Knowing that there would not be any more sleep for her tonight, Kali got up and went into the kitchen. She filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to heat. As she waited, she thought back to the events that had happened a little over a year ago.
***********
After leaving behind a bad realationship, Kali packed what she could fit in her car and headed for Las Vegas. Her sister had invited to her to stay with her and her family until Kali was back on her feet again. She was more than willing to accept her offer. The town where she had lived proved to bring her nothing more than misery. Kali soon settled in and landed a job at one of the best tattoo shops in Vegas. She loved her work there....Seeing someone's eyes light up after seeing the finished product was something she had yet to tire of. Kali became very comfortable in her routine......until the the night he came into the shop and turned her life upside down.
*************
Dragon Eyes Tattoo was open twenty-four hours a day, so it was no surprise to Kali when the bell above the door tinkled to announce the arrival of a customer.
"I'll be right with you." She called from the back where she was working on a new design that she was anxious to finish. With a sigh, she quickly washed her hands and headed out to the front of the shop.
She was stopped dead in her tracks...the "hello" stuck in her throat. The man's back was turned to her so that she could not see his face, but what she could see, she definatly liked. Tight black t-shirt and jeans clung to him like a second skin....Shiny, dark auburn hair hung loose past his shoulders in silky waves. The man was huge...well over six foot, with legs that seemed to have no end to boot.
Finally she found her voice and choked out the words, "Hello, How can I help you."
As he turned around, Kali felt her knees go weak. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. His long hair framed his face, setting off the most amazingly clear green eyes. He caught her stare and gazed at her...his eyes burning with intensity that simmered right below boiling. After moments of silence, he spoke.
"The question is, Kali.....How can I help you?"
Kali was stunned. She had never seen this man before in her life. There was no way he could know her name...but, yet, she had just heard it come right from his mouth. Something was weird....very weird.
"What the....How did you know my name?" Kali asked him, a mixture of confusion and amazement clouding her eyes. "And more important....Who the Hell are you?"
He looked deep into her eyes....So deep that she could feel his gaze penetrate her soul. As she closed her eyes, she saw bits and pieces of a memory....she saw this man...then herself...and a horrible car accident. Everything was all jumbled together and she was very confused by the whole situation.
"I am the Undertaker." he said, his deep, smooth voice sending vibrations straight to her heart. "You've had your first flashback....Pay close attention to the memories as they come back....they hold the key to any questions I cannot answer."
Kali looked at him through narrowed eyes, trying to understand what he had just said. After moments of silence, she said, "Let me get this straight...You and I know each other from the past, and seeing you again triggered the vision that I just had?" She waited for his response, but when he said nothing, she continued.
"This is a little hard to fathom. I mean, if I had known you in the past, I hardly think I would have forgotten someone that looks like you." Kali said as she once again ran her eyes up, then down his body. "I don't know what your game is, but I'm not playing it."
The Undertaker looked at her....he alomost had a look of...desperation in his eyes. He had to make her believe.
"Maybe you'll believe this then, Kali." he said as he turned around. He pulled his shirt out of his jeans and lifted it up to reveal his tightly muscled back...there right in the middle, was a tattoo of the design she had been working on.
Kali sucked in a sharp breath....It looked exactly as she imagined it would. "Where did you get that?" She whispered.
"Kali, you gave me this tattoo three years ago."
"I think you must be mistaken...I only started working here a few months ago." Suddenly she felt very light headed as another memory flashed through her mind. It was a tattoo shop, much smaller than this one....the lighting was dim....And there was laughter coming from both the artist and the customer....Her laughter??? She looked deeper into the memory...The customer was him...The Undertaker. She could see his eyes...they glowed with happiness...He looked at her with love and appreciation. Kali looked closer at the tattoo......It was the same one that she had just seen on his back here in the present. The intials KJM and the year 1995 were underneath in small letters.
Kali shook her head, clearing the vision away. She stared at his back for a long time...Seeing the KJM and 1995...but not wanting to believe it. She couldn't figure out why she couldn't remember the Undertaker or giving him that tattoo....And if she had the idea for the design three years ago, what made her forget about and then suddenly remeber it again.
She wracked her brain trying to remember more....Wanting to remember more so bad that she became exhausted from the effort.
"This is all very confusing....For the life of me, I cannot remeber you or anything else that has to do with you....I'm terribly tired now, and my shift is over soon, and I still have to pick up my daughter from the sitters....A thirty mile drive one way."
The Undertaker got a strange far away look in his eyes....He had been told that the baby had died.
"Your daughter....how old is she?" He asked, having to know.
"She'll be three next month...Why??" She replied, curiosity filling her eyes.
"No reason...Little ones are so cute at that age." Three years old....the baby had lived after all. This was certainly very surprising to him.
"You better be going then. Kali...Can I see you tomorrow?"
Kali was surprised to hear herself say yes almost immediately. She felt that it was very important that she talk to him and learn more.
The next morning as Kali went to wake her sleeping daughter, memories once again flooded her mind. It was the day that Amanda was born. She remembered seeing her for the first time...she was a beautiful baby. Dark red hair... long, slim fingers, crystal clear green eyes, and a delicate turned up nose.....then it hit Kali like a ton of bricks...She sank to her knees, all the air escaping her lungs as she realized that the mysterious man from last night....The Undertaker.....was Amanda's father....
*********
Three hours later, Kali waited for the Undertaker in a small downtown coffee shop. She had called her sister before leaving and and questioned her about Amanda's father and why he was never mentioned in any of their conversations. Tasha denied knowing anything about The Undertaker....Saying that she had never meet the man and that he died three years ago. Even after Kali gave her a detailed descrption, Tasha denied ever meeting him....Much less ever seeing him. Kali was so confused....why would Tash knowingly lie to her....What was she hiding....And why couldn't Kali remember any of it....Certainly she would have known if the man who was the father of her daughter had died.
"Jesus..." Kali muttered to herself and took a sip of her coffee. "What a damn mess." Moments later she looked up to see The Undertaker walking towards her.
"Kali...How are you?" He said as he bent over and kissed her softly on the cheek.
"Confused...so very confused." She replied.
"Have you remebered anything else?"
Kali was silent for a long time, trying to find the ~right~ words. Finally she just came right out and said it.
"You are my daughter's father. She looks just like you...I realized it this morning."
The Undertaker took her hand and said, "Yes, she is my daughter."
Hearing the words out his mouth further stunned Kali. She still could not remember anything about this man and it was very upsetting to her
"Where have you been the last three years?" She asked him. "I mean, was it a one-night thing or were we planning to be together?"
"We were very much in love, Kali. We were to be married the day after Amanda turned a month old. You gave me the tattoo as a wedding present the night before the ceromony was to have taken place."
"We were never married...What happened?"
"Well, although you and I were very much in love, your family didn't approve of me or my choice of career...professional wrestling. Like I said, the night before the wedding, you gave me the tattoo, then we picked up Amanda and headed home. About a mile from home our car was deliberatly run off the road, causing it to roll four times."
"That's the accident that I saw in one of the flashbacks." Kali said, beginning to understand. "Tell me more."
"While no one has ever been arrested for the crime, I know deep down that is was your sister's husband that almost killed all of us that night."
"How do you know?" Kali asked him.
"He hated me the most. He had fallen in love with you, Kali. Knowing how much you loved me, he knew that he would never have a chance with you. So....thinking that if he could get rid of the road bocl, the highway would be free to travel."
"Okey...but why would he run the car off of the road with me and Amanda in there? I mean, if I had been killed, then he certainly would not have had a chance."
"Well, the original plan was that we would be traveling in seperate cars that night. Myself in my car....you and Amanda in yours. However, upon leaving the tattoo shop, we found your car to have a flat tire....So you came with me, then we picked up Amanda and headed home."
"What happened after the accident?" Kali asked him.
The Undertaker took a long swallow of his coffee and then continued. "We were all serioulsy injured. I was in a coma for months. You suffered severe head trauma, causing you to lose your memory....And I was told that Amanda had been killed...which I now know was a lie."
"Were we all in the same hospital?"
"Only for a few days. Then your family had you and Amanda transferred to a private hospital. Once they had you away from my presence, they began to help you remember.....But only what your family wanted to remember."
Kali sat back in her chair with a heavy sigh. She could not believe her family was the root of all this confusion and heartbreak. After a few moments of silence, The Undertaker continued to speak.
"Let me ask you this....Do you remember my brother Kane? You and he became very close and he was especially attached to his niece."
Kali closed her eyes and let the memory run it's course. She saw a huge man....a little taller than the Undertaker, but their looks were incredibly identical. He cradled a tiny baby in one massive arm that was no doubt Amanda. The man smiled down at the baby, a tear glistening in one eye.
"I remember..." Kali said. "Where is he now?"
"He's a wrestler like myself, but right now he's here with me in Las Vegas. Kane wants you to come home as much as I do"
"Take me to him." Kali said, getting up from her chair. "I want to see him."
As the Undertaker drove her to the hotel to see Kane, Kali kept sneaking peeks at his profile. She found it easy to understand how she could have fallen in love with him. He was by far the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes on. When he moved, it was with the gracefullness of a pather. She found herself imagining what he would be like in bed. Couldn't have been too bad if she was set to marry him three years ago. She thought that he still cared for her and wondered if she would ever love him again.
Kali looked down and saw that he had taken her hand into his. she was overwhelmed by the warmth that flowed through him. Kali felt her heart rate speed up when she realizedjust how right his touch felt. She looked up at him and found him to be staring at her. She willingly fell into his eyes and began to drown in the green pools. The Undertaker quickly looked away, realizing that they were still in the car and that he was driving. Keeping his eyes on the road, he said, "Kali, something just happened there."
"I know..." She whispered. "I felt it too."
********
While the Undertaker went into his and Kane's room, Kali waited anxiposlu out in the hallway. Taker was going to tell Kane that he had a surprise for him. ~A big surprise~ Kali thought to herself as she waited. Finally Taker stuck his head around the corner of the door. Grabbing her hand, he led her into the room.
"Kane...take a look for yourself. I would not lie to you, brother." Undertaker said. It was quite apparent that kane had become upset at the mention of Kali. But slowly he looked up at the woman standing next to the Undertaker. The look of shock and disbelief on Kane's face was soon replaced by happiness. Kane walked over to Kali and gently hugged her. Then said, "Welcome home, Kali. I've missed you."
"You know what else Kane? We have another surprise for you. Kali, please tell him who else is going to be showing up here shortly." A smile brightened Kali's face at the thought of being able to share such good news.
"I think you better have a seat, Kane. This is going to be quite shocking." Kane did as he was told then Kali continued. "Kane, your niece is still alive. As a matter of fact, my sitter is on her way over here with Amanda as we speak."
"I....I can't believe it...." Kane finally managed.
"It's true, brother. I'm just as excited as you...I haven't seen her yet either." The Undertaker replied.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, there was a knock on the door. Taker and Kane exchanged glances, then both looked at Kali.
"Well? you going to open the door sometime today, Taker?" Kane asked, an expectant look in his eyes.
"I'll take care of this." Kali said as she slipped out the door, making the two brothers wait just a bit longer. She quickly paid Jenny, her baby sitter and thanked her for once again watching Amanda. Then she opened the door, where one man was waiting to meet his niece...the other, his daughter.
****************
The afternoon spent with the Undertaker and Kane had been pure pleasure. It had also been a time of rediscovery. Amanda took right up with the men. An invisible bond drew her to her father. After they had been in each others company for about two hours, Amanda climbed up into his lap and pulled a lock of his hair over his shoulder examining it. Next she pulled his face down so she could look him in the eye, staring for a few minutes, then sat down in his lap. She looked at her mother and said "Him has my hair, and me has him eyes!" thoroughly pleased with her discovery.
Kali was smiling at her child, then happened to glance up to find his eyes on her. It was several minutes before that contact was broken, and then Kane had to clear his throat several times to do it then.
"Ok, so what are you going to do now?" Kane asked once he had their attention.
"I don't know! All I can think of is taking this one step at a time. Beyond confronting my family, I don't know. One thing's certain, we can't stay there any longer." Kali watched as Taker played with his daughter. Getting up, she walked over to where Kane was standing near the door. "I dreamed about you. For a year or so, now. I've dreamed about you!"
Kane didn't say anything. He watched his brother playing with the little girl that look so much like him. "My brother loves you, you know. He never stopped loving you! Even after they told him you and Amanda were dead, he never stopped. He never gave up, either. Never believed you two were dead. Said he didn't feel it. Said he'd know it if y'all were gone. He just didn't believe it." Kali listened as Kane talked softly of things that happened after the wreck that nearly killed them all.
Kali finally had to leave just before dark. As she drove across town to her sister's house, a cold anger such as she had never known, consumed her. How dare they keep this from her! Her sister and brother-in-law had a lot of explaining to do!
Amanda fell asleep half way there and was still asleep when Kali pulled into the driveway. Carrying her inside, she took her to their bedroom, laying her on the bed and covering her with the spread. The child turned over in her sleep, pulling the spread over her head. Standing beside the bed, Kali saw another red head in another bed, sleeping, covers pulled over his face in the same way her childs face was covered now. The memory hit her so hard, she gasped and grabbed on to the foot post of the bed. Kali knew she had to find out the truth! She had to find out why her family lied to her all this time.
"Kali, when did you get home?" Tasha asked, smiling as she finished cutting up vegatables to go into soup.
"Just came in. Tell me about Amanda's father!" Kali watched her sister barely miss cutting her finger with the razor sharp knife.
"I don't know what to tell you! He died." She wouldn't meet Kali's suspicious gaze, her hands had begun to tremble.
"Why are you lying to me? I have a right to know about Amanda's father, and IF he's dead, what's the harm in telling me about him?" Kali challenged her.
"Kali, I swear, I don't understand. What's gotten into you?" Tasha had turned toward the sink,washing her hands, her back to Kali.
"What hospital were we taken to? You can tell me that, surely!" Kali's voice was deceptively soft. Her eyes bright with anger.
"Kali,... I....." Tasha didn't know what to say. Her husband would kill her if she said anything.
"Don't!.... I don't want to hear any more lies!" Kali's temper made her voice tight,.... cold.... that of a stranger. "I thank you for taking Amanda and me in, but I'll not hinder you any longer." Kali went back down the hall to the bedroom she shared with her little girl.
Grabbing a bag out of the closet, she threw what clothes Amanda and her would need for a couple of days, then grabbed stuff off the dresser, adding this to the bag. Tasha was standing in the doorway, crying and wringing her hands.
"Please Kali, don't do this! Stay here with us! You and Amanda have a home here!"
"NO! This is no longer our home." Kali is furious! "I'll be back for the rest of our stuff tomorrow. When you're ready to tell me the whole truth, and I mean ALL of it, then you can reach me at work." Kali picked up her still sleeping daughter, their bag, and put them in the car.
"Kali, please!" Her sister was nearly hysterical, standing in the doorway of the house.
"When you want to talk, call me at work!" Kali said coldly.
Kali backed the car out of the driveway, and headed back across town. Back to the motel where Taker and Kane were staying. She didn't know where else to go.
***************
Kali handed the sleeping child over to her father and then picked up the bags that she dropped in front of the door before knocking. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stay there any longer and I didn't know where else to go. I promise we won't be in your way and we'll be out of here tomorrow." The scene with her sister had left Kali terribly upset, causing her to ramble on.
"Don't worry about it, Kali. You could never be in our way." Kane said quietly as he moved off the bed so Taker could put Amanda down for the night. Just as he was about to lay her down, she opened sleepy eyes and gazed up into his. After a few moments, she decided that everything was okey and fell right back to sleep again.
"Kane went down to get some coffee." Kali said softly as she walked around to the other side of the bed and looked down at their daughter. "Didn't take her long to go back to sleep. It'a amazing how fast she took to you. She usually don't take to strangers that quickly. I guess that's that bond that can never be broken no matter what happens. Taker, I...." Kali started to say, but stopped when she lifted her eyes to his and fell into his hypnotic gaze.
With great reluctance, Kali took her eyes away from his and went out onto the balcony that was connected to the room and gestured for him to follow her. "Taker, Kane said that even after you had been told that Amanda and I were dead, you never gave up looking for us. How did you finally come to find us here in Vegas?"
"Well, it was quite by accident. We had a show in Phoenix and since we didn't work the next day, a few of the other wrestlers came here afterwards. One of them, who is a pretty good friend of mine, came to your shop that night to have a tattoo done. He recognized you from a picture that I carry with me.....and the rest is history." Taker explained.
"I remember that guy. He was huge and I remember thinking that he must be a body builder or something. Then the next night you showed up. That seems like so long ago, even though it has only been a few days." Kali finished as Kane walked through the door with three huge cups of coffee.
"If I remember right, you like yours black." Kane said handing Kali one of the cups.
"Yes, that's right. Thank you." Kali said with a smile.
The three of them talked well into the night, the two men answering Kali's questions the best they could. They were up early the next morning when Amanda awoke with her usual boundless energy.
"Kane, would you mind looking after Amanda for a bit today while Taker and I go and get the rest of our stuff and find a place for Amanda and I to live?" Kali asked as they were finishing up breakfast.
"Of course, I would be happy to. Will she be okey with me though?" Kane replied, a slight look of worry on his face.
"She's completely at ease with both of you." Kali looked over to Amanda, who once again had crawled up on her father's lap and was talking to him as only a three year old can. Then Kali looked up to the Undertaker. He looked down at his little daughter with such love in his eyes. Kali was once again amazed at how much Amanda looked like her father. "She'll be fine." Kali reassured Kane.
An hour later, Kali had found a suitable apartment for her and Amanda and she and Taker were on their way over to Tasha's house to collect the rest of their belongings.
Seeing Kali's car pull up in the drive way, Tasha came out to the porch to meet her. Taker was the first one out of the car, and it didn't take long for Tasha to take notice of him. Her face went pale as death and her eyes were wide with shock.
"What's the matter sister? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Kali asked sarcastically as she walked up the porch steps and past her sister without giving her a second glance. Tasha looked once again over at the Undertaker, who simply leaned against the car waiting, then she followed Kali into the house.
"Are you ready to tell me the truth now?" Kali asked her sister.
"Kali, who is that man out there. You didn't tell me you had a new boyfriend." Tasha said, completely ignoring the question that was asked of her.
"As if you didn't know!" Kali said, shaking her head in disgust. "How dare you keep Amanda away from her father for all this time!"
"Kali, I seriously do not know what you are talking about. Amanda's father is dead...six feet under...."
Kali glared at Tasha as she furiously emptied the dresser drawers into the bags that she had pulled out of the closet. "We were in love, Tasha! We had a life together...We have a child together for God's Sake! Why?? Why would you and your husband do something like this?" It took the last remaining ounces of strength to keep her temper under control.
"For the last time, I don't have the slightest clue what you are talking about. The man who was Amanda's father never loved you, or her for that matter. And he certainly had no plans of making a life with you. Now, why don't you put that stuff back, go get Amanda, and come back to your home." Tasha had to find a way to convince her to stay. When her husband got home from his business trip, he would be furious if Kali was gone...and gone because of that no good man she was once so in love with. She had to find a way...no matter what it took, to keep Kali away from him.
"If you can look me in the eye, and tell me that that man out there definitely is not Amanda's father, then we'll come back." Tasha hung her head, knowing she would not be able to do such a thing.
"I didn't think you'd be able to do it. I wish I could understand why you are lying like this. That man loves Amanda and I, which is more than I can say for my own family. My daughter deserves to know her father, and we deserve to have a chance at the happiness we once had. Until you are ready to tell the truth about what really happened, please stay out of our lives." With that said, Kali picked up her bags and left her sister's house.