Chapter 23

It was something about showing up at someone's house unannounced that always made Chase feel uneasy. But it had been two weeks since she and Jeff decided together that he would start attending NA meetings and she would do everything in her limited power to help to keep him on the straight and narrow. He was almost completely healed. He would be returning to work in one week and now after finding that there were meetings held in her school's Student Center, neither of them found a problem with him spending his remaining week in LA with her.

It had seemed like a bad idea to just drop in on the Weis' without at least calling first; especially since they knew that Britain and her father were still not together. From what Jeff had told her, Matt had heard from Johnny Nitro, who was friends with Shane, who was back at Smackdown with him…Dave and Britain broke up because he told her that he had only used her for sex and then he let Hunter beat her up and to top it off they were seen at a party together in Atlantic City and she was seen leaving with Dave and Randy only to be spotted running half way naked from Randy's room the next morning. It's funny how the rumor mill doesn't get things quite right and from the story that Jeff told her; she knew that couldn't have been how things went down.

To start, Chase knew her father well enough to know that he didn't use people. Sure, when she was younger he had a few "girl friends" but no matter what the actual relationship was, the ones he brought around always stayed for at least a couple of months. If he had just been using Britain, he wouldn't have been with her so long, nor would he have proposed to her. Secondly, Dave would never hit a woman, let alone let someone else hit a woman…and in his presence no less. Finally, she knew that what ever happened in Atlantic City had been misinterpreted. Her dad loved Britain and no matter what kind of crazy sex life they had, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would never share her with Randy or anyone else for that matter. So a harmless trip to her parent's house, just to see if she was all right, is what Jeff convinced her of doing. They would just drop in, say hi…maybe take her to lunch and Chase could get to the bottom of things. Then maybe Jeff could tell Matt what really happened and the rumor mill could finally be silenced.

X opened the front door wearing a black dress. "Hey! It's nice to see you without all those tubes sticking out of you." She smiled offering a small hug to Jeff followed by a hug to Chase. Although Jeff didn't know X from the man in the moon, he remembered she was the small blonde that had been with them in the hallway the day that Dave came after him. She opened the door wider and let the couple in. "Brit's upstairs. She'll be down in a minute."

Chase sat on the sofa and looked around the room. There were small votive candles on every coverable surface and there was a makeshift alter on the fireplace. There was a statue of Mary and incense burning, giving the house a soft musk smell. Jeff looked over at Chase and shrugged his shoulders.

"Brit! Come on, or we'll be late!" X yelled up the stairs. A few moments later Britain entered the living room, wearing a similar black dress and her head covered in a black lace veil. She looked beautiful, like a witch or a vampire or something.

Chase looked around again and instantly felt sad. "Oh my God. Did somebody die? I'm so sorry Britain…we didn't know…we shouldn't have just shown up." She was surprised when Britain lifted her veil to reveal a big smile.

"What are doing here?" She asked good naturedly. Not exactly how someone in heavy mourning would greet you. "Jeff, I'm so glad you're ok." She said walking over to him and taking his hand before giving it a quick squeeze. Then she hugged Chase who was still looking confused.

Chase didn't want to ask about whose funeral she was going to, but from the looks of the house, it was someone that might have lived there. "We should go." She turned to Jeff, feeling really shitty about just showing up, when the family was obviously grieving.

"Who died?" Jeff looked concerned. Britain seemed to be a little too happy to be dealing with a close death.

Britain looked at herself and then the room, not understanding why Chase didn't know what's going on. "Nobody." She turned to X who was shaking her head. "Oh…no, it's a holiday. It's Dia de los Muertus." She stood back and looked at Chase who had the faintest idea what she was talking about. "You know…Day of the Dead? You never celebrated it with your dad?" Dave was Filipino; it was just as big a holiday in the Philippines as it was in Mexico.

Chase shook her head.

"Well, we go to Mass and then we have a parade and we end up at the cemetery for the rest of the day." Britain explained still shaking her head that Dave never shared in this tradition with her. "I can't believe your dad never did this with you. He told me before that he celebrated it with his dad when he was a kid."

Chase felt her cheeks flush. "My grandfather died when I was little…he never really kept up the traditions that much after that." She admitted. It may have been something her father did as a child, but why would you want to have a parade and hang out at a cemetery all day long? She was glad that he hadn't done it with her or her sisters.

"What's at the cemetery?" Jeff asked intrigued. Before Britain could answer Croix bolted down the stairs, wearing black pants and a black shirt; his face was painted white, with big black circles around his eyes and a jack-o- lantern style mouth. Jeff's eyes lit up immediately.

"We gotta go or I'm gonna be late." Croix said, before smiling at Chase.

Britain rolled her eyes. "We'll meet you there. Save me a seat." She said before turning back to the couple on the couch. "He's in the parade." She explained his attired. She focused her attention back to Jeff. "The cemetery is where the dead people are." She flashed one of her smiles at him, making him blush. Of course he knew that's what cemeteries were for, but what he didn't know is what they were going to be doing there. Britain laughed. "Well you know yesterday was Halloween…the day that the dead roam the earth. Well today is the day we pay our respects to the dead…let them know that we love them and miss them and that we honor them. It's like visiting everyone who died, just to let them know that you haven't forgotten them."

"Why?" Jeff asked shaking his head.

"Because the dead help us live. We learn from their mistakes. They can help us heal." She said raising her eyebrows at him, to show that he of all people could use some healing.

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"Apologize? You're fucking kidding me…right?" Hunter said looking at Anger Management Group leader. "Why do I have to apologize? Can't I just promise not to fuck with them anymore?" He looked around at the groans from the other members of the group.

He had promised Stephanie that he would do whatever it took to get her back; even if it meant sitting in this bullshit group for two hours a week. It was only the second session and already he felt like this was a waste of time.

So far, from what he could see there were five men and one woman, who just sat around bitching about how they had hurt other people and they were "so sorry" about everything they had done. He listened to how they blamed their rage and frustration for all the trouble they had caused.

Today he had offered to speak; mainly because Stephanie was with him. He wanted to show her that he was serious and admitting his guilt to the group was just the way to do that. But when they started talking about this apology bullshit, well…he didn't sign up for that.

"You need to apologize, to clear the air. You need to let your intentions be known." The group leader said. To that Hunter laughed. This man didn't know him, and he most certainly didn't know the business or his friends. If he went around apologizing, they would think he was soft…more importantly, they wouldn't believe him. "You need to apologize to the woman you struck especially."

Hunter felt his lips tighten as he tried to stifle the scream from coming out his mouth. There was no way on in hell he was going to apologize to Britain! "She fucking attacked me!" He yelled. "What the fuck do I have to say I'm sorry about?"

The fact that he outweighed her by 250lbs, and that she was a woman, didn't even register to him. Nor did the fact that he had been goading her for years and really got bad about it over the last few months. He didn't want her around, period.

He looked over at Stephanie who had dropped her eyes in disappointment. He had brought her with him so she would see that he was trying to change; even if some of it had been a front. He was willing to do anything to get her back…but this? This was too much. But the look on her face made him nervous.

"Fine." He said dryly. "What am I suppose to say?" He looked at the group leader for help.

The guy sitting next to him touched his shoulder. "We can't tell you what to say. It has to come from in here." He said touching his chest to symbolize his heart.

Hunter rolled his eyes. How the fuck he got stuck with a bunch of pansy ass emotion freaks, he'd never know.

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Chase, Britain, Christina and Jeff all sat on a large picnic blanket beside the head stone of Miklo Velka. Chase watched as Christina poured a class of Tequila and placed it on the ground in front of the marker and Britain lit candles around it.

"Whose grave is this?" Chase whispered as if she shouldn't be talking during the ceremony.

Christina smiled. "This is Miklo. Miklo this Chase and Jeff…and Britain's here too." She said turning to the headstone. Britain waved at the grave and smiled. Chase and Jeff must have thought she was crazy; but that's what you do. You talk to the dead as if they were still living. It was a way to keep them alive. "He was the only man, I've ever loved." She let a faint smile cross her lips as she gently rubbed the marble headstone.

Britain got on her knees and made the sign of the cross, still holding her rosary in her hand. She and X prayed in Spanish, while Jeff and Chase bowed their heads; because that's what they felt like were suppose to do.

"I always liked tough guys, but Miklo was different. He was really sweet and gentle. I would have married him." She said smiling. Britain's arm came around her best friend's shoulder.

"What happened?" Jeff asked, playing with a blade of grass. It was something comforting in knowing that he wasn't the only one who was fighting a ghost. He looked at the head stone and realized that he died almost 10 years ago. Christina must have been coming here faithfully for 10 years and the ghost of this man still wouldn't let her go. Hell, Kelly had only been dead for three years…he couldn't face the rest of his life never being able to live that down.

Christina sighed. "He was hit by a car. We had a fight that morning about cereal. He had eaten the last of the Fruity Pebbles and I was complaining that he could have replaced the box. He ran to the store, just so I would shut up…and it happened. He never even looked before he crossed the street." After 10 years, she still got choked up thinking about it. She should have told him she loved him before he left, or maybe she could have opted to eat something else instead. But she had to insist that he go to the store…if she hadn't he'd still be there. "It was hard to let him go…but he knows he's always with me. I come here a few times a year and talk to him. But today, I'm going to spend the whole day with him, catch him up on what's been happening in my life. He likes that." She smiled.

Jeff sat in amazement. How could she be so at peace with something that was obviously her fault?

Christina turned to Britain. "If nothing else, it taught me to live each day like it's your last, because you never know if it's going to be. I also learned that if you love someone, you tell them every chance you get…they may not be around for you to tell them later."

The gentle squeeze from Christina's hand let Britain know what she meant. She meant that Britain should talk to Dave…tell him that she still loved him. But she couldn't. Things between them were still wrong. But he had kissed her and for two weeks she couldn't get that kiss out of her mind. She had been without him for six weeks now…that's a long time to just pick up a phone and say, I'm sorry. I want to give us another chance. It may have been what she wanted to do, but she was stubborn and more importantly, she didn't know how.

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For two weeks Dave Batista did nothing, absolutely nothing…except watch the "home movie" that he had made with Britain. He already knew every inch of her, inside and out, but he couldn't help but to watch it over and over again, studying every centimeter of her body, noticing every emotion on her face, and every sudden change in the pitch of her voice when they made love.

He wanted her back, so bad; it was like nothing he had ever known before. And it wasn't because he watching himself make love to her, actually he hardly focused on the act itself. He watched the beginning of the video, when she was sitting on the bed talking to him, regarding the way she tossed her hair over her shoulder. He paid attention to her laugh as he tried to get the video camera to focus and figure out how the auto-zoom lens worked. He found himself laughing when she told him that if he wasn't in that bed with her in 30 seconds there would be no movie…not for a long time.

He noticed that when she kissed him, she would lick her lips afterward as if to savor his taste. And the way she held her breath when he kissed the hollow of her throat, the way her hands moved over his muscular back…he could still feel them there, those feather light touches that drove him crazy. He had never before noticed how she would mouth incomprehensible curses when he kissed her below the belt or the way that she gave a little smile when he filled her body with his own.

The way she said his name when they made love, made his heart jump. It was so soft and sweet and filled with so much love and passion. Truthfully, she could be saying the alphabet, because the sound of her voice made his body tremble. He missed that…he missed her.

He watched the end of the video, after their appetites for each other had been feed, lying in each other's arms…their bodies a heap of tangled limbs, remembering the way he played with her hair and she drew lazy circles on his chest slowly putting him to sleep. It was usually by that point that he either turned the movie off because he had to release is sexual tension, by himself, or he'd close his eyes and try to imagine her smell, her feel, or the her gentle laughter as she talked about whatever was on her mind.

Today, he watched the video to the very end, never noticing before that after he had in fact fallen asleep, she had leaned herself up on her elbow and looked at him. She told him everything that was in her heart; things that she would never say to him when he was awake. She told him that she loved him more than life itself, but she would never tell him exactly how much because it scared her. She told him how happy he made her and for the first time in her life, she felt like she was special to someone besides her father.

He felt tears well in his eyes, when she whispered that she wanted to marry him and give him as many babies as he could stand…even if he would be too old to play with them. She admitted that all of her excuses for not wanting marriage or children were a lie, but that she was afraid that's not what he wanted. She was willing to give up career to be with him, all he had to do was ask. She said all of this before she kissed him softly on his lips and returning her head to his chest listening to his heart beat.

How could he have slept through all of that? How could he not know how she felt? Britain was an enigma to him, and he thought he knew her so well. He had broken every fantasy, every dream, every hope that she had for them…and now he knew why she was hurting so badly. The sad part is… he felt exactly the same way.

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Jeff lit a candle before placing it in the small raft he made. "Kelly, I have to let you go. I can't keep holding you inside anymore. What happened to you was wrong and I'm truly sorry; but I can't keep living like this." He looked over at Chase who gave him a nod of approval. "I tried to make it up to you, I tried to hurt myself because of you and I hurt a lot of people after you. But I ain't gonna do it anymore. I need you to be at peace, Kelly."

He pushed the raft into the stream that ran past the cemetery and watched as it floated away. "You gotta let me go too. You gotta soar, darlin'. I pray things are better for you now then they were when you were here."

He stood up, pulling Chase up with him. He hugged her with all that he had left; letting only a few tears spill over his eyes. He turned back to the raft and could only see a faint flicker of light as it floated away. He felt a cool breeze run across his face, instantly feeling the goose bumps on his arms. It made him hold Chase tighter and finally he felt at peace.

As they turned to leave, he looked back at the stream and the raft and his candle were gone. "Goodbye, Kelly." He whispered and walked away.

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Author's Note: I really would like to thank everyone who has read and responded to this story. Unlike most of the other stuff I write, this just popped in my head and I've been writing it by the seat of my pants. There's been no fore-thought about the chapters, no planning, no outlines. It's just an idea that snowballs everyday. I spend a lot of time rehearsing the dialogue in the shower and in my car though...

Anyway, I've only got two more chapters left before I think I'm done with this one. But don't worry, there's a sequel and I've already written down the major themes.

Finally, I got my spell check back! Thank you so much for reading past the typos, I'm thinking about taking it down and reposting it, typo and spelling error free. But you read past them, and still got the point. Much love & thanx!