A/N: Although I'm not entirely new to fanfiction, this is the first thing I've written in a looooong time, so I hope that you all, dear readers, find this story as fascinating as I do. I have big plans for this one.

Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own WWE or any of its characters. In fact, I own little to nothing at all, so it wouldn't be worth it to sue me anyway. :P

Chapter 1: A Fistful of Dirt

Magnolia Michaels kept her eyes glued to the coffin in front of her, and the rest of the world seemed to melt away. She didn't hear the eulogy, or the sobs of her fellow mourners, or even the words of comfort that were muttered to her throughout the service. All she could see was the only true father she had ever known, stuffed in a satin lined box, his blue eyes forever closed… She had her own amber eyes hidden behind an over-sized pair of sunglasses, a thin layer of protection to hide her raw emotions from the world around her. Yet as the coffin began its slow descent into the earth she could not stop the tears any longer and they streamed endlessly down her cheeks as she stood in somber silence.

With a deep breath she managed to will herself forward and plunged both her hands into the loose, cold earth. As she rose to her feet again she held her hands forward, letting the small pile of dirt filter slowly through her fingertips onto the black coffin below. It was the last thing she could ever do for her father. Having accomplished her task, she wiped furiously at the tears tracking down her face, unmindful of her dirty hands and the muddy streaks she had left behind on her cheeks.

All at once the world seemed to flood back to her and suddenly there was too much noise. The preacher droned on with the end of his sermon as if he were on autopilot while the mourners themselves sobbed openly, children sniffling into their mother's skirts. Over it all, the sounds of the nearby highway could be heard and Magnolia felt the desperate urge to be gone from this place. Her sorrow weighing heavily in her heart, she turned abruptly and made a beeline for her car. She was eager to leave the grave behind and curl up in the privacy of her own apartment where no one could watch her cry.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley was late for the funeral, having caught a last minute flight to San Francisco the moment word had reached him of his old partner's death. Shawn Michaels had been his best friend for years, and no amount of flight delays or rush hour traffic could have stopped him from making it. As it was, he had barely found parking and had to jog three blocks to make it when he did. Tugging at the sleeves of his slightly too-small funeral suit, he discreetly found a place near the back and joined the mourners.

Immediately he became lost in his own reflections, remembering the time spent with Shawn as his partner, two detectives out to clean up San Francisco. It brought a wry smile to his face and he felt his eyes watering for the umpteenth time that day. He would have stayed lost in his memories for much longer had he not noticed the lone woman who stepped up as the coffin was being lowered into the ground. She wore shades to hide her eyes, but there was no mistaking his best friend's adopted daughter.

Her chestnut hair was worn in a long braid, swept over her shoulder and reaching nearly to her waist. She wore a sharp black pantsuit - he noted with compassion that it had probably been a last minute purchase - and black flats. Sensible shoes for walking in a graveyard… he had noticed several women in heels struggling to find good footing on the soft earth. She had grown so much, and he realized with shock that the last time he had seen her she was fresh out of high school and joining the police academy. Yet here was a grown woman, broken with the loss of her father and suddenly alone in the world.

Just as he felt a wave of remorse for his own absence from so much of her life she made an abrupt about face and began walking quickly back toward the road. With one final glance toward the grave of his best friend he made the decision to go after her, surprised at how much he had to hurry to catch up. Apparently she was serious about taking off.

"Maggie!" he cried out just as she reached her vehicle, determined to not let her leave without making some kind of contact. Sure enough, she heard him and turned around, her hand resting lightly on the door to her old black buick. He wondered briefly if she would recognize him, but then she removed her shades and the answer was evident in her watery eyes. Without thought he wrapped her small frame in a tight hug and she pressed her face into his chest, weeping in silence. "I'm so sorry…" he trailed off, knowing that no words of comfort could truly make her feel better.

Slowly she broke the embrace and took a step back, her breathing hitched and shaky. As she lifted her eyes to meet his he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the dirt smudges from her cheeks. "It's been a long time…" he began, "and I'm sorry about that."

She took a deep breath and he could see her struggling to regain her composure. When she spoke, her voice was clear and strong. "I understand, Hunter… Dad always knew you were there for us, he – he understood why you moved away."

Hunter nodded, trying not to feel put out because the last time he had seen her he had still been Uncle Hunter. She was a grown woman now, but he could still clearly remember when he had first met her. He could still see the terrified eleven year old, and the hell she had lived through until Shawn and himself had found her, rescued her. Suddenly he shook his head to clear those awful memories. "Look, I'm always gonna feel like I should have been here more, but at least I can try to make it up to you now –"

Abruptly she frowned, "You don't owe me anything, Hunter. You and Dad were the best family I ever could have asked for." She reached out to give his hand a tender squeeze, and then replaced her sunglasses and climbed into her car. He reached to stop the door before she could close it and drive away.

"Okay, okay…" he began, wanting desperately to connect with her again and let her know she didn't have to be alone. "Maggie, the guys at the station, when they let me know about Shawn…" His voice broke and he took a moment before continuing, "They also let me know that you quit. I'm not going to give you a lecture or anything, but I would like to give you a job."

Reaching for his wallet, he quickly pulled out a card and passed it to her. "That has my home and my work number on it. I'm not asking you to make any decisions right away, but…" He glanced around them, taking a deep breath of the ocean air and knowing that, for him, it would always conjure sad memories. "If you want a change of scenery, I know you're a damn good detective and you'll always be welcome in my department."

She shook her head, "Hunter-" she began, but he raised his large hand to cut her off.

"Just think about it, okay? I know you need some time, and I know you can take care of yourself. You've had a hard life, kid. It's your choice, I just… wanted to give you the option."

With a nod, Maggie took the card and slipped it into her purse. She offered him one final smile, and he could see the warmth as well as the heartbreak in it, before she drove away. He stared after the car long after it had disappeared into the distance, wondering if he would hear from her and hoping fervently that he would.

3 Weeks Later

She could hear the rain. It gave her some small comfort, though she had been plunged into darkness for far too many hours to count. Had it been days already? She shrunk further into herself in the corner of the room, her back against the cold cement, and listened to the sound of the rain. Though she tried to clear her mind, she was dimly aware of the metal shackles around her ankles, for every time she moved she heard the heavy chains slither across the floor.

For a while she had done nothing but cry and scream and strain to free herself, the metal shackles biting painfully into her flesh. But then had come the punishment, and the horrific realization that she may never escape this place. She licked her chapped and cracked lips with a tongue that felt like sandpaper, and bitterly wished for a drink of water that may never come. But still she listened to the rain...

Then came the slow grinding sound of metal on metal, and she knew that the lock to her prison was being turned. She watched with terror as the heavy door swung slowly open, allowing in just enough light for her to clearly see her captor, grinning wickedly in anticipation as he slowly descended the stairs. And though she thought she had no tears left in her, they began to fall again and she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice hoarse and foreign sounding. But no amount of screaming would help her now, as his heavy footfalls drew nearer and he reached his filthy hands toward her. His fingernails, broken and caked with grime, traced almost gentle patterns on the soles of her feet and she kicked at him, her sobs turning to shrieks as she lost herself to panic. He uttered a single, satisfied sounding laugh and seized her by the ankles–

With a cry, Maggie jolted awake, pushing her sweat soaked bangs from her forehead and struggling to calm herself down. At first she recoiled at her unfamiliar surroundings before gradually remembering that she was spending the night in a hotel. She pushed herself out of bed with disgust, willing away the memories that haunted her nightmares and gave her so many sleepless nights. Her hand reached suddenly for the phone, but she set it back down when she remembered with a jolt of sorrow that the man she wanted to call was gone… she would never hear his voice again.

Biting her lower lip, she forced down the sobs that threatened to overtake her and rose on shaky legs to walk to the bathroom, where she took appraisal of herself in the mirror. Her face and hair were a sweaty mess, so she splashed herself down with the coldest water the tap could produce. After drying herself off with a soft white towel she took a deep breath and faced her reflection again. The dark circles under her wide amber eyes had been ever-present since Shawn died, and she had grown used to the thought that she may never sleep well again.

Her long wavy hair had started to come loose from its braid and she roughly pulled it out, running her fingers through the chestnut locks in lieu of a brush since she didn't feel like digging through her suitcase. Her complexion was a little too pale, and the small freckles that lightly dusted her nose and cheeks stood out in sharp contrast. "What am I doing?" She asked herself, turning away from the reflection and returning to sit on the hotel bed. The digital clock read 4:14 AM, so she decided to prepare for the day instead of trying to pick up some more sleep. After all, she had no desire to return to the nightmares that had become ever-present since the loss of her father.

Maggie pulled out her road map and studied her route. She had stopped for the night just outside of Portland, Oregon, and knew she still had quite a few hours to drive before she reached her destination. Heading out on the highway had been rather comforting, and her nervousness about starting anew in Spokane, Washington was eclipsed only by her relief at leaving San Francisco behind. She could no longer deal with the memories there. And though she had doubts about accepting Hunter's offer, she at least had faith in herself as a detective and if nothing else, she knew damn well how to do her job.

She dressed for the day in haste, eager to hit the road again, and simply threw her favorite green sweater on over a pair of nice jeans. Though it had been pleasantly warm when she left California, she knew that the autumn weather would be significantly colder when she reached Spokane. After pulling her hair into a high pony tail and putting on a bit of pale pink lipstick Maggie judged herself ready and dragged her suitcase down to the lobby to grab a cup of complimentary coffee and check out.

Just a few hours away from her new life… but she never could have imagined what awaited her.

A/N: Wooooo! If you stuck with me through that first chapter, THANK YOU! Please let me know what you thought and take the time to review! The next chapter will introduce Dean Ambrose (and all his sexiness). And if you are wondering, there should be plenty of lighter moments in this story to balance out the very dark themes. This is my first time with such an ambitious story, so I hope I'm doing an okay job. ^_^