Forbidden; R/N - THANK YOU so MUCH for the reviews; you guys are amazing. I luv ya all and here for you is the next chapter.

Thanks

Harley

xoxoxox

Forbidden;

Chapter 21;

2 DAYS LATER; CAMERON AIRPORT;

Amber's POV;

Standing in the airport with Shifty, CT, Shane and The Bullet people had begun to stare and I could feel Shifty shifting around uncomfortably next to me.

CT had been happy that he didn't have to go to school but was confused as to what was going on. We had talked and decided that it would be best coming from Cam than any of us so all we had, had to do was wait for my friend to come home.

I had called Leland and informed him on what was happening; instantly he had offered to fly out when Cam came home, to which I had agreed happily. I had a feeling that things were going to get bad for my friend and I would need all the support and help that I needed, so Leland had asked for time off from work to be told by Beth that they couldn't spare him.

Instantly I was left wondering how our relationship was ever going to work with the whole distance thing becoming more and more of an issue.

I had confided in Shifty who had been amazing; telling me to give it time, that long term relationships took time to adjust too, after being with Leland every day for as long as we had been together it was obvious that it was going to take some time getting used too.

I had agreed but then there was the way I was feeling about him too; every time we were alone together it felt like I was drowning in him, the connection I felt to him was stronger than anything that I had ever felt but it was obvious that he saw me as his friend and nothing more when he had given me the advice that he had about Leland.

"MOM!" CT took off; racing through the crowds towards where his Mom, Jeff, Matt and Shannon had just cleared the door.

"Hey big man," Cam hugged him tightly; holding him close to her she refused to let him go, as she placed kiss after kiss to his head before looking up to where we were stood waiting for them.

"Mom I have been having the best time with Uncle Seth, Shane and Bullet," CT confessed enthusiastically.

"Good I am glad baby," She replied as the 5 of them began to walk over to where we were stood. Letting go of CT who was instantly on Matt's back, she moved to Seth and fell in to his arms.

"You ok honey?" He asked kissing her head affectionately.

"I've been better! Just tell me that you haven't seen him?" She asked pulling back and looking at her older brother.

"Not a sign," He replied holding her close to him.

"Thank God for small mercies I guess," She sighed relenting to the death defying hug that Shifty held her in until she was giggling softly. "Dude I need to breathe,"

"I am just glad to have you back in front of me; safe and out of harms reach," He said finally letting go of her slightly but keeping her in his hold.

I knew that he was fiercely protective of his little sister; especially after all that she had been through but Cam was tough she knew how to protect herself.

Having been training with Jeff and Matt or Shannon for the past year she had quickly surpassed them and gone on to boxing and mixed martial arts; building her reputation which was steadily growing in the fighting circle.

Steven would have a fight on his hands if he thought that he could just come and take CT; Cameron wasn't the same girl who he had beaten down all those years ago and for that I was grateful.

Jeff's POV;

I watched as Ron moved out of her brothers arms and moved to Shane and the Bullet to thank them for looking after her son while she had been stuck in LA.

We had tried to get a flight back sooner than what we had tickets for but there had been nothing available and we had, had to sit it out and wait.

I had watched as she basically crumbled before my eyes; she hardly ate; preferring to pick at her food, she was loosing weight at a rapid rate. With her sleep pattern broken from nightmares until she refused to sleep at all; drinking vast amounts of coffee to keep her awake; she was basically surviving on cigarettes and caffeine and it was easy to see that her nerves were shot.

Without 2 mugs back to back first thing in the morning she would suffer from the worst case of the shakes that I had ever seen but I was hoping that now we were home in Cameron she would calm down and get back in to some kind of pattern.

The sound of my phone ringing interrupted my train of thought and as I glanced at the caller ID to see Vince's name flashing waiting to be answered.

"Hello?" I answered cautiously.

"Jeff?" His powerful voice barked down the line.

"Yes,"

"Ahh Jeff I am glad I caught you. I wanted to talk to you about Cameron,"

"What about her?"

"We have been inundated with calls about her; people want to know who she is, how she is?"

"She's fine now that she is home sir,"

"I would completely understand if you wanted a fight with Randy set up in light of what happened?" He said the ever opportunist.

"Yes I really would,"

"At the Royal Rumble you will have that fight son! Some of the executives and I have been talking about Cameron…" He said instantly launching the conversation the way he wanted it.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously as we all seemed to move towards the baggage area to grab up our bags so that we could get home.

"We'd like her to become a part of the story between you and Randy?"

"No way!" I said instantly without thought.

"It would be a very good story son and it would catapult your career through the roof…"

"You want me to capitalize on the fact that my girlfriend is in danger?" I asked in disbelief; I knew that Vince was manipulative but I had never taken him for being this cold.

"She isn't in that much danger…"

Anger flushed through me as I kissed her cheek softly and moved away from the others so that I could give him a piece of my mind in private.

"You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about Vince! That guy that Randy had in the ring the other night; was the man who Cameron used to live with; he beat her, he abused her in ways that I am not even comfortable talking about let alone thinking about. And now because of Randy's pettiness he is back in her life…you do realize that she has every right to sue don't you?"

"I had, had no idea!" Vince said instantly the tone in his voice changing to a more understanding tone and he sighed heavily before talking again. "Jeff I can promise you that Randy will be reprimanded for this…"

"Not before I get in to the ring with him!" I said stubbornly.

"You're sure this is what you want?"

"It is about time someone taught him a lesson. Vince you know as well as I do, as well as anyone knows that since he got Cena's belt he has become insufferable, well I am sorry but that stops and it stops with what he has done to Cameron!"

"I completely understand! I will get the notice out about the rumble and get the preparations done on the match, then I will get back to you in a couple of days ok?"

"Thanks Vince!" I said looking over at my girl as she laughed with Shannon and Shane; looking like any other normal 24 year old hanging out with her friends but I knew that underneath that bravado she was scared and she was barely hanging on by a thread.

And that was all down to Randy Orton and there was nothing that would stop me in my goal to make him pay for what he had done to her.

BACK AT THE HOUSE;

Seth's POV;

I could see that Cam's friends were worried for her; the way they were watching her closely, refusing to leave her alone as she helped carry the luggage in to the house.

Jeff had announced that he was staying at the house with us; in an instant I knew without a doubt that he was head over heels in love with my sister.

I had known it before but seeing them together now it was more than obvious that their connection was building past anything that they had thought would happen and most probably more than anything that they had ever felt with anyone else.

Stealing a glance at Amber as she moved towards the kitchen to make the coffee that Cam had requested, I was left wondering if we would ever feel anything like that.

Over the course of the past couple of days, I had been sure that I was feeling a spark that wasn't completely one sided.

Was it possible that she was feeling what I was feeling?

Or was she just lonely?

I knew that Leland had offered to fly in when he had heard what had happened with Cam but due to his work commitments he hadn't been able to follow through on the plan.

Amber had confessed that she thought it was just Beth trying to cause problems because she thought the woman didn't like her but how could this Beth woman not like her?

Everyone who came in to contact with Amber loved her; it was just the way Amber was. Her personality was addictive in ways that left me feeling more than out of my depth, her sense of humor was off the chart and I found that we laughed more and more with every passing day.

The truth was I was falling for her but I knew that for the moment what I was feeling had to be completely one sided but I knew that it was just a matter of time.

When I had first gotten here she was always talking about Leland, how much she missed him, how she wondered what he was doing and if he missed her half as much as she was missing him but lately his name was being mentioned less and less.

Was I crazy in thinking that, that could mean what I wanted it to mean?

Moving in to the kitchen behind her, my eyes found her easily without an effort as she stood by the kettle waiting for it to boil for the coffee.

"You ok honey?" I asked leaning against the island in the centre of the kitchen.

"I am! I am just glad that she is back here you know?"

"I know me too! But I meant are you ok; 'cos I know that Leland should have been getting in today too?"

"There is no point in throwing a hissy fit…it is what it is you know?"

"No one could blame you for being upset sweetie," I offered as I handed her a cigarette and lit my own.

"No I know but I refuse to sink just because he can't come in one time," She said holding her head high.

"Well if you need to talk…I am here ok?"

"Thanks Seth I really appreciate that," She smiled at me causing my heart to race off at 5 times its normal speed and my knees threatened to give way from under me.

"Anytime," I replied as the sound of the others heading towards where we were talking quietly.

Instantly the room was bursting with bodies causing my eyes to be torn away from Amber as she turned to the kettle and continued to pour up everyone's drinks.

I could see that she was struggling with the absence of her man but I would do anything I could to ensure that she was ok, that she didn't have to struggle alone.

If I was meant to only be her friend then so be it because walking away from her, not having her in my life at all just wasn't an option no more.

Cameron's POV;

On the drive back here I had seen the way that Jeff was gripping to me tighter than necessary. I knew that he was worried about me but this was something different.

Once I had been handed my mug of coffee from Amber, I reached for Jeff's hand and led him out on to the decking at the back of the house, closing the door behind me to ensure that we got some privacy.

"Ok spill it!" I said as we both sat down on the same lounger and huddled together; taking comfort from one another's bodies.

"Sorry? What?" He asked resting his chin on my shoulder as one arm snaked around my waist while his other hand held on to his mug of coffee.

"What's bugging you Mr. Hardy?" I asked resting my head against his.

"Nothing…"

"Lie!" I said turning to look at him and when his eyes wouldn't meet mine I knew for a fact that he was hiding something from me. "Look at me Jeff?"

"It's nothing Ron,"

"Jeff what did we talk about in LA?" I asked causing his eyes to finally meet mine. "That we would never keep anything from each other again and here you are breaking that promise,"

"Vince called me," He sighed as I sipped at my coffee but my eyes remained focused on him.

"What for? What did he want?"

"To ask if I wanted to fight Randy…"

"And you said?" I asked instantly my panic was rising because I knew the answer without needing to hear the words.

"I said of course…we are going to fight at the Rumble in a couple of weeks,"

"Jeff please don't do that on…"

"He's not getting away with it Ron; so please don't think you can talk me out of this! I am going to make sure that I bring a world of pain to him," His tone was determined and I knew there was absolutely no talking him out of it.

"All right," I sighed heavily reaching in to my pocket for my smokes and handing him one before lighting my own.

"He said that they have been inundated with calls from fans wanting to know who you were and how you are," He informed me causing me to feel a flutter in my stomach. "He even suggested doing a story with you, me and Randy!"

"I-I…I don't want that Jeff!" I panicked quickly.

"No I know and I told him that absolutely no way was that going to happen," He soothed reaching his free hand behind my head and pulling me back to him. "I promise you Ron, that I will keep you safe and I know in my gut that, that kind of story isn't going to help the situation,"

"Thank you," I whispered letting my forehead rest against his and feeling safe and protected from what the world had just thrown at me.

"No need to thank me beautiful! You're safety and happiness is all that matters to me,"

Our eyes stayed focused on each other as we both turned silent and sipped at our coffee and smoked our cigarettes.

Being home, I knew that I would feel better about things and I had been right, I was calm; I was at peace, and I was feeling more at ease with everything.

I knew that if Steven found us here I had a fighting chance of coming out of this alive because he didn't know the area, he didn't know the house and he didn't know me anymore, I wasn't the same girl who would lay down and just take whatever he threw at me.

R/N - I wanted to thank you all for the AWESOME reviews that you have given me; the more you review the quicker I will update.

So you know what to do.

Thanks

Harley

xoxoxox