a/n well, I haven't updated since June. I'd planned on updating super quickly, too. Uni was exhausting, but now it's finished for the year! I'm doing NaNo though... So... Let's see how that goes. Don't hate me for taking so long. (Alright, you can hate me).


-October 11, 2010-

Do you know that feeling that you get when everyone is looking at you? You don't even have to look at them to know that all eyes are on you. It's distressing. I figured I'd moved passed being the sideshow freak. Apparently not.

People knew all about me and Mike. Neither of us had to tell anyone. By the time I called Ted to let him know what was happening, he already knew. Maryse had gone on a rampage when she left and everyone in the company knew within hours. Mike had a meeting with Vince later in the evening. Presumably to do with our relationship status. What else could it be, really?

"They haven't stopped staring at since I got here,'' I sighed, burying my head in Mike's shoulder. His body vibrated as he laughed at me.

"Can't blame them, really," he stated casually, "You look great."

"Kiss ass." I pushed him away lightly. "Every time I come back I think it's going to be my last time. Yet here I am again."

"Can't keep you away from your home."

"I guess not."

I tried to ignore the prying eyes as we moved through backstage and towards his locker room. It may have been home, the WWE, but going to a different arena every week made it very difficult to get used to everything. Sure, there was always tons of equipment and set backstage but the different layouts, the different shapes, everything made it seem too different. Though they all seemed to smell of cleaner and air freshener.

"Can I speak to you, Claire?" I heard Randy's voice long before I saw him. He was hiding around a corner, staying away from Mike. His head peaked out.

"Are you going to behave like an adult instead of the man-child you've become?" Mike tightened his grip on my hand.

"You wanna leave us alone? She's proven multiple times that she can take care of herself." Randy growled at Mike. Mike looked at me to make sure I was okay. I nodded and he disappeared, on quick kiss left on my lips before he did so.

"What do you want?" I asked, shoulders back and chin up.

"Apologise," he responded gruffly, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. "I need to apologise."

"For what?" I snapped immediately. "Being totally insane recently? How about a proper apology for joining the Marines? For being discharged and not coming back for me?" I questioned all in one breath. "You screwed me up, Randy. Just disappear, no contact at all, only to show up on Smackdown one day four years later!" He didn't make any attempt to speak, instead just looked over my shoulder, lost in thought. "You don't have an explanation, do you?"

"Not at all," he answered honestly with a grim shrug. "What can I say? I was dumb. Really dumb."

"I could have told you that. You didn't have to do all that stupid shit to work it out."

"You were always so kind to me," he laughed sarcastically. "I am sorry. More sorry that I couldn't grow up, than anything."

"It's all in the past, though. C'est pas d'importance." He nodded, understanding the gist of my statement. It's not important.

"It wouldn't be if I hadn't..." Randy trailed off and I frowned at him.

"What?"

"Been a total dick this past year." I couldn't help myself. I burst into a fit of giggles. I caught sight of his death glare and covered my mouth quickly, trying to stifle my laughter but it was clear I couldn't control myself. "It's not funny."

"A bit, yeah, it is." I said under my breath. "Water under the bride, Randal. Don't even worry about it."

"Just like that?" He was sceptical.

"I've forgiven people for doing worse."


I knocked once to let Mike know someone was going to enter and pushed the locker room door open. Alex sat down opposite him, they were discussing their plans for the evening.

"What did he want?" Mike asked, turning away from his protégé.

"Just to apologise," I smiled slightly, dropping down onto the seat beside him.

"Everything's looking good then. Nothing to worry about anymore," Alex chimed in and I looked at him kindly. I laughed.

"I still run the risk of bumping into Maryse," I grimaced, "But fingers crossed."

Mike rested his hand on my thigh and gave it a small squeeze. I shrugged and slumped down slightly, gesturing for the guys to continue their conversation.

When they were finally finished talking over everything, Mike stood up, helping me up with him, and decided that we were going to go for another walk around the arena.

I wasn't exactly pleased with the idea given the reaction of everyone less than an hour before, but I knew that avoiding it would only make the situation worse.

"I feel like Maryse is going to jump out from around a corner and choke me," I sighed into Mike's shoulder. "I'm genuinely afraid."

"She won't do anything here," Mike said in an assuring tone. I was anything but assured.

"She can't really get into trouble. I don't work here."

"Causing a mess backstage? She can get in trouble for it. She'll get over it, Claire, really."

Only, when we walked into catering and I saw Maryse I didn't feel that way. The look on her face made it known that she wanted me dead and the fact that she stood up and immediately left the room didn't make me feel much better.

"Eventually, maybe. In many years."