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Yawning, Kaci Copeland slowly stretched, wiping the sleep from her eyes and rolling out of bed. Yawning once again, she got her night light and softly made her way to her brothers room, the remnants of the nightmare the young girl had just had still on her mind. She opened Adam's door, not bothering to knock and smiled softly as her older brother opened one eye and looked at her, suddenly sitting up right in bed when he noticed who it was.

"Kaci... what's wrong?" She half smiled at her brother, his concern warming her slightly.

"I had another dream, it was horrible, I... I don't want to be in my room on my own, coz, it's dark." Adam smiled at her, holding out his arms and motioning for her to join him. She ran over quickly, snuggling down into his bed as he turned out her night light.

"Kaci, ya know, your nearly six now, you shouldn't really be coming in here." She sniffed, feeling the tears come to her eyes.

"But Adam, it scares me, your eleven, your big, can't you look after me?" Softening, he held her tighter.

"I'm not that big Kac, really, I'm not. But I'll look after you, now go to sleep." And she did, a smile on her face, and the remnants of her dream disappearing, she was safe, she had Adam to protect her.

Sitting in the swinging chair on the porch, Kaci let the memory die as she watched Adam and his friends train now. They'd been close back then, but now... only ten years later, it was like they'd never shared closeness like that. Sighing, she got up, moving into the kitchen and making herself a drink. Not really caring that it wasn't her home, and that she was treating it as her own. Her parents had made her come down here with Adam, they didn't want her on her own, and they'd gone on a trip to Europe, Adam had to look after her, and Adam wanted to be here. As she drank the juice, she turned and watched through the window, Adam and Jay were training, with the dark haired guy that lived here on the outside of the ring, directing them.

"Can I help you?" Kaci jumped and nearly dropped her glass as the deep southern voice spoke into her ear. She whirled round, taking in the appearance of the guy that had spoke to her. He had long blonde hair, not quite as long as Adam's or Jay's, maybe down to his shoulders. He was taller then her, she had to raise her head slightly to look at him. He was maybe the same age as her, sixteen, possibly seventeen. He had a handsome face, and deep emerald green eyes.... that right now were boring into her.

"I... I'm just getting a drink, you know, the human body requires liquid to function properly." She smirked, giggling slightly as he narrowed his eyes. "I'm Kaci," she offered her hand. "You are?" He shook her hand wearily.

"Jeff, Jeff Hardy, this is my home. Your Copeland's sister right?" She took her hand back and lowered her head. That's all she ever was, not Kaci, not even Kaci Copeland, she was Adam's sister.

"Yes, I am. Bye." She walked out of the kitchen quickly and sat on the porch steps. Fed up with only ever having an identity as 'Copeland's sister'.

"I didn't mean to offend you." Once again Kaci jumped as Jeff spoke in her ear, sitting down next to her. She turned to him, narrowing her eyes and deliberately putting spite into her words.

"Well, you did. I'm not just Adam's sister, I'm my own person, I'm Kaci Copeland, not Copeland's sister, I do lead my own life. It's not completely revolved around Adam," she took a breath, standing and beginning to walk away, muttering under her breath. "Even though I'm not part of his life anymore since he's had woman falling at his feet." She sighed.

"I know how you feel, well, kinda. The same thing happened with Matt, he's only twenty now, but he acts like he's an adult or something, it's like I don't exist, he's been so distant." Kaci jumped for the third time in the past thirty minutes, turning to Jeff and scowling.

"Are you fuckin following me or what? Listen, I don't want to be here, if I had a choice I wouldn't be here. My parents made me come here because Adam has to look after me, god knows why, I'm not a child, I'm sixteen. And the last place I wanna be is anywhere near Adam, all he ever does is treat me like shit and act like I'm not good enough to breath the same air as him!" She rose her voice as she went on, only noticing the tears falling down her face as she finished the rant. Sniffling, the looked to Jeff's shocked face, lowering her head. "I'm sorry," she looked up at him. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, it's not your fault." He smiled at her.

"It's okay, but maybe you should have yelled," he motioned behind her and Kaci turned, her jaw dropping when she saw Adam staring at her, a hurt look on his face. He jumped out of the ring and walked over. "Talk to him, I'll catch up with you later, nice to have met ya Kaci." Jeff winked at her, smiling as he walked away.

"Bye," she mumbled at him as he got into the ring in his back yard. Taking Adam's place and wrestling with the dark haired guy, Jay watching from the outside. Taking a deep breath, she turned to her brother, speaking before he had a chance. "Adam, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell that loud and embarrass you in front of your friends." She lowered her head. He reached out and pulled her chin up, taking her hand and pulling her to the porch, sitting down on the steps he pulled her down with him.

"Kac, it's okay. It is, I'm so sorry, I didn't realise I was making you feel that way. Why didn't you say anything before?" She looked at him, raising her eyebrows as she spoke softly.

"When I was six, you told me I had to stop relying on you to take care of me, I'm sixteen now, your twenty-one, I kept your advice, I can't burden you." Adam felt tears threatening to fall as he looked as his younger sister. He couldn't believe she still remembered the talk they had ten years ago.

"Kaci, I also said I'd protect you, remember? If you have a problem, you should tell me," he took her hand in his. "I'll always protect you. I will." He smiled, trying to convince her that despite the way he acted at times, he did care. She sniffed, wiping the tears from her face.

"I know Adam, I do. But you just... acted like I wasn't here so often. Ever since you turned eighteen it's got worse and worse. You haven't even introduced me to your friends. It's like your embarrassed of me or something." He lowered his head, taking a moment before he raised it again.

"I'm sorry, maybe I should have introduced you as soon as we arrived this morning. You know Jay," He laughed slightly. "Of course you do, he's lived next door since you were born. Anyway, it seems to me you know Jeff.... Or you've at least met Jeff, he's Matt's younger brother. Matt's the one in the ring with him now. They're Matt and Jeff Hardy. This is their house, their dad's away, this is where we're staying," He stopped a minute. "Damn, I can't believe I haven't told you any of this already, I'm sorry. Anyway, Jeff's seventeen, Matt's twenty, and both, like Jay and me, wanna be wrestlers."  He finished, looking expectantly at Kaci. She giggled.

"What? I didn't wanna know their life story. But thank you, for telling me who's, who. Now go back and train. Your gonna get into the WWF if it's the last thing you do," she turned back towards the ring. "And looking at those two, they will, too. In a few years, I'll be watching all four of you on TV." She smiled, leaning over and hugging him tightly. "Good luck Adam, I know you can do it." He returned the hug.

"Thank you Kac, thanks for believing." He smiled at her, pulling her to her feet and hugging her once more before making his way back to the ring. Kaci smiled, maybe she hadn't got the relationship she'd had with her brother back, but she had him back. Ironically, thanks to someone she barely knew. Smiling she walked back into the house, wanting to get away from the sun and maybe get a little sleep. She walked up the stairs, forgetting it wasn't her house and walked straight into the room at the top, laying on the bed and closing her eyes.

Chapter 2