Title: Daddy Dearest 18/?

Catelyn was awoken one morning by Becca knocking on her door. She responded with something unintelligible and Becca took that as a sign to enter, Cheyenne on her hip. She dumped the young girl on Catelyn's bed, and pulled on the blanket. The younger woman groaned, covering her head with a pillow. Cheyenne giggled and began crawling up her half-sister's bed, trying to pull the pillow off of her.

"What do you want, Monkey?" Catelyn asked, opening an eye to stare at the small girl.

"Wanna go for walk." Cheyenne replied with another giggle.

Catelyn let her take the pillow away before turning over with a big dramatic sigh, then grabbing Cheyenne and tickling her.

"Sorry, what was that Monkey? I couldn't hear you, what did you say?"

Cheyenne giggled and shrieked as she continued trying to tell Catelyn that she wanted to go for a walk.

Becca watched them with a small smile on her face until the 2 girls had calmed down.

"Cameron's not feeling well, I hate to ask you but is there any way you can look after her while I take him to the doctor?"

"It's no problem at all, you know I don't mind." Catelyn said, grabbing her half-sister into a hug.

"I know, but I don't want you to feel obligated to baby sit any time I need help."

Catelyn shooed her out the door as she picked Cheyenne up and got out of bed. "You know I don't mind in the least. Go. Make Cam better."

Becca smiled and left the room, leaving the house moments later with Cameron. Catelyn placed Cheyenne on the bed, the little girl placing her intertwined hands on her lap as she stared up at her new big sister with adoration in her eyes.

"wanna go to the park." She cried.

Catelyn pursed her lips together as she grabbed some clothes to change into. "I dunno Monkey, you already said you wanted to go for a walk, do you really think we can do both?"

Cheyenne's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she figured out a way to get both. Catelyn laughed, messing up the little girl's dirty blonde hair. It had taken the young girl only days to warm up to her new sister and even though she had been a permanent fixture in the Michael's household for weeks now, Cheyenne still seemed to adore her, following her around everywhere. Not that Catelyn minded, in fact she loved spending time with not only her but Cameron as well, whether it be taking them to the park, the movies, or even swimming with them in the gigantic pool that was in the backyard.

"We walk to the park." Cheyenne finally decided on.

Catelyn tapped her chin, appearing to be in deep thought. "well, I guess we can do that but I'm really tired so you're going to have to pull me in your wagon today, Monkey."

Cheyenne giggled and shook her head. "No, too heavy Catey."

Catelyn's mouth dropped in disbelief. "Too heavy? You're calling me heavy. Do you know what happens to little Monkey's that call me heavy?"

Cheyenne's eyes widened in anticipation. "no, Not tickling." She shrieked as she rolled off the bed and ran out into the hallway.

The older girl quickly finished changing before charging after the youngest Michael's who was laughing and screeching all the way down the stairs. As they reached the front landing, the door opened and Cheyenne charged into Shawn who had just walked through. Catelyn pulled herself up short before she crashed into him as he bent down to pick up his youngest daughter.

"you're back." She said as he helped her regain her balance. "I didn't know you'd be coming today."

He shrugged. "my appearances were cancelled so I decided to surprise everyone. Everything okay?"

"Catey's too heavy for my wagon Daddy." Cheyenne giggled.

Catelyn stuck her tongue out at her. "I was just about to take her to the park. Becca took Cam to the Doctor's, he wasn't feeling well."

"Is he okay?" Shawn asked, immediately looking concerned.

"She didn't seem too concerned." Catelyn replied. "Probably just some bug."

"Wanna go to the park Daddy?" Cheyenne told him, tugging on his collar.

"I can take her if you wanted to relax or something."

Shawn shook his head. "no, I'll come with you guys, just give me a few minutes."

He put Cheyenne down and disappeared upstairs while Catelyn went and grabbed the wagon, and a small cooler filling it with water and some snacks. By the time she was done, Shawn was just coming down the stairs.

"Piggy back me Daddy." Cheyenne cried, reaching for Shawn.

"Hey Monkey, you promised to pull me in the wagon." Catelyn said with a mock pout.

"Daddy will." The little girl laughed.

"Monkey?" Shawn asked in amusement.

Catelyn nodded as they set off. "Yeah, she likes to climb on me whenever she can."

He nodded. "So how have you been?"

"Fine." She replied. "Texas is nice. And look at my awesome tan." She held her arm out to him.

"That's not what I meant." He told her.

She nodded and looked away. "I'm fine Shawn. Really I am."

He sighed but didn't say anymore until they got to the park. He watched them as Catelyn ran around the playground with Cheyenne, playing tag, and helping the little girl with the more advanced equipment. She would have been a good mom that was easy to see. It was sad it had to end the way it did.

Eventually Cheyenne went off to play with some of her friends and Catelyn moved to sit beside Shawn.

"You're really good with her." He said.

She shrugged. "She's a cute kid."

"Catelyn-"

"Shawn, don't. I don't want to talk about it."

"Matt's asking about you."

She pursed her lips, staring straight ahead.

"You should talk to him." He continued.

Still she stayed quiet.

"He screwed up, he gets that but you can't-"

"Yes I can." She interrupted him. "I very well can and I will. I needed him Shawn, and he couldn't even listen to me. He couldn't even hear me out. I don't want to talk to him, I just can't right now."

He finally nodded. "I think you should come back though."

"What? Why?"

He gave her a sidelong glance. "You don't think I talk to Becca?"

She frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"She told me how you seem to come alive when you're with the kids but when you're not with them, she says you close yourself off, you get very depressed."

Catelyn's frown deepened. She knew that when she had time to stop and think she did grow sad with what had happened. Despite hating wrestling at first, she had grown to… well, not love it, but like it, a small part of her did not mind it in the least. And for the first time in her life, she felt she belonged somewhere. Shawn, her father was there, Matt, her boyfriend, and the best of all, Edge, Maria, Punk, Jeff, they were her friends, she had friends there. Real friends, not those stupid snobs at the boarding schools she went to. Catelyn had never really fit in anywhere and now being away from it, she realized she did fit in somewhere, in the crazy messed up world of WWE.

But she didn't know if she could ever go back.

She didn't know if she could face everyone after what happened, she didn't know if she could stop being angry at Matt. Sometimes she knew it was irrational to be so angry with him, but a part of her also knew that it was the anger that she held onto and kept her together most days. She was afraid that if she lost that, she would completely lose it and the thin walls she had erected would come tumbling down. She could not let that happen.

"Don't you miss any of it? anyone?"

"not Ashley." She muttered, causing Shawn to smile.

"No I don't suppose you would. But the others?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." She finally said. "I've never… I've never really belonged anywhere, you know? No matter where I was I was always on the outside, I never fit in."

"Until now?" he asked.

"Until now." She agreed. "I don't know if I'm ready. I'm scared."

"You'll never know if you're ready or not until you actually take that step and do it." He told her.

She nodded, not noticing the first one and then two tears slipping down her cheek.

"Daddy." Cheyenne screeched. "What did you do to Catey?" The little girl asked running over and throwing herself at Catelyn.

"She must really like you to get angry with me." Shawn said.

Catelyn smiled and quickly rubbed away the tears. "I must really like her to let her call me Catey." She said before turning to the little girl. "I'm okay Monkey, Daddy didn't do anything to me."

"K." The little girl replied, throwing her arms around Catelyn's neck. "but don't cry Catey, I love you."

Catelyn pulled Cheyenne closer, burying her face into the little girls hair and trying to push back the tears threatening to fall. How much was she missing out on after she had made her choice? Would she have had a cute little girl like Cheyenne? Someone who loved her unconditionally? No matter what had happened in her past? Or would the child grow up to learn how it came to be and resent her for that? And the biggest question of all.

Did she do the right thing?

"You did what you thought was right."

She looked up at Shawn in surprise.

"The way you were looking, you were wondering if you made the right choice." Shawn explained. "Whether you did or not is going to be on your mind for the rest of your life but you did what you thought was right and that's all that matters Catelyn."

"You don't think I'm a horrible person?" She softly asked.

"No." Cheyenne said, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before climbing down her. "Catey is the bestest."

The little girl ran off leaving Catelyn with more tears then before. Shawn reached over, putting an arm around her.

"According to Cheyenne, she's always right, so I'd trust her on this if I were you."

She turned her face into his shoulder, letting him hold her as she sobbed.

… … …

"I'll go."

Shawn and Rebecca looked up from the movie they were watching on the TV.

"What was that Catelyn?" Shawn asked.

"Go where?" Becca asked with a small frown. Briefly she feared that Catelyn was planning to leave them for good, and she didn't like the sounds of that at all.

"Don't get me wrong. I love it here, I love Cheyenne and Cam, and Becca you've been great to me. In fact you've been wonderful. I had no idea this was how a real family functions and I would love to stay here longer so please don't think I hate it or-"

"Catelyn, you're babbling." Shawn cut her off and she gave him a sheepish look.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" Becca asked.

Catelyn took a deep breath. "With Shawn. To the WWE. I want to go back."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Becca asked with a small frown.

She shook her head. "Not at all, not in the least but if I don't go now, I don't know if I ever will."

"I'm proud of you, Kid." Shawn said with a smile, "But I leave tomorrow."

"I'm already packed. I was arguing with myself the whole time, but I got to do this." With a determined nod she left Becca and Shawn to their movie.

"you know, sometimes it's scary how much alike you two are." becca said, scrunching up her nose.

Shawn kissed the tip of her nose. "Well it could be worse."

"It could?" She teasingly asked.

"Yup, She could have ended up like her mother."

Both visibly shuddered.

… … …