Okay, ya'll, I'm back with another chapter, I hope to get caught up with Raw today, lol. I kinda fell behind there, oh well! All will be good. Anyway, on with chapter 25!

Chapter 25: Life Goes On

Randy sat backstage in Evolution's locker room. Annie had her own office again now that Jon was gone. Not only did she have her own office again, but they were also staying in different rooms. Randy sighed, 'At least we're in the same hotel,' he thought to himself. Ever since they had gotten to Salt Lake, Annie had been in meeting after meeting. Hell, she was even in one right now.

Eric Bischoff and Mick Foley had approached at the second they walked through the door and told her they had a meeting to attend. It was something about a special assignment for Annie. Randy had not liked the sound of that.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the door open and looked up to see none other than Breanne standing in the door way. "You can come in, you know," he said with a small, troubled smile. He could feel something not quite right about the small hesitance he could see in her eyes, "Go ahead," he said, knowing she had something important to tell him.

"Randy I-" she paused, trying to find the words, "Eric and Mick want me to go to Ohio and help out the management at the OVW. They're having a few problems there, and they need someone to help them get organized. Eric said that since I have done such a good job here, that they need me in Ohio more than the WWE does right now," Breanne finally made eye contact with him. She noticed a small hint of hurt in his before they went cold. She hardened her emotions as well. This was not going to be easy.

"Okay," he said a bit coldly. He didn't know why he was being this way. It wasn't her fault, yet he couldn't help himself. He didn't want her to leave, but he had felt it coming. He had to ask, "What about us?"

Annie bit her bottom lip, "I don't know," she said honestly.

"I don't suppose we'll be seeing each other for a while, huh? Raw isn't scheduled to return to Ohio any time soon."

"I know and we're both too busy during the week to make extra flights."

"What do you want to do?"

Breanne turned toward the door, "I don't want it to be over, not after everything we've been through together. I really care about you, Randy, but I'm not sure if it's real."

Randy was confused, "What do you mean by that?" he asked a little sharper than he intended.

Breanne bit her lip again. It was time to tell him her insecurities, and why she thought distance between them would be a good idea. "Randy, the only thing that brought us together in the first place was inconvenience. You had to return a lost necklace, and then save me from a stalker. I'm just not sure that things are the way they are because it's meant to be, or if it's because you feel like you have to protect me."

Randy's features softened a bit. He had been thinking the same thing. He knew he cared about Annie, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was in love with her, or in love with the idea that she had needed him. Randy did something he had not expected to do, "Annie," he paused as she turned to look at him again, "You're right. This is difficult to do," he said as he came toward her and took her chin in his hand, "but I think that we both know it has to be done."

"You want to call it quits," she said softly.

"We both know that's what you came in here to do, and we both know that it's probably for the best. We need to get our feelings sorted out," he told her, trying to convince them both that this was the right thing to do.

"I know. Maybe if we spend some time away from each other, we'll be able to see if what we feel is real," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace.

"I'll miss you, you know?" he asked with a small, forced chuckle.

"I'll miss you too, Randy, but it's not forever. It might not even be an entire month."

"I know, but that doesn't change anything," he said, tightening the embrace.

"No, it doesn't," she said pushing gently out of the hold and looking him in the eyes, "I have to go now. My flight is leaving soon."

"You're leaving tonight?"

"I have to. They want me there tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

Randy nodded his head, his heart betrayed him as his eyes showed all of the emotions he was trying to hide. Breanne's heart broke as she saw how desperately he didn't want to do what they were about to do. How desperately he wanted her to stay.

Randy almost told her, almost said everything, but he couldn't. He wasn't sure yet. He knew that they needed this time to sort out their feelings. He composed himself once more, "I'll see you later," he said.

Breanne nodded and went to head for the door, "I'll see you later," she repeated, both of them refused to say good bye, because that's not what it was. They would see each other again, just not the same way and not for a while.

Randy reached out and grabbed her arm, "You're forgetting something," he said.

"What?"

"This," he said as drew her into a kiss. Their lips lingered on one another for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally let go, they went their separate ways. Breanne went to catch her flight, and Randy went to participate in his match.

Both of them felt as if their lives were changing, but they didn't know why. They had barely known each other, after all. Or at least that is what they tried to tell themselves that first week apart. However, in the back of their minds and in the pits of their hearts, they knew it was a lie.

Breanne and Randy had gotten to known each other very well in the past couple months. They had both unwittingly and unknowingly fallen in love. Breanne and Randy wanted to believe that their mutual thoughts of love had been nothing more than an 'in the heat of the moment' thing, but now…now it was the real test.

~Raw, Sacramento, California~

Randy mulled over the thoughts running through his head. The past week had been harder than he thought it would be. He really missed her. They had talked to each other on the phone, but they deliberately avoided talking about their feelings or how much they missed each other. Instead, they would talk about how each of them were doing in their work.

Breanne would ask him about his title shot at Armageddon, and whether they had decided to give him the championship. He told her it wasn't decided and she'd say that he should get it. She'd like to see him wearing a belt. He'd agree and they would laugh.

Then Randy would ask how the OVW was treating her and she'd say that, 'everything is going good.' He would have to fight the urge to tell her how much he hated her not being there and that he wanted her to ask Eric if she could come back. He wanted to tell her how hard it had been to be away from her this week and how much he wished he could hold her, kiss her. He wanted to tell her how much he wanted to make love to her-

Randy cut off his thoughts, "Shit!" he thought. 'Make love to her?' He sighed. He'd never really made love to anybody. True, he had sex with people he cared about, but it had never been love making. 'Am I really in love?' he smiled as he was finally able to say it and know that what he was feeling was real, "I love her," he accidentally said it out loud. He hadn't heard Ric enter the room

"Of course you do!"

Randy almost fell of the couch, "Ric! I was…uh…I didn't hear you come in."

Ric laughed then asked something he had been dying to ask for a while, "Why did you two break up anyway? It would have only been a long distance relationship. You two were so perfect together, and you met each other's parents and everything! What happened? Did you get into a fight or something?"

"No, and it was only in part to the long distance thing. We just weren't sure if we were together for the right reasons. Everything was moving a little fast, and it felt like our relationship was forced because of the whole Jon situation and her having to travel with me all the time. Like maybe we just kind of grew on each other, you know? Does that make since?"

"Well, yes, but…you just said you loved her."

"I know, and I'm pretty damn sure I do, but I'm not sure if she feels the same way, you know? She might still be sorting out her own feelings."

Ric nodded his head, "Well, when will you see her again?"

"I don't know," Randy said, "she said it probably won't even be a month that she is gone, but-"

"But things could change," Ric interrupted, "Why don't you call her and tell her?"

"It's just not something I want to say over the phone. I think it should be done in person, but I can't get any free time to fly to Ohio. It's just going to have to wait."

Ric nodded his head, "I guess you're right," he looked down at his watch, "C'mon, it's time for our match, that's what I came here to tell you in the first place," he laughed.

Randy and Ric exited the dressing room and met up with Dave at the entrance to the ramp. As their music hit, Randy and the others put on their game faces and went down the ramp.

~Meanwhile, in Ohio~

Annie sat five centimeters away from the television screen as she watched Randy walk down the ramp and toward the ring. He was wearing his red shorts and that cocky smirk. It had only been one week, but she missed him.

Annie sighed as she sat back and watched the match. She flinched every time Randy took a hit, regretting that she wouldn't be there after the match to make sure he was okay. She missed Raw and she hated the OVW. It wasn't because she was swamped with work, although she was, and it wasn't because the management was bad or the people were mean, but it was that she couldn't be where she knew she belonged: With him. With the WWE.

She had fought calling Eric Bischoff and telling him she wanted to come back, but he had given her a job to do, and she knew she had to see it through. Besides if she worked hard she could have everything here back on track by late December. She couldn't believe it was already the first. She had only been able to go home for a few hours for Thanksgiving. After that, it was right back to work.

She had talked to Randy on Thanksgiving during her flight and wished him a happy holiday. He told her his parents had asked about her and she had told him to say hello for her. He said he already did and they shared a small laugh before hanging up.

She had been thinking about her mixed emotions for him. She knew that she had felt so strongly that she really did love him, especially when she thought she was going to be killed. However, she couldn't help but wonder if it was all just because of the extreme circumstances.

Annie tried to assess the situation in so many different ways, but each way it ended up the same. She still wasn't sure, her brow furrowed, and then, suddenly, out of nowhere, she thought of him again. 'I wonder what Randy is going to do this week.'

She turned off the television after seeing Randy and Ric climb slowly back up the ramp. She climbed into her bed, alone. She thought about that word for a bit. She was alone. She wouldn't be warm tonight…again. She wouldn't feel his arms around her, keeping her close…again. She wouldn't wake up and see his face smiling down at her…again. She held back the tears. She wouldn't have to fight with him over who gets the first shower. She wiped her tears and thought about everything she was feeling. She questioned herself and her feelings again and again.

~Breannes' POV~

Is this what it is to be in love? To not be able to think of anyone or anything else, to wallow in my loneliness? I feel so empty now.

Why can't I be happy? Why can't I feel sure about this? What is it that makes me so damn insecure? No one I have ever been with has made me feel this way. I need him…I need to hold him, to kiss him. I want to…to give myself to him…but I can't. I don't know if that is what he wants…I don't know how he feels now. Hell, I'm not even sure if I knew how he felt before. I think I'm going to go crazy.

~end POV~

Annie sighed as she pulled the covers over her body. She lay there in silence as a song suddenly popped into her head.

I'm alone yeah I don't know
If I can face the night
I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do
Is for you
I want your love
Let's break the walls between us
Don't make it tough
I'll put away my pride
Enough's enough,
I've suffered and I've seen the light

You're my angel
Come and save me tonight
You're my angel
Come and make it alright

Breanne closed her eyes as the first line put her to sleep. Her final thought of that night was the dance she shared with Randy the night they became official. She regretted that it had ended so quickly afterward. She tried to think to herself as she drifted to sleep, 'it isn't completely over. We're just taking a break. We can be together…again…can't we?' she fell into a deep sleep.

~meanwhile~

Randy lay in his bed, his arms empty and at his side. He felt the cold chill spread through him again. There was a song flowing through his thoughts as well.

Don't know what I'm gonna do
About this feeling inside
Yes, it's true
Loneliness took me for a ride
Without your love
I'm nothing but a beggar
Without your love
A dog without a bone
What can I do?
I'm sleepin' in this bed alone

You're my angel
Come and save me tonight
You're my angel
Come and make it alright

Randy sighed as he remembered the kiss they shared that night at the after party. He remembered the words she had spoken to him before the kiss. He couldn't allow himself to believe that it was nothing more that a 'spur of the moment' thing. He knew what he felt was real…the only problem was getting Annie to see that. His final thoughts before sleep were of Annie and her smile.

The night wore on as they both slept, cold and alone. They're minds may have taken a break from the world and all of the lonely thoughts, but their hearts were still heavy and their souls still discontent throughout the night.

You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give
When I break down and cry
Don't need no reason why
Baby, baby, ba-yay-by
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Okay, so there you are! I have not only managed to catch up with Raw, but also to succeed in torturing my main characters. I hope you're happy! The bad news is, that this story will probably be coming to an end soon. Probably by the end of the year. However, you will not have heard the last of me, as I will more than likely write another story, involving the beloved Randy as it was requested of me by Amanda.

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, and please review.

Pammi

P.S. I don't own Aerosmith or any of their songs, including the one above: Angel, the OVW, WWE, or Randy for that matter. I just figured that I haven't had a disclaimer in a while, and that maybe I ought to throw one in!