Chapter 8

Chase sat on her bed clinging to Scraps, sobbing desperately. It had been such a good day. That was until about 45 minutes ago.

She and Jeff had a great time shopping; they had even stopped by the arcade before heading back to hotel. He was so easy to talk to. He had told her about his drug addiction that how doing things sober, was like doing them again for the first time. She shared with him that she was afraid to live on her own but that she was glad that Britain's folks were going to look in on her. She had even had a great dinner with Dave. They didn't talk about anything in particular; mainly about how proud he was of her, her sisters and about Britain.

Chase and Jeff had met up again a little after 11 pm to go swimming. It was just one of those "crazy" things she wanted to do; swimming alone after dark. They had a great time, and even made plans to go to the beach the next day before she went home.

It wasn't until they were in the elevator together on their way back to their rooms, did Hunter and John get on. Hunter took one look at their attire, a clingy wet t-shirt and shorts on her and wet shorts on him, and put two and two together. Hunter practically dragged her out of the elevator and marched her straight to her father's suite. Jeff tried to follow, but John very kindly told him that wasn't such a good idea.

Jeff would have to talk to her tomorrow, that is if Dave didn't kill him tonight.

She could still see the look on Dave's face when Hunter told him what was going on. He and Britain had been on the couch watching Running Scared, when Chase, Hunter and John burst into the room.

Immediately Dave stood up and looked over his daughter. "What happened". He just knew that she had fallen into the pool, or was attacked or something horrible like that.

"I think Chase needs to be more careful of the company she keeps." Hunter said to Dave in a low deep voice.

Dave looked at her and she immediately looked at the floor. "I didn't do anything Daddy, I was just swimming."

"You know, your daughter's been hanging out with Jeff Hardy lately. It seems the two of them have quite the little friendship growing." Dave looked at her and then back at Hunter. "I saw them before, hanging around the pool at about 2 a.m. Then this morning, they left out together. And John and I found them in the elevator soaking wet, just now. " Hunter said almost smiling at ratting the girl out. "I guess they were out for another midnight swim."

"Go to your room, Chase." Dave said sternly.

She paused as the tears started to sting her eyes. "Daddy…"

"NOW!" he yelled pointing to her door and the young girl ran inside. He turned back to Hunter and John. "Did you actually see them together, or were you just assuming she was with him?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "They just got on the elevator together, and they was laughin'. He had his arm around her waist helpin' her in the door. That's all I saw man."

"You know maybe if you were spending more time with your kid instead of being cooped up in your room with her all day, I wouldn't have to keep an eye on her for you." Hunter said pointing to Britain.

Dave walked away and into Chase's room. "You lied to me." He said standing in her doorway. He looked at his daughter, her chin twitching, her dimples strong, and her intensely blue eyes where now red and puffy.

"I did not. You asked me who I was hanging with. I told you a friend. Jeff's my friend Daddy, that's all he is." She yelled. He had no right to yell at her in front of Hunter, John or Britain for that matter. She hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, she was an adult; she could go out and have a good time if she wanted to.

"You don't need those kinds of friends." He said softening his voice. "Jeff's a grown man. He's too old for you to be hanging out with. Besides, he's one of us, a 'rough neck'. A nice young woman like you has no business being around a guy like that."

"A guy like what? Daddy, you do the same thing he does. Does that mean that Britain shouldn't be around you? What makes me so special?" Why did he always have to be such a hypocrite? It was ok for him to be with Britain and but she couldn't even go swimming with Jeff?

"All he wants to do is get in your pants. I'm not going to let that happen. You don't know what's like being on the road, honey. I'm trying to save you from a lot of pain and a broken heart." He walked over to her bed and gently touched the side of her face.

"But I didn't do anything. All we did was hang out. I swear." This was hopeless. He wasn't going to listen. He had already made up in his mind that she and Jeff were at least kissing each other by now.

"You don't need to hang out with him anymore." He said wiping her tears.

"Daddy…" She was not going to let him treat her like a child anymore.

"You will not see him again. Do I make myself clear?" He said standing up. Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the room and left her on her bed crying.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Britain stood in the living room completely dumbfounded. Of all the dumb ass things to do, Hunter just had to find somebody else to make miserable.

"You're an asshole you know that? That girl was having a good time. What the hell is your problem?" She said glaring at Hunter. If I ever needed more of a reason to hate you, you just gave it to me.

"My problem is while he's all hugged up with you, his daughter is doing lord knows what with a man that is entirely too old for her." Hunter shot back. It had been a long day and he wasn't in the mood for any of her shit right now.

"Too old? You're way older than Stephanie and Dave's 11 years older than me. So what's wrong with that? They were just hanging out, Paul. It's not like he was fucking her on the picnic tables or anything!" Oh, you're such an idiot. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!

He narrowed his eyes, disgusted by the sight of her. "This ain't about my wife. And if your dad ain't got a problem with you fucking a man that's old enough to be your father, that's his problem. Besides, you had plenty of practice being flat on your back before you ever met Dave."

"What the fuck is that suppose to mean?" She asked walking up to him.

"It means, you had your legs open long before you two got together. I'm trying to make sure that his daughter doesn't turn out like you." He said rolling his shoulders back at her.

"Yo. Hunt man, that's enough." John said stepping in between Hunter and Britain. He put his hand against Hunter's chest to keep him from advancing toward her. "What's your problem man? You don't talk to no female like that."

"That bitch is my problem. I don't fucking like her." He said narrowing his eyes at Britain more.

"I'm not here for you to like, pendejo. Are you that fucking miserable that you have to make everybody else's life shit too? No wonder your wife doesn't want to spend any fucking time with you." She snapped trying to move John aside. She wasn't afraid of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Paul Michael Levesque or whatever the hell he was calling himself these days, and she didn't need John or Dave or anybody to protect her from him.

"Suck my dick, bitch." He said angrily, just as Dave walked back into the room.

"You couldn't handle it, sweetheart!" She yelled back.

Dave pinned Hunter against the wall. "Don't you EVER talk to her like that, again! You understand me?" Hunter threw up his hands signaling he was done. After glaring at him a moment longer, Dave let him go.

"¡Sé que no estás hablando con mí como eso!" 'I know you're not talking to me like that!' Britain yelled, her eyes now blue with anger. She only spoke in Spanish when she was talking to her family or really angry. And since her mom and brother weren't there, Dave knew she was about to explode.

"Hey, I was just trying to help you out." Hunter said walking out the door, turning back to give a wicked grin at Britain.

"¿Aspirar a tu dick¡Si tenías uno!" 'Suck your dick? I would if you had one!' She said again walking toward the door.

John grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. "Come on De la Hoya. He's gone." She looked at John and rolled her eyes. "Don't let him get to you. That's what he wants. He wants to piss you off."

"¡No me conoces¡Batiré tu asno!" 'You don't know me! I'll kick your ass!' She ranted throwing her hands up in the air; her face getting red and her eyes swelling with tears. "Pinche pendjo." 'Fucking asshole.'

John looked over at Dave for help. Britain was on a tirade, in Spanish no less. Dave walked over to her and wrapped her up in his arms. "It's ok. He's gone, now." He tried to sooth her, but she was fired up.

She continued to rattle things off in Spanish at record speed. It was so much that it was making his head spin. Even Chase came to her door to listen to the curses that a crying Britain made, in a language that she did not understand.

"Babe... Babe, I can't understand you. You have to slow down or speak English or something." Dave held her tight against his chest. He knew her, she wasn't crying because Hunter had hurt her feelings, she was crying because she was angry. "Britain, it's ok. It's ok baby." He knew that she wanted nothing more than to demonstrate on Hunter, just how much of Ultimate Fighting she had been watching. But the man outweighed her by 250 lbs easily.

"She gonna be alright?" John asked. Dave nodded. "I'm out then. Holla if you need me."

Dave stood in the living room, listening to his daughter cry from her room and holding his girlfriend crying in his arms. It seemed like such a good day.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jeff Hardy paced his room, twirling his hair and biting his lip. He had such an amazing day with Chase that he wished it would never end. Damn Hunter for ruining it. John said that he could probably still see her tomorrow. But that would depend on Dave. Jeff didn't want to make waves. He had just gotten back on the roster. Fighting would definitely get him suspended; he didn't need that. He just wanted to talk to her to see if she was ok.

He sat on his bed and grabbed the hotel phone. He didn't have her cell number, but he knew the room number. He did the only thing he could do; he called the hotel operator and asked to be put through to Room 521. He held his breath as the phone rang. He knew it was late, but he had to try. He thought about what he would say if Dave answered. Luckily Britain answered the phone, in a low voice; he guessed Dave was sleeping also.

"Hello?" her voice almost inaudible. "Hi…um, this is Jeff."

"Jeff, it's 2 in the morning."

"Um, I know. I just wanted to know if Chase was ok. I know that she probably got in trouble for being out with me. But I just needed to make sure everythin' was alright." There was no use denying it. That is why he called, and it was too early in the morning to think of another reason.

"Hang on." Britain said, and quietly climbed out of the bed. She took extra care to open the door without any noise. She walked into Chase's room and woke her up. "Jeff's on the phone. Your dad is sleeping so make it count."

Chase's heart thumped at the idea that Britain would covered for her. Maybe she could trust her, after all. "Hello?" She said softly.

"Are you alright?" He was relieved just to hear her voice.

"My dad flipped out. And you thought I was joking." She said trying to make light of the situation.

Jeff sat there quietly and listened to her breath. He heard her sniffle, then her try to catch her breath. "Don't cry." He whispered as his heart sank. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and take away her tears. "What's wrong?"

"I want my dad to stop treating me like a child. I want to make my own decisions; I want to be friends with you." She said in whimpering.

"You still wanna go the beach tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Then we'll go." He said throwing caution to the wind.

"But my dad…" She started.

"Fuck your dad. You wanna go to the beach and I wanna take you. That's all I care about…I just want you to be happy." He replied.

She agreed and asked him for his cell phone number so she could call him when she could sneak away. Before they ended the call Jeff whispered to her. "Just don't cry no more. You're breakin' my heart."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He said closing his eyes.