See Chapter One for disclaimers.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cody walked listlessly into the stadium the next morning for practice, looking like Hell, having spent the night on the ground on some dirt trail beside her motorcycle. The woman hadn't even bothered to go home - she knew if she woke up in the morning it would be more than she deserved.

She ignored everyone as she walked in, even Matt.

The man looked hurt by the rejection, but shrugged it off. Cody was known to have her moods, after all. He'd just talk to her after practice, and hope he could find out what was wrong.

"It's done, Joe," she said, finding the man on the field.

Joe merely nodded. "I know," he said, not bothering to look at her. "Get changed and meet back here in ten minutes!" he called, and the players jogged from the field.

Cody changed slowly, not caring whether or not she was late. Matt came up beside her, fully clothed and ready to go, as she buttoned up her shirt. "What's wrong, Cody?" he asked. The woman just shook her head. "Well, if you wanna talk, I'm here," he said.

"Thanks," voiced Cody, quietly. Matt just smiled, put a hand on her shoulder, and walked with her out to the diamond for practice.

Cody was paired up with Matt for ten minutes of long, fast catches, after their stretches and warm-up exercises. Matt would throw as hard as he could, and Cody would catch it with ease, throwing it back as though it didn't matter.

"Come on, Cody!" urged Matt. "You can do better than that! Give me a challenge."

"Madison!" called Joe. "Let's pick it up! Play like you mean it!"

Cody growled, and launched the small white sphere with all her strength. Matt brought is glove up at the last moment, to avoid being hit in the face.

"What was that for?" he asked, but Cody had no response. For the entire practice, her sadness was replaced with anger. Anger at Joe for pulling a trick like he had, anger at herself for going through with it, and more anger at Joe. And she played with more determination than anyone had ever seen.

After practice, in the locker room, Cody sat on the bench with her head in her hands, as her teammates changed and carried on.

"Hey, what's up with Madison?" she heard one guy ask.

"I don't know. Think she's awake?" another laughed.

"Wanna find out?" the first asked, twirling a wet towel in his hands, and Cody growled without looking up.

"Snap me with that towel, Corbel, and I'll relocate your gonads to your throat," she warned, and heard the man back up as his friends laughed. "Anybody else?" The laughter abruptly stopped as she stood and faced them.

"Easy, Madison," said James. "We didn't mean nothing."

"Then back off," she said. "I'm not in the mood for fucking around." James pretended to be disappointed, and snapped his fingers, muttering, "Damn," before catching Cody's glare, and wisely moving back to his own locker.

"Okay, Cody," said Matt, sitting next to her, having changed into his boxers and a light T-shirt, "what's wrong? And don't give me that 'nothing' crap, because I know something's bothering you. You look as though somebody's kicked you in the gut," he added. "You have all day."

"I don't wanna talk about it," she said, only then beginning to change.

"Sometimes it helps," Matt encouraged, gently.

"No."

"Cody, you know you can come to me with anything," said the man, sounding hurt. He was the first person Cody had talked to about being gay, back in high school, and he still felt honored that he trusted her. Why wouldn't she talk to him now?

Cody sighed. "Yeah, I know, Matt. Thanks," she added. "I just, I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?"

Matt agreed, and then got an idea. "Hey! Why don't you talk to Jennie? You said she's a good listener," he added.

Cody winced, and shook her head, before slamming her locker shut, and collapsing back on the bench, tears in her eyes. "Goddamn it," she cursed, wiping at her eyes, angrily. "I won't cry; not here, I won't!"

"C-girl," said Matt, softly. He was a little unnerved by his friend's reaction, but wanted to be there for her. "C-girl, there's no one here but us. They all left. It's okay," he added, and she sniffled, hanging her head. Matt thought she'd be okay, but noticed the shaking shoulders, and realized she was still crying. He placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, and was startled when she looked up at him. Her once proud blue eyes were dull and lifeless, her confident composure had crumbled before his eyes, and, for the very first time, he could see into her heart.

It was empty.

"Christ, Cody," he swore, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug which she gratefully returned, "what happened?"

"She's gone," the woman mumbled, incoherently, into the man's shoulder. "She's gone and it's all my fault."

"Who? Jennie?" Cody nodded, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, again. "Is she hurt?" The tall woman shook her head. "Then why do you keep saying she's gone?"

"Because she is," insisted Cody. "I broke up with her."

"What? Why?" Matt was baffled.

"That's what I can't talk about." Her mouth said she couldn't, but her eyes pleaded for a chance to talk. Matt already learned she wasn't comfortable with talking about it, but if whatever it was continued to affect her like it was, he'd put an end to it and demand that she tell him.

He knew when to back off. "All right," he sighed. "I don't understand any of this, but whatever you did, you obviously didn't want to do it. Will you tell me when you can?" he asked, and Cody thought about it, before nodding.

"Want me to give you a ride?" Matt offered.

Cody shook her head. "I've got my bike," she said. "I'll head home now, don't think I'll stop by Garret's. If you see him, let him know it might be a while before I talk to him." Jennie goes there, and I can't handle seeing her right now... the hate that I know will be in her eyes. What's fucked is that she has every right to hate me - and that hurts, she admitted to herself.

Matt nodded, and bid Cody a careful drive as he left. Twenty minutes later, having forced herself to change into regular, more comfortable clothes, Cody hopped on her bike and drove home.

"Good afternoon, Cody," greeted her computer.

"Fuck you," she spat at the cheery female voice, letting her bag drop to the ground in front of the entry way. "Messages?"

"You have two messages."

"Play," she said, as she sat on the couch, trying not to think about Jennie.

"Message one."

"Cody, it's Jennie."

Fuck! God, I hope You're having a good old time torturing my heart! she thought.

"Uh, your baseball glove is still over here. I'll leave it at Garret's if you want to go get it," said the blonde's voice, and Cody's heart broke as she distinctly heard her crying. "Well, bye."

"Message two."

"Cody, this is Garret," came the voice, and Cody knew what was coming. "Jennie just stopped by, and gave me your glove, said to give it to you if I saw you. What's going on? She seemed really upset. Give me a call, will you? Bye," he finished, and Cody sighed.

"Seems no matter what I do I won't be able to put Jennie out of my mind," she said, aloud. "This sucks. No Jennie, no Jeffrey... fuck! Damn you, Joe!" she cried, tears streaming down her face once more.

Nearly an hour later, once her tears had dried, Cody decided it was time to get her glove and get it over with. She knew Garret would want an explanation, but she wasn't sure she could give him one. The tall woman couldn't bear to see the disappointment she knew would be on the older man's face if she told him what she'd done in her past.

She went over her speech as she rode to the restaurant. "Garret," she said to herself, "I just came to get my glove, that's all. I don't have time to talk right now, I'll call you later. And then, I walk out," she coached.

"That's all I have to do."

Pulling into the parking lot, she took off her helmet, pain flashing over her features as she found some dust on it, and was reminded where she spent the night and why. "Get it over with," she mumbled, and walked into the establishment with more courage and confidence than she felt.

"Cody!" called Garret, the moment she walked in.

"Crap. Hey, Garret," she said, walking over to the man, who was behind the bar. "I just came to get my glove. You called and said Jennie left it here."

"Yeah, she did. She didn't look very happy. Mind telling me what's going on?" the man questioned, and Cody sighed.

"I want my glove, Garret. I don't have time to talk right now. I'll call you later, okay?" she proposed, holding her hand out for the item. With a hard stare, the man retrieved the worn glove, and handed it over to the tall star he'd come to think of as a daughter. He knew something was bothering her, and had a hunch there was something wrong between her and the young blonde.

"Call me tonight, okay?"

"I'll call you when I can," she muttered, gripping the glove in her hand and walking for the door. "Sorry," she murmured, when she bumped into someone who was coming in just as she was going out.

Oh, fuck, she thought. I'd know those green eyes anywhere.

"Jennie," she acknowledged, and quickly walked out, but not in time to miss the pain that flooded the emerald eyes she loved. Taking a deep breath, she was on her way to her motorcycle, when something attached itself to her leg - a five-year-old something, to be exact.

Damn, she sighed.

"Cody!" cried Jeff, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, little man," she voiced, hoarsely.

I may have to brush off Jennie, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be mean to a child, she told herself. I just hope I can do this without breaking down... oh, shit.

"Cody, are you mad at me?" he asked, his gentle eyes filling with tears as he stared up at her, beseechingly.

Damn, damn, damn!

"No, of course not, little man," she said, kneeling down to be eye-level with him, finding it hard to speak for the lump in her throat.

Oh, hey, isn't my heart supposed to be down a little lower? she wondered, grimly.

"Then how come my mom said you couldn't play baseball with me anymore?"

She sighed, and wondered if she could explain blackmail and spineless cowards to a kid. "Jeff, it's not you, okay? It's me," she said, and the boy looked at her, confused.

She tried again. "I just have to leave for a while, and I won't be able to see you or your mom while I'm gone. I won't even be able to talk to you," she added, and felt tears spring to her eyes as the boy's lip trembled.

"Will you come back?"

"I hope so," she said, honestly.

"I love you, Cody."

This sucks. Goddamn it, Joe - couldn't you have at least let me save some part of my heart, you bastard?

"I love you, too, Jeffrey," she echoed, using his full name for the first time, biting her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You be a good boy, okay? Take care of your mom for me," she added, tears falling freely, now.

The child nodded. "Come here," she said, and pulled him to her, the youngster gripping her for all he was worth, and Cody doing the same. She stood, still holding him in her arms, as he wrapped his legs around her waist.

"Cody?"

"Yes?" she whispered, not trusting her voice to go any louder.

"When you come back," not if, the woman noticed, "will you make my mom happy again? She doesn't like it when you go away," he stated, innocently.

Mayday, mayday!

"If I can," she replied. "I promise you, Jeff. If I can come back, I will do all I can to make your mom happy again, okay?"

"Jeffrey," called a voice, tonelessly, "come in here, please."

"Go," urged Cody, giving him one last squeeze before she set him down. "Don't tell your mother what we talked about here, okay?" Jeff nodded as he dried his eyes and scampered into the restaurant after Jennie. Leaning on her motorcycle for support, Cody took a moment to take control of her emotions, at least well enough so she could drive home.

Once there, she let go, and sobbed into her pillow until she couldn't cry anymore. And then she slept off and on for a few hours, crying fresh tears every time she woke up, until she fell back into an exhausted sleep.

The tall woman decided that if it wasn't for the slight hope Jeffrey had given her that she'd be able to come crawling back to Jennie one day, she'd have ended her life three hours ago - when the last of her heart crumbled away.

It was a few days before Cody felt well enough to even venture to go outside. She knew she wasn't physically sick, but her emotional health was bordering on terminally ill. The tall woman missed Jennie and Jeffery more than she thought was humanly possible, and found herself unwilling to do much of anything but cry.

Unfortunately, she soon discovered she still needed to eat, and was forced to make a trip to the store. Unplugging her motorcycle from its nightly charge, she set off down the road, grabbing a cart as soon as she got there, refusing to look anyone in the eye, for fear of finding a pair of green eyes that would tear her apart.

Throwing a few items into her cart, she was moving into the checkout line, when a brightly colored display caught her attention: Jellybean was for sale on DVD, only $19.99 the sign said. That was the movie she'd been meaning to get for Jeffery, to surprise him with it on his birthday, which was rapidly approaching. She hadn't gotten it yet, because she was planning on discussing it with Jennie to make sure the woman wasn't going to purchase it for the boy.

Now, it looked like she wouldn't be giving it to him at all, since there was no hope in Cody's mind that Jennie would ever let Jeffery accept a gift from her. Almost as if in slow motion, the baseball star watched herself place the package into her cart, and then store the item in the side compartments of her motorcycle.

Although it was a children's movie, she watched it while she curled up on the couch with a picture of Jennie and her together at the park that had been taken a month before, Jeffery proudly holding his baseball glove and wearing his hat. Staring at the photo, she felt the hot tears that had seemingly become her constant companion sting at the back of her eyes, and cried until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

The months passed quickly, as time has a tendency to do, and before Cody knew it, it was the last game of the season. She'd had a good year, as far as baseball was concerned, but anyone who knew her after the game, like Garret and Matt, knew the real Cody was gone. The problem was, neither of them could get her to explain any further than "She's gone".

And Cody herself knew she was being a bitch. She didn't mean to be, but she just couldn't help it - she had nothing since Jennie and Jeffrey were out of her life. But, she'd never forget the day, many months ago, when she felt again. Okay, so it was guilt, but it was something...

Garret watched the tall woman out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting at her table, as she always did, at noon, because she knew Jennie wouldn't be in that early. And the last thing she wanted to do was see Jennie - that much Garret had figured out on his own. The mystery was "why".

"Want a refill?" the man asked, referring to Cody's empty glass, as he sat down beside her.

"Sure," she said, handing him the glass, not bothering to look up from whatever she saw in the spot she was staring at on the wall.

A few minutes later, with a full glass of dark soda, Garret returned, and set it down in front of her. "You can have this on one condition," he said, and Cody raised an eyebrow at him. "You tell me what happened between you and Jennie."

Blue eyes narrowed, and the woman conveyed the message that she was not amused. "Give me my drink, Garret," she growled.

The man shook his head, and took it out of her reach, annoying her all the more. "Not until you talk to me," he said. "Cody, it's been three months since whatever happened, happened. You're like a daughter to me, Cody, and I want to know what's bothering you."

Cody's expression didn't change. "I want my drink." A refusal from the man next to her. "Garret, I can't talk about that."

"Can't, or won't?"

She glared at him, icily. "Does it really matter? All that matters is that I am not in the best of moods, and..."

She was going to continue, but he cut her off. "Are you ever, Cody?" he demanded. He didn't open to the public until two in the afternoon, so he was glad Cody couldn't use the excuse of "too many people around to talk", because they were the only ones there.

"Ever since you and Jennie broke up, you've been gone. I want to know how to get you back," he admitted, quietly.

"You can't get me back, Garret," she said, softly. "I'm sorry, I really am. I just can't tell you what's going on right now. I know I'm being a bitch, but there's nothing anybody can do about it. Now," she sighed, irritably, "can I have my drink?"

Garret shook his head. "You didn't talk," he stated.

"Goddamn it, Garret!" she said, jumping to her feet. "I told you already! I can't talk about what happened, okay? It's not a matter of won't, it's a matter of can't. If I could tell you, believe me, I would."

"Did she dump you?"

"No."

"So, you dumped her?"

"Yes."

The man glanced at her. "Then why are you so broken up about losing her if you dumped her in the first place?" he asked, beginning to tire of her attitude.

Tough love, he told himself.

The woman broke. "What the fuck do you know? Huh? You don't know why I did what I did, or how I've been living in Hell ever since," she cried. "You don't know how badly I want to crawl on my knees and ask her to forgive me! You have no fucking idea how much I miss her, how much I want to just hold her against me one more time! You don't know anything!" she shouted.

Dropping back down into her chair after her rant, she muttered, "How can you?" He reached out a hand to her, but she snarled, "Don't touch me," and pulled away.

"Cody," he said, his voice stern, gripping her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes, "look at me."

With a cry, the woman pushed him away, walking around the tables for a while, trying to stop the flow of tears that had, unbidden, found their way to the surface at the memory that the simple phrase drudged up. Garret followed her every move, no matter how much she screamed at him to get away from her. Finally, she sank into her chair, sobbing.

"Cody, you don't smile anymore," he said, and she looked up at him, realizing he was right - she couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled. Well, so she could, rather easily, in fact, it was just too painful. "If you'd just talk to me, it might make you feel a little better," he urged.

The tall woman just sighed, and shook her head. "Forget it, Garret," she said.

There was silence for a while, as the man tried to think of a way to get her to open up. She seemed to say more when she was angry...

"Did you really love her, Cody?"

"What?" asked the star, disbelieving what her own ears told her she'd just heard.

"Did you really love Jennie?"

"Of course I did!"

"Are you sure?"

Blue eyes widened. "You son of a bitch," she spat, vehemently. "You're questioning my love for her?"

Garret shrugged. "I just think, if you'd loved her, you wouldn't have broken up with her," he stated. "Well, unless there was something wrong. She did talk a lot," he mused, and Cody brought her hand to her head, warding off the impending headache, as her own words were unwittingly thrown back in her face.

"She could get a little annoying at times," he continued, hoping he could get Cody to explode with the reason she broke up with the blonde. "And she'd talk your ear off if you let her."

He found the breaking point. Cody leapt up from her chair, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "She had a beautiful voice, you bastard! She was wonderful! It wasn't her fault, and if you ever blame her again..."

Realizing just who she was threatening, the woman released him, and stormed out of the place.

She'd returned twenty minutes later, after she'd cooled off, to apologize, and Garret had forgiven her, of course. That's just the way he was. Cody's encounter with Matt had gone just as well, both men trying to push her to blurt out the reason, both pushing too far, and Cody snapping, only returning later on to apologize for her actions.

It had been spread through the locker room grapevine that Cody was in a foul mood early on, so it was no surprise to the tall woman when she walked in to change for the game, and everyone grew very quiet.

"It's the last game of the season," she announced. "Don't let me ruin your celebrating." Instantaneously, everyone started talking again, laughing and cheering, as their only female team member sat silently on the bench.

Cody really couldn't blame them for being happy - most of their contracts ended today, Cody's included, and while many were staying on, Cody was doubting if she would. She wanted to keep playing, because it paid well, and she liked doing it, but she wasn't sure if she could keep up her standard game. How could she put her heart into her game when she didn't have one left?

"This is it, huh, C-girl?" asked Matt, coming to sit beside her as she changed.

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "You staying?"

"Yep," he smiled. "Too many girls would miss me if I left. You?"

She shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I might, I might not. All depends on the weather."

"Joe wants you up first," he added, as he walked with her out to the field, and she nodded, becoming the silent baseball player she was often known for by the press, who frustratingly only wrote about what she did, not who she was, because she always avoided them.

"Meet me out front after the game, okay?" asked Matt, as the woman adjusted her gloves, and got ready to play. Cody raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded. "I just want to take you out somewhere to celebrate away from the others."

Cody sighed. She knew that meant the man wanted to talk, but didn't take back her agreement. Stepping up to the plate, she concentrated, expecting the curve ball that the pitcher threw, and sending it past the short stop, making the right fielder run after it. She made it safely to second, and watched as, in two more batters, she touched home plate, as did the man behind her.

Unfortunately, the Warriors lost to the Padres, 5-8. It wasn't Cody's fault, she'd played very well, making an exceptional catch, and even hitting a home run to gain their fifth point. The men on her team, however, seemed to be too excited about the last game to really concentrate, and, as a result, the Warriors lost.

"Don't forget to meet me out front. Ten minutes," reminded Matt, as he called the shower, and Cody nodded. She changed quickly, into black jeans and a white T-shirt, slipping her sunglasses on as she walked outside, breezing past the reporters. Standing in front of the stadium entrance, she watched people go by, most having to stand in line to leave, signing a few baseballs and T-shirts here and there as she waited for Matt to arrive.

Probably flirting with some girl, she sighed, thinking of her friend the heart breaker.

One fan in particular caught her eye - a young woman, blonde, with blue eyes.

Any less clothing and George could arrest her for indecent exposure, she chuckled to herself. Hell, any less clothing and she'd be naked! The woman's face looked vaguely familiar to the tall baseball player, and it took a moment to register in her mind.

Is that…? Nah, it can't be, Cody told herself, but she couldn't shrug the feeling of knowing the woman years before. Well, only one way to find out.

"Hey, George," Cody called, and the security guard glanced at her. She motioned for him to come closer.

"What can I do for you, Cody?" he asked, as he gave her a quick hug. The two had been friends since her first game, the man seeing the player's potential early on, and she enjoyed conversing with him before and after a home game.

"See that woman over there?" she asked, pointing to the scantily dressed blonde. The guard nodded. "Can you do me a favor and obtain some ID from her?"

George's brow furrowed. "Why?" he asked, curiously.

"Just a hunch," she replied. "I need to confirm something."

"Cody, I've got no grounds," he began, but the woman cut him off.

"Remember that ball I got George Jr.? With all the players' signatures on it?" Again, George nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Let's just say I'm calling in that favor."

The tall guard sighed. "Okay," he said. "We're even." Straightening his shoulders, he approached the blonde, and spoke with her for a few moments. Cody watched as she dug into her purse, and gave the guard her ID card, which he thanked her for, and then walked back over to Cody.

"Thanks," said Cody, glancing down at the card. "Pauline Yetter, 1780 West Road, yeah, yeah... Here we go! Born February 2nd, 1995! Yes! Thank you, George!" she exclaimed, giving the man a kiss on the cheek. "I love you!"

"Hey, I can get somebody else's ID for you," he offered, and she chuckled. "I take it you found what you needed?"

Cody nodded. "Yep," she said. "I'll give that back to Ms. Yetter." Taking the card, she approached the woman, and handed her the ID. "Thanks, Pauline." The blonde's eyes widened upon seeing her, but Cody winked, and was gone before she could say anything.

The baseball star knew exactly where she was going: Joe Henry's office. Matt would have to wait - she was extremely upset, and wanting to hit something - a managerial something, to be exact.

As she stormed in, his secretary said, "Hey, you can't go in there, miss! Mr. Henry is in a very important meeting at the moment!"

"I don't give a shit if he's talking with the fucking President of the United States, I'm going in there!" she swore, and the woman once more tried to stand in her way.

"Do you have an appointment? You have to have an appointment!" she insisted.

"I just made one," growled Cody. She didn't want to harm the secretary, but her patience was growing so thin it could pass for transparent.

"If you'll just take a seat, I'm sure Mr. Henry will see you when he's finished."

Cody glared at her as she pushed her out of the way. "I just crashed the party," she said, bursting open the double doors that led to Joe Henry's third floor office. The two occupants in the room looked up when she stormed in, and Joe had the nerve to smile, and look pleased to see her.

"Cody," he said. "We were just talking about you. Mr. Edison, this is my MVP, Cody Madison. She's one of the," Cody cut him off.

"Last people you wanted to fuck with, Joe," she spat, and both men looked surprised at her language.

"Cody, what are you talking about?" Joe asked, glancing nervously at the man seated across from him. This was a big deal, he had a great chance, and Cody's interruption was going to blow it!

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you spineless shit," she said, approaching the man's desk in two strides. He took a step back, at the feral look in her eye. "Guess who I ran into today? Pauline Yetter. Ring a bell?" she demanded, and watched as the man swallowed, before regaining some of his composure.

"What does that have to do with your storming in here and ruining my meeting?" he asked, upon noticing that Edison had left. "What kind of fucking stunt are you trying to pull?"

Cody had her hand around his throat, and was pressing his back against the wall, next to the window, before he knew what was happening. "It won't be a goddamn stunt when I throw you out of this fucking window, Joe. Pauline was born in 1995, you lying sack of shit. February, of 1995, to be exact. She is now twenty-two years old," she calculated.

"That means she was nineteen when I slept with her three years ago, in March. She was nineteen! Not sixteen, you stupid son of a bitch!" she yelled. "You set me up, didn't you? You knew she was nineteen, you just wanted to have the power over me. You knew how old she was, didn't you? Didn't you?" she demanded, when he didn't answer.

"Yes," he voiced, trying to loosen her hold.

"Why did you do it? Why did you blackmail me with a fucking lie?" she asked, but he didn't say anything. "Either you answer me, or you can tell me which one of your eleven fingers you want me to start cutting," she said, the implication clear as to where his "eleventh finger" was when her eyes shifted lower.

He didn't answer, and she withdrew her knife with her free hand, placing it just below his waist. Joe squirmed. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you! Just, just put the knife down," he begged, and Cody agreed, slipping the weapon back in its sheath.

"You can let me go, I said I'd talk," he said, and she released her grip, but walked over to the doors and blocked them with her body, standing in front of them, so he couldn't make a run for it.

Joe sighed as he sat down at his desk. "I knew if I could just catch you doing something, that I'd have everything I'd need. You're a great baseball player, Cody, and I knew that already back then. I knew that if I could keep you with me, you'd make MVP easily, and I'd be famous for having the best player in the league," he said, and Cody sighed; she knew it was just a power trip.

"So, how'd you manage to get Pauline in on this little scam, and make sure she wouldn't squeal?"

"I have my ways," he said, and she fingered the sheath of her knife. "She's my niece; not gay, but I knew she'd do it anyway. There's a price for everything, I just stuffed her wallet a little. And, I knew she'd stay in it, because I guaranteed her a couple hundred every few months, as kind of a thank you for going through with it," he added.

"You did all that, just for fame? And just for me?" The man nodded. "Under any other circumstances, Joe, I'd probably be tickled pink. But, considering you made me lose the best thing in my life for a fucking lie, I'm not particularly happy with you."

"Hey, remember," he said, "I've got all the connections. My mom's a lawyer, my brother's a cop, and my dad's a big name in Congress. You can't do anything to me. You'd get in too much trouble," he sneered.

Cody grinned, and walked up until they were nose-to-nose. "Not if they never found the body," she stated, and his eyes got wide. "Or if the evidence was in too many tiny, itsy-bitsy, little pieces to identify," she added, raising her thumb and forefinger to show a diminutive amount of space, and the man looked like he was gonna pass out.

"You look a little green," she smirked. "You know what the difference is between me and you, Joe?" The man shook his head. "I've got balls. Fuck you and your goddamn family connections. I quit."

"W-what?" he stuttered. "You can't quit!"

"I can and I am," she said. "I've got a space already lined up in Arizona for next season, and a couple more after that." That wasn't entirely a lie - she'd been talking with an old friend who just happened to know the manager of the Diamondbacks, and he'd mentioned the idea of her changing teams. She knew she'd have no problem getting in.

"But, your contract," he began.

Cody cut him off with a grin. "Ended today. This was my last game, remember? I quit, and you're no longer my manager. If I ever see you again, if you come anywhere near me, Jennie, or Jeffrey, so help me God all the connections in the world won't save you. I don't care if you lick the boots of the Big Man Himself," she said, pointing upwards, "you're a dead man. Do we understand each other?" she demanded.

"Perfectly," he said, numbly, as she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.