(OK Please read, enjoy, review. Even the smallest of reviews warms my day & pushes me to write more. You know the drill: I don't own ANY WWE/TNA personal or likenesses, nor any of their family members. This is purely for fun & not based on real things. )

08/06/05

Cindy was relaxing in the living room of James' cabin while he was in the shower when her phone rang. The number came across as unknown. She disregarded it the first time. After the third time she hit the speaker button.
"Hello?"
'What you think you doing?' Came a faintly irritated voice of a female
"Jack?"
'Who else?'
"What you mean?"
'Getting hooked in a relationship.'
"So what…what are you spying on me?"
'How else am I to keep tabs on you Cindy?'
"How much you know?"
'That he is a wrestler…REALLY GIRL! Didn't you learn after the last time.'
"It's different this time."

'How…come on tell me how! This should be good, because I don't think I can make you disappear again if you decide your heart is too fragile.'
"Jack I didn't have a choice it had to be me or him. I was too close to breaking I couldn't just drop it."
'Fine, speaking of how is that going.'
"OK, but I may have a problem."
'What is it?'
"A run in with a different wrestler about a month ago…I don't know his real name…his ring name is Raven."
'Ah shit I hope not the same screw brain.' Jack give a quick description.
"Yeah sounds like him…so I didn't imagine what I saw & felt."
'Fraid not, any clue how much he got from you?'
"No I tried to steel door him."
'Good was never quite sure how good you were at that yet.'
"Luckily feathers can burn."

'Yes, now tell me how this one is different.'
"I can't fully say, but from the first time he touched my face, to when he kissed me…something about him calms the fiery rage, not puts it out, but tempers it some how. The fire still burns, but it is a softer just gentle warmth instead of the wild inferno."
'You think he may be like you or Raven?'
"No clue…I just know I love him. I know it has only been a few months, but I can honestly say that…I don't know if I could honestly say those words without hesitation to 'him'. I want to come clean with James, I just don't know how."

'Scared he will freak.'
"Oddly no…I don't know…I pray not..Question."
'Shoot.'
"He has already off handed made a comment of wanting me to marry him one day…he just wants to make sure he makes enough to support us first."
'How you feel about that?'
"Inside it feels right, like he is a missing piece to a puzzle that is me…as I said he oddly calms me. I don't know how or why, but he does."
'So what the question?'
"Which name would I be married under?"
'Cindy Price. You must remember Ms. Delacroix died about a year ago. I may of made a mistake allowing you send that letter to your father. As for this man, you can only trust your judgment. Just know I am not gonna help you out of it, if in time you feel it was wrong.'
"OK Jack…then stop spying on us."
'OK you know how to reach me if you need me…just not to drop the grid again.'
"I heard ya the first time."
There was a faint laugh before the line went dead.

She went to stand & jumped seeing James leaning in the door way from his bedroom wearing just a pair of dark gray pajama pants. "Um how long you been standing there.?"
"I have a feeling longer then you would of cared for Darlin. So who is this Jack person I didn't hear them much, but I heard some what you said." He walks closer wrapping his arms around her waist. His wet hair forming clumped strands around his face as he looked at her."
"She is the one that helped me go into hiding."
"So Delacroix was your last name?"
"Yes…I don't have much attachment to it anyways…my mother was & last I heard a bitch."

"Not exactly something nice to say bout he lady that gave you life."
"Sorry Cowboy, but that was about the only good thing she did for me. She did nothing but fight with my father till he could take no more & left. When he left he promised to come back for me…but before he could she tried to poison my memory of him & made me believe he was killed. Then something happened that I…I…well I became too much for her to handle so she had me sent away. Away to a place I don't care much to remember. Even after I was sent back to her she was a verbally abusive drunk. Every time she would get thrown in jail she used the excuse she had a child at home with no one to take care of them. I sometimes wonder why child services was never called on her. When I turned 18 I was glad to be free of her."

He pulled her closer moving on hand behind her head guiding her to rest her head on his shoulder. "I am so sorry about that. You said made you believe he was killed…so he wasn't?"
"No…I finally met him again a few years ago…but my mind was so screwed up with everything my mom told me. I didn't believe he was real at the time."
"Damn that must have been rough."
"It is…I can't even let him know where I am."
"Because of this new life?"
"Yep." She lifts her head looking at his face before lightly kissing him. "Though I am rather enjoying this one."
"I'm glad…" He took her hand kissing it. "But I do think we need to talk…I heard you tell this person about my mention of being together always…wanting to come clean with me…Well darlin you are not the only one who should come clean."

"What you talking about?" She tried not to sound nervous.
"It may be better if I show ya." He took her hand leading her toward the front door opening it. The summer night air was hot & humid even up in the mountain area. He lead her to the pouch area. She could feel his hand shaking.
"It's ok James. What is it?"
"Just remember I love ya Cindy."
"I…I know." He let go of her hand closing his eyes. It was only a few moments till a small breeze came through with clouds slowly blocking the moon casting the area even darker then normal. She just watched or more so listened to a soft rain hitting the ground & the thin roof over their heads.

His eyes still closed he wasn't 100% sure but had a feeling she was still by him, even stranger was he thought he heard mixed with the fall of the rain at tiny laugh. He opened his eyes as the rain still fell turning his head. He smiled seeing her & did see it was her who was laughing. "It doesn't scare you?"
"Not at all." She stepped by him wrapping her arm around his waist leaning against his side. "It looks quite beautiful…I am sure in the daylight it is even better. It happens when you deep in thought too doesn't it?"
"Yeah I am not always aware of it, but I try."
"Hey as long as you don't flood us out or anything I like it…and now makes sense."
"What does?"
"I have a few things to show you…but mine I think I can try to do indoors…"
"OK Darlin." James closes his eyes a moment the rain slowly stops & the clouds moving to show a clear night time sky.

They head inside & Cindy makes her way over to a fireplace in the main room & to a small stack of fire wood. She removes two pieces placing them inside fireplace. She kneels in front of it closing her eyes she draws on that deeper more violent fire slowly flexing her hands till she can now feel the warmth in front of her.

"Whoa…" The flames jump high for a moment till Cindy motions them down to a low crackling fire. "So you are also gifted.."
"Yes…" She slowly stands up walking towards him. "The place I told you my mom sent me to when I was…too much to handle…was sadly a medical lab where they test on people like us…I was too young at the time to be of use for them…so they did something to me to make me forget…to seal away what I was capable of. It wasn't until my accident that what ever they did began to fade away. I was so confused, so lost…angry…but something about you James helps that anger fade away…we are the match to each other. Who better to understand what we are then another like us?"

He wrapped his arms around her to hold her close to him, he now also understood why in moments of passion she felt so warm, why she was like a loving gentle flame sweeping over his senses, because in a way she actually was, she was living breathing fire under her skin. He guessed he can also see how him being what he was could have a calming effect on her. The rains he causes most of the time were soft enough to temper the flames, but not enough to put them out. Just as she calmed the swirling tempest he would feel himself in before she came along. Her fire warm enough to drive the howling winds.

He lead her back to the floor near the fireplace & laid down with her just enjoying the soft flames. She laid in front of him & he just softly stroked her face knowing for some reason such a simple gesture seemed to have the biggest calming effect on her. At some point her eyes closed drifting to sleep & he could not bring himself to wake her nor did he want to leave her, so he braced his arm under his head laying down behind her drifting to sleep as well.