Disclaimer: See chapters 1-3. :)
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Chapter Twelve
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Tess couldn't seem to sit still. It was almost as if she was nervous, but she really didn't know why. Her father and Chris would be back from the airport any minute, but she didn't see any reason why seeing Chris again would make her nervous.
'I guess because after they get here, it will just be a matter of time before I tell him' Tess thought to herself. She sighed and stood up, walking into the kitchen. She grabbed a can of coke out of the fridge and cracked it open, before picking up a small medicine bottle. She took out a white pill and swallowed it with a gulp of coke, cringing. She hated taking pills. Just as she sat her coke down, she heard the front door open. She eagerly made her way from the kitchen back into the living room just in time to see her father walk through the door. Chris walked in behind him, a suitcase in his hand and his long, blonde hair loose around his shoulders. Tess smiled at him, and he returned the smile before walking over to her and pulling her into a tight hug. She returned the hug, standing on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.
"I'm glad you could make it," she said. "It means a lot."
"No problem." Chris replied. "I'm happy to he here." Tess offered him another smile before absentmindedly grabbing his hand and leading him over to the couch. Mark had already left the room.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Chris asked after a short, silent pause. His voice was gentle and caring. He had decided earlier that day to wait and tell Tess about Rob and Dawn Marie later. Tess sighed.
'This is it," she told herself. She took a deep breath.
"I have cancer." she mutterd, almost inaudibly. Chris sucked in a sharp breath, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he had just heard.
"What...what?" Chris stammered.
"I have cancer." Tess repeated, louder this time. Her head was bent low, her eyes cast downward. Chris reached over and gently tilted her head up with his thumb and index finger.
"You're going to be okay." he told her, softly looking into her tear-filled green eyes.
"Yeah..." she mutterd. Chris then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, hugging her close to him. She sighed and hugged him back, enjoying the comfort.
"Rob hasn't even called me since I left." she told him soudly. Chris inwardly cringed; she had just told him she had cancer, he couldn't tell her about Rob and Dawn Marie now.
"It's because of me, right?" Chris asked, caressing her back with his palm soothingly.
"Rob is being so stupid. He's totally overreacting. He thinks that you're going to rape me." Tes rolled her eyes. Chris quirked a brow at her.
"I would never do that," Chris said. "I've been rough before, but I have never, nor would I ever, rape anyone."
"I know." Tess replied. "My dad told me about your history with the rats, but he doesn't think you would, either." she sighed. "I just don't know what to do anymore. Maybe I should just break it off with Rob, before I end up falling for him. Espically if he's going to keep doing stuff like this."
"I think you should do whatever you think is best." Chris told her. She nodded before resting her head against Chris's shoulder.
'You need to break it off,' Chris silently pleaded with her. 'If only you know what he was doing behind your back...'
"I have to go to chemo." Tes said quietly after a few minutes. "I'm scared. I saw what it did to my mom."
"When's your first treatment?" Chris asked.
"In three days." she replied.
"I'll go with you." he offered. "I want to help you get through this. I mean...I know that we haven't been friends for very long, and that our past is a not so pleasent one, but I want that to be different. I want to be here for you when you need me." Chris told her, still soothingly rubbing her back. Tess smiled at him, a genuine smile, before standing up.
"Would you like anything to drink?" she asked. Chris declined and she nodded, before retrieving her coke from the kitchen. When she returned to the living room, she noticed Chris looking at the many pictures on the mantle. She smiled softly and sat her coke down, before walking quietly over to him. She stood behind him and looked at the same picture he was currently on.
"That was me and my mom when I was about five." she said. He glanced back at her with a smile, before turning back to the pictures.
"You were adorable." he told her. She smiled and pointed to another picture.
"That was me and my mom at my high school graduation."
"You looked a lot like her." Chris said, looking at the picture thoughtfully. Tess nodded.
"I got Daddy's eyes, though."
"You're beautiful." Chris told her, his voice soft. His eyes didn't even move from the picture as he spoke. Tess smiled as a light rosy color traveled over her cheeks. They continued talking and looking at pictures for about fifteen minutes, before Mark came down.
"Tess, I have to go to the arena for a while. Vince just called, Raw has been relocated this week, it will be here. Lat minute change of plans." he told her.
"Alright," she nodded. "Is it okay of Chris and I go out later? "
"Yeah, but if you do go out and I'm not back yet, leave me a note."
"Okay. I love you, Daddy." she said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I love you too, baby girl." he returned the hug before turning and walking out of the front door. Tess sat down on the couch, leaning against the arm and propping her feat up on it. Chris looked at her with a grin.
"We're going out?" he asked in a teasing tone. She grinned and rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you don't want to go out that's okay..." she trailed off.
"Nope, going out's fine with me." Chris replied quickly. She smiled and he moved over to the couch, sitting down. He lifted her ankles and sat them in his lap, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked. "There's lots of fun stuff to do around here, we have karaoke bars, clubs, all these neat little tourists attractions..." she laughed. "They're still fun, though." Chris grinned at her and patted her leg.
"Anything you want to do, Tess. I'm happy with anything." he smiled. She returned the smile.
"Alright." she replied. She stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go shower and get ready. Just wear casual stuff, jeans and a t-shirt would be fine." she said before walking up the stairs and into her bedroom. She grabbed a pair of well-worn jeans and a light pink shirt and walked into the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She took a quick shower and dressed, before applying a light amount of makeup and drying her hair. After she finished, she looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She smiled before slipping on a pair of cross-trainers and walking downstairs. Chris was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the television. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt, with his blonde hair down around his shoulders still. He smiled when he looked up at her.
"Wow," he said. "You look very pretty."
"Thanks," she replied. "I wasn't trying to get dolled up or anything, just threw on some makeup and dried my hair." she grabbed a notepad and a pen off of the coffee table as she spoke, and wrote a short note to her father. She then ripped the piece of paper off of the pad and walked into the kitchen, laying it on the table. She returned to the living room and grabbed her keys, motioning for Chris to follow her when she turned back the other way. They walked through the kitchen and out a door near the back of the room. The room they were in now was a fairly large garage, where four Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a small, silver car, and a black SUV all were parked. Tess walked over to the car and unlocked it.
"Taker and his bikes," Chris said, looking over the four shiny motorcycles. "They're nice."
"Yeah," Tess replied. "These aren't all of his, though. He has more in another garage in the back. And that one," she pointed to a smaller, black and silver one. "Is mine."
"Yours?" Chris asked, grinning. Tess returned the grin.
"Chris, hun, the Undertaker is my father. Mark Calloway. I practically grew up on Harleys." she laughed.
"Yeah, I could've guessed that, it's just that I haven't met many girls who ride motorcycles, let alone own one."
"Well hey, I'm different." Tess grinned. She looked at her car, then back at Chris with a sly smile. "Feel like taking the Harley?" she asked. Chris smiled and laughed, nodding his head.
"Sure," he said. "That would be awesome."
"Alright, wait here. I'll be right back." Tess said, before dashing back into the house. She came out a few minutes later, a black leather jacket in her hand, and she was now wearing a black and hot pink leather jacket. She also had a new set of keys in her hand. She tossed the other jacket to Chris.
"It'll probably be a little big, it's one of Dad's old jackets." Tess told him. He nodded and slipped the jacket on. Tess walked over to the door again and locked it, before hitting a button that was beside the door. It made the garage door open.
"Alright, lets roll." Tess grabbed two helmets off of a shelf on the back wall. She handed the black and silver one to Chris, and kept the black and hot pink one to herself. She put it on and buckled it underneath her chin, before moving over to the motorcycle and climbing onto it. She put up the kickstand up and cranked it, balancing on her right leg until she felt Chris climb on behind her. He loosely wrapped his hands around her waist, and they took off. It wasn't a long drive to where they were going, only about twenty minutes. Tess smiled to herself, happy to be back on her Harley.
'It really has been too long.' she thought to herself as they pulled into the parking lot. Tess was relieved to see that it was fairly empty. She parked the Harley and put the kickstand down, grabbed her keys, and took her helmet off. She placed it on one of the handle bars, with Chris following her lead on the other. Tess pocketed the keys and led Chris into the large building in front of him, which looked pretty plain from the outside.
"Where are we, Tess?" Chris asked, looking at the place.
"This is like the best place in the world." Tess replied. "Mom and I came here a lot when I was younger. It probably seems really childish to you, but I think it's fun. It's like an indoor boardwalk type place. They have all these little games and stuff." Chris smiled at her as they walked inside of the building. It was brightly lit and was filled with machines. Chris smiled, looking at the interior. True, it was a bit childish, but he could tell that it brought back a lot of happy memories for Tess. He also noticed a staircase near the back. He then felt Tess's small hand reach for his, and he gripped it lightly.
"Mom took me here whenever I got good grades or did all of my chores." Tess told him. She smiled. "I haven't been here in a few years, now, not since she got real sick." Tess then led him over to a row of machines, all of them things like fortune telling machines. She looked fondly at a pink and red one.
"I always used this one every time I came here." she said. "It's supposed to predict your love life." she laughed and dug two quarters out of her pocket. She inserted them into the slot of the machine and pushed a button, which then instructed her to place her hand on a glowing half-orb in the middle of it. She did, and waited a few seconds. The machine then made a dinging noise and a pink light traveled up the 'future love meter'. It stopped beside the words 'Love is in your near future'. Tess smiled.
"Who knows, maybe it's right." she said, before leading Chris off into another section of the building.
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Chapter Twelve
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Tess couldn't seem to sit still. It was almost as if she was nervous, but she really didn't know why. Her father and Chris would be back from the airport any minute, but she didn't see any reason why seeing Chris again would make her nervous.
'I guess because after they get here, it will just be a matter of time before I tell him' Tess thought to herself. She sighed and stood up, walking into the kitchen. She grabbed a can of coke out of the fridge and cracked it open, before picking up a small medicine bottle. She took out a white pill and swallowed it with a gulp of coke, cringing. She hated taking pills. Just as she sat her coke down, she heard the front door open. She eagerly made her way from the kitchen back into the living room just in time to see her father walk through the door. Chris walked in behind him, a suitcase in his hand and his long, blonde hair loose around his shoulders. Tess smiled at him, and he returned the smile before walking over to her and pulling her into a tight hug. She returned the hug, standing on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.
"I'm glad you could make it," she said. "It means a lot."
"No problem." Chris replied. "I'm happy to he here." Tess offered him another smile before absentmindedly grabbing his hand and leading him over to the couch. Mark had already left the room.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Chris asked after a short, silent pause. His voice was gentle and caring. He had decided earlier that day to wait and tell Tess about Rob and Dawn Marie later. Tess sighed.
'This is it," she told herself. She took a deep breath.
"I have cancer." she mutterd, almost inaudibly. Chris sucked in a sharp breath, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he had just heard.
"What...what?" Chris stammered.
"I have cancer." Tess repeated, louder this time. Her head was bent low, her eyes cast downward. Chris reached over and gently tilted her head up with his thumb and index finger.
"You're going to be okay." he told her, softly looking into her tear-filled green eyes.
"Yeah..." she mutterd. Chris then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, hugging her close to him. She sighed and hugged him back, enjoying the comfort.
"Rob hasn't even called me since I left." she told him soudly. Chris inwardly cringed; she had just told him she had cancer, he couldn't tell her about Rob and Dawn Marie now.
"It's because of me, right?" Chris asked, caressing her back with his palm soothingly.
"Rob is being so stupid. He's totally overreacting. He thinks that you're going to rape me." Tes rolled her eyes. Chris quirked a brow at her.
"I would never do that," Chris said. "I've been rough before, but I have never, nor would I ever, rape anyone."
"I know." Tess replied. "My dad told me about your history with the rats, but he doesn't think you would, either." she sighed. "I just don't know what to do anymore. Maybe I should just break it off with Rob, before I end up falling for him. Espically if he's going to keep doing stuff like this."
"I think you should do whatever you think is best." Chris told her. She nodded before resting her head against Chris's shoulder.
'You need to break it off,' Chris silently pleaded with her. 'If only you know what he was doing behind your back...'
"I have to go to chemo." Tes said quietly after a few minutes. "I'm scared. I saw what it did to my mom."
"When's your first treatment?" Chris asked.
"In three days." she replied.
"I'll go with you." he offered. "I want to help you get through this. I mean...I know that we haven't been friends for very long, and that our past is a not so pleasent one, but I want that to be different. I want to be here for you when you need me." Chris told her, still soothingly rubbing her back. Tess smiled at him, a genuine smile, before standing up.
"Would you like anything to drink?" she asked. Chris declined and she nodded, before retrieving her coke from the kitchen. When she returned to the living room, she noticed Chris looking at the many pictures on the mantle. She smiled softly and sat her coke down, before walking quietly over to him. She stood behind him and looked at the same picture he was currently on.
"That was me and my mom when I was about five." she said. He glanced back at her with a smile, before turning back to the pictures.
"You were adorable." he told her. She smiled and pointed to another picture.
"That was me and my mom at my high school graduation."
"You looked a lot like her." Chris said, looking at the picture thoughtfully. Tess nodded.
"I got Daddy's eyes, though."
"You're beautiful." Chris told her, his voice soft. His eyes didn't even move from the picture as he spoke. Tess smiled as a light rosy color traveled over her cheeks. They continued talking and looking at pictures for about fifteen minutes, before Mark came down.
"Tess, I have to go to the arena for a while. Vince just called, Raw has been relocated this week, it will be here. Lat minute change of plans." he told her.
"Alright," she nodded. "Is it okay of Chris and I go out later? "
"Yeah, but if you do go out and I'm not back yet, leave me a note."
"Okay. I love you, Daddy." she said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I love you too, baby girl." he returned the hug before turning and walking out of the front door. Tess sat down on the couch, leaning against the arm and propping her feat up on it. Chris looked at her with a grin.
"We're going out?" he asked in a teasing tone. She grinned and rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you don't want to go out that's okay..." she trailed off.
"Nope, going out's fine with me." Chris replied quickly. She smiled and he moved over to the couch, sitting down. He lifted her ankles and sat them in his lap, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked. "There's lots of fun stuff to do around here, we have karaoke bars, clubs, all these neat little tourists attractions..." she laughed. "They're still fun, though." Chris grinned at her and patted her leg.
"Anything you want to do, Tess. I'm happy with anything." he smiled. She returned the smile.
"Alright." she replied. She stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go shower and get ready. Just wear casual stuff, jeans and a t-shirt would be fine." she said before walking up the stairs and into her bedroom. She grabbed a pair of well-worn jeans and a light pink shirt and walked into the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She took a quick shower and dressed, before applying a light amount of makeup and drying her hair. After she finished, she looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She smiled before slipping on a pair of cross-trainers and walking downstairs. Chris was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the television. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt, with his blonde hair down around his shoulders still. He smiled when he looked up at her.
"Wow," he said. "You look very pretty."
"Thanks," she replied. "I wasn't trying to get dolled up or anything, just threw on some makeup and dried my hair." she grabbed a notepad and a pen off of the coffee table as she spoke, and wrote a short note to her father. She then ripped the piece of paper off of the pad and walked into the kitchen, laying it on the table. She returned to the living room and grabbed her keys, motioning for Chris to follow her when she turned back the other way. They walked through the kitchen and out a door near the back of the room. The room they were in now was a fairly large garage, where four Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a small, silver car, and a black SUV all were parked. Tess walked over to the car and unlocked it.
"Taker and his bikes," Chris said, looking over the four shiny motorcycles. "They're nice."
"Yeah," Tess replied. "These aren't all of his, though. He has more in another garage in the back. And that one," she pointed to a smaller, black and silver one. "Is mine."
"Yours?" Chris asked, grinning. Tess returned the grin.
"Chris, hun, the Undertaker is my father. Mark Calloway. I practically grew up on Harleys." she laughed.
"Yeah, I could've guessed that, it's just that I haven't met many girls who ride motorcycles, let alone own one."
"Well hey, I'm different." Tess grinned. She looked at her car, then back at Chris with a sly smile. "Feel like taking the Harley?" she asked. Chris smiled and laughed, nodding his head.
"Sure," he said. "That would be awesome."
"Alright, wait here. I'll be right back." Tess said, before dashing back into the house. She came out a few minutes later, a black leather jacket in her hand, and she was now wearing a black and hot pink leather jacket. She also had a new set of keys in her hand. She tossed the other jacket to Chris.
"It'll probably be a little big, it's one of Dad's old jackets." Tess told him. He nodded and slipped the jacket on. Tess walked over to the door again and locked it, before hitting a button that was beside the door. It made the garage door open.
"Alright, lets roll." Tess grabbed two helmets off of a shelf on the back wall. She handed the black and silver one to Chris, and kept the black and hot pink one to herself. She put it on and buckled it underneath her chin, before moving over to the motorcycle and climbing onto it. She put up the kickstand up and cranked it, balancing on her right leg until she felt Chris climb on behind her. He loosely wrapped his hands around her waist, and they took off. It wasn't a long drive to where they were going, only about twenty minutes. Tess smiled to herself, happy to be back on her Harley.
'It really has been too long.' she thought to herself as they pulled into the parking lot. Tess was relieved to see that it was fairly empty. She parked the Harley and put the kickstand down, grabbed her keys, and took her helmet off. She placed it on one of the handle bars, with Chris following her lead on the other. Tess pocketed the keys and led Chris into the large building in front of him, which looked pretty plain from the outside.
"Where are we, Tess?" Chris asked, looking at the place.
"This is like the best place in the world." Tess replied. "Mom and I came here a lot when I was younger. It probably seems really childish to you, but I think it's fun. It's like an indoor boardwalk type place. They have all these little games and stuff." Chris smiled at her as they walked inside of the building. It was brightly lit and was filled with machines. Chris smiled, looking at the interior. True, it was a bit childish, but he could tell that it brought back a lot of happy memories for Tess. He also noticed a staircase near the back. He then felt Tess's small hand reach for his, and he gripped it lightly.
"Mom took me here whenever I got good grades or did all of my chores." Tess told him. She smiled. "I haven't been here in a few years, now, not since she got real sick." Tess then led him over to a row of machines, all of them things like fortune telling machines. She looked fondly at a pink and red one.
"I always used this one every time I came here." she said. "It's supposed to predict your love life." she laughed and dug two quarters out of her pocket. She inserted them into the slot of the machine and pushed a button, which then instructed her to place her hand on a glowing half-orb in the middle of it. She did, and waited a few seconds. The machine then made a dinging noise and a pink light traveled up the 'future love meter'. It stopped beside the words 'Love is in your near future'. Tess smiled.
"Who knows, maybe it's right." she said, before leading Chris off into another section of the building.
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