Disclaimer Seth Rollins, and the various other superstars mentioned in this story are the property of the WWE and/or the actors / sports entertainers / superstars that portray them. This story is intended as tribute only and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.

Original characters are the property of myself, and only children of my own imagination. Any resemblance to any real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

The Girl Who Lives
Part Sixteen

Two weeks after Wrestlemania, Raw and Smackdown were being held at the iWireless center in Moline Illinois, which made Seth pretty happy, because from the door of his house to the stadium it was 3.6 miles. Even in busy traffic, it took no longer than 10 minutes to get there. Seth would have been hard pressed to find a hotel as close to the stadium as his own house was.

Of course, being that the event was so close to his home town, while Seth could sleep at home, he also had a lot of work to do and he knew it. Everyone in Davenport wanted a chance to talk to the home town boy, and the fact that he was now the WWE World Heavyweight Champion made him even more valuable. But, at least he knew he would be able to sleep at home and thus have a little time with Kayla and Payton. Even though he stayed in touch with them as best he could, he had missed seeing them in person since Wrestlemania.

He arrived home late Sunday night. Dean and Roman were with him. When it came to staying at each other's places, Kayfabe be damned, they were brothers, they wouldn't make the other two stay in a hotel when they could offer their homes. Kayla would have had his head on a platter if he'd even tried, because she looked at Roman and Dean as brothers as well.

Kayla was still awake when they came in, and Seth suspected she had taken a nap that afternoon so she would be awake. She greeted them all, gave them some sandwiches and got them to their rooms. Roman got the second official guest room, because Payton was using the first official guest room. Dean got the office-slash-guestroom. It had a queen sized futon sofa that was actually pretty comfortable. The first time he'd spent the night, he claimed it as his.

As he and Kayla were heading up to the third floor master suite, they walked by the room Payton was using. "Can I go in and see her real quick?" Seth asked Kayla.

She nodded and they both crept into the room. Like the other guest room, this too, had a king sized bed and Payton looked even smaller than she was, lying in the middle of it. She had the shade open, and the moonlight streaming through the windows was enough to see her by. She wore a pair of pajamas that were decorated in tiny, flying cupcakes and her arm was around a Teddy bear. Her hair was tousled around her head, but she had a peaceful expression on her face. Seth leaned over and gently as possible, kissed her on the forehead. Then, he and Kayla crept out of the room and up to their room.

"She looks good," Seth commented. "Is she still eating like a horse?"

"She eats her fair share," Kayla admitted. "And she still likes vegetables. But, she's also developed a fondness for Pepperidge Farms mint Milano cookies."

"And how could that have happened?" Seth asked, looking at Kayla with a smirk on his face.

"I have no idea," Kayla said, looking innocent.

It was well known by both of them, that Kayla had a weakness for the wafer cookies with the chocolate and mint centers and she always kept a bag of them in the house, rationing herself 1-2 cookies a night with a glass of milk. Seth could imagine Kayla introducing Payton to them and the two of them having them as a before bedtime snack and he smiled at the idea. It was on the tip of his tongue to say, "Like mother, like daughter," but at the last moment he caught himself and changed it to, "Like aunt, like niece."

"Mmm... yeah," Kayla said.

When they were getting into bed, teeth brushed faces washed, etc. Seth asked about Preston. "He looked pretty good at Wrestlemania. Is he still doing good?"

"I don't think so," Kayla said. "We didn't even go over there today. Her parents called and said he was too sick to see anyone, even her."

"How did Payton handle it?" Seth asked, worried that this was going to be too much for the girl.

"Pretty well, actually," Kayla admitted. "I asked her if she wanted to see Dr. Hanson, her grief therapist, because she will fit her in if she needs extra time. But she said she'd go Thursday, like she usually does and she was okay with it." Kayla climbed into bed, snuggling up to Seth. "I probed her a bit, but I honestly think she wasn't upset. I don't know how she's going to react when Preston finally does die, but she seems to be handling it pretty well."

"What does Dr. Hanson say?" Seth asked.

"She says Payton is a remarkably mature girl for her age in many ways," Kayla put her head on Seth's shoulder and pressed herself along side of him. "She says socially she's a bit behind children her age, nothing to worry about. When I explained how she's been pulled from school and hasn't had much interaction with anyone but Preston until we introduced her to Neil and Leah, the doctor seemed to think this was reason enough, and thus nothing we have to worry about. She says she should go to school as soon as possible, but we'll keep her out until next year and then let her go again when the new year starts. I've been working with her on her home schooling, she's pretty smart, and I think she should be able to catch up."

"Do you think we'll still have her in September?" Seth asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding too hopeful.

"I don't know," Kayla admitted. "I mean, I don't think Preston will be alive in September. I don't know if he'll make it to Memorial day at this rate. But, even if she's back home, which let's face it, she likely will be, there's no reason for her folks not to let her go to school."

"I don't know if I want her going home," Seth said, admitting what he had been thinking for a long time. "I don't care that the Caldwells are going to lose Preston. I can't forgive them for how they've treated Payton." He paused, realizing how bad that sounded, and amended his statement, "I mean, of course I care that they're losing Preston, but I don't think that negates how they've neglected Payton."

"I know," Kayla agreed, rolling onto her back and looking up at the ceiling. "I feel the same way. I'm so sorry that little boy will never enjoy a full life. I feel bad that his parents will lose him, but I also don't think that justifies how they've treated their daughter. She's such a wonderful child, Seth. She doesn't deserve the scraps she's been getting."

"So, do we get her taken away from Myron and Andrea?" Seth asked, deciding just to put the cards on the table. "Do we try to get custody of her ourselves?"

"Unfortunately, those are two completely different questions," Kayla said with a soft sigh. "I've talked to Stevie about it."

That didn't surprise Seth at all, of course Kayla had talked to their lawyer about this. It was a such a Kayla thing to do, try to get all the ducks in a row in case they were needed. "What did he say?"

"He said we might be able to get her removed from the Caldwells if we were persistent and willing to testify that they willfully neglected her. But, it wouldn't be pretty; we'd be going after a parents who are losing or have recently lost a child to cancer. A child who is beloved by your employer, by the way, which might make it worse, if they decide to testify that they observed the Caldwells to be good parents. Which remember, they have been with Preston." Kayla rolled on her side again, so she was facing him, propping herself up on her elbow. "And, even if we can get her taken away from the Caldwells, that doesn't mean we can get custody of her. If we do get her taken away from her parents, she becomes a ward of the state and we have to file for custody, which won't be easy, because we're not relatives of hers. This means she could end up in a foster home for a very long time."

Seth swore softly under his breath. "Why does it have to be so complicated?" he finally asked, frustration thick in his voice. "We love her, Kayla and she loves us. She's flourishing with us. She belongs with people who love her and want her to grow and prosper. Why can't we get the world to understand that?"

"I know," Kayla agreed, moving closer and running her fingers up and down his chest, more for comfort than any other reason. "I agree with you completely, she should be with us. But the courts see things differently."

"Then what do we do?" Seth asked, not sure if he was really asking Kayla, or tossing out the question to the universe in general.

"We stay in touch," Kayla said, choosing to answer him. "When the day comes where the Caldwell's take her back, we let her know we are always there for her. Hopefully, her parents will let us stay in contact with her. I don't see why they wouldn't, they've let us take care of her and they know she thinks of us as family. So, we'll stay in touch. I'll visit her every week, and maybe she can stay over here sometimes if her parents need some time alone. We pretty much take it day by day."

"Day by day," Seth repeated and shook his head. "It still doesn't seem fair, or right. Payton deserves stability. I'm worried that once Preston is gone, that things will get worse for her with her parents rather than better. I know that deep down that Andrea and Myron blame Payton for what happened to Preston. I know that sounds stupid, but I feel it in my gut. They think that Payton knocking her mother on to the ice did something to Preston that started this whole cancer ball rolling." He paused, exhaling sharply, even hating to speak out loud his concerns, as if to voice them would make them more real than they already were. "I'm scared that when Preston dies, they'll become even more resentful and neglect her worse. Or, maybe even go further."

"I know," Kayla said softly. "That's why it's so important that we keep in touch with Payton. She loves us, she'll be honest with us. If the Caldwells are neglecting her, or worse, we will take action."

Seth sighed wishing there was another way, but knowing Kayla was right. "Why can't life be simple?" he asked, again not sure if he was asking Kayla or the universe in general.

This time, Kayla didn't answer. Seth was pretty sure it was because she didn't know herself.

Preston came to the Raw show the next night, which surprised Seth. The kid looked pretty bad, the dark circles taking over his face, his eyes dulled by pain medication, which according to Kayla, he was getting quite a lot of. If a miracle happened and he suddenly went into complete remission, he'd probably have to go for drug rehab. He was still in his wheelchair, still hooked into oxygen, but he actually seemed pretty excited to see Dolph, Daniel, and John. And when Dolph won his match that night, Preston became almost animated in his excitement. When the commercial break came after the match, Dolph took the opportunity to go over to the boy and drop a kiss on his forehead, which made Preston beam and for a brief moment, you saw the kid he used to be before the cancer had him in a choke hold. Maybe even a glimpse into what he had been like before he even got cancer, before words like "Chemo" and "Pain management" entered his vocabulary.

The Caldwells and Preston sat close to where Payton and Kayla were sitting and whenever Seth saw them, Payton was holding her brother's hand. Seth wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort him or herself. She didn't go out of her way to communicate with her parents, but even when they were backstage, she stayed close to Preston. And when they left to go back home, she gave him the most gentle of hugs and a kiss on one bruised cheek. "Bye Preston," she said, softly. "I love you."

Preston looked at her, eyes wide and round. "I love you too, Pay-pay," he said, his voice raspy. "Bye-bye."

It would be later when Kayla would tell him that she found it odd that they didn't say they would see each other later, something they apparently told each other whenever she visited him at the house.

The next morning, while the five of them were eating breakfast, Seth's cell phone rang. He checked the screen and saw the call was coming from Dolph. A cold feeling washed over him, and he rose from the table. "I need some privacy," he muttered, and walked into the sun room.

As he shut the door behind him, he pressed the button to connect and put the phone to his ear. "Dolph?"

"Yeah," Dolph sounded completely and utterly wiped out. "Seth, I told Myron and Andrea I'd call you. Pres...Pres..." he stopped and Seth could hear him trying to choke out the words.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Seth said, gently, trying to spare his friend the pain of having to say the words.

"Yes." Dolph's voice was almost a whisper and while he wasn't crying, Seth could hear the tears weren't very far away. "I-I promised him I'd come over and see him b-because he s-s-said he wasn't s-sure he'd make the Sm-sm-smackdown taping. And when I got here, Myron and Andrea w-were in shock, I guess it h-happened just before I g-got here."

"Okay," Seth said, trying to assess the situation and see what was needed of him. "Are things under control? Do you need help?"

"I think it's under control," Dolph said, taking a deep breath and pushing the sorrow he was feeling away. "They called the authorities and they've removed... Pres. I don't know if they'll do an autopsy or not. Technically, because he didn't die in a hospital, I think they're supposed to, but with the kid being sick with cancer, they might overlook it, also there was a hospice nurse in the room too, when he died. F-fortunately, Myron and Andrea made all the arrangements for his f-f-funeral and all. But they're too choked up, I think, to talk to anyone right now. I-I hate to dump this in your lap, but P-Payton needs to know."

"Don't worry," Seth said, hoping his voice sounded both comforting and controlled. "We'll tell Payton. Do you need me to call anyone? Hunter or Stephanie? Did you have any media or good will work you had to do today before the show?"

"I-I called H-Hunter already, " Dolph admitted. "S-so I'm fine on that. I don't have to go in for the show until late call."

"Will you be able to do the show tonight?" Seth asked, concerned. "I know you were very close to him."

"I know," Dolph said. "And I know Pres would want me to go on tonight. So I will, for him."

"Okay," Seth said. "We'll tell Payton. And tell the Caldwells if they need anything, have them call us. I know Kayla will want to help. And they might want to see Payton."

"I'll tell them," Dolph said.

Seth tried to compose himself so he looked as normal as possible when he entered the kitchen. "Hey," he said, his voice soft.

Payton looked up, her eyes wide and round. "Preston is dead, isn't he?" she asked, her voice quiet.

Seth wanted to lie, wanted to let her finish her breakfast, the last one she would eat believing she had a living brother. But he couldn't do it. He had made it a point never to lie to her, and he wouldn't start now. So, he merely nodded.

"I knew it was coming," Payton said. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were damp. She pushed her plate away and said, "I'm not hungry anymore."

Neither was anyone else.

Seth had two interviews that day, that he didn't want to go to, but he knew he had to. Fortunately, Roman and Dean did not have anything they had to do, and they offered to stay with Kayla and Payton, forgoing their work outs, which Seth appreciated. When he came home to get them and to change to get to the arena, he found Dean, Roman and Payton on the couch, watching TV together, the girl between the two wrestlers, them close to her, as if protecting her. But when she saw Seth, she jumped up from the couch and ran over, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her, scooped her up and hugged her back tightly. And if he had his way, he would have never let her go.

Kayla and Payton stayed home that night, which Seth expected. He wished he could have stayed with them, but he knew just as Dolph did, that the show had to go on.

It was mentioned on Smackdown that Preston had died and a moment of silence was given, but other than that, it was business as usual. But Seth was still grateful when it was all over and he, Roman, and Dean could head back home. Dolph had told them that the wake would be tomorrow night and the funeral would be on Friday. Stephanie, Hunter and Vince were doing what they could to make sure the Superstars who wanted to, could make it to at least one of them. Some were given the time to go to both. Dolph and Daniel Bryan were given this special permission to go to both, and so was Seth. It was Stephanie who told Seth he was going to be able to go to both of them and he was sure there had been words with Hunter and Vince. Seth could almost see Vince pointing out that Preston hadn't even liked Seth, and Stephanie saying it didn't matter, that Payton loved Seth, and right now Payton needed that support from her surrogate aunt and uncle.

That night when they got home, Payton was already asleep. "How has she been?" Seth asked.

"Subdued," Kayla said. "But she hasn't cried. I called Dr. Hanson and asked if I should bring her in, but she said that chances are, Payton is in shock, to keep an eye on her, but right now there isn't much that can be done but let her come to terms with it."

"How do we let her come to terms with it?" Seth asked, "I mean, what do we do?"

"We be there for her, if she needs it, and we take it bit by bit. If we feel she needs her doctor, we'll call her."

"She seemed okay today," Roman said. They were sitting in the kitchen drinking herbal tea Kayla had fixed for them. Seth knew Dean would have rather had coffee, he'd become a bit of a coffee head, thanks to Cinnamon. But Kayla insisted they needed their sleep and herbal tea was the best bet for that. Seth didn't mind, it actually tasted pretty good.

"She was quiet, but I don't think we should expect her to be jumping up and down," Dean said. "I mean, her brother died. Yeah, he could be a pain in the ass, but he's still her brother, this has to be rough."

"I know," Seth admitted. "I-I just want to do what's right for her." He looked at Kayla. "Did her parents call and talk to her?"

Kayla shook her head and Seth could see the sadness in her eyes. "I asked her if she wanted to go over and see them, and she said no. I guess they're in shock, but..." her voice trailed off.

"But there's something really wrong with those people," Roman finished for her. "I understand that they must be grief stricken over losing Preston, but you'd think they'd want their daughter with them, that they'd find comfort in having their living child around them."

"Yeah," Seth said, sadly. "you'd think that, wouldn't you?"

That night as he and Kayla lay in bed, both of them staring at the ceiling, not talking, just lost in their own thoughts, Seth heard a noise at the foot of the stairs. There were two doors, one at the top and the bottom of the stairs that lead to their master suite, and Kayla had gotten into the habit of leaving the bottom door open so if Payton needed anything she could knock. Carefully, Seth slid out of bed and slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms he kept nearby for just this reason. He slipped over to the door and opened it.

At the foot of the stairs, Payton was sitting, her feet tucked under her, back pressed against the wall, arms wrapped around her legs, head resting on her knees. "Payton?" he called out.

She looked up and he saw the tears in her eyes, reflecting off the dim nightlight they kept on the stairs. "S-sorry," she said, and he heard the sobs behind the words. "I-I jus-just wanted to be closer."

"Get up here, Pay," he called down.

She hesitated, then sprang to her feet and ran up the stairs, throwing herself into his arms so fast and hard that he almost was knocked over. He scooped her up and held her and she broke down completely, sobbing in his arms, clinging to him tightly.

He walked with her over to the bed and sat down with her, leaning against the pillows. While he hugged her, Kayla rubbed her back. No real words were spoken, just murmurings that both of them were there for her, and that both of them loved her.

End of Chapter Sixteen

Special Thanks To:

Zipper: A hamburger would be wonderful, thank you! And if you make this chapter's cheese asiago, I would really appreciate it. And possibly a steak, too? Wow, the Dungeon Master is going to think I'm a favorite, isn't he?

I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, poor Seth is in a little bit of this "I'm seeing the trees, but I can't see the forest" mode sometimes. Roman knows the score and I figure Roman is willing to see the situation and not just dump blame on the WWE, but to dump it on himself too. And, I figure if Roman had to lose, he wanted to lose to Seth. In his mind, Seth was smart and savvy, and thus, he deserved it.

I'll talk to "C" and tell her to stop being so lazy!

Seth Girl: Thank you, I'm glad you love it.

Torrie: I don't get it. I mean, I do get it, but I don't. It's not like my story takes anything away from anyone else. It isn't like people come here and go, "I can only read ONE story in this place! Just one!" People read a lot of stories, how popular my story is shouldn't affect anyone but me. I'm not taking anything away from anyone and if these folks want to confront me, tell them they are welcome to PM me and I will be happy to discuss this with them. Because, yeah, I don't think it's fair that people are talking bad about me behind my back when all I want to do is write my story.

But, for the review? You're right. Roman is not going to give up, he realizes that he made some mistakes, he got too trusting of others, when he should have listened to his gut. Now he's got to see if he can build himself up again.

Guest: Thank you, I'm so glad you love the story. I'm trying to write as fast as possible, again, work though, puts a cramp in my writing time lately, but I'll do the best I can.

Emilee: Thank you, I'm glad you like the chapter. Yeah, I admit I got a few warm fuzzies writing how Roman came over and insisted Seth go join up with him and his family.

Angela: Aw, thank you. I just figured that after Roman lef the room, he did some thinking and was honest with himself. Yes, Seth has been guided to the top, but Seth also managed his rise too. Seth always struck me as he could be mouthy and confrontational when needed, so I figure if Seth didn't like the script, he made sure they knew it. Roman sometimes comes across more passive, like he'd dislike what they were doing, but tell himself that they knew better. Roman realizes now that no, they didn't know better and if he wants to make it like Seth has, he's got to put himself forward and speak up for himself. "No, Vince, I won't tell Big Show a fairy tale. No, Vince, I won't quote bad lines from Looney Tunes." And, I figure his first step was to insist that he gets pushed aside and makes it so Seth can win the belt. I figure Roman didn't mind not getting it, because it was going to Seth. If it had been going to Lesnar, he would have been more upset.

Yeah, I admit, I loved writing Seth sticking up for Roman and pointing out everything they did wrong with Roman. I just figure at that point, Seth was angry that of his three Shield brothers, he was the only one making it. And yeah, I knew when Bryan announced he was entering the match for the IC title, that he would get it. I enjoyed the match, but seriously, was anyone surprised that he got it? And now he might be out of the picture again. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for Bryan, but I don't know if he should be in the ring anymore. I keep thinking they should make him general manager of Raw or Smackdown, let him still work for the company, but I do hate the idea of the guy ending up in a wheelchair by the time he's in his '40s, because he just didn't know when to stop.

Another "Really?" moment, I agree, when Lesnar got "suspended." Who do they think they're kidding? Of course they were going to "suspend" him, Lesnar only works limited times. And that whole, "I was born to entertain?" Really? Gee, you know, if you paid me three million dollars to work less than ten days a year, I'd say I was born to lick your boots, if you wanted me to. But, Lesnar actually is smart. If he was on every week, I think half his fan base would get bored. Being on limited times, they keep that love for him.

As for Roman/Big Show? I really dislike it. It's too much, "Next verse, same as the first." However, I am actually looking forward to seeing this "last man standing" match. I want to see how they are going to handle this with Big Show being so amazingly slow. Can they put on a good match?

But yes, if they really want to build Roman, they need a good feud for him, something where both players would get to shine. And, they need to fix Dean too. I don't know why they have to keep Dean down like this.

Guest II: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story and...well, here's the next update! Hopefully, I'll have the one after this up soon, too.

To All Reviewers, both Anon and Registered: Thank you so much for all your reviews. And, thank you for the follows and favorites too. It amazes me that with every chapter, they increase. It shows folks are really invested in this story and I do appreciate it. I don't think I'll ever find the right words to let all of you know how wonderful it makes me feel that you love this story.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, Preston died. And I admit, I cried a little while I was writing it, not that Preston died, I think I've established that Preston is sick enough that he's better off out of pain and suffering, but I cried a bit for Payton, for Dolph, and yes, even for the Caldwells. The Caldwells are horrible parents to Payton, but they were good parents to Preston. They have still suffered a loss.

Until Next Time
Peace Out
Willow.