CHAPTER EIGHT

CODY

I was so distracted by all of the drama with Dustin, I'd entirely forgotten to tell my wife that she now had a sister-in-law. When Brandi came back to our room that night, she watched me in confusion as I got lost in thought trying to figure out a way to make Lily feel welcome in the family.

"Cody? Everything okay?" Brandi asked me.

"I need to find something for Lily… Something big," I said, expecting her to know what I was talking about.

"Lily from NXT? Yeah, I heard about her mom. It's so sad… They were really close."

"Yeah… I need to get her something of Dad's…"

Brandi blinked at me. "Isn't that going above and beyond?" She asked.

"Not for family."

"Wait… Huh?"

"Oh! Shit… A lot happened today, honey," I said. "You should sit down."

Brandi sat down obediently, still looking confused. "What do you mean, 'for family'?" She finally asked.

"Okay, so, Lily's mom left her a dying declaration telling her who her father was… And it was my father. She told me and Dustin earlier, and Dustin didn't believe her. I didn't know what to think, so we got a DNA test… And it's true, Brandi. Lily's our little sister."

Brandi's eyes were wide as she took in what I was saying. "You're sure?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's insane, I know… But it's true."

"So… Your dad…? While he was with your mom?"

"Yeah… I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to tell my mother about this, but yeah…"

"Cody… I'm so sorry. I know this must be a shock."

"It's okay. I like Lily, actually. She's awesome. She was one of Dad's favorites… Crazy, right? I wonder if he sensed the truth?"

"Maybe… Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just frustrated. Dustin's being a total dick about this. He won't even give her a chance. He just assumes she's trying to claim her inheritance and he let her know as much."

"That's awful…"

"That's what I told him. I hate being mad at him, but how can I not be?"

"I'm sure it's just the shock."

"I hope so. Otherwise, I'm going to need to slap him… Anyway, I want to give Lily something to make her feel welcome, but I have no idea what."

"You need to see your mom in person to tell her this, right? Maybe you can raid the attic and find something for Lily."

"That's a great idea! We're not that far away. If they aren't using me tomorrow, maybe I can drive home and go see her."

"I'll come with you. Jojo is working tomorrow so I know I'm free."

"Great. It's settled." I kissed her, feeling a little bit better. Brandi generally has that effect on me. I'm a very lucky man.

-THE NEXT DAY—

I have to admit, going to see my mother was more intimidating than I'd expected it to be. How could I tell her this? My dad had cheated on her and had a kid because of it. Was she just supposed to be okay with that?

You'll tarnish his memory for her, a voice warned me. It wasn't Stardust. It was Dustin. In the back of my head, I knew that's exactly what he'd be telling me. I couldn't let it matter. She had a right to know the truth, even if it hurt…

Even if you hurt her, Stardust taunted me. Good! Hurt her, Worthless Cody! Hurt her and enjoy her pain!

Shut up, I thought. Your opinion is neither needed nor wanted.

I tried to ignore Stardust after that. Mom sat at the table reading when I let myself into the house. Her face lit up when she saw me and Brandi.

"Cody! Brandi! What a wonderful surprise!" She greeted us.

I let her hug us before saying, "Mom, I have to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's… I found something out yesterday… About Dad."

She looked confused. "What is it, Baby?"

"Dad… He… um…" How could I do this to her? I looked to Brandi for support.

"Cody was talking to someone from NXT," Brandi supplied for me. "She had some unexpected information to share."

"Spit it out. I can handle it," Mom promised.

"Dad… Has another kid," I finally said.

My mother turned serious. Then, she hugged me. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry you had to find out like that!" She said.

"What?" I asked. "You knew?"

"Not about the child, no," she told me quickly. "But I did know he was unfaithful. He admitted it to me."

"I… You… Really?" I was stunned. How had this happened without me having any clue?

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think poorly of your father. He was away from me so often… It just sort of happened. It was hard, but we worked through it." She looked into my eyes. "I loved your father very much, Cody, and that love was worth fighting for. Don't ever doubt that."

I nodded, numb. This was certainly news to me. While I knew Dad wasn't perfect, and the idea that he'd cheated on my mother wasn't entirely unexpected, I certainly hadn't expected my mother to know and be so calm about it!

"Who is the child?" She finally asked, since I remained silent. "How old are they?"

"Her name is Lily, and she just turned twenty-one," I said, trying to think through my shock. "She was one of his favorite wrestlers down at NXT. She's been traveling with the main roster. She just found out about this, and Dustin and I had a DNA test run."

"I wonder why the truth came out now…"

"Her mother passed away a few days ago."

I expected my mother to get angry at the mention of the woman Dad had cheated on her with, but instead, her face filled with sympathy. "Oh, that poor girl! To lose her mother and to find out her father's gone as well… Is she alright?"

"She's tough. I think she'll be fine, but Dustin's giving her a hard time."

"Dustin does that. He'll come around. He used to hate you, too," she said with a slight smile. "He got over it when he realized you weren't going away."

"I want to make her feel welcome, Mom… I'd like to give her something of Dad's, so she can have a piece of him. Is that okay with you?"

She smiled kindly at me. "Oh, Cody, of course it is! She's his child, too. Go ahead."

And so, Brandi and I began our search of the attic. It was strange seeing my childhood boxed up there. I sifted through box after box of comic books, magazines, toys, and clothes before finding some of my father's stuff. As I was going through it, I found an entire box of his old ring gear.

"This!" I proclaimed suddenly. "She should have one of his old outfits. A real piece of his wrestling legacy!"

Brandi smiled. "I think that's a great idea," she said. She helped me pick one out and I carried it downstairs with me.

"Is it okay if we give her this?" I asked my mother.

She looked close to tears like she usually did when something involving my father came up. She nodded. "I think she'll love it. Good choice, sweetheart."

A little while later, after Mom insisted on feeding us, we headed back to our hotel. Lily wasn't in her room, so I decided I'd wait until the next day to find her and give her the gear.

I hope you approve of this, Dad, I thought. I half-expected Stardust to say something awful to me, but he was blessedly quiet this time. I took that as a good sign.

LILY

Movie night had been awesome. Ultimately, after the fifth bad movie, Ashley left Dean and I alone. I intended to just go back to my room and relax, but I passed out on his couch before I could leave. When I woke up, I was in his bed, tucked under the covers, and he was sleeping where I had been.

I got off the bed and wrapped his blanket around him. Then I went into the bathroom and quietly made myself look presentable. I was about to sneak out when I realized he was looking sort of twitchy on the couch. I gently shook him awake.

Dean's eyes looked wild and haunted for a moment before he seemed to register it was me. His breathing was rapid as he said, "Oh… Um… Thanks."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a fucked up dream. I have those a lot."

I nodded. "I get that. What was it about?"

"Midgets," he said seriously. Then he added, "They were trying to lasso me and force me to ride tiny ponies with them." A crooked grin crossed his face. "It was awful!"

I laughed. He was obviously kidding, but that was okay. He had a right to keep his dreams to himself. "Bad movies will do that to you. Can I help?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"You've been taking care of me. I don't mind returning the favor."

He smiled. "Fine. Bring me something caffeinated. That'll help."

I nodded. "I can do that." I made him some instant coffee and brought it to him. He chugged it in a ridiculously short amount of time. "Wow," I said.

"I can't have fucked up nightmares if I'm awake," he explained to me.

"True enough."

"What are you doing today?"

"No idea… But I should probably head back to my room. We slept really late."

He glanced at the time. "Huh. I guess we did. Movie marathons will cause that sometimes."

"Thanks for last night. Again."

"It was fun."

"Yeah… It was… And also, thanks for… You know… What happened with… with him." I didn't want to say his name.

Dean looked haunted again. "No problem, Lily. Really. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

I nodded. Then, curiosity got the best of me. "You're freaked out," I said. "Because of him?"

He hesitated, then apparently decided to answer me. "That's part of it. What Joe did to you… It's unforgivable. The fact that he used to be someone I trusted really upsets me… I mean, there aren't a lot of people I trust, you know? But I can't let this go."

"You didn't let him tell his side. Why not?"

"His side is irrelevant. There's no excuse for what he did to you, even if he was drunk."

"You feel really strongly about this."

"Yes. I do." He didn't elaborate, and something told me I shouldn't push him. Whatever was going on in his head, he wanted it to stay private.

"Sorry if I pushed too much," I said quickly.

"It's fine…" He paused. "You don't have to leave, you know."

"You have a taping to get ready for."

"You're welcome to stay here. My room's safe. No one will bug you."

I was touched by the fact that he still seemed so intent on protecting me, but I could take care of myself, and it was time I remembered that. "I appreciate it, but I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

I walked out and headed back toward my room. I couldn't stop wondering what Dean had really been dreaming about. It clearly hadn't been angry midgets, but whatever it was had shaken him up in a way I'd never seen before. I hoped I wasn't responsible for his nightmares. What if they were about everything with Roman? What if the stress he was under because he'd taken my side against his best friend was coming out in his dreams?

I was so lost in thought, I nearly fell over Becky Lynch's luggage as she walked by me in the hallway. "Watch yerself, Lass!" Becky said to me kindly. "Are ya alright?"

"Yeah… Sorry, Becky," I replied.

"No matter… I heard about yer Ma. I'm real sorry ta hear it. I remember how close ya were ta her."

"Yeah… Yeah, it sucks."

"Ya know, if ya e'er need to ta talk, I'm an excellent listener. I'll buy tha liquor!"

That was tempting. Drinking alone was dangerous, but if I was out with another female and she watched my back, nothing bad could happen to me, right?

"Are you busy tonight?" I asked.

"I'm na' on tha card, so no," she replied. "Does that mean yer takin' me up on my offer?"

"I think so. As long as we're away from everyone… I can't deal with the rest of the roster."

"Not a problem. I'm Irish, Lass! If I can't find us a pub, I dare say, it d'na exist!"

I smiled. Things were looking up. She studied me. "Ya might want ta change, Lass. I've got tha perfect thing…" She led me into her room. I let her pick out an outfit for me because I had no idea what plans she had for tonight and I wasn't sure what I should be wearing anyway. She pulled out a brown corset with a dark green jacket to wear over it. I'd never worn a corset before in my life, but Becky had an absolutely awesome steampunk wardrobe and she was handing me the key to that treasure. How could I refuse? I figured the jacket would make me feel covered up enough. Becky found me a long, flowing green skirt that matched the rest of the outfit. She began doing my hair, braiding it and placing Steampunk goggles on my head.

"Perfect!" She declared at the end. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized myself. The outfit looked like I could be in the futuristic remake of Terror of Tiny Town, but in a good way. I actually loved the way it looked, even if I'd never imagined myself wearing something like this. "Ya were born for Steampunk, Lass," Becky informed me.

She got herself dressed in a similar outfit, but hers had cargo pants instead of a skirt. "We look hot," I admitted after she was ready.

"Well, o'cour' we do, Lass!" She laughed. "I d'na play around when it comes ta Steampunk. We'll slay tonight fer sure!"

I believed her. We headed to a bar that seemed to be a Steampunk hangout. I was relieved. Becky had made good on her word. No one from WWE was likely to stumble into this place because they weren't into this scene. I started to relax. It felt good to be in a fun setting without having to worry about my own personal monster coming after me.

Let me tell you, Becky Lynch can drink! She tossed back shot after shot and was still stone sober. I was amazed. I drank a bit more cautiously, but after a few shots of my own, I started to get buzzed.

"Just do me a favor?" I asked Becky.

"Anything, Lass," Becky replied.

"Don't leave me alone. Don't let any guys get too close to me, and don't let me out of your sight until I'm either sober or at least somewhere safe."

Becky looked concerned. She finally nodded. "Well, o'cour' I won't leave ya, Lass! I'm here for ya, remember? No worries. I'll be sure ta keep any Unwanteds far away from ya!"

I felt better after that, and I drank some more because I was pretty sure I was safe for the night. I continued drinking until I forgot why I'd started, and ultimately, I forgot everything. I lost time.

The next thing I remember, I was back in my hotel room, kneeling beside the toilet. Becky was petting my hair and whispering soothing words to me along the lines of, "That's it, Lass… Better out than in… Get it all up now…"

Eventually, I stopped throwing up. That was when I finally registered the headache. I groaned. Becky handed me some aspirin and stayed with me for a while before finally leaving me to sleep. Thankfully, it was dreamless.

I don't know how long I was blacked out for, but when I woke up, I felt better. My head still hurt, but I didn't feel sick to my stomach and I knew the alcohol had left my system. Knocking caught my attention and I groaned. That made my head hurt more. I stood up and cautiously opened the door.

"Hey," Cody said as he stood on the other side with a bag in his hands. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, letting him in. I was terrified of being alone with most guys on the roster right now, but Cody was apparently my brother, and I didn't see him trying to violate me any time soon. "What's up?" I asked.

"I brought you something," he said. He handed me the bag.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Open it up and see."

I did as he said. I was stunned as I realized what I was holding. "Oh my God… Cody, is this…?"

"His ring gear." Cody smiled at me and it lit up his entire face. "I thought you might want to have a piece of our father for yourself. You deserve that much."

I don't know if it was the gift, the reason he gave it to me, or the fact that he'd just said our father so casually and with absolute acceptance, but I started crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

I nodded, too overcome to speak for a moment. Finally, I said, "Thank you… God, Cody, thank you so much for this! Are you sure this is okay?"

He smiled again. "Yeah, I'm sure. I think he'd want you to have it."

"Really?" I was still crying. I couldn't seem to stop.

"Absolutely." Then, Cody surprised me again. He hugged me. I stiffened for a split second, but there was something so comforting about Cody that I relaxed almost immediately. It was strange to realize my older brother was comforting me, but that's exactly what was happening.

"You don't know how much this means to me," I said. "I meant it when I said I wasn't after anything from you guys."

"I know." He squeezed my shoulder. "But just because you don't want any of it doesn't mean you shouldn't have it. You're his kid, too, Lily. This is yours as much as it is ours."

I was pretty sure Dustin wouldn't agree, but I refused to ruin the moment. Instead, I hugged him again.

"Thank you," I repeated.

"You're family, Lily. I'm fine with that if you are," he said.

I nodded. "I think I can learn to accept it."

"Good. So we'll get to know each other a little bit at a time, alright?"

"That sounds good."

He looked really happy as he said, "You know, I'm excited to have a little sister."

"Really?"

"I… Well, we really… We have two older sisters, but you're the baby girl. It sucked for me being the baby, especially when my big brother wasn't always too happy I existed." He grinned at me. "You're not alone in that, either. Dustin will get over himself eventually… He really is a good guy."

I nodded. "Yeah, it sucks to be on Goldust's shit list."

"Goldust probably loves you. It's Dustin who's being stupid."

"I'll have to remember there's a difference if he ever decides to acknowledge me."

"He will. I know our brother. He'll come around."

I was still stunned at how casually Cody was accepting me as part of the family. I gave him another hug. "Want to go out for breakfast?" I asked. Suddenly, I really wanted to keep hanging out with him.

He laughed. "It's after one in the afternoon, but sure, Lily."

I blushed. "Okay, maybe lunch, then. Give me a couple of minutes to get ready and we can get to know each other a little bit more."

He smiled. "I'd love that." He waited patiently for me to get ready, and then we headed out together. It was strange knowing I was going to have breakfast with my long-lost brother, but I was warming up to the idea. I'd always been a fan of Cody's and I liked him as a person, too. Now, I was going to get to see what he was like as a member of my family. I hadn't even realized I had older sisters, too, but what I did know was that at least one of my brothers hated me. It was nice to know the other one genuinely wanted to get to know me. The least I could do was return the favor.