A Chink in the Armor (WWE Fan Fic)#Wattys2014

Chapter 5

As he said, he brought in his bag and mine. Setting them both down, he looks at me.

"You don't bring much with you, do you?"

"Not really. I just live by the philosophy of pack light, freeze at night."

"Another thing from farm life?"

"No, military living."

He looked at me.

"Military?"

"Long story,"

"You have a bunch of those, don't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing. I just don't know you and the only thing you ever tell me when I ask about something is 'it's a long story', I have an idea. How about I tell you my story and you tell me yours?"

She looked at him nervously.

"What if I told you my life has sent men running for the hills?"

"I'd look at you and tell you I highly doubt that."

I sighed.

"I warned you."

He sat down next to me with a towel full of ice for my ankle.

"Here, before I forget," He said laying it gently on my ankle.

I smiled as he sat down next to me. I grabbed his hand, half not thinking about it. The other half of me liked his hands. Reminded me of the boys on the farm.

"I don't remember the first few years of my life. I was shuttled between grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins and a brother who barely knew me."

He looked at me.

"Where were your parents?"

"I don't know. My grandmother on my dad's side called my mother worthless and my grandmother on my mom's side called my father a deadbeat. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what happened."

He looked at me with a mixture of sadness and empathy.

"My mother's parents raised me on their farm in Omaha. I worked on it everyday until I couldn't stand. Not that I meant to do it but I would just tire myself out by working. I never left my grandparents."

"Why couldn't they get a hold of your mom?"

"My mother was reckless. She had me when she was 15 and yeah, that went over well. My grandfather was in the Marines. He told me I could accomplish anything as long as I loved it. When I told them I tried out for OWA, they were surprisingly okay with my choice as long as I didn't stop going to church and didn't stop actively pursuing other things in case I was hurt."

"Smart grandparents."

"Nah, they just wanted to make up for my mother. That's all. Anyway, my mom came around periodically when she wasn't busy being someone else's girlfriend, wife, bed buddy.. whatever and she didn't stay long. I, actually, never called her mom. I called her by her name, 'Kathy', She named me Lindsay and that was about the only thing I got from her."

"What about your dad?"

"I didn't know him well enough to call him dad either. He was a 17 year old boy who had fun with the farmer's daughter in the hayloft one night and poof here I am. I swore to my grandmother that I would not be back in Omaha until my dream was achieved. To finance my wrestling schooling, I took to waiting tables and I got caught singing one night bussing a table. The owner of the diner looked at me and told me flat out, I had the voice of an angel."

Colby looked at me.

"So, you sing?"

"Yeah I do."

"I'd love to hear you sometime." He said smiling.

"The song he caught me singing was the one I answered with at my audition when I was asked what song was close to my heart. That night, that song, my boss put me on a stage to sing. Told me all I need is a little bit of polish and I'd be good. He put me on his stage a few times. That's where I made money. He was sad to see me go when I got into FCW and told me I was one of his best waitresses and threw me a small party before I left. He gave me this."

I showed Colby my locket.

"It's beautiful."

"It has his picture in where it says Dad and my mentor, Diane's, picture where it says Mom. Those two kept me focused on my dreams when I felt discouraged. I was a long way from Nebraska and I never want to go back there."

"If you were to get famous," He started to ask me.

"It wouldn't matter. I have no one anymore."

"Why?"

"When I was in FCW last year, paying dues, I got a call. It was my grandparents' neighbor."

I started to choke up a bit.

"My grandfather, a man I adored more than anything, killed himself. He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from serving in Vietnam. He looked at my grandmother and said 'Susie, I love you and Linds a lot.' then went to the barn. From what our neighbor said, the shotgun could have been heard from miles. My grandmother couldn't go out to see him, so she called the neighbor. The neighbor came, called some friends. They took my grandfather's body to the Omaha Medical Examiner and my..."

I couldn't stop crying at this point.

"You don't have to say anything else." Colby said to me.

"There is so much more and I.." I sobbed.

"Tell me later. It's hurting you to tell me what you have. I don't want to see you in any more pain."

"Well the song closest to my heart is 'Heart Like Mine' by Miranda Lambert. After his death, I got this,"

I showed him the tattoo on my shoulder that said "Grandpa" and had a cross with a rosary on it.

"It looks awesome."

"I got it done when I turned 19 down here with some friends."

"Has your grandmother seen it?"

"She died shortly after my grandfather. They were together and their love is what I want for me. The kind that transcends time, war, sickness, and death. Look at me, I'm a mushball, aren't I?"

"Not at all, I think that's awesome. What happened to the farm?"

"It's mine. I inherited it. I'm thinking of selling off some of the unused land."

"I would like to think you'd live there when this crazy wrestling thing is finished."

"Maybe."

He kissed me gently on my lips and put his arm around me.

"I never told anyone that."

"Your secret is safe with me."

He kissed me one more time and I fell asleep in his arms.