CHAPTER TWENTY

MOLLY

Molly was talking to her Sire as Sellie was explaining things to Johnny. "Sire, I have been instructed by the King of the Almighty Undead to tell you something," Molly began.

"Mark's in town? What's up, Offspring?" Dean asked, instantly alert. The Undertaker only showed up when shit was about to go down.

"I went to see the Egg Donor, but she wasn't home. Instead, there was a tiny and bouncy Uso and a slightly angsty but overall pretty cool child of a Deadman."

Her Sire, as always, understood exactly what she was saying. "Oh, Offspring..." He sighed. "Are you okay? That had to be weird."

"I guess... It doesn't matter right now. I remembered some stuff, Sire... The Egg Donor... She has a hand problem."

"I know. You were bruised up when she left you with me. The doctors said the bruises could have come from a kid being a kid, but..." He hesitated. "I know what child abuse looks like. And then there were your old injuries that showed up on scans... It's part of what Sellie used to get me sole custody. I would have killed the bitch, but I had no idea where she lived."

"Speaking of the Avenging Lawyer, she's here. Mark brought her." She chose to ignore the fact that he'd known. It didn't really surprise her. He always knew.

"He's going for custody of his kid?"

"Yeah. Tonight. Dillon... the kid... he's hurt. She hits them, too."

"What about the other one? You said it's an Uso?"

"Johnny's. He's coming, too."

"Coming? Molly, are you going with them?"

"Yes. Randi, the Uso baby, called me for help... They're just kids, Sire, and they don't know their own sires. Randi doesn't even know the man who raised her isn't her father... They're fans, and they trust me. I need to do this."

"Not alone. I'm coming."

"You have a restraining order against her."

"Fuck that. You need me."

Molly knew it was useless to argue. Five minutes later, she got in the car with her Sire, Mark, and Sellie. Johnny was driving behind them. Unsurprisingly, he'd brought Josh and Joe with him. The snobby gated community was about to be invaded by wrestlers. Under any other circumstances, it would have been funny.

A third car joined them at the gate. Sellie got out of the car and the passengers in that vehicle explained why they were there. The man had a badge. The woman with him flashed her identification. Molly realized Sellie had brought a social worker and a cop with their entourage of wrestlers. This was really happening. She was about to blow Randi's world apart. Was that fair to the kid?

It's better than leaving her to be abused, she told herself. She was vaguely bothered by the idea that the kid might grow to hate her because of this, but she could deal with that as long as she was safe.

They rang the bell. It was Katie who opened the door. Upon seeing everyone, she looked confused. "Molly?" She asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what is this about?"

"I'm not here for you," Molly said coldly. She felt her Sire squeeze her hand. It gave her strength. "We're here to liberate my siblings."

"Your...? I... You know?"

"That your ring rat ways resulted in two more offspring? Yeah, I know. And so do their sires."

Mark stepped out of the shadows, followed by Johnny. "I... Mark? What are you doing here?" Katie stuttered.

"I've come for the son you neglected to tell me about," Mark said.

"You have no right! Where do you get off, showing up here in the middle of the night?!"

"You hit my son, and he's coming with me."

"What? Who told you that? I do not hit my kids!"

"Then you won't mind if I come in and check on him?" The cop asked. "And if Ms. Raymond here talks to both of the children?"

"This is absurd!" Katie knew she couldn't stop a cop from going into her home, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. She growled out, "They're asleep."

The officer ignored her. "Kids? My name is Officer Stevens. I'm here to help. It's okay to open the door," he said.

The door opened an inch. Randi peaked her head out before seeing Molly and the others. She squeaked out, "Holy moly, it's Wrestlemania in my house!" Then she opened the door the rest of the way.

Johnny's eyes filled with tears at the sight of her. "Hi," he said, dropping to his knees. "You must be Miranda... I'm-"

"Jimmy Uso! Omigod-omigod-omigod!" Randi shouted. Apparently, she could tell the Usos apart. She ran up to him and shouted "Uce!"

"So!" Josh replied because Johnny seemed stunned into silence.

Randi proceeded to greet everyone, including Mark, with huge hugs. Even he cracked a slight smile at that.

"You brought all your friends!" Randi said as she hugged Molly. "And your dad!"

Molly nodded. "Yeah... We're here to help you guys. Where's Dillon?"

Randi took Molly's hand and led her into the room. Dillon sat on the bed clutching his head. He looked up at them sadly. Mark stiffened when he saw him.

"Are you alright?" Mark asked.

Dillon stared at him. Finally, he said, "Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Let me see your head," Officer Stevens said. He checked the wound. "It stopped bleeding, but you need to see a doctor, just in case you have a concussion... Can you tell me what happened, Dillon?"

Dillon hesitated. He looked behind them. Molly turned, knowing Katie must be there. "It's okay, Dillon," Molly said. "You don't have to be scared."

"I hit my head," Dillon said quickly.

"How?" Officer Stevens pushed.

"My..." He looked at Molly and that seemed to help. "My mother hit my head into the wall."

"Son, I know we literally just met, but I want you to come with me," Mark said.

Dillon's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?" He looked at Randi. "I... I can't."

"Hey, Baby Girl," Joe said to Randi, figuring out why Dillon was hesitating. "How would you like to come with us tonight?"

Randi turned to Katie. "Can I, Mommy?" She asked.

"No! You most certainly may not!" Katie declared.

Molly wondered if they could use Joe to distract Katie. Surely she'd love to add Roman Reigns to her list of conquests. If he turned on his Samoan Smolder, Katie would probably be too busy dry-humping him to notice them leaving with the kids.

"You have no right!" Katie continued yelling. "These are my children! You have no proof!"

"Have you looked at them?" Josh demanded. "They look just like their fathers."

"I am a good mother! You can't take them away from me!"

"Good mothers don't beat up their kids," Dean said. "And I have Molly's medical records to prove it's a theme with you."

"You can't take them! They're mine!"

She never would have fought like this for me, Molly thought.

"Molly, tell them! I'm a good mother!" Katie begged.

"Are you serious? You abandoned me. I barely remember you. And what I do remember is you hitting me and locking me in closets so you could-" She looked at Randi and stopped. "Your record isn't good."

"Molly... Baby, please, you can't let them do this to me."

Molly was fed-up. "You know what? Come with me," Molly said. She dragged Katie away, giving the rest of them time to deal with the kids.

"Oh, Molly... Please, let me explain," Katie began.

"Just tell me this... Why'd you keep them?" She had to ask. She needed to understand...

"I... They were easier."

"They didn't fight back. Got it."

"Molly, you're just like your father... I didn't know what to do with you."

"So why try so hard to find me now?"

"I wanted to know you."

"Tell the truth! For once, cut the crap and tell me the truth!"

"I need money," Katie admitted.

Molly stared at her. She wasn't surprised, but it was still hard to hear. "Go on," Molly said.

"My husband left me. He won't pay child support."

"She's not his kid."

"I have nothing. Money is running low. My parents cut me off when he left. Miranda has medical bills."

"I'd pay for the kid. So would her father. But I won't give you a dime."

"Molly-"

"We're done here."

Ms. Raymond guided Randi and Dillon out. "You can't take them! You can't prove they are their fathers," Katie insisted.

"We'll be running tests for that," Sellie said firmly. "In the meantime, the children will be in the custody of Ms. Raymond."

"You can't take my babies!" Katie tried to reach out to stroke Dillon's cheek. He flinched. Molly grabbed her hand and twisted her arm until Katie cried out in pain.

"Try that again and I'll break it," Molly said.

"Offspring, not in front of the cop," Dean said, but his face said he firmly agreed with her words. She released Katie's arm reluctantly.

"Mommy... What's going on?" Randi asked. "Is it true? Is Dad not my real father?" She looked confused as well as vulnerable. Molly was tempted to scoop her up in her arms and tell her it would be okay, but she had no idea where the impulse came from. She barely knew the kid and was not an overly maternal person.

"Miranda is sick! She needs me," Katie said.

"Whatever medical help she needs will be provided," Ms. Raymond said.

"What's wrong with you, sweetheart?" Johnny asked gently.

"I get sick a lot," Randi said awkwardly. "And when I get cut, the bleeding takes a really long time to stop. It's called Van Willy...um... Van Willy... What's it called again?"

It was Dillon who clarified, "She's got Von Willebrand Disease... It's a pretty rare bleeding disorder, but it's manageable if she's careful. As for her getting sick, the doctors don't know what's causing it. She's had stomach issues for a couple of years."

"We'll find out," Johnny promised. He hugged her and looked so natural holding this little girl, Molly knew he'd be a great father to her. He was clearly already in love with the kid.

"I have rights!" Katie cried.

"These kids have rights," Sellie said. "And those rights include not being abused. Their medical records should be all the proof I need." Softer, so the children didn't hear her, she added, "When I'm through with you, these kids will never have to see you again."

Johnny carried Randi out. She looked at her mother in tears, but clung to him. Finally, she buried her face in his shoulders. Molly could hear him singing a lullaby she recognized softly to soothe her. It was Samoan. Joe had sung it to her a few times over the years.

Dillon walked out behind Mark. He refused to look at Katie as he left. Finally, Molly looked at the woman who'd brought her into the world and said, "I'm the luckiest of the three of us... And I'm going to make damn sure you never hurt them again. If you try to contact me, I'll do a lot more than use a fork on you. Stay out of our lives." With that, she walked away from Katie for what she hoped would be the very last time.

TRIXIE

Trixie couldn't sleep, so she was wandering the streets near the hotel. She heard a struggle and instinctively headed toward it.

"Why don't you go rape someone like your father, Danny?" An older wrestler was taunting him.

"Yeah, it's the only way you'll get any!" Another added. Trixie recognized them. They'd been on the main roster for a decade or so and were both eternally midcarders.

"Baby rapist!" The first shouted. He was restraining Danny, but Danny shifted easily and hit him square in the jaw. Both wrestlers now attacked him, kicking him repeatedly as Danny tried to escape. They simply kicked him harder.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Trixie shouted.

The two older guys jumped away from him. "He deserves it," one mumbled. "He's a piece of shit like his rapist father."

"He's a human being and you need to back the hell off of him! He isn't his father."

"Suit yourself if you wanna get raped," the other one said. They left.

Trixie knelt beside him. "Danny? Oh my God... Are you okay? You're bleeding!" She said in horror.

Danny looked at her in confusion. "Why the fuck do you care?" He asked. "I was awful to you."

"Just because you bullied me doesn't mean someone has the right to bully you," Trixie said. She pulled out a tissue and tried to wipe some of the blood off of his head.

Danny really looked at her then, as though trying to figure her out. "You're not afraid of me?" He asked. "Everyone else is looking at me like I'm out to violate every girl in sight."

"You aren't your father, like I said to those idiots. And how can anyone expect you to be a good guy if no one ever gives you a chance?"

He touched her arm as she applied pressure to another wound. "Thank you," he said finally. "I don't deserve it."

"Maybe now you'll be nicer to people," Trixie said. "Come on. Let's get you to a hospital."

"I can manage."

"Not by yourself, Tough Guy. I'm going to make sure you get taken care of." The hospital was only a few blocks away. Trixie walked with him. Danny stumbled a couple of times, but mostly managed to walk by himself. Trixie kept her word and stayed until the sun came up and Danny was released.

"I'm sorry," Danny said suddenly.

"For what? It was my idea to stay," Trixie said.

"For being such a dick to you. You didn't deserve it."

Trixie smiled at him. "See? You already learned something! Just keep applying the lesson and we're good... Friends?"

Danny shook his head. "You are one unusual girl, Trixie... Fine. Friends."

Trixie was exhausted when they got back to the hotel, but she felt better. For the first time in days, she felt like herself again. She knew who she was. She knew who her family was. It was time to stop avoiding them. She curled up on her bed and took a nap, promising herself she'd touch base with all three of her parents later that day.