Poor Randy. Enjoy this next instalment, guys. I'm already working on the next chapter.
Randy was there in her house, the house she hated so much because of what had happened in the privacy of it's four walls for so many years. She hated it, but it was still her sanctuary. For some reason, when he had been discharged from the hospital, he had decided to stay with her. He said it was only till he wasn't in so much pain and Danielle had not had the heart to tell him no. She would have flown to his home with him to take care of him, anyway, but he'd said they'd only have his family hovering over him and not giving him any rest.
That left her with a dilemma. Her house had three bedrooms. John was still occupying the guest room, he had come back to her house after the show in Bakersfield and was there for the rest of the week, and the only empty room was the one she had not entered in years. It had been the master bedroom where all of Jamie's evil was still residing. She was using the smaller room. It, too, held painful memories but they were somewhat warmer ones, bittersweet should she say. It contained a single bed. Even if she was to sleep on the couch downstairs, Randy would never fit on that bed. That left her only one option.
The morning before they picked Randy up, John found her standing in front of the master bedroom door right at the end of the long hallway, bed linen in her arms. She looked deathly pale and stood there as if in a trance. John immediately realised that this room was where most of her demons lay and it sapped the strength out of him. Poor Dani... If he could get his hands on the bastard that had done this to her...
He did not think she even noticed when he took the linen from her and placed it on the little table outside the door, or when he put his arm around her and led her downstairs.
Danielle's house was unconventional, just as she was. It was pretty normal looking on the outside, but the inside held a mish-mash of spaces she had made her own; like the fully-fledged bar, complete with pool table, that led to an equally impressive lounge that had large, comfortable sofas and high tech entertainment centre. She also had a small office, dining room and gym that were still in the process of being renovated, and a kitchen that would impress any chef. He had watched her cook for him many times that week and knew that with her love of cooking, all the effort put into remodeling this space would not be wasted. Noone looking at the house from outside would ever guess how impressive it was inside.
It was the bar he led her to where he poured her a stiff drink. He didn't say a word to her because he felt nothing he could say would help her. What did you say to someone who had been abused so badly? Move on? Forget about it? What had happened to her was something she would carry with her her whole life. All he could do was be there when it got too much for her.
Finally she picked up her drink, her hands shaking violently as she drank the strong whiskey in one go. John was right there next to her to hold her tightly in his arms, stroking her hair until the shaking stopped. He did not ask her any questions. He knew that if she answered them, she would be unlocking so much more.
"I was thinking," he started softly. "I was going to crash in the lounge tonight, go through your movies and your alcohol. Do you want to make a thing of it? Of course, Randy will have to take the room I'm using coz it's closer to the stairs and we'll be able to here him if he needs help with anything."
Danielle looked up at her friend then, not realising how easily he read the relief in her eyes. She was still holding on to him yet she knew he would not ask her any questions. It had only been a couple of weeks since they had struck up their friendship but he had become a haven to her, the only person who allowed her just to be, her rock.
"Yeah, I have a load of new films I haven't had the chance to watch yet," she said. "We could just pig out and you could do my hair for me."
"Do your hair? What am I, one of your girl friends?" he scoffed, trying to bring some levity back to the situation.
"Oh, please." she pleaded, finally releasing him from her tight hold. " It takes me ages to brush it every night, there's just too much of it."
"We'll get Pam to do it, then we could just make it a threesome," he said with a wicked smile. Pam was her neighbour, the one he had got to know in the biblical sense the very night he had arrived.
Dani let out a chuckle then, her eyes lighting up a little, just as he had planned.
"Great idea. That might be the only way I'd ever get a leg over on her!"
John laughed. Yes, Danielle had bounced right back.
That had been the morning. Now Randy was here in her house.
"Thanks, Dani. That was really good," Randy smiled up at her when she came to take his empty plate.
"Told you she was good," John said. "I was even thinking of moving in so she could cook for me everytime."
"Dream on, Cena," she laughed.
"Can't blame a guy for trying," he replied, picking up the last of the dishes to take to the kitchen.
They decided to leave the dishes for the morning and rejoined Randy in the lounge where Dani had left him with strict instructions not to make unnecessary movements. His left arm was in a sling that was swathed around his upper body so it wouldn't move and the painkillers that he had been prescribed had him in a constant doused state. He didn't feel like moving anyway.
She sat on his right side, leaving a gap between them that he was not happy about. He pulled her over and tucked her under his arm where he promptly buried his face in her mass of hair. It smelt of of flowers and something else, something that was completely her. He'd never get enough of it.
"I was about to get some blankets for me and John, then help you up to bed," she told him. "You need to rest now."
"What are you talking about? Why do you and John need blankets?" he queried, his face still in her hair.
"We're sleeping down here tonight."
He lifted his head then and looked her in the eye.
"Together?"
"We're just going to watch films and have a few drinks, Randy," John said, knowing his friend's fears would normally have been justified.
"I thought you were going to be with me tonight," he said to Dani.
"I just thought you need a good night's sleep. And I don't want to accidentally knock your shoulder or anything."
"I can take it," he whispered. He didn't want his friend to here the desperation in his voice.
And he was desperate. It had been a hard few days, not touching her the way he wanted, not feeling her body on his. Dani recognised this desperation because it was her own. Maybe if she was really careful...
"Um... John, I'm going to help Randy get ready for bed," she said, her eyes not leaving Randy's for a second. "Pick some films out, I'll be down in a bit."
With a little smile, Randy got up to let her lead him upstairs. He looked back at his friend, his eyes conveying his message in no uncertain terms. Dani wasn't coming back down tonight, not if he could help it.
He loved her fussing over him, loved that his latest injury had allowed him to discover her nurturing side. It made him think how good she would be with children. His children.
He was capable of doing most things himself but he let her take over, watching her as she diligently gave him a sponge bath. He could have easily jumped into the bath and sorted himself out. He knew that she was trying very hard not to react to his naked body, even though it was obviously reacting to her. The evidence was right there in front of her, she could not deny it. She had been blushing from the moment she had taken his clothes off, which Randy found totally cute. Even after seeing him naked so many times she was...shy. It was not a word he would have used to describe her before, but he was constantly discovering aspects of her personality that revealed more and more what a complex person she was.
"I'll just get your pyjamas..." she started, hastily putting the toiletries she had used away.
"I sleep naked," he cut in, his voice low and husky with need and a wicked smile playing on his lips.
"Maybe you should just get some sleep. You look pretty done in."
Get some sleep with that stiffy? She was joking, wasn't she?
"I am very tired," he admitted, "but I won't be able to sleep without you next to me."
He got up and walked out of the en suite knowing full well her eyes were practically eating up his naked body. He was lying on the bed when she finally followed him in from the bathroom. He could actually see the need in her, the way her eyes had darkened and her breath was coming in little gasps.
"Come here."
She did with no hesitation.
"Take your clothes off."
She finally stood naked in front of him and let his eyes take her in until he could not take it anymore.
"I need you, Dani," he whispered. "I need to be inside you."
She did not need any encouragement. She needed him, too.
She sat astride him, making sure not to touch his shoulder, and held his eyes as they finally came together. That night was beautiful. He let her lead him, gently because he knew she was afraid to hurt him, but at the point he found he could not have cared less, his pain was completely forgotten. He cursed the useless arm that was strapped to his body because he only had one hand to touch her with. Even though it played with her hair, her firm breasts and trailed over her body, it wasn't nearly enough. He needed to touch all of her.
That night was different from all the rest. It was slow... emotional... They both couldn't help screaming out as the emotions assailed them, taking them to greater heights than they'd ever reached before. She was awakening even more things inside of him which he never knew he possessed, things that made him realise all over again that he would never let her go. She was his. She would always be his. The intensity of those feelings scared him but he knew if he was to tell her about them so soon, they would scare her a hell of a lot more. So he had to work quickly, he had to get her ready, he had to time everything perfectly because he knew he risked losing her if he didn't.
Mrs Danielle Orton. He liked the sound of that.
They both called out when the end came, not caring that John could probably hear them. Then, as Randy held her against him on his right side, the exhaustion finally setting in, he could not help whispering the words in his heart.
"I love you, Danielle."
"I didn't think you were coming back down," John said when he saw her walk into the bar. "Sounded like you were having too much of a good time!"
Danielle poured herself a shot of whiskey and drank it straight before turning to look at her friend. He saw the fear in her eyes straight away.
"Do me a favour, John. Please," she said.
He was already by her side.
"When you go... could you take him with you?"