Down Home Country

The last fight was brutal. It seemed like my opponent towered over me by three feet or more and during the fight, he caught me in my sore ribs. I won the match by the barest of luck. The way to win the tournament was for each match to be scored and then the score totaled. If you lost a fight, the score was zero. I won all four of my fights and the scores were enough to win the tournament by two points more than the second place winner, who had also won all of his fights. I was sore but proud as we went back home. I told Max that I was taking some time off until my ribs no longer hurt, from training with Jace. Jace loudly protested that it would be the only time he would be able to spar against me and win was while I was sore, so Margaret clocked him across the back of the head for me. I thanked her and she grinned and told me that his head isn't so big since we started sparing together.

I noticed that the handsome duo had something on their minds but figured that I could find a way to the problem once we got home. That and convincing them not to wait till the house was built to get married. I could not appreciate the irony of that. First I was the problem and now they are the problem. Max told me that I deserved it for not being able to see love sooner. I elbowed him in the ribs, hard for that. It was late when we got back so we stayed in the hotel and got breakfast at the café. I was very sore and Nick told Cathy that I had been hurt. She mother hen-ed over me until we left. Sitting in the truck on the way back, they didn't talk very much and I knew that what ever was bothering them wasn't going to be good. Finally we got to Nick's house and getting out of the truck, I grabbed an arm of each and pulled them into the house. Going into Nick's study, I closed the door behind us.

"Ok, what's wrong?" I asked.

They just looked at me and then each other and then back to me.

"We have something to tell you. You might want to sit down for this." Nick said cautiously.

I moved over to a chair and sat. I thought I might know what they wanted to talk to me about. Now that they had seen me fight, they wanted me to stop. Please don't ask me to give it up.

"We are going to be married in a month." Ryan said with trepidation in his voice. "But there is something we have to do before the wedding."

"What?" I asked with relief. Not what I thought then.

"Get to know your parents. All of us." Ryan said.

"What?!"

"We need to get to know your parents. And they need to get to know us. All of us, you me and Ryan." Nick said.

"I am not taking you to see my parents!" I yelled as I stood up. They both took a step back.

"Uh, no. You aren't." Ryan said nervously. "Actually we are taking you to see them."

I began shaking my head. "No way. I won't tell you where they are. I am out of their life and that is the way they want it. I am not going to open that heartache again. I can't believe that you would ask me too." I said angrily. "You know what I want and how they feel about me. I told you that."

"We know where they are. They are in the hotel." Nick said.

"What hotel?" I asked.

"The one in town." Ryan replied.

"I-in town?" I said stunned and I sat right back down in shock. "This town?"

"Yes, this town." Nick said. "They made a mistake and they want to fix it. They want to get to know the real you and us and we think that we should give them a chance."

I just put my head in my hands.

"How the hell would you know what they want?" I asked.

"They were at the fight. They saw you. Your father talked to us after the third match. He even asked how you were. Someone who didn't care wouldn't have asked if you were ok after taking that kick." Nick told me.

"I thought I saw them. It startled me so bad that I stumbled into that kick." I confessed.

"They want to be a part of your life. To know you and us. Can't you give them the chance?" Ryan asked.

I looked down at my lap. "No. They want something and I don't know what that is but it isn't to be a part of my life. If they wanted that then they should have taken the chance when they had it. I don't want to hurt over them anymore. I can't let them in."

I then got up and walked out of the room and the house.

++++++++++++++++++++

A week later and several arguments with the handsome duo, I was in the workout room at Ryan's when the door opened and Cotton walked in. I scowled at him as I hit the bag and he walked over and held it.

"I am not fucking going." I said angrily. "So go tell him that I wouldn't go with you this time."

"He didn't send me." Cotton said flatly.

I stopped hitting the bag.

"Then why are you here?" I asked confused.

"To talk to you." He said.

"What about? They had their chance and they didn't want it. So why would I give them another chance to hurt me again?"

"You hurt them the last time you went back. Neither of them ever expected you to leave. They thought that sooner or later you would go back to the life you left." Cotton said.

"I left that life because I couldn't be me. They wouldn't let me. Why the hell would I ever go back once I could leave it behind?" I asked amazed that Cotton was saying so much.

"Because that was the only life you knew. Even when you picked fighting as a career, eventually you would get hurt and have to give it up. There was nothing else for you except with them. The fact that you were so good at it never crossed their minds. Only I knew how good you were as I have followed your career. You are one of the best fighters I have ever seen and I am proud of you for accomplishing that." Cotton smiled a very small smile but he did smile. "They are finally ready to know the person you are and give up the person they thought you should be. Can't you give them that chance? They are sincere."

"Why are you so loyal to them?" I asked with resignation.

"You father saved my life." Cotton said softly. "I lived in a small village in Sierra Leon and saw my family murdered in front of me. I was only about ten when that happened. I was forced to become a child soldier. Several years later, I had been shot when your father came across me. He not only treated my wounds but also hid me from both sides. Once I was healed, he smuggled me out of Sierra Leon and gave me an education with a new identity. I swore that I would always follow him and I have. Your mother even accepted me when your father told her what I had been through. Your family is my family and while I may not have approved of the way you were treated, I kept my silence and protected you. Even after you left, I followed you until I knew that you could protect yourself."

I grinned. "You made sure of that before I left. How did you get daddy to let you teach me to fight?"

"I didn't ask so he couldn't say no. Later when he found out, I just told him that it was better for you to be able to defend yourself." Cotton said slyly.

I threw my head back and laughed.