Author Note: 62 reviews! That's amazing! I'd like to thank DeeMarie426, Leasha Orton, THE Kid Hardy, and LindaPipeBomb for the reviews. Well this is the conclusion to the last chapter and I hope you all enjoy it as much as the first part.

"Sometimes it's hard to let go

It's hard to move along the scars of life

Memories are blooming in the gloom

As I'm feeling so cold inside"

'One Cold Day' by: Lacuna Coil

Chapter 17: Birthday From Hell (Part 2)

Roman continued to stare at Seth, holding Rydia shaking body in his arms. She had just watched her father collapse right before her eyes. The paramedics took him to the nearby hospital with a breathing tube down his throat to assist breathing. He knew there was something terribly wrong. Mia held onto Dean for the comfort she utterly needed to stay calm in their current situation.

"So you showed..." Dean whispered.

Both Rydia and Mia looked up to see Seth standing there. His eyes held such sympathy and sorrow that the pain of their father escalated even further. Roman let Rydia out of his arms to see what she'd do. She stared into his facial expression and into his chocolate eyes. "I'm so sorry, Ry..." He started to apologize before she held her hand up to stop his words.

"Don't! Two months we've heard nothing from you at all. I've reached out to you numerous times. More than I should have obviously, because you threw it right back at me." She yelled with the river of tears still rolling down her face.

Skye stood frozen just watching the event unfold before her eyes. She wanted Seth to come to her; but she also knew that the others needed to mend their broken friendship before things got even worse. Without another thought, she took the hardest steps forward towards the tense reunion. Her hand went out to touch Rydia's shoulder.

"I'm going to head up to the hospital. Please bend this broken friendship before anything else happens to us. Your mom could use some support right now."

Before Rydia could respond to her best friend's words, Skye was already walking away with her head held low. That was not how she envisioned her night to go after she poured her heart out to hundreds of people. "She's right you know..." Mia stated straightening her posture and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I understand your problems with me now; but I'm here and ready to make amends with all of you and from the looks of things, I've you hurt you the most. Haven't I, Rydia?"

Rydia remained silent to his accusation. She turned her head to the side to avoid looking him in the eye. She didn't want to admit that his absence did hurt her on many levels within her heart. She could heart footsteps approaching her and felt a hand touch her face, escorting it to look directly at him. Seth's hand lingered on her soft skin longer than Roman liked.

"Save what you have to say. Mia and I need to go see our father." Rydia stated and walked back towards her sister.

The sisters walked away, leaving the friends in a bittersweet reunion of their own. Dean leaned against the nearest wall, while Roman sat down hunched over in a chair. His thoughts were not of what was in front of him, they were on Rydia and what she was going through. "Do you think what happened to Paul was natural causes?" Dean asked curiously.

"What makes you ask that?" Roman asked.

"It just seems like something that Nick or Bray would do to hurt them."

"If that's the case then we really need to be The Shield inside and outside the ring more than ever before." Seth replied

Roman raised an eyebrow at him. He wondered if it had to do with the time away that made him think more clearly or if it had to do with Rydia. "What's your reasoning for being here anyway, Seth?" Dean asked. Roman perked at the question, also wanting to know the answer.

"Rydia asked me to be here. She said it was Mia's birthday and that Skye was doing a gig here. I'm here because she asked me to and because I felt it was time to make amends." Seth answered.

Seth held his arm out with his hand clenched into a fist. Dean hesitated for a moment before holding his own arm out. They looked at Roman who was the most hesitant. "You need to apologize to Rydia. You are right; you did hurt her the most." Roman stated holding his clenched hand at his side.

"You have my word. I will fix our friendship."

Roman took a deep breath before holding his arm out. They had renewed their friendship and they were a unified group once more. Nick stood on the top level of the club watching them reunite. A sinister smile licked at his lips. He was pleased with the outcome of the night, except for the fact he now knew that Bray had been hiding things about Roman and Rydia's progressing relationship.

The Hospital

Mia and Rydia ran down the hall towards the service desk. Their blue eyes were bloodshot from crying so much in the moments leading up to them entering the building. The nurse eyed them instantly and took much concern in their emotions. "What can I help you with?" She asked.

"Our father was brought in here about a half hour ago. His name is Paul Chandler." Mia answered.

She worked diligently at the computer trying to find where their father was located within the vast hospital. Mia watched the woman's expression changed in a split second from hopeful to saddened. She knew then that there was something wrong. "Well it looked like he's being transferred to..."

"Mia...Rydia..." Another woman's voice addressed interrupting the nurse.

"Mom?" Rydia said questioning.

"What's wrong, mom?" Mia asked.

She couldn't form the words that needed to be said. Tears just rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably. Skye approached from behind and she wrapped her arms around the older woman in a comforting way. "He's gone isn't he?" Mia asked.

"Yes..." Skye answered.

"No! I refuse to believe that!" Rydia shouted clenching her hands into fists at her side. Her nails digging into her palms hard enough to cause her hands to bleed.

"You have to..." Karen whispered sobbing lightly.

Skye pulled the siblings closer to their mother and embraced all of them at the same time. At times she felt like a part of the family when she introduced Rydia to 'Endless Dreams'; but being there when their father died was unbearable. It should have been them there not her.

Mia let her walls crumble and allowed herself to cry for the first time. Her birthday had started out so well and ended up being a day from hell that would forever haunt her memory. Rydia twined her fingers through her younger sister's hand and held tightly. "Let's go home. There is nothing more we can do here." Their mother stated and simply walked through them.

"I'm going to head back the hotel. Someone needs to tell the others what's going on." Skye suggested.

"No, let's us do that. You need to talk to Seth. Tonight was supposed to be your big night was it not?" Mia replied.

"It doesn't matter. You guys matter more than that right now."

Mia gave her a half smile. It was the best she could muster up at that point. She appreciated Skye's honestly and her loyalty to her and Rydia; but it was something they needed her to do. "Thank you; but it's alright. Just go back and help them as much as you can with the other problem." Rydia stated pulling out her phone.

"Alright. I'll check on you guys later."

Riding in the backseat of their mother's SUV, Rydia held her phone close and tried to think of something to say to Roman before she called him. She felt cold and hollow. She wanted his warmth and his ability to make her forget all about the reality for just a little while. Her fingers swiped across the screen and tapping the icon for text message. She quickly typed in the words she wanted to say. "I want to see you."

"When? Where?" He replied.

"An hour at the park."

"Okay."

Mia looked over at her sister. She knew there was so much hurt behind the stern expression upon her face. Their father was close to both of them; but he simply was closer to Rydia because of music. He was the one who encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming a singer and was the first to congratulate her on succeeding even if it wasn't a famous band. "What are we going to do now?" She whispered and collapsed in a fit of tears on Mia's lap.

"We will get through this. We won't let this bring us down. Dad would never forgive us if we did." Mia replied running her hand along Rydia's hair.

The Hotel

Skye ran into the lobby and stopped to catch her breath only to see Seth, Roman and Dean standing there talking amongst themselves. They turned in her direction and saw her bloodshot eyes and saddened expression on her pale skin. Roman already had a bad feeling when he had received Rydia's text and seeing Skye in such a state only confirmed his suspicions.

"Skye, what's wrong?" Seth asked.

"You will find out soon enough..."

Witnessing the event herself only made things worse in her eyes. The burning sensation returned and the tears returned when she tried so hard to stay strong in front of them. Seth reached out to her, taking a hold of her hand. Her sobs tore into his heart and all he could do was hold her. He knew something was very wrong after seeing Paul collapse out of nowhere.

"Does this have to do with Mia and Rydia?" Dean asked loudly and more forcefully than he had intended.

Skye nodded her head; but refrained from saying a word or even looking in their direction. All she wanted was to stay in Seth's arms, being comforted by the one person that could make some of the pain she was feeling go away.

Roman looked at the clock over the service desk and knew it was time for him to leave and meet Rydia. He honestly didn't know what he could do to help her through whatever it was that she was going through; but he wouldn't shy away from her either. He cared about her too much to do that and he wasn't about to let her go through anything alone ever again.

"I got to go meet her." Roman stated and began to walk away from the others.

As he drove the highway to get to the location Rydia issued, thoughts of her father invaded his mind. He wondered if Dean was right about Nick actually doing that to him to breaking her down to the point of giving in. The park was lit up by solar lights along the pathways and as he pulled into the empty parking lot, he could see her swinging alone on a child's swing.

Rydia looked up at the full moon in the dark sky, thinking of ways to come out and say what happened without breaking down. Coming to that place brought back a lot of memories from her childhood that she wanted to relive, even if he was no longer there to share them with her.

"Rydia..." Roman's voice called.

"He's gone..." She replied simply.

He closed his eyes taking in what she expressed. Somehow, deep down he felt that was the case the second he saw Skye break down in front of them in the hotel lobby. She stopped swinging and stood up. Her eyes were red from crying. Brown hair flowed across the invisible air in the path of the wind surrounding them. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry for pushing you away." She said again.

"Ry...don't apologize...you are going through things a lot of people have never been through."

Rydia started to walk towards him refusing to let him make excuses for her behavior towards him as of late. Since she kissed him two months ago, she felt horrible things would happen to him if she got closer; but now the reality had finally hit her directly in the face. It didn't matter what she did, Nick and Bray would always find a way to torment her and the people she cared about.

"You are the most selfless person I've ever met. You've never given up on me when so many other would have already." She explained.

"It's because I care. I have cared about you since day one. I told you that I would protect you no matter what and I'll continue to protect you even if you..."

He stopped mid-sentence and looked directly into her eyes. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller until he was only inches away from her lips. "Even if you don't want me the way I want you." He finished. She wanted him to kiss her and hold her, make her forget about the pain of losing her father.

"I'm not going to run anymore. I've come to realize that Nick will do something even I push everyone I care about away. He just proved that tonight and it was my wake-up call."

"What are you talking about? It's like you think Nick killed your father."

"Do you really think my father died of natural causes? I don't and I need to find a way to prove it."

Roman felt like her words were a statement of a mission she was hellbent on solving herself regardless of anyone else that would get in her way. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm. This was not something he wanted to see in her. Her father had just died and she was covering it up with anger and revenge, instead of feeling the pain she needed to feel to move on.

"Ry, that's something the police can take care. You need to be there for Mia and your mother during this time."

Rydia let the anger go for a moment and the pain came flooding back inside her heart. The pain was unbearable and the burning in her eyes was a sure sign of the tears that about the burst through the threshold of her lashes. "He used to take me here when I was a child..." She whispered and in that moment a heart-retching cry was heard from her throat.

Roman pulled her into his arms and allowed her to cry. He kissed her forehead, letting her know that he still cared about her. It was almost to the point that he was somewhat convinced that he was in love with her; but he wouldn't speak on that word until he was absolutely sure that's what the feeling was. "Roman...please don't leave..." She cried pleadingly.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for as long as you need me to be."

He helped her to the backseat of his vehicle. Roman climbed in first and then escorted her in after. She lay her head on his lap. Their fingers were twined and his other hand was wrapped around her waist. It wasn't long before she fell asleep. He continued to watch her sleep until his phone began to ring. Seeing Mia's name on the I.D. he quickly answered it so as not to disturb Rydia's slumber.

"Hello..."

"Is Rydia with you?" She asked.

"Yes, she's asleep. What's wrong?"

"I was just concerned about her. She didn't tell me where she was going when she took off."

"She's fine. You have my condolences, Mia."

Mia sniffed as if she had just gotten done crying herself. "Thank you. Take care of her. If I lose her next I'll never be able to live and neither would our mother." She replied and quickly hung up the phone before Roman had a chance to reply.

"Don't worry, Mia. Nothing will ever happen to her. She's everything to me now."