Mark saw her stood in the doorway and wondered what was wrong she looked exhausted. She came into the room and curled up in a ball on the sofa closest to him.

"sorry to disturb you Mark."

"Disturb me anytime Darlin'. Are y'alright?"

"I've had much better days to be honest. Jess was at my house when you texted her, thank you for asking her to help me."

Mark looked a little sheepish.

"I was worried about you."

Cassie blushed bright pink and he thought that she looked stunning with the pink tingeing her skin.

"It's nice to have someone to worry about you sometimes."

"I know Jess worries about you, but where's your family Darlin'?"

She was quiet for a minute or two as she thought about what to say.

"My family is back in Australia where I grew. I still speak to my brother occasionally but my mum is too busy and my dad has never been around."

"Why don't you speak to your mom?"

"My mum is a difficult person, she's the type of person that you're better off being the enemey because then she leaves you alone. She's had manic depression since I was little so it was always hard, and then she got remarried and I don't like him. Mum has never agreed with my decisions and moving to Texas just pushed her over the edge I think."

"So how long since you've spoken to her?" Mark could see a little sadness in her face and wanted to try and make her smile.

"nearly four years at the moment. I moved over here when I was twenty, and I know that it sounds sad but I've given up, I just don't care anymore."

Mark could see her shaking a little and gave her a blanket to wrap around her.

"I couldn't imagine just cutting myself out of Jess's life."

"Mark my mum and I have nowhere near the same relationship as you do. Jess adores you, she told me that she wants to work in your law department when she's finished her degree."

Mark smiled a little at the thought of going to work with his daughter everyday.

"She's the only person I've got right now, until I retire that is."

"Well that's not entirely true Mark." Blue eyes met green as she said it, Cassie quickly looked away unsure of how he would accept the comment.

"You not alone either Darlin'." Cassie blushed and Mark moved slightly, easing the pressure in his groin he was unbelievably hard sitting there looking at her. "I hope Dave ain't scared you away from the gym!"

"It wasn't even Dave that scared me, it was more that his actions brought back bad memories."

"Bad memories with someone a lot bigger than you?" Mark knew that he was prying but he just wanted to help her.

"Umm yeah, to guys actually both were a lot bigger. And both were on opposite sides of the world."

"What do you want to do with your degree?" Mark decided to change the subject so she didn't get embarrassed.

"I'm not sure if I'll do anything at the moment, I mean I love criminal law but I'd prefer to be able to spend time with the people I love. Lawyers work 24/7 and I don't want that."

"I guess your right. You earn a shit load though."

"Yeah but life doesn't revolve around money. I'd be happy with a little money and someone to share the world with." Mark smiled softly; someone finally understood where he was coming from.

"That makes perfect sense Darlin' I'm going to retire after Wrestle Mania spend some time with jess. I'm sick of being away and lonely, it ain't worth it."

"Mark you need to mark yourself happy otherwise you'll drive yourself demented." He smiled at her and she felt the butterflies in her stomach.

"I know why Jess is friends with you now. Why are you called Poisonous Princess?"

"because I used to work at Vodafone in Perth, it's a phone company. My boss there used to tease me because I was the opposite of a princess, I was a bitch I got in fights and I worked for the Gypsy Jokers who are an outlaw motorcycle club. So Sam, my boss, began calling me princess and the Jokers added poisonous to the front and it just stuck."

"What did you do for the Jokers?" Mark was a little stunned that Cassie had worked with them. He knew of them and they were a bunch of nasty bastards.

"I cleaned theur clubhouse and was the person they came to for advice. They were incredible protective of me, I remember this one time a prospect tried to touch me, three full patches had him pinned with weapons drawn in like two seconds flat." Both of them smiled.

"Miss Cassie Lord you are a fascinating woman."

Cassie blushed and looked out the window, she was comfortable with Mark but he gave her butterflies like no one had ever done before.

"You're not exactly dull Mark."

At six a.m. Jess had noticed Cassie was missing and wondered where exactly she had gone. Getting to the bottom of the stairs she heard Mark laugh and Cassie talking, she grinned and went to make coffee and toast. It had been ages since Jess had heard her dad laugh, and here he was laughing at something Cassie sai. Maybe Cassie could be best thing for her dad.

"Why are you single? Mark asked and then blushed for being an idiot. He had never been this blunt with any woman before and it was very new to him.

"Honestly, its because nobody wants to try and overcome my trust issues with me. I don't hook up so no one wants to know me."

Jess chose that moment to enter and interrupt them, she looked at her dads face and noticed that he was looking at Cassie as if he wanted to hold her.

"Cass are you going to uni today?"

"Yeah I am, I've got that assignment." She got off the sofa and headed upstairs to get changed and get her stuff together.

"Daddy when are you going back on the road?"

"Wednesday, why?" Mark asked looking at his daughter.

Jess shook her head and left the room, leaving Mark alone with his thoughts. He had no idea where the previous four hours had gone, they'd talking the whole time and he had actually enjoyed it. He had a throbbing headache from being hard for so long, however he couldn't risk getting up or going upstairs just yet.

Cassie was the first downstairs wearing a light denim mini skirt her University of Texas jumper and her trainers. Marks' eyes were drawn to her legs which were reasonably pale but matched the rest of her, on her left ankle was the Jokers' death head and on the inside of her right ankle was the Undertakers' symbol. It was small and quite delicate, she'd put her own spin on it, with edging the majority was black.

"I'm not sure if I'll make it to the gym today."

ONE WEEK LATER……..

Mark was sat in the arena seating watching the crew put up the SmackDown ring. He'd been back on the road for five days and he was missing being at home, he was on his personal farewell tour. Ten people in the world knew that he was saying 'goodbye' two of those were Jess and Cassie, another being his best friend Glenn who was sat with him.

"you alright Mark?"

"Three weeks and this will end." Glenn had seen his friend though divorces, children, injuries and court battles but he had never seen him truly at peace.

"Six months and I'm going to say goodbye." Mark looked at him with a shocked expression.

"I'm over it, time to make myself happy. And it aint the same without you around."

"Didn't even know you were considering it."

"You're the first to know, keep your mouth shut!" Mark nodded. "So are you going to tell me what keeps you from staying in reality for more than five minutes?"

Mark looked away and had no idea what to say to the man who knew him better than anybody else in the world.

"I know you've been miserable since Sara cheated, but these two weeks have been different. Mark not sure if you know this but you've actually been smiling when you go all distant."

"jess…" Mark managed to get out before Glenn cut him off.

"Don't bullshit me, I'm not one of the guys!"

Mark sat quietly for a minute or two to get his thoughts together before speaking.

"There is this woman who I met, she's real sweet but completely untouchable. I've got no idea what to fucking do and she's driving me to distraction."

Glenn was faintly shocked, Mark was never lost when it came to women, although he didn't have to best record in the past so maybe this was a good thing.

"Untouchable?"

"she's nervous, she's been attacked twice by guys much bigger than her, she's 24 and she's one of Jess's friends."

"Great choice old man." He said sarcastically earning himself a glare.

"Well I didn't ask for it, she just walked in and knocked me on my ass!"

"Tell me you've at least spoken to her."

"Four hours straight, didn't even know it until they had to leave for classes." Glenn nodded.

"Hate to point it out old man but you sound whipped, completely. What does she look like?"

"Bright blue eyes, long blondish hair, curvy, kinda pale skin, nose piercing and some tattoo's." Glenn saw that Mark was away with the fairies and was smiling so he waited patiently.

"So not entirely unattractive." Glenn grinned and waited for Marks reaction.

"Watch your mouth." Mark growled, making Glenn chuchle.

"So whats your plan?"

"I've got no idea, I feel like an ass being attracted to Jess's best friend."

"We'll figure something out."