A/N: I know this story jumps around a lot and it can do that because it is told in the third person, but not cause less confusion, the star means that another action is taking place probably at another time. By the way Phoenix, to my knowledge you're the only one reading, but I appreciate you. If someone else is reading, feel free to R & R.

Shane shook his head in disgust as he listened to Mark relay the story. The night that Ray told him Mark wanted to see him was to just set up a time to talk at a later date. Now they sat in the hotel lobby in Houston.

"Oh my God, no wonder she is so distant."

"Yeah. I mean all she hangs around is men, but at the same time, she keeps them on a short leash you know."

"Mark, how do we know this guy won't come after her?"

"We don't. The last I knew of it, she wasn't allowed to go back home, this coming straight from her father."

"Kevin?"

"Yeah. Her mother wants her home A.S.A.P."

"I don't understand."

"Me neither, and nobody's telling anyone anything. They won't tell Ray, they wont' tell Vince, they won't tell me. I guess that they expect that we just sit and hope for the best, while keeping a very close eye on her."

"Why do I get the feeling you know something?"

"I have done some research since the night she told me. This guy is facing parole as we speak."

"What?" Shane screeched.

"Look I know," Mark said.

"Jesus, she must be so scared."

"That's just it." Mark said, "I haven't told her, and I don't plan to."

"Well what do we do in the mean time?"

"Well let Vince know, let the boys know. Everybody is going to look out for her."

Shane felt the aching fear travel through his entire body and it must have shown all over his face.

"Shane," Mark looked at him, "I'm not going to let anything happen to my little girl. Nothing."

"I know." Shane said, "It's just that,"

"You love her?"

How one was man so intuitive, so perceptive was beyond him. All he could think of was his poor baby, his poor, poor baby. He had to admit for the first time, he loved her. Matt and Jeff had been ribbing him about it for weeks but now as he looked at Mark and thought of her, he knew in his heart yeah, she had stolen his heart.

Shane shook his head and smiled, "I don't understand how it happened, but yeah."

"I know how it happened, because you know what? We all love her, everybody loves Ray."

"Yeah," Shane sighed. That was the problem, everybody did love Ray. And he did mean everyone, and to her, in her eyes Shane was just her brother, just her best friend, someone who she could talk to when she wanted to laugh.

"You know she cares for you a lot more than she lets on?"

"How can you be so sure?" Shane asked.

Mark smiled, "Because she's my daughter, that's how I know."

Shane smiled, "Well I guess that's a good clue."

"Well, go on upstairs to her. She hasn't been sleeping real well lately,"

"Okay." Shane stood.

"Hey kid, that's my baby, you take care of her."

"I will."

Shane ran upstairs skipping every other step, he just wanted to hold Ray in his arms. Hold her close; tell her everything was going to be okay.

He knocked he didn't get an answer. He knocked again.

"Ray?" he called. Still he got nothing.

He tried the door and it popped open. He crept inside trying not to make any noise just in case she was asleep.

"Ray?" he called again peering into the bedroom of her suite. The sight he saw as enough to make his breath catch in his throat.

"Ray!" she lay on the floor unconscious. "Ray honey wake up."

************************************************************************

"Daddy!" Ray screamed. "Oh God."

"You should've come home Ravyn." Lydia said calmly.

"What does me coming home have to do with the fact that Corey and Daddy are dead?!"

"You would've been here to protect them, huh?"

"When is the funeral?" Ray asked she was beside herself with tears. Who would protect her from Lydia now?

"Who said anything about you being invited to a funeral? You couldn't even protect the two most important people in your life."

"I hate you!" Ray spat at her mother.

"You'll change your tune when I come and get you young lady."

"I hate you. You're a witch." Ray yelled, "Corey was right."

"Oh," Lydia asked intrigued. "About what?"

"I hate you!" Ray screamed again. It was the only thought she could conjure in her head. How could she be so cold, so callous about her husband and her son being dead?

"Oh now you mustn't get yourself worked up, you know better you are a young lady."

"Go to hell!" Ray screamed with her last bit of energy. She hung up the phone. Corey, Daddy Kevin, dead? It just wasn't right. Her head was spinning, she looked up on her nightstand, the picture Corey gave her the day she left. She looked so happy, like she belonged. And now that was gone, finished, done! Oh God, why? She thought as she fell unconscious.

**********************************************************************

Shane's fingers were moving at the speed of light, first calling the front desk, then calling Jeff and Matt, and lastly calling Mark.

"He's not here, Shane." Glenn told him, "Why what's up?"

"Ray fainted." Shane screeched.

"What?!" Glenn yelled, "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know." Shane confessed, "I found her like this."

"Okay, calm down Shane. Stay with her," Glenn told him, "I'll find my brother."

Shane was shaking all over. The color had drained from her cheeks, her skin felt chilled.

"I should've never left her." He said over and over.

"It's not your fault Shane." Matt put his hand on his shoulder, "She's going to pull through this. Come on think about it, she's a very strong girl."

Shane watched as they lifted Ray onto a stretcher. Mark came barreling into the room just as they were wheeling her out.

"What happened Shane?" Mark demanded.

Shane shrugged, he felt so defeated. "When I left you I came upstairs. I knocked on her door got no answer. When I tried the door it came right open, and I found her passed out on the bed."

"Oh my God." Mark said, "Will she be okay?"

"Looks like," said one of the EMT's, "We're just going to take her down to the hospital, see if we can't wake her up."

Shane looked like he would break down at any minute. Mark didn't look much better, Glenn thought as he looked around. He looked down at his niece. She was going be okay. She was a fighter; he knew she was going to be just fine.

**********************************************************************

Ray woke up with a start. She had a dull pain in her head, she was so tired. She tried to open her eyes, but they were sore from crying.

"Ray," That was Shane, she knew that boy's southern accent anyway.

"Shane." She said reaching up for him.

Shane closed his eyes as she ran her hand across his cheek. The caress was so gentle his heart melted for her.

"Hey there Citizen Ray." Shane said.

"What happened?"

"You fainted dude." Shane said. "And no more of that. I can't take it."

"That makes two of us. Who found me?" she asked.

"Shane did." That was her father. She knew that southern accent anywhere too.

"And how did you manage to do that?" she joked.

"Well Citizen Ray, it's all because of my Hurri-powers."

"I am a humbled woman." She smiled. "Shane, can I talk to daddy alone for a sec?"

"Sure Ray." He heard the footsteps. "Dad,"

"Yeah baby?"

"They are dead."

"Who's dead?" Mark asked.

"Kevin and Corey."

"What?!" he tried not to yell but he couldn't help it. "Who told you this?"

"Lydia." Ray started to cry again. She didn't want to seem like a baby, really she didn't, but she couldn't help it. It was like her world was being stolen away from her.

"Oh my God, darlin," Mark comforted her, "baby I am so sorry."

When she felt his arms around her, she cried even harder. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Well you can at the funeral honey, that's what they are for."

"I can't go to the funeral."

"And just why the hell not?"

"Lydia said I wasn't invited."

"Just what the hell do you mean you aren't invited?"

Ray cried a little harder, "She said I failed to protect two of the most important men in my life, so I don't deserve to go to the funeral."

"Oh my God, that woman is sick." Mark shook his head. "Baby, don't you worry, you'll get to that funeral."

She opened her eyes finally and looked up at him, nineteen years old and she looked like a six-year-old. She looked so lost; he wanted to shelter her from every thing that has gone on in her life.

"I promise darlin'," he stroked her head, "I promise."

Ray closed her eyes again; she could see her brother and father so well in her mind. Corey's jealousy of how she could always out do him, always doing something before him. Daddy Kevin's way of standing up to Lydia for her, taking her away everything, and no matter what, he was going to get her to that damn funeral.

"Thank you daddy," she sniffled, "I love you so much."

"I love you too baby. I love you too." He said, "I'm going to go get Shane. He's really worried about you."

"I know. Hey Dad, can I tell you something?"

"Sure baby, anything. What's on your mind?"

She dropped her head low; "I really like Shane."

"He really likes you too."

"No, you don't understand. I really like him." She said, "I really, really like him."

Mark sat down next to her, "That boys loves you. He won't admit it to you because he thinks that to you, he's just your brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah really," he said, "I'm going to go get him."

Ray took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It was going to be hard to sleep she knew, but at least she knew that Daddy Mark, Uncle Glenn, her Carolina Five and the rest of the WWE family were by her side. She knew with them she would make it through this, even if her mother was being a complete bitch.

"Hey there beautiful," Shane smiled after a few minutes.

"Hey there," she said back.

"Feeling okay?" he asked cautiously.

Ray knew that Mark told him, and if he hadn't he would soon.

"I'm okay."

"Good, you want to come home with me?" Ray's eyebrows shot up, she lived in Boston, Shane lived in North Carolina. She had to try to go home and sort out this mess. "You might as well say yes. We've already decided, it's either home with me, or Texas with Mark."

Ray rolled her eyes and smiled, "Well since you bout it like that, how can I refuse?"

"Good, I'll send Shannon to get your stuff from the hotel, and if you don't mind, I'll drive."

"Drive my baby?" Ray shrieked in mock horror. She put her hand to her forehead pretending to faint again, "I just don't think I can handle it."

"Very funny," Shane said, "Just give me the keys."

"I don't have them, they must still be at the hotel."

"Well then don't worry about it."

A/N 2: This is sending a shot out to Sam, thanx for the review, and I'll see what I can throw together about Ray and John, I'm not sure what I will do but I'll definitely play around with it. Keep those reviews coming pple