Chapter 29

A month later, Grace was in Larry's office talking to him about something when the door flew open and Glen stood there. His breathing was uneven and he looked like he saw a ghost with an incredibly pale complexion. Grace's eyebrows furrowed as she slowly made a move to touch him, worry evident in her amber eyes. "Glen? Glen what's wrong?" She glanced at Larry, silently telling him she was going on break now instead of when she normally did, feeling him take her hand in a vise grip. "Glen, Glen please stop you're hurting me..." She was running with how fast he was walking, trying to keep up with him, wearing a denim skirt with an Undertaker tank top that was black and had the purple symbol -T with spikes- on it, black Skechers on her feet.

Sighing, Glen stopped, waiting for her to catch her breath barely before literally tossing Grace over his shoulder. Her weight wasn't a hindrance to him as he ran, people dodging out of his way. He slowed down as they approached the Undertaker's dressing room, not knocking, just throwing open the door and stepping in, a growl escaping his throat.

"PUT HER DOWN."

Grace was scared out of her mind as Glen set her down on her feet, swallowing hard, wondering what had the big man so shook up. She jumped when the door slammed shut behind them and hesitantly reached her hand out to press against his chest. "Glen, look at me." She couldn't believe how much rage was coursing through his mismatched blue eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. He wouldn't hurt her, never, but he was going to kill someone with how much anger radiated off of him. "Glen, please calm down. What's wrong?"

Paul looked up from the paperwork he was going over, paling instantly when Kane's eyes snapped on him. He was out of the chair, but not quick enough, soon finding himself pinned to the wall, shrieking. "'Taker, stop him!"

"Actually, I'm rather curious to know why he's doing this so I think I'll let him kill you first." He said, cold amusement in his tone.

"Glen, no!" Grace cried out, rushing over and grabbing his arm before he could strike her father, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Please wait and tell us what's going on. What did he do?" She was pleading with him, trembling slightly, and sighed when he reluctantly pulled away from Paul, her amber eyes flashing at her father. "This doesn't change anything. Just because I stopped him from mauling you doesn't mean I forgive you." She spat hatefully, her eyes turning warm when she stared up at Glen who was literally TREMBLING with suppressed fury. "Glen, I know it's hard for you, but can you please tell us what's wrong?"

Mark moved up behind Grace, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her away from his brother. He knew firsthand just how dangerous Glen's temper could be and how hard it was for him to keep it in control.

"Glen...I-"

"I remember." Glen whispered, his voice rugged with anger. "I remember, Paul."

Her heart began hammering against her chest violently as Mark wrapped a secure arm around her waist, blinking back at the man she considered a brother and always would. "Glen..." She whispered his name in a question, trying to break free, but Mark wasn't letting her budge. "Glen, what do you remember?" She swallowed hard, staring at her father, seeing he was as white as a sheet now as the tears built up in her amber eyes. "Glen, what is it?" She wanted to reach out for him.

"Glen." Paul whispered, licking his lips nervously. "Glen, please."

"What did you remember, brother?" Mark asked softly. Somehow, it seemed his words took the anger from Glen. He watched as Glen visibly wilted.

"You and Gracie...running, laughing." He murmured, tugging on the edge of his ever present glove, eyes on Paul though his words were for his brother. "Paul...going to the basement...I watched..."

Grace couldn't breathe suddenly, her heart stopping for a split second before her eyes darted at her father, the tears slowly cascading down her pale cheeks. Her eyes closed, hearing her and Mark's laughter echoing in her mind. It was the dream she'd had all those months ago, that made her go on this investigation to begin with, and found her boys. The love of her life.

"Glen, what else did you see?" She finally managed to ask, feeling Mark tense behind her, her father trembling slightly.

Paul's eyes were darting back and forth between Kane and the Undertaker. Seeing Kane was apparently in a daze while he recounted what he had seen and 'Taker looked ready to kill if he heard something he didn't like. He also knew Grace would never be able to stop the brothers, not for this.

"Glen, please." He whispered weakly, one last time.

"Dad and mom always lit candles for the dead...you knew that...You poured gasoline..." Glen's entire body rippled with pure hatred now. "You pierced a hole in it."

His green eyes were almost black now. "And when I lit that small fire..." He could remember teasing Glen, holding the burning newspaper in his hand, waving it back and forth in his brother's face when everything just...exploded. "The fumes caught flame...Very clever Paul, nobody would have noticed the scent down there, would of they?"

Paul was screaming for Heaven to save him when they both attacked.

To say she was in a daze was an understatement. Grace could only stumble back and landed on her ass, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to digest what she just heard. Her father...had caused the fire? Her father had killed Mark and Glen's parents and completely brainwashed them, using Mark's faded memory as a tool, a weapon. Slowly rising to her feet, she watched as the brothers completely destroyed her father, shaking her head back and forth as if trying to deny the truth. She knew though. Mark hadn't started that fire. Paul had, her own father, had killed and ripped away the most important people in her life.

"You killed them..." She whispered brokenly, dropping to her knees again. "Y-You killed them..."

Paul's shrieks had not gone unnoticed and security and wrestlers were streaming into the room, including Steve who instantly pulled Glen away. It took several men for each brother, all silent when they seen what had been Paul. Had because he resembled...a murder victim, though he lived.

It was a relief of course to know he hadn't murdered his parents. Though it was depressing because he almost had murdered their killer and BEEN STOPPED. "LET GO!"

Glen threw Steve off of him.

"He killed them...He killed their parents..."

Grace couldn't take it and rushed out of the room, colliding with Larry and shoved him away as she ran out of the arena, tears flying behind her. She had to get out of here, she had to leave. Grace felt the cool wind assault her tear streaked face as she dropped to her knees, not caring if she scratched them, and let the heart breaking sobs tear through her body. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her father, the blood of a killer, ran through her veins. He had killed Mark and Glen's parents, who had treated her like a daughter, and Grace had loved them too.

"NO!" She screamed out, the pain and agony clear as day in her voice.

"Grace? Grace, come on, come on you got to get back in there." Trish said, running after her. She dropped in front of her friend, shaking her by the shoulders. "Grace, you have to calm Mark and Glen down! The cops are on their way and if those two don't stop, they'll be in jail, then prison for murder. Come on!" She tried pulling Grace on her feet.

Hearing those words, Grace knew she had to pull it together and slowly got to her feet. She stared into Trish's worried brown eyes and promised to explain everything later before taking off back inside. She seen Mark and Glen had laid out nearly the entire security team, swallowing hard, and walked over against her better judgment. "Mark..." She softly called and touched his arm, not expecting the hand to fly back and backhand her across the face. Grace crumbled to the floor, holding her cheek, more tears cascading down her cheeks as the pain exploded throughout the entire side of her face.

"Grace!" Steve let go of Glen to rush to her, picking her off the floor, nodding to Trish who cleared a path by elbowing and kicking anyone who got into her way. "Come on sweetheart, let's go get some ice."

"Shit, hell...damn..."

Trish had a bad habit of cussing incoherently when she was upset, Steve ignored it.

Grace could only lean against Steve, too busy seeing stars before her eyes, and cradled the side of her face as he rushed her down the hallway toward the trainer's room. "Mark...Glen..." She started crying, sounding weak, Larry flying in moments later after Trish went to go get him. She had a laceration on her cheek and the entire left side of her face was quickly swelling, turning black and blue. Grace couldn't stop crying and gripped Steve's hand, Trish on her other side. She still couldn't believe and couldn't wrap her mind around what her father had done. "He killed them..."

"Well he'll regret it, providing he ever regains consciousness." Larry said flatly, having left his staff behind to handle Paul. 'Taker and Kane were currently being escorted out of the building by security, the police waiting outside the doors to take over. "Let me look Grace..." He said, gently examining her cheek, knowing no matter how tender he was it would hurt. He felt to make sure the cheekbone wasn't broken or cracked. "It feels alright, we should probably do an x-ray to be on the safe side. Just to make sure nothing was chipped."

Her cheekbone wasn't cracked, but it was heavily bruised. The black, blue and purple mix was nasty and marred her beautiful porcelain skin. After she was released from the hospital, Steve and Trish drove Grace back to the hotel. Steve had demanded she stay with them in their suite and Grace could only numbly nod. Her eyes closed as she replayed that day back in her mind, over and over again. Her father...he had poured gasoline. She remembered Mark's parents did rituals in the basement, which they called the morgue, for certain families who didn't believe in god. Grace could only cry as Trish lead her up to their room, Steve following suit, both having gotten her bags from the arena.

"I-I want to be alone." She whispered and didn't give them time to respond before walking into her room, slamming the door shut, and flipped the lock on it. Collapsing on the bed, Grace could only sob.

"What the hell happened to her?" Trish demanded once Grace was in her room, turning to Steve. She hadn't seen the backhand, she hadn't made it to the room in time, she'd only seen Steve nod at her.

"'Taker...he slapped her out of his way."

"No, you must have seen the wrong hand, he-"

"He backhanded her, Trish."

~!~

Her eyes slowly fluttered open the following morning, hot tears flowing down her cheeks and winced instantly as she held her injured one, taking sharp breaths. Her mind replayed the night's events and all Grace could do was cry all over again, burying her face in her hands. The words of Glen replayed in her mind, explaining what her father had done. Mark may have started the fire, but her father initiated it. He wasn't a monster and he didn't kill his parents, Paul did! Grace was angry, very angry, and slowly slid from the bed to examine her face. She knew not even the thickest makeup could cover it up and sighed heavily, wiping her tears away, still in her denim skirt and tank top.

Trish yawned when she heard a steady rapping, no it was a pounding, knock on her door. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, giggling when Steve told her to get her ass back under the covers. She wrapped a robe around herself and went to answer the door, covering her mouth with her hand and then slammed it shut, shrieking when the pounding became banging, the door vibrating.

"Who is it?"

"Mark..."

The door opened as Grace stepped out, stopping Steve in his tracks with her hand on his arm. "I got it." She whispered, slowly walking over and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Her eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot while her face was marred by the ugly bruise on her left cheek, a white band aid on it to keep the cut from getting infected. Reddened amber stared back at piercing emerald green and Grace couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks even if her life depended on it. At least he was alright, that was all she was worried about, and she had a feeling Glen was too, physically anyway.

His eyes took in the bruise marring the left side of her face, green eyes unreadable. He looked past Grace, seeing Steve standing there in just a pair of shorts, apparently ready to defend her if necessary, it almost made him smirk. Almost. He had no emotion to smirk, no emotion for anything, not right now.

"I told you," He whispered. "I'm no good for you."

"Y-You didn't mean to do this." She whispered, reaching out to touch him, only for him to pull back. Her heart shattered in her chest, knowing what was going to happen and she couldn't stop it. He wasn't a monster, but he also didn't want her anymore. Grace felt sick to her stomach and leaned against the wall, feeling very weak since she'd barely gotten any sleep. "I love you...no matter what." She whispered, closing her eyes, every part of her body convulsing in silent sobs.

"I know you do." He said flatly. "And that's the reason I'm walking away. I could snap on you Grace, this bruise-" Mark reached out to caress it, hearing her hiss softly from the pain. "This could be a love tap to what could happen. Last night proved that. I will NOT let it happen again."

For once in his life, Steve liked the guy.

She couldn't even breathe, her heart felt like it was giving out on her, and all she could do was nod. No words came from her mouth, knowing she couldn't say anything to change his mind. He was going to leave her, again, and shatter her all over again. No matter how much pleading she would do, no matter if she got on her hands and knees and begged him, Grace knew he would still walk away.

"I'm leaving the WWF." She told him in a monotone voice, her eyes locking with his. "You won't ever have to see me again, I promise. Goodbye Mark." She then turned and walked back into her room, pressing her back against the door as she crumbled.

He made a move to chase after her, freezing when Steve and Trish both glared at him and went to walk out, knowing nothing more had to be said.