY

She was exhausted. Keith apparently noticed. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her before just holding her. Molly rested her head on his shoulder, finally calm.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Sappy," Molly replied. "I love you, too." She paused. "How's Nicky?"

"Still down, but I think he'll be better once the Bucks and Kenny come by. Thanks for calling them."

"I hate seeing Nicky broken... I figured they could help."

"It was a good idea." He sighed. "I called Brandi and told her what happened. I also told her not to call me or my brother. He doesn't need that stress, and... And I can't support her if she's going to talk shit about Nicky behind his back... Even if she is Cody's wife."

Molly wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know that was hard for you."

"It was necessary." He shook his head. "How could she say that to Dad?"

"I don't know. It was stupid, and insensitive, and your dad should have hit an RKO like he said."

"He still might... Outta nowhere!" Keith said dramatically. He laughed, and so did Molly. She kissed him, deciding it was better they both be distracted than upset. Keith seemed to agree, and for a few blissful moments, they forgot everything but each other.

KRISTY

She was reading a paranormal mystery novel when her telephone rang. Kristy carefully marked her place before picking up her cell phone. She answered when she saw the name on the Caller ID. "Hey, Mom," she said. "What's up?"

"I was just calling to check in on you," her mother replied.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I miss you, though."

"I miss you, too, Mom."

"So come visit. You guys do get days off every once in a while, you know."

"I know… But things have been a little crazy around here."

"When aren't they?"

"Fair question… I'll try to come home soon, Mom. I promise. And I can bring Dad, too."

She could practically see her mother blushing. "That would be fine," she said, trying to keep her voice even.

"You two are like high schoolers, I swear! You know, you could just meet us sometime. He'd like to see you more. Dad's a lot happier when you're around."

"Colby and I are still trying to figure out our relationship."

"You're dating… Long-distance, but still… Neither one of you ever dates anyone else. You get giddy like school kids when someone mentions one of you to the other. You like kissing each other. You don't kiss anyone else. You call each other religiously every single night at this point. You're a couple."

"You've been paying an awful lot of attention, haven't you?"

"You guys aren't exactly subtle."

"Are we really that bad?"

"And then some… But it's great. I love seeing you both happy. I think it's cute how goofy you guys get around each other."

"I am a doctor, Kristy. I am not goofy."

"You're both, Mom." Kristy laughed. "Anyway, Toby's dealing with some issues right now, but as soon as that's settled, I'll come see you for at least a day or two."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I guess… Scotty's stuck in a really bad situation right now, but I can't get into detail. It's personal. Anyway, Toby's worried about him, and he's trying to be there for him."

"Toby's a great guy. I'm really glad you found him, Kris."

"I'm glad, too." Kristy smiled to herself. "I never thought I'd be the type to fall in love. I mean, I hated the whole romance thing growing up. I never fit in with kids my age because I was too smart, and when I skipped ahead in school, everyone was older than me… Boys didn't really want to date that freaky genius girl… I just figured I'd be destined for a life of meaningless one-night stands and hooking up with jerks who only wanted one thing from me. I thought girls might be better, but they weren't. No one really got me… Until Toby."

"Now who's the goofy one in love?" Her mother teased.

"I'm serious, Mom. I'm just so lucky we met… And somehow, even with a maniac trying to kill him, he's still here. I didn't lose him." She shook her head. For the most part, Kristy was fine, but occasionally, the trauma of what Hank had done still haunted her.

"Are you alright, honey?"

"Yeah… I just needed to express out loud how lucky I am."

"We both are. I know it sounds ridiculous, but your father injuring his knee was the best thing to ever happen to me. We reconnected, and we fell in love, and he gave me the greatest gift of my life… You."

"I really miss you, Mom." Kristy sighed. She hadn't realized until now how badly she wanted to see her mother.

"I miss you, too. So I'll see you soon, right?"

"Very soon." They talked for a little while longer before Kristy hung up. She no longer had the attention span for her book, so she stood and left the hotel room. She went for a walk.

"Hey, Kristy!" Garth called as she reached the hotel lobby. He smiled at her, then must have seen something on her face. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah… I'm just feeling a little down. It'll pass," Kristy said with a smile. She was thrilled to have her freedom back since Hank had been put in jail, but she did miss having Garth around sometimes. As much as he could be a pain, he was a good guy, and he'd literally been ready to protect her with his life. She didn't easily forget that.

"I know the cure for feeling down. Come on. There's an awesome Mexican place a few blocks from here. Dinner's on me if you're interested."

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't have anything better to do," he said with a laugh. "Business is slow without constant bodyguard duty. Shane keeps me pretty high up with security now, but it's not always exciting. I have too much down time."

"Okay," Kristy said. "That could be fun. But I'm paying."

"Kris, I know I'm a jerk sometimes, but I'm not about to make you pay for a meal."

"You worked your butt off to protect me for months, Garth. The least I can do is buy you something to eat. Come on." She took his arm and let him lead the way to the restaurant, feeling better now that she had a mission.

DANNY

He was thrilled to be home. The first thing he did was bring Trixie by their mothers' house so they could all have dinner together. Cayla was still emotional after the Hall of Fame, but she seemed happy to play hostess. His mother was eager to know every detail about how WrestleMania had gone. She'd chosen to stay home because she was still not sure if she could handle getting on a plane, but she was in excellent spirits now that they were back.

Danny was cooking while Trixie described every match in detail. His mother looked horrified as Trixie went into the details of Molly's match with Jeff. "He's too old for that sort of thing! Is he alright?" She asked.

"He says he's fine," Trixie assured her. "He did officially retire again, though."

"It was an amazing final match," Cayla added.

"He could have killed himself! An RKO off of the ladder? I mean, really? Is he insane?" His mother asked.

"Have you met him?" Danny asked. "He's Jeff Hardy. Of course he's insane. He'd also do anything for his fans, and he gave them everything he had. I'm sure his ass hurts, and he's walking kind of stiffly, but I promise you, he's got no regrets."

"Well, that's the way to retire," his mother finally said. "If you have to go out, go out on a high note."

"Do you ever regret not trying to go back to the indies after you left WWE?" Trixie asked, clearly sensing the sadness in his mother's voice.

"Oh, no! Not at all. My time was over."

"No it wasn't. They just shit all over you," Danny said. He regretted his words immediately. He didn't want to upset her. He waited for her to get emotional, or to defend WWE's treatment of her.

"You're right," she said instead.

"What?" Danny asked, stunned.

"They did shit all over me. They decided I was worthless before I ever had you, and it only got worse after because my mental health was all over the place… But I was done, Danny. I broke down so badly emotionally that I never could have gone back to wrestling. I didn't have the confidence, and I was unstable."

Danny tried to hold back any sign that her words stung. It was hard to know his conception had effectively sealed his mother's fate, but he knew she wasn't trying to remind him of that. "I wish it could have been different for you, Mom," he said.

"I don't. All of that made me who I am. It was hard at times, but it's all part of the journey, you know?"

"Danny…" Cayla said gently.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"The oven glove is smoking, sweetheart."

Danny realized he'd left it on top of a burner. "Crap!" He said, moving it quickly. It was stained black on the top. "I'm sorry, Cayla. I'll replace it."

"You will not. They're not expensive, Danny. It's fine. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said. He wasn't totally sure of that. He was pretty much never fine. Life just didn't work out that way for Danny… But he looked at his mother, and Cayla, and Trixie as they smiled back at him encouragingly, and he knew that it was true. He had exactly what he needed right in front of him. He just needed to let himself be happy for once.

FAYE

She didn't understand what was happening. The doctors had admitted her, talked to her, and then locked her in a room for a while with absolutely nothing to do. She had started going crazy from boredom. She paced around the room. Then she sat and cried. Then she started bouncing off the walls and couldn't stand it anymore, so she began plotting an elaborate escape plan. When she'd realized her plan all hindered on her somehow being able to pick a lock, she started crying, because she had no idea how to do that, and even if she did, she had nothing to do it with. She didn't even have a credit card to try to slip between the frame of the door and the lock. They'd taken her wallet. They'd taken her shoes. They'd taken her clothes and made her wear a hospital gown. They'd taken her Goddamned dignity, and she was starting to get pissed off.

"Let me out of here!" She shouted. She was positive they were watching her, but no one came. She slammed her fists on the walls and the door, but nothing happened. Finally, Faye gave in to her inevitable doom and began sobbing again.

Some time later, someone finally came into the room. "Please let me out," she begged. "I don't know why I'm here!"

"You're here because you're sick, sweetheart," the person said kindly. She remembered the uniforms from when she'd visited Nicky in the hospital. This woman was either an intern or a resident, she couldn't remember the difference between the uniforms.

"I'm fine. Really. I feel totally fine," she swore. She calmed her breathing, trying to prove this to both herself and the doctor.

"I know this is confusing for you, Faye, but it's alright now. The observation period is over."

So they had been watching her. She wasn't just being paranoid. That was good to know.

"I don't know what I did, but I promise I won't do it again… Please just let me go," Faye pled.

The doctor looked at her seriously. "I can't do that, Faye, but I will bring you to your room. You'll be much more comfortable there, and you can get some rest."

"I don't want to rest… I want to go home."

"You need to be here right now, honey."

"No I don't. I need to go back to New Jersey. They'll need me for RAW… Or Smackdown… Or a house show… What day is it?" She couldn't remember.

"Faye… Sweetheart, you won't be working for a while," the doctor said patiently.

"No, no I have to. They need me," Faye insisted.

"Your mother and your doctors are in agreement. You need some help, Faye. You're going to be just fine, but you need to rest."

"Let me talk to my mom. She's overreacting. We had a fight."

"I know you did. Do you remember it?"

"She was mad at me, and I lashed out… I'm sorry about that."

"Faye, you attacked her. Physically."

"I… I did?" She asked. That couldn't be right. Had she? She'd never laid a hand on her mother before.

"Yes… And you also attacked your boyfriend."

"Fiance," Faye corrected her automatically before her words registered. "Scotty… Oh God, I hit Scotty…" She started sobbing. "Is he okay? Did I hurt him bad?"

"I don't think he was seriously hurt… But you see now why you have to get some help, right?"

"I…" She sighed. "What's wrong with me?"

"We think that you're suffering from bipolar disorder."

Faye froze. "No. No way, that's impossible."

"Your symptoms are very typical-"

"No. One of my friends is bipolar. It's totally different. He tried to kill himself. I've never done that."

"No, but you do have depressive symptoms."

"My dad died. I miss him. It's normal."

"This isn't the first time you've had depression, though, is it?"

"No," Faye found herself admitting. Why had she said that? She wanted to go home, but something about this woman was so warm, Faye felt compelled to tell her the truth.

"Not everyone with depression tries to kill themselves, Faye. I'm very glad you didn't reach that point."

"What's your name?" Faye asked suddenly, needing to change the subject before flashes of Nicky in his worst episodes hit her.

"I'm Dr. Thomas. You can call me Kelsey if it's more comfortable for you. We met earlier, when you were admitted."

"I don't remember that… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You've had a rough day, Faye."

"Is my mom mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart. Your mother knows you're sick. She's just worried about you."

"And… And Molly, and everyone at work? Molly sent me away. She took my title. She hates me…"

"She doesn't hate you. She's worried about you."

"She's probably ready to stick a fork in me… I upset her sister. I don't even know why I said what I said. It was so stupid… Randi's sensitive, and she's such a sweet kid… I like her. Why did I hurt her? Why did I hurt Scotty?"

"You're in the middle of a severe episode. You are cycling very quickly between mania and depression. You said your friend is bipolar, so I assume you understand what that means."

"Yeah…" She sighed. "So is this confession time? I tell you all my issues and you cure me?"

"I'd like to try to help, yes."

"I get depressed, but I never stay that way. I bounce back super fast… And I never hurt myself. I cry, but that's it. I'll admit I have really bad temper issues sometimes. People don't know that about me unless they've known me for a while. I can usually control it, or hide it… And I like to shop. A lot. Probably more than I should… But sometimes, it's different. I buy everything I can get my hands on, and I have to return it all afterward because it's like, what the hell was I thinking? That's a symptom, right? Nicky never did that, but I know a bit about bipolar disorder."

"It can manifest differently in different people. You shouldn't compare your case to his. And yes, it's a symptom. It's a very common one, actually."

"So medicate me and then I can go home, right? You can fix me."

"It's not that easy, Faye. Bipolar disorder is tough to treat. Medication is very important, but there are other factors… And the medication can take time to kick in, and it's not easy to find the right blend. It's trial and error. This may take a while."

"I don't have a while. I have to go back to work… I need to see Scotty… I need to tell him how sorry I am… And I need to wrestle. It's all I've ever wanted to do. I have to go back. I have to make my father proud of me."

"I'm sure he was, Faye."

"He's got Ginny, and she's perfect, and I need to be better… I need to prove I'm worthy… I need to tell him. Can I tell him? Can you get my Dad for me? I need to see him."

Suddenly, Dr. Kelsey looked alarmed. "Faye… Your father's dead, sweetheart. He's been dead for a while now. Do you remember that?"

"I… He's…" Faye shook her head and took a deep breath. It came back suddenly. "Of course I remember… I'm just… I'm stressed, and I miss him." She'd forgotten. It wasn't like other times, when it wasn't at the front of her mind but she still knew. For a split second, she'd completely forgotten that her father was gone. It was like she expected him to be standing in the waiting room with her mother. How was that even possible?

"I really think you should rest now, Faye. We can talk more in the morning."

"I'm too upset. I can't sleep."

"I'm going to give you something to help you rest, okay?" Kelsey was looking at her like she was about to explode suddenly, and Faye couldn't blame her. She'd forgotten that her father was dead. Something was wrong with her. She couldn't deny it anymore.

"I… I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know you are. It's alright, Faye. I promise we will help you, okay?"

Faye nodded, too numb to argue. She followed Kelsey in silence as they headed toward the room she knew would be her cell until her sanity returned. It wasn't so bad, really. When the door was opened, Faye saw the cheerful colors and figured it couldn't be all bad if she was surrounded by color. She'd expected bare walls and something that looked empty, but it was obvious this room was meant to be lived in.

"We'll let your mother bring you some books and other things that aren't a risk to you or anyone else."

"I threw stilettos at my fiancé… What makes you think books are safe?"

"Books don't do as much harm as stilettos, and our staff is tough. We can survive it. You're here to get well, Faye. We're going to ease you into that the best way we can."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else… Please just fix me."

"We're going to do our best."

"Can I see my mom?"

"Not for a little while… But once we've settled you into a routine, we'll allow limited visitation."

Faye nodded. "Is my sister here?" She was afraid of the answer.

"No, I'm afraid she's not. She's been checking in with your mother regularly, though."

"Okay…" Faye felt hopeless as she sat on her new bed. "Do I get a roommate?"

"Once we're sure you won't try to hurt anyone, we can arrange that. Your bosses paid for a private room to protect your privacy, but if you'd be more comfortable with a roommate, we can try to work toward that."

Faye was a very sociable person. She wasn't sure how to deal with being alone. Suddenly, terror seized her. She looked at Kelsey. "Do you have to go?" She asked.

"I can stay for a bit if you like. Until you fall asleep. Will you let me give you something to help you now?"

Faye nodded. "Okay… Do I have to sleep in this gown?"

"For now, yes. In a day or so, if you prove you can handle it, we'll let you start wearing your own clothes."

She understood she had no bargaining chips, so she accepted this. At least they planned to return her clothing eventually. "Okay. I'm ready now."

Kelsey nodded. She called down the hall to someone who returned with a cup of water and a couple of pills. "What are they?" Faye asked.

"Just Xanax. They'll help with the anxiety, and they should knock you out for a little while," Kelsey said patiently.

"Okay." Faye took a deep breath, then took the pills. Almost immediately, she felt calmer. She crawled into the bed and tried to get comfortable. Kelsey kept her word and stayed with her, occasionally offering conversation as Faye made awkward comments. She wasn't really sure how it happened, but ultimately, she drifted off to sleep.

DILLON

He woke up with Randi curled up on him. He hadn't even sensed her coming into his room, but he'd apparently automatically wrapped her in his arms. It was an old routine. She'd often snuck into his room when they were still living with their mother, needing comfort she could only find from Dillon, especially after his step-father had left.

"How'd you get in, Little Ninja?" He asked as she slowly stirred.

"I asked the front desk to let me in," she explained. "Lucky vouched for the fact that I'm your sister. Are you mad?"

"Of course I'm not mad." He sat up as she moved off of him. "Are you okay?"

"Rough night," she said with a shrug.

"What's wrong?"

"Dillon… Be honest with me, okay? Am I really Gabe's sister? Like, not biologically. I know that. We have the same dad… But he only met me a few years ago. He didn't watch me grow up. Does it still count?"

"Randi, of course it counts."

"I just… I know I annoy people sometimes because I do stupid things, and… And… And what if Gabe only puts up with me because he thinks he has to?"

"Randi, you've never questioned if someone liked you before. Everyone likes you. That's just part of who you are."

"But Faye said-"

"Faye's sick, Randi. She didn't mean it." He didn't know if he believed that. Faye might hide it behind charm, but she was very self-centered at times. She probably hadn't cared that her words might upset Randi. It probably hadn't even occurred to her.

"I don't feel like I belong here… It's so dumb, but I just feel… I feel like I'm only around because of Dad… Like no one wants me here."

"Don't be ridiculous. I want you here."

"You're different… You're Dillon. But the others… They don't like me, do they?"

"I have yet to meet anyone who could find a way to dislike you. It's the dimples. Besides, you're an awesome person."

"I'm nothing." She stared at her feet.

"Miranda, don't you ever say that! You're my baby sister, and I love you, and so do Gabe and Molly. You mean the world to us… Especially me." Everything he'd ever been through as a kid meant something because he'd taken the abuse to protect his sister. Hearing her call herself nothing broke his heart and made him furious. He didn't often have violent impulses, especially against women, but he wanted to punch Faye in her mouth. He had to take a deep breath and remember that Faye was sick. He wasn't sure that it made a difference. His sister, the bouncy, eternally happy girl who could smile even through all the abuse she'd endured at the hands of their mother, was broken because Faye had so flippantly dismissed her. He couldn't forgive that easily, if he ever forgave it at all.

Randi bit her bottom lip before tears began falling. Dillon pulled her into a tight hug. "She didn't mean it, Randi," he said because he knew she needed to hear it.

"I thought she liked me," Randi sobbed. "She was supposed to be my friend… Family. Everyone here is my family… But she… She doesn't even care about me, does she?"

"She cares, Randi… She's just sick." Dillon rocked her in his arms, hoping to soothe her. He'd seen her break like this exactly four other times in her fifteen years… When the man she'd believed was her father had walked out on them, when they'd found out that their mother had died in prison, when Saraya had died, and when she'd broken down after Marco's death. The fact that it was happening more and more often bothered him. The fact that someone they'd both trusted had caused it infuriated him.

They stayed like that for a while until Randi calmed down. Then he let her go take a shower, hoping that would soothe the last of her pain. He immediately began thinking of ways to cheer her up. When he found the perfect choice, he pulled out a credit card to set it up, then hesitated.

He dialed Molly. "Do you need me tonight?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

"You're on the card, but I can work around you. Why? Are you okay?" Molly asked.

"I am, but Randi's not… Faye really broke her, Molly."

"I'm going to break Faye," Molly replied firmly.

"She's sick."

"She's a bitch. I understand she's sick, and I get that bipolar disorder is hell, but that bratty behavior? That's classic Faye. She was like that as a kid, way before the bipolar could have shown symptoms. What she said was something she'd have said with or without being bipolar."

He didn't contradict her. Molly had known Faye since the girl was three years old. If she said Faye had always had that side, he believed her. "I want to do something to make Randi smile, but it means missing the show tonight," he said. "I'm not trying to ask for special treatment, but-"

"Dill, of course you can have a night off, especially for this. Don't worry about it," Molly said. "Take care of the kid."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. I love her, too, even if I want to beat her ass for running off all the time."

They hung up after another minute and Dillon finished the transaction. Shortly after, Randi came out in fresh clothes with her hair still wet and he said, "Let me shower, and then we're going out."

"Where?" Randi asked.

"I'm taking you to see Wicked."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. Randi loved musicals, especially that one.

"Yeah. Manhattan's a train ride away. I got decent tickets. They're not perfect, but it's last-minute, so-"

"You're the best!" Randi proclaimed, flinging her arms around his neck. Her smile was genuine. His sister was back, for now at least. He headed to the bathroom to get ready, relieved he'd found something to bring back her smile.