Disclaimer: Anything related to TNA or anyone else clearly doesn't belong to the writers of this story. This is written purely for entertainment purposes. If TNA is willing, though, the writers of this story would very much love to own any of the TNA-owned people mentioned within this story. That is all.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews we've recieved so far. This story is well and truly writing itself so it's great to see that other people are enjoying it as much as Lizzie and I do. Lizzie is currently lurking in some shadows somewhere so... be afraid, be very afraid. Anyways, here's chapter 4. In this chapter, we learn exactly who Kady's savior is. Read on... Phoenix
Kady sat next to the tattooed man quietly. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid. She'd let her old fears cloud her mind and had taken a ride with a psycho instead of putting a little faith in the guy with the tattoos. Sure, he looked scary enough but... he'd saved her. She bit her tongue to stop a sob escaping as she stared out the window. The tattooed guy looked over and noted the pained expression on her face.
"Relax, kid. I wouldn't have taken a ride with me either. That guy did look a lot safer. Guess this is just a reminder that appearances can be deceiving." He shrugged. Kady sighed.
"I'm sorry. And thanks for... that." She whispered, barely audible. The guy nodded, his attention having returned to the highway.
"Got a name? Or should I keep calling you kid?" He wondered after a few minutes of silence.
"Kadence Myers." Kady told him quickly, not yet having turned her attention away from the window.
"Kadence, huh? Poor you." He smiled. She turned her attention to him, finally, and caught the humor in it.
"I prefer to be called Kady." She offered honestly. The guy nodded and left it at that. Kady waited for him to tell her his name but figured he'd never get around to it.
"So... have you got a name? Or should I just call you creepy tattooed guy?" She asked eventually.
"Creepy tattooed guy works." He shrugged. Kady laughed slightly.
"Sterling James Keenan." He told her once the silence started to wrap around them again.
"And you thought Kadence was bad? What kind of a name is Sterling?" Kady pointed out. Sterling shot her a quick glare before returning his attention back to the road.
"I'm a wrestler. It's my stage name." He told her, the shortness in his words reminding her of the anger he'd shown towards the other man.
"A wrestler? Damn it, I can't get a break today!" Kady fumed.
"What do you mean by that?" Sterling wondered, his confusion cutting off any anger.
"My mother just got a job with TNA as Jeff Jarrett's personal assistant. I just found out that my father wrestles there. My mother never told me about him. Basically, everything is fucked up and I can't get away from wrestlers." Kady sighed, cutting her rant short.
"Your father's a wrestler with TNA? I know a couple of guys that work there. Think it would be anyone I know?" Sterling questioned.
"Probably not. The only guy anywhere near as creepy as you is the vampire lover, Andy Douglas." Kadence shrugged.
"He's not creepy. And, try me. I may not know the guy personally but I'm sure I know of him." Sterling pushed. Kady shut down slightly.
"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get to Kentucky and forget any of this shit ever happened." She told him seriously. He figured he'd pushed too much so he backed off, before thinking about something else.
"You ran away, huh? No one knows you're gone?" He asked quietly.
"They know I'm gone. They just don't know where I'm going." Kady answered. Sterling shook his head slightly, wondering how crazy this kid's mother must be going, not knowing where she is or if she's safe.
"Call someone. Let them know you're okay." He stated, not leaving room for argument. Kady reached for her pocket before remembering the fate of her cellphone.
"Can't. The psycho threw my phone out the car window and I forgot to pick it up again." She shrugged, silently thanking the jerk for giving her a reason not to call anyone. Sterling looked her in the eye for a moment and noted that she was sincere. He motioned to something on the center console, just behind the handbrake.
"Use mine. I'm sure you have at least one number memorized that you can use." He figured. Kady reluctantly picked up the cellphone and held it in front of her, wondering if she should call Danny or her mother.
"Call someone that can let your mother know you're okay if you don't want to talk to her directly." Sterling said firmly, not wanting Kady to muck around.
"I don't know anyone's number... only my mother and my best friend, Danny. Dan doesn't know mom's number either." Kady told him with another shrug, figuring he wouldn't make her call anyone in that case. The glare returned to Sterling's eyes. He couldn't tell if she was being deliberately difficult.
"Give me that." He told her, holding his hand out for the phone. Kady dropped it into his hand and watched him press a few buttons while still keeping an eye on the road. He'd slowed down slightly so that he could remain in control of the car while he was using the phone. He raised it to his ear and waited a few moments before speaking.
"Aries, it's SJK. I need you to do me a favor. There's a chick working for Jarrett as his assistant by the name of... kid, what's her name?" Sterling paused, fixing the glare on her again momentarily.
"Lily Myers." Kadence answered quickly, not wanting to see what this guy would do to her if she didn't.
"Lily Myers. Find her and tell her that her kid, Kady, is safe and on her way to Kentucky, okay?" Sterling paused, clearly listening to the reply.
"Fucked if I know where she is, man. You're there, ask Jarrett or something. Give Lily my number, if she wants it, because Kady lost her cellphone. Gotta go, I'm on the road." Sterling ended the call quickly, not bothering to wait for his friend to say anything else.
"Did you meet Austin Aries while you were at TNA?" Sterling asked as he tossed his phone back to where Kady had picked it up from.
"No. Probably a good thing if he's a friend of yours." She figured. Sterling managed a slight laugh, despite the tension that still hung in the air.
"Austin's not a bad guy. Nowhere near as creepy as me. Closer to Andy on the creep scale." He joked back.
Lily and Chris were standing in line at the airport, waiting to be able to buy tickets to Kentucky. Lily was almost 100 percent sure that that's where Kady was heading, even if Kady hadn't told them herself. Lily was fidgeting, wanting nothing more than to have Kady in her arms, just so she would know her little girl was safe. Beside her, Chris was looking rather stony. Lily could tell he was having a hard time dealing with everything that had happened since he'd arrived at work that day. He'd been very quiet on the drive from the bus terminal to the airport but Lily was sure he'd broken all the speed laws on the way.
"Come on. What's taking so fucking long?" Chris muttered, feeling the urge to beat everyone in front of him unconscious, just so he'd be at the front of the line. Lily was about to agree with him when her cellphone rang. Hoping it was Kady, she answered it quickly, without checking the call ID.
"Kady?" She asked hopefully.
"Uh... no. Ms Myers, my name's Austin Aries. I have a message to pass onto you from a friend of mine." Austin told her hesitantly. He had no idea what the heck was going on and really didn't want to be stuck in the middle of anything.
"How did you get my number?" Lily asked quickly, wanting to end the call, just in case Kady was trying to call.
"I asked Jeff Jarrett for it and, believe me, it took me long enough to get it from him." Austin replied. Lily sighed, figuring if he'd gone to Jarrett, this was probably a work related call.
"So, what's the message then, and who is your friend that it's from?" She asked.
"My friend's name is Sterling James Keenan. He called me not too long ago and asked me to tell you that your daughter, Kady, is with him and that she's okay. They're heading to Kentucky, which is weird because I was sure Sterling had a booking in a completely different state." Austin mused.
"Kady's with him? Are you sure?" Lily asked, wanting to hear it again.
"Yeah, that's what he said. Oh, he said she'd lost her cellphone so I should give you his number if you want it." Austin remembered.
"I want it. Let me just grab a pen." Lily told him before covering the mouthpiece of the phone and looking at Chris who was clearly wondering what was going on.
"It's Austin Aries. He says that Kady is with his friend Sterling... something or other, and that they're headed for Kentucky. She's okay, according to Austin's friend." Lily relayed the message on to him. She watched him visibly relax for a moment before the tension returned.
"Sterling... Sterling James Keenan?" Chris wondered, alarm bells going off in his head.
"That's the one." Lily nodded.
"Great, just great. Our kid is now in the company of a satanist. You must be so proud." Chris hissed, pulling a hand over his head and through his hair.
"At least we know she's alive." Lily shot back before walking up to the counter to ask for a pen so that she could write down the phone number that Austin would give her.
Chris watched her from his spot in the line and silently thanked God for the fact that Kady was still breathing. He honestly didn't know what he'd do if she had turned up dead. He'd only just got her back into his life, there was no way he wanted to lose her now. But the thought that Kady was with that freak, Sterling, made him wanna hurl – granted, SJK wasn't exactly a total brain dead waste, but he was pretty close to it. And naturally, if Lily had just given the kid more discipline from the start, probably none of this would've happened!
But as far as Chris was concerned, his little girl – as much as a freak she had become – being with someone of not good company such as Sterling James Keenan... it was very conflicting. A few seconds later, a shaking Lily returned to him and was nervously dialing a number into the phone and placed it at her ear. She only met Chris' eyes for a brief second before having to turn away – once again he had that accusing look that she so didn't need right now. As far as she was concerned, he could blame her as much as his heart desired – after they got their daughter back. A connection was established and she heard the ringing through the receiver and prayed that someone answered.
"Speak," came a gruff voice on the other end and for a moment there Lily was taken aback, not entirely liking the tone of the guy who apparently had Kady with him.
"Uh, hi," she stammered. "I—" but before she could introduce herself or get a coherent sentence out, Chris ripped the phone from her hand, blocking any attempts of her trying to get it back and completely ignoring her protests.
"Keenan?"
"Who the hell's this?"
"Fuck you, where's my daughter?"
"I'm not in the habit of repeating myself..."
"It's Chris Harris. Where's Kadence?"
On the other end of the line, Sterling looked like he had been punched very hard in the stomach by who had revealed himself to be Kady's father. Chris Harris? Wow. He glanced at Kady who simply returned the confused look and mouthed the words 'who is it?' to him. He didn't reply and continued to focus on the road in front of him while recovering from the latest information.
"Keenan?"
"Chill, man she's fine!"
Kady rolled her eyes when she realized it had to be Chris on the other end, and turned to gaze out the window of the blackened environment around them, content with not knowing what words were being exchanged between Sterling and her father. Her father. Even though she would never admit in in a million years, she did feel kind of stupid for the way she spoke to him earlier that day. But then again, even if she had known before hand, she didn't think she would've behaved any differently towards the man who abandoned her when she was a baby. He wasn't her father. Nothing except genetics connected them and she was fine for it to stay that way.
"I said 'she's fine'! Fucking hell Chris I'm not gonna hurt her!"
Chris, back in Florida, wasn't entirely convinced. As much as Kady was a freak herself, Sterling was a more corrupting force than he was comfortable with having to take care of his only child.
"Put her on the phone," he growled, trying to remain as calm as possible towards the man who saved Kady's life. Apparently.
Already fed up with Chris' bullshit rantings, Sterling thrust the phone in Kady's direction. "Take it. Daddy wants to speak to you," he said with a smirk and the kid snatched the phone from his hand.
Kady seriously contemplated hanging up on Chris, but seeing the menacing look she was getting from Sterling, who had gone out of his way to save her, she reluctantly raised the phone to her ear. "Hi," she meekly spoke.
"Kady," Chris breathed a sigh of relief to hear her voice, and again gently pushed Lily away who was still trying to get the phone away from him. How was he supposed to talk to her? By saying 'hey baby, are you okay? I've been so worried about you'? Somehow that wasn't gonna work here. So, he simply said, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"What d'you care?" she venomously replied, and Chris could definitely hear the bitterness that was to be expected. "If it hadn't been for mom getting that job today, I could've died and you wouldn't have noticed. Or cared."
"Kady—"
"Fuck you, Chris!" she snapped, now ignoring the look she was getting from Sterling. "I don't need you anymore than you apparently don't need me—"
"Kady," Chris again tried to remain calm. "That's not fair—"
"Not fair? You losing a title match would be unfair. Me growing up without a father all my life and having to put up with mom's bullshit lies is fucking off the charts ridiculous!" she felt her throat constrict and then relax from the built up emotion; now was her chance to say the things to her father that she had been wanting to say all her life. Though maybe the words weren't as delicate as she could've put them.
"I can't deal with this anymore," she continued and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Kadence had always vowed never to cry if and when she ever did find her father, though now it seemed as if it was a worthless vow. She never expected this day to actually come so she sure as hell wasn't prepared for it. Or the emotional pain it would cause. "I can't deal with you. I wanna speak to mom. Put her on the phone. Now!"
Chris needed a moment to recover from the harshness and hatred of the words which his own daughter spat in his direction, and even though it was over the phone, it still hurt a lot. And he deserved every word, he knew. Without another word, he handed the phone to Lily and bit his lip. It never actually hit him until now that what Lily had been saying all along was true. He had abandoned his family for his career... he abandoned his own child and the woman he loved for wrestling and it was never clear until now. Kady hated him. Lily hated him. The two people who were supposed to mean the world to him... who did mean the world to him... he left them for his career.
"Kady!" Lily gushed into the phone, barely holding back the tears. "Oh my God baby I'm so happy you're safe! You're okay, right?"
"Yeah, yeah," the Goth-child replied. "I'm okay."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Don't start that, Kadence. Tell me," Lily demanded.
"Mom, I'll tell you later!" Kady replied and yawned. "I'm tired."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"YES!"
"And the man you're with?"
Kady looked at Sterling who was silently concentrating on the road and she sighed. "He's cool."
"You have no idea how much God damn trouble you're in when we get there, Kadence," Lily told her, wearily rubbing her eyes. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I don't know! Okay? I fucked up, mother! Is that what you want to hear?"
"Swear like that at me again and you'll really be sorry."
"Whatever."
"Yeah, 'whatever'. You better enjoy your final few hours of peace and freedom, because I swear before God that when Chris and I get there..." Lily trailed off, sensing that Kady was getting the picture. As much as it pained her, she knew that Chris was now involved in this one way or the other and that maybe he wasn't willingly gonna just disappear as quickly as he had the last time.
"I get it." Kady sighed before ending the call and tossing the cellphone back into the center console. She leaned back against the seat, willing herself not to lose it now. She really didn't need to breakdown in front of Sterling and have him think she was a loser.
"You okay?" Sterling asked quietly, having seen the look on Kady's face. He'd ignored the minor amount of tears she'd shed before, figuring her emotion should be hers alone.
"Not really." Kady admitted, wanting nothing more than to disappear from the face of the earth totally. That would teach them.
"I get the feeling that things are extremely messed up. I'm not going to pry because, frankly, it's none of my business but... you're stuck with me until Kentucky so if you want to talk, I'll have no choice but to listen." Sterling told her.
"Thanks but, you're right, it's none of your business." Kady replied, not really wanting to talk.
"Want me to pull over so you can climb in the back and sleep?" Sterling wondered.
Kady pondered the idea for a moment before nodding. Sterling pulled the car over to the shoulder of the highway and moved things from the backseat into the trunk so that Kady would be able to stretch out. Once he was done, Kady climbed in and lay down along the seat, wrapping her arms around herself. Sterling pulled a blanket from the trunk and tossed it over her, hoping to make her feel a little more comfortable. She thanked him as he climbed back into the driver's seat and he nodded slightly before getting back on the road.
"Hey, Sterling, why does Chris dislike you so much?" Kady asked after a while.
"Same reason you didn't accept the ride from me earlier. I'm a scary motherfucker." Sterling told her with mock pride.
"You're not so bad. More human than the piece of shit that tries to call himself my father." Kady reasoned. Sterling laughed.
"Don't think many people would agree with you on that one. I'm kind of frowned upon because of the way I look and my personal beliefs. People are naturally prejudiced against things they don't understand." He shrugged.
"Tell me about it. Anyone would think that me being goth is some kind of crime or something. Small towns full of small minds, ya know?" Kady mused. She was finding it strangely easy to talk to him, now that she'd relaxed a little.
"Can I ask you something?" Sterling asked after another patch of silence. Kady was surprised he'd bothered to ask that.
"Technically, you just did." She pointed out.
"Oh, ha ha." Sterling mocked, turning to look back at her with an amused smile on his face. Kady laughed before telling him to go ahead and ask her whatever.
"Where exactly are you headed? I mean, do you have family in Kentucky or are you just randomly going to wander the streets there?" He asked her, the concern in his voice shocking her slightly.
"I may end up wandering the streets... but that's just because it's about all there is to do in Ft Wright. I was planning on crashing at my best friend's house." Kady told him.
"Good. There was no way I'd let you out of this car in the middle of nowhere." Sterling told her seriously.
"Aw. Does it hurt when you pretend to care?" Kady joked. Sterling found some rubbish or something near him and threw it over his shoulder at her.
Lily and Chris had finally made it onto a plane bound for Kentucky. Unfortunately for both of them, their seats were right next to each other. Lily settled into her seat and tried desperately to ignore the man beside her. She was tired, so tired of everything - Kady's attitude, her own anger towards Chris, it was all getting to be too much for her now. Chris seemed to overlook how tense Lily was as he decided to learn more about his daughter.
"So, when did all this goth crap start with Kady?" He asked, idly playing with the headphones a stewardess had given him.
"If you'd been part of her life, you'd already know." Lily replied without even thinking about it.
"Not this shit again. You wouldn't let me be part of her life. I tried, Lil, and you know it." Chris accused seriously, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.
"Sure, you tried for a month and a half. Then you moved on and so did we. You can't just suddenly decide you want to play daddy now. She's almost old enough not to need either of us. You've missed your chance, Chris, and she's made my life hell because of it." Lily spoke calmly, trying to make sure he heard her, heard the emotional pain she was in.
"That's bullshit! No matter how old she gets, we'll always be her parents, she'll always need us in her life. You've denied it long enough, haven't you? Denied me long enough." Chris pointed out.
"Only returning the favor. You denied us when you left. You can think it's my fault that she is the way she is but, it's you, Chris. It's always been you. She hates me because I never told her about you. So, to punish me, she became the rebellious person she is. Blame me all you want but, I know the truth. I've been there every day of her life to see it." Lily stated firmly. She'd had enough of backing down to Chris, and to another extent, backing down to Kady. Things were going to change now – she was going to change.
"You gave me a fucking ultimatum! You said I couldn't have you and Kady as well as become a wrestler. You pushed me away and you're continuing to do it. This is about more than your hurt feelings, more than our pride. It's about that child who is out there somewhere with a complete stranger because she couldn't put up with the bullshit you started." Chris accused.
"Fuck off, Harris." Lily muttered before turning to look out the window.
She refused to let him see her cry, refused to let him see she was still hurting about the choice he made over thirteen years ago. She couldn't stop the tears, though, and they silently rolled down her cheeks. As she stared out the window, she remembered back to a time when being around Chris didn't hurt. Back when Kady loved them both unconditionally. She'd only been ten months old then, so she hadn't known any better.
Chris, Lily and Kady had just returned to the home their parents had bought for them and the first grandchild on both sides. They'd spent a large part of the day taking Kady out to different places – her first trip to the local swimming pools, a picnic at the park, a stop at the beach which happened to be Kady's first time tasting ice cream. Chris and Lily had no idea how much the memories made in this one day alone would haunt them in the future. For now, they were happy to wonder what the future would hold for them and their child.
"She's out like a light." Chris told Lily as he walked into the kitchen, gratefully accepting a glass of orange juice from his girlfriend.
"Poor baby." Lily smiled, bustling around the kitchen as she prepared dinner for herself and Chris.
"She had fun, though, no denying that." Chris laughed, remembering the look on his baby girl's face after Lily had given her a small amount of ice cream. It had been like she couldn't decide whether the cold sensation was good or not. She'd happily motioned for more once she'd figured out it tasted good.
"Wouldn't you miss days like this if you decided to go off and train to be a wrestler?" Lily asked Chris, trying to keep the question light. He knew how she felt about the dream he held.
"Of course. But, it's not like I'd have to give them up completely." Chris pointed out.
"Not at first, sure. But what happens when you start getting booked for shows all over the country?" Lily pushed.
"Drop it, Lil." Chris warned, knowing where this line of conversation usually ended up.
"No. I'm sick of not knowing. I'm sick of my future and Kady's future being so uncertain. You have to decide what you want more, a family or a wrestling career." Lily told him, turning to watch his reaction.
"Excuse me? What are you saying, here? I can't be a wrestler and a father? You've got to be kidding me." Chris found the idea almost laughable.
"That's almost exactly what I'm saying. Kady deserves to have a stable future. She won't get that if you're swanning off to wrestle all the time. She should be your number one priority, me your number two." Lily pointed out.
"Oh, come on! Plenty of wrestlers have families as well. If they can do it, why can't I?" Chris wondered.
"Because I won't let it happen, Chris. I'd rather you walked out that door right now and never came back." Lily replied seriously.
"Fine. If that's what you want." Chris responded as he picked up the car keys before walking out the door.
Lily sobbed aloud as she returned to reality. Maybe Chris was right, it was her fault. Kady hating her was her own fault. She had stood in Chris' way and stopped him from getting to know Kady and, to make things worse, it was still happening. Chris' attention was caught by Lily sobbing next to him. He took off the headphones and tossed them aside as he reached out for her.
"Lily, you okay?" He asked softly. He'd actually thought she'd fallen asleep.
"You're right, Chris. I'm a horrible mother, a terrible person. I thought I was doing the right thing by Kady but now... I don't know anymore." Lily sobbed, briefly allowing Chris to pull her into a hug so she was sobbing into his shoulder.
"It didn't have to come to this." Chris whispered. Lily's head snapped up and she glared at him.
"You brought it to this just as much as I did. How dare you try and blame it all on me!" Lily snapped, pushing away from Chris harshly.
He stared at her with a look of utter confusion on his face – in their thirteen years of not being in each other's lives, had she turned schizophrenic? Only seconds ago she was sobbing in his arms about how it was her fault and that she was a terrible mother, and now she completely flipped and was again accusing him of faulting her for everything. With Lily, anything was possible as Chris knew all too well. He never expected her to do what she did all those years ago, and not that it completely absolved him of responsibility for the way things turned out, he could see that it was pushing Lily to breaking point.
Lily continued to sob into a customary pillow that was provided to all flight passengers and Chris wisely backed off at that point. What could he say that could make her feel any better? Or at least, convince her that it didn't matter whose fault it was now, and all that they should be concerned with now was Kady's safety. His daughter being with that freak, Sterling James Keenan, didn't ease the situation any further – it wasn't as if he held any sort of personal grudge against the guy, but Sterling's personality wasn't what one would consider... normal. Or safe for a child to be around. At least, that's what Chris thought anyway.
"That's not what I meant, Lil," he replied wearily and rubbed his forehead, feeling a massive headache impending.
"I don't give a damn what you meant, Harris," she hissed tearfully. "The fact is... you screwed up as much as I did. And all I care about is getting her back. Once I do, we're gone. Fuck the job, we'll go somewhere else and make as if this day never happened."
Chris could feel his blood boiling at those comments and as wrong as it was to for him to want to hit a woman, he at least wanted to knock some sense into her. Given that they were on an airplane, which meant a limited capacity for any sort of aggression, he could barely contain the rage. He gripped the armrests of his seat and it took every bit of energy to not scream at her.
"We'll see about that, Lily..." he growled, darkly. Lily stared at him with renewed hatred and he returned the same feeling. "I'll haul you into court faster than you can pack."
"Is that a threat?" she challenged.
"More like a friendly warning," he replied and shifted in his seat, picking up the headphones again. "She's my daughter as much as she is yours. I have a right to know my child, Lily. I won't let you stand in my way of knowing her, not again."
"You made your choice before..."
"And now I'm making another one. The right one. You think she was screwed up before she found out about me... what do you think will happen when we shove her into the middle of a court battle?" he reasoned. "Or worse yet, if you kick me out of her life again like you did before and again deny her the right to know her father?"
Chris settled back against his seat and closed his eyes, slipping the headphones on again, not caring to pursue this conversation further. The worst thing for Lily was that she knew he was deadly serious in each other the words he spoke. She knew him too well to know when he was serious and could follow through with whatever he said he was going to do.
"And you'd be willing to drag her through court just to get back at me?" she queried, softly, wondering if his hatred for her actually did go that far down.
"No," Chris insisted. "Believe it or not, Lil, I loved you. Even after everything happened and you took Kady from me, I still loved you... I'll never hurt either of you. But don't mistake that for the fact that I will do anything to have my daughter back in my life."
"Then what stopped you? Thirteen years... you didn't try..."
"All these years and you still believe I never loved her, or you, Lily," he told her with a small smile. Any anger he had again quickly disappeared. "Or that I never thought about you two over the past thirteen years. If I believed that me being out of Kady's life would be best for her, then that's it – I'm gone."
Lily tensed up. "But you don't?"
"Not anymore. After a few years, I figured you were right. I couldn't have it both ways and by the time I realized that, it was too late. Kady was growing up, she didn't know me. I figured you had probably moved on, gotten married and had a family, which was something you wanted all along. I had no reason to believe that you weren't better off."
Curiosity had taken over the anger now, and Lily was nothing but curious to hear his reasoning behind this, considering all the chances he had to come back to them. "So what made you change your mind?"
At first he didn't reply, as if he had to think about his answer. "Seeing you both today. Seeing how things were between you and Kady. each time, it convinced me that maybe she does need me. That maybe things aren't too late. You getting it now?"
"Whatever... but you know that whether you get another chance... that's all Kady's decision. She's angry, Chris. More than I wanted to know, I guess."
Silence overtook them and both had lost the energy to keep this conversation going, and Lily resumed staring out the window at nothing at particular. Never in a million years did she think she'd see Chris again, let alone be sitting next to him on a plane while they both went to find their daughter. It had been a hellacious day and she would rather forget it, and now as it was heading into the evening, she thought about what could have been if she hadn't screwed up one of the best things that happened to her – Chris. If it wasn't for him, obviously she wouldn't have Kady. He turned to look at her again as she stared out the window.
"Why didn't you marry?"
The question startled Lily from her thoughts and it took her off guard. "What?"
He shrugged. "Why didn't you marry? I mean, that's what you wanted all along, right? To have a family?"
She chuckled and shook her head in disbelief that he would have such nerve to even ask such a question – after all, he should know the answer, right? "You gotta be kidding..." she muttered. "You honestly have no idea?"
"No, I honestly don't," he replied with a slight mocking undertone.
"Think about, Chris. All I wanted was what was best for Kady... I didn't want to get married for the sake of getting married. And I wasn't gonna marry just anyone... it had to be the right guy. And, once upon a time, I thought I had the right guy," she added the last sentence with caution, and it's implied meaning was not lost on her ex boyfriend. Not waiting for him to reply, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up. "Excuse me..."
Chris watched her walk down the aisle towards the bathroom, somewhat stunned at that last revelation and the innocence which was behind her words. The regret.
4 DAYS LATER
Kady woke and sat up to find the car stopped and empty, other than her. Surveying the surroundings, Kady laughed out loud. They'd made it! They were in Fort Wright! She was home... well, almost. It had taken four and a half days of driving and stopping at motels along the way, Sterling generously offering to get her a room, which she readily accepted. During the almost five day trip, she didn't bother to call her parents or even Danny... it was kinda cool and relaxing to not think about all that crap for a few days. Sterling had parked outside a diner that Kady and Danny usually frequented after school. The smell of coffee wafted in through the slightly open window and Kady felt the urge to go in and get one. Staring in through the diner's windows, she soon spotted Sterling sitting at a corner table, alone. Everyone, including the waitresses seemed to be giving him a wide berth. Kady wondered if he'd even been able to order.
Getting out of the car, she straightened her clothes and hair before walking into the diner. As the bell above the door jingled, one of the waitresses looked up to see who was coming in. Kady smiled at her slightly and watched her wink in reply. Danny's mother often worked the late shift. She was the reason Danny and Kady would stop in there after school – how could they refuse free food and drink?
"Hey, Kady. Are you back in town already? What happened to Florida?" Jenna Hertz asked kindly.
"Hi, Jen. I'm only here for a visit, I guess. Mom's coming to get me soon. Florida sucks and Danny and I have agreed it should be turned into one big insane asylum." Kady told her honestly.
"Why do I get the feeling this is another attic situation?" Jenna asked suspiciously.
"It kind of started out that way but mom knows I'm here, now. Besides, I figured I'd try the basement this time." Kady teased. Jenna laughed and Kady waved to her and headed for the table that Sterling was situated at.
"Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes." Sterling mocked as Kady slid into the seat across from him.
"Whatever. Did you manage to get served?" Kady asked with a raised eyebrow, noting that the table between them was empty.
"Not yet, no. Guess small town Kentucky doesn't like freaks." Sterling reasoned.
"I'll fix that. What do you want?" She asked. Sterling told her and Kady called the order out to Jenna. She didn't fail to notice the look of shock on Jenna's face when she saw Kady interacting with Sterling. Sterling didn't fail to notice it either.
"You know her?" He asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, she's my friend Danny's mother. She's alright." Kady shrugged a little.
"Don't think she'd say the same about me." Sterling winked as Jenna brought over some steaming mugs of coffee.
"Jen, this is Sterling James Keenan. He's been nice enough to drive me pretty much all the way here. And, before you ask, no he's not the reason I ran away from Florida." Kady introduced, knowing exactly what Jenna was probably thinking.
"I wasn't going to say anything, honest." Jenna smiled as Sterling offered her his hand to shake. He didn't let the handshake last too long though.
"Sure, Jen, sure. Could you call Danny and let him know I'm here? I lost my cellphone and Sterling's already let me use his enough." Kady asked hopefully.
"I guess I can do that for you. Anything else you need?" Jenna asked politely.
"Now that you mention it... a place to stay until mom arrives would be good." Kady figured she should clear it with Jenna, knowing Danny would just sneak her in otherwise.
"Of course, Kady. When has our door ever been closed to you?" Jenna challenged.
"For about a month after the attic incident." Kady reminded quickly. Jenna laughed and went back behind the counter and grabbed the phone to call her son.
"So, you're not always the angry little person I got to see in the car, huh?" Sterling wondered after watching the interaction.
"Only around my mother." Kady answered shortly. Silence descended on them for a little while until Jenna came back over with the food they'd ordered.
"Danny says he'll be down here shortly. No leading him astray, alright?" Jenna told Kady quietly.
"Thanks, Jen. And it's usually him leading me astray, I swear." Kady shot back. Sterling shook his head, not believing it for a moment.
"Shush, you. If anyone gets led astray tonight, I'll blame it all on you." Kady teased.
"And everyone would believe you because I'm the devil, right?" Sterling played along.
"Exactly. Danny and I would be innocent, for once. Wow, can't have that." Kady replied, snapping back to reality.
Sterling fought the urge to laugh, wanting to keep the unapproachable aura around him going. They sat quietly both appreciating the food and company for a while before the bell over the door jingled. Kady looked up and watched Danny walk over to the counter to talk to his mother. Before long, Jenna had pointed towards the table Kady and Sterling were at and Danny headed over. As he got closer, though, he stopped still.
"Ah... Kady, can I talk to you for a second?" Danny asked hesitantly. Kady looked down at her food, across the table at Sterling and then back to Danny. She slowly got up and walked over to him.
"What's up?" She asked, wondering if she had spilled food all over herself or something.
"You do realize that you're sitting with Sterling James Keenan, right?" He whispered quietly.
"Yes, I do. He's the one that drove me here after the bus ditched me at some crap hole diner in the middle of nowhere. Wait... how do you know who he is?" Kady asked suspiciously.
"I saw him wrestle at an IWC show when I stayed with my dad. He's a pretty good wrestler, could set the big time alight if someone would actually sign him." Danny admitted.
"No kidding?" Kady lightly replied. "You want me to ask him for an autograph for you or something?"
"Do I look like a pathetic fan girl?" he shot back.
"That's debatable, given your reaction when you saw him," she continued to tease him, and Danny's expression grew darker and she held up her hands, defensively. "Kidding, kidding! Come on, sit down. People will think we're conspiring to blow up something or whatever..."
"And that's a bad thing? OWW!" he moaned and jumped back when Kady slapped him upside the head.
"Sit down, freak." She ordered.
"Ooh is that an order? Want me to wear a leash and muzzle too?"
Kady replied with a stern glare and he responded with a dark grin that would creep most people out with the obvious exception of his best friend. Meanwhile, Sterling hadn't been paying much attention except that he noticed that the person who Kady was talking to – probably that Danny friend of hers – looked and acted in the same way she did, another goth. He didn't pay attention to what they were saying, although knew it was probably about him, but again he didn't care. He only looked up when out of the corner of his eye, Kady sat back down followed by her fellow goth friend.
"Sterling, this is my freak boy, Danny. Danny, I believe you're already familiar with Sterling..."
Sterling raised an eyebrow at that and Danny shrugged. "I know your work," he replied. "Not bad."
"Glad to have your approval, man" came the reply. Kady smirked. Three very antisocial, very weird individuals commuicating in the only way they know how – through very little words. Kady went back to consuming her food and stared up at the clock on the wall. It was well into the night now, at 8:30 PM. She knew then it wouldn't be long before her mother and – father – would be here. But she would be damned (although she probably already was) if she'd let Chris come in and start acting like her dad for the first time in her life. For all she cared, Chris could be dead. In fact, he was dead to her. He was not her father.
"Spacing out there again, Kady," Danny broke her from her thoughts. "Where ever you are, can I come?"
"Hell no," she replied. "My world is off limits to everyone."
"Including me?"
"Yup."
"Bitch."
"You can keep complementing me, but the answer is still no, freak!"
Sterling rolled his eyes and stared out the window into the darkness. Kentucky was not his intended destination, but he was actually not hating being here or getting away from it all. At least, even though they were kids, they shared the same screwed view of the world as he did, well... probably not as much as him. But this experience was bearable, though not the most idealistic situations he thought he'd be in as he knew that he had obligations like the show he was supposed to be at tomorrow night. He figured that when Kady's parents got there, he'd be on his way especially to avoid any confrontation with Chris Harris. Just the news that he is Kady's father was enough to shock him, but knowing that fact now, it wasn't hard to see the similarities, particularly in personality – the aggressive nature that both father and daughter exerted was eerily close. Granted, he didn't really know Harris all that well but it was obvious that she was his kid. But alas, his thoughts of avoiding any conflict with Chris did not resonate with reality, as the door to the diner opened and a few seconds later...
A/N2: Lizzie likes cliffhangers. She's strange like that... Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Things are really going to start heating up from this point on. Let us know what you thought of this chapter in a review. As always, constructive criticism is accepted and flames will be used to roast marshmellows. Thanks. Phoenix
